Note: Wufei's POV
Erasure Part 13
Heero was bent over his keyboard, fingers moving fast, eyes focused on the screen in front of him.
Quatre gave me an uneasy look over the top of Heero's head.
I knew why. We were finally onsite, ready to go into the building and get our friends out. It had taken quite a bit of time to get supplies, go over the orders, review the blueprints.
I had been working with Heero for a long time. During the war, in the Preventers... over the time that I had known him, he'd changed considerably- I had never realized how much, until we had gone over mission specs and I had found myself dealing with the Heero I remembered from the war. Focused only on the mission- no sign of worry for Duo, he'd dismissed Quatre's concern for the state of the others with a: "They're gundam pilots. They can handle themselves until we get there."
Now he looked up at the two of us.
"Winner- you will go in and free any and all children you find- we need to get those children out safely- make sure you have a secure exit. Dr. Po will be waiting outside- get the children to her. Chang- you will find Barton and Maxwell- get them out, go to help Winner. I will go to the main part of the complex and retrieve the data needed- I will also hack into the security system. I will attempt to create some distractions to keep them busy, but there will still be people wandering around. Remember- we are not infiltrating. Extreme measures if spotted. Understood?"
Quatre and I both nodded.
"I will go in first- get into place and enter the building in twenty minutes. I should have the security systems down by then. Meet back here in three hours."
"Got it," Quatre looked over at me. "Get Trowa out of there safely, Wufei."
"Trust me," I told him. "I'll get him out for you." I looked at Heero. "Duo too."
He simply nodded. "Three hours."
I went to my place and waited the required 20 minutes. With nothing but my own thoughts and guilt to occupy me it was a long 20 minutes.
Heero had changed a lot since the war- I hadn't realized it until tonight. I never should've accused him of being cold and uncaring- that had been his old self.
What was Duo going to do with this version of Heero? At least the one who had lost his memory completely had still loved Duo. This one didn't seem capable of love.
Guilt washed over me.
Still, I reminded myself, Heero had fallen in love with Duo back during the war... maybe some part of that was still with this one...
Twenty minutes passed- right before I started to head into the building there was a small explosion at one of the perimeter towers. People ran out of the building and headed for it- ah one of Heero's distractions...
Once inside I realized why Duo and Trowa had run into trouble- there were scanners everywhere. They didn't so much as beep at me, so I knew Heero had completed his first part.
I snuck down the hallways towards the detention areas- there had been two places on the blueprints that had looked liked cells. We had decided the ones closest to the docking bay had to be for the kids- the ones farther away had to be used for other things. I was hoping I'd find Trowa and Duo there.
On my way I heard a few more alarms go off- a few requests for personnel- Heero was doing a terrific job of distracting everyone.
I was getting close when I slid around a corner and found myself looking down the barrel of a gun.
I ducked, ready to lash out with a kick, when a familiar voice swore at me.
"Shit Chang! What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you." The gun barrel dropped and I found myself face to face with a very battered looking Trowa. Duo was behind him; blood caked on his face, guns in both hands. "Are you two okay?"
Duo grinned. "Just fine. We got caught and the boys wanted to play a little rough, but we persuaded them to ease up a bit."
I lifted an eyebrow.
"We had just finished the discussion when the cell door unlocked itself." Trowa smiled faintly. "Was that you?"
I shook my head. "No, Heero hacked into the security systems. He must've opened all the doors. Which means we have to get to Quatre."
"Quatre's here?" "Heero's here?" In chorus.
I had to smile.
"Of course." I rolled my eyes. "So can we go help them please?"
Trowa immediately moved around me, heading down the hallway. Duo grabbed my arm.
"How can Heero be here?"
"It's a long story- I'll tell you on the way."
We were halfway to where Quatre was supposed to be by the time I finished.
"You let him get in that machine?!" Duo yelled at me.
"Like I could stop him?"
Trowa turned on us both. "It would be better if you didn't bring the base down on us again?" He hissed.
At that moment we turned a corner and ran right into a little group of workers.
Trowa and I ducked back behind the wall, but Duo, before we could stop him, went around the corner, guns blazing.
When the screaming stopped, I looked around the corner again and found Duo searching the bodies for ammo. He looked at me and sniffed.
Well, all things considered, he was taking the news well...
We reached the detention area where the kids were supposed to be and found nothing but dead workers. Quatre had been very efficient. Heero too- he must've made sure no warnings got out of the area...
"What now?" Duo asked as we finished exploring the area.
I looked at my watch as another alarm rang out. "Now we go to the rendezvous point."
We got out of the facility with only a few problems. Quatre was at the meeting place waiting for us.
"I was so worried," he said when Trowa hugged him. "Don't do that again."
"We only had a few problems," Trowa told him and Quatre snorted, catching Trowa's chin and turning his face to examine the bruises. "I already sent the kids off," he said, letting go of Trowa and turning to look at Duo and me. "I borrowed a transport and Sally headed to the hospital with them. Une is sending a team in."
"Heero?"
"Not out yet." Quatre looked at his watch. "We all finished early- he still has a few minutes." He took a deep breath. "Did Wufei tell you- what Heero did?"
Duo frowned. "Yes- but he said you had listened to the recording. What did J say?"
Quatre frowned. "I didn't listen to all of it- J sounded like he had expected Heero to use the machines- he said he had to caution Heero about the setting he used..."
"Why?"
"I don't know..."
Duo sat down on the grass and covered his face with his hands. "What did he do?"
"He wanted to save you-" I knelt down next to Duo, trying to explain. "He didn't want us to leave him behind. He was worried about you. You have to understand that..."
Duo leaned against me. He was shaking. I didn't know if it was from his injures or from shock or if he was simply cold. I put my arm around his shoulder.
Before he could say anything, I felt a cold chill run down my spine. I looked up.
Heero was standing in front of us, eyes cold.
TBC...
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