Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait but I had a mild case of writer's block, one that has managed to resolve itself, not completely mind you, but for the most part will not hinder the fic. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

Warning: language, slight bigotry

Have Mercy on this Braided Fool's Soul

Opening his eyes from resting them for a few minutes, Duo focused everything he had on the task before him. Beads of sweat slid down his face and he could feel a headache beginning somewhere in his head but not of that mattered.

What he was about to do was important, extremely important. It would mean the difference between success and failure, life and death, good and evil, yadda yadda yadda…

The defining moment was at hand and he stilled his hand as he prepared for this one, final task.

"What's taking so long?" Solo whined, tired of waiting for Duo to do something.

"Shush!" Duo hissed.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Solo grumbled inaudibly but did nothing else as he glowered at the braided one.

Taking in a deep breath and eyeing the object in front of him carefully, he extended his hand out to pick the last piece that he needed. As his hand hovered over it, Duo swallowed and slowly began to lower his hand…

"Damn it all, it's just a fucking piece of parsley!" Solo snapped, his patience having run out.

Jerking his hand away, the small green piece of edible decoration pinched between two fingers, Duo glared at his cooking partner. "First of all, you don't know anything about the culinary arts," Duo replied. "Second, there is no second; I'm just trying to make sure we get a good grade, that's all."

"We're gonna get a good grade already!" Solo said exasperated. "A measly piece of parsley is not going to mean the difference between an A and a B, okay?"

Duo just shook his head and cleared his mind again as he prepared to place said parsley in just the right spot. If only Solo knew that Ms. Bloom thought that parsley made a meal look fancy, even if it came from a fast food restaurant. The parsley would make the difference.

"Who eats parsley anyway?" Solo continued. "It's just a useless waste of space if you ask me."

On any other circumstance, Duo would have wholeheartedly agreed with that but right now he was just trying to make a good grade on his Home Ec. class. Was that too much to ask for? Was it?!

Okay, okay, he was cool now. Now, he just needed a few more seconds until…

Finally! With the parsley placed where it needed to be, his work was finished. Now he could sit back and relax just like his group, which only consisted of him and Solo at this point in time.

Looking over at the blond, he could tell he was about to make another protest about the small green plant when the teacher just happened by.

"Looking good as always Duo!" she chirped, eyes lightening up at the sight of the parsley. "Ooh, I see you've gone on all the stops this time. I can't wait to see how it will taste, it's so fancy looking!"

Duo snickered to himself as Solo stared at him wide-eyed. "You knew she was going to do that, right?" his voice cracked out.

"Why else would I have done all that crap?" Duo retorted cheekily. "Sometimes ya gotta put a little more effort into stuff to get something good out of it."

"I don't know, sounds like too much work," Solo mused aloud.

"You're just a regular slacker, aren't you?" Duo drawled.

"Damn straight," Solo agreed.

"So, what do you have planned later today?" Duo asked conversationally.

When Solo mischievous smile answered, Duo couldn't help but feel that something horrible was waiting for him. "You'll find out after school, Short Stuff," Solo drawled. "You'll be all mine then and there won't be any escape."

"What are you up to?" Duo asked suspiciously. Hey, he couldn't help it if he was looking out for his ass—his general wellbeing he meant. This was his life on the line!

Solo chuckled darkly, his green eyes lighting up malevolently. "You'll find out," he replied cryptically, not giving away anything that was going on in that brain of his.

Duo could've sworn that somebody just walked over his grave…

--

Life was so unfair!

And it was just getting worse and worse all the time!

Heero gritted his teeth as he glared at the oblivious doctor who had just informed him about the full amount of damage his leg had sustained. Not only had the bones been broken but the ligaments and cartilage was all fucked up as well. It was confirmed: he could never play football competitively again. And to add insult to injury, they were going to make him have to stay a while longer in the hospital! It wasn't that he didn't mind the bit about having to stay in the hospital, which he did, but it was because tomorrow was Homecoming and he was going to not only miss it but the game that he had been looking forward to all year, the very game where he would not only lead the team to victory but also win the Homecoming King's crown.

But now it was all ruined thanks to that little braided loser. His life was ruined; it was over. He had nothing now. He couldn't play football anymore, Relena had quit stalking him, Wufei had stopped visiting for some reason, and the rest of his senior year was going down the toilet as he sat there with a cast on his leg, given to him by a certain blond newbie courtesy of that menace!

There was going to be HELL to pay when he got out of here! Duo Maxwell was going to pay dearly for this! But why stop there? That Solo guy was also going to pay! He was going to perfect his already perfect self and show them both why nobody messed with Heero Yuy!

"Snap out of it Heero!"

Blinking, his musings were shredded as he realized that Wufei was back at his bedside and he didn't look like his usual self. Did something happen?

"What's up?" he asked, hoping for some good news to raise his spirits a bit.

Rubbing his eyes in irritation, Wufei stated, "If you heard me, then you would know that things aren't up but down."

"What happened," Heero demanded, his earlier anger returning with a vengeance.

"Maxwell made a complete fool out of me yesterday!" Wufei exclaimed. "I don't know how he did it but that cur turned the school against me!"

"How the hell did he do that?!" Heero growled, his anger directed at a certain braided teen.

