Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of the characters.
A.N. - I am very sorry. I meant to update last Friday, but I was ill and since then I've been doped up on sleeping medication so I could get to class on time. (Although it didn't always work) Trust me, you don't want to read what I'd write when under the influence of sleep meds.
Last Chapter:
"Is everyone in place?" Trowa made the final check.
"Roger," came the rapid response from the others.
"Go!" And the operation began.
Chapter 17:
The pilots and their teams moved quickly, eliminating resistance as they went. Une had chosen the team members well, and they moved as a well oiled machine, following the plans to the letter. Duo's team had some problems when they came across a few soldiers holding blast shields, but he quickly eliminated them with a savagery that shocked some of his team. Trowa checked from pilot to pilot, keeping track of the status of all the missions.
Heero's team was the first to reach the labs. He quickly ordered some of his team to seal off the area and watch all the entrances. He and Sergeant Raphael went quickly through the labs, killing all personnel they found. Noone who knew how to manufacture the bio-weapons could be allowed to escape. That completed, those members of the team who weren't watching the doors began to round up the diseases. The computer expert looked through the files for cures and ways to destroy them.
"Air, we have some cures for Water to try," Heero said over his microphone. He relayed them quickly to Trowa, and then Trowa would tell Sally.
"Sir," one of his team members said, "we've destroyed what we could, but there's no way listed to get rid of the majority of the diseases."
"Alright," Heero replied briskly, "we'll have to carry them out. Be careful. We don't know how secure these containers are."
On other parts of the continent, things were going much the same way. Duo's computer expert, Private Jameson had improvised his own virus to modify the security systems so that the only passcodes they wouldn't accept were the ones that the soldiers on the base used. Duo was laughing at the bewildered guards on the security cameras, trying every code they knew and still failing to open the doors.
In the base Quatre had been assigned, the microbiologist Lieutenant Aritomo had taken charge of disease disposal. Unlike Heero's team, he had been able to come up with a way to destroy almost all of the diseases. There were only a few canisters remaining to transport.
Zechs' team had some difficulty locating the lab itself, as the location was not as it had been shown on the blueprints, but the bio-weapon disposal and transport was going well. Noin had settled comfortably back into command, and had almost finished removing the diseases from the base. Wufei, despite his original doubts about commanding others, was also doing well.
That's when something went terribly wrong. One of the members of Heero's team, an relatively new recruit, dropped one of the containers. Fortunately Heero was the only one nearby, as the lid cracked open slightly and a pale yellow gas began to leak out.
"Shit," swore Heero under his breath, dashing down towards the container and forcing the lid back tight with all his considerable strength.
"I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't mean to drop it. It was an accident," the young private was pale and shaking as he stammered out an apology.
"Save it private. Apologies aren't going to fix anything. What exactly were you carrying?"
"It was called tenrecidae bubolonium, sir."
"Alright. You stick with me, we're going to have to keep this away from the rest of the team."
"Yes sir."
"Air, we have a problem."
"What is it, Ice?"
"One of the containers leaked. Ask Water if she has a cure for tenrecidae bubolonium yet. If not, she'd better get working on it. We're going to need it."
"Shit, Heero. Are you infected?"
"Yes, but it shouldn't affect me. The guy who dropped it is a different story though."
"I'll get her working on it."
"Appreciated." Heero then switched channels so he was talking to the rest of his team. "Don't use the original route back to the lab. A container leaked, and now the hallway is contaminated. Sergeant Raphael, you take point. You'll have to find a new route. I'll be taking Private Sugoff with me, along with the leaky container. Let me know when the base is clear."
"Yes sir!" was the businesslike reply from Sergeant Raphael.
Heero led the unlucky private from the base, making sure the transport plane was completely clear of all people before he went in to retrieve Wing Zero. Walking it carefully outside, he picked up Private Sugoff and the container together, settling both into the cockpit. It was a tight fit, and the private wound up crammed behind the seat.
"Don't pay attention to any of the images you might see," Heero told Sugoff, who was staring around in awe at actually being inside the famed Wing Zero.
"Why not, sir?" he asked, startled.
"The Zero system can trick your mind if you're not used to it. It's made people go insane in the past."
"Oh. Then why can you use it?" was the next question.
"I got used to it, and had a strong enough will to stay sane." Just then the confirmation that the base had been cleared came in. "Hold on, it's going to be bumpy," Heero said as he commanded Zero to rise into the sky. In the end, all it took was one shot from Zero's buster rifle to completely eliminate the base. As it went up in flames, flashbacks of the destruction of Libra, and falling from the sky after destroying the blast shield over the Brussels Presidential residence rushed through his mind.
"Ninmu kanryu," whispered Heero, lost in the past for a moment.
"That was impressive," commented Sugoff, bringing him back to the present. All of a sudden Heero felt his back ache and had an urge to fly, really fly, away from all this destruction and death.
