Chapter Nine

Trowa POV

Even though he was cool about it, I could tell that as days passed Heero became more and more nervous. So far the odd doctor had only visited once. Others came to draw blood from both of us, and Heero made their job hell. I was impressed, watching him as he twisted and thrashed. Many doctors limped away near tears. The lucky ones walked away with bruises and bite marks.

"Why do you fight?" I asked him after one session.

"Because I enjoy making their job hard. It doesn't use up much energy." He replied. The spot on his arm where they had draw blood was bruised. If it hurt, he didn't show it. "Besides, I learned a few things from it." He smirked.

"Did you now?"

"Their boss is called Marsh. He knows J from school, and has been interested in his work for a long time. He's also not a fan of us pilots. He wanted to be the one to 'create' us." I blinked.

"You got all that from them?"

"They curse under their breath. I just put the pieces together." I smirked. "I've also gathered that he would prefer not to use violence, which is why the doctors so far have been…gentle. But several are close to just saying 'screw it'." I blinked again.

"Are we in danger?"

"Not for now." But then Marsh himself appeared. The scowl on his face made me frown in concern, but his attention was on Heero. He had a small package in one hand that I recognized as a syringe and needle pack.

Heero watched the man calmly as he slowly began to assemble a syringe filled with a clear fluid. I cringed at the size of the needle. Only Heero's eyes showed his sudden unease. "You've been quite the little rebel." He capped the needle and put it in his breast pocket. "Not letting the good doctors do their job."

"I don't like needles." Heero deadpanned. I was starting to like this side of the soldier. Marsh was starting to dislike him, I could tell.

"You'll just have to get over that then, won't you?" Heero tilted his head in a mocking manner. "Think of it as an order."

"I don't take orders from you." That hit a sore spot judging by the scowl on the man's face, and I was convinced that Heero's previous assessment of the man's desire to be the one in control of us…or at least him….were dead on.

"No, you don't do you? J made sure that you would only obey him like a mindless drone." Heero smiled. It made my blood turn.

"I am not a mindless drone. I am talking to you aren't I?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Heero shrugged. "No matter. When I am through with you J will be but a distant memory." Somehow, I highly doubted that. Heero thought it funny enough to warrant a small chuckle. "J will lose his weapon and I will gain the power to control OZ and the Alliance." He said in a wistful tone.

"Does this guy eat crack for breakfast?" I mouthed to Heero, who smirked. The man shook himself out of his stupor and plucked the syringe out of his pocket.

"Your blood work is most amazing." He revealed. "It shows me that J was successful in mutating certain genes. Your astounding chemical levels prove that. But it intrigues me that you have animal blood in there." He said to Heero. "And you both have something else that I can't quite put my finger on."

"I bet there's a lot you can't put your finger on." Heero said. I caught the double meaning, and so did Marsh. He lifted a corner of his lip and scowled.

"I realize that you will not willingly show me what I want to see. So I put together a routine that will weaken your barriers. I'll force you to show me. Unfortunately J's notes on you told me nothing." I could see the relief in Heero's eyes, but then they hardened as Marsh stepped closer. "They are all in a language I can't understand. I have translators working on it so don't get too comfortable."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Heero said. All talking ceased as Marsh entered Heero's little space bubble. I watched in interest as the scientist knelt down in front of Heero. I could see Heero's legs tense in preparation although the rest of his body stayed lax. Marsh had no time to react as Heero's leg lashed out and struck him in the ribcage, sending him toppling to the side with a curse.

"Stupid." I muttered. Heero nodded and settled back as Marsh pushed to his feet.

"That wasn't very nice."

"I told you, I don't like needles." I watched in silence as a fierce battle of wits began between the two of them. Marsh fought hard to get past Heero's barriers, and Heero fought hard to keep him away. So far it was a draw.

"I don't like fighting dirty." Marsh growled, clearly frustrated. "But if I must…" He pulled a small remote out of his pocket and pushed one of the buttons. There was a screeching sound and suddenly the hook that held the ankle restraint shot up the wall….bringing Heero's foot with it.

Heero let out a little yelp as his foot was jerked up, and was dragged up until it was well over his head – leaving him practically upside down. "That's better." Heero let out a growl as the man managed to capture his other ankle and hold it still. I winced as the needle was jabbed into the fleshy part of his rear.

"K'so!" The man stepped back and Heero was lowered back to the ground with a thump. Heero cursed the man in Japanese for a while before whatever was in the syringe kicked in. The curses trailed off and his eyes glazed over.

"Good. I had been hoping the dosage was strong enough." The chains were removed from the cuffs around Heero's wrists and ankle and I watched as he slumped over. Marsh smirked victoriously then left. Once the door was closed, Heero pushed himself up.

"Heero?"

"The drugs are strong." He wheezed. "I'll be able to fight them off, but it'll take a day or two." I nodded in understanding. "Trowa, if he breaks those files you have to kill me."

"What!" I hissed.

"If he breaks those files, he'll be able to reprogram me and control me. You can't let that happen!" I frowned, but nodded at his persistent stare. "Good." He slumped against the wall and closed his eyes. I closed mine as well, and when I opened them Heero was gone.

Duo POV

I was worried. Yeah, me, Shinigami, God of Death, was worried. Heero and Trowa had left six days ago for a mission that was, according to Trowa, supposed to be simple. It was apparent that he was way wrong.

"We should do something." I said as I pushed some chicken around on my plate.

"We can't." Quatre said patiently. "Not when there's a chance that we could blow their cover." Damn Wu had to agree with him. "But if they don't get back soon we'll contact J and see if he knows what's going on."

