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"Endangered"Written By: Artemis Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: yaoi lemon, sap Pairings: 6x2, implied 3x4 Summary: The pilots must separate to talk with
various colonies on behalf of GAIA. "Endangered" 18) "They've what?" Trowa inquired of one of the bridge officers upon hearing the news. He fought to remain calm, strictly maintaining his professional demeanor here. "Nikol's guys captured a Gundam pilot, can you believe it?" the man related, chuckling. "They just brought him in on the last transport from L2. Looks like you'll have your extra test pilot after all, Barton." "Yes, this is fortunate," Trowa murmured, drumming his fist against his hip as his mind raced to make plans. [Gotta get to him...] "I should go tell Lady Une immediately. Is she in her quarters?" "Um, yeah, think so," the officer replied with a yawn. Trowa strode out a little more quickly than normal. He did not go to the officers' quarters section of Barge, but made a beeline to the detention level. [Heero... is it you? Did they hurt you? Damn, if I'd known they'd captured someone I'd have met that transport... And if it's Duo...] He didn't want to think about the possibility that Duo Maxwell had been captured. [This could... get bad... for all of us...] He flashed on a time when Duo had been wanting to leave Antarctica, leave Zechs because he believed erroneously that Zechs was with Heero. Zechs had picked Duo up bodily and hauled him over the shoulder, stalking out of the hangar bay to go talk sense into his little lover. [Zechs just might... oh, shit...] Suddenly, just as Trowa had entered the detention level, he heard a loud "Nooooo!" cut short abruptly. Ice shuddered down his spine; it had been Duo's voice! [What the... is someone... DUO!] He began to run. Reaching a side corridor, Trowa spotted a cluster of about four soldiers outside one of the cells. He ran over to them, shouting. "Hey, what's going on here?!" "You're just in time for the show..." one of the soldiers said, as he turned to greet the late arrival. When he realized the newcomer was an officer he straightened and saluted. "Sir!" Trowa reached them and roughly shoved aside two fairly burly soldiers in a deft move. When he saw what was going on inside the cell, a white fury filled him. For an instant, he saw, not Duo being manhandled, a small, wriggling, frantic demon being pawed by three brutish soldiers, but his sweet kitten, his Quatre. Then he felt the blaze of anger that he knew would match that of Zechs Merquise, Duo's own lover. "Get away from him!" he yelled, bodily lifting the first man off the boy and hurling him against the wall. Duo felt the loss of one pair of hands, but was so caught up in his own defense that he had no idea his rescue was in progress. He continued to lash out, feeling the trespass of hands over his bare buttocks and groin. The soldier, who had been tossed, rose to his feet, and seeing that Lieutenant Barton had interrupted the game decided not to protest. His friends, however, were as determined as ever. [They're on their own,] he thought and moved expeditiously toward the cell door. Trowa caught the movement and when he next threw a body aside, it was well-aimed to hit the escaping offender squarely in the back, knocking them both out. He noted sardonically that the "audience" had vanished, then turned back to haul off the captain who was still trying to grope and fight the wild creature below him. "You bastard, get OFF him!" he yelled, clubbing the man aside the head. Unfortunately, the victim still wasn't registering that he was being rescued. Trowa evaded a roundhouse kick aimed at his groin and waded in to tackle the captive, pinning him in a vice-like grip. "Duo, it's Trowa!" he whispered in the other pilot's ear, then said loudly for the benefit of anyone who may be listening, "Stop, it's over, you! I've stopped it! And I won't let anyone touch you like that again, so stop struggling!" With a sharp intake of air, Duo froze and blinked his eyes open. Intense green eyes were staring back at him and it took a moment for him to register that it really was Trowa. "It's... over?" Duo asked, shaken from the attack. Trowa was busy tugging Duo's pants back up and into place. His adrenaline was still running high, and he was still very much in battle mode, needing to secure the situation. "Yeah, it's over," he muttered. He left Duo's pants open, however; some physical evidence was needed. Pulling out his radio, he called, "Lieutenant Barton to Lieutenant Nikol - you're needed on the detention level immediately! Security! Send me a detail right away!" Then he spared a glance at Duo again. "They'll be here any second. Are you okay?" "They tried to...," Duo couldn't finish the sentence or the thought. His heart was still hammering in his chest and he turned his face away as he felt a wave of shame and anger wash over him. "He can't know," he said fiercely, unable to meet Trowa's eyes. "They didn't... but still... Zechs... can't... know." "Right," Trowa replied tightly, feeling again the burn of anger even as he was relieved he'd been in time. But his colleague would be here any moment. "Are you all right? And where's Heero? There isn't much time..." "I'm okay... thanks," Duo said a bit hesitantly, and then the rest of what Trowa had asked clicked in. He turned worried eyes on his friend. "What do you mean, where's Heero? I thought they brought him in with me." Trowa frowned at his words, alarmed. [If they captured them both...!] "Heero was captured as well? Then I'll have to find him." He looked furtively toward the entrance of the cell. Nikol would be arriving any moment. "You mean you don't know?" Duo asked, feeling an unusual panic grip him. Trowa was their only hope now, but the taller pilot didn't seem as sure of things as Duo would like. "We fucked up... were overconfident...." Trowa's eyes widened, but he had no chance to ask more, as the distinct sound of boot clicks could now be heard approaching.
