26-Apr-2004

Title: Tetractys
Author: Sol, but archived as Zefyr on FF & MM
Chapter 17 "Tiphareth, I" --- ONGOING
Genre: Semi-AU, AU-in-AU, Drama, Sci Fi
Pairings: Wait and see.
Rated: R for the time being
Archived: fanfiction.net and gwaddiction.com
Warnings: Violence, language, adult situations, butchered scientific theory
Archiving: Ask permission for each story separately, please.
Critiques: Always welcome, especially constructive.
Note: In case you missed it, I did one of my infamous take-down-and-redos on
the last chapter. I suggest going back and rereading. There are a NUMBER of things in this chapter that will not make sense unless you've read the revised Netzach IV.

Tetractys by Sol 1056

Part Seventeen: Tiphareth, I

The helicopter touched down on the ship's helipad, and Heero was the first one out. Deathscythe Hell and Broadarms were lying on the ship's main deck, and several people were climbing over the chests of each Gundam. Heero broke out into a run, finding the ship's constant sway fit the uneasy feeling he had, as though the floating world of a ship fit his perception of reality. Nothing was stable.

He got to Broadarms just as they lifted Trowa from the cockpit. Trowa was coughing badly, and blood was splattered on his chin and chest. His fingers were cramped into fists. Heero vaguely heard one of the emergency medical people saying something about muscle spasms, and the difficulty of getting the pilot's hands to unclamp from around the throttles. Trowa was trying to say something. Heero couldn't hear, and the five members of the emergency team wouldn't let him through.

"Deathscythe Hell, yes," one of the medical team said, patting Trowa as they lowered him onto a gurney. "We're getting him out now. He's fine, you'll see him in the med-bay." The man waved the team away, and Trowa was being wheeled off before Heero could say anything.

Lost and confused, Heero turned to see them raising Duo from Deathscythe Hell. There was a smear of blood on Duo's forehead, and a garish bruise. He must've hit his head on the forward panels when Deathscythe Hell went down, Heero thought. There were scorch marks across the Gundam's chest plate and upper legs, from direct hits. Behind Heero, Broadarms was being lowered on the ship's platform to the under-bays, but his attention was fixed squarely on Duo's pale form. When Duo coughed suddenly, the blood sputtering on his lips, Heero wasn't sure whether to be relieved at the sign of life or terrified by the crimson blood against Duo's bone-white skin.

"Talk to me, Wing," Une said from behind.

"I don't know," Heero answered. "They're both alive, but seriously injured. Their Gundams are intact, however." He shook his head, and started to follow the second gurney, when he heard someone shout from across the ship's forward deck. The roar of Gundam jets filled the air, and Heero looked up to see Sandstone, Shenlong, and Nataku reversing their jets and transforming out of bird-mode.

"That was some impressive fireworks," someone said behind Heero, and he turned to see a man, not too much older than himself. The man's curly red hair was whipped around by the wind, and he stuck out his hand. "Dr. Lang. Call me Marco, though." When Heero didn't take the hand, the man grinned and dropped it. "Okay. Well. Anyway, I'm the mechanical engineer who came from another... uh, world, I guess."

Heero nodded, waiting. Meiran and Wufei were out of their Gundams, and Quatre's cockpit door was beginning to open. Heero tensed.

"Lachesis," Marco said, and grimaced. "I need to speak with you." Marco glanced at Heero, then over at the three Gundams. "In private?"

"Say it here, Dr. Lang," Une replied. Her eyes were on Sandstone, and Shenlong.

"We've been monitoring Foundation transmissions while you were en route," Marco said. He had to raise his voice over the wind, and his eyes kept straying towards Meiran and Wufei, approaching. His eyes were wide, and Heero noted they were gray, like the brushed steel skies over their heads. "Ah... "

"Spit it out," Une snapped. "We have two injured---"

"We believe Atropos is among the death count," Marco said. "And... Clothos and Zhiyi were intercepted. We have confirmation of it... Clothos was shot through the heart. Died instantly. Zhiyi was hit in the shoulder as she fled---"

Meiran made a choking sound, and it was Wufei's fast reflexes that caught her. Marco paled, but continued staunchly. Meiran was clawing at Wufei, her eyes glazed, her breathing fast. Her scream was strangled, a low moan.

