Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Winning Duo ❯ Chapter 15
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Calic0cat 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.23.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.9K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.23.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.9K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
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Title: Winning Duo
Chapter: 15/?
Author: Calic0cat <calic0cat@fastmail.fm>
Story Started: Jan. 2003
Genre: Yaoi, Romance, Humour, Angst
Pairings: Working towards 1x2x5; 3x4; 6x9; others may be implied
Rated: NC-17
Warnings: OOC, Swearing, Shifting POV, Threesome
Archives: At Mediaminer.org under Calic0cat. Anyone with archive permission for my other fics can help themselves; anyone else, please ask.
Disclaimer: Duo and Heero and the rest of the GW gang aren't mine. This story is. Nuff said.
Notes: Starts one year after Endless Waltz. POV changes frequently.
'Thinking'
"Speaking"
*** Time passing or scene change
Author's Notes: I usually write 1x2x1, so a 1x2x5 is a first for me (well, writing one is - I've been reading them for quite a while now, that's the *only* threesome I actually *like*). Feedback is appreciated.
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Duo managed - just - not to burst out laughing at the man's bold claim that the convention centre's security was absolutely flawless. 'No need for the Preventers to review it and make recommendations, huh? Dream on, buddy...' Cheap locks, shoddy cameras with poor coverage, the list went on and on. And that was just what he could see from walking in the front doors. He hated to think what the service entrance was probably like.
Wufei said diplomatically, "Well, we're here now and our orders are to take a look at the centre's security. We're just doing our job, sir. Nothing personal."
Heero added, "We understand that the centre has never hosted anything similar to the trade summit before. There are certain considerations involved that may be different from your usual events."
The convention centre's head of security glowered. "I run a tight ship here and I have twenty years of experience in the security business. I fail to see what three *boys*," he sneered, "can possibly find to improve *my* security."
Wufei reined in his temper with an effort. This was far from the first time that he and Heero had encountered an attitude like this. Usually, they ended up having to call Une and let *her* handle the asshole. Duo shifted position slightly behind Heero, catching Wufei's attention. 'But maybe this time, there's a *better* way...' Not only would it illustrate precisely why this security review was necessary, it would also provide the perfect opportunity to show Duo that his skills were valued and appreciated. That there was a place for Duo with the Preventers if he chose to stay here on Earth with Heero or himself. 'That I genuinely did not mean all those derogatory remarks I made during the war...'
"Very well," Wufei made a show of checking the man's nametag, "Mr. Johansen, why don't we offer you a practical demonstration of a few little items that could stand some improvement, hmm?"
Johansen crossed his arms and glared. "Fine. What do you have in mind?"
***
Wufei threw a quick glance across the lobby to where the security chief waited impatiently. "I know you're probably not really equipped for this, Duo, and if you'd rather not do it, we'll just have to call Une and let her strongarm him into cooperating..."
Duo raised one eyebrow and said, "What do you mean, 'not really equipped', Fei?"
"Well, obviously you won't have your picks and so on, but I'm sure that you can think of..." Wufei's voice trailed off. He looked in disbelief from the picks that Duo had just produced from - well, *somewhere* - to Duo's smirking face.
"You just *happened* to bring lockpicks with you?" Wufei exclaimed.
Duo shrugged and answered, "Just call me a Boy Scout - always prepared!" 'Picks and knives were an essential part of life as far back as I can remember. I don't know if I *could* go out without them on me. I'd feel damn naked if I tried...'
Heero had pulled out his cellphone and made a quick call to Une as soon as Wufei started explaining what he wanted Duo to do. He agreed that it would be an effective demonstration of the convention centre's need for security improvements; but he wanted to make certain that all three of them were covered if anything went wrong. Informing Une that Duo was taking part as a "consultant" seemed the safest way to avoid trouble. 'It would really suck if that asshole of a security chief got mad and called the cops after having Duo waltz through his so-called security as if it isn't even there. Wufei and I would be covered by our Preventers badges, but Duo wouldn't!'
