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"The Miracle Maker"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: R Warnings: Fluff, angst, mention of lemon, mild
alcohol abuse (not alcoholism), prissy Relena Pairings: 3x4, eventual 1x2, Rx1 (unrequited) Summary: The discovery of a deep space refugee sets the universe abuzz with whispers of angels but for the people closest to him the truth is much more divine. "The Miracle Maker"
Part 1
“Prepare to fire,” Captain Neuton instructed while he observed the obstruction on the main screen. “T minus twenty seconds.” “Lieutenant Yoshinu?” “All systems go,” the young woman confirmed. “T minus ten seconds.” “Sir?” “What is it?” “Nine.” “I’m not sure, sir…something…” “Eight.” “What is that?” “Seven.” “I looks like a…heartbeat,” Liza, their communications officer breathed in utter astonishment. “Six.” “That’s impossible,” the captain stated trying to adjust for the disturbance but it remained steadfast. “Five.” “Stop the countdown,” Lieutenant Barton advised. “Four.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” Captain Neuton scoffed looking at the mammoth hunk of ice that was bearing down on the outskirts of charted space. “There’s no possible way any life form…” “Three.” “What if you’re wrong?” Mr. Yui inquired evenly. “Two.” “Cease fire,” the captain ordered calling the mission to a halt. “Can you pin point the signal?” he asked Liza who nodded. “There,” she informed them bringing up a holographic map of the ice where a small, red dot blinked deep inside the thickest end of the five hundred mile long shard. “I’ll check it out,” Mr. Yui commented pushing off to glide down the corridor without waiting for approval. “What happened?” Duo asked when he saw his partner drift by. “They picked up a heartbeat.” “Inside that thing?” Duo gasped while he floated along beside him. “It could be a malfunctioning scanner,” Hiiro reminded him. “Or some strange, alien with huge teeth and a scissor tail that likes juicy humans for dinner,” Duo grumbled. “There has never been a recorded encounter with any alien life form,” Hiiro reminded him while they rode the lift down to the launch bay. “It could happen,” Duo shrugged not bothering to hide his smirk. The crew made way when they arrived allowing them to enter the ship that was being prepared and strap in. “Why not just let them handle it?” Duo asked while he buckled in. “They don’t really need us for a grunt job like this.” “We don’t know what we’re dealing with,” Hiiro explained while he brought the engines on line. “It’s best not to take any chances.” “Or maybe you’re just tired of being dry docked,” Duo chuckled while Hiiro scowled. The systems check was quick as nimble fingers flew over illuminated keys before he kicked it in the ass and Duo howled with glee when they shot out of the launch bay and rocketed through open space. “Hn,” Duo grunted when they came along side the massive slab of ice. “It looks bigger from out here.” Hiiro rolled his eyes and pointed them at a fisher in the surface where he skimmed so close to the walls as he navigated deeper the crew who were watching from the station swallowed nervously. “Take the helm,” Hiiro instructed. “What’re you going to do?” Duo asked while he switched over control and the ship eased even closer to the narrowing walls. “Stay alive,” Hiiro replied while he took over the scans. “You drive.” Duo chuckled but made sure his faith was well placed while he moved them ever closer to their goal. “Check that out,” he said after a few tense minutes in which the crew on the station started making bets on whether they would make it out alive. “What?” Hiiro inquired peering above them. “There,” Duo pointed with his chin but when Hiiro didn’t immediately see it the ship suddenly did a back flip that smashed a portion of the ice that had been above them as they were forced into a tunnel that opened up a little as they progressed. “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Hiiro signed while he peeled his fingers from the arm rests. “It’s what they pay me for,” Duo laughed. “We’re almost there,” Hiiro told him but he was well aware as the tunnel steadily widened into a large chamber. “Woooow,” Duo exclaimed taking in the mammoth ice crystals that traversed the huge cave. “Duo?” “Hn?” “What is that?” Duo slowed to a stop in the middle of the chamber while his eyes grew wide with wonder and his mind went momentarily blank. “Hiiro?” “What’s happening?” Captain Neuton inquired. “Life sign…confirmed,” Hiiro reported robotically while his hands automatically recorded the data but his mind was still trying to tell him it was an illusion. “Geez, Hiiro, is it real?” Duo whispered. “What is it?” the captain demanded. “What do you see?” “It looks like,” Duo began but hesitated before he revealed, “an angel.” Hiiro stared wondrously at the massive configuration of ice that housed a small life pod and had to agree that the shards looked uncannily