3. Cry of the Rescued
The lash was something familiar. I'd been beaten for days and by now it was like
clock-work. I could feel the leather cut into my skin. It opened up old sores and it made
new. Then, the questions would come.
"What are the other pilot's names?" the voice demanded.
"Fox Mulder is Pilot 01," I laughed. Heero would appreciate that.
"And the others," the voices demanded.
"Pilot 03 is Monty Python," I winced. Make it look real be convincing. Oh, God. The pain.
I can't take it anymore. Just make up answers. Is this lying? Not really. I think lying is
acceptable when you're at death's door. I run... I hide, but I never lie. Wow. That went out
the window quick. All it took was a little rape and a side of whipping.
"Continue," the voice nodded. The whip was posed against my back and I could feel the
blood coursing down my sides. I couldn't see. I couldn't see. I couldn't see.
"Pilot 04 is Bill Gates," I almost snickered but caught it and made it into a whimper of
pain. The cold air rocked my naked, battered body and I felt the bruises around my cry out
in arguement.
"Pilot 05?"
"Pilot 05 is Jackie Chan," I said and then burst out crying. Even if all they wrung from me
were lies, this still felt like another kind of rape. They were trying to get me... to hurt my
friends. The worst betrayal. Screw sin of suicide. This was worse... where was that bullet?
"Tell us how to repair your Gundam," was the next question.
"No," I answered. Ah. The lie philosophy had returned when I had no creative retort. If I
lied for that, they would find out anyway.
The blows begain to fall everywhere but my face. They kept my face beautiful for the
nights when I faced those soldiers. The angry ones that seemed to delight in making me
scream as they fucked me. I couldn't take much more of this.
At all.
Then, the blows stopped falling and in my silent black prison I prayed to God like I never
had before. I heard a choking noise and then a thud, followed by a strangled scream and
another thud. Then, someone stood before me and I screamed.
"Don'thurtme..don'ttouchme...don'trapeme... God! HELP ME!" I screamed and babbled
and I felt myself quieted by a hand and then the last voice I expected greeted my ears.
"02, status report," Heero's voice came and I felt the restraints being untied as I gasped
and shuddered.
"Exposed to a blinding induced chemical. Beating by whip, fist. Lacerations on back, two
broken ribs and a broken ankle. Chafing at the wrists from restraints. Bruises probably on
whole body..." then I paused and choked.
"Maxwell, I need to know."
"Anal tearing possible. Probably should be tested for any possible diseases," it was
amazingly easy to say from a clinical standpoint. Amazingly easy.
Then, Heero picked me up and carried me on his back. I had utterly no sense of time or
direction. There was only darkness. I knew where we were heading, though and I laughed
as I wondered how many he killed to get here. My voice was hoarse as I whispered, "Do
the others know you came?"
"No," Heero mumbled. "They're at your funeral today. I... I couldn't have an empty coffin
for you. I wanted you there if you were... I wanted to... if you were... at least... the ones
who dress as you do...." he fumbled over the words and I nodded, holding him tighter.
"How did you survive this long?" he asked and jumped. I yelped as a broken rib bumped
against his back and winced. He apologized with a "Hn."
"Atonement," I whispered and he sighed. I could have sworn I heard a sob from him. No,
it couldn't have been. Perfect Soldiers don't cry.
Quickly, he moved into my Gundam and... I don't know what he did to be honest. All he
did was fiddle with it... dictating to me as he went along. I sat and listened. It was all I
could do. Then, once more he picked me up and I clung to him. I clung to the smell of
musk and soap.
"I'm going to strap you in with me in Wing. It's going to hurt," Heero said.
Maybe Heero should have a 'no lying,' philosophy. The pain was magnificent and I felt the
thrusters take off, the gentle hum that told me we were moving. He had programmed the
bay to open just enough to engage Deathscythe's battered autopilot directly to a safe
location. Then, we headed off and I clung to him.
"Duo, I can't breathe..." Heero said icily.
"Sorry," I mumbled as I cascaded into a familar feeling. Blackness.
font size=3 face=arialbcenter4. Cry of the Frightened/center/b/font
Landing was never so terrifying. Being unable to see and the feeling of falling woke me. I
could hear things breaking. Trees and limbs? I didn't know and then... we stilled. Heero
hugged me tight and kissed my forehead. Spandex Boy's lips felt hot against my forehead.
"It's alright... we've landed," he said.
I felt a scream choke in my throat as Heero unwrapped me from himself in the seat of
Wing. The scream was quickly silenced and I hardened my jaw in the firm determination
of Shinigami. I wouldn't scare anyone.
Heero knew it was bad, but he hadn't had time to know how bad. All I could see was
darkness around me. I could feel the wet of blood pooling down my face and reached out
to touch it. Heero caught the movement and stopped my hand.
"This is Oak, calling Apple, Sycamore and Pine," Heero bit into the phone. I heard
"Apple" pipe up and was reassured by his voice.
"This is Apple reading, over."
"Willow has sustained injury. Extent unknown. Requesting cover to the safe-house,"
Heero said slowly. The words seemed husky somehow, as if he fought to say what he
didn't want to say.
