Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, and so I write this silly thing. I
like to write and love to rhyme, but you will learn that all in time. Read
this chapter and you'll see, this insane plot belongs to me (to my
knowledge). I've thought to nearly chapter 10, but that's not where I hope
to end. Please review and I'll reply, and if you don't I just might cry.
For those of you who are confused as I was in writing this, here is some order within madness:
'. . . . ' = thought ". . . ." = speech /. . . . / = noise
Warnings: AU, a little OOC on Zechs' part, I think.
***************************
/bang/
A gun fired a shot into the air, arousing the house upon its firing.
"Hell, Duo!" Solo jumped from his bed, facing the back and braid of his companion in the pitch dark of the room, "What was tha- Who is that?" He took a glance at the mop-haired assassin and moved over beside his friend, ". Duo?"
"What is going on over there!?" An enraged Lucrezia's voice could be heard loudly echoing from all the way down the hall and around the corner. Heero watched the light of her candle on the wall grow brighter at the end of the hall as she approached, "If it's a burglar, I'll kill him, if it's one of you, I'll kill you anyway for waking me up at this hour why I should . . . -good God." Whatever threat she was going to make was interrupted in horror as she recognized the weapon in the stranger's hands.
Heero, instinctively, after the shot, spun around and pointed his gun at the new target with fervency. Lucrezia spun her head around to face the second weapon.
"Zechs . . . ?"
"So, who's Treize's new pawn this time?" The blond-haired man asked coolly upon getting up from his hiding place, gun firm in hand and facing the other with the same vigorous determination. The origin of the first shot was obvious.
"Zechs Marquese." The cobalt blue eyes turned black in the darkness, glinting behind the gun he held so steadily, fearlessly.
"No, no, boy, that would be me," Zechs tightened his grip on the weapon, "I asked for -your- name." Heero just snorted indignantly. They would get nothing out of him.
"Zechs?! Where did you come from?!" Duo stood up from behind Heero, who narrowed his eyes at the braided boy. He was so close. Heero could just turn around to face the braided one and shoot, but his life would be lost in the process. Zechs did have the upper hand. Damn.
"I was in the neighborhood, and I smelled a rat . . . or, Dorothy, rather, but let's not get into that. . . she's a bit. . .tied up, and I have a mission to complete." Zechs said smugly, re-focusing his aim on the other assassin.
Heero widened his eyes a little in surprise.
Zechs wasn't trying to protect the braided one; he was just trying to stop Treize!
Heero smirked. This might be easier than he thought.
"Dorothy?" Lucrezia asked in a late reaction, angered, and turning quite serious on the both of them after a moment of silence, "You get out of here right now, or I'll call the police on both of you!" The courageous young woman clenched her teeth in anger, knowing that the declaration was impossible, looking at Duo and Solo in the doorway, afraid for their safety more than anyone else's. If the other two wanted to kill themselves, it was just fine with her, just so long as no innocents were lost.
Lucrezia had been in the revolution as well, you must remember. She was not afraid.
Heero merely narrowed his eyes at the both the armed Zechs and the brave Lucrezia who stood behind his true enemy. It was all he could think to do. The woman would be no threat, but here he was, facing death at the hands of the enemy, who thought him to be merely a pawn. Was he?
It didn't matter, he decided. This was the mission. (a/n: See the irony, here?)
"So, here for my life, are you? Treize finally put the word in? Well, he's a fool, then. He has far more important things to be looking for." Zechs told the darkness violently towards the chocolate-haired assassin who was still out of view. His first shot had been in vain, but the rest would not be.
Heero knew Treize was no fool and he was never one to doubt orders, but how could this one he was assigned to kill have any importance to Trieze? Certainly, it couldn't be the one that Zechs spoke of. And if that was how it was going to be, he wouldn't let Zechs' misconception be put to waste.
Looking around the hallway, the set-up was fairly simple. The highly- trained assassin's eye soon spotted the most efficient way of passing with intent to evade the two while he found a way out. He wouldn't escape, under any circumstances, but he had to have a plan.
"I don't know what you're pulling at," Zechs hissed angrily as he watched cobalt blue eyes sharply stray around the hall, "But it ends here!"
With that, Zechs pulled the trigger again, and Duo jumped at the sound and Heero quickly jumped aside, kicking off from the right wall with the corresponding appendages with success at getting out of Zech's line of fire, but unintentionally putting Solo straight in it.
"God!" Zechs hissed as he watched the bullet headed straight towards wide green eyes, but before he even had time to regret the shot, Heero had bounced off the wall and kicked his left foot straight into the blond's ribcage.
Zechs fell back in pain. Damn, for such a small guy, he sure was awfully strong . . . Zechs stumbled as he attempted to get up . . . okay, -inhumanly- strong. However, the blond got right back on his feet and wincingly fumbled for his gun while the other held his side, and futilely shot at Heero as the assassin exited the building by way of the window; arms outspread as if the height was of no consequence.
