Waking Up In Vegas

Chapter 43

##

Duo had to blink a few times. When they'd mentioned a plane waiting on them... he'd figured some dinky little crop-duster or something... like the things his dad sometimes got to work on. Small biplanes or something, barely big enough to fit a few people in.

While the plane waiting on them *was* small, it wasn't a bi-plane... and it certainly wasn't dinky. Sleek, inky black. Streamlined for speed and fuel efficiency.

"That ain't no damn plane," Duo said, spinning on his foot to face Heero. "That's a fucking military fighter jet."

Heero glared back at him. "No. It's not a plane. Yes. It's a jet. No it's not a military issue jet. It used to be. It's a simple transport jet now. Belongs to Jezzy's adoptive father... my old CO and the man in charge of the military portion of the Zero project. We need to get to New York quickly."

"i can understand getting us past customs and security and everything so quick... but damn, boy... isn't a fucking jet pretty much overkill?"

Heero's eyes were not humorous when they speared Duo, and Heero turned around to ignore him. "Hn. There is no such thing as overkill."

Duo turned to Wufei, tossing his arms up in the air. "I can't stand this guy. I don't know why I even bother. He's antisocial, thinks he's Evil Keneval... and he hardly speaks."

When Wufei gave him a pointed stare, Duo turned back to Heero, who had ignored him to go about pre-flight preparations. "You've got such a gloomy personality. Why don't you just give up and stop pretending to be human?"

It was Emily that punched his shoulder. "Human? Boy... you didn't catch that lip-lock with the Princess of Pink back on the porch before we left out."

Duo blinked. "Princess of Pink?"

Emily nodded. "Relena Darlian, the famous politician. Really famous for wearing pink... Theyy call her America's 'Diplomat Darling', and she and Heero were really lovey-dovey..."

"Hey!" Duo looked up at Heero's yell.

"What is it?" Duo sneered. "You're too late if you think you're gonna ask me to be friends."

"Could you two keep it down over there?" was all Heero asked, not willing to let them know he didn't want what happened between him and Relena to be spread around everywhere before he could even have a chance to talk to her. And at least he was far enough away they couldn't see his flush.

"Yeah, sure," Duo sulked.

"Forgive us for interrupting," Emily snarked. "Can you please hurry it up? People's lives are at stake."

"Done. Now are you four coming or not?"

#

Trowa followed meekly behind his husband, who much more resembled a blond whirlwind at the moment. He was placing calls and talking to Zechs and generally moving at ninety miles a minute. Half of the things Quatre was doing Trowa couldn't follow, much less understand, but some of it he did.

Quatre was asking someone to alert him the moment the missile compound was activated. He was asking someone else to see if they couldn't find a way to determine as soon as Wing was turned on. He was calling someone named Marie asking something about Jezzy. He was now asking Zechs to secure something called 'Epyon'.

"Epyon?" Trowa asked, picking the name up.

Quatre turned around to look at him. "Of course. They've stole Wing Zero, I can't let them get ahold of Epyon, too."

"What is Epyon?"

"Wing Zero was the prototype. Epyon is only half-finished, but it's the next evolution of the..."

"You built *two* doomsday machines?" Trowa asked, eyes going wide. Quatre blinked.

"They're not doomsday machines, Trowa. That's a silly notion. It's just like a gun. It's only evil in the wrong hands. It's just a machine. *It* can't do anything on it's own. Guns don't kill people- people kill people."

"Quatre... you need to destroy this thing... this Epyon. It doesn't matter if it's inherently good or evil, or if it just *is*... it can and *will* be used for the wrong. How many people must die before you realize this? I thought you understood!"

"Trowa, this is years worth of research. I can't just destroy it. Even if I did, it would just be rebuilt a few years from now. If I destroy it... Iria's death will have been in vain. I won't let her death be meaningless."

"That's not the problem, Quatre. *You* are the problem now. You have a chance to either start a war... or prevent one. You have to choose which you're going to do."

Trowa looked Quatre in the eyes. Emerald to Aqua. Someone had to give. They thought they'd reached a compromise... an understanding. They'd been wrong. Could they reach one now?

"Trowa... I... I can't..."

Trowa didn't need to hear anything more. Spinning on his heel, he marched away. Out into an unknown city, alone.

"Trowa! Trowa wait! Trowa~! Where are you going?" Quatre called after him. But Trowa didn't stop. He didn't wait. He couldn't.

He couldn't stay with someone who condoned murder. He thought he'd loved Quatre. But looking back... Trowa had to think.

Could you learn to love someone in less than a week?

#

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tappity-tap-tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Jezzy groaned at the noise, becoming aware of a keyboard being typed upon and various other sounds.

"Ah, so the pretty maiden awakens at last." The tapping stopped, the sound of a chair squeaked across the floor. "Marvelous! You look rather worse for wear, darling."

Jezzy groaned again. Damn it all to HELL! She knew that voice. Dreading what she'd find... she forced her eyes open. A dull ache spread through her chest... where she was shot, she figured. And standing above her looking down at her with a sickly twisted sneer on his face was none other than Duke Dermail, the Frenchman she'd quickly grown to hate.

"You look like you feel out of an ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down," she quipped.

"And you, my dear, look like someone who's about to make me the most powerful man on Earth." He smiled, and reached out to her. Instead of feeling her up, as she no doubt expected, two fingers pressed against her ribs, making her gasp out in pain. Damn gunshot wound.

"In your dreams, weirdo," she spat out around her gasp.

"Tsk, tsk. Manners, manner, my darling. Or else you'll never learn of my ingenious plan."

"You want to incite world war three," Jezzy growled. "That's all I need to know."

"Oh, poor thing. You think that's it? That that's all there is too it? My my. I've severely overestimated you. And here I thought that if anyone could figure it all out, it was the girl who hid beneath my very nose," he sighed.

"Still can't believe I didn't see you for who you truly were," he muttered. "Smart girl. Hiding in our very midst out in Tsubarov's house. He was very annoyed at you, dearest. You and that brother of yours have caused us great stress. We never really had a chance at bending Yuy to our will. You, however... are much more... maleable." His face twisted into a harsh sneer as he smiled at the last word.

"Eat shit, ass-face," she growled back, and tugged at her arms. They were wrapped behind the chair she was in, bound so that she couldn't move. Even her legs were bound. Damn.

"Ah, tsk tsk. Such dirty language. I'm sure you will prove to be more cooperative. Especially considering we have your boyfriend." Dermail stepped aside, and Jezzy saw Jasper, wide eyed, gagged and sitting in another chair across whatever room they were in. Trant had a hand on each of Jasper's shoulders, holding him down, though Jasper looked so worn out he probably didn't have the strength to fight back.

"Jasper..." she whispered.

"Now my dear. You will help us. You will do exactly as I say. Do you understand?"

Jasper wasn't a part of this, she wanted to scream. He had nothing to do with her or Quatre or Zero or anything. So let him go! But she knew it would be useless. She bowed her head, beaten.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked quietly.