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"Boot Camp"Written By: Snowdragonct Disclaimer: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing or the characters, more's the pity. This is for fun...no profit involved. Warnings: AU (sort of), yaoi, swearing (lots), some OOC (probably), some violence, references to NCS (especially in later chapters) Pairings: 1+2, 3+4 (to start with) A/N: This is the first time I'm getting up the nerve to post a story...hope it's not too similar to anyone else's (haven't seen one just like it). Candid, kindly-delivered critiques will be greatly appreciated...please don't rip my head off too much? Um, and the old "don't like, don't read" phrase holds true. Oh, and it's fiction, and I don't have a law degree, so there's sure to be some inaccuracies...can we just pretend, please? Thanks in advance. Rating: NC 17 Summary: Four boys in the juvenile justice system
receive a last chance to make something of their futures. Will boot
camp make or break them? And can they ever learn to be a team? "Boot Camp"
Heero didn’t get to see Chang that night. In fact, the note Wufei left for him said the Chinese officer would be gone until late the following evening. He’d decided to take the evidence to be examined at a lab, and then he intended to consult with his superiors. The only encouragement he gave was word that the bus to the L2 shuttle port wasn’t due until sometime on Sunday. Heero returned to the barracks, his scowl conveying a clear message to his teammates. “Bad news?” Quatre asked. “Chang’s gone. He won’t be back until late tomorrow.” Trowa looked up at the team leader, his face pensive. “So where does that leave us?” “Nowhere,” Heero said through gritted teeth. He walked over to stand by the window looking out, and then quite suddenly punched the wall as hard as he could. Quatre’s eyes widened at the rush of anger he felt from the team leader. “Isn’t there anything at all that we can do?” he asked, looking at the cracking, crumbling plaster as Heero dropped his hand to his side. The Japanese boy shook his head, staring at some point in the distance. “Chang will be back tomorrow night; Duo’s transport to the shuttle will arrive sometime Sunday. Until Chang’s back, we just have to sit tight and wait. That’s all we can do.” Sunday! Trowa felt a small spark of hope. If only the bus didn’t come before visiting hours, he might still be able to save his teammate. The moment Catherine left with Nanashi, he’d be free to tell Captain Chang the whole miserable story. And while it could spell disaster for him, it should at least clear Duo of wrongdoing. Please let the timing be right!
Ah, face it Maxwell, you’re screwed. He went back to the corner and sank down against the wall, wearily burying his face in his hands. You stupid shit. You knew the minute you saw Kushrenada here that he’d find a way to do this. He set you up beautifully, and you never saw it coming. All those years in juvenile detention and you forgot how to watch your back when it mattered most. Dumbass…you deserve this.
And halfway through gathering Duo’s dirty laundry, Quatre sank down on the edge of Heero’s bunk, burying his face in his hands. “Shit, Quatre, don’t…” Trowa pleaded, going to sit beside the other boy. “I can’t help it,” came the muffled, choked voice. “It’s not fair!” “I know. God, I know,” Trowa groaned. Heero muttered a curse. “Get the damned laundry together and let’s get it done,” he growled, picking up his own pile and walking out. “Asshole,” Trowa mumbled. “No, he’s right,” Quatre said, taking a deep breath and trying to pull himself together. “Let’s just get to work. It’ll help pass the time.” And while it did help pass the time, it did nothing to improve their spirits.