Zechs barely had time to acknowledge the loss before he heard a cry from the green-eyed boy behind him. Duo was already by his friend's side, clenching his teeth sharply. Duo just knew that the young man was after him . . . and he would find out why.
"I'll be back." Duo said hastily before darting down the hall and out the window after the dark-haired assassin before anyone had time to stop him.
"Duo!" Solo yelled painfully, still clutching his arm, and tried to get up.
"Fool!" Zechs tried to stop the braided one by getting up quickly, though still in pain, and rushing over to look out the window, but Duo had already gone. He cursed himself quietly, "Don't worry, Solo," Zechs muttered as he came over and knelt down, examining the wound. He watched the young man who hadn't yet the courage yet to look at it, "It's only your forearm."
"Forget about my damn arm!" Solo stood up, wincing, "We have to go after Duo. He's gonna get himself shot, too."
Zechs clenched his teeth suddenly in thought. 'If Duo finds that guy, he'll be more than just shot'. The blond head, ignoring his young patient, turned sharply in the dark, towards the candlelight, "Lucrezia?"
"Right." She answered, knowing what she was intended to do, still quite shaken. The candlelight trembled slightly before going away entirely, and Zechs took the sound of hurried feet down the stairs as an answer. He looked back at his patient, who still cringed at the thought beneath his eyelids that clamped themselves shut in denial.
"You'd better have a damn good reason for wanting to shoot that guy." Solo gritted his teeth in discomfort, opening his green eyes to narrower ones of the same.
"I'm sorry." Zechs said simply, fumbling for a loose strip of cloth to wrap around the injury, "I will leave in the morning. I have no business bringing danger to you all."
Solo nodded, looking out the window at the end of the hall.
"Duo, buddy, I know you're stubborn, but . . . " Solo muttered painfully towards the open window as a dull breeze swept in, "You'd sure as hell better come back alive." _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Lucrezia stumbled over her skirts that were flying cumbersomely with every step she took. Trying futilely to keep the candle going as she ran, she placed her second hand in front of the flame, and accidentally burnt her hands in the process. . . whereupon she flushed her hand to the side, immediately putting out the flame as she reached the door. Dropping the useless candle to the ground she swore quietly and flung the door open to reveal the street at night. The lamplighter was a lazy young boy who never got around to putting the lights on properly so most of the street was left unlit, but that wasn't where she was headed anyway.
Breathing heavily she rounded the corner, keeping her clumsy skirts up from beneath her. Stupid dresses . . . she didn't have the time, or the patience.
Lucrezia knew that Zechs intended her to go after Dorothy, he had hinted it, but she couldn't understand why. However, she trusted Zechs with her life, it was just something she felt she had to be able to do, and so she kept on running.
Dorothy had come to her that same night, and it was clear Zechs was not on her side. She was grateful for that at least. She didn't trust that woman . . . not one bit. The revolution was probably just a big game to someone like Dorothy. She couldn't possibly understand.
Lucrezia's travels came to an abrupt stop when she found the young misfortune tied up in rope by the side of the street. The dark-haired woman sighed frustratedly at the sight. It was just like men to take action without thinking it through beforehand.
She had to trust Zechs, though. He wanted a peaceful revolution just like her, she knew, even though he didn't act like it. They had to fight to be peaceful. It was the only way.
"Lucrezia!" Dorothy yelled to her from beneath the ropes as the older woman bent down to untie them. "I'm so glad to see you, dear. A horrible old man came and tied me up. I can't think for the life of me why." She said innocently, and might've started to cry to increase the drama, but she knew Lucrezia had known her too long. She would see right through it.
"You liar!" Lucrezia stopped untying the ropes to look down on her captive, "Zechs Marquese tied you up here because you were up to no good. Just what game are you playing at?"
"No game, Miss. Noin." The older woman was taken aback at the sweetness of the girl's words and the formal, pleading address, "I would be happy to explain if you get these ropes off of me." She hissed, "It's very rude, you know. I might just have to tell on you."
Lucrezia narrowed her eyes. The girl was a nuisance. Her relations had more power in Nantes than anyone at this point, and she was always stirring up trouble and threatening to send the word for someone's arrest and/or execution. There was dirt on anyone and everyone she had interest in, weather or not they were guilty of it, and no one dared to risk it, except Zechs, that is, but plenty of people were after him, but he'd seen to every one of them. Lucrezia always came close on Dorothy's list, but the young blond always chose to tease her.
"Come now, Miss. Noin. We can chat over a cup of tea." She smiled sweetly, raising her slit eyebrows ever so slightly. Lucrezia gritted her teeth, but untied the ropes as she was told. If all failed, she could out-run the girl anyway. No big deal. "See, was that so hard?" Dorothy brushed the remaining rope off her as it scattered to the floor and she looked up at the face half-covered with hair with mischief in her eyes.
