26-Aug-2000
Title: Mission Arcadia
bonnejean & vonceia *present* RavynFyre & Kateri MarieCategory: yaoi, AU
in The B&V Guest Authors Series!
Duo - words, thoughts, actions - RavynFyre
Heero - words, thoughts actions - Kateri Marie
Rip & Jack, Their World and General Production - bonnejeanne & vonceia
It was dark but the feeling of pre-dawn was in the air. There was something else as well... a taste of salt and moisture. Duo recognized it - they were close to the sea. He also recognized something else. There was a storm coming. A... big one. The clouds were flying overhead and the wind came up, then died, then came up again, heavy with tension and cold as the wind mixed the upper atmosphere with the lower.
Ahead of them, they saw a wide grass plain that sloped up about a mile or so from their present position. The wind came from over that slight ridge and that was where the sea was - out of sight but Duo was certain of it.
Almost to the ridge, they saw an obstruction on the landscape. A set of building, planted in the middle of nowhere. Not large, but two of the buildings had small, odd-looking domes over them. It was a very distinctive look.
There was no cover.
Heero looked around and shook his head at the lack of cover. That he did not like at all.
With a soft noise of exasperation, he drew out the egg that had rested comfortably in spandex space.
They seemed to have a moment and he didn't want to go anywhere unarmed.
He stepped just slightly away from the group, and focused blue eyes on the egg. "Hatch."
The egg he took out was not the egg he'd put in. It had changed. It was larger. It was different in shape. Still the same silvery metal, it now seemed to be a very rough, rounded shape, flattened slightly... it seemed to be starting to assume gun-like contours.
When Heero took it out and looked at it, it warmed in his hand. It seemed to sense his urgency. He almost felt... as if it were trying to ask him a question. How urgent...?
Heero thought for a long moment, not at all surprised at the semi-sentience of the gun. Then he came to a decision, 'At the ready'. A simple enough thought.
The object warmed a little more. Then, a little more. Its shape began to define further. It began to glow softly... then Heero suddenly felt energy draining from his own body as the weapon attempted to comply with his request...
More energy drained from him. There was a brief flare, not enough to be seen from a distance but visible to those just around.
The gun formed fully with detail and Heero sensed immediately that it was ready. He also felt his knees giving way as he fell in a near faint.
Duo was at Heero's side before he'd fallen more than an inch or two. His arms quickly gabbed hold of Heero's weakened form and held him upright, gently easing him down to sit on the ground.
"What the fuck are you doing?" he hissed.
"Needed to be ready." Heero managed to say as he caught his breath. "Just a little winded."
A small crowd consisting of Wufan, Duan, Tryan and Kenny circled around Duo and Heero with various looks of concern.
"So now we have a gun that's ready, and a wielder that's half dead? What the hell good will that do us, Heero no baka."
Heero glared at his lover. "I'll be fine."
"Charming," Jack said, his voice cutting through the little group. It was the coldest human sound they had ever heard.
He focused on Duo and Heero. "No time for games," he said in a voice devoid of emotion. "Time for your mission. Your mission... is to get the child out. Get Gun out. Get out anyone else you feel deserves to live. Quickly. And get out yourselves. Anyone left behind..." he didn't finish but it was pretty obvious what getting left behind would mean.
"Time frame?" Duo asked tersely as he helped Heero climb back to his feet.
Jack's eyes seemed covered with a layer of green ice. "Time? You have until the Storm strikes in full force. And... you may have to find your own way home this time."
Duo nodded, eyes narrowing.
The children looked at each other, understanding without words. They knew exactly what Jack meant. Tryan looked at the older boys, his body restless to move.
Heero looked to the kids then at Duo and nodded, "Ryoukai. Let's go."
"Lead on, Tryan. Where's that way in?"
"It's towards the small building, but you have to keep your heads down. You're taller than us." he replied and then started to move.
Duo fell into line behind Tryan, pausing only long enough to be sure Heero was feeling well enough to move, and to retrieve the other pistol from him.