"I issued the runt a challenge after school," Wufei explained. "I was beating him too, everybody was watching! I had him! But then, I don't know what he did but he cheated and I found myself on the ground with him over me! And you know what he did next? He refused to continue fighting!"

"That pathetic loser," Heero commented in agreement.

"However, he made it seem like I was in the wrong," Wufei continued to rant. "He said something like he had better things to do. Better things to do! What could have been more important than that? But that's not all! He said that I ought to go see a doctor, like I needed medical care like some weak woman. He humiliated me in front of the other students and now they don't give me the respect that you and I worked so hard to achieve!"

Heero's vision was slowly becoming red in his fury. Now he wanted more than anything to wrap his hands around that little twerp's neck and squeeze the life out of him slowly…

"…and if that wasn't enough, he now has the Peacecraft girl on his side!" Wufei continued. Heero hadn't been paying much attention to what his friend had been saying but the sudden reference to his ex-stalker captured his attention absolutely.

"He what?" he snarled.

Seeing that he hit a sore spot, Wufei elaborated without consideration. "Your stalker made a public apology to the rat and denounced you while she was at it. She's his friend now."

That only served to fan the flames of outrage. How dare that little faggot take away what was his? It wasn't enough that he had taken his future away, now he was taking his life? Like hell he was going to give that up without a fight. The moment he got back to school, he'd make sure Duo Maxwell knew his place. While he was at it, that blond lackey of his, Solo, would get a similar treatment. Both of them were going to pay, one way or another.

Seeing the reaction from his friend, Wufei managed to hide a smile away.

--

Duo was sure that he was in Hell at this moment. He really and truly believed that. It wasn't that he didn't mind spending time with Solo, it's just that the guy had dragged him into a place where he never thought he would set foot in for at least another ten years.

Sure, it was nice that Solo wanted to make him look good for tomorrow evening but he was beginning to take this a little bit too far. He guessed that this is what happens when a guy has too much money and too much time on his hands.

"C'mon!" Solo whined from the other side of the dressing room door. "What's your problem with it? It looks good on you!"

He was okay with the dress shirt that was made of real silk (Just okay? He loved the damn thing!). He was okay with the dress pants that were miraculously not itchy or uncomfortable, which remained to be seen in future years. He was okay with the black, custom-fitted jacket with the button up wrist cuffs. However, there was only one thing that he drew the line at and outright refused.

"I am not wearing it, so put that damn thing back where you found it Tree Trunk!" Duo avowed, refusing to open up the only barrier between him and the blond terror that was just waiting to pounce on him.

"Don't be so fussy!" Solo complained. "Just try it on!"

"My answer is no, Tree Trunk, and it's not going to change anytime soon," Duo stated.

"But it'll make you look cute!"

"What part of 'no' do you not understand; the 'n' or the 'o'?"

"Duo…"

"I am not putting on the bowtie and that's final!" Duo exclaimed.

"You are going to put this on or we're not leaving!" Solo warned.

"Then I might as well make myself at home," Duo shot back.

"Why do you have to make this difficult?" Solo complained.

Smirking, Duo replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Silence. Raising an eyebrow, Duo waited for Solo to say something, nothing ever coming though. However, Duo was not easily fooled. He was sure that Solo was just trying to trick him into taking the risk of opening the locked dressing room door. Well, Duo Maxwell was not going to fall for such an obvious trap. He could stay in this dressing room for the rest of the day if he had to. There was no way he was going to put that bowtie on and that was that!

The ring of silence continued. Duo began to wonder if Solo was even still outside the door, waiting for him. A sudden knock on the door startled him.

"Is everything okay in there?" a voice asked and the braided one recognized it as belonging to one of the employees here.

"Yeah, it is," he called out in reply. "Say, is there a blond guy out there with you?"

"No, there isn't," the voice answered. "I'm the only one here. Why do you ask?"

He was safe. For now at least. Unlocking the door, he peeped out first, much to the amusement of the employee but he caught no sign or trace of Solo. This was suspicious. What was that guy up to now?

"How do you like your suit?" the employee asked.

"I like it very much," Duo answered, not paying attention to the employee as he was eyeing anything and everything for any sign of his blond antagonist. That guy was up to something, he knew it.

"Is there something wrong?" the employee asked again.

"Yeah, there's a six foot tall, blond guy with long hair running somewhere around here and I know he's just waiting to ambush me," Duo answered, not looking back at the guy once.

What happened next happened so quickly that Duo was not aware of it until it was too late. The only thing that alerted him was the sudden tightening around his neck, along with the sudden wall that pressed against his back. Standing stock still, Duo fervently prayed that what he thought happened didn't.

He was doomed to be disappointed as he glanced down and saw the dreaded bowtie attached to his collar. When the wall behind him began to rumble, he didn't need three guesses to figure out that the wall wasn't a wall but a person. A person that was so dead…

"There, now we're talking!" Solo praised as he spun the braided one around so that he could make a closer inspection of his handiwork and straighten out the bowtie. The energy in his body vanishing, Duo's shoulders slumped.

"Just answer me this," Duo pleaded. "How did you do it?"

"I hid in the next dressing room and waited," Solo explained. "That guy over there just happened to come at the right time, that's all."

Throwing the employee a subtle glare, Duo resigned himself and allowed Solo to have his way with him. It just wasn't worth it when the guy always won…