[FIC] Lost - Chapter 4
Title: Lost
Fandom: Gundam Wing
Pairing: 1x5
Rating: PG-13
A/N: I give up. I've been tweaking at this forever, so here it is. No more...! XP Imperfect, but that'll do. Heh.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
"Agen... there? Come... hear... me?"
A trickle of recognition at the back of his mind, as well as a sense of solemnity, led Heero to pull out his communicator and to yank on his headset. Playing with the dials, he finally tapped directly into the line.
"Winner?" he asked, brows furrowed. "Status."
Having Une personally call him to duty was enough reason for him to feel agitated about this mission; having all the other pilots involved just made it seem even more serious. Heero started preparing himself for the worst.
"I've been asked to coordinate this mission," Quatre replied, a hint of apology in his voice. "I can not give any details for the time being, but be assured that we'll be in contact later."
The line has not been secured, Heero picked up automatically from his unspoken words. Quatre wouldn't - couldn't - tell him anything until he could guarantee them a safe line. That was usual procedure, but Heero still felt frustrated by the lack of information that he was receiving. Berating himself internally, he sped up on the near-empty highway.
"Once you reach the city, your correspondent will be Agent Cobalt," Quatre continued. "Her team is waiting at the usual spot."
He was being really careful. Heero felt a further rush of adrenaline flood his body, which only served to heighten his agitation. He wanted to know what was happening, and what was important enough to call one of the best specialist teams into play. It was highly possible that all the other ex-pilots were involved in this mission as well. It would surprise him, but the information he was getting seemed to reflect a situation that would call for it. Again, Heero couldn't ask Quatre and expect an answer. He cursed having left his equipment at the house.
"Acknowledged," Heero replied tersely. "I'll contact you once I reach my destination."
He finally disconnected from Quatre with a frustrated grunt, shoving the communicator back into his pocket. Tightening his hold on the grips, Heero sped up as much as possible to arrive there soon and to get it over with. He was going to be working with a renowned specialist team - he really should be glad about that. But he couldn't get out of his mind the thought that he'd much rather work with his long-accustomed partner, and would have if not for the fact that he'd screwed up royally. So, really, he had no room to complain.
Scowling, Heero banished that thought into the deepest part of his mind. There was no room in this mission for him to start thinking about irrelevant things.
...But of course, his mind had always been a traitor to him, and the unsettling feeling of being unbalanced wouldn't leave him no matter how hard he tried.
* * *
The damned communicator blinked at him again from its spot haphazardly chosen in Wufei's duffel bag. For a moment, Wufei considered tossing it out the window. He then decided that it would cause him too much trouble and that the window was too far away in any case.
"Agent Chang."
Feeling a sickly feeling at the base of his abdomen, Wufei grabbed the small device and connected.
"Commander Noin," he acknowledged, hoping that his voice didn't sound as agitated as he felt.
"I am contacting you to confirm your request for temporary leave sent in by Agent Yuy," she proceeded in an utterly formal voice.
Wufei was speechless. Temporary leave...?
"The request has been permitted, but the length of term has yet to be decided. The bureau will contact you with further details at a later time, so please remain accessible."
Wufei's mind raced as it searched for appropriate words to answer to this. 'What the fuck' was probably not a good idea, but he really didn't care at the moment. When the fuck did Wufei ever say to Heero that he needed some time off-duty? Why the fuck would Heero do this without even asking him first?
"I... I don't-" Wufei floundered, feeling flustered.
"Your injuries have been taken into consideration, but it is not possible at the moment to grant complete leave to any agent," Noin continued as if not having heard him. "Please be advised that you may be called into action depending on the situation."
Wufei felt his confusion and frustration grow as Noin carried on in that utterly detached voice. Was his opinion not important at all in this matter? Had Heero grown to distrust him so much that he was making his decisions for him now? Or did Heero think that he had the right to screw around Wufei's life, just like what he had done a few days ago? All this only served to make Wufei even more furious than he already was.
"Commander Noin, is it possible to speak directly with the chief commander?"
