"I'm - a prisoner," the boy had finally admitted.
Internally, Heero had frowned, but no trace of his annoyance could be detected, staring at the soldier stonily. "Your name." It was an expectation.
"Yeah, I have a name," Duo grinned at him cheekily, testing his patience. 'Let's see how far I can push it.'
Heero's internal frown deepened if possible. "What is your name?" he clarified without a semblance of exasperation.
Once again, Duo avoided the question. "I'm just another soldier," he shrugged. "What's so important in a name?"
"Information," Heero stated vaguely. 'A lot.' He was well aware that the other pilot knew; inwardly, his eyes narrowed.
"Tell ya what," Duo leaned in a bit closer to the youth. "If you give me your name or at least something to call you by," he made a gesturing movement with slender hands, "I'll give you the same in return."
Another trick, Heero knew, to 'get something on him,' just like Duo knew what was so important about having a name. Easily he could lie, but even if he told the truth, it would be prudent for the boy not to believe him. And the Perfect Soldier knew better than to say anything at all. Reviewing his options, he agreed to the proposition, in the end assuming the soldier only wanted the latter. "One," he pronounced the syllable. It was something that was obviously false; the other would not question its credibility.
"Alright - One," Duo smirked, satisfied. Despite all appearances, to be a smartass seemed to suit One's personality. `I can play this game, too.' "Then you can call me . . ." he pretended to mull over it. "Two."
A small smirk twitched at the corner of Heero's mouth. `He's got guts.' Two had actually caught the dark haired boy off guard for a moment. That hadn't happened in years. Though it was tempting . . . to have a conversation with someone with obvious intelligence . . . Heero reminded himself that the *prisoner* wasn't there to make small-talk.
"Who are you?" he repeated his earlier inquisition, continuing his thorough examination and interrogation of the *enemy.*
"Two," Duo simulated a fictitious air of confusion. While he feigned innocence, keen amethyst eyes analyzed Heero critically with utmost subtlety, watching for anything that would give him an idea of who the mysterious youth was. The slight change in attitude disappointed him a bit -- he'd wanted to continue their game.
"More specifically," Heero pressed him firmly, declining Two's pursuits.
"What, more specifically?" Duo blinked his large amethyst eyes innocently, knowing full well what One was asking for. He knew, too, that it was probably a bad idea to test this guy's limits, but nevertheless he wasn't just going to abandon his duty of secrecy. In the end, it was more dangerous to tell him anything. So he wouldn't leak information out before he had to; after all . . . morality could never coexist with war. Even if he 'felt' One could be trusted, Duo knew beyond a doubt, also, that between himself and the cause, the boy would betray him. The feeling was mutual.
"You," Heero scrutinized Two, searching him with dark blue eyes, making note of his physical condition. Heero's acute scan had not missed a wince of pain. `Fractures on the left side, third rib from the top, bruises on the upper forearm." Mentally, he made a list of the pilot's possible physical injuries. A wisp of emotion rose in him, one of which he could not identify, a mere twinge.
"I can't tell you," Duo shook his head as locks of hair unraveled from his long, chestnut braid; they'd already been sticking out at odd ends. It annoyed him.
"Why?" Heero inquired with patience, humoring him.
"Because," Duo smirked, "Then I'd have to kill you!" He searched, for a moment, those brilliant blue eyes, then winked at One, only half joking.
Heero cocked an eyebrow at the daring pilot dubbed Two that sat before him. He was unafraid of the glowering pilot; he had ignored the death glare he had first received, and even ventured so far as to give those insufficient responses to him. He was firmly resolute to protect his mission and purpose. Two was similar to Heero in more ways than one. Heero almost smiled in admiration.
"I don't think you can," Heero spoke lowly, fighting the urge to snort.
"Well, you never know," Duo gave another shrug, staring not fearfully into the Prussian blue orbs.
"Uncertainty like that can get you killed, you know," Heero blatantly pointed out.
"Sometimes it's an asset," retorted Duo, almost challenging the stoic Japanese youth before him.
He couldn't help it. The corner of Heero's lips curved, slowly surfacing a tiny smirk upon the rose-colored flesh. He nodded slightly, "True," he admitted. "Sometimes."
Suddenly, "You're the rebel pilot that attacked, aren't you?" He threw caution, as well as the game, to the wind and voiced his suspicions. "Someone involved with Operation Meteor . . . you pilot a gundam. There was no other way you could have survived."
"You did," Heero curtly reminded Duo.
"Answer me," immense purple eyes gazed into One's as he demanded in a whisper.
Delicate eyebrows arced perfectly over shimmering blue violet pools. Milk chocolate dripped over pale ivory skin atop his forehead in spiky bangs. A thick rope-like braid hung over one shoulder; honey-gold highlights glimmered in the light. Heero drank in Two completely, memorizing every line and contour of the animated face, long thick lashes, and those unforgettable eyes. Unfamiliar feelings coursed through Heero's body as he fought to keep them down, imprison them. `There's something about him . . . ' After a long breath of hesitation, he could not refuse; Heero coolly replied, "Aa." Immediately his rational mind saw it as a mistake, but he didn't regret it.
Duo blinked and leaned back, resting on the white walls. "You know," he grinned, snapping out of a trance. "You hit me pretty hard back there. Man, I was surprised that I didn't blow up right then and there. And happy, of course," he added as an afterthought.
"You were suppose to," Heero monotonously noted. "But it was the wrong place at the wrong angle," he mused.
"Then I guess I got off lucky," chuckled Duo.
"Maybe," Heero said darkly. "You should have died, Two." His mind reached a conclusion. "And believe that omae o korosu," a brief pause, "before you will be freed."
Duo started at the coldness of his voice. "Maybe," he echoed One's earlier spoken words; his voice did not waver, and he only smirked, "We'll see."
There goes Chapter Two; hope you guys like it! I have no idea what else to say, so I guess I'll leave it at that. It's still boring - and short, but it'll get better . . . at least in my opinion it does. ^^;; Ciao! And thanks for reading!
