I'm sorry this chapter is a week late. My muses struck late last week.
This is for NoMo and Ariel for your wonderful reviews, and my new beta A-chan.
Chapter Eight
"""Life at one of the minor colonies in the L2 cluster wasn't the peaceful, calm one I would have expected it to be. It was more... interesting, lacking a better word. Not necessarily a good interesting either. Definitely not with how everything was towards the end.
Now, afterwards, I don't think of the last week or so at the colony. It wasn't exactly one of the greatest times in my life after all. It was then that I began to have serious doubts about our cause, about living generally. Not one of my brightest times, I'm afraid.
I was working on Deathscythe when it all escalated to a highly unpleasant climax. Or 'Deathscythe Hell' if one is supposed to be nitpicky. I'm not. 'Hell' is just an indicator that it's the second reincarnation of my buddy anyway. Deathscythe is Deathscythe, no matter what model.
Anyway. Suddenly, I was alerted by the fact that a mobile suit was closing in on us. It proved to be this idiot in Wing Zero who wanted me to test the thing. Yes, I said 'idiot'. He died after all because of that damn system.
He forced me into space with him, using Hilde and the colony against me. Then, he stuck me into that blasted machine of Heero's and ordered me to hook up to the thing. I did what he told me, not completely unwilling either. Blast my curiosity!
The first thing I noticed after connecting the system to my mind was a strange, swarming feeling, as if thousands of ants were running around in my mind. It itched. It disappeared quickly however; leaving the place to the most bizarre, unsettling thing I had felt in a long while.
I wasn't in control of my mind. It was running haywire, showing me images of lot of different things. Things I couldn't remember. Things about my childhood. Needles, scalpels, blood, pain, and just before I managed to get my control back, a pair of steely, grey eyes staring at me from beneath elegant, silver glasses.
The Zero system didn't let go of me just yet though. It continued to drag me through a nightmare of colours, flashes and faces until it finally settled on one. Myself. My gundam. That is something I will never forget.
I was booted from the gundam directly after that. I've never been so thankful in my life. Even so, I couldn't help but ponder on the whole thing later on. What had the system showed me? What did it mean with it?
I left the colony soon after that."""
I feel unexplainably wrong as I walk by Heero's side back to the others. It's still hard to believe that he knows. He knows of my sickness and hasn't expressed any ill words because of it. It both gladdens and scares me. It gladdens me because it shows how much he has opened up since we met. It scares me because I've never had anyone caring for me like he does. It also scares me because I suspect we passed the line between best friends and something else when I wasn't looking.
Sighing, I discreetly pat my pocket to make sure that the papers I put there earlier in case of this happening are still there. I then turn to Heero. No matter how nice it felt to ease my heart, I don't want my 'condition' to be known by all and everyone.
"Heero?" I tentatively say, reaching over my shoulder to grab my braid. I feel illogically mean by doing this.
"Duo," he says back, a slight smirk resting at the corner of his mouth. Shinigami! Couldn't he have chosen another moment to let his rather peculiar sense of humour out to play?
I scrunch my nose at him before giving him a glare.
"I'm serious Heero," I say, looking as stern as I can without starting to look like a mad cat. "I don't want you to tell the others what you just saw. I..."
I don't get any further as Heero simply puts his hand on my shoulder and looks into my eyes.
"I understand, Duo," he simply says, telling it all with his calm, blue eyes. "I won't."
I nod gratefully and plaster on a great smile. Then, I burst through the door and grin madly at the people inside.
"I'm back!" I dramatically announce, flopping down on the floor next to Quatre. "Missed me?"
The blonde gives me an amused look and shakes his head. Relena just chuckles out loud.
"Sure, Duo," she says, giving me a knowing look. "What did you get for us?"
I fish up my papers and wave them around a bit.
"This." Then, suddenly, I'm once again in serious mode.
Waiting patiently for Heero and Duo to return from wherever they went, I wearily rub the bridge of my nose. It has been long days lately with dividing my time between keeping Relena and the safe house secure and searching for further data on the planned assassination of Relena Peacecraft. The Intel we have - the place, payment and target is disappointingly vague and not nearly enough. The arrival of the others gave me a well-needed respite, but I will no doubt be back in front of a monitor sooner than I want.
