Mission: Implausible
by girl starfish
Part 8
Heart pounding, Duo took a look round at his captors. Treize was
looking with distaste at the dirt on his usually spotless white
gloves. Zechs was yawning, while reading the plans to the church
again. Noin was trying not to look as if she was staring at Zechs's
butt. Une was looking over Zech's shoulder at the plans to what had
been Maxwell Church. This might be a good chance to get out of here.
Carefully, moving slowly enough so as not to attract undue attention,
Duo sidled through the wreckage moving in the opposite direction to
where he'd seen Wufei. His number one priority would be to get away
from the OZ troops. Wufei should be able to find him easily after
that.
Just as Duo had reached a wall that might have provided him with
enough shelter to make a decent getaway, he slipped on a pile of
loose shingle.
Une immediately hurried over to him. "Are you all right, dear?" she
asked, helping him up.
"I'm fine," Duo said. His knee stung, he'd scraped it, but he wasn't
going to say so. He didn't want more fuss.
"Let me dust you off-- there, isn't that better?" Une said, patting
him.
Zechs sneered. "Baby."
"I know you are but what am I?" challenged Duo.
Zechs smirked. "I'm the rubber and you're the glue. Whatever you say
bounces off me and sticks to you, so there."
"Zechs," Treize sighed wearily. "Could you refrain from taunting the
prisoner a moment?"
Two of the guards they'd left with the cars were approaching.
"General Khushrenada, we don't wish to intrude but we've questioned
the inhabitants. It appears we are not the only people to have
inquired about the church."
"Ah-hah!" said Zechs. "This confirms my theory. The brat was planted
by the Rebels."
Duo glared at the smug look Zechs sent him-- this all fit into the
blond's belief that he was faking his entire story. He wasn't lying-- but
he couldn't explain any of this-- how come the church wasn't the
same-- how come the reports said it happened five years ago when he
knew it was just a couple of weeks--
"The thing is, sir," the officer said earnestly to Treize, "that all
the people we asked agreed that no inquiries were made before today
and the accounts of the person making the inquiries tally exactly."
Treize read the paper handed to him. "Noin, Une? Does this ring any
bells? Young male of Asian descent, shoulder length black hair in
pony tail, formal manner of bearing, wearing loose fitting black
trousers and a red jacket--"
"Pilot 05," Noin growled.
Duo could have groaned. This was so not good--
"There's a good chance he's in the area," the soldier
continued. "Shall we look for him?"
"I think that wise," Treize nodded, blinking in surprise as Noin
jumped up and down, waving her hand in the air like a
schoolgirl. "Uh, Noin?"
"Permission to join them, sir?"
"Granted," Treize said frowning. "Just remember, he is more useful to
us alive, Noin--"
"Acknowledged." Noin saluted crisply, then skipped after the
departing officer.
"How long has it been since she had time off?" Treize wondered as she
left.
"Too long, obviously," Zechs replied.
"We should get going," Une said taking a firm hold of Duo's hand-- he'd
chosen that moment to try to make a getaway again. "This is no
place for a child."
"I don't want to go," Duo sulked.
"Tough," Zechs told him. "You're staying with us until the General
says you can go."
"Why do you call him General anyway?" Duo muttered sullenly as they
left. "He's not the real General."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Geez, you stupid or what?" Duo asked Zechs scornfully. "Everyone
knows the real General Khushrenada got excavated years ago."
He bumped into Zechs and blinked. They'd all stopped walking and were
staring at him.
"What?"
"Excavated?" Zechs questioned.
"You know." Duo made a shooting motion with his hand. "One of his
closest colleagues shot him in the back. Bam!"
"Assassinated?" Treize suggested weakly.
"That's the word!" Duo nodded eagerly. "It was really cool! There
were parades and parties and we got the day off classes!"
"What are you talking about?" Zechs snapped, slapping Treize on the
back. "General Khushrenada is right here and very much alive!"
Treize winced. "What was the exact name of this General? I am sure
there are a lot of Khushrenadas out there--"
"Geez, you really are stupid, aren't you? Treize was the one that got
assassinated first-- and then there was this old goon who tried to use
his daughter to get power-- they all got blown up-- boom!"
"No need to sound so cheerful about it," Une reprimanded the child,
dusting him off by way of reproof. "Those are other people you're
talking about--"
"But no one liked Treize-- he was a detonator-- you know, someone who
likes to boss everyone around?" Duo continued happily. "Everyone was
really happy when he died `cause we thought we would be free again.
