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"Alternative Directions: Options "Written By: Karina Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the lovely
boys and their girls in the series. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.
I haven't even got a brass razoo to give you. Rating: Deffinately PG in Australia, at the moment,
but probably safer to say R for later chapters. Not sure about international
ratings Warnings: It will be 6x2, even though it does
not start out that way. After all, Zechs and Duo never met in Gundam
Wing and only spoke briefly over a com line in Endless Waltz. I've
tried to keep them in character as I saw them in the series. A bit
of language creeping in under stressful conditions. Pairings: eventual 6x2, past 2xH, 2+H,6x9, 1+R
Summary: Directions is set post Endless Waltz
and roughly 2 years have passed. Zechs and Noin are on Mars and Duo,
after spending some time with Hilde in a relationship leaves L2 to
join Preventers. Hilde was not happy about his decision. I guess enough
said. Here t'is, and I hope you like it. This is also AU for the standard
setting, as well as the series and Endless Waltz. Spoilers: Gundam Wing Series and Endless Waltz Many thanks to Dulin for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts
"Alternative Directions: Options"
Chapter 77 Mars Colony Base Dome Time: 20:35 [Approx 18:25 Sank time] Zechs //What is it? Something … there is something there. It's intense. Angry? Seeking.// “Zechs! Don't zone out on me, man. Look at me! Look at me, not at wherever it is you are now. Look at old Giles, now. Come on man, your frightening shit out of me.” Giles? Who … Well of course Giles was beside him, that was not a problem. To be honest he had actually started to like the man, but he dared not take his eyes from where he sensed that presence. He just needed a few minutes to get a firm grasp on himself and to sort out the impressions that were flooding his senses. He needed just a few minutes to give himself time to understand what it was that he sensed. “Zechs!” Strong hands grasped broad shoulders and Giles shook him, mindful to do so from arms length, uncertain if he would pay a physical price for the manhandling of the blonde. //Giles? Ah, what am I doing? We are in deep shit if I lose it now.// “I'm … alright. Can't you sense it?” Giles looked around, anxious. With his eyes narrowed in concentration he fell back on the exercises his instructors on the distant Station One had drilled into him. He had been taught how to barrier himself away from other minds and he had been taught how to project his will and touch the minds of other. He had been taught how to open himself to that other awareness that so many of the Gifted had and could usually sense in others. He was not a telepath in the true sense of the word and he was certainly not an empath. There were so many forms that psionic ability could take and even in this enlightened day you could find yourself being looked at as a candidate for a sanitarium if you talked loosely in the company of the uninitiated. //Damn. I hope he's not losing it. With this headache I have I'm not likely to pick up on much that is not about a meter from me. His eyes are slightly dilated and … yes, elevated heartbeat, but that could be from the tension of this situation, not because he is sensing anything from his Gift. Not that a precog should sense the thoughts of another, but there are multi talents out there. I've met one in Raydon, but as to Zechs... I don't know what the extent of his abilities are.// He had tagged the man at his side as a form of precog, one of the seers who could foresee future event. He admitted to himself though that Zechs was one who did not feel at all like the others that he had had occasion to meet. There was more to this man's talent than that ability to see possible future events and actually choose the paths of the future, however, and no doubt with a talent like that the training masters on Station One would delight in the training of him. First, however, they had to make it to Station One, and that involved getting out of their current situation. If one of those other unknown talents had now risen to the fore, then they would just have to deal with it as best they could and move on. He simply was not qualified to guide an emergent talent through the pitfalls of breakout. “Sorry, no. No, I can not feel anything except certainty that we can not linger here. Not if those men and women caught outside of the dome are to have a chance of survival.” //Am I going insane?