Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Designed Memories ❯ Trivial Connections ( Chapter 1 )

The horrendous sound of the blaring alarm filled the small 6 mat apartment and then some. I half heard it where I lay on the bed no more then half a foot away not ready to respond to its incessant blare. A hard smack connected to the back of my head. Deep violet shown as I parted my dismal and confused eyes.

 

“What the…” My words trailed as I became aware of the insufferable ringing and flopped my hand over the alarm. The hand waggled there unable to find the proper movements to silence the damnable contraption. I glared flashing teeth to the small plastic box and though I normally smiled and carried a laugh, no such things were present when I faced the aggravating clock. I truly looked like the nickname I had gone by so many years ago.

 

“Fuckin piece of crap.” I snarled grabbing hold of the contraption and sending it to the wall. The force I used caused two things to happen. One the satisfaction of having the alarm clock shatter into a few choice pieces. Two, a new crack to find its way into the wall. The enjoyment I derived for the act was lost rather quickly as another smack was brought to the back of my head.

 

“Do ya think money grows on trees ya moron! Get an alarm you can wake up to and stop bustin' up my god damn buildin' ya fuckin idiot!” I looked up to the woman. She was still in her silken robe, her hair hidden under a hideously colored bandana, her feet covered in slippers of pink that matched her robe. She glared down at me with her deep brown eyes, her skin pale. The cigarette strategically hung from her lips, not giving way a bit as she yelled.

 

“Sorry Lania.” I smiled wide putting a hand behind my head blushing a bit. It was my best defense when in such a predicament. Women found me extremely attractive, so I would use that against them to make them cave to my wishes. It was handy trait to be born with; of course it didn't work with everyone I remembered as I was whacked upside the head.

 

“Hell yeah yer a sorry ass. Don't try givin' me that damned act. Yer just lucky you pay yer rent on time. Fuckin' drivin' out half my other tenants.” She snorted angrily.

 

“Yeah, but I bring some too Lania.” I defended myself pathetically.

 

“Maybe you do and they are better than what I had, but yer ass has me getting up all early and I'm not bout that shit!” She shook her head going to the door glancing at the garbage can over flowing with empty cans of beer and whatever takeout I decided was eatable the night before. Her gaze fell to me. “And take out yer fuckin trash ya damn heathen!”

 

“Yes mother.” I gave a lame sigh rolling my eyes.

 

She spun on me ready to yell when call came from above. “Woman! What are you doing down there?! Nagging him to death!”

 

I couldn't help, but laugh as her face contorted in rage unheard of. “Don't you fuckin' even start on me! I'll-”

 

The rest of the argument was lost to me as she slammed my door hard enough to shake the entire frame. I fell back to the futon laughing at the whole situation. The building was literally sound proof. I don't think I had made anyone move out, but the amount of people did gradually increase as it became popular knowledge I lived there. Course Lania had some insane hearing. At least she stopped beating down my door and just came into wake me up. It was kind of helpful since I obviously had an issue with my alarm clock.

 

She was actually a really cool woman, not only did she wake me up, but she kept the paparatsi assholes off me. No one was aloud on the property she didn't know unless a resident accompanied them, and she was a hawk on that shit. No one slipped by her radar. Plus she was quite a site when she cleaned up, which rarely happened, not that it mattered. I just liked the fire in her. Of course the one's I want are always taken and she was taken by a major asshole, though the two were perfect for each other. Anytime of day you could open the door and take in another one of their many arguments then close it when you were ready for a nap. I don't know how many times I left my door open just to laugh at some of the insults the two threw at each other.

 

I gave a yawning stretch as I got off the futon heading over to the kitchenette making my morning lifeblood. Coffee. The clouds began to part from my mind; as it's intoxicating sent found its way to my synapses. I gave a chuckle as I filled the unwashed coffee cup I used for god knows how many days.

 

The hell was I talking about I wasn't compatible with anyone. I don't know what I was looking for. I had played the field for a long time after the war. Hilde and I didn't last too long for a lot of reasons, mostly because of me, but that's a story for another time. She headed for Earth five and half years ago and that was the last I had heard from her.

 

Since then I'd been around a few blocks. Hell, I was pretty sure I'd had all the woman that lived in the complex, well minus Lania. She was incoercible, I tired too many times to count and she always shot me down hard.

