12-Jun-2000
Category: Adventure, Angst, Romance, Friendship
Time: After the events in OCT
Rating: Umm PG
Pairings: 3+4, 1+2 and multiple highlights of friendships.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing already has an owner. I mean not disrespect to them
and do this for no money.
Archive: Not till it's finished please
Notes: Again, Bonne is the wonderful voice of Wufei here. All kind
comments about him to her please.
The sense of unease assaulted Duo the moment they turned off the gravel driveway. He couldn't keep himself from twisting about in the bucket seat, straining the seatbelt. Quatre was deep in his thoughts and didn't take much notice of his squirming car-mate till Duo ooofed as he got thrown against the door by a hard left.
"Duo? What are you doing? Sit down." Quatre yelled over the wind that whipped across the convertible.
"Huh? Yeah.. okay."
Duo sat but he kept watching his side mirror. They traveled a good way without mishap and Duo had begun to relax when the hairs on his neck stood up and he quickly yanked his head around, smacking Quatre in the face with his braid.
"Muhph.. Duo damn it!" Quatre peeled hair out of his mouth but Duo wasn't listening.
There it was.. a large black Hummer right behind them.
"Quatre punch it."
"Huh?"
"Just punch it... NOW!"
Quatre didn't ask further, just laid his foot down on the gas. The Aston's powerful engine growled and it shot forward. Duo struggled with his seatbelt, all the while watching the off road utility vehicle behind them. Sure enough after a split second the Hummer was giving chase.
Duo began to curse, nearly throwing himself out of the bucket seat as he got free of the seatbelt. Reaching in the back of the Aston he grabbed for the gym bag he'd packed. The conversation with Wufei earlier that day running through his head.
Duo had been belting out his favorite NIN song as he worked on his bike. A nut had escaped his grease coated fingers and gone rolling under the far side of the bike. Weaseling under the large machine he'd been about to reach for the nut when it fetched up against black cloth shoes.
Looking up, he'd found Wufei looking down at him. "Hey there Wu-man. What brings you down here? I thought you already did your morning Nataku check."
Wufei ignored the question as irrelevant. "I need your help," he said, not particularly thrilled to say the words, but experience had finally gotten across to him that the "h" word moved things along a lot faster with some people, even though it made him uncomfortable.
Flipping the nut up into the air, Duo had dragged himself out from under the bike and sat up, looking at Wufei. "Sure, what's up?"
"I have to leave for a while. I'm running a full background check on the WEI security chief, Margie Jalsh. I ran into something that I need to clarify and it involves doing an interview. I don't want to do this over a vidcom, I need to talk to the informant in person. I also don't want to leave Quatre unprotected during that time, given the fact that we haven't wrapped this up. His attacker is... gone, yes, but possibly not others who might take similar actions. He must have full physical security. I have reasons why I want it to be someone other than Trowa. Trowa is too well-known as his companion and if there were an attack, he'd be factored in. Heero is occupied. Therefore it must be you."
Duo purses his lips and nods. "Also Trowa and Heero are off checking on some of Paul's connections. Alright, I'll keep an eye on small blonde and cute. Though don't ask me to try to keep him anywhere. He bowls even *me* over."
Wufei sat on his heels to get on an eye-level with the braided one. "Duo, listen to me carefully. I am not asking you to 'keep an eye' on him. It's important that you understand this. Quatre does not need a baby-sitter, whatever Trowa may think from time to time. This is very different. I need someone to protect his life. This is not a simple assignment. There are people who train for years to become qualified bodyguards. In China there still exists a branch of the original Beijing School which produced the finest bodyguards anywhere on Earth for decades. There is a saying that comes from the school - a cop, or an agent, or a soldier who fails once is simply experienced. He gets back up and continues his work. A bodyguard who fails once is out of a job."
Duo seemed to be a bit puzzled. "Wu-man, I don't really understand this. I mean I know that you take your duties really seriously and when you make up your mind on something you see it through to perfection... but Quatre is just like us. He's an ex-Gundam pilot for pities sake and a good Preventer operative. It's not like he's fangless."
Wufei's lips pressed together a sure sign that he was frustrated.
Duo held up his hands really quick. "Don't get me wrong. I'll do it and anyone tries to get near him with harmful intent, I'll send em right to Shinigami no questions asked."
Wufei shook his head, wishing he did not feel uneasy about this. "Duo," he said, with a patience that was not in character with his public persona. "Please listen to me. I know that Quatre is.. not fangless. That is not the issue. It is one thing to protect one's own life when you are in battle, a soldier, a target yes, but in a relatively equal situation with one's enemy. It is one thing to protect one's life when one is the aggressor. Those situations are dangerous and require skill to survive. But it is a very, very different thing to be the sole target of one or a group of dedicated assassins, who will watch and wait and never reveal their presence until the moment to strike. If the target has no other obligations, no life to lead, it is hard enough. But if the target is someone who has a role to fulfill, they can either fulfill it, or protect themselves. Not both. This was the very mistake that was made, Duo, and this is why we had to wait in the hospital to find out if Quatre would *live*. Until this is over, Quatre *must* be protected. If I have to, I will forgo the interview. It would be an oversight and might be just as costly later, but if you do not understand *exactly* what I am saying, I will have no choice."
