Disclaimer: Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing is not mine. Especially the characters. Shuko Murase created them, not me. (T_T)  I'm just borrowing them for the mean time.

Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi. 1x2, 3x4. For now (I think ^_^). Hmm… I really don't know who to partner Wufei with.

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Tenshi: Thanks to all the people who reviewed! This chapter wouldn't be possible without all our encouraging comments! I know it took me a long while to do this chapter… gomen ne! 

Thanatos: And to those who said that last chapter was short… hope this would make up for it. And lookie! They're not calling each other with their numbers anymore.

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WHEN ANGELS FALL

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Chapter Two: Hiding Angels

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"The moves you did were so great, Yuy!"

"With you in the team, we'll be unbeatable!"

Heero Yuy rolled his eyes heavenward and nodded at his teammates as he made his way towards the bench on the sidelines. The team just finished practicing, and Heero—being Heero—was compelled to give his 100% on the game, causing the crowd to go crazy over his fantastic plays. He grabbed a water jug on the floor and drank its content, fully aware of the admiring—and some annoyed—stares that he was garnering. Kuso, so much for being inconspicuous, he thought, annoyed.

And as if to add fuel on the fire…

"HEEEEEEROOOOOOO!"

The Japanese boy winced at the high-pitched voice of none other than Relena Darlian, Lake Victoria Academy's head cheerleader and major pain in the ass and stalker to Heero, whom she had set her sight on since his first day at school. He quickly stood up and made a fast escape amidst the stream of well wishers near the door of the gym.

"Heeerooo! Where are you, HEEEROOOO!?"

One day, he promised to himself, his right hand twitching, one day he'll enjoy blowing that bitch into pieces. He regretted the fact that he couldn't do it now, because it would be just too noticeable. She had already attracted a lot of attention by chasing after Heero, and he didn't want to add more by killing her. Besides, Heero and his friends couldn't risk being found by Treize—not now when they already succeeded in hiding for a whole month.

After a few minutes of trying to lose his obsessed stalker, Heero managed to arrive safely and enter the locker room, which was still deserted since his teammates were still on the court. He went to his locker and opened it to gather his things, wanting to be done showering and changing as quickly as possible.

"He~ero! Where are you?" Relena yelled in a singsong outside, her voice nearer to the room than Heero had expected.

Damn that stupid cheerleader! He thought, his right hand twitching again.

"Need help, Hee-chan?"

A small grin touched Heero's stoic face and his dark blue eyes lit up as he shifted his head to the right where a boy with violet eyes and long, braided chestnut hair dressed in an all-black outfit was leaning lazily on the wall. It didn't surprise Heero a bit that he wasn't able to hear nor see the black-clad boy inside the room, since Duo Maxwell can be more silent than silence itself—if he wanted to be. "What do you have in mind, Duo?" he asked softly.

Brilliant violet eyes warmed at the question, making Heero feel a wave of pleasure coursing through his body. Everything about Duo Maxwell fascinated him. Ever since their first meeting in Treize's palace, while the scientists were training Heero and Duo was brought in, fighting and kicking and yelling at the top of his lungs. It was no wonder that during their month of studying in Lake Victoria Academy, half of the student population considered him as the most charming guy… because he was so beautiful. Although the other half knew him as a mischief-maker.

"Oh," Duo whispered, his pale hands grasping Heero's shoulders and dragging him nearer until their bodies were touching. "Nothing drastic…" Duo smiled first before pressing his lips against Heero's soft mouth and kissing him senseless.

The two boys suddenly disappeared into thin air just as the door of the locker room opened to reveal a happily smiling Relena. "Heeeero—" She frowned at the empty room, her eyes scanning it critically. Her Heero was no where to be found inside the room, and she had been so sure he was hiding here… Relena pouted sulkily in disappointment and closed the door to continue her search.

A minute passed by, then another… until the two boys reappeared, their bodies still pressed against each other's and their lips still locked together. When the kissed ended, both boys were breathing hard with Heero smiling warmly at the pleased expression on Duo's face.

