Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ It's A Wonderful War ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Title: It's a Wonderful War




Title: It's a Wonderful War
Author: Sony_Mouse (Sony_Mouse@hotmail.com)
Pairings: 1+2+1
Warnings: AU, History (ha ha ha I get to warn you about history), mild, mild, mild angst, OOC, Shounen-Ai, language and insults (which in no way express what I feel for the Japanese, they are purely what a propaganda filled American pilot might think.)
Disclaimer: GW not mine, WW2 is...not mine either, lucky for me History isn't copyrighted. Info about names, places, people and history are taken from James Clavell's Shogun (the BEST book about Japan...ever), Author Golden's Memoirs of A Geisha, David Mak's Kabuki, and from Misa.
Archives: If you or your friend would like to read a fic of MINE, of previous parts to this fic, then for one low low price YOU CAN. Just drop on by at www.gwaddiction.com ,where everybody knows your name (well not really). All proceeds go to feed the rich foundation :P
Author's TITLE note: I have gotten actual FLAMES in my e-mail box, nasty nasty flames, not about my story, only a few about it being 1+2+1, but about my title. I will say this once since I'm a lazy, lazy person; I don't care if people don't like my title. I've seen much worse, it's not offensive, it doesn't make the story bad, cause you usually don't even remember the title, and if you do, all the better. PLEASE stop flaming me about it, I'm not going to change it no matter how much you sweat at me, I don't understand why people hate it so much, sure it's not the best, but at least I'm sure no one else has used it :)
Author's SOLO note: I made myself unclear before so I'm going to quickly explain, when I asked if anyone thought of Han Solo when they first hear the name I wasn't talking about my fic. People thought I meant that Han Solo was in my fic, he's not, it IS Duo's childhood friend. I meant when you first heard the name Solo AT ALL did it remind you of Han Solo. For me it did :)
Author's THANKS note: I just want to thank two VERY, VERY nice people, Katu and Misa. They have gone out of their way to not only translate part 2 for me (I'll repost my edited versions of part 1 and 2 when it's done), but Misa has taken the time to explain to me more about the Japanese mentality and a few events. I hope this will make my story a lot more realistic while still interesting. THANK YOU

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Part 2
Looking down at the sleeping figure, Heero truly wondered if he had made a mistake. But all he had to do was look over at that suspiciously innocent looking face and he knew he wasn't going to let the boy die.
Yet the boy deserved to die, he had killed so many women...children...all from his quick air raid. It was a very dishonorable act. But somehow the young pilot lying asleep in front of him seemed to carry no guilt for his actions, only bitterness.
Maybe that was the price to pay when you were forced to fight so young. If anything, Heero could understand that.
TBC...

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"History is written by the hangman" - Anonymous

