Careless, Painless and Voiceless

At the airport, Quatre and Rashid were waiting for Haruka to arrive.

"It's kind of strange of him to ask you a favor." Rashid said.

"Don't be harsh. Trowa only wanted to help his friend." Quatre told Rashid.

Haruka went out of the door together with the other people who arrived. Rashid looked at the picture then to the crowd. He raised his plackcard with Haruka's name written on it and she saw it so she went toward them.

"You must be Quatre. um... Nanashi said that you're a uh mm... Anyway, nice to meet you." she said to Rashid then stretched out her hand.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Cole, but I'm not what you are looking for," said Rashid then he put a hand on Quatre's shoulder, "This is Master Quatre."

Haruka noticed a guy a bit smaller than Rashid. He has platinum gold hair and expressive blue eyes. Quatre smiled at her and kissed her hand. Haruka blushed because of the gesture.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Cole." Quatre said.

"N-nice to meet you, too." Haruka said then showed them an unconvincing smile.

"My name is Quatre Raberba Winner, This is my friend, Rashid Kurama." Quatre introduced.

"I-I'm Eos Haruka Cole." Haruka told them.

"Let's go to our house. I'm sure you are tired." Quatre said.

"S-sure." Haruka agreed.

Rashid took her bag and they went to Quatre's mansion. Haruka looked around his mansion in amazement.

"You've got a nice home, Mr. Winner." Haruka complimented.

"Please, call me Quatre. Can I call you Haruka?" Quatre asked with a sunshine smile.

Haruka blushed and took a step back while looking at Quatre's smile.

"Is there something wrong?" Quatre inquired.

Haruka wiped away her sweat.

"N-none. You remind me of my brother." Haruka confessed.

"Is that a compliment?" Quatre asked.

Haruka nodded.

"That's good." Quatre said then smiled again.

Haruka was drawn to his smile because she was turning red.

"By the way, Trowa told me everything. I think I know what dress you will wear." Quatre told her.

"Dress?" Haruka asked puzzled.

"A dress. You are attending a masquerade party then you should wear proper attire." Quatre told her.

"A tux will be fine." Haruka said.

"No. I insist. We will buy one tomorrow." Quatre insisted.

"No, no. Don't waste your money for me. I could lend your suit instead." Haruka told him.

"Very well, you can borrow one of my sister's dresses." Quatre concluded.

Haruka gulped as they reached the balcony where they can view the desert. They sat down while a maid served their tea. Haruka took a sip from her cup.

"I couldn't possibly borrow one from them. It might not fit." Haruka insisted.

"We'll see." Quatre said with a grin.

Quatre called his chambermaid then whispered something to her. Haruka was scared when she saw Quatre's maid looked at her with an evil grin. The maid left.

"What was that?" Haruka asked nervously.

"She is Dana. She'll be in charge of your clothes." Quatre replied then giggled.

"What did you tell her?" Haruka asked again.

"You'll see." Quatre replied with a grin.

Moments later, Dana brought two maids and asked Haruka to come with them. Haruka nervously accepted it and excused herself to Quatre then left. Rashid went in.

"Master Quatre, Mr. Barton is here." Rashid told him.

"Let him in." Quatre said with a smile.

Trowa went in while Rashid left them alone. Trowa sat on a chair.

"How is she?" Trowa asked.

"She's trying on some dresses. Maybe you should try one of my suit." Quatre suggested.

"Later. The party is tomorrow. I have a hunch that he'll be there and doesn't want anyone to disturb him."

"I think so, too. I bet he already know that Relena was kidnapped again."

They heard Haruka screamed.

"What was that?" Quatre asked.

"I think she doesn't like those dresses." Trowa said.

They both laughed.

"This is the first time I saw you laugh." Quatre said.

Trowa nodded.

Haruka went running in. Her buttons were unfastened. Trowa and Quatre blushed and looked away.

"WHAT THE HECK HAS GOTTEN IN YOUR MAIDS, QUATRE?" Haruka asked furiously then saw Trowa.

"Nanashi? What are you doing here? Wait a minute. You are following me, right? Did Shinjin told you to do that?" Haruka asked him.