Thinking back, I remember the days when I was a scholar. I could spend my days learning and doing meaningful things like teaching children the history of my people. In those days, I knew nothing of violence but that of the meditation and defence kata I learned under the matriarch. At the time, little did I know that less than three years later I would use them to kill.
The door slams open and I'm abruptly brought back to the present by Duo who dramatically throws himself down beside Quatre, a maniac smile on his face. Allowing myself to look faintly amused, I follow Heero's much more restrained return. I note that he has a peculiar look on his face. No doubt something happened that caused another wave of denial to hit them.
Fingering my ornate but deadly knife I always carry with me, I watch as Duo whips up some papers from an inner pocket of his tee. I cover a snort. Only Duo would ever have inner pockets on a tee.
"This is what I went to get," he says, abruptly changing mood from crazy to serious. I've always been fascinated by the way Duo can change between different moods in just a matter of seconds. You never know when he'll go from sad to happy, from moody to furious. He's as unpredictable as anything and while it no doubt is a great advantage as a warrior, it makes him difficult to befriend. That and his constant talking. When he finally lets you in though, you find that you never want him to change. Believe me, I know.
Pulling myself together, I concentrate on what Duo is saying. This is not the time to let my thoughts wander.
"As I said before I left," Duo continued, laying the papers down, "the owner and leader of Hel Inc. is Thor Arvidsen. Everything in that company goes through him. While that doesn't automatically make him our man, he certainly is the main candidate to the contractor. On these papers is written everything known about him. It's not much though. He seemingly appeared from nowhere about ten years ago and created the company, which mainly deals with machinery used in the car industry."
Quatre nods before adding his own thoughts.
"So far, we have found six planned attempts to kill Relena," he says quite calmly while sharing a thoughtful look with Duo. "They are all to take place in different areas. Two contracts have already run out, due to Duo's immediate reaction and Wufei's alertness. Even if we need to confirm the identity of the contractor and take him out, our first priority is to get Relena into a safe house more secure than this one."
A slight movement beside me alerts me that Relena wants to say something, but is hesitant to. Not wanting to unnerve her further by letting her know that I am aware of her fidgeting, I sign a short message to the others. They immediately quiet and pretend to be at loss when it comes to suitable locations. We all know that Relena has a good head on her shoulders, even if I have to admit that I've only come to realize it lately. If she has something to say, it's likely to be good.
"If I may suggest a place," Relena finally begins, hesitantly at first, but more surely as no one interrupts her, "I remember that Quatre owns a certain building in Brussels that stands slightly off in the middle of town. If you could devise a way to secure the two or three lower floors, I could easily be kept safe at one of the higher floors."
Duo gives Relena a broad grin.
"That's a good idea, Relena," he compliments her, making Relena smile at him. I ponder that. Has she transferred her crush from Heero to Duo, or is her smile just for the compliment? For her own sake, I truly hope it is the compliment. Duo wouldn't be as patient with her as Heero was, and he threatened to kill her at least twice a day.
"Yes, Duo's right," Quatre slowly says, frowning as he thinks. "And with my Maguanacs to help, the protection issue will be solved. Also, with a few rocket launchers and our usual arsenal, the building should be able to stand until reinforcements arrive."
Heero nods curtly.
"How fast can you have the safe house prepared?" he asks. "The movements on the streets as well as the data on Hel Inc. says that something will soon happen. We need to be prepared before that."
Quatre thinks about it quickly and then looks enquiringly at Heero.
"I could probably have everything ready in six hours," he says. "The building is mostly used for official events concerning WEI anyway. Will that be enough?"
"It will have to," Heero grimly says, but suddenly freezes. "DOWN!"
At the same time, a shot goes off. I immediately drop to the floor, but even as I fall, I hear an animalistic yowl coming from Duo, sounding like a furious and injured cat. As no other shot comes, I look up just in time to see Duo vault through the window in a move rivalling Trowa's, one arm bleeding profusely from a flesh wound. The strange thing is that he did it all from a lying position.
"What the..." I start, but then silence as I see Trowa's face. Something is wrong. When he speaks, my thoughts are confirmed.
"That was no human sound," he calmly says, looking as if he was commenting on the weather.
I happened to be looking at Relena then, and the panic I see in her eyes at Trowa's words confuse me. What is going on?
