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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 80 Preventer Patrol Cruiser E106 Bounty Date 2nd March AC 198 Time: 03:30 [ 00: 15 Approx Sanc Time] Duo ******** “I never knew my dad. He went away just after I was born. He never came back.” The short chestnut brown curls of the boy flipped wildly in the wind, blown about the heart shaped face and blue-violet eyes that looked off into the distance. “I'm sure he did not mean to leave you. I am certain that he wanted to come back. No dad could just forget a fine boy like you. You'd be the pride of him.” The boy, no more than seven or maybe eight years of age shook his head, a tear glinting on his cheek. “No. My dad went away and he never came back. He didn't love me. Mum says he wasn't around long enough to get to know me, let alone love me.” “She is wrong.” a whisper. “So wrong. Just to look at you is to love you.” “Don't you bad mouth my mum! She looked after me. She loved me. She was always there when I needed her to be. No one else was there, just mum. No one was ever there when I needed someone. You don't bad mouth my mum. I can trust her to be there for me." “I'll be there for you.” “You never were before. Why should I want you to be there now?” ******** Duo tossed his head, scowling in his sleep. A small, whimpered protest escaped him and to his restless tossing the suspended bag tugged against its restraints, responding to the absence of gravity and the smallest of movements. “I'll be there for you.” ******** “Hello.” Intense blue eyes glared at him before dropping to the stunning view of the harbor. It was a spectacular vantage point they had found and he could not blame the man for wishing to ignore him in favor of the view. The sea glistened a rich blue, so much darker than the arch of sky above. The odd cloud drifted across that pale blue expanse, much as the fishing boat in the harbor drifted on the water. “I know you.” he admired the long, pale fall of hair and the fine boned, aristocratic beauty. So few men could carry off that level of beauty without looking feminine. “No. You do not.” quiet denial in a deep toned voice, husky and low. The crystal blue eyes remained centered on the sea. “Oh yes, I do know you. You're Milliardo Peacecraft. The Prince of Sanc.” The wide vista continued to hold his glacial gaze. The man refused to look at the watcher, refusing to acknowledge the annoying voice that threatened to take away this small measure of pleasure he had found. He denied that even this small glimpse of Sanc was to be taken from him. “Do you prefer Zechs, then?” He leaned forward slightly, to make certain that the man could not avoid seeing him, intruding on his line of sight and refusing to be dismissed. “I prefer to be alone.” the deep voice was barely above a whisper. “I prefer to watch the view. I prefer to be free of names.” Now that struck him as odd. Why ever should a man as stunningly beautiful as this one prefer to be alone? Striking man to look at, he admitted, admiring the long silken fall of hair. So deliciously tall too, with those long, long legs that seemed to go on forever. Somehow it seemed to make him seem larger than life. The eyes were intense and still remained focused solely on the roll of the oceans waves. “Why?” He did not like that he was ignored. Well, he admitted, not exactly ignored. At least he was being answered, but he wanted those beautiful eyes to rest on him, not the never ending cycle of the waves. “Because I do not know who I am.” ********************** Duo rolled, the bag tugging against its anchor point, tying him in place, moving with every twitch of his body. He sighed, his scowl drifting away as he settled, working his way deeper into the bag, his feet pressing to the bottom seam. ****************** “Where were you? Dear God, where were you when we needed you?” He reached out toward her and she held a hand up, stopping him more with the coldness in her blue eyes than the actual gesture. “Hilde …” “Where were you when he cried at night with an ear ache? Where were you when he needed to be held after he fell and broke his leg in that crazy stunt they pulled? Where were you when we needed you, Duo? Where were you? I'll tell you where. You were gallivanting around the cosmos playing Mr Indispensable Preventer Agent. I have to save the world! That's all you ever thought of.” “Hilde. Please. Just listen to me.” “Why should I? Was being a street rat from L2 so unthinkable? Were you so ashamed of your past that you had to forget your roots? And everyone associated with your roots.” she glared at him, tears running over pale cheeks, her pain clearly shown in her eyes. “You pulled your life around, but you could not live that life, could you, Duo? That just was not enough for you. Peace was not good