Author's Note: Good news people. Updates will be coming faster and faster until this whole fic is posted. Expect one more update before the end of the week. There's still a few more chapters left to go so enjoy whatever's left.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

Warning: language, shounen ai

This is What I Think about Your Offer

Solo was more than disappointed not to hear about what had happened next to Romafellor on the morning news. If there was anything he was sure of, it was that once Mueller got somebody's attention, he didn't let it escape his grasp. That meant that whatever he started was not over yet, not by a long shot.

Still, it would have been funny to set what that maniac had come up with this time around.

He didn't have to wait for too long to learn about this. Dorothy was a fountain of information, at least this time around, and had informed him that the same building had been struck again, this time instead of being covered with graffiti and toilet paper, which was still being cleared away, it had been flooded by someone stuffing up all the toilets and sinks. Suffice to say, it was quite wet there.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Duo had asked dryly as he observed the blond's good mood from the comfort of his desk.

"Damn straight," Solo confirmed.

The braided one only shook his head but did not comment further. What else could he possibly say about this? It was better to just go with the flow than to oppose it.

"Now I'm curious," Solo continued. "What's Mueller gonna do next. It's like waiting for Christmas, honestly."

"I think you're starting to take this too seriously," Duo stated. "Do you honestly think that whatever that moron is doing is going to actually accomplish anything other than pissing those guys off?"

Well that certainly burst Solo's bubble. Still, he couldn't let Duo just downplay this. "I can think of several things," he claimed, even though he had no idea whatsoever what those things were. He was just going to do what he always did in these situations: wing it.

"Then let me put this into terms you can understand," Duo said instead. "You can mess up any number of their buildings and stores and whatnot but the most it can do is damage the property. That's it. They'll just clean it up and spend what might seem like a lot of money to a lot of people but is really only a drop in the bucket for them. The only real way to hurt them is to hit them in their wallets which nothing of what Mueller's doing is going to do that."

Solo blinked at the well of information that Duo was spouting at him. He hadn't really thought about it that way. However, Duo was not done yet, continuing to crush and demolish whatever fantasy that the blond had entertained.

"Now, in order to break them, you have to mess with their products, like their storewares. If you can convince people not to buy stuff from them, that's what's going to get their attention, that's what's going to hurt them. But even if you do do that, that company has a lot more source of revenue coming in so even if they did loose one of their outlets, there's plenty more where that came from and others still around to fill up the void. Like your family's business, Romafellor's going to be here still, even when both you and I are six feet under."

"Oh yeah," Solo grumbled as he folded his arms onto his desk and dropped his head into them, "go ahead and crush my dreams while you're at it."

"Hey, the truth's the truth," Duo shrugged. "I don't like it either."

Glancing up with a single eye, Solo asked, "How'd you know all that stuff anyway?"

Duo snorted. "Perhaps if you paid more attention in Economics you would have known this too," he answered dryly. "There was a whole chapter dedicated to both your family's company and Romafellor. In fact, if you're planning on upholding the family business, you're gonna have to start really paying attention in that class anyway."

"Yes Dad," Solo mocked as he buried his head into his arms again.

--

It was the period after lunch when Duo got the call to come up to the main office again. Giving a long suffered sigh as if this was really a big deal, he got up and left the classroom, mentally noting that it was Home Ec. and Solo was there all alone again.

Let's see how long he lasts without him again.

He took his time trudging through the hallways, a sinking feeling growing in his gut that something was different this time around. He had doubts that it was Howard since Howard only came here to inform him of the recent happenings in court, something that would not be occurring currently. Still, one could have hope.

Entering into the office, he was informed that an old man was there to see him and when he asked if it was Howard (mainly because the gals here practically knew the guy by sight by now), he received a negative. The sinking feeling only grew as he was pointed towards the principal's office, the principal not there right now. This meant he was going to have a private conversation with whoever it was that wanted to meet with him.

He was in no way surprised when he found his father waiting there for him. It kinda figured when he thought about it. His father was the only other old man who would want to speak with him during school hours, even though he only called him out once before, a few years back to be precise.

As the door closed behind him, his father said, "I didn't see you yesterday when I visited the Winners."

"You may not know this but I do have a life that doesn't revolve around you," Duo retorted as he remained standing, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. "What do you want now?"

If Tsubarov was in anyway offended by his bluntness, he didn't show it. "Since you weren't at the Winners' yesterday, I wasn't able to ask you about my offer from the other day."

Duo blinked in confusion, wondering what the old fart was talking about when it came back to him. He must have shown his confusion and sudden enlightenment as Tsubarov nodded knowingly at him, smirking.

"Due to recent happenings, I'm afraid that I'm going to need your answer now," Tsubarov said. "So what's it going to be? Do you want me to finally acknowledge you as my next of kin, my son?"

It all came back to him now and Duo's eyes narrowed. Oh, it was this again, huh? The nerve of this guy! Did he honestly believe that he, Duo, was just going to fall down on his knees and beg for him to do something that he had long given up on as a child, as a little boy who only wanted to be accepted by the only parent that he still had?

