Part 1
Heero couldn’t understand it. The American should have turned up at the safe house long ago. After all the mission had been a very simple on. Just a supply run. Nothing complicated about that. And yet there he sat wondering what had happened to Shinigami and it’s pilot. He gazed at the computer screen as though by doing so he could call up a message from Duo. But nothing ever came.
With an irritated snarl he pushed the chair back so that he could stand. Clasping his hands above his head he stretched lithely. A couple of vertebrae popped noisily in the silance of the dingy little apartment.
Glancing at the battered clock on the wall he noticed that it was almost 21:00. His stomach chose that moment to forcibly remind him that breakfast had been a very long time ago. He looked back at the laptop screen but nothing had changed. And just sitting there wasn’t accomplishing anything.
He strode with purpose away from the little desk and took himself into the pocket sized kitchenette the apartment sported. Absently he switched on the tv as he passed. A news cast hummed ideally in the background as he began rummaging through the fridge.
The search for dinner was interrupted by an ear piercing squeal that was being emitted by the television. Startled, Heero looked up. When he scrutinized the tv he saw the OZ insignia flash across the screen. The symbol then disappeared to be replaced by the head and shoulders of a uniformed Captain. The man’s dour face was impassive as he sat behind a desk. Though he was attired in the standard officer’s uniform someone had gone to great lengths to make him appear trustworthy. However, Heero’s skin began to crawl at the mere sight of him.
The camera shot zoomed out. Behind and to the left of the desk were to common soldiers standing with their arms crossed. Between them was a metal straight backed chair. And in the chair..Heero’s stomach grew cold. There, in the badly ripped remains of his black priest’s outfit, was Duo. The boy sported a pair of large and cumbersome manacles though they clearly weren’t necessary. The American pilot’s head rested limply against his chest.
"Yesterday a handful of brave OZ soldiers brought down one of the outlaw gundams," the Captain droned as he waved towards the chair and it’s occupant. One of the soldiers grabbed the boy’s hair and brutally pulled back so that the camera could clearly see his battered face.
Heero didn’t even notice what the Captain was saying. Instead he was focused on those pain fogged eyes. The once clear blue orbs now glazed over, and he wondered if the Deathscythe pilot was even conscious. The boy’s face sported multiple livid bruises. It made him wonder what the tattered black fabric hid.
"Duo no baka," Heero mumbled to himself. Something must have gone dreadfully wrong for the young pilot to have been captured. And if he was in an OZ prison they were all in great danger! He would have to do something and quickly. Looking at the boy’s defeated expression he made his decision. "Omae o korosu."
It took him almost another two days of constant computer hacking to figure out where the American was being held. But now that he had a target he could act. The plan was simple: get in and silence the leak. He wasn’t going to worry about anything else.
At the moment the Japanese pilot was straddling the saddle of a motorcycle he had appropriated for the sole purpose of getting him to the OZ facility. Through a pair of binoculars he studied the compound. There was one main building that stood twelve stories high. Three smaller building stood off to the right. And a lone structure held dominance over the western horizon. He knew form the building plans he had studied that the easiest way was across the open lawn.
Though it was exposed and guarded it was the only option. The storm drains were rigged secularly. He wouldn’t be able to get through them without wasting a lot of valuable time disarming the security system. K’so. Whatever. He would just have to be careful.
Propping out the bike he began to carefully camouflage it, more out of habit then of any intention of coming back to reclaim it. He didn’t have any illusions. Getting in would be hard enough...
Fortunately dusk was almost upon him. The guard should be changing shortly. He would just have to et in position and wait. Moving stealthily through the thin undergrowth beneath the trees he passed behind a slight rise. Carefully checking to be sure that none observed him, the Wing pilot shimmed up the trunk of a likely tree. Positioning himself along one of the sturdy limes he lay on his stomach, eye watching all that was below him.
This particular tree was right next to the fence that ran the perimeter of the compound. From his position he could see the guards that patrolled the grounds. One passed no more then twenty feet from him. Heero held his breath. The guard passed by without ever realizing that he was being observed.
