Warnings: AU, angst, post-apocalyptic, violence
Genre: Drama, Romance, Angst
Rating: R (for language and graphic descriptions)

______________

02:

‘Initiating the relaxation stage.’

A cool breeze, light as a feather’s kiss, brushed over his half-naked body as he sat on the narrow gray bed. He stretched out his legs and leaned back, closing his eyes as he allowed the machine to do its work. He had barely adjusted himself to his position when he felt the soothing and gentle motions against his neck, shoulders, back and legs as they worked away the tensions of the day. A low moan of pleasure escaped his lips as he felt himself slipping into a semi-catatonic state of pure bliss. In the background, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony Number 1 in G minor, drifted into the room from unseen speakers. There was a bottle of red wine and a glass half-filled with the blood-like liquid sitting upon a circular gray coffee table. It was surrounded by two long couches on which lay several opened medical journals, notebooks and a few sharpened black pencils. There was a notepad on the floor filled with barely legible writing (except to its owner) including several other crumpled sheets of paper littered on the matching gray carpet.

Two television monitors mounted on the wall were dark and silent and next to them was a rather large oil painting of two farmers working in golden fields of wheat. To anyone looking at the room for the first time, it was a definite and sharp contrast to the monochromatic scheme of its décor. There was a fake fireplace complete with logs and a mantel but one could only assume it had been put there for merely aesthetic purposes. It was useless in this day and age, but then again, nostalgia had a funny way of showing up in everyday life. It was as if the architects or builders longed for days when such things were regarded as necessities to everyday living.

There was a curio cabinet filled with all the awards and accolades he had received over the years, including his Certificate of Acceptance into The Organization. Another shelf, as if carved from the wall, was filled with enough books to awe the avid reader. Ranging from books of medicine to works of fiction from writers of The Past, nothing was off limits in his opinion. Three doors flanked the room – one led to the bedroom and bathroom, a gray affair like the living room before it. However, the owner had done his best to make his sheets and blankets a dark shade of plum as if hoping it would brighten things up a little. The other door led to a kitchen – which in itself was yet another useless necessity in these times. It had been built to resemble the kitchens of The Past and the owner could safely say that he barely spent five minutes a day in there. The final door was of course to The Outside. Once he set foot out that door, he was no longer just another man, but Doctor Heero Yuy, one of the most trusted and respected young medical minds in the New City.

Outside the large landscape window, night had fallen and lights from the other tall buildings resembled tiny fireflies taking flight. Since Heero’s quarters were located on the 40^th floor, he had a rather good view of the city’s skyline and there were some nights when he would admit that it was rather breathtaking to behold.

But it’s all false, isn’t it, Heero?

There were no photographs of loved ones in the small apartment, not even pictures from his graduation ceremony or induction into The Organization. He had decided to store them in a microchip, only referring to them when absolutely necessary…and that day had not yet come.

‘Initiating relaxation stage - phase two.’

He opened his eyes as the automated voice repeated its command, but Heero decided he was done for the evening. He couldn’t afford to go to sleep (relaxation stage-phase two’s potency) for he had a lot of work still waiting to be completed. Several more units had been brought in that afternoon – all in need of repairs or routine checkups and he had to read through their data to be updated. It was a good thing the higher-ups had begun to hire more medical personnel. They could barely keep up with the number of damaged agents coming into the sickbay these days.

Swinging his legs off the bed, he rose to his feet and stretched his arms above his head, unconsciously showing off a well-toned body that was still slender and not too bulky. He worked out with weights as often as he could and did his best to eat the right meals. As a result of his dedication, his body could rival any athlete’s. He scratched his head – already tousled from his habit of running fingers through it when in deep thought – and walked across the room towards his ‘workspace’. He eyed the mess he had created and debated calling in Helga, his cleaning unit, to take care of it.

