Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.
I wrote this a long time ago, and haven't have the time to look over it. If this is a really trashy fic, I apologize ahead of time. I'm going to revamp it sometime, maybe in the summer. Welcome to the wonderful world of laptops, right?
"What are we going to do with them?"
"Do you think that they would fight for us. That would be devastating to the Alliance and they may decide to back down."
"I don't want Chang to fight," Artax said tapping the table lightly not bothering to look up.
"Why not?"
"Because he doesn't know life as an outsider of war."
"And the other pilots?"
"I don't think any of them should fight."
"Didn't one 'challenge' you? I have the application," Erriji said holding up a disc. He inserted it into the table player and the lights dimmed as it appeared on the screen at the head of the room.
"Heero Yuy wants to fight you just because you're supposedly the best fighter," Akasi said as he read through the form.
"I don't trust him," Artax stated adjusting his yellow lens.
Everyone nodded.
"So, lets just go over each pilot and decide what to do with them separately. After we get the general idea there, we will bring them in for approval," Akasi said. "Alright, first is Trowa Barton."
Bijoe shifted around in her seat. "He's very quiet, and passive in making decisions. He does basically whatever his friend, Quatre does."
"So, our focus should be on Winner," Dogon concluded.
"Next, Wufei Chang."
"I think that it would be safest to just let him walk around without someone breathing down his neck. Minimal security," Artax said.
"I trust your judgment," Erriji smiled.
"If Riji trusts you, it's fine with me," Akasi said. "Next, Duo Maxwell."
Titien frowned, "He's really attached to the colonies. I don't think he's going to be very productive here."
"Quatre Raberba Winner."
Bijoe's slouching figure straightened. He's not fond of fighting, I think that he'd of better use in the politics. He's very idealistic and kind."
"Last, Heero Yuy."
Titien pursed her lips and took a deep exhalation, "He's very loyal to the colonies as well, and Relena Peacecraft. It shows in his actions from the past wars. I think he has the capacity to be a very kind person, he's just in his own world right now. Perhaps, purely loyal to a select few."
"So, it's going to be the steady routine for Maxwell and Yuy, minimal security for the other three, and extra work with Winner."
"No confirmed identities on the scientists that designed the current generation of gundams…We find ourselves in a very odd position here, people," Akasi said in his monotone voice and wiping perspiration from his brow.
Everyone nodded.
--
"How do you find all that old music?" Wufei asked while he and Artax ate in the empty mess hall.
"By genre, artist, and then album. It's not very hard. I wrote a restoration…a salvage program. It hacks into the many record vaults scattered all throughout the solar system and copies all the songs, then auto-repairs any damaged ones. I download old television shows also, but I haven't watched any…" Artax explained.
"Will you ever watch them?"
"Maybe, when he wakes up," Artax replied slowly losing interest in his food. He was eating less and less since he was ordered to take charge of pilot 05. "You will be free to walk around anywhere you want to go tomorrow. There will be a tracking device that'll probably be injected into your blood stream, but then you're free to go mess around outside. You, Winner, and Barton."
Wufei felt like he was being hit in the face with a mallet. The security he'd found in being practically graphed to Artax's side was all going out the window. Instead of talking about that, though, he asked, "What about Heero and Duo?"
"They're security risks."
"And I'm not?"
"I trust you."
"…"
--
It felt weird to be outside sitting alone with Quatre and Trowa. They lazed around in operations building lot just staring about. It was mid-morning, and the sun was warm and cool at the same time. Everything was golden.
"…He trusts me…" Wufei said wonderingly running his fingers through his hair.
"It must be hard for someone like him to trust people," Quatre replied sympathetically. "Every time I see him, I see bruises…maybe emotional bruising, I'm not really sure."
Trowa made a face, and then returned to his serene, observing expression.
A million things began running through Wufei's mind. How badly was Artax hurt? How had he gotten that way? And who or what did it to him? "Can you see how it happened? A hint?"