"Umm… that sure was fun…" Duo murmured huskily.

Heero smirked, his lips nuzzling Duo's ear. "Hn. Try calling me 'Hee-chan' again and I'll kill you," he whispered in a lazy tone, his cobalt eyes glinting with an odd light.

Duo pouted adorably, then he happily grinned. "By the way, you told me this morning that you found out something about OZ," Duo said, his fingers playing with the dark-brown tresses on Heero's nape, silkily changing the subject to a more serious one.

Heero was aware that Duo deliberately changed the topic and didn't respond to his threat, but he let it go anyway since he too wanted to talk about his discovery. "I'll show it to you and the others later. You better tell them not to plan anything for tonight." Heero clutched Duo's braid, which was saying a lot about how close they were considering that Duo had almost killed the last person—besides Heero—who touched his precious chestnut braid. Duo reacted by lifting a hand to cradle Heero's face, instinctively knowing that something was bothering Heero even though his face was not showing any emotion.

"Heero?"

"Something's up, and it isn't good."

For a moment, a flicker of a cold, blank expression crossed Duo's vivid face. But it was quickly hidden behind the huge grin he chose to display. The black-clad boy straightened and saluted playfully. "Ryoukai, 01! I'll relay you message immediately!" He kissed Heero on the lips and disappeared on sight.

The only thing that signaled his exit was the opening and closing of the door.

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A warm breeze ruffled Trowa Barton's long, cinnamon colored bangs that fell to one side of his face as he stood on top of a small hill near the school and looked out at the breathtaking sight of the large lake illuminated by the bright afternoon sun. Beautiful was the only word in his mind to describe it. Beautiful and peaceful.

"What are you thinking about?"

Trowa inwardly grinned. It so amused him why the other boy would be asking the question when he could always read Trowa's mind like an open book. But then again, this was Quatre Raberba Winner, and he was probably one of the most selfless people in the world. He inclined his head to the left, shifting his emerald green eyes to the boy lying on the grass comfortably beside him, arms folded beneath his head, and regarding him curiously with bright aquamarine eyes. "Nothing significant," Trowa answered. "I just thought that I could stay here forever. Here…" He looked around. "It's so peaceful… as if we're separated from reality, from the bad things that are waiting for us outside." He snorted at the silliness of his thoughts.

Quatre smiled softly. How well he understood his friend's feelings. The blond boy transferred his gaze to the swirling clouds moving across the sky, marveling at how blue it was. After dismissal, Quatre and Trowa went up the hill and waited for their friends to finish their other activities in school. Heero was practicing for his game next week, and of course, where Heero goes, Duo will surely follow. Wufei must be in the library or somewhere else, studying. "That's so neat. We're thinking of the same thing." The slender boy sighed. "I wish we could stay here for as long as we like… but that's just wishful thinking," he said, thinking of their escape from Treize Khushrenada and OZ a month ago.

"When do you think will Treize attack?" the tall boy asked, guessing the other boy's thoughts, a frown easing into his brows.

Quatre ruefully shook his head. "I don't know. But it wouldn't surprise me if Treize already knew our location. I just couldn't predict when he would attack. Or if he'd send his foot soldiers or 06."

Silence reigned between the two friends, both dwelling on each of their own thoughts. Above them, a lone brown hawk flew, gliding smoothly across the sky. Trowa raised two fingers to his lips and whistle. A moment later, the hawk landed on Trowa's outstretched arm. "You shouldn't worry too much. Worrying would cloud our mind with doubt, and you wouldn't be able to think and plan clearly if you're distracted," Trowa said, stroking the hawk gently. It hooted loudly, happy at the attention.

Musical laughter rang behind him. Trowa turned to see his best friend sitting up and chuckling lightly. "What?" he asked, raising his exposed brow at the amused blond boy.

