Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Designed Memories ❯ Repercussions ( Chapter 9 )

Ch. 9 Repercussions

 

The smack came to the back of my head causing my eyes to part. I recognized my room, but had no memory of making it back. The files. I sat up fast, immediately regretting it as my head spun and I found the files lying in front of me where I was half on half off the futon. Mission completed. I fell back down ready to catch a few more needed z's.

 

“Get the hell up!” Another smack was brought to my head.

 

I groaned looking over my shoulder seeing Lania in read poka-dot pajama bottoms and a loose fitting black shirt, the bandana was missing exposing the black shoulder length hair. “Oh girl you are a sight.”

 

“Shut up, you were gone two fuckin days.” She rolled her eyes. “Now get up or your going to be late for work.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” I said as I forced myself off the floor and unsteadily to my feet with a yawn.

 

“I'm heading back to L1 now that your done being an idiot. My sister just had her baby and it's some big family to do. I'll be gone for the rest of the week and I'm taking Albel with me so I won't be waking you up. Set your damn alarm and get up to it understand.”

 

“Yeah.” I yawned again scratching my stomach. I recalled something else important I acquired in my sober part of last night. I searched the pockets in my pants then shirt and found the solid object in the breast pocket of my shirt. I pulled it slightly out making sure it was indeed what I needed it to be and was greeted by the black phone, which I let slip back in the pocket.

 

“Jackass. Oh you have a phone.” She yanked my hand that was going back to that nonexistent inch on my stomach pulling a pen from behind her ear and wrote on my hand. “That's my cell. Call if there are any problems, other than that I don't want to hear from you. Take care of the complex.” She said going to the door before I could even think to protest. “It's good to have you back.” She said over her shoulder before opening the door. “Albel come on! If we miss the shuttle because of you I swear to god!”

 

“Woman silence! I'm gathering your baggage!”

 

“You're my fuckin baggage!” She screamed back to him before my door was slammed harder than it ever had to be.

 

I ran my hand over my face sucking at morning. I pulled it away seeing the fresh ink completely smudged. I sighed, god I hated Mondays.

 

I didn't dwell on it getting ready for work, taking a longer shower as I had the stink from two days past on me, never getting to clean up in the jail. It was good I wasn't a stickler about cleanliness otherwise I was sure I would have gone mad in that place. I got all my shit together and headed to the site. I stopped getting eats at my normal convenience store, the clerk happy to see me out again. All the papers and rags had something about the press conference we missed last night, or maybe we saw it, either way I had no recollection of it. I was kind of shocked nothing bad was said about me in either. Guess it was gonna be a good day, I even got to work on time.

 

It was amazing how simply everything went back to normal or mostly normal. Not that I was complaining. I loved this life; it was a hellofa lot better than rotting away in a cell.

 

“Didn't feel like doin a damn thing before you left huh?” Mickey grunted as the lift stopped at the 23rd floor, where I left before finishing up.

 

“I had priorities.” I defended.

 

“Oh yeah, busy weekend being locked up eh?”

 

“Shut it Jinks.” I grumbled giving him a whack.

 

“It's amazing you have the capacity not only to ruin my anniversary, which was only my ten year, but to make a Monday far worse than it should ever be. Boy am I glad you're back. How I missed the constant cloud of chaos you unleash onto everything you touch.” Oh the sarcasm was registered.

 

“Yeah, glad I don't disappoint.”

 

“You'd have to do something right for once to effectively disappoint.” It was obvious at this point Charlie was unloading the anger he held back yesterday on me. He was over the happy to have you back and into the lets count the ways you've fucked up my life this week.

 

This seemed to register on the other guys who gave me reassuring words such as `hang in there Pitbull,' and the not so reassuring words of `oh man, Sandman's gonna own his ass, not like he don't deserve that shit.' For the cherry on top Mickey gave a boisterous order for us to catch up with the other guys by the end of the day or stay late to make up the time. So it wasn't going to be such a good day, but what Monday ever was.

 

The lift left me and Charlie alone on the floor and we began collecting the gear from the floor having to move to the next. Charlie was eerily quiet and I knew his ass was just festering about it all. Part of me didn't want to say a thing and the rest of me just wanted to get it over with. I decided to go with plan b as I finished getting all the lines together. I stood and turned ending up face to face with Charlie, who apparently decided he was going to air his grievances. He didn't say anything for a long while holding one of the bolt drivers in his arms so I decided I would start.

