Chapter two- A Tackle, and A Dive
Hildi Schbeiker sighed as she knocked on the door louder this time and called out, "Duo what are you doing? And why'd you scream?"
Hildi sighed again when there was no answer, "dammit Duo answer me!"
Hildi tapped her foot on the floor and crossed her arms over her chest as she waited.
Suddenly something rammed into the door and then slid to the floor. "Duo?"
A voice on the other side groaned, "I'm alright!"
"Then why didn't you answer me? Are you listening!"
"Ha...Yea I am Hildi. I stubbed my toe when I was getting dressed." There was movement and a rustling of clothing just beyond the door.
"Can I come in?" Hildi put her ear to the door and waited.
"Uh no, no I'm fine. Go back down stairs I'll join you at breakfast when I'm done."
Hildi frowned, 'he's hiding something from me.' She pressed her ear to the door again and listened.
"Oh damn where did I put that thing! Why does it have to disappear when I need it most? Argh! Ahhhh!"
Suddenly there was a crash.
"Duo! Duo are you ok, I heard a crash!"
"Yea I'm fine, I just...well my bed fell on me."
Hildi raised an eyebrow as she stared at the door, "your bed? How the hell did you manage that?"
"You don't want to know." Then there was grunt, which was Duo struggling to get free.
Hildi sighed, "That's it I'm coming in."
"No...No don't!"
Hildi turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. What she saw made her stop in her tracks.
The whole room looked ran sacked, every piece of furniture turned upside down. Duo was buried under his twin size bed, struggling to get out.
Hildi stormed up to them, "what the hell are you doing Duo! Look at your room!"
Duo nervously smiled, "Sorry Hildi, I was looking for something."
"Like what, Tibet!"
Duo whined at her high-pitched shrill, yet angry filled voice that was directed at him. "No a pen."
Hildi's left eye twitched with rage. In a low shaky voice she replied as she pulled the bed off Duo, "A pen...what is so important about this PEN?"
Duo climbed to his feet and scratched the back of his head nervously.
He glanced around the room, and found that it looked as if a hurricane hit it, actually hurricane Duo had hit it.
Duo sighed, "Sorry Hildi chan. It's just an important pen to me. And I need it real bad."
Hildi's anger dwindled away as her jaw fell open. She whispered, "Oh my god."
Duo looked at her wondering what was wrong. She was staring at him in horror. Instantly his arms went around his chest, but then one shot down and covered his crotch. He suddenly felt naked.
"Hildi I can explain every..."
Hildi clamped her mouth shut only to open it again, "You're a blonde!"
Duo's mouth fell open and his eyes looked up. He couldn't see the blonde roots but he knew they were there.
He sheepishly laughed as he relaxed his arms, "yea...sort of. Uh can you help me find my pen?"
Hildi numbly nodded, "sure what does it look like?"
Duo stated casually, "it's pink with a red ruby on the top."
"Pink?"
Duo looked at her and glared, "it was...a friend of mine. She gave it to me back when I live in the church ok."
His voice was harsh and it startled Hildi, "oh sorry Duo."
She turned and started to search the room.
Duo sighed and turned towards the bathroom. Absently he reached and grabbed a strand of hair. He had left his hair loose when he went in search of his pen.
The dark chestnut color had a small tint of silver in it if you looked closely.
He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. But his hand hit something when it went in.
He grabbed it and pulled it out, his face lit up with a grin, "thanks Hildi for helping me but I found it. So I'll let you leave while I finish getting ready so bye!"
Hildi was pushed out of the room and out into the hall. Duo slammed the door in her face.
Hildi frowned but stormed down to the kitchen anyway. She was going to give Duo a piece of her mind.
An hour later, after the incident with the bed and pen, Duo came out of his room and walked downstairs to the kitchen.
"Sorry I took so long." He gave her a grin as he sat down on a stool.
Hildi glanced at him and snorted, "Yeah I'm sure. Well you've got a call."
Duo's head popped up and around to face her again, "Really." He jumped off the stool and moved towards the vid link...
"No Duo, on the computer, it's some old guy."
Duo frowned slightly but stepped towards the computer and slid into the seat.
He cracked his knuckles and moved the mouse.
The black screen was then filled with Dr. J's face.
"Dr. J? How'd you find me?"