"Knowing him, he probably does." I grumbled moodily, just as the warning bell on Quatre's laptop began to flash. Quatre rushed to the machine and went wide eyed. "Quat?"

"It's from J!" He gasped, and then began to read out loud. "Attention Gundam Pilots. I sent zero one and zero three on a search, recover, then destroy mission six days ago. They have not contacted me and it is my greatest fear that they have been captured. I need you all to go to…" A series of numbers were rattled off. "…and recover them ASAP. The man in charge of the laboratory is one of my old school mates and is hell bent on retaining the use of Soldier for himself. This must not happen!" Quatre paused and shot me a horrified look. "We're to go and finish Heero and Trowa's mission, and get them out of there. Duo, if they've succeeded in reprogramming Heero we're supposed to kill him!"

"No fucking way!" I swore. "Come on then, we'll get to them before they can do anything to Heero. Or Trowa."

Trowa POV

It was very disconcerting to watch. The doctors had returned with Heero hours after taking him. He was hanging in between them, limp. His eyes were wide open and vacant. His mouth was open, he was panting. His clothes were ripped.

They hauled him over to the metal table, and one of the doctors pushed a few buttons that made the table swivel around and tilt so that it was almost horizontal to the floor. Heero was roughly slapped against it and his wrists were secured to the metal strips the forced him to hold them out, almost up next to his head.

While one tightened the wrist straps and began to bind his uppers arms, chest, torso, upper legs, then ankles, the other hooked a short chain to the metal collar around Heero's neck. Heero's head lolled foreword as much as he chain would allow.

Various IV's were connected to Heero and drip bags– one held a clear fluid, another held a milky colored fluid - and electrodes were stuck harshly all over his body. Those hooked up to various machines. Most of them I didn't recognize. The table was left as it was, and the doctors left.

"Heero?" I ventured. I saw his body flinch, but his eyes remained open and vacant. That was not good. "Heero, fight it. Wake up." Blues eyes cleared.

"S-sorry. T-the drugs are…." Pain flashed through his eyes. "T-too str-strong…."

"Okay. I'll find a way to get us out of here. You just concentrate on fighting. Don't give in." He nodded. Then he slumped in his bindings and his eyes closed. I sighed and shifted, testing the metal cuffs. "Steel. I should be able to break these." I said to myself.

I worked on the cuffs, until I finally managed to crack them. I smiled. But I was too late. The doctors returned and took Heero away again. He didn't even fight them this time as he was untied and dragged out of the room. I cursed.

"Hang in there." I whispered as I finally freed my hands. My wrists were bleeding, but I ignored it as I ran over to the door. "Shit." The door was an automatic industrial sort, with no handles on the inside. Only a punch pad that was locked.

I stood there for god only knows how long before I heard the most curious thing. Gunshots. And screaming. I stepped away from the door as footsteps stopped outside of it. "Trowa? Heero? If you're in there, stay away from the door. I'm gonna blow it!"

"Duo!" I said in relief. There was a loud bang and the doors slid open. "It's about time…." I said.

"Is Heero in there?" He asked.

"No. We have to get to him. Marsh has already begun trying to break him." Duo looked alarmed as I took off into the empty hall. "Do you know where the main lab is?" I asked as I halted.

"Yes. This way." I followed Duo down a hall. I could hear gunshots far away. "Quat and Wu are scattered. We're on our own for now." I nodded. We came to a stop in from of a heavily locked door. "Stand away from the door!" Duo shouted. "I'm blowin' it!" Duo placed a small C4 bomb right in the center and pushed the button. He handed me a small machine gun and we stepped back.

The door blew and we leapt inside, guns pointed into the room. Several scientist were out of their chairs and facing us, hands held high, looks of fright on their faces. I couldn't see Marsh. Duo rounded the men up and unloaded a round into the group. They all dropped and Duo bent to make sure they were dead.

I ran over to the large plexi-glass window and looked in and down. My eyes widened in horror. Marsh was standing at the foot of a large metal table. He had a remote control device in one hand, and hadn't noticed the commotion yet. He was focused on Heero.

Heero was strapped to a device on the table. He was on his hand and knees. His wrists were tied to rings on either side of the table, forcing his hands to sit directly under his shoulders. There was a chain connecting the two wrists so he couldn't spread them any further. There were electrodes attached to his upper arms and his shoulders.

His head was covered in an ensemble of leather and plastic. There was a strap that held his mouth open wide enough for the thin tube that snaked inside. Another pair of straps hooked to a second strap around his face were positioned on each side kept his head to keep it anchored to the table so he couldn't lift it higher than his shoulders or lower then his upper arms. Charcoal colored liquid ran through the tube, most probably going to his stomach. A thin piece of plastic, light enough for me to see through, covered his eyes and was flashing brilliant colors.

His chest bore an ensemble of leather straps that held him suspended in the air to prevent collapse, but also strapped to the table so he couldn't lift his chest or torso. Both were covered with electrodes as well.

His legs were held immobile by another assortment of leather straps. His ankles were chained to rings that forced him to keep them spread horribly wide. Like his wrists, there was a strap around his knees that prevented them from widening any further….and like the rest of his body, were covered in electrodes.

IV lines were stuck haphazardly all over his body, delivering drugs that probably made his mind more susceptible to coercion as well as mild tranquilizers.

But the part that bothered me the most was the condition Heero was in. He was covered in bruises and cuts and dried blood. His body was convulsing, and I could see that he was fighting to keep his wings in. His back was shifting painfully as he fought Marsh's commands, tufts of fur were sprouting out over his body before he managed to get the transformation under control. He struggled and convulsed so badly that one of his shoulders managed to twist out of it socket as I watched.

"Holy fuck." Duo said from behind me. "Let's get him out of there."

TBC