The boy looked at his watch. Almost time. His eyes flashed back to the guard. Sure enough the man was going into an out building...the guard post perhaps.
Now!
Getting his feet beneath him Heero nimbly ran along the tree limb. When it began to bow under his slight weight he coiled his legs and sprang, launching himself over the razor wire of the fence. Curling up protectively he struck the ground with his shoulder. Relaxing into the motion he let his momentum care him along. Coming up on his toes he catapulted himself into a head long dash. He didn’t have much time.
But instead of going for the main building as would have been expected, he instead dashed for the guard post. Plastering himself up against the rough side of the wall he waited. Through the wall he could here voices inside the small building. Laughter. Then the door on the side of the building opened. The man who walked out was not the same one he had seen before. This was the new guard replacing the first. As the soldier walked blissfully away from the building Heero inched closer to the door. It was slowly swinging shut behind the man’s departure. The young pilot made no sound as he slipped through the doorway.
Inside the building the first guard was relaxing with a cup of coffee clutched between his hands. Silent as a cat, Heero walked up behind the man. When he was close enough his hands reached out...and in one fluid motion he snapped the man’s neck. The cup of coffee fell from the now limp hands, the hot liquid splashing against the matte flooring.
With brisk efficiency he began rifling through the dead man’s clothes. In one of the pants pockets his hand encountered something. Pulling the object free of the coarse fabric, he smiled with grim satisfaction. The card key he held was his ticket in. Carefully placing his prize on the console behind him he began to task of stripping the dead soldier. He was in luck. This one was only slightly taller then himself. The uniform would be a reasonable fit.
Pulling the pants and shirt over his customary green tank top and spandex shorts, he looked about the room for any kind of a weapon. When he was properly attired he stripped the area of anything useful, and what he found to what already amounted to a small arsenal on his person.
There was just one more thing he had to do. Turning to the console he quickly typed in a few choice commands. Within a few seconds he had located the cell that containted the imprisoned boy. Card key in hand, he left the guard post, moving openly and with purpose. As long as he was in the OZ uniform and looked like he belonged there, it was unlikely anything would bother him.
Getting into the main building wasn’t a problem. Even better, the only person who saw him was a janitor. By passing the man he made his way to the elevator. The doors were already open and he stepped inside. Depressing the button for the 2nd sub-basement, the lowest level he could get to without needing special clearance that his stolen card key didn’t have, he waited for the doors close. As soon as they did, he pushed open the emergency hatch in the ceiling and climbed on top of the car. Closing the hatch behind him, he waited for the car to come to a stop.
Curling determined fingers about the cables holding the car he shimmied upwards. When he came level with one of the small service panels he swung himself over that way. There was very little for him to hold onto, but somehow he managed as he worked the little mechanical hand drill, removing the screws that held the sheet of siding in place. Free of the screws he pushed the thing out, grabbing the edge before it could hit the floor beyond.
He found himself in a deserted service corridor. Closing his eyes he visualized where he was in relation to the blue prints of the compound that he had studied. Satisfied that he knew where he was, Heero opened his eyes and turned right.
As much as he could, he struck to the service corridors, avoiding any and all confrontations. Letting himself into the ventilation system the Wing pilot began making his way down to the 4th sub-basement. That was were he would find the boy.
When he came to the floor in question he paused, listening carefully for the sound of anyone in the hallway. But he heard nothing. Sneaking out of the ventilation shaft he lowered himself to the floor of the hallway. It was almost too good to be true. There was no one in sight.
On silent feet he raced through the hall. He had to find cell #66489.
66438...66453...66471...
There!
Oddly enough, there were no guards. That was both good and bad. Good that he wouldn’t have to deal with one or more enemies. Bad that there was no one there with an access card for him to appropriate.
Turning to face the cell door he saw that the locking mechanism to the side held a numbered touch pad. He would need a code...which he didn’t have. Bringing out his tiny screw driver once more he removed the touch pad’s panel. Nimble fingers began working on the wires hidden within. In moments he had the thing hot wired and the door to cell #66489 swung open before him.