But we weren't. The other OZ people took over. General Chewberock is
in charge now."
"Tsuberov?" Zechs snorted. "As if."
"Now, now." Treize waved Zechs aside. "Let the child speak. This may
be important." He was paler than usual. "I trust," he said,
attempting to keep his voice calm, "that the people responsible for
the death of this noble General were properly reprimanded?"
"You kidding? They were given medals-- services to the universe. All
the General did was get people killed-- we were happy when he died.
Sister Helen said that even old Chewberock and his taxations are
better than the General `cause Chewberock never tried to make people
think they were fighting for a noble cause."
"Taxations?" Une asked, hoping to divert conversation onto a path
less distressing for Treize-sama.
"You know, the taxes-- meat, bread, vegetables, dairy-products, water,
air, light, life, living in outer space," Duo rattled the list off
quickly. "I need to go to the toilet."
"You can go when we get back to the base," Treize said, concentrating
on the information he'd just been given.
"That's too long. I need to go now."
"I don't think this neighbourhood would have the necessary facilities-
-" Treize looked around at the untidy slum.
Duo rolled his eyes again. "What are you talking about? I can just go
over there."
"But-- that's unsanitary--"
Zechs patted Treize on the back. "Look at this neighbourhood. You
think the people here care?"
"Someone should go with him," Une said. "To check he's all right."
She looked meaningfully at Zechs. There was no question about Treize
going-- he looked faint enough already.
"Fine." Zechs sighed.
Duo had other ideas. "I'm not going if he's going."
"But, you should have someone with you. In case something happens,"
Une soothed.
"I don't like him," Duo pouted. "And anyway I can't go if there's
someone watching--"
"Just be careful then." Une patted him anxiously.
Rolling his eyes again, Duo set off over the rubble.
"On the streets--" Treize repeated faintly. "People live like that?"
"It's called poverty," Zechs said shortly. This entire day was
grating on his nerves. "Not everyone was born into a family manor
with crystal chandeliers and servants, you know."
"Duo, you'll call if you need us?" Une called.
There was no response.
"Duo?"
Zechs and Une eyed each other and drew their weapons.
"Treize-sama, it might be best if you return to the car," Une said,
as she and Zechs scanned the surrounding area.
Unfortunately Treize was not in the mood for taking advice. "Need I
remind you," he began, nettled, "that not only am I your superior, I
have been in as many battles as you--"
Gun fire ran out, suddenly, nearby.
"Block him! Don't let him get away!" Noin screamed.
"Damn onna!"
Zechs looked back sharply to Une and Treize. "Heads up-- they're
coming this way--"
Just as he said that Wufei and Duo rounded the corner, skidding on
the loose gravel. Wufei had Duo on his back, piggyback style. The
child's weight was not much to him, but it did slow him down-- enough
so that although he scrambled to a halt the moment he saw the three
OZ officials in front of him, and though he made a dash in the
direction of the road, Noin and the search party had him surrounded.
Panting, Wufei looked round desperately for an opening-- there was
none. Captured--
He slid Duo off his back. "Get ready to run," he said softly, sizing
up the Oz officers surrounding him. "I'll create a diversion-- you get
out of here--"
"No!" Duo grabbed his hand. "I'm not leaving you!"
"It's not safe," Wufei protested. "Go."
"The hell I will," Duo said.
Wufei was distracted then by Treize speaking.
"Pilot 05-- what an unexpected pleasure it is to see you today--"
Much as Wufei would have liked to snap something rude at Treize,
there was a child present and he restrained himself. However he
couldn't help responding, "I'm sorry, I should have phoned first?"
Zechs snorted as he stepped towards the Gundam pilot with a pair of
cuffs. "Drop your weapon and put out your hands, Pilot 05. You co-
operate and no-one will get hurt."
This was just possibly the worst situation he could be in, Wufei
thought grimly as he held out his hands. Oz could use Duo against him
very easily-- and he couldn't let the child be hurt--
"No!" Duo screeched swatting Zechs hands away. "You can't hurt Wufei!
Leave him alone!"
"Out of the way, brat," Zechs pushed Duo aside. A minute later, he
yelped, dropping the cuffs. "He bit me!"
