06:

William Miller, or Weeb as he was known around these parts, whistled softly in earnest appreciation as he thumbed through the pages of Girls! Girls!! Girls!!! – an underground publication of nude magazines which were damn hard to get. He had paid fifty hard-earned dollars for this baby and he would be damned if anyone was going to deny him the right to look at it. He grinned at the image of the girl on the page. She looked barely sixteen and her provocative pose revealed an ass and legs that wouldn’t quit. It helped that she was dressed as a naughty school girl. Weeb was a sucker for such costumes. She reminded him of his kid sister – a sister whose whereabouts were unknown at this time. He licked his lips and shifted lower on his seat, a hand reaching for his pants to unzip it slowly.

However, a loud beep from the intercom jerked him out of his fantasy world. “Weeb?”

Cursing beneath his breath, Weeb lowered the magazine and punched the button on the console, barely glancing at the seemingly hundreds of video screens above him. “What is it?”

“How’s it going tonight?” came the static-filled voice from the other end. Weeb glared at the machine, wondering why Kenny would decide to make tonight a time to chit chat. They weren’t even buddies to begin with.

“Slow night,” he finally replied, his gaze darting to the screens before him. He was in charge of the units’ rooms from Level 0-15 and all the monitors showed the soldiers in their sleep stages. Except for one. He glanced briefly at Agent 002’s room where that doctor had been staring at the unit for the last hour or so. He had always considered Doctor Yuy a strange one. Why else would you go to a unit’s room just to stand there and look at the sleeping guy?

“Nothing happening,” he added with a shrug, his mind already darting back to Candice, the girl in the uniform.

“You check out Agent 002’s room?” Kenny asked and Weeb grit his teeth.

“Dude, you’re not supposed to be checking out my levels, man. I’m quite capable of seeing…”

“Yeah, with your goddamn eyes stuck to the girly mag, huh?”

Fuck you, asshole, Weeb thought angrily, knowing now that Kenny was in the vicinity and was having fun at his expense. That was one of the things he hated about working in this hell hole. You could never really have a private moment.

“Don’t wanna do your job man,” Kenny was saying and Weeb shuddered as he heard the undeniable sound of a cigarette being lit in the background. “But there’s something weird going on in that room. Can’t place my finger on it.”

“There’s nothing happening,” Weeb replied tightly. “The doc’s just standing there checking the unit out.”

“…audio.”

“What?!”

“I said increase the audio, numbnuts. I wanna hear what’s going on.”

Weeb gritted his teeth. “I can’t do that. We’re only allowed to listen in when it’s direct orders from…”

“I’m your supervisor, Weeb and don’t you forget it. I said I wanna hear audio, so turn the damn thing up!”

Oh, I’m gonna kill you someday. You just wait. I’m gonna rip off your balls and stuff them right down your fucking throat!

Folding up the corner of the magazine, so as not to lose his place, Weeb did as he was told, shaking his head slowly as he increased the level of audio in Agent 002’s room. The doctor had pulled up a chair and seemed to be dozing off on it now. There wasn’t a single word being said and it looked as if the unit was now fast asleep.

Waste of my fucking time. “Happy now?” he asked with as much sarcasm as he could muster. “I told you there’s nothing happening in there. Maybe the doc just likes the unit a lot and wants to watch him sleep.”

The silence at the other end made Weeb even more irritated as he wondered if Kenny had bailed out on him and as he made a move to switch off the intercom, the other man’s voice interrupted his motions again.

“I don’t like it.”

“Don’t like what?” Weeb really didn’t give a fuck what he didn’t like. He wanted to go back to his magazine.

“There’s just something not right about it,” Kenny said. “I want you to monitor that room like your life depended on it, Weeb. You got that? I have a feeling something’s about to go down.”

Weeb rolled his eyes. “You sure you’re not keeping an eye on it, yourself? You’re doing a much better job than I am…”

“Watch it, wise ass. You’re not that indispensable you know. I’m sending in Sam to keep you company.”

“Hey, no need for…!” But Kenny had hung up on him and Weeb could only give a small cry of frustration. Fuck! Fuck! Fuckity Fuck! How the hell was he supposed to enjoy his magazine now with Sam Bastin about to show up? The guy was about as fun as a ton of bricks. He stuck to protocol and couldn’t even crack a smile at anything.

