Chapter 3

It's been a week and Duo and Quatre have been jumping at shadows. The powers they felt have been dormant but every now and then there is a spike of power. Quatre usually gets a headache afterwards while Duo feels as if all the hair on his body has static. The others have kept their comment to themselves but they all are concerned about the two pilots' unknown conditions; especially the two with emotional attachments.

Trowa had asked Quatre what was wrong but alas, the blonde kept quiet saying his empathy had been acting up. He hated lying to the tall teen but until Duo told him what was happening, he really didn't have a believable explanation. Heero, on the other hand, watched Duo. Very closely. He kept telling himself that is was to ensure the success of the mission, but one can only lie to himself for so long.

Duo had cut his personal search mission down to minimum. He didn't have much luck anyway. Every time he felt something it would disappear as he got closer. Either it felt his approach and shielded its power or it simply did disappear. He also stopped because of the meeting they had a couple of nights ago; his cheeks colored at the thought.

/flashback/

Heero had called a meeting to discuss the mission outline with the others in a room that was empty; the debate team put up a bit of a fight but with the Yuy Glare O Death accompanied by the persuasive skills of a certain Winner they skittered out of the entire wing.

"The doctors think it is best if we remain here for a few more weeks," Heero said after he had recapped on all the data collected.

"But we've been here more than the allotted time," Wufei muttered from his corner of the room. He just wanted to escape from his little fan club. They had begun to make mini shrines in their lockers. One girl even tried to snatch a few strands of hair.

Trowa spoke up as well. "And we can't stay here too long. OZ will eventually discover our position."

Heero almost sighed and ran his hand through his hair, exasperated. "I know and I have thought of all the reasons why we should vacate but the doctors think we need to investigate the strange occurrences this school has been having."

Duo and Quatre both glanced at each other but it was Wufei that asked, "What are you talking about?"

"They was to know why Quatre's empathy is malfunctioning. And there have been sightings of a blue streak in the sky well after midnight."

All blinked.

Quatre flushed with embarrassment.

Duo looked sheepish.

"They want us looking into supernatural forces and UFOs," Wufei said as calmly as possible.

Heero simply shrugged.

"This in not Unsolved Mysteries!"

"But it is a mission and we shall remain until they are satisfied." Heero's voice alone left no room for discussion and his face let the rest know he was not happy about this either.

Duo listened half-heartedly to the discussion after that, since he already knew the cause of both… well sort of. He still had yet to find the source of the power but he knew what was zigzagging the skies at night. He could hear Professor G right now. Duo, if I've told you once I've told you a thousand times; you can't fly around residential areas. People come up with the most supernatural explanations for the slightest occurrence. And you being what you are, they wouldn't be far off. Duo smiled to himself. And he would answer the same as he always did. Nag, nag.

"Duo, do you understand your part?"

"Nag, nag."

"Excuse me?" Heero raised a brow.

"Oh…oh! Yep! Got it!"

/end flashback/

Professor G did get in contact with Duo and let him know that he allowed the others doctors pursue this little venture so they could see how silly they were. He, himself, decided he would sit back and relax, letting them entertain him.

"Besides, it serves you right," G said before he cut the connection.

Duo sighed and turned off his computer. Maybe G was right but he was only trying to help. Oh well. Duo got up and prepared for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow was Saturday and the only thing on his mind was the lake behind the school. He stripped to his boxers, slipped on an old T-shirt with the Capsule Corp logo on the front, and entered the bathroom to brush his teeth. Suddenly a dim light flashed in his room and Duo caught a glimpse of blue in the mirror. Duo peaked his head into the room, toothbrush hanging in his mouth, and scanned the room with a critical eye. Seeing and sensing nothing, he shrugged and finished. Finally he trudged to the bed and flopped on the comforter, making little happy noises at the softness and comfort. He rolled onto his back stared at the ceiling. With all his training and life experience, he couldn't have been prepared to defend himself from his attacker.

In a blue and lavender blur, a person dropped down from the ceiling onto Duo's body, pinning him down with a very large and very, very sharp sword pressed against his neck. The ice blue eyes of the muscular attacker stared down into the wide violet orbs.

