A/N: And it's Chapter 3! Wow…that's a bit surprising, ne? Yeah, only been a LITTLE while…heh. Sorry. But it's here now! See? SEE!

Now, Duo may seem like an idiot in the Disney conversation, but HE'S NOT. On a colony, mice are NOT something endearing. They're vermin, or as Duo used to occasionally call them, "dinner". Not cute. So, obviously, the Disney Empire kind of died out on L2.

And…if curious, look up flower meanings to see all the things that made me cackle with glee while writing the walking scene.

Warnings: Much Dialogue. More Pilot Abuse (but last chapter for that!), said Disney-ness, and a Devious Duo.

xx

Chemical Romance

Chapter 3

If You Ever Felt Wronged

xx

When Heero finally found his best friend, he wasn't even sure if Duo was alive.

He sat with his shoulders slumped forward, head staring at the wood floor of the gazebo, and feet shoulder width apart. His silhouette made a downtrodden a-frame against the wrought iron bench, braid hanging lifelessly from his shoulder.

"Hey, Heero," Duo muttered, a bite to his words. "You ever wanna just stomp on everyone here?"

Heero couldn't help but smirk. "Who wouldn't?" Duo's slim profile chuckled, and he stretched out, leaving room on the bench for Heero.

"So you here to cheer me up, or just pull me back to the room," he sighed, rolling out the crick in his neck as he kept an eye on Heero's conservative form dropping down next to him.

"I'm here to be here," he said, surprisingly concerned. "You okay?"

A smile blinked into existence. "Sure. I'm just trying to keep myself from killing civilians right now is all," Duo grinned, immediately back to the happy-go-lucky version that always took over in a school. He chuckled. "And they think WE'RE insane. Why the hell would you use a beaver-covered human to cheer someone up?"

Heero nodded. "They're supposedly endearing."

Duo snorted. "Oh, right. Vermin in pants. How adorable." He stood up, finally back to the usual Duo Maxwell. "Who comes up with this stuff?"

Heero followed suit, and the two began the garden walk towards the dorms. "Walt Disney, apparently."

Daffodils and tulips lined the darkening gravel path they walked along companionably, side by side. Duo frowned. "Disney? What kind of a name is that?"

"American."

"…You're joking."

Heero smirked, and shook his head. Duo couldn't help but notice how close to a smile that was now. In fact…was it a smile?

"Damn. And I thought 'Khushrenada' was a weird name."

Their banter continued while they passed through the remaining gardens, daffodils and the many tulips quickly becoming sprinkled with primroses- a bizarre combination in any garden. They blanketed the ground, dusk-lit trees protecting the fragile plants.

They didn't even notice the stares couples were giving both them and their conversation, dangerously involved with each other. "There is NO way a mouse in pants could be a national icon, Heero. The thing'd be dead in a year at the least!"

"It was a cartoon, Duo."

"…Why the hell would someone DRAW that?"

Or, at least they didn't notice anyone else until a human wall of lacrosse players seemed to spring up from the linoleum in the hall to their dorm. Each player was at least half a foot taller than they were, looming over the fifteen-year-olds with full sneer in place and arms crossed.

"...Heero?" They both knew the question. It was pretty obvious with an angry mob of testosterone glaring down at you and cracking its knuckles.

Duo blinked. Heero didn't even do that.

"…Denied. They're civilians."

Duo winced, getting ready to half-assed fight his way through just as Heero did the same. This was gonna hurt.

xx

"All those in favor of declaring war on the school, raise their hand," Heero bit out, mostly because every time he spoke his lip split open again.

The dorm room's bloody silence lingered for only a moment. Five hands were flung up into the air in record time.

"No more playing normal. They try to get us, we get them first," Duo snapped, his face an equally bloody mess. Unlike soldiers, students couldn't be killed without drastic consequences, and he'd had an equally hard time biting back on his attacks. In the process, he'd ended up bloody, bruised, and with a possible concussion from getting his head rammed into a door. A very hard door.

Wufei hadn't stopped glaring since the two had come back, and continuously fussed over the two in his own way, which mostly involved yelling at them to fight back and not injure themselves further. He was surprisingly protective of the four, forcing them into the safe thing without them even realizing it.

"I don't like having to patch one of you up every ten minutes," he snapped.

Duo nodded. "Screw the orders. We should just leave."

Heero shook his head, right along with the unhappy couple. "Our orders are to stay in attendance."

The air seemed to sigh.

