Chapter Three: Scene One
"You can see him now, Mr. Maxwell. Follow me, I'll take you to his room." Duo stood up quickly and followed the nurse to Heero's hospital room, eager to see his ill friend. He walked into the room and ran over to the bed, saying, "Heero!"
"He's resting, he can't hear you right now." Duo looked up to see Heero's doctor standing in the corner, looking over the papers from the tests they ran on him.
"What's wrong with him, doc? Why's he so sick?" Duo said, too fidgety to sit down. The doctor closed the file in his hand and sat it in its holder at the foot of Heero's bed, clearing his throat as he walked toward Duo slowly.
"You're friend here has a severe case of chills, fever, and Heparin-induced Thrombocytopaenia, or HIT as it's more commonly called." The doctor stated matter-of-factly to Duo.
"Thrombo-what? What's that?"
"Thrombocytopaenia. It is a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood. It reduces the ability of the blood to clot and is thus a bleeding diathesis. It is defined as a platelet count less than 100,000 per cubic ml."
"Is that bad?" Duo said, not quite understanding what he was saying.
"Yes, and since Mr. Wufei has HIT, it will be hard to treat him without the possibility of losing a limb to the virus."
"Oh." Duo almost forgot that he had used Chang's name for Heero; less conspicuous. This was serious, he wasn't sure if his friend would make it out in one piece. Wiping a bit of sweat off his brow, he said, "Doc, do whatever you can for him, just don't let him die, please. He's. . .he's my best friend. . ." The doctor patted Duo on the back and said, "I need to go see if the medicine for him is ready yet. I'll leave you two alone." He walked out and closed the door, leaving Duo to stare blankly at Heero's pale face.
I never thought I would ever see Heero so defenseless. . .he looks like. . .an innocent child. Duo thought to himself, slowly reaching up to gently stroke some loose hair out of Heero's eyes. His skin was cold to the touch everywhere but his forehead, which felt extremely hot and sweaty. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and dried Heero's face, trying to help cool him however he could. Heero's eyelids fluttered open suddenly and he looked groggily up at Duo, his eyes still sharp as ever but looking a bit brought down by his illness. He moaned and said, "It's cold in here. . .and my head hurts."
"I know. . .I'll see if I can find you an extra blanket." Duo went searching through the room for linens as Heero muttered, "So what did Trowa give me?"
"Um. . .nothing that can't be cured." Duo said, trying to keep from telling him the bad news. He could feel Heero's blaring gaze on his back as he slowly looked through drawer after drawer for a sheet or something.
"Duo, tell me. . .moan." He closed his eyes and made a face of discomfort as he grabbed the covers into a fist. Duo watched him in sadness as he felt helpless in his friend's future, if he would even have one. Just then a knock came on the door and Quatre entered the room, looking a bit pale himself, despite his already light complexion. Duo stared wide-eyed at him as he said, "Quatre, what are-"
"He. . .got away. But not before we had a nice little chat." Quatre said faintly, walking slowly into the room. Duo ran over to him and helped him over to the chair near Heero's bed. Quatre fell into it with a thud as he stared at the wall with a blank stare, as if he had been shocked by something. Duo crouched in front of Quatre, his hands on his chilly arms that hung limp at his sides.
"Quatre, what happened? Tell me everything." Duo said, staring at Quatre's face intently. Quatre finally focused his gaze on Duo and said, "Okay. . .When you sent me to get him, I found him unconscious in the stockroom. That was the easy part. Since you took the car I had to find something else to get us out of there. That's when I spotted Trowa's motorcycle parted in the back of the lot. I found the keys in Trowa's pocket so I started it up and held onto Trowa as I slowly road back to your apartment. It wasn't easy, though, especially since I'm not good at riding motorcycles and with an added person that's not even awake. . .well, it's just difficult and I almost dropped him a few times. Anyhow, when we got back to your hotel room after I joked with the Concierge that Trowa was drunk like a skunk, I tied him up like you said after making sure he didn't have anything on him to get out of his ties. Just when I finished, he woke up and stared at me. But. . .it wasn't his normal blank, emotionless stare. . .he looked sad. So I asked him. . .
'Trowa, why are you doing this? I thought you were our friend!'
'I don't have a choice, Quatre.'
'What's making you do this?'
'If I tell you, they'll. . .'
