Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Thin Red Line ❯ Three ( Chapter 3 )

Thin Red Line (3/?)

By Anne Olsen

Rating : This fic has been rated in accordance with the approved TTFF rating system.

OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) - PG - Action, drama, angst, romance.

Author's notes: This story is part of the 'Triunity' canon based arc, which is a joint project with my partner in crime, Sakura Rose. For further information please visit the series archive at http://www.angelfire.com/ab7/shadesandechoes/triunity/triunity.html

The writing soundtrack for TRL is 'Thin Red Line' by Glass Tiger.

Pairings: 3x4, 1xR, 2x5

Summary: The shuttle transporting Relena, Quatre and Trowa to a political conference is hijacked in an endeavour to reveal the identity, and exact revenge, on a specific Gundam pilot. But it's five years after the Eve Wars, and people change. Or did they always have a predilection for attempting stupidly heroic things in the name of love and friendship?

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the boys in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any broken bones or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction.

Thanks to: Sakura for many hours of plottage conversations on AIM, beta reading, the summary and the soundtrack. Also to Bast for beta reading, and encouraging the … evil, and Anon for beta reading and fic stalking.

Comments to: anneo @ paradise.net.nz

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Chapter Three

Trowa attempted to pull away as Mrs Walker examined his ring, but without success. Relena glanced at Quatre, but his gaze was firmly fixed on his husband.

"QRW 04." Mrs Walker read the inscription aloud. The puzzlement in her voice was clear. "So you're preparing to marry in 204," she continued. The underlying sadness was impossible to ignore, even through the predominant cynicism. "Quite the romantic, wearing your wedding band around your neck even before taking the plunge. QRW? W…Winner perhaps?" she mused aloud, her next question directed towards Quatre. "I wondered why a pacifist would employ a Gundam pilot. Or maybe you and whichever unfortunate sister he's marrying are quite unaware of his true identity?"

"I'm a pacifist and I wouldn't hesitate to employ a Gundam pilot," Relena spoke before Quatre could. "It's wrong to judge a person when you don't know them. Trowa's a good man…"

Mrs Walker cut her off sharply. "One of his colleagues killed my husband in cold blood. How can you equate that to being a 'good man'?"

"The pilots only fought so that others didn't have to," Quatre insisted. "Soldiers kill during a war, Mrs Walker. We've all done things we regret; I suspect even your husband killed while performing his duty. Does that make him a cold blooded killer too?"

"Shut up, Winner," Davis waved his gun in Quatre's direction. "This is none of your damn business. I lost friends during Gundam attacks; Barton and his type deserve everything they get."

"I'm sorry," Quatre closed his eyes momentarily. When he reopened them it was difficult to miss the pain of regret. "I can't change what happened but I won't let you continue to hurt Trowa."

"Quatre, please…" Even though Trowa's words were slurred, there was no mistaking the desperation behind them.

Quatre, be quiet. Please, Relena echoed silently. Why was he insisting on drawing attention to himself? Their kidnappers had no idea he was a Gundam pilot; he was only along for the ride because of his potential as a hostage. Nothing he could say now would help, and knowing Trowa, the more Quatre aggravated them, the more determined Trowa would be to sacrifice himself to protect his husband. She mentally rolled her eyes. Each was as bad as the other when it came down to stubbornness and the need to protect others.

"Attempting to protect your future brother in law is all very noble, Mr Winner, but you have no say in this matter." After Smythe had refastened Trowa's restraints and held him still, Mrs Walker removed his ring and chain, put them in her pocket and gestured towards Relena. "As Mr Barton seems determined to be uncooperative, I'm sure you'll be only too happy to answer a few questions…"

"No! I won't allow…"

"Quatre…" Relena attempted to stop her friend before he could say anything further, but seeing the familiar look of determination in his eyes, realised she was wasting her breath. Quatre was in protective mode; he had decided his loved ones were at risk and there would be no stopping him.

"You aren't at one of your pacifist conferences now, Winner," Davis pointed out. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and approached Quatre. "Do you want me to gag him?"

