Sour Times~ Part 3
Trowa flung back, gasping for air and shaking awake. He saw a boy with excessively long hair and an emptied bucket. He looked down to see he was tied to a chair and dressed in his white uniform trousers and a plain, white tank top. They had even removed his boots.
It looked as if he were in some abandoned underground bomb shelter. Cinder blocks and metal shelves stacked top to bottom with sealed food of all sort was all he could see. Illumination came from fluorescent tube lights running the length of the ceiling. What looked like an autopsy table was against the opposite wall made up with quilts and a pillow.
"Where am I?" he asked.
"Don't worry about a thing, Trowa. We've got you covered. All you need to is relax and concentrate really hard on your memory. Okay?" the long-haired boy asked. Trowa shook the water out of his short hair as he recognized his guard.
"Zero-Two? I thought I got rid of you," Trowa said, glaring up at the boy.
"Don't you know who you were up against? The God of Death just doesn't roll over for anyone. See you in a few," the boy said. Trowa struggled against the knots as the boy in black slipped out of the oppressive room.
"Did you figure out what all that junk is?" Duo asked, throwing down his water bucket and joining them at the stainless steal table. On the table were spilled the contents of one day's worth of pills from a clear plastic caddy. Trowa had them in his jacket along with his OZ identification. Nine different pills.
"We could ask someone," Quatre suggested. He rolled one of the pills around on the table. "Until then we need to make sure he gets them. If we just cut him off he could have withdrawal symptoms or worse."
"Yeah, but there are only five days worth," Duo pointed out. "What then?"
"Reduce them by half," Heero suggested. "My guess is that most of them are to aid his brainwashing. That will give us ten days. By then we can find a doctor."
"I can call Sally Po. I'm sure she's seen this," Wufei said, getting up from the table.
"You better bring her here. I'm sure this Colonel Une will be looking for Trowa. We don't need OZ picking up any transmissions from here," Quatre said. Wufei nodded at the blonde's advise and left the dismal concrete room.
"Until then we let him vent and carry on. It wouldn't be wise to remind him of his past just yet," Heero said. The other two nodded.
"Breakfast time, old boy. Rise and shine," Duo said. He unhooked Trowa's wrist restraint from the steal bunk after he secured a shackle around his left ankle. He put a bowl of oatmeal in his lap. Trowa looked down in disgust.
"I knew you Gundam pilots weren't above torture." Trowa played with the runny meal as Duo gave a hardy laugh.
"I'm glad to see you still have that really strange, dry sense of humor," Duo said. Trowa's eyes drifted up to meet Duo's.
"I wish you would stop insisting I know you." Trowa said. He took a hesitant bite and washed it down with some orange juice Duo handed him. "This is really bad," Trowa said, handing the bowl back to Duo. "Can't one of you cook?"
"Don't worry. You'll be rescued from what we call the 'Arabian nightmare' this afternoon. Heero's not so terrible," Duo said.
"Coffee. Get me some. Now," Trowa demanded, rubbing a knot out his neck.
"Nope. No extra drugs for you right now. Oh, here you go." Duo placed nine halved pills in Trowa's hand. Trowa downed them at once and followed it with the remainders of his juice. "We got you some magazines and books. Oh, and here's something from me." Duo said, rattling a box of crayons. Trowa glowered at the long haired boy. "Aw come on. It's a blast."
"Where is the rest of my medicine," Trowa asked.
"Well, we don't know how long you'll be a guest at Chez' dank-hole-in-the-ground so we figured we would make them last as long as possible," Duo said, observing Trowa getting irked.
"I have to have those. Give me the rest," Trowa demanded.
"Nope. For your own good. By the way, you wouldn't mind telling us what those OZ jerks have you on, would you?" Duo asked. He backed away from the hostile aura Trowa suddenly emitted.
"I am one of those 'OZ jerks' and I'm not telling you my medical history. Besides, it's that little blonde boy's fault I'm like this. Tell him I remember what he did to me and I'll make him suffer for it," Trowa said, getting a frosty edge to his voice.
Duo almost dropped the oatmeal bowl. Never in his life would he imagine Trowa wanting to inflict any kind of pain on Quatre. He shook his head in dismay and snorted.
"I bet once you talk to him you'll change your mind. He's a really nice guy," Duo said.
"He murdered thousands of space colonists. I would think you Gundam pilots wouldn't defend him. I pegged you in particular as gullible. Looks like I was right," Trowa said. He grew smug at Duo's dismay. "Think about it. What makes you think he won't turn on you? He did attack Zero-One when we were trying to stop him." Duo shook his head to free it of these nasty thoughts.
"You're just trying to get us to fight. It won't work. I know Quatre. He was under a lot of grief when that happened. He didn't mean to hurt you, damn it! You were trying to save him. Forget it! I didn't like you very much before, but now you're a real prick," Duo said. Trowa sneered at his failure to sow seeds of doubt in Duo.
