Warnings: see previous chapters

Note: If you all weren't going to kill me before, I'm certain you will now

~~~~

Chapter 3:

"The what?" Zechs wondered.

"Desolo, the Owned," Une repeated. "There are several new laws regarding them, and they've been a huge controversy," she sounded slightly agitated. "How could you have missed something like the Owned?"

"I've been distracted… between Heero, Noin, the wedding and the fact that Duo's still missing, I haven't been pay a whole lot of attention to whatever new thing has gotten the media in a riot," the blond man snapped irritably. "So what are they anyway?"

"Dangerous."

"Well, now that tells me a lot. It's like saying a mobile suit is big. A little vague don't you think?"

"Zechs…" there was a distinctive warning in her tone.

"All right, I'll play. What is the controversy over these things? What are they anyway?"

"They were human," Une slid a folder across the table. Crystal blue eyes gave his commanding officer a questioning look before beginning to flip through the file, brows knitting almost instantly. "I want you to go to Nevada, to Desolo Inc.'s headquarters and I want you to make sure that people are truly willing to do this."

"How did this legislation ever get passed?!" there was an appalled look in the blond man's eyes now. "How could the government allow this to occur?!"

"Because the people who undergo this treatment are all perfectly willing, according to Desolo Inc., anyway. That's why I'm sending you in. If you even suspect that foul play is going on, shut it down," the former Lady of OZ ordered. "I just can't believe that people would willingly subject themselves to this." With that said, she sat back in her chair with a long sigh, weariness overtaking her features. "I want Desolo Inc. shut down… but they have to be doing something wrong. Don't make something go wrong, Zechs, but please, please pay the utmost attention. I just know that there's something wrong with Collins."

"Yes, ma'am."

~~~~~

Violet eyes snapped open as the First awoke abruptly. There was a name on the tip of his tongue, the name of someone very important… but as clear as it had been a moment ago, the First could no longer remember it. His heart ached mysteriously with its loss.

The First glanced out the window. It was early, but not so early that Collins wouldn't already be in. He needed to see the scientist. His memory was getting worse. Names, characteristics, events, they were all running together and losing their shape as they did. But last night… oh last night he had lost something precious. There was a hole in his memories that was once filled by love and a deep longing overcame him. It was him, the one the First was waiting for… waiting to Imprint upon… and he was gone. The harder the First strained toward the faint memory, the more blurred and distant it became. He had one remaining memory of that person and he clung to it like a starving man to food. A slightly nasal voice, a voice that seemed to be a monotone yet wasn't… low and dark and…

…gone…

The First couldn't hear it anymore… the memory… the memory was gone…

Before he was conscious of it, the First was nearly flying down the hallway to Collins' office, desperation born of terror exuding from him. He threw the door open and stalked into the room, a slightly crazed look in his eyes. Collins leapt to his feet and quickly flipped over his newspaper so the front page was face down.

"Desolo, what-" he was cut off as the Owned pushed past him instantly, going straight to the newspaper and flipping it over, to verify what his mind had caught a glimpse of. "Desolo?" Collins queried again before realization set in. "Desolo, no!" he tried to tear the first away from the picture, but it was too late. He could already see the Imprinting taking place in those odd violet orbs.

"Master…" Desolo's soft voice was partly filled with awe as he fell to his knees and stroked the face in the picture with the utmost tenderness. The face that he knew… the face that had been safe.

Yes, the face in the picture was safe, but some distant part of his mind raged against the Imprinting. Some part of him was screaming, no! This is not the one you were waiting for! But that part went unheard as the Imprinting fully set in. The only sign of conflict was the tears that flowed unnoticed from lost eyes.

Collins gently pried the paper from the First's grip, ignoring the Owned's soft keening and took a deep breath. Above the picture was the headline: "Millardo Peacecraft Finally Announces Wedding Date."

The scientist slumped into his chair, rubbing at his temples as the First stared at him pleadingly, begging for the picture of his chosen Master back. "Oh, Desolo…" he whispered. "Oh, Duo… of all the people, why Milliardo Peacecraft?"

~~~~~

Thankx to reviewers!!

First off, I am awed by the amount of reviews I've gotten already. I don't think I've ever had responses like this (and I know it really isn't a lot, but compared to past works…) Anyway, I've decided to give my reviewers personal responses… bear with me, they're long:

Falafal: My first reviewer! I'm hoping I'll keep your interest peaked.

Genie'sDarkness: whistles innocently Well, as you found out in this chapter, Duo didn't Imprint on Heero. That would make it waaaay too easy one them. As for the future… shrugs

Gundam06serenity: hope I've been keeping them coming fast enough for you

Mite Mite: More than likely it'll have a happy ending. I'm a sucker for happy endings, just keep in mind, my idea of happy may not coincide with yours. But it WILL be happy.

ChangingSeasons: I'm glad you like it, and I'll think about your offer as a beta reader. I've never had one before… never thought my stuff warranted one. E-mail me at angie21085 @aol.com or IM me at NurikoZmiko on AIM, we'll talk.

IluvTrunksChan: Hoping to keep you interested.

Riddle-Master: Sorry if Collins was a little confusing at first, I was honestly working him out as I went along, and decided I didn't want him to be a heartless bastard about 10 minutes into writing the first chapter. As for seeing rather than being told, I would've, I could've but it would've been extremely time-consuming and, for me, distracting from the plot. I just wanted to get it all out there so I could concentrate more on the characters. Don't worry, I haven't told you everything. smirks some things you're going to find out in other ways.

Hikaru: Please, don't kill me. I absolutely LOVE 1x2, it's possibly my favorite pairing in GW, but I ALSO love alternate pairings. Duo's bound to Zechs now (whether our poor blond knows it or not) so it's yet to be seen how Heero will play into the equation. I have one of two outcomes in mind for him, but I'm not sure which I'm leaning toward yet (and NO, neither of them is a death… I just have problems killing my favorite characters) Please bear with me.

AikoNamika: Did it head where you were thinking? I hope not. Personal smugness, you understand. I get a perverse pleasure out of keeping my readers on their toes (yes, this includes my good friends who know me in person)

Karen McCoy: Solo + Heero = Duo… thatz a good thought. To be totally honest, "desolo" IS the Latin word for "abandoned" (since as far as I could find, therez no Latin word for "Owned") it seemed to fit. It's actually one of those number games of mine that happens to fall into place without me actually TRYING to make it work. I just looked at the word the other night and saw that it had the word "Solo" in it and thought it would be wonderfully ironic for Duo to suddenly become "Solo." As you can see though, you're going to have to expand your equation. ^_^

Zammy: I'm not trying to be mean, but read the warnings: YAOI/SLASH. I am a yaoi fangirl, and there are only a few of the lead girls in the GW universe I can tolerate. Hilde, I have a personal grudge against cause her Jap voice actress also does Chibiusa (Sailor Moon) and Miaka (Fushigi Yuugi) and both those characters drive me up the walls. I don't have a problem portraying her as a good friend, but more often then not, I don't bother with her at all. Not to mention, for my plot device, short of Hilde actually going to specifically look for an Owned, Duo would never have a chance to Imprint on her. And I think you will agree with me that it would be distinctly out of character for Hilde to do something like that. This story WILL be slash, please, if it really bothers you, don't read, but don't get on my case about it.