He strode inside. As he stood a bare pace within the room, the overhead lights came on. A quick scan of the area showed little. He saw Duo huddle on the cell’s tiny cot. He had his knees tucked up under his chin and was rocking back and forth. Tiny mewling sounds could be heard from the boy. Even though the Shinigami pilot was looking right at him, it didn’t seem as though he actually saw Heero.
Slowly the Japanese boy pulled a hand gun from its hiding place in the waistband of the uniforms pants and leveled it at Duo, sighting between the other’s eyes.
Part Two
The door had opened. Someone was standing there. Duo curled in tighter on himself. Slowly he began rocking back and forth, humming to himself. He was beyond caring which of the men had come for him this time. It was all the same.
His mind drifted to the safety of that tiny corner of his inner self. And there he would be til it was all over. They could have his body, there was nothing he could do to prevent it. But he did his best to protect his fragile psyche. He had to remember...he had to protect the others.
But they no longer even questioned him. None of the men spoke to him except to issue orders to further their gratification. Broken...I’m broken, he realized with despair.
"I can’t."
The two words were barely more then a whisper, but he heard them. Something about the voice snapped him back to himself. He knew that flat tone! Forcing his glazed eyes to focus he looked at the person who had entered his cell.
It’s a dream! This can’t be real!
But it was. There stood Heero in an OZ uniform, pointing a gun at him. Thank you, Heero. Death would finally claim him. But even as he thought that, he saw the gun slowly being lowered. The tormented expression on the Japanese boy’s face bespoke of an internal struggle. Duo could guess what was going through his head.
"It so’kay, Heero," he managed hoarsely. "Just pull the trigger. Then the pain will stop, ne." The last was spoken more to himself then to the erstwhile assassin.
Heero seemed to focus on those words. But instead of raising the gun and taking aim he quickly stuffed the pistol back in the waistband of his pants. With a determined expression on his face he walked over to his battered comrade.
Something undefinable entered those cold cobalt blue eyes. Cautiously he placed an arm around the other pilot’s torso. "Can you stand?"
Bewildered Duo nodded. He tried to move off the cot but ended up placing most of his weight on the other boy. His legs began to buckle but Heero didn’t let him fall. With a slight grimace of triumph Duo took a careful step forward. Then another. With Heero’s help he was able to make it to the door of the cell. Together they began the trek down the hall.
Duo nearly stumbled when the other boy pulled up short, though it quickly became apparent why. Up ahead two voices could be heard. Two or more people were headed their way. Duo paled visibly. He knew those voices.
Moving quickly, much to Duo’s dismay, the Wing pilot lead him over to a small alcove set in the recesses of the wall. Heero then gave him The Look. Stay here or you’ll wish I had killed you. Well, Duo was in no shape to argue. Sliding heavily down the wall he curled up in a foetal position. The Wing pilot left him there and disappeared around the corner. There was a scuffling sound and a couple thumps. He thought he heard something heavy landing against the floor.
Then Heero was back. He dumped something on the floor before Duo. "You need to change," the short haired pilot stated. With that, he moved off slightly to take up a watchful position. Duo was surprised to say the least. Warily he picked up the wad of dark blue fabric. Moving as quickly as his battered body would allow, he got out of the ripped cloths he had been attired in and slip on the enemy uniform.
Heero cautiously looked over his shoulder and saw that the boy was ready. He still looked like death warmed over but no one would notice that at a distance. All they would see was the familiar uniform.
"Come on." Heero began heading off down the hall. Duo was left to move under his own steam. Surprisingly enough he managed it. He did his best to stick close to the other pilot. Fortunately his confederate was moving cautiously, checking everything before them.
Free...I’ll soon be free...
But just as the American thought that it started. Klaxon’s began to wail as red lights flashed along the corridor.
"K’so!" Heero swore. Grabbing Duo’s wrist he pulled the other into a stumbling run.