"It's only a matter of time. I'll get free and the four of you will regret this," Trowa said.
"How is he?" Quatre asked. Duo took one look at Quatre's hopeful face and bit off the nasty description of Trowa's new found haughtiness.
"He only remembers certain things and I don't think he remembers them correctly. Heero, you should go talk with him. Maybe if you can get him to talk about what happened in the those OZ Gundams he'll would stop being so hateful towards Quatre," Duo said. He sat down to his own oatmeal. Heero ate the last bite of his breakfast and glanced over at Quatre.
"I should go talk with him. I know I can make a difference," Quatre said, clasping Heero's upper arm. "I won't step over the line. If you don't think it's a good idea then I won't go, but I just might be able to jog his memory enough."
Duo knew the inevitable answer Heero would give. After all, he had never seen the Japanese boy deny Quatre anything. It always amazed Duo how unspoiled Quatre was in spite of how everyone indulged him.
"Quatre, he's really not taking kindly to you. He threatened to kill you," Duo reminded the boy. Quatre shook his head in denial. "He thinks that you're responsible for originally putting him in this situation."
"Stay out of his arms' reach, Quatre," Heero warned. He began to clean up the utilitarian kitchenette. Quatre nodded and ran down the hall to the vault room they had converted into a holding cell. He unlocked the door and stepped in slowly. Trowa lay on the table with his hands behind his head.
Quatre still couldn't believe Trowa had cut his hair so drastically. It made him appear austere, but Quatre was convinced that Trowa had to be the same deep inside. It infuriated him that OZ would manipulate Trowa's mind like this.
"Trowa, may I talk to you?" Quatre asked. Trowa turned his face towards Quatre.
"Go away. I have nothing to say to you," Trowa snapped. Quatre steeled himself and entered the room.
"Please tell me what I've done. Why do you have such an aversion to me?" Quatre pleaded. Trowa sat up slowly.
"Do you remember fighting two Gundams? One red, the other blue?" Trowa asked. Quatre nodded understanding what Trowa was getting at.
Trowa had no recollection of anything else they had shared other then that one battle. Trowa had to think of him as a monster. Quatre covered his mouth as tears were flowing. Trowa said, "I was in the blue one. You almost killed me. The injuries I've sustain are going to be with me for the rest of my life along with watching you destroy an entire space colony. You murdered all those innocent people for no good reason. If you Gundam pilots can't have the colonies no one else will?"
"No, no, it was an accident. I was very ill. You sacrificed yourself to save another colony and Heero. Please try hard to remember everything. Please remember all those wonderful things you said to me at that time," Quatre said while wringing his delicate hands.
"You revolt me! Get the hell out!" Trowa shouted. Quatre flinched and dropped his shoulders. "Don't ever come back here," Trowa's voice was lower. Quatre left, running to the kitchenette. He rubbed the tears off his cheeks and steadied his raging emotions. Heero sat beside him.
"We have to save him," Quatre said.
"Have some patience," Heero said.
"Maybe we should take him to Medina. I could have it arrange. There is a private asylum that I could have him committed to," Quatre suggested. Heero poured him some hot tea.
"Only if it gets that bad. We would risk OZ getting a hold of him and the people of the institution might discover he's a Gundam pilot. We can't risk his exposure," Heero said.
"Okay, but lets have some false papers made up in case," Quatre insisted. Heero nodded as they finished their tea in silence.
[six days later]
"I've seen it before. These three are tranquilizers and a muscle relaxer," Sally said, dividing off the pills. "These two are for memory suppression. It cuts the electricity down in that part of his brain. These three enhance mood. They are probably what's putting his personality into a tail spin. I have no idea about that last one. I need one to analyze." Wufei handed it to her.
"What should we do?" Quatre asked the Chinese woman.
"Keep tapering him off. I'd like to take him with me to a facility. If not, I'll stay here and try to help him as best as I can," Sally said.
"He already thinks he's the cat's meow. If his ego grows anymore we'll need to get it a separate cell. He seems to think I'm his personal valet," Duo complained.
"Come on, Maxwell-san," Sally said, pounding him on the shoulder. "You might be learning a valuable skill for after the war."
"That's not Funny, Miss Po," Duo groused as everyone giggled. Sally could tell a good laugh was needed. The four boys seem excessively somber and edgy. Even Wufei seemed unusually testy.
"Well, I'll go see the patient now. Maybe I can convince him to take it easy on you, Duo," Sally said, disappearing into the vault.
"I hope she can do something for him," Duo murmured. Two hour later the woman emerged from the cell with a grim look. She sealed Trowa back up and joined the other pilots for supper. She kept her grey eyes downcast as she picked at her curry beef with chopsticks.
"Well, woman, out with it. Do we have to do away with him?" Wufei asked.
