| Hello again, everyone. Obviously you liked Part 1 enough to come back for more. Well, I aim to please. While writing this, however, I discovered that this story might be longer then anticipated by a part or two. Oh well, I don�t think you�ll mind too much. In response to many people asking the same question over and over, I�ll just answer it here once and for all. Yes, the newbies are based on real people. Yes, Kelly is based on me. No, it�s not a total match (I gave her a few assets I don�t have) but it�s close enough. Taylor, Ward and future characters are based on those close to me. Please don�t ask me again. I�m not sure why you want to know that in the first place�.. Again, I state that emotional turmoil will be present in significant degrees. As one of my readers so aptly put it, �Damn, you like to make them suffer! I thought this was your favorite show!� It is and there is a point to all this mental torture I�m putting them through (some more then others). I�m just taking my time getting to it. My address is [email protected]. Write me if you have any thoughts, questions or whatever. As you can tell, I like to talk. Thanks to my co-writer/editor/sister/pain-in-the-ass, various friends like the Jens, Val, little Michele and anyone else who inspired me whether they know it or not. The story is mine but I must give credit where credit is due. They did offer suggestions (Amanda and the beans ^_^) and gave me direction when I floundered with extreme writer�s block. Anyway, here�s the fruits of many long days and sleepless nights of labor. Enjoy! ------------------------------- Disclaimer: Gundam Wing or Shinkidousenki Gundam Wing is copyrighted and trademarked by Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency and associated parties with all rights and privileges. The characters were used without permission for the purposes of entertainment only. This is not meant for sale of profit. Any characters not created by those listed above are mine and hereby considered the sole property and copyright of the author. ------------------------------- DARK BEGINNINGS PART 2 By Lady DarkAngel ------------------------------- Duo pelted down the corridor at top speed, reaching for the doorknob just as the second bell rang. <Alright! On time, or almost anyway!> he thought joyfully. The teach really didn�t mind but he got stares from the others and Heero was VERY clear that he should attract as little attention as possible. He strolled in and received a smile from the professor. Duo quickly took his customary seat in the back and waited for the class to start. <Math. It had to be math. And not just any type of math, oh no! PRE-CALCULUS no less, one of the hardest kinds. I HATE MATH!> To his surprise, however, the teach had something else in mind for today�s class. �Since you�ve all done so well on last weeks� test, we�re goin� to have a special lesson today. A game, really, with real life applications.� <Great, a math game. Just my luck.> �Miss Memori, would you please come up here? That is, if you�re ready.� Duo�s jaw dropped to the desktop and his eyes nearly rolled out of his head. It was HER! The girl from the mall! The lovely vision who had plowed into him and offered him the sweetest smile he had ever seen. The radiant Miss..... Duo�s mind quickly raced to remember her name. How could he have forgotten it so quickly? It was a pretty name, soft and feminine. What was it...? Wait, could it be...yes, it was! Kelly, Kelly Memori! He remembered! He was rudely jerked back to reality by the sound of a soft voice. �OK, everyone. Do you understand the rules? Good, here we go!� <WAIT!> Duo nearly shrieked it aloud. <I wasn�t paying attention! Oh no, I can�t say THAT! Just...just bluff it out. I�m good at that. Besides, I suck in math.> Much to his astonishment, the Deathscythe pilot actually understood and learned a lot of what was explained. Kelly presented the applications of trigonometric pre-calculus by having them pretend they were in different scenarios and had to solve the problem using the math. Many of them made sense, and almost all were funny. He had always used the formulas as a Gundam pilot and salvage worker. But never before had he understood just how they were formed and why they worked. <She�s good, VERY good. Genius good.> he thought approvingly. Class went by amazingly fast and soon the bell rang. Students left, but Duo noticed wryly that is wasn�t nearly as fast as they usually tried to escape. They, too, had enjoyed the unusual lesson . He saw that Kelly had lingered behind and decided to stay as well. He quietly approached and said in his most non-threatening voice, �Hello again.