Duo is quite a sight! His long braid stuffed under a chief's hat and an apron that says, "Kiss the Cook" covers his priest outfit. He is singing some song under his breath while he stirs cake batter in a big green bowl. He has flower everywhere; on the floor, counters, the table, chairs, on him and on the ceiling! But the funny this is, he is using a cake mix and there is no need for him to take out the flower. Yes, he is a sight, and so is the once clean kitchen; quite a sight that it makes Amber, his new roommate, drop her bags and place her hands on her hips.
"Duo Maxwell! What have you done to our kitchen?" She tries to sound angry but Duo is just too cute to stay mad at. He stops and turns around to say hello when he suddenly knocks over the eggs. Crack! Smash, Roll. The two look at the one egg that some how managed to survive the fall. It rolls over to the side door that leads to the garage. Amber sighs and walks over to pick up the egg.
"Hey Amber! How was you day?" He says has he watches her bend over to pick up the egg. He quickly turns around and blushes as his mind screams:
("Dame you Duo! Stop it. You remember what happened last time!!") Ah, last time. The last time he had a girl for a roommate. She was the cutest thing he had ever seen. She was thin, had short black hair and eyes and a smile that would make him...no, that still makes him weak in the knees just thinking about her. He really did love her but he was just too dumb to admit it to her. He took her for granted; he believed she would always be there when he came home. When she left his whole world came apart; he never knew how important she was to him when she walked out the door. He realized that what made him go on, what made him keep fighting when everyone else turned on him was because of her. ("Everything for her.") But no, she didn't know that, because he would always say:
"For the colonies! I will gladly become the God of Death!!" and never say:
"For Hilde, I will gladly become the God of Death!!"
Which is what his heart meant to say but his mind wouldn't let him. Now he wishes he did, then maybe she would not of left him.
Amber kneels down to pick up the one lucky egg that has rolled its self into a corner between an old cadenza, that is used to hold the kitchens pots and pans, and the wall. Upon reaching down Amber caught sight of an envelope stuck behind the cadenza. She picks it up and studies it. There is no address or return address but the word, written in what looks like female handwriting, Duo. She opens the letter and looks behind her shoulder to see if Duo is looking at her. ("Good he's not") She pulled out the letter and reads what it says:
I am sorry for this short notice but I have been called back to my homeland, Germany. I received a letter asking I come alone. I did not want to tell you in person for I know you would tie me to a chair and never let me leave. I'm sorry but for your safety I can only tell you this much. The letter I received told me that a group of children who are like me, brought up in the Bisk military camp, have found the ones who took our lives away. I know what you are saying, this could be a trap to get us all back but I don't care. They took every thing from me and if I have a chance to make them pay I will. I am sure I will not be able to write to you or talk to you anytime soon. So please, don't come after me, this is something I must do. I will come back as you have when you left me so many times. I hope to see you soon. Keep safe.
Yours forever,
Hilde
("Hmmmm. Dated two year ago. Man Duo, do ever clean?") Amber grips the letter and stands up strait. She lets her mind wonder but not too far, because Duo is talking to her.
"What? I'm sorry! I did not hear what you said." She smiles at him as she turns to face him. She puts the letter in her pocket and makes a mental note to burn it later.
("Sorry, Hilde. But this guy is mine!")
"I was just asking what you are doing? How long does it take to pick up one egg?" He smiles at the redhead girl. She smiles back and looks down at the egg.
"Why should we pick things up when we can…" Smash. She slams her foot on the egg letting it ooze out from under her foot. "Crush them and start over? I will pick up some eggs tomorrow." She passes Duo and gives him a kiss on the cheek as she leaves the room. Duo looks at the egg thinking about her second meaning to what she said and did.
("She has a point. I guess I should move on. Hilde is never coming back.") He lets out a sad sigh and continues to make his cake, this time without his happy smile or silly song.
"You don't have the skills to be my enemy…"
Smack! Hilde hits the Gundam pilot so hard that blood comes from his lips. Hilde did not hit him just because of what he said but because he ruined her plans. Everything was working to plan, she would be moved to the moon base and then she would have complete access to the base. She laughed out loud thinking of Oz's face when they see that their "prized" solider destroying their moon base. The pilot known as Duo, looked at her and wondered why she was laughing.
