Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the Characters

Author Note: A bit of a short chapter, it was hard coming up with material at the time. Hopefully you like!

Duo had had a long day, and he was looking forward to getting home and getting some sleep. Though he might have had the day off from the Preventers, he still found his stress levels nearing the roof.

It didn't help that he thought he was going crazy.

He couldn't explain it either; one minute he was fine, the next he felt like he had been running for his life, or trying to escape someone. His heart would start pounding for no reason, and he would hear voices shouting at him. At one point, he could have sworn he smelled that familiar and unsettling scent of a hospital.

That had just been yesterday. Then there were the dreams.

How his insanity affected his senses, he wasn't really sure. All he knew was he needed some sleep.

And hopefully, with this new medication, he would get some.

Unfortunately, his stressful day wasn't over when he found a certain Perfect Soldier standing next to his door when he got back to his motel room.

Great. He would have to move again.

So he did what he did best. Plastered on a bright smile and no-care attitude. "Hey Heero! Dropping by for some free time?" He winked.

As usual, Heero ignored him(either because he didn't get it or he was purposely ignoring it, Duo didn't know). "Wufei tells me you've been having problems lately."

Damn that Chang... Duo thought to himself. He didn't let the smile slip. "Ah you know, job hunting. Motel hopping. It can be stressful."

"What about the Preventers makes you suspicious?"

Good ole Heero, always jumping right to the point. He could poke someone's eye out with that. "Suspicious?" Duo might not have liked to lie, but he was an expert at evading the truth. "Can you elaborate?" And playing dumb.

Heero studied him intently, but Duo held his blasé attitude. "Wufei believes you are investigating the Preventers."

"Why would I be investigating the Preventers?"

Heero paused. He must have sensed Duo's evasiveness and took it as suspicious. But Duo wasn't talking, and pretty much spilling the whole thing was the only way to get some answers. That was Duo's intent. "Because they've been recruiting 20 percent more than normal."

Duo whistled. If anything, he was actually getting some information out of this. "That's impressive. Why?"

"Don't play dumb. You're a Gundam Pilot, you can't possibly say you didn't notice." He was getting tired of his oblivious attitude. He knew Duo pretty well, for what it was worth. He knew when Duo was spinning the conversation to make himself look dumb and get the most information out of the other person.

"Really? You think so highly of me." Duo cooed. Teasing Heero was not only fun, but an effective tool to use when getting out of tough spots.

"Answer the question Duo." Unfortunately, it sometimes didn't work on Heero.

"Alright, alright." Duo said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I can't say I didn't notice, because come on, who wouldn't?" He answered honestly. "But that doesn't mean I'm spying on the Preventers." That also didn't mean he wasn't. "I am just honestly looking for a job." Which was true. "Ever since I left Hilde, I've had a hard time keeping a job." Which was also true.

And hopefully enough to satisfy Heero. "Hn." Duo inwardly congratulated himself. He knew that response; it meant Heero was considering it. "It's probably nothing to be worried about, veterans need jobs just like anyone else."

"I hear ya." He was surprised Heero was defending them.

"But if you notice anything else odd, tell me."

Duo eyed him. He didn't know if Heero was being helpful, or if he had his own agenda. Either way, Heero wasn't the type to be a lap dog, and wouldn't stand by if the Preventers were actually building a military force. "Will do." He saluted his friend, then took his key card out to unlock his door. Heero nodded to him and left, and he finally closed the door behind him, taking a breath of relief.

Now he had to worry about Wufei.

.xxx.

Elle had trouble concentrating. Not because she was sitting on the nose of the shuttle, cross-legged and meditating. It was from the loud drilling near the back.

She sighed, giving up. She hopped down, which was quite a jump, and landed gracefully on the ground. She headed over to the back side of the shuttle, where Mihn was taking apart the right wing for repair. "Need any help?"

Mihn stopped her drilling and looked at Elle, giving her an incredulous look through her goggles. "You think you can help?"

Elle looked around the damaged parts of the shuttle, completely unfazed. "Just point and tell me what to do."

Mihn shrugged. "Okay… See that hatch over there? I need you to open it and look for the C2 cable."

"Uh..." Elle did as instructed, pulling down a hatch near her and looking at a multitude of wires and cables. "Which one is the C2 cable?"

"It's orange."

Elle looked around. "Okay, found it, what do I need to do?"

"Pull it out and follow it to where it's connected. Then find the red cable and switch them."

Elle looked around. "I don't see a red cable."

"It should be right there."

"Well it's not."