"Team Red was nearby, and a skirmish resulted. Foundation lost six, we lost four, with three more injured. Zhiyi is in critical condition, but stable. They got her to a friendly hospital, and Team Red's transporting her to---"

His words were drowned out by another Gundam arriving. Heero looked up to see Talon flying low over the ship in bird-mode. One of its engines was smoking badly; it was listing to the side. There were scorch marks along its body, and its nose was dipping dangerously. It seemed to be in the process of transforming, but then jerked back into bird-mode. Heero could see Quatre standing on Sandstone, his head up, his white-blond hair tossed by the wind as he turned in place, watching, his hands on his hips.

Talon turned in a great sweep, heading back for the ship's landing run. A half-click shy of the ship, Talon's nose dipped severely. The Gundam plummeted into the ocean.

It split the high waters with barely a splash. Une reacted immediately, striding forward as she yelled for the rescue teams. Six men came running, but Heero could see Quatre jumping back into his Gundam. Sandstone lifted up, jets roaring as it came upright. A flare of power, and the vernier engines screamed as the Gundam dove headfirst off the side of the ship.

"What the hell---" Une's scream was carried away by the wind.

"Inside, inside," Wufei was telling Meiran, but she was twisting in his arms, screaming in mindless hysteria. Grunting, Wufei picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, striding off the deck.

Heero stayed where he was, torn between waiting for Quatre to bring Doro to the surface, and wanting to go below for Trowa and Duo. He could feel everything around him, pressing up against him, wavering.

"My god," Marco breathed, beside him. Heero frowned and moved away.

"Get the teams on board," Une shouted. "We'll need the med team on standby." She was flipping something on her 'com system, and she glanced up at the tower, waving her arms. "No, you idiots, the other frequency. You'll need an amplifier to get through the---"

A Gundam burst through the surface of the water, cresting and sliding backwards before bursting through again. It was Sandstone, with Talon in its grappling hooks. The two Gundams struggled against the battering waves, too close to the ship to put on much power without risk of running into the ship. Heero reached out, trying to push, to help somehow, but the effort only made his vision go dark. He swayed, a hand to his head, but dropped it in time to see Sandstone break free. Sandstone hovered for a second, then lowered Talon to the deck, settling down next to it. Heero was running before he knew his body was moving.

Water sluiced off Talon's bird-mode. Heero crawled under the two-meter clearance, punching in the standard release codes for the cockpit. The doors slid open. Heero held out his arms, stunned as Lena fell into them.

Then Une was beside him, helping him carry Lena out and lay her on the deck. Her left leg was battered and scraped, her ripped jeans revealing abraded skin. Her right arm was bloody and a touch on her shoulder made her cry out, but she didn't open her eyes. Heero ran his hand across her shoulder to ascertain damage, and felt the shrapnel buried in her skin. There was a gash on the side of her face, and blood in her hair. Wordlessly he looked up at Une, who was feeling Lena's pulse.

"Weak, but steady," Une said, then stood. "Med team! Get her below!"

The next thing Heero knew, he was being shoved out of the way and Lena was lifted up. She screamed, a panicked sound, then was silent. They placed her on the gurney, and wheeled her off. Heero remained where he was, on all fours, on the deck. His hands were clutching the deck, holding him in place as the entire world dipped and swayed in his vision.

"Yuy," Quatre whispered, his hands going around Heero's shoulders. "Yuy... inside. They're lowering the Gundams. We need to get off the platform."

"No," Heero muttered, not sure what question he was answering.

"Yes," Quatre said, his voice broken and ragged. "Please. *Heero*... please."

Reluctantly, Heero let himself be brought to his feet, and guided down into the ship.

"Meiran's been sedated," Wufei said, quietly. He lowered his head, and ran his hands through his hair. "Quatre's with her."

Heero nodded, and sank into the chair next to Wufei. His face was drawn and pale.

"Barton? Maxwell?" Wufei turned his head, just a little, to look at Heero through his hands.

"I don't know." Heero shrugged.

"And Darlian?"

