Sequel to Mercy's Sacrifice
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of the characters or props
affiliated with them. I do, however, own the plot.
~*~ Chapter 7 ~*~ Capture, Pain, and Hope
The OZ troops marched back toward the road, the search for the pilots was now too risky. The snow had long since stopped, yet if they got any more, they'd be buried alive.
A strong and rather foul stench drifted toward a young private in the front of the line, flooding his nostrils. "What the..." Looking up and stopping in his tracks, the young soldier caught sight of black smoke billowing into the air. "Major! I've found something!"
~*~
Trowa tried to stand, but the fumes were making him woozy. Soon he knew nothing as his eyes rolled back in his head, his eyelids fluttering closed. His unconscious form hit the floor harshly, blood slowly beginning to trickle from under his head.
"Trowa!" Duo prayed that OZ would show soon, they barely had any air left and the fumes were getting to everyone. Rolling his comrade onto his back, Duo caught sight of the blood and took in a sharp breath. "If OZ doesn't get a clue and hurry up..."
Sally staggered to the American's side. "What happened Duo?"
"He just passed out."
Thinking for a moment, Sally nodded. "We need to get that fire put out."
Heero stood on his own, leaning his hand against the wall. "Yes, let's just hope OZ saw it first." Taking a step toward his friends, he tried not to stumble over the wolf the others now called Keiha. It wasn't a bad name for her, she'd earned it.
Wufei stood in the kitchenette, shaking the blurriness from his vision. Snatching up a large towel, he put it in the sink and took the large container of water, dumping its contents in the sink as well. Taking up the thoroughly soaked towel, he crossed over to the fire and tossed it on, distinguishing it as the fire hissed and spat. Speaking between coughs, "There, now we... just have to see what happens."
Voices, urgent and surprised, echoed outside the cabin. They were muffled and somewhat tired, but they gave hope back once more.
Heero smiled as he coughed, the smoke filling into the cabin. "They're... they're here. They're surprisingly... fast. "
Standing, Sally motioned for Duo to keep the rag pressed against Trowa's new wound. She wouldn't be surprised if he had a concussion. Snatching one of the blankets from the couch, she fanned the fumes back toward the fireplace.
"Is anyone in there?" A younger, male voice called.
Sighing with "slight" disgust, Duo yelled back. "Don't be stupid! Just hurry and get the door dug open! If you OZ dorks took any longer..."
The young private knew that voice, that attitude all too well. Turning and calling down to the ground from the roof area, he smiled. "Sir, we just keep getting lucky today."
Wufei sat down in the main room and groaned, he really didn't want to have to put up with OZ. "How much thicker can they get?"
Heero sat next to the warmed stones of the fireplace. Wincing, he shifted his weight to his left shoulder which was becoming sore as well. "They get worse, don't worry." He knew that more than the others, at times he sacrificed his freedom for the others, wanted to get captured, or couldn't fend for himself as well for some other reason.
Sally nodded. "You'd be surprised." Heading off once more into Quatre's room, she checked on him one last time. "Well, they're here Quatre."
Quatre let his eyes fall lazily upon her, he was so tired. Smiling as much as he could, he tried to speak but she shushed him immediately. That, and his voice was gone. He'd wanted to thank her for everything and for helping him as much as she could.
"Save your strength and get better soon, okay? You take care, the others will watch over you now." Turning, Sally saw that the others were ready to conceal her existence in the cabin. Keiha was already down there.
Heero laid his hand on Keiha's head, quieting her whining. "Stay here, be quiet. You'll be safe, don't worry." He couldn't help but smile as she nudged his hand with her cold nose.
"She's a mother," Sally walked to their side. "She's not worried for herself, but for her children or child in this case. You."
"What?" Heero was confused at this.
"Like we said buddy, she thinks you're one of her pups, one of her little ones." Duo smirked as he held Trowa who was beginning to come around.
OZ had started digging to clear the entrance. The clanking of metal against the ice echoed within the walls.