 

I shrugged gulping down the piping hot liquid. I wasn't too disappointed in my life. I mean my place was small, but I didn't need much. I had a good job; all my bills paid and after work I chilled and had a few beers, a nights conquest and home for a few more drinks then to bed. Not too bad if I say so myself, and I was saying so.

 

I finished the coffee going into the living/bedroom and then to the bathroom that was next to the kitchen. So I lived in a shoebox, but hell I liked tight quarters, gave me more of a reason not to invite people over.

 

I took a quick shower in the miniscule bathroom and got ready for work. Slipping on the white Bontan pants, Toraichi brand double long. I pulled on the black tank top then the white button up shirt that matched the pants tucking the silver cross that never left my neck into the shirt, a piece of my past I couldn't move on from. I took a seat on the floor getting the steel-toed boots on, grabbed my gloves and wallet before tying the towel around my head and grabbing my hardhat heading to the train station. The artificial sun was just peeking up in the false sky of L2. The heat already able to be felt. It was nice being in a colony that had summer and winter, granted it was more due to the crappy heating and cooling units, but it was just another reason L2 was better than the rest, even Earth.

 

I slid my week pass into the turnstile passing through it heading up to the `L' train. I booked it to the platform hearing the call for the train I had to catch or face being late again and then my boss, who was a pretty alright guy `less I was late. I slipped in just as the doors were closing fumbling my hard hat a moment before the train began moving, while I was still attempting to get my life together. Needless to say me and my life hit the ground.

 

I got up brushing myself off surrounded by chuckles. I pursed my lips wondering how the hell I even got ass with moves like that. My mind didn't have a chance to follow that line of thought as my attention was brought to the news cast that was being played on the monitors included in all train cars.

 

“Let's take you live with our reporter on the scene Lisa Tobiashi.” The screen flashed to another painted up woman standing in a street full of flashing lights, criminals in cuffs and the drab black of the Prevenetor's uniforms scattered everywhere, their faces cold and expressionless and of course all were being directed by their perfect leader. An irrational kind of loathing came to my face the instant I saw him.

 

“Thank you Kelly. For those of you just joining us I am at the scene of the most rescent of the Preventer 's busts. Standing with me is the head of Sanq Kingdoms branch and leader of the Preventer's force Mr. Heero Yuy.” As she paused to show him I couldn't stop myself from mocking her last words aloud in a nasally show of disdain.

 

The other commuters on the train gave me mixed looks, most found me amusing as L2 and the Earth's relationship was as good as mine with the other gundam pilots, meaning not good at all. There were others who supported the Earth and the hypocritical way they spread peace. All be peaceful or the Preventers will have you incarcerated for life, seemed a little too `do as I say, not as I do' for me.

 

I fell silent as the first word left Heero's mouth. A voice that I would never be able to forget no matter how much I tried. It had grown a bit deeper, but I'm sure all of ours had in the passing years and our continuing maturity. It was funny how it seemed we had changed, but beneath that superficial visage we were all the same. Yuy was a prefect example, granted he had given up his Richard Simon's spandex for human clothes. His face had aged a little as well; he looked more masculine, the angles in his face growing shaper, his cheekbones more defined. He looked good, no match for me, but that look in his eye was the same as it had always been full of determination, always focused on the completing the mission no matter what the cost.

 

“What you are seeing behind me Lisa is the most recent rebel group being disbanded. Violence will no longer be tolerated.” Heero's steely eyes stared into the camera. I shook my head clicking my tongue in annoyance. He'd learn to talk more too, though it was all ignorant bullshit.

 

“Psht, yeah and ain't what yer doing the same fuckin thing as the rebels with a badge tacked on it, jackass.” I sometimes had a problem keeping my mouth shut about things. The Preventer's were one of them.

 

“Hey man, they're the only thing keeping us from war.” My hate filled glare fell on the idiot who thought to speak up against me, for I loved to argue as well. Guy was as round as he was tall, his eyes beady and his hair clipped almost to the scalp.

 

“Ha, don't tell me you actually believe that bullshit. Keeping us from war my ass. They're gonna be the catalyst for the next war. Humans are a dangerous breed; the most violent of animals because we have the ability to think and anyone who doesn't see that the Preventer's are stopping violence with violence is an ignorant shit.” I also liked to fight.

 

“You callin' me an ignorant shit?!” The man stood up to his full height. I could tell by his uniform he was a concrete worker. Funny thing is we could be working on the same site. It was a new sky scrapper in the middle of the city and of course I was on board gotta love those high death defying jobs.