Duo sat there for a moment, obviously deep in his thoughts. After a time violet eyes searched out Wufei's face. "I think I understand what you are saying now Wufei. It's just a little hard to... grasp.. sometimes. Hell, none of us were supposed to survive the war, now that we have I guess I kinda..."
Duo shrugged and tosses the nut into the air. "I'll keep him protected till you get back. We need this interview too much, any lead we can get we need to follow it."
Wufei searched Duo's wide violet eyes in return. "Think of... think of Heero protecting Relena. You understand that?"
Duo managed to keep the wince off his face as he nodded. "Yeah.. I can understand that."
Wufei nodded finally. He reached into a pocket and took something small out of it. It was a small piece of jade, hardly more than a fob, carved in the shape of a dragon. It was threaded on a red silk cord that was short enough to be looped around a belt or perhaps a wrist. He handed it to Duo.
"Duo, think of this as my honor. I'm giving it to you to keep until I can take it back. Don't let it get broken."
Reaching up he'd closed his fingers carefully around the silk cord and lifts it from Wufei's hand. "I'll keep him safe Wufei. I don't think any of us want to be going through another hospital vigil like that any time soon."
"I trusted your heart already, or I would not have come to you," Wufei said simply. "I need your mind and intent behind it. It's enough. I'm going to tell Quatre about the plan and then go. You might want to get cleaned up."
Duo looked down at himself and shrugged. "What's wrong with a little grease?"
Turning back for a moment before he left, Wufei ignored the question saying instead. "Thanks, Maxwell. Don't... let it get broken."
Remembering that Duo mutter. "Damn straight it's not getting broken on my watch." Duo braced his legs as Quatre went skidded around a corner. Yanking the machine gun free, he slammed a clip home and popped off the safety.
Setting himself against the back of the seat, Duo opened fire on their pursuer. Quatre looked quickly over his shoulder.
"Duo! What are you doing??"
"Just drive, Quatre."
"But they aren't... "
"Not *yet* Shut up and drive!"
Quatre subsided and Duo felt the big car accelerate. Drawing a bead on the Hummer's grill work Duo fired off a burst of shots. From the passenger side window Duo saw the muzzle of a weapon and he quickly aimed for the windscreen on that side to keep the person within too busy keeping his own head down.
From behind the shotgun passenger came another weapon, Duo laid down more fire, but grabbed the back of Quatre's head, pushing the small blonde down, in case there was someone behind the driver. Quatre squirmed a bit.
"Duo, I can't see the road."
"Deal with it and keep your head down."
Quatre grumbled but Duo felt him slide out from under his hand. The braided boy couldn't help a fatalistic grin.
"Thank heaven for small people."
"I heard that remark."
"You resemble that remark. Now keep your head down and get us outtah here."
With expert skill Duo felt Quatre guide the Aston through a turn at a speed that the Hummer simply couldn't handle. As soon as he had a side shot Duo cut loose, feeling pleased as he saw the back windows shatter. Good. They might have protective glass on the front windscreen but not the sides. He'd take any advantage they could get.
Ducking some return shots, Duo popped up and laid down more fire at the grill of their pursuer trying to get a shot in on the engine block but the Hummer was designed to keep things out of it's grill work and he was finding it hard to aim that precisely. He was busy cursing up a storm when Quatre's quiet voice interrupted him.
"Uh.. Duo?"
"Yeah?"
"Whatever you're doing.. could you do it faster?"
"Hey! I'm firing as fast as I can."
"Yeah.. but.. could you do it a little faster? We've got a problem."
"You mean besides these freaks behind us trying to kill us?"
"Something like that. Look."
Duo cursed and looked behind himself real quick at the dashboard. Sure enough.. there was a little blinking light, steadily flashing at them.
Quatre flinched at the string of curses Duo let go.
"You are kidding me?!? How the hell could you be out of gas???"
"I don't know Duo, I don't gas this thing up."
Duo turned back and upped his attack on the Hummer, aiming now for the tires, anything that would slow them down. He quickly did some mental calculations. They were about 5 miles shy of the estate, if they were lucky the Aston had enough gas for 3 miles.. and since they were burning it at over a hundred miles per hour, probably less.
"Listen, I'm going to try to slow these guys down, if I can't put them outtah the game completely. Look for a place where we can ditch the car. Preferably somewhere with cover."
"Right."
Duo flicked a switch on the machine gun, allowing himself to aim more precisely then just straight up strafe runs. Praying to Shinigami he began to pop off shots, alternating between the two front tires and the grill.
'Don't let it get broken.' Wufei's words came back to him.
"Come on.. hit something Maxwell." Duo whispered to himself, feeling his heart hammer in his throat.
:D More tomorrow I promise.
Laekin
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