“Meh, not worth it,” he mumbled as he sat down heavily on the couch and raised a knee while balancing a notepad against it. He chewed on a pencil as his fingers absently sought for the journal he had been reading earlier, upon the coffee table. They brushed against something hard and cool and he turned around quickly to see what it was. Shimmering beneath the glow of the lights was the silver necklace with the small flat metal tag attached to it. He lifted it closer, watching as it spun around slowly as if being pushed by an invisible hand. The inscription ‘Duo Maxwell. Sector 234. Level C.’ had been etched into his mind now and Heero couldn’t help thinking that the necklace reminded him of an army tag from The Past although it wasn’t quite the same.

“Duo…Duo,” he whispered, liking the way the name rolled easily off his tongue. All of a sudden, he wanted to know more about him – this Duo Maxwell. Heero wasn’t too familiar with L2’s geographic structure or how housing was allocated there but he knew someone who would be able to give him good information about it. It was just going to be tricky getting around to asking him about it without making it sound as if he was being too curious. Heero lowered his lashes as the image of Duo’s eyes filled his mind. Those amethyst depths had been filled with hate even though there was a hint of relief within them.

We aren’t the enemy. They are. We’re just here to help you. We are on your side.

Or were they?

He thought of the hundreds of anguished cries from survivors and units alike which still haunted him on some nights. Their howls of agony as they underwent both physical and mental changes weren’t for the faint of heart. Watching their eyes – accusing, hurt, tortured – clawed at the very fragments of his sanity. His very first operation had been a disaster to say the least. He could still remember how sick he had become at the sight of so much blood or how terrible their bodily injuries had been. They hadn’t told them about this in Medical School but then again, no one had known such a thing would happen, had they? They were all fresh, bright-eyed men and women who had studied with the idea that they would be working in Earth’s ‘regular’ hospitals. But the war had come and ‘regular’ hospitals from The Past had been replaced with high-tech facilities like this owned by The Organization.

The Organization, formed to oppose the rising powers of The Opposition. And just who were The Opposition, you might ask?

Enemies to you and me, my dear patrons of medicine and science. Together and with the Earth’s Coalition Forces, we will fight to eradicate them until the world and indeed Space can coexist in peace and harmony.

Yes, The Opposition were the ones to blame for the destruction of three of the five colonies. Nuclear blasts had taken the lives of millions in the course of three weeks and the remaining two colonies L1 and L3 and Earth had been swamped with refugees and survivors all begging for a place to call home. No one knew of The Opposition’s agenda or who their real leader was. False reports of sightings of their elusive Head had spurred battles and wars amongst loyalists to the Opposition and Organization respectively. The Earth’s Forces had been unable to keep up with the demand for soldiers and that was what prompted the creation of Specialized Agents. With approval from the higher ups on L1, L3 and Earth, The Organization was free to use survivors from the destroyed colonies as test subjects for their new program. Heero had never heard of all of this of course, not until he was admitted and approved to become a member of the Medical team stationed here on Earth. Whispered stories from other staff and personnel had shed some light on the situation but the most amazing thing of all, and what had made Heero committed to his job was the introduction and use of gundanium as skeletal replacements.

All the doctors had been required to attend a four-week crash course in the use of the rare metal and Heero had watched in awe as Organization scientists molded the silver-colored alloy right before their eyes. Its durability and ability to withstand any sort of attack or damage was simply incomprehensible. No one could say for sure how The Organization had gotten their hands on such a thing, but no one questioned it and everyone had come to accept it as more classified information. However, Heero had studied about the metal like a man possessed, spending countless days and nights pouring over the few journals and books written about it at The Library. It had taken him a long time to get access to the files (bureaucracy and protocol could be such a bitch) but it was all worth it in the end. Gundanium was The Organization’s trump card and a successful one at that. With the metal implanted in all the new units/survivors, there was no chance in hell that they would be defeated so easily by The Opposition.