 

“If ya have to ask then it must be obvious huh?” I smirked giving the guy the finger.

 

“You little dick!”

 

“That's not what your wife was callin' me last night.” The guy lunged at me, which I easily dodged sending him into the seats behind me. It was an early train so they were pretty much empty, save for other construction workers who where more than happy to watch a fight.

 

“Don't be a pussy and fight!” He growled getting to his feet swinging at me, which I ducked causing his fist to hit the metal pole I was holding for balance. He grunted holding his hand.

 

“Oh, I just abhor violence.” I said with a southern bell accent as I stood up smirking.

 

“Shut up you stupid punk!” The burly man came at me again. I smiled sidestepping his attack, grabbing his face on either side and pulling his head to the concrete of mine. The man stood straight for a moment as I released him before his eyes found something amusing in the back of his head and he fell like a log to the ground. I slightly rubbed my forehead feeling an inkling of pain, but as I'd been told so often, `there's nothing up there to hurt anyway.' Maybe there really was some truth to that statement.

 

The PA announced my stop and I stepped off the train feeling light and happy as ever. I stopped by the convenience store as I went to the construction sight picking up some spicy cup of noodle for lunch. I caught site of one of the tabloids that circulated around the ESUN frowning as a picture of myself and the girl I hooked up with the previous night took the front cover with the headline, `Maxwell's Demon still on the prowl.' I shook off the anger. I was used to my private life being exposed, that wasn't the problem. The Maxwell's demon was. It was a nickname I would always be burden with that carried a weight from the past far too great to be used so indifferently.

 

I brushed it off the best I could knowing if I ran into that scumbag reporter Vince Knight, he was going to find my fist in his face. I frowned further as I headed to work. The fight on the train gave me my fourth fine. Damn, I'd have to wait until next year to get a hold of that stupid reporter, oh but when I did…

 

“Someone call the news paper; get me all the local TV stations, hell the president herself! Duo Maxwell is at work on time!”

 

“Dude yer so not funny Sandman.” I said to the guy who was the closest to a best friend I had in far too many years.

 

“Yeah I am.” He gave a smirk rubbing at his five o'clock shadow. His brown hair peeking out of the towel drabbed over his head. He was the same height as me, both coming in around 5'8”. About a year after the war I started working for Kondo Construction Company and we were paired together from the start. It wasn't long before we formed a tight friendship. “So how the hell did you make it here on time and what's with that stupid grin? Oh wait, I forgot, that's your normal look.”

 

“No, yer normal look is fuckin stupid!” I shot back.

 

“Ohhh, ya got me there. Aw, man, that's it. Time to give up on life. Pitbull has so just schooled me.” Charlie mocked me as he so often did. I don't know what it was with me always liking and befriending people that made fun of me. Maybe, it was from the days of past being around the pilots who always seemed to have some joke to make about me, course the people now were actually my friends.

 

“Don't make me drop yer ass.” I threatened as we got on the lift going to the 43rd floor where we were working.

 

“Yeah, tried that once, and I'm pretty sure it was you who got his ass thrown down.” He flashed me a grin. I hated to admit it, but it happened on my first day mere minutes after the two of us had met. I was highly hung over and not paying attention, nearly knocked his ass off 15th floor of a building we were working on when I turned with a large metal beam resting on my shoulder that some how found him. He had some choice words for me as he pulled himself up by his safety-line and I returned them. It didn't take long for him to get in my face and I didn't respond well to it, dropping the beam and going at it. In my still half inebriated state I wasn't hard to battle, forgetting all my combat skills as my head pounded. He easily got me into a head lock before slamming my ass down on the lift that was still two floors down. He ended up getting me hella wasted at the end of the day and apologized for it. He didn't mean to throw me on the lift; it was just dumb luck that I fell to the left instead of the right. If I would have went the other way I'd have been long dead by now since I had forgotten to attach my safety line that day.

 

“Hey, I was having an off fuckin day dammit!”

 

“Your whole life is an off day.”

 

“God you're so pleasant in the morning. Man, send me back to the train with that ignorant ass Preventer supporter.” I snorted unthinking. The line would have been fine as long as I didn't mention the Preventer's, which everyone knew I hated from my drunken rants.

 

“Don't even fuckin tell me…” Charlie's hazel eyes, a complex mix of greens and blues, looked at me disapprovingly.