Zechs won't be happy.
"I don't mean to pester you, Lady Dorothy, but don't you think it's a bit trivial wasting your time on bringing down your enemies. I mean, seeing as you're in search of the Dauphin." Lucrezia attempted, knowing beforehand that she wouldn't get a straight answer.
"We've already found him." Dorothy said acutely, raising her eyebrows superiorly as she turned away, leaving Lucrezia so stunned on the cobblestone street that her knees became weak and the ground seemed to fade beneath her. The survival of the Dauphin could mean the resurrection or the absolute destruction of the nation, and from Dorothy's side, it would certainly lead to devastation of the worst sort.
Lucrezia was so surprised and caught in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Dorothy had left.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
A chestnut braid flicked sharply as its owner rounded a corner, searching in the world of black and white. The streets always looked so different at night, and had Duo not grown up on the streets, he'd be lost before he even was aware of himself.
What was he doing there anyway? He'd have to be some kind of idiot. . .
Duo wasn't looking for revenge. He realized this as he jumped like a feline over an alleyway fence, the faint footsteps in the night growing nearer. Duo needed to find out why he was a target. Why the hell would someone go through the trouble of killing him? He meant nothing to the world. He was just your average, ordinary, apple-a-day thief . . . but you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat.
Duo made another panther-like step onto a barrel-top and flung himself onto a fire escape to survey the area, and then maybe. . . Duo looked across the way into a small intersection of two streets. He quickly jumped down and into the clearing, looking around for the young man with the gun.
There was no where left to go. It was impossible to find that guy now!
It was just then that a cheerily evil voice rung out quietly in the clearing and Duo spun around to its origin, and found what looked like young woman with long blond hair running down by the side of the street in the dark, but as he stepped closer, there was a glinting eye with equally frightening eyebrows that stepped out from hiding and stared straight at him. "I suspect you're not familiar with this part of town?" She asked calmly, "Why don't you come with me, I can show you all sorts of great sights."
"I don't take advice from strangers," Duo said almost mockingly as he approached. He wasn't getting a good feeling from her. . . And he'd always been told to trust his first instincts. Well, his first instincts told him not to trust. "Show yourself! Who are you?" The woman preferred to ignore the braided one's demand, deciding to reveal herself slowly and even refused to answer his question.
"Hm . . . that depends." She said, "Who are you?"
Duo rolled his eyes. That sounded like a line from a movie. He didn't have to think long to come up with an answer, "You can call me the God of death."
The fancily dressed young woman clasped a hand over her mouth in tittering sharply before looking down with evilly slit eyes, "Alright, then, Mr. Death, where are you?"
"Hell." Duo narrowed his eyes. He did -not- like her . . . not a bit. Her voice sent shivers up his spine.
"Hmmm. . ." The young woman crossed her arms, "I was expecting more from you, in all your rudeness, I see there is no hope for the future. It's too bad." She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, "I was hoping you'd put up a better battle. It seems Lucrezia was wrong."
Duo blinked. 'Lucrezia . . . ?'
"Whoops!" The young woman clasped a hand over her mouth, still smirking, "Must have slipped." She said, although it was obvious she was lying. "Your friend is long gone, I can tell you. You won't be able to catch up to him, now." The young blond-haired woman pointed a graceful finger in the opposite direction and turned her heel on Duo, "See you again, Mr. Death. I hope we don't have the pleasure of meeting again." She laughed slightly as Duo lost sight of her in the darkness.
'Okay, what the hell was that woman talking about? Well, she could be drunk', Duo thought . . . 'no, she had coordination enough to walk away'. Duo had this feeling that she was being sarcastic. About what, he wasn't sure, because he hadn't the faintest idea what she had said, but she knew where the assassin was, and he had no other choice but to believe her.
It wasn't that far of a stretch that the mop-haired one had already left so he decided to head back. He was an idiot to have come this far anyway. Just his stupid stubbornness . . . and besides, he had a feeling this wouldn't be their last meeting. He needed to know answers, and if it was anything important, he'd find out sooner or later. That's for certain.
And with that thought in mind, Duo headed quickly back the way he had come. Solo needed him right now, and he couldn't . . . -wouldn't- let his pride or his curiosity stand in the way.
He quickly flung open the door to the "Calme en Nantes" and leaped inside and up the stairs to the laying site of his friend. Solo and Zechs looked up at the braided boy, relieved to see his returning. They weren't sure he would make it.
"Duo!" Solo gasped in pain as Zechs laid another bandage onto the place of injury in his arm, but after closing his eyes briefly, he was able to look up again, "It's not Zechs' fault."
