*I hold no claim to Gundam Wing or to anything in this fanfic. It is written for entertainment purposes only*
Mission Acknowledged.
1.
Howard sighed ruefully as he searched for the misplaced data disk containing the information about the whereabouts of the true Gundams. For a long, panicked moment, he feared the disk was somewhere on Maxwell's person, but after an hour or so of frantic searching, he came across it, hidden beneath a randomly scattered stack of paper.
"Aw man, I really need to do some spring cleaning. This place is worse than a pig stye." He complained as he slipped the disk into his E: drive and activated the password.
Dinelli's:
"Sooo... Q-chans finally gonna pull his head out of his ass and pretend that we're friends again?" Duo asked, barely restraining the snideness out of the comment. He stood with Heero, waiting on the blond Arab to show up, hands stuffed deep into his pockets and gazing upwards to look about the lobby of the old earth resturaunt. "Gotta hand it to him though, he has good taste when it comes to choices to eat."
"I didn't think you would complain about this place." Heero responded in turn. They had arrived at the rondevoux at least a half and hour early, both seeming to enjoy the tranquil peacefulness of the place. A constent, yet gentle murmur and rumble of patrons voices added a nice touch to the 'Personalble' quality of the place. Heero was mildy pleased, he didn't think he would like such a crowded area.
"I just hope he doesn't stand us up. That would really piss me off."
Heero turned his attention to his American friend and gazed at him blankly for a long moment. Duo in turn favored Heero with a mirror like glance.
"Don't tell me that you honostly think that we're dealing with the same Quatre. I just can't believe that he changed so much." He shrugged his thin shoulders and sighed softly. "Huh.. just to think, maybe... just maybe all that caring and compassion were just a cover... a mask." He shook his head sadly.
"Like your laughter?"
"Huh?"
"Nevermind." Heero lifted his head and directed his gaze above Duo's shoulder, indicating another's presence. Duo, blinking, turned as well and spotted the young ex-Sandrock pilot entering the busy building.
"Well, well, well. What do you know? Mr. Perfect made it here all along." Maxwell chuckled. "Hell. Even in here, it's taking him at Least a year to acknowledge us. Damn, I hate prissy people."
Heero cringed vaguely at the edge in Duo's voice, then raised his hand to signal to the blond that they were there.
Quatre sighed heavily as he spotted two familar figures in the corner of Dinelli's. Shaking his head, he waited for a moment, bracing himself with the inevitable meeting of the two. He frowned as Heero raised his hand and waved him over. 'What am I? His damn servant or something?' His fair brow furrowed softly as he set his mouth into a tight line and walked briskly towards the two. A smile never felt so false on his lips as he greeted them.
"Heero, Duo! So... good to see you again... How are you?"
"Just cut the crap Quatre." Duo said cheerfully, plastering on his own false smile and playing it up. He widened it just to show Quatre how the perfessionals did it.
Quatre's false smile dropped like a ton of bricks. "We should have a table waiting for us." His cheer had dropped as well.
"Goody." Duo said, faux cheerful voice set with just the right amount of cheerful sarcasm. "Mmpf!" He added as he felt Heero's elbow jab rudely into his thin ribs. Rubbing them and making a face up to his Japanese friend, they followed the blond into the spacious room and took a booth seat near the back.
"So, Heero, Duo." He nodded to the latter. "What did you want?"
"Hey, don't look at me," Duo said, holding his hands up before reaching over to take a breadstick. "Coming here Wasn't my idea." He gazed deeply into Quatre's eyes before breaking the bread in half pointedly.
"We have to have an appointment to talk to a friend?" Heero asked, taking a sip of water.
Quatre shook his head softly and twiddled a napkin between his fingers. "No.... I suppose not."
"Then why are you on edge that we're here?" Yuy continued.
Sighing, Winner leaned forward. "Heero... Things.... Change. People change. During the war, I would have done anything that you asked. Hell.. I DID anything you asked." He said, referring to the Zero system incident in Sandrock. "And your faith in me.... well... it meant a lot. Soldiers aren't needed anymore, neither are the Gundams."
"I still have faith in you." Came the quiet reply.
"Heero... Please... not now. No more. I'm... Not a warrior anymore. I'm just a guy that has an empire to run." Quatre attempted at a feeble joke.