 

I didn't have to say anything the mistake crossing my face as a `doh' before I could recognize my error. I had a problem with my every emotion taking form on my face before I noticed it, meaning I wasn't hard to read, ever.

 

“Duo you fuckin idiot!” Charlie gave me a hard punch in the shoulder and let me tell ya, being around guys who work with big ass slabs of steel and lifting equipment that's nearly as heavy as them makes for some hard hits.

 

“Ow!” I whined rubbing my shoulder before hitting him back.

 

“Ah! What the fuck are you hitting me for? You're the one who's being a god damn idiot!” He returned the hit.

 

“You hit me first! Course I'm gonna hit you back and no, yer fuckin stupid!” I punched him back and that was that. We were a mess of attacks, trying to get the other in a headlock, nearly falling off the lift as it came to a jerking stop. We really didn't learn from my near death experience, especially not when it was over insulting each other.

 

“Sandman! Pitbull! Knock your lovers spat off and get to work ya fucknuts!” The Forman yelled causing us to abruptly stop fighting, giving each other hard looks as we listened to our boss and went to work. Pretty much all of our crew had a nickname we went by. Charlie dubbed Sandman for his ability to put any fights among the workers to rest before they got out of hand, well unless he was directly involved. I was called Pitbull, since out of the entire crew I was the one that flew off the handle the most.

 

I pulled on my gloves picking up the bolt driver as Charlie went on the other side of the large steel frame we were placing up. We alternated jobs between driving the bolts and holding the heavy pieces of steel, unable to continue our conversation as the tool was louder than nearly anything around us. Finally lunch break came and went over to where we had dropped our lunches when we arrived.

 

I poured some of the water I'd bought at the convenience store into the instant noodles letting them sit as Charlie took a seat next to me. His eyes flashed to the noodles then to me.

 

“Yer such a freak man.” I couldn't deny it so said nothing. I took off the button up shirt letting it rest next to me as I titled my head back letting the artificial sunshine on my bronzed body. The sweat already pouring from me, I glanced over at Charlie to see him looking at me.

 

“Yeah, freak you want.” I smirked. Charlie was out, meaning he was gay and didn't give a hell who knew. He told me about it when we first met saying if I had a problem to fuck off. I didn't have any problem with it. Hell Trowa and Quatre had been an item for God knew how long. I remember walking in on them a couple times when we were on stakeouts for missions and had a bit of down time in-between. Holy awkward, course it was my fault since I could never just sit quietly like Yuy and Chang. Yeah amazing that, somehow it's my fault that I need to be amused and The Stoic Soldier and Captain Justice couldn't keep me entertained.

 

“You're nice to look at Pitbull, but once you open your mouth all interest is lost.” Charlie said interrupting my wayward thoughts.

 

“Aw, come on Sandman, you know you want some of this.” I said glancing down at my lean toned form. It also hadn't changed much since the war, little more muscular, taller, and a few more scars. There was always danger in a construction site.

 

“Told you already Pitbull, not my type. I don't like arrogant and cocky.”

 

“Hey, I'm not arrogant and cocky.” I snapped back actually taking offense. I mean I wasn't disappointed by how I looked, but I never shoved it in anyone's face save for jokingly.

 

“You're right, my bad, I meant retarded and stupid.” Charlie said deadpan.

 

“I'm not retarded dude.” I immediately countered.

 

“But you are stupid and speaking of that, you got in a fight on the train didn't you.”

 

I was planning on coming back to the stupid, but the wind was pulled from the metaphorical sails with his words.

 

“No.” The obvious lie left my mouth. My motto had kind of changed. I won't run and might not hide, but I will tell an obvious lie no one would fall for. Yeah, it's still in the works.

 

“You're a horrible liar. You do know your going to get another fine. That'll be your fourth this year. One more and you're gonna get into some shit Duo.”

 

I sighed at Charlie's true statement in all aspects. It was one of the Preventer laws. Fuckin stupid is what it was, but that wasn't for me to say since the whole of the Earth Sphere Unified Nations, or ESUN for short, agreed with it. Public areas such as parks, trains, basically everywhere, but private homes had sensory equipment in them. Cameras and the what not to document violent actions. They were watched by computer systems that were created from the mobile doll software. Basically when someone fought or had an outburst it would send the data to the closest Preventer's base, every city on Earth and Colonies had one. L2's was a crappy one, course when we finished the building we were working on it was going to be a much nicer place, but that's a whole nother set of irritants.

