Drowning: Chapter 10
Foresight of Sorrow
Pairings: 1xR, 2xH, 4xOC
Quatre's POV
Warnings: swearing, violence
Notes: okay friends, I'm not going to be able to post another chapter after this one for about a week. I'm going home for Thanksgiving (yay!) but sadly I have no internet there. I promise to keep writing while I'm there though, so hopefully there will be several new chapters posted when I get back to school. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday! (And if you're not American I hope you have a wonderful week!)
Side note: Quatre's guilty pleasure would definitely have to be coffee ice cream with peanut m&ms, just 'cause it's the best ever! Don't believe me? Go try it!
Disclaimer: don't own (still)
The announcement came on the early news. I wasn't awake to hear it, but it hardly mattered since the story played continually throughout the day. It's weird when something like that happens. All the news stations stay on that one topic all day. Hardly any new discoveries are made, but they still feel they should stay on the air saying the same things over and over again. Every station wants to be the station that gets the new development first. I couldn't have cared less.
All of my house guests are gathered around are main tv in the living room. They've been like that since breakfast. My sisters and I can't bear to watch any more. After all, we've known about this for years and no one believed us. Humanity has no choice but to believe it now.
The Preventors captured Dr. Azrael.
They found him in an old lab, still trying to run his experiments using dogs and cats and all sorts of animals. Most of them were dead when the agents broke into the lab. The scientist put up hardly any fight at all. On the news his arrest was played over and over again.
There was one part of the arrest that stood out very clearly in my mind. It was hard to catch at first, but it was there. There was a short instant when he turned to the camera following him into the back of the Preventor's squad car and mouthed something at it. When Heero saw it he turned and looked at me. We both knew what he said.
"Death awaits my children."
I didn't say anything to anyone else and neither did Heero. Truthfully, I wasn't sure what it meant, but it had scared me. Badly.
After seeing that I didn't feel like watching any more. I let the servants have the day off and my sisters and I did the breakfast dishes together. The only sound in the kitchen the clinking of glasses and plates as they were washed and dried. I could tell that none of them knew what to do.
Irea came back from the lab sometime during that interminably long morning. The results from my tests had yielded nothing, just as I had predicted. We were all in a state of disbelief. The morning passed in a wave of unreality. I kept expecting to wake up from another one of my episodes, but after a night of tossing and turning brought on by them, Duo sitting by me all night long, it seemed as though they had abated for a while. I was in no mood to celebrate this small victory.
Dr. Azrael had been captured. After ten years he still looked the same to me. I didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand I was happy he had been caught. On the other, I wished it had never happened because now it meant that I would once again have to face my past. Only this time, my father wasn't here to help me through it.
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Sara's scheduled to arrive by shuttle around four in the afternoon. I had already planned to go there myself and pick her up, but now that I let the servants go I'll have to drive myself over to the shuttle port. I don't mind driving. I quite enjoy it in fact. I just hate driving around my colony.
When my family first helped build the L4 colony cluster they hadn't given much thought to the possibility of having cars there one day. In consequence, the streets are all very narrow and traffic is at a standstill for hours. On top of that, this new incident with Dr. Azrael has got people coming out of the woodworks. Hundreds, if not thousands of protestors are swarming Fayiz square.1 I can't help but be reminded of the day the colony citizens filled that square shouting for the death of my father.
I don't think my frazzled nerves can handle driving through all that. But just the thought of seeing Sara makes it all worth it. I know, I'll make it into mission. Mission: proceed to shuttle port and retrieve damsel in distress. Mission accepted.
Sad thing is it's not the damsel who's in distress. It's me.
As I'm pulling on my tennis shoes I look up and am surprised to see Duo standing before me.
"Allah! Duo, you scared me!" I say, giving a dramatic sigh.
"Sorry pal! Looks like I haven't lost any of my sneaking and hiding skills! Anyway, I'm here 'cause your sister says you probably shouldn't be driving...you know...with your episodes and all..."
"You want to drive me? I gotta tell you though, traffic is murder on this colony," I say with some skepticism. In reality I had hoped to go alone so I would get to meet Sara alone. I suppose Irea's right though. I really shouldn't be driving when I could flip out at any moment. Killing pedestrians isn't on my "to do" list today.