"Yes please," Mrs Walker confirmed. "I'm sorry, Mr Winner, but I don't have time for this."

Gripping Quatre's hair in one hand, Davis pulled his head forward, slipping the cloth between the blond's teeth. "Hmmph," Quatre struggled against the other man and, bringing one knee up, struck a blow to his groin before Davis could properly fasten the gag.

Trowa struggled to free himself. "Quatre. No!"

Cursing, Davis punched Quatre in the gut. "Little shit," he complained. "Barton's only a Gundam pilot…"

Spitting the gag out, Quatre spoke between uneven breaths. "So…am…I."

******

Heero scrolled down the page, digesting the information on the screen. After leaving Wufei and Duo at their assigned quarters, he'd made his way back to his and Relena's suite. The priority at this point was to determine whether the search program he'd left running had discovered any viable information. Surely someone must have been curious about Trowa given the history of the Barton name.

Their curiosity shouldn't have led them anywhere. According to the false trail he and Trowa had set up, 'Nanashi' had never existed and their 'Trowa' now had a legitimate past, complete with verifying documentation. There should have been no reason to investigate the head of security of Winner Enterprises, unless someone was looking for…

Bullseye. Raising an eyebrow, Heero allowed himself a smile. The trap had caught a mouse. He scrolled down further, entered the information required to begin the trace on the hacker, and tapped his fingers impatiently on the table while waiting for the program to dictate his next move.

Target sighted.

What interest could this Annabelle Walker have in Trowa? Fingers dancing over the keys, Heero brought up her personal files. Husband: Walker, Stephen James. Date of death: AC195. Cause of death?

Not good.

Heero continued skimming, working his way through the medical files. Hopefully Relena would be able to talk some sense into Trowa and Quatre before they did something stupid. Once he got there he'd make their captor regret…

He froze.

Oh God. Relena.

******

"What the hell are you doing?" Trowa's voice cut across the silence that followed Quatre's revelation.

"I can't let them hurt you, Relena or…" Quatre shot Relena a look of apology and a half smile of understanding passed between them.

"That's not your decision to make," Trowa insisted. "Shut up, Quatre, please."

He knows about the baby, Relena realised, fighting the urge to lay her free hand against her stomach. That explained his reaction when she'd attempted to give him the emotional stability he'd needed earlier. "Cat," Relena began, her desire to tell her friend to look after himself first conflicting with her need to protect her unborn child. "I'm sorry," she finished, unable to find the right words without giving anything away to their captors.

"I know it's not Trowa you're after," Quatre pulled himself up as straight as he was able after returning Davis' glare.

"How?" Mrs Walker's tone was sceptical. "And why should I believe that you're a Gundam pilot. You could be trying to play the knight in shining armour; sorry, but I don't see your white horse."

"I retired it after the war," Quatre replied, a thin smile briefly passing his lips. "Where did your husband die, Mrs Walker?"

Be careful, Cat, Relena urged silently. Her stomach lurched as she noticed the resignation in his tone. Oh God, he thinks he's the one she's after.

"Quatre, stop!" Trowa glared at his husband but was ignored. "You can't do this." He pulled at his restraints again, muttering something Relena couldn't quite catch under his breath. Although Trowa sounded more coherent, there was still something not quite right about him; his voice had a quality to it she hadn't heard before, and his eyes were wild and bright.

"Yes I can, and I will." Quatre repeated his question. "Where did your husband die?"

"No!" Trowa's voice rose in pitch. "I've already told you I'm the one you want."

"There were eyewitnesses at Corsica, Mr Barton; even though you killed a lot of people that day, you aren't responsible for my husband's death."

Corsica? Wasn't that where Trowa and Quatre had met? "How can you know which pilot killed your husband?" Relena asked. "In the heat of the battle, it's difficult to…"

Mrs Walker interrupted. "The battle was almost over. Mr Barton's Gundam had run out of ammunition. If it weren't for the other pilot, my husband would still be alive."

