For Richer or Poorer - Chapter Three [PG-13]

[wonderllama]

Disclaimer ? I own nothing.


A/N: I appreciate you guys sticking through this one. Thanks for the continued support!




For Richer or Poorer

Said there ain't no use in crying.
?Cause it will only, only drive you mad
Does it hurt to hear them lying?
Was this the only world you had?

Chapter Three: Houses of the Holy





The Sherwood building had a single eerie light on the top floor. It seemed like a beacon in the darkness. The light was coming from a laptop, where Heero sat. He was sitting in a dingy bedroom, which suggested the owner of the store once lived above it. The white walls had turned another shade due to age, deterioration, and lack of attention. The hardwood floors had a thin layer of dust on them, and were chipped in some places. The queen sized bed occupied one side of the wall, and a desk which Heero had placed his laptop was adjacent to it.

The sparse d?cor was calming to Heero, who was used to bedrooms with nearly nothing in them. Because of the war and living on Mars, neither Heero nor Duo needed much to survive. On the laptop, newspaper articles were pulled up on the screen. Heero?s eyes flitted over the screen at top speed, trying to soak up all the information presented to them.

?What are you doing?? Duo asked, standing in the doorway. He leaned on the maple-colored frame of the door. There was no door to the bedroom. The rusted hinges suggested the door had been broken some time ago. He walked into the dimly lit room and stood behind Heero. ?Darlian to leave the Senate,? Duo read over Heero?s shoulder.

?I?m doing reconnaissance.? Heero replied, closing the article on the computer and bring up another article with the headline: Tax Increase, ?Mars Needs Our Help,? claims Prince.

Duo?s eyebrows raised, but he said nothing. He surveyed the room for a moment and turned his attention back to Heero. ?What are we going to do about food? And clothes? And basic hygiene??

?We?ll get by.?

?Really?? Duo asked skeptically. ?You don?t have a plan??

?We?ve gotten by with less.? Heero replied clicking out of one newspaper article and clicking on another labeled: Gisborne to Replace Knighton as Police Chief. Heero grimaced and his jaw clenched.

?That?s not the point, Heero. The point is that I?d like to eventually take a shower.?

Heero didn?t answer. He continued to scan the computer.

Duo rolled his eyes. ?You?re hopeless, you know that, right?? He walked behind Heero and sat on the bed. ?Are we going to stay here?? Duo asked with some trepidation. He glanced at Heero who looked like he hadn?t registered his question. The question hung in the air until Heero finally spoke up, his back still to the braided pilot.

?We have to.?

?Not really. We could leave, you know.? Duo looked sideways at Heero. ?Get out of here. We?ve been on the run before. Well, at least, I know I have. It wouldn?t be any different from the war five years ago.?

?We shouldn?t have to run anymore.? The sound of clicking keys filled the room and Duo didn?t respond. ?Besides,? Heero started and paused as if he wasn?t sure he wanted to finish his sentence. ?I have people I promised to protect.?

?Go back and see her, Heero.? Duo said, taking the opportunity to give Heero his opinion. ?I?m sure she?d like it.?

?I?m not going to bother her.? Heero effectively ended the conversation by getting up and walking out of the room. Duo put his hands behind his head and leaned back on the bed, lost in his own thoughts.

It wasn?t until five minutes later that Heero reentered the room. Duo looked up. Heero didn?t look at him, and gave no impression that he wanted to continue the previous conversation or any conversation, so Duo let it, and his head dropped. They existed in silence for a long time. It was the sound of crunching gravel that brought Duo out of his reverie.

He walked cautiously to the window. The shades were drawn, but Duo could see out of the slits in the plastic. The curtains made a soft swoosh sound as he leaned up against them. He looked out into the deserted area. ?You think we look a little suspicious with this light on?? He asked the question knowing that Heero probably wouldn?t answer him. He was right. Duo turned to leave the window, but a figure caught his eye. ?Shit,? he hissed. He looked to Heero. ?Cut the light, there?s someone in the street.?

Heero immediately closed his laptop and fingered the gun on the desk. Duo got close to the wall next to the window and looked out at the approaching figure.

A blond girl was walking down the street glancing nervously behind her. Her hair blew in the wind, momentarily obscuring her vision, and scaring her half to death. She quickly searched the windows for any sign of light. She clearly hadn?t seen them in Sherwood. Duo strained his eyesight to look closer. ?She?s familiar.? He whispered. Heero moved stealthily to the window and looked out of it.