"You idiot! Of course it's my fault." Zechs turned back to Duo, "He's delusional with pain. He doesn't know what he's saying." He replied quite calmly as if this type of thing happened on a daily basis.
"Of course it's not your fault!" A chestnut braid flipped sharply around as the heart-shaped face glared stubbornly into the surprised face of the blond.
The opposition was unexpected, of course, and even Solo, in evident pain, raised an eyebrow at his friend's reaction.
"I mean," Duo said wistfully, "He was here for me . . . It was me, Solo! If it weren't for me than none of this would have ever happened."
"Why would he be here for you, Duo? How do you know Treize?" Zechs looked into violet eyes and felt a pang of déjà vu, but quickly dismissed the possibility once more.
"Listen!" Duo said, "I don't know this 'Treize' guy. All I know is that the guy came to -my- room and pointed that, that . . . -thing- at me!" Duo made ridiculous arm motions, unable to bring himself to lower himself to a word like 'gun' at a time like this, "Guys like him don't make mistakes like that. He was definitely here for me."
"It's possible." Solo chipped in, brining himself to an upright position with a little struggling at first. Zechs quickly saw that it was painful, and continued the hasty work on Solo's injury that had been forgotten since Duo's return.
"That guy was trying to kill me. . ." Duo stated, fearfully.
"Duo, that's impossible," Zechs murmured, putting some alcohol on a torn cloth and cleaning out the injury as the patient took a sharp intake of breath at the sting, "That was one of Treize's little assassins. He's really skilled, I mean, he got past me." The blond chuckled, letting out more bandaging from the roll, "What more proof do you want? There's no way they would send out anyone so important to kill you. . ." Zechs hovered a moment, "Unless you really annoyed them."
Duo thought for a minute. 'Well, if 'they' happen to be part of a group of people who organized against Solo and I, the I.R.A.T.E. (institution retailers against thievery + exasperation), then yes, but otherwise. . .' "I don't think so, but I piss an awful lot of people off. It's hard to keep track."
Solo smirked.
"I'm afraid Treize may be up to something big this time." Zechs said solemnly, with as close as he has ever gotten to a sigh, "He wouldn't send anyone after me, I'm sure of that, but it's also highly unlikely that he would come for one of you. It doesn't make any sense, by all accords. I have known him, though. None of his tactics are to be taken lightly. I apologize for putting all of you in danger,"
He finished tying the wrap on the young man's forearm in silence, with nothing but the comfort of the flickering of a candle and some light breathing that surrounded them all. Solo staggered to his feet and smiled slightly to tell Zechs he was forgiven. The blond caught it, but still had not come to forgive himself.
. . . neither had Duo. . .
. . . it was all his fault. . .
"It's nearly morning, you know." Zechs added quietly. All three of them looked blankly at each other, before the silence was broken by a hiss of pain from their injured member and Duo began, looking at Solo.
"I'm not going to get any more sleep." He looked up to the blonde, "I believe you have something to tell us." The braided boy shot a glare that dared the blond to disagree with him before turning back to his injured friend.
"Just wait a second." Solo said, raising a questioning finger into the air. "What the hell is going on, here?"
"That's a -very- good question." Duo added, giving his two cents of a hint at Zechs, who was at the receiving end of a two-way glare and had been slowly slinking away.
"I'll tell you later. . . " Zechs said shyly, and attempted to walk casually out of the room, but was stopped with amazing haste from behind.
"Hold on right there!" Duo said, "You're telling us what's up whether you like it or not."
****************************
Emily Hato: Hey Hey! Talking to you right now! Thanks for your help ^_~ and thanks for your review. I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing! Please tell me if it was, so I'll try to fit less in the next chapter, but I left so many things to unwind that it's going to catch a lot of knots when I try to pull it straight again. ::sighs:: But I'm glad that you didn't threaten my death! I feel special, now, 'cause a few serious injuries are okay now and then, right? I'll try to bring up the next chapter faster! ^^
Kris Yamaki: ODFER? ^_^ Hehe . . . I'd join, too, except, I love to torture Duo, but I can't kill him off, he has a role. I do love suspense, though! I'm sorry this chapter is so late, but I'll try to be better next time! ::starts chanting ODFER:: Hey, you're right. . . that's fun! Thanks for reviewing!
Poe: O.o ::has miraculously survived after been slashed by heavenly finger for not updated soon:: Heya! Your review didn't show until the third chapter was already up, so if you're still with me, thank you for reviewing . . . and for telling me what AU means, because I can be kinda oblivious sometimes. Thank you! ^_^
**********************************
A/N: Aah! My hands are sooo cold! I love winter, but typing makes my hands freezing! I wrote some of this in gloves, but I think it's helping my accuracy of finger positions on the keyboard, and maybe will even help my piano in the long run. . . . You know, some say eccentricity is next to genius. ^^;;; I wish. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, 'cause I rewrote it a couple times. Umm . . . does anyone know how to spell 'Marquese'?
