Part 6
AC 198, August 9th
Wufei looked at the ace of spades that Quatre had handed him. They were both in the back compartment of the shuttle, waiting for it to take off for L2. Again, Quatre had left his father and his personal assistant together in the main part of the shuttle, and slammed the door of the back room before his bodyguards could come in.
"You know what I am going to say, Quatre ?", Wufei asked.
"That this proves quite accurately that you were right and that he will actually come after me and kill me in the end. Do I get it right ?"
"Almost. You forgot the part about you being completely out of your mind to play a dangerous game with a assassin. And the fact that I'm going to get a stroke out of this soon."
Quatre just smiled. Wufei frowned some more.
"There's nothing funny about this, Quatre. I don't know what you're thinking of, honestly. You don't have to prove anything to anyone, you know."
"I may have some things to prove to myself. And I've thought about some things too."
"Care to share ?"
Quatre explained the thing about his laptop to a puzzled Wufei.
"Let me get this right", the Chinese man said. "You programmed your laptop to display a special screensaver if someone broke through the security code, and you discovered that it had actually been done. How do you know it was him, and how does that prove that he's not after you ?"
"I know it was him because I can feel his presence, and I felt no one else's. And I know it doesn't prove he's not after me, it's just …"
Quatre stopped, trying to find a good way to explain.
"It all depends on one single thing. This card can mean a lot of things depending on when it was put on my table."
"Okay, now you're speaking a foreign language for me", Wufei grumbled. "What does the time this card was put on your desk matter ?"
"Because if he put it after he saw my message, then it means he really doesn't care about what I am trying to do, and he's probably going to come and try to kill me. But if he put it before, it means he had every intention to kill me, then saw the message and left without thinking he had left the card behind."
Wufei rolled his eyes.
"Quatre, don't you think you're trying to understand what you want to understand ?"
"He was scared, Wufei", Quatre said quietly.
Wufei fell silent, pondering those words. Quatre was looking at the stars outside thoughtfully.
"He was scared", he repeated. "I don't remember feeling so much fear in one person in all my life. I never felt that kind of fear in you."
"Oh yes ? What kind of fear do you feel in me ?", Wufei asked, suddenly curious.
Quatre frowned.
"Are you sure you want to know ? You may not like it, you know. I won't lie to you to make it better."
"I think I can take it. If not, I promise I'll only blame myself."
"Alright, then. Relax a bit, it's the first time I use empathy directly on you, it might be a bit disturbing."
Wufei felt a bit uncomfortable as Quatre's green-blue eyes lost their focus, as if the young man was not staring at him, but inside of him. He remembered the shock it had been to look in Quatre's eyes and discover his own pain in them. Would it be just the same with his fears ?
Apparently, it was. Quatre's eyes widened a bit, and his breathing became labored. Wufei began to worry but didn't dare moving. Somehow, he thought that distracting Quatre in this situation would do more harm than good, a bit like trying to wake up a sleepwalker. Wufei almost gave a start when Quatre spoke.
"You are afraid … of love. Because it hurt you. Because you think that you were unable to protect the one you loved, and you weren't there for her when she died. You are afraid to love again, because you fear that the same thing will happen again. You are afraid to face her death, because you see it as a personal failure."
Wufei gasped, but Quatre kept on, his voice monocord.
"You can't forgive yourself for her death. That's why you fled in the first place. But the sadness and the fear still haunt you."
"Stop it !", Wufei stammered, his face very pale.
Quatre's eyes regained their focus, and he gave a sad smile to Wufei.
"I told you you would not like it", he said. "I'm sorry if …"
"No, don't say it", Wufei said in a blank tone. "I asked. Although I am not sure I should have."
Quatre smiled more frankly this time.
"You are quite some man, Wufei. You have the courage to face both your pain and your fears."
"You call this facing my fears ?", Wufei said, holding a trembling hand up to his brow.
"Yes. Literally."
Wufei found the strength to smile weakly.
