Author's Note : This is my first fanfic. I haven't watched any Gundam W anime or read any of its manga. A few of the characters are a bit OOC but what the heck! I have only fanfics to refer to get an idea of the characteristics of each pilot. (One reason why Wufei is hardly mentioned at all.) The reason why I started on this hobby is because I am 'corrupted' by my friend, Wing.
The Seed Part 1Two figures were seen standing in a leaf-carpeted forest clearing. From their stance, a casual observer would have thought that they were having a duel that could leave only one standing.
"You know how I feel about you." There was a slight quiver in her voice, as if the words were forced out with tremendous will-power.
The sentence hung in the silent air. The person to whom the words were addressed to merely looked impassively at the person who uttered the words. Under his cold and unreadable eyes, Relena shifted uneasily and finally dropped her eyes. Her rapidly beating heart was threatening to burst out of her ribcage. She tried her best to still the pounding in her ears lest she miss hearing Heero's reply. Clammy hands clasped together to stop them from shaking, Relena continued to study the black leather shoes of the boy in front of her.
Stop acting like some feather-brained, secondary school girl baring her heart to some Y-chromosome carrier whom she has a crush on. A voice at the back of her brain admonished her. Although her brain wished otherwise, her body still reacted every bit like the average feather-brained, secondary school girl. Her face felt as hot as a furnace and she bowed her head even more to study her own shoes, so that the boy she desperately wanted to impress would not become unimpressed. She felt like a pig waiting for slaughter.
The bloody boy! Why is he taking so long to come up with a reply? Maybe he just enjoys watching me getting consumed by my own shame and embarrassment here. Maybe.... Relena stopped her train of thoughts abruptly. Heero had started to open his mouth.
"No I don't, Relena. You tell me." His voice was icy and dead-pan. And she thought his eyes were cold. But then she didn't have time to contemplate on the matter as a million other thoughts flooded her brain at that moment.
The bloody, bloody boy! What does he mean he doesn't know?! Urgh! How can it be any more obvious than it already is?! Does he have to scrape up every last shred of dignity I have and stomp it underfoot? Sadist! One part of Relena wanted to throttle the granite-faced boy in front of her while the other threw pride and dignity to the four winds. The latter won.
"I... I like you...." her soft voice faltered a bit before continuing in a strained tone "... a lot." Her heart gave up trying to escape though the ribcage and decided to climb upwards instead. Relena could feel her heart beating in the vicinity of her throat.
"But I don't like you... a lot." The last two words were added as if to mock her.
Mock her! Relena's eyes flashed and before she could stop herself, the slap was delivered and the forest clearing rang with the sound of flesh hitting flesh.
XXXXXX
"Ouch! That gotta hurt."
Unknown to the two figures in the forest clearing, three other figures crouched inconspicuously behind a mass of thick undergrowth, witnessing the whole episode.
"Duo, keep your voice down!" Quatre's fierce whisper reminded his friend that they were still in danger of being caught eavesdropping. He shuddered at the thought of what Heero would do to them if he found out. It wasn't their intention to eavesdrop on so private a conversation. Honest! He was having his usual morning jog through the forest with Trowa and Duo when the trio stumbled upon Heero and Relena. Before he could greet them good morning, Duo and Trowa had grabbed him from behind and dragged him to their present hiding place, all the while shushing him to silence. Duo, he understood -- jests, pranks and the sheer act of making other people uncomfortable were as normal as breathing to him. Nothing in the world would make Duo miss this opportunity to collect insult materials to be flung at Heero's face -- just to see to what extent that granite face of his could distort itself. But Trowa.... he had stared daggers at him but the boy with the ridiculously long forelock avoided his accusatory gaze with annoying ease. This was a side of Trowa that he had just begun to discover and dislike.
"Ooh... I wouldn't miss this for the world!" Duo's excited voice broke him out of his reverie. He started to visualize the act of cutting off Duo's braid.... followed by Trowa's forelock.
XXXXXX
Tears were warming up her already too-warm cheeks and Relena detested this portrayal of weakness in front of him. At least she managed to breathe normally instead of sobbing and choking like a regular, crying, heartbroken idiot.
"You're angry."
Relena kept silent. She did not trust her voice not to stutter or crack at that moment.
Heero's flat voice continued emotionlessly. "Why? Because I don't feel about you the same way you feel about me?" The wet-cheeked girl in front of him still said nothing, trying to appear calm and composed.