 

When the Preventer's received the data they determined the threat level of said person and regardless if it was self-defense or provoked attack all involved are fined. They were kind of lenient in the fact one was offered four fines before the real trouble came at the fifth, well depending on the level of violence used in the act. I mean murder was murder that was a one and your done kind of thing. Pick pocketing and shit, which never really happened anymore, was some jail time. But for the simple shit I got into it was four fines, but if you got the fifth the information was piped to the main Earth branch in Sanq Kingdom to be assessed. No matter what was deemed by the Earth branch the fifth fine meant said person would have to go to meetings and all that other crap for `anger management' and shit. It was basically a way to fund the Preventer's or that was my take on it anyway. I mean granted the system worked. The amount of violent crimes in any given year was countable on one hand, but still, it was bullshit.

 

“Yeah, well I'm sure they got their eyes on me anyway. Watching my every move.” My eyes moved back to the sky as I pulled off my helmet and towel I wore under it to absorb some of the sweat, letting the long braid fall down my back.

 

“Why would they watch you?” Charlie asked.

 

I glanced at him incredulously. He raised an eyebrow in question. “Dude, Gundam pilot. Member, Deathsythe. That was me dude.”

 

“Oh yeah.” He said with a smirk and I knew he had set me up for an insult. “I always forget since that one never did anything, but fuck up and the pilot was always referred to as an idiot. Ya think I'd remember that looking at you.”

 

“Yer a dick.” I grunted picking up the cup of noodle's that was a mushy mess of goodness and sucking it down. Charlie placed a hand on my shoulder as I was eating getting my attention.

 

“Seriously, thanks for that. You saved a lot of people during the war. And out of all the options you had after it, you came back here, to the colony that raised you, and are trying to make it a better place despite the media slamming the shit out of you for it.”

 

I furrowed my eyebrows waiting for the insult that didn't come as he stood up. He was right though. Pilot 02 was not a friend of the media, in fact I was constantly bashed for not using my skills to help the Preventer's and even more so for having an anti-Preventer stance. Granted on L2 it wasn't as bad, but any other colony and Earth I was the most hated celebrity. Not to mention I was a tabloid favorite. Course I didn't give a shit and I had a chance for a jab. I finished the noodles in seconds swallowing quickly to get out my insult.

 

“Yer so fuckin gay.” I snickered.

 

His face was coated in shock. “No way. How did you know?” The shock quickly faded to apathy. “I see Captain Obvious has decided to join us today. Got a lotta common knowledge to spread huh? Did you make a list?”

 

I struggled mentally for a comeback. “Maybe.” I never had much mental capacity.

 

Charlie threw his head back laughing. “Yeah, you're a threat alright. A major threat to intelligence.”

 

“I hate you.”

 

“And now you can cross that one of your list.”

 

“Sonofa.” I laughed unable to keep up with his unmatched wit.

 

“Hey Pitbull, fuckin details dude!” The tabloid was thrown at me. I picked it up from my stomach rolling my eyes at a picture of me with an obviously hammered grin on my face and my arm around a gorgeous woman whose lips were resting against my cheek.

 

“Fuckin prick is always getting me.” I grunted glaring at the cover, Mr. Knight coming to haunt me again.

 

“Well, maybe you shouldn't act like a jackass and you could keep out of Overheard once a week.” Charlie snorted.

 

“Fuck that, Pitbull fuckin sells the shit out of this fuckin rag when he's in it.” Yoshi Shizu, who so kindly delivered me the tabloid, said. “Now I want some fuckin details, bitch is fuckin smokin.”

 

“It wasn't that great from what I remember. She was pretty…”

 

“Gossip times over girls! Back to fuckin work!” The Forman yelled cutting us off.

 

It was another 12 hour day. The site had a lot of hold up's in the beginning pushing us way off the timeline expected for the building and I mean way off. The building was suppose to be completed five months ago, but things in L2 rarely went the way they were suppose to go.

 

Most referred to L2 as the dump of the ESUN since it was where the scrap from the war ended up and it was dirt poor, but reselling the junk from the war was good business for the struggling colony making most the area outside the city nothing but junk yards. I was the previous owner of one such place, before I sold it for the spacious apartment I had now, yeah that was sarcasm. I more or less gave my scrap yard away to a couple fallen on rough times, but without Hilde around I had no one to worry about except myself and I wasn't too hard to take care of. I had a hell of a lot of dumb luck and could survive off almost anything much like a human cockroach. I knew the scrap yard would be more help to them then me and money wasn't something I needed, or well a lot of money wasn't something I needed.

