|
"Uncommon Hero"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: NC 17 Warnings: AU/Action-Adventure, Light language,
light angst, humor, action, Some lemony type stuff ^-^ Pairings: 1x2, 3x4 5+ (I aaaainnt teeelling! 8^P) Summary: Duo, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei are all members of an elite rescue team when they receive a fifth, and in Duo's case, unwelcome member. Author’s notes at the end cause they’re spoilers Beta’ed by the beautiful Mechantte ^-^
" Uncommon Hero" Ch 1 Wind whipped the open sea peeling the surface off huge swells that rose up as if hungry for the lives of the men aboard flight X17. “Get a light over here!” Duo yelled, wiping dripping bangs from his eyes as he peered down into the turmoil. The searchlights of a second chopper flashed along the black surface below finding a small, orange life raft at the same moment Duo began shouting orders. “Survivors!” he yelled, already preparing the wench. “Take us low! We need to get in close!” “How many?” Wufei yelled over the thunder of the chopper and raging storm. “Two minimum! Hold her steady!” “I’m trying!” Quatre shouted, wrestling the mammoth machine but the violent wind was winning. Wufei and Duo pulled the net into position and paused as Duo examined the situation below. The raft was in great peril sinking beneath the surface for a moment before popping back up, the two people inside clinging to it for all they were worth. The woman had almost been washed away; her only hope the strength of the arms of the man that was desperately trying to keep her aboard. “Shit,” Duo breathed, looking for some safe way to extract them without getting sucked into the mix themselves when a sudden wind pushed them over the top of a wave, the runners skimming the whitecaps below. “Trowa!” “Got it!” Trowa called back, slipping gracefully into the co pilot’s seat to help his blond partner steady and reposition the chopper. When they came back around Duo was already slipping into a harness but he stopped to gape at the other chopper when a man dove head first into the raging sea. “Who the hell was that?!” he roared, trying to spy the man but he had disappeared beneath the black waves. “New guy on team eight!” Wufei informed him. “Fucking rookies!” Duo growled. “Can you pull him out?” Quatre shouted. “He’s never coming back up,” Duo replied sadly, slapping his buckles closed. “Fool went in without a safety line. He hit the water hard…” “Look!” Duo’s head snapped around, his eyes gaping in shock as the team eight member hoisted himself into the raft. “Son of a bitch.” He watched as another wave toppled over the tiny boat swamping it with black water but all three were still inside when it popped back up again; the new member now holding the woman who clung to him like a terrified cat allowing the man to look after himself. “Give me fifteen feet!” Duo yelled. “We’re too close now!” Quatre squawked in disbelief as another wave kissed the runners. “Damn it, Quatre!” Duo snapped. “I can’t fly and go in at the same time!” “He’s trying!” Trowa growled. “Get us out of here!” Wufei suddenly yelled and all eyes turned to see the second chopper attempt to descend low enough for the net that dangled from its belly to reach the survivors. Quatre swung them wide, turning and twisting with Trowa’s help to just narrowly avoid being clipped by the turbine when a wave crashed into the belly of the flailing machine beside them, its blade slicing through the surface of the sea causing the motor to explode under the sudden strain. Two of the men inside the chopper fell into the water below before it lit up the sky, pieces of broken blades shooting off in all directions. Duo dove for the cockpit as debris slammed into them, the shock wave of the explosion almost knocking them into the unforgiving ocean as well. “Fucking idiots!” Duo growled, physically jerking Quatre out of his seat. “What’re you going to do?” Trowa demanded as Duo seized the yoke and hauled them back around. “There are five people down there!” Duo reminded him. “We’re taking them home!” No one questioned their captain’s ability to perform an action that had just sent another team into the sea. Quatre was on the hoist in a heartbeat, Wufei preparing to dive while Trowa aided their pilot as Duo brought them in so low Quatre could see the faces of the people below. “He’s got’em!” Wufei yelled. “What?” “Their all in the raft! He’s ready! Drop the hook!” “Just a minute more!” Quatre called as Duo rose and fell with the swelling of the sea, the waves reaching up as if grasping in their need to claim all that dared