Okay, my dear wonderful and totally lovely readers, I am SO sorry that it
has been so long since my stupid muses worked and wrote anything...
But at LOOOOOOONG last, here it is, in all its finished totality. The last chapter of Stranger, aside from the Epilogue that is...
I hope this ending meets with your approval, as it was hard work to make...
Please enjoy, and thanks SOOOO Much to all you beautiful amazing people who have reviews and inspired me so much with my writing, this fic is inspired by all of you, and this chapter is for you all!
Particularly my friend Ben, who so kindly threw a large assortment of heavy metal objects at me, and Natea, who takes the time to review each chapter, and yet still manages to write and post amazing stories of her own! Also to my friend Ban, who I have not heard from in a while and who greatly miss.... Ah, there are so many of you! And I hope I have not disappointed a single one of you with this story....
I'm shutting up now, enjoy the chapter.
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"Say goodbye Heero, Say Goodbye to Duo Maxwell."
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"NO!" Heero yelled, as the knife caused a small rivulet of blood to trickle down Duo's neck, and the beautiful violet eyes closed in pain.
Heero felt, along with the enormous surge of anger that someone had hurt Duo, an immense surge of pride in his love. Duo had made no noise at all, he was still so strong....
Soon Heeros attention was diverted back to the man with the knife.
"I'm Sorry Heero?" Said Ex with a sick smile. "Did you want to say something?"
Heero ground his teeth, even though he was now terrified that he really was going to lose Duo, that voice still infuriated him, and that anger helped to combat the fear.
Heero, in a casual monotone, managed to answer.
"Yes Ex. There is something I would like to say, well, ask more like. Its not really Duo you want is it?"
Ex gave no answer, but the slight brightening in his eyes gave him away, and Heero knew he was right.
"Well, how do you fancy a trade?"
Ex's eyes brightened again, though the rest of his face stayed dead and dull. Duo blinked his eyes open, giving Heero a questioning look. Heero shook his head minutely and returned his attention to Ex.
Duo let his eyes slide closed again, but Heero know that he was listening.
"Well, a trade? What do you think?" Heero continued.
Ex laughed. "You for him. That's what you're thinking isn't it Heero. No way." There was a savage smirk on Ex's face. "That would be to easy on you. It's so much more painful for you if I kill Duo. If you're dead you wont miss him now will you? It will hurt you so much more if I make you suffer alone."
Heero smirked. "Is that so Ex? Is it really going to hurt me more to lose him than my own life? How can you be sure? What if losing his life made no difference to me? And really, why should it make any difference? If I die and go to hell for my sins am I really going to be allowed to see him again? Not if hell is the place of torture I've been told about. I'll be forced to see him hurt in battle again and again, I'll be allowed to almost touch him but then he will melt away.... Do you really think that I would rather face that than a few years alone with happy memories?"
Ex blinked, and his smile faded slightly. "What are you getting at Heero?" He asked, eyes narrowing to slits. "What do you mean?"
Heero laughed quietly and his eyes danced to Duo for a moment. "You would never understand Ex. You have never known love, you can't be blamed for your Ignorance in the matter...."
Ex snarled. "What do you MEAN! TELL ME!"
Heero smirked, evasiveness, Ex couldn't stand it. He was used to people being blunt, he wasn't used to feeling confused. He was used to people jumping at his command. It was winding the psychopath up no end.
"If I tell you, will you listen to my bargain?" Heero asked, slight smirk still in place on his face.
Duo was looking at Heero with a raised eyebrow, it was clear that he also, had no idea what Heero was getting at, but he also, did not trust it. He tried once again to get Heeros attention, but he wasn't looking at him. Heero was clearly on a mission and not to be distracted.
Ex smiled. He had recovered from his annoyance. "Yes Heero. I will listen to your silly little deal, so long...." His voice became steely "As you explain yourself first."
"Fine...." Heero said quietly. "Love. It's nothing more than that. Love will not fade even after death. I would still love him if you killed him, and he would still love me. It would make no difference, he would never leave me. I have his love. And I always will. Living, dead, he will always be Duo. MY Duo."
Heero saw Duo smile, and he knew what he had said was true. He would never lose Duos love, even if they all died today.
