The Game of Hide and Seek (Part Two)
His ill attempts to extract necessary information from Duo was proven to be fruitless. Trowa sighed. In the last hour that he talked to Duo, he heard about everything and nothing. Sure, he found out about every single gossip that was going around but he found nothing about the subject he was most interested in.
"...and when he sniffed some of those, you could tell from a mile away. He starts singing in the highest pitch no man or woman has ever heard. You know what I mean, that whole high pitched squeal where all the glass breaks into pieces..."
Trowa found that black was starting to become his favorite color. There was no way in all five hells that he'd be able to sleep that night without imagining the guy stripping the tight outfit right in front of him, never mind the fact that he still identified him as Q30ZO.
"...plus the fact that I hate it when those science-type geeks order me around to fix their computer. They push me around like I was their lap dog. If they think they're so smart then why don't they fix their own computers like the geniuses they are..."
But why steal the vaccines? Was he selling them on the black market? It was conceivable that he was trying to make money off Trowa's work. Which reminded him, was he coming on to him the other day? Trowa just loved the way the thief's tongue was sliding around his ear.
"...and then I should strip naked and dance in front of you to make sure you're still listening..."
His breath was damn hot and the way he moved was so perfect he couldn't help but start to drool at the image. Trowa wondered how they would be like together. He imagined a little bit of cuddling, a lot of kissing and a whole lot of passionate, mind-blowing sex.
"...hello, Earth to Trowa..."
He'd make him breakfast in bed, wrap him up in a blanket and huddle next to him in front of the fireplace. They could talk all day, maybe take a quiet walk on the beach and snuggle further.
"If you're not going to listen then forget it man. I've been talking here for the last half hour and you don't even look like you're listening."
"Huh?" Trowa finally said, getting his mind back to the present.
"I've been trying to wake you out of that stupefied state for about ten minutes now. Are you alright?" Duo asked.
Trowa thought it best to keep his little fantasies a secret and just nodded a yes. He was so engrossed in the images he had in his head that he wasn't able to do what he intended to do in the first place. He wanted to learn more about the whereabouts and thieving methods of Q30ZO just to satiate his curiosity for the time being.
"Uh, I just got impatient waiting for you to answer my question," Trowa said.
"I just did, several times over!" Duo said in disbelief while raising his hands in the air in defeat.
"You were talking about a dozen different people. I didn't know which one he was from all that."
"Geez, you came in here and said, tell me about the guy," Duo said. "So, I told you about the guy but I didn't know which one so I decided to tell you about all the possible guys around here so I could cover your question."
"Uh..." Trowa didn't know exactly how to respond to that. He guessed that Duo was stranger than he looked. "I was asking about the guy who comes here to steal?"
"Oh that one!" Duo exclaimed and then punched his shoulder. "You have to give more info over here. I can't read your mind you know."
Trowa nodded and then waited for the answer. Hopefully, he was going to get more substance this time around.
Just as Duo opened his mouth, a message window popped up in his computer screen and his attention was immediately diverted from Trowa to the computer.
you there? it read.
"Hold on, I have to take this one," Duo excused himself. "Make sure you don't peek. It's confidential material, if you know what I mean."
Trowa nodded.
yup -- need more? Duo typed in.
yeah -- think I need to up the dose -- doesn't work as well anymore
it's already pretty high -- think you could handle it
who do you think you're talking to
even superman has his weaknesses
superman's overrated
fine -- but you better pace yourself -- the stuff could kill a cow
too bad -- I'm not a cow
compartment B56 -- make it quick -- I've got company
I know -- he's reading over your shoulder
"What?" Duo said and turned his head to find a sheepish looking Trowa. "Damn, I told you not to look. You have absolutely no patience. Well, it's your funeral. I think you're going to have to be killed now. You've seen too much man. It was great knowing you."
Trowa had to back up a bit. Duo looked dead serious and he didn't like it one bit. Did he happen to stumble upon a secret organization or possibly Duo's secret life of crime? He hoped that they would at least give him a head start in his escape before they came after him.
nah -- I'm letting him go -- damn sexy ass isn't meant to be slaughtered
He felt even more nervous when Duo laughed. Did that mean they were sadists and they were going to get rid of him in a very violent way? Trowa practically jumped when Duo grabbed him. What he didn't expect was for him to be shoved in front of the computer screen.
