Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Above You ❯ Chapter 13

Thirteen

“I’m not feelin’ the no-answer thing,” Trowa snapped, glancing up at Wufei.

“Don’t worry about it right now,” Wufei retorted, keeping to the side of the herd. The hostages were a good little flock of sheeps and were following Duo without even the slightest hint of hesitation.

He had a feeling they were going to catch hell from any form of military-ranked official when they got to the next colony, but at the same time, without hostages, the situation on 27 could be dealt with in a much more direct fashion.

They’d claim that, too, make it sound real pretty—they wouldn’t much let on that they’d only gone because Heero’s piece of ass was in danger.

…that was unfair.

Trowa grinned tightly at a man who had glanced at him.

Evidently, they’d sown enough commotion in the colony-proper that the remainder of the soldiers weren’t thinking about the hostages that were slipping very smoothly through their fingers.

- -

“Oh no!” Matty breathed, moving forward and hovering over one of the soldiers that had been guarding the room. “Oh…Max…”

“Nothing to be done about it,” Heero snapped, yanking him past the mess. He wasn’t sure how many of the forms were just bodies, and he didn’t want Matty to think of it, either. There were enough of them still breathing that hopefully he wouldn’t think some of them could be dead.

“But…”

“But nothing,” Heero snapped back, shoving him on. “We have to go, Matty.”

Matty moved quickly to keep up with the other, biting his lips uncertainly. The siren had gone silent at some point, but there was so much going on that it hardly seemed like a noticeable fact—especially with the red lights flashing.

They’d taken several more turns, heading in a direction that Matty couldn’t even imagine…when his left arm was grabbed from behind.

He yelped in pain, then horror as he realized that Ranger had grabbed him.

The man laughed evilly, a wicked smile crossing his face. “I knew you were lying.”

Heero had turned, and had his weapon pointing at Ranger’s head…but he wasn’t moving. He was staring at the man hard.

“Your phone, it’s all wired up, isn’t it?” Ranger hissed in his ear. “You knew that, and that’s why you wouldn’t…”

“You think that, too?” Heero purred in amusement. “You think we were plotting some big massive invasion?” he laughed coldly. “I still can’t tell if killing you would be a violation or not.”

Ranger focused on him sharply, narrowing his eyes…and tightening his hand.

Matty choked on a pained cry. The man scared him, and he couldn’t seem to make his mind work beyond the immediate pain.

“You’re right,” Heero purred, studying the man’s eyes, “it doesn’t matter, does it? Legal or no.”

“As if your superiors would give you shit over me after the massacre back there,” he gestured toward the room they’d all been in.

“Superiors?” Heero asked sweetly, grinning slightly. “I think you have a misguided sense of reality here. We have no superiors.”

The man narrowed his eyes…and squeezed Matty’s arm again.

Heero moved…and evidently Ranger wasn’t expecting it, either, because as he fell back from the blow to his face he pulled Matty with him. They fell in a pile, and Matty scrambled, trying to catch own balance or find his footing…or something…but there were too many arms and legs around him…

Heero, though, had much more control than that, and allowed the teen to scramble as he struggled against Ranger’s hands. Their grappling wasn’t going to do much, though, until Matty got out of the way.

The teen found himself and darted out of the pile, falling against the wall more than not before pushing himself up to his feet again.

Heero snarled as Ranger’s elbow slammed into his chest, catching that before the blow could be repeated…then dodged a knee. It was enough of a distraction for the other man to gain his control, and shove. They rolled, then rolled again, launching furious blows at each other’s faces and chests.

Blood, sweat, and spit covered both of them, and Heero didn’t even care to tell whose blood was whose. His stomach had clenched as tightly as his teeth. He was aware of snarling, but he wasn’t sure if there were any words contained in it, and from what he could make out of Ranger’s snarls, he doubted he was trying to speak…

“Stop!” Matty’s voice was scared but firm as he moved up beside them. “Stop it, now!”

Heero was going to ignore the guy and continue—there was something very satisfying about pummeling the man—but Ranger froze completely, his eyes focused up. The former-pilot glanced sidelong to see at what…and saw the nose of the gun he’d been carrying about level with his cheek and aimed at Ranger’s head.

Even though Matty had never shot before in his life, the chances of him missing from two or three feet away were very slim.

He sat up, wiping his mouth with his arm and the back of his hand, noting as he did so that the blood was thick.

“Let’s just go,” Matty muttered, glancing at Heero.

Heero looked back up to him, realizing he had tears down his cheeks—but his aim never waivered, not more than the shaking of his arms required.

“I’m going!” Matty snapped…and dropped the gun…to run.

Heero snarled, catching the weapon as he jumped to his feet. Ranger had his hands up and was staring at Heero in confusion. Heero started to back away, then pointed the weapon at Ranger again as the man started to move.

Ranger froze.

Heero spat a few choice curses and blood onto the floor between them, then turned to give chase.

Matty had no idea where they were or where they were going, and if he got too far away in the wrong direction, they’d all be screwed.

