4.When paths cross again:
Narrator's POV:
'Now how exactly am I going to find them?' Duo asked himself silently as he walked in the deserted streets of the city. Knowing that it was hopeles to search for his comrades electronically, Duo left L2 and returned to that city on Earth where they had last seen each other. Just as he went out to the streets, it began to rain. After all, you couldn't control weather like they did on the colonies. Duo pulled the edges of his coat closer to his neck and was about to go into a deserted waiting room when he heard somebody muttering. Duo stopped dead in his tracks as he listened to the angry grumbling,
"That it should rain now, of all times. Injustice!"
The owner of that voice, a Chinese teenager with sleek black hair came round the corner, stopping to stare at the braided boy, who was now smiling widely. No words were passed between them. It wasn't necessary either. After a few moments of silence, they approached each other slowly, as if uncertain of what to do. But then, they pushed doubt aside and... hugged each other.
It was a long tight hug. For the first time since they met each other, Duo and Wu Fei had grasped the value of their friendship.
"Missed you, you braided baka," Wu Fei whispered as they held each other by the shoulders.
"You too, Dragon," said Duo. "Come on, let's find a place away from this 'injustice'."
They sat in the waiting room, sipping some hot coffee.
"So," said Wu Fei, "do you know where the others are?"
"No," replied Duo, gazing into his coffee. "Finding Heero and Trowa is like searching for a needle in a mountain of hay, and Quatre... well, I haven't heard from him for a long time. And its my fault."
"It's my fault too," said Wu Fei firmly. "But we are going to wipe that fault from existence by finding the others. We have to, Duo. We can't forget about each other like that, not after what we lived through."
"Yeah, you're right. The rain has stopped. Let's get out of here. It's really stuffy."
They walked silently side by side without a certain destination in their minds. However, they were turning around corners and passing streets without meaning to till they stopped before a deserted building with a large glaring sign of 'No Entry'.
"No Entry?" Duo read the sign sarcastically. "We can't enter our own safehouse? Well, that's one hell of an injustice, isn't it?"
"It is," said Wu Fei. "Still, I'll meet you inside, Shinigami."
They parted soundlessly to enter the safehouse. The main door they ignored; the locks on the other doors were no big deal to former 02 and 05.
"Look," said Duo, huffing, "they've removed all our security systems. No one could have got in that easily a few months ago."
Wu Fei nodded as he looked around the living room, memories coming to life before his eyes. In one corner, Heero would be sitting, wearing his usual glare and typing at his laptop. He and Duo would have been bickering at each; Trowa would have been staring at nothingness, or maybe talking to Quatre. He suddenly wanted all of them to come back again.
"Wu Fei!" said Duo suddenly in a whisper. "There's someone in here." He pointed at the streak of light coming from a partially closed door on the upper level.
All senses on the alert, both boys crept up the stairs without a noise, guns drawn out. Old habits die hard. Standing before the door, they waited a moment before yanking the door open. The occupier of the room jumped from the chair and drew out a gun at the intruders. Time seemed to stop as one emerald eye glared at the two boys. Recognition snapped between them; the guns were lowered as relief swept in to replace the tension. The uni-banged boy smiled at his comrades. He had been reminiscing and wishing that they would be back, but not that quick.
"We gave you a scare, didn't we, Tro?" said Duo, flopping down on the bed.
"I must admit that I didn't expect anyone to come here," said Trowa smiling back at Duo.
"Whose room was this?" asked Wu Fei, looking around him curiously. "It wasn't mine."
"It was Quatre's," said Duo quietly. "Hundreds of times, when I was on the brink of going mad, I used to come here to find comfort. He would have always made me come back to my room with a smile on my face."
"Yeah," agreed Wu Fei. "I never realised how much you are important to me till we left each other. I felt like..."
"... an empty shell, and that no one in the world gives a damn what happens to you," said Heero softly from the doorway.
The other three gaped at him. It was too good to be true. The perfect soldier, Heero Yuy, with his green shirt and black shorts was standing infront of them. The difference was that he was not wearing his glare; Heero's face was shinig with happiness as he was welcomed by his friends. It was quite a confusing hug: Trowa was too tall whereas Wu Fei was too short, and Duo's braid was always getting in the way.
Somehow, they managed to get distangled and sat panting on the floor, four boys tied by an unbreakable bond, courtesy of the yellow brick road.
