Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ G-men ❯ Complications ( Chapter 13 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.08.2002 | Updated On: 12.08.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.08.2002 | Updated On: 12.08.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress
Author's Notes: this is a longer part
Category: AU, Yaoi, Gundam Wing fusion with the X-men series
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5x6/6x5
Warnings: shonen ai, slight violence, minor angst, nothing extreme
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
G-men
Part 13: Complications
Heero looked over the two boys as they entered the kitchen, his trained eyes taking in every incriminating detail. Quatre came through the door first, blue green eyes wide and happy, a small smile playing on his lips. Heero's gaze went over his damp blonde hair to Trowa's equally damp hair. Trowa was staring at the shorter boy and didn't glance up until Quatre sat down, sitting beside him and glancing around the table. Heero met his green eyes, taking in the raised eyebrow and nodded slightly before he stood and went behind the counter.
Taking a baking sheet with cinnamon rolls out of the oven, Heero put them on a plate and carried them back to the table, setting the plate next to others in the center. Sitting down again, he watched as Quatre and Trowa began eating breakfast. Grabbing two rolls, he set one in front of Duo. The boy was nodding off again, about to fall face first onto his now-empty plate. Head snapping up with a jerk, Duo blinked large violet eyes at Heero for a moment before a goofy grin crossed his face as he latched onto the food.
"More coffee?"
Heero turned slowly to stare at Wufei, still unable to understand the boy. //He's been smirking at me since I got up. And smiling at Duo. Why? Does he really not know the progress I've made? Doesn't he realize things are going to be harder for him?// Still looking over the boy, Heero didn't answer, blinking when the Chinese boy smiled again and poured coffee into his cup before moving around him to stand by Duo.
Having wolfed down the roll, Duo was slowly leaning forward again, eyes drooping. Wufei gave his braid a sharp tug, earning him a possessive glare from Heero and a startled yipe from the longhaired boy. Looking over his shoulder, Duo glared and wrinkled his nose at Wufei's challenging expression before snatching up his mug and holding it out. "You certainly make a good waitress, Wufei," Duo taunted, frowning when he couldn't get a rise out of the other boy. Glancing around the table, he smiled at Trowa and Quatre, not having noticed when they'd come in. "I'm not a morning person."
"Obviously," Heero muttered without thinking, eyes widening when Duo stuck his tongue out at him and grinned before downing his coffee, mindless of the heat.
* * *
"We have another mission, a potentially dangerous one."
Duo glanced at Heero's blank expression and sighed. "You don't beat around the bush, do you."
"No. I've received word that OZ has one, possibly two mutants in their possession. We are to release them if they're captive and kill them if they've joined forces with OZ."
"But...I thought OZ refused to use mutants." Quatre looked around the table, eyes wide.
"There were nets inside the last compound. It's reasonable to believe they are making plans to catch mutants alive," Trowa said slowly. "If they have one or more already then we must act."
"My information says there should be fewer guards than before, but the compound is twice as large as the last one. We have to get inside and find those mutants. It would be best if we get them out alive, willing or not." Heero looked at Quatre, but Duo was the first to ask.
"How will we do that?"
"Quatre. If he can get close enough he can force them outside without any trouble." Trowa's eyes narrowed immediately, but he didn't argue, obviously waiting to hear the rest. "It would be best if they don't even know we were there until we have the mutants safely outside the compound. Duo, you would go in first and find places for Quatre and the mutants to hide when guards are around. It would be up to you to let them know when the area is clear."
"And us?" Trowa stared at Heero, expression calm as if he were resigned to the danger involved. More likely, he realized that the danger was not as great as it might have been.
"Stationed near the exit," Heero answered, relieved that the tall boy was not going to let his emotions lead him to objecting. *He* was just as uncomfortable with the idea of Duo going in and *he* couldn't be seen. "Trowa, you will monitor Quatre and Duo. If there is any trouble the three of us," he glanced at Wufei who nodded sharply, "will act as back-up. Hopefully we can get the mutants out and *then* stage an attack."
"When do I go?" Duo asked even though he suspected what the answer would be.
"Originally the plan was to attack tomorrow night, but there's evidence that they plan to move the mutants tomorrow so we'll go in tonight."
