Chapter Two

Duo POV

I was just the tiniest bit peeved. Okay, I was extremely peeved. All of the others got to meet this new pilot, got to talk to him. So far I was the only one who hadn't. And why was that? Weeell, Quatre said I would annoy him and he wasn't the type of guy to tolerate me without shooting me.

How, pray tell, would QUATRE know that? Sure he's got that heart coconut (the true name is uchuu no kokoru but hey, it pisses Wu Fei off when I pronounced it the "wrong way"….and we all know how much fun it is to piss Wu Fei off!) that lets him in on another person's feelings and emotions…..but still!

"Maxwell!" I schooled my manic grin into an angelic smile and turned to Wu Fei.

"How may I be of service today?" I asked with a fake French accent. Wu Fei grimaced.

"You're making a mess." I looked down to see that I had gotten strings of spaghetti and sauce on the table. And my hands. I picked up the spaghetti strings and put them back on the plate before swirling my fork and eating another mouthful.

"When can I meet the new guy?" I asked. Quatre paused, knife and butter poised over a piece of bread. He had returned from Heero's bedroom, tray missing only a plate of bread and the glass of milk, an hour ago.

"I don't know Duo. He's not well." Quatre said, continuing with his buttering.

"So? I just want to meet him."

"He doesn't need you annoying him Maxwell. He's got enough to deal with….like getting better?" I stuck my tongue out at Wu Fei and got a scowl in return. Man that guy was uptight!

"I won't annoy him….much. I just want to introduce myself to him and all. I mean, he's been here for hours….." I looked pleadingly to Quatre.

"Not today, Duo. He's…hostile." Quatre finally said. "The drugs are bothering him and he's ill." I pouted. "But I'll let you go up tomorrow, how's that?" I sighed.

"I'm not a little kid." I said with a huff.

"Then don't act like one." Came Wu Fei's reply. I glared at him and decided to leave the table…and the rest of my dinner. I could hear Quatre hovering between calling me back and scolding Wu Fei.

I made my way up the stairs and past the door to Heero's room. I was tempted to peek in, but I remembered Quatre's warning and resisted the temptation. Instead I made my way out onto the balcony near the end of the hall and practically fell into one of the chairs. I leaned my head back, planning on resting my eyes…and froze.

Dull Prussian blue eyes bore into mine for a second before I leapt up with a squeak. With my back pressed to the railing I looked up to see Heero crouched on the roof, watching me. "Uhm…I thought you were ill?"

"I was." He had a deep voice.

"So uh…what're you doing up there?" He didn't answer. "How did you get up there anyway? You're injured." He shrugged one shoulder. "I'm Duo by the way. Duo Maxwell. I may run and hide but I never tell a lie!" He didn't look too impressed.

I tilted my head at him as he stared at me. There was something about him….I hopped foreword and bravely stuck my hand up in his face. He flinched back as if struck, but I left my hand there until he settled and took it with one of his own. I grinned as a jolt shot through our connected hands.

"What…?" He almost yelped, pulling away. His eyes were wide and I could tell that the jolt had confused him. I ignored his semi-frightened look and swung myself up to perch beside him. He stared at me as I balanced next to him perfectly.

"So, what're you?" I asked casually. The startled look in his eyes faded and they turned cold. He shifted away from me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said. I tilted my head.

"Sure you do. We were all genetically manipulated by those scientists. Plus that little jolt? It my body reacting to yours, and it only does that when I come into contact with another genetically engineered person." I said calmly, if not little cheerily. I certainly didn't mind what G had done to me! Heero gave me a disbelieving look. "Sure it was supposed to be a secret, but we're all allies and partners. We should know each other's strengths and weaknesses so we're prepared. Right?" Man of Wu Fei could hear me now he'd have a heart attack!

"I have no weaknesses. They are not productive in a soldier." Man, he sounded like a text book! I gave him one of my goofy grins and replied.

"I never said you had any! I'm just saying that if we all know what each other is, then we can compromise in a battle situation so that we can all do our best in our designated areas." He shifted, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was considering. But it just happened to be my luck that, as soon as he opened his mouth, Quatre had to catch on to the fact that neither of us were in our rooms.

