Hi
Sorry for the delay in posting this one up. We had some technical difficulties, as in Vista's Office ate it and would not regurgitate it into something legible to my older system. [Is that not disgusting? Sorry, but that was how it seemed fighting the formatting.
Many thanks to Katie for her time and patience and her work as beta.
Hope you enjoy.
Karina
Bishi Pile Challenge: Challenge response to Bad Night, Shadows, Rescue
Minor to Veteran, Wind, Murder Word count: 2,256
Series: Friends 26/??
Author: Karina
Pairings:
Ratings: M 15[In Australia Rated in the event of bad language and violence.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters. That's the way it is.
Warnings: Not a death fic despite how it starts.
Character Challenge Wu Fei, Trowa and Zechs
Chapter 26
"A bad night to be out and about." Wu Fei glared at the snow driving against the windscreen of the helicopter.
"I have endured worse; the camps were bitterly cold, cold enough not to be easily forgotten." Trowa peered through the windscreen and shook his head. "Though I was not fool enough to take a walk in the middle of a blizzard without the benefit of a mobile suit."
Memories of his days with the mercenary band teased at him and he thrust them aside. He was already a veteran fighter when he had joined the Barton backed Operation Meteor and acquired his current name. It was not so many years ago and he had no desire to return to those restless days.
Chang grunted softly. "We need to move. Delaying the inevitable will serve little purpose."
"I expect conditions will be appreciably better within the trees. The wind at least should be more manageable."ﾝ
Chang turned to stare out of the windshield again, seeking some hint of the light Heero had taken with him to check out the lie of the land. He was of the opinion he would prefer to move on and effect this rescue. If they were to camp for the remainder of the night they might as well have remained in New Port City and departed at dawn.
"We have come this far and I am not enamoured of the idea of spending the night in a draughty tent and then trudging through the forest in the morning. Better to get this rescue under way."
"Agreed." Trowa murmured.
He could be curled up with Quatre in their large bed, finding entertaining amusements instead of sitting here, freezing his backside off waiting for Yuy. It was all well and good to scout the area, but he was not of a mind to delay longer than necessary.
He had packed all their gear, checking it over carefully, ensuring everything was ready for use. Before he had finished Yuy had passed him, pulled the hood of his arctic parker over his head and slipped out of the helicopter. The freezing blast of air admitted had warned of the dangers they must face if they chose to continue this night.
"I see his light." Chang murmured.
"Best get ready to lock the bird down then." Trowa murmured.
He was fairly confident of what Heero would have to say. He, no more than they, wished to freeze his arse in a tent all night.
"I'll get the sled ready for the gear."
He made his way to the backpack he would wear, set it to one side and took the fold up sled from its place in a wall rack. Setting it beside the small pile of packs he had prepared for their departure he took three meal packs and vigorously shook one, tossing it to Chang as he joined him.
"We may as well get something hot into us before we go out."
A wordless grunt answered him and at the prearranged knock on the hatch he opened the door, extending a hand to haul Heero into the chopper, slam the door and wordlessly handed over a food pack.
"It is a lot easier going in the trees, but we will need to keep a close eye on the GPS units." Heero doffed his gloves, shook the meal pack, ripped the top off and dug in, ignoring the snow melting from his face and gear. "If the terrain remains the same right through to the source of the transponder signal, then we will have at least a two hour slog, maybe three."
Time estimates would change, depending on the terrain and density of the snow drifts. Trowa was no stranger to slogging through snow; he had seen enough of it during his mercenary days. He was doubtful any of the other former Gundam Pilots shared his knowledge, but he did not doubt they would take what came with stoic silence.
"Wonderful." Chang snorted. "I will notify Preventer Earth we are leaving the helicopter and proceeding to target and that we may be out of contact until sunrise."
Une would be waiting for the call. It disturbed Trowa, this mission. There was too much unsaid, too many questions and a friend was out in the blizzard. The whole matter of Marquise was one huge question mark and he had the disagreeable feeling answers would not be forthcoming. They would be expected to return Marquise to a designated location and leave, forgetting the incident ever took place.
There would be no questions or answers unless they went against orders and searched out the answers themselves.
"It will likely be a few hours after sunrise." Heero murmured around a mouthful of what imitated roast beef and vegetables. "We need to locate the target and transport him to the chopper. That alone will take some time, depending on his condition."
"Possibly mid afternoon." Chang estimated, casting an eye about him as the wind buffeted the helicopter.
"It concerns me we have not heard from Duo." Trowa slipped his empty food pack into a garbage locker. "There has been no radio contact and I would have expected him to attempt communications."
"In these conditions I am not surprised he has been unable to communicate with anyone." Wu Fei headed for the flight deck. "I am concerned I may not be able to get through now we have landed. After I call headquarters I will attempt to raise the other helicopter. Being so close we may have more success."
"Only if he has remained with the craft." Trowa murmured.
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Maxwell was very good at not being in the room though he sat in plain sight.
Hiding in plain view was an acquired skill, and for someone of smaller stature and darker colouring it was easier than for someone of his height and colouring. Maxwell's braid, eye catching as it was, could be hidden, disguised, making it a negligible factor in any attempt to hide.
He was too noticeable and he knew it, but it had not stopped him from acquiring the skills to pass unnoticed through crowds.
