Chapter Three: Part Three: The Secret Labs of Richter

 

            Wufei slipped back into the mansion unobserved. “It’s awfully quiet around here,” he thought, proceeding down a hallway. “Something’s wrong.”

 

            Suddenly he heard voices approaching very quickly. He ducked into a room as they walked past. From behind the door he could hear a scrap of conversation.

 

            “Miss Dorothy will most likely want to oversee the process,” said the Duchess.

 

            “Should we expect her shortly ma’ame?” asked a male voice.

 

            “Yes, but remember Oz isn’t calling the shots,” said Kara, “Richter is. So, my cousin won’t get to have everything she wants.”

 

            “Have the pilots been collected then?”

 

            A pause. “All but one, and I’m having the property searched for him now. It won’t be much longer….”

 

            The voices died away, but Wufei stayed where he was.

 

            “They’ve got the others. I’ve got to be very careful that I don’t get caught or it’ll all be over.”

 

 

            Duo blinked fuzzy eyes. Some feet above him from the ceiling shone lights. As Duo’s vision cleared they were still all he could see.

 

            He shifted groggily, dimly aware that he was lying flat on his back. He couldn’t move and felt cold restraints around his wrists and ankles. “What’s… happened?” he wondered. “Where did they take…” Us?

 

            He tried to turn his head to look for the others and couldn’t. He was forced to stare straight ahead.

 

“What’s going on here?!” he thought, confused. He remembered the gas in the training room. “Wait! How come I’m not dead?”

 

He must’ve said it aloud.

 

“They want to run tests on us.”

 

What?

 

“Heero!” Duo tried to turn again and felt a sharp pain in his neck. “Ungh!”

 

“Don’t try to turn your head. There are nerve probes in your neck.”

 

“What?!” Duo’s eyes flew wide open.

 

“I’ve never known instruments like these,” said Heero from a few feet to Duo’s right.

 

“What in the - ?”

 

“Don’t ask where the other probes are,” said Heero dryly.

 

Duo swallowed, staring at the ceiling. “What kind of monsters…?” He tried not to think of cold metal devices probing his most vulnerable areas.

 

Heero chuckled cynically.

 

“So, where are the others?”

 

There was no response. Duo waited.

 

“They took Quatre away,” said Heero. “Before you woke up. I don’t know where Trowa is.”

 

Duo suddenly felt very sick. “Why?”

 

“I don’t know. Probably they wanted to run a different examination on Quatre.” Heero’s voice sounded strained.

 

Duo stared into the lights, then squeezed his eyes shut. He felt helpless. “Why are they doing this?”

 

“I don’t know,” Heero thought.

 

 

Trowa awoke disoriented. The room he was in reminded him of a dentist’s office, only the walls were high and padded gray. When he looked up he could see windows near the ceiling.

 

“They’re watching me,” he thought.

 

There was no one in the room, machines were standing around the room measuring his vitals, but he could feel the pressure of many eyes. He wondered how long he’d been in the gray room with the machines beeping and humming.

 

He stared at his chest, his arms, and the tubes attached to them. His wrists and ankles were bound to the chair and a tight strap prevented him from sitting up. He felt an unexplainable anxiety welling up as he became more and more aware of his situation.

 

“They’re running tests to see how a gundam pilot ticks,” he thought. “They’re trying to throw me off, make me think they aren’t monitoring my every reaction from those windows.”

 

He glanced narrowly upward. The windows shone only with the reflections of the lights in the room. No one stirred behind them.

 

“I know what you’re doing,” said Trowa. “It won’t work. I’m on to you.”

 

No one responded.

 

 

In a room away from Trowa’s, Quatre was staring at a window behind which two men stood. Their fingers rested upon the control panel of a most terrible machine. They watched Quatre as he stared wide-eyed – not at them, but beyond them into space. He was bound to a metal table that was tilted upright and his body was riddled with all sorts of wires and probing devices. Tears were streaming silently down his cheeks.

 

Footsteps sounded in the hallway and the voice of Duchess Kara could be heard approaching. She pushed the door to the testing room open and walked in. Then she saw Quatre’s tears.

