Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, when will you believe that, you do, oh good.

Voldyismoldy: Thank you to the people who reviewed and put this story on alert it is because of you that Heero has chosen to let me live for now. I also wish to apologize for my continuous misspelling of Captain and thank you to the reader who pointed it out. Now on to the next chapter please read and review, review, review (Heero is still staring at me with that gun in his hand yikes).

Chapter 2. The Slave Mines

Trowa had been surprised and pleased to find the boy still there the next morning curled on the ground in front of the dead fire and still shivering. He had obviously been to exhausted to try to escape the night before and before Trowa could speak to him the rest of his companions came out of their tents as well.

Breakfast was eaten in silence, the boy given what little the captain chose to spare, and then the camp was taken down as they prepared to move. With the taxes now collected they were heading back to the capital city to bring them, and the slave, to the king.

Just as Trowa had predicted the boy was again tied to the saddle of the captains horse and made to follow them. He could tell that his feet were hurting him with how often he winced and stumbled and soon enough fresh blood was dripping from the bandages around them. Still the boy said nothing and continued walking until they stopped for lunch dropping where he stood.

Angered by his weakness the captain hauled him back to his feet by his hair and ordered him to keep standing while refusing to give him anything to eat for his disobedience. The boy did as he was told swaying slightly and staring hungrily at the food they were eating, Trowa feeling sick to his stomach as he watched him.

When they moved out again Trowa slipped a small piece of bread into the boys hand before getting on his horse. The boy looked at it for a moment, obviously wanting to eat it, and then to his surprise he threw it on the ground while glaring at him. A glare that hold he didn't want nor need his pity and he wouldn't accept his help either.

The afternoon past much like the morning only this time when they stopped for the night the boy managed to remain on his feet instead of falling. The captain untied him and brought him to the fire but still gave him no food claiming to still be punishing him for earlier. The youth was made to watch them eat while he starved his look of stubborn defiance faltering with his hunger.

That night he was made to service the men again and when they were done Trowa again went to the boy. He put more medicine on his feet and wrapped them in clean bandages but this time the boy refused to speak to him or even look at him. Before he went into his tent Trowa left a decent sized piece of bread next to him and then left him alone but not before seeing the boy take it and quickly begin eating it thinking he was alone.

The next two days were much like the first with the boy remaining stubbornly silent and on his feet thought he grew weaker each day. The captain gave him food only when he wanted to and would withhold it whenever he believed the boy hadn't earned it or needed the punishment of an empty stomach. Trowa continued to care for his feet though he still wouldn't speak to him and at night would leave him some food to make up for his lack during the day.

Then on the fifth day the boy's stubbornness and defiance could no longer hold out as he stumbled behind the captains horse and then fell on the ground. He was dragged for several minutes unable to get up before Trowa brought it to the captains attention who surprisingly stopped his horse and got off to grab the boy.

"I told you not to fall boy or you would be trampled. Is this the existent of your strength, your will?" The man snarled at the youth who gave no response as his eyes drooped and his chest heaved with each strangled breath he took. Sneering he shook the boy who had no reaction to it. "Pathetic, you aren't worth the food I give you." He looked at the brown haired man on the horse next to him. "Since he seems to weak to walk now you will carry him on your horse Trowa at least for the rest of today. Tomorrow we will see if he has gotten his strength back."

Trowa nodded and the captain untied the boy from his horse using the extra rope to tie his ankles together and then slung him across the back of the young man's horse like a sack. The boy gave a muffled cry and then slumped against the horse as they took off again. Trowa glanced back at him as he rode and saw that his eyes were now closed in sleep or unconsciousness he couldn't tell.

That night the boy was left alone where he lay unmoving beside the captain except for his shallow and unsteady breathing. No food was given to him but none of the men rapped him either and just as every other night Trowa went to him to change his bandages. The boy made no move as he touched him nor gave any indication that he knew he was and when Trowa touched his skin he found it hot to the touch.

The boy was fevered from lack of food and clothing and Trowa bit his lip as he stared at him. He had no medicine for fevers, only the captain had that and he knew he wouldn't give it to the boy if he asked, and was unsure how to help him. But he had to do something or the boy would be dead by tomorrow if not that very night.

Making up his mind he went into his tent and took out his blanket bringing it to the boy and draping it over him. The youth shivered and pulled the blanket close around his shoulders latching on to the warmth it gave. Trowa then took his flask and brought to his lips forcing him to drink as much as he could. When he finished the boy's eyes flickered open hazy and unfocused.

