Masterminds - Chapter Three
Masterminds
By Misanagi
Rating: R / M
Pairings: 1+2, 3+4+5, 6x9
Summary: Safety is only an illusion. Unexpected events can happen anytime anywhere. The key is learning how to deal with them, and face them head on.
Warnings: AU, School fic, violence, action. Sequel to "Shattered Glass"
Notes: Fusion with the movie "Masterminds".
- Previous parts can be found here.
- Read other fics of the arc on my Gundanium Line archive or in the different LJ posts.
Thanks a lot to Anne for beta reading.
Chapter Three
Duo coughed violently. Quatre and Trowa had stopped moving and were coughing loudly too. Duo could feel his radio vibrate. Heero and Wufei were trying to tell them something but Duo couldn't understand them. The last thing they had said was that the way out was near. Duo closed his eyes, since the smoke had irritated them enough to have tears running down his cheeks, and forced himself to move forward. They weren't that far away, they could make it.
Sensing that Quatre wasn't moving, Duo reached back with his hand and felt around until he found Quatre's hand. Quatre immediately grasped Duo's hand and Duo squeezed softly before gently pulling Quatre, urging him to move. Slowly, Quatre began to follow and Duo increased his pace. They didn't have a lot of time.
Suddenly his hand fell on empty air and Duo opened his eyes. They had reached the end of the vent and the last panel below him had been removed. Not wasting any time, Duo awkwardly shifted his feet forward and jumped out of the vent. He landed on his feet but lost his balance and fell to his knees, coughing.
Wufei was standing beside him but before he could help Duo up, Quatre tumbled out of the vent, head first. He landed on his hands and knees and stayed on the ground, gasping between coughs for air. Wufei was immediately crouching beside Quatre and helping him up. Three bags suddenly fell on the floor, followed by Trowa, who jumped from the vent, landing perfectly on his feet.
Duo noticed then that on the floor next to him were the small stool he kept on the backroom, his toolbox and the vent panel. "You kept the screws?" he asked Wufei, already grabbing a screwdriver and climbing on the stool. "We'd better put this back."
Wufei moved away from Quatre and immediately Trowa took his place. Duo smiled at them and waited for Wufei to hand him the panel and the screws. In a few minutes Duo had the panel back in place; no one would even know that they had exited through there. He grabbed his toolbox, Wufei took the stool and they headed quickly to the backroom.
Heero was typing on his laptop but he stopped when he saw them come in. Duo immediately walked towards him. "What the fuck is going on!?" he coughed. His throat was still irritated.
Quatre, Wufei and Trowa sat on the inflatable chairs and Duo took the seat next to Heero.
"Bottom line," said Heero, handing Duo a bottle of water from his backpack, "armed men have taken over the school."
"What?" Duo asked while Quatre had a coughing fit. After taking a sip from the water, Duo closed the bottle and threw it at Quatre, who caught it easily.
"The teachers and all the staff are either unconscious or being held at gun point in the faculty room," Heero continued. "The new security system was all a scam to allow them to take control of the school, and they did."
"They wanted me. They came for me," Quatre said in a small voice. He looked very pale and Duo doubted that it was because of the smoke he had inhaled. Then Quatre blinked and his eyes turned cold, colder than Duo had ever seen. "This is not happening again." He shook his head. "No one else is dying because of me."
Duo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean again?"
"I…" Quatre was touching his neck while he shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."
Like hell he wasn't! There was obviously something bothering Quatre very much, and Duo had every intention of finding out what it was. However, before he could say anything, Wufei spoke. "Quatre, they need to know. We are all involved in this. You are not alone." Wufei's tone was firm but gentle, and Duo could hear some sadness there too. What the hell was happening? What didn't he know?
Quatre was nervous. The fingers on his neck kept moving, as if he was touching something, and Duo remembered that Quatre had a small scar there, and now that he thought about it, Quatre had always changed the subject when Duo had asked how he'd gotten it. Finally, Quatre looked at Wufei and nodded once before dropping his eyes to the floor.
Wufei swallowed and then spoke in a controlled voice. "Quatre was kidnapped four years ago." He put a hand on Quatre's shoulder. "He was rescued by the police forty hours later." He leaned back slightly on his seat. "That's the reason his father is so overprotective."
