[FRESH HELL: 86 IT FROM ORBIT] it may have won nanowrimo 2013 but at what cost [5/6]

[omaewokorosu]

FRESH HELL: 86 IT FROM ORBIT
it may have won nanowrimo 2013 but at what cost
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Previously on Fresh Hell: 86 It From Orbit:

Regardless of what he planned to do—or not do—he wasn’t going to get involved with anyone here. If there was no chance to get attached, then it wouldn’t hurt when he had to leave and there’d be no chance to really miss him.
And like, the whole thing with Heero here is...yes, this is Canon Heero, but this Heero doesn't have the same backstory or childhood or even circumstances. He's a cadet in OZ. He fights, I'm guessing, for Earth and believes in OZ/Romefeller's mission (or Treize's mission depending). He's 14. He hasn't gone through any horrific shit until a series of events that shouldn't happen but happen nonetheless occur and we end up doing Canon But Poorly. Heero, being a soldier to start with more or less would have better knowledge of things like explosives so would he have actually had the incident with the little girl and her dog? The fact that it doesn't seem to be as traumatic as it should be is both in line with the fact that Heero was already training to engage in combat in some way and also not because I am not sold that this is how AU Heero would actually act. I am not sold on anything in this fic.

It's like my younger self just changed one thing and expected everything else to be different instead of following that thread down, which is what I do now. I literally chart these things out to make sure that the changes (the "causes") lead to and go in the direction of what I want to happen (the "effects"). It involves knowing how he works psychologically. My younger self stated in one of the planning plurks for this fic that they wanted to break Heero psychologically, but I am not seeing how that would occur or when, because my younger self didn't plot all of that out in detail from Start to Finish, it just branches off into other directions and none of them have a conclusion. That's why this doesn't work. Heero is doing shit that to me doesn't make sense. What is his motivation for doing this or acting like this? There isn't any.

WELCOME BACK EVERYONE to part five of it may have won nanowrimo 2013 but at what cost aka Let the Sun Fade Out. I am your host Karu, my co-host is absent and will probably be joining us later when she's done eating her crunchies...

Heero opened his eyes halfway to take in his surroundings without anyone knowing he was awake. He was strapped to a table of some kind, hands out to the sides, legs spread eagle, and bound to the table at the ankles.

(Made by thoughts-in-stereo)

High up above him was an observation window. One way glass, he guessed, so he couldn’t identify them.
It reminded him of Dekim’s lab, the place where Heero spent four years of his life after his life at the Academy was cut short.
Okay. Here is the thing: why is this even happening

I feel like with this AU, this shouldn't even be a thing, because Renamed Heero is, you know, a member of OZ. If they like, did biometrics scans of any kind he would pop up lmao This shouldn't be happening.

Overcome the pain.
He’s shrieking, throat raw and bleeding as he arches off the table, tears in his eyes, a dirty, bloodied rag in his mouth to keep him from biting off his own tongue, with the added benefit of muffling his screams.
It burns and it feels like every last fiber of his being is on fire. He’s begging through the makeshift gag for it to stop, but the man at the controls seems oblivious. Instead of turning it off, he says, “More.”

Heero blinked and calmed down enough so no alarms, if any, were tripped, no staff alerted. He tested the restraints. They were looser than the ones he’d been given in the labs, but not so much that escape would be easy. There appeared to be no door in or out (it was probably hidden). He was trapped.
well with that attitude you're certainly trapped...

There was a broken screened television
That's awkward wording. Should be something like There was a television with a broken screen 

hanging underneath the ‘mirror’. Whoever was in here last had probably thrown something at it. He couldn’t blame them for doing it. He was going to end up experimented on.
Again. Maybe it’d kill me.
You won't be that lucky lmao

The door to the all too white room opened and from what he could see, the area beyond was dark. There in the doorway was the boy from earlier, grin on his face.
“Do you know sign language?” the boy signed. Heero gave a very subtle thumbs up.
“I’m gonna get you out of here.” Duo looked behind him, then at his watch. “Just wait about five minutes, okay?” He repeated the gestures for ‘five minutes’ before running off again. Heero decided to get used to being here. He’d been in situations like this before, after all.
where

when

Besides, he knew nothing about this boy. He didn’t even know his name.
Would you trust him more if he introduced himself???

