Progress: 10 of 14
General Notes: Back with another chapter. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it so far, and thank you all those who reviewed. Really makes me feel loved. On a side note, it's raining again! W00t! I love the rain…spent twelve hours waiting for the damn rain to come to my side of town though…
Music: Hymn of the Fayth – FFX OST; Ending – FFX; FFVII - OST

Covetousness

Chapter Ten: Computers

Duo woke up in the morning to the sound of Wufei entering his apartment. The braided man groaned and threw the covers over his head, trying desperately to hide from the other man. He heard the sound of footsteps entering his room, although muffled by the quilt over his head. He could have sworn he heard Wufei sigh, followed by the sound of the curtains being wrenched open. Light surrounded him, despite the thick quilt Duo had thrown over his head. He turned onto his stomach quickly, grabbing the pillow and pushing it to the back of his head, trying desperately to drown out the light but to no avail. His bed sagged slightly with weight, and Duo knew that Wufei had taken a seat next to him.

'What do you want Fei?' He grumbled, his voice muffled by the many layers thrown over his head.

'I want you to get your ass out of bed Maxwell.' Came Wufei's stern response. 'Damn it Maxwell, it's almost noon!'

'Doesn't surpass my ultimate record.' Duo groaned, forgoing the pillow and throwing it in the direction of Wufei's voice. The Chinese man grunted, and Duo smiled, knowing he got a hit.

'I have breakfast, or lunch, or whatever the hell you want to call it.'

'I'm not hungry.' Duo whined, pulling the quilt tighter around himself. Wufei sighed again, and Duo felt the duvet being pulled from him. He struggled with the Chinese man for it, but sleepy limbs did not work well in combat, and he soon found himself losing his grip on the quilt. Unfiltered light surrounded him, blinding him for a moment. He screamed something childish, and Wufei snorted.

'You suck Fei.' Duo grumbled, turning himself so that his back faced the Chinese man.

'No more than you do.' Wufei sighed. 'Maxwell, in case you haven't noticed, we do have a job.'

'I'll do my job as soon as I finish sleeping.' Duo protested stubbornly, throwing his arms over his head. Wufei sighed yet again, but he placed his hand on Duo's back and started rubbing in a comforting manner. The two remained silent for a moment, with Wufei staring at the opposite wall and Duo staring at the bit of wall just under the windows.

'You want to talk about it?' Wufei asked after a moment, his hands still rubbing Duo's back. The American scowled, his muscles suddenly tense. Wufei's hand paused for a brief moment, sensing Duo's agitation but refusing to voice it. Silence filled the room once again, broken only by the busy sounds outside and the various gadgets Duo had in his room.

'What's there to talk about Wuffers?' Duo asked dully. 'I let an injured man run from me.'

'How?' Oh yes, the ever persistent question. Duo sighed, taking on the habit once again.

'I saw him run, so I chased after him. He was near the end of the corridor, so I fired. My bullet got his arm, but the guy barely stopped to inspect the wound. He dodged into the fire escape, so I raced in there after him. He was a couple of flights faster than me, but he had a leg wound or something, so his speed was minimal. Not that you could tell by just looking at him though…man this guy can run. I caught up with him, fired again. The bullet got his other leg, and he fell down a flight of stairs in the process. I caught up with him, but then he stood up, and lumbered away. I suppose I was in shock. You have to be a superhuman to keep walking after such an injury! But he got up and walked off, and by the time I recovered, he was almost out of sight. I fired another few times, but totally missed. The end.'

Duo had skirted around the truth, given Wufei only half of what had happened. But he was not going to mention how he was unable to shoot Heero, or how Heero had kissed him. He felt a blush creeping up his face at the thought and scowled. He was being stupid thinking about it, because Heero definitely was not. The guy probably did it simply to throw him off guard. Tactical maneuver, do everything in one's power to win. Still, Duo could not help but wonder if the other man had spent an entire sleepless night because of it. Unconsciously, his right hand flew to his mouth, the back of his hand settling on his lips. That bastard Yuy! How dare he mess with Duo's feelings like this! Now the braided man knew that he would not be able to shoot him, suppose they crossed paths again. Duo groaned: what a twisted situation this was all turning out to be!

