Summary: AC 202, Duo disappears. AC 204, a new artist called Violet Vendetta emerges onto the art scene. Will a newly identified threat reveal the connection between Duo's disappearance and Violet Vendetta's art?

Disclaimer: I don't own it. The end.

Violet Vendetta
CaramelAriana
Chapter 2

Cobalt blue eyes stared out at the landscape in deep concentration. A pencil lightly sketched out gray lines on a white canvas. The artist made sure to take in every detail of the canyon before him. He always did his sketches outside in the early morning when it was still cool. He would then take the sketch inside and paint until the evening.

It was a simple life, but Duo enjoyed it. He now lived in southern Utah, smack dab in the middle of nowhere. He didn't know his neighbors and he never saw them. His nearest neighbor was at least half a mile away. Whenever he needed anything he would drive into the nearby town. Of course he had to remember he was a high profile person since the war, so he always tucked his braid into a cap. All in all Duo was content to live his life peacefully, working on his now famous paintings under the pseudonym "Violet Vendetta".

Many people had wondered about the name. "Violet" was his own personal joke. Many people thought his eyes were violet, but they were actually a deep shade of blue. And "Vendetta"…well, by the age of sixteen he had fought two wars and lost too many people to count. Surely he didn't have to explain that one.

He knew his fans were disappointed that he never made public appearances. He had worked hard to make sure the paintings were never linked back to him. Everything went through his manager. Tony was the only person who knew his identity. Duo was paid in cash. It helped to be a big money-maker for a well-known agency. And since Duo had a propensity to give all his money to various charities, it kept his agency in a good light.

There were many speculations as to why he didn't reveal himself. Some said that the artist was horribly disfigured. Another rumor claimed that the artist was dead and that the agency was just releasing the paintings a little at a time. Duo had a good laugh over that one. The tamest rumor was that because the artwork conveyed such an array of dark emotions, the painter did not want to admit to them. His agency's response to every claim was always "no comment".

The real reason Duo didn't come forward was simply because he didn't want to be found. That was why only one person knew who he was and where he lived. It was why all his transactions were handled in cash. If a check had to be written, it was done so through the agency. He had disappeared four years ago, leaving no explanation or contact information for his friends. He had made sure he'd covered his trail. The electronic trail that could lead to him ended at his old bank with the information that he had withdrawn all his money and closed his account. He was sure even the perfect soldier couldn't track him down, and he would be happy if it stayed that way.

Duo put the finishing touches on his sketch and sighed. It was growing warm, so he packed up his pencils and covered the canvas. With his sketch tucked safely under his arm, Duo made his way back to the house. He enjoyed these short walks. The scenery wasn't beautiful in the most common sense of the word. The land was barren and the few splashes of green were the cacti that sprung up sporadically. But Duo had learned to appreciate the simple beauty of his surroundings. After growing up in the colonies, he enjoyed the pieces of Earth left untouched by man, and this was nature at its primest.

As he entered his house a ball of fur attacked his ankle. "Hey!" he protested. Trying to avoid the kitten he leaned the canvas against the wall. The cat rubbed against his leg, meowing loudly. He picked it up and scratched it beneath its chin. It bit him.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, dropping the cat. "What's wrong with you, you crazy cat!"

The cat darted into the kitchen and Duo followed. Big blue eyes stared up at him from beside an empty bowl. He chuckled. "Did I forget to feed you this morning?" He poured some cat food into the bowl. The kitten greedily attacked it. Duo rolled his eyes. "You act like I starve you."

The doorbell rang and Duo frowned. He crept to the door and peeked through the peephole, sighing in relief when he recognized the man on the other side. "Tony," he said, opening the door. "I forgot you were coming today."

Tony stepped inside. "I hope that doesn't mean I'll be leaving empty handed."

Duo placed a hand to his chest. "Is it so much to ask for a friendly visit from you? Am I nothing but profit to you?"

The man ignored him, used to Duo's dramatics. He continued toward the kitchen. "Is it too much to expect a cup of coffee?"

"There's some in the pot," Duo responded. "It's a few hours old though." He heard the microwave run as he collected his finished paintings. When he brought the last of them into the living room Tony was already sipping at his coffee and looking through the artwork.

"These are nice Duo. Very nice. They should go rather quickly."

Duo grinned. "What, no speech about my depressing work?"

Tony shrugged. "People like them and you seem happy enough. As long as what motivates you doesn't lead to suicide."

"Why Tony, I didn't know you cared!" He fluttered his eyelashes.

"Of course I do. A dead artist can't paint."

Duo snorted. "I should've known, damn capitalist."

"This capitalist helps you make a living. And goes through a lot to keep your identity under wraps."

"I know you do," Duo smiled. "And I am eternally grateful for it."

