"9"

Written By: L. Valensi

Disclaimers: Before you read this, be aware that this is [1x2] fanfiction, meaning it involves a relationship between two males (specifically Heero and Duo). I do not own Gundam Wing nor do I own the characters. All events and terminology related to the canon GW belong to the creators. The title of the story, as well as the chapter names, are taken directly from Damien Rice’s most recent album, “9” (buy it—it’s heartbreakingly fantastic). All criticism, especially concerning terminology/time discrepancies/facts, are heartily welcome. On to the story!

Rating: R

Warnings: Suspense/Romance, hefty amount of gratuitous violence; some abuse; lots of minor OCs & general term-invention

Pairings: 1x2

Summary: The story is set in A.C. 205, little less than ten years since the series ended in Endless Waltz. It centers around the new life of
Gundam pilot Duo Maxwell, who co-owns a prosperous salvaging company with Hilde Schbeiker. Just as life looks as if it's going as well as it ever will, things in the business world go awry and Duo's new life spins out of control. The people that he loves start dying once again, one by one disappearing from what he thought was a perfect life. And to add insult to injury, all the events may lead up to something both the Earth and the Colonies were hoping to avoid: war. Duo seeks help from old friends, but finds himself in a precarious situation where he will have to choose between his heart and his life.

Spoilers: Everything; Set Post-Mariemaia

"9"

Chapter 2: The Animals Were Gone

--

-- Woke up and for the first time the animals were gone—
-- It's left this house empty now, not sure if I belong
-- Yesterday you asked me to write you a pleasant song;
-- I'll do my best now, but you've been gone for so long

--

A.C. 205 – International Course 606 (Old Eurasia Pathway) to Sanc Kingdom

Duo Maxwell, despite the nausea churning in his stomach, is fifty miles from the Peace Wing, where one Heero Yuy is supposed to reside. He more-than-vaguely remembers and relives his life as the former Gundam pilot’s partner in his head as he flies down the road. He knows he should be focused on sorting the details of Hilde’s kidnapping in his head so as to cleanly relay them to the Principal of Peace, Heero Yuy, but his mind wraps around a less mature emotion.

What are you hoping for anyway? He thinks.

A loud beeping distracts him before his thoughts stray to answers. In less than second, Trowa’s voice diffuses into his head.

“How far are you now?” He asks.

“Approximately ten point six miles,” Duo mutters. “You got anything?”

“It’s really difficult from where we are, Duo. We’re essentially forced to work with the old technology—everything is being converted. They need it to become compatible to the new Hylic system. Luckily for you, the ESUN’s fully equipped not only with a Hylic system, but records on virtually everything and everyone, hack-free.”

A pause. “I guess.”

“You don’t sound too pleased.”

“This isn’t necessarily anything to go directly to the government with. They love their peace, remember? I’ll bet anything they’ll bring the Preventers into this like it’s some big terrorist ordeal when, really, it’s just some just some rich, corporate-minded dickweeds wanting to knock me out of business.”

“I understand. In any case, Duo, I called to inform you that despite our handicap, we managed to find a lead in your search, though keep in mind it could be a farce or even a trap,” Duo nods, freshly recalling mistakes from their past. “But if it is indeed the Volans network responsible for Hilde, then you might want to start your search in the English Channel area. We intercepted an e-mail from one of the higher-ranked members stating that Karluv Volans is setting up an accounting satellite there.”

“You’re thinking that all the Big Bad boys are gonna be there at one point to check out their latest investment?”

“The e-mail doesn’t specify, but it’s precisely why you should look into it with Heero’s help before diving in.”

“Roger. Guess that time is now. Thanks, Trowa.”

“Good luck, Duo.”

Duo stops, removes his helmet, and realizes that his hair tie’s disappeared, leaving his hair an annoying mess around him.

“Balls,” He says.