'Well, while you were moping about losing to a practically incapacitated man.' Wufei's words cut through his thoughts like a knife, and Duo found himself jolting, having completely forgotten about the other man being there. 'I did a little field work. Went to the Peacecraft Estate, found that nothing inside was touched, but there appeared to have been some sort of disturbance in the backyard pavilion. One the chairs were smashed, and there was blood everywhere. I'm assuming that was Yuy's work.'

'Glass chairs?' Duo asked, sitting up slightly to look at Wufei. The Chinese man nodded, reaching for a small camera attached to a cord around his neck. He took it off and handed it to Duo, who hastily turned it on and took a moment to stare at the images. Just like Wufei had said, one of the glass chairs were smashed, and many of the larger pieces were so coated in blood, Duo had the feeling that Heero ripped them out of himself. 'How did this happen?'

'No clue.' Wufei took back the camera. 'From what I could see, there were no disturbances save this. The house was perfectly fine, but the front door was only used once. There was a trail of blood leading from the pavilion round to the front gate, suggesting that Yuy did something to hurt himself and then lumbered away to a hospital for some treatment. I also checked up with the hospital, guess who Yuy signed in as?'

'Enlighten me.' Duo sighed, reaching over for the document Wufei was pulling out of his laptop bag. The Chinese man handed the papers over with a smug look on his face, and Duo felt a moment of trepidation before accepting the papers and scanning it. His eyes fell on the name at the top, and felt a smile split his own face. 'He definitely knew Lowe if he used that guy's name as his own.'

'Yuy was suffering from amnesia, but this could mean he's getting his memories back.' Wufei pointed at various sections on the paper. 'He probably has no clue who Lowe is, but knows the name for some reason, so decided to use it. No harm in that. The address and such however are a different story. Can addresses be faked at the hospitals?'

'No.' Duo felt his grin grow wider. 'The hospitals are secured with a program that is updated every day. The only addresses it would take are ones that are already in its system under addresses which could hold residents, and the phone numbers patients give are matched to the ones already listed in the server. Hence making sure that nobody gives out a fake ID.'

'Which means that Yuy is either staying at this place, or went there at some point.' Wufei grinned again. 'So, care for a ride Maxwell.'

'Never been more eager for one.'

Heero groaned as he sat up slowly, feeling pain ripple all over his body. He was lying on Trowa's couch once again, which was a miracle, considering the state at which he returned to the green-eyed man's apartment in. Trowa had been concerned and asked plenty of questions, but Heero evaded him by responding with a few made up responses. He blamed the glass cut to falling onto a bottle when he tripped on the street, and the bullet wounds the fault of a drunk girl who though he was her unfaithful boyfriend. Trowa laughed at the final remark, assuring Heero that the same thing had happened to him previously, although he had been lucky and the girl had only tried attacking him with a chair. Trowa had found the first-aid kit, and helped Heero treat his wounds. The emerald-eyed man had left briefly after that, returning with some Italian takeout which was to be their dinner. Heero had thanked Trowa yet again for his hospitality, to which the other man responded with a wave of his hands. Trowa had given him a change of clothes and retired to his room after that, and Heero decided that sleep would be a good thing also. He had tried sleeping after that, but the events of the day kept flooding back, especially his encounter with a certain violet-eyed man.

Heero had wanted to thank Duo for letting him off, and a quick scan through his memory told him that a kiss would be good for gratitude. So, he had done just that, but apparently it was not correct, for Duo looked about as surprised as a child when he first discovered that there was no such thing as Santa Claus. Nonetheless, the other man was stunned enough to be rooted to the spot, which gave Heero time to run off had he suddenly decided to shoot him again. Duo did try, but it was more of a show for his partner who was fast arriving. Heero had not bothered to dodge: the bullets were so obviously off target that there was no need to. He had stolen a car after that, and took it to within a block of Trowa's place before abandoning it in an alleyway and walking the last small distance.

Heero glanced over at the digital clock on Trowa's wall, although he could not understand why he kept looking at it. He had checked the clock only a moment ago, and time did not change much over the course of a minute. Heero stood up, and after managing to stay steady, proceeded towards Trowa's room. For the next bit of work he had in mind, he would require the use of a laptop, and he hoped that Trowa had one. The other man did not look much into computers, but Heero decided that he should ask anyway.