After seeing Duo calmly produce his lockpicks from seemingly thin air, Heero was *very* glad he'd contacted Une. 'If he still makes a habit of carrying those, I would not be the least bit surprised to find out he still carries his knives too...' And *that* thought raised some interesting speculation. *He* had great difficulty going anywhere without his gun; thankfully, his status as a Preventer meant that he rarely had to leave it behind. His habit came from the fact that he had carried a gun nearly continuously for almost as long as he could remember. Certainly he had been in the habit before J ever got hold of him. If Duo's habit of carrying lockpicks and knives was equally deeply ingrained...
'Shit. What sort of childhood did *he* have?' Heero wondered. Right after his first meeting with Duo, while he was still utterly humiliated at having been first shot then rescued by the brash American, he had tried to find out more about him. And had hit a complete dead-end. There was *nothing* anywhere on the net about Duo Maxwell. He simply did not exist. J had only been able to tell him that G had picked up an orphan from L2 and that the boy had only had somewhat less than three years of training. J had been convinced that Pilot 02 wouldn't last a month and had been absolutely *furious* that Heero had allowed the other pilot to "make a fool" of him. Heero had been exceedingly grateful at the time that there was far too much going on for J to recall him for retraining.
Heero shook off the memories as Wufei finished his explanation to Duo. Throwing a quick glance at Wufei, Heero decided that he had probably not caught the implications of Duo having those picks on him. Wufei simply did not have the background to understand that sort of near-compulsion.
Duo caught Heero's sudden sharp look after he produced his lockpicks. His stomach suddenly felt as if it had been invaded by a whole flock of butterflies. Did he *want* Heero to have guessed that his past was perhaps a bit - well, chequered, to put it mildly? If Heero's curiosity had been roused, it was unlikely that he would simply let the incident pass unremarked.
Duo's suspicion was confirmed as Wufei left to make a few final arrangements with the security chief and Heero approached him.
"Duo, are you carrying too?" Heero asked quietly.
Duo swallowed, then nodded slightly. "Just knives, though..."
Heero gave him a searching look, 'Damn, I've made him nervous. Duo, what are you hiding? *Why* are you hiding it? You've heard about *my* sorry excuse for a childhood; surely you can't think there's something in yours that will drive me away...' then nodded in return. "Okay. I've alerted Une to what we're doing and you're now acting as a 'security consultant'. So if Johansen decides to be an even *bigger* asshole than he already is and calls the cops, you're covered."
"Shit," Duo swore, eyes widening. "I never even thought of that..." 'Wouldn't *that* have been a bright move, getting arrested with professional lockpicks and anti-detector coated knives on me...'
"Neither did Chang," Heero said drily. "Don't worry about it, it's taken care of now. Wufei and I should have made sure you had some form of official status before bringing you along in the first place. We should have realized that permission to bring you with us as an observer wasn't going to be enough." As Duo's eyes flickered nervously away from his own, Heero was a bit sorry that he'd asked about the knives. He certainly hadn't meant to put Duo this badly off-balance. Attempting to remedy the situation, he added teasingly, "After all, we couldn't very well do a security review without calling on the stealth and break-in specialist of the group for his input, now could we?"
Duo jerked his eyes back to meet Heero's, uncertain whether he really meant that or not. It *was* said in a teasing tone, after all. Wufei asking him to do this had been balm to his soul, affirming that Wufei genuinely respected his skills. He *knew* he was good at what he did; but a part of him cried out for the reassurance that Heero and Wufei knew and recognized that too. In spite of their explanations and apologies yesterday, he *needed* that affirmation. The continual disparagement during the war had steadily chipped away at his self-confidence and self-image. Successful missions and G's occasional gruff acknowledgement of his capabilities had provided at least a partial counter-balance, but the acknowledgements that would have meant the most had never come. The closest he had *ever* got before was Heero's remark yesterday that he was "an effective soldier".