--

A.C. 205 – Sanc Kingdom: The Peace Wing

Duo feels grandly out of place in the Peacecraft Estate, as he’s surrounded by figures in immaculate white. As per usual, he’s wearing all black—from the matte of his pressed coat to the squeak-shine of his shoes, Duo’s a shadow amongst the Peace Wing’s angelic constituents. Like a demon of great beauty, with his chestnut locks of earthly desires grasping at their unsuspecting prey, Duo strolls to a quaint desk in front of two opaque glass doors, where a young woman stares at him in awe.

Duo smiles at her but does not remove his sunglasses. He clears his throat to break the ice and she recovers from her jaw-dropped state to acknowledge him.

“Ho—How, I mean, may I help you, sir?” She stammers unprofessionally.

“I’m hoping you can, Miss… Sphinx, isn’t it?” Duo says sweetly, though with a level of amusement only recognizable to himself. She blushes and Duo forces back a laugh. “Is Principal Yuy in today?”

“Well—um—I’m so, so sorry, um, Mr…”

“Maxwell,”

“Oh—yes—I’m sorry, Mr. Maxwell, but Mr. Yuy is in an important meeting.”

“All day?”

“For the rest of the week, actually.”

“And there’s no way I can set an appointment?”

“I’m afraid not. Principal Yuy is a busy man.”

“Can you contact him really quickly? At all? Tell him it’s his old buddy, Duo Maxwell. Surely he’ll talk to me for just a little bit.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Duo—I mean, Mr. Maxwell, I just… I can’t… He’d be very displeased that he’s been interrupted,”

“Trust me, Miss Sphinx, he won’t mind my interruption at all. Why don’t you let me talk to him instead? Just dial the number. I got it from there.”

“I’m sorry, sir, I just—“

“Is there a problem, Miss Sphinx?”

Duo had imagined this scenario differently. He’d imagined he’d feel only happiness at seeing Heero, but it isn’t the case. Happy, yes—but the apprehension is greater than he’d anticipated. He turns around to face the man owning the still-familiar tenor of his ex-partner, Heero Yuy.

“No, no problem, Principal Yuy. I—I told Mr. Maxwell you’ll be busy all week. But he—“ Miss Sphinx’s voice drifts into the background and Duo hears only these words from Heero’s enchanting lips:

“No braid,” He says.

--

The two walk in silence, with Duo trailing slightly behind, feigning interest in his surroundings. They pass numerous glass rooms in the main hallway, everything pristinely ivory. Although many heads turn to address the Principal ahead of him, all of their peaceful eyes gaze to the consuming figure of breathtaking darkness behind him.

“Nice place you’ve got here, Heero,” Duo says with all the interest he can muster. He doesn’t realize that Heero has stopped and leans on him accidentally.

“Have you lost all sense of perception in this peace, Duo?” Heero asks.

Duo steps back with a small smile. “Maybe,” He says, “But I see you’ve lost none of that caustic charm.

“You’ll have to excuse me, Heero,” he continues, following more carefully as Heero opens the door before them. “My intention for coming wasn’t necessarily just to hang out, though it would be nice to catch up.”

“Step inside,” Heero says, opening the only opaque door in the surrounding area. Duo walks inside, an awkward fear developing in his stomach. Heero locks the door behind them and follows suit, sitting in the red-lined armchair by the only clear window, revealing the picturesque ocean-side view of the Peace Wing. Duo pretends to sit nonchalantly in the matching loveseat directly across from Heero. “I believe this has something to do with Hilde?” He asks.

Duo’s purposely wandering eyes stop at Heero. “You been keeping up with colony news, or what?”

“What happens to ex-Gundam pilots is not just colony news to me, Duo,”

“Yeah, apparently you’re significantly busy… according to that pretty young thing you’ve got working your precious schedule,”

“I only have her say that because it’s the truth.”

“Well, I don’t mean to cut into your important meeting time, you know,” Duo says, slightly apologetic, though what he feels is much closer to a dead-set hope on leaving quickly. He sighs and prepares himself for departure.

“You’re not,” Heero says. “I knew you would come.”

Duo looks to him expectantly, but Heero is looking out the window.

