05-Nov-2003
Title: How Far
Part: 2/5ish
Author: Phoenix
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. I am Poor. This fic is for entertainment only.
Rating: R for past NCS mention and general evilness
Pairing: Hints at 4,5,3,1 and mentions NCS 1,3,4,5X2 sort of
Warnings: M/M Slash aka Yaoi, past NCS, AU, evil people, bad language, and I wrote it. Can't deal? Don't read.
Archive: GW Addiction, CkoS, WWOMB if they want it. All others please ask.
Summary: Duo is free and the plan is in effect... but have Quatre and the others got things right?
Quatre watched silently as Duo sped away on his stolen motorcycle. He was a bit surprised how quickly his former friend recovered and escaped. But then, stealth, theft, and betrayal seemed to be specialties of the L2 man.
Turing from the window, the blond looked back at his bed; three young men were cuddled together and there had been a time when each thought a fifth might be added. It had taken them years to sort out personal demons, pasts, and problems before accepting they fit best together. The urge to have the last piece in place started the whole heartbreaking mess.
When Une first approached them with rumors of Treize still being alive, they'd shrugged it off. However, Rashid discovered some rather unsettling facts once Quatre sent him to investigate whether Duo might be willing and able to join his little circle of lovers. Things none of them could dismiss and the more they dug, the worse it was.
Duo's closest friends, his lovers, his partners, were Treize's prized assassins. Few pictures existed of them and the pair was on every wanted list on Earth and the Colonies. Someone had used hacking skills to hide their past and get them a business license with Duo. Not to mention new ID cards, birth certificates, and a host of other documents which would keep the killers from facing justice. Heero recognized immediately the hacking style. But why would Duo be helping two murderers?
So they dug deeper.
Duo's business was being used to launder money, funnel it somewhere off world. None of them could follow it once the trace led to the colonies. Though the trail never went cold until it reached L2. Raids were staged on those businesses beginning the transactions and led to old OZ generals, soldiers, and even a few bases no one knew about. Unfortunately, not a single prisoner would talk. Even Heero's deadly glare or Trowa's playing with knives were useless at getting them anything. Only one person said something useful. He had boldly declared "You'll all regret this once the General is recovered." Quatre had no doubts as to who the "General" was: Treize.
And still deeper they dug.
"Former" OZ operatives visited Duo's lovers. A few times while he was still working. Some treated him as a friend. Several hunted OZ criminals vanished after being chased to Duo's city. A spy sent to the garage detected faint traces of materials that could be used to make weapons. The worst was Gundanium. Then Abdul found a bank account in the name of Shin No Kami. Over 20 million dollars.
The last straw came when the Preventers, acting on a tip, tried to raid a small warehouse on the L9 colony. They were met with fierce resistance but still managed to win. Inside, the reason for such a fight was revealed. Mobile Suits. Gundams really. Yet the design was unfamiliar. Une showed the pictures to Quatre and the others. Shaking, Wufei told them of how Duo had kept sane while imprisoned with him on the Moon Base. The young American described in detail his ideas for building Mobile Suits; those ideas matched perfectly with the pictured weapons.
So that was that. Duo Maxwell was a traitor. He was actively helping OZ rebuild itself and would eventually destroy the Peace. He was protecting Treize until the man was strong enough to tear the world and colonies apart. He had betrayed everything the pilots fought, bleed, and killed for. Most importantly, he was going to pay for it.
Quatre hoped a reason for Duo's actions could be found. Some missing time in which he could have been brainwashed; a threat being held over his head. Something, anything. Yet Duo appeared happy. Healthier than they could remember. Nothing pointed to coercion. But what else could it be? Had they all so misjudged their former comrade?
Not that it mattered. If the Peace was going to be kept, Treize and his group must be shut down. All their supports destroyed. Nothing could remain of the rebellion. Unfortunately, no one could find them. Torture only led to the deaths of prisoners. Hacking led to dead ends. Raids turned up promising leads that went nowhere. So Duo quickly became the last option.
No one expected to break Duo. That wasn't the point of what they'd done. Asking him to the mansion was the first part of the plan. If he answered everyone's questions openly, there would be no need to go any further. However, he didn't. Quatre was bothered by the fact that Duo honestly seemed confused by what they asked; as if the longhaired man was truly in the dark about his lovers and Treize. Of course, there was no way he could be. So things went further.
The second step had been his rape. Though making sure it was brutal turned out to be harder than expected. He had to be confused, hurt, unsure. Not a single pilot really wanted to cause him pain. A small bit of hope still lived in each heart. Surely Duo had been forced into betraying everyone.
Because of this simple hope, not one of them could bring themselves to actually perform the act. Which was why the small blond came up with an alternative. It would make things even more confusing for Duo. And he had looked so lost and confused. For a second, Quatre almost called the others off. Almost. Knowing millions of lives depended on finding the former OZ General kept him silent, though. It was a thin chance, but it was all any of them had.