He let out an exasperated sigh. "Loving someone doesn't earn you the right to be loved in return. Just like the fact that loving a person doesn't qualify you as that person's lover. Love has to be mutual to bloom, Relena, think about that for a while." He turned and strode off as silently as he came, leaving behind a forlorn Relena in the middle of the forest clearing.
XXXXXX
"I'm going after him."
Quatre seemed relieved. "Yes, I agree we should all go back to the base before..." The sight of Duo scuttling after Heero's rapidly disappearing figure made him realize that he had misheard Duo.
"Duo! Come back!" Quatre was still whispering as Relena still stood fifteen metres away. "That idi...."
"I agree we should go." Trowa's voice cut in and he was tugging at Quatre's hand.
"But...."
"Leave them. What follows no longer concerns us." Trowa's tone was final and Quatre allowed himself to be pulled along without further protest.
XXXXXX
Heero continued striding down the well-trodden path leading away from the forest clearing, his mind still replaying the incident that just happened.
Something hard struck him from behind without warning. He had only nanoseconds to recover from his surprise -- surprise that anyone could have sneaked up on him without him realizing it -- and switch to combat mode, his body reacting faster than his brain. He turned his body with lightning speed, a fist already launched to crush the windpipe of his assailant who dared to....
Duo! The fist was flying straight towards the grinning boy's face and could not be recalled in time. Duo parried the blow with a speed equalling his own and proceeded to trip him off his feet with a foot-sweep.
As Heero was falling down onto the soft turf, he had time to think: I didn't know that Duo took judo lessons.... before murderous thoughts like: The bastard! This joke has gone far enough! He'll learn to regret this for the rest of his miserable life! crowded his brain.
Heero got up quickly, violent fury burning in his cold, blue eyes.
"Hey! Chill out, man. I was only trying to cheer you up." Duo's bubbly voice interceded before Heero decided to beat him up into one unrecognizable pulp. Duo was fully aware that he had the upper hand a moment ago only because he had the element of surprise to his advantage.
"Cheer me up? For what?" Heero's voice sounded ominous. Duo started to fidget and look a bit guilty..... Guilty? Then Heero knew.
"You! You were there at the clearing!!"
"Wait a sec! I can explain...." As the words left his mouth, Duo discovered to his chagrin that he could not explain his actions at all.
"Explain what? That you are a sly, sneaky, eavesdropping son of a ..." Heero paused, took a deep breath and kneed Duo's stomach, sending him doubling up in pain. While Duo was busy wheezing and catching his breath, he followed up his attack with a tackle and after a few moments, Heero had Duo pinned to the ground. He didn't even need to breathe heavily to recover his breath. Duo was forced to confront eyes that were as hard and cold as steel.
"Jeez ... Heero! You don't have to ..." Flames started to flare up in one of Heero's pupils. "Okay, fine. I'm a sly, sneaky, eavesdropping son of a female canine. I shouldn't have done what I did. Now, are you happy?" Heero remained motionless, clearly a sign of unhappiness and displeasure.
"I thought you don't feel anything for Relena. So why should you get so depressed over her slapping you?" Duo hastily decided to change the subject after realizing that an apology, however sincere, would not satisfy Heero.
"How do you know whether I'm depressed or not?" His grip on Duo's wrist did not ease a hair.
"Oh, puh-leeze! Anyone who knows you well enough can see that! That block of granite you call a face managed to take on an expression that was neither blank nor sardonic when she slapped you."
Heero began to feel unsure about himself. Was his emotions printed so obviously on his face? Could Duo read his face like a book all the time? Some emotion bordering on panic began to well up inside him.
"Look, past training only made you learn how to conceal your emotions, not lose them completely! When will you realize that you're made of flesh and blood, not gears and oil!" Now it was Duo's turn to look angry.
Heero released him without another word, his expression slightly troubled. Duo sat up and proceeded to dust off the sand that had gathered on his clothes and hair during their brief tussle. "Since you're still so spirited, I suppose my help was redundant after all. Guess I guessed wrongly about you this time."
Heero still looked silently at him, his face showing.… relief? Duo could never tell what goes on in that granite head of his.
"Well, I'll be back at the base if you need me." Duo walked a few steps down the path and shouted into the woods "If anybody needs me!" before disappearing into the foliage.
Love has to be mutual to bloom. The thought whispered softly in Heero's mind as he got up and followed Duo.
