Intruder - Part Twenty-one
Prisoners...
Quatre had woken up to the sound of gunfire. He jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to the room next door to his - Number 5, Wufei's. He knocked - No answer.
Pushing open the door he looked inside, but there was no one there. He went back up the corridor, past his room to Trowa's. He knocked and pushed it open.
Trowa was asleep.
"Trowa, wake up! Wake up Trowa!"
His friend sat up and turned on the light.
"What is it? What's wrong?" He had seen the worry on his partner's face.
"I heard a gun, and Wufei's not in his room."
Trowa didn't say anything. Wufei wasn't often in his room, usually either in Nataku, or in the Mess Hall. As for a shot, he couldn't think of an excuse. He got up and threw on his shirt and trainers.
"What about Heero and Duo? And where's Hilde?"
"I don't know, I haven't checked yet."
They both went out of the door, to the next one on up the hall. 2 - Duo's room. Quatre knocked on the door, and there was a murmur from inside. Trowa opened the door to find Hilde lying still half asleep on Duo's raised bed.
'Aw...What time is it?'
Quatre asked her where Duo was while Trowa stared at the screen below her.
"Yeah...I think he went out earlier...he was mad about something..." she murmured, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"I think I know why." Trowa said. He pointed at the view left on the monitor.
Hilde hung upside down from the bed to see what he meant. Quatre frowned. Heero was sitting propped up against the wall. There was a red stripe down it behind him, his shirt was ripped and there was a strip wrapped round his arm.
Hilde fell off the bed, and he caught her.
"Stay here." Was all he said.
They ran out of the door towards the docking bay.
'Why do I have to stay here?'
Trowa and Quatre ran down the hall, past the battered fire doors.
~ This is not good. ~ Quatre thought as he sprinted alongside the quiet pilot.
He wondered if Heero was still alive, then chided himself for think such things.
~ Of course he is. If he can take a fall down a cliff then he can survive a couple of shots to the shoulder. ~ They ran round the corner to find him sitting on the floor, looking up at them, as if he'd been waiting for them.
"You took your time." He said.
Quatre laughed nervously. "This is not the time for impersonations of Duo."
"Where are they?" Trowa asked.
"Docking bay." Heero answered climbing to his feet, and stumbling.
Quatre caught him on his shoulder.
"You take him, I'll go." Said Trowa, already off round the corner.
"Fine." He turned to Heero, hanging loosely on his shoulder. "How do you always manage to get into these situations?"
Heero smiled faintly. "Skill."
He coughed, and put more weight on Quatre.
"Come on, we'd better get you to the Medlab."
Heero wasn't in the mood to argue.
Duo stood facing this man. He couldn't keep one expression for more than a few seconds. Anger, confusion and sorrow flitted across his face.
Wufei standing by at his side, wondered who he was, and what significance he'd had on his friend's life. Still with his gun aimed at the priest's chest, he took a step forward, he was now level with Maxwell.
"Who?" was all he asked.
"Father Mm-aah" Duo started to explain, but was cut off as Chang swore in Chinese, and rammed him down into the heap of scrap metal. As he went down he could see Trowa behind them at the door.
Trowa jumped back as the explosion tore through the carrier bay.
Quatre's head flew round as the blast rang through the hallway. He was careful not to move his body too suddenly, as Heero was leaning on him for support.
"What the-"
"It self detonated." Heero answered his unfinished question.
"It? What? Who?"
"An Intruder. We can go. They'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. There are three of them and no enemy. The water will come on soon."
"If you say so." He turned around, and they continued their journey to the Medlab.
Hilde physically jumped. She was so glad she wasn't in bed anymore, as she was sure she would have fallen out at the sound of that eruption. She strode forcefully across the room to the door, which had been shut behind Trowa.
"If they think I'm staying in here when this place is blowing up around me they've got another thing coming!" She pulled on the handle. It wouldn't budge.
"Damn you, Trowa!"
She stomped back across the room and flopped down on the couch.
~ I'm not going to just sit here and do nothing. ~
She curled up and hugged her knees.
~ Well I haven't got anything better to do. Honestly, when I get my hands on him...~
She trailed off into her thoughts, and began wondering if they were all ok. Then she had an idea. ~ I can check on them myself. ~ She walked back across to the original DCS.
Trowa looked up at the smoke, as the flames died down into steam. Immediately his mind flicked to the last thing he had seen, Wufei and Duo on top of the pile, in the center of the detonation. He got to his knees, then stood up, walking cautiously across to the steaming mass of metal. Gundanium didn't catch light, but this heap had been heated by the intensity of the blast, and each of the water drops hitting it evaporated instantly with a soft hiss. He crept across the floor, avoiding it as much as he could.