Heero?s voice was a low growl. ?That?s Relena?s secretary. We met her the other day.?

?What the hell is she doing here?? Duo moved away from the window, anxiety gone. Both men moved to the stairs and down to the front door. Heero carried his gun and tucked in the back of his pants.

The young girl, Marietta, was walking through the street, clearly panicked. She desperately searched each vacant window for some shred of light, for some sign of life. A voice behind her stopped her and sent chills down her spine. ?You shouldn?t be out here.?

Heero was standing behind her, arms folded, eyes blazing with an unknown emotion. Marietta jumped and took a few steps back. ?I ? I ? I was asked to come out here.?

?By who?? Duo asked, appearing from the shadows of Sherwood. Marietta?s eyes widened and her face paled as if she was going to faint.

?Miss Relena,? she answered, holding a shaking hand out with a slip of paper in it. ?She asked me to give this you.?


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Duo walked into the grocery store feeling very self-conscious. The paper Marietta had given them read only an address and a time. She had told them that Relena wanted to meet them where the slip of paper had stated. The grocery store wasn?t far from the Sherwood building, where Heero and Duo were hiding out. Duo made his way past the sleepy clerk who barely looked up. The clock read half past midnight. The grocery store was mostly deserted expect for employees working third shift.

He walked through the produce aisle and down an aisle of dry goods. The store was empty. He looked around and kept walking through the aisles. He finally saw her in the soup aisle. She was holding a can of tomato soup, examining the ingredients. She had a shopping cart next to her filled with random goods and vegetables. Her blond hair was loosely tied back and she looked natural. She was wearing a loose sweater and jeans. She had grown up in the five years since Duo had seen her. The change looked good on her. She seemed more mature. He walked up to her and stood next to her. She looked as if she hadn?t noticed him.

?You know, it was awful dangerous to send your secretary to give us a message.? His tone was half joking and half serious.

She didn?t flinch and it mildly surprised Duo. She merely put the can of soup on the shelf and reached for another. ?How else am I supposed to talk to you? You boys have made yourselves enemies of the state. Your little stunt the other day put you on Prince and Gisborne?s most wanted list.? Her eyes stayed focused on the can of soup.

?What were we supposed to do??

?Preferably? Not shoot a cop.?

?Well then, how were we supposed to make a flashy getaway??

Relena gave a small suppressed smile and briefly looked at him. ?You?re on thin ice now.? She returned her glance to the soup. ?They?re out looking for you.?

?How did you find us??

?I have connections with people.?

?Like Une??

Relena nodded and put down the soup. ?If I?m seen talking to you, it could be very dangerous for both of us.? Duo backed away a few feet and pretended to be looking at the instant soup mix. ?I thought Heero would come.?

Duo was very glad that he wasn?t looking at her at that moment. He sucked in a breath. ?He couldn?t make it.?

?More important things to do?? Her voice threatened to lose its composure and gave the impression that this was a significant injury to her.

?I think he?s ashamed,? Duo said quietly. He turned to her and found her looking the other direction. ?We?re both ashamed.? He added. Relena faced the soup, nodded and put a can into the cart.

Their conversation died and Relena moved farther down the aisle. He followed her. ?I have something that might help you.? She said softly.

Duo smiled. ?Are you aiding outlaws?? He looked at her and their eyes met.

Relena smirked. ?I wouldn?t think of it like that. I?m giving my friends some information.? They shared a smile and looked away. She took a small piece of plastic and set it on the shelf. The plastic made a clank sound against the metal. ?On that flash drive, there is some valuable information about your comrades and friends.? She pushed a lock of sandy blond hair out of her vision.

Duo raised an eyebrow but didn?t look at her. ?Friends??

?You wouldn?t call Hilde Schbeiker your friend??

Duo felt for a moment as if he was punched in the stomach. Hearing her name sent a shock through his system. He hoped his face didn?t visualize his feelings as he tried to recompose himself. ?You know her??

?I met her when I was on Libra. I tried to keep in touch with her while you were gone. I suppose we have a common bond.?

Duo tried to steady his voice. ?Is she alright??

?She?ll be better when she knows you?re back.?

Duo felt a wave of guilt wash through him. He looked away and gripped a can of soup very tightly. The cheap metal threatened to give away in his hands. He released it and set it back on the shelf.

