A/N: Sorry I took so long to update this story. I've been working on my HP story lately and trying to write an original novel as well. I will promise to update this story again this month.
Enemy Territory
Shinigami had Tahil flown down from L2. He picked her up personally from the shuttle port in the limousine Lt. Danzig and given over to his personal use. Shinigami took in Tahil's youthful face and her body-build.
"Quit staring at me," She groused.
"How much do you weigh?" Shinigami asked.
"That's none of your damn business," Tahil snapped.
"How much?" Shinigami asked again. "I've got a job lined up but I need to know everyone's weight."
"One hundred twenty-five pounds," Tahil crossed her arms over her chest.
"That should work out just fine," Shinigami leaned back in the seat.
He rolled down the glass, the barrier between the driver and the passengers.
"To Quatre Winner's," Shinigami ordered.
"Sure thing," The driver responded turning the limousine around.
Shinigami rolled the glass back up. Sometimes he could hardly believe his good luck. Tonight was the night. Quatre had arranged to visit Dorothy that evening, Shinigami planned for himself and Tahil and perhaps one other to parachute out of a low flying plane to the top of the prison. From there they would only have to disable the guards and get Dorothy out.
Quatre would be carrying some knock out gas for the guards and some smoke grenades. Shinigami would have the technology supplied by Ichii to knock out the security alarms and cameras for up to twenty minutes at a time. He and those going in with him would be armed with knives or dart guns. Shinigami would be the only one to carry the only lethal gun. It had to work. If the plan did not work Dorothy might be dead by the end of the week if they did not move quickly to get her out of the prison. Shinigami only hoped that she would not put up any fight over it.
"So what's going on?" Tahil asked. "It must be pretty damn important if you had me fly all the way from L2."
"We're breaking Dorothy Catalonia out tonight," Shinigami's voice was soft but hard. "We got a tip that there's going to be an inside job and someone's going to try and kill her so there's no chance of her getting off in the trial. I can't let that happen."
Tahil nodded, understanding why she had been flown out under such urgency.
"So you need me because…?" She trailed off.
"You took that parachuting course under Lt. Danzig," Shinigami smirked. "And we're parachuting onto the roof. So you've been elected to join the strike team."
Tahil nodded, knowing she had no choice but to agree. Shinigami promised himself that he would try and make sure that nothing bad happened to her. He would make sure she stuck close to him. He had one more person to bring with him. He picked up the secure comm-link and dialed Trowa's number.
"Barton," Trowa answered.
"It's me," Shinigami said. "I need one more person for the strike team tonight. Parachuting in on the roof. You available?"
"Can't," Trowa sounded regretful but not overly so. "I'm escorting Sylvia Noventa to a dinner and dance along with Relena. It would look strange if both Quatre and I were gone."
"Shit," Shinigami rand a hand through his bangs. "I'll look for someone else then. Thanks anyway Tro."
Shinigami cut the link and closed his eyes. Things were always so complicated. The stress was beginning to eat away at him again but he told himself that soon he would have another talented helper, Dorothy Catalonia. And that was something to look forward to.
The limousine was admitted into Quatre's long drive leading up to his mansion. Shinigami reflected that he had never entered into Quatre's mansion the proper way since he had become Shinigami, this was the first time. It brought an amused grin to his face. The driver stopped the car right in line with the stairs leading up to the entrance. Rashid came out with an umbrella to ward against the few drops of rain that were beginning to fall. It looked like it would be a cold night when the sun set, and a wet one.
Shinigami and Tahil walked briskly up the stairs and into the mansion. Quatre met them just inside the door and ushered them into the study. Tahil took a look around, things were just as she remembered them but it still impressed her.
"Rashid and Abdul should be bringing in the supplies as we speak," Shinigami flopped down into a chair.
Quatre shut the door and gestured for Tahil to seat herself. Shinigami watched the blond Arabian walk across the room and look out the window before pacing back over towards an antique desk.
"Sit down already Q," Shinigami rolled his eyes.