The Seed Part 2The orange noonday sun shone with a warm brilliance, sending shafts of multi-coloured lights dancing on the surface of a nearby lake. The creatures in the forest had begun their symphony, welcoming any human to the wonderful sights and smells of nature. It was a most beautiful day to be outdoors and stay outdoors.
Meanwhile, back in their secret hideout, Duo was trying hard to stifle a yawn. One does not reveal one's palate to a superior, no matter how much his voice sounds like a lullaby. Of course, he could always switch off the image transmitter and be spared from uncomfortable scrutiny, but that act alone could slight the person at the other end of the line. And getting your commanding officer cross with you was not considered a very smart thing to do, to put it mildly. Besides, even though Duo appeared frivolous in whatever situation most of the time, he knew where to draw the line.
But this briefing on my next mission is anything but brief! Duo sighed inwardly. The woods outside beckoned to him.
".... do you understand, Duo Maxwell?" The tone of that last sentence sounded louder than usual. Duo hastily snapped back to full attention, his glazed eyes suddenly filled with intensity and concentration.
"Yes, sir." The face of the person on the screen mirrored skepticism. Doubting my word, is he? "With all due respect, sir, this is not the first time that I get a mission that involves infiltrating a school. I can pass off as a student with no problems at all....". His thoughts finished the sentence for him : So I just don't see the point of listening to all that standard procedure and precaution thing all over again.
"You are to investigate on the reported sightings of mobile suits around that school...." Duo's eyes threatened to glaze over again. "... but there is one small problem."
"Problem?" Something about the way the word was uttered unsettled Duo.
"The school has a strict hair code."
XXXXXX
Heero stood alone at the beach, seawater lapping at his toes. It was one of his rare visits to the normal world outside. A world where peace reigned, a world without blood and destruction. Or seemed to be, for the time being. Heero did not want to dwell too deeply on that matter.
It had been a week since his rendezvous with Relena in the forest. She had been either avoiding or ignoring him ever since and he was unsure of his feelings regarding her behaviour. Relief? Sorrow? Why should he feel relieved or sad at all? His eyes took
on a distant look as he stared at the horizon where the sun hovered above it. Finding no answers there, he closed his eyes. Maybe it was a good thing that his mission would bring him far away from this place for a while. He just received the coordinates of an OZ military base which was detected by the Colony's artificial satellites. More blood and destruction.
"I said .... Let go!" The near-shriek jolted Heero out of his stupor. Turning around, he saw four shabbily-dressed hoodlums harassing a young girl no further than ten feet away. They had her surrounded and were playfully taking turns to tug her hair and flip her skirt, causing their victim undue distress.
Heero was never the type who rescued damsels in distress but he found their actions both disgusting and intolerable. He flexed his fingers. He needed something to distract himself anyway. And the exercise would do him some good.
XXXXXX
Wearing vice-like shoes with two-inch high heels was not enough! Wearing a skirt and a ... uurgh .... petticoat was not enough! Wearing that degrading thing at his torso for curves-enhancement purposes was not enough! His humiliation had yet to reach its peak!
That afternoon, Duo had feverishly argued with his commanding officer that he, Duo Maxwell, would NEVER sacrifice his braid for ANY reason. What kind of a stupid and conservative school is that anyway? With its unreasonable and ridiculous hair codes, dress codes and God knows what other equally idiotic and unnecessary codes. After his outburst, Duo had sat down and fumed silently. His commanding officer was sympathetic enough - he suggested a scalp operation which could allow Duo to have his hair attached back on his head after he completed his mission. And he did not appear to be joking when he said that.
The thought of having his hair literally ripped off his head forced Duo to reconsider his options - which were despairingly few. Why couldn't they send Heero or Quatre on this mission? There won't be any big sacrifice on their part. Duo had thought of that but questioning your superior's decision was another not-so-smart thing to do. When it seemed that Duo would have no choice but to face either a barber or a surgeon, a third option popped up in his brain at that moment.....
Which was why he was presently busy fending off these.... hooligans who had nothing better to do with their free time than pestering every innocent, docile-looking girl they encounter. Walking around the town in a cross-dressed condition was part of his self-imposed crash course to feminize himself before his entry application into the school was accepted. He had not expected that boys nowadays could be so lecherous, shameless and aggressive.