Please review, I love them! Thank you! ^_^
For those of you who are confused as I was in writing this, here is some order within madness:
'. . . . ' = thought ". . . ." = speech /. . . . / = noise
Warnings: AU, a little OOC on Zechs' part, I think.
***************************
/bang/
A gun fired a shot into the air, arousing the house upon its firing.
"Hell, Duo!" Solo jumped from his bed, facing the back and braid of his companion in the pitch dark of the room, "What was tha- Who is that?" He took a glance at the mop-haired assassin and moved over beside his friend, ". Duo?"
"What is going on over there!?" An enraged Lucrezia's voice could be heard loudly echoing from all the way down the hall and around the corner. Heero watched the light of her candle on the wall grow brighter at the end of the hall as she approached, "If it's a burglar, I'll kill him, if it's one of you, I'll kill you anyway for waking me up at this hour why I should . . . -good God." Whatever threat she was going to make was interrupted in horror as she recognized the weapon in the stranger's hands.
Heero, instinctively, after the shot, spun around and pointed his gun at the new target with fervency. Lucrezia spun her head around to face the second weapon.
"Zechs . . . ?"
"So, who's Treize's new pawn this time?" The blond-haired man asked coolly upon getting up from his hiding place, gun firm in hand and facing the other with the same vigorous determination. The origin of the first shot was obvious.
"Zechs Marquese." The cobalt blue eyes turned black in the darkness, glinting behind the gun he held so steadily, fearlessly.
"No, no, boy, that would be me," Zechs tightened his grip on the weapon, "I asked for -your- name." Heero just snorted indignantly. They would get nothing out of him.
"Zechs?! Where did you come from?!" Duo stood up from behind Heero, who narrowed his eyes at the braided boy. He was so close. Heero could just turn around to face the braided one and shoot, but his life would be lost in the process. Zechs did have the upper hand. Damn.
"I was in the neighborhood, and I smelled a rat . . . or, Dorothy, rather, but let's not get into that. . . she's a bit. . .tied up, and I have a mission to complete." Zechs said smugly, re-focusing his aim on the other assassin.
Heero widened his eyes a little in surprise.
Zechs wasn't trying to protect the braided one; he was just trying to stop Treize!
Heero smirked. This might be easier than he thought.
"Dorothy?" Lucrezia asked in a late reaction, angered, and turning quite serious on the both of them after a moment of silence, "You get out of here right now, or I'll call the police on both of you!" The courageous young woman clenched her teeth in anger, knowing that the declaration was impossible, looking at Duo and Solo in the doorway, afraid for their safety more than anyone else's. If the other two wanted to kill themselves, it was just fine with her, just so long as no innocents were lost.
Lucrezia had been in the revolution as well, you must remember. She was not afraid.
Heero merely narrowed his eyes at the both the armed Zechs and the brave Lucrezia who stood behind his true enemy. It was all he could think to do. The woman would be no threat, but here he was, facing death at the hands of the enemy, who thought him to be merely a pawn. Was he?
It didn't matter, he decided. This was the mission. (a/n: See the irony, here?)
"So, here for my life, are you? Treize finally put the word in? Well, he's a fool, then. He has far more important things to be looking for." Zechs told the darkness violently towards the chocolate-haired assassin who was still out of view. His first shot had been in vain, but the rest would not be.
Heero knew Treize was no fool and he was never one to doubt orders, but how could this one he was assigned to kill have any importance to Trieze? Certainly, it couldn't be the one that Zechs spoke of. And if that was how it was going to be, he wouldn't let Zechs' misconception be put to waste.
Looking around the hallway, the set-up was fairly simple. The highly- trained assassin's eye soon spotted the most efficient way of passing with intent to evade the two while he found a way out. He wouldn't escape, under any circumstances, but he had to have a plan.
"I don't know what you're pulling at," Zechs hissed angrily as he watched cobalt blue eyes sharply stray around the hall, "But it ends here!"
With that, Zechs pulled the trigger again, and Duo jumped at the sound and Heero quickly jumped aside, kicking off from the right wall with the corresponding appendages with success at getting out of Zech's line of fire, but unintentionally putting Solo straight in it.
"God!" Zechs hissed as he watched the bullet headed straight towards wide green eyes, but before he even had time to regret the shot, Heero had bounced off the wall and kicked his left foot straight into the blond's ribcage.
Zechs fell back in pain. Damn, for such a small guy, he sure was awfully strong . . . Zechs stumbled as he attempted to get up . . . okay, -inhumanly- strong. However, the blond got right back on his feet and wincingly fumbled for his gun while the other held his side, and futilely shot at Heero as the assassin exited the building by way of the window; arms outspread as if the height was of no consequence.
