By my Nightmare's Chapter 11
By Shinigami y Inochi
Genre: angst,
Pairings: 1x2 3x4
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam wing, or any other characters in this story that belong to Bandai.
Reviews: Would love critiques! Using this as a way to get back into writing and would love suggestions!
Chapter 10
Duo stood in the shadows of a deserted alleyway, eyes closed tightly against the barrage of information invading his system. His breath came in quick gasps, both from over exerting and fear. The world seemed to collapse in on him, burying him beneath it's sheer weight.
One hand rested against the cool brick wall next to him as he forced himself to deal with the sounds of the city. He could hear people shouting in the street to his left, cars rushing by; horns honking and tires crunching along the pavement. The change was so drastic from that of Quatre's serene hide-away that he almost didn't believe it was real.
"You can handle this. Just get over it. You can handle this. Just get over it." Duo repeated the phrase over and over again, a tiny mantra in his head, giving him needed focus and direction. Time passed slowly, he had no idea how long he simply stood there taking in the array of events unfolding all around him. Every few moments a new sound would cause him to flinch, his hand coming away from the wall and instinctively going for a weapon he did not have with him.
"Come on! You grew up in a city full of people! An orphan used to the streets. You should be more at home here than at Quatre's. What's wrong with you?" He pounded his fist into the wall, feeling the blood rush up over his knuckles where they impacted with solid rock. A frown crinkled his arcane features and he opened his eyes; blinking back at the light as they adjusted.
His feet moved sluggishly when he moved forward toward the street. No one here would recognize him. No one here would have any reason to look twice at him. After all, wasn't Duo's best skill the ability to hide in plain sight? The street he entered was virtually empty, the middle of the day seeing most of the city's occupants busy at work or at home. The sun shown down invitingly, weaving a spell of calm over the traumatized soldier.
Duo took a deep, shaking breath and started walking; forcing his feet to keep moving, his mind telling him that if he just kept moving, just kept pushing forward, the fear would go away. He traveled that way for the better part of the day, wandering the streets taking in the sights and sounds all around him; and the fear did dissipate gradually. His heart still leapt into his throat at sudden sounds, but he could deal with the babble of voices and the constant motion of cars.
'Trial by fire.' He thought with a soft grin of satisfaction. 'Should have told Heero not to coddle me so much. It's not normal for street trash to have someone take care of them. ' Eventually, he even got up the courage to order some food from a nearby street vendor. His smile was forced and he didn't say much; very uncharacteristic behaviors, but he was able to make his needs clean to the small Asian woman running the cart and keep his hands from visibly shaking.
He took a seat at a deserted bench near a closed café, sitting with his back as close to the wall as he could get it, his eyes ever watchful over the street in front of him. He used to enjoy watching the common civilian go about their daily life; it reminded him what they were fighting for. He silently observed the people around him now, citizens of earth completely oblivious to the assassin in their midst. They went about their chores, some with the gusto of a happy life and others with determination.
A pair of giggling middle-aged women entered a dress shop just down the street, their cheerful conversation drifting to the listening pilot easily. Duo filed the voices away in the back of mind, focusing on each individual as they passed, falling back into trained behavior. The action was making him feel better, more in control of himself and the situation around him. Some of his old confidence was starting to return, maybe he could still be of use to the others; maybe he could get over this stupid fear of being out in the open. After all, nothing had happened all day, right? He was accepted back into general society without even a second glance.
He ran a hand gently over his chest, rubbing at the thick scar the doctor had left for him. He'd had to start working the skin more. He was already starting to feel the effects of the gentle stroll he'd taken today, what would it feel like to run with this injury? Would he be able to move as silently as he once did? How badly had it affected his range of motion?
The questions were always constant for him now. Washing over him like a wave and washing away the quiet confidence he had harbored only moments before. Would he really be able to keep?
The flurry of questions had distracted him. Distracted him long enough that he hadn't seen the intruder coming until he heard to cock of a gun at his forehead. Wide violet eyes looked up into his attackers face, terror gripping at him like a zombie, holding him utterly still in his seat. Recognition flooded those darkened pools, just as despair ground away at the remnants of his heart.
"No." The denial was little more than a whisper, a haunted glimpse into a troubled soul.
"You're a hard man to find Duo Maxwell. My master would have been quite impressed." Contraki held the 45 up against his bangs with easy grace, ignoring the fact that they were in broad daylight in the middle of a civilian area; after all, this was a war. There were no safe havens in war.
"I thought you were dead." Contraki smirked.
"It takes far more than your little pilot friend to kill me, I assure you. Now, the smartest thing for you to do right now is to stand up and come with me without a fight. Wouldn't want to see any of these nice people get hurt, now would we?" She gestured to the people slowly drifting by, unknowing at their own danger. Duo blinked reflexively, his chest heaving with repressed rage and fear. He shook his head softly, rising gracefully to his feet before her.
The soldier survived in him still, enough that his anger gave him the ability to hold his head high as she gestured for him to walk in front of her. He trembled internally, forcing his limbs into stillness so she would not see how much terror her presence caused him.
'No!' His mind screamed, rolling over itself in a tangle of surpressed emotions. 'This can't be happening. I can't go back there, I just got away! She can't take me back there, I can't let her. I should never have left. God's what have I done?' He stumbled suddenly, the heaviness of impending death physically weighing him down. He put a hand out instinctively for the wall, catching himself stiffly; bracing for the bullet he was sure would come; but Contraki simply shoved him forward steering the pilot to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town….