 

“What?!”

 

She rushed past the men in the booth and straight to the boy’s side. She saw the wires and the cold, sharp devices and the vacant look in Quatre’s eyes.

 

            “What do you think you’re doing?!”

 

            Inside the booth the men ignored her, flipping a switch on their horrible panel. Quatre’s body jerked and shuddered. He winced and made no sound, his only reaction being the continuous flowing of tears.

 

            “Stop it! I said stop it!” the Duchess yelled, pained at the sight of Quatre’s torment.

 

            “This one has a reasonably high tolerance for pain,” one man said, half to himself and half to her.

 

            She stormed over to the observation booth. “What are you doing?!”

 

            The two men regarded her calmly. “Each pilot must undergo tests of tolerance,” said the blonde-haired man.

 

            “This is one of the tests,” added the dark-haired man who had spoken earlier.

 

            “Under who’s orders?!”

 

            Captain Bernard, ma’ame.”

 

            Kara’s eyes flashed. “Well, I don’t care what Bernard says, I never agreed to this as part of the plan! It’s torture!” She glanced compassionately at Quatre. “Look at him! He’s in shock!”

 

            The men didn’t bother to look. “Well, after a couple of hours you’d expect –.”

 

            “A couple of hours?!” The Duchess was irate. “He’s only a boy!”

 

            “He’s a gundam pilot.”

 

            The men turned back to the panel, but the Duchess wouldn’t be ignored. “Do you know who he is?! He’s Quatre Raberba Winner, heir to the Winner estate – one of the richest and most influential families in the universe!”

 

            The men barely glanced at her.

 

            “Well, I won’t let you do this to him!” She dashed over to the intimidating contraption that held Quatre and began ripping the wires and probes away from his frail, half-naked body.

 

            “Hey! You can’t do that!” shouted the men from the booth.

 

            “It’ll be alright, Quatre,” she murmured as she tore him free. “I’m going to get you away from this.”

 

            She rushed to the door with the young pilot draped over her arm, but the two burly men barred her way. She pulled a gun from inside her jacket pocket and pointed it at the men.

 

“Move aside!”

 

One of them sprang toward her. She shot him in the leg and burst past through the door. With her prize cradled tightly in her arms she raced down the hallway.

 

 

Meanwhile, Wufei had crept down below the Duchess’ mansion, to the secret Underground and the room where Heero and Duo were kept. He waited, outside in the shadows, as agents and scientists filed by, then he ducked inside. He went straight to the observation booth where he met three men. Within minutes he had dispatched all three, leaving their bodies on the floor.

 

“A message to Richter,” he said. He set to work on the control panels.

 

Down below the observation booth Heero and Duo lay prone, staring up at the ceiling. Suddenly they felt the swift relieving sensation of probes dislodging themselves from their bodies.

 

Duo grunted as the needle in his neck withdrew itself. He turned his head. “Hey, Heero!”

 

Heero returned his glance, he too free of the restraint. “It’s Wufei,” said Heero, not even knowing for sure. “He would know that there were secret labs.”

 

The bonds on their wrists broke open. Duo grinned. “Way to go, Wufei!”

 

As they sat up, becoming aware of the aches and pains they’d suffered from probing, Wufei appeared before them. He stood soberly, his arms folded.

 

“I could have left you,” he said, “but the gas took you unaware – a very cowardly and despicable method. I have a score to settle with Richter.”

 

Duo grinned. “Or it could be because you’re our friend, pal!” He smacked him on the shoulder. “And friends don’t leave each other high and dry!”

 

Heero regarded Wufei with a glance. “We should find Quatre and Trowa.”

 

In a second, they were off down the hallway.

 

 

The Duchess rested with Quatre in a dark corner. She leaned against the wall, panting, exhausted from running and carrying Quatre’s weight. Even in the dark she could see his eyes and they were staring at her, blank and traumatized.

 

“Quatre,” she whispered, “please say something! Just look at me!”

 

She touched his face. The tears were dry, but his skin was cold. She held him close and rubbed his shoulders.