This is for NoMo and Ariel for your wonderful reviews, and my new beta A-chan.
Chapter Eight
"""Life at one of the minor colonies in the L2 cluster wasn't the peaceful, calm one I would have expected it to be. It was more... interesting, lacking a better word. Not necessarily a good interesting either. Definitely not with how everything was towards the end.
Now, afterwards, I don't think of the last week or so at the colony. It wasn't exactly one of the greatest times in my life after all. It was then that I began to have serious doubts about our cause, about living generally. Not one of my brightest times, I'm afraid.
I was working on Deathscythe when it all escalated to a highly unpleasant climax. Or 'Deathscythe Hell' if one is supposed to be nitpicky. I'm not. 'Hell' is just an indicator that it's the second reincarnation of my buddy anyway. Deathscythe is Deathscythe, no matter what model.
Anyway. Suddenly, I was alerted by the fact that a mobile suit was closing in on us. It proved to be this idiot in Wing Zero who wanted me to test the thing. Yes, I said 'idiot'. He died after all because of that damn system.
He forced me into space with him, using Hilde and the colony against me. Then, he stuck me into that blasted machine of Heero's and ordered me to hook up to the thing. I did what he told me, not completely unwilling either. Blast my curiosity!
The first thing I noticed after connecting the system to my mind was a strange, swarming feeling, as if thousands of ants were running around in my mind. It itched. It disappeared quickly however; leaving the place to the most bizarre, unsettling thing I had felt in a long while.
I wasn't in control of my mind. It was running haywire, showing me images of lot of different things. Things I couldn't remember. Things about my childhood. Needles, scalpels, blood, pain, and just before I managed to get my control back, a pair of steely, grey eyes staring at me from beneath elegant, silver glasses.
The Zero system didn't let go of me just yet though. It continued to drag me through a nightmare of colours, flashes and faces until it finally settled on one. Myself. My gundam. That is something I will never forget.
I was booted from the gundam directly after that. I've never been so thankful in my life. Even so, I couldn't help but ponder on the whole thing later on. What had the system showed me? What did it mean with it?
I left the colony soon after that."""
I feel unexplainably wrong as I walk by Heero's side back to the others. It's still hard to believe that he knows. He knows of my sickness and hasn't expressed any ill words because of it. It both gladdens and scares me. It gladdens me because it shows how much he has opened up since we met. It scares me because I've never had anyone caring for me like he does. It also scares me because I suspect we passed the line between best friends and something else when I wasn't looking.
Sighing, I discreetly pat my pocket to make sure that the papers I put there earlier in case of this happening are still there. I then turn to Heero. No matter how nice it felt to ease my heart, I don't want my 'condition' to be known by all and everyone.
"Heero?" I tentatively say, reaching over my shoulder to grab my braid. I feel illogically mean by doing this.
"Duo," he says back, a slight smirk resting at the corner of his mouth. Shinigami! Couldn't he have chosen another moment to let his rather peculiar sense of humour out to play?
I scrunch my nose at him before giving him a glare.
"I'm serious Heero," I say, looking as stern as I can without starting to look like a mad cat. "I don't want you to tell the others what you just saw. I..."
I don't get any further as Heero simply puts his hand on my shoulder and looks into my eyes.
"I understand, Duo," he simply says, telling it all with his calm, blue eyes. "I won't."
I nod gratefully and plaster on a great smile. Then, I burst through the door and grin madly at the people inside.
"I'm back!" I dramatically announce, flopping down on the floor next to Quatre. "Missed me?"
The blonde gives me an amused look and shakes his head. Relena just chuckles out loud.
"Sure, Duo," she says, giving me a knowing look. "What did you get for us?"
I fish up my papers and wave them around a bit.
"This." Then, suddenly, I'm once again in serious mode.
Waiting patiently for Heero and Duo to return from wherever they went, I wearily rub the bridge of my nose. It has been long days lately with dividing my time between keeping Relena and the safe house secure and searching for further data on the planned assassination of Relena Peacecraft. The Intel we have - the place, payment and target is disappointingly vague and not nearly enough. The arrival of the others gave me a well-needed respite, but I will no doubt be back in front of a monitor sooner than I want.
