Barton's Legacy
By West Wind
Rating: PG
Summary: Two Preventer agents show up to inform Catherine that Trowa was injured in an accident during a training outing, but there is more to it than a mere accident.
Disclaimer: Don't own the world of Gundam Wing just like to visit.
~ Chapter 1 ~
The two solemn men stepped out of the car and surveyed the city of tents. The blond zipped up his Preventer jacket to keep out the cool fall wind before they went in search of the person they were here to get.
"Excuse me," politely said the blond to one of the passing people. "Do you know where we can find Catherine Bloom?"
The man pointed them in the right direction and the blond thanked him for his help before the two Preventers headed in that direction.
"You're going to tell her, right?" murmured the second Preventer as he toyed with the end of his braid. "You're better at that sort of thing than I am, Quatre," he added as he glanced around uncomfortably.
"Yes, Duo, I will tell her when we find her," Quatre assured.
The brunet nodded; unusually quiet, but Quatre did not blame him. He was not looking forward to their task either.
After a few more inquiries, they found Catherine.
"Miss Catherine Bloom?" Quatre said interrupting the woman from her work.
"Yes," she answered eyeing them.
She became instantly suspicious at the sight of their jackets.
"What can I do for you?" she prompted.
"Well…" Quatre slowly began. "It's Trowa. He is in the hospital and in bad shape."
"Which hospital?" Catherine demanded.
"We are here to take you to him," assured Quatre.
Catherine nodded.
"Let me get some things then we can go," said Catherine.
The two men agreed to wait, and Catherine packed quickly.
The two retraced their steps back to the car with Catherine right behind them. Duo slipped behind the wheel. Quatre offered the front seat to Catherine, and he took the back.
"What happened?" she asked the question that had been on her mind since they first told her.
It was obvious by the hard-set expression and pursed lips that she was trying not to let her fear and worry for Trowa show in their presence, but it could be heard hanging in her voice as she asked for information.
"Training run went wrong," Quatre stated. "He was out with the cadets on a three day training exercise. We are still not sure on the details, but something caused the ammo truck to explode. Trowa and a few of the cadets were caught in the blast and thrown. When we left to get you, they had just gotten to the hospital, and on last update they had taken him into surgery to tend to his leg. We do not know much more than that."
The car occupants fell into silence from then on. Duo halted at the gate of the local airport. He flashed his identification card and was waived on through. Duo snaked his way through the rows of buildings until the found the Preventer hanger. He parked the car by the shuttle they would be taking to Preventer Head Quarters.
Quatre helped Catherine settle in as Duo ran through pre-flight check.
"We are cleared," Duo called back to the two. "Make sure you are fastened in!"
The shuttle smoothly crept out to the runway. Once Duo received final clearance, he set the shuttle into motion. It quickly built speed as it traveled down the pavement until it no longer touched the earth and was moving through the air. Rapidly Duo piloted the shuttle higher into the atmosphere and set it on course for home.
A half-hour into the trip Catherine slipped into the co-pilot chair.
"How much longer?" she asked.
Duo glanced at his watch.
"About an hour," he answered.
A soft hum was the only sign from Catherine that she had heard. Her eyes were focused out the window and into the blue sky that enveloped them. Duo glanced back behind him realizing it had been a while since he had heard any comment from Quatre.
Quatre was strapped into his reclined seat. His blond head leaned to one side and his jaw hung slightly open. The slow rise and fall of his chest attested to his status.
"So how long has Quatre been out?" Duo asked the girl beside him.
"Since not long after we took off," Catherine answered.
"Well, he has been up for close to 24 hours," Duo commented without anymore explanation.
Catherine did not ask but started studying the pilot.
"We have met before," she questionably stated.
"Yeah, we had a brief encounter once," Duo said cocking a smile at her waiting to see if she remembered.
Her eyes continued to sweep over his features as she tried to match them with a memory.
"You were dressed in black…" she began.
Duo nodded.
"You were the first one to find Trowa," she announced as the memory of Duo seeking the amnesia inflicted Trowa resurfaced.
"That would be me," Duo grinned. "Duo Maxwell," he introduced himself, "and my partner bearer of bad news is Quatre Winner," he added motioning with his thumb behind him.
"I have meet Quatre before," she said and briefly was lost in memories.
Duo noticed her unfocused look. His thoughts turned to the fact of how much Trowa meant to her. It was evident from their one meeting and the few comments Trowa made about his "sister." He hoped that Trowa would pull through.
"So what have you been doing since our previous encounter?" she asked breaking from her trance.
"After helping to save the world twice," he started with an impish grin and a playful wink that caused Catherine to form a small smile, "I settled down for a while on my home colony with a friend of mine, Hilde. We had a small salvage and repair shop for a few years till she got married. After that, I said yes to join the Preventers, when they came a calling. I have been traveling space and earth on Preventer business since. How about you?"