like an angels wings but, “It’s a man.” “It is a man, isn’t it?” Duo asked running the scans again. “A young man,” Hiiro reported. “Approximately seventeen years of age. Humanoid. There are no identifying marks visible on the life pod.” “This is incredible,” Captain Neuton exclaimed. “How in the world to you suppose he got out here?” “I don’t know,” Duo replied. “But we can’t leave him like this.” “No, of course not,” the captain agreed. “A rescue unit will be dispatched…” “They’ll never make it this deep,” Hiiro interjected and no one was about to argue with him. “We’ll have to break him free and bring him in on the outside. “We’ll have bay four quarantined before you get here,” the captain assured them. “Thank you, sir,” Hiiro replied then cut the comm.. “That is just freaky,” Duo commented while he maneuvered them into a position for Hiiro to get a clean shot. “Why do you suppose the ice formed wings?” “Maybe it has something to do with the life support system,” Hiiro reasoned as he let go a burst of energy from the forward guns that was so small and expertly controlled it severed the wings without even cracking the ice. “Nice shooting, space ranger,” Duo grinned. Hiiro’s cheek bones pinked but he smiled when Duo made sure the pod had drifted far enough away from the ice wings that they wouldn’t damage them before approaching. “It’s too bad they’re going to be space drops,” Duo sighed as he secured the tether lines. “Hold your position,” Hiiro told him while he took aim and Duo grinned when the guns fired and opened a neat hole in the back wall of the ice that not only provided them with a clear exit but released the ice wings and started them on a slow journey through space that would ensure their continued existence for a long, long time. “You did that on purpose,” Duo grinned as he took them out into open space. “Lucky shot,” Hiiro smirked. Duo laughed and aimed them for bay four while he declared, “You put luck out of business the first time you picked up a gun.” The bay doors were open when they arrived and an atmosphere introduced once they and the pod were secured but no one was allowed to enter or leave until everything was decontaminated and declared clean. “What are you doing?” Trowa deadpanned when he was finally allowed in and discovered Hiiro and Duo using the pod as a table for their card game. “Just keeping him warm,” Duo smiled scooping the cards up with the flare of a Vegas dealer. “Has there been any change?” Captain Neuton asked following his lieutenant inside. “Not really,” Duo replied. “At least not on the inside.” “The pod is still functioning properly,” Hiiro explained. “He’s in a perfect state of suspended animation.” “There’s no such thing as a perfect…” Trowa began but stalled when he got his first look in the pods window. “Pretty, isn’t he?” Duo smirked but Trowa seemed to have lost the thread. “Can he be revived?” the captain wondered though he was also staring wondrously at the beautiful face of the young man they had rescued. “…..” “Hey, man,” Duo prompted nudging Trowa in the shoulder. “Wha?” he gasped rounding on him. “Cap want’s to know if you can wake him up,” Duo grinned. “I don’t know,” Trowa told him turning back to the pod. “We’ll have to examine…” he began then jumped when the pod suddenly clicked and hissed. “What’s happening!?” Captain Neuton demanded standing back while the pod rose into the air and stood it’s passenger on his feet. “Is the grav control working right?” Duo wondered. “It’s not the ship,” Hiiro surmised stepping in front of Duo when the pod hissed and jettisoned steam from around the edges. “Something must’ve activated it,” Trowa suggested though instead of moving away with everyone else he rushed forward trying to get a look in the window. “Trowa!” Duo hissed. “We have to help him!” Trowa growled looking the pod over frantically but when it clicked loudly and the outer skin dislodged he stepped back to gape as it opened like a porcelain flower and presented the beautiful young man inside in a swirl of snow white steam that perfectly accentuated his deep, cerulean eyes. Everyone watched in stunned amazement as he drifted forward with his bright, blond hair dancing in the wind while his naked body shimmered and his sparkling, ocean green eyes smiled upon their resource office who opened his arms eagerly when he eased into them and held him gently as his body went lax. “Maybe there really is a god,” Duo smirked near Trowa’s ear but all he managed was to shift his burden until he cradled him preciously and looked into his peaceful face. “We should get him inside,” Hiiro suggested prompting Trowa to nod and obey while the others followed along. They took him to sick bay where he was laid in a bed and covered in white linen while Dr. Po checked him over. “He’s healthy for the most part,” she reported when she finished her examination. “The only variation is his body temperature which it somewhat below normal but that