Quatre shook his head slowly, stifling more giggles. It always left him in the dark when he thought of a reason why people would consider Trowa Barton as a prep of Lake Victoria Academy. Sure he was the star player of the Soccer team, but he never entertained his admirers, and he never gave them any hint of wanting to socialize with them. In fact, like Heero, Trowa was a loner by nature. Maybe that was why the two silent boys treated their newfound popularity within the campus with the same unrelenting indifference. "I'm just wondering what the student body will say if I tell them that Trowa Barton much prefer birds as his friends rather than them," Quatre said teasingly.

"I don't care. I don't need their shallow attention." Trowa continued to stroke the bird's head. "I much prefer animals, because they are true to their instincts. They wouldn't think of betraying me."

Quatre smiled again. "For some reason, I expected that speech from Duo. That is, until we came here."

Trowa smirked, shifting his head away from Quatre. "Duo likes soaking in their attention. He finds it funny that they always fall for his antics, and that their reactions are so predictable..." He then pointed his emerald gaze on a patch of bushes to their right. "…Right, Duo?"

Quatre followed Trowa's sight and found the bushes moving slightly. A second later, a black-clad Duo appeared, grinning as usual at them. "Yo, kimi-tachi! Ogenki desu?"

Quatre shook his head. "You know damn well we're fine, Duo." he cheerfully said, smiling at his always-active friend. But his empathic sense alerted him of a buried tension behind the sunny façade. "Duo, what's the matter?" asked Quatre, frowning slightly.

Duo's smile widened. "Besides the fact that I can't hide from Trowa?" At his friends pointed looks, Duo relented, pouting playfully. "Heero's practice is over, but he's still in the locker room, changing. He told me that he found out something about OZ."

Silence greeted the news. Quatre regarded the messenger solemnly, his prior smile entirely gone. "What did he found out?" he asked, lifting his hand to his chest.

"He's going to show us tonight. Hee-chan told me to tell you not to make any plans later." He stared at his friends. "Well? Do you have plans?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"Just some homework, nothing more," Trowa replied. "Besides that, we're free."

Duo nodded at that, then turned slightly. "Okay, I gotta go. Still need to find Wuffie and tell him the same message! Ja ne!"

Trowa scanned the horizon. "Hey, Duo!" he called after a few seconds. The braided boy turned to him. "Nani?"

"No need to search for Wufei. He's reading a book under that big oak at the back of the school." Trowa lifted his brows, expecting a reaction, and he wasn't disappointed.

Duo cringed, groaning loudly. "Studying?! God, what a bore! Thanks, Tro-kun!" He walked away, shaking his head. Then he disappeared again.

. . .

One important reason for the very different climates of the past is continental drift. In the early Cretaceous, the continents were actually clumped into two large landmasses or "supercontinents"—Laurasia, which included North America and Eurasia, and Gondwanaland, which included Africa, South America, India, Australia, and Antarctica. By the beginning of the Paleoc—

"Wuffie! What'cha reading?"

Chang Wufei long-sufferingly sighed, closing his book entitled "Anthropology" with a snap. The black-haired, ebony-eyed Oriental boy glared at his friend sternly, his mouth set in a straight line. "I knew it was too good to be true to study outdoors in silence." He then raised his book to Duo's eye-level, which was not too far since the braided boy was only a meter away from him.

Duo read the title of the black-and-gold hardbound book. "Anthropology?" He straightened and scratched his head. "Why the hell would you study Anthropology? We're still in high school, you know."

Wufei opened his book once again, continuing where he left off about Primates and their environment. "Unlike you, Maxwell, some people like to study in advance."

Duo stuck his tongue at the black-haired boy. "Meanie!" He crossed his arms in his chest. "Well, I just came hear to deliver a message from Heero."

Wufei continued to read, giving his friend half of his attention. "What did Yuy want?"

"It's about OZ. He found out some disturbing information after hacking their system last night. He wanted to show it to us later," Duo relayed the information as if they were talking about the weather.