When Ex looked at Heero his face was full of chagrin and rage. Heero knew that Duo's little agreement to his proclamation had been noticed, and that Ex had hated it. Ex Wanted Duo, well, that or he simply wanted to deny Heero him.
Duo, it seemed, had already refused to be his, he loved Heero and no one else, and now it appeared to Ex that he could not even deny Duo to Heero by killing him.
Ex scowled, a vein beginning to pop up at his temple. "So why did you kick up such a fuss when I tried to kill him before?"
Heero smirked "I didn't know he still loved me then, it makes all the difference to know that. Killing him won't make my life a misery, because he will still be with me. He will always be with me."
Ex looked slightly deflated, but he wasn't going to let this affect him too badly. "Fair enough Heero, but I will happily kill him, and all the others anyway. What is your bargain, it had better be good."
"My life."
Heero saw Duos eyes widen in horror.
"In exchange for theirs."
He gestured at the now bleary looking Trowa, the once again struggling Quatre, and the out-cold Wu-Fei.
"And Duo's."
Duo looked stricken.
"But I WONT make it easy. I do not intend to go to Hell and be kept from Duo for all eternity without a fight." A slight smirk graced Heeros face. "Kill me and condemn me yourself." The smirk widened "If you can."
Ex's eyes lit up in mockery. But Heero knew he had him. Ex wouldn't, couldn't turn down a direct challenge such as the one Heero had just issued. If he did it would have undermined his own belief in his skill. Heero had him.
"What insight Heero,"
Ex's tone was light, but Heero could see the man was seething. If he killed Heeros friends Heero wouldn't play fair and he would never know who was stronger, it was driving him mad.
"Your friends aren't as strong as you, you realise that?"
Ex was getting desperate. Heero needed to keep up his confidence in himself. Smirk in place he starred directly at Ex.
"And without you, I will be able to play with them all. They wont be safe Heero. Just because I will have had my revenge doesn't mean I will shut down my empire. I'm owed too much. and those two..."
A slight gesture at Trowa and Quatre.
"Should be great fun to play with...."
Heero continued to smirk,.
"They will be at my mercy Heero."
Stranger was almost out of aces.
"And look." Stranger squeezed Duos cheeks, "He'll miss you Heero! He doesn't seem to believe you'll always be with him!"
There were tears in Duo's eyes as he starred at Heero, his gaze begging the other to reconsider.
Almost.....
Heero met Duo's eyes, if he died it would hurt Duo, but, he would die one day, anyway, he should have died in the Wars. So it made no difference, and Ex had to be stopped, and Heero had a chance. Heero let the smirk drop from his face and he looked dead into Duo's eyes.
Violet met Midnight, and a wave of pure love an emotion swept over the two.
Despite his resolution, Heero felt a tear run down his cheek, and savagely wiped it away.
"Yes Heero. You'll hurt him." Ex said with a smirk, thinking he had gotten some of his hold back over the Japanese man who had somehow broken free. "You'll hurt him again."
Heero closed his eyes. He was unable to hide the fact that that was one thing he had never wanted to do.
Ex smiled a delighted smile at the pain this was so evidently causing Heero, agreeing to cause his lover pain by leaving him, making Duo endure the guilt of feeling Heero died to save him.
"I accept your offer. I was going to kill you anyway so, I'll only be moving that date forward a few days."
At the expected acceptance, Heero, finding a sudden surge of willpower, smirked again, pushing all thoughts of what might happen if he did die out of his head. He had no intention of dying. Ex looked slightly uneasy for a moment and then he also recovered.
With an evil smile he signalled to his three companions to untie the other ex-pilots.
Trowa, who had come round literally three seconds before, was released first.
He shook his head to clear his vision properly, got groggily to his feet, and wrapped his arms round Quatre, who, as soon as he had been freed had rushed over to Trowa. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and blood was dripping from his forehead, wrists and ankles.
Trowa had soon enlisted the tearful blondes help in getting Wu-Fei awake and to his feet.
When Duo was untied it took him a few seconds to actually make it to his feet. In the end Heero walked over, looped a tender arm around his waist and helped him stand.