"You keep getting me off-balance, you know. You're the first person who is able to do that with me."
Quatre rubbed a point between his eyes and closed them.
"I don't know if I should be pleased about that", he finally said. "Empathy can be a curse as much as a gift, you know. And I still need practice."
Wufei understood. It had to be unbalancing and overwhelming to be suddenly caught off-guard by other people's feelings, especially intense ones like pain or fear, and to feel them too. It must have been a nightmare when Quatre had realized what he could do and had been unable at first to block anyone out.
"I shouldn't have asked you", Wufei said again. "You've seen enough, I shouldn't be one to make you suffer more."
Quatre cut in abruptly.
"You're my friend, Wufei. If I can help you get better, I will do it."
"Well, I would prefer you to be my living friend, and not my friend who killed himself because he felt all of the negative emotions that go through my mind right now", Wufei said seriously.
"I understand", Quatre said with a smile. "Don't worry about me too much, though. I can take it."
"Well, I still think that as a friend, I should not be the one to add to your difficulties, should I ?"
"Get your point", Quatre laughed. "You are someone very honorable, Wufei. I am proud that you call me your friend, you know", he added more seriously.
"I am proud to be your friend too, Quatre. But, if I may say so, our fondness for each other made us go away from our main topic. What is our killer afraid of ?"
"Not 'our' killer, Wufei. 'My' killer. Mine. Don't try and get him to kill you, he's all mine", Quatre guffawed.
"As you wish", Wufei said impatiently.
Quatre calmed down and considered the issue for a while.
"I am not really sure", he finally said. "Emotions are more difficult to analyze when the person has left the room. But I think he is afraid of … me. And himself. What he may find in his mind if he took the time to stop and look at it for real. He's crushing his emotions. I don't really know why, but I'd take a guess and say that either he sees them as a weakness or he cannot stand facing them. Probably a bit of both."
Wufei gave him an incredulous look.
"You're scaring me, you know that ?"
"Sorry", Quatre said. "I know I say creepy things sometimes."
"Creepy doesn't really cover it", Wufei smiled.
Silence fell. Both Quatre and Wufei lost themselves in thoughts about the unknown killer who had disrupted their lives, and the strange links that it had created.
"You're not going to give up on this, are you Quatre ?", Wufei finally asked.
Quatre shrugged and smiled;
"Even if I wanted to now, it is out of my hands. There is a link between him and me that I can't break. I don't know how to do that."
There was a short pause, then Quatre added :
"And I am not sure I want to break it anyway."
Wufei opened his mouth in shock, but didn't add a thing.
O.O.O.O.O
As soon as the shuttle had landed on L2, Quatre had insisted for Wufei and himself to go see Duo. Mr Winner had not objected, and after a short stop at the hotel to change clothes, the two young men took a limo to get to wherever it was Duo lived. But to Wufei's surprise, Quatre made the driver stop just as they left what people would call the 'good parts of town'.
"Just wait for us here", he told the man as he motioned to Wufei to get out.
"Why are we going on foot ?", the Chinese man asked.
"Because we're headed for a nasty part of town. If we drove there with the limo, the driver would be knocked-out in five minutes and people would dismember the car faster than lightning."
Wufei raised his eyebrows. Quatre shot him an awkward look.
"People here know the real meaning of the word 'poor', Wufei. On L2, everything can be sold as long as it gives you enough money to eat something warm. Be it cars, weapons, drugs or people."
"I see. And you are not afraid to go there ?"
"The people down there know me. They know I'm a friend of Duo's. That's enough for them. They would never do any harm to me."
"Well, then I guess Duo must really be someone here."
"You could say that the town is divided in two. Those who worship Duo and those who fear him so much that they pee in their pants when they hear his name."
Wufei snorted at that explanation.
"Well, I can't wait to meet such an extraordinary man."
Quatre smirked evilly.
"I am sure of that. In fact, I can't wait to see you two meet. I am going to have so much fun … before either you kill me, or you kill Duo, or Duo kills you", he added with a laugh. "I don't know which one is most probable. I think I would bet on you and Duo killing each other."