Unfortunately, someone had begun to leak information out to the enemy – no one knew who but that hadn’t stopped the authorities from creating new and much tougher rules for every member of The Organization. All doctors were sworn to reveal nothing to any outside source and the last time Heero checked, they were constantly under surveillance 24/7. They were required to live in this building where their actions could be monitored and to Heero it felt as if he had been forced to live in a fish bowl.

The first few months had been tough for him and he had suffered from intense bouts of homesickness. There were nights when he would stare into Earth’s sky and imagine he could see L1’s satellite, his home, floating millions of miles away in space. However, his memories of growing up came in little snatches now and then. He wasn’t sure if The Organization had anything to do with it, but it was becoming a daily struggle just to remember the more significant moments of his childhood. He knew his mother had died at childbirth and he had been raised by a military father who was almost never home. It was no fault of Odin Yuy’s however, duty had called and he had left to obey his colony’s orders. Heero could vaguely remember the day the green jeep had pulled up to his home to give him the grave news. He was thirteen at the time and his father had got caught in the line of fire. Heero couldn’t remember grieving for his paternal unit but he did know that he had developed the resolve and determination to become a doctor after the incident. His father had died due to wounds sustained in the field but the troop had been short-staffed and Odin had been amongst the unfortunate few.

It’s a pity you didn’t live much longer, dad. I would have fixed you right up with gundanium and a chip in your heart. You would have made one fine unit for The Organization.

Suddenly and for no good reason, he began to laugh. It was a bitter sound that escaped his lips as he doubled over in mirth.

“Hear that?” he said, in between helpless giggles. “Hear that, dad? You would have made one fine unit! Maybe they would have made you Agent 00001 for being the best soldier ever!”

He laughed until his stomach muscles protested and sent tiny pricks of pain to his brain. He laughed until his retinas burned with impending tears. He laughed until his throat became too tight to swallow, until he realized that he really was suffering in this overwhelming void of loneliness. He was nothing but a statistic in this New World – with no family or anyone to love. And as the laughter finally became soft sobs of misery, he clutched the silver necklace to his chest and fell into fitful but merciful slumber.

__

The next morning, he wasn’t surprised to find Officers Trowa Barton and Quatre Winner standing side-by-side in the lobby leading to his office. However, he was surprised to find the good-looking young Chinese man standing beside them. The officers were dressed in the smart green military uniforms required by all members of The Organization and although they were as young as Heero, both men had earned enough gold stars to warrant their current rank of First Lieutenant. They each had troops under their command and although the three men wouldn’t consider themselves real friends, they did have a mutual respect and admiration for the others’ work.

“Yuy,” Lt. Winner greeted with a salute before taking off his cap to tuck it beneath his arm. “Just the doctor we wanted to see.”

“And good morning to you too, Winner,” Heero replied with a small smile as he eyed the handsome blond soldier. Lt. Barton repeated the same greeting and took off his cap to reveal thick brown hair which fell over an eye in a unique style. He was tall and good-looking enough to make him the talk of many lonely female personnel in The Organization. Heero wasn’t sure that Barton was looking for a companion anytime soon but then again, he never knew what went on behind those cool green eyes. He acknowledged Trowa’s greeting with a small nod before glancing towards the silent figure still standing beside them.

“A new unit?” he asked, as he took in the agent’s excellent physique beneath the simple black bodysuit. It was a sleeveless outfit which ended above the knees and obviously designed for maximum mobility. A belt – one could almost consider it a utility belt of sorts – was draped around his waist to hold weapons or other necessary items for battle.

Quatre started a little as if surprised to find that there had been someone beside him all this time but he smiled and nodded in agreement. “Yes. He was brought in a month ago and only got permission to begin training this morning. Would you be willing to give him a quick check-up?”

Heero walked up to the young man and placed a gentle hand behind his neck, forcing the unit to bend a little to reveal the nape of his neck. There was the tiny self-denotation button right beneath the hairline and at the area behind his left ear were the tiny barcode markings of his serial number.