Duo's mind was working on overdrive, calculating every possible escape and every way to disable this person, but it might be difficult. Judging by the weight holding him down, this guy was well-built and…

"You rely too much on the weapons of this time. You would have been able to sense me and attack," the smooth tenor brought Duo's thoughts to a shrieking halt.

Sense? Was this man the source of all that power? Duo narrowed his eyes at the man, much calmer than a normal man, considering, and blinked at the strands of purple hair falling into his eyes. Wait… purple? Only one person he knew had purple hair. But it could be dyed, to hide his identity. But… the guy's eyebrows were purple too, most people don't dye their eyebrows.

"Come on Duo, as smart as you are you should have put the pieces together by now," the man moved back on Duo's bed and slid the sword back in its scabbard. Oddly Duo didn't move. He started counting off on his fingers. "You must have felt KI recently, someone hacked into the school's system to track you down.."

"You did that?!"

The man continued on. "Whenever you looked for said KI signal it was shielded, something you should have done, mind you. Tsk, tsk this time has made you reckless."

Duo peered up at the purple-haired man, his eye widening with recognition. He hesitated to answer. "Trunks…?"

Trunks smiled. "In the flesh."

Duo took about five seconds to absorb the information before Trunks found his arms filled with teenage terrorist.

"I thought I'd never see you again."

"I made a promise and I'm a man of my word. Well, almost a man."

Duo was too busy holding back tears; too much had happened, too much had changed. But this was Trunks, his first best friend and practically his brother. "There's so much I have to tell you," he choked out.

"So do we."

Duo sat up, confused. "We?"

Trunks chuckled at Duo's expression. "You didn't think I was the only one who wanted to find you, did you? We were worried about you Duo. Goten's here with me and Mom and Dad will be here later."

Duo was speechless.

Trunks, who didn't know about Duo's usual talkativeness (1), took his silence as his cue to leave. So he stood up and strolled over to the window and opened it, the breeze stirring his hair. "You have plans for tomorrow?"

"Lake. Going." Duo was too stunned to make complete sentences.

"Great! Goten and I will meet you there." Trunks made like he was going to fly out when Duo came to his senses.

"Hey could you, uh, run or something."

Trunk looked at him, eye brow raised in question.

"I have this friend that feels our power, er KI. It gives him headaches."

"Gotcha." Trunks gave a thumbs up and dropped out the window and hit the ground running, zooming out of the school's courtyard in a blue streak.

Duo watched Trunks disappear into the night in a sort of haze. His past was back. His friends, his family. Though he was with them for a short time, they had such an impression on his life, much like Sister Helen and Father Maxwell. In a daze, he wandered over to his bed and tumbled back. This time no attacks from above. He drifted off to sleep, a smile on his face and memories of the past in his head.

Unknown to Trunks or Duo their discussion wasn't completely amongst themselves. Someone had been keeping an eye on Duo and his visitor. Heero had returned from his perimeter check and passed by Duo's room in time to hear bits and pieces of conversation.

/Who's in Duo's room?/ Heero wondered. Not that he was to concerned. Duo wasn't his and could lead his own life. But still it couldn't hurt to listen in… for the good of the mission, of course. Heero sidled up to the wall and eavesdropped.

"…plans for tomorrow?" /That must be Duo's visitor. Male, approximately 158 pounds, heavy build. Doesn't seem like Duo's type./ Heero shook his head at that; what did he know about Duo's "type."

"Lake…" /Note to self, add lake to perimeter check./

"Great…meet you…" /Wait, is this a date?/

"…run… headaches." /Huh?/

"Gotcha."

Heero, confused and feeling slightly jealous… yes jealous, continued to his room and laid plans for Saturday, including a short trip to the lake for recreational purposes.

(1) Trunks and the others are in for a surprise, doncha think?

Vega: Well there's Chapter 3. You like?

Wufei: Mini shrines?

Vega: Yeah… what?

Wufei: …nothing. Nothing at all.

Vega: Ok so we have Trunks, Goten and we'll have Bulma and Vegeta soon enough. Can you imagine how they'll behave in the gundam-verse? Bulma will try taking apart the gundams, Goten and Trunk will be chased by chicks. And Vegeta would be…Vegeta. It's really better than it sounds. Honest!

The button calls to you…