Heero raced down the highway in the truck, head lowered, foot pressing hard on the gas pedal. His eyes were narrowed and glowing with acid, his teeth bared. Road signs and pedestrians flew past. He caught a glimpse of the speed limit: 50 miles an hour. He glanced to his speedometer. It was cresting 80. But Heero didn't care. He didn't even care when he sped through a red light. Crashes thundered behind him, but by the time anyone could figure out what had happened he was still well on his way.

The impact was sudden. The noise bellowed in Heero's ears, and the world around him began to spin. Metal crunched around him, and the seatbelt holding him in place snapped at the buckle, sending him toppling forward. Trying to avoid smashing his face into the steering wheel, he turned it, bracing himself as best he could. He felt it as his tongue was pierced by his own teeth, blood seeping from the corners of his lips. Windows shattered all around him, breaking open skin, causing blood to run, to gush. To spurt. Once glittering eyes were now shrouded with so much pain, so much agony. The waste of Heero's body was mere shambles compared to what it had been just moments before.

In the distance sirens blared, they shrieked, they screamed. Heero heard them, heard glass tinkling onto pavement. Heard blood dripping like water onto the floor.

Wufei paced back and forth, head lowered, hands jammed into his pockets, which were then balled into tight fists. Duo was leaning against the railing, gazing out toward the highway. His expression was blank as he wondered where Heero had gone. Trowa quietly waited, settled on the front steps of the hotel. Quatre was with him, looking increasingly concerned. No one spoke. Well, not for the next ten seconds, anyway.

"So, where do you think Heero is now?" Duo asked wistfully, as though to himself.

Trowa shook his head, speaking quietly, softly, "none of us know, Duo."

"Well, that helps."

Wufei look his hands from his pockets and glared at Duo "What's your problem? You asked, didn't you? Is that all you can do? Ask questions, then throw their answers back in their faces?!"

Duo's face went red for a second as he looks to Wufei "Well I don't see YOU doing anything about it, Mr. I'm So Smart!"

Wufei ground his teeth together. "You were the one complaining!"

"Well you were the one yelling at me!"

"I'm not yelling at you!"

"You are!"

"I am not!"

"SHUT UP!" Quatre yelled.

Duo and Wufei drifted into silence and looked at the normally silent Arabian. Trowa watched him as well, curious. All eyes drited over to Wufei, each orb filled with confusion and fear. Wufei took a few steps back.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?! What?!" Wufei hollered.

Duo spoke, pointing "Uh, dude. You have...wings...what's with that?"

Wufei's eyes widened, and he looked behind him. Twin masses of darkness rose up from his shoulders, slowly spreading of their own free will. Pitch membranes glowed gently in the faint light, veins pulsing gently beneath the surface. Wufei slowly moved his eyes back to the small group before him, unsure of what he should say to them. He felt the swish of something against his legs, and he didn't have to look to see the black tail there.

Duo pushed off from the railing and moved cautiously toward Wufei. When he was within a few feet of him he stopped. Then he smiled brightly and moved a little closer. Close enough to him that he could touch those wings. They shivered under Duo's lightly prodding fingers, dropping down to try and avoid him. Duo's smile turned into a full fledged grin.

"Cool!" Is all he had to say.

"Will he....dead?"

"Going to fast......far ahead...."

"No more....sirens coming....they're here."

Through the chaos, Heero heard small snippets of what was going on around him. However, what he heard he could not retain in his memory, and each word and voice slithered away, slipped from his desperate grasp. The more he thought, the less he knew.

"Who am I?" he mouthed, trying to get the words to slide from his throat. Tears pulled from the corners of his eyes as the pain took hold of him. Nausea swept into his stomach, and with a lurch and a gag vomit spewed forth from his lips. The warmth of it spread over his chin and chest. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he let out a moan, the sound muffled and more of a gurgle, vomit still coating his throat, plastered against his tongue, moulded to the roof of his mouth. Dripping from his trembling lips.