Disclaimer: I don’t own any gundam stuff in any way, shape or form. Warnings: 1x2 2x1, OOC, I take some liberties with the storyline that people might not agree with, sooo possibly AU? Dunno. Angst Sister Dearest: Heero stopped, carefully looking around the corner of the dingy brick building. His quarry was picking their way down the gray alley, oblivious to the fact they were being watched. Ignoring the rain that dripped down the neck of his long coat, he carefully moved down the cracked cement behind the silent figure. Drawing up close, he finally reached forth a gloved hand to tap the shoulder in front of him. "Where the hell have you been, Duo?" He whispered fiercely, grabbing the motionless figure's arm and swinging them around to face him. Before he knew what had happened, he found himself thrown up against a dirty wall, a piece of wire wrapped around his throat. "I don't know how you know my name. And I don't care." Flat hazel eyes held him pinned as much as the sheer force of arms the person displayed. Looking at the angelic face, he couldn't believe how much the person looked like Duo.. but this was a woman. A very dangerous woman, he mentally amended, trying not to make the slightest move that would cause her to tighten the silver strand any further. Helpless, he stared at her in mute anger, wondering how to get himself out of this mess. Suddenly, he felt the wire come away, only to find himself inches from her emotionless face. "You aren't even a worthy opponent now. Come back and challenge me again when you're more worthy." She stated, her flat voice almost burning his ears. He stood and shook his head, trying not to think about how much she looked like Duo... and her name was Duo.... Heero watched silently, unmoving until she disappeared around the corner. *** Heero quietly shut the door behind him, trying not to wake the three other battle-hardened pilots. He cursed himself silently as he hung his coat on the rack, wishing he had a way to clean the grime off of it before the others saw it's damaged condition. They had strict orders to stay in the safehouse. Only Duo had been allowed freedom, though he did not seem to want it. His face had looked haunted as he'd left the building. Though everyone had been told Duo had a  mission to accomplish, Heero couldn't wipe that last look from his mind. Duo's jester's mask had fell to reveal a look of pain, loathing, and fear. Shaking his head, he tried to drive the braided one out of his thoughts, with little effect. Why couldn’t he control his own mind? He had no reason to try to protect Duo. His orders were to stay put, so why couldn’t he? Pulling his boots off of his sore feet, he froze, unable to move. Did he Care about Duo? Yes… yes he did. “Damn.” He whispered, dropping his other boot and stretching out on the couch. Heero closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but the pain of his bruises and the throbbing of his neck kept him painfully awake. Every time he changed position, he looked at the door, half-expecting to see it open. Duo had been gone for three days now… he would need to come back soon. He’d only been given four days to complete his mission in. Duo had sworn it wouldn’t take him that long, but he only had 12 hours left. “This is getting me nowhere.” Heero whispered, prying himself off the couch to go check how badly he’d been hurt. Fumbling the bathroom light on, he started some warm water running. He hissed as he pulled his shirt off his battered body, looking at the places where the wall had scraped the skin off of his back. His neck didn’t even bear thinking about, the purple ridge loudly proclaiming he’d been out and in a fight. Washing carefully, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a face in the mirror behind him. He almost backhanded the figure, whirling to find himself face to face with a tired, beaten Duo. Duo carefully stood beside him, looking as if willpower alone kept him on his feet. Heero could only stare as the braided boy pulled off his shirt and reached for the untouched washcloth on the rack. He had bruises covering his chest and arms, with several cuts around his shoulders and ribs. Shaking his head, Heero washed Duo’s back for him, trying not to cause any more pain to the pilot next to him. “Will you tell me what happened?” Heero asked, something resembling concern in his voice.. almost caring. At Duo’s nod, they retreated into the den, as far away from the bedrooms they could get. Insisting Duo lay in the couch, Heero wedged himself in the overstuffed recliner next to it, leaning it back until their heads were as close as possible. Heero did not want the others to interrupt with their bickering and questions. Duo sincerely looked like he needed some quiet. “I guess you want to know what the mission was.” Duo whispered. “I was sent out to find someone and try to buy their services for the colonies. She’s one of the highest paid assassins there are. Anything involving stealth, or sabotage.. she’s the leading expert. “ Duo’s voice was almost flat, save for an undertone of pain that slowly rasped away at Heero’s heart. “I failed. OZ has already hired her for a mission. Even if they hadn’t already gotten to her.. we are better off without her.” “Duo, you’re not telling me everything.” There could be no mistaking it now, Heero sounded concerned.. worried even. “You don’t have to tell the others everything, but you do have to tell me. I’ve gone out every night since you left trying to find you to help you… and even if you didn’t ask me to, you owe me something for that.” With a near-invisible smile, Heero reached over and raked his fingers through Duo’s bangs. “I should have known you couldn’t let a mission pass you by.” Duo said with a smirk. “I guess I do owe you something.. especially since you look about as beat up as I do. Okay… I’ll tell you, but you have to promise this stays between us.” Duo warned, tapping his finger against Heero’s nose. At Heero’s silent nod, Duo folded his arms across his chest, turning his face away so that he was obscured in the shadows. “I guess you could say this is a family issue… I know you guys all think I have no family.. that I grew up alone on the streets when I wasn’t at the Maxwell church. Well.. it’s very true that I’m an orphan.. and so is my sister.” Heero felt a icy shiver run down his back when he heard Duo’s statement. “Sister?” At Duo’s nod, he put his fingers up to his abused neck. “Hazel eyes. Looks like you.”  “Yeah.” Duo frowned. “I should have known you’d run into her if you were looking for me. How do you think I got in this state?” Laughing a little, Duo winced, trying to force his muscles to relax. “I’ve been searching for her. I’d hoped she would remember me.. that she might come join us.. but I should have known better.” “Why?” Duo sighed. “I’ll tell you.”  Cupping his hands over the silver of his crucifix, he seemed to take courage from the pure metal. “When we were growing up, life was hard… when our parents died, we had nothing but each other.. even when we found the church to stay in, we had to stick together to survive. There were too many people out to snatch up unwary children.. for many purposes. My sister and I were together so much, everyone started calling us “the duo”.. and the name pretty much described us better than our old names did.. we thought the same.. acted the same, looked out for each other… We were twins you know.” Duo balled his hands into fists as he continued, ignoring everything while he relived the painful memories. “When the massacre happened… we had no place left to go.. we were living on the streets again, stealing what we needed to survive.” Shivering a little, Duo seemed to shrink in on himself. “You know there were scientists in the colonies other than the ones that built the gundams…” “Yes, I knew of several, and quite a few of them helped indirectly in the war.. coming up with new communications technology.. better storage for supplies….” Heero thought carefully. “Some of them were as important as the scientists that help us.” “And some of them were just plain evil.” Duo’s eyes narrowed, tears forming in the corner of them. “There was a scientist named Omar Holloway who lived on our colony. He believed that the answer to the war of arms wasn’t big guns or mobile suits. He believed in more subtle forms of violence.. He stole children off of the streets and did experiments with them, twisting their minds.. changing them psychically, trying to create the perfect killing machines. He caught us……. Said we’d make a perfect matching set, Damn him. He wanted my sister most.. using her as he tore her body apart to rebuild her as what he wanted her to be. We were both nine.. only kids, we couldn’t stop him.” Duo tore the necklace off of his neck holding it in front of his eyes. “I watched… I watched while he raped her. I was shackled to the wall.. I couldn’t get free to help her. I…. screamed. I begged for him to let her go.  He… laughed at me as he took her away.” Duo swallowed heavily, dashing the tears from his eyes. “One night.. about a week later, I woke up to find her standing over me. She had wires and tubes sticking out of her body everywhere… half her arm was still cut open, showing where bones had been replaced with metal. I tried to scream, but no sound came out of my mouth.. I could only stare as she walked over and tore my chains from the wall. Just tore them like they were paper. She looked at me….. stared and told me to go.” Heero forced himself out of the chair and pulled Duo up and into his arms. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to go on…” “No.. I need to tell you. Look at what she did to you.” Duo reached up and gently touched the swollen skin around Heero’s neck. “You do have a right to know.” Wrapping his arms around Heero, he dropped his necklace to the floor. Both of them winced at the loud ringing it made when it hit the hard, polished wood. “I followed her, trying to convince her to come with me, even though we both knew it was too late. I watched her hook herself back up to the machines, attaching the wires that ran from her body back to their former positions… forcing the tubes back in… she looked like a scene from a nightmare there, hanging from the wall. I cried as I watched her eyes close, but I listened to her last wishes as she stood there, quietly talking. She told me to go find some way to end the bloodshed.. to leave and never look back. Then… she told me she loved me, and if I ever saw her again, to kill her.” “Damn…” Heero pulled Duo even closer, burying his face into musky-smelling hair. “When she didn’t know me tonight.. I tried. I tried so hard to do what she wanted. I shot her twice, but she didn’t even flinch. I could see blood and wires… but she didn’t even stop moving. I ran after her, I tried to attack, but she slammed me into a wall and left me in the alley. I think it was the broken glass on the ground that cut me.. I’m not sure.” “I’m sorry Duo, I didn’t know.” “It’s ok Heero, you couldn’t have.” Heero pulled Duo’s chin up to where he could look him straight in the eyes. “No, it’s not ok. I was taught that it’s alright to act on emotions… but I’ve never had many to act on.” His eyes hardened as he whispered. “I have them now, and I’m not going to ignore them…. Duo, I’m sorry. No one should have to go through anything like that. They shouldn’t have sent you out after her. I will not let you be hurt again, do you understand?” “Heero, you don’t understand… my mission was a failure. She’s working for the opposite side. She’ll hunt her targets down with no mercy. She’s more than human now… and less. I failed my mission or recruit her, and I failed her.. I couldn’t kill her. She’s just too strong.” “Then we’ll do this together.” Heero said, a determined expression on his face. “This nightmare should have ended long ago, but we’ll stop it now, koi.” “Koi?” “Yes, Koi.” Heero said, laying back and settling Duo carefully into his arms. *** “Erich, Mommy says you have to get up! We’re supposed to go to the picnic today, remember? You promised me you’d play hide and seek with me! Come on.. get out of bed..” “Duo, wake up.. you’re supposed to report in a few minutes.. “ The warm voice breathing in his ear drowned out the pleas of an earlier time, slowly bringing Duo into full alertness. Rubbing his eyes, he pulled himself out of Heero’s lap to stumble over to the Vidscreen set into the wall. “Dammit..” He muttered, keying in his password carefully, trying to force himself to remain calm. When the line connected, he found himself admitting his failure, and explaining how their only option was to eliminate the assassin, before she started eliminating them. “Too late for that. She’s already started. Two of our other special operatives were killed this morning, their heads severed from their necks.” The doctor’s grim voice reported. “I want all five of you out there. I want you to hunt her down, and I don’t care if you have to use your gundams to do it! She must be stopped. Is that clear?” Duo nodded, he knew it was their only choice. Heading to his room, he didn’t even notice Heero was following him until he pulled his gun from the bedside stand. “That won’t really help, will it?” Heero nodded at the cold steel clutched in his hands. “I don’t know.. I really don’t know what will help. I don’t see any way to take our gundams out looking for her without starting a heavy battle right here, or I would.” Heero shook his head. “We’re going to have to figure out where she’s staying at, and what her movements are before we consider a plan.” Taking the gun from Duo’s hand, he placed it back on the battered wood. “Besides, we need to fill in the others on everything. They are a part of this too now.” At Duo’s pained look, Heero quickly squeezed Duo’s shoulders. “You don’t have to tell them everything if  you don’t want to, but it’s their mission to help, and we need to let them know they’re facing something more than the usual assassin.” “True. Damn.. let’s get this over with soon. I have a feeling we don’t have much time.” Duo muttered, grabbing a clean set of clothes as he headed off into the shower. Heero smiled as he watched Duo retreat towards the bathroom. Hmmmm well, he Was supposed to follow his feelings..  and right now his feelings said a wet, naked Duo was something he needed. Not to mention the fact that distracting Duo from his worries wouldn’t be a bad thing. “Damn.” He whispered, shaking his head. “I guess I have no choice..” With a slightly smug look, Heero walked down the hall, leaving his clothes strewn behind him. *** an hour and a half later “So, what’s the mission?” Quatre asked, absently rubbing Trowa’s shoulders as they sat on the battered couch in Duo’s room. “We have to kill an assassin that’s killing people on our side.” Duo said, keeping his expression as blank as he could. “The assassin won’t be easy to kill, she’s as strong as ten people. She can withstand multiple gun wounds without flinching. She’s as dangerous to us as a gundam is to a colony.” Quatre winced visibly at that, and Duo sent him an apologetic look. “An Onna?” Wufei asked with his usual sneer. “You’re telling me we’re supposed to hunt down and kill an Onna?” Heero glared at Wufei with open malice. Balling his hands into fists, he reached over and grabbed the chinese youth by the collar. “You want to see what kind of Onna we’re facing? Take a look at this.” Heero pulled his face close to the bruised ring of flesh around his neck. “She did that to me before I had time to breathe. If she hadn’t thought I wasn’t worth the effort, I’d be dead now.”  Quatre and Trowa paled slightly, while Wufei muttered an apology. “This is no game. We need to get out there and track her down before she comes after anyone else, including us.” “Does anyone have a description or a picture?” Quatre asked. “I can get our standby agents out on the street looking with us, if we know exactly what we’re looking for.” Duo swallowed and turned away. “She looks like me. With slightly shorter hair, and brownish-green eyes.”  He came over and put his arm around Heero’s waist, trying to recapture the happiness he’d been feeling only an hour before. Quatre quickly got on the Vidlink to rally the troops. It was time to start the war. *** “How could anyone live in a place like this?” Quatre’s disgust was evident as he picked his way through the trash and filth that littered the hallway, stopping at a nondescript door. “You’d think this dump would have been torn down long ago.” Stepping to the side, he grimaced as he pushed up against the wall to keep from getting in Duo’s way. Duo leaned forward, holding a set of cards and wires, bound together on a small aluminum ring. “This isn’t too bad, Q. I’ve lived in worse. It’s the ones without lights in the hallways that you really need to worry about.” With professional ease, Duo slid two of the wires into the keyhole and began twisting. “It’s also a plus that this place uses the old, mechanical locks. The cardscanners are pretty easy to get into, but a lot of times they keep a log of when they were accessed, and that’s a pain to try to hack into and delete the One entry you need to get rid of.” Duo probed the lock, stopping each time something clicked. “Almost…..There! Got it!” Duo grabbed his gun and pushed up against the other wall. “Well, at least we didn’t get the sector that Heero and Trowa got assigned.” Shivering slightly, he hunched closer to the door. Drawing his gun, he stood like a statue. “We only have five more places to check after this.” Duo rolled his eyes. “Ok Q, on the count of three, and if you see her, put as many bullets as you can into her, and run.”  At Quatre’s nod, they threw the door open and stepped inside to find a nearly empty room. Scraps of furniture leaned up against the walls. Dust covered nearly everything.. it looked like it hadn’t been opened in years. Surveying the wreckage with relief, he looked over at his blond partner. “You’re sure this is the one they saw her going into?” “Yes.. They were very specific. Let’s give this place a through search before we go on to the next one.” “That’s what you said the last five places.” Duo said with a grin. Quatre smiled and shook his head. “Come on, you don’t want to be late for dinner, do you?” Duo grinned and shook his head, turning his flashlight on wide beam. Following the edges of the wall, he began to carefully inspect each section of torn up paneling along the walls. Spotting a mark on the floor, Duo motioned Quatre over.  “I think I’ve found something….” Bending low, he reached out to touch  the wetness with a gloved finger. “Oil… and something else…” Bringing it up to his nose, he smelled a coppery tang… “Blood.” Bringing his gun up, he pried against the edges of the loose boards. Quatre came up behind him, reaching around to shine his flashlight over another nearby section. After several minutes of frantic searching, they found a knot in the wood that swung the panel open to reveal a nightmare. Wires stretched across the room like black cobwebs and blood was splattered across the walls. Dim lighting was given by machines and panels that lined the area. Suspended in the middle of the largest pool of blood was the form of a man. “Oh Allah….” Quatre whispered as he carefully moved towards the stricken figure. “What have they done to him?”  Quatre was jerked backwards, nearly falling as he was pulled against Duo’s chest. “Don’t move.. don’t even think of moving. Look over there…” Duo pointed to a screen that displayed a human-like body that had red and green areas outlined, with moving golden dots circling every crimson shade on the screen. “He’s being repaired… and if he wakes up, he’ll be just as deadly as the other assassin is.. maybe more so, he looks older.” Duo pulled Quatre back as a small laugh came from the figure before them. “Oh… that’s just precious…” The man moved slightly, forcing his head up to meet the fearful gazes of the pilots before him. “You see me here.. in my torment, and you think I’m going to attack you? If you help me I’ll worship you forever..” He rasped, raising a hand to push his long, dirty blond hair out of his face. Dark eyes looked like holes against his skin, but there was no doubt he was alive. “The bastard will come back in a few hours to reset my controls… for now, I actually have myself back. He wanted to teach me a lesson by making me go through all this pain. He doesn’t want anything resembling a will in any of his creations.” Looking down at himself, he shrugged, pulling the wires and tubes with him in a grotesque dance. “If you won’t take me somewhere to get away from him.. I ask that you detach me from this and kill me.. I’ll tell you how, it won’t be too hard.” The pain in him hit Quatre like a dart to his soul. “Which parts of this equipment can be moved?” Quatre asked, forcing his eyes away to study the machinery. “And secondly, how long do we have before the one who did this to you comes back?” With almost a smile, the man sighed. “All of it is mobile.. and there’s three hours and thirty five minutes until his meeting is over. He wanted to make sure I knew how long I would suffer before I became his toy again.” Wincing in pain, he dropped his head again. “If you get me out of here, I swear I’ll dedicate my life to you both.” Quatre could feel that the man was sincere, and desperate. Shuddering, he reached for the secure radio he carried in his coat. “Ok, we’ll get you out of here, but the only thing we ask is that if we can get you patched up, you’ll give us all the information you have on this monster.” “Thank you. And tell your quiet friend over there that I can help him with his sister… Oh yes.. I can see the resemblance in his face.” Grimacing, he raised his head to look into Duo’s eyes. “She talked to me once… before he finished modifying her. I would have given anything to end her pain.”  Duo froze as he stared into dark eyes. Swallowing, he nodded his thanks, leaning against the wall as he half-heartedly listened to Quatre’s instructions to the others.  It would be a long three hours. ***   “I’m glad you could make it, doctor.” Seated on a slightly raised dais, the tall woman rose smoothly to her feet, descending the short distance to stand before him. She looked unimpressed as she stared into the dark eyes that were level with her own. “Of course, you pay well.” Snorting, he turned away from her, his brown coat settling awkwardly around his emaciated frame. Lady Une gave him a cold look before continuing on to study the leather-clad figure that knelt on the floor behind him. “I’d heard she was perfect.. and I see that those reports are true.” Circling her slowly, she reached out to lift the chestnut braid in her long fingers, letting it fall back against the woman’s neck. The figure on the floor didn’t move. “She seems unreal.. like a statue… How did you create her? Was she human?” “You should know I’m not going to answer your questions.” Black eyes glared at Une. “I am here because you said you had another mission for her. Your letter said you needed to see her to design a disguise. I highly suggest you get on with it. You have only an hour remaining of our scheduled time.” With a cruel smirk, he turned and gestured for his plaything to rise. “Take your measurements. Play with her if you want to, you know how much time you have. No more than that.”  Folding his arms, he walked back towards the entrance of the room, leaning causally against a marble pillar. “Fine.” Une’s cold eyes turned predatory as she walked to an intercom and called for her staff. “The costume has already been designed, there is only the fitting to worry about.” As aides rushed past the doctor, he raised an eyebrow at the small bundles of fabric and metal they carried, but said nothing. Une smirked at him as she personally removed the black leather outfit his victim wore, carefully managing to run her fingers over the pale flesh that was exposed. Stepping back, she surveyed the woman, noticing the pale scars the were barely visible against her unnatural pallor. Her muscle tone was excellent.. curves perfectly shaped, with no bulges or odd angles to show the mechanics beneath her skin. Une almost purred as she brushed her fingers against the soft skin of the silent one’s breasts. Forcing herself back, she nodded to her assistants, who carefully bedecked the toy in a dress that was more transparent than any color. Beautiful silver jewelry bedecked her arms, waist, ankles, and hands, with a tiara that traced her hairline. She would have been stunning, save for the empty blankness on her face. “The fitting is complete, my good doctor, but there is still time in our scheduled meeting. I would like for you to demonstrate your complete control over her.” Smiling slightly, Une reached under her skirt and pulled her thong off, carefully stepping out of it. Looking over at her sharply, he threw his head back and laughed, his yellowish-gray hair covering his face. “Fine. But I will not leave the room.” “Neither will they.” Une gestured at the row of her servants, all standing at attention. With a grin like a skull, he rattled off a strange code. “Fine, be my guest.” Une sat delicately as she watched the beautiful figure come towards her. Smiling strangely, she spread her legs, running her hands along her thighs. “I take it she’s been fully trained?” Une asked, while warm lips were carefully dragged across her smooth skin. “Oh….” She moaned, looking down at the brown hair shining against pale flesh. Moaning and squirming, She could only gasp and pant as a warm tongue teased her before suddenly entering her. “Ah! Oh yes……… More!” She screamed, ignoring the laughter of the old man, and the strange looks her servants were giving her.  Finally, trembling, she cried out, scratching the woman’s shoulders. “I.. have decided… “ Looking over at her servants, she barked a command. “NOW!” One of the men pulled out a small black box and quickly hit a switch. The braided beauty quietly fell to the floor, unmoving, while sparks shot out from the metal jewelry she wore. The rest of the men instantly surrounded the doctor, aiming a variety of weapons at him. “You Bitch!” He snarled, carefully surveying the weapons. “What do you hope to accomplish by this? No one but I can create toys like this, and I’ll die before I show you.” Growling, he whirled around to find himself faced with three more guards. “I don’t care about creating androids, old man.” Une shakily got to her feet, and stepped over the prone form to smirk at him. “You will teach Alex there how to reprogram her so she obeys only me.”  Une took a gun from one of her guards and ran the muzzle smoothly down his temple. “If you do, we shall let you live. You can go make a new assassin for yourself.” Glaring at the mad bitch, Dr. Holloway knew she was lying. He was dead as he stood there. Growling, he threw up his hands. “Fine, I will teach your technician. There are always more where she came from.” Inwardly, he chuckled. So they would kill him, but he would have his revenge. Oh yes… he would have his revenge. *** Duo sat against the wall, listening to the muted heartbeat that echoed through the room. He had watched as they moved their new partner into a hospital-like chamber, arranging each piece of machinery just the way the exhausted man had instructed. Studying the figure intently, he fought back waves of nausea. It was disgusting to watch the wires moving under the man’s skin, and see the holes from the wounds he had suffered closing slowly. The man looked ten times better than when they had discovered him, healing what looked like mortal wounds in the space of hours, and the bath and clean hair hadn’t hurt either. He definitely looked more human. Shivering, Duo waited for Heero to come back. He wanted the man he was coming to love to be near him.. to hold him. He didn’t want to face this creature out of his nightmares alone.  “Duo, are you ok?” Quatre asked from the other side of the door, where he kept a similar vigil over their “guest.” “I think I’ll feel better once Heero gets back. I just feel strange.. scared.”  “I know..” Quatre shivered. “We’re better off now than we were before. We have someone who can give us inside information on who and why this is happening… but it still seems unreal.” Gesturing over to the wall, he winced. “I never thought about the technology that went to make the gundams… it was just something that was always there, something I could understand. But this… this is inhuman. I can’t believe someone could do this to another human being.” “I know.” Duo stood up and walked over to the display. “I think he’ll be awake soon. Almost all of the red areas are gone.” Studying the man up close, he saw some of the tubes had gone limp, slowly sliding out of the holes where they had entered his body. The wires were coming out too… slowly coiling back into the machines they had come from. As Quatre stood and came closer, dark eyes finally opened, looking strangely warm and happy. “Thank you….. gods.. it feels like I should say more, but I don’t know what. “ Moving away from the wall, he came over to them, catching them both in a hug. Backing up, he pulled his hair out of his face, giving them their first clear look at him. He was beautiful, almost angelic looking. Both boys blushed slightly as his intense stare. “I only have one more favor to ask, for my safety.”  Pulling a knife from the tattered leather he wore, he handed it hilt-first to a confused Quatre. “Just below the skin on the back of my neck, there are five microchips implanted. The one on top, right below my hairline, is what allows the doctor to program me.” Holding up his hair, he turned his back to them, running a fingernail roughly across the spot. “If you remove that, I cannot be programmed again.” Waiting in silence, he didn’t even wince as the knife carefully probed at his skin. In moments, a glistening piece of metal shone in Quatre’s skilled hands. “So buddy, do you have a name?” Duo asked, grabbing a bandage from a nearby cart. “I think it was Valdin, I’m not exactly sure.” Accepting the bandage from Duo, he carefully applied it to the back of his neck. Every movement he made held mathematical precision, and controlled power. “It’s hard to remember anything that happened before he caught me, but then, I was the first one that survived his attentions. He used me as his assistant when modifying the others. I learned, but not enough to stop him. Not when he could put my personality to sleep with a word.” Shaking his head, he followed the boys quietly as they motioned him into the living area. When they had settled into various chairs, he continued. “He only stole four children after me. Three of them were changed as I was, but using different methods. The doctor always wanted tighter control over his creations. One of them is dead, I destroyed him.” Quietly, he looked up into each of their eyes. “If we could find the other three and capture them somehow, I believe I could use the machinery to free their minds also..  and if not, I would see them dead.. you can’t know the horror..”  Clenching his fists, he forced control on himself, turning from deadly back to calm in the space of a heartbeat. Quatre nodded, as pale as a ghost. Duo could only stare, trying to keep tears from running down his cheeks. “We’ll find them… and we’ll help them all. I won’t give up.” *** Heero entered the safehouse quietly, followed by an exhausted Trowa. Both boys shed their coats and slumped wearily into chairs at the table, where warm food waited for them. Inhaling the food, they didn’t even have the energy to move once they had finished. “Heero!” Duo cried as he rushed into the kitchen, suprising himself with the tears that ran down his cheeks. Grabbing his lover and pulling him to his feet, he held on with a fierce strength that totally shocked the blue eyed boy. “I…. damn.. I can’t tell you…” Heero looked deeply into Duo’s eyes then held him closer. “It’s ok Duo, I’m here for you.” Ignoring everything else, he leaned into the embrace, opening his eyes only when an unfamiliar voice spoke. “I’m glad you have returned, we have much planning to do.” “No, don’t go for your gun, he’s on our side!” Quatre intervened, walking over to stand near Trowa. “A lot has happened since we left this morning, but it looks like we now stand a fighting chance.” Nodding, Heero carefully scooped Duo up in his arms. “Wufei should be back in the morning, we can discuss it then.” With a small smile, he carried Duo up to his bedroom, silencing Duo’s protests with many kisses. “I told you, Koi. I’m here for you.”  Lines of pain seemed to vanish from Duo’s face, as he looked up at Heero with wonder. “You really mean that, don’t you?” At Heero’s nod, Duo reached up and pulled him down onto the bed. “I never dared dream this nightmare would end.. but now.. I have hope.” Burrowing under the covers, Duo fell asleep almost instantly, the exhaustion of the day catching up to him all at once. Curled up together, Heero watched his love as he slept peacefully. Unable to resist, he ran his fingers lightly over the twisted strands of Duo’s braid. Feeling himself losing the battle to stay awake, he dropped his head and curled up more protectively around his Koi. He would keep him safe and happy, or die trying. Disclaimer: I don’t own any Gundam Stuff in any way, shape or form.. I am writing this for entertainment value only, and I’m not getting paid for this. ***   Wufei slowly moved down the dark alleyway, trying to avoid making any sound on the uneven footing of trash and broken glass. Why did he always get sent out alone on these missions alone? Shaking his head, he counted the rusty doors until he reached the one with a faded number printed above it. The tattered paint that clung to the wooden frame barely showed the number three. “This must be it.” Wufei whispered to himself, drawing his gun and carefully testing the doorknob. Finding it unlocked, he slowly pushed it open, listening for the hint of a squeak that would give him away. The door swung open without a sound, and wider than his small tug should have pulled it.. Someone had been keeping this door well oiled and in use. Smirking, he knew he had found the right place. Entering the room, he padded his way through the darkened area, stopping when he found a metal door in front of him. As he put his fingers on the knob, he felt someone come up behind him. Whirling around, he saw nothing. Slightly unnerved, he went back to the handle, only to hear a voice whispering in his ear. “The doctor doesn’t like people in his lab.” Caught in a grip of steel, Wufei struggled until he felt something come down hard on his temple. Slumping against a hard chest, he felt something warm and wet hit his face, right before sliding into oblivion. *** Wufei awoke to a pounding headache. Blinking, he struggled to focus on his surroundings. Muted beeps and clicks surrounded him, and the air smelled like oil. Every surface in the room was coated in metal and shone with a fierce light that hurt to look at. Testing his bonds, he found himself tied to some kind of pole, his wrists aching from being up above his head. “Oh, awake are we?” a seductive voice came from behind him, while hands suddenly reached around him to slide under his shirt. “You’ve been a very bad boy, beautiful one. I’m afraid you’ve wandered into something you shouldn’t have… such a shame…You’re mine now.”  Rough fingers pinched his nipples, stopping to caress his chest. Sharp fingernails scratched long furrows down to his stomach, making him wince in pain. Forcing himself to stay silent, he watched as his tormentor finally moved around to face him. He looked like something out of a horror flick. One of his eyes was lined in some metal, his fingernails showed the same.  Pale and black-haired, he was beautiful, and sinister. Struggling harder, Wufei glared at his captor, daring him to do his worst. Smiling, the man continued to touch him, using his nails to cut the clothes off of his captive. Wufei felt more helpless than he ever had before. Wincing in pain, he felt the ringing in his ears increase.. and he heard something beyond that, although he could plainly see his captor wasn’t speaking. / no.. not again.. not another life.. dammit, someone stop this…. Come on, you know this isn’t fun for you, to just sit there and play with him… let him go.. let him run. Give him a fighting chance.. you’ll have fun hunting him down.../ Wufei watched in horror as his captor’s mouth opened wide, revealing metal fangs. Lowering himself in front of him, it was obvious what he was about to sink his teeth into.  Suddenly, the man stopped, and it looked like he was listening to something, while the duplicate voice kept rasping in Wufei’s mind, begging and convincing that he should be set free, so he could be truly captured, cornered like an animal. “Fine then!” His captor yelled angrily, clutching his head with a pout. “Have it your way for once.”  Grumbling to himself, he reached for something above the post, releasing Wufei to slump to the floor. “Run little pet, I’ll come find you, and when I do, you’ll wish I’d finished with you now.” /Run! Hide, get help, something, but get away from here now!/  the voice that had been a whisper nearly roared through his head.  