Wufei had a hard time keeping his face impassive. He took advantage
of the momentary distraction of those arresting him to kneel down to
talk to Duo. "Listen to me, Duo. Don't antagonise them-- we're
prisoners, our lives depend on how pleasant they're feeling--"
Duo's eyes widened as the full implications of their situation caught
up with him. He scrubbed furiously at his eyes. "I won't do anything
to get you in trouble, Wufei. I'm sorry--"
"It's not your fault," Wufei told him, holding out his hands for Noin
to cuff him (which she did with great delight).
"Come away, dear." Une took Duo by the hand.
Duo obeyed reluctantly. "What's going to happen to Wufei?"
"Let the child go," Wufei said. "Now you have me, you don't need him."
"It's true," Une said. "A military base is no place to raise a child,
and we don't need him to help us locate the Gundam pilots now that we
have one. I'll look into trustworthy foster parents--"
"No need, Une. The child will remain with us," Treize said in a tone
that settled everything. "I have a feeling that his presence will
ensure that our captive Gundam pilot is co-operative."
Wufei was grim. His worst fear had been realised. Noin blinked, a
little of her triumph fading away. Zechs looked concerned. Une looked
downright murderous. Surely Treize wouldn't use the child against the
Gundam pilot? That was just . . . inelegant.
Oddly enough, the only one happy with Treize's announcement was Duo
who was glad he wasn't being taken away from Wufei.
--oOo--
It got worse.
When they returned to the OZ base, an officer who had obviously been
awaiting Treize's return approached them, bowed, and said "General
Khushrenada, the information you were looking for has arrived."
"Ah, good," Treize said. "Send it to my study, I shall read it over
in private."
He waved the others on without him. "See the Gundam pilot is given
suitable accommodation, will you Zechs, Noin? And Lady Une, I leave
the care of our younger guest to you."
Une's mouth was thin as she and Duo went to the dining hall. Treize
hadn't said anything to her about this-- what was more surprising was
that he hadn't said anything to Zechs either-- at least that's what
she surmised from the blond's disgruntled expression.
Duo had demanded attention then. "Where are they taking him?" he
asked, watching as Noin and the soldiers with her led Wufei down a
different passage to the one they were taking.
"Come along," Une said firmly. "We need to get you fed."
"But--" Duo cast a look back at Wufei, and passed some inner resolve.
He went with Une obediently.
He was far from happy, Une realised. That was understandable-- commendable even. Her expression softened.
"We'll visit him later. I promise."
Duo blinked up at her, startled.
They'd reached the dining hall. It was full of soldiers on leave-- who
stood and saluted instantly, straightening uniforms surreptitiously
at the sight of OZ's most feared leader-- then staring at mute shock
at the diminutive figure beside her.
Une acknowledged the soldiers with a curt nod, and sat down at the
Officers' table, drawing up a seat for Duo. She hailed a passing
soldier and ordered them to let her know when Treize went to dinner
and then ordered meals for herself and Duo.
Despite her own worrying thoughts, Une was not too distracted to
notice that the child ate less than usual, and that he seemed
distracted too. Une thought it best to leave him be-- her recruits
would attest that she was not good at gentle kindness such as the
situation required-- until she caught him hiding half his hamburger in
his shirt.
"We're not starving him, you know," Une said. "He'll be fed
adequately."
"But-- the way Noin looked at him--" Duo said, caught unawares. "You
hate him!"
"Be that as it may, we are not entirely without honour, or
compassion." Une glared at a nearby recruit who happened to snort
suspiciously at that statement. "We will not mistreat a prisoner."
"This is my fault," Duo whispered, a tear running down my cheek. "If
I hadn't run away--"
Une wiped that tear with her napkin. "Hush. It's not your fault, Duo."
There didn't seem to be more she could say than that. She couldn't
promise it would be all right-- she couldn't guarantee the pilot's
safety-- or even the child's.
It had never before struck her just how much war impacted on the
innocent-- this child, so much like pilot 02, might never be free of
it--
"Colonel Une, sir? The General has ordered dinner in his private
suite."
At last, Treize was out of his study. She could only hope that
whatever information he'd received was still there. She stood.
"Escort Duo back to my rooms and see that he has a guard. I have
business to attend to, Duo, I'll see you later," she told the child.
Treize had given Une and Zechs free run of his office, and Une was
easily able to gain access to the General's study. She ransacked the
drawers efficiently and quickly, easily ascertaining that whatever
he's received, it was not immediately accessible-- unless it lay in
the one locked drawer. She cast about for a key, but found none.
Abandoning the search, she instead drew up the computer records to
check the history.
She was in the middle of doing this when the door opened. Une froze-- caught in the act-- there was no way to explain this.
