Part 9: A Mission
Trowa barely registered when his feet touched the ground, catching him automatically.
Breaking the kiss, he moved his head back a few inches so he could look at Quatre's flushed face. The boy's eyes were closed, mouth open as he took a shaky breath. Trowa let out a soft sigh and brushed his lips over Quatre's closed eyes, then moved so their foreheads touched, breaths mingling.
This was perfection, eternal, so perfect.
"Umm, are you guys finished?"
A voice broke the silence, causing both boys to jerk back, eyes snapping open.
"Can I turn around now?"
Turning, they saw Duo standing across the field, back to them, black cap covering his head.
Trowa's eyes narrowed in sudden anger as the moment broke back to harsh reality, but a glance at Quatre's dark blush had his anger leaving as quickly as it had come. He smiled, watching those downcast eyes as he slowly set him on his feet.
Still not meeting his gaze, Quatre started to move away and Trowa reached out to catch his hand. Quatre glanced up, his blush darkening, and Trowa squeezed his hand. The boy dropped his gaze again, glancing over at Duo, but Trowa could see a small smile turning the corners of his mouth.
"Well?" Duo called. He pointedly made sure not to look in their direction. "I guess I can come back in five minutes, but it's pretty important."
"Now's fine," Trowa called as he and Quatre walked toward the other boy. "What is it?"
Duo snuck a quick peak over his shoulder and then turned, a large grin firmly in place. His eyes went immediately to their clasped hands.
"A mission," said Duo. "About time if you ask me. Not that anyone did."
He continued as they walked back toward the path that led to the safe-house. "Heero got a message over his laptop and decided that we should attack as soon as possible. He's so bossy, he already figured out what everyone should do."
He didn't glance back as they made their way down the path, so he missed the glances the two boys were exchanging.
.-.
This was almost too easy.
Watching over the soldier's shoulder, Duo memorized the code. Then he shifted silently to press himself against the wall as the man turned and passed him on his way down the corridor.
His part was a cinch. He just hoped the others managed as easily as he had.
He checked for soldiers before moving to the panel and centering his thoughts.
'Quatre, Trowa, if either of you can hear me, I'm about to open the door.'
Duo typed in the code and couldn't help but smirk. As if he didn't talk to himself enough as it was.
He opened the door, flattened himself against the wall again, and waited. And he let out a relieved sigh when Trowa and Heero entered silently, glancing up and down the hall. Trowa turned to look in his direction, sensing him, then nodded his head toward the door.
'Got it!' Duo thought. 'You guys get going.'
Trowa nodded again, gesturing for Heero as he went down the hall. Duo watched them for a moment, then hit the sequence to lock the door again.
Now on to phase two.
He took off down the hall, running as quickly as he could without his steps sounding, and taking the branch opposite the one the other two boys had taken.
.-.
From the dark corner where he crouched, Heero could see three men guarding the weapons.
This was Trowa's and his part of the mission, to destroy the new weaponry which included improved guns as well as, more worrisome, paralyzing nets. OZ was stepping its war against the mutants up a notch. The nets worried Heero, and Doctor J, the most since they were proof that OZ now wanted to capture mutants - alive.
He glanced slowly around the surprisingly poorly guarded room and latched onto Trowa's figure. The other boy was flattened in the shadow of a heating duct near the ceiling.
While good guards might find Heero in his corner, even the best seldom thought to look up, especially since there was no catwalk and no way for a person to get near the ceiling - unless he was a mutant who could fly, that is.
Touching his gun with impatience, Heero watched Trowa, waiting for the signal.
The plan was simple, really. Duo would sneak to the main computer and upload the virus Heero had made, effectively destroying all the records stored there as well as the programs. Once he'd exited the base, he'd give word to either Quatre or Trowa. Quatre was outside with Wufei who was prepared to deal with any soldiers who followed Heero and Trowa during their escape. Since they were going to make a lot of noise when they blew the weapons up, they were waiting for Duo to get out first. With the programs destroyed by the virus, the locks on the doors wouldn't work, so there was no reason for Duo to wait for them.
Heero glanced at Trowa again, gripping his gun tightly as the tall boy gave the signal.
.-.
Duo ran as fast as he could away from the base, screaming in his mind for the others to do it. He knew that Wufei was hiding in the nearby forest, and he had no intention of getting caught in whatever storm that boy brought up when Heero and Trowa made their get-away.
Entering the woods, he moved to where Quatre was supposed to be, calling out in his mind for the boy and telling him who it was.
He was never going to get used to this. He wasn't telepathic; he had enough problems without that.
But he had to admit to himself, this was a much better way of communicating than vocal communication. Even if it was one-sided for him.
.-.
Wufei watched the door to the compound that Heero and Trowa were supposed to exit. Crouched at the base of a large limb in a tree tall enough to give him a view of the area in front of the compound, he watched for troop movement. If a large number was called, it was his job to stop them from getting to the base and reinforcing the soldiers facing the two boys.
