Into The Rain

Part 3: Wounds and Predicaments

I woke up to the dog that I had gone to sleep thinking of barking. Barking very loud, in fact. I looked to what she was barking about. The cloaked figure in the door way must have been it. I opened my eyes wider to see who the figure actually was. It was Duo, trying to shoo the dog away. Jackie jumped back up on my bed and licked me and then looked back to Duo and began to bark again.

"Damn, there goes my stealth plan." Duo joked and walked into the room. Jackie jumped from the bed and jumped over to Duo, grinding her teeth into his leg. Duo winced and quickly tried to kick the dog off. Jackie jumped off and then jumped back to me.

"Geez, a dog with an attitude. Now that is what I call a bitch."

I looked over to Duo plainly. "In all fairness to Jackie, that's what she it."

He nodded, "I was trying my luck at a joke, Heero."

I nodded and pet Jackie on the head, stroking her fur down to her lower back.

Duo tried to walk up but Jackie began to bark again. "She really likes you."

I nodded. "And doesn't like you."

Duo put his hands back into his back pockets. I saw his muscled stiffen from the rather tight tank top he was wearing.

"I think I'm going to be leaving tonight. It was nice to see you again Heero, I'm gonna miss you."

I stood up and thought out whether it would be worth it or not. I shook my head, I shouldn't be thinking if it was worth it. Of course it was! "Duo, I told you, I don't want to you go back, I-"

"I came here for what I needed. I think it will be helpful and that's all that's going to matter."

I looked to him. "I asked how you felt about Relena, but what I'm fuzzy about is how you feel about me." I felt rather self conscious saying that to him. But even so, I meant it and wanted an answer. He took a longer time to answer than the one about Relena. Jackie wagged her tail and then growled to Duo who had taken a step closer.

"Um, if I'm gonna answer this I was wondering if I could be with you without the dog..." Duo trailed off and I looked to Jackie.

"Go home, girl." I said in a soft voice. Jackie wagged her tail and hopped off the bed and left, but not before growling at Duo one for time.

"How is it that you get girls to listen to your every word like that? I'll never know." Duo smiled and sat down next to me.

"Well," I said with my eyes lowered to the sheets of the bed.

"Heero, I can't say that. If I do then I'm not going to be leaving. It took me so long to get over you when you died, and that wasn't of my choice. It will be harder for me to do this of my own free will." Duo lifted my chin up and looked to me.

"Heero, I think you know how I feel about you. It's between us, even if it was only said once. I can't hear it again."

I defied him and let it exit my lips, "Duo, aishiteru."

He shook his head. "No, don't say that! I can't hear it! I can't!"

I kissed his parted lips. "Aishiteru."

He drew away. "I think I'm going to leave Heero. Sayonara, Heero. Thanks again."

I shook my head as he left the room. He was not going to go, he wasn't. I followed behind him, not letting him know of my presents; it was a stealth mission for me now.

"Quatre, I'm going to go now. Thank you all again, would you mind if I took one of your spare cars?"

"Of course you can, Duo! I really will miss you. At least now the mystery of where you went has been answered for me. I'm going to miss you more then you know. Good-bye."

"Hai, good-bye."

I followed after I heard the door shut and I knew that Duo had left the building. Quatre looked suspicious to me as he saw me sneak out of the house and follow Duo. Still, I think deep down he knew what I was doing. I hopped into the back of the car that Quatre had let him borrow. As Duo came in, I hide from his sight and tried to keep myself hidden to the best of my ability. Duo turned the radio on to some rock station and I heard him laugh. I didn't know what the laugh was about or for, maybe the music that we where listening to.

I stayed wake in the back seat for what seemed to be three hours. Checking my watch every once in a while, I realized that it was closer to four. Then the car stopped. I looked around and saw the lights of a gas station, he must have been running low. He was outside and paying the man that was refueling the tank. I looked to the wallet that he was carrying and saw Quatre's ID in it. He must have snuck the wallet for the money. He handed a fifty to the man and he took it. Putting the wallet back into his pocket I noticed that the night was falling as well as the sunset. It looked like he would be driving through the night to get to his destination.

I took in a deep breath. I was getting tired but I didn't want to fall asleep in case we reached the location and I lost sight of him. I was determined to fight my eyelids until the end, but for me the end was coming shortly. I heard the car door slam shut and Duo started the car back up and began to drive again. I decided that I would get a little bit of sleep now so I could stay up later. Shutting my eyes I fell asleep again.