"Man lady you're crazy."
"Why do you say that?"
"You hit he and you laugh?"
"You killed maybe more than me in my life time and I bet you laughed as well. Huh, Maxwell?" She smiled at him as he hanged his head down.
"So I'm right." Then it hit her. Why should she risk her life when she could get him to do her dirty work. That way she could do more damage and never get caught. She moved in closer and looked at him.
"Now I am leaving, so don't do anything stupid. OK?" He just smiled at her as she left the room.
End of Flash Back
Hilde sighs as she gets off the bus and stands on the street her house is on. Hilde is taken over with fear as her mind races with "what if" and "maybes".
("Two years it has been, two long years. Wonder if he is still there.") She walks down the dimly lighted street until she comes to the end of the wall that surrounds her and Duo's house. She takes in a breath and turns the corner entering her front yard. Hilde smiles as she sees Duo in the window with a chief's hat and apron on. She can tell he is singing a song and she lets out a sigh of relief that he didn't move out. Hilde stands there looking at him and thinking about how much she loves him. Everyday when she was gone she thought of him, even dreamt of him; but they where only friends, ("well not for long") she thinks to herself. Hilde straitens up and moves forward, her mindset on telling him how much she loves him for time is short and she may never get a second chance. She smiles at her words and hopes he will say the same. However, her world comes to a sudden stop when a redhead girl came to Duo and kissed him. Hilde wants to go in there and beat the crap out of her and she is going too when she stops herself. ("No, he has every right to go out with someone. Remember, you are just friends. ") She put emphasis on the word "friends" to make a point. She had no right to beat that ("Bitch! No, no. Hilde calm down!"). No right to beat that "Lucky girl" up. Hilde says the words through grinded teeth. She could not go home now; it would be too weird, so she turns and leaves. Upon leaving, Hilde doesn't look back, but if she did she would of seen that Duo is not happy about that little kiss. No, she did not see the sadness in his eyes because her own vision is blurred with her tears. As she turns the corner she sees a sign on a lamp poll; a sign for the circus, the circus Trowa belongs to. She smiles and takes the sign down. "It's not to late, I think I can still make the show." Hoping the circus would cheer her up she puts on her fake smile and heads for the circus, leaving everything behind.
"Man you guys! You have to meet her!" said Duo as he jumped down from his Gundam. He stands by with his hands on his hips as the other pilots descend down. Quatre and Trowa take their time to look around them. Duo had insisted they fallow him for repairs. They had no idea he would lead them to his colony. The room that surrounds them is a large cargo space that was renovated and turned into what is known as StarGate Incorporation.
"I thought StarGate closed down when the war started." Said Trowa as he moves towards Duo.
"Yah, they did. But my girl, who is the real owner, started it up just for us!" Said Duo proudly as he leads them to "his girl".
"Why would she do that? I thought StarGate was a security system for the colonies?"
StarGate is in charge of making security software for the colonies but sometimes they come out with new benefiting inventions. That is why Oz was looking at them, for use of their technologies. But once word got out about Gundams' destroying anything Oz related, StarGate shut down.
The moment the young pilots were clear from their Gundams, workers went right to work repairing anything that need repair.
"Wow, they're efficient." Said Quatre as he looks behind him at the workers.
"You bet they are. I come in and in less than an hour and a half I am ready to go! It's great."
"And what does your friend get?" Said Trowa.
"Nothing. She doesn't want anything but for us to end this war so she can go back to earth." When Duo said "back to earth" he said it softly almost like he does not want to believe his own words.
"That's very nice of her." Said Quatre.
"Yeah, she's something else."
("Yeah, she is something else.") Says Trowa as he looks upon Hilde who is petting the lion. She has been here for an hour just petting the big cat and saying how cute it is in her native language. Trowa is leaning up against some boxes with his arms crossed looking at her. He is wondering why she is here and not at home with Duo. Better yet, where has she been for the past two years? Then Trowa's mind remembers something, a redhead that is currently dating Duo. He looks at Hilde closer and sees that she has a certain sadness to her face.
