Genre: Sci-fi, crossover, AU
Pairings: 1x2, other
Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words
Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, language, violence, torture, abuse, character death (sort of), misuse of electricity, telepathy, politics
Special note: Dedicated to Nalamacleod and Hikishi, because this was your request to me. I hope you enjoy it!
A/N: Oooh, we's gettin' into the good stuff. All right, on we go.
The Healing Process
Janet Fraiser headed out of her office and for General Hammond's. Knocking, she waited for his invitation to enter and was pleased to see Colonel O'Neill with him, too. "Sirs," she said with a nod. "I have Heero's test results, and they're amazing."
Hammond nodded, looking thoughtful. "After Duo healed him?"
"Yes. There was massive cell damage and muscle degeneration due to the prolonged cryogenic suspension," she told them. "I could have repaired the damage with drugs and intensive physical therapy, but it would have taken weeks, months even. Now he's in perfect health, except malnutrition and vitamin deficiency."
"Damn," O'Neill observed.
Janet had to bite back her grin.
"Any negative side-effects for Duo?" the general asked.
"It really drained him," Janet replied. "He's still sleeping, and all this happened several hours ago."
"How's he doing otherwise?" Hammond asked.
"Better and better," Janet told them. "He's responding very well to the antivirus, though it's not completely out of his system yet."
"Can't he heal himself?" the colonel wanted to know.
Janet shrugged. "I don't know. I think he would have done so by now if he could, though. And of the five, he's the only one with healing abilities, according to Heero."
Hammond looked pensive. "What's your assessment of them, Doctor? Do you believe they pose any kind of threat to the base?"
There was no hesitation in her answer. "Absolutely none, sir. I believe they're decent boys, all five of them. They obviously care greatly for each other, and for the most part they've complied with our demands. They haven't tried to get off the base or control us in any way, even though it would be easy for them given their powers. And I have a request. I would like to study the five of them in depth, learn more about their abilities and physiology."
O'Neill snorted. "Get in line, Doc. Carter's itching to get her hands on them to start learning what they know about technology. The tall, flop-haired kid built some kind of neuro . . . phone-thing, and she's dying to figure out how."
Biting her lip, Janet managed not to grin.
"And there's the matter of these weapons they've promised to build," O'Neill concluded.
Janet smiled. "I can be patient."
o8o o8o
Heero led the way back to the infirmary, aware of the security guards following closely behind the manacled Zechs. It distantly amused him that they were so cautious of the human, but not of the five far-more-powerful N'saian. Zechs looked mystified when they entered the infirmary, but as Heero approached the bed he felt waves of remorse roll off the man at the sight of Duo. His love looked thin and pale, worse even than yesterday due to his healing this morning. His stormy blue eyes met Heero's cobalt when the boy turned.
"I'm so sorry," he practically whispered.
Heero nodded his head toward the guards. "Will you please wait over there?" When they resisted, thinking it went against their orders, Heero gave them both a very gentle psionic nudge and they went.
Wufei moved to stand on the other side of the bed from Heero. "I'm ready whenever you are," he said, steadfastly refusing to look at Zechs.
Refusing to offer him the slightest comfort. Heero pointed to the foot of the bed. "Stand there," he ordered the tall human, and he meekly obeyed.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked in a low voice.
Heero reached down and gently took one of Duo's cold, limp hands. "Neither one of us can heal, so we're going to . . . mimic its effects. In a manner of speaking."
Judging by Zechs train of thought, he found this perfectly acceptable and nothing to fear. Heero almost smirked. When he heard the rest of this plan, he would rapidly change his mind.
"Heero is going to use his telepathy to psionically attack you," Wufei picked up mercilessly. "We'll have Duo send out his healing energies to heal the damage. I'm going to channel his healing energy into himself. Understand it now?"
Zechs looked a little confused, as if not understanding how this was a punishment.
"In other words," Wufei elucidated, a savage gleam in his eye, "you will not be healed from Heero's attack. I'm going to stop the energy before it ever gets to you. It will be . . . magnificently painful."
Now Zechs blanched.
Heero shrugged one shoulder almost lazily. "There's no other way. Duo can't heal someone who isn't hurt. And the amount of energy required to heal him is massive, so the damage I must do to you will be . . . in proportion."
The man's throat worked erratically as he swallowed. Fear radiated off him in waves, but he squared his shoulders and nodded. "I'll do it."
"We weren't asking if you would," Wufei snapped, "we were telling you this is what we're going to do."
A spark of both irritation and surrender flickered through Zechs as he nodded again. "I'm ready."
Heero could sense savage satisfaction in Wufei as he reached out. Wufei didn't exactly hate Zechs - his feelings toward the man were complex. He did believe Zechs was being honest with them, he could sense his honesty. But it didn't in any way relieve his need for justice. This punishment would. Because nothing Zechs did would have been enough, given what he and Duo had suffered on Desaine. For himself, Heero didn't take any real pleasure in doing this, but it was necessary. Would he kill Zechs to save Duo? If it were the only way. Make him suffer to heal Duo? Certainly.