Kenny grabbed the bag Heero had been carrying silently and shouldered it. It was almost as big as he was but he seemed able to manage, at least for now.
The two who had brought them were suddenly not-there.
Heero noticed their disappearance but ignored it, focusing on the mission. He looked to Wufan and jerked his head to the small line and dropped into a crouch to bring up the rear.
Wufan nodded, moving out. He made sure to keep an eye on Heero as well.
Heero snorted at the concern and glared slightly at the boy.
"Your chi is low," Wufan whispered as they moved.
"I'll survive." Heero whispered back dryly.
"Yeah. Why ruin a perfectly good streak of attempted self-destructs now?" Duo muttered.
Heero refused to answer, only picked up his pace slightly to tighten up the line.
However, doing so was taking more effort than Heero might have hoped. He was considerably weakened. Not letting Duo and the kids see how much was going to take even more energy.
But he'd always been good at hiding.
"How far, Tryan?" Duo whispered as softly as he could.
Tryan pointed to a small brick building away from the twin-domed buildings. The distance was about two hundred yards from where they stood. "We need to get just behind the building... then... he'll know we're here." Tryan said.
"How long till he comes to get us?" Duo asked.
"He'll let me know," Tryan said quietly, still moving.
"Good 'nuff," Duo replied, "Heero, daijoubu?"
"Hai." Heero said shortly. It was a slight struggle for his perfect soldier mask but eons of training slid it into place. "Go."
They went.
By the time they reached the small building, the wind had increased and the clouds had darkened. It was a good bet there would be no dawn.
The small building had once had a glass door and windows on one side - the side away from the group of buildings. Where the glass had been, it was boarded, then cemented and sealed. The building stood at the side of what could now be seen as a very old asphalt road that hadn't been tended in decades. The tall grass and weeds grew up all around offering the only cover. As they tucked against the back of the building, where they could see the group of buildings, they passed a broken and weather-faded sign that said, 'South Texas Project'.
Tryan felt something familiar, but it was different this time. The gentle soul contacting him was not calm, as the other time. The emotions leaking from the contact told Tryan that the other boy was terrified.
'Why are you here?!'
'To get you and the other kids. You can't stay there. Something... the Storm is coming'
'Yes... they lock down when the Storm comes! If I get you in... I don't know if I can get you out! You... you brought others!' There was a moment of confusion, then, 'I'm coming. Stay there.'
Tryan nodded to no one and then turned to the others.
"Mental?" Duan asked.
Tryan nodded. "He's coming out to let us in. They lock down during the storm. Something is wrong. He's really, afraid."
"Hn. Let's see if maybe we can find a few keys then, shall we?" Duo asked softly, dropping the duffel he was carrying and kneeling down to rifle through it quickly.
"What are you doing?" Tryan asked quietly, but urgently.
Kenny brought the bag he was carrying over next to Duo and opened it, not going in, just making the contents available.
"Looking for Ali Baba's magic password," Duo replied cryptically, scanning the contents quickly.
"He means he's gonna blow the place to hell," Duan said.
There was a look of concern on Tryan's face. Then, he schooled his features into an impenetrable mask. "Fine," he said quietly. "But can we get people out first?"
"Hai." Heero responded from where he leaned against the wall.
He looked over at Duo. "We'll have to find Gun."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Here," Duo said, handing Heero a couple of the energy bars they'd saved from their last escapade. His severe expression brooked no argument. He also fished out a bottle of water to help the chewy, thick protein snacks go down.
"Maybe Carter knows where Gun is?" Wufan said very quietly, breathing as evenly as he could to still his heart.
Heero glanced at Tryan in inquiry as he glared at the snacks for a moment before capitulating and eating one.
"Hopefully. We'll ask when he gets here. Until then, Kenny, Duan, here. Make it last, it's the last full block," Duo whispered, motioning the two boys over and handing over a block of C-4 and a handful of detonators.
