Tapping. Tap, tap. What was that noise? A flurry of clicking, and
then back to tapping.
Duo stirred in his sleep and gradually awoke, wondering why he'd been awakened. Ah, the tapping was Heero on his laptop of course. Duo relaxed and started to drift back asleep.
But the more Duo thought about it, the more he knew that Heero's typing could not have woke him. The two had been sharing a room for months now, and it had never bothered Duo before. No, something else was wrong. Then, Duo heard it again. The noise was so soft so as to be almost inaudible. A few seconds later, it came again.
Someone was in the house.
Duo reached for his gun on the bedside table, just as Heero stiffened and quickly encoded his laptop. Then, he too reached for his gun and slipped into the shadows. Duo quickly hid in the darkness next to the door, awaiting the intruder. Heero, always the Perfect Soldier, analyzed a potential escape route, not knowing that this time, escape would be impossible.
The door swung slowly open, and light flooded the dark room. A shaft of light glinted off Heero's gun and distracted the intruder long enough for Duo to club him over the head with his gun. The man's shot went wild, and buried itself in the wall next to Heero. Duo hit him again, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Heero examined the bullet while Duo rolled over their assailant. Recognizing the insignia on the man's jacket, Duo said, "Oz."
"This is a tranquilizer dart. There will be more of them," Heero replied. He quickly grabbed his laptop and a backpack and strapped it to his back, while Duo pulled on a shirt and shoes.
Heero opened the window and the pair jumped swiftly to the ground. They sprinted across the open lawn to the cover of some nearby trees. Duo got there first, and, panting, he looked to Heero for what to do next. Duo's heart skipped a beat when he realized Heero wasn't there with him.
Quickly scanning the yard, Duo spotted Heero 20 yards away. "Heero," he hissed. When Heero didn't answer, Duo swore, and ran over to where Heero was crouched.
"C'mon, Heero. Get up," Duo said quietly.
"Hurts," Heero whispered. "Can't move."
"What hurts Heero? What are you talking about?" Duo demanded.
"Shot. Leg. Failed," Heero gasped out then collapsed into Duo's arms. Duo saw the dart lying next to Heero and the thin rivulet of blood emerging from his calf.
Duo heard a click behind him. "Don't move," a cold voice ordered. "Your friend here has been injected with a very powerful drug. His muscles ache now, but soon they will burn like fire. The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can spare him his misery."
Held tightly in Duo's arms, the Japanese boy moaned, and pain tightened his features. Duo gritted his teeth. His training demanded that he avoid capture at all costs, but his feelings for Heero were just as strong, if not stronger.
Duo agonized for long moments, while Heero grew paler and sweat stood out on his forehead. Lowering Heero gently to the ground, Duo stood and clasped his hands behind his head, mindful of the many guns aimed at him.
Oz soldiers rushed in to restrain him, but Duo stopped them with two words, "Heero first." He fixed his glare on the man who had spoken before.
The man swallowed quickly and did as Duo had asked. A Gundam pilot, though surrendered, is still a Gundam pilot, and he is no one to be trifled with until properly restrained.
Duo watched as the man drew a syringe from his lab coat pocket. He slid the needle into Heero's arm and pushed the plunger. Duo breathed a sigh of relief as Heero's features eased, and he relaxed into a painless unconsciousness.
With a nod from the man in the lab coat, the soldiers rushed Duo and held him, two to each arm.
Duo flexed the iron-hard muscles in his arms, and he knew that he could probably escape if he tried. But Duo would not leave Heero. Not even for his own freedom. Not for anything.
So, Duo stood perfectly still, fighting against his own most basic instincts to run. The man in the lab coat approached him and took out another syringe. Duo did not allow himself to flinch as the sedative was injected into his body.
In a last show of defiance, Duo fought the drug off for as long as he could. From the looks that the Oz soldiers exchanged, and the uncertainty on the face of the man in the lab coat, Duo knew that he had surprised them. Finally, Duo couldn't resist anymore, and he fell into unconsciousness.
