Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Coming Home ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Title: Coming Home

Author: ShitaeTenshi (shitaetenshi @ hotmail.com)

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

General Warnings: some OOC (trying to keep that to a minimum), angst

Summary: In a race against time the former Gundam pilots try to stop two experiments. But the experiments have their own agenda.

Rating: R

Spoilers: post EW

Pairings: 1+2+3+4+5, 2+H, no romantic relationships (and no whining about it!)

Quick Key

“blah” speaking

`blah' thoughts

 

—

 

True to her word, Une had the shuttle prepped and ready for Heero and Duo just as they arrived to the spaceport. The two agents boarded quickly, dismissing the crew currently aboard. As soon as the last one left Duo took the pilots seat, starting up the small shuttle. His eyes glowed as he worked, the only sign of his feelings. “Control, this is shuttle P-195 requesting immediate hookup and tow, do you copy?”

 

“This is Control, we've got an opening on the launcher in fifteen minutes. The truck is on its way and should be there soon.” The person up in the tower sounded quite pissed that his schedule was being thrown out the window by a couple of hot-shot agents, barely adult hot-shot agents at that.

 

“Roger that.” Duo flicked the switch, turning his end off. Not like he wanted to speak with the man up there anyways. He leaned back, mentally plotting a course to take them to the abandoned laboratory; Quatre had found the coordinates, immediately informing the two of them.

 

Heero watched the almost mechanical movements of his newly assigned partner. He couldn't find fault with Quatre for breaking up their normal working pairs; after all, he and Duo were the ones best suited for this part. A part of him shuddered as he remembered how Quatre had sounded when he called; the last time Quatre had sounded like that was just before he'd destroyed a colony while piloting Zero.

 

“Hey Heero, check the course for me?”

 

Sitting forward, Heero quickly scanned the screen in front of him, one eyebrow arching. He did some rapid calculations and turned to face Duo. “You want to go to the far side of the asteroid?”

 

Duo shrugged, watching the tow truck draw closer. “We'll need to see what's there and we won't get a better chance to. If there's a secondary docking port that's where it'll be.”

 

“Fine.” Heero leaned back into the seat, securing the various straps as the truck hooked up, jarring both of them. Muttering curses under his breath Duo strapped himself in, hands back on the controls the moment the straps were secured. Apparently the guy in the truck shared the opinion of Control. Minutes later they flew up from the launcher and free of Earth's gravity. Not bothering to conserve fuel Duo had the thrusters at full; the faster they got there the better. Duo just wondered how the lead agent on scene would react.

 

—

 

“I understand. Thank you for your time.” Trowa leaned back as he shut off the vidphone.

 

“Last one?” Wufei asked from the doorway, a pile of papers hugged close to his chest.

 

“Mmm. All the ports are on alert. Anything that deviates from their procedures we'll be informed of.” He nodded at the papers. “Hard copies of their schedules?”

 

“Yes and no.” Wufei carefully made his way over, depositing the pile onto Trowa's desk. Separating it into two piles, he explained. “These,” he tapped one pile, “are the hardcopies of every flight plan submitted to the port Preventers uses. These,” he tapped the other pile, “are their computer counterparts.” Wufei scowled at the two piles. “It's the only way we'll find a hacked flight plan.”

 

“Merde,” Trowa softly swore, realizing that all the spaceports would need the same treatment.

 

“It gets better,” Quatre called as he joined the two, closing the door behind him. “According to the initial data, the shuttle the two stole was designed by G with a far superior stealth system than even Deathscythe.” He placed the folder beside the papers, his eyes hard as he stared at them. “And the two, Aaron and Ellie, have been trained and programmed to take out certain targets. Their identity is currently unknown.”

 

“Merde.” The word seemed insufficient as it tried to describe the situation they now found themselves in. Each one mentally prayed Heero and Duo would find the names of those targets, before it was too late.

 

—

 

Duo carefully maneuvered the shuttle, docking perfectly. They hadn't found a second hanger, not even an airlock when they checked the far side of the asteroid. And that nagged at Duo. He'd always made sure wherever he went, he had at least two ways out, even if he had to make them. Try doing that to a pressurized asteroid, and well…

 

“There would have been other docks when this was being mined,” Heero unconsciously echoed Duo's worry. “When they took over I'm sure they only sealed them.”