'They, whoever they are, won't know. . .tell me what's going on.'
"He didn't want to tell me, I could see it in his eyes, but he wanted help. . .he needed help.
'They have my sister. . .'
'Your. . .sister? You have a sister?'
'Yes. It's. . .Catherine.'
'Trowa. . .'
"I couldn't stand to watch my friend be tortured like this, it was too much. . .too far. But I still didn't understand what he was after. So I asked him.
'What is it that they would use your sister as ransom for?'
'It's not an it, it's a person.'
'Who?'
'A little boy in priest's clothes.'
"He's after you, Duo." Duo stared wide-eyed at Quatre for a second. This was a first, usually his loved ones were the ones being hunted down, not him personally. But why did they want him? Well that could be one of a million things he's done or. . .stolen.
"What do they want me for, did he say?"
"Yes, that was the next thing I asked him.
'What did he do! Not that I'm shocked that someone would be after him but. . .why?'
'When he was a child, apparently, he stole a mobile suit from an OZ main base and drove off with it in a transport unit. But there was something in that Transport unit that he hadn't expected to be there, something valuable.'
'What?'
'A floppy disk. . .with hidden OZ plans of attack on key people of political stature. They had gotten Mr. Darlian but there were others intended for attack.'
'Who?'
'I don't know, they wouldn't tell me. I guess they thought I might tell on them.'
'But how do you know if Duo even has this floppy anymore?'
'That doesn't matter to them, they want him just because he had it. They figure he had to have looked at it some point in time, so they don't even want him around to spill what he knows.'
"So they're after you, Duo. They want you dead and they're going to get Trowa to hunt you for them."
"This. . .this can't be happening. But, I don't have a floppy! I-" He suddenly remembered that horrid day of the Maxwell Tragedy. He had stolen a mobile suit to give to the rebels invading his church so they would leave Father Maxwell and Sister Helen alone. He did remember as he drove off like a bat out of Hell. . .a disk bounced into his lap from somewhere, so he picked it up and stuffed it in his shirt. Was that the disk they were after? He had almost forgotten it after what happened when he got back to the church. . .or what was left of it. Tears came to his eyes and he quickly wiped them away and stood up, turning away from the others so they wouldn't see the hurt on his face. He reached up to his heart as it began to ache for his lost loved ones, Father Maxwell. . .Sister Helen. He still couldn't forgive himself for their death.
"Duo? Are you alright?" Quatre said softly, standing up as well.
"Not again, they won't take them away from me." Duo whispered to himself. He turned to Quatre with his normal smile on, covering up the true feelings gripping at his heart on the inside.
"I remember now, I did find a floppy. But I don't have it on me at the moment, I left it with an old friend a long time ago. I didn't look at it, so maybe they'll let me off the hook, what do ya think?"
"Duo. . ." Quatre could tell he was covering for something.
Why won't you open up and tell us your past, Duo. . .what is your smile hiding? Quatre thought in sadness as he watched his friend pretend to be happy.
"Oh well, if not, then I guess the Shinigami has finally met his match. I'll see you guys on the other side, later." Duo started toward the door when he heard Heero say faintly, "Duo, wait."
"Yeah?" Duo said, not having enough courage to face him.
"Go into my Gundam, there's something in there I want you to have. You'll know what it is." Duo didn't say anything else as he left the room and ran off down the hall.
"Why does he always hide his feelings like that?" Quatre said woefully, still staring at the open door.
"Because, it's better for him that way. . .you hide things, don't you?" Heero said, looking over at Quatre.
"Hmm. . ." Quatre smiled lightly as a sudden sense of irony hit him, "How ironic, the God of Death is rushing off to his funeral. . ."
"Yes. . .ironic."
Scene Two
"Hey, Howard, how's the boat running?" Duo called out from the dock where the old salvage boat his friend owned rested for repairs.
"Maxwell! Hey man, what are you doing here?" The bearded man said. He looked a bit like an aged surfer dude with his black shades, Hawaiian shirt and shorts with worn out sandals barely hanging onto his feet.
"Just came by to see if you still had something I left with you a long time ago, mind if I come aboard?"
"Nah, come on up! I'll lower the ladder for ya!" The man disappeared and so did Duo's grin.
