Gundam Wing: Genesis Part 6
Quatre's head was still pounding the next morning as the three pilots were escorted to Lady Une's office on the top floor of the Preventers building.
She waved them all into their seats without a word, and all three winced- she was pissed, royally pissed. And since they were the ones present...
Une folded her hands on her desk as she leaned forward with a glint in her eye. "Now I understand that you gentlemen have your own MO, but that stunt you pulled yesterday was completely unacceptable! This is not AC 195 anymore, and I am not OZ- I am your partner in this and, like it or not, I have to be in the know!"
Duo met her stare unabashed. "I would remind you, Lady Une, that not even Quatre, Wufei and Trowa knew about the disk switching. If you understand that we have our own way of working, than you have to understand that we do things that way for a reason. Telling anyone could have landed all of us in a whole shitload of trouble!"
She glared back at the still slightly pale braided man. "And if Quatre had gotten shot for it? Do you just expect him to understand why you put him at such a risk?"
Quatre cleared his throat. "Lady, it is done and over with. I fully agreed to the original plan, knowing full well all of the risks it entailed and, thanks to Heero and Duo, we still have a chance at survival in this. The information Dumoulin's group has is flawed- so what the hell are you lecturing us about?!"
She drew back a little in shock from the flashing of Quatre's eyes- Une had been on the receiving end of the pilots' anger enough to know when to back off. "You're right, Quatre. The mission is still safe and we do thank you all for that. But the fact remains that you are deliberately holding back information from us, and we cannot be effective in helping you unless we know what you are doing. We could have caught that man yesterday if we had known, and we would have let you run your part as you planned."
"Would you?" Wufei asked quizzically. "Or would you have insisted that it was too dangerous? You don't trust us, Lady, so how are we to trust you?"
Duo winced as he coughed, and he abruptly felt his temper give way as he listened to the battle of words. "Alright- just shut up, all of you!" They all turned to him, stunned, and he continued, "Une, I'll be honest. I know you're one of the good guys, but I still have a hard time getting used to it and I may have let that affect my judgment. We're all probably guilty of that. But you're obviously doing the same thing, or you'd know that we're doing it the right way. If you want us to trust you completely, we need to be sure we can do that, and we're not."
She sat back, considering the braided pilot's words carefully. "Why don't you think you can trust us?"
Duo snorted. "We've known all along that Dumoulin would have the information she needed within minutes of the Presentation. Who's her snitch? Do you know? Have you tried to find out?"
Une winced- trust Duo to cut straight to the point! "There are issues there, Duo, like you would not imagine..."
Duo interrupted, "You see? You know that there's a serious leak somewhere in the organization and you don't know where. You won't be the one flying that suit, Lady Une. You need to take a minute to think about it from our perspective!"
Une's voice was brittle as she attempted to explain, "Investigating some of these people would put the Preventers in jeopardy- some of them have the clout to shut us down..."
Quatre's voice was cold and hard, "And if Madeleine Dumoulin got the information she wanted, the five of us would die first and then the entire government would come down. I suggest you re-think your priorities, Lady Une."
Wufei cut in, "Unless you can guarantee information security, we put too much at risk by telling you everything. You can't do that, can you?"
Une was angry- Damn them all! Why do they have to make sense?! They have to be so damn logical... They were right. She didn't like it, but they were right, and it would have been incredibly foolhardy of them to trust her organization, or Relena's, with their plans, given the argument. "And if I promised- no, swore- that anything you told me would never leave this room? Would you at least put your trust in me?"
Quatre gave her a hard look. "And Relena? Would you tell her?"
Une swallowed hard- was she really being forced to make this decision? "I... She's my superior..."
"We realize that, Lady Une. Is that a yes or no?"
She closed her eyes and took a deep gulp of air. "Fine, damn you! I will not tell Relena anything unless you give me clearance to do so. Are you satisfied?"
Quatre gave her a gentle smile that only served to make her feel worse. "Agreed. That wasn't too hard now, was it?"
Wufei recognized the snarl forming on Une's face, and he quickly stood up, grabbing Quatre's arm as he did so. It was time for them to make a strategic retreat. "Unless you have anything else to add, Lady, we'll take our leave now." Giving her a hasty bow, he steered the other two pilots out of the room and shut the door behind them.
All three tried not to cringe at the angry yell that followed them out of the building- it wasn't a good omen for the next phase of their project!
~*~
It had to end! Howard was tired of watching it, and it bothered him to no end- Trowa and Heero were supposed to be working together, not skulking around each other and glaring at each others' backs! What was more- he was going to put an end to it, and he meant now!
The two pilots were working together on the same suit, and somehow managing to do so without acknowledging each other's presence at all. If he hadn't been so angry about it, Howard would have found it amazing. He waited for the Manguanac technician to leave before he approached them, stomping over as menacingly as he could manage. "Okay, you two! Enough of this! What the hell is going on here?!"
He was further enraged as both put on the sort of innocent face that had to be completely fake. "What are you talking about, Howard?" Trowa asked.
He scowled back. "You know damn well what I'm talking about, dammit! Whatever's eating you two, you'd better get it out because it's affecting the team and we can't allow that! So talk!"
