Namae wo Tsukete
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© 2002 Lady Pax
regular disclaimers apply, aka: Bandai and Sunrise haven't been returning my phone calls or giving my checks back…(good thing they bounce! ^-^;;)
Yes… I AM BACK! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^;; I promised, didn't I?
Anywho, remember on the voting/poll that majority rules! If you don't get your pick, I'm sorry! I really do respect your choice with the utmost reverence (to an extent – seeing as some of those answers were sorta like…whoa. Didn't see that one coming! *cough**cough*)!!
¡Goce! [enjoy! :: Spanish]
~~
chapter sixteen – new and improved!!
A week had passed since Trowa had awaken. A long, agonizingly slow week for Suzuka and the pilots, but a short one for Duo and Trowa. He spent all his waking moments in Trowa's room, the European boy's hand locked in his. And during the duration of the time, Duo told Trowa of what he and the other pilots had done while Trowa was gone.
The three other pilots noticed how Duo didn't mention the long days he had been sobbing Trowa's name, locked in his room and fearing the worst.
But on this particular morning, Duo wasn't in the 'mood' for telling Trowa about his 'past life' without him. He wanted to know. He *needed* to know.
"Trowa," he said softly at his koi's bedside. He realized the boy was asleep. He contemplated waking him up, but decided not to. He wanted Trowa to recuperate as quickly as possible. Duo took his lover's thin hand and pressed it to his face, shivering at the colder skin touching his warm flesh. He let out a small, despairing moan as the memories of the days Trowa was gone came back to him.
"Trowa…" he whispered again, sobs cracking his voice.
Meanwhile, outside on the roof of the safehouse, a lone figure sat at the edge – deep in thought.
(A/N: quick note… I forgot Suzuka's hair color… Damn, I've been away too long… *goes to search past chapters* Oh. OK. Brown hair – I guess – and orange eyes… Shibby.)
'If I go to show Treize a…thing or two…I'll have to get past their defense system…' she thought. Memories of looking at their security, pass-codes, and locks danced through her head. She shivered. 'Don't think I'll have enough time alone to do that…' Suzuka brushed a stray piece of chocolate brown hair from her bright orange eyes, and shook some snow out of her hair and the jacket Duo had been 'kind' enough to let her borrow (leather just wasn't her style).
'And then there's Chang… He seems to want Treize as much as I do, given his past recordings by Dr. J… But 'm not one to share my findings and locations with anyone.' She arched her back outwards, a small smile gracing her lips as she heard and felt the satisfying crack of her back. She gave a mix of a sigh and groan, and cracked her knuckles simultaneously. It had been a tiring week, and she didn't know what was worse: taking care of a Gundam pilot, or facing a fleet of Mobile Suits…alone. 'Much less my prey…'
But it's the right thing to do, her conscience argued.
'And since when do I do that?' she snapped back in her mind. That shut 'Jiminy Cricket' up. (A/N: You know, that: 'let your conscience be your guide' and all that crappy musical Disney stuff… Anything not made by Sunrise, TV Ashai, Tokyo Pop, or any other Japanese studios just aren't worth watching or reading… Unless, of course, it's by Rachel Ortega… Love the author!)
"Lady Suzuka." A voice drifted with the bitter wind to her ears, and she stiffened slightly, hoping Wufei – 'twas the owner of the voice – wouldn't notice. But of course, ever the self-jinxer, he did.
"A little fidgety today, hmm?" he said condescendingly, his onyx eyes narrowing. She had moved as if she were hiding something, and he wanted to know what. Whatever the consequences brought.
She sighed. "What did you come here for, Chang?" she asked, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder. "Because I have the greatest hunch it wasn't to mock me." She glowered. "You're not even wearing a long-sleeved shirt."
"You've been out here for quite a while," he said, ignoring her tone. "We've wondered where you've gone off to."
"Well, here I am," she said.
"Obviously. Now get inside, onna. Heero wants to make sure you don't flee."
Suzuka's orange eyes narrowed, and she turned back to the large area of snow-covered ground before her. "Tell him to stop worrying – and that I'm out here. It's not like a polar bear's going to jump out of the damn ice and eat me!"
"Yes, of course," he said slowly, and Suzuka brightened, thinking he would leave. But he continued his statement:
"Our wishes never come true."
She turned fiercely. "You stupid son of a bitch…" she said lowly, dangerously.. "I've gone out on plenty of limbs for *all* of you, and all you do is mock me like I'm some inferior child! I never had to save Barton! I could have let him DIE out there!" He interrupted before she could continue:
"Then why didn't you?"