"Hey no prob! I can handle a little traffic any day! Just one thing, can we take that bitchin sports car you have?"
I know Duo's an excellent pilot; probably the best actually. But driving my car? I will be keeping a close eye on one Mr. Maxwell.
Surprisingly, the traffic doesn't get too bad until right around the square. After spending about and hour letting my sports car idle Duo is inching our way through the throngs of people, and then past them, shouting obscenities at other cars and pedestrians alike.
He's driving my father's favorite car. It's small and sleek and the windows are tinted dark so outsiders can't see in. I've always loved this car. When I was twelve I "borrowed" it and ended up driving into a streetlight. Father wasn't too happy about that to say the least. That more than anything else makes me think of this car as "mine" now. I spent a good chunk of my allowance money and hours of scrubbing floors and cleaning all the windows in our house to earn money to repair it. Father could have paid for the damages easily, but we never got off lightly for anything. It worked I guess because now I have a great appreciation for everything I own now. Especially this car.
We drive past the square and past our main office building that borders the square. I spent hours and hours in that building tagging after Father, learning all the secrets of the company. I was expected to work in the filling room in the basement several times a week. Starting from the ground up, my father said. I was pretty much a gopher for the company as a child. I hated it at the time, but now I can see how wise my father really was. I developed a close connection with all the people that work there and they know that I'm a hard worker because of it. When I turn eighteen and take over all aspects of the company I will have a loyal and familiar staff to work with.
Yes, my father was much smarter than I ever gave him credit for. Irea says it's normal for children to think their parents are idiots while growing up and respect them later, but I can't help but think that I must have been an awful child to raise. I hated everything my father said and did and let him know it. I was spoiled and self-centered; too busy feeling sorry for myself for being a test-tube baby, an empathic freak, to realize that I was hurting the people closest to me.
As we drive past a few tears slip down my cheeks and stain my khaki pants. I wish I had been a better child. I wish I had respected my father more. I wish he was here now so I could tell him that.
"You ok Cat?" Duo asks, noticing my tears.
"Ya. Just thinking about stuff," I say quietly. He decides not to push the issue and leaves me to my thoughts. We're silent the rest of the way to the port.
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The shuttle port is almost as busy as the square this time of year. We, more than most other colonies, get a huge influx of tourists. It's one of the reasons our colony is so prosperous. Many of the streets and homes are modeled after the cities found in the pre-colony Middle East complete with bazaars and the like. Many have said it's like stepping back in time. Plus we have many festivals and extravagant parties that bring in a young crowd on the weekends.
I of course never saw any of this growing up, not being allowed to leave home and all both before and after the whole kidnapping incident. Now that I'm pretty much free to come and go as I please I have taken advantage of the many wonderful sites on my home colony and have found it just as exciting as any tourist would. I never grow tired of discovering new and interesting things about the place of my birth.
Now however, I am in no mood for large groups of people. The wash of emotions and noise they're expelling is making me a little sick.
Duo is moving through the groups of people with his natural grace and precision, born from years of striding among the crowds. He's a little ahead of me and to my side so that we are able to co-ordinate our movements. We manage to get through the packed space in no time, weaving and dodging amidst the people in a fluid motion. Duo and I have always worked well together. I'm glad some of my old terrorist habits haven't been forgotten.
While concentrating on just Duo the background emotions die down a little and I'm able to concentrate more. It's fascinating how having an objective and a clear course of action makes even the worse pain seem bearable.
In no time we're at the right gate. It took us a lot less time than I expected, whether this is due to good planning on my part or Duo's terrifying driving skills I have yet to decide.
We still have about an hour to wait for Sara's shuttle to dock. One whole hour. Isn't it interesting how something painful can seem a whole lot worse when you have nothing to keep your mind off it?
"Hey Quatre? You don't look so good man. Maybe you should sit down..."
"Ya, good idea Duo," I say weakly, letting him lead me to a chair. I really wish these chairs were actually as comfortable as they look...
"What's up? You gonna...you know...?"
"No. I don't think so. I can usually tell when an episode's coming on. I'm just tired and stressed. I'm having trouble keeping everyone's emotions out."
"Isn't that what causes these episodes in the first place?" Duo asks worriedly.
