May 3, 2001
Title: Crossed Wires
Author: AstroKender
Pairings: faint 2+3, 3+2
Rating: Alternate Timeline
Warnings: Ozzy abuse
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...." Duo looked startled. "Are you sure?"
The Latin boy nodded. "We still have a mission to complete. You must get to DeathScythe. We can't be in two places at once."
"Lady Une is probably back from her meeting on L1." Jeremy mumbled. "Maybe I should go and ask her what we should do...."
Trowa walked over to the young man. Grabbing his chin, he forced Jeremy to stare at Epyon. "Look. That is the embodiment of all that is wrong with this war. If it isn't destroyed, this war may continue on until there is no one left alive to fight. Lady Une would understand. As would Treize."
Jeremy nodded, slowly, and Trowa released his chin. Squeezing the officer's arm reassuringly, he stared up at the courageous young man. "We need your help, Jeremy. This is too much for us to handle alone."
"I'll do it."
"Great!" Duo grinned. He gave Jeremy a good-natured pat on the back before his expression turned serious. "Now listen, PJ. This isn't any old mobile suit. This is a Gundam, made of Gundanium alloy. It's not gonna be easy to destroy. You need to get the most potent explosives you can get a hold of. And you need to place them carefully at the joints of the arms, legs, and neck. Put all the remaining explosives inside the cockpit and set the detonator to give you enough time to grab Une and evacuate this base. Do you understand?"
Jeremy nodded. "I understand. I'll do my best."
"We're counting on ya, PJ. Now get going."
Duo gave him a quick shove and the OZ officer was soon through the doorway and rushing down the hall. Duo watched carefully as Jeremy stepped once again through the laser beam but the beam saber did not ignite. Duo shook his head.
"All worked up for nothing...."
His gaze roamed over to Trowa, who was hunched over a sheaf of maps and diagrams. Duo's cobalt eyes softened. Trowa had risked his life to knock the American out of the beam saber's path, even if it had turned out to be a dud. The longhaired boy couldn't help but wonder why Trowa had sounded so afraid during those few, panicked moments. He doubted it was for the sake of the mission.
"Thanks, Tro."
The Latin boy looked up questioningly. "For what?"
"Well, I guess the thanks should really go out to Professor G. I wasn't too thrilled at being partnered with you, especially since you blew up DeathScythe, but now I know that there is no one else that I would have rather worked with."
Trowa smiled softly for a moment, before shaking his head. "If you're done being sentimental, I'd like to go over our route to your Gundam." Duo chuckled to himself and kneeled next to his partner. Trowa stared at him for another moment before looking down at the map.
"I never did apologize for that." He whispered.
"Huh?" Duo glanced up, surprised.
"I didn't want to destroy DeathScythe, I knew how much it meant to you. But I really didn't have a choice. Lady Une wanted proof that I would follow her orders, no matter what."
"Hey, what's past is past." Duo shrugged. "Let's just concentrate on getting off this rock, with my brand-spanking-new, kick-your-Gundam's-ass-any-day-DeathScythe Hell."
Trowa laughed, relieved. "In your dreams, Maxwell."
Duo grinned and together they poured over the charts in front of them. Trowa absently noted that the longhaired boy was pressed close against his side and that their hands kept brushing as they pointed to one area of the map or another. Fighting the warm rising in his cheeks, Trowa spoke.
"The way I see it we have two alternatives. Option one is to take this corridor here," he pointed towards the door. "And head back the way Jeremy and I came for about 300 meters. We then take the left branch of the adjacent corridor until we reach the crossroads. Taking another left and then entering the second door on the right, we enter a utility closet. Under the floor panel is a ventilation shaft that leads directly to the loading bay that DeathScythe is being held."
Duo scratched his head. "Or we could just enter the shaft from here."
"What?"
The American reached over Trowa and pointed to the map. "We are here." He pointed at a different area. "This is where the utility closet you're talking about. And this is where DeathScythe is being held. See? The point's all line up. So that means by all reason that the ventilation shaft should run under this room as well. We can take it straight to DeathScythe."
Trowa looked from the map to Duo and back to the map again. "Well, I'll be damned." he smirked. "I guess your head isn't just there to hold your braid after all."
"Jealous?" Duo cackled. "Come on and help me look for the hatch."
Nodding, the HeavyArms pilot rose and began to scour the ground for any tell-tell signs of a trap door. Duo did the same on the room's opposite end. After long moments of fruitless searching, the longhaired boy paused.
"I forgot to ask, what was option number two?"
"Steal two mobile suits and blow holes in the base until we found DeathScythe."
"Now that would have been fun." Grinning, Duo resumed his search.
The American was beginning to think that the way his luck was going, the hatch was probably hidden beneath Epyon's painted posterior his steps suddenly sounded louder, more hollow. Looking down, he stomped, and grinned as he heard a faint echo.
