Title: Arcanum

Author: Retep

Pairings: 3x2

Rating: R...but not now...later. I'll warn ya

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 fidgeted with his shirt as he waited to enter the conference room. Public speaking had never really been his idea of a good time, and now he was going to have to brief forty of the top officers in Wufei's division on a plan of attack. He could hear Wufei on the other side of the door introducing him. It cracked him up how naturally he was able to address them, like he had been born to be a leader. Duo, on the other hand, would rather just jump into the mission and get the whole damn thing over with. He started to go over the whole plan again in his head, when Quatre's head poking out of the door suddenly interrupted him.

"We're ready for you Duo."

"Great," Duo picked up the map that he had placed on the floor and entered the conference room. It was actually a sorry excuse for a conference room; it looked like just another dilapidated apartment with an overhead and a few folded chairs in it. He moved quickly to the front of the room, praying that he didn't trip or do anything stupid. If the mission was going to work, then he needed to have the officers' complete confidence. No one wants to be part of a plan that was put together by a fumbling kid.

"I will now let Maxwell explain the operation to you," Wufei said, addressing the assembly. "I trust that you will give him your full attention, and hold all your questions until he is finished." Wufei turned to Duo, "Please, go ahead."

"Thanks," Duo said, even though he really wanted to give Wufei the finger for putting him in this awkward situation. Yep, no problem, all he had to do was ask forty strangers to order their men to walk into a situation where they will almost certainly get killed. Piece of cake. He set up the map and then scanned the audience. They all looked young; too young to die. His eyes fell on Trowa and Quatre who were standing in the back of the room. Quatre threw him a thumb's up sign, and Duo almost laughed at the corny jester. He pulled himself together though, and began the briefing.

"As Wufei already explained to you, we will be splitting the department up into two groups, and will launch a full attack on the Organization's main building. The teams will be referred to as "Team A" and "Team B." Team A will raid the north side of the building, and must hold off the Organization's soldiers for at least a half an hour. At that time, Team B will begin an assault of the south side, which should take some of the pressure off of Team A. I will be in Team B and will make use of the south side ventilation opening in order to enter the building.

Once I am in I will make for the executive offices' computer and that should direct the Organizations attention on to me.

With the Organization's troops being pulled in three different directions, we will have the opportunity to slip a man in on the West side ventilation ducts. If the layout of the building is still as I remember it, that individual will be able to follow the map that I have made to the main computer in the basement. It will no doubt be under heavy surveillance so we are going to need to get the top man in this outfit to take the job. After it is confirmed that both me and the other individual are in, you will order your troops to withdrawal and return here to await further instruction."

Duo stopped speaking, and noticing the wide eyes of the officers asked, "Um….are there any questions?" He fought back a groan as almost every hand in the room shot up. This was going to take a while. He pointed at a random officer, "All right, let's start with you."

The officer spoke up, "Is this a suicide mission? I mean last time they slaughtered us, and this is happening so fast that we don't have time to fully train our men for such a fight."

"Fully train your men?" Duo stifled a rueful laugh, "Trust me there is no amount of training that is going to prepare them for what I am asking them to do."

"Then why…" The officer began, but Duo cut him off.

"Because it is what needs to be done. You all volunteered for this section, didn't you? And I am sure that you did that because you realize what a danger the Organization presents to the people of L-1. Today they are working the black market; tomorrow they are violently overthrowing the government. One way or another there is going to be a lot of blood shed over this, better that it be done on our terms instead of theirs."

All but one of the hands went down, and Duo let out a sigh of relief. He shot a look at Wufei who was staring at him in disbelief. At the moment, he almost hoped he had shocked Wufei to the point of a heart attack. This was definitely the last time he was going to be talked into something like this. He finally pointed at the at the last hand, "Shoot."

"Who is going to be the other man on the inside?"

Duo was opening his mouth to answer that they hadn't decided, when Trowa's voice called from the back of the room, "I've got this one, Duo."

