Duo's Child

Chapter 25

Uno stepped into her class five minutes late on a Monday morning. Everyone's head turned to look at her and Mr. Merquise looked up from the overhead projector. A few kids snickered about her being late. Theresa relaxed when she saw her friend enter.

"Wow, Uno's late for a first time." Doug chuckled.

"Doug." Mr. Merquise pointed at him and tilted his head forward. Doug looked back down to his paper.

Uno sat down in her seat and put her bag on the floor. She began digging in her bag to get the utensils she needed.

"Sorry for being late; I was up really late last night."

Mr. Merquise nodded. "Stay after class five minutes before lunch."

Uno shrugged. Theresa leant forward and whispered into her ear.

"What were you doing so late?"

"Uno, you need a pencil and paper. Theresa, get back to work." Mr. Merquise pulled the paper down to another word on their spelling quiz.

Heero walked out of a jewelry store around lunch time with a loaded bag of fashion. He figured to start spending his savings and not on hardware for machines. He felt he could spend some of it on Relena, like the diamond nestled in a 24 carrot gold band engagement ring he knew he'd use eventually; it was on sale now.

He carried the bag under his arm down the path of the sidewalk peering into the store front windows as he walked by. One store caught his eye but he knew well enough to block the urge of going in…even if they were having a clearance sale of all laptop hardware.

Heero took a deep and heavy sigh as he turned the corner of the sidewalk and followed more store front windows and signs down the path. Lingerie, clothing boutiques, game stores and video stores; the city had a whole lot of stuff and most of it was going on sale.

Looking around at all the people, he began feeling a little out of place as he was alone and most were coupled up; those who were alone where there for a certain purpose and not to walk around, as he was. Either way, he smirked and lowered his head. He didn't mind; he enjoyed humanity being active as it is.

He continued on his way towards the garage where his jeep was parked when he crossed paths with a black SUV. Heero slowed his steps as he noticed the people in the vehicle where just sitting there, not doing a thing, and following him with their faces. He looked back ahead of him to the other cars and grunted a little.

He was being followed.

Heero kept his chin up and acted just the way he had when he fought against Oz. He acted as if nothing went wrong and when he got to his green off road jeep, tossed in the bag of jewelry and turned around to automatically duck. A fist came at him but Heero managed to duck just in time to dodge and send the fist into the metal safety bars of the jeep. On instinct, he sent his left fist directly into the other mans stomach, sending shivers of pain to creep up and down his spine.

The man backed away and groaned but Heero knew he wasn't down for the count. He stepped away from his jeep and prepared himself for the fight as the enemy assassin took out a knife from his back pocket. Heero frowned and got prepared for the attack when the man leaped at him and charged, knife aiming directly at his chest. Heero dove to the side and got up to his feet quickly, back his elbow into the man's spine and slammed his body against the jeep. The man grunted dropping the knife and Heero spun around on his heels. The man turned to face him and tried to attack, but Heero dodged again and brought his knee up to the man's stomach.

The man froze in spot and when Heero released his grasp, fell to the floor in a heap. Heero stepped back, breathing very heavy, and kept his eyes on the unconscious man. He looked over to the SUV to see if anyone else was about to come out but when they found him looking at them, sped off, nearly hitting several civilians.

Heero looked back down at the lump of trash by his feet and knelt down to get a good look at him. He rolled the man to his back and felt around for a wallet. He found one and inside was a card that read Synodd. Heero blinked and turned it over; there was a name on the back sketched around as a signature.

Heero took a heavy sigh and put the wallet in his own back pocket. As he stood up, he took the man's arms and lifted the man to the jeep. He moved his bag of bought items to the front passenger seat and laid the man down in the back.

When he sat down, he looked back at the man through the mirror and grunted again.

"So what's the case of terrorism now?"

"Uno!" Uno paushed hearing Ricky's voice and grabbed Theresa's arm. Theresa blinked and looked back at her friend.

"What?"

"Ricky." Uno replied monotone. She turned and looked at Ricky with a smile.

"Hey! I was wondering, you wanna' come over today and hang out at my place?" Ricky asked, looking at Uno and Theresa. "Just for a little bit before the meet tonight."

