warnings: AU, OOC, (mention of) torture, some general nastiness
spoilers: uh... mild EW spoiler?
disclaimer: If the word "if" didn't exist, I'd be a millionaire, I'd have a job, and I'd own the G-boys.
Unfortunately, it does. *grumbles* Life just isn't fair, eh?
Lucifer: yeah, damn right, it isn't.
Azrael: Life is hard and injust, and it always ends in my embrace.
Larian: Ah, does that mean I'm dead? *cuddles a little closer to Azra-chan*
Lucifer: *snort*
Key: ah, you know the drill. "spoken text", 'thoughts'
_______________________
DELICATE CHINA
By ShinimegamisScythe
Chapter one
"Preventers Yui and Maxwell, you are expected at the commander's office!"
the loudspeaker blared through the building.
Heero and Duo, who had been at the workout area, looked at each other.
"What did you do this time, baka?" Heero looked at Duo with a mock-scowl.
"Why do you always think it was _me_ who did something wrong?" Duo whined,
equally mocking.
Grinning at each other, they hurried to Lady Une's office, both still in
their workout-clothes.
After a frosty "Come in." they entered, and stood in front of her desk.
"Yui, Maxwell, I trust you to know that Preventer Chang has not reported
back for over two weeks now?"
Heero and Duo looked at each other, then simultaneously nodded.
"Yes, we know. Any news?" Heero inquired.
Une stared at him sourly. "Unfortunately not. However, some people here
seem to think that he ... has changed sides, and might have sided with
the group he has been sent to investigate."
"That's _bullshit_!" Duo blurted out, but snapped his mouth shut when
Une glared at him.
"I _know_ that Maxwell. However, the rumor is spreading throughout HQ,
and some people think me a blue-eyed idiot, if I don't send someone to
investigate. I want the two of you to go after him. I believe that
something must have happened to him, I have no other explanation why he
wouldn't make contact in so long."
Heero and Duo nodded.
"Well then, you're dismissed. I trust you to find him."
When the two were about to leave the room, Une called them back.
"I... you should know that Chang is not the first agent who... disappeared
there... we lost five agents before him..."
"What???" Duo exploded. "Why didn't we know about that?"
"That's classified, Maxwell. I _couldn't_ tell you. Now get your asses
in gear, I'm waiting for results."
When Duo and Heero had finally left the office, she quietly muttered "Sally
will have my hide if I don't get her baby-boy back to her soon..."
-*-
twenty minutes later, Duo's & Heero's appartment
"Geez, I really hope that 'Fei is in some kind of trouble..." Duo muttered
while stuffing clothes into his duffel bag, earning a disbelieving glare
from his friend.
"_What_ did you just say?"
"Ah, I mean, it would really suck if we turned up just to realize that our
arrival blew his cover. I mean, it's well possible that he worked himself
so well into the organisation, that he really had no possibility contacting
HQ without blowing his cover."
"Ah." Heero nodded. "We will handle this case with extreme caution. I am
sure that nothing will happen to Chang, if he's still under cover."
When they were both done packing, Heero spread a map of Bremen on the table.
"Okay, we know that he booked a room at the Maritim Hotel. Let's check in
there as well, and try to find out which room was his."
"Okay, I'll book us a double."
"Wait, Heero. I _think_ whe should get single rooms. Wouldn't want to be
looked down on as fags, ne?"
Heero hesitated, then agreed. He knew that Duo wouldn't really mind, but
he himself was rather uncomfortable being thought of as gay. He was, after
all, engaged. And Relena would rip off his head, if such rumors got to her
ears.
32 hours later, they arrived at Bremen airport and stood at the baggage band-conveyor.
(hope I got the word right... *shrugs*)
Two hours later, they still stood there. _Without_ their luggage.
"Heero...?"
"Hn?"
"Shoot me..."
"Hn... baka."
"Okay okay, I'll shut up. Let's go pester the people about our stuff, 'kay."
