FicWad

Duo Maxwell knocked on the door and was surprised when a young woman opened the door. He stared at her, gaping slightly, it seemed like years since he had seen a woman. She smiled nervously at him and beckoned him in.
"Private Duo Maxwell?"

His head whipped around, from the gently demure young woman, to his sitting superior. "Uh... yes, sir?" He made a clumsy salute, as Quatre Winner, continued to stare at him intently.

"This is Hilde Schbeiker," the newly name woman, bowed her head and looked away from the probing eyes of the Captain. "She was that beautiful singer we heard before. Wasn't her voice lovely?"

"Oh... I see, sir. Is that why you brought her here? To here her sing?" Duo had regained some of his confidence, and he smiled slowly as he said those words. "She's alright looking, yeah, but kinda pasty and thin."

The woman made a soft cry, tears looked ready to fall as she clutched at her dirty apron. Captain Winner, behind his desk began to pour whiskey from a decanter.

"Not entirely, she's a prisoner, Private," Winner smiled, "One caught spying across enemy lines. She was sent to us," the Captain raised his glass, "For her execution," his eyes went back to the Private, "She arrived this morning. When you had your... fit."

Duo blinked, wondering what was going on. "I don't understand sir, if you want to flog me, then just do it." Duo demanded, wanting to get it over with, "Just flog me until I'm dead, if you care. Flog me until my back is red and striped." Panting he stepped back, when the Captain raised his glass.

"There is no need for another explosion, Private, calm yourself," the Captain took a drink of his whiskey, his hand trembling, through Duo hardly noticed. "What is needed is an excecutioner."

The girl falls to the ground and begins sobbing in a guttural language, Captain Winner regards her for a moment before shaking his head. "She's just a girl..." Says Duo.

"Yes." Captain Winner takes another sip.

"How can you let them kill her! She can't be more than sixteen for god's sake, some would call her a child!" Duo yells. "You're not going to kill her are you?"

"She's just about your age, Private, that's why I called you here. You're sixteen aren't you?"

"Yeah... I'll be turning seventeen soon however." Duo said, "I think anyway," he shrugs, "The days go by and you kinda forget little things like a birthday."

"I'm ordering you to execute her. That will be your punishment Private." Captain Winner leans back, and smiles lopsidedly, his lips wet with liqueur.

"No! I won't! You can't make me!"

"You think that? I do too, but those are my orders and I must follow them," those blue eyes rise to meet Duo's. "You can understand that, Private?" And the words sound begging.

"I can't see her die. I won't be the cause of her death."

"That is why, I ordered you to execute her. Private Maxwell, do you understand?"

"What are you on about? I told you I am not going to kill her, she just some stupid girl who got caught. She wouldn't have been much use to the enemy. There's no need to execute her!"

"Realise that I do know that Maxwell, and agree with you." Captain Winner stood up and made his way to sentenced spy and crouched down beside her. "I don't want to see her die."

"But... what do you mean? I don't understand any of this..." Duo shook his head, "What do you want me to do then? Kill her? Not kill her?"

"What we are going to do soldier," Captain Winner smiled slowly, "Is escape from this blasted hell hole and to get away from this war. Little Hilde has presented the perfect excuse."

"You're going to desert?" Duo exclaimed, shocked at the Captain's words.

"It was you, Maxwell, that made up my mind. I don't deserve this rank, don't deserve to make orders to make men kill. I'm not going to do this any longer."

"How... how did I - "

"Private, you're the only one who's disobeyed me," the Captain's vivid blue eyes met his own, "You're the only one who would go against my orders and disdain me so! You mock my birth, my supposed birth, my beautiful mother."

"That sounds, like you would want me to kill you more than anything! Men have killed over less... they still are."

"Your story, it inspired me. You will escape with me, we'll take this girl's dead body and - "

"I meant what I said, Captain, I will not kill her."

"Kill? No, her voice is far too lovely to kill it," Winner places a hand on the pale cheek of Hilde. Her eyes widen, and she starts to shake, fearfully.

"No... please. Don't kill me please." Her words are thick with a foreign accent. "Please. Sirs. Don't kill me."

