Author: Merula
Pairings: 3x4, implied 1x2
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, POV, angst, sap
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.
Alone Part 1
Rashid handed me the envelope with a look of regret. I didn't have to open it, I already knew what it contained. Rashid had just spent 30 minutes stumbling his way through his explanation.
They had done it for me of course. Couldn't he tell I would've rather just kept pretending that nothing was going on?
"Thank you Rashid," I told him wearily. "I'll deal with it." I tossed the envelope onto the corner of my desk.
"You aren't going to..."
"Look? You already told me what it contains- why should I bother? I don't want to see." I replied and bent over my computer again.
"But Master Quatre..." I heard Rashid protest for a moment. I tuned him out. I have learned some things in the course of my life, and this skill, learned from watching Heero deal with Duo, was helpful at this time.
A little while later the door closed. I glanced up cautiously. I was alone. I put my hands over my eyes for a moment.
I didn't want to tell Rashid that I had already suspected what was going on. That I had simply tried my level best to ignore it, hoped it would just go away.
Now he was making me confront it head-on. I glared at the envelope on my desk. Cursed thing. Couldn't they have been more discreet? You'd think two Preventers could've at least eluded the Maguanacs!
My office door opened again. There was only one person who was allowed to walk in unannounced.
"Quatre," Trowa smiled as he closed the door behind him. "Still working?"
Yes, I thought, since Rashid wasted 30 minutes of my time telling me about you and...
"Quatre? What's wrong?"
Oops. Must've let that show on my face.
"Quatre?" Trowa sounded very disturbed now and a part of me laughed, even as the other half cringed from the tone in his voice. "Love?" He had moved closer to me, his hands raised to touch.
That thought made my stomach churn. I leaned out of the way of his hands and picked up the envelope.
"Rashid brought me this today." I pushed it at him, his fingers closing around it reflexively.
"What is it?"
"Look for yourself," I told him rudely.
I heard the rustle of paper and then Trowa's indrawn breath.
"Oh Quatre..."
"Don't," I cut him off. "Just- don't. It's not like I hadn't already suspected it. I just wish to hell that the two of you would've managed not to arouse the suspicions of Rashid and the others."
I looked up at him then. He was looking at the pictures in his hands. They were trembling, I could see the pictures shaking in his grip and I wanted to reach out to still them.
But I couldn't. I folded my hands on my lap. He looked up at me then, his eyes full of pain and I wondered why.
"You- you suspected this?"
"Yes." I had to look away. "But I didn't send the others out to get evidence. I didn't want proof."
"What did you want?"
"To ignore it. Hope it would go away- anything but this." I gestured at the photos. "Take them with you when you go. I sure as hell don't want them."
"When I go?" Trowa repeated.
"You don't have to pretend anymore. You're free of me. Do what you like." I took a breath. "Go to him."
Trowa moved quickly, his arms were around me before I could react, holding on tightly. I closed my eyes and savored this last touch, even as the inner part of me rebelled against it.
"What if I don't wish to be free?" He murmured in my ear.
I pushed him away.
"Trowa, don't. Don't you think I know better?"
"You know my heart better than I do?" He countered.
"I don't pretend to know anything about you anymore. Once I would've said that you would never betray me." I snapped. He took a step back.
"You refuse to listen?"
"Listen to what?" I gestured at the envelope he still held. "Can you deny that it never happened? Can you prove the pictures are a lie? Can you say you never desired him? Never deceived me?"
"No." He met my gaze evenly.
"Then what more is there to say?" I said more gently than I intended to and turned back to the solace of my work.
I heard the door open and close. I was alone again.
~*~
Months passed. I didn't see him or any of the others. I had been the only one after the war that hadn't joined the Preventers, and I assumed that the other two had taken Trowa and his lover's side in this.
I knew I had not been the most attentive of partners. I couldn't be. I had too many responsibilities, too many things to do. I didn't blame Trowa for looking elsewhere, at least, not most of the time.
I buried myself in my work. Expanded the company. Spent more time with my sisters. Took up every moment of time I might've had that I would've spent on regret otherwise.
I was surviving well enough until Une called.
"Quatre, we have a situation."
There were always situations. Before I hadn't minded being called in, getting to work with the others. Now I wondered why she didn't just leave me alone too.
"I'm busy."
"You promised," she countered. "We need you."
"Fine," I snapped. Unfair of her to remind me. Didn't the woman have any tact whatsoever? "When?"
"As soon as you can." Une hung up before I could protest again.
I got to my feet and headed out.