There is a limit to a person's patience and Duo's present situation was bringing him dangerously close to his. A palm on his rump made him decide that his tormentors no longer deserved to live. Before he could execute his crippling chops and kicks, a voice which made his blood run cold cut through the air.
"I think you all better stop right now, if you know what's good for you." That icy voice sounded TOO familiar for comfort. Heero? Duo craned his head and confirmed his dread. What is he doing here?! Panic, shame, embarrassment and a dozen other highly uncomfortable feelings washed over Duo like ice-cold water, making him shiver like a nearly-drowned rat. I'm gonna kill myself first before I let him see me like this! He saw a life of being branded with the nickname 'lady' and 'sissy' stretch out before him until the day of his death. An image of Wufei refusing a duel with him and muttering the words 'I don't fight with girls' flashed in his mind. Not a pleasant thought indeed.
"And who's gonna stop us? You? You little ...." The speaker did not have the chance to finish his sentence as Heero's fist had shot out and connected with his left cheek. Before the other three realized what was happening, Heero had sent another crumpling into a heap with a knee-jam. While Heero was busy taking on the third, the other remaining boy grabbed a handful of sand and flung it at Heero's face. The sand hit Heero's eyes, just as the third boy went down, and temporarily blinded him. The last boy took this opportunity to pull out a pocket knife and charge at Heero. The sunlight reflecting off the sharp edge of the knife brought Duo back to his senses.
The knife sliced through Heero's forearm but fortunately the cut was shallow. Before it could do anymore damage, Duo had reached the knife-wielder and with trained precision, slammed him to the ground with his elbow. Heero was still busy rubbing grains of sand off his face, his eyes watering. Seeing Heero's condition, Duo was torn between staying to tend Heero's wound and running away in search of a hiding place.
But you need not reveal your real identity to him. The voice in his mind spoke. If you can hide your identity from Heero, then no stranger can possibly see through your disguise. Just treat it as a test. The words made sense. Duo stayed.
XXXXXX
Warm blood was running down his right arm in a steady rivulet. Heero silently cursed himself for being so careless. He should not have let his guard down, even if his attackers were merely delinquent juveniles and not trained OZ troopers. A thud alerted him to the fact that the last of the hoodlums had been taken care of ... by the girl? And he had thought that she was weak and helpless.
Lifting his head, Heero took a closer look at the female he had rescued. He forgot to breathe for five seconds. She was beautiful – not 'pretty' or 'cute' like a magazine cover girl – just beautiful. Wavy, chestnut-brown hair crowned a worried-looking delicate face, tied with a silky, pink ribbon. But it was not the hair that took his breath away. Her eyes.... They were pools of liquid violet with depths that threatened to swallow him whole. Eyes that seemed as if they could look into his soul. And those eyes were looking at him with..... disgust?
The girl made a disgusted sound. "Look, buddy, I could have handled those four easily myself. You just had to butt in and get yourself knifed in the process, don't you?" Heero stared at her stupidly. This was definitely not the type of reaction he was expecting from her.
The girl approached him purposefully, seemingly unperturbed by the fact that he was largely responsible for the bodies sprawled on the sand. She gruffly grabbed his bleeding arm, making him wince inwardly. On the surface, he was still looking at the girl with a placidity he did not feel. While he was debating whether to snatch his arm back or not, the girl suddenly stood up and dragged him in the direction of the sea. The strength of her grip was uncannily strong for a girl.
What the... Her face held such a ferocious and determined expression that Heero kept his mouth shut. When both of them were knee-deep in seawater, the girl plunged his wounded arm into the crystal-clear salty water. The biting pain that shot up his arm was so immense that it threatened to shatter the impassive mask he was wearing. He tried to jerk his arm free but any resistance on his part only seemed to strengthen the girl's grip on his arm.
"Quit fidgeting!" Her no-nonsense tone made Heero obey her immediately without thinking. "The salt can prevent infection. If you hate pain so much, then use your brain before you charge like a crazed bull into an affair that is totally none of your business!" She gazed at him with such rebuke in her eyes that he dropped his eyes like a chastised child. Who was this female, who dared to bully him and make him feel like a complete idiot during their first encounter? He had attempted to kill Relena in the past for much less. The thought of Relena gave rose to an entirely different kind of pain in his chest.
