Chapter Two
CrazyRae: Welcome, I wanted to get the Prologue and the first chapter in before I introduced myself and put out the disclaimer.
Disclaimer: As you probably figured out I don't own any characters from the Gundam Wing series...because I sure as hell wouldn't be writing a fanfiction story if i did...and Heero would definitely be mine O.O...
Duo entered the living room the next day, a smile on his lips as he sat on the couch, pulling Quatre's attention away from his chess game with Trowa.
"Good morning Duo," the blond teen greeted him, before making a move, which counter-acted the quiet teen's previous move.
Duo nodded in reply, "Sorry if Yamino offended you last night. She's can be like Heero at times, which is why I don't mind Heero as much as you guys use to."
Quatre smiled softly, "It's ok, I'm sure she has her reasons. She must be nice if she is on your A-list of friends."
"I wouldn't call her nice. She's tough, and always has an eye out for those who need help. She's the reason I actually survived living on the streets, she always was tough on us and sort of showed us the ropes," Duo remersed, his eyes lighting up with amusement.
"She even almost had me caught one time, trying to teach me how to weasle my way out of a tight spot. It's come in handy even now," Duo replied, as an cry of rage filled the house.
Wufei ran into the room, his hair gloped together with a sticky, gold substance. Onyx black eyes glared, his body shaking with anger.
"Maxwell!"
Duo grinned at Quatre and Trowa, "That's my cue."
He jumped up and dashed out of the room, Wufei hot on his heels yelling indecent words and threats, causing Duo to retort with laughter.
Thirty minutes passed and Duo re-entered the living room, now seeing Heero sitting in a chair, typing on his laptop, who glanced up as he entered. Heero seemed busily typing, which caught Duo's curiosity.
"Whatcha doing Hee-man?" Duo asked.
"Research."
Duo rolled his eyes at the short-worded answer, leaning back on the couch.
"Do you think your friend will help us?" Quatre asked, looking up at the braid-haired teen.
Duo looked over at the blond, "I can try and convince her. She's grown accustomed to disliking Preventers, she's always been different, and her work ethics are looked down on."
"Why?" Heero demanded.
"She's a mercenary, she goes to the highest bidder...sometimes she'll actually choose without the price. Preventers don't take Mercenaries lightly, because they can be bought and sold easily. Yamino is quick at killing her target if she has to assassinate someone..and it's always clean. She doesn't like having to spill blood, but for some reason, she has this thought in her head that she has to." Duo informed, his eyes growing soft. "She seems to be fighting for something and always hides herself from anyone who tries to get too close."
"So, you want us to ask help from a mercenary? Great, who knows who she'll tell our information to," Wufei stated, receiving a glare from Duo.
"All the information I bestow upon her is kept confidential. She doesn't give information, she receives it."
Duo looked at his watch noticing it was nearly one o clock, and stood up, "I have to get ready, Yamino doesn't like tardiness."
Duo left the room, leaving behind four mind, churning the new information.
Yamino sat in a darkened room, dark red walls glimmering with the soft lights from the many candles. Her legs were crossed, eyes closed as her breathing indicated she was meditating. The light danced against her bronze skin, giving her a new beauty within the darkness.
A knock signaled someone on the other side of the door, cause her to growl inwardly, "What? This better be good."
She could hear the door open and close softly, feeling a new presense behind her, as she continued to meditate.
"Master, you wanted to be informed when it was two-thirty. I apologise for interrupting your mediation," the maid replied.
"It's alright. Go, and thank you for informing me."
The presense left and Yamino's body relaxed, her mind slowly coming out of the trance the ensense filled air put her in. She stood up slowly, her long black robes hugging her curves softly as she walked out of the room. She arrived at the park, finding a spot underneath a tree which shadowed a small bank which hung over the lake slightly. Her bare foot set in the water, her body relaxing again, as her eyes watched the many children run and play.
