February 23, 2000
Title: Crossed Wires
Author: AstroKender
Pairings: very (very) faint 2+3
Rating: Alternate Timeline
Warnings: foul language.
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.
Trowa leaned his head back against the cold metal wall in exhaustion. He had been keeping watch over the American's cell all night and his felt like DeathScythe had run over him...and then backed up for good measure. But he didn't trust the job to any of his men. The younger ones may have warned Trowa of the threat, but they didn't stop it. So after seeing to it that the bodies had been disposed, while secretly enjoying the terrified expressions of the younger officers, he had sent a man up for his shirt and settled down for a long and boring watch.
It had been quiet inside the cell for the remainder of the night but the Latin boy resisted the urge to look in on the prisoner. Looking at his watch, he figured he could check the on the boy once before heading up to breakfast.
"Lieutenant Trowa Barton."
Trowa turned to see Lieutenant Trant striding up the hallway. The taller man had two lower officers with him.
"What do you want, lieutenant?" Trowa struggled not to let his hatred of Trant show on his face. The man was a fanatic. And he was dangerous.
Trant smirked down at the Latin boy. "I see I wasn't the only one put on special assignment. How is guard duty coming?"
I will not deck him I will not deck him I will not... "You've been given a special assignment?"
"I'm afraid that's classified information, Barton." The dark haired man brushed imperiously past him and towards the prison cell.
Trowa blocked his path. "What business do you have with my prisoner?"
Trant regarded his rumpled attire in disgust. "Don't worry, I'm not going to harm your little plaything...I just need to use him for a couple of hours."
Screw protocol...I'm going to fucking deck him. "What for?" Trowa growled out.
"Have you ever heard of the ZERO System, Barton?" Trant gave a bark of laughter at his look of confusion. "No, of course you haven't. It's a top secret project know only to Oz's most elite officers."
"Then how do you know about it?" Trowa smirked.
Trant's dark eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't push me Barton. You're in over your head. I have clearance from Colonial Une herself to perform my job by any means necessary. Now stand down."
Trowa had no choice but to step aside. If Une knew about this, then it would look bad for the Latin boy to object. He already looked way to sympathetic towards the prisoner as it was. The banged boy attempted a bored expression.
"Fine. Whatever. Just don't damage him."
The dark haired officer shoved by him and stepped into the dark cell, his two flunkies following him. Trowa repressed the urge to follow them and forced himself to relax and as he leaned casually against the wall.
"Barton! What is the meaning of this?" Trowa started as Trant strode out of the cell, his expression stormy.
"All this fuss over that?" He pointed to the cell behind him. "That pilot's half dead. He's no used to me like that!" Trant scowled and gestured for his men to follow him as he stalked away.
"Lady Une will here of this, Barton." Trant called back to the stunned boy. "And then you'll have to explain to her how you let that Gundam pilot get in such sorry condition."
"Half dead? Duo..." Trowa quickly rushed through into the cell. He stopped in dismay.
Lying on the ratty bunk was the braided pilot. Sweat poured down his face as he rolled and mumbled incoherently. His muscles seemed to twitch in pain and his face was twisted up into a grimace.
Trowa stepped hesitantly over to the seemingly small and broken figure. He reached out a trembling hand to sweep back the braided boy's sweat plastered bangs. His skin was burning to the touch.
"Duo?" Trowa whispered softly.
Suddenly a hand shot out and clamped over his wrist. Two bright and very lucid cobalt eyes twinkled up at him. "Boo." Duo gasped.
After a minute of forcing his breathing to regain some semblance of normality, Trowa angrily jerked his arm out of the American's grasp.
"Duo, you prick! You scared the shit out of me!"
Duo wheezed as he attempted to laugh and breath at the same time. "Gotcha."
Trowa sat numbly on the cell floor. "But your temperature is so high...and you're sweating..." Realization slowly dawned on him. I've been conned...
"Yeah, well. A few hundred laps around this little cell will do that to you, Tro-man." Duo sat up slowly, massaging his aching calves.
Trowa glared silently at him.
"What?" Duo asked defensively. "I figured that to make sure no other creep Ozzies, no offence, tried to come in here and mess with me, I'd best play sick and helpless." Duo gave his best charming grin. "Then they wouldn't expect it if their little play toy came to life and bit them."
The Latin boy seemed unimpressed as he continued to drill holes into duo with his eyes. Duo's own eyes widened as he watched him.
"You...you worry really worried about me, weren't you Trowa?" He slid off the bunk and wrapped his arms slowly around the lanky boy. "It's okay, Trowa...I'm alright."
"Are you sure?" Trowa's voice sounded muffled against Duo's shoulder.
"Yeah man. I'm fit as a fiddle."
"Good." Trowa's arm drew back and he delivered a devastating punch to Duo's midsection. The braided boy flew away from him with a whuff of expelled air. Trowa stood up and glared down at him.
"Why'd the hell you do that for?" The American groaned, clutching his aching middle.
"I stayed out there all night guarding your sorry ass and you pull a stupid stunt like that? God, I could kill you!" Trowa began to pace angrily across the floor, pausing now and then to give the braided pilot a withering look.
"Okay!" Duo huffed. "Maybe it wasn't the greatest ideas I've had, but it was better than sitting here and waiting for the next Joe shmoe to come in here and try what they did last night!"
"I wouldn't have let that happen." Trowa shouted.
"Oh yeah?" Duo yelled back. "Then why the fuck were those three in here?"
"I...I don't know."
Duo gave him a sarcastic grin, crossing his arms over his chest. "You don't know?"
Trowa paused in his pacing, attempting to gather his thoughts. "He said it was classified. Something about a ZERO System..."
"ZERO System?" Duo's brow furrowed. "Never heard of it." He turned suddenly serious eyes on the Latin boy. "Do you think that it could be some kind of new weapon of OZ's?"
"I don't know..." Trowa bit his lip. "But whatever it is, Une knows about it...and that means Treize does too."
"This could be bad..." Duo whispered. "Maybe we should forego the plan and get the hell outta dodge."
Trowa shook his head. "No. The mission is still important. You only have two more days in here then you're free. Don't mess this chance up."
"Yeah, sure..." Duo waved his hand negligently. "Whatever."
Trowa glared. Striding over to where the American sat he grabbed duo by his priest's color and lifted him up. "Any more shit from you and I'll cheerfully hand you over to Trant for whatever god-forbidden reason he wanted you for."
Duo's eyes narrowed. "Why do you automatically think the worst of me?" He asked, making no move to free himself.
"Because I know how your kind works. You get your thrills putting yourself into the line of fire and ignore anyone who might get shot in the process."
Duo's fists clenched, and there was a cold fury in his eyes. "You don't know shit about me!" He yelled at Trowa's uncaring back " If you would just take the time-"
"I have no interest in knowing you further. I just want to complete this mission and be done with it." With that, Trowa walked out of the cell, slamming the door shut behind him. Not even thinking of letting the Latin boy get the last word, Duo ran up and yelled at him through the cell door's grating.
"Man! How did Quatre ever put up with your sorry ass? Rashid was right, he should have shot you when he had the chance!"
End Part Three
(:./astrokender/crossed3)