Demanding an answer from Noin would be useless. Wufei needed to talk with either Une or Heero if he wanted to do something about this request, and - right now - he really did not want to see Heero's face.
"Unfortunately, that is not possible right now due to some urgent business that the chief commander must attend to. However, she may contact you personally at a later time."
Wufei felt like cursing at the injustice of the world.
"Until later," Noin said, already dismissing him, "Agent Wufei Chang."
Wufei's brain halted and his body jerked backwards as if physically restraining him from reacting. This was wrong; this was so wrong, and he had no idea why it took him this long to see it. Thank God he'd snapped out of his daze before making a fool out of himself. Noin never called agents by their full names, especially those with whom she had a relation that was a more-than-acquaintance sort of thing. If that hadn't been a big enough hint to make him realize, then seeing Wing Zero tap dance on Mars would probably not knock any sense into him either.
Sitting back, Wufei forced himself to shut up and think rationally. Of course, if he'd been in his original condition, he would never have gotten this distracted. In any case, now was the opportunity to regain his senses and use his analytical skills to solve this secret that was eluding him.
Heero requesting for his leave was a big enough clue. His partner wasn't someone who'd suddenly do something stupid like that, especially knowing that Wufei would kick his ass for it. Besides, at a time like this when the baddies seem to be more active than ever, Une would be crazy to permit a request for an undetermined length of leave. Noin had even said it herself; Une was constantly occupied with urgent business, so she needed all her agents at headquarters.
But how does it connect to Noin's call? Her call hadn't merely been a confirmation call; she had some other message, one that Wufei really didn't get at the moment. He bit his inside cheek, furrowing his brows to think about it. His "request" had been granted, so now he had the opportunity to leave the city for a while. The stipulation was clear though: he could be called back at any time, so he had to remain accessible. Those were the blanks; all he needed were the answers to fill them in.
And then it clicked. Wufei wondered whether the drugs he'd taken had really screwed up his brain. He had to remain accessible because they will call him to duty any time now. They needed him to go on to the outside so that he could do a one-eighty and attack when shit hits the fan. And, of course, all this was done in secrecy and in code. What the hell was happening in the places surrounding the city so that Une had to be this careful? Then again, what was happening in the place that he'd just left?
As Wufei turned his head towards the train window, he decided that perhaps he didn't want to know after all. Indeed, it was making him so very tired of it all. At moments like these, it was only his self-condescension that kept him going through his missions. Even if he was leaving his personal life - hah! - behind, he still had his duty to perform, which he could not abandon. It was he who had pledged himself to fight for the people, and that is what he will do, even if he was shattered in the process.
At times like these when life did not seem to hold any meaning other than his responsibility to fulfill his duty, Wufei felt utterly bitter about the world. He understood that, in reality, that was all there was to his existence. That was the reason why he'd always tried to stay as sharply honed as possible, so that he can revel in the meaning of his life. He will continue to work towards upgrading his skills so that he could satisfy his need for control over his fate. And Heero helped. Having his partner there, displaying his perfection, was one way that Wufei used to set goals for himself. With Heero there, Wufei felt safe in the knowledge that there's more to life, that there's something higher and better, that maybe he could possibly reach that perfection one day.
But this time, Heero disappointed him; Heero had hurt him. Wufei had trusted him to be his foundation stone, and he'd turned and let Wufei fall. No, it was more like Heero had let him lean against him initially for support, but then went ahead and enveloped him entirely. What Heero had done had crushed through the layers of confidence that Wufei'd raised up around him. It caused him to second guess himself and doubt everything that he was. Heero had decided that Wufei couldn't take care of himself properly. Was he right? Was that what it meant to be partners? To have this suffocating air? To give up all of one's control to the other?
The sky was bright, contrasting heavily with his dark mood. Wufei felt stranded on a road that he did not know. Behind him was familiarity, but there was also deception and pain. In front of him was a fog that felt impenetrable. If he took a step in, would he automatically know the way? Or will the storm toss him into a whirlwind over which he had no control?
