Here goes my first full story fic and it isn´t even all mine! (No, not stolen! See note below!) (that was a joke, albeit a lame one) [ducks]
Disclaimer: Using GW characters and universe, which are the property of their originators. Other stuff belongs to the authors (us).
Warnings: Yaoi, lime… not sure where line is but no descriptions of body parts, and actions described tastefully (I hope). Tried to keep this as near actual events, actual timeline, and as in character as our humble writing skills permit. Any discrepancies are our mistakes.
This is a 1x5. My favorite phrase, however, is never assume anything, so do not consider any permanent relationship of any particular type implied.
It´s not beyond possible there might be a sequel but this should stand on it´s own.
Oh, yeah one more note (gomen!) this was written by myself and my partner, who is not currently visible on the ML, but probably soon will be. Now on with the angst…
The abandoned colony was empty and eerily silent. Here are there, emergency power still caused lights to be visible, and the atmosphere, though thin, was breathable. Wufei dragged the dead weight of Heero's unconscious body along the deserted street until he found a building that looked mostly intact, and dragged the other pilot inside. The place had once been a storage place for furnishings, and Wufei found the closest thing, a wide leather couch, and released Heero onto it. Then he carefully examined the unconscious Wing pilot's head. The blow would have cracked the skull of another person, but Heero's thick hair had cushioned the blow enough - either that or his skull was really as thick as everyone claimed. There was blood matted in the hair where the skin had been broken, but no evidence of a fracture.
"Well, you're still alive," Wufei muttered. "Though how long we both will be..." Looking around, he found what he needed, and began ripping the coverings from other pieces of furniture, using the thick material to build a makeshift nest around the unconscious Heero.
"Soon it will be cold," Wufei said out loud, talking to the other boy. "It will be very, very cold. If we can survive, we may be rescued. That is, if anyone receives the message I sent before the shuttle blew. And if anyone who receives it, cares."
Personally, he thought it unlikely. There might be one or two people who would think 01 worth rescuing. But who would care if Wufei lived or died? He doubted even the other Gundam pilots would go out of their way to save him.
"I won't give up and die," he muttered to himself. "Not yet. I don't deserve that mercy." His breath could be seen as a white cloud in the air - the cold was coming. The abandoned colony was loosing power. The heat would go first, seeping out into space. Shivering, in spite of his attempts to resist that accession, Wufei realized that he and Heero would probably freeze long before anyone thought to look for them. Looking down at the Japanese boy's face, Wufei scowled and then climbed into the makeshift nest, pulling the covering around both of them and wrapping his arms around the other pilot. Combining their body heat would allow them to last the longest. Whatever Heero might think of the arrangement when he regained consciousness, Wufei would not shirk what had to be done to survive.
A short time later, Heero Yuy's eyes opened slowly as he tried to establish his whereabouts. The light was dim to non-existent and his head throbbed slightly with pain. He ignored the sensation and concentrated on figuring out his circumstances. A split second or so, following his conscious thought that he was still alive and that he was obviously in a quiet place, if not a safe one, Heero became aware of a weight against his body as well as an unexpected warmth that surrounded him. He opened his eyes wider and confirmed that he was on some kind of soft structure, a bed or a sofa with someone covering his body. 'Male, somewhat still, comparable structure,' he thought as he turned his head slightly. Immediately, he frowned, annoyed at the pain in his head as the person covering him came into view. "Wufei," he said and saw his breath in a small cloud in front of him. His frowned deepened as he realized that not only had he been brought to wherever this was by the other Gundam pilot unconscious, but that there had been no decisive conclusion to his mission. He had not won and had not died, which were his only two options.
Wufei opened his eyes, hearing the low voice saying his name. He realized he had been drifting into sleep. Turning his head slightly but not moving otherwise, he looked into the large, deep blue eyes of Heero Yuy. "You are conscious," he said. "I supposed that's a good thing... though it might have been better for you not to wake up. You might have missed freezing to death." Shifting slightly, Wufei realized that the sensation of warmth being generated between their two bodies was adequate to repel the cold for now, even enough to induce a sense almost of relaxation. Suddenly he realized he had not been this close to another human being in a long time. This thought triggered an immediate need to suppress any further such thoughts. Swallowing, Wufei wondered if the cold air was affecting his throat.
"The shuttle was destroyed," he said briefly. "It was a trap. When they saw the explosion, our enemies left, believing we were dead. A mistake, but soon it might not matter..."