Dr. J raised one gray eyebrow, "well it wasn't too hard. Duo Maxwell I need you to round up the pilots. Don't ask why but do it. Pilots 03, 04, 05 should be easy to find. Leave 01 to me. When I find him, he'll find you."
Duo sighed and leaned back in his seat.
"I want you to start right away and don't tell a soul. You remember your code follow it. Join the Peacecraft academy when all of you have been found. Miss Noin and Miliardo, along with Ralena are waiting. Don't fail, you have one week."
Duo nodded, "Alright, alright, I'm going."
Duo hit the esc key and stood.
"Sorry babe, but I've got things to do today. So postpone breakfast, lunch and dinner."
Duo then walked back upstairs. He left behind a very angered Hildi Schbeiker.
For the second time that morning Duo walked down the stairs, but this time he was carrying his bags.
Hildi met up with him at the door and the two left for the car.
Duo tossed his things in the back seat, "man just what I need. You know Wu-man is going to kill me when he sees me."
Hildi snickered, "good then he can do it, since I cant." Duo played mocked hurt, "Ow toots you hit me in the kisser."
Hildi grinned, "Hey a kiss sounds good right now."
Duo blanched and reached for the car door. "Uh heh, uh heh, heh"
Duo rubbed the back of his head and sighed when Hildi turned the ignition on and hit the gas petal.
It didn't take long, maybe ten, fifteen minutes at the most.
Duo felt like he had just sat down, by the time he had to get out of the car.
He grabbed his luggage and started for the port.
"Hey Duo!"
Duo turned around, "Yea."
Hildi softly smiled, "Be careful alright. Call me and keep me posted on what's happening."
Duo nodded, his head bobbing up and down. He wanted to cry but couldn't. She was doing it for him. He could see her tears knowing that she might not see him again.
Duo dropped one of his bags, "Take care Hildi. I'll promise to call when I can."
He waved her good by and picked his bag back up. He turned and headed for the port.
He knew he was being cruel by just saying good-bye with ten yards away from her. But he didn't dare go too close. He couldn't tempt her. He couldn't let her hug him.
Duo walked through the gates that would take him to the carrier. It was boarding people already.
Duo handed the lady his ID and she gave it an ok.
He returned the card to his pocket and entered the aircraft.
The Carrier would take him to Colony L3. A place, where he would find Trowa.
Hildi Schbeiker sighed as she knocked on the door louder this time and called out, "Duo what are you doing? And why'd you scream?"
Hildi sighed again when there was no answer, "dammit Duo answer me!"
Hildi tapped her foot on the floor and crossed her arms over her chest as she waited.
Suddenly something rammed into the door and then slid to the floor. "Duo?"
A voice on the other side groaned, "I'm alright!"
"Then why didn't you answer me? Are you listening!"
"Ha...Yea I am Hildi. I stubbed my toe when I was getting dressed." There was movement and a rustling of clothing just beyond the door.
"Can I come in?" Hildi put her ear to the door and waited.
"Uh no, no I'm fine. Go back down stairs I'll join you at breakfast when I'm done."
Hildi frowned, 'he's hiding something from me.' She pressed her ear to the door again and listened.
"Oh damn where did I put that thing! Why does it have to disappear when I need it most? Argh! Ahhhh!"
Suddenly there was a crash.
"Duo! Duo are you ok, I heard a crash!"
"Yea I'm fine, I just...well my bed fell on me."
Hildi raised an eyebrow as she stared at the door, "your bed? How the hell did you manage that?"
"You don't want to know." Then there was grunt, which was Duo struggling to get free.
Hildi sighed, "That's it I'm coming in."
"No...No don't!"
Hildi turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. What she saw made her stop in her tracks.
The whole room looked ran sacked, every piece of furniture turned upside down. Duo was buried under his twin size bed, struggling to get out.
Hildi stormed up to them, "what the hell are you doing Duo! Look at your room!"
Duo nervously smiled, "Sorry Hildi, I was looking for something."
"Like what, Tibet!"
Duo whined at her high-pitched shrill, yet angry filled voice that was directed at him. "No a pen."
Hildi's left eye twitched with rage. In a low shaky voice she replied as she pulled the bed off Duo, "A pen...what is so important about this PEN?"
Duo climbed to his feet and scratched the back of his head nervously.
He glanced around the room, and found that it looked as if a hurricane hit it, actually hurricane Duo had hit it.
Duo sighed, "Sorry Hildi chan. It's just an important pen to me. And I need it real bad."