Slowly Heero escorted him across the room to where Wu-Fei had just been roused and helped to his feet as well.
Duo was clinging to Heeros shoulder and Heero could see the tears fighting for release from the lovely purple eyes. He hated the pain that this was already causing Duo, but it had to be done, he wouldn't have been able to cope if Ex had killed him.
For once Heero blessed his ability to hide his emotions.
"Heero...." Came Duo Maxwell's tentative voice. "Heero, please don't do this.... I.... Can't live without you!"
Heero tightened his arms around Duo and nuzzled the side of his head gently
"It's ok Duo, don't worry. And you can live, I'll always be with you, I promise I will never leave you, Never."
Duo peered up into Heeros face and could see such love and honesty in the blue eyes that he suddenly felt reassured.
"Ok Heero, ok." Heero wouldn't lie to him.
Heero smiled and lent down, Gently pressing his lips against the smiling lips of Duo Maxwell.
The seconds ticked past blessedly slowly
"Oh Break it up...." Came Ex's cold voice. "I haven't got all night you know Heero, send your little friends on their way and then we can finish this."
Heero felt Duo's arms tighten around him, and it was only then he realised that Duo was shaking. His body was most likely suffering from blood loss, Heero thought. And they did need to get going.
Carefully Heero unwound Duo's arms from around him and led him across the room, where Trowa allowed Heero to loop Duo's arm round him instead.
Then, under the pretence of leaning down to kiss Duos cheek, Heero whispered quickly to him.
"Get out of here, get as far away as you can, and don't look back. Stay together, I'll come find you as soon as this is over, I don't intend to die, I have a plan.... I love you."
The last statement was spoken very much aloud as Heero let his lips ghost over Duo's cheek once. And then he made a swift command to the others, which they all reflexively obeyed.
"Get out. NOW!"
The other four ex-pilots all hurried out of the room, Quatre looking worried, Trowa looking neutral and Wu-Fei looking grateful, he had even nodded to Heero as he passed, but Heero was watching another face, but he didn't miss the tears on Duo's cheeks.
Heero gritted his teeth. This was for Duo. He had to do this for Duo.
As one of Ex's lackeys shut the door and locked it, Heero returned his eyes to the madman himself.
He starred straight into the insane grey eyes, devoid of any kind of sense or reason after nearly twenty years of hate, envy and the lust for revenge and Duo.
With a smirk Ex began to circle Heero, their gaze was never broken yet Heero knew that Ex's three lackey's were still there, he could feel them watching him. He was in real trouble. They were fast, there were three of them, and they had guns. He could smell the oil and gunpowder.
Ex still held the knife he had been planning to use on Duo in his hand, and Heero could still see the smudge of Duo's blood on the blade.
He became so transfixed by the small streak of red that he did not notice, until he was flat on his back, that Ex had moved at all. The only thing keeping Ex's knife from slitting Heeros throat was Heeros hand on his wrist.
Heero was much relieved that his reflexes were still as good as they had ever been; they had saved him even when his mind was elsewhere.
As he fought against Ex's wrist, Heero grimaced, Ex was strong, insane and strong, and in command of at least three gunmen who were..... He scowled, he had the feeling he had gone over this before.
Ex's hand and the knife were edging closer and closer to Heero's neck and Heero was now getting the vague sense that he just might not live through this....
But....
What would happen to Duo....? How he wished he hadn't told Duo he would survive.... If he didn't it would have been a lie, and Duo despised lying.
The thought of his lover however, proved to be enough to pull him through, mustering all the strength he had left at his disposal Heero was able to make a last ditch effort to throw Ex off him.
He shifted one of his knees up till it was resting against Ex's stomach and then shoved, with a grunt Ex was rolled off of Heero and a little way across the room, giving Heero enough time to pull the gun from where he had it, concealed once again in the hidden holster, and scrabble to his feet.
As he rolled, Ex's control over his knife fell and as he tried to recover he managed to slice the blade across the palm of his own hand.
He cursed Heero loudly
As soon as the gun in Heero's had was noticed, about three seconds after he had pulled it out, the three gunmen fired, and Heeros movements had to speed up.
