Wake in the Dream (4/5)
by Anne
Ratings/warnings: OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) – PG13 – angst, drama, action.
Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xR
Summary: Past and present merge after Quatre is kidnapped. Can his friends rescue him in time?
Archive: http/dryerspace dot fanworkrecs dot com
Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I promise to return the characters in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any physical injury or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction.
Author's notes: This is written for the 10 year anniversary contest at Gundam Wing Universe -
Thanks to: haraamis and Bast for beta reading, Misanagi for prodding for more as I was writing. Plus all those who made comments and encouraged along the way. You know who you are…
Comments to: anne at fanworkrecs dot com
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Chapter Four
"A natural resource satellite at point 07U1 has disappeared." Quatre snorted as he intercepted the transmission. They had attacked him first. Those with weapons had to be destroyed. It was the only way to get rid of the madness in outer space. No one would be safe until the weapons were gone. It was for their own good. He couldn't allow what had happened to his father to happen to anyone else.
The colonists were arming themselves. Couldn't they see that that was wrong? Death would only bring more death. He had warned them that there was no sense in retaliating. He had told them to evacuate. But they hadn't listened. No one was listening. He would have to use the Gundam to show them they were wrong.
Those who attacked him were his enemies. Those colonies had been his enemies. That was why the people on them had died.
Quatre felt unusually calm. Outer space was quiet, too quiet. He needed to hear his own thoughts, needed to justify his actions. Why did he need to justify his actions? What he was doing was right. There was no peace in space anymore. Only war.
This colony hadn't listened either. Beam cannons began firing at his Gundam. He dodged them easily. Words were not going to work. Words were not the way to end this conflict. The mobile suits attacked. He fired on them, wiping them out. "If you're afraid of dying, you shouldn't be fighting in the first place," he told them.
The colony was destroyed all too easily. This new Gundam was very much in tune with his needs. He could see his goals, set his strategies and follow through with little to no opposition.
Why then were there tears in his eyes? He wasn't sad. Not at all.
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"01 here. This building is clear. 02 and I are moving onto the next one." Heero's voice sounded in Trowa's earpiece.
"Roger that, 01," Relena said. "05? Have you and 03 had any success?"
"Not as yet," Wufei replied. His voice softened. "Keep radio silence unless necessary."
"Be careful," Relena whispered. Trowa could imagine her sitting at his and Quatre's apartment, carefully marking off the buildings on the map.
He moved cautiously, keeping to the shadows, Wufei doing the same. Trowa signaled to Wufei and they entered the next building. It was growing dark, but the fading artificial dusk of the colony illuminated it enough so that they didn't have to resort to torchlight.
The gun felt cool against his skin; he was breathing more heavily than he would have normally done on a mission, but he felt calm, calmer than he had since Quatre had disappeared. Everything was going according to plan. He and the others would achieve their objective shortly and show the kidnappers how enemies were dealt with. Quatre had been attacked; therefore those men were Trowa's enemies.
If they didn't want to die they shouldn't be fighting.
"Are you okay?" Wufei hissed.
"I'm fine." Trowa checked the next room. It was clear. The rest of the building would be clear too. They hadn't arrived at their correct destination yet. The civilians had evacuated this area long ago. Old apartment buildings haunted by memories of happier times, but now merely shadows on the outskirts of a since abandoned warehouse district. This part of L4 was sadly neglected, forgotten and shoved aside while its former inhabitants attempted to move forward and put their past behind them. "This building's clear too." Trowa transmitted the information to Relena.
"Roger, 03," she replied. "Next target is 500 metres to your left."
"Thank you, control." Trowa adjusted his earpiece to cut the connection.
Wufei was watching him. "We haven't finished searching the rest of the building." He frowned. "Can you sense him?"
"I don't know," Trowa admitted. "Something's there, but it doesn't feel right. It's not Quatre and yet it is." He paused at the open doorway, closed his eyes and focused on Quatre. He pointed in the opposite direction to the one Relena had specified. "There's something in that direction, I can feel it pulling, but I'm not sure." Trowa frowned and wiped at his eyes. They were wet.
"It's starting to rain," Wufei said, putting out his hand. He spoke into his radio. "05 to control. What is the location of our next target?"
"Is the previous one clear?" Relena sounded surprised. "Surely you haven't had enough time to…"
Wufei cut her off. "Just answer the question."
"600 metres to your right." Relena snorted. "Manners are important too, dear."
