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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 79 Mars Colony Base Dome Time: 20:43 [Approx 18:33 Sank time] Zechs He wiped the last of the shuriken clean of gore with care, eyes sweeping the windowed view of the dome that this position afforded him, desperate to find some sign to explain why his skin crawled. He tried in vain to dismiss the feeling that he was not alone in this small space between stacked crates. That there was 'something' there, something which felt so uncomfortably similar to Noin's agitated presence, hovering over him, watching him, almost touching him. It was there, not quite a threat but a definite presence that was intensely focused. His shoulder blades twitched with his desire to shrug off the eyes that he just knew were centered on him. He had searched the bodies quickly, taking possession of the pagers that both men had in their possession. He could check to see if their last instructions were still accessible later, when he was in a safer location. A quick check of the devices assured him that they were the same make and model as the one he had previously confiscated from an agent. With the pagers tucked into a belt pouch and the silent promise to himself that he would take the time to investigate them later, he secured the last of his weapons to his belt and scooped up the automatic guns he had found on the agents, tucking one into the back of his belt and slipping the second into a pouch. Giles would feel more comfortable with the automatic. The shock guns still lay on the ground where they had fallen and he considered what best to do with them, hating the very thought of touching them. He had never reacted to a weapons potential in such a manner before. These weapons represented the latest advances in military technology, but they horrified some deeply seated part of him. They were an affront to that part of him that considered a battle to be an extension of his personal code of honor. Should the weapons ever be toned down to the level required to be merely stun capable then he could see their use developing as an advantage in efficient law enforcement. As they now existed, however, they were a vicious weapon that should be outlawed. //I have no time to dispose of them just now, but I dare not leave them lying around either. I suppose I will have to take them with me, but I have no room to carry them comfortably on me now.// He knelt to gather the weapons and that 'something' flared within his awareness. *No! Lord, Zechs, don't touch the foul things!* He stiffened, eyes widening in disbelief and spinning to search the crates at his back. Who …? He could not believe that he had missed anyone who could be that close to him. The voice had been a whisper, tantalizing, almost like a passing caress had touched his awareness, yet it had been an alarm, a distressed feeling to its caress. To his frantic search he could see no one, but that 'something' still hovered in his awareness and he was growing more and more agitated. There was 'something' that he could feel, certainly not see and he just did not understand what was happening to him. //I am going insane. I have to be.// Through his growing agitation he could make out the sound of voices shouting from somewhere in the dome and he swore softly. No time now to consider how his developing insanity would affect his attempts to save lives. Gathering the shock weapons up and slipping deeper into the jumble of crates he sought a hiding place. His frantic search found a group of crates with a small area between them hidden in deep shadow and decided that that would likely be the best that he could do. He stashed the weapons he had decided as being of no use to him at this time and with a final look about him turned to the task at hand. People were responding to the fire and that meant he had to move. Ghosting through the last of the crates he paused, crouching and peered through a gap between the boxes toward the bulk of the Main Control Tower. He had told Giles that he would join him at the maintenance building, but that would have to wait for now. Someone was moving around here and he was not inclined to give anyone a free shot at his back nor was he of a mind to allow the Sleepers to collect more victims. He only hoped that this delay would not mean the lives of those who were outside of the dome. *… ear me? Damn it I …* A hissed breath of surprise and again a wild glance around, expecting to find someone standing at his shoulder, whispering into his ear and again nothing. Nobody. That looming presence was still there, hovering over him, but no one actually stood near him, which was fortunate since they probably would be hurting now if they had been. He was too keyed, too tightly wound not to have struck out if someone had managed to get close to him. He could hear someone shouting 'Fire' and cursed, hating to turn his back on what ever haunted him but knowing he had to get over his insanity. A careful survey of the area was all he allowed himself and he slipped out of the crates, ghosting to the far corner of building C. If his vision of this time was accurate then Shanna McIntyre was on the far side of the control tower, hidden in a pile of crates similar to the one he had just left. If his vision of that time still held, since Giles had already effected changes. She would be crouched there ready to pick off anyone going to investigate the explosion and subsequent fire. The voices were closer now, coming from the corner just ahead of him. “The emergency system has activated and the foam should have the fire under control shortly, but we have to check out what caused the explosion … Stuffed if I know what would have caused an explosion though, especially in the elevator shaft… Shit. That's some foul smelling smoke it's spewing out … We will have to extinguish the blaze fast … Christ knows what it will do to the air supply