Title: blackout

Author: Kidishcaresh

Pairing(s): 1x2

Word count: 3532

Theme: Imprisonment/Quarantine and Supernatural.

Timeline: AU

Author notes: This is for the MoR contest. I hope I got it done on time. ^^

Summary: "He's not a violent child sir." his surrogate mother whispered quietly.

"Never was. It's just that…well since the accident…he's just never been the same since learning about the little girl and her dog." his surrogate father murmured. He just stared out the window. He stopped caring. He'd decided that being put a place like this was probably best for everyone.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC's.

Blackout chapter 1

"Please understand son…" his mother had pleaded when they told him.

"They can cure you son." his father had added.

"Just stop both of you; I know. I'll only be a danger to people like this so just hurry the hell up and take me away." he'd yelled before running to his room and hiding in his favorite spot. The tiny bit of space between his cast-iron closet and the wall; no one could figure out how he even found the room to hide in the narrow space. The small space was his safety zone. Here he couldn't do any harm. If he zoned out now or fell asleep he wouldn't be able to get out by himself. He found that out the hard way. His dad would eventually call two of his friends and together they'd move the very heavy cast iron closet just enough that Heero could be pulled free before pushing it back in place.

He stared at the flier in his hand. 'The Romefeller institute for unusual children' it read in neat curled letters.

'A fancy way of saying insane asylum…" Heero thought quietly. He hated the place and he hadn't even been there. He'd not lied though. He was better off locked away in that place then here where he could get a blackout at any given moment. It wasn't that he was crazy really; far from it in fact. He was about as sane as they came; or so he'd thought.

Ever since the accident, where a drunk idiot slammed his car in theirs and caused their car to go out of control hitting that little girl and her dog, Heero had started to have blackouts. These were moments where he lost his grip on reality and started to relive memories; memories that weren't his own. He couldn't remember anythin other then the memories once he got out of one of these blackouts, but he always ended up at the police station or in the hospital and learned after some pushing that he would become insanely violent. While it was mostly aimed toward himself he did tend to attack anyone who tried to keep him from hurting himself.

Ever since the accident he'd been thrown from one family to the next never staying long enough to get to know any of them. Jake and Molly were the first couple to keep him despite his problem. They were different from the others and espite Heero having been only six when he met them they talked to him like they would to an adult person. They told him that they would take him to see a councilor who would talk with him in hopes of getting him over his anger issues. It was only last week some eleven years after meeting them and when Heero woke in the police station's drunk tank which was full of fist sized holes now that they decided there was more going on here. Heero had agreed. Having always been exceptionally strong for a child Heero had most of his life been afraid of what he might do. He loved Jake and Molly like he would his real parents and the last thing he wanted was for them to get hurt.

Three weeks later, Romefeller institute 8:03

"He's not a violent child sir. He never was unless he had his episode and even then it was more toward himself then toward others. Please you are our last hope at helping the boy." Molly said quietly.

"I know madam you've made that abundantly clear." Mister Dermail said.

"Honestly sir, Heero is the most kindhearted child I've ever seen. It's just that ever since the accident when he was three years old he's been having these episodes; blackouts as he calls them. He doesn't lie when he says he doesn't remember. We know he's not a bad boy, he just needs help…help that we as his parents unfortunately can't give him." Jake added quietly. Heero stared out the window. He wished they'd hurry it up already. The sooner they put him in a room with eight inch thick walls the better it was for all of them. Cold sweat was running down his back in rivulets; he felt like the longer they talked the closer he'd get to zoning out and slipping into another episode.

"HEERO!" Molly cried. Heero turned quickly to his mother then stared at his hand which was held firmly by the gloved hand of Dermail, but had still managed to bring a letter opener dangerously close to his throat. Heero cursed and dropped the tool. Molly was up in seconds and wrapped her arms around him.

"It's okay." she whispered over and over.

"No it's not okay! It will never be okay until these episodes stop!" Heero yelled pushing away from her. He forced himself not to break down and collapse in a trembling heap again.