"Alright. Are there layouts of this base?" At Heero's negative shake of his head. Wufei frowned. "Then there's no point in reviewing anything. Let's prepare."
* * *
"There's a girl, not far from here." Quatre frowned as he concentrated, then pointed. "I think she's about twenty yards that way."
"Okay," Duo whispered back. "Wait here. I'll go find her. If she's alone, I'll come back and get you. Just monitor me. If anything happens stay here."
Quatre nodded and Duo slipped out the door of the dark storage room. Everything was going very smoothly. Moving silently, he passed the few guards unseen, stopping outside a wide set of doors that were opened to reveal an interesting scene.
A tall man with long white-blonde hair was standing in the corner of the room next to a small table covered with blueprints. Entering, Duo sidled against the wall so he could hear what was being said. There were three men in uniform standing next to the blonde man, one of which had stripes on his shoulder denoting a high rank. He had short, red-brown hair and arched, split eyebrows.
Leaning over the table, the blonde man slowly pointed to a spot on the print. "Here," he said softly, raising pale blue eyes to the brown haired man.
"And the other one?"
Duo was about to leave when the blonde man suddenly straightened and looked around the room. "He's here."
The three men in uniform reacted immediately. Backs to the corner, they opened fire on the room, mindless of the equipment that was riddled with bullets. Falling against the wall, Duo slowly raised his gun as his vision blurred. Catching one of the soldier's in the chest as he slid to the floor, he saw the brown haired man aim toward him.
Realizing the smear of blood where he'd hit the wall had given him away, Duo closed his eyes as he thought desperately to Quatre. //Get out. Have to get out. Go. Run. I have to get out...// Thought of escape consumed his mind and he pictured the safe-house as another gun went off and everything went black.
* * *
Hearing Duo's call, Quatre made for the door only to freeze when it was jerked open and a dart hit him in the neck. Before he could think, he felt himself collapsing. //Trowa...//
* * *
"Quatre!?"
Heero and Wufei flinched and turned in shock at Trowa's scream, frozen as they stared at him. His green eyes blazed in the dark of the room they hid in, a bright pulsating light that flowed down to surround his entire body. He flew by them as if he'd forgotten they were there, hitting the door with both open palms and sending it flying back off the hinges in a green explosion. Not pausing to check for enemies, he flew down the hall. Heero and Wufei exchanged a shocked glance, then Heero's eyes widened. "Duo."
Running together, the two boys followed Trowa's path, the occasional body marking the way. A siren was sounding and gunfire could be heard from somewhere ahead of them, spurring them on. "What the hell happened to him?!" Wufei cried as they ran, guns ready for any soldier that might have made it past the crazed boy.
"I don't know," Heero said, whirling to shoot the sudden outpour of soldiers through a door. Moving in front of Wufei, he fired into the hall, taking the few bullets that hit him easily as lightening shot through the walls to take care of the men his bullets didn't reach.
Finally, they reached the eye of the storm only to find that they'd missed it. Trowa floated two feet off the ground, green fire blazing around him as he glared at a tall, blonde man. It was obviously a stand-off as the man stood against a wall, Quatre held limp in his arms.
"Please stop," the man cried softly, looking at Trowa with pleading eyes. "He's all right! They just knocked him out. Check for yourself. Trowa! Calm down!"
Minutes passed as Wufei and Heero guarded the door, eyes moving over the two bodies on the floor of the room. Finally, Trowa sank so his feet touched the floor, the glow slowly dissipating. "Let. Him. Go." Voice deadly, Trowa continued to glare at the man.
"Don't kill me when I do. I'm not your enemy. And you need me." At Trowa's unmoved expression, the man slowly stepped forward. "Check my mind if you can. Kill me and your friend, Duo will die."
Both boys at the door turned abruptly, guns trained on the man who continued to approach Trowa until he stood directly in front of him. Handing Quatre to the tall boy, he turned his back on them, moving back to where he'd stood when they'd entered the room. He knelt on the floor, looking back at Heero and Wufei as Trowa checked Quatre for wounds.
"Help me. Get my sister and I out of here and I'll heal him. I know all about you, I'm his only hope."
* * *
"Hurry, he's fading fast."
