Until the World Falls Away

By Misanagi

Rating: R

Pairings: 3x4. Really, really slight 1x2.

Summary: Everyone knows that Quatre Winner is the CEO of WEI but very few know that he's also a Preventer agent, and he likes to use that to his advantage.

Warnings: Violence.

Notes: Written for the SDQB Action Challenge.

Thanks a lot to Anne for the beta.

Quatre Winner straightened his tie, ran a hand through his hair, hid a knife under his right pant leg and put on his glasses. His eyes met Trowa's through the rearview mirror. He gave Trowa a small smile and asked, "How do I look?"

Trowa kept his hands on the wheel but his eyes were looking at the rearview mirror instead of the road. "I like the glasses."

With a shrug, Quatre said, "Duo gave them to me. They have night vision and make me look nerdy."

"You look sexy." Trowa smirked.

Letting out a laugh, Quatre shook his head. "I'm not supposed to look sexy. I'm supposed to look like a defenseless heir who knows little more than to sign papers." He placed a pin over the tie to keep it in place. "If they decide to frisk me then the mission goes to hell." He tapped the pin. "Can you and Duo hear me?"

Trowa put a hand over the small receiver in his ear, probably waiting to hear Duo's reply. "We both hear you," he said after a moment. "We're almost there." He turned around. "Take care." With that Trowa rolled up the window that separated the passenger seat with the driver's.

The car slowed down as they approached the gate of the big mansion.

"Master Quatre Raberba Winner is here to see Mr. Henderson."

Quatre almost flinched when he heard Trowa say his name that way. That was how his employees addressed him, not his lover. Quatre reminded himself that right now Trowa was his employee. Straightening his back, Quatre tried to look as arrogant as he could. It was time to play the rich brat. He lowered his window a bit, giving the security guard a dismissive look before he rolled it back up. The gate opened moments later and the car stopped in front of the mansion.

The car door was opened and Quatre stepped outside. He didn't even spare a glance at Trowa and instead just walked directly to the mansion's door. Two guards moved to block him and even though they were both taller than him, Quatre managed to look down at them. "Is there a problem?" he asked, his voice warning that there had better be none.

"We need to search you for weapons," said one of the guards, moving towards Quatre.

Quatre took a step back. "I'm a guest, but if I'm going to be treated as some common criminal then Mr. Henderson doesn't value my presence." With that he turned around and started walking to the car. Trowa was already opening the door for him when he heard a voice behind him.

"Master Winner. You'll have to excuse my men. They have no manners."

Quatre looked at Boris Henderson over his shoulder, without really turning around, and waited for the man to catch up to him.

"Please," said Henderson, "Join me for a drink." There was a tone of desperation on his voice.

Hiding a sigh of relief, Quatre took his time, as if he was pondering Henderson's request. He finally nodded and followed the man into the house, ignoring the guards. He took off his coat and handed it to the waiting maid. Quatre liked that coat; it was a shame that he would have to leave without it.

Henderson led them to the library, all the while thanking Quatre for taking time of his busy schedule to meet with him. Quatre accepted the thanks gracefully, relying on all his manners to refrain from hittting the man in the face so he would shut up. He had hated Henderson from the first time the man had introduced himself to Quatre at a society banquet. Henderson had been trying to arrange a meeting with Quatre for months but Quatre's trusted secretaries always managed to cover for him. There was something about the man that made Quatre want to stay meters away from him, and Quatre was usually very good at judging people.

His suspicions had proven correct when the Preventers had discovered that Henderson was involved in black market weapons trading. They had leads but they still lacked enough evidence to arrest him. Apparently Henderson kept all his files at his home, and they were printed, with no computer backup. Preventers had sent one of their best agents to retrieve the files and gather enough evidence. That had been a day ago, and Heero Yuy had yet to contact them.

There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Heero had been captured, but launching a rescue mission was almost impossible. They couldn't order an official raid until they had proof. The security on Henderson's house had been improved since Heero's break in, and it was impossible to sneak in undetected. Quatre, however, had been invited. He had one of his secretaries contact Boris Henderson and set up an appointment for drinks at the man's house late that evening. Henderson had been delighted and accepted.

The mission had been planned quickly. Quatre would go inside, retrieve the evidence and rescue Heero. Trowa would pose as Quatre's driver and secure their exit, plus provide additional backup. Duo and Wufei would command two teams of Preventers who would go into the mansion and finish the job once Quatre, Trowa and Heero were clear and the evidence secured.

