Assailant: Part 14 By: Reboo Email: rlw1985@hotmail.com or lngwp@oz.zzn.com A/N: Decided to stick this out soon, since I made the last part so short, I figured I owed it to everyone reading. I also figured I would try to make this part longer, seeing I don't know how long its going to be before I can type again, I spent a good 3 to 4 hours typing and reading on the computer today. Noin's eyes grew wide as she took a good look down, and gulped. She hugged herself to the latter, and prepared herself for the unslaught of noise that had already begun, as well as the suction that would begin to occur as the elevator drew nearer to her position. Fighting back the fear that tried to grip her, she buried her head in between the rungs of the ladder, and hugged herself as close as she could trying to fight back against the fear and the suction of the elevator as it raced passed her threatening to pull her off the ladder, and up with it. She grimaced, and then relaxed as the elevator finally passed leaving her once more alone in depths of the elevator shaft. Looking up then down she relaxed, and shook her head letting her now long hair bounce around her, and then continued back down again. Upon reaching the first sub floor door she took a good look around her. She did not know the camera positions or timings here and thus opted for the try an air duct route, which she had been avoiding as a possibility. Resigning to her decision she looked around, and finding one maneuvered herself carefully over to it, making sure not to lose footing, so she wouldn't fall. She reached it and pulled herself in. It was silver inside, and stuffy, very warm and dry making her breathing harder as she continued on. If she was right she could take an air duct directly to "Ms. Nasty's" room, and drop in on her. Carefully stopping to study the blueprints occasionaly Noin made good time through the ducts, even in the cramped space they allowed. She looked through the grate in the office and looked around, it was dark, which meant the old lady was already gone. Noin pushed herself forward then kicked out the grate with her feet and lowered herself into the room. Jumping down from the desk she went to the door and made sure it was locked then shoved her jacket in the crack between the door and the floor, and turned the lights on. It was the same as before. But now she had time to admire it, to study it, while last time she was here she did not. The room was over all very plush, a nice desk containing the latest computer,with a sweet rotating chair behind it was designated the spot right in front of the door. There were two chairs in front of that, padded, and cumfy as well. A small sofa adorned the large open ended section of the room, most likely for use when the woman couldn't make it home from work do to the work load. Noin could definately sympathize with that. She contented herself with rummaging through the drawers in the lady's desk. They didn't contain anything special though she added with dissatisfaction. Just some pens, pencils, and paper, along with little announcements found in most people's desk. It missed a personal touch however, the didn't contain one personal touch, not a picture or a letter, or anything at all. She sighed then spotted a file cabinet located behind where the door would have swung, had it been open. She moved the chair aside, and went to it, opening it, letting her fingers get a good feel for the cold metal beneath them. She opened the top drawer first and began rummaging through the manilla files contained within. They were rough to the touch, as well as dirty, most likely implying that they were often looked at. She stopped thumbing through when she reached her father's name, Antoinne Geseppi, otherwise known as Noin, his code name. He was number nine. Only after she had learned of her father's death had she adapted his code name as her last. Call it a tribute to him if you like, but it helped to remind her of what little she knew about her father. Grabbing the thick folder she pulled it out, and shut the cabinet door softly, and went to the woman's chair and sat down and began to read on who her father was while he was with these people. Her face contorted with mixed emotions over the next two hours she spent reading her father's files, too absorbed in them to realize that it was nearing normal business hours. Signs of happiness and sadness were shown on her face as she realized exactly what her father had been through, the killings the accusations but his loyalty to certain people made her proud. She could pick out little errors in his reports like things she had done in her days during OZ, just to cover little things they would not approve of, but that would have made her feel guilty if she had not done them. Pain flashed over her face as she looked over one of her files, and she had to bite her lip back. Her father had been forced to put her into a program with them, a training program, one to teach ruthlessness into children, to breed them as soldiers, at the age of five however her father had taken her out without their permission. Two years later he had paid the price for that with his life when they had finally caught up with him. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as the memories came back to her. They were horrifying images of her family being killed by the Alliance, then later her father killed by the men he had used to serve with. They had killed him and then burned him for good measure, they had cremated him, but she had watched, she had seen everything. Seen it and smelled it, charred flesh was a disgusting smell, and one that would never leave her thoughts. She shivered then continued reading on. Apparently her father had been part of their frontal group, and a good mobile suit pilot as well. He had helped developed storage areas for a new mobile suit, which had never wound up being used. Her father had put in a safety device requiring him or her to open the doors to the bay, so that the machines could not be used for the wrong reasons. Reason would have it that you could break down doors to such a place, but for some reason they had never managed to open the hangar. Noin finished reading and put the file back where it belonged, she wanted to know who he was, information on what he was like how kind he was. She remembered little of him now a days. She could remember that he worked for the King Peacecraft though, but had failed to stop the Peacecrafts' assassinations, and the ruin of their kingdom. For some reason they had made Noin an Imperial guard at a young age, and for as long as she could remembered she had been carrying out her duties to keep her best friend, and his little sister safe. Lately it was more difficult though. If she did go back, she would most likely be watch them in the shadows. Her help would probably not be accepted now that she had killed again. A thud came from the hallway sounding off the lady's door, and Noin jumped. She quickly moved her jacket away from the door, turned off the lights and ran quickly moving aside a ceiling panel and jumping up, and replacing the tile almost all the way. She tried to keep her breath even as someone opened the door, came in and turned the lights on. Noin breathed a sigh of relief as she took note that it was only a cleaning lady, who wheeled a cart in and cleaned the room then took off, locking the door behind her. Assuming it was safe Noin hopped back down, and layed down on the sofa, it was 6:45 a.m., she was silently wondering how much longer she'd have to wait for the old coot to show up, and right about now she was feeling the need for caffeine, or sugar at the least. "How long should we wait," Quatre asked while fidgeting in one of the hotel chairs in the group of them where him and the rest of the gundam pilots were talking, minus Zechs of course. "Wait for what?" Heero asked in a monotone voice already knowing the answer. "For Noin to come back, of course." Quatre stated. "Who says she will come back," Trowa said turning his attention from the window back to the rest of the group. "Given her actions last evening, she might not want to come back. Although that probably depends on her insight on what's going through Zech's head right now." "I know," Duo said perking up a little, from his all to early morning wake up call. "We'll place a little wager." He said giggling. "It'll be on whether or not Noin comes back on her own, or if she chooses to leave." "Duo, don't you think you've lost enough money already, plus the twenty dollars last night. I don't think Hilde's going to be very happy with you." Quatre said cautiously eyeing the other pilot. "Awe, you worry too much Q-man, Hilde's down with it, she'll understand." Duo said bouncing up. "Sure, Maxwell," Wufei muttered, "and this is why the weak onna is constantly pushing you around. You weakling." "Excuse me," Duo said defiantly standing up daring Wufei to say it again. Heero stood up in the middle of them. "Why don't you two just wager on what Noin will do. That way it'll settle your little weakness test without waking all the others up. We don't want to bring Zechs or Relena in on this just yet, but Sally probably already knows whats going on." "Fine," Duo excepted. "I say Noin's coming back," Duo challenged. "Then I'll take the opposite side of the coin," said Wufei with a smirk. "Hey why's he smirking," Duo said eyeing him nervously, "why won't someone answer me." he almost yelled, but no one answered him, but Quatre laughed, while Heero, and Trowa kept silent. Zechs yawned and rolled out of bed, brushing his hair out of his face. He was sore all over. Silently he got up and got dressed, then combed his hair, and went to get some coffee. He left the room quietly and started to make his way downstairs. He was still half asleep, and he really wanted to talk to Noin, she was normally up before him. Which never ceased to amaze him. She went to bed late, and woke up early. It was weird, but something he admired about her, among other things of course. He found himself thinking about her as he made his way downstairs, and managed to absentmindedly make his coffee before heading back up. On his way back up however he caught the end of the gundam pilots talks. He stopped dead in his tracks and froze, ignoring those who passed him in the hallway. He couldn't believe it, she had left, but where to and why. After everything they had had to do to get out and especially after what she had had to do, he couldn't understand why she would want to leave again. Acting without thinking, something he rarely did, he tried the door to the pilots room, and finding it open he went in and shut it behind him. "Where'd she go?" he asked simply and calmly, but he couldn't hide the disgust in his voice over the fact that they knew while he did not. "Where is she," he repeated some of the worry and anger creeping into his voice. The gundam pilots didn't respond however. They stared at each other unsure of what to say, while Heero glared at Duo for opening his big mouth to loud. http://www.lngwp.20megsfree.com/index.html