To be continued...
Narrator's POV:
'Now how exactly am I going to find them?' Duo asked himself silently as he walked in the deserted streets of the city. Knowing that it was hopeles to search for his comrades electronically, Duo left L2 and returned to that city on Earth where they had last seen each other. Just as he went out to the streets, it began to rain. After all, you couldn't control weather like they did on the colonies. Duo pulled the edges of his coat closer to his neck and was about to go into a deserted waiting room when he heard somebody muttering. Duo stopped dead in his tracks as he listened to the angry grumbling,
"That it should rain now, of all times. Injustice!"
The owner of that voice, a Chinese teenager with sleek black hair came round the corner, stopping to stare at the braided boy, who was now smiling widely. No words were passed between them. It wasn't necessary either. After a few moments of silence, they approached each other slowly, as if uncertain of what to do. But then, they pushed doubt aside and... hugged each other.
It was a long tight hug. For the first time since they met each other, Duo and Wu Fei had grasped the value of their friendship.
"Missed you, you braided baka," Wu Fei whispered as they held each other by the shoulders.
"You too, Dragon," said Duo. "Come on, let's find a place away from this 'injustice'."
They sat in the waiting room, sipping some hot coffee.
"So," said Wu Fei, "do you know where the others are?"
"No," replied Duo, gazing into his coffee. "Finding Heero and Trowa is like searching for a needle in a mountain of hay, and Quatre... well, I haven't heard from him for a long time. And its my fault."
"It's my fault too," said Wu Fei firmly. "But we are going to wipe that fault from existence by finding the others. We have to, Duo. We can't forget about each other like that, not after what we lived through."
"Yeah, you're right. The rain has stopped. Let's get out of here. It's really stuffy."
They walked silently side by side without a certain destination in their minds. However, they were turning around corners and passing streets without meaning to till they stopped before a deserted building with a large glaring sign of 'No Entry'.
"No Entry?" Duo read the sign sarcastically. "We can't enter our own safehouse? Well, that's one hell of an injustice, isn't it?"
"It is," said Wu Fei. "Still, I'll meet you inside, Shinigami."
They parted soundlessly to enter the safehouse. The main door they ignored; the locks on the other doors were no big deal to former 02 and 05.
"Look," said Duo, huffing, "they've removed all our security systems. No one could have got in that easily a few months ago."
Wu Fei nodded as he looked around the living room, memories coming to life before his eyes. In one corner, Heero would be sitting, wearing his usual glare and typing at his laptop. He and Duo would have been bickering at each; Trowa would have been staring at nothingness, or maybe talking to Quatre. He suddenly wanted all of them to come back again.
"Wu Fei!" said Duo suddenly in a whisper. "There's someone in here." He pointed at the streak of light coming from a partially closed door on the upper level.
All senses on the alert, both boys crept up the stairs without a noise, guns drawn out. Old habits die hard. Standing before the door, they waited a moment before yanking the door open. The occupier of the room jumped from the chair and drew out a gun at the intruders. Time seemed to stop as one emerald eye glared at the two boys. Recognition snapped between them; the guns were lowered as relief swept in to replace the tension. The uni-banged boy smiled at his comrades. He had been reminiscing and wishing that they would be back, but not that quick.
"We gave you a scare, didn't we, Tro?" said Duo, flopping down on the bed.
"I must admit that I didn't expect anyone to come here," said Trowa smiling back at Duo.
"Whose room was this?" asked Wu Fei, looking around him curiously. "It wasn't mine."
"It was Quatre's," said Duo quietly. "Hundreds of times, when I was on the brink of going mad, I used to come here to find comfort. He would have always made me come back to my room with a smile on my face."
"Yeah," agreed Wu Fei. "I never realised how much you are important to me till we left each other. I felt like..."
"... an empty shell, and that no one in the world gives a damn what happens to you," said Heero softly from the doorway.
The other three gaped at him. It was too good to be true. The perfect soldier, Heero Yuy, with his green shirt and black shorts was standing infront of them. The difference was that he was not wearing his glare; Heero's face was shinig with happiness as he was welcomed by his friends. It was quite a confusing hug: Trowa was too tall whereas Wu Fei was too short, and Duo's braid was always getting in the way.
Somehow, they managed to get distangled and sat panting on the floor, four boys tied by an unbreakable bond, courtesy of the yellow brick road.
To be continued...