in the dome … Not sure how close to the fire we could get … Hurry up! Where is everyone?” There were at least three or four people hurrying to their doom just around the bulk of the building. He glanced at the control tower, judging where he would need to be standing to attract the attention of the one he wanted in relation to the view Shanna would have. He should be out of sight of McIntyre's position unless she was not bothering to disguise her presence and was waving them on to their doom. They would not know not to trust her. He would expect her to lie low in secure shelter and shoot from that security, not betraying her presence beforehand. He doubted that she would actually shoot anyone until there were sufficient people gathered to pander to her ego. His visions had shown him a warped and sadistic mentality and he only wished that he could have known her ties to the ESUN before it was too late and she had become close to Noin. *Will you listen to me! God. I so hate it … people … ore me. You'll … self killed if … like this.* Widened eyes looked about him in dread. The incessant whispers just kept coming and it was harder to ignore the presence hovering. //Okay, too much stress. It's just stress and it shows that I am losing my edge, not to mention I am losing whatever grasp on reality I had after Epyon. Is this a result of the visions? Maybe voices out of visions I don't even recall having? I so do not need to lose it now.// There was no time now to consider that possibility as an explanation for the phantom presence. There was only time to act on the events happening around him. Giles saving the three techs had to have changed events enough to make this a new development for him. He could not recall a vision where he had the opportunity to save lives at this point and he was not intending to waste the chance. A deep breath and a quick glimpse around the corner to determine how far away from the building these people were and he almost recoiled. A man was walking backward, attention on others beyond his sight at this time and Zechs instinctively reached out to grasp the collar of the man and drag him around the corner. He simply could not believe his luck. He knew this man, and he should have recognized the voice but that was not of importance. With a startled yelp the man stiffened and spun, arms raised to strike only to find the blows blocked expertly and a flash of white blonde hair as his assailant backed away. “Jesus! Frighten a body why don't you, Zechs? What the hell is happening? Have you heard from Barker? I've been trying to get in touch with him for instructions.” “Get yourself and who ever is with you here now!” a hiss. “They have set an ambush just around the corner of the control tower. There is a stack of crates behind me on the other side of this building. Get those people to that shelter quickly and quietly. I'll meet you there.” Christopher Connor, better known amid Preventers as Agent Cloud, arched an eyebrow in surprise at the hissed words but reacted quickly. A brief nod was his only response to the whispered instructions and he slipped back around the corner of the building, waving an arm to attract the attention of the three people who were running from the rear of the dome toward the elevator that burned with heavy black smoke billowing high and gathering in the dome. He, like the other Preventers who had been assigned to Mars in the last two years had been briefed by Barker to be wary of Preventer Wind. While they had been cautioned to mind themselves around him they had also been given explicit instructions to trust him in any emergency that should arise at the Base Dome. The seemingly contradictory instructions Barker had issued come directly from Preventer Earth who, Barker had claimed, was expecting serious trouble to break out. Zechs glanced toward the control tower one last time and slipped back quietly to plant himself in what now seemed to be his own personal set of convenient crates. The presence that seemed to have become permanently attached to him, unfortunately, moved with him an annoying and not quite threatening sensation. One that unfortunately he seemed incapable of ignoring as the figment of his imagination he knew it had to be. If he was honest with himself then he had to admit that it almost felt like Noin constantly peering over his shoulder, making sure that he did nothing to draw the attention of the guards placed on Mars to enforce the conditions of his imprisonment. Noin had been a far more effective guard to his captivity than the agents the ESUN had placed here for that purpose. She had kept him in sight constantly, forcing him to delay his activities to guard against eventual ESUN activity on the planet. He had known even before the visions had begun again that eventually the agents would come for him, and he was actually surprised that it had taken so long for them to come, but he had known it was inevitable. He believed that her pregnancy had gained him some time, but whether that additional time was for good or ill in the overall outcome of things was unclear. The Wellington, which he had not seen in any of his visions until today, was out there and against that what could he realistically do? *You need to make yourself scarce, Zechs. That bastard is gunning for you personally … where he is now. Might … caught in the explosion of the … went down to the sub base …* //Noin? No. Imagination.// He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head slightly in denial. He did not need to succumb to the confusion of his mental instability now. //God, this talk of Gifts and abilities is getting to me. Am I hearing possible visions or am I just going insane? I must be more tired than I thought and that just is not good right now. I have to hold out a little longer. Come on, Cloud. Get your ass here. I don't have all day.