Before dawn even began to form, Heero was the first to wake and leave the American prisoner to go have a bath. He went on a short walk to where a small body of water lay hidden by the trees. Although it was still war, Heero, and his people, felt adamant about having regular baths. Anything else would just be unhygienic. He thought about waking the American, as he could tell the young man hadn't bathed in days, if that. But he later thought better of it, he would first let the American get some much-needed sleep.
Jumping into the cold water Heero was quickly reminded of his youth in the small village where he had been raised. He had never even heard of a bathtub before joining the military and was surprised when there was no body of water to bathe in at the training base. His fellow soldiers had gotten a good laugh over that one, but it was always that way with the soldiers who came from more isolated villages. It didn't help much that he came from Hokkaido either, or that he was Ainu. He had 'pick on me' written all over his face.
As Heero splashed the cold water all over his dirty body, he smirked when he remembered how quickly he had earned their respect. He had been raised a dedicated worker in his village, and impressed the men with his dedication to any mission. Heero was proud to serve his country. And if it meant having to put up with an ignorant, uncivilized, lazy, undedicated American, he would do just that.
He just hoped he survived the experience.
Getting out of the water, Heero felt a small chill go though his body as the cold morning air nipped at his damp skin. Quickly drying himself off and getting dressed, he decided to go in search of something he could use as a fishing pole. It was then that he heard a loud wailing noise coming form the direction of the temporary camp.
Springing to his feet, Heero ran off in that direction only to come face to face with a braided pilot singing at the top of his lungs.
"I ain't nothing but a hound dog, crying all the time. I ain't nothing but a hound dooooooooooooog..."
"Shut up! What do you think you're doing?"
"Oh, there you are, I'd thought you had abandoned me to die, well I had hoped. I was just singing to pass the time."
"BAKA! Did you think that we might be discovered?"
"I thought the Japs were on your side."
"They are, but they're not on yours. If we are discovered by some marching troop, the commanding officer of that troop might order me to kill you, then we lose the chance of trading you off for some soldiers."
Duo looked up at the man and replied in the most sarcastic laden voice he could muster. "Awwwww, I didn't know you cared."
"Baka, Oh course I care about my men..."
An evil grin quickly spread across Duo's face as realization hit him.
"OH! So that's it, you've lost some men to the obviously more powerful Americans and now you feel guilty about it. So that's why you decided not to kill me."
Heero didn't even bother to respond, but his angry face gave the truth away. He started to turn away but was stopped by Duo's mocking voice.
"Don't leave now, I'm just starting to get to know you." Slowly, almost too slowly Hero turned around once more to face Duo. Clenching his fist, he practically growled out his words in a low whisper.
"I will tell you once and only once. You are *MY* prisoner, and only because you were stupid enough not to properly crash your plane and kill yourself. That was your first mistake. Your second will be if you don't mind your own business."
As usual the Japanese soldier hadn't minced his words and he hoped that they had finally gotten through to its target. Unfortunately Duo's pride wouldn't let him be so easily beaten. With a defiant glare that rivaled his captors, Duo spat out his next words.
"At least there was only me that was caught! How many people did you lose to the other side." Without warning Heero leaped over from the spot where he was standing and before Duo could even blink in surprise, Heero had cracked his fist against Duo's face. The American pilot was literally thrown back against the plane, slumping to the ground in a dazed form.
Without looking back, Heero quickly ran off into the woods. Wanting to get as far away as he could from the loud mouthed American.
Duo didn't even notice as he remained lying on the ground, eventually starting to punch his fist into the dirt out of frustration. He was sick and tired of the whole situation. And even if he didn't want to admit it, he was scared.

