Chapter – 4
Disclaimers—Gundam Wing does not belong to me nor has it ever. The characters, in part, are only being used for non-profitable purposes.
Warnings—more of the stuff you love and some language.
Duo woke to the annoying sound of rushing keyboard keys being hit in, someone typing across the room. Slowly cracking open his eyes, he looked about, taking in his surroundings. He was being held back against the one wall, shackles holding up his hands and a shackle around his neck. The room wasn't very large, he sitting in the dark corner of a separate cell in the room. All the others were there as well, though it looked as though they had been awake for quite a while.
Quatre stared over towards Duo, asking softly, "Duo? Are you alright?" Quatre's voice sounded farther away than he was comfortable with, though he just nodded faintly, coughing weakly. Outside the pen bars, sat Heather. She looked calm as she typed at the computer, information flooding the screen. A bandage ran over her one eye and her one arm was bandaged all the way around.
"Why are you doing this?" asked Duo hoarsely. It was a rather cliché question, though he figured he might as well ask it.
Heather stood up slowly as she walked over towards the pen. Her eyes weren't as cold as they had been before, they scanning over where a large amount of bandaging lay wrapped around Duo's waist. Not answering his question, she merely asked, "How's your side?"
Staring up at her in disbelief, he tensed faintly, his disbelief turning into anger, "What the hell are you doing? You think you're so bad-ass don't you?!" She didn't even flinch as he yelled at her, she just shaking her head faintly.
"I had orders to get to you—so I did."
"Oh yeah…? And who do you work for then? Hmm?! Tell me that! Soldiers aren't as young as you. You're full o' shit!"
Heather shook her head again, a faint sigh leaving her lips; "I work for a man by the name of Coralis, and he works for OZ. I do what I need to survive—and if it means turning some rebels in, then I can handle it. Though, I don't only serve one person—assassins are that way."
"Filthy woman!" yelled Wufei from the corner he sat in.
"You're no better than those OZ soldiers!" spat Duo. She didn't say anything, though something flashed in her eyes.
"You really think that, Duo?"
"Yeah, you coward! You're just in it for the money. You're no better."
She stood there calmly, only to turn heel and start walking away. Her tone was calm and soft as she spoke, though it was cold again; her eyes never turned to look back at them as she spoke. "There's a squad of troops that are coming to pick the four of you up." Her stance was no longer as confident as she moved back to the computer, sitting down lazily, leaning back in her seat.
Duo sat there, wincing faintly as he leaned back before a thought hit him, "You're an assassin, right? Then why not just kill us?"
Heather shook her head, "An assassin isn't just held to kill. We're paid to do the job that's asked of us." The room fell silent then, only to be interrupted by a shrill beep. Hitting a small button on the keyboard, the face of a man appeared on the screen of the computer. He was a middle-aged man with a clean-cut face and dark red eyes. "Yes Coralis?" Her tone held no respect or care as she looked to the one on the screen.
"Well, my dear girl, we're having a bit of a second thought on those pilots you have there."
"And the second thought would be?"
"We'd like it if you'd just get the job done with. Kill then all off."
She shrugged faintly, her eyes cold and uncaring once again, "As you wish." The man on the screen smiled, a cruel glint in his eyes as he disappeared from the screen.
Standing from her desk, she grabbed the gun and a set of keys. She stood at the bars, looking down at the five of them before shaking her head, something she seemed to be doing quite a bit. Unlocking the cell, she stepped in before sitting down on the floor casually, muttering under her breath, "Which one?"
Duo sat upright, a knot forming in his stomach as he looked at her, though was shocked to see her throw the gun behind her, it smacking hard against the floor, sliding the rest of the way. "What are you doing?"
Once again standing, she looked down at all of them before shrugging. "Letting you go."
"What?! Why?" It wasn't as though he was really protesting though.
"I couldn't tell you even if I wanted." She unlocked the chains of each of them, though wasn't met with a warm 'thank you', only a swift blow to the head, sending her back a bit. Wiping the blood from her mouth, her gaze turned back to Heero. "Oh—what a lovely choice." Heero moved forward, aiming a punch for her side, just managing to graze her side and then was sent forward with a kick to the back of his neck. "You can't beat me, Heero. We were trained by the same man." Freezing where he was, Heero could feel himself tense, though he didn't show any real emotion on his face.
Saying coldly, though keeping his voice at an average level, he demanded, "What do you mean?"
"Dr. J. He's your mentor as well as mine. Perhaps you should ask him about me some time." Duo and the others were watching in curiosity, though Wufei and Trowa started to lead them out towards the exit.
Meanwhile, Heero attacked Heather again, aiming a kick for her stomach, which sent her back, half sliding across the floor herself. Both of them froze as a gunshot rang through the air though. Blood trickled down from Heather's shoulder as she stood shakily, looking around slowly. Near the exit, before the others could get out, a group of OZ soldiers marched in, one of them proclaiming, "Heather Gracin, you have turned back on your deal."
She said nothing as she held her bloodied shoulder tightly. Casting a slow glance around the room, she spotted a camera in the top corner, silently wondering why she didn't notice it before. Coughing faintly, she straightened herself as best she could before making her way towards the group. "Stop where you are and put you hands in the air."
Stopping, though not following the other side of the demand, she stared at the group, only to start moving again. Another shot was fired, though it missed her by a few inches, leaving her to pick up her pace. Another group of the soldiers began firing, there around a dozen soldiers in all. Duo and Wufei were, at the time, dealing with the soldiers that kept their attention on the pilots.
Ducking behind her desk, she grabbed the spare gun taped under it. Clicking off the safety, she jumped up from behind the desk, letting fall three of the soldiers. In the commotion of the flying bullets, Heero made it over towards the others, taking down another three soldiers in the process.
Heather paused a moment as she looked at the pilots, something striking her at that moment, though she didn't say a word, though it showed on her face. Pulling back, she ran for the back exit; though fell short as a bullet from the other end of the building tore through her leg. With pain-staking effort, she forced herself up, turning around sharply as she raised her gun again. Her eyes met Duo's like they had done so many times before, only for more shots to ring out.
Duo let out a yell as he watched Heather start to fall after she had taken out another two soldiers, though received several new wounds in her hesitation. She slid to the floor, though was still sitting up. However, it seemed as though she were unconscious, her head bowed and her arms limp by her sides.
The gundam pilots still fought through the rest before a soldier threw a bomb into the mix. Heero managed to gather the others and rush them and a very reluctant Duo out the door. A large explosion and flames filled the room they had just been in. Screams were heard from the remaining soldiers that didn't notice their comrade's actions.
Holding Duo back, Heero watched as the building began to sink in on itself, watching in complete silence. Duo, on the other hand, wasn't about to let it go as he yelled out, trying to get past Heero to help Heather. He didn't know why, though he felt an urge to protect her. Another explosion was seen, Duo's eyes growing wide, a sickening feeling forming in his stomach, "Heather!"
~*~
Fire's Tempest leans back in her chair, taking a short breather.
Duo: What? You're just going to leave it like that?! That ending was horrible.
Heather just stands there, her face very pale, "That's not funny at all."
Fire's Tempest: Relax—there's more to come…
Duo: There better be.
Fire's Tempest casts a glance towards Heather before laughing to herself, Heather just giving her a suspicious look and mumbling under her breath, "She isn't just going to let me die, is she?"
Duo: Please read and review.