Disclaimer: I don't own the GW characters – am just borrowing to torment for my amusement

Warnings: Swearing, yaoi, violence, general angst, possible OOCness (ages since I've written fanfiction so may be a little bit rusty)

Pairings: 1x2 , 3x4

A/N: Chapter title taken from the Editors song The Racing Rats… the chapter was inspired by the first verse – check it out. Thanks for the encouragement folks – is fun to be back in GW fanfic universe!

Chapter Two

Racing Rats

The bar was full with of a young and pretty crowd. It was a college town so it was a college crowd – first time away from mom and pops and drinking everything in sight. They didn't ID here – I'd not even bothered bringing out the fake driving license with a new fake name – so I just sat at the bar, drank beers and watched the band playing. They were a bunch of guys playing old covers but they were good. They diverted my attention as I felt alone and out of place. I came to places like this once I got fed up of my own company but it was one of those things that I was more lonely among all these people than if I'd just stayed in the motel – go figure.

The people around me always seemed so much younger than me though I was younger than them – they looked carefree, ready to have fun and drink and screw. All real simple for them. The band finished their set and I turned to the now empty beer. I looked at it and thought about going – really, I was a depressing or angry drunk. Neither were fun. But then I'd go back to that room and it would be another town, another message to Heero that he'd have ignored and I'd be back to packing up my go bag and leaving.

"Want another, buddy?" asked the bartender.

"Sure," I nodded, grabbing some bills from my pocket and paying the guy. He was cute but I wasn't looking.

I took a sip of the beer. Since Heero's amazing disappearing act and my own fall out with the others, I'd travelled around the Earth Sphere and the colonies in a useless attempt to find Heero. We'd had codes during the wars, we'd had recognisable fake names used to check into motels and I'd always left him a way to find me and he'd done the same. It was as near as we got to having something loving – you know, he knew I was there for him and I knew I could find him when I needed him. It had worked.

Each time I landed somewhere, I scouted around, did some research and then checked into scummy motel and set up my laptop to see if anything had been flagged under his alias' I was aware of and saw nada. He really didn't want me to find him. So I started reaching out to him, hell, I even checked in under Heero Yuy on a few occasions as bait. Nothing happened, same old, same old… I had successfully managed to push him away, bravo, asshole.

It was about time to give up – I'd pushed away everyone who gave a shit so now it was time to work out who I wanted to be next. I took another sip of beer. When you've managed to make Quatre hate you, you really have acted like an idiot. Maybe I'd grow up a bit – maybe after these months of searching and drinking and being an ass would be useful.

Naw, am pretty sure I'm the same idiot. I finished the bottle and was about to leave, putting my leather jacket back on when a pretty girl suggested I had another.

And that turned into another… I was pretty trashed by the time I decided to venture back to the motel, walking slightly unevenly. I was talking to myself, I could hear myself and hear that I was being an obvious drunk and thought they I looked like a target to be mugged. I hoped that my jeans with the holes around the knees and faded black band tee made me look like I had no money. If someone mugged me, the only thing I had that was worth any dough was the leather jacket and I think I'd probably ending up knifing someone if they tried to take it. Yeah, still carried around a knife.

I'd been talking to some girl in the bar and she'd asked where my friends were – and I'd laughed, didn't really feel like I had friends and I told her a bit of the sorry story of yours truly and a certain other hot shot pilot. Not the details but bits and pieces. It made a heart breaking tale. And then I'd drunk more alcohol and now was more the buzzed. I didn't usually let myself get like this – it was stupid to do it alone in a strange place. I was ranting. About him. I knew it was as I stumbled to the motel and managed to get the key out from my pocket.

"Damn, stupid, fucking thing…" I said grumpily as I dropped the key on the floor. My head spun as I tried to pick it up feeling a little bit sick. Stupid, stupid Duo.

I managed to grab the key and stand, a bit suddenly and it made my head spin but I then actually managed to achieve putting the key in the lock.

"About fucking time," I said to myself. I so shouldn't drink.

I looked behind me, feeling like I suddenly heard something. I was suddenly slightly more sober as I looked to see the parking lot around me. I reached for my pocket and the flick knife I'd carried around for years but then I saw a cat – a little cat. Well done, Shinigami, about to kill a kitty cat because you managed to get too drunk to function properly.

