Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Coming Home ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

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

[blah] typing

 

—

 

Hooking his computer to the infonet Heero contacted Wufei and Trowa [I trust you've heard what happened.]

 

[We found out shortly after it happened,] came Trowa's reply.

 

[That security system was tested and altered until we couldn't break it without a month of planning. For the two of them to subvert it with such ease…] Heero could picture Wufei shaking his head in amazement.

 

[Then you concur; it was Aaron that hacked the computers and Ellie that physically entered.]

 

[Indeed,] responded Trowa. [Now we have a larger problem. If those two broke the programming which prevented them from killing those four, what will keep them from killing any, or all, of the Ministers?]

 

[They have either gone rouge as you suggest,] interjected Wufei, [or they were simply taking out a perceived threat.]

 

[If those two have gone rouge,] typed Heero, [then nothing can stop them from getting to anyone. Not unless we manage to find them first.] Wufei and Trowa disconnected shortly after that, promising to keep the former Wing pilot up to date.

 

—

 

Scoping out the large facility Duo let out a low whistle. No way would he ever want to break into this place! Yet this facility, with its advanced research and development department, was number one on the list of places Aaron and Ellie would target.

 

And with what had just happened in the detention cells, the former pilots needed to verify the security of all targets. A part of Duo shuddered, remembering what had been done to those four scientists; another part, the part he called on in battle, gleefully chortled at the beautiful destruction.

 

He'd still been at HQ, familiarizing himself with the information they had on Remoure's when the alarms went off. He wasn't the first one to reach the cells but he was among that group. Martin, one of the trainees, had been sent to stand guard. Duo found him outside the main door, dry-heaving. At least he'd managed not to interfere with the scene.

 

Carefully stepping in Duo detachedly surveyed the carnage, amazed the bodies didn't have more wounds. There was only one wound on each of them, a fist-sized hole located just below the ribs. A lump of bloody flesh lay on the floor by each of the deceased scientists. At first he'd assumed it was the flesh from the wound. He almost joined Martin outside when he realized what those lumps actually were and how the scientists had died.

 

Those lumps of flesh were the scientists' hearts. And they had been removed while the scientists were still alive. Whoever had done this, and Duo had a hunch, had reached up through the stomach, gone under the ribs and cut out the heart. For a brief moment Duo pitied J, S, O and H. The moment passed and with it gone so too the smoldering rage he'd had ever since learning about their experiments.

 

The others would view this as the two, Aaron and Ellie, going rouge. Duo, however, knew differently. For street rats, whenever an outsider attacked the gang, the gang always retaliated. No matter how few members were left. Aaron and Ellie were taking revenge. And if they retained enough sense of self to get that done, then odds were very good the two weren't out to kill him and the others.

 

But it didn't hurt to be careful.

 

`Cameras with heat and motion sensors, an active patrol of each area by paired guards; damn these people are good!' Duo admired their measures even as he tried to find a hole. He knew there was one; after all, no system is perfect. For the second time that night alarms blared at him, confirming his suspicions.

 

Those two had found the hole he still searched for.

 

Duo hurried after the guards that had been showing him around, following them to the main hub. There, the chief of security, Izark Polteski, directed his people, sending them all over the facility, fine combing each area as they went. The nighttime nurse was there as well, checking on the guard that had been stationed at the main hub. The poor man had been hit from behind; the force of the blow had slammed his face against the metal table and knocked him momentarily unconscious. Although Duo suspected he wished he were still out of it.

 

“You'll need stitches but this will hold the wounds closed until we can get you to the emergency room.” The nurse finished wrapping the gauze around the injured guards head.

 

“I'll help with that.” Duo quirked a grin, glancing over at Polteski. “If I stay I'll just be in your way.”

 

“My thanks Agent Maxwell.” Polteski's deep voice boomed through the confined room. Curiously enough the wounded guard flinched from the sound.