Glaring at the man, Heero shoved past him, laying Duo on the bed. "You said you'd heal him," the Japanese boy said harshly, "Do it."
"You should leave," the tall man said gently.
"No."
Staring at the irate boy for a minute, he finally nodded. "Don't interfere." Turning back to the bed, he moved his hands lightly over the invisible boy until he could bury his fingers in the hair on Duo's forehead. Holding his head still, he suddenly slapped him hard. First one cheek and then the other. Before he could move, Heero's fist hit him and he fell back. Shaking his head groggily, he looked up to see the boy advancing on him, fury blazing in his cobalt eyes.
"Don't!" he cried, holding up his hands. "I *have* to see! I have to know where he's injured."
Heero slowed, then turned abruptly when a soft groan sounded from the bed and Duo appeared. "Duo...?"
Drawing in a painful breath, Duo opened his eyes a crack, looking up at Heero. Seeing his desperate expression, Duo's eyes widened in fear. Swallowing roughly, he slowly lifted his head to look at himself. With another groan, he let his head fall back, eyes closed, face screwed into an expression of misery.
Standing, the blonde man moved to lay a hand on Heero's shoulder. "You won't like this, but I want you to stand on his other side and keep him still." Heero stared at him in obvious mistrust, but did as he said, moving to the other side of the bed and grasping Duo's hand in his.
Duo's eyes opened and widened as the blonde man leaned over him, recognizing him as the man he'd seen in the compound. He was opening his mouth to warn Heero when the man suddenly drew a deep breath and, closing Duo's nostrils with one hand, pressed his lips to the boy's, breathing into his mouth. Fire raced through Duo's body, igniting where the bullets had hit him. Back arching from the pain, he pushed weakly at the man's shoulder, squeezing Heero's hand so hard that his fingernails cut skin. Finally, the man pulled back, gasping for breath and staggering for a moment before he placed his hands on the bloody wound on the right side of Duo's chest.
Gasping from the pain, Duo curled his free hand into a fist and hit the man, knocking him away. Swearing, the man growled for Heero to hold him as he placed his hands on the wound again. Duo struggled, staring in confusion when Heero grabbed his other hand and jerking furiously until the man finally stepped back.
"That was the worst one. If you bind them, the others can wait until he's asleep so long as I can see the wounds." Not waiting, he moved to the door and left the room.
Releasing Duo's hands, Heero unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it aside so he could see his chest. His eyes widened when he saw only unblemished skin.
"Heero...?" Heero looked up sharply at the confused hurt in Duo's voice.
"It's all right. He was healing you," Heero said quickly, touching Duo's forehead.
"But...he's the one who told them where I was. He's the reason I got shot."
"What?!"
"I *saw* him; he told them where Quatre was."
* * *
Trowa sat on his bed, Quatre lying across his lap, head thrown back limply. Arms around the sleeping boy, Trowa hid his face against Quatre's neck, breathing deeply. //I lost control. What happens if he's hurt? How many will I kill? I *have* to learn to control this. But...I can't lose him.// Suddenly he felt a tug at the hand that was clenched fiercely in Quatre's hair as the pale boy tried to move his head. Letting go, Trowa sat up abruptly, wide eyes moving over the boy's face. "Quatre?"
"Hmmm," Blinking slowly, Quatre looked up at him, expression downcast. "I'm sorry. They caught me off guard."
"God no," Trowa breathed, pulling him close. "It's not your fault. Just...let me hold you? Please."
"Trowa?"
"Please."
* * *
Wufei pushed away from the wall abruptly when the blonde man came out of the bedroom. Gesturing for him to come into the living room, Wufei searched his face. "How is he?"
"He could heal on his own without any more help from me. The other shots went straight through. I'll let them decide if they want to let me near him again."
"What do you mean?" Wufei asked, glancing at the door before staring at the man with narrowed eyes. "Who are you?"
"My name is Zechs," the man said softly, moving toward the couch.