Shinigami’s pilot tried desperately to keep up but all to soon he was gasping desperately for air. It seemed as though he just couldn’t get enough into his lungs. "Hee-ro...I ...c..can’t," he gasped out at the other soldier. He tried to free himself from the other’s grip. But the Japanese boy wouldn’t let go. In fact his grip became tighter, almost painful. Duo fought the fear that threatened to choke him as he was dragged into a storage closet. In the darkened interior he was pushed against some shelving as his rescuer peeked cautiously through the crack of the door.
"Heero. Leave me. I’ll just slow you down," Duo said softly. "You can still get out if you do it alone."
"Getting out wasn’t part of the original plan," Heero hissed back. "Neither was breaking you out."
"Nani? What was the plan?"
"I’d kill you. I hadn’t bothered to worry about how I would get out."
"Baka! You should have killed me in the first place!"
Heero turned around to look at the young man -no, boy- behind him illuminated by the dim light coming from the hallway. The fear and hopelessness in what should have been such a carefree expression did something to his insides. An odd twisting that he had never experience before. Inexplicably he had the sudden urge to gather the American to him and hold on, never letting go. Instead he reached out a hand and clasped a quivering shoulder. Those blue eyes were searching his own, almost as though they belonged to a lost child.
"We will get out of here...together." Heero gave the boy’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he turned back to the hall. The sound of feet running could be heard. Soon a squad of soldiers rushed by. He over heard them saying something about protecting the enemy gundam. An idea began to form in his mind.
Sweeping his gaze about the storage room his eyes lighted on the wire mesh grid that covered an air vent. Without a word he worked his way over to it and quickly removed the grate. Holding out a hand to the other boy he hissed, "Come on!"
Without knowing why, Duo took the proffered hand and let Heero push him up into the ventilation shaft. A part of him remembered his original escape plans...before...He wouldn’t think about that. Not now. Right then he had to concentrate on staying alive.
With Heero behind him he moved forward as it was the only way open to him. After an indefinite amount of time Heero’s voice came to him. "Turn here." It was the first of many such instructions and he carefully followed all of them.
Finally they came to another grate. It wasn’t dark in the room beyond. It was, in fact, brightly lit. It looks like a computer lab, he thought absently. At some point Heero had worked his way up beside him. The short haired pilot was carefully surveying the area. But it was deserted. With a satisfied grunt he motioned for Duo to get back. He made short work of the barrier and slipped into the room beyond. Duo remained in the shaft as Heero prowled the area. But nothing was amiss. At Wing’s signal he lowered himself down. His legs refused to support him and he ended up in a crumpled heap. Was it his imagination or was that concern in Heero’s expression? He couldn’t be sure. The other boy looked away, focusing on the computer terminal before him.
As Duo picked himself up off the carpeting he watched as the Heero sat himself before the terminal. Nimble fingers danced across the keys. "Whatchya doing," he wondered aloud as came up behind the Perfect Soldier.
"Making life miserable for OZ," was the cryptic response. But before Duo could ask what he meant the fingers stopped and Heero stood up. "Time to go." With that he pulled Duo along over to he only door out of the room.
They stepped out into an empty corridor. Heero set a brisk pace. Though he didn’t know where they were going, Duo kept his mouth shut. I’ll find out soon enough, he reasoned.
When the lights went out Duo’s heart leapt into his throat. But when the emergency lighting kicked in, he saw the satisfied not-quite-smile the other boy wore. He seemed to have expected this to happen. Was that what he meant? Did he somehow arrange for this to happen? It wouldn’t have surprised him.
He felt the other boys slender fingers close about his wrist. Duo tried to suppress a shudder. It's Heero, he forcibly reminded himself. He was being pulled forward. Without a word he followed, letting his friend lead him were he would.
Behind him he heard shouts and the sound of an explosion. This time he couldn’t see Wing’s face but he was sure of what he would find there; grim determination mixed with dogged satisfaction.
And it seemed that explosions and electrical fires were a common occurrence in the compound. The self-destructing equipment was providing more then enough distraction. No one was paying attention to them as they slipped through the shadows. Before long they had managed to come to the place that was obviously Heero’s intended destination. At first he couldn’t imagine why they had come to a hangar, then he spotted something that made his spirit’s rise immeasurably. There was Deathscythe, wires runnign to and from the magnificent machine as though it were Frankenstein’s monster. If he could just get to it.
