Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Perfect Soldiers ❯ A Reunion of Sorts ( Chapter 3 )

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Perfect Soldiers

Chapter 3 'A reunion of sorts'

~~~~~~~~~~ Preventer's Base 11 am ~~~~~~~~`

Sarah hid in the bushes outside the Preventer's base complex. Her gun was tucked securely in her pants having found a new comfortable home pressed against her skin. Even her fingers seemed to have become accustomed to the metal handle in her palm. The feeling she got each time she held it was exhilarating and haunting at the same time. She didn't know what was happening to her, but somehow she liked it. Her mind was beginning to awaken in a way with each new adventure she sent herself one. It still frightened her and she hated to admit how close she had come to killing Dr. J, but now she had to find Troy before it was too late and she perhaps lost herself.

The outside was busy though and she knew the inside was worse. There were agents running all over the yard back in forth between the different complexes always with files in their hands or a determined look on their faces. It was apparent something significant had happened. Sarah swallowed hoping that hadn't gotten to him yet. She didn't know how she would ever find him then. Just then she saw a young women she had seen leave the office several times always with someone else and she always came back shortly. This was the woman's forth trip back and this time she was by herself in fact she was passing very close to where Sarah was.

The idea popped into Sarah's mind before she could even let it sink in and before she knew it she had her hands wrapped around the young blond woman's neck and she had pulled her into the bushes. The woman didn't even have time to scream and Sarah was surprised that there was very little struggle.

"Don't make a sound and I won't hurt you." Sarah whispered to her and released the woman's mouth and let her turn around but didn't release her hold on her arm. "I just need you to…" Sarah lost her voice as she came face to face with woman who had brought peace to the political world, Relena Peacecraft/Dorlain.

"I don't know who you work for or what you have to prove by catching me, but I assure you that if you are associated with the kidnapping of Duo Maxwell you won't get away with it."

Sarah was frozen and speechless. The woman's words were so articulate. She knew just what to say she was as Sarah had always imagined her intimated by no one. Her hand immediately released its hold and Sarah backed a little in the foliage and tried to smile, but her lips wouldn't work.

"So what do you plan to do with me Miss? Are we just going to stand here because if we are I have things I need to be doing."

Sarah couldn't believe how defiant she was. Even at the mercy of her captures she had no fear of her own death as if she knew that when she died it wouldn't be by her. In fact it seemed as if she believed she was immortal or maybe that she really didn't care how long she lived. "I don't want to kidnap you." Sarah said finally the shock leaving and her voice returning. "I didn't even know that it was you Miss Dorlain."

"Oh then why are you sneaking in the bushes and grabbing random people and pulling them into the foliage with you?" She raised her brows in question and crossed her arms over her suit top and waited for an answer.

Before Sarah could answer she remembered something Dorlain had said. 'Kidnapping of Duo Maxwell.' She whipped around suddenly making the older woman jump. "Did you say Duo Maxwell was kidnapped?" She nodded but didn't say anything. "How about Tro…I mean Heero Yuy? Is he still here?" Sarah noticed the why the woman's posture stiffened with the mention of her friend. What did that mean?

"Who are you?" Relena asked. "Why did you need to know about Heero?"

"Just tell me if he's all right!" Sarah demanded trying desperately to keep her voice low even though her temper was flaring.

"He's fine." She replied. "But I'm guessing by what you're telling me that it won't be for long."

Sarah shook her head. "I need to see him."

"Why?"

"Trust me. I know who has Duo, or what organization anyway. I know because they have my brother. I can tell you everything that you want to know about them, and I know this that they're after Heero."

"Then why did they take Duo?" Relena countered.

"Because they're not exactly looking for Heero. They're looking for a boy named Troy Mathers."

"What does that have to do with Heero?"

"He is Troy Mathers."

Relena shook her head her eyes widening. "Heero doesn't know anything about his past."

Sarah nodded. "I know that. I already had a lengthy talk with Dr. J." She looked away from the woman for a second and toward the building. "If you don't believe me he'll be in more danger than you ever imagined."

"What do you know about all this. Who was your brother and for that matter who are you?" Relena's eyes were blazing with contempt as she gazed on the younger girl. "Why should I believe anything you're telling me?"