"It's amazing how naive they can be, yet they hold more knowledge of the world then most would think," she said aloud, to her unseen company.
Heero stepped out of the shadows, glaring at the back of her head.
"The shadows cannot hide you from me, Mr. Yuy. I see you came, when I only asked for Duo," she stated.
"So what if I did? I don't listen to Duo, what makes you think I'd listen to you?" Heero demanded.
Yamino didn't answer, her eyes zoned in on the shimmering lights reflected off the water, "One thing I love about this planet is the serenity which can be found only within nature. The elements endure us so much, yet if we take the time to relax and stop analyzing everything, we may be able to solve mysteries that exist within our own minds."
Heero fell silent, unable to answer her.
"She sure has a way with words."
Heero jerked around to see Duo standing beside him, gazing at his old friend in sympathy. Duo glanced over at Heero, and smiled at him, "Don't worry, she doesn't bite," he pause softly. "hard."
Heero snorted as Duo walked over and took a seat beside the lonely girl, whose eyes never strayed from the lake, "It's been a while since we hung out. It's really nice to see you again Yamino."
"It's good to see you too Duo. You always seemed to lighten up a room filled with tense people. You're half the reason I didn't want to leave Preventers," she replied softly, never turning her gaze away from the beautiful sight in front of her.
"Only half? I should feel offended right?" he joked, nudging her softly with his elbow, Heero watching the exchange quietly.
"No, you shouldn't, because the other half would be your Gundam, Deathscythe Hell. That piece of work is my pride and joy, so you better have taken care of it," Yamino replied, nudging him back.
"So, what would you say if I asked for an upgrade?" Duo joked.
"I'd say, I'd would depend on how much you are willing to dish out," she answered.
Duo grinned, "I think we can manage the money, you think you can manage upgrading five full-fledged Gundams?"
Yamino's gaze finally turned and landed on him, "I hope that wasn't a challenge, because you know I like challenges and never turn down one."
"Maybe it was."
Duo's grin dropped when he thought of the other pilots. He glanced up at Heero, who was glaring at him darkly, before he looked over at Yamino.
"Hey, I know it's not fully in your method of work, but do you think you could help us. As a friend, helping a friend. My friends and I need it, cause we need to put this assassin out of business," Duo pleaded.
Yamino looked up at the cloudless, light blue sky and sighed, "I'll help you under the usual circumstances."
"Which are?" Heero questioned.
"Free place to stay, a minimum of three grand every month, and my privacy," she replied coldly.
"Three grand?" Heero repeated, looking over at Duo.
"I'm giving you a discount, cause you guys are friend of Duo's. Besides, the three grand helps pay off the damage on my account that I'll end up using to upgrade your Gundams. If you wish, I will present you blue prints before any actions take place on your Gundams, and you have reign over any modifications you may want made on your Gundam. After the work is done, the blue prints will be destroyed immediately, and the only people working on your Gundams are those who I see fit in doing so, which would be my own mechanics. Not a single one has strayed away into enemy territory and given them information on our work," Yamino replied.
Heero was taken back slightly at the response, but hid it well as he usually does, his eyes glaring at girl, "Fine, but if I find out any information's been leaked to anyone other than us, I'll hold you responsible."
Yamino nodded, and stood up, holding her hand out in a handshake gesture, "Seal the deal."
Heero relunctantly shook her hand, causing Duo to smile, "I told you she had a way with words."
Heero watched, in hidden amusement, as the American Gundam pilot was slapped in the back of the head by his childhood friend. He turned around, ready to leave, "I'll inform the others."
He left the two friends alone, who looked at each other before their sights landed on seperate places, Duo's landed on a playground filled with children and Yamino's turned back to the lake.
"He's alright for a Preventer," she started. "So, you think I'd be able to figure out who this assassin is?"
Duo nodded, "Yeah. I don't know why, but you are usually good with finding the slick people."
