Also, this is part 1 of several. Look for more soon.
Additional note: I know a lot about computers, but only enough about hacking to know I don't know nearly enough to ever even think about trying. None of the story gets very technical though, and since OZ's bases seem to be pretty much completely computer controllable (like in that one episode, where they shut off the air to the prison cells from the main control room), I think the stuff done is certainly doable.
Now go, read, enjoy!
Love Before Duty
Part 1 – The Friend
Another week, another school, and soon…another mission. Life continued as normal. Or as normal as it gets for a fifteen-year-old god of death, Duo thought to himself as he took his seat next to the girl that was supposed to show him around. The times like this, the ones between missions and battles and war, always felt strange. Surreal really. Sometimes he felt like he would explode, sitting in a classroom taking notes and listening to lectures, when he knew that outside there was a war going on, and people were dying for causes they thought they believed in. What good is all this knowledge, what good is this teaching, he wanted to stand up and shout. If it were any good, then people wouldn't die. Men wouldn't kill one another and be proud at what they had done. But he would sit, and listen. And then he would go out, and he would fight and kill, and be proud. And he knew it.
He glanced over at his guide. She was about his height, which was good. Being small had its advantages, but tall women were always rather intimidating, though he never let it show. And at his height, there were a lot of tall women. A small pair of glasses was perched on the end of her nose, looking as though it was about to fall off. She seemed enthralled by something on her laptop computer. She was kinda cute. Well, time to make introductions, Duo thought.
"Hey, there! How ya doing? My name's Duo. Whatcha looking at?" Dark thoughts forgotten, Duo was again his usual cheerful self.
"Oh," the girl looked up, startled. "Hi. I'm Elizabeth. You're one of the new students here?" she asked, pushing her glasses back up and closing her laptop.
"Yup. That's me."
"Well, since we have all the same classes, they asked me to show you around. I guess after class I can give you the grand tour." She sighed. "It's not much really. I think they mostly do this so you have a friend to start off with." Elizabeth looked away, and her voice dropped. "But I don't think you'll have much trouble finding friends."
Duo looked up. A short distance away a group of girls were looking at him and giggling to each other. When they saw him look in their direction they all blushed and pretended to be looking at something else.
"Hmm… So, whatcha got on that computer?"
"Oh…nothing really. Just a little project of mine. It's not important. So why'd you change schools in the middle of the year?" Elizabeth changed the subject.
"Just trying to get away from the war," Duo lied. Well, that's almost true, he thought, I'm getting away from where the war was so I can be where the war is going to be. Lying was always easy.
"Oh. You know, it's so weird. I'm mean, I know there's a war on, but it seems so far away. We're just sitting here like everything is normal. But people are dying. I mean, really dying. Dead. I don't know. It just seems so unreal."
"I feel the same way." She's so innocent. What would she think if she knew a killer was standing right in front of her? Duo mentally shook his head. Aw, what do I care what she thinks. Only the other guys would understand it. Only they could understand me. Suddenly Duo wished he were with Heero. He needed the feel of those strong arms wrapped around him. But their schedules were different. He wouldn't see Heero until the end of the day. Not my fault I can't do those fancy mathematics, Duo huffed to himself. Not that it mattered anyway. Things had been tense between him and Heero lately.
* * *
Elizabeth tried to relax as class started. She knew why the teachers had assigned her to be Duo's guide. It wasn't to give him a friend. It's not like I don't have any friends. I have a few; they're just not very close. She didn't think Duo would be any different. Besides, I have my little project to distract me. He almost found out. I'll have to be more careful. While hacking into the military's computers was a fun and educational pastime, it was a fast way to get you killed, or worse, during a war. It wasn't smart in peacetime either, but in wartime it was downright stupid. If anyone ever found out… She didn't know where Duo's loyalties lay, but it didn't matter. She couldn't risk him turning her in to OZ. If no one found out about it she was safe. She was careful, and most importantly, she was good. They never knew she was there.
Finally it was lunchtime. Elizabeth showed Duo to the cafeteria. They got their lunches and sat down. "Ah," Duo said as he sat, "my favorite time of day. Lunchtime." The look on his face as he started to wolf down his food was so joyous that Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle. "What're you laughing at?" Duo asked with his mouth full. "Did I dribble on my shirt or something?" He started looking around for fallen food.
"No, no. I've just never seen anyone that excited about food before."
"Well, I've got to keep up my strength. You know, growing boy and all that bullshit." He suddenly glanced at something across the room. "Hey, there's Heero."
"Who?"
"Heero! Hey, Heero, buddy! Come sit over here," Duo called out him.
A skinny boy with messy brown hair brought his tray over and sat across from them. He looked at her, and her breath caught in her throat. His cold, calculating gaze looked her over as if he were trying to decide if she was worth his time. Finally he turned his attention to Duo, and she could breathe again.
