Chapter 2
It was another hour before they got to the spaceport and another half an hour after that that the ship took off. It looked like a normal plane; just a lot more streamlined and with engines nearly as big as the plane itself. There were cabins for the separate groups, and the five boys were put into one of their own. It was pretty normal. The floor was a black lino and the walls were a dark grey in colour. There were two bunk beds in one corner and a corner sofa that stretched most of the way around the other sides. Most of them threw themselves onto this. Quatre snuggled up to Trowa and was soon fast asleep. Wufei closed his own eyes and started snoring gently and Duo just sat, humming quietly and tapping his foot. Heero had gone to lie down on one of the beds and was now asleep, or that was what Duo thought because his breathing was regular.
"Duo?" Trowa asked, quietly as so not to wake the others.
"Trowa." Duo answered in the same tone.
"Is everything alright with…"
"Don't ask." Duo interrupted rolling his eyes. There was a silence. "You two really are inseparable, aren't you?" Duo asked after a while, grinning at the blonde haired boy in Trowa's arms. Trowa smiled back and stroked the blonde locks.
"Yes." He replied, smoothly. "It's hard to explain, but you kind of know when you meet someone like him that it's special. You don't know what it's like until it hits you, and sometimes you don't even recognise it then."
"Yeah, it must be great." Duo said, slightly wistfully.
"You'll find someone." Trowa said, reading hi s mind, it seemed. He was good at doing that. "That is, if you haven't found them already."
"What?" Duo asked, turning back to him. Trowa simply smiled and went back to stroking Quatre's head. Duo frowned a little, what did Trowa mean by that? Did he mean…?
He looked up at the sleeping boy in the bunk bed. Did Trowa think that he…he couldn't say it. He couldn't even think it. His mind seemed to have blocked any sort of feeling toward Heero at all. He could only work with what he felt, he couldn't analyse it in any way. What had that perfect soldier done to him?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It took them two hours to get to L1. Duo slept through most of it, and only woke when he heard the clank of the ship joining the landing pad. He sat up, stretching and yawning loudly, making Trowa smile.
"We should get the others up." He said. As Trowa tended to Quatre, Duo stood up and went over to the bunk bed. As he was about to shake Heero the boy sat up and got down as if he had been waiting. Duo shrugged and went to get Wufei up. He shook the Chinese boy a little carefully; Wufei had been known to suddenly leap out of his sleep and attempt to decapitate any body who was around. This time, though, his charcoal black eyes blinked open and he smiled a little at Duo before sitting up.
The ship has come to a complete stop. You may now collect your luggage and disembark. We hope you enjoyed your flight
"You know, I think someone really needs to bed her, she sounds like she needs a little excitement in her life." Duo stated as they got their baggage. Three of the four others laughed, and Duo grinned. "Let's go." He said, and led them off the ship and into the glass tunnel they had to walk through. Heero was walking at the back, and Duo cast a look towards him. Heero looked even more like a dead body, he was getting paler, but there was still a stony, blank look on his face that scared Duo a little. This really, really wasn't like him, or was it? His mind went back to the times when they had first entered the underground part of the rebel HQ. He had just frozen. Maybe this was where it all came to a head. Realising that he couldn't do this alone, he made a mental note to tell Trowa, if anyone could be discreet, it was him. Duo didn't do subtle.
They walked along the passage with the other passengers, and then came into the port. Electronic voices were going on in every language, telling everybody where to go and what to do but no one could understand them. Quatre grabbed a trolley, and they shoved their bags on them, Wufei pushing it along. They passed easily through customs and then went out into the L1 capital.
The L's; L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5 were the colonies. They were built on asteroids that had been dragged into Earth's orbit and held there by gravity. Great, wide glass domes marked the cities and whole worlds formed under there. They had very different climates and traditions a bit like Earth does in its different countries. This climate was cold and wet, a bit like England. The five stood under the metal canopy that covered the taxi queue, being deafened by the rain on the corrugated iron. That was something they had far too much of in this place. The houses were made of it, the shelters, everything seemed to be made out of the damn stuff. They watched as people ran out of the rain with newspapers and umbrellas over their heads, and then a red taxi arrived.
"4, Vera Lane please." Duo asked as they all squashed into the back.
"Right." The man said in a thick accent. They drove slowly through the torrential rain until they came to a large alley. The taxi stopped. "I'm not taking you any further, it's a bad part of town." He warned, turning round to face them. "You boys should be careful."
"Thanks," Duo said, grinning and paying him the fare. "But we can take care of ourselves."
"Well you just do that. It should be the third door on the right. Which flat are you in?"
"Three." Duo replied.
"Then that's the one at the top."