How do I know I can trust you? Because we’re both on the same mission? He scoffed. Next chance you get, you’ll probably kill me. He looked to the wound on his arm.
I mean you are technically the enemy

like I don't think you know wtf Operation Meteor is or the modified version of it where OZ and the UESA are the targets and since you are part of OZ technically you are his enemy... 

No one rebandaged it. Typical. They’d rather he died from an infection. He didn’t care one way or another. After five minutes there was a giant boom and the boy came back.
“C’mon, let’s get out of here,” he said, as he began to undo the restraints. It’d cost them too much time. Heero tugged at the one wrist restraint, felt the edge cut deep into his wrist as he tried to pull his hand through. He managed it, though there was blood trickling down from his hand.
I feel like this Heero isn't as unhinged as Actual Heero to fucking do this lmao

also it's not just wrist restraints there's upper arm ones as well he would have to rip through which like, Actual Heero can do no problem because he's a fucking gremlin but this Heero I doubt could do such a thing

"pull his hand through" like slip out of it? lmao LMAO that's not what Heero did rofl

“You have a knife on you?”
“Huh? Oh! Yeah.” The boy took out his knife and went to hand it to him when he saw the state of Heero’s hand.
“Y-Your hand…”
Heero shrugged, took the knife, and cut the rest of the restraints. “Let’s go.”
They ran out of the room and down a hallways, Heero following the boy and keeping track by his braid. He threw something and ducked, and Heero barely had enough time to join him on the floor before it exploded.
before the floor exploded? Or the thing he threw exploded? 

There was now a decently sized hole in the wall, and at Heero’s look, the boy shrugged.
There was now a decent sized hole in the wall is what that should be.

“Who need an exit when you can just, you know, make yer own?”
what the fuck is this accent and why does Duo have it 

He grinned before handing him a parachute pack and taking a leap of faith out the makeshift window. Heero looked down at the beachy shoreline at the bottom of the sheer cliff drop, heart racing. What if the parachute didn’t deploy?
Theeeeen you roll down the side of the cliff and break a leg or your body or something idk

I’ve got nothing to lose.
He jumped, but didn’t deploy the parachute.
I can’t be Dekim’s pawn anymore if I’m dead.
Okay okay okay

why does AU Heero think things like this? Canon Heero thinking this might be one thing but for AU Heero to think this is out of pocket I feel. Like Dekim didn't put him up to this technically it was Treize but also where is this coming from??? I'm very confused by this.

*

“Oi, Heero! Can you hear me?”
Heero was on some sort of coarse surface. He brushed a hand over it and it moved, feeling rough and grainy against his skin.
Did I black out?
He opened his eyes and saw a face silhouetted against the sun above, hair tickling his bare shoulder and collarbone. He wanted to reach out and tug it, pull the boy down until Heero’s mouth was on his and—
is this really the time to have wet dreams

why do I feel like this yaoi is pasteded on yay

Why did I just think that? He didn’t even know the boy’s name or if he could even be trusted. So why would he want to kiss him? How hard had he hit his head on the way down? He sat up, his face inches from the boy’s palms sinking into the sand.
“You okay?” His eyes were filled with concern. Heero nodded.
“Yeah, think so.” He tried to get up and fell over. “Shit.”
The boy got to his feet then and offered his hand. Heero took it and hoisted himself up, putting all his weight on his good leg before the boy draped Heero’s arm over his shoulder.
“Let’s get you fixed up, yeah?”
Heero said nothing, just gestured they move forward.
“Name’s Duo, by the way,” the boy said. “Duo Maxwell. Since there wasn’t time for introductions or nothin’.” He grinned.
“Think it’s smart to give me your name?”
relax it's not even his real name lol no one in this series uses their real names