* * *
Upon reaching Malbor, Heero realized two things: first, that he would probably be prohibited from killing anyone; and secondly, that joining Cobalt’s team sort of reinforced that.
Agent Maria Cobalt’s team specialised in recovery, which included the recovery of information, items, and people. In this case, it could mean all three things and, until he could contact Quatre once more, Heero couldn't be sure which of the three he had been assigned to. Of course, he probably wouldn't be expected to be hand over absolute control to Cobalt; just because he was a Preventer now didn't mean that he was any less edgy than before. Having his actions determined by another would mean problems for both parties - Quatre knew that from personal experience.
Heero stopped his motorcycle a fair distance away from the preordained rendezvous point. He wasn't sure whether the agent positioned behind the crumbling wall recognized him or not, but he'd rather not take the risk. Being shot and downed even before the mission started would have Wufei laughing at him for months.
It took a several minutes, but the agent finally confirmed his identity and revealed himself to Heero. After a curt greeting, he was led to a run-down warehouse that was identical to the many ones around it. Une was nothing if not thorough; she'd established a system of prearranged meeting places that were changed every so often to avoid being caught in a compromised location. It was ingenious, even if Heero thought that it was a waste of resources to arrange a rendezvous point at every city that was bigger than a hole in the ground.
"Agent Yuy," Cobalt acknowledged him with a nod.
Heero returned the gesture as his eyes ghosted over the operations inside the warehouse. There was an agent working quickly at setting up a grid on a computer that was connected to several other devices. Blueprints had been spread over the large metal table in the middle of the room, and a few other agents were hovering over it. It seemed that Une hadn't been reserved when planning the budget; this team had some of the best equipment that the ministry could afford.
"Have you made contact with Agent Winner?" Heero asked, turning back to Cobalt.
She nodded wordlessly and handed a light, compact communicator to him. The cord attached to it led to the computer system, so Heero assumed that it had been secured beforehand.
"Winner?" he spoke into it. "Come in."
"Heero!" came an animated reply. "Une wants us to disarm bombs - bombs, for Pete's sake! Why the fuck do we have bomb squads then? We should just go and shoot-"
"Shut up, Maxwell," Heero replied, feeling a sense of deja vu. He blinked his eyes tiredly, though he refused to let any other hint of fatigue show. "Winner, come in," he repeated with a light frown.
"Sorry about that," Quatre finally said, his voice sounding slightly disjointed. After a few flashes of static noise, the line became clear.
"What is the situation?" Heero demanded, pacing to a spot where he could keep an eye on all the entrances of the small building.
"As Duo said earlier, you will be required to disarm a few bombs. The situation is more serious than that, however."
Heero quickly pulled out his headphones and inserted it into the communication device, effectively blocking Quatre's voice from prying ears. He was still cautious - paranoid, if you will - despite the peaceful era that they have entered.
"The Preventers headquarters have been tracking an underground smuggling ring for several months now," Quatre continued, any trace of hesitation hidden from his voice. "The team assigned to this mission - Agent Duceppe's team - have been monitoring their activity for a while and have been preparing to shut it down. It was not until today, when they finally infiltrated the main building, that they found out about the group's true motive. Wide-scale bombs have been deployed to several cities and will be activated simultaneously today at a scheduled time in a five-pronged attack. The target in Malbor is the Wilman Hotel."
Heero's mind instantly registered this information and processed what it could possibly mean. Bombs, terrorist attack, Wilman Hotel, peace conference- His eyes narrowed dangerously as he deciphered the implications.
"The representatives who attended the banquet-?" he started.
"Yes," Quatre replied, his voice artificially calm. "The peace conference would have been the main event of this gathering. Of course, if we cancel it now, the terrorists will realize that we're on to them. That must be strictly avoided."
Of course. If they knew, they may move on with their plan before the designated time, or abandon it altogether. Then there was the option of changing it altogether. Heero understood the need for secrecy.
"And Cobalt’s team...?"
"Protection and, if necessary, the rescue of the representatives. The perpetrators must be caught as well."
Insuring the safety of everybody, friend and foe alike; Heero finally understood the need for this specialized team. If it'd been up to him, he'd have just stormed in and taken no prisoners.