Luckily for Heero their shots were none too accurate, one could almost call their aim shoddy, or maybe Heero was just fast on his feet today. He guessed it must have been the second as Ex didn't seem to be the type to have shoddy lackeys.
Despite Heero's best efforts one bullet did hit home, it caught him in the hand causing him to drop his gun and stagger backwards, kicking it across the room, completely out of reach.
After that, the shooting started in earnest, and Heero was forced to dodge behind a control monitor.
He could hear the various screens shattering as they were hit by the shots that were intended for him, what he was not expecting, was the room, and probably the rest of the hospital to be suddenly engulfed in black darkness as the lighting control was shot through, nor had he been expecting the sudden pain in his leg.
In the dark things are easily confused, picking up a shard of glass from the floor, Heero jammed it into someone's leg, and by the scream he figured it was probably Ex. There was a thud as somewhere nearby someone hit the floor. Who it was no one could tell. But he had been shot, and his breathing was irregular, and soon stopped.
Shortly after that, there were two more thuds, one with a bullet through the chest, one with a blade of some kind through the back. Though in the darkness, none of this information was available.
That left two standing. But neither knew who, or where the other was.
A rustle of fabric, the scrape of a shoe against the floor. The sound of someone skidding on a patch of floor that was wet with blood.
Two shots fired, one groan, and another thud, one stops breathing, the other gets to his feet, right arm hanging limply by his side. One man was victorious, but in the dark, and with no witnesses no one could know who he was. And the only others to have ever seen him were far away.
That night, on the news, it was reported that an L4 Hospital had burnt to the ground. An explosive of some sort had apparently been wired into the power supply, causing it to explode when the power was cut.
Detectives have said, that, sadly, due to the total and utter destruction of the building, finding clues regarding who had destroyed the L4 hospital is totally impossible.
Nothing was left. And there appeared to have been only four casualties, of which only bits of bone remained.
Unknown however, to the detective team. One Man had walked away form that fire, nursing a wound in his leg, a wounded hand and a wound in his shoulder. As he walked he laughed quietly to himself and tried to wipe some of the blood from his hand onto his trousers.
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Well, there it was, only the epilogue to go, I hope to see you all there!!
Reviews are all much loved!!
Lora Helen.
But at LOOOOOOONG last, here it is, in all its finished totality. The last chapter of Stranger, aside from the Epilogue that is...
I hope this ending meets with your approval, as it was hard work to make...
Please enjoy, and thanks SOOOO Much to all you beautiful amazing people who have reviews and inspired me so much with my writing, this fic is inspired by all of you, and this chapter is for you all!
Particularly my friend Ben, who so kindly threw a large assortment of heavy metal objects at me, and Natea, who takes the time to review each chapter, and yet still manages to write and post amazing stories of her own! Also to my friend Ban, who I have not heard from in a while and who greatly miss.... Ah, there are so many of you! And I hope I have not disappointed a single one of you with this story....
I'm shutting up now, enjoy the chapter.
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"Say goodbye Heero, Say Goodbye to Duo Maxwell."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"NO!" Heero yelled, as the knife caused a small rivulet of blood to trickle down Duo's neck, and the beautiful violet eyes closed in pain.
Heero felt, along with the enormous surge of anger that someone had hurt Duo, an immense surge of pride in his love. Duo had made no noise at all, he was still so strong....
Soon Heeros attention was diverted back to the man with the knife.
"I'm Sorry Heero?" Said Ex with a sick smile. "Did you want to say something?"
Heero ground his teeth, even though he was now terrified that he really was going to lose Duo, that voice still infuriated him, and that anger helped to combat the fear.
Heero, in a casual monotone, managed to answer.
"Yes Ex. There is something I would like to say, well, ask more like. Its not really Duo you want is it?"
Ex gave no answer, but the slight brightening in his eyes gave him away, and Heero knew he was right.
"Well, how do you fancy a trade?"
Ex's eyes brightened again, though the rest of his face stayed dead and dull. Duo blinked his eyes open, giving Heero a questioning look. Heero shook his head minutely and returned his attention to Ex.
Duo let his eyes slide closed again, but Heero know that he was listening.
"Well, a trade? What do you think?" Heero continued.
