Archive: http://www.fanworkrecs.com
Disclaimers: I don't own the characters from Gundam Wing, I just play with them for non-profit fun until they run screaming back to their creators.
Warnings: AU - AAAAAAAAAAAU. Some yaoi, lemon, violence, language. You should be a legal adult to read this. Open-mindedness helps, too.
Pairings: all over the map; Duo-centric. yaoi and het.
Author's Notes: A huge helping of "suspension of disbelief" would be appropriate before you read this. I'm sure J or G could explain the science behind it, but they're kinda dead right now...
Part 5 ~ Scraps (cont'd)
Duo ripped a strip from the bottom of his shirt and wrapped his wounded hand as he figured out the best route to the house - the one that would offer him the most cover with the best vantage points. He still didn't have a gun; his own was lying on one of the scrap heaps, and Heero had inconsiderately taken his with him.
Heero hadn't killed him.
Duo was sure he could have, since he'd had time to shoot the gun out of his hand. But he hadn't. Did that mean that Heero wasn't working with Quatre? Maybe he was just investigating the gundanium shortage...
But either way, Duo didn't have time to deal with him just now. He had a wife and daughter to protect.
His musings were cut short by the sound of metal being torn loose behind him. Whirling around, he saw the last of a series of bullets rip up through the deck plating over Heero's prison, the metal screeching and pinging with the multiple impacts.
Um, make that 'Heero hadn't killed him yet'.
He backed away slowly as he finished tightening the makeshift bandage. Time to get moving.
He worked his way carefully through the maze of scrap, aiming for the small house at the other end of the yard. He was almost there when he heard a slight >clink< as someone dislodged a stray piece of metal ahead of him.
He limped silently towards the source of the sound, keeping a watchful eye behind him in case it was another trap.
"Trowa, stop!" He knew that voice. All his senses focused on the area ahead, just out of sight.
He peeked carefully around a stripped engine to see Quatre standing by the side of the house. Trowa was closer to the back, his head bowed, the bang hiding his face, arms loose at his sides.
Duo's eyes widened as he realized two things. Quatre was holding a gun, aimed quite firmly at Trowa's back, and around the blond's feet were the scattered makings of a bomb.
"You know I can't let you leave, Trowa. Please believe me when I say that I will shoot you if you try to get away."
Duo swore under his breath. He had no gun - maybe he could bean Q-ball with some choice pieces of scrap and give Trowa enough time to get away.
But the acrobat, normally so physically adept, looked like running was beyond him right now. He seemed folded in on himself, as if some essential part of his soul had collapsed.
Duo shook his head. He would have to knock Quatre out. From behind, obviously. And with the first blow, because the little blond was a crack shot with a handgun, better even than Heero. Or at least he was back in Duo's world...
Then Trowa turned slowly, revealing the pistol clenched in his own fist.
"Put down the gun, Trowa." Quatre commanded in a firm tone.
The taller man lifted his arms, trying to aim at Quatre, but his hands were trembling, his face twisted with overwhelming emotion. Quatre was steady as a rock, unflinching in the face of his lover's anguish.
Trowa's aim wavered, and then the gun slipped from his grasp as the acrobat sank to the ground, his hands covering his face, his shoulders shaking. "I can't. I can't."
Duo's heart leaped into his throat when Trowa's gun hit the ground, but it bounced harmlessly without going off. Duo slowly began stalking towards it, hoping Quatre wouldn't see the motion in the shadows.
Trowa moaned through his fingers, "I only ever wanted to protect you. I can't hurt you. I can't."
Quatre eased forward carefully, until he was close enough to send the fallen gun skittering behind himself with one foot. Duo cursed silently and changed direction to follow.
"That's right, Trowa, you've always protected me. But now it's my turn to protect you. Your coming here tonight was a mistake, Trowa." He nodded to the bomb parts, "You could have been badly hurt. I can't allow that."
"But... the gundanium... and Duo... I was -"
"Shhhhhhhh, love, you don't need to concern yourself with that now. I'll take care of it. Don't you trust me?"
Trowa looked up at the words and nodded. His eyes were fixed on his blond lover, tears glittering on his face. "I do. You know I do. With my life, Quatre. With everything I have, everything I am."
Duo's heart sank a bit at the words. Well, his counterpart had said that Trowa was being more affectionate. But man, talk about love blinding you...
Quatre nodded, a slight smile on his lips. "Good. Now listen. Rashid is just outside the yard. I want you to come with me now, and wait in the pod with him while I deal with things here."
The acrobat's face twisted again, as if he would refuse, but then the will seemed to drain out of him and he sagged, head bowed. Slowly, he nodded.
"All right, Quatre," he said quietly.
Duo eased back into the shadows opposite the corner of the house. He thought the discarded gun had gone somewhere by the front step, but there was no way he could get to it with his injured leg slowing him down and Quatre about to turn at any moment. He would wait until the lovers left, find the gun, and wait for Quatre to return alone. After he'd dealt with the Arabian, he would have to somehow get Trowa away from Rashid. Then Quatre could be taken to some sort of psychiatric hospital.