"Thanks, man, you've been great." Duo said, finally as he crawled out of the car. They ran down the alley and Towra put the key in the lock. They all rushed into the hall and collapsed against the door, breathing hard and totally soaked, even though they had only been out for a bout thirty seconds. Their eyes took in the dreary hall. Everything was grey. The floors and walls and ceiling were all supposed to be white, but had gone dirty with use and dust. The banisters were black iron and imposing and the stairs curled up the wall above their heads.
"Might as well go up." Quatre said, after a while, and Duo headed out first, closely followed by Heero. He went up the stairs, the layers of dust quietening their footsteps. They curled round the wall, passing the number one door, and then the number two. Finally, they came across the ceiling and a dirty green door with a faded gold three on it.
"Be my guest, Barton." Duo said, grimacing, and Trowa stepped forward, taking a key from his pocket. He inserted it into the keyhole and tried turning it.
"It's stuck." He said, trying again.
"Here, let me try." Wufei offered, but he couldn't do it, either. Duo heard a sigh from behind him and Heero pushed forward. He took the door handle and slammed it down. There was a sound of breaking wood and bending metal, and then the door opened. He walked in; leaving the others to pass the door in barely contained awe.
"Jesus." Duo muttered, and then looked up.
"That's the right word." Quatre added as they looked around. The place was pretty much a shambles. There was a short corridor with a bathroom on the left looking like it hadn't been cleaned since it was made and a bedroom with cracks all the way up the walls. There was a joint lounge/kitchen that they didn't even want to look at and then there was another bedroom with a double bed and a sofa bed. Finally, there was a tiny little study.
"Well, this is it, folks." Duo said, as cheerfully as he could. "Welcome home."
"Great." Wufei said, sarcastically.
"Why don't I make everybody a hot drink?" Quatre asked.
"You're braver than I am." Duo told him as he went off. They sat down on the sofas. There was a nasty creak as Wufei sat in the chair, and Trowa sank almost to the floor in his. Heero was pacing, and Duo tried sitting on the other sofa. "Ow! He yelled, springing up and clutching his rear end. The others laughed and the ice was broken. Duo grinned, in pain but laughing and then sat carefully back down on the other side. "Bloody sofas." He muttered and they laughed again. Then Quatre came in from the kitchen.
"It's the best I can do." He said, and offered them something that looked like dishwater. "Didn't think so." He said as he saw the other's faces and threw it down the sink before coming to sit down.
"Heero, come here, we need to work out what to do." Trowa said. Heero glanced up at him and then sat, slowly and carefully, next to Duo.
"Right," Duo said after giving Heero a worried look. "What are we gonna do first?"
"Fix the door." Wufei muttered, and they laughed a little. Duo put his hand mock –protectively on Heero's shoulder and cried out when Heero pushed it off so roughly it nearly knocked him off the sofa.
"Hey!" Trowa cried. "That was unnecessary."
Heero glared at him and then stared at the floor.
"What is wrong with you, Yuy?" Wufei added, his voice also raised a little. "I don't know what the hell you're playing at but we don't attack fellow pilots."
"I'm fine, leave it." Duo muttered, but they wouldn't listen to him.
"You said yourself you were the perfect soldier."
"Trowa-chan…"
"Yeah, well is this what the perfect soldier is like? Losing it and going into mood swings?"
"I agree with Chang. Sounds like a moody little teenager to me."
There was a cry from Heero and a lot of things happened very fast. Heero leapt up at Trowa and Duo leapt up to Heero. Heero's fist slammed towards Trowa and Duo's wrist got in the way. There was a sickening crack and Duo yelled, grabbing the wrist that now stuck out at a funny angle. Wufei yelled and propelled himself towards Heero, who ducked too slow and they both went tumbling onto the floor.
The other three watched as they rolled about.
"Shit, he's going to kill him." Duo whispered, and he wasn't talking about Wufei. Next thing he knew, Quatre had disappeared and come back with the remains of the dishwater. He threw it over the two boys who yelled, springing away from each other, even more drenched than they had been. There was a very awkward silence, broken only by the pained gasps of Duo and the pants of Wufei. Heero was totally silent and so was Trowa. They seemed to be having a battle of minds. Deep blue eyes flashed at bright emerald ones and there seemed to be a beam coming from one to the other. Wufei, Duo and Quatre could only watch and look up at them. Trowa opened his mouth to speak.
"Don't!" Duo cried suddenly making them all jump. Heero turned to him and Duo looked away, unable to meet the gaze. He felt Heero walk towards him and tried to back away but was caught in an iron grip on his shoulders. One of Hero's hands pulled his head up so he was forced to look into Heero's face, but he refused to look in his eyes.