"I don't know," Heero repeated. He sounded broken, his voice lost, almost childlike. He turned great blue eyes on Wufei, the ship's overhead light turning the iris to silver. "I don't know," he said a third time. His hands were clenched on his knees.

"Chang, Yuy," Une said, entering the small waiting room. "I have news." Both men started to stand, and she waved them down. "We've gotten word. Zhiyi is being kept outside of Amsterdam. They'll be sending her to meet up with us at the Jersey Island base, in a day or two. The doctor wants to make sure she's completely stabilized and out of danger before they subject her to the channel crossing."

Wufei nodded, and took a deep breath. He choked on it, and knew Heero could tell he was close to sobbing in relief. A hand landed on his thigh, and squeezed. Before it could be withdrawn, Wufei caught it, and held on.

"Barton and Maxwell will be okay, but we've got them on oxygen, and are doing blood transfusions," Une continued. "If you can, we'll need you to donate blood."

"I can't," Wufei whispered. "I'm AB, and Maxwell's O. I think Trowa's B."

"Damn," Une said. "Yuy?"

"I can," Heero replied. "O-positive."

"Good. Go see the doctors when we're done. Lang's also O. He's given all he can."

Heero nodded.

"The poison gas used on Barton and Maxwell worked its way through their bloodstream, and did significant damage to their lungs. They'll recover, but it'll take a day or two, the doctors say." Une sighed, and sat heavily in the chair opposite. "Lena... she's come to---"

"She's---" Heero started to say, but Une held up a hand.

"The doctors put her down again, so they could take her into surgery. She'd gotten out of Sandrock in time, but when Talon detonated the Ma, the shrapnel caught Lena. She couldn't get out of the way of the self-destruct in enough time."

"Doro?" Wufei raised his head.

"No idea." Une sighed, and Wufei realized there were tears caught in her eyelashes. "Team Blue sent a message about helping Sandrock, and we think... we think she's left."

"Left," Heero said, bewildered.

"Quit," Une clarified. She stood with a sigh, and nodded to Heero. "Blood, Yuy. We need it."

"Yes, ma'am," Heero answered, and stood as well. He glanced down at Wufei, who clung to Heero's hand for a second longer, then reluctantly released it. "I'll come back," Heero promised, and Wufei nodded.

"Please," Wufei whispered to the empty room when he was left alone. He buried his face in his hands, and cried.

"Done, sir," the nurse said, and Heero opened his eyes, watching the room swim. Something fell off the little table, and the nurse swore under her breath, then taped a piece of gauze to the inside of his elbow. "You might want to just sit here a bit - that was twice as much blood as---"

Heero ignored her, rolling up the sleeve on his shirt, and stood. The box of unused needles flew off the table and shattered against the wall, and the nurse yelped. The world dipped and swayed in Heero's sight, and the bolts holding the chair to the floor creaked as the chair wobbled back and forth. The nurse came to her feet, staring at the chair in shock. Heero put his hand out, blindly groping for something to hold onto, and she caught him under the elbow.

"Perhaps you should sit down, sir," she said, pulling at his arm. The clock on the wall fell, and she yelped again. "Or... maybe we should get out---"

"Get off me," he growled. "You stay here. I have to---" He took a step, and the room spun around him. "No," he said, exerting all his self-control to stay upright. "I have to go. Now." The door flew open, then slammed again, and he pushed away from the nurse, hitting the wall. His knees buckled, and he bit his lip, forcing himself the few feet to the door. Opening it, he nearly fell into the hallway, and onto someone passing.

"Hey!" The person said, as the clipboard in his hands was torn from his grip and hit the ceiling.

Heero shoved past without looking. Three doors down was the med-bay. He just had to get to Trowa and Duo, he told himself. The ship's floor came up to meet him, and he went down, one hand on the wall. The other was braced on the floor, his knees complaining from hitting the metal grate floor. Ahead, someone was wheeling a med-cart, and he cringed as the cart slammed against the wall, then spun, its boxes scattering across the floor. He groaned, and crawled past the mess, papers flying through the air as the person huddled by the wall. At the door to the med-bay, Heero reached for the doorknob, but the door blasted off its hinges, slamming against the far wall. Someone was shouting behind him, and he crawled several more feet into the room before being hoisted to his feet.

