Duo's Child

Chapter 3

A few weeks passed and Hildie and Duo finally straightened out all the papers from court on Uno. Uno was now officially Duo's child. Duo was extremely happy that he got what he wanted and as for Uno…she couldn't be happier.

"Hey Uno…" Began Duo holding her hand walking through the halls to the backyard where Quatre was with WuFei. "Why don't you go play outside with Quatre and WuFei?"

"Wu-man!" Uno perked and ran outside to play.

As Duo shut the door, a small 'Maxwell's Twin!' echoed through the air from WuFei, followed by a loud 'Wu-Man!' Duo smirked as he walked away.

Heh, that's my Uno, torment WuFei just like me, heh heh. Thought Duo as he searched the rooms for the typist of the group. Finally he found Heero sitting in the kitchen, eating a sandwich and typing as usual.

Duo inhaled deeply then spoke up. "HEE-CHAN!"

Heero stopped typing, expecting arms thrown at him and said nothing more then his usual 'Hn?'

"I have a little question to ask of you…or a favor…pwease?" Duo's eyes tightened, smiling a big grin.

"…What do you want?"

"Well…how old were you when you first trained to be the 'O-so-Perfect- Soldier?"

"It's too early for Uno to train."

"No! It's not too early…is it?" Duo let go and sat in the seat next to Heero. Heero nodded.

"But…she acts just like me!"

"Then you train her." Heero shut his laptop and faced him. "Can she hold a gun yet?"

"Uh…erm…I…don't think so."

"My point exactly." Heero stood up, beginning to walk away.

"But…but…at least give it a shot! Hey, if there's a war in the future and we're too old to fight…or not even that far in but one of us or all of us are dead…she's the next Gundam Pilot!" This caused Heero to stop dead; there have been people trying to kill them, him especially.

"I mean…come on…she'll be the God of ALL Gundam Pilots if she is successful."

"If she fails in one week, then I will wait until she's older. But if she can accomplish it, then who will be next?" Heero faced him.

"Me!" Duo stood. "We'll go in order…you get me?"

Duo wrapped his arm around Heero's neck as they walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"We'll go in order as each pilot's number…alright?"

"And WuFei? After the way you two treat him, I doubt he wants any part in it at all."

"That's something we'll deal with then. But I'm pretty sure by then WuFei'll change his mind about her." Uno ran up to Duo and hid behind him. WuFei stormed in covered in dry mud, charging and stopping in front of Duo. He was pissed.

"Change his mind? Hn." Heero walked off, letting the fight begin.

"Maxwell! You're little baka kid tried to attack me and forced me into mud!" WuFei shouted. "Look at me now! Look at what that stupid onna did to me!"

"WuFei…Uno probably didn't mean it..I—"

"Are taking the pain! You keep that damn girl out of my sight and you live! Got it Maxwell!" WuFei left angry, storming by Heero who was leaning on the wall.

"Uno…" Duo knelt besides her; she was covered in mud too. "What did you do to him?"

"He chased me and I slipped."

"What about WuFei?"

"I gwabbed him so I wouldn't fall in all the mud…but…"

"You caused him to fall too…bad idea to bring WuFei down too Honey." Uno pouted as Duo hugged her. "Well…guess I gotta' get you cleaned up now."

Duo lifted her up on his arm and looked at Heero. Heero stood and began to walk away.

"Two hours, Ill be waiting at the gun range outside."

"Yeah…I gotta' tell Uno that now." Duo began to the bathroom and Uno tried to pick the dirt out of her braid already. "Come on Sweetie…let's go clean, okay?"

Uno slid off of Duo and began to undress as he started the tub waters. He still had to bathe her, she wasn't old enough to help herself much and besides that, her hair would take two people until she learned how to on her own as Duo does. Uno stepped in the tub and wet her hair, watching Duo take the strawberry shampoo and lather his hands, then her hair.

"Uno sweetie…after this, Heero's gonna' teach you how to hold a gun. Okay?" Duo massaged her head and rubbed in the shampoo. "Try your hardest with him, alright? Heero probably won't go easy on you, so I want to you use all you can. Kay?"