 

“Hey Sandma-” Everything stopped as the sound of heavy mental connecting with stationary steel filed the large area, my eyes popping wide as the reality of Charlie dropping that bolt driver on my foot raced from my nerves to my synapses. The yelp left me as I brought my foot up holding it.

 

“Are you fucking kidding me!? Fuck!” I screamed. I began trying to sensitively walk it off. Seriously, hurt more than most things I'd done to myself. I say most things as I am overly clumsy so I have done a lot of stupidly painful things, but oh this, this was fuckin close to the worst. “What the fuck man!?”

 

“And you don't deserve it?” He countered.

 

“Shit! How the hell does that even compare? Damn!” I was still struggling around trying to get the shooting pain that was running up my leg to subside.

 

“Oh I don't know, why don't you ask me how my weekend was? How my anniversary was? Oh that's right! I didn't have either thanks to you!”

 

“Yeah and my time in jail was all full of fuckin smiles! You act like I fuckin planned this shit, like all I wanted to do was get arrested!” I would have said more on that topic except the aching was getting to me. “A fuckin bolt driver to the foot? Really?!”

 

“You almost kill Jaster and you're asking me really? Take satisfaction in that's all I'm doing to you.”

 

“Oh yeah, completely fuckin satisfied with this man. Completely.” I growled through gritted teeth, the pain in my left foot and leg only seeming to increase and I had a long ass day ahead of me. I pulled the reigns on my anger lividly picking up the bolt driver. I hit the button for the lift throwing the monstrosity on it as it arrived. It was taking all of me and future me not to pop him one. Yeah I fucked up, I couldn't deny that, but even I could only take so much abuse before I fought back. Needless to say Chang and Yuy's shit giving already had me brimming.

 

Charlie didn't help at all as I loaded everything onto the lift. He really was going to test every last fiber of my patience. We got to the next floor and I unloaded everything and set everything up Charlie silently watching me the entire time. I finished sweat pouring off me, my leg aching something fierce, and my irritation peaked.

 

“Alright! I fucked up okay! I admit that shit, but this is bullshit man! I'm not doin this all by myself!” I got in Charlie's face. “If you're gonna do this shit all fuckin day then just go the hell home. Make up your damn anniversary so I don't gotta deal with your crap for the rest of my fuckin life.”

 

Charlie crossed his arms glaring at me. “You are going to deal with it for the rest of your life. You did fuck up. Severely so.”

 

“I know that, even better than you and that I'm lucky the guys are overlooking the shit that went down.”

 

“I know you know Duo.”

 

I threw my hands up in exasperation. “Then what's with all this shit man?!”

 

“My anger deserves to go to its rightful owner. I shouldn't have to hold onto my anger because you know you were in the wrong.” Charlie pushed passed me going to his side of the room. “Now things don't have to change between us. Get to work idiot.” He snorted.

 

I closed my mouth and did what he said getting the meaning he wanted to convey. I knew what anger was capable of, what it could do if it was never released on the one it was meant for. It festered and convoluted itself into a putrid wrath that devoured the soul until there was nothing left but this empty shell capable of nothing but hate. If he held those feelings in it would have eventually destroyed the bond we had. He would distance himself, both of us feeling unease with the other. If what he did could spare us that future, then I could take it, I would take it. He wasn't someone easily replaced.

 

Lunch hit Charlie and I took it on the 30th floor that we had just finished, the other guys leaving us be, thinking we still had things to work out. I didn't blame them since no one had really seen Charlie ever mad about anything before. Well, he did get mad at me a lot, but not this mad. Course holding grudges against each other really wasn't in any of us.

 

“You had Lania pissed as hell and now on top of ruining my anniversary I get the joy of seeing you every morning.” Charlie was less then thrilled.

 

“You already see me every morning.”

 

“Your stupidity still has the capacity to amaze me. I'm truly shocked. I meant I'm going to be picking you up every morning since you have the ability to sleep through a train wrecking into your building.”

 

“I can get up to my alarm.” I defended mowing on the sandwich I bought at the store.

 

“No you can't. Anyway it's worth it as now I don't owe Lania another favor, because I swear to god if she leaves Albel with me again I will kill them all.”

 

I raised a questioning eyebrow.

 

“It was awhile back. Long story. All I have to say is Cliff and Jaster started to mimic Albel while he was there and then it took me two months to get them to stop.”