"So you keep telling me," Wufei said dryly. "Change of plan. We're changing the order of the targets. Tell 01 and 02 to meet us there. When you have, maintain radio silence until my order. Understood?"
"Understood."
"05 out." Wufei turned to Trowa. "Whatever happens, you need to stay in control."
"I'm not a liability to this mission." Trowa leaned against the doorframe and re-checked his weapons. As well as his gun, he had throwing knives in his belt and in his boots. The objective of the mission was clear in his mind. He didn't intend to fail.
The gentle spits of rain were beginning to give way to heavy drops.
"Just our luck that they haven't fixed the climate controls in this sector yet," Wufei muttered. "The closer we get to Quatre, the more difficult it will be for you to control the echo you're receiving from him. The breathing exercises should help you to focus."
"I am focused," Trowa said. He felt strangely optimistic. Quatre was in that building. Everything would be okay.
He stepped out into the storm. The dusk turned to night, plunging them into darkness. Trowa began moving quickly, knowing that Wufei would follow him.
Heero and Duo joined them a few moments later. "There's something not right about this," Heero said.
"Yeah well, that's what we're here for." Duo was holding his gun in both hands. "I, for one, am looking forward to kicking some ass."
"Our first priority is to get to Quatre and ensure his safety," Wufei said. "Kicking ass comes second, as tempting as it is."
"Yeah, I know that." Duo grinned. "Tro? You okay there, buddy?"
Trowa had taken a step backwards. "Quatre's in there but he's not himself." He swayed on his feet. "He doesn't want me to come any closer." Trowa shivered. It was cold. So very cold.
"We go now," Heero said. "Talking is not an option, and I'm not leaving."
"I didn't listen to him then and I won't now." Trowa shook his head and tried to focus, tried to rid himself of the memories plaguing him. He'd thrown himself before between Quatre and someone who would kill him without hesitation. This time would be no different.
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"Trowa, don't come any closer." Quatre's voice was calm, his tone flat. When Trowa didn't listen, Quatre's pleas grew more frantic.
"Quatre, what's going on?"
Quatre didn't know. Didn't want to know. He was shaking. Trowa needed to leave. Quatre still had nightmares about what had happened next. That was what this was. A bad dream. He would wake up and discover that none of it was real.
Outer space had gone mad. The only way to cure the disease was to destroy all the weapons. Those who opposed him were his enemies.
No! Trowa wasn't an enemy. He could never be an enemy.
"What's the matter?" Trowa asked. "This isn't like you."
"It /is/ like me. You just don't know that side of me," Quatre wanted to scream. Even now, ten years later there were parts of himself he kept hidden from Trowa. Shadows he didn't dare let his partner see, although he suspected Trowa knew of their existence.
"Goodbye, Heero," Quatre said, preparing to fire.
He couldn't do this. He wouldn't do this. Not again.
But the past couldn't be undone.
"Trowa!"
Quatre fired. Trowa dived in between Wing Zero and Heero's suit.
It was too late. Quatre struggled against his restraints. He screamed Trowa's name again, knowing that it was too late. It was always too late.
"Trowa!" The scream echoed through the building. Trowa tried to shake off the hand on his shoulder. Heero was preventing him from going to Quatre.
"Rushing in isn't going to help him." Heero's voice was calm.
"Let me go," Trowa growled, glaring at him. "We have to save Quatre. I don't care what happens to me."
"Quatre does," Heero said. "If something happened to you he would never forgive himself."
"I for one, wouldn't want to be the one to tell him." Duo shuddered. "Heero's right, Tro. We need to do execute this mission properly."
"Nice choice of words," Wufei muttered.
Trowa struggled against Heero's grip. "I don't care," he repeated. "Don't you realise the mistake you're making?" He was shaking, desperation and anger clouding his judgement. They weren't redundant; their battles weren't meaningless. All this wasn't for nothing.
"Breathe, Trowa," Wufei said. "You need to be calm. This isn't you. You're too close." He glanced between Heero and Trowa, his voice even. "Breathe in slowly, focus on the calm. You can't help Quatre if you can't think clearly. Your emotions are clouding your judgement."
"They aren't my emotions," Trowa said flatly, knowing that he spoke the truth, yet unable to break free of them. He rubbed at his chest, trying to ease the pain. "Quatre's dying. I've killed him. Don't worry about me. Save him."
Heero frowned and shook his head. "What the hell?" he muttered.
