Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Thin Red Line ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

Thin Red Line (5/7)

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/triuniy/triunity.html

We also wish to apologise for the delay between this chapter and the previous one. Sakura has had MAJOR computer hassles, and was without access for several months. However, now we are back on track, the final few chapters should be finished shortly.

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?

Thanks: To Sakura for many hours of plottage, conversations, beta reading, the summary and the soundtrack and to Bast for beta reading, and encouraging the evil.

Comments to: anneo @ paradise.net.nz

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Chapter Five

From their position behind the remains of the half-demolished wall, Quatre exchanged several hand signals with Heero. It made sense for the two of them to lead the assault as there was no way of knowing how many opponents they'd be up against until it was too late. It hadn't taken long to slip back into 'Gundam pilot' mode; part of him wondered if they'd ever manage to leave that part of their life behind completely.

The footsteps grew closer and the door at the top of the staircase began to open.

/Why is it that bad guys only seem to travel in pairs?/ Quatre thought, his suspicions growing stronger with each passing moment. This was too easy. Surely whoever was behind this wouldn't be stupid enough to allow them to escape after putting so much planning and effort into the operation? Their captors now knew that they were dealing with at least two Gundam pilots and should have tightened their security accordingly.

Recognising the man on the right, Quatre signalled that he would take care of him. Heero could take out the one on the left. Together they vaulted over the wall they'd been using as cover.

Smythe blocked Quatre's first blow with his arm. Seizing the arm and twisting it to throw Smythe off balance, Quatre punched him in the stomach with his left fist. "This is for holding a gun on my husband," he hissed. His opponent grunted and attempted to take a step backwards. Reaching out to grab a fist full of hair, Quatre regretted that the guns they'd confiscated hadn't been equipped with silencers. His knee followed the path of his fist and Smythe slid to the floor with a cry of pain.

"Ready to move?" Heero asked, bending over the prone form of his own victim.

"Almost," Quatre replied. Smythe groaned and clutched his stomach.

"Allow me," Trowa stepped past Quatre to give Smythe a swift kick in the balls. "That's for breaking the chain when you removed Quatre's wedding band." He and Quatre exchanged a satisfied smirk.

"Was that really necessary?" Heero glanced between them. Quatre answered him by delivering a blow to the back of Smythe's head to send him into unconsciousness.

"Heero," Relena warned, coming to stand beside her fianceé. "Not now. I'll explain later."

"Where's your shuttle, Heero?" Quatre asked, before heading towards the staircase, the others on his heels. He paused at the top of the stairs and peered down into the dim light. While the stairwell appeared to be clear, there was still something…

"Behind the old silo," Heero answered.

"Cat?"

"I can feel something, but I'm not sure…" Quatre shook his head, frowning in response to Trowa's question. If his empathy was more focused he'd be able to pinpoint the source of his growing unease. "Forget it," he said. "We don't have the luxury of hesitation and this is the only way off this floor."

"We're too easy a target while we're inside the building." Heero pushed past Quatre to examine the half darkness in front of them. "The hangar is a much better option than this stairwell. It's not as stable as this section of the building but we can use the rubble for cover."

"This stairwell is too enclosed for my liking," Quatre agreed. "We need to get through it quickly or we'll be caught like rats in a trap."

"Cat, if you take point," Trowa suggested, "Relena can follow Heero. I'll cover the rear."

"Sounds good to me." It would be safer for Relena to have one of them on either side of her. Quatre ignored the shiver crawling up his spine and concentrated on the task at hand. He could feel Trowa projecting a calmness that none of them was feeling; Quatre gave his husband a look of thanks and gripped his gun tighter in an attempt to distract himself from his growing unease.

According to what Heero had told them there were two possible exits. The door to the right of the stairs led directly to the outside, but to reach it they'd have to pass an access corridor similar to the one leading to the cellblock on the floor above. It was also likely that their enemy would be using it as cover and they'd be walking straight into a trap.

They made their way down to the next level cautiously, Heero covering Quatre as he paused at each landing to survey the area ahead. After Heero had signalled it was safe to proceed, Relena joined them at the bottom of the stairs. Trowa followed her after double checking it was still clear behind them. All four exchanged grim smiles.