Quatre gave him a look and went to answer the knock on the door. Abdul and Rashid came in carrying two bags apiece. They set them down and then left. Quatre locked the door after them. Shinigami merely raised an eyebrow at this action. It was not like Quatre to be so untrusting but then again he did have a lot of staff and if they did not know what was going on so much the better. This way they could pass any level of tests or questioning because there was no way they could break into this room, not with the amount of money Quatre Winner had poured into his properties on security measures. Besides his staff were mostly discrete. It would not do if any of them tried to listen in on what their boss was up to.
"So we're a man short?" Quatre ran a hand through his blond locks.
"Yeah at the moment," Shinigami nodded. "But I've got a few ideas."
"Let's just remember that we're trying not to kill anyone tonight," Quatre looked at Shinigami.
Shinigami stared back at him.
'Worried much Quatre?' He smirked at the blonde's irate expression. 'I told you I'd behave and yet you're still worried. Is Shinigami really that evil to you?'
"I promised that would be a last resort," Shinigami folded his hands and leaned his head on them. "And I still keep my promises, no matter what I call myself. You should know that Q. After all, you were the one who reminded me that you trusted my word when I gave it, did something change that?"
"No, no you're right," Quatre breathed. "I'm just nervous. It's been a while since we've done anything resembling terrorist activities. I do trust you though."
Shinigami gave a smile.
"I was thinking of where we could get a third person for the jump this evening," Shinigami changed the subject back to the mission. "Obviously we can't use one of the Maguanac's. That would point straight to you which we can't have. I was thinking about calling Lt. Danzig unless you think it's possible to do with just Tahil and me."
Quatre wrinkled his brow as he thought. He may not have been in charge of the mission but he would give his input if asked.
"If you free Dorothy you should be able to use her to help you get out," Quatre spoke slowly but confidently. "She's been keeping in shape. I danced part of a waltz with her because I owed her a dance. I think that she's been doing exercises in her cell to stay fit."
"All right then," Shinigami said. "Tahil and I, Street 2, go in via a drop on the roof. We do the drop before Q gets to the gate. Sweet little pacifist Quatre enters while Street 2 go through the vents and land outside the cell. When the guards see us use the green bottle first and slip your mask on. We'll bust out Dorothy and she'll get your mask and then we put you to sleep and get the hell out of dodge."
"Timing is crucial," Quatre said sternly. "We can't be late, either of us."
"I won't be," Shinigami promised. "Tahil and I are going to head to the base. Tahil wait outside for a second in the hallway for me."
Shinigami quickly ran through the canister Quatre would use and how to put on the mask. Once he was sure that Quatre knew how to conceal the canisters Shinigami slung one bag over a shoulder and hoisted up the other two. A black sedan waited idling out front. Shinigami and Tahil quickly climbed in back and the sedan shot down the driveway and down the street.
Shinigami laughed, they were going to do it tonight. Tahil was nervous but there was no helping that. He knew first hand that nerves often helped through missions; they kept your senses and instincts on heightened alert, always a good thing.
They were dropped outside of Capitol City at a privately owned airstrip and helipad. Shinigami grabbed all the bags and went into the tiny office. Lt. Danzig was waiting with the helicopter pilot. Shinigami nodded to his Lt. and went into the other room, carefully setting the bags down. His back ached, it was a lot of weight to heft around just before a mission but he was used to it. He stretched, popping his back and grabbed a soda out of the fridge. He pulled the tab and drank it down.
Strolling out into the main room with a half empty soda he took a seat on one of the many foldout chairs. He sipped at his soda, relishing in the silence and strange looks he was receiving.
"Where do you find places like this?" Tahil asked in awe.
"Just do," Shinigami shrugged. "The good Lt. Danzig found this one though so all the credit goes to him."
"We on?" The pilot asked.
"Yep," Shinigami took another swig of soda. "We leave in three hours, when dark comes. Radio silence needs to be maintained. You sure that plane is nearly silent?"
"Sure it's silent," The pilot said. "The military sometimes contracts me for runs."
