ELLERSHOUSE
Chapter Twelve:
DUO
This. It was this feeling he'd never felt before. Even with all those years spent starving and scrounging on the streets Duo had never felt this helpless. This powerless.
The criminal above him had the upper hand-he was hard, agile and his body held a strength that Duo had no hope to match. Heero pressed his body down into the soft bench and held Duo's free arm by the wrist above his head. Duo's braid was flopped over the seat and dragged on the dirty floor. Everywhere they touched was on fire.
Duo's cuffed wrist was still bound tightly to the wall and he wished he could remember how to pick locks. He used to be a pro at it until life with the Winners made him soft. He cursed his bad luck…six years ago he wouldn't have been stupid enough to make these mistakes. Letting himself get locked in a van with a criminal was right up there with the time he got caught stealing bread from a shop downtown. It had been his first one way ticket to the orphanage.
Duo eyed Heero warily and grimaced-but the guy was strong. Duo wondered if he was a psychopath and just killed for kicks or if he was methodic about it and needed a good reason. Duo was determined not to give him one.
Heero's face was close to his-so close Duo could see a tiny scar on his chin that zig zagged this way and that. His lips were full and red and his eyes made Duo blush and blink away. He hoped his skin didn't match the soccer uniform he wore.
What the hell am I embarrassed for? He's the one on top of me!
The gentle sway of the van created more friction between them than Duo would have liked.
Heero peered down at him intently-unmoving. The guy was like a statue or something and when he spoke it shook Duo and his body jerked involuntarily.
"You are going to help me get out of here."
Duo scoffed, "Uh, it doesn't look like you need anyone's help for that. You seem like you got it covered."
"Everyone can use a partner."
"Yeah well, I'm not volunteering for the job. So get off me."
Heero smirked at that, "I'm going to let you sit up now okay? Make a sound and I'll throw you out the back of this moving van."
Duo nodded. He believed him.
Heero let go of the death grip on Duo's wrist and stood up beside the bench watching Duo as he sat up, rubbing his bruised extremities.
Okay, so this is progress.
The van kept moving at the same pace but lacked any sort of deceleration so Duo could only assume they were on a highway on their way to the jail. He wondered if they would be cell mates too.
As Heero played with the cuff on his wrist Duo took the time to really study him.
His features were almost Asian but his bright blue eyes suggested otherwise. He played all of the different scenarios in his mind that ended with him sitting here with escaped con Heero Yuy.
He sighed and remembered how just two days ago his only worry was soccer and being scouted for a decent university team. And Quatre…he always worried about Quatre. The last place Duo needed to be was a in a provincial prison while his brother was having the worst week of his life.
"There."
Heero dropped the handcuffs with a loud cling to the floor and pushed Duo so he sat in the uppermost corner away from him and took the seat opposite near the door.
"Gee, thanks," Duo drawled and rolled his eyes.
"You know, I could get into a lot of shit if I help you escape."
"You are coming with me so no need to worry about getting into trouble." Heero looked out the window at the scenery and Duo imagined him jumping out and making some dramatic escape you see on television.
Duo raised his eyebrows and laughed.
"Not a chance."
"Not optional."
Man, people were saying that to him an awful lot lately and it was starting to piss him off. The principal and his police escort mentioned those same words before he started this little trip.
"Fuck you, who do you think you are?" Duo shuffled forward down the bench and Heero caught the movement from the corner of his eye.
Heero turned that stotic glare and snarled, "I'm Heero Yuy, the media calls me a cold hearted killer and who are you? Just some rich kid that never had to fight for anything in his life?"
Duo glowered at him and said, "My name is Duo Maxwell-Winner and for your information I fought for everything I had for the first nine years of my life. You don't know shit about me."
Heero couldn't help the laugh that rose in his throat, "Then prove it. Today you fight and you fight with me."
The van slowed down and Heero threw himself on the floor and kicked at the back door. After ten or so good solid kicks with those athletic legs the latch came loose. It echoed so loudly that Duo had to cover his ears with his hands. They must have been on an off ramp because the van was rolling to a stop.
Duo could hear shouts from the main compartment- the sheriffs heard the commotion and were coming to stop him. He remembered the handguns they carried on their belts and the shotgun hanging on the rack on the inside of the cab. They could blow Heero away without a thought.
"Wait Heero...they'll shoot you!"
Heero smiled back over his shoulder before he threw open the door. Sunlight blinded Duo but he could still make out the pavement that was still rolling underneath them. The vehicle had yet to come to a stop.
Heero disappeared and Duo searched for him but the sun was blinding and the van was still moving. He pictured Heero lifeless on the pavement, covered in road rash and dirt, and his chest hurt at the thought.
It was only then did shit hit the proverbial fan.
Duo lurched to the left as everything went quiet. The motor shut off but they were still rolling. The van started to tip and Duo screamed as it rolled down an embankment.
His body smacked into the wall, hard, and everything went black.