Heero's next words caught in his throat at the hungry, almost pleading look Duo gave him. 'What the hell? What did I say to trigger *that*?' He had no idea. Nor did he know how to answer the question that look was asking. Hell, he didn't know what the damn *question* was, how was he supposed to know how to answer it?
Just then, Wufei rejoined them, spoiling the moment before Heero could figure out what sort of response to make. As Wufei began to explain exactly what he wanted Duo to do, Heero regretted his delay in attempting to respond to that look. 'I should have just asked him flat out what he wanted to know,' he thought. Because he was pretty sure that he had seen a flicker of disappointment before Duo had turned his attention to Wufei. Meaning that - somehow - Heero had let Duo down. He just wished that he knew *how*.
***
Duo slipped silently through the building, pausing only briefly at various key points to leave behind a "calling card" to show he had been there. So far, he had used up a pack and a half of sticky notes in locations as varied as the control room for the ventilation system, the private conference rooms, and even the security chief's office. He only had a couple more stops left to make before he was through and so far there had been nowhere even remotely challenging to get in and out of unnoticed. The so-called security on this place was truly laughable. A fact that was *not* going to endear any of them to Mr. Johansen.
Johansen had refused to show them the centre's blueprints, claiming that it was impossible for anyone to get access to them and therefore a true test of the security system required that they not have seen them either. Duo had shrugged and walked across the lobby to pointedly study the clearly posted map of the centre. Sure, there were lots of details missing from it, but the damn thing even had all the offices and maintenance rooms clearly labelled along with all the entrances to the building. Johansen hadn't even caught the hint.
Frankly, the biggest problem with the security at the convention centre was the man in charge of it as far as Duo was concerned. Camera angles could be changed, camera coverage increased, and cheap locks replaced, but it wouldn't do any good if the head of security was a blockheaded asshole.
***
Wufei struggled to keep a smug smirk off of his face as the security camera reversed its sweep and a neon pink square that hadn't been there a few seconds earlier came into view. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Johansen's complete non-reaction. Obviously, the man had not noticed the tiny change. Neither had the security guard who was supposed to be watching the monitors.
With great effort, Heero managed to *not* reach out and bang the apparently-blind security guard's head against the monitor he was supposed to be watching. Sensing Wufei's gaze on him, Heero met his eyes. Wufei raised one eyebrow. Heero rolled his eyes in response. This was a total joke. The security here, from hardware to personnel, was completely unsuitable for something with as much potential risk as the trade summit meeting. His first recommendation would be to find a different venue. If that was impossible, then he would strongly recommend replacing rather than supplementing the security staff as well as upgrading the equipment.
Wufei choked on a snicker as the camera in the private "high-security" VIP lounge panned across a certain someone lounging on the couch and waving. 'So much for the "state-of-the-art" door alarms and locks that Johansen was so proud of,' he thought.
Heero shook his head slightly at the guard's continued oblivion to the images on his monitors as Duo grinned and waved at the camera. 'Five - four- three - two...'
"How the *HELL* did he get in *there*?!" bellowed Johansen as he finally noticed the figure relaxing on the VIP couch.
"And there, and there, and there, and..." Wufei said, pointing to the cameras displaying areas sporting neon coloured sticky notes.
Heero started wondering whether he should call an ambulance as the overweight head of security turned an alarming shade of purplish-red and started sputtering incoherently. Une would not be pleased if they had managed to give the man a heart attack.
"You... you insolent... Out! Get out of my building!" Johansen finally managed to choke out.
***
As they stood on the sidewalk waiting for a cab, Duo fidgeted nervously with his braid. "Uh, you guys aren't going to get in trouble with Une for me gettin' that guy so mad, are you?" he asked. He hoped not. He'd been careful not to give in to the temptation to write anything more than "Tagged" and the time on the notes. And he hadn't touched anything that he hadn't had to in order to do his task. But he supposed that maybe he should have just tagged the VIP lounge and left - met the guys at the security office or something - instead of making himself comfortable and waving at the camera. Johansen had got awfully mad about that.
