Heero cradled Duo gently across his chest and walked up the three flights of stairs to their shared apartment. As he reached his door, Heero fumbled with his keys, careful not to wake the sleeping boy in his arms. Fiddling with the lock Heero pushed the door open and walked into the air conditioned home. Sliding off his shoes Heero strode to his room and placed Duo on his bed, quickly stripping him of his torn and bloody clothes. Heero left Duo momentarily to walk into the bathroom across the hall and prepare a bath. Fillinf the tub with hot water he walked back to his bedroom.

Laying in nothing but his cotton boxers Duo moaned and tried to sit up only to be stopped by his scorning friend. Heero once again scooped Duo up into his arms and Duo couldn't bring himself to protest, the pain from his legs scorched through his body and he noticed Heero's now bloodstained sheets as he was lifted from the comfort of Heero's bed. He made a silent apology and relaxed in the older boy's arms. Entering the bathroom Heero set Duo in the tub, boxers and all. Duo heaved a sigh and put his arms on either side of the small tub, trying to let the hot water rinse off the dirty feeling he had all over his body. As Duo sat in silence Heero rummaged in the bathroom cabinets for bandages, peroxide, and stitching material. Finding the first aid items he turned back toward the long haired beauty sitting in the tub and made a motion for Duo to lift his legs. Duo shifted and heaved his damaged legs over the side of the bathtub all too painfully. He grimaced and leaned against the wall behind him. Heero gave his friend a look of apology and dried Duo's battered legs with a towel before applying peroxide to the many deep gashes that covered the youth's otherwise smooth skin. Duo gasped as the peroxide bubbled and fizzed over his aching legs. Heero checked over the wounds and made sure there wasn't any glass still protruding from Duo's legs. Unfortunately Duo wasn't haven't the luckiest of days and Heero found a massive chunk of glass sticking out of Duo's ankle. Heero looked up at Duo who seemed to be oblivious of the object that stuck gruesomely through his own ankle and heel. Heero decided that being quick was the best way to go about pulling the glass from out of Duo. A split second later Heero gripped the glass and pulled as hard as he could and the glass came roughly out of Duo's ankle. The wound seemed to have grown and blood spilled onto the bathroom tiles. Duo curled his hands into tight fists and squeezed as hard as he could trying not to focus on the pain coming from his heel. Heero quickly poured peroxide over the wound and held up a needle and thread he had found in one of the drawers. Sliding black thread through the needle's eye he told Duo to brace himself and pulled the skin over Duo's wound together. He stitched Duo's ankle and heel as quickly as possible before wrapping the rest of Duo's wounds in gauze. As Heero tended to Duo's wounds the young boy concentrated all of his energy on, well something else.

Heero helped Duo stand up and leaned him against the wall before grabbing a towel and drying his friend off. He then lifted Duo up and took him to Duo's own room Heero slide Duo under the covers and was about to ask Duo if he needed anything when the doorbell rang. Cursing silently he walked out of the room and toward the front door.

-------------

"His parents died about two years ago in a car accident leaving him to fend for himself. His friend's parents died too and Heero took it upon himself to care for the kid, Duo Maxwell. He lives with Duo in a small apartment and makes enough at his after school job to care for them both." Storm read off the information she had found earlier as they neared their destination and looked at the picture of Heero Yuy that was attached to the information. He seemed angry and Storm hoped they could help the tortured boy.

"He seems like a strong person. I hope he's willing to come back with us." Jean looked out the window thinking how hard it must be to have your life changed in an instant.

"Turn here Scott. They're apartment complex 300." Scott nodded and followed Storms directions before parking in front of a three story building marked 300. Scott turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car followed closely by Jean and Storm. "It's on the third floor, apartment 320C," Storm said motioning toward the stairwell in the building. Scott led the way and walked slowly up the stairs thinking hard about how to approach the new found mutant. Standing outside apartment 320C Scott rang the door bell and the three nervous adults waited patiently for an answer. Not a minute later the door was pulled open to show the figure of a young man slightly taller then Scott. His tousled chocolate hair and piercing blue eyes gave him an exotic look. The scowl forming on the man's face showed his annoyance and impatience. All three mutants standing in front of the young man could feel the power radiating off his body.

Heero's muscles flexed unconsciously as he viewed the strangers at his doorway. Their smiling faces seemed welcoming, but he wasn't the type to chance letting his guard down. He cleared his throat and looked at the one standing closes to him. It was a man in his early twenties. His red hair was combed neatly to one side and the dark glasses he wore gave him a slightly mysterious look. His smile seemed a little forced and Heero tried to push down the curiosity that overwhelmed him. "Is there something I can do for you?" he asked in a monotone voice tinted with ice at being interrupted from caring for his friend.