In a moment Duo was out of his chair, kneeling in front of Quatre and hugging him. "Man, Q. I didn't know."
Quatre's body was tense. "I don't want to talk about it," he said, simply.
Duo bit his lip but stood up and went back to his seat, silently. Heero's arms were crossed over his chest and he was studying Quatre carefully, but he didn't look like he was going to ask any questions.
Trowa's eyes were fixed on Quatre's neck. "That's when you got that?"
Wufei didn't answer this time. Quatre kept his eyes on the floor as he said, "I… one of them tried to… tried to kill me. This," his fingers ran over the scar one more time before he finally moved his hand away, "was as far as he got."
It took a moment for Duo to realize that he was holding his breath. "What happened in the vent?" he asked suddenly. "Are you claustrophobic, Cat?"
Quatre sighed. "I just don't like dark and silent places." He ran a hand through his hair and then looked at Duo. "Can we please stop talking about this?"
They all nodded reluctantly.
Heero turned back to his laptop and, for a few moments, the only sound in the room was his typing. "Excluding Duo," he said, breaking the silence, "the people they took to the art room are the richest students in the school."
"They are among the richest in the country," Wufei added.
"Tsubarov wasn't very happy that I was coming on the field trip," Duo said. "But Cat and I were about to make a scene so he let me tag along."
Quatre smiled softly. "I can't thank you enough for that, Duo." He then turned to Trowa and said, "I got a peek at the list. Your name was on it."
Trowa frowned slightly. Not many people knew exactly how much money Trowa's family had. After finding out that he had grown in a circus, most kids in school looked down at him and kept their distance. The fact that Trowa wasn't exactly a social person and that he had made friends with Wufei and Quatre had also helped him get labeled as one of the rejects. People thought that Trowa didn't come from a very rich family but the fact was that even though his parents traveled and performed with the circus, they also owned that one and another thirty traveling circus around the world, some which were very famous acts that were sold out months in advance.
"It looks like they did their homework." Duo was starting to understand the gravity of the situation. "We need to call the cops."
"The lines are dead," replied Heero. "And the cellphone signal is being blocked."
"What about the internet?" asked Quatre.
"We can't just send an email to the police," said Trowa. "They wouldn't believe us."
Heero looked at the computer and smirked. "I have an idea."
Duo looked at him in shock. "You are not thinking…" The smirk was still on Heero's face when he started to type and Duo groaned. "Man, Heero, J is crazy!"
"Eccentric," Heero corrected. "And that's just what we need right now."
"Fuck," Duo whispered. "We are gonna get in so much trouble…"
* * *
"What do you mean they escaped?" Tsubarov yelled, while hitting the table with his closed fist.
Before him, Alex shifted from one foot to another. "Sorry, Sir. It was very unexpected. They just ran to one of the labs, barricaded themselves in and crawled into the ventilation system."
"Did you follow them?" Tsubarov was quickly losing his patience. How difficult could it be to control a few teenagers? Unarmed teenagers that shouldn't even be aware that they were being kidnapped?
The fact that the principal was silent and looking amused wasn't helping Tsubarov's temper. The woman had listened quietly to Alex's explanation of what had happened but she hadn't bothered to hide the small smile.
"Sir, the vents are way too small for any of us to crawl into. We did set up a smoke bomb inside, hoping to draw them out."
Tsubarov glared at Alex. "I can see how successful that brilliant idea was." He almost calmed down slightly when he noticed the smile on the principal's face had disappeared. Apparently the idea of them attacking the students with smoke bombs wasn't amusing.
Alex dropped his gaze. "We think they managed to exit the vents beforehand. There's no other explanation."
"Yes there is; you are a moron!" Tsubarov punctuated his words with another hit to the table. "I don't care about the one with the braid, but you will find the Winner boy and bring him to me." The threat of what would happen if Alex didn't was implicit in his voice.
"Yes, Sir!" Alex said and retreated quickly from the control room.
Tsubarov felt like hitting the table again but his hand was already throbbing from the two previous hits. Next time, he would simply take out his anger on Alex's face. The moron couldn't have lost any other hostage? Yes, they were all important but the Winner boy was essential. Without him the whole operation could be a big failure.
