08-Sep-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
As Duo was negotiating with the scientist to get the guards away from the lift, Gun was making his way slowly down the corridor to the left.
Heero was right behind Gun, and after watching his progress for a moment, slid up next to the older man and positioned himself to support him. "Come on." He said gruffly, still antsy at leaving Duo alone, in the base, which was going to explode. Bad policy.
They managed to make good progress down the corridor, heading in the direction where the kids had created their distraction.
Somewhat past the point where the kids had dropped out of the ventilation system, they passed a door that had been blown open. Inside were the remains of a small storage closet.
Heero felt a small smile stretching over his lips. "They had fun." He murmured to himself.
There was, however, no sign of the youngsters themselves.
A bit past that landmark, Heero heard something from the corridor behind him.
Heero paused, then shifted Gun's weight so he could bring the gun up as he turned very slowly.
The sound quickly became identifiable as an approaching group of men, four in number.
Heero hefted Gun once more and maneuvered him into the remains of the closet. Then he set Gun against the wall and poised to wait for his prey.
The four guards came around the corner at a brisk pace, not hunting, but guns at ready.
Heero waited until all four were in his sights or near them. Then he pointed his gun and thought the actions through.
Four neat shots went through his mind, and he felt the gun warm in his hand. Then in rapid succession the four guards fell, the walls splattering red behind them.
Heero lifted the muzzle of the gun slightly, ignoring the small pile of corpses in front of him and the faint steam of still warm blood above what used to be their necks. He leaned against the wall slightly and listened hard.
Heero didn't hear any sounds indicating further troops were en route.
He looked back at Gun, "Ready?"
Gun nodded, heading down the corridor again.
Heero watched Gun move off and shook his head. Then he moved ahead of him. "I'm going to scout," he supplied, by way of explanation.
Gun said nothing - he was concentrating on keeping his feet.
Heero didn't dare go far with Gun in the state he was in, but he slid down the hall stealthily, gun perennially at the ready.
Suddenly the air was filled with the loud sound of an alarm siren.
Heero's entire body tensed at the sound and he spun on his heels, returning to Gun. "Come on," he ordered, moving to assist Gun again.
Gun pointed to a turning and then another, guiding them towards the access to the outside.
The corridor opened into a large area that preceded the large front gate.
It was a small scene from hell. There were bodies everywhere and nothing was moving.
Heero scanned the area with an eyebrow raised. Impressive piece of work.
Gun looked around. The fallen soldiers were covered with blood - there weren't any obvious gunshot wounds, just slashes and gouges.
"Ripper," Gun said briefly.
"Hai." Heero said, not flinching from the sight.
Moving through the carnage, Heero could see that these men died quickly... although not always cleanly. It was impossible to find a path that did not lead through thick, pooled red liquid.
The gate was not unbolted.
Heero opened the gate easily and brought Gun to the other side. He cleared the carnage a bit, trying not to inhale too deeply of the cloying smell of blood.
The siren still blared, unheeded.
Meanwhile...
Duo followed the scientist down the corridor to the lift entrance.
Duo punched the down button and waited for the doors to open, never shifting more than half his attention from the weasely scientist leading him along.
The lift stopped at the designated floor - the bottom. The door opened.
There was something odd about the light and the smell of the air. The light was an off shade of fluorescent and the air smelled... strange. Cold. And... there was an odd scent that reminded Duo of something he couldn't quite place, something he associated with the sea, but not pleasantly.
"What the hell is that?" he demanded.
"To what are you referring?" the scientist asked. "My lab is this way."
"What else do you keep in that lab of yours?" he asked warily.
"My work, of course. Which includes many diverse experiments," the lab-coated man answered.
He stopped at a door that did have a coded security panel. The door looked a bit like an airlock.
"Looks like you keep some dangerous work brewing in there," Duo commented sardonically.
"Of course," the man said easily. "That is the only kind of work worth doing, don't you agree young man?"
Duo's eyes narrowed dangerously as he contemplated his prisoner.
"No. I don't."
"As you wish." He punched the code on the control panel. The door unsealed and opened. "The object you want is in here."