Duo sighed. “Look. Right now? I’m the only one you got. You don’t have to trust me when I get you to safety—shelter, whatever. But right now? You got no choice.”
Heero looked away as he carefully placed his weight on Duo instead of his messed up, possibly broken leg.
“Accepting your help doesn’t mean I trust you,” he said. “It just means I’m letting you help me. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.” Duo pulled out a cellphone, punched a number in, and waited as it rang, keeping Heero still with a firm grip on his waist.
still imagining the cell phones used in fucking 1995 and giggling

“Yeah, it’s me. Listen, I have two broken pull carts in the field and an injured farmhand with me. Yeah. And I’ll have lunch in the wheatfield so you can get them fixed and I’ll help pull the wheat later. All right. Thanks!” He ended the call and pocketed the phone.
he did that from a fucking payphone what do you mean he was on a fucking cell phone lmao where would he even get one

“Where are we going?” Heero asked.
Duo grinned. “Back where I found ya. The beach. ‘s where our Gundams are, yeah?” He pattered Heero’s arm, the one draped over his shoulder. “Got some guy pickin’ ‘em up, pickin’ us up too. Gonna get everythin’ fixed up in no time. ‘til then, you’re with me.” He shifted Heero so his right side was supported more.
“I’ll be out of your sight in no time,” Heero said. Duo sighed, but said nothing.
The walk to the beach was slow going,
oh my god

also you're...on a beach...they can't fucking swing around and pick you up at the beach you're at? you have to have a guy with a broken femur walk ALL THAT WAY??? 

especially because Heero often tried to pull away. He should be able to walk with no problem, so why wasn’t he insisting on it? He didn’t need Duo’s support. He didn’t need Duo at all. He wanted to pull away, walk away towards the beach on his own. He’d broken legs before and had no choice but to continue on. You couldn’t just lay down and die because you broke your leg. You had to survive, had to fight, had to win, had to guarantee you had a place in an everchanging world. The perfect weapon was made to fight on. Asking for help was not an option when he had been taught that there was only one person he could trust.
Again this would be fine for Canon Heero but this is a different Heero in which case this doesn't fit the character

Yourself.
You couldn’t rely on someone else. What if there really wasn’t anyone else? Or they were shady as hell? Could he trust Duo to not try to stab him in the back? What did he care, even?
“What ‘cha thinkin’ ‘bout?”
this accent is so fucking annoying
 
“What business of that is yours?”
Duo looked away. “You just seemed…I dunno… Nevermind.” He looked Heero up and down. “You’re a soldier, right?”
They finally reached the beach access steps.
“Aren’t you?” Heero didn’t think OZ would just find people off the streets. They were all recruited from the schools, trained to be the perfect weapons, the new standards for soldiers in warfare.
what the fuck are you even talking about

“‘s what I was trained for, I guess.” Duo shrugged before sitting Heero down on one of the bottom steps. “Just, you know, doin’ what I’m doin’.” He sat down next to him. “They pick ya off the streets too and offer you a proposition you couldn’t refuse?”
Heero cocked an eyebrow. Off the street? Heero wasn’t picked up off the streets, he was chosen by Dekim Barton specifically after his father enrolled him in the military academy. They were all working for OZ.
I'm sorry what?

I have no idea what the fuck leaps in logic this AU is taking when it comes to uhhh canon events but. uh. yeah.

Weren’t they?
“You’re not apart of OZ?”
Duo’s eyes went wide. “Pfft. No. don’t jerk me around like that, man. You know the objectives, it’s all stuff against ‘em.”
Duo went from having a twang to being some surfer dude bro from SoCal I guess.

He stared out towards the ocean. “Why would ya say somethin’ like that?”
Heero’s brow furrowed. Because that’s what you and I are. Aren’t we?
NO. NO IT IS NOT.