enough for you. You had to go back to looking for the blood. You had to look for one more adrenaline high. Always just one more assignment. Living the quiet life of a family man just was not good enough for you, was it? Well, now he's dead and you come back to L2, Mr High and Mighty and you stand there and have the audacity to blame me for his death! Get out! Get out! I never want to see you again. Never show your face on L2 again, you bastard.” “No! No, Hilde. I … I don't blame you. I …” “I may run and hide but I never tell a lie, isn't that what you have always said? Well you lie, Duo. You bloody do lie. Run away and hide like you always do, and leave those of us strong enough to face reality to get on with their lives. Aidan paid the price for your lifestyle. It's your fault he's dead, not mine. Get out of my life, you bastard.” ************* “No. No, Hilde. No. Can't … No.” He thrashed in the bag, wildly throwing himself against the restraints offered by the bags design. His arms were trapped in the fabric and he sobbed, denying that it was true. After a time his thrashing eased and he lay panting, curled against intrusion as much as the bags restraints offered. He wanted to be safe and he wanted to be at peace. “Aidan. Daddy's here.” the breath of a whisper in the dark cabin. “Go to sleep, baby. Daddy's here now.” ********** “Why do you watch the ocean?” A heavy sigh answered and blue eyes flicked to him then, as expected, turned back to the ceaseless roll of the waves. “It is rhythm, never ending. Ceaseless. Indefatigable. You can not beat the ocean. It is too vast. Too uncontrollable. It does not care what goes on around it. It simply goes on, forever. It does not care what others see within it. It simply is.” “Right.” //Weird, this one. Still, at least he looked at me this time. That's progress.// “Ahm, aren't you standing a little close to that edge?” “One can never get too close to the ocean. It is a force that draws you to it. Can you not feel the power of it? Commanding. Enchanting. Mesmerizing.” He did not like it that the man edged closer to the lip of the cliff. It was a great place to stand to admire the view, but it was a high cliff and the wind was picking up. While heights had never bothered him before, for some reason this one did. “I really think you're a little too close to the edge of the cliff, Milliardo. I think you should step back a little.” “Milliardo? Who is Milliardo? Who is that, do you think?” the softest breath of a whisper, almost drowned by the wind rising about them. “In the sea there is no identity. It washes away identity. There is freedom in the ocean. Only freedom.” For some reason fear struck him and he edged closer to the man, refusing to look at the ocean now, concentrating on the man instead. “Damn it, man, you're likely to fall if you don't back off a bit.” “Fall? Oh, yes. It would be a long fall, but it would be a welcome one, I think. I could fall into a peace and a freedom that no one can ever take away. Who needs names anyway? They are really useless things. They imprison you with their bindings, holding you within the bonds they cast about you. Names. We need to be more than prisoners to this life, you see. We need more than an illusion of freedom. We need to be truly free and the ocean is free. The ocean is bound by no man and no name. It simply is.” “Hey, come on, you're beginning to frighten me. Stop talking this way. Look, I'll call you Zechs if you like. You prefer Zechs, right? I'll call you anything you want if you will just come away from the edge.” “Milliardo, Zechs, its all the same. False names. Names are chains that bind and constrict us to limits defined by the names we are given. We are tied to the life that the names bind us to. I am so tired of being bound by my name. The ocean is freedom one can lose oneself in. It is a freedom that no man can take away.” He stared at the man, the crystal eyes gazing down, down into the ocean depths. A long drop from where they stood to where the great waves crashed against the cliff wall, silver spray rising high into the air. Sunlight sparkling on the blue fields of waves that ceaselessly rolled into the cliff. “You've got a lot to live for.” “They killed my children. What is there to live for after that?” He grasped desperately at flying silver hair, fingers snagging in silken lengths, screaming denial as the hair defied his grasp, slipping through his fingers and the ocean rose to swallow her prize. **************************** He groaned, thrashing in the bag, reaching desperately for a grip on phantom hair, hands trapped by the enfolding cloth. “No! No, you can't just kill yourself. Who killed your kids? Why kill your kids!” ****************** “Sshh. Don't think. It's alright not to think sometimes. There are times when you just have to allow