Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Coming Home ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

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

 

—

 

Wufei placed the last file down, stretching and sighing.

 

“Anything?” Trowa glanced up, comparing two flight plans.

 

“Nothing, the DC port is clean. How's the London port looking?” He leaned back, enjoying this small break. Trowa just shook his head. A small sound from Quatre immediately gained their attention.

 

“Here,” Quatre spread out the pages he'd been comparing, letting the others look. “The initial plans call for a noon landing but it's been pushed back to almost the next morning with no accompanying change request. And its path took it close to that laboratory.” Quatre leaned back, watching the other two. “It's worth investigating.”

 

Nodding slightly, Trowa looked closely at the plans. “Shall we greet them when they land?” Fierce grins answered his question.

 

—

 

The door slamming shut was the only indicator of Duo's mood when he rejoined Heero later that day. The self-proclaimed Shinigami flopped into one of the chairs, narrowed eyes closely watching everyone else. The image of a panther ready to pounce flashed by Heero's mind's eye.

 

“Have you contacted 03, 04 and 05 yet?”

 

Heero paused at Duo's soft question, pitched so only he could hear. And he didn't miss Duo's use of their war codenames. “Yes,” he replied just as quietly. “They're looking for the two shuttles. And they found out a bit more about the two missing experiments.”

 

“So have I,” came a snarled reply. “G is the one helping us, and I can tell that he really didn't know about the human experiments.” His eyes narrowed to mere slits. “He managed to rescue one of the girls used but he has no idea how to reverse what was done to her.”

 

Stopping his typing Heero turned to face Duo. “What did you find?”

 

Duo stayed silent, no expression on his usually versatile face. “They used street kids,” he began in a monotone, “for both experiments. The boys went to J and H, the girls to O and S. We've seen what's been done to the boys; the girls didn't have it any easier. They were kept in cages until needed then knocked out and brought to a lab where they were…”

 

Between clenched teeth Duo hissed, “They turned her into a humanoid cat!” Rage flashed from those deep blue eyes. “The only reason O and S labeled her a failure; their `test' caused fur to grow over her entire body.” With effort he brought himself under control. “The only ones to survive the process were the missing one, Ellie, and the one G saved, Danise.”

 

“What about the new shuttle G built?”

 

Duo snorted. “Lots of luck trying to find it. Doubt I could even if I had `Scythe back. No way Quat and the others will.” He leaned back, relaxing minutely but still on edge. “Only thing we got going for us is G didn't finish some parts. So we just watch places where those pieces are and we'll find our missing kids. At least they can only find those parts on Earth; I'd hate ta hafta search the entire Sphere for them.” He grinned suddenly, eyes dancing with dark humor. “Never thought I'd actually sympathize with OZ.”

 

With a snort Heero turned back and continued working on his terminal. “I've almost hacked through J's security, why don't you work on one of the others? We're to contact Quatre in three hours with an update.” A chair scraping against the floor was Duo's only response as he sat down and began working.

 

—

 

Quatre waited in the command tower as the shuttle, visible on one of the external cameras, taxied to a stop, outwardly calm. They'd contacted the spaceport and informed them of their plans. The head of security, Anita Winters, was more than happy to assist. Trowa, Wufei and a full team waited to spring the trap. They'd move on Quatre's signal.

 

Several agonizing minutes later as work in the spaceport continued unchanged, the ramp of the shuttle lowered and the first passenger stepped out.

 

Anita shivered when she saw Quatre's smile, promising herself she would never have that smile directed at her. “So that's one of them,” she surmised, squinting at the monitor, trying to see they person better.

 

Quatre merely nodded, his gaze trained on the shuttle as he activated the signal. He watched as the agents executed his plan perfectly, catching all of the scientists off guard. An hour later, after thanking both the extra agents and the port security personnel he joined Trowa and Wufei at the detention cells, located in the basement of Preventers HQ.

 

“They're in individual cells with sound dampeners and white noise generators installed so they can't communicate with each other.” Trowa glanced at one door, behind which sat Doktor S, before continuing. “Although they undoubtedly have a backup plan.”

 

“We should wait until Heero and Duo return from their part before questioning them,” suggested Wufei. “In the meantime we should take turns watching them.”

 

“I agree. We should also tell the ports they can stand down; as Duo said there is no way we'll catch that other shuttle before it lands.” Glancing between the two Quatre continued, “We'll split it into 8 hour watches until Heero and Duo arrive. No one, except us, is allowed down here.”

 

They agreed, Wufei staying for the first watch as the other two went to warn the companies Aaron and Ellie were likely to hit.

 

—

 

“Control this is shuttle XF15Z2, we're having problems. Clear the crash and burn strip for us.”

 

“Shuttle XF15Z2 this is Control. Your path is clear. What is the nature of your problem?”

