Part Ten
The fire was out in a few minutes, thanks to the Japanese fire department, which for hundreds of years had been steeped in the deep-rooted belief that fires that spread were deadly to a city made of thatch, rice and paper, even though brick and cement had long been in use.
The Preventers and the two former mobsters spent hours picking through the ruin of what had once been the leading producer of artificial legs.
"I don't think there is any question that Talpa is responsible. Right now, we have to figure out where he'll head next," Quatre said upon their return to the hotel room. Everyone nodded grimly.
"I can run a computer search for other companies that make artificial limbs, but that will take time, and I don't think we have the time," Heero said. Quatre nodded.
"We'll have to get our information in another way, then."
"There is always the Underworld," Cye put in thoughtfully. Everyone looked at him.
"Excuse me?" Quatre said, though he had a feeling he knew what Cye was going to say next.
"Well, it's loike this. Talpa's part o' the Underworld, so 'e would contact the Underworld for info. So, if we ask around the Underworld, it'll be faster than any computer program smiley over there could run," Cye explained, finishing the sentence with a casual wave in Heero's general direction.
Heero glared at him but Duo chuckled, causing Heero's irritation to dissipate. Quatre nodded thoughtfully.
"That's a good idea. When can you take us there?" Quatre asked.
"You couldn't go, you'd never fit in," Cye said. Quatre's brow wrinkled in irritation. "You walk like cops, you talk like cops, you act like cops. We'd get jumped so fast you're head would spin."
"If you think we'll let you go alone..." Quatre began.
"Oh no, of course not. I want to take him," Cye said, pointing directly at Rowen. Rowen sank down in his seat.
"Ah'm in trouble..." Rowen muttered.
"Agreed," Quatre said, sealing the deal.
Ah'm inna lot of trouble!
"Let's see how you look!" Duo called.
"Fluff off," Rowen called back, voice muffled through the bathroom door.
"I didn't just hear you say that..." Duo said in a sing-song voice. Rowen moaned. He also opened the door.
Rowen was wearing a cobalt blue t-shirt under a long sleeved black mesh shirt, with slightly baggy black jeans artistically ripped to show off his legs, which were also covered in mesh. Jean material straps crossed from the front to the back. Rowen was hiding his face with his hands, which had black nail polish on them.
Duo whistled. "Niiiice. Goth club, right? Let's see your face!"
Rowen reluctantly dropped his hands. Around his right eye, a starburst in glittering blue and silver eyeliner was drawn. His lips were painted in a shade of dark blue, rather than black. Duo whistled again.
"Shaddap. Where're Cye and Kento?" Rowen grumbled. Cye walked in at that moment. Cye was far more simply dressed, in his normal mobster outfit, though his shirt was dark green instead of white. Cye smiled slowly at Rowen.
"Smashing. Kento is just coming, and then will go." Cye turned to look at Duo. "Smiley still insists on running the computer program."
Duo shrugged. "Heero's like that. You look good."
"Thank you." Cye nodded to Kento, who was also wearing his mobster outfit, as well as a deep red shirt. Kento noticed Rowen's appearance and clapped.
"Let's just go," Rowen mumbled, though he wasn't really displeased by the costume. He'd worn worse.
Together, they walked out. Duo smiled as they left and called over his shoulder.
"Two days, Quat."
"Four!" Quatre called back.
"A week," grunted Heero as he typed furiously.
"Eight days," called Wufei.
"Six days, four hours, three minutes and the couch," Trowa proclaimed.
TBC...
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