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Mission Accepted: Dark
Discovery I
Relative disclaimers apply.
Three days previously...
A door clicked open and closed in darkness. A pair of leather-soled feet walked very slowly over to a point in the darkness, then stopped.
Two leather chairs on rollers squeaked; computer keyboard keys clicked; and small lights flashed briefly as two computers and their monitors, sitting next to each other, came on.
There was another small click and a small flashlight came on, illuminating the faces of the two young men who intended to use the computers, which sat on a library-style table.
Duo, already seated and now waiting to use the computer in front of him, watched Heero as he plunked himself down in the other chair, turned the flashlight off, put it down somewhere between the computers and prepared to use the CPU he was in front of.
"What kept you?" Duo asked with a touch of irritation, even as he noted Heero's red eyes and half-awake behavior and expression. "I had to turn everything back off."
"Hmmm," Heero said noncommitantly.
Duo raised an eyebrow. The red eyes he could ignore. But Heero's face and behavior said a lot about his usually up-and-at-them-24-and-7 comrade and friend.
He wondered how much not fighting affected Heero. Earth and Space were at peace with each other now and neither had any need of any soldiers, much less one fully trained to seek and anilhilate.
"Bad dreams?" he asked half-casually, half-concerned.
"Hmmm," Heero said with a bit of irritation, then blinked twice, seemed to fully wake up, and began to use "his" computer.
Duo shrugged and got to work himself, but couldn't resist asking: "You don't believe that everything is totally peaceful either, do you?"
"No." Heero paused. Something briefly interesting had come up on his screen. "There's always someone around who wants to start things up again. How's Hilde?"
"Fine," Duo casually replied. One never knew whether Heero's concerns about people were polite, casual or genuine. It was best just to basically answer his questions and leave it at that.
Of course, Relena had been different.
Duo suspected that she was the reason that Heero had come in looking like he had. And, once again, he had the "Relena's high on my personal hit list" look in his eyes that the people who Heero had allowed to come close to him knew well.
She had brought that upon herself, hadn't she? Her acts and words in the name of Peace had put her ever closer to Heero's crosshairs. Well, that and her knowing too much about Heero himself. But every time Heero had set out to kill her, he had failed.
The lady herself had told him to kill her. He had yet to be able to do so. Neither seemed to know exactly why.
Duo wondered when both of them would get a clue.
He cracked a reluctant smile. He himself admired and respected Relena. Heero, on the other hand...
Heero scowled. Duo wasn't an idiot. A talkative near-suicidal maniac at times perhaps, but not an idiot.
He knows. So why did he even bother to ask me about bad dreams? But there's no time for this now. Like him, I have a feeling that something's out there and—
"Ah-ha," he said with a touch of dry humor.
Duo looked over.
"You found something?"
"Yep." Heero's fingers flew over the keyboard for a few seconds. Coding appeared; three seconds later the view changed to the auditorium of the old, partially-rebuilt Romefeller Foundation headquarters.
Sometime during the Earth-Colonies War the building had been nearly completely destroyed. Booth's, a historical society that no one had ever heard of before the war had ended, was rebuilding it with the idea of it being "a significant symbolic historical reference point."
Neither Heero nor Duo believed that for a second, but as they had no evidence to the contrary, they couldn't really voice their opinions of the matter.
"There's nothing there but bad memories," a disappointed Duo complained.
"Wait," Heero said simply, and had the computer zoom in on what looked like a flatbar handle in the "wall" beneath the stage.
Duo laughed and lightly clapped Heero on the back.
"You're truly one of a kind, man."
"You're the one who managed to sneak in here in complete darkness and hack into the system," Heero said with a touch of respect and admiration.
Duo grinned, acknowledging the rare Compliment From Heero.
"They don't make these places like they used to," he said, and got back to business.
Heero nodded.
"The lack of security these days is understandable but stupid. One should never let their guard down. I've been checking things out and hearing things for a while now...it's not safe. There's no real peace. Somewhere out there is someone waiting to stroke. I intend to stop them."
Duo nodded. Heero sounded more like himself. Maybe he'd just had some kind of mood swing.