Shinigami was pleased to hear that. The military was not a bunch of fancily dressed show pieces. They really knew what they were about.
Two hours passed quickly between games of cards and talking about the mission. Shinigami tried to keep the atmosphere calm, it would not do to have Tahil or the pilot getting so nervous that they went out of control or worse backed out of the mission. He could fly the plane but he could not make the jump at the same time.
He dressed in a black flight suit coming out with the smoke grenades, knives; knock out gas, dart guns and the one live ammunition gun. Tahil went into the room after him and dressed in a gray flight suit. The suits had body armor in them. Shinigami helped her strap on a few smoke grenades, two bottles of knock out gas, and her dart gun with extra darts and handed her the gas mask which they would have on when they made the jump. He strapped on the same weapons as Tahil but put on two clips of ammunition and a loaded silenced handgun. It was a precaution but a necessary one.
Forty minutes later they were taking off from the airstrip. Shinigami taught some quick hand signals to Tahil and then concentrated on the landmarks they were passing over. He made sure to go over where the ripcord was located as well as the one that pulled the emergency chutte. Tahil rolled her eyes in exasperation at him but listened to his instructions.
"Q," Shinigami said getting on the radio. "This is Street 2. We are getting ready to drop."
"Copy that," Quatre replied. "Five minutes from gate."
"Drop in two," Shinigami came back. "Over and out until drop completed."
"10-4," Quatre said.
Shinigami watched the lights, the red one was still on. They needed a green for go. He tensed near the opening of the plane knowing that it was going to come soon. They were making a short drop, two thousand feet from target. That meant they had to pull the ripcord almost as soon as they were out of the plane which meant that the pilot had to make a wide swing to make sure he did not blow them off course.
The light changed green. Shinigami pushed Tahil out and followed right after. The plane made a sharp turn left and the cords went, chuttes spilling out. Shinigami made the first landing, soft, running forward and pulling the chutte down as quickly as he could. Tahil's landing as a little harder but she was able to get her chutte down just as quickly. Shinigami flashed her a thumbs up sign.
"Street 2 is hot," Shinigami said in the radio.
"Q is coming to the gate," Quatre's response was immediate. "Get going."
"Street 2 in flight," Shinigami replied.
Quickly the two unhooked their harnesses and made for the ventilation shafts. They were inside seconds later. Shinigami pulled out a small penlight, putting it between his teeth as he consulted a hand drawn map of where Dorothy's cell was located in relation to the shafts. Once he had his bearings he put everything away and crawled forward, Tahil coming right on his heels.
"Q passed gate," Quatre's voice whispered in Shinigami's ear. "About to disembark from the ship."
"Inside the belly of the beast," Shinigami replied.
Using a series of hand signals Shinigami let Tahil know that Quatre was almost in. She nodded and he pressed forward faster, they needed to be in place before Quatre showed up or it would not work. Shinigami stopped suddenly causing Tahil to nearly hit her head on his feet. They had reached 'paradise' as Shinigami had termed it.
Using a tiny machine Shinigami knocked out the screws. They fell on the floor making a tinkling sound but Shinigami caught the grate before it hit the tiled floor. That loud noise would have alerted a guard. With great care Shinigami placed a machine that Tahil had never seen on the other side of the grate.
"It's from Ichii," He whispered to her. "It'll knock out the camera feed for the entire complex and the alarms and after twenty minutes it's set to self-destruct."
Tahil could only nod. She trusted Ichii for what he made and Shinigami. They waited for the next phase.
"Q in," Quatre whispered. "Clean. Almost to check 2."
That was it. Shinigami slipped down from the shaft, dropping quietly into a crouch. Tahil moved to the opening. Shinigami stood and motioned for her to follow. He caught her around the waist and lowered her to the ground. They stood waiting for Quatre to put in his appearance.
The blond Arabian did not disappoint. He came in trailed by two guards who upon spotting the intruders were about to sound the alarm when Shinigami launched a harmless smoke grenade and Quatre let go with the real thing. Quickly the Arabian slipped on his gas mask.
"Q, you still with me?" Shinigami asked.