"You don't know that for certain," Trowa interrupted again. "Battles aren't always as clear cut as they may seem."

"The other Gundam attacked Stephen's Aries in mid air, using its heat shotels to destroy it. He didn't stand a chance. I know Gundam Sandrock was the only suit equipped with that weaponry. Its pilot is the one who murdered my husband."

"They were fighting a war - killing someone else's husband won't bring back your own." Relena attempted to point out the flaws in her reasoning.

"The Gundam pilots were terrorists, they chose to attack the mobile suit factory. 04 killed my husband - he was the one responsible for the death of my family. He needs to face up to the consequences of his actions; it's not fair that he gets to continue on with his life with no regrets. It's not fair and it's not right."

"It's not fair and it's not right," Trowa snorted. "And your plan to kill his…" Trowa's words slurred as he shook his head, "to murder someone else is?"

"I do have regrets," Quatre said, ignoring the interjection. "War is something you never forget, never totally leave behind. I'm sorry for the death of your husband, but revenge isn't the answer."

"I'm not seeking revenge, Mr Winner, I'm seeking justice."

"Are you?" Quatre shook his head. "It's very easy to blur the lines between the two. I nearly caused the death of the person I love because of it - please don't make the same mistake."

"For God's sake don't bring that up now," Trowa muttered.

Davis snorted. "For a so called Gundam pilot, you seem to have one hell of a lot of regrets. I, for one, don't believe a word of it. How do we know you're not just making this up to save your friend?" He shrugged.

"He's not…" Quatre trailed off, sighed, and then spoke again. "If you look around my neck, you'll find the matching ring to the one Trowa was wearing. It's inscribed with his initials and pilot designation."

Retrieving Trowa's ring from her pocket, Mrs Walker signalled Smythe to approach Quatre. He pulled the chain from around Quatre's neck, breaking it to remove it, rather than undoing the clasp. Quatre gave a small hiss of pain.

"Arsehole," Trowa muttered under his breath. The look he directed towards Smythe was similar to the one Heero had worn as he'd caught Relena's last would be assassin.

"Trowa?" Quatre frowned. "What the hell did you give him?"

Ignoring his question, Mrs Walker examined the two rings side by side and read the inscription on the one Smythe had taken from Quatre. "TBW 03. Trowa Barton…?"

"Trowa Barton Winner," Quatre finished Mrs Walker's words for her. Noticing Davis' disbelief, he spoke slowly for the other man's benefit. "He's more than just my friend, you moron, he's my husband."

Trowa groaned. "That's right, Quatre, spell it out. If he didn't get it the first time, he sure as hell does now."

Mrs Walker held the other ring to the light, her lips twisting into a triumphant smile as she read aloud. "QRW 04."

"Quatre Raberba Winner…" Quatre started to say but Trowa cut across him.

"Yes, he's married to me, and maybe that gag wasn't such a bad idea as he obviously doesn't know when to shut up."

"Pilot 04," Quatre continued quietly, the coldness in his voice reflecting his growing annoyance.

"Quatre Raberba Winner, you're a stubborn over protective idiot."

"Oh? And you're not?"

"I'm not the one insisting on the self sacrificing routine. I could have got through this, but no, you had to tell them you're..."

"You could have got through this? Did you honestly think I'd risk either your life or Relena's to…"

"They didn't need to know that you're a Gundam pilot."

Quatre didn't bother to hide his anger. "So I'm supposed to play the naïve little pacifist and stay safe while my friends are in danger? That argument's not going to cut it, Trowa, and you damn well know it."

"At least you'd have a chance of staying alive. At least…" Trowa faltered. "You wouldn't be here if they hadn't discovered I was a Gundam pilot."

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this! It was my choice. I was trying to save your life, you idiot!"

"And I was trying to save yours until you gave away all your secrets." Trowa nodded in the direction of their captors. "Why not give them a blow by blow account of our sex life while you're at it? That should totally shatter any misconceptions they might still have about the 'naïve little pacifist'."

"Trowa!" Quatre's pale complexion burned a fiery red. He muttered something under his breath.

