Chapter – 3
Disclaimers—Gundam Wing does not belong to me nor has it ever. The characters, in part, are only being used for non-profitable purposes.
Warnings—some more of that good-natured violence and some language.
They were heading back to the dorms; Duo had caught up with Heather shortly after the police and ambulances had arrived on the scene. They were both silent this time, Heather holding a deathly cold air about her, worse than before. Feeling a bit uneasy with such a silence, Duo decided to break it as he cast a glance towards Heather, saying softly, "So—where'd ya' learn to shoot like that? That was pretty awesome."
Heather didn't even look up as she said coldly, "You have to learn how to protect yourself—or you're naïve for thinking that you'll never have to." Duo looked down again, rubbing the back of his neck before he stopped.
It didn't interrupt Heather's walk in the least; her feet kept carrying her along. "Heather?" There was no response. "Heather?" Still, there was nothing, her form getting smaller and smaller. "I know who you are!" That rendered a response as she froze, tensing slightly, reaching for a small dagger in her jacket.
"And what do you mean by that?" she asked coldly.
Duo walked up towards her, putting another smile on his face, "I know what kind of person you are. Stop hiding. It's all right. You can always trust ol' Duo Maxwell. I can run and I can hide, but I can never—"
His words died as a sharp pain bloomed in his side. Before he could make a sound, a thin hand clasped over his mouth. Somehow, Heather was behind him, though he couldn't quite comprehend how that happened as his vision doubled. Pulling him to the ground, she slowly moved back, hiding in a narrow alleyway. Her eyes were cold and very unwelcoming as she said softly, "Nothing ever lasts, 02."
Duo's blood ran cold as he tried to get up, though Heather just twisted the small blade in his side. Pulling it back out, she slipped the dagger into her jacket once more before laying Duo down, her knees on his chest so he couldn't move. Reaching into her other pocket, she pulled out a small bottle. Putting it aside for the moment, she reached down, tearing a small bit of cloth away from Duo's shirt. Spilling some of the contents from the bottle onto the cloth, she put it over Duo's mouth and nose.
His mind swam, his vision blackening before nothing was real to him anymore. He then fell unconscious, giving into the darkness.
* * * * *
"Duo's been gone for a long time," said Quatre, his voice dripping with concern as he stared out the dorm window. Heero was in the corner, typing away at the computer, Trowa sitting in a chair in the other corner of the room and Wufei standing with Quatre, gazing solemnly out the window.
"Maxwell will be back. He isn't one to not be able to handle himself."
"But what if something happened to him? What if the new student really was the threat Dr. J was talking about and she got to him?" Quatre's concern was obvious to the other pilots as he stood anxiously by the window. Raising from his seat, Trowa walked over to him, putting his hand gently on his shoulder.
"He'll be fine, Quatre."
It was just at that moment something shot through the window. A black cylinder rolled across the floor, all the pilots instinctively ducking for cover. A bright light flooded the room, something that could easily blind anyone. There was a sharp, crackling sound, followed by a single cry and then two loud thuds.
When the light died down, Heero shot back up, inspecting the room through and through. Quatre was gone, Wufei was lying on the floor, twitching slightly, and Trowa was standing in the corner, looking around much like Heero.
Heero found no signs of anyone else, though took note that someone had gotten in through the window. Running over to the broken frame, he looked around, hoping to find the source of attack. His facial expression held a definite note of anger and frustration, though he said nothing. He only moved away from the window to help Trowa with Wufei, getting a slight shock from him. Taking a slow breath, he did his best to keep his guard up, not about to let someone take him like they did Quatre.
* * * * *
It was the next day and there were no other attacks during the night. Heero held a paranoia now as he moved onto his classes. He wasn't about to let questions rise, even if he knew that he would soon have to change schools once again; it was obvious that someone knew they had been there for a long while. As he walked through the halls, he passed Heather, casting a suspicious glance. However, she didn't see him—or rather she didn't show it.
Going through the day, Heero noticed that neither Trowa nor Wufei were about. The night before, Trowa had taken Wufei back to his own dorm room, thinking he needed to rest. Heero's suspicions rose again as he walked past his next assigned class, walking right out of the building. Making his way towards the dorms, he was almost not surprised to see that Wufei's room was a mess. It looked as though there was a struggle, there blood splattered in different spots across the floor.
Fists clenching, he looked around, trying to find some hint that his suspicions were correct. After all, there was no proof that the new student had anything to do with this. About to turn around and look for her himself, he paused as he spotted something which the sun reflected off. Picking it up, he saw that it was a locket—a blue locket with a Celtic cross carved into it.
A sharp whistle sounded through the air before a faint pain shot through Heero's arm. Looking down, he saw that it was a tranquilizer. Looking from the angle it must have come from, he spotted a dark figure standing in the doorway. Heero didn't waste any time as he turned and lunged for the attacker, but he didn't make it. Instead, he fell to the floor, convulsing. It wasn't an ordinary tranquilizer, it a lot stronger. His attacker had known that he wouldn't be put down so easily.
Like the others, though he wouldn't really know it, Heero fell to the darkness, letting himself slip into a sickening state of unconsciousness.
~*~
Fire's Tempest: Yeah—I know…that was a bit shorter…
Duo: And a bit bloodier…
Heather: I must concur.
Fire's Tempest: Cram it the both of you.
Duo and Heather say simultaneously, "Please read and review," as Duo inches away from Heather slightly, mumbling to himself, "It's always the women…"