"There are four dark figures in the middle of his mind," Quatre said closing his eyes as if he could see it right then. "All of them in an almost clear reddish liquid. That's all I can see without holding his hand or something like that. He is beautiful from what I can see, though."
"How so?" Trowa asked.
"It may sound cruel, but oftentimes, the most beautiful souls come from the saddest people. It's all dreamily poetic. And then happy people have a kind of hollow, golden beauty. It's all so nice and carefree. I think that most everyone is just so incredibly…wonderful. There is no words to describe it."
"I want to see inside of him..." Wufei said without realizing that he'd voiced it aloud.
"Wufei?" Quatre exclaimed a little surprised.
A light blush shaded Wufei's imperial sculpt face. "It's nothing really. I just want to see what you see."
"Ah…I see," Quatre said blandly barely hiding the fact that he knew there was more to it.
"Lets find some shade," Trowa suggested, "and sleep for a while."
"I like that idea," Quatre agreed allowing himself to be pulled to his feet by his taller lover. "Coming Wufei?"
Wufei grunted and followed them as they made their way to the green jungle like natural fence enclosing the lot and structures.
--
Wufei woke up first and looked around sleepily. It was late afternoon from what he could tell in the dappled shade. Quatre slept in the safety of Trowa's arms a few feet away from where he'd awoken. They looked like a perfect lovers' picture transcended out of texts sculpted by the greatest artist in the cosmos. Wufei longed to have the very same image someday with someone.
It was getting dark and as much as he hated to, Wufei woke up the sleeping couple. Trowa was first to rise followed by Quatre.
"We slept a long time," he exclaimed.
"Yeah, you guys should start heading back before it becomes too dark," Wufei said.
"I understand, thank you," Quatre smiled taking his love's hand and allowing himself to be lead out.
Wufei took his time getting back to the almost empty lot. Five bikes remained including Artax's. So, he sat next to it and kept alert for any sign of his guardian.
Three moons rose in the sky, something that Wufei never got the chance to see. One seemed to eclipse the other while the last one drifted off to the side. Stars flickered like tiny candles in the night sky, all of it so magnificent, he could have stared at it forever.
People came to collect their bikes around the same time. Two girls and two men filed out of the building and took little notice of the Chinese youth sitting protectively around the bike stand. A little while later, very faint footsteps could be distinguished against the night sounds of insects, moving animals, and the like.
Wufei turned around, tired from boredom, and watched Artax approach.
"Wufei? It's late, why didn't you go home?"
Strangely enough, he couldn't quite figure that out himself. Why had he sat outside and waited for Artax when he'd had plenty of time to walk home and crawl into bed? Lucky for him, he didn't have to answer that question as he was hoisted up on the bike and felt the familiar pressure of Artax's body against his back into which he reclined happily like a cat.
"I doubt you've eaten," Artax commented as he kicked off.
--
"How's it coming?" Duo asked as he leaned over Heero's shoulder.
The "perfect soldier" had been working tirelessly on the basic layout of the fighting platform for days. His routine has become: wake up, work, eat, sleep. "The codes are hard to understand. Coming up with a basic, polygonal room takes a long time."
"Why are you even bothering with this? You could just figure out a way to hack this colony's computer system, and crash it. Then everyone can make a good getaway," Duo pleaded.
"Because I can't," Heero replied soberly. "This technology is too complex. There are probably back up systems for the back up systems. And I would bet that there is immunity programs for any virus I could try. This entire colony is virtually impregnable."
"So, Heero is going to have his fun…" Duo sighed. "Can I help with anything?"
"I want to do this alone."
"…I'm bored, and there is almost no privacy here. I miss our apartment."
"…You don't miss the apartment."
"…I know."
**
"Is that person in that room an old love?" Wufei asked as he helped repair Amrita.
"No. He had a few girlfriends…a lot of girlfriends," Artax corrected himself.
"When is the Alliance going to attack?"
"Probably as soon as they can mobilize. The troops will be green, but they won't care. You, the five of you have given them a reason to fight."