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It took Heero a whole three hours to calm down and feel like returning to the camp, and to the American. In truth he felt ashamed at the outburst, he was supposed to be one of the best soldiers Japan had to offer, yet one young American had made him lose his temper so badly. He had even let slip about his patrol being captured by the Americans while he was in the Philippines. He could only hope that most of his men had been killed, capture was a fate he didn't even want to think about.
During his time away from the temporary camp, Heero had in fact gone out fishing, he was able to catch lunch and cool down a bit. He also hoped to show the American that he was above the simple argument, and that it didn't affect him anymore, that he was in charge, and no American would ever change that.
As soon as he entered the camp he was surprised to see that Duo had moved from where he normal sat and was now...SUNBATHING????
"Well I see you aren't in any danger." Lifting his head the American glared at the other young man while still holding his arm over his eyes to block out the sun.
"No thanks to you, what if one of those patrols came that you spoke of, they could've taken me off and killed me."
"Hn, no, my luck is not that good."
"You bastard, you know you could at least pretend to be human, unlike the rest of your race, and actually prevent me from being hurt."
"Yes, and I'm sure you Americans would show me the same courtesy if I was captured."
"Well maybe not to you, but to the other prisoners we would."
Starting up the fire again, Heero took out the fish he had managed to catch and placed them on his makeshift grill. "Do you actually believe those lies?"
"They're not lies. We Americans are much more civilized than you Japs, and treat our prisoners with at least a bit of human courtesy.
Heero could only roll his eyes at the uninformed opinion of the American. He had personally seen a few men returned from those so-called 'civilized' American camps. They were anything but civilized. Heero had to admit that the Japanese camps weren't that much better, but it was war, and at least he was able to admit it, unlike the American who lived in his own little world.
Duo stopped waiting for a reply and sat with Heero in silence. Again it bothered him not to be talking. It was almost like if no one was talking he would have to admit his predicament. Duo would rather be fighting with the enemy soldier than have to beat the silence.
"So what's the plan for today?"
"Hn."
"Whoa, slow down. There's only so much information I can handle at one time."
"Hn."
"I see, so now that you aren't yelling at me, you've lost your magical gift for words." Passing Duo a plate of fish, Heero looked at him expressionlessly.
"Hn."
Duo sighed dramatically. "Ok listen, you don't like me, I know. Hell, I REALLY don't like you. But if I have to spend the next little while waiting around with you so you can fatten me up for the kill or try to pawn me off, there better be some conversation happening."
Looking at Duo for a few minutes without blinking, Heero calmly answered. "No."
"Ah, HELL! You're gonna make me go crazy. Couldn't we pretend to be friends, or at lest not enemies for one meal? Come on, prove to me that you aren't everything I know you are."
The remark made Heero even angrier, but he was determined not to lose his temper again. He wanted to point out that it was the American, who had started 90% of all their arguments, but then he noticed the purplish bruise on the young man's cheek, the very one he had caused. Deciding one meal couldn't really hurt and tired of fighting, he agreed, not really knowing why he was doing so.
"Fine."
For the first time since Duo had crash-landed, Heero could almost swear he saw the boy smile for a second.
"So Heero, what's your full name?"
"Why?"
"So I know a bit more about you, it's not like I'm going to tell my superiors."
"I can't tell you." At the saddened expression on the American pilot Heero quickly continued. "But my first name is Hiro-matsu."
"I thought it was Heero?"
"It is, Heero is short for Hiro-matsu."
"Oh, what's Hiro-matsu mean?"
"I come from a very traditional village, we still go by many old laws. One is that peasants aren't allowed real names. You are named after what you do. My father is named farmer-san, because he is a farmer. The children of a peasant are named First-son, Second-son, First-daughter and so on. My name means First-son."
"Wow, I didn't know that. I don't even know what my name means. Ok so I have to know, why don't you have black hair, or brown eyes?"
"I'm Ainu."
"What?" Duo blinked in total confusion.
"From Hokkaido"
"What?" Looking at the lost American, Heero sighed.
"Did you even bother to look at a Japanese map before you decided to attack?"
"Well...no...kinda. Small maps..."
"The Ainu are the original inhabitants of Japan, there were driven to the north province of Japan, called Hokkaido, by a sect of the ancient Chinese, now Japanese."
"So why the fair eyes and brown hair?"
"The Ainu have lighter hair than the mainland Japanese. It is rare, but Ainu can also be born with light gray, or blue eyes." Heero surprised himself by telling the foreigner all this about himself and his people. But the mere fact that the American was actually willing to learn something about Japan got him going. He was glad the conversation remained on unimportant things like ancient Japanese history.
"Ahhhhhhhhh, so it all comes together. And here's me thinking that you might have some western blood in ya."
Heero looked positively stricken at the idea. If anything he was 100% Japanese and proud of it, he would die gladly for the better of the country and this American dared accuse him of being some part western. Standing up quickly, Heero started to clean up without looking over at Duo.
"You were mistaken, as usual." Turning away from the surprised young man, Heero stormed off.
Duo could only slump back down to his laying position wondering what he had said wrong. He had really thought they might be able to at least pretend to get along. He cursed Heero for being such a stuck up snob.
If only Heero could be more like him.
TBC...

Well ,well? What did you think? Do you hate me yet? (don't answer that). I keep feeling that any minute I'm going to insult someone and no one will ever read my stuff again. But I hope you liked.
Sony_Mouse@hotmail.com