Thinking back, I remember the days when I was a scholar. I could spend my days learning and doing meaningful things like teaching children the history of my people. In those days, I knew nothing of violence but that of the meditation and defence kata I learned under the matriarch. At the time, little did I know that less than three years later I would use them to kill.
The door slams open and I'm abruptly brought back to the present by Duo who dramatically throws himself down beside Quatre, a maniac smile on his face. Allowing myself to look faintly amused, I follow Heero's much more restrained return. I note that he has a peculiar look on his face. No doubt something happened that caused another wave of denial to hit them.
Fingering my ornate but deadly knife I always carry with me, I watch as Duo whips up some papers from an inner pocket of his tee. I cover a snort. Only Duo would ever have inner pockets on a tee.
"This is what I went to get," he says, abruptly changing mood from crazy to serious. I've always been fascinated by the way Duo can change between different moods in just a matter of seconds. You never know when he'll go from sad to happy, from moody to furious. He's as unpredictable as anything and while it no doubt is a great advantage as a warrior, it makes him difficult to befriend. That and his constant talking. When he finally lets you in though, you find that you never want him to change. Believe me, I know.
Pulling myself together, I concentrate on what Duo is saying. This is not the time to let my thoughts wander.
"As I said before I left," Duo continued, laying the papers down, "the owner and leader of Hel Inc. is Thor Arvidsen. Everything in that company goes through him. While that doesn't automatically make him our man, he certainly is the main candidate to the contractor. On these papers is written everything known about him. It's not much though. He seemingly appeared from nowhere about ten years ago and created the company, which mainly deals with machinery used in the car industry."
Quatre nods before adding his own thoughts.
"So far, we have found six planned attempts to kill Relena," he says quite calmly while sharing a thoughtful look with Duo. "They are all to take place in different areas. Two contracts have already run out, due to Duo's immediate reaction and Wufei's alertness. Even if we need to confirm the identity of the contractor and take him out, our first priority is to get Relena into a safe house more secure than this one."
A slight movement beside me alerts me that Relena wants to say something, but is hesitant to. Not wanting to unnerve her further by letting her know that I am aware of her fidgeting, I sign a short message to the others. They immediately quiet and pretend to be at loss when it comes to suitable locations. We all know that Relena has a good head on her shoulders, even if I have to admit that I've only come to realize it lately. If she has something to say, it's likely to be good.
"If I may suggest a place," Relena finally begins, hesitantly at first, but more surely as no one interrupts her, "I remember that Quatre owns a certain building in Brussels that stands slightly off in the middle of town. If you could devise a way to secure the two or three lower floors, I could easily be kept safe at one of the higher floors."
Duo gives Relena a broad grin.
"That's a good idea, Relena," he compliments her, making Relena smile at him. I ponder that. Has she transferred her crush from Heero to Duo, or is her smile just for the compliment? For her own sake, I truly hope it is the compliment. Duo wouldn't be as patient with her as Heero was, and he threatened to kill her at least twice a day.
"Yes, Duo's right," Quatre slowly says, frowning as he thinks. "And with my Maguanacs to help, the protection issue will be solved. Also, with a few rocket launchers and our usual arsenal, the building should be able to stand until reinforcements arrive."
Heero nods curtly.
"How fast can you have the safe house prepared?" he asks. "The movements on the streets as well as the data on Hel Inc. says that something will soon happen. We need to be prepared before that."
Quatre thinks about it quickly and then looks enquiringly at Heero.
"I could probably have everything ready in six hours," he says. "The building is mostly used for official events concerning WEI anyway. Will that be enough?"
"It will have to," Heero grimly says, but suddenly freezes. "DOWN!"
At the same time, a shot goes off. I immediately drop to the floor, but even as I fall, I hear an animalistic yowl coming from Duo, sounding like a furious and injured cat. As no other shot comes, I look up just in time to see Duo vault through the window in a move rivalling Trowa's, one arm bleeding profusely from a flesh wound. The strange thing is that he did it all from a lying position.
"What the..." I start, but then silence as I see Trowa's face. Something is wrong. When he speaks, my thoughts are confirmed.
"That was no human sound," he calmly says, looking as if he was commenting on the weather.
I happened to be looking at Relena then, and the panic I see in her eyes at Trowa's words confuse me. What is going on?
