New Haven

Chapter Seventeen: Enemy or…

Lucrezia Noin didn’t know how she ended up on the same bird as Chang and Duo but here she was in full combat gear with the deadliest man alive and someone you just didn’t want to piss off even on a good day. Winner who seemed to be the leader had agreed with the one and only Shinigami that she and Zechs would be helping Barton. She still wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. Duo and Yuy would be working alone.

‘Then again I don’t think I have to worry about Duo. He is Shinigami after all. He always worked alone before.’ She looked at the two men who seemed to be in their own little world and wondered what the hell they could be thinking about.

Seeming to hear her thought Wufei turned and nodded calmly to her he pointed to his mike with a questioning tilt of an eyebrow. She turned it one with a giggle at her own stupidity. “Ahhhh,” Wufei’s voice came threw the earphone. “Good. No malfunction. Duo wants to talk to you before we get to the base.” Wufei told the other calmly. He reached up and turned off his own mike much to Lucrezia’s confusion.

“Wufei promised me he wouldn’t listen to this conversation. I told him that he would find out about this later.” He looked back at her for a second. His eyes were shadowed as he looked into her eyes. “You’re the only one who is getting this warning.”

The woman looked at the man. Something in those depths warned of horrors to come.

“When you get to the cells…” Duo turned back at a nudge from his dragon. “Expect children and lots of them. Expect the worst horrors you had ever seen in your entire life.” Duo’s voice was as cold as the iciest winds of the depths of winter.

“Duo,” Lucrezia Noin began softly. “How…?”

“I tracked this guy through the whole war. I found what he left behind. He always seemed to be one step ahead of me.” Duo’s tone froze any other questions froze Lucrezia’s voice. She nodded in understanding and looked out the window.

“In other words, expect the worst.” She murmured quietly. She received an affirmative in response.

Wufei turned to see what she was doing and found her staring unseeingly out the window. ‘What ever he told her isn’t good.’ He thought as he saw the expression on her face. He turned back to the pilot and looked at him questioningly. He received a nod and turned on his mike. “I won’t ask.” Wufei told the other when he turned on his mike. “I promised that I would wait until after the mission to ask any questions I had.”

Duo flashed a look of apology to his love. “I know this is asking a lot from you. I just don’t want anyone distracted from the mission.” He flashed a look at his co-pilot. “I’m sorry Fei. I just don’t want anyone to get their heads on something other than what they have to do. Lulu has two others with their heads on the case. What they’ll find…” Duo trailed off and winced at the thought.

Wufei reached out and squeezed the other man’s arm. “I understand what you are doing. I trust you. Otherwise I wouldn’t have made the promise.” Duo smiled gratefully to the other man. “Hey Noin. We’ll be at the set down sight in ten minutes. Check your gear.” Wufei undid his harness holding him into his seat and made his way to the back of the helicopter. He started to check out the gear he would be using with Quatre. He knew that Duo would need the time to himself to get himself ready for his own duty. “We have forty-five minutes to get in and forty-five to get out. Not a minute more.” He reaffirmed the time they had to do their work in. “I think you, Trowa, and Zechs will have the hardest job of all this. Keep your head on straight. Don’t think about what you might find.” Wufei paused when he found the blankets and clothes hidden behind the packs of equipment. He held up a shirt. It was the size for an eight or nine year old. He turned horrified eyes to the woman beside him. He pulled off his helmet and grabbed the woman pulling of her’s as well. “DON’T think about it. DO NOT tell the others.” He snarled.

Lucrezia nodded wide eyed at the man who was snarling at her. “Break out of it.” She hissed. “You have your own mission. I’ll…I’ll…do everything I can to get them out. Even if what Trowa, Zechs and myself find down there. You just concentrate on getting the bastard who is in charge.” She gave a quick glance to the cockpit of the bird. “Pull it straight or he’ll know that we know. That will just send me to the edge that much quicker.”

Wufei blinked and nodded. She was right. If Duo knew that they knew the possibility of what they would find he would insist that he do it himself. They didn’t need anything to change the plan now. He gripped her arm and pressed firmly in acknowledgement and slipped his helmet back on. “Hey Duo,” He called through the mike. He watched as Noin put her helmet back on and pushed Duo’s packs back to where they were. “Do you think that the base will be heavily guarded.”

“Always expect the worst Wu-bear.”

“Duo!” He growled at the other man. “If you call me…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Duo interrupted, “I know WuFEI. Geesh! Try to relieve the tension in the air and you get yelled at.” Duo grouched as he set the bird down in the clearing they had agreed on about fifty yards away from the walls of the base. “Give a guy a break. It’s not like there is anything else to relieve the mood or anything.”

Wufei and Noin’s eyes met and silently promised not to tell the others what they had found in the helicopter. They would know what was going on soon enough.

Duo pulled himself out of the chair that had been his spot for a few hours now. He saw the other two shouldering their packs and shooed them out of the chopper. He looked over at his packs and moved them aside. ‘I hope I brought enough.’ He told himself as he looked over the pile of blankets and clothing. He hopped out of the chopper and found both Wufei and Noin staring. He looked up and stared At none other than Lady Anne Une in full armor. “Oh, Shit.”

“I have a promise to keep Sal,” She was heard to hiss. “Duo seems to think Trowa’s part of the mission needs the most people. That’s were I’ll be. Don’t argue about it. We have no time.”

Duo growled and glared. “No Sally goes with the team. You get to babysit the choppers. No argument or I knock you out and tie you up.” Duo ordered as he handed the stealth outside control to Wufei. “You can help after if it is needed. Otherwise sit down and behave.” Everyone stared at Duo. “I gave you the money to set up this…this business. You gave me free rein on any missions I ended up on. Sooooo,” Duo raised an eyebrow at Une.

She grunted and nodded. She growled at no one in particular and climbed back aboard the helicopter she had been on. She settled into the cockpit and crossed her arms in frustration.

“Wow.” The voice belonged to Sally. “She backed down.” She looked at Duo in wonder. “I guess I’m with you Noin.” She pulled a pack from the chopper and looked over what her wife had brought with her for supplies. “I think she knew that you were going to put your foot down Duo.” She looked back at Duo.

Duo grunted and turned his attention to the other men in the group.

“We’ll discuss this later.” Quatre murmured dryly. “Time to synchronize our watches ladies and gentlemen.” He raised his wrist and waited for everyone to follow his move. “Time.”

Everyone pressed buttons made their way to the walls in stealth mode the helicopters disappearing behind them.