Part 8
"So. He's not dead." Milliardo's eyes bored into the candle's flame, which danced slowly. "This presents a problem."
Relena was pouting once more; how could Heero know about the plan? That assassin boy must have told him...he would have to be dealt with, and in the face of this it was comforting to know that he was already here; hadn't the priest seen to that? What *did* he know, anyway? And--
"Relena? Are you listening to me?" She looked up at him from her reverie as though for the first time, blinking out of her stupor, and Milliardo sighed exhaustedly. "We'll have to plan something else. I told you I didn't think poison was a good idea; it's easily cured in most cases."
Huffing, she clenched her fists irritably. "I didn't expect him to be around that stupid priest; who'd have thought he'd recognize what was wrong,anyway? Besides, finding him dead is a lot less obvious than having someone come in and assassinate him in front of everyone. That's a bit hard to disguise as an accident, don't you think? Besides...look how good your first stupid idea worked! That moronic assassin hit the wrong guy...and didn't even manage to kill *him*!"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Milliardo shook his head slowly. "This is getting us nowhere. Our first priority is to deal with the assassin in the dungeon. He's our biggest threat at the moment. After that, we can see to the original plan. Once the little prince is out of the way we'll be able to mobilize against his kingdom. First the assassin, though." He paused in thought for a moment, then tilted his head. "And Heero knows as well, you said?"
"He....yes." She frowned. "But that doesn't matter; he's mine." A platinum eyebrow arched inquisitively and she huffed once more, crossing her arms like a spoiled child as she glared. "I'm warning you, don't touch him."
"Fine, suit yourself." Waving a hand dismissively, he stood and smoothed out his jacket. "We'll--or you'll--" he added, noting her glare, "deal with him later. Our next order of business is the assassin in our custody. His name is...?"
"He won't say. Calls himself Shinigami, though."
"Right. Well." His eyes glazed in thought for a moment, then he nodded to himself. "Let's pay a visit to our Shinigami then, shall we?"
****************
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
~Hungry.~
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
~Cold.~
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
~Damn leaky dungeons.~
Slowly uncurling and stretching out, Duo sat up stiffly and tugged experimentally at the shackles around his wrists. They'd break with barely a thought, but still...no, he was best here for the time being. It was at least shelter from the elements, especially the sun. He picked at his braid idly, staring for some time at a rat on the far side of the dungeon that stared back.
Stare.
Stare.
Stare.
Stare.
~I think I'm going to go insane.~
Squeak.
~You said it, brother.~
Flashback
"Get that...other...out of here." ~No....not him....crap....so close.....!~
He felt himself being picked up and he tried to pull free, but his body wouldn't respond. When his eyes finally opened he looked up at the ceiling, then saw WuFei who was carrying him. "Heero..."
WuFei stopped and looked down at the apparition shaking gently in his arms. There was a moment of silence before he finally shook his head. "He's not here. They're still trying to wake him up. What did you do to him?" He released Duo and helped him steady himself, the entire time questioning the notion of why he trusted Duo so implicitly when he barely knew him.
The ever-present smile was back on the pale lips, but it never quite reached his eyes. "Me, nothin'. That's something else entirely. But you already know that, huh?"
WuFei's eyes flashed and he grabbed Duo by the arm as roughly as he cold muster, pulling him along. "I've no idea what you're talking about."
A gold hand grasped Wife's wrist and he pulled the Chinese boy to a halt, turning him so their eyes met. "WuFei, somewhere in there you remember me." Fingertips rested lightly on Wife's cheek as Duo smiled. "You recognize me...you don't know how, but you do. We're together forever, all of us. All of us made a promise to stay together, and I swore I'd find us and keep us close. I just need Heero to-- "
WuFei slapped his hand way and began jerking him along once more. "Trowa wants you locked up where you can't do him any more harm; can't you see you're hurting him more than anything? You're going to kill him!"
Shocked into silence, Duo simply allowed himself to be drug along to imprisonment, glancing back over his shoulder occasionally...glancing back down the hall to where Heero was kept.
Violet eyes snapped up towards the door. Someone was coming. His scythe was gone, but WuFei hadn't bothered to search him...he knew he wouldn't. Shackled hands clasped behind his back and he pulled a long, thin length of...of...damn. He wasn't in his clothes; they were back in Heero's room. That means the length of garrote wire wasn't in this waistline. That means he was unarmed. Statistically, this didn't prove to be much of a worry; he could take most anyone in the castle down by claws alone, but still....
"--so that's what I say, at least." Relena's voice could be heard as she unlocked the door and Duo grinned to himself. ~Well well well...~ "Anyway, there's no need to be so worried; everything will still go along as planned."
