Because I would care...
Chapter Two
For the next few days all seemed well. The behavior between the two pilots was what you could call getting along, but only that. They barely spoke to each other and when they did, it was only of missions and status reports. No more fighting or yelling at one another. And then one day Trowa noticed something in their conversation. While Duo and Heero took their eight o'clock class, 03 confronted his comrades on their strange behavior.
"They WHAT?!" said Quatre quite loudly in the library.
A hushing sound filled the room, making him sit down, embarrassed.
"They're referring to themselves as 01 and 02?"
"That's what I caught. What did those guys talk about last night? It's almost like..."
"They only consider themselves as compatriots. Fighting for the same cause but not as friends. They've broken the alliance to each other."
Wufei stopped writing and was staring out the nearby window.
"I've had enough of this. We sit them down tonight resolve this once and for all."
Slamming his books, he was again hushed.
"I don't think we should get involved." 03 did believe their involvement would make a difference.
"I agree with Winner. We need to step in before this interferes with a mission."
Wufei's gaze had returned to the others.
"That's it! The three loud MOUTHS! OUT!!" The librarian had finally had enough.
The trio choked back laughter as they exited. Although one boy put in his two cents as they left.
"Well it's about time someone said something to those snots."
Wasn't it surprising when he turned around to see Trowa and Wufei waving at him from the doorway. From there they proceeded to give him the finger and follow 04 down the hall.
"What did you guys do?" he asked turning to see them hurrying to catch up.
The two looked at each, then back.
"Nothing."
Duo sat to the back of his English class, keeping to himself while all the girls in his class turned around to stare hopelessly at him. He would amuse them by smiling and on occasion giving a small wave. They in turn would blush and turn around quickly, some even got the nerve to wave back. Just as the class began to take out their poetry books, the school's secretary came to the door.
"Excuse me...Sir. May I see um...Sorry. Duo...Duo Barton."
Right away, he knew something was wrong. Leaning back in his seat, he could now see the shimmer of a gun barrel pressed against he neck.
"Of course. Mr. Barton, step into the hall a moment."
Duo almost fell out of his chair.
"Yeah, sure thing."
As casual as possible, he got up and headed to the door. Upon passing the woman, he saw that she was about to cry.
"I won't let him hurt you." He mouthed. Slowly he left the room closing the door behind him.
"Let her go."
Pulling the gun away, he allowed he to run away.
"You don't miss a beat, do you Maxwell?" the soldier was confident as he spoke.
"What? You think you can get us all in the same spot? Please."
"Better to get one, then none at all."
Aiming, he tired to plank a shot at Duo, but the Deathscythe pilot was too fast for him. With demonic speed, he ran down the hallway dodging his bullets. This caught the attention of another young boy down the hall.
"Class please calm down. I'm sure it's nothing...Hold it. Where's Mister Winner?"
Heading out the back door, he found the hallway empty. Reaching behind him, he pulled out a gun and followed their path. Just as he reached the corner, 02 ran around it and into him.
"Why am I not surprised it's you."
01 lowered his defense for a moment. His presence distracted the American, making him forget about the on coming danger. Before he could make an attempt around the distraction in his way, a needle pierced his sensitive skin. An epidural of some kind. Not good. His knees began to buckle beneath him and soon his world became black.
"Come with us quietly or I'll just shot him right now."
He cocked his gun aiming at the defenseless form on the ground.
"Honestly I'm more worried about the others in this building."
But still something about Duo's reaction to that shot made him a bit nervous. Why had it taken affect so fast? Dropping his gun on the ground he followed another soldier while another picked up 02's limp form. Only ten minutes later, the bell rang for change of classes. The big commotion in the hall caught the attention of the trio. Quatre noticed the secretary sitting against the wall overwhelmed by tears. Dropping his books, he worked his way over to her.
"All you all right?" he asked calmly.
"Soldiers came and took two of the students."
"Who?"
04 took a deep breath for he had a feeling deep down he knew who it was.
"Heero Winner and Duo Barton."
Now her tears were even harder. Trowa and Wufei finally made it to the Arabians side.
"Duo and Heero are now POW's."
He got up off the floor and began to head back to his dorm room. They had much more important work to do.
He was shaking uncontrollably; the thing was it wasn't cold in the cell. 02's eyes drifted open, his body trying to stiffen.
"Damn it."
He knew it would only be a matter of time before the drug would completely knock him out and this time, he wouldn't be waking up. To his even bigger discontent, he was trapped in a cell with Heero. But to his surprise, he was sitting by his side.
