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"Regained "Written By: Artemis Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: yaoi lemon, masturbation, angst, violence,
language Pairings: 6x2, 3x4, mention of 13+11, R+1 Summary: Sequel to Interfacing: Lost. GAIA, the
new alliance, fights its first battle in Antarctica; Duo and Zechs
begin to rebuild their relationship "Regained"
After a beat, the older officer in the room stood abruptly. "Mr. Winner, I'm Captain Federi - I head the control tower group here at the base. Please, do sit down..." The man, in his late thirties with a shock of dark brown hair and a mustache, gestured at the three empty seats. "And to answer your question, I've only worked with the Colonel... er, with *Zechs*... for a few months." "We have to get used to calling him that," a young man with light brown hair and blue eyes murmured, smiling. He stood up as well. "Lieutenant Linden, second in command of the base's Aries troops." Quatre smiled at the two men, sensing their genuine curiosity in him. "Pleased to meet you both." He sat down then, leaving two seats together for Zechs and Duo. //I hope they'll want to sit together,// he thought belatedly. "Meiser, I've met," he said, nodding to the mobile suit engineer. "But you gentlemen I have not yet had the pleasure." "Jim," another older man introduced himself and pushed glasses up further on his nose. "I'm the other chief engineer with not as interesting a job. He gets the fancy machines, I'm stuck with shuttles, carriers, and the base itself." He smiled and shrugged. "Just Jim." All while the others were making nice, Lieutenant Bronn Sangers was counting to fifty slowly. This little blond squirt was a Gundam pilot? That other little guy with the braid was one, too? What in the world was Zechs thinking of? "Lieutenant Bronn," he murmured, giving Quatre a curt nod, unsmiling. "I'm in command of the Aries mobile suits." He leaned over the table, looking intently at the blond boy. "Many of the others have not worked with Zechs in person very much, but all of us know of him and his reputation. We'd do anything, go anywhere for Zechs - he's that good and that well-respected. There's no one in OZ... or out of OZ, that is... who is a better pilot or commands more respect." He did not mention the one man that was in the back of all their minds -Zechs's former boss, Treize Khushrenada. The fact of the matter was that if Zechs thought he could leave behind Treize's plans for the world, then they couldn't be that great anyway. Though Bronn wanted to ask Zechs about Treize privately... The base engineer's vibes were warm and his words matter-of-fact. //He won't be a problem,// Quatre assessed quickly. But Lieutenant Bronn's forceful emotions nearly knocked Quatre out of his chair. //His devotion to Zechs is almost fanatical.// "Gentlemen," he nodded to them in greeting. "I have not had the opportunity to observe Zechs's piloting skills," he directed to Bronn. "But I am sure his reputation as OZ's ace pilot is well-founded. I'm honored that he would ally himself with us Gundam pilots." Quatre turned then to make eye contact with the others present. "I'm sure our combined skills will make this alliance a success." Before Sangers could open his mouth again, Meiser jumped in. "Yes, we all want to make this alliance a success," the young engineer hastily agreed. "Colonel Zechs has told us of the atrocities he's witnessed in OZ already, and of course we're aware of the pressure Inspector Acht - he's an inspector for Romefeller - is putting on Zechs to fork over the Gundam." "And if Zechs believes in the Gundams," Linden put in quickly, "then so do we. I'm glad the Gundams are teaming up with Zechs Merquise!" "I wonder if the cook has any breadsticks," Jim murmured to himself. Sangers glared at the engineers, then turned his attention back to Quatre. "You're just so... young." "But the reputation of the Gundam pilots has gone before them as well," Captain Federi spoke up, then gave Sangers a look before returning his gaze to the young blond. "Despite your ages, you've achieved a great deal. Obviously you have superior skills." "Thank you, Captain," Quatre said. "I appreciate your confidence in us." He turned then to speak directly to Sangers who seemed determined to challenge him every step of the way. "I realize we appear a bit young by military standards. But I assure you... all," he looked then to the others, "we are most serious in our mission to free the colonies." "And how ironic," the unmistakable voice of the base commander broke into the conversation from the doorway, "that OZ believes it's doing just that, freeing the colonies. It's these lies we must band together to stop, and show Earth and space what OZ is really made of." The three chairs of the officers suddenly shoved back as Zechs's men lurched to their