“Agent 005,” Heero mumbled beneath his breath, reluctantly admiring the almost blue sheen of the unit’s raven hair. There was that familiar smell of ‘clean’ and yet metal that was common to all units. Heero continued his silent inspection, noticing that Barton and Winner were taking all of this with faint interest. Feeling a bit self-conscious about conducting a quick check-up in the lobby, Heero figured he would get this over and done with since he was on his way to Duo’s room.

“How do you feel, 005?” he asked quietly as if carrying on a pleasant conversation over dinner. He widened the unit’s eyes and stared into the dark pupils, noticing that whatever doctor was in charge of him had implanted data-retrieval chips within them. In this case, 005 would be able to locate and collect all sorts of data merely by looking at the situation before him. The information would later be emptied out in the Mind Room where memories were retrieved or removed with emphasis on priority.

“Fine,” came the curt reply that sent Heero’s heart slamming hard within his chest. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he had almost forgotten he had asked the unit a question.

“Any lingering headaches?” Heero asked, placing his forefingers on either side of the agent’s head and pressing gently. It was clear that this unit wasn’t completely a machine. There wasn’t the familiar hard sensation of gundamium against his fingers and further inspection of 005’s neck, chest and abdomen confirmed his theory.

“No, sir,” 005 replied in a firm but rather appealing voice. Although, he was clearly Chinese in nationality, there was no trace of an accent anywhere.

Heero nodded and eyed the unit’s legs, knowing now that the bones within them had been replaced with their metal equivalent. He sighed and turned to face the waiting officers.

“He looks good to go. He should be able to function…”

“Doctor Yuy! Doctor Yuy!!”

Heero spun around at the sound of his name, eyes widening in mild confusion as he noticed the two male nurses running towards him. They looked out of breath as if they had run all the way here instead of using the conveniently stationed elevators.

“What is it?” he asked, trying not to show his growing panic as he stared into their flushed and sweaty visages.

“It’s…it’s…” one of them began, trying desperately to get the words out of his locked throat. “It’s…!”

“Agent 002!” The other bellowed and Heero felt the world spin on its axis for a second. “He’s gone insane, sir!”

Impossible! He’s supposed to be in a catatonic state for at least two more weeks! He can’t be awake yet!

“We were just as surprised, sir,” Nurse Number 1 said causing Heero to blink as he realized he must have spoken his thoughts out loud. “We were just monitoring his heart rate and blood pressure when all of a sudden…”

“…the heart monitor spiked to show a sudden palpitation!” Nurse 2 finished. “We thought it was a glitch in the system and ignored it at first but then…”

“…it started going faster and faster and the next thing you know…”

“…he sits up and begins to scream, sir! The braces can hardly hold him down, sir! We’ve sent in several officers and they’ve tried to contain him but he’s not giving in that easily…”

Heero had heard enough. His feet were already leading him towards the elevators and he wasn’t all that surprised to find that Officers Barton, Winner and 005 were hot on his heels as well.

“Agent 002 seems to be much more than we bargained for,” Trowa finally said quietly as the elevator took them down to the underground facility. “Perhaps we should put in word for his de-commission before he gets out of hand…”

“No,” Heero replied coldly, wishing the elevator would move faster. He could feel Duo’s necklace burning a hole within his jacket and he cursed softly. “He is my responsibility and I’ll see to it that he is brought under control.”

The officers exchanged a look between them, both slightly confused by the doctor’s obvious concern for the unit. They were yet to see anyone regard the agents as more than just…well…machines. The units no longer had the mental capacity to think for themselves and would always have to be programmed into performing their duties and tasks. They were now mere instruments in the pursuit of peace amongst the colonies and Earth. There was simply no room for emotions.

The doors finally opened and Heero strode out quickly while motioning for one of the nurses at the same time. “Prepare a dose of diazepam, pronto!”

The nurse looked faint. “Diazepam…?”