Taking a protective stance as they moved into the corridor itself, Quatre and Heero surveyed the surrounding area while Trowa and Relena covered them from the door of the stairwell. Relena was a crack shot; the time Heero had insisted she spend on the firing range had fine-tuned her already existing skill. The door leading into the hangar to Quatre's left seemed the better alternative. They'd be able to see their opponents coming, but unfortunately, until they could reach whatever cover the interior of the hangar offered, that too would work against them.

Trowa and Relena moved out of the confines of the doorframe, Trowa keeping Relena behind him as he took up a position to Quatre's left. Heero stepped back to stand next to her, completing the protective circle of Gundam pilots.

Neither the sound of multiple guns cocking, nor the group of men stepping out of the side corridor, was a surprise. Shooting their way out wasn't an option; nor was retreating back up the stairs. Besides, even if they did make it back up to the first floor, there was nowhere to go from there.

"Leaving us so soon, Mr Winner?" Davis stepped to the front of the group of heavily armed men, and smirked after he glimpsed the makeshift bandage on Trowa's hand. "I'm not sure why you bothered dressing your husband's injury. He won't be around long enough to warrant the effort."

"Go to hell," Quatre muttered under his breath, fighting the urge to wipe the smug smile off Davis' face then and there. The bastard had threatened his friends and tortured the man he loved; Quatre would make sure he regretted everything he'd done to Trowa. /Everything./

"The stories regarding your skills of diplomacy appear to have been embellished somewhat." Davis waved a hand towards Heero. "Why, you haven't even bothered to introduce us to your friend."

"Probably because you won't be standing /long enough/ to warrant the effort," Heero glared at Davis, returning the other man's words with interest.

"Testy, testy, Mr Yuy." Davis tsked tsked. "I expected something more from Ms Darlian-Peacecraft's head of security." He raised an eyebrow. "Or could it be that we've snared ourselves yet another Gundam pilot?"

Placing one hand casually behind his back, Quatre gave Heero the sign for retreat, knowing he would find a way to communicate their intentions to Relena. He and Trowa exchanged a glance, and then began edging towards the hanger, Davis and his men following with an amused smirk.

/We're being herded like sheep,/ Quatre realised. Had the initial trap only been for one Gundam pilot, or an attempt to capture them all?

Reaching the hangar, the three Gundam pilots scanned their new surroundings warily. There were four doors, one on each wall. Davis and his five cohorts were now positioned in front of the one through which they'd entered.

The sound of boots pounded against the floor and armed men entered the hangar from each of their three possible escape routes. The precise ground troop formation screamed military background. Ex Oz, or Alliance? Whatever these soldiers were, it didn't matter. He and his friends were screwed.

"I suggest you lower your weapons before someone else gets hurt. You're completely surrounded and outnumbered." Davis gave Relena a smile. "Although it's kind of you to steal a weapon for her, the idea of a pacifist carrying a gun disturbs me somewhat." Heero glared at him and took a step closer. "After all," Davis continued, "we wouldn't want the lady to get upset over unnecessary bloodshed."

"The lady is already upset," Relena told Davis, shifting her gun to aim it directly at him. "I've been kidnapped, drugged, my friends have been threatened…"

"Relena," Quatre could feel the anger coming off her in waves. A restraining calmness caressed his consciousness through his and Trowa's shared empathic link but he knew that Trowa wanted to give these arseholes what they deserved just as much as he did.

"It's okay, Quatre." Relena pursed her lips into a thin line, and returned her attention to Davis. "I'm proud to be associated with the Gundam pilots."

"My fight isn't with you," Mrs Walker spoke from the entrance of the hanger before walking over to join Davis. "Give the whole pacifist routine a rest, Ms Darlian-Peacecraft. I've heard enough of that rubbish from your friend Mr Winner to last me a lifetime." She snorted. "I wonder how the other delegates at your precious peace conference would react to the news that one of their leaders is none other than a Gundam pilot."

"The same way they'd react to the news that I'm marrying one, I expect." Relena's eyes flashed. "One thing my friends have taught me is that there comes a time when you have to fight to protect those you love. I will not allow you to kill Trowa in some sick attempt to lay your husband's ghost to rest. The only person he's haunting is you - let it go, Annabelle. Let him go." Her expression softened. "Let them both go."

"I want to." Mrs Walker's voice rose in pitch; there was an edge of hysteria in it. "Don't you think I've tried? I lost everything - my husband, my baby - my future. Our future. Why should that murdering bastard be allowed to be happy?" She let out a sob before jabbing an accusing finger towards Quatre. "I'm only taking what /you/ took from me. I'm only taking what I'm owed."