// “I can't … Giles, I am sure there is something … Ah, no. No, not something. Someone? I don't know how to explain what I … I can almost 'see' someone standing over by that building, but at the same time I know that there is no one there. I can 'feel' them, not see them and they feel .. angry?” Again Giles studied their immediate area, sweeping the shadows cast by the emergency lighting with great care. He was too keyed up to miss any real indication of there being anyone hiding there, he was sure, but their lives hung in the balance here and he was not keen to die. He had a great deal of living yet to do and because of that and the trust he had developed in this man he would not throw aside a warning, no matter how strange it was. He was one of the Gifted. He had learned to accept the same gifts in others. “I can't see or feel anything, Zechs, but that means nothing. My range is limited and I am not a true telepath nor am I an empath to feel emotions. I don't think you're insane and you are likely not mistaken about it either. With the Gifts it's hard sometimes to tell what is going on around you. What I do know is that we can not remain here. Its too dangerous for us to stay in one place too long. If you feel something is there then it looks like we have to go a different way.” The problem with that decision was that there really was no other viable option for them to reach the target they had set for themselves. If they were to reach the air lock control station in time to do anything for those outside they had to act quickly. He shook his head as he considered alternate routes but admitted quickly that each alternative came up as too open or too long and all were likely to get them killed in any case. The fastest and the shortest route in this situation, short of putting their heads down and sprinting in a direct line to their target-which was a certain way to die-was actually the safest route. The preferred route offered more opportunities of cover and short open areas of exposure where they must sprint and the benefit of a building shielding them from less than friendly eyes. With the outside workers due to return to the dome within little more than half an hour regardless of the alert, those specialists and workers who operated the airlocks and collected and serviced the enviro suits would be reporting to their duty stations. Within fifteen to twenty minutes the upper dome should have up to thirty or so people moving around in preparation for the arrival of the exterior work crews. They would be easy prey for the rabid wolves waiting to bring them down. He shuddered at the thought that it was possible that the ESUN agents had even trapped the elevators. “Damn. We are so running low on time. I'm sorry, Zechs, but I can't see or hear anything from over there, not to say that there is not someone lurking there, you understand. I think we might have another problem though. The elevators. We will be having people coming up soon to help with the return shift and they will be using the elevators to get here. Did any of your visions show a problem at the elevator shafts? We are pretty isolated from the sub base and the agents would want to keep that isolation; it works to their benefit. Not even the emergency would keep the teams down in the sub base with the work crews due in from outside. They will not want people running around up here more than necessary, would they?” Large, fine boned but strong fingers sank into pale hair, gripping tightly. Giles detected the tremble in those fingers and the man's breathing was a little too rapid considering they had been crouched here so long he should not be showing signs of exertion. The ice blue eyes were still a little dilated and fixed on the building opposite their crouched position. He winced, worried. His concerned that Merquise had pushed himself too far and was about to collapse when they could least afford it was growing with the extended silence. A shuddering breath and Merquise shook his head in a negative gesture, blue eyes closing. “I … I forgot. I forgot about the bombs. We will not reach the personal elevators in time. Not without attracting a great deal of attention …” The explosion echoed eerily within the greater dome, the acoustics causing reverberations that twisted and warped the sounds into continuous rolling thunder. Giles crouched lower behind their cover, pulling the bigger man down with him as they waited. Under his hands he could feel that Merquise was shaking and his muscles were rigid. “The elevators.” Giles whispered, head lowered, refusing to envision the possible consequences of that destruction. “Yes, I believe so. They may just have decided to blow it to stop anyone from coming up.” the return whisper was heavy with a quiet grief and the certainty that that hope was useless. Neither of them believed that for an instant. They had learned too much in the last few hours of the cold-blooded tactics used by the Sleepers to believe that they would disable an elevator without taking the opportunity to kill in the process. Zechs half turned in Giles grasp, scanning the open field before them in time to see the door to the suit maintenance building swing open and three people rush out to respond to the explosion. “It's not your fault, Zechs. Not your fault. We have been busy and can't be everywhere at once.” They were running toward the elevators, totally unaware of any danger that may stalk them. These were not ESUN agents who ran to help people caught in the explosion but decent human beings concerned for their fellow man. He shuddered and gripped Giles hand and drew the mans attention to the people who were going to die for their concern. They were suit mechanics, all three of them and all of them were known to him, though little more than passing acquaintances. They would reach the corner of … “I know this.” a whisper as blue eyes widened. “I know this. Giles! Get them back into the building as fast as you can, however you can.” He was running fingers lightly over two of the shuriken on his belt even as he eased out of their covered position. “Get them in the building and wait. I will meet