"Why don't you two go with my secretary to the break room for some coffee? I'll bring Heero to his new room so he can lay down for a bit and calm down." Dermail said calmly as he pushed Heero out the door. Heero frowned. He didn't much like the deceptive kindness with which the man spoke.

"Don't give me that look boy; you and I both know it's best this way. You're obviously a danger to yourself right now. Keep in mind that I'm doing what's best for everyone." Dermail said coldly as he shoved Heero at someone else then told that person to take him on a tour before stuffing him in room 314.

"Don't mind him, he's a deceptive asshole. I'm Trowa." the tall person said. Heero took a moment to get a good look of the man, but found that it was in fact a boy of roughly his age. The boy was just very tall, but didn't look awkward like most boys would if they had his length. He looked like he belonged on the high wire in the circus.

"I'm Heero. Do you work here?" Heero said as he followed the tall boy to a door that led to a game room.

"Hell no! Sorry, I'm not overly fond of this place. I wouldn't work here if it were the only job on earth. No, I'm like you in a way. So what're they throwing you in here for?" Trowa said letting Heero walk in before closing the door.

"Blackouts…bad ones; I get violent from them…if it happens don't touch me…if you don't no one gets hurt besides me…" Heero said quietly as Trowa led him around the room.

"The game room; I take it you know what it's for. Toilet's through that door at the end of the hall. The halls left and right are our golden cages. You get a cot a wooden closet and a desk and that's about all. I'm here because I apparently am paranoid. I see things they say." Trowa said calmly.

"That's no good; I can't have anything in my room that I can move…closet needs to be cast iron. I'll ask Jake if he and his friends could bring my closet from home. I can't have the key though. I'll need to talk that over with that Dermail guy and make sure the walls and door are thick enough that I can't break em…can't have a repeat of that drunk tank…" Heero murmured.

"That was you? I heard about it on the news some guy had gone ballistic and punched a dozen holes in it when they locked him in there. I thought they were exaggerating again. Come on I'll introduce you to the others." Trowa said pulling him along just as he began to feel his grip on reality slip again. He blinked and nodded following the boy.

"Like I said I zone out some times…I get really violent, but so long as no one comes near it's only toward myself." Heero murmured as they walked to a Chinese boy sitting cross-legged under a table. He was reading three books at the same time.

"I see. This is Wufei, he's here because he saw his family killed and killed the guy who killed them. They say he set the guy on fire, but he had no tools to do so on him, not that anyone would believe him of course…" Trowa said. The Chinese boy looked up and waved a moment as Trowa told him who Heero was and why he was there. Heero waved back hesitantly. The boy's eyes looked pained; like his.

"I believe him." Heero said quietly. Trowa smiled and pulled him over to another older boy close to Wufei. He sat in a chair near the window with two more chairs beside him and a tea set on a table before him.

"Hello Trowa, who's your new friend?" the boy asked smiling calmly. His voice was soft as he spoke.

"His name is Heero, he has blackouts. Don't touch him if he starts hurting himself. He says not to. These are Zechs and his sister and best friend. Everyone who works here says they don't exist and Zechs made them up." Trowa murmured as he first talked to Zechs then turned back to Heero gesturing to Zechs and each of the empty chairs in turn.

"Do you think he did?" Heero asked quietly.

"I don't know if he did or not, but he's not crazy that much I know." Trowa said as he led Heero away from the older boy.

"Hello Trowa, do we have a new one?" a kind voice asked as they rounded a corner to another part of the room.

"Hello Quatre, this is Heero. Heero's here because he has blackouts. Uhm, just…don't go near him when it happens okay? He doesn't want to hurt others and he says he'll only hurt himself most times if no one goes near him." Trowa said smiling brightly. Heero smiled a little. It was clear that the two had it bad for one another. Right now though he was trying to figure out what was happening to him. He'd for a second been close to zoning out when he felt something like well a nudge it seemed, but it wasn't physical.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Quatre yelped staring at Heero.

"Uhm? It's okay? I eh needed that anyway."Heero murmured surprised.

"Quatre is an empath, but he doesn't always realize when he reaches out emotionally to you. Feels strange I suppose." Trowa explained. He seemed to be worried.