“Sorry babe. I guess we’ll have to do this some other night,” he whispered to the smiling face of Candice, as he closed the magazine and hid it in a secret panel beneath his seat. He would retrieve it later when no one was around but for now, he’d have to focus on watching a room with two boring subjects while dreaming up ways to kill Kenny in the most painful and satisfying way possible.

__

In the agent’s room, a deathly silence fell upon the occupants broken only by the low whirring sound of unseen ventilators and their barely audible breathing. Heero felt incredibly drained and exhausted, for talking to Duo with his mind was still something he was trying to get used to. He felt like he had given his brain a good workout and he could feel the beginnings of a headache as he touched a hand to his temple to rub gently. A light sheen of sweat had broken out on his brow and opening his eyes slowly, he forced himself to look at Duo. It was times like these that he wished he could tell and read what Duo was thinking. The unit had barely made a sound or a movement as Heero told his sordid tale and for a moment, Heero wondered if Duo had reverted to sleep mode while talking.

/Duo…/

He reached out to touch the unit’s hand gently, only to wince as Duo’s lashes shot open revealing deadly cold eyes that sent a chill of fear down his spine.

I should expect this, he thought, swallowing tightly as he folded his hands together to stop them from trembling. I can understand how he feels. He has a right to be upset with me. I brought him into this mess. He had no choice in the matter after all.

/Duo, I know you’re…a bit confused and angry at the moment but trust me when I say that I’ll get you out of this/.

/How?/

Heero winced again at the curt question, watching Duo’s lips curl in a derisive sneer.

Go on, doc. Make my fucking night. Tell me of this ingenious plan of yours to free me from this prison, hmm? What? We gonna make ourselves invisible and fly on out of here? Or maybe there’s some underground secret route that’s gonna take us to a land free from the fucking Organization!

Heero held his fingers to his temple. Duo’s yelling was really beginning to affect him in more ways than one. The unit was punishing him and Heero knew it. It was a dull pain at first but it felt like Duo was stretching the muscles within his head, pulling them apart, as if hoping to snap them – to make him go insane.

What’s the matter, doc? Hurts, don’t it? Well thanks to you, I get to be stuck in this place feeling pain every fucking day of my fucking life! You should have killed me when you had the goddamn chance!

Heero moaned. The pain was excruciating.

Duo…please…

Why?! Why didn’t you put the damn chip inside of me?!

A trickle of blood escaped a nostril and Heero could feel his vision becoming hazy and unfocused. If Duo killed him here, it was only fitting but he had to get Duo out of here. He had made that promise and he was going to stick with it even if he lost his life in the process.

Because…

Now both nostrils were oozing blood, trailing down his mouth and chin. Heero watched, with mild fascination, as each drop of the thick red liquid made a polka dot on the white cloth.

Why didn’t I put in the chip? Because I…

(a purely selfish reason)

…because I wanted…I needed…

(completely selfish reason)

…a friend.

Duo’s surprised gasp and stunned look was the last thing he would hear and see as he finally slipped into welcome darkness.

__

When he came to, it was to the nauseating smell of food and medicine. He stared blankly at the covered plate, knowing full well what awaited him – a mundane breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon with a side order of enough pills to knock him out for the rest of the week. Sometimes the medicine was mixed in with the food for those dumb enough not to take notice.

Groaning softly, he turned away and curled in a fetal position beneath his blanket aware that he was now back in his apartment. He could hear Helga cleaning up the room outside his bedroom door and wondered how long he had been unconscious.

A friend.

It was as simple as that, really. In this new world which was filled with misery and loneliness, all he had ever wanted was someone he could talk to, a companion, someone he could joke and laugh with and not worry about upsetting him or her with any of his comments. Heero couldn’t remember the last time he had had a good laugh. In fact, he was damn sure he had never really felt genuine pleasure in his entire life. How sad and pathetic was that?