Duo stirred in his sleep and gradually awoke, wondering why he'd been awakened. Ah, the tapping was Heero on his laptop of course. Duo relaxed and started to drift back asleep.
But the more Duo thought about it, the more he knew that Heero's typing could not have woke him. The two had been sharing a room for months now, and it had never bothered Duo before. No, something else was wrong. Then, Duo heard it again. The noise was so soft so as to be almost inaudible. A few seconds later, it came again.
Someone was in the house.
Duo reached for his gun on the bedside table, just as Heero stiffened and quickly encoded his laptop. Then, he too reached for his gun and slipped into the shadows. Duo quickly hid in the darkness next to the door, awaiting the intruder. Heero, always the Perfect Soldier, analyzed a potential escape route, not knowing that this time, escape would be impossible.
The door swung slowly open, and light flooded the dark room. A shaft of light glinted off Heero's gun and distracted the intruder long enough for Duo to club him over the head with his gun. The man's shot went wild, and buried itself in the wall next to Heero. Duo hit him again, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Heero examined the bullet while Duo rolled over their assailant. Recognizing the insignia on the man's jacket, Duo said, "Oz."
"This is a tranquilizer dart. There will be more of them," Heero replied. He quickly grabbed his laptop and a backpack and strapped it to his back, while Duo pulled on a shirt and shoes.
Heero opened the window and the pair jumped swiftly to the ground. They sprinted across the open lawn to the cover of some nearby trees. Duo got there first, and, panting, he looked to Heero for what to do next. Duo's heart skipped a beat when he realized Heero wasn't there with him.
Quickly scanning the yard, Duo spotted Heero 20 yards away. "Heero," he hissed. When Heero didn't answer, Duo swore, and ran over to where Heero was crouched.
"C'mon, Heero. Get up," Duo said quietly.
"Hurts," Heero whispered. "Can't move."
"What hurts Heero? What are you talking about?" Duo demanded.
"Shot. Leg. Failed," Heero gasped out then collapsed into Duo's arms. Duo saw the dart lying next to Heero and the thin rivulet of blood emerging from his calf.
Duo heard a click behind him. "Don't move," a cold voice ordered. "Your friend here has been injected with a very powerful drug. His muscles ache now, but soon they will burn like fire. The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can spare him his misery."
Held tightly in Duo's arms, the Japanese boy moaned, and pain tightened his features. Duo gritted his teeth. His training demanded that he avoid capture at all costs, but his feelings for Heero were just as strong, if not stronger.
Duo agonized for long moments, while Heero grew paler and sweat stood out on his forehead. Lowering Heero gently to the ground, Duo stood and clasped his hands behind his head, mindful of the many guns aimed at him.
Oz soldiers rushed in to restrain him, but Duo stopped them with two words, "Heero first." He fixed his glare on the man who had spoken before.
The man swallowed quickly and did as Duo had asked. A Gundam pilot, though surrendered, is still a Gundam pilot, and he is no one to be trifled with until properly restrained.
Duo watched as the man drew a syringe from his lab coat pocket. He slid the needle into Heero's arm and pushed the plunger. Duo breathed a sigh of relief as Heero's features eased, and he relaxed into a painless unconsciousness.
With a nod from the man in the lab coat, the soldiers rushed Duo and held him, two to each arm.
Duo flexed the iron-hard muscles in his arms, and he knew that he could probably escape if he tried. But Duo would not leave Heero. Not even for his own freedom. Not for anything.
So, Duo stood perfectly still, fighting against his own most basic instincts to run. The man in the lab coat approached him and took out another syringe. Duo did not allow himself to flinch as the sedative was injected into his body.
In a last show of defiance, Duo fought the drug off for as long as he could. From the looks that the Oz soldiers exchanged, and the uncertainty on the face of the man in the lab coat, Duo knew that he had surprised them. Finally, Duo couldn't resist anymore, and he fell into unconsciousness.