Heero and Trowa looked at each other and shrugged. "It's nothing, Howard. Go away," Heero said.
Howard refused to back off, though. "I don't think so, Yuy, and don't you give me that glare of yours! I said talk, I mean talk!"
Trowa met the old man's eyes square on. "You remember when Duo came back to us, four years ago?"
Howard gulped- he remembered all too well- even when Duo had been small and relatively unable to defend himself, the boy had never been so badly broken up. "Yes..."
Trowa turned his icy glare on Heero. "Someone still has to work on his rage problems."
It was Howard's turn to glare now, as he turned on Heero Yuy with his fists on his hips. "What the hell did you do now, Yuy! I swear to God..."
Heero's face was rapidly draining of all colour as his mind played back Duo's threat over and over again. "I lost my temper. It won't happen again- I already swore that."
Trowa's low voice brought their heads around. "The look on your face- the mercs used to look at me like that. When I was little. Damn it, Heero! You almost killed him that time..."
Heero shuddered. "I know! For God's sake, Trowa, don't you think I know that? Don't you think it has haunted me, all these years? Why else would I stay away for so long?!"
He clenched his fists tightly, so much so that his nails dug into his palms and drew blood. "He threatened to shoot himself if I ever lost it like that again- damn- you have no idea how much that hurt! You don't know how scared I was- I still am..."
Howard was shocked. "He did what?! Aw, Jesus..."
Heero's eyes glazed over. "I don't know what I'd do. I don't know... I've forced him to this- it's my fault..."
Trowa tried, "Heero..."
But the Japanese man cut him off. "I'm sorry I brought up bad memories, Trowa, but I swear it to you- Duo will never have anything to fear from me. None of you will."
Trowa stopped glaring. "I want to believe you, Heero."
"Then believe me," came the reply. Heero turned and left as quickly as he could.
Howard stared after the retreating Japanese pilot and shook his head as he turned back to Trowa. "Is that enough for you? Damn- I love Duo like my own son, okay? I would kill that Japanese prick personally if he ever harmed the kid again, but I don't think he will. Have you ever seen Heero Yuy retreat like that before?"
Trowa looked down at the toes of his work boots. "It's hard to say- you didn't see the look he gave Duo... but yeah. I suppose- we all deserve a second chance, don't we?"
Howard grinned and clapped the pilot's shoulder. "Besides, did you see his reaction? I think Duo's got him right where he wants him!"
Trowa's eyes cleared a little- the mercs had never looked like that. They hadn't cared. They liked seeing his bruises. "Yes." He turned and gave the Sweeper a small smile. "You've got that right."
Howard straightened his sunglasses. "Good. Let's get back to work, then. We've got a schedule to meet."
~*~
Madeleine Dumoulin smiled at her scientific team as they looked in awe at the material she presented to them. "Incredible! I can't believe no one's come up with this before..." Doctor Prin was saying.
Madeleine smirked. "Revolutionary, indeed. How fast can you get this done?"
Prin looked over the specs seriously. "Well, we have to calibrate what kind of shields to use and then go into production... that will take a while."
Green eyes glinted at the man. "I need a date, Doctor."
He gulped- the bald man at Madeleine's side was staring at him as though he'd like to chew him up and spit him out... "We will push it, Mademoiselle. I will be ready for construction in two weeks."
She smiled sweetly- Prin felt a cold shudder going down his spine. "You'd better be, Prin. You'd better be."
~*~
Relena flinched physically as Quatre, Duo and Wufei walked in- the Chinese man was still glaring at her as though she had single-handedly sunk the Titanic. She waited until they were all seated, and clutched Dorothy's hand tightly for courage. She began without preamble, "I nearly got you killed yesterday."
Quatre frowned at her. "What on Earth possessed you to pull that crap? The entire operation was put at risk..."
Dorothy spoke up, holding Relena's hand in hers tightly, "We know that, and we're sorry for it. Those disks..."
"Contained a full technical readout on Genesis," Duo finished her sentence quietly. "So if they didn't know already, they certainly do now."
Dorothy's eyes zeroed in on the braided pilot. "I even got you shot."
He didn't react visibly. "Yeah- you did."
Quatre cleared his throat to get everyone's attention again. "I'm sorry about this, Relena, but we have to define our operational security for you now. The project will continue as planned." He held up a hand to silence her as she tried to speak. "You will be informed of any major changes to the schedule or to planning, but we don't envision any of those for the moment."
Relena gave the pilots a blank look. Why were they speaking to her in code? Unless... unless they had reason to believe that there was a leak, and it was associated with her? She frowned. That, at least, she could take care of! "I understand, Quatre. I know... I know it doesn't help, but I am profoundly sorry. About what happened to you, too, Duo. You saved Dorothy's life, and I thank you for that."
He managed a respectful nod in reply.
The pilots stood and left with no further talk, and the two girls were left staring at each other silently. Relena whispered, "I just lost control- I've authorized a war and I have no control over it!"
Dorothy said nothing in reply.
~*~
Back at the L4 Research Center, Quatre was not surprised to find Duo in his workshop. He left his jacket and tie on a peg by the door as he entered and approached the only other person in the room.
