CHAPTER ONE:

The young man stared out of large ornate glass windows, his eyes hardly blinking as they dully took in the light drizzle of rain. He could barely make out the waiting limousine downstairs, or the number of trunks and boxes that were now being loaded into the black vehicle. He shifted restlessly on the window seat, absentmindedly blowing away another stubborn lock of chestnut-colored hair that had fallen across his face. He could still hear the raging argument behind him.

His father was at it again.

“I say, old chap! My boy is going to be the best student in that godforsaken school! I only want and will have the best for my boy! Nothing is too good for him, right?!”

The poor secretary had no other choice but to quiver out a weak ‘yes’. He dared not refute his employer’s statement.

“Those damned Yuys! Who do they think they are?! Sending their blasted son as well! Damn them to hell! That family has been nothing but trouble for me! I can buy and sell their fortune a million times over! You just watch me and see!”

Although, he knew he couldn’t. They all knew he couldn’t buy them out in a million years.

They were goddamn equals.

Everyone who was anyone knew of the long-time rivalry between the two wealthy dynasties. The Maxwells and the Yuys had no love lost between them. They had hated each other from what seems to have been the beginning of time. Both families, led by the irreplaceable Heero Yuy the First and David Maxwell the Great, had risen out of the dust of the Great Depression, taken a commanding hold in the rising stock market, made their wealth in gold and oil and had slowly become the epitome of all that was good and wonderful about the rich life. Each man had sought for ways to outdo the other, whether it be in the business field, political field or even trivial affairs. Generation after generation had been taught the sacred code of law.

Never fraternize with either family… otherwise known as the enemy.

No matter what the consequences were or how much it meant to his or her well-being. If anyone was caught even breathing alongside the other, they were either banished from the family fortune or failed to be recognized as members of their respective homes.

All in all, it was pretty nasty stuff.

And now, several generations down the line, the current head of the Maxwell fortune, was in his typical ranting mode. The burly six foot man with shocking brown hair (which he was still proud to display as not being a toupee) with eyes of darkest violet (which had been handed down to his children…to his enormous relief) and brilliant white teeth which completed the handsome visage, was currently pacing up and down the enormous den or office if you will. His first and only son was heading off to a school of higher learning or as we may call it…college, and by God! Duo Maxwell the Sixth was going to the best school there was.

Only problem was…

The Yuys had decided to send their own son there as well, which was, naturally not taken very well by the normally cheerful Maxwell. He had voiced his opinions as soon as the news had been revealed to him, which was about eighteen hours ago, but he had made no attempt to stop the transfer. If anything, David Maxwell was determined to show those damned, blasted Yuys, that his own flesh and blood was capable of being in the same school and quite capable of handling anything the other family had to offer.

After a good long twenty minutes of ranting on the pros and cons of sending his heir to that school, he finally quieted down and stared blankly at the motionless figure still perched on the window seat. David Maxwell frowned at the sight and quickly signaling for his secretary to leave them alone, he walked towards the silent boy.

Duo Maxwell fairly jumped at the strong squeeze upon his shoulder. He tore his eyes away from their bleak surroundings to face the cheerful albeit worried look on his father’s face.

“Are you alright, son?”

“Sure dad,” the boy replied as flippantly as he could. His dark violet eyes glittered in false excitement and it was taking all of his acting skills not to bellow out his frustrations. “What’s up?”

David made a soft ‘tching’ noise in his throat at the loose language. Honestly, the kids of today…

“You have been pretty quiet about this whole thing. Aren’t you excited about college?”

Duo wanted to scream out, Sure I am excited…as excited as a turkey going to its execution. I want to go to a real college! Not some preppy school, filled with preppy morons, with stupid preppy teachers and lousy boring courses! I want to be free! I want to have to do things on my own terms and not have to do it because of my family name! I don’t want to be another Maxwell billionaire businessman! I want to do things my way!

But instead,

“I can’t wait to go there, father. The experience should be quite…liberating and enlightening.”

David Maxwell grinned broadly and slapped his hands across the young shoulders, barely registering the slight wince of pain from his poor subject on the exuberant expression. Pulling the young man to his feet, his eyes took in the tall, slight body fully clothed in the dark blue blazer and pants of his future school. The jacket highlighted strong shoulders and the pants barely hid the strength in the slim yet powerful thighs and legs. If there was anything that David did not approve of, however, was the length of his son’s hair. The damn thing was now so long, it practically kissed his rear end and many a day had gone by with father and son arguing about the merits of the blasted braid.

David thought it made his boy look like a …well…girl. (It didn’t help that his son’s face looked anything but masculine in features. He blamed his wife for that defect.)