"Of course, because of the lack of... resources, the agents and equipment we have available have been spread throughout the teams. Remember, take every precaution."
The Preventers were short on help...
"What about Wufei?" Heero asked before thinking.
Again, Heero was bitterly reminded of how much he'd screwed up. If his partner was here, a situation like this would not have been a problem at all. They would've completed it in no time, like how it'd always been before.
"The chief commander has approved his request for temporary leave due to his injuries," Quatre replied slowly.
That was a lie. Wufei had never asked for a leave. Heero wondered if Quatre was able to delude himself with all these lies in his life. He didn't have enough energy left to wonder more, but he will, later.
"With all your diplomacy, it's a shame that you aren't a politician," Duo interrupted in an amused voice.
Heero detected a slight undertone of agitation in his words; Duo had always hid it well with his boldness, but he was getting an adrenaline rush from the anticipation as well. It seemed that the boy who'd piloted Deathscythe was coming to the fore again. This could be good or bad, depending on how well Duo's learned to control his battle mentality.
"I do what I can," Quatre replied, his voice sounding tight.
Heero didn't have the energy to process this. Why was there always this meaningless conflict?
"Is that all?" he interrupted, ready to switch off the line.
"The detonation time is at 1500 hours," Quatre responded curtly. "Assume that the enemy has already infiltrated the building."
"Roger that," Heero muttered, finally disconnecting.
Quatre's guilt, Duo's frustration - he didn't need any of it. They meant well, but their unnecessary emotions were distracting both Heero and themselves. They were soldiers; they didn't need emotions for this job. And even if his overwhelming self-directed anger was making every cell in his body tense up to the point of spontaneous combustion - well, he couldn't do anything about that. Not right now.
Dismissing everything, Heero returned to the mission with grim acceptance. He was a soldier - he will fight.
(To Be Continued)
* * *
I've just discovered that I do not have a template for my posts. =T I really need to think of one, cause this is really driving me crazy. *smacks*
[ETA: Added links to other three chapters.]
Fandom: Gundam Wing
Pairing: 1x5
Rating: PG-13
A/N: I give up. I've been tweaking at this forever, so here it is. No more...! XP Imperfect, but that'll do. Heh.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
"Agen... there? Come... hear... me?"
A trickle of recognition at the back of his mind, as well as a sense of solemnity, led Heero to pull out his communicator and to yank on his headset. Playing with the dials, he finally tapped directly into the line.
"Winner?" he asked, brows furrowed. "Status."
Having Une personally call him to duty was enough reason for him to feel agitated about this mission; having all the other pilots involved just made it seem even more serious. Heero started preparing himself for the worst.
"I've been asked to coordinate this mission," Quatre replied, a hint of apology in his voice. "I can not give any details for the time being, but be assured that we'll be in contact later."
The line has not been secured, Heero picked up automatically from his unspoken words. Quatre wouldn't - couldn't - tell him anything until he could guarantee them a safe line. That was usual procedure, but Heero still felt frustrated by the lack of information that he was receiving. Berating himself internally, he sped up on the near-empty highway.
"Once you reach the city, your correspondent will be Agent Cobalt," Quatre continued. "Her team is waiting at the usual spot."
He was being really careful. Heero felt a further rush of adrenaline flood his body, which only served to heighten his agitation. He wanted to know what was happening, and what was important enough to call one of the best specialist teams into play. It was highly possible that all the other ex-pilots were involved in this mission as well. It would surprise him, but the information he was getting seemed to reflect a situation that would call for it. Again, Heero couldn't ask Quatre and expect an answer. He cursed having left his equipment at the house.
"Acknowledged," Heero replied tersely. "I'll contact you once I reach my destination."
He finally disconnected from Quatre with a frustrated grunt, shoving the communicator back into his pocket. Tightening his hold on the grips, Heero sped up as much as possible to arrive there soon and to get it over with. He was going to be working with a renowned specialist team - he really should be glad about that. But he couldn't get out of his mind the thought that he'd much rather work with his long-accustomed partner, and would have if not for the fact that he'd screwed up royally. So, really, he had no room to complain.
