Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Mystery of DM ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

See chapter 1 for disclaimer.

Chapter Warnings: mild angst

Quick Key

"blah" speaking

/blah/ typing

'blah' thoughts

'blah' indicates the mind speech of whoever is not in control of Duo's body, ie either Diana or Duo, it can switch

 

—

 

Two days had passed since they took back their Gundams. Heero kept close watch as the reactions poured in; it seemed the populous in general were quite happy to have the Gundams and their pilots watching over them. There was some grumbling when no names were disclosed but that had been anticipated. The telling reactions came from the underworld; the number of organized crimes had severely dropped. Heero smirked when he found that out. `Well, the rats are smart after all.' He lifted the cup of tea to his mouth as Duo walked into the kitchen, arguing with Diana.

 

“No, no, no! We need to rewire that console if you're going to install that program! I told you that before!” Duo waved absently. “Hi Heero.”

 

`And I told you I ran a sim on my computer and it will work!' She stomped a foot, the sound echoing. `If you'll let me show you,' her voice dripped with feigned patience.

 

“Problems D?” Heero leaned against the kitchen table, sipping his tea.

 

“You can't sim all the specs Di! Sure, the program will run fine on that console but it's interaction with the others …” Duo stumbled as Heero's words caught up with him. “Um, Heero? What did you just call me?”

 

“Actually it was directed at both of you. If you would rather I not call the two of you that …” Heero's voice trailed off.

 

`I like it. It's easier then calling both our names.' Diana shrugged. `Your call.'

 

Duo grinned, his eyes lighting up. “Naw, it's cool.” He hopped up onto a counter, legs idly swinging. “Di wants to upgrade one of `Scythes programs but I keep telling her we need to rewire to do it. She won't listen to me.” He rolled his eyes as Diana made a comment. “See what I mean?”

 

Heero laughed. It surprised him how easily he had adapted to the “new” Duo; even more astonishing was how freely Diana talked around him. Granted, she was no where near the conversationalist Duo was but she held her own. “Would you like me to take a look and give a third opinion?” he offered.

 

Duo momentarily froze, his face blank as the two internally debated. He suddenly blinked then nodded. “All right. Everything is in `Scythe.” He hopped down, striding out the door, braid swinging. “Thanks `Ro, we really appreciate this.”

 

“It's no problem,” Heero assured them as he followed, letting the braided teens chatter wash over him as they walked. `Follow my emotions hmm? What if I can't figure out what they're trying to tell me?' Heero shook his head, clearing out the distracting thoughts as they approached the tunnel to the hanger.

 

In short time they reached the Gundams, both scaling the scaffolding to reach the open cockpit of Deathscythe. Duo maneuvered around, making room for Heero. “This console,” he pointed to the one on the immediate left of the chair. Heero took a closer look, not as familiar with the newer Gundams layout.

 

“This one controls the sensors and cloaking, right?” Duo nodded as he reached around the chair, pulling Diana's laptop out.

 

“Di made an improvement to the operating program that will expand the range but it has to be manually entered; that's why she didn't upload it.” He turned the screen so both of them could watch. “She did beautiful work on the codes just …” Duo shrugged. “Di, show him.”

 

With a faint shudder Diana took control, pulling up the coding of the old and improved programs. “This is the area I really worked on,” she scrolled down to let Heero see the difference.

 

Heero raised an eyebrow as he read through the changes. They were small but would have a great impact on the range. Enough of an impact that he wished they had been in place earlier. “How is the console currently wired?”

 

Diana pulled up those specs, her hands minutely shaking. `You didn't go and change anything, did you?'

 

Duo took a quick peek. `Nope, that's right.' He sank down, legs crossed as he sat. `Relax Di, you're doing fine.'

 

“I don't see a problem with this console but,” Heero held up a hand, stopping Diana's triumphant gloat, “I'll need to see the schematics of the other consoles to see if there might be a problem there.”

 

Duo mentally grumbled as Diana pulled up the other files, the shaking in her hands growing. She pulled back once done, Heero moving to increase the distance between them, at least as much as the small cockpit allowed.

 

`Don't push yourself, just relax.'

 

`I don't get it,' she mentally wrung her hands. `I can talk to him and be in the same room but … this is just too close!' Her breath started to come faster as she tried to suppress the rising panic. `I know he'll never do anything but …'

 

`I'm taking over, enough for today.' Diana gratefully turned control back to Duo, forcing herself to calm down now that she was safe.

 

Heero had looked up the moment Diana began to hyperventilate, ready to spring past her and out of Deathscythe. In the two days they had shared the safe house, Diana'd had three full out panic attacks and numerous close calls. Neither Duo nor Shin blamed Heero for triggering them; both realized her anxiety stemmed from the attack long ago that had taken her trust of other people. Heero relaxed when the breathing evened out. “Duo, how's Diana doing?”