I continued ranting myself as I opened the door and got through the door to see the room pretty much as I left it. But it was pretty much. My brain was foggy but as I closed the door, I knew that it was not quite right. I brought out the flick knife and reached out to turn the light on. Even in my drunk state, I knew there were very few people who would try to find me or try to get into my room. My heart was beating faster and my mouth engaged before my brain.

"Heero?"

My hand reached the switch and I could see. Nope, not Heero.

"No," he said quietly.

Wufei was sat in a Preventer uniform, his arms folded across his chest and his black eyes studying me in a very detailed fashion.

"Shit, 'Fei, what the hell you doing here?"

"I believe they call this an intervention,"

I raised my eyebrows. "An intervention?"

"When someone is acting without regard to their own well-being, friends step in to tell the individual that they are being an idiot and persuade them to sort out their life."

"Lovely speech, 'Fei but I'm quite happy the way I am," I said walking towards the bed and dropping down on it. The room span a little now I'd stopped moving. "Though I do feel sick…"

He made a noise of disapproval in response. I flipped him – my levels of maturity know no bounds. "Oh shit…" I said, dragging myself to my feet and to the bathroom, passing him to throw up.

I hadn't thrown up in years and felt particularly sorry for myself as I did. I heard him enter the bathroom, turn on the light and I felt a hand pull my braid away from the bowl as I retched. An image I think I could never forget – Wufei pulling my hair back as I threw up. I sat up as I finished and he had passed me a glass of cold water.

"Drink," he instructed.

I did as I was told. I handed it back empty and he filled it and gave it back. I finished half of it this time and pushed my bangs from my sweaty forehead.

"Thanks, mom," I said sarcastically and got shakily to my feet.

"You should go to sleep – Maxwell, I have a lot to talk to you about but I feel perhaps, this is not a good time."

"Sure… do what you want…" I slurred, I dragged my body to the bed, throwing myself on it and let myself drift to sleep, still dressed and my boots on my feet. I could hear him sigh, prepared to give up and settle himself for sleep in the other bed.

I woke up with a headache I more than deserved and opened my eyes slightly to see no Wufei. I thought I'd dreamt it until I saw the Preventer jacket was slung over one of the chairs. Figures, maybe gone to find sustenance.

I managed to move my sorry ass to the bathroom and shower and change into some clean clothes before he returned. He arrived back as I was rebraiding my hair and he proceeded to stare at me puzzled.

"It doesn't magically braid itself," I said, sarcastically.

His eyes narrowed and stopped staring as I secured it with a hair tie. I realised that none of them had ever seen my hair down – not even Heero. He'd always been oddly fascinated with my hair but he knew it was an unspoken thing – he never tried to get it loose, I would have probably tried to break his nose if he had.

He handed me coffee and I drank it gladly. Black and strong. He remembered how I took my coffee, I looked over as he produced food. There was some fruit and some bagels. Healthier than I would have picked after the amount of drinking but it would soak up what remained of the alcohol. I turned on the television as we ate, feeling slightly self-conscious of him. He looked assured, grown up and I was in a band tee and hung over. I felt a lot younger than him. He'd obviously managed to work out how to live after the war. We were never the best of buds but I had a respect for him, he was a good guy and though he teased me and called me idiot, I usually deserved it at those times.

"So… an intervention? I thought everyone you knew turned up and told you how much of an asshole you were."

"Perhaps intervention is the wrong word. I wanted to stop you from the life you've been living the past few months. If Yuy does not want to be found, you will simply keep hurting yourself if you continue to try."

I swallowed. It made sense. He didn't want to be found so why was I still trying? Perhaps because when I did, he would understand me like he used to. Or maybe he wouldn't. Damn, how the hell did I know? I barely knew the guy when I was with him. The distance of the past few months could have changed him. He might be all grounded and settled. He might be like Wufei and found his place. Shit, I didn't know. His voice distracted me from my own thoughts.

"I also wanted to give you an opportunity."

"Opportunity?"

He nodded and produced an envelope from his duffle, throwing onto the bed beside me. "It's a job offer."

I think my eyes might have popped out a little. "Job offer… for the Preventers?"

I couldn't think of anything more unlikely. I was not Preventer material. I knew that, hell, most people who hadn't even met me would know I was not Preventer material. I was reckless, I worked best alone, I liked things that went kaboom… I wasn't really a Preventer of peace. Duo Maxwell was no pacifist. Plus I was an argumentative son of bitch. Heero could attest to that. Put simply, my personality and general disposition was unsuited to the Preventers. And I was fine with that. Yeah, perfectly fine with it.