Kenny nodded, and held out his hand, looking at the knives strapped to Duo's hips.
"Don't cut off anything vital," Duo replied with a ghost of his usual grin as he slipped Kenny one of the blades.
"Hn," Kenny grunted softly. He crouched down and placed the stuff between himself and Duan and began cutting the block carefully and passing pieces to his friend.
Duan took the pieces and began work adding detonators.
Thunder overhead added to the atmosphere, which didn't need anything added to it. Far off, but coming closer, there were flashes of light in the clouds. The flashes of light looked... odd to the two pilots.
"The storm will be here very soon," Wufan said. "Umm.. I don't think it will go very well with the explosives."
"These are only contingency. I'd just be more happy if we had some ready just in case, rather than fumbling with them if we did need them," Duo assured him as he fished out the last few detonators.
"I don't like the look of that storm..." he said softly, sparing another glance for the sky.
As Duo watched the sky, he realized what looked odd. The lightning... wasn't white... the flashes seemed to shimmer with a rainbow of color, giving the whole storm a strange, almost alive feel.
Wufan nodded. "The storm has a spirit. It ... hurts bad things." he said.
Heero glanced sharply at the boy, unsettled not so much by his words but by the feeling of agreement he felt inside.
"Hmm... Looks like maybe I could be in trouble then, ne?" Duo asked Wufan, flashing him a grin.
Wufan shook his head. "Not you. You're ok. It.. touches people sometime. It touched my ma. It won't hurt you, just the bad things." he explained.
Kenny growled softly. "If we're out in it, it will hurt."
Duan touched Duo's knee. "It fried the greenies," he said.
"Yeah. That's what I figured. Hn. Guess I need to work on the delivery of my jokes more, huh?" he said.
Heero snorted as his blue eyes scanned the landscape for any sign of movement. Suddenly, he sensed something almost behind him.
The grass at the side of the building parted and a small figure stepped through. He was about the same size and age as Kenny, Duan and Wufan, with a mop of pale blond hair and huge blue-green eyes that were now very wide and darting from one of the party to the other. He seemed as if he were on the verge of flight. Then he saw Tryan and stopped, blinking.
He came forward. He looked at Duo and Heero questioningly, but it was the other boys who seemed to astonish him the most. He looked at Duan, Kenny and Wufan as if he were looking at some mythical beings.
"Other... boys," he said softly. He went over to Tryan as if it were the only safe place.
Tryan smiled and gave the small blond boy a hug. "Hi," he said relieved. "That's Wufan, Kenny and Duan. The big ones are Heero and Duo. This is Carter," Tryan introduced.
Carter nodded to each person as he heard their names. He seemed to be processing a lot of information. His gaze lingered on Kenny for a moment, with a slight frown and Kenny suddenly stood up and backed up a step.
"Stop it," Kenny said sharply.
"Sorry," Carter said, and flushed. He looked around once more.
"What are you all dong here?" he cried softly. "It's very dangerous!"
"So are we," Duan said, with a smile. He looked up at Duo and gave him a big wink.
Duo winked back and then turned a small grin on Carter.
"We're here to get you out. And any of your friends. And a friend of our own. Gotta key for the door?" he asked cheerily.
Tryan looked at Carter. "Do you know about a man called Gun?" he asked.
Carter's eyes had widened the moment Duo said 'a friend'. "You mean... the enemy prisoner," he said softly, his voice sad. "He is in interrogation. They... he won't tell them what they want to know," he said, his soft voice throbbing slightly with something like remembered pain.
He looked at Duo. "I... don't have any friends," he said quietly.
"Well, ya do now," Duo replied.
He knelt in front of the blond boy and his expression turned serious.
"Is there anyone in there that you want to come with you? We're getting you out of here."
Carter blinked. "No," he said quickly. "I can't leave. They won't let me. If you try to help me they'll kill you."
"Who?" Heero asked succinctly, pushing himself off the wall to join the small group.
Tryan moved closer to Carter and placed a hand on his shoulder to lend support.