~*~
The Preventers HQ was a madhouse as usual. The girl at the entryway who looked at my ID told me that the meeting was on the second floor. They were waiting for me.
Great.
I made it up to the second floor. The room was easy to find. I walked in and knew immediately why Une had called me.
Wufei, Heero and Trowa were sitting around a table covered in papers. The silence in the room was palatable. I groaned inwardly. Did nothing change? Good Lord, they must be driving Duo out of his mind.
"Quatre!" Duo had been leaning against the wall nearest the door. He uncoiled himself and reached out for me. I accepted his hug gratefully. "I've missed you," he said in my ear. "They're driving me crazy." He added in a lower tone and I nearly laughed.
"Some things never change." I told him as I let go. Duo pulled me over to the table. Heero looked up and met my eyes, smiling slightly.
"Quatre," he nodded. "It's good to see you."
"Likewise," I told him.
I didn't greet the other two. I knew I'd have to talk to them eventually, but childishly, I preferred putting it off until I had to. Trowa was looking at me steadily, but Wufei was focused on the papers in front of him.
"So, fill me in." I said to Heero.
"We have received intelligence that this company," he tapped the paper in front of him, "is actually manufacturing weapons- mobile dolls to be precise."
"What for?"
"We don't know. We haven't even found out who the CEO is. It's all very hush hush." Duo frowned. "But, we need to get in, see if it's true, and if it is true, cause some damage and get some solid proof on the way out."
"Correction," Heero shook his head. "We get in, see if it's true, get evidence first and THEN cause some damage on the way out."
"Same thing," Duo grinned.
Heero handed me a picture of the building and the surrounding area, with marks all over it. I studied it carefully before taking a look through the other papers. The others were eerily quiet. It was unnerving and I had to block out their presence the best that I could. I tried to absorb as much as the information as I could before I returned to the picture.
"It's built like a fortress and heavily guarded." Duo commented over my shoulder. "Any ideas?"
"Give me a minute." I poked him with my elbow. "I can't think that fast."
"You need to consume more sugar."
"No he does not." Heero protested. "Then he'd turn into you."
"Doubtful," Duo laughed. "And if he did, so what? Then there'd be two of me."
"Gods save us from that," Wufei muttered.
"Aw, Heero'd like it. He's a bit kinky." Duo said suggestively and then ducked behind me when Heero frowned.
"What kind of fence is this?" I asked Heero before he did something he'd regret to his lover.
"Wire. Barbed at top."
"Dogs?"
"No."
"All right then." I put the picture down on the table. "We'll bring one of the vans here." I pointed to a place about a quarter mile away from the target. "Chang can monitor communications and get the live feeds." I looked up and met his eyes squarely for a moment. "Barton will go here." I pointed to another spot on the map. "That will give us a pair of eyes at the front gate. Anything big happens, we'll know right away."
I was a bit surprised that they didn't say anything. Trowa nodded and Wufei had inclined his head to the side. Amazing really.
"Duo, Heero and I will go in here." I moved my finger again. "We can get inside and then split up. Duo will have the camera- you'll go looking for the photographic proof. Heero, look for the mainframe- see what you can download and then mess it up. I'll go see if I can find a paper trail somewhere- maybe locate the boss's main office to target."
"Acceptable," Heero agreed. "We'll need to get equipped."
~*~
We were in the van on our way out to the target before I really had time to think. Heero and Duo were in the front seats, Wufei was familiarizing himself with the equipment. Each van set had it's own little quirks.
I wedged myself into a corner and closed my eyes. It had been harder than I'd thought seeing him again. Especially seeing him with Wufei. They hadn't done anything lover like beyond a few exchanged glances, but it was still difficult.
"Quatre." I opened my eyes. Trowa was sitting across from me, a small headset in his hand. "Yours."
"Thanks." I leaned forward to accept it and carefully made sure that my hands didn't touch his as I took it from him. I slipped it on, securing the speaker in my ear, making sure the microphone was near my mouth.
"Testing- can you hear me guys?" Duo's voice asked.
"Loud and clear, 02." I replied, and the others followed suit.
"Well," Duo drawled and I recognized the tone. I didn't need to see the mischievous look in his eyes. "Since none of these other guys can manage more than a sentence, I don't suppose you'll talk to me Quatre?"
I heard Wufei snort. Trowa had leaned back into the seat across from me, watching me under half-closed lids. I refused to be uncomfortable, so I leaned back and closed my eyes completely. Out of sight out of mind, right?
"Of course, Duo."
"Great! Fill me in Quat! What's been going on?"
"Just the usual. Work, visiting my sisters, one of them just got married."
"Big wedding?"