?The whereabouts of your comrades is on here. Trowa has been living in the city. We?ve had tea.?

Duo thought about this for a moment. ?I didn?t know Trowa drank tea.?

?There are a lot of things about Trowa that you don?t know.?

Duo looked at her incredulously. Relena didn?t glance up at him. ?He?s been very good to me these past few years.? She said almost nostalgically, finally glancing at Duo. His eyebrows disappeared into his bangs and his mouth opened slightly. ?Not like that.? Relena responded quickly to the look on Duo?s face. He let out a breath and shook his head.

Relena moved down the aisle, but left the flash drive on the shelf, hidden in between cans of soup. Duo slyly picked it up and followed her, sure to leave at least two feet between them.

Relena gestured to her shopping cart. ?All of this is for you. I?ve left some money in there, so don?t worry about paying for it.?

?Why are you doing this for us??

She stopped and turned to him slightly. She looked at him. ?You have to eat.?

?No,? He shook his head and stared more intently at her, trying to evoke the answer with his stare. ?Why are you doing this for us? The sneaking around, the information, sending your secretary out in the middle of the night to give us a note.?

She didn?t answer right away, but when she did, it was quiet. ?I thought the answer was obvious.? She whispered, trying not to look Duo in the eyes. She focused on a spot on his forehead. Her hands were balled up at her sides and her eyes threatened to spill emotion down her face.

Duo immediately understood. ?You still feel this way about him? Even after all this time?? She looked away. Duo looked at her and suddenly wished that he hadn?t asked the question at all. He?d spent five years avoiding the topic with Heero. Every time he had brought her up, Heero would close up and be impervious to any other type of questioning. Duo mentally smacked himself.

?Yes.? she answered so quietly that Duo wasn?t sure he had heard her. But the look on her face clearly answered the question. She blinked the mist from her eyes and turned to leave.

?He wanted to write.? Duo called after her. She made no gesture to prove she?d heard him. He didn?t think she had, until he looked at the fists at her sides. Her manicured nails were digging into her palms. Her knuckles were dangerously white. She turned away from him.

?There?s money in the cart. I?ll find a way to contact you when I can.? Her voice was tense. She walked away from him, and left Duo to wonder what he?d gotten himself into. He used the self-checkout lane. The lethargic cashier looked at him briefly but didn?t say anything as she drifted back to sleep. Duo left the grocery store with weeks worth of food and the sinking feeling he?d upset Relena Darlian.


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It was three days later that Duo and Heero went into town. The spring sky was blue with dots of clouds. Heero walked down the street with a watchful eye. As they walked down the streets with guarded glances, they realized they weren?t being jeered. The people that passed them by gave them small smiles or quick pats on the shoulder. Duo gave Heero a quizzical glance as one woman ran up, quickly hugged him and ran away. They walked into an outdoor market, hoping to get away from the populous of the town. They went into an alley between a cart selling apples and one selling watermelons. People didn?t seem to notice as the two men ducked into the alley. Duo looked down and saw a newspaper.
??Wanted: Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell?? Duo read quietly, nudging Heero. He looked over. ?Apparently there?s a warrant out for our arrest. Shit, there?s a bounty too. So why the hell are these people smiling at us and not turning us in to the police??

Heero shrugged, taking the paper from Duo and scanning through it.

Duo looked out in the crowd of people, trying to find a police officer. He looked towards the intersection and gasped. Walking down the street, hands in his jeans, was a man that looked an awful lot like Trowa Barton. Duo?s eyes followed the man?s movements. They were fluid, and the man passed through the crowd while simultaneously blending into it. Duo had a hard time keeping his eye on the man. Unconsciously, he moved out of the safety of the alley and followed the man, as if transfixed.

?What the hell are you doing?? Heero growled, watching Duo walk into the crowd. Duo kept his eyes on the man. He waved a hand to quiet Heero.

?I think I see?? He trailed off and kept walking. Heero quickly followed his comrade. They weaved in and out of the crowd on the street, in pursuit. Duo squinted to see the man. He walked ahead of Heero, struggling to keep up with the suspicious Trowa-looking man. The street sign flashed DON?T WALK, but Duo paid no heed. Heero grabbed his arm forcefully as Duo tried to step onto the street while the hand flashed dangerously at him. Duo looked back at Heero for an explanation and Heero pointed to the sign urging them to not walk. The man turned slowly and looked at his pursuers. His eyes were bright green and he raised an eyebrow at Duo.

