Things Are Not as They Seem4
The Year was After Colony 200
General Cameron Blackwell of the Pegasus organization has made a move against the Preventers claiming that they cannot resolve all nations and colony problems. He put forth that the nations and the colonies should have their own standing army. World Peace leader Relena Darlian disagrees with General Blackwell's notion saying that standing armies will bring back war.
Chapter 4
"You are suppose to stop conflict before it happens," Relena said to the woman behind the desk.
"I am aware of that Relena, but doing so is harder then it seems. We are greatly understaffed and my people cannot be everywhere at once," the woman looked to the four men that stood in the room with her and Relena. "Ask them they know how hard it is to be in several places at once."
"Commander Une is right," Wufei said and looked at Relena. "This General Blackwell has done his research well and he knows there is no military might anymore. A few thousand men, armed with handguns isn't enough to take down one mobile suit. Who knows how many he has."
"But why would he want to change the peace that is already set?" Relena asked.
"Because he believes in human nature," Wind said. Relena looked at him. "Like it or not Relena it is human nature to fight. This was going to happen at some point."
Relena leaned back in the chair and let out a sigh. "You have someone up there don't you?"
"I did," Une said and sat down. "From this day, Duo Maxwell and Trowa Barton are enemies."
"They were Gundam pilots and they fought for peace why are they fighting again?" Relena asked stunned.
"Trowa is a soldier," Wufei said, "raised by soldiers, its hard for a soldier to live in a world of peace. Even if they fought for it. Duo is the self proclaimed God of Death."
Relena stood up, "so they are going to let go of everything they worked for and fight again?" she nearly yelled. Heero placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down into the chair.
"Getting angry wont solve anything," he said sternly.
"So what do we do now?" she asked.
"We wait," Une said. "We wait to see which nations start their standing military again and pull out."
"And while he attacks we have no defenses," Relena said.
Une looked to Wind and then a smile spread over her lips. "Well I wouldn't say that Miss Relena." Relena turned to look at her brother and then back to Une.
They waited in a room that looked a lot like Commander Une's of Preventers. There was a simple desk with a computer and a phone and a chair on the other side. Two chairs in front which only Duo sat in one. He was being rather quiet and letting Trowa take the lead on this and just following in step. Trowa was looking at a painting on the wall when the door opened and closed.
"They call it art," said the man.
"What do you call it?" Trowa asked.
"I call it a canvas with paint thrown on it," he answered. "Greetings, I am General Cameron Blackwell and you are…" he trailed off.
"Trowa Barton, former Gundam pilot and preventer agent," Trowa answered. Duo looked at him and then grinned.
"Duo Maxwell, I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie. Former Gundam pilot and owner of Oh-Two Scrap at your service," he said with a grin on his face.
"Former Gundam pilots… well what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Cameron asked.
"We want to join Pegasus," Trowa said. Cameron nodded his head.
"I thought as much, and giving knowledge that you are former Gundam pilots and Preventer angents-"
"No," Duo said cutting the man off. "Tro was a preventer agent, I was not."
"I see," there was a pause as Cameron watched Duo for a minute before turning his attention to Trowa. "And what position were you looking for mister Barton?"
Trowa shrugged, "we have always been good at piloting." Duo leaned back in the chair as he watched them, mainly the former Heavyarms pilot to try and figure out what was going on in his head.
"Do you really think that I would let you so easily start off piloting a mobile suit again?" Cameron asked.
"No, but you did ask what we were looking for," Trowa countered.
"I did," Cameron agreed.
"Mechanics," Duo said from the chair. Cameron and Trowa looked at him. "What?"
"Do you agree mister Barton?" the general asked him. Trowa nodded his head, "very well then. Come back tomorrow, we'll have uniforms for you and you can start. I must thank you two for being so honest and open. I look forward to working with Gundam pilots."
The two men left the building and started back towards the hotel. Once back inside the safety of their room, Duo slumped against the door.
"Quick thinking," Trowa praised.
"I had a feelin you were tryin to get a look at the mobile suits," Duo said and moved towards the bed. "But I tell ya being a mechanic is hard work."
"I know I was a mechanic before I got the name Trowa Barton," he replied as Duo dropped his body on the bed, he pulled an arm up and rested his head on it.
"Yeah? I was one for the Sweepers," Duo said. Trowa walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed Duo was laying on. "I had fun too, getin the beat up mobile suits and learnin how ta work on one."