"If you sent us back, they probably wouldn't try."
"No, they would just find a new campaign. The Alliance is against development of weapons, so they would develop weapons to rid us of ours. It is all hypocrisy. Start a war to end a war. Take up arms for peace. It is like someone with lit cigarettes dangling from his lip telling others not to smoke."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Why did they bother to send you here in fully armed mobile suits?"
"…"
"Do you like Relena Peacecraft?"
"…"
"Do you like the Alliance?"
"….no."
Artax frowned and patted Wufei on the back comfortingly.
--
"I'm worried," Canine frowned. "We've been taken out of the picture too soon."
"The Alliance is playing a dangerous game," Ash nodded.
"Don't you want to turn them in?" Canine whined.
"Can't," Sonic said, petting Ramah, his owcat.
"Our prior agreement with the Alliance is not to disclose any intelligence with the general public about anything even remotely involving the government," Fair added.
Before Canine could have his input, Wired had his, "But we could always go for 'independent discovery'."
"Meaning that, we can establish contact with the colony ourselves and check things out," Shiva explained. "Use private satellites and things like that."
"You gave that guy, Maxwell a communicator, right?" Ash asked.
"Yeah," Canine said and was cut off again.
" It was probably confiscated, but you can track it," Fair assured him.
"We won't be able to catch any attention with that teeny thing though. Can we make a bug program to search out big communication stuffs?" Canine asked.
"I can rig you one," Sunshine said quietly.
"It's going to be a pain in the ass," Ryoukai reminded everyone. He looked pointedly at Sunshine who seemed sweetly oblivious to him. He never seemed to notice him.
"I'll help you," Fair offered.
"Thanks," Sunshine smiled shyly.
Ryoukai narrowed his eyes at the small exchange.
--
"The Alliance makes the first strike and then I am to draft a speech after that."
"Basically."
"It may take a while. Everything could be over by the time it is finished."
"That doesn't matter. Just as long as you try."
"One more thing, Erriji. If I make this speech, would you let Duo have a walk around? He may not be tactful, but he's not stupid. Trowa and I could keep watch over him if you're still worried."
"That will have to be reviewed by the board."
"I know. How long have we been here…a month? It seems like I've lived here for much longer than that."
"Familiarity. The daily routine here can make everything seem like it has been going on forever."
"I'd like to get to know your politics better."
"We're not a dictatorship, that's for damned sure. When the libraries are through being catalogued and cleaned out, maybe you can take a look if you're not already shipped home by then."
"…Hey, Erriji. Do you know where Artax was originally from?"
"Yeah. It is my job to know."
Quatre nodded and leaned back in the chair opposite Erriji's large metallic desk.
"I'll have Elzia lead you out then."
--
"They are expected to make contact tomorrow…"
"I guess that's right…"
"Artax isn't in the actual fight. He's busy with something."
"That is to be expected, right?"
"I guess so…"
"You don't seem very happy."
"He didn't tell me what he's up to."
"Ah, I see…"
"That must be hard…"
"Probably…"
"Why is it so peaceful here?"
"I don't know, really. It probably has something to do with a nearly ancient balance."
"Really?"
"Ask a tree, Maxwell. How do you expect us to know?"
"You're a really sour guy, y'know that Wu-man?"
"Do you think I care?"
"Yeah, you should if you ever have hopes of getting any."
"Oh, thank you Maxwell, hold on a minute whilst I log that vital bit of information away in the annals of my mind."
"You should become a professional jerk."
Wufei closed his eyes and disregarded further comment. The afternoon was too nice to ruin with further bickering, and he was pretty sure that Quatre and Trowa were almost to their wits end with everything.
--
"The first attack will fail," Relena stated blandly. Everyone sat in perfect silence listening to what they already knew. "And that failure will serve as oil for the fire. The public will become upset, and we will gain more support. Our second attack will be an attempt to retrieve the lost pilots. The third attack plan is pending. We have the scientists that made the original gundams at our disposal. The current generation gundam scientists are not creditable and therefore, will not be contacted."
