Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of its characters, so don't sue me!

Pairings: 1x2 3x4 5x6x13 (thanks to the person who reviewed and corrected my number mistake - I don't know french I'm afraid) maybe SxR and HxDxN not sure yet…

Plot: Pretty usual fare. Governments experimenting on people in an attempt to create the 'perfect' agents. Unfortunately for them they aren't quite sure what they've succeeded in creating this time. Their masterpieces complete missions with ease and are more than the governments ever thought they'd get, but…the governments don't know just what the extent of those capabilities really are, and whilst they appear to be loyal at the moment, they don't know how long that will remain to be the case.

Telepathic speech

Comm Link speech

Chapter Two - Reports and cover-ups

Taking in the blank expressions turned his way, he was incapable of stopping the shiver he always felt when in the presence of the test subjects. Still, just because they gave him the willies was no reason to go easy on them. What good was going to all the trouble of stamping out their humanity, if you were just going to molly coddle them like children?

Raking a hand through his short silver hair, Instructor Kenneth made sure his displeasure was fully communicated to the pair before him. Pacing helped to relieve some of his stress, but the unblinking way he was being watched gave him the impression of a cat with a canary, so he quickly came to a halt in front of the two bane's of his existence. Well, two of the bane's any way.

"…Not only did you not retrieve the information as requested, you also set the bombs in the wrong place! Now, the authorities have evidence that the facility was deliberately blown up. Do you have any idea what that kind of stunt means to our operation? What am I saying? - even if you did, you wouldn't care!"

No response came from the two black figures, and their expressions never flickered. Effective training, at any rate.

"The only redeeming part of this mission has to be that fact that you managed to successfully remove the two subjects. They are currently being evaluated, and I truly hope they prove to be useful, otherwise you two could be looking at an overhaul!"

Spinning on his heel, Kenneth strode out of the holding cell, not waiting to see the impact of his words like he would when he'd been in the army. No, Instructor Kenneth was already well aware there would be no impact on those two. Such as they were incapable of feeling anything - made them ruddy good soldiers, but reprimanding them was a waste of time.

Flicking a quick look at the two 'normal' guards he and Heero had been left with, the Empath reached out and 'tugged' at their emotions.

Leaving the guards momentarily trapped in their own issues, Quatre turned to Heero, gold vanishing from his eyes in a blink - leaving no trace of his alter-ego - something they'd all learnt to do, in case somebody happened to be watching.

"Do you think they'll pass?"

Heero grunted: his way of showing derision at the question.

Although the experimentation had caused many of the test subjects to retreat into themselves, giving them all a rather robotic quality - Heero, Number One, was a special case, in that his other half was the perfect soldier, and thus completely emotionless anyway.

Heero's eyes were almost always a perfect mix of blue and silver, something which led the scientists to believe that his natural eye colour was just a very light blue, but it was, in actuality, the result of his other half always lurking in the background.

All of the subjects had enhanced senses, and the majority of them had now gained an affinity for fighting - something that they had all been trained in since, to prepare them for their 'missions'.

Heero had excelled in all areas he applied his concentration, but appeared most adept at killing, due to his complete detachment from the victims - such skill earned him the rank of Number One. The best out of all the test subjects.

Number Two came in the form of a tall young man with long blond hair. His alter-ego was called the 'lightning count', and he could literally call electric energy to his hands. Their keepers and the scientists who studied them were unaware of this talent of course, but the man's proficiency with blades had earned him his rank of second.

Then came the only subject who had actually been foolish enough to volunteer for the procedure, something they had come to regret - a woman, whose alter-ego, the 'warmonger', had the ability to create disharmony in people, and weave chaos. Not only did her abilities with blades nearly match Number Two, but her general cold-bloodedness also gained her the distinction of Number Three.

Despite Quatre's dislike of killing, his ability to sense what others were feeling came in very handy when performing hand-to-hand combat, as it helped predict what moves his opponent would make, and for that reason he was more skilled than Number Five at fighting.

Much to Number Five's distaste, the only reason the 'lone dragon' had managed to beat Number Six to his position, was due to her hatred for any kind of fighting. Afterall, someone who's alter-ego was called the 'peacemaker', and whose ability was tele-coercion - in the name of good - was hardly likely to put up a fight over where she was ranked, abilities-wise.

Knowing the other man wouldn't say anything more at the moment, Quatre left Heero to his thinking, whatever it was, and silently padded over to the oblivious guards, deciding to do some extra preparation for their big escape.

After every mission the subjects who'd been sent were always left in the holding cell which acted as a debriefing room, for half an hour minimum - a psychological test of whether or not they would attempt to escape during that time. As if they were dim enough to not notice the 'hidden' cameras set up in the corridor outside, aimed at the only exit from the room. Nevertheless, such procedure gave them all a chance to interact with one another, and had enabled them to form their escape plan.

Stretching out a delicate finger, Quatre lightly touched the first guard on the forehead. Using the direct contact, the Empath quickly established a conduit, and eased into the man's subconscious, finding his fears and pulling them as near to the surface as he dared. When the time was right it would now take Quatre barely half a second to trigger a panic attack.

Moving on to the second guard, Quatre had to stand on tiptoes to reach the man's forehead - but he soon accomplished his task, and turned back to Heero.

Cold silver covered the entire of the man's eyes, and the effect was rather disconcerting - the first time Quatre had witnessed it he had been convinced the man's eyes had been replaced by metal. Now though, he knew Heero was merely consulting with his other side. Though how you could do something as mundane as 'consult' with a perfect soldier, he didn't know.

Blinking the self-induced haze away, Heero turned to the patiently waiting Number Two.

"We have examined the skill of the scientist, Duo Maxwell, and he almost matches our performance. His only weakness is a lack of discipline. If he performs like that for the judges, there is no doubt he will pass, assuming the skill does not require the full presence of his other half."

"What about Trowa Barton? Do you think he will pass?"

Pausing to think, a line appeared on Heero's brow, but the thought that the other man might be frowning was too out of character, and Quatre dismissed it.

"We did not get a chance to observe his fighting skills, but if he is anything like his partner he will pass. Besides, the current rarity of a successful experiment means that they are trying to keep all of those who do survive it - Number Six being a perfect example. If Trowa Barton fails to pass, they will simply train him in other areas they feel are important."

For the first time in a long time there was no trace of silver in Heero's blue eyes, and for a moment they almost seemed to emanate some kind of emotion. The trace was gone before the Empath could get a lock on it, but for that instant it was almost like Heero was attempting to reassure him.

Footsteps reached their sensitive ears before Quatre could make any response, and the Empath quickly loosed his grip on the guard's emotions.

Consulting his internal clock, a flicker of surprise made itself known, before he squashed down the emotion. Heero, they're coming early - warn as many of the others that you can reach when they take us out of here. If this isn't a one-off, we may have to move our escape forward.

Ninmu ryoukai

Taking the affirmative for what it was, Quatre looked up from his intense survey of the grey carpeted floor just as the door opened.

Seeing which Doctor had just entered the cell, the Empath backed away from Quatre's conscious, and huddled in on himself. Unsurprised by this reaction, Quatre didn't even blink, not even when the Doctor's robotic eyes fixed on him directly.

Doctor J - one of the more dreaded Doctors, he believed in a hands-on approach when training the experiments, and you were far more likely to exit the training room injured than when with the other Doctors. Upon his first encounter with the man, when he'd barely had time to adjust to suddenly having an other half, the Empath had unwittingly left them both wide open to reading the man…lets just say the experience had left a lasting impression on them both.

Unfortunately, their reaction had also intrigued the Doctor, and the Empath always picked up a faint trace of suspicion when left in J's presence. Luckily, or unluckily, the Doctor had taken an immediate liking to Number One, and commandeered that subject's training almost from the beginning.

Spotting the nervous aide behind the Doctor, and the white bag clutched in his grasp, Quatre realised they were there to take care of any injuries - most likely the cut on Heero's arm, there courtesy of Duo Maxwell.

Leaving the door wide open, Doctor J motioned for them to follow him, before he then exited the cell. Resisting the urge to look over at Heero, Quatre went through the door first.

This was unprecedented - granted Doctor J was one of the few here that dared turn his back on the subjects, but if they were wounded during a mission they were invariably given rudimentary treatment in the debriefing cell, before then being escorted to their 'personal' cells. Never had they been removed to the hospital ward for treatment, and this was only a scratch compared to some of the wounds they had received.