- -

“That’s it, Colonel,” Rab hissed as Quatre backed himself against the wall. “It’s so good of you to cooperate without me having to speak my desires.”

“How’d you find me?” Quatre returned easily, not overly bothered by the revolver. It wasn’t aimed for a headshot, and unless it hit his knee, he’d be fine.

“Well, I just had this thought,” Rab returned, his eyes bright as he studied Quatre. “My surveyors said that no one was coming toward the colony, and that no one seemed to be waiting outside of it. There were no signs of entry from here, but I should check on the men here to see if I’d lost it…and here you are. One lone blond idiot.”

Quatre flashed him a grin at that. Rab had a tendency to spit blond jokes at him when he was angry with him—and that had happened many many times when they were all working together. “I know you haven’t forgotten that I topped well out of colonel, Colonel.”

The man sneered at him.

“Oh, that’s right,” Quatre purred. “You were going for the star, weren’t you?” Quatre smirked, then shifted back as the gun moved toward his face.

“Who sent you?” Rab snarled.

“Yuy,” Quatre returned easily.

“Who sent you?” Rab repeated, jabbing him with the muzzle.

“Yuy,” Quatre repeated, wondering if Rab was going to go into one of the fits that had earned him the name ‘Rabid.’

“You expect me to believe you?” he snapped, drawing himself up—this meant the weapon was lowered. He was staring at Quatre incredulously. He shook his head after a moment, then moved toward the door to the ship. “Secure the port!”

“Sorry, Colonel,” Quatre muttered, gathering himself internally. “That’s not the plan.”

“What?” the man snapped, turning to look back at him.

Quatre shoved himself off the wall and slammed into the man’s back. They fell forward onto the deck as the various soldiers stopped what they were doing to point their weapons at Quatre.

This was more like it…

Quatre decided he’d been spending far too much time with Maxwell.

He tussled with the man on the ground for a long moment, realizing that he was hearing something. Feet…people moving fast.

“Ready?” Duo demanded.

“Ready…” Trowa agreed.

“Right,” Wufei muttered.

The soldiers started swinging around.

“Everyone get down!” Quatre shouted, then brought his knee into Rab’s spine. For a moment he had the terrible feeling he’d broken it, but he could tell he hadn’t more than hurt the man. Rab was laying all but completely still, gasping around the incapacitating pain.

The soldiers half-turned back to him, then focused on the approaching trio.

Where was Heero?

Quatre ripped the revolver out of Rab’s hand and threw it hard at a soldier’s head…which made him drop his weapon in surprise and cringe down. It also brought the attention of one of his comrades to him.

He couldn’t really blame them for that, revolvers weren’t usually used as the projectiles…stuff from one, maybe, but…

Quatre launched from the downed man at those confused soldiers…as the shooting started.

He had a feeling he was going to end up with a really large hole somewhere he didn’t want it…like his head…but he wasn’t going to go hide with at least forty-six innocent civilians who had no idea what was going on.

The fact that Marsh had only brought a handful of soldiers confused Quatre.

He knew the others were going to give him hell for putting his weapon down…and he had a feeling he was going to truly and fully regret his hand-to-hand, since it seemed to be more hand-to-hard things. He more or less incapacitated another man…which cleared the way for Duo to back a few more up to the corner on the far side.

“Go!” Quatre shouted at the prisoners. “Don’t step on anyone!”

“Go…go…” Wufei urged as Trowa started herding the people.

“I’ll clean up,” Quatre muttered to Trowa and Wufei. “Go keep it clear…”

“Right,” Trowa muttered, disappearing. Wufei glanced between Duo and Quatre a moment hesitantly, then darted out to follow.

- -

Heero snarled, shoving Matty down as a shot flew a bit wildly above his head. He could hear noise ahead of them, too.

“I’ll clean up!” Quatre shouted. “Go keep it clear…”

“Right,” Trowa returned promptly.

Heero felt relief, knowing that he could turn now, and take care of Ranger once and for all.

He’d almost thought the guy might stay down…almost.

“Go!” Heero snarled, shoving Matty toward the opening that Trowa had just appeared in.

“Rigel!” Matty cried, starting for him, then slowed as he realized Heero wasn’t following. He turned back to the guy.

“Now!” Heero snarled, gesturing at him, but looking to Trowa.

Trowa flashed him a brief and brilliant grin, darting forward and grabbing the boy.

“You think you’ve got away now?” Ranger snarled, though he was hiding behind a wall Heero had already passed. He was aware that if he moved anymore forward, he’d be an open target.

“Well, we aren’t quite on the ship,” Heero noted conversationally. “I can’t think we’re getting away until the ship gets sealed and launched.

“Rab’s gonna…”

“Rabid can’t really do anything to us,” Heero noted skeptically.

“Rabid is laying in the fetal position back there,” Wufei noted, moving up to join Heero and look down the hall at Ranger, who was looking back at them blankly. “Blondie got’im in the back.”