// *… me? Shit. How … to make a … situation? Get … * Whisperings, insistent, never ending, filling his mind, rolling over him, hovering about him. Always to doubt himself even when he thought he might have made a breakthrough. Whispers that would not leave him alone and a presence, a 'something' that was like a ghost, an echo of past encounters with the woman who had loved him despite his insanity. “Wind?” He snapped around, glaring at the gap between crates and forced the shudder down. He was slipping and he could not afford that. He must be going steadily insane and it did not surprise him in the least, but he could not afford for it to finally happen here and now. He had expected to be placed in a sanitarium long before this point in time and for the key to his cell to be thrown away. Was it possible that there was help for him out in the dark reaches of space? Could Giles be right and Station One truly be a new beginning for him? Could he learn to live with this god awful ability to see possibilities? No time now to ponder maybes. No time now to lose his focus and do stupid things like immerse himself in his own uncertainties. Lives hung in the balance, his own included and more importantly, the lives of babies and not just his own children. There were four babies on Mars at this time and they had a right to live. Four babies and two women who were pregnant. Why should any of them suffer because he was on Mars and wanted by the ESUN? //Not now, Marquise. Focus.// “Cloud. Who do you have with you?” Connor slipped around the crate, motioning to the shadowed shapes behind him to wait, uncertain if Zechs would allow them close to him. He studied the man taking in the bruises and the fire that burned in ice blue eyes and sucked in a deep breath, understanding dawning. He had been briefed on Merquise by Barker upon his arrival on Mars and during that briefing and on a number of occasions since then, he had been told repeatedly to be wary of the man. For the first time since coming to Mars though he understood the warnings he had been given. That burning chill in those blue pools promised the cold certainty of death. At this moment Merquise looked more than merely dangerous. The intensity in his eyes promised that all the wild rumors about the man held more than simply a grain of truth to them. “Four men. None military trained. Techs for the most part who were in the main warehouse. The computer systems there are down and so is the intercom. I can't get through to Barker and only gibberish comes over the radio.” he kept the report brief and concise. He did not think the man was inclined to chit chat. “Most of the computer systems are down, except for the life support computers at this time. At least they had the sense to leave those alone, though the fumes from the fire will have an effect. We have infiltrators in the dome. Sleeper agents for the ESUN and an infiltration team who came in on the supply shuttle. They are on a killing purge at the moment to cover the operation and you were about to walk into one of their ambushes. I'm not sure how many people are dead as yet, but I am inclined to think upwards of fifty, considering the lack of response to that fire. It is very likely that there are considerably more dead.” “That explosion we heard …?” “The Sleepers blew the elevators or set the charges to blow if the elevators were used. I am expecting them to get around to blowing the freight elevators next to control the amount of people in the dome. They will move on to the sub base when they have full control of the situation here. If we are lucky they will regroup when they don't catch anyone from this little drama and go elsewhere to play.” Cloud thought that Merquise did not sound too hopeful of that possibility and he sighed. He had had a feeling when he had crawled out of bed this morning that it would not be a good day. He wished he had been wrong. “What do you want me to do?” “We need to do what we can for those out of the base at this time. The maintenance teams will be due to return soon and I believe that the airlocks have been rigged with a poisonous gas. They want no witnesses.” Connor's eyes widened at the implications suggested and he swore softly while behind him he could hear the techs whispering about what they had overheard and the repeated reference to ESUN agents. He could not blame them for having a hard time believing that their lives were on the line but one or two references to the man standing in front of him did lift his eyebrows. Trust was in short supply where it came to Zechs Merquise. He noted Merquise look at the shadowed forms behind him and the brief glint in the blue eyes told him that the man had heard those whispers and he braced for an explosion. “Get your techs to the maintenance building for the enviro suits. There are survivors there and it is one of the safer places to be at this time. They can lock themselves in and sit tight until this mess is cleaned up and talk the subject to death for all I care. I have enough troubles to deal with as it is without being considered a nut case. If they doubt I'm sane they can wander on over to the elevators and get their bodies aerated by Shanna McIntyre who is waiting for them. They can help clean up and do the body count when it is all over. Hurry up. We have business to attend to.” That was one very unhappy man, Cloud noted as Merquise spun and slipped through the crates, a silent, pale ghost with an air of resignation about him. He became aware of the silence from the techs waiting behind him who had heard every word and the constraints of time if they were indeed in a deadly situation. With a sigh he turned to the small group of men and inclined his head in the general direction they would be required to go, where Merquise had already vanished. “Move it, people. Agent Wind is not an alarmist by nature and he has considerably more experience than all of us combined. Yes, Agent Wind. He is a Preventer. I believe the enviro suit building is that