"I'm here to visit my friend." Trowa replied, still not looking at her.

"Why aren't you looking at me?" Haruka asked.

"Your shirt." Quatre replied.

When she looked at her shirt, she noticed that it was open. She blushed then fastened her buttons.

"I'm sorry. This is so embarrassing." Haruka apologized.

Trowa and Quatre looked at her. Quatre smiled at her which made Haruka step back.

"Have you picked a dress?" Trowa asked.

"I want a tux." Haruka insisted.

"We won't allow it." Dana said as she and her fellow maids went in.

Who are they?" Trowa asked.

"Dana is my chambermaid. The other maids with her are Aviva, Amita, Apain and Channa." Quatre replied.

"Scary." Haruka murmured.

"A woman must have poise." Aviva said.

"A woman must have grace." Amita said.

"A woman is beauty." Apain said.

"A woman is fragile." Channa said.

"A woman must wear a dress in a formal party." Dana told her then clapped her had twice.

Aviva, Amita and Apain dragged Haruka away.

"I'm no woman! I'm a man! Stop! HELP ME!!!" Haruka screamed as they took her away.

_______________________________________________________________________

Haruka arrived at the party with a simple dress that Quatre's maids picked for her. It was a long white sleeveless gown with a golden belt. Her white high heel shoes has a golden ribbon. Her white mask covered her eyes.

"I didn't want attention but those freaking maids are scary." Haruka thought.

The place was grand. It looks like they are having a ball. Musicians were at the side, playing slow music while some people dance. Tables were on the side so people could dance at the center.

There were lots of doors but the security was not tight so it's so easy to get in and out without noticing. A grand staircase at a side leads to the inner part of the house.

"I have to get more information." Haruka thought.

Someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around to look at the person. It was a guy wearing a tuxedo and a black mask that covered his eyes. He has a messy dark brown hair.

He asked Haruka to dance and she accepted it. They went to the middle of the room and danced waltz.

"Who are you?" Haruka asked.

"This is a masquerade party. No one should know one's identity not unless you know that person." he replied.

"You have a point." Haruka agreed.

"I just want to dance." the guy said.

The music stopped so everyone stopped dancing. Theodore Glow went in and gave a little speech.

"My dear friends, we are gathered here to celebrate the foundation of Teddy Bear Corps. Our dreams of creating our own constitution and policy will come true." Theodore said.

Theodore went on. His green eyes were glowing as he kept on telling them about the plans of the Teddy Bear Corps. He kept on fixing his trimmed black hair even though it was neat.

When he finished his speech, everyone clapped their hands. The music filled the room and the party continued.

Haruka looked beside her and noticed that the guy she was dancing with disappeared. This is her chance so she slowly left the party and snuck to Theodore's office. On her way, she noticed that there were no guards around so she thought that Theodore's security were not tight but when she went in the office, the guy she was dancing with was there and pointing a gun at her.

"Don't shoot." Trowa ordered.

Trowa went in from the window. He was wearing a prince-like costume and a blue eye mask.

"Am I late?" Trowa asked.

The guy hid his gun.

"You know her?" he asked.

"She is my friend, Heero. Her sister was kidnapped just like Vice Minister Darlian." Trowa replied.

"You mean Karrie Yuy?" Heero asked while looking through books.

"Karrie Yuy? He knows who she is?" Haruka asked.

"Karrie Yuy is Heero Yuy's long lost daughter. She was kidnapped along with a little girl from the Purcell family. The kidnappers said that they will kill them if they won't give money but they managed to escape and the families haven't got any news ever since." Heero explained.

"Then how did you know all that?" Haruka asked.

"The Teddy Bear Corps managed to slip that news to the media but the press were blocked about Vice Minister Darlian and Ms. Khushrenada." Heero replied.

Trowa searched the desk. When Haruka noticed that they were searching for clues, she tried to press one of the paintings. One painting of Theodore Glow opened. There was a a laptop inside. She took it and opened it.

"Guys, look at this." Haruka told them.

Trowa and Heero went near her.

"This is a list of people invited in the party and the list of members of Teddy Bear Corps." Trowa said.

"Minister Ted Purcell is behind all of these. Governor Theodore Glow is only a decoy." Haruka concluded.