"No way. If we get out of this, you're the one doing time on the sofa." Trowa glared at his husband. "And speak English, not Arabic. I'm sure our hosts would love to hear your suggestions as to where exactly I should 'put myself'."

"Fuck you!"

"Mr Winner!" Mrs Walker seemed unable to decide whether she was annoyed or amused by the argument.

Two heads turned in unison. "Shut up!"

Mental note to self, Relena decided. Don't interrupt a domestic between two Gundam pilots. Glancing between the two men, she noticed that Trowa's breathing was becoming more laboured, and Quatre's eyes were somewhat glazed. Neither of her friends' behaviour was what she'd deem normal. Trowa was usually so reserved in front of an audience; she doubted anyone besides Quatre had seen an outburst such as this before. She certainly hadn't; and Heero had never mentioned it. Quatre, while not one to hide his emotions, also usually kept himself in check in public because of his position in the public eye.

"I was under the impression that this drug was supposed to loosen Barton's tongue, not knock him out so we can't get anything out of him at all."

Could this be the result of whatever had been used on Trowa? Quatre had been struggling to control himself emotionally before Trowa's outburst; it wouldn't have taken much for the intensity of Trowa's unchecked emotions to bleed through their empathic connection and affect both of them.

"Quatre! Trowa!" Relena urged. "Please, that's enough." They had to be stopped before this got further out of control.

"That's enough!" Mrs Walker repeated. "Maybe I should just shoot the both of you and be done with it." She nodded at Smythe who drew his gun, and aimed it at Trowa. "And if I had any doubts you were telling the truth, I don't now."

"I am…I am…telling…" Trowa's eyes rolled up in his head and he groaned. "Cat… Cat?"

"It's okay, muHibb [1], I'm here," Quatre shivered, shook his head as though trying to clear it, and glared at Mrs Walker. "What the hell did you give my husband?"

******

"Heero?" Duo knocked on the door again. "Heero, what the hell are you doing in there?"

"No longer sleeping, that's for certain," Wufei commented dryly.

"I'm worried about him, Fei." Duo chose to ignore Wufei's remark. "He's had a lot thrown at him in a short time; I'm not sure how I'd cope in that situation."

"Yes, but Heero's not you," Wufei pointed out. "He's probably working through it all step by step, and formulating a plan of attack."

"Yeah, but we don't even know where Rel and the guys are; or who has them." Duo threw up his hands in disgust when another knock was met with a resounding silence. Reaching into his braid, he retrieved his lock picks and made short work of the door. "What?" he asked in response to Wufei's raised eyebrow.

"I didn't know you still carried those. The war's been over five years, surely there's no need…"

"Old habits die hard." Duo opened the door, hoping he hadn't accidentally triggered any 'safety precautions' Heero might have set up. After taking a few deep breaths and noting they were still in one piece, he turned to Wufei, suddenly serious. "I don't still carry them, as a rule, but I have a feeling we're going to need all the help we can get."

It didn't take them long to discover the reason behind the lack of response. The suite was empty, the screensaver on the laptop the only source of light or movement. Duo seated himself in front of the computer and began typing. "A nice trail of breadcrumbs would be helpful about now," he muttered under his breath, "or preferably X marks the spot, bad guys here."

"He hasn't appeared to have taken anything apart from his gun," Wufei emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later. "Found anything yet?"

"No," Duo answered. "But whatever program he was using, I'm sure it holds the key to why he left without taking the time to let us know." He frowned. "Damn it, Heero! Encrypt everything while you're at it, why don't you?"

"Want some help?" Wufei asked.

"Nah, it's just going to take longer than I thought." Duo cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "In a weird way the challenge is refreshing, but I wish it were under different circumstances."

"Let me know when you're done," Wufei picked up the phone and began to dial, moving into the bedroom to make the call. "Heero's taken a shuttle," he informed Duo a few minutes later, after re-entering the room. Wufei replaced the phone on its cradle and leaned back against the desk. "He's cut communication and is using stealth technology to avoid detection."