"Yuy," Quatre's voice said, calm, but tight. "Focus. Hold onto me."

"I have to... " Heero bit back the rest of his words as the lights exploded overhead. "I have to... "

"I know, I know," Quatre assured him. "Wufei's here. We've---"

The three ducked as the contents of a med-shelf went flying over their heads. The plastic boxes exploded, and gauze packages fell like large snowflakes. Heero could feel the world's weight settling, marginally, with Wufei and Quatre on either side, supporting him. He wanted to fall, and keep falling, into the darkness begging at the edges of his vision. One bed started to slide across the room, but stopped when Quatre suddenly hugged him tight. Heero gasped, his hands clawing outwards.

"Just a bit farther," Wufei said.

Heero nodded, his eyes squeezed tight. Then he was being lifted, and laid down, and there were arms around him, softly cushioning the world's gravity, pushing everything back into place and proper weight. He could hear coughing, a rasping breathing by his ears, and he shivered. The touch was gone for a second, and he moaned as the bedclothes were shredded. Someone shouted, and the hands were back, sheltering him. The bed creaked as another body came up behind him, pressing close. Heero heard whimpering, realized it was him, and sank down into the dark space of the buffer between his partners, cradled close.

"They put him through too much," Duo whispered, his throat hoarse. Trowa glared at him, over Heero's head, and Duo attempted to grin. "Well, it's---"

"Later," Trowa said, and pointed to Duo's throat.

Duo rolled his eyes, and continued to run his fingers through Heero's hair. It was matted with sweat, sticking to Heero's forehead, and there were dark circles under Heero's eyes. Every few breaths, Heero would give a huge shuddering sigh, and then he was still again, relaxing only minimally.

It hadn't been this bad in years, Duo thought. They'd never pushed Heero to do that much, to do as much as Une told them Heero had done. Sure, Heero had tested himself with multi-tasking to such a degree, but there'd never been a need in a real-life situation. And he'd certainly never been required to do such when already forty-eight hours away from the buffer, under isolated emotional circumstances. Duo sighed and planted a soft kiss on Heero's forehead, then lay down beside him. Past Heero, he could see Trowa's green eyes watching him. Duo managed a tired smile, before slipping into sleep as well.

Meiran's eyes were red and puffy, but her breathing was steady, the only sound in the private room off the main med-bay. Wufei reached out, taking one of her small, slim hands in his. Cautiously he wrapped it in his own hands, noting the calluses on her fingers from piloting a Gundam for so many years. He remembered his own Meiran's hands as delicate, fragile, but he wasn't sure he could apply either of those words to Meiran.

"What is it?" Quatre was studying him, from where he sat on Meiran's other side, holding her other hand. "You seem... "

"Just thinking," Wufei murmured, his head down. Now that Heero, at least, was stabilized, and the doctors had promised that Trowa and Duo only needed rest, antibiotics, and a thorough cleansing of their systems, something in him felt like it had finally cracked under the relief. "Just... " He gave Quatre a half-smile. "I don't recall my Meiran being this tough."

"I bet she was," Quatre replied. He ran a finger down Meiran's cheek, and brushed away a jet-black strand, tucking it behind her ear. "I bet you were just too young and stupid and self-centered to realize it."

Wufei snorted. "Asshole. I wasn't that bad."

"Yes, you probably were, and still are," Meiran whispered, her eyes opening to slits. She smiled, and her eyes closed again with a sigh. Her hands moved, squeezing their hands tight, and she made a soft sobbing sound. "My little girl... "

"Is safe," Quatre said. He placed his hand against her cheek, rubbing his thumb against her cheekbone. "I swear. She'll be here tomorrow, maybe the day after that. If we have to, we'll go get her ourselves, and provide escort."

Wufei nodded, then leaned down, pressing his lips against Meiran's hand. He kept them there, unable to express what he was feeling. Relief, fear, worry, joy, exhaustion...

"You two are pretty amazing," Meiran whispered, her eyes closed. She squeezed their hands again, that half-smile playing across her lips. "And you're not half-bad, as Gundam pilots."