"Why?" She splashed the water from the tub onto her face, cleaning it and began to bather her body.

"Well…we're pilots and we want you to become one too—"

"Shinimegami!" Uno smiled and Duo couldn't help but smile back.

"Yup, you'll become the next God-err…Goddess of Death." Duo took some foamy shampoo on his finger and dabbed it on Uno's nose, who looked at him innocent. "Cutie."

Uno smiled and dunked herself again, knowing Duo was finished as she was. Duo stood and gave her a towel as she stepped out. Her hair matted along the towel, wet strands dripping with water as Duo unplugged the tub.

"Come on…go dress in something that would be comfortable for your training. Alright?" Uno nodded and ran off to their closet. They shared a room for now until she grew older and the same closet; he split it in two, one his and the other hers.

After Duo finished cleaning the mess from the mud and called for her to return, she came back dressed in a black tank top and black jeans. The color she adapted from Duo to be her new fab. Uno stood in front of the mirror again and watched Duo brush her hair, then braid it back up.

"Uno…have you been reading those books I had Quatre buy for you?"

Uno nodded. "Yes."

"I can tell, you're speech has improved." Duo tied the end and she faced him. "You still don't talk that much though…are you alright?"

"…Yes…" Uno looked at him, her face beginning to form differently. Duo didn't want to see it now, especially if her training with Heero was next in line. She would have a tough time if so.

"Come on, we have half an hour left before you begin. Lets go visit Trowa, okay?" Uno nodded and hopped on Duo's back for another piggyback ride.

Trowa looked up as he saw the Library door open and two braided people peek in and smile at him. He had to smirk back; Uno sitting on top of Duo was too much to frown at. Besides, he and Quatre enjoyed having a little kid around the house.

"Hi." Uno smiled innocently as Duo shut the door.

"Hey Trowa, sup man?" Duo put Uno down as she looked around. This was her second time to be in the Library, which was rather huge for an inside room. Duo sat down across from Trowa.

"Uno has training with Heero in less than half an hour."

"Oh?" Trowa looked at her as she wandered the book-covered aisles, looking up at its height.

"Yeah, she's gonna' become Shinimegami if we can't fight in another battle in the future. Since you're pilot 03, you'll be later on."

"How are you going to get WuFei to help?" Duo shut up, remembering the earlier incident. "…I'll wait until the time comes."

"Alright." Trowa saw Uno crawl up and sit on Duo's lap. She looked at the book he put down and looked at him questionably.

"It's Aero Aerobics, a type of gymnastic form." She still didn't understand. "You'll see."

"Come on Honey, lets' let Trowa finish reading and get a head start to the training, kay?" Uno hopped off and held out for Duo's hand, which he gladly took

Heero was testing each gun to see if it had blanks and found the lightest one Uno will have to use for now. It was still somewhat heavy, but it was the lightest they held. The door to the range opened and Duo and Uno stepped in, early…it was unlike Duo, but perhaps he's training Uno. Quatre had a gun range in his mansion, but vowed not to tell about it until Heero stumbled across it; he thought it was bad for them to continue training to fight.

"We're here!" Duo smiled as Uno looked around.

"That's amazing, you're early." Heero looked at Uno. "Leave her be."

"Huh?" Duo looked down. "But…okay. Uno?"

"Huh?" Uno looked at Duo as he knelt to her.

"Be tough, Heero won't be easy on you. So give him all you got, okay?" Uno nodded. "Good luck, kid."

Before Duo could stand, Uno hugged him. Heero smirked then watched as Duo left. He then looked back down to Uno.

"Can you hold this?" He handed her the gun. She took it from his hands and held it tightly, her hands dropping and hanging.

"I'll try…"

"Don't try, do it. That's what Duo lacks is the knowledge of knowing how to do something over doing it." Uno looked up at him and looked innocent. "Lift it up."

"…" She did and pointed it at Heero's stomach, which he quickly got out of way. He then pointed her to the targets at the end of the yard. Her fingers held tightly onto the handle, her index on the trigger.