A awoke from a cold draft and that was when I realized that we had arrived at the destination. The cold wind was from the opened door that Duo hadn't shut. I got up and saw him walking into the night sky. I got up and looked around. The only light in the area was the safety lights in the car. Other then that there was black everywhere. I got up as I saw Duo's figure disappear. He must have been cold because of that tight tank top that he was wearing. I was wearing a sweater and I was still chilly. I got out of the car and took a look around at the area.

Behind me that lights gave out and all I could see for that time was black.

I waited a moment for my vision to adjust to the light. I looked around and the first thing that I could see was a dead oak tree in the foreground. I took another second and listened to the foot steps fade into the distance. I followed them, not trusting my eyes but relying on my ears instead. I took three steps and then I could see half way. I saw Duo's figure enter a dark building.

I followed and as I finally got to the door I peaked in. My eyes widened as a green light devoured the room and what appeared to be a space tear opened before my eyes. The green was eating the room and then where it had already been digested the tear was glowing like the night stars. I looked into it like it was a scene from a science fiction movie. The next thing I saw was Duo stepping toward the light.

"So Duo, is this where you are going back? Into some kind of gateway?" He spun around at my voice. I was obviously the last person that he was expecting to see there.

"Heero?! What the hell are you doing here?!" He shouted at me, turning his back to the porthole.

"I told you, I'm not going to be separated from you again. If you're planning to go in there all you will have to do is look behind you and I'll be there. I'm not going to leave you again." My voice came out harsher then I intended it to be. He looked so confused and I just wanted to hug him and tell him that everything was going to be all right.

"I-I don't get it Heero. Even after what I had shown you, you still want to go in? What the hell is wrong with you?! You'll never be able to get back! I don't even know how I got back here! You'll be trapped back there!" I shook my head and he took a step away from me and to the portal.

"Duo. I don't care if I don't come back. There is nothing for me here, I hate who I have become and I'll do anything to get ride of him. If it means gaining you then I won't give it a second thought."

Duo fell to his knees helplessly. "Heero, how can you be so naive?" The green glow covered his face like a spotlight.

"Because I know what you mean to me and I'm not going to loose you. So let's go and save your world."

Duo stood back up, slowly. "What about your son? How old is he? Is he going to grow up without a father? What will every one think of you disappearing?"

I walked up to him and made him look me in the eyes. "Relena will be a good mother. I think Quatre knows what I did, he'll cover for me. Now let's go."

Duo backed away and then tripped. "Shit," he cursed as he fell backwards into the porthole. I reached out my hand and grasped his, being pulled back into the gateway.

Green surrounded me and tried to pull me away from him. I held tight and tried to pull myself closer to Duo who was falling backwards just as fast as I was. I saw a stray tear fall from his face and at the speed we where falling at, it splattered across my cheek. I looked down to him, he looked too beautiful. I knew I was doing the right thing...

The time I woke up I realized that I had my arms wrapped around the braided pilot. I looked down to him and realized that we must have been in his time. I looked to him and he was stirring. As he awoke he looked up to me. "Crazy, I didn't think you would do it..."

"Of course I would, baka." I took a look around. It had been a battle field, there where bodies everywhere. I looked to it in certain disgust. I had had enough of this in my life, and this was what Duo's life consisted of. The smell of gun powered and human flesh was in the air. I heard Duo yelp. I looked to him as he jumped out of my arms and to his feet. His eyes held a certain fright and I questioned it. He pointed to where we had been laying. I realized what he meant as I found myself sitting on a dead body. I jumped to my feet and looked to him.

"Do you know where we are?"

He looked around at the scene and shrugged. "I'm not too sure, just a second." He bent down to the corpse we had been laying on top of. He searched the body for an ID. "He was one of ours. But look at the uniform, we won this battle with a couple casualties," Duos aid gesturing to the body lying broken. I nodded. Then his eyes lit up. "I know this area! When I left we had been planning a sneak attack on this area! That would mean..." He looked around the area and then ran off.

I followed behind him in a hurry. He was fast and I needed to keep up with him. He looked to the base and found a remaining room that appeared untouched. He looked around and found a phone that didn't seem to be damaged, maybe a little burnt, but nothing too bad. He picked up the phone and let out a sigh of relief. There must have been a dial-tone. He quickly punched in a series of numbers that I didn't bother to track. His voice was happy.