you in there. Go!” “But …” he grasped at the mans sleeve, desperate to stop him from exposing himself to danger when they had no idea where trouble lurked. “Run, before they are in range of the bloody shock guns! I know where they are hidden!” He could spare no time now to see if he would be obeyed or not. There was only time now to run with all of the speed that he could muster in an effort to save those three lives. He had forgotten the elevators and the death there in the heat of the moment and he knew that people had died because of his failure. In the vision he had witnessed of this particular scene there had been an element missing that now existed and could make a world of difference to these people and to his chances of success. Giles. In that past vision he had witnessed he had been alone and much as he had tried he had been unable to cover enough distance fast enough to make a difference to the outcome. The three who sought to save others had been killed, gunned down under shock guns set to kill and he had gone down under a lesser shock charge. He could still feel the pain crawling along nerves … //Not now, fool! Run!// Giles would either make the difference to this rescue bid or it would happen once again, as it had in his visions. There was no help for it but to try to save them. He was so very tired of watching innocents die around him because he could not control himself enough to say no to Noin on a long distant night. //Noin?!// He faltered but forced himself through the shock of almost recognition and pushed himself into action. He could almost feel her and her intensity. That was what he had felt earlier, haunting the area, her single-minded intensity and focus when she was in a rage. Her determination had always seemed like a pure force of charged electricity. She had always been a force to be reckoned with. Why should he have associated what ever 'something' lurked near the building as being so similar to Noin in a rage? Was she there, somewhere? Was she hiding there, so well hidden that they had seen no glimpse of her and why would he feel her so clearly if she was there, somewhere? Admittedly he had always known when she was near, but this had felt different. //You'll die if you keep this up, you fool.// He threw himself behind the shielding bulk of a Rover vehicle, scrambling for a secure vantage where he could see and not be seen. Just a few steps more was all he needed and he would be within range to act. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out sounds but he was vaguely aware of shouting voices from somewhere behind him. He knew it was dangerous to trust his life to a vision that had seen him fail every time, but he placed enough faith in the vision that he would position himself as he had devised would be best and hope that this time there would be no innocents lying dead when it was done. Yes, he had failed to save them and he had gotten himself caught and helpless to act and save the lives of the people in the domes from the massacre, but in the visions he had been alone. In reality, he had Giles. Two. There would be two of them, lurking amid the group of crates stacked at the corner of building C. Their so carefully chosen cover afforded them a prime position to lurk unseen and to take down anyone moving toward the elevators from this quarter of the dome. If his vision ran true in detail McIntyre would be on the far side of the Main Control Tower, waiting to pick off anyone coming from that quarter to investigate the explosion. There was nothing that he could do about her for now, but he could take these bastards out here and now if Giles would just do his part. He glimpsed movement amid the crates and he threw himself from his cover, fingers reaching for the metal stars imbedded in the leather of the belt he wore. Quick, silent and deadly if he could aim true. A cold clarity descended on him, his vision narrowed and focused on the stack of crates and the two men now rising, weapons raised, and he knew the guns were set on kill. He needed just another few strides to be certain he was in range for the first throw. He would have to take them one at the time. If he tried for both he would fail and he was not going to fail. If he had only recognized the scene before, then he might have done this with more ease, but he was not going to be such a fool as to go down another 'what if' pathway. 'What if' simply was not 'now'. His right wrist snapped twice in rapid succession and he threw himself forward, tucking into a roll and coming up behind a crate, breath rasping into bellowing lungs. He could hear gurgling and thrashing and a bitten off curse then silence. One down, he knew and the second now warned. That agent would be unlikely to target the techs now, aware that he or she had a bigger problem to deal with. He shuddered looking wildly about him, aware that that 'something' he had sensed earlier was closer now and that it was moving. It had been aware of the action in its vicinity and it was attracted to what was happening. He shook his head, running a hand lightly over his face, trying to force his attention away from what ever it was that haunted him. There was no time now to worry about something he could not see. Unless he wanted to go down under a shock weapons charge and become a prisoner he had to pay attention. He was not done