yourself to feel.” The warmth against his body was enchanting, pressed close to his solidity. He tasted warm skin on his tongue, savoring the taste, marking it as salty, savory and yet enchantingly sweet, in all, remarkable. The air around them was scented somewhere between lilac and lavender with perhaps just a hint of Rosemary to tantalize and the combination of all three combined with the personal scent he had come to know so well fired him to new heights of desire. “Feel. Just feel, nothing more. That is all you have to do. Leave everything else to me. This is our time. Our time, when we answer to nobody but ourselves. Can't you feel the air? It demands this.” His hand pressed to a pebbled nipple, rolling gently the sensitive flesh between his fingers even as he buried his head against a sweat slick neck and he scraped his teeth over golden tinted skin. He savored the scent of him and the warmth of him and the beauty of the garden paled in comparison to him. He was all silver and white in the gold of the garden and it was all so enchantingly Now. His chestnut hair enfolded them in a sweetly scented tent, the scent of his shampoo blending with the garden scents, firing his blood with need, stoking the moment. “Don't fight me. Go with it. You taste so wonderful …” “Why would I fight you? I want this too.” ********************************* “ … Maxwell to the bridge. Agent Maxwell is required on the bridge.” He groaned, reaching blindly for the touch and taste that promised something more, groaning in protest to the restriction of movement. Something that he sought and had never found, despite his every attempt to capture it was there, before him. It was elusive, and always just beyond his reach until now and he could not allow it to fade away. “Mr Maxwell is required on the bridge.” It was there, just beyond the tip of his fingers. He could name it if he could just touch it and he had never come so close before. “Agent Maxwell is required on the bridge.” “What? Go 'way. Wanna sleep.” “Agent Maxwell, this is the automated paging system. You are required on the bridge, Sir.” “Ah, God. Shit. Don't go.” He scrubbed at his face with his hands, losing ground rapidly on that elusive something that was, as always, gone before he reached it. The dream slipped into vagueness, eluding him though he reached for it with growing desperation. He was striving to rise above the annoying noise and to concentrate on the heat that had settled so pleasantly into his groin. There lay the key to the one who was running from that annoying noise, fleeing from the reality that never left him in peace. The shouting resolved itself into a mechanical toned voice and he shuddered, trying to make sense of the thundering noise over his head. “Agent Maxwell, you are required on the bridge, ASAP. Acknowledge, Mr Maxwell.” “Shut up. Just shut up, already. I'm awake and I thank god for that small mercy. I think. Shit. It's dark. I need some light.” he peered into the darkness around him, lost in unfamiliar sensations. He felt trapped, confined by whatever it was that enfolded him. A light began to glow somewhere beyond what ever it was that held him captive and by that dim glow he recognized the small blank room that was his new home. “Jesus. The Bounty. Yeah, I remember. The Bounty.” “Please acknowledge the page, Agent Maxwell. You are required on the Bridge.” “Yes, yes, shut up. I heard you.” //Dreaming? God, was I dreaming?// “Mr Maxwell, you are required on the bridge. Please acknowledge the automatic page. The captain has requested that you meet him there.” The voice was endlessly patient and getting damn annoying. //Shut up, damn you! I'm awake. Where is the bloody intercom? Oh, yeah, in that desk thingy. What time is it anyway? I hate this glorified bag! I can't move.// “Mr Maxwell is required on the bridge. Please acknowledge.” Had there been such a thing as gravity Duo would undoubtedly have been unceremoniously dumped on the floor by the vagaries of the sleeping bag. Still half asleep, fighting the cloying grasp of the bag he managed to extricate himself from his imprisonment and pushed himself in the general direction of the desk area. He fumbled around, rubbing his eyes and found the required button, stabbing viciously at the device when he realized which it was. “Mr Maxwell is …” “Alright already. I heard.” “Acknowledgement will now be logged with the bridge crew, Mr Maxwell. The captain will be notified of your compliance. Thank you.” “Bloody computers.” Duo cursed, closing the desk back into its wall slot and glancing at the clock on the wall, lifting an eyebrow when he realized he had been asleep for little more than two hours. “Shit. 03:40. What do they want me for?” Awake now he realized that he ached in every bone and muscle of his body. It had been a long time