So why Duo? Why couldn’t he have used any other unit that had come his way in the past few years? What was so special about Duo Maxwell to begin with? They came from opposite sides of the solar system. They were of different nationalities. Heero was sure they wouldn’t really have anything in common…well, besides the need to escape this place…and yet he had ‘chosen’ Duo to be his companion. In his idyllic dream, Heero had hoped that Duo would be more receptive to change and would be willing to help as an assistant at his office. It wasn’t uncommon for units to be used in such a manner after all. Perhaps, a friendship would blossom from working together for so long and perhaps…someday…they might have…

“Fuck,” he whispered into the pillow, squeezing his eyes shut as he fought against the searing ache in his chest. He had screwed everything up. He should have known that Duo wouldn’t be such an easy beast to tame. Hadn’t he seen the signs from the beginning? Hadn’t he known, once he had stared into those defiant eyes at the train station that Duo Maxwell wasn’t going to be such an easy man to deal with? And yet he had made his decision to give Duo his humanity, to make him suffer in this new world. How in the hell did he expect Duo to forgive him?

The door to his bedroom slid open quietly, causing Heero to lift his head from the blanket. Helga came into the room with a basket of pressed clothes and gasped softly as she met the dark blues eyes of her master.

“I apologize, doctor,” she began with a small bow. “I was under the impression that you were still asleep.”

“It’s okay,” he said with a slow nod, sinking back against the pillows as he watched her move towards the closet. He wondered why he couldn’t have made Helga his companion. She was a tall, pretty young woman with a body to die for and she still retained a trace of an accent which revealed that she must have been born in some European nation. She didn’t talk much but it was clear that she was devoted to her job.

“How long have I been asleep?” he finally asked, his gaze drifting to the smooth curve of her ass beneath the tight bodysuit with each movement she made. He was lonely…and human. And knowing he couldn’t have Duo…

“For almost a week now, doctor,” Helga replied quietly causing Heero’s eyes to widen in shock as he sat up quickly. “You were almost comatose when you were brought in…”

“A week?!” Fuck! Duo! Anything could have happened to Duo while he was here sleeping his life away!

He swung his legs off the bed and almost tumbled to the floor in his haste. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he had to steady himself against a wall to catch his breath.

“You must not move too quickly, sir,” Helga was saying as she moved towards him with mild concern on her features. “You have barely eaten anything since then and…”

“I need to get out of here,” he muttered, as he reached for a shirt and jacket to slip into. He knew he must look like hell, not shaved, hair disheveled and eyes possibly bloodshot. But he couldn’t remain in here a second longer. Duo could have been…would have been…

NO! He couldn’t have lost Duo like that! He just couldn’t!

He all but ran out of his apartment and into the elevator that would take him down to the medical facility and as he closed his eyes and leaned against the cool steel wall, he prayed and hoped that he wasn’t too late.

__

The heels of his polished black boots made hollow echoes as he walked down the empty hallway. Before him were the white marble archways which led to the garden and shooting grounds. He could already hear the reports from the rifle as it was fired, the barely audible squawk from another downed bird and the low cry of satisfaction from the unseen hunter. Lieutenant General Zechs Merquise gave an inward sigh as he approached the scene. He had long since learned to keep his emotions and personal feelings away whenever he came to meet his superior. The last thing General Khushrenada wanted to hear was how well his subordinate was doing with his personal life. All he cared about was The Organization and its plans for domination, and Zechs was more than aware of his role as Treize’s pawn. If he wasn’t already indebted to the older man, Zechs knew he would have done things a little differently around here.

He stopped beside a stone pillar, watching the tall man with undeniable appreciation. For all his ruthlessness and seemingly one-track mind, there was no doubt that Treize Khushrenada was a fine specimen. Zechs had had the pleasure of seeing and touching the strong body beneath the uniform as well as being brought to his knees in pure and unbridled ecstasy. He shivered at the memory of their last encounter, knowing that his back hadn’t fully recovered from the lashes he had received from his sadistic lover’s whip. He watched the concentration on Treize’s chiseled features, those eyes which could see through one’s soul, narrowed as they followed the flight of the bird in sight. Zechs was unaware he was holding his breath until the shot was fired and the black object in the sky immediately fell to earth with a low thud.

Zechs raised his hands to clap but was beaten to the punch by the more enthusiastic applause of a man he hadn’t even noticed. His lips tightened with disapproval as he noticed Major General Pierre Baudouin – the certified ass kisser – rising to his feet, his thick lips moist with the rich wine he had been drinking.