"DUO!" I nearly toppled off the roof as his voice rang through the house. I groaned and could see Heero's gaze hardening. Damn! I was so close. "DUO!" Now Q-ball sounded panicked.

"Up here!" I finally hollered. Heero started to inch his way back to his window, but I blocked him with a friendly grin. I could hear Quatre's footsteps as he ran to the balcony. He paused when he stepped out, looking around in confusion. I grinned and sent out a burst of feeling that was like a mental 'BOO!', and cackled as he leapt around in shock.

"Duo!" He cried. "That wasn't funny! We thought you took off. Heero's gone too. You haven't seen him have you?" I looked out of the corner of my eye to find that Heero had melded into the shadows.

"Yeah, he's up here." I said. I heard a soft growl and grinned as Heero inched out into Quatre's view. He looked angry, and judging by Quatre's expression he was broadcasting. I turned to Heero. "Heero, stop broadcasting. You're hurting Quatre." He blinked and a stricken look passed through his eyes. I almost didn't see it. Almost immediately Quatre relaxed.

"G-Gomen."

"It's okay Heero. What are you two doing up there anyway?" Quatre asked, leaning against the rail.

"I found him up here." I said as Heero shifted. "I was trying to get him to tell me what he is." Quatre's eyes widened, and then narrowed. I remember too late my promise to not bug the new boy about his abilities.

"Duo, what did I tell you about bothering him?" I grinned nervously.

"I was just…"

"Duo Maxwell you get your butt down here and leave him be!" I knew I must have looked pathetic because I heard Heero snicker beside me.

"Yeah, yuk it up Heero." I grumbled as I leapt down to stand beside Quatre, who glared at me before turning up to Heero. It was my turn to snicker as Quatre began to yell at HIM.

"And YOU! You should be in bed resting, not climbing on rooftops!" Heero looked startled. "Get down here right now mister and get back to bed!" The look of utter bewilderment on Heero's face made me laugh heartily. "You be quiet and get inside." I shut up and scurried inside as Heero dropped down from the roof. Quatre gently pushed him inside and closed the balcony doors.

"Way to ruin some fun Quat." I mumbled with a pout. Quatre humphed and glared pointedly at Heero until he retreated to his bedroom and shut the door.

"Duo, you should know better." Quatre turned to me.

"Sorry, but I was curious. And he wasn't mean to me at all. Anti-social yeah, but…"

"You shouldn't pry into his life like that! Look at how long it took for us to get Trowa and Wu Fei to open up! And they're lives weren't as harsh as his probably was." I tilted his head. "Duo, he's called Pilot Zero One for a reason. All of our genetic engineering was based off of what happened to HIM."

"What! Get out!"

"Yes. I'm sure G told you about J and his 'genius' experiments." I nodded. " I'm guessing that Heero's the result." I blinked.

"So…he's probably got a mix of all of our abilities?" I asked. Quatre nodded and I whistled. "Damn!"

I leaned against the door as soon as I closed it and took a deep breath. I hadn't expected the other one, the one I didn't officially meet, to find me up on the rooftop. And to introduce himself to me like he did….

"I'm Duo by the way. Duo Maxwell. I may run and hide but I never tell a lie!" I stared at him as he tilted his head, an unreadable expression on his face. I was startled when he hopped foreword suddenly and bravely stuck his hand up in my face. I know I flinched back as if struck, but he left his hand there until I settled and took it with my own. A jolt of something shot through our connected hands.

"What…?" I yelped, pulling away. His eyes were as wide as my own but he was grinning. I could tell that the jolt had made him curious but it only confused me. He ignored my semi-frightened look and swung himself up to perch beside me. I stared at him as he balanced next to me.

"So, what're you?"

I had to fight my instincts as he invaded my space and began to ask personal questions. Questions about me, about J. Questions I was currently forbidden to answer.

My eyes, which I had closed, snapped open as voices raised out in the hall. Instead of tuning them out, I listened in. "Duo, you should know better." That was Quatre.

"Sorry, but I was curious. And he wasn't mean to me at all. Anti-social yeah, but…" Why would I be mean to him? Sure I didn't like people in my space and tried my best to drive them away, but I would never physically hurt a civilian or an ally on purpose…..but they probably didn't know that, I had - unwillingly - been pretty rude to them so far.