"Millardo, must you--"
Zechs glared at the girl who got off the couch and shook his head. "I'm not a Peacecraft anymore, remember? They didn't want a mutant in the family. My name," he turned his back on the girl and faced Wufei again, "is Zechs Marquis. I've...been watching the four of you for days now under the order of OZ." At Wufei's growl of anger, he raised his hands. "Please, hear me out. This," he turned and gestured to the girl by the couch, "is my sister, Relena. What I did...I did because if I hadn't they would have killed her. I know that doesn't erase the pain your friend went through, but...I did stop them from killing him. Unfortunately, Treize got away, but Duo lived. You see, Treize is the head of OZ right now and he had two objectives. The first was to kill *him*." Zechs pointed down the hall at the closed door. "He believes that boy has powers that haven't shown themselves yet and OZ wants him dead."
"And the second objective?"
"Quatre, of course. He can control people with his mind. OZ wants to use him, to have him working for them."
"You said the four of us," Wufei said suddenly.
"Yes," Zechs answered, eyes wide in awe. "I had absolutely no contact with Trowa at all. The only time I could sense him was when he lost control. Let me tell you, Wufei, that one has powers that are horrifying to the mind. It's a good thing Quatre was unconscious. I don't know if he would have been able to handle the fury that consumes that boy."
"It's strange to hear you say our names so easily. But Trowa," Wufei shook his head slowly. "He never mentioned this to us."
"No. He can't control it, that's why. He lost control of himself."
"Because of Quatre..."
"Excuse me, is everyone going to ignore me all night?" Zechs put a hand over his forehead and sighed in exasperation as Wufei turned to give the girl an incredulous look. "After all," Relena continued, eyes wide, "I'm a victim here."
"Of course," Zechs said quickly, looking to Wufei. "Is there a place where my dear sister can get some rest? If we're still welcome that is."
Still giving the girl a strange look, Wufei nodded. "Follow me." Leading the girl, Wufei opened the door to Quatre's room, knowing *he* wouldn't be using it. He doubted Trowa was going to let the boy out of his sight. "You can sleep here." At the girl's gracious thanks, he frowned. "Don't touch anything."
Returning to the living room, Wufei arrived at the same time as Heero. "Finish healing him, then we talk," Heero said, not making it a request. Zechs nodded and entered the bedroom. As he followed the tall man, Heero paused to look at Wufei.
Duo watched as Zechs entered the room, still eyeing the man warily. He let out a silent sigh when Heero joined them, eyes lighting up when he spotted Wufei. At Heero's nod, Zechs began healing the more minor wounds Duo'd sustained.
"How are you?" Wufei asked quietly as he touched Duo's hand lightly, Heero watching from his post against the wall.
With a soft laugh, Duo grinned and grimaced at the dark haired boy, making a face at the burning sensation that accompanied the healing. "I've been better." Glancing at the man leaning over him, Duo looked at Wufei and raised his eyebrows.
"This is Zechs. Don't worry about him."
Suddenly Duo's eyes widened. "Quatre! Is he all right?"
"Fine," Wufei said quickly. "You'll get a recap of everything in the morning."
* * *
"What powers does OZ, or this man Treize think Duo has?" Wufei asked. Heero'd been debriefed and had moved Duo into his room since *his* bed didn't have bloodstains on it. At least, that was the reason he'd given, Duo'd already passed out from exhaustion.
"Did he tell you about the church he lived in?" Zechs asked. At Wufei's frown, he told him about the Maxwell Church massacre. "Your friend was the only survivor. They even have footage of the massacre. That's what clued Treize in. Duo doesn't seem to remember, but there was no way he could have gotten out of that church. OZ nailed the doors shut and guarded the entire perimeter. There's film of Duo appearing outside the church and then disappearing mid-run as he escaped. But no one can figure out how he got through the door. Treize thinks he either walked through it or transported himself to the outside."
"Maybe he just found a way out," Wufei said, scowling.
"I don't know," Zechs warned, "but Treize considers him a major threat. Duo's at the top of his list."
"Which explains whey they've been so determined to catch him." Wufei glared, then looked at Zechs who was sitting on the couch. "And now this man wants Quatre."
"At least he wants *him* alive."
"Well, it looks like we have a new target. It's late, you can sleep in my room." Without checking to see if he agreed, Wufei opened the door to his room only to find Zechs staring at him, pale blue eyes wide. Suddenly Wufei smirked and looked him in the eyes, slowly looking down then back up again before raising an eyebrow at the man's stricken expression. "*I* will be sleeping on the couch."