"Don't shoot until you feel it's time." Uno nodded; Heero felt she had to know the main secret about being a Perfect Soldier. "Uno."

"Huh?" She lowered the gun and faced him.

"Try not to show much emotion; however, act on it." She didn't understand. "Act on your emotions. That is the easiest way to live."

"…Alright." She lifted the gun again and pointed it to the target.

"Go ahead and shoot, let me see where you shoot to begin with." Uno shot and Heero noticed it was in the chest area, right near the bull's-eye. He smirked.

"Not bad." He faced her as she still held target. "Fire more."

"…Kay…" Her face turned serious as she fired her next few rounds.

"Hn…" Heero noticed her expression and left his as usual. She was ready for his training.

"Uno…now let go of your other hand and see if you can hold it with one." She tied but couldn't hold it. "Two is fine for now, but at the end of the week, I want you to use one."

Heero walked away and Uno followed. He headed for the obstacle section he trained some with. To Uno, it looked like a big playground, it had the usual park sections and more: tires placed out, tires hanging forming a tube, a rope climbing wall, a rope bridge, a gun section at the end, and a track at the end with a flag on the back wall. It looked like the Army's training course. Uno looked up to him.

"At the end of the week, I expect you to complete this entire thing in less than two minutes."

"…But…that's too fast for me."

"It will be, or you won't be able to go on to Duo's training. We discussed it, not until you complete it with me first."

"…But…I'm not strong enough…." Uno frowned and looked up to him.

"Then we'll work on that, but you have only one week, now lets go back to the gun range." Uno walked head down, to the guns and turned around to Heero. "By Friday, you will have this timed and if you make it in less than two minutes, you passed. That leaves you four days after this one."

Uno looked unhappy and lifted the gun again. Heero began on teaching her the parts of the gun and how to fire properly, sure not to miss.

That night, Duo stepped into his room and found Uno spread out and sleeping on his bed, he smirked some and walked up to her.

"Hey Uno…wake up Honey…" Uno's eyes opened slowly and she managed a small smile. "Heero's training tough?"

"He wants me to do his training in less than two minutes by Fwiday…and I can't even hold a gun in one hand." Uno sat up and hugged Duo as he sat besides her.

"Well…there's Heero for you. Don't worry; once you get the hang of it, I'm sure you will have no trouble. I won't be easy on you either Uno." She looked at him. "Yeah…so don't think I will, 'cuz I won't…and about WuFei…"

"Wu-man?"

"Yeah…try not to torment him much more. Trust me, I know it's fun…I love doing it still, but if we need him to train you later on, try to suck up to him. Kay?" Uno nodded. "Heero told me for your first shot, you almost hit the bulls-eye."

"Hm…" Uno smiled.

"That's not bad, I can't even hit near it. I usually miss." Uno yawned. "Let's go to sleep, and tomorrow, try again and hopefully you'll beat his ass to what he doesn't know—oops."

"Hm…" Uno sat up and looked at him smirking. "Potty mouth…"

"…I better not catch you saying that…" Uno shook her head. "Good, now lets get to sleep."

Tuesday went rough on Uno as well. Heero continued training her on rifles and when he felt she has completed that part, he showed her to the weight room. There, he had her bench press the bar for a starter. Later added five pounds to each side and helped her some, holding the bar from the middle.

"So far you're lifting fifteen pounds. For five years old and a female, that's great." Heero looked over and saw Trowa watching.

"I found a light bar in the closet, I guess Quatre began on this one as well."

Heero lifted the bar off her and set it down on the rack. Uno sat up and took the water bottle he handed her and drank. Three more days, and if she passed, her favorite training would come: Duo's Training.

Uno sighed and shut her eyes. Heero smirked and walked over to Trowa, speaking back to Uno.

"Try throwing punches to the bag, I'll be there in a second to help you." He could hear the water bottle being placed down on the table.

"So…you're teaching her how to be the Perfect Soldier? Not bad." Heero nodded. "She already looks serious just punching the bag."

"I taught her the motivations that help me stay alive."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Acting on your emotions. So far, it seems she has the hang of it." Heero turned to her direction and continued. "Only she may not be able to complete the training in time to go on to Duo's."