 

“Quatre, I know you’ve been through something horrible. I know you’ve pulled yourself inside you mind so that you won’t feel pain, but you’ve got to respond to me! You’ve got to let me know that you’re still in there and that you can understand what I’m saying!”

 

Quatre didn’t respond, but he began to shiver. Goosebumps stood out on his fair skin. His breath came short and gasping.

 

“Oh, Quatre.” Kara took off her jacket and wrapped it around him. She drew his body close to hers.

 

“You’re just in shock,” she whispered. “It’ll be okay.”

 

Inside she wondered if it would be okay.

 

 

 

Wufei, Heero and Duo dashed down the hallway and turned a corner. They’d already killed two scientists and an agent on their way to find their comrades. Heero had claimed the agent’s gun.

 

“Wait! Who’s that there?!”

 

The trio came to a halt.

 

“What?” said Duo.

 

“Over there in the shadows,” Heero pointed. He lifted his gun. “Come out! We see you!”

 

They stared into the dark corner and something stirred. Someone stepped out of the darkness.

 

“It’s the Duchess!” Duo exclaimed, staring.

 

“She got to Quatre,” said Wufei.

 

Heero cocked his gun, aiming it at Kara’s chest. “Turn him over.”

 

The Duchess held Quatre protectively, still wrapped in her jacket. His expression was still the same. “Don’t shoot,” she said beseechingly. “I rescued him.”

 

Heero frowned. “I don’t believe you.”

 

Duo was staring at Quatre’s face. “Hey, what’s wrong with him?”

 

The large blue eyes continued to stare blankly.

 

“I’ll give you one second to let him go,” said Heero icily, keeping his eyes on the Duchess.

 

Duo rushed forward. “Heero! Wait! Look at him!” He stood between Heero and the Duchess, his eyes darting first to Heero, then to Quatre.

 

Heero saw Quatre. He stared, blinked and lowered his gun. “Quatre -.”

 

            Without more hesitation, Duo ran to Quatre. He gripped Quatre’s shoulders and stared into his desolate eyes. “Quatre! Hey, Quatre, what’s wrong with you?!”

 

            By this time, Heero and Wufei were drawing nearer, anxiously staring. Duo swallowed, his eyes watery. He glanced at the Duchess.

 

            “He’s not kidding, is he?”

 

            She shook her head. “He’s deeply in shock. They were running horrible tests on him.”

 

            Duo jostled Quatre’s shoulders, but Quatre remained stiff. “Quatre! Say something!”

 

            Heero and Wufei approached, full of worry. Wufei stared into Quatre’s face. “What were they doing to him?”

 

            “Pain tolerance experiments,” Kara replied.

 

            Heero frowned, pain behind his eyes and in his voice. “How could they do this?”

He wished desperately that the experiments had been done on him instead. He could’ve handled it.

 

            Duo wrapped his arms around Quatre’s shoulders. “Quatre, please!” He continued to stare wildly into his face. “Quatre!”

 

            Wufei gripped Duo firmly under the arms and pulled him away. Duo was swallowing and blinking away tears.

 

“It isn’t helping,” said Wufei.

 

Heero stood string into the blonde pilot’s face, anger and grief building. “Why Quatre?” He frowned at the Duchess. “Why did it have to be Quatre?”

 

She shook her head, draping her arms around the boy once again. “I don’t know.”

 

“We need to find Trowa,” said Wufei, still gripping Duo’s arm.

 

Heero nodded.

 

“Duo, you stay with Quatre.”

 

Duo didn’t protest. He was still staring at Quatre’s frozen expression.

 

“He’s in lab three,” said the Duchess. “Just down the hall and to your right.”

 

The two didn’t hesitate. They raced toward the lab.

 

When they had gone, Duo walked over to the Duchess. “Give him to me.”

 

She didn’t argue, but handed Quatre’s rigid body over to Duo. Duo cradled him close in spite of how cold he was. He looked at the Duchess. “Let’s go.”

 

            She looked questioning. “Where? The halls are crawling with agents.”

 

            Duo pointed to the grate of a ventilation shaft. “Through there.”