yet. One agent should be down if his vision was true, leaving the second extremely angry and looking for a kill. He glanced about him. Left presented him with no cover, taking him out of the crates and back in full sight of the waiting assassin. If he chose to go to the right it would take him around the crate and place him in full view for a fraction of a second until he gained the cover of the next crate. Either option presented him with exposure to a ready shock weapon and he had already decided that he was not going to be experiencing the agony of that shot for real. It had been bad enough in vision. -------------------- Noin He has to be around here somewhere. This is where that man expected them all to be, hunting Zechs. I still have to make up my mind what I am to do when I find them. Hunting Zechs, are they? Well, knowing my blonde the way I do they can hunt all they like. He will not be found unless he wants to be. He's better than they are. Even that bastard thinks so. I wish I could remember everything that happened after I was shot. I can't recall if I should know his name or not. It's all a blur. I can remember quite a bit about events leading up to my being shot though. I certainly remember that bitch in the control room. Oh, yes, I remember her. Lying, sugary sweet Shanna. My friend. How could I have been so fooled by her? I have been so wrapped up in my little dreams of what I wanted from him and I certainly was not paying attention to the real world. My fault. I can not deny that any longer. Oh, nice. This is a great time to start thinking about that. Perfect timing. One thing at a time, Lucrezia and this is not the time for sorting out relationships. This is fight time, my girl. This is the time you get to kick ass. I can't believe I did not see this coming. I should have. I should have seen trouble on the way. I should have stopped to think about the ESUN reacting to my being pregnant. They probably would have left us alone if I had not gotten Zechs into bed. Yeah, right and they would not have come after him before the colony imported citizens? Dream on girl. You have been too wrapped up in your dreams of finally having him where you wanted him. He was just as warm and wild in bed as I imagined he would be. Better actually, once I got past his reserve. Could I give that up? Willingly? Where the bloody hell are you, Zechs? You have to be around here somewhere. Think, Lucrezia. What was it that bastard said? He expected you to try for the air lock control room, so you would have to be around here if you came from HD One. Have I missed you then? Maybe you are already there? Well, it's as good a place as any to look. I have to warn you about those hunting you and I want another crack at Miss Bitch. She is mine but you can have the rest, Sweet Heart. I'll not be greedy about them, just let me have Her. We have issues to be resolved that are most certainly between us. It's a Girl thing and I really don't expect you to understand that, Zechs, but I can't help that. Just let me have her. What?! What the hell was that? Where did that come from?
That came from the elevators. Damn. Oh damn! They must have rigged the elevators to blow if someone used them. Bastards! Blowing up the God damned elevators with People … Uhm. Well. Maybe not so bad after all. Those other two from the shuttle control room were going down to the sub base looking for reinforcements. Might they have been … If they were caught by the blast … Maybe they got taken out by the bomb? I can only hope … Zechs? Zechs! Oh, no you are not going to do that! What the bloody hell do you think you are doing you idiot? Nooo. You get back behind cover this minute! You're too far away to reach the elevators! They are dead … Shit. He's not aiming for the elevators! Snipers? If there are snipers here … God, I don't know where they are hiding! I am so going to give you a piece of my mind when I get my body back, you blonde idiot! You are not indestructible, you know. I am going to rip your hair out by the roots for this just as soon as I make sure you are in one piece! Agh! I am so not used to being able to go through things. What was in that crate? Spare parts for the Rover? What are they doing out here? Oh, who gives a shit! Zechs, you idiot I am … Oh shit! Oh shit! I… I thought it was bad going through doors … Oh God, I do not believe I just went through his body! If I could I would throw up. Doors, crates, walls I can handle them but bodies … It is just not worth thinking about. Two of them. No! They've seen you! Go back … Wow. When did he learn how to use those things? Where did he get them from? Well, he's dead, that's for sure. Damn, he's moved. I can't hurt him. My bloody hand passes right through him. He's waiting for you, Zechs! Don't come this way, Baby! I can't do a thing in this state. I can't touch anything. I can't even warn him that the asshole seems to know where he is hiding. All I can do is go through solid objects and I do that quite well, thank you. Who … Mmm. I don't know you, whoever you are. Ah, God no. How did I get back here? Kirsty? Shit. I was just in the boxes and now … You are all heading back into the building? Well, at least someone has a brain, unlike someone I could name. Fine, I popped here and I don't know how I did it and I'm too far away to make a difference even if I could do anything. If