Hey there

My apologies to everyone for the amount of time it is taking me to get chapters of all of the fics I'm working on lately done. Real life is biting but the writing, slow as it is, will still go on. It's my therapy and one should never give up on one's therapy, yes?

Hope you enjoy.

Karina

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Bishi Pile Challenge:

Major challenge response: Conspiracy, Information, Organisation, Data

Minor challenge response: Murder, Veteran, Curiosity, Assassination

Word count: 4,775

Series: Friends 2: Friends and Enemies

Author: Karina

Pairings: Zechs + Duo, Trowa x Quatre

Ratings: M 15+ [In Australia] Rated in the event of bad language and violence.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters.

Warnings: No apology given for Aussie spelling, but fair warning given.

Many thanks to Katie for betaing this fic and to Dragon Dagger who reminds me of the differences in speech patterns.

Character Challenge: Quatre, Trowa, Duo

Chapter 11

The silence was pregnant with emotion, none of it genial. Quatre held himself tightly in check, wanting to push his friend hard for information and Duo barely held his urge to strike out again at what he viewed a threat. He had already slogged his friend once and he really wanted to avoid another confrontation that might degenerate into a brawl—he doubted Quatre would restrain himself if he was punched a second time.

He could not understand what was wrong with Quatre though. Something had dug under his friend's skin and was biting-hard. Something that probably was important if Quatre was pushing as hard as he was and not taking time to consider upsetting others. Normally the blonde would tip toe around in a complex dance designed to get him what he wanted with the least resistance possible.

But not now, not this time. Why?

Duo did not break promises. For all of his generally outgoing nature he was, in reality, a private person. He had made an art form of hiding the real Duo behind a larrikin nature, jokes and a genial smile. Scratch too deeply at that surface though and you found yourself faced with what he called Shinigami, his much darker, dangerous and far less funny persona.

Blue eyes, just for the briefest moment, glinted with shimmering violet but the blue subjugated the violet before Quatre could be sure if he saw it or not.

The blonde shifted uncomfortably in his seat, hands clenched tightly together on his lap out of sight of his companion. Not one part of this interview with Duo was going as he had predicted it would. Was he slipping when he could least afford to make mistakes?

He had every confidence in Duo's skills, be it behind the wheel of a car or piloting a space shuttle, but Duo seemed to have taken umbrage at his trust and was throwing up barriers against him, no matter what he did. To be frank, Quatre was finding himself somewhat uncertain as to how to go about breaking those barriers down and still keep their communication open. This altercation, this misunderstanding, had the potential to threaten the ties that bound them and he wanted nothing to change their friendship.

Threat or no threat to his standing with the other man, Quatre felt that he could not leave the situation alone. Something had to be done to settle what could be an even greater threat to world peace than past wars had proven to be. He could only place his trust in his friend to see his way through this period of… well… difficulty? Miscommunication? Rather an understatement really and he could not hesitate, not for long, and still make a difference to people who stood the greatest chance of being exploited.

This was more than being about himself and Duo and Marquise. They were not the only ones who could be affected, exploited and abused.

Taking a deep breath he focused on what Duo had said and fought down the quiver of dread. He could not afford to give up. Duo did not break promises, he knew it all too well, but in this case… in this case he simply had to!

He had not expected what Duo had revealed in a few simple, tersely phrased words. Maxwell made no promises lightly, not even to his friends. He was careful about giving his word because he would not break it, so what had happened between them in a few short nights for Marquise to have drawn a promise of non-interference from Duo?

Why?

Duo must have made an offer of some kind and how could Marquise have won his trust enough to get Duo to make that offer to help? They had not known each other before Maxwell had gone up the mountain, and as generous as Duo was he was not prone to making hasty offers. He was too careful for that.

So what might it have been, what had happened between him and Marquise, for Duo to take the plunge and make the offer?

Marquise had refused him, that much was obvious to Quatre. Marquise had not only refused him but had drawn a promise of non interference. The man did not intend to involve anyone in his business, but it could not be said that Duo was just 'anyone'.

Maxwell was a professional. A trained field agent. Duo claimed skills that could not easily be overlooked in regard to any clandestine activities Quatre could think up—and he could, from Quatre's experience, think up a great many scenarios. Duo was versatile, a dab hand at most skills, capable of improvising at need… generally not someone you would want working against you.