"Ricky?! That you! Oh man! I'm glad that you are there! Mind picking me up here?"

He waited for a moment and I could nearly hear the joy in the man on the phone's voice. He must have been worried sick about him. "Oh great! Remember that sneak attack that we had planned a couple days ago?" He waited and his eyes widened. "What do you mean that was three months ago?! It was just-" he stopped as he realized the facts. The time must have thrown something off.

"Okay, well I'll see you and Relena soon, okay?" He hung up the phone and looked to me. "They're coming to pick us up." I nodded in response. He looked to the floor of the burnt down base. "Heero, I still can't believe what is happening,"

I walked over to him and embraced him. "Shh, it's okay, don't worry. Now can you tell me what you really feel about me?"

He looked up to me and shook his head. "No, not yet. I'm not going to tell you now, not here." I kissed his forehead and he stayed passive, not that I was in any position to blame him for that.

"Heero," I nodded and he felt it too.

"I was just going to tell you to act normal around the others. They will suspect you from the beginning; they didn't know where I went. You will probably be greeted by a couple shiny gun barrels breathing down your throat, take it in stride. I'm telling this now so you know what to expect." I nodded, that was not surprising. I have to remind myself that this was still a time of war and I might have to revert to how I was in the war. I heard something coming from the outside. I looked back out and then saw a flash of white and a small growl.

"Jackie?! What the hell are you doing here?!" Duo demanded as the little dog jumped into my arms.

What was she doing here? Did she follow me when I was following Duo?

"Aw man!" I heard Duo swear. "Now I have to deal with that now!"

I then turned to a car approaching. I heard a shout and a familiar face jump out of the car. "Duo! I missed you so much!" The voice called and then next thing I knew a wheat blonde mass of hair hand wrapped it's self around Duo neck.

It was Relena and Duo smiled down to her. "I didn't mean to worry you. I'm sorry, but before you get out any guns-" he didn't have time to finish, Relena was holding a gun pressed to my forehead. "Who is he and why the hell does he look like Heero?!" Relena shouted and drug the front of the gun into my forehead as a warning.

Duo pulled Relena away by the waist. "Well you know how I was gone? I went back into another- wait, that won't sound right. Okay, this is a different Heero from a different time line. It really is Heero so you can put your gun down."

She was hesitant but she did it. She was much different from the Relena I left in the other world. She put the gun back into its holder and looked to me. "Is that really Heero?"

I nodded, trying to look at her without glaring, her arms where now wrapped around Duos' waist.

"Yeah, now let's get back home." Duo said and Relena nodded, as did I.

I wasn't sure what it was about this world, but I was sure something bad was going to happen. Jackie must have sensed it too, because she licked my cheek comfortingly. I smiled to the little dog and began to walk to the truck.

"So this is Heero?" Relena said, as she looked closer to me, crossing her legs.

Duo nodded "From a different reality than this one. In their reality the war has been over for nearly a decade."

Relena's eyes widened. "What?! You mean you came from a world without the war?!" She demanded looking to me. "How did it end?!"

I shifted in my seat, not wanting to answer anything she asked me.

"It came down to one decisive battle when Zechs became the leader of the White Fang and declared war on Earth. He threatened to throw a ship into the earth that would create the 'Meteor Theory' and recreate the way the dinosaurs died out. He didn't though, it was stopped by the Gundams."

Relena shook her head. "Oz is all-powerful here. Treize, Zechs, Une and
Noin rule everything. It's a dictatorship in the worse sense. Thank the lord for our latest plan."

I looked to her questioningly. "Latest plan?" Relena looked to Duo for permission to tell me.

He told me himself, "Catalonia is in the area. We are going to do a serious hit-and-run. She'll be dead by next week if everything goes to plan." His voice lowered while looking at me. He was so serious about it. Dead serious.

"Heero, will you help us fight?"

I took a moment to think. "I haven't been in any combat situation in ten years. I don't know if I would be of any help. I would, but I think I might be more of a handicap." I knew that was true, but I felt that I had to help since I had appeared here. I didn't want to be like Relena was in my reality. I mused with the thought of having a reality of my own. I was the only person in this reality with my reality.