"Of course."
"Meet anyone interesting? You know what they say about weddings..."
"Love is in the air?" I laughed, a bit uncomfortably. "Not at these things! I'm related to half the guests."
"Ah, but there's always the other half..."
"We're here." Heero said a bit sharply.
I opened my eyes. Trowa was still leaning back in his seat, but now his eyes were on Wufei.
I got to my feet quickly. Time to move.
~*~
"This sucks," Duo looked up at the vent. "Are you sure I have to go this way?"
"Yes," Heero replied from his place by the door. "The computer shows large spaces in that direction."
Duo shifted. "I can't take the fun stuff with me. The vent's too narrow. If one of them gets caught..." He didn't need to finish.
"I'm headed upstairs to the offices. I'll take them," I replied and held out my hands. Duo gently placed the two belts of explosives into my careful grip.
We had managed to get inside easily enough. Well-guarded civilian outfits were nothing like an Oz base. We found a computer room almost right away. Heero had jacked in and gotten the floor plans for each level. We were guessing that the offices were upstairs and the mobile dolls were in the manufacturing section.
I tightened the belts around me. "Go with him Heero. The information we need is more than likely near the dolls. I'll go look at the offices."
Heero nodded and swung himself up towards the vent, Duo right behind.
"Stay safe, Quatre," I heard Duo's voice in my ear. "Call if you need us."
"Call if you need me," I replied. "Who is going to be in their office at 2 am?"
~*~
The offices were indeed where we had guessed. It was as quiet as a tomb up there, a large room filled with tiny cubicles. I almost felt like a rat in a very big maze. Duo and Heero were having a more exciting time, judging by the running commentary Duo was keeping up. They had found the suits and Heero had hacked into the computers as Duo took pictures. I had gone through five or six cubicles, when Trowa's voice spoke in my ear.
"Convoy coming in."
"What kind?" Heero asked.
"Cars- no trucks. Nice cars. Someone important. Lots more guards just showed up."
"Someone to inspect the factory, I bet," I muttered. "Duo, Heero- get out."
"We're already heading to the meeting point." Heero replied. "Coming, Quatre?"
"On my way," I replied. I stepped towards the hallway and all the lights went on. "Shit!" I dove under a desk, happy that for once I hadn't grown that much.
"What?" Wufei questioned.
"Lights went on." I heard footsteps walking down the hallway outside the cubicle I was hunched in. Several sets of footsteps.
"Odd time for a meeting," I heard a voice say.
"He's the boss. He wants to meet now so no one sees his pretty face, then we meet now. Let's go get the conference room ready."
Shit. Shit. Shit. I cursed again as the footsteps faded away.
"There's no way you guys will be able to get out," Trowa's voice sounded faintly alarmed. "The guards just tripled."
"We'll have to sit tight then," Duo replied.
Not a good idea! More guards meant more of a chance of them discovering our little entrance hole. We had covered it up, but all it took was one observant guard...
I pushed myself further under the desk and something poked me in the back.
The explosives.
The idea formed in my head as if it had been waiting for this moment. Maybe I had.
Maybe I had been waiting for this moment ever since he left me.
"Duo, Heero- get outside and find a place to hide. I'm going to cause a distraction once the boss gets inside. Once I do, get the hell out." I murmured into the microphone.
"Gonna plant some explosives, Q?" I heard Duo's amusement.
Oh, more than that, I thought as I touched the gun that hung at my side. The more distraction I could cause, the more guards they could call in.
I just needed to get a bit closer to that door.
"Quatre?" Wufei's voice now, sharp in my ear. "What is your plan?"
"The offices are a maze of cubicles. Conference room is at the far end. I'm going to get as close as I can before I set them off."
"Then you will exit?"
"Between the elevator, the windows and the stairs I don't think I have much of a chance on any of them, Chang." I stated flatly. "Once things go up, they'll come to investigate. I'll keep them busy as long as I can. Hopefully they'll call some of that backup off the walls."
"We'll come get you," I heard Duo snap.
"You will do no such thing. You two have the evidence. That is our main objective here."
"So we just listen as you commit suicide?" He countered.
"No. You will get yourselves and the information we need out. I will end communication in two minutes."
"Quatre," Trowa's voice now. "Don't. If you do this, at least let us be here for you."
I swallowed my first answer and managed a better one. "Thank you, Trowa."
I heard the elevator door open and a number of footsteps moving past. I was going to have to kill a lot of people in order to get my friends out. In order to save even more. I had thought I was past all this.
At least this time, I would be giving up my life as well.
"Where is my enemy...?"
TBC...
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