way. Keep low and keep your eyes open. Look before you cross open space and be quick and be quiet. There will be time enough to consider the implications later.” “He looks like shit.” Eyes widened in surprise he snorted softly and shook his head, glaring at the speaker before moving to follow Zechs. “Well, what did you expect? If there is trouble you can always expect to find certain people in the thick of it, not afraid of the fighting that needs to be done. Zechs has never run from a fight in his life.” --------------------- Noin Noin glared daggers at the offending tech who had dared to pass a comment on the bruised and battered condition of Zechs Merquise. //How dare you! Looks like shit indeed. I've never known him to look anything other than perfect, as warranted by the situation. Do they expect to see a body perfectly immaculate after fighting for their life? Of all the idiocy. You can tell these people have no idea of what it takes to survive a battle of this nature or magnitude. // Anxiously her eyes turned to follow the blonde and her concern mounted as she willed herself to approach him. He paused at the edge of the crates, surveying the open ground with less than trusting eyes. He was looking behind him at the approaching techs and Preventer agent and then slipped from the crates, leading them toward the building and the nest of crates near its corner, obviously not intending to run straight for the door. //Mind you, he has looked better, I will admit that, but considering what I went through with these people, he's probably felt better too. He is not moving as fluidly as I have known him to in the past and he has two ties in his hair. That means he's turned hunter. Not good for whoever it is he is or was hunting. He's tired and I think he's sore. Damn. That bastard wants to fight him, one on one, and if he proposes such a challenge then Zechs will feel honor bound to accept. I don't think he's up to that type of fight just now. Not with a professional killer.// She stood in the open, hesitating, watching as the techs crossed the distance between the stacked crates one at the time, Preventer Cloud bringing up the rear. //What happened? I was sure there that you could hear me, Zechs, but something changed. I was getting through to you I think, but it's like there is a wall between us now and it happened just before they came. I … I am sure I felt some kind of barrier come between us. I need to warn you about the men going down into the sub base, but I will just have to try again later I suppose. If you are going to the enviro suit building then I think I can afford to do a little snooping around. You'll have to get them settled in and that gives me time to check on those agents from the shuttle control tower.// With the last of the group now in the nest of crates Noin turned and willed herself to walk toward the Main Control Tower, intent on locating a certain body she truly desired to meet in the flesh. //Where is that bitch? He said he expected her to be over by the control tower, but I can't see her. She must be in amongst the crates. Behind this one? No. Oh, damn. Think, Lucrezia. Why am I walking around these things? I can just stroll on through them and I need to get used to being able to do that.// She avoided the urge to shudder as she pushed herself through a crate, noting the contents in an absent aside and stepped out the other side. A second and third followed in quick succession. //Ah. There you are and not looking too happy either. Awe, poor Shanna. Has no one been caught in your little trap, hmm? Poor baby. Tough luck, Shanna dearest. You are mine and I will deal with you very soon now. Just as soon as I figure out a way to get my not so solid hands on you and rip you limb from limb.// Experimenting she threw a punch at the red head crouched in a gap between crates that afforded her a view of the smoking elevators and, as expected, her hand swept right through the woman's face. //It's not fair. You should have a bleeding lip from that one and if I was really lucky a couple of broken teeth. This is wasting time. Zechs is not likely to linger long with those fools if people outside of the dome are in trouble and I have to find the other two. I can't even let him know that it's already too late for them. They blew the wiring for the airlocks. There is nothing he can do to help them. I only wish there was something we could do to make a difference. They were heading for the elevators so I can start there I suppose. It's eerie to know that I can walk in plain sight and no one can see me. Weird. I just wish I could communicate with people.// With a disgusted grunt to herself she left McIntyre in her nook and walked through the gap, inclining toward the elevators. Someone was moving over there and she needed to check out who it was. //I was sure Zechs heard me earlier. Damn it all. What a bloody mess this has become. Ah, God, look at this. Murder. It is cold blooded murder. Cold, calculated killing. I'm glad I can't smell or breathe in the fumes this thing is letting off. Oh, wonderful. That will not be a quick fix. The elevator cab has gone straight to the bottom on that one … this one too. The cables were snapped by the blast. Ah, shit. Three … four … five bodies. I can't even feel the heat of the fire. I don't know who they were. Their bodies are not even recognizable anymore.