feet and saluted. The engineers joined them belatedly. Quatre, smiling, rose to his feet, too. "Hi, Zechs!" His expression wry, Zechs sketched off a salute and waved the men to their seats. "Good evening, gentlemen." He smiled at the little blond. "Hello, Quatre - see, I've brought a friend of ours to dinner..." He stood aside for his companion to enter. "Hey, buddy!" Duo said with a bright smile as he appeared from behind his tall companion. "Duo! You made it! That's great." Quatre smiled back, relieved his friend had finally arrived at the base and seemed to have pleasantly found Zechs. [Wow, I feel a calmness in them now. They must have been talking and that's why they're late.] The thought warmed him completely. To have Zechs and Duo find their way back into each other's lives meant the world to Quatre. He needed that for his heart as much as he needed his Trowa. The boy with the long braid stepped further into the room. "So, you been holding your own pretty good in here?" he asked and nodded to the uniformed assembly. //Oh, dear.// Quatre cringed. //He's back to himself all right.// "Yes," the little blond said clearing his throat. "We've been getting to know each other." Zechs had been scanning the faces of his men, summing up how they were handling the presence of Gundam pilots in their midst. The engineers didn't seem too flustered, though Meiser was still casting sidelong glances at Zechs... but that was another issue. Federi seemed fairly comfortable, but then he'd seen many changes in OZ over the years and had learned to go with the flow. Young Linden appeared relaxed, though he was presently looking at Duo with great interest. //Hmmm...// Then there was Sangers. As expected, Bronn was bristly and challenging. //We'll see about that...// "Allow me to complete the introductions," Zechs broke in smoothly, smiling. He laid a hand lightly to Duo's back, gesturing with his other hand. "Everyone, this is Duo Maxwell, pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe, the one we've been calling 02. Duo, this is Federi, who is in charge of the control tower, Chief Engineer Meiser, who has done a wonderful job restoring Wing Gundam..." The men nodded and/or smiled as he went around the table. "Bronn leads our Aries troops, and Linden over here is his second, and finally our other Chief Engineer, Jim, who works with all the other vehicles and the base itself." "Nice to meet you fellas," Duo nodded pleasantly at the OZies. This was the largest contingent of enemies... former enemies he'd faced outside of battle. And if it hadn't been for Zechs's considerate introduction and his hand on his back, Duo might have felt out of place. But as it was, Duo felt completely at home. He was with his Zechs again. Bronn was looking at Zechs peculiarly. Something was not right here... more than just the missing mask. It was still jarring... especially to his libido... to view that beautiful face. //He didn't give the boy our ranks... does that mean... huh... and he... he's *touching* him...// Zechs turned and gave Bronn a sharp glance. "Something on your mind, Bronn?" The man froze, his hazel eyes widening. "Just..." //Those eyes! I forgot what those ice blue eyes do to me...// "Just getting used to seeing you without the mask... sir," Bronn responded quickly. //I could fall right into those eyes and drown...// The white brows narrowed. "I suppose I should explain." Zechs sighed and glanced around. "Linden, if you would please tell the cook we're all here, dinner can get under way." "Yes, sir," Linden replied quickly. But he winked at Duo as he got up to go to the kitchen. Once they were all seated again, Zechs took a sip from his water glass and ventured to explain. "The mask... I imagine you've all wondered about that for years. Well... I had reason for hiding my face from the Alliance. Now that the Alliance is essentially no more, that reason is gone. A matter... of revenge taken." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, that's as much as I'm willing to reveal. I hope it doesn't matter now." //He's sure leaving a lot out,// Duo thought, looking around the table at all the faces watching Zechs intently. //Geez, these guys are serious.// Lastly, he turned to Quatre to get his read on things. The little blond shrugged his shoulders and then turned his eyes back to the others. //I wonder if he's picking up on their feelings...?// //Why didn't Zechs mention the Peacecrafts?// Quatre wondered for a moment. //I think his men don't even know who he is...