"Where the hell's he headed? The guy's an idiot for ditching us; we stand a better chance of taking out the bad guys if we work together." Heero in his present state of mind, going into a potentially dangerous situation with guns blazing, wasn't an idea he wanted to contemplate.

"It is careless of him to attempt this without backup. He's allowing his concern for Relena to override his commonsense." Wufei sighed. "But if you were missing, I know I'd feel the same way."

Duo reached for Wufei's hand, squeezed, then released it. "Don't worry, Fei, you're stuck with me for the duration." Once they tracked him down, Heero would get an earful he'd never forget. Duo couldn't help but grin as he anticipated Relena's reaction when her fiancee showed up. Maybe he'd better stand in line for that one.

Returning his attention to the screen, Duo cursed several times. "What would he use for a password? I'm missing something here, I'm sure of it."

"Mostly harmless," Wufei suggested.

"Huh?"

"Remember 'The Hitchhiker's Guide'?" [2]

"Oh yeah." Duo had found the series of books a few years ago, gotten Quatre hooked on them, and they'd passed them around their circle of friends. Heero had been amused by Trowa's comment -"Gundam pilots: now mostly harmless" - after they'd removed all traces of their pasts.

Running the words together failed so Duo tried again, this time inserting an underscore between them. He gave a whoop as he hit the jackpot, and turned to pull Wufei down towards him so that he could receive his reward. The kiss was brief, their lips lingering just long enough to tease. "You're a genius."

"Your genius," Wufei corrected, his fingers toying with the end of Duo's braid.

"Definitely." Duo smirked. "You'll get your payment in full later, Grasshopper."

"Work first, pleasure later." Wufei leaned in over Duo's shoulder for a better look at the screen. "Annabelle Walker," he read aloud. "Her husband was killed at Corsica five years ago." Wufei muttered a curse. "Wasn't that where…"

"Cat and Tro met." Duo finished for him. "Yeah. The whole mutual surrender thing." He shook his head. "Too much of a coincidence, but how the hell could she find out? We covered our tracks, covered them too damn well."

"Obviously not well enough." Wufei frowned. "I doubt this has anything to do with the peace conference. Her husband was killed in a Gundam attack - two Gundam pilots have gone missing - definitely not a coincidence."

"If she does have them, we'll need to find out where before she finds out they're the pilots responsible for her husband's death." Duo continued hunting through computer files. "If luck's on our side, even if someone has managed to discover either Tro or Cat piloted a Gundam, finding out which one won't be as…"

"What is it?"

"Shit!"

"What?" Wufei pushed in to read the information for himself. "Remaining fuel. Course projection…Heero's plotted several possible scenarios for the shuttle's destination."

It took all of Duo's will power not to raise his voice. "Yeah, but he's got Corsica at the top of the list. Think about it, Fei - poetic justice and all that. Revenge is sweeter if you can rub your target's nose in it."

"One life for another, a symbolic sacrifice in the same place."

"Exactly. C'mon, we'd better get after Heero before he does something really stupid." A sudden movement behind him caused him to turn. "Fei?" When Wufei didn't answer, Duo reached up to squeeze his shoulder with one hand. "Fei?"

Wufei's voice sounded strained. "Duo, how far down the page did you read?"

"About half way, why? It just some medical info on the lady. Woman's stuff, that sort of thing. According to her shrink her mental state seemed okay so I didn't go further."

"Read it."

"Okay, but I don't think…" Duo stopped as the words hit him straight between the eyes. "Oh God."

******

Quatre glared at Smythe who was still holding the gun on Trowa. "Put the bloody gun down." Trowa was hanging limply from his restraints; unconsciousness had followed his calling out for Quatre in a disturbingly small matter of minutes.

The fuzziness in his head was clearing but it was still an effort to focus clearly. Whatever had had affected Trowa had hit him through their empathic connection as soon as it had come back 'online'. Both of them had said things they shouldn't have, but for the moment that was the least of their problems. Quatre directed his next comment toward Mrs Walker. "If you've harmed him, I'll take you apart piece by piece. I've already told you I'm the one who killed your husband. You have me - release Trowa and Relena. This has nothing to do with them."

