Chapter Two
Duo pushed down the shiver. Heero needed the jacket more than he did. He stole a quick look at the youth beside him. He was staring out of the side of the car distantly, Duo's jacket wrapped tightly around him. Duo smiled a little, and then tuned a corner. He watched as Heero's eyes widened a bit as they entered the valley, and looked at it himself. It was very impressive. An almost perfect circle surrounded by mountains. There a few wooden roofs hidden in the pine forests that scaled the small mountains and the valley floor itself was half grass and half deep lake, smooth, the moonlight perfectly reflected in it. The house was massive, four visible floors and nearly as wide as the valley itself.
"Oz HQ" Duo stated, proudly.
"How do they not suspect anything?" Heero asked.
"Oh, there are loads of places like this that teach people how to do all of the random sports. Which is cool, 'cause we get to do them all for cover. Anyway, the real thing is underground and stretches for miles before the Gundams come out so nobody suspects anything. But, if you think that's great…" Duo pressed a green button on the dashboard. The roof came up. "Now, open the window and stick your head out." He said. Heero raised his eyebrows but Duo just grinned. Heero did as he asked, but didn't see anything wrong. "Now look at the car." Duo told him, and laughed out loud at Heero's surprised expression.
"How…"
"Some crap with mirrors, I'm not quite sure." Duo said, "But it's damn useful. Do the window up though, it doesn't work when it's open."
Heero did up the window.
"So, no one can see us?"
"Unless they look at the grass moving." Duo said, and Heero now understood why they were going on the grass, not the gravel. "Whose guarding the house, by the way, I'm concentrating on the road, or the grass."
"Um…mask, long blonde hair…"
"Oh Trowa, you always have to do the job properly, what would I do without you?" Duo crooned to himself.
"What?"
"That's Zechs. He'll be part of it."
"Part of what?"
Duo faltered. Heero didn't sound like the kind of person who thought Duo's forbidden action heroic.
"Oh, nothing. It doesn't matter." Duo said, ignoring Heero's piercing gaze with great difficulty. They came up right up to Zechs, who pretended he didn't see them and stopped. Duo leaned over Heero and wound down the window. "Thanks, Zechs, man. You're the best."
"I know." Zechs replied, in a silvery, amused voice. Heero frowned as his silver masked top half of his face looked down on him, two ice blue eyes looking out of the slits. "Welcome to Oz." He said, and his thin lips turned up in a smile. Heero nodded at him. "Go on, get going. The others are waiting for you. Go to mine, I'll be there. He looks like he needs medical aid."
"Right on!" Duo cried and leant back, leaving Heero to do the window back up as they drove softly over the grass, invisible. They drove all the way to the back, where Heero saw a small jetty and a water garage where he guessed the boats were. Duo drew in quickly onto the gravelled car park, and stopped the car. "You're here." He said, grinning at Heero.
"Who are they?" Heero asked. Duo looked over at the three boys approaching.
"Well that is Chang Wufei." He said, pointing to the middle of the boys. He had jet-black hair that was tight against his skull and in a small ponytail at the back of his head. He was in loose white trousers and flat shoes. His white tank top was loose and tucked in and he had very dark eyes with delicate features. "That is Trowa Barton." He motioned to the tallest of the three, with brown hair that stuck out in a large quif to one side. He was in navy folded trousers and black, elegant shoes. His shirt was long sleeved and mid-green, the top button undone. His eyes were bright green. "And that, is Quatre Winner." Lastly, the shortest boy had a crop of white blonde hair and an innocent face with baby blue, big eyes. He wore cream folding trousers and brown smart shoes, his top a black T-shirt that was tucked in. Heero couldn't make the details out that well, but well enough. "Together, we make the Gundam pilots. The group you have just joined." Duo said, grinning even more at him. The tall boy came around the car and opened Heero's door, Duo having made the car visible again. He bent down.
"Trowa Barton." He said, and held out his hand. Heero wriggled his out of Duo's jacket and grasped the other boy's, feeling his delicate, long but strong fingers grasp his own hand.
"Heero Yuy." He said.
"Hey! I didn't get a handshake! What's so special about Trowa?!" he heard Duo cry, and Trowa smiled, Heero's eyes softening a little in amusement. Trowa pulled his hand and helped him out of the car. He un wrapped his arms and let the jacket hang, his lean, muscular chest open to all, making Duo shiver a little.
"Chang Wufei." The Chinese boy said, bowing. Heero bowed his head a little.
"Quatre Winner." The small boy said, taking Heero's hand and pumping it up and down enthusiastically. Heero hadn't the heart to pull away. He bowed his head a little. He looked over to see Duo pouting, his arms crossed. He raised his eyebrows. There was a musical laugh from Trowa.