Duo crossed his arms. "Well I think training is an option that I could give you. Would you except that?"

I nodded. "Of course I will train."

"Good, then as soon as we get to the base I'll see what you are and aren't capable of." Duo was going to train me, I didn't feel right with that though. It didn't feel right at all, was he really that advanced?

"Heero," Relena breathed my name and I looked up to meet her gaze.

"Hai?"

"Get some sleep, to go through Duo's training, no matter who you are, you will need it." Was his training really that rigorous?

"Have you gone through some of it, Relena?"

She nodded and then lifted up her shirt. My eyes widened, but she wasn't
stripping for the fun of it. She turned around and I looked to three long scars across her back. "These where the fruits of my labors. He was going incredibly easy on me, you won't have that same advantage."

Jackie looked to her and whimpered. She pulled her shirt back on and eyed the dog sitting on my lap.

"I haven't asked about that yet, I think I will now. Why the heck do you have a dog with you?"

Jackie bared her teeth to
Relena who glared right back. "This is Quatre's dog, Jackie."

She nodded. "So I take it Quatre is alive in your world?"

I nodded and Jackie yipped at her owners name. "Duo I-" I stopped when I realized that he was laying again the side of the truck with his arms crossed sleeping.

Relena looked to the front seat where the man named Ricky was diving. "When will we get there?"

He looked back and replied. "In about two minutes." Relena looked back to Duo and brushed a stray strand of hair from his face. I felt my fist clench and
she fixed her gaze on Duo. I wanted to rip her away. Well, I would just have to prove her wrong and pass Duo's training with flying colors. I would show her, not in the physical sense. I wasn't going to pick a fist fight with her. But I never thought that I would have a rival. After the two minutes I felt the truck's speed decrease and we pulled to a stop. Relena stood up, shaking Duo to consciousness and he looked around.

"Back so soon?"

Relena nodded. "We weren't that far away." He yawned, stretching himself out and then looked to stand up. Jackie jumped off my lap and to the floor where she began to chase her tail.

"Let's go." I got up and Jackie followed me to the building. It was an old building, crumbling but it made a good base or HQ, depending what it was to them. I followed them to the door and then down the wide hallway.

"Come on, Heero." Duo noticed as I hesitated into the building. He grabbed my hand and literally pulled me in. There where two guards at the door and both of them pointed guns toward me.

"Who are you?!" The first one demanded. "At ease, boys." Duo ordered and they immediately dropped their guns to their sides and smiled. "Duo-sama! You're back!"

Duo took a deep breath. "Hey, I just came back! Don't make me start with dropping the 'sama' part, neh?"

They nodded. "Gomen."

I walked past them, but they both looked ready to shoot me. It had been a while since I had that feeling, but I was used to it.

I think the last person that was going to shoot me was the mail man after I finished verbally abusing him. Jackie then started to paw at my leg and I looked down. Having a child myself I knew that she wanted me to pick her up. I did just that the Duo chuckled.

I looked forward to him. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, nothing. That dog has you wrapped!"

I shook my head. "No, I'm just being nice to her."

He nodded sarcastically. "Whatever you say, man."

"Where should we have him stay? In the pilots quarters?" Relena said looked up to Duo.

"No, he's a guest now. He's not going with those ruffians."

She gave that a though but looked back to me. "Will he be sleeping there when he begins the training?"

Duo hesitated. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen what he's capable of yet."

I spoke up, "I will be able to handle it if you're worried about my stamina. I'm not afraid of a couple soldiers."

Duo hesitated. "Well, maybe not a couple Oz soldiers, but we are pretty tough here..."

"I'm not afraid."

"Fine, I'll let you know when I make up my mind. If you spend ten minutes in there you might want to change your mind."

I shook my head again. "I'll be fine."

Duo gave up. "Okay, if you still want to after the first night here I'll let you."

I felt like this was some kind of boot camp. I didn't want to be disrespecting my counselor, if that's what this really was. But Duo didn't seem to mind when I did. "Heero, come with me. Relena, I'll see you at dinner."

Relena nodded sweetly and walked off. I looked to Duo and he wanted me to follow. I did as he wanted but stopped. I tried to see what he had stopped about and that was when I realized that he was looking directly at Jackie. "Oh, her."

He nodded. "What will we do with her?"

"We're not going to get rid of her. She's Quatre's dog."