If one's back was to the wall Quatre could think of no finer ally to have than Duo.

A sudden vibration against his upper thigh almost caused him to wince.

Again? Really he should not be surprised and he should stop torturing himself. He was not by nature a masochist, though everyone claimed he needlessly tortured himself by taking the blame for everything on himself. But he did not do that. They thought he did, but he did not. He knew what was his fault, what he had caused through actions linking back to actions he had taken that others missed.

But this, here and now with the phone, was torturing himself.

He had made up his mind how things would be until the situation was satisfactorily resolved, when he had taken the first step on the course to escape from his duties as the Winner. There was not much he could do in the long term, Trowa was too good, claimed too many skills for him to avoid for long, but for however long he was capable he would keep Trowa out of the mess he was embroiled in.

Not that Trowa would be inclined to thank him for it. He would get a terrible lecture from his lover when it was all over, or rather when Trowa caught up with him, as he inevitably must. He needed to keep Trowa safe; the man was trying so hard to have a 'normal' life, as normal as one could have given one's lover was the uber rich and influential Quatre Winner.

He was not an idiot. He knew that at some point it would come to Trowa being involved. Until then, until it was inevitable, he would take no calls from his lover and he knew, given the time, who would have initiated the first call more than an hour ago.

He was a coward. It was past time he destroyed the chip in his phone in the event he weakened and answered, just to hear his lover's voice. The minute he hit that button to answer the call the phone's chip could be traced by Preventers… and any other interested parties seeking to locate him.

He would send another phone to Trowa, one he knew was safe, and it would contain one of the phone numbers that was, for the present, untraceable. They could use the phone perhaps twice, maybe a third time? Perhaps not, he reflected, his fingers curling over the phone, clenching tight. It would not be worth the risk. And that reminded him, he needed to speak to Rashid and have one or more of the men they had stationed around the city purchase more of the pre paid phones. The things were wonderful for private conversations, in that it took far longer to trace them than it took to trace the standard mobile telephone system.

How many calls was it now? Trowa had been him calling for over an hour and every few minutes the phone would vibrate and he would ignore it until it stopped. Then he would be left to fight off the guilt. Raising his free hand to his face he covered his eyes, hating himself. He needed Duo to confide in him and he could not give his full attention to convincing his friend of their need whilst fending off Trowa.

"Zoning out again, Quatre?"

Taking a deep breath Quatre shook his head slightly, drawing the mobile unit from his trouser pocket. In front of Duo he slipped the back off the device, teased out the processor chip and destroyed it by dropping it onto the floor and stamping on it a few times until he heard something crack. It took more effort than he had expected to break the chip.

"Quatre?" Duo was watching him as though he expected him to explode at any second, his blue eyes bright with genuine concern. "I don't think that was a good thing. What did you just do, Kitty Kat?"

No, it was not a good thing, but it was necessary. He could no longer afford to be distracted by thoughts of Trowa.

"I just… assured us… of some privacy. He's been calling every few minutes now since they landed the helo. I expect it did not take Une long to have a few words with him and needlessly worry him. I expected it, of course, but I had hoped she would at least wait until they returned to headquarters. No such luck though from the timing."

Blue eyes, wide with that deceptive innocence he was so capable of portraying, blinked. Once… twice… "You just cut off Trowa?"

"Unfortunately. It's necessary. For his safety as well as ours."

"What the hell had you done, Quatre?"

Duo looked anything but amused and Quatre had to resist the urge to flinch from him and tell him he had expected Duo not to like anything about this mission at first. He had to treat it like a mission and perhaps the most important mission he had ever participated in.

Duo had quite the temper when he lost control of himself and Quatre was only too aware that he had been pushing his friend since his return from the mountain. That Duo had hit him, and he had NOT pulled that punch in the least, demonstrated just how tetchy the man was getting. He needed to be careful and to get Duo on side. It was the only way he could learn what he needed to know of Marquise and his abilities.

He could not adequately plan for anything if he did not have the best data to process.

