Sorry, my beta needed one more day with it and that's why it's up now.
Disclaimers: It's Not Mine!!! That is all.
Warnings: None really, just more setting up. There is some gratuitous ogling of Heero though.
--A Past Unburied, Preparations Made-
**CWS- Heero's Quarter's**
The room was dark save for the artificial glow emanating from the laptop. The small desk was covered with several, neatly stacked piles of paper, all the information Heero had managed to gather on Duo Maxwell thus far. Heero's extensive computer hacking skills, ones honed since his early childhood, had made the background search quite simple. He had encountered a few problems, but the fault could not be found in his skills. His problem was that there was so little information on the subject that it took hours to find even his birth certificate. Heero looked over his information one last time before he was ready to send it to Une. Duo- why did he refer to him by his first name? - had been an orphan since birth. Born on the streets, literally, in an alley behind a restaurant, he had lost his biological mother after birth. The teenager, name unknown, who had fathered Duo, was never found; name wasn't even on the birth certificate. He had probably done what most street teens did: get some girl pregnant after fooling around, use her for drug money, then ditch her when she became pregnant and poor.
After the "loss" of both his parents, a Good Samaritan who had found him on the street had taken Duo to a medical clinic. How that child had survived alone on the streets for so long was beyond any comprehension. While in the clinic being treated for the bruises and illnesses he had contracted, several nurses and doctors had noted in the records that Duo had exhibited some strange and disturbing behavior. Heero had dug deeper, searching old records for further details, but none had been found.
When Duo was four months old, he was deemed healthy enough to leave the clinic, and was turned over to the Maxwell orphanage. He had remained there most of his life, had taken the orphanage's name as his own, and had attended the nearby public school. His marks were average and he had had his fair share of disciplinary problems.
Heero then flipped to a report from Duo's seventh grade teacher. One day at lunch, one of Duo's classmates had teased him because of his status as an orphan. Duo had retaliated, but in a manner that the teacher had not understood. Duo had not physically attacked the boy. He had just stood here, face reddening, fists clenching, and then his child tormenter had fallen to the ground, clutching his throat. The boy had suffered a near- fatal asthma attack, but since he had been diagnosed with asthma years before, his attack was attributed to a build-up of pollen in the area. Duo had not been punished. After all, who could prove that Duo had caused his attack?
When Duo had turned 18, legally an adult, he had used money he had saved from his part-time job to rent a small, one-room apartment, near his high school. The orphanage, which doubled as a church, had taken up a collection for many years, and had used the donations to send Duo to a slightly better, semi-private school. Duo was graduating this year, but any plans for post-secondary education were not indicated on his student record.
Having reviewed all of his information, Heero straightened the piles, organized them, and placed them in a folder, ready to be sent over to Lady Une. As he put the last few sheets in the stiff paper folder, Heero caught sight of Duo's picture. He had found and printed it off hours ago but, having been caught up in his search, he hadn't taken a moment to really look at it. He had glanced at it surely, but when he was on a mission, he rarely noticed things around him. Now, however, he felt the need to see the face of the boy he would be protecting. As he reached for the photo, Heero noticed that his hand was shaking. Was it in anticipation? No, why would that be it? Duo was just his mission; he didn't even know him. He managed to still his fingers and he tentatively grabbed a corner of the picture, flipping it over.
Then, it was if the world stopped spinning.
Heero found himself looking at what the Gods must have had in mind when they created beauty. There was a strange fluttering in both his heart and his groin as he stared.
Deep, luminous, violet eyes set in a delicate, heart shaped face, that was the first thing he saw. The twin pools bore into Heero's head, stealing his breath away. His gaze moved as he took in the cute nose, those full, lush looking lips turned up in a large and cheeky grin and . . . his hair. Heero could not tell how long it actually was, for the picture ended at his shoulders. Strands of chestnut brown, highlighted with many shades of blonde and light red twisted back into a braid, that fell over his shoulder while smaller pieces framed his face.