"Done, Oak. Cover from Sycamore. Apple out," Quatre said worridly back and I watched
as the communications channel closed.
"Duo... can you walk?" the darker boy asked slowly. He eased me from the cockpit and
got me settled on the forest floor. I think it was a forest floor... the pine-needles felt like
velvet under my fingers.
"No..." I gasped. "Heero... my eyes..."
"I know," Heero responded as he picked me up and slung me over his shoulders. I could
feel him beneath me. I bit my hand so I wouldn't scream. That silky warmth that was
constantly there and I clung to it. I couldn't see, but I could feel.
I must have drifted off because when I came too, someone was cleaning my eyes. I could
feel bathroom tile beneath me and heard Wufei's worried humming. Wufei hums when he's
really worried. It really depends on the extent and it's always after the battle's over.
Sometimes he hums when he's fixing things too. Beats me.
Someone had bound my ankle and my ribs. I thought it was Wufei until I felt the tightness
and recognized Heero's trademark perfection. His hands touched my side and stroked
naked skin to let me know he was there. Thankfully, someone had graced me with a pair
of familar spandex shorts and a loose tank-top. Hmph. Lack of fashion sense equals
Perfect Soldier.
I moved to get up.
"No, Maxwell. Hold still," he said and I could feel him mopping blood from around my
eyes.
"Are they intact?" Trowa asked. I could hear Quatre crying in the background, his tears
muffled slightly as he probably moved into Trowa's shirt.
"Yes," Wufei mumbled. "However, it looks like the chemical has burned out the retina
itself, I can barely see the color over the cuts. Duo, what did they use?"
"Chemical OC-5," I said hesitatingly.
"On it," I heard Heero mutter and then footsteps left the room in a patter of desperation.
Heero was worried?
Wufei had finished cleaning the blood and then slowly whispered, "Trowa? I'm gunna need
you to hold him down."
Hold me down? What for?
That was when I screamed. My body bucked as Wufei forced water into my damaged
eyes, forcing them open and I yelled for all I was worth. I bucked and fought him. Feeling
Quatre move to help keep me down. Then, it was over and I was still screaming until my
hoarse voice forced me to sobs.
"It's okay Duo... it's alright," Quatre whispered with a hug as he squeezed my shoulder.
"Can't see you Quatre... are you crying?" I asked, concern moving to my face.
"Yes Duo," Quatre said back unashamed. I started to say something. That was when I
heard the patterned sound of light footsteps in the hallway. Heero always walks with a
perfect pattern. Perfect soldier, perfect walk. I could barely make them out and that was
what pained me so. It was Heero. He had the news.
"Chemical CO-5. It's a blinding chemical that causes great pain to the victim before they
finally succomb to permanent blindness. The chemical is used by Oz under the notion that
if the person has no sight, he is weakened and more likely to speak under interrogation. It
also works in torture, needing no blindfold, and the torturee constantly unable to see the
blow," Heero intoned.
"How long?" I whispered. There was silence. The kind of silence when someone won't tell
you something because they know it will hurt you. I was panicking. It was worse than
panic. It was desperation. "I think I heard you wrong Heero. You forgot to mention when
it wears off," I whispered again.
"Duo," Heero said and I felt him hold my head in his hands as he kissed the side of my
face. "I'm sorry."
"No," I whispered, pushing him away. "It's not true. How long?"
"Forever Duo," Heero whispered as easy as he could.
I felt like smacking him or something. So I did. I fought and hit out at anything. I cried
and sobbed and screamed and hissed. Finally, I stopped and just sobbed. "I can't see. I
can't see," I chanted. I felt four hands on my body and voices deliberately making sounds
to let me know where they were and slowly I began to calm down. Of course, calm is
relative.
"Get away from me all of you," I said harshly pushing those hands away. I could feel tears
stroking down my face and knew they were mixed with blood as they ran into my mouth
and I could taste the salty, mineral of blood. Quatre sniffled again.
"Get the hell out Winner!" I hissed.
"Duo-" Quatre started and I quickly located him by the sound of his voice.
I clinched it for them when I hit Q-ball full in the face- hard. I heard Trowa move before
the blow hit and and suddenly felt my head crack against the bathtub. Man. That was
gunna leave one heck of a bump. However, adrenalin was pumping.
"Get out you fucker! I won't hear you crying! You don't think I noticed that I'm hurt? You
think I WANT people to feel sorry for me?" I screamed at him, not sure if it was 'him' I
was looking out. "This could be the end for me and I have no where to go!"
Then I felt warm arms envelope me and I fought. They were Heero's arms. They smelled
like danger and Ivory Soap. He didn't even make a sound as my fist connected with his
stomach and eventually I quieted. My voice turned down to hitching sobs and I felt hands
in my hair. Did he think I missed that kiss earlier?
Heero undid my braid and began to comb my hair... it was relaxing. I even stopped
sobbing. Eventually, the tears stopped running down my face as well. Then, I promptly fell
asleep dreaming of unruly brown hair and cobalt eyes you could fall into. Those things that
I could never see again.