"Yes and no. When I'm having an episode I can't shut anything out. It's like having a billion emotions inside me all at the same time. I'm not sure why they come on when they do...it's always when I least expect it though." I say, drifting off into thought. I had never really given much thought as to why I have the episodes when I do. I suppose it's just another mystery for Sara and I to try to work out.
Duo looks even more worried than before. Sometimes I can be too truthful for my own good. He's looks a little freaked out about the whole "billion emotions" thing. I smile warmly at him and clasp his hand in mine, giving it a little shake to tell him I'm ok.
We spend a few minutes talking about things. Just guy talk. How living with Hilde has been going, what new car he's looking at buying, which team is going to win the World Cup. The Desert Foxes are, naturally. The United States? Pulease. They couldn't score a goal if the net was the width of the field. 1
After a while though I lapse back into silence unable to concentrate on what he's saying. At first he doesn't seem to notice. That's Duo. He could talk until the end of the world and then some. Finally he catches a glimpse of me and stops.
"You're not looking so good again. Do you want some water, or something to eat?"
"Water would be great. I think there's a vendor back there a ways..." I say starting to stand up.
"Nuh uh. No way kiddo. You sit your butt down and I'll go get it. You look like you could topple over any second. I'll be right back." Duo walks back the way we came in, his long braid swishing behind him like some weird inverted tail.
He's gone for several minutes before I start getting a bad feeling. It's like in the wars when I was about to go into battle. Like someone is watching me. I carefully begin to scan the faces of the people nearest to me in the gate. Unfortunately the presence keeps whispering in and out of my ability to detect. It's like they know to shield from me...there!
It's a large man, leaning against the far wall. His dark sunglasses hide they fact that he's looking at me, but I can tell that I'm the reason for his scrutiny. What he wants I can't tell. I just hope Duo gets back soon. Come to think of it, he's been gone for an awfully long time now. It's been almost twenty minutes.
Sunglass man is starting to head in my direction. With as much nonchalance as I can muster I stand up slowly and head for the main area of the shuttle port. He wouldn't dare do anything to me with so many people around. Or would he? His intentions are being hidden from me.
I don't see Duo anywhere. I've passed several vendors he could have stopped at and still no sign of him. This isn't good. Sunglass man is still tailing me. He's good. No one would ever suspect he was following me. But I'm good too. He doesn't even realize that I know he's behind me. His mistake.
I've almost reached the main lobby of the star port. Chills are running up and down my spine. I can feel the man's eyes boring into my back. I try to stay relaxed but all my muscles keep bunching up. Ever nerve and fiber is screaming at me to run. I have to keep calm though. Giving in to fight or flight will only get me hurt, or killed.
I have no time for abstract thought as to why this man might be chasing me and frankly my mind is too intent on escaping and finding Duo to dwell on speculation. He's gaining on me. I've almost reached the end of this corridor. People are swarming around me. Dear Allah let Duo be ok!
Suddenly there's a blur of movement coming from my left. I barely have time to respond as a cold hand latches on to my arm and begins dragging me to the entrance, the person's long...hair? fwapping me in the chest with every step. Duo!
"Duo!" I manage to pant out.
"No time Cat! Just run!"
We're full out sprinting now, knocking angry people out of our way. I barely manage to clear a stack of luggage that Duo has forced me to hurtle over. He won't let go of my arm though. He's filled with anger and fear and the primal elation of the hunt.
We're almost there now. I can see the false sunlight streaming though the glass doors where we first came in...almost there!
Our frantic flight is stopped completely and abruptly as I feel Duo go down beside me.
He's lying face down on the cool ceramic floor, his hair spilled out all around him. There's blood seeping from a small hole in his back.
I stare in open-mouthed horror for close to a minute before a sharp pain radiates out from my shoulder and I sink down into darkness.
See you next week! Mwahahaha!
-NostalgieMalaak
1 Fayiz means Winner in Arabic
2 The World Cup is the international soccer tournament thingy. (I really don't know too much about sports in general, but soccer guys are hot!) The Desert Foxes are the Algerian soccer/football team. Ironically enough they are actually very very bad, but for the sake of this story, and for the Algerians, we'll pretend that they're awesome in AC 196.