Heero felt a rush of warmth start at his toes, then rise to the top of his head, causing a shiver to run down his spine as all his nerve endings tingled. He sat there for a few moments, just staring into oblivion before his training reprimanded him, and he jerked out of the daze he had been in. He released his tight grip on the photo and let it float down to the desk. Shaking his head in order to clear his head, Heero then reassembled the file then called on one of the younger messengers to deliver it to Lady Une.
"I need a run", he decided.
NEXT DAY:
-CWS- Lady Une's Office-
"All right, Major Yuy. Excellent job on Maxwell's dossier, as usual. I want you to go to," she flipped through the folder until she found what she was looking for, "Easton High School in Chicago. Your cover story, apartment, and scholastic enrollment have already been taken care of. You will get your file later. As for now," she handed him a worn folder. "Inside is your driver's license and other ID, apartment information, and floor plans of Maxwell's apartment and Easton High."
Heero quickly scanned the sheets, storing away immediate information away in his head. Then he looked to Lady Une.
"Is my equipment ready?"
"Yes, Lieutenant Noin is downstairs making sure everything is functioning properly." She paused. "This is more equipment then you normally request. Any special reason?"
"I won't let Treize get his one."
"Heero," she said sharply, shocking him with her use of his first name. "Don't let personal matters interfere. You know that you weren't deemed recovered at that time. Though you adamantly disagreed, you were not well enough to undertake that mission! You know that I had no choice but to send- "
"This is not a personal matter," interrupted Heero.
"Are you sure?" knowing she wasn't going to get a definite answer out of Heero, she let the question hang in the air. She also knew that the Major never talked much, even before Walter. But when Walter had gone. . . Heero had talked even less then he had when he was younger. No one ever talked about Walter's death anymore. It was too violently tragic.
The room was silent for a few moments before Lady Une spoke again.
"Noin is waiting for you. You are dismissed."
Heero saluted and turned.
"One more thing, Major," Une called out. "Be careful. You're my best, and we are not entirely sure of what Treize is capable of." She gave him a small, sad, smile.
Heero grunted once, and left in pursuit of Noin.
-CWS Tech Wing-
The tech wing of the building was a twenty-minute walk from the Colonel's office. One had to traverse many floors, numerous elevators, and security checks, and go through hallways full of armed guards behind bulletproof glass, to get there.
Heero made the journey in less than ten minutes his pace never faltering, his fingers automatically entering complex codes in order to bypass alarm systems. He entered a narrow tunnel, lit only by fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling. At the end of the hallway was a reinforced door. Walking up to it, Heero placed his palm onto a pad, spoke his password and security code, and waited a moment. The aqua gel of the pad molded to his hand, analyzing fingerprints, and DNA, then the massive doors slid open. Adjusting to the artificial light, Heero stepped through.
Where the tunnel had been dark and dingy, inside the tech room was bright and buzzing with activity. Lights on consoles blinked on and off, strange, alien looking devices whined, and the resident scientists looked deep in though over their newest acquisitions. At the back of the room stood Noin, bent over a table cluttered with surveillance equipment; an organized jumble of cameras, wires, and microphones.
A harried looking Noin looked up and saw Heero coming towards her. She gave him a quick salute before returning to her task of untangling wires. "Morning Major. I must say that you requested a lot of stuff. Half of it I don't even recognize and had to get Jimmy," she gestured at one of the men on a computer, "to get it for me. I've tested it all, and it seems to be in perfect condition, as can be expected from these guys."
She went to one end of the table where three silver cases lay open. "Here we have the latest development in DNA voice distinction and fast action recording." She held up a book that looked to weigh at least three pounds. "The manual. Would you care to read it or should I just toss it, as I do with so many of the books given to male officers." At his stoic look, she replied "Didn't think so. Men and not reading instructions is just as bad as men not pulling over for directions when they are lost. They never admit that they may need someone's help."
She then moved to the other end of the table, stopping in front of the impressive array of weaponry. It had taken some time to convince Alex, the head "Tecchie" to let her take some of the prototypes, but she could be very convincing when needed.