"Nothing different. I travel performing with the circus," she shrugged. "Do you think he is alright?" she nervously asked.
"I don't know," Duo said quietly. "He is a fighter, and if you are at his side, I am sure he will pull through."
Silence fell between them after that until Duo could not stand it any more.
"Any hobbies?" he asked.
"Not really," Catherine answered. "I don't have much time for them."
Duo nodded and searched for another topic to fill the silence and was soon entertaining Catherine with various anecdotes from his life and of his fellow pilots'.
"What awful things are you telling her about us?" teased Quatre with a twinkle in his blue eyes as he stood between the two chairs with a hand resting on each.
"It's been nothing bad," she smilingly assured Quatre, "but very entertaining."
Quatre grinned back and asked how close they were.
"I just made contact with the tower, and we will be landing soon," Duo answered.
"I guess I should buckle back up," Quatre said before returning to his seat.
"May I stay here?" asked Catherine. "I have never seen a landing from this perspective."
"Just strap in," jauntily said Duo.
Catherine secured herself to the chair and prepared for landing.
Duo banked the shuttle to obtain the correct approach for landing. The shuttle nose pointed down and started to descend. The ground was quickly before them, they leveled out, and the wheels touched the runway. They slowed and taxied to where the man in the tower instructed Duo to go.
They got out to find a vehicle waiting to take them to the main building to get Quatre's car. The three piled in, and the driver speed off causing them to lurch forward.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catherine, Duo, and Quatre inquired about Trowa at the nurses' station. The white uniformed woman on the other side of the desk checked her computer screen for the answer to their questions.
"He is out of surgery," she answered, "but visitors are not permitted."
"She's his sister," Duo pointed out trying to help.
"You have to have the doctor's consent," she insisted.
"Where do I find the doctor?" Catherine asked anxious for news on her brother.
A tall man in a white lab coat and carrying a clipboard interrupted them.
"Excuse me, are you here to see Mr. Barton?" he inquired.
All three acknowledged that they were.
"This way, please," he said as he turned and strolled down one of the halls.
The three exchanged confused looks, but followed the man anyway.
He ushered them into a small room and asked them to sit. He closed the door behind him and took a seat.
"My name is Dr. Peterson. Lady Une told me to be expecting you," he started as his brown eyes swept across the trio. "Your friend was pretty bad when they got him here. Lacerations covered his body and his leg was mangled. There was some internal bleeding and a skull fracture. He lost a lot of blood before getting here. The catscan shows no brain damage, but there is some swelling. The internal bleeding stopped on its own so we did not have to operate because of that, but we had to work on the leg for quite some time resetting it, finding the splintered pieces, and reinforcing it with metal micro mesh. Mr. Barton is currently in stable condition but has not regained consciousness. Given time he should get better baring any major complications."
The three held their questions till the doctor pause in his recount of Trowa's injuries.
"Any idea when he will come around?" asked Quatre gently.
"No," Dr. Peterson answered shaking his head.
"Can I see him?" asked Catherine.
"Yes, follow me," the doctor said.
He led them through the tan halls to Trowa's room. One man and one woman in Preventer uniforms stood on either side of the door. The two guards saluted Quatre and Duo before the group entered.
Quatre and Duo exchanged questioning looks but did not say anything until they could talk to Lady Une about what was going on. They did not want to upset Catherine more than she already was if there was no cause.
Catherine was immediately at Trowa's bedside. She clasped his hand in hers and stroked his long fingers.
"Trowa?" she sadly said and dropped silent.
Trowa barely looked like himself. He was pale, almost pasty looking. Tubs were running around him and into his nose and mouth. An IV was in one arm. Small cuts covered his body and a monitor on one side of his bed beeped steadily noting his condition.
Dr. Peterson placed his hands on Catherine's shoulders and said, "Talk to him, let him know you're here."
The two Preventer agents watched wordlessly as the doctor offered her a chair and walked toward them. Catherine pressed her cheek against Trowa's hand.
"Trowa, I'm here waiting for you to wake up," she cooed. "You know you can't leave me. It would make me so unhappy," she said with tears rolling down her eyes.
"I think we should let her have some time alone with him," the doctor said to Quatre and Duo, and they agreed.
Duo cast one fleeting glance at the woman beside his friend's bed and wished there were something he could do to help. However, no one else could help you work through grief as Duo well knew. He grimaced as he followed the other two out.
"I have other patients to see," Dr. Peterson said once they were in the hall. "I will stop by later."
Quatre and Duo nodded, and the doctor walked away.
"I'm calling Lady Une and find out what is going on," Quatre told Duo.
"I bet that's not the only reason you want to call her," teased Duo with a wink.
Quatre slightly blushed and grinned back at Duo not denying anything before searching for the nearest phone.