Duo nodded, following cautiously, close enough that he could easily close the distance between the man and himself to dispatch him quickly if need be, but not so close that the scientist could do the same to him.
Something about the room was setting him on edge so tight he felt like he was going to topple over it into madness at any second. And the storm must be damned near on top of them by now.
Why was it that there never seemed to be enough time?
The lab was large, and it wasn't possible to see everything from the door. There were cabinets and cases, as well as large banks of equipment.
"Where's the vault?" Duo demanded.
The man pointed to the right, towards a special metal cabinet that looked like a high-tech safe. "There."
The door they had entered through closed smoothly and sealed.
Duo glanced at the sealed door, stifling his immediate sense of unease and quelling his rush of discomfort. Just had to hope that either Gun's gun could handle that thing, or the weasel had the exit codes too.
"Open it."
The scientist moved forward, expecting that order. He tapped the keypad and it unsealed. He reached down into the top of the vault and pulled up a basket-like cage. Inside was the gun. It looked... dead. Inert.
Duo's eyes narrowed as he motioned the scientist away from the cage and examined it quickly. Satisfied, he quickly opened it and withdrew the gun with his free hand, keeping his attention still half on the other man.
The gun was cold and lifeless in his grasp.
"Interesting," the scientist said.
Duo scowled dangerously at the scientist.
"Interesting? What the hell did you do to it?"
The scientist shook his head. "Nothing. I did wonder if it might react to you."
"Yeah? Well, keep wondering. While you're at it, get that door back open."
The scientist made a 'tsk' noise and moved to the door. "It is programmed to close automatically. It will not stay open for more than a few minutes."
"Any way to deprogram it?" Duo asked, a familiar devilish gleam in his eyes.
"Perhaps. It would take time."
At that moment, the air was split with the loud sound of an alarm siren.
"Heh. Looks like the cat's outta the bag. Will it still open?" Duo asked calmly.
The scientist looked back just as calmly. "No."
"That's too bad. Guess it just means I get to play," he said, reaching around behind him to delve into the duffel slung across his back.
With a grin, he brought out a sizable chunk of explosive, detonator pre-attached. Without batting an eye, he slapped the C-4 onto the optimum place on the door and armed the detonator.
Grabbing the scientist, he dragged the other man behind something to shield behind.
"You might wanna duck," he snickered, palming the detonator.
At that moment Duo heard a sound from somewhere back in the maze of the lab.
It sounded like children's voices.
A little earlier, in the corridor above....
After the explosion and the suitably satisfying rush of soldiers to the area, some decisions needed to be made.
The small group of kids had taken refuge in a small room that Carter had led them to, far enough away from the exploding storage closet that they were unlikely to be discovered.
Kenny stayed by the door, listening closely to the sounds without, waiting for a quiet that would indicate at least momentary safety.
Then he looked at Carter. The blond boy seemed to understand the look and he nodded, confirming the temporary all clear.
Kenny then looked at Duan.
"Ok," Duan said, quietly. He looked at Carter. "I know you said you don't have any friends, but are there any people you wanna get out?" he asked, urgently. "Now's the time."
Tryan looked over at Wufan to make sure he was all right. Wufan nodded back and pushed his glasses back on his nose.
Carter took a deep breath, his eyes flickering from Duan to Tryan to Kenny and then to Wufan. He seemed to be trying to adjust to the idea that his life really was about to change, that things were really happening. There was a brief moment when it looked like a little internal struggle was going on.
"My... my sisters," he said finally, his eyes dropping to the floor.
Kenny looked sharply at Carter, frowning.
"Where are they? Me and Wu have rescuing girl experience. We can get 'em out quick," Duan said, attempting to reassure the blond boy.
Tryan glanced at Carter. He had never heard Carter mention sisters before.
Wufan shook his head at Duan's statements about 'rescuing girls'.
Carter looked strained. "It's not... that simple," he said softly. "If we tell them what is going on, they will tell everyone - that would put you and your friends in danger..."
"How many sisters you got?" Duan asked, as a plan formulated itself in his mind.
"Nineteen."
Duan opened his mouth, then looked to the other boy's and closed it. Ok, that's a lot, he thought.
Tryan's eyes widened and then he smiled. No wonder he didn't want to talk about it, he thought.
Carter looked troubled. "They... they aren't always nice," he said. "It's not their fault, they were taught to be like that. But... if the base is really going to be destroyed, I... I can't leave them, can I? That would be wrong."
"Don't worry about 'em not being nice," Duan said, remembering some of the girls back at the base. "We can do it."
"I agree," Wufan said.
Tryan placed a hand on Carter's shoulder. "You're right, it would be wrong to leave them. I have a big sister. She's like my adopted sister, but she's a girl. We'll get 'em out," he said.
"Yeah, even if we gotta gag em." Duan offered.
Carter said softly, "They aren't much like your sister, Tryan."
Carter then blinked. "That might not be a bad idea," he said, ducking his head and answering Duan's comment about the gag. "But they bite."
"So do we," Wufan said, quietly.
Kenny figured the odds. The five of them vs. nineteen mean girls. Hmmm. Wish he'd managed to snag a gun from the big boys or something.
"Hn," he remarked.
"Then I guess we better hurry," Carter said. "They'll be on the lower level, near the lab. They always go down there when the Storm comes. They are very afraid of it."
"Cool, it will be our advantage," Duan said with a sly grin. "Lead the way!"
Kenny shook his head, thinking, if the 19 mean girls were afraid of the storm, they sure wouldn't want to be herded out into it, but he kept silent.
Carter led the way, and he was able to warn them when adults were coming so they could duck out of sight. They made it to an elevator and he punched the lowest level. When the elevator stopped, the door opened like an airlock, with a hiss. The kids encountered the odd fishy smell and the unpleasant oppressiveness.
Kenny eyed the elevator door, checking it carefully for locking mechanisms. He did not want to get trapped down here. He remembered the mike and headpiece they had used at the base and silently scolded himself for not thinking to get them this time.
Wufan frowned, wrinkling his nose at the strange aroma. He forced himself to concentrate on the business at hand as he followed the small party out of the elevator.
Tryan and Duan kept an eye on Carter, following closely at his side.
Carter lead the way through the mazelike lower level, pointing at a door with a security lock. "That's the main door to the Instructor's lab," he said.
Then he led them down a curving corridor and through another small maze to another security locked hatch. "This is like the back door. The code is 104H41," he said, as he punched the numbers and letter in. He swallowed, steeling himself for what was to come.
Kenny memorized the code as Carter recited it, and positioned himself so that if something happened, he could push Carter behind him and take point.
Duan slipped into the room with Wufan close behind. Looking around they saw various lab equipment and Duan made note of what could be used in case there was a fight.
Tryan moved inside as well, listening for girls voices.
Carter made his way to where Duan was, with Kenny close by. "Let me go first," he said softly. Then he led the way through the maze. Finally he stopped, and they could see a clear space ahead, on the other side of which was a metal mesh enclosure, and inside of that, a very large tank. The tank was full of water or some liquid, and there were other things in it like sea plants and rocks and stuff. There was also something alive inside the tank.
It was as big as a man and covered with dirty green scales, turned dark in some places. It had an elongated head with a wide mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, and it's limbs ended in claws, webbed paws. It looked... unhealthy... there were places where the scales had been removed and covered with flexible plastic bandages. It's bulging eyes were clouded and red-rimmed but it was alive, and it was agitated.
Around the open space between the boys and the metal mesh cage, nineteen little figures stood in a perfect semi-circle. Each had pale blond hair cut exactly alike and each wore identical coveralls. Each face was turned to the tank. They looked like a row of little, identical dolls.
Duan felt his heart beating fast in his chest as he looked at the Greenie in the tank. This was the focus of every kid's nightmare. It was uglier than it could have ever been described and he could tell it was a bad thing. He looked at the girls and nodded to himself. They looked like they were somehow talking to the creature.
Tryan glanced at the girls, noting the blonde hair. Somehow, they didn't look quite real to him.
"What are they doing?" Wufan whispered to Carter.
Carter shuddered slightly. "I don't know," he whispered back.
"Let's pick em off," Duan suggested.
Kenny had been looking very closely at everything. He scowled. "No," he said. "We leave them. I'm sorry Carter."
"What?! Why?" Duan asked.
Tryan glanced at Kenny then looked at Carter. He placed a hand on the blond boy's shoulder for support.
Carter, however, looked almost relieved.
They were being quiet, but something was happening. The thing in the tank seemed to sense Carter's presence somehow and became more agitated, moving back and forth and staring fixedly in his direction through those clouded, goggle eyes.
As one, the nineteen little girls turned. They had pale gooseberry colored eyes and they spotted the small group of boys immediately, and all nineteen girls' eyes widened identically.
"That's why!" Wufan said answering Duan's question.
"Carter," one of the girls in the middle of the semi-circle said.
"...Boys!" another one said.
"Where did you..."
"...find them?" two others said.
Carter took a deep breath and squared his shoulders.
"You are all in danger. We came to warn you. You need to get out of the base," he said.
"No!" they all said together.
Duan began reaching slowly into his pile of explosives.
In the front part of the lab....
Duo heard the sound of children's voices and his head whipped around towards the source of that sound, his eyes wide and expression utterly taken aback.
"What the?"
He palmed the detonator and unfolded from his crouch a little to investigate.
Glancing back down, he grabbed the back of the scientist's collar and dragged him to his feet.
"This way," he growled angrily.
It was hard to pick his way through the maze that was the lab. Even harder with a hostage to shove along. Duo managed to do so, discovering in the process that the lab was quite large and overly full of stuff.
He came around the corner of a stack of shelves and saw an opening, and a space cleared of equipment and other stuff. Beyond the space was a metal mesh cage and inside that, a huge tank filled with liquid and something else.
In the open space, a group of little girls, all pale blond, all identical, were moving towards something at the far side of the cleared space. Duo was able to spot what had drawn their attention...
Five little boys...
"Carter," one of the girls in the middle of the semi-circle said.
"...Boys!" another one said.
"Where did you..."
"...find them?" two others said.
Carter took a deep breath and squared his shoulders.
"You are all in danger. We came to warn you. You need to get out of the base," he said.
"No!" they all said together.
Duan began reaching slowly into his pile of explosives.
"I thought you said there wasn't anyone left here you wanted to save, Carter," Duo said, pitching his voice loud enough to carry to the group of boys.
He tightened his hold on the weasel just in case the scientist tried to make any moves.
Nineteen identical blond heads turned towards Duo and nineteen pairs of pale, gooseberry colored eyes fixed on him coldly.
"Intruder," one of the girls said.
"He has..."
"...Instructor!" two others added.
Kenny threw a look at Duo, half relief, half scowl. He answered Duo's comment for Carter who was silent with distress.
"He has a conscience," Kenny said, indicating by his tone that he considered it admirable, but didn't plan on sharing the trait.
"Probably much to your dismay," Duo muttered, aiming the barb at the weasel he was still toting along.
"It *is* regrettable," the scientist admitted.
"Ya know... I'm really beginning to hate you," Duo muttered darkly.
"We got about two minutes," Duan said, creeping forward to plant his explosive.
"What is that?!" about half of the girls shrieked.
"The boys are evil!" the other half said shrilly.
Suddenly nineteen little blond girls formed into groups of three and four and went after the boys with fingers out to claw.
"Take 'em!" Duan called out, and Wufan and Tryan moved forward.
Wufan removed his glasses and walked up to the small group of approaching girls. "I do not wish to harm you and I understand that you are distressed," he said, dropping into a defensive posture. "But I'll apologize later." Moving forward, he struck out at the first little girl with a kick to the midsection.
Kenny wasted no time. He moved forward and dropped in a circled kick that took the legs of the four girls coming after him out from under them immediately. He moved quickly, striking two of the girls while they were down, as another one scrambled to get to her feet and grabbed for his hair.
Carter winced, backing away from the three girls facing him.
"You've been BAD, Carter!" they growled at him.
Carter nodded, still backing up but suddenly he grabbed his head and the three girls shrieked and also grabbed theirs, as if in pain.
Tryan waited for the small group of girls to come closer. When they were at optimum distance, he crouched, then leapt into the air and landed just behind them. He then struck out, catching each one in the back and knocking the wind out of them quickly, before glancing around to see how Carter fared.