"You shouldn't pry into his life like that! Look at how long it took for us to get Trowa and Wu Fei to open up! And they're lives weren't as harsh as his probably was." I tilted my head. How much did this pilot know about my life? "Duo, he's called Pilot Zero One for a reason. All of our genetic engineering was based off of what happened to HIM." This made me choke in surprise.

"What! Get out!"

"Yes. I'm sure G told you about J and his 'genius' experiments. I'm guessing that Heero's the result." This boy was perceptive.

"So…he's probably got a mix of all of our abilities? Damn!" I tuned out the rest of their conversation and slowly made my way over to my bed. I ignored the protests from my wounds as I flopped down and buried my head in the pillows. Now that the drugs were wearing off and the wounds hurt less, my head cleared and I was able to rationally think this through.

I had orders to come to earth without my gundam - it would be sent down after I confirmed my arrival at the safe point – and the coordinates for this location were given as a safe point. Upon arrival I was to stay until further notice. Of course, J had forgotten to mention that I would have company.

Which brought me to the thought of the other pilots. J had told me about them once before, so I knew that they were also modified like me. He said that my own genetic engineering was the base point to create others like myself. Four others, who would become my allies, although he used the term subordinates. He had then proceeded to train me into The Perfect Soldier. Much to his distaste, he was only partially successful…..

"What is going on here!" The angry shout and the loud bang of the door being thrown open startled me from my book. I placed the well-used copy of Narnia on the bed, pushing the traitorous thought of escape out of my mind, and leapt to attention as J stomped in the best he could with the metal braces on his legs.

"I was not given any orders so I decided to read sir." I replied.

"Read? And a child's book no less…." He muttered unhappily, eyeing the book. "I see my engineering has created a bit of a setback in your soldiering."

"I don't understand sir."

"You are supposed to be a soldier full time! Not a child! You are not supposed to have any soft spots, and you are not supposed to…" He trailed off but I knew what he was going to say. I was not supposed to make my own decision. "The particular animals I combined in you have reacted differently to each other and to your training than I had expected." Suddenly he smiled. "Which means that everything is working well in that front." I tilted my head, the metal collar around my neck shifting. "You have a Mission." He stated. I straightened and all thoughts of the book and the fantasies of flying away to freedom slid from my mind as the haze of upcoming battle took over…..

I sighed. My anti-social behavior was in part due to the animal genes in my body – neither animal was known to be exclusively social, though the dominant animal more so than the other, and neither species got along well with the other - but it was mostly due to the intensive training and programming J had put me through as a child.

I don't remember much of my life as a child. I only remember fighting and killing, and of being strapped to machines for programming. I know I had triggers placed deep within my subconscious. A word spoken only by J could trigger my soldier mode, in which I become what he had intended, my standby mode that made me as I am now – ready for combat, anti-social to the point of rudeness, tense, not very friendly or fun – and the last for when true peace is finally obtained or for when he wanted me to go undercover and needed me to show emotions. He could also combine any of the modes, should he wish. He never has.

The collar placed around my neck, hidden from sight by tiny stealth boosters, acted as a direct link to J. We could only hear the other when one wanted the other to listen. My side is almost always closed, as is J's. He uses it mainly for alerting me to a mission or putting me on standby.

It also acts as a control device. He has it programmed to shock me every time I do something I shouldn't or whenever I go too far deep into soldier mode. He doesn't use it too often, because after the first several times I felt the pain I learned to obey orders.

BZZP I jumped, startled, as my collar let out a little warning zap. I reached up to turn the communicator on. "Zero One, do you copy?"

"Zero One here." I heard the man let out a chuckle, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

"Good. New orders for you Zero One." I listened. "There will be no new orders from me after this, for quite a while. So listen closely." I tilted my ear closer to the speaker. My other ear picked up the sounds of footsteps as my housemates answered calls from their own commanders, and I tuned them out as I listened to J….

TBC

I know it seems confusing, but remember that I'm trying to put all of this in Heero's terms, and he understands everything better than even I do. Next chapter will have a full explanation on the triggers and what J did to Heero, and he'll explain it in terms and ways that anyone can understand…..for Duo, yanno.