 

With surprisingly little effort Duo managed to get the wounded guard, Bernstein according to his badge, into his car. On the way to the emergency room Duo questioned Bernstein but the guy never knew what hit him. He checked the guy in and got him to one of the numerous waiting rooms. There Duo left him, stepping out to the hallway to call Heero.

 

Before he could dial Heero called him. “What happened.”

 

“And a hello to you too Yuy.” Duo chuckled at the growl echoing from the earpiece. “Remoure's got hit, like we thought.”

 

“Your location?”

 

“Hospital. No, I'm not hurt. One of the guards was. Nothing serious, just knocked out. But he slammed his face onto the edge of the table.”

 

“You left the scene?” growled Heero again, audible annoyed.

 

Duo snorted. “Relax Yuy. I've … dealt with their security chief before. If there's anything to find back there, he'll find it. Look, the doc's on his way over, I'll tell you more later. You … might want to alert the others. Just a feeling but this night isn't over yet.”

 

“Understood.” The line went dead just as the doctor, an elderly man with graying hair, reached Duo.

 

“You're the one that brought,” Dr. Smith glanced at the clipboard, “Josef Bernstein in?”

 

“Yeah. Will it be a problem if I sit in?” The traffic in the hallway flowed around, most people ignoring Duo and Dr. Smith. Only one person, a young girl with masses of curly hair glanced their way, a small wound on her right cheek glistening in the fluorescent lights. As Duo followed the doctor he realized her wound was in the exact same spot as Bernsteins. Yet when he glanced back the girl had vanished.

 

“Is this your idea of a joke?”

 

Bolting into the room, Duo skidded to a stop before he could slam into Dr. Smith. There on the bed lay a pile of clothes, the uniform Bernstein had worn. A life-like mask, complete with oozing wound and gauze lay atop the clothes, a bit of paper sticking out from under it.

 

“Shit!” Duo spun to face the annoyed doctor. “Get all the exits locked now! Nobody leaves unless it's cleared through both an RN and a doctor.”

 

Dr. Smith glared down over the rims of his spectacles. “You can not order a hospital to close its doors to those…”

 

“Yes I can,” Duo snarled, flashing his badge. “Preventer agent Duo Maxwell. You will do as I say. There is a very dangerous person now loose in this building and we need to find her.” Duo's eyes widened as realization hit him. “Shit! That girl that passed us in the hallway! Alright, you won't need a total lockdown, just stop that girl.” Duo quickly rattled off her description. Dr. Smith had turned far more cooperative once he saw the badge and called the front desk once he had the description. Meanwhile Duo pulled his phone out, calling Remoure's as he fished the slip of paper out from under that mask. Thankfully he managed to get a hold of Polteski. “Your guard is still there.”

 

“Agent Maxwell are you feeling well? Bernstein left with you.”

 

“No he didn't,” Duo snarled. “The damned thief left with me. I'm staring at the uniform and mask she wore. Which means she found what she needed. Now find your guard; odds are he's in that room.” Duo hung up before Polteski could question him further. He held the note in one hand, having read it while speaking with Polteski. Raking his brains he tried to figure out what her next move would be. His head snapped up as he realized where she would go next just as Dr. Smith finished talking on the phone.

 

“The orderlies just stopped a girl matching your description except she didn't have any wounds.” Dr. Smith frowned in bafflement. “Just what have you brought to this hospital?”

 

Duo didn't bother answering, racing out of the room and down to the main entrance. The note left under the mask fluttered to the floor. Still puzzled, Dr. Smith picked it up and read it. His puzzlement didn't ease any; in fact, it became worse. Just who was this “02” person and who had they given a lift to?

 

—

 

A/N

Many thanks to all reviewers! And most humble apologies for the long silence! I was planning on adding more to this chapter but I figured you'd waited long enough. Just one more chapter and this fic will be done. Sigh. All good things and what not. As always, reviews welcome, especially critiques; all flames will be used to make smores.