I must admit it is not my normal style of writing, but I had the opportunity to travel to Japan and couldn't get these boys out of my head. So this was written during train rides etc., so forgive me if it does not flow or lacks details...
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A Game of Information
His eyes had been fixated on the view of space for so long that they no longer registered the colony in the distance or the satellite slowly in orbit. He sat behind a small table beside a window, his unfocused gaze a reflection of his thoughts. It was a rarity for his mind to be free. No strategies, blueprints, guilt, or memories fighting for attention in his overcrowded head. He did not dare interrupt the welcomed emptiness. His fingers blindly grabbed a bottle of Jameson and rubbed its smooth neck while his other hand held a thin small glass. The spacesuit he had been too tired to struggle free from began to press tightly against each muscle, and he tugged at the constriction around his neck. His hand stilled as he sensed someone approaching, and regretfully set aside his empty thoughts. Their reflection in the window, a face hovering within the dim stars, confirmed what he had felt.
Heero paused before approaching Duo, noting the crease in his brow and his uncertain hand fumbling across a full bottle of whiskey, while the other fidgeted with his unforgiving spacesuit. He wondered why he hadn't changed yet, they returned from their mission nearly an hour ago. Silently waiting for acknowledgment, Heero leaned against the door frame, not wanting to interrupt the other pilot. He watched as Duo's hand abandoned the bottle and raised it, waving at their reflections. Heero pressed off of the door frame and approached, stopping beside the table where two empty chairs guarded Duo and prevented him from stepping any closer.
Duo continued to look out the window and sighed as Heero silently stood beside him. "Care to take a seat?" He quietly asked. When Heero failed to move, Duo gently pushed one of the wooden chairs with the heel of his foot, making the decision easier for his awkward comrade. Heero accepted the offer by grabbing the back of the chair and lowering himself into it.
"You drink?" Duo's hand found its place back on the bottle while he asked. He patiently waited for a response, knowing the other had the talent of thinking before speaking, unlike himself, who often embraced his words and thoughts simultaneously.
"Not often."
Duo's eyebrows raised slightly at the opening. He accepted it by pouring a shot, and for the first time looked away from the window. "Is now one of those rare occasions?" He ventured with a straight face as his eyes focused on Heero.
"No, it would not be wise." Heero responded after a moment passed.
Duo's finger traced the rim of the glass and for once he chose his words carefully. "Gundams are in maintenance. We don't have a mission until tomorrow." He slid the glass in front of Heero, the whiskey gently rocking close to the rim before settling. Heero eyed the glass, but his hand did not move to accept it.
Calculating his next move, Duo looked Heero in the eyes. "Information." He emphasized the word to grab his attention, knowing he would begin to analyze the word's importance. "I will share information with you," he briefly paused, "if it is new intel, you drink." He watched as Heero's lips tightened, and knew it meant he was considering the offer. He continued before allowing Heero time to dissect the situation.
"There's a lag in Deathscythe's right arm when I switch from my scythe."
Silence. The two rigidly sat, their eyes examining the simple drink that presented uncertainty. The silence continued until Heero's steady hand slowly reached for the glass and slid it towards Duo. Duo grinned, the game had begun. He raised the glass and allowed the smooth liquid to travel down his throat. He sighed, displaying the pleasure he found from it, and as the empty glass lightly met the table he felt the rich liquor awakening inside of him. "Figured you would have noticed that." Grabbing the bottle he filled the glass and left it waiting in front of him.
Heero stared at Duo and the newly filled shot and a minute passed before he spoke. "Cargo is shipped to Oz's even numbered bases every prime numbered month."
Duo's eyebrows arched and he shook his head in consideration. He accepted the news by taking hold of the glass. Of course Heero would notice such a pattern. His attention to detail was astounding. Finishing the shot, he began to calculate. He was two in and Heero none. He had successfully lured Heero in, but now it was time for the other pilot to drink. "Treize's Universal account number is 00891464xc."
