CHAPTER 12: DARKNESS

The elevator was old and rusty, a proof of being unused for a long period of time. I wonder where this elevator takes me to.

Duo saw a lever and pulled it. A few seconds later and he heard some sort of engine purring. The elevator had started moving.

Please, take me there faster.

Duo sat himself for support. Don't die Chiaki. Please wait for me.

It wasn't long before the elevator started making noises again. And to Duo's right, an iron gate swung open.

I'm here! I'm on top!

He hurried outside. "CHIAKI!!!"

Duo started running but his bare feet failed him. They hurt like hell. "Kuso…"

He looked at the ground he was standing on. Snow. Everything was covered in snow. And his feet were getting numb.

"Chiaki! Where are you?!" Duo started to move again, but he could only walk.

Damn! Is this the right place? He was starting to have doubts.

"Bang!" A familiar sound catched Duo's ears. Was that…?

"Bang! Bang!" Two more filled the air.

Gunshots!

"Chiaki! Chiaki, tell me where you are!!!" Duo sprinted across the snowy ground. Snowflakes were beginning to fall and his body ached more than ever.

"Chiaki! Damn it! Where the hell did you take her! Chi—" Duo gasped. He refused to believe it. And he thought his eyes were just playing tricks on him. But it was a reality that he could not escape.

"Chiaki," he cried.

It would have been perfect. The child of pale blue hair with her green eyes half-closed, was like a princess sleeping in the snow-covered ground. She looked like a fairy,a snow queen.

But her eyes showed fear. And her mouth was left open. And the snow was colored crimson instead.

Duo couldn't bear to move at all… he was just staring at her. It was as if all his effort was useless. His sole reason to keep on living was now dead.

"Bang!" another gunshot.

Duo felt rage overcoming him.

"Bang!" There was another.

"Die, bitch, die… Hahaha… look you're all bloody," it was the guard who took Chiaki away, whose eyes now reflected overwhelming madness. He kept on smiling and laughing, while firing at the already dead Chiaki.

"You bastard!!" Duo jumped onto him. The gun in the guard's hands flew. He felt himself give in. He was becoming mad himself.

He wrestled him to the ground, til he was on top of him. And he kept punching him in the face.

"Don't you have any respect? She's already dead, idiot! And yet you keep on firing at her! You're sick! Why did you even kill her?! She was the only one I had left! You bastard! Bastard…"

Duo panted heavily, and he let go of the weary guard. Tears. He was already crying.

"Why did you have to kill her…" he said in tears. His hands were already numb in pain. He felt he had no strength to beat him up anymore.

The guard coughed out blood. He too, was tired. But he had the strength to pull a syringe out from his pocket. Duo didn't even notice this was happening. He thought he had control over him, since he was on top, but he was mourning too hard that the world didn't seem to matter.

"Because…" the guard said. "She's a whore like you are. And you're gonna die too."

Duo felt the painful sting. He winced in pain. He was choking.

"How do you like that?" the guard said as he pushed Duo off. "That's the pure drug, you know. No other solution added. That must be really painful…"

Duo's body was reacting violently.

"But I wouldn't prefer that you die that way. I wouldn't let that medicine kill you, you know. You have to die in my hands," the guard picked up the gun.

"Now who did you call bastard? Let's see if you'll still survive this one," he pulled the collar of Duo's uniform and pointed the gun to his head.

So what if I die? What's there to live for anyway? I'm tired… too tired… Duo thought.

There was another gunshot. And Duo's vision blurred as he felt his body fall.

He closed his eyes, and let everything just slip away… until he felt two arms give him support.

Duo opened his eyes once more. And in his blurry vision, he could see another guard's uniform, and he could hear him whisper his name.

"Duo…"

"You're…" Duo said softly, "…that guard… again, but why? You even know our names… and… hey, I can see you're face now… you're…"

He was like the sun. He was shining, with his eyes and hair of gold.

"…Solo."

And it was darkness again.