The door swung open and Duo prepared to pounce, but the door was barely opened before a blinding light--blinding to him, at least--pervaded the room. He yelped painfully and staggered back against the wall, a hand help up to shield his sensitive eyes. Relena continued forward, however, the ditzy smile fading to anger as she drew nearer. Those clothes...the hair... "YOU!"
As his eyes adjusted somewhat, Duo managed a peek from between his fingers at her. Eyebrows raised, then he smirked. "Me?"
She sputtered unintelligibly, then growled, kicked him savagely in the leg, causing him to yelp. "You were the one with Heero last night! You...you...agh!!" She kicked the already bruised leg again and seethed, spinning around to face Milliardo as she pointed to Duo. "I want him executed!"Her face flushed red with anger and embarrassment when Duo snickered.
"I think it's perhaps a bit too late for that, don't you?" Milliardo replied coolly as he looked Duo over. "After all, didn't we bury him for those four only two days ago...?"
Turning to look back at Duo, Relena gave him a closer inspection, then let out a shriek and stumbled back away from him. Milliardo, however, continued forward, examining Duo as though her were some sort of strange insect. "We did, didn't we?"
Picking at the chains, Duo gave a contemptuous snort. "I could break these like threads, y'know."
Milliardo's eyes narrowed. "Yes. I suppose you could."
"I just don't want to, s'all."
"Indeed."
Relena looked back and forth between the two men, their stares interlocking like a reptile's scales, each matching the other in insolent annoyance.
"Why don't you, then?"
Duo grinned widely, leaning back against the cool wall. "Maybe I don't have anything better to do at the moment. Maybe watching you two run around like chickens with your heads cut off is the most interesting thing I can think of right now."
"Or maybe you're waiting on someone." Milliardo withdrew a long serrated knife from its sheathe on his belt and turned the ornately decorated blade slowly in his hands. "Someone special...?"
"You'd better not touch him. Try it, and you'll be a greasy fuckin' smear on the ground...."
"So you say. But you don't happen to know where he is right now, do you? Because I certainly do. Or, at least, my men do." Holding up the blade, he wiped a smudge off the polished metal. "Now, I need you to tell me some things. Some important things."
A low hiss escaped between Duo's lips and he growled in the back of his throat. "You can't kill me with that."
"No?" His head cocked curiously, then he a mirthless laugh escaped. "I suppose not. But I can certainly inconvenience you. (1)"
"*We* can inconvenience you," Relena piped in, revenge gleaming in her eyes.
**************************
Heero's eyes snapped open and he took a deep gasp of air. He felt as though he were being torn apart, but it was distant, muted...fading. Sitting up, he pulled from beneath the covers and looked around the darkened room. WuFei was asleep in the chair by the window and Quatre was resting and recovering in the bed next to him. It took him a full minute for him to gather the strength to stand, but when he did he found Trowa was standing next to him, a steadying arm around his shoulders. Heero looked up at him. "He was telling the truth. You know he was; why else wouldn't you call her personal alchemist if you didn't suspect it was her that poisoned him?"
Both of their gazes fell to the sleeping Quatre, his breath so shallow and his skin so sickly pale. "Yes," came the whispered reply.
"Then why don't you trust him? He's not here to hurt me."
"He's not here to help you, either. He's here only to help himself."
"I have..." Heero winced, faltering slightly, then he shook the fog from his head. "I have to find him...where is he?"
"In the dungeons." Trowa placed a hand to Heero's forehead and whispered a short prayer; Heero felt warmth course through his body and he took a deep breath, the strength returning to his muscles. Sitting down on the bed, Trowa added, "Do not trust him implicitly. I warn you that he is very dangerous."
But Heero barely heard him. He was gone then, racing through the corridors blindly...though...somehow...yes, somehow he knew where he was going. He could feel himself growing closer to Duo; the pain was more intense, the sense of their minds intertwining was getting stronger. The door to the dungeons was closed but not locked, and there were no guards to be seen. His sword forgotten in his haste, Heero silently thanked whatever gods there were for the small mercy and he pushed the door open.
It was completely dark and quiet, save for a steady drip, drip, drip somewhere in the darkness of a corner.
It was completely empty, save for the slender shape that lay crumpled on the floor, sliced and mutilated and whispering quietly.
"Heero...save me...please Heero..."
(1) Sorry...that was a bad adaptation of one of the coolest lines in history:
"Uhm.....miss? Mum says they don't feel pain, miss."
"No? Well they can certainly be inconvenienced."
In order to get it, you gotta read the book...but doesn't it sound really cool? Don't you wanna read it now? Right now?! GO OUT AND GET IT!!!