Zechs could feel the gradual easing of tension in the younger man; the awareness of danger passing, and he had to admire the nerves of steel Duo had displayed. When the Shadow rose it was not easy to contain and twice now he had needed to struggle against reacting to what it construed to be threats.
Some days he even frightened himself when the darkness threatened to emerge. It happened when there was danger or a threat and at the moment he was on edge and on fire with determination to locate the source of his would be murderer. It stood to reason his tension would arouse his darker side.
Assassin. Executioner. Murderer. Lackey. All words for the same body, the one who wanted him dead. Or rather, one of what had to be an extensive number of people who wanted him dead. The list was long and covered just about every high powered position the ESUN had to offer, from businessmen to politicians and military personnel and included to his underground contacts in the seedier places of the ESUN.
He was not, after all, Mr. Popular.
Epyon had aroused the Shadow persona within him to new heights, awakening in him new skills and cold hard nerves. Pilots and combat specialists had to have nerves of steel, but Epyon had taken his level of professionalism to new heights. It had enabled him to continue to function in a world that despised and hated him.
It would have been so much easier, for everyone, if he had died.
Not that he had ever taken the easy way out.
The greatest lesson he had ever learned was that vengeance had its price.
He had been down the road of vengeance before, hunting the man who had brought down the Sanc Kingdom. He had killed that man. He had not been smiling and rabid with hate and insanity as he had done the deed, but he had felt a deep satisfaction the murderer of his parents and destroyer of their kingdom had been judged.
The military courts of the day would not have tried him; did not even acknowledge the slaughter that had taken place in Sanc. Vengeance had had to be taken by one of the few to have survived, one of the few not immersed in the tenets of pacifism. The act itself had left him cold and empty, adrift, with no clear destination now the long sought vengeance had been accomplished.
He would need to be careful not to go down that same path during the hunt for his would be killer and those who backed him.
Epyon had taken his emotions for the slaughter and his father's ideals and given him a solution to ensure such butchery would not happen again.
Nothing worth having ever came without a price, he had learned that lesson a long time ago. He had freely chosen to pay the price such an act would require. Even now, so many years after the event he would not shirk the payment. He had lived, though he had expected to die, he had lived. Death would have been easier, but the dice had been cast and he would endure being ostracized and reviled by the world until release finally was granted.
Such was life.
To see the peace now in effect was worth the price.
There were those who sought to disrupt the peace and renew conflict and he took note of them, marking them for future attention. Certain such individuals had earned a visit from him in the small hours of the night and his visits had thus far proven sufficient to cause them to re-evaluate their views.
Seeing the darkness within him standing at the foot of their bed must be an unnerving sight to wake up to. Few found the courage to face him; fewer still found the courage to argue against the Shadow.
Relena had her peace and it was as well she had no idea he continued to fight to maintain it.
"I guess we should get some rest soon."
Duo was wary of him. Maxwell was no fool and seemed well aware of his Shadow. Aware and wary but unafraid. What he felt from the braided younger man was not fear, more caution and the will to avoid trouble. Even in his current condition if the Shadow emerged completely Duo would find himself in trouble and he seemed to know it.
They had shared a sleeping bag and midway through the night he had woken to find himself pleasantly warm with their combined body heat. It would be warmer still this night, his body heat having risen sufficiently to serve them both in the confines of the bag. If, that was, Duo did not prefer the safety of a single bag.
"It is growing late." He would not suggest they share, but leave the choice up to Maxwell.
He would not think less of him for opting for a single sleeping bag after glimpsing the Shadow.
He had no idea what the time was, but in this cabin in the woods there was little to amuse each other with except tales of the wars they were both veterans of, or of the people they each had known who had met similar ends. Depressing, to say the least. Sleeping was as good as staring into the flames in silence.
"I really should check your bandages. Put some more salve on those wounds."
He felt his gut clench. Did he dare to permit Duo to get that close him? Did he dare to chance the resurgence of the Shadow Milliardo? To protest in any way, to chance contention at this time, might rouse the dark side better left undisturbed. It would rouse in subconscious defence of yet another secret he must guard.
He was uncertain Duo could face a third meeting with his shadowed side without arousing the younger man's own dark persona.
"It is not bothering me." Quietly and carefully, tone neutral and hope he would not insist.
Perhaps Duo did not wish to get that close to him, potentially a wise move given his slip toward his shadowy side. It would be less risk to Duo if they called it a night now and slipped into separate bags and simply went to sleep.
The food packs were bundled up and stored away, two left out for breakfast before tackling the task of digging out the helicopter. The empty packs were neatly stashed for disposal in a pack with the other refuse; Duo would be a neat camper, leaving little sign of his presence when he moved on.
Blue eyes tinged with violet were watching him, assessing him. Grading how dangerous he might be.
"Yeah, but I left it this morning and I should have checked. Just to be safe, you know?"
No fear. Determination to do the right thing, to show the Shadow there was no fear as well as no threat from him. He was street wise, this young man, determined and very much aware of the world around him.
Duo would not fail to notice. Surely he could not fail to notice, but perhaps he would say nothing. Perhaps he would know enough to leave the subject unvoiced, to look, blink perhaps and move on.
With a soft sigh Zechs extended his bandaged arm, offering the slashed wrist to Duo's ministrations.
End
Karina Robertson 2008