Duo snorted and rolled his eyes. "Oh please. Spare us from the humility." Rising quickly from the table, he clasped Heero's shoulder. "Thanks, Hee-chan, but I think I'm going to jet out and try to find Howard. See you around bud?"
"I'll see you tonight." Heero said, never taking his eyes off of Quatre. He felt the hand squeaze tightly on his shoulder for a moment as Maxwell cast his glance to his blond... friend, then Shinigami disappeared through the crowd and was out the door.
The two former pilots sat in contemplative silence until their order was brought to the table.
~~~
Walking down the lonely street, Maxwell fumed. "Quatre...." He said softly. "You said you'd Never let me down!" He cried out, slamming his fist into the brick wall of a storefront. "Damnit! Why can't you believe you can belong!? You're one of us! Thick and thin, you're one of US!" Duo ignored the strange looks of passerby's as he continued down the sidewalk, head now down, hands stuffed deep into his pockets.
~~~
Heero rose after the silent dinner was finally at an end and put down two twenties.
"That's not necessary.." Quatre said, quickly rising himself.
"Hn."
"Heero..."
"You know where I live. Don't make me have to dig you out from under your rock from now on. It was good seeing you again, Quatre. We shouldn't have to be strangers."
"Heero..." Quatre watched the retreating back of Yuy with a mixture of sadness and nostalgia. "I've missed you..." He whispered.
~~~
Dashing up the steps to the looming apartment building that Howard inhabited, Duo threw open the main door and made his way down the hallway. 'How do I know this is where he lives?' he asked himself as he strode with purpose down the dimly lit hallway and towards 3a. Knocking on the door, Duo realized that a heavy trail of semi-dried blood had trickled down his fist and along his forearm. 'Must'a did that when I punched the wall.' He thought shamedly. 'Howard will have something to put on that.'
He waited as heavy footsteps thumped towards the door, then there was the inevitable silence as the sciencetist obviously gazed through the peep-hole, then the rattle of locks being undone one by one. Finally, the door opened.
"Howie! 'Sup? Uhm... I Know that this is gonna sound weird... but... Heh heh... After last night.. I can't remember a damn thing." Duo said as Howard moved aside for the smaller man to enter.
"Yeah... we got pretty smashed last night."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about.." Duo said as he stood in the middle of the room. "HOW did I get smashed last night? Hell.... I haven't been lit like that in a long time."
Gazing down, Howard noted the bloody appendage. "Here.. sit down and I'll fix that up. I swear, you kids just don't take care of yourselves like you ought to." The husky familar voice put Duo at ease and the braided man took a seat on the couch, perching on the edge of the cushion. Moments later, the older man returned carrying a small basin and a square tin box. As he began cleaning the injuries, he spoke. "You and I were just catching up on the old times, my friend. One drink led to the other and well... when I woke up this morning... you were gone."
"Oh? But that's so weird... I quit.. OW! drinking, why would I start."
"So long as it doesn't become a habit, I wouldn't worry about it." Howard stated matter of factly as he continued to clean the wound. Duo's knuckles were badly bruised and scraped, but it appeared that he had no fractures and no deep lacerations.
"Yeah... guess so." Maxwell said as he looked about the gloomy room. "Well.. how's it going? How come you never got married?"
"To keep from having kids. My luck, they would turn out like you."
"Ouch!" Duo chuckled at the comment and was rewarded by Howard's smiling face. "Excuse me, but I'M the smart ass around here. Sheesh, I think I'm losing my touch. Everyone thinks they're a comedian now days."
Applying an anti-biotic ointment, Howard grunted softly. So far, so good. Duo remembered nothing from last night, but the older man never counted on Duo's sobriety. 'Damn..' he thought mentally as he gazed up into amethyst eyes. 'Gotta be careful.. heh... just like Duo to pull the rug out from under me. He's always full of surprises.' "Now." He said as he rose. "Whatever you did to that hand, don't do it again." He pondered for a moment. The chip that was implanted into Duo's brain was supposed to affect short term memory until it was activated.
~~~
Heero fumbled momentarily for the key to his home, then slowly opened the door. Locking it behind him, he made his way through the dark livingroom and to the kitchen.
With a heavy sigh, he dropped down on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table and spreading his arms across the back of the couch. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Trying to get to Quatre was the toughest thing he had had to do in a long while, but he would not be the one to give in so easily. Whether or not Quatre was willing to cooperate or not, well, that was his problem. Heero Yuy never gave up on friends. No matter how badly he wanted to kill them at the moment or not.