Ex laughed. "You for him. That's what you're thinking isn't it Heero. No way." There was a savage smirk on Ex's face. "That would be to easy on you. It's so much more painful for you if I kill Duo. If you're dead you wont miss him now will you? It will hurt you so much more if I make you suffer alone."
Heero smirked. "Is that so Ex? Is it really going to hurt me more to lose him than my own life? How can you be sure? What if losing his life made no difference to me? And really, why should it make any difference? If I die and go to hell for my sins am I really going to be allowed to see him again? Not if hell is the place of torture I've been told about. I'll be forced to see him hurt in battle again and again, I'll be allowed to almost touch him but then he will melt away.... Do you really think that I would rather face that than a few years alone with happy memories?"
Ex blinked, and his smile faded slightly. "What are you getting at Heero?" He asked, eyes narrowing to slits. "What do you mean?"
Heero laughed quietly and his eyes danced to Duo for a moment. "You would never understand Ex. You have never known love, you can't be blamed for your Ignorance in the matter...."
Ex snarled. "What do you MEAN! TELL ME!"
Heero smirked, evasiveness, Ex couldn't stand it. He was used to people being blunt, he wasn't used to feeling confused. He was used to people jumping at his command. It was winding the psychopath up no end.
"If I tell you, will you listen to my bargain?" Heero asked, slight smirk still in place on his face.
Duo was looking at Heero with a raised eyebrow, it was clear that he also, had no idea what Heero was getting at, but he also, did not trust it. He tried once again to get Heeros attention, but he wasn't looking at him. Heero was clearly on a mission and not to be distracted.
Ex smiled. He had recovered from his annoyance. "Yes Heero. I will listen to your silly little deal, so long...." His voice became steely "As you explain yourself first."
"Fine...." Heero said quietly. "Love. It's nothing more than that. Love will not fade even after death. I would still love him if you killed him, and he would still love me. It would make no difference, he would never leave me. I have his love. And I always will. Living, dead, he will always be Duo. MY Duo."
Heero saw Duo smile, and he knew what he had said was true. He would never lose Duos love, even if they all died today.
When Ex looked at Heero his face was full of chagrin and rage. Heero knew that Duo's little agreement to his proclamation had been noticed, and that Ex had hated it. Ex Wanted Duo, well, that or he simply wanted to deny Heero him.
Duo, it seemed, had already refused to be his, he loved Heero and no one else, and now it appeared to Ex that he could not even deny Duo to Heero by killing him.
Ex scowled, a vein beginning to pop up at his temple. "So why did you kick up such a fuss when I tried to kill him before?"
Heero smirked "I didn't know he still loved me then, it makes all the difference to know that. Killing him won't make my life a misery, because he will still be with me. He will always be with me."
Ex looked slightly deflated, but he wasn't going to let this affect him too badly. "Fair enough Heero, but I will happily kill him, and all the others anyway. What is your bargain, it had better be good."
"My life."
Heero saw Duos eyes widen in horror.
"In exchange for theirs."
He gestured at the now bleary looking Trowa, the once again struggling Quatre, and the out-cold Wu-Fei.
"And Duo's."
Duo looked stricken.
"But I WONT make it easy. I do not intend to go to Hell and be kept from Duo for all eternity without a fight." A slight smirk graced Heeros face. "Kill me and condemn me yourself." The smirk widened "If you can."
Ex's eyes lit up in mockery. But Heero knew he had him. Ex wouldn't, couldn't turn down a direct challenge such as the one Heero had just issued. If he did it would have undermined his own belief in his skill. Heero had him.
"What insight Heero,"
Ex's tone was light, but Heero could see the man was seething. If he killed Heeros friends Heero wouldn't play fair and he would never know who was stronger, it was driving him mad.
"Your friends aren't as strong as you, you realise that?"
Ex was getting desperate. Heero needed to keep up his confidence in himself. Smirk in place he starred directly at Ex.
"And without you, I will be able to play with them all. They wont be safe Heero. Just because I will have had my revenge doesn't mean I will shut down my empire. I'm owed too much. and those two..."
A slight gesture at Trowa and Quatre.
"Should be great fun to play with...."
Heero continued to smirk,.
"They will be at my mercy Heero."
