Short little ficlet that hit while I was trying to go to sleep a couple nights ago. It takes place over the course episode three and a little of my own interpritation of what may have happened after the cameras turned off...
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Duo sauntered down the street, pack slung over his left shoulder, a long, black stick in his right hand. He smiled to himself as he approached the military hospital.
It wasn't too much like him to go out of his way for a guy who'd tried to kill him (forgetting, of course, that he himself had actaully fired the first shot...), but the this kid intrueged him. His intense cobalt eyes, lean, tense figure, sharp, meaningful voice- Duo had to admit that there was more than just general curioustity on his mind. Also, the fact that the guy was obviously a Gundam pilot as well played on the braided boy's mind.
Didn't know I'd have company, he mused, slipping in the side entrance where the ambulances brought people in. Not that I mind. He turned up a long corridor, following the signs that said "MAIN SECURITY OFFICE".
Leaning lamely on his "crutch", Duo smiled at a cute blond nurse as she strolled by him. She smiled back. People here are so trusting, he thought. They see a guy with a crutch and assume he should be here. Stupid. The Allience is so easy to fool. Unfortunately, OZ is the target. Ah, here we go, he concluded, stopping in front of the security office door.
The handle turned easily and the door swung open silently. Before it had come to a stop, bouncing lightly against the rubber door stop, every man in the room was out cold from the small gas canister Duo had rolled under the main desk. He covered his own face with a damp cloth until the smoke cleared.
"Sweet dreams," he chuckled, toeing one of the sleeping officers. Duo moved to the main monitor, flipping from one setting to the next until the mysterious boy's face appeared on the screen.
Duo chuckled a little. "Even a man like you knows when to keep silent. I'm sure you're a well trained soldier like myself. You must be able to read my lips, right? What a guy! You've been awake all this time without changing your pulse or breathing pattern. Impressive. I'd like to ask you some questions. And if you'd like, I'll help you get out of here."
It took only a few mintues for Duo to find the room he was looking for. He pushed open a utility closet door adjastent to the room and taped a small explosive to the wall. "Won't take the building down, but it should get someone's attention," he muttered, chuckling softly."Here goes." He tripped the timer button and ducked out into the hallway.
10 second later there was a huge hole in the wall, several siren going off, and frantic people dashing through the halls. "Time to liven things up," he announced, stepping through the hole. He looked at the solid straps holding the boy down. "Damn! How does this work?" Duo knelt, knife in hand, about to try to cut away the ankle restraints.
Suddenly a bloody hand was thrust in front of his face. "Just give me the knife. I can do it."
"Huh? Hey, what'd you do to your hand-" He passed the knife to the other boy, shaking his head. "You got some guts kid," he commented, watching as lean muscle flexed to cut away the bands. This guy is something else...
Once the bands had been cut the two boys ran out of the room. Duo, always one to plan, was gald they didn't have to go far before finding an outside wall. The doctors couldn't have put the boy in a better room.
"This way!" Duo pulled out any other small explosive and threw it at the outside wall. The two boys dove to the ground. The explosion shook the building and left a gaping hole in the wall, much as the previous one had. They were back up emmideately. The braided boy tossed the other pilot the pack- a parachute- he'd been carrying.
Duo jumped out the window followed closely by the other boy who had slipped the parachute over his shoulders. Tripping the switch on the handle of his "crutch", Duo felt the air rush up past him as his thermal-copter was activated.
Looking around Duo suddenly realized that the other boy hadn't opened the parachute yet. "Hey, what are you doing? Open the parachute, hurry! Hey! What are you doing? Bastard! Damn, don't waste any more time!" he yelled. This is gonna be bad...
"Heeeeerrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!"
The dark pilot suddenly jerked the parachute open.
Duo winced. "It's way too late now!" He watched as the limp body crashed into the jagged cliffside and bounced and rolled down to the sand.. There's no way he servived that, Duo thought, studying the still form several yards below.
Duo nearly choked as the boy stood, stumbled slightly, and steadied himself.
"What is that guy?" He landed lightly and dropped the thermo-copter. Jogging over to where the other boy stood he looked on as Howard's boat trawled towards the shore.
"I know you'd rather die... But if you couldn't die after all that, you'd better come up with a really good way to kill yourself," Duo said as he came to a stop by the boy. The dark-haired pilot turned his head away slightly. Letting out a sigh, half relief, half exasperated, Duo wrapped his arm around the boy, supporting his obviously injured leg. "I know it may sound corny, but all you can do right now is to trust me."
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Duo had just finished pulling both Gundams up out of the water. They were both severly damaged, but still in whole pieces, at least. That guy must have really wanted to get rid of that thing, he mused.
"There it is. It's all yours, now. At least, show me a little appreciation. What are you doing?" Duo looked over his shoulder.
**CRACKCRACKCRACK!!**
"I've had enough. Who else treats his own broken bones? Please... I just had my lunch."
The boy stood and walked slowly over to look at his mobil suit. Duo gazed at the boy's back. He is definantly one of a kind. Yeah, there's the words for him. I think. Duo climbed out of the crane and waked over to stand bside his new friend. "If you want Howard and the guys can help you fix up your suit."
The dark boy looked at him with intense eyes. "You trust them with yours?"
"I'd trust Howard with my life," he replied, smiling openly.
The boy narrowed his eyes at Duo. "That doesn't mean a damn thing to me. For all I know, you're suicidal."
Duo just stared as the boy sauntered away. "Wha- Me?"
THE END...
