Chapter Ten: Revert

Heero was trying to organize his thoughts. He had realized that his fate was to be alone. He couldn't very well relate to a woman, let alone one like Relena who wanted peace through Pacifism or to Yuki, who was too common and innocent to love him. He had resolved his anger and his despair. He had come to the conclusion that he wasn't cut out for this kind of life; the peaceful, quiet, normal existence. He was bred for war. He was molded in the image of a perfect solider and even though he had not quite achieved perfection he was pretty damn close.

And so now his person was settled again. His thoughts had come into focus and his confidence in himself matched that of the first day of Operation Meteor. He had an objective now.

He would become a soldier again.

Even if it meant being the only one in the world. Even if it meant to be a lone soldier without an army, he would be a soldier and conduct himself as thus.

As he wandered the countryside he saw citizens of the world enjoying their freedoms. Little kids were riding bikes. Peddlers were selling their wares and farmers gathered their livestock under the warm, summer sun. They were oblivious of the danger they were in. Didn't they know that there was nothing to protect them. Pacifism didn't work. It had been proven in the past. At the moment the Pacifists had the upper hand but that was only because the opposing forces were waiting underground, building up their arsenals in preparation for a massive coup that would change the world order once more

And in the presence of this imminent danger the average citizen continued life as if nothing were happening. What would they do if threatened by a powerful force? They had no options. The Preventors were hard at work disassembling all armies, mercenary groups, and militias. In this way they believed that there would be total peace. How could people fight without weapons?

The reality was clear to Heero. Weapons weren't necessary for resistance. It was the free will of the individual to form resistance, and unless the forces that be could reign the desire to argue from those individuals there was no way to keep wars and disagreements from occurring

Peace was a temporary fix to a problem older than time itself. Man would find a way to rebel. It was only a matter of time. Many groups were secretly building arsonals in preparation for resistance. The Russian Rebel Movement that Duo had been taken by were trying to use Deathscythe's information to build a mobile suit. They were going to use force against the Pacifists to get what they wanted because negotiations were going nowhere.

Words were just not enough enough.

And, as Heero took the long trek through the woods home he decided he would be alone. He would lie in wait for the day that the world exploded into violence again. That day he would be needed and when it happened, he would be ready.

He got home just as the last few rays of sunlight graced the skies above. An owl hooted a greeting to him. He could hear the chipmunks scampering to hide in their hollow trees for the night. The air began to cool. He exchanged his shoes for house slippers and stepped inside his house. Having a home had lost its magic to him. Now it was only a place to sleep and store things.

He walked through the entryway to the common area. Duo was sitting at the table flipping through the latest issue of "Wild and Crazy Sport Bikers" magazine. The American pilot looked up at Heero as he entered and gave him a big grin. However, the grin didn't stay. Upon seeing the expression on Heero's face Duo's own happy smile began to fade away.

"I guess it didn't go so well, huh?" Duo asked hesitantly. The Japanese boy didn't say a word, just quirked a brow at his roommate before turning to walk into the bedroom. He could hear Duo shuffle to a stand and follow him. Immediately Heero began digging around in the duffle bag from the Russia trip to retrieve his new laptop. He hadn't touched it since Duo's rescue. He booted it up and sat down on his bed. He had no internet or telephone service but that wouldn't keep him from connecting to someone else's wireless signal. Once he found a suitable signal he unencrypted it and connected. Duo had bombarded him with questions about Yuki but Heero gave no response. Annoyed, the braided boy turned to vanish down the hall to leave the Japanese pilot to his hacking.

Heero worked diligently for hours. He hacked into the old Alliance mainframe and began to retrieve confidential data about OZ, the Treize Faction and The Specials. Much of this information was, strangely, loosely guarded. Many people felt the facts of the past weren't important now that total peace was achieved. For Heero it was vital. He began to study his former enemy's plans. Their mobile suits, beam cannon designs, shuttle records- everything he could get his hands on. The old information was soothing to him. It was something familiar, unlike the current civilian life around him.

Midnight came and went. Duo had padded into the bedroom and slipped wordlessly into his own bed. Ten minutes later the American was asleep. Heero's exceptional hearing detected Duo's slower, deep breaths even from beneath the other boy's covers. He continued to diligently search. He wasn't sure exactly what he was looking for. He just wanted to visit his past. He wanted to reflect on what he knew. Tactics, battles, maneuvers, mechanisms, and violence where familiar to him. They were his whole life.