"You okay?" He seemed concerned, but aggravation loomed in his voice.
"That...stuff they injected into me. It's a type of anesthesia. I'm allegoric to it."
Desperately he tried to control his breathing and his shaking body. He knew he didn't have much time.
"Heero?"
Caught off guard, he turned to hear what 02 had to say.
"Yes?"
"I'm not sorry I saved you. And I know that's why you've been pissed off at me. But I need to ask a favor?"
" I'm not even sure why you saved me. I haven't been that nice to any of you. And yet you still dragged me away with the extent of you own life. Why? Just tell me why Maxwell."
"Why? Because I would care...to see my friends get hurt and it would pretty much drive me insane. Sure you can be an ass sometimes but I can't stand the fact that you'd go and kill yourself because you made a mistake."
He shivered and coughed.
"You're an important part of this team, we can't have you blowing yourself up everytime we fail."
"But it was my fault."
"No. We all took part in the mission. Anyone of us could have figured out what was going to happen. Don't take all the blame. You need...need to learn to share."
At the sight of Duo falling forward, 01 grabbed the American cradling him in his arms.
"Thanks."
Heero scanned their surroundings soon finding a blanket he could throw over them.
"You can't go to sleep. Not until we get you help."
Duo shook his head, swallowing hard and concentrating on his breathing even harder. How was he ever going to keep HIM awake?! Usually it was the other way around.
"Um...have you read anything good lately?"
"No. God that WOULD put you to sleep. I don't have a clue what to talk about! You and I don't share any similar interests!"
"How's Relena?" Duo looked up at him with a weak and sinister smile.
"Huh?"
"You need something to talk about and I've given you a topic, matter that would keep anyone's attention."
"What I want to know is, is where the assholes that captured us went? It's been quiet for a few hours."
"Oh probably planning some...brrr...way to beat out asses around."
Again his body began to shake, his eyes dropping slowly.
"No! Maxwell stay awake! Come on! Ummm...so Relena wants to meet up with me next week to discuss war related matters, but I know she just wants me around. Duo? Duo! Answer me!!"
02's eyes fluttered open trying desperately to keep them that way.
"I'll try to stay awake."
What the two didn't know was that the alliance had already captured OZ. The base was empty and help was nowhere to be found.
]]"
Chapter Two
For the next few days all seemed well. The behavior between the two pilots was what you could call getting along, but only that. They barely spoke to each other and when they did, it was only of missions and status reports. No more fighting or yelling at one another. And then one day Trowa noticed something in their conversation. While Duo and Heero took their eight o'clock class, 03 confronted his comrades on their strange behavior.
"They WHAT?!" said Quatre quite loudly in the library.
A hushing sound filled the room, making him sit down, embarrassed.
"They're referring to themselves as 01 and 02?"
"That's what I caught. What did those guys talk about last night? It's almost like..."
"They only consider themselves as compatriots. Fighting for the same cause but not as friends. They've broken the alliance to each other."
Wufei stopped writing and was staring out the nearby window.
"I've had enough of this. We sit them down tonight resolve this once and for all."
Slamming his books, he was again hushed.
"I don't think we should get involved." 03 did believe their involvement would make a difference.
"I agree with Winner. We need to step in before this interferes with a mission."
Wufei's gaze had returned to the others.
"That's it! The three loud MOUTHS! OUT!!" The librarian had finally had enough.
The trio choked back laughter as they exited. Although one boy put in his two cents as they left.
"Well it's about time someone said something to those snots."
Wasn't it surprising when he turned around to see Trowa and Wufei waving at him from the doorway. From there they proceeded to give him the finger and follow 04 down the hall.
"What did you guys do?" he asked turning to see them hurrying to catch up.
The two looked at each, then back.
"Nothing."
Duo sat to the back of his English class, keeping to himself while all the girls in his class turned around to stare hopelessly at him. He would amuse them by smiling and on occasion giving a small wave. They in turn would blush and turn around quickly, some even got the nerve to wave back. Just as the class began to take out their poetry books, the school's secretary came to the door.
"Excuse me...Sir. May I see um...Sorry. Duo...Duo Barton."
Right away, he knew something was wrong. Leaning back in his seat, he could now see the shimmer of a gun barrel pressed against he neck.
"Of course. Mr. Barton, step into the hall a moment."
Duo almost fell out of his chair.
"Yeah, sure thing."
As casual as possible, he got up and headed to the door. Upon passing the woman, he saw that she was about to cry.
"I won't let him hurt you." He mouthed. Slowly he left the room closing the door behind him.