*

The carrier ship was quite spacious, Heero thought, as Duo gently set him down on the floor of the deck.
Heero doesn't even get the courtesy of a chair or something lmao 

Over on the left hand side were hoists for their Gundams. Duo’s didn’t look too bad, maybe a few repairs, but Wing was beaten up.
This could’ve been avoided if I’d known that was Zechs. Then I could’ve questioned that missing…why was I attacking an ally?
wait what

what do you mean "this could've been avoided if I'd known that was Zechs"???

This is literally from the beginning part of the previous chapter:
“Lieutenant Zechs,” the voice said. “Cadet Aodhan Clark here. I have a few things that might interest you.”
“Such as?” He didn’t feel like scolding him for not reporting to Treize in months.
“Do you have any information on mobile suits called ‘Gundams’?”
Zechs shook his head. “No.”
“Would you like some?”
“What kind of question is that?” Otto asked.
“Otto,” Zechs warned. “I expect a report on this, Cadet.”
“Why get a report when you can experience it yourself? I’m at Lagrange Point AX, headed for GY. Meet me there, you can see for yourself then.”
The COM Link beeped once before communication was lost.
“Set the course for GY. I want to see what a Gundam can do.”

It wasn’t much of a fight considering it was “staged”.
Heero ended up in the ocean, hitting the floor. He wasn’t all that far from the shore—the fight took him off course. He removed his hands from the controls and leaned back in his seat.
“Should I get a salvage crew together so we can take it in for analysis?” Zechs asked over the COM Link.
“No. I’ll destroy it.”
Zechs shook his head. “Let us analyse it.”
“I’ll get you the data and all that other stuff, but let me destroy it.”

IT WAS A STAGED FIGHT SO ZECHS COULD SEE WHAT A GUNDAM COULD DO WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS ZECHS YOU WERE FUCKING TALKING TO HIM BEFORE AND AFTER

“I’ll get someone to help out with that.” Duo gestured to his leg. Heero shook his head.
“No, I can do it myself. I need a rag and a wrench or two.”
Duo blinked. “Yer shittin’ me.”
Heero gave him a look. 
“All right, all right.” Duo left and came back a few minutes later with a rag and two double ended wrenches. “Knock yerself out.”
Heero kept them in his lap as he set his own bone, tying the wrenches secure around his leg to keep it in place.
Well this was boring and quite blasé,,,

“Glad I ate already,” Duo mumbled as Heero walked by, limping. “You don’t have to do everything yourself.”
“What do you want me to do, then?” Heero asked. “Lay down and die?”
Duo blinked. “No. Look, we’ve known each other for all of a day, you don’t trust me, I get that. But we’re soldiers fightin’ for the same cause. If you can’t trust someone who’s fighting along with you, who can you trust?”
Heero stopped right in front of Duo and looked him right in the eyes, prepared to tell him something like, “No, we’re not fighting for the same cause,” when he noticed the startling shade of blue they were,
I feel like this is not the time to notice how blue Duo's eyes may or may not be wtf... Like when you think about it, unless eyes are particularly striking from afar...you don't see them unless you're like RIGHT IN THEIR FACE and even then. No one in series describes how blue Heero's eyes are for instance, they talk about how he has a "wild look" in his eyes or how intense they are (intense referring to strength).

and his words died in his throat, disappearing from his mind. Heero’s cheeks burned before he looked away.
why the fuck is he blushing

“No one,” Heero said softly. “No one but yourself.”
Duo touched his shoulder and Heero shivered at the contact, though he didn’t know why. His hand was searing his skin through the shoulder of his top.
what the fuck is happening

Why do I feel like this?
what is this feeling
so sudden and new
i felt the moment
i laid eyes on you

“I’m gonna prove you wrong,” Duo said, pulling him closer.
SIR

Heero felt his breath leave his lungs before Duo turned his head.
SIR

WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING

“Nasty lookin’ cut,” Duo said, lightly tracing his thumb down his neck, just to the left of Heero’s spine, all the way down his shoulder. “Probably from when you fell down that cliff like an asshole.”
we're not gonna wash that out or anything???