With strained, tired eyes he glanced at the time stamp on his laptop.

3:45 AM.

He rolled his stiff shoulders and stifled a yawn with the back of his hand. He considered sleeping before glaring down at the laptop screen.

Just one more thing…

He began typing vigorously on the keys. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the task at hand. It took him another hour before he pulled forth an unnamed file on the screen. He had found the backup data from Wing 0. When OZ was attempting to replicate the zero system they had retrieved all files from Wing. All of his battle records, bullet counts, voice recordings and messages sent to the colony were all saved. He opened the file and began searching around. This was a compilation of his past. He sat for a long while reading reports, looking at graphs and scanning through random bits of data before he stumbled on a file containing video transfers. He clicked it and then randomly opened a video in the center of the column.

"Hey," said a familiar voice. "Hey! What are you doing! Are you CRAZY!"

The screen lit up and young Duo was staring right back at him. The younger version of the Deathscythe pilot's eyes were bright with mischief. A bandaid was stuck to the side of the boy's face.

"Look! I know you can hear me!"

The handsome face distorted a little as the video became choppy.

"You're gonna get yourself killed! But whatever, if you're gonna get all crazy again I'll just have to join you." Past Duo grinned evilly and the video went out.

Heero stared at the screen as it went black and the video feed menu came to life again. He recalled that moment in time distinctly. He and Duo were attacking one of the Romefeller Foundation's mobile doll units when they were surrounded and extremely outnumbered. Wufei has pulled back to retreat. Duo had stayed with him.

Duo had never abandoned him.

He frowned deeply and opened another file. It was Quatre. Heero could see many of the flashing digital gauges in the Arabic boy's cockpit reflected against his large, bright blue eyes. He seemed sad.

"Heero." The Japanese boy's name slid smoothly off of the blond's tongue. "You aren't alone in this. We can do it, together! If we can just-"

Heero closed the window quickly and raised a hand to rub the spot between his eyes.

I should really go to bed, he told himself. But his curious mind was still alert and completely awake. He scanned the column of saved videos and picked one near the bottom of the list.

The screen lit up with Trowa's stoic face. The younger, unscarred version. The Heavyarms pilot looked relaxed as he stared into the screen. The conversation had only saved what was streaming in, so Heero had to assume the Trowa staring into the screen was listening to what the Japanese pilot had been saying at the time. Finally he saw the other pilot nod.

"I guess that is a matter of opinion. I didn't think I would have become so close to Quatre in such a short amount of time… it is something about him. He is kind. His kind heart draws me to him. Having him be involved in this war is difficult. I worry about him, but I know that he is a capable pilot. It is something else that I can appreciate about him. We can share experiences better than anyone else. He understands what I have been through because he was there too. He knows what it is like to be expected to fight. He knows that struggle. I think being with him has helped me see that there is love for me out there. I know it now. He has showed me. I could never relate to anyone else…"

Heero closed the window. He recalled that conversation vaguely. It was when they were waiting at the dark side of the moon for their target. They spent two hours waiting and, to pass the time, began to talk. It was one of the few times Trowa had confided in Heero.

He sat there for a long while staring at the many open panes littering his laptop screen. He began to think about Trowa and Quatre. They were perfect for each other. They endured criticism for being gay from some but they stayed together nonetheless. It didn't matter what anyone said, did or thought.

Heero heard something move from behind him. He knew it was Duo but he pretended not to notice. Suddenly he felt a light breath against the side of his face which caused him to peer sideways to see the tip of Duo's nose.

"Go to sleep." Heero said plainly as he snapped his laptop shut.

"What were you doing? I thought I heard Trowa talking." Duo said in a groggy voice. Heero pushed the laptop aside and turned to look at Duo. The American pilot's hair was a mess and his eyes were half-lidded from fatigue.

"Nothing. Go to bed."

The braided boy wouldn't take no for an answer. "I heard Quatre's voice, too. Were you talking to them?"

Heero shook his head and scowled at the American pilot. "No. I was just watching some of my old vid-phone feed."

Duo blinked. His eyes widened with excitement a little and a small smirk crossed his face. "Oh yeah? That's pretty cool! How did you manage to get those?"

