May 5, 2001
Title: Crossed Wires
Author: AstroKender
Pairings: 2+3, 3+2
Rating: Alternate Timeline
Warnings: You're going to kill me for stopping here...
Spoilers: Hmm...nope.
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.
"Come on!" Duo's hands flailed wildly, his flashlight creating weird patterns on the walls. "My Gundam is much cooler than yours! I mean, really, what use is a mobile suit that can only shoot up and to the left?"
Trowa just shook his head, proceeding through the ventilation shaft silently. Beside him, the American continued his rant. "And what about the bullet thing? You enter a battle and then Wham! Five minutes later you're out of ammo. I don't know about you, but I'd have a serious discussion with Doktor S over that little fact."
"Your Gundam isn't exactly flawless." Trowa pointed out. "As I recall you seem to have some trouble self detonating when the situation calls for it."
Duo scratched the back of his head ruefully. Straightening suddenly, he beamed. "That's just cause G is so smitten with my impish beauty that he can't bear the thought of something happening to me." Catching Trowa's dubious expression he slumped.
"Yeah, well, you're not exactly a looker yourself." Duo muttered.
"Your eyes are too big." Trowa stated without looking at him.
"Your nose is too long." The American made an exaggerated gesture over his face.
"Your hair-" They both said simultaneously.
Duo chuckled and Trowa couldn't help but join in. The braided boy smiled up at him. "Your eyes...they're nice. Well, one of them is anyway." He amended.
Trowa glared at him with his one visible green orb. He sighed. "Your nose...it's cute. It's small and it turns up kinda. It makes you always look snooty."
"I do not!" Duo's eyes crossed comically, trying to get a glimpse of the offending feature.
Trowa only smirked.
"So how long do we have to walk down this thing anyway? It's like a claustrophobic's worst nightmare."
Trowa bent his head, thinking. "About two miles, I think. Too bad we don't have some sort of ride, like a motorcycle or an ATV. We could cover the distance in no time."
"Yeah, but it'd be too loud. We'd blow our cover."
"True."
They walked on in silence for a while, each lost in their own musings. The wind buffeted them constantly, making Duo's braid fly out behind him like a banner. Finally, tired of hearing his own stomach growl, the cobalt-eyed boy spoke up.
"So what's your favorite shampoo?"
"What?"
"You know, what shampoo do you like to use?"
Trowa looked over at him like he was nuts, before shrugging and gazing back to the endless cavern in front of them. "Whatever's available."
"You've got to have a favorite." Duo insisted.
Sighing, the Latin boy mentioned the first one that came to mind. "Peach, I guess."
"Peach? Cool. Mine is coconut."
The Latin boy began rubbing his temple with his free hand. "Is there a point to this conversation?"
"Not really." Duo grinned. "Just trying to pass the time."
"Oh.... Well, then can we talk about something a little more relevant?"
"Sure." Duo thought hard. "Ummm.... Do you drive?"
"Drive?"
"You know, a car? We might need to use one if we ever get off this rock."
The Latin boy inclined his head. "I know how to, yes."
A couple more minutes passed in silence. The steel panels of the wall seemed to move passed them monotonously. Seeing that Duo wasn't going to say anything else, Trowa found himself oddly compelled to speak up.
"Do you?"
"Huh?" Duo glanced up, surprised.
"Know how to drive?"
Duo looked away, playing with his flashlight aimlessly. "I driven a truck once, when I was about ten. I was stealing a mobile suit for these creeps that had taken over the orphanage I was living in. But when I got there, the church had been blown up by the Alliance, and everyone was dead. I haven't gotten behind the wheel since then."
"Oh."
More silence. Duo cleared his throat self-consciously.
"So, uh...." Trowa floundered. He wasn't used to making idle conversation but he wanted to relieve the tension that seemed to have filled the small space around them "Do you have a favorite food?"
Duo grinned, relaxing. "Yeah. I like fruit."