"Stand up, love. It's time to go," Quatre urged.
Trowa got slowly to his feet, moving as if he were in a high- gravity field. Once on his feet, he turned without a word and began to trudge along the side of the house towards the gate. Quatre followed behind him, keeping the gun trained steadily on his back.
As they passed Duo, moving into the area lit by the light over the front step, he saw Quatre slip his left hand into his pocket and pull out a syringe. The blond swiveled the needle upright and popped the cap off with his thumb.
Duo was about to shout a warning when he saw Trowa's head lift, just a little, as the plastic cap from the needle hit the decking. The acrobat casually glanced to his left, where his and Quatre's shadows were etched clearly on the ground.
Trowa's shoulders tensed a little, but Quatre didn't seem to notice - he was concentrating on squeezing all the air out of the syringe. Duo relaxed a little at the gesture; Quatre wouldn't bother to do that for a lethal poison, so it was most likely some kind of knockout drug.
Another stride, and Quatre had flipped the needle around to hold it for an overhand strike. One more step, and his hand pulled back and then stabbed down towards Trowa's unprotected back.
But Trowa's back wasn't there anymore. The acrobat had stepped slightly to the left and whirled in place, trapping Quatre's gun hand between his arm and his ribs. Trowa's other hand closed tightly around the smaller man's wrist, preventing the syringe from moving. He dug his fingers into the base of Quatre's thumb and twisted, wrenching the captive hand around until the needle pointed back towards the Arabian.
"Trowa, no!" Quatre gasped, trying to pull either of his hands free.
"I'm sorry," Trowa whispered, even as he was shoving Quatre's hand back, injecting the drug into his lover's chest. Quatre staggered a bit, and then collapsed without another word.
Duo bit back a cheer, realizing at the last second that Trowa might still be under the impression that he was the gundanium thief. Tro had had a trying night; it would be better not to test his self-restraint just now.
Duo could see the concern etched on Trowa's handsome face as he gently lowered Quatre to the ground and arranged him into a comfortable position. Then the lean man went through Quatre's pockets, taking the two spare clips of ammunition he found, and leaving everything else in a little heap.
Trowa looked down into his lover's slack face, gently stroking the bright golden hair. "I'm so sorry, Quatre. But I will protect you, even from yourself." Rising, Trowa cocked the gun and stole towards the front gate, keeping to the shadows.
He was going after Rashid, Duo realized. The huge Arab wasn't a fool; he would surrender promptly to the deadly former pilot. Trowa would be back fairly soon with a clear path to the psychiatric hospital for Quatre. But in the meantime...
Duo limped over to check on Quatre. As he suspected, his friend was unconscious, his pulse steady and his breathing deep and peaceful. He took a quick glance through the stuff Trowa had taken from his pockets; a folding knife, a tiny comm unit, an energy bar, a handkerchief, and a pair of handcuffs.
Duo smiled and picked up the last item.
He dragged Quatre over to the porch with some difficulty, and snugged one of the metal cuffs around his wrist. The other went around the upright metal post of the railing on the front steps. The key he left with the pile of belongings. Maybe it was overkill, but he didn't know how long the drug would last, and he would rather not have Quatre running around unrestrained if he came out of it earlier than expected.
He looked under the steps, finding Trowa's gun in a matter of moments. He slipped it into his waistband - he might need it later for Heero.
Speaking of Heero, it would be a good idea to check in with the Peacekeepers to find out if he had come to the scrapyard investigating Duo. Or if the Peacekeepers even knew he was here... Duo nodded as he let himself into the house. Actually, it would be better to talk to Wufei; he might even stand a chance of calling Heero off the hunt once the situation was explained.
Duo smirked as he settled in front of the vidscreen. Time to see if 'Fei's words about standing together could withstand early morning vid calls.
Four rings later, the screen finally cleared to show a mussy- haired, sleepy-eyed, half-naked Wufei, one arm outstretched from the tangled blankets to the Receive key.
Oh, my... Duo wrenched his mind back on track, watching the dark eyes clear quickly as his friend realized who was calling him at such an ungodly hour.
"Maxwell...?" Wufei half sat up, looking alarmed, "Duo! You're bleeding! What happened?"
Duo looked down at the bloody graze on his chest. "Oh... yeah. Heero got me." He raised his bandaged hand. "A couple of times. Of course," he couldn't help smirking a little, "I did kick him down that open shaft and lock him in."
Wufei blinked at him.
"You don't look all that surprised, 'Fei. You knew Heero was coming here."
"I knew he was... investigating certain activities."
"If you're talking about the gundanium thefts, it wasn't me. But I need to know what Heero's up to. Was he sent here under the authority of the Peacekeepers?"
Wufei did not reply.
"It's a fairly simple question, 'Fei. Was Heero sent here as a Peacekeeper? Or is he in on the gundanium heists?"