"Because it's the truth." Sarah said simply. "I've been looking for Troy for nine years. I knew him when he was eight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Heero was bent over his paper work as he went of the findings at the Maxwell's residence and in Relena's office. He didn't have much time to look either. With Lady Une threatening to put the rest of them into hiding and everyone jumping on him to follow up dead in leads he hardly had anytime to think it over for himself. At each sight there were no fingerprints no hair no, footprints, nothing. The man had killed all seven of the Maxwell guards with a deadly precision and a some how familiar fashion. Who ever had done this was just as well trained if not better in the art of killing. Even as he scanned the photographs taken of the mutilated bodies he saw that each blow was planned and precise there was nothing that wasn't necessary to complete disable and destroy the enemy and it sent a chill running through his body as he thought about it.

Running his hand through his hair, Heero leaned back in his chair and cracked his back of the seat. Who could have trained this one and if there was one was there a whole army of them? How would they ever stop them without Gundams? Did they have enough strength to ward off an army of people like him so dedicated to the mission that personal safety meant nothing? Where had they come from? Some many questions and there was no time to answer any of them and the thought of going to war fighting again killing again reminded him of the thrill he had once loved. The way he had watched the blood run through the battlefield after a kill how he had loved the carnage.

All of that had changed when he met Relena. Something about her drove him to protect her. He wanted to keep her safe and with her around killing didn't seem to hold so much glory. In fact it sickened him. He didn't know what had driven him to fight or even what had brought him to Dr. J but he knew that he never wanted to go back. Perhaps if he did he wouldn't be able to pull himself back again. A slight knock at the door brought Heero back to reality and he turned to the door.

"Come in." He mouthed feeling disconnected as he said it. The door swung open and Relena walked in followed closely by a young girl. She was average height for her age that appeared to be around fifteen. Her dark locks hung around her young childlike face and her large blue eyes tugged at him oddly. He didn't know what it was but there was something familiar about her.

"Heero?"

Heero looked away from the girl not aware that he had been staring and gave Relena a questioning look. "Who is this?"

Relena gestured for her to come forward and she stepped up her eyes sparkling with what looked like tears. But why? He wondered, 'Who would cry at the sight of me.'

"This is Sarah and she says she knows who took Duo." Relena commented and looked down at the girl. Her face was almost in one of complete belief, but Heero could see in her eyes that she didn't completely trust the girl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Chicago ~~~~~~~~~`

Doctor J groggily lifted his old decaying body from the bed and pulled on his robe so he could answer the door. Would he never be left alone? The encounter with the girl on two day ago was enough to tell him that it wasn't possible. He was still paying for the mistakes of his past and he knew that if what the girl had said was true he needed to get out of Chicago before they found him. In actuality there was very little he could do for them, but he would be able to give them information on the Heero and even the girl that had tried to shoot him and that was most likely what they were after.

His hand traced along the walls as he made his way down the stairs and to the door. It was ringing again and he just wished they would go away, but that wasn't possible. There was never any rest for the weary. It didn't occur to him until he was at the door that he might not want to answer it. Blame it on his failing mind or his complete absence of common sense but it was too late and he was already in trouble. He reached out his clawed hand and pulled open the door opening his white blind eyes wide so he could at least catch a shadow of what was there.

"What do you want?" He barked as he squinted against the light and tired to shift out the blurred shapes in front of him.

"We, Dr. J, need your help."

"I can't help you." He replied stiffly. "I can't see and I don't remember anything. Go find someone else." With that said he started to shut the door but one of them must have but their foot in the door because it wouldn't budge.

"Perhaps we didn't make ourselves clear." The other spoke and this time pressed a gun to his head.

The doctor knew well enough what the barrel of a semi automatic felt like pressed against his temple and let out a tortured sigh. Two death threats in a week. This mostly definitely wasn't his day. "So you have come to force information out of me. If you must know I know nothing."

"Shut up and listen up." The first one spoke again. "I know who you are old man and I know how manipulative you are. You'll tell us what we want or you'll find yourself in a early grave."

The Doctor jumped when he heard the door slam, but hadn't lost his cool just yet. "And what makes you think I don't welcome prospect of death. Anything to kid myself of this useless sightless body."

"Ha." The first laughed. "You haven't changed a bit still using the same lines. Still full of shit."

"So what do you want from me if you know me so well."

"We want to know about Heero Yuy. We need to know where you got him from." It was the second on this time.

"I found him on the streets."

"Now don't lie to friends Dr. I believe we know each other better than that. We know for a fact that he is Troy Mathers one to the few surviving children of Dragon." The second spoke again. "We want to know what you did to him and how you made him do everything you told him to."

Dr. J backed away and stiffened when one of the two men grabbed hold of his arms and pressed him against the wall. "I don't know what you're talking about." He managed to say through his crushed lips pressed against his wall.

"Don't be stupid old man. You corporate and we'll let you go. In fact we'll make sure no one ever finds you again." The one with the gun to his head whispered in his ear.

"What do you mean?" The old man croaked out as his limbs began to ache with the pressure.

"I mean we know how much you want to disappear. We know how much you want to be left alone. We can promise you that." The second spoke this time. "All you need to do is to tell us what you did."

Dr. J gulped loudly and shut his eyes. If he told, he didn't even have to tell all of it. If he told a little he would never be bothered again. He could live out the rest of his life in peace and he wouldn't tell all of it. He would just tell them enough that was all. It wouldn't do any harm. He would just tell a little bit.

"His memory, I erased it." He said before he could stop himself. "I doesn't remember Dragon. We brainwashed him reprogrammed him. He listened for a time, but it didn't last."

The one holding him released his shoulders and let him fall gasping to the ground holding his aching joints. Dr. J looked up to see the two blurring figures talking quietly over him. He had told them enough they would leave him alone know.

"How did you do it. What did you use?"

Dr. J looked at the floor and chose his words carefully. "A medical procedure that blocks that center of his mind. He can't tap into it, or at least he shouldn't be able to."

"Who knows how to do this?" One demanded.

"A doctor Malcolm but he's been dead for years. No one else that I know of can do it. Its delicate one screw up could kill him."

"The plans then, the operation. I know you kept record of it. Show where they are and we'll never bother you again and you will be left alone."

The words were too good to ignore. To never be bothered again was what he wanted. "In my lab downstairs. The file is called 'OpD'. There's a video of the procedure and a full written report." Dr. J let out a sigh. If he had to give any more there would be nothing to stop the procedure from working.

"Fine." The men over him spoke quietly for a few minutes and one left to get the files. The one still standing over turned to him. "Thank you doctor your help has been most generous."

"Will you leave me alone now." He asked and started to stand, but the heavy hand of the gun wielding man pushed him back down.

"I guarantee you that no one will bother you again."

"Thank you." Dr. J closed his eyes and let a weak smile cross his face. He didn't see the man raising his gun he didn't hear the safety being released in fact he didn't even feel the bullet as he shot through his head and back out the other side.

Hammond watched the old man fall to the floor a pool of blood circling his head. "I told you that you would never be bothered." He said smirking slightly and put his gun back in his belt. Just as he turned away for the still bleeding corpse Smith came around the corner.

"What happened?" He asked his brows raised. "I heard a gunshot. What happened?"

"Did you get the information?" Hammond demanded avoiding the original question.

Smith shook his head. "Yeah I got it, but what happened. Why did you shoot?"

Hammond turned back around where he could see the old man's mechanical hand hanging just around the corner. A deep pool of black crimson blood soaking into the Doctor's sleeve. "He tried to attack me. Stupid thing to do, but I think the man had a bout of conscious."

Smith snorted. "I find that hard to believe. We promised him everything he wanted."

Hammond shrugged and gave a knowing smile before he plucked the disk from Smith's hands. "Well at least now we don't have any loose ends to tie up."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Colony ~~~~~~~`

Duo felt a pounding in the back of his skull like his head was going to explode. He groaned and pulled himself to a sitting position on the table he was sitting on. His hand flew to his head and he pushed his hair out of his eyes as he tried to remember what had happened. It was slow in coming, but Duo remembered the gunshots and waiting but after that there was nothing. If he was someone's captive it was strange that they hadn't even tied him up. He was free to find any means of escape. Who ever it was didn't have much faith in him? But he had been caught and it seemed to be without much effort because despite the pounding in the back of his skull there appeared to be nothing else wrong with him.

Letting his feet slide off the end of the medical table he stood on his feet and took in his surroundings. He was in some sort of lab. There were bottles and viles all around him reminding him of a cliché mad scientist's lab. The room was dark except for a single buzzing fluorescent light over his head. The walls and even the floor where steel. Taking a couple of steps forward, Duo tried to think of who would be out of his head. The only thing that would make any sense would be some remnants of Oz or perhaps White Fang, but if it was why?

As his muddled mind came back to reality he remember his raven haired love and almost jumped when it hit him. She had been hidden in the attic. What had happened to her? Did they get her too? Did whoever was after him kill her? His chest ached with the thought and he pushed his bangs out of his face and stumbled forward his hand flying out and resting on one of the tables for support.

"Hilde…." He whispered and frowned. If those bastards had done anything to her there was going to be hell to pay. Of that he was sure, but after the revenge had been dealt would he be able to live with out her. Before he could ponder the horrible thought any longer he heard the door to the furthest corner of the room open and the darkened inside was bathed in a false light. A young boy probably no more than sixteen with even that much walked in a tray in his hands and a wary smile on his young face. Duo watched him cautiously as he walked toward him the boy's wild black locks swirling around his face and his deep green eyes begging for attention.

"So you're Duo Maxwell." He said his voice in a stunned awe. "I never thought I would see you." He set the tray down on the medical table Duo had occupied only moments ago and pulled his weight up to sit beside it. "The pilot of 02."

"Glad to know I'm famous." Duo responded sarcastically and glared at the younger boy wondering if it had been him who had kidnapped him.

"It wasn't me." The boy said shifting from the table and to the floor again.

"What?" Duo asked dragging his eyes to the boy's.

"I'm not the one who did it. I didn't kidnap you." He said explaining himself. "That was Mace."

"Mace?" Duo asked. "Who the hell is that and what the hell do you want with me!" He charged forward his temper flaring with each passing second. He grabbed the boy around the neck and shoved him into the table knocking the food across the room. "Who do you work for and what did you do with my wife." He growled his eyes almost glowing with rage. The boy was surprisingly calm under Duo vice like grip and it unnerved him a bit. "Answer me." Duo demanded and slammed the boy's head into the table.

"You really are the God of Death." The boy breathed a smile etching his young face. "They told me you would try to kill me. That's why I placed something special on me." He grinned. "If my heart stops beating or I stop breathing in fact if you so much as hurt me it'll go off and you'll explode."

"Why kill yourself kid either way you'll meet an untimely death." Duo asked and pushed a little harder on the younger boy's throat. "What makes you think I don't have a death wish."

"Because I know you're married and if anything happens to me I guarantee that not only you will cease to exist but so will your wife." He chuckled a little and smiled. "Now if I were you I'd let go."

Duo growled in frustration and released his grip his hand flying out and breaking some of the glasses littering the counter tops. It all fell to the ground in a shower of broken glass. "What the hell do you want!"

"Temper, temper." The boy chided. "We don't actually want you Mr. Maxwell. You see we're just after your friend and we had mistaken him for you."

"Who?" Duo croaked.

"Troy." The boy said smiling. "We're after Troy."

"Who's that?" Duo asked sincerely perplexed.

The boy cocked his head to the side. "So he didn't tell you. That's sort of humorous. Well I don't think it matters but he's the one you know as Heero Yuy. You can't warn him. You can't get out and if you do you'll be killed."

Duo's mind was racing. 'What did this kid mean and why was he telling him?' "Why are you telling me." Duo asked. "I mean besides making my day more pleasurable what do you have to gain from telling me?"

"Nothing really. I just always wanted to see the God of Death and I don't have anything else to talk about." The boy paused and turned to the door. "I'd better go though. If they find out I came to see you I'll have hell to pay."

"What's your name kid." Duo asked.

The boy smiled. "Mitchell."

"Well Mitchell next time you come to visit I suggest you have something better to discuss or I might ignore the fact that you're a walking explosive and beat the shit out of you." To Duo's surprise the boy smiled at the comment.

"I'll make sure to keep you well informed." The boy winked hastily and hurried out the door leaving Duo to himself.

Duo sank to the floor and looked at the food that had been splattered across the room. Damn he just had to knock all of it on the floor. He was starving. The last think he had had to eat was dinner and he didn't know how long that had been. Duo sighed and thought of what the kid had been talking about. Could Heero's real name be Troy and why hadn't he ever told anyone and for that matter why would they be after Heero? What possibly would they have to gain? Heero would do nothing for them and he would kill himself before they were able to use him as a hostage. It didn't make any sense and that kid made even less sense. In sick sort of way it seemed to the worshipped him. The way he had smiled at his threats they way he had grinned so happily when he'd asked the boy's name. What kind of organization trained kids like that?

OHHhhhh!!!!! Things are getting interesting. Tell me what you think. If I get a big enough response I'll post the next chapter. Send comments to Peanutbutter199@hotmail.com. Thanks!