Zechs barely had time to acknowledge the loss before he heard a cry from the green-eyed boy behind him. Duo was already by his friend's side, clenching his teeth sharply. Duo just knew that the young man was after him . . . and he would find out why.
"I'll be back." Duo said hastily before darting down the hall and out the window after the dark-haired assassin before anyone had time to stop him.
"Duo!" Solo yelled painfully, still clutching his arm, and tried to get up.
"Fool!" Zechs tried to stop the braided one by getting up quickly, though still in pain, and rushing over to look out the window, but Duo had already gone. He cursed himself quietly, "Don't worry, Solo," Zechs muttered as he came over and knelt down, examining the wound. He watched the young man who hadn't yet the courage yet to look at it, "It's only your forearm."
"Forget about my damn arm!" Solo stood up, wincing, "We have to go after Duo. He's gonna get himself shot, too."
Zechs clenched his teeth suddenly in thought. 'If Duo finds that guy, he'll be more than just shot'. The blond head, ignoring his young patient, turned sharply in the dark, towards the candlelight, "Lucrezia?"
"Right." She answered, knowing what she was intended to do, still quite shaken. The candlelight trembled slightly before going away entirely, and Zechs took the sound of hurried feet down the stairs as an answer. He looked back at his patient, who still cringed at the thought beneath his eyelids that clamped themselves shut in denial.
"You'd better have a damn good reason for wanting to shoot that guy." Solo gritted his teeth in discomfort, opening his green eyes to narrower ones of the same.
"I'm sorry." Zechs said simply, fumbling for a loose strip of cloth to wrap around the injury, "I will leave in the morning. I have no business bringing danger to you all."
Solo nodded, looking out the window at the end of the hall.
"Duo, buddy, I know you're stubborn, but . . . " Solo muttered painfully towards the open window as a dull breeze swept in, "You'd sure as hell better come back alive." _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Lucrezia stumbled over her skirts that were flying cumbersomely with every step she took. Trying futilely to keep the candle going as she ran, she placed her second hand in front of the flame, and accidentally burnt her hands in the process. . . whereupon she flushed her hand to the side, immediately putting out the flame as she reached the door. Dropping the useless candle to the ground she swore quietly and flung the door open to reveal the street at night. The lamplighter was a lazy young boy who never got around to putting the lights on properly so most of the street was left unlit, but that wasn't where she was headed anyway.
Breathing heavily she rounded the corner, keeping her clumsy skirts up from beneath her. Stupid dresses . . . she didn't have the time, or the patience.
Lucrezia knew that Zechs intended her to go after Dorothy, he had hinted it, but she couldn't understand why. However, she trusted Zechs with her life, it was just something she felt she had to be able to do, and so she kept on running.
Dorothy had come to her that same night, and it was clear Zechs was not on her side. She was grateful for that at least. She didn't trust that woman . . . not one bit. The revolution was probably just a big game to someone like Dorothy. She couldn't possibly understand.
Lucrezia's travels came to an abrupt stop when she found the young misfortune tied up in rope by the side of the street. The dark-haired woman sighed frustratedly at the sight. It was just like men to take action without thinking it through beforehand.
She had to trust Zechs, though. He wanted a peaceful revolution just like her, she knew, even though he didn't act like it. They had to fight to be peaceful. It was the only way.
"Lucrezia!" Dorothy yelled to her from beneath the ropes as the older woman bent down to untie them. "I'm so glad to see you, dear. A horrible old man came and tied me up. I can't think for the life of me why." She said innocently, and might've started to cry to increase the drama, but she knew Lucrezia had known her too long. She would see right through it.
"You liar!" Lucrezia stopped untying the ropes to look down on her captive, "Zechs Marquese tied you up here because you were up to no good. Just what game are you playing at?"
"No game, Miss. Noin." The older woman was taken aback at the sweetness of the girl's words and the formal, pleading address, "I would be happy to explain if you get these ropes off of me." She hissed, "It's very rude, you know. I might just have to tell on you."
Lucrezia narrowed her eyes. The girl was a nuisance. Her relations had more power in Nantes than anyone at this point, and she was always stirring up trouble and threatening to send the word for someone's arrest and/or execution. There was dirt on anyone and everyone she had interest in, weather or not they were guilty of it, and no one dared to risk it, except Zechs, that is, but plenty of people were after him, but he'd seen to every one of them. Lucrezia always came close on Dorothy's list, but the young blond always chose to tease her.
"Come now, Miss. Noin. We can chat over a cup of tea." She smiled sweetly, raising her slit eyebrows ever so slightly. Lucrezia gritted her teeth, but untied the ropes as she was told. If all failed, she could out-run the girl anyway. No big deal. "See, was that so hard?" Dorothy brushed the remaining rope off her as it scattered to the floor and she looked up at the face half-covered with hair with mischief in her eyes.