By now, the pain in his forearm had numbed to a dull throb. The girl untied the pink ribbon securing her hair and proceeded to wrap the injured site with it. Her working hands were now surprisingly gentle and the acute contrast brought an unbidden smile to Heero's lips. The smile abruptly vanished when the girl tied the knot tight enough to cut off the blood supply to his forearm. "As compensation for the trouble you have caused me, I suggest that you buy my dinner."
Heero was dumbfounded. This is what I get in return for being helpful? Not a thanks but a scolding and an extortion? The girl was insane! And he was insane too, for allowing her to do this to him!
Before Heero could open his mouth, the girl had resumed her hold on his arm and was pulling him along. "I know a nice Chinese noodle house at the town centre. Hope you have at least fifty credits with you."
Heero quickly tried to recall the amount of money he had in his wallet. I should have around a hundred credits on me. That should be enough to..... Hey! What am I thinking?! Looking at the mysterious girl walking in front of him, Heero made a mental note to keep his distance from her. She was doing strange things to his psyche.
The Seed Part 3[Three days later, at a far corner of the earth where a smoking OZ base laid in ruins....]
The two Aries mobile suits relentless circled Heero's Wing Gundam. These two had him engaged in battle for fifteen minutes, which was no mean feat for the mobile suit pilots concerned. Most mobile suits could survive no longer than thirty seconds when attacked by a Gundam, which had far more superior maneuverability and firepower.
If it was a one-on-one fight, Heero knew that he could destroy both these mobile suits as easily as cutting butter. But these two mobile suits fought as one, which made Heero more cautious than usual. One reason why Gundams had been so successful in destroying enemy mecha was because their enemies were merely large numbers of individual fighters, each man fighting for himself -- which was not the case for the two enemies he was facing now. They complemented each other perfectly -- one would defend while the other attacked, leaving no opening for him.
Without warning, the defender switched roles to become the attacker and released missiles which grazed the shoulder of his Gundam, barely missing the cockpit. The close brush with death bathed him in cold sweat. It was then that Heero realized, to his astonishment, that he was feeling fear. He thought he had completely removed that emotion from his system. What brought it back again? However he did not have time to think about it anymore as the battle demanded his full concentration. Not only were the two pilots skilful in piloting their mobile suits, they worked as a team so well that it bordered on impossibility.
How is it possible for them to time their movements and actions so precisely? Together, these mobile suits were tough opponents. Alone.... Heero's lips curled upwards in a deadly smile. The word 'defeat' was never in his vocabulary and nothing these two could do changes that fact. Brandishing his laser sword, he focused his attention on only one of them. His Gundam was poised, a metallic demon ready to pounce and devour.
XXXXXX
"Mission accomplished, sir. The OZ base at RTX-273-14s is successfully destroyed." Heero had contacted his Colony commanding officer and was awaiting further orders.
"Well done, Heero. I trust that the entire military force there has been wiped out completely." At this, Heero's expression became tinged with shame. However he still managed to put on a straight face and reply in his usual calm voice.
"The area had been patrolled for survivors. There was none." The half-truth sounded loud in his ears and Heero hoped his superior would not discover that he was hiding something.
"I see. You can now return to the lakeside base. You will be briefed on your next mission there." The screen went blank.
Heero breathed a sigh of relief, wiping off a sheen of perspiration which had formed on his forehead. He knew that he need not feel so guilty; what he said wasn't exactly a lie.... but it wasn't exactly the truth either. There was one OZ survivor after that battle -- an OZ pilot he had allowed to escape because he was a coward. A coward who was afraid to die. The events of that afternoon replayed in his mind like a reprimand.…
The cost of destroying one of the pair was higher than he expected. He had taken a few square hits in his Gundam armor and had lost his only remaining weapon in the process. With all his missiles spent and his laser sword lying somewhere beyond his reach, he was forced to confront his last enemy weaponless.
Just as he expected, the red mobile suit posed no big threat once its partner was destroyed. The mobile suit pilot appeared disoriented, apparently staggering from the death of his (or her) other half. Without giving the pilot a chance to recover, Heero immediately charged at the mobile suit and immobilized it in a crushing bear hug. His plan was to self-destruct his Gundam, pulling his enemy into hell along with him. His mission was to destroy all enemies and that mission came before everything else, even his life.
His fingers were already punching in the codes to activate the self-destruct mechanism. As he was about to press the last button, he noticed the pink ribbon still wrapped around his right forearm. The words 'It takes more courage to live than die' whispered in his mind like a gentle reminder. His hands froze over the console and for the first time in his life, Heero hesitated to seek death.