"...'Kay."
The clerk they complained to was sympathetic and promised to call when they
found out the whereabouts of the boys' stuff. Duo gave them the number of the hotel.
"We'll be at the Maritim Hotel rooms 135 and 118, right?"
Heero nodded and the airport-clerk wrote the information down.
"We are _rea-lly_ sorry, sirs. I wish you a good time here in Bremen none the less."
The man told them.
They left the airport and hailed a taxi.
"Ne, Hee-chan?"
"What?"
"Our first day here in Germany is rather sucky, eh?"
"Hn."
"Yeah. Let's go buy some clothes after we checked in, okay?"
"yeah."
"Are you tired? Or worried?"
"Hn? Why?"
"You're back to monosyllables."
"... hn. Both."
"oh...'kay."
They were silent for the rest of the drive.
At the hotel, they checked in, and after the friendly lady at the reception had told
them how to get to the city, with the friendly hint that the shops would close in one
and a half hours, the two boys marched into town, glad that they were getting some fresh air.
After each of them had bought enough clothes to get them over at least four days, they
returned to the hotel, from where Heero called Lady Une.
"We have arrived, but our baggage hasn't." he reported sourly. "Tomorrow we'll begin
reconnaissance." After the phone call, both dove into dinner with great appetite, since the
food on the flight had 'tasted like shit', as Duo had so eloquently put it.
The next day, Heero and Duo started to ask the guests and employees about Wufei, and some
recognised the 'cute Chinese' on the photo Duo had brought along.
"Oh, yes, I remember him. A really polite young man." An elderly woman said, smiling
slightly. "He sometimes sat at the same table than I, he always held my chair when I was
sitting down. But sadly I haven't seen him here for quite some time." She sighed. "I told
him that he would get into bad company, always cruising through the 'Viertel'[1]." She shook
her head in that motherly-worried way old women often had.
"The 'Viertel'?" Duo asked, coloring his voice with worry. "What's that?"
"Ah, it's a rather... bad neighbourhood. You know, _drug-dealers_, and, and ... _prostitutes_ "
she explained in a hushed voice.
"That's strange. That is not the kind of area he usually hangs out..." Duo said, and
Heero nodded. They had claimed that they had had an appointment with their best friend at
this hotel, and that they were worried because he had not shown up.
"Yes, yes, I thought so as well. He's such a __nice_ boy." The woman agreed, losing interest
in the two boys when she noticed the person she had been waiting for entering the hotel-bar.
They asked a couple of other people, but they all told them the same. Overall a nice guy,
though he seemed to have an unhealthy attitude about women, had been seen in the 'Viertel'
a few times, then just... stopped... coming back to the hotel.
After Heero and Duo found out that the "Viertel", which was actually the local abbreviation
for "Steintorvierte", was a part of the eastern districts of the town, they easily found their
way there.
"Maa, it's actually quite nice here, ne?" Duo said, as he looked at the old houses, which
looked really nice.
"Yeah, if it wasn't for the people here..." Heero more or less agreed, watching from the
corner of his eye how a young woman bought drugs from a dirty-looking man.
"Yeah, you're right." Duo sighed.
Their first day ended without them having found any clue. So they decided to get some general
information about the Viertel later. With his usual charming personality, Duo easily got into
conversation with a cute waitress at the hotel bar.
"Infos about the Viertel. Hmm... sure thing, cutie. Invite me to dinner when my shift is over,
and I tell you everything I know. Deal?" Duo returned her grin. "Deal, if my buddy here can
come with us." She looked Heero up and down, then her grin widened. "Sure thing. He's cute, too."
With that, she winked at Heero and disappeared to resume her work.
"Duo."
"Eh?"
"Omae o korosu."
"Ha ha, very funny. She's not that bad, is she?"
"She is."
"Why?"
"She..."
"She?"
"She mumblemumble"
"What? I didn't quite catch that."