Duo woke with a bit of urging. Heero told him what he and Wufei planned using a psionic burst of information. Duo's eyes widened slightly, then he turned to look up at Zechs. "You're okay with this?"
Zechs took a deep breath, but he didn't exactly hesitate. "Yes. If this is what it takes, yes."
Duo looked up at Wufei. "It won't work quite like you want it to," he warned. "Channeling healing energy . . . it won't exactly heal me. It's like pouring fertilizer onto plants. Only much more potent." He sort-of grinned.
Wufei shrugged. "It'll work as well as anything can. Better than anything these people can do."
"I'll begin, Duo," Heero told him telepathically. "Be ready."
And because Wufei wanted it, he gave Zechs no further warning before beginning his attack.
Much like going at someone with a sword or club, he lashed out at the human with pure psionic energy. The attack was purely mental, but by stimulating certain parts of the brain, Heero could achieve results every bit as dramatic as a physical weapon's. Better results, actually. Zechs, who still bore Heero's imprint, was as defenseless as a kitten against a dragon. He bowed forward, hands gripping the rail at the foot of the bed, sweat breaking out all over his face, jaw clenching and teeth grinding. A choked sort of gurgle escaped him as his eyes squeezed shut.
Duo wasn't strong enough to send out a wave of healing energy. It was more like a trickle, but Wufei intercepted it before it got close to Zechs. Heero watched as he began to channel it back into Duo, and he felt it change from healing energy to pure energy. It was, he thought with an inward smile, like jolting someone's heart with electricity to make it beat again. It flashed into Duo, so hot and intense he nearly lost his grip on consciousness. Then he steadied himself and began again, the trickle of healing strengthening into a larger stream. Then more like a river and then finally a wave.
Heero, who was now completely in tune with Duo, could sense the changes. Unlike when Duo healed him, Wufei's energy channeling was less gentle and smooth. The redirected energy scoured into Duo, attacking anything that was wrong. The virus was blasted away, the weakness gobbled up. It was a bit counterproductive - when the three of them all released their holds, Duo was even more drained than after he'd healed Heero. But there was one substantial difference. After he slept and ate a decent meal, he would be strong again.
Zechs however, flopped to the ground like a boned fish. It would take him much longer to recover. What had been done to him could be equated to being hit by a large military truck. No bruises or contusions or broken bones, but the man would be bed-bound for at least a week. Possibly two. He didn't exactly feel sorry for him. The last anger had drained out of Wufei's countenance, his sense of justice appeased.
"I'll take care of him," he said. "You stay with Duo."
Nodding his thanks, Heero sat on the edge of the bed and drew Duo into his arms. "How are you doing, love?"
Duo smiled and closed his eyes, resting his head against Heero's chest. "Worse than before. I feel like you two ran over me with a Gundam."
Heero snorted and kissed his forehead.
The petite Doctor Fraiser returned to see Wufei unceremoniously dropping Zechs onto the infirmary bed beside Duo's. "What happened here?" she demanded, immediately going to check on the man.
Heero let Wufei explain.
o8o o8o
Jack paced restlessly as Doc Fraiser talked to Hammond and the rest of SG-1 about the occurrences of earlier. For the first time they'd seen quite a display of power from the boys. Heero, she said, had attacked the Desaine using only the power of his mind, and the damage the man had sustained was remarkable. All his vitals were off whack, irregular. Extremely low blood pressure, erratic cardiac rhythms, disfunctional lungs. The man was in a coma, and he wouldn't wake for some time. If he woke at all. Fraiser was confident he would.
Jack didn't like the reminder that these kids weren't ordinary kids. Test results had revealed Duo was now cured of that strange virus. "How powerful are these kids?" he asked the doctor.
She looked at him. "Well sir, I don't really know." Then, "More powerful than any of us."
Daniel, predictably, tapped the tabletop. "Does it matter, Jack?"
Wishing the man weren't so obtuse, Jack gave him a Look. "It could, Daniel."
"They aren't our enemies," Daniel said. His tone was a little cool, a clear warning.
For once, Jack ignored it. "Do we know that for sure?"
"And what, exactly, have they done to threaten us?" Daniel demanded.
"How about on that security footage, that kid making the guards back away?" Jack retorted.
"Without hurting them at all?" Daniel shot back, fire beginning to spark in his eyes. "You saw that Desaine. He was willing to do what they wanted. He wanted to help Duo get better."
"At the cost of his own life?"
"They didn't kill him!" Daniel snapped. "And Janet said he won't die. How was this any different from Duo being willing to risk himself to make Heero better?"
Jack opened his mouth to explain, then he shut it again with a vexed grunt. The footage did make it very clear that the blonde Desaine had been willing. Supposedly. "That kid could have been making him say whatever he damn well pleased."
Daniel slapped the table. "Don't be an ass!"
"Sir," Doc Fraiser cut in gently, bringing Jack's attention back to her, "the simple truth is we can't know for sure. But if we start doubting everything we see and hear, the only thing we'll accomplish is mass-panic. I agree with Daniel that these boys aren't a threat. If they meant to harm us they would have done so by now, and they've had every opportunity. What could we do to stop them?"