"Okay Major, here's what I got." She picked up the black handled automatic gun encased in silver gundanium. She loaded the clip with a click then turned and fired two shots into a nearby wall, plaster flying. She turned back to the Major. "DragonBane PKR, Gundanium body, pressurized trigger, laser sights. Capable of firing every 1.2 seconds at the slowest. Next you have your Magnums, Glocks, Wolframs, etceteras, and one brand new Sniper Rifle! Its new scope gives you the ability to hit a target with practiced ease at a distance of 1 kilometer." She gave Heero a wry grin. "I hope you appreciate all the trouble I go through for you. It's only a prototype and Alex was reluctant to part with it. I had a feeling you might need it, seeing that you're going against Treize and all."
For the next ten minutes, the lieutenant showed Heero all the newest additions and adjustments to the CWS weapons closet. When finished, she packed the surveillance equipment, guns, clips, scopes, grappling hooks, paralysis darts, and Heero's personal set of daggers into two black duffel bags.
Heero grabbed the bags and slung them over his shoulder.
"Hey Major," said Noin, just before Heero left. "I just want to tell you to be careful Sir. No one except you and the Colonel Une know exactly what your mission is. The Lady has kept it pretty quiet, so all the guys are worried about you."
Heero nodded, conveying his thanks, then left.
-CWS -Heero's Room-
Heero returned to his room and deposited his newly acquired bags on the floor. On his bed, someone had placed his school uniform, street clothes and necessary textbooks for his undercover mission at Easton High School. His uniform consisted of black pants, a white collared shirt with a gray and black striped tie, and a burgundy blazer with the Easton crest on his left breast pocket.
Heero took off his current outfit and proceeded to try on his new uniform, clothing that he would have to become comfortable in if he wanted to perform optimally. He performed a few katas in his clothes, and judged his clothing to be loose enough to move in. The jacket was a bit tighter so he couldn't move as easily as he would have liked. Heero spent a few minutes examining his books when there was a knock at his door.
"Enter," he said.
The door slid open to reveal one of the many young people that acted as messengers in the CWS building. The girl saluted then attempted to regain her composure as she looked at her superior officer. The black pants, innocent when on a hanger, molded to his legs, revealing almost as much as it covered, very surprising for a school uniform. The stark white of the shirt made his bronze skin stand out even more, making it glow.
Stammering, the girl finally looked at Heero's face, her body flushing as she gazed momentarily into twin pools of blue. Remembering her reason for coming, she reached into her bag and pulled out several pieces of paper.
"Here is your timetable and your student forms which you must hand over to the office upon arrival at your destination. You are to see Principal Po there and you will then be directed to your first class." She handed him a plane ticket. "Your flight to Chicago leaves tonight at 1700 hours."
"Thank you. You are dismissed."
Throwing one last glance at Heero's ass, the messenger left the room, the door sliding closed behind her.
Heero sat down and took a look at his timetable. Easton was on a semestered school year, so he had five periods a day. He was enrolled in grade 12, just like Duo, and he also noted that they shared all the same classes. It wasn't that odd, as second semester had just started and all the classes had just switched. He had lunch, Classic Civilizations, Advanced Computers, English Literature, and . . . Drama? Yes, Duo had been taking Drama all four years of school. Obviously this class required some social interaction.
He himself had never been really adept at human creativity or interaction, but such was his mission. And he would complete it.
-Easton High School, Chicago-
Easton High School was a building of age and history. The front entrance rose up into the air, sheltering the large trees planted out front. The stone walkway led up to the front door, passing by benches and a large mountain. Clearly, the school had money behind it.
Heero, dressed in his uniform and shouldering his backpack, walked briskly up to the front entrance. Upon entering the school, he saw a sign leading to the office. Finding it, he asked the secretary to speak with Mrs. Po, and he was instructed to sit and wait, as the principal was on the phone.
Heero waited for five minutes before Mrs. Po's office door opened. Spotting him, she made her way over and extended her hand. "Hello, I am Mrs. Po, the principal here at Easton. You must be our new student Heero. . .?
"Katewasu," he replied, giving a false name and shaking her hand. "You are to escort me to my first class?"
"Yes, I always make a point to take new students to their first class. Your first period is drama?"
He nodded. "With Mr. Merquise."
"Classes started about half an hour ago, but Mr. Merquise is expecting you. Do try to be on time next time. Shall we?"