"Sure." Uno smirked. "I can kick you butt at home too."

"Yeah, right!" Ricky joked. Theresa blinked.

"What's going on?"

"Ricky and I are in the track meet tonight, competing against each other."

"I'm gonna' win!" Ricky cheered.

"No way; I've practiced way too much to lose to you!" Uno snarled back.

"Oh yeah?!" Ricky gripped his fists and came close to her face, growling.

"Yeah!" Uno did the same.

Theresa blinked. "Um…guys?"

"What?!" Ricky and Uno screamed at Theresa.

Theresa froze. "Remind me to ask if your parents if you're screwed up in the head." Theresa murmured to herself.

Uno backed away fast and blinked. "Oh wait; I can't go to your place."

Ricky slumped. "Why not?"

"Mr. Merky wants me to stay for tutoring."

Ricky and Theresa blinked in shock and dropped both their mouths.

"But Uno, you're the smartest kid in the entire class! What do you need help with?!" Theresa asked.

Uno shrugged. "He said he wants to challenge me."

"What kind of challenge?" Ricky blinked in question.

Uno shrugged again. "I don't know; just said he wanted to give me some kind of test."

"Oh well." Ricky slumped again. "I guess some other time then."

Heero walked into the kitchen and found Duo and Quatre having a weird conversation. He stopped in his tracks when he heard the words that really frightened him the most coming from Quatre.

"I think a diet will be good for me."

"Quatre…you're not even a hundred pounds!" Duo freaked. "What weight do you gotta' lose?"

"Well…I have extra fat on my bones that I don't need. You and Trowa are about the same way; you both say I don't need to lose any weight."

"Duo's right; you don't. Duo has the weight gain problem; if you're looking for muscle just workout." Heero stepped around the two of them to the sink and washed his hands.

"Heero…that fit but was still un called for." Duo groaned. "Any who, what was going on with you, today?"

"Market."

"Ah, ya' buy any more hardware?" Duo gave Heero a 'thumbs up'. Around this time, Trowa and Wufei walked in, discussing the design qualities of the first space shuttles centuries ago.

"No, jewelry. Relena and I are steady." Heero reached for a paper towel.

"You wah?" Duo froze in fear. "Please, whatever you do, do not mate with her!"

Trowa and Wufei paused and blinked at Duo with question. Quatre giggled a bit.

"If you and her mate and have children, it'll be the end of the world! We won't know whether or not your kids will be pacifists or machines like yourself! Hell, they may even be both; pacifist but piss 'em off and you got some deadly virus on your hands."

Quatre giggled. "Duo, your thoughts never cease to make me laugh."

"Well…he's right about that." Wufei spoke up.

"Thank you, Wufei! You see my point." Duo cheered on his Chinese comrade.

"I was talking about Quatre, not you." Duo felt stupid after Wufei said that.

"I was attacked today." Heero spoke up. "An assassin charged at me."

"Are you serious?!" Quatre panicked. Heero through away the paper towel and nodded.

"A new company named Synodd." Heero leant against the counter. "He's not dead."

"Then what did you do with him?" Trowa asked.

"He's in the back of the jeep, right now."

"Heero!" Duo shouted. Heero blinked. "This isn't some stray puppy you can bring home to keep!"

Heero blinked and shrugged and looked away. "What's the matter, Duo? Don't want to torture him for enemy information?"

Duo sweat-dropped. "Eh…good point."

"You mean use that torture room?" Wufei asked. Heero nodded.

"Yes! I get to torture! Wahoo!" Duo shouted for joy then looked back at Quatre. "And we'll have the whole thing recorded so you can get the audio and such and find out all ya' need!" Duo grinned.

"Duo…you're frightening me." Quatre backed away a bit.

"He's in the jeep, unconscious right now. You may want to begin very soon before he wakes up; or at least put him in the confinement room until you want to begin." Heero stated, as a-matter-of-fact.

"Good point." Duo stated, a finger pointed at Heero.

Duo and Uno came in through the front door that evening with a grin plastered on their faces. Duo was holding Uno's massive trophy while Uno was smiling big about it all and talking about the race. Quatre and Trowa came in behind her and shut the door.