� Startled, she whirled and looked ready to strike, having assumed a fighting stance. He was amazed to recognize it as a special Shoalin defensive move, very high level. He tensed slightly, unsure if she would attack... However, her eyes fixed on his face and she dropped the stance. A grin lit up her lovely face. �Oh, it�s you! Hello. What are you doing here?� �I�m in this class. Just transferred in to the school.� �Cool! This is a great school....sorry, schools.� she corrected herself slightly. �Ya know, I usually don�t like math but I gotta say, this lesson rocked. You�re a very good teach.� Duo watched as a slight flush graced her cheeks. The tiny pink tinge looked just... <OK, Maxwell, snap out of it!> He can�t keep thinking like that or he was doomed. Heero would kill him... �It wasn�t that cool. You�re just being nice. I�m not so sure I did a good job.� �Are you kidding?! You ruled! Everybody got it! Do ya know how rare that is? I mean, usually ya got a coupla dumb kids messin� around and not payin� attention, but you had EVERYONE�S attention. Seriously...� Duo trailed off abruptly, realizing he�d been babbling. <God, what is WRONG with me?!> He was falling apart, acting like a total baka! <Great, now I sound like Heero!> She was staring at him with an odd look. What was that? Gratitude, appreciation? Trepidation, uncertainty? Disbelief, mistrust? Something else entirely? Kelly then offered a hesitant �Thank you. You�re very kind.� A few seconds of silence and then she spoke again, stronger this time. �I do appreciate it. I�m never sure just how the class takes it. Sometimes I�m sure they hate it...and me.� A self-deprecating smile flittered across her face. Duo wanted to shake her hard. How could she be so unsure of herself, so lacking in confidence? She was perfect! �You did just fine.� he said firmly, trying to convey his belief in her. It seemed to work. Her face got brighter and the smile grew wider. She appeared to be genuinely happy. �I�m sorry. I forgot your name.� �Duo, Duo Maxwell. Extremely pleased �ta meet ya.� �Likewise.� They left the room together for their next class. ------------------------------- Heero sat alone at a table in the lunchroom, pretending to be doing homework, but in reality was observing the target in front of him. Two tables away, Nicolas Ward was holding court with a group of admirers and sycophants. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, answering questions with the sniff of a true snob to an inferior. Heero frowned as he sat deep in thought. Something wasn�t right. They had finished Advanced Physics and there had been a disturbing incident. Ward had been asked a question, an extremely difficult one for most people but it should have been child�s play for someone of his intellect and experience. And he had gotten it wrong. The teacher hadn�t caught it but then again, Mr. Harrison wasn�t a MS pilot. Ward�s answer made absolutely no sense whatsoever when viewed in the context of him being OZ�s top scientist. Had he been lying? Playing up his cover as they were? Or was Ward not who they thought he was? The answer to either question was no good for them. If he was pretending, it meant that he suspected he was being watched. If he really didn�t know, then he wasn�t who they had been informed he was. Then he wasn�t the true target. And that brought up a whole host of new problems. Heero was snapped out of his musings by the arrival of Quatre and Wufei. Wufei did not look pleased. �That.....that.....�professor�.....doesn�t know the first thing about history. How in the hell did he get this job?! No justice anywhere!� The Shenlong pilot snarled as he dropped into the seat on Heero�s left. Quatre had a faint smile on his lips as he took the seat diagonal from the irritated Wufei. The Wing Zero pilot glanced to question him. �We were learning about Chinese history.� �Ahhh.� �You call that GARBAGE history?! That is nothing but vicious lies and slander against a noble and honorable people! How DARE they even consider teaching such NONSENSE to impressionable young minds?! There is NO JUSTICE!!!� Wufei was practically foaming at the mouth, his eyes wide as he raved and gestured and nearly up-ended the table. �Quiet. You�re causing a scene.� �Damn right I�m causing a scene, Yuy! And I will continue to make a scene as long as this travesty is allowed to...� Wufei abruptly shut up as Heero calmly reached over and slammed him face down into a huge pile of refried beans. Or, at least what looked like refried beans. In private schools, you can never be really sure WHAT you�re eating. Wufei spluttered as he came up for air, brown globules dripping from his hair down the front of his shirt. He was absolutely covered in the Mexican dish. �What in the hell did you do THAT for?!