Heero nodded and followed after her. Inside, he was annoyed with himself. He had been late because he had set up surveillance equipment at Duo's address, but he had had to wait until Duo had left. He had done so 10 minutes before school had stared, causing Heero to be late.
Mrs. Po led Heero down the hallways, nodding to students and teachers as they walked by. She stopped in front of room 226, and knocked sharply.
There were a few noises from within before the door was opened.
"Oh, Mrs. Po!" the blond girl at the door said. "Is there something that you needed?"
"Actually, Relena, I'm here to introduce a new student. I trust Mr. Merquise is expecting us?"
"Of course, Mrs. Po," spoke a deep voice from within the room. "By all means, bring him in!"
Mrs. Po walked in, and Heero followed her, giving the one named Relena a very good look at his backside.
The drama room was large, carpeted, and void of any furniture save a few chairs. Black curtains hung all round the perimeter of the room, suspended on rods that allowed them to move and section off the room.
A tall man with platinum blonde hair that reached his shoulders, a single silver hoop in one of his ears, and a tattoo that crawled up his arm, got up from his place in the circle and approached the two newcomers.
"Ah, Sally, this must be our new student then?" said the man, obviously the teacher.
"Yes Mr. Merquise," spoke the principal, emphasizing his title. "May I present to you Heero Katewasu. I trust that you will have someone show him around?
"Yes, of course. Well then, Heero, will you join us in our circle?"
Giving Heero a pat on the shoulder, Mrs. Po left the room. Heero turned to the class and joined them on the floor.
"Okay everybody," began the teacher in a loud voice, silencing the chatter that had arisen since Heero's arrival. "First of all, welcome back to your new semester. I trust you are all rested form last semester's exams?" A collective groan sounded throughout the class. "As it is a new semester, let's go around and introduce ourselves to our new classmates. I will go first. I am Mr. Merquise, but I insist that you all refer to me as Zechs. I don't like the formality that Mrs. Po enforces. It makes me feel ancient," he said, giving a wry grin. A few girls giggled. "So, let's go around in a circle."
"Relena."
"Dorothy."
"Hilde."
Heero noted that Relena was the one who had met him at the door and had openly stared at him. Right now she was gazing at him with a dreamy look on her face. The girl next to her, Dorothy, was shooting daggers at him with her eyes. She obviously didn't like him that much already. He then saw the protective way she kept glancing towards Relena. "Hmm," he thought in amusement. "Maybe that explains it."
The group continued to name themselves off, Heero noting when two boys in particular spoke.
"I am Quatre Raberba Winner," said a young looking boy with light blonde hair. Winner? Why did that name sound familiar? Ah yes, his father was the head of a multi billion dollar corporation.
The boy next to him went next. "I am Trowa," spoke a boy with brown hair that covered half of his face, leaving one emerald eye to peek out.
"Charlie Chaplin," piped a cheery voice, causing many of the girls to erupt in squeals of laughter. The person who had spoken was seated a few people down from Heero, so he couldn't see from his point of view.
"Mr. Maxwell," reprimanded Zechs. "A little seriousness please."
"Oh, sorry about that Zechssie." The boy stood up. "My name is Duo Maxwell. I may run, I may hide, but I never lie!"
When Duo had stood up, Heero had finally gotten his first real look at him. Duo wasn't very tall, but we was willowy and slim. His pale skin peeked out from his black clothing, and his hands flew around in large, animated gestures. His hair was long indeed, falling heavily past his hips and tied back in a tightly woven braid.
Duo turned his head, looking at everyone's face. When he finally reached Heero, it was like a bolt of lightning, something passed between them and Heero felt the familiar flush run through his body just like whenever he looked at Duo's picture.
"Okay," said Zechs. "That over with, who has lunch next period?"
Several hands went up, one waving excitedly. It was Relena's.
"Would anyone be able to show Heero around our fine establishment?"
Relena's hand began to move even faster, and when Heero realized that Zechs was about to pick her, he shuddered.
Then someone spoke up.
"I'll do it."
It was Duo.
"Very well Duo. Okay, business taken care of, let's move on to our first unit! Movement and Mime!"
TBC.