Fortunately, the fire hadn't caught on properly because of the high ceilings and wide walls. Any small flames which had sprung up had already been extinguished. So there was no immediate danger, as long as he avoided the far side of the heap, that had been fully exposed to the heat. He decided to find out if they were alright.
"Hey? Hello? Are you two ok?"
There was no immediate answer, but a strangled cough could be heard over the hissing of the water.
"Hey, Trowa? *cough, cough* Trowa, get over here will ya?"
"Duo? Is Wufei there too?"
"Yes, I am, I am fine also."
"Well I wouldn't say fine exactly, but yeah, we're both alive in here."
Trowa sighed with relief.
"That wouldn't have been concern I heard in your voice just now, would it Trowa?"
"He's just worried about what your woman would do to him if you weren't 'fine'."
Trowa smiled, they were ok, just a little shaken up.
"Hey that's not fair! An' anyway, my 'woman's' name is Hilde, and she's prob'ly-"
"Still in your room." Trowa said.
He couldn't see it, but he guessed that Duo's expression was confusion.
"I locked her in."
The two prisoners laughed, as they sat in their Gundanium prison. They would have to stay there till it cooled down enough for them to touch it to climb out, which could take a while, but other than that, they really had no problem.
Trowa however would have to deal with Hilde.
"Well, I wish you luck on that one." Duo said
"Thanks, I feel better already." He replied sarcastically, as he walked off to let her out.
'He's going to need it.' Chang said to his cell mate, as they sat and waited for their escape. After a couple of minutes staring at the 'wall' Duo said;
"Hey, haven't we been in this situation before?"
"Not exactly."
"You know what I mean."
"Yes."
Heero sat on the recently much used bed of the Medlab. Quatre had removed one bullet from his arm, the other had gone straight through, and was probably stuck in the wall down the docking bay corridor. He finished tying his bandages, and stood back. Heero tested his arm, he ignored the pain which shot along it, and stretched out.
"You're getting good at this, Quatre."
"Maybe, I've had enough chances to practice. Duo needs his changing again by now, and yours'll only last for a couple hours till the dressing needs changing again. I don't want anymore experience, not for a while anyway."
Heero actually had another faint smile on his face.
"It's not funny you know, I can't deal with you both bleeding everywhere. Bloodstains are really awful to get out. It just goes brown, then a greenish yellow."
"I'll try not to bleed on your carpets, Quatre, I promise."
He pulled a face, it shouldn't be a joking matter. Since when was he the serious one?
Hilde sat backwards on the spinning chair, turning slowly in circles, and sipping Duo's unfinished coke. She had been watching Heero and Quatre in the Medlab, and, now she was satisfied that they were both alright, was moving back through the hall views towards the docking bay, looking for the other three. She found Trowa moving quickly in the opposite direction, towards the pilot's wing. He looked healthy, but slightly worried.
~ So he should be, leaving me alone in here. ~
Wondering if she should rig the door for his entry, she watched him come up the hall.
~ Bit late now. Never mind. ~
She twisted the chair around to face to door, and made herself comfortable.
~ This should be interesting...~
Trowa opened the door of Duo's room to find Hilde sitting staring straight through him, as if he wasn't there.
"It's about time you showed up." She said without focusing her view.
"We didn't want you to get hurt."
"Oh, right, so it's ok for you to all go running off into battle at the first sign of danger, but I have to stay home, alone and wait for one of you to come back to let me know you're all still breathing."
He looked at the floor. Why are girls so good at telling me off? Hilde mistook his embarrassment for guilt.
"You are all still breathing, aren't you?"
He looked up at her. Her hard stare had softened into a questioning gaze. She looked worried.
"Yes, Duo's fine."
"Good...um, where is he?"
"He and Wufei are currently trapped in docking bay 1, they are uninjured, just waiting."
"Waiting!? Waiting for what?! Christmas?!?" she was confused.
How could they be 'fine but trapped'. She looked at him. He seemed to be restless.
"Oh, I'm sorry...Heero's fine, I watched Quatre take him to the Medlab. No worries."
"Thank you. I'll go and see him now-" he stopped as she spun away from him.
He watched her confused.
"No need, they're both coming this way right now."
Trowa came over behind her, and watched as Heero and Quatre approached on screen.
Duo was sitting opposite Wufei, in the hollow which had saved them. Wufei had his eyes shut, and he looked suspiciously like he was asleep. Duo didn't like to wake him, but decided that he probably just liked sitting with his eyes shut.