"Actually it feels nice. It helped." Heero said honestly.

"You're worried you'll hurt us…you haven't slept in a long time because you're scared." Quatre said quietly. Heero nodded he felt a little uncomfortable being picked apart by the blond.

"We'll talk later Quat; I have to show him the rest of this place." Trowa said pulling Heero along quickly.

"He means well." Trowa assured him.

"I know I'm just not used to people reading my mind." Heero murmured.

"Your emotions, not your mind; he's not a telepath." Trowa said.

"Okay, what's next?" Heero asked.

"Sally, she's sitting over there. She's afraid of blood. She won't talk though and that's Dorothy over there. She's a mean bitch. No one really likes her. She's always kissing up to the warden. Come on this way." Trowa said pointing out an older girl and a blond haired girl. He led Heero to the very back and was about to tell him about the workshop when they heard a happy laughter.

Heero turned around and stared. Sitting on the wide window sill was a boy no older then himself. His long chestnut hair seemed to glow in the light of the late afternoon sun. He laughed again; it was a rich happy laughter. Heero slowly made his way over to the boy. He slipped onto the other end of the window sill and watched the beautiful young man before him who didn't seem to have noticed him. He listened as the boy answered someone that didn't seem to be there and laughed again. The boy had beautiful eyes an almost violet color, but still blue.

He didn't know how long he'd sat there and stared at the boy. He had zoned out or fell asleep. He'd blacked out again. He let out a scream and tried to sit up, but found himself unable to move.

"Don't bother. Wufei did his pressure point thing. You can't move till he undoes it. Y're lucky Quatre felt it coming or the doctors woulda gone n injected ya with who knows what." a familiar voice said. Slowly he opened his eyes and found himself staring up in endless pools of almost violet blue. A rich happy laughter filled his ears.

"Oh good he's awake. I was afraid Dermail would find him before he got out of it. That'd be very bad." a familiar voice said. Quatre his mind supplied.

"Dun worry Trowa says Dermail wanted him to take the new kid to 314. Listen Quatre, we gotta watch over him okay? T says so." the face above him said.

"I know. I'll get the others. Dermail will be here any minute now." Quatre murmured quietly he was staring at something in the distance. Heero couldn't move his head so he couldn't see.

"Don't worry Heero it'll be alright. Duo will explain I'm sure." Quatre said smiling before hurrying off. Heero mentally smiled, uncertain if he could do even that much right now. So the mysterious beautiful creature was named Duo.

"So, how'd ya like it here?" the voice above him asked just as he felt the familiar feel of zoning out again.

"Don't…m room's a virtual deathtrap…wouldn't help stop me more than a second." Heero grumbled attempting to glare his best death glare. The guys as his last school had dubbed it that because it made him look absolutely murderous which in his own opinion was a good thing.

"Aw I know how ya feel. It ain't exactly been the Ritz since T died…but hey it beats sleepin' with rats if y'know wh't I means" the voice said.

"Not the way I meant deathtrap…" he murmured staring into those eyes that seemed to hold him captive. He hissed angrily as his body suddenly went from numb to pins and needles.

"Sorry, there's no comfortable way to return your mobility when I use that." a soft voice said to his left.

"S okay…s better then not doing it…" Heero murmured sitting up and testing his movement.

"What's going on here?" Dermail yelled angrily.

"Nothing sir, I slipped and knocked myself out cold. They helped me come around." Heero murmured motioning to Duo and Wufei the latter of which nodded quickly to confirm this.

"You should be more careful, you know we can't have you pass out. Trowa says you're not satisfied with our accommodations?" Dermail said dragging Heero to his feet and forcing the boy to follow him.

"I'm not. The door is too thin; needs to be 8 inches solid preferably cast iron. Closet won't last the night I put it in the hall…no sense in keeping it if I'll just end up beating it to splinters and try to hurt myself with it. Removed the bed too all of it. If it's not cast iron, or gundamium or something I'll just end up breaking it. Also no lock opening on the inside I'll only end up picking it." Heero murmured feeling suddenly tense and sweaty. He also found it hard to focus.