Monotonous corridors led one onto another, all going in a straight line, yet headed no where. Grey carpets, with white walls that looked grey in the dim light. Hanging lights illuminated sparse patches of space, and the rest lurked in gloom.

The scent was one of disinfectant, and all cells and corridors were cleaned every day - scrubbed down with the efficiency of hospital nurse, until it bore the impersonality of a hospital itself.

Yet despite the ultra-cleanliness of the place, the Empath could sense the silent screams in the walls - in the floors, in the very air.

As in the room he discovered Trowa, the past emotions tugged at him, trying to draw the Empath in and trap him there.

With the ease of long practice, Quatre ignored the tug, leaving it to the Empath to ward off the nightmares it triggered.

Reaching the hospital ward, Heero and Quatre both registered the sounds emanating from within, and the fact that it sounded like a fight was occurring.

Doctor J's aide pushed the doors open for them, and Quatre felt a chill go down his spine: the only time he'd felt something similar was when the Empath had sensed Number Three using her powers for fun.

Entering the room calmly, Quatre didn't flinch at the sight awaiting him, although a slight pulse of emotion did seem to come from Heero's direction.

The normally uniformly-tidy hospital ward was in complete disarray - bandages littered the floor, as did syringes. Bottles of medication were strewn across the floor, some shattered so that liquid of varying hues crept across the white-tiled floor.

The five hospital cots, used when the subjects had serious injuries, were all overturned - sheets torn to shreds, and restraints for the subjects hanging in pathetic strips.

That wasn't what immediately caught the attention, though. No, what caught the attention was the bodies of hospital staff littering the room like confetti.

Perched on the remains of a cupboard, cackling like a madman, and waving the dismembered arm of a nurse, was Duo Maxwell.

In his left hand, Duo had a bloody scalpel, and as they observed, he began cutting strips of flesh off the nurse's arm, cheerfully humming a song under his breath.

Standing in the corner, untouched by the destruction of the room, and miraculously bloodless - stood Trowa, calmly smoking a cigarette underneath the 'no smoking' sign.

What are you two doing? Are you trying to get yourselves killed?

Despite Heero's telepathic voice maintaining its normal robotic quality, Quatre could sense a tenseness in Number One's body, something the Empath sensed corresponded with his internal state.

They were talking about cutting Duo's braid off to maximise his efficiency - and when they approached with the scalpel, he flipped. I figured I'd leave him to it, seeing how he was doing what I felt like doing to them.

Thinking it through quickly, Quatre looked at Heero out of the corner of his eye.

Doctor J was waiting for them to say something - ask what was required of them probably, but when he noticed Quatre's action he too began to look over at Heero. Luckily, just then Duo threw the nurse's arm.

Spinning round and round like a boomerang, the limb didn't stop until it crashed into the Doctor's chest - splattering blood all over Doctor J, and sending him stumbling back with the force of the throw.

Whilst Duo was distracting the Doctor, Heero consulted with the perfect soldier; eyes vanishing under metal whilst they calculated chances of success.

Hai. Contact the others

Reaching as far as he could, Quatre let the others know what was going on, and told them their escape had been moved forward to immediately - simultaneously letting the Empath loose on the guards who'd followed behind them from the debriefing cell.

Using the easy access he'd already created, the Empath triggered their deepest fears, then turned his attention to Doctor J's aide - leaving the Doctor himself to Heero's tender mercies.

Diving into a handstand, Quatre's foot connected with the aide's cranium, knocking him unconscious. Righting himself, Quatre looked over at Heero in time to see Number One kick the Doctor in the ribs, then slam his arm down on the man's bent back.

Landing with a thud, a small stream of blood trickled out from the Doctor's lips as his lab coat settled around him like limp wings.

Bending down to the unconscious figure's level, Number One put his mouth next to J's ear. "I am not your 'son'."

Straightening up again, Heero glanced over at the two cowering guards - one of whom had wetted himself, whilst the other clawed at invisible things on the floor - then nodded a slight acknowledgement of the Empath's talent.

Stubbing out his cigarette on the poster, Trowa made his way to the exit, stepping over and around the bodies and pools of liquid in his way. Dropping down from the ruined cupboard with a catlike agility, Duo cleaned off the scalpel before joining them.