“Do it!” Heero barked as he pushed open the swinging doors that led to the units’ quarters. Even from this distance, Heero could hear the chaos from the last room at the end of the long corridor. He winced at the low roar and the noises emanating from behind the other doors. It was clear that Duo’s revolt was being felt by the other units. Heero darted a quick glance at 005, wondering what he was doing, but was a bit disappointed to find absolutely no expression on the man’s features.

He’s been completely wiped out, he thought sadly.

“Aaaaaaaaaaargh!”

They all came to a halt as a soldier was tossed out of the room like a sack of potatoes. They watched him slide across the marble floor and hit his head against the wall with a sickening thud. Immediately, Barton and Winner whipped out their handguns, eyes narrowed and bodies tense as they approached the door. Heero opened his mouth to tell them to stop but before anyone else could blink an eye, 005 had pushed his way through and was inside the room.

“What the hell…?”

Heero ran after him but got there just in time to see that 005 had somehow managed to grab hold of Duo’s arms. Duo, for his part, had stopped struggling clearly stunned to see that someone had actually managed to capture him. He turned wild amethyst eyes to the cold black ones and felt something akin to fear creep up his spine. But it was only for a moment, for his rage rose within the pit of his stomach again to give him the strength he needed. If a couple of burly soldiers had failed to keep him in line, what stopped him from tackling this small fry? With a loud yell, he turned his head a little and promptly sank his teeth into the meaty part of 005’s arm.

Completely taken by surprise at the attack, 005 released Duo, staring almost comically at the spots of blood on his arm which now had the shape of Duo’s teeth imprinted on it. He lifted his gaze to stare into the other’s eyes. Duo’s mouth was now smeared with blood and with his long hair spilling all around his face and the shapeless gown, ripped and blood-stained in several places, draped on his body, 005 was sure he had stepped into the room of a mental patient.

“Good work, 005,” Barton commended quietly. He cocked his gun and pointed it directly at Duo. “Step out of the way…”

“Don’t do that,” Heero cut in, finally galvanized into action at the sound of the hand weapon. “I’ll handle this…”

“I don’t see you doing anything, Yuy,” Winner replied coldly as he too seemed ready to shoot at any time. “This unit is completely out of control. We’ll have him de-commissioned now before he causes The Organization any problems.”

Fuck The Organization, Heero thought angrily as the nurse ran in with what he had requested. He picked up the syringe from the tray and tapped it gently, watching the small squirt of liquid from the needle, while trying hard to control the fury within him. Fuck the goddamn Organization!

“Fuck the goddamn Organization,” Duo suddenly said with a sneer causing Heero to lift his gaze in shock. Duo was beginning to snicker with a hand to his mouth as if he was a little child caught doing something bad. “Fuck the goddamn Organization! Fuck the goddamn Organization!”

Shut up, Heero pleaded with his eyes as he noticed Trowa and Quatre looking even more pissed off. Shut the fuck up, you son-of-a-bitch! You’re going to make things even worse!

Had Duo been able to read his mind? How was that even possible?!

“Get out of the way, Yuy!” Trowa bellowed, no longer kidding around as he took another step closer. “That’s an order!”

“I can’t let you do that, Lt. Barton,” Heero somehow managed with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You see, 002 is my creation and I have the final say in what happens to him.”

“No, you don’t,” Winner corrected with a stern frown. “He’s the property of The Organization and according to the rules, any unit found disorderly and out of conduct should be eliminated by any means necessary. Now, please step out of the way or else…”

“All right, already,” Duo suddenly said with a wave of his hands. “I give up, okay? See? I’m gonna be a good boy now.”

He grinned and it was a rather ghastly sight to see considering the blood of 005 still on his teeth and gums. However, Barton and Winner weren’t letting him go that easily…neither was the growing crowd of other armed officers standing at the doorway.

Heero groaned inwardly at the spectacle. This was just something he didn’t need. He watched as Duo straightened up a chair he had knocked down during his tirade, to sit on it quietly. He held up his hands again as if saying he really was going to behave himself when his entire being suddenly seemed to jerk off the chair as if shot with a volt of electricity. It took only a second for Heero to understand what was happening and he turned towards the camera to yell angrily.

