RP Log - Formulating a Plan

[trowapilot03]

Who: Duo, Heero, Trowa
When: After the Duo Pluto log
Where: Heero's hut then Duo's
Rating: G
Warnings: sort of angst, shonen-ai reference, plotting
Summary: Trowa goes to check on Heero and they go to visit Duo.

Despite Quatre's visit, Heero was still not feeling up to going anywhere. While he'd finally come out of his room, much to Relena's relief, he hadn't left the hut. Sitting at the dining table, he was tapping away on his laptop.

Trowa had decided to come visit Heero to see how he was doing, making sure that someone watching Quatre to make sure he didn't slip out again while he was still sick. Trowa arrived at Heero's hut and knocked.

Heero glanced at the door, a small pang of nervousness settling heavily in his gut. He wasn't sure who knew and what they knew about what had happened. Considering how popular Duo had gotten, Heero was pretty sure he had ended up on some people's not-so-popular list. He got up and walked over, cautiously opening the door. He was relieved to see it was Trowa.

"Hey there," Trowa greeted him. "How are you doing?"

"Hn." Heero opened the door to let Trowa in.

"That good, huh?" Trowa sighed as he entered the hut, guessing what that meant.

The Japanese pilot closed the door behind Trowa and followed him back inside. "Want anything?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine," Trowa told him.

Heero nodded and sat down on the couch. "Is Quatre alright?" he asked.

"Still sick," Trowa sighed. "Whenever something happens, he cares more about the health of others and less about his own. His cough is still pretty bad."

Heero frowned. "Sorry," he said quietly.

"It's not your fault," Trowa said. "Really it isn't. Quatre has always been like this. He just can't adjust to the fact that he needs to rest when he's sick."

He looked at Trowa for a moment and then nodded. "He came by here," he said.

"I know he did. He also went by Duo's after I had already attempted to get him to go to sleep."

"He's out of the first aid station?" Heero asked.

"I think. I didn't ask...either that or Quatre broke into the first aid station to see him."

Heero gave Trowa a weak smile. He sighed. "I guess I should go see him."

"I don't think he'd be mad at you, Heero. Duo knows about Lelouch and his powers."

He just nodded.

Trowa sighed. "Though I'm still kind of confused about all this."

"How do you mean?"

"I didn't even know there was really this much a problem with this Lelouch guy until this happened...I mean I talked Noelle and she said that Duo didn't like him, but..."

"Duo didn't like him because he's been trying to play games with us," Heero said. "He's threatened Treize as well."

Trowa sighed. "Great."

He nodded.

"Unfortunately, it looks like the game has gotten too real now."

"Very real."

Trowa finally sat down and pressed his head in his hands. "Quatre kept saying that we are going to be the monsters again..."

"I wouldn't be surprised if that's what people think," Heero said. "He's... he's very tricky."

Trowa nodded. "I can see that."

"He has the same ability Treize has to get people to like him."

Trowa chuckled somewhat annoyedly. "Why do people always go for the royalty types?"

Heero shook his head slightly. He didn't know. He supposed it had something to do with their upbringing... learning etiquette and charisma... how to speak well, how to impress... how to lead. It was probably something he would never understand.

"I've spoken to Midna," Trowa remarked. "She's not going to take sides unless she sees some actual proof that either we're lying or Lelouch is...I can only hope most people do that."

Heero nodded. "It's the best we can hope for... other than people realizing that we're telling the truth."

Trowa nodded. "If they can't believe us, I'd rather they not take sides. Midna trusts me. She just wants to be certain that everything is how I'm saying it is."

"Hn."

Trowa sighed. "This is just annoying."

"Very." Heero sighed slightly as well. "At least he can't take me over again."

Trowa nodded. "At least you're safe from being the attacker now."

He nodded. "It was so... strange. Like... being in the back seat of my own mind. I heard that I'm not supposed to remember it, but... maybe because I fought him so strongly."

Trowa nodded. "Maybe...Hopefully this will be the end of this and this whole thing can just blow over and be forgotten."

"Hn." The Japanese pilot sighed, looking down at his hands for a moment. He then looked over at Trowa. "I appreciate you stopping by," he said. "I'm sure Quatre told you why he came over here."

"Because you were feeling guilty about what happened?"

He nodded.

"It's not your fault. He had control over you."

"I know." Heero frowned a bit. "I just feel that I should have been able to keep him out of my own mind."

"The mind is very tricky thing," Trowa remarked. "And a very complicated thing. Don't beat yourself up about this, Heero."

He nodded.

"I think the one thing we can be glad about is that his ability is limited."

Heero nodded. "Yeah. He has to make eye contact and can only do it to us once."

"So we just avoid looking at him and we're fine."

"It's the eye he keeps hidden with the patch," he said. "He has to lift it for it to work."

Trowa nodded. "Okay."

Heero sighed and glanced at his laptop for a second. "I should go see Duo." He bit his lip.

"Do you want to go see him together?"

He glanced at Trowa, looking momentarily unsure of himself, and then nodded. "It might be easier."

"Okay," Trowa said. "Shall we go?"

Heero nodded. He got up and shut down his laptop first, putting it back in his room.

Trowa waited for Heero in the living room.

He came back out, grabbing his jacket, and nodded to Trowa as he pulled it on.

Trowa nodded and headed for the door.

Heero followed, closing the door behind them after they stepped outside.

Trowa walked beside Heero as they headed for Duo's hut.

Heero paused at the door, his hands shoved firmly into his pockets as he looked at the door. He took a deep breath and knocked.

Duo paused his game and opened the door. He blinked. "Oh... hey, guys," he said, giving the two other pilots a small smile. "C'mon in."

Trowa smiled. "Hello, Duo," he said as he walked inside. "How're you doing?"

"Okay, I guess," he said.

Heero stepped in behind Trowa.

Duo closed the door. "You guys want anything?" he asked, motioning for them to sit.

"I'm fine," Trowa said as he sat down in one of the chairs.

Heero shook his head, sitting in the other chair.

Duo nodded. "Okay." He sat on the couch, clearly favoring his left arm still. It was obvious he was doing his best not to do something that might pull at the stitches. "What's up?" he asked.

"We just came to see how you were doing," Trowa said. "After all you were just shot."

Heero looked down sharply at Trowa's statement.

Duo didn't miss the movement, either. He frowned a bit. "Heh..." He rubbed the back of his head. "I'm alright," he said. He glanced at Heero. "Stop that," he told him.

Heero blinked, looking back at Duo again.

"It's not your fault, Heero," Trowa told him.

"You're still doin' it," Duo said. "I told you in the first aid station that I didn't blame you."

Heero nodded. "I know," he said. "Of course, you were still half drugged at the time."

"I was aware enough to know what I saying." Duo threw a pillow at Heero. "Snap out of it."

Heero blinked, catching the pillow this time. He nodded. "I'm still sorry..." he said.

"I know."

Trowa watched this take place then he said, "we've all had a major strain the past couple of days. I think we just all need some time to recover emotionally from this."

Duo smiled a bit. "Hey... consider this payback for when I shot you, okay?"

Heero couldn't help but smile slightly to that.

Trowa chuckled.

"If that was the case, I'd have to shoot you again in the leg," Heero remarked.

"Hey... no ideas!" Duo said quickly.

Trowa laughed.

Heero smiled a bit more this time and nodded. "Alright."

Duo smiled back in relief. "No more moping, then? Otherwise, you're gonna make Quatre nuts."

Heero shook his head. "No... no more 'moping', as you put it."

"Quatre's driving himself crazy enough by himself," Trowa remarked.

"I can imagine," Duo said. "Sorry about that, Tro'..."

"It's alright," Trowa said. "I'm used to it."

"I would think you'd hafta be," the American said with a small laugh. "Is he feeling any better? He was coughing pretty bad when he stopped by here."

"He's still coughing. Hopefully, he keeps himself warm and rests. I have someone watching to make sure he doesn't try and sneak out again since that's the last thing he needs."

Duo chuckled a bit and shook his head. "He's just as stubborn as the rest of us."

Trowa nodded. "He is and it drives me crazy sometimes...but I still love him."

"And to think, there's probably stubborn stuff you do that drives him crazy, too," Duo teased. "All part of the relationship, yanno."

Heero smiled a bit.

Trowa nodded with a soft smile. "I know, I know."

Duo chucked, then turned serious again. "Do you think anyone's gonna believe us?" he asked quietly. "I mean... so far, it seems like Jon and Citan do... Omi's just plain confused because he thinks Xellos was posing as Lelouch... but..."

"It wasn't Xellos," Heero said firmly. "Xellos can't control someone like that..."

Trowa nodded. "I know Midna is not taking sides until she has proof one way or the other, but she trusts me so I think her favor is on our side. Hopefully, the Guardians will either side with us or do the same as Midna."

"Oh!" Duo blinked. "I talked to Pluto," he said. "She might be able to help us out. Granted, it doesn't mean she's more convincing than someone else, but she can see into the Time Stream."

Heero looked at Duo with a curious expression. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well... first off, she doesn't wanna do anything unless you're willing to let her," he told Heero, "but, if you are, she might be able to look at points involving the two of us to see if it really was Lelouch that was there. Of course, it might take a while. She can't really narrow down on one day... unless... we had Lelouch there as well..."

The Japanese pilot frowned. "No. I'm not going to put anyone in danger of him doing something more."

Trowa sighed. "Even if she is able to find out the truth, people are going to believe what they want to believe. Besides, Lelouch would never submit to that, guilty or not."

"Yeah... I kinda figured both things there... Lelouch isn't gonna stand by while we prove ourselves right," Duo said. "And I'm not too thrilled with the idea of being in the same room with him, right now, either." He sighed. "The only other thing is if you were willing to let her see everything that's around us being together," Duo said. "Short of having Trowa and Quatre there, too, to narrow it down a bit more."

"It's not that much," Heero said. "I have no reason to distrust Pluto."

"She'd also need permission from you and Quatre if you were come along," Duo said to Trowa.

"I have no problems with going to Pluto," Trowa remarked. "I have no reason to distrust her. As much as I would like to spare Quatre too much at the moment, he's a better timeline than I am since he started sensing both of your feelings so we would have to talk to him."

Duo nodded. "First, tho'... she did point something out. While we know Xellos doesn't have any power like Lelouch has, she mentioned that he has a weakness when he takes the form of someone else. His eyes never change. You saw Lelouch's eyes," he said to Heero. "Do you remember what they looked like?"

Heero thought for a moment. "His left one was definitely red... under the patch. And I remember... a red bird..." He frowned.

"Pluto said Xellos has more animal-like eyes... I think I've seen them once."

Heero shook his head. "These were not animal-like," he said. "Not at all... but there was... some sort of symbol on his red eye."

"I would think Xellos would not be able to pull of the trick with his eye if he were to be imitating Lelouch."

"Not if he can't change his eyes," Duo said.

"The bird... that was the symbol... and it came from that eye," Heero said, still remembering. "It flew out, right at me." He shook his head. "Xellos doesn't have any powers that are red... everything of his I've seen comes out as dark energy."

"I think if we could prove that much beyond a shadow of a doubt, there'd be no doubt that Lelouch is the culprit, not Xellos and not us lying."

Duo nodded. "There's a major problem... actually being able to prove it. Xellos and Lelouch aren't exactly going to cooperate."

Trowa sighed. "I didn't think they would."

Heero frowned. He didn't want to put anyone else in danger, but... if there was perhaps a way to trick them...

Trowa leaned his head against his hand. "This whole thing is just so..."

"Frustrating?" Duo offered.

Trowa nodded. "Yeah."

Duo sighed. "Yeah."

Heero frowned.

"I'm just hoping this is the end of it," Trowa remarked. "That perhaps Lelouch was just using this as a warning and now he'll back off."

"I hope so, too..." Duo said. "I'm just... I'm wondering if I should try talking to Noelle... not about this particular thing... since I know that's gonna backfire. But... just..." He sighed. "I dunno."

"We could always try a round about way..."

"Like?"

"Neptune lives in the same hut," Trowa remarked. "I've heard she talked to Omi so she only knows what she's heard from him."

"You mean... tell Neptune what's up and then ask her to talk to Noelle?" Duo asked.

"Possibly...I don't know if she'd actually do it, but I think Noelle might take the concern better coming from her than she would from any of us."

"Yeah... and, if Pluto agrees to do the Time Stream thing, Neptune's likely to believe Pluto."

Heero nodded.

Trowa smiled. "From what I've noticed, none of the Guardians are ever going to disbelieve Pluto when something is up, so that could work."

Duo nodded.

"Before we go to Pluto, we should make sure Quatre is up for this because Pluto would be able to better track what was happening by his emotions...Quatre grabbed at his arm at some point before he raced out to find you guys so I'm assuming..."

Duo frowned a bit. "Yeah..." he said quietly.

"Anyway," Trowa said clearing his throat. "I should go check with Quatre and see if he feels up to this."

Duo nodded. "Yeah... that's the hinge right now."

Heero also nodded, agreeing with them both.

"Alright, then I will be going," Trowa said rising. "I'll get back to you as soon as I can Duo, since you were the one to talk to Pluto initally."

"Alright," Duo said, getting up with him.

Heero got up as well.

Trowa nodded to them. "It was good seeing you two again." With that, he headed for the door.

"Yeah." Duo walked with them to the door.

Heero followed Trowa out.