"Let her go."
Pulling the gun away, he allowed he to run away.
"You don't miss a beat, do you Maxwell?" the soldier was confident as he spoke.
"What? You think you can get us all in the same spot? Please."
"Better to get one, then none at all."
Aiming, he tired to plank a shot at Duo, but the Deathscythe pilot was too fast for him. With demonic speed, he ran down the hallway dodging his bullets. This caught the attention of another young boy down the hall.
"Class please calm down. I'm sure it's nothing...Hold it. Where's Mister Winner?"
Heading out the back door, he found the hallway empty. Reaching behind him, he pulled out a gun and followed their path. Just as he reached the corner, 02 ran around it and into him.
"Why am I not surprised it's you."
01 lowered his defense for a moment. His presence distracted the American, making him forget about the on coming danger. Before he could make an attempt around the distraction in his way, a needle pierced his sensitive skin. An epidural of some kind. Not good. His knees began to buckle beneath him and soon his world became black.
"Come with us quietly or I'll just shot him right now."
He cocked his gun aiming at the defenseless form on the ground.
"Honestly I'm more worried about the others in this building."
But still something about Duo's reaction to that shot made him a bit nervous. Why had it taken affect so fast? Dropping his gun on the ground he followed another soldier while another picked up 02's limp form. Only ten minutes later, the bell rang for change of classes. The big commotion in the hall caught the attention of the trio. Quatre noticed the secretary sitting against the wall overwhelmed by tears. Dropping his books, he worked his way over to her.
"All you all right?" he asked calmly.
"Soldiers came and took two of the students."
"Who?"
04 took a deep breath for he had a feeling deep down he knew who it was.
"Heero Winner and Duo Barton."
Now her tears were even harder. Trowa and Wufei finally made it to the Arabians side.
"Duo and Heero are now POW's."
He got up off the floor and began to head back to his dorm room. They had much more important work to do.
He was shaking uncontrollably; the thing was it wasn't cold in the cell. 02's eyes drifted open, his body trying to stiffen.
"Damn it."
He knew it would only be a matter of time before the drug would completely knock him out and this time, he wouldn't be waking up. To his even bigger discontent, he was trapped in a cell with Heero. But to his surprise, he was sitting by his side.
"You okay?" He seemed concerned, but aggravation loomed in his voice.
"That...stuff they injected into me. It's a type of anesthesia. I'm allegoric to it."
Desperately he tried to control his breathing and his shaking body. He knew he didn't have much time.
"Heero?"
Caught off guard, he turned to hear what 02 had to say.
"Yes?"
"I'm not sorry I saved you. And I know that's why you've been pissed off at me. But I need to ask a favor?"
" I'm not even sure why you saved me. I haven't been that nice to any of you. And yet you still dragged me away with the extent of you own life. Why? Just tell me why Maxwell."
"Why? Because I would care...to see my friends get hurt and it would pretty much drive me insane. Sure you can be an ass sometimes but I can't stand the fact that you'd go and kill yourself because you made a mistake."
He shivered and coughed.
"You're an important part of this team, we can't have you blowing yourself up everytime we fail."
"But it was my fault."
"No. We all took part in the mission. Anyone of us could have figured out what was going to happen. Don't take all the blame. You need...need to learn to share."
At the sight of Duo falling forward, 01 grabbed the American cradling him in his arms.
"Thanks."
Heero scanned their surroundings soon finding a blanket he could throw over them.
"You can't go to sleep. Not until we get you help."
Duo shook his head, swallowing hard and concentrating on his breathing even harder. How was he ever going to keep HIM awake?! Usually it was the other way around.
"Um...have you read anything good lately?"
"No. God that WOULD put you to sleep. I don't have a clue what to talk about! You and I don't share any similar interests!"
"How's Relena?" Duo looked up at him with a weak and sinister smile.
"Huh?"
"You need something to talk about and I've given you a topic, matter that would keep anyone's attention."
"What I want to know is, is where the assholes that captured us went? It's been quiet for a few hours."
"Oh probably planning some...brrr...way to beat out asses around."
Again his body began to shake, his eyes dropping slowly.
"No! Maxwell stay awake! Come on! Ummm...so Relena wants to meet up with me next week to discuss war related matters, but I know she just wants me around. Duo? Duo! Answer me!!"
02's eyes fluttered open trying desperately to keep them that way.
"I'll try to stay awake."
What the two didn't know was that the alliance had already captured OZ. The base was empty and help was nowhere to be found.
]]"