Turning to the principal, Tsubarov gave her a threatening look. "These are your students. Problem students according to what you've told me. You should know where they are."
The principal raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I would tell you even if I did?"
Tsubarov grabbed the principal's blouse, but her expression didn't change. She wasn't afraid. This woman wasn't easily intimidated. "If you tell me, I won't punish the boys when they are found, and I assure you, they will be."
Brushing Tsubarov's hand away, the principal straightened her blouse and gave him a cold stare. "It you touch any of these students--"
"You'll what, dear?" Tsubarov allowed himself a smile. "What can you do?"
"I'll be sure you are sorry." Her tone suggested it wasn't an empty threat.
The woman wasn't going to help. She probably didn't even know where the boys had gone. "Nichol," he said walking to the man in charge of running the new security system. "Is there any way for the brats to have left the school?"
"No." Nichol typed a command on the keyboard and the screen suddenly displayed a three-dimensional map of the school. "We have land mines in these spots." He gestured to the soccer field at the back and the empty space facing the forest. "The gates are locked and we have posted men on all the exit points and around the perimeter. Not counting the many cameras that are around the school. They are hiding somewhere."
"If the cameras are so effective then why haven’t you found where they are hiding?" All this expensive technology and months of preparation, for what? So two smart-ass kids - three including the mysterious one that had supposedly just appeared from the sky - could evade it all somehow? It was ridiculous. Tsubarov wanted them found and he wanted to show them why trying to be smart wasn't really a good idea. Yes, he could take his anger out on them instead of the table. It would be much more satisfying.
"We have many cameras but they aren't everywhere." Nichol displayed various camera feeds on a split screen. "We covered the most important places but the building is big and the perimeter, large. However, I am certain they couldn't have slipped out undetected."
Tsubarov focused on the camera view of the front gate. There was a car there and a woman had just got out to talk to the men at the entrance. He might not know exactly where Quatre Winner was but he did know that he was still in the school, and therefore, still in his custody. It was time to get serious and move to the next stage of the plan, and Alex had better find the brat soon. He took one of the radios from the table and spoke, clearly. "Gentlemen, It's time to make our presence known."
* * *
At first Catherine had thought that maybe she should just leave the paper lying on the living room table where she had found it. Trowa needed to learn to be more responsible and not forget his homework. Really, Catherine couldn't be expected to drive to Saint Charles every day because his brother had forgotten something again. But then she had remembered going to bed at eleven and saying goodnight to his brother who was still working on his paper. She couldn't let him be punished when she knew he had worked so hard at it.
That was why her car was in front of the school gates and she was waiting to be let in. The doorman was new. The chubby short guy Trowa always complained about was nowhere to be seen and this new guy didn't know Catherine and said he needed to confirm her identity before she was let in.
She looked at her watch. If this new doorman didn't move she would be late for her ten thirty class. Maybe she wouldn't be nice to Trowa next time.
When she had asked their parents for permission to go to college and leave the circus for the duration of her schooling she hadn't expected Trowa to ask to go with her. Her little brother had always loved the circus and neither Catherine nor their parents thought he would like to experience life outside the big top. But Trowa had been insistent, and seeing as Catherine was already going, they had agreed to allow Trowa to join her.
Saint Charles Academy was the best school near Catherine's college and the arrangement of living alone with her brother had turned out better than expected. Their parents paid for the apartment and expenses and saw their children whenever they were in town, but the Bartons traveled a lot, so Catherine and Trowa were mostly by themselves.
Catherine liked living with her little brother, but there were moments, like right now, when she would have cheerfully sent him back to the circus and his lions.
With a sigh she opened the car door and stepped out.
"Listen, I'm really late. I'm a registered guardian and my name should be on the list." She started walking towards the gate with Trowa's paper on her hand. "I just need to leave this fo-"
Quick reflexes and years of training allowed Catherine to jump back when the first shot was fired. Instinctively, she took refuge behind the car and put her arms over her head.
What the fuck was going on!?
Why were they shooting at her?
She resisted the urge to close her eyes and did her best to see what was happening around her. The car didn't let her see much, but from the corner of her eye she noticed that there wasn't just one man shooting at her, but at least three.
Finally the noise stopped and Catherine took a deep breath.
It's now or never, she thought as she stood up and ran towards the nearby woods.