So now Quatre was sitting in Henderson's library, having a scotch and trying his best to appear like the snobbish businessman he was supposed to be.

"I think this could be a very profitable deal," Henderson continued. He had been trying to get Quatre to agree to a business partnership for the last fifteen minutes and Quatre was finding it more difficult to tune him out. "With your capital and my connections I can guarantee that you'll triple your assets in two months."

Quatre nodded thoughtfully. "You do realize that if I produce low quality machinery then my business will be affected."

"That's the beauty of it," the man whispered. "These machines won't have the Winner name on them, but you can still get the profits."

"Me or my company?" Quatre raised an eyebrow.

Before Henderson could answer the library door opened and one of the guards came inside. "Everything okay, Sir?"

"Yes," the man waved a hand at the door. "Thank you very much." As the door closed behind the guard, Henderson gave Quatre a sheepish look. "They check on me every thirty minutes. I had to increase security. There was a break in recently." He took a case of cigars from the nearby table and offered one to Quatre.

Quatre accepted the cigar and lit it before he said, almost carelessly, "you can never be too careful." Then, in a swift movement, Quatre stood up, dropped the cigar and grabbed Henderson by the neck with his right arm. Immediately he retrieved a handkerchief from his breast pocket and put it over Henderson's mouth and nose. The handkerchief had been covered with an odorless drug. Quatre only had to hold onto the man for thirty seconds before Henderson's limbs started to relax and he was unconscious. Carefully, Quatre placed him on the chair, with his back to the door.

"Well, you heard that," Quatre whispered into his pin. "Zero Three, if I'm not out in thirty minutes get out of here."

Quatre couldn't hear the reply. They hadn't found a secure way to give him a receiver so he could only transmit using the microphone hidden in his pin. Trowa would probably ignore that order but Quatre had to at least try. The best thing he could do was find Heero, gather the evidence and get out before the time ran out.

Preventers had taken satellite infrared pictures of the mansion. Quatre had studied them and if the blueprints were correct, the entrance to the underground offices was located in the library. Walking to the wall that - according to the blueprints - had the hidden door, Quatre ran his hands over all the books on the bookcase. One of them felt cool to the touch. Quatre pulled and instead of a book he found a small panel asking for a password.

Reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket, Quatre took out a small hacking device and connected it to the panel. A few moments later he heard a beep and part of the wall slid to the side, showing him the entrance.

There was no need to keep up appearances anymore. If someone found him in this part of the mansion they wouldn't care if he was Mr. Winner, Relena Darlian or the Pope. They would shoot and ask questions later, maybe. Reaching under his jacket, Quatre took out one of his guns and walked through the door.

The corridor was illuminated by a florescent light. There were no doors except for the one at the far end. It led to an elevator and the only way to get down to the hidden offices. Quatre didn't doubt that Heero was being kept there. Pressing the elevator button he raised up his gun and pointed it at the door.

Thankfully the elevator was empty. Quatre stepped inside and waited for the elevator to make the trip down, his gun once again trained on the door. He wasn't so lucky this time. When the elevator doors opened Quatre was faced by two men, who had been talking until they saw him. Quatre moved quickly. He launched at one of the men, using the butt of his gun to hit him on the head and knock him unconscious. Meanwhile, the other had time to take out his gun and point it at Quatre.

The man held the gun firmly, his finger on the trigger and his eyes on Quatre. He was a pro. Since it was too late to try the innocent routine, Quatre threw his gun at the man, distracting him for a second. Then, with remarkable speed, he drew another gun from his shoulder holster and fired.

The bullet hit the man on his hand, forcing him to drop his own weapon. A low whistle was the only sound the gun made but the man's loud scream was probably heard by every person in the building. The man collapsed on the floor, holding his hand and screaming. Quickly, Quatre took the man's gun and placed it in the back of his pants before retrieving his own.

Quatre kicked the man softly in the stomach to get his attention and then pointed his guns at him. "Tell me where is the man you captured two days ago or I'll shoot your other hand." He didn't yell; he just used a firm tone that let the man know that he wasn't making idle threats.

The man weakly pointed to one hallway and whispered, "Room 205."

With both weapons drawn, Quatre headed in the direction the man had pointed. "Zero Two, my cover is blown, kill the lights. Zero Three, secure the exit. This won't be a clean extraction."

Moments later the power went off and the corridor was left in darkness. Quatre pressed a small button on the frame of his glasses and the night vision was activated. Now he had the advantage. He moved quietly and quickly, looking at the many numbered doors and keeping alert.