'Trowa.' Heero greeted as he entered Trowa's room. The other man looked up from the music he was previously pouring over, and smiled.

'Morning Heero.' He returned. 'Feeling better?'

'Somewhat.' Heero admitted. 'Listen, I was wondering, do you have a computer of any form?'

'A computer?' Trowa looked thoughtful. 'Yea, actually! A friend of mine gave me a laptop for my last birthday, he's a real computer genius, but I know nothing about them. It's still in the bag he gave me.'

At this, Trowa rose from his seat to go rummage in his wardrobe, pushing past several boxes of random items before reemerging with a black laptop bag in his hands.

'You can borrow it.' Trowa said as he handed Heero the laptop. 'I never even touched it, and the only reason I'm not giving it to you is because it was a gift, and you know how rude it is to give away gifts.'

'Yes.' Heero accepted the laptop gratefully. 'Thank you.'

'You are going to head out again today?' Trowa asked, settling down at his desk once again. Heero nodded in response, securing the bag around his shoulders. Trowa turned and grinned wryly. 'Well, steer clear of psychopathic females!'

'Rest assured.' Heero nodded his goodbye. 'I will.'

Duo and Wufei found themselves stopping in front of a bar. Wufei made a face, and Duo sighed. A silent agreement passed between them and they both got out of the car, with Duo as the lead. They entered the bar together, adjusting slowly to the dim lighting. Everything about the bar radiated class, despite the smallness of everything. It was one of those high class bars that you had to wear suits to attend, something that Duo was definitely lacking. He wondered dully to himself whether expensive bars and expensive drinks had been a Heero-thing before he lost his memories, but decided to ignore it. That was not the problem in the present moment.

Duo approached the front desk, pulling out a photo of Heero as he went. The bartender gave him a questioning look as he settled the photo down on the counter, turning the picture around to look at it clearly.

'I'm looking for this man.' Duo explained. 'Have you seen him?'

'I don't know.' The guy looked thoughtful. 'I see a lot of people…but I think he might have been here the day before yesterday. I can remember because he was the only person who wasn't wearing formal clothes.' He paused here and waved an arm in the air, flagging a waitress as she passed. 'You should asked Cassidy, she was the one that served him.'

Duo nodded his thanks just as Cassidy approached. She gave him a questioning look as she placed the tray she had been carrying down on the counter, one hand placed firmly on a hip. Duo pulled the photo over and showed it to her.

'I'm looking for this man.' He murmured. 'Have you seen him?'

'Yes.' The girl took the photo, stared at it closer, then handed it back. 'He was here two nights ago, dressed in jeans and a shirt. Ordered a gin martini. I thought that he would not have the cash to pay for it, but apparently I was wrong. Trowa, that's one of our pianists, joined him after that, bought him another seven martinis. I was surprised that the guy was still awake after that, but he seemed to be perfectly fine. They left together.'

'Right.' Duo smiled. 'Thanks for your time.'

'No problem.' She picked up the tray again and walked off, returning to her job. Duo tucked the photo back into his pocket, turned and left, indicating for Wufei to follow. The Chinese man nodded and followed, heading towards the car.

'So, what did we find?' Wufei asked once they were both in the car.

'Heero left with some guy called Trowa.' Duo answered, reaching under the chair for Wufei's laptop. He turned the device on and logged onto the internet with a sense of detachment. Duo shook himself mentally, cursing himself for his weakness. So what if Heero was staying with some other guy, if he was homeless and was given a chance to crash at somebody's house, then he would take it too. Still nodding to himself, Duo accessed the Human Resource Server, checking up the name Trowa. The search returned only one result: a Trowa Barton currently residing at 25/374 Kings Road. He told Wufei as much, and the other man nodded his acknowledgement before starting up the car and driving off. In the meantime, Duo hacked his way into the military server, searching for the name Odin Lowe. His search returned one result, although it was placed behind a level two security gate. Level two gates were easy to conquer, and Duo soon found himself staring at the military ID of Odin Lowe. He ignored the majority of the file, his attention fixed firmly on the family section. Just as he expected, the file stated under family: Son; adopted; LOWE, Zero.