 

I was speechless in horror.

 

“You have no idea. They were terrifyingly good at it to top it off.”

 

“I'm sorry for your loss.” I said placing a hand on his shoulder like consoling someone who had lost a loved one. It was more for his sanity because Albel alone was enough, then to have two imitating him. Yeah, I would have killed myself or them no doubt about that.

 

“Let's not go back there.” Charlie gave a visible shutter. “So, what was with those two huge files?”

 

It momentarily crossed my mind that the case was top secret. Though it wasn't said, it was to be assumed, but as it was not said that meant I didn't have to assume it, I was just suppose to assume it and though I did assume it, I never said I assumed it, so I really didn't assume it out loud, therefore it was only assumed that I ever actually assumed it, which meant I could tell whoever I wanted, or so I assumed. I opened my mouth to spill it and paused. I had to remember who I was balling with here. Yuy and Chang already showed me they could be my worst enemies, especially Yuy, and they would assume that I knew what I was suppose to assume. What the hell was I assuming? I frowned getting completely lost in my own train of thought.

 

“Take your time, don't think all at once. You only get this chance once a year, don't waste it on thinking about thinking as you have for the past four.”

 

“Yer fucking stupid.” I frowned at Charlie deciding to just tell him. There was no way I could keep it secret from him anyway and all the thinking about it was giving me a headache. “The files are for a case.”

 

“You're working for the Preventer's?” Charlie was completely put off.

 

“In a way.” I sighed focusing on the empty sandwich wrapper.

 

“How'd that happen?” Charlie's voice was clam as ever.

 

“Either that or 17 in the slammer and a million in fines. I opted for the get out of jail with stipulations choice.”

 

“Hm.” I glanced at Charlie who was staring off at nothing.

 

“What?”

 

“A million seems kind of high.”

 

“Yeah, well the fines double on each other after each offence of violence past four, and let's not forget all the other fines for damage, hospital, and all that other little shit.” I didn't want to bring up the offence for Jaster knowing that subject was still sensitive.

 

“Still a million seems pretty high.” Charlie was too smart for his own good.

 

“Yeah the fine for my mouth too alright.”

 

Charlie cracked a knowing grin. “Now it makes sense.”

 

“The fuck it does.”

 

Charlie ignored my comment rubbing at the stubble on his unshaven chin. “You must have something they really want to go through all that trouble.” He looked to me nodding.

 

My mouth dropped in disbelief. It was always a mystery to me why Charlie had gone into construction because the guy was smart. He figured things out way before he should. I guess I could see it getting him into a lot of trouble with people. Maybe it was what caused the cynical attitude he had. Always picking up on those negligent signs and instinctively knowing things others didn't want to voice. Even if he didn't say anything it would still be a burden. Knowledge was like that, it was something always sought after despite the consequences.

 

“When'd ya figure it out?”

 

“Knight had a point. Why else would they come here? Yuy and Chang have no reason to be on L2 except for you.”

 

“Ha, so you finally believe I was a Gundam pilot now huh?”

 

“Yeah, an exceptionally good one. You all were, hence why you're still alive, but it seems like you're the only one living with your life completely exposed. Stuck under a never ending magnifying glass, the word judging your every move.” Charlie was looking up at the ceiling. “It's hard to imagine getting up every morning knowing someone's watching you, to see your face on the cover of some magazine or paper every day, and to hear and read all the rumors people are spreading about you.”

 

“Heh, it's just life man. It's the cause of my actions. Who can I blame, but myself?” I crumpled the sandwich wrapper in my hand.

 

“I wonder how different it would be if any of those reporters actually met you, instead of just exploiting you.”

 

“Why, so they could see what an idiot I really am?” I snickered.

 

“No, then they could see hard you try.” Charlie looked over to me and I was back to staring at my hand holding the crushed wrapper.

 

“You're giving me too much credit Sandman. I'm not really trying at all, I'm just living my life like I always have.”

 

“And that's why you didn't let them put you in jail, it had nothing to do with the fact you knew it would hurt the people around you, that they would miss you and end up blaming themselves for not doing anything. You can use whatever excuse you want, but I was in that room. I spoke with Chang. If they wanted to keep you in jail, it wouldn't matter if the entire ESUN protested it. Sorry to say Pitbull, I'm an informed citizen. President Darlian is the face of the ESUN, the Preventer's are the body and Yuy and Chang are the mind. As you know from life experience a face and body are nothing without a brain.”

