Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Deceptions Revised ❯ Dark Deceptions Revised 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Last Chapter

"What?!"

Duo's indignant cry echoed in the foyer. A faint blush painted his features as people stopped and turned to stare at him. Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to the nosy, obnoxious, self-absorbed pig who thought it was his job to do Duo's.

"I'm sure you only meant well, Mr. Brennan, but I don't need an assistant. I am perfectly capable in handling any and all situations. Unless, for some reason, you find my abilities to be lacking?"

It was Brennan's turn to look sheepish. With a nervous chuckle, he adjusted his constricting collar and shifted from one foot to another.

"No! Not at all, Maxwell. You're work as been superb, as always. It's just that, now with all this publicity and responsibility, I thought it would do you some good to take some of that load of your shoulders. He's already been approved, his background checked and cleared. I assure you, Mr. Maxwell, you won't be disappointed."

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Chapter 3

Duo stalked to the lounge area, his need for a stiff drink raging. He seethed in a fiery fit of righteous indignation. The nerve of that pipsqueak! Thinking he could just up and hire anybody that applied! He plopped down on a barstool, waving at the bartender to capture his attention. He ordered three shots of tequila. Two were for Janen and Byouki. The third was for himself. God help the idiot Mr. Brennan hired because he was going to make his life a living hell.

"Aren't you a little too young to drink?"

"Aren't you a little too nosy for your own good?" Duo shot back as he gulped down a fourth shot of tequila. He turned to glare at the individual. An almost fell off the barstool.

Sitting next to him surely had to be some sort of mythical god descended down to grace the presence of pitiful undeserving mortals such has himself. A mop of tousled chocolate hair, shot with different colors of browns and amber, made Duo's fingers itch to bury themselves in its richness. Chunky bangs partially hid the features that could only be described as unworldly. Cobalt blue eyes that seem to shimmer and darken were focused on him, lips that were full and pouty and begging to be thoroughly ravished, a strong yet delicate jaw line, and chiseled cheekbones created the face of Adonis. And Duo hadn't even reached below the neck for detail!

A body that anybody would kill for was lounging casually next to his. Duo suddenly felt inadequate and scrawny beside this stranger. His physique was lean, but muscular in detail. Duo fantasized he could see his muscles rippling from beneath his shirt. Broad shoulders to lean on, a narrow waist to wrap arms around, legs that powered this machine. And an ass you could just reach out and sink your teeth into.

Cardiac arrest in aisle five, please.

Duo blinked, his face flushing with embarrassment. Sure, he had realized at an early age he tended to gravitate towards the same sex, but he had never really been in a serious relationship before. He never had the time. Plus, he never wanted to put his partner into a situation where he might not come back one night. But that didn't mean he didn't do a little window-shopping from time to time. This heavenly being of all beings sitting next to him was enough to make a blind gay man drool.

"Sorry," Duo mumbled under his breath. "Bad week for me."

"You're the - "

"Yeah, me. The poor sucker who had to axe his own employee. Yup, I'm that guy." Duo sneered into his empty shot glass and promptly ordered another one.

"It wasn't your fault," was softly whispered to him.

Duo scoffed, the delicate crystal shot glass held with the tips of his fingers as he sloshed the drink around. "No, it wasn't my fault. Just the fault of some deranged murderer who decided to go on a killing spree and picked two of my men."

"You act as if you don't believe any of it."

"Buddy, what I do believe is this world is fucked up. What happened a few days ago just proves it. Now if you excuse me, I have to make myself presentable for some pitiful excuse of a mortal who had the misfortune of being hired by a man I hold in complete disregard."

Duo shoved away from the barstool, only to find his arm in a viselike grip. Sputtering, he turned to stare at the man who was accosting him.

"You're looking at him."

Duo sputtered some more. "Excuse me?"

A smirk, a lift of an eyebrow, a flippant tone of voice that set Duo's nerves on edge. "You're looking at the pitiful excuse of a mortal who had the misfortune of being hired by a man who you hold in complete disregard. I take it you're my new boss?"

Duo chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his forefinger. "Sorry," he repeated. "Lets just say, your employment was sprung on me at the last possible moment. Duo Maxwell, at your service."

"Yuy. Heero Yuy."

"The one and only, eh? Conceited much?"

A blank stare was Duo's only response to his quip. Sighing, he shook his head. "Oh boy," he muttered. "Another one of those silent but dead beat types. Oh happy day."

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"So you've made contact. How did it go?"

Heero shot Trowa a ruthful expression. "Apparently my being hired came to an unwelcomed shock to my employer. He called me a pitiful excuse for a mortal."

If Trowa had the ability to laugh, he would have. Instead, he just quirked an amused eyebrow, his green eyes twinkling faintly before masking over into casual indifference.

Leaning back against the wall, arms comfortably crossed over his chest, Heero continued on. "Duo showed me around the perimeters and base of the hotel. Also supplied me with some impressive technological devices he uses with the security detail. Since I was hired on as his assistant, I'm to be ready at a moment's notice. In short, I'm to be at his beck and call like an obedient pet."