"I did what I needed to do, Duo. As I always do. I am well aware that I will be anything but popular with the guys when they realise what I have done, but it was something that I needed to do. For your sake, Duo, for Marquise and for me too. It's even possible… No, I know full well there are others out there, all throughout the ESUN, Earth and the colonies. There are others who claim similar abilities to us, who are working for the people who have now targeted Marquise. We need to know everything we can about them to help them-or to prepare against them. Some may not care, but it is likely some of them would be in two minds about working for these people who have targeted Zechs."

Duo was looking at him with a seriousness that suggested Duo was quite convinced he had bitten off more than he could safely chew without choking himself to death. He might have been right, but Quatre was going to be as prepared as he could possibly be before anyone found them.

"It's all about conspiracies, Duo. Knowledge and what to do with it. That is what it is all about."

"I don't get you, Quatre. It has nothing to do with you, with anyone. Why are you getting involved in something that has nothing to do with you? It's not Winner Enterprises related, you know? It does not concern you, or me, or Une, or anyone else that we know. Marquise is nothing to you so why interfere?"

"Because someone has to and I have the best resources to make an appreciable difference."

Another blank look tinged with disbelief… was that, perhaps, a hint of hope he saw almost buried by the disbelief? Did Duo think he might see a way to interfere in events without breaking his promise to Marquise?

"I don't get it. Your logic defies me."

Or maybe it was just his imagination.

He had an uncomfortable feeling he might as well try to get blood out of a stone as get information out of Duo until Maxwell understood his, admittedly, abstract reasoning. He had known it would not be easy, but he had not expected Marquise to skittle him before he even began. He had to get Duo to understanding his thinking and help him… he knew he was right.

Someone, somewhere, had formed a black ops group that was unlike any other elite group that existed within the confines of the ESUN. This particular organisation included amidst its agents an unknown number of working psychics who could make all the world of difference to the direction the ESUN might take. He knew it, call it intuition or whatever, but he knew he was right.

"I know it does not seem to make any sense, but believe me, please, when I tell you I am doing what I am doing for good reason. I would not lightly cut off communication to Trowa or to Une and the others. Someone has to take a stand in this situation. If I am right, and I am sure that I am, then there is an organisation out there that is making use of people who have very specific talents… psychic talents… and it has to be monitored. Just as much harm as good can come of them interfering in the direction we are taking. The use of people who have those kinds of abilities, to directly affect the future of ESUN policy, needs to be monitored."

"And who better to monitor that influence than you?"

"No. No, that is not what I am trying to do! An organisation made up of psychics teamed with ordinary people who are well educated in the ways of politics and big business, who are open minded to the paranormal, and who can nip disaster in the bud before it happens. That is what is happening right now, Duo. They are out there, active and they have been rather successful… perhaps too successful."

"You think Zechs is a part of an organisation that uses unexplained and unproven… erm… Well, whatever you want to call it."

"Yes, Duo, that is what I believe. I also think they were successful enough that they have been noticed by people I think it would be a very bad idea to give that kind of power to. I think they are being taken over and their doctrine is in the process of being compromised from within. It happens in all organisations at some point and when it does, change is inevitable. Change that may not necessarily be for the better."

Duo was watching him with narrowed eyes, and if there had been a glint of dangerous violet it was replaced now by interest. Quatre could feel it, the interest in him and his ideas. Duo was anything but a stupid man and there was that ability he had that Quatre knew existed and Duo used but denied. He had not lost Duo yet. If he chose his words carefully and gave Duo his due, he would have a willing helper, regardless of the promise made to Marquise.

"I believe the organisation behind the black ops group is made up of private wealthy individuals… businessmen, politicians and military personnel who had the best interests of the ESUN at heart. They have worked for years now, in the shadows, to keep the peace on track, but something has changed. I am inclined to believe that the centre of power within the organisation has somehow shifted. I don't know how or why. Someone may have had a change of heart, their interests may have changed, or they introduced someone at some stage who had their own agenda. Whatever it was, as a result of that shift, changes are being made to the structure of the organisation and its intentions, and that someone, or multiple someones, are now engaged in cleaning house. Anyone who might be seen as being a problem to the new directive will be eliminated by whatever means necessary."

"Someone like Zechs."

"Yes. There would be others too; it would not just be Zechs who would be targeted. Given his background and personal history Zechs would more than worry anyone who thought he might not see things their way. Knowing what you know about him, would you want that man in a pissy mood, breathing down your neck?"

"No. No, I can't say that I would."

