"""Trust is a nice thing. Not necessarily a good thing, but nice. I've always liked the feeling of having someone to trust. Most likely because it's very rare for me. Too rare in fact, as a certain blond Arabian told me. At least I have someone. But as I said before, trust isn't always good – or well placed. As an example: I trust Heero. That is a good thing 90% of the time, but every now and then, he does something that breaks it. Like on that colony that night when he doubted me.
We had gotten to our goal, all three of us, and I had settled with checking on Quatre through one of the first class computers of the control room. The news on that end was good, he was going to reach the gundams in time and get them back. I, of course, emailed back with our own report together with Heero's slightly odd orders about Wing. By then, Heero and Trowa had discussed themselves to a plan, right on time too as troops appeared that very moment. That was when it happened.
Heero called me over then. He asked me to hit him, to hit him hard. A rather strange request, but I didn't question it. I did hold back on my strength though. No need to beat the poor guys face into a pulp. The hit from Heero following up my punch took me by surprise. Not as much that I couldn't have blocked it, but as I earlier established, I trust Heero. These were one of those times when I shouldn't have though.
He got me in the stomach, just above my crotch, and let me tell you, that hurt. Not that it bothered me much though. I had more problems with the fact that I couldn't breathe. Even then though, I had the presence of mind to question Heero. His answer wasn't too satisfactory though. It made me realize that even if Heero did acknowledge me as a soldier, he still didn't see the whole picture. He couldn't see that even if I'm mainly a stealth artist relying on shadows and careful moving, I'm a former thief and street child as well. I can run, I can fight dirty. Heero couldn't see that. He couldn't see that I was just as able to escape as he was.
The soldiers entered the room just a few seconds after Trowa hefted me to his shoulder. I played my role well, lying there and looking unconscious while Heero escaped. When I then was dumped in a cell, I immediately plotted how to get out of there. It wouldn't be difficult, but if I was going to escape, I could as well do it just before the gundams will arrive. So I did one of the things I do best while waiting. I catnapped.
The moral of this though, is that even though I trusted Heero, he didn't trust me. That though, I wouldn't work out with him as soon as I had the time. For even though we still 'won', things could have gone different if he had just trusted me to handle myself just as he trusted me to able to control ZERO. This is not the time to dwell on the past though. Now, Heero trusts me as much as I trust him, and all is well with the world."""
The hospital doors slide open and we step out onto the parking lot. A car driven by Rashid is waiting just a bit away, and we head in that direction, no doubt looking ridiculous in our roughened up states. None of us has come away from this without injuries. Heero has broken ribs, a light concussion, a broken nose and several minor injuries. Trowa has his broken arm and a light bullet wound across his cheek. Quatre has a couple of broken toes as well as a twisted wrist due to a particularly large guard. Wufei has four broken fingers, a couple of knife wounds and an arm in a sling due to a swollen shoulder. I myself have a nicely swollen knee and am currently jumping around on crutches. Quite a collection of injuries, huh?
"Duo!" I look up as a voice call my name, breaking out in a smile as Relena comes running over. As the only one in our little group not to get hurt, she has been staying in our Maguanac secured building over the night and seems to have arrived with Rashid. Catching her in a hug, I chuckle a bit as she holds on to me carefully for a moment or two, before stepping back, smiling warmly at me. Who'd had thought we'd become such good friends?
"Hi to you to Relena," I say then, tucking a random wisp of hair behind her ear affectionately. "Are you all right? Sorrow said you slept most of the day and night after we got out of that place."
Relena chuckles lightly and glances in Rashid's direction.
"Yes," she admits, "Rashid took care of me. He's really nice, you know. Reminds me of my father"
I grin at that, throwing the proud Maguanac a teasing grin.
"So you do," I comment quirkily, then give her a serious look. "You do realize that this isn't the end of this though? There are still people out there just as Arvidsen."
Relena nods sombrely.
"I know," she silently says, then looks up with a small smile. "You'll help me keep them at bay?"
Laughing slightly, I hug her briefly.
"Yeah," I say. "And as the contract said, the time I'm not going to be available, you're going to have the protection of my best men and women. We're not going to let them come to you, Relena."
Relena nods, her blue eyes shining slightly as she gestures towards the car.
"I guess we should get going," she says. "There are a lot of things we need to speak about."
I nod and start to hop my way to the car with my fellow pilots, friends and lover. As we reach the limo, I chuck in my crutches before stepping in myself with the careful help of Heero. Squeezing his hand gently before letting go, I slide into the car. When Heero has taken place beside me, the car starts and begin the journey to our temporary home.
