I don't own it, don't sue.

Chapter 3

Partners



"Shh, calm down Trin." Duo said to his daughter. Her breathing and heartbeat had returned to normal, and although she was still in great pain, Trinity had refused to take any more pain relievers. She wanted to stay awake to meet the two who had 'rescued' her.

The brunette glared at the two boys. "I didn't need your help." She muttered, venom practically dripping from her voice. The two were exactly the same guys that she'd almost run into in the hallway earlier that day.

Ian frowned. "Is that all the thanks we get for dragging you all the way to the hospital, after saving your butt?!"

Trinity's scowl darkened. "I didn't need you to save me, thank you very much. I'm very capable of defending myself."

Ian's eyes narrowed. "Didn't look like it from where I was standing."

Trinity fought the urge to jump out of the bed and punch this guy right in the gut. Of all the nerve! She didn't need any help! She was capable of doing things by herself! She could have beaten the crap out of those thugs!

Duo knew that his daughter was in no condition to be agitated, and Heero sensed the growing tension in the room. Both ex-gundam pilots knew that these guys weren't here for no reason, since their families lived on different colonies.

"Trin, please calm down" Duo pleaded.

"Dad, I can handle this myself." Trinity practically breathed the words, her voice menacing and low.

"Oh, Daddy got to help his daughter?" Ian purred the words, but they hit home.

A sense of dread filled the room, and a stony silence enveloped the occupants. Trinity forced herself to breath.

One breath…

Then two…

"First things first." She said, in the same low and menacing voice. "I was *not* aware that there was a species lower than dust mites. Thank you for enlightening me."

Ian growled, but his response was cut off by a yuy-deathglare, from two occupants of the room. And he knew just how dangerous gundam pilots could be. Male or female.

Another breath.

And another.

"Second…I was in no need of your assistance, and I am repulsed by your presence. Get out… NOW."

Her voice never left the low threatening tone. Ian felt a chill run up his spine. He turned to leave, but he noticed a flash of gold from the table where Trinity's belongings that were salvaged from her bloody mess of clothes lay. Her wallet was lying open on the table.

Ian then walked to the door, Nate close behind him. But as he was leaving the door, Ian smirked. He turned and paused. Duo's eyes were on the floor, and Heero was glaring at him. Trinity too was watching his departure with ice in her eyes.

"Whatever you say…partner." Was all the Chinese boy said before he left the room, not leaving time for Trinity to respond.

Nate hesitated for a split second before following his friend out the door.

*~*

Later that week, Trinity awoke once again to a searing pain. One that she was starting to get used to. She had been released from the hospital two days ago, when her condition had been stable enough for her to walk, however slowly. The girl sighed. She'd totally screwed up her mission as far as co-operation was going to be concerned. Her parents had informed her of the identity of the two guys, and she hadn't been happy. In fact, all she could feel towards this 'Ian Chang' was hate.

"Maybe I just have to get to know him better…" Trinity thought for the fiftieth time before getting out of bed. She pushed the indiglo on her watch. "3:00 am. Great. Just great." Another sigh escaped her lips as she made her way slowly across her room to her desk where her laptop lay. She ignored the pain that was overwhelming her senses and grabbed the light machine. She then headed for the back door of the Yuy-Maxwell house, intent on heading for the hiding place of the gundam Deathscythe Hell Custom.

Once outside, Trinity took a few breaths then started the long journey through the massive lot. Although their property was on a colony, Duo had insisted on installing a park for the kids. There was also a small orphanage/church funded by Duo, even though he no longer had any income. Trinity sighed again, still ignoring the pain as she headed through the park to the small clump of trees just beyond it. She stopped before she met the tree line, and opened her lap top. Balancing it on one arm, she flicked it on, and waited for it to boot up. The girl didn't notice the dark shadow that crept between the trees, watching her every move.