Sally jumped down in the hole, standing and giving the guys a final good luck, at least until they met again. "Well, should we break you out or are you going to do it yourself?"
"If we aren't out in about a week or two, it might be time to worry." Heero, giving a slight smile, called back.
"Well, take care of each other and good luck guys." Sally crouched down, moving from the opening with Keiha and wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. It was a "bit" cold down there.
Heero helped Wufei move the couch back, smoothing out the marks in the carpet. Now all they had to do was wait.
Trowa's eyes stayed closed, but he was awake and aware of his surroundings once more. Releasing a soft groan, he began to shift his weight as he tried to sit up, but a voice stopped him.
"Take it easy buddy, just lay still. You took a pretty nasty fall a few minutes ago. How do you feel?" Duo pulled the blanket back over Trowa's ever-shivering form.
How did he feel? His head felt like it were being crushed, he still felt nauseas, and the annoying clanging outside of the cabin was driving him crazy. "Fine, just fine Duo."
Laughing softly, Duo nodded. "Like crap huh?"
"Yep."
"Save your strength for later. OZ finally came." Heero sat next to Wufei, listening to the *chink* of metal against ice, small blocks giving way.
"They... finally came?" Trowa winced and groaned as he felt Duo move the cloth away, refold it, and replace it.
"Sorry buddy."
Coughing from Quatre's room compelled Heero to join his friend, to give comfort and hope.
After about half an hour, enough of the doorway was cleared for the soldiers to enter. But the Gundam Pilots held their tongues and quelled their free spirits. They did not fight nor rebel. Instead, they did as they were told, each keeping a wary eye upon Quatre.
Duo held out his hands, reluctantly letting the OZ jerks put the handcuffs on. A muffled cry in Quatre's room made him yearn to kill the soldiers and run to his friend's side. Yet, he only spoke quietly. "Be careful with Quatre, he's injured and has pneumonia."
The sergeant disregarded his soft request but at hearing the yelling in the other room, he secured the locks and went to see for himself. "What's going on?" Looking into the room, he saw 04 struggling to stand, for he sat upon his hands and knees. He only began to cough, spitting out a large amount of a dark liquid. Taking a flashlight, he realized that it was blood. "Holy Jesus..." The other officers stepped back hastily, making sure they didn't have any blood on them, but the sergeant didn't care. "Pick him up and take him to be looked at by one of the medical staff." When the officers still didn't move, he barked his command at them once more. "Now!" They quickly went about their jobs.
Heero grimaced as he was shoved near the door, the older woman's gun hitting his right shoulder. Then, to aggravate the wound further, she yanked him back by the same shoulder. He only fell to his knees and groaned, yet inhaled sharply when he watched Quatre's limp and ghostly pale form being led to the door and handed to others. Blood still dripped from the corners of his lips, but he didn't seem to notice. Actually, it appeared as though he had fallen unconscious. "Quatre..."
Trowa felt the steel cuffs weigh heavily on is arms, pressing against the tender area where he was bitten. Yet, these thoughts, the pain; it all evaded his mind when he saw his gentle, merciful friend carried from his room. He was so weak, fragile, and pale that one would think he would shatter like glass should he fall. "Oh God Quatre, I'm sorry."
Wufei turned his eyes away in shame as he watched another take Quatre and leave the cabin, for he now stood outside of it. "I'm sorry this happened to you, watashi no otoko."
Sally listened to it all, sometimes catching glimpses of the young pilots through the cracks between the floor boards. She sat with the surprisingly quiet Keiha under the kitchen area. She only hoped that everything would be all right.
Heero felt his arms being pulled back harshly, they didn't trust him. He could move way too much with his hands cuffed before him. "Damn it..." He tried to grit his teeth and hold his tongue, but the words slipped along with a groan at feeling his arms jerked brutally upward. A soft whine met his ears and he knew that it was Keiha. 'Keep her quiet Sally!'