// She moved around the smoldering wreckage and froze, watching as the two men stalked closer, hands on weapons, moving quickly and silently, each covering the other, each just out of arms reach to afford room to move quickly should it be needed. //Shit. What a pity you were not in one of the cabs when it blew. It would have been fitting if you had been caught in the blast. Still, you are professional enough to check the cabs out before getting in, I suppose. You would not have been stupid enough to trust anything with Her running around loose. You don't look very happy about this. Can't say that I blame you for that. I certainly am not happy about it after all, but for different reasons, of course. Off again, are you? Yes, well there is nothing else to see here, is there? Just the mangled remains of the elevators and the burned corpses of innocent people. Nothing that would interest you I am sure. No one will be using these elevators for weeks from what I can see of the damage. At least the foam seems to be holding the fire. If I remember rightly the shafts would be spraying foam to make certain the fire does not spread to the sub base. I had best check on that. If I can walk through solid objects, I should be able to push my head through …// She watched as Simpson and Frazier slipped away from the burning ruin, going behind the elevators and heading for the rear of HD three. With a silent snarl she knelt and thrust her head through the burning wall of one cab and then down through what was left of the floor into the shaft. //Oh, God. That is disturbing. I can't even feel it. I feel no sensation at all that there is anything there. I might as well be pushing my head through air. Well, at least the shafts are not on fire, just this end of things. I think the foam will be able to extinguish the fire without any outside help. I hope so. Shanna will not wait forever for anyone to wander into her trap. She will take herself off to cause more trouble elsewhere. I had better watch her for a couple of minutes. I don't think she has much patience.// ----------------- Giles “ESUN? You never said anything about there being ESUN agents here. You said infiltrators were attacking the base. Raiders.” "I never once implied that Raiders were attacking this base. Do not put words in my mouth. We do not have the time to argue, so get this simple truth through your thick head. If you go out there you chance getting shot or knifed very quickly, very quietly and very efficiently. They have an inordinate fondness for killing with knives, I have learned. Most of the bodies I found had knife wounds and they tend to kill from behind. Most of their victims probably did not even know they were dead.” Giles practically snarled, infuriated. Zechs stirred, moving to the door, noting how all of the techs were backing away from the Raider agent. He certainly looked ready to deck the man who backed a couple of steps quickly, clearly uncertain if a punch was going to be heading his way any second. He glanced out of the view window and then looked down at the small device in his hand, seemingly unconcerned with the tension in the small room. “Giles. We don't have the time for this. You come with me and Cloud, would any of your techs have any experience with the systems at the air lock controls? Would you trust one of them enough to take him with you and see what you can do with the systems there? We are running out of time.” Giles glared silent threats at the techs who had been nodding and silently agreeing with the Patrice agent before moving closer to Zechs as Cloud considered the men gathered there, before he motioned to one of the quieter techs. The chosen man's eyes widened and he glanced quickly at his compatriots, but he did move over to Cloud, clearly uncertain if he should be pleased or not at having the distinction of being singled out. The Preventer Agent snorted softly and shook his head, turning back to Zechs. He had to make do with what was available and this was the best choice open to him. “We will do what we can at the airlock control station to get our people back into the dome. What will you be doing?” “Hunting.” Zechs glanced up from the pager cupped in one hand. “If anyone is interested these were taken off of the Sleepers we met just outside this building. The two who were to kill anyone who came to investigate the explosion from this side of the control tower.” He passed the pagers to Cloud who read each quickly, shook his head and passed them around the techs. The silence became oppressive very quickly and more than one head craned to peer out of the window anxiously. ~/Meet main elevator block. Bring explosives. Eliminate all witnesses. S./~ ~/Gather forces. Control tower cleaned. Disregard Simpson's orders. S. /~ “S?” Kristy queried, passing the pager to the next man. “Most likely Shanna McIntyre. She seems to be their
controller.” Zechs shrugged. “The units have a memory. Go
back through the entries while Cloud is gone and see what you //Not that I think we will get the opportunity to use them// Giles mused. // Still, you never know your luck in the big city. We might get a chance to turn this on those bastards in power. Stranger things have happened.// Cloud glanced between the blonde and the smaller man who moved to join him by the door, noting how the Preventer agent seemed trusting enough to allow him within his personal space, a thing Cloud could not recall Zechs doing before. There was also the matter that Zechs had largely stayed silent during their time within the building, allowing this Haydon Giles to do most of the talking. Zechs caught his eye, noting his curiosity and no small amount of concern. “Giles is ex Special Forces, Cloud. He's the one most suited to the hunt we are on. You do what you can for those trapped outside the dome and then you keep these people alive. We will report to you when we can.” A high pitched beeping echoed through the room and all eyes were attracted to the pale blue light flashing from the pagers. As they watched a new message scrolled across the tiny screen resting in the hands of a tech. He gasped and looked up, reading aloud the message. “~/Report. Simpson Frazier heading for freight elevator. Do not blow charges. Recall. Gather area three. S./~” Zechs stirred, reaching for the electronic keypad beside the door to release the engaged lock. “Cloud, get to the airlock controls as quick as you can. Giles. Time to hunt.”
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