The light turned green and a steady flow of traffic took the man away from Duo?s vision. A large truck passed and Duo strained to see behind it. When it passed, the man was gone. The street sign announced it was safe to walk again, but Duo didn?t continue his brisk pace. He walked languidly down the street, disappointed.

?What the hell, Maxwell?? Heero breathed. He looked around to see if anyone else found Duo?s actions out of the ordinary. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no one was looking their way.

Duo looked up at Heero, surprised. ?You didn?t see him? I swear to God I just saw Trowa.?

Heero didn?t say anything, but looked around like the former pilot would jump out from around the corner. They walked down the sidewalk in silence. Duo stared at the ground and Heero looked straight ahead, silently searching for enemies.

?If you follow me, you?ll get me in trouble. Not to mention, it?ll attract attention to yourselves. Which I?m sure you don?t want.? The voice stopped Heero and Duo mid-step. They looked over in the vacant alley. Trowa was leaning on the opposite wall, with a smirk on his face.

?I knew it was you!?

?Get in the alley, Duo. You?ll attract attention to yourself.? Trowa said, turning his back on them and walking down the alley. They followed.

?Where have you been?? Duo asked excitedly, as he and Heero caught up with Trowa.

?Not here.? Trowa kept walking, as if he was ignoring them. They followed him through the alley to another street. This one had significantly less people on it. Those that traveled on it stared straight ahead and didn?t seem to notice three men emerging from the alley. Trowa led them to an unmarked building with thick red curtains in the windows.

Once they were inside, they saw that it was an empty caf?. There were small tables set up with wooden chairs. The room was dark and humid. Very little sunlight filtered through the red velvet curtains, but the lamps on the table made up for it the best they could.

?Do you live here?? Duo asked, surveying the empty place.

?Upstairs.?

?What is this place?? Duo was looking around at the paintings hung on the deep red walls. The paintings were eclectic, ranging from modern to Renaissance. There were framed newspaper clippings hung by the door.

?It?s a coffee shop.? Trowa took a tea kettle and a cup from one of the tables and poured himself a cup. ?Would you like something to drink??

Heero shook his head and stared at Trowa. ?You look different.? He said as a greeting.

Trowa raised his eyebrows in interest. ?I should hope so. It?s been five years.? He replied, taking a sip of his tea. He did indeed look different. He wore his hair a bit shorter, but it still stylishly masked part of his face. His face was longer and older. Trowa looked as if he?d been through quite a lot in the last five years, but he wore it well. He was taller, now looking eye to eye with Heero. At twenty-one, Trowa looked like that man he had been destined to become. He was tall, lean and subtly muscular. The loose blue shirt hid his physique, but the way he carried himself spoke more than a flex of the arm ever could. He sat at a table and gestured for Heero and Duo to do the same.

No one spoke for a long moment. ?You two are the toast of the town, you know.? Trowa finally spoke up. It wasn?t because he was trying to break an awkward silence. Trowa spoke as if everything he said was meant to be said at that exact moment. It was not forced or good-natured, it was just a statement.

?I think we?re less like the toast of the town and more like fugitives.? Duo replied, watching Trowa?s face for a reaction.

Trowa shrugged. ?You?re more like heroes to these people.?

?How?? Heero asked, arms folded.

?Think about it, Heero. These people have been trampled on for years. Then a few days ago, you two come in and challenge Gisborne. It gave people hope.?

Trowa watched Heero carefully for a moment, then took a sip of tea. ?You?ve been gone for an awfully long time, Heero.? He said it meaning it as a fact, not an accusation.

Heero bristled. ?What does that mean??

?Nothing. It just means that you?ve been gone a long time. Things have changed.?

?So I keep hearing.? Heero said under his breath, staring intently at Trowa who didn?t flinch.

Trowa nodded even though Heero didn?t pose a question. ?You?ve seen Relena, haven?t you??

?Yeah.? Duo answered and instantly realized the question wasn?t aimed at him. He sunk in his chair a bit as Heero cast him a scathing look.

Trowa noticed the exchange and smiled a bit. ?She?s changed, hasn?t she, Heero? Didn?t give you the grand welcome you were expecting?? His tone held the slightest hint of arrogance. Heero looked at him, anger rising from his chest like bile. It threatened to spill out of his mouth, but he ground his teeth together to keep it in. Trowa?s expression was goading him, trying to coax an answer out of him.

