Heero stared in shock at the tiny child that was Duo Maxwell. "This is
Duo?"
Professor G nodded.
The child backed away slowly.
"What did you do to him?" Heero glared at the doctor.
"It was merely a side affect of the drug I gave him."
Heero continued to glare.
"It was for the good of the peace. A solution that was meant to halt the process of time on the human body. There are obviously still some flaws. We will continue to work on an antitidote to change him back." The scientist stared down his long nose at the gundam pilot. "Until then, your mission is to watch over this child carefully. If there seems to be anything odd with him, send me a message."
Heero nodded silently. "Ninmu ryoukai."
"Good. So there he is. Take him and leave."
"Hai." Heero stepped forward to take the child, but paused when the boy cringed and scrambled away. He glared at the boy. "Duo." He added warningly. He stepped toward him again and the boy took off like a shot to the other side of the lab, a blur of black cloth.
"Stop fooling around Duo." He stalked over to the boy again, but just as he was about to grab him, the boy sped off again.
The boy gave a startled cry as the professor stepped in front of him. Eyes narrowed with determination and the hidden needle struck out. The professor yelped at the needle scratched his hand painfully and swatted angrily at the boy.
The boy staggered back as Professor G's hand connected with the side of his face. Falling against the wall, he found himself stuck between the two men. Knowing that there was no escape, he clenched his eyes shut and huddled inside of the large black shirt.
Heero paused as he saw the tiny form curl up on itself and suppressed the urge to maim the professor. Duo wasn't acting like himself. He pushed the thought back and grabbed the boy by the back of the shirt a little more gently than he needed to. He hefted the boy into his arms, although around the age of 5, Duo was surprisingly light. The boy made no noise or movement, his eyes still tightly shut.
The professor led them back upstairs into the false cottage and herded them out the door, shutting it the moment they were out.
Heero had borrowed one of Quatre's cars in the present safehouse's garage. "Get in the car Duo." He moved to get to the drivers side, but the second he turned his attention the boy once again tried to make a run for it. Heero quickly snatched the back of Duo's shirt and stuffed him in the car himself, locking the door.
He growled lowly as he stalked to the drivers side and got in. He glared at the boy. "What the hell is your problem?" Not waiting for an answer, he started the engine and they were off.
After a few minutes, Heero became unsettled by Duo's silence. He glanced at the boy from the side of his eye and caught the boy staring right back at him guardedly. "What?" He asked annoyed.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" The tiny high voice demanded.
The first thing that caught Heero's attention was the words. The second was the fear the words were spoken with.
"You don't remember who I am?" He asked in his nasal monotone quietly.
"Who's Duo?" Was the boy's only reply.
Heero decided that now would be the perfect time to pull along the side of the country road and have a nice talk.
He stared at the boy with hard eyes. "Who do you think you are?"
The boy pressed himself up as far as he could against the side of the door. "What do ya want from me?" He ground out through clenched teeth, trying to look tougher.
Heero's eyes softened slightly at the boy's act. "I don't want anything from you." He answered slowly. "But tell me, if you aren't Duo Maxwell, then who are you?"
"I ain't got a name." The boy replied.
"Must be a side affect of the drug." Heero murmured to himself.
"You're not gonna hurt me?" The child looked at him with large guarded violet eyes suspiciously.
Heero frowned. "Of course not.
"S' where are ya takin me?" He asked, obviously not trusting the other's answer.
Heero wondered what made this boy so jaded. "To a safehouse."
The boy merely made a small noise of approval and stayed silent. Heero shrugged mentally and continued to drive.
Professor G nodded.
The child backed away slowly.
"What did you do to him?" Heero glared at the doctor.
"It was merely a side affect of the drug I gave him."
Heero continued to glare.
"It was for the good of the peace. A solution that was meant to halt the process of time on the human body. There are obviously still some flaws. We will continue to work on an antitidote to change him back." The scientist stared down his long nose at the gundam pilot. "Until then, your mission is to watch over this child carefully. If there seems to be anything odd with him, send me a message."
Heero nodded silently. "Ninmu ryoukai."
"Good. So there he is. Take him and leave."
"Hai." Heero stepped forward to take the child, but paused when the boy cringed and scrambled away. He glared at the boy. "Duo." He added warningly. He stepped toward him again and the boy took off like a shot to the other side of the lab, a blur of black cloth.
"Stop fooling around Duo." He stalked over to the boy again, but just as he was about to grab him, the boy sped off again.
The boy gave a startled cry as the professor stepped in front of him. Eyes narrowed with determination and the hidden needle struck out. The professor yelped at the needle scratched his hand painfully and swatted angrily at the boy.
The boy staggered back as Professor G's hand connected with the side of his face. Falling against the wall, he found himself stuck between the two men. Knowing that there was no escape, he clenched his eyes shut and huddled inside of the large black shirt.
Heero paused as he saw the tiny form curl up on itself and suppressed the urge to maim the professor. Duo wasn't acting like himself. He pushed the thought back and grabbed the boy by the back of the shirt a little more gently than he needed to. He hefted the boy into his arms, although around the age of 5, Duo was surprisingly light. The boy made no noise or movement, his eyes still tightly shut.
The professor led them back upstairs into the false cottage and herded them out the door, shutting it the moment they were out.
Heero had borrowed one of Quatre's cars in the present safehouse's garage. "Get in the car Duo." He moved to get to the drivers side, but the second he turned his attention the boy once again tried to make a run for it. Heero quickly snatched the back of Duo's shirt and stuffed him in the car himself, locking the door.
He growled lowly as he stalked to the drivers side and got in. He glared at the boy. "What the hell is your problem?" Not waiting for an answer, he started the engine and they were off.
After a few minutes, Heero became unsettled by Duo's silence. He glanced at the boy from the side of his eye and caught the boy staring right back at him guardedly. "What?" He asked annoyed.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" The tiny high voice demanded.
The first thing that caught Heero's attention was the words. The second was the fear the words were spoken with.
"You don't remember who I am?" He asked in his nasal monotone quietly.
"Who's Duo?" Was the boy's only reply.
Heero decided that now would be the perfect time to pull along the side of the country road and have a nice talk.
He stared at the boy with hard eyes. "Who do you think you are?"
The boy pressed himself up as far as he could against the side of the door. "What do ya want from me?" He ground out through clenched teeth, trying to look tougher.
Heero's eyes softened slightly at the boy's act. "I don't want anything from you." He answered slowly. "But tell me, if you aren't Duo Maxwell, then who are you?"
"I ain't got a name." The boy replied.
"Must be a side affect of the drug." Heero murmured to himself.
"You're not gonna hurt me?" The child looked at him with large guarded violet eyes suspiciously.
Heero frowned. "Of course not.
"S' where are ya takin me?" He asked, obviously not trusting the other's answer.
Heero wondered what made this boy so jaded. "To a safehouse."
The boy merely made a small noise of approval and stayed silent. Heero shrugged mentally and continued to drive.