"Wufei," she snapped at his abruptness.
"Just seeing if you're paying attention," he teased.
"It's not hopeless. They've used hypnosis and that pill cocktail to delude him. After we taper him off the drugs we can confront him about his past. Tell me the details about his childhood so I can fill him in."
She looked up when her request wasn't fulfilled. Duo and Wufei had blank looks. Quatre looked down at his rice while Heero brushed his bangs back in frustration.
"You mean he doesn't remember his childhood?" Sally asked, looking around the table. "He told me he was born and raised in France. I assumed that was wrong because all of you came form the colonies. Didn't he?"
"He has a long lost sister, but they were separated when their parents were killed. He never remembered much even before OZ got a hold of him," Quatre said.
"I don't think they had much trouble brainwashing him," Heero said. "Looks like we wait some more. We need to check on OZ. Duo? Wufei?"
"Sure thing, Heero. Wu-man and I've got it covered," Duo said. Wufei slapped his own face in aggravation as he followed the energetic American down the hall.
Heero had observed Quatre for the last fifteen minutes silently in the shadows. Quatre's eyes were glued to the monitor that was feeding video images of Trowa from his cell. Trowa had grown more listless over the last few days. He was now bundled in all the quilts and playing solitaire. Heero noticed he kept missing tricks.
"Come in, Heero. I would like some company," Quatre said without turning around. Heero joined him, no longer amazed by Quatre's uncanny abilities. "He told me that I revolted him. I'm afraid that those feeling might stay with him after he gets his memory back. He was such a good friend to me."
"I promise that I'll help him see what really went on. You should try to see him again," Heero said, leaning on the back of Quatre's chair.
"Thank you," Quatre said, leaving.
Minutes later Heero observed Quatre and Trowa over the monitor. Quatre was facing down the remaining spark of impudence Trowa displayed. Heero snapped the screen closed not wanting to lip read the conversation.
"Come on, Trowa. Remember Quatre," Heero said slumping against the chair.
Trowa fought to clear the fog cramming into his mind. He tried to do his multiplication tables over and over without getting past four times eight. He couldn't even find the ability to get bored with solitaire any more.
Cards and a mysterious blonde girl with huge silver eyes from his past kept creeping into his dizzy head. Her name, Middie, kept echoing in his head with no real meaning. Sometimes angels could be devils too.
"How are you feeling?" the soft voice asked. Trowa stared at Quatre for several long moments. "I thought we could talk."
"I'm a captive audience, you could say," Trowa quipped dryly as he rattled the shackle around his right ankle. He rubbed at the stubble that had begun to form on his chin. Heero didn't want to give him a razor and Trowa wouldn't let them shave him.
He had begun to feel his bitterness towards the slight boy dwindle. There was something that kept his mind looped around Quatre. No, that boy had blood on his hands no matter how impossible it seemed.
"I want to ask for your forgiveness. I lost someone I loved very much without reconciliation. My Father. It tore my heart in two to see him killed so viciously. I couldn't comprehended that it was our own people who rejected me and murdered him out of misguided fear.'
'I was driven. I couldn't stop myself from committing those atrocities. All I could do was observe my actions and pray that Allah would stop me somehow.'
'Someone was such a good friend to me that he risked his life to save me. He had such faith that I could never find it in my heart to harm him. He put himself in the way of my retribution against a colony. He not only saved those lives, but he shocked my mind back into sanity. That was you Trowa. You were willing to lay your life down life for me, Heero and a whole space colony without a thought," Quatre said.
"Me? You're a Gundam pilot. I've always been loyal to OZ. I would never have anything to do with you," Trowa said in a mundane response. It was automated from somewhere that wasn't a part of him.
"This was yours. You told me that it held a lot of significance for you." Quatre placed the broken and twisted gold chain on top of the scattered playing cards. "You gave it to me before you went to spy on Lady Une. You said that when you were ready you would tell me the story behind it," Quatre said.
Trowa took the chain. It used to have a crucifix on it; no, it was a tracking device. A girl with honey colored hair. Smoke and fire. A child's first chaste kiss. Her blood matted hair? Smoke and the gold cross. Betrayal came from that girl. A betrayal that cast him into a cold and lonely life.
"I think I remember something. Not about you. I'm still not convinced you aren't trying to extract OZ secrets from me," Trowa said, getting dizzy.
"Let me visit you. Just a little each day. I want so much to earn your trust. I want to heal you even though it means hurting you so much," Quatre said. The blonde boy's eyes were growing moist. Trowa could sense his sincerity, but he still had to guard himself. Quatre turned to leave.
"Wait. Day by day. Just a little. Give me time to forgive you. I've had a lot of betrayals in my life," Trowa said. He watched those delicate shoulders tremble before he slipped gracefully out of the vault door.
Trowa shook his head