"Ah! She speaks. How sweet and light her voice is. Don't worry," Quatre says, his eyes burning, "We're going save you and the world." He stands and faces Maxwell. "I need you Maxwell, to help me complete these orders."

"Orders...? What are you talking about now?" Duo began to wonder if his superior was mad. It wouldn't be the first time, or the last.

Winner sighs. "I love my country, but I hate it's war. I chose you, because I believe you can help me. I had to question you first, Maxwell, to test your loyalties. Having someone who could desert at any moment, is not part of my plans."

"You're mad..."

There's a laugh. "Oh, yes, maybe. But these orders, they come up high. Very high. These could cut the war by many years. And it could be over... the war. By the time we complete the orders."

"You want me, to help you?"

"Private, you have a choice to make. You can stay here and wallow in the bloody trenches, or you can help me. I cannot order you any way."

"And... Hilde?"

The girl smiles, and stands beside Winner. "I have already made my decision," her accent clearer, her language more easily understandable. "I met Quatre Winner, a long time ago, in a romantic city of beautiful lights. He captured my attention then, as he does now."

"Are you... lovers?" Duo asks, interested despite himself.

They both smile and exchange glances, "We were once, in City of Lights, before the war. Oh, how beautiful my city was, shining like a star..."

"I thought you were from the Romefeller Confederation. You're part of the Alliance?"

"I was born in Romefeller, my father was a citizen of Romefeller and my mother belonged to the Second Kingdom, when they died I went to stay with my mother's relatives in the City of Lights. I was only young, so I call it, my city."

"Who has ordered this? I don't understand. It doesn't make any sense."

"Oh, Quatre! Naughty man, we haven't told him a things, have we? Do you suppose, we should?" Hilde questions, her face, rather gaunt lighting up within.

"We must, I suppose." Quatre turns and faces Duo, "We're not exactly working under orders, legitimate ones anyone. Orders that someone could give. They're... part of the rebellion."

"You're part of the rebellion, Captain?" Duo exclaims. He thinks for a moment, then asks more slyly, "Have you meet Queen Relena, I heard that she's a pretty fine looking woman."

Quatre smiles sadly, "Queen Relena... she was captured on New Year's Day." Hilde stares down and shakes her head, muttering something under her breath. "And... In a way. I work for myself, to end the fighting. I..." He looks away, "I want this war to end before I die, Duo, can you understand that?"

"I guess I do," Duo says awkwardly. "What about Hilde?"

"Hilde is a spy, it's just who she is spying for that is the question. She's been living in the trenches, no man's land and the surrounding land, for information. Food, as you can imagine is scarce."

"You're a fairly brave woman, Hilde," Duo says to her, smiling at her.

"Thank you, Private Maxwell." She says, wryly.

"So, earlier, you were just playing with me?"

"We had to prove, how far you were willing."

"Oh... and please call me Duo."

She nods, "It is best that we do leave that rather lackluster military title behind. But..." she hesitates, "You're a brave man yourself, Duo, from what Quatre has told me, yet only a Private?"

There is a pause.

"I... well, I don't know. I guess I just don't like following orders. Most of my superiors hate me for it."

"A berserker? How... ancient!" Hilde whispers, her eyes lighting up.

"No," interrupts Quatre, shaking his head. "He has a unconventional fighting style. He's used to fighting on his own, he has not learned how to work collectively in a group. But, he does succeed and survive where others have failed."

"Um... thanks?"

"I do have one question, why was your behaviour so irrational this morning?" Quatre leans in, quite curious.

Duo coughs, and runs a hand through his thick hair. "Well, I was kinda... drunk."

"I suppose I should have expected that."

Duo wonders if this is a put down and whether he should respond to it. He settles on scowling, not wishing at all on receiving Quatre Winner's glare. He doesn't press the issue further, remembering the fire in the blond man's eyes. Right now, whatever the truth may be, is negligible.

"Still, he will be useful. I'll leave any extra training to you Hilde." She nods. "Maxwell, we leave in the morning. I trust you'll be ready?"

There should be answer for that, but Duo doesn't have one