Hildi's anger dwindled away as her jaw fell open. She whispered, "Oh my god."
Duo looked at her wondering what was wrong. She was staring at him in horror. Instantly his arms went around his chest, but then one shot down and covered his crotch. He suddenly felt naked.
"Hildi I can explain every..."
Hildi clamped her mouth shut only to open it again, "You're a blonde!"
Duo's mouth fell open and his eyes looked up. He couldn't see the blonde roots but he knew they were there.
He sheepishly laughed as he relaxed his arms, "yea...sort of. Uh can you help me find my pen?"
Hildi numbly nodded, "sure what does it look like?"
Duo stated casually, "it's pink with a red ruby on the top."
"Pink?"
Duo looked at her and glared, "it was...a friend of mine. She gave it to me back when I live in the church ok."
His voice was harsh and it startled Hildi, "oh sorry Duo."
She turned and started to search the room.
Duo sighed and turned towards the bathroom. Absently he reached and grabbed a strand of hair. He had left his hair loose when he went in search of his pen.
The dark chestnut color had a small tint of silver in it if you looked closely.
He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. But his hand hit something when it went in.
He grabbed it and pulled it out, his face lit up with a grin, "thanks Hildi for helping me but I found it. So I'll let you leave while I finish getting ready so bye!"
Hildi was pushed out of the room and out into the hall. Duo slammed the door in her face.
Hildi frowned but stormed down to the kitchen anyway. She was going to give Duo a piece of her mind.
An hour later, after the incident with the bed and pen, Duo came out of his room and walked downstairs to the kitchen.
"Sorry I took so long." He gave her a grin as he sat down on a stool.
Hildi glanced at him and snorted, "Yeah I'm sure. Well you've got a call."
Duo's head popped up and around to face her again, "Really." He jumped off the stool and moved towards the vid link...
"No Duo, on the computer, it's some old guy."
Duo frowned slightly but stepped towards the computer and slid into the seat.
He cracked his knuckles and moved the mouse.
The black screen was then filled with Dr. J's face.
"Dr. J? How'd you find me?"
Dr. J raised one gray eyebrow, "well it wasn't too hard. Duo Maxwell I need you to round up the pilots. Don't ask why but do it. Pilots 03, 04, 05 should be easy to find. Leave 01 to me. When I find him, he'll find you."
Duo sighed and leaned back in his seat.
"I want you to start right away and don't tell a soul. You remember your code follow it. Join the Peacecraft academy when all of you have been found. Miss Noin and Miliardo, along with Ralena are waiting. Don't fail, you have one week."
Duo nodded, "Alright, alright, I'm going."
Duo hit the esc key and stood.
"Sorry babe, but I've got things to do today. So postpone breakfast, lunch and dinner."
Duo then walked back upstairs. He left behind a very angered Hildi Schbeiker.
For the second time that morning Duo walked down the stairs, but this time he was carrying his bags.
Hildi met up with him at the door and the two left for the car.
Duo tossed his things in the back seat, "man just what I need. You know Wu-man is going to kill me when he sees me."
Hildi snickered, "good then he can do it, since I cant." Duo played mocked hurt, "Ow toots you hit me in the kisser."
Hildi grinned, "Hey a kiss sounds good right now."
Duo blanched and reached for the car door. "Uh heh, uh heh, heh"
Duo rubbed the back of his head and sighed when Hildi turned the ignition on and hit the gas petal.
It didn't take long, maybe ten, fifteen minutes at the most.
Duo felt like he had just sat down, by the time he had to get out of the car.
He grabbed his luggage and started for the port.
"Hey Duo!"
Duo turned around, "Yea."
Hildi softly smiled, "Be careful alright. Call me and keep me posted on what's happening."
Duo nodded, his head bobbing up and down. He wanted to cry but couldn't. She was doing it for him. He could see her tears knowing that she might not see him again.
Duo dropped one of his bags, "Take care Hildi. I'll promise to call when I can."
He waved her good by and picked his bag back up. He turned and headed for the port.
He knew he was being cruel by just saying good-bye with ten yards away from her. But he didn't dare go too close. He couldn't tempt her. He couldn't let her hug him.
Duo walked through the gates that would take him to the carrier. It was boarding people already.
Duo handed the lady his ID and she gave it an ok.
He returned the card to his pocket and entered the aircraft.
The Carrier would take him to Colony L3. A place, where he would find Trowa.