// "Sir," the Captain spoke up after a long, stunned pause, "I think I speak for the others that it really doesn't matter now. And that we're glad you feel that you do not need to wear it any longer. Your personal business, your reasons... are yours." Beside him the engineers were nodding emphatically. Linden looked sympathetic, and Bronn just looked stunned, but after a moment he nodded his support as well. "Thank you," Zechs murmured gravely. He waited while the salad course was brought out and wine poured, then stood and raised his glass. "Gentlemen, to a new era, a new alliance between good people who want peace and love the Earth and outer space!" Glasses were clinked, murmurs of assent went around. Zechs, touching his glass to Duo's, smiled down at his little lover and whispered to him alone, "And to regaining an alliance that was lost." "Yes," Duo whispered back, looking affectionately on his Wolf. //I love you, Zechs,// he thought, and wished he could say it aloud. Announce it to all these stuffed shirts. "To our new alliance!" Quatre exclaimed cheerfully, clinking glasses and finally turning to clink Duo's and seeing he was otherwise engaged. He couldn't help but stare. He could feel their intensity... their love for each other, and see Zechs's fondness for Duo in his eyes. //I was right, there *is* something going on between them!// Bronn thought, incensed that his beautiful Lightning Count should be even contemplating dallying with one of these... *boys*. He gulped some wine and set his glass back down, trying to calm down. This was not the place for a scene. Suddenly a wave of bitter jealousy hit Quatre, making him a bit unsteady on his feet. He turned his head sharply toward its source. //Bronn! I knew I sensed something from him before!// Zechs gestured gracefully for all to be seated again, then when all were settled, he spoke to the group. "Now, I'm sure there are more questions to be asked. We have here four former OZ officers, two engineers, and two Gundam pilots." He smiled briefly. "You must be curious as to how this is going to work... or work out?" "Yeah, I'm wondering," Duo spoke up. He looked to Zechs and then to Quatre before continuing. They were all he cared about; still not giving a damn about the others at the table. "I know you OZ... ex-OZ types have been trained to work together and take orders. Well, us Gundam pilots work independently." He said almost defiantly, giving a firm nod. "Duo's right," Quatre chimed in, politely cutting his friend off before he could go off on one of his tangents. "We have been working independently. That's the problem as I see it." He said, and glanced toward Duo to check his reaction. To his delight his friend seemed to have returned most of his attention back to his lover, forcing Quatre to suppress a slight grin before continuing. "That's why I think it's so important that we Gundam pilots unite... and with the help of Zechs," he nodded in deference to the former OZ commander, "and all of you, I think we can end this war." "But you're not used to working together?" Bronn asked, having recovered something of a professional demeanor again. "You're willing to take commands from the Colonel now?" "Ah, Bronn, that's not how it's going to be," Zechs spoke up hastily, looking over. "I have no intention of leading this alliance." That surprised all of them. The Lightning Count... *not* in command? "Then, who is?" Meiser asked, puzzled. Zechs glanced at the young pilots at his side. "That is to be determined... I'm thinking we may become rather more of a committee... but one person will need to be a spokesperson, at the least." He sighed and looked around the table again. "Tomorrow, two more Gundam pilots are expected to join us here. We must convince them to ally with us. Then we can determine how to handle the Romefeller Foundation." "A committee sounds perfect for our alliance," Quatre said to Zechs, pleased with the idea. "Now getting us all to agree on something may be a problem... I'm not even taking it for granted that Heero and Trowa will join us," he added in a worried tone. //Oh, Trowa will you be glad to see me?// "Just the fact that Duo and I allied with Zechs was a huge step." Duo shot Quatre a sharp glance at that. "No one needs to hear about that," he snorted. "I didn't mean..." Quatre began to explain. "It's okay, buddy," Duo said a bit milder, nudging his friend with his elbow. He noticed then that everyone was staring. "Ah, let's say we eat. I'm starving!" he grinned and then not waiting for a response began eating his salad. "Hey, this is pretty good," he announced after the first quick chew and swallow. //He's cute,// Linden thought to himself, smothering a smile. "Indeed," Zechs responded with a chuckle. "It's been a very long day for most of us." As he took up his fork and began to eat, his subordinates followed suit. //Going to have to retrain them, I see. We have no need for appearances here, not anymore...