Heero, with only a faint hesitation, leaned across the table and slid the glass towards Duo.
"And-" Duo let the word hang alone for a moment before continuing, "he has a separate account under the name Donald Kepler with 1Earth Banking."
Heero seemed to be pondering the information shared and Duo felt his stomach tighten, anticipating a third shot. When Heero remained motionless, Duo reached for the glass in defeat. He really thought he had him with that information. He had built a new program and spent a few hours rerouting to discover it. Just before he touched the glass Heero silently took hold of it. Duo watched in surprise as his head tilted back and he expertly drained the contents of the glass. He proceeded to surprise him by grabbing the bottle and pouring a new shot.
"Zechs cheated on his entrance exams to Victoria Academy." Heero flatly announced.
"Really?" Duo asked even though he fully believed any intelligence Heero had obtained. He raised the glass, mulling over the news, but paused as it reached his lips and watched Trowa enter the small lounge area.
Trowa looked at the two pilots who sat alone amongst empty tables. His eyes trailed down from the glass in Duo's hand to the bottle between them. With a smooth even stride, he approached the pair and gracefully slipped into the empty chair across from them.
Duo shrugged as the slender pilot silently joined them and tilted the glass back. His lips eagerly parted and he slowly drank, clearly savoring it.
When the empty glass returned to the table, both Duo and Heero raised their eyebrows as Trowa confiscated it and the bottle. Duo was about to protest, but then the pilot known for his silence spoke.
"What are we playing?" Trowa softly asked as he poured.
"Information." Duo's tongued rolled in his mouth as Heero surprised him, answering Trowa's question. The quiet night was slowly taking a turn, Duo leaned back in his chair, welcoming the altered course.
"I see." Trowa's long fingers took hold of the fresh shot. Without any further explanation he turned to face Heero. "Une assassinated General Septum." Heero took a moment to digest the information. Duo wondered if Heero's native tongue was one factor for his thoughtful consideration when anyone spoke, his mind racing to translate the words and then considering them before responding. He soon gave Trowa a slight nod, gesturing for him to take the shot. Duo held back the smirk tugging his cheeks. Trowa purposefully offered common knowledge, thus avoiding any handicaps to his late start in the game. Trowa graciously accepted the shot and then filled the glass and placed it in front of Duo.
Duo cleared his throat as he weighed his intel, organizing the files in his mind and shifting the more significant ones to the back, assuring a few aces up his sleeves. When he looked up at Trowa's expecting face he decided the other still needed to catch up, after all, he was three shots in. "Noin's brother was the first president of the Mars Federation, and she was not born in the Mediterranean. She was actually born in space." Duo triumphantly looked at Trowa.
Trowa smiled and took the glass back, accepting the shot with the newly gained knowledge. Heero crossed his arms in reflection and was about to ask Duo how he knew that, but stopped. That was not part of the game. Instead he examined Duo, who was awaiting his turn. He was impressed with his intel skills and mentally noted the other pilot's ability and was about to speak before a snort of disapproval sounded when Wufei entered the room.
Three pairs of eyes raised to meet his, Trowa looking over his shoulder. Wufei stood still as he quietly judged the others. Heero was the first to break his gaze as he lifted the bottle. After pouring, he passed the glass to Duo. His voice slipped through the silence and gently eased its way to Wufei's ears.
"Did you know Wufei," Heero paused a slight moment, assuring the others attention, "that Sally Po was assigned to decommission colony A0206 and was reassigned after disobeying General Septem's orders to gas the colonists?" He stared at Wufei, who remained still beside the doorway.
His eyes narrowed as he computed what Heero stated, trying to figure out why he had done so. "No." Wufei placed a hand on his hip, uncertain of the situation before him. He watched as Duo raised a glass.
"Then you drink as payment for Heero's most enlightening tidbit." Duo continued to hold the glass while staring at the Chinese pilot, waiting.