("Maybe she did go home first.") He walks over to her and clears his throat.
"Hilde. Where have you been?"
"Duo didn't tell you?" she says without looking up.
"No."
Hilde sighs and stands up, brushing away the dirt and hay from her knees, she turns to face Trowa. He blushes a bit as he looks into her blue eyes. She is something different. Not like most girls at all. She is still thin but now taller than before. She can come up to his shoulders now. Her hair is now strait and is as long as Duo's. She is wearing a black skirt that is tight on her hips and loose at her knees, giving it a watery flow to it when she moves. She has on a black tank top made out of the same material as the skirt and on top of her tank top is a light jacket also made of the same material as the skirt, this jacket does not button but ties down and it hugs her curves nicely. Trowa had always wondered what Duo saw in her; know he knows; ("She's beautiful.") Trowa shakes his head and erased that thought from his mind, he did not want to upset someone who had the nickname "God of Death". Yes, Duo would kick his ass and anyone else who would think what he was thinking. Even if Duo is going out with Amber, he still misses Hilde. Trowa would find Duo using the computers at the Preventers' HQ when he arrived in the morning and when Trowa left to go home, he would find Duo still using the computers desperately trying to find her. It took a gun at his head to make him quit. Hero had had enough of Duo going around the place like a some love sick baka and told him that if he did not go home and get some sleep he (Hero) would kill him. Trowa smiled at that thought but soon his mind returned to Hilde when she says:
"Earth to Trowa! Hello?"
"What?"
"Seeing that Duo did not tell you where I have been, let me fill you in."
Duo is sitting in the TV room watching the game. He is interested in the game until he hears the water running.
("Hmm, Amber must be taking a shower.") A silly grin come on his face as he gets up from his spot. He creeps his way into his room where the only bathroom with a shower lays. He steps over Amber's clothes and is starting to take off his shirt when he sees Amber's paints. There is a note in one of the pockets that has his name on it. He reaches down and pulls it out. ("What's this?") He looks at the letter and then he smiles thinking it is a mushy letter from Amber. He opens it up and starts to read. Soon a new face takes over Duo, a dark and sinister one. He grips hard on the paper and closes his eyes shut. A single tear falls down his cheek and Duo almost growls Amber's name. His breath is short and fast as he is trying to put his emotions in check...Ok, there in check...With anger and rage being the ones in control now, Duo walks out of the bed room at waits for Amber to get done.
"So you where in Germany? Why?"
"Do you now what a Hessian is Trowa? Well if you don't then take a good look at me! Cause you're looking at one!" Her voice is pained with hate and sorrow. She extends her arms so he can get a good look at her.
"I am a solider for hire! My family was killed and I was sent to a place called the Bisk Military Camp where they beat me daily until they broke me and once I was broken they trained me and many other like me to hunt, fight and kill with out bare HANDS!!" She puts her hands in Trowa's face as if he where to see them covered in blood. She draws back from him holding her hands to her collarbone. She looks down at the ground and is quite for sometime. Trowa moves closer but she turns quickly toward him letting her beautiful black hair whirl around her like a silk scarf. Trowa steps back by her sudden move. Hilde has tears in her eyes yet none fall.
"Look I can't even cry! They beat that out of me! I have nothing, THEY took everything. When I was six I made my first kill! He was a guard who was trying to rape me! Trowa I was SIX!!" Hilde grabs his shirt and shakes him. He wraps his arms around her as she takes her breath. She sighs in is chest and continues in a calmer voice.
"When I was there they kept injecting us with some kind of stuff, I have no idea but it caused a mutation; it genetically altered my body. I have no body fat; they messed with my DNA code to make me all muscle and no fat and let me survive that way. That is why I am so thin." She takes in another sigh and pushes away from Trowa.
"When I was thirteen they sold me to Oz and that is how I meet you guys. When I was in space I ran into others like me who had escaped. Together we started to take Oz down by the seams. But Trowa, don't tell Duo this…" She turns her back to him and hugs herself. Closing her eyes she lets the wind play with her hair as she gathered her thoughts.
