To All Lengths

ACT TWO: THE RESULTS

The Long Colony

Wufei didn't say anything as he took the few items he had and packed them up. He was being asked to leave.

Mei-Lin had witnessed her colony's demise. Her mind had not been trained to accept and understand all possibilities. Her colony had been her home, and it was now terminated. Nothing was left but scrap metal that may have escaped the carnage. Certainly nothing alive, and no one of the Zhang Colony.

Mei-Lin was the last of it, but the Long Colony had not been very good friends of the Zhang. Although Wufei no longer had to worry about any nonsense of fatherhood, he could not abandon her to whatever life wanted to throw her way. She was weak and she had nothing. Even she knew that, and unlike some women, seemed to accept it as an inevitability. She alone could not bring justice to her colony. 

Unfortunately, that did not mean one simple life on the Long Colony. Wufei asked politely, with the most sincerity that he could, to let her stay. His choices had been given to him. Unless he planned on marrying her, (why would he ever without reason?) then she was not welcome.

He tried to work out something with Quatre since he was leaving to Earth with Catalonia.

After all, Trowa would not be so easy to get on the phone. He had gotten the spy with his unborn only yesterday. Everyone should be on guard, not even answering phones.

Even Quatre shouldn't have answered it, but he did. Wufei reminded Quatre that he knew Heero, and he could possibly be working with him. He shouldn't trust anyone. Then he insisted Quatre could trust him right now.

Wufei got help from Quatre, and then reminded him once again that he shouldn't trust anyone else. Quatre complained it was confusing, but that's why Wufei chose Quatre in the first place. He was of the weaker, kinder kind of heart that would be the one to mess up if something did happen.

They should not let their guard down. For anything.

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Duo and Hilde's Colony

Hilde stuck her head out the side of the truck. "It feels so good to be back home."

Yep, they were lucky. Hilde not pregnant. Never taken. Safe and sound, and finally home. Duo pushed his shades up as he parked. "Oh, Junkyard, my Junkyard. How I missed ya." He got out along with her. Back to how things should be. "Alright, Hilde, listen up. We are still not out of the woods."

"You aren't going to start babying me, Duo?" Hilde warned him. "I'm a big girl, and I won't be getting any special surgeries anytime soon. I'm fine now."

"Gee? Pardon me Miss Perfect," Duo complained. "I'm only trying to be a friend that cares for the sake of your health."

"Oh. Sorry, Duo," Hilde apologized. "It's just that? I don't want to be stuck in that kind of position again. I am going to be just as careful as you are going to be. No late night frolicking, new friends, or anywhere that's not my regular. I'll even drag you shopping with me when I go if you want."

Good. She was taking it seriously. Duo knew that he had been lucky, along with Wufei. However, Wufei's luck had backfired for the woman he took care of, so just assuming everything would be okay wouldn't work. As long as I stay next to her, they won't risk doing nothing. Not like they can blow up this colony without blowing me up. Then where's the satisfying revenge? Nah, they wouldn't.

They wanted to hurt him and make him suffer. Not just kill him off quick. He even went inside the junkyard door at the same time almost. They both thoroughly inspected the place. Everything was absolutely fine, but Duo wouldn't let down his guard. Like it or not, he'd be her shadow for as long as it took to nab RTL. Even if he had to spy on her secretly to do it. 

Not something he wanted to do to her. Spy. It wasn't right to spy, but at the same time, he doubted she would really allow him to shadow as much as she needed to be. Precaution was no four letter word. 

"I smell like one of those Earth pigs we always crossed on the farm when we went to work," she complained. "I like Earth, but not everything about it."

"Yeah, the colony smells are different," Duo agreed. "Earthlings kind of do have a . . ." Hmm. "Well, it's not like terrible."

"No, just different," Hilde said politely. "But, colonists smell a different kind of different. I missed my shampoo and soap." 

Yeah, subtle things, but Duo got it. "I get it, Hilde. Earthlings don't stink. Just you." He gave her a playful wink to let her know he was kidding.

"That's not, hey, I didn't." She was tongue-tied. "I'm taking a shower. I'll be out soon." She smelled her shirt. "I'm serious though, Duo, smell that."