Wufei had been busy mentally writing his report for Une. The centre's security was abysmal and the head of security totally unsuited for dealing with something as unpredictable and stressful as the trade summit would be. Duo's question caught him by surprise. "No, of course not," he assured him. "Heero told her what we were planning, Duo. And she remembers your abilities quite well from the war. You can add your observations to our reports. I'm certain that once she reads them, she will agree that extreme measures will have to be taken if the centre is to be used for the summit. Frankly, I believe that it would be better to simply relocate it."
Heero nodded in agreement. "And Duo, *you* didn't make him mad. We *all* did. He wouldn't have reacted well to *anyone* coming in and critiquing his security. The fact that all of us look so young - and therefore, as far as he's concerned, inexperienced - only made that reaction worse."
Seeing Duo finally stop toying with his braid and flip it back over his shoulder, Heero breathed a silent sigh of relief. When Wufei's assurance about Une hadn't been enough to stop Duo's fidgeting, he had wondered whether perhaps the real question wasn't about Une at all - especially since Duo had specifically said that *he* had made Johansen angry. 'He was worried that *we* were upset with him... Why would we be? It was Wufei's idea in the first place. Why would we blame *him* for Johansen getting mad?' It didn't take much thought for Heero to realize, 'Of *course* he thought that, Yuy. How many times during the war did you or Chang blame him for something that went wrong with a mission, whether it was his fault or not? Too damn many, that's for sure.'
Initially confused as to why Heero found it necessary to point out that Duo alone was not responsible for making Johansen angry, Wufei quickly came to the same realization as Heero. That Duo had thought they would be upset with him for making the man angry. And that he had good reason to believe that they would blame him for it, based on their past actions. 'How much damage have we done?' he wondered. 'Can we ever make up for it and really make him believe that we've changed?'
Wufei wasn't too sure about that. Duo seemed to have accepted Heero's assurances this time - he *had* stopped fidgeting, after all - but what about the next? Would Duo ever really have faith in either one of them or had they permanently destroyed any chance of that? That was a question that Wufei suddenly wasn't too sure he wanted to know the answer to.
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Title: Winning Duo
Chapter: 15/?
Author: Calic0cat <calic0cat@fastmail.fm>
Story Started: Jan. 2003
Genre: Yaoi, Romance, Humour, Angst
Pairings: Working towards 1x2x5; 3x4; 6x9; others may be implied
Rated: NC-17
Warnings: OOC, Swearing, Shifting POV, Threesome
Archives: At Mediaminer.org under Calic0cat. Anyone with archive permission for my other fics can help themselves; anyone else, please ask.
Disclaimer: Duo and Heero and the rest of the GW gang aren't mine. This story is. Nuff said.
Notes: Starts one year after Endless Waltz. POV changes frequently.
'Thinking'
"Speaking"
*** Time passing or scene change
Author's Notes: I usually write 1x2x1, so a 1x2x5 is a first for me (well, writing one is - I've been reading them for quite a while now, that's the *only* threesome I actually *like*). Feedback is appreciated.
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Duo managed - just - not to burst out laughing at the man's bold claim that the convention centre's security was absolutely flawless. 'No need for the Preventers to review it and make recommendations, huh? Dream on, buddy...' Cheap locks, shoddy cameras with poor coverage, the list went on and on. And that was just what he could see from walking in the front doors. He hated to think what the service entrance was probably like.
Wufei said diplomatically, "Well, we're here now and our orders are to take a look at the centre's security. We're just doing our job, sir. Nothing personal."
Heero added, "We understand that the centre has never hosted anything similar to the trade summit before. There are certain considerations involved that may be different from your usual events."
The convention centre's head of security glowered. "I run a tight ship here and I have twenty years of experience in the security business. I fail to see what three *boys*," he sneered, "can possibly find to improve *my* security."