'I now see why we couldn't find a wife for Lowe.' Duo sighed. 'His son was adopted.'

'That makes sense I suppose.' Wufei responded, eyes fixed on the road and currently attempting to decide whether he should plow through the opposite side of the road or ride onto the sidewalk. Duo's eyes were still fixed on the screen, under the name Zero. Hastily, he clicked on the name, and was surprised when he ran into a ninth level gate. He must have voiced his surprise, because Wufei took the time to stop his car at the red light and look over, a questioning look on his face.

'I clicked on the son, and his file is protected by a ninth level lock.' Duo sank back into his seat. 'Even the most secret assassins are only placed under sixth level locks, max! How…how strange…'

'Can you break it?' Wufei asked, stepping down on the accelerator once again and propelling the car forward like an arrow.

'I don't know.' Duo sighed. 'I've never gone beyond a seventh level lock, and that took me days. Just what the hell is this kid?'

'Break through and we'll find out I suppose.' Wufei sighed, breaking so quickly that Duo felt the seatbelt cut into his shoulder. 'I'll go check things with Barton, and you can continue your job.'

'Sure.' Duo whispered, eyes still fixed on the laptop screen, fingers already racing across the keyboard in an attempt to break the lock. Despite this, a nagging voice at the back of his mind still restrained him from performing at his best. He tried to push the thought away, tried to hope as best as he could that this was not him. But still, the name Zero echoed in his mind, matched by the face of blue-eyed boy who only ever smiled for him.

Duo shook his head quickly, ridding himself of his plunge down memory lane. He could reminisce later, but right now, he had a job to do. That in mind, he cracked his knuckles once more and set to breaking the security gates as best as he could. A positive beeping from the computer told him that he had just broken through three gates, and Duo felt his muscles tense. This was where the difficult part began.

Heero Yuy paused as he passed by a bank, unsure with what he was about to do. His mind assured him that there was no way around it, and he would not be taking much anyway. With a sigh, he continued walking, turning into the nearest alleyway. Swift as a shadow, Heero hid himself behind a pair of trashcans, pulled out Trowa's laptop and switched the device on. The thing started up quickly – definitely a well built computer. Swiftly, he switched on the wireless internet and connected to the bank server. His hands instantly began their dance across the keyboard, and his brain processed the information at an almost inhuman rate. He could barely keep up with his subconscious line of thought, not that he needed to. Within two minutes, Heero had already successfully created a new bank account under the title Samuel White (about the most random name he could come up with), and filled the account with two hundred dollars worth of savings. Smiling, he logged off the computer, placed the laptop back into its bag and strolled back to the bank.

He willed his body to act casual as he approached the counter, a feet which was surprisingly easily done. Heero could feel his heart rate slow, just like he wanted and his breathing deepen. Perfect control. He asked the lady behind the counter for a withdrawal, giving the name of his fake, virtual man, his made up birth date and phone number. Once satisfied, the lady handed Heero the two hundred dollars he requested. The blue-eyed man nodded his thanks, pocketed the cash and strolled off with a feeling that the act was almost too easy and too familiar. He wondered dully if he had been a thief in his previous life, although the occupation did not seem to fit well for somebody who was married to Relena Peacecraft.

Heero stopped himself at a small café and tucked himself in the most unobtrusive spot in the entire café. He ordered a triple-shot mocha with two sugars, sat down and started up the laptop once again. From his corner, Heero could easily see all entrances and exits, and everybody within the shop. He was also in the blind-spot of the three security cameras, a fact he was happy to note. Satisfied, Heero logged onto the computer once again, this time accessing into the Human Resource Server. There, he found a copy of his own ID, which looked surprisingly foreign. He copied the file across anyway, although he knew there was something unusual about it. Quickly, he hacked further into the server, searching for a modification date, and was unsurprised to find that the file was altered the day after his escape. They must have been expecting him to hack into the server if that was the case. Quickly, he raked through his memories, and came across the name Odin Lowe once again. He had been unsure why he used the name in hospital the previous date, but it must have had some significance.