"Why go in order?"

"Duo's idea. Personally, I think he should be first."

"Quatre's more than happy about helping train her." Heero faced him again. "He decided he's going to teach her basic skills of being a leader and throw in some manner tips as well."

"…Duo should join that as well…he's slumps at dinner."

"Yeah…I'll be teaching her flexibility and balance."

"Hn…"

"WuFei…who knows at this point."

"I'm wondering what Duo has planned for her training. Knowing Duo, it can't be much."

"Hm…almost makes you think Duo's hiding something."

"Hm…Uno's training will be finished at six. Tell Quatre that we may take longer, she needs to hold a gun in one hand by Friday and she's just now able to lift five pounds in each."

"Alright. Good luck to the both of you."

"Hn…" Heero turned as Trowa left, seeing Uno punch the bag enough times to make her knuckles red. "Uno…come here."

Duo walked up to the couch, expecting Heero to be napping from his laptop and found Uno resting. He smirked. He didn't expect her to be here as well as in his room the day before. Without waking her, he lifted her up and carried her into his room.

Wednesday came and Heero was telling her about the track part. Uno was speechless. He wanted her to run three miles in fifteen minutes at max. Her eyes were wide.

"If you don't make it in time, I suggest practicing the rest of the week when training isn't in place."

"…But you said by Fwiday, I have to end this."

"If I see you made progress, then I will extend it. If not, then it's over." Uno straightened her face and watched Heero aim ready. As he ran, she watched the speed of his feet and watched him complete one mile half way already.

She knelt down and fixed her shoes. When Heero returned after his run, he looked at her and spoke.

"Now, in just a second, run as fast as you can, but don't speed run just yet. Always save the speed run for an emergency." Heero set the timer and looked at the track. "…Go."

And with that, Uno ran. Heero watched her run and the clock speed by. Uno ran around each curve and turn and hopped over a few things that blew out in front of her. He subtracted about a second for each hop; she deserved that much after all the strength she put into the training. As she came nearer, he looked back down at the watch. When she ran past him and fell over backwards onto the ground, breathing heavy, he spoke.

"Fifteen minutes flat, just in time." He looked down at her; her eyes were shut tightly, trying to ignore the pains. He smirked and tilted the water bottle to her lips, allowing her to drink and rest.

"You need more practice, you tried too hard to beat the clock. You won't always be able to rest afterward if in a battle." Uno whimpered. Already, she was acting older that her age showed. When he was five, he may have been killing people, but he couldn't do half the things that Uno showed herself able to do already. He smirked.

"…Practice is over for today."

"Huh?" Uno sat up fast and watched as he walked away. "No it isn't…you're lying…"

"Do you want me too?"

"Huh?" She tried to stand, but a sudden headache held her down.

"You already proved yourself better than I was at five. Unless you want me to help you some more today, you're free."

"No…I'm not stwong enough." He stopped and faced her, smirking as she tried to stand.

"I'll meet you in the weight room in one hour. Rest until then."

And with that, he left. Uno fell backwards and faced the sky, smiling. She has proved herself better than he was at her age. She felt proud, only she couldn't show it.

Duo stepped into the kitchen that night and saw Uno eating cereal. Heero sat besides her typing.

"Hey Uno…how was training today?" Duo grabbed a canned soda from the fridge and opened it.

"I finished a long time ago." He looked at her puzzled as he drank. "Heewo said I didn't need much more."

"No?"

"She's better than I was at her age. I figured if she kept in training, ten years later she'd be better than all of us together." Without looking up, Heero spoke.

"Wow…go Uno." Uno smiled and she slid off the chair and handed her bowl to Duo. He placed it in the sink and soaked it.

"So…then what did you do all day?"

"Heewo helped me get stwonger."

"How come?"

"She needs to learn how to hold a gun in one hand than both."

"Oh…" Duo saw her rub her eyes. "Go get ready and I'll be there in a second to tuck you in, aright?"

"Kay." Uno hugged Duo and ran off to the room. Heero looked up as Duo sat where Uno left.