Duo's nose got close to her blouse. "What did you do, hang out by a pier all day? In the water by a pier all day? Because I used to hang out on Earth piers and I never came close to that." It smelled like rotting fish. Duo had smelled it before, but the smell was worsening as time went by. He thought it was a combination of them or something. "Yeah, you go get cleaned first. You need it."

Duo sat down and waited. He turned on TV and got some snacks, ready to just relax for a bit before they got down to business. Fifteen minutes rolled by, so he went to go knock on the door. "Hilde, you okay?"

"I smell terrible still, I need longer!"

"Okay, okay. Don't have to bite my head off. Pardon me for being worried." He walked off and relaxed on the couch for another ten minutes. Twenty five minutes total now. He went back toward the door and knocked again. "It's not like a skunk. It's been 25 minutes. What's taking ya?"

"It's a stubborn smell. Give me more time."

Duo sighed. "I'll give ten minutes, Hilde, that's all you got left."

"I'm fine. Don't be so commanding."

Hm? Hm. Commanding? "You know the hot water doesn't always stay on for too long."

"Stop badgering me, I will come out when I am ready."

The place wasn't the best, and water wasn't always perfectly warmed up. Usually, it started to get cold in around the 30 minute mark, with nothing left at 35 minutes. I was giving up my shower time. That would never make her say commanding. 

Duo stepped back and knocked down their bathroom door. He heard a scream and saw a figure's shadow in the bathtub. Could be Hilde, if she really for some reason did forget such a simple concept about water? But, he'd find out now. "Why don't we take long showers, Schbeiker?"

The figure was still. "Uh? Water, of course."

"That's right!" Duo didn't care, he grabbed the shower curtain open. Like he'd ever say just her last name and have such a plain reaction. 

Duo knew it. He didn't want to know it. He'd rather get pummeled for miles by Hilde for that action, and he'd let her for doing such a despicable thing. Except? It wasn't her.

The lady there ripped the shower curtain off and covered herself. "The money. It was too good?" She shrugged. "Would you turn around?" 

No answer from Duo.

"How'd you know? Wasn't the answer right?"

No answer. Just. 

A pull of a gun aimed straight at her, with a click to unlock the safety. 

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In the back of an unmarked van.

Hilde risked opening her eye. They had been nice enough to give her towel back. Somehow, she doubted that meant she would be okay.

She had been pushed out of the van, being brought to a shuttle. She could not even last one hour with Duo before they managed to steal her. On complete alert even. Just one quick shower and-

"Hilde!"

Duo? Hilde watched as Duo knocked the women around her out. Something she would be glad to help with once she was free. "Duo!"

"One freaking shower, how could I be so stupid?" Duo criticised himself. "You okay, Hilde, you aren't hurt?"

No, but he was a little close for comfort in her towel. She was used to having a towel to and fro, not a big deal living with Duo, but this towel wasn't tightened by her, and she was restricted in handcuffs. 

Duo seemed to get the gist as he backed off slightly. She adjusted the towel a little better, checking the tightness. "Good. You're okay."

"How did you find me?" Hilde asked.

"Shady voice actor told me where you went."

Hilde watched him. His actions were jumpy. His eyes angled and alert like he was still in a mobile suit fighting. There was no way he would want to stay home now. "Now what, Duo?"

Duo didn't answer at first. "I uh. I don't. I thought I lost you, Hilde-Babe. I thought?" Suddenly, he didn't seem to care about her space with the towel as he hugged her. 

She didn't care much either. Duo lost so much in his life. Losing another would not be good for him."I am okay, Duo. I promise." He was still hugging her. "I won't risk a shower without checking for windows again."

"Screw that, Hild, I am standing right outside the bath now," Duo said. "We are spending 24 hours a day in the same rooms. You aren't leaving my line of sight."

Uh? "What about to just use the bathroom, Duo?"

"I'll use a bath curtain and stand in it. I don't care, RTL is not getting to you. If we didn't have such terrible water, I wouldn't be here right now. They even have fakes doing voice acting of you. We definitely have to get off this colony. The more they know where we are, the easier it will be to mess with us."

