Impossible

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

Rambled Off by The Manwell

Book One: PILOTS

Duo Maxwell

Life sucks for me at the moment, but I guess I can't complain. I mean, the alternative would involve a bullet between the eyes and the pesky side effect of being dead as a door nail. I wince as I attempt to sit up without causing my ribs to crumble to dust against my innards. Fun.

I think back over the past few days and I have to keep my gaze trained on the window of my room to reassure myself that things aren't so dark anymore. I'm not being escorted in an armored car down the street to the angry shouts and accusations of the people I'm trying to protect. I'm not surrounded by OZ soldiers. I'm not having the crap kicked out of me because I killed somebody's comrades. I'm not staring at the business end of Heero's gun, liberation a faint promise behind him as he stands framed in the open doorway.

I still can't believe he'd tossed me the gun.

"So, which way is it? Where's your Gundam?"

"I left it on Earth. It'd stick out too much here in space. So I'd probably wind up getting caught like you did."

"Yeah, well pardon me. So how did you plan on getting us out of here anyway?"

"I came here so I could kill you. I hadn't gotten around to thinking up an escape plan yet."

After that conversation, time had seemed to slow. I can recall nearly every agonizing step we'd taken after that. And I can remember marveling at Heero's tactical brilliance, comforting body heat, and pissed-off determination. Every detail is incredibly sharp in my memory: Heero bending steel bars in order to squeeze both of us through and into the corridor; Heero's tense body beneath my arm, herding me toward the elevator; Heero laying down cover fire when we'd arrived on our floor and the sound of my name signaling me to detonate the small bombs he'd already carefully placed; Heero reprogramming the mobile dolls to go after the Leos and the soldiers wearing their regulation astrosuits; Heero securing an anonymous shuttle and flying me away; the flat, cold look in Heero's eyes as he'd committed himself to killing the men who'd helped make both of us who we are.

"Oh, Heero..."

My ears pick up the small noise of someone pausing on the other side of my hospital room door. I carefully turn toward the portal as it opens and admits the object of my thoughts. As the door swings shut behind him I dig up a wry grin. "Speak of the devil," I tell him.

He doesn't immediately reply. He traverses the room to lean against the doctor's station across from me.

I elaborate, "I was just wondering what kind of trouble you were thinking about getting yourself into now."

He slides a few photographs from his pocket and offers them to me. As I consider the images before me, he gives me the short version of his latest investigation. A particular phrase grabs my attention, successfully bringing my gaze back to him.

"Did you say the Lunar Base?" I demand.

"Yes," he says succinctly, plucking the photos from my limp fingers. "There's a large amount of Gundanium alloy being brought into the Lunar Base factory. It's probably for making a new type of mobile suit."

Oh, crap. He's serious. Well, sitting around here was getting kinda boring anyway. "So... what are your plans?"

The look he gives me leaves me no room to charm my way out of here with him. Crap. Again. "You'll get in the way," Heero informs me dispassionately. "Just stay here."

Oh, he did not just tell me what to do! "What do you mean?" I snap and start to stand. I don't get very far. Damn I hurt. After a few moments of straining against the pain and huffing carefully, I decide to stop being macho and concede. Just this once. Heero just better not get too used to this docile Duo. He won't be seeing him a second time. "Considering everything that's happened lately, I am gonna need time to recover," I say slowly. Then I focus my gaze on him again and attempt to draw from my seemingly endless reserves of charisma. "But don't you think you could be a little kinder to me once in a while?"

"Why not go to school instead of me?" he responds and I'm not sure if that's his version of an answer to my suggestion or if he's ignoring it completely. "I've already gotten the enrollment taken care of under your name."

"What! You've gotta be kidding!" Now why in the hell would he do that? It takes me a moment, but I think I get it. "Sure, your name would stick out too much here, but still... I mean –"

He cuts me off rather neatly. "Instead of complaining, why not spend your time resting and concentrating on getting better." It's not a request. The jerk. I must be really tired. I'd never put up with this bullshit if I weren't so battered a sweet little ninety-year-old grandmother could take me out in hand-to-hand combat. My imagination supplies a gray-haired, wrinkled granny whipping a pair of knitting needles through the air like num chucks. Lovely.

I shrug, promising him nothing. His eyes narrow. I ignore it. "Don't overdo it, man," I tell him, giving him my half-hearted blessing. He must figure it's all he's going to get from me at this point because he simply nods and, sliding the surveillance photos of the moon into his pocket, strides toward the door.

I want to say something but I'm not really sure what. The irony tastes like rust on my tongue. How many times since his self-destruct show had I wished for a chance to... what? Tell him he's more than just a soldier? Tell him that the simple fact of his existence has pushed me harder and further than anyone including myself? Tell him that I'm the pilot I am today because he challenged me to be stronger? All of the above?

The door closes behind him.

Damn it.

I sigh and carefully move myself to the window seat. Maybe I'll get a glimpse of him leaving...

"Don't overdo it," I repeat to the beautiful day beyond the glass. "Like he's gonna listen. Of course he's gonna overdo it."

But there's not much I can do about it, I know. Hell, even if I'd had Deathsycthe hidden away in the debris around this colony I wouldn't be able to pilot yet. And what exactly do I think I'd say to him? These overly emotional thoughts the painkillers are producing?

I sigh, feeling my muscles tighten with the frustration of being left behind while he goes in search of destruction and glory. Damn it, someday I'm not going to be playing "catch-up" with Heero Yuy anymore.

And that's a promise.

Notes

This scene is from episode 20. Duo's recollections are from events in episode 19:

: Episode 19: As Duo is escorted through the streets of the colony, the citizens rage against him, calling him a murderer among other things. After Heero decides not to kill him, he manages a half-way decent escape plan and once safely away on a shuttle, declares his duty to kill the scientists who are now in OZ's custody.

: Episode 20: Now in the hospital, Duo and Heero converse about where Heero's going next (i.e., the Lunar Base).