Spotting the metal door he had entered though, he ran for his life, ignoring pained muscles, head and his state of undress. “Shit.. no one is going to believe this…” Wufei panted as he fled towards the safe house. ***  Four sets of eyes stared worriedly at the door. “How much longer do you think we should wait?”  Valdin asked, startling the four boys. “I know you said Wufei would be back sometime this morning, but if we don’t make a move soon, we’ll lose the advantage. The doctor will have noticed I’m missing by now, and he’s likely to send Two, Three and Four after me.” “Who are two, three and four?” Trowa asked, folding his arms around Quatre protectively. Casting a look over at Duo, he answered carefully, measuring each word. “Four is the assassin you’ve been after. Two and Three are others like us. My designation was One.” “What do you mean, like you? What exactly are you?” Trowa asked, his voice sounding concerned. “I mean altered, like I’ve been. They are mind controlled slaves to the doctor. Each one of us was different, and controlled in different ways. I was a golem when he “turned off” my personality. I obeyed orders without thought. I am the physically strongest of all of them.” Looking down at his hands, he flexed his muscles. “Two is controlled by a series of commands implanted into his mind. He behaves a certain way whenever circumstances arrive. Though he has to follow the doctor’s commands like the rest of us, he can often choose what he does, though that didn’t help him much, since anytime he would be presented with a situation where he could help someone, he would be forced to harm them, or kill them.” Trowa turned chalk-white while Quatre winced, both of them clinging tightly to each other. “What about Three and Four? How are they controlled?” Trowa asked in a small voice. “He overlaid another personality over Three, pushing Three’s mind to the side. I pity him more than myself. He has to live as a prisoner in his own body, watching everything the alter-ego does.” Shuddering, he put folded his arms across his chest, looking at Duo with an odd expression. “And Four… has it the best out of all of us in some ways. He blocked her personality completely, leaving her nothing of herself.” “What?!” Duo yelped, lunging forward to face Valdin eye to eye. “You said you might be able to help her! If she’s dead inside, then there’s no hope!” Heero grabbed Duo tightly around the waist and pulled him close. “He kept a backup of her.” Valdin looked more grim than they had seen him yet. “I can only hope we can raid his lab and steal the file. If we can get our hands on it, I could overlay it over what little she has now. She might even have herself on the inside somewhere.. I’m not really sure. He just used me as an assistant, I am no scientist.” Uncrossing his arms, he walked over to Trowa and Quatre. “You really don’t understand it do you? You lover there has seen what I am. But you and Heero haven’t.” Sighing, he pulled off the tattered leather shirt he wore, baring his pale, scarred chest. “Hit me, but not too hard.” Trowa looked up into his eyes incredulously, but balled his fist and punched him lightly. “Ouch!” Trowa yelped, clutching his hand to his chest. The others watched, fascinated as wires rippled under the surface of Valdin’s skin, standing out in ridges for a moment before sinking slowly back into a muscle-like appearance. “Damn.. “ Trowa whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the man before him. “All four of you are like that?” “No, the others aren’t as strong as I am, but more sophisticated, and easier to control. The doctor was more interested in control than anything else.” About to slide his shirt back on, he stopped at Duo’s gesture. “Hang on.” Duo left the room for a moment, returning with a faded blue t-shirt. “Here, try this on.” Smiling with a warmth that seemed almost love, Valdin slid the shirt over his head, balling up the scraps of leather. “Thank you.” Heero laughed a little, and left to return with a pair of jeans. “Here, you don’t have to change into these now though.” Smirking a little, he watched the blushes of his comrades. “Anyway.” Quatre said, trying to keep from laughing. “So what are we……” Stopping suddenly, he jerked as if he’d been shot when the door crashed open behind him. Wufei ran into the room as though he was on fire. “Everyone, get your gundams!! We have to get out of here!” Yelling, he made it four steps into the room before falling, face first, onto the floor. As the others rushed to help him, he struggled weakly, trying to get up. “Everyone, keep your hands away from his chest.” Valdin instructed, pulling the four boys away from their stricken friend. Examining the scratches on Wufei’s chest, wires slowly eased out of his finders to touch the wounds. ”Three.” He stated. Looking up, he caught the eyes of each of his friends. “If you want this boy to live, you’ll have to follow my instructions exactly. There is no room or time for errors.” At their silent nods, he lifted the now-unconscious boy and carried him into the next room. “I’m going to have to use the equipment to help him, he’s been poisoned.”  Working quickly,  he prodded the metal into life. “I want you all to sit on the floor against the wall. Pull your knees up to your chest… now put your head on your knees.” Watching several consoles, he carefully inserted two tubes and one wire into the deepest wound on Wufei’s chest. “No matter what happens, don’t say a word. Don’t move unless it’s absolutely necessary.” Returning to the controls, he ignored the four pilots seated on the floor. Duo shivered as he listened to the beeps and clicks that echoed through the room. This was too familiar. Forcing himself to hold back a scream, he felt a cold presence enter the room. Closing his eyes, he listened to the voice that belonged to one of his nightmares. That voice had been there when they’d been captured. That hateful voice.. “One. I should have known you’d try to spoil my fun. Step aside and let me have my toy back.” “Three. You have disobeyed orders. This one is being repaired for further usage. Master sent him to retrieve you. You will undergo upgrade procedures upon completion of repairing this unit.”  Valdin’s voice was emotionless, with a cold that chilled each of the pilots to the bone. “You will await transfer at this time. Connect to alpha one. Command code follows: Bi Beta Stalin Confa Senfir.” At the words the rebellion seemed to go out of the monster’s eyes. “Command Code accepted. Connecting to Alpha One for further upgrades.” Stepping over to the banks of machines, he grabbed a large cable. “Port 1164 commencing to open.” Pushing the hair off of the back of his neck, he revealed a metal interface, to which he attached the cable. “Shutting down for upgrades at this time.” Folding his arms across his chest, he leaned against the wall and ceased movement, save for a shallow rise and fall of breath. Ignoring his now dormant brother, Valdin turned his full attention to Wufei. Checking the boy’s vital signs, he probed deeper into his flesh with the delicate machinery. Inwardly wincing, he observed the severe nerve damage that had already occurred. There was only one answer. Switching on several other machines, he input instructions with care, and a genius the doctor that altered him couldn’t have mustered. Metal slowly invaded Wufei’s flesh, gently moving into place. Nerves were carefully repaired. Fluids were carefully pumped into his system. After an hour of grueling labor, he stood, watching as wires and tubes were withdrawn, though the metal and fluids remained. “Forgive me.” He whispered as he picked the still-unconscious boy off the table. “Take this one to sleeping quarters. Remain there until further instructed.” The pilots stood up slowly, wordlessly taking him out, closing the door behind them. Their performance was masterful. Turning back to the console, he powered up a different set of machines, bringing displays of neural patterns up to study them carefully. Making sure Three was completely powered down, he slowly began overriding the control center. “Now my brother in torment… let’s see if father left me anything to save.” Almost four hours later, Quatre and Trowa were the only ones left awake to hear the animal-like screams. Disclaimer: I don’t own any Gundam Stuff in any way, shape or form.. I am writing this for entertainment value only, and I’m not getting paid for this. ***   “Remarkable piece of work, isn’t she?” Dr. Holloway copied another line of code into the impossibly slow computer. “She is beautiful, obeys commands..  has no opinions unless you want them…. Some would say she’s the perfect woman.” Watching his captor carefully, he typed out another section of text, mentally cursing the unacceptable equipment, and the uncooperative technician they had forced upon him. He’d been working on Alex since he had started teaching him the basics of programming Four. The boy didn’t seem to have any weaknesses.. but there had to be something he could bribe him with.. something to turn this to his own advantage. “Some people think she is a monster you know. I have seen many people try to kill her just for being what she is.” Looking up, he saw Alex’s jaw tighten minutely. /Don’t tell me he feels sorry for her! Yes…. This will be all too easy!