The book is "Lords and Ladies" by Terry Pratchett
"So. He's not dead." Milliardo's eyes bored into the candle's flame, which danced slowly. "This presents a problem."
Relena was pouting once more; how could Heero know about the plan? That assassin boy must have told him...he would have to be dealt with, and in the face of this it was comforting to know that he was already here; hadn't the priest seen to that? What *did* he know, anyway? And--
"Relena? Are you listening to me?" She looked up at him from her reverie as though for the first time, blinking out of her stupor, and Milliardo sighed exhaustedly. "We'll have to plan something else. I told you I didn't think poison was a good idea; it's easily cured in most cases."
Huffing, she clenched her fists irritably. "I didn't expect him to be around that stupid priest; who'd have thought he'd recognize what was wrong,anyway? Besides, finding him dead is a lot less obvious than having someone come in and assassinate him in front of everyone. That's a bit hard to disguise as an accident, don't you think? Besides...look how good your first stupid idea worked! That moronic assassin hit the wrong guy...and didn't even manage to kill *him*!"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Milliardo shook his head slowly. "This is getting us nowhere. Our first priority is to deal with the assassin in the dungeon. He's our biggest threat at the moment. After that, we can see to the original plan. Once the little prince is out of the way we'll be able to mobilize against his kingdom. First the assassin, though." He paused in thought for a moment, then tilted his head. "And Heero knows as well, you said?"
"He....yes." She frowned. "But that doesn't matter; he's mine." A platinum eyebrow arched inquisitively and she huffed once more, crossing her arms like a spoiled child as she glared. "I'm warning you, don't touch him."
"Fine, suit yourself." Waving a hand dismissively, he stood and smoothed out his jacket. "We'll--or you'll--" he added, noting her glare, "deal with him later. Our next order of business is the assassin in our custody. His name is...?"
"He won't say. Calls himself Shinigami, though."
"Right. Well." His eyes glazed in thought for a moment, then he nodded to himself. "Let's pay a visit to our Shinigami then, shall we?"
****************
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
~Hungry.~
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
~Cold.~
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
~Damn leaky dungeons.~
Slowly uncurling and stretching out, Duo sat up stiffly and tugged experimentally at the shackles around his wrists. They'd break with barely a thought, but still...no, he was best here for the time being. It was at least shelter from the elements, especially the sun. He picked at his braid idly, staring for some time at a rat on the far side of the dungeon that stared back.
Stare.
Stare.
Stare.
Stare.
~I think I'm going to go insane.~
Squeak.
~You said it, brother.~
Flashback
"Get that...other...out of here." ~No....not him....crap....so close.....!~
He felt himself being picked up and he tried to pull free, but his body wouldn't respond. When his eyes finally opened he looked up at the ceiling, then saw WuFei who was carrying him. "Heero..."
WuFei stopped and looked down at the apparition shaking gently in his arms. There was a moment of silence before he finally shook his head. "He's not here. They're still trying to wake him up. What did you do to him?" He released Duo and helped him steady himself, the entire time questioning the notion of why he trusted Duo so implicitly when he barely knew him.
The ever-present smile was back on the pale lips, but it never quite reached his eyes. "Me, nothin'. That's something else entirely. But you already know that, huh?"
WuFei's eyes flashed and he grabbed Duo by the arm as roughly as he cold muster, pulling him along. "I've no idea what you're talking about."
A gold hand grasped Wife's wrist and he pulled the Chinese boy to a halt, turning him so their eyes met. "WuFei, somewhere in there you remember me." Fingertips rested lightly on Wife's cheek as Duo smiled. "You recognize me...you don't know how, but you do. We're together forever, all of us. All of us made a promise to stay together, and I swore I'd find us and keep us close. I just need Heero to-- "
WuFei slapped his hand way and began jerking him along once more. "Trowa wants you locked up where you can't do him any more harm; can't you see you're hurting him more than anything? You're going to kill him!"
Shocked into silence, Duo simply allowed himself to be drug along to imprisonment, glancing back over his shoulder occasionally...glancing back down the hall to where Heero was kept.
Violet eyes snapped up towards the door. Someone was coming. His scythe was gone, but WuFei hadn't bothered to search him...he knew he wouldn't. Shackled hands clasped behind his back and he pulled a long, thin length of...of...damn. He wasn't in his clothes; they were back in Heero's room. That means the length of garrote wire wasn't in this waistline. That means he was unarmed. Statistically, this didn't prove to be much of a worry; he could take most anyone in the castle down by claws alone, but still....
"--so that's what I say, at least." Relena's voice could be heard as she unlocked the door and Duo grinned to himself. ~Well well well...~ "Anyway, there's no need to be so worried; everything will still go along as planned."
