Duo had never felt so alone. All his memories. All his dreams. All his sorrows. All his happiness. Everything. It was all gone. It had all been taken away from him. Now it lay in front of him, taunting him. Reminding him of everything he had had, but now didn't. It was gone. Everything was gone. Taken from him when they had cut off his braid. He lay on the floor, shivering. He no longer had the strength to move, to fight back, and even to think. His mind was a blur. Nothing focused. He starred ahead of him seeing nothing. He had been broken. He had been tortured in numerous ways, but none of it had done anything. But now, this had changed everything. Now they had gone to far. They had taken the only thing that mattered from him. All the memories woven into that one long braid were now gone. A tear slipped down his cheek, then another. They had gone to far. He clenched his fist around the braid, feeling the silkiness of each strand of hair. It was too much. He let out an anguished cry and tears streamed down his face. His whole body shook, but he couldn't stop it. And the tears continued to fall down his cheeks.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Heero hurried through the base. He had to get to Duo before it was too late. He couldn't let anything happen to him. He would never forgive himself if Duo were injured. He finally reached the prison cells. The guard looked up, startled. Heero pulled out his gun and shot him. He got the key to the cell and hurriedly opened the door. As he entered the cell, he saw Duo huddled against the wall. His body was shaking and tears streamed down his cheeks. Heero stepped closer. "Duo?" Duo's head came up and Heero was taken aback by the deep sorrow that was visible in those violet eyes. "H...Heero," he whispered. Heero knelt down next to Duo. "Duo, what is it? What's wrong?" Duo tried to answer, but was choked by his tears. He weakly raised his hand to allow Heero to see. Heero gasped. Duo's braid! He starred at the hand, unable to move. He looked at back at the trembling boy. "Oh, Duo. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He put his arms around Duo, hoping he could be of some comfort. When Duo had calmed down a little, Heero helped him up. "Come, on. We have to get out of here." Duo nodded and followed Heero out of cell. They ran down the hall as fast as they could. Once they were outside, Heero set off the explosives he had planted, hoping it would make their escape easier. He ran toward his gundam. "Duo!" he shouted. "There's a motorcycle hidden in the woods, close to my gundam." Duo nodded and hurried to uncover the motorcycle. Heero waited until Duo had removed the camouflage and was zooming away from the base, then he followed, hoping that Duo would be okay.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When they reached the safe house, Duo couldn't help it. He broke down. It was too much for him. He had lost everything. Heero ran over to his side, putting his arms around the crying boy. He pulled him closer to him as he tried to comfort him. Duo clung to him, sobbing. "I'm...I'm sorry," he managed to sob. "But...I...I can't...help it." Heero held him tighter. "Shhh. It's okay." He tried his best to comfort Duo, but wasn't sure if he was helping. He was surprised to find himself crying. He couldn't stand to see Duo in so much pain. He didn't deserve this. All of Duo's memories were contained in that braid. How could they take that away from him? He shivered. He hadn't realized how cold it was. He gently picked Duo up, holding him close. Duo continued to sob as Heero carried him inside. Wufei jumped up. When he saw Duo, he was shocked. He slumped against the wall, unable to move. Quatre gasped and a tear slipped down his cheek. A tear snaked its way down Trowa's cheek but he remained calmer than the others. He went ahead of Heero and opened the door to Duo's room. Heero thanked him as walked past. He laid Duo on the bed and turned to leave, but Duo grabbed his wrist. "Please," he whispered. "Don't leave me alone. I don't want to be alone." Heero's heart nearly broke at the look Duo gave him. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and took Duo's hand in his. Duo tried to smile. "Thanks, Heero." Heero smiled as Duo dropped into an exhausted sleep. "Your welcome," he whispered, as he slumped in the chair, falling asleep.
Author's Notes: Good? Bad? Please review and let me know what you think. RurouniGirl
~*~*~*~*~*~
Heero hurried through the base. He had to get to Duo before it was too late. He couldn't let anything happen to him. He would never forgive himself if Duo were injured. He finally reached the prison cells. The guard looked up, startled. Heero pulled out his gun and shot him. He got the key to the cell and hurriedly opened the door. As he entered the cell, he saw Duo huddled against the wall. His body was shaking and tears streamed down his cheeks. Heero stepped closer. "Duo?" Duo's head came up and Heero was taken aback by the deep sorrow that was visible in those violet eyes. "H...Heero," he whispered. Heero knelt down next to Duo. "Duo, what is it? What's wrong?" Duo tried to answer, but was choked by his tears. He weakly raised his hand to allow Heero to see. Heero gasped. Duo's braid! He starred at the hand, unable to move. He looked at back at the trembling boy. "Oh, Duo. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He put his arms around Duo, hoping he could be of some comfort. When Duo had calmed down a little, Heero helped him up. "Come, on. We have to get out of here." Duo nodded and followed Heero out of cell. They ran down the hall as fast as they could. Once they were outside, Heero set off the explosives he had planted, hoping it would make their escape easier. He ran toward his gundam. "Duo!" he shouted. "There's a motorcycle hidden in the woods, close to my gundam." Duo nodded and hurried to uncover the motorcycle. Heero waited until Duo had removed the camouflage and was zooming away from the base, then he followed, hoping that Duo would be okay.
~*~*~*~*~*~
When they reached the safe house, Duo couldn't help it. He broke down. It was too much for him. He had lost everything. Heero ran over to his side, putting his arms around the crying boy. He pulled him closer to him as he tried to comfort him. Duo clung to him, sobbing. "I'm...I'm sorry," he managed to sob. "But...I...I can't...help it." Heero held him tighter. "Shhh. It's okay." He tried his best to comfort Duo, but wasn't sure if he was helping. He was surprised to find himself crying. He couldn't stand to see Duo in so much pain. He didn't deserve this. All of Duo's memories were contained in that braid. How could they take that away from him? He shivered. He hadn't realized how cold it was. He gently picked Duo up, holding him close. Duo continued to sob as Heero carried him inside. Wufei jumped up. When he saw Duo, he was shocked. He slumped against the wall, unable to move. Quatre gasped and a tear slipped down his cheek. A tear snaked its way down Trowa's cheek but he remained calmer than the others. He went ahead of Heero and opened the door to Duo's room. Heero thanked him as walked past. He laid Duo on the bed and turned to leave, but Duo grabbed his wrist. "Please," he whispered. "Don't leave me alone. I don't want to be alone." Heero's heart nearly broke at the look Duo gave him. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and took Duo's hand in his. Duo tried to smile. "Thanks, Heero." Heero smiled as Duo dropped into an exhausted sleep. "Your welcome," he whispered, as he slumped in the chair, falling asleep.
Author's Notes: Good? Bad? Please review and let me know what you think. RurouniGirl