"Quatre owes you squat, lady." A familiar voice sounded from the shadows to her right. "Hey guys, forget to invite us to the party?"

******

Deciding to investigate the looped footage first, Wufei and Duo crossed the corridor between the communications room and the old cellblock. It wasn't a surprise to find that the door to the empty cell facing the camera was open.

"There's only enough rope here to restrain one person." Wufei ran his hand over the ropes left strewn on the only chair in the room. He examined them closely while Duo kept watch by the door, gun in one hand, the other hovering by the McGyver on his belt. "It's been cut either by a sharp knife, or a McGyver, if Heero's responsible."

Duo nodded. "If this Walker woman's grudge is against Gundam pilots, would she harm Rel?" He shrugged. "Depending on how nuts she is, finding out about Relena's pregnancy could be enough to send her further over the edge."

"Whoever was here has moved on," Wufei frowned as he stated the obvious.

"It's too damn quiet in here. You'd think for an operation this size, the place would be crawling with bad guys." Duo pointed to the ropes Wufei was holding. "Why go to all this trouble, but not guard the room? I don't like this, Fei."

"Neither do…"

Both men froze at the sound of approaching troops. After a few moments the footsteps stopped. Motioning Wufei to stay where he was, Duo peered through the open door. Several armed men were stationed at the end of the corridor. They were waiting for someone or something.

One man led the others out of their hiding place as they stepped into the adjacent corridor, their guns coming to bear on their target as one. Duo snorted. Bad guy synchronisation - just what they needed to finish off a perfect day.

Leaving the cell, the two Gundam pilots crept down the corridor toward the entrance of the cellblock in order to get a better view of the action.

"Leaving us so soon, Mr Winner?" Was this show of force just for Quatre's benefit? Did they know he was a Gundam pilot? "I'm not sure why you bothered dressing your husband's injury. He won't be around long enough to warrant the effort."

/Injury? What injury?/ Duo edged further forward. It was difficult to make out Quatre's reply, but it didn't take a genius to work it out. If these bastards had harmed Trowa, he didn't think much of their chances of survival once Quatre got hold of them.

Keeping out of sight, Duo dropped into a crouch and peered cautiously into the main corridor. /Damn it, Heero, why couldn't you have waited for backup?/

Under different circumstances it would have been difficult not to laugh. The two groups were facing each other in a classic Mexican stand-off - neither seemed prepared to surrender and lay down their weapons. Quatre's eyes were narrowed; his upper body glistened in sweat; the dust and dirt covering his pale skin giving the illusion of…Hang on, back up. Where the hell was his shirt?

Duo shifted his attention to Trowa. Noticing the dressing on Trowa's hand, and the makeshift sling, the fate of Quatre's upper garments became clear. /Way to go with the field dressing./ Duo frowned at the dried bloodstains on the white fabric and watched Trowa carefully. He wasn't giving much away but from the way he was favouring his injured limb, Duo was in no doubt that his friend was in a lot of pain. No wonder Quatre was pissed.

The man who had spoken before waved a hand in Heero's direction. "The stories regarding your skills of diplomacy appear to have been embellished somewhat." Did this idiot have a death wish or was stupidity something that came naturally to him? "Why, you haven't even bothered to introduce us to your friend."

"Probably because you won't be standing /long enough/ to warrant the effort." Even from this distance Duo could make out the infamous Heero Yuy glare.

"Testy, testy, Mr Yuy." The man tsked tsked. "I expected something more from Ms Darlian-Peacecraft's head of security."

Yes, but Heero was much more than just her head of security. He was her fiancee and the father of her child. Keeping a firm grip on his gun, Duo shuffled forward still further in an attempt to reassure himself that Relena was okay. It was difficult to see her clearly from his present position because the other pilots had carefully arranged themselves around her in a protective semi-circle. She seemed unharmed, and the gun in her hands reinforced what he already knew - that she was one brave lady who could stand her ground with the best of them. The guys had been through this scenario several times, and while Relena hadn't exactly sat back on her ass during the war, she still didn't have the reflexes or battle experience of a Gundam pilot.

A ray of sunlight illuminated the group briefly from behind, and then was gone. Duo craned his neck, cursed under his breath in frustration, but didn't dare move any closer. It wouldn't do to give away his and Wufei's plans to gate-crash this party just yet.