* * *
TBC
Category: AU, Yaoi, Gundam Wing fusion with the X-men series
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5x6/6x5
Warnings: shonen ai, slight violence, minor angst, nothing extreme
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
G-men
Part 13: Complications
Heero looked over the two boys as they entered the kitchen, his trained eyes taking in every incriminating detail. Quatre came through the door first, blue green eyes wide and happy, a small smile playing on his lips. Heero's gaze went over his damp blonde hair to Trowa's equally damp hair. Trowa was staring at the shorter boy and didn't glance up until Quatre sat down, sitting beside him and glancing around the table. Heero met his green eyes, taking in the raised eyebrow and nodded slightly before he stood and went behind the counter.
Taking a baking sheet with cinnamon rolls out of the oven, Heero put them on a plate and carried them back to the table, setting the plate next to others in the center. Sitting down again, he watched as Quatre and Trowa began eating breakfast. Grabbing two rolls, he set one in front of Duo. The boy was nodding off again, about to fall face first onto his now-empty plate. Head snapping up with a jerk, Duo blinked large violet eyes at Heero for a moment before a goofy grin crossed his face as he latched onto the food.
"More coffee?"
Heero turned slowly to stare at Wufei, still unable to understand the boy. //He's been smirking at me since I got up. And smiling at Duo. Why? Does he really not know the progress I've made? Doesn't he realize things are going to be harder for him?// Still looking over the boy, Heero didn't answer, blinking when the Chinese boy smiled again and poured coffee into his cup before moving around him to stand by Duo.
Having wolfed down the roll, Duo was slowly leaning forward again, eyes drooping. Wufei gave his braid a sharp tug, earning him a possessive glare from Heero and a startled yipe from the longhaired boy. Looking over his shoulder, Duo glared and wrinkled his nose at Wufei's challenging expression before snatching up his mug and holding it out. "You certainly make a good waitress, Wufei," Duo taunted, frowning when he couldn't get a rise out of the other boy. Glancing around the table, he smiled at Trowa and Quatre, not having noticed when they'd come in. "I'm not a morning person."
"Obviously," Heero muttered without thinking, eyes widening when Duo stuck his tongue out at him and grinned before downing his coffee, mindless of the heat.
* * *
"We have another mission, a potentially dangerous one."
Duo glanced at Heero's blank expression and sighed. "You don't beat around the bush, do you."
"No. I've received word that OZ has one, possibly two mutants in their possession. We are to release them if they're captive and kill them if they've joined forces with OZ."
"But...I thought OZ refused to use mutants." Quatre looked around the table, eyes wide.
"There were nets inside the last compound. It's reasonable to believe they are making plans to catch mutants alive," Trowa said slowly. "If they have one or more already then we must act."
"My information says there should be fewer guards than before, but the compound is twice as large as the last one. We have to get inside and find those mutants. It would be best if we get them out alive, willing or not." Heero looked at Quatre, but Duo was the first to ask.
"How will we do that?"
"Quatre. If he can get close enough he can force them outside without any trouble." Trowa's eyes narrowed immediately, but he didn't argue, obviously waiting to hear the rest. "It would be best if they don't even know we were there until we have the mutants safely outside the compound. Duo, you would go in first and find places for Quatre and the mutants to hide when guards are around. It would be up to you to let them know when the area is clear."
"And us?" Trowa stared at Heero, expression calm as if he were resigned to the danger involved. More likely, he realized that the danger was not as great as it might have been.
"Stationed near the exit," Heero answered, relieved that the tall boy was not going to let his emotions lead him to objecting. *He* was just as uncomfortable with the idea of Duo going in and *he* couldn't be seen. "Trowa, you will monitor Quatre and Duo. If there is any trouble the three of us," he glanced at Wufei who nodded sharply, "will act as back-up. Hopefully we can get the mutants out and *then* stage an attack."
"When do I go?" Duo asked even though he suspected what the answer would be.
"Originally the plan was to attack tomorrow night, but there's evidence that they plan to move the mutants tomorrow so we'll go in tonight."
"Alright. Are there layouts of this base?" At Heero's negative shake of his head. Wufei frowned. "Then there's no point in reviewing anything. Let's prepare."