"Man Heero…how good is she so far? I was beginning to think you were too tough for her first trainee."

"…Hn…she's fast."

"Yeah? Heh heh, good, 'cuz with me, she'll need it."

"What are you going to teach her?"

"I'm not so sure yet…but we have to see if she passes your test in two days first."

"Hn…she may pull it off."

"That's my little Uno. Beating Heero for her age." Duo smiled and drank more.

Thursday, the day before the final test and Uno was now in training of speed and strength combined: The obstacle course. Heero already went through it, and then explained it to her. As she watched him pull through the course, she paid close attention to the tactics he used for the moves. He hopped through each tire like nothing, dove through the tire tubes and rolled right on, the ropes, everything…he was perfect. When he returned, he was in good timing too: one minute and twenty-six seconds. Figures, he was the Perfect Soldier.

Heero began the clock and told her once more, the deal with the course and how to take it. He was sure he covered everything.

"…Go." Heero started the clock as Uno ran off, rope climbing the wall first then the tires after wards. He watched her as she fell a few times around the rope bridge but quickly regained herself at the rope glide across the water; tucking her legs and feet in as the water splashed her bottom. As she finished that part, she ran for the tire tube and dove in, having to crawl and summersault coming out. She dove downward for the crawl and grew close to the end. When she stood back up, she withdrew her gun from her back as Heero told her the best place to hold it, and began shooting and running to the end, firing at all the targets and missing but a few. She slipped her gun back in the band of her pants and ran, diving headfirst for the finish line and landing on her feet, looking around fanatically for Heero.

"Not bad…but you're five minutes later than I was." Heero emerged from behind her and spoke. "I noticed you had trouble around the nets…you'll get the hang of it eventually, it's just a matter of coordination. You missed a few targets, but don't worry…if they were you're enemy, they would be running after you and get in your way. An easier way to defeat them."

"Was I good though?" Uno stood up and withdrew the gun again, handing it back to him.

"You need more practice before tomorrow, but I believe you have it under control. You hold on to the gun. Be sure it's empty and try practicing tonight on holding the gun in one hand. Unless you've forgotten, tomorrow I want to see you holding it with one hand and firing it either in the head area or chest area. You don't need to get a bulls-eye yet." Heero walked off. Cleaning the clock's time and leaving Uno there alone.

That night, Duo stepped into his room to find Uno facing the mirror and struggling to hold the gun up with one hand. However, she struggled and it aimed more along the lines of the corners of the carpet and wall. Duo smirked and shut the door.

"This is hard…" Said Uno, obviously struggling to keep the gun up.

"Do your best. You're only five years old and already you're kicking butt. You don't act the age you are Uno, you're more mature it seems."

"…" Uno stared into the mirror and finally found strength to lift the gun.

"Is that gun empty?" Uno nodded. "Good, don't want Quatre to have a fit seeing a bullet hole in his house.

"Heewo wouldn't let me pass then."

"…True." Uno put the gun on the bed and hugged Duo. "Tired?"

Uno nodded as he sighed. He knelt down and hugged her again. He felt her arms some.

"Well…ya' got more beefy." He smiled at her. "Trowa tells me you're lifting fifteen pounds."

"It's hard." Uno backed away enough to face him. "It huwts."

"Don't worry. Just keep training for at least another ten years, and by the time you're fifteen, you'll be stronger than us." Uno frowned at him. "I'm joking…but ya' do need to practice everyday on what you learned until you get better. Okay? You may be good now, but if you stop, then you'll stay like this forever and maybe get weaker."

"Tomowwow is my test."

"Yeah? Well…good luck Uno…you'll be needing it."

Friday, Uno has her test with Heero's training and she's stretching as he walks through the door. Surprised to see she's already there, Duo usually runs late when he has to test against Heero.

"Uno." Said Heero walking up to her. "Lift the gun."

Uno smirked. She didn't know this was right away. She reached around behind her for the gun and brought it out to him. Heero lifted it up and installed bullets inside, then handed it back to her. It was heavier.

"Fire at the targets as I spoke of yesterday."