“Bravo, General Khushrenada! Bravo!” he cried. “I’ve never seen such fine shooting in my life. How do you do it?”

“Talent, my dear Baudouin,” Treize replied with a soft laugh as he lowered his rifle and gave a mock bow. As he lifted his head, his gaze fell upon the silent figure of Zechs causing a knowing smile to come to his lips. “Ah, it looks like my second-in-command is finally here, General. Come, come, Zechs. Do not hide in the shadows.”

“Good afternoon sir,” came the cool reply as Zechs approached the two men. He saluted smartly at Baudouin, sneering inwardly at the greedy look of need that filled the officer’s eyes. How many times had he gotten that look over the years? It never really ceased to amuse him.

“General Merquise,” Baudouin greeted with a salute of his own. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet the man who runs the show when the boss is away.”

“Ah, it’s nothing…”

“He’s being too modest,” Treize interrupted as he sat on one of the chairs and crossed long legs. He eyed the table laden with fresh fruits, wines, crackers, cheeses and finger sandwiches before selecting an apple for himself. “Without Zechs, The Organization would have crumbled a long time ago.”

Unable to stop his cheeks from flushing at the high praise, Zechs sat beside his superior and accepted the apple slices given to him. “I only do what Treize tells me to do,” he said, sharing a quick but poignant look with the older man. He forced himself to look at Baudouin. “I owe him my life.”

The L3 leader’s eyes widened at the sincere statement. “Oh? Do you now?”

Treize laughed again, a low sound that seemed to come from deep within his chest. “He likes to exaggerate things, my dear Baudouin,” he said, as he chewed slowly on his fruit. “I only showed the man the way when he was just a lowly, misguided soldier in the past. I was quite surprised at his dexterity and willingness to learn.”

He smirked, watching Zechs squirm a little in his seat. “I couldn’t have asked for a better subordinate.”

“Well, good, good,” Baudouin said, reaching for his glass to down the rest of its contents in a huge gulp. He rubbed his lips with the back of his hand and leaned forward, his dark beady eyes peering intently at the two men before him. “It’s good to know that we have such trustworthy leaders in The Organization. With you two in charge, we’ll bring down the Opposition in no time.”

“Ah,” Treize began with a heavy sigh, a sad, weary look filling his handsome visage. “But it looks like the Earth’s Forces and Queen Relena do not share my enthusiasm, General. I sometimes feel that they do not trust me as well as you do.”

“Nonsense,” Baudouin interrupted with a firm shake of his head. “Everyone knows that Queen Relena is just a figurehead and really has no power over much of anything.”

“But there’s General Applegate to consider,” Treize continued, his tone a bit bitter as he mentioned the man’s name. “He’s clearly…”

“Not in his right mind,” Baudouin finished with a light snort. He stuffed his mouth with some sandwiches hardly aware of the looks of disgust that flashed on his companions’ faces for a brief moment. “The Colony Alliance is on your side…”

“What’s the point of having only two colonies on your side when Earth is against you?” Treize asked quietly. “They clearly have the upper hand now. When the colonies are rebuilt, they will be responsible for electing new leaders and where would I be then, General Baudouin? You know they will do all they can to eradicate my presence.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Baudouin said with a slam of his fist on the table. Zechs reached out to steady a plate that would have fallen to the ground. “We already have alliances within the Earth’s Forces as we speak. There are many who do not agree with Applegate, Allison and Briggs and before long…” He made a slicing motion along his neck.

“Are you saying you plan to assassinate them, General Baudouin?” Treize asked in a deceptively calm tone, his hand stilling in the process of peeling another apple. His eyes were narrowed and guarded.

“Not me,” Baudouin replied with a nervous laugh. He filled his glass with some more wine and drank thirstily. “But there are plans, yes. We need to get rid of those who oppose the need for peace and we all know that Applegate is the ringleader. With him out of the way…we have nothing to fear, correct?”

Treize remained silent, although his lips were quirking in the semblance of a smile.

“Once Applegate is gone,” Baudouin continued. “We will get to that Queen…”

A plate tumbled to the ground causing both men to stare at Zechs who had leaned down to pick it up. “Forgive me,” he muttered as he placed it back on the table. He couldn’t meet any of their eyes or he was afraid they’d see the look of fury and yet worry in them. “My clumsy mistake.”