 

“Small asteroid clipped us; we're hemorrhaging fuel. Also … zzt … system and … zzt …”

 

“Shuttle XF15Z2 you're breaking up, please repeat.”

 

“… zzt … didn't … zzt … and … zzt … god … zzt …”

 

“Come in Shuttle XF15Z2.”

 

“… zzt …”

 

“Come in Shuttle XF15Z2.”

 

The people in the control tower watched with helpless horror as the shuttle, now a flaming mass of metal, slammed into the ground, exploding on impact.

 

“Carl,” Anita Winters asked the co-coordinator in charge, the screams of the sirens barely audible through the massive walls, “did they identify themselves as XF15Z2?”

 

Carl shook off his shock, forcing himself back. “Yes ma'am. They did. Did you … know anyone on it?”

 

Anita shook her head. “No, that's not why I asked. Shuttle XF15Z2 vanished six months ago.” She turned on one heel, striding to her office; Agents Winner had to be informed.

 

—

 

“… and that's what we found,” Duo finished filling in Quatre, Wufei and Trowa.

 

“Remove five uncontrollable weapons and replace them with two they could control.” Wufei snorted in contempt. “Yet they lost control of these two as well.”

 

“Not necessarily,” countered Quatre. “Both Aaron and Ellie went through all of the programming; perhaps they saw this as the best way to accomplish their goal.”

 

“And now both are on Earth.” Trowa frowned slightly, pushing the crash investigation report with a finger. “With the stealth systems aboard why use the remains of that shuttle as cover?”

 

“Easy,” answered Duo. “And if you think about it you'd know why.”

 

“Entry plume, of course. The reason why our Gundams were disguised as meteors.” Trowa glanced at one of the locked doors. “So do we bother questioning them now?”

 

“I don't see a point.” Heero walked over to the door Trowa'd glanced at. Gazing through the window he watched Doctor J as the man slept. “They believed their security couldn't be broken, either for their computers or for their lab. That's why they weren't as cautious this time. The chance of there being anything else not on their computers is remote.”

 

“We'll contact Une to get regular guards set up down here; after the week we spent down here we could use a break.” Quatre ruefully smiled in apology.

 

Waving a hand Duo dismissed that apology. “Go get some rest. I'll stop by and see just how good Remoure's security is before hittin' the sack myself. Only one question.” He gazed at each of them. “We bunking together or in separate locations?”

 

“Separately we're too vulnerable yet we don't want to present an opportunity too good to pass up.” Staring into the distance Wufei pondered.

 

“We rotate where we sleep and at least two people are at one location.” Still gazing at Doctor J, Heero continued, “I never imagined we'd have to use all of our war training again.” The others fell silent as they echoed Heero's sentiments.

 

Under that small cloud of gloom they left the detention cells, Heero the last to leave. He'd be watching Quatre's back while the Arab slept; Trowa and Wufei doing the same for Duo once he finished his task. As Heero shut the door he automatically swept the room. Satisfied nothing was wrong the door shut behind the former pilots, locking as it closed.

 

For several minutes, nearly a quarter of an hour, the scene remained unchanged. Then, simultaneously, the indicators on the four security cameras flickered. Immediately the grate for the air system popped open, a figure gracefully dropping down from the ceiling vent. The person, a young girl in what looked like a mini-skirt and simple tanktop, slowly stood up from her crouched landing, a furry belt unwinding from around her waist by itself to hang down the back of her legs, the tip idly flicking back and forth. As she scanned the room her ears, perched atop her head, swiveled independently to catch the minutest of sounds. Satisfied, she padded over to the door Heero had stood at, walking on the balls of her oddly elongated feet.

 

With seemingly little effort she picked the sophisticated lock, opening the door to Doctor J's cell. As she walked in she flexed one hand, light glinting off slim metallic objects now protruding from the tips of those fingers. A couple of minutes later she reappeared, blood coating that arm to nearly the elbow, so thickly it dripped off in globs, splattering as it hit the floor. This strange girl repeated her actions three more times, opening the doors to the other scientists cells, each time more blood coating her arm as she left the small room.

 

After the fourth time she went back to underneath the open grate, pulling a rag out from a pocket. Fastidiously cleaning the blood from her arm, she dropped the soaked rag, letting it land with a soft splat. Crouching slightly she leapt up, easily reaching the open grate five feet above her head. Once fully inside a slim arm reached down and pulled the grate shut.

 

Several minutes passed before the faint click of the outer doors' lock echoed into the gore-filled room. The indicators on the camera flickered once more just as the knob of the outer door turned. Before whoever was on the other side could enter, alarms blared through the building as security reacted.

 

—

 

A/N

And the weirdness just keeps growing. We're actually nearing the end of this little fic; I'm kinda sorry to see it come. The story has definitely evolved from my original concept. Maybe I'll tell everyone what the original was in the last note (smirk). As always, reviews are welcome, especially critiques, any flames will be used to make smores.