Scanning the black sky, Wufei called up a thick cloud cover, readying a fog bank that would mask their escape when they got out.
When they got out, not if. He wouldn't even think of that, not with a mission as simple as this one. No, they'd planned it out too thoroughly.
Suddenly, he spotted movement near the designated door. He recognized the forms as the two boys sprinted out the door, Heero turning to fire even as he ran. Then they were clear of the door and Heero threw an arm around Trowa's shoulders, gripping him tightly as the tall boy lifted into the air, taking them into the cloud cover.
Immediately, Wufei dropped the fog bank low enough to mask their progress toward the forest even as he began to take care of the soldiers pouring out the door.
.-.
Quatre stared around him, eyes wide to increase his sight in the dark forest.
Since he'd never attacked OZ, his was not a task that required being close to the base. Instead, he'd taken position far enough away to be out of harm, and close enough to keep in easy contact.
As humbling as it was to be protected like that, he knew he would be a liability to the others if he were to go closer.
Eyes still wide, Quatre searched for Duo. He knew he was somewhere nearbly because he'd heard the boy's exuberant mental cries. He'd have to explain to him that there was no need to scream. He could hear Duo's thoughts just fine when he whispered them. It made him feel sorry for Trowa.
Quatre suddenly blushed as he thought about the tall boy and what had transpired earlier that afternoon. He hoped Trowa knew what he was doing, because he sure didn't. Suddenly a hand gripped his shoulder and it was all he could do not to scream with shock. He jolted around with wide eyes. Then he realized who it was that he didn't see.
"Duo," he sighed. "I swear you're trying to give me a heart-attack."
"Thought you heard me coming," said Duo. He appeared abruptly with a grin on his face. "Guess you were pretty deep in thought there, huh? Anything wrong? With the others?"
"No," Quatre said quickly. "Heero says he and Trowa are back at the safe-house and that we should go there as soon as possible. I was just waiting for you."
"Sorry, Quatre." Duo shook his head, chewing on his lip. "I can't leave without Wufei. Think Trowa would come get you? I'd wait."
Quatre's eyes went wide. "Oh, I forgot about him." He looked stricken. "I feel so horrible, how could I have forgotten him..."
"Don't sweat it, Quatre," Duo said lightly. He patted Quatre's shoulder knowingly. "Your mind was miles away. On a certain mutant if my guess is right."
Quatre abruptly blushed and Duo grinned.
"Call Trowa," he teased. He turned to look back the way he'd come. "And you really should work on that blush. It's very revealing."
Glaring at the boy's back, Quatre sought Heero out and thought hard about what was going on, seeking Trowa even though he knew the boy's mental block was too strong for him to read through.
A thought of Heero's confirmed the reception of the message, telling him that Trowa was on his way.
Quatre frowned slightly at the anger in Heero's mind, but abruptly forgot about it as he realized he'd be alone with Trowa again. Alone at night.
"Well," Duo said, cutting through his thoughts. "Do you sense Wufei around here anywhere?"
After concentrating, Quatre faced the boy.
"He's still blocking me out," said Quatre, "but I know he's over there somewhere."
He pointed. "I can't tell if he got my message or not, but I don't think he's moving right now. I can't pinpoint him, but I get the impression that he's taking a break. I think his power wears him out."
Duo nodded at his words. "It does. He said that's why he doesn't do missions faster, needs time to get his breath back and when he does too many missions in a short space of time, OZ gets wise and follows him. Too dangerous for him. That's why I'm going to get him. I'm sure he's fine, but there's no reason for him to make his way back on his own."
Quatre smiled. "You worry about him."
Suddenly defensive, Duo frowned.
"He's my friend," said Duo. "Look, Quatre..."
Duo wrapped an arm around Quatre's shoulders, leaning close to him. "I haven't had any friends in years. Now I do. I'm not about to let anything happen to one of you."
Eyes wide, Quatre's smile softened.
"That's right," he responded, "friends should take care of each other."
"Now you got the idea," Duo said. He turned away and took a couple of steps in the direction Quatre had pointed in. "So, I'm going to let your tall friend take care of you."
Duo paused to laugh at the return of that dark blush. "And I'm going to take care of Wufei. Heero..."
He stopped suddenly, eyes going unfocused for a minute before he smiled widely. "Well, I'm sure he'll be fine."
Duo couldn't help but wonder if he could get Heero's attention by hanging all over Wufei.
He smirked at the thought, but shook his head. No, that was a bad idea. It would be a shitty thing to do to Wufei. He was too damn sensitive.
Duo laughed at the idea of telling Wufei he was sensitive. Even if the elemental wouldn't admit it, he was rather sweet in his own way.
Seeing Quatre's questioning look, Duo waved his actions away. Then his eyes spotted something in the sky.
"Looks like he's here," said Duo. "I'm gone."
Waving to Quatre, he took off in the direction Wufei was in. But he paused for a glance back and smiled at the solemn expression on Trowa's face. They really were a little too adorable.