“Didn’t kill him, did he?” Heero asked blankly. That idea was strange.

“Nah, I don’t think he can move right now, though…who is that? Oh…Ranger,” Wufei studied the man’s face with a brief smirk, then looked back to Heero’s. “I can’t tell which of you is worse off.”

“It was a lot more satisfying than just shooting him,” Heero noted, thinking about it. “Is that strange?”

“Not at all,” Wufei reassured him, grinning slightly. “If you’re done here?” he indicated the other man with his head.

“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Heero agreed, starting to back away. Wufei followed, covering his retreat with a few shots in the general direction of the other man.

“We didn’t decimate them, did we?” Heero added as he moved around the corner. Trowa was trying to force Matty properly into the ship and Duo was standing on one side with his firearm ready. Quatre was on the other side, his also ready, but everyone he was looking at was laying on the ground.

“I don’t think so,” Wufei muttered, turning to run properly with Heero toward the ship.

Matty turned to look at them, and as he realized that Heero was coming, his entire mannerism turned lighter and he stood straighter, no longer pulling at Trowa…and then his eyes widened.

Heero shoved Wufei bodily aside as the shot rang out…another near-miss, then turned with his weapon ready as Ranger stopped in the middle of the isle, taking in the mess around the ship.

“Get on,” Heero ordered Wufei, turning his gun on the soldiers in the corner who’d laid down their weapons. They were standing nervously, looking at their fallen comrades on the far side and looking at Duo.

“Right,” Wufei agreed, backing away with his eyes on all the men.

Duo fell back as well, eyes on Ranger as the man noticed the soldiers in the corner, then to the men on the floor as Quatre and Heero started backwards toward the door together.

Ranger’s eyes moved from the injured…and up to Quatre.

He stopped entirely as he realized what he’d been feeling the whole time.

It had been him.

Quatre smirked at the man, still backing off.

“The kid wasn’t lying, was he?” Ranger demanded, his eyes hard.

“Only a very little,” Quatre agreed. “Take it in good faith that you were right about his phone being weird.”

“Huh?” Heero asked blankly, not following the exchange.

“He’s got the same problem I do,” Quatre noted, smirking wickedly at the man. “And that means that he can feel things that other people feel…and he felt us and our plans…he just thought it was as simple as the teenager lying.” He flashed the man another grin, moving in front of Heero.

Heero knew they didn’t have time to quibble over who was supposed to be covering their retreat. He turned and darted into the ship as Quatre stood there, staring at the man a long moment. The guy didn’t know any of what he could do, but Quatre’d had practice, and while it would look to anyone else like they were just watching each other, Quatre was eating up the man’s aura, memorizing it, testing it and tasting it so he’d be sure to recognize it if he ever came across it again…then he turned and slid into the machine, hitting the seal on the door.

Ranger was too amazed and confused to react as the seal closed behind the blond, not understanding what he’d been feeling at all. The seals locked and the ship started…

“Ranger?” Rab demanded. “Ranger?”

Ranger focused on his leader in confusion, moving forward to look him over.

“Get the damn medics, idiot,” Rab hissed starting to move some. “Hurry!”

Ranger pulled his communicator out and made the call.

He wasn’t sure what had just happened…and he had no idea what would happen next.

One of the soldiers who’d put down their weapons shifted to the side.

“Oh, move already!” Ranger snarled at the group of them. Only about six, but still should have been enough to take out the men who’d been there already. “What is this nonsense?!”

“Don’t get all cocky on us,” one of the men snarled back. “Get down on your knees and pray to whatever god you trust that you’re not dead. You just survived a Gundam pilot.”

Ranger froze, realizing vaguely that his face was starting to throb.

“You look like shit,” someone else noted, moving around and starting toward the downed men. “What happened to you?”

“How do you know they were Gundams?” Ranger demanded.

“Because we’re not stupid,” someone else spat back, moving around as a commotion started in the hall. “What happened to you?”

Ranger gestured after the ship. “I was trying to find that damn kid.”

“What the hell just happened?” another of the men asked blankly. “Why did they just take back that transport? Where’s their backup?”

“According to sainted-fucking-Winner,” Rab snarled, having pushed himself up to a sitting position, “they had no back-up.”

The men looked around to each other.

“According to sainted-fucking-Winner,” Rab added, glaring at the closed doors, “Yuy sent them.”

“Yuy?” Ranger asked.

“You know?” Rab spat back. “He was the one mopping the floor with your face.”

Ranger’s eyes widened.

“Oh, god,” Rab muttered, looking around. “Did he kill Timorre? Where is he? Timorre? Timorre!” Rab had his communicator out.

“He wasn’t dead when I found him,” Ranger noted, starting to move toward the exit. “He was unconscious, though.”

“Go get him some help,” Rab snapped, gesturing at him. “God…those bastards! Those bastards!”

The fact that the man had tears in his eyes spokes volumes to Ranger and the other soldiers, but no one responded to his accusation.

There was nothing they could do.