"Hey Tro! I think I found it!"
The Latin boy walked over and peered at the panel beneath Duo's feet. Sure enough, he saw fours screws in each of the corners. "I think you're right Duo. Go and get a Phillips screwdriver. A big one."
"Gotcha."
Duo was rummaging through the numerous metal cabinets when he happened to glance over and spy a pair of shiny, black military boots. His eyes followed them upwards to a pair of legs, past the gun aimed at his head, and up towards the stern face of an OZ soldier. He blinked and his eyes moved back to the gun.
"Umm.... you wouldn't happen to have a screwdriver, would you?"
The burly man's aim didn't waiver as he reached for his radio. "I've found the Gundam Pilot, unbound. No sign of Lieutenant Trant. You boys better get in here."
The radio was suddenly shot from his hands. Duo tackled the officer and quickly knocked him unconscious. Grabbing the man's gun, he slipped it into the waistband of his borrowed sweatpants. Looking back at Trowa, he nodded his thanks and the Latin boy lowered his smoking rifle.
"Sounds like we're gonna have company soon."
"Then let's get out of here before they come. Got that screwdriver yet?"
Duo bent back over, sticking his head in a cabinet. "Still looking."
Trowa mumbled something about all that hair slowing him down and stood impatiently over the hatch while he kept his eyes focused on the doorway. The laser still glowed brightly across its path. A new thought suddenly striking him, he turned to Duo. But at that minute, the American crowed in triumph and straightened up suddenly, cracking his head against the cabinet.
"Ouch! Shit, that smarts!" He hissed, tenderly running his head. Squinting, he held up a screwdriver halfheartedly.
Trowa rolled his eyes. "That's the most use your head has gotten. At least you're experiencing some kind of smart."
"Bite me, Barton."
Hearing the sound of a good number of soldiers heading this way, Trowa shook his head. "Later. For now just get over here and unscrew this."
"So you're telling me to get down on my knees and unscrew something? I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, buddy." Duo grabbed his discarded rifle and quickly trotted over wherein Trowa promptly slapped the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for?"
"Just keep an eye on the door, Duo." Trowa swiftly snatched the screwdriver out of the braided baka's hand and knelt down, swiftly loosening the screws.
Trowa had undone the last screw when the soldiers rushed in. Five of them trotted through the doorway, each interrupting the beam that flashed brightly across it. Trowa's eyes widened and he grabbed Duo's shirt, pulling him down.
A loud humming noise filled the room before the large beam saber in front of them ignited. Trowa shielded his face against the wave of heat that washed over him and peered intently between splayed fingers. Of the five soldiers that had came into the room, only three remained; the other two had apparently been standing too close to the beam and had been vaporized.
"So much for the no battery theory...."
Beside him, Duo watched in amazement as the powerful beam saber sliced through the steel wall like butter. It looked as though the beam was stretched completely across the outside corridor. Duo brightened.
"Hey, we just have to finish off these three guys and we're set!" He shouted over the noise of the deadly saber. "No one can get past that beam!"
Trowa nodded. "Let's take them out now, while they're still disoriented."
"Right."
Two rifles arched up in perfect synch and fired. The three remaining soldiers fell quickly, not even returning fire. Duo grinned and grabbed the dropped screwdriver, quickly prying the loose panel out of the floor. He peered down into the dark abyss below.
"It looks about six feet down to the ground." He smirked, gesturing grandly. "After you."
Trowa shook his head. "We can't just go stumbling around in the dark. We need flashlights."
"There's probably one in Epyon's cockpit. Hold on a minute." The American quickly jogged over to the sinister looking Gundam. His nose wrinkled up in disgust as he climbed into the hatch, opening the storage compartment.
"Boy, will I be glad to see you in a million pieces...."
Finding not one, but two flashlights, Duo grinned and hopped out and down to the floor. He tossed one of them at Trowa. "Let there be light, huh? Piece of cake."
Trowa smirked slightly in reply and leapt down into the dark ventilation pipe. Switching on his flashlight, he looked around with interest. A steady breeze whipped past him, tugging on his clothing and blowing his bangs even more into his eyes. He looked up to where Duo was peeking over the side of the opening.
"I'm not sure how to put the panel back over the hole."
"Just leave it. Like you said, no one can get by that beam saber until the battery dies. We should be safe for a few hours at least."
"Okay-dokey. One God of Death dropping in." Grabbing the edges of the hatch, he lowered himself into the shaft, hanging for a moment before dropping with a thunk beside the waiting Trowa. Flipping on his light, he waggled his eyebrows. "Shall we?"
Trowa nodded. "DeathScythe's hold is that way." He pointed to where the air was coming from. He smiled slightly as he watched Duo's eyes gleam in anticipation. Side by side, the two boys started forward into the darkness.
End Part Nine
(:./astrokender/crossed9)