* * *
"There's a girl, not far from here." Quatre frowned as he concentrated, then pointed. "I think she's about twenty yards that way."
"Okay," Duo whispered back. "Wait here. I'll go find her. If she's alone, I'll come back and get you. Just monitor me. If anything happens stay here."
Quatre nodded and Duo slipped out the door of the dark storage room. Everything was going very smoothly. Moving silently, he passed the few guards unseen, stopping outside a wide set of doors that were opened to reveal an interesting scene.
A tall man with long white-blonde hair was standing in the corner of the room next to a small table covered with blueprints. Entering, Duo sidled against the wall so he could hear what was being said. There were three men in uniform standing next to the blonde man, one of which had stripes on his shoulder denoting a high rank. He had short, red-brown hair and arched, split eyebrows.
Leaning over the table, the blonde man slowly pointed to a spot on the print. "Here," he said softly, raising pale blue eyes to the brown haired man.
"And the other one?"
Duo was about to leave when the blonde man suddenly straightened and looked around the room. "He's here."
The three men in uniform reacted immediately. Backs to the corner, they opened fire on the room, mindless of the equipment that was riddled with bullets. Falling against the wall, Duo slowly raised his gun as his vision blurred. Catching one of the soldier's in the chest as he slid to the floor, he saw the brown haired man aim toward him.
Realizing the smear of blood where he'd hit the wall had given him away, Duo closed his eyes as he thought desperately to Quatre. //Get out. Have to get out. Go. Run. I have to get out...// Thought of escape consumed his mind and he pictured the safe-house as another gun went off and everything went black.
* * *
Hearing Duo's call, Quatre made for the door only to freeze when it was jerked open and a dart hit him in the neck. Before he could think, he felt himself collapsing. //Trowa...//
* * *
"Quatre!?"
Heero and Wufei flinched and turned in shock at Trowa's scream, frozen as they stared at him. His green eyes blazed in the dark of the room they hid in, a bright pulsating light that flowed down to surround his entire body. He flew by them as if he'd forgotten they were there, hitting the door with both open palms and sending it flying back off the hinges in a green explosion. Not pausing to check for enemies, he flew down the hall. Heero and Wufei exchanged a shocked glance, then Heero's eyes widened. "Duo."
Running together, the two boys followed Trowa's path, the occasional body marking the way. A siren was sounding and gunfire could be heard from somewhere ahead of them, spurring them on. "What the hell happened to him?!" Wufei cried as they ran, guns ready for any soldier that might have made it past the crazed boy.
"I don't know," Heero said, whirling to shoot the sudden outpour of soldiers through a door. Moving in front of Wufei, he fired into the hall, taking the few bullets that hit him easily as lightening shot through the walls to take care of the men his bullets didn't reach.
Finally, they reached the eye of the storm only to find that they'd missed it. Trowa floated two feet off the ground, green fire blazing around him as he glared at a tall, blonde man. It was obviously a stand-off as the man stood against a wall, Quatre held limp in his arms.
"Please stop," the man cried softly, looking at Trowa with pleading eyes. "He's all right! They just knocked him out. Check for yourself. Trowa! Calm down!"
Minutes passed as Wufei and Heero guarded the door, eyes moving over the two bodies on the floor of the room. Finally, Trowa sank so his feet touched the floor, the glow slowly dissipating. "Let. Him. Go." Voice deadly, Trowa continued to glare at the man.
"Don't kill me when I do. I'm not your enemy. And you need me." At Trowa's unmoved expression, the man slowly stepped forward. "Check my mind if you can. Kill me and your friend, Duo will die."
Both boys at the door turned abruptly, guns trained on the man who continued to approach Trowa until he stood directly in front of him. Handing Quatre to the tall boy, he turned his back on them, moving back to where he'd stood when they'd entered the room. He knelt on the floor, looking back at Heero and Wufei as Trowa checked Quatre for wounds.
"Help me. Get my sister and I out of here and I'll heal him. I know all about you, I'm his only hope."
* * *
"Hurry, he's fading fast."
Glaring at the man, Heero shoved past him, laying Duo on the bed. "You said you'd heal him," the Japanese boy said harshly, "Do it."