"What if we team up against you and kill you instead ?", Wufei asked, smiling.
Quatre stopped suddenly.
"Oh. I hadn't thought about that one. I think I already said quite some times that this was the worst idea I ever had, uh ?"
"Quite some times. That, and "you'll see for yourself" every time I try to have you elaborate on who Duo really is."
Quatre chuckled.
"Oh, you want me to elaborate ? Okay, right, I'll humor you and tell you one thing. Do you know what people around here call Duo ?"
"How am I supposed to know ?", Wufei said sarcastically.
Quatre dismissed the remark with a shrug.
"They call him Shinigami, Wufei, if that means anything to you."
That meant a lot to Wufei. But somehow, it didn't match with what he knew of Duo (knowing that in fact he really didn't know that much). That the blue-eyed teen with long hair he had seen on pictures could be nicknamed the God of Death and feared by half of the town was just too much to believe. And that must have shown on his face, because Quatre kept on :
"You see, it's not worth elaborating, since you don't believe me anyway. I told you you would see for yourself, just trust me on this one, okay ?"
"Alright", Wufei said, but he did not sound very convinced.
O.O.O.O.O
After half an hour of walking down crappy streets, Wufei saw Quatre's eyes lighten.
"That's here", the Arabian teen said, showing a big sign that said 'Sweeper's'. "That's the junkyard. Duo is living in a small house inside of it. Hilde moved out just after she got married, and Howard's living in another part of town, but he usually comes down here every day. Anyway, it's mostly Duo and Hilde doing the work here with the crew."
"What did you exactly mean by 'ill-favored neighborhood', Quatre ?", Wufei asked in shock. "Things were pretty bad on my colony too, but I never realized that it could be that bad in other places."
Quatre smiled sadly.
"Don't you know what L2 was originally, Wufei ?"
Wufei shook his head, wondering what that meant.
"L2 was built with American money. It was meant to be a prison."
Wufei's eyes widened as he began to understand all that this simple sentence implied.
"When the US still existed", Quatre explained, "they didn't want criminals on their land anymore. They started L2 and sent all of them there. Most of them died building the colony cluster, actually, but once it was finished, it became the most heavily guarded prison in space. Then, the old nations disappeared, the prisoners broke free. But there was nothing there, Wufei. No industries, no jobs, nothing. Prisoners didn't need that kind of things."
"I didn't know that", Wufei said in a strangled voice. "So all the people here …"
"Are more or less descendants of criminals and prisoners, yes. Which is why some people think it's no use to try and help them, because they think it is probably in their genes and they are all doomed to become criminals anyway. It's so much easier to think that. When you do that, you don't feel guilty for leaving those poor people in their own trash."
"But you will help them."
"Yes. I think everyone deserves a chance. Duo and Hilde are the best proof of that. But unfortunately, there are so much of them. I can't do all of this alone, but I can do something with the power I have. If I start something, I think someone will follow. I'm sure Relena will do something."
Wufei frowned at the unknown name.
"Relena ? Who is that ?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. The girl I was talking with at the party. You must have seen her through the monitors."
Wufei nodded, remembering a blond girl just a bit smaller than Quatre with flowing dark blond hair. He hadn't really paid attention since she was obviously not a threat.
"That was Relena Peacecraft, from the Peacecraft Foundation. She is very nice and ready for hard work, but she doesn't really know where to begin. I was thinking about a partnership with the Foundation on L2, since WEI Charities cannot do everything alone. I should call her about that."
"Well, until you do, Mr businessman, would you mind bringing Quatre back, 'cause he is supposed to introduce me to his best friend any minute now", Wufei said deadpan.
Quatre chuckled and shook his head.
"You're right. Today is holiday. I'll see about this tomorrow."
They came closer to the big sign and trod into the junkyard … and a very strange scene.