Duo nodded. "Got ya." He whistled to the dog to follow him but she growled to him. "Shit, I get all this from a dog, but not from any humans. That is screwed up." I nodded but whistled to Jackie who hopped over to me.

"Where do you want to put her?" He gestured to a side room.

"Put her in there, just don't forget to tell me she's there."

I nodded and then Duo began to walk again. "Here, we'll go to the gym and that's where I'll see what you can and can't do." I followed behind him until we got to the double door set at the end of the hallway.

He pulled them open and that gave way to a large dark room. I could hear two men dribbling a basket ball in the room and then the two scrambled out after Duo said something in English that I couldn't understand. You would think that of all languages I would know, English would be the big one. "Let's go." He flipped on the light switch and the gymnasium was flooded with light. "Let's begin."

We walked to the center of the gym and stopped. "What do you want-"

"I'll tell you when I want you to do something, just wait."

He looked me over for a second, never speaking a word. He stopped. "Take your shirt off. That is unnecessary weight. Wait here, I'll get you something better to wear. That's useless."

I wasn't expecting that, no one has ever called my wardrobe useless. They where all relieved when I had changed from the green tank top and black spandex. No one had complained since then. Duo reappeared in the room and tossed down an outfit for me to put on. It was very similar to his, as I looked it over.

It was a tight black tank top and a pair of baggy black pants. These where plain, unlike the designed ones Duo was wearing.


"Well." He stated and I looked to him.

"What?"

"Get dressed."

"Here?"

"A solider shouldn't be ashamed of him body. Put them on."

I looked to the cloths. I wasn't talking about that. I did as I was told, stripped and then put the outfit of. I didn't realized how tight the tank top was until I put it on. This felt like my old wardrobe. He looked me over, letting a smile grace his face. "Now that is more like it."

I waited for an order, since he felt comfortable giving them. "Come at me."

I looked to him a bit confused. He understood and explained.

"Come at me. Charge me. Try to kill me. Just let me see what you have now and what needs to be tweaked." I didn't want to hurt him. The Duo I had left was three times weaker then me, I was afraid I would hurt him. "What? You afraid you're going to hurt me?" He had read my mind. He glared to me. "You won't be able to. Treize can't even touch me. I doubt a washed up perfect solider who hasn't killed in ten years will be able to." His words where harsh. He sounded so serious. I knew he was doing this to make me mad so I would charge him, but still it hurt. I didn't make me mad, it... hurt me.

"Come on! Don't go weak on me now, Heero! Where the hell is all the anger I used to know?! You used to beat me! Instead of kindness you hit me! Do it again! Try it! You are weak!" He shot to me, I felt like he had grabbed my heart ad was pulling it out slowly, pulling every emotion. Every emotion but the anger he press for. "Heero! Do it! You coward!" I let him continue but I didn't budge. I didn't show an emotion. If there was one thing that I could do, one thing that I kept from the war was the mask I hide behind.

He looked confused. "Heero, why are you hesitating? Are you going to go cry to Relena?" Now that name was bringing up memories. They where ones that he was stressing for- hate. I hated her for what happened. I focused my hate on her, I didn't want any attachment to her.

"Yeah, I bet that you want her here now that you realize how alone you really are here. You're alone. You're afraid even if you don't show it. You want her! Probably just to make you feel good, so you can use her! Why do you use the ones that love you? You can't take love! You turn it back into hate! To resentment! You aversion! Well, I have news for you, people turn
that same hate back to you! Just like she did! This Relena here has smartened up! She doesn't love you! She despises you for what you did you her! To what you did to me!"

I showed him no response. I couldn't hit him. I just couldn't. He took another moment to look me over. "I don't get it Heero, why won't you just get it out? I know the pain you're feeling. Why don't you just get it out?" His voice turned soft but then I saw that he had an idea. His eyes lit up. "Stay here, you good for nothing bastard." He walked out of the room and I stood at the center.

Still at the center.

What was he going to do?

No matter what, I wasn't going to hurt him. I couldn't. I heard foot steps approaching and I looked to the door to see Duo come back in. But this time he had brought someone else with him as well. If he thought this person could make me madder then he had another thing comi-

He walked in with his arm around Relena's waist and she was busy fluttering kisses down his neck. "You wanted me to do something, Duo?"

End of part 3...

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