Another exam has come up... and so another story is born. *shakes head* I really, really need to change this habit, before my grades suffer.

Warnings: AU (and none other so far)

Pairings: 1+2+1 primarily

Disclaimers: Nope, still haven't collected enough money to own this thing. So the characters still belong to those people they rightfully belong to. Darn.

Key:

(( news reports ))

*** change of scene / time / universe ***

- thoughts -

It is said that for every new blackhole that is born, the space and time continuum surrounding it become so warped, that the lines of the past, present and future collide... if only for an instant.

Many studies have been devoted to crossing the barriers of such time and space, albeit unsuccessfully. It seems that at this time, such occurrence can only take place naturally - that one must wait for the death of a star and the birth of a new blackhole, for the thing now known as the Merging.

This is the story of one such happening.

~ Crossroads ~

Part 1: The Merging

(( And in other - ))

"Duo! Come on! We're going to be late already!"

The voice of one annoyed Heero Yuy drifted up from bottom of the stairs, as he stood there restlessly, waiting for his partner to appear. His jacket had already been shrugged on, pack already slung across one shoulder, while one hand was busily occupied with tapping out a staccato of rhythms from the faux-wooden rail of the stairs. It was a habit he had picked up somewhere along the way, one he found himself doing when there was nothing left to be done, or when he was plain restless and irritated.

His other hand was currently holding up Duo's Preventers jacket, whether as a bait, or merely to help his friend get ready faster, one couldn't be so sure.

Afterall, after the two wars had ended, it was widely known that Heero had developed some wicked sense of humor. Probably from spending so much time with a braided baka.

And speaking of braided bakas, said person was hurriedly hopping up and down with one foot then another as he put in black socks. With his tie yet undone and hanging limply around his neck, his shirt still un-tucked, and his buttons still unbuttoned, his braid was probably the only thing that was noticeably neat at the time.

"Stupid alarm clocks that refuse to work when you absolutely need it. Stupid partners that don't wake you up early enough then shout out a storm about it. Stupid meeting that just HAD to be scheduled in the morning. Stupid pants -" This said as he momentarily tripped over his olive green pants in his haste to bend down and get his own pack.

(( - cientists from both the Earth sphere and the colony are carefully monitoring the scheduled death of the star Polaris from sector - ))

"Duo!"

(( - said to form a new blackhole, which could be potentially dangerous - ))

"Wait will ya! Just need to find my - Ah, got it!"

(( - occur at 2018 hours UST today - )) [1]

The vid flickered out as Duo hit the off button. And with that, he rushed out of the room, banging the door loudly behind him in the process.

It was another normal day in the lives of Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy.

*****

0920 hours UST

"Glad you could make it, Agents Yuy and Maxwell." The voice of Lady Une, chief of Preventers, coolly announced as the pair attempted to slide inside the conference room unnoticed, and hopefully unharassed.

Apparently, there was no such luck.

Embarrassed, but hiding it behind his indifferent exterior, Agent Yuy calmly strode across the room, now that he had been detected, and sat in one of the two chairs that had remained empty, just for them.

With a nod and a quiet 'Hn' to his superior, he smoothly left it up to his partner to explain and find a suitable reason as to why they had to be late, today of all days.

It was *his* fault afterall.

After Duo had Lady Une's undivided attention, he nervously rubbed the back of his head with one hand and said sheepishly, "Ah... would you believe it if I said that I had suffered from temporary amnesia, and had forgotten *just for a little while* the time?"

A pity, really, that Duo didn't lie.

Twenty minutes later, the group of agents assembled had been handed their mission, including one pair by the names Duo and Heero. After being dismissed, they each went to their respective cubicles and prepared for their upcoming fieldwork.

*****

1920 UST

Two black forms agilely slithered through the undergrowth and came to a stop at a slight outgrowth in the ground that allowed them to overlook the warehouse, which was suspected of producing illegal weapons.

One brought out a pair of night-vision binoculars, and silently counted the men stationed around the premise. Men that should not have been needed, had the warehouse been simply packaging Chinese pottery and vases, as its business claimed to be.

Settling down to wait until the next shift in rounds, where according to intelligence, the guards would leave a virtual hole in their surveillance for the span of two minutes, the two agents contented themselves with checking and rechecking their various equipments and weapons.

One of them retucked and secured strands of long brown hair, that could have given him away, but other than that, they hardly moved from their perch.

They had already memorized the pertinent information about such things as the layout of the warehouse, and needed no other preparation.

2000 UST

Putting on an extra burst of speed, two figures crouched low, raced down the open space and ducked into one of the open beds of a truck, with extra seconds to spare before the next round of guards came their way. They were in, and it was, as one of them would say had silence not been necessary, "It was a piece of cake."

Drawing their standard issue handguns just in case, they ducked, moved, covered, and just generally became two more shadows to add to the ones already surrounding the place.

Sabotage any possible weapon, and safety enough evidence, before its producers could possibly hide them, take away with them or even destroy them, then signaling the cavalry to arrive. That was their mission plan, and so far, it was going like clockwork.

They would probably be back at their apartment, just in time to catch the latest newsreel, before they sign off for the day.

2017 UST

They came upon another corridor, and with a quick flick of the fingers decided who would cover whom as they checked each room for potential guards, technicians, scientists, weapons, and the like.

The warehouse was surprisingly big on the inside, though it did not look like much on an outer view.

With an inaudible sigh from one, they went to their respective tasks with the ease of a long-time partnership.

2017:35 UST

Door number 8 just turned out to be as empty as the previous doors, and they still had a long way to go.

However, they would not let their guards down, even in this deserted place. Experience taught them the potentiality for an ambush at any point and at any time. It was what made them one of the Agency's best teams.

2017:48 UST

They tightened their grip on the handle of their guns, as they checked yet another door.

2017:55 UST

Finally, they were past the corridor, and was now currently looking at the junction that could lead them to the main room of the warehouse, where even at this distance, they could still hear various machineries moving, technicians walking and talking, and the occasional blowtorch sizzling in the air.

With a look, they both started towards the open room.

2017:59 UST

"Preventers! Freeze! Drop your weapons and -" Agents Yuy and Maxwell stated simultaneously, while at both ends and entrances of the warehouse, other agents were shouting similar statements.

Mission accomplished.

2018 UST

And the world... warped.

*****

Ehehehe. How do you like that? ^-^

Don't worry the next chapter is already in the works, so this won't hopefully end up as hanging as my other fics. (*Dusts them* and repeats mantra "I will continue them. I will continue them. I will-")

Whoo. Anybody interested in this story? Then please R&R! I would love to hear your comments about this, suggestions, and even criticisms. Just be gentle with me as I am frail of heart. Koff. Yeah.

Oh, and in the eventuality that any of you had read PDA, I would just like to announce that it is finished, should you have missed it. Grins.

Arigatou.

Notes:

[1] UST - United Sphere Time, completely made up, to assume that both the colonies and the Earth follow the same time frame. If one does exist in the GW story, please do inform me.