I was there … Shit! I'm a fucking jack-in-the-box. Or should that be a yoyo? Hello crates. You look familiar. How the hell did I get here? I have to figure out how and why I move location like that. Zechs? Where are you? The crates block my view of everything. You have to be here somewhere. Oh, fine! Who needs to go around things anymore anyway? I'm good at going through things now. There you are, you bastard. How dare you hunt my man. You are so in trouble when I get my hands on you. Damn! Of course my hands go right through you. I can't touch you, let alone kill you and I so want to take it out on someone! If I had blood pressure I'd explode about now. I feel so bloody useless! There has to be something I can do in this state. Your waiting for him to come to you, yes? He's too smart for that, you idiot. You still have to aim the bloody gun and in that time he could have you down. You keep looking left or right, around that crate. He must be behind this crate then, the way you are concentrating on it. How patient are you? He is too smart to … My God! What … Zechs? But where are you? Damn. Ugly wound that. I think he's dead. -------------------- Zechs Left or right? //Too much time is passing. I have to act soon. There are too many potential killers waiting. Vision suggested only the two here and McIntyre should be the next building over. There have to be some twenty or more people in the upper dome at least. I don't know how effective the Sleeper agents have been.// Since no one beyond those three had come, and no one from the control room at all had put in an appearance to investigate the explosion he suspected that they had been very effective indeed. He could afford no distractions. Not if he wanted to continue this deadly game with something that might be called an advantage. No distractions. Just deal with the situation as best he could and think when he had the opportunity to draw breath. Vision was now void. One agent dead and that was more success than he had ever had with this scenario. //Left or right? Guess wrong and it's all over. Fine. // He turned to the crate, reached up and with a flex of long legs hauled himself up to the top of the crate, crouching low. He dared not so much as hiss in reaction to the pain lancing through his shoulder. Stealth was needed now. One noise would be enough to give him away. Even a hissed breath would end it all. His fingers slipped another two stars from the belt and he edged forward. Slowly. Carefully. A little at a time. He needed just a glimpse of the killer waiting for him. He needed to know where the agent was positioned. If he was still behind the crate, of course, the man could be anywhere in this nest of crates by now. A little luck about now would not go astray. Just a little luck. //There.// Just the curve of a shoulder, but it was enough to show where his target was standing and to allow him to guess at his stance. Positioned about halfway and square on to the corner of the crate. A smart position as it would afford the man a view of both corners of the crate and a split second to aim at the slightest movement. He eased forward, each inch revealing more of his target. He would not, must not think victim here. These people were never victims. They were killers who lived for the kill. Psychopaths alone killed for the pleasure of killing, and he had seen enough of the few Sleepers he had taken down to know that they were not the sanest bunch in the ESUN arsenal. The stench of burning circuitry and overheated metal was starting to fill the air, tickling his nostrils dangerously. The fire from the burning elevator shaft would be blazing merrily away. There were no alarms ringing, as there should be and that did not bode well for the number of survivors in the upper base. For the moment he would have to trust in the automatic sprinklers to contain the fire, provided they had not been disabled by the virus in the computers. In this contained environment fire was deadly. It would take the air scrubbers hours to clean out the smoke and the fumes. He would need to check that the fire was being fought by the foam sprays mounted all over the dome and its buildings, but for now he had to concentrate on staying alive. Another step. The juncture between a shoulder and neck was now revealed. He hesitated, the surging intense anger that came from somewhere stayed his hand and he trembled under its intensity. What … The man below him tensed, moving his weight a little and Zechs snapped out of his daze. Whatever was causing him to feel these strong emotions that certainly did not come from him, he had to put aside for the present. He was going to die if he did not get over what ever was bothering something deep within him. He did not need the distraction. Zechs eased a final step forward and his wrist flicked twice. One would have been sufficient to carve out the mans throat, but he was not of a mind to be careless now. The second shuriken buried itself deeply just below the mans ear as his knees folded. A gurgle, a reflexive grasp at his opened throat and a cough sounded as the man folded and fell from sight. Zechs waited for a moment, listening but heard no movement, not even any pained breath from the other side of the crate. Finally daring to move he peered cautiously over the edge.
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