Duo's shoulder and back were still bandaged, and Quatre could tell as he watched the other pilot work that it still hurt, as much as the braided man tried to ignore it. "How's it going, Duo?"
Violet-blue eyes swiveled to fix their stare on his face. "Well. Pretty well- I think." He frowned as his glance strayed to the object on his worktable.
Quatre joined him curiously. "What are you working on there?"
Duo's eyes took on the slightly glazed look he got when he became absorbed in the creative process. "I had an idea- if we got in close, we might be able to blow these new suits up while they're still on the ground."
Quatre nodded. "A buster rifle at full power might do it, but you know how dangerous it is to use one of those within the Earth's atmosphere..."
Duo shook his head. "No- I'm talking about hitting them from the inside. Forget the shields- we get in close enough and we can scramble their computer systems internally. Think about it- an explosion on the inside would destroy everything very quickly because nothing will be able to escape. And if we toyed with their computers and locked all the hatches down..."
Quatre's eyes expressed his doubt at the idea. "Do you really think we could get in that close? It's too dangerous, Duo..."
"Ha! So says the guy who built Wing Zero!" Duo's face swung towards him, wearing a challenging smile. "So we don't do it- maybe it's a way to let the Preventers participate. I'm pretty sure Une could manage to put an elite team together and keep it quiet, as long as we can find out where those bases are."
Quatre considered that. "Maybe. Even if we can catch a few..." He pinned his friend with a stare. "What kind of explosives are we talking about?"
Duo pointed down at his table and grinned evilly. "I'll tell you when I finish playing with it."
Quatre returned the smile as he stood and wiped his hands on his slacks reflexively. "Okay- I suppose it's worth looking into, at least. Just don't blow up my space station, okay?"
Duo winked at the blond. "I won't blow it up on purpose, okay?"
Quatre laughed as he walked out, snagging his suit jacket along the way, but he felt a pit of cold in his stomach. Duo was right- they were potentially preparing to face an entire fleet of suits. What could they possibly do against such numbers on their own? And how were they going to make sure that their plans didn't leak, if they got outside help?
The leaks had to be found- it was no longer just an exercise.
~*~
Relena's eyes blazed as she faced down Lady Une. "Why wasn't this ever looked into? We don't have the time or space for a leak right now, you know that!"
Une was not bothered by the girl's anger- she had faced far worse. "You knew that we couldn't pursue it, Chancellor, and I would guess that the leak is from your Senate, not my Preventers office."
Relena tried not to feel the sting of that thought. "Then consider this as a direct order from the Earth Sphere Chancellor, Lady Une. There is a leak out there, and I want him found. I want you to plug up every hole in both of our organizations, and I will back you on whatever it takes to do so. Have I made myself clear?"
Une felt a flash of fear at the idea- She says that now, but she can always back off and claim that this conversation never took place. No court would accept my recordings, either, being who I was, in OZ... She met the other woman's gaze evenly. "I need it in writing."
"What?!"
Une continued calmly, "You can say what you wish, Relena, but your coalition can lose power- it is on shaky ground already, and I am not going to be pulled down when that happens and someone new decides that my actions as head of the Preventers were unconstitutional! I need your permission to pursue our leaks in writing, or I will not do a thing."
Relena felt a stab of pain, her mind silently agreeing with the taller woman's logic. //Here we are- we're supposed to be allies, and we're fighting! Wouldn't our enemies be amused?// "Very well- you will have it in under an hour. In return, you are to keep this as quiet as you possibly can. Alright?"
Une nodded. "Understood."
~*~
Trowa and Heero wore frowns of concentration- both were disheveled and tired looking. The other pilots didn't want to think of how their counterparts were pushing themselves, with no one there to make them take breaks from their work. They already knew the answer to that question.
Trowa fixed Duo with a stare. "Are you sure that your explosive won't eat through Genesis? We are talking about the pre-shielded version..."
Duo nodded. "Quatre already reminded me of that and I had to re-work it a little. I'm testing it again tomorrow, but I don't think there will be a problem. This stuff is chaos in a small, wrapped package!''
Heero snorted. "How small? How would our operatives place the charges?"
Wufei held up a small device that looked like a harmless grenade. "This small. No one will look twice if it's added to an ordinance package. Something this size would normally have no effect whatsoever on a titanium-hulled suit."
"What's in it, Duo?"
The braided man smirked. "A real chemistry project- more toxic than Quatre's cooking!" He spoke over the blond's indignant outburst, a smile pulling at his lips. "I can fit them with a small radio detonator- an agent will have to be within a certain radius, but that's a risk we'll have to take."
Wufei looked up quite suddenly. "How big a risk? We're talking Preventers, Maxwell..."
Duo waved his hands for a second, as though trying to think of the right way to say it. "Well... the suits will be sealed from the outside, like our gundams, so... the explosion will incinerate everything on the inside, as long as it has fuel- both air and explosive materials. When it runs out of one or the other... the explosion gets put on hold. If it ran out of, say, air... They will be trying to get the cockpits open and when they do... The reaction starts over again."