Wufei had not known the price for the information, and nor did he ask Heero to share anything with him. He breathed heavily through his nostrils. It was intriguing information though, and he would wager that more could be learned. He liked to act with precision and commitment, and he decided to approach the unfamiliar situation in the same manner. Crossing the room, he took hold of a chair and placed it at the table. Three pairs of eyes watched as he lowered himself and then took the shot Duo was holding. He swallowed the drink and was pleased it was not too vile. Holding the empty glass, he looked to the others.
"Who is next?"
"Duo." Trowa stated, his eyes shifting to the other beside him.
"Already?" Tugging on the tight collar around his neck, Duo watched as Wufei poured.
"Master O believed and supported the true Operation Meteor." It had caused a rift between him and the creator of Shenlong. While the other scientists opposed the mission, Master O had believed in it. Wufei placed the shot on the table and crossed his arms in front of his chest, challenging Duo.
"I think we're going to need another bottle." Duo mumbled as he took the shot of whiskey. He had found the bottle collecting dust behind the vent in his room. He ignored his own question of who and why the owner never came to claim the hidden treasure, knowing the probable answer wasn't a pleasant one.
"There you guys are. The mechanics asked-" Quatre stopped as his eyes examined the table, growing wide at the sight.
Duo flashed him a happy smile. "I was hoping you would join us. But I'm afraid you might not be able to."
Quatre closed his mouth, opened slightly in shock, and approached the table. "Do what? And why not?" He didn't hide his offense, not afraid to show his emotions to the others.
"Well, we are enjoying whiskey, and I think that might be too strong for you to start with." Duo apologetically spoke.
Trowa quickly turned, hiding his smirk from Quatre's sight. He was impressed with Duo's effortless manipulation and decided never to play cards with the pilot who always managed to be a step ahead.
"I've drank before Duo." To prove his point Quatre grabbed a chair and squeezed it between Wufei and Heero. "I regularly take wine with my meals." He proudly stated.
Heero was the one to grin now, enjoying the others innocence.
"I'm sorry Quatre." Duo began to pour. "Here." He passed the glass to him. "We are sharing intel."
"You're what?" He looked at the others, but only blank stares returned his questioning eyes.
"If I tell you something you don't already know, down it goes."
Quatre's eyebrows furrowed in, not sure if he understood why they were doing this, but Duo's words continued to flow smoothly.
"Did ya know Quat," he paused so a smile could break through, "that I shot Heero? Twice."
...
Trowa smiled as Quatre began to giggle following his fourth shot. He had never described a man's laugh as a giggle before, but the word suited the cheery musical notes escaping from Quatre. The others had a few extra rounds of shots in them, but with Quatre's low tolerance, they were all equally buzzed. Trowa observed that Wufei's constant scowl had cautiously turned into a smirk, and Heero's muscles, that were always held at attention, now melted to an at ease position. He also noted that Duo seemed to be closing his eyes often. He had beautiful eyes. The thought stumbled across Trowa's mind as he looked at Duo and wondered why he hadn't noticed it before. Trowa shifted his elbow, which was conveniently being used to help his hand support his head. He smirked at the free knowledge each was gaining through observation, and knew he was not alone in noting the others drunken body language.
"Trowa, it's your turn to ask." Quatre's voice rose with amusement, for the first time he had seen the teenager daydreaming.
"Who am I asking?" Trowa raised his head, surprised at himself for not being able to remember the order.
A wide smile graced Quatre's face as he pointed to Duo, who sat with his eyes closed and leaning far back in his chair so that it balanced on its two back legs.
"Is he even awake?" Wufei sighed.
Wufei's question caused Heero to look at the comfortable pilot beside him. He was not asleep. He was awake and well aware of his surroundings. To prove this Heero grabbed the empty glass and quickly slid it across the table towards Duo. The legs of the chair slammed down as Duo reached out for the glass and stopped it from dropping off the table's ledge. Heero smirked.