"…They said 'stay here', not 'be normal'," Trowa said.

The epiphany broke on them like a watermelon on a mallet.

"Heero, read the exact orders," Quatre said quickly, and Heero quickly complied.

" 'Conflict over indefinitely. Maintain position until further contact.'"

"Well, that's open-ended," Quatre beamed. "All we have to do is stay. We don't have to avoid civilian casualties or anything."

"The only thing we have to do is stay in St. Brutus'. It doesn't say we have to go to class," Trowa nodded, a small smile growing. "It'd be interesting to be a live-in gardener." Quatre whacked his arm playfully.

"We should still attend classes," Heero shook his head.

"Awww, come on, buddy. Live a little."

Wufei frowned. "Yuy has a point. Duo needs to stay in school."

"What do you mean, 'Duo needs to stay in school'?" Duo glared at the cool Chinese boy sitting across from him, brandishing a pillow. "Why do I have to stay while Trowa can go be a janitor?"

"Gardener."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

Heero glared at the room. "We all stay enrolled. No exceptions. It's implied in our orders."

A dangerous smile lit Duo's face. "Alright then. But I've got a challenge for you two then."

The four frowned. Quatre tilted his head to the side. "Which two?" Duo motioned lazily over to Heero and Wufei.

"The superiority complex over there."

"Oh! Okay then." Quatre smiled at the three and quickly struck up a conversation with his boyfriend. "So, what do you think we should do now?"

Trowa shrugged. "Whatever we want."

"I don't have a superiority complex." Wufei's glare just slid off of Duo.

"Well, that's what we'll see, now isn't it? My challenge is simple," his grin was near feral. "Whoever can keep their grade in EVERY class closest to a…" Duo looked up at the ceiling, and chuckled. "Let's say a 52.1 percent."

Heero frowned. "You want us to intentionally fail."

"Think of it as a strategically earned grade that just happens to be on the lower side of the spectrum." Those innocent-looking purple eyes were suddenly devilish again. "Or are you not playing?"

Heero shook his head. "I'm in."

Duo grinned, and his eyes flicked over to Wufei, who, glaring, nodded curtly.

"ALRIGHT THEN!" Everyone jumped a little at Duo's sudden outburst of dark chuckles…well, except for Heero, who was frowning at the wall in all his bruised and battered glory trying to figure out the best way to get a 52.1 percent in every class. "Oh man, this is gonna be fun…"

Wufei snorted. "Like you're going to be able to do it, Maxwell."

All he got was a grin.

xx

A/N: I had to stop before I gave into temptation and did something…very bad. Then again…oh yes. I might have to go write a one-shot. Off to do so!

READER RESPONSES! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

ZmajGoddess: Poor, poor Duo. But look! He's happy again! Thanks for reviewing and, you know, sticking with me for oh so long.

Miaka Kennyuuki: Ah, I love Prodigy, and this. Poor neglected CR. (pets the fic) It'll be well-loved again now, though. Thanks for reviewing so very long ago!

Le Petit Chaperon Rouge: Look! I finally continued!

Regina: YOU'RE ALIVE! OH YAY! You were in a CAR ACCIDENT! (checks you over for injuries) Dear lord, you poor thing. And you're back! YAY! As long as you come back I'm just fine with extended absences…well I worry, but other than that yeah.

Avel: Aren't they good? I love My Chemical Romance. And the updating…I apologise. Sorry.

Akennea: I updated! Yay! It just took a bit longer. Heh. Thanks for reviewing!

Duo-23: Mascots have ALWAYS annoyed me. I loved writing that…

Duo Maxwell-Chang: Hmm…you know, I always do like a good 1x2x5…We'll see, perhaps. I always end up lumping those three together anyway. I just love their dynamic thingy. And the beaver? Umm…not really saying anything other than making annoying mascot-y sounds.

Sapphire Dragons: …Heh. Oops. Thanks for reviewing though! And your smiley is adorable.

Mistress Koishii/ Kushielle: I updated ANOTHER fic! (happydances) Go me! I'm so proud of myself.

ms trick: Thank you! Sorry about my updating time too. It'll be better next time, promise.

White Raven6: Always happy to make someone laugh. Thanks for reviewing!

Me: Thanks!

Ravel queen: Oh, the revenge is next chapter, even though the torture IS fun…And the 1x2 is coming! No worries!

Shikyo-no-megami: Awww, thanks! Look! I updated!

THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW!