(Untitled)

[lightningbaron6]

Zechs had forgotten that, though the fabric itself was comfortable, his Preventers uniform chafed at him in ways that his OZ one never had. Certainly there had been problems toward the end, but in OZ his position had always been one of authority, even though he'd answered to Treize. He was pretty sure that in the Preventers that would not be the

Comments

[maxwellsdemon02]

An hour later, Duo is fidgeting in the main lobby of the Preventer building. The cuffs on his jacket will probably fall off if he rolls them up and lets them fall much too many more times.

The receptionist is watching him curiously, obviously used to seeing agitated Preventers. But this is a new behavior for Maxwell.

[lightningbaron6]

True to his word, Zechs stepped out of his cab precisely an hour after he and Duo had parted company. He paid the driver, tipped him, then straightened his jacket and walked boldly through the main doors, not prepared to care if anyone noticed or commented. Duo was already there and, Zechs noticed, rather distraught.

'Maxwell,' he said calmly. 'I hope I've not kept you waiting?'

[maxwellsdemon02]

"Nope. Right on the dot. You're good. Welcome to your home away from home- not that you haven't been before. I figure a few things have probably changed, including security measures since we've gotten bigger. Follow me!"

Duo spins around and trots over to the agents manning the entrance to the actual Preventer offices. He passes them his ID and chats happily with one of the men before being allowed through.

[lightningbaron6]

Zechs permitted himself an amused little smile before schooling his features into an expression of absolute calm and control once again. He handed over his own ID to the agents for inspection; if things are anything like they were the last time he was on active service, then piggybacking still isn't permitted.

When he had his identification back, Zechs followed after Duo and looked around him.

'New security measures?' he questioned.

[maxwellsdemon02]

"Like I said, expanding. New branches opened up in Australia, so we got trainees, and basically a big influx of people without any prior records. So, our systems are connected like whoa, and we wanna know who is where at all times. Otherwise you need an agent in Geneva when he's backpacking in the Andes, yanno?"

This brings them to a hallway of offices. Duo swings the door of one open, revealing a mostly empty room. Shelves, desk, a window and a waste-bin.

[lightningbaron6]

Zechs nodded. 'That makes sense, especially if you're expanding rapidly, though you have my condolences about the lack of information on your latest members. I take it you're fully global as well as colonial, now?'

He looked into the room when Duo opened the door. 'Charming. This one mine?'

[maxwellsdemon02]

"Yes indeed. For now, anyway. Just give thanks you didn't end up in the Antarctic branch."

Duo pushes open the window briefly, letting in a rush of fresh, cold air.

[lightningbaron6]

'With the green recruits, running around searching for a base that doesn't exist?' Zechs snorted. 'Unless you've actually built one there now, though I can't imagine why.'

The sudden breeze caused by the opening of the window ruffled Zechs' hair, and he pushed the platinum blond strands back out of his face once the rush had died down.

'Cold, but you're correct, it is a bit stale in here...'

[maxwellsdemon02]

"It's been closed up, for a bit. It's a single office, and we've been running on the partner system." He pushes the window shut again, and turns to face Zechs.

"And we only send the ones Sally doesn't like to Antarctica." Grinning, he gestures to the desk. "Go ahead and boot up your system, we'll get you connected."

[lightningbaron6]

'Well, at least people remember that I don't work and play well with others.' Zechs set his portable system on the desk and sat down, logging himself in to the machine, amused at the thought of Sally personally ordering the dispatch of a group of agents whom she didn't particularly care for to Antarctica.

'It still has the advanced level encryption from when I was last in Une's employ. Have the security standards for data been upgraded as well?'

[maxwellsdemon02]

"For the systems as well as the buildings, yeah. Heero donated some code he wrote, and we have a tech squad, of course. I like to frustrate them by trying to find holes in it, but they usually slap me down and crash my system. It's fun!"

Duo leans on the desk and peers over Zechs' shoulder.

[lightningbaron6]

Zechs gave a long, slow, disconcerting blink, the rest of his face remaining absolutely expressionless. 'You have a strange idea of fun,' he said as his fingers skittered over the keyboard, bringing up the configuration panel for the system so that the new security parameters could be set. Normally he'd have been bothered by someone hovering so close, but the shuttle ride had lead him to the conclusion that Duo was, on the whole, all right.

'Do you have a disc with the codes I'll need, or will I have to request them personally?'

[maxwellsdemon02]

"Many people tell me that. I never listen."

Duo makes a disk appear out of thin air and presents it to Zechs with a flourish. "Ta-da!"

[lightningbaron6]

'I don't expect that you would, no...'

Zechs slipped the disc into the system and scanned it as a matter of habit, and once satisfied he set the installation and update programs to run. Then he spun in the chair to face Duo.

'Any other changes I should be aware of?'

[maxwellsdemon02]

"Every entering Preventer has to pass the medical requirements. Even returning ones, I'd bet."

Duo innocently examines his nails.

[lightningbaron6]

'........'

Zechs gave the smallest of twitches and pinned Duo with a penetrating look.

'You can't possibly be serious. I'm in perfect health. They would actually make me submit to a physical?'