“Where’d his cuffs go?” asked a puzzled voice Duo dubbed dumbass guard number one. “Hell if I know,” came a reply. That’d be dumbass guard number two. “What did you do with ‘em, kid?” Duo picked up the cuffs, dangling them from a finger. “They fell off,” he drawled snidely. “Must be defective…like everything in this place.” “Still a smartass. K. said he’d be sassy.” The light gestured to one side. “Get up against the wall, kid. Hands over your head and legs spread so I can put the restraints back on.” “Aw, for Christ’s sake…I’m in a cement cell!” Duo snapped, squinting into the light. “What the fuck do I need handcuffs for?” “Warden’s orders. They don’t come off.” “Fuck the warden,” Duo growled, tossing the handcuffs to the doorway. “And don’t you assholes feed people in solitary?” “You’ll get fed after you cooperate,” came the reply. “Up against the wall, kid, or you don’t eat.” “Fucking pricks.” Duo stood up, brushing himself off, and walked over to place his hands flat against the wall in the classic pose for a frisking. Within moments, he was securely handcuffed. And this time the guard used a handheld scanning device that was sensitive enough to detect the slim lock pick hidden in his chestnut braid. “Well if you ain’t the most devious little shit--!” came the startled oath, as the guard pulled the piece of metal out. A large fist grabbed the braid, jerking backwards. “I oughta cut this off!” Duo gritted his teeth. “Don’t touch my hair, you motherfucking shithead.” The hand just as quickly released the braid and shoved his head forward, against the wall. “And you shut your smart mouth. They won’t take your crap on L2, you punk.” A harsh chuckle followed the words. “Hell, keep the damned hair. The boys up there’ll love it…they can pretend you’re a girl while they fuck your brains out.” Duo blanched at that, glad the gloomy cell hid his face; he was sure the fear was evident in every line of it. “At least it’ll just be pretend,” he hissed coldly, with way more bravado than he felt. “In your case, they’d know you are a girl…or at least a dickless moron.” He let out a muffled “oof” as he was slammed bodily into the wall. “You’re so goddamned smart, kid…how ‘bout I come back later and prove I’m not dickless?” sneered the voice. Duo swallowed, tasting blood from a split lip, and closed his eyes. Shut up while you’re ahead, Maxwell! For once in your life, shut the fuck up! A hand ran down his side, and then squeezed his ass. “Yeah, I think I’ll see you after lights out, pretty boy.” Then the guard left, slamming the door, and Duo groaned, tugging uselessly at the shackles, and praying the man’s parting words were just an idle threat. But part of him knew better. He hadn’t been a street kid all his life without learning to read the nuances in other people’s voices. And he definitely didn’t like the tone in the harsh guard’s voice. Trapped like a fucking rat. Should have run while you had the chance…
After ten abortive attempts at working on the laptop, Heero had given up and taken to pacing, glancing from time to time at Duo’s empty bunk. I should have let him go. He wouldn’t be in this mess if he’d run. Of course, the more rational side of Heero’s brain assured him that Duo would be in even worse trouble if he’d run and been caught. At least in this case they knew he wasn’t guilty, and could try to prove it. If he’d run, he would have been guilty, and there’d have been no way to disprove it. Heero stopped frantically walking the floor, leaning one hand against a wall, and rubbing his forehead with the other. “Goddamn it, Duo! What am I gonna do?” His thumb rubbed against a rough spot in the wall, and he looked absently at it, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he saw the mark from when Duo threw the knife. Shaking his head, he walked over and threw himself onto his bunk. He was still there when his roommates got back. “Hey,” Quatre said quietly, walking over and holding out a sandwich. “Brought you some sustenance.” “Leave it on the computer desk,” Heero said with a listless wave of his hand. “Starving won’t help him,” Quatre cautioned. “I ate some supper.” “You ate two bites and threw the rest out,” Trowa said flatly on his way to the bathroom. “Yeah…well…I didn’t say I ate very much,” Quatre pointed out. His aquamarine eyes fixed a worried gaze on the team leader. “C’mon, Heero. At least a bite or two? You’ve gotta keep up your strength.” As he said the words, it occurred to both him and Heero that it sounded like something Duo would say. “Ah, fuck it,” Heero sighed, grabbing the sandwich and taking a bite. And although it stuck in his throat, he managed to wash down almost half the meal with a bottle of juice Quatre supplied, before giving up and resuming his pacing. When he saw lights come on near the administration building, he decided to go see if it was Wufei returning.
