A/N: Hey everyone! I do not own any of the g-boys but I do have a few OC outside of them that were of my creation. Here's another idea that I came up with recently that I thought would be somewhat of a challenge to write. I am still pretty iffy on this one, so let me know what you think.
Summary: After Project Meteor, the G-boys went their separate ways. 7 years later, a new group has made an appearance. The movement is called the "Genesis" movement. The G-boys come together to help Preventers bring a halt to the illegal experiments that have been taking place. Eventual Duo/Heero get together fic. The story centralizes around the "Genesis" movement and the trials and tribulations the G-boys face in the process.
The Space Between Us
Chapter 7
Duo's POV
/Shit, shit, shit!/ I thought as I ran down the platform to board the train.
The license place was ridiculous. After I contacted Heero it took me at least three hours to get the paperwork and fill it out. By the time I finished and they were able to process my request, the desk lady informed me that it would not be reviewed until Monday. I shared a couple of words with her and her boss but nothing changed the outcome.
Once I was done there I had to meet with the guys at the port to sign off on the supplies and check that it was all there before the delivery guy was satisfied enough to load it onto the ship. That alone took another hour.
I helped Gerald and Charlie with the launch papers before informing them that I wouldn't be going with them. They were not happy with the information and had some colorful words to say about it, they wanted to be granted more time land-side until at least Monday. I argued with them for about 45 minutes before they shut up about it and got on their way.
After they left I sent Howard an e-mail to inform him of the changes and their ETA. At least he was professional about it, I wasn't about to have the staff on his port go without food just because the two idiots wanted to get their jollies off. Howard thought the situation was funny but I didn't see the humor in it, obnoxious old man.
I arrived at the platform a few minutes before the train arrived and sighed in relief. I thought I would have to wait another 30 minutes for the next train and it was already going on 5:30. This whole day was a mess and just taxing, to say the least. All I wanted to do was get back to the apartment and eat since I skipped lunch. My stomach chose that moment to protest loudly.
/Jeezus I am starving! I shouldn't have skipped lunch.../ I thought to myself as I waited.
Looking down at my watch, I realized that I hadn't heard from Heero since this morning, I wonder how his day went.
You: Hey, how're things going on your end?
*Receiver typing...
Heero: Probably about as good as it did on yours.
I worried about his response. I'd hoped he had time to take it easy with how his leg was protesting this morning.
You: What's up? Something happen?
*Receiver typing...
*Receiver typing...
Heero: Nothing life-threatening.
You: That could mean anything when it involves you. What went down? I thought you were just going to do some mundane stuff today.
*Receiver typing...
*Receiver typing...
Heero: Relena contacted me today, wanted to meet up for lunch.
I rolled my eyes at that. From what he told me about her attitude I doubt that was a pleasant get together. I sighed and typed my response.
You: Do you want to talk about it?
Heero: Not particularly...it's not something I want to rehash...
You: That bad huh...
Heero: That's putting it lightly. How was the licensing?
You: It was fucking ridiculous. It took me three hours to get it all done just to be told it would be processed on Monday...fucking useless staff. I had a few words with them but it didn't change the outcome.
Heero: Yeah, the system is still pretty new and they like to change policies a lot. Did you manage to get everything else handled?
I smiled and looked up at the sign, the train was arriving so I stood up and stretched before walking to the side of the platform to wait for it to arrive.
You: Yeah, I'm on my way back now, the train has just arrived, sorry if I held you up.
*Receiver typing...
Heero: It's no problem, you aren't too late. Dinner should be ready by the time you get here. I'll see you then.
The train arrived right after he finished his text. /Perfect timing, the only thing that has gone right today./ I thought as I boarded the train and sat down for the ride.
I got to the apartment building right at 6:15. Running up to the door I realized I didn't have the code to get in. I looked around for a way to buzz up and, thankfully there was a screen that allowed me to type in his apartment number.
"Yuy," I heard him respond through the intercom.