"Fruit? I'd figure you for a sugar junkie."
"It's okay, I guess." The American shrugged. "But when you haven't eaten for nearly two weeks, nothing tastes better than a snitched apple." He said nonchalantly.
Trowa looked at him with new eyes. What had begun as a silly conversation had revealed more about the longhaired boy than he had ever known. Curious, the Latin boy kept the conversation running. "You did that often?" he asked.
"What?"
"Stole to eat."
"Yeah, I guess." Duo shrugged again. "It was either that or starve. I was pretty good at it too. But I usually gave my share to the littler ones."
"I never knew."
"What?" Duo cocked an eyebrow at him inquiringly.
"That you had it so rough."
The American snorted derisively. "Well, I don't exactly broadcast it."
"I meant you don't show it." Trowa said patiently. "Sure you're dark at times, but that's to be expected from a Gundam pilot. But you're not like WuFei or-"
"You?" Duo questioned, his eyes glittering darkly in the dim light. Trowa paused in mid-step, then nodded slightly.
"So just because I'm not silent and moody, I must have had it easy? That's pretty shallow thinking, Trowa."
"I guess it is." Trowa continued walking stoically. Duo sighed heavily and jogged after him. The minutes ticked by sluggishly.
"So...um...what's your favorite brand of coffee?"
"Whatever's available."
Silence.
"What's yours?"
Duo smirked. "Maxwell House."
Trowa rolled his eyes.
Far above them, in the cold depths of space above the moon base, a menacing form hovered. The moon's pallid light reflected dully off of the mobile suit's titanium white surface. The green visor glittered malevolently from the shadows of the suit's metal brow.
Inside, the pilot's blue eyes narrowed coldly. Checking the information on the screen, he nodded. Epyon was definitely here. And it would be his, even if he has to destroy the base to get it. The giant suit raised the deadly Dober gun.
Zechs Marquise caressed the controls in front of him. "You have served me well, Tallgeese. But the war is escalating. Events are not going as planned. It's time to move on to bigger and better things. It's time to test this ZERO system Treize was so bragging about."
Zechs smiled suddenly. "So, my old friend. Should we call ahead or should we just knock?"
Banking swiftly, Tallgeese flared its thrusters and barreled towards the base. Halting a few hundred meters away, Zechs watched in satisfaction as the base began to react to his arrival. His COM unit beeped frantically as Lady Une attempted to hail him.
"Zechs Marquise! State your purpose here or I'll be forced to send out the mobile dolls!"
"Ah, Colonial Une, as charming as ever. Please allow me to announce myself properly."
Tallgeese suddenly fired, the Dober gun sending a devastating blast hurtling towards the base. The space station shook violently on impact and the blonde man could hear the shouts over alarm over the COM unit, as well as Une's frantic attempts to restore order.
"Greetings. My name is Zechs Marquise. And you have something I want."
"What was that?" Trowa asked in alarm as his feet tried to slide out from under him. Duo shook his head mutely as he leaned on the opposite wall for support. Above them dust and debris fell freely through wide cracks in the ceiling.
The shaking stopped and Duo drew in a shuddering breath and choked. "Do you think Quatre went crazy again and came back to destroy the base?" He asked between coughing fits.
"I doubt it. You seemed to have talked some reason into him and he seemed like his old self again. I believe he followed your advice and went to Earth."
"So who do you think is attacking us?" The American asked as he watched the ceiling warily.
Before Trowa had the chance to answer, another blast hit the base, this one closer than before. The wall beside Trowa buckled and he stumbled backwards frantically. With a shriek of twisted metal, the wall ripped apart, a large metal support rod hurtling through the gap.
"Trowa, look out!"
The Latin boy felt himself being shoved and his flashlight skittered across the debris-covered floor, plunging the shaft into darkness once more. He heard Duo scream in pain and then the sound of metal crashing against metal, then...silence.
"Duo?"
"Duo!"
End Part Ten
(:./astrokender/crossed10)