 

Charlie's words unsettled me, not because he was calling me out that I didn't care about. It was because if he was able to figure out I was in with the Preventer's, what says that dude that was going to contact me wouldn't come to the same conclusion. There were too many things going through my head. The things Charlie said weighed on me. I knew he was talking about himself in the beginning; he would blame himself for not doing anything if I went to jail, and he would have been hurt by my absence. I tried so hard to avoid it, to avoid bonds like this. I didn't want to feel the pain of losing someone again, even more than that I never wanted anyone I cared about to suffer like I had.

 

“You do know I was saying you don't have a brain there Pitbull?” He was put off that I didn't react to his jab.

 

I didn't respond to him still lost in thought. What was the right decision to make? I hadn't thought it over just wanting to be out of there and back with the guys, but what had I traded. What if this guy was everything Chang said he was? I had nothing to go on, nothing at all. For so long I had dreamed of death, of finally not being the one left behind. I looked over at Charlie's concerned face and heard the lift moving with some of the guys on it. How could I leave them all behind?

 

I suddenly felt hot, restlessly hot. Abruptly I stood wiping my hands down my face. I wanted to tell Charlie, but then he would be involved. What if dude went after him? Would it matter? He might just go after him anyway. What says dude isn't following me too, that he doesn't know every move I make? What the hell did I agree to?

 

“Pitbull you alright?”

 

“No.” I muttered as I paced hand running nervously over my face. “No Sandman, I'm not even close to alright.”

 

“Hey Pitbull.” Charlie stood in front of me stopping my pacing. “I don't know what's going through your head unless you tell me.”

 

I looked nervously to Charlie the palm of my hand resting on my forehead. “I think I fucked up Sandman. I think I fucked up real bad.”

 

“Yeah, we've been over that.” Charlie frowned.

 

“No, not that. Well, I fucked up there too.” I turned from Charlie continuing my pacing. “But I didn't think about it when I said yes. I didn't even think it over, just agreed. How could I be so stupid?”

 

“I'm assuming that's a rhetorical question.”

 

I spun on Charlie. “Dude, this isn't a fuckin joke!”

 

“I'm sure it's not.” Charlie said holding his hands slightly up at his sides in surrender to my anger. “So why don't you explain it to me and we can see how serious it is.”

 

“The case I agreed to…” I trailed needing to pace still unsure if I was making the right choice in telling Charlie. I figured it was too late not to, the information couldn't hurt him. I already agreed to work with the Preventer's. It was better he knew incase something did happen. I stopped just in front of him staring into his awaiting eyes.

 

“The case I agreed to help them with has to do with some dude calling himself God of Death. They say he's the guy that's been starting up rebel groups and I guess the ones he's forming are getting more violent.” I paused and Charlie interrupted.

 

“You might know something if you watch the news, but I know how you fear information. I know there have been a few rebel groups here, but all they do is protest and hand out pamphlets. On other colonies and Earth it's been different for the past few years. There have been reports of bomb, sniper, and arson threats from them all. The Preventer's keep busting the groups before anything happens so it's hard to say if they really mean to do anything or if they're just empty threats since once the Preventer's take over the only thing reported is for people not to worry.

“You know that rebel group Yuy arrested the day you got into the fight on the train threatened to bomb the central square in Sanq. They were crazy enough to post up fliers all over the city about it. Of course the whole thing was forgotten once the Preventer's took over and it was never confirmed if they actually had the means, but judging by Yuy and Chang's arrival here I think they had more than enough means to do it. There is no guessing about it, the rebel groups are getting more violent, but it's hard to believe one person could be starting them.”

 

It was Charlie's turn to make my Monday worse than it already was. That was not what I wanted to hear because it wasn't that hard for me to believe. There were a lot of restless people everywhere and all they needed is one persuasive voice.

 

“Then maybe you shouldn't believe it.” My eyes were downcast. Charlie and I didn't share the same view on people, he didn't fight in the war, he didn't know about the cruelty and desperation man kind was capable of that even I was capable of.

 

“What are trying to say to me Duo?” The nickname was dropped. It had been awhile since we had a serious conversation, but the matter was of a serious nature.