� �People were staring.� �And they�re not now?!� It was true. Everyone in the Eternal Snows Academy cafeteria was looking intently at them, many with smirks on their faces. Heero had no worries as to how this went over with their classmates. Most, if not all, would assume it was a �friendly� gesture to silence an embarrassing friend. After all, this was an all-boys school. Such activities were common. No one would guess any intention of harm had been present. Not that there had been, anyway. Quatre was trying in vain to contain a massive fit of giggles that threaten to erupt at any moment but was failing miserably. His face was a bright shade of pink and his breath was coming in short, painful gasps. Suddenly, he couldn�t hold it any longer. The Sandrock pilot burst into loud and uncontrollable laughter, which seriously pissed Wufei off. The Chinese boy reached over to beat the shit out of his comrade, or at least throttle him, when a hand unexpectedly closed around his wrist. He looked up in surprise to find Trowa glaring at him. �That is NOT a good idea.� Wufei leaned back with a slight frown. Hn, count on Trowa to be protective of the air-headed Arab twit. He made a mental note to hurt the blond offender later. A quick glance and the Heavyarms pilot asked, �Where�s Duo? I have some important news.� �Who knows? He�ll show up if and when he feels like it...if he remembers.� Heero said dismissively. �What news?� Trowa took the seat on Quatre�s left and stated baldly, �We might have a serious problem on our hands.� His words had the effect of a two-megaton bomb. Heero�s face turned to solid stone and his posture went rigid and battle-ready. Quatre gasped and looked exceedingly alarmed. Wufei forgot his future vengeance on Quatre immediately and focused intently on Trowa�s face. Heero was the first to speak up. �What do you mean �serious problem�?� �Ward may not be the one we�re after.� Two jaws dropped and one lowered slightly, a sight to behold, as all three had been vigorously trained not to reveal emotions. Quatre began to splutter something that vaguely sounded like �WHAT?!� but it was difficult to tell. Wufei�s scowl was fierce but was absolutely no match for the look of near homicidal fury that graced the normal expressionless Heero�s face. Quatre finally managed to create a decently outraged and audible �WHAT?! What the hell do you mean?!� Trowa blinked slightly at Quatre�s unusual use of �hell�, as he considered it an extremely dirty word. �I said, Ward may not be our real target.� Heero�s fierce glare demanded an explanation. �I just had a conversation with one of the students that�s lead me to believe he�s not the person he claims to be. I have good reason to assume he�s not the target.� �Explain the reasons.� �Apparently, Ward�s not a very good student, officially or not. He�s terrible in science and math and doesn�t know the first thing about mobile suit design. He�s a fake.� �How do you know this? How can you be sure? I mean, is your source reliable?� Quatre interjected. �Yes. I saw some of the designs, and the person carrying them laughed in my face when I asked if they were Ward�s. � Heero nearly leapt up in outrage. �Why didn�t you take them?!� �The sketches....or the carrier?� �BOTH!� �Because the carrier is innocent. She didn�t know what they were. She thinks she�s holding on to pictures for a friend.� Trowa conveniently neglected to mention that Taylor was the artist who created the blueprints and that she knew EXACTLY what they were. She was innocent, he was sure of it, but that information was definitely not in her favor. �DAMN IT! Did you at least get the name and/or location of the REAL target?!� Wufei nearly shouted it on the top of his lungs, just barely remembering in time were they were. �Actually......yes. Sort of.� Again, jaws dropped. This round, however, saw Quatre regaining his wits first. � �Sort of �? What does that mean?� �I got a nickname, a location and a description.� Heero took advantage of the ensuing silence to voice his own previous doubts. �I noticed earlier that Ward wasn�t a good student. But I thought perhaps that he was pretending. But now...� he trailed off, the doubt evident on his face. �So now what?� Wufei said in a low voice. �Do we go after him?� �Not now, later tonight.� Trowa gave the group an encompassing look. �And... it�s not a guy, it�s a girl.� Before any reaction could happen, he continued. �Apparently she is easily distinguishable, even by sight. Definitely by personality.� �Well, description, man! How will we recognize...her?