GS Note: Poor Solo, all he does is be himself and everybody wants to kill him. Poor guy, I still love you! Don't worry guys, Solo is an okay guy, trust me! Just wait! I guess you guys haven't heard of the plan within the plan within the plan! And remember, someone always has to be the pimp!
Am I so predictable? Give yourselves a pat on the back! ^_^ Presenting Heero the hero, playing the role of Duo Maxwell!
Love me, I'm disregarding homework (and most sleep) (a lot of sleep)(too much sleep) for you ^_^
Neko
Chapter 10
The two sets of eyes turned towards Heero. He swallowed nervously at the intense golden and violet stares.
"Duo doesn't have to go out," he started. "In case you've forgotten," he smirked, "I'm the same colour as Duo. Maybe a bit bigger but it's all weight. I'll fair better against him in a fight!"
Solo smirked knowingly as Duo growled.
"I'm not going to let you get hurt because I won't do something, housecat! You don't know Dekim, he's dangerous!" she managed to keep quiet. Dekim was starting to wind down from his rant.
"I want to do this," Heero glared quietly. The light was fading slowly, only a thin sliver of faraway street lamps shone in, lighting their eyes. "And—I don't want you hurt."
He lowered his eyes as Duo froze. Solo grinned widely behind her head only just controlling his glee. He stood up without regard to the noise he may be making. "Good! Duo, call Dekim. Tell him you want to get out then Heero, go instead." He toned down the obvious joy on his face. He looked at Heero seriously. "Do not talk. And try to not move very much, you don't look that much like Duo and you definitely don't move like her. Don't meet his eyes either." Solo sniffed the air then wrinkled his nose. "It doesn't matter what you smell like, I guess. We all stink from being down here."
Heero rolled his eyes and glared at the tom. Still, it was good advice, there was no harm in using it. Solo kept a look out at the opening while Duo and Heero moved closer to the open grate. They could see Dekim's grey tail lashing. They looked at each other, Duo silently pleaded for him to be careful. Heero nodded slowly. With one final breath, Duo turned determinedly up to the grate.
"Dekim!"
The tail paused and there was a scuffled as he turned. Dekim's head appeared.
"You're still alive?"
"I…I want to surrender!"
There was a long pause. His eyes narrowed though Duo and Heero both knew he couldn't see them in the dark. "How do I know this isn't a trick?"
"I…I'm scared! That other male you put down here killed my mate! He wants to kill me too! I…I want out!"
Heero glared at her lie but she only warned him to be quiet.
"Solo's dead?" the tabby's face split into a grin. "That's wonderful! I'll get you out of there! Don't worry, that tom can starve down there, he'll never frighten you again!"
There was a mad little giggle as Dekim moved away from the grate. They could hear him dragging something.
"Are you ready?" Duo whispered, concern heavy in her voice. Heero jerked his head in a nod. Duo sighed. "I didn't mean it. I just wanted him to think Solo was dead. With Solo out of the way, I'm free for his taking. Please—"
"I won't mess up," Heero said tightly. "Once I'm up, go back with Solo. There's no need for you to play hero." He smirked lightly. "That's me."
***
"I feel disgusting."
"Just think of the role you're playing, the great and famous Heero Yuy!"
"Does he have to look like dirt?"
Heero's room was dark as the two toms crouched there, hearts pounding in anticipation. The door was opened a crack and the hall light was the only source to chase off the darkness. It fell on the deep blue carpet. A somewhat chunky tail whipped through it's light for just a second as it scattered dust around.
"It's mud, Abdul. And stop moving, you're going to knock it all off!"
"It's dried mud," Abdul blinked as he grumbled. Only his tail poked out from under the ugly brown couch. Trieze waited patiently beside him. Mariemaia had come to them only a few moments ago and told them in a very excited, out of breath way, that She was coming and that She was close. The grey cat could hear Abdul's heart beat racing beside him.
Abdul reached up to knock some dust off his nose but paused and checked himself just before. It had rained last night and the torn up, miniscule backyard had been thick with oozing mud. Otto and Walker were thankfully inside, Otto was the more friendly of the two dogs. No one wanted to be in a place they shouldn't while Walker was around. Trieze was about to make a sarcastic remark about Heero and mud when he heard voices at the end of the hall.
According to plan, he slipped away behind the door where he could still hear what was happening but would be totally hidden from sight. Even Abdul's bright blue eyes couldn't pick out the ghost cat from his spot in the dark. Not a speck of light glinted off of Trieze's golden eyes as he crouched in wait. Abdul felt his heart race up again. The crack in the door burst open, flooding the dark room with light. Abdul flicked his tail out of view as he heard fumbling then the light turned on. He slunk back into the darkest corner of the couch. He was sure his heart racing was going to give him away.
"As you can see, Mrs. Delouse, Heero was a champion show cat," Noin's voice sounded a bit too bright and happy with fake cheer as she led the other women around to the trophy case. Abdul struggled to breathe lightly as he heard the echo of the high-heeled shoes walk past the far end of the couch. Fat ankles made the sides of the worn purple shoes fold and wrinkle. They didn't look comfortable.
"Just don't sit down," Abdul breathed out silently. Trieze peeked out cautiously from the open door then ducked back inside.