O.O.O.O.O
Wufei's mind recorded the settings in about three seconds. Piles of rubbish were everywhere, from old cars to pieces of shuttles. A small wooden house was set in a corner of the enclosed area. And three people were in front of that house.
One of them was unmistakably Duo, although the teenager there was a bit older than the one on the pictures that Wufei had seen at Quatre's. If Wufei remembered well, Duo was about the same age than Quatre. And the pictures didn't do him any justice, Wufei thought. They were nothing compared to the real-life Duo.
Duo was one or two inches taller than Wufei and Quatre. He had a long and wiry body, but Wufei's eyes detected strong muscles under the creamy white skin. His very long hair was tied into a long braid that was falling well past down his waist, its color a deep chestnut, as if hesitating between brown and red and changing under the light. The large expressive eyes were an impressive shade of violet, and staring at the two men in front of him. The young man was dressed in extremely tight black leather pants that showed more than they hid. High combat boots were laced up to his knees. He was wearing a short tight red T-shirt that showed part of his muscled belly, since he wore his pants low on his hips. He had a black leather jacket on top of it and fingerless black leather gloves. The final touch was a golden chain around his neck, supporting a golden Catholic cross.
And, Wufei immediately noticed that too, Duo was really, really angry. No, in fact, he looked positively fuming.
"How many time do I have to tell ya this, guys ?", he yelled angrily. "Howard's not here for the day, and even if he was, he would give ya the same answer !"
Wufei gave a start when Quatre tugged his sleeve.
"Remember what I told you about the two kinds of people in town ?"
Wufei nodded, not really understanding what Quatre meant. Quatre gave him a sarcastic smile.
"I forgot the third kind. The complete idiots who don't know Duo at all, like those two."
Wufei's attention focused on the two men standing in front of Duo. They were both wearing dark suits and white shirts and towering on Duo. Wufei also noticed that they each had two Magnums in shoulder holsters, and were not even hiding them. He took a step forward, but Quatre stopped him.
"Quatre ! What are you doing, he could get shot, for God's sake !"
"Leave it to Duo, Wufei."
"But …"
Wufei was lost. Even if Duo was taller than himself, he was still just a teenager in front of two dangerous men with weapons, and he was unarmed. But Quatre had a surprisingly strong grip on his arm and forced him not to move.
One of the men smirked at Duo.
"You don't seem to be getting the right picture here, kid. The German is the new big boss in town, and when he's offering his protection, people would do better to accept it, even if it costs a little."
Wufei could have sworn he had distinctively heard something snap when the man had said 'kid'. The expression on Duo's face changed so rapidly that Wufei blinked several times, trying to make sure it was still the same person there. The braided young man's eyes had turned a creepy shade of blue, and a feral grin appeared on his face. His attitude screamed danger, and even Wufei could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
"Are ya guys that thick that what I say can't penetrate the pitiful excuse for a brain you got ?", Duo said, his voice low and seductive, but dangerously so. "You know what you can tell your boss ? Tell him to take his fuckin' protection, to stick it up his ass and screw himself with it ! People down here don't give a damn about protection, especially not if they have to pay for it !"
"I think you're pretty slow, kid !", the second man said, taking out one of his guns.
"Uh oh", Quatre said. "Wrong timing."
"Timing for what ?", Wufei started, but he soon understood.
Swifter than lighting, Duo's hand jabbed forward, caught the man handing the gun by the throat and hurtled him into the wall of the house. The other man tried to grab his own weapons, but something suddenly flashed into Duo's hand. Wufei never saw where he took the knife from, but it was a pretty long knife. Duo slashed the man's wrist, making him drop his gun, then placed the blade between the first one's legs. His grin widened.
"Just try and take your second gun out and mister here will lose his little friends !"
"Hey, Slim, don't play with it, okay", the prisoner choked.
Duo's hand tightened around his throat, preventing him from speaking further. The braided young man looked at his victim straight in the eyes then shot a look to the other one, who was apparently trying to decide what he should do, since this bout of resistance was unexpected.
