Disclaimer:I don't own them and I don't make any money off of them.
Warnings: Male/male sex, graphic, language, violence
Kracken
Disclaimer:I don't own this and I don't make any money off of this.
Warning:Male/male sex, graphic, language, violence.
Princes and Soldiers
Tiger
"Wu Fei?" Milliardo stood before a screen in the courtroom and talked to Wu Fei on his cell phone. "Everything in place? Yes, I know it was difficult. I appreciate your efforts. Standby."
It had taken a long discussion to get everyone, including the judge, to agree, but they were all eager to prove, beyond a doubt, a Preventer agent's innocence. When Milliardo sweetened the request by promising to end any more motions questioning evidence used for sentencing, he was given the equipment he needed without trouble.
Zanse and his defense were looking smug, that was a bad sign. Duo was slumped in his chair and looking pale, but curious, with Heero on one side and Noin on his other.
The images of Duo's scars were displayed and Duo ducked his head and refused to look until it was over and the images were placed in an evidence file. Everyone was talking after that and the judge had to call order several times. Finally, Zanse's lawyer stood up, looking concerned.
"Your honor, I realize that a doctor has examined Agent Maxwell and determined that he did not suffer the wound shown in the surveillance video. It's possible , though, that he was wearing a flack jacket at the time. The video clearly shows a young man, with a long braid, shooting civilians. The authenticity of this video is being questioned, but all experts have determined that it was not enhanced in any manner. We are trying to establish that Duo Maxwell is not competent, and that his method of infiltration tainted any case he, or the government, has against my client. "
"That's bull-" Duo began to shout, levering himself up out of his chair. Noin grabbed his arm and hissed. "Sit down!" at the same time.
The lawyer motioned to Duo as if he had just proven his case.
"I move to dismiss the case based on the grounds that all evidence is suspect due to unlawful methods of infiltration and arrest of my client," the lawyer finished with a flourish.
"Your honor?" Milliardo addressed the judge smoothly. "May I refute these charges?"
The judge looked irritated. He shuffled papers, changed screens on his computer, and then nodded to Milliardo. "Proceed."
"First, I would like to prove, that the person on that evidence tape, is not Agent Duo Maxwell," Milliardo said as he took out his cell phone. "If you please, Agent Wu Fei."
The large screen began playing a vid, but not of the evidence tape. It was a different corridor and the back of Duo came into view.
"This is a mission in Majorca, drug runners," Milliardo explained. "There are civilians present as well as the targets. The figure is verifiably Agent Maxwell."
The figure of Duo, in a black uniform, moved quickly, spinning and ducking with the grace of a cat. He held two pistols and had a shoulder rifle hanging from a strap. He fired without pause as he made his way through the enemy.
Milliardo stopped the vid feed. He pointed to the screen. "Here and here. Civilians. Maxwell passed over them and killed targets on either side. What is significant, is that he risked his life for those pauses. He was wide open for enemy fire both times."
Another tape played, and then another with Heero at Duo's side, taking out enemy targets with deadly precision. Milliardo paused each one and pointed to where they had remarkably been able to spare civilians in the midst of fire fights.
"Documented evidence that Duo Maxwell is willing to risk his life to spare civilians," Milliardo summed up, "And another kind of evidence." He brought up the evidence video and ran the two Duo Maxwell vids side by side. While the file vid showed Duo moving quickly, gracefully, and using his weapons as if they were extensions of himself, the evidence vid showed Duo moving stiffly, at a slow walk, and using his weapons as if they were unfamiliar to him.
"He doesn't try to avoid return fire," Milliardo pointed out. "It's as if he doesn't fear getting shot. There is also one detail that is very significant. " He paused for effect and then pointed at the braid in the evidence video. "Agent Maxwell's hair is pulled back to make his braid. The other figure supposedly has his hidden under his jacket, but his hair, on the top of his head, is clearly not pulled back."
Milliardo continued, as he blanked the screen, "We have been, legally, monitoring all transmissions from the installation. I had Chang Wu Fei do a search, through our satellite surveillance, for vid feed transmissions. He discovered that there is more to this evidence vid than was submitted and that it was sent directly to Zanse's lawyer from the installation."
Milliardo played the vid. The beginning was the same, but the end was different. Instead of showing Duo ducking into another corridor, it showed the person trip, recover, and show his face clearly for the surveillance camera. It was an older man and not Duo.
Milliardo frowned as he froze the vid and pointed to the civilians. "These individuals were all identified. They are all in Zanse's employ and they are all documented as missing."
The lawyer was quick to start shouting about 'inadmissable evidence' and ' pure supposition' but the Judge admitted the vids into evidence. He denied dismissal of the case and denied the lawyer's attempts to obstruct the sentencing yet again.
Zanse was sentenced to life in prison, a new trial pending for the suspected murder of the 'civilians' on the evidence video. When the court room was finally dismissed, Duo slumped down low in his chair and dropped his face into his hands.
"It's over," Duo said behind his hands.
Milliardo smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "We both owe Chang Wu Fei a very large debt."
"Worth it," Duo replied and then lowered his hands and looked up at Milliardo wearily. "Can we go home now?"
Milliardo nodded with a smile. He and Heero both supported Duo as they made their way back to their car. The press was waiting. Noin drew her gun. She threatened and shoved until she had cleared their way.
"Like rats," Noin growled in distaste as she took the wheel and
everyone else climbed into the back. She pulled away from the courthouse."They
would eat their own."
Heero and Milliardo bracketed Duo with the warmth of their bodies and Duo sighed
in relief as he let his eyes close and his body relax. "I don't want to
leave the house for a week," Duo murmured. "Maybe more. I just wanna
sleep, walk around in my underwear, and drink soda."
"Spare me the visual," Noin grumbled.
Duo snorted, but he was already falling asleep.