 

The other main source of income for L2 dwellers was construction work. There was at least 22 other companies on the colony, but most of those went where the money was, other colony's and earth. Don't get me wrong all colonies had construction companies and of course earth did, but L2 was widely known for having the best workers in all aspects; structural integrity, speed in completing a job, the precise detail to match blueprints. I think it was something that was breed in every L2er. You were either good at collecting crap or busting your ass. I didn't think I was exceptionally good at either, but the physical labor kept me in shape and from being endlessly bored so construction it was. I was just smart enough to go with Kondo Construction, which was formally in charge of rebuilding the main city of L2, subways, buildings, hell everything. It didn't pay half as much as going off colony did, but seeing the inhabitants of the colony walking by a site and smiling up at the unfinished creation made it all worth it.

 

I was putting in the last bolt in the 55th floor feeling my arms wanting to give out. I held fast to the driver pushing it in with more brute force than anything else. I let out a sigh setting the ridiculously heavy machinery down wiping the sweat away with the thick brown glove covering my hand. My ears caught the sound of applause and I felt a familiar hand patting me on the back. I glanced over my shoulder seeing the Forman, Mickey Scott, smiling a wide smile in the florescent lights that surrounded the site giving us the extra hours of light to work in. The low hum of the generators below ringing loud making us all half deaf as if the machinery didn't already do that.

 

Mickey was a bit shorter than me, but built like a truck. Guy was thick as two of me. His black beard glistened in the false light his teeth stained yellow from far too much coffee and cigars. His glazed brown eyes fell on me exuding his child-like happiness.

 

“That's it guys.” His voice gruff from too many years of smoking and hard work. “Good work all of you. Thanks to your efforts we were able to get the base out in record time and since tomorrow is a paid holiday,” he paused and though the ten of us, donned the steel dogs as we were the steel works having the dangerous job of carrying, attaching and forming the steel frames for all L2 projects, were exhausted we still found the will to cheer for a much needed paid day off, “boss is gonna take ya all out for drinks!”

 

“Fuck yeah!” Was the resounding cry of our group as we headed for the lift.

 

“Bout time the fuckin slave driver gives us a break.” Joey Rodriguez, known as J-Rod because of his obsession with ancient hot rods, said standing directly to the left of Mickey on the lift that began it's decent. He didn't look like much, thinner than both me and Charlie, but the kid was stronger than shit

 

“You wouldn't think it was so bad if you actually worked a day in your life.” Mickey shot back as the rest of us pointed and laughed at our colleague who just got smoked by our boss.

 

“So where to boys?” Mickey asked bringing the focus off poor J-Rod.

 

“Strip club!” Yoshi yelled causing our collective gaze to fall to the young Asian man. I rolled my eyes, as I'm sure a few others did.

 

“Yeah 6-inch, that's all you ever want to do.” Ty Bennett deep voice leaked over all of us. Ty was known as the Tank as he was a walking fucking tank. He was a huge mass of rippling muscle and stood like a tower above us all.

 

Yoshi was known as 6-inch from one of his random encounters with the opposite sex, which he was obsessed with. The stripper he was dating at the time caught him with another woman and during the fight between him and his now ex-girl her six inch heel caught him above the eyebrow giving him a scar and the ever lasting nickname 6-inch.

 

“I say O'Brien's.” Renold Meyer said he was the supervisor of our crew; just one guy wasn't enough to watch over all our troublemaking asses. His soft angelic voice barely heard over the constant chattering of the rest of us. He was from a wealthy family and we hazed the hell out of him when he first came. His crystalline blue eyes and fluffy blonde hair just made you want to pick on him. He reminded me of an even more effeminate Quatre, yeah even I'm amazed it's possible, though he was taller and a bit thicker, construction work kind of requires that.

 

“Seems the Princess has chosen, smite all thee who disobey thy Princess.” I gave a bow with the end of my speech causing a roar of laughter to surround us. The rest of our rag tag crew consisted of Adam Jenkins, known as Jinks. He used to be on the frontlines during the war, almost died about as many times as me, but was amazingly well adjusted. He could go toe to toe with Charlie in dry humor. Next there was Maleek Johnson, Q-ball for his baldhead, he was a cool quiet guy, but had a laugh you couldn't help but joining in with. Last was Rai Young, who most just called Young. I didn't care for the kid too much. He was an adamant Preventer support and avid Yuy worshiper. Yeah we didn't talk much.

