Chapter Six - Forgetting to recharge

"""Isn't it just pure luck that I just after being captured went about to so it
all over again? Personally, I think it was rather ironic. And it did have its
perks after all. One of the perks wasn't that they managed to find the damn
barcode and decided to play cut poor little Duo into pieces again. But it isn't
that I'm going to talk about. Nor is it the fact that my appearance at the base
triggered a change in Heero, making our relationship take a large leap forwards.
No, it will all be about my little asphyxiation episode. Or almost at least.

We had been at the base for a couple of days when it happened. I was just being
returned from my daily trips from the labs and dumped on the floor when two
strong arms enveloped me and steadied me before I had the chance to fall to the
ground.

"Keep still, Duo," Heero ordered me as I gained my balance and tried to step
back. "Pretend to be woozy or something."

I obeyed without question, faking a stumble during another attempt to get loose
and collapsing against his hard body, allowing myself to be lifted completely
into his arms. He is gentler than I would've thought.

"Damn!" he swore, speaking just at the right pitch for the security cameras to
catch it. "He lost consciousness. Wufei, help me carry him over to the bed we
made of the blankets."

So that what it's all about. They have found a spot invisible from the security
cameras and need an excuse to get there. I smirk under the cover of my long
bangs. And I was the lucky winner when it comes to play the victim.

Wufei came over, and they share the burden consisting of me to the bed, as if
Heero couldn't manage it himself. Laying me down carefully, they finished the
conversation to explain to the cameras why they are staying where they are,
'watching over their poor friend who blacked out'. I sit up and roll my eyes.
Apparently we have dedicated actors in our little click of soldiers. Who
would've thought?

When they had finished their little drama, Heero crouched by my side and started
speaking silently in his native language while Wufei moved back into the visible
area to keep the watchers from being suspicious. Curiously enough, he is still
well into my personal space though, something he usually avoids like the plague.

"Trowa has been in contact with me," he swiftly said. "He has gained information
about your new Gundams. The data will be turned over to you tomorrow. We need
you to initiate some sort of physical contact with Trowa so he will be able to
turn it over."

I didn't bother asking why, the answer is obvious after all. Neither Wufei nor
Heero is the rebelling type. I am however, and therefore, this must be my
mission. I nodded at him and watched him give me a grateful look,

"Don't overdo it," he suddenly said, reaching out to turn my face towards his.
"We need the Intel, not you beaten up."

That earned him a small smile from me. It isn't often Heero comes out of his
shell and admit that he cares. And so, I latched on to his hand for a couple of
seconds and squeezed it before he can let it fall reassuringly before letting
go. He nodded almost uncomfortably, but I could see the soft look in his eyes,
and it said all there was to say.

And then came the nice little punching episode with Trowa, as well as Wufei's
little outburst about loyalty (thankfully a casual listener would have thought
it was Heero he spoke of). The next couple of hours were spent studying the
Intel from the picture viewer Trowa had slipped me and discussing our situation
in the secure area. Then the troubles came.

That bastard Tsubarov cut of the oxygen supply to the prison cells, aiming
towards killing us Gundam pilots and the scientists. Both Wufei and I discovered
the problem rather quickly as well as the fact that the cameras had been turned
off. No complaints there, but there were certainly complaints about dying by
asphyxiation. I was rather hysteric a while there. But then I found out
something that most likely had something to do with my genetic makeup. I could
stay awake longer than your average human without little to none oxygen. Never
had I been so thankful for that damned barcode. But when it became hard to
breathe, I gave up and let myself go to sleep. No use wasting the air.

When I woke up again, the air was circulated again and the prison door was
opened. Soon, both Wufei and I were away.





January 9, AC197

Safe house Beta V7 had been created during the war by us to have a place near
the European capital to hide out at after missions involving undercover work in
the city. It had been bought and outfitted by one of Winner Inc's numerous
daughter companies, and had served the needs of all pilots many times. Sadly
enough, it had been compromised some time before the pilots all left for space
as the pilot Duo Maxwell had been seen sneaking out of it. Since then, safe
sources told that spies were waiting for him to come back so the second Gundam
pilot would be revealed to the world.

I have no intentions of letting that happen though. Already, I have secured the
house with my Maguanac forces and have had it scanned for bugs and other
mechanical devices for eavesdropping. The house has been searched from cellar to
roof for hidden spies as well; we have no use of being compromised once again.
Too much is at stake here for us to deal with the ravenous media also.

When I arrived to the safe house a couple of days ago, I found that Wufei and
Relena already had settled in and started with securing the house. Relena even
had managed to convince her bodyguards against following her here in case of the
unlikely scenario of one of them being a spy.

I was quite frankly surprised by how much that woman has grown since the last
time I saw her, just a couple of weeks ago when I first met her a few days ago.
Before, she was a rather immature but promising girl who had managed to convince
the world to believe in her and her pacifist ways. Not to mention a promising
stalker and the bane of Heero's existence. Now, she has grown though. She has
realized what responsibility that lies on her shoulders and that she has to take
action to protect herself and - by doing that - the world. She let herself be a
pawn, but she is schooling herself to be a queen and is taking the
responsibility of a such as well.

The only thing that quite frankly still surprises me though, is the fact that
she chose Duo as her confidant. I mean, I love Duo like a brother and trust him
with my own life, but he isn't the one you would think of when you decide to
found your own protection organization if you doesn't know him well enough to
see through his mask. And Relena and Duo wasn't exactly close during the war. It
was rather so that they were rivals about Heero. A fight that Duo won hands down
by the way. But then again, maybe she is better judging people than I am.