~~~
Quatre sighed and allowed his keys to drop heavily on the expensive oak table that stood at attention just inside the door in his foyer. He slid his jacket off of his shoulders and hung it up on the brass hook.
The unmistakable cock of a gun, then the cold metal of the barrel pressed against his temple caused the young blond to freeze. Quatre's eyes narrowed, but he remained still, heart beginning to speed up in his chest. "How did you get in?" He asked the shadow.
"We're not going to worry about details at the moment." A soft voice countered.
"What do you want?" Winner asked casually.
"You. I don't want to hurt you, you're needed."
"I see." Quatre slowly slid his left foot back, then twisted his body, bringing his left hand up and twisting the barrel of the gun up and away from his head, bringing his right hand into the midsection of the assailant as he did so. He was rewarded with a muffled grunt as he twisted the weapon away and held it. "Who are you?" He bit angrily, pointing the gun at the huddled form at his feet.
"You'll just have to kill me."
Quatre shrugged. "I wouldn't do that unless necessary. Who sent you and what do you want with me? Did you come here to kidnap me?" He almost laughed. "Or just to rob me and I spoiled your plans when you walked it?"
A young man stepped out of the shadows and Quatre stepped back in horror as Duo looked up at him, face contorted in severe pain, eyes wild.
"Duo!" He cried out half in surprise, half in fear. Suddenly sorry he had stopped by the bar before heading home, he then briefly wondered what would have happened had he been home when Duo came looking for him. "Is this some kind of sick joke?!" Quatre asked, shaking his head.
Duo trembled. "Either kill me, or let's get this show on the road."
Quatre frowned and took a step back, not trusting the speed in which Duo was famed for. "No. You're going to tell me just what the hell is going on over here."
Duo smiled. "I cut your silent alarms. It's just you and me." He straightened up and began to move slowly towards Quatre.
"I don't need alarms, Duo. I think I can handle you by myself." 'I hope I can.' He added silently as he watched Maxwell close the distance between the two.
"Ok. This can be the hard way... I don't care.."
Quatre held his arms out to his sides, ready to either brace or tackle if need be. His aqua eyes were constantly drawn to the painfilled desperation in Duo's. "Duo... is it drugs? Is there something you need to tell me?"
Duo growled and leapt, only to be met halfway into the attack and flung into the wall. "No. Something worse." Pain bolted somewhere deep inside him and he gave a small cry. Pulling himself back up the wall, he once again launched himself at the small Arab, this time as Quatre dodged an attack, Duo countered and sent a series of quick jabs to Winner's ribs.
Quatre grunted and staggered to his right. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the end of Duo's braid and moved behind him, pulling it across his neck as Duo prepared to retaliate. Pulling the hair tight, Quatre growled. "DUO! What do you think you're doing!? What is going on? What do you want?"
Duo gasped as his own hair was used as a weapon against him and he had time to mentally chuckle. Noone has ever done that before. He struggled, reaching behind him to grab purchase on his captor, but Quatre steadied him by giving the braid another hard tug, futher cutting off more of Duo's air.
"Enough!" Quatre's eyes widened as he felt something prick into his left thigh. Looking down, he could see that Duo fished a syringe out of his pocket and into Quatre. "Damnit, Duo!" He yelled, shoving his friend forward and moving away quickly. There was no telling what could be in it. Whatever it was, his leg was feeling incredibly heavy.
"Like I said... I don't want to hurt you... you're needed." Maxwell gasped, rubbing his neck.
"What did you do to me?" Quatre backed out of the foyer and into the main living room.
"Just gonna relax ya man... then we can get on to business."
"Relax me?" Quatre asked in disbelief. "You've..." He shook his head as it too started to feel heavy, much like his leg. "You've drugged me, Duo!"
"Damn right I did." Duo said softly, yet smugly. His voice held an emotionless monotone as he approached the ex-pilot of Sandrock.
'He looks so... dead..' Quatre's mind stammered as he sank slowly to his knees. 'Not at all like he did in the resturant... did something happen along the way from there to here and he snapped?' Betraying him, his eyes slipped closed against his will.
Smiling softly, a small part of him somewhere deep inside knew that the horrible pain that radiated throughout his brain would soon be abated once he had delivered Winner to Howard.