Trowa approached the front of the room with his usual graceful movements, like he wasn't even aware that forty pairs of eyes where following him. Duo was relieved that someone else was going to take over, he quickly let Trowa take his spot, and he moved to the back of the room to join Quatre.

"Well done." Quatre whispered.

"I am killing Wufei." Duo whispered back.

"After the mission," Quarte replied and the two snickered. They quieted as Trowa began to speak.

"For this mission we are going to not only need someone who is in very good physical condition, and is trained in hand to hand combat; but we are going to need someone who is trained in hacking into secure files on computers. We need someone with experience, and we need someone who we can trust with this entire outfit's lives. Now then, which of your men fill all those requirements?"

Not a single hand in the crowd was raised. Duo mumbled to Quatre, "Shit, I thought I had it rough. We might be in trouble."

At the front of the room Trowa continued, unfazed, "I see. Well then, I suppose that I am the best option by default, unless of course any of you have objections?"

The room was silent, no hands were raised, and Duo's bottom jaw almost hit the floor.

"All right, since there are no objections, it is settled. And now you are dismissed to go back to your men, I will accompany you in order to help explain what was discussed today. Let's go."

The entire assembly of men got up and started chattering noisily as they walked to the room's exit and followed Trowa the door. The room cleared out in about two minutes, and finally only Duo, Quatre, and Wufei remained. Duo was still standing very still, in the same position he had been in when Trowa announced that he would be the other man. He felt Quatre nudge him, "Duo, are you all right?'

"Would someone please tell me what the fuck just happened?"

Wufei approached the two of them, "Barton just led the men out the door to brief the rest of the troops, the meeting is over. I must say, you did a lot better than I expected Maxwell."

"Uh, Wufei…I don't think that is what he is talking about," Quatre ventured.

"Damn straight that isn't what I was talking about! When the hell did you decide Trowa was going to be the other man?"

"Calm down Maxwell. I didn't decide. It was as much a shock to me as it was to you, but the truth is, he is our best man for the job. I never would have ordered him to do it, but since he volunteered it makes sense, you have to admit that."

Duo glared at Wufei; "I don't have to admit shit. This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of." Duo threw up hands and began pacing the room. "He is doing this to get to me I know it!"

"Be serious Duo, you know he doesn't work like that. Besides this is a mission, and that comes first. You have to put all that other stuff beside, you know that."

"Winner is right Maxwell. You need to get this all straightened out before we begin this mission. Your emotions are liabilities. I don't know exactly what is going on between the two of you, but you need to remember that before everything else, we are soldiers."

Duo turned on his heel to look at Quatre and Wufei; "You know what you're right. I am going to straighten this out." A gleam entered Duo's eyes and a crooked grin spread across his face as he spun around and walked swiftly out exit.

"What exactly was that expression?" Wufei asked Quatre as they stood in the now abandoned conference room.

"I've seen that look on Duo's face once before; it was when he was in the cockpit of deathscythe, and he was ripping apart a group of mobile dolls." Quatre answered, still looking in disbelief at the door that Duo exited out of.

"Did I say the wrong thing?" Wufei wondered aloud.

"No way!" Wufei jumped at Quatre's sudden exclamation, "I mean you did say after all, 'Winner is right,' you can't be wrong with a brilliant statement like that."

"I knew I was going to regret saying that even as the words left my mouth."

Quatre turned his most angelic look on Wufei, "Say it again?"

"Not for all the money in the world. Let's get to work, before I lose my temper."

Wufei began walking towards the exit and heard Quatre call after him; "You love it and you now it!"

Get to work Winner!" Wufei shouted back, as he turned the corner and a slight smile formed on his face. The people that he trusted the most were with him; at least if everything went to hell, he would be in good company.

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All right so that is it for Chapter 8 and let's all hope that Chapter 9 will be more interesting. Mission briefings are boring.

-Retep