// After a moment, Zechs swallowed then picked up the conversation again. "Quatre is right; we're very lucky to be sitting here all together today as allies. I have come to respect the skills and commitment of these young men a great deal. And let me just say... you don't ever want to cross them. Trust me." Duo looked up from his salad, straightening. "Huh?" he asked as he looked at Zechs. But there was no need to worry. The man's face was relaxed and his tone had been laced with good humor. //He's okay... we're okay,// he thought with much relief. Looking at the others then, Duo teased, "Yeah, don't cross us." And with a chuckle returned his attention to the first course. "Excuse me," the older engineer, Jim, spoke up, though he was smiling. "But you two really don't look very dangerous. I'm sorry, just an observation." "Heh. Your mistake," Duo snorted. And then he looked up from his plate. "Wait 'til you get a load of Heero Yuy. Now that's one scary guy." "Eh," Quatre gave a little laugh, "I've never met Heero face-to-face, but I'd certainly agree he's very... focused." Then turning to Jim he said, "I'm actually glad you don't think we look dangerous. We are nice guys... until we get into battle mode." "Yeah, then all hell breaks loose!" Duo exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the table. The clank of china and silverware startled everyone, including Duo who wasn't expecting to make such a big impact. "Er... sorry. I get a little carried away sometimes," he said and smiled shyly at Zechs. "How old are you boys?" Federi wanted to know, though he, too, was smiling, not meaning to challenge. //Yeah, are you legal?// Bronn wondered, hiding a smirk behind his fork. "We're both fifteen," Quatre answered. "I know that seems a bit young, but we're completely committed to our mission and fully trained to carry it out." "How did you get to be Gundam pilots?" Linden inquired, wide-eyed. "Well, we all have our own stories," Quatre said, looking to Duo briefly. "But basically we were in the right place at the right time to help the colonies. We were trained by the creators of the Gundams and then sent to Earth individually." "Yeah, we didn't even know about each other," Duo remembered. "I think that was a mistake... When we did finally meet we thought we were enemies. God, we could've killed each other!" //And I nearly did kill Heero.// "But you're all on the same side," Linden murmured, puzzled. "You mean the Gundams fought each other at first?" "We sure did," Duo chuckled. "I even shot Heero twice thinking he was hurting some girl. Maybe that's why he doesn't like me...?" he wondered aloud, scratching his head. "And then when he stole parts from my Gundam I really wanted to kill him!" he growled, the memory still making him angry. Quatre patted Duo's forearm a couple of times to settle him, and then continued to explain their unusual situation to Linden and the others. "Even Trowa and I fought when we first met..." //He was so sweet surrendering to me when I had stopped the fight first.// "And then we teamed up against Heero and Duo at New Edwards, but it never came to much of a fight because OZ attacked us." He turned to Duo again saying, "I don't think any of us wanted to accept that there could be other Gundams." "Well, we're allies now, buddy." Duo grinned warmly at his friend. "You seem very confident," Sangers spoke up, looking askance at Quatre. "But the Gundams sure did a lot of damage to OZ. Only the Colonel's Tallgeese is any match for your machines, I think." "Yes, we did a lot of damage to OZ, but on our own we couldn't stop them," Quatre said to Bronn. //I can still feel his intensity toward Zechs... I need to tell Duo.// "Zechs and his Tallgeese are a welcome addition to our cause. It's this united front that will make us successful." Listening to Duo tell of shooting one of the other pilots and fighting each other told the others that not only were the Gundam pilots desperate, but also lonely, each carrying a tremendous burden on their young shoulders. That alone was very impressive. Several of the men around the table were nodding in agreement. "This base is in a very inhospitable land," Zech spoke up quietly, "but it will allow us to create that united front for real, to give us a chance to sit down in this remote area and forge the future we want." He looked around at the group solemnly. "Which is only the future most of us have wanted all along: the freedom of nations and colonies from militaristic rule by those who do not know how to govern justly." Now everyone was nodding vigorously, though a single name still resonated in the back of some of their minds, a name which heretofore had represented a future most thought they wanted: Treize Khushrenada. Each officer wanted to ask Zechs in private how he saw His Excellency's ideals... now. Just then the doors opened and the dinner course was brought out. "Chow time!" Duo exclaimed. Relieved smiles went around; enough seriousness for now. There would be time enough for that in the days ahead.
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