//AN// Finally, a little Duo action! Stay tuned for more!
Disclaimers: It's Not Mine!!! That is all.
Warnings: None really, just more setting up. There is some gratuitous ogling of Heero though.
--A Past Unburied, Preparations Made-
**CWS- Heero's Quarter's**
The room was dark save for the artificial glow emanating from the laptop. The small desk was covered with several, neatly stacked piles of paper, all the information Heero had managed to gather on Duo Maxwell thus far. Heero's extensive computer hacking skills, ones honed since his early childhood, had made the background search quite simple. He had encountered a few problems, but the fault could not be found in his skills. His problem was that there was so little information on the subject that it took hours to find even his birth certificate. Heero looked over his information one last time before he was ready to send it to Une. Duo- why did he refer to him by his first name? - had been an orphan since birth. Born on the streets, literally, in an alley behind a restaurant, he had lost his biological mother after birth. The teenager, name unknown, who had fathered Duo, was never found; name wasn't even on the birth certificate. He had probably done what most street teens did: get some girl pregnant after fooling around, use her for drug money, then ditch her when she became pregnant and poor.
After the "loss" of both his parents, a Good Samaritan who had found him on the street had taken Duo to a medical clinic. How that child had survived alone on the streets for so long was beyond any comprehension. While in the clinic being treated for the bruises and illnesses he had contracted, several nurses and doctors had noted in the records that Duo had exhibited some strange and disturbing behavior. Heero had dug deeper, searching old records for further details, but none had been found.
When Duo was four months old, he was deemed healthy enough to leave the clinic, and was turned over to the Maxwell orphanage. He had remained there most of his life, had taken the orphanage's name as his own, and had attended the nearby public school. His marks were average and he had had his fair share of disciplinary problems.
Heero then flipped to a report from Duo's seventh grade teacher. One day at lunch, one of Duo's classmates had teased him because of his status as an orphan. Duo had retaliated, but in a manner that the teacher had not understood. Duo had not physically attacked the boy. He had just stood here, face reddening, fists clenching, and then his child tormenter had fallen to the ground, clutching his throat. The boy had suffered a near- fatal asthma attack, but since he had been diagnosed with asthma years before, his attack was attributed to a build-up of pollen in the area. Duo had not been punished. After all, who could prove that Duo had caused his attack?
When Duo had turned 18, legally an adult, he had used money he had saved from his part-time job to rent a small, one-room apartment, near his high school. The orphanage, which doubled as a church, had taken up a collection for many years, and had used the donations to send Duo to a slightly better, semi-private school. Duo was graduating this year, but any plans for post-secondary education were not indicated on his student record.
Having reviewed all of his information, Heero straightened the piles, organized them, and placed them in a folder, ready to be sent over to Lady Une. As he put the last few sheets in the stiff paper folder, Heero caught sight of Duo's picture. He had found and printed it off hours ago but, having been caught up in his search, he hadn't taken a moment to really look at it. He had glanced at it surely, but when he was on a mission, he rarely noticed things around him. Now, however, he felt the need to see the face of the boy he would be protecting. As he reached for the photo, Heero noticed that his hand was shaking. Was it in anticipation? No, why would that be it? Duo was just his mission; he didn't even know him. He managed to still his fingers and he tentatively grabbed a corner of the picture, flipping it over.
Then, it was if the world stopped spinning.
Heero found himself looking at what the Gods must have had in mind when they created beauty. There was a strange fluttering in both his heart and his groin as he stared.
Deep, luminous, violet eyes set in a delicate, heart shaped face, that was the first thing he saw. The twin pools bore into Heero's head, stealing his breath away. His gaze moved as he took in the cute nose, those full, lush looking lips turned up in a large and cheeky grin and . . . his hair. Heero could not tell how long it actually was, for the picture ended at his shoulders. Strands of chestnut brown, highlighted with many shades of blonde and light red twisted back into a braid, that fell over his shoulder while smaller pieces framed his face.
Heero felt a rush of warmth start at his toes, then rise to the top of his head, causing a shiver to run down his spine as all his nerve endings tingled. He sat there for a few moments, just staring into oblivion before his training reprimanded him, and he jerked out of the daze he had been in. He released his tight grip on the photo and let it float down to the desk. Shaking his head in order to clear his head, Heero then reassembled the file then called on one of the younger messengers to deliver it to Lady Une.