Quatre was pale, but he nodded. "I suppose that can't be helped."
Trowa nodded his assent. "How many will we need?"
Wufei scowled. "I have no idea- we still can't find those bases yet."
There was a long, collective silence as all the pilots contemplated their situation. Without the scientists... They simply didn't have the resources to get this information as quickly as they needed it.
The stare down broke off as Duo began to fidget with his bandages. He was immediately the subject of four stares, three in concern, one in concern and anger. Heero asked, "How bad does that really hurt?"
Duo forced himself to smile. "I'm just getting' soft in my old age, Hee-chan. This wouldn't have even bothered me back during the War. Don't worry!"
The Japanese man was not persuaded by that argument. "I'm worried. Quatre- make sure he gets more than his standard three hours of sleep, okay? Drag him out of that workshop, if you have to."
Quatre nodded. "Mission accepted."
Duo shook his head despairingly. "I really hate that expression..."
~*~
It was in every newspaper by the next morning.
Une nearly choked as a copy was shoved under her nose- was it possible? And wasn't this just what they needed, at a time like this?!
She read out loud in her conference with a white-lipped Relena, "Representative MacNair is caught in the alleged photographs with no fewer than ten different partners, most of which appeared to be underage, six of which were boys. His office refused to comment on the photos, but this reporter was able to speak with Mrs. MacNair: 'I've already contacted my lawyer and begun the process of filing divorce papers.' No further details are available at this time."
She looked up and into the Chancellor's eyes. "What has your office said, if anything? Has anyone been able to get through?"
Relena sighed, rubbing her temples as she leaned into her hands on her desk. "He is due in here in a half hour. But Une- it gets worse." She pulled something from a desk drawer. "These arrived in the mail, along with the newspaper."
Une opened the package and felt her jaw dropping open in shock- the photos had indeed caught the Scottsman in a variety of interesting positions... and with a plethora of people... But Une couldn't help wondering- why was someone sending these at this particular time and place? MacNair had been one of the chief political supporters of the Mars Project... and it was impossible that this personal attack would come so soon after the Independence Front had stolen the plans for Genesis. She slipped the photographs back into their envelope with a snort of distaste.
She froze as she looked at the envelope- there was a postage stamp on it. "Relena, can I take these with me? They will help in my investigation."
The Chancellor nodded. "Certainly. I don't want them!" Relena was already speaking to someone else as Une headed out the door, slipping the package into a pocket. While it was unlikely that anyone as security-oriented as Madeleine Dumoulin would make such a stupid mistake as to mail these photographs from anywhere close to her base of operations, it was a lead, and she desperately needed more of those!
~*~
"Yatta! Look at that! She called him..." Heero was already dialling Duo's private number as he scanned further down the list of incoming calls to Senator MacNair's line. Dumoulin had a number of aliases, and the system Heero used to track phone calls had traced this one directly to one of them. It appeared that Une's instincts on this level were as sharp as ever!
Duo's face popped up on his screen, and Heero began without preamble. "Duo, she called him..."
The braided man smiled at his lover's enthusiastic face. "Yeah- we just caught that, too. There's our leak, man."
Heero smiled- just hearing Duo's voice was enough to make his long, tiring day a faded memory. "Stupid of her to burn him that quickly, really. It makes you wonder..."
"Yeah." They were apparently on the same wavelength in thoughts. Who in their right mind burns such a good source of information at such a critical time? Someone who can afford to. Someone with another person deep inside the organization... Duo frowned sharply. "How much d'you wanna bet she's got someone else we don't have a prayer of finding?"
Heero's heart sank- if Duo hadn't been thinking the same though, he might have been able to convince himself that he was just being paranoid. "I don't make bets I know I'll lose, koi." And whoever it is must be scared to death right now of being found out...
Duo held his hand against the screen and smiled as Heero matched the gesture on his side. "I miss you."
Heero's expression softened. "Me, too. I wish this wasn't happening."
"Tell me about it," Duo quipped, pulling his hand back slowly. "It sucks when you can't trust your own allies. Jeez- this bitch makes Treize look like a softy who believed in the Freedom of Information Act."
Heero chuckled. "Yeah, she does." His eyes darted to the side for a second, and Duo's heart sank. "Trowa's signaling- I've got to go. I love you."
The braided man smiled. "I love you, too." He cut their communication and sighed as he leaned forward to rest his forehead on the cool surface of the table.
~*~
Sirius stared at the article on Madeleine's desk in amazement. "I can't believe you hung him out to dry! What if we need his services again?"
The redhead smiled archly. "Oh- we won't need him. I have someone else on the inside who's even better. Someone they'll never suspect. Someone they trust."
The bald man smiled at his leader. "And that person is..." he prompted.
She shook her head as she stood and came around the desk to face him. "You don't really expect me to tell you, do you? If you were caught... if you were caught, they would force you to talk, and then where would I be?" She pecked his cheek, much as a teenager would have.
Sirius found himself hating his body for its reaction to her teasing. "You don't trust me, Mado."
Her eyes were sweet and sad as she turned on him. "I do! I trust you completely, Sirius..." her body brushed against his seductively, "but trust leads to trouble. I can't afford leaks... and it would be a shame to have to kill you..." Her lips brushed his softly. "Wouldn't it?"