"Or could it be that we've snared ourselves yet another Gundam pilot?" /Another/ Gundam pilot? It was phrased as a question but Duo was in no doubt that the man already knew the answer. Had this set up been intended merely as a thank you to the pilots who had been at Corsica or was the kidnapping bait to lure all of them here?

"How many?" Wufei mouthed, after Duo turned in response to the hand on his shoulder.

Duo held up six fingers. He had a nasty feeling they'd soon be joined by more. At least he and Wufei still had the element of surprise on their side. Or did they?

It appeared as though he wasn't the only one smelling a rat. Quatre and Trowa exchanged a glance, and Heero's eyes dropped for an instant to the small of Quatre's back. Slowly they, and Relena, began moving towards the open double doors behind them. It was a smart move. Even if the hangar lacked substantial cover, it would have been difficult to mount any sort of defence within the confines of their present surroundings.

Retreating discreetly hadn't been an option so it wasn't a surprise when Idiot Guy and his merry men followed like sheep to the slaughter. Unfortunately following right behind them, once Quatre and the others were safely inside, was the sound of boots against concrete signifying the arrival of still more ground troops. These people were thorough, he'd give them that, although they appeared to have missed the lesson on the Bad Guy 101 course entitled 'overkill'. Duo snorted. It took more than this to take down five Gundam pilots.

"I suggest you lower your weapons before someone else gets hurt. You're completely surrounded and outnumbered." Hats off to Idiot Guy for stating the obvious. It was a shame that he didn't appear to have a clue that he was the one about to get hurt.

Damn, not being able to see what was happening was annoying the crap out of him. He needed to know the odds against them in order to work out the best plan of attack. Turning to Wufei, he gestured that it was time to move from their current position, and silently made his way to the base of the empty stairwell.

After joining him, Wufei placed one finger against Duo's lips to prevent him speaking, and used his free hand to gesture towards the entrance of the building. /Someone's coming/, he signalled silently. Duo nodded his understanding and together they took refuge in the shadows of the stairwell where, weapons poised, they waited. The auburn haired woman walked straight past them, intent on reaching her destination. This had to be Walker arriving just in time for the kill.

"It's okay, Quatre," Relena's voice could be clearly heard through the open door. "I'm proud to be associated with the Gundam pilots."

"My fight isn't with you. Give the whole pacifist routine a rest, Ms Darlian-Peacecraft. I've heard enough of that rubbish from your friend Mr Winner to last me a lifetime." Pausing after giving Relena her valuable opinion, the woman didn't notice that the door to the hangar was still open as she crossed the floor to join Idiot Guy. "I wonder how the other delegates at your precious peace conference would react to the news that one of their leaders is no other than a Gundam pilot."

"The same way they'd react to the news that I'm marrying one, I expect," Relena snapped. Bringing up the whole peace conference/pacifist/Gundam pilot connection had not been a smart move on Walker's part. "One thing my friends have taught me is that there comes a time when you have to fight to protect those you love."

Relena's speech provided the distraction they needed. Creeping out of the stairwell, and using the doors as cover, Duo and Wufei surveyed the inside of the hangar. Their friends were still in the defensive formation they'd used in the corridor. Surrounding them and blocking the other exits were three groups of five soldiers. Duo nodded to Wufei and together they slipped unseen into the hangar. Fifteen, plus those directly in front of them - no problem.

"I will not allow you to kill Trowa in some sick attempt to lay your husband's ghost to rest," Relena continued. It was a waste of time arguing with a hysterical woman, but she seemed determined to try. "The only person he's haunting is you - let it go, Annabelle. Let him go." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Let them both go."

"I want to," Walker sighed. "Don't you think I've tried? I lost everything - my husband, my baby - my future. Our future. Why should that murdering bastard be allowed to be happy?" Walker pointed at Quatre. "I'm only taking what /you/ took from me," she sobbed, "I'm only taking what I'm owed."

/Murdering bastard?/ Duo ignored the warning glare from Wufei. Quatre had enough scars from the war without this lunatic laying another guilt trip on him. Stuff the element of surprise; there was no way he'd allow this crap to continue. Wufei slipped past him to sneak into position behind the group of soldiers to their left. At present all eyes were trained on their prospective prey - that was about to change.

"Quatre owes you squat, lady." It was time to liven things up. "Hey guys," Duo added in a more cheerful tone, "forget to invite us to the party?"