?It shouldn?t matter to you.? Heero said through clenched teeth.

Trowa shrugged and turned to Duo, efficiently defusing the situation with the turn of his head. ?You were following me. You obviously wanted to track me down. Relena told me that she let you know where I was. I assume there?s a reason you were trying to seek me out.?

?Do you talk to her a lot?? Duo asked more for Heero?s benefit than his own. He could tell that his friend was stewing in anger in the next chair.

?Occasionally. She was a great help to me in a time of need.? Trowa?s response was vague, but it wasn?t meant to be. Trowa never shared more than he needed to.

?Did she help you with that girl? The one in the circus with you??

Trowa gave a small smile. ?Catherine??

?Yeah, that?s the one. Are you still with her?? Duo was unsuccessfully trying to peek into Trowa?s personal life.

Trowa gave Duo a confused look. ?Catherine is my sister.?

Duo looked defeated. ?Oh. Well ? what?s she doing these days?? he tried desperately to recover from his faux pas.

?She?s married. That?s the reason I?m living here. I didn?t want to bother her and her husband. They were starting a new life together, and I wanted a change.?

?So she?s not your girlfriend??

Trowa shook his head and rolled his eyes. ?No. She?s my sister. I?ve already said that, Duo. I dislike repeating myself.?

?So you don?t have a girlfriend??

Trowa rolled his eyes again and stared at Duo. ?I?m assuming there?s a question you?d like to ask me. I?d rather you just ask it than asking me inane questions about Catherine.?

Duo opened his mouth but word didn?t come out. He bit his lip. ?Did you date Relena?? He blurted out. Heero?s blazing glare burned a hole through Duo.

Trowa looked confused again. ?Of course not.? He looked at Heero and smirked. ?She?s not my type.?

Duo breathed a sigh of relief. ?Then why are you so close to her all of a sudden?? he asked, a bit rudely.

Trowa was stoic. ?She helped Quatre get to the Earth safely.?

?Why was that a favor to you??

?I?m dating Quatre.? The words were said so matter-of-factly that Duo didn?t register them at first. He merely nodded. As the words sunk in, Duo?s eyes widened and he choked on some non-existent liquid. He coughed and spurted, holding the table for support. Heero looked at Duo as if he had contracted the plague. When Duo looked back up at Trowa?s expressionless visage, his eyes were watering from his coughing fit.

?Dating?? he repeated through deep gulps of air.

?Dating.? Trowa repeated.

Duo looked at Heero who seemed unfazed. ?Why are you so calm about this?? Duo demanded, shoving Heero a bit.

He looked at Duo, impassive. ?What should I care who he?s dating??

Duo looked at him incredulously. ?You were about to kill him a minute ago because you thought he was dating Relena!?

?That?s not true.? Heero recanted.

Trowa looked at Duo as if he was a misbehaving toddler in a restaurant. He sat with arms folded, waiting for Duo?s next tantrum.
Duo shook his head as if to shake the mental picture out of it. He looked up at Trowa.

?You?re dating Quatre.? He stated, but clearly wanted an answer.

?Yes.?

?So, you?re gay.?

?I suppose so.?

?And we?re outlaws.?

?According to the government.?

?Shit.? Duo ran a hand through his hair. ?Things need to stop changing.?

Heero cut through Duo?s outburst. ?Look, Trowa, we?re not here to discuss your sex life.?

?I would hope not.?

?I want to propose something to you.?

Trowa looked Heero up and down, sizing him up. He nodded. ?I?m listening.?

?We have to fight Prince.? Heero declared in a low voice that was less heroic and more hostile. ?These people are drowning in debt. This whole democracy is suffering because we weren?t here and unified to stop it.?

?Shouldering a lot of the blame, I see.?

?It?s ours to shoulder.? Duo spoke up. ?We left. Like cowards.? He frowned as he said the words. ?We came back and expected everything to be great. Well, that sure couldn?t be farther from the truth.?

?These people need our help.? Heero looked Trowa in the eyes. ?They?re being robbed blind by a corrupt government. They?re no better than Oz.?

?So you?re going to steal from the rich and give to the poor?? Trowa asked, his question mixed with skepticism.