"The base has been destroyed, Air," Heero reported.
"Roger that Ice. Sand, Fire, Wind, and Dragon have finished as well, but Shadow is having difficulty stopping."
"Alright, I'll go over there. I'm the closest, and have an idea about how to stop him." Heero guided Zero towards the base Duo was stomping into the ground, transforming into bird mode to make the flight faster.
When he arrived, he saw Deathscythe standing in the middle of base, surrounded by flames but raising the glowing scythe for yet another strike. It looked exactly like the Sight he'd had before this began, complete with the sound of laughter coming in over the comlink. Sighing inwardly, Heero transformed from bird mode again and sent a blast from his buster rifle at a part of the base Duo wasn't in. The other pilot's angry face popped up over the vidlink seconds later.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Heero? This was my base to take care of!"
"You'd destroyed it before I got here. It's ok, Duo, they can't hurt anyone anymore." He could see Duo really look at the base for the first time and see the destruction.
"I did all this?" he asked.
"Yeah. It's enough. Time to head home. I have to take this guy to the medical centre Sally's got set up first though, and get disinfected myself." Duo's face looked horrified at that.
"You mean you're infected?"
"One of the containers leaked. I had to seal it again. It's ok though Duo, I'm immune, remember?" Relief washed over Duo's face.
"Oh yeah." With a note of vulnerability in his voice, he asked, "hurry, please?"
Heero was surprised at first, but answered softly, "alright, Duo." Both pilots turned their Gundams in the direction of Beijing. It was about an hour's flight there, and Heero flew near the city with Duo before turning his Gundam in the direction of Xiaolang. Once there, he set Zero down gently. The container was again put into the Gundam's hand for transport to the ground. A team of bio-hazard suit wearing scientists greeted them on the ground, Sally included. The rest took charge of Private Sugoff and the cannister while Sally led Heero off separately, saying he was a special case and she'd take care of his treatment personally.
"So how'd you manage to get yourself infected?" she asked him once they were alone.
"The private dropped the cannister he was carrying and the lid cracked open a bit. I had to seal it back on, and came in contact with the disease in the process."
"Ah. So what did you tell everyone else?"
Heero smiled a bit. "That it leaked."
"That kid is lucky. You could have ended his whole career if you wanted to."
"I would have if he'd been careless. It was just a simple accident, his hand slipped, and he couldn't hold it in just one."
"I assume you just want to be disinfected then?"
"That's all that really necessary, but better give me an injection just in case someone asks. I'd appreciate it if you would take care of decontaminating Zero yourself, if possible. The fewer people that see the instrumentation, the better."
"I'll take care of it right away. Now that all the bio-weapons are secure, it's less urgent to find cures. You're lucky that the leaky cannister had one of the few diseases we'd finalized a cure for though."
"I know. Thank you, Sally. I should be on my way," his face softened. "I promised Duo I wouldn't take too long."
Sally smiled knowingly. "You really like him, don't you."
"Yes," Heero replied simply.
"Good luck. You two are good for each other."
Heero was slightly shocked by her casual acceptance before smiling in return. "Thank you."
He quickly left the base, pausing briefly to have a word with the Preventers guarding it before borrowing a jeep to get back to the city. He was greeted by all the other pilots, along with Noin and Zechs when he returned.
"We heard what happened, are you alright?" asked Quatre anxiously.
"I'm fine, Quatre. We're immortal, remember? Diseases can't hurt us. I got a dose of the cure just in case though." He saw the last of the pinched anxiety leave Duo's face with that last comment. Before he knew it, he had an armful of braided pilot hugging him so tightly he could hardly breathe.
"I'm glad you're alright, Yuy," Zechs said as Heero half-heartedly attempted to pry the limpet masquerading as a pilot off.
"Thank you, Zechs," he returned gravely. He spotted Une walking towards them with a faint but visible smile on her face. It must have been quite the scene, Duo wrapped around Heero and Quatre clutching on to Trowa's arm. Now that they'd admitted that they were together, it didn't look like Quatre was going to let Trowa out of his sight if he could avoid it.
"Good work, everyone," Une commended them as she drew even with the group. "Failing an apocalypse, you can all go back to your well-deserved break, but this time you get two weeks."
"Thank you, Commander," they all chorused.
"You're welcome. Go!" she replied, and they hurried to comply. Zechs looked like he was going to resume his interrupted sleep as soon as he got home.
"Um, Duo? You have to let go so I can walk," Heero prompted. Duo let go, flushing to the roots of his hair with embarrassment.
"Oh, sorry about that. I'll try not to do that again." Duo sounded ashamed and Heero hastened to reassure him.
"I don't mind you hugging me, I just can't walk when you're wrapped around me like that." Duo's head snapped up in surprise.