Duan's eyes were wide as he saw the three girls approach with fingers outstretched. "Mama said no fightin' girls," he said, then clenched his teeth as one of them grabbed his braid and pulled.
He felt a couple of scratches on his arms, then moved his elbow back sharply catching a little girl in the stomach. Turning, he managed to free his braid, before belting two of them in the gut and then punching one in the face.
Wufan whirled around landing blows to his three assailants with a perfectly executed roundhouse kick.
Kenny felt his hair being jerked and without a moment's hesitation rammed his elbow back into the little girl behind him, hard enough to throw her a few feet.
Behind Duo, a low, British accented voice said, "Now there's something you don't see every day."
Duo nearly jumped out of his skin as he whipped around and speared the speaker with a harsh glare.
"God damnit Rip. You trying to kill me here?"
"Not yet," The redhead said, grinning.
"Your ass, a foot to the left," another, slightly deeper voice said cooly.
Duo moved obligingly, not surprised to hear that voice now that Rip had scared his liver into the vicinity of his throat once.
Jack moved past Duo, Rip and the scientist, who was now frowning.
The kiddie rumble was still in progress, and something else was going on. The thing in the tank was now moving from side to side, almost shaking the tank with its agitation.
Jack stared at the thing for a moment, then turned his attention to the mini-brawl.
Nineteen identical blond girls suddenly stopped what they were doing, like toys that had been shut off. Then they stood up, and backed into a group. Their gooseberry eyes were suddenly blank and fixed on a point in space. They stood in the tight knot and were perfectly still.
Duo stared, fascinated.
Jack nodded. "Better," he said. "Sit."
They sat.
Jack looked at Carter. "You can't save them," he said.
Carter nodded, breathing hard.
Jack turned to Duo. "Release that man," he said.
"With pleasure," Duo said, his face scrunched up into a grimace of displeasure as he complied.
The scientist humphed, then Jack pinned him with a look. The scientist's face suddenly went slack. Jack beckoned with a finger. The scientist walked forward like a zombie. Jack pointed to the floor near the girls. "Sit."
The man sat, his face empty of intelligence or personality.
"Man of many talents," Duo muttered towards Rip.
Rip grinned. "You have no idea," he said simply. Then he pranced up to the mesh cage, finding a gate in it. He looked at the lock, took out a knife and jammed it into the lock's innards, splitting the thing in half. Then he opened the gate and went in, up to the glass tank.
The thing inside glared at him with bulging, fishy eyes.
Rip glared back, grinning. He tapped on the glass.
"Fishy, fishy, fishy," he said, taunting. The thing clashed its teeth together ferociously.
He turned and glanced back at Duo. "Time to go..." the red head said.
Jack said, "Blow both the doors. Then leave."
"Fire in the hole," Duo quipped in reply, and then punched the button on his own detonator.
BOOM.
Duan took off for the other door and planted his party pack. "Two birds down!" he called out, hitting the detonator.
The boys had fallen down, covering their heads at Duo's warning, and they stayed down.
BOOM!
"Time to scram, kids. Let's go," Duo instructed before the dust even settled.
"Don't look back!" Ripper called cheerfully.
Jack turned his attention back to the scientist and the man began reciting information nonstop, in a dead voice.
"Heh. Wise man told me, 'Don't get dead'," Duo called as he turned to leave.
Duan nodded and headed out.
Tryan looked to Carter and took his hand. "Let's go," he said.
Wufan put his glasses back on and headed out.
Carter nodded and went.
Kenny grabbed Duan's braid and took off after the others. "Good shot, baka," he said.
Duan laughed heartily as he ran with his braid safe in his best friend's hand.
Duo waited for the boys to slip past him before he filed out the door.
Duo and the boys made it to the elevator, through the large hole that used to be a security door.
The elevator hatch opened, allowing them inside.
Kenny punched the button for the top level.
At the top, the door opened. The change in air was noticeable. It was fresh, not stale and fishy... in fact, too fresh.... the smell of weather was in it and the tang of ozone.
"Not good. Storm's too close. Let's scram, fast!" Duo called, urging them forward.
End of Part 22 -- TBC
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.