"Hey, It's me. Can you buzz me up? I don't know the door code." I heard him laugh softly before the door unlocked, allowing me entrance. I walked over to the elevator and fidgeted as I waited, I was never a patient person so I've been told. The elevator finally made it to the ground floor and I road it up to the 4th floor. I took a moment to appreciate the building, I didn't bother to look at it when Heero brought me in last evening. The colors were pleasant and it was very tidy. I walked down the hall and opened his apartment door to find him dishing something that smelled delicious up on two plates.
"That smells great 'Ro..." He looked up and smirked as I took off my shoes and approached the island. He set the plate down in front of me and I swear I started drooling. He picked up his plate and took a seat across from me on the other side of the island with an unobtrusive wince. If I wasn't looking at his face I wouldn't have noticed it.
I took a bite out of my food and nodded in his direction, "Your leg still bothering you?"
I don't think he thought I noticed, he had a look of surprise on his face as he answered, "Yeah...I'm hoping a swim will help."
"Is it normal to be bothering you for as long as it has," I questioned.
He sighed and took a bite from his food, "It's not uncommon...I might have pushed it a little too far yesterday..."
I didn't know what to say to that. He seemed to be still touchy about people worrying over his state. The few times that I tried to inquire he pushed it off and didn't want to discuss it. I looked down at my food and took another bite, we sat in silence for a few minutes as we ate. I took the time to think of a way to approach the subject without him taking it the wrong way.
"How's your back doing? You told me yesterday that it sometimes flares up with your leg. That been bothering you?" I asked
He rested his elbow on the table and rested his hand in his hair and continued to eat without giving me an answer. I sighed, set my fork down, and leaned back on the stool. "Look, I get that you don't want to be babied but if it's starting to spread to your back maybe you should consider going in to get it looked at."
He sighed and set his fork down, "It's not too severe...I know the feeling when it gets to that point."
"Meaning you've pushed to that point before," I sighed and shook my head. I reached down and continued to eat. Seems like he is still as stubborn as ever.
After a few minutes, he responded, "Look...I appreciate your concern Duo, honestly. I'm just not used to it outside of Wufei and..." He didn't finish his sentence which immediately piqued my interest.
Before I could say anything his com beeped and he connected the call, /Saved by the bell Yuy.../
He held up a hand asking for silence and answered, "Yuy...Chang?" He was silent as he listened to the response.
From the way his face was screwed up I doubted that it was a personal call. I picked up my empty plate and took it to the sink before going out on the balcony to give him some privacy.
The artificial sunlight had started to fade, making the pool and the gym sparkle with gold color. Resting my elbows on the banister, I pulled my cigarettes out of my back pocket and rested one between my lips. Tucking the pack away, I lit the cigarette and inhaled slowly. I know what your thinking, smoking is bad Maxwell, you shouldn't do it, right? Yeah, I am well aware of it not being healthy but after everything that happened with Hilde, I couldn't bring myself to quit.
I let out the smoke and watched it dance in the air, making odd shapes before dissipating. I could hear his baritone voice filtering through the glass door, it was smooth monotone, completely business. I couldn't make out what was being said but I figured it wasn't my business anyway.
Taking another drag I stared down at the crystal water of the pool in the distance. I hoped that whatever was going on it didn't change the plans for the night. I don't know if I could handle seeing Wufei right now if he chose to 'swing by' like he was known to do in the past. He had always had the worse timing when it came to his 'visits'.
I chuckled in the memory of the time he came over while he was on L2 for business. He got more of an eye full than he was expecting. Without a warning, he had come over and didn't bother to call ahead. His face was so beat red when he walked into the office at the yard and caught me and Hilde in a rather...compromising situation. Since then he always made it a point to call ahead or at least knock. I shook my head and watched as the red cherry on my cigarette flickered, a small trail of smoke coming from its end. That happened a few months after I and Hilde decided to be a 'thing'. Had it really been that long since he last spoke with him? I shook my head and sighed.