He would have leapt out of the shadow of the door way and raced towards his beloved mech if it hadn’t been for Heero’s grip of his wrist. With that hold alone he was effectivily restraining the American. "Nani?"
Heero put a finger to his lips then gestured vaguely to the area before them. Between them and the mobile suit was a squad of armed soldiers. They seemed to be waiting...for them?
Duo’s mind refused to work. It’s hopeless, was the only thing he could come up with. Fortunately Heero didn’t feel the same way. Instead he lead Duo over to the cover of some packing crates. "Here," he pressed a hand gun into Duo’s limp hands. "Just wait for my signal."
Signal? But before Duo could even form the question in his mind the other boy was already moving. Peering over the top of the crate he was hiding behind he watched as the Japanese pilot calmly walked towards the soldiers. At first none of them seemed to be concerned though a couple of them did keep an eye on his approach.
Duo held his breath.
One of the soldiers must have seen something. Suddenly a rifle was being leveled at Heero. But the Perfect Soldier wasn’t fazed by this turn of events. He simply dropped and rolled on his shoulder. When he came up nimbly on his toes he had a pistol in each hand and was firing with abandon. And he was fast...Heero was constantly moving, never staying in one place for more then a fraction of a heart beat.
Duo watched amazed as the soldiers began to fall before the one-man army they faced. A morbid fascination swept over him. This wasn’t the first time he had seen the other fight outside of his gundam but it did serve to confirm what he had already suspected. Heero seemed to be alive when he was fighting. There was a glint, a hunger in his eyes that was never there at any other time.
As Duo watched the Wing pilot movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Looking up at the balcony he saw a man standing there, taking aim with the rifle he held.
No!
Duo just reacted. Taking the gun Heero had pressed on him he sighted on the OZ soldier and let fly. A perfect head shot. The man fell without a sound. But the racket of his firing the shot caused Heero to glance his way...and open himself to the five men that he still faced. Instinct took over and Duo re-sighted on those that confronted his partner. Reflexively he began to pull the trigger. But as soon his shots took down one of the soldiers, the other four dove for cover.
Heero’s gaze passed over his fleetingly as he focused once more on those between him and the mobile suit. And the Perfect Soldier launched into action once more, totally in his element. But nothing was perfect. One of the guns was shot from his hands and the other one decided that it would be the ideal time to jam. Throwing the useless thing away, Heero dove for the nearest man, grabbing for the rifle he held.
Duo continued to fire on the other three soldiers, doing his best to keep them pinned. One fell, then a second...
Heero had prevailed in his struggle with the soldier who now lay in a boneless heap on the floor. Turning his new won rifle on the remaining man he fired. And with that one shot it was over. There was no one left to fight. Heero shouldered the rifle and hurried to retrieve Duo. The American was carefully making his way from out behind the packing crates.
"Let’s go."
Duo nodded his agreement. He wouldn’t have to be told twice. Swarming up the scaffolding that had been erected about the gundam, Heero was the first in the open cockpit. But instead of sliding into the waiting seat he wedged himself up behind the chair. It couldn’t have been a comfortable position. The cockpits were cramped under the best of circumstances. Duo didn’t say anything, though. At the moment it just seemed very important that they got out of there as fast as possible.
Clambering into the pilot seat, he closed the cockpit and began the power up sequence. Not a moment too soon either. The doors to the hanger were opening as reinforcements poured in. But their little rifles could do very little to Deathscythe’s armored hide.
Disregarding the scaffolding that was still about the gundam they began to lift off. Turning the Vulcan guns on the main doors he fired, clearing their escape route. Then they were away!
Soaring through the sky they by passed what defense the scattered OZ force had been able to muster. Duo allowed himself a weary smile as they raced through the night sky, quickly leaving the base behind. I’m free.
End Part 2
(:./aiyoku/soul2)