Trowa arrived as well, just a few days ago. It feels weird to see him again, but
at the same time, I am exalted to see him. And he seems to feel the same judging
from the way he actually allowed himself to hug me in public when he arrived.
Rather tightly too. Or maybe he has changed more than it seems. Perhaps we
actually have a chance now...

I am sitting in the living room at the moment. Duo and Heero are expected to
arrive any minute now, and we are all waiting impatiently for them to arrive.
Both Wufei and Trowa are waiting with me, and Relena is actually pacing by the
door. I wonder whom she is so impatient to meet - Duo or her long time crush
Heero?

The door opens, and even though I know who it must be, I tense and grab the gun
hidden away in the holster concealed by my traditional robe. One of the reasons
I believe in keeping old traditions by the way. A glance to my left tells me
that my two co-pilots have reacted the same way, Trowa actually have drawn his
gun and pointed it towards the door. Still alert, I turn my attention back to
the door and smile as Duo and Heero step in, smiles on their faces. Well at
least at Duo's. Heero' s smile is just a minimal lifting of the corners of his
mouth. But then again, that's a toothy grin when it comes to Heero. And that if
anything is proof of how much Duo have managed to open him up.

"Hey guys, Relena," Duo greets all, giving his jacket to Heero who sets both his
and Duo's on a nearby chair. Relena gives him a light smile and steps forwards
to hug him. Duo hugs her back for a moment, and then lets her go. Hm, maybe
those to are friends after all.

While this went on, Heero has stayed close to Duo while inconspicuously checking
the security, even using a bug sweeper casually fished up from Duo's jeans
pocket.

"No need to do that," I hear Trowa shout to Heero just as I rise and walk over
to Duo. "I've already checked it twice. And that was after Quatre and Wufei did
the same."

Heero grunts and slips the mech into Duo's pocket again just before I tap Duo on
the shoulder, making him turn around.

"Anything new?" I silently ask, knowing that he will have been fishing around
for information while travelling around to inform the others.

Duo shakes his head and look silently at me.

"Not now," he silently said. "You know as well as I do that the house is
compromised now that I am here. We need to make plans to how to proceed and then
get the hell out of here before anything happens."

I nod and walk over to Wufei and Trowa who are checking the windows for suspects
while Duo turns to Relena and Heero and starts talking to them about something,
urgency in his voice.

"Guys," I calmly ask as I reach them, immediately getting their attention.
"Anything out there?"

I don't get any answer but two headshakes, but as I'm in the company of the
three most silent persons I've ever known, I take that as a no. Duo has already
disappeared up the stairs with Relena and Heero, and as we follow them up the
stairs, I find myself to be the companion of a Trowa. He hasn't left my side
since he returned. Not that I'm complaining.


***
I'm feeling sick. My whole body is shaking so slightly, and I know that I don't
have much time left before I have an attack. Shit! The mess with Mariemeia and
then this has prevented me from recharging my implant, and now I'm taking the
consequences. At one of the most unfortunate times as well. We need to talk
through the current situation and then move out. There's no time for collapsing
and riding out the malady. But I guess that it's my own fault. I just hope that
I will manage to get away before the others get a whiff that something is wrong
with me.

Gratefully slipping down to kneel on the floor, I close my eyes for a second
from a dizzy spell and when I open my eyes again, Heero has sunk onto the floor
beside me. Damn! I hoped that he would choose to sit further away from me. This
way, he will no doubt see if the convulsions start before I can get away. And
with his training, there's no way he'll take it for exhaustion.

I jump as a gentle hand settles on my shoulder, turning my head to meet Heero's
concerned eyes. Apparently he has noticed my trembling already.

"Are you alright?" he quietly ask, too low for the others to hear. "You've been
trembling since we left my house."

Plastering a very fake smile on my face, I nod and inwardly curse the day I
managed to sneak into his heart and earn his affection. Only to regret it
immediately. I wouldn't exchange the closeness I share with Heero for anything
in the world. He means too much to me.

"Don't even try that," Heero glares as I enforce my smile a bit more to try and
fool him. "I know you, Duo. Tell me what's going on."

I chuckle nervously and almost hysterically because of my rapidly approaching
attack. Looking pleadingly at Relena, I stall and is saved when she apparently
takes pity on me, opening our impromptu little meeting.

"What do we know about the current situation?" she clearly say, looking
expectantly at me, as if I'm the only one with answers here. I hurry to answer,
ignoring the way Heero is alternatively glaring at Relena and then me.

"We have several plans for your assassination," I start, my voice rather plain
and neutral as I'm already locking most of my muscles to throw Heero off track.
With a little luck, he'll just notice that my trembling has ended and not that
I've stopped moving below my neck. "All of the plans have been tracked down to
the same organisation, the Hel Incorporation. Further than that, we haven't been
able to go due to substantial firewalls."

"How substantial?" Heero ask, crossing his arms as if insulted by our failure in
hacking the place. Maybe I managed to throw him off my track after all.

I give him a quick look.

"Omega G37," I answer. "Nothing we can't get through if we have the right
equipment. Which we don't here."

Heero nods, I am willing to bet that he's already planning how to hack the place
and get the information we need.

But then the thing that couldn't happen happened.


TBC