Uno faced the targets and aimed, struggling to steady the gun in one hand. She fired, but missed the first shot completely. Instead, she hit the fence behind it and left a neat little hold to it's left. Uno shrieked.

"Try it again and this time, be serious about it." Heero looked down on her. She wasn't serious, she was wrong in that area just then.

"…" Lifting the rifle and aiming, Uno shot and hit the head a few times.

"Hn…now try finishing out the round on what you believe would kill someone." Heero folded his arms, watching her.

"Hm…" Uno nodded and continued firing, changing the gun between hands during shots, and emptying the round right there. She shot out the head then moved to the chest area. When the gun clicked empty, she lowered it and faced him again.

"Hn…" He walked to the obstacle course and looked at her, handing her another clip. "Load the gun, I taught you how."

Uno nodded and began to load the clip. She tucked it behind her pants again and aimed down, waiting for him to say 'Go'. He cleared the clock and cleared his throat; she almost took that as a 'go' and jumped a little. She was nervous; she didn't want to fail this and make Duo unhappy. Duo was her best friend, she didn't want to see him unhappy that she couldn't accomplish what he wanted her to become, the Goddess of Death.

It wasn't until Heero spoke that she was kicked back into reality. "Try and focus on this part, think ahead. You're stressed out, don't worry…take these as they come, I've added in a few extra punts to the course to get you moving faster. Your eyes wander once, you will fail, so pay attention."

Uno nodded and got ready. Heero spoke up once more and looked at her.

"…Go." And with that, Uno was history. He watched as she climbed up the wall, passing the slickness he created for her like it was nothing. Probably didn't notice it… Passing through the tire steps the managing to not fall on the rope bridge this time. Must have been practicing… After she flew across the water, spraying only little ways on her back, she ran fast for the tire tube and dove, somehow actually diving through it and rolling when she landed on the other side. She sped up and slid down inside the crevice she had to crawl in, crawling the rest and drawing her gun as she stood, already beginning to fire at the targets. She took her time, but still fled past each one like nothing, making sure she took each one down with the bullets. Running even faster, she put the gun back in the band and dove at the finish line, rolling and landing on her feet, once again searching for Heero.

Heero stepped up thinking. Had she actually been practicing when I said so?

"Well?" Uno stood and looked at him.

"…Hn…" She looked down unhappy. "One minute and forty eight seconds. Good timing."

"Really?!" Uno jumped up and Heero nodded. "Yay!"

She grabbed him for a hug and ran off for Duo.

She's worse than Duo…she hides her feelings then shows them at the end like a maniac. Heero watched her run off.

Duo was sitting on the couch, watching television when someone suddenly grabbed his neck from behind. He jumped, but when he felt the tiny peck on his neck, he relaxed.

"How did you do Uno?" Uno sat in his lap and hugged him. "Well?"

"I beat it in one minute and forty eight seconds."

"Great Uno! Which means I'm next!" Duo smiled.

"Yup!" Uno hugged him tight and Duo shut off the television. "Let's get to bed now."

"Kay…" Uno yawned as Duo lifted her up into his arms and carried her away. He passed Quatre in the halls.

"Hey Duo…how did she do?"

"She passed, now I gotta' think of what I'll train her."

Quatre smiled. "That's great Uno! Duo, teach her the meanings of the God of Death."

"Yeah…but what else?" Asked Duo, WuFei walking by and staring at Uno and Duo disgusted.

"…That's a tough one…I'm sure you'll come up with something soon. If not, I'm sure I can by then…for beginners, how about sneaking methods and speed?"

"Alright, well…we're heading for the sack…see ya' later." Duo waved off.

"Good…leave. Two Maxwell's are enough."

Before Duo turned the corner, he faced WuFei. Uno gave off Heero's 'Death glare' and shut him up. Duo noticed and smiled. This is good, she can put WuFei in his spot for me and her sake as well. Duo began off.

"By Cat-wa." Uno said and smiled. She then waves her fingers as her age would and Duo carried her off. Quatre couldn't help but giggle at that.

"Cute…she's so cute."