"Trowa . . ."He croaked looking at him in confusion. The older boy nodded as he tucked the blanket around him his constant shivering slowly decreasing. "Why. . . ?"

"I told you I haven't lost my humanity yet," The greed eyed man said softly as he stood the youth coughing softly. "Get some sleep you won't be walking tomorrow."

"Trowa . . ." the youth said again more insistent this time. He looked down at him as his eyes closed wondering what he wanted to say so badly. "I . . . hate . . . you . . ."

Trowa looked at him startled by his words and then a small smile graced his face, the first to do so in a long time. He gave no answer to the boy's words knowing he was already lost in his fevered sleep and went into his tent amused that even so close to death the boy was still able to hate him.

XeXeXeXeXe

The boy didn't awaken the next day and the captain agreed to let him sit in front of Trowa on his horse with his hands tied to the pummel of the saddle so he wouldn't fall off. He was also allowed to feed him and gave him a bit of the broth from the stew they ate for lunch and dinner. The boy ate very little, his skin still hot to the touch, and didn't open his eyes at all. Much to his surprise the man also allowed him to let him sleep in his tent rather than outside in the cold while the soldier that usually shared it went into another allowing Trowa to tend him during the night.

It was then he learned of his nightmares. The boy would mumble in his sleep, words that made no sense, and would then tense up shaking violently. Without thinking Trowa had taken hold of him, crushing him to his chest, and the boy had surprisingly calmed at his touch with a soft whimper that sounded more like the frightened child he was then the strong, untouchable, youth he tried to be.

The next few days past much like that one until at last they reached the capital and the castle of King Milliardo. The boy had recovered some what from the injuries of his feet and the fever and was aware enough to walk into the throne room instead of being carried or dragged in. That was probably why the captain had allowed Trowa to care for him so he would be strong enough to be presented to the king under his own power.

Trowa had only met the king once before when he had been sworn into his knighthood and he had been awed by the young man who ruled their kingdom. He was a man only a few years older than him with long white-blonde hair and hard blue eyes that demanded respect and obedience. Trowa had been proud to serve such a man and he still felt the same way now as he knelt before him with the others the boy being forced onto his knees as well.

He sat on his throne his two sisters beside him. Relena and Dorothy, both blonde like him and both decidedly attractive were Trowa's age. The two young woman stared in disgust at the young slave and Dorothy whispered something in her brothers ear as they waited for the man to speak. Trowa couldn't stand the girl, with her creepy v shaped eyebrows, and could only guess at what she was saying and what it would mean for the boy.

Milliardo listened to her in silence for a few minutes and then holding up his hand silenced her as he stood. He walked down toward them gesturing for them to stand and they returned to their feet, all but the boy who remained kneeling on the cold floor.

"What is this captain?" The king asked as he looked down at the slightly shaking and sweat dampened boy. "I clearly remember telling you to collect the taxes not some worthless filth."

"I have collected the taxes as you commanded my lord but the village of Trasi could not pay them all in coin and so gave this boy as partial payment," The captain explained as he grabbed the youth by the hair and forced him onto his feet the boy grimacing in pain. "He is a slave for you my lord from the village."

"I see," King Milliardo said thoughtfully examining the boy who actually glared at him and looked willing to kill the man if he were able much to Trowa's shock. "He is thin and not well treated captain of what use is he to me?"

"I assure you he is stronger than he looks and will serve you well," The man told him with an angry look at the boy who gave no response to it. "And he is a Rocellian, sire, you know how resilient and persistent they are."

"A Rocellian ah. So one of our most hated enemies still lives," The man mused gazing at the boy as the older of the two sisters, Dorothy, walked up to him.

"A Rocellian how delightful," She said as she slipped her arm around the older man's looking at the youth with a malicious excitement. "Milliardo, brother, it has been so long since we had one of them to torture and I would so love to toy with him can I have him?"

"Dorothy I think this boy has been tortured enough already," Relena said quietly as she walked up beside her looking at her brother with imploring eyes. "Milliardo please show him some mercy do not give him to our sister."

"Very well Relena for you I will show him some kindness though very little as his kind are undeserving of it," Her brother agreed without talking his eyes off the youth who had tensed at the older girls words. "Captain have him taken to the slave mines to work there with the rest of the slaves. We will see how strong and useful he is."