"I'll try to find the person as soon as possible, and I'll contact my mechanics and some others after I check out the Gundams," she replied.
"Where are you staying?" he questioned.
She shrugged, "A mansion I bought."
He looked over at her, her face gained a stronger structure since he last had seen her and her eyes had seemed to darken. He remembered the silver ring around her eyes, which always caught people off guard. He remembered when he was younger, he had a dream where he had done something to tick her off, and she snapped. In his dream, the silver ring had expanded and seemed to turn her eye color silver. When the silver disappeared, her eyes were pure black, except the small tint of red which could be seen as she glared at him. He remembered his dream like it was yesterday, because that made him fear her for some portion of their friendship. She became suspicious and asked why he was so jumpy around her, and he finally broke and told her about it. That was the first time she had hugged him, and the memory of that hug came back when Sister Helen hugged him after his fight in the Maxwell Chruch.
He learned never to doubt her, and found that her eyes were one of her best assests, next to her strong loyalty to those she cares for. He smiled as he felt her body become tense as if feeling is long-held gaze upon her.
"You've certainly grown into a beautiful woman. How have you been?" he said, breaking the ice, causing her to look over and smile softly.
They started a conversation that lasted for hours, of them just remensing the past and asking new questions on their current lives. The sun began to set and Duo stood up, stretching his arms over his head.
"Looks like I need to head out," he said turning to leave, but paused. "Oh and Yamino can you give the guys a chance? I know it's against your policy, but they are great people once you get to know them. Quatre's constantly nice, you'll have to get use to Wufei's sexist comments, Trowa hardly talks, and Heero is usually on the computer. They're not all that bad."
Silence greeted him as a response, causing him to nod in general, "I'll see you around, maybe you could stop by the mansion tomorrow and we'll take you to the Gundam Hanger."
Silence still greeted him, causing him to turn around. Yamino was gone, causing him to look around frantically, but he knew it was in vain. She comes and goes when she pleases. He shook his head and walked away, headed toward a mansion filled with curious teens.
Yamino entered a house, her eyes clouded with thought as she headed toward the kitchen for a soda. It was unlike her to drink something unhealthy, but she'll end up working it off anways. Yamino walked right to the fridge and opened it, grabbing a soda she paused. Standing up, she slammed the door shut and opened the can of soda, the hiss already making her sick to her stomach.
"You're a little late Katrina," she said, turning to the figure sitting on the countertop.
The girl had dark, chocolate brown hair pulled into buns on top of her head, amber-brown eyes sparkling with delight. She grinned at Yamino, "Yeah, but the others are obviously late too."
Yamino nodded, sipping the soda softly at first before drinking a small bit of it.
"So, how have you been holding up?" Yamino asked, leaning against the counter across from the new arrival.
"I've been better. It's been crazy, cause I've been getting many job offering, and then with the Alliance wanting to give dangerous technology to civilians..." Katrina paused softly. "What is this world coming to?"
"This world has advanced so much in the technology field, but take that away, they're still barbarians. They say they're civilized, I've seen monkeys act less barbaric," Yamino replied.
"Speaking of barbaric, have you heard from Lexiana? The last I heard of her, she was in some wilderness with nothing but a laptop, which was used in emergency cases," Katrina questioned jokingly.
Yamino smirked, "Lexiana's six months is almost up. She'll join us at the end of July."
Katrina hopped off the counter, "Well if you don't mind, I'm going to grab a nice bubble bath, take a spare room and go to bed...I'm completely jet legged."
The brunette walked off, causing Yamino to shake her head in mockery of her friend. She finished her soda and walked out of the kitchen, heading to her bedroom, before going to bed.
He still remembers...
She drifted off into a deep sleep, her nightmare instantly greeting her.
CrazyRae: Well...I hope you enjoyed it...R+R and tell me what you think...I may put a little romance in it...but it depends on the mood. Well...positive critism is welcomed...no flames. Peace people.