Zechs won't be happy.
"I don't mean to pester you, Lady Dorothy, but don't you think it's a bit trivial wasting your time on bringing down your enemies. I mean, seeing as you're in search of the Dauphin." Lucrezia attempted, knowing beforehand that she wouldn't get a straight answer.
"We've already found him." Dorothy said acutely, raising her eyebrows superiorly as she turned away, leaving Lucrezia so stunned on the cobblestone street that her knees became weak and the ground seemed to fade beneath her. The survival of the Dauphin could mean the resurrection or the absolute destruction of the nation, and from Dorothy's side, it would certainly lead to devastation of the worst sort.
Lucrezia was so surprised and caught in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Dorothy had left.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
A chestnut braid flicked sharply as its owner rounded a corner, searching in the world of black and white. The streets always looked so different at night, and had Duo not grown up on the streets, he'd be lost before he even was aware of himself.
What was he doing there anyway? He'd have to be some kind of idiot. . .
Duo wasn't looking for revenge. He realized this as he jumped like a feline over an alleyway fence, the faint footsteps in the night growing nearer. Duo needed to find out why he was a target. Why the hell would someone go through the trouble of killing him? He meant nothing to the world. He was just your average, ordinary, apple-a-day thief . . . but you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat.
Duo made another panther-like step onto a barrel-top and flung himself onto a fire escape to survey the area, and then maybe. . . Duo looked across the way into a small intersection of two streets. He quickly jumped down and into the clearing, looking around for the young man with the gun.
There was no where left to go. It was impossible to find that guy now!
It was just then that a cheerily evil voice rung out quietly in the clearing and Duo spun around to its origin, and found what looked like young woman with long blond hair running down by the side of the street in the dark, but as he stepped closer, there was a glinting eye with equally frightening eyebrows that stepped out from hiding and stared straight at him. "I suspect you're not familiar with this part of town?" She asked calmly, "Why don't you come with me, I can show you all sorts of great sights."
"I don't take advice from strangers," Duo said almost mockingly as he approached. He wasn't getting a good feeling from her. . . And he'd always been told to trust his first instincts. Well, his first instincts told him not to trust. "Show yourself! Who are you?" The woman preferred to ignore the braided one's demand, deciding to reveal herself slowly and even refused to answer his question.
"Hm . . . that depends." She said, "Who are you?"
Duo rolled his eyes. That sounded like a line from a movie. He didn't have to think long to come up with an answer, "You can call me the God of death."
The fancily dressed young woman clasped a hand over her mouth in tittering sharply before looking down with evilly slit eyes, "Alright, then, Mr. Death, where are you?"
"Hell." Duo narrowed his eyes. He did -not- like her . . . not a bit. Her voice sent shivers up his spine.
"Hmmm. . ." The young woman crossed her arms, "I was expecting more from you, in all your rudeness, I see there is no hope for the future. It's too bad." She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, "I was hoping you'd put up a better battle. It seems Lucrezia was wrong."
Duo blinked. 'Lucrezia . . . ?'
"Whoops!" The young woman clasped a hand over her mouth, still smirking, "Must have slipped." She said, although it was obvious she was lying. "Your friend is long gone, I can tell you. You won't be able to catch up to him, now." The young blond-haired woman pointed a graceful finger in the opposite direction and turned her heel on Duo, "See you again, Mr. Death. I hope we don't have the pleasure of meeting again." She laughed slightly as Duo lost sight of her in the darkness.
'Okay, what the hell was that woman talking about? Well, she could be drunk', Duo thought . . . 'no, she had coordination enough to walk away'. Duo had this feeling that she was being sarcastic. About what, he wasn't sure, because he hadn't the faintest idea what she had said, but she knew where the assassin was, and he had no other choice but to believe her.
It wasn't that far of a stretch that the mop-haired one had already left so he decided to head back. He was an idiot to have come this far anyway. Just his stupid stubbornness . . . and besides, he had a feeling this wouldn't be their last meeting. He needed to know answers, and if it was anything important, he'd find out sooner or later. That's for certain.
And with that thought in mind, Duo headed quickly back the way he had come. Solo needed him right now, and he couldn't . . . -wouldn't- let his pride or his curiosity stand in the way.
He quickly flung open the door to the "Calme en Nantes" and leaped inside and up the stairs to the laying site of his friend. Solo and Zechs looked up at the braided boy, relieved to see his returning. They weren't sure he would make it.
"Duo!" Solo gasped in pain as Zechs laid another bandage onto the place of injury in his arm, but after closing his eyes briefly, he was able to look up again, "It's not Zechs' fault."
"You idiot! Of course it's my fault." Zechs turned back to Duo, "He's delusional with pain. He doesn't know what he's saying." He replied quite calmly as if this type of thing happened on a daily basis.