There was a rustling on the other end, and someone sat up behind Wufei, looking over the Chinese man's shoulder to see into the viewscreen. It was His Imperial Majesty, looking as bed-rumpled as the Peacekeeper now leaning back against him.
Oh my, my, my... Duo ruthlessly stopped that train of thought.
"Wufei has told me that you never lie." The deep, smooth voice was deceptively mild; the underlying power impossible to deny.
As Preventer Wind in his own universe, Duo had found Zechs to be focused and solitary; a somewhat tragic figure plagued by doubts and regrets for past decisions. But this Emperor was secure in himself; seemingly confident of his honour, judgment and strength of character. The difference was both fascinating and heartrending.
Fascinating or not, the man was waiting for an answer. "Yeah. That's right," Duo couldn't quite keep the challenging tone from his voice.
"Are you involved in any way with the gundanium thefts from the lunar recycling plant, or the smelters on L3 or L4?"
Duo snorted. "No. Unless you count being framed for them."
Milliardo looked at him, looked into him, as if he could weigh the truth of his words by the worth of his soul. Finally, the Emperor nodded slightly.
"I felt that an extremely low profile would be best to look into this matter. Heero was sent to investigate you, not as a Peacekeeper, but as my special agent."
"Special agent? As in, doesn't have to follow the rules? As in, judge, jury and executioner? Well, that's just terrific."
"Yes, Duo, special agent," Wufei broke in hotly. "As in, has the latitude to take you into protective custody without a formal psychiatric assessment that would show up on your record forever. As in, knows that you don't lie and will take you at your word."
"As in, understands you better than any other person in the Earth Sphere, and is both clever enough to anticipate you and strong enough to stop you if need be," Milliardo finished softly.
"Like I said, it wasn't me. From what I've been able to gather, it was Quatre."
"Quatre!!! Are you sure?" Wufei frowned slightly, staring narrow eyed from the vidscreen.
Duo shrugged slightly. "Check it out yourself. He's developing something called ALDIS, which is supposed to be used for deep space exploration. But get this - it's based on the Zero System."
"What!!" Stereo expressions of shock and dismay carried clearly through the vid link.
"Yeah, you heard me right. I couldn't figure out which of us would want to jeopardize the peace we have, but if Quatre's been plugging into Zero regularly, he's probably so brain- fucked that rebuilding his Gundam seems like a logical step."
He waved further explanations away. "Anyway, Cute-But- Psychotic is out of the picture for now, thanks to Tro's quick reactions..."
"Trowa?!? Wha- Wait, Quatre and Trowa are there???" Wufei demanded.
"Yeah. I caught them having a little confrontation over the bomb being attached to the side of my house. Trowa eventually overpowered Q-ball and knocked him out with his own drugs. He's gone off to deal with Rashid, but..." he glanced out the window to the empty yard, "I should get off the vid before he comes back, 'cause he thinks I was the thief, too, and," he held up his injured hand again, "I'm not in the best shape to deal with him right now."
"Understandable," Wufei said.
"Are you willing to cooperate fully?" Milliardo asked.
Duo cocked his head and frowned. "If you can assure me that you aren't involved in the gundanium hoarding."
Wufei's eyes widened slightly, but Milliardo merely smiled. "No, I'm not. Neither directly nor at arm's length."
"Nor I," Wufei added.
Duo considered. It did seem that Quatre had been acting on his own... well, maybe with the support of his Maguanacs. "All right then," he nodded sharply.
"Good. I want you to contact Heero and place yourself in his custody. Tell him everything you know. Trowa should be satisfied with that, and Heero already has my authority to wrap up this matter."
"Yeah. OK." He made a sort of an awkward bob of the head, not quite a bow, but not just a nod either. Crap, he wasn't cut out for this courtly stuff. "Later!" He cut the connection with relief.
Trowa had been gone for about five minutes, and would certainly be heading back soon. Duo went to the door and eased it open a crack, checking the area around the front step. No noise, no movement; but something niggled at the back of his mind. He pulled Trowa's gun from his waistband, holding it left-handed - his right was too torn to work it properly.
He paused as his eyes passed over Quatre's still form, the sense of unease deepening. The Arabian was lying still and lax, his hair tousled, one arm stretched up by the handcuff.
He shook his head. It would come to him eventually. Right now he had to get away before Trowa returned. Taking one last look around, he edged onto the step, closing the door behind him, and raced for the safety of the shadows in the aisle directly across the way.
He paused for a moment, swinging around to cover the area he had just left with the gun. Quatre lay unmoving. Still no motion or sound, yet his nerves were screaming at him.
Standing in the shadows, Duo reflected that there were some things he would never forget - how to pilot a mobile suit, the smell of recycled air, the way a pistol felt pressed firmly against his temple... like the one nudging his skull right now.
"Give me the gun, Duo," Trowa said softly from the shadows beside him.
End Page 12
(:./wingnut/alter12)