Wufei reined in his temper with an effort. This was far from the first time that he and Heero had encountered an attitude like this. Usually, they ended up having to call Une and let *her* handle the asshole. Duo shifted position slightly behind Heero, catching Wufei's attention. 'But maybe this time, there's a *better* way...' Not only would it illustrate precisely why this security review was necessary, it would also provide the perfect opportunity to show Duo that his skills were valued and appreciated. That there was a place for Duo with the Preventers if he chose to stay here on Earth with Heero or himself. 'That I genuinely did not mean all those derogatory remarks I made during the war...'
"Very well," Wufei made a show of checking the man's nametag, "Mr. Johansen, why don't we offer you a practical demonstration of a few little items that could stand some improvement, hmm?"
Johansen crossed his arms and glared. "Fine. What do you have in mind?"
***
Wufei threw a quick glance across the lobby to where the security chief waited impatiently. "I know you're probably not really equipped for this, Duo, and if you'd rather not do it, we'll just have to call Une and let her strongarm him into cooperating..."
Duo raised one eyebrow and said, "What do you mean, 'not really equipped', Fei?"
"Well, obviously you won't have your picks and so on, but I'm sure that you can think of..." Wufei's voice trailed off. He looked in disbelief from the picks that Duo had just produced from - well, *somewhere* - to Duo's smirking face.
"You just *happened* to bring lockpicks with you?" Wufei exclaimed.
Duo shrugged and answered, "Just call me a Boy Scout - always prepared!" 'Picks and knives were an essential part of life as far back as I can remember. I don't know if I *could* go out without them on me. I'd feel damn naked if I tried...'
Heero had pulled out his cellphone and made a quick call to Une as soon as Wufei started explaining what he wanted Duo to do. He agreed that it would be an effective demonstration of the convention centre's need for security improvements; but he wanted to make certain that all three of them were covered if anything went wrong. Informing Une that Duo was taking part as a "consultant" seemed the safest way to avoid trouble. 'It would really suck if that asshole of a security chief got mad and called the cops after having Duo waltz through his so-called security as if it isn't even there. Wufei and I would be covered by our Preventers badges, but Duo wouldn't!'
After seeing Duo calmly produce his lockpicks from seemingly thin air, Heero was *very* glad he'd contacted Une. 'If he still makes a habit of carrying those, I would not be the least bit surprised to find out he still carries his knives too...' And *that* thought raised some interesting speculation. *He* had great difficulty going anywhere without his gun; thankfully, his status as a Preventer meant that he rarely had to leave it behind. His habit came from the fact that he had carried a gun nearly continuously for almost as long as he could remember. Certainly he had been in the habit before J ever got hold of him. If Duo's habit of carrying lockpicks and knives was equally deeply ingrained...
'Shit. What sort of childhood did *he* have?' Heero wondered. Right after his first meeting with Duo, while he was still utterly humiliated at having been first shot then rescued by the brash American, he had tried to find out more about him. And had hit a complete dead-end. There was *nothing* anywhere on the net about Duo Maxwell. He simply did not exist. J had only been able to tell him that G had picked up an orphan from L2 and that the boy had only had somewhat less than three years of training. J had been convinced that Pilot 02 wouldn't last a month and had been absolutely *furious* that Heero had allowed the other pilot to "make a fool" of him. Heero had been exceedingly grateful at the time that there was far too much going on for J to recall him for retraining.
Heero shook off the memories as Wufei finished his explanation to Duo. Throwing a quick glance at Wufei, Heero decided that he had probably not caught the implications of Duo having those picks on him. Wufei simply did not have the background to understand that sort of near-compulsion.
Duo caught Heero's sudden sharp look after he produced his lockpicks. His stomach suddenly felt as if it had been invaded by a whole flock of butterflies. Did he *want* Heero to have guessed that his past was perhaps a bit - well, chequered, to put it mildly? If Heero's curiosity had been roused, it was unlikely that he would simply let the incident pass unremarked.
Duo's suspicion was confirmed as Wufei left to make a few final arrangements with the security chief and Heero approached him.
"Duo, are you carrying too?" Heero asked quietly.
Duo swallowed, then nodded slightly. "Just knives, though..."