He patted Heero on the back
OW HE LITERALLY FELL DOWN A CLIFF??? 

before saying, “I’ll get Howard to see ya. Fix ya up good as new.”
Heero opened his mouth to say something, but Duo walked off. It wasn’t up for discussion. Heero hoisted himself up using a nearby railing for support and hobbled over so he could get a view of the ocean, ignoring the suspicious glances thrown his way. They didn’t have to trust him just like he didn’t have to trust them. He’d never see them again anyway.
I’ll get my Gundam fixed and never look back.
He still doesn't call it a Gundam he always calls it a mobile suit or "his mobile suit" or "my mobile suit" like.

*

Heero wasn’t the type to let people touch his things and his Gundam was no exception. He was told he’d need to make repairs himself if he were out on the field alone. He couldn’t count on a military base being nearby.
“Need any help?” It was Duo calling out from down below. Heero shifted the diagnostics computer on his lap.
“No,” Heero answered. “I don’t need your help.”
I feel like Heero would just leave it at "No."

Duo leaned against the Gundam. “You haven’t eaten all day, you know. Why don’t you let someone else take over for a little while?”
Heero ignored him, just continued typing instead. Duo sighed.
“You don’t have to get this done by tonight, you know.”
Still no response.
“You can stay a few days. You can’t pilot with stitches and a broken leg.”
"Maybe you can't, but I'm not you."

“Maybe you can’t,” Heero answered. “But that’s a lack of proper training on your end.”
Duo cocked an eyebrow. “‘Lack of training’?”
These repairs can be done in one night if I have the parts and work through the night.
“Ah. It takes proper endurance and mental discipline training in order to do it. I thought all soldiers went through that.”
weird fucking flex but ok bro

Duo shifted from leaning against the side of the Gundam to facing Heero.
“I ain’t a trained soldier, all right? I’m just… I’m fighting for the Colonies, just like you. I don’t have to be some fancy soldier boy to do that.”
Heero placed the computer down. “If you’re fighting for the Colonies, you’re fighting for the wrong thing.”
I mean that depends on who you ask and what side they're on. Obviously if you're from the Colonies you would be fighting for space and if you're from Earth you would be fighting for Earth.

(Unles you're Trowa, who is the only pilot from Earth.) 

He slowly got to his feet, careful of his leg. “Earth is the objective.”
objective of what??? 

The computer screen inside the cockpit flashed and beeped. A message? From Dekim.
FROM DEKIM??? WHAT HAPPENED TO DR J??? 

‘OZ is transporting Gundanium alloy for the creation of bigger, better mobile suits. Help transport the Gundanium by escorting the cargo safetly from Lake Victoria.
Lake Victoria?
He accepted the mission.
“New mission?”
“Ah.” Heero climbed out of the cockpit.
okay so like. I get that Heero has speech quirks that don't really translate into English. Like... "ああ" I typically replace with something like "oh" and Heero sometimes even says "う～ん" which is like  "Mm" in English soooooo

“Doesn’t concern you.”
Duo sighed. “I’ve been nothin’ but nice to him,” he said to himself as he went back to leaning against the neck of the Gundam.
If you're gonna have it follow canon, Duo was down towards the waist area... 

“I saved his ass from drownin’. Sure, I shot him, but still, I saved him.
LMAO

And this is the thanks I get for opening my arms wide to some stranger who could be some spy fer OZ and he’s nothin’ but antisocial and defiant.” He scoffed.
“If I were like that to some Good Samaritan, I’d shoot myself just ‘cause I couldn’t live like that.”
“If you think I’m a spy,” Heero said, as he jumped down from the chest area and next to Duo, “then why take me in? Why help me when I could just someday stab you in the back?”
Duo shrugged. “I got nothin’ to lose except my life, and that ain’t worth shit neither, so really, I’m pretty worthless.” He smiled. “So there’s really no risk at all. Go ahead, if you are a spy for OZ, kill me.” He raised his hands. “I ain’t afraid of dying.”
Heero limped closer. “So what would you do it I was a spy?”
Duo quirked an eyebrow. “You tryin’ to tell me—”
“Answer me.” Heero’s voice had a breathy quality to it.
“Spy for?”
“Anyone. OZ. The Alliance.” Another step.
Duo stared into Heero’s eyes, his breath light, his mouth slightly agape. Heero’s heart was pounding, Duo’s face was flushed as their faces were just inches apart, bodies ready to intertwine.
"Bodies ready to intertwine" the fuck does that mean???