Three pairs of eyes turned in Heero's direction - it seemed as though Duo wasn't the only one who had commented on his Lone Ranger attempt. Heero ignored them, and instead stepped backwards, using the action to twist his body into a hundred and eighty-degree turn. Hitting the man nearest to him in the jaw, Heero shot Duo a glare. "You're slipping. I expected you here sooner." he grunted.

"Next time, leave clearer instructions," Duo chastised, moving forward to introduce one of the bad guys to his fist. "Nice abs, Cat, but you didn't have to take your shirt off just for me." The twin glares from Trowa and Wufei were an added bonus.

After tucking his gun into his waistband, Quatre took a step towards Idiot Guy. "You," he hissed," kidnapped one of my closest friends, tortured my husband and then…" Judging by the murderous look in Quatre's eye, this was the person responsible for Trowa's injury. "And, then /Mr/ Davis, you convinced her," Quatre nodded towards Walker, "that he was partially responsible for her husband's death."

Deciding that Quatre had everything under control - and that it wouldn't be a wise move to get between him and Davis - Duo focused on the group of men approaching from his right. It didn't take a genius to figure out their intentions; Quatre was an immediate threat to one of their own.

Duo launched himself at the first man, hitting him in the gut. Ducking, Duo blocked the answering blow, using the momentum to roll and flip his opponent over his shoulder. These men had been well trained, but they were still no match for someone who had learnt how to fight on the streets of L2. "Naughty, naughty," he chastised. "Threatening Shinigami's friends is a big no no. Aren't they teaching bad guys anything these days?"

Watching Duo's attack, the other soldiers finally lost their mannequin mentality and launched an offensive. What the hell had they been waiting for? A green light from their less than brilliant leader? Well they were out of luck in that direction. Said leader had enough problems of his own in the shape of one extremely pissed off Quatre Winner.

Trowa fired several shots in the direction of the section of walkway above Duo's head. "Cat, down!" Quatre dived towards the ground, taking Davis with him. Trowa fired again and the sharpshooter who'd had Quatre in his sights cursed and dropped his weapon. Relena gave Trowa a nod of approval, and using the rubble in the corner behind them as cover, began scanning the roof for more snipers.

Ramming himself backwards, Heero used one man's body to give himself extra leverage before delivering a sharp kick with each leg to the two attacking from either side. Tucking his body into a roll, he launched himself at the remaining guy, both of them hitting the ground together. Heero shoved his knee against the soldier's chest to hold him down and punched him in the jaw. Glancing at the bodies at his feet, Heero snorted and moved onto the next group. He definitely hadn't lost his touch on this particular playing field.

In the other corner, several men were approaching Wufei with the obvious intention of taking him out. Wufei smiled thinly, his feet apart, one fist clenched at his side and the other stretched out in front of him. One of his opponents grinned at his companions; Wufei took a step towards him, and the man brought his arm up to protect himself. Hitting his opponent's wrist with his right hand, Wufei moved to simultaneously hold down the man's upper arm and shoulder with his other, while bringing his left leg to deliver a blow to his lower body. The man went down with a grunt, and Wufei grabbed the next soldier in a chokehold around the throat before he had a chance to react. The third man began backing away slowly.

Looking up a few minutes later, Duo noticed that Wufei had sent the last man flying across the room with a swift kick to land at Trowa's feet.

"Home delivery, how thoughtful." Trowa brought the butt of his gun down on the man's head.

Another soldier launched himself at Duo, and he sighed. What did it take to get the message through to these idiots? Grabbing his opponent's arm, Duo raised his elbow, twisted his hips, and delivered a sharp blow to the side of the man's face.

/One more down, several to go/, Duo thought, grinning. He'd missed the adrenalin of a good fight and he doubted he was the only one. Heero laughed, and Duo shivered at the sound, although he couldn't blame his friend. There had to be a certain degree of satisfaction in taking out those responsible for kidnapping Relena.

The sound of gunfire came from the corner where Relena had taken cover. A body landed at Duo's feet, hitting the ground with a thump after its journey from the walkway above. "Next time watch your back, Heero," Relena yelled, lowering her weapon. She glared at what was left of the unfortunate sucker who'd attempted to take out her fiancee.

Propelling himself upwards, Trowa somersaulted in mid-air before landing behind two of the soldiers. His landing wasn't as balanced as usual. A well-aimed kick and one man went down before Trowa fired his weapon again in the direction of the walkway.