"Look Heero!" Duo stepped up to Heero in the living room. "Another trophy to add to the wall of plaques and the like that she accumulated over the past few months."

Heero looked at it; it looked half the size of Uno. He smirked and looked back down to his laptop.

"Good meet." Heero stated.

"Yep!" Uno smiled. "I kicked Ricky'a butt and made him mad!"

"Why would you want to make him mad?" Duo asked.

"Because he's a big poo-poo-head and deserves just that!" Uno nodded and her braid flipped around. Duo chuckled and turned to go down the hallway.

"I had better put this up with the rest of the set before it breaks."

"Duo, head to the Medieval Wing when you're finish and wait for me in the in the living room there." Heero stood up and tucked his laptop under the couch. "I'm heading towards the Military Wing."

"Sure thing." Duo paused and looked back at Uno. "Why don't you go bathe and do your homework then I'll tuck you in."

"Okay!"

It was dark and he didn't know how long he was sitting in this dark room. It was cold, he couldn't move because of the straps holding him down on some uncomfortable chair, and the chair itself was bolted to the ground. It was torture sitting in the room for what felt like hours and probably was.

He thought he heard noises, but that's also because it was so quiet in there he could hear his own heart beat, thumping beneath his ribs, telling him he's in extreme danger. He grumbled beneath his breath, feeling stupid for charging an attack at the enemy when he was told precisely not to do that.

"Just my luck," the man coughed while he smirked against his will. "I follow an order the way I was commanded not to do, and I get caught."

The man coughed a few times and tried to look around some more, but still he saw nothing. He sighed and hung his head in shame.

"I just hope this guy's gonna' kill me fast cuz I ain't saying a damn thing."

"That's too bad." Came another voice. The man lifted up his head. "Because he's going to do just the opposite."

"Whose there!" The man looked around. "Argh, it's too dark and I can't see a damn thing!"

"Too bad once again." The voice sounded soft and determined.

"Who the hell are you?! I demand that you tell me!"

"Demands," The voice paused. "Now that's not very nice."

"Just shut up and do as I say!" The man could feel his own saliva falling from his lips but he didn't care; he didn't want to be tied down like he was.

A light spot opened up and blinded him for a moment, until he realized that a door had opened.

"Trowa, Duo's on his way down here. Let's go ahead and get him ready."

The lights turned on and blinded the man tremendously. The man felt four hands grasping him and a cold metal object hit the side of his face. When his eye sight returned, he saw a Colt .35 in his face and dead set eyes that he had fought earlier holding it against him.

"Stand up." Said Heero. The man stood, keeping his head at a lower angle to glare at his captor, and did as directed.

"Start walking." Heero kept his voice harsh and Trowa got in front of them to open the doors and guide them around. He held his sub machine gun at the man's chest and back at the random times he was near.

"What the…" The man's voice trailed down as Heero and Trowa led him downstairs into the basement and torture room.

"We would have placed you in the cells, but considering you're our enemy, you probably know how to pick the locks." Trowa stated, coming around in front to clean off one of the tables with straps.

"Plus, no telling if those bars are any good to use." Trowa watched as Heero forced the man down on the table and aimed his gun in his face. The man sat but wouldn't lay back.

"If you want me to comply so badly, you'd shoot me to get it done. I ain't moving!" Heero cocked the .35 and aimed it at his nose. "Nope!"

"Then we'll just have to do it the hard way." A new voice came out and all three looked over to see another person, dressed entirely in black with a black tank top on and a long braid. Heero blinked at him as did Trowa. The man grimaced.

"What is this? A party?"

Duo was walking into the room with a bag and placed the bag on the table near one of the chalk boards and desks. Heero had never seen Duo so intent on his life the way he is seeing now and Trowa was too busy staring at Duo's look. He didn't know how to word it correctly, but Duo looked…different…somehow. He looked thinner than usual; leaner and slender, sexier. His arms and chest looked more muscular, like they're not his own flesh and blood.

