Title: Arcanum
Author: Retep
Pairings: 3x2
Rating: R
Archive: Fanfiction.net, Erotic Encounters: ,
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and I probably wouldn't know what to do with it if I did. No money is made on my part...wow that is depressing...yet true.
Feedback: If you have the time to write it, I have the time to read it.
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Duo gasped as the icy water splashed down his body. He knew that the cold shower idea was a futile attempt to get his body back under control; Trowa could be such a bastard. Who did he think he was jumping on him like that? Duo snickered as he realized the original plan had been for him to jump on Trowa. Of course, he was planning on scaring him, not making out with him…a strange twist to say the least. However, there were more important things to worry about now.
"I have an entire army of people waiting to kill me and here I am thinking about Trowa like some kind of damn school girl. Some soldier I am." Duo grumbled to himself as he endured the painfully cold water.
Duo angrily jerked off the shower and toweled off with his face set in a look of determination. He was going to put all of this shit with Trowa behind him until matters with the Organization were settled. He knew he couldn't afford the distraction right now. It would make him sloppy; which would get him killed. Trowa was just going to have to deal with it. He did not sign on for this kind of hormonal crap.
After throwing on a pair of jeans and a beat up t-shirt, Duo went to join the others in the kitchen. He couldn't help but smile at the scene that lay before him. Quatre was in the kitchen engaged it what seemed like pan/food warfare, while Wufei attempted to clean up the destruction he was leaving in his wake. Trowa was at the kitchen table reading a newspaper, or at least Duo assumed it was Trowa, the newspaper was completely blocking his face.
"Maxwell, are you going to stand there smiling like an idiot all day or are you going to lend me a hand?" Wufei's slightly disgruntled voice drew Duo out of his thoughts.
"Huh? Oh, yeah sure thing, what do you need me to do?"
"Restrain Quatre so that he stops trashing the kitchen."
Quatre turned away from cooking in order to give Duo an excellent 'I dare you' look. Duo promptly held up his hands in a mock surrender, "How about I just sit down and drink some coffee?"
"Wise choice." Quatre stated as he let another fragment of egg go flying out of the pan, eliciting a groan from Wufei.
Duo grabbed a mug of coffee and sat across from the newspaper that Trowa was hiding behind. He took a moment to decide whether or not he should initiate a conversation with Trowa, but concluded that he was not going to be comfortable until he cleared the air. The whole thing had happened only an hour ago, but it already felt like a dream.
Duo cleared his throat, "So Trowa, what's new in the universe today?" He almost winced at his pathetic attempt to make small talk.
"Absolutely nothing. Same old scandals, politics, and crimes…" Trowa's voice trailed off behind the paper.
Duo took another swing of his coffee, and he searched for another way to start a conversation. He failed miserably and was extremely relieved when Quatre interrupted the awkward silence. "Are you a breakfast eater Duo?"
"Not usually Quat, but it smells so good I think I'll make an exception."
"After the hell I have been through you'd better eat it," Wufei's voice called from the kitchen.
Quatre made it a point to ignore him, "How about you Trowa? Hungry?" He called back as he walked into the kitchen.
Trowa lowered his paper and locked eyes with Duo, "Extremely."
Duo chocked on his coffee. As soon as he recovered he felt his face heat up and his throat tighten. He cursed himself, and remembered that he was supposed to be playing it cool. Quatre set a plate of food in front of him and gave him a curious look, "Uh…Duo, are you feeling all right? You're looking flushed all of a sudden."
Duo narrowed his eyes at Trowa before fixing his gaze on Quatre, "It's nothing Quat, I'm fine. I guess I'm just eager to get this whole thing over with."
Wufei immediately shot out of the kitchen, "Well then," he said as he took a seat next to Trowa, "Let's get started on planning the mission."
Quatre took a seat across from Wufei, "Come on Wufei, we haven't even had breakfast yet and you want to talk about a raid?"
"Yes." Wufei responded flatly.
Quatre threw his arms in the air in exasperation, "Absolutely no social skills whatsoever! And Trowa, would you please put that paper down and at least pretend to be interested in what we are talking about."
Trowa lowered his paper, turned the page, and immediately brought it back up to hide his face again. Quatre groaned in frustration, "I'm living with the two most antisocial people in the known universe; thank God you're here Duo."
"Actually I agree with Wufei, we had better get started on the plan. But hey, cheer up Quat, the sooner we get done with this, the sooner you can get back to trying to pull that stick out of Wufei's ass."
"I do not have a stick up my ass, I'm just being efficient!" Wufei defended.
Trowa lowered his paper, "Efficient is a synonym for stick up your ass."
"You're hilarious Barton."
"I always thought so," Trowa replied with a smirk.
"If you're finished, can we please get to work?" Wufei asked, trying to keep his irritation under control.
"Sure thing."
"All right, the way that I see it is we need some concrete evidence to get the colonies to wake up and see what a threat the Organization is. We need to find a way to get into their base of operations in order to find out exactly what they have planned. So Duo, you know where the base is and have a general idea of the set up inside right?"