But instead of an angry Treize-sama or a smug Zechs she found herself
facing a very startled looking--
"Duo?"
The child looked as though about to bolt. Une scooted forward and
shut the door, blocking his exit.
"What are you doing?"
"I wondered-- I think what Treize got in here was something to do with
me-- and I want to find it. I don't want the guys to have any more
trouble because of me," Duo blurted defiantly. "So what are you going
to do now, lock me up too?"
"No," Une said. "I'm going to ask for your help." She resumed her
seat at the computer. "Whatever Treize got it isn't obvious-- I've
checked the drawers of his desk-- all except the locked one."
"Locked?" the child questioned. "You don't happen to have a piece of
wire handy do you?"
Une sacrificed one of her hairpins. Using it Duo managed to get the
lock undone, while she stood at the doorway and watched for
disturbances.
"Anything in there?" she asked.
"There's a disk on top of some papers-- and a photo of a really ugly
baby--"
"Give me the disk," Une said. "You keep a lookout." She ruffled Duo's
hair as they switched positions. "If we're both alive when this war
is over, I'll find a family for you," she told him, impulsively.
"I've already got a family," Duo replied. "At least, I hope I do."
His face was troubled.
Une inserted the disk.
She was quiet such a long time that Duo had to ask, "Is something
wrong?"
"You could say that." Une forgot for a moment that she was talking to
a child and not a colleague. "What does Treize want, staking out a
small Russian village?"
"A small Russian village?" Duo questioned sounding stricken.
Of course-- that was where he'd been found.
Une frowned, skimming through the battle plans and opening another
file. It was a scan of a poster that had been found in this same
Russian town-- she paused. It was Duo--
And--
It was one of those rare moments when Une smiled.
"Duo," she said. "Come and look at this."
The child crept over to her on silent feet. "What?" he said. "Oh-- WOW--"
It was a simple poster, much like any other missing person poster,
the picture of Duo taking up most of the space. What was so special
about it was the message below. Written in English and Russian, it
stated simply 'His family miss him'.
Duo's face was glowing. "Wow" he repeated, stretching out a hand as
if to touch the computer screen. "Wow--"
It was the most precious thing she'd ever seen. Une felt rather warm
inside herself. She made a promise to herself then. Duo would get
back to his family. She would see to it.
--oOo--
Quatre stared at the phone. Ring, dammit, he thought. Someone in this
stupid city has to know where he is--
In the opposite corner of the room, a cluster of Manguanacs watched
their leader apprehensively. Quatre was brave, courageous,
compassionate and wonderful, but at the moment--
He was downright scary.
The phone rang for perhaps one thirteenth of a second before Quatre
grabbed it. "Hello?" he said breathlessly.
"Does the phrase, 'Do you expect me to talk?' mean anything to you?"
Quatre blinked. "Heero?"
"It doesn't fit any of the songs of the CDS-- I've done an internet
search and turned up nothing-"
"Uh-- Heero-- what are you talking about?"
"Duo's code. I think I've broken it. There's just three things I
haven't been able to crack. That one, 'Time is fleeting' and 'It
wasn't a rock'."
"Was any of that supposed to make sense?"
"Please, Quatre, you have to think-- do any of those sound familiar to
you?"
"Uh-- what was the last one?"
There was a pause as Heero consulted his notes. "It wasn't a rock."
"It wasn't a rock," Quatre repeated. "It wasn't a rock--" He
laughed. "You know, that reminds me of the time me and Duo had a
mission that took us by some beach somewhere. He insisted the B-52s
were the only band you could play at a beach-- that and the Beach Boys-
-did you know Duo owns several Hawaiian shirts? And they're not black
either-- honestly you'd think he worked in a funeral home sometimes--"
"B-52's?" Heero asked, drawing Quatre's attention back to his query.
"An old-- and I mean really old band--pre-colony even. But then, Duo
has that thing for vintage rock. What were their most famous songs?
Love shack, Rock lobster-- Rock Lobster--that's it!"
"It is?" Heero sounded completely confused.
"It wasn't a rock--" Quatre declared to the bemusement of the
watching Manguanacs. "It was a rock lobster!"
He blinked as the line suddenly went dead. "Heero?"
Honestly, Pilot 01 had no manners. Quatre replaced the receiver
wondering if he would ever find out what that had been about.
He had barely time to begin pondering whether the accumulated stress
had proven too much for J's prodigy or if he really had managed to
crack Duo's code before the phone rang again.