Smoothening my black skirt, I look around at the people gathered around the homey living room. We have all gathered in the top suite at Quatre's building where he has his guest apartment, waiting for the tale to begin. Rashid and the usual guards have politely retreated to give us some privacy, even if I don't doubt he has enough guards to man a frontal attack on the Peace Palace stationed out of hearing range of normal speech for protection. That man takes his job seriously, and for that, I respect him.
Looking at Duo, I can almost see how nervous he is about this. He is after all revealing a secret he's kept for his whole life. That is never easy, it can't be. Duo's anxiousness shows that if anything.
"I guess you want to hear the tale behind all this," the braided man I consider my friend hesitantly begins, our companions mercifully keeping back any comments. "Truth is, I don't know the whole tale. What I know though, I will tell you. My first memory is…"
Already knowing all of this, I let my mind drift as duo explains everything to our mutual friends. Regarding their various positions in the room, I lazily realize how easy it is to see the relationship between the five of them. They're all sitting around and in a large, mauve couch to begin with, Heero and duo taking up most of it as Duo lies reclined on it with his injured leg, resting against Heero's chest. Heero himself is absently playing with Duo's long bangs, occasionally sneaking himself a caress of Duo's cheek. Every time he does that, Duo leans in to the touch and I can almost imagine a purr rumbling deep in his chest.
Trowa is sitting in a stuffed armchair slightly in front of and next to the couch, Quatre leaning against his knees while sitting on the thick carpet. The blonde is holding Trowa's hand and he has a calm smile stretched over his face, similar to the less noticeable smile on Trowa's. Wufei is leaning against the side of the armchair, also on the floor and positioned between the two couples. Even though he has no physical contact with any of them, it's easy to see that he is content as he is, surrounded by his closest friends.
Duo has stopped speaking now, and is looking down at his chest, unsure of the reactions he will receive. Judging from the various expressions around the room though, I wouldn't believe the explosions he expects will come though. In fact, it seems like most of them already had their suspicions. Heero's expressions even imply he already know, but I suspect that is because Duo told him.
When someone finally speaks up, it's surprisingly enough Trowa.
"How come Arvidsen could control you?" he calmly says, watching his friend with a curious look." I can understand the need for ZERO to break loose, but how did you get in that position in the first place?"
As Duo looks up, I have to keep back a grin at his surprise. He didn't expect such acceptance of his little announcement I guess. This only proves how close the five of them really are though. The surprise easily shifts into clinical pensiveness as Duo forms his answer.
"I believe I went through some sort of behaviour modification at the lab," he slowly said, his voice sounding slightly absent. Heero is holding his hand now, the other arm wrapped around Duo's chest. "I was made to be a creature living only to serve, and that was the way they trained me, broke me. But I never had the chance to go through the last training, which would leave me completely under Arvidsen's command. When Arvidsen found me, I had no other choice but to obey. But his hold on me was incomplete. That was how I kept anything too grave from happening. How I planned the breakout. I knew that ZERO could break Arvidsen's grasp on me, but I also knew I had to do it while in a position to defeat him. Which leads to the now."
Silence fall over the room for a minute while everyone ponders what Duo just said. Eventually, I decide to break to silence.
"Well, all things are all right now," I lightly comment, receiving two grateful looks from Duo respective Heero. Isn't it ironic that the first time Heero looks at me with something else than spite, it is due to Duo? I certainly think so. "The question I know we are all anxiously hoping to get answer to though is, how large is your information net really? It seems like where ever we go, we meet your operatives."
"Yes," Wufei agree, something akin to impatience in his voice. "And who is Sorrow? He just showed up from nowhere to clean up our way out…"
Duo smiles a bit at that, easing the air much.
"I have informants almost everywhere," he humble says, "especially in formerly or current slum areas. They are mostly former street children of L2 and their followers. The number has grown quickly during the years. For reasons I don't quite understand, they seem to consider me their leader. Sorrow is a very old friend of mine, as well as the leader for my informants here in Brussels. It's he who sent Caramel among other things."
There are an outbreak of understanding nods around the room, and a discussion concerning Duo's network start. Listening quietly to the argument, I relish in the relaxed air. When the discussion finally dwindles down almost an hour later, I'm almost asleep, a smile on my lips. These are good times, no matter what threats are made. Because we are all together.
TBC