Heero turns to him and Duo finally notices the strange new qualities that have made themselves a part of Heero since the end of the wars. There is a softness in Heero’s eyes that Duo used to look for (he even remembers the night he spent wondering about whether or not Heero looked at the moon in appreciation). He’s older, but his age only seemed to introduce him to the youthful tenderness he didn’t have a chance to learn. Duo assumes that being surrounded with so much peace must change a person—even Heero Yuy.

“She’s not dead,” Duo reveals somewhat hesitantly. “And I know that Volans is behind it. But I can’t prove it. I don’t know where I’ll find her. I don’t think they’ll keep her in their offices and I don’t have the kind of systems from before the war that can make finding her possible. I honestly didn’t think this kind of thing would ever happen again.

“Look, Heero. I know it’s a lot to ask for, but all I really need is a computer and access to some files, and I can go from there. If you can’t or don’t want to help me, it’s okay, I understand. If not, then you can just look at this as a visit from an old friend. Okay, Heero?”

Heero remains still, gazing at the ocean. A long, strange moment of silence plays between them again—which only serves to disarm Duo, imposing calm on him despite the adrenaline coursing through his body.

“Ten years and you still managed to keep your ability of talking too much and not very well,” Heero stands up and walks towards a desk with only a square, black screen in the middle. “This is the reason you could not go to Quatre for help.”

Duo watches as various projected screens appear three-dimensionally around Heero and him. Heero proceeds to approach several screens, touching them to elicit commands. Duo gazes at it dumbstruck.

“This is the… the Hylic system, or whatever Trowa called it?” Duo asks.

“Yes,” Heero answers succinctly, inputting various codes in order to access the Shoreline Salvaging Company databases available to the government, i.e. legal documents, financial reports, employee records, etcetera. A screen pops up directly in front of Duo, surprising him, but he’s quick to realize the importance of the news Heero’s displayed in front of him.

“Keith Marcel, Vice President of the Shoreline Salvaging Company,” Heero states, “Second in command to Karluv Volans… scheduled to a contract signing in the E-Cluster with the fledgling company Amsel Baum, owned by Leighton Aves Corvus.”

“E-Cluster XJ105667, the Corvus Estate,” Duo mumbles. “But it can’t be this easy to find them. It’s too obvious. It’s—”

“Are you certain Volans is responsible?” Heero interjects.

Duo pauses and looks at Heero quite seriously. “Are you suggesting that this is some hasty, groundless accusation? Because I didn’t come here to have my intellect questioned.”

“Then tell me why.”

Duo remains silent, unable to bring himself to reveal anything.

“Duo, I don’t know how you can expect anyone to help you if you aren’t willing to share vital information—“

“It’s not vital information!” Duo yells, too passionately for the situation. Heero sits gazing at him. “I just need to find Hilde. In order to do that, I need access to every possible location Volans is likely to access and to his every movement.”

Heero continues to stare wordlessly at Duo, and Duo becomes physically ill. He does all he can to look away from the piercing blue of Heero’s eyes, the mature curve of his slim jaw, the groomed wave of his muddy hair. In this surprising violence, Duo lets himself think what it is that he has tried so passively to repress: Just get up, he thinks. Just go. You were gone for so long. You were never supposed to turn back.

But before Duo could move, Heero says, “Okay.”

Duo’s forced by shock to meet Heero eye-to-eye. “Okay?”

“That’s what friends are for, yes?” Heero says, startling Duo. Amused, he continues without acknowledging the other. “But I can’t have you access the information. Your presence in the databases can be easily traced, especially with your unfamiliarity with the Hylic system commands, and it would draw unnecessary attention to my involvement with you. In the meanwhile, you should lay low. The Peace Wing can provide you with temporary housing—“

“No, there’s no need for that,” Duo interjects, standing up. “It’s enough that you’re getting information for me. That’s all I came here for. I have to get back to L2 tonight to take care of some things.”

“I’ll update you as soon as possible. How should I contact you?”