"I need a run", he decided.
NEXT DAY:
-CWS- Lady Une's Office-
"All right, Major Yuy. Excellent job on Maxwell's dossier, as usual. I want you to go to," she flipped through the folder until she found what she was looking for, "Easton High School in Chicago. Your cover story, apartment, and scholastic enrollment have already been taken care of. You will get your file later. As for now," she handed him a worn folder. "Inside is your driver's license and other ID, apartment information, and floor plans of Maxwell's apartment and Easton High."
Heero quickly scanned the sheets, storing away immediate information away in his head. Then he looked to Lady Une.
"Is my equipment ready?"
"Yes, Lieutenant Noin is downstairs making sure everything is functioning properly." She paused. "This is more equipment then you normally request. Any special reason?"
"I won't let Treize get his one."
"Heero," she said sharply, shocking him with her use of his first name. "Don't let personal matters interfere. You know that you weren't deemed recovered at that time. Though you adamantly disagreed, you were not well enough to undertake that mission! You know that I had no choice but to send- "
"This is not a personal matter," interrupted Heero.
"Are you sure?" knowing she wasn't going to get a definite answer out of Heero, she let the question hang in the air. She also knew that the Major never talked much, even before Walter. But when Walter had gone. . . Heero had talked even less then he had when he was younger. No one ever talked about Walter's death anymore. It was too violently tragic.
The room was silent for a few moments before Lady Une spoke again.
"Noin is waiting for you. You are dismissed."
Heero saluted and turned.
"One more thing, Major," Une called out. "Be careful. You're my best, and we are not entirely sure of what Treize is capable of." She gave him a small, sad, smile.
Heero grunted once, and left in pursuit of Noin.
-CWS Tech Wing-
The tech wing of the building was a twenty-minute walk from the Colonel's office. One had to traverse many floors, numerous elevators, and security checks, and go through hallways full of armed guards behind bulletproof glass, to get there.
Heero made the journey in less than ten minutes his pace never faltering, his fingers automatically entering complex codes in order to bypass alarm systems. He entered a narrow tunnel, lit only by fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling. At the end of the hallway was a reinforced door. Walking up to it, Heero placed his palm onto a pad, spoke his password and security code, and waited a moment. The aqua gel of the pad molded to his hand, analyzing fingerprints, and DNA, then the massive doors slid open. Adjusting to the artificial light, Heero stepped through.
Where the tunnel had been dark and dingy, inside the tech room was bright and buzzing with activity. Lights on consoles blinked on and off, strange, alien looking devices whined, and the resident scientists looked deep in though over their newest acquisitions. At the back of the room stood Noin, bent over a table cluttered with surveillance equipment; an organized jumble of cameras, wires, and microphones.
A harried looking Noin looked up and saw Heero coming towards her. She gave him a quick salute before returning to her task of untangling wires. "Morning Major. I must say that you requested a lot of stuff. Half of it I don't even recognize and had to get Jimmy," she gestured at one of the men on a computer, "to get it for me. I've tested it all, and it seems to be in perfect condition, as can be expected from these guys."
She went to one end of the table where three silver cases lay open. "Here we have the latest development in DNA voice distinction and fast action recording." She held up a book that looked to weigh at least three pounds. "The manual. Would you care to read it or should I just toss it, as I do with so many of the books given to male officers." At his stoic look, she replied "Didn't think so. Men and not reading instructions is just as bad as men not pulling over for directions when they are lost. They never admit that they may need someone's help."
She then moved to the other end of the table, stopping in front of the impressive array of weaponry. It had taken some time to convince Alex, the head "Tecchie" to let her take some of the prototypes, but she could be very convincing when needed.