And that was all that mattered in the world to him right now, whether he was truly aware of it or not.
Mission Acknowledged.
1.
Howard sighed ruefully as he searched for the misplaced data disk containing the information about the whereabouts of the true Gundams. For a long, panicked moment, he feared the disk was somewhere on Maxwell's person, but after an hour or so of frantic searching, he came across it, hidden beneath a randomly scattered stack of paper.
"Aw man, I really need to do some spring cleaning. This place is worse than a pig stye." He complained as he slipped the disk into his E: drive and activated the password.
Dinelli's:
"Sooo... Q-chans finally gonna pull his head out of his ass and pretend that we're friends again?" Duo asked, barely restraining the snideness out of the comment. He stood with Heero, waiting on the blond Arab to show up, hands stuffed deep into his pockets and gazing upwards to look about the lobby of the old earth resturaunt. "Gotta hand it to him though, he has good taste when it comes to choices to eat."
"I didn't think you would complain about this place." Heero responded in turn. They had arrived at the rondevoux at least a half and hour early, both seeming to enjoy the tranquil peacefulness of the place. A constent, yet gentle murmur and rumble of patrons voices added a nice touch to the 'Personalble' quality of the place. Heero was mildy pleased, he didn't think he would like such a crowded area.
"I just hope he doesn't stand us up. That would really piss me off."
Heero turned his attention to his American friend and gazed at him blankly for a long moment. Duo in turn favored Heero with a mirror like glance.
"Don't tell me that you honostly think that we're dealing with the same Quatre. I just can't believe that he changed so much." He shrugged his thin shoulders and sighed softly. "Huh.. just to think, maybe... just maybe all that caring and compassion were just a cover... a mask." He shook his head sadly.
"Like your laughter?"
"Huh?"
"Nevermind." Heero lifted his head and directed his gaze above Duo's shoulder, indicating another's presence. Duo, blinking, turned as well and spotted the young ex-Sandrock pilot entering the busy building.
"Well, well, well. What do you know? Mr. Perfect made it here all along." Maxwell chuckled. "Hell. Even in here, it's taking him at Least a year to acknowledge us. Damn, I hate prissy people."
Heero cringed vaguely at the edge in Duo's voice, then raised his hand to signal to the blond that they were there.
Quatre sighed heavily as he spotted two familar figures in the corner of Dinelli's. Shaking his head, he waited for a moment, bracing himself with the inevitable meeting of the two. He frowned as Heero raised his hand and waved him over. 'What am I? His damn servant or something?' His fair brow furrowed softly as he set his mouth into a tight line and walked briskly towards the two. A smile never felt so false on his lips as he greeted them.
"Heero, Duo! So... good to see you again... How are you?"
"Just cut the crap Quatre." Duo said cheerfully, plastering on his own false smile and playing it up. He widened it just to show Quatre how the perfessionals did it.
Quatre's false smile dropped like a ton of bricks. "We should have a table waiting for us." His cheer had dropped as well.
"Goody." Duo said, faux cheerful voice set with just the right amount of cheerful sarcasm. "Mmpf!" He added as he felt Heero's elbow jab rudely into his thin ribs. Rubbing them and making a face up to his Japanese friend, they followed the blond into the spacious room and took a booth seat near the back.
"So, Heero, Duo." He nodded to the latter. "What did you want?"
"Hey, don't look at me," Duo said, holding his hands up before reaching over to take a breadstick. "Coming here Wasn't my idea." He gazed deeply into Quatre's eyes before breaking the bread in half pointedly.
"We have to have an appointment to talk to a friend?" Heero asked, taking a sip of water.
Quatre shook his head softly and twiddled a napkin between his fingers. "No.... I suppose not."
"Then why are you on edge that we're here?" Yuy continued.
Sighing, Winner leaned forward. "Heero... Things.... Change. People change. During the war, I would have done anything that you asked. Hell.. I DID anything you asked." He said, referring to the Zero system incident in Sandrock. "And your faith in me.... well... it meant a lot. Soldiers aren't needed anymore, neither are the Gundams."
"I still have faith in you." Came the quiet reply.
"Heero... Please... not now. No more. I'm... Not a warrior anymore. I'm just a guy that has an empire to run." Quatre attempted at a feeble joke.
Duo snorted and rolled his eyes. "Oh please. Spare us from the humility." Rising quickly from the table, he clasped Heero's shoulder. "Thanks, Hee-chan, but I think I'm going to jet out and try to find Howard. See you around bud?"