“Prove it,” Duo whispered, before Heero closed the distance between them and their mouths.
WHY THE FUCK ARE THEY KISSING??? 

Duo tasted sweet, so sweet, smelled like a fruit Heero knew but couldn’t recall the name of, breathed it in as his heart pounded faster, louder, his hands pulling Duo closer. Three closed mouth kisses before Duo was pinned to the side of Wing, knee between Duo’s legs as his tongue swept through Duo’s mouth in a bold move that left both of them gasping, left Duo moaning, left Heero wanting more, wanting to be oh so greedy.
WHY ARE THEY MAKING OUT???

Heero gasped as he woke up and found himself slumped over the engineering console.
lmao what the fuck it was just a dream 

He rubbed his face before glancing at a nearby digital display. Three in the morning. How long had he been asleep for?
More importantly, what was up with that dream? The last thing he remembered saying to Duo before he walked off was about helping someone who might be a spy.
Why did he make it sound like being apart of OZ is a bad thing? Aren’t we all apart of it?
This makes no fucking sense why would you go to space and launch from a colony just to defend Earth like what the fuck

He limped over to Wing and climbed up the side of it before half falling inside the cockpit.
don't you want to like, not exacerbate your broken leg? why is he such a moron? I fucking hate him

There was another message.
‘Do not escort the Gundanium. Derail the transportation of it. Details will follow day of. Stand by for further orders.’
Heero blinked. First he was escorting it, now he was destroying it?
escort it and then destroy it because you escorted it to the place you're going to destroy it...? 

Why? What caused such a drastic change?
Someone regret ordering so much Gundanium and it's such a pain in the ass to do returns so might as well just blow it up? 

Is it not sanctioned by Romefeller?
tf would Romefeller need with Gundanium are they gonna have their parties filled with it or something? 

Was there misinformation and it wasn’t OZ after all?
oh no not fake news 

It wasn’t Heero’s place to question it though—he just needed to say “yes” and follow orders as instructed to.
Even if he didn’t agree with them.
but WHY does he not agree with them???

*

Heero wiped the sweat from his brow as he finished the last of Wing’s repairs.
he ate shit, woke up after a spicy dream at 3am, and then went back to work?

that's def something canon Heero would do but idk about AU Heero... 

All patched up and in record time. He looked behind him and felt no guilt at all at taking parts from Duo’s mobile suit. It wasn’t like they were supporting each other or part of a team.
omg even the narrative is fucking tsun-tsuning 

With the things Duo had told him, he had every reason to believe that Duo might be an enemy. Fighting for the Colonies. That wasn’t their objective at all.
SO THEN WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE THEN

Then again, Heero wasn’t quite sure what the mission was anymore either.
oh okay it's not just us then even Heero's lost the plot 

He doubted Dekim would have a change of heart. Had he left it in the hands of someone else? What was going on?
な～にするの～？？？

Then there was the dream he’d had. He shook his head. He didn’t even want to remember it or try and figure out what it was his body wanted.
why is pee-pee hard 

He’d never felt like that before, didn’t even have a name for it. He wasn’t supposed to have distractions such as that.
And yet he couldn’t help but want to know if Duo’s lips felt like they did in his dream if he kissed him now.
He was pretty sure that after this, Duo would hate him, loathe him even. For stealing parts for his own use. Heero left the hangar to find a bathroom to clean up in and found what appeared to be sleeping quarters.
did he come in his shorts in his sleep??? 