oppose them, Duo’s knuckles turned white as he expertly maneuvered the dangling hook into reach and held their position while the team eight member secured the cable and signaled. Slowly Duo rose into the air as Quatre turned on the wench, Wufei guiding the cable as the raft was lifted from its tumultuous bed to swing precariously over the black water. “Steady,” Trowa breathed, allowing his fingers to rest gently on the yoke in case he was needed as Duo hovered just above the wave’s reach until the raft was five feet below. “Status!” Wufei shouted to the rescue member. “Dislocated shoulder! Meeks!” the guy yelled back indicating his injured partner. “Bialy’s taken water into his lungs!” “Get him up here first!” Quatre ordered dropping a harness as Duo lifted them to a safer distance from the waves. “Trowa!” Trowa abandoned his post knowing full well the whipping winds were no match for their captain’s piloting skills, going to collect Bialy and see to his welfare while Quatre and Wufei helped the others inside. Meeks was next, his shoulder immobilized by use of his jacket, something Wufei raised an impressed brow at when he hauled him aboard before turning his attention to the man they had come to rescue. It was clear he had been the downed planes pilot by his manner as he had insisted the woman go first but she refused to release the rescue member still in the boat and take her turn. He was forced to hold her in his arms and carry her the remaining few feet into the choppers hold. “It’s all right,” Quatre soothed, attempting to pry her off the guy. “Clear!” Wufei shouted, releasing the boat, its tiny orange presence quickly swallowed up by the raging fury of the sea as Duo turned them into the wind. ** “Exactly what in the hell happened out there!?” Une demanded. “Yui went in,” Meeks replied tiredly. His arm had been set and hung in a sling, his clothes replaced by medical scrubs but no one was going to be allowed to rest until their commander got some answers. “Walker misjudged…” “He shouldn’t have been forced to try,” Duo snipped from where he leaned against a table, both arms crossed and head bowed low. “You went in right afterward,” Meeks defended. “Walker wasn’t me.” “You are one arrogant little shit,” Bialy interjected. “I did what I did because I can,” Duo countered. “Walker had no business trying to pilot under those conditions.” “Then he shouldn’t have tried.” Duo’s eyes flashed as he turned them on the newest member of team eight. “He wouldn’t have had to if you hadn’t gone in without a safety line.” Une raised an inquisitive brow but refrained from comment. “They would have drowned if he hadn’t,” Meeks sighed heavily, clearly drowsy from medication. “And Walker died because he did,” Duo replied evenly, his eyes never leaving the rookie’s as he spoke. “Walker made a bad call,” Bialy growled. “It wasn’t Hiiro’s fault if he…” “The man is dead,” Duo cut him off. “Duo,” Quatre soothed, laying a hand on his shoulder but the braided boy shrugged it off. “And the daughter of the Vice Foreign Minister is alive,” Une interjected. “You all know the risks of the job,” she added when Duo’s hard glare rounded on her. “You should pull his ticket,” he advised. “Send him back to basic and see if he learns anything this time.” “Mr. Yui hasn’t seen a basic camp in over four years,” she informed him, causing his gaze to shift back to Hiiro in shocked dismay. “You are not the only prodigy on the planet,” she went on, dropping a thick folder on the table beside him. Duo did another check of the roughish boy sitting in their midst, attempting to calculate his age and experience level. He was no older than he and his own team who were considered no less than miracle children considering none of them were over the age of seventeen, it seemed unlikely that someone could have mastered the art without catching his attention but a brief glance at the file revealed he had never worked outside of Japan. “Jesus,” Duo breathed, skimming reports that made his little hairs stand on end. “You can’t be serious.” “See that you read that thoroughly,” she instructed. “What?!” Duo barked, flashing a nervous glance at Hiiro. “He’s your newest member.” “Ohhh no! You can’t! He’s fucking suicidal! You cannot honestly think…” “Make it work, Maxwell,” she told him firmly, turning on her heel to leave before he could protest further. “Shit!” “Duo,” Quatre tried again. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Duo spat when Hiiro stood and grabbed his coat. “To sleep,” the Japanese boy replied. “Ya know, I don’t know how they do things in Japan but around here you wait till you’ve been dismissed. This is my team, I suggest you start learning how to do as you’re told.” “That would be highly inappropriate,” Hiiro replied, moving toward the door. “Any why is that?” Duo snipped. Hiiro paused long enough to look back over his shoulder, a small smile curling his lips as he replied, “I outrank you,” and left. Quatre slowly moved away from his captain, his expression softly preparing for the inevitable as he slipped quietly into Trowa’s arms and cringed when Duo growled and kicked a chair across the floor. ** “There he is.” “I heard he once dove over a waterfall to save a girl from falling.” “Wow, and he’s so young.” “And handsome.” Duo scowled into his soda, trying his best to ignore the simpering prattle of the young women that worked at their base. The report had read that Hiiro did indeed dive over a waterfall but he had a rope secured to him and three teammates to pull them back up. “You shouldn’t let it bother you,” Quatre soothed. “You guys want another round?” Brandy, the barmaid, asked on her way by. “Only if you’re gonna put rum in it,” Duo grumbled. “You’re not old enough,” Brandy chuckled, taking away their empties. “Right,” Duo sighed. “But it’s ok to send me into a forest fire.” “I don’t understand why he annoys you so much,” Trowa cut in. “He doesn’t annoy me.” “Looks like he annoys you,” Wufei chuckled. “He doesn’t annoy me!” Duo spat, heaving a huge sigh. “I just don’t get why everyone’s suddenly got a bad case of Hiiro worship that’s all,” he said letting his gaze rest on the boy in question across the bar. “He hasn’t done anything the rest of us wouldn’t do if we had to.” “I wouldn’t jump into twenty foot seas without a safety line,” Wufei commented shaking his head. “You would if it were Duo in the raft,” Trowa grinned, snickering out loud when Wufei’s cheeks blushed golden pink. “Hey, isn’t that the girl from the plane wreck?” Quatre wondered, indicating a pretty blonde that had just entered the bar. “Yeah,” Trowa agreed watching her scan the patrons. “What’s she doing down here?” “I’ll give you one guess,” Duo groaned, smiling disgustedly when her eyes lit up upon seeing Hiiro. “Well,” the braided boy breathed, turning his attention back to his almost empty soda, “At least someone’ll get laid tonight.” “He shouldn’t be consorting with victims,” Quatre disapproved, watching as the girl approached her goal. “Looks like he apparently agrees,” Wufei smiled as Hiiro stood to speak with the girl instead of asking her to sit down. Duo watched carefully, his mind reading their lips in spite of the fact that he knew he shouldn’t. She had come to thank him, he accepted but brushed it off as his duty and Duo rolled his eyes. Then she invited him to dinner but he politely declined. There was more but Duo averted his eyes when Hiiro glanced his way so he didn’t catch it. When he glanced back up again the girl was heading for the exit and Hiiro was walking toward their table. “Good evening, Hiiro,” Quatre smiled, tossing a wary look at Duo. “May I join you?” “Why?” Duo snorted softly. “The girl not your type?” “You’re Hiiro Yui aren’t you?” a woman asked, stepping up with her giggling girlfriend in tow. “I heard about what you did for the Minister’s daughter. That was so brave.” “Reckless,” Duo snorted softly. “Well, we just wanted to say congratulations and welcome to St. Capen,” the woman smiled, pretending she hadn’t heard with everyone else. “Maybe you should carry a pen and start signing autographs,” Duo grumbled as Hiiro took a seat. “Duo,” Quatre gently reprimanded. “Une has instructed me to move into your barracks,” Hiiro informed them. “I understand there are only four rooms.” “That’s because we’re a four man team,” Duo grinned sarcastically. “The southeast corner is empty,” Quatre offered, tossing another look of disapproval at their irritated captain. “It’s my old room. You can move in there.” “Then where do you stay?” “With me,” Trowa smiled, draping an arm over the back of the blushing blonde’s chair. Duo grinned, waiting to see Hiiro’s reaction but the expression turned somewhat disappointed when the Japanese boy simply nodded and agreed. “Thank you.” “Why don’t you just shack up with one of your girlfriends and spare us the trouble?” Duo grumbled. “There’s no reason to be rude,” Quatre snipped. “We don’t need some flyboy, glory hound mucking things up,” the longhaired boy countered. “I have no desire for fame,” Hiiro cut in. “Yeah, well, sorry,” Duo spat. “It sort of goes with the territory when you pull suicidal shit like pulling fucking mock one in an F4 fighter! Are you