"As you wish my lord I will have him brought there at once," the captain agreed with a bow as he moved to pull the boy away who despite his weakened state remained where he was. "Come boy now or you will get another beating."

"You are the king," The youth said. It was more a statement than a question but the man nodded any way surprised to be spoken to by a slave especially so young a one. "I swear I will kill you one day for this."

The tension that filled the room with his words was so thick Trowa could have choked with it as he stared at the boy in shock. He had just threatened the king, calmly and confidently , that half wild look in his eyes, in front of several guards and the princesses. Never had Trowa seen anyone do or say anything so bold and he knew from the look in his eyes that the boy knew exactly what he was saying and who he was saying it to. For a long moment the king only stared at him and then to the surprise of everyone he began to laugh.

"You want to kill me do you," he said as the boy stared at him unnerved by his laughter and his lack of concern. "Very well let that be your reason to stay alive in the mines then boy if you can."

The youth frowned but said nothing and the captain pulled him away, this time the boy letting him. Trowa followed as the man stormed out of the castle and out of the courtyard to the mines beyond in the hills behind the city. There were hundreds of slaves there working away at the mines and collecting the stones and minerals the kingdom needed.

The captain led the boy to a pole stuck in the middle of a wide canyon that housed the many entrances to the mines where the slaves worked struggling to ignore them. He tied the boy to the pole and then took a whip one of the overseers offered him. Without hesitation he brought the whip down on the boys back who bit his lip as he fought back the scream that longed to be released.

"How dare you threaten the king you Rocellian scum!" The captain snarled enraged by what the boy had done. He brought the whip down again and this time he did scream unable to keep it in. "I will teach you your place boy even if I have to kill you to do it. You are a slave and you do not speak to or threaten the king by who's mercy alone you are still alive."

The captain whipped the boy until blood poured from the strips on his back and arms and legs and he stopped screaming losing unconsciousness again. Until he was near dead and only then did he stop and look at Trowa who had watched silently as he nearly killed the youth.

"See the boy is taken care of Trowa," He told him giving the bloodied whip back to the man who had given it to him. "I want him up and working in the mines in no more than three days, sooner if possible, and see that the overseers know they are free to beat him for any and all reasons. I want him broken and thanking me for his sorry excuse for a life understand."

Trowa nodded and the captain walked away leaving the boy to him. He untied him from the pole and lowered him to the ground on his stomach kneeling beside him. To his surprise he saw the stain of tears on the boys face and the sight of them left him feeling strangely shaken. Tearing his eyes away from the boy and the tears on his face he looked up at the overseer standing nearby.

"Get me the slave Duo," He told the man who nodded and disappeared into the mines to find him.

Trowa knew he would need help to tend to the boy and that Duo was the best one to do so. A slave all his life and only half Sancian himself he would have nothing against him for his Rocellian blood. He was also known for taking care of his fellow slaves when they were sick or injured and especially the children who had been unlucky enough to be born slaves too.

It didn't take long for the man to find him and as he wiped the blood from the boys back with a cloth the young slave came bouncing over to him. His long chestnut colored braid bounced against his back and his violet eyes were bright until he saw the boy the color draining from his face. Quickly he knelt beside him looking the youth over with a worried expression instead of his usual cheerful grin.

"Trowa the boys half dead," Duo told him as the youth moaned softly when he touched his back. "What did he do to deserve such a beating?"

"He threatened the king Duo," Trowa told him. The young man stared at him incredulously and then smiled shaking his head.

"Damn he has balls," He said as he helped him pick the youth up putting his arm over his shoulder. "Gods I wish I could have seen that."

Trowa said nothing as they brought him over to the salve quarters and laid him down on one of the beds on his belly. Together they cleaned up his back and wrapped it in bandages and then Trowa changed the ones on his feet seeing the dried and crusted blood on them. They spoke little but when they finished Duo sat back and looked at him.

"This isn't all from the beating, he's been starved and his feet are all cut up," The braided man said as he draped a blanket over him the boy wincing in his sleep. "He's fevered too. I don't know how long it will be until he is capable of working Trowa. Someone really had it out for this kid."

"I know but you only have three days to get him back on his feet Captain Bartan's orders," Trowa told him as he got up to leave. Duo stared at him in shock and he only frowned. "He's a Rocellian Duo, even you know what that means, if he's not up and working they will beat him again or even kill him. I would not see him die so do what you can."