"Thank you Miss Peacecraft," L3 rep, Yonlolen said. "Anything else?"
"Not as of yet."
"Good, moving on…"
--
Alexis lay on his bed, bound and gagged. His eyes were opened slightly and glazed by drugs and the abuse he'd suffered on the way back to and in his Russian cabin. Blood matted his dark hair sticking to his cheeks and eyes. The corners of his mouth were chafed and half-scabbed. He couldn't move even if he hadn't been bound. Red welts shone through the torn portions of his clothing, and blackened bruises decorated his small frame. They'd not touched his face, his attackers. It was a last praise to the aesthetic quality of his features. It was hard to breathe, but somehow, he managed talking small gulps of air.
They left me here to die…was the only coherent thought that Alexis could make. He stared blankly ahead of him at the wall with his ransacked bookcases.
--
Wufei sat next to the locked door of Artax's apartment. He'd found a curious sense of security there even though he might not have favored the occupant inside.
He was on the last pages of Amrita, thoroughly smitten with Sakumi's view of life, when the front door began to open. It was early afternoon, and Wufei was not expecting Artax home for a while yet. Quietly and quickly, he made his way to the kitchen, which was a semi-closed off room that he could hide for a minute or two.
Over the edge of the counter, he saw a dark figure in the doorway, too tall to be Artax and definitely not the lanky form of Trowa since it lacked a smaller partner. When it stepped from the light, Wufei recognized the face of Anthony. He closed the door behind himself and looked around. His glossy, brown hair spiked outward from his head, curling in all directions, a dramatic change from when Wufei first saw him with his hair plastered to his head by LCL fluid.
Cautiously, Wufei stood up and gained nerve reminding himself that Anthony had no right to be there. He summoned a commanding voice, "Common etiquette dictates that one knocks first before being admitted into another man's home."
Anthony faltered a moment and then relaxed when he saw who he was dealing with. "Not your home."
"I live here for now, and you do not. What is your business here?" Wufei asked folding his arms across his chest.
"I came to talk to you."
"Why?" Wufei asked becoming apprehensive.
"Sit down, and lets talk like civilized human beings," Anthony said pointing to the two adjoined beds since there were no chairs in the house.
Wufei complied reluctantly and sat on the edge of the mattress ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Anthony sat next to him, far more relaxed. They both stared at each other, eyes full of distrust.
"Do you love him?" Anthony asked.
"What is it to you?"
"If you do love him, I have another rival to contend with."
"Don't you think that if he reciprocated your feelings, he'd have come to you by now?"
"He's shy."
"And you are in denial."
"You think he's straight."
"No. I just think that you aren't going to get your way."
"You think that he likes you," Anthony accused Wufei hotly.
"I'm not in a position to dictate his emotions, and neither are you."
"I know that. I just want to know what you see."
"It is none of your concern."
"You're so full of yourself. I could hate you."
"And you are so annoying."
--
Anthony would not be removed from the house, so Wufei just let him sit on his bed and went about cleaning the house. He liked domestic chores, and the idea that his casual familiarity with everything was making the other extremely upset. Then he got a bright idea and emptied out the clothes hamper. He and Artax had been sharing clothing ever since he'd arrived, because his duffel bag had yet to be delivered to him.
In the kitchen, he took a deep tub out of one of the lower cabinets and began filling it with water. He almost smiled when he felt Anthony's questioning gaze on his back, but he acted oblivious to the whole situation. Skillfully, he set it down and began meticulously washing one article of clothing at a time. At first, he only acted as if he were paying close and careful attention to what he was doing, lovingly scrubbing each piece in the soapy water, then as the time passed, he really was paying attention to everything. And the more he paid attention, the clumsier he felt which made his resolve to do better all the more strong. Every small detail was important no matter how trivial. The narrowed eyes boring into his back had become a dull buzz in the back of his mind that he paid no heed to.