"Now that I have your full attention, gentlemen, let me tell you a few things", Duo said. "One, I'm not a kid. Two, I don't give a damn who the hell your boss is, and what kind of a name is this anyway ? 'The German', could've come up with something a bit fancier, but whatever it's not my business after all. Ya guys go tell him that next time he's got a message to deliver, he'd better come himself and tell Shinigami face to face instead of sending ya Nancy boys ! Oh, and three", he slashed the man he was holding on the cheek, "I'm not a kid. Did ya get that ?"
Duo released the man and both of them positively fled from the junkyard under Wufei's amazed eyes. Duo's angry gaze followed them and suddenly fell on Quatre. Again, Wufei had to blink when he saw the sudden change. Duo's eyes turned back to a vibrant violet color and the boy's face suddenly looked a lot younger as he began to glow. A similar expression appeared on Quatre's face as the young Arabian ran and flung himself in his best friend's arms.
"KittyCat !", Duo exclaimed. "Oh my God, I can't believe you're here already ! Why didn't ya call me, you brat !"
"Duo !"
Quatre felt Duo's arms close around him. He closed his arms and nuzzled on Duo's T-shirt, losing himself in that scent that was just Duo. He hated being away from Duo for long, and they had been apart for four months now. Phone calls were just not the same. Quatre let out a contended sigh in Duo's tight embrace.
Duo smiled and ruffled through the light blond hair, smelling Quatre's baby shampoo. God, how much he had missed that ! But it had been kinda difficult for Quatre to say no when his dad had asked for him to come and live with him. Duo was on L4 quite often, but he felt at ease in Iria's house. The woman had raised Quatre and had sheltered him and Hilde when they didn't have a place to call home. Duo adored her. But Quatre's father … not that the man wasn't nice, he just … Well, it was just not the same. And that big mansion on the hill was intimidating, even for Duo.
Duo held Quatre at arm's length to watch him better. Last time they had seen each other, they were both heading on eighteen.
"Hey, you've grown, KittyCat !", Duo said proudly.
He caressed Quatre's cheek with a long finger.
"And you're starting to lose your baby fat also. You look just great!"
"Duo !", Quatre said fondly. "You look great too", he added, pulling his friend closer and planting a kiss on his cheek.
"How's the boyfriend ? Alex, was it ?"
"I ditched him", Quatre said with a frown. "You were right after all, he was just like the others, more in love with my credit card than with me."
"Aww, Cat, I'm sorry it didn't work out this time."
"S'okay, Duo. It's not like it was really serious between us. He never even made it to my bed to tell you the truth, but I felt so sick and tired with it that I told him to get his own credit card and screw himself with it."
"Poor little rich kid", Duo said, but there was an unexpected sadness in this remark. "I'm sure you'll find someone, Cat-chan. Just give it time, okay ?"
"I just … I feel so lonely sometimes. I just wish I could meet someone who isn't …"
"A cold-blooded murderer ?", Wufei stepped in.
Duo shot a curious glance over Quatre's shoulder and discovered Wufei. He glanced up and down the Chinese appreciatively. Wufei felt his face flame, and tried to hide his embarrassment.
"Cat, care to introduce me to the hot guy here ?", Duo asked, smiling.
"That's Chang Wufei, Duo", Quatre laughed.
He leaned closer and whispered in Duo's ear, "And please be nice, he's straight and he's been going through enough lately."
"You know me, Cat", Duo answered out loud.
"Yeah, that's why I'm worried. Wufei, please meet Duo Maxwell, my best friend."
Duo frowned.
"Best friend ? Last time, you were swearing me eternal love, Cat !"
"Well I love you. You're more than my friend, but I can't really tell you're my brother, now can I ?"
Duo looked up as if lost in thought, then a bright smile erupted on his face.
"Nope. Brothers definitely don't end up doing the kind of things we did in a bed."
Wufei's face flamed again, as did Quatre's. Duo grinned mischievously and came forward to Wufei.
"Nice to meet ya, Wu-man."