Duo shook his head at his friend and collapsed into one of the hallway chairs to wait his return. Duo hoped Quatre could find out what was going on. Lady Une's fiancé could generally weasel information out of her, but even Quatre had his limits to what confidential information she would confide in him.
Duo let his eyes droop closed while he waited and focussed on the sounds around him. There was the rustle of cloth as one of the Preventer agents shifted in his/her position and rings and buzzes emitted from the nurses' station down the hall. Someone passed pushing a cart toward the elevators and was followed by the ding announcing the box's arrival and the sound of the doors sliding open. Soft murmuring voices drifted out of the surrounding rooms as others visited their loved ones.
Duo's eyes darted open when a set of footsteps stopped by him.
Quatre dropped into the seat beside Duo with a large sigh that carried foreboding.
"Not good news I take it," softly said Duo to Quatre.
"No," Quatre mouthed with brow creased in concern.
Duo's eyes hardened as he braced himself for what bad news the blond had for him.
"What is it?" questioned Duo leaning close after scanning the hall.
"It was no accident," Quatre whispered just on the verge of hearing.
Duo's eyes widened in shock, as the implications of that statement became clear to him.
"Do we know…" Duo began before Quatre interrupted him.
"Motive is unknown at this moment," Quatre said. "They are still looking into it. Lady Une will give us the details when we get back and as she gets them."
Duo knew that was all he would get form Quatre and stared at the opposite wall as he contemplated the situation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You have been though worse," Catherine murmured to Trowa's still form, yet there was a bit of doubt in her mind to that fact. This was the worse she had ever seen him. "I know you will pull through. I want to see your green eyes silently regard me once more," she sniffled before breaking down into tears.
She laid her head on his chest and whimpered as tears streamed from her eyes.
"Oh, Trowa…" she cooed.
After watching her brother do nothing but breath for an extended period of time, Catherine whipped away her tears. She squared her shoulders and prepared to face the world as she moved to the door with one last look at Trowa.
Duo and Quatre sat down the hallway with serious looks on their faces as Catherine emerged from the room and walked toward them.
"What now?" she demurely asked.
Duo glanced at Quatre to answer.
"We are to get you settled someplace and then report to HQ," Quatre answered.
"She can crash at out place," suggested Duo of the house he shared with Trowa and Quatre. "She can stay in Trowa's room until we get him home. Unless that would bother you?" he asked Catherine.
"No, that will be fine," she answered.
With their plans decided, the three set out to their house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"His sister settled?" Lady Une asked as Duo and Quatre entered her office.
"We put her in Trowa's room," answered Duo.
"When we left she was getting settled in," added Quatre. "We told her one of us would come back later and take her back to the hospital."
Lady Une seemed satisfied with their report.
"So what's going on?" Duo blurted out.
"I will tell you once every one gets here," she sighed. "Wufei and Heero are on their way up."
With Lady Une's indication, the two men took seats. Wufei and Heero joined them upon entering.
"Gentleman," she began, "you all know Trowa has been injured in an explosion."
The four nodded their heads indicating they did know.
"Well, the investigation team has determined that it was not an accident. They have found traces of a detonation device in the rubble."
"Timer or remote?" asked Heero.
"Remote," she coolly answered.
"That means the perpetrator knew Trowa and the others would get caught in the blast," declared Wufei almost coming out of his seat with his since of justice flaring.
Lady Une motioned for Wufei to stay seated.
"Most probably," she said. "We are speculating that was his/her intention. What remains to be seen is who the actual target was. There are several possibilities," she added as she leaned against the front of her desk looking at the four men before her. "From witness accounts, the theorists think Trowa was the target but don't know a motive. If it is because he was a Gundam pilot, then you four might be in danger too, so keep your eyes open," she warned.
"That is why there is a guard on his hospital door," said Duo.
Lady Une nodded.
"We figured it was the best course of action," she solemnly said.
"I don't want any of this information to leave this room," she cautioned knowing they would hold their tongs. "We don't know where the perpetrator is, or how he infiltrated our security to set the device. You four are to see what you can come up with on the case."
The four men signaled their understanding and acceptance of the assignment.
"I will personally forward the information you need to each of you.
"That's all," she said to dismiss them.
The four silently walked out of the office. Quatre, the last to exit, gave Lady Une a reassuring smile as he pulled the door shut behind them. None of them looked at each other as they progressed down the halls of Preventer HQ to Heero and Duo's office. Others in the hall shied away from the group instinctively at the cool, silent, determined presence emanating around them.
They dispersed around the small office to discuss their plan of action.
"Game plan?" asked Duo unusually solemn.
"We keep the guards on Trowa until we get him home," started Quatre. "If he was the target, they might try again."
Wufei, with elbows resting on his legs and folded hands tucked under his chin, nodded his agreement with Quatre's statement.
"How about the other's?" asked Duo. "Are there guards on them?"