His opponent took advantage of his hesitation to break out of his hold and gain a safe distance from him. Missing his chance, Heero knew that it would be impossible for him to use the same tactics again. The red mobile suit paused about a hundred feet away to take one last glance at Heero's Gundam before fleeing from the battle scene. The pain and hatred radiating from the escaping mobile suit pilot was tangible.
Looking down at the object which had curbed his suicidal tendencies, Heero could not help but recall the owner of the ribbon around his arm. Her looks were etched in his mind, an image he could not erase. She was a most exceptional female... and he did not even know her name.
XXXXXX
"Sometimes, it takes more courage to live than die. Don't you agree?" The girl standing beside him looked out to the open sea. Both of them had wandered back to the beach after dinner. So far the dialogue had been one-sided, with the girl chatting non-stop and Heero making minimal grunts. The girl never seemed to tire of talking and the conversation somehow drifted to the topic of death -- a topic which at least interested Heero enough to provoke a response.
"I don't understand. No one fears life more than death." Heero's voice ended the monologue which had been going on for at least two hours.
The girl stared at him with wide, mocking eyes. "Boy, I was wondering whether that mouth on your face is for decoration purposes only. Took you long enough to form words in your head." Heero's face flushed red under the assault of her teases. Seeing his reaction, the girl burst out laughing. Her melodious laughter blew away his embarrassment like a gust of wind, making him feel at ease again. "Sorry for teasing you. No offense intended, so don't you dare hold a grudge against me for that." She lightly elbowed his ribs twice to emphasize her words. Her mesmerizing eyes sparkled with mirth.
Not knowing how to respond to this sudden feeling of closeness to her, Heero clumsily tried to bring the conversation back to its original course. "Uh... we were talking about why you think that courage to live is greater than courage to die."
"Try to picture these two people for me -- firstly, a heartbroken idiot who throws himself off a building and secondly, a soldier in battle who prefers to be killed rather than to surrender. What do these two have in common?"
Heero thought silently for a while before replying. "Both of them are not afraid to die?"
"That too. But more importantly, they are both afraid to live. To them, living is more difficult and painful than dying; so they choose the easier path. Death has become a refuge for these two people. Do you see them as 'courageous' people?"
"The soldier should be considered courageous." Often being nicknamed as the 'Perfect Soldier', Heero felt the need to defend himself.
The girl quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? And how is the soldier different from the person who throws himself off the building? Just because the soldier dies in a battlefield instead of some town or city doesn't make him the more courageous one."
"But..." The irrational urge to defend the soldier claimed Heero again. "... the soldier dies while following orders. That makes it entirely different from the one who commits suicide."
"So... what you're saying is that the soldier dies because someone else ordered him to, not because he chooses to do so himself. And that is supposed to qualify him as the braver of the two?"
"Not in the way you say it...." Heero was desperately searching for words to argue his case. "The soldier does his duty without any regard for his own life. His death is for a noble cause, and that makes his death honourable."
"Without any regard for his own life?" The girl shook her head. "You're mistaking 'courageous' with the word 'suicidal'. There is a vast difference between getting killed and being brave. Whether the death is honorable or not changes nothing. In my opinion, the soldier is no different from the suicidal fool who decides to end his life without any good reason."
The girl's back was facing Heero when she spoke those words and as a result, she did not notice the pained expression that briefly flashed across Heero's face. "However...." She continued in her contemplative vein. "... the world does need plenty of such idiots to fight its wars. If they have been smarter, they would have cherished their living moments more. They would never have chosen to participate in any bloody war…"
Silence reigned for a considerable length of time. Two motionless figures stood on the sand, both occupied with private thoughts. The sunset view was beautiful, showing a crimson ball staining the surface waters blood-red.
Before long, the girl turned to Heero and informed him that she had to leave. Heero remained silent, his face betraying no emotion. As he watched her go, his mind was in a turmoil -- filled with thoughts that commanded him to follow her, to ask for her name, to find out where she lives, to grasp any thread that will lead him back to her in the future....
No. She and I belong in two different worlds. I am just being foolish for even considering such a thing. Knowing that he was doing the right thing did nothing to reduce the feeling of loss that gripped his soul. She was a dream... and would be nothing more than a dream.