"Half-bad." Wufei sniffed. "I'd like to see you---"

"Okay, more than just so-so," she amended. The smile faded, and a shuddering sigh moved through her body. "Sally... " Tears leaked from her eyes, and she bit her lower lip. "Sally... Ten years, I lost everyone but my baby. Now I've lost half of what's left. Sally was like a sister, after the colony was gone, and it was just Zhiyi and me, there was Sally... "

"I'm sorry," Quatre said. He glanced at Wufei, before releasing Meiran's hand. Quatre moved to help her sit up. Sitting next to her on the bed, he shifted her until she was leaning against his chest. Beckoning to Wufei, Quatre ran a hand through Meiran's hair, mostly undone from its pigtails. "I'm so sorry," he said, and Meiran nodded, sniffling, her hands fisting in the bed sheets.

Wufei got up, moving to sit opposite Meiran, and nervously wrapped his arms around her waist, reaching for Quatre behind her. Somehow, it felt right. She'd tried, in subtle - and blunt - ways, to get them to begin healing after ZERO, but now she was the one who needed. At Wufei's touch, Meiran began to sob, great jagged breaths. Her hands came up, clutching at Wufei's shirt, and she shook between the two men, her grief taking over her entire body. Quatre wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other around Wufei, while Wufei buried his face in Meiran's neck as she cried against his chest.

"I can't," she sobbed. "I can't... no, please... "

Several minutes passed, and Wufei became aware of the fact that Quatre was crooning in Meiran's ears. It was something Duo had written, after a particularly bad mission.

"Darkness falling, will wash away the light," he half-whispered, half-sang. "Peace and release I find, with shelter in the night. It's not about tomorrow, because for now we have tonight... " His blue-green eyes were watery as he looked down at Wufei, and his voice caught with a soft choking sound. Meiran keened, and the sound went through Wufei's chest, into his heart.

"Don't tell me about tomorrow, don't tell me it'll be all right; the light may come but it might be too late," Quatre continued, rocking all three gently in time with the slow, soft melody. "Never fear tomorrow, the glow of breaking dawn... even if I can't think that far ahead, when all I have is the shelter of night... "

"Darkness holding," Wufei sang, picking up the second verse as Quatre held Meiran close. "In strong arms I feel, safe and protected from things day will reveal... I'm stronger in the night, hidden out of sight... concealed... "

Meiran paused, listening, and Quatre smiled at Wufei, then leaned forward to kiss Wufei on the lips. He glanced down at Meiran, and Wufei nodded, pulling back a little. Meiran sniffled, raising a hand to wipe her nose.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't be... " She dropped her eyes, her cheeks flushing pink. "You're both... I... "

"Meiran," Wufei whispered. "Direct order."

"Hunh?" She gave Wufei a suspicious look. Quatre chuckled, and she twisted to look up at him. Quatre smiled at her, but any reassuring effect was ruined by the sly look in his eyes.

"Shut up and accept it," Wufei said, slipping a finger under her chin, turning her face to look at him. He paused, looking at her lips, slightly parted as she breathed. Wufei relented, smiling shyly. "But only if you want... "

"I'm not---" Her eyes were wide. "I want... but---"

Wufei smiled, and kissed her. She whimpered, then reacted, tilting her head as she leaned into Quatre, who held them both close. Wufei could taste blood and sweat and salt on her lips, and waited until she opened her mouth to breathe. He slipped his tongue against her lower lip, waiting, both terrified and delighted when she responded, taking the kiss farther. Heartbeats passed, as their tongues tangled, and then Wufei pulled back, flushing. Meiran's eyes were wide, and she turned to Quatre, wriggling in his grasp. Quatre laughed softly at her shocked expression.

"But you---"

"But we lots of things," Quatre said. "I... I just know it feels... " He paused, frowning, and chewed his lower lip, looking at Wufei.

Wufei glanced pointedly at Meiran and back. Quatre nodded, and stopped trying to explain. Meiran's eyebrows went up, and she blushed deeply, her strong fingers digging into Quatre's shirt as well as Wufei's. Quatre merely smiled, and leaned forward, kissing her as well.