Quatre nodded.
"Those that survived," answered Quatre solemnly, "have guards."
"Without Lady Une's reports we don't have much to go on," stated Heero.
The others agreed.
"Until then, we can start reviewing records for any sign of infiltration," Heero continued. "I think one of us should keep an eye on Trowa."
"What about Catherine?" asked Duo. "If they are after Trowa, might they go after Catherine?"
The others considered his point.
"That is a possibility," said Quatre pondering that aspect. "She is probably safe for now, especially staying with us, but it would not hurt to keep a close eye on her. Whoever is watching Trowa could watch her since that is where she will most likely be."
"Sounds like a plan," said Heero. "I'll start with the computer system. Wufei, you start reviewing security tapes. Quatre, you check with Lady Une and start discreetly asking questions."
Wufei and Quatre nodded acceptance of their assignments.
"And Duo," said Heero turning to the braided man, "you get the first shift in watching Catherine and Trowa."
"We said one of us would be back later," Duo shrugged acknowledging his mission.
With a beginning course of action plotted, the four went their separate ways.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Catherine," called Duo upon entering his house.
There was no response and immediately he was ready for trouble. His hand went instinctively to the gun holstered under his jacket, and he slid silently along the wall as he moved from room to room.
Peering around the doorframe, there was nothing unusual in the living room. He slipped into the room, eyes quickly darting to the various possible hiding places. He checked the windows making sure they were still locked. Deeming it clear, he repeated the process with the entire downstairs.
With the first floor secured, Duo moved up the stairs. He made it up with only a few creeks of the wooden steps. The first room was his. It looked just the way he left it. He poked around in his closet and under his bed even though a person would have to be very small to fit under it, not to mention all the junk he or she would have to displace.
He checked Quatre's room, the den and the bathroom before checking Trowa's room. Trowa's door was slightly closed, and he slowly eased it open before slipping in to find Catherine was curled up asleep on the bed to his relief. He continued his search of the room to ease his own mind before glancing back at Catherine.
Catherine lay there questioningly watching Duo.
Duo slipped his gun back into its holster, placed one hand on the back of his head and looked at her sheepishly.
"Everything is secure," he grinningly teased.
Catherine sat up watching him curiously.
"Didn't mean to wake you," he apologized shifting his weight.
"Everything meet with your satisfaction?" she asked.
"Sure did," chirped Duo before slipping out of the room and back down stairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catherine watched Duo retreat from the room. It was obvious to her there was more going on that they were telling her. Trowa was cautious, but she truly doubted they checked the house with drawn weapons every time they came home. She would find out what was going on in time.
Catherine yawned and stretched feeling refreshed. She needed the nap after the day she had had, and now she was ready to go back to the hospital.
She trekked downstairs in search of the braided man. She found him in the kitchen making a sandwich.
He looked up from his task, smiled, and asked, "You want a sandwich?"
Catherine's stomach growled at the idea of food and it made Catherine realize how hungry she was.
"That would be nice," she smiled.
Duo nodded and fished out two more pieces of bread.
Catherine watched him work while he whistled an upbeat tune.
Trowa had talked some about his housemates but never in great detail. She really should have come out to visited Trowa and meet his friends before, but Trowa would drop by every so often and the circus kept her busy. It just never seemed like the right time she though with a sigh.
"What do you want on it?" Duo asked.
"Just lettuce and mustard," she answered.
Duo placed the desired items on the sandwich, put the second piece of bread on, and cut it diagonally before placing it on a plate. He handed Catherine the plate and sat down at the table.
Catherine followed and sat across from him. She took a bite out of one half and studied Duo as he munched away. His brown bangs drooped over and around his heart shaped face with violate eyes peering out between the draping spikes. She wondered how he could see well enough to fight with the jets of hair in his face, but she also wondered that about Trowa.
"If his hair is that long braided, how much longer is it when freed from its confines?" she wondered as the item in question swayed pendulum like behind him.
She pushed her assessments aside and asked what she wanted to know.
"What kind of danger are we in?"
Duo looked at her mildly shocked.
"Danger?" he asked.
"Something's up," she said. "The guards at Trowa's door and you prowling around the house with a drawn gun says there is something to be concerned about."
"You won't stop asking till I tell you," Duo said after assessing Catherine's determined expression.
"Nope," Catherine said stubbornly.
Duo sighed and carefully weighed his words before speaking.
"We don't know much at this time, and I can't tell you all that I do know," Duo began. He held up his hand to forestall Catherine's objection and continued. "I will tell you that it looks like the explosion was not an accident. We do not know who or why but are trying to find that out. Don't tell anyone else about it though," he warned.
"I won't," she said glad to know just the little bit he had confided in her.
"Do you want to go back to the hospital now?" Duo asked.
"When I get done with this," she said indicating her sandwich.