"A little woozy but operational," Quatre's words were a bit slurred.
"We've got nineteen minutes," Shinigami stated moving to the cell door.
He pulled the picks from a sown-in pocket on his flight suit. Less than a minute later the door was opened and a wary Dorothy was crouched in fighting stance on the other side.
"You think they would have used a better lock," Shinigami joked.
"You," Dorothy straightened.
"Ok Q," Shinigami turned to the blond. "Give the lady your gas mask and get ready to say good night."
Quatre took off his mask and held it out for Dorothy who accepted it.
"Put it on," Quatre said. "Please Dorothy. They'll tell you everything but right now you need to get out."
Dorothy swallowed and nodded. She slipped on the mask and watched as Shinigami let loose another gas grenade. He caught Quatre as he fell to the ground. At least the blond would not have bruises. He grabbed Dorothy's wrist and began to lead her out the front. She resisted at first but then followed.
Shinigami let loose another grenade and readied his dart gun at his hip. He took the safety off and shot the first guard near the entrance with one dart, Tahil took out the other. Quickly the trio rushed outside and got in Quatre's car which was idling. Shinigami put a dart in the driver who was rather new to Quatre's staff and shoved him out of the car. The gate guards appeared to not have seen anything.
Dorothy and Tahil got in the back and Shinigami took the driver's place. He drove down to the gate and got both the guards with a dart gun. With another piece of Ichii's technology he opened the gate and then closed it behind them.
He drove in a random pattern, ditching the car on a busy street. He took the two girls into a nearby restaurant that was supposedly closed.
"You made it safely," The proprietor said. "I'm glad to see you Shinigami. Tell my cousin I said hello when you return to L2."
"I will, I know that Arman will be happy to hear you are well," Shinigami smiled at the man.
The proprietor handed Shinigami a set of keys which the L2 native accepted from him without another word. Shinigami led the two girls out back to where a gray SUV awaited them. Not even Dorothy spoke as they climbed in and took off. They traded cars one last time at a train station nearly seventy miles away from Capitol City.
"Where are we going?" Dorothy asked.
"Berghof," Shinigami said. "It's an Earth-side base I have. Lt. Danzig runs it for me. It's hidden in Germany. My shuttle, the Demon King is there. We'll head back to the Shadows in it."
Dorothy fell silent.
"Tahil, you're staying at Berghof for a bit," Shinigami told the other half of Street 2. "There are a few things that I'm having Lt. Danzig teach you."
The girl looked like she was going to complain but she finally nodded her agreement to the arrangement. Shinigami breathed a sigh of relief. He did not want to argue with her now, he wanted to conserve his energy for the conversation he would need to have with Dorothy on the Demon King.
In the early morning hours Dorothy and Shinigami boarded the Demon King and took off into space. Shinigami set the auto-pilot and leaned back in the pilot's seat. Dorothy sat in the co-pilots chair admiring the systems on board the shuttle. Just to be on the safe side Shinigami set the cloaking device.
"I assume you have some questions," Shinigami stretched. "Now's a good time to ask them."
"Why did you get me out tonight?" Dorothy's gray eyes assessed him.
"We picked up a transmission," Shinigami said. "Someone on the inside was supposed to kill you by the end of the month. We couldn't let that happen Dorothy. There's a lot going on now that you need to know about and I need help."
"What's changed so drastically then?" Dorothy asked, looking more alive by the minute.
"A new Colony is being built," Shinigami began. "Anyone tied to L2 they won't hire and the three people I managed to get on the construction crew all met with fatal accidents. The other strange thing, we can't find who is funding the Colony building but it is privately funded.
"Last month the Sweepers were going to pick up a shipment of Gundanium but it was stolen right out from under them, not an easy feat. There was enough Gundamium that an entire Gundam and a half could be built. Smaller shipments have been disappearing for some time as well, since before Dekim Barton. So far enough Gundamium has been stolen to build seven Gundams with some spare parts.