"She grabbed my ass." Heero finally hissed into Duo's ear, who in turn had to laugh so hard that
his Kiba [2] came up through his nose.
"Ugh... disgusting." He muttered as he wiped his nose on a tissue. "And that was _not_ funny."
He added, glaring at the grinning bartender.
Later that evening, Duo and Heero sat in a small Bistro nearbye, together with the waitress who
had introduced herself as Jill.
"So, cutie, what exactly do you want to know about the Viertel?" she asked, as they were waiting
for their food to arrive.
"Well, actually, we'd like to have some... background info..." Duo began hesitatingly. "You know,
like, what kind of people live there, what kind of people work there, what kind of... stuff...
goes on there..."
Jill looked at him sharply. "If you give me an honest answer _why_ you want to know these think,
I'll think about what I can tell you."
"I... we..." he looked at Heero, who quietly nodded. They were grasping at straws here. "A friend
of ours has gone missing, and he was last seen frequenting that area."
"Oh! I... understand. This friend of yours, is she pretty?"
"No, he's like, fucking gorgeous!" Duo burst out, then slapped his mouth and blushed crimson. From
the corner of his eye, he watched Heero's reaction, but the Japanese boy seemed as stoic as ever.
"Ah, heh heh... nichts für ungut[3]..."
Jill was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking. "Well... I know that there have been quite some
gang-wars going on there, but I can't tell you who fought whom and who won, because I'm not really
in the scene there. I have a contact there, though, and she _might_ be able to help you."
tbc
-------------------------------
[1] Viertel = neighbourhood, quarter
The "Viertel"; it's the "Steintor-viertel", acutally a nice area in Bremen, but the red-light district
is there, and a lot of drug-dealings are going on there as well.
[2] "KiBa" = "KirschBanane" = mixed cherry and banana-juice (non-alcoholic ^_^)
[3] "Nichts für ungut." - no hard feelings; no offence, no offence meant
======================================
Well, that's it for now. Liked it? Hated it? C&C is welcome ^__^
Scythe
spoilers: uh... mild EW spoiler?
disclaimer: If the word "if" didn't exist, I'd be a millionaire, I'd have a job, and I'd own the G-boys.
Unfortunately, it does. *grumbles* Life just isn't fair, eh?
Lucifer: yeah, damn right, it isn't.
Azrael: Life is hard and injust, and it always ends in my embrace.
Larian: Ah, does that mean I'm dead? *cuddles a little closer to Azra-chan*
Lucifer: *snort*
Key: ah, you know the drill. "spoken text", 'thoughts'
_______________________
DELICATE CHINA
By ShinimegamisScythe
Chapter one
"Preventers Yui and Maxwell, you are expected at the commander's office!"
the loudspeaker blared through the building.
Heero and Duo, who had been at the workout area, looked at each other.
"What did you do this time, baka?" Heero looked at Duo with a mock-scowl.
"Why do you always think it was _me_ who did something wrong?" Duo whined,
equally mocking.
Grinning at each other, they hurried to Lady Une's office, both still in
their workout-clothes.
After a frosty "Come in." they entered, and stood in front of her desk.
"Yui, Maxwell, I trust you to know that Preventer Chang has not reported
back for over two weeks now?"
Heero and Duo looked at each other, then simultaneously nodded.
"Yes, we know. Any news?" Heero inquired.
Une stared at him sourly. "Unfortunately not. However, some people here
seem to think that he ... has changed sides, and might have sided with
the group he has been sent to investigate."
"That's _bullshit_!" Duo blurted out, but snapped his mouth shut when
Une glared at him.
"I _know_ that Maxwell. However, the rumor is spreading throughout HQ,
and some people think me a blue-eyed idiot, if I don't send someone to
investigate. I want the two of you to go after him. I believe that
something must have happened to him, I have no other explanation why he
wouldn't make contact in so long."
Heero and Duo nodded.
"Well then, you're dismissed. I trust you to find him."