 

“I haven't read the files yet, but Chang told me about dude and even he was more than a little unsettled by him. You might have only talked to Chang for a minute, but I'm sure you know that guy is solid, nothing gets to him. When he was talking about this guy even he looked shaken.” I met Charlie's eyes. “This guy's on L2 now and he's going to contact me. When and how I don't know. Yuy and Chang gave me all the info they have, which is basically nothing. The guy is untraceable. Chang and Yuy are good at what they do, better than good, yet somehow they don't have shit on guy. I got nothing to go on, don't know what he looks like or anything. The profile is a dude, ex soilder,18-45 that don't like Yuy.”

 

Charlie looked a little more than frustrated. “What the hell are you trying to tell me Duo?”

 

“I'm sayin it might be better if you just stayed away from me for awhile.” I wasn't even sure if that was what I was trying to tell him, but it was the only thing that was making sense in my head.

 

“Like hell.” Charlie growled.

 

“Charlie I'm not playin here. I don't…”

 

“You don't know anything so shut up.” He snapped cutting me off. “You're lazy and stupid. If I don't force you to look at those files you never will and just because Chang and Yuy looked at them doesn't mean you won't find something completely different. Remember they don't have an idiot's point of view.” Charlie said as he went to the lift calling it down.

 

I wanted to say something but I didn't know how to dissuade him. I really did suck at everything. The hand came to my shoulder.

 

“I know you mean well Duo, but I'm not going to let you do this on your own. Plus if this God of Death guy is following you I'm already in danger so isn't better if I know what I'm up against?”

 

For some reason hearing him say it put me at ease making me feel that maybe I made a partially right decision rather than completely wrong. Time would tell as it was back to work.

 

It was a good thing we were great at what we did because we finished on queue with the other guys. By the end we were waiting on Adam and Tank to lay the sheets of steel. Course that probably had to do with Young being gone and Renold taking his place. Don't get me wrong Renold was good, but the guys treated him like a princess too, some one always distracted with him thinking he couldn't pull his own weight. Add to that it was Monday and the lot of us was hung as shit. Meaning even Mickey wasn't in the mood to give us much shit. Not to mention the Preventer's weren't high on the like list of anyone so it was more we'll get the building done when were fuckin done.

 

“See you two kissed and made up. Guess that jail time turned Pitbull into your bitch eh Sandman?”

 

“Fuck off J-Rod. Sandman would be the bitch if anyone.”

 

“Oh look at that. Pitbull's been dreamin bout you again Sandman.”

 

“Naw it's your sweet ass I dream about Jinks.” I played back giving Adam a smack on the ass, which incited me to receive a punch in the shoulder.

 

“As I recall you were the one crying like a bitch. It's okay Duo. I'll be gentle.” Charlie came up between Adam and I placing a hand on my shoulder husking the last in my ear.

 

I pushed him off of me. “I fuckin said it was pink eye god dammit!”

 

The lift was roaring with laughter as we rode down to the ground floor. It was no mystery everyone was laughing at my pathetic excuse, but fuck if I was gonna admit to crying.

 

“You comin to O'Brien's?” Yoshi asked as I punched out after him.

 

“Fuck yea-”

 

“No, he has plans tonight.” Charlie cut me off.

 

“So J-Rod was right eh?” Yoshi commented with an exaggerated smirk.

 

I threw my arm around Charlie's shoulder pulling him close to me. “Close, but Sandman's gonna be my bottom.” I smirked at Yoshi licking the side of Charlie's face.

 

The elbow met my gut. “Cliff made him dinner and I'm not dealing with a disappointed Cliff or you will all be dealing with a enraged me.”

 

“If I see you at O'Brien's I'm gonna have Dixie cut that fuckin dick off.” Yoshi grunted to me punching me in the shoulder as he smiled to Charlie. “All good Sandman, I'll let the guys know.” He laughed nervously as he nearly ran from the two of us to the other guys letting them know the deal. The rest of them gave Charlie a goodbye and me the same, but with a glare.

 

Charlie and I headed to the dirt lot where his car was. It wasn't anything too fancy, course me with no car wasn't one to judge. As I said, getting a license wasn't easy, or maybe it would be better to say it wasn't easy for me. Failed that test a few times and had been bared from most testing centers. Apparently Gundam piloting doesn't make you a great driver or for me it didn't unless we were doing some stunt driving. Plus as a heavy drinker, a car was out of the question. It was just something I would probably wreck in a moment of drunken epiphany, which upon sober reflection would register as a terrible idea. I wasn't a complete idiot.

 

“Cliff made me some eats?”