Duo looked anything but irate now, watching him still with guarded eyes but that anger was banked now, controlled for the moment, and he was listening.

"I have people looking into it, but it will take time. I knew that as soon as I moved to initiate those enquiries I would become a target… and through me all of you. You were already involved though, because you have come into contact with Marquise and they can not be sure if he has told you anything about what he has been doing these last few years. I decided that if I could separate myself quickly enough from Trowa and the others, then they should be safe. I can at the least trust Une to watch out for them. She might need to assign them a mission, something that will keep them out of harms way, but it should be plain enough to those involved that I am the one doing this."

Duo snorted, shifting his weight in the chair, shaking his head slowly. "That does not mean they wouldn't use the others to get to you. No one is really going to be safe, Quatre. Not if you are right."

"I know, but they are warned something is up. They will be alert and they will not relax in a hurry. They should be able to guard each others backs, and their own. I only hope they are sensible enough to not get involved."

Duo laughed softly, a short, bitter and harsh sound. "You are an idiot, Quatre Winner. A big hearted, well meaning idiot. Marquise is sure he can handle the shit going down and I sort o' believed him. He's not useless, he's just as well trained as you and me and he's capable of doing some nasty shit, just look at the past. He won't take kindly to interference."

"That's alright, Duo, I am quite aware he will not be amused. I'll be sure to hide behind you when he finds out and comes gunning for me."

The angelic smile took Duo by surprise and the laugh this time was less bitter, more his usual manic cackle.

"You'll hide behind me? What the fuck makes you think that will be a safe place to hide?"

Quatre shrugged. "He must like you if he didn't do anything to insight a confrontation with Shinigami up on the mountain. If even a half of what I suspect about him is close to the truth, then that man is far more dangerous than we estimated. During the war he was right up there on the top five of my personal 'not to be messed with unless you can take him down in one shot' list."

"He has a certain way with words,' Duo breathed, leaning back in his seat and staring absently up toward the unseen mountains. "You can tell when he's serious and you get this feelin'. You know that you really don't want to get him angry at you... And Quatre, this will get the man more than angry."

"But it's not just about him, Duo. It's not just about Zechs, or you, or me. It's about others as well. They know they are out there now, real and capable of affecting the direction the world takes. They will look for them and they will find them… and they will use them."

Duo shook his head slightly. "Speculation. All of it."

"I'm pretty sure he works with others who are as 'special' in their own way, as he is in his 'special' ability. Special as in psychic. Real psychics, Duo, not charlatans out to make money from deceiving vulnerable others. People who are like us. You and me. Empaths like me, probably telepaths, precogs like you."

"Yeah, well about that. I think you are wrong there, Quatre. There ain't nothin' special about me."

"I've known it for a long time, Duo, and you will have to accept it eventually. You have a form of precognitive talent. You just 'know' what to do and when to do it… and that is a very special talent. Some people have years worth of warning, dreams, visions, whatever form it takes. Others might know a few hours or minutes in advance. Some precogs would see events clearly, some not. Some, like you, might not 'see' events at all, merely 'feel'. I know you are psychic because I am psychic and it is a part of me to recognise the same talent in others. These abilities do not have to work all the time, we would probably go insane if they did, but when they do work there is no denying them. I tried for years to deny what it was in me that was different. I nearly went insane. Don't you make that same mistake."

"This is not about me."

"It is. Duo, it is about you, me, Marquise and anyone who works with that organisation. Anyone who is alive out there in the wide ESUN who is psychic, who might come to that group's notice and be pulled into it. For those people already in the midst of it their lives are marked if they do not toe the line, and do you honestly think only Zechs would be considered a danger to the people who are now working to a new and different agenda? Tell me, why would Marquise have joined this group?"

"Like I'm supposed to know?"

"Speculate, Duo. You know his reputation, you have now met the man. Speculate."

Blue eyes narrowed and there was the smallest hint of violet in their depths. "Some would say he's a rabid dog in search of a master to point him in the direction of something to savage."

Quatre did not particularly like the coolness in Duo's voice, not that he could not understand the sentiment behind the comment. Duo had had his fair share of people seeking to lord it over him as Master, and get him to follow obediently in their wake. That he resisted their control and thumbed his nose at them in the process was earning him the reputation of being a dog that might at any time go rabid.