Scowling, Heero banished that thought into the deepest part of his mind. There was no room in this mission for him to start thinking about irrelevant things.
...But of course, his mind had always been a traitor to him, and the unsettling feeling of being unbalanced wouldn't leave him no matter how hard he tried.
* * *
The damned communicator blinked at him again from its spot haphazardly chosen in Wufei's duffel bag. For a moment, Wufei considered tossing it out the window. He then decided that it would cause him too much trouble and that the window was too far away in any case.
"Agent Chang."
Feeling a sickly feeling at the base of his abdomen, Wufei grabbed the small device and connected.
"Commander Noin," he acknowledged, hoping that his voice didn't sound as agitated as he felt.
"I am contacting you to confirm your request for temporary leave sent in by Agent Yuy," she proceeded in an utterly formal voice.
Wufei was speechless. Temporary leave...?
"The request has been permitted, but the length of term has yet to be decided. The bureau will contact you with further details at a later time, so please remain accessible."
Wufei's mind raced as it searched for appropriate words to answer to this. 'What the fuck' was probably not a good idea, but he really didn't care at the moment. When the fuck did Wufei ever say to Heero that he needed some time off-duty? Why the fuck would Heero do this without even asking him first?
"I... I don't-" Wufei floundered, feeling flustered.
"Your injuries have been taken into consideration, but it is not possible at the moment to grant complete leave to any agent," Noin continued as if not having heard him. "Please be advised that you may be called into action depending on the situation."
Wufei felt his confusion and frustration grow as Noin carried on in that utterly detached voice. Was his opinion not important at all in this matter? Had Heero grown to distrust him so much that he was making his decisions for him now? Or did Heero think that he had the right to screw around Wufei's life, just like what he had done a few days ago? All this only served to make Wufei even more furious than he already was.
"Commander Noin, is it possible to speak directly with the chief commander?"
Demanding an answer from Noin would be useless. Wufei needed to talk with either Une or Heero if he wanted to do something about this request, and - right now - he really did not want to see Heero's face.
"Unfortunately, that is not possible right now due to some urgent business that the chief commander must attend to. However, she may contact you personally at a later time."
Wufei felt like cursing at the injustice of the world.
"Until later," Noin said, already dismissing him, "Agent Wufei Chang."
Wufei's brain halted and his body jerked backwards as if physically restraining him from reacting. This was wrong; this was so wrong, and he had no idea why it took him this long to see it. Thank God he'd snapped out of his daze before making a fool out of himself. Noin never called agents by their full names, especially those with whom she had a relation that was a more-than-acquaintance sort of thing. If that hadn't been a big enough hint to make him realize, then seeing Wing Zero tap dance on Mars would probably not knock any sense into him either.
Sitting back, Wufei forced himself to shut up and think rationally. Of course, if he'd been in his original condition, he would never have gotten this distracted. In any case, now was the opportunity to regain his senses and use his analytical skills to solve this secret that was eluding him.
Heero requesting for his leave was a big enough clue. His partner wasn't someone who'd suddenly do something stupid like that, especially knowing that Wufei would kick his ass for it. Besides, at a time like this when the baddies seem to be more active than ever, Une would be crazy to permit a request for an undetermined length of leave. Noin had even said it herself; Une was constantly occupied with urgent business, so she needed all her agents at headquarters.
But how does it connect to Noin's call? Her call hadn't merely been a confirmation call; she had some other message, one that Wufei really didn't get at the moment. He bit his inside cheek, furrowing his brows to think about it. His "request" had been granted, so now he had the opportunity to leave the city for a while. The stipulation was clear though: he could be called back at any time, so he had to remain accessible. Those were the blanks; all he needed were the answers to fill them in.
And then it clicked. Wufei wondered whether the drugs he'd taken had really screwed up his brain. He had to remain accessible because they will call him to duty any time now. They needed him to go on to the outside so that he could do a one-eighty and attack when shit hits the fan. And, of course, all this was done in secrecy and in code. What the hell was happening in the places surrounding the city so that Une had to be this careful? Then again, what was happening in the place that he'd just left?