When he turned a corner, he saw a guard heading on his direction. Apparently Quatre hadn't been seen so he took a step back, pressing himself to the wall. Unfortunately, his expensive designer shoes weren't exactly appropriate for combat, and the slick soles made Quatre stumble. He managed to catch himself before he fell but he had already made enough noise and the guard was now pointing his weapon at Quatre's general direction.

Quatre swallowed a curse and dropped to the floor. He kicked the man's feet from under him, making him fall. Startled, the man fired his weapon at the air before Quatre hit him on the head.

Not wasting a moment, Quatre took the man's weapon and placed in his shoulder holster and continued down the corridor. He was more careful now, making sure that there was no one in his path and being as silent as possible. He loosened his tie as he ran, cursing his designer shoes and the three piece suit he was wearing.

Finally, he found room 205 and used the decoder to open the electronic key. No sooner had the doors slid open than someone kicked his feet from under him and a fist was aimed at his face. Quatre caught the fist and said, "Heero, it's me," at the same time that Heero was about to knee Quatre in the stomach. Heero pulled back his attack and offered Quatre a hand up.

"Status?" Quatre asked, even though he knew Heero couldn't be too bad if he had been able to attack him like that.

"They sedated me. The drug is already out of my system. A little dehydration."

Quatre noticed that Heero looked fine but had his hands cuffed and his feet shackled. He gave Heero one of his guns before taking out some lock picks and working on Heero's restraints. Quatre pondered giving Heero the glasses but not being the best at picking locks in the dark he decided to keep them. On the other hand he trusted that Heero could aim just by listening to the breathing of any guards closing in on them.

It took Quatre a couple of minutes but he managed to get the shackles and cuffs off Heero. Then he handed Heero the gun he had taken from the first man and drew the one he had taken from the second.

"Mine is the A12," he told Heero. "It has a silencer, a complete clip, and I have an extra one. The B17 was taken from one of the guards. There are sixteen rounds left. Are you okay enough to go and get the evidence?"

"I'm fine," Heero said. "I found the file but they got to me before I could take it. I don't think they realized I knew which file to take though."

Quatre nodded, "So it's probably still in the same place." He took off his glasses and gave them to Heero. "Lead the way."

Following Heero in the dark was almost like following a ghost. Heero was moving fast and quietly, but he let his steps make the barest sound so Quatre was able to follow him. Quatre didn't hesitate. He kept pace with Heero, trusting his friend to warn him if there was any danger, but at the same time, keeping all his other senses alert.

Quatre's sixth sense was even sharper in the dark, so he noticed the man sneaking up behind them before Heero did. Quatre turned quickly, putting himself between Heero and the threat. He fired where he thought the man was. Two shots were heard. Quatre's was a soft whistle while the man's was a loud roar. Then a third shot followed and Quatre heard the man hitting the floor.

It took Quatre a moment to feel the pain. His arm stung and he didn't need to see to know that he had been hit. He took a deep breath, biting his tongue to hold back a scream, and trying not to give into the urge to touch his wound. He couldn't let his guard down, not yet.

"He's down," Heero's voice announced after a second.

Quatre lowered his injured arm and let out a hiss. "Did I miss? Did you kill him?"

"He's alive. You got him in the shoulder and I on his right leg." Quatre could feel Heero approaching him, and soon there was some pressure being applied to his wound. "You took that hit for me. He was aiming at me."

Quatre smiled despite the pain and just said, "He was? I couldn't see."

There was the sound of fabric tearing, then Heero helped Quatre take off his jacket and tied a piece of cloth over the wound to try to stop the bleeding. "We are going now," said Heero. "You need medical attention."

Quatre snatched his hand back and whispered a stream of curses that would make Duo proud. "We are not leaving without the evidence. We can't arrest Henderson without it." He looked at the shadow he thought was Heero's face and spoke with determination. "I'm fine. The sooner we get the evidence the sooner we can go."

After a moment Heero grumbled an acceptance and started walking. Quatre noticed that Heero's pace, while not slow by any means, was slower now. Quatre winced as the movement made his arm hurt. He tried to ignore the pain and focus on the sound of Heero's steps. Soon they stopped in front of a door. Heero punched in a code and the door opened.

Heero snarled. "Fools. They didn't even change it." They walked inside and Heero closed the door behind them. He helped Quatre to a chair facing the door. "Shoot if it opens."

Quatre was grateful to be able to sit. He was feeling drowsy and he was worried that maybe he had lost too much blood. He kept his good arm raised and the gun pointed towards the door, but let the other hand lay limply by his side. It was aching even more than before.

