Here we go, fith chappie! Yay! And the sicth is written, too, so it's coming up. I'm having a very inspirational writing time with this story/sighs and smiles/

'Progress report, 02,' Heero's voice came crackling over the comm.

"I'm almost finished this one, then I just got one more to set up and I'm done, 01," Duo replied as he placed the last wires on the explosive. "How 'bout you?"

'Information download complete,' Heero replied.

"Okay, then," Duo said, sticking the explosive to the underside of the console, then checked his watch. "I'll meet you outside in ten minutes. And grab some popcorn for the big bang, will ya? 02 out." Duo dropped the comm and made his way to the last spot, a supply closet. The back wall of it had a security console on the other side of the wall. Perfect spot. Duo quickly pulled out the last explosive and began to wire it. After two minutes of concentrated wiring, he pressed it to the wall and hit the timer button, which would start all fifteen explosives on their ten minute countdowns.

"Fuck!" Duo swore, then added in a few japanese ones he had learned from Heero. The moment he had pressed the timer button, the whole base had gone up in alarms and screeching wails and flashing red lights. This would definitely slow Duo down.

"There he is!"

Duo spun as he left the supply room and quickly downed three soldiers with his gun before they could shoot off more than two bullets, both of which shot wide. Duo grimaced and swallowed a hint of disgust at himself as they fell. He always killed the newbies. He always got to kill those who couldn't defend themselves. He was the one who got to see their eyes flash with that question of 'oh god, I'm dying'. At least the older ones' eyes showed acceptance and understanding when their life spirit was extinguished by Shinigami. At least they knew what being a soldier could bring. It brought death.

'Duo, situation report?' Heero's voice came on.

"No prob," Duo replied as he headed down the corridor that would take him out of this base. "Just a li'l alarm. They're all amateurs, so I'll be out on time. See ya soon!" And he quickly cut off communications to deal with a bigger problem. Namely all the soldiers popping out of the doors along the corridor. It was just his luck he had to choose the barracks hall. Yeah, just his luck that he could end more lives. He continued to shoot down soldier after soldier as they appeared in their doorways. No one seemed to be getting wise that he was there, taking them out one by one, moving from one door and corpse to the next opening door and shooting again. Just move the gun to the next door and shoot, it was all becoming a little automatic. Move and shoot, move and shoot, move and shoot...

Duo's breath caught in his throat, seeming to strangle him. Time seemed to go in slow motion, and Duo watched the bullet that had just left his gun enter the shoulder of the little girl who had just come out of a door. Oh god, a little girl! A little girl! Duo watched, entranced by the horror within him he felt, as her eyes shot wide open and her lips parted in a cry of pain. She fell, knocked over by the force of the bullet, and lay there. Oh god, he had killed her, a little girl! People were coming out of the doors and staring at the girl, the same disgust Duo felt for himself mirroring in their eyes as they looked at him.

"You bastard!" Duo's head shot from the little girl to the soldier who had shouted, just in time to see the bullet flying at him. He couldn't dodge it, though. He couldn't move. He didn't want to move. He deserved it, he deserved to be shot. He deserved the pain. Duo gasped as the bullet entered his arm. Pain flared throughout his nerves, but he welcomed it. He deserved it all. He couldn't help but swear very fluently in four languages as another bullet entered his flesh, though, just above his ankle. He slumped against the wall. Just accept the pain. He had made a mistake, and now he had to pay for it. He was going to die. His life wasn't worth living anymore. Hell, it hadn't really been worth living before. He just needed to die, and then everything would be better.

Please stay safe, Duo. Promise me you'll be safe.

I will, little one, I promise.

Duo was suddenly hit with a wave of guilt. He had promised Quatre he would come back, he had promised. Damnit, he couldn't die now, not today. He had promised Quatre. He couldn't break his promise to the adorable arabian. He couldn't cause him pain.

Duo opened his eyes, raised his gun once more, and took out five of the soldiers before they could blink. Two more quickly followed after they managed to each get a shot off, and then the last one went down, a knife in his neck. Duo looked at them sadly and dissaprovingly. They had thought he was dead, so they let their gaurd down. Never let your gaurd down, and never underestimate your opponent. Duo stood up painfully. Only his resolve to get back, to put Quatre at ease, kept him from fainting out of the pure pain from his ankle. He began to limp down the corridor, set on reaching the door which would bring him outside. Consulting his watch, Duo saw he had three minutes left to get completely out. Only three minutes.