This managed to bring out a chuckle in the usually stoic boy. "Poetic justice, Heero."

Heero scoffed. "I have yet to meet the two blondes. The female is named Relena Peacecraft. She kept her mother's maiden name after her mother died and her father remarried. The other male is her stepbrother, Quatre Raberba Winner. The Vice Foreign Minister is set to speak at meetings until the rest of the week. I'm on call tomorrow, so there's a likely chance I will be directly guarding Relena and Quatre."

"Affirmative. Good luck, Yuy. I have a feeling you're going to need it."

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Duo arched his back, arms up in the air as he stretched before falling onto the soft grass beneath him. He cradled his head in his arms as he watched the stars twinkle and dance in the endless dark of night. He sighed in contentment. No more meetings. No more pushy bureaucrats. No more taking orders and giving them. Just some peace and relaxation time with no one to disturb him.

That is, until a looming figure appeared above him.

Yelping in surprise, Duo bolted up, his heart racing. "Jeez!" he exclaimed. "Whatcha scaring me for?"

"To remind you to do your job, baka."

Duo scoffed, waving his hand in the air as if batting away a fly. "Job, schlob. Take it easy will you? Quatre and Relena are ten feet away from us. We have five men on point and scouting the perimeters. We have you're eagle eye focused on any danger. So relax, eh? Enjoy this quiet moment out under the stars because you won't get many of them."

"Hn . . . " Heero turned away, his eyes on the two blondes. Quatre and Relena. They had been a shock to him. Relena, already the diplomat with a maturity about her that rivaled an adult and a hidden twisted personality. Quatre, the serene tranquil soul with a pension of following Duo into mischief. Then there was the paradox himself, Duo Maxwell. In one afternoon, he had blown whatever first impression Heero had of him. The self-proclaimed Shinigami, the wild and reckless free spirit who did things his way without regard to rules or regulations. Duo Maxwell was a tightly woven mystery, a puzzle with never ending twists and turns begging to be explored.

And Heero oh so loved a good puzzle.

Sighing, he sat down, legs bent with his arms propped up on his knees. He linked his hands together has he gazed up at the stars with Duo. He never really looked at the stars anymore. They were just there. Now, however, they had a brilliance to them, an effervescence that sparkled with glee when gazed upon. And all it took was one evening out with Duo to help Heero realize that.

Heero shook his head at his thoughts. He tuned his mind to search for Trowa, locating him in the nearby trees surrounding the park.

~How is everything?~ he questioned.

~Not a trace of the undead. Perhaps you were right, Yuy. Perhaps the vampire was deranged and desperate.~

~No, Trowa. For whatever reason, these people are connected. I just don't know how.~

~Hmm. Well, if a vampire attacks, he better do it soon. Wufei is getting restless.~

~I am not!~ Wufei hissed in Trowa and Heero's mind. Even after a couple of hundred years of disuse, the connection between the three boys was still as strong as ever. ~I am merely looking forward to such an event.~ Wufei continued snidely.

Heero chuckled softly, the corner of his lips lifting as his dark blue eyes lightened to sapphire.

"Care to share the joke, Heero?"

Freezing, Heero cast a glance at a curious Duo. "I was just thinking of my family," Heero replied of the top of his head.

"Oh yeah? Folks pretty protective? God knows my dad was when I told him I was following in his footsteps."

Heero tilted his head to the side. "You could say they are protective," he stated, thinking of his mother and father. Savannah, daughter to the Prince of their people, and Gregori, the legendary Dark One. One of the most powerful Carpathians that walked this planet, rivaled only by the Prince, and the twin hunters, Lucien and Gabriel. "It's my mother who is the most concerned about my health."

"Yeah? Wish I could remember my mom. She died when an escaped and thwarted assassin decided to take revenge on my father."

Heero shot a glance at Duo. His face held a faraway look, a little lost and a little sad at the same time. "I'm sorry to hear that," he replied honestly. The death of a female to a Carpathian was doubly harsh, considering there were so few females to continue their race.

"It's alright. Brought pop and me a little closer together. He cut back on his job, spent more time with me. He believed, considering the hell he put me through, becoming a bodyguard would be the last thing I would do for a living. He had it all planned out. Golfing at fifty. Fishing at sixty. Bouncing his grandkids on his knees at seventy."

"So his plans have changed now that you're a bodyguard?" Heero asked, amused.

"Damn straight. Now it's golfing at forty. Fishing at fifty. Bouncing health insurance plans for all his grandkids at sixty. That old goat wouldn't keel over even if you locked him up in a bomb shelter and tossed a couple of hand grenades in after locking the door."

Duo's chuckle was joined in with Heero's. After a moment's silence, Duo turned towards Heero, arms wrapped around his knees as he gazed solemnly at the male Carpathian.

"Hey Heero," he began, "do you ever wonder . . . what's out there?"

Heero glanced at Duo from the corner of his eye. "What do you mean?"