It's just gotta' be the clothes. Trowa thought to himself. Duo's tight black jeans made his ass look hot, his shirt made his chest look tougher. Even the boots he walked around with were a different pair, thicker, heavier, and harder on the soul; every footstep could be heard.

"Now if it were a party, I wouldn't come prepared with tools of confrontation." Duo said, smiling over at the man as he opened a few drawers of the desk, obviously looking for something. "I'd bring favors and the likes of fun stuff. Trowa, Heero, strap him down for me, will ya?"

Duo brought out a stack of papers and sifted through them. Heero and Trowa nodded and put both their hands on the man. They managed to push him down against the table enough to hold him there, but whenever they released one hand he made an attempt to flee.

"You know…escaping from an enemy grasp is the wrong thing to do sometimes." Duo skimmed through a few paragraphs on a paper, not even looking up. "Sometimes the enemy has a tool that'll stunt you and you won't know what to do." Duo looked up from the papers and smiled grimly.

The man was groaning and screaming, trying to break free and not get tied down. Duo stood up and starting reading through all the old data entries and notes from the past people who were tortured here. The man grunted as Trowa strapped his right hand down to the arm of the table and Heero with his left leg. The two of them finally managed to get the enemy strapped down entirely, even his forehead, to the table. Duo, still scanning the paragraphs, came around the front of the table.

"Thank you, Trowa; Heero." Duo looked up at the man and Trowa began walking out of the room, his sub machine gun hanging on his back. "Tell me, do you know what a means of a quick death costs?"

"A what?" The man asked angrily for having to be tied down like some rodent.

"A means of a quick death is to extract all life from the human body without the intense pleasure of torture and confrontation." Heero backed away a few steps as Duo stepped up in his place.

"What are you getting at?!" The man screamed.

"I'm not going to let you have that. I have questions to ask and I want you to answer them for me." Duo stated, calmly.

"No!"

Duo nodded and smiled. "Just the answer I predicted." Duo looked up at Heero. "Heero, is the security system recording this?"

"Yes."

"Excellent." Duo grinned back down at the man.

"Let me out of this! I'll have your head!"

"Not before I take yours." Duo said, as a-matter-of-fact. "Actually, I wonder just how long the human body can last before its system shut down. These papers here…" Duo trailed off, looking at the paper in his hands, "well, it says you can last up from four hours up to two days with intensive pain; let's test that theory."

"Like hell you're going to do anything to me! Release me, now; damn it!"

Duo shook his head and handed the papers over to Heero. Heero walked to the desk to put them away.

"Such shame, I can't." Duo pouted guiltily. He received his bag from Heero and placed it on the table besides the man. He opened the bag up and took out a pair of pliers. He grinned when he brought them out.

"Like hell you're going to do anything to me!"

"How very strange." Duo grinned. "For I come from hell as well."

From the living room where Trowa was just walking by on his way out of the Medieval Wing, a loud shriek could be heard and it sent a shiver down his spine.

I didn't think Duo could actually have it in him to do this stuff. Trowa happily left the wing to return to the group in the security room.

"My, you sure do scream a lot." Duo chuckled, putting the bloody pliers down on the table where his bag sat. He took out a bunch of other tools after that. "I almost wonder exactly how you can call yourself an enemy if you can't take a little pain."

"You call that…pain?! That's agony!" The man shouted. "You mental fuck! You just ripped out my nails from my hand!"

"Yes, and if you shout at me once more with foul language, I'll rip them out from your other hand." Duo eyed him.

Heero swallowed back the saliva stuck in his throat; he never saw Duo so determined and evil like this before.

"Argh…fuck..." The man shut his eyes feeling a bit dizzy.

"That's better." Duo grinned. "Now…what's your name?"

"…"

Duo took the razor blade and dragged it down the man's arm lightly, cutting only the top layers of skin just enough to cause him pain. The man winced and groaned.

"Davison." Davison's teeth gritted together.

Duo lifted up the pliers and a thin cord and began wrapping it around the man's arm in a snake-like fashion from his shoulder down to his wrist.

"Good." Nodded Duo. "Now, tell me…who do you work for?" Duo twisted the cord around when it finished its twist and tightened the hold of it on his arm. Davison winced in pain.