"Duo?" Heero asked, softly but with a voice edged with ice. Duo now looked up. It was the first word he had spoken since he knew he was coming. "I hurt you?" it wasn't a question, but not just a statement, either.
"A little."
"Let me see."
"It's ok."
"Let me see." Heero repeated, slower and firmer. Duo held up his wrist with his other hand and Heero took it in his own. Duo almost jumped at how gentle he was, he could hardly feel him turning it over and over, seemingly looking for something. Suddenly, without warning, he tightened his grip and twisted. Duo yelled in pain and sprung backwards, Heero being jumped on by the other three.
"No! No!" Duo yelled. "Stop! Trowa! Wufei! No!" he yelled finally, his voice loud enough to wake the dead. The others stopped and Heero looked up from the floor. Duo held his hand up and wiggled it a bit. It was still a little painful and stiff, but cured. "He fixed it." He said, quietly, and there was an awful silence.
"I'm sorry, Heero." Quatre said, after a while and held out his hand. Heero glared at him and got up himself. Trowa bristled.
"He apologised to you." He said.
"His problem." Heero replied, his voice now gruff. Duo was propelled back in time to when he had first met him, and he remembered what he was like then.
"Don't you…"
"Trowa, leave it." Duo said, and shook his head when Trowa glared at him. "Don't bother."
"I'm going to change." Wufei stated and Heero nodded. They went into separate rooms and the doors slammed. Duo used this turn to round angrily on Trowa.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he asked, his voice a furious whisper. He grabbed Trowa by the collar and pulled the boy towards him. "They think his whole past was from here. Imagine how I would be if I had to go back to a certain part of L2? For all we know the scientists may be the very ones he's been hiding from. What if you had to face the people who mistreated you, we have no idea what he's been through."
"Who told you all this?" Trowa asked.
"Zechs." Quatre answered for him. Duo nodded.
"He asked me to look out for him, even if he doesn't want it. I think you should, too Trowa, you're the closest apart from me, but he can't know, he'll freak. Being weak and all that."
"I'm sorry, Duo. I just can't bear you being hurt, I can't bear any of us being hurt." Trowa said, but Duo shook his head.
"No, worries, man. I'm ok, anyway." He said. They separated as Wufei and Heero came out. Heero had put a slightly darker tank top on and deep blue jeans that hugged his legs. The trainers were still the same and his hair was slightly wet. Wufei was in a white shirt and blue trousers, the opposite of what he was in before. They all sat down again.
"So," Duo started. "We need to get into this place."
"They said they wanted us to find out a few things." Trowa said, leaning forward. "So, what I think is that we should all get into the place and then split into two groups. What we need to do is try and find some physical evidence and we need to find computer evidence as well. So, I think the two who are best at stealth and computers should go for them, because one will have to be using the computer while the other looks out for them. The other three can go and look for the labs or whatever."
"Sounds good to me." Duo said. "So, I'll be stealth I can do that, but Quatre or Heero."
"Quatre." Trowa said immediately, "I'll want Heero with me, he can assassinate anybody quickly and quietly if I need it."
"Isn't that your job?" Duo asked.
"I'll be too busy pretending to be part of it, then Wufei can nod and smile behind me and Heero can pinch them in the neck and they'll be out for the count." Trowa said, a slight twinkle in his eyes, but when Heero nodded, looking at the floor, he shot a meaningful look at Duo. Duo nodded quickly, and understood. If they were right, and Heero had something to do with the place, then they would probably have files on him and he would leave them out. Firstly, Duo wanted to understand him and know what to do, but secondly, it may or may not have information that they needed for the mission as well.
"So, when will we go?" Quatre asked.
"I got a plan of the city." Wufei said, and got up to reach his bag. When he came back down he had a map in his hand. "That's where the public part of it is." He said, pointing to it, and Duo noticed that Heero looked as interested as the rest of them. "Will the private part be there too?"
"I should think so." Trowa answered who had the most experience in this area. "It may have some sort of secret entrance that we three will need to get into, but we can find that easily I should think."
"So, as I asked before. When are we gong?" Quatre asked again.
"I think as soon as." Duo answered, looking around for approval. "So, get a few basic things together ok, but nothing loud, we don't want them to know we're here. A few supplies are all you'll need. Casual clothing, no uniforms; that will only make them more suspicious. We go in, we look, we find, we get out. Communications on at all times, if you do not answer you will be assumed dead or in trouble. If you are in a situation where making a sound is impossible, put it on silent. If you are in trouble, just remember to turn it back on, that is very important or we won't know when to find you. Check in every ten minutes to be safe, if things are fine I'll make it less. Does everybody understand."
They all nodded. "Any questions?" They all shook their heads. "Then let's move. Out in five."