The expected gunshot was replaced by a loud click. "I don't believe this!" Trowa dropped his empty gun. There was a glint of metal in his hand before his McGyver flew through the air to find its target. Another body toppled over the walkway to join its companion.

Quatre delivered several blows to Davis' head, muttering something under his breath with each one. Holding him down with his knee on Davis' stomach, he pulled Davis up by his hair and then let him go with a thud. Davis groaned, and Quatre raised his fist for the final blow.

"Cat!" Trowa launched himself at Walker, managing to deflect her aim just as she pulled the trigger. Quatre gave a gasp of pain and his arm dropped to his side, blood starting to flow from where he'd been hit. Grabbing the gun from Walker, Trowa threw it to Duo, who having dealt with the last of the bad guys, covered her while Trowa went to Quatre's aid. "Are you okay?" Trowa asked.

"It's just a graze," Quatre reassured him, "though I'll need something to staunch the blood." He removed his hand from where he'd been pressing against the wound, and glanced around the room, before applying more pressure.

"Nice to know we haven't lost our touch," Duo grinned. The hangar had gone eerily quiet. There were bodies sprawled over the floor; Heero and Relena were covering the few left standing.

"Here, use this." Wufei took a clean handkerchief from his pocket, and carefully positioned it against on Quatre's wound, before tying it with a strip of fabric torn from the bottom of his shirt.

"Thanks," Quatre said, bending down to examine Davis. "I'll get it looked at when Trowa's hand is being dressed." Davis glared at him, but said nothing. Maybe it had dawned on the idiot that Walker's attempt to kill Quatre had saved him. "I haven't forgotten your part in this," Quatre muttered. "It will be a long time before you see the outside of a prison by the time I've finished with you."

"Go to hell," Davis said. "My only regret is that we didn't succeed, but this is far from over."

"That's where you are wrong," Duo said. "It /is/ over." He paused. "Quatre?"

His friend was frowning, his gaze focused on Davis. "What the hell?" Quatre ran one hand over his captive's ear, then yanked, ignoring Davis' cry of pain. In this palm was a tiny earpiece. "Who are you in contact with?" he demanded.

An explosion rocked the hangar, and debris began falling from the walkway above. "Get down," Duo yelled, curling himself into a ball in order to protect himself from the bigger rocks and pieces of timber.

After several minutes the shaking stopped. Duo shook himself free from the blanket of dirt and debris, ducking to avoid being hit by another shower of rocks. A low groan echoed through the hangar; the overhead beams were straining to keep the roof intact.

The floor shook again and Relena lost her balance. Heero was at her side in an instant, helping her to her feet. 'Are you okay?' asked Duo.

Clutching her stomach, she doubled over. "Heero! The baby!" she gasped. Her legs were wet with blood.

"We have to get out of here NOW," Heero's voice was hoarse. He lifted Relena into his arms, and whispered something to her. She gave him a weak smile.

Davis grabbed the earpiece from Quatre. "You were supposed to wait until I was clear," he screamed into it. "This wasn't part of the plan!"

/Oh shit./

"This isn't my fault." Walker stared at Relena and started sobbing hysterically. "You have to believe me. I only wanted what was owed to me."

The window to their right shattered, shards of glass exploding over the main doorway, just as one of the hand rails from the walkway above fell to the floor, narrowly missing them by inches.

"Get out of here," Duo said. "I'll grab her and be right behind you."

"Be careful," Wufei warned. He began ushering their prisoners towards the double doors at the end of the hangar. Trowa dragged Davis to his feet, and with Quatre, quickly followed their friends. Davis didn't argue and allowed himself to be led away. Idiot though he was, it seemed as though he valued his own survival over his need to shoot his mouth off and anger his only ticket out any further.

Backing herself into a corner, Walker was sliding down the wall and burying her face in her hands. "We have to go," Duo tried to reason with her. "This whole place is going to blow. Come on, lady, you don't want to die in here." Even after what she'd done, he couldn't condone leaving her.

She stared at him blankly and he realised his words weren't even registering. Ignoring her protests, he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

A second explosion hit before they had even made it as far as the door. Dropping to the ground, Duo used his body to shelter her, as the building collapsed around them. /I'm sorry, Fei,/ he thought, and then everything went black.

*****

End Chapter Five.

TBC