As Wufei turned his head towards the train window, he decided that perhaps he didn't want to know after all. Indeed, it was making him so very tired of it all. At moments like these, it was only his self-condescension that kept him going through his missions. Even if he was leaving his personal life - hah! - behind, he still had his duty to perform, which he could not abandon. It was he who had pledged himself to fight for the people, and that is what he will do, even if he was shattered in the process.
At times like these when life did not seem to hold any meaning other than his responsibility to fulfill his duty, Wufei felt utterly bitter about the world. He understood that, in reality, that was all there was to his existence. That was the reason why he'd always tried to stay as sharply honed as possible, so that he can revel in the meaning of his life. He will continue to work towards upgrading his skills so that he could satisfy his need for control over his fate. And Heero helped. Having his partner there, displaying his perfection, was one way that Wufei used to set goals for himself. With Heero there, Wufei felt safe in the knowledge that there's more to life, that there's something higher and better, that maybe he could possibly reach that perfection one day.
But this time, Heero disappointed him; Heero had hurt him. Wufei had trusted him to be his foundation stone, and he'd turned and let Wufei fall. No, it was more like Heero had let him lean against him initially for support, but then went ahead and enveloped him entirely. What Heero had done had crushed through the layers of confidence that Wufei'd raised up around him. It caused him to second guess himself and doubt everything that he was. Heero had decided that Wufei couldn't take care of himself properly. Was he right? Was that what it meant to be partners? To have this suffocating air? To give up all of one's control to the other?
The sky was bright, contrasting heavily with his dark mood. Wufei felt stranded on a road that he did not know. Behind him was familiarity, but there was also deception and pain. In front of him was a fog that felt impenetrable. If he took a step in, would he automatically know the way? Or will the storm toss him into a whirlwind over which he had no control?
* * *
Upon reaching Malbor, Heero realized two things: first, that he would probably be prohibited from killing anyone; and secondly, that joining Cobalt’s team sort of reinforced that.
Agent Maria Cobalt’s team specialised in recovery, which included the recovery of information, items, and people. In this case, it could mean all three things and, until he could contact Quatre once more, Heero couldn't be sure which of the three he had been assigned to. Of course, he probably wouldn't be expected to be hand over absolute control to Cobalt; just because he was a Preventer now didn't mean that he was any less edgy than before. Having his actions determined by another would mean problems for both parties - Quatre knew that from personal experience.
Heero stopped his motorcycle a fair distance away from the preordained rendezvous point. He wasn't sure whether the agent positioned behind the crumbling wall recognized him or not, but he'd rather not take the risk. Being shot and downed even before the mission started would have Wufei laughing at him for months.
It took a several minutes, but the agent finally confirmed his identity and revealed himself to Heero. After a curt greeting, he was led to a run-down warehouse that was identical to the many ones around it. Une was nothing if not thorough; she'd established a system of prearranged meeting places that were changed every so often to avoid being caught in a compromised location. It was ingenious, even if Heero thought that it was a waste of resources to arrange a rendezvous point at every city that was bigger than a hole in the ground.
"Agent Yuy," Cobalt acknowledged him with a nod.
Heero returned the gesture as his eyes ghosted over the operations inside the warehouse. There was an agent working quickly at setting up a grid on a computer that was connected to several other devices. Blueprints had been spread over the large metal table in the middle of the room, and a few other agents were hovering over it. It seemed that Une hadn't been reserved when planning the budget; this team had some of the best equipment that the ministry could afford.
"Have you made contact with Agent Winner?" Heero asked, turning back to Cobalt.
She nodded wordlessly and handed a light, compact communicator to him. The cord attached to it led to the computer system, so Heero assumed that it had been secured beforehand.
"Winner?" he spoke into it. "Come in."