* * *
TBC
By Misanagi
Rating: R / M
Pairings: 1+2, 3+4+5, 6x9
Summary: Safety is only an illusion. Unexpected events can happen anytime anywhere. The key is learning how to deal with them, and face them head on.
Warnings: AU, School fic, violence, action. Sequel to "Shattered Glass"
Notes: Fusion with the movie "Masterminds".
- Previous parts can be found here.
- Read other fics of the arc on my Gundanium Line archive or in the different LJ posts.
Thanks a lot to Anne for beta reading.
Chapter Three
Duo coughed violently. Quatre and Trowa had stopped moving and were coughing loudly too. Duo could feel his radio vibrate. Heero and Wufei were trying to tell them something but Duo couldn't understand them. The last thing they had said was that the way out was near. Duo closed his eyes, since the smoke had irritated them enough to have tears running down his cheeks, and forced himself to move forward. They weren't that far away, they could make it.
Sensing that Quatre wasn't moving, Duo reached back with his hand and felt around until he found Quatre's hand. Quatre immediately grasped Duo's hand and Duo squeezed softly before gently pulling Quatre, urging him to move. Slowly, Quatre began to follow and Duo increased his pace. They didn't have a lot of time.
Suddenly his hand fell on empty air and Duo opened his eyes. They had reached the end of the vent and the last panel below him had been removed. Not wasting any time, Duo awkwardly shifted his feet forward and jumped out of the vent. He landed on his feet but lost his balance and fell to his knees, coughing.
Wufei was standing beside him but before he could help Duo up, Quatre tumbled out of the vent, head first. He landed on his hands and knees and stayed on the ground, gasping between coughs for air. Wufei was immediately crouching beside Quatre and helping him up. Three bags suddenly fell on the floor, followed by Trowa, who jumped from the vent, landing perfectly on his feet.
Duo noticed then that on the floor next to him were the small stool he kept on the backroom, his toolbox and the vent panel. "You kept the screws?" he asked Wufei, already grabbing a screwdriver and climbing on the stool. "We'd better put this back."
Wufei moved away from Quatre and immediately Trowa took his place. Duo smiled at them and waited for Wufei to hand him the panel and the screws. In a few minutes Duo had the panel back in place; no one would even know that they had exited through there. He grabbed his toolbox, Wufei took the stool and they headed quickly to the backroom.
Heero was typing on his laptop but he stopped when he saw them come in. Duo immediately walked towards him. "What the fuck is going on!?" he coughed. His throat was still irritated.
Quatre, Wufei and Trowa sat on the inflatable chairs and Duo took the seat next to Heero.
"Bottom line," said Heero, handing Duo a bottle of water from his backpack, "armed men have taken over the school."
"What?" Duo asked while Quatre had a coughing fit. After taking a sip from the water, Duo closed the bottle and threw it at Quatre, who caught it easily.
"The teachers and all the staff are either unconscious or being held at gun point in the faculty room," Heero continued. "The new security system was all a scam to allow them to take control of the school, and they did."
"They wanted me. They came for me," Quatre said in a small voice. He looked very pale and Duo doubted that it was because of the smoke he had inhaled. Then Quatre blinked and his eyes turned cold, colder than Duo had ever seen. "This is not happening again." He shook his head. "No one else is dying because of me."
Duo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean again?"
"I…" Quatre was touching his neck while he shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."
Like hell he wasn't! There was obviously something bothering Quatre very much, and Duo had every intention of finding out what it was. However, before he could say anything, Wufei spoke. "Quatre, they need to know. We are all involved in this. You are not alone." Wufei's tone was firm but gentle, and Duo could hear some sadness there too. What the hell was happening? What didn't he know?
Quatre was nervous. The fingers on his neck kept moving, as if he was touching something, and Duo remembered that Quatre had a small scar there, and now that he thought about it, Quatre had always changed the subject when Duo had asked how he'd gotten it. Finally, Quatre looked at Wufei and nodded once before dropping his eyes to the floor.
Wufei swallowed and then spoke in a controlled voice. "Quatre was kidnapped four years ago." He put a hand on Quatre's shoulder. "He was rescued by the police forty hours later." He leaned back slightly on his seat. "That's the reason his father is so overprotective."