since he had experienced prolonged high acceleration and he had forgotten just how the body reacted to the pressures and strain. Two burns had been completed since he had joined the Bounty and the third was scheduled to take place in another two hours. Before that time he would need to be back in his bunk and hope that he could get some sleep after it. It would take him some days to get over the discomfort that felt as though his body was bruised by the g-forces involved. From what he knew of long range space flight they would be experiencing short acceleration burns over the course of at least seven days to attain optimum speed to keep the rendezvous that was their logged destination. Missing even one of those acceleration burns was not a desirable outcome. In space you had to be careful to keep to the projected trajectory and required speeds to reach key points in your course. A ship could carry only so much fuel and if you made a mistake it would likely be your last. “Well, I am not marching through this ship in my underwear, that is for certain. God, what the hell was I dreaming about anyway? I feel like I have run a marathon and why the hell do I have a hard on?” he considered his groin for a long moment and then winced. “No, I don't think I want to know.” While he dressed Duo considered the dreams that had disturbed him. He knew that he had dreamed, but exactly what it was that had stirred him was another matter. He had the impression that Hilde and Aidan had featured in those dreams, but overall the impression was that he had not been enjoying said dreams at all, yet he had woken sexually aroused. He was haunted by the impression of death hovering over him for much of the dream and while he was no stranger to death, he was deeply disturbed by the thoughts of Death, Hilde and Aidan in the same dream. This was peace time. Death should not threaten either of them. Certain parts of the dream had obviously appealed to his baser nature, but all he could recall of the more pleasurable aspect of his dream was the impression of a star filled night and a body warm against his own. //Damn. It has been way too long since I had some relief. Hadn't realized I wanted it until now. No one really struck my fancy enough to give me a problem before, I guess. Neither the time nor the place for it here, that's for sure. I wonder why they want me on the bridge?// Struggling into his boots without bouncing off the walls was a joy, but he knew it would only take him a few days to become accustomed to the intricacies of dressing in zero g. He certainly wanted the benefits of magnetic soled boots and was not inclined to use the soft slippers that were an option for those who were well accustomed to the weightless condition. In a week he would not think anything of dressing quickly in these conditions, but for now he endured bounding around the room, staring at the floor from the ceiling and promised himself next time not to be so energetic about pulling up his pants. With the final boot on and his unused gear returned to the cupboards just in case he returned to the cabin close to the scheduled acceleration burn, he slipped out of his cabin, located the blue line that denoted the command deck and followed it. //At least they never sent the ensign to fetch me. Some of us deserve sleep.// The command deck was two levels above the crew quarters and the bridge was quiet when he entered. Glancing quickly around he saw that the captain stood near the communications officer and both glanced up as he entered, the former signaling him to join them. “Mr Maxwell, sorry to have to call you, but we have received communications from Preventer Headquarters. The alert was designated for all field agents above level three and the command crews of all Preventer Ships.” “Something big must have happened then.” He was tired, but the journey through the Bounty had woken him fully and he was alert now. Alert and concerned about what could have happened to warrant such a high level alert be issued. “Yes, a number of events have occurred that have ensured that some of us do not get the benefits of a decent night's sleep. We have been monitoring the airwaves as the situation developed, but until this alert came in I did not feel the need to disturb you. There are a number of events that are of concern to us. First you should know that Preventer Earth was informed that a terrorist faction have targeted a number of councilors from both the Colonial Council and the Earth Council of Representatives. The death list included Lady Une and Relena Darlian, the Vice Foreign Minister, as well as the representative of L3 who was in Sanc for a fund raising gala. The representative from L3 has already survived one assassination attempt and a short time ago someone attacked both Lady Une's home and the Sanc