"Just because you don't get a handshake, Maxwell." He said.
"Ha! I know him so well I get hugs." Duo boasted, but at Heero's look quickly changed the subject with a grin. "Let's go." He said, and put his hand on Heero's shoulder, leading him towards the house. Heero looked around as they trudged over the gravel and in through a little door. It was an ordinary, small corridor with white walls, ceiling and floor.
"Where are we going?" Quatre asked, his light voice tinged slightly with a slight Arabian accent.
"Zechs'" Duo replied.
"Won't he mind?" Wufei asked, the mid-tone of his voice a little hoarse, as if it was over used.
"He told us to, says he wants to tend to Heero's wounds here." Duo said.
"How come he was caught?" Quatre asked.
"There were too many for even the likes of me." Duo replied, cockily.
"So how come you weren't caught, too?" Trowa asked, suspiciously.
"Chance, Trowa, man, that's what this game is all about." Duo replied. Heero looked over at him and he winked subtly. Heero rolled his eyes but in a slightly amused way, and Duo seemed to be able to notice the tiniest things.
They went through another door into an ornate hall, and then into a smallish lift. They went up to the third floor. They came out into another plain corridor, and knocked on the first door, a gold number six on it. It opened, seemingly by itself and closed on its own behind them. Heero frowned.
"Confuse you?" Duo asked, grinning.
"No, I just don't like things that move on their own. It means somebody's watching me."
"He's good." Came the silvery voice, and they went through a door into a lounge.
It was roomy, the walls were a pale blue, the floors pine. There were two three-seater sofas and two armchairs. In one of them lounged Zechs, his mask still on. His thick gold hair was now in a thick plait, like Duo's, but not so beautiful in Heero's eyes. His white shirt was un-tucked and the first few buttons were undone, showing a broad muscular chest. His black trousers were loose and his feet were bare. The five boys came in and sat down. Duo sat Heero down on one of the three seaters and plopped himself next to him. Wufei slumped in the free armchair and Quatre and Trowa sat on the other sofa.
"So, what's your name, kid?" Zechs asked. Duo looked over at Heero, who was glaring at the gold haired man. "Well?"
"There aren't any kids in here." Heero said, solidly. Zechs laughed, a silvery laugh that spoke of mirth.
"I like you, boy. Ok, so what's your name, pilot? Better?"
"Heero Yuy."
"Great. Duo been treating you rough?"
"Oh yeah, I beat up all new recruits." Duo cried. He put on a worried face. "Actually, being serious, I wouldn't fight this guy for the world. My life is worth more than that."
"I wouldn't kill you."
"No, that's what I'm worried about." Duo said, and there were a few laughed from the others.
"I take it he's good."
"Shit, yes!" Duo yelled, and the others smiled.
"Shooting?"
"Fast and the most accurate I've ever seen."
"Fighting?"
"Was too busy kickin' my own ass, I didn't see."
"Ability to cope with pain?"
"Well, let's just say that after I shot him he took another…five lives before his gun ran outta rounds."
"Impressive."
"Hell yes!"
"You shot him?" Wufei asked, an eyebrow cocked to one side. Duo looked innocent.
"It wasn't my fault!" he protested, "He would have got himself killed."
"I would have been fine." Heero muttered.
"Shut up, you're not helping." Duo told him, fake pouting. Zechs chuckled to himself.
"Anything bad about this guy?" he asked.
"Well, there is a slight suicidal tendency, but, knowing Treize, he'll probably like that." Duo replied, flatly.
"Even more than Barton?"
"Hey!"
"Yes, even more than Barton. Which is why I wasn't caught."
"What?" Zechs asked.
"He turned his gun on me and told me to get lost, I seem to remember." Duo said, raising his eyes at Heero, who shrugged.
"That is even worse than Barton!" Zechs exclaimed.
"I'm not that bad." Trowa mumbled, and Quatre placed a pale hand on his knee. Trowa shot a look of gratitude toward the boy, who smiled.
"Right. Bandages." Zechs said, looking at Heero.
"I'm alright, I don't need it." Heero said, immediately.
"Take Maxwell's jacket off." Zechs said. Reluctantly, Heero did as he asked. Zechs raised his eyes at him with a "told you so" look and disappeared off into the kitchen.
"Jesus, what did they do to you?" Trowa asked. Heero shrugged, and Zechs came back in.