"Uh, don't start that, Duo", Quatre said warningly.
"Why ?", Duo asked, before he took Wufei's fist straight in the stomach.
The blow made all the air go out of Duo's body. The braided teen gasped and took a few seconds to find his breath back.
"Hey man, why did ya do that ?"
"My name is Wufei, Maxwell. Try to remember it and maybe we'll be friends."
"Gee, that's a tough one !"
"Allah, please save me", Quatre moaned.
"Whatever", Duo said. "What was that cold-blooded murderer thing about, Wuffie ?"
Wufei winced, but decided that he could put up with nicknames for today. His usual method of intimidation had obviously not worked.
"Our dear friend Quatre has the Perfect Soldier after him, and mister finds it intelligent to try and communicate with him and is even using his empathy on him."
"Really ?", Duo asked.
He turned eagerly to Quatre.
"So what's he like ? Is he as hot as the rumor pretends he is ?"
"Duo", Quatre said, "I haven't seen him. He's just done the usual stuff, leaving the cards, watching me and all."
"Bet you loved that, you little hentai", Duo grinned.
"Now wait a minute", Wufei said, not believing what he was hearing. "You could at least try to talk him out of it. I've given up, but I thought you of all people …"
"I of all people know that when Quatre has decided something, nothing can make him change his mind."
"Not even getting killed ?", Wufei snapped.
Quatre shot a worried look at his two friends. Things were not evolving too well.
"Don't get started over this", he began, but he was cut off by Duo.
"Ya know, Cat, Wuffie has a point. You could get killed", he said with worry.
"I won't get killed !", Quatre said exasperatedly. "Oh, Wufei, I told you everything, you know what's going on."
"I know what you think is going on", Wufei answered. "And you promised you would let me do my job and protect you."
"I did", Quatre admitted.
"Please, Cat", Duo said very seriously, "tell me you're not playing with your life. I know it sometime sucks to be in your shoes, but it's not that bad."
"I am not doing it because I'm bored ! I am doing it because …"
Quatre stopped abruptly.
"Yes ?", Duo and Wufei asked at the same time.
"I don't know", Quatre said, blushing.
"You lie, Cat."
"Yes. I just … I still need to figure it out, and I don't want to talk about it, okay ? Please, Duo. I'll tell you everything, just … not now."
Duo sighed.
"Alright. When can I take you out for your birthday ?"
"Night of the 12th should be fine. And, if you don't mind, could Wufei and I come sleep here for a few nights after that ? My father said it was okay for me to stay three more days with you."
"No prob, KittyCat. My house is your house, you know it."
"You never get tired of saying that, do you ?"
"Never. Especially since I do have house now."
Quatre smiled.
"We have to go for now, Duo, but I promise I'll call soon. And tell me what we'll need for the party, okay ?"
"Sure. Get goin' now."
Quatre began to make his way towards the exit. Wufei was about to follow him, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Wufei turned around and met the unusually serious gaze of Duo.
"I know we're not friends or anything at the moment", the braided teen said, "But you're Quatre's friend and you care for him. He's like everything good that ever happened to me, so please take care of him. He doesn't really know himself what he's gotten himself into."
Wufei's eyes widened when he understood how much Duo trusted him with this mission. The Chinese man just nodded, and managed to smile. Duo smiled back, and sighed with relief.
"Oh, and Chang … If you ever hurt him, that will be the last thing you'll ever do."
That threat had been uttered on a cheerful tone, but something in Duo's eyes told Wufei that the young man meant each word of it.
O.O.O.O.O
Alone in his darkened hotel room, Heero checked his weapons again. He would only take light knives, and his favorite Glock. One bullet was all he needed, but he took some more ammo, just in case. He put the Glock in his shoulder holster and the knives in ankle sheaths that were concealed by his boots. The weapons were invisible under his long black leather coat.
Heero shook his head, trying to make the tension go away. Tonight, he could not fail. Tonight, Quatre Raberba Winner was going to die.