The tears haunted him. Duo never cried. Not when Master O beat him. Not when he thought Heero dead. Never to the companions' knowledge did Duo cry. But they had made him cry. Did that mean their plan worked? Or had they broken the last remaining part of their friend? Did the rape destroy whatever survived the mental conditioning?
Quatre shook his head trying to clear the doubts away. If Duo was taken by the enemy and forced to become a traitor, if he were used and tormented, they would make things right. Heero, Trowa, Wufei, and he all swore this. At worst Duo could be provided a simple, pleasurable life with them. His real mind and personality might be gone, but they'd see to it nothing bad happened to his body when everything was finished.
On the other hand, and the blond's eyes narrowed dangerously, if Duo had betrayed them willingly, their revenge was going to be terrible. The Zero System part of his mind knew so many ways to make the beautiful American suffer and tonight's events would be merely a beginning. If no one broke him before, they would, turning Duo into a slave without the ability to be free or refuse them anything.
"Quatre, come to bed," Wufei's tried voice called to him. "The tracer is in place. We can get some rest."
The tracer. Placed where no one would think to look for it; where pain from his wounds would keep Duo from noticing it. The signal could be read from over a hundred miles away. Nothing short of a miracle was going to keep them from following Duo. Naturally he needed to have some head start. Time to get home and tell his lovers about the terrible events. Then Rashid would show up with a Preventer warrant for Duo's arrest and a court order turning him over to Quatre's custody.
Part three of the plot was to stalk and terrify Duo further. Make him believe Quatre and the others were not going to give up until he was brought back to the mansion, permanently. Surely Charles and Tara cared enough for Duo to send him away, to try to protect him. And there was only one place the Preventers couldn't reach him. Of course, it was pure speculation that they would send Duo off to wherever Treize was hidden. There was a strong possibility the assassins might just kill their young lover rather than help him. Duo Maxwell might be nothing more than a brainwashed slave and once his usefulness was gone, so was he. Quatre doubted it. Something about the way the threesome shared their lives, quick loving glances, and the openness among them pointed to a deeper relationship than tool and keepers.
"Now, Quatre," Heero growled sleepily.
Sighing, the Arab crawled under the covers thanking Allah for the thousandth time. Such happiness often felt unreal. Why couldn't things have worked out? What drove Duo to be so vulnerable? Had it been each of the pilots growing distant? None wished to hurt Duo and it looked as if his life were under control. Maybe they misjudged his strength back then?
"It will work out," Trowa soothed, running a gentle hand down his lover's back.
"No matter what." Heero snuggled against him. They'd been shocked to find he was the snuggler of the group. "We'll make it work out."
"The Peace will be maintained and we'll find people to help Duo," Wufei assured.
"But what if Duo doesn't need help? What if he did this all willingly? How did we fail him?"
"He failed us." There was no way to tell who the speaker was as sleep clouded Quatre's mind. "And if we have to, we will all show him just how wrong he is. This Peace is everything we've ever wanted. Ever needed. Duo will be taken care of one way or another."
Silence followed the declaration as all four fell into a troubled sleep. No dreams haunted them however. Each felt they had done what was necessary. Traitors didn't deserve rights or choices. Such creatures were meant to suffer because suffering was all they brought. Yet four silent prays floated in dreams: Please don't let Duo be one.
Forty miles away, Duo Maxwell was pulling into a small airport. He could steal a plane from here and make it back to his home and business shortly after dawn. Charles and Tara could buyout his shares as soon as the banks opened at nine. How much time did he have? Would they come looking for him? Why would they? Hadn't they gotten what they wanted? Instinct told Duo this was far from over.
Dismounting the bike brought a low hiss of pain from the American. He hurt just about everywhere. The pain in his lower back was the worst. What if they'd managed to really do some damage? Who could he turn to? Howard? The man might just keep him safe for a while, but he would want some revenge for Duo; that could get him killed.
And the question of why still nagged at him. Nothing about this made sense. What could have happened in the past few years to so change his friends? The word choice caused Duo to pause. Did he still think of them as friends? Perhaps. If something had been done to them to make them like this. Big if.
Shaking his head, Duo tried to clear out his confusion. Why use a candy cane? What did it mean? Why not chain him up when he passed out? They knew he was good at getting out of places. A simple locked door was no challenge even if he was naked. Nor was he stupid. So they disabled his car? It meant nothing. All of them knew he could hotwire anything that moved.
There were too many questions and he was in too much pain to think straight. After he got somewhere safe and treated his wound, then the answers could be found. Now, Duo had to think about survival. The American had thought those days were far behind him. The fear. The running. The living like an outcast. Hatred gripped his heart for a second.
He was supposed to be free now. How dare they do this to him? Steal his trust and betray him like this?! How dare they!
But the question remained: Why?
Duo pushed everything out of his mind except survival as he slipped past a sleeping guard. First get a plane and fly home. Second, sell his share and find a safe place to hide. Third, find out what the fuck was going on. Last, kill anyone responsible. Duo smiled. If they wanted to bring back the way he was during the war, they had better be ready to deal with Shinigami.
End Part 2
Phoenix
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