Duo scratched his head. "Really wanted to believe they would just try something small later on. Try their luck on some dental surgery or something. No such luck, they were ready to outright kidnap you. We can't come home yet, Hild. I don't know where to go, but not home."

"I get it, Duo." No junkyard yet. Still. They would need somewhere to go. 

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Right in front of him! Just get home, not even a day, and they have the guts to try and take her.

They thought they were that powerful. Heero's got it right, I have got to be more careful. Duo didn't care anymore about right or wrong to one's own self. He wouldn't lose Hilde.

He had to find out about his own family tree because he was climbing into it.

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Heero's hideaway

Heero checked his phone, recognizing that last number. Duo's throwaway. Considering he wasn't waiting to call from home, that couldn't be good. "What."

"I need to talk to my half brother," Duo said to him. "I jumped the gun on him when I saw a woman in his house tied up. I want a second meeting."

Hm. "Things not good at home?" First day even. "Your brother is not in a good mood. He lost that same woman you untied to the man I am hunting down."

"Yeah, I know. Just get me to him, Heero. I want to share all the support I can."

Uh huh. Heero wouldn't be there alone for long. From the lengths Duo seemed to be willing to help? Let's test it. "Your brother needs help retrieving his woman from an old ally of ours. He also needs help getting rid of a woman that is with our other former ally."

"He's my only family left. I'll do anything to help him out."

Yep, something bad happened. "You aren't being recorded, Duo. What happened?"

"They tried to nab Hilde from the shower, and replace her with a professional voice actor in there. I am lucky I got her back. You don't get how lucky."

The shower? Professional voice actor? They want them at all costs, even without being pregnant. He looked over at the other side of the room at Relena. She was looking at the view right now. 

Heero went back to the phone. Duo was ready to fully pursue RTL to all lengths too. "You know who to call up. I'll get in touch with your brother, but I'd be honest with him. Family is important. He'd probably help shelter his little nephew."

"Little nephew. Yeah, I getcha," Duo said before hanging up.

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Maguanacs Base

The safest place. Quatre went with Dorothy, Wufei, and Mei-Lin, but Rashid already gave him the news.

They were getting a lot of new visitors. As much protection as the Maguanacs may have offered, RTL was sniffing around.

Maguanacs information must have been found in whatever information RTL got a hold of. It wasn't safe anymore. 

It was already time for plan c. Quatre had been ready for it, along with his sisters and Rashid. It still didn't make it the best.

There was a reason it was plan c. Only to be implemented as a last resort.

Even as it was implemented, Quatre still felt shaky about it. He looked at the desk in front of him. "There must be something else, Rashid."

"Master Quatre. You were in charge of seeing this through yourself," Rashid insisted. 

"If only it could be a bomb shelter for a whole year." This was absurd. Plan c.

Quatre gritted his teeth. He could still feel how bad of an idea it had been. "All of my sisters know. My advisors, you, and anyone else that has any real power." Quatre sighed, a very long sigh. 

Before Heero turned off into enemy territory as his resolution, he had discussed a few options with Quatre at his mansion. Once Quatre realized that their might need to be a plan c., he talked to the person Heero had known.

He was no gentlemen. The man Quatre talked to was rude, vulgar, and came down hard on Heero and Quatre. He belittled the war and their problems. Spoke rudely of Relena and Dorothy.

Then offered Quatre what he needed for plan c. 

Still, it would been nice to have plan B. "It's because I came here during the war with Duo." They hid there when Oz was looking for them. Before he headed back up to space all those years ago. 

"They may be watching any and all actions you took," Rashid agreed. "I'm sorry, Master Quatre. I believe it's needed."

"Yeah, I know. It'll be safe." Quatre laid his head on his hands. "But. I just never . . . pictured having to do this." Heero didn't pick this way for a reason. "I feel. It feels wrong to put Miss Dorothy in such a position with me."

But this wasn't about being comfortable, it was about being smart, and after a disturbing call from Duo? He couldn't even let Dorothy take a bath without being watched, and any help he had on the outside was fading fast.