The search result brought him to the file of a man who had died close to twenty years prior. Heero knew instantly that there was definitely something familiar about the man. Scrolling down, Heero found himself stopping when he reached the man's occupation: military personnel. Eyes narrowing, Heero opened yet another window and accessed the military server. He broke through the security with ease, and discovered Odin Lowe's file to be behind a level two security gate. The phrase rung a bell in his mind, and his hands set off once again while his brain processed the incoming information quickly. Lowe's file soon found itself on Heero Yuy's screen, and subject to the man's careful scrutiny. Heero took in all of Lowe's information, copying the data across to his computer. He was reading through the file carefully for the second time that he found himself stumbling at the mention of Lowe's son.

Zero Lowe.

He did a search on the HR Server for the son, but was surprised to find no file on him. Eyebrows furrowed, he clicked on the name in Lowe's file, knowing that a result would only appear if the boy was part of the military. Surprisingly, there was a returning match, placed behind a level nine security gate. Heero felt his throat go dry, something he quickly cured with the help of his coffee. Taking in a steady breath, Heero proceeded, although feeling a growing sense of trepidation as he plowed on. His hands and his subconscious did its job, quickly breaking through the security gates as if it was something he did every day. The "Access Granted" phrase soon found itself in the center of the screen, and Heero pressed the enter key with sweaty fingers.

The file of Zero Lowe loaded, and he found himself staring at a mirror of himself, only younger. Before something strange could happen, Heero copied the file across and quickly logged off the server. He closed the lid with such a loud snap that a couple sitting at the next table stared at him with almost fear. Heero packed the laptop quickly, grabbed his coffee and left in a hurry, feeling his knees grow weak as he walked. Silently, he urged himself to cross the road and make it across to Central Park, before finally collapsing under a large oak tree. The coffee spilled, but he paid it no mind. With shaking fingers, Heero opened the laptop once more, eyes skimming over file before him.

LOWE, Zero. Adopted son of LOWE, Odin from the Maxwell Church at the age of five. Placed under the care of one Dr. Jeremy "J" Anders. Became an assassin at the age of six. Killed in Action at the age of twenty-five under the alias Heero Yuy.

Heero snapped the laptop shut again, already feeling the descent into unconsciousness. He just had time to pack the laptop and grip onto it tightly before everything went black and nothingness swallowed him.

Wufei knocked loudly against the door, waiting for a response. There was some shuffling noise within the apartment, then footsteps, before the door was opened by a man with green eyes and the most unusual haircut. Wufei introduced himself quickly, and stated clearly that he was looking for a man named Heero while showing Trowa in picture. Trowa took the picture, admitted that Heero had been sharing the apartment with him, but had not left in the morning as he always did. Wufei quickly thanked the other man for his time, and Trowa nodded before closing the door. Even as he walked back down towards the car, the feeling of wrongness did not leave him.

He found Maxwell sitting in the car, still pouring over the laptop and typing so furiously that Wufei thought he would break the machine. He decided as an after thought that he would purchase a new laptop after this whole escapade ended, and give what was left of the current one to Maxwell. A laptop for him was a tool, and tools with keyboards on which the letters had long since been worn off due to furious overuse was something he could do without. Perhaps Maxwell could remember where every single letter and button was, but he definitely needed the reference once in a while.

He joined the braided man in the car, reclining his seat and leaning his head on folded arms. Maxwell asked him what he had found, and he responded by saying that Yuy would definitely return, since he had spent the past two days at this compound. He did not need to say anything else for Maxwell to realize that a stakeout was under way.

Wufei's eyes quickly fell shut, encouraged to sleep by soft, rhythmic tapping of Maxwell's fingers over the keyboard. He opened his eyes every so often to check that Yuy was not in sight, but he was not expecting Yuy to make an entrance so early in the day. Trowa said that Yuy normally returned late at night, and it was only three in the afternoon. Wufei sighed yet again, reaching into the dashboard to fetch a pair of sunglasses.

He hated stakeouts.

Duo continued his typing frantically, five locks down and four to go. Wufei's steady breathing next to him told him that the other man had fallen asleep, which was expected, since the other man had so little to do and so much time. Wiping a bit of sweat from his brow, Duo breathed in deeply, cracked his knuckles yet again and continued typing. His unsuccessful attempts at level six stared back at him, the various "Access Denied" phrases staring back at him, mocking him. Still, he persisted, searching for a loophole amongst the coding that would allow him access and let him delve ever so slightly further into the secret behind Heero Yuy.