Duo nodded and the young soldier left the boy in his care. Duo sat back against the neighboring bed as he stared at the youth his face strained with pain even in sleep and frowned. It would not be easy to get the boy capable of working again and he would need his constant attention. That wouldn't be a problem the overseers liked him enough to pretty much let him do as he wanted as long as his work got done.

The kid was a Rocellain eh well that explained some of it. The Sancian's hated the Rocellian's for the years of war that had taken numerous lives and he was sure the soldiers who had brought him had taken great pleasure in taking some of that hatred out on the boy. Damn soldiers, he thought bitterly thinking of the ones who had dragged away his own mother when she had been near death. There's not a decent one among them accept Trowa.

The boy must have really made an impression on him for the young soldier to show such concern for him. He had never seen the man show concern for anyone or anything except for Duo himself when he had been accidently wounded by a fellow slaves pick axe. Duo had practically forced the soldier to be his friend talking to him whenever he came to the mines and bugging him until he was forced to talk back but somehow he couldn't see this boy doing the same. So how had he gotten to him so quickly?

"Where . . . Where am I?" The voice was hoarse and weak and it took him a moment to realize it was the boy as his eyes flickered open. "Who are you?"

"Hey buddy you're in the slave mines and I'm Duo your welcoming party, welcome to hell," He said brightly hoping to put him at ease. The boy stared at him for a moment with a strange expression on his face and then to his surprise tried to move to get off the bed. "Whoa boy where do you think you're going you need to rest or your wounds won't heal."

"Need. . . to leave," He said softly trying and failing to rise as he fell back on the bed. "Can't stay here."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice you're a slave that means you go where they tell ya and stay where they tell ya," Duo told him digging under the pillow of the bed next to him and bringing out a stale and crumbling piece of bread. "Perfect Calbrin always leaves some food from breakfast under his pillow. Here eat this you need to regain your strength."

The boy stared at it for a moment and then turned his face away from him ignoring him. Duo frowned slightly annoyed by the boy's attitude but continued to smile.

"Come on now I am sure you're hungry so just take it," He said cheerfully. The boy huffed but didn't turn to look at him again. "Hey in case you didn't know I am the good guy here trying to help you," The boy mumbled something that he didn't catch. "What did you say? Your sorry well that's ok just turn around and take the bread and it will all be forgotten."

"Leave me alone," The youth said finally turning to look at him again with an angry glare. " I don't need your help."

"No well that's not what it seems like to me. I think you need it you just don't want to admit it," Duo replied with a knowing grin. The boy frowned but said nothing. "Look lets just start over all right. I'm Duo and your name is?"

"Don't have one," The boy told him reluctantly his eyes drifting to the piece of bread again and he saw the hunger growing in his eyes.

"You don't have a name well no wonder you're so angry. We'll just have to give you one then," Dud decided. He was quiet for a moment and the boy watched him curious in spite of himself to see what name he would give him. After a few seconds he smiled snapping his fingers. "I got it Heero, it's the perfect name for the hero of a story. What do you think?"

"I'm no hero," The boy mumbled and then sighed softly. "But I guess it will do."

"Heero it is then," The older boy said holding out the bread to him again and this time he took it unable to resist the temptation of food anymore. "Well Heero eat this and then rest. You've had one hell of a beating but don't worry I'll take care of you Hee-chan."

The boy, newly christened Heero, blinked startled by the nickname and then began to slowly eat the piece of bread while Duo watched. When he finished he stared at him for along moment as if deciding something about him and then slowly closed his eyes falling asleep again. Duo watched him sleep with a small smile deciding that he liked the boy, Heero, despite his cold exterior and that he was going to have a great deal of fun with him when he recovered.

A/N whoa that was a long chapter. Longest one I've written so far for any of my stories but there was just so much that had to be said in this one. So we've met King Milliardo and his lovely sisters and Duo. I hope I stayed pretty close to the characters in this chapter and I didn't make it sound to much like a Heero/Trowa fic in the beginning cause I swear its not. Any way hope you enjoyed and please, please review, dislikes and likes, suggestions and improvements always welcome and flames will be ignored.

Voldyismoldy: So Heero what do you think?

Heero: Hn . . . do you like to see me in pain?

Voldy: no I just like my characters to suffer before their happy

Heero: I like to see people suffer too especially annoying authors who make me suffer

Author yips and then runs away as Heero chases after them.

Duo: bowing Voldyismoldy would like to remind you all to please review if you want her to live to continue the story, thank you.