I wrote this a long time ago, and haven't have the time to look over it. If this is a really trashy fic, I apologize ahead of time. I'm going to revamp it sometime, maybe in the summer. Welcome to the wonderful world of laptops, right?
"What are we going to do with them?"
"Do you think that they would fight for us. That would be devastating to the Alliance and they may decide to back down."
"I don't want Chang to fight," Artax said tapping the table lightly not bothering to look up.
"Why not?"
"Because he doesn't know life as an outsider of war."
"And the other pilots?"
"I don't think any of them should fight."
"Didn't one 'challenge' you? I have the application," Erriji said holding up a disc. He inserted it into the table player and the lights dimmed as it appeared on the screen at the head of the room.
"Heero Yuy wants to fight you just because you're supposedly the best fighter," Akasi said as he read through the form.
"I don't trust him," Artax stated adjusting his yellow lens.
Everyone nodded.
"So, lets just go over each pilot and decide what to do with them separately. After we get the general idea there, we will bring them in for approval," Akasi said. "Alright, first is Trowa Barton."
Bijoe shifted around in her seat. "He's very quiet, and passive in making decisions. He does basically whatever his friend, Quatre does."
"So, our focus should be on Winner," Dogon concluded.
"Next, Wufei Chang."
"I think that it would be safest to just let him walk around without someone breathing down his neck. Minimal security," Artax said.
"I trust your judgment," Erriji smiled.
"If Riji trusts you, it's fine with me," Akasi said. "Next, Duo Maxwell."
Titien frowned, "He's really attached to the colonies. I don't think he's going to be very productive here."
"Quatre Raberba Winner."
Bijoe's slouching figure straightened. He's not fond of fighting, I think that he'd of better use in the politics. He's very idealistic and kind."
"Last, Heero Yuy."
Titien pursed her lips and took a deep exhalation, "He's very loyal to the colonies as well, and Relena Peacecraft. It shows in his actions from the past wars. I think he has the capacity to be a very kind person, he's just in his own world right now. Perhaps, purely loyal to a select few."
"So, it's going to be the steady routine for Maxwell and Yuy, minimal security for the other three, and extra work with Winner."
"No confirmed identities on the scientists that designed the current generation of gundams…We find ourselves in a very odd position here, people," Akasi said in his monotone voice and wiping perspiration from his brow.
Everyone nodded.
--
"How do you find all that old music?" Wufei asked while he and Artax ate in the empty mess hall.
"By genre, artist, and then album. It's not very hard. I wrote a restoration…a salvage program. It hacks into the many record vaults scattered all throughout the solar system and copies all the songs, then auto-repairs any damaged ones. I download old television shows also, but I haven't watched any…" Artax explained.
"Will you ever watch them?"
"Maybe, when he wakes up," Artax replied slowly losing interest in his food. He was eating less and less since he was ordered to take charge of pilot 05. "You will be free to walk around anywhere you want to go tomorrow. There will be a tracking device that'll probably be injected into your blood stream, but then you're free to go mess around outside. You, Winner, and Barton."
Wufei felt like he was being hit in the face with a mallet. The security he'd found in being practically graphed to Artax's side was all going out the window. Instead of talking about that, though, he asked, "What about Heero and Duo?"
"They're security risks."
"And I'm not?"
"I trust you."
"…"
--
It felt weird to be outside sitting alone with Quatre and Trowa. They lazed around in operations building lot just staring about. It was mid-morning, and the sun was warm and cool at the same time. Everything was golden.
"…He trusts me…" Wufei said wonderingly running his fingers through his hair.
"It must be hard for someone like him to trust people," Quatre replied sympathetically. "Every time I see him, I see bruises…maybe emotional bruising, I'm not really sure."
Trowa made a face, and then returned to his serene, observing expression.
A million things began running through Wufei's mind. How badly was Artax hurt? How had he gotten that way? And who or what did it to him? "Can you see how it happened? A hint?"