Heero shrugged. ?Yeah.?

Trowa?s eyebrows rose. ?Lofty goal.?

?It?s not impossible.?

?No. Difficult,? Trowa mused, ?but not impossible.?

?Join us.? Heero said, eyes locking onto Trowa?s. Trowa held the stare, and folded his arms across his chest.

?You want me to become a fugitive??

?It?s not for us, Trowa. It?s for those whose lives are being ruined by this government.?

?I?ll join you,?

Duo smiled and jubilantly hit Heero in the shoulder.

?I?ll join you,? Trowa repeated focusing on Heero and raising his tea cup to his lips. ?If you can tell me that this whole operation isn?t about Relena.? Trowa?s eyes were piercing, but Heero didn?t draw back.

?It?s not.?

Trowa nodded slowly and took a sip of his tea. ?Then you?ve got yourself another fugitive.?


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Heero and Duo returned to the Sherwood building that night and prepared for Trowa. They would need more beds in the house. It was three stories tall and only had one bed. There was a cot in the small living room outside the bed that Duo and Heero had been taking turns on. Every other night, they would switch and one would get the bed and the other would sleep on the cot. Neither was particularly comfortable, but they made do. With the money Relena had given Duo at the grocery store, they went out at odd periods of the night to get supplies. They found that going to an outlet store at midnight meant they were the only ones there, and could avoid suspicious questions.

The only time they?d had a run-in with the police was when an armored truck rolled through the street and past. According to the papers they found on the street, Gisborne had placed a bounty on their heads and grievous consequences followed anyone who was caught helping them.

Trowa moved in the following day. In true soldier style, he brought minimal clothing and supplies. He unpacked his small backpack onto the cot Heero and Duo had bought. He sat and pulled out a book and started to read.

?Heero, I am going nuts just sitting around here.? Duo exclaimed as he sunk further into his cot.

?Read a book.?

?Why aren?t we out screwing around with Gisborne??

?There?s a time and a place for that.?

?Can it be now??

Heero cast Duo a look and turned back to the computer. There was silence except for Trowa turning a page. ?There?s a truck passing by near here tomorrow.? Heero suddenly spoke up.

?Great! Let?s rob it!?

Heero rolled his eyes. ?I found this information too easily. Either Gisborne wanted us to find this, or his security system is full of holes.?

?His security isn?t the only one who that?s full of holes.? Wufei?s cruel voice rang through the building as he stood at the top of the stairs. ?None of you heard me enter this,? he looked around disapprovingly, ?shack.?

Heero stood up upon hearing his voice and held his gun level with Wufei?s heart. Duo stood as well. Trowa looked up from his book, but didn?t leave his spot on his bed. He simply looked amused.

Wufei looked around. ?How welcoming.? He sneered, eyes finally resting on the gun that was pointed at his chest.

?What did you expect?? Duo spat, sitting back down on his cot.

?I expected you to be better protected,? Wufei?s comment was aimed at Heero. ?You?re the most wanted fugitives in the entire Earth sphere and you?re all just sitting here in an abandoned building.?

?So give us something better to do.?

?That?s exactly what I?m here to do.?

The three men looked at Wufei in interest. The Preventer smiled and smoothed his uniform. He stood at the top of the stairs in his khakis and green jacket as if he owned the place. Wufei looked at Heero.

?In two days, Prince is opening a new jail. There?s going to be a huge outdoor ceremony, which will be attended by the government?s top officials.? Wufei brushed some dust off of his shoulder, knowing that the pause would increase the dramatic nature of his statement. It worked. Heero, Duo and Trowa had never looked so alert.

?You know, gentlemen, I?d say this would be an excellent place to show up unexpectedly.? Wufei suggested, with the trace of a smirk.

Duo smiled. ?You?re saying we should crash the party??

Wufei shrugged. ?It?s what any good outlaw would do.?


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John Prince sat at his desk, scowling. He was a tall man, at least 5?11??. He wore a sleek black suit. The tie matched the pinstripes on his jacket, giving the impression that he didn?t dress himself, but made sure he was dressed professionally. He wore a ring on his left hand and another on his right, both filled with stones. Prince smoothed his gray-streaked brown hair in an angry way.

Guy Gisborne sat across from him in a plush leather chair, staring at Prince lazily.

?This can?t continue, Guy.? Prince barked, breaking the silence.