� Wufei was barely handling his shock and moral outrage. �To be honest, the description sounds very familiar. Tall and thin, but deceptively strong and swift. Incredible reaction time, an excellent fighter and crack shot. Long hair, always braided, quite often messy. Hair and eye color are extremely unusual shades. Constantly wears black and white, most black. Very easy on the eyes, although seemingly ignorant of it. Normally very cheerful and humorous, but has a dark side and deadly temper. Vastly intelligent but prefers to act like an idiot. Practical joker and master of the one-liner. Deep thinker but hides it with a facade of absent-mindedness and good humor. A smile is permanently plastered to her face. Habitually causal and peaceful but extremely violent if provoked enough. A hell of a lot tougher then she looks or acts.� Quatre blinked and said, �You�re right That sounds a lot like Duo.� �Hn. Anything else?� Heero asked. �Yes. A distinguishing feature of her wardrobe is her necklace. A Japanese character pendant. I wasn�t able to find out exactly what is was, though.� They all paused to digest the information for future use. Quatre looked around at his friends and noticed that everyone else in the cafeteria was staring at something. Turning to see what it was, his eyes went wide. �Oh look! Is that her?� exclaimed the Arab boy. They turned as one to witness someone that resembled the object of their discussion entering the room with none other then Duo. Both were laughing and smiling, like they were already fast friends. They seemed oblivious to the looks they were receiving: shock, wistfullness and open admiration for the girl and envious, furious and downright hostile for Duo. Trowa took a quick peek at Heero�s face and decided to take charge before something drastic and unfortunate happened. Rising swiftly, he said placidly, �I�ll deal with this.� ------------------------------ The Heavyarms pilot practically ran over to where the two were standing in the food line. Duo grinned as he caught sight of his friend. �Hey, Tro! Over here!� He nudged his companion. She turned and gave the newly arrived pilot the once-over. Trowa returned the favor. The description he had received was most certainly accurate..... and then some. Taylor had not exaggerated as he had feared, but rather minimized. Just by looking at her, Trowa could tell she was NOT someone to trifle with, despite the playful manner that surrounded her. They would have to be careful. �Trowa, I�d like you to meet Kelly.� Duo�s eyes shone as he presented the lovely creature by his side to his fellow pilot as if she were a prized treasure. <Not good. Duo seems to be enjoying himself too much and if I didn�t know any better, I�d swear he liked her.... But that can�t be. They just met a few hours ago.> He conveniently neglected to remember his own situation involving a stranger. �Nice to meet you, Trowa.� Her voice was nice, smooth and soft like silk. She offered him a graceful hand and for a few seconds, he had the strangest notion that he should kiss it instead of shaking it. <Like she was a princess, or something. Well, she does have something.....noble.....in her bearing.> Trowa resisted the absurd but nearly overpowering urge and shook her soft hand firmly. She matched and then exceeded his grip. He let go as soon as possible. Now he understood why Duo looked like he just won the lottery. This girl has a very powerful hold on all those she meets. And she didn�t appear to notice. She was smiling what seemed to be a genuine grin, not manipulating or insincere at all. <That�s the worst kind. A snare that�s unaware of it�s own power. A silent heartbreaker. I�ve got to get him away.> He offered her what he hoped was a brilliant smile in return. �You�ll have to excuse us, Miss. We need to talk.� He turned to the still smirking-like-an-idiot Duo and said in a firm voice that brooked no argument, �NOW.� Duo blinked and came out of his trance. He seemed to recognize something was wrong. �OK. Be right there.� He whirled to face Kelly and chirped in his cheeriest voice, �See ya later. If not then, tomorrow. Maybe you can teach again!� She blushed slightly and dipped her head. �Don�t think so. But you better go. Your friend�s waitin�. Bye.� She gave him a not-so-subtle but gentle shove in Trowa�s direction. �It was an honor, Mr. ...., oh I�m sorry. I don�t know your last name. A pleasure, Trowa.� Trowa had frozen. Kelly�s motion had caused her necklace to appear from its hiding place under her shirt. It was THE necklace. There could be no mistake. This was her. The real target. He tried to regain his composure. They had to report back. <This could get very unpleasant.