February 20, 2001
Title: Crossed Wires
Author: AstroKender
Pairings: 2, 3
Rating: Alternate Timeline
Warnings: Angsty. Foul language. Attempted rape.
Spoilers: Hmm...nope. Not really.
Notes: This is a small fic I've wanted to put out to reflect how much Duo and Trowa seem to clash during the series. Important! This doesn't go along with the series. There may be some similarities, but don't try to pin it to a specific time or you'll get a headache. This is purely a 'what if' kind of thing.
Disclaimers: I own nothing...Don't sue.
"You damned fool boy. Couldn't you have listened to me just this once?"
Duo grinned down at the huddled form of Professor G. "What? And ruin my reputation?" He carefully helped the old man to his feet. "Come on, I'm getting you out of here."
"I might have something to say about that."
Duo whirled around and pointed his gun at the speaker. Trowa lounged against the cell's doorway, unimpressed.
"It seems your protégé needs a lesson on following orders."
Professor G slowly stepped between the two boys. "There is nothing wrong with thinking for yourself, 03. I just wish he wasn't so stubborn about it."
Trowa inclined his head in acknowledgement but continued ignoring the braided boy that still had a gun to his head. "It took some doing, but the preparations are complete. You will be hidden under a panel of Lady Une's shuttle until she reaches her destination on L1 for her 'peace talks'. There the pilot will guide you out of the port and then you'll be on your own."
"I'll contact Dr. J. That old fool should have something up his sleeve by now."
Duo lowered his gun in confusion. He looked from Professor G to Trowa and back again. "What are you talking about? Are you escaping?"
G's eyes glinted underneath his mushroom-shaped hair. "The opportunity has arisen for me to slip from the noose, so to speak. That's why I told you not to come rescue me."
"B-but you said you were going to be killed! Why didn't you tell me Trowa was going to get you out of here?"
"I didn't know for sure if I'd be able to escape. It was better of you to think of me as dead than let my situation distract you from your mission."
Duo spun around in a circle, cursing. "What a crock of shit! Here I was, worried for nothing, and you had everything laid out in the palm of your hand. I swear G, you're determined to give me gray hairs before I'm sixteen."
Trowa pushed himself off the doorway and regarded Duo with an impatient glare. "If any of my men find you here, all the work for his escape will be for nothing. Now get the fuck out of here so we can proceed as planned."
Duo glared back at him. "We'll if I had been let known of the plan beforehand, we wouldn't be in this situation."
"If you would have followed orders-"
"Enough!" G commanded. "I have no wish to be shot. Duo, make your way towards the mobile doll control center then allow yourself to get caught. Trowa, make sure they don't kill him."
"Fine!" Duo hunched his shoulders and shoved his way past the Latin boy. Trowa nodded to Professor G.
"You leave tonight. Be ready."
G nodded. "Take care of him."
Trowa hesitated slightly before nodding. The cell door slid closed with a metallic clang.
"Oomph!" Duo fell to his knees as yet another blow connected. He took a twisted sort of pride though, that he had taken down at least fifteen of them before they pounded him into the tiles.
"That's enough." Trowa pushed his way through the mass of bodies. "Lady Une wants him alive."
Duo looked up at him with his one good eye and spit with uncanny accuracy. "Prick. Getting a little squeamish at the site of blood?"
Trowa unflinchingly wiped the bloody spittle off his cheek. "Grab him." He ordered two of the closest men. "He's no threat."
Duo smirked. "Tell that to Une after you explain that I killed over a dozen of your men."
The fist struck home before he could brace himself. Hunching over in agony, the braided boy felt the darkness claim him. "Bastard..." He muttered before giving in to unconsciousness.
Trowa subtly cradled his injured hand to his chest. Giving the body one last kick for good measure, he walked away.
"Take him to the lower levels and stick him in a cell under maximum security." He called back to his officers. "Colonial Une will want to see him before she leaves."
"So how long do I have to rot in this hellhole?" Duo groaned as he struggled to sit up. The room didn't offer much of a view. Just four titanium walls and a half-inch thick door which was currently standing between him and freedom. Of course, he could always take his visitor hostage, Duo thought as he peered at Trowa's lanky form. Nah...He'd just kick the shit out of me. Better stick to the plan.
Trowa watched him carefully, fully aware of the wild plans flying through his head. "Three days. I can't do anything until Une gets back."
Duo flopped back down on his cot. Ouch. Big Mistake. Une's act was pretty convincing. She had her boy's work him over pretty thoroughly for 'information about the Gundams'. At least Professor G should be long gone from here by now. "That chick's psycho. Are you sure she's on our side?"
"If she wasn't you'd be dead right now." Trowa said, exasperated. "Now all you have to do is stay here for three days until I come to get you. Don't cause any trouble."