“I would think you kids would know everything about me,” Duo chides, regaining his usual composure.

“You take better precautions than others,” Heero says, “It’s part of our nature.”

Duo smiles at the hint of nostalgia in Heero’s voice. He gets up and heads for the door. “My bad,” He says. “I meant, I thought you would know everything about me.”

Duo exits his office without waiting for a reply. He winks at Miss Sphinx, who’s barely able to mutter a “Have a nice day, Mr. Maxwell!” with all the terrible pinkness of her face. Duo leaves the premises as demanding a presence as when he entered, and many are left wondering what the old God of Death was doing within their pristine little prison. However, Duo’s unfazed by their paralysis; what he needs now is a good drink.

--

A.C. 205 – Outside the Graveyard

“Hot damn, Duo, I was just about to ask you for a drink before I realized you were the only man on L2 with a bigger cock than me,” Duo’s caught from behind by Sonny’s remark; half tipsy and half emotionally shaken, he stumbles drunkenly into the long-haired redhead’s arms. “Whoa, there, pretty lady. What’s gotten into you, Duo? Are you drunk? I didn’t even think that was possible! Ah, jeez, people will think I’m draggin’ some massive hooker around the block with you like this. A renowned artist can’t—“

“Shut. The Fuck. Up. Sonny,” Duo gurgles. “Just take me back and lemme sleep for a coupl’a hours…”

“Christ, Big Brother, you’re a fuckin’ douche when you’re drunk. Here I am, being a good guy, helpin’ you out when I could be out bangin’ some chicks and paintin’ some art, and all you got to say to me is shut the fuck up? Hoo-boy, if Hilde were here, she’d smack you some…”

Duo’s heart writhes inside his chest. He grabs a fistful of Sonny’s shirt and pulls the redhead’s face close to his.

“What the—”

“Sonny,” Duo mumbles, “You are a fuckin’ idiot sometimes, you know?”

Sonny stares at him. And then sighs. He continues walking.

“Yeah, I know, Big Bro,” He says as Duo fades in and out of consciousness. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

--

A.C. 205 – Duo’s Apartment, by The Graveyard

Three weeks after his visit to the Peace Wing, Duo manages to gather all intelligence possible on the Volans Network. Just as he is about to record new information regarding the nature of the business venture with Amsel Baum, the screen flickers to reveal none other than the Principal Heero Yuy.

“Good morning, Your Highness,” Duo says with a smile.

“Any progress?”

“You know, I’m beginning to like these unannounced visits from you, Heero. It’s like I’m having some sort of sordid internet affair with some high-class political official. It’s exciting, it really is,”

“I take it you’ve found something interesting.”

Duo is once again startled by Heero’s keen perception. It actually depresses him a little that the other man makes him feel transparent. “Am I really so predictable, Heero?”

“Most people are.”

Duo smiles wider this time and takes a sip of his coffee before continuing. “Well, let me stroke your ego no further. Before you so enchantingly appeared before me, I managed to find a strange clause in a contract uploaded to Keith Marcel,”

“The one dated for tonight?”

“Yeah,” Duo says, holding up a printed copy with the clause highlighted. “It’s a clause in the fine print that we skipped over a couple days ago, thinking it was just a reiteration of the points made a few clauses above it,”

“It’s a… code?”

“Yeah—do you have a copy in front of you?” Heero nods, already in the process of highlighting the given passage. Duo stares as the other focuses intently and wonders why the other is offering so much help and interest. Heero looks up at him briefly with a questioning look on his face. Duo smiles innocently and doesn’t look away.

Undoubtedly, if here were younger he would have been embarrassed by his overt suggestiveness, possibly even in denial of it. But years of living what you would call a “normal” life manages to remove the layers of differences between even a Gundam pilot and the everyday Joe trying to find the right job, the right path to happiness. Things like love, stability, and friendship became the diurnal; there was no longer a reason to shy away from making them priorities, or even just general thoughts.