“Of course,” Treize replied quietly, still watching the blond carefully.

“Well, that’s the plan for now anyway,” Baudouin said, while clearing his throat. “Like I said, there’s no real concrete plan set for now, but we – General Yanagi and I – will keep you updated on the latest developments.”

“You do that, General,” Treize said with a warm smile. “I look forward to working with you in the future.” He rose to his feet, holding out a hand for a handshake. Baudouin, realizing that his time was up, reluctantly accepted the gloved hand with a wan smile. He tried not to show his discomfort at the firm but somehow cold sensation that crept up his spine from the contact.

Zechs and Treize watched him leave, neither saying a word until he was out of sight.

“What a pain in the ass,” Treize finally muttered as he stifled a small yawn. He turned to notice that Zechs was now staring out to the garden, as stiff as one of the many statues that graced the landscape. Smiling softly to himself, he walked up to the younger man, hands reaching out to take off the mask from his face.

“Treize,” Zechs began softly but was silenced as firm but warm lips met his in a hard kiss. His lashes fluttered weakly, a low moan escaping his throat as he parted his lips to accept his superior’s tongue into his mouth.

When they finally pulled apart for air, panting harshly as hooded and heated gazes met, Treize whispered softly. “Still worried about your sister I see.”

Zechs started as if goosed and tried to lower his lashes but his chin was caught within a strong hand and he was forced to meet Treize’s cold stare. “I wasn’t…”

“Don’t lie to me!” Treize hissed angrily. “What did I tell you when you decided to dedicate your life to me?!”

Zechs tried to shake his head but a painful squeeze from Treize had him wincing. “You…you said to…”

“Forget she exists!” Treize replied with a cold sneer. “You denounced your family when you joined me, Merquise and don’t you forget it. You belong to me now! You swore your life to me!”

“Yes…”

“Good! I’m glad we still have that understanding.” He released Zechs with a light snort and spun away, picking up his gun to stare into the heavens for any more targets. “What’s the news on that agent you keep blabbering about?”

Zechs, still rubbing his jaw, glared at the strong back before replying quietly. “Agent 002. He was to be de-commissioned but I have retracted the orders.”

“And why is that?” He spotted a bird and aimed.

Zechs sat on a chair heavily and closed his eyes. “He’s become more docile and obedient to his superiors. And besides…”

“Besides what?” Treize asked impatiently as he fired and missed. He cursed beneath his breath.

Zechs opened his eyes, a small but rueful smile on his visage now. “You wanted a new plaything, didn’t you? I think you just might like him. He can be quite…feisty when he chooses to be.”

Treize frowned lightly at the tone of longing he had heard in the other’s voice, feeling the familiar coil of jealousy within the pit of his stomach at the thought of anyone attracting Zechs’s attention. “Fine,” he replied coldly. “I will see him when I’m good and ready but until then…get out of those clothes and keep my bed warm. I need to get my mind off those fools from the Earth’s forces.”

__

Duo rolled down the sleeve of his uniform and lay back on the narrow cot with his eyes closed. It was a bitch to keep getting shots like this everyday. These were their meals – some kind of mixture that looked like clear green goo – that were given to them in the form of injections once a day. He never got hungry, but it killed him to watch the doctors and other workers in the organization eating food – ‘real’ food – in the cafeteria or around the Organization grounds. He would do anything to have a taste of a greasy burger or at least a slice of fruit but he knew he’d have to keep his longing to himself. He was supposed to be a unit without emotions and showing his hunger would give away his precarious position.

And it’s all that fucker’s fault.

/Because I wanted…needed…a friend/.

Asshole! The selfish asshole! Duo turned on his side and closed his eyes, listening to the other units as they were being fed. They had to come to this room – their own cafeteria of sorts – to get their meals. He squeezed his eyes even tighter, wanting to scream at how inhumane and impersonal this was. He was bound to go insane and for the umpteenth time, he wished that Heero had at least gone all the way and gotten rid of his feelings once and for all. But for now, he knew he had a role to play. He really didn’t want to die just yet. There were still a lot of questions that needed to be answered and to get that; he’d have to go along with these guys for now. He would become the perfect unit, doing as he was told and not causing any trouble. It seemed to be working so far since all talk of de-commissioning him had not been brought up recently.