 

Duo glanced at Heero as he finished powering down the shuttle. “Don't know about you Yuy, but all I saw out there was rock.”

 

“Camouflage.”

 

Duo grunted, his mind turning over that small idea. “Alter `Scythes stealth unit to project rock instead of airlock or hanger. Yeah, that'd work. Damn, that means we'll hafta physically verify each exit is closed.”

 

“Not if the initial team was any good.” Heero glanced at the small command center as he finished unbuckling, recognizing only three of the six people in there. “Agent Meyers is colony-born; as long as he's in charge it's been checked.”

 

“And if he isn't we've got some legwork to do.” After a final check the two agents made their way to the command center, Duo cheerfully greeting everyone they encountered along the way. Everyone seemed surprised to see them; the agent in charge kept a lid on this little development.

 

They met up with agent Meyers Just as he left the command center. “Yuy, Maxwell,” the older agent nodded in greeting. “If you'll follow me.” He took off at a brisk clip, not giving the ex-pilots time to question him. Heero and Duo shared a look before quickly catching up; both could understand the older agents ire. Meyers led them to a small office style room, one that had initially seen duty as a doctor's room.

 

“Let me get directly to the point,” Meyers threw over his shoulder as he strode to the other side of the desk, the only piece of furniture in the room. “I don't like anyone taking over an assignment I've started. And I really don't like being there to see them screw it up. Even though the Commander re-assigned this to you it is still my case.” He pinned each of them in turn, irated further when neither showed any signs of being cowed.

 

“We understand your position,” Duo tried to placate him. “We were all pulled off of our cases and assigned to this one.” His eyes glowed slightly, “You think I'm happy that someone else gets to arrest that child raper?” As quickly as that snarl got out Duo regained his control. “Regardless, Une assigned us because of who's involved.” He grinned brightly, throwing Meyers slightly off balance. “Just think of us as independent consultants.”

 

“What have you discovered since sending that initial report?” Heero interjected, stopping Meyers before he could respond to Duo's suggestion.

 

Meyers frowned slightly, eyes flickering between the two. “You've read that report?”

 

“We know what's in there,” Duo assured him, his cheeky grin disappearing as he focused.

 

“Right then. We found the secondary hanger and signs that it'd been used in a hurry. And a bunch of airlocks, all covered with some kind of energy field. We noted their locations and checked them outside but…”

 

“All you found was rock,” Heero finished, shooting a small grin at Duo. “Camouflage.”

 

“Alright Yuy, you win that one,” Duo grudgingly gave in. “What about the five scientists?”

 

One eyebrow arched at their exchange, Meyers continued. “We've reason to believe that four of them escaped using the secondary hanger. I figure that attempt is what our sensors picked up on.”

 

Heero frowned slightly as he caught a particularly worrying bit of information. Duo beat him to it, though.

 

“Only four?” Duo's forehead creased slightly as he frowned. “How'd you figure that?”

 

Meyers smirked, the expression rather unsettling. “Because one of them, in exchange for a lighter sentence, is actually helping us. Claims he was kept in the dark about the two human projects.”

 

“And you believe him?!” Duo stared aghast at Meyers, even Heero startled.

 

“He's kept under constant guard, him and that … girl he saved.” Meyers scowled. “I hate to admit it, but without his help we'd be shooting in the dark. I have some damned good computer people on my team but these systems…” Meyers shook his head, awed and frustrated.

 

“I'll help with those,” Heero volunteered. “If you'll show me where they're working.”

 

“And I'd like ta speak to this co-operative scientist.” Duo grinned, Meyers backing up half a step at the sight. “Let's see how helpful he's really feeling.”

 

“Right.” Meyers drew a breath, steadying himself. In the back of his mind he wondered if, just maybe, their reputations were deserved.

 

—

 

A/N

And the weirdness continues. Many thanks to those of you that have reviewed; every one is appreciated! For those of you new to my writing, I try to answer questions within the bulk of the story. I find it makes that story more … hmm … suspenseful. As always, reviews are welcome, especially critiques, any flames will be used to make smores.