This asshole really needed a reality check or something because Duo only had one answer for him.

"Why don't you just shove it up your ass?" he growled at the man who actually looked surprised at his answer. "After all the shit you put me through, do you honestly think that I'm going to take it now? You're dumber than Heero trying to get Relena to stalk him again. Besides, I already told you no!"

"You can't blame me for wanting to give you a second chance," Tsubarov shrugged. "I mean, you are my son, after all."

"Get out of here," Duo hissed, his violet eyes dark with suppressed anger that was just dieing to get out. "I don't want to have anything to do with you. I don't want to know you; I don't want to see you; I don't want to hear of you ever again! Just go."

"As you wish," Tsubarov said as he stood up. As he passed Duo to reach the door that would take him out of the office, he stopped beside him though he didn't look at the braided one. "However, you will regret this, mark my words," the man stated, his voice deep and colored with the promise of a threat. "This is far from over, whore-spawn."

Duo only saw red and his body trembled with hatred and leashed violence. He had to restrain himself from tearing this bastard apart; he was still in school for Christ's sake! He remained in the office, tempering his vicious tendencies as best as he could, not wanting to do anything he would regret, namely trashing the principal's office. It's not like he didn't want to, it's just he didn't want to get detention, suspended, or maybe expelled for it. He still needed to get back to class where Solo would undoubtedly notice the change in him and pester him about it until he talked. It was going to happen anyway but he didn't want the other students to know what went on in his fucked up private life.

After a few minutes of finally pulling himself back together and getting a hold on his temper, he exited the office and headed back to class.

--

"Drive," Tsubarov ordered curtly to his driver as he got into his limo. As the elongated automobile began to move, Tsubarov took out his cell phone and dialed a number he was all too familiar with.

Pressing the receiver to his ear, he waited as the phone picked up the signal and alerted to him that the other's phone was ringing. He didn't have to wait very long for the other side to pick up as they always did in a prompt and orderly fashion.

"I have need of your services again," Tsubarov stated. "I will be sending you half of your standard fee later today, the other half will be given upon completion of your end, as always."

He paused for a few seconds, listening to the other's short reply before continuing. "The name of your target is Dwaine 'Duo' Maxwell. That's D, W, A, I, N, E; M, A, X, W, E, L, L. Got that? Is there anything else that you need?"

Once again stopping, he listened to the much longer answer. "Good then. Expect a deposit in your account later today."

Hanging up, Tsubarov suppressed a smug smile he closed his phone and put it away. He was good always having a back up plan, just in case something went wrong or didn't quite go his way. He had said that the boy was going to regret spurning him, hadn't he? It was too bad that he wouldn't be around long enough to learn that answer.

Then again, why else would he have called a professional hitman and assassin to teach him this lesson? Sure he had tried this method before, his usual hired guns unsuccessful in previous attempts but he hadn't sent this particular one before. Results with this guy were always guaranteed and he hadn't failed to complete a single job to date.

At last, things were beginning to look up.

However, there was one thing that was still bugging him.

Who was this Heero and why the hell did he want some girl named Relena to stalk him?

--

"Howard need to talk to you?" Solo asked as soon as the braided one returned to his seat. Even though he had gone as slow as he possibly could without being reprimanded for not being in class, there was still quite some time left and he would have to help Solo finish up their latest assignment from Ms. Bloom.

"Guess again," Duo muttered.

"You mean someone else wanted to talk to you?" Solo questioned, confused. "Was it the principal or something?"

"Nice guess but no," Duo answered.

"Then who?" Solo demanded.

"I'll give you a hint: he's old, ugly, and looks like a child molester," Duo stated dryly.

Solo frowned before his eyes brightened in recognition. "Your father again? What the hell did he want this time?"

"Tried to bribe me with parental recognition," Duo told him. "I said no, again, and then he said that I was going to regret it and left."

"He's full of it," Solo muttered.

"Not really," Duo commented airily. "If he makes a threat, he usually goes through with it. You do know that he has tried to kill me on several times, right?"

"Then why didn't you say yes?" Solo demanded.

"I would have to do something for him first, namely make sure that Romafellor's proposal goes through and is accepted by your uncle," Duo replied. "I'm not about to do something like that and I would rather be a living vegetable than be his son."

"We're going to have to do something about him," Solo sighed.

"We? Look, he can't just disappear right now, especially since Romafellor can accuse you guys of doing something to one of their employees, maybe even blackmail you into accepting the deal," Duo explained.

"Just have to make it look like an accident," Solo argued.

"Did you forget; you're high profile. Corporate assassinations are not unheard of," Duo retorted. "The public knows about them and it's bad publicity for WEI if that were to happen."

"I hate it when you use logic against me," Solo complained.

"Yeah, that's me, the logical guy," Duo sighed. "Gotta ruin everybody's fantasies of a perfect world."

"You could at least try to humor me," Solo muttered childishly.

"If I did that, you'd never grow up, now would you?" Duo replied cheekily, dropping the conversation no matter what Solo did to keep it alive. The last thing Duo wanted was to have to do homework later.