Heero Yuy inhaled deeply and let the air out of his lungs slowly. The pain eased slightly into a more acceptable level of discomfort as Wufei's words sank in. Unfortunately, they had the effect of pissing him off further. "Great," Heero said as he mentally cursed himself again. Freezing to death, like some weak civilian was not his idea of a good way to die. He glanced back down at Wufei. "We don't seem to be dead yet, so maybe there is a chance to get out of here and complete the mission. Communications?" he asked.
Wufei shook his head slightly. "When this colony was abandoned, they salvaged almost everything, including the antennae array. I got off one message before the shuttle blew." I can never tell him - he must never know, Wufei thought with sudden fear, that I had a chance to escape. Only one chance. But I could not leave him to die. I'm weak, Nataku, he thought, asserting control over his face so the other boy could not sense his thoughts. I've always been weak. But he would not know weakness if he waded through it.
"There's a very slight chance my transmission could be received. And an even slighter one that someone might come," he said with no inflection. "Not enough to hope for... but enough that to die without waiting for it would be cowardice."
Heero nodded, slowly. "And I assume that there was not enough power to detonate the place, " he added. Heero then looked down and around, as he became more aware of Wufei's body against his own. He had been concentrating so hard on the assessment and controlling the pain that the fact that his body was next to the other boy's body had escaped him. "I recognize the hypothermic control method. Good thinking."
Wufei's expression did not change - he'd been prepared for some kind of comment. The fact that it was approving did catch him a little off guard. To cover the pleasure that Heero's approval gave him, he scowled. "I'm not stupid," he said, his tone one that most people would recognize as 'typical Wufei' - arrogant, almost angry. Then he found that the energy to back it up was slowly seeping out of him, as if his chi were seeping into the other boy. The words, 'it would be a honor to die with you,' almost emerged from his lips but he stopped them in time. They would sound weak.
"Does your head hurt?" he said quickly, still scowling, to change the subject. Reach his hand up from around Heero's back, he placed his fingers on certain spots along the other boy's neck and shoulders, using acupressure to relieve the throbbing pulse of pain.
Heero frowned at Wufei's reply, then he relaxed again, remembering that this was Wufei Chang. He was about to make a reply of his own, but stopped as he felt Wufei's fingers press points on his body to relieve the pressure in his head. Suddenly, the pain diminished even further and Heero Yuy found himself looking down at Wufei once again. This time, however, it was more of a look of wonder than anything else, as his mind began an assessment of the other Gundam pilot. 'Bad tempered, talented but arrogant, smart.' Heero thought to himself. "My head doesn't hurt as much now. Thanks." he said, thinking that this was the longest conversation he had had with another human being in a long time.
Wufei felt another momentary rush of pleasure as Heero acknowledged his touch. To cover it, he said simply, "My clan has many healing practices. Even a strong body can be damaged, or become out of balance. The foolish ignore such situations." Unconsciously, he shrugged slightly. "We will probably die anyway."
"Hmm," Heero said, grunting his agreement. Then something unexpected happened as that thought sank in. Heero began to think of other, recent questions in his life concerning the people he had met and the missions he had done. Such self-examinations were not common to him. He was accustomed to thinking more about what it would take to accomplish his missions, than what he thought or felt. In fact, Heero believed that emotions were for those who were not involved war. "Then we die." he added with a sigh, as he felt Wufei's fingers touch his skin.
Wufei felt a deep pain inside at the thought of Heero dying. Knowing it was a weakness, he wondered why his own death meant so little to him. It's because I'm not worthy, he thought. I pretend that I am the best, but I am a hollow shell. My wife was stronger... Duo Maxwell, Trowa, even Quatre Winner is stronger. Heero Yuy is the strongest of all. That is why I could not let him die - it would be wrong. The weak should die. The strong should live.
As if to prove how weak he truly was, his body flushed from inside, moving down. Closing his eyes briefly, Wufei realized the physical contact was continuing to affect him, that he had failed to master himself. "I will keep you alive," he gritted softly, unable to stop the words from coming out. "I'll keep you from freezing. I can't do anything else."
Looking down at Wufei, Heero frowned again. "What?" he heard his voice say, as the tone of Wufei's voice permeated his consciousness and awakened a total human response. Before he knew or could counteract the urge, Heero's hands tightened around Wufei's torso. Heero's eyes searched the other young man's face as he realized that Wufei was actually attempting to save his life.
At first Wufei looked away, scowling, but the knowledge of his cowardice was too cloying. If I am to die, he thought, it must not be like this - too weak to face myself. Too weak to face him.
Turning his head, he looked directly into Heero's deep blue eyes. "You will have to ignore my body," he said with fragile dignity. "Take what strength I have - you hardly need it. Someone will come for you --- for you."
"Wufei, what are you saying?" Heero said, looking at the Gundam pilot closely, as he began to feel the impact of Wufei's emotions. They awakened a response inside of him which both disturbed and called to Heero. "Why would anyone come for 'me'? " he said.
Wondering if it was a test, Wufei said simply, "Because you are the strongest. Without you, there will be no end to this war." Remembering the power, the presence and the chill that he had seen in the eyes of the man, Treize, he added, "Evil is strong. You are the only one who could be stronger."
Heero looked down at Wufei, shaking his head slowly. "I don't think it is that simple," he said as another thought occurred to him. "But that is how you see it. How you see... " he started to say, then stopped once again. "Chang Wufei," Heero said, strongly. "If we are to die here, then we die together... as equals... as soldiers!"
Wufei stared at Heero, nonplussed by the words coming from him. Am I making him weak? he thought suddenly. "Fine," he said, forcing a growl. "Let's see what you are equal to." Thinking briefly that he might actually die in the next few seconds, Wufei turned his face and kissed Heero full on the lips.
Heero's eyes flew open as he felt the contact of Wufei's mouth on his own. He felt his fingers involuntarily press into Wufei's skin through his clothing. Heero felt a strong urge to push Wufei off of him and break the kiss at the least, but something else stopped him. The challenge. 'What I'm equal to, huh?' Heero thought, and suddenly began kissing back. Voices in his head gave him many reasons why this was twisted, but the louder they spoke, the more Heero Yuy felt the drive to defy. He opened his mouth, as he licked and tasted Wufei's mouth. He felt his heart begin to beat in his chest hard and his body flush with sudden heat as he kissed Wufei.
The Japanese boy's reaction caught Wufei by surprise. He'd been expecting something negative, perhaps even that the Wing pilot might try to kill him. The sudden, sexy response took him completely off guard, sending a jolt of energy through his body. His hands tightened on Heero's shoulders, as he accepted the other boy's tongue into his mouth. Unable to stop a flood of tears from blurring his vision, he closed his eyes tightly. After a long delicious moment he pulled away, his chest rising and falling with deep, rapid breaths.
Breathing hard, Heero looked down at Wufei through half-lidded eyes. "Twisted as it is, that was good," Heero said as he licked his lips.
"Twisted..." Wufei repeated, the word somehow altering the spin of his feelings. He'd never thought of it as 'twisted'... only weak. His wife had understood... and had forgiven him. But it was a difference he bore inside, afraid to allow it out into the light. It forced him to keep his distance from the others, living with the fear that they would somehow sense his difference. Then Heero's other words penetrated. "Good..."
Blinking, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to the other boy's, once again.
Heero Yuy closed his eyes as he felt Wufei's mouth pressed against his for the second time. He felt himself flush again as he kissed Wufei deeper and at a more relaxed pace. He had no doubts that the Evil that Wufei had spoken of was actually he, Heero, or that he had subverted Wufei somehow. 'He started it,' a small voiced said to him, and Heero smiled around the kiss. Suddenly, other things about the situation became clearer to him. Heero began to make other assessments. He liked the way Wufei's lips tasted. Somehow Wufei taking care of him didn't seem quite as alien to him as Relena Peacecraft "looking" at him or Duo Maxwell prying into his brain with never-ending questions. 'Maybe this was how I was meant to go out... to experience.' he thought. 'Oh well, nothing by half measures.' Reaching up, Heero placed his hand at the back of Wufei's neck, pulling him even closer as he allowed himself to sink further into the kiss.
Wufei's arms tightened around the other boy, whose body felt so very warm against his own. How ironic, yet how predictable, in an unpredictable way, that the Japanese boy would be fearless in this as he was about everything. Inside Wufei, bonds were loosening that had been kept tight for years, under the most extreme restraint. He could feel something rapidly becoming firm, his clothes becoming tight and binding in a certain area. His hands moved down Heero's back, drinking the strength of him with something close to reverence. A calm, quiet voice in the back of his mind spoke into the chaos of emotions and sensations, and it simply said, this means death. Doing this means death. And of all the hundreds of times he had looked death in the face, this time, this one time, there was no bravado, no false arrogance, only the knowledge that at this moment, he was not afraid of death if it turned out to be the price of this.
"You don't care what happens, do you?" he said without thinking, before bending to kiss Heero's neck.
Heero's eyes closed briefly, feeling the warm mouth of Wufei's against his neck. He felt his body shiver in response to the gentle contact and did not suppress a small exhalation of air that passed his lips. Heero's breath deepened even as his body tightened painfully. Swallowing, he slid one arm around the Shenlong pilot's waist, recording the feeling of sheer contact with another body even as he thought about the question. "Depends," he replied, the only answer he could give.
In spite of himself, Wufei found himself laughing unexpectedly, the sound muffled against Heero's flesh. Muffled enough, perhaps, to cover the slightly hysterical edge to it. "Of course," he replied simply. The sensation of the other boy's arm around his waist, pressing against him was the last thing he would ever have expected. Shivering briefly before he was able to exert some control, he kissed the smooth skin of Heero's neck and shoulder, not caressing, but tasting, feeling the energy through his sensitive mouth, lips and tongue. The scent of the Japanese boy's body could be detected in the warmth that seemed to cling to their two bodies like the atmosphere of a planet - fragile yet life sustaining. "This test..." he murmured softly, tasting the skin behind Heero's ear, lower, feeling his strong pulse under the skin. "This test which weakens me... perhaps will strengthen you... Nataku."
Heero felt his body react with every touch of Wufei's mouth on his skin. Even though he felt the chill in air around them, Heero could also feel his body temperature rise beneath the makeshift blanket. He moaned gently as Wufei tasted his neck. Reaching up, Heero took Wufei's face in his hands, pulling the young Chinese pilot to face him. "Nataku? ...test?" Heero said, his half-lidded eyes falling to Wufei's mouth. Leaning forward a little, Heero kissed him again, deeper and without hesitation. "Explain," he managed, a short time later as he moved back a little and released Wufei's mouth.
Wufei's eyes widened, finding that his heart was beating very swiftly. It was as though he were facing something elemental, something far more powerful than he could have imagined. 'This time' he thought, 'I must recognize what it is I am facing. My cowardice cost Meiran her life. ' Feeling his mouth taken, he drowned for a moment in the sensations, then gasped, taking in the cold outside air. It helped concentrate through the rising tide of heat and need.
"All things in this life are tests, Nataku, you know this," he answered in a low voice. "You are the one who masters all tests, breaks all boundaries. I may be a... a coward, but I am not blind."
Heero watched and listened to Wufei as he felt his body flush and tighten even further with need. His eyes traveled over Wufei's face and for a moment Heero's view shifted and he saw the young man as if for the first time. "Wufei, what do you see?" he asked softly, as he sought to understand what was clearly pain in his friend's face.
"See?" Wufei repeated, breathing deeply. He looked deeply into the deep blue eyes of the other boy. "I see death, I see power, I see a reflection of my weakness in your strength. I see..." closing his eyes as if unable to bear looking any longer. "Nothing important." With great effort, he summoned a scowl to his face. "I see that you are not afraid of my sickness, my... what did you say? My twistedness." Running his hands down Heero's back, pressing his own hard ache against the other boy, Wufei's scowl became a sardonic smile. "Since I am going to die, I suppose there is no longer a reason to be afraid."
Heero swallowed hard as another groan escaped his mouth. He felt Wufei's hardness against him and felt his own body respond. Suddenly, he understood what Wufei was saying to him and it brought a smile to his mouth. Taking Wufei's face in his hands again, Heero pulled him closer to kiss him deep and hard. "That..." he said, a little later, "... is how I live." Heero moved his hands down along Wufei's torso, feeling the shape of his body in his hands. Moving his hands lower, Heero cupped Wufei's hips in his hands and pressed their bodies even closer together. There was some satisfaction in him, knowing that he had given them both a little taste of torture.
Wufei groaned deeply, the ache becoming an agony. "Oh..." He felt the last remnants of control begin to slip out of his grasp. Holding one arm hard around Heero, he slid the other between their bodies, jerking at the drawstring of his pants, freeing himself. "I'll free your strength," he whispered harshly, reaching inside Heero's clothing to do just that. Closing his eyes for a moment, he felt the power and heat against his palm. It was like a reactor in meltdown, pulsing with energy.
Heero gasped feeling Wufei's hand enclose him. His hips rose up involuntarily in reaction. Someone else, another male, touching him with such a strong and sure grip, was something that Heero had not experienced. He felt himself throb and every nerve of his body sensitive. He looked down at Wufei as he breathed hard. Beads of moisture covered Heero's forehead as his hand moved down in an echoing response. His hand closed around Wufei, another first, and Heero was both surprised and amazed at the feeling.
"Ah! Gods.... Nataku..." Wufei gasped. Another short laugh emerged from his throat. The expression on the Japanese pilot's face was almost as unbelievable as the feeling of his touch. "You are... dueling..." Words of his teachers came to him unbidden - embrace your weaknesses to find your strength. He'd never accepted that, not since Meiran's death. Now it seemed very clear. "I... accept."
Moving his other hand further down Heero's back, he followed the curve of narrow hips, as he began to slowly stroke the heated, stiffened flesh between them. The pleasure this touching gave him was intense, all the more so for the long years of suppression.
Heero felt his body superheated as Wufei began to stroke him. Heero moved in time with Wufei's hand as he felt the desire rise even further. Blinking, he looked at Wufei and saw the expression in his face. 'Not what I thought, exactly.' Heero thought as he felt himself throb and harden even further, close to release. 'Not challenge... but.... sharing? But...' Closing his eyes, Heero found it harder and harder to think or reason. Soon, he just moved, very aware of Wufei, his smell, his touch. His own hand moved without his conscious thought as he felt the sensations of both himself and Wufei.
Pressing his mouth to Heero's, Wufei permitted himself one long, last hungry kiss, suddenly shuddering into it as his body released its pent-up tension in an explosion of ecstasy. Gasping, he rocked back, feeling his body turn to something fluid and boneless for a few seconds, before he could regain enough energy to open his eyes.
Heero felt a little relief as Wufei's mouth closed on his. His eyes opened wide as he watched Wufei shudder against him. He saw Wufei's expression and felt the liquid of his friend's body spill into his hand. The combination was enough to cause Heero's body to respond in-kind. In some far distance, Heero heard a voice cry out in release as his body stiffened and he spilled into Wufei's hand. For a long, quiet moment, the Gundam pilot could only lie spent against the sofa, holding Wufei against him.
Wufei heard his own harsh breathing slow, and looked down at the body of the one beside him. Lifting his hand gently from the spent and softening flesh, he looked down, seeing liquid glisten on his fingers. Without thinking, he lifted those fingers to his mouth and tasted the stuff, feeling it sing across his senses. Blinking, he looked down at the boy so many people thought of as cold and soulless. "Thank you, Nataku," he said softly. "I can die without fear. I've run from this for so long... no need to do that any more."
Heero's eyes opened and he looked up Wufei. For a long time, he looked into Wufei's eyes and said nothing. He nodded. "No need to run," Heero said as he found himself surprised again as a few things inside of him loosened a bit. "You... feel things, Wufei." he said, not even sure he understood where he was going.
Moving his hands up again, Heero traced Wufei's mouth with his fingers. He sighed deeply, then said. "Thank you, Wufei." Leaning up, he kissed Wufei's mouth, tasting their co-mingled liquids on his tongue.
Without knowing why, Wufei found himself gently brushing the tousled strands of thick hair back from Heero's damp forehead. As he did so, he could feel the cold around them, which had seemed to vanish for a while, returning, slowly leaching energy from the air, as it would soon do from their bodies. "I know you now, Heero Yuy, Nataku. I was right about you. I didn't want to accept it, for a long time. I wanted to be the strongest, but that simply isn't true. Only Nataku could have done what you just did, accepting my weakness without letting it become a part of you." Further conversation seemed unnecessary to Wufei at that moment. In a while the cold would begin stealing from the capsule of warmth around them. In a while. But it didn't matter at all.
Heero inhaled deeply and let the air slowly out of his lungs. He pulled Wufei against him, placing his arms around him as many things ran through his mind. He looked up once again, then closed his eyes. 'Not a bad way to die,' he thought idly as he settled down, feeling Wufei against him and around him.
The message would have gone undetected if Trowa had not been at the communications console at that moment. Wufei had chosen a very specific code for the one brief message he'd been able to get off of the shuttle's comm before it blew up. Knowing a call for help would either go ignored by the OZ command base, or possibly even draw back some in OZ who might have known of the plan to kill the two captive pilots on this mission, Wufei had used one of the command codes that the Gundam pilots had received their mission assignments in. It was a very deliberate long shot - only another Gundam pilot would understand the message. That of course meant it was extremely unlikely that it would be received. Once again, however, the laws of chaos were with the pilots.
Trowa's eyes widened and he immediately erased the message, before any of the officers around him could notice it. It would be difficult - perhaps too difficult - to engineer an excuse that would allow him to rescue the two, for Wufei had used the short message to indicate explicitly that 01 and 05 were both alive, stranded on the abandoned colony satellite. Trowa showed no reaction to the message or to the dilemma, returning to his next duty post, but the problem was being evaluated with the same cool precision that he had applied to his circus gymnastics, and his chameleon role.
Trowa checked the chronometer as he got into the shuttle, and pressed his lips together silently. It had been over eight hours since he´d received the coded distress message from Wufei. And it would take time to get to the abandoned colony. It was very possible that both pilots were dead already, and his rescue attempt a dangerous and perhaps meaningless exercise that would only compromise his cover in the eyes of the more suspicious Oz officers. If he´d been able to leave immediately, there would have been a higher probability of success, but it just hadn´t been easy. He´d spent time collecting all the information he could before making the decision to go, down to the exact duty roster for every hour that he thought he might be gone. In the shadow-game that he was playing, his survival from moment to moment depended on such subtleties as knowing which officers to avoid and which ones to be visible to.
He´d made a trip down to the cells where the five scientists were being held, surreptitiously passing along the information about the two stranded pilots. He´d considered briefly asking what they thought of a rescue attempt, but realized he did not want the obligation that would go with the advice. It might be harder to have the decision resting on his shoulders, but it was what he preferred. The consequences would certainly be on his shoulders.
Time had to be spent working out an exact plan. No matter which way he turned it, no matter what he thought of, it finally became clear that he simply was not going to be able to even think about trying, without getting support of some kind from Col. Une. It wasn´t a card he wanted to play. She´d been extremely, some of her officers said ‘overly´ supportive of him, clearly valuing him for his extraordinary skills. He knew also that as time had gone by, she had come to… well, perhaps ‘like´ was not an appropriate word, but to approve of him. Simply put, he could tell that she liked the way his mind worked. She also liked his quiet precision. Her favor made it harder for him with the other officers, but as long as she was in command, it was something he would live with. However, Une was… unpredictable. The discussion among the soldiers was kept to a minimum, but he´d heard enough, combined with what he had seen himself, to recognize her mood changes as too extreme to be anything but schizophrenia. What Col. Une might agree with, Lady Une might not, and vice versa. He didn´t fear the Col., quite the contrary. He disliked the random element. If he got Col. Une´s support, Lady Une wouldn´t countermand, but if it went the other way… not a situation he wanted to try and work with.
In the end, he went to her. His argument was simply worded. Many of the Oz officers had expressed their inability to understand her decision to keep the Gundam pilots alive, and further, employ their skills in active missions. Understandable, but unreliable elements among the corps had sabotaged the mission that the captive pilots had been sent on. Retrieving at least one of them was necessary. Only they could provide the answers about what had happened. He knew that the Col. would not tolerate insubordination. She might not care about the lives of Wufei and Heero, but the idea that anyone would interfere with a mission she had ordered instigated her cold rage. She had to know who was involved, so she could deal with them.
The interview had gone better than he expected, though there were times when he found her intense regard disturbing. On this occasion, as on others, he couldn´t shake the feeling, crazy though it was, that she knew exactly what he was and what he was doing. However, she never said a word or performed a single action that would confirm or deny it, one way or the other.
Putting these thoughts behind him, Trowa secured the shuttle for takeoff and left the base.
Arriving at the abandoned colony after burning the jets all the way, Trowa tapped the console, getting energy readings from the dimmed, and crippled structure hanging in space. The readings were so low they might easily be accounted for by nothing more than traces of residual power left in cold reactors and drained solar batteries. Though the temperature in the shuttle was normal, Trowa felt a sudden shiver move through his skin as he examined the readings expressionlessly. Unbidden, a mental picture of the two pilots´ frozen bodies conjured itself. It tore at him in a distant way, but he acknowledged it, having known all along that the most likely conclusion of his mission would be simply that of honoring the two with a burial in space, where no enemies could gaze at their bodies or dishonor their memories.
The colony´s exterior was torn and ripped with scars of weapons fire, and the debris of a vast number of mobile dolls still remained floating all around the area, making the approach to the colony difficult. Trowa spotted the shattered remains of the Oz shuttle that had brought Heero and Wufei to this place. The shuttle was wedged in an opening in the skin of the colony, its hold exploded open from the inside. The remains of two mobile suits, the ones the pilots were to have used, could be seen still inside the destroyed ship, damaged by the blast that had breached the hull. The saboteurs had been efficient rigged the two suits to blow, probably set extra charges in the hold as well. It didn´t look like something anyone could have survived, and Trowa wondered how Wufei and Heero had gotten out, but more important was where they would be clearly not in the shuttle. Something about the way it was jammed into the skin of the colony… yes the forward hatch was on the side that seemed to be intruding into the colony interior. Maneuvering carefully, Trowa brought his shuttle around to the side and used a magnetic anchor to secure it next to the broken craft. Quickly donning his helmet and sealing his spacesuit, he left the shuttle.
The dimmed lights that had guided Wufei through the empty colony had ceased functioning, leaving the structure in an eerie darkness, broken only here and there by ports that allowed starlight in. Trowa brought a handlight, using a small detector to scan for lifesigns, energy, anything. For a long time he got nothing, and felt a sense of dark, blank emptiness, knowing that the greatest cost had been time. Going much further into the colony than he originally intended, trying to find some sign, he forced himself at last to return, showing no signs of the intense rage building somewhere in the well to which he consigned his emotions. He would find the ones responsible for this murder. The certainty did not still the distant and silent howl of suppressed rage and pain.