Heero's voice had fallen silent and I heard the glass doors slide open as he joined me on the balcony. He leaned both his arms on the banister and rested his chin in his hand as he stared out at the view. We stood there in silence as I finished my cigarette and put it out on the soul of my shoe.
I took a moment to appreciate the light shining in his hair, almost giving him a soft glow as his cobalt eyes reflected the lights of the town in them. He really was a handsome guy...and off-limits. I trailed my eyes down the side of his neck and stared at the tattoo peeking out of the collar of his button-up. I was still curious as to what it was and why he got it. During the war he made it very clear he didn't like needles, I wondered what changed for him to willingly have it done.
"Sorry about that...Something happened that he felt I needed to know," He explained.
I tucked the bud into my pocket and leaned my back against the banister, and slid my hands into my back pockets, "Want to talk about it? Whatever it was seemed to shake you a bit, you didn't look pleased."
He had a look on his face that told me he was debating, his forehead was slightly creased and his eyebrows were drawn together in thought, "Our informant missed the check-in time, It's not something this specific informant made a habit of, he was always on time with his check-ins."
"Do you think something has happened? How deep was he in.." I inquired
"...I can't tell you much because it's confidential information. Most I can tell you was that he was in pretty deep. Genesis has layers to it. From what we have found out so far, you can get the stuff done from at least a hand full of people if the augmentation is simple. They also have runners that collect the money and the like. The more serious augmentations require a meeting with a lead in the operation that specializes in the specific augmentations that are requested. So far we have narrowed it down to three, possibly four leaders that are considered specialists in their field." He explained.
I nodded and looked up at the sky. I could see the stars starting to form as the light dimmed, "Sounds like a minefield..."
"It can be..." Came his simple answer.
"I didn't pay much attention to what was going on down here, the most I know that was going on was prosthetics and splicing. Is there more to the group?" I asked.
He gave a slight nod, "They started with prosthetics and augmentations like chips and bionics. Recently they have expanded into experimental drugs that temporarily enhance mental and physical aspects such as strength, speed, and the like. They also have been expanding to include illegal gene splicing. From what we understand the physical and mental enhancements are only temporary, they eventually wear off and it requires regular doses administered every few weeks to keep it. You could understand why that would get addictive." He looked over at me and stood up rubbing at his back before continuing.
"As for the Gene Splicing...depending on the extent it can lead to major health issues or physical changes. These can range from permanent to temporary, allowing the clients to splice multiple times. The problem with the multiple splicings that are temporary is that the DNA composition breaks down over time. Organs start to fail and, if not addressed, could lead to death due to the damage going beyond repair." He finished.
I turned, rested my elbow on the banister, and rested my chin in my hand, "Who would want to do that to themselves..." I shook my head, "All to just look different and make a statement? It sounds ridiculous. That being said, I could understand the addictive aspect of it..." He looked at me with confusion
I sighed and shut my eyes for a minute before looking out at the pool, "Let's just say I had my share of drugs before I went space-side...shit's hard to kick... feeling it gives you is euphoric depending on what you take."
"Duo..." I held up my hand to interrupt.
"Leave it 'Ro...Not something many know about and I'm not proud of it." He stared at me for a minute before nodding, letting the comment slide.
"So, how widespread is this movement?" I inquired.
He turned to lean on the banister and crossed his arms, "It originated Earth-side but has spread to the colonies since then. Cases are popping everywhere; here, Earth, L3... We don't know for sure how far they have spread, all we know is it needs to be put down. More cases are popping up that end in deaths due to the new experimental splicing, or insanity. The brain deteriorates, leading them to be more animal than human in permanent cases."
"That's nuts...Has anybody come out okay or does it always end in loss of humanity..." I couldn't believe anybody would want to do that to themselves knowing the risks.
"There are a few that came out okay...how, we aren't sure. Our scientists have been working on a component to reverse the effects but its slow and still experimental. They seemed to find a way to reverse the physical changes that a splicing causes but if the mind has already
deteriorated...they don't come out the same as they went in. Most end up in asylums and live trapped in their minds or as vegetables..." he explained.