Heero watched as Duo took a seat beside him on the bed and began trying to grab the Japanese boy's laptop. Heero shoved it out of the braided boy's reach. Duo gave Heero a wide-eyed, pouty-lipped look. The Wing pilot looked away. Puppy eyes never worked on him.

"OZ had it stored away. I just came across it."

"Anything good?"

"Good…?"

"Like, videos of me kickin' butt?"

"No."

"Aw, damn."

They sat quietly for a moment or two before the American pilot raised his arms over his head to stretch. He bumped Heero's head by accident. The dark-haired boy nearly growled at him.

"Heero… do you ever miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"Being a Gundam pilot. I know you like living here now with the pond and the kids and stuff, but don't you ever miss just fighting? Going to space? I dunno. Maybe it is wrong of me to think like that- but I do." Duo confided, a small smile crossing his features.

Heero looked over at the American boy and studied his face as he let the other boy's words sink in. Duo missed war just like he did. Suddenly Heero was beginning to feel a little better.

"Yes. I miss it." Heero stated monotonously. Duo nodded and stared at his feet.

"Yeah. I know a lot of people died, and I don't wish that to happen. I just miss the freedom of it. I miss having a mission. I wish I could relive the fun parts. You know, the crazy piloting, the fighting, and that part where I shot you in front of Relena. That was friggin' priceless." Duo reminisced with a giant smile on his face. His eyes seemed to be smiling as well. Duo's happy recollection made Heero's lips curve up into a smile of his own.

"Let's not forget the countless times I saved you from the brig-" Heero began, but his voice was cut off by Duo playfully smacking him on the back of the head. Instead of punching Duo square in the face the Japanese boy let out a cheerful laugh at the blow and, with immense speed and accuracy he managed to wrestle Duo to the floor. He had pinned the braided boy's arms over his head before Duo could retaliate. His own muscular legs were tangled in the American's to keep him from kicking free.

The Deathscythe pilot began trying to fight back but upon realizing he couldn't break free he went limp under Heero's hold and began to laugh loudly.

"Now you're caught again." Heero replied playfully. He leaned in close to Duo's face. His own dark eyes locked with the other boy's widened gaze. "Who will save you now…" The Japanese pilot's voice was low and almost ominous. Duo stopped laughing and stared up at the dark-haired pilot in surprise.

Suddenly Heero felt strange. It was as if he was being pulled by some sort of magnetic force down towards the other pilot. He resisted it at first, but then slowly descended down to meet Duo's face. Their noses brushed together. Heero could feel the other boy's warm, heavy breath against his own mouth. The American's eyes were wide with an unreadable expression.

Before Heero could interpret his own actions his body finished the act for him. He leaned down and pressed his lips against Duo's.

Heero saw Duo's eyes widen even more. The Japanese pilot tensed and prepared to pull away, thinking perhaps he had made a mistake just as he had with Yuki. However when he went to end the kiss Duo lifted his face up to deepen it. Again Heero felt the soft caress of Duo's tongue against his lower lip. The act sent a chill up his spine. He felt the rumble of a soft groan escape his own throat before he parted his own lips.

Experimentally he prodded the other boy's warm, moist tongue with his own. His hands tightened on Duo's wrists. The American pilot moaned as he did so and arched his back against the floor to allow for the entire front half of his body to press up against the Japanese boy.

The act made Heero gasp and break free from their deep kiss. He had felt many things in that instant. A throbbing heat had begun to build in his groin, but as Duo had rocked up into him he sensed the other boy's pressing need as well.

Duo's cheeks were flushed and his lips were a deep shade of pink. They curled into a sly, satisfied smile.

"You're a fast learner." Duo teased. Heero released the American's arms and untangled his body from Duo's lithe, slightly aroused one. "I think I can teach you a few more things, if you wanna."

Heero sat up and considered this offer. His shorts were growing tighter and his blood was pumping loudly in his ears. He had never felt this sort of lust for anyone before. However, Duo was a formidable partner.

We can share experiences better than anyone else. He understands what I have been through because he was there too. Heero heard Trowa's voice lingering in his head. He began to understand what the Heavyarms pilot meant.

He leaned in close to the American boy and with a deft, smooth motion grasped his silky braid. With a gentle tug he pulled Duo's face close to his own.

"Show me." He whispered in a husky, deep voice.

So Duo did.