Storm and Jean cringed slightly at the boy's obvious distrust toward them. Scott didn't seem to notice and held at his hand, introducing himself. "Hi I'm Scott Summers, this Jean Grey," he said motioning toward the red head behind him, "and this is Ororo Monroe, but she goes by Storm," he continued gesturing toward the older woman with white hair standing beside Jean. Heero didn't know why these strangers were introducing themselves, but he knew he was wasting time standing at the door. He attempted to get to the point of why the three people were bothering him. "Is there any particular reason you're here?" he asked ignoring Scott's out stretched hand.

Scott pulled back his hand chuckling to himself out of embarrassment. Storm stepped forward and looked at the boy's intense blue eyes and felt the wisdom in those eyes bore into her, scrutinizing her very soul. She resisted the urge to shutter. The person in front of her was obviously in a hurry and she tried to get to the point of their visit as quickly as possible, "We're here to offer you help. We understand that you may be going through some changes that you're confused about and we are offering a chance to come to a place where there are others experiencing the same things. We want to help you understand this gift that has been given to you Heero."

Storm looked at Heero with honest, caring, kind eyes that Heero stared back at with defiance. Heero then broke out into a menacing smile, suddenly understanding the strangers reason for coming. "I don't know how you know my name, but if you're talking about the powers I have they're not confusing. I've had them since I was a child. If that's all, I'm in the middle of something," Heero made to close the door, but he felt something probing his mind. He looked at the red head who had closed her eyes and growled slightly. "Get the fuck out of my head," Heero said with a tone that offered something worse than death.

Jean gasped as she felt the boy's mind push her from her attempt to understand what the he was thinking. It was then that she felt another presence. She could sense a young boy in excruciating pain. She put her hand to her mouth and stared at the boy in front of them. "We can help him Heero. He's in so much pain. I'm a doctor, let me treat him."

Heero shot the redhead a glace that offered a shit load of pain if she was lying and simple nodded in understanding that the people in front of him held powers like himself, telepathy was all to familiar to him. Duo needed help and if Jean was a doctor he wasn't going to turn down the offer to treat his friend, if they tried anything he could definitely defend himself. Holding the door open he motioned for them to enter. "Let me get my things," he said leaving the three adults to stand in the entry way.

Heero entered Duo's room and frowned at the boy on the bed. Duo had broken out into sweats, obviously sprouting a fever. Heero worked quickly gathering clothes for Duo and left momentarily to collect his own belongings. Coming back into Duo's room he hoisted the two duffel bags he held over his shoulders and wrapped a blanket around his friend before lifting the braided boy into his arms. Duo's body trembled with pain as Heero pressed him to his chest. Walking back to the entrance he looked at the three people standing at his door. "Let's go," he said in a stern voice. The two women led the way out and Scott offered to help Heero carry his burden but was met with a possessive growl. Scott backed down and left through the door followed closely by Heero. Scott lagged behind Heero to shut the door and they walked down the three stories of stairs leaving to Scott wonder how Heero could effortlessly carry all that weight.

Entering the van Heero set his duffel bags in the back seat before carefully seating himself next to Storm. Duo's breathing was ragged and Storm could see that the boy in Heero's arms was in a lot of pain. Scott drove swiftly to Xavier's school for the gifted unaware of the conversation going on between the two boys behind him.

'Duo. Duo are you ok?'

'Of course I'm ok. I'm fabulous.' Duo's mind grinned and Heero sighed inwardly.

'We're going to get you some help. These people came by and we're going with them.'

'That's good Heero, do you think when we get where we're going I could eat though? I'm starved! And tired too...' At that Duo let his mind slip into a deep sleep. Heero let a ghost of a smile grace his lips as he looked down at the boy in his arms. During the remainder of the trip Jean explained the school to Heero and the special students that attended, hoping that the young man would stay with them.

--------------------

Mann, you guys are laying the pressure on me, saying I've got all this potential, ahhh! Thank you so much for the reviews! Everyone was so nice! I hope I didn't let you guys down with this chapter, it was kinda bad. But I have many plans for upcoming chapters, so don't give up on me yet!

Akennea: As the first reviewer you are my new best friend!

hikari: Yeah, he's a wimp now, but he's the main character and the main characters usually the strongest (wink wink – I'm not telling!!)

Shaeric Draconis: More Duo suffering!!! Don't worry this story is gonna have lots of it, but he'll pull through!

seven7: Don't worry he's gonna have a 'really awesome power', at least I think it is...I'll leave you to tell me.

Meepu: Umm, I didn't really base it off the comic or movie, I'm kinda just using the characters, maybe something will happen but I'm not sure yet we'll see.

Kayla: You remember that? Oh my goodness! Yeah, I wrote one very similar to this, it got kicked off though 'cause it was NC-17 and I stupidly threw away the disk. I never finished, but I plan on finishing this one and I hope it's just as good if not better than the original.

Griffen: Very perceptive my friend, and yeah, it's gonna be really weird later – hopefully that'll make it all the more interesting!

Foxhiei: THANK YOU!!

Victoria: Wow, I feel really special (tear) I hope you think the coming chapters are just as good!