"There are four dark figures in the middle of his mind," Quatre said closing his eyes as if he could see it right then. "All of them in an almost clear reddish liquid. That's all I can see without holding his hand or something like that. He is beautiful from what I can see, though."
"How so?" Trowa asked.
"It may sound cruel, but oftentimes, the most beautiful souls come from the saddest people. It's all dreamily poetic. And then happy people have a kind of hollow, golden beauty. It's all so nice and carefree. I think that most everyone is just so incredibly…wonderful. There is no words to describe it."
"I want to see inside of him..." Wufei said without realizing that he'd voiced it aloud.
"Wufei?" Quatre exclaimed a little surprised.
A light blush shaded Wufei's imperial sculpt face. "It's nothing really. I just want to see what you see."
"Ah…I see," Quatre said blandly barely hiding the fact that he knew there was more to it.
"Lets find some shade," Trowa suggested, "and sleep for a while."
"I like that idea," Quatre agreed allowing himself to be pulled to his feet by his taller lover. "Coming Wufei?"
Wufei grunted and followed them as they made their way to the green jungle like natural fence enclosing the lot and structures.
--
Wufei woke up first and looked around sleepily. It was late afternoon from what he could tell in the dappled shade. Quatre slept in the safety of Trowa's arms a few feet away from where he'd awoken. They looked like a perfect lovers' picture transcended out of texts sculpted by the greatest artist in the cosmos. Wufei longed to have the very same image someday with someone.
It was getting dark and as much as he hated to, Wufei woke up the sleeping couple. Trowa was first to rise followed by Quatre.
"We slept a long time," he exclaimed.
"Yeah, you guys should start heading back before it becomes too dark," Wufei said.
"I understand, thank you," Quatre smiled taking his love's hand and allowing himself to be lead out.
Wufei took his time getting back to the almost empty lot. Five bikes remained including Artax's. So, he sat next to it and kept alert for any sign of his guardian.
Three moons rose in the sky, something that Wufei never got the chance to see. One seemed to eclipse the other while the last one drifted off to the side. Stars flickered like tiny candles in the night sky, all of it so magnificent, he could have stared at it forever.
People came to collect their bikes around the same time. Two girls and two men filed out of the building and took little notice of the Chinese youth sitting protectively around the bike stand. A little while later, very faint footsteps could be distinguished against the night sounds of insects, moving animals, and the like.
Wufei turned around, tired from boredom, and watched Artax approach.
"Wufei? It's late, why didn't you go home?"
Strangely enough, he couldn't quite figure that out himself. Why had he sat outside and waited for Artax when he'd had plenty of time to walk home and crawl into bed? Lucky for him, he didn't have to answer that question as he was hoisted up on the bike and felt the familiar pressure of Artax's body against his back into which he reclined happily like a cat.
"I doubt you've eaten," Artax commented as he kicked off.
--
"How's it coming?" Duo asked as he leaned over Heero's shoulder.
The "perfect soldier" had been working tirelessly on the basic layout of the fighting platform for days. His routine has become: wake up, work, eat, sleep. "The codes are hard to understand. Coming up with a basic, polygonal room takes a long time."
"Why are you even bothering with this? You could just figure out a way to hack this colony's computer system, and crash it. Then everyone can make a good getaway," Duo pleaded.
"Because I can't," Heero replied soberly. "This technology is too complex. There are probably back up systems for the back up systems. And I would bet that there is immunity programs for any virus I could try. This entire colony is virtually impregnable."
"So, Heero is going to have his fun…" Duo sighed. "Can I help with anything?"
"I want to do this alone."
"…I'm bored, and there is almost no privacy here. I miss our apartment."
"…You don't miss the apartment."
"…I know."
**
"Is that person in that room an old love?" Wufei asked as he helped repair Amrita.
"No. He had a few girlfriends…a lot of girlfriends," Artax corrected himself.
"When is the Alliance going to attack?"
"Probably as soon as they can mobilize. The troops will be green, but they won't care. You, the five of you have given them a reason to fight."