History had been made. The great Bird Flying, otherwise known as Lady Yoshinari Suzuka, had been baffled.
Wufei smirked. "I thought so." He turned, and headed for the safehouse when he heard the click of the gun. He froze, and reached for his, then turned to face her. "I knew you couldn't be trusted."
Suzuka ignored him. "I'll let you live if you make sure I'm left alone for the rest of the day."
"Why is that, onna?" Wufei growled.
"So I can escape…and meet the deal I made with Treize," she growled, still holding her gun steady – aimed at his abdomen. Her lip curled when Wufei's eyes lit up involuntarily.
"Not unless you let me go with you, woman," he said.
Suzuka grit her teeth, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Don't push your luck, Chang," she hissed.
The Chinese man smirked. "Then no deal, woman. Now, I think I'll just go get Heero now…" He began walking away, then suddenly whirled around – a gun outstretched. "I know how good you are at dodging, but those are OZ soldiers – not people equal in rank to you. Besides, there's no possible way you could dodge a bullet fully at this length – unless you jump over the edge.
"So you've got three choices. One: Let me go with you to destroy Treize. Two: Let me go tell Heero that you've become traitorous, or three: Try and doge my bullet, get shot, and put out of commission. Trust me - I know how to shoot." His ebony eyes glowed with some unshed emotion, locked behind ice.
Suzuka contemplated, then finally put her gun down, putting it back in its holster. "We leave today, after we get supplies and tell the others. Deal?" She outstretched her fingers, not quite enough for a good handshake, but better than nothing.
A bronze hand enclosed hers, and the two had a quick staring contest before Wufei looked away. "Deal." Then they let go, slowly, mechanically, then parted. Wufei, back down into the 'house', and Suzuka, sitting back down on the frigid ledge and staring and pondering over complete nothingness.
~~
Trowa moaned, and his eyes rolled beneath the lids. He took a shuddering breath, and opened his emerald eyes, only to be met by shades of violet.
"Nice to see you've been resting well," said the baritone voice.
"Duo…" Trowa whispered, closing his eyes. Opening them.
"Hm?" asked the braided-pilot, feeling the banged man's forehead.
"I'm hungry."
Duo seemed to brighten considerably. "Really? Okay, good. I-I'll be right back, Trowa – don't go anywhere, I mean, okay, never mind. What do you want? Soup? Pudding? Mushy stuff is good for you right now." He spoke in a rush, but Trowa heard him all right.
"Something warm," he said. "Please." His eyes closed again.
Duo smiled, his eyes closed. "Right away…koi…" he said, before disappearing beyond the doorway.
~~
Suzuka came back in about an hour after her meeting with Wufei. She knew Wufei had told Heero already, and it was for the better, she didn't want to tell 01 that she was planning on destroying Treize. He'd have more questions for her than 05, that was for sure.
The woman wandered idly through the halls, getting some feeling back into her cold legs, and stopped at the 'sick bay'. She blinked.
"You're eating!" she exclaimed. She closed her mouth, not meaning to sound so surprised, but his recovery had been awfully slow. If all that work had been for nothing…
Trowa looked at her, but didn't say anything. But his companion beside him, Duo, nodded. "Of course he is, he's a Gundam pilot. He's not helpless," he said smartly. Suzuka wanted to retort with something along the lines of 'but you are helpless, Duo', but didn't. Not in front of 03 anyway.
"That's…good. Eat at least one thing every day, your health will come back soon – per say, about a week or two." She smiled, her orange eyes glowing with happiness.
"Ari…gatu…" Trowa said softly, and Suzuka smiled, and nodded.
"Vena ci gondel!" she said and laughed. They didn't know what she had said. Not many people would, in the entire universe. "I mean…it was nothing." Then she left, feeling quite happier than she had before.
~~
Back at the OZ base, Treize was contemplating on that woman that had escaped him. She was good. Almost too good. If they caught her – if – she would make a wonderful asset to them.
"So Treize, what plans do we have?" asked a new voice. The head turned around.
"Oh, Zechs," he said, smiling a bit. "We're waiting for someone to break into the base. But we've got to make it seem real, we can spare some guards, anyway." He stood. "Now come, I've got to tell the guards about this plan of ours. You don't mind being one of the main parts, do you?"
Zechs looked at him a moment before shaking his head. "Not at all."
"Good. Come on then."
~*~
AN: WOO! So Treize knows what Suzuka plans to do…and he's going to make his trap seem less like a trap than EVER! FUN! …Oh, and next chapter: Suzuka meets Zechs! And quick poll question (an old one)!:
Who would be a better partner for Suzuka, Treize or Zechs?