"Okay Major, here's what I got." She picked up the black handled automatic gun encased in silver gundanium. She loaded the clip with a click then turned and fired two shots into a nearby wall, plaster flying. She turned back to the Major. "DragonBane PKR, Gundanium body, pressurized trigger, laser sights. Capable of firing every 1.2 seconds at the slowest. Next you have your Magnums, Glocks, Wolframs, etceteras, and one brand new Sniper Rifle! Its new scope gives you the ability to hit a target with practiced ease at a distance of 1 kilometer." She gave Heero a wry grin. "I hope you appreciate all the trouble I go through for you. It's only a prototype and Alex was reluctant to part with it. I had a feeling you might need it, seeing that you're going against Treize and all."
For the next ten minutes, the lieutenant showed Heero all the newest additions and adjustments to the CWS weapons closet. When finished, she packed the surveillance equipment, guns, clips, scopes, grappling hooks, paralysis darts, and Heero's personal set of daggers into two black duffel bags.
Heero grabbed the bags and slung them over his shoulder.
"Hey Major," said Noin, just before Heero left. "I just want to tell you to be careful Sir. No one except you and the Colonel Une know exactly what your mission is. The Lady has kept it pretty quiet, so all the guys are worried about you."
Heero nodded, conveying his thanks, then left.
-CWS -Heero's Room-
Heero returned to his room and deposited his newly acquired bags on the floor. On his bed, someone had placed his school uniform, street clothes and necessary textbooks for his undercover mission at Easton High School. His uniform consisted of black pants, a white collared shirt with a gray and black striped tie, and a burgundy blazer with the Easton crest on his left breast pocket.
Heero took off his current outfit and proceeded to try on his new uniform, clothing that he would have to become comfortable in if he wanted to perform optimally. He performed a few katas in his clothes, and judged his clothing to be loose enough to move in. The jacket was a bit tighter so he couldn't move as easily as he would have liked. Heero spent a few minutes examining his books when there was a knock at his door.
"Enter," he said.
The door slid open to reveal one of the many young people that acted as messengers in the CWS building. The girl saluted then attempted to regain her composure as she looked at her superior officer. The black pants, innocent when on a hanger, molded to his legs, revealing almost as much as it covered, very surprising for a school uniform. The stark white of the shirt made his bronze skin stand out even more, making it glow.
Stammering, the girl finally looked at Heero's face, her body flushing as she gazed momentarily into twin pools of blue. Remembering her reason for coming, she reached into her bag and pulled out several pieces of paper.
"Here is your timetable and your student forms which you must hand over to the office upon arrival at your destination. You are to see Principal Po there and you will then be directed to your first class." She handed him a plane ticket. "Your flight to Chicago leaves tonight at 1700 hours."
"Thank you. You are dismissed."
Throwing one last glance at Heero's ass, the messenger left the room, the door sliding closed behind her.
Heero sat down and took a look at his timetable. Easton was on a semestered school year, so he had five periods a day. He was enrolled in grade 12, just like Duo, and he also noted that they shared all the same classes. It wasn't that odd, as second semester had just started and all the classes had just switched. He had lunch, Classic Civilizations, Advanced Computers, English Literature, and . . . Drama? Yes, Duo had been taking Drama all four years of school. Obviously this class required some social interaction.
He himself had never been really adept at human creativity or interaction, but such was his mission. And he would complete it.
-Easton High School, Chicago-
Easton High School was a building of age and history. The front entrance rose up into the air, sheltering the large trees planted out front. The stone walkway led up to the front door, passing by benches and a large mountain. Clearly, the school had money behind it.
Heero, dressed in his uniform and shouldering his backpack, walked briskly up to the front entrance. Upon entering the school, he saw a sign leading to the office. Finding it, he asked the secretary to speak with Mrs. Po, and he was instructed to sit and wait, as the principal was on the phone.
Heero waited for five minutes before Mrs. Po's office door opened. Spotting him, she made her way over and extended her hand. "Hello, I am Mrs. Po, the principal here at Easton. You must be our new student Heero. . .?
"Katewasu," he replied, giving a false name and shaking her hand. "You are to escort me to my first class?"
"Yes, I always make a point to take new students to their first class. Your first period is drama?"
He nodded. "With Mr. Merquise."
"Classes started about half an hour ago, but Mr. Merquise is expecting you. Do try to be on time next time. Shall we?"