It was almost ten evening when he finally broke through the ninth level gate. For a moment, all he could do was stare at the screen with a smile on his face, the distinct feeling of accomplishment pulsing through his veins. "Access Granted" stared back at him in bold letters, flashing in the center of the screen. Happily, Duo tapped the "enter" key once more, opening the file of one Zero Lowe.

Heero Yuy's image stared back at him.

With shaking fingers, Duo scrolled down the document and copied it across to Wufei's laptop, desperate not to lose the file he had tried so hard to get. Even as he worked, Duo felt a large knot grow in his stomach. Zero Lowe, adopted son of Odin Lowe, removed from the Maxwell Church orphanage when he was five.

Now he knew that the Zero this file was referring to was the same Zero from his childhood. How he ended up in the military was completely beyond him, especially for his file to be placed under a level nine security lock.

Wufei grunted next to him, reminding Duo of the other man's presence. He breathed out deeply before hitting the other man hard on the arm, jolting him out of his sleep. Wufei made a few agitated noises, ripping off his sunglasses fluidly and giving Duo a full on glare.

'What on earth Maxwell?'

'Got the file.' Duo announced proudly. 'Zero Lowe, adopted kid, and our missing fugitive.'

'Also behind a ninth level lock.' Wufei stretched. 'So, now what?'

'We're staking out Fei.'

'Wufei.' Wufei responded almost tiredly. 'And I know perfectly well that we're staking out.'

'Sure.' Duo yawned. 'Damn I hate this…'

Duo's cell phone rang suddenly, surprising him. He picked up quickly, only to find Quatre on the line. The blond sounded distraught, probably because Duo had not called him in ages. Duo knew how spastic Quatre could get when he failed to call, and silently berated himself for not having called earlier.

'Hi Q.' He greeted tiredly, barely suppressing a yawn.

'Duo!' Quartre's voice was angry. 'You haven't called in ages! Do you realize how worried I was?'

'Quatre…' Duo sighed. 'I'm not some kind of idiot that strays off to dangerous situations daily. Besides, you never did show up with that food.'

'I'm so sorry Duo.' It was truly amazing how quickly the blond could shift moods. 'I got a bit held up with work and stuff, and when I finally did drop by, you weren't home. So tell me, what have you been doing?'

'Stuff, Quatre.' Duo answered. 'Stuff.'

'Brilliant Duo.' Quatre huffed on the other line. 'Promise me you'll visit me by the end of the week?'

'Sure Q.' Duo promised. 'I promise.'

He did not know how binding that promise was going to be.

Deep in the core of a building, a man sat in front of a wall of flat-screen televisions, all of which were currently on and displaying images from various surveillance feeds all over the town. A desk sat before the screens, on which a laptop computer. The computer was currently displaying the progress of another computer labeled "01", flickering on and off every so often as the computer it was connected to was switched on and off. A man sat before this desk, a small bittersweet smile on his face as he stared from the computer to the various other monitors all over the wall. His glance rounded on one displaying another man bent over a desk, pouring over some papers on the desk. The man in question looked up every so often and smiled, conveying his knowledge of being watched. Back in his dark fortress, the mysterious man continued his surveillance, finally turning his gaze on a digital clock fixed on the wall. The red digits continued their countdown steadily, but he knew that the numbers will never reach zero. The whole situation would end long before that.

The man sighed, sinking back into his large, executive chair. A lone tear slid down his face, dropping soundlessly onto his shirt. Quietly, he murmured two words that went unheard by the rest of the world.

'Goodbye Zero.'

Endnotes:

Unsatisfactory, as in really terrible! I'm really irritated with this chapter, and this irritation just won't change despite how many times I reread it. It just doesn't flow, seriously. Everything is just totally disjoined, not that the rest of the story isn't. Bleh…well, what can I say…not much. Sigh…Well, if it makes you guys feel any better, we'll find out about Heero's past next chapter. Yay! Memories! Anyway…yea…

Assassin, signing off.