“Quit it for god’s sake! He’s promised to behave himself!”

The muscles on Duo’s neck, arms and legs strained as the mind-numbing pain seared through him. He wasn’t sure of what was happening but it felt as if someone or something was crawling within his skin and attacking every muscle, bone and nerve with a million stabs from needles or knives. He bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood, telling himself he wouldn’t give the assholes the pleasure of screaming his agony. Heavy beads of sweat broke out on his brow as his vision began to get hazy. He could still see that lousy doctor yelling something but could hardly hear a thing. Those assholes were drilling a hole in his brain and he was sure they were going to kill him off for good this time.

Yes, that’s better. Much, much better than suffering like this…

He turned his head a little to eye the other two military guys, watching as they lowered their guns and seemed to be pacifying the irate doctor. Still standing and admiring the bite marks on his arm was that moronic Chinese guy. There was no doubt in Duo’s mind that the black-haired guy was like him…whatever he had become.

Ah fuck…can’t hold on any longer…just fucking kill me already!

A low guttural sound escaped his lips, followed by a trail of spittle which dribbled down his jaw. His eyes seemed to blink rapidly and soon enough only the whites showed. Finally, the ‘punishment’ was over and Duo’s body sagged limply in the chair. He would have fallen off and to the floor if Heero hadn’t moved forward to hold him up in his arms.

Duo’s skin felt clammy and cold to the touch causing Heero to shiver in mild revulsion. He glared at Trowa and Quatre, who looked back at him with cool detachment.

They are no better than the machines, Heero thought as he struggled to lift Duo to his feet to place him back on his bed. They’ve been brainwashed and programmed by The Organization as well. What’s the difference between them and the units? Can’t you see what they are turning you into?

He stood back to watch the nurses strap Duo back in. He wasn’t surprised to find that the chains were now of gundanium and if Duo had any plans of escaping, it was going to be next to impossible.

“It’s only a matter of time,” Trowa began as he began to lead the way out of the room. “You can be sure that the authorities will be keeping an eye on him.”

“I won’t say I’m not surprised at your concern regarding 002,” Quatre continued with a light frown. “He’s nothing but an agent. You really should not concern yourself with his welfare…”

“He’s human,” Heero replied quietly, his gaze fixed stubbornly on the oval door leading to 002’s room, which was now locked again.

“He was human,” Trowa corrected with a light shrug. “Either way, I would keep an eye on him. He might turn out to be a dangerous liability. Have a good day, Doctor Yuy.” He gave a smart salute, which was reciprocated by his companion. They spun on their heels with 005 in tow and left the young doctor still standing in the hallway with thoughts as troubled as the silent man who lay in deep sleep.

__

He was simply known as Howard but to Heero, he was the man to go to if you needed information on just about anything. No one knew how long Howard had been in The Organization but he was definitely not your conventional officer. For one, he refused to dress in the military uniforms required by personnel and insisted on wearing only loose Hawaiian shirts and long pants or shorts. Dark glasses covered his eyes at all times and tufts of white hair flanked the bald spot on his head. Although he was generally a quiet man – he had a tendency to stay to himself and away from public functions – Heero was quite aware of Howard’s underground newspaper which he had created as a means to expose the truth about The Opposition. Some had even suggested that Howard was against The Organization but Heero doubted the old man would still be working here if he was. He felt sure that the authorities would have found a convenient way to get rid of him with no one else knowing until it was too late.

Howard’s office was a low bungalow situated on the East side of The Organization’s grounds. There were, of course, underground routes to get there, but Heero needed the fresh air and couldn’t even begin to think of spending any more time within the building. He was sure that Officers Barton and Winner had spoken to the authorities about the incident in Duo’s room and the surveillance on him would be even stricter.

As he approached the steel gates, he winced as he noticed the two soldiers flanking each side. He raised his hands as if waving in surrender.