"If we alienate them," Teal'c abruptly piped up, "we could be losing valuable allies in our continued fight."
"That's true, sir," Carter agreed at once.
Feeling backed into a corner, Jack glared 'round. "General?"
Hammond, who had been watching silently, stirred when addressed. "Doctor, I agree with your assessment. If they meant harm, we couldn't necessarily stop them. Jack, you and Teal'c keep your eyes on them. Major Carter, they'll be working closely with you to build these weapons. Doctor Jackson, learning more about them is your priority right now. They've asked for sanctuary and I've granted it, and the President wants us to go ahead with the construction of these Gundams. But my first priority is and always will be the safety of this facility. Dismissed."
Only half satisfied, Jack rose and nodded to Teal'c. "C'mon, buddy. Let's make ourselves like glue." He didn't miss the glare Daniel shot him.
The infirmary was quiet. The only occupants were one of Fraiser's nurses, the Desaine, and two of the five boys. Duo was asleep, and Heero was sitting on the bed holding him against his chest. It reminded Jack abruptly of what Daniel had blurted about these two - that they were lovers. At fifteen he'd been kissing girls and holding hands and starting to think about having fun with them, but having a lover at that age? These two boys didn't have a clue what love was. Way too young.
"We're not," Heero said.
Jack started. "Not what?"
Cold blue eyes narrowed. They reminded Jack sharply of Daniel's, except several shades darker.
"Too young to know what love is."
Jack blinked. "Stay out of my head, kid."
"I'm not in your head, Colonel," the boy retorted. "You're broadcasting your thoughts all over the place. I can't help it if I overhear when you're shouting your disdain."
Jack tried not to shift. The hell if he would allow this little punk to talk down to him. "That was some stunt you pulled, earlier."
He saw Heero stiffen. "I did not attack those guards. I simply asked them to move back. As they will tell you, they are not hurt in any way."
Daniel appeared at Jack's side, slipping past him to sit on the edge of the bed. "We know. Jack's just a soldier, through and through."
Heero looked up at Jack, his expression unreadable. "You have rules you want us to abide by? Fine. What are they?"
His willingness to acquiesce immediately appeased some of Jack's tension and aggression. "First, don't ever get into someone's head unless you have express permission. Got it?"
For a moment, Heero's expression reminded Jack he was just a kid. He looked a little petulant before it disappeared. "Got it."
"That includes everything from reading someone's thoughts to forcing their actions," Jack elucidated, just in case.
Heero nodded once, still looking unhappy.
"There's a chain of command around here," Jack went on, "and you'll stick to it. The CO is General Hammond, and I'm his 2IC. If you're going to be our allies, you will obey the chain of command."
Obviously, those words sparked the soldier in Heero. "We've talked about this with each other," he said, "and the five of us would like to be an SG team."
The request startled Jack. Then he shook his head. "No. You don't have the training."
"You'll find the five of us require far less training than a human," Heero said in a dry voice. Then, when Jack began to feel riled again, "Please, Colonel. I know what you're thinking - that the five of us should each be on a separate SG team until we've earned your trust. We don't want to be separated again. We're strongest when we're all together."
"I'll talk to General Hammond," Daniel interrupted in an annoyingly soothing tone. "You five are an unique case."
Nothing like going over my head, Danny boy. Why can't you ever follow the chain of command?
Heero's lips twitched. "Thank you, Doctor Jackson. And since you seem to be the only one who believes I didn't hurt those guards, would you let me demonstrate what I did?"
Like an idiot, Daniel nodded.
"Whoa," Jack said, stepping forward. "No one's demonstrating anything."
"You said I couldn't get into someone's head without their permission," Heero said, "not without your permission. You can't change a rule if you don't like it."
"Go ahead, Heero," Daniel said.
As far as Jack could tell, nothing happened. Heero looked at Daniel, then Daniel stood up and moved to the door. He stopped there, turned with a little frown, and moved back.
"Interesting," he muttered to himself. "I could hear it, like you asked me to do something and I couldn't find a reason to say no. Jack, there was no compulsion. He asked, and I just . . . did it. Because there was no reason not to."
Which sounded like a compulsion to Jack. But even in his wariness he didn't want to alienate Daniel. Time to let sleeping demons lie. For now. "We have permission from the President - our top CO - to do whatever we need to help you five build your Gundams. As soon as you're all up on your feet, we're gonna get started right away."
"How many are we talking about?" Daniel asked.
"Five," Heero replied, and he looked strangely unhappy about it. "One for each of us. We didn't talk about this, Colonel, but no one can fly the Gundams but us. They require a sophisticated neuro-interface that a human's brain could not handle."
"Try us," Jack immediately said.
Heero gave him a look he couldn't interpret. "It's not a matter of . . . strength of will," he said after a moment. "You don't have the correct . . . hardware. They require a neuro-connection that you don't have the necessary functions to control. Gundams are complicated."
Jack did not like his tone at all. It was hesitant and guarded. As if he was hiding something. A very, very dangerous something.