"I have no doubt that all Zechs ever wanted was a world that was at peace, and he probably saw and understood more of what was going on than you and I did during the war. He was never a fool or a rabid dog. Milliardo Peacecraft and Zechs Marquise was very precise and deliberate in his actions. I doubt that has changed in the intervening years, nor would his motive for his actions. Duo, I am not his enemy any more than I am your enemy. We are all linked by being that little bit different from what is considered to be the norm. It is high time what is considered to be 'normal' was overhauled. It does not surprise me that someone is making use of people with psychic abilities; what did surprise me was the work they were doing. From what I have learned of it I can only see that it has benefitted the ESUN as a whole… to this point."

"Just how much do you know about this black ops group?"

"A little, nowhere near enough to satisfy me at this time but I have to work with what I know, and I am still hunting out more information. What I do know suggests that recently something about the group has changed. They worked with supreme discretion, it is hard to distinguish their fingers pulling selective strings where no deaths occurred. Everything seemed perfectly normal, natural. More recently there have been a few suspicious deaths which resulted in sudden changes in political policy or in business dealings that, once I looked and understood what I was looking at, raised my eyebrows. In effect the gloves have come off. There appears to be a shift in their policy that quiet subterfuge is to be desired and it is being replaced by something that is altogether darker."

Duo drew a deep breath and held it, considering, and Quatre held his peace, content to allow Duo to review what he had been told.

"So… do you think it is just a policy change or is it more likely to be a full change of leadership?"

"I would expect there have been considerable changes at the head of the organisation. Subtle changes at first, until the structure that the new controllers desired was in place. Possibly there might have been a few comments made after missions that were not the usual, more subtle form of interference, which has necessitated a cleaning of house of the old guard. It is possible that people now in control believe that if they make an example of prime troublemakers, like Marquise and a few others who can cause them the most grief if they decided to openly defy their orders, that the other agents would quietly accept the new leadership."

"In fear of being the next example? Do you think they are right about that? That they will be unopposed after an example or two?"

"It would depend on how well acquainted with each other the psychic agents are. There would be a lot of factors to consider, like how many of them, psychics or more normal agents, are veterans from the war. How many are civilians with no military experience? How many are prone to standing up for their rights and how many have been isolated by their different abilities? That sense of being isolated, of being different, can affect how a person will react to a change of leadership. How many of the agents working for them are angry with the direction the ESUN is heading? How many of them think a more hard line approach is more appropriate? There are too many questions. I can't begin to answer them at this time. We don't know how many of the agents are actual working psychics, and if any of them are working under duress. Do they work in teams and if so how many in the team would be a 'special' agent and how many 'normal's'. Does that special talent set them apart with respect or fear?"

Duo absently toyed with the tail of his braid, eyeing his blonde friend with narrowed eyes. "Just how long have you known about this organisation?"

"Mm?"

Quatre looked up absently from where his hands were locked around the empty cell phone, long delicate fingers toying with the device. He had been in a world of his own, his thoughts flying from point to point as he sought some workable insight into the organisation he was already targeting.

"Duo? Sorry, I was thinking. What did you say?"

"How long have you known about this organisation and its black ops group?"

Blue eyes blinked owlishly as he dragged his thought back from the logistics of integrating psychics with non psychics in a viable working team.

"How long have I known? Oh, I haven't… not really. I've heard the odd whisper but it was never enough to really get me curious-not until now, of course. I have feelers out, and Rashid is investigating for me but it will all take time. They have interfered with Winner Enterprises in the past, twice that I am aware of, but only once that I can positively confirm. To manage to infiltrate Winner Enterprises and have a satisfactory result for them come of it and to NOT attract my interest before now... They are quite good, Duo."

"Yeah. I'm beginning to think so. So all of that over the last few minutes-it's all speculation on your part?"

"Most of it. One has to start somewhere and sound practical speculation is a good beginning."

End

Karina Robertson 2011

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Authors Note:

Katie asked a question that made me realise some people might not understand the reference to 'skittled'. In deference to those people skittled basically refers to 'being bowled over'. It is an old English game involving knocking down nine pins, rather like 10 pin bowling. Sir Francis Drake was, I believe, said to be playing skittles when the Spanish Armada attacked England.