The young officer smiled, catching the whine but thinking it was the boy, she called. "Too rough for you, Perfect Soldier? Big boys don't cry, remember? So suck it up and deal with it." Her voice was coy and teasing, her smirk widening at seeing blood soak through his thin, white shirt. "Looks like you were the kid in the forest, too bad your little plan didn't work. You were stupid to start a fire kid, you only gave yourself away."
'That was the plan you dumb bitch,' Heero thought with a slight sneer, but stifled another groan as he was yanked from the floor to his feet. With a grimace and a sigh, he followed the others out. They were loaded into the back of a truck, yet Quatre wasn't there. "Have you seen..."
Wufei cut him off. "No, the others took him get medical attention. The last I overheard was that he wouldn't survive more than an hour or so out there, but they didn't say where."
"Unless..." Trowa thought aloud.
"What?" Duo called softly, frowning at the blood staining Heero's shirt.
"Unless they believe him too weak to make it and gave up on him. Unless they're going to leave him out here to die." Trowa's eyes filled with hatred at such a thought.
"You mean, this might not work and he could still die?" Duo was thoroughly perplexed.
"If they did, Sally better hurry and get out here..." Heero sat silent as another officer passed. "She can still help him."
But little did they know that it was they who would be played as pawns, for their dear friend lay with the wounded in the medical truck. They were in for a surprise as their loyalties were soon to be tested.
~Lady Stardancer
A/N: Well, a bit of an interesting twist in plot here. You're probably all still at a loss for what will happen, I can imagine... ~evil grin pulls at lips, eyes turning from innocent to demonic~ Have fun. Oh, and if you have a favorite character and you want a POV, go ahead and tell me in your review if you do, and if you want to be specific, go ahead and give me a situation and what you want to happen. I'll dedicate it too, so go ahead and take advantage of this. Don't worry, you can add yourself if you want. I need some more ideas for stories too, that and I just need to do something else to mix in with this stuff, so I don't get bored and give up. I accept any and all. Thanks! ~skips away, angel halo being held up by little devil horns and a small tale flickers like a cat's tail~
PS If I made a Gundam Wing AC rping (role playing) site, who would want to join and interact with the guys and stuff? Just a thought, I don't want it up and no one to rp with. ~ponders~
~*~ Chapter 7 ~*~ Capture, Pain, and Hope
The OZ troops marched back toward the road, the search for the pilots was now too risky. The snow had long since stopped, yet if they got any more, they'd be buried alive.
A strong and rather foul stench drifted toward a young private in the front of the line, flooding his nostrils. "What the..." Looking up and stopping in his tracks, the young soldier caught sight of black smoke billowing into the air. "Major! I've found something!"
~*~
Trowa tried to stand, but the fumes were making him woozy. Soon he knew nothing as his eyes rolled back in his head, his eyelids fluttering closed. His unconscious form hit the floor harshly, blood slowly beginning to trickle from under his head.
"Trowa!" Duo prayed that OZ would show soon, they barely had any air left and the fumes were getting to everyone. Rolling his comrade onto his back, Duo caught sight of the blood and took in a sharp breath. "If OZ doesn't get a clue and hurry up..."
Sally staggered to the American's side. "What happened Duo?"
"He just passed out."
Thinking for a moment, Sally nodded. "We need to get that fire put out."
Heero stood on his own, leaning his hand against the wall. "Yes, let's just hope OZ saw it first." Taking a step toward his friends, he tried not to stumble over the wolf the others now called Keiha. It wasn't a bad name for her, she'd earned it.
Wufei stood in the kitchenette, shaking the blurriness from his vision. Snatching up a large towel, he put it in the sink and took the large container of water, dumping its contents in the sink as well. Taking up the thoroughly soaked towel, he crossed over to the fire and tossed it on, distinguishing it as the fire hissed and spat. Speaking between coughs, "There, now we... just have to see what happens."
Voices, urgent and surprised, echoed outside the cabin. They were muffled and somewhat tired, but they gave hope back once more.
Heero smiled as he coughed, the smoke filling into the cabin. "They're... they're here. They're surprisingly... fast. "
Standing, Sally motioned for Duo to keep the rag pressed against Trowa's new wound. She wouldn't be surprised if he had a concussion. Snatching one of the blankets from the couch, she fanned the fumes back toward the fireplace.