"You should leave," the tall man said gently.
"No."
Staring at the irate boy for a minute, he finally nodded. "Don't interfere." Turning back to the bed, he moved his hands lightly over the invisible boy until he could bury his fingers in the hair on Duo's forehead. Holding his head still, he suddenly slapped him hard. First one cheek and then the other. Before he could move, Heero's fist hit him and he fell back. Shaking his head groggily, he looked up to see the boy advancing on him, fury blazing in his cobalt eyes.
"Don't!" he cried, holding up his hands. "I *have* to see! I have to know where he's injured."
Heero slowed, then turned abruptly when a soft groan sounded from the bed and Duo appeared. "Duo...?"
Drawing in a painful breath, Duo opened his eyes a crack, looking up at Heero. Seeing his desperate expression, Duo's eyes widened in fear. Swallowing roughly, he slowly lifted his head to look at himself. With another groan, he let his head fall back, eyes closed, face screwed into an expression of misery.
Standing, the blonde man moved to lay a hand on Heero's shoulder. "You won't like this, but I want you to stand on his other side and keep him still." Heero stared at him in obvious mistrust, but did as he said, moving to the other side of the bed and grasping Duo's hand in his.
Duo's eyes opened and widened as the blonde man leaned over him, recognizing him as the man he'd seen in the compound. He was opening his mouth to warn Heero when the man suddenly drew a deep breath and, closing Duo's nostrils with one hand, pressed his lips to the boy's, breathing into his mouth. Fire raced through Duo's body, igniting where the bullets had hit him. Back arching from the pain, he pushed weakly at the man's shoulder, squeezing Heero's hand so hard that his fingernails cut skin. Finally, the man pulled back, gasping for breath and staggering for a moment before he placed his hands on the bloody wound on the right side of Duo's chest.
Gasping from the pain, Duo curled his free hand into a fist and hit the man, knocking him away. Swearing, the man growled for Heero to hold him as he placed his hands on the wound again. Duo struggled, staring in confusion when Heero grabbed his other hand and jerking furiously until the man finally stepped back.
"That was the worst one. If you bind them, the others can wait until he's asleep so long as I can see the wounds." Not waiting, he moved to the door and left the room.
Releasing Duo's hands, Heero unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it aside so he could see his chest. His eyes widened when he saw only unblemished skin.
"Heero...?" Heero looked up sharply at the confused hurt in Duo's voice.
"It's all right. He was healing you," Heero said quickly, touching Duo's forehead.
"But...he's the one who told them where I was. He's the reason I got shot."
"What?!"
"I *saw* him; he told them where Quatre was."
* * *
Trowa sat on his bed, Quatre lying across his lap, head thrown back limply. Arms around the sleeping boy, Trowa hid his face against Quatre's neck, breathing deeply. //I lost control. What happens if he's hurt? How many will I kill? I *have* to learn to control this. But...I can't lose him.// Suddenly he felt a tug at the hand that was clenched fiercely in Quatre's hair as the pale boy tried to move his head. Letting go, Trowa sat up abruptly, wide eyes moving over the boy's face. "Quatre?"
"Hmmm," Blinking slowly, Quatre looked up at him, expression downcast. "I'm sorry. They caught me off guard."
"God no," Trowa breathed, pulling him close. "It's not your fault. Just...let me hold you? Please."
"Trowa?"
"Please."
* * *
Wufei pushed away from the wall abruptly when the blonde man came out of the bedroom. Gesturing for him to come into the living room, Wufei searched his face. "How is he?"
"He could heal on his own without any more help from me. The other shots went straight through. I'll let them decide if they want to let me near him again."
"What do you mean?" Wufei asked, glancing at the door before staring at the man with narrowed eyes. "Who are you?"
"My name is Zechs," the man said softly, moving toward the couch.