"Chang? Wufei? Are you awake?"
"Yes. What do you want?"
"I was just wonderin' while we're sittin' here with nothin' to do-"
"What?"
"How can you do that?"
"What?"
"That. Just sit there with y' eyes shut and do nothin'."
"I have had much practice." The corner of his mouth curled up ever so little.
"Ha, very funny. Seriously though?"
"I shall tell you, but first, there is something I would like you to tell me."
He thought about it for a bit. "Yeah...Ok, what?"
"The 'Intruder' looked like a priest. Why?"
"How am I s'posed to know-"
Wufei opened his eyes. "Seriously though?" he echoed Duo's words.
"..." Duo was clearly uncomfortable on the subject.
"You called him 'father'...?"
"...Oh, what the Hell. Why not." He looked up, then back. "No, not 'father', 'Father'."
Wufei looked doubtful, he didn't understand what he meant.
"Do you mean like, 'father' as in parent?"
"No-yes,-maybe. More of a guardian really, you see-"
Chang did not. Duo sighed.
"Well you might as well be the first to know, I'll have to explain to them all eventually."
He sighed again, and took a deep breath.
"I meant 'Father' as in priest, do you know that? A holy man is called 'Father', anyone who comes to his church will call him that. His name-"
Duo swallowed hard.
"His name was 'Father Maxwell'."
He watched for his friend's reaction. Wufei was puzzled.
"If he is not your 'father', than why does he have share your name?"
"It isn't mine to share. Maxwell. It's his name. It was." He looked down.
Wufei regretted asking for this confession, it was clearly his biggest secret - his past...
Trowa: (Sitting doing absolutely nothing at all. Turns to camera) Hi.
Duo: Aw, come on, you can do better than that.
Trowa: sigh. (Looks at camera) Hi.
Duo: We've been doing this for hours! I think I'll leave it for a bit. (walks out)
Trowa: (jumps up at camera) HELLO EVERYONE! How's it goin'? WHAASSSSUP?!! (starts messing about and leaping around the room doing various somersaults and cartwheels for several minutes, then stops suddenly) Ah, Duo's back. (Leaps up and somersaults around landing in his chair.
Duo: Did I hear someone in here?
Trowa: (looks up at Duo) Hi.
Duo: (shakes his head and walks out)
Trowa: (turns to camera, big grin) Hi.
Prisoners...
Quatre had woken up to the sound of gunfire. He jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to the room next door to his - Number 5, Wufei's. He knocked - No answer.
Pushing open the door he looked inside, but there was no one there. He went back up the corridor, past his room to Trowa's. He knocked and pushed it open.
Trowa was asleep.
"Trowa, wake up! Wake up Trowa!"
His friend sat up and turned on the light.
"What is it? What's wrong?" He had seen the worry on his partner's face.
"I heard a gun, and Wufei's not in his room."
Trowa didn't say anything. Wufei wasn't often in his room, usually either in Nataku, or in the Mess Hall. As for a shot, he couldn't think of an excuse. He got up and threw on his shirt and trainers.
"What about Heero and Duo? And where's Hilde?"
"I don't know, I haven't checked yet."
They both went out of the door, to the next one on up the hall. 2 - Duo's room. Quatre knocked on the door, and there was a murmur from inside. Trowa opened the door to find Hilde lying still half asleep on Duo's raised bed.
'Aw...What time is it?'
Quatre asked her where Duo was while Trowa stared at the screen below her.
"Yeah...I think he went out earlier...he was mad about something..." she murmured, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"I think I know why." Trowa said. He pointed at the view left on the monitor.
Hilde hung upside down from the bed to see what he meant. Quatre frowned. Heero was sitting propped up against the wall. There was a red stripe down it behind him, his shirt was ripped and there was a strip wrapped round his arm.
Hilde fell off the bed, and he caught her.
"Stay here." Was all he said.
They ran out of the door towards the docking bay.
'Why do I have to stay here?'
Trowa and Quatre ran down the hall, past the battered fire doors.
~ This is not good. ~ Quatre thought as he sprinted alongside the quiet pilot.
He wondered if Heero was still alive, then chided himself for think such things.
~ Of course he is. If he can take a fall down a cliff then he can survive a couple of shots to the shoulder. ~ They ran round the corner to find him sitting on the floor, looking up at them, as if he'd been waiting for them.
"You took your time." He said.
Quatre laughed nervously. "This is not the time for impersonations of Duo."
"Where are they?" Trowa asked.
"Docking bay." Heero answered climbing to his feet, and stumbling.
Quatre caught him on his shoulder.
"You take him, I'll go." Said Trowa, already off round the corner.