"He was named Cat of the Show at this past annual International Breed Show," Noin continued. "Last year he won first place in the European circuit and second in the North American."
The purple shoed woman made an unimpressed sound. "I saw the cat that won the North American this year, ratty old thing."
"The female I just bought is striking too!" Noin continued, a touch of nervousness creeping into her voice. "I think they'll make a lovely pair!"
Purple-shoed just sounded bored. She rocked back on her heels to leave. Abdul sighed in relief, tension slowly leaving him and his heart began to slow down. The woman's shoes disappeared from sight.
Suddenly, there was a sharp shooting pain racing up Abdul's tail and into his brain.
"MROW!"
***
"It'll take a moment for Meiran to get everyone into position."
Dorothy, Rashid, Auda and the other three toms were sandwiched between two trashcans near to the alley where Duo, Heero and Solo were being kept. Night was setting fast, not a speck of star or moonlight could be seen over the light and air pollution hanging over the city. The sky was a sickly orange-grey but was fading to black fast. Flickering street lamps showed dim shadows at the end of the alley and the turn to the left.
Auda shifted his feet grumpily. "How are we going to do our part anyway? We are only five cats, one of which is…"
Dorothy's eyes flashed in the fake light as she glared at the tom. Then she snorted and looked away. "Dekim is likely to be there right now with Alex and when they see Mueller there's no telling what he might do. Meiran was telling me that Dekim is becoming unsteady and paranoid. The Dragons have been teasing him for months with helping his prisoners escape and slowly eating away at the edges of his territory. He's ready to snap. We have to make sure he does."
"That cat has to be at least ten from the way you go on about him and how long he's been here! I beat I can take him myself!"
"Dekim may be old," Dorothy agreed but a sad smile lifted her lips. "But don't underestimate him. He's big, has experience and Alex. I still think there is something we are missing though. I just know it, there is something we are forgetting…"
"Maybe we should have planned more," Rashid commented quietly. Dorothy shook her head.
"No, it has to be tonight and it has to be now. We can't wait any longer."
There was a few moments of silence before the last traces of orange and pink left the cloudy sky. Dorothy nodded. "Let's go."
***
An old thin board slowly slid its way through the narrow grate opening. Heero and Duo could hear Dekim grunting as he pushed it. Duo looked nervously at Heero but his face was steeled with determination.
"Good luck," she whispered, damning her failed courage to say more. Heero's tightly clenched jaw jerked up in a shaky smile.
"Let's hope."
The board slowly pushed its way in shifting from side to side until it dropped heavily onto the ground. There was a soft cluck as it hit the mud. It made a steep, narrow ramp and Heero hesitated before slowly and cautiously taking one step. When it held his full weight he quickly scampered up the rest.
There was no streetlight directly shining into the alley, Heero was grateful for that. He had only met Dekim once before so he gulped nervously. It wasn't hard to pretend to be a shaken Duo, Heero was plenty scared. Dekim was huge, much bigger them himself, and battle had scarred him. He was far more experienced. He was far more muscled. Heero wished he had lain off those treats he had stashed in his room.
"I've saved you, my dear," Heero drew back slightly at the husky, throaty tone. There was little doubt in his mind why Duo hadn't wanted to come up here. "And once I pull this ramp back up, I expect some compensation. Don't bother to run, I have people everywhere."
Heero crouched in the darkest corner he could as Dekim heaved the heavy ramp back up with his claws and teeth. There was no way Heero could have done that, not even with help. An involuntary shiver ran over his back. Meiran had better come soon, or he was in way over his head.
A whisper of a shadow made his eye dart to the far end of the alley. He squinted as Dekim grunted. It didn't look like Alex or Relena…
***
"He doesn't look friendly."
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Delouse, I upset him by stepping on his tail. Come on, kitty, there's a good boy, come out Heero…"
Abdul fought the urge to nurse his injured tail as he hid under his new spot under the trophy cabinet. It was luck that She had only seen a brown cat streak across the room and not merely a dirty one.
"I don't think he's coming out, Miss Noin," a woman sniffed. This one wasn't Mrs. Delouse, Abdul saw shiny blue shoes on thin ankles. "And I want to see that Persian of yours, I hear one of his offspring recently won the Asia Circuit."
"Yes!" Abdul breathed a sigh of relief as the blue shoes of the snob and Her low black ones move off. "Let's go find him, Quatre is the sweetest cat I own!"
The room went dark with the flick of a light and the door shut securely.
Only after their voices faded down the hall did Abdul dare stick his head out. The mud had long dried and was dusting off in clumps that fell in his eyes. He sneezed violently.
"You can come out."
It took an amount of wiggling before Abdul could squeeze out. It never seemed so hard when he did it the first time. He did pop out though and shook himself, sending a cloud of dust into the air and onto the carpet.
"I'm finally done?"
"Yea," Trieze was invisible to human eyes but Abdul could see his outline easily. "Even if they come back in, that cabinet is so dark they won't be able to see that you aren't there." Trieze smirked. "I thought about there for you to hide at first but I didn't think you would fit."
Abdul glared as he started to scratch furiously at his neck "How the hell do I get this off?"
"Mariemaia is running you a bath as we speak."
"A what?"
There will be one more chapter then an epilogue. Oh, and someone dies. See if you can guess who! (HINT! It's NOT Solo!)