"It feels... " Une shrugged, and accepted the mug of coffee from Marco. "Sorry," she said, but didn't particularly mean it. It was just one of those things to say. Marco handed a bottle of water to Lena, who struggled to sit a little more upright, sipping carefully as she listened to Une. "What's the word on the teams?"

"Yuy is asleep, with Barton and Maxwell," Marco reported. He paused, frowning slightly. "I'm not sure why---"

"It's part of their abilities," Lena whispered. Her expression was stern. "The things done to them, in their world... something about physical touch creates a buffer, and gives them a break. Heero hasn't had that break for several days now."

"Oh." Marco gave her a confused look, and grinned wryly. "Well, okay. Anyway, the doctor says Barton and Maxwell inhaled several minutes of a strong poison gas, and there's inflammation and tearing in their lungs, but they're not so bad they need respirators, so that's a good thing. Yuy just seems to be exhausted, as well as badly dehydrated. Long is okay, but in shock. I... uh... " Marco colored, suddenly.

Une lowered her mug, and gave him a sharp glance. "What?"

"I was stopping by to give them your message and they were... uh... " Marco shifted, uncomfortable. "They were kissing."

"Chang and Winner are a couple," Une replied. "What about it?"

"Yeah, well, they were kissing *Long*," Marco said, and gave Une a worried look.

Lena burst out laughing. "Well, damn," she said, her laugh subsiding into chuckles at Une's irritated look. She lay back on the bed, and grinned at the ceiling, wincing slightly at the movement. "Hell, Meiran, you really know how to pick 'em."

"Ah... " Marco looked like he wasn't sure whether he wanted to crawl away and hide, or laugh along with Lena. One look at Une, though, and he blanched, trying to move back into reporting mode. "Broadarms and Deathscythe Hell took some heavy hits. It'll be two or three days before we have them repaired. We've gotten word that Heavyarms and 'Scythe are on their way, after detouring to touch down outside Amsterdam. They're incoming, ETA probably ten or so minutes. Sandstone, Nataku, and Shenlong need some tightening, and a few minor things, but otherwise ready for action. Talon's the worst of them - probably a week. Less if we can rouse the crews at the Jersey Island base, and bring in a few from the continent. And obviously... Sandrock's a complete loss."

"I'll notify the Sanq resistance leaders," Une said. "I'll need to let them know about Atropos and Clothos, too... and Sandrock."

Lena nodded, swallowing hard. A series of quick emotions flashed over her face, and Une stared down at her coffee, almost caught off-guard when Lena's hand slipped into hers, lying on the bed: a quick squeeze, and release. Lena's face was pale, but under control.

"They'll pay," Lena whispered. She closed her eyes, and the plastic water bottle was crimped under her hand. There were lines of exhaustion and fury on her face, and when she opened her eyes, the sky-blue irises were blazing. "They'll pay for my friends' deaths." Lena narrowed her eyes, and stared at Une. "They will," she promised. "Your sisters will be avenged."

Une nodded, and stared down into her coffee, as though it could tell her the answers to the questions she couldn't ask.

"Status on Broadarms," Cat barked, climbing out of Heavyarms. "What did that rebel idiot do to my Gundam?"

"Damage to the upper torso, and the usual rattling from the Gatling gun, ma'am," one of the technicians said. "Good to see you again, too, Cat," he added, with a wide grin.

"Yeah, yeah, same to you," Cat said, and laughed. She turned to watch Hil climbing out of Deathscythe. The dark-haired girl patted 'Scythe affectionately, then hopped down to the ship's upper platform. Hil stretched, and leaned back, her hands on her lower back as she stared up at the twilight sky, then gave Cat a brilliant smile.

"Fucking hell," Hil said, and rubbed her wrists. "Well, that's one less city on the map, eh?"

"Something like that," Cat replied, her sour mood coming back at the thought of dealing with resistance  members flying Gundams. "I want to find those idiots."

"They looked like they knew what they were doing," Hil replied, giving Cat a worried glance. "Maybe it was part of the---"

"He used my brother's name," Cat retorted, rounding on the shorter woman. "Not funny. *Not* amusing! How would you like it if someone flew 'Scythe and said he was Duo?"