Haruka took her USB and saved it there. She also noticed a folder named Cole. She opened it and saw their names.

"What is this?" Haruka asked.

"DNA test results and some background, I guess." Heero replied.

Haruka opened Karrie's file and saw that her DNA result.

"She is a Yuy." Haruka said.

Haruka kept on readng the results twice and tried to save it in her USB but she failed because the storage was full.

"We have to go." Heero said.

"But I want to see Shinjin's result and mine." Haruka told him.

"Some other time. I heard Ted Purcell is downstairs. We could get more information." Heero said.

Haruka looked at the laptop then to Heero. She took her USB and shut the laptop and placed it right where she found it.

"Let's go." Haruka told them.

They peeked out the library and went back to the party.

"There he is, Theodore Glow." Haruka pointed.

"That guy must be Ted Purcell." Trowa pointed at the man who looked like 27 years old. His blond hair was fixed neatly and wore a duke's costume and green mask that covered his eyes. Ted asked a lady to dance.

"I'll go and get information from Governor Glow." Haruka whispered to them.

Heero grabbed her arm and pushed her to Trowa.

"I'll do that." Heero told her.

"How can I be sure that you won't leave us?" Haruka asked.

"I'll need the information you will get from Minister Purcell so dance with Trowa." Heero replied.

Heero left them while Trowa took Haruka's hand and led her to the dance floor. Haruka felt an electric impulse from his touch and she doesn't know where it's coming.

"Let's go." Trowa said.

Haruka nodded. They danced gracefully but close to Minister Ted Purcell.

"What will you do to Minister Yuy's sister?" the lady asked.

"I need her for publicity and gather favors from the Yuy family. After all, even though Heero Yuy is dead, the Yuys still got the public's sympathy." Ted replied.

"Then what about Vice Foreign Minister Darlian and Ms. Khushrenada?"

"We could use them to gather supporters but my damn brothers were blocking the media."

"Why would they do that?"

"To protect our family name. We were supporters of the Sanc Kingdom before it was destroyed and the family became a pacifist because of Heero Yuy."

"So why are you doing all of these?"

"So they would listen to me."

"You are a minister. They will listen to you because of your position."

"Not everyone listens. I have to rule Earth so they will listen."

"Then have you found your lost sister?"

"Not yet. I know that she is staying in the Cole's together with Ms. Yuy but my imbecile followers didn't got her."

"One of us." Haruka told Trowa.

"What?" Trowa asked.

"It's either me or Shinjin. One of us is his sister." Haruka said.

"Lets go." Trowa told her.

"Wait. I want to know who." Haruka insisted.

"INTRUDERS IN THE PARTY!" a guard shouted as she walked by the stairs and holding his bleeding abdomen.

Heero ran towards them and grabbed Haruka. Trowa followed them while the guards were firing their guns at them. Meanwhile, Rashid was waiting for them outside. He was driving a jeep when he was Trowa and the others running. He went near them.

"Get in!" Rashid ordered.

Trowa sat in front while Heero and Haruka sat at the back. Rashid sped up so they wouldn't follow them but cars from the party came running after them.

Haruka looked around and saw a bazooka by her feet. She grabbed it, stood up and aimed the car leading the others then fired it. She was also blown from the force of the bazooka but thankfully, Heero caught her and she git her target. The other cars hit their brakes fast but they were caught up by the explosion.

"Good shot, Ms. Cole." Rashid complimented.

"Young man, you have to tell me what you found out and I'll tell you mine." Haruka said.

"Maybe we could help each other. Our mission is to rescue the girls." Trowa suggested.

"Fine by me." Heero agreed.

"By the way, my name is Eos Haruka Cole. Just call me Haruka from now on. You are?" Haruka introduced herself.

"I'm Heero Yuy." Heero said.

Haruka was surprised.

"Heero Yuy?" You are too young to be Karrie's dad!" Haruka shrilled.

"I'm only using his name." Heero explained.

"Another no name? But I can still call you Heero, can't I?" Haruka asked.

"I don't mind." Heero replied.

"Nice to meet you." Haruka said then stretched her hand.

"Same here. Heero said as he took her hand and shook it.