> he thought in a rare flash of nervousness and worry. <Very unpleasant indeed.> �An honor, indeed, Miss Kelly.� He gave her a light head bow. Grabbing Duo�s arm, he growled, �Let�s go.� Duo waved bye vigorously before Trowa yanked him forward and practically dragged him away. ------------------------------- Quatre had been watching the exchange with interest, as he knew Heero and Wufei were as well. Their eyes had been glued to the short but revealing scene across the room. Unable to hear any of the conversation, they could still grasp the body language of those involved. Quatre could see the unusual stiffness in Trowa (way more then normal), the casual grace and friendliness of the girl, but most of all, they got the obvious attraction Duo had for her. <Uh oh. This is bad. Very bad.> He glanced over to Heero who was wearing THE LOOK. There were very few people alive that can claim the distinction of having seen it and survived. Fewer still were those who escaped unscathed. Quatre had a nasty feeling the girl, regardless if she was the real target or not, would not be one of them. Quite likely, neither would Duo. Just thanking his lucky stars HE wasn�t on the receiving end of that stare of death, he returned his own gaze to the rapidly approaching pair. Duo, despite being physically manhandled by the visibly-upset Trowa, kept his eyes and grin locked on the admittedly gorgeous lady they had left behind. He seemed nearly oblivious to the fact that he was effectively being carted to his doom. <Oh boy, has he got it BAD!> As far as Quatre knew, Duo could have only known the girl since first period. <Three hours! It�s only been about three hours! How could he possibly.....> his semi-outraged thoughts abruptly trailed off as the lady in question passed by close enough for a better view. <OK.........I understand now.> Quatre followed her with his eyes as she left the room. After all, this wasn�t her dining hall. Students from the other school were allowed but not encouraged. She had probably accompanied Duo to lunch with the intention of leaving as soon as possible. <Or they were planning to have lunch outside.> He smiled slightly as she whirled and shouted, �Stay frosty, Duo!� A wave, wink and quick turn to leave. The two errant pilots finally arrived as the vision exited the hall, so Quatre quickly returned his attention to the crisis at hand. This was most definitely going to become ugly. Heero fired the first shot. �What the hell did you think you were doing?� Duo, unaware of the potential problem, was completely clueless. He had just gone from spending time in the glowing company of a benevolent goddess to land smack in the hands of a pissed-off demon of a solider. Still mentally switching gears, he let out a confused, �HUH? What are you talking about?� Before Heero could do or say anything everyone in the room would seriously regret, Trowa spoke up. �We have a problem.� Duo�s face went from bewildered anger to grim focus in a second. Out of the corner of his vision, Quatre thought he saw Heero give a small nod of approval at this display of soliderly conduct. <Good. Potential crisis possibly averted. Now if we can just keep it that way...> �What kind of problem? Did something happen with Ward?� Trowa took the liberty of answering him. After all, he knew the most about what was going on. �Yes and no.� Before the Deathscythe pilot could complain about the ambiguity of that remark, he continued, �Ward�s not our target.� As did the others, so too did Duo�s jaw hit the floor. His mouth moved silently for a bit before his voice came back and thoughts could be expressed. �Then......who is?� Heero offered him an icy glare with a evil smile and suddenly Quatre didn�t want to be anywhere near there. <This is going to hurt him. The question is, how bad?> The Wing Zero pilot then proceeded to deliver the final blow. �That girl you were just with.� Quatre watched as defense, disbelief and horror warred with each other in Duo�s eyes for the right to first crack at Heero. But as the American locked Heero in a death stare, he could see the doubt being to grow and flourish at the utter certainty in the Japanese boy�s gaze. Acceptance had yet to come, though. <And the way he was looking at her earlier, may never come without EXTREMELY solid proof.> Quatre observed Duo finally breaking the gaze, admitting defeat.....for now. He could tell the American had been knocked off the cloud he had been resting on but he was far from being crushed six feet under. <He�s going to fight.....to deny.....to believe. Oh, Duo, what if Heero and Trowa are right? What will you do.....feel.....then?