Lieutenant Nikol had just sat down at his desk when he had received the urgent call from Lieutenant Trowa. The words "detention level immediately" sent him in motion as an uncharacteristic fear mixed with anger rose inside him. [The Gundam pilot,] he thought as he exited his office and rounded up a squad of five soldiers. [Impossible... he couldn't have escaped. He was cuffed and guarded!] Cutting through the docking bay, Nikol was stopped by a curiously intense young man. A soldier he had not seen before. "Excuse me, Lieutenant Nikol," the young officer murmured, giving a sharp, crisp salute. "Officer Odin Lowell, reporting as instructed. I was told to see you immediately upon arriving." He handed over a folded orders package. "I don't have time for this," Nikol said, dismissively, taking the papers. He felt a prickle at the back of his neck as he looked the new officer up and down. [Another Gundam pilot? Or am I just being paranoid?] he wondered. "Come with me," he said as he opened the packet and continued walking briskly. Scanning the orders he quickly saw Colonel Une had had a hand in this transfer. "Another test pilot? I've got more of those than I can handle right now." "I'm a computer specialist," Heero replied promptly, lengthening his strides to keep up with the taller man. "I was told the Gundam scientists requested additional help for the new models. I worked on Gundam 02, in fact, a couple years ago." When the lieutenant flashed him a startled glance, he hurriedly added, "I left the rebel organization when it was clear they were going about getting rid of the Alliance in an inefficient manner. OZ is the only hope for the colonies." "Hmm," Nikol said as he considered Officer Lowell's loyalties. "The Gundam scientists can use the help, but right now I need to get to the detention level. Something's happened to the Gundam pilot we just brought in." A jolt of anguish hit the base of Heero's stomach, but he kept any _expression off his face. They entered the detention area and started down a side corridor. "A Gundam pilot was captured?" he replied, exhibiting mild curiosity. "Thought I saw they had a captive on my transport, but I didn't hear who it was." Nikol ignored his new subordinate's comments as they made their way down the corridor. The only thing on his mind right now was the status of the Gundam pilot. As they approached he saw the open cell door, but no guards posted outside. "What the...?" Nikol asked, as he motioned for his men to ready their weapons. He pulled his own handgun from its holster as he stepped into the cell and then stopped cold. The guards he had sent with the captive were unconscious on the floor to one side of the cell, and the Gundam pilot was lying on his back with Trowa crouching over him. "What the hell happened here?" he asked as he looked around the room again. Trowa was already straightening and turning to face his colleague. "Apparently your security personnel chose to sample the prisoner... or at least that was their intention," he explained smoothly, standing aside so that Nikol would see the condition of the captive's clothes. "Fortunately I got here just in time." "Sample?" Nikol asked, as he took another look at the prisoner. "Oh, I see..." Now he saw that the Gundam pilot's pants were open. "Yeah, you'd better keep those goons of yours on a shorter leash," Duo said, feeling his courage and his spunk return. "Or what?" Nikol asked, narrowing his eyes on the prisoner. "You're lucky Lieutenant Trowa came along... By the way, what were you doing down here, Barton?" he asked, looking at Trowa suspiciously. "Oh... never mind. Uncuff the prisoner so that he can 'right' himself and be sure he isn't injured. I gave strict orders that he shouldn't be harmed! I need him for those tests!" Trowa knelt to unlock the cuffs on Duo's wrists after Nikol passed him the key. [Good thing Nikol isn't more curious. I really don't have a good excuse to be here...] "Tests?" Duo asked, but no one seemed to hear him as the Barge commander turned his focus to cleaning up the mess before him. "I want these men detained for questioning until an appropriate punishment can be determined. And," he said, looking back at Trowa. "I want a full report from you as soon as possible, and while you're at it, you can show Officer Lowell here to his quarters." "Yes, sir, I'll take care of it," Trowa replied, noticing for the first time that another officer was standing outside the cell, though the rather short man had his back to them. The soldiers cuffed and hauled off the security detail with Nikol following them out of the cell, unknowingly leaving three Gundam pilots behind. Trowa helped Duo stand, but turned