As he returned to the place where the shuttle had breached the hull, the detector showed a faint sign. Stopping, he frowned, wondering why it had not shown up before. The sign seemed to fade from the detector. Trowa stood very still, and turned off the handlight. Turning slowly, he saw the detector respond again. Whatever it was responding to was incredibly faint, but not far from the spot where he stood. He turned on the handlight again and surveyed the area closely. A few meters away he saw a group of buildings, most of them collapsed. Shelter. Moving cautiously, watching the detector closely, he went towards the buildings, and saw the response come again. It drew him toward one of the buildings, which was more intact than the others. Heart beating quickly, he entered the building. With only the handlight, he could not see what he was looking for right away, among the shapes of furniture and containers. There… to the left coverings had been ripped apart and gathered into a mound on one of the couches, a mound large enough to possibly conceal two young pilots…
Looking at the detector again, he frowned. It did not give the readings he would expect for a living person, much less two. The readings where there, but they made no sense. Perhaps… only one was left, dying.
Attaching the light to his belt, as well as the detector, Trowa moved quickly to the mound and began peeling the coverings away. There lay the two boys, arms entwined, eyes closed, faces blank and still. Peaceful, Trowa thought, in spite of himself, ignoring again the internal howl that called from the well. Reaching down, he touched the side of Wufei´s neck, feeling for a pulse. Through his gloves, he could detect nothing. Unsealing the glove, he removed it, feeling the instant cold bite his skin. Reaching down, he touched Heero´s neck, frowning. The boy´s skin was cold to the touch, but warmer than the air warmer than it should have been. But no pulse. Too late? Too late by mere minutes or seconds? Turning back to Wufei, he tried again to find a pulse. Nothing… but… what was…
Suddenly the Chinese boy took in a breath, and his pulse sprang to life. Blinking, Trowa stared at him, eyes widening. What the hell? After three deep breaths, Wufei´s eyes opened. Blinking, he looked up at Trowa. The water that rose to his eyes might have been from the cold, but Trowa recognized the emotion in Wufei´s eyes. Then the 05 pilot looked at Heero. Trowa watched, wondering what was going to happen next. Wufei tried to raise his hand to Heero´s face, but it was clear he was extremely weak.
“What?” Trowa said, opening his faceplate impatiently, and not even feeling the cold air as it seared his lungs. Wufei´s lips moved but it took two tries before he could mouth the words.
“He can´t… come back… on his own… you must slap…”
Trowa blinked, and without hesitation, raised his hand and struck the Wing pilot across the face, leaving a sudden red mark. Heero gasped, and his lungs began working, trying to take in the frigid air. His recovery was nothing short of miraculous, and much quicker and more complete than Wufei´s in a few moment he was moving, looking around, his eyes locking with Trowa before he acknowledged the other boy´s presence and rescue with a simple, but meaningful nod. Staring at Heero, Trowa did not notice Wufei, who was watching Heero with a slight smile. Wufei seemed to be much weaker, his limbs cold and flaccid, as Heero managed to move.
Looking down, Heero met the Chinese boy´s eyes. “It worked,” he said in a low, cold-strained voice.
“Of course,” Wufei whispered. Closing his eyes, Wufei tried to will strength back into his body, but his reserves were simply not as deep as Heero´s.
Shaking his head, Trowa pulled at Heero´s arm, and the other boy managed to make it to his feet. Together, they pulled Wufei up between them, and began the trip back to the shuttle.
It took some maneuvering to get everyone back into the safety of the shuttle Trowa had to make a trip to get two flightsuits, and bring them back before he could get the other two inside. Apparently the pilots had been forced to remove theirs by the Oz saboteurs, before the two had gotten the upper hand, but the suits had gone up in the explosion.
Once back inside Trowa´s shuttle, Wufei was strapped into a couch by Heero, as Trowa released the magnetic anchor.
As the shuttle debarked from the colony, Trowa glanced at Heero, climbing into the seat beside him.
"What was that?" Trowa asked, almost in spite of himself. "You both seemed to be dead."
Leaning back slightly in his seat, Heero Yuy turned his head towards Trowa, then back. "Life/Chi sustaining technique. One of the ancient arts. Become aware of, then slow down the body's metabolism to preserve energy." Heero replied. "Wufei taught me."
Trowa's eyebrows lifted ever so slightly. Then he simply said. "Amazing." Setting the shuttle on a course away from the abandoned colony, he took a deep breath. "I'm grateful to Wufei, then. I was afraid I would be too late."
