Author: Merula
Pairings: 1x2
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, AU
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.
Changes Part 1
"Well, I can't say this is the worst situation we've ever been in, but I'm betting it'll make the top ten."
"Top five," Heero muttered back at Duo. Trowa snorted in response.
"The worst," he said and turned the screen to face the other two members of the strike team. "They've stepped up the patrols. Everything is wired to go, but I don't see how we can make it to our ship without them finding us."
"Have they located our ship?" Heero asked and Trowa nodded.
"Looks like it- or if not- then soon. The patrols have doubled in that area- and now they're using a code I can't break."
"No one's found the explosives yet," Duo scanned his readouts. "Though chances are they will soon..."
Heero frowned. That wouldn't be good at all. This place needed to be disabled before the Preventers fleet moved in- otherwise the fight would be a bad one...
"Then we have to get out of here and blow everything up behind us. The explosives should cripple this place until the Preventers can officially move in." He said and wondered how to do it.
Was this the right time at last?
"We could blow things up and run the risk of hiding out until the Preventers get here," Trowa suggested.
"No good," Heero reminded him. "We can't be sure they got the last transmission." He leaned back and closed his eyes, evaluating the situation.
They were fairly secure in their bolt hole- as secure as Duo and Trowa's skills could make them. If they could be sure the Preventers got the last transmission- then they could stay- but there was no safe way to do that now. It might be possible to blow things up and escape in the confusion, but that was a huge risk- and not one Heero was willing to take with the other two... He opened his eyes and nudged Duo out of the way to take a peek outside. Their ship was on the other side of this small colony, but the bolt hole was pretty near the pirates' vessels.
Maybe they could steal one of those... if...
Heero snuck a quick glance at Trowa and Duo. Why had he agreed with Une to let them come? Oh sure, a whole colony of pirates sounded bad- even more so when Une began to total up the number of ships and crews they'd taken and destroyed- but he never should have let her talk him into bringing them along on this one. What had he been thinking? Sure he missed his former partner, more than he'd ever admit, but...
Unlike him, they weren't full time Preventers anymore- and not that their skills had suffered- but they both had people waiting at home for them. People that would be hurt if they didn't come back. Heero had to make sure they got home...
Duo tapped Heero's arm gently. "What do you think?"
"Hm?" Had they been talking? He missed it.
"Should we try to stay?"
"No. I think we should try to steal one of their transports, set off the explosives and make a run for it." They'd have to be fast- one of the biggest set of explosives was wired to the bay where the transports were- but they might just be able to do it...
Would that work? There were too many factors... they'd be vulnerable in their move towards the transports...and if they didn't time things right... and if one of them got hurt... How would he be able to face Quatre? Or Hilde?
Or himself?
Heero watched Duo's expression change and reminded himself to breathe. He couldn't do this now. Before this mission, he hadn't seen Duo for months. He had thought he was finally getting over his... infatuation.
He wasn't. It was worse than before- and this time he'd put Duo in danger...
"That might work. What do you think Tro?"
Heero took another breath. There was something else he could do to make things safer for the other two...
Was this the perfect time?
".... it's worth a try." Trowa sighed and pushed his bangs out of his face. He obviously didn't like their chances.
"Wait," Heero said quickly. "I think I can even the odds a little more."
"How?" Trowa looked at him suspiciously. Did he guess what Heero was planning?
No, Heero reassured himself. No one but J knew him well enough to guess what was going to happen, and J was dead.
Maybe.
"Stay connected to their system. I'm going to go out and... do some distracting. Hopefully, it will be distracting enough for you two to get to the transports. Maybe even our ship-"
"Heero!" Duo snapped and Heero looked away from his anger. He hated it when Duo was upset, but he wasn't going to let the other man stop him. Not this time. "That's suicide!"
"No," Heero countered evenly. "It's... making the best of a bad situation. We need a distraction. We could set off some of the explosions early, but that might mean that they'd find the other ones faster. This is the best solution."
"I could do it," Trowa said softly and Heero frowned at him. Was he serious?
"No way in hell, Barton. Do you think I want to go face Winner if you...." Heero didn't want to say 'get killed'. That wouldn't help right now. "If you get hurt?" He managed instead. That sounded a little better. "At least there isn't anyone that will get mad at you two if- something happens to me."
That was true enough. Would it convince them?
"Heero-" Duo dug his fingers into his former partner's arm. He was ready to argue, Heero knew the expression all too well- and he didn't have time to argue. Not now.
