The Stockholm Syndrome

Spoils of War

Duo slumped to the floor and slammed his head back against the stone wall violently. One, twice and then again before some sense of self preservation stopped him.

"God Heero." He buried his face in his hands breathing noisily through his fingers before he tore his head up roughly so it collided again. 'Shit!'

Not that he wanted them to be executed that is, because he knew that was the fate that had almost certainly awaited them, even if he'd been able to convince Heero to move.

He realised that he hadn't completely believed it when he'd been told of the new status of his friend, of just how deeply that had gotten to him.

No, he hadn't believed it, but he'd still been marginally prepared, even so, he'd still had to fight against the horror threatening to overwhelm him as he'd realised that Heero wasn't turning and turning around and he admitted that for a split second he'd thought he'd been set up. Before acknowledging that he'd know Heero anywhere, even just from the back of his head, no matter how long it had been since he'd last seen it.

"Heero…" Heero Yuy, one of the strongest people Duo had ever know. He'd seen the blank expression when he'd addressed him as such and had also known that, despite his attempts to stir up the past by using that name, Heero wasn't Heero anymore.

He heard footsteps outside and automatically sat up straighter, then again, not like he was Duo anymore either.

"3502." He was numbered, like so many prisoners of war before him, once so different, now very much the same. Just one more number of Zechs' spoils of war.

Zechs appeared in the doorway accompanied on either side by an armed guard and he felt deep, bitter twinge of satisfaction that they still considered him dangerous enough to bother with the sentinel.

"You did well today," he sneered in response to the praise and Zechs hit him across the face. "As did 1001," the blonde continued without breaking pace as he smiled mockingly, "I bet you thought you'd be able to convince him to come back with you, didn't you?"

Duo didn't say anything, he didn't need to, he knew for a fact that everything he was feeling was playing all over his face as his mind flashed back to the point when he'd finally acknowledged the sick feeling in his stomach, the point when he'd realised that Heero was staying put.

There had been a broken hero in front of him and snipers watching his every move below, waiting to see if the two of them would bolt for it. Zechs' last test of Heero's loyalty.

He'd been oh so tempted to run anyway, despite the fact that he knew he wouldn't get away, just so he could feel the burning pain that came with being show somewhere non lethal, temporarily anyway, so he could be told just how deeply he'd failed before he died. Just so he could feel something, just so it would be over. But then he'd seen Heero squeeze his eyes shut and back away and he'd known that Heero was lost. So he'd slid back down the wall and had gone back to his cell peaceably, docile as a baby lamb and much better trained than he'd thought he'd been.

From the look on Zechs' face he could tell that Zechs knew exactly what he was thinking.

The man smirked and reached out a hand, patting him on the head.

Duo flinched as he leaned into it automatically before he pulled away violently lashing out with his teeth. Zechs laughed this time.

"Did you ever think, 3502, that there is a reason Heero is living like a prince while you're stuck in a cell?"

And for the first time in a long time Duo knew exactly what to say. "That's not living… Zechs."

There was a single flash of anger in the ice blue eyes as he was struck so hard he felt the bones in his neck twist in protest. He met the gaze of his captor though and kept it, refusing to blink even as Zechs turned and walked away quickly, leaving him in darkness as he slammed the cell door shut behind him.

Fin