Heero was hunting him down for Dorothy. Duo warned him he would probably be doing the same thing after he connected with his half brother. Trowa was breaking all contact with him, even though they were both being hunted. He didn't want to risk Quatre's presence leading to him or vice versa, especially since he finally had Middie Une.

At least that was good news. Trowa had Middie Une.

The only one who was on his side was Wufei. There still needed to be some kind of communication. Heero, Duo, and Trowa were cutting off from him. If anything happened, he could tell Wufei. Wufei would be allowed to talk to them.

In exchange, Quatre was offering to help him too. But? "I don't know if Wufei would go for this." It was a lot to ask for.

Wufei needed a place on Earth and a way to look into RTL as well. If Quatre didn't secure him, it was a matter of time before Wufei would be cut off too. "How does he look?"

"He looks exactly like you," Rashid said. "Utmost precision was used. He even has a sound device to imitate your sound. It is secure."

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Amado fixed the annoying sleeve collar on his wrist. Who even wore those? With his funky dyed hair, he went to go test out the new look.

He approached Dorothy Catalonia. To him, he looked just like Quatre Winner. They were even about the same size. He'd try out the blonde's girl to see how far he could pull off the illusion. He gave her a simple smile as he approached her.

She had kept her eyes closed while she looked outside. Weird girl. She looked weird too. Defo not one of his. 

She opened her eyes, looking toward the side at him. "What do you wish of me?"

Hey, it was working so far, and what an opening line to work with. "Why don't we head away to order some food. I am starving."

"Why would I go to eat with you?" She asked. "You're no one of real meaning."

"Whoah." What a bitch. "After everything I've done for you, you dare to talk to me that way?"

"You've done nothing for me," Dorothy insisted. "I don't even know you. You are not Quatre Winner, that is obvious."

Really? "But I didn't even speak like I normally would, Honey, so how the hell would you know?"

"You!"

Oh, the real Quatre came around. "I was testing how good this appearance worked," Amado stated. "Pretty good to me. Fooled some of these Maguanacs too. Your knocked-up girl though, it didn't take."

"I believe the 'knocked-up girl' could tell you weren't Quatre Raberba Winner from the way you carried yourself. Your unbecoming stagger and that unimpressive smirk," Dorothy corrected him. "You can dress a snake in a fancy suit, but it will eventually slither on the ground."

Pfft. "Yeah and I can tell you haven't been called a bitch only once in your life."

"I beg your pardon!" The real Quatre interrupted. "That was quite unbecoming of you, you are no gentleman."

Ugh, this guy. "Fuck this, how are you really supposed to be me?" Sounded impossible. "I'll take the dough and pretend to be you at your colony to throw off the dog's scent after ya, but you aren't fooling anyone. Even in another neighborhood, you can't talk like that shit." Seeing one of his girls, Amado snapped his fingers. "After all, proper gentlemen don't have two babes hanging off their arms." His girl came over and eased herself right next to him.

Yeah. No way. Nice dough. Hella good dough that the girls were getting a piece of too, but this sad mess of a guy. He wouldn't even-

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"I apologize profusely," Quatre said toward Dorothy, bending down. He wasn't apologizing for knocking Amado out, but for everything else. "I know this isn't something someone like you are used to, nor should you have to bear with it. However, I want to not only hide you away from many people, I want to look into RTL too. I can't do it by keeping my head down in the sand."

"This louse has purpose," Dorothy said. "It must be a great purpose for someone like you to associate with Quatre."

It had been. "A man Heero trusted had connections for this setup. It was an option Heero considered. I will have to take this man's identity, as well as he took mine. We're not going to where people know him, but it's not the nicest of places. In normal circumstances, I would never take you where we have to go." He wanted to apologize again. "You'll hear a lot more of the dialogue you heard from him earlier." 

Neither he nor Dorothy were used to where they had to go. "To save trouble, Miss Dorothy?" He really wanted to add the 'miss' in now. "It is best if we agree that you are my pregnant girlfriend only when you start to show. Until then it's more of a loose . . . Situation."