"Two days before the Libra thing, I got a letter from the ones who sold me to Oz. They said they know what I have been doing and where coming for me. For the first time in my life I was scared. I didn't want to go back. So I came up with an idea. I would break into Libra and steal information for you guys, for Duo…" She trails off and thinks how at that time she would of done anything for him and that how she still would.
"I was hoping to die. I thought I could make it look like I was trying to help; I did not want to kill my self, instead I wanted to die for a reason and helping you, helping HIM…" Him as being Duo, Hilde's heart starts to ache when she thinks of that redhead kissing Duo. She shakes her head and goes on.
"Is good enough for me." Her voice dies down and she sits on a box next to the lion's cage. All Trowa can do is just stare at her in awe.
Amber is done drying herself off and takes one last look at herself in the mirror before leaving. She wonders why Duo did not come in and join her, he usually does. While thinking of him she starts to worry. The house is quite, too quite. ("Maybe he left?") She leaves the room and heads for the kitchen when she sees two purple eyes looking at her in the dark kitchen. There are no lights in the kitchen but she did not need them, the anger that showed in his eyes is bright enough. She steps in at looks at Duo. He is sitting down in a chair with his arms crossed over his chest. His head is down but Amber knows he is looking at her.
"Sit." Is all he says. Amber takes a seat and starts to worry, his voice is in raged and filled with hate and anger. As she sits down across from him, her eyes land on a peace of paper that has the word: Duo written on it. She becomes pail on sight of it. She looks up at him and shakes her head in a pleading no.
"Tell me everything." He growls at her.
The two just stay quite for sometime until Trowa moves to sit down with her. As he sits he crosses his arms over his chest and sighs. Hilde looks up at him and can tell he is about to say something.
"You could of come to us. We would have helped you if you were in trouble. Helping us in hoping you will die is not a very good way to go. You have no idea what you did, did to Duo." Hilde turns her head away and does not say anything. She knows. She heard what he said to her when she was in the medical room.
"Hilde babe, if you die I will personally kick your butt. You…you can't die on me. I…I didn't start living till you entered the picture. I was dead until you. I need you as much as the earth needs the sun. I can't live without you. Please return to me."
"Return to me." She says softly. Trowa did not hear that so he started speaking.
"But…Hilde why where you in Germany for two years?"
"After the last battle when the Gundams where destroyed I received a letter from my cousin Lark. He too is like me, a BMB, Brisk Military Baby. We both, with his twin sister, worked together. His sister and himself, along with others, where able to get away. They were the ones who asked me to help them take down Oz. In the letter it said they found the ones who did this to us and found the location of their new base along with other bases owned by them. They were rounding BMB's who escaped to fight Brisk. I took the chance and signed up. You know how protective Duo is; I'm like a sister to him. He wouldn't let me fight with him so you can image how he would of felt about me fighting on my own."
"Hilde, to be honest. I would be just like Duo. But at the time none of us had known about your training. If you had told him…"
"What, that I am a freak? Some mutant? How could I tell you or even him what I really am?"
"Why did you tell me now?"
"Times have changed Trowa." Hilde stands up and walks a little forward. She had one arm wrapped around her while her other hand is holding her neck. She lets out a deep sigh.
"Peace is as fragile as glass. All it needs is a little push and it breaks. Well Trowa, that little push is here."
"Why did you hide this from me?" His voice is filled with anger. He stares at the girl across from him who has a look of death to her.
"I…I. What do you expect me too do, Duo? I find a letter from your old lover and I don't want you to see it. I…I can't stand it any more!" She slams her fists on the table as she stands up. Duo doesn't flinch at her tone. He just gets angrier. He stands up and grabs her wrist making her gasp in pain.
"She is not my lover. She is my best friend who I thought left me two years ago! I told you I had no relationship with her when you moved in!" Every word is said through Duo's clenched teeth. Amber pulls away and starts to cry. Duo does nothing to comfort her.
