Thanks for comet for giving it a once over. Any grammar mistakes left are mine.

Pairings: Future 2+1/1+2.

Notes: This is going to start out as a standard Gundam Wing 'mission' type story, but it gets weird! Another AU.

Also, I have a habit of calling the guys 'pilots', even though, their Gundams are destroyed by the time of this story. In my eyes, they'll always be pilots <shrug>.

This could possibly be finished, even though, I may turn it into a series.

/thoughts/

"So, you're saying there's no way in?" Duo asked, his voice deceptively calm as he rhythmically clenched and unclenched his fists.

"There are no windows and only two entrances, the aircraft bay and the main doors," Wufei explained, his voice slightly strained. "The bay can't be accessed from the exterior, and the main entrance is heavily guarded and under surveillance."

"If we had our mobile suits, it wouldn't be a problem," Quatre added with a sigh. "Just slice into the aircraft bay and do the extraction."

The pilots, minus Heero, were in a small conference room at Preventers headquarters on Earth.

"How the hell were they able to capture Heero?" Duo asked.

"We... don't know," Quatre replied. "He was on a retrieval mission."

Duo quirked his eyebrows. "Retrieval of what?"

Wufei handed the braided man a folder and Duo quickly read the contents. Someone had hacked into the Preventers mainframe and downloaded sensitive information, from armaments to personnel files, and had offered them to the highest bidder. Heero had gone to retrieve the stolen data.

"The personnel files?" Duo asked.

"The bastard had gotten our files during the download," Wufei spat. "Whoever has the files knows the Preventers have Gundam pilots as agents."

"At least there isn't a physical description or photograph in our files," Quatre pointed out.

Trowa shrugged. "Heero had been successful in retrieving the files and capturing the person who had hacked into our system. The suspect is now in custody."

"So, what happened?" Duo asked, slumping against the wall and dropping his face into his hands.

"Heero turned the suspect over to the local authorities and was returning to base with the information when he was captured," Quatre said quietly. "We're waiting for the suspect to get out of questioning."

"Why did they grab Heero instead of the hacker?" Duo asked before waving a hand. "No, never mind... I know. Why grab the courier when you can grab the data." Duo began to pace the room, his braid arcing gracefully behind him at each turn. "Is there external ventilation access?"

"We thought of that," Trowa replied. "There are some, but nothing large enough to use for an entrance."

"How big?" Duo asked.

"Less than a foot across," Quatre answered.

"Wide enough." Duo turned and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Wufei asked, rising from his seat.

"To get Heero out," Duo replied. "Contact me by communicator if anything new develops."

"Duo! Wait!" Quatre called, but the American didn't stop. "Great, just great."

"What is he going to do with a ventilation pipe? Even if he were to use gas, their facility is too well constructed for it to work," Trowa mussed.

Further speculation was cut off by the intercom buzzing. Wufei answered the call with a curt "Wufei."

"Interrogation room six," Noin replied.

"On our way."

The three pilots strode quickly down the halls and entered the interrogation room's observation alcove.

"That's the suspect?" Quatre asked.

Noin nodded in reply. The four studied the man before them. He was pale with red hair and a pair of stylish glasses on his nose, and was wearing a blue tshirt and jeans with holes in the knees. "They've been working on him for awhile now. All we have is that he's read the information he stole and that Heero re-encrypted it before destroying his computer. We don't know how much of the information he's committed to memory, and he says he knows nothing about Heero's abduction."

"Let me try," Trowa offered.

Noin thought a moment, then nodded.

A few moments later, Trowa had slipped into the interrogation room and sent the interrogator out.

"I don't see how he'll get anything when I couldn't," Ronald, the interrogator, complained as he joined Noin and the two remaining pilots in the observation room.

As the four focussed on the other side of the mirrored glass, Wufei calmly moved to lean against the door leading to the hall and Quatre stood on the side of the glass that held the intercom and the door to the interrogation area. Noin nodded in acknowledgement before turning her attention back to Trowa and the suspect.

Trowa was currently staring in silence at the suspect, his face impassive.

Finally the man broke the silence. "So, you guys figure out my name yet?"

Trowa ignored the question and continued to stare.

"The silent treatment isn't going to work."

"How was our agent abducted?"

The man leaned back and grinned, his hands behind his head. "No idea. Now, I don't mind being a training exercise for you, kid, but shouldn't you be supervised?"

"My name is Trowa Barton," Trowa said into the silence that again fell between him and the now fidgeting man.

The hacker furrowed his brow in thought. "I know that name from..." His voice trailed off as he stared at the calm man before him. After opening and closing his mouth in shock, the man continued, a tremor in his voice.
"You're one of the..." His voice trailed off again, as if he could pretend he wasn't facing a known killer if he didn't say the words aloud.

Trowa nodded. "The man who was abducted is a friend of mine. You're going to tell me everything you know, or I'm going to get angry. I get creative when I'm angry." His tone and posture never changed from benign calm, which terrified the suspect even more.

"He can't do that!" Ronald exclaimed, his voice loud in the small
observation area. Striding forward, his exit into the other room was halted
by Quatre. The blonde man was currently lounging in the doorway, one hand
on the wall next to the intercom unit.

Ronald looked from one door to the other and noticed both were blocked. "Noin, call these kids off!"

"Ronald, calm down," Noin replied, still watching the interrogation room. The hacker, who revealed his name to be Dale McCray, was hurriedly telling the impassive pilot everything he knew.

Trying to intimidate Wufei with his height, Ronald glared down at the Chinese pilot. "Move."

Wufei looked up and met Ronald's eyes, but otherwise didn't move.

Further demands from the interrogator died in his throat as he saw the deadly look in Wufei's eyes. Turning, he could also see the same look in Quatre's eyes. Ronald cleared his throat and went to stand next to Noin.
"Ms. Noin..."

Taking pity on the man, Noin interrupted. "As you can see, we're now getting the information we need. No harm done."

Ronald sighed. "But we violated his rights. When that gets out in court, he'll get off on a technicality."

"It's not going to trial," Wufei replied quietly.

Ronald's eyes widened. "You really think we're going to hold him indefinitely without due process?!"

Rolling his eyes, Wufei pushed away from the door. "He confessed to his crimes, in front of five witnesses, under no duress."

Trowa opened the door between the interrogation room and observation niche and paused to let Quatre stand up before entering the room and closing the door.

"No duress?!" Ronald sputtered. "He was threatened! We all heard it!"

"Trowa was only stating facts. He does get creative when he's angry," Quatre replied, a soft blush appearing on his face.

Wufei cleared his throat. "Did we learn anything useful?" He asked Trowa.

Trowa shook his head, a look of mild disgust gracing his features. "He knows nothing."

"I'll tell Duo," Quatre said with a sigh before leaving through the hall door.

"Trowa, Wufei, continue looking for leads with Duo and Quatre," Noin ordered.

"Problem," Wufei replied, keeping his eyes on the interrogation room where Dale McCray was being led away. "Duo went after Heero."

Noin rested her forehead in her hand. "Doesn't he know it's nearly impossible to get in?"

Trowa shrugged. "This is Duo." He then left the room to go searching for information on the abductors.