His boy was…beautiful. Not handsome like a boy should be, but beautiful as a…girl. And he already had a girl. He didn’t need two of them, for crying out loud!

“That’s good to hear, son,” he continued jovially, his arms now planted firmly across Duo’s shoulders. “Now, I have something very important to tell you. You must promise me that you will listen very carefully.”

“Yes, father.” Duo sighed inwardly. He already knew what the lecture was going to be about.

Those damned Yuys.

~&~&~&~&~

Those damned Maxwells.

Odin Yuy stared at his passive-faced son in contemplation. He eyed the dark brown locks that somehow could never seem to be in place upon his head. The hair kept falling into the young man’s face and he didn’t seem to care.

Odin Yuy did not like that.

He did, however, like the way his son had turned out to be personality wise. Prussian blue eyes, which he had inherited from his biological mother (God Rest her Soul), coupled with a straight perfect nose and full lips, that he would have sworn most of the young ladies would have gladly died for, completed the handsome but serious look on the visage.

The serious look. Odin liked that.

His son was no slouch. His son was the best at whatever he did. His son was an exceptional artist, writer, musician, athlete, scholar and all around great guy and that was why he was going to that blasted college. The one those damned Maxwells had decided to send their own offspring to.

On any other day, Odin would have withdrawn Heero (for that was the boy’s name…to be exact…Heero Yuy the Fifth) from that school immediately. He was still a strict follower of the sacred code, but this was a blatant challenge from those fools and by God! He was going to accept!

“Heero…” he began calmly, his fingers lacing beneath his chin to stare sternly at the eighteen year old before him. “I have something very important to tell you before you leave this house for college. Are you listening?”

“Yes, sir. I am.”

Odin smirked inwardly at the cold, monotonous voice. Yes, he had raised his son to be the perfect man for the family business. There was no doubt that his son would be able to carry on with the dynasty after he was long gone. Getting up from his expensive leather bound office chair, he began to pace around the large office, his slight but strong body, tensing as his clipped words were uttered out.

“Good. Good. I assume you know what I am about to say to you, ne?”

Heero Yuy nodded in acknowledgement. He knew what was coming all right. It was the same lecture he had received since the day he could think. He knew the words by heart and he was dutifully bound to carry it out.

“You will be going to the same school as…those…” at this point, a look of pure disgust was splashed across the older Yuys face. “Those…Maxwells. They will be sending their son…what’s his name again?”

“Duo.”

“Ah, yes…Duo. I see you have been doing your homework.”

“Yes, father. I have taken into account his strengths and his weaknesses. I have deduced that he is barely a match for me in any or all departments.”

Odin could barely contain his excitement. Yes! This was the chance he had been looking for. His boy was going to crush that sissy son of theirs to the ground and would show the whole world once and for all who was the King of The New Economy!

“Brilliant, my boy! If only your mother were here to see you now…”

Heero snorted lightly at the dreamy look that had crossed his father’s face and he shifted restlessly in his seat. He wanted to leave already.

“Anyways,” Odin continued, his voice lowering to an earnest tone. “I want you to take all the classes he is taking…”

Heero frowned. “All…

~&~&~&~&~

“…the classes he is taking?!” Duo asked incredulously.

“Of course! How else are you going to show that you are better than him?”

The young man tried to figure out an answer but was quickly interrupted.

“And naturally, you would have to take all of the extra…”

~&~&~&~&~

“…curricular activities that he dares to participate in.”

Heero kept his face as passive as ever, although he did nod in acceptance.

“I don’t know about your sleeping quarters. I would have loved for you both to be as far away from each other as possible…”

~&~&~&~&~

“…but those damned teachers felt they were too big to give me that much personal information. This is the last time I ever donate anything to their sorry asses!”

Duo secretly thanked his lucky stars for that.

“But that’s not the point!” David surmised quickly. “The point is…”

~&~&~&~&~

“…you are to make that sissy boy of theirs bite the dust. To eat your dust. I want you to rub every single victory you claim over him in his face! Got it?!”

“Yes sir.”

“I want you to…”

~&~&~&~&~

“…show him who the boss is! I want him to beg and plead for your mercy after you are through with him! I want them to cower in your presence! Do you understand?!”

“Yes sir.”

David grinned in satisfaction and placed his hands upon the slender shoulders again. Although he smiled, the next words that fell out of his mouth was etched with something so cold and menacing that Duo shivered in spite of the warmth in the room.

“And remember the most important thing of all…”

~&~&~&~&~

Odin Yuy had placed his hands upon the strong shoulders of his own son, his cold blue eyes pinning the Prussian ones before him, his voice as calm and as dangerous as ever.

“…the most important thing of all…”

~&~&~&~&~

“Never, ever fraternize with the enemy!”