Palace. Both media reports and the current Preventer logs say there were minor injuries reported, but no deaths thus far.” “Any word on Relena?” Duo quashed the flare of panic, bundling it up and pushing it to a corner of his mind. He had to concentrate and he needed to be alert at this time. He had a sudden wish to be back on the Earth and amid the thick of things, but he was well aware that Relena was in the care of Heero Yuy. He really could not see anyone getting through the pilot of Wing Zero to so much as muss a hair on her head, but he knew the vagaries of fate. “You know the Vice Foreign Minister?” the captain queried, looking surprised at the tone of familiarity that came through in Duo's voice. “Yeah. I have been on her security team on a number of occasions in the last year. I know her fairly well.” “Well, I believe the Vice Foreign Minister was
removed from the Palace a few minutes prior to the attack taking place.
Duo watched in silence as the mayday received from Mars was played back. He shook his head slowly, feeling his gut clench as he watched the woman with flaming red hair. He took note of every mark on her and his eyes narrowed as the Captain motioned to the com officer to freeze the picture as the message started to repeat again. //Oh, shit. Shit. Shit. Damn, that means big trouble on Mars and probably on Earth too. Would Romefeller be stupid enough to panic and bomb Une and Relena? But why the L3 representative? What part would he be playing in this? No way is that Raiders attacking Mars. Way too convenient for them to hit Mars at just this particular time. Well … yeah, I suppose it could be, but I have seen no flying pigs recently. That would have to be the failsafe for the infiltration team on Mars, which means that the one making the call is either deluded as hell or one of the agents they have on Mars. Odds are all in favor of her being an agent.// The Captain straightened, stretching his cramped back muscles, feeling the effects of the acceleration burns already performed this day. “We are awaiting confirmation from Preventer Earth of a course correction to divert the Bounty to Mars to investigate the incident.” The captain met Duo's eyes with a scowl and a faint shrug. “We are, of course, not the closest ship of the Preventer fleet to Mars, nor are we going to be the first of the Preventer ships to reach the planet in response to that mayday. It will be three months before we can get there and what use we could be is negligible. Any clues to the Raiders presence on the planet and where they might move to after leaving there will be long gone. Preventer Earth has ordered all ships within a months flight of Mars to assume positions at strategic locations surrounding the Mars sphere in hopes of catching the Raiders as they flee.” “So it will be an ESUN ship that reaches Mars first to investigate the incident.” Duo sighed, seeing the trap immediately. “How long before they arrive?” “We have tracked the nearest ESUN vessel to Mars. The Wellington is on course to Mars from the com chatter we have monitored and her projected arrival in orbit over the planet is approximately thirty seven hours. With emphasis on the approximately, you understand. We are expecting her to boost her speed and adjust her course within the next hour.” “I see.” “Mr Maxwell, could I see you in my Ready Room, please? This way.” The man was, as he had thought before, no fool. Duo followed him across the bridge to the small cabin where the Captain of the ship attended to his log and could catch some moments of privacy when the occasion allowed. It was a small room, functional as all parts of the ship were functional, with very little in the way of luxury accept for two comfortably padded chairs on either side of the small desk that was clear of any items. //Battened down for the next acceleration burn// Duo decided, hardly surprised at the absence of any personal items in the room. “Mr Maxwell, have a seat please. Preventer Earth has sent me a private email that concerns you.” the door snapped closed behind them and the captain motioned to the first of the chairs, himself moving to claim the seat behind the desk. “The email was addressed to me as captain of the Bounty and the message was both brief and cryptic. So, Mr Maxwell, would you care to explain to me why Lady Une would have written me asking me to inform you of the events taking place on Earth at this time and the Martian fiasco. I would also like an explanation for the message … and I quote 'Willow bends to Wind. Scythe reaps its' quota.” Duo frowned, lowering his head and sucked in a deep breath. He understood the message only too well and it confirmed his suspicions of what must be happening out there on that distant planet. First thing was first though, and he met the captains glare his own eyes