When the two were about to leave the room, Une called them back.
"I... you should know that Chang is not the first agent who... disappeared
there... we lost five agents before him..."
"What???" Duo exploded. "Why didn't we know about that?"
"That's classified, Maxwell. I _couldn't_ tell you. Now get your asses
in gear, I'm waiting for results."
When Duo and Heero had finally left the office, she quietly muttered "Sally
will have my hide if I don't get her baby-boy back to her soon..."
-*-
twenty minutes later, Duo's & Heero's appartment
"Geez, I really hope that 'Fei is in some kind of trouble..." Duo muttered
while stuffing clothes into his duffel bag, earning a disbelieving glare
from his friend.
"_What_ did you just say?"
"Ah, I mean, it would really suck if we turned up just to realize that our
arrival blew his cover. I mean, it's well possible that he worked himself
so well into the organisation, that he really had no possibility contacting
HQ without blowing his cover."
"Ah." Heero nodded. "We will handle this case with extreme caution. I am
sure that nothing will happen to Chang, if he's still under cover."
When they were both done packing, Heero spread a map of Bremen on the table.
"Okay, we know that he booked a room at the Maritim Hotel. Let's check in
there as well, and try to find out which room was his."
"Okay, I'll book us a double."
"Wait, Heero. I _think_ whe should get single rooms. Wouldn't want to be
looked down on as fags, ne?"
Heero hesitated, then agreed. He knew that Duo wouldn't really mind, but
he himself was rather uncomfortable being thought of as gay. He was, after
all, engaged. And Relena would rip off his head, if such rumors got to her
ears.
32 hours later, they arrived at Bremen airport and stood at the baggage band-conveyor.
(hope I got the word right... *shrugs*)
Two hours later, they still stood there. _Without_ their luggage.
"Heero...?"
"Hn?"
"Shoot me..."
"Hn... baka."
"Okay okay, I'll shut up. Let's go pester the people about our stuff, 'kay."
"...'Kay."
The clerk they complained to was sympathetic and promised to call when they
found out the whereabouts of the boys' stuff. Duo gave them the number of the hotel.
"We'll be at the Maritim Hotel rooms 135 and 118, right?"
Heero nodded and the airport-clerk wrote the information down.
"We are _rea-lly_ sorry, sirs. I wish you a good time here in Bremen none the less."
The man told them.
They left the airport and hailed a taxi.
"Ne, Hee-chan?"
"What?"
"Our first day here in Germany is rather sucky, eh?"
"Hn."
"Yeah. Let's go buy some clothes after we checked in, okay?"
"yeah."
"Are you tired? Or worried?"
"Hn? Why?"
"You're back to monosyllables."
"... hn. Both."
"oh...'kay."
They were silent for the rest of the drive.
At the hotel, they checked in, and after the friendly lady at the reception had told
them how to get to the city, with the friendly hint that the shops would close in one
and a half hours, the two boys marched into town, glad that they were getting some fresh air.
After each of them had bought enough clothes to get them over at least four days, they
returned to the hotel, from where Heero called Lady Une.
"We have arrived, but our baggage hasn't." he reported sourly. "Tomorrow we'll begin
reconnaissance." After the phone call, both dove into dinner with great appetite, since the
food on the flight had 'tasted like shit', as Duo had so eloquently put it.
The next day, Heero and Duo started to ask the guests and employees about Wufei, and some
recognised the 'cute Chinese' on the photo Duo had brought along.
"Oh, yes, I remember him. A really polite young man." An elderly woman said, smiling
slightly. "He sometimes sat at the same table than I, he always held my chair when I was
sitting down. But sadly I haven't seen him here for quite some time." She sighed. "I told
him that he would get into bad company, always cruising through the 'Viertel'[1]." She shook
her head in that motherly-worried way old women often had.
"The 'Viertel'?" Duo asked, coloring his voice with worry. "What's that?"
