Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Souls Lost and Found ❯ Wandering - Part One ( Chapter 2 )

Man. Zechs Merquise. I sure didn't expect him to show up on L2, of all places. Isn't this place a little… below him? I guess I'll find out what he's up to soon enough…

"Oi. What are you doing here?" I ask curiously. We're being swept along by the crowd now, but that long platinum hair of his makes it hard to lose sight of him. Man, it's long… I wonder what he does to keep it so straight and shiny? I'd ask to swap hair care tips, but he might think I'm kinda weird if I do that, so…

"I'm here doing volunteer work." Zechs replies. We stop at an elevator and he pushes the down button.

"Hey, no kiddin'?!? I'm here to meet a volunteer and take him back to HQ. Guess that means we've found each other, huh?" A wide smile is spreading onto my face, the first one that's been on it in almost a week. The last time I smiled was a day or two after I got here, when some little girl thanked me for giving her a nicer place to live in. It's nice to smile again.

He nods, the corners of his mouth turning up into what is a politely tolerant smile, and we get into the elevator. I stop talking for a second as we head downwards; I hate elevators. You'd think that a Gundam pilot wouldn't mind that lurchy feeling in your stomach every time you stop at a floor in an elevator, but I can't stand it. It's weird feeling. Flying at neck-breaking speeds and fighting battles totally against the odds? That I can handle. An elevator in a building with more than a few floors? A living nightmare.

We reach the base floor and step out. Thank God. I follow Zechs as far as the exit before taking the lead myself. "Our taxi should be here any second." I tell him. He nods; not much of a talker, apparently. Why do I always seem to attract the silent types?

As we wait I tell him all about what types of volunteer work we do here. "So. Where do you want to help out first?" I ask him once our taxi arrives. We get inside and I tell the driver where to go.

* * * *

Well, Duo certainly talks a great deal. I wonder how any of his fellow Gundam pilots ever managed to put up with him in between missions during the war? As rude as it may sound, I must admit that my respect for them has just risen.

Where do I want to help out first? Well, it would be nice to have a familiar face around in an unfamiliar place, even if the face is that of your former enemy…

"Where are you volunteering?" I ask him. He seems a bit surprised at the question, but that doesn't keep him from responding instantly.

"Me? Oh, I just finished my last job yesterday, so I'm not doing anything right now."

"Ah. Well, where do you plan on going next?"

He's giving me an odd look. Did I say something wrong? I don't believe that I did, but I suppose I could be mistaken…

* * * *

Man, what's up with him? Why all the interest in where I'm going? Maybe he's still got a grudge, me being the old enemy and all, and now that he's found me he wants to kill me or torture me or something…

I take a closer look at him to see if I can tell anything, and what I find completely blows my first theory as to why he's here and replaces it with a second, much more likely one. His eyes look haunted, and in an instant I think I know why he's here: he's lonely.

That's why he wants to know where I'm going next. I may have been his enemy during the war, but at least I'm a familiar face. I think he's facing the same problem as I am: he's on a colony without any friends around, and he wants to avoid being by himself.

Of course, I may be wrong. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. God knows that I've been trying to make friends, but other than a few casual acquaintances I've made, I still don't have any yet.

"I dunno." I reply with a shrug. "I'll see where they need help the most, and that's probably where I'll go." The taxi stops: we're there. I pay the driver, then run ahead to hold the building's front door open so that Zechs and his luggage can get through with ease. Well, relative ease, that is.

"Okay. Now just let me carry some of your luggage for you… No, don't argue! It won't be easy going up a few flights of stairs carrying all that, and you can't leave it downstairs because it would probably `disappear', even in a place with basically good people like here. I want to get home as soon as I can, so let me help! There. Thank you. Now, just follow me, we'll be at the boss's office." I say, snatching some of his bags away and heading up some stairs. He looks kinda surprised again, but he follows me anyway.

"Actually, he's not really our boss, per se, but he's the one that organizes everything, and we all report to him for new assignments, so he's practically our boss, and that's what we call him. Boss."

I continue to chatter cheerfully until we reach the office door. It's just as I'm opening it that I realize I haven't talked this much since… Since that day. It really feels good to chase away the silence for a while.

* * * *

I don't know how he manages to talk that much and walk up all these stairs, carrying half of my luggage. Doesn't he ever pause to take a breath?

He suddenly stops in front of a door, knocks, and opens it. Waving me in, he enters after me and closes the door. I look to the person sitting at the desk and stare.

I know him.

I know him very well, in fact.

* * * *

What's wrong with Zechs? He's just standing there, staring. That isn't like him; from what I've seen, he's always the definition of politeness! So what's up with him?

"Well, Duo. It seems as though you've brought our newest recruit, eh? Good job. Would you mind leaving us while I talk to him? I need to see what he's like, make sure I give him the jobs he's best suited for." Boss says, smiling at me. I nod and exit the room.

It's not until I've already gone down three flights of stairs that I realize something: Boss doesn't do interviews. He hates them, says they're a waste of time. People should figure out what they're good at and what they're not by trying things out, not by talking about themselves.

So why did he ask for Zechs to stay, and me to leave? And why give the obvious lie of conducting an interview? Oh well. It's none of my business anyway.

Besides, I'm sure I'll be able to pry it out of Zechs eventually. Not even WuFei can keep himself from doing my whims when I turn my charm on full force.

This could be fun.