?We?re doing the best we can, John, but I can only do so much.? Guy drawled and shook his head. ?This city is too big. I can?t comb every building for him.?

?I knew this would happen.? Prince said cracking his knuckles in a nervous way. ?I knew that Darlian would call them here. I want the city on full alert.?

?John, this isn?t the way to handle this.?

Prince glared at him. ?And why exactly, are you so calm about this??

?Because I have a plan,? Gisborne rolled his eyes. Prince?s jaw clenched.

?Are you going to explain this plan or are you going to treat me like a child??

Gisborne recognized the tone and his voice lost its calmness. He sat up in his chair. ?John, I can?t comb the city. I told you that. But what I can do is lure Heero Yuy out of his hole.?

Prince relaxed in his chair a little. ?Lure him out??

?Exactly. We?ll put on a big production. We?ll let him know you?re going to be there, and I?m going to be there. It?ll be nice and big. And public.?

?I don?t want it to be public, you idiot. I want to kill him.?

?Well if we lure him out in public, we can arrest him.?

A smile crept across Prince?s face. ?Excellent.? He nodded and leaned farther back in his chair. ?Most excellent. Now I remember why I keep you around, Gisborne. Not only are you smart, you?re a little bit evil.?

Gisborne shrugged off the compliment with a roll of his shoulders. He checked his watch. ?I have to be going.? He got up to leave.

?Going to see Darlian?? Prince was goading him and smirked. Gisborne froze and stiffened. He turned around, looking as cool as possible.

?No.?

Prince shook his head. ?Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.?

?I have to go. Yuy is more important than Relena.?

Prince smiled and shrugged, knowing it infuriated him. ?If you say so.? Gisborne turned his back on him and started to walk out. ?Just make sure that?s actually the case.? Prince?s tone changed and became more menacing. Gisborne turned again and saw Prince looking stern.

?I mean it, Guy. Heero Yuy is our first priority. Your love affair with the little princess comes second.?

?Yes sir.? Gisborne saluted and left the office with a scowl, green eyes blazing.

v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v


I hope you enjoyed!

[Midge-14]

Ooooo...there's not enough *whines* want moreeeeeee! The exchange where Duo interrogates Trowa about Relena is so funny too. Please please come out with the next chapter soon, I can't wait!

[epyon]

more please!

also i just noticed the prince john john prince, nice.

[Nihal]

?Look, Trowa, we?re not here to discuss your sex life.?

?I would hope not.?

[WingZero2118]

In the words of Joey Lawrence. WHOA! I am so in love with this story! And the scene with Duo and Trowa is just classic. Had me rolling for a bit with that. Any ways keep up the good work and can't wait to read more.

[Penguin on the Shore]

Ah! I'm really loving this fic! You've matched the Robin Hood and Gundam Wing elements perfectly!

[BadPenny]

I also loved the Trowa/Duo scene. Had a brief moment of concern when Heero made him a proposal shortly after learning that he was gay... I see Wufei is his usual annoying self. I hope that we'll get more screen time for Hilde and Sally too.

For suggestions. First, I'm not sure what culture you're coming from but where I'm from 5'11" is not a tall man. Anything under 6' is so/so. It just kind of jumped out at me. Also, the line referring to rings being full of stones or something like that was weak. Either obvious or just kind of weird, like 'look rings with stones in them, huh...'. Just a little shaky sentence structure. As far as plot is concerned I hope you'll do a bit more with Heero. So far he's mostly been moody, unobservant and reckless (not that that is all bad). Hopefully we'll get a bit more planning and leadership soon. Also, is John Prince supposed to be stupid? Guy doesn't seem terribly sharp, but Prince seems to be significantly less so, given the brief scene between the two. I just want to warn against making the common error of having the antagonists be too dumb, foolish or incompetent. It's an easy way to make the heros look good, but then how good can they look when they only have to outshine dim bulbs. So I'm just suggesting looking a little more carefully at your portrayal of the bad guys. Good bad guys can make a more interesting fic and having them challenge the heros more brings out more admirable qualities in them.

Hope this helps. So far I'm really enjoying this and hoping of course for more Relena and Relena/Heero scenes to come. I love Robin Hood btw. It's one of several books from my grade school that had my name plastered all over the check out sheet. I think my second favorite was Robinson Crusoe. Screw Nancy Drew...

Anyway, keep up the great work!
~Nonny