"What is it?" Duo asked, pulling his jacket around him. The rain was heavy now, and the doorway in which they were sheltered wasn't adequate protection against the cold wind.
"I've heard this before." Heero stared at Trowa. "Those aren't your words, Trowa. They're Quatre's."
"Huh?" Duo stared at Heero as though he'd grown another head. "But Quatre's in there." He jerked his thumb towards the building in front of them.
"Quatre and I fought when he was piloting ZERO and he argued with me to leave him to save Trowa." Heero's voice was hoarse. "Those were the words he used." He shook his head again, his expression blank. "I told Quatre that if Trowa died, it was because he had killed him."
"You told him what?" Trowa gripped Heero's collar. "Do you know how many times he's called out for you to let him go in his sleep? How many nightmares he's had over what happened? How the hell could you do that to him? How?" He shook his head, trying to clear it. It was the past. It couldn't be changed. He'd dealt with this. Heero had done what was necessary at the time.
"Control yourselves," Wufei snapped. "Whatever is happening to Quatre is affecting you." He glanced between them. "Both of you." His brow creased into a frown. "Heart and soul of outer space," he murmured. "Interesting."
"We'll sort this out later, guys." Duo stepped between Heero and Trowa. "Quatre's in there, and he's running out of time. Focus on the mission." He clicked the safety off his gun. "This isn't like you at all, Heero, and it sure as hell isn't like Trowa. I'm with Wufei. Whatever's going down in there is screwing with both of you."
"I'm sorry," Trowa muttered, diverting his gaze away from his friends. What the hell was wrong with him? He had always prided himself in staying in control. If Quatre died, it would be his fault. If Quatre died…
"We're going in," Trowa said. Wufei gave him a concerned look, but Trowa gave him a curt nod. "I'm fine. I'll be fine." He paused, his voice even. "If that happens again, you are to use any means necessary to finish this mission. If I become a liability deal with me as such."
"No way in hell," Duo growled. "Whatever this shit is, we'll deal with it. I'm not losing any more friends. Even if I have to knock your heads together and drag you out afterwards, all of us are getting out of this, Quatre included. Got it?"
"It doesn't pay to argue with him when he's in this kind of mood," Heero said. "It won't happen again."
"Damn sure it won't," Duo said under his breath. "Now let's play nice and go kick some ass." He gave them a wink and moved out.
Wufei groaned and rolled his eyes. "It's all about the ass kicking, with you, isn't it?" He gave Trowa and Heero a glare. "You heard what he said. Play nice and kick ass. Any problems like we just had, deal with them or remove yourself from the play. Got it?"
"Affirmative, 05," Heero said coldly. He followed Duo into the darkness.
"Loud and clear," Trowa replied, taking several deep breaths and exhaling slowly. "Let's move out." Focus. He had to stay focused, no matter what happened. He was a soldier. Soldiers didn't let emotions prevent them from carrying out their mission. Trowa wondered, not for the first time, how the hell Quatre had coped with the backlash from his empathic abilities during the war. The few things Quatre had let slip – being able to feel his enemies die, sensing the hatred towards the Gundam pilots from those they opposed – had only served to increase Trowa's opinion of his partner.
The building where Quatre was being held was in semi-darkness, a light burning in one of the rooms pinpointing his location. Their opponents had made this too easy. Duo held up four fingers in the dim light and then two more. The other pilots nodded, signaling that they understood the plan of action. Even after all this time, it was so very easy to slip back into the way things had been, to forget the passing of time and take back the roles they had never really abandoned. To the outside world, they were now civilians, but Trowa knew that was just a façade. He would never truly escape his past, none of them would.
Edging forward, Trowa took a moment to examine the set up of the room. Once they moved things would happen very quickly, and there would be no time or margin for error. As Duo had indicated, there were four men in the room. Three of them were sitting around a small table drinking coffee.
A groan from the corner made Trowa clench his fists. Quatre was lying on a makeshift bed made from a mattress on the floor. He was pale and sweating, his hair plastered to his forehead. His head moved from side to side, and he struggled weakly against his restraints. "Stop it please, Dorothy," he muttered, his voice cutting across the silence of the room.
Dorothy? Trowa frowned, trying to make sense of what Quatre had said. He put his hand to his head. It hurt. He could feel something, something he'd felt before. No, something Quatre had felt before. /Hold on, Quatre/ he thought/I'm coming./
"I say we kill him now." One of the men put his cup down on the table with a crash. "The longer we keep him alive, the more of a liability he is."