A small sound suddenly made Duo look down. It was the little girl, looking at him. She was still alive...he hadn't killed her. But she was in pain, Duo could see that from the large pool of tears in her crystalline grey eyes. Duo knelt beside her, brushing back a small lock of curly brown hair. Her hand suddenly reached out and grabbed his, and tightened.

"H-hurts...," she croaked softly.

Duo's heart fell. He always caused so much pain. Damnit, he should die! But everyone needed him. Quatre needed him to come back alive, and this little girl needed him. Duo quickly ripped off the bottom of his shirt and tied it tightly around the little girl's wound. He swept her up into his arms, wincing at the added weight on his ankle. If he passed out now, neither of them would survive. Duo drew all his strength in and began rapidly limping towards the exit. He had to get her out, he had to get out, before it blew. He wasn't going to die today, and he wouldn't let her die. He looked down at her as she whimpered in pain at the movement, her one hand clutching his shirt in a death grip.

"So what's your name, silver-eyes?" he asked gently. He had to distract her from the pain.

"R-renn."

"Renn," Duo repeated. "Wow, that's a pretty name. Prettier than mine."

"W-what's your n-ame?" she asked. She was trembling ever so slightly.

"Duo," Duo replied. "My name is Duo."

"T-thank you, D-duo," she said. Duo swallowed. She was thanking him for helping her, when he was the one who shot her in the first place. This was just a little over twisted.

Duo shoved all thought beyond staying conscious and getting her and himself out. He finally limped to the exit and stepped out into the garage. Glancing around, he quickly picked a jeep and set Renn in the seat, then hopped in himself and started it. Some idiot had forgotten his keys in it, to Duo's eternal thanks. The jeep roared to life and shot out of the garage, heading away from the base. Ten second later, it exploded.

Renn screamed at the sound and Duo swore, startled at her scream. He skidded the jeep to a stop and looked back at the explosion for a moment, then at Renn. Renn was staring, wide eyed and horrified at the flames and flying debris. Duo picked her up and turned her away from it, setting her on his lap and holding her close as the scene replayed through her mind. She was in shock. Duo wondered how she would feel if she knew the one comforting her was the one who had done it all.

Renn began to cry again after a moment, and Duo simply held her while she did. After a moment, he heard the ambulances wails. He set Renn back down, brushed her hair out of her face, rechecked her bandage, and then got out.

"Renn?" Duo whispered. "I need you to do something for me. C'mon, silver-eyes, help me out. I have to go..."

"Don't leave me!" Renn instantly screamed. "It hurts!"

"Hey, hey," Duo soother her, quieting her panic. "I have to leave. But you'll be okay. Listen, I'm going to make the jeep's horn go crazy. And the paramedics will hear it and come and take care of you, okay? But I need you to hang on for that much longer. You can't go to sleep or anything, 'kay?"

"Don't go away," Renn cried. "I don't wanna be alone."

"I have to, silver-eyes," Duo replied. "I'll get hurt if they find me, but they'll take care of you. I have to go, but you have to stay awake. You can't go to sleep. Promise me, Renn? Please?"

"I...I promise," Renn replied, but she was crying at the fact Duo had to leave. Duo brushed her hair back from her eyes, pressed a caring kiss on her forehead, and jammed the horn. It blared loudly, and Duo saw a few of the people watching the base turn and look around curiously. He set off at a run, going for the cover of the bushes, and watched as he saw someone find the jeep and Renn, then call for paramedics. Duo turned and headed back to where he was supposed to meet Heero.

Heero was probably going to be angry at him for being late and worrying him. Duo idly wondered why Heero hadn't called the comm again when he hadn't shown up on time, then saw that a bullet had shot the small black comm to pieces. He sighed at the way he tended to break equipment, and then started to think about what he would do when he found Heero. He didn't want him to know about the bullet holes, so he had to act completely normal and ignore the pounding pain even more. He had to go to the jeep first, quickly wrap up his arm and ankle, then get a new boot on and his trench coat. That would hide it okay. Heero was probably waiting a ways away from their jeep, watching for Duo. Duo would call him on the comm when he was done.