Stranger was almost out of aces.
"And look." Stranger squeezed Duos cheeks, "He'll miss you Heero! He doesn't seem to believe you'll always be with him!"
There were tears in Duo's eyes as he starred at Heero, his gaze begging the other to reconsider.
Almost.....
Heero met Duo's eyes, if he died it would hurt Duo, but, he would die one day, anyway, he should have died in the Wars. So it made no difference, and Ex had to be stopped, and Heero had a chance. Heero let the smirk drop from his face and he looked dead into Duo's eyes.
Violet met Midnight, and a wave of pure love an emotion swept over the two.
Despite his resolution, Heero felt a tear run down his cheek, and savagely wiped it away.
"Yes Heero. You'll hurt him." Ex said with a smirk, thinking he had gotten some of his hold back over the Japanese man who had somehow broken free. "You'll hurt him again."
Heero closed his eyes. He was unable to hide the fact that that was one thing he had never wanted to do.
Ex smiled a delighted smile at the pain this was so evidently causing Heero, agreeing to cause his lover pain by leaving him, making Duo endure the guilt of feeling Heero died to save him.
"I accept your offer. I was going to kill you anyway so, I'll only be moving that date forward a few days."
At the expected acceptance, Heero, finding a sudden surge of willpower, smirked again, pushing all thoughts of what might happen if he did die out of his head. He had no intention of dying. Ex looked slightly uneasy for a moment and then he also recovered.
With an evil smile he signalled to his three companions to untie the other ex-pilots.
Trowa, who had come round literally three seconds before, was released first.
He shook his head to clear his vision properly, got groggily to his feet, and wrapped his arms round Quatre, who, as soon as he had been freed had rushed over to Trowa. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and blood was dripping from his forehead, wrists and ankles.
Trowa had soon enlisted the tearful blondes help in getting Wu-Fei awake and to his feet.
When Duo was untied it took him a few seconds to actually make it to his feet. In the end Heero walked over, looped a tender arm around his waist and helped him stand.
Slowly Heero escorted him across the room to where Wu-Fei had just been roused and helped to his feet as well.
Duo was clinging to Heeros shoulder and Heero could see the tears fighting for release from the lovely purple eyes. He hated the pain that this was already causing Duo, but it had to be done, he wouldn't have been able to cope if Ex had killed him.
For once Heero blessed his ability to hide his emotions.
"Heero...." Came Duo Maxwell's tentative voice. "Heero, please don't do this.... I.... Can't live without you!"
Heero tightened his arms around Duo and nuzzled the side of his head gently
"It's ok Duo, don't worry. And you can live, I'll always be with you, I promise I will never leave you, Never."
Duo peered up into Heeros face and could see such love and honesty in the blue eyes that he suddenly felt reassured.
"Ok Heero, ok." Heero wouldn't lie to him.
Heero smiled and lent down, Gently pressing his lips against the smiling lips of Duo Maxwell.
The seconds ticked past blessedly slowly
"Oh Break it up...." Came Ex's cold voice. "I haven't got all night you know Heero, send your little friends on their way and then we can finish this."
Heero felt Duo's arms tighten around him, and it was only then he realised that Duo was shaking. His body was most likely suffering from blood loss, Heero thought. And they did need to get going.
Carefully Heero unwound Duo's arms from around him and led him across the room, where Trowa allowed Heero to loop Duo's arm round him instead.
Then, under the pretence of leaning down to kiss Duos cheek, Heero whispered quickly to him.
"Get out of here, get as far away as you can, and don't look back. Stay together, I'll come find you as soon as this is over, I don't intend to die, I have a plan.... I love you."
The last statement was spoken very much aloud as Heero let his lips ghost over Duo's cheek once. And then he made a swift command to the others, which they all reflexively obeyed.
"Get out. NOW!"
The other four ex-pilots all hurried out of the room, Quatre looking worried, Trowa looking neutral and Wu-Fei looking grateful, he had even nodded to Heero as he passed, but Heero was watching another face, but he didn't miss the tears on Duo's cheeks.
Heero gritted his teeth. This was for Duo. He had to do this for Duo.
As one of Ex's lackeys shut the door and locked it, Heero returned his eyes to the madman himself.