"It's red and says C57 on it." Sighed Mihn. "It's not rocket science." She mumbled to herself.

But Elle heard her, and gave her a look. "Actually, it is rocket science..."

Mihn stopped, then looked at her. "Find the damn cord."

Elle sighed and looked around, finally finding the red cable. She pulled on it, pulling it out and finding it disconnected already, wires frayed about. "It's been cut."

Mihn sighed. "Do you know how to splice a wire?"

"Do I look like I know rocket science?"

"Nevermind, go meditate or something."

"I was, but you're being too loud."

"Shouldn't you be able to zen out or something?"

Elle looked at her blankly. "What?" Did the Asian just say something racist? Looking from the outside of the conversation, it would have been a strange sight.

Mihn shook her head. "Never mind. I'm going to need parts to repair this anyway."

"I saw a few junk yards a couple miles away."

Mihn looked at her. "How?"

"You know how the colony rotates up? I could see it from a distance."

"Oh. But you don't know what I need."

"I can at least find the place for you. And you can show me what I need to get."

"You see this?" She pulled out a large metal thruster-looking contraption, with a fan inside. "I need this."

Elle saluted. "Aye, aye, captain." She nodded to the girl, then headed out of the warehouse to find a junkyard.

.xxx.

Une sighed as she made it back to her desk that afternoon. Her day had been booked with meeting after meeting, starting with new recruits, then with the President, then a vidcom meeting with her senior lieutenants heading to Mars. Tomorrow was booked as well. More meetings. It was hard to get missions assigned with all the boring delegation talk.

Being in peace was a good thing, but quite honestly, it was boring. It was why she made the Preventers(at the President's decision) in the first place. It was a way to keep in touch with her love of fighting.

Some saw it as unhealthy; she saw it as a mere hobby. As long as people weren't getting killed.

And that was the main objective of the Preventers. Jails were filling up though.

So when the President initiated expansion of the Preventers, she had been all for it. If they could get the veterans off the streets, they could decrease the amount of resistance to peace.

Because the biggest problem they faced, which had been brought up at almost every meeting, was the lack of jobs now that the war was over. The job market was suffering since the war, and it was all the Winner Corp and other organizations could do to keep the economy afloat.

One Delegate mentioned setting up trade again, but she wasn't really sure what he meant by that. Earth and the Colonies pretty much had the same resources. And whatever they didn't share, they didn't need.

Especially now that they didn't have weapons.

Une looked up when she saw her monitor beeping, seeing she had a call coming in. She opened her vidcom, seeing one of her personal new recruits who was doing undercover work for her, and nodded. "Joseph."

"Lady Une." Heagen saluted. "I have my report for you."

"Good, how was the mission?"

"Successful. Three of the White Fang members agreed to becoming Preventers. There were two others I had my eyes set on, but they haven't come forward yet."

"Very good. I would like those three sent here for recruitment and debriefing. Anything else?"

"The rebels are getting suspicious of the Preventers."

She raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"They're concerned with all the recruitment. They think we're setting up for military power to take over like the Alliance."

"That's nonsense. The President commanded this operation to help the job market for veterans. They should be grateful."

"Yes ma'am." He paused. "I have another matter to discuss."

She rubbed her temple. "And that would be?"

"The Sweeper Group, a rebel consulting group, is also keeping their eyes on the Preventers. They used to work with one of the scientists who built the Gundams."

"Oh...?" She had never heard of them, but if they worked with the scientists, she should have.

"They normally don't get involved, but instead let one of their members take care of the rebel work on his own."

"Who is that?"

"Duo Maxwell."

She narrowed her eyes. "Hmm. How much of a threat do you think they are?"

"The Sweepers? None. Duo, however, has joined with the Preventers recently to do his own investigating."

"We've got nothing to hide, so I don't see a problem."

"But if he feels the increase in recruitments are dangerous, you know he'll be targeting the Preventers."

"I have three other Gundam Pilots, I'm not worried."

"But they usually stick together. What if Duo convinces them to join him?"

That would be a problem. She had to think about this. Maybe she just needed to talk with Duo. "Thank you for the report. Keep me updated, and I'll let you know what I decide to do about it."

He saluted, "Yes ma'am." And ended the vidcom.

Une sat back to think about this new development. Why would a Gundam Pilot think they were setting up for military power? She figured from an outside perspective, it could look suspicious. But that's not what they were doing.

Right?

She would hate to think the President had that kind of ulterior motive, he was for peace and disarmament after all. Maybe she should have a talk with him herself, just to be sure.

R&R!