I hope that old man didn't lose it, or else I'm in deep-
"Hey, come on kid, I don't have all day!" Duo looked up and smiled again, grabbing hold of the rickety rope ladder and quickly climbing up. He jumped aboard and Howard pulled the ladder up, saying, "Okay then, what's this thing you seem to have entrusted me to keep for ya?"
"Mind if we discuss this inside, I kinda have a price on my head at the moment." Duo said, keeping an eye out for Trowa in case he decided to popup and grab him.
"I gotcha, come on in!" They walked into the helm cabin and continued their talk in there.
Scene Three
"A floppy, eh? Hmm. . .not sure if I remember you leavin' that here. . ." Howard said as he ran his fingers through his beard.
"Come on, man, I need it! I left it with you just before I ran off in my Gundam! Remember?"
"Oh yeah, that Death-thingy. . .okay, I think I know where I put it. . ." He walked toward a door leading down into the lower decks of his vessel as Duo thought, Hopefully the floppy's memory is better than his is! Geez. . .
"Here it is!" Howard said after rummaging through a closet of junk. Duo took it and said, "Thanks man, you're a life saver, literally!" They walked back onto the main deck and Duo turned to say, "Thanks again, here's a little something for the trouble. . ." Duo handed him some money and Howard gladly took it, saying, "Hey, no trouble for an old friend! You be careful now and watch that pretty little head of yours!" Howard patted him on the head and waved goodbye to him. Duo skipped the ladder and just jumped over the side onto the dock, breaking into a run for his motorcycle that he, ahem, borrowed. He headed for the storage facility that Heero had his Gundam stored in to retrieve whatever it was that Heero had left for him to find. He finally got there, through many a side paths to keep out of plain sight, and broke into the holding dock. He quickly made his way up onto the Gundam and opened the cockpit, climbing in to find a little box sitting on the seat.
"Hmm. . ." Duo opened it and then laughed.
Heero and his dry sense of humor. . . Duo thought as he picked up the mask that lay in the box.
Scene Four
"Where's the boy, Trowa, it's been 2 days and you still haven't managed to capture him." Dekim Barton said angrily as he stared down at the solemn form of his 'puppet'. Trowa's face burned as he felt his chances of saving his sister slowly slipping away by wasting his time there when he could be out searching for Duo.
"I have successfully gotten Heero out of the way, I just need to track Duo down and then I will have him for you." Trowa said, not making eye contact.
"I hope for your sister's sake that you're right. I'll give you 24 hours to find him and bring him to us, or else." Trowa grit his teeth in anger.
"Or else what?" They both turned to see a boy standing across the room from them, hidden behind a grinning mask on his face and a gun trained on Dekim. Trowa looked surprised by Duo's braveness of confronting his soon to be killer, but not quite to the point of being shocked.
Duo's brash but not stupid, what's he got planned. . .Trowa thought as Dekim yelled, "Who are you!"
"I am Shinigami, the God of Death, and I'm here to tell you that it's not that girl's time to go yet. . .so I'm taking her out of here." Duo walked toward Dekim and Trowa and said, "Bring her out here, or else you'll never get that little boy and his disk. . ." Reluctantly, Dekim pressed a button that opened a door leading into another room where Catherine sat tied and gagged, yet still writhing and screaming.
"Go get your sister, Trowa." Trowa briefly looked at Duo before running into the room and freeing his sister. Dekim stared angrily at Duo and said, "So where are they? The agreement was them for the girl. . .you won't get out alive without my authority."
"Here's the disk. . ." Duo said, tossing the floppy to Dekim as Trowa came out with Catherine holding his hand tightly, "But, sorry to say, that kid died a long time ago."
"What!" Duo took off the mask and said, "Yeah, seems that disk brings bad luck. The day he stole the disk he died along with his family, just as you'll day today." He threw the mask and said, "Run, Trowa." They ran for the door and down the hall as Duo pulled out a trigger button and pushed it, saying, "Shinigami strikes again."
Scene Five
"Have you seen Duo, sir?" Quatre said as he walked up to Howard's ship. Howard looked over the side at the blonde boy and said, "Who's that? Never heard of him."
"Please sir, he's in trouble and I need to find him!"
"Well, wish I could help ya but I can't, sorry." He disappeared and Quatre sighed, turning to go. Just then his pocket began to ring and he pulled his cell phone out.