 

The braided teen chuckled wryly. “Damn `Ro, just how do you do that?” He didn't wait for an answer. “She's doing better, lasted longer than I thought she would. So,” he moved forward, peering at the computer display, “what's your opinion?”

 

Heero ran a hand over his arms, a nervous gesture he had picked up from Odin. “Well, you're both right and you're both wrong.”

 

Duo stared at Heero, his face neutral. “Heero, we can not be right and wrong at the same time.”

 

“Let me explain.” He pointed at the various open programs. “With the way this console is currently wired the altered program will function with no problems. That is where Diana is correct. However, you will need to rewire and that's where she's wrong and you're correct. This console won't need to be reworked but all the others will and that's where you're wrong.” Heero leaned back to give Duo a better view of the screen.

 

“Well damn. Sorry Di, I should have paid closer attention. Knew my gut was telling me the right thing, just the wrong place.”

 

`Forgiven, And I should have remembered that you're almost always right when it comes to hardware.' She giggled. `Mark it down, we both apologized.'

 

Duo rolled his eyes. “That's it Di, no more old comedies for you; you're getting cut off.”

 

Heero chuckled as he shook his head, amused at the shows the two put on. “You're going to need help.”

 

Duo grinned, his eyes lighting up. “You offering?”

 

Diana giggled again, fully recovered from her small panic attack. `You wish he was offering!' Duo felt his face flame.

 

Both eyebrows rose as Heero watched Duo turn beet red. “Do I even want to know what she said?” Duo emphatically shook his head, not trusting his voice just yet. A few seconds later his cheeks returned to their normal color.

 

“I'll, uh, get the tools. Be back in a bit.” Duo backed out of Deathscythe's cockpit, taking Diana's laptop with him.

 

Heero shook his head, wondering what Diana had said that had caused such a reaction. The two spent the remainder of the day working on `Scythe, Duo chatting away about nothing in particular.

 

—

 

Diana snapped awake, not moving as she recovered from the nightmare. She glanced at the clock by the bed and sighed. `I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep now.' She listened, ears straining to catch every sound. `Heero's asleep, so is Duo and Shin.' She sat up, quickly getting out of bed, quietly leaving the bedroom. Diana wished yet again for a larger safe house, one that had at least two bedrooms.

 

`I suppose I could always sleep on the sofa. As long as Duo agrees.' She sighed again as she walked down the short hallway. `No chance of that while he's mooning after Heero.' Diana shook her head as she entered the living room, wondering if Heero had noticed all the clues. Wondering if he would act on them or would continue to ignore them. `I don't want him to ignore Duo.' Diana froze where she stood, contemplating that thought. `I want him and Duo together. But do I want him as well?'

 

She quietly walked over to the window, taking her laptop with her. While starting the computer she thought about the realization, trying to figure out what to do about it. Diana shook her head, clearing it as she focused on her computer. A quick scan showed an email from Quatre. Diana opened it, a smile forming as she read it. In three days he, Trowa and Wufei would return to the mansion. He politely requested her and Heero's presence. `More like an order,' she smirked, typing out her response.

 

Diana stared at her screen, unsure what to do now. A true smile blossomed when she remembered the last file on the headset, the one created during the lockdown. `I can't believe I forgot about that.' She shook her head in disbelief, braid thumping against her back. Diana quickly pulled the audio file up, unlocking and decrypting it. She hummed as she worked, thankful she had just added that step to the lockdown procedure. The sounds form the keyboard filled the cramped living room as Diana worked. After a few minutes the file was ready. She put on the headset and began listening.

 

—

 

Heero held still, wondering what had awoken him. Then he heard the clacking of a keyboard. `Probably Diana; Duo would watch something if he was awake.' When the sound stopped Heero got out of bed and quietly made his way to the living room. He wouldn't be able to sleep anyways until he determined everything was secure. He walked into the living room, at first not seeing anyone. After a quick scan he found Diana sitting beside the window, watching him, her headset on.

 

“I'm sorry,” her soft voice reverberating through him, “I didn't mean to wake you.”

 

Heero waved a hand, dismissing her apology as he kept himself under control. “Any unusual noise will wake me, just training.”

 

Diana nodded, understanding perfectly well. She was very surprised that Duo had not woken up yet.

 

Heero started to ask why she was awake when he paused, brow crinkled in confusion. He could hear a faint voice over the headset, one he had heard recently. By the time he recognized the voice it was too late.

 

—

 

Diana absently looked up as Heero entered, nodding in greeting when he found her. She turned most of her attention back to the recording; Shin was explaining to the others about karma. A minute later she felt her heart freeze as the truth was finally revealed.

 

She and Duo were brother and sister; twins.

 

She was dead.

 

“No,” she whispered, tears forming as the recording played on. “Oh god no.”