"Oh but it has, Mr Winner," Mrs Walker clarified her statement. "I'll let your friend Relena go once justice has been served, but your husband is another matter entirely."

It was impossible to ignore the creeping coldness resulting from the self-assuredness and calmness in her tone.

"But I'm the one you want, not Trowa," Quatre insisted. He searched his memory frantically for the name she'd used, "Stephen wouldn't want you to tarnish his memory by harming someone who isn't responsible for…"

"Isn't responsible?" Davis snorted. "Barton's the Gundam pilot who attacked the mobile suit factory in the first place. You might have pulled the trigger but he cocked the gun and removed the safety."

"Please, William." Mrs Walker interrupted him. "While I appreciate your input, I'm more than capable of explaining my intentions without your help." She cleared her throat. "I know you're trying to protect your husband, Mr Winner, and I respect that."

Yes, but Quatre doubted that respect could be turned in Trowa's favour. A sudden pain hit his spaceheart, and he bit his lip to prevent crying out. This was more than just about her husband's death - but he couldn't work out what he was missing. "Stephen died during a war - killing someone else won't honour his memory, and I doubt it's going to make you feel your loss any less afterwards."

"Don't presume to know what will honour his memory, Winner." Her eyes flashed, a deep sense of sorrow riding the crest of anger. "You've taken away my future, our future. Why should I consider giving you anything less in return?"

"You can't be serious," Quatre shook his head. "Please, this is my responsibility, you can't punish Trowa for something I did…" His voice trailed off. Where the hell were his strategy skills when he needed them?

A low groan came from the other wall. "Quatre?" Trowa's voice was croaky and his breathing uneven, but he sounded and felt more like himself again.

"So you're awake again, Mr Barton." Davis' voice had an edge of contempt to it. What the hell was the man's problem? "How nice of you to join us."

Trowa met Quatre's gaze, answering his unspoken concern with a nod. "Quatre?" he asked, his brow creasing into a frown. He couldn't let Trowa find out this way. He couldn't. "Cat, what is it?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," Quatre told him, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Really?" Trowa wasn't convinced.

"Mr Winner's not reacting well to the news that his noble attempt at self sacrifice was in vain." Davis sneered.

"What the hell's your problem?" Quatre snapped.

"What the hell gives you the right to just pick up your lives after the war? All those people who died at your hands didn't stand a chance against the superior firepower of your mecha." Davis glared at Trowa. "I lost several close friends when you attacked this base. Their death screams have haunted my dreams ever since."

"Everyone loses loved ones during a war," Trowa told him. "War is never just. Death doesn't discriminate, the most you can hope for is a bitter sweet victory, no matter who wins."

"I'm sorry. I watched my father die, knowing there was nothing I could do to save him." Quatre still heard the screams of death when he closed his eyes, both of his loved ones and those he had killed.

"And now you'll watch your husband die, knowing you can't save him." Mrs Walker shook her head. "I'm not a monster, Mr Winner. At least I'm going to give the two of you a chance to say your goodbyes, which is more than you gave me."

"You can't…" Quatre's voice shook. "Please…I can't… Killing Trowa isn't going to achieve…"

"I wasn't prepared to kill an innocent, even for revenge, but as William so kindly pointed out," Mrs Walker sighed, "he's far from that. You should thank me for letting you off so lightly. I'm only taking one life in exchange for two."

Relena gasped. "Oh my God." Sympathy and pain followed understanding but the significance of Mrs Walker's announcement still eluded Quatre. "You were…"

"That's enough." Mrs Walker snapped. "Enjoy your last moment of peace, Mr Winner - it's time for Mr Barton to say his goodbyes. "

******

[1] Arabian for 'lover'.

[2] "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. Ford Prefect, after years of research, changed the entry for Earth from 'harmless' to 'mostly harmless'.

End of Chapter Three

TBC

******