“Is there a problem?” he asked, already knowing full well there was.

The taller of the two, a young man who must have just graduated from military school, replied with curt politeness. “I’m sorry but we cannot let you in, sir. You have orders to remain in your quarters until you are sent for…sir.”

Heero gritted his teeth and struggled to control his growing irritation. “I am just going to visit The Informant for a while. There is some important…”

“I am sorry, sir, but we cannot allow you into the building…”

“But this is my place, isn’t it?” came the raspy voice behind them. Heero spun around quickly, a smile of gratitude on his visage as he noticed Howard walking towards them. A brown walking stick aided in his movement as he walked across the green lawn and towards the trio. “If I say he stays then he stays. Nice to meet you, doctor. Come in and sit for a spell, will ya?”

The soldiers looked like they were about to protest or go into another prepared speech about their duties, when Howard pushed them aside by rapping his walking stick against their shins. Heero had to hide a smirk as they hopped from one foot to the other in obvious pain.

“Damn sissies,” Howard murmured, while opening the gate by placing a hand against the flat panel screen beside it. “And they call them soldiers. Why, back in my day…”

The doctor groaned inwardly as Howard began to recount his glory days. They walked through the doors and into a small lobby with only a Help Desk…and no help behind it. There were several notices tacked against a board on a wall and only two chairs for visitors in the room. A dead potted plant sat in the corner and Heero had the feeling that no one had bothered to care for this room in a while. There was the faint smell of dust, old books and damp carpet and as Howard opened another door, Heero was given a first hand look at the world of an Informant.

Howard’s real office was a tiny cramped space with one window looking out to the main Organization building. Two desks – one pushed against the wall – were filled with folders, papers, notebooks and flyers. Many of the flyers had the words ‘Oppose The Opposition!!’ written in bright neon colors. There were file cabinets and shelves filled with just as many books, some dusty with age. Heero was sure that many contained enough classified information Howard must have gathered over the years. Who knew what secrets remained locked behind them? In a corner sat an archaic coffee machine. There was also a small fridge which contained several alcoholic beverages and Howard was quick to offer his visitor some.

“You look like you need it,” Howard said with a slow wink. “Straight?” He held up a small bottle of vodka.

Heero nodded slowly and eyed the room, hoping to find something to sit on. “Is there a chair…”

“Over there,” Howard replied pointing towards a section of the room filled with even more papers. “Just push the damn things to the floor and make yourself at home.”

Doing as he was told, Heero pulled the wooden chair towards the bigger of the desks, realizing that this was where Howard did most of his work. He accepted the drink with a small smile and took a sip, wincing as the fiery liquid burned down his parched throat. He took the time to admire the walls which had been covered completely with newspaper clippings of wartime headlines, blueprints of something that looked like a giant robot, more flyers with anti-Opposition messages and of course several naked women with rather large chests and behinds. Heero hid a chuckle behind his glass and he took another sip.

“So what brings the young Doctor Yuy to me today? For them to have soldiers preventing you from walking about…it’s got to be pretty bad, eh?” He gave a soft grunt as he fell into his chair behind the cluttered desk, somehow managing to balance his glass of vodka within his hand.

Heero shifted a little on his seat and then pulled out the necklace to place it on the desk between them. “I want to know all about him. You are familiar with L2. So any information you can give me about Duo Maxwell would be really appreciated.”

Howard raised a brow, not making a move to pick up the item. He stared at it for a long moment, an unreadable expression coming into his eyes. “L2, huh?”

“Yes…are you okay, Howard?”

The older man sighed and shrugged before taking a long gulp of his beverage. “Don’t mind me, Yuy. I’m just an old man with too many memories, that’s all.” He picked up the necklace and watched the sun’s rays bounce off the metal plate. “I’ll look into this and give you some feedback…at least by tomorrow.”

“Thank you…”

“So he’s become a unit, hmm?” Howard murmured to himself causing Heero to lift his gaze sharply.