"Of course it's not your fault!" A chestnut braid flipped sharply around as the heart-shaped face glared stubbornly into the surprised face of the blond.
The opposition was unexpected, of course, and even Solo, in evident pain, raised an eyebrow at his friend's reaction.
"I mean," Duo said wistfully, "He was here for me . . . It was me, Solo! If it weren't for me than none of this would have ever happened."
"Why would he be here for you, Duo? How do you know Treize?" Zechs looked into violet eyes and felt a pang of déjà vu, but quickly dismissed the possibility once more.
"Listen!" Duo said, "I don't know this 'Treize' guy. All I know is that the guy came to -my- room and pointed that, that . . . -thing- at me!" Duo made ridiculous arm motions, unable to bring himself to lower himself to a word like 'gun' at a time like this, "Guys like him don't make mistakes like that. He was definitely here for me."
"It's possible." Solo chipped in, brining himself to an upright position with a little struggling at first. Zechs quickly saw that it was painful, and continued the hasty work on Solo's injury that had been forgotten since Duo's return.
"That guy was trying to kill me. . ." Duo stated, fearfully.
"Duo, that's impossible," Zechs murmured, putting some alcohol on a torn cloth and cleaning out the injury as the patient took a sharp intake of breath at the sting, "That was one of Treize's little assassins. He's really skilled, I mean, he got past me." The blond chuckled, letting out more bandaging from the roll, "What more proof do you want? There's no way they would send out anyone so important to kill you. . ." Zechs hovered a moment, "Unless you really annoyed them."
Duo thought for a minute. 'Well, if 'they' happen to be part of a group of people who organized against Solo and I, the I.R.A.T.E. (institution retailers against thievery + exasperation), then yes, but otherwise. . .' "I don't think so, but I piss an awful lot of people off. It's hard to keep track."
Solo smirked.
"I'm afraid Treize may be up to something big this time." Zechs said solemnly, with as close as he has ever gotten to a sigh, "He wouldn't send anyone after me, I'm sure of that, but it's also highly unlikely that he would come for one of you. It doesn't make any sense, by all accords. I have known him, though. None of his tactics are to be taken lightly. I apologize for putting all of you in danger,"
He finished tying the wrap on the young man's forearm in silence, with nothing but the comfort of the flickering of a candle and some light breathing that surrounded them all. Solo staggered to his feet and smiled slightly to tell Zechs he was forgiven. The blond caught it, but still had not come to forgive himself.
. . . neither had Duo. . .
. . . it was all his fault. . .
"It's nearly morning, you know." Zechs added quietly. All three of them looked blankly at each other, before the silence was broken by a hiss of pain from their injured member and Duo began, looking at Solo.
"I'm not going to get any more sleep." He looked up to the blonde, "I believe you have something to tell us." The braided boy shot a glare that dared the blond to disagree with him before turning back to his injured friend.
"Just wait a second." Solo said, raising a questioning finger into the air. "What the hell is going on, here?"
"That's a -very- good question." Duo added, giving his two cents of a hint at Zechs, who was at the receiving end of a two-way glare and had been slowly slinking away.
"I'll tell you later. . . " Zechs said shyly, and attempted to walk casually out of the room, but was stopped with amazing haste from behind.
"Hold on right there!" Duo said, "You're telling us what's up whether you like it or not."
****************************
Emily Hato: Hey Hey! Talking to you right now! Thanks for your help ^_~ and thanks for your review. I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing! Please tell me if it was, so I'll try to fit less in the next chapter, but I left so many things to unwind that it's going to catch a lot of knots when I try to pull it straight again. ::sighs:: But I'm glad that you didn't threaten my death! I feel special, now, 'cause a few serious injuries are okay now and then, right? I'll try to bring up the next chapter faster! ^^
Kris Yamaki: ODFER? ^_^ Hehe . . . I'd join, too, except, I love to torture Duo, but I can't kill him off, he has a role. I do love suspense, though! I'm sorry this chapter is so late, but I'll try to be better next time! ::starts chanting ODFER:: Hey, you're right. . . that's fun! Thanks for reviewing!
Poe: O.o ::has miraculously survived after been slashed by heavenly finger for not updated soon:: Heya! Your review didn't show until the third chapter was already up, so if you're still with me, thank you for reviewing . . . and for telling me what AU means, because I can be kinda oblivious sometimes. Thank you! ^_^
**********************************
A/N: Aah! My hands are sooo cold! I love winter, but typing makes my hands freezing! I wrote some of this in gloves, but I think it's helping my accuracy of finger positions on the keyboard, and maybe will even help my piano in the long run. . . . You know, some say eccentricity is next to genius. ^^;;; I wish. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, 'cause I rewrote it a couple times. Umm . . . does anyone know how to spell 'Marquese'?
Please review, I love them! Thank you! ^_^