 

“No.” He said as he started the car.

 

“Dude, that's so not cool.”

 

“Well, we can go back and tell them that we are reading files for a Preventer's case and you can explain to all of them what's going on.” Charlie said not even looking at me as he backed from the lot and headed out.

 

I silently festered the entire way having nothing to say to that.

 

We headed down Crawford and he came to a stop in front of my building turning off his car and getting out. I followed his lead grabbing all my effects as we headed up to my apartment.

 

“Man I feel like I'm forgetting something important.”

 

“There's a shock.” He said deadpan. “Now open the fuckin door already or has your retarded ass forgotten how to use a key. I know it's complicated. Attaching two shiny things together. It's awe inspiring beauty just overwhelms your cognitive abilities, not as though you have many to begin with.”

 

“I can do it!” I cringed immediately realizing that wasn't really a come back at all. I sighed unlocking the door dropping my things and taking off the work shirt throwing it on the futon. I went to the fridge grabbing a beer for me and one for Charlie popping the caps off on the counter. I handed Charlie a beer taking a drink from mine scratching my stomach through the black tank top I wore under my work shirt.

 

“Make yerself comfortable. Files are there.” I pointed next to the futon. “I gotta take a shit.” I said taking the beer with me and going in the bathroom.

 

“Thanks, I don't know where my life would be without knowing about your bowel movements.” Charlie didn't have to talk loud for me to hear him in the miniscule room. Unlike the main door the bathroom was not sound proof. “My god you live in a shoe box. I guess it was better to have you be arrested then let Jaster stay here. I'm sure the cells were a rival in size for this prize.”

 

“Yes, I'm poor. Thanks for the reminder.”

 

“Your welcome.” Course he had to get the last word in.

 

The place fell into silence as I did my business drinking my beer taking my time. I wasn't about rushing anything.

 

“What file you lookin at?” I asked out of curiosity and boredom. I wasn't put off by talking while using the facilities.

 

“It's nothing really. Just reports on the busts. I knew the Preventer's were hiding shit, but this is ridiculous, though the public would most likely freak out if they knew any of it.”

 

“Ah, well the other file is all the communications from the guy. I guess he's been contacting them through email for the past three years.”

 

“Holy shit.” Charlie said and I assumed it was from the size of the file. “Guy's a regular Chatty Fuckin Cathy.”

 

“Looks like you two have something in common.” I snickered drinking my beer.

 

“You're an idiot.”

 

“No you are!”

 

“Did you get that comeback from Jaster, no wait he hasn't used that since he was four.”

 

“I hate you.” I grumbled to myself as the apartment fell silent again. A good amount of time passed as I sat sipping my beer on the throne.

 

“Pitbull, this isn't so good.” Charlie's solemn words wafted to me beyond the door.

 

I took a sniff. “It ain't that bad man. Don't act like your shit don't stink.”

 

“You know, sometimes I really wish there was a shut off button for you stupidity.”

 

“Yeah, well I wish there as a shutoff button for you mouth.” I shot back as I finished my business washing my hands realizing that was a good ass comeback. “Ohhh snap!”

 

“Yeah, you take that one victory in five years because it has totally put me in my place.”

 

“Damn it.” I muttered to myself opening the door and grabbing my beer bringing the bottle up ready to take down the last few sips. My hand raised, my lips puckered to receive the bottle as an unknown sound hit my ears.

 

“When did you get a phone?” My entire being hesitated. Fuck.

 

I dropped the bottle to the floor it somehow holding onto its shape. My eyes were wide as they scanned all over the small room. The panic had made me lose sense. Sometimes I hated how forgetful I was about things. Yuy told me straight to my face that my apartment was monitored. Fuckin idiot I was had Charlie in the middle of the room looking at the top secret files. Genius!

 

My eyes fell on the white shirt and I grabbed it flailing it around forgetting the basic skill of pulling the phone from the pocket as the ringing persisted. The black device flew from my shirt and across the room. The fear also had me using way more force then needed. I scampered across the room, losing my footing on the other file Charlie had strategically put on the floor in my way. Okay so maybe it was there to begin with, but I had my suspicions as my face hit the floor. Good thing my apartment was small and I was able to extend a hand to reach the incessantly ringing object. I flipped it open rolling to my back.

 

“Hi.” The word drawn out, while I forced a smile on my face instinctively knowing I was in for some trouble as I sat up.