/I needed a friend./

Oh, for fuck’s sake! He turned to his other side, trying desperately to ignore Heero’s voice within his mind. But try as hard as he might, he could still feel the misery and loneliness within the doctor – that palpable emotion that had sent shivers of awareness down Duo’s spine. He had known there and then that Heero was a victim just like himself. The guy had been living in this place for goodness knows how long and Duo could understand why someone would be so desperate to seek some form of normalcy. He didn’t think he would have lasted a month in this place if he was completely human. There was just something so wrong about this whole set up that worried him greatly.

But why me? Why would you choose a guy like me to be your friend? You didn’t even know who I was. You didn’t know my past. How could we get along when we know jackshit about each other? What the hell were you thinking, Yuy? Were you really that desperate that you just decided to choose anyone that you picked up? What do you see in a guy like me, huh? I’m nothing special. Believe me.

“All units return to your levels. All units return to your levels.”

He sighed and rose to his feet, joining the mass of his fellow soldiers as they lined up for their daily roll call. He hadn’t seen Heero in a week and hoped he hadn’t hurt the doctor too badly. Patini had been assigned to his room again and if it wasn’t for his promise to behave himself, Duo would have killed the smug doctor by now.

As they moved, he bumped into another unit, hand reaching out automatically to steady the other person. “Sorry,” he began and blinked as he met the cool eyes of Agent 010. “Hey, it’s…”

But she was already turning away and before Duo could call her again, she was lost in the throng of units. He cursed beneath his breath and tried to follow her but was pulled back by a strong hand.

“Wha…?”

“Do not cut in line, 002,” the soldier stated flatly as he shoved Duo back to his place. “Please follow your orders.”

Gritting his teeth, Duo did as he was told and fell into place, marching along with the others while thinking of ways to kill them all in the most painful way possible. As he walked he tried to take note of his surroundings. There wasn’t much to go by but after a week of this, he had figured out a specific route. There were apparently 20 levels assigned to the units and he was on level 2. An elevator took them to the ground floor every morning where they were forced to march down a winding windowless corridor to their ‘feeding’ room. He had noticed several guards stationed at various intervals and his last count had shown ten exits in all. That meant ten possible escape routes to the outside. Whenever he had been sent on missions, they had gone through an underground tunnel in things that resembled bullet trains. He thought of possibly hijacking one during another mission or better yet, making his escape if he was assigned to another mission. It was the only possible way of getting himself out of here.

“Move it and stop daydreaming!” came the sharp reprimand as Duo felt the sudden blow to the back of his head. He fought back his scream of pain, glancing at the soldier who had done the deed.

Remember, no emotion. No emotion. No fucking emotion.

He quickened his footsteps and as they approached the elevator that would take them to their rooms, he glanced out the large windows which looked down to one of the many lobbies in the building. There seemed to be a commotion around the doorway and on closer inspection, it seemed like there was a man trying to get into the room but he was being held back by the soldiers.

Well I’ll be damned…

He pressed his face against the glass as the man finally walked past the officers with an angry word or two to them. He looked positively crazy with his hair all askew; face unshaven, although he looked damn sexy in Duo’s opinion. The doctor asked the soldiers something and one of them pointed upwards to the waiting line of units.

Duo, unaware he was holding his breath, met those piercing blue eyes and felt his knees weaken. Ah, he had almost forgotten the power Heero had over him with just one look. He was jostled to move and he did so reluctantly, still holding onto that gaze that was now filled with relief and yet sadness. He could feel a small smile tugging his lips as he realized that Heero was walking along with him, still not tearing his gaze away from the unit high above him.

You’re gonna hit the wall or something doc, Duo thought with faint amusement. What good are you with broken bones, hmm? You don’t want to end up like me, do you?

“Move it, 002!” He was hit again and he fell to his knees, wincing as a trickle of blood began to trail down his forehead.

Goddamn it!

He was dragged to his feet and shoved into the elevator but not before stealing one last desperate look at Heero and as the doors slid shut before him, Duo closed his eyes and sent a single message to the young doctor.

Fine, Yuy. I’ll be your friend.