"You don't mind if I hug you? I thought you hated physical contact."
"From strangers, yes. For too long I associated contact with pain. But from people I know, I don't mind anymore." Duo seemed to need to test that, immediately grabbing hold of Heero's hand. When the Japanese pilot didn't object right away, he took off, dragging Heero towards the car.
"Come on guys," he yelled to the others. "Let's go home."
"Wait up, Duo," Quatre called as the others followed. Once home, they sat around in the living room to discuss what had happened. Quatre sat on Trowa's lap on one of the chairs and Wufei was in the other, with Duo and Heero sharing the couch. Duo proved himself unwilling to lose contact with Heero, curling up against the other pilot. For his part, Heero didn't seem to mind, casually wrapping an arm around Duo.
"So what happened today, Heero," Wufei asked.
"The container Sugoff was carrying leaked," replied Heero. "But since we're immortal, it didn't affect me. It had started to work on him by the time I got him to Sally though. He'd started to develop a fever and was shaking too."
"Will we get sick anymore?" was Trowa's question.
"No. As immortals we are immune to sickness. I wouldn't be surprised if our wounds started healing faster too."
"Why was it hard for the soldiers to see me when we rescued Trowa?" asked Duo.
"That is your power, or one of them at least. You'll probably develop more. We're all going to have to work on developing our powers so we can use them reliably. My telepathy is pretty consistent, but my telekinesis and my Sight aren't. I don't know how to strengthen our abilities, but I would guess using them is probably the best way."
"So we're really immortal, huh?" commented Quatre to himself. The reality of it was just starting to sink in for all of them. That they would never age, never die. Although the true challenges of being angels were yet to come, coming to terms with their new lives was difficult for all of them.
A.N. - One of my longer chapters to date. I hope everyone likes it. Please review. See if anyone can guess what I'm deliberately trying to avoid calling the Gundam pilots.
Clarobell - Yeah, I think Heero would make a good leader. He seemed to be in the series at least. Here's some action for you.
shinigami88220 - I love sugar too. My parents used to tell me to stop staying up late, but I stopped listening to them long ago.
darkinuyasha - Is Hiei someone special? I just remembered hearing the name somewhere so I included it. I'm glad you like the fic.
Lord Aries Greymon - Not so many explosions, but lots of fire in this chapter. Hooray for sugar highs! I don't really get them though.
Windy River - Keep reading!
Kellies - I appreciate the constructive criticism, but it would help a bit more if you'd tell me more specifics on what I have to work on. I have asked for a beta reader, but didn't get any response. If you're volunteering, I'd be happy for the input. I'll say to you what I've said to another reader with similar comments. This isn't my full writing style. I tend to write the plot first, then go back and flesh out the details. Since I post as soon as I write, that second step doesn't happen. I'm not going to change my writing style on this for now, as that would interrupt the feel of the story, but I do plan on going back, reediting everything and adding detail, then reposting it when the fic is done.
Bright-Anarchy - Thank you, I'm glad you think my writing has improved. I know Quatre's a bit unbalanced right now, but I needed that to develop the relationship between him and Trowa, since Trowa's not a demonstrative kinda guy. He'll be settling down in the future, once he feels more secure in the relationship.
Rereading the story, I see what you're talking about with the different plots being unconnected. I've tried to somewhat correct that in this chapter, and I hope they'll fully mesh in the future. As for the super-villains, they're coming. I didn't want to put an overly powerful group so early in the story, especially not so soon after Mariemeia's coup. For the time being they'll be dealing with garden-variety evildoers, but there will be mega-bad guys at some point. (I'm in an odd mood, hence the unusual expresssions) I wanted to develop their powers before I set them up against someone really tough. Thanks for the feedback!
Death Phoenix - Thank you.
The Chaotic Ones:
Angel - That's ok, he's still in one piece....I hope. Sorry he wasn't in this chapter much, he's not much for leading missions. I'll try and have a Wufei chapter in the future, I promise.
Jef - I know you like him, but so does everyone else. It's called sharing. Yeah, life sucks sometimes. University makes it busy. Stories are good though. I'll have to look that story up.
Aaries - No problem. I'm a bit in the dark about the L2 thing myself, so I'm making it up as I go along. I think I'll have Duo tell Heero all about it in the next chapter. I'm glad you like the fic.
Chaos - As long as there was something roasted over the fire, it's all good. Heh heh, demonic learnings. I'm taking a university course on evil myself. It tends to make people very nervous when I tell them I'm taking that course, I'm taking tae kwan do, and I like katanas.
scotty-lass - Oh, no problem. Computers are evil that way, crashing and all. Brilliant? Stop, you're making me blush. I'm always entertained by your sugar-high prompted ramblings. You're going to break the chair if you keep doing that. I hope you have lots of glue.