Heero nodded and followed after her. Inside, he was annoyed with himself. He had been late because he had set up surveillance equipment at Duo's address, but he had had to wait until Duo had left. He had done so 10 minutes before school had stared, causing Heero to be late.
Mrs. Po led Heero down the hallways, nodding to students and teachers as they walked by. She stopped in front of room 226, and knocked sharply.
There were a few noises from within before the door was opened.
"Oh, Mrs. Po!" the blond girl at the door said. "Is there something that you needed?"
"Actually, Relena, I'm here to introduce a new student. I trust Mr. Merquise is expecting us?"
"Of course, Mrs. Po," spoke a deep voice from within the room. "By all means, bring him in!"
Mrs. Po walked in, and Heero followed her, giving the one named Relena a very good look at his backside.
The drama room was large, carpeted, and void of any furniture save a few chairs. Black curtains hung all round the perimeter of the room, suspended on rods that allowed them to move and section off the room.
A tall man with platinum blonde hair that reached his shoulders, a single silver hoop in one of his ears, and a tattoo that crawled up his arm, got up from his place in the circle and approached the two newcomers.
"Ah, Sally, this must be our new student then?" said the man, obviously the teacher.
"Yes Mr. Merquise," spoke the principal, emphasizing his title. "May I present to you Heero Katewasu. I trust that you will have someone show him around?
"Yes, of course. Well then, Heero, will you join us in our circle?"
Giving Heero a pat on the shoulder, Mrs. Po left the room. Heero turned to the class and joined them on the floor.
"Okay everybody," began the teacher in a loud voice, silencing the chatter that had arisen since Heero's arrival. "First of all, welcome back to your new semester. I trust you are all rested form last semester's exams?" A collective groan sounded throughout the class. "As it is a new semester, let's go around and introduce ourselves to our new classmates. I will go first. I am Mr. Merquise, but I insist that you all refer to me as Zechs. I don't like the formality that Mrs. Po enforces. It makes me feel ancient," he said, giving a wry grin. A few girls giggled. "So, let's go around in a circle."
"Relena."
"Dorothy."
"Hilde."
Heero noted that Relena was the one who had met him at the door and had openly stared at him. Right now she was gazing at him with a dreamy look on her face. The girl next to her, Dorothy, was shooting daggers at him with her eyes. She obviously didn't like him that much already. He then saw the protective way she kept glancing towards Relena. "Hmm," he thought in amusement. "Maybe that explains it."
The group continued to name themselves off, Heero noting when two boys in particular spoke.
"I am Quatre Raberba Winner," said a young looking boy with light blonde hair. Winner? Why did that name sound familiar? Ah yes, his father was the head of a multi billion dollar corporation.
The boy next to him went next. "I am Trowa," spoke a boy with brown hair that covered half of his face, leaving one emerald eye to peek out.
"Charlie Chaplin," piped a cheery voice, causing many of the girls to erupt in squeals of laughter. The person who had spoken was seated a few people down from Heero, so he couldn't see from his point of view.
"Mr. Maxwell," reprimanded Zechs. "A little seriousness please."
"Oh, sorry about that Zechssie." The boy stood up. "My name is Duo Maxwell. I may run, I may hide, but I never lie!"
When Duo had stood up, Heero had finally gotten his first real look at him. Duo wasn't very tall, but we was willowy and slim. His pale skin peeked out from his black clothing, and his hands flew around in large, animated gestures. His hair was long indeed, falling heavily past his hips and tied back in a tightly woven braid.
Duo turned his head, looking at everyone's face. When he finally reached Heero, it was like a bolt of lightning, something passed between them and Heero felt the familiar flush run through his body just like whenever he looked at Duo's picture.
"Okay," said Zechs. "That over with, who has lunch next period?"
Several hands went up, one waving excitedly. It was Relena's.
"Would anyone be able to show Heero around our fine establishment?"
Relena's hand began to move even faster, and when Heero realized that Zechs was about to pick her, he shuddered.
Then someone spoke up.
"I'll do it."
It was Duo.
"Very well Duo. Okay, business taken care of, let's move on to our first unit! Movement and Mime!"
TBC.
//AN// Finally, a little Duo action! Stay tuned for more!