It took Heero a couple of minutes to find the file. When he did, he moved Quatre behind some filing shelves, where he would be covered. "Where's your comm?" he asked.

"Tie pin," Quatre said. "But it's just a transmitter and a tracer. It doesn't receive."

"Who's listening?" asked Heero.

"Duo and Trowa." Quatre's breathing was coming faster. "Duo is heading one of the teams outside, Wufei the other. Trowa is in the compound. He was posing as my driver."

Quatre felt Heero's hands reaching for his tie. The pin was pulled off and then Heero said, "Zero Four is injured. We have the evidence, you can move in. We'll stay put. Knock before entering the room or I'll shoot."

That was all the information Duo and Trowa would need, and they would relay it to Wufei. Now Heero and Quatre just had to wait for the cavalry to arrive. Quatre felt Heero undo his tie and then secure it tightly over his injury. "You are a fool, Quatre."

"Maybe," Quatre said. "I'm glad that you are okay."

Heero snorted. "Aren't you supposed to be running a company instead of launching rescue missions?"

"WEI is no fun," Quatre replied. "Hardly anyone tries to shoot me there."

"Not funny, Winner."

Quatre apologized and that was the end of the conversation. They waited silently for about twenty minutes, listening to the fight outside, until they heard a knock on the door before it slid open.

"Heero, don't shoot." Duo's voice was easy to recognize.

The power was back on and there was light on the corridor but the room Heero and Quatre were in was still dark.

"House is clean," Duo announced as he walked in followed by Sally Po. "Trowa's making sure there's an ambulance ready and Wufei's handling the prisoners."

Sally walked directly towards Quatre and then gestured to a couple of Preventers carrying a stretcher to come in.

"I can walk," Quatre said as soon as he saw them.

"You lost a lot of blood, Quatre, you are not walking." Sally's tone left room for no arguments. Quatre had known Sally long enough to know that arguing with her over medical matters was a lost cause. With a sigh, which was quickly followed by a wince, Quatre climbed into the stretcher and let the Preventer agents carry him out.

Duo smiled down at him. "Thank you," he said, and Quatre could see that Duo's hands were grasping Heero's. Quatre only returned the smile and closed his eyes. They had the evidence, Henderson was under arrest and Heero was safe. He could rest now.

The first thing Quatre saw when he woke up was a white ceiling. His mind immediately associated the sight with a hospital and Quatre couldn't help but groan. He hated hospitals.

"Not a morning person?" Duo's voice asked.

Quatre only managed to say, "Shut up," while he blinked and tried to get his eyes to focus. Turning his head to the side, he saw that all the former pilots were there. Wufei was standing by the door, Heero and Duo were on the small sofa, and Trowa was kneeling by the bed, his hand over Quatre's. "Hi," Quatre said, and then added, "Can I get out of here?"

Wufei snorted. "Sally said at least three days."

Quatre groaned again.

"How are you feeling?" asked Trowa. There was worry in his eyes.

Quatre interlaced his fingers with Trowa's and smiled. "Groggy," he said. His arm wasn't really hurting, it just felt sore. "I guess they pumped me full of meds." He didn't like the idea of not being able to be alert, but with all his friends there he knew he was safe. "How did the mission go?"

"Henderson is in a cell, his men were arrested as well and the evidence to lock them away for a very long time is being processed." Duo winked.

Quatre sighed. "Is it stupid to say that I miss this stuff?"

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "You miss being shot in the arm?"

Trowa glared at Quatre.

"No. Yes." Quatre looked at his bandaged arm. "I miss feeling like I'm doing something, something more than signing papers all day, something important."

"Quit," said Heero simply.

"I'm the owner. I can't quit."

"I thought you had at least fifteen sisters willing to take over the company," Trowa replied. He wasn't glaring anymore and his eyes looked almost hopeful.

"Yes but…" Quatre couldn't find a way to finish the statement. Maybe it was time for him to take control of his life back. His arm would need healing and he could use that time to hand the company to his sisters. He was already a Preventer, and he had no doubt that Une would put him on active duty the moment he requested it.

By becoming a full time Preventer he could spend time with his friends again, fight with them and protect them, and even more important, he could spend more time with Trowa. WEI took so much of Quatre's life that they hardly ever saw each other.

Quatre smiled and closed his eyes, ready to take another nap. He might as well rest now. If he wanted his dream to come true there would be a lot of work to do.

- The End -