Instead, Duo answers his look with, “Well, that’s what I got to. I don’t know exactly what to make of it, but I do know it’s telling Marcel something. Look at the way the sentence that talks about “termination if no possible agreement breach is inconceivable against the special conditions stated in Clause 2-L.” Tell me that makes no sense whatsoever. Right now, I think the code is some kind of anagram or—or some kind of play on syntax. It’s strange. Usually, these bums deal with numbers, but I don’t see any kind of numerical patterns, unless this is some kind of complicated mathe—”

“They’re coming to kill you,” Heero interrupts sternly.

“What? No,” Duo replies, exasperated from thought. “No, that’s too easy. That’s the first thing that popped into my head.”

“Occam’s razor, Duo,” Heero replies, putting the papers down. “You’ve seen it before.”

A pause. “I know.”

“So what’s the matter?”

“Because that means they’re going to compensate for their transparency.”

“I see.” Heero’s turn to pause. “I’ll make some arrangements, then.”

“No, Heero, it’s okay, really,”

“No, really, it’s my job,” Heero says resolutely. “I’m in this situation to mitigate a large-scale murder regarding an ex Gundam pilot, which would garner both publicity and the necessity of direct ESUN involvement.”

Duo remains quiet for a moment, realizing the truth behind Heero’s interest in his situation.

“I hope you have a place in mind to stow away all those affiliated with you,” Heero continues. “I’ve arrange for them to take paid leaves from their respective occupations. Inform them as soon as you can, alright Duo?” A pause. “Are you still there, Duo?”

“Yeah, yeah, I am, I will, sorry about that,” Duo says, fazed. “Just mentally preparing for tonight. I’ll report to you as soon as I can.”

“Alright.”

“Thank you, by the way,” Duo says, but Heero has already disappeared.

Duo sighs and leans back into his chair. He stares emptily at the screen.

What are you hoping for anyway? He thinks.

--

A.C. 205 – The Company Mansion

Duo sits sprawled out on a mahogany armchair, trying in vain to drill his thumbs into his temple. As usual, Sonny’s late, making the rest of the others late—and all three of them are tired of waiting. Axel’s been flipping through the Chronicle for what must be the fifth time and Morty’s ignoring his fifteenth call from the precinct.

“Fuck it, boys,” Duo says. “You can relay what I’ve got to say to that dumbass Sonny, if he hasn’t already gotten Jion and the others into deep shit,”

“Really, Brother, your love for fairness far exceeds my own, and you’ve got no business in it,” Axel says with a chuckle.

“Funny, Axel, but this does concern everyone, even Sonny, to a great degree,” Duo sighs heavily and hands them each a bundle of papers. “I should have done this earlier, but to make it simple and clean, I’m putting you all under house arrest for an indefinite amount of time.”

Duo doesn’t bother to look at their slack-jawed, wide-eyed reactions. He can feel the seething anger seep into his skin already. After a great moment of silence, Axel clears his throat and cracks his knuckles.

“Perhaps I spoke a little too soon,” Axel mumbles grimly, leafing through the papers at hand. “How is it that you were able to exact these government compensations so quickly and for so many people?”

“I think the more pressing question here is why the hell are you doing this to us, Brother? Don’t you think we can fend for ourselves?” Duo flinches briefly at the rage in Morty’s voice.

“Morty, I’m sorry, but I can’t underestimate the lengths my enemies will go to in order to get to me. They’ve already taken three of you and I don’t know how I could live with myself if I didn’t do all I could to protect you from something like this—something external from you, something that has ultimately to do with me and not you.”

“These papers were procured and legitimized by the ESUN’s Principal of Peace,” Axel murmurs behind the two. “Has this debacle become a federal case? It doesn’t meet the parameters for the Peace Wing’s involvement and the level of importance is much too sub-par… how, I wonder, could these arrangements have reached the Peace Wing at all?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?” Duo asks.

“Yes, of course it is, Brother,” Axel looks at him with more concern than ire. “I’m aware of the nature of your past, just as most of the world is by now, but you can’t protect us in this way for the rest of our lives.”