carefully shuttered to reveal nothing of his reaction to the message. “Are you Agent Willow?” he murmured. “My designated code name is Preventer Willow.” the captain confirmed. “We rarely use such names while onboard ship, of course. It is my understanding that your code name is Reaper, not Wind.” Duo shrugged, dismissing the prod for more information until he was ready to deal with it. “The message passed to you has been confirmed as being from Agent Earth?” “The communications has been confirmed as originating from Preventer Earth.” “The message is permission for me to pass on certain classified information to you that has been known to only a select few individuals for some time now. Have you ever heard of Agent Wind?” Brian Tracey nodded his head to confirm that, yes, he had indeed heard of Agent Wind. “Yes. Agent Wind was the pilot credited with holding Dekim Barton's forces during the attempted coup in AC 196. I can't say that I have heard of him since that time though. He has been kept very low profile and I assumed that he was a Gundam Pilot.” Duo detected the question hinted at in the man's tone and nodded in agreement. “Yes. Yes, he certainly knew how to handle a Gundam, but no, he was not really a Gundam pilot, as in one of the five sent to defend the colonies from the Earth Alliance forces. Agent Wind was the sixth pilot and he was not trained by the Mad Five, the men who trained us. Captain, at this time I need to remind you that you are not at liberty to divulge any of this information to your crew. Not even to your First Officer. This information is need to know only, and at this time only you on this ship needs to know.” “That is understood, Mr. Maxwell. It goes no further than me.” “At this time Agent Wind is on Mars with a number of other Preventer Agents who, I hope, are resisting the efforts of these so called Raiders to wipe out the colony.” Duo drew a deep breath and shrugged, seemingly careless in his posture, but he was far from careless. He watched the man intently, sensing only curiosity at this time. “Agent Wind's file states he was sent to Mars to establish a Preventer presence on the colony along with Agent Fire, later to be joined by other agents as the colony increased in size. He was shadowed on the trip to Mars by, and followed by, more agents later who are under direct control of the ESUN Council of Representatives Security Agency.” Tracey blinked, considering the serious young man who sat across from him, watching him with eyes somewhere between blue and violet. He almost felt as though those eyes were weighing him down, pinning him to his seat and warning him that he if he reacted the wrong way to the news his life would be short. He was beginning to have an idea why the young man was code named Reaper. “Why would he be shadowed to Mars? Oh, yes, of course. My apologies for not immediately getting the drift of this matter. A Gundam pilot. The Security Agency would wish to ensure that he did not take any action that might threaten the new peace. Lady Une did informed me prior to this ship's departure that all of the Gundam pilots were kept under observation and that I might be receiving a request for confirmation from the ESUN Security Agency that you were onboard the Bounty.” Duo flashed a grin, shrugging. “Yeah, you will be getting a call. There is an agreement with the Council that we are followed when we are not on assignment. With Wind it is a little more than just observation. The Raiders attacking Mars at this time are more likely to be ESUN infiltration agents and the Security Agencies Sleeper agents. They would be steadily wiping out all witnesses to their presence on the planet. The Raiders would be just a cover operation for a mission gone bad. Their failsafe.” “Why would the ESUN feel it necessary to wipe out a colony, Mr Maxwell?” the man was pale, but he was a seasoned veteran and he knew these tasteless tactics had been used on more than one occasion in the history of war. If you knew where to look history was dotted with scores of such cover operations. “This is not a time of war, Mr Maxwell, it is a time of peace.” “Well, it is supposed to be, for most of the population of the Earth Sphere, at least. Captain, Agent Wind was sent to Mars to contain him to an isolated, controllable environment. He was to be contained on Mars indefinitely as a measure of safety for the Earth Sphere by the instruction of the Vice Foreign Minister and a representative body of the Council of Representatives. The decision was made in a closed session within a week of the end of the Barton Incursion. On the part of the Vice Foreign Minister it was agreed to in an effort to keep Wind alive. Preventer Agent Wind, Captain Tracey, is also known as Prince Milliardo Peacecraft.”
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