"The plan wasn't to kill him." His companion glared at him, running his hand through greasy hair. "I, for one, don't want Gundam pilots after me. I've seen what those guys are capable of."
The third man, well built with blond hair, snorted. "He's a traitor. He needs to be made an example of. I'm with John. It's dangerous keeping him alive." He gestured towards Quatre. "Rob, are you sure you know what you're doing with those drugs? The idea was to sedate him so that he wouldn't be any trouble. I told you we shouldn't snatch Winner but go for his partner."
Rob snorted. He was crouching beside Quatre, adjusting the flow of the drip. "Good job we didn't listen to that idea. We still would have ended up with one Gundam pilot here, and another one pissed off and after us." He shook his head. "I say we cut our losses and run. I can give him a big enough dose of the stuff to make sure he never wakes up again. Problem solved."
"Please, Trowa, leave me and save her." Quatre opened his eyes and looked at Trowa directly, his face creased in pain. Trowa sent comfort and love through their link and rubbed absently at his side. Quatre's captors didn't even bother to glance over at him; their reaction was more of annoyance if anything.
"Oh shit," muttered John. "Here we go again." He looked over at Rob. "Can't you get him to shut the fuck up?"
The four men looked at Quatre and then at each other. They still hadn't noticed that they had company. "Brian?" said John. "We're waiting on your vote. I know the plan wasn't to kill him, you've already said that, but things have changed. When we snatched him we didn't know we were dealing with a Gundam pilot. Alan's right. He's a traitor and we need to make an example of him." He looked over at Quatre again and his mouth pursed into a thin line. "Either make sure he never wakes up, or wake him up and let him know exactly what we do think of traitors before we kill him. It's what he deserves."
"Like hell," Duo said, stepping into the light. He aimed his gun at them. "You have no right to judge him, to judge any of us. Quatre is no traitor, he's one of the kindest, most caring guys I know." His voice took on a harder tone. "Except when you fuck with his friends."
"What the ..?" The four men were on their feet immediately, weapons in their hands. "Four against one," Alan, the blond, continued with a smirk. "Drop your weapon."
"Drop yours," Heero said coolly, joining Duo. "You should have listened to your friend. You really /don't/ want Gundam pilots after you."
"It's too late for that, 01." Wufei took a step closer to the men. "There isn't anywhere these men can run where we won't find them." He shook his head in mock sadness. "They attempted to take out one of our own. I say we make sure they never get the chance to try it again."
"He's a traitor!" said Rob, in a calm voice. "He might have been one of your own once, but he's betrayed your ideals."
"Don't you dare talk about him like that." Trowa pushed past his friends. "My friends might be more controlled than I am at present, but I suggest you don't piss them off any more than you have already." His voice was shaking and it was becoming harder to control his anger. "I'm going to check on my husband now. Move, and one of our friends will make sure you never do so again."
He walked over to the bed and began to remove the drip and Quatre's restraints. Quatre's eyes fluttered open again and he gave Trowa a smile. "We did it," he said. "We've saved the Earth. Heero's stopped Libra." Quatre gasped, his hand going to his side. "It's still bleeding. Trowa, I can't get rid of the blood, it's everywhere."
"You're okay, Cat," Trowa told him, pulling him close. "You'll be okay." He could feel the darkness again, pulling at him, calling him, calling them both. "You're safe. It's in the past, it's all over." Pieces of puzzle locked into place and Trowa knew where Quatre had been.
"I'm sorry," Quatre said. "I wanted to see if we had a future. I should have told you earlier and now it's too late."
"It's not too late," Trowa whispered. "It's over, Cat," he repeated. "It's over."
The single shot made him flinch, but Quatre didn't react. His eyes were closing again; he kept holding his side. "So much blood," his whispered. "So much blood."
"Sorry," said Duo. "The idiot moved." One of Quatre's captors was whimpering, and clutching his leg. The others were perfectly still and very pale. "Oops," continued Duo, casually. "Next time I'll do better. Promise."
Quatre went limp in Trowa's arms. His breathing was shallow. "Wufei," Trowa yelled. "Get over here. I need help."
Wufei was by his side in an instant. He took Quatre's wrist in his hand and frowned, his expression going blank as he spoke into his radio. "We need an ambulance," he told Relena. "Tell them to hurry."
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End of Chapter Four
TBC