"Fine." He turned to Heero, hanging loosely on his shoulder. "How do you always manage to get into these situations?"
Heero smiled faintly. "Skill."
He coughed, and put more weight on Quatre.
"Come on, we'd better get you to the Medlab."
Heero wasn't in the mood to argue.
Duo stood facing this man. He couldn't keep one expression for more than a few seconds. Anger, confusion and sorrow flitted across his face.
Wufei standing by at his side, wondered who he was, and what significance he'd had on his friend's life. Still with his gun aimed at the priest's chest, he took a step forward, he was now level with Maxwell.
"Who?" was all he asked.
"Father Mm-aah" Duo started to explain, but was cut off as Chang swore in Chinese, and rammed him down into the heap of scrap metal. As he went down he could see Trowa behind them at the door.
Trowa jumped back as the explosion tore through the carrier bay.
Quatre's head flew round as the blast rang through the hallway. He was careful not to move his body too suddenly, as Heero was leaning on him for support.
"What the-"
"It self detonated." Heero answered his unfinished question.
"It? What? Who?"
"An Intruder. We can go. They'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. There are three of them and no enemy. The water will come on soon."
"If you say so." He turned around, and they continued their journey to the Medlab.
Hilde physically jumped. She was so glad she wasn't in bed anymore, as she was sure she would have fallen out at the sound of that eruption. She strode forcefully across the room to the door, which had been shut behind Trowa.
"If they think I'm staying in here when this place is blowing up around me they've got another thing coming!" She pulled on the handle. It wouldn't budge.
"Damn you, Trowa!"
She stomped back across the room and flopped down on the couch.
~ I'm not going to just sit here and do nothing. ~
She curled up and hugged her knees.
~ Well I haven't got anything better to do. Honestly, when I get my hands on him...~
She trailed off into her thoughts, and began wondering if they were all ok. Then she had an idea. ~ I can check on them myself. ~ She walked back across to the original DCS.
Trowa looked up at the smoke, as the flames died down into steam. Immediately his mind flicked to the last thing he had seen, Wufei and Duo on top of the pile, in the center of the detonation. He got to his knees, then stood up, walking cautiously across to the steaming mass of metal. Gundanium didn't catch light, but this heap had been heated by the intensity of the blast, and each of the water drops hitting it evaporated instantly with a soft hiss. He crept across the floor, avoiding it as much as he could.
Fortunately, the fire hadn't caught on properly because of the high ceilings and wide walls. Any small flames which had sprung up had already been extinguished. So there was no immediate danger, as long as he avoided the far side of the heap, that had been fully exposed to the heat. He decided to find out if they were alright.
"Hey? Hello? Are you two ok?"
There was no immediate answer, but a strangled cough could be heard over the hissing of the water.
"Hey, Trowa? *cough, cough* Trowa, get over here will ya?"
"Duo? Is Wufei there too?"
"Yes, I am, I am fine also."
"Well I wouldn't say fine exactly, but yeah, we're both alive in here."
Trowa sighed with relief.
"That wouldn't have been concern I heard in your voice just now, would it Trowa?"
"He's just worried about what your woman would do to him if you weren't 'fine'."
Trowa smiled, they were ok, just a little shaken up.
"Hey that's not fair! An' anyway, my 'woman's' name is Hilde, and she's prob'ly-"
"Still in your room." Trowa said.
He couldn't see it, but he guessed that Duo's expression was confusion.
"I locked her in."
The two prisoners laughed, as they sat in their Gundanium prison. They would have to stay there till it cooled down enough for them to touch it to climb out, which could take a while, but other than that, they really had no problem.
Trowa however would have to deal with Hilde.
"Well, I wish you luck on that one." Duo said
"Thanks, I feel better already." He replied sarcastically, as he walked off to let her out.
'He's going to need it.' Chang said to his cell mate, as they sat and waited for their escape. After a couple of minutes staring at the 'wall' Duo said;
"Hey, haven't we been in this situation before?"
"Not exactly."
"You know what I mean."
"Yes."
Heero sat on the recently much used bed of the Medlab. Quatre had removed one bullet from his arm, the other had gone straight through, and was probably stuck in the wall down the docking bay corridor. He finished tying his bandages, and stood back. Heero tested his arm, he ignored the pain which shot along it, and stretched out.
"You're getting good at this, Quatre."
"Maybe, I've had enough chances to practice. Duo needs his changing again by now, and yours'll only last for a couple hours till the dressing needs changing again. I don't want anymore experience, not for a while anyway."
Heero actually had another faint smile on his face.
"It's not funny you know, I can't deal with you both bleeding everywhere. Bloodstains are really awful to get out. It just goes brown, then a greenish yellow."
"I'll try not to bleed on your carpets, Quatre, I promise."
He pulled a face, it shouldn't be a joking matter. Since when was he the serious one?
Hilde sat backwards on the spinning chair, turning slowly in circles, and sipping Duo's unfinished coke. She had been watching Heero and Quatre in the Medlab, and, now she was satisfied that they were both alright, was moving back through the hall views towards the docking bay, looking for the other three. She found Trowa moving quickly in the opposite direction, towards the pilot's wing. He looked healthy, but slightly worried.
~ So he should be, leaving me alone in here. ~
Wondering if she should rig the door for his entry, she watched him come up the hall.
~ Bit late now. Never mind. ~
She twisted the chair around to face to door, and made herself comfortable.
~ This should be interesting...~
Trowa opened the door of Duo's room to find Hilde sitting staring straight through him, as if he wasn't there.
"It's about time you showed up." She said without focusing her view.
"We didn't want you to get hurt."
"Oh, right, so it's ok for you to all go running off into battle at the first sign of danger, but I have to stay home, alone and wait for one of you to come back to let me know you're all still breathing."
He looked at the floor. Why are girls so good at telling me off? Hilde mistook his embarrassment for guilt.
"You are all still breathing, aren't you?"
He looked up at her. Her hard stare had softened into a questioning gaze. She looked worried.
"Yes, Duo's fine."
"Good...um, where is he?"
"He and Wufei are currently trapped in docking bay 1, they are uninjured, just waiting."
"Waiting!? Waiting for what?! Christmas?!?" she was confused.
How could they be 'fine but trapped'. She looked at him. He seemed to be restless.
"Oh, I'm sorry...Heero's fine, I watched Quatre take him to the Medlab. No worries."
"Thank you. I'll go and see him now-" he stopped as she spun away from him.
He watched her confused.
"No need, they're both coming this way right now."
Trowa came over behind her, and watched as Heero and Quatre approached on screen.
Duo was sitting opposite Wufei, in the hollow which had saved them. Wufei had his eyes shut, and he looked suspiciously like he was asleep. Duo didn't like to wake him, but decided that he probably just liked sitting with his eyes shut.
"Chang? Wufei? Are you awake?"
"Yes. What do you want?"
"I was just wonderin' while we're sittin' here with nothin' to do-"
"What?"
"How can you do that?"
"What?"
"That. Just sit there with y' eyes shut and do nothin'."
"I have had much practice." The corner of his mouth curled up ever so little.
"Ha, very funny. Seriously though?"
"I shall tell you, but first, there is something I would like you to tell me."
He thought about it for a bit. "Yeah...Ok, what?"
"The 'Intruder' looked like a priest. Why?"
"How am I s'posed to know-"
Wufei opened his eyes. "Seriously though?" he echoed Duo's words.
"..." Duo was clearly uncomfortable on the subject.
"You called him 'father'...?"
"...Oh, what the Hell. Why not." He looked up, then back. "No, not 'father', 'Father'."
Wufei looked doubtful, he didn't understand what he meant.
"Do you mean like, 'father' as in parent?"
"No-yes,-maybe. More of a guardian really, you see-"
Chang did not. Duo sighed.
"Well you might as well be the first to know, I'll have to explain to them all eventually."
He sighed again, and took a deep breath.
"I meant 'Father' as in priest, do you know that? A holy man is called 'Father', anyone who comes to his church will call him that. His name-"
Duo swallowed hard.
"His name was 'Father Maxwell'."
He watched for his friend's reaction. Wufei was puzzled.
"If he is not your 'father', than why does he have share your name?"
"It isn't mine to share. Maxwell. It's his name. It was." He looked down.
Wufei regretted asking for this confession, it was clearly his biggest secret - his past...
Trowa: (Sitting doing absolutely nothing at all. Turns to camera) Hi.
Duo: Aw, come on, you can do better than that.
Trowa: sigh. (Looks at camera) Hi.
Duo: We've been doing this for hours! I think I'll leave it for a bit. (walks out)
Trowa: (jumps up at camera) HELLO EVERYONE! How's it goin'? WHAASSSSUP?!! (starts messing about and leaping around the room doing various somersaults and cartwheels for several minutes, then stops suddenly) Ah, Duo's back. (Leaps up and somersaults around landing in his chair.
Duo: Did I hear someone in here?
Trowa: (looks up at Duo) Hi.
Duo: (shakes his head and walks out)
Trowa: (turns to camera, big grin) Hi.