"Winner, do his back." He said. "Stand up." He ordered, and Heero did, coming into the middle. The smallest boy stood up, and then he and Zechs started dressing Heero's wounds. Duo just watched, and winced when they did something he knew would sting, but Heero seemed unaffected. His torso was even more muscular than Wufei's and that was saying something, but it was lean, the muscles rippling under his tanned skin as he moved to Zechs' wishes. There was something too perfect about him, Duo thought. No one can be this good and this stoic without a childhood like hell. He'd had his fair share of them, but he knew that others, not many, but others had had worse, due to news reports on the labs that had been found out. They didn't know what happened there, all evidence (and reporters if necessary) had been destroyed before that got out, but he knew that they were experimented on to make a sort of clone army. Maybe Heero Yuy was one of those.
After about five minutes, Heero was trussed up again.
"Why did you take the first ones off?" Zechs asked. Heero shrugged, and stared grimly at the floor, as he had been doing for the last five minutes. Duo stifled a yawn.
"Why don't you show Yuy his quarters and then the lot of you can get to bed?" Zechs asked, but it was more of an order.
"Yes sir." Duo said, standing and yawning again. Quatre yawned sweetly.
"'Tis contagious." He said, and Trowa smiled warmly at him, standing. Heero bowed his head slightly to Zechs and went to join Duo, who threw the jacket back at him.
"That corridors are chilly, take it." He insisted as Heero tried to give it back.
"So, are you off, too?" Trowa asked Zechs.
"Oh, I shouldn't think so." Duo said, with a grin, "There's probably a certain general he wants to "see" first
"Get going!" Zechs cried, but with a smile. The five trudged out, and he shut the door behind him. They walked back to the lift and went up to the top layer. It was s corridor much the same as the one below. To their right was a door with a gold five on it.
"I shall see you lot tomorrow." Wufei said, and unlocked the door, closing it. Along a little way was another door, with a gold number four on it.
"Bye guys." Quatre yawned and hugged Trowa before going in.
"Chow" Trowa said as he went through his door, a little later. Then it was just Duo and Heero left walking down it. They passed a door with a two on it.
"My door, but I'll show you round yours first." Duo explained, and then they came to he last door, with a gold number one on it. Duo took out a key from his inner pocket, and opened it. "In you go." He said, and Heero entered. He entered into a large room with a pine floor and white walls. In the middle was a two-seater sofa and an armchair facing a TV. A little way away the wood changed to black and white tiles and the kitchen. It was quite small, but perfectly adequate to make anything. On the far wall was a window out onto the lake. There were large alcoves to the left and right. He and Duo walked into the right one to find a door in the far side. In it was a large bedroom. The walls were a mid, dull green, and the floor was darker wood. There was a very large double bed in the middle of the wall next to the lounge, and a wardrobe opposite it. There was a dresser as well, and a comfy chair in the far right corner. Taking up the far wall was a huge bay window with a deep windowsill, overlooking the lake. In the same wall as the door to the lounge was another door, into a large, blue bathroom with a large corner bath, shower, loo and sink, as well as a mini medical cupboard.
They went out of there and into the other alcove. In the wall facing the entrance to the flat was another door, into a study. It was light, with white walls and a straw coloured carpet. It had a desk with a computer on it and some bookshelves with a few useful books on it. It had a flat window in the far wall. Facing the door into that, was another door, which they went through. This was a kind of walk in wardrobe, with about five different costumes in different cupboards. "You'll learn which ones to wear when soon enough, they drill it into you. This is the one you have to keep locked. The walls come down over it when you press a few buttons on the computer, but I'm not showing you that now." Duo said, as they walked back out. "So, welcome to Oz high, and I'll see you in about…." He moaned, "four and bit hours. We have to be at the briefing room at ten thirty, I'll come pick you up at ten, ok?"
Heero nodded. "See ya then, Heero. And no more suicide attempts!" he cried, grinning at him. Heero raised his eyebrows, and said nothing. Duo grin turned to a warm smile and he rolled his eyes at Heero before walking out of the door. Heero sighed, and realised he hadn't given Duo's jacket back. He shrugged to himself. It was warm, and smelt of leather and Duo. He smelt sweet, smooth, of freshness and newness. He liked it. He walked into his room, and opened the wardrobe, all his clothes were in there, so he hung Duo' jacket, however loathe he was to take it off, on a spare hanger. He went over to the dresser, and opened a drawer. All of his non- hanging clothes were in these drawers and he picked out a loose white T-shirt he used for sleeping in. He pulled it over his head, and then pulled his jeans off, throwing them in a woven basket in the bathroom he guessed was for washing. Dressed now in T-shirt and boxers, he went over to the bed and flipped over the duvet and the sheet under it. He clambered into it, the bedclothes hugging him as he replaced them over himself, and relaxed. It was very comfy, more comfortable than any other bed he had been given to sleep on, and the pillow was feather soft. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep, and the dreams that usually plagued his brain in his non-waking hours were still for the main part of the night, too overloaded with information and new experiences to be able to sort them out yet.