"Also several fleets of Leos and Tauruses have gone missing or are unaccounted for since shortly before and after the Dekim Barton uprising. There is no trace of them. What would you draw from such bits of information Dorothy Catalonia?"
"That someone was planning either another Operation Meteor," Dorothy mused, rapidly coming up with scenarios and discarding them. "Or that someone might try and take over the Colonies or declare a war similar to the war the Colonies declared on Earth."
"My thoughts as well," Shinigami said. "Relena is in no immediate danger but people are trying to take her out of power. Une's job is seriously threatened; I would say they'll get her out of there in a few months at most. Quatre allowed the Preventers to use Maguanac bases and Winner property to hide some caches of weapons and suits. Hopefully that will be enough."
"Not if the other side has Gundams," Dorothy pointed out.
"Before heading to L2 we'll be stopping by on the Anubis Howard's main ship," Shinigami informed her. "From there we will head to the old abandoned Winner satellite that Quatre has given to the Sweepers. We've dragged it to a new located and put up cloaking on the entire thing. Prof. G is currently building new Gundams. Since I just recently discovered that the other side has enough to build seven Gundams I have to assume that's what they're going to have. So I'll need your help to build a Gundam for yourself and Zechs Merquise."
"What does Zechs have to do with this?" Dorothy asked.
"He's my contact in the Preventers," Shinigami said. "We share intelligence but we're both careful in how much we share. He knows nothing about this. Not for the moment."
"What about Chang Wufei?" She pressed.
"Wufei's a good guy," He admitted. "But the probability of him helping me out since I'm the head of the Shadows was slim to none. He doesn't know. Nor does Heero. I know where Heero is though but we'll keep him out of it for now."
"Something's wrong with Yuy," Dorothy caught on quickly. "What is it? He ran away, I know that but he's into something isn't he?"
"He took a job for one of the American mob bosses," Shinigami sighed. "One of the few places not under my control in any degree. He's using a substance called Zeus. Have you ever heard of it?"
He watched Dorothy's face pale at the name Zeus. He had heard little about it, but he also had not really looked into the drug. Mentally he berated himself for not doing so sooner but he had been busy, still he felt like a lousy friend.
"Zeus is often used to suppress memories," Dorothy's voice seemed loud in his ears. "It can be very addictive though. It also creates a sort of numbness which is part of its addiction for people who are trying to forget bad memories. Someone coming off regular usage usually takes three weeks for the withdrawal symptoms to fully go away but they're rather nasty. I never would have guessed Yuy to use drugs."
"I couldn't really either," Shinigami shook his head. "But I also couldn't see him being an assassin, which is what he is."
Dorothy bit her bottom lip.
'Damn it,' Shinigami swore at himself. 'You should have stayed with him no matter what Relena said or did. Stupid of you. Now look what's happened to him. He's a druggie and a murderer.'
"Relena is partly to blame for driving him away," Dorothy pointed out logically, filling the silence. "You can't always be there for everyone and eventually Yuy had to get a rude awakening to that fact. He was an idiot to just disappear without contacting anyone. He should have known better."
"But he didn't," He replied dully. "And I did. I did."
They both fell silent reflecting on how different things were now. A year of peace and a brief altercation had changed everything as they had known it, nearly everything. Neither of them could tell if it was for the better, in some ways the war had been predictable and that was a comfort. Now everything was spinning about and there were no such things as guarantees.
Then again neither of them were experts so perhaps they just missed the fighting. But somehow neither of them thought that was it. It was more than just the missed fighting, it was something about how everyone was united, and lines were drawn. Now there were no lines and everyone was looking out for themselves and only themselves. Where was the good in that?
"Demon King come in," A voice crackled over the radio. "This is Anubiscalling. Preparing to dock you. Come in Demon King."
"Demon King ready for docking," Shinigami finally responded. "Mission was a success, break out the champagne."
"Roger that Demon King," The voice laughed. "Howard has your room ready. We'll head for the satellite when you're on board."
Shinigami and Dorothy stumbled out of the Demon King tired and hungry. They ate and went straight to sleep not caring for a few hours about the rest of the world.