"Is anyone in there?" A younger, male voice called.
Sighing with "slight" disgust, Duo yelled back. "Don't be stupid! Just hurry and get the door dug open! If you OZ dorks took any longer..."
The young private knew that voice, that attitude all too well. Turning and calling down to the ground from the roof area, he smiled. "Sir, we just keep getting lucky today."
Wufei sat down in the main room and groaned, he really didn't want to have to put up with OZ. "How much thicker can they get?"
Heero sat next to the warmed stones of the fireplace. Wincing, he shifted his weight to his left shoulder which was becoming sore as well. "They get worse, don't worry." He knew that more than the others, at times he sacrificed his freedom for the others, wanted to get captured, or couldn't fend for himself as well for some other reason.
Sally nodded. "You'd be surprised." Heading off once more into Quatre's room, she checked on him one last time. "Well, they're here Quatre."
Quatre let his eyes fall lazily upon her, he was so tired. Smiling as much as he could, he tried to speak but she shushed him immediately. That, and his voice was gone. He'd wanted to thank her for everything and for helping him as much as she could.
"Save your strength and get better soon, okay? You take care, the others will watch over you now." Turning, Sally saw that the others were ready to conceal her existence in the cabin. Keiha was already down there.
Heero laid his hand on Keiha's head, quieting her whining. "Stay here, be quiet. You'll be safe, don't worry." He couldn't help but smile as she nudged his hand with her cold nose.
"She's a mother," Sally walked to their side. "She's not worried for herself, but for her children or child in this case. You."
"What?" Heero was confused at this.
"Like we said buddy, she thinks you're one of her pups, one of her little ones." Duo smirked as he held Trowa who was beginning to come around.
OZ had started digging to clear the entrance. The clanking of metal against the ice echoed within the walls.
Sally jumped down in the hole, standing and giving the guys a final good luck, at least until they met again. "Well, should we break you out or are you going to do it yourself?"
"If we aren't out in about a week or two, it might be time to worry." Heero, giving a slight smile, called back.
"Well, take care of each other and good luck guys." Sally crouched down, moving from the opening with Keiha and wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. It was a "bit" cold down there.
Heero helped Wufei move the couch back, smoothing out the marks in the carpet. Now all they had to do was wait.
Trowa's eyes stayed closed, but he was awake and aware of his surroundings once more. Releasing a soft groan, he began to shift his weight as he tried to sit up, but a voice stopped him.
"Take it easy buddy, just lay still. You took a pretty nasty fall a few minutes ago. How do you feel?" Duo pulled the blanket back over Trowa's ever-shivering form.
How did he feel? His head felt like it were being crushed, he still felt nauseas, and the annoying clanging outside of the cabin was driving him crazy. "Fine, just fine Duo."
Laughing softly, Duo nodded. "Like crap huh?"
"Yep."
"Save your strength for later. OZ finally came." Heero sat next to Wufei, listening to the *chink* of metal against ice, small blocks giving way.
"They... finally came?" Trowa winced and groaned as he felt Duo move the cloth away, refold it, and replace it.
"Sorry buddy."
Coughing from Quatre's room compelled Heero to join his friend, to give comfort and hope.
After about half an hour, enough of the doorway was cleared for the soldiers to enter. But the Gundam Pilots held their tongues and quelled their free spirits. They did not fight nor rebel. Instead, they did as they were told, each keeping a wary eye upon Quatre.
Duo held out his hands, reluctantly letting the OZ jerks put the handcuffs on. A muffled cry in Quatre's room made him yearn to kill the soldiers and run to his friend's side. Yet, he only spoke quietly. "Be careful with Quatre, he's injured and has pneumonia."