"Heero!" came an animated reply. "Une wants us to disarm bombs - bombs, for Pete's sake! Why the fuck do we have bomb squads then? We should just go and shoot-"
"Shut up, Maxwell," Heero replied, feeling a sense of deja vu. He blinked his eyes tiredly, though he refused to let any other hint of fatigue show. "Winner, come in," he repeated with a light frown.
"Sorry about that," Quatre finally said, his voice sounding slightly disjointed. After a few flashes of static noise, the line became clear.
"What is the situation?" Heero demanded, pacing to a spot where he could keep an eye on all the entrances of the small building.
"As Duo said earlier, you will be required to disarm a few bombs. The situation is more serious than that, however."
Heero quickly pulled out his headphones and inserted it into the communication device, effectively blocking Quatre's voice from prying ears. He was still cautious - paranoid, if you will - despite the peaceful era that they have entered.
"The Preventers headquarters have been tracking an underground smuggling ring for several months now," Quatre continued, any trace of hesitation hidden from his voice. "The team assigned to this mission - Agent Duceppe's team - have been monitoring their activity for a while and have been preparing to shut it down. It was not until today, when they finally infiltrated the main building, that they found out about the group's true motive. Wide-scale bombs have been deployed to several cities and will be activated simultaneously today at a scheduled time in a five-pronged attack. The target in Malbor is the Wilman Hotel."
Heero's mind instantly registered this information and processed what it could possibly mean. Bombs, terrorist attack, Wilman Hotel, peace conference- His eyes narrowed dangerously as he deciphered the implications.
"The representatives who attended the banquet-?" he started.
"Yes," Quatre replied, his voice artificially calm. "The peace conference would have been the main event of this gathering. Of course, if we cancel it now, the terrorists will realize that we're on to them. That must be strictly avoided."
Of course. If they knew, they may move on with their plan before the designated time, or abandon it altogether. Then there was the option of changing it altogether. Heero understood the need for secrecy.
"And Cobalt’s team...?"
"Protection and, if necessary, the rescue of the representatives. The perpetrators must be caught as well."
Insuring the safety of everybody, friend and foe alike; Heero finally understood the need for this specialized team. If it'd been up to him, he'd have just stormed in and taken no prisoners.
"Of course, because of the lack of... resources, the agents and equipment we have available have been spread throughout the teams. Remember, take every precaution."
The Preventers were short on help...
"What about Wufei?" Heero asked before thinking.
Again, Heero was bitterly reminded of how much he'd screwed up. If his partner was here, a situation like this would not have been a problem at all. They would've completed it in no time, like how it'd always been before.
"The chief commander has approved his request for temporary leave due to his injuries," Quatre replied slowly.
That was a lie. Wufei had never asked for a leave. Heero wondered if Quatre was able to delude himself with all these lies in his life. He didn't have enough energy left to wonder more, but he will, later.
"With all your diplomacy, it's a shame that you aren't a politician," Duo interrupted in an amused voice.
Heero detected a slight undertone of agitation in his words; Duo had always hid it well with his boldness, but he was getting an adrenaline rush from the anticipation as well. It seemed that the boy who'd piloted Deathscythe was coming to the fore again. This could be good or bad, depending on how well Duo's learned to control his battle mentality.
"I do what I can," Quatre replied, his voice sounding tight.
Heero didn't have the energy to process this. Why was there always this meaningless conflict?
"Is that all?" he interrupted, ready to switch off the line.
"The detonation time is at 1500 hours," Quatre responded curtly. "Assume that the enemy has already infiltrated the building."
"Roger that," Heero muttered, finally disconnecting.
Quatre's guilt, Duo's frustration - he didn't need any of it. They meant well, but their unnecessary emotions were distracting both Heero and themselves. They were soldiers; they didn't need emotions for this job. And even if his overwhelming self-directed anger was making every cell in his body tense up to the point of spontaneous combustion - well, he couldn't do anything about that. Not right now.
Dismissing everything, Heero returned to the mission with grim acceptance. He was a soldier - he will fight.
(To Be Continued)
* * *
I've just discovered that I do not have a template for my posts. =T I really need to think of one, cause this is really driving me crazy. *smacks*
[ETA: Added links to other three chapters.]