In a moment Duo was out of his chair, kneeling in front of Quatre and hugging him. "Man, Q. I didn't know."
Quatre's body was tense. "I don't want to talk about it," he said, simply.
Duo bit his lip but stood up and went back to his seat, silently. Heero's arms were crossed over his chest and he was studying Quatre carefully, but he didn't look like he was going to ask any questions.
Trowa's eyes were fixed on Quatre's neck. "That's when you got that?"
Wufei didn't answer this time. Quatre kept his eyes on the floor as he said, "I… one of them tried to… tried to kill me. This," his fingers ran over the scar one more time before he finally moved his hand away, "was as far as he got."
It took a moment for Duo to realize that he was holding his breath. "What happened in the vent?" he asked suddenly. "Are you claustrophobic, Cat?"
Quatre sighed. "I just don't like dark and silent places." He ran a hand through his hair and then looked at Duo. "Can we please stop talking about this?"
They all nodded reluctantly.
Heero turned back to his laptop and, for a few moments, the only sound in the room was his typing. "Excluding Duo," he said, breaking the silence, "the people they took to the art room are the richest students in the school."
"They are among the richest in the country," Wufei added.
"Tsubarov wasn't very happy that I was coming on the field trip," Duo said. "But Cat and I were about to make a scene so he let me tag along."
Quatre smiled softly. "I can't thank you enough for that, Duo." He then turned to Trowa and said, "I got a peek at the list. Your name was on it."
Trowa frowned slightly. Not many people knew exactly how much money Trowa's family had. After finding out that he had grown in a circus, most kids in school looked down at him and kept their distance. The fact that Trowa wasn't exactly a social person and that he had made friends with Wufei and Quatre had also helped him get labeled as one of the rejects. People thought that Trowa didn't come from a very rich family but the fact was that even though his parents traveled and performed with the circus, they also owned that one and another thirty traveling circus around the world, some which were very famous acts that were sold out months in advance.
"It looks like they did their homework." Duo was starting to understand the gravity of the situation. "We need to call the cops."
"The lines are dead," replied Heero. "And the cellphone signal is being blocked."
"What about the internet?" asked Quatre.
"We can't just send an email to the police," said Trowa. "They wouldn't believe us."
Heero looked at the computer and smirked. "I have an idea."
Duo looked at him in shock. "You are not thinking…" The smirk was still on Heero's face when he started to type and Duo groaned. "Man, Heero, J is crazy!"
"Eccentric," Heero corrected. "And that's just what we need right now."
"Fuck," Duo whispered. "We are gonna get in so much trouble…"
* * *
"What do you mean they escaped?" Tsubarov yelled, while hitting the table with his closed fist.
Before him, Alex shifted from one foot to another. "Sorry, Sir. It was very unexpected. They just ran to one of the labs, barricaded themselves in and crawled into the ventilation system."
"Did you follow them?" Tsubarov was quickly losing his patience. How difficult could it be to control a few teenagers? Unarmed teenagers that shouldn't even be aware that they were being kidnapped?
The fact that the principal was silent and looking amused wasn't helping Tsubarov's temper. The woman had listened quietly to Alex's explanation of what had happened but she hadn't bothered to hide the small smile.
"Sir, the vents are way too small for any of us to crawl into. We did set up a smoke bomb inside, hoping to draw them out."
Tsubarov glared at Alex. "I can see how successful that brilliant idea was." He almost calmed down slightly when he noticed the smile on the principal's face had disappeared. Apparently the idea of them attacking the students with smoke bombs wasn't amusing.
Alex dropped his gaze. "We think they managed to exit the vents beforehand. There's no other explanation."
"Yes there is; you are a moron!" Tsubarov punctuated his words with another hit to the table. "I don't care about the one with the braid, but you will find the Winner boy and bring him to me." The threat of what would happen if Alex didn't was implicit in his voice.
"Yes, Sir!" Alex said and retreated quickly from the control room.
Tsubarov felt like hitting the table again but his hand was already throbbing from the two previous hits. Next time, he would simply take out his anger on Alex's face. The moron couldn't have lost any other hostage? Yes, they were all important but the Winner boy was essential. Without him the whole operation could be a big failure.
Turning to the principal, Tsubarov gave her a threatening look. "These are your students. Problem students according to what you've told me. You should know where they are."