 

We all filed off the lift, punching out, getting our shit together, then took the short train ride, and headed to the local dive bar, one of the first buildings we built. It was no surprise O'Brien's was where we picked. It was our spot. Any given day you could find five to all ten of us at the bar, whether we have to be up on high the next day or not. It was a chill place with a lot of forgotten L2 history on the walls, pictures of Heero Yuy, the original not the retarded imitation that paraded around still. Old blue prints of the colony and other random knickknacks. It was a nice quiet homegrown place. Perfect for a bunch of unruly construction workers.

 

All ten of us greeted the bar tender as we walked in, from a polite “Good evening” from the princess to a “sup lady” from 6-Inch, before we pulled some tables together. I sat in the middle on one side. To the right of me was Charlie, to the right of him was Maleek, and on the far end Young sat. Adam was on my left next to him on the opposite end of the table from Young was Mickey. Across from me was Joey, to his right sat Ty in his entire enormity. On Joey's left was Yoshi and last, but certainly not least was Renold.

 

I glanced to either side of me. “Aw, what the hell? How come I have to sit between the two assholes?”

 

“Look in the mirror.” Charlie answered.

 

“Cause your breath smells like one.” Adam quipped in and the table was roaring at my expense.

 

“Ha, ha, ha. I hate you guys.”

 

“I see your still working on that list.” Charlie snickered causing me to elbow him under the table.

 

“We all know Pitbull.” Mickey said no one hearing Charlie's snide remark but me. “Hey Rachel, can I get a round for these good for nothing slobs! And start me a tab, we're gonna be here all night!”

 

We all hooted and hollered ready for a night of drinking. Rachel came to the table setting the frothy mugs in the middle, though I was sitting on the opposite end she approached from, she took the time to come by me to set the beers down. Her more than ample breasts brushing my shoulder as she did so.

 

“Here you go boys, let me know when you need another round.” She leaned back a bit and I glanced to her. “And how are you Duo?” Strands of her long brunette hair fell from the loose ponytail she hand it in. She was great model material or high-class hooker, depending on your likes. Big breast, little waste, perfect ass. I had wanted to hit it, but I always managed to get too drunk and leave with someone else before her shift was over, but who knew, maybe tonight was my night. Her brown eyes fell on me.

 

“Good as ever after seeing you, Rach.” I flirted back giving her a smirk she blushed slightly.

 

“I'm glad to hear that.” She gave me a wink. My eyes followed her ass like the depraved man I was as she went back behind the bar.

 

“What the fuck? How come Pitbull always gets the chicks!” Yoshi was out raged.

 

“He was a Gundam pilot, what do you expect 6-inch?” Ty snorted into his beer.

 

“I expect me to be gettin some ass is what I expect! Specially with all that shit in Overheard. I mean seriously man. They always get hold of the chick you tapped and she does nothin, but talk some tall shit yet you still get ass.” Yoshi snapped.

 

“Psht, its cause I'm so pretty.” I said with a shit-eating grin.

 

“Yeah, pretty fuckin stupid.” Charlie killed my boast and the table was overfilled with laughter. The beers went down one after the other until three hours had passed. Hard liquor had been brought into play as some of the guys started buying rounds of shots.

 

I wasn't even sure what the hell I was laughing about, but I couldn't stop until my eyes fell on Young who was staring intently at something. My line of teary-eyed vision followed his until it met with the TV. I stood abruptly, my chair cracking against the ground causing the table to fall silent.

 

“Rach, turn that shit up!” The aggression in my voice as I glared at the large TV that rested behind the bar. Rachel fumbled the remote put off by my hostile tone, but was able to fulfill my request.

 

“You better get a leash on your Pitbull, Sandman.” I heard Adam murmur.

 

“Oh yeah, man I totally forgot Yuy did a press conference tonight. They replayin that shit?” Yoshi asked.

 

“Eh, who gives a shit? That shits got nothing to do with us anyway.” Joey added.

 

“More than you think boy.” Mickey grumbled. “Rachel, turn that thing off before-”

 

My hand slammed on the table causing all the glasses to defy gravity for a moment before falling back to the slabs of wood as I glared at Mickey. “Shut your fuckin…”

 

“So you will be going to L2?” The anger left me as I caught the question posed by some unknown reporter at the conference.

