WARNINGS - Angst (by the shovel full!), shounen ai (Guyxguy), OOC Heero (Make that OOC everyone!), Heero torture, hints of NCS (Non-consensual sex, rape), abuse of Wufei's name, foul language (*Gasps* Oo, shocking!), bastardised Dr. J, violence (Hmm probably should have included that in the last chapter, ne?), fluffiness and darkness (But I guess that's been there all along!)
Thank yous – Sarasi (Hey! Mind the language! :-p), Shavica, Yume, moonbunny317, WildfireFriendship, silvertoekee, Betrayed, leah, Yosomi (*Shakes head* not homework, its coursework, as in if I don't get it done I get kicked off the course…), Princess Lightina and Becca . . .thank you! *hugs and kisses all round*
"Thanks for the help, boy," her voice
dripped with sarcasm. "But I can take care of myself, as ya can see!" Thick
lashes shuttered prussian blue eyes as Heero's eyes drifted shut. "Here's your
first an' last lesson, kid, never stick ya neck out fer anyone!"
She
squeezed the trigger.
Heero's
eyes shot wide open as a small click met his ears. He knew all too well what
that sound meant. The gun was empty. He raised tired blue eyes to the face of
his attacker who was smiling sardonically at the metal in her hands.
"I
guess ya got lucky!" she remarked as she threw the useless weapon to the floor
and sauntered away, hips swaying back and forth as she stepped daintily over
the corpses that littered the alley. A small moan was forced from Heero's mouth
as another wave of pain shook him. Quickly he took a mental inventory of his
wounds and was not pleased with the results. He determined that if he did not
receive medical attention in three hours at the most his condition was likely
to become critical. He was also aware that even if he could make it to a
hospital there was no way he could allow himself to be admitted. Oz knew what
he looked like and he would be damned if he was captured, in his current state
of mind he may very well break under Oz's very own special brand of torment.
Wincing as the torn muscle in his left arm protested, Heero reached around and
pulled an emergency homing device out from a small pouch he had installed on
his holster. The device was designed to be used in emergency situations only
and sent a mayday signal to any communicators with the same codes. The only
people who had the devices in their possessions were Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre,
Wufei, Sally Po, Hilde Schtibekker and Relena Peacecraft. The device beeped and
Heero looked down at it with bleary eyes in relief. Sally Po was in the area
and currently tracking his location. ETA 52 minutes.
* * *
"Heero? It's Sally! Hello? Is anyone
down here?" Sally Po walked down the alley cautiously, gun drawn and ready. A
faint rustling drew her attention and she made her way over to the dumpster it
came from as silently as she could. The doctor peered carefully around the edge
of the dumpster and gasped in surprise. Heero Yuy was lying on the floor in
puddles of dark red liquid, glaring up at her through blood-matted bangs. Any
exposed skin was corrupted with hideous bruises and his clothes were torn and
soiled. She holstered her weapon immediately and rushed to the wounded boys
side. When she had received his request for medical assistance she had not been
expecting him to be so roughed up. Hooking her arms under his arms she helped
him to his feet, noticing with admiration that he had torn strips from his tank
top to bandage his wounds. Knowing that the answers to any questions she had
would be granted later, she set about the task of assisting him to her car.
Heero
hissed in pain as he lay down on the backseat of Sally's non-descript car,
wincing as she took off at a speed that was definantly not legal. A wracking
cough shook Heero's light frame and he bought his hand to his mouth. Feeling
wetness on his skin Heero looked down at his hand and saw that his golden skin
was splattered with blood. He quickly came to the conclusion that this
situation was not good.
* * *
"You know your wrong, don't you?" Trowa
asked Duo quietly. Violet eyes snapped to his angrily.
"What?"
Duo demanded.
"What
you did to Heero was wrong," Trowa clarified. "I understand why you were
scared," he held up a hand for silence when the braided boy opened his mouth to
protest. "But you should have explained it to him, instead of rejecting him."
