Notes: Heh, creep alert, that's all I have to say for this chapter. Oh, and some rather crude talk. Enjoy and review!
Chapter Four
As he was Heero's partner, Wufei got the day off to look after him, which meant I had to spend another long day at work, satisfying myself with calling every half hour to check up on them. All I learned was that Heero could barely stomach dry toast, that he was still feverish and vomiting, and that he was a lousy patient. I knew everything but the first, and it didn't really put me at ease.
I suppose that might be why I reacted like I did in the showers. I'd like to state here and now that it was not my fault, and I'm not sorry I did it 'cause he had it coming and he deserved worse.
I'd just finished a very strenuous workout in the gym and was about to have a shower. Agent Shavers had just finished his own shower, and was currently getting dressed. I did not like Shavers one bit, he was a homophobe and a creep and ex-OZ and we hated each other's guts. You can probably see where this is going.
"Hey, Maxwell, I heard Yuy's got some sort of a bug," he said in that annoying voice he had. I spared him a glare, tugging off my shirt and unbuckling my belt. "I guess that means that he won't be able to fuck you senseless for a while, huh? Bet you're real disappointed about that. But don't forget, you've still got that asshole Chang to keep your libido satisfied. Wonder what you'd do without them, huh? Would you run off to whoever you could find? What about me, huh? Would you suck my dick if I asked you too? Huh?"
I guess Shavers doesn't have too much in the way of self-preservation, because he completely missed all the warning signs of rage. He continued to taunt and irritate me, not knowing that all he was doing was feeding the fire raging inside of me. The dark shadow that was Shinigami was swelling up, filling my body, dropping a haze of red over my vision. I knew nothing but the burning fury inside of me, and the mocking sound of Shavers' voice.
It was one little word that sent me over the edge, four letters snapping my control and making me lunge at him. He had barely finished saying the word before I punched his jaw.
He hadn't been expecting it, he wasn't prepared, and I got past his guard easily, ramming my knee into his stomach and breaking his nose with my fist. I kicked at his knee and felt the bone break, relishing the sharp scream that fell from his lips. I grabbed his wrist and arm, turned so that I had my back to him, and threw him over my shoulder and into the tiled wall. He grunted and crumpled to the ground in a broken heap.
Other Agents had rushed in, alerted by Shavers' screams, but I ignored them as I stared at the creep. I wanted to do more, my body hummed with the need for more violence, more bloodshed, but I repressed the need, shoving Shinigami back in his box and closing the lid. I'd proved my point, I'd done what I had to, I did NOT need to kill the fucking bastard.
The red haze lifted from my eyes, the tension melted from my muscles, and I released a breath, looking around at the other Agents who were either looking at me with awe/shock or at Shavers with sympathy/compassion.
I grabbed my shirt from the bench and pulled it on, walking out of the gym and not commenting on how the Agents quickly got out of my way. I walked very calmly up to the floor my office was on, not caring that I was still sweaty from my workout, and stopped by a soda machine, getting a can of diet Coke and drowning half of it in one gulp.
When I walked into my office, I found Alex on the phone, talking to someone with a very urgent tone to her voice. I'd even go so far as to say she was eager. I sat at my desk and waited for her to finish, using the time to gather my thoughts.
Alex hung up, slamming the phone down, and I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She grinned, positively vibrating with excitement.
"Remember that hair we found at the scene? The long blonde one that we knew wasn't the vic's 'cause she had short brown hair? Phillip got a match out of the database. One Gregory Ivers, twenty-six, from L4, jailed five years ago for homicide, he got out two weeks ago on parole. His PO just called saying he left the Colony, and can't be found."
I smiled back at her and said, "Put out an APB, see if we can't catch him. Who'd he kill last time?"
"Some hooker he hired."
"Apparently his tastes have heightened since then. From a whore to a politician's daughter, quite a jump."
"Yeah, why aren't you grinning and making threats to him? And why did you not shower after your workout?"
I sighed and looked away. I could feel her curiosity like a feather brushing against my skin, an almost tangible thing that I could touch. She was one persistent person, was Alex, it made her great at interrogations, but when you wanted to hide something, it could be a bit of a pain.
"Duo, spill, what happened?"
"It was nothing."
"Bullshit."
"Drop it, Alex!" My voice was a little sharper than I'd intended, but it made her shut up, so I wasn't too annoyed at myself. I bit down another sigh and blew my bangs out of my eyes.
"I just don't want to talk about it," I muttered, and I saw Alex shrug out of the corner of my eye.
"Whatever."
Someone knocked sharply on the door, and I didn't have to look to know who it was, only one person knocked like that. I forced my expression into a polite blankness and turned to look at Commander Une.
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"Maxwell, a word if you please."
"Sure." I stood up and walked out into the hall with her, leaning against the wall and waiting for her to speak.
"I know that Agent Shavers' attitude is not the best," she began in a very resigned tone, "But he is a good Preventer and has a good record. Furthermore, it does not reflect well on this organisation if one of our best Agents starts to beat up his colleagues."
"The bastard deserved worse," I growled before I could stop myself, and she sighed.
"I know he did. Well, actually I don't, he won't tell me what he what he said, just saying that the attack was unprovoked, but I can take a guess and I do thank you for your restraint, but please try to leave him alone from now on?"
"Maybe if he gets sent away..."
Une frowned at me, but then thought about it for a moment before nodding. "The L2 branch needs a few more Agents, I'll send Shavers and his partner."
I just nodded and walked back into my office. There was an email waiting for me, and I clicked on it cautiously. It was from Wufei, and I felt icy fear coil in my stomach. It was irrational, and I knew it, he probably just wanted to tell me something really urbane and mundane, but the fear wouldn't leave me.
Duo, you need to come home now. We got another 'present' and Heero wants you home where he can protect you, and so do I. We're both fine, but please hurry. Love, Wufei.
The fear exploded within me, my blood roaring in my ears and making me deaf to everything else. I wasn't quite aware of Alex's worried questions or concerned expression, wasn't really aware of anything but the desperate need to get home, to see my lovers, to make sure they really were alright.
I grabbed my jacket, shoving my keys and my phone into the pockets, and ran out of the office. I dodged people, jumped over obstacles, whirled around corners, sprinted down steps, until I finally reached the car park. Because Wufei and Heero were staying home, I'd driven my bike to work, and I quickly pulled on my helmet, swinging a leg over the sleek black-and-silver machine and revving the engine.
The bad thing about living so far away from work was the long journey, but I'd tinkered with my bike a bit, and when you combine that with my Preventer's badge, it meant that speed limits didn't always apply to me, so I quickly sped out of the car park, twisting around the corner.
It's not often that I pray, I don't believe in God and that makes praying a little difficult, but as I sped along the highway, weaving in and out of cars, I spoke to the being I didn't believe in, and I prayed.
Please be alright, please be alright, I'll do anything, just let them be alright. I need them. I love them. Please.