away, allowing the other pilot to restore his clothes with a little dignity. "Officer Lowell?" he inquired of the silent man waiting outside the cell. Heero glanced down the hallway, then turned to face his friends. But his face was stony and he barely glanced at them. He'd heard enough to figure out just what Trowa had interrupted. And he had no idea if there were cameras or listening devices around. "Are you Barton? Sorry, Lieutenant Nikol took my papers with him. I'm supposed to work on the computer systems for the new models." He saluted smartly. "Officer Odin Lowell." Hearing the familiar voice, Duo looked up from his task. Relief washed over him as he saw that his mission partner was all right and in full OZ uniform. "H--," he began to say, but cut himself short. It wouldn't do to blow his cover now. Fortunately, Trowa had long ago discovered that OZ didn't bother with listening devices or cameras in the detention area. "It's okay, Heero, you can speak freely here," he murmured, breaking character. Only now did Heero allow any emotion. He took one step forward, his eyes locked on the "prisoner". "Duo..." he breathed, hands closing into fists as the frustration rolled through him again. "I'm so sorry..." "I'm all right, Heero," Duo said, softly as he shivered with the memory of the dirty, pawing hands on him. "A shower would be good about now," he said with a little laugh. "Look, it wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have let that guy maneuver me out the back door." [They... they *touched* him... Zechs will kill me...] Heero swallowed and replied, "I was in charge of security..." "And it's no use assigning fault now," Trowa hastily spoke up. "Look, Heero, we have to go. Duo, you should be okay now. Unfortunately we need to leave you here. You've been taken in order to be made to assist with testing the new mobile suit system, the Mercurius. So you'll be working with me. This should be okay now... and I'll call Peacemillion as soon as I can so no one there will worry." [Like Zechs... oh, shit...] "Wait a minute! You're leaving me in here?" Duo asked, his eyes widening as a feeling of helplessness came over him again. "You can't do that! You have to get me out of here! Zechs is bound to come after me!" Heero laid a hand on Duo's shoulder, looking into his eyes intently. "All three of us are undercover now, Duo - think of it that way! Trowa will let Zechs know what is going on. It'll be all right. Like Trowa said, you'll be testing the Mercurius. We need you in that position so that when the time comes, you and Trowa can steal both of the new mobile suits. I'll be concentrating on Barge's computer systems. This is our mission now, Duo. Please... can you accept it? For GAIA and the colonies... for peace... for Zechs..." Duo closed his eyes and shook his head as he processed what Heero was telling him. [I want to get out of here, but Heero's right, this could work. I can still be a critical part of this mission.] "Okay," Duo said, looking back into Heero's determined gaze. "I'll test the Mercurius and steal it when the time comes." And with that he patted the breast pocket of his jacket for luck. "Hmm, that's funny..." he said, sticking his hand inside the pocket. [Empty? Empty!] He quickly stripped off his jacket and turned the pocket inside out. "Those bastards! It's gone!" "What's gone, Duo?" Trowa asked, frowning. They needed to be going; Nikol was going to want to see both him and Heero soon, most likely, and possibly also Colonel Une. "Zechs's hair," Duo said, now searching through the other pockets in his jacket. "We exchanged locks of hair before our missions... it was in a little case." The boy's heart pounded harder as he looked in each empty pocket. A growing emptiness filled him as the realization struck that he had lost his one connection to his lover. "Oh, God," Duo said, nearly in tears as he looked to his fellow pilots for help. "You have to find it!" Heero's first impulse was to blow off such a trivial matter, but Duo's eyes were shining with unshed tears. [It's a part of Zechs... and I promised to protect their relationship. I failed to keep Duo from being captured... I cannot keep failing them...] "We'll look for it," he murmured. Trowa looked at Heero with surprise. [He... understands! Oh, Heero...] He nodded as well. "We'll do our best, Duo. Now, I'm sorry, we really need to be going. I'll be in as frequent contact as I can manage, okay?" Duo nodded and clenched his hands into fists as he prepared himself mentally to be locked up in this cell. "Thanks. I'll be here when you get back," he joked, trying to ease some of his own frustration. (tbc)
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