clinically insane?!” “That was their goal.” “You’re lucky the damn thing didn’t explode at that speed! I can’t believe you even came back alive!” “It was my job.” “This is a dangerous business!” Duo growled, slamming his hands on the table as he stood. “But dying is not part of the fucking job description!” “Duo, calm down,” Quatre tried, easing back when Trowa laid a warning hand on his shoulder as Hiiro rose to meet the challenge. “I do what must be done,” Hiiro replied evenly. “Not anymore!” Duo barked. “We’re a team! You can either be a part of that or shove off `cause there’s no way in hell I’m letting one of my friends get hurt just because you have a death wish!” “Death is inevitable,” Hiiro stated calmly and the others shifted away because the comment had just seriously pissed Duo off. The entire bar had already turned to watch the scene unfold, most of them backing away as well as Duo completely lost control. “What kind of stupid fucking reasoning is that!? This is about saving lives not wasting them with brainless stunts that endanger the team and victims alike! What happens when you go in and pull one of those stupid, thrill seeker stunts and actually manage to kill yourself before we can save them? HUH! WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM?!” he shouted getting right up in Hiiro’s face. “I’LL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS. YOU HAPPILY GO TO HELL WHILE A LITTLE GIRL AND HER DOG DIES!” Every person in the room gasped in shocked sympathy when Duo’s back hit the floor. “Duo!” Quatre exclaimed, rushing to his side. Wufei was on his feet, making it very clear that Hiiro would not get a second opportunity to hit his friend. Trowa rose as well but his expression was much more neutral than the Chinese boy’s as Duo slowly began to groan and move. “Duo?” Quatre called, hissing softly when he got a look at the swelling, purple mark on the braided boy’s jaw. “Shit,” Duo groaned, casting a respectful look Hiiro’s way. The Japanese boy’s eyes showed no sympathy as he glared at his foe, his gaze steady and cold until Wufei stepped a bit closer then he suddenly turned on his heel and disappeared. “Are you ok?” Quatre asked, helping Duo to his feet. “He’s a solid son of a bitch,” Duo chuckled, favoring his jaw. “Guess I over did it.” “He still shouldn’t have hit you,” Wufei stated coldly. “Naw, man, it was my own fault,” Duo argued, gathering his coat. “I shouldn’t have spouted off like that.” “Where are you going?” Quatre inquired. “Home.” “Oh no, you’re not,” the blond replied, falling in beside him, his lover taking up the place at his other side while Wufei dropped the money for their tab on the table and gathered the rest of their things. “You’re going to see Sally.” “I don’t need a doctor,” Duo argued. “You’re not looking at that from this side,” Quatre countered. “It’s already turning black.” “He did clean your clock,” Trowa chuckled, helping to guide their friend outside. It was no surprise to find Sally Po hard at work in the infirmary because the woman practically lived in her office. One pale brow went up when she got a look at Duo’s swollen jaw, then she shooed the others out while she attended him. “I thought you were past bar fights,” she chuckled, while examining him. “Tell that to my new psycho partner,” Duo snorted. “Hiiro did this?” she asked, seeming shocked. “Hell yeah, Hiiro did this,” he confirmed sardonically. “Without provocation I’m sure,” she smiled. He was forced to respond by rolling his eyes because she insisted he open his mouth and let her look inside. “The guy’s a live wire,” he told her when he could speak again. “What did you say to him?” “Hell, I don’t know,” he sighed. “Just some shit about his lack of self preservation, brainless stunts endangering the mission and little girls and their dogs and next thing I knew… what?” he asked, seeing her eyes go wide. “Have you read his file?” “Not all of it,” he admitted. “Why?” “Then you don’t know why he’s here.” “What do you mean?” he asked suspiciously. “Go home,” she told him adding, “Take these for the pain and read the file. Not everything is as easy as black and white.” “Nothing could justify the kind of reckless, suicidal behavior he has displayed in the past couple of years,” he replied. “Are you requesting a psych evaluation for him?” she asked, eyeing him carefully. For a moment he was quiet as if seriously considering it but in the end he shook his head. “No, I’ll read the file first. But if he pulls another stunt like the one yesterday you can bet your sweet ass I’m gonna file a formal report.” **
tbc... |