Heero walked in, shutting the door, and leaning back against the wall next to it. “What’d you do? Camp on my doorstep?” Wufei asked wearily. “I was watching for you,” shrugged Heero. He fixed a worried gaze on his friend. “How is he?” “I have no idea,” Wufei shrugged. “I haven’t seen him. The warden is ‘out,’ and his secretary has been stonewalling me for half an hour. I can’t seem to find anyone who can tell me precisely where they’ve got Maxwell locked up.” “It’s not that big a facility,” Heero pointed out. “It is when you’re the outsider,” replied the officer, with a scowl. “Kushrenada’s guards are a notoriously close-knit group, and apparently loyal to a fault.” “For fuck’s sake, Wufei, you’re the ranking officer here!” Heero snapped, blue eyes gleaming with frustration. “Order someone to take you to solitary.” “I can’t,” the Chinese man insisted. “I don’t have jurisdiction over prison personnel. Plus, I doubt there’s anything Maxwell could tell me to shed light on this, and I’d rather wait to see him until I can offer some kind of hope.” Heero closed his eyes. “So there is none?” “Not at this point in time,” said Wufei. He gestured to pictures spread across his desk. “I examined the rope…the knives…everything. But nothing stands out that might clear Maxwell.” “I know he’s not guilty, Wufei. There must be something!” Wufei sighed. “Look, Heero, I know there’s something between you two…something more than camaraderie. Else why would he have reacted the way he did over a simple kiss?” “I took him by surprise,” Heero said evenly. “And he felt betrayed. I knew it would startle him, and make him vulnerable, and I used it against him.” “It wouldn’t have made him vulnerable if he hadn’t felt something for you.” “So, maybe he does. Or did,” Heero amended. “But that’s got nothing to do with this. He’s innocent.” “And how can you be sure?” “Because he said so,” Heero shrugged. “And when he says he doesn’t lie, I believe him.” “He may not lie, but he’s an expert at manipulating the truth,” Wufei pointed out. “Speaking of manipulation…Kushrenada couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to take Duo down.” Heero walked forward, looking at the pictures. “Doesn’t it strike you as terribly convenient that Duo would do something so blatantly illegal? I mean, all he did to Pritchard’s team was put some dog shit in their shoes. Why would he try to kill his teammates?” “I don’t believe he would,” agreed the officer. “But he might consider sabotaging your shot at the Academy if you pissed him off enough.” “No, he wouldn’t,” Heero said quietly, recalling that Duo’s solution was running and hiding. And while the braided boy might want revenge, he’d never stoop so low. “What did you mean when you said ‘he came back’ the other day?” Heero sighed, having known Wufei would remember to ask about that. “The night before the river crossing, Duo snuck out of camp. He was getting ready to bolt when Winner and I caught up to him.” “Bolt? Where?” “The nearest town. Being a street rat, he figured he could scrounge for clothes and cash, and blend in.” Heero frowned slightly. “That was my fault. He wasn’t running from camp; he was running from me.” A faint smile twitched at the corner of Wufei’s lips. “As scary as you can be, Yuy, I can’t picture Maxwell running away from you. On the contrary, I’ve seen the way he looks at you—especially when your back is turned.” Fighting the urge to blush, Heero looked down at the desk. “After the kiss during sparring, he was ready to run as far and fast as necessary to put me behind him.” He looked up at his friend, blue eyes intent. “Winner and I talked him into coming back.” “Winner…and you.” The Chinese man smirked. “I’d wager it wasn’t Winner who motivated him to stay.” He raised an eyebrow. “How much begging did you have to do?” The blue eyes flashed. “I don’t beg, Wufei!” Onyx eyes met his steadily. “Then how did you convince him?” “I honestly don’t know,” Heero sighed. “Except…part of him didn’t want to leave, or all the arguing in the world wouldn’t have stopped him.” He scowled deeply. “The point is, if he’d done something as underhanded as cutting the rope, he’d never have come back with us.” “I’m going to play Devil’s advocate here, Yuy,” Captain Chang said evenly. “It could be argued that he came back to watch the results of his handiwork. We know from the incident with Pritchard that Maxwell enjoys the fruits of his labor.” “That was a prank, Wufei. A harmless prank.” Heero shook his head. “It’s not in Duo’s nature to hurt people.” Wufei tossed the folder labeled with Duo’s name onto the desk. “He’s put a dozen inmates in the hospital over the years, Yuy. Not to mention a couple of police officers, and who knows how many others?” “And what were the inmates doing to him?” Heero countered. “I know…I know…‘self-defense,’” sighed Wufei. “Like I said, I’m just trying to show you what a prosecutor would show a jury, if this were a court case.” He looked away at the small, barred window. “I don’t believe he’s guilty either, Heero. But I need something irrefutable to present to the Prison Commission.” “By then it’ll be too late!” Heero blurted in frustration. “D’you know what’ll happen to Duo on L2?” “Of course I do,” Wufei retorted. “And I’m doing all I can to prevent him from going there. But I need something real to work with.” “How about the fact that when Duo took off, he left the survival pack behind? During the time that Winner and I went after him, it was there unattended. Anyone could have accessed it then.” “I’m not sure being negligent helps his case,” the officer pointed out. “It offers reasonable doubt,” Heero