“We ain’t fuckin’ Barbie dolls, Brother,” Morty yells out loud, visibly impassioned. “I got a job out there to protect other people. I’m not going to spend a week away from that just because there are a group of psychos want to get back at you for god knows what!”

But Morty is silenced as effectively as Axel is with the unexpected grimness that their comments elicit from Duo.

“This isn’t a battle to be won for either of you,” Duo says calmly. “The arrangements are made. In fact, it wasn’t my decision to begin with.”

“So this is a federal thing, then,” Axel says.

“No, Axel. At least I hope it won’t become one. Now, please, when everyone gets here, just take the basement subway to the safehouse and make no attempts at contact until I give you word.”

“Just tell me one thing, Brother,”

“What is it, Morty?”

“Will you fix this?”

Duo pauses and the looks all three share are pained and undeniably dark. “I hope so,” He tells them, and they let the silence play out as each organizes his thoughts.

“Alright, then,” Morty says with surprising understanding. “I won’t fight you anymore, Brother. Just make sure you get back to us alive.”

“Marisela has gathered everyone else, including Sonny, so they should be here any moment,” Axel says, putting his cell phone back into his pocket. “You should probably prepare, Brother.”

“We’ll tell them what they need to know,”

Duo smiles gratefully. “Thanks for understanding, guys,”

“No, Brother,” Axel says sadly as Duo leaves the room. “Thank you.”

--

“You want some coffee?” Duo says, swiveling around on his heel to face a masked man he’d hogtied and wound to a chair with barbed wire. The masked man sits there silently, barely even wincing as blood pours from a deep gash hidden by black cotton. Duo sits in a chair directly in front of the man and cocks his head to side to survey further the other’s reactions (or lack thereof).

“No? That’s too bad,” He continues, savoring a lengthy sip. “I make a mean cup of java. It’s actually not java, it’s “Ethiopian harrar.” Supposed to be something of a rare delicacy nowadays; I just found it coasting out in space last month, nicely preserved. It’s a shame you’re so disinterested in it—after all, it may be your only chance to drink it after I blow your fuckin’ head off!”

The man remains sitting still, much to Duo’s dismay. It worked with Minor, he recalls in disappointment. Duo sighs and leans back into his chair, taking another sip of coffee.

“I’m impressed, man, keepin’ your cool in the face of all this violent hubbub,” Duo says congenially. “I have to admit, you’re better trained than I thought. I didn’t think they made men like us anymore. You’re a hard man to break, you know that Johann?”

Suddenly, the man before him snaps his head up slightly—not as much movement as Duo would have liked, he muses, but enough to know he’d gotten his point across. Duo leans forward, coming close enough to the other to smell the familiar odor of metal, blood, and sweat and— most of all—fear.

“You get it now, big boy?” Duo hisses, his demeanor changing instantly into something ominous—something undeniably devoid of kindness. “This isn’t the Little League you’re dealing with, and you’d do the fuckers who sign your paychecks a favor by telling them that—if you’re lucky enough, anyway,”

Duo can hear the other’s breath quickening, asking him exactly what wants: how much does he know? How much can he do?

“You’re not my enemy, Johann, you’re just the unfortunate victim of circumstance. I’m not in the mood to throw you aside like the puppet they made you out to be, but I’m not against the idea either.

“It’s like this: either you tell me what I need to know, and I’ll maybe let you walk out that door… or you don’t.”

Duo sits there, watching intently as the man’s breathing labors and hastens and wondering whether it was his words or something else that is making the other man react in such a fashion. The man closes and opens his eyes in what seems to be excruciating pain.

“Stop fucking around and give me an answer!” Duo yells, throwing his scalding cup of coffee into the man’s face. Instead of screaming, the man begins to laugh slowly, maniacally, sending Duo reeling back into his seat with an inescapable feeling of vulnerability and unease.