"You know! Out there. Out in the wide wide world. Being a bodyguard is everything I've ever known. Sure, it's taken me to places most people have never heard of or been, but it just makes me even more curious. What about all those other places? The Amazon? The Egyptian deserts? The Taj Mahal? The Great Bearing Reefs off the coast of Australia? I want to see it all, experience everything!"

"So why don't you? You're young, you have the money."

"True, but I don't have the mortality."

Taken back by his comment, Heero peered at Duo with wide eyes. "Mortality?"

"You bet. I'm mortal, Heero. I can fall victim to the smallest of miscalculations. Rigging the parachute incorrectly. Tying the knot in my bungee cord improperly. Any number of things can kill me. I could easily be hit by a car while crossing the freaking street! I may experience my fair share of adventures, but one of these days I'm going to die and that's where my adventure ends."

Heero turned away. He never thought of it that way. As a Carpathian, he had infinite amounts of time. He could choose to end his existence tomorrow by walking into the morning sun. Or he could live for countless of centuries. Time held no meaning to him. But this frail, fragile human didn't have that. He didn't have hundreds of years to experience life to the fullest. He had what was given to him. A brief flare of life before it was quickly snuffed out.

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Heero rounded a corner. Tonight, Quatre had proclaimed he was going to a restaurant to eat. Relena had announced she was attending a movie. Where did that leave Heero? Babysitting Relena as she watched the sappiest, silliest, most overly exaggerated girl flick that had ever been created since the beginnings of movie history. He was entering the theatre after being ordered to buy a large buttered popcorn, large Coke, two boxes of jellybeans, and a Hershey's chocolate bar by none other then the pink princess herself. Heero could only wonder how she could eat all that junk food without gaining a pound. Pft! Women.

~Enjoying yourself, Yuy?~ drawled an amused mental voice.

~Shove it, Chang!~ Heero snarled, using his shoulder to shove open the door. ~Where's Trowa?~

~Having a ball watching over Duo. If I didn't know better, I could have sworn I heard laughter coming from him.~

~You know as well as I do a male Carpathian shows no emotions after maturity,~ Heero admonished. ~You're just imaging things. Is Trowa behaving?~

~Why wouldn't he behave, Yuy? He's not supposed to be seen.~

~Chang . . . ~

~He's fine and so are the targets. No suspicious occurrences or situations. Everything is running smoothly. How much longer must we baby-sit these weaklings?~

~Until I deem otherwise. Now get back to work, Chang.~ Heero located Relena, plopping down in a chair beside her as he unceremoniously dropped everything in her lap.

Yelping, Relena shot Heero a glare before ripping open the box of jellybeans. Within minutes, she was absorbed in the movie, munching contently and gaining cavities as she watched. Finally, to Heero's acute relief, it was over. He trailed Relena, his wary eyes scanning as did three other security guards stationed with him. The paparazzi were waiting for them outside the movie complex, light bulbs flashing, mics held eagerly to capture whatever comments they could get. Heero would have given anything to lash out at the press, which reminded him of overeager fleas on an infested canine. Instead, he did his job, shoving Relena into the bullet proof SUV before it sped off.

Upon reaching the hotel, Heero's mind sought and connected with Trowa's.

~Where are you?~

~On the rooftop, where else? Duo is dutifully in his suite, as is Quatre. They both had a marvelous time at the restaurant, sharing lavish stories and tales of past misdeeds. Am I off the hook now, Heero?~

Chang was right. There was a tinge of humor in Trowa's usually bland tone. With a low growl, Heero entered his room. Not as large as the rest, it was still suitably bigger then the other rooms assigned to the security personal. It was situated right across from Duo's. Easy reach for the braided baka to bother him.

As Heero fell upon the bed, he felt the light, soothing touch of an individual near and dear to his heart. Bolting upright, he exclaimed, ~Mother!~

Tinkling laughter filled his head. ~How are you, my darling boy?~ Savannah asked teasingly through their mental bond.

~I am fine, mother. How's father?~

~Stubborn, as usual. That ape is as obstinate as ever. What news of you, Heero? You don't usually stay in one place for too long.~

With reluctance, Heero related the entire story to Savannah, knowing instinctively she was relaying them straight to his father. He was proven correct when he felt another presence within his mind.

~So you're observing this girl's actions, are you?~ Gregori questioned. ~Have you discovered anything unusual?~

~Not particularly with the girl. But her bodyguard raises some suspicions.~

~How so?~

~Earlier, during our first meeting, he seemed doubtful of the story Trowa planted in his head. When I questioned Trowa later on, he was adamant that he swept through everyone's minds and erased the encounter with the vampire completely. Yet this Duo Maxwell seems to question this.~

~You know what you must do, Heero. Continue your observations. Guard the girl. If anything should turn up and you require assistance, you know I am always there for you. My son.~

In the years before Heero lost all his feelings, he could recall the warmth and love he felt from his parents. He remembered that now as he allowed one corner of his mouth to lift.

~I know, father.~

. . . TBC . . .