said coolly. “It would, if this were a jury trial,” admitted Wufei. “But it’s not. The deal here is that any infraction is an automatic ticket to prison.” His dark eyes were brooding. “Since it was a law that was broken, rather than a camp rule, Kushrenada has the final word.” “Kushrenada hates Duo.” “Of course he does. He thinks Maxwell killed his brother.” Heero’s eyes widened. “So that’s it.” He shook his head. “You have to stop this, Wufei. It’s a vendetta. And I’d bet anything Kushrenada’s behind this whole thing. Did you know Norton’s been making visits to the warden’s office?” “What?” “The day after the attack on Carroll, I went looking for Norton…” At Wufei’s scowl, Heero smirked. “Maxwell was the only one who promised not to.” “Splitting hairs, Yuy.” “At any rate, Norton was just leaving K.’s office when I found him. Suppose he’s working for the warden?” “He may very well be,” admitted the officer. He fixed a steady gaze on his friend. “But here’s the problem. If I go to Kushrenada and say that Maxwell might not have cut the rope, and that others could have, he’ll ask when they might have had access. And if I tell him that Maxwell left the pack unattended while he was trying to escape…” Heero winced. “Okay…I see your point. He’d be off to L2 just as fast.” He paced restlessly across the room. “What if Maxwell had another reason to have left the pack unattended?” “Such as?” “Well…” Heero drew a deep breath. “What if Maxwell and I had slipped away for a while to…be alone?” The dark eyes went cold. “That’s a lie, Yuy. Do you really think Mister I-Never-Lie wants you to save his ass by blatantly lying?” “I don’t think he’ll care how I do it. Besides, I can manipulate words as well as he can. Duo and I were out in the woods together…alone.” Heero turned an intense gaze on his friend. “Please, ‘Fei. I don’t care what it takes to save him. I’ll confess to cutting the rope myself if it’ll keep him out of prison.” “You’ll do no such thing!” Wufei said firmly, standing and laying his hands flat on the desk, glaring at Heero. “I won’t let you. We’ll find another way! I have until tomorrow. They’ll be putting Maxwell on a bus to the shuttle port then. That’s over twelve hours, Yuy. Let me use it to prove he’s innocent.” “And if you can’t?” The Captain grimaced slightly. “I don’t know,” he sighed at last. Heero picked up the piece of rope that was coiled on a table in a corner, idly running his thumb over the frayed, broken end. “I wish this thing could talk,” he said flatly. “So do I.” Wufei stood up, stretching wearily. “It was a hellishly long drive back up here, Yuy. D’you mind if I catch a couple hours of sleep?” He gave his friend a reassuring look. “I promise I’ll be back on the case before sunup. I have a call in to the Peacecraft Foundation, asking for them to intercede and buy me more time. So don’t give up hope.” “I’ll try not to,” Heero said dejectedly, dropping the rope and walking wearily out of the office to tell his teammates they were no closer to a solution.
His fears were confirmed when the blinding light in his eyes was accompanied by a menacing laugh. “Told you I’d be back, pretty boy.” Pushing himself up to his feet, he swallowed uneasily, mustering his most defiant glare. “Well, aren’t you the big, tough man?” he sneered, squaring his shoulders, so he didn’t feel quite so helpless. But the handcuffs didn’t help in that department. “Just because you can take a scrawny kid? Well, fuck you!” “I think you got that backwards,” replied the guard, his grin audible. Duo was already backed up against the wall, but he tried to remember his self-defense training, thinking maybe he could at least get a few shots in before the bastard won. Seeing the defensive posture, the guard laughed mockingly, setting the light off to one side, and pulling out his baton. “Aw, this is gonna be fun…” “Shit.”
He moved one arm cautiously, feeling the cold steel of the handcuffs still on his wrists. Rolling onto his side, and wincing at the ache in his ribs, he straightened his clothes, glad his impatient attacker hadn’t bothered to completely remove them. That done, his fingers found the rough fabric of the wool blanket a few inches away, and he pulled it to him, gingerly wrapping up in it. By the time he’d accomplished that, he found the energy to crawl into the corner of the cell, tucked between the toilet and the wall, where he felt marginally less vulnerable. Wondering how much time he had before the shuttle would take him to L2, he leaned his head wearily against the cinder block wall and stared into the darkness, reflecting that this was what he could expect the rest of his short, miserable life…beatings, rapes, and abuse. There was no doubt that the prison on L2 would be full of meaner, tougher thugs than the prison guard, and even less doubt that they’d find the too-pretty boy to be fair game. Swallowing the sobs that tried to rise from his throat, Duo buried his head against his knees. He’d been so close to something better…so close to a chance at a real life…with friends…with Heero. God, Heero. That probably hurt worst of all…knowing he wouldn’t get to lose himself in those deep blue eyes again, or melt against that strong, solid chest. Or have those gentle, soothing hands run through his hair. And to think he’d threatened to never let Heero touch it again…right at the moment, he’d have begged him on hands and knees to do just that. Fuck, Maxwell…this is why you didn’t want
to get close to anyone. It wouldn’t hurt so badly to lose something
you never experienced. But a brief taste of Heaven made going to Hell
that much more painful.
tbc... |