He peeks into each of the rooms until he found Duo’s. First thing Heero noticed was Duo’s hair, which was unbraided and sprawled out on the pillow.
with long ass hair like that you would never have that unbraided for bed that would be a nightmare ASK ME HOW I KNOW 

He slept on his side with the sheets half pulled up, and he looked so peaceful. No twisted expressions. No jaw clenching. On the simple nightstand by the bed, Heero could just make out a plain silver chain, another necklace with a cross, and his watch.
Take trophies from your enemies so you don’t have to go through the trouble of finding them again—they’ll find you. Heero took the plain silver chain and snuck out of the room as quietly as when he came. He quickly washed off his face and neck and hands before heading back to the hangar where his Gundam was. He climbed up and into the cockpit before inserting the dongle key and entering his authorisation code.
Less a dongle more like an SD card but ok

Time to go.
He input a few commands and ran a full diagnostics check to ensure his suit was at one hundred percent before closing the hatch and piloting it out of the hangar. He had to leave before the others woke up. He set the coordinates for his next destination, strapped himself
omg he actually used the harness??? HE'S LEARNING oh wait this isn't canon Heero

not that it matters because like. Heero's still gonna get his head bashed into the console. Emergency seatbelt locks for the shoulder restraint weren't standard on seatbelts until 1996... 

in before pushing one of the overhead levers forward at the same time as hitting one of the foot pedals. Easiest way was to fly like a bird, and luckily for him, that was what his Gundam could turn into for long flight distances.
It took about thirty seconds and it barely finished before Heero went full throttle, leaving nothing but dust behind.
Maybe en route I can figure out which mission is the one I’m supposed to do.
whatever your heart tells you is the right one

*

Duo yawned as he rolled onto his back, blinking away the sleep. He grabbed the brush from the nightstand and ran it through his hair
lmao I wish I could've done that when I had long assed hair. You have to detangle with a comb for like 30 minutes before even attempting to brush... 

before braiding it. No need for a shower when he’d just get all gross working on Deathscythe anyway. He tied off his hair before putting on his watch and the cross before reaching for the chain that wasn’t there.
That’s weird, he thought. I could’ve sworn I put it here. The chain had no sentimental value at all, just something he wore out of habit, but he could’ve sworn…
“Duo!” one of the Sweepers members threw open his door. “It’s gone—he’s gone—we’ve been robbed!”
Duo blinked. “What? Whaddya—”
The man yanked him out of bed and over to the hangar, not even giving him the courtesy of changing clothes. Still in the mobile suit bay was Deathscythe.
Half in pieces.
well no not half in pieces, some parts of the inner frame were missing because Heero used them on his mobile suit. You know. The least expensive part of a Gundam.

“That asshole stole parts to repair his mobile suit!” one of the mechanics said. Duo said nothing, just walked out of the hangar and looked into the sky.
“You impressive piece of shit.”
“What do we do?”
Duo sighed. “Find some spare parts from a Leo or something for now.” He went back inside. “The parts won’t be as strong or last as long,
Uhh the inner frame on a mobile suit and a Gundam are both made out of neo-titanium...you're not replacing Gundanium parts with neo-titanium ones. 

but for now it’s all we can do.” Duo shrugged. “Unless you have spare Gundanium you can pull from your ass.”
HE DIDN'T TAKE ANY OF THE ARMOUR PLATING


thiiiis is what Deathscythe looked like after Heero stole some shit but you also have to remember Deathscythe was also getting work done so this might not all be Heero's doing 