"Ah, it's a rather... bad neighbourhood. You know, _drug-dealers_, and, and ... _prostitutes_ "
she explained in a hushed voice.
"That's strange. That is not the kind of area he usually hangs out..." Duo said, and
Heero nodded. They had claimed that they had had an appointment with their best friend at
this hotel, and that they were worried because he had not shown up.
"Yes, yes, I thought so as well. He's such a __nice_ boy." The woman agreed, losing interest
in the two boys when she noticed the person she had been waiting for entering the hotel-bar.
They asked a couple of other people, but they all told them the same. Overall a nice guy,
though he seemed to have an unhealthy attitude about women, had been seen in the 'Viertel'
a few times, then just... stopped... coming back to the hotel.
After Heero and Duo found out that the "Viertel", which was actually the local abbreviation
for "Steintorvierte", was a part of the eastern districts of the town, they easily found their
way there.
"Maa, it's actually quite nice here, ne?" Duo said, as he looked at the old houses, which
looked really nice.
"Yeah, if it wasn't for the people here..." Heero more or less agreed, watching from the
corner of his eye how a young woman bought drugs from a dirty-looking man.
"Yeah, you're right." Duo sighed.
Their first day ended without them having found any clue. So they decided to get some general
information about the Viertel later. With his usual charming personality, Duo easily got into
conversation with a cute waitress at the hotel bar.
"Infos about the Viertel. Hmm... sure thing, cutie. Invite me to dinner when my shift is over,
and I tell you everything I know. Deal?" Duo returned her grin. "Deal, if my buddy here can
come with us." She looked Heero up and down, then her grin widened. "Sure thing. He's cute, too."
With that, she winked at Heero and disappeared to resume her work.
"Duo."
"Eh?"
"Omae o korosu."
"Ha ha, very funny. She's not that bad, is she?"
"She is."
"Why?"
"She..."
"She?"
"She mumblemumble"
"What? I didn't quite catch that."
"She grabbed my ass." Heero finally hissed into Duo's ear, who in turn had to laugh so hard that
his Kiba [2] came up through his nose.
"Ugh... disgusting." He muttered as he wiped his nose on a tissue. "And that was _not_ funny."
He added, glaring at the grinning bartender.
Later that evening, Duo and Heero sat in a small Bistro nearbye, together with the waitress who
had introduced herself as Jill.
"So, cutie, what exactly do you want to know about the Viertel?" she asked, as they were waiting
for their food to arrive.
"Well, actually, we'd like to have some... background info..." Duo began hesitatingly. "You know,
like, what kind of people live there, what kind of people work there, what kind of... stuff...
goes on there..."
Jill looked at him sharply. "If you give me an honest answer _why_ you want to know these think,
I'll think about what I can tell you."
"I... we..." he looked at Heero, who quietly nodded. They were grasping at straws here. "A friend
of ours has gone missing, and he was last seen frequenting that area."
"Oh! I... understand. This friend of yours, is she pretty?"
"No, he's like, fucking gorgeous!" Duo burst out, then slapped his mouth and blushed crimson. From
the corner of his eye, he watched Heero's reaction, but the Japanese boy seemed as stoic as ever.
"Ah, heh heh... nichts für ungut[3]..."
Jill was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking. "Well... I know that there have been quite some
gang-wars going on there, but I can't tell you who fought whom and who won, because I'm not really
in the scene there. I have a contact there, though, and she _might_ be able to help you."
tbc
-------------------------------
[1] Viertel = neighbourhood, quarter
The "Viertel"; it's the "Steintor-viertel", acutally a nice area in Bremen, but the red-light district
is there, and a lot of drug-dealings are going on there as well.
[2] "KiBa" = "KirschBanane" = mixed cherry and banana-juice (non-alcoholic ^_^)
[3] "Nichts für ungut." - no hard feelings; no offence, no offence meant
======================================
Well, that's it for now. Liked it? Hated it? C&C is welcome ^__^
Scythe