may be due to his prolonged exposure to the ice.” “How long do you think he was out there?” Captain Neuton asked. “There’s no way to tell really,” she informed him. “Not from a biological standpoint anyway. It’s strange though,” she added considering the slumbering refugee thoughtfully. “Even someone in stasis should show some sign of dehydration or a lack of nutrients but he seems just fine.” “That much ice couldn’t have formed very quickly,” the captain stated. “It shouldn’t have formed at all,” Hiiro countered. “He must have encountered a body of water somewhere along the way or perhaps it came from whatever ship or solar body he escaped from but it would take eons to have formed on its own.” “Look,” Trowa interjected moving forward anxiously when their visitor stirred so he was the first thing he saw when his crystal eyes opened. “Hello,” he smiled then paused as his eye twitched when the blond returned the expression. “You’re on board the space station Orion,” he explained. “We rescued you, do you remember?” Everyone waited expectantly while the blond lifted his hand toward Trowa’s face and he drew a long, deep breath when his long fingers touched his skin. A moment later his eyes were falling closed and every eye in the room widened when sparkling dust fell from the place where their bodies touched. “Who are you?” Duo breathed. “Quatre,” Trowa whispered then opened his eyes and asked, “Is that your name?” He smiled in a way that revealed his acceptance of the idea before the captain decided to question him directly. “Where are you from?” he asked firmly. “How did you come to be here?” His big, blue green eyes shifted to regard him but when his mouth opened the sound that came out in no way resembled human speech. It was more akin to the gentle song of a whale or the whisper of the wind in the trees and made Duo laugh out loud. “What does it mean?” Captain Neuton wondered. “I think it means we’ve just found a reason to alter the archives about the existence of aliens,” Duo offered. “But he’s human,” the captain argued. “Did he say anything else?” Hiiro wondered. “What do you mean ‘say’?” the captain asked. “He told Trowa his name,” he reminded them. “He didn’t tell me,” Trowa countered. “I just…know.” “Telepathy?” Duo considered. “It’s not unheard of,” Sally offered. “But the gift is very rare and nearly impossible to document. If he told Trowa his name it would make him the most powerful telepath in history.” “Captain?” “What is it, Liza?” “You better get up here quick,” she told him. “What’s happening?” “The ice field is breaking up and the pieces are headed for the station, sir.” “On screen,” he ordered stepping up to have a look when the vid screen in sick bay flickered to life. “Ships phasors on my mark!” he growled when he saw the massive hunk of ice falling apart as it moved steadily toward the station. “We’ll never destroy it all!” Sally gasped fearfully then gaped with everyone else when Quatre suddenly floated out of his bed and faced the vid. A moment later his hair began to dance in an ethereal wind and his body shone so bright it was hard to look at him but everyone turned to the screen when the ice shimmered and melted shifting into a torrent of heavy rain that soaked the outer hull but left the station unharmed and intact. When the deed was done he breathed deeply and settled in Trowa’s arms where he gently slept while he returned him to his bed and stared in wide eyed wonder with everyone else. “What just happened?” Duo voiced the collective thought. “See that he remains in sick bay,” Captain Neuton told Trowa turning to leave as he ordered, “The rest of you are with me.” They left Trowa to tend their astonishing young visitor while they gathered in the debriefing room to discuss the matter. “Does anyone have any reasonable explanation for the events that have occurred since we rescued this subject from stasis?” Captain Neuton inquired. “It’s like magic,” Sally commented. “Anyone else?” the captain inquired irritably. “If he’s telepathic perhaps he’s a telekinetic as well,” Hiiro offered. “Or maybe it’s just a miracle,” Duo chuckled but everyone just stared at him. “You know,” he told them. “Like the parting of the Red Sea?” “Let’s stick with the telekinetic possibility for the time being,” Captain Neuton instructed turning to Sally with a raised brow. “It’s possible in theory,” she told them sighing heavily. “But there has never been a viable confirmation of any human capable of even the smallest telekinetic ability. What we just witnessed was an event of, if you’ll pardon the expression,” she offered glancing at the amused Duo, “biblical proportions. There is no way a human being could have achieved such a feat through the power of the mind alone.” “Miracles don’t come from the mind,” Duo interjected then smiled softly, “They come from the heart.” “You’re suggesting he willed that ice into water simply because he wanted it to be so?” the captain