Author: Merula
Pairings: 1x2
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Preventers, explosives......
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.
Real Life Experience
Trowa was waiting for me by the front desk- flipping through a stack of papers, looking as if he'd rather be anyplace else.
"There you are."
"My meeting ran late," I sighed. The higher we had moved up in the Preventers the more paperwork we'd had to slog through. Course, we weren't 15 anymore, slogging through paperwork was infinitely preferable to being shot at... at least most days. "What happened?"
"Duo's a little upset."
I stopped in my tracks.
"What happened?" Little upset covered a lot of things...
"Something happened at his meeting."
Trowa was trying to ease me into it. I didn't want to be eased.
"He had that promotional meeting this afternoon- working with the recruiters- he usually loves those kinds of things. What went wrong?"
Trowa pulled a paper out of the stack he was holding and held it out to me. "This did."
I scanned it and felt my blood pressure rise. "What the hell is this?"
"Part of the new recruitment campaign."
"They're planning to capitalize on us?" That was never part of our deal. It was one of the reasons we joined the Preventers- vanishing into the peacekeeping force. We weren't five elite anymore- we were one of many...
"Yes."
I looked at the paper again, forcing myself to take a deep breath.
"I'll resign."
"Une already said no. She said no the minute she saw it at the meeting- but I guess a few of the board liked it- and the ad guys kept pushing..."
"And?"
"Duo left the meeting. I don't know what happened after that."
I crumpled up the paper in my fist and headed down the hallway at a fast clip.
We may be Preventers now, upholders of the law, defenders of the peace, but Duo was still Shinigami at heart...
I opened the door to our office expecting... well, anything other than what I found...
Duo was perched on top of his desk, cross-legged, hands resting on his knees. His eyes were closed and he was breathing in an even steady rhythm.
He looked calm, happy and content.
Why did I feel such dread?
The office showed no signs of damage, but I entered hesitantly all the same.
"Duo?"
His eyes opened slowly and he smiled warmly at me.
"Heero! There you are! Did your meeting go well?"
"Just fine... how was yours?"
"Oh, we had a little disagreement, but I think things will be all worked out soon." His smile widened and my sense of dread increased rapidly.
"Will they?"
"Oh yes," Duo lifted his wrist and checked his watch. "In just a minute in fact..."
I put my briefcase down on my desk. "What's going to happen in a minute?"
Duo slid to the floor and leaned against my shoulder. "Did Tro show you the new ad campaign?"
"Yes," I admitted.
A distant boom shook the windows. I heard a faint scream- it sounded like it came from the promotional department.
"What was that?" I asked Duo.
"Nothing important." He put his hand on my elbow. "Just the promotional department getting a little lesson in what it's like to be a Preventer. I'm hungry- wanna go get something to eat?"
Another boom. Several screams this time... A faint smell of smoke...
"Duo..."
"They need some real life experience Heero. It won't hurt them- well, not much anyway..." He grinned. "Besides... Une even told me I could...."
Well, if that was the case...
"Let's go- I'm starved."
OWARI
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