"Elizabeth, this is my friend Heero. Heero, Elizabeth. She's my guide. Heero, where's your guide? Didn't they give you one?"
"I told him not to bother."
"Oh, okay."
Duo continued to chatter on about all sorts of topics, somehow managing to stuff his face at the same time. Heero listened silently. Elizabeth began to revise her initial opinion of Heero. It's not that his eyes are cold. Not at all. Its almost as if there's a fire burning inside of him and when measured against that fire everything else becomes insignificant. Even people. No, especially people. Hmm. She wondered how he and Duo had become friends. He didn't seem the type to make friends at all.
Oh no. Here we go. Elizabeth saw a group of girls making their way toward the table. In the lead was the most popular girl in the school. She walked with a purpose in their direction with the girls trailing behind her in a giggling clump. A gaggle of giggling, giddy girls. I should use that in my rhetoric class. She could make out some of the whispers being exchanged between them, "…new guys…long-haired one's cute…like the other…so intense…"
The lead girl stopped beside the table. "Hello there…Lizzie. Why don't you introduce us to our new students?'
"Yeah, stop hogging them, Elizabeth," one of the other girls said.
Elizabeth forced herself to smile. "Jennie, this is Duo, and this is Heero," she said, indicating each one in turn. "Heero, Duo, this is Jennifer DuBois, and her friends. And I'm not hogging them. I'm Duo's guide."
"Well, there's no need to be rude about it, Lizzie. We merely wished to welcome our new friends to our school. There's nothing wrong with that."
"Hello everyone! Thanks for the welcome," Duo broke into the conversation.
"Thank you Duo. You are quite the gentleman." Jennie turned to Heero. "And you Heero. How do you like our school so far?"
Heero barely glanced at her before turning back to his lunch and replying, "It's fine."
"Heero's kind of quiet. Don't mind him." Duo started talking with the girls. Elizabeth picked at her lunch in silence. Heero did the same. The girls were all flirting shamelessly with Duo. They're so obvious. Why can't they just leave? Is lunch over yet? Jennie presided over it all like a queen surveying her territory.
Finally Jennie said, "Well, lunch is almost over so we had better go. If you'd like, the two of you are welcome to sit at our table tomorrow. See you later." Jennie strode off, her entourage trailing in her wake.
Elizabeth sighed with relief. Duo turned to her. "Your nickname isn't really Lizzie, is it?"
"No, she only does that to antagonize me. Friends call me Liz."
"I take it you two don't get along very well, huh."
"That's the understatement of the year.
"How come? What happened?"
"Nothing happened. Look, she's pretty and popular. I'm not that pretty, I have almost no friends here, and I take almost all advanced classes. I don't spend an hour every morning doing my hair and make-up. I don't even wear make-up. I refuse to follow her around like a puppy, sucking up to her and making her feel powerful just for the privilege and prestige of being friends with her. I have better things to do with my time."
Duo looked surprised, and then shrugged his shoulders, "Well, I don't blame you. Personally, she struck me as a bit of bitch anyway."
Duo strode into the room he was sharing with Heero. Finally, classes were over. Duo was in a good mood. "Hey, lover," he said to Heero as he dropped his books on his bed. Heero turned around from the laptop he was always playing with and gave Duo an icy glare. Duo inwardly cringed. That was the look that usually preceded people getting killed. "I'm sorry. Geez. Relax, okay?" Heero turned back to his computer, still not saying a word. Duo sat down on his bed and sighed. So much for his good mood. Why had things been like this lately? All he and Heero ever did any more was argue. Well, Duo argued, Heero just stayed silent and held his ground, only occasionally interjecting a few caustic remarks. They hadn't made love in over two weeks. I wish Quatre were around. He's good at this relationship stuff.
Maybe that's why he'd starting spending more time with that girl he'd met his first day here. Elizabeth. He hadn't really made any friends here. He never did. I've always had Heero. He was enough. Besides, he knew that he would be moving to another school, and another, never staying at one long enough to make friends worthwhile. By the time you got close, it'd be over. But Elizabeth was different from the other kids at this school. She actually seemed to take the war seriously. He hoped that when he brought the war here, she'd survive. All the other girls did nothing but flirt with him. Of course, he flirted back, but he didn't really want to be friends with any of them. They're all too…what's the word…um…vapid. Of course, Elizabeth didn't flirt with him. She treated him like a person, and not some cute conquest. Oh, shut up brain! I love Heero. And he loves me. I think. I hope. Well…he used to. There is no, absolutely no, reason to be attracted to some girl you've only known for a couple of weeks. Anyway, you probably won't even be at this school for a whole month. You'll leave for a mission, whenever it comes, and never see her again.
But then, things between him and Heero were falling apart. No. I refuse to give up on this. I refuse to give up on him. Duo sighed again. I need some rest. He decided to take a nap.