"Sy…Synodd!" He groaned out loud. "Gah, it burns!"

Duo nodded with a smile. "Of course, silly! That's why it's called torture!"

Heero blinked. Duo was having a blast.

"Now…who do you work for? Who's your superior?" The man grunted and when he didn't answer Duo, the cord was tightened and began digging into his flesh. The man screamed out loud in agony as blood began to seep out around the cord.

"Who…do you…work for?!" Duo shouted, getting pissed.

"A man named Clifford!"

"And what does this Clifford do?!" Duo tightened the cord even more and the blood flowed harder now, the color deeper and richer.

"He's the sergeant patrol leader of the science division of Synodd!"

Duo paused and blinked over at Heero. "Science Division?" He looked back down to the mans twisted face.

"Ughn…uhg…yeah…" The man relaxed a little, his voice calmer. "Synodd has a science division with plays around with the idea of life and mecha together, as one."

"Together as one?" Duo blinked in question.

"Yeah…"

"What do they do?" Duo tied the cord together and took a scalpel to the man's chest and ripped open his shirt.

"I told you what they do." The man's eyes looked down to follow Duo's moves. "And what are you going to do with that?"

"You didn't tell me what they do." Duo dragged the scalpel down the front of the man's ribcage and sliced the skin apart. The man screamed out loud.

"I told you! They mess with the idea of life…and mecha…together as one!" The man screamed again as Duo finished around his waistline. "Nobody can get into that division to even see what they're doing…unless they part of it or…of the higher levels!"

Duo looked up and over at Heero with weary in his face. Heero was feeling uneasy, but stepped up to the table anyways.

"What do you know about Ricky Tanners?"

"Who?" The man asked in agony.

"Ricky Tanners." Heero repeated.

"Just some kid from one of the higher ups." The man groaned and laid his head back against the table. Duo and Heero looked up at each other with worry in their faces. Duo looked back down and slowly slid the scalpel into the man's body deeper at the beginning of the cut.

"What else do you know about him?"

"Aagh!" The man screamed in pain. "Nothing! I can't talk to him; I said he's one of the council men! There's no way to speak with him!"

"And of Ricky?!" Duo flung the scalpel down the mans body and slid more skin apart. The man screamed out in extreme pain and felt his body going numb.

"Heero, get me the shot there on the table." Duo nodded against the wall far back against the room. "That'll make him stay awake." Heero turned to get it. The man was about to pass out and Duo wanted him to stay alive.

When he returned, he gave it to Duo and Duo shoved the needle into the man's non-bleeding arm. The man winced again.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I want information." Duo growled. "And you'll comply until you're dry of it all."

"Does this Ricky child have any relatives? A brother or just his father? How often to you see him around?" Heero questioned, placing the empty needle on the desk.

"I don't think he's got any family besides his dad. And I've only seen him a few times."

Duo began undoing the man's belt. "And what does he look like?"

"Ughn…he's tall for his age…always wild…and a mean little punk that hates the world. He's much like his father; a bitch at all times and hell when ya' piss 'em off."

The man's eyes wouldn't shut despite how tired he felt. Duo had Heero help undress him down to his bare body with only a necklace on; not even underwear.

"What's with the…nakedness?"

"I ask the questions around here!" Duo shouted at him, grabbing his hair and pulling it out. The man winced; whatever shot they gave him sent all his senses alert and he was unable to rest yet he received all the pain times two.

"Heero, give me that stick lying over there on the ground!" Duo snapped at Heero and nodded at a wooden stick on the floor by the rest of the tools that came with the room.

Duo looked back down to the man and growled. "I don't think this is the same kid."

"Are you sure?" Heero asked, handing Duo the stick.

"Yeah…Davison!" Duo pulled his hair again and he groaned out loud. "What military aid program is there?!"

"Ughn…m-military aid…program?" He screamed out loud when Duo twisted his shoulder length hair around the stick and twisted it some into a knot. "It's…it's just some program that…that watches over the…figure heads….the important people…" The man was in too much pain to go on and Duo didn't stop any time soon.