He shook with divided feelings as part of him shut down under her touch and the other part railed against him for his weakness- she controlled him and played him like a flute. Do you have no spine at all? Do you want to be a tool?!
As she kissed him again, he decided that it didn't really matter. He was what he was.
And she was beautiful.
~*~
Heero had been surprised at first at how easily the Sweepers seemed to accept him. He was an outsider to their group, after all, and his separation from his lover had done nothing to improve his temper. But it had quickly come clear to him- these men thought of Duo as a family member, and he, as Duo's lover...
By extension, he found that he, too, had a family of people in the Sweeper community. Yet another gift he has given me that I don't deserve.
It was something that bothered him on a constant basis- his life was so much richer since he met and fell in love with Duo Maxwell. He was beating his demons, learning how to be 'normal,' enjoying life, basking in the warm, fuzzy feeling that knowing that someone out there really loved you provided, living with an extended family that was willing to accept him as he was... Duo had done all of this for him, and what had he given the other young man in return?
He felt as though there was very little he could possibly give the other, and it bothered him. All the same, the brutal truth was that he had nothing to give- he simply was as he was. He had been the Perfect Soldier.
And that somehow made the American happy. Somehow, in a way he could not fathom, Duo loved him, everything about him, and accepted him as he was.
As he entered the workspaces, he smiled back at the men who called a greeting to him and favoured them with a small wave. He stared up at the hulking demon in front of him- Deathscythe-Neo. Before this began, he had never seen the plans for the L2 gundam- Duo had kept them as secret as the specs on his cloaking devices. He marveled at the machine now- he had never realized just how advanced it was, just how deadly and frightening. Much like Duo, himself.
He climbed up to the cockpit and sat back into the pilot's seat with a sigh, closing his eyes in the familiar-feeling surroundings. He had worked hard on this machine- it had to be perfect! It had to be flawless- his Duo's life would depend on it...
"Heero? I thought you'd be here." He opened his eyes to find Trowa staring in at him with a glimmer of a smile playing over his face.
He smiled back. "What's up, Trowa?"
The acrobat perched on the hatch, one arm absently wrapped around his knees. "Any news yet?"
"No."
"Oh." They both fell silent in their tension.
Neither wanted to stray far from their comm units- the Preventers had been working, as the pilots had, to identify the mountain bases Doctor Millston had told them about, and everyone had been very excited when four sites turned up in everyone's findings. Heero had been very happy... That was, until Duo and Wufei volunteered to scout them out, and lead in a team of Preventers, if it was what they suspected it to be.
He could remember every word of the intelligence report he had received:
[Site Delta assumed to be MS production site. Predicted enemy strength: Company, small weapons. Team Leader: Shinigami.
Site Alpha confirmed MS production site. Predicted enemy strength: Battalion, small and heavy weapons. Team Leader: Dragon.]
He hadn't liked it, but their options had frankly not been good. It had simply taken too long- nearly a full month and a half!
Still, the game was being played by their rules. It had only taken four threatening vid conferences with Lady Une to get her to agree to their terms- she organized two elite striker teams and seconded them to the pilots, and the pilots would do their best to see that the teams came back reasonably intact, no questions asked.
Une had a wicked sense of humour, though- her best operatives were all former OZ personnel.
Both Heero and Trowa remembered the calls they had received about the teams, as Wufei and Duo struggled to break them in. Many of them still remembered the pilots who had brought OZ to its knees, not to mention the pilot responsible for Treize Kushrenada's death- Chang Wufei, himself. It had taken nearly the entire first month to earn the respect of their teams.
They were the best. They had well-trained, professional back-up. They were in the field, putting their lives at risk again.
Heero and Trowa were worried out of their minds!
Trowa offered the other pilot a small smile. "They will be fine, Heero. They will be fine." He wasn't sure who he was repeating it for- the Japanese man, or himself.
Heero finally broke off his stone faced stare and met his friend's eyes, allowing his worry to show. "I know- I know."
~*~
Wufei couldn't help being a bit wary of having former OZ soldiers as his back-up. It had been a completely different story for Duo- the American hadn't been the one to kill Treize Kushrenada. He had, and as rough as it had been for the other man to get his team to accept his leadership, it had been doubly so for the Chinese Preventer agent.
He skimmed through the shadows, part of him exalting in the rush of adrenaline he felt. They had been younger during the war, but he imagined that the heady feeling of excitement was something that affected people of all ages when they were involved in covert operations. It was also nice to realize that none of his instincts had been dimmed by his five years of respectability- the terrorist he had been was still very much there, in his mind.
Duo's grenade design was remarkably simple and was making this relatively easy for the team- all they had to do was to make sure that the remote detonator was active before they tossed the small things into a compartment in the mobile suits. The problem- booby trapping this many suits was a true chore.
He was somewhat disappointed, though- most of these suits appeared to be simple Tauruses, still waiting for the additional armour that would make them that much more difficult to beat. Until they could be upgraded, they were being guarded preciously- mobile suit construction was illegal and extremely difficult to conceal.