Misinterpreting Quatre's mild look for one of rebuke, Duo shrugged. "What? It's the only weapon I've got!"

Shaking his head slightly at Duo's antics, Heero turned and led the way through the maze of corridors. Hearing the sound of feet they all slowed down, putting their backs against the cold wall.

Suddenly the feet stopped, there was the sound of a brief scuffle, then the thud of bodies hitting the floor. No one cried out.

Looking round the corner, Heero grunted them continued walking. Flicking a bemused look at Quatre and Trowa, Duo found no help there as two equally blank faces stared back at him. Repressing his sigh of annoyance, Shinigami rounded the corner as well.

Feral amber eyes took in the two new figures who were nodding a greeting to Heero. One of them, a man with long blonde hair, was leaning casually against one of the walls, waiting for Heero to make his way towards them.

The second man, a shorter, chinese, man, with black hair that tied up so tightly Duo couldn't tell how long it, was stood tensely over the lifeless body of a guard. A long sword was held easily in his right hand, and his left hand was tensed for action. Black eyes shot over to Duo, and in the shifting light Shinigami found it hard to distinguish what colour they actually were - one second they appeared to be as black as coal, then they appeared to lighten to brown.

Movement behind him signified Quatre and Trowa had turned the corner, and with a flicker of his eyes purple replaced the blazing amber, as Shinigami retreated from the fore.

"Introductions?" Duo asked, tone hopeful.

The chinese man bowed slightly, body remaining tense. "I am Chang Wufei, Number Five - this is Zechs Merquise, Number Two, and you are?"

"Duo Maxwell, no number - and this here's Trowa Barton. Also no number."

We need to continue moving

Heero's mind-voice was as brusque as ever, and he'd already started moving before he'd finished the command.

Telling himself he shouldn't be bristling over such a minor slight, especially considering the training he'd heard all successful experiment subjects were put under - part of Duo couldn't help feeling hurt at the brush-off.

Falling into step behind Heero, they continued making their way for the exit of this hellhole institution, and gradually the distant sound of gunfire echoed down the abandoned corridors - and a klaxon roared to life.

What the hell?! Duo remembered to keep his exclamation telepathic, just in case anybody was loitering around who might hear it, but he couldn't keep completely silent.

That's the alarm to warn everyone that we've escaped. By keeping all of the cells and other rooms in the centre of the compound, it leaves us with no direct route to the outside, and we will eventually be forced to go through one of the heavily-guarded exits. Numbers Three and Six should have reached our targeted exit by now, and the gunfire we're hearing should be the result of their distraction

Quatre made it sound oh-so-reasonable…but something seemed slightly off.

Wait a second…we're distracting the exit we're planning to escape through? That's like warning them!

Don't be idiotic, Maxwell -these people are the ones who trained us, a fact we're all aware of, and they think us unimaginative enough to not come up with our own plan. Therefore, they'll think we're following our training, and distracting them at that exit, so we can make our escape through another. Meaning, they will not move any of their guards to the exit we have targeted, which they would do if they fell for our 'diversion', and will instead keep them spread thin - which is what we want them to do

The condescending voice obviously belonged to Wufei, and since Duo didn't have a number, he'd obviously deemed him unworthy of being addressed by his first name. Letting out a low growl, Shinigami crowded to the surface, wanting to taste the other man's blood.

We have been planning this for a long time. Nothing can go wrong

The robotic voice sounded blank enough, but when Duo targeted amber-tinged eyes at Heero, he found them caught and held by comforting sapphire blue.

Suddenly feeling a ton better, Duo bounded ahead of the group, letting Shinigami's senses lead him aright.

Oooh, cliffy! Will they make it out of the facility? Is Heero overcoming his robotic training? Why did Heero say what he did to Doctor J? Find out next chapter! (…I think)

Anyway, I'm sorry for the long wait on this chapter - and for the wait on all of my other fanfics as well! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I tried to make it slightly longer and get more in it than the last few.

R&R, please - I love knowing what you all think of my work, and getting random reviews does help get me motivated to write more.

offers plate of reindeer-shaped cookies, with yummy icing Merry X-Mas!!!