SR: HEYYYYYYY!!!! OMG I cam sooooooo sorry that this has taken so freaking long for me to update!

Leikaru: Yeah, sorry about that. She's been helping me update. Giving me ideas along with my muses.

SR: Though, I can't say that either of us have been rather productive.....

L: No... We haven't... Anyway, she doesn't own anything. And she definitely doesn't own me. I exist in the real world. I'm just lending a hand.

SR: Now, please read and forgive the short update and long interval????

Caught off guard for a mere moment, Duo stared open mouthed at the male before him who had morphed from a bird to the person who stood before him. He closed his mouth with a huff when the other's smirk deepened and a husky laugh escaped from slight, upturned lips. He crossed his arms as he stared at the man who called himself Heero Yuy, and gave the other a once over, deciding that he approved from the tips of the dark leather boots, traveling up long, sturdy legs that were cloaked in deep blue breeches, to the thick belt that hung off the hips with a jaunty tilt from the weight of the sword that hung from it, and then all the way up a muscular abdomen and chest clothed in a cream billowy shirt. From there he assessed that those cobalt eyes and that messy chocolate hair just completed the ensemble.

"Well, don't you look smug Mr, 'I can turn into a falcon'." Duo spoke jokingly, just causing the other to smile and shake his head slightly. From the bed, Wufei chuckled in amusement as he watched the two interact. There was a peaceful look on his face as he looked at the Deathscythe's captain, and merely nodded in response to the two captain's requested that he stay put in the cabin. He thought quietly to himself as the two left, that perhaps it was a good thing that Heero and Duo had met. He had never seen his captain laugh so readily in the presence of one he had met so briefly.

Starboardstarboardstarboardstarboardstarboardstarboard

On deck, the crew was a flurry of activity as the two captains made their way to the helm, and only paused long enough to allow for the shouting blonde to catch up to the two. A hearty clap on Duo's back came along with a sharp bark of affectionate laughter from Solo as he matched his pace to the other males'. "Well Captain, I'm guessing that this person here is that falcon you had in your cabin a few moments ago?" a small nod a quiet snort were his answer. "I thought as much when I saw you in there. I've only known one other person to be able to do that, though it makes me wonder if you know them, but my guess is that you'll deny it even if you do know them."

"You guess correctly, on that." A small nudge from Duo and Solo refrained from asking further, and Heero turned his gaze to the long haired captain as they finally stopped at their destination. "So you're Duo Maxwell? If you're the Duo Maxwell that I'm thinking of, then Treize has a grudge against you a mile long." He turned an awkward smile towards indigo gaze. "Something you and I have in common." There was a moment as Duo pondered those words, before he clapped his hands together in recognition.

"Ahah! So you're THAT Heero Yuy!" a sharp burst of laughter flew from Duo as he turned his head towards the crows next, looked for a moment, and then shouted; "TROWA!" Heero looked at the other captain in shock for a moment before whipping his head towards the shape that flipped end over end as it hurtled from the top of the mast, before landing lightly in front of Duo. The man that stood before them now, stood as tall as Solo, topping both of the captains' heights as he looked questioningly at the shorter of the two captains. "I believe that I have found the person that I promised to help you find." Duo gestured towards Heero, and the two just stared at each other for a moment before the grasped each other's forearms.

"It's good to see you again Captain." Heero nodded in affirmative to the words that Trowa spoke. The two released each other.

"So you've been here all along?" a nod in confirmation and Heero continued on. "Many feared you dead when you went over board during that last storm." Trowa nodded once more before launching into the story of how he had nearly feared himself when the Deathscythe came across him as the waves threatened to toss him even deeper into the ocean, and how Duo had actually jumped into the rolling death trap to pull him from the ocean and the safety of the sturdy ship. He had been on the ship for almost a fortnight, and had found a great respect for the captain of the Deathscythe and the two had forged an odd, but functional friendship. Heero gazed at Duo from the corner of his eyes, a newfound respect for the indigo eyed captain deep within him. Two crew members had been taken from him and twice, this man had rescued them and had kept them healthy and happy, to the point where he had offered to track down the other ship so that he could return them to their proper captain. He smiled gently, taking Trowa by surprise as he had never seen such an expression on his captain's face, before turning back to speak to the taller man, before a sharp cry of surprise and pain caused all the ship to become deathly still, all eyes fixated on the doubled over captain while Solo glared at the person responsible.

"Mueller! The hell do you think you're doing!?" the blonde gripped the smaller male to him protectively as Duo started to slid to the deck. Solo lowered them gently so that no further injury would befall the bleeding captain. The culprit before them, a knife bloody to the handle grasped firmly in his hand, and an almost triumphant look in his eyes. "He took you in, even knowing that you'd been a part of Trieze's crew! Hell! He's taken bullets for you, you ungrateful son of a bitch!" at these words, Heero felt himself grow angry with vengeful thoughts as he watched the traitor merely stare coldly at the now shuddering captain.

"It serves him right for trying to disobey Master Trieze." He looked over the entire ship. "This is what happens when you try to cross Master Trieze!" he lifted the bloody dagger, every person on the ship fixated the dripping blade. "This blade was tipped with a potent poison! It was specially made for you, Captain." Mueller sneered as he spoke directly to the bleeding Duo. "There's no antidote, and no one has ever survived thi-"

Mueller never finished what he was saying for, at that moment, a throwing knife embedded itself within his forehead, a scimitar pierced through his neck nearly beheading him, and a rapier cut deep into his stomach, and pulled upwards. He was dead before he hit the ground with an audible thud, and Heero removed his rapier, Wufei his scimitar, and Trowa his throwing knife.

"Dishonourable cur." Wufei spat as he carefully held his wounded abdomen, before making his way to the now coughing male. Trowa and Heero followed closely behind, and all three kneeled in front of the dying captain. Duo's eyes were lightly clenched in pain, on hand stalling the bleeding while the other lay uselessly on the ground, a tight fist made from pain.

Solo looked at them hopelessly.

SR: Well... there ya have it. Hopefully I'll have the next part up relatively soon.