"Do you miss the days before you were a Gundam pilot?" Trowa asked. Duo opened his eyes and thought on that question for a moment.
"It was hard, but I met alota good people. Alota good people that died in the war," Duo answered and rolled over back to Trowa. The ex-circus performer stared at the back of his head in silence.
I am not sure what had happened, but Duo just seemed to shut down for a bit. So I left him there to think about the past on the bed as I went to fix something to eat in the small kitchenette. I brought my sandwich and can of soda into the other room and turned the television on. I had made it a habit to sit next to Duo. So with one leg up against his back I flip through the channels until I come to a show that looked entertaining, it was about African wildlife. As I go to eat my lunch I feel Duo laugh beside me.
I know what he's laughing at, as he turns around and places his head on my thigh. Without thinking I place my hand on his head and start stroking his hair. Soon I feel him sleeping, though lightly beside me.
I stay like that for a while, my own head resting back against the headboard my hand running through Duo's hair. I admit I am still amazed that he kept it through two wars.
I feel him move and turn his back to me again. I move to lay down and wrap my arm around him, he doesn't move so I close my eyes and drift off into a nap.
There was a loud crash and Trowa as awake, gun pointing towards the noise as Duo held his hands up in surrender to him, the object that made the crashing sound in the sink. Trowa blinked, put his gun away and moved to see what the braided ex-pilot was doing. Noodles were being drained in a colander, the pot that had cooked them lay askew in the other side of the sink.
"Duo…"
"I know how ta cook," Duo protested. Trowa looked around and saw a couple of chicken breasts cooked to a golden brown and sliced, a casserole dish to the side of it. He lifted a brow, the dish looked just big enough to fit into the miniature oven. Trowa nodded his head then, moving to sit at the table. Duo went back to work on cooking the food. "Sorry I snapped. It's just that no one thinks I can cook."
"We've never seen you cook," Trowa replied.
"Yeah I know," Duo replied as he put the noodle, chicken and sauce into the oven. "But I had ta work on Sweepers and we took turns doin chores. I learned how ta cook on the shuttle."
"It wasn't just mechanic work?" Trowa asked.
"Nope, Sweepers run their own shuttles, and pull in their own scrap. They pride themselves on that," the braided male responded. Duo sat down and looked at Trowa. "Tro?" there was a soft hum from the male, once more Duo didn't answer.
Yeah I can pride myself sometimes with what I can cook. Alfredo casserole was one of em. Trowa seemed to like it too as he got seconds. I was too busy thinking of how we napped. His arm around me, it was weird. A good weird, but I didn't really know how ta tell him. Like I said I always thought that he and Quatre were a thing, but now I know that's not true, and Heero is with Relena. They make a good couple. I can read people fairly well, Trowa I can read sometimes, but I get the feelin he can read me more than I can read him. Okay maybe I am nuts after all.
I pushed the last few bites around on my plate.
"You are right Duo," I heard from across from me. Trowa had cleaned his second plate and was watching me. I must have had a confused look on my face because he talked again, "you can cook."
I grinned, "course I can!" Trowa gave his hum again. I am starting to learn what they mean, a bit different then Hero's 'hn' all the time. Trowa's sound more… warm.
Trowa did the dishes since Duo cooked. Duo sat on his bed and flipped once more through the channels. "You know," Duo started. "All this waiting in the hotel room is boring."
Turning his head to look at Duo, "the war was rather chaotic," Trowa replied. Duo looked over at him and shrugged his shoulders.
"Not really but we didn't get to stay if hotel rooms often either and when we were in a safe house we were fearing for our lives," Duo said. "This just feels strange to sit here and not have to worry."
"Then worry about this, we are the enemies of the preventers, which means Heero, Wufei and Quatre will be after us," Trowa said as he dried his hands.
"Great," Duo moaned, "didn't think of that."
"Not so fun playing the enemy side of friends is it?" Trowa teased. The braided male chuckled and shook his head. Walking over Trowa sat down on the bed and looked at the television and saw that Duo stopped on the channel he had been watching before the nap. Large cats were now on the screen, hunting down their pray.
"Tro," Duo started, Trowa hummed once more looking at Duo with his deep green eyes. "Where you and Quatre, ya know, a thing in the war?"
Trowa stared at him for long moment. "We were very good friends in the war," he answered, "you and Heero?"
"Phpft!" Duo crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. "All he cared about was the mission and be hell to anything else."
"So that is a no for both of us," Trowa said and shifted slightly in the bed.