"Yeah, but the problem isn't finding it and not getting lost inside. The problem actually breaking into the building. They have that place sealed up tighter than a virgin's…"
Quatre hastily interrupted Duo before he could finish the statement, "I think that our best bet is to create a diversion. If we fake a raid on Organization headquarters with our entire team, then maybe we can slip a few of our guys in while they are focusing their attention on the attack." He shrugged and continuing, "I know that it isn't the most original plan, but we don't have any other feasible options."
"So that's the plan? Just slip a few guys in, easy as that? Come on Quat! That is the first thing that they are going to be looking out for!" Duo took a sip of his coffee and then let out a dramatic sigh, "Well it looks like, yet again, I'm going to have to pick up the slack. What we need dear Quatre is two diversions."
"But Duo, we don't have that kind of man power. If we were going to attack them like that, we would have to cut our men into two groups. The Organization would slaughter overwhelm them and both teams would be captured."
"Who said that we were going to use your men?" Duo asked raising an eyebrow.
"I don't like where this is going," Trowa stated.
Duo ignored him and continued, "As I was saying…we won't need a large group of men for the second diversion. We are only going to need one very specific person."
"Who?" All three voices asked at once.
"Me." Duo responded as he calmly took another sip of his coffee.
All movement at the table ceased as the three other boys froze and stared disbelievingly at Duo. "Look I know that you guys didn't want me to get involved, but I'm the bait that they can't resist. If they see me sneaking into the building, they are going to think that I am heading for their main computer room, and I'm not going to do anything to contradict their suspicions. The Organization will already have its hands full fighting off the raid. The remaining men will all have to focus on sealing off the area that I am in, and capturing me. While all of this is going on, another member of your team can slip in to the building unnoticed and access the files that were going to need by using a computer in any of the top ranking Organization members' office. Piece of cake."
"Piece of cake? Maxwell you really are an idiot aren't you? How the hell are you planning on escaping the building? If they seal off the area and focus their attention on you, then you're as good as dead!" Wufei exclaimed, being the first to recover from the shock of Duo's plan.
"Calm down Wu, I thought of that already. But think about it, once we get our hands on the Organization's plans then the colonies will have to take action against them. I figure it will only take a couple of days for the L-1 government to send a massive attack on the base."
"And your point…?" Wufei ground out trying to keep his irritation under control.
"My point is that standard Organization rules state that any person who is captured is to be questioned before they are killed. Of course their methods of questioning leave something to be desired, but I'm pretty sure I can keep myself from being tortured and killed for at least forty-eight hours."
"How are you going to do that?" Quatre asked with his eyes opened so wide they looked like they might fall out of his skull.
"I'm going to tell them everything that they want to know about Wufei's secret little department."
"The hell?" Wufei slammed his hands on the table, "If you do that then they are going to level this building and all of our men's lives will be put into jeopardy!"
"The building is a small price to pay for what will be accomplished by wiping out the Organization, and didn't your men sign up for this department knowing that their lives would be put on the line?"
Wufei paused and furrowed his eyebrows. It was obvious to Duo that he was trying to process everything that he was saying, so he waited patiently for the response. After a few tension soaked moments Wufei let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair. "Damn, I never thought I'd say this, but you're right Maxwell." He looked at Quatre who was still staring incredulously at Duo, "What do you think Quatre, is this plan we want to go with?"
Quatre turned his attention to Wufei, "I think it is one of the riskiest and most stupid plans that I have ever heard of. Unfortunately, it still beats anything that I have come up with, and we are running out of time. It looks like this is our best bet right now, don't you agree Trowa?"
All eyes turned to Trowa, who was currently looking into his coffee cup like the answer to the question was at the bottom of it. "Umm Trowa…didn't you hear Quatre…what do you think?"
"I think that I am going for a walk." And with that said Trowa swiftly moved away from the table, grabbed his coat, and headed out the door.
"That wasn't quite the answer I was looking for." Quatre murmured.
"What's gotten into Barton? I've never known him to walk out on a meeting." Wufei started to get up from the table, but Duo stilled him with a hand on his shoulder.
"This one's mine. Don't worry; I'll talk him into it."
"Just try not to piss him off; he's been on edge lately." Quatre cautioned him.
"Me? Piss him off?" Duo laughed as he grabbed his own coat and moved towards the door, "Impossible. I'm going to be the voice of reason for once in my life, now let me enjoy it." Duo walked out the door triumphantly and shut it behind him.
"Great, Trowa has walked out on a meeting, and Duo has become the voice of reason…what's next?" Wufei put his head in his hands dramatically.
"Umm…you're going to do the dishes?"
"Nice try Winner."
All right so this chapter was really over do. I apologize, my Japanese class is currently in the process of kicking my ass, I am dealing with an all out attack of relative clauses from hell. Hopefully the next one will be faster. I'm going to estimate 2 weeks. Thanks for your patience!
~Retep