"Hello?"
The Manguanacs saw Quatre's hand tighten around the cell phone. "They
do? Do you have proof?"
There was a pause and then Quatre paled. "Duo-- it's really . . . ?
How are they treating you? Are you all right? They have Wufei as
well? No, Duo, it's not your fault. Don't worry-- we'll get you and
Wufei out of this. I promise-- Duo?"
From the grim expression that had settled over Quatre's face, the
Manguanacs gathered that Duo no longer had the phone. "So you say.
How can we trust you? Who are you, anyway? We don't have many friends
amongst OZ--"
Pause.
"I see. Well I thank you for your information. However, if I find out
you have harmed him in any way-- Good day."
He hung up.
"Master Quatre?" Rashid inquired hesitantly.
"Recall the search parties," Quatre ordered briskly. "Start packing.
I want a total evacuation in under an hour."
"But sir--"
"OZ knows where we are. We must go into space immediately," Quatre
said. "I'm going to try and contact Trowa and Heero-- well don't just
stand there! The situation is critical!"
The Manguanacs obeyed.
--oOo--
Wufei was outwardly the picture of serenity. Sitting in a meditative
position, he was the embodiment of calm under pressure. Inwardly it
was another story.
Focus, Wufei reprimanded himself. You can't help Duo or yourself if
you cannot concentrate on the situation at hand.
He tried not to think about the fact that the situation at hand was
quite possibly without remedy. He was OZ's prisoner without any way
of escaping, not to mention OZ had Duo as a weapon against him if he
tried. He hadn't told any of the other pilots where he was going, so
there was no hope of rescue.
The only thing he could do now was steel himself for the ordeal that
would surely come. OZ was ruthless-- Wufei was sure they would not
waver from using every tool at their disposal on him.
Even a child.
Footsteps roused him from his meditative state. Someone was
approaching.
"Sir!"
"At ease, soldier."
Wufei could have groaned. Out of all of OZ, Lady Une was the worst.
He kept his face carefully impassive as she approached.
"Leave us with the prisoner."
"But-- Lady Une--"
"That was an order, Lieutenant."
This did not bode well. Lady Une had no qualms about torturing
prisoners-- hell, that was probably why she was sending the guards
away. Well, she would find that he would not be so easily intimidated--
Wufei blinked as he found himself facing not the hostile face of an
OZ soldier, but worried violet eyes--
"Duo--"
"Wufei! You're okay!" Duo sounded relieved. "He's really okay!" he
reported eagerly to someone just out of Wufei's seeing range.
"I told you we weren't entirely without honour, didn't I?"
replied . . . Lady Une?
It couldn't be Lady Une. The uber-bitch who had threatened to blow up
several colonies could never sound so gently amused, so affectionate,
so ... frilly?
Wufei decided he must be hallucinating. Lady Une . . . in a pink
nightgown?
With lace?
"Now Duo, remember what I told you. It will be at least three hours
before they can arrive. Until then, if anyone tries to make you
leave, tell them you are here under the approval of Colonel Une and
they can discuss any problems with me."
Duo nodded.
Wufei managed to tear his mind away from Lady's Une's ruffles. "Three
hours until who arrives?"
"All going to plan, Pilot 04 and a sizeable amount of backup," Une
said. "Duo, here's your blanket. Are you comfortable?"
Duo was settling in on Wufei's bed. "I'm fine," he said.
"The others will never fall for your nefarious scheme," Wufei told
Une stoutly. "Do you think so obvious a trap will work?"
"You'd better hope it does," Une told him. "I see no other way of
getting the two of you out of here."
Wufei snorted. "And why should you care about us?"
"I'm a weak onna, do I even need a reason?" Une replied tartly. "Take
care Duo. Try and get some sleep, okay?"
Duo sighed. "Okay," he said, sounding as though she'd asked him to
swear off chocolate for the rest of his life.
"Goodnight," Une said, lingering a moment. Then she turned and left
with precise military decorum.
Wufei stared after her with considerable inner tumult.
Something had just happened. He wasn't sure what.
"You going to read to me?" Duo asked quietly.
He'd got the blanket out and was sitting wrapped up in it on the end
of Wufei's bed.
Wufei opened his mouth for a lecture on there being an appropriate
time and place for everything, and sitting in an OZ cell waiting for
the friends and the colonies best chance for survival walked in to
Colonel Une's fiendish clutches was not an appropriate setting for a
bedtime story when he stopped.