Duo managed to make it silently to the jeep, and he was glad to find it missing Heero. He grabbed some bandages, a new pair of boots, and his coat, then settled himself on the floor. Hissing in pain, he wrapped up his ankle and arm. He would have to take the bullets out at home. Damn, that would hurt like hell. Once wrapped, he slipped his new boots on, which was an extremely painful task, and his coat on, then limped over to the jeep and sat in his seat. He carefully concealed his old boots and all evidence of his injuries, then called Heero on the jeep's comm. a minute later, Heero appeared, looking somewhat miffed and pissed at Duo for not following the plan to the letter.

"Where were you?" he growled.

"I had a little bit of a delay with some soldiers," Duo replied. "And they shot my comm." He held up the twisted piece of gadget for Heero to see. "But I'm unscathed, as expected from the Shinigami! Now, drive, Hee-chan. I need to eat pizza!"

"Hn," Heero replied. He was looking at Duo very suspiciously, but he did start the jeep and head for home. Duo, for once, was glad Heero never spoke much. It meant he could fill in the spaces, and talk end on end. Talking distracted him. It kept him from thinking...

Heero hadn't noticed a thing, thank god, or, if he had, he didn't say anything. Duo saw no reason why Heero should notice anything. Duo was chatting and laughing like always. And as long as he didn't jar his arm or ankle, he was giving no sign of all the pain he was in physically and mentally. It was going as planned so far. Duo put his left arm forward to keep from slamming into the door on his injured arm as Heero parked at the doors to one of Quatre's mansions. Now came the harder part. Getting inside and upstairs without limping or passing out from the pain. He set his right foot outside the jeep and waited until Heero walked past to quickly stand up. He barely contained his hiss of pain as he put his full pressure on his shot ankle. Taking a moment to let the lightheadedness recede a bit, he fllowed after Heero, his teeth gritted against the pain.

"He's scared, don't you get it?"

Duo froze as he heard Quatre's yell come through the closed door. Something was wrong. Quatre didn't yell, Quatre didn't get angry. Quatre was the sweet angel.

"No, I don't!" Wufei yelled back. "It's not how you think it is, Quatre. It's not that way." Heero pushed open the door, revealing the two of them facing off. Wufei was scowling fiercely, and Quatre looked like he was about to cry from frustration.

"I felt it, Wufei!" Quatre shouted. "Duo doesn't..." He cut off as he saw Duo staring at them.

They were arguing. They were angry at each other and it was all his fault. It was his fault. He had let down his mask. Quatre had felt it, and Wufei had seen it. They knew about his love, and now they were arguing over him.

"Duo, I...," Quatre started to explain at Duo's hurt expression, but was cut off as Duo swept past him and up the stairs, his guilt the only thing keeping him going as the pain in his foot and arm washed over him constantly. "Duo, wait!"

Duo couldn't wait. He had to get away. He had to hide. That's what Duo Maxwell did. He runs, he hides. His life was a lie to whoever saw him. He couldn't deal with watching the people he loved fight because of him. Duo locked the door behind him and sank onto the bed in pain, guilt, and sorrow. He had nearly killed a little girl, gotten himself shot twice, and now his friends were fighting. Everything he did ended up badly. Everything was a mistake.

Duo sat up and grabbed his aid kit, yearning for pain to shove the inner turmoil away. He unwrapped his arm first, sterilized and cleaned the wound, then dug out the bullet. The pain was nearly unbearable. Duo bit his teeth on the rag so hard they sank right through the thick fabric. Breathing heavily and swimming in pain, Duo rebandaged it and slid his boot off. Now, Duo had been close to unconsciousness a few times already tonight, and with the first wound, spots had danced in front of his vision, and after he removed the bullet in his ankle, darkness took him and he collapsed on the bed.

Yes, the fifth chappie is done! WOOT WOOT!

Great, great, incredible thanks to my reviewers! Thank you, Amy! Thank you, anissa32! Thank you, Masked Gundam! And thank you, chi-aka-tsuki! You guys are sooooo neat! Thank you! WOOT!