Scarlet Love
Chapter Eleven:
Sorrowful Darkness
By: NightChild
***
When Wufei caught up to Maxwell, he found him in a cleaning where a physical conflict had obviously taken place with the earth scattered about in unnatural ways, drops of blood sprinkled here and there, even small scraps of cloth. What was disturbing about the clearing was Maxwell sitting on the ground next to a fairly large dark spot that could only be blood; he sat there clutching a gun that Wufei recognized as Yuy's.
After a few moments of silence, Duo looked up at Wufei from his place on the ground, expression forlorn. "They have him, Wufei…" his voice didn't sound like his own. It sounded broken, as if the life had been sucked out of it and left a shell of a once-cheerful voice. "I've failed." Came a whisper that wobbled with emotions suppressed, strained by tears viciously crushed down, choked as a heart tried desperately to shatter in a million pieces that would never mend back together.
"No you haven't." a new voice answered, in an almost monotone.
Wufei's head snapped around, preparing to launch into a physical attack to defend his distraught comrade--'Friend…' whispered a voice that he had once cursed, but now near-cherished--to the death, if need-be. His eyes widened only slightly as he set his gaze on the newcomer… "Barton." He said in half greeting, half acknowledgement, slightly relaxing his tense frame. There wasn't time for Barton to respond before Wufei's frame went taut with another fighting-stance as the bushes rustled.
Trowa looked at Wufei, seeing him stiffen up, but not becoming on edge himself. "Quatre." He said, answering an unsaid question and seeing Wufei relax slightly again.
Quatre took that moment to break through the thick brush and wave to Wufei, not yet spotting Duo, and walking up to Trowa's side. "Where's Duo and Hee--" he cut his sentience off, noticing the state that Duo was in as his eyes scanned the clearing. He instantly understood what had happened. 'We have to save him…for Duo's, and our own sake.' He thought while he walked briskly to the side of his distressed friend, kneeling down and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder once he reached his side.
***
Heero awoke to a world of pain, not able to make his eyes focus properly on his surroundings. He didn't know where he was, or why his body felt like he had self-detonated. The only thing that made sense in his pain-hazed mind was that he wasn't with Duo and that frightened him for reasons that he wasn't about to admit to himself. Afraid to admit to himself, because that meant that his efforts to sever ties with them all after the wars had ended would be for nothing…pointless.
Sounds of a rusty door being opened made Heero instantly close his eyes, slow his breathing and heart-rate, faking sleep. The door opened with a loud clank that would have woken him had he actually been asleep, but as it were, he just laid still as he could, focusing on keeping his breathing slow and calm, heart-rate slow and steady. He couldn't risk them knowing he was conscious as of yet, not until he had figured out a course of action. So he feigned sleep, trying to listen to whatever noises or discussion he could catch.
***
AN: Look, I didn't leave you guys with a cliffie this time! Be happy, I was very, very tempted to. Sorry it took so long to get out, my usual beta, Emilie Grant, is having problems with her e-mail and wasn't able to get into it…so I enlisted Berrful Hunter's help and she beta-ed this chapter for me. Big, huge thank you to them.
THANK YOU to MusumeMarron, Jade Crescent (yay, a death-threat…er…promise!), PATTY 40, violet_eyes, Kaori-chan, Bunch-o-Nuts, gohans-girl1, Asukas-Doll, Blue Eyed Angel2, Shinigami's Forlorn Angel, Yume Nezumi, and Baby Sphinx for reviewing and brightening my day…I know I have done a good job when I have been told I am evil by at least three people and had my life threatened.
Until next time…
Ja`ne