"I'll see to it that the changes are made. Why don't you go back to the game room after bidding your parents goodbye? I'm sure that they'll call for dinner soon." Dermail said once they reached his office door where his parents were waiting.

Heero sighed as Molly hugged him close and cried.

"Please Miss Molly, don't cry. I'll be alright. You just focus on yourselves and the baby." he said feeling uneasy at seeing her cry.

"Oh sweetie…I will. I'll write as often as I can and please Heero…it's been eleven years now; can't you call us mom and dad yet?" Molly said smiling sadly through her tears as Jake gave him a fatherly slap on the shoulders then ruffled his hair.

"Take care kid. We'll come and see you as often as they'll let us." Jake said.

"I will. Thanks…M-mom, Dad. Can…" Heero said quietly. It felt strangely comforting to call them that even after so long. He placed his hand on Molly's rounded stomach.

"If it's a girl…can we call her Mary?" he asked looking at his surrogate mother through his permanently tousled bangs. Molly hugged him and kissed him on the forehead once she brushed those bangs aside.

"Of course sweetie, but what if it's a boy?" she asked winking at Jake.

"Odin. If it's a boy it should be called Odin." Heero said.

"Odin it if that's the case. Goodbye son." Jake said smiling sadly before leading his wife away. Heero watched them until the car left then headed back to where he'd just come from. He hadn't needed a tour earlier, but wasn't going to admit to having hacked the computers of the institution to get information about it. Dermail would probably not like that much.

"Y're okay right? Dermail didn't give you no creepy drinks or anythin'?" Duo said looking him over the moment he walked in.

"Uhm yeah, I'm fine. No he didn't. My parents were just leaving is all…" Heero said uncertain as the braided boy turned and yelled at nothing in particular.

"Sorry bout that. I ten' t' ferget y'all can't see em. " Duo said rubbing the back of his head.

"See who?"Heero asked uncertain.

"T' ghosts of course. I been seein' em all m' life. 'S why I'm here y'know." Duo said.

"I see…so…these ghosts they…are they just kind of floating around without us being aware of it or…?" Heero asked fascinated by this bit of info and the boy, but he wouldn't admit that part to himself just yet.

"Naw, they tend to hang around people they knew. More like yer own guardian ghosts or sumthin'." Duo said quietly.

"I see…so are there any around me?" Heero asked nodding as he thought about what the boy said before asking quietly.

"A few, ya know it's nice to have someone believe me for once. We're not spose to talk bout our abilities…Dermail thinks it's like a sickness n will punish us if we talk bout it to others." Duo mumbled.

"It'd make sense for people to want to watch over their loved ones even after death." Heero said just as an old lady called them to dinner.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Everyone ate and no one talked. Dermail sat at the head of the table. Heero quietly observed and noted that there were no empty chairs for Zech's supposed imaginary friend and sister, but he was like the others quietly slipping some food into a napkin on his lap and then into his pocket. Heero slipped a few bits of food into his own napkin for later as he knew he'd be hungry in less than an hour after eating dinner. He blinked when he noticed Duo's hands nimbly slipping a bottle of water that had been on the table into his shirt. Dermail didn't notice any of this it seemed; nor did any of the staff apparently. Heero slipped a few more bits of food into his pocket for later and continued to eat.

After dinner the staff led them all to their respective rooms. Duo's it turned out was right across from Heero's new room. This room met Heero's requests from earlier perfectly. He sighed and walked to the closet. He inspected the amount of space between it and the wall and found it to be exactly the amount it'd been at home. With a last look at the 8 inch re-enforced steel door he prepared himself for his first night here. He just hoped that he wouldn't wake anyone up as since recently he tended to scream during his black outs. In the morning one of the staff members would come and pull him from in between the wall and the closet as per his own request. Dermail hadn't seemed to have any problem with the odd request. He sighed again and got ready to spend another night in this position.

This is the first chapter of this story. Hope you all enjoy it. I've never worked under a deadline for fanfiction before so I'm really excited!