When he realized no harm had come to him, he looked at the screen to read what it said. He did feel a little relived that he wasn't going to lose his life yet, but the last line spurred something in him.
"Is that?" Trowa asked.
you bet handsome -- could you move over to the left and take out that silly lab coat -- I want a better view of that ass
Trowa turned around and found the same, elusive thief smiling at him from the second floor of the storage facility. The man opened the supposedly secure compartment with nothing more than a paper clip. Trowa chose to watch him in action. Duo, however, wasn't paying much attention to the occurrences behind him and continued typing instead.
you left him intact -- several times -- but you put me in a hospital for a week
do I sense jealousy
Trowa squinted his eyes and watched as the thief typed something into a tiny device.
shut up smart mouth -- and get out of here before security figures it out
alright -- but Q30ZO? -- honestly, you could've given me a better name
why should you care -- that's your name around here after all
but it sounds drab -- what the hell kind of sexy images come up with the name Q30ZO
a vacuum cleaner -- now make it quick
what's his first name
it's none of your business -- leave it at that
why are you so pissy today
because you're such a flirt -- and he's not interested
says who
me -- now time to leave -- I've bought you enough time already
fine you grump -- I'm done
Trowa continued watching the thief in fascination as he climbed up the walls and suspended himself from the ceiling that was very high up from the ground. He stared, mesmerized yet again and concluded that this was hopelessly going to be the case from here on out. He was going to watch everything the thief did without once reporting it.
When the thief realized he was being watched, he gave Trowa another one of his signature flying kisses before letting go of his position high above the ground. Trowa eyes widened. He started to make a run for it to catch the thief but felt foolish when he realized that the man was aiming for the tiny hole on the ground.
"What, is he crazy?" Trowa asked and Duo just shrugged.
"It's the way he does things," Duo answered. "Never use an escape plan more than twice when leaving the same structure."
Trowa closed his eyes and was surprised when instead of hearing a heavy thud, he heard a splash.
"What was that?" he asked again.
"This facility is above water," Duo said. "He's swimming his way out."
Trowa was so concerned with what was happening before his eyes that he didn't even notice Duo's sudden indifference.
"Can he even hold his breath that long?" Trowa asked. He was feeling anxious, worried, and angry at the reckless behavior all at the same time.
"Who knows? If he thinks he's God then he probably can. What's wrong with you? You're acting like you're his mother."
"Well he sure needs one to twist his ear!" Trowa said in disbelief. If Cathy ever found him doing something that reckless then she wouldn't even let him out of her sight until he promised he was going to be careful.
"Calm down Tro. You wanted to know about him right? Well, today's your lucky day because that whole performance you just witnessed was essentially him in a nutshell."
Trowa nodded absently, but it didn't mean that his heartbeat was slowing down. Knowing that if he didn't leave, he'd end up making a fool of himself in front of Duo, he excused himself. He wasn't in the mood for any more talking. He did indeed find out so much information that he didn't know what to think. His emotional outburst that although seemed pretty calm, was in reality the biggest reaction anyone had ever seen of him.
He was angry, angry that the man was irresponsible, angry that he was obsessed with a drug addict. Just what did the thief need the chemicals in compartment B56 for anyway? Was it giving him a temporary high that he'd return again and again to get more of it in larger doses?
Only rash, simpleminded explanations came to mind and through the haze of anger, Trowa imagined the thief drugged out of his mind in a street somewhere. He imagined him selling his formulated vaccines to some thugs when he was strapped for cash. That was not a life Trowa wanted to see him in and the first thing that came to mind was the word 'conversion'. Trowa wanted to drag him to the closest rehabilitation center and have him locked up in there until he finally realized his wrongdoings.
If Q30ZO couldn't give up his thirst for the drug or his desire to be foolishly reckless then he was going to find a way. That and he wanted to get the man to stop jumping around long enough so he could kiss the brains out of him.
All 500 thoughts that revolved around the mysterious thief kept on entering in and out of his head throughout the day and into the night. When he arrived home that night, he couldn't concentrate on anything. Having no more constructive things to do, he sat on his bed and stared at the wall until he fell asleep. He didn't even realize that his eyes were closed and that he was already dreaming.