scoffed. “No,” Duo countered. “I’m saying he did it because he wanted to protect us.” “To protect us or himself,” Captain Neuton pondered. “This station is his only refuge at the moment so he may have done it simply to ensure his own continued existence.” “Agreed,” Hiiro offered suffering an indignant pout from Duo. “However, his deeds have in no way indicated any hostile intention toward us. He should be considered a refugee and given sanctuary under the codes that govern all such beings,” he added turning Duo’s frown back into a smile. “He is to remain in sick bay until further assessments can be done,” the Captain compromised then added, “However, should he take any adverse action toward any member of this crew swift retaliation will be called for. Do not allow his rare beauty and gentle spirit blind you.” “Yes, sir,” Sally gave a blanket agreement for them all. “Keep me informed,” the captain ordered then returned to his duties on the bridge. “How’s he doing?” Duo asked Trowa sometime later who hadn’t left Quatre’s side since his rescue. “Apparently,” Trowa commented curiously, “He likes to read.” Duo considered the stacks of books that littered sick bay and cocked his head. “Where do you suppose he learned to read?” he wondered taking the tray in his hand to him. “My commander taught me.” “What?” Duo chuckled setting the tray down beside the bed. “You asked where I learned to read.” “I asked where he learned to read,” Duo countered watching his shipmate closely but he offered only a noncommittal shrug. They turned at the sound of mild distress to regard their suddenly disgruntled guest and discovered him poking at the food on the tray Duo had brought. “It’s alright,” Trowa soothed coming to quickly snatch up the bacon and egg platter which he shoved into Duo’s hands with the covert instruction, “Don’t bring him meat!” Duo watched in stunned curiosity while Trowa took the jello cup and turned back to Quatre. “Here,” he smiled opening it for him. “It’s peach,” he told him allowing him to sniff at it before he happily accepted it. Duo blinked then turned and went to trade the bacon and eggs for a bowl of fruit. ** “What’s the problem?” Captain Neuton inquired sternly when he came for his afternoon visit and discovered Quatre crouched on a table while Sally attempted to force a shirt upon his person. “He refuses to get dressed,” she sighed in exasperation. “I told you,” Trowa grumbled. “He doesn’t like those dark colors.” “Well, it’s all we have,” she argued reaching for the disgruntled blond but he resisted most efficiently. “What is he wearing now?” Captain Neuton asked having seen the cloth around his waist. “The bed sheet,” Sally grumbled giving up. “You understand walking around in a bed sheet would be highly inappropriate in our society?” the captain asked Quatre who stuck out his bottom lip and turned his face to the wall. “Duo can fix it,” Hiiro told them having come to investigate the commotion. “Very well,” Captain Neuton nodded gratefully. “But see he’s properly attired before you leave on the shuttle for L4.” “Hey,” Duo smiled as he entered sick bay the next morning. “Have you guys had breakfast?” “They brought pancakes,” Trowa sighed indicating the plate of flapjacks in the trash.” “Is he a vegetarian?” Duo laughed setting the bowl of fresh fruit he’d brought on the bedside table where Quatre immediately dug in. “I think it’s more like he’s herbivorous,” Trowa explained catching an apple Quatre threw his way. “Is there a difference?” Duo wondered while he put the bag he was carrying on a chair and started to unpack it. “Vegetarianism is a choice,” Trowa explained. “Hn,” Duo nodded understanding the subtle difference. “I brought you some clothes,” he told Quatre who stopped chewing long enough to scowl at him and Duo laughed. “Don’t be like that,” he chuckled holding up a long shirt of pure white that had a little ruffle around the caller, long sleeves to match and corresponding breeches that were still folded and laying on the chair. “Where did you get that?” Trowa asked smiling when Quatre’s eyes brightened. “I made it from bed sheets,” Duo informed him while he handed the garment to their guest who threw off the sheet so he could get dressed and subsequently set Trowa’s ears on fire. “You sew?” Trowa asked while he quickly turned his face to the wall. “Where do you think I get all these stylish clothes?” Duo grinned indicating the black pilot’s pants he was wearing. “A fashion magazine?” Trowa quipped dodging when Duo slapped at him. “It’s perfect,” Duo smiled prompting Trowa to turn to their guest. “Duo,” he deadpanned. “He looks like a Christmas angel.” “It’s the best I could do on short notice,” he snipped. “Now, make your piece because we leave within the hour.” “I’m coming with you,” Trowa told him. “You’ll have to take that up with your captain,” Duo reminded him. “But considering your rapport with Quatre we’d be delighted to have you along.” ~ * ~ tbc... |