He leapt down from his perch and landed on cat's feet as he gave a small smile of relief. He had finished his portion of the job- now he just needed to extract and wait for the appointed time to press the little red button on his detonator switch.
Wufei smiled- this had been easy and, as much as he realized that it would not remain so much longer, it had been very nice to have it easy. He hoped that Duo was doing as well.
~*~
Duo cringed as he heard a door slam loudly and footsteps running- he was well-concealed where he was, but he was certain that at least one man had been spotted.
"Hey you! Freeze! Don't make me shoot!" Duo's eyes closed in frustration and anger- a member of his team was being caught, and the only way he could do anything about it would blow his operation completely...
He heard the man attempting to bluff his way around it. "Maybe you guys can help me- I must have taken a wrong turn back there somewhere..."
"Yeah-right! Hand behind your head, NOW! Move!"
Duo sighed- he had been prepared for this eventuality. He had always hated this part, though. There was a direct leak- a man inside who knew both his name and what he was doing. The leak needed to be silenced.
Don't think of him as a person, think of him as a risk... Duo searched through his bag and came up with a what he was looking for. He would make it quick and painless, and he would make sure that no one survived to tell a tale of a gundam pilot visiting the small base. I have to do this- I don't have a choice. Dammit- and this was going perfectly!
He was less than a shadow as he slipped through an open door and down a deserted corridor. He had memorized the plans of the base, and he knew precisely where he was headed.
The main power generator.
~*~
He didn't make eye contact with his men as he reached the rendez-vous point, the last person out. He could hear their hushed questions- "Where's Kendal? Damn- he's still in there! D'you think he was caught..."
Duo checked his watch and gulped for air. It was time.
He pulled two detonator boxes and pressed the button on the first.
Men were smiling and congratulating each other as alarm klaxons went off all over the base- the grenades were working perfectly, as planned, and they knew that they had just really accomplished something. For practically the first time since the demise of OZ, they were doing something that was blatantly worthwhile...
Duo pushed a second button and closed his eyes tightly...
To a man, his squad turned and stared at the base in open-mouthed shock. It was something most of them had experienced before, watching a base incinerate before their eyes, knowing that a comrade was still there and was now dead-
They turned on their still cringing leader. "You sick son of a bitch! Kendal was in there..."
Duo stood abruptly, his eyes opening to reveal one of the deadliest looks any of them had ever had the misfortune to see up close. "Yes, he was. He was taken prisoner- I saw it happen. He was a leak, and the leak was silenced. Is anyone here going to question my judgment?"
They all felt a jolt of cold fear at both the look of Duo and the sound of his voice- it was too easy to forget just who they were working with. But there was no mistaking this face and that tone- this was the terrorist Shinigami that they were dealing with, and the God of Death was not showing his smiling face!
They nodded silently, and Duo grunted, "Good." He turned and gathered his gear silently, signaling for the team to move out. They followed him mutely, not a word spoken until they reached their transport.
Duo jumped onboard and settled into a corner to set up his uplink to Preventer HQ. It took less than a minute to make the connection.
Une's face flashed on his screen and she was talking before he could get a word in, "Maxwell! We've got a major explosion showing on the radars from you target..." She stopped speaking as the look on his face registered.
Duo's voice was low and well-controlled. "A member of my team was caught and brought in for questioning by the enemy. There were too many chances that the overall mission would be compromised- I made the decision to blow the base. There were no survivors."
She didn't miss the flash of guilt in his expressive eyes, and she quickly decided not to risk her life by pissing him off any further. "Noted and approved, Maxwell. Relax a little now and that's an order! Une out."
Duo waited for the screen to go blank before he dropped his face forward into his hands. His men were shocked to hear a well-muffled dry sob coming from the young man.
Despite their anger at having lost a team-mate on their first mission, no one there could find it in them to find fault with their leader. In fact, many of them smiled at the young man through their tears. It wasn't often you found yourself working with someone who knew the real value of human life.
~*~
Quatre and Wufei both met the other returning plane, expecting...
"Hey, guys! How's it going? Damn- I forgot how much I hate conventional transports, ya know?" Duo grabbed them both by the arms, smiling brightly as them as he continued to chatter.
The Chinese man grimaced- it was the same old story with their American friend. He had always been like this, at least, as far as they knew. Duo's grief was a very private thing- he preferred to maintain his carefree image in its totality, laughing, joking, smiling, always cheerful and never letting anyone see how it all got to him. It was one of the things that they had all depended on in the past, as callous as it had seemed to laugh over what they were doing. It made it more bearable, an no one had wished to destroy Duo's carefully constructed illusion.
He wouldn't break it now, either.
Une looked slightly shaky as Duo walked into her office- she had replayed his message several times, at least thrice for both Wufei and Quatre, and she hadn't liked what she saw. Detailed psychological profiles had been done by OZ on all the pilots, and Duo's had only been slightly less scary than Heero's- he was extremely close to having a true split personality problems, coupled with an acute lack of self-worth and a protective streak a mile wide. She knew that they had all changed since then- they were all somewhat more stable then they had been, much as she was- but high-stress situations tended to cause certain relapses.