Duo made an effort to look innocent. "Who? Me?"
Trowa rolled his eyes and turned to leave. "Hey Tro!" Duo crawled awkwardly after him.
"What now?"
"Can you do me a favor and take these things off me?" The American dangled his shackles in the air. "Their damn heavy and those bastards took my lock picks."
Trowa gave the braided boy a small smile. "Suffer."
"Bastard!" Duo pounded on the door as it slammed in his face.
"Hey! Quiet in there!" A burly guard stuck growled from outside.
"Aw fuck off, inbred!" Duo yelled back. He lay back down on his cot, more carefully this time, and stared ruefully at the ceiling.
"This is going to be the worst mission I've ever been on. I can feel it."
"Sir! Sir!" Trowa bolted upright from his bed as someone began to bang on his door.
"Enter!" He glanced blearily at the clock, it was barely past two for God's sake!
"Sir!" A nervous boy slipped inside, saluting. "I'm sorry to bother you Sir but me and some of the other officers thought it was important so they sent me to tell you."
Trowa was already slipping on his pants. "What is it, Private?"
The boy took a gulp of air and started again. "It's the prisoner sir. The Gundam pilot."
The Latin boy's eyes narrowed. "Did he escape?"
"N-negative Sir. He-he's being assaulted, I believe. By some of the other officers." The Private looked a little green at this fact.
"What!?" Trowa was on his feet in an instant. Not even bothering to put a shirt on, but making sure to grab his gun, he gestured the boy out of the way and began running down the hall. The boy trotted quickly behind him.
"Most of the younger officers didn't approve but the ordered us to stay quiet about it." The young man shook his head. "But I couldn't allow what they're about to do to happen, even if it is to a Gundam pilot."
Trowa nodded at the jittery boy. "You did good. Now gather up about six more men. We may need to subdue some of our own officers. Lady Une would not tolerate this." And I won't either. He made it to the stairwell and picked up speed, taking the steps three at a time.
He finally made it to the lower levels with an impressive leap. He quickly rolled to his feet and dash to the door at the end of the hall. There were no guards outside it, which the Latin boy took to be a bad sign. Finally reaching the metal door, he flung it open with a heave.
Duo sat panting slightly in the middle of the bodies of six full-sized men. He leveled one cobalt eye at Trowa's equally breathless form. "What took you so long?"
Trowa swiftly knelt to check the condition of the nearest man.
Duo's eyes hardened. "They're all dead."
"You haven't even been here a day and already you've endangered the mission twice!" Trowa glared at him.
Duo glared back, unfazed. "It wasn't my fault. They came to take what I wasn't offering."
Emerald eyes widening, Trowa finally took a good look at his prisoner. Duo sat there awkwardly, his shackled arms carefully cradling his ribs. His priest shirt was in tatters. It looked like someone had tried to tear it from his body. But that's not what made Trowa see red.
Duo shifted awkwardly under that cold stare and struggled to pull his pants up over his hips. Clearing his throat, he looked away. "What?" He asked gruffly.
"Did they...?" Duo's eyebrow lifted at the Latin boy's strained tone.
He looked back up to see Trowa staring at him, his fists clenched so tightly the knuckles had turned white. Duo could almost see the vein throbbing on his forehead.
"No. But not for lack of trying." He kicked at the nearest body and watched as its head lolled to the side at an unnatural angle. "They won't be trying anything ever again." He stared at Trowa for a moment before beginning to laugh. "Did I interrupt something?"
Trowa looked down at himself incomprehensively. Seeing his bare chest flashing in the low light, he blushed. Seeing the Latin boy relax slightly, Duo allowed himself to laugh harder.
"I was trying to sleep like any normal person at this hour."
Duo grinned. "Then go on back to bed. I'm sure your flunkies can take care of this mess."
Trowa shook his head; sleep was beyond him now. He tried to get a closer look at the American's injuries but he kept squirming around. Sighing in exasperation, his hands grasped Duo by the shoulders to hold him still.
"What are you doing?" Duo's eyes widened.
"Making sure you don't need any medical attention."
The braided boy shrugged him off. "Don't trouble yourself. Most of this is from earlier anyway."
"Fine." Trowa pushed away from him and carefully navigated his way through the bodies. "I'll be outside if you change your mind."
"Trowa?"
"What?"
Duo hesitated. "Thanks for worrying about me, man."
Trowa didn't turn around. "I wasn't worried. I have to make sure this mission gets completed to the best of my ability. So stop causing problems."
"Yeah, sure. Right." Duo huffed to the now closed door. He lifted his arms to scratch an itch on his nose and was surprised when his shackles fell away. He stared at his free wrists thoughtfully for a moment before shaking his head.
"That guy..."
End Part Two
(:./astrokender/crossed2)