“You knew Duo Maxwell?” he asked quickly, feeling his heartbeat racing in anticipation and growing excitement. But meeting Howard’s dull gaze dashed his hopes.

“I knew a lot of people on L2, Doctor Yuy,” the older man replied enigmatically. “After all, I was born and raised there.”

___

Sleep didn’t come too easily for Heero that night. In his mind, he could still see Howard’s face and hear those cryptic words. He tossed and turned restlessly on his bed, wondering if there was more to Howard’s knowledge of Duo than he let on. But eventually, he fell into fitful sleep, random images of Duo being chased and captured by unseen members of The Organization filling his mind. However, his dreams were short lived as the alarm beside the intercom blared loudly in his ear.

“Doctor Yuy, you are requested in the training facility now. Lieutenant General Zechs Merquise requests your presence now. Over.”

Heero, who had been ready to tuck himself back in bed, sat up quickly at the name mentioned. His eyes widened in dull panic, his heart thumping wildly in his chest as he thought of the implications that awaited him. Zechs Merquise was the second-in-command around here and for Heero to be called to his presence at this ungodly hour (the clock showed three-fifteen in the morning), it had to be pretty damn serious.

He dressed quickly and made his way towards The Training Room, hardly paying attention to the two soldiers that had been following him for quite some time. The doors slid open silently and he stepped into the cool room where several scientists, doctors (including G and J), Officers Barton and Winner and the head honcho himself, Merquise, stood looking down and into the arena-like area below them. Zechs Merquise was a tall, handsome and rather imposing figure with long flowing blond locks that fell to his waist. However, a metal mask covered his eyes, giving him a mysterious look that made him even more appealing. Rumors claimed that he had been blind from birth or that he had suffered severe burns to his eyes which forced him to remain in such a thing. But that was the least of Heero’s worries as they all turned to look at him now.

“Ah, Yuy. I’m so glad you could join us,” Zechs said quietly. He motioned for Heero to come closer, revealing a pristine gloved hand in the process. Walking on legs that felt as heavy as lead, the doctor walked up to stand beside the blond hardly sparing Trowa or Quatre a glance.

“We couldn’t afford to let you miss the grand event,” Zechs continued in a voice that was slightly pleasant and yet had an edge of danger within its tone. “Look, there come our new units now.”

Heero turned to face the darkened arena, blinking in surprise as one of the doors at the other end of the large room opened to reveal Agent 005. There was nothing really surprising about having units appear in the room for training purposes, after all this was a place where they were tested for their strength and agility. However, his breath caught in his throat as the second door opened to reveal the undeniable figure of Agent 002. Duo was now dressed in a similar outfit, his once unraveled hair now done in a neat and tight braid to fall to the small of his back. Duo walked in slowly, as if surprised to find himself in there and Heero could see his surprise grown tenfold as his gaze fell on Agent 005.

“Ah and the two gladiators are about to begin the battle,” Zechs said with a small smile on his full lips.

“Wa…wait,” Heero began, licking his lips as he shook his head slowly. “He’s not strong enough to deal with the training yet. He just suffered through…”

He fell silent as Zechs turned to face him. Heero shivered at the cold look in those blue eyes and decided that it wasn’t going to be worth it to argue with his commanding officer at this time. He clenched his hands into tight fists and forced himself to watch as the bright lights were turned on in the middle of the arena. The two units held up their hands to their faces to shield their eyes from the glare but stopped long enough to listen to the cool and amused voice of Zechs blaring over the intercom.

“Welcome to the Training Room, my dear agents,” he announced. “In here you will learn to become strong assets to The Organization and to begin, you are required to defeat your opponent using only your hands and feet…or teeth if you will.” He chuckled as Heero winced at the reference made.

“Cominci!” came the loud cry from the blond raising his hands like a King addressing his nation. “Oh and do remember my dear agents, only one of you can leave this room…alive.”

Translations:

Cominci (Italian) - Begin