She waved for them to take seats and settled comfortably into her own chair. "Team status?"
Duo's smile dimmed. "Agent Kendal was apprehended by enemy operatives while still in the objective. There was too much of a chance that he would talk and our operational security would be compromised- I rigged the main power generator with explosives and detonated them, shortly after the suits went out, as planned."
Une nodded soberly. "Why didn't you try to get him out? Why..."
Duo cut her off, his smile fading even more, "He was surrounded by enemies and quickly escorted away- there was no way of either following or silencing him effectively without blowing the mission and risking more members of the team."
She saw it again, and it made her feel much better- the flash of hurt and loss in his eyes that his smile could not mask completely. Une knew how difficult it was to integrate a split personality, and she was relieved to see that he was well on his way. "Very well. I will speak with your team later and convey my regrets at the loss of your operative directly. You did what had to be done, Maxwell. Now get the hell out of here and rest up- we have to send you boys out again almost immediately after your scheduled down-time."
That brought his head around and wiped his smirk completely. "What? So soon?"
Une nodded. "We monitored the other sites as your missions were completed- there has been a flurry of action, including several large transports being put together. If we're going to catch any more of these before they get off the ground, we'll have to act fast."
Quatre's eyes brightened in anticipation. "Why wait? We can go in again immediately."
Une shook her head. "No- we need to give the teams time to recover from their last..."
The blond was shaking his head with a small smile on his face. "Lady Une- let me tell you something that we came up with during the war. You guys were predictable- always allotting rest and recuperation time, always strictly following the rules... You have no idea how easy that made things for us. If we've got a time limit on us, there's no use in wasting what time we have."
Une could tell that she was being out-maneuvered, and she sighed sharply. "Very well, Quatre. If the teams agree."
Duo's eyes gleamed at the idea of working out his anger so quickly. "Oh-don't worry about that. They will."
~*~
Sirius was at her side, like a Praetorian Guardsman, and Madeleine focused the full force of her smile on the man in front of her. "I don't think you understand. I want these suits evacuated immediately, and that means right now."
The site that Preventers had labeled as Beta was under the command of Gunther Krabbe, who was considered by most to be both a fair and demanding leader. He understood the concepts of both secrecy and efficiency quite well, and he would have normally had no problems with Madeleine's demands. However... "Mademoiselle, we have not yet finished attaching the armour plates to these suits. Moving them now- we're risking an awful lot. I can have them finished in two days, and then they will be indestructible. Give me the time I need!"
She had to admire him- most men either melted or trembled under her smile, and he had done neither. And if he failed her... well, there were other sites, and she would enjoy breaking him slowly. She smiled again. "Very well, Krabbe. You have two days. See that your suits are still in one piece by then, but remember- if they aren't, you will wish you had never heard of mobile suits."
~*~
Heero felt a flash of panic as Duo relayed the changed plans to him. "You just got back in, Duo, and you haven't had the time to develop a complete attack plan..."
The braided man rolled his eyes fondly at his lover's worry. "Since when have I ever had that much time, Heero? Quatre and Une are both looking into it- Wufei and I will leave in another hour."
Heero still looked worried. "You're down one member of your team. I know you too well, baka- you're going to take his work and yours, aren't you?"
Duo smiled. "Idiot that I am- truly. Nah- I discussed it with them and we've all got a few more suits to take care of- they insisted," he added, with a wry smile. "Look- I know what I'm doing and we both know it. How are the suits coming along?"
Heero smiled. "I'm in Deathscythe-Neo right now. Just another couple weeks, koi." He kissed his hand and pressed it to the screen, smiling again as he watched Duo do the same. "Don't you dare die, Duo."
The braided man laughed, but his eyes were serious. "I won't. See you later."
Heero's fists clenched as the screen went blank. If he tries something stupid, I swear I'll... No- I won't. I won't... It was a difficult position for the man who had been the Perfect Soldier- he was in a relatively safe place, far away from the action and watching in anxiety as the person he loved and some of his closest friends were putting it on the line, where he should have been... He should have been here- this is his forte, more than it is mine. I should be doing that mission! It's all I was ever good for...
He stopped, staring around the cockpit as he tried to control his feelings. He spent more time in Duo's suit than his own- it helped him to feel closer to the braided pilot, lessening the frustration and pain of their current distance. More than that, it helped to remind him that there was someone out there who loved him enough to trust him with his life, at least one person who believed in him that much.
His earpiece buzzed, and Heero was not surprised to hear Trowa's voice: "Lord- Quatre just told me that..."
"Hai- I know. Just talked to Duo," Heero replied. He sighed as he climbed out of the pilot's chair and opened the hatch- Trowa was waiting for him at the foot of the machine. He could see signs of stress in the tall young man, as well- it was hard for them both.
The Wing pilot gave his friend a tight smile. "We'll get our chance, Trowa."
Trowa's eyes glinted. "This is Quatre's fault, I know it..."
"And he's right," Heero admonished in a low voice. "They have to act now. I just wish I was the one doing it." Trowa's lips were tight with displeasure, but he did not reply. They both knew it was true. They didn't have to like it- in fact, they were better off if they didn't. It was the war all over again.