The door swung open and Duo prepared to pounce, but the door was barely opened before a blinding light--blinding to him, at least--pervaded the room. He yelped painfully and staggered back against the wall, a hand help up to shield his sensitive eyes. Relena continued forward, however, the ditzy smile fading to anger as she drew nearer. Those clothes...the hair... "YOU!"
As his eyes adjusted somewhat, Duo managed a peek from between his fingers at her. Eyebrows raised, then he smirked. "Me?"
She sputtered unintelligibly, then growled, kicked him savagely in the leg, causing him to yelp. "You were the one with Heero last night! You...you...agh!!" She kicked the already bruised leg again and seethed, spinning around to face Milliardo as she pointed to Duo. "I want him executed!"Her face flushed red with anger and embarrassment when Duo snickered.
"I think it's perhaps a bit too late for that, don't you?" Milliardo replied coolly as he looked Duo over. "After all, didn't we bury him for those four only two days ago...?"
Turning to look back at Duo, Relena gave him a closer inspection, then let out a shriek and stumbled back away from him. Milliardo, however, continued forward, examining Duo as though her were some sort of strange insect. "We did, didn't we?"
Picking at the chains, Duo gave a contemptuous snort. "I could break these like threads, y'know."
Milliardo's eyes narrowed. "Yes. I suppose you could."
"I just don't want to, s'all."
"Indeed."
Relena looked back and forth between the two men, their stares interlocking like a reptile's scales, each matching the other in insolent annoyance.
"Why don't you, then?"
Duo grinned widely, leaning back against the cool wall. "Maybe I don't have anything better to do at the moment. Maybe watching you two run around like chickens with your heads cut off is the most interesting thing I can think of right now."
"Or maybe you're waiting on someone." Milliardo withdrew a long serrated knife from its sheathe on his belt and turned the ornately decorated blade slowly in his hands. "Someone special...?"
"You'd better not touch him. Try it, and you'll be a greasy fuckin' smear on the ground...."
"So you say. But you don't happen to know where he is right now, do you? Because I certainly do. Or, at least, my men do." Holding up the blade, he wiped a smudge off the polished metal. "Now, I need you to tell me some things. Some important things."
A low hiss escaped between Duo's lips and he growled in the back of his throat. "You can't kill me with that."
"No?" His head cocked curiously, then he a mirthless laugh escaped. "I suppose not. But I can certainly inconvenience you. (1)"
"*We* can inconvenience you," Relena piped in, revenge gleaming in her eyes.
**************************
Heero's eyes snapped open and he took a deep gasp of air. He felt as though he were being torn apart, but it was distant, muted...fading. Sitting up, he pulled from beneath the covers and looked around the darkened room. WuFei was asleep in the chair by the window and Quatre was resting and recovering in the bed next to him. It took him a full minute for him to gather the strength to stand, but when he did he found Trowa was standing next to him, a steadying arm around his shoulders. Heero looked up at him. "He was telling the truth. You know he was; why else wouldn't you call her personal alchemist if you didn't suspect it was her that poisoned him?"
Both of their gazes fell to the sleeping Quatre, his breath so shallow and his skin so sickly pale. "Yes," came the whispered reply.
"Then why don't you trust him? He's not here to hurt me."
"He's not here to help you, either. He's here only to help himself."
"I have..." Heero winced, faltering slightly, then he shook the fog from his head. "I have to find him...where is he?"
"In the dungeons." Trowa placed a hand to Heero's forehead and whispered a short prayer; Heero felt warmth course through his body and he took a deep breath, the strength returning to his muscles. Sitting down on the bed, Trowa added, "Do not trust him implicitly. I warn you that he is very dangerous."
But Heero barely heard him. He was gone then, racing through the corridors blindly...though...somehow...yes, somehow he knew where he was going. He could feel himself growing closer to Duo; the pain was more intense, the sense of their minds intertwining was getting stronger. The door to the dungeons was closed but not locked, and there were no guards to be seen. His sword forgotten in his haste, Heero silently thanked whatever gods there were for the small mercy and he pushed the door open.
It was completely dark and quiet, save for a steady drip, drip, drip somewhere in the darkness of a corner.
It was completely empty, save for the slender shape that lay crumpled on the floor, sliced and mutilated and whispering quietly.
"Heero...save me...please Heero..."
(1) Sorry...that was a bad adaptation of one of the coolest lines in history:
"Uhm.....miss? Mum says they don't feel pain, miss."
"No? Well they can certainly be inconvenienced."
In order to get it, you gotta read the book...but doesn't it sound really cool? Don't you wanna read it now? Right now?! GO OUT AND GET IT!!!
The book is "Lords and Ladies" by Terry Pratchett