"If you sent us back, they probably wouldn't try."
"No, they would just find a new campaign. The Alliance is against development of weapons, so they would develop weapons to rid us of ours. It is all hypocrisy. Start a war to end a war. Take up arms for peace. It is like someone with lit cigarettes dangling from his lip telling others not to smoke."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Why did they bother to send you here in fully armed mobile suits?"
"…"
"Do you like Relena Peacecraft?"
"…"
"Do you like the Alliance?"
"….no."
Artax frowned and patted Wufei on the back comfortingly.
--
"I'm worried," Canine frowned. "We've been taken out of the picture too soon."
"The Alliance is playing a dangerous game," Ash nodded.
"Don't you want to turn them in?" Canine whined.
"Can't," Sonic said, petting Ramah, his owcat.
"Our prior agreement with the Alliance is not to disclose any intelligence with the general public about anything even remotely involving the government," Fair added.
Before Canine could have his input, Wired had his, "But we could always go for 'independent discovery'."
"Meaning that, we can establish contact with the colony ourselves and check things out," Shiva explained. "Use private satellites and things like that."
"You gave that guy, Maxwell a communicator, right?" Ash asked.
"Yeah," Canine said and was cut off again.
" It was probably confiscated, but you can track it," Fair assured him.
"We won't be able to catch any attention with that teeny thing though. Can we make a bug program to search out big communication stuffs?" Canine asked.
"I can rig you one," Sunshine said quietly.
"It's going to be a pain in the ass," Ryoukai reminded everyone. He looked pointedly at Sunshine who seemed sweetly oblivious to him. He never seemed to notice him.
"I'll help you," Fair offered.
"Thanks," Sunshine smiled shyly.
Ryoukai narrowed his eyes at the small exchange.
--
"The Alliance makes the first strike and then I am to draft a speech after that."
"Basically."
"It may take a while. Everything could be over by the time it is finished."
"That doesn't matter. Just as long as you try."
"One more thing, Erriji. If I make this speech, would you let Duo have a walk around? He may not be tactful, but he's not stupid. Trowa and I could keep watch over him if you're still worried."
"That will have to be reviewed by the board."
"I know. How long have we been here…a month? It seems like I've lived here for much longer than that."
"Familiarity. The daily routine here can make everything seem like it has been going on forever."
"I'd like to get to know your politics better."
"We're not a dictatorship, that's for damned sure. When the libraries are through being catalogued and cleaned out, maybe you can take a look if you're not already shipped home by then."
"…Hey, Erriji. Do you know where Artax was originally from?"
"Yeah. It is my job to know."
Quatre nodded and leaned back in the chair opposite Erriji's large metallic desk.
"I'll have Elzia lead you out then."
--
"They are expected to make contact tomorrow…"
"I guess that's right…"
"Artax isn't in the actual fight. He's busy with something."
"That is to be expected, right?"
"I guess so…"
"You don't seem very happy."
"He didn't tell me what he's up to."
"Ah, I see…"
"That must be hard…"
"Probably…"
"Why is it so peaceful here?"
"I don't know, really. It probably has something to do with a nearly ancient balance."
"Really?"
"Ask a tree, Maxwell. How do you expect us to know?"
"You're a really sour guy, y'know that Wu-man?"
"Do you think I care?"
"Yeah, you should if you ever have hopes of getting any."
"Oh, thank you Maxwell, hold on a minute whilst I log that vital bit of information away in the annals of my mind."
"You should become a professional jerk."
Wufei closed his eyes and disregarded further comment. The afternoon was too nice to ruin with further bickering, and he was pretty sure that Quatre and Trowa were almost to their wits end with everything.
--
"The first attack will fail," Relena stated blandly. Everyone sat in perfect silence listening to what they already knew. "And that failure will serve as oil for the fire. The public will become upset, and we will gain more support. Our second attack will be an attempt to retrieve the lost pilots. The third attack plan is pending. We have the scientists that made the original gundams at our disposal. The current generation gundam scientists are not creditable and therefore, will not be contacted."