That got Wufei's whole, undivided attention. "What's the information all about?" he asked, snapping his head toward the violet-eyed boy in front of him. 

Duo shrugged. "Beats me. Heero refused to tell me, saying that he'll show it to us instead. Told me to tell you guys not to make plans for tonight." He yawned, stretching his arms. "Well, that's all, then. Heero's probably finished changing by now. So do you have any plans?"

Wufei frowned. "I was supposed to—"

"—yeah, yeah, I know. You're supposed to study for a quiz or God knows what else you're studying," Duo cut in, grinning at the irritated expression on the Chinese boy's face. "Cut that crap, okay?"

"You know damn well I have plans!" Wufei shot back, scowling. "But of course I won't miss any information about OZ."

Duo grinned and waved his hand. "Good! Now, I gotta go, Wuffie! Later!" And in a blink of an eye, the braided boy vanished, turning invisible once more.

Wufei stared at where his friend was a second ago, wondering—but not for the first time—why Duo would choose to go around without being seen. They had already hidden in this quaint little district for a whole month, and yet still there were times when the violet-eyed boy couldn't go around the town without his 'cloak' on. Wufei shrugged at his musings and returned to his book, waiting for his friends.

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Dinner was a silent affair. When the five boys got home—a house courtesy of Howard, a mechanic who also escaped from OZ before them—they each went on with their individual work; doing their assignments, meditating (in Wufei's case), reading a book, and playing the violin (in Quatre's case). Although there were still that hint of tension in the air that when dinner came, it was abnormally quiet. Trowa and Wufei had thoughtful expressions on their face, Heero noted, and Quatre was looking at his friends one at a time, his brows frowning. He must be feeling the palpable tension in the air more so than he did. Duo was happily eating his dinner, but for Heero—who was probably the closest to the braided boy—it was easy to see how truly unstrung the boy was.

When dinner ended and the dishes were cleaned up, four gazes turned pointedly at him, and Heero sighed, finding the scene quite exasperating. "Why are you nervous?" he asked, frowning at his friends.

The quiet inquiry started different reactions from the four boys. Quatre rubbed his fingers to his temples while Trowa coolly stared at Heero, silent as always. Duo stood up and protested loudly, as expected. "Hee-chan! I AM not nervous!" he said, conveniently forgetting his boyfriend's threat earlier. Beside Duo, onyx eyes of a certain Chinese boy blazed angrily. "Are you implying that I'm SCARED?" Wufei asked, his voice dangerously low.

Heero glared at them. "No, I didn't. But there's nothing wrong with being scared, Wufei. You won't know how to be brave until you've experience fear." Heero paused, looking at his friends impassively. "Quatre is probably having a headache by now because of all your needless anxiety. What the hell are you thinking? We're strong. We know how to handle tough situations, because that's how they trained us to be."

That got both Duo and Wufei to shut up. Quatre gave a huge sigh of relief when he felt his friends' tensions easing. He really admired their leader's intellect; he immediately knew what to say to calm them, and it worked in a way no other thing could do. Trust Heero to aim at his target's weakness: Wufei with his integrity, and Duo with his friend.

Heero then stood up and went up upstairs, silently motioning for them to wait. When he came back, he had brought with him his trusty laptop in one arm. He quickly and efficiently went to work while his four friends gathered around him on the dinning table.

Within minutes, he had hacked into OZ's main computer. Dozens of data appeared on the monitor, but Heero focused on the thing that concerned him the most.

ANGEL PROJECT.

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Tbc…

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Wai! Chapter two completed! Hope you like it!

Japanese Words:

Kimi-tachi = you (plural)

Ogenki desu ka = How are you? (ka = ?)

Kuso = damn

Nani = what

Ja ne = see you

Ryoukai = roger

Oh yeah, I changed some things in chapter one. Nothing drastic, just some minor revisions.

Should I still continue this?

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Review! Review! Review!