"I'll see you tonight." Heero said, never taking his eyes off of Quatre. He felt the hand squeaze tightly on his shoulder for a moment as Maxwell cast his glance to his blond... friend, then Shinigami disappeared through the crowd and was out the door.
The two former pilots sat in contemplative silence until their order was brought to the table.
~~~
Walking down the lonely street, Maxwell fumed. "Quatre...." He said softly. "You said you'd Never let me down!" He cried out, slamming his fist into the brick wall of a storefront. "Damnit! Why can't you believe you can belong!? You're one of us! Thick and thin, you're one of US!" Duo ignored the strange looks of passerby's as he continued down the sidewalk, head now down, hands stuffed deep into his pockets.
~~~
Heero rose after the silent dinner was finally at an end and put down two twenties.
"That's not necessary.." Quatre said, quickly rising himself.
"Hn."
"Heero..."
"You know where I live. Don't make me have to dig you out from under your rock from now on. It was good seeing you again, Quatre. We shouldn't have to be strangers."
"Heero..." Quatre watched the retreating back of Yuy with a mixture of sadness and nostalgia. "I've missed you..." He whispered.
~~~
Dashing up the steps to the looming apartment building that Howard inhabited, Duo threw open the main door and made his way down the hallway. 'How do I know this is where he lives?' he asked himself as he strode with purpose down the dimly lit hallway and towards 3a. Knocking on the door, Duo realized that a heavy trail of semi-dried blood had trickled down his fist and along his forearm. 'Must'a did that when I punched the wall.' He thought shamedly. 'Howard will have something to put on that.'
He waited as heavy footsteps thumped towards the door, then there was the inevitable silence as the sciencetist obviously gazed through the peep-hole, then the rattle of locks being undone one by one. Finally, the door opened.
"Howie! 'Sup? Uhm... I Know that this is gonna sound weird... but... Heh heh... After last night.. I can't remember a damn thing." Duo said as Howard moved aside for the smaller man to enter.
"Yeah... we got pretty smashed last night."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about.." Duo said as he stood in the middle of the room. "HOW did I get smashed last night? Hell.... I haven't been lit like that in a long time."
Gazing down, Howard noted the bloody appendage. "Here.. sit down and I'll fix that up. I swear, you kids just don't take care of yourselves like you ought to." The husky familar voice put Duo at ease and the braided man took a seat on the couch, perching on the edge of the cushion. Moments later, the older man returned carrying a small basin and a square tin box. As he began cleaning the injuries, he spoke. "You and I were just catching up on the old times, my friend. One drink led to the other and well... when I woke up this morning... you were gone."
"Oh? But that's so weird... I quit.. OW! drinking, why would I start."
"So long as it doesn't become a habit, I wouldn't worry about it." Howard stated matter of factly as he continued to clean the wound. Duo's knuckles were badly bruised and scraped, but it appeared that he had no fractures and no deep lacerations.
"Yeah... guess so." Maxwell said as he looked about the gloomy room. "Well.. how's it going? How come you never got married?"
"To keep from having kids. My luck, they would turn out like you."
"Ouch!" Duo chuckled at the comment and was rewarded by Howard's smiling face. "Excuse me, but I'M the smart ass around here. Sheesh, I think I'm losing my touch. Everyone thinks they're a comedian now days."
Applying an anti-biotic ointment, Howard grunted softly. So far, so good. Duo remembered nothing from last night, but the older man never counted on Duo's sobriety. 'Damn..' he thought mentally as he gazed up into amethyst eyes. 'Gotta be careful.. heh... just like Duo to pull the rug out from under me. He's always full of surprises.' "Now." He said as he rose. "Whatever you did to that hand, don't do it again." He pondered for a moment. The chip that was implanted into Duo's brain was supposed to affect short term memory until it was activated.
~~~
Heero fumbled momentarily for the key to his home, then slowly opened the door. Locking it behind him, he made his way through the dark livingroom and to the kitchen.
With a heavy sigh, he dropped down on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table and spreading his arms across the back of the couch. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Trying to get to Quatre was the toughest thing he had had to do in a long while, but he would not be the one to give in so easily. Whether or not Quatre was willing to cooperate or not, well, that was his problem. Heero Yuy never gave up on friends. No matter how badly he wanted to kill them at the moment or not.