"Millardo, must you--"
Zechs glared at the girl who got off the couch and shook his head. "I'm not a Peacecraft anymore, remember? They didn't want a mutant in the family. My name," he turned his back on the girl and faced Wufei again, "is Zechs Marquis. I've...been watching the four of you for days now under the order of OZ." At Wufei's growl of anger, he raised his hands. "Please, hear me out. This," he turned and gestured to the girl by the couch, "is my sister, Relena. What I did...I did because if I hadn't they would have killed her. I know that doesn't erase the pain your friend went through, but...I did stop them from killing him. Unfortunately, Treize got away, but Duo lived. You see, Treize is the head of OZ right now and he had two objectives. The first was to kill *him*." Zechs pointed down the hall at the closed door. "He believes that boy has powers that haven't shown themselves yet and OZ wants him dead."
"And the second objective?"
"Quatre, of course. He can control people with his mind. OZ wants to use him, to have him working for them."
"You said the four of us," Wufei said suddenly.
"Yes," Zechs answered, eyes wide in awe. "I had absolutely no contact with Trowa at all. The only time I could sense him was when he lost control. Let me tell you, Wufei, that one has powers that are horrifying to the mind. It's a good thing Quatre was unconscious. I don't know if he would have been able to handle the fury that consumes that boy."
"It's strange to hear you say our names so easily. But Trowa," Wufei shook his head slowly. "He never mentioned this to us."
"No. He can't control it, that's why. He lost control of himself."
"Because of Quatre..."
"Excuse me, is everyone going to ignore me all night?" Zechs put a hand over his forehead and sighed in exasperation as Wufei turned to give the girl an incredulous look. "After all," Relena continued, eyes wide, "I'm a victim here."
"Of course," Zechs said quickly, looking to Wufei. "Is there a place where my dear sister can get some rest? If we're still welcome that is."
Still giving the girl a strange look, Wufei nodded. "Follow me." Leading the girl, Wufei opened the door to Quatre's room, knowing *he* wouldn't be using it. He doubted Trowa was going to let the boy out of his sight. "You can sleep here." At the girl's gracious thanks, he frowned. "Don't touch anything."
Returning to the living room, Wufei arrived at the same time as Heero. "Finish healing him, then we talk," Heero said, not making it a request. Zechs nodded and entered the bedroom. As he followed the tall man, Heero paused to look at Wufei.
Duo watched as Zechs entered the room, still eyeing the man warily. He let out a silent sigh when Heero joined them, eyes lighting up when he spotted Wufei. At Heero's nod, Zechs began healing the more minor wounds Duo'd sustained.
"How are you?" Wufei asked quietly as he touched Duo's hand lightly, Heero watching from his post against the wall.
With a soft laugh, Duo grinned and grimaced at the dark haired boy, making a face at the burning sensation that accompanied the healing. "I've been better." Glancing at the man leaning over him, Duo looked at Wufei and raised his eyebrows.
"This is Zechs. Don't worry about him."
Suddenly Duo's eyes widened. "Quatre! Is he all right?"
"Fine," Wufei said quickly. "You'll get a recap of everything in the morning."
* * *
"What powers does OZ, or this man Treize think Duo has?" Wufei asked. Heero'd been debriefed and had moved Duo into his room since *his* bed didn't have bloodstains on it. At least, that was the reason he'd given, Duo'd already passed out from exhaustion.
"Did he tell you about the church he lived in?" Zechs asked. At Wufei's frown, he told him about the Maxwell Church massacre. "Your friend was the only survivor. They even have footage of the massacre. That's what clued Treize in. Duo doesn't seem to remember, but there was no way he could have gotten out of that church. OZ nailed the doors shut and guarded the entire perimeter. There's film of Duo appearing outside the church and then disappearing mid-run as he escaped. But no one can figure out how he got through the door. Treize thinks he either walked through it or transported himself to the outside."
"Maybe he just found a way out," Wufei said, scowling.
"I don't know," Zechs warned, "but Treize considers him a major threat. Duo's at the top of his list."
"Which explains whey they've been so determined to catch him." Wufei glared, then looked at Zechs who was sitting on the couch. "And now this man wants Quatre."
"At least he wants *him* alive."
"Well, it looks like we have a new target. It's late, you can sleep in my room." Without checking to see if he agreed, Wufei opened the door to his room only to find Zechs staring at him, pale blue eyes wide. Suddenly Wufei smirked and looked him in the eyes, slowly looking down then back up again before raising an eyebrow at the man's stricken expression. "*I* will be sleeping on the couch."
* * *
TBC