"Thank you Miss Peacecraft," L3 rep, Yonlolen said. "Anything else?"
"Not as of yet."
"Good, moving on…"
--
Alexis lay on his bed, bound and gagged. His eyes were opened slightly and glazed by drugs and the abuse he'd suffered on the way back to and in his Russian cabin. Blood matted his dark hair sticking to his cheeks and eyes. The corners of his mouth were chafed and half-scabbed. He couldn't move even if he hadn't been bound. Red welts shone through the torn portions of his clothing, and blackened bruises decorated his small frame. They'd not touched his face, his attackers. It was a last praise to the aesthetic quality of his features. It was hard to breathe, but somehow, he managed talking small gulps of air.
They left me here to die…was the only coherent thought that Alexis could make. He stared blankly ahead of him at the wall with his ransacked bookcases.
--
Wufei sat next to the locked door of Artax's apartment. He'd found a curious sense of security there even though he might not have favored the occupant inside.
He was on the last pages of Amrita, thoroughly smitten with Sakumi's view of life, when the front door began to open. It was early afternoon, and Wufei was not expecting Artax home for a while yet. Quietly and quickly, he made his way to the kitchen, which was a semi-closed off room that he could hide for a minute or two.
Over the edge of the counter, he saw a dark figure in the doorway, too tall to be Artax and definitely not the lanky form of Trowa since it lacked a smaller partner. When it stepped from the light, Wufei recognized the face of Anthony. He closed the door behind himself and looked around. His glossy, brown hair spiked outward from his head, curling in all directions, a dramatic change from when Wufei first saw him with his hair plastered to his head by LCL fluid.
Cautiously, Wufei stood up and gained nerve reminding himself that Anthony had no right to be there. He summoned a commanding voice, "Common etiquette dictates that one knocks first before being admitted into another man's home."
Anthony faltered a moment and then relaxed when he saw who he was dealing with. "Not your home."
"I live here for now, and you do not. What is your business here?" Wufei asked folding his arms across his chest.
"I came to talk to you."
"Why?" Wufei asked becoming apprehensive.
"Sit down, and lets talk like civilized human beings," Anthony said pointing to the two adjoined beds since there were no chairs in the house.
Wufei complied reluctantly and sat on the edge of the mattress ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Anthony sat next to him, far more relaxed. They both stared at each other, eyes full of distrust.
"Do you love him?" Anthony asked.
"What is it to you?"
"If you do love him, I have another rival to contend with."
"Don't you think that if he reciprocated your feelings, he'd have come to you by now?"
"He's shy."
"And you are in denial."
"You think he's straight."
"No. I just think that you aren't going to get your way."
"You think that he likes you," Anthony accused Wufei hotly.
"I'm not in a position to dictate his emotions, and neither are you."
"I know that. I just want to know what you see."
"It is none of your concern."
"You're so full of yourself. I could hate you."
"And you are so annoying."
--
Anthony would not be removed from the house, so Wufei just let him sit on his bed and went about cleaning the house. He liked domestic chores, and the idea that his casual familiarity with everything was making the other extremely upset. Then he got a bright idea and emptied out the clothes hamper. He and Artax had been sharing clothing ever since he'd arrived, because his duffel bag had yet to be delivered to him.
In the kitchen, he took a deep tub out of one of the lower cabinets and began filling it with water. He almost smiled when he felt Anthony's questioning gaze on his back, but he acted oblivious to the whole situation. Skillfully, he set it down and began meticulously washing one article of clothing at a time. At first, he only acted as if he were paying close and careful attention to what he was doing, lovingly scrubbing each piece in the soapy water, then as the time passed, he really was paying attention to everything. And the more he paid attention, the clumsier he felt which made his resolve to do better all the more strong. Every small detail was important no matter how trivial. The narrowed eyes boring into his back had become a dull buzz in the back of his mind that he paid no heed to.