 

“What the hell is he doing with the files Maxwell?” Yeah, and lucky me it was Yuy sounding mad as ever.

 

“Reading `em.” I didn't even try for an excuse.

 

“The information you have is top secret.” Yuy ground out.

 

“Oh? Well no one told me.”

 

“You shouldn't have to be told.” Yeah he was pissed and for some reason that was pissing me off.

 

“You treat all your new Preventer's like this?”

 

“You're not a Preventer. You're a criminal.” The last was spat with revulsion.

 

“You're the one that made me the criminal in this.” My voice low. The two of us just weren't meant to get along.

 

“Made you a criminal?” He snorted “You've always been a criminal. Put on all the masks you want Maxwell, none of them can hide the pathetic coward you are.”

 

“Fuck you Yuy!” That condescending tone he always had with me, acting like he knew me so well, like he had the right to degrade me as if he was any better. I wasn't holding back this time. “You corrupt, hypocritical, deluded fuck! You want to judge me? Your murdering conniving ass wants to judge me? You think cause you dress up in that uniform it makes you any different then me? The hell it does! The only difference between us is I had all the people I loved die on me throughout my life, while all you did was try to kill everyone around you, you miserable little fuck.” Silence was my reply as I paused giving Yuy a chance to defend himself.

 

“What you got nothing to say now Yuy? Didn't think I knew that much bout you huh? You should know Solo was a great hacker and he had nothing on me. You think I couldn't dig up your past. Changed your name a lot when you were a kid after Odin died on you. Guess that's what an assassin has to do though huh? Still got to wonder if it was you who pulled the trigger on him back then. Was he getting in the way? Too much competition for ya?” Odin was an assassin or so I had gathered from my hacking. I'm not sure exactly how Yuy ended up working with him, but they were together for a short time before Odin was murdered. Course there was no doubt in my mind that Yuy learned a lot from Odin, like how to kill efficiently and discreetly, but in all honesty I really didn't know that much. Sometimes a clever act could lead to a unsaid truth. Yuy's continued silence lead me to believe I had stumbled upon one of those unsaid truths.

 

“Doesn't feel so good does it? Having you past aired. I almost want to feel bad for you, but, ya know, all I can feel is hate and regret. Regret that I didn't kill your ass when I had the chance, that I didn't let your ass die when you self destructed. I lose everyone I love and some how a piece of shit like you is still breathing. How is that possible Yuy? Why the fuck are you still breathing? Tell me tha…”

 

“Knock it off Pitbull, you're going too far.” Charlie cut me off whacking me in the side of the head as he crouched in front of me. “Give me the phone.”

 

“Fuck that! I'm not done with that piece of shit. He wants to start something, well it's fuckin started!” I pulled the phone back from Charlie's reaching hand dropping it behind me. Charlie grabbed for it and I put it above my head.

 

“You're more than done. You have no clue what your saying right now.” He reached for it almost getting it.

 

“All I'm sayin is the truth.” I snapped shoving the phone down my pants.

 

“Don't think that's going to stop me.” Charlie's look assured me he wasn't playing.

 

“What does it matter what I say to him? Why the fuck are you defending him anyway?” I asked Charlie who was straddling my left leg my right knee up blocking him back along with both my hands that were on his arms.

 

“I'm not defending him. Now give me the phone.” Charlie was focused. We were both pretty competitive and stubborn people.

 

“Why don't you reach your hand down there and get it?” I smirked at him letting his arms go.

 

Charlie hesitated at my smirk. My left hand quickly went to the back of his head forcing him closer to me, my other arm resting languidly and my raised right knee. “Come on. I got a nice surprise for you.”

 

“What the fuck are you doing?” Charlie had his hands on either side of me bracing himself trying to push away.

 

“It's been nearly three days man. I'm in need. Isn't that what friends are for? Come on, don't you want the phone?” I grinned letting my tongue peek out forcing him closer to me. My tongue inches from his lips. He glowering at my heavy advances knowing I was just being an ass.

 

The door that I had absent mindedly left unlocked, maybe absent mindedly wasn't the right term as usually it was left wide opened when I passed out, but for literary sake we'll say absent mindedly, was flung open. Charlie and I didn't move both looking from the corner of our eyes to the new disturbance, like two kids caught with crayons to the wall.

 

To say the moment was awkward was an understatement. We studied the new arrival as he did us, then we shared a glance between each other at which point our precarious position was brought to our attention.