~~~
Quatre sighed and allowed his keys to drop heavily on the expensive oak table that stood at attention just inside the door in his foyer. He slid his jacket off of his shoulders and hung it up on the brass hook.
The unmistakable cock of a gun, then the cold metal of the barrel pressed against his temple caused the young blond to freeze. Quatre's eyes narrowed, but he remained still, heart beginning to speed up in his chest. "How did you get in?" He asked the shadow.
"We're not going to worry about details at the moment." A soft voice countered.
"What do you want?" Winner asked casually.
"You. I don't want to hurt you, you're needed."
"I see." Quatre slowly slid his left foot back, then twisted his body, bringing his left hand up and twisting the barrel of the gun up and away from his head, bringing his right hand into the midsection of the assailant as he did so. He was rewarded with a muffled grunt as he twisted the weapon away and held it. "Who are you?" He bit angrily, pointing the gun at the huddled form at his feet.
"You'll just have to kill me."
Quatre shrugged. "I wouldn't do that unless necessary. Who sent you and what do you want with me? Did you come here to kidnap me?" He almost laughed. "Or just to rob me and I spoiled your plans when you walked it?"
A young man stepped out of the shadows and Quatre stepped back in horror as Duo looked up at him, face contorted in severe pain, eyes wild.
"Duo!" He cried out half in surprise, half in fear. Suddenly sorry he had stopped by the bar before heading home, he then briefly wondered what would have happened had he been home when Duo came looking for him. "Is this some kind of sick joke?!" Quatre asked, shaking his head.
Duo trembled. "Either kill me, or let's get this show on the road."
Quatre frowned and took a step back, not trusting the speed in which Duo was famed for. "No. You're going to tell me just what the hell is going on over here."
Duo smiled. "I cut your silent alarms. It's just you and me." He straightened up and began to move slowly towards Quatre.
"I don't need alarms, Duo. I think I can handle you by myself." 'I hope I can.' He added silently as he watched Maxwell close the distance between the two.
"Ok. This can be the hard way... I don't care.."
Quatre held his arms out to his sides, ready to either brace or tackle if need be. His aqua eyes were constantly drawn to the painfilled desperation in Duo's. "Duo... is it drugs? Is there something you need to tell me?"
Duo growled and leapt, only to be met halfway into the attack and flung into the wall. "No. Something worse." Pain bolted somewhere deep inside him and he gave a small cry. Pulling himself back up the wall, he once again launched himself at the small Arab, this time as Quatre dodged an attack, Duo countered and sent a series of quick jabs to Winner's ribs.
Quatre grunted and staggered to his right. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the end of Duo's braid and moved behind him, pulling it across his neck as Duo prepared to retaliate. Pulling the hair tight, Quatre growled. "DUO! What do you think you're doing!? What is going on? What do you want?"
Duo gasped as his own hair was used as a weapon against him and he had time to mentally chuckle. Noone has ever done that before. He struggled, reaching behind him to grab purchase on his captor, but Quatre steadied him by giving the braid another hard tug, futher cutting off more of Duo's air.
"Enough!" Quatre's eyes widened as he felt something prick into his left thigh. Looking down, he could see that Duo fished a syringe out of his pocket and into Quatre. "Damnit, Duo!" He yelled, shoving his friend forward and moving away quickly. There was no telling what could be in it. Whatever it was, his leg was feeling incredibly heavy.
"Like I said... I don't want to hurt you... you're needed." Maxwell gasped, rubbing his neck.
"What did you do to me?" Quatre backed out of the foyer and into the main living room.
"Just gonna relax ya man... then we can get on to business."
"Relax me?" Quatre asked in disbelief. "You've..." He shook his head as it too started to feel heavy, much like his leg. "You've drugged me, Duo!"
"Damn right I did." Duo said softly, yet smugly. His voice held an emotionless monotone as he approached the ex-pilot of Sandrock.
'He looks so... dead..' Quatre's mind stammered as he sank slowly to his knees. 'Not at all like he did in the resturant... did something happen along the way from there to here and he snapped?' Betraying him, his eyes slipped closed against his will.
Smiling softly, a small part of him somewhere deep inside knew that the horrible pain that radiated throughout his brain would soon be abated once he had delivered Winner to Howard.
And that was all that mattered in the world to him right now, whether he was truly aware of it or not.