"Then why, Duo. Tell why you called her name out last night!!!" That right there shocked Duo. He turns to look at her in disbelief.
"So I say her name in my sleep. Big deal that doesn't mean anything!"
"You weren't sleeping!!!!" Now her words are said through clenched teeth. Duo's purple eyes and wide and his mouth is opened. ("Shit! No way!")
"Amber…I…"
"You what? You LOVE her don't you? Well, I have news for you mister! She is not coming back and I…I LOVE YOU!!" She turns around and leaves the room. She runs in their room and slams the door. Duo just stands there. All his life he wanted to hear those three little words and now he did. However, the wrong person said them.
Amber parts the shades to see Duo leaving but not before he beats up the trash can. She smiles at herself. ("Poor little Duo did I mess with you little mind?") She laughs out loud knowing Duo is gone. She jumps on their bed and dials the phone.
Ring-Ring
"Hello?"
"Hey love. Guess what?"
"What Amber?"
"I think it is time for you to come over. Duo is ready for you." She says in a sickly sweet voice.
"Really? So soon? I'm on my way. I will have the papers ready for you. Oh Amber?"
"Yes?"
"Be on guard, Hilde is back." Click. Her face becomes pail.
("Dame. Stupid people. Can't you hold one little girl?") She slams the phone down and gets ready for bed.
"Hey mister. Do I know you?" Said the bar tender to Duo. He just shook his head no.
"Are you sure? You look I like this guy I saw on TV."
"Not me friend. I'm not the TV material."
"Oh." He takes one more look at Duo before going to another customer.
"Hey turn it up!" Says a drunken man to the bar tender. He point to the TV and the man does what he says.
TV: They disappeared on us after the wars ended but our team of specialist where able to track all but two of the elusive Gundam pilots. With our team, we found where they are currently living…
"Specialist…HA! All the did was look in the phone books." Says Duo as he returns to his drink. He shuts out the TV until he hears his name.
TV: Next we found the very popular Duo Maxwell. He was voted the sexiest bachelor in L2.
("Yeah and yet I am still a bachelor…")
TV: "Hey people! Wuz up?"
Duo closes his eyes tight upon hearing his voice. He looks at the screen to see himself three years ago.
("Dame, they are still using that flick?")
TV: "Yeah just hanging here with my best friend Hilde. Right Hilde? Aw Hil don't be shy, say hi to everyone!"
Duo looks up and sees Hilde laughing and trying to hide from the camera. He smiles as he looks at her.
("It has been so long since I've seen you.") He lets out a sad sigh.
TV: What a lucky girls she is. Hahahaha. I bet every girl in L2 wishes they were her….
("I wish Hilde wishes she were her. Aw man Hilde. What are you doing in Germany? At what is this about…Wait! She said she's in Germany! I know where she is!") Duo's heart jumps a beat as he grabs some credits for his beer he turns to his left and slams right into a wall that was next to his seat. He is so happy that he had found a clue to where Hilde is at that he forgot where he was. He pushes back on the wall and takes time to let his head to stop spinning. When it does he sees a sign for the circus Trowa belongs too.
"Hey the circus! No, that can wait I have to find Hilde!" He gets ready to leave when a voice kicks in.
("Duo, it has been two years! Get over it. She is not coming back! She left. Surly she must not want to be found.")
("Well if she does not want to be found then why did she tell me about Germany?")
("Don't keep you hopes up. Look at you and Amber. If you got together with someone, don't you think she might of as well?") That hurt Duo more ways than one. The image of some guy holding Hilde, touching Hilde, KISSING Hilde made Duo very mad. Then the words of Amber came to mind.
"You love her don't you!"
Duo stopped and shoved his hands in his pockets as he headed home. He couldn't do that to Amber. He had to let her go gentle. Tomorrow he would answer her question by saying.
Flash Back
Flash Back
"Yes, I do love Hilde."
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Ok! I will write more soon. Once I am done with Coming Shadows. Sigh. But if I get lots of feed back I will come back to this sooner. I hope it was a nice start. Did you like it? Yes? No? Well I hope you did. hee hee ^.^ Have fun and R+R!
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