Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Deadly Beautiful ❯ The Extent of Duo's Loyalty ( Chapter 41 )

A/N: Short, sweet, transitional, and punctual. Point for me.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own them?

 

Deadly Beautiful - Chapter 41

 

by danse

 

~*~

 

In the past three days, a strange tension had arisen between the five young men hiding out at the Saudi Maganac headquarters. Trowa and Quatre appeared not to be talking to each other, and Heero noticed that Duo was suddenly avoiding him like the plague. Even though Heero had wanted that very thing to happen ever since he'd met Duo, it was disconcerting to see it come out of nowhere. Wufei looked characteristically smug as usual, but Heero had noticed that he appeared to be acting a little nicer to Quatre than usual. It was all quite odd.

 

And now, with Duo's friend set to arrive by jeep that afternoon, the boys were having a quick meeting before she showed up to get the issue of the Romefeller dinner invitation out of the way. It was a fairly stagnant conversation, all things considered. Heero played absently with a pen as the meeting dragged into its second half-hour.

 

“I can't see how we're gonna be able to send two guys though,” Duo said heatedly. “Seriously, Wufei, it's a dinner party. It'll look a little sketchy if two guys in dinner jackets show up on each others' arms packing Glocks.”

 

Heero snorted.

 

Wufei glowered at them both. “You're trying to tell me that you want to not only find, but endanger a woman by taking her into the lions' den?!” He looked enraged at the very idea.

 

Duo shot him a calculating look. “Hilde's coming; we can send her.”

 

Everyone looked up at him in surprise. “You're volunteering her without her knowledge then?” Trowa asked. “I don't know her, but I can't see how you'll get off without bruises at least, going by your description of her personality.”

 

“She can do it,” Duo insisted. “She's had agent training and she can defend herself. She's smart, too, and she's readily available. Or she will be.”

 

“Can she defend herself against you, Duo?” Wufei asked, giving him a level look.

 

Duo squirmed. “She can put up a fight. I think she can take just about anyone else.”

 

“Can she take anyone sitting in this room?” Wufei persisted.

 

Duo looked around slowly, and said nothing.

 

“We have to assume, Duo, that in addition to the security we know will be there, some of the attendees themselves are going to be heavy hitters. A lot of them didn't get to the positions they're in without being capable fighters, and they aren't underpaid privates, thrown out there as cannon fodder. Hilde isn't the same calibre as us, and she could become a liability in the field, especially in a situation like this,” Wufei said coldly.

 

Heero thought that if Wufei had spoken to him in that condescending tone of voice, he would have knocked out a few teeth. He kept playing with his pen, looking around at the others' faces. Quatre had a pensive expression; he was clearly deep in thought. Heero waited, looking at him.

 

Finally, Quatre deemed it time to open his mouth. He was pinning Duo and Wufei with a very interesting look as he related his thoughts. “You know, we don't necessarily have to send in two guys in dinner jackets,” he said. “I think some of us are qualified to go incognito.”

 

It took Wufei and Duo approximately the same amount of time to blush and reach unconsciously for their longer-than-normal hair. Both were bristling. Wufei opened his mouth, but was shushed by a look from the normally calm Quatre. He was in Tactical Mode. Heero thought the idea had some merit, but he waited a little longer.

 

“Heero,” Quatre finally said, “I think you and Duo should do this.”

 

Duo turned red and then white and then a little green. “What?” he exclaimed, shooting out of his seat to loom over Quatre. Heero had gone wide-eyed and clutched the arms of his chair, but couldn't believe how much Duo was rebelling against the plan. But then again, Heero reasoned, I'm not the one being asked to cross-dress.

 

Quatre regarded him calmly, still in Tactical Mode and completely unflappable. “You two make an excellent team, and I think that you are the most capable of carrying out this operation to satisfaction.” He ignored Duo, who was looking ready to choke him, to catch Heero's gaze.

 

Heero nodded his assent. “Sounds reasonable to me,” he said emotionlessly. He wasn't about to undermine Quatre's typically excellent judgement. He watched with interest then as the entire group relaxed with his decree. Even Duo slumped back into his chair, looking defeated.

 

That settled, it was time to tease Duo.

 

“You know, Maxwell, I bet your hair would look real pretty in an up-do, instead of that ratty old braid,” Wufei grinned. “Maybe you should try a bun or pigtails sometime.”

 

Duo gave him the finger.

 

Quatre laughed quietly. “Don't worry, Duo, I'm sure my sister, Iria, can help you pretty yourself up enough to pass for female. You might fit a dress of hers if we pad the top or something.”

 

Duo got up and left the room. As soon as the curtain swished into place, the others burst out into hoots of laughter; his disgust was hilarious.

 

***

 

Hilde's arrival later that afternoon was a bit of an event. Rashid preceded her, carrying her suitcase, while she followed behind, protesting that she wasn't fragile and she could carry it herself, thank you very much. Wufei raised an eyebrow upon hearing her discourse.

When she walked inside, blinking from the sudden shade, Wufei caught a glimpse of a slight thing with short, dark hair before she was a blur, tackling Duo. They both laughed, grappling each other as they tried not to fall over, teetering around the entranceway.

 

“Hilde, I wasn't gone that long,” Duo said.

 

“I was worried you were gonna kill yourself, you twit,” she retorted. “Glad to see you're still in one piece.”

 

With that, she was introduced to the group of boys and Iria Winner, who had been collectively standing around in the entranceway ever since Rashid had radioed in that they were arriving at the front. Wufei saw that she met his eyes fearlessly and had a firm handshake. He smiled despite himself. Another strong one, it looked like. He still stood by what he'd said about liability earlier, though.

 

Naturally, once her bag was stowed in her temporary room and the whole group was spread around a group of benches and chairs in a small garden (a different one from the one that Quatre and Trowa had recently occupied, thankfully), it didn't take long for Duo's current predicament to come out once more, for both Hilde's and Iria's delight and amusement.

 

“You're gonna be a girl?” Hilde blurted out, giving Duo a look of wide-eyed wonder. “And I get to see it?” She covered her face and sniffed loudly. “This is the best day of my life....”

 

Duo told her concisely where she could go and what she could do when she got there.

 

Iria blushed, not really used to that kind of language. “You know though, Duo,” she said tentatively, not wanting to incur his wrath herself, “it's a very heroic thing... sacrificing your dignity and such for the good of the team.” She smiled. “Hilde and I look forward to helping you with your disguise. Don't worry, we'll be able to transform you very well, I think.”

 

Hilde leaned forward and patted his knee reassuringly. “You're gonna be the hottest chick in the room, Duo,” she grinned.

 

He scowled some more.

 

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A/N: What fanfiction would be complete without one of them cross-dressing? I'm enjoying myself a little too much writing the next part. Please leave a comment; I love them and it encourages me when I know people are reading and thinking about the story. Author, ergo narcissist. :D