"Charming." Of course she wasn't happy with that. "From his manner and your constant apology, I can guess my role. What about the others then. Wufei Chang and Mei-lin Wang? Will she have a similar role with him?"

"Well? Wufei plays my bodyguard. He'll change his appearance only slightly. Mei-Lin, I don't know yet." Amado often had two women on each side of him. Quatre didn't know what Wufei would think of that.

Becoming Amado wasn't fun. Amado may have cursed wildly and acted tough, but he had no real business in the life he was leading. In the mess he was in, he'd be lucky to survive another two years.

He was a sort of underling, living off the graces of his father who did have some skill before he passed away. That was how Heero's connection found him. People his father trusted had ensured a decent deal. Amado couldn't mess it up. If he did, he'd be killed. Hopefully pretending to be me will give him a chance to straighten out his life. Everyone deserves a chance. 

"The fuck hit me?!"

Then again, some just never can change. "You need to get up off the floor so we can talk," Quatre said to the awakened and cursing Amado.

"You knocked me out? You?" Amado said nervously. "Lucky shot. How would a guy like you even know how to fight?"

"Because he's a gundam pilot, or did you miss that detail?" Wufei came around the corner with Mei-Lin. He glanced toward her. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't choose this."

"I can handle it," Mei-lin said from his side. "I will do what I must. Just . . . find something on RTL so my . . ." She quit talking.

"So that the Zhang colony can receive justice," Wufei finished for her. "Wang Mei-Lin."

Quatre watched Wufei. There was something strange in that moment. A brief feeling. Wufei is trying to inspire her to be brave? No, she is naturally brave but her colony must have kept her down. He is encouraging her to be more true to herself.

"When one is a lady, it is even more important to let the world know your opinion," Dorothy said to her. "Not everyone hears you through the crowd."

"I promised that I would support the strong." Mei-Lin answered. "I will add my support by adhering to this duty."

"You are no Nataku," Wufei responded. "She would never stoop into this."

"I will grant aid where I must for you to grant the justice my colony deserves," Mei-Lin answered. "I never said the strong would choose how I would support them."

Oh. Wufei really didn't like that, but she was taking the route she thought was best to support Wufei. Wufei isn't fond of the weak. Yet, he doesn't hold the same kind of contempt for her, even though she calls herself 'not strong' . Maybe it was a difference in colonies. 

 Quatre looked back toward Dorothy. "We need to go change our looks now. When this is all over, we can all have our old looks back."

But for now?

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Quatre came out of the make over room. The outfit was leather, not him at all. He had to wear strange shaded sunglasses, some weird branded shirts and jeans, and he even had to get his ear pierced.

But then, he saw Miss Dorothy. In an outfit. That just.

Dorothy always tried to appear calm and in control. Quatre could tell she felt uncomfortable though. The dress she was put in showed a larger amount of skin than she liked.

She was trying to adjust the top section that showed the most cleavage. Her unique eyebrows were trimmed back. She had red lipstick on her with bold makeup. Her long platinum hair had at least been left alone.

She looked lost, and unlike last time, she didn't have shades to hide it. She didn't even need to say anything.

"Now that looks right on the mark," Amado said as he came over. "Right to a 'T', now you would fit in with my other girls. The other one too?" He whistled. "Yummy."

Dorothy tolerated him and surprisingly so did Mei-Lin as she came over. She couldn't have been used to the outfit either.

Still, her and Dorothy both went beside Quatre, each one taking an arm.

"See? Get them in the right clothes and a girl just knows where to go," Amado said. "Have fun on Earth and I'll enjoy your place in the colonies. Promise I won't mess up your name too bad."

Yeah, he couldn't afford to. He would still be watched by those who knew his real identity.

As Amado left, Wufei came by. He seemed to take in Mei-Lin's appearance for a bit. Wufei's own transformation wasn't much more than a haircut and different clothes. Yet, he clearly still felt some anger." Let's go already, Winner," Wufei insisted. "The longer we stay, the more we put this place in danger."

Quatre agreed. They gathered the new outfits and tips they would need to stay in character, and then left to their new destination.

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