He starred straight into the insane grey eyes, devoid of any kind of sense or reason after nearly twenty years of hate, envy and the lust for revenge and Duo.
With a smirk Ex began to circle Heero, their gaze was never broken yet Heero knew that Ex's three lackey's were still there, he could feel them watching him. He was in real trouble. They were fast, there were three of them, and they had guns. He could smell the oil and gunpowder.
Ex still held the knife he had been planning to use on Duo in his hand, and Heero could still see the smudge of Duo's blood on the blade.
He became so transfixed by the small streak of red that he did not notice, until he was flat on his back, that Ex had moved at all. The only thing keeping Ex's knife from slitting Heeros throat was Heeros hand on his wrist.
Heero was much relieved that his reflexes were still as good as they had ever been; they had saved him even when his mind was elsewhere.
As he fought against Ex's wrist, Heero grimaced, Ex was strong, insane and strong, and in command of at least three gunmen who were..... He scowled, he had the feeling he had gone over this before.
Ex's hand and the knife were edging closer and closer to Heero's neck and Heero was now getting the vague sense that he just might not live through this....
But....
What would happen to Duo....? How he wished he hadn't told Duo he would survive.... If he didn't it would have been a lie, and Duo despised lying.
The thought of his lover however, proved to be enough to pull him through, mustering all the strength he had left at his disposal Heero was able to make a last ditch effort to throw Ex off him.
He shifted one of his knees up till it was resting against Ex's stomach and then shoved, with a grunt Ex was rolled off of Heero and a little way across the room, giving Heero enough time to pull the gun from where he had it, concealed once again in the hidden holster, and scrabble to his feet.
As he rolled, Ex's control over his knife fell and as he tried to recover he managed to slice the blade across the palm of his own hand.
He cursed Heero loudly
As soon as the gun in Heero's had was noticed, about three seconds after he had pulled it out, the three gunmen fired, and Heeros movements had to speed up.
Luckily for Heero their shots were none too accurate, one could almost call their aim shoddy, or maybe Heero was just fast on his feet today. He guessed it must have been the second as Ex didn't seem to be the type to have shoddy lackeys.
Despite Heero's best efforts one bullet did hit home, it caught him in the hand causing him to drop his gun and stagger backwards, kicking it across the room, completely out of reach.
After that, the shooting started in earnest, and Heero was forced to dodge behind a control monitor.
He could hear the various screens shattering as they were hit by the shots that were intended for him, what he was not expecting, was the room, and probably the rest of the hospital to be suddenly engulfed in black darkness as the lighting control was shot through, nor had he been expecting the sudden pain in his leg.
In the dark things are easily confused, picking up a shard of glass from the floor, Heero jammed it into someone's leg, and by the scream he figured it was probably Ex. There was a thud as somewhere nearby someone hit the floor. Who it was no one could tell. But he had been shot, and his breathing was irregular, and soon stopped.
Shortly after that, there were two more thuds, one with a bullet through the chest, one with a blade of some kind through the back. Though in the darkness, none of this information was available.
That left two standing. But neither knew who, or where the other was.
A rustle of fabric, the scrape of a shoe against the floor. The sound of someone skidding on a patch of floor that was wet with blood.
Two shots fired, one groan, and another thud, one stops breathing, the other gets to his feet, right arm hanging limply by his side. One man was victorious, but in the dark, and with no witnesses no one could know who he was. And the only others to have ever seen him were far away.
That night, on the news, it was reported that an L4 Hospital had burnt to the ground. An explosive of some sort had apparently been wired into the power supply, causing it to explode when the power was cut.
Detectives have said, that, sadly, due to the total and utter destruction of the building, finding clues regarding who had destroyed the L4 hospital is totally impossible.
Nothing was left. And there appeared to have been only four casualties, of which only bits of bone remained.
Unknown however, to the detective team. One Man had walked away form that fire, nursing a wound in his leg, a wounded hand and a wound in his shoulder. As he walked he laughed quietly to himself and tried to wipe some of the blood from his hand onto his trousers.
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Well, there it was, only the epilogue to go, I hope to see you all there!!
Reviews are all much loved!!
Lora Helen.