"I'd slit his throat for the insult," Hil answered, coldly.

"Yeah." Cat grinned, and it wasn't a pleasant look. "I just spent three months being shuttled from small dark room to small bright room. Not in the mood."

She strode across the deck, Hil at her side, nodding to the technicians and sailors as they passed. Inside, their footsteps clattered on the metal stairs as they moved into the lower bay. Recognizing one of the resistance leaders, Cat called out to him, catching him as he was about to go into the working bay area.

"Mike!" Cat leaned over the railing and waved. "Where's the team?"

"Hey, Cat, welcome back," he yelled back. "Check med-bay. Lena and Meiran are there... " Mike's smile faltered, and he opened his mouth, then closed it. "They... they'll bring you up to date." With that, he turned and pushed through the double doors into the ship's working bays.

"Wonder what that was about," Hil murmured.

"I don't know," Cat replied, and ran a hand through her shoulder-length red hair. It was tangled and matted with sweat, and she grimaced. "We're stuck on a ship, and all I want is a fuckin' bath. Damn it. Let's go find them."

"And then sleep for two days," Hil added.

"Sounds like a plan." Cat continued to lead the way into the ship, frowning as they passed several people straightening up one of the medical rooms.

Hil stuck her head in, looking around with wide eyes, then trotted to catch up. "The place is wrecked," she whispered, awed. "Trashed."

"Not just that room, either." Cat pointed upwards, at two shattered overhead bulbs, and they passed through the dark space in the hallway. "What the hell happened around here?"

No one was in the first med-bay, and Cat shrugged, moving to the next. She gave Hil a puzzled look at the lack of a door, noting the twisted hinges, and warped metal of the doorframe. Inside the room, the first two beds were empty. On the farthest bed, three people were huddled, and Cat paused, seeing the figures' legs tangled together. One had his back to the door, but moved at the sound of her footsteps. Hil was still in the hall, talking to one of the ship's staff about the path of destruction up the hallway.

"Hey," Cat said, suspicious at the sight of injured strangers. "We're looking for Darlian and Long. We were told they were---"

The man on the bed turned, twitching his head a little to get the long fall of coppery-brown hair out of his eyes. The move revealed two forest green eyes, and a puzzled expression. The man coughed, slightly, a hoarse sound. One of the other men muttered something, and the bed sheets rustled. Cat's mouth was open, staring, and the man gave her a hesitant frown. He coughed again, and propped himself up on one elbow, twisted in place.

"Sorry," he rasped. "I think they're down the hall."

"Trowa," Cat said, and put one hand out to grab the doorframe. Her body sagged, and she could only stare, repeating the name in a reverent whisper. "Trowa... " The man gave her a tentative smile, and she realized how ridiculous she must sound. "I'm sorry," Cat managed to say, and her voice sounded a hundred miles away. "You look just like my brother... I mean, really. Spitting image... "

"Cat," Hil called from behind, stepping into the room. She looked irritated, but amused, her blue eyes narrowed as she thumbed over her shoulder towards the hallway. "Doctor Carroll says these are Gundam pilots. What a frickin' joke. No way was I gone long enough for Doro to train---"

The man on the far side of the bed shifted, lifting his head up at Hil's voice. The move revealed chestnut bangs hanging in his face, and a long braid over one shoulder. Hil stepped past Cat, who was still gaping at the man on the near side of the bed. Hil put out her hand, reaching for Cat, and Cat caught the hand, tearing her eyes away from the man to stare at her teammate.

Hil's face was white with shock, her pupils dilated until the black had swallowed the blue.

"Duo Maxwell," she said, and fainted.

End Part 17

Oh, real quick. Quatre's song, again, is another Kagemihari piece. I adjusted some of the lyrics slightly to make it more obvious as a song (with a rhyming pattern) - but the original is free verse. Hopefully Kage will eventually get a server spot big enough that she can post the recorded versions of these songs, and you can hear what she really wanted them to sound like. Anyway, the original is called Shelter, and you can find the lyrics at http: // kagemihari . tripod . com / shelter . htm ...

(:./sol/tetra17)