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"Friends "Written By: Karina
Series: Friends Pairings: 2+6 Ratings: M 15+ [In Australia] Rated in the event of bad language and violence. Disclaimer: I don’t own Gundam Wing or the characters. That’s the way it is. Warnings: Not a death fic despite how it starts.
Aussie spelling and unbetaed. Summary: When Milliardo Peacecraft is abducted
and left to die a solitary death Duo Maxwell decides to take a hand
in the proceedings.
Chapter 56 Heero slid his end of the stretcher into the helicopter and jumped in after, moving quickly to steady the device as Trowa continued to walk forward. The helicopter was equipped for rescues and the stretcher would slot in to a section designed for it and enable them to lock it down for safe flying, securing the man on it against turbulence in transit. Marquise was silent, swathed in every blanket they could find to keep him warm against the frigid air. The rotors were turning slowly, the engine muted as it idled, waiting for them to settle everyone in place, and keeping the engine warm preparatory to their flight. Trowa heaved one last time and Heero picked up his end, guiding the stretcher to angle in to the slot, then Trowa was beside him and they began the task of securing Marquise. No protest came from the depths of the blanket as they applied the straps to the stretcher and its cargo, and Heero inclined his head to Trowa as he caught up the last of the straps, motioning toward the door behind him. "Give them a hand to remove the last of the gear. I'll finish here." Without a word Trowa slipped out of the helicopter, closing the door behind him and Heero turned his attention to the straps and the man watching him. "It would probably be better for us if we left the Preventer machine on the mountain for another team to pick up." "No." The deep voice was barely audible from the many folds of cloth. "Transfer me to the Preventer machine; it would not take long to prep the other machine and the delay should be negligible. Duo needs to make himself scarce, and that is best done in this machine." Heero sat back on his heels, considering Marquise for a long moment before glancing back over his shoulder toward the cabin. He reached to test the door for something to do, hoping the machine's interior would warm quickly against the bone aching chill of the air. He was uncertain as to exactly how to carry on this conversation, and he did not want Maxwell to walk in on them. "He will protest." "Perhaps, but he did promise me he would make himself scarce. This is the best opportunity for him to escape the attention of my reception committee." Heero sighed softly. "He will not stay out of what ever it is you have caught yourself up in. That is not the way Duo Maxwell works." Marquise, from his nest of blankets, echoed the sigh. "He will… for a time, at least. The sooner I can deal with the matter the better, before temptation gets the better of him and he has to meddle." "And the rest of us? There is no hiding who we are." "Do not be seen to be doing anything out of the ordinary. Go on with your lives as you were before you took this assignment, but keep an eye out for each other's backs until the matter is settled. It will be resolved, one way or the other, to my satisfaction. Watch, but do nothing, until they make the mistake of thinking to move against you." "You do not say `if' they move against us." Marquise sighed, a long fingered hand emerging from beneath the blankets and waggling from side to side for a moment. "Perhaps the one who heads this faction will have more brains than to target you. It depends on a number of factors." "Not a particularly satisfactory answer." "I know, but it is, if nothing else, an honest answer. The organization knew the value of discretion and the virtue of leaving what is best left alone, alone. A `less interference is better than more interference' policy was the key to making a difference in the state of world affairs, and remaining unknown and unsuspected was the bonus for such a low profile." Heero glanced over his shoulder once again, peering through the small window in the door to check on the progress of the others. With no one yet in sight he turned back to Marquise. "So what has changed?" "There are new faces, with old ideas of how best to change people's minds about their dealings. Removing them permanently from the picture is seen as an easier and more cost effective method. At present it is an uncomfortable stand off, though given they moved to remove me, I suspect the stand off is over and they are making their move to attain the controlling influence in the group. The power struggle will not be pretty if it can not be controlled, and the less people who are involved in the mess, the better." "Why were you targeted specifically? " The visible hand twitched, fingers curling into a fist. "Because I am what I am. Who I am. I defy their concept of who I should be." The silence was heavy, innuendo underlying the quiet words and Heero considered his next words with care. He did not know as much as he wanted to about this mysterious organization, and that was something he had already decided to remedy. No matter Marquise's reasoning for keeping the pilots out of the matter, he wanted more answers. "They are afraid of you." "I suspect they are afraid of my reputation, not specifically me, though that will change quickly enough. Do nothing to come to their attention, Heero. Keep yourself to yourself, staying away from their field of play. If you do that, if the others do that, then you should have no difficulties. They will watch for a time, expect them too, but they will have other matters to concern themselves with. If you are seen to be deviating from your normal routines… they may not pause to question but act in haste." Heero scratched at his unruly mop of hair, considering the information. "How much have you told Maxwell?" "As little as possible, just as I am telling you as little as possible now. They have made it a private matter for me to deal with; it is now personal. I will deal with it accordingly and yes, I do not take kindly to being targeted. They had their chance to take me unawares, they tried and they missed; now they will know to watch their backs because I am not inclined to turn the other cheek." Clear enough warning it could get messy, Heero decided. Marquise had warned him of trouble to come, advised he and the other pilots stay out of it and be seen to be doing only what they had been doing before this rescue. Business as usual, trying to forge a new life for themselves and maybe, if they kept to that innocent seeming routine, they