 

 

            As soon as they’d crawled into the shaft, Duo pulled the grate over the opening.

They proceeded down the narrow duct tunnels guided by Duo’s instincts. Finally they stopped.

 

            “Where are we?” the Duchess asked.

 

            “Shut up,” said Duo.

 

He was leaned against the wall of the shaft, cradling Quatre to his chest. He felt the cold body like a mannequin next to him and in the darkness he began to cry. The Duchess couldn’t hear him, for he was silent and the air rushing by muffled sound.

 

“Please, Quatre,” he whispered into his ear. “Please, come back from wherever you are. We need you, buddy. You’ve got to come back. You’ve got to – .” He choked.

“Quatre –.”

 

            He buried his face in Quatre’s shoulder. Suddenly he felt the shoulder move! He lifted his head as Quatre stirred again.

 

            “Quatre?”

 

            Quatre inhaled sharply and grabbed Duo’s arm. He had begun to tremble.

 

            “Quatre, it’s okay,” Duo whispered. “It’s me – Duo. You’re safe.”

 

            Quatre didn’t respond, but Duo felt warm drops of liquid falling onto his arm. He reached up and realized that Quatre was crying.

 

            “Shh, Quatre, no. It’s okay,” Duo soothed. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

 

            Quatre continued to tremble and he jerked his head from side to side, unable to see in the dark. Duo clasped Quatre’s hand.

 

            “Quatre, it’s me.” He lifted Quatre’s fingers up and let them trace his face. “It’s Duo.”

 

            The fingers faltered down to his neck and seized his collar. Quatre sobbed. Duo tried to rock him. “It’s okay, Quatre. It’s okay.”

 

 

            When Heero and Wufei reached Lab 3 alarms were screaming and flashing red in the dim halls. They burst into the gray room, their eyes glancing around for Trowa. The padded chair he’d been strapped to was empty and four scientists lay dead on the floor.

 

            “Put your hands in the air.”

 

            From a corner beside them Trowa emerged armed with a laser. “I said put your hands up,” he repeated.

 

            Heero stared him directly in the eyes. “We’re here to rescue you, Trowa. We’re not your enemies.”

 

            Trowa gazed back, eyes set fimly. “We’ll see about that. I have no reason to trust you. Now put your hands up.”

 

            Wufei glanced at Heero, as if to say “I will deal with this.”

 

“We have no time for this, Trowa,” he said, stepping forward.

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said Trowa, pointing the laser at him.

 

Within a split second Heero had kicked the laser out of Trowa’s hand and Wufei had leapt through the air and silenced their friend with a  swift kick to the side of Trowa’s head. Trowa fell limply into Heero’s arms.

 

“They must’ve drugged him,” said Heero, inspecting Trowa’s dilated pupils. “Trowa knew the plan better than we did.”

 

“Speak for yourself,” said Wufei. “They could have drugged him, but he had no reason to trust us since we could’ve been drugged also. He didn’t know that for sure.”

 

As they sprinted down the hall, Heero frowned angrily at the back of Wufei’s head. “He always acts as if he knows everything!”

 

 

Insided the cool shafts of the ventilation system, Duo, Quatre and the Duchess had begun to advance again.

 

“Do you know where you’re going?” shouted the Duchess over the rushing sound of air.

 

Duo glanced over his shoulder, although all he could see were dim shapes. “I’m going to get us out! I’m counting on the others to find a way out for themselves!”

 

He held Quatre close to his side like a child, for that was pretty much what Quatre had become. He made only small, terrified sounds, and trembled and clutched at Duo as if Duo was his only source of security.

 

“Duo!” shouted the Duchess. “I’m sorry for all I’ve put you through!”

 

Duo frowned in the darkness. “We’ll talk about that later!”

 

The shaft took a sudden turn that let some more light seep into their path.

 

“Would you like me to take Quatre for awhile?”

 

“NO!”

 

It was almost too sharp a response and Quatre tightened his grip on Duo’s shoulders in alarm. Duo patted Quatre’s back to settle him.

 

“I mean, I can handle him,” he added in a more gentle tone.

 

(to be continued…)