"This is a specialist division of the Preventers," he said in explanation.

I raised my eyebrows. "Specialist?"

"You didn't think you would be asked to be a standard Preventer agent?"

"Hell, no – don't think I could wear the suit every day… you know I don't like wearing ties."

He grunted in response and drank some more coffee as I opened the packet. On the front of a file was Asset 002. Flattering. I flicked it open to see a few photographs of myself and a report written about my abilities and temperament. I skim read it but I could see a few important words. Ouch, I could summarise into "does not play with others" and mildly psychotic. I looked up at him. "Really, psychotic?"

He shrugged slightly. "You should read Yuy's."

I snorted in response. "Yeah… add emotionally retarded and self-destructive…among other things…"

I flicked through the pages seeing the job I was being offered. I finally reached the numbers page with a breakdown of salary and benefits. I think my jaw might have dropped.

"You're kidding?"

"I'm being entirely serious. I am here on behalf of Une herself. This is a very specialist department. I think you can understand."

"I understand, 'Fei, I really do but this… it's a lot."

"The money compensates you for the lifestyle you will have to adopt. You understand what this type of work will mean?"

My eyes drifted around the motel room. I understood enough but what did I have to give up? I'd pushed away everyone I gave a damn about. People like Hilde and Howard would take me back but you know, I was being a fuck up and it was probably time I faced that.

"It means Duo Maxwell is dead," I said.

Wufei nodded. "We could arrange your death if you would prefer people to think that."

"Naw, don't bother, who cares now?"

He looked ready to answer but I held my hand up. "It was a rhetorical questions, 'Fei, I know there are people who might like closure, but you know, I'd feel bad if they knew I was dead. Seems a bit… cruel, you know."

There was a silence in the room as I flicked through the file thoroughly.

"So… it's all off the official record."

"Yes. I will be your handler. No other agent will contact you or communicate with unless I have specified. It is to protect you and the Preventers."

"Don't want it getting out that you've got a psychopath working for you, do ya?"

"That's not the reason, Maxwell and you know that. It would be bad press for the Preventer agents to be engaging with this type of criminals and you will be granted a level of discretion regarding your actions."

"Discretion?"

"If it is necessary to kill someone, you can do it."

"It doesn't sound very… peaceful."

"Sometimes extreme solutions are needed."

It seemed all a bit extreme but who was I to talk? I knew that since the war, the crime levels had spiked due to a lot of ex-soldiers who had no work and an overflow of anger. The major changes in politics had caused some small terrorist cells to emerge and the chaos of this had allowed more garden variety crime to flourish. Drugs, guns, prostitution, all that shit had become prominent and the Preventers were struggling to deal with it. I'd not had my head up my ass all the time I'd been messing around the last few months. Just most of it. I read the papers. Saw the news. I knew stuff was bad in already deprived areas. Places like L2. Like inner cities.

"Is this a limited time offer?"

"I want a decision today."

I looked back at the file. There were a list of organisations and gangs that were considered threats to peace. Cute term.

"I've got a condition."

"Duo, this is not the sort of offer that allows conditions."

"Hear me out, 'Fei. The job sounds good, the money sounds awesome, you know, but I don't want to go to L2. Send me to any other colony – any city or shitty little town but not back to L2."

"I'd have to talk to my superiors."

"No, 'Fei, I don't care what your superiors say. I want to ask you as a former comrade, whether you would not make me go back to the place where I hated most. I am asking you… as a friend."

He blinked. I'm sure the reports they'd done on my background said it all. I wasn't about to tell him the whole sorry tale… I'd never told a soul the whole thing but I bet he knew enough.

"I will promise."

"You know a promise is a big thing… you know, with your honour and everything."

I offered my hand which he took and we shook. "Right, now you've got yourself a new specialist undercover Preventer field agent. What next?"

"Pack, Maxwell. We have a field office to visit and new identities to create."

I packed up, looking back at the sad motel room and handed back my keys to the clerk in the office as 'Fei started up his black SUV. She smiled at me, a cute young girl, as I handed it back.

"Hope you had a nice stay, Mr Yuy."

I smiled a little as I left and felt a little lighter. I wasn't going to look for him anymore – I was moving on. And I didn't look back as I got into the black SUV.

New start and all.