/ Chuckling inwardly, the doctor corrected the younger man’s attempts to create a command. “You know, she hasn’t always been like this.. she started out as a human. Such a pretty little child. I almost couldn’t force myself to alter her you know.. but a man must do what he must.” The glare Alex sent his way could have ripped the skin from his bones. “It isn’t easy to turn a sensitive child into an unfeeling monster.. the necessary programming was more complicated than any I’d ever attempted before. Come… look at this… Let me show you the matrix that blocks her personality.”  Watching the scientist’s sudden interest, he chuckled again.. Yes… this would be far too easy. *** Quatre and Trowa flinched at the knock at the door. Looking hesitantly at each other, they finally nodded. Trowa walked over and nudged Heero and Duo awake, while his lover slowly turned the lock. Valdin nearly fell into the room, looking sickened and exhausted. His unnatural pallor was enhanced, making him look like someone fresh out of the grave. With a sigh, he sank to the floor, a loose pile of arms and legs. “It’s finished.” Wiping his hand over his eyes, he smudged blood across his face. “He’s free… and I managed to take out some of the more dangerous hardware. He’s no longer poisonous at least.” Looking over at Wufei, he stood and carefully started examining the half-awake boy. “Has he been awake? Coherent? Trowa nodded. “We’ve filled him in on what’s been going on. He fell asleep for awhile there, but he seems to be fine.” “I don’t know if I saved Three. He wants to die.. he’s being eaten alive from within with remorse, and I can’t say anything that would help him.” Wufei flinched visibly as cold hands were laid upon his chest. “Why can’t you help him? He is as much as a victim as any of the ones he hurt, even me.” Ignoring Valdin’s shocked look, he rose from the bed and grabbed his shirt, showing no signs of pain or discomfort. “If you can’t do anything to pull him together, I certainly will.” Sneering slightly, he walked out of the room, leaving a stunned silence behind him. “Well… looks like he’s back to normal.. I thought it would take a lot longer than that to get over being poisoned.” Duo commented, a confused expression on his face. “What did you do to save him anyway? What kind of poison was it?” Valdin stared at the floor as though it held immense secrets. “He’s as normal as he’ll ever be now. Dr. Holloway put a poison into Three’s nails that quickly destroys the nervous system, paralyzing the victims so Three could torture them while they are dying.” Clenching his teeth, he folded his hands together. “Wufei’s nerves were horribly damaged.. many were already destroyed. He would have died.. or been paralyzed for life… I had to enhance him to save him. It was the only way.” “Enhance?” “Don’t worry, he’s not as much of a monster as I am.. but he has metal components now.. and fluids besides blood in his veins. He can even be repaired by the machines rather than having to wait to heal normally.” Still staring at the floor he didn’t even move as Duo’s hand descended upon his shoulder. “Thank you for saving him.. even if he can be a pain.” Duo smiled, brightening the room. “I think you need to tell us everything though.. I doubt a mere “assistant” could have rebuilt someone who was dying like that… so how about telling us the rest of the truth?” As the other three pilots looked up in shock, Valdin chuckled ruefully. “I should have known you’d been smart enough to figure out there was more going on than what there appeared to be.” Sighing, he stood and paced the room. “I told you I had a hard time remembering what or who I was before he caught me.. and that is true. I was “Caught” when I was born. He is my father if you want to call him that. I heard him talking about that once. He started modifying me from my first breath.” Standing still he spread his arms wide. “I’m not much more than the monster he has made me. I’ve learned everything I know by watching him every moment I was able to.. trying to find a way out. Then, when I was older.. simply trying to find a way to stop him.” Quatre nodded, tears filling his eyes. “But why couldn’t you help Three then? If you understand what it’s like.. you’re probably the closest thing he has to a friend.. or to family.” “I can’t help him because I understand how he feels.. he’s been watching a nightmare all his life.. now I wake him up, and he finds out he is the nightmare. It would have been kinder of me to just destroy him.” “Why didn’t you just destroy him then?” “Because.” Valdin pushed blond hair out of his eyes. “He’s a large part of what little of a family I have.” *** Wufei moved closer to the figure that leaned against the wall. The hateful glee that had animated Three’s face was gone, replaced by a pained weariness. Whitened scars lined his fingers, and the metal of his fingernails had been filed down to where they were no longer a threat. Metal still outlined his right eye, and the tips of metal fangs still rested against his lower lip. “A wounded angel.” Wufei whispered, carefully pushing the man’s black hair away from his face. At that gentle touch, his eyes opened. Green.. the green of summer’s leaves, bright, alive, and suffering. “You tried to save me. I heard you inside my head.” Nodding, the man winced. “I’m sorry.” He rasped, speech unfamiliar. “I tried to save all I could. It was never enough.” Shivering, he slid down to crouch against the wall, his arms wrapped around his knees. “Will you kill me?” Looking up, he begged the Chinese youth with his eyes. “I don’t want to live as a monster anymore. I want to die.. to avenge those this creature killed.” Grabbing his wrists, Wufei pulled him up with surprising strength. “You’re not a monster. None of this was your fault. It would be injustice to let such a beautiful soul die.” Black eyes bored into green with sincerity. “I felt you. I still feel you inside of my mind.” Hesitantly, he pressed his lips against Three’s cold ones. “Please, give yourself a chance.” Somehow, he found himself pulling the leather off of the pale man. Pressing his lips more firmly to the cold ones, he coaxed the sweet mouth to open for him, ignoring the strange taste of metal in favor of exploring the soul that felt so close to his. The hands that returned his caresses were unsure, yet skilled at the same time. Moaning into Three’s mouth, he carefully ran his hands over everything he could reach, taking extra time to remove any clothing that got in his way. Tree responded with a passion that overwhelmed him, returning each caress he received, pulling the clothes off of Wufei until bare flesh rubbed tantalizingly against bare flesh. Stepping backwards for a moment, Wufei stood still, gasping for breath. “Please… tell me you’ll give yourself….. and me a chance?” At the other man’s nod, he reached forward and pulled him close again. “One more thing.. do you have a name other than Three?” “Michael.” He answered with almost a smile on his face. Nodding, Wufei pulled him to the floor, reclaiming Michael’s mouth with his own. Letting his hands wander more freely, he gasped as he felt a careful finger enter him. Reaching down to where their erections strained against each other, he rubbed them with his fingers, making them both harder. Panting, he felt another finger enter him.. moving and stretching him. Unable to wait longer, he pulled away to bring his mouth around Michael, sucking and lubricating with soft, sure strokes of his tongue. Finally, he pulled himself off and knelt in front of his new lover, silently begging to be taken. The moment that they came together, he felt something snap into place. Suddenly he felt complete. Slowly moving forward, he waited a moment before impaling himself slowly.. wanting to feel every inch moving within him. Suddenly, Michael started thrusting, slowly at first, but building up to a fevered pitch. Nearly screaming, Wufei saw stars as his lover hit something inside of him.  Unable to control himself any longer, he cried out, spilling his hot seed onto the floor. Almost at the same time, he felt liquid warmth fill him as shudders wracked the body behind him.  