“You selfish fucking bastard,” Says the masked man between pained exhalations. “You haven’t just killed us both. You’re gonna send us back to hell,”

The air in the room suddenly stiffens in Duo’s body, freezing his joints with clinical precision. The ringing inside his ears becomes loud enough to deafen as he is faced with an unprecedented epiphany. The masked man resumes his laughter, albeit quietly.

“You get it now, big boy?” He says.

All Duo remembers after that is the sting of blood in his eyes as he stared helplessly at the gaping, fleshy maw that was the masked man’s chest.

--

“I see,” Says Heero, who contemplatively handles some commands at some open windows as Duo finishes relaying the assassination attempt.

“For the moment, Johann’s body will be buried where the Graveyard used to be. Fitting, don’t you think?”

“Did he say anything to you?”

A pause. “No, Heero, I already told you. He didn’t say a word. Before I could even begin a torture ritual, some asshole somewhere blew his fuckin’ heart out of his chest.”

Another pause. “How long did you spend with him again?”

“He came at 0217, as he’d planned, and he was gone by 0350. Wasn’t more than two hours that he and I were at it before the higher-ups understood that he’d already been caught,”

“Strange,” Heero says succinctly.

“I know. Did they really think it would be that simple, killing a Gundam pilot?”

“They probably already knew that you’d discover the assassination attempt,”

Duo sits back for a moment and thinks about the odds of such an occurrence. He isn’t even sure whether to under or overestimate his enemy, considering that—in all reality—he doesn’t know who his true enemy is. What could businessmen possibly have in their arsenal of intelligence that could possibly outsmart him? Hilde can’t possibly be a source of information—that’s something that he trusts with all his heart. But the possibility that they are, in some way, thinking three to five steps ahead of Duo can’t be too high. After all, this is just business, right? Not being a very good businessman in the first place, he isn’t about to barter for anything.

You selfish fucking bastard, he remembers clearly.

“They are very likely not to stop such attempts, either, paltry as they are,” continues Heero, snapping Duo back into the present. “It will be best for you to lay low in a protected facility for the time being to ensure your safety.”

“Whoa there, Your Highness. Putting me under house arrest isn’t going to help make this go away, you know that. You’ve already house arrested the rest of the people I care about; you’re not about to do that to me, too!”

“I never said house arrest, Duo, I said protected facili—”

“What the hell does that mean? “Protected facility”? This ain’t the time for semantics, Heero.”

“This is no time for you to be holding back information, as well, but you don’t see me try to stop you from doing what you think is right.”

This silences Duo for a moment and the tension builds in the space between the two screens. Even being hundreds of thousands of miles away, there exists heaviness between the two that expressed a weight unbeknownst to either of the men—a weight carried and shared and let go in the instant of peace; a weight missed; a weight left unresolved. Neither knows or ever knew what the weight is composed of—only its presence existing in the soft flux that is peace, the antithesis of their lives.

“I have to find Hilde,” Duo says, breaking the silence.

“And I’m trying to help, so why don’t you just let me?”

--

A.C. 205 – Lagrange Two, Westside Spaceport

Holding a two-hundred-page brief on the Volans Network and all affiliated institutions, Duo steps aboard a shuttle to Earth. As he makes his way through check-in and security, he mulls over the meaning of the foreboding feeling in his stomach. Most of it is in anticipation of the coming days, weeks, and months (hopefully not years) that he will spend tracking down Hilde and taking back the life he’d worked so hard to obtain. But a part of it is a fear that had been dormant until recently, something he thought he had reconciled with after the war.

It isn’t that he is ashamed of his strange attraction, as he is, and has been for a while now, a self-proclaimed satyr; it isn’t even because he is afraid of rejection. It’s just—well, he just isn’t ready to lose it all yet.

Staring fondly outside his window at the soft whites, bright blues, and lush greens of the planet not far from where he is, Duo grasps at answers—answers explaining the weight that hangs in the space between him and the unexpected reconnections he will undoubtedly make with yet another part of his past.

In any case, Duo thinks with a smile, he’s got a better way with words than I remember.

~ * ~

Chapter 3

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