should be alright. Or possibly not. The warning to watch their backs had also been given, meaning the people Marquise opposed were not renowned for their forgiving nature. There was indeed the potential for a messy confrontation. "You are expecting people to die." Not a question but a statement, delivered in a quite inflectionless voice. "People always die, Yuy. It comes to us all eventually, but the time of our death can sometimes be chosen by another… or by circumstances escaping our control. The wise remember this and keep a wary eye out, becoming survivors at the end of the day." "And the foolish perish," Heero breathed. "We are not amateurs." "And that is exactly why they will watch you." "Hnnn. How long will you require to deal with it?" To the point, as he should expect from Yuy. How long would he have before the pilots could no longer resist the temptation to meddle? He could not, in all honestly, give an effective time line. He needed to learn what had transpired in his absence and plan accordingly. "That depends on what I find when I return." "They might try again before you reach your destination. " In all likelihood they would indeed try again. Perhaps even simply toss him out of the helicopter should they commandeer the Preventers machine. It was a possibility he had not blinded himself to. "I am well aware of that. I am warned and they will not find it so easy to take me down." The lights in the cabin cast strangely shaped shadows and for an instant Heero felt a shiver course up his spine which had nothing to do with the cold air. The shadows seemed to reflect the tone of voice, quiet, very much controlled and utterly devoid of warmth. It was a promise Marquise was not about to be taken down, that he had matters he intended to oversee to a satisfactory conclusion. "There may be a vacuum at the top for a short time. It depends who I find to be involved in the attempt on my life. If I need to, I will take out the entire organization. " Simply and easily spoken, not so easily done, of course, but he knew secrets. He knew the dark and secret places in men's minds that would crumble the organization in on itself. "Will any of this come back to reflect on Relena?" His sister, whom he knew so little of yet knew quite well. The pacifist Peacecraft who chose the name Darlian and who could keep the peace process alive; flawed as it was, but alive. No, he would ensure nothing could reflect back on her to tarnish her shining reputation. No doubt if she ever found out what lengths he had gone to, in the past and no doubt would use in the future to ensure the peace process continued, she would forget she was a pacifist and give him what he deserved. But that was in the realms of what if, and he was not about to walk down that road. "Not if I have my way." Zechs tucked his hand back in the blankets, stray locks of pale hair spilling out from his nest and Heero found himself tucking that cascade back under the blankets, marvelling at the silken strands sliding through his fingers. In many ways the Peacecraft siblings were alike, the stubborn streak they shared in particular. "We could help you." For a long moment there was no response as the man appeared to consider the offer, and it was a genuine offer. Heero would get involved, perhaps the others too, and that was not what Zechs intended. His own life was hell, living each day as though it was his last, making a difference as best he could; finding something to keep a dead man living. It was not easy being dead, but it was a decision he had made with full knowledge of the consequences and he had sworn he would not lament it. There was no reason why these young men needed to involve themselves in his problems and every reason for them not to. Duo was the only one of the former Gundam Pilots who would know something of what he lived. His life as the known face of the Gundam Pilots was a warning to the others. Maxwell wanted no charity from Quatre who, Zechs knew, would do anything to help his friends. Four of the five pilots had a chance to gain something more from life than pointing fingers and whispers, fear and mistrust. One of their number was marked as a rebel in the public eye, the others were more fortunate. For their own sakes they needed to stay away from his troubles and Zechs would deal with the problem as speedily as he could, before they grew restless with the promise of action. Even the fiery Chang Wu Fei would feel that restlessness build until, ultimately, it would drive them all to meddle. Duo would be the first of them, Zechs was sure, and once Maxwell interfered the others would follow in a glorious avalanche of action, and not one of them would have regrets at jumping in to the fray. "You could, but you should not." Heero looked anything but satisfied by the response. "I am concerned this organization you hint at will disturb the balance of power now in play. The ESUN can not afford conspiracies at the moment. I do not want a return to conflict. I do not want to have to go to war again. I… do not…" Heero sucked in a breath, displaying more emotion than Zechs could honestly say he had ever witnessed from the younger man. He was no longer the Perfect Soldier, this young man, but a youth struggling with his own destiny, seeking a place for himself and finding the going harder than he had imagined. "There are always conspiracies in the halls of power. That is exactly why the Organization was formed. Heero, please. I should be able to deal with this before matters slip out of control." "Is it not already out of control? They have tried to kill you once already. I would call that being out of control." Point, but all was not irrevocably lost, not yet. Not if he could gain a few allies in the organization, and he was not the only one who objected to the new influences being brought to bear. "Attempting to kill me was an error of judgement on someone's part, and that error will cost them the game. If a time comes for you to act, then you will recognize it, but for now trust me. I did not do what I did in 195 to have the need for such extreme action repeat again. Not in my lifetime." "You have a tendency to overreact." The sound of Marquise laughing heartily greeted Duo as he opened the cabin door. Frowning he glanced at Heero who looked more than a little surprised, and no little put out, by Marquise's mirth. "Something funny? Care to share?" "I have no idea what he finds so amusing," Heero returned. Marquise snorted, shifting on the stretcher, trying to gain a little more comfort. "Honestly? Think about it, Heero. I seem to recall you had your moments in 195."
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