Withdrawing and curling into his lover’s arms, Michael smiled. “I will live for you.” Wufei looked deeply into his eyes and smiled. “That’s all I want.” *** Clutching the card key tightly in his hand, Alex carefully looked down the hall for physical guards. Finding none, he nodded to himself, having already disabled or disarmed all the mechanical ones in the sector. Opening several doors, he finally passed through to the main lab, where the object of his quest lay draped in a sheet on the table. Moving the sheet aside, he stared briefly at her blank face. She looked dead as she lay there, unmoving save for a slight rise and fall of her chest. No one deserved to go through what she’d suffered. The thought of her being Lady Une’s personal body slave and assassin nauseated him. Carefully entering the command codes into the system, he isolated the matrix Holloway had shown him earlier. Such a nasty little device.. to block someone’s personality completely. Looking up at the clock, he estimated he had about two hours to work on her before someone noticed the tampering on the system. If he got out before then.. and removed the blocks on security.. he might be able to come back and gain some more time. Looking at the clock again, he decided. That is what he would have to do.. Slowly unravel the coding, releasing her a little at a time. And hope he didn’t get caught. Starting his work, he tried to ignore the sweating of his palms. If he couldn’t get her back to what she should be, he’d just have to destroy her and hope he could escape. ***   Stiletto heels clicked down the hall, echoing against the tile and metal. Light glanced off thin glass lenses as an elegant hand reached out to key in a passcode, releasing the lock on a heavy door. Carefully stepping into the room, she ignored the men who followed behind her. Her eyes were only for the figure that rested on the steel table. “How much longer must I wait?” She asked with deadly intensity. “Your technician here has been progressing quite well. I would say he will have mastered her within a week.” Sneering slightly, he pulled his captors over to the panels that rested above her head. Checking them quickly, he repressed a smile. Hard eyes swung from the old scientist to the younger one standing behind her. “Indeed.” Reaching around, she grabbed Alex by the collar, pulling him to where his face was within inches of her own. “So… do you feel like you are ready to take control of her, my pet?” Licking her pale lips, she pulled him closer and kissed him deeply. “Only for you, my Lady.” He gasped, slightly out of breath. Eyes narrowing in satisfaction, she turned to Dr. Holloway. “If you think he’s coming this well… then I have a proposition for you.” Walking over, she planted her fists on her hips and stared directly into his lined face. “I’m sure you figured out I wouldn’t be letting you go. At least not without getting everything possible from you. This beauty is mine now.. no longer yours, yet I do not want to be less powerful than she is. We belong together, master and slave. I want you to change me so I’m like her.. minus the control mechanisms.” Smiling wickedly, she reached over and pulled the braid out from under the unconscious figure, unraveling it. Watching the silky waves fall to the floor, she shuddered in almost ecstasy. “In return, I can offer you almost unlimited financial backing.” Pulling a piece of paper out of her long sleeve, she handed it over for his inspection. Reading it over carefully, he adopted a look of intense interest. “You do realize you would have to come with me to one of my labs.. and that I won’t allow more than one guard to come with you?” “Agreed. I believe my little offer there is enough to keep you satisfied. And this one will stay here with Alex until our return.” Une smiled, throwing a seductive look over at her Technician. “Let’s go then. He should have the programming down by the time we make it back. This will take several days you know.” Turning, he headed for the door. *** Silence descended as Wufei and Three walked into the room. Looking at the curious expressions, Wufei gave a sharp bark of laughter. “I told you I could convince him.” Smirking slightly, he planted a kiss on the older man’s lips  “I would like to introduce you to my friends. Michael, this is Quatre, Trowa, Duo, Heero, and I believe you already know Valdin.” Nodding slightly to each, he and his lover took a seat on the edge of his bed. With a small smile, Michael looked over at his brother. “Ok. You’ve won. Though I think sending him in was using an unfair advantage.” Planting a metal nail against Wufei’s chest, he laughed slightly. “I may be in the body of the monster, but there seem to be some advantages.” At Wufei’s slight blush, he grinned wickedly. “But enough play. There are serious matters to discuss, and probably not much time.” Green eyes almost glowed as he looked around the room. “Two is on ice. The doctor has him in storage. I was set to guard the lab until his return. The usual safeguards are up, save for me of course. If we raid the lab, we might be able to steal his equipment, or at least get Two out of there.” Valdin nodded absently, his thoughts obviously somewhere else. “I don’t think we can take on Two and Four at the same time. We are stronger, but in many ways, they are more deadly, especially in combination. If we’re going to try to get Two out of there, we need to act immediately. I had expected an attack from the doctor long before this. We’ve already pushed our luck farther than I expected it to go. I don’t understand what could be keeping him occupied so long…. It seems unreal that he could be so busy as to not miss either of us.” *** “Hello Karl.” The wavering voice penetrated the cold that enwrapped him. Opening his eyes carefully, he glared at the man who greeted him. Remaining silent, he flexed his fingers, wanting nothing so much as the wrap them around the old man’s neck. “Ah, so you’ve learned. Good. I hate having to reprogram you every time you find a loophole. Your parents must have been lawyers.” Gesturing, he motioned the silent figure to exit the small coffin-like space. “Very well Two. Three has vanished. It is now your job to guard the lab while I work on my new pet.” Glancing over at Une he smirked. “I am not to be disturbed for the next six hours.” “Very well, master.” With precise military strides he exited the room. “If I ever find a way out of this, I will make your death last for days..” With a final glare at the soundproof door, he took up a guard position in the hallway. Mentally testing the commands that were imbedded in his mind, he swore. Somewhere in his battered head was the answer. Something had to give. *** “Come on.. you’ve got to get up! I can’t carry you.” Alex bent over Four, his face white as a sheet. “I’ve done all I can for you, and we’ve got to get out! Now!” The hazel eyes that looked up at him were dazed and confused. “Come on.. let’s go!” lifting her shoulders slightly, he winced at how heavy she was. When she finally started moving on her own, he sighed in relief. “Good girl, we’ll get you out of this.. I swear.” At her slight nod, she walked next to him, her purposeful strides the same as when he had first saw her. Left alone her face reverted to it’s usual emptiness, save for a faint hint of puzzlement that hovered around her eyes. Stepping out ahead of her, he looked down the hall at the guards. Chatting down near the farthest door, they obviously didn’t see anything wrong on the display that stretched in front of them. This would be it though, when the tape he had made ran out, he would be long gone, taking their captive with him. Shivering, he tried not to think of what would happen after that. He had a good supply of money, and surely the place he had bought would be safe enough until he could book passage to a colony. Taking her icy hand, he led her down another hall, towards a dock area where the mobile dolls were kept. Whispering, he told her his plan as they went. “There are several scientists that work down here, and most of the military personnel ignore them. We will go down there, inspect the suits carefully, then leave the hangar. There are two gates out to the street, one is automatically controlled. We’ll head towards that one, I have one of the badges to let us out. Whatever you do, don’t try to talk to anyone.” At her nod, they entered the hanger. Sweat rolled down his back as he opened the control panel of one of the mobile suits. Staring at the wiring, he made himself appear interested. Pulling a clipboard out of his belt, he carefully made some “notes.” As he Schooled his face into impassiveness, he saw her climbing up to examine a joint carefully. Half an hour was spent like that, long enough that the few watchers they had dismissed them as harmless and moved on. Moving towards the door, he started as a hand was set on his shoulder. “Hey man, is she single?” One of the guards asked, a grin on his face. When he shook his head no, the man just laughed, motioning them through the entryway. “Have fun then.” Breathing a little easier, Alex walked to the gate, holding his badge up to the scanners. With a beep the metal gates opened. Free. Grabbing her hand again, he quickly pulled her to his pre-arranged transportation. “It’s safe now.” Alex breathed. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but let’s wait till we’re away from this place. “Agreed.” Her harsh voice answered, completely at odds with her timid smile. *** Duo yanked at his braid, ignoring the pain that came with the gesture. “I hate this… it seems like every time we get closer to her, something else comes up!” Dropping his abused hair, he sat down to pull on his combat boots. “First we rescue Valdin, which is good. Then we capture Michael, which is even better, but when can we go after her?” Lacing up, he felt the bed move as his lover settled down beside him. “Duo, we’re going to try to rescue Two for a reason. Neither Valdin or Michael know where the doctor went with her. Besides, the more people we have that are strong enough to fight her, the more likely we can capture her without her getting hurt. Or us getting hurt!” Calmly, Heero slipped on his shoes, taking a moment to kiss Duo softly. “I know it doesn’t help much, but it’s the best we can do.” “I know.. but I feel so strange right now.. it’s making me on edge.” Sighing, he walked over to grab his coat. “Something just feels wrong… like something terrible is about to happen. I just wish I had some idea what it is.” At Heero’s strange look, he laughed slightly. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not turning into another Quatre. I’m not able to sense things like he does. Remember those times I got all edgy before a battle? The ones we didn’t have warning about? That’s what it feels like. Like my skin was on too tight.” Smiling a little, Heero stopped to run his hands lightly over every part of Duo he could easily reach. “You feel fine to me.” “Baka.” “Hn. Grab the artillery and let’s get out of here. We have a robbery and kidnapping to go to.” Heero grabbed his guns and hustled Duo out the door. Meeting up with the others, he went over the last minute plans. Suddenly he felt a creeping feeling. Looking over his shoulder, he couldn’t seem to get his lover’s words out of his head. “Heero no Baka.” Shrugging, he followed them out to the vehicle. *** Alex looked around the small space that would serve for a hideout until the search died down enough for them to escape. Sighing, he walked over to his pile of bags he’d stored. Pulling out a faded t-shirt and jeans, he tossed them to Four. “Here, put these on, we’ll have to stay here for awhile, and we need to blend in as much as possible.” Turning his back, he stripped out of the crisp white labcoat into an even more worn set of clothes. The jeans had been worn through at the knees, and the shirt had a hole in the back. “I think it’s about time you answered some of my questions.” Four stated, running her fingers over the worn cloth. "Did my brother send you to save me? How long have I been like this?” “I don’t know anything about your brother. That creepy scientist brought you to Lady Une for a mission, and the Lady decided she wanted you as a pet.” Grimacing, he ran his fingers over his jaw. “I couldn’t stand to see you suffer like that, so I got out, and managed to take you with me. I completely removed all the commands that kept you under his control, but without better equipment I can’t remove the hardware that allows you to be programmed.” “I can remember what has happened… but it’s like the memories belong to someone else. I remember Erich escaping, but I couldn’t go with him. I knew I would die if the doctor didn’t finish me. I was scared to die.” Shivering, she looked at the floor. “But what am I now?” Alex dropped the bag and came over to the couch. “You’re your own person now. That’s the important part. You can think for yourself and choose what you want.” “Would you help me find my brother?” Alex thought for a minute and shrugged. “We can try, but not until after we’re far away from here. Just being this close to the base if making my skin crawl.” Walking to the kitchenette, he pulled out two sodas from the carefully stocked refrigerator. “Here.” Handing one over,  he gazed at his for a minute before continuing. “So.. do you have a name?” “Dyana.” “I’m Alex.” Turning away, he walked over to the grimy window. “There’s a really good chance of getting caught. If anything happens to me, there’s enough money on this card to get you somewhere safe if you’re careful. Preferably to one of the colonies.” “I won’t let anything happen to you.” Her eyes were hard again, strangely cold. With a half-smile Alex laughed. “Well, given how indestructible you are, I’d say I have it made!” *** Steps echoed through the concrete hallway with a hollow sound. Everything seemed quiet. Almost too quiet. Karl was fairly used to it though. He’d had lots of time in quiet while stored away. Plenty of time to think. It didn’t seem to do much good. Every time he had managed to find a way around the compulsions in his mind, the doctor only added new ones, making it harder to think.. or act. He was lucky the doctor hadn’t erased his name from his mind, the way he had threatened to. Sighing, he continued to pace the hall, hoping that any intruders would hear his footsteps and take another route in. It was easy to find little ways to defy. Thinking back he figured up the time he’d been in storage… ten days. And Three had been gone for one of them. It seemed rather odd that he had yet to return. Maybe he had been killed… or had escaped. Either way he’d be damn lucky. Sighing, he looked up to notice a shadow cross the end of the hall. Commands suddenly forced him into action. Sprinting down the hall, he quickly brought his gun up and wrapped an arm around the intruder’s neck. Feeling the familiar chill of flesh that matched his, he was able to release his grasp. “Identify yourself.” “Three.” The dark-haired man said with a smirk. “What are you doing, taking my job? I’ve killed people for less.” “Talk to the doctor then.” Karl stated with a grimace. “You should know better than anyone I want nothing more than to tear him to small shreds rather than protect him. Or do you forget that you have no choice either?” “Oh yes… freedom of choice. It’s a wonderful thing isn’t it?” Smirking he brought his hands up to show his repaired fingers. As Two stared in surprise, he quickly attacked, quickly throwing him to the floor. “Quick Valdin, I can’t hold him long!” Twisting away, he threw a punch directly into three’s stomach, knocking him up and away. Rising to his feet, he attacked. Landing several blows on Three, he purposefully ignored the fact that he had been calling for help. When he felt the blow that took him down, he smiled. “Michael… are you hurt?” Wufei bent over his fallen lover, trying not to let his fear enter his voice. “If he hurt you…” Shaking his head, Michael stood up. “It takes a lot more than that to damage me. He was purposefully fighting as weakly as he could.” Getting to his feet with a sinuous grace, he walked over and helped Valdin hoist the unconscious soldier. “We’ll have to forget about the equipment, when the doctor’s working it wouldn’t be worth it. The security system is completely automatic when that red light is on. Anyone who tries to enter will get blasted.” Wufei winced as he looked at the light that hung suspended over the heavy metal door. “I wonder who’s in there.” Turning around, he almost fell over as Duo and Heero slammed into him, followed by a shaken Quatre and Trowa. “We have to get out of here. Now!” Quatre demanded. “There are OZ soldiers crawling all over the area, they seem to be focusing in on this building!” Taking off at a run, he pulled Trowa after him. Duo and Heero quickly followed, guns in hand. Valdin, Michael and Wufei stared at each other for a moment. Then they looked at the door. “Come on!”  Needing no further encouragement they ran.. Avoiding the soldiers was rough, and it seemed every corner held an unwelcome surprise. “This isn’t working! We’ve got to split up!” Duo panted as he pressed up against the nearest building. “We’re too big of a target, and there’s too many troops!” Aiming his gun, he put a silent bullet through the head of a soldier that had entered the alley. “You two take your friend to the safehouse and get him fixed up, the rest of us will distract them.” Everyone nodded and took off in separate directions. “Damn it Valdin, I don’t like leaving Wufei to act as a decoy.” Michael swore, running in perfect sync with his brother. “I hope we can do something about Mr. Robot here. I would hate it if this was all for nothing.” “Michael you coward, don’t even talk about him like that. Or would you rather I have left you like you were? He has as much of a right to freedom as we do, and we’re bloody well going to give it to him!” Gritting his teeth, he adjusted their burden, making it easier to carry. “Thinking like that is childish and selfish. We can’t afford to be selfish because of what we are. We can’t afford to be immature.” Looking up, he spotted several men on a nearby roof. “Shit. Take him to the house, I’ll take care of these. And remember what I said. If you let anything happen to our brother, I’ll make you pay.” Scaling the roof, he barely flinched as a bullet hit him. Ignoring it, he quickly broke the neck of the first man, casting a look behind him to see if Michael had left. The alley was empty. *** “So Dyana, have you ever been in love?” “I don’t think so. I have felt lust.. hate… pain.. affection.. love for my brother. Most of the emotions I’ve had have been programmed.” Giving him a hard look she was amazed at the depression evident on his face. “Why?” “I was in love. She is beautiful in her own way. So strong.. gifted.. brilliant. I thought the world revolved around her. I didn’t even care that she is obsessed with someone else. I wanted her with all of my heart.” Glaring at the wall, he clenched his fists. “I was wrong. She’s a monster. Now I regret every moment I spent with her. I’ve wasted the last two years of my life serving her out of love.” He glanced over at her. “I wish I had known better. It seems like love is a waste of time.” Looking over at him, she slowly rose. “I don’t think it would be a waste of time. I think I could love. I don’t know who.. or how.. but at least now I might have the chance to try.” Walking over to him, she took one of his hands in her cold one. “It is hard to feel anything but pain when you’ve been hurt, but everything has an ending. You’ve shown me that.” Grasping her hand tightly, he stared at the wall, lost in thought. Warnings: same as the last ones Disclaimer: I don’t own any Gundam stuff in any way, shape or form. I’m not getting paid for this, this is for entertainment purposes only. *** mean time passed/scene change Sister Dearest: Part 8