Duo looked up at Heero who was, in turn, thinking. "Sound about right, Heero?"

"Hm…is this Tanner, or whoever he is, is he part of this unit?" Heero asked sullenly.

The man grunted in pain. "Ugh..I…I don't…think…so. That unit is against us." Davison's eyes shut and he breathed heavy. "They…against our…science division. They want us to stop."

"Stop what?" Duo twisted again and blood began to slowly ooze out of the man's scalp.

"Arg! We're designing a program like theirs! They just want us to quit! That's all!"

"Heero?" Duo looked up, holding the knot firmly in his hands.

"I think it's a load of bull. Why were you attacking me?" Duo growled and turned the stick again. More blood spilled out and hair was pulled out of the roots. The man screamed and fought to come up with an answer, but couldn't.

"He's lying; there is no program and the entire thing was a bluff." Heero stated coldly.

"You sure?" Duo asked. Heero nodded.

"Why were you trying to kill me?!" Heero punched the side of his face, which in turn snapped it to another direction and caused more hair to be pulled out.

"I was hired! Synodd hired me to assassinate you!"

"Why?!" Heero punched him again.

"They didn't tell me! All I know about Synodd is what I conjure up! They tell me nothing! I swear it!"

Heero growled and struck him once again. Duo turned the stick, able to twist it more to tighten it again as Heero has loosened up more hair from it.

"Damn Heero…I want to kill him!" Duo frowned. Heero backed away and sighed deepily.

"Ughn…" Davison groaned. Duo looked down at him and frowned.

"Hush you." Duo looked over at Heero. "Huh?"

"I think I'm finished down here."

"Thank God." Davison murmured. Duo growled and stabbed the scalpel in one of the man's nuts. The man screamed fiercely out loud.

"Well I'm not." Duo growled satanically, glaring in the man's eyes and grinning the same time.

Heero left the room and by the time he reached the main floor, ran directly towards the bathroom to go throw up. This entire thing a very bad idea and sickened him tremendously. He spent about five to ten minutes in the bathroom, constantly throwing up one after another, of spills.

When he walked out, he remained very calm. Quatre came onto the sound system.

"Heero? Be sure to go to the second floor and get cleaned up in the Sanitizer Room. Please?"

"Quatre? You were watching this the entire time?" Heero paused in the living room and looked up to question.

"Yeah, and it didn't make me feel that well either. I don't think there's anything wrong with Ricky; I think he's safe on the subject. But I do believe Duo's enjoyed the task a little too much; especially right now."

"What's he doing?" Heero asked, heading up the stairs to the second floor.

"He's dismantling Davison's body, beginning with his testicles."

Duo stepped into the living room about four hours later when Heero was doing something on the laptop and Quatre and Trowa were watching the news. He grinned when he dropped his bag behind the back of the couch and stretched. Quatre blinked at the clothes he was wearing.

"I never saw you dressed like that before, Duo." Quatre smiled weakly.

"Man…that sanitizer room makes my body tingle all over!" Duo smiled, and then frowned. "But it didn't get all the frikkin' blood off of me!"

"Duo…" Quatre sighed.

"Yeah yeah, I know I know. Chill with the disgusting facts, right?" Duo rolled his eyes and picked up his bag again. "Where's Uno?"

"What did you do with the body?" Quatre asked. "I put her to sleep about three hours ago."

"Eh?" Duo looked at the clock. "Wow…one in the morning…hadn't a clue! Oh, I dumped it in the trash pit."

Heero stood up and walked down the hallway.

"Where's he going?" Duo asked.

"Heero's got some things to attend to in the morning. Wufei's already asleep so please don't make too much noise and Trowa and I are about to get to bed as well."

"Ah, okay. I got work at eleven tomorrow so I can rest and sleep in." Duo grinned.

Trowa sighed and stood up shaking his head. Quatre turned off the television.

"What?" Duo asked.

"Nothing Duo." Quatre placed his hand on Duo's shoulder. "We're tired and just going to bed. Don't stay up too late and please turn off all the lights when you're done."

"Gotcha'!" Duo grinned and winked. Quatre rolled his eyes.