"Hmm," Heero growled. "How..." he began and then stopped as Trowa's words registered. "We're both alive,” he concluded as his mind replayed some of the time with Wufei. The events were having an effect, but Heero couldn't tell what kind of an effect.
Trowa glance at Heero again, seeing that the Japanese pilot was occupied with private thoughts. Something had happened, something beyond the facts that Trowa knew, but it was not in his nature to pry, though he might privately wonder.
"I wish I could let you both go - say you were dead," he said after a moment. "But that would be too dangerous if it was discovered."
"It would blow your cover," Heero replied as he glanced back at Wufei. "We can take care of ourselves. I imagine you took a big risk coming to get us in the first place. You've done a lot, Trowa."
Trowa did not reply immediately. After a moment he said, "I convinced Col. Une that she needed at least one of you to finger the soldiers that sabotaged the mission. I hope you can point them out."
"That won't be a problem at all. " Heero said, as he felt his head ache slightly. "Is there anything else you need to keep your cover intact?"
"No," Trowa said simply, and then, completely without irony, "Like you, I can... take care of myself."
"Hmm," Heero growled softly in agreement. He glanced out at the stars and the said, "That was good... the Une thing." He looked over at Trowa and realized that this was the first time he could remember Trowa saying enough words to have a conversation. "Hypothermic techniques," he said.
"What?" Trowa said, not understanding the last two words.
Heero realized that he had said something slightly obscure. He looked at Trowa again. "That was the other element employed to keep us alive," he said.
Trowa glanced again at Heero, sensing something odd about the Wing pilot, nothing he could put his finger on. He's probably just exhausted, Trowa thought, but his intuition, which was extremely sensitive, told him otherwise.
Behind them in the cockpit, the faintest sound was heard. It was the ghost of Wufei's laugh.
Heero turned in his seat to look back at Wufei. "You're alive," he said.
"Of course," Wufei rasped softly, then laughed again, ending in a brief cough.
Heero took a deep breath and then unstrapped himself from his seat. Standing, he went back to check on Wufei. He bent down to one knee and looked at the Shenlong pilot. "You want something?" he asked.
"Sit down, baka," Wufei said hoarsely, looking up at Heero, with eyes that were softer than his tone. Reaching up briefly, almost absently, he brushed a strand of Heero's thick hair from his face. "I don't need anything. I'm a lot tougher than I look - hadn't you heard?"
Heero frowned and made a small noise in his throat. "Yeah," he said and then placed his hands on Wufei's shoulders. Heero then began to massage the muscles in Wufei's back and neck with a concentrated look on his face. "Relax and rest," he said.
Sighing inaudibly as Heero's strong hands kneaded his aching, oxygen-starved muscles, he managed to summon a scowl. "Sit down and rest," he rasped in the same tone. "I don't take orders from you. Just because I saved your life, is no reason for you to hover over me. Sit."
"You don't take orders from anyone." Heero said and then ran his thumb over Wufei's lower lip on impulse. He looked back at Wufei. "Thanks for saving my life."
"Shut up," Wufei growled hoarsely, scowling ferociously. However he did not attempt to conceal the shiver that ran through him at the touch on his mouth. Closing his eyes, he turned his head, settling to sleep, real sleep this time. "Baka." Then, eyes still closed, his lips curled in a very slight smile. In seconds he was asleep.
Heero watched Wufei as the word ran through his mind. "Baka," he said to Wufei's sleeping form and then went back to his seat.
Heero then looked over at Trowa. "Thanks for coming to get us." he said.
Listening to the exchange behind him, Trowa had been attempting with some difficulty not to turn around and stare at the two, in mild shock at the words and tones that seemed so very strange for the two of them. Though it was subtle, his sensitivity was such that he could almost see the bond between the two boys, which seemed like an odd cross between affection and something a great deal more raw. What the *hell* happened in that abandoned colony?
"Uh, don't give it any more thought," he answered, a little absently. Then he gave in and turned to look closely at Heero, just to see if the Japanese boy had altered in some visible way he hadn't noticed before. Then he glanced back at the sleeping Wufei. Giving up, he returned his attention to the controls, but somewhere inside, in that deep well that hid all his feelings, something began to unknot just a little, as if a tiny ray of light had pierced the darkness enough to offer a tiny glimpse of something beyond the death, the rage, the war. What it was, he didn't dare think about. But finishing the trip in silence, Trowa felt as if the shuttle was flying faster than it could go, somehow lightened impossibly by an emotion so subtle and so fleeting that it had no name.
bj & v