Heero gave him a searching look, 'Damn, I've made him nervous. Duo, what are you hiding? *Why* are you hiding it? You've heard about *my* sorry excuse for a childhood; surely you can't think there's something in yours that will drive me away...' then nodded in return. "Okay. I've alerted Une to what we're doing and you're now acting as a 'security consultant'. So if Johansen decides to be an even *bigger* asshole than he already is and calls the cops, you're covered."
"Shit," Duo swore, eyes widening. "I never even thought of that..." 'Wouldn't *that* have been a bright move, getting arrested with professional lockpicks and anti-detector coated knives on me...'
"Neither did Chang," Heero said drily. "Don't worry about it, it's taken care of now. Wufei and I should have made sure you had some form of official status before bringing you along in the first place. We should have realized that permission to bring you with us as an observer wasn't going to be enough." As Duo's eyes flickered nervously away from his own, Heero was a bit sorry that he'd asked about the knives. He certainly hadn't meant to put Duo this badly off-balance. Attempting to remedy the situation, he added teasingly, "After all, we couldn't very well do a security review without calling on the stealth and break-in specialist of the group for his input, now could we?"
Duo jerked his eyes back to meet Heero's, uncertain whether he really meant that or not. It *was* said in a teasing tone, after all. Wufei asking him to do this had been balm to his soul, affirming that Wufei genuinely respected his skills. He *knew* he was good at what he did; but a part of him cried out for the reassurance that Heero and Wufei knew and recognized that too. In spite of their explanations and apologies yesterday, he *needed* that affirmation. The continual disparagement during the war had steadily chipped away at his self-confidence and self-image. Successful missions and G's occasional gruff acknowledgement of his capabilities had provided at least a partial counter-balance, but the acknowledgements that would have meant the most had never come. The closest he had *ever* got before was Heero's remark yesterday that he was "an effective soldier".
Heero's next words caught in his throat at the hungry, almost pleading look Duo gave him. 'What the hell? What did I say to trigger *that*?' He had no idea. Nor did he know how to answer the question that look was asking. Hell, he didn't know what the damn *question* was, how was he supposed to know how to answer it?
Just then, Wufei rejoined them, spoiling the moment before Heero could figure out what sort of response to make. As Wufei began to explain exactly what he wanted Duo to do, Heero regretted his delay in attempting to respond to that look. 'I should have just asked him flat out what he wanted to know,' he thought. Because he was pretty sure that he had seen a flicker of disappointment before Duo had turned his attention to Wufei. Meaning that - somehow - Heero had let Duo down. He just wished that he knew *how*.
***
Duo slipped silently through the building, pausing only briefly at various key points to leave behind a "calling card" to show he had been there. So far, he had used up a pack and a half of sticky notes in locations as varied as the control room for the ventilation system, the private conference rooms, and even the security chief's office. He only had a couple more stops left to make before he was through and so far there had been nowhere even remotely challenging to get in and out of unnoticed. The so-called security on this place was truly laughable. A fact that was *not* going to endear any of them to Mr. Johansen.
Johansen had refused to show them the centre's blueprints, claiming that it was impossible for anyone to get access to them and therefore a true test of the security system required that they not have seen them either. Duo had shrugged and walked across the lobby to pointedly study the clearly posted map of the centre. Sure, there were lots of details missing from it, but the damn thing even had all the offices and maintenance rooms clearly labelled along with all the entrances to the building. Johansen hadn't even caught the hint.
Frankly, the biggest problem with the security at the convention centre was the man in charge of it as far as Duo was concerned. Camera angles could be changed, camera coverage increased, and cheap locks replaced, but it wouldn't do any good if the head of security was a blockheaded asshole.
***
Wufei struggled to keep a smug smirk off of his face as the security camera reversed its sweep and a neon pink square that hadn't been there a few seconds earlier came into view. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Johansen's complete non-reaction. Obviously, the man had not noticed the tiny change. Neither had the security guard who was supposed to be watching the monitors.