"No. Look- I'll keep my headset on, keep the monitors running." He tapped the eyepiece that told him that Duo and Trowa's vital signs were good- heart rate a little accelerated, maybe, but good. "Let me know when you reach a ship- any ship- and I'll try to get to you. But if I can't- well, it's not like I couldn't dig in here and wait for the Preventers too, right?"
Not that he had any intention of doing that.
Duo squeezed his arm. "We can think of another way-"
"We're running out of time." Heero met Duo's eyes, his expression as sincere as he could make it. "I'll do my best to meet you. I promise."
He was lying, but it wasn't the first time he'd looked Duo in the eyes and lied. It was something he was all too good at. Hopefully, this was the last time he'd have to lie to Duo...
"You'd better." Duo let go and Heero nearly collapsed in relief. "We'll be waiting for you."
Hopefully not for long. He'd have to make sure they had a reason to go.
Easy enough.
"All right," He smiled for them, reinforcing the sincerity of his promise to come back, and slid out of the bolt hole. He stuck to the edges of the space, slipping behind boxes and the other junk that the pirates let pile up everywhere. He knew he had to be well out of their range before he really got to work. He didn't dare let them see what he could do...
Quietly, he unslung the rifle from his back, taking another deep breath, aware of the monitors on his back, the ones watching his heart and lungs. The ones that gave a reading to Duo and Trowa, assuring them that he lived.
No need to panic them yet.
~*~
Nearly an hour later he'd managed to scramble their communication systems so badly that the pirates couldn't even keep tabs on themselves. He locked himself into the command center- secure for the moment behind the blast shield that the pirates had installed as a door. Most of the pirates were running around, getting in each other's way... The chaos was better than he expected- taking out their leaders seemed to have caused the rest to panic. Once the explosions started... the others would be able to get away unnoticed.
"Heero," Duo's voice came over the headset, disrupting his thoughts. "Tro and I are in the ship. We're waiting for you."
Heero braced himself. It was time for his dramatic exit.
He spoke softly, matter-of-factly, hoping to avoid the argument. "I can't reach you. I'm in the command center. Completely surrounded. I can't get to you. You need to leave now."
"Heero- we can-"
"No," Heero snapped, knowing that they couldn't. "That's an order! The Preventers need those coordinates."
"Trowa's transmitting them now. We can-"
Stubborn. Always so damn stubborn! "No. The detonators are set to go in three minutes. You have to get away."
"No! You have to get out of there-"
There was a noise behind him. About time!
"I can't. They're breaking through the door. Get out of here." He got up and turned to face the door, ignoring Duo's cursing in his ear. "Focus on the objective. Get home. Hilde's waiting."
"Heero-"
The door opened with a shriek of tearing metal. Heero didn't bother to pull his weapon, didn't try to duck out of the way. He couldn't count the number of impacts, but he fell when one of them took out his knee. The floor was cool against his cheek and he could feel the warmth of his blood spreading beneath him.
This was it.
Only one thing left to do. This was his last chance and he was going to take it. "Love you, Duo." He said softly and then stopped breathing.
His lungs stopped. His heart stopped. He knew the monitors on his back would inform the other two of his lack of vital signs.
Let this be enough to convince them to leave...
"Heero!" He heard Duo shout- and then the explosions begin.
After that it was only a matter of waiting. The explosions sent the pirates running again.
Heero waited until the command center was deserted and got carefully to his feet. He pulled off the monitor connecting him to the others, detached the badly damaged headpiece and microphone. Only then did he dare to take a breath again. Not that he needed it, but it was strange not to breathe, he'd never gotten used to the feeling.
Shaking himself, he grimaced as the bullets hit the floor. He was a mess- uniform shot full of holes, bloody and sticky. He needed a change of clothes and a way off of this place before the Preventers arrived. He looked at the ruined headset and sighed. He wouldn't know if the others were safe... but they had been on their ship- once the explosions started they should've been able to get away...
Later, he told himself. Later he'd get the answers he needed. Right now he needed a change of clothes- and a way off this place.
It turned out to be easier than he expected. The pirates were completely demoralized- it was simplicity to sneak out to the crew sections and into one of the cabins. A leader's cabin- one of the first Heero had taken out- and he'd had a cached ship off his quarters- complete with rations and clothing.
Heero was pleased. He'd be able to get the ship to one of his emergency bolt holes in the L1 cluster- and then he could start over as J had planned. A new name, a change of hair and eye color and he'd start again... after he made sure all the loose ends from his old life were tidied up.
TBC...
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