Carter took a deep breath and looked up at Heero. "Everyone," he said. "The Colonel and the Instructor... and everyone does what they say. You should go... but..." he straightened a little. "You want to rescue your friend..." He closed his eyes for a moment. Then he reached out and touched Heero's chest.
Heero felt the light touch as if a bit of warmth were spreading from it. The little blond child looked up suddenly, his eyes wide.
"Ohhh!" he said. "You... you... you are the one..."
"The one what?" Heero asked, his brow drawing together in mild surprise.
"The one I dreamed about," Carter said, staring up with wide eyes. "There was a... big something... falling... to kill everyone... and you... you...." He blinked. Whatever he was remembering seemed to give him courage.
He nodded. "I'll help you," he said. "We have to hurry. The man... is getting very weak."
Heero nodded, more than a little surprised at the boy's words. But time was short. "We only have until the storm breaks."
Carter shivered. "The Storm... hates us," he said softly, ducking his head as if hiding a private shame.
Duan's eyes widened. "It does not," he insisted. "It hates the bad greenies. It don't hate you."
Duan's words only seemed to cause Carter more distress. "That's why," he said almost too softly to hear, "That's why it hates us... because they..." he stopped and his small shoulders shook in a deep shudder.
"They made the bad greenies, didn't they?" Duo guessed gently.
Carter's eyes flew open, "No..." he said doubtfully as if the idea hadn't occurred to him. "They came from the sea.... but the Colonel..." his voice dropped to a whisper, "Caught one..."
Kenny looked over sharply, his eyes widening. Kenny and indeed all the kids looked as if their worst nightmares had suddenly been resurrected in flesh.
"That's nuts," Duan said, softly.
Wufan looked down for a moment and then took a very deep breath. He pushed his glasses back up on his nose. "Then we really don't have a lot of time. The storm won't let that thing live," he said.
Carter whispered, "It comes back, over and over, but they keep the... they keep it... deep underground..." His features are haunted, more so than any of the other children. There seemed to be some special terror that Carter felt beyond anything felt by the rest of the kids.
He responded to the urgency though, and turned, motioning for them to follow. He trailed around the edge of the small building and then crouched down, pulling up what seemed to be a part of the ground next to the wall. A camouflaged trap door rose slowly - it was heavy and he was small.
Tryan dropped back next to Heero. He touched Heero's arm and looked up at him. "I think they made him do something... something bad. They know he's special. I heard 'em talking," he said, by way of informing Heero.
Heero nodded almost thoughtfully. "I think you're right." Then he walked over to where Carter was opening the door and gripped it from the boy. He was still weak but this he could do.
Kenny also had come over to help with the door. It swung up slowly - Carter usually didn't open it all the way but slipped in and out. It led to a steep flight of steps going down into darkness.
Heero peered into the darkness for a moment then glanced at Carter, "Lead us?"
Carter nodded, looking back for Tryan.
Tryan moved to where Carter was and stood.
Carter took Tryan's hand and went down the steps into the dark opening as if he had no need for light.
Heero glanced over at Duo, "We're going to need light."
He eyed the bag his lover held expectantly.
Duo was already fishing through the contents searching for a flashlight. With a triumphant smirk, he produced a pair of them and tossed one to Heero.
"Hn." Heero grunted by way of thanks as he moved to catch up to their small guide.
Duo paused, waiting for the other boys to follow his partner, before bringing up the rear.
Duan and Wufan scurried to the entrance and down the steps quickly and quietly.
Kenny followed on their heels.
Duo slipped into the darkness and pulled the hatch closed behind him. He followed after the troop, carefully shining his light before him so the younger boys could see where they were walking.
End of Part 20
bonnejeanne & vonceia present
RavynFyre and Kateri Marie
Please feel free to direct feedback to any or all of the authors!
ravynfyre@hotmail.com,
nacl3salaris@hotmail.com,
vonceia@yahoo.com,
bonnejeanne@yahoo.com.