Tony waved his hand. "Whatever. I reimburse myself by robbing you blind. I take advantage of your ignorance of how much you should really be earning for each painting."

"Figures," Duo muttered good-naturedly.

His visitor downed the rest of his coffee. "Well, I hate to run, but the boss sprung an interview on me today."

"Press?"

He shook his head. "Emerging artist."

Duo gasped. "Tony! Are you cheating on me?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Believe me Duo, I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize my relationship with you."

As Tony drove away with Violet Vendetta's new work, Duo made himself a sandwich and planned out the rest of his day. He had that new sketch that he should probably start painting, but he wanted to do some exploring. Deciding to put the painting off for the evening, he got his stuff together.

After filling his backpack with supplies, Duo set out on his all-terrain bike. He was headed for the canyons near his house. The manager of the supermarket in town had told him of an old superstition that a section of the canyons was rich in ore deposits. They had never been mined because the caverns that held the ore were supposedly haunted. Duo wasn't superstitious, so he doubted there were ghosts plaguing the canyons. He did however love a good mystery, so he wanted to find out if there really were ore deposits.

It took a good hour and a half to reach the area Duo wanted. Once there he chained his bike to a tree. There probably wasn't anyone around for miles, but old habits were hard to break. Making sure his backpack was secure, Duo began to climb into the canyon. Below he could see the river that had carved the canyon centuries ago.

He took his time climbing. One wrong step could have him tumbling several hundred feet. As his breathing became more labored, he spotted a ledge and decided to take a break. He took out his water bottle and welcomed the cool liquid. His breathing evened out and he peered over the ledge. It was then he realized he was perched right above a hole in the rock.

He quickly returned his water to his pack and scrambled to the entry. The passageway was large enough that he could walk through hunched over. He made sure his baseball cap was securely on his head and grabbed a flashlight from his backpack. With a grin he entered.

Fifteen minutes later Duo was still in the same passage. So far it hadn't changed in size. It had wound around through the rock and Duo suspected it was gently sloping downward. He was beginning to wonder if the tunnel led anywhere when he suddenly heard a noise. He stopped walking and listened. It almost sounded like a drill.

Duo frowned. There shouldn't be anyone drilling anywhere near these canyons. Now more conscious of the noise he made, Duo inched along the passageway as it took him closer to the sound.

He followed the tunnel around another curve and stopped. Before him the tunnel opened up into a larger cavern. He turned off his light and went down on his hands and knees. He continued at a slow crawl. When he reached the opening he flattened to the ground and peered past the edge.

The tunnel ended about twenty feet above the floor of the cavern. Lanterns lit the room to reveal a group of men working at the walls of the cavern. The light reflected off bits of rock that Duo suspected to be the speculated ore. Off to the side of all the activity two men talked quietly. Duo couldn't see them well enough to read their lips. He needed to get closer.

Quietly he inched away from the edge and slipped off his backpack. He tucked it out of sight and crept back to the edge. He noticed an outcropping of rock about six feet below the entrance. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This would require skills he hadn't used in years.

Making sure no one was paying attention, he swung down from the tunnel and landed silently on the rock. Laying flat along the top, he crept toward the side of the rock hidden from view. He leapt silently to the cavern's floor and sneaked along the side of the rock. After calculating how to get there, Duo quickly moved to a spot from which he could hear the two men.

"I'm not impressed," said a pale man in a business suit. He was clean shaven and his hair was neatly combed to the side. He looked ridiculously out of place. "What use do I have of ore?"

"Robert, listen to me," a gruff voice complained. He was dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and a stained t-shirt. He had a five o'clock shadow and his red hair looked like it had never seen a brush. "Think of the money we could make!"

The other man—Robert—made a noise. "Joseph, as your brother who cares for you, I'm telling you it's a stupid idea. The war is over. No one has any use for this stuff."

"That's where you're wrong," said Joseph. "There's plenty of little groups all over wanting to get rid of the vice-minister and her Gundam friends. All they're lacking are the proper tools."

Duo bit his cheek to keep from making a sound. He'd worked with Preventers long enough to know that what the man said was true. There were several resistance groups, but very few posed a real threat. But if they had access to rich deposits of ore…

"Since when are you willing to start a war to get rich?"

"Since when are you not?"

The two men stared at each other until Robert turned away. "What about the Preventers?"

Joseph grinned. "We make the transaction small enough to escape notice."

Robert seemed to think it over. "I'm no miner."

"And I'm no business man," Joseph countered.

The two men seemed to reach an agreement and began discussing terms of partnership. Duo waited until they moved away before he silently retraced his steps.

-o-

A/N: So isn't letting me reply to reviews, so I just wanted to tell everyone that I appreciate your reviews. I can't make this long because my computer's going to die. Please review!