Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Souls Disappear in the Snow ❯ Expedition ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Souls Disappear in the Snow- GW fanfic
Masamune Reforged '06

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of the characters therein.
Warnings: yaoi (established 3x4, developing 1x2 and...), angst, violence, supernatural, cursing, death?
Archive: Anyone that wishes to archive this fic is welcome to.
Comments: to MasamuneEHS@hotmail.com

Summary: The five Gundam pilots take refuge in a massive, abandoned mansion deep in the Artic, temporarily trapped. Having nothing to take their pent up emotions out on, the pilots' relationships begin to fray, especially between those with strong feelings for another.

Note: Yes, this is an entirely new chapter! I felt that I jumped too fast between chapter 3 and the old chapter 4, and I didn't think it made sense for the G-boys to NOT make an attempt to leave.

Note: None of these sites/MLs seem to be able to apply proper SPACING in documents, resulting in a format that I cannot seem to correct being seen. I highly recommend you DL this chapter and read it that way, as I cannot get the emphasis across without the proper spacing:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WS4CRCIY

Chapter 4- Expedition

Upon waking the next morning it was evident that Trowa had failed in restoring heat to the ancient mansion. Looking at the exposed pipes snaking down one side of my room as I dressed, I couldn't help but wonder when they had been last used. Who had set up the heating system anyway? As I threw on a partially stained jacket over the two sweaters I had slept in, I fancied that the orange-red blotches down the right arm were the rust and grit that the engineer who had installed the pipes had gotten when laboring on the mammoth network.

My thoughts were distracted by shouting coming from downstairs.

I had to take my time going down to the foyer, the source of the commotion. I felt new vigor in my wounded leg, but it still refused to hold my body's weight on its own. I found everyone in the foyer, a poorly lit room connected to the great hall by a long hallway, probably to keep out the cold air.

“You're being unreasonable!” Quatre was saying, already appearing exasperated and vexed. “We've never dealt with such harsh climate conditions before. We can't just rush out and-“

“And get back to what we're supposed to be doing!!” Duo seemed to be the main instigator of strife. He was bundled up, head to toe, in a huge black parka, a black ski mask, black boots and black gloves. “Quatre, I know you want to be cautious, but we're just going to waste away here at this rate! Trowa and I will be back before nightfall, probably with a truck or snow mobile or whatever we can find at the closest town.”

Heero and Trowa stood mute on the sidelines of the conversation. Trowa was bundled up as well.

“You're not seriously going out there?” I broke into the conversation. Four sets of eyes turned on me, one amethyst pair menacingly. “You have no idea where to go, no idea where we even are. You think there are towns in this forlorn wasteland?”

Duo wanted to say something vicious, or bite my head off. Trowa, however, stepped in between and said, “It's true that we don't know our current position. But that's all the more reason to go out on a reconnaissance mission. We don't have time to waste here. The sooner we can get up into space, the better.”

“Trowa, please, listen to me for a minute,” Quatre pleaded, causing his tall lover to look at him with slight irritation. Quatre could be a whiner, probably something to do with being the only son of a multi-billionaire. “We can't be hasty. I've seen the desert; I know how unforgiving the elements can be, especially to those who are poorly prepared and have never-”

“I've already told you twice,” Trowa interrupted. “We've got plenty of supplies to last one, even two nights. The sleeping bags are made for below zero temperatures. There are always risks involved-“

“Well I don't want you taking them!” Quatre was desperate, fretting insanely.

I walked over to Heero, who seemed to just be sitting back and watching the entire thing unfold. So none of the others could hear me, I whispered, “Are you just going to let them go like that? They have no idea what they're up against.”

“It's their decision,” Heero answered. “Whatever they do I'll just have to support them the best I can.”

“Wh-,” I stopped, feeling a burning stare upon me all of a sudden. I lowered my voice, “What are you saying? It's suicide! They have no clue what they're up against. You just can't let them go.”

Heero turned to me and replied, in a determined, level tone, “That's why if they go, I'm going with them.” He looked over my shoulder. I turned to see Duo.

I shook my head. Unbelievable… Duo, who had been watching our conversation, seemed to smile behind the dark ski mask. I guessed he had coaxed Heero into staying neutral in the argument.

“In that case I'm going with you too!!!” Quatre and Trowa's little tiff seemed to finally be at an end. Suddenly all eyes were on me. The decision had been made. I pondered how I was supposed to traverse the Arctic with my leg all busted up. I made up my mind.

“I'll go too.”

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Ten minutes later we were all ready to depart. I had persuaded Heero to leave the house's power on, just in case we needed to return. I was beginning to sweat, standing in the foyer, swaddled in four or five heavy layers. Quatre was even worse, perspiration already matting his forehead. The blonde had a white parka over maybe ten or eleven layers, bulging out ridiculously. He looked like a marshmallow.

“Everybody ready?” Quatre asked. I nodded.

“In that case,” Duo was positively bouncing off the walls, rearing to go like a racehorse at the starting gate. He careened over to the door. “GERONIMO!” The American shouted as he pushed the door open.

But the door did not open. The knob turned, but the wooden frame did not budge an inch.

“What the fuck?!” Duo spat angrily. He began to rattle the doorknob savagely, throwing all his weight into the immovable obstacle. “WHAT THE FUCK!?!?” Again, Duo smashed into the door, causing it to give a deep groan. I heard a snapping noise, followed by another, softer sound.

“Stop!” I told Duo. He looked at me with a frustrated wrath. “We're snowed in. The door's probably blocked up from the outside. Breaking it down will just let more cold air in.”

“The second floor,” Trowa piped up, words slightly garbled behind a ski mask.

One of the unlocked bedrooms on the second story had a large hinge window. The instant it was open, Duo jumped, not even bothering to check how far down it was. He landed with a thud and a laugh in a huge pile of snow almost up to his waist. The rest of us waited for a moment. I wondered if my leg could take the fall.

Heero jumped, landing gracefully.

“What are those?” Quatre suddenly asked, pointing with a gloved finger. There seemed to be several places, slight bumps a stone's throw away from the mansion, where the snow almost seemed to make small mountains. Two of the mountains actually had a rocky peak.

“Graves,” Trowa answered. He calmly jumped down.

Quatre stayed framed in the window for a moment, staring uneasily at the mounds. There were at least four dozen. A stiff wind whipped and stung his cheeks, making him shiver. The cold shock seemed to have snapped him from his thoughts, and he gingerly jumped into the thick white.

How did I get down without re-breaking my wounded leg? Belly flop. Don't dare laugh.

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