 

“Yes. The new facility on L2 is state of the art and the Preventer's their will need to be trained in use of the equipment.”

 

“A follow up, isn't that facility still under construction and who will be in charge of Sanq in the meantime?”

 

“Yes the facility is still under construction. We are hoping to speed things along with our arrival as well as check the structure to make sure it is to our specifications. Quatre Winner and Trowa Barton will assume command of Sanq, while Wufei Chang and I are on L2. Next Question.”

 

“Mr. Yuy.” A gruff looking gentleman was shown, it was fuckin Vince Knight. His short black hair matted looking like he hadn't showered in days. His face thin giving him a nearly malnourished appearance, like he'd been living on coffee and cigarettes his entire life. Despite all that his brown eyes glinted with intellect. “L2 is where former Gundam pilot 02, Duo Maxwell, is residing and he is part of the construction team on the project. It's common knowledge that Maxwell and the rest of you pilots aren't on good terms. It seems rather fishy that you haven't personally ventured to any other sites, but are willing to go to this one and even odder when it's so far behind in production. So is the real reason you're going to L2 so soon to corner Maxwell since he will obviously be at the site?”

 

Knight was wearing an overconfident smirk. Some of my hatred for him dissipated for the way he went after Yuy with teeth bared. It was common knowledge me and the other pilots were on bad terms, but it wasn't anything anyone said out loud and the way Knight spoke seemed like he was calling Yuy out. Not many people talked to Yuy like that, guess me and Knight had some things in common, minus I didn't talk to Yuy anymore. Granted I still hated the guy for digging into my life and using me as his paycheck.

 

I stared at the TV. The camera flashed back to Yuy. It was kind of ironic how the man on the television and I shared such a similar look. Our jaws clenched, eyebrows furrowed and obvious detest filling the air around us. It almost felt as though we were standing in the same room glaring hatred to each other.

 

“I have no further comments.” Heero gritted out then left the podium disregarding all those calling after him.

 

“Fuckin right you have no fuckin comment! Fuckin' buncha fuckin' stupid!” So I wasn't exactly eloquent when drinking.

 

“Oh yeah, I'm sure he's feeling completely tore down now.” Charlie said with no amount of inflect to his voice. “Sit the hell down Duo.” I snapped my glare to Charlie. “Now.” He commanded.

 

My face cringed, my hands forming shaking fists as I had an inner fit before righting my chair and sitting down with a heavy sigh.

 

“You good?” Charlie asked I nodded chugging the rest of my beer holding it up signifying a refill.

 

“Why do you hate him so much?” Ever obnoxious Young asked at the end of the table. I glared death to him. Of all the people, he was not one I wanted to hear from.

 

“Seems to me that feelings mutual. In fact every interview I've ever seen or heard by Yuy, when ever the topic of Maxwell comes up the interviews over.” Adam was looking at me intently. “I always wanted to ask you about that.”

 

“How the hell should I know what goes through that idiots head.” I commented as Rachel stealthily handed me a beer.

 

“God you're a bad liar.” Charlie said before getting Rachel's attention and ordering a round of shots, which we eagerly drank. I in the hopes of not recalling the falling out of 02 from the rest of the pilots and that it would cause everyone else to drop the subject.

 

“You know something Sandman?” Yoshi pried.

 

“If Pitbull said anything meaningful to me I would die of shock.” Snickers ran about the table at Charlie's dry words.

 

“Come on Pitbull, let us know why you so angry?” Joey slurred.

 

“Seriously Duo, it's not like any of us are going to remember, just answer them so they'll shut up.” Charlie snorted with annoyance.

 

“Irish car bomb and you got the story.” I said sipping on my most recent beer. I knew there was no way to get out of telling them and hell I was drunk enough I didn't care.

 

I dropped the shot in the beer that was set in front of me chugging it down in record time letting out a long belch.

 

“L2 mating call!” Yoshi yelled making us laugh.

 

“Shut up man, I wanna here this.” Joey said nudging Yoshi.

 

“Don't fuckin push me!” Yoshi shot back pushing Joey nearly off his seat.

 

“Children!” Charlie's voice boomed over the table quieting all. “Why am I not surprised you would all respond to that.” He snickered at his own comment along with the rest of us. The table fell silent and all eyes were on me.