The principal raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I would tell you even if I did?"
Tsubarov grabbed the principal's blouse, but her expression didn't change. She wasn't afraid. This woman wasn't easily intimidated. "If you tell me, I won't punish the boys when they are found, and I assure you, they will be."
Brushing Tsubarov's hand away, the principal straightened her blouse and gave him a cold stare. "It you touch any of these students--"
"You'll what, dear?" Tsubarov allowed himself a smile. "What can you do?"
"I'll be sure you are sorry." Her tone suggested it wasn't an empty threat.
The woman wasn't going to help. She probably didn't even know where the boys had gone. "Nichol," he said walking to the man in charge of running the new security system. "Is there any way for the brats to have left the school?"
"No." Nichol typed a command on the keyboard and the screen suddenly displayed a three-dimensional map of the school. "We have land mines in these spots." He gestured to the soccer field at the back and the empty space facing the forest. "The gates are locked and we have posted men on all the exit points and around the perimeter. Not counting the many cameras that are around the school. They are hiding somewhere."
"If the cameras are so effective then why haven’t you found where they are hiding?" All this expensive technology and months of preparation, for what? So two smart-ass kids - three including the mysterious one that had supposedly just appeared from the sky - could evade it all somehow? It was ridiculous. Tsubarov wanted them found and he wanted to show them why trying to be smart wasn't really a good idea. Yes, he could take his anger out on them instead of the table. It would be much more satisfying.
"We have many cameras but they aren't everywhere." Nichol displayed various camera feeds on a split screen. "We covered the most important places but the building is big and the perimeter, large. However, I am certain they couldn't have slipped out undetected."
Tsubarov focused on the camera view of the front gate. There was a car there and a woman had just got out to talk to the men at the entrance. He might not know exactly where Quatre Winner was but he did know that he was still in the school, and therefore, still in his custody. It was time to get serious and move to the next stage of the plan, and Alex had better find the brat soon. He took one of the radios from the table and spoke, clearly. "Gentlemen, It's time to make our presence known."
* * *
At first Catherine had thought that maybe she should just leave the paper lying on the living room table where she had found it. Trowa needed to learn to be more responsible and not forget his homework. Really, Catherine couldn't be expected to drive to Saint Charles every day because his brother had forgotten something again. But then she had remembered going to bed at eleven and saying goodnight to his brother who was still working on his paper. She couldn't let him be punished when she knew he had worked so hard at it.
That was why her car was in front of the school gates and she was waiting to be let in. The doorman was new. The chubby short guy Trowa always complained about was nowhere to be seen and this new guy didn't know Catherine and said he needed to confirm her identity before she was let in.
She looked at her watch. If this new doorman didn't move she would be late for her ten thirty class. Maybe she wouldn't be nice to Trowa next time.
When she had asked their parents for permission to go to college and leave the circus for the duration of her schooling she hadn't expected Trowa to ask to go with her. Her little brother had always loved the circus and neither Catherine nor their parents thought he would like to experience life outside the big top. But Trowa had been insistent, and seeing as Catherine was already going, they had agreed to allow Trowa to join her.
Saint Charles Academy was the best school near Catherine's college and the arrangement of living alone with her brother had turned out better than expected. Their parents paid for the apartment and expenses and saw their children whenever they were in town, but the Bartons traveled a lot, so Catherine and Trowa were mostly by themselves.
Catherine liked living with her little brother, but there were moments, like right now, when she would have cheerfully sent him back to the circus and his lions.
With a sigh she opened the car door and stepped out.
"Listen, I'm really late. I'm a registered guardian and my name should be on the list." She started walking towards the gate with Trowa's paper on her hand. "I just need to leave this fo-"
Quick reflexes and years of training allowed Catherine to jump back when the first shot was fired. Instinctively, she took refuge behind the car and put her arms over her head.
What the fuck was going on!?
Why were they shooting at her?
She resisted the urge to close her eyes and did her best to see what was happening around her. The car didn't let her see much, but from the corner of her eye she noticed that there wasn't just one man shooting at her, but at least three.
Finally the noise stopped and Catherine took a deep breath.
It's now or never, she thought as she stood up and ran towards the nearby woods.
* * *
TBC