"What d'you suppose is behind Door Number Two?" he asked, and paused. Something interesting had just popped up on his screen.
"Hmmmm. What do you have there?"
A briefly faintly smiling Heero looked over. He'd liked Duo's little joke.
Duo grinned and leaned back.
"It looks as though they're slowly becoming aware of us. Whoever they are."
Heero nodded and returned his attention to his computer.
"Keep them off our backs for a little while longer. I'm going to try to look behind that door."
"Roger."
Duo's fingers flew over the keyboard.
Heero frowned.
"We're not soldiers anymore."
"We're always going to be soldiers. That's what we are. But I much prefer to be called a warrior. How about you?"
Heero half-smiled.
"I'm trying to put that life behind me."
Duo jerked.
Why? he wanted to know, but didn't ask. Does she have anything to do with that decision? Are you really going to waste most of your life watching her from the shadows? Dammit, does she mean that much to you?
Heero glanced at him. He had a good idea of what Duo was thinking and didn't like it.
You're too close. Don't push it. I could still kill you. Maybe.
"How long do we have?"
Duo did some mental calculations.
I know what you're thinking, kemosabe. And I don't think so.
"Two minutes, maybe a few seconds more."
Heero nodded.
"That should be good enough."
"Gotcha. I'll help ya."
"Cool."
Now Duo knew for sure that Heero wasn't himself. But he was performing as well as he ever had, so he didn't push the issue.
What is with you, Heero?
"Hey, Duo."
Heero's slightly reproachful voice jolted Duo back to the here and now.
"Y-yeah? What's up?"
Heero leaned back.
"I was just thinking about the latest Booth's commercial. You know, the one that flashes their logo at least ten times during the ad—"
"And?"
Duo knew this was leading somewhere and was becoming impatient.
"I've never really thought about it before, but I could swear that one of the colors in the logo matches Quatre's eyes."
Duo's jaw dropped.
"You don't think—"
Heero was very pensive now.
"I don't think he knows. But Booth's definitely knows about him. That color's no accident."
"I think we should contact him and ask."
"I think we should find out ourselves and then ask." Heero pursed his lips, an unusual gesture for him. "We'll need all the evidence that we can get."
"And we'll need to hurry." Duo stared at the flatbar handle. "I think this could involve a lot more than an 'historical reference point.'"
Heero winked at him, a rare gesture indeed. Duo had no idea that Heero could wink.
"You mean a 'significant symbolic historical reference point.'"
Duo shook his head slowly.
"That's what our rears will be if you don't stop talkin' and get to it."
Heero laughed out loud, clapped him on the back and got back to work.
Duo grinned.
Guess that makes us even.
The grin faded.
But if Quatre comes along...man, somehow I know that she'll come too. Maybe it's because this involves money.
He glanced at Heero.
But this isn't about money, is it? You're doing this for her.
"Heero."
"What?"
"You think she knows that Booth's might be up to no good? She's given 'em a lot of money for all of these 'rehabilitations.'.'"
Heero thought about this for a few seconds.
Sneaky son of a...
"If she does, she's not suddenly going to stop giving them money. And to answer one of your unspoken questions, she doesn't have the resources that we have to dig deeper into this organization."
Duo folded his arms across his chest.
"Hmph. She might be waiting for us to get the goods on these people. Then she'll get in contact with us."
Heero exhaled.
"She doesn't know where we are."
"Yet," Duo sneered.
Heero looked at him for a second, then back at his computer screen.
"If and when that happens, I want us to have as much information about Booth's as we need."
Duo groaned.
"Ohhhh, man! What're you gonna do? Tell her that Booth's is bad and then send her on her way?"
"I won't have her involved," Heero said in a tone that stated that he didn't want to discuss the matter any longer.
Duo shook his head slowly.
"She does have a mind of her own, y'know. And she's just as stubborn and determined as you are."
Heero didn't say anything.
Duo shrugged.
"Mark my words, man, we're in trouble. And it'll be your fault."
"I've never met any kind of trouble that I've never been able to deal with," Heero said absentmindedly.
Duo shook his head slowly again.
Oh yes you have. You just don't want to admit it. But one day you're going to have to face up to your feelings.