> He had a sick feeling he would soon find out. And not like the answer. ------------------------------ Wufei did not like how this was going. Not only had they apparently been played for fools, but the mastermind of the devious little ploy was a girl! A girl had outwitted them, the best soldiers of their generation, the pilots of the indestructible Gundams! A mere female! The thought of it galled him to no end. <There is no justice in this world! A little girl was able to deceive us so well, we were running around for days looking for a false target without a single damn clue that something was wrong! Sneaky, conniving WOMEN! Nothing but trouble and snares.> He stole a sideways glance at the unnaturally silent pilot standing across the room, staring out the window. Duo hadn�t said one word since Heero had so viciously revealed the truth, nor had he moved since arriving at the dorms. He just stood and stared out the window, like a statue. <Like that one. Didn�t see it coming at all. Fell in the trap and now it�s closing.> Wufei regarded his fellow pilot with a critical but more-then-usual amount of concern. <He shouldn�t have let his guard down. A soldier should not feel or care about feeling. WHAT am I saying? That sounds like Heero talking! Duo can�t help that he cares. That�s just his personality. Life will be very hard for him.> Wufei sighed. <There really is no justice.> Quatre had been eyeing Duo since they had left the lunchroom. None of them had any afternoon classes that day, so they had decided unanimously (if you count Duo�s silent consent) to go back to their dorm rooms and plan their next move. He doubted that Duo had even heard any of the various options, plans and scenarios they had managed to come up with after Trowa explained that there would be a club meeting tonight and the girl would most certainly be there. <Quatre�s worried. Truth be told, we all are. Duo�s never acted like this before. As difficult and troublesome as his emotional reactions are, they make up his true self. None of us would wish that away, not even Heero.> Wufei watched as the Sandrock pilot got up to talk to Duo, only to stumble back at the naked pain and rage in his eyes. <Ara, I�ve never seen his eyes look like that!> Quatre hastily scuttled away and the Deathscythe pilot returned to his self-imposed isolation. Wufei scowled fiercely. <Not good. His reactions are all wrong. If he�s like this with us, how will he respond in the field? He�s a liability, a danger to us all.> Heero, thinking along those lines, stated in that monotone of his, �Alright. Everyone be ready. We move at 3 o�clock.� He turned to face Duo. �Except you. You�re sitting this one out.� The American slowly turned and gave the Wing Zero pilot an evil eye that put all of Heero�s previous glares to permanent shame. His eyes.....Wufei shivered. Never had he seen such an expression and he fervently hoped to never see it again. The Shenlong pilot couldn�t begin to identify the swirling emotions that were contained in that glance. He took an involuntary step backwards. �I�m going. And there�s not a damn thing you can do to stop me.� The words were spoken in a clear, even and deadly tone. They sent shivers up everyone�s spine. The first words he had spoken since learning the truth.....and they did not bode well for anyone. Heero frowned and opened his mouth to inform the Deathscythe pilot EXACTLY what he could do to stop him but thought better of it. <Probably one of the smartest things he�s ever done. Most likely the only self-preservation action ever taken, too.> The Wing Zero pilot gave him a reluctant nod, acquiescing to what was for now a superior force. Duo was going on the mission to confirm Trowa�s information and deal with the possible new threat. But the question in Wufei�s (actually everyone�s) mind was, <Will he do his duty or make things worse? What happens now?> ---------------------------------- As you can tell, Duo and the other Gundam boys are NOT HAPPY! Things are going to get real ugly, real quick. However, things are not as they seem or are assumed to be. Is Kelly the real OZ scientist with the Gundam plans? Is she playing Duo and everyone for complete idiots? Fair warning: she�s not someone to be trifled with. If you want to know more, you�ll have to wait �till I finish Part 3! See ya then! ----------------------------------- Lady DarkAngel ---------- Chibi Duo's Babysitter Moderator of Duo's Sugar Intake Keeper of Duo's Nice Rear-end Keeper of Shinigami's Wings Keeper of Heero's Homicadal IOntentions Keeper of Quatre's Teacup Keeper of Trowa's Mask Keeper of Wufei's Sense of Honor Proud member of SDDI, the Society of Defending Duo's Intelligence Occupant of the Happy Hentai House |