An unlisted number? I wonder. . . Quatre pushed the accept button and said, "Hello?"
"Uh yeah, I got 29 pizzas here for a Mr. Winner. . ." Quatre smiled and said, "This is him, where can I pick them up?"
"Downtown in the grocery block. Sorry bout the inconvenience, my ride is busted."
"No, not at all, I'll be right there." Quatre said in a calm, happy voice. He hung up and ran for his car, taking off for the Commercial District. Howard watched him leave as he thought, Well, I guess he was a friend after all. Good luck to ya, lad.
As Quatre drove slowly around the grocery block, he watched out for his "pizzas" to show up. He saw a phone booth near the street and stopped by it. Getting out, he looked toward the store next to it to see a boy with a braid looking an apple over. Quatre smiled and called out, "So where's my pizzas? You didn't eat them all did you?" With a big grin, the boy responded, "Sorry dude, I got hungry." Quatre ran over to him and gave him a hug, surprising him for a second.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Duo, I was worried about you!" Quatre said happily.
"Yeah yeah, I'm fine." Duo said, patting Quatre and then pushing him away, saying, "Okay, that's enough."
"Sorry." Quatre said with a chuckle. Duo paid the shopkeeper for the apple and then took a bite out of it.
"Mmm. . .oh, I have a few pizzas left if you don't mind giving them a ride too." Trowa and Catherine walked out of the store and Quatre smiled, saying, "Not at all, let's go!" They walked toward the car and got in, driving off to head back to the hotel.
"Wow, this mission turned out shorter than I thought! Oh, how is Heero doing?" Duo asked Quatre as he sat down in one of the heart-shaped chairs in the honeymoon suite.
"Oh, he's getting better, thank goodness. It turns out his illness wasn't as bad as the doctors had thought it was. He's recovering as we speak." Quatre said cheerfully, sitting down as well.
"I only gave him a small dose of the virus, not enough to give him a serious case but enough to keep him down for a while. I didn't want to kill him." Trowa said, still holding his sister's hand as they both sat on the edge of the waterbed.
"Good, cause I might have killed you if he died." Duo said, winking at Trowa.
"You could try." Trowa said in his normal dry, humorless voice.
"So how in the world did you get out of there?" Quatre asked, changing the subject.
"Oh, I just walked in there and blew the place up." Duo said with a grin.
"His mask was an explosive that he detonated on our way out." Trowa added.
"Mask?"
"A gift from Heero." Duo said with a smile, looking over at the door as if he expected him to come walking in any minute.
"sigh So now what?" Quatre asked. Duo grinned.
Scene Six
"SURPRISE!" Heero was shocked to see his bedroom at school filled with the g-boys and friends, all cheering and joyful.
"What's going on?" Heero asked as he was guided into the room by Duo.
"Everyone came by to celebrate your cheating death for the umptiumth time! Come in, have a drink, enjoy yourself!" Duo said. Music filled the room and everyone started the partying and began chatting amongst each other. Still a little frazzled by the joyous greeting, Heero floated around the crowd slowly making his way to the makeshift refreshment table. When he finally got in sight of it, he saw Relena standing by it, smiling at him. Surprised, he said, "Relena, what are you doing here?"
"Quatre invited me to come since I didn't get a chance to visit you in the hospital. How are you feeling?" Relena asked, being her normal kind self. He walked over to the table and got himself a drink, saying, "Fine. . .you didn't have to come, it was nothing."
"Nothing? Why you could have died and you say it's nothing? We care about you, Heero, of course it's only natural we would celebrate your recovery!"
"You care about me?" Heero looked up into Relena's sparkling eyes. She took his hand and said, "Of course I do, Heero." He didn't know why but he blushed, which surprised Relena a bit to see him do so. He looked away and said, "Well, uh. . ."
"You don't have to say anything, Heero. I just wanted you to know that I cared." She looked at her watch and said, "Oh, I have a meeting to be at in an hour, I should get ready for it. It was nice to see you again, Heero." She started to leave when Heero gently grabbed her wrist. She looked back at him and he said, "Won't you stay. . .just a few more minutes? Seeing that Duo went to all this work. . ." She smiled and said, "I guess I can stay. . .if you want me to."
"I do." Heero said, looking deep into Relena's eyes and smiling.
The End.