He walked in the direction of the living quarters.
“Where are you going?”
“To get dressed. You wanna see this, take out on a date, first!” he said as he walked off.
Duo quickly changed out of his sleep clothes and into a pair of shorts and a dirty t-shirt. He had work to do and a Gundam pilot to track down.
What if he didn’t use those parts for himself and he is a spy for OZ? Then what?
what the fuck would OZ want with some neo-titanium mobile suit neck parts like...
"I have parts from a Gundam you can analyse."
"Oh really? Cool, let's see what they are."
"I'm sure you can get so much information from this 'top secret' piece of machinery–"
"Um..."
"?"
"These are just neo-titanium parts."
"...but they're from a Gundam."
"Meh. You could've said they were from a Leo and I wouldn't have questioned it."
"So..."
"Yeah they don't tell me anything."
"So what do I need?"
"...combat data. And maybe some of the Gundanium parts."
"Mm. Understood."
"I wonder if Cadet Aodhan actually does understand... Does he even know the difference between Gundanium and neo-titanium...?"

*

On his way to meet the cargo ship holding what Heero assumed was illicit Gundanium,
I don't think at this point Gundanium is "illicit" it's just really fucking expensive. Also...cargo ship? Why would it come via ship/boat when it's coming from space? It would be coming via a freight plane/shuttle of some sort. 

Heero’s console beeped.
You have one new message. Press MES DIS to view.
Heero tapped the button, and it unfolded on the screen.
Lieutenant
He got a promotion??? I thought he had to complete this farce of a "mission assignment" to get that?? 

Aodhan O. Clark, abort your current mission and head to Lake Victoria as soon as you are humanly able.
There’s been an attack Please help with recovery efforts.
— Specials First Lieutenant Zechs Merquise
Heero’s heart sank to the deepest depths of his stomach as he read and reread the message. Numbly, he changed his travel coordinates to Lake Victoria in Africa
I mean...Lake Victoria is in Africa but it literally takes up space in three separate African countries and he's not going to the lake itself he is going to the military academy that is by it, which is in Kenya. 

and added as much extra throttle as he dared.
Lucy…
Oh you're that familiar with Noin??? 

Please be safe…
He pressed a few more buttons, opening the COM Link in the hopes he could talk to Zechs—someone—anyone.
“Merquise.”
“It’s Aodhan.” He hasn’t used his real name in so long he nearly forgot it. “I received your message. I’m en route, but I need details.”
“Still piecing them together as we speak. Apparent terrorist attack. Noin is shaken, and I’m not about to interrogate her just yet.”
“She’s alive?”
Heero heard the chuckle. “Of course. I don’t recognise your radio frequency number—where are you?”
“That I can’t disclose, I’m afraid. Just know I’m on my way. Tell me more when I touch down.”
touch down
at Lake Victoria Military Academy
in your Gundam???

He’d have to find a place to leave the Gundam where no one would find it.
Okay and then do what after? Walk? 

There could be more terrorists looking for people like him to add insult to injury.
I mean. You're I'm guessing in OZ military uniform and the Gundams are going after OZ so therefore... But that's also assuming it's the same as in canon. Which it may or may not be.
“I’ll see you in about four hours. Keep an eye on Noin for me.”
“Will do. Merquise out.”
As far as Heero knew, there were no signs of any terrorist threats or activities. The Colonies kept talking about pacifism. Was that all just an act?
They were all for peace talks and, you know, diplomacy. Maybe not necessarily pacifistic intentions but they sure did want the UESA to stop being dicks to them. But I don't know how much of this shit Renamed Heero actually fucking knows either since he is a Colonist I guess mostly raised dirtside so like... I don't think they really teach anything about the OG Heero Yuy tbh since like, why would Earth care? Heero Yuy is probably like, a footnote in an Earthside history book somewhere, if that. So like...

I’m tired of all this political bullshit.
Then fucking abort your mission and leave the military and live in the mountains somewhere because unfortunately for you, politics is something that should matter to everyone because it effects everyone. 

If everyone was more honest about everything, there wouldn’t be a need for all this complicated bullshit.
how to tell me you have no idea how politics work without telling me you have no idea how politics work...

Well. That was certainly painful. Painfully boring. Holy fuck.

Thankfully there is only one more chapter left! And then we move on to the "soft reset", but that will be a bit because I still have to type it all up...