~*~
Duo cursed as he realized that the guards over the suits had been doubled- he tapped his radio switch and relayed a quick change of orders to his team, "Heads up for incoming guards. If you catch one, stuff 'em in the suit and lock it closed from the outside."
Several soldiers paled at the thought of it- it was an utterly ruthless move. It was the only way to be sure they would succeed, though- it had to be done.
Duo, meanwhile, dropped to the ground soundlessly behind a guard, striking quickly to knock him unconscious before he could shout in warning. His eyes were cold and hard as he slung the body over his shoulder and nimbly climbed a nearby suit- he strapped the body into the pilot's seat and made a quick sign of the cross over the still unconscious man as he activated the detonator switch on a grenade and dropped it into the cockpit. He stared for a quick moment before he shook his head and closed the cockpit hatch, locking it down automatically as his eyes scanned around him for another target.
He passed to the next suit like a shadow. Geez- I feel like Quatre all of the sudden. I'm sorry- I'm so sorry...
~*~
Gunther Krabbe glared at the nervous man working the communications controls. Several of his guard crew members were offline- and he had no idea why.
To be more accurate, he had a terrifying theory of why he couldn't raise them, and he had sent an extra sortie down to the warehouse rooms as soon as he realized that there was a problem. All the same, he had a sinking suspicion that he was too late.
BEEP!
Everyone in the command module jumped, and the comm officer quickly opened the link. "This is Central Command."
A nervous voice broke as it came through. "You have to evacuate! Sir, there was someone here..."
Krabbe lunged forward and replied into the microphone, "Where are you, son?"
There was a confused pause. "I'm... I'm in a suit. In the main warehouse, I think..." They all heard the frightened gasp of air, and several peoples' blood ran cold as he continued, "Sir- there's an explosive in here, oh my God..."
Krabbe shuddered hard as the communications were cut and he heard a distant rumble. He shook himself from his shock. "Get people down there right now! There are people in some of those suits- we might get some out..."
More explosions rocked the complex, and his throat went dry- This isn't supposed to be happening! My men! My suits- shit! Madeleine... His hands shook as he forced his throat to obey his mind. "Get those suits open! At least try..."
Gunther Krabbe was vaguely aware of a scream as, in the main warehouse, someone finally managed to break the superheated lock and a cockpit hatch was blown off- the entire warehouse was consumed in flames.
He sunk onto the console, his head cradled in his hands.
~*~
Wufei slapped a man hard over the head and glared at the jokes he had been telling. All conversation stopped abruptly as, to a man, the soldiers turned to stare at him in shock.
His fists were clenched so that he wouldn't strike another man before he calmed down. "This... is not a joke. The other team lost a man, and it wasn't because they aren't as good as we are. This is war. We cannot afford to get full of ourselves!"
The men were stunned. "But sir... they made it so easy for us..."
Wufei turned to glare at the speaker. "OZ made it easy for us, too, you know. Predictability, low security... We got cocky, and when we did, we were captured and, in most cases, tortured. Do you know what that feels like?"
Silence.
Wufei continued. "You don't want to, trust me. They made it easy- it will never be that easy again. I want you all to remember that."
He waited for their nods before he sat back down again and closed his eyes as he leaned his head back against the metal inner hull of the plane. I hope Duo's okay...
~*~
Madeleine Dumoulin liked clothes- flashy clothes. She was an instinctive shopper, whose multicoloured wardrobe often made Sirius' eyes water.
She had showed up at the interrogation block in solid black. She explained it to him once, a long time before- "Black is the perfect colour for torture- it doesn't show its stains."
He cringed as he heard yet another scream from behind the closed and locked door. Since he brought Krabbe back, she had been in there- three hours now. He felt sick. His mind supplied him with an endless stream of images of what she was doing to the man who had dared to fail her, and none of them were pleasant.
She had let that Senator off easily- she could have sent the photos and then gone to him, leaving him as he was certain she'd leave Krabbe. Wouldn't that have caused a brilliant scandal!
Another two bases. A full fourth of our assembly plants! He winced at another sound that managed to penetrate the heavy door. I hope to God this all works out...
He broke off his thoughts abruptly as the door opened and Madeleine walked out, her hair slightly messy and a streak of bright crimson blood on her cheek. The eyes that met his were cold as ice- "Get rid of it." She turned and walked down the corridor, hips swaying seductively as she moved.
He walked into the room and looked around for less than a second before he clamped his eyes shut, clutching at his stomach as it threatened to empty itself. He forced his nausea down, clutching at the wall behind him as the sheer smell of the room assaulted his senses and threatened to knock him out. Whatever it was that was in that chair- he lost his silent battle and barely managed to turn to the side before he vomited explosively.
Wiping bile from his chin, he forced his body to obey his commands as he straightened and called for a crew to clean up.
Goodbye, Krabbe. You didn't deserve that- I should have just let you go. He shook his head angrily.
As the crew arrived, he just pointed through the doorway. "That room is to be sanitised. Bury the body somewhere where it won't be found." He didn't dare to look a second time. Ignoring the sounds of sickness behind him, he turned and stalked away.
TBC...
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