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"Good Lord, Q! How did you end up as both the head of Winner Enterprise AND colonial representative of L4 cluster in just ...three months after the war?" Duo exclaimed as he flopped unceremoniously on to the sofa of Quatre's hotel room.
"Ah," said Quatre, busily stirring the Earl Grey he was preparing at the mini-bar. "Through bloodline and circumstances which I had a part in creating. Sugar? Milk?"
"Coffee, please, not your silly tea!"
"As a fan of tea, I just might be offended at that remark. If you want coffee you'll have to call room service. I don't have a private stock with me...you know, coffee isn't my cup of...tea."
A round of hearty laughter filled the air. "Damn, Quatre, that's the worst pun that I've ever heard of!" gasped Duo, "And it rhymes!" Duo doubled over in renewed laughter.
"A bagatelle, Duo. Don't frustrate yourself over the details." Quatre couldn't help but smirk at his own terrible pun too, as he carried two steaming cups of tea to the lounge area and passed one to Duo. He settled comfortably in the armchair next to the Sofa, and sipped his own cup of tea contentedly. Hmm...not bad tea.
"I've missed your laughter, Duo. Thanks for dropping by. So what's up lately?"
"You're one to ask! You and Relena are the current news, Q! Every time I switch on the TV, the breaking news would always be..."
Quatre groaned. "You don't have to rub it in."
"Do you hate your job? Wait, that's redundant. I would hate my job too if I were you. Just how the hell did you end up being the L4 representative, considering you're a fifteen year-old kid? I mean, I know you're good, but why would they actually entrust their future to a kid that suddenly appears outta nowhere after the war? Relena had her publicity done during the war, and people know her as the Queen of..."
Quatre groaned louder. "Duo, have you heard about my Zero-system episode?"
"Yee-up. From what little I piece together you were scary enough to unnerve BOTH Heero AND Trowa."
"And you must know that the general public, especially those of colonial origin, view Gundams as a symbol of righteousness and freedom after the war, right?"
"Yup."
"During my Zero system episode I sent warnings to resource satellites and colonies before my attack to allow civilians to evacuate. Attached to my warnings...well...basically I scolded them for betraying my father after what the Winner family did for them through so many generations."
"Uh-huh. I think I got it. So they felt guilty, and coupled with the new established belief that the Gundams are always right...they pushed the responsibility of creating long-lasting peace on a fifteen year-old dumb blonde who happens to be the Winner heir. What a way to express gratitude and cover up remorse."
"Hey! I may be blonde but..."
"But you dug your own grave, dumbass."
Quatre groaned for the third time. "I said, you don't have to rub it in. And I just might get offended even though you're my best friend. You said so yourself, I can unnerve both Heero and Trowa at one go."
"And I can kick both their asses at one go."
"IMITATIONS of them, I emphasize. I beat up the real Heero, remember?"
"Oh kid, you think you're a better pilot than me? Come let's settle this once and for all, with PILLOW FIGHT!"
Quatre chuckled as he ducked the flying cushion aimed for his head, all the while holding his tea cup with a steady hand. "Cut it out Duo! Stop using projectile weapons on an unarmed peace-advocating politician holding hot tea!"
"HA! So you surrender!"
"Duo, at my whistle over-protective bodyguards are going to rush in and take you down, you're hardly in any position to ask me to surrender."
"Fine. I'll deal with you one on one next time. Though you should know that your puny bodyguards can do little to me."
"Ah, but you should know that they can distract you long enough for me to throw pillows at you."
"hmpf! Rich brat! Bet they make a monument of you and pray to you everyday asking for money."
"All's fair in war. You came close with the monument idea though, they managed to salvage pieces of the 06E3 L4 resource satellite which I destroyed...and they are turning it into a war monument, named after my father...I guess I got what I wanted after all, in the future, even after Quatre Winner is long gone people are still going to remember my father and bring their kids to visit his namesake. They even had this crazy plan to get their hands on Wing Zero and make it a monument too. 1 "
"Q, sometimes you make me wonder if you have Oedipus...I mean Electra Complex."
"You're scaring me Duo." Quatre thought for a moment. "because now that I think of it, I don't like coffee as I always saw my father drink that when I was a child."
"Ha, wouldn't matter. We'll still be going to hell after what we did any way."
"Hell? Firstly I don't believe in Hell. Secondly, if there's really one what's there to be afraid of?"
"Huh? Aren't you worried, you sicko?"
"No. In this war...there is no Heaven as beautiful as what I have experienced, there is no Hell as cruel as what I saw. What can they do to me? Tear me into shreds? Shoot me? Ram rapiers through me? Roast me with bombs and self-detonating devices? Force me to go on endless meetings with stupid snobs, or worst, lock me in an office room to do paper work till eternity?"
"You actually got a point there, buddy. Been there, done that, right?"
"Duo. I can get used to pain. I just can't stand guilt. In Hell all they can do is hurt me and me alone. They can't use me to hurt somebody else. But what I am doing now...Every decision I make... it can affect millions of people."
"See, I told ya that your job sucks. Why don't you just...quit your job or something?"
"Ah. Ingenious but no. I kind of promised Relena something back in Sank."
"Dumbass, dug your own grave."
"For the third time, you don't have to rub it in."
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1 In the novel version of Gundam Wing there's this alternate ending where the g-boys went to live on Mars as pioneers for the Mars Terraforming Project. (which disregards Blind Target and Endless Waltz) In that ending Wing Zero is indeed placed in L4 colony cluster as a monument of peace. So this is semi-official. : )
A/N: I kept typing L4 as L$... and it makes sense in a funny kind of way. And I like Duo so much! His presence can make Quatre much more lively. Please go here to see the omake of this fic (cancel the spaces!):
http / x8b. xanga. com / 633a942567d3574271696/ b50096666. jpg