With great effort, Heero managed to *not* reach out and bang the apparently-blind security guard's head against the monitor he was supposed to be watching. Sensing Wufei's gaze on him, Heero met his eyes. Wufei raised one eyebrow. Heero rolled his eyes in response. This was a total joke. The security here, from hardware to personnel, was completely unsuitable for something with as much potential risk as the trade summit meeting. His first recommendation would be to find a different venue. If that was impossible, then he would strongly recommend replacing rather than supplementing the security staff as well as upgrading the equipment.
Wufei choked on a snicker as the camera in the private "high-security" VIP lounge panned across a certain someone lounging on the couch and waving. 'So much for the "state-of-the-art" door alarms and locks that Johansen was so proud of,' he thought.
Heero shook his head slightly at the guard's continued oblivion to the images on his monitors as Duo grinned and waved at the camera. 'Five - four- three - two...'
"How the *HELL* did he get in *there*?!" bellowed Johansen as he finally noticed the figure relaxing on the VIP couch.
"And there, and there, and there, and..." Wufei said, pointing to the cameras displaying areas sporting neon coloured sticky notes.
Heero started wondering whether he should call an ambulance as the overweight head of security turned an alarming shade of purplish-red and started sputtering incoherently. Une would not be pleased if they had managed to give the man a heart attack.
"You... you insolent... Out! Get out of my building!" Johansen finally managed to choke out.
***
As they stood on the sidewalk waiting for a cab, Duo fidgeted nervously with his braid. "Uh, you guys aren't going to get in trouble with Une for me gettin' that guy so mad, are you?" he asked. He hoped not. He'd been careful not to give in to the temptation to write anything more than "Tagged" and the time on the notes. And he hadn't touched anything that he hadn't had to in order to do his task. But he supposed that maybe he should have just tagged the VIP lounge and left - met the guys at the security office or something - instead of making himself comfortable and waving at the camera. Johansen had got awfully mad about that.
Wufei had been busy mentally writing his report for Une. The centre's security was abysmal and the head of security totally unsuited for dealing with something as unpredictable and stressful as the trade summit would be. Duo's question caught him by surprise. "No, of course not," he assured him. "Heero told her what we were planning, Duo. And she remembers your abilities quite well from the war. You can add your observations to our reports. I'm certain that once she reads them, she will agree that extreme measures will have to be taken if the centre is to be used for the summit. Frankly, I believe that it would be better to simply relocate it."
Heero nodded in agreement. "And Duo, *you* didn't make him mad. We *all* did. He wouldn't have reacted well to *anyone* coming in and critiquing his security. The fact that all of us look so young - and therefore, as far as he's concerned, inexperienced - only made that reaction worse."
Seeing Duo finally stop toying with his braid and flip it back over his shoulder, Heero breathed a silent sigh of relief. When Wufei's assurance about Une hadn't been enough to stop Duo's fidgeting, he had wondered whether perhaps the real question wasn't about Une at all - especially since Duo had specifically said that *he* had made Johansen angry. 'He was worried that *we* were upset with him... Why would we be? It was Wufei's idea in the first place. Why would we blame *him* for Johansen getting mad?' It didn't take much thought for Heero to realize, 'Of *course* he thought that, Yuy. How many times during the war did you or Chang blame him for something that went wrong with a mission, whether it was his fault or not? Too damn many, that's for sure.'
Initially confused as to why Heero found it necessary to point out that Duo alone was not responsible for making Johansen angry, Wufei quickly came to the same realization as Heero. That Duo had thought they would be upset with him for making the man angry. And that he had good reason to believe that they would blame him for it, based on their past actions. 'How much damage have we done?' he wondered. 'Can we ever make up for it and really make him believe that we've changed?'
Wufei wasn't too sure about that. Duo seemed to have accepted Heero's assurances this time - he *had* stopped fidgeting, after all - but what about the next? Would Duo ever really have faith in either one of them or had they permanently destroyed any chance of that? That was a question that Wufei suddenly wasn't too sure he wanted to know the answer to.
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