"The tale of two cities?" he read. "Is that-- my book?"
"Don't be mad," Duo said. "I kept your place and everything."
"I'm not mad," Wufei said. "Although if you would like to borrow one
of my books, I would appreciate it if you asked. I spent ages looking
for this."
"I didn't think you'd let me have it if I did ask," Duo
explained. "Quatre said it was-- inappropriate."
Wufei was immediately outraged. "The Tale of Two Cities is a classic!
Everyone should read it! Inappropriate-- hah!" He took the
book. "Where are you up to?"
"I'm almost at your place." Duo pointed. "There."
--oOo--
Trowa led the way down the station corridor, a squad of Manguanacs
dressed in OZ uniforms at his heels. Their pace was brisk, not
designed to attract attention in the busy base-- not that anyone would
have noticed them anyway. Most people were paying more attention to
the two Gundams and the small army currently attacking the base
anyway.
"According to our anonymous informant, we need to go to detention
block 34c," Trowa said, scanning the hallways. "Which would be this
way."
There were a couple of guards standing at the entrance but they
looked nervous.
"I'm here to retrieve the Gundam pilot," Trowa said.
"Sir! Is everything all right, out there?"
Yes, they were nervous. Probably never been in a full out battle.
"Nothing serious," Trowa said. "These are important prisoners and as
there is a chance the attack is aimed at freeing or eliminating them,
we're going to take them to a different location."
"Oh, that's a relief."
"Yes, this will all be over soon," Trowa told them, giving the
Manguanacs the signal to render the guards unconscious.
While they took care of hiding the guards out of sight, Trowa set off
down the corridor to the cells.
Now they would find out the truth of that anonymous phone call.
True, no-one had been able to contact Wufei, but there were countless
explanations for that. For all they knew, their informant didn't even
have Duo--
Trowa paused as he heard voices ahead of him. He paused listening
hard.
". . . So the street outside Newgate had not obtained one infamous
notoriety that has since attached to it. But, the gaol was a vile
place, in which most kinds of debauchery and villainy--"
"What's debauchery?"
"It's another word for doing something bad with connotations of
involving the body."
"You mean like hitting someone else?"
"No, like drinking to excess, or eating more sweets than are good for
you . . . may I continue? Ahem, in which most kinds of debauchery and
villainy were practiced--"
Trowa smiled. Definitely Wufei and Duo-- and they sounded as though
they were alright too. He rounded the corner to see them both,
wrapped in a colourful blanket sitting on the cell's only bunk, Duo
leaning against Wufei's side as the Chinese pilot read to him.
"I hate to interrupt what looks to be a fascinating story," Trowa
said mildly. "But I am on a schedule."
"Trowa!" Duo jumped up immediately, scattering blanket and book in
his wake as he did so. "You're here, you're all right!"
"So are you," the European pilot answered, unlocking the door.
Wufei snorted as he picked up Duo's backpack. "Duo, you're going to
have to be quiet. We don't want to attract more attention than we
have too."
Duo ignored the reproof, locking himself around Trowa's legs.
Somewhat bemused by this demonstration of affection, Trowa looked up
to see Wufei hiding a smile.
"Apparently he missed us a lot."
"That's only fair. We missed him," Pilot 03 replied, patting Duo on
the head. "We're going to move fast, Duo-- I'm afraid you'll have to
hurry to keep up."
Duo nodded face determined. Trowa passed Wufei a weapon, and with the
Manguanacs they set off. The corridors were much less populated this
time round and they made better time.
They would have made even better time if the Manguanacs hadn't kept
stopping to steal glances at Duo as they went along.
Wufei smiled wryly as he drew closer to Trowa as they turned down a
side passage. "I see Quatre didn't explain?"
"He was somewhat distracted by trying to decide what was the best way
to attack the base," Trowa answered.
The next second there was the sound of a massive explosion, and the
floors shook, tumbling all of them to the ground.
"I think he found it," Wufei said, as he helped Duo up.
"We have to get out of here fast," one of the Manguanacs-- one of
these days he would learn their names-- said urgently.
Trowa nodded. "We need to get to flight bay level 7."
"This way."
They hurried towards the shuttle bay. So close and yet, anything
could go wrong. They could be seen, Quatre's army might launch an
attack in the wrong place, OZ might decide to simply jettison the
base . . .
Wufei couldn't help an exclamation of relief as they reached Bay 7.
"We made it!"
"Made what?"
They dived for cover, but it was too late. Zechs had recognised them.
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