XXXXXX
Heero's next mission required his hacking expertise to check out a school suspected of having a liaison with the OZ organization. He entered the school as a new foreign student by the name of Hojo Tsukasa, two weeks after a girl named Katherine Kane was accepted as part of the school population.
The Seed Part 4"Katherine, wait up!" Duo turned to the source of the voice and saw Laila and Doyce waving wildly at him, at the same time trying to catch up with his fast strides. Both these girls had been his enthusiastic welcomers during his first day of school -- showing him around the school, telling him which foods in the canteen were edible and advising him on which boys to avoid.
When he first stepped into his class and did his self-introduction, every student in the class had been stunned to silence; making him panic with the assumption that his disguise had been ineffective. He soon discovered that it was not so. By the end of that day, practically all the boys in his class worshipped him while the girls reeked of jealousy and hostility. Doyce and Laila were the only girls willing to approach him and receive him cordially. From that day onwards, the three of them were seldom seen without each other; thus earning themselves the nickname 'The Three Musketeers' -- a nickname which Duo later discovered to be derived from an ancient literary piece written by a 19th-century Earth author.
"So, are you busy after school today?" The person who asked the question was Doyce, a red-haired girl with a freckled face. Looks-wise she was not impressive, but she never felt intimidated hanging around Duo.
"No. Why?" Duo had reached his locker and was rummaging through it in search of the diskettes required for his next lesson.
"We are wondering whether you would like to join us at the swimming pool this afternoon. A swim on a hot day such as this will be refreshing."
Duo froze for a second before rejecting the offer. "Uh.... I'm afraid I can't join you two. I...." His mind worked rapidly to form a plausible excuse. "... am not feeling well today. Sorry." Four boys who had been standing within hearing distance muttered. "A pity..." before walking off. Duo stared at them contemptuously.
Laila read the look on Duo's face and proceeded to slap his back in a friendly fashion. "You're worried about the guys, aren't you? I have to admit, the hunger in their eyes can devour elephants. But you just have to pretend as if they don't exist." With glossy, raven-black hair framing a pretty heart-shaped face, Laila was speaking as one who had experienced such situations and knew how to handle them.
"No, it is true. I'm really not feeling well....." Both Doyce and Laila were looking imploringly at him. The reputation of 'The Three Musketeers' must be maintained. "Oh... alright. I will sit beside the pool while you two enjoy yourselves. Is that okay with both of you?" Their answering grins were as bright as sunshine.
XXXXXX
Nothing out of the ordinary so far.
KK-DM
Duo clicked the 'Send' icon to deliver the message and waited patiently for the computer to finish its task. If the situation here remains uneventful after a week, I will have to leave this place. This mission is turning out to be a waste of time after all.
After shutting down the computer, Duo left the computer laboratory.
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In contrast, Heero's arrival at the school generated little commotion. His cold, unfriendly eyes were enough to discourage any form of contact or communication with other students. Half of his classmates were terrified of him while the other half tried very hard to ignore his existence -- which was just what Heero wanted. Making acquaintances during undercover missions only served to complicate matters and bring about unnecessary trouble.
During his free time, he would scout around the school alone, taking note of places with restricted access. His aim was to find the master terminal of the school and hack into it to retrieve data. He would have to spend several days studying the shifts in guard duty and finding the safest way to get to the master terminal without triggering the security systems.
It was pure coincidence - or fate - that brought him to the swimming pool entrance. Not wanting to leave any corner of the school unchecked, Heero went in.
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"Look who's sitting beside the pool." Sheila, the former school beauty queen (before Katherine Kane appeared), looked behind her shoulder and saw the hated girl reading a book at a corner. What was the despicable girl doing in her territory? Ever since Katherine Kane entered her life, the girl had displaced her from the limelight to become the object of desire of nearly all the boys in the school. She gnashed her teeth.
Understanding how Sheila felt, one of her female friends put forward a suggestion that would appease her. "Do you want me to chase her out for you? After all, what is a person without swimming attire doing in the swimming pool area?"
Sheila narrowed her eyes, seemingly deep in thought. "No. I have a better idea." Her smile was vicious.
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"Could that be Katherine Kane?" chirped an excited member of the group. Four heads belonging to four male youths turned to the direction indicated by the speaker's pointing finger.
"It is her! Oh gosh, how does my hair look?"
"Hey, I thought she said at the locker area that she won't be swimming. Otherwise, I would have brought a camera."