"The ones that do come out okay are usually forced to take the component and serve time or stay within preventer employ as an informant to shorten their sentences or completely wipe them off their record after they served out their time." He ran his hand through his hair and let out a sigh.
He looked stressed and I could see why. This movement is huge and it almost seems impossible to stop. Even if they manage to stop Genesis I am sure there will be others out there that will continue with the work Genesis started...It's like a pandemic, once it's been introduced to the general society there is no guarantee that it will be eradicated, remnants will always be there. He was up against a losing battle and had no choice but to keep going and save as many as possible.
"That's tough 'Ro...Are you sure it's only three or four running the operations? It seems too big to be run by so few..." I inquired.
"That's what we are worried about...We can only speak for the three or four we suspect that are in charge here on L1, there is a possibility there is more and that the number we suspect may not even be the only ones or top of the chain..." He rubbed at his temples, I could imagine he has a headache starting over all of this.
"So this informant..." He held his hand up to stop my questioning.
"You know I can't discuss that...It's confidential." I let out a puff of air in defeat and we fell into a comfortable silence, staring out at the sky as the lights dimmed and the stars became visible.
He pushed off the banister and motioned his head to the glass door. "Come on, I was able to keep Chang from stopping by to discuss it further until Monday. Let's go swimming, I could use it after everything that has gone on today."
I smiled and followed him through the door, "You're tellin' me!"
We made quick work of getting ready to go. I went into the room and noticed my clothes had been washed, I would have to thank him later. As I searched through my things I realized I didn't have trunks. With a sigh, I went to his door and knocked.
"Yeah?" His muffled voice came from the other side of his bedroom door.
"Mind if I come in?" after a short pause the door handle raddled and opened. His back was facing the door as he walked away to grab his towel on the bed. As he bent over, I noticed a patch on his lower back that looked like silicone skin. It was at least two inches in diameter and circular, /What the heck?/ I wondered. He never mentioned anything about his back needing something like that.
My curiosity got the better of me at that moment. Without thinking, I walked over and touched the patch on his back. His hand shot out fast and took up my wrist in a grinding hold, preventing my fingers from making contact. The look on his face shown Panic and Shock. I stared at him for a minute before his hand relaxed around my wrist, letting my arm drop.
"...' Ro?"
He continued to get his things and put on a t-shirt. He stood there for a minute before turning to look at me. "What's that, on your back?" I asked quietly.
He tensed at the questioned and his mouth set in a stern line, "It's nothing to concern yourself with, what do you need?"
I rubbed at my sore wrist before stepping back slightly, "I came in to ask about a pair of trunks, I didn't bring any with me, I wasn't planning to be here long enough to swim." I decided to let the subject drop, it seemed to be a sore topic and I didn't want to make his day worse than it already had been.
He relaxed marginally before walking over to his drawers and pulled out a spare pair of trunks, "they have a drawstring, they may be a little loose on you."
I gave him one of my smiles and winked, "Thanks bud, didn't think they would appreciate me swimming in the nude."
A small smile appeared on his face before he shook his head and made his way out of the room, "Just go put them on baka and be quick about it or we won't get much time to swim. The pool closes at 10 and it's already 8:30,"
"No problem! Be out in a minute, "I ran back my room to quickly change and met him in the living room. "Ready when you are."
He nodded and headed out the door. I followed behind him, admiring the view of his nice backside clad in the slightly snug trunks. I shook my head and fell into step beside him as we waited for the elevator.
/Get your mind out of the gutter Maxwell...He doesn't swing your direction, you're fooling yourself.../
I put the thought out of my mind as we boarded the elevator and made our way down to the pool.
A/N: Another chapter is done! I want to apologize for the lack of posting on my other story, "The Entertainer". I lost where I was going with that one hence the title change, it's taking me a bit to figure it out. Until then I hope that this story holds your interest. Comments and Critiques welcome and wanted! Until next time :)