Trinity stifled a yawn, and typed in a few words. A creaking sound associated with gears turning, and metal rubbing against greased metal sounded through out the silence. Trinity watched as a door opened, revealing a hidden underground hangar. She then descended the steps that led into the darkness, typing at her laptop some more as she went. With the push of a few more keys, the lights flickered on, and a shadow slipped inside unnoticed by the tired girl. Another click of a few keys and the door closed behind Trinity, locking herself, and the unknown shadow, into the spacious gundam hangar.

Trinity headed for deathscythe. The gundanium alloy shone under the florescent lights. The girl breathed in it's musky smell, then typed in another password on her laptop.

The hatch opened, and Trinity grabbed the foothold, and entered the cockpit.

Again she breathed in deeply. Oh, how it smelled of her father in the small space. He was everywhere. Duo had become the Deathscythe in his own way, sharing every living breathing moment with the machine. Trinity sighed, a sigh of content. It felt right somehow, being in this gundam. Then her eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

Silence.

A voice that only she and Duo could hear answered soundlessly.

"Where?" She breathed, flicking a combination of switches on the dashboard.

Deathscythe's green eyes flashed to life, and the hatch closed.

"I know you're out there…" Trinity whispered. "It's only a matter of time before you make a mistake…"

Then it happened. A movement in the left of her screen.

Without warning, Deathscythe jumped to life, arm extended and ready to kill.

A figure dressed in black emerged, and flashed a preventer's badge.

However, instead of relaxing, Trinity tensed. Her soldier instincts kicking in.

The figure looked up with oriental eyes.

Trinity relaxed slightly and once again forced herself to breath.

She slowly eased Deathscythe back into it's original position and switched it off.

Opening the hatch, she grabbed her laptop and made her way to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded when her feet touched the floor of the hangar.

She was in no mood to deal with this right now.

Ian tried to stay clam. He'd come to apologize for the sake of his job, but this girl still managed to infuriate him.

"Maybe a better question is why you aren't in bed."

Trinity glared at the boy standing in front of her. "What I do with my time is none of your business." She stated, using the same icy tone she'd applied in the hospital.

Ian's expression remained unreadable. "And what I do with mine is none of yours." He said.

Trinity's glare began to weaken as her vision started to blur again. "not now!" she thought furiously. "It is my business if you're stalking me." She managed to keep her voice steady somehow.

Ian sighed. "Look, I didn't come her to argue with you." He said.

Trinity raised one eyebrow. "right." She replied before heading over to the desk where the main computer system lay. The girl winced as she sat, her aching muscles and bandaged wounds protesting her every move.

She placed her laptop beside the computer and flicked it on. Reaching into one of the drawers, she pulled out a cable and connected the two computers.

Ian watched her hook up the two machines with little interest. "You shouldn't be down here." He said.

"yes, mother, I'll go back to bed *right* away." Trinity replied sarcastically.

Ian rolled his eyes. "It's bad for your condition."

Trinity looked at him. "My *condition*? Why would you give a shit about my condition?"

Ian had no answer for that question. The cobalt blue were glaring daggers at him. He walked over to the desk and stood behind Trinity to watch what she was doing.

Her fingers flew over the keys, hacking into files to get any type of information was a piece of cake for the girl.

Ian watched, now curious, as she hacked into *his* files with obvious ease.

"You should get some better security on these." She suggested, no emotion in her voice.

Ian scowled. "Like yours are any better."

"I couldn't even hack into my own files, and I know the programs used to protect them." Trinity replied. "You wouldn't get past the first password."

"That's what you think" the Chinese boy replied.

Trinity glanced at her watch again. "just past 3:30" She mumbled, while saving the files she'd found on her 'partner'. She made a mental note to herself to do a more thorough search later.

Trinity got out of the chair. "Prove me wrong then." She said, seating herself on the desk beside the computers.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

please let me know what you think so far! And if you have any suggestions for insults and whatnot, please leave them in a review, or you can email me at duos_only_chick@hotmail.com

Thanks.

Aria