The sergeant disregarded his soft request but at hearing the yelling in the other room, he secured the locks and went to see for himself. "What's going on?" Looking into the room, he saw 04 struggling to stand, for he sat upon his hands and knees. He only began to cough, spitting out a large amount of a dark liquid. Taking a flashlight, he realized that it was blood. "Holy Jesus..." The other officers stepped back hastily, making sure they didn't have any blood on them, but the sergeant didn't care. "Pick him up and take him to be looked at by one of the medical staff." When the officers still didn't move, he barked his command at them once more. "Now!" They quickly went about their jobs.
Heero grimaced as he was shoved near the door, the older woman's gun hitting his right shoulder. Then, to aggravate the wound further, she yanked him back by the same shoulder. He only fell to his knees and groaned, yet inhaled sharply when he watched Quatre's limp and ghostly pale form being led to the door and handed to others. Blood still dripped from the corners of his lips, but he didn't seem to notice. Actually, it appeared as though he had fallen unconscious. "Quatre..."
Trowa felt the steel cuffs weigh heavily on is arms, pressing against the tender area where he was bitten. Yet, these thoughts, the pain; it all evaded his mind when he saw his gentle, merciful friend carried from his room. He was so weak, fragile, and pale that one would think he would shatter like glass should he fall. "Oh God Quatre, I'm sorry."
Wufei turned his eyes away in shame as he watched another take Quatre and leave the cabin, for he now stood outside of it. "I'm sorry this happened to you, watashi no otoko."
Sally listened to it all, sometimes catching glimpses of the young pilots through the cracks between the floor boards. She sat with the surprisingly quiet Keiha under the kitchen area. She only hoped that everything would be all right.
Heero felt his arms being pulled back harshly, they didn't trust him. He could move way too much with his hands cuffed before him. "Damn it..." He tried to grit his teeth and hold his tongue, but the words slipped along with a groan at feeling his arms jerked brutally upward. A soft whine met his ears and he knew that it was Keiha. 'Keep her quiet Sally!'
The young officer smiled, catching the whine but thinking it was the boy, she called. "Too rough for you, Perfect Soldier? Big boys don't cry, remember? So suck it up and deal with it." Her voice was coy and teasing, her smirk widening at seeing blood soak through his thin, white shirt. "Looks like you were the kid in the forest, too bad your little plan didn't work. You were stupid to start a fire kid, you only gave yourself away."
'That was the plan you dumb bitch,' Heero thought with a slight sneer, but stifled another groan as he was yanked from the floor to his feet. With a grimace and a sigh, he followed the others out. They were loaded into the back of a truck, yet Quatre wasn't there. "Have you seen..."
Wufei cut him off. "No, the others took him get medical attention. The last I overheard was that he wouldn't survive more than an hour or so out there, but they didn't say where."
"Unless..." Trowa thought aloud.
"What?" Duo called softly, frowning at the blood staining Heero's shirt.
"Unless they believe him too weak to make it and gave up on him. Unless they're going to leave him out here to die." Trowa's eyes filled with hatred at such a thought.
"You mean, this might not work and he could still die?" Duo was thoroughly perplexed.
"If they did, Sally better hurry and get out here..." Heero sat silent as another officer passed. "She can still help him."
But little did they know that it was they who would be played as pawns, for their dear friend lay with the wounded in the medical truck. They were in for a surprise as their loyalties were soon to be tested.
~Lady Stardancer
A/N: Well, a bit of an interesting twist in plot here. You're probably all still at a loss for what will happen, I can imagine... ~evil grin pulls at lips, eyes turning from innocent to demonic~ Have fun. Oh, and if you have a favorite character and you want a POV, go ahead and tell me in your review if you do, and if you want to be specific, go ahead and give me a situation and what you want to happen. I'll dedicate it too, so go ahead and take advantage of this. Don't worry, you can add yourself if you want. I need some more ideas for stories too, that and I just need to do something else to mix in with this stuff, so I don't get bored and give up. I accept any and all. Thanks! ~skips away, angel halo being held up by little devil horns and a small tale flickers like a cat's tail~
PS If I made a Gundam Wing AC rping (role playing) site, who would want to join and interact with the guys and stuff? Just a thought, I don't want it up and no one to rp with. ~ponders~