Duo wanted to protest but quelled the urge when Trowa's cold logic sank in. He
had hurt Heero unnecessarily and all of the events which had followed were
solely his fault. The American lowered his head until his fringe shaded his
eyes.
"What
should I do?" he asked quietly. Trowa watched his comrade passively and
shrugged his slim shoulders.
"A wise man once told me to follow my heart," Trowa revealed sardonically. "I think its time I passed on his advice." With that parting statement Trowa stood and left Duo to his thoughts, the irony of his last statement not lost on him. Duo sighed and walked over to the window. He looked down the path that Heero had taken, searching his mind for a solution to his problem. One answer stood out above all, when Heero returned he was going to have a very long talk with him, starting with an apology. The European boy rose to his feet gracefully and left Duo to his thoughts. He climbed the stairs in search of his blonde koi and confidant, unsure as to wether it would be too presumtuas of his to share Duo's and Heero's situation with his lover. Either way he would be glad for the warm comfort Quatre always offered him.
Roughly two hours had passed since Heero had run from the safehouse. Duo had abandoned the window seat for the sofa. He lay sprawled out, eyes shut, thoughts and senarios running through his mind. The harsh noise of the phone ringing statled him from his revierie. He race across the room and swithched on the vid-phone with a breathless "Y'ello?", hoping that Heero was calling.
"Duo?" Dissapointment coursed through the Deathscythe pilot as a womans voice echoed through the room and the face of Sally Po was revealed on the screen. Strands of hair were escaping the womans customary twists in whispy tufts and lines of anxiousness marred her forehead.
"What's up Doc?" Duo asked with a smile on his face, he rarely got to see the cool Dr. Po riled up.
"I can't talk for long, I've got work to do," she told him seriously. "I just thought you would want to know that Heero is here, he – "
"What?!" Duo demanded, a strange mixture of worry and possesiveness creating his words. Sally held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Is he okay?"
"He has received multiple brusies and laserations, he had torn several ligaments in his left arm, he's also also fractured several bones and broken two of his ribs, one of which has pierced his left lung." The doctor recited clinically.
"How did this happen?" Duo gasped in shock.
"I don't know," she revealed. "He is unconscious at the moment. My team are taking care of him."
"Will he be okay?" A tightness gripped his chest as he asked that question. /He'll be alright, he'll be okay, / he assured himself.
"Knowing Heero he'll be back to his old self within a week!" Sally comforted. "I have to go now, take care Duo."
"Yeah . . ." Duo mumbled as he disconnected, still shocked that Heero had been this badly damaged outside the battlefield. He sat in silence for a moment. A second later the subdued American burst into a flurry of movement. Crossing the room with wide purposeful steps and snatching his black leather coat from its peg. A few minutes later Trowa broke his kiss with Quatre as the muffled sound of a motorbike driving away reached his trained ears. In the next instant their bedroom door was flung open by a very annoyed Chinese man.
"Maxwell took my bike!"
* * *
Heero stared at the wall with no trace of an expresion on his face. The voices in his mind had quieted the moment. The Perfect Soldier questionned the meaning of his life. He had been taught over and over again that he had to defend the colonies until that became their purpose in life. When the colonies had turned against the the blow had been harsh, but Heero's training had been so firmly in place that he simply continued to soldier on. The tenuous bonds he had formed with his comrades had given his existence that small glimpse of light.
What was left for him now? Why should he continue to fight? To live in agony? The colonies didn't want his help, /she/ didn't want his help. They hurt him for trying to ease their suffering. Duo hated him. He was a disgrace in the eyes of Wufei. He hurt Quatre. He hurt Trowa by doing so.
Heero lost all sense of time as he stared at the featureless wall, his mind spirialing further and further into darkness. The roar of Wufei's motorbike registered in his mind on some level but he was to far gone to care. Even when he felt strong hands shaking him and a familiar voice calling his name Heero could not draw himself up from the darkness. He continued to stare at the wall.
To be Continued . . .
A/N – Oops, I didn't mean to make Hee-chan go all dark! Honest! Don't send out the death threats just yet, at least Duo came to his senses, ne? ^_^