"Duo, Trowa's turn to share info with you." Quatre said as he passed the nearly empty bottle to him.
"Fine, but this time I bet I will already know it." Duo said with a wink and placed the full shot in front of himself. Trowa lowered his arm and lifted his head at the challenge.
"Heero-" he paused to smile at him before looking back to Duo, "talks in his sleep." All mouths dropped open, including Heero's, at the news. "Sorry Heero, but it's true. Rare, but it did happen while you were recuperating at the circus after detonating." He did not hide his smile as Heero frowned in thought.
"Well I will drink to that!" Duo elaborately raised the glass before pounding it back.
"Oh I've got one!" Quatre looked to Heero. "Duo is allergic to flowers!" He proudly announced and smiled as Duo's nose crinkled.
"I am not." Duo eyed Quatre suspiciously.
"Sure you are. When we were staying with the Maguanacs and the townspeople gave us flowers, you couldn't stop sneezing." Quatre reached for the bottle and then passed a filled glass to Heero. Heero took it but waited for Duo to confirm the information.
Duo frowned in thought and then slowly began to smile. "Hey guys, I'm allergic to flowers!"
Shaking his head, Heero took the shot. "I think it is your turn Wufei." He said as he finished and handed the glass to him.
Wufei grew thoughtful as he looked at the empty glass. It seemed the others had learned some interesting facts about their fellow comrades. He had chosen to fight alone up until this point. Frowning, he realized he did not have intel in this category.
"I am a widower." So he would share something about himself. Silently he filled the glass and ignored Quatre's opened mouth, Trowa's raised eyebrows, Heero's frown, and Duo's thoughtful stare. Instead he passed the glass to Trowa, who accepted the shot with sincerity. No one spoke as Trowa finished, their hazy minds carefully placing Wufei's personal sorrow somewhere safe.
Breaking the silence, Duo unceremoniously reached for the bottle and looked to Heero, it was his turn to share. He poured the glass, and placed the now empty bottle down. With a smile he held onto the shot while he spoke to Heero. "I do not like to drink alone." He informed him.
Heero returned his smile and folded his hands on top of the table. With an all-knowing nod, he gestured for Duo to take the shot.
Duo raised the glass above his head and took the time to nod at each of them. The unspoken thank you was not just for the intel they had shared. Duo graced them with a grin before he tilted the glass back, accepting the night's final shot.
End.
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If you liked it, drop me a line. If not, well...gomenasai.
Some information the pilots shared was clearly made up, but some was found at: Gundam Wikia
*The novel (Frozen Teardrop) also reveals that Lucrezia Noin is actually the daughter of the President of the Noinheim Konzern, and is the younger sister of the (late) first President of the Mars Federation, Dix-Neuf Noinheim.
In Silent Interlude Part I, the Preventer 5 chapter of Frozen Teardrop, it is implied that Noin is actually born in space (and not in the Mediterranean as largely believed) and have ran away to Earth because of her father.
*Sally was a soldier of the United Earth Sphere Alliance, assigned to colony A0206, where she unsuccessfully tried to convince General Septum not to use poison gas to 'cleanse' the colony. When the mobile suit force was wiped out, Sally pulled back and was sent to work in an Alliance hospital in Japan.
* Unlike the other Gundam engineers, he (Master O) wanted his young ward to follow Operation Meteor, disregarding his wife's death; this led to a rift between Wufei and Master O. Nonetheless, Wufei refused to go through with the plan, because his home colony was intended for the drop.
* As evidenced in Episode Zero, when he (Wufei) was younger he was calmer and much more cerebral, but his unwillingness to fight resulted in the death of his wife Meilan, a strong girl who took the responsibility of protecting the colony (and the newly-built Shenlong Gundam) onto herself and was killed in battle. Wufei then chose to carry out her path of justice in honor of her sacrifice.