"Well, she didn't lie. She's not even in her swimsuit."
"I bet her figure is a 36-24-40."
"Lecher."
"Well, at least I'm frank about it."
The only member in the group of five who displayed little interest was Shang, the group leader and also the most popular male in school -- judging from the number of love letters he received in his locker everyday. Shang had a fair share of good looks, an owner of clean-cut and sensitive features. His hair was tawny fair, and there was lots of it, like a lion's mane, only rather more untidy. The distinctive feature about him was a single lock of white hair dropped over his left eye which many girls found irresistible.
The enthusiastic conversation continued but Shang had stopped listening. Nowadays, girls only mildly amused him. Having one Sheila attached to him like a leech was bad enough.
Having thought that, his eyes caught sight of Sheila approaching the Kane girl with slow, purposeful steps. Her intentions did not appear friendly.
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"Hello, Katherine." The words were uttered in a tone sweet enough to cause tooth cavities. Uh oh. Trouble. Duo lifted his head, a rigid smile splitting his face. Sheila was also wearing a smile but that smile did not mask the burning contempt in her eyes. Jeez. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And he did not even do anything to directly offend her.
"What a pleasant surprise to see you here, Sheila." Duo hoped his sarcasm did not leak into his voice. This girl has been stabbing me with murderous looks ever since I got here! What does she want now?
"That seems to be an interesting book you've got there." Suspicion welled up inside Duo. Since when was she ever interested in reading? "May I borrow it for a second?" Duo quietly let out an exasperated sigh. He more or less guessed that Sheila was about to do something horrible to the book but he handed it to her anyway. This enmity had to end. If tearing up this book would make her feel better, why not give her that satisfaction?
Without even looking at the cover of the book, Sheila flung it into the pool. The book landed on the water surface with a soft splash and began soaking up pool water like a sponge. "Oops, how careless of me."
Duo wore a weary expression. "Why do you even bother to pretend?" Sheila cheeks coloured with anger. Instead of reduced, the enmity had increased.
Duo stood up and walked to the edge of the pool. Fortunately, the book was close enough for him to retrieve without the need to get into the water. Just as he was about to squat down, hands broke out of the surface of the water to grab his ankles and pull him down. Losing his balance, Duo's head knocked hard against the cement edge before sinking into the depths. In a dazed condition, Duo felt chlorinated water filling up his mouth and nostrils. Darkness slowly enveloped him.
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The first person to reach Duo and pull him out of the pool was Shang. He expected something like this to happen the moment he saw Sheila walking towards the Kane girl like a predator pouncing on a prey. Although he held no special feelings for Sheila's victim, he decided to rescue her anyway. Trouble attracts attention and neither he nor Sheila could afford to be too conspicuous during this period of time.
He gently placed the girl on the ground. Her face, with brown locks of hair clinging to its sides, had taken up a frightening pallor. A large crowd had gathered around him, majority of them comprising boys who were eager to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. However, he wasted no time waiting for a chosen volunteer. By the time they fought it out, the girl would most likely be dead.
"Stand back! All of you! Give her some air!" Doyce's frantic scream cracked the air like a whip and the crowd reluctantly backed down. Doyce and Laila rushed into the circle and knelt beside their nearly-drowned friend's body.
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A rush of air. A cough. A spurt of water. Duo was slowly able to register the noise buzzing around him. His eyelids fluttered, opened.... and saw a boy's face so close to his that they were virtually kissing.
Kiss....!!! The revulsion caused Duo to spray the rest of the water and spittle in his mouth at the boy's face. He sat up quickly, choking and gagging as if he had just swallowed an insect. His eyes bulged and he could feel goose bumps forming all over his body. The boy's wet but serene face was still inches from his. Without thinking, Duo delivered an uppercut that sent the boy sprawling on the ground five feet away. He then rushed to the edge of the pool to gargle his mouth with vigour.
Everyone else froze in their original positions, aghast.
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One boy in the crowd surreptitiously hid a smile behind his hand. He had burned with jealousy when he saw Shang rescuing and reviving the girl. Jealousy -- an unnatural emotion which he had never felt before this. However, the girl's treatment of her rescuer upon regaining consciousness made him feel glad that he was not the one who reached her first. Her reaction did not surprise him as he had a similar experience with her before. Her... his dream.
Turning away from the scene, Heero made his way to the exit, marking a trail of water puddles on the floor. The smile did not leave his face.