Disclaimers: I don't own anything except for any OC's… such as Cassandra, so there. Don't sue me, you'll only get a very messy picture of Duo that I ABSOLUTELY adore so, don't bother. Thank you all you good people for letting me work with you're Characters, even though you may not know, and it's not like I'm selling em…o.k, on with this…^.^
AN: Wow, I'm getting addicted, this if fun stuff!! ^.^ Now I know WHY people use their time to write this stuff!! Good past time!!! Although reading other fics is good too…I can't choose!!! @.@…reviewer was right, I'm not done this…by far!! I have the main plot, the beginning, as started, and the ending, but I have little situations to plug in, but want to make it clear and all…o.k, so…yea…I dunno what I'm saying……………………….
~*~*~*~* Denotes flashbacks
'Blah blah' denotes thoughts…you know…

Lost, Found, And Lost Once More
Part 5: The Aided Escape



Cassandra awoke with a start, panting from the adrenaline of her dream: running from people, no, from shadows trying to capture her. She buried her face in her hands, trying to block out the sounds of people calling her. Glancing at the clock, she saw that her faithful inner alarm had once again woken her up at the right time: 3 am. She got dressed again -this time in black. Picking up an assortment of tools such as manual lock picks, and knives, a spare pack of her other hidden tools and a gun, she hid them, and strapped the pack onto her back. She paused, and then sat down at her desk, writing a note, coding it in a form only she and Duo usually used. What one did was shift the letters two forward than the given, so for example, "How are you" would become "Jqy ctg aqs". Over a few years of reading this text, it came easily for Duo and Cassandra, in their younger years. She hoped Duo would remember. The note read:

Duo,

Included in this pack is everything you need. I've made an escape route for you ahead of time, so you can just follow the given map; I hope you understand it like the kind we used as kids. There is the info you need, and I'll be at the entrance waiting for you. Before you judge me, then, when you've escaped, please, allow me to explain. I hope you will take me with you.

Love, Duet.


'Please remember Duo. Please, you have to…'

Pressing her ear against the door of her room, she listened for the guards. As predicted, there was only one in the nighttime -and as usual he was asleep. She shook her head with a smile, before taking the door down without a sound.

'Guess no one ever found out that I rigged most of the doors around the base.' She thought. She slipped out, and locked the door behind her, quickly turning silently and walking down the still-bright corridor. She ducked into the shadow of one doorframe as patrolling soldiers passed by. Then, she made her way to the central system room, easily hacking into the system without trails. Taking out the information she needed, she let them load on three different systems and discs; one for Duo which was safe, one with a virus if the others found it, and the last she pocketed for herself. She coded the virus one with a red dot near the center, so no one would notice at first glimpse except her, and slipped that one into her pocket. One of the safe ones went into her pack, the other into her jacket's inner pocket.

Glancing out of the door first, she quickly made her way to an empty corridor and with a jump, caught hold of the vent up there. She unlocked it with a lock pick, and hanging on with one arm, opened it, climbed in, and closed it again. She made her way to the cells, and looked for Duo and Heero. Spotting a familiar braid, she took out a paperclip, slipping her small hand through the vent and tossing it to the far corner away from the camera. This alerted the two boys, and before they could react, she held up a sign that read, "Don't react". They didn't, and she removed the vent cover, examining the room from her view. The camera was conveniently right below her and she reached took out a mini camera, snapping a shot of the two boys, and printed it out. She then slipped a photo into place in front of the camera, so it wouldn't display anything but two unmoving boys. Being a part of OZ gave you the advantage of sophisticated items. She took off her pack, and tossed it to Heero. He caught it and opened it to find an assortment of things: guns, lock picks, cards, directions, a coded letter, and a disc. He handed the coded letter to Duo, who was staring Cassandra in the eyes. He took it and read it carefully, recognizing the code quickly, and skimming it with ease. He looked up again, and she nodded, pointing at the door, mouthing to them.

"I'll distract them, open the door, and you guys go. Meet me at the end of there."

"How?" Duo asked her silently.

"I've been known to run a few times. They'll take the hint and follow me. You can go then." Cassandra paused, then reached around her neck, taking off a necklace.

"Take it." She whispered, dropping it into Duo's hands. It was the star. He looked up at her with a start, but the girl was gone, the vent replacing the once opened ceiling.

"The data." Heero found a mini handheld computer in the pack, and slipped the disc in, scanning the info. He rebooted the mini computer and opened the document again, in case the disc was a fake, and found it real. Taking out two guns, he tossed one to Duo before zipping the bag shut and tossing it to Duo too, since Duo was wearing black. They sat down again, waiting. There were voices outside.

"I'm here to see them."

"Lady Cassandra!" The soldier had obviously been dozing. "At this time?"

"Open the door."

"Sorry Lady, I'm not allowed to for anyone but Lady Une or His Excellency."

A moment later, the door slid open, Cassandra standing at the doorway. The guard was sitting in his chair, dazed.

"Hurry." She said, gesturing. Heero pushed Duo forward to make him move, moving ahead to look around first.

"Duet."

"Not now Duo, later. There isn't time."

"…"

"GO!" Cassandra turned the other way as the guard started to wake. Duo and Heero slipped back into the cell, sliding a card in place of the lock and Cassandra closed the door.

"Can I convince you to let me in?"

"No, sorry Miss."

"Fine." A crack told Duo and Heero that something had been thrown, setting off a beeping system.

"LADY CASSANDRA!"

"The game of tag is on!" Cassandra whooped before running off. The guard followed, knowing that Cassandra came first, and 'knowing' that the prisoners could not escape.

'Dumb soldier.' Cassandra thought as she ran in the corridor, ducking past people before they reacted.

Quickly, Heero opened the door and ran, following Duo, toward the hangars. They took down a few soldiers as they went, and once in the hangar, ducked into two spare Leos.

Suddenly, Duo jumped as a voice entered his mind.

"GO! Backfired, run!" It was Duet's voice, but…how?

Then, movement caught his eye and Duo saw from his suit, that there were a group of soldiers, along with Treize and Zechs, with their guns.

"Get out of those suits now." A soldier called. When neither moved, Treize laughed, much to the surprise of Duo. Two soldiers shoved Cassandra onto her knees in front of them, guns pointed at her head.

"Get out or she gets a bullet lodged in her brain!" The soldier called.

Duo jumped up but so did Cassandra, forcing her way forward.

"GO 02 PLEASE! I'LL BE FINE! GO!" She screamed, waving frantically.

"Duo, go." Heero's monotone told Duo he meant business.

"Heero, but…"

"We'll get her later." Heero took off. Duo took a moment to glance back at Cassandra, and paused, eyes wide. She was fighting off over 5 soldiers at the same time.

"I can't Heero!" He yelled, jumping from the suit, dropping and rolling from random bullets. One grazed his arm as he ducked, pulling out his own gun and firing. Heero was too busy fighting other OZ suits to do anything else.

"Damn it!" He cursed.

"No Duo!" Cassandra sobbed. Suddenly, Duo found himself back in the Leo suit, and the suit taking off without his control. Cassandra was at a dead run for the hole Heero had blasted at the side of the base. Stepping between the running girl and the advancing soldiers, Duo pointed the Leo's gun at them, causing them to stop, as he reached down clumsily to pick up the girl in the machine's hand. But at the same time, Zechs caught up, grabbing her. The girl was tired and no match for the taller man.

"Duo, go, please!" Cassandra screamed. "Next time!" She screamed as she pushed both herself and Zechs onto the ground 4 meters below, both taking the fall. Immediately, OZ soldiers swarmed them.

"DUO!" Heero called.

"Duet!"

"GO!" Cassandra screamed again, and Duo took off, looking back. He saw Cassandra be forced into a shuttle, and the shuttle took off in the opposite direction from him. He turned the suit to go back, but suddenly, he was thrown back and against the seat restraints when the base exploded. His eyes were wide before the second explosion of the base, closer to him, knocked him against the seat, rendering him unconscious.

In the other direction, in an OZ shuttle, Cassandra fell unconscious too, having used her power to destroy the base, not allowing anything to go after Duo and Heero. But…where did this power come from? In the next seat, Treize smiled secretly.





Saori: If that confused you, Duo ended up in his suit again by this mysterious power of Cassandra's, that came from who knows where? Read on to find out and PLEASE Review!!!!!!
Duo: Can't you at least pair me up with someone ELSE apart from Mr. Mono-Syllable here so I can at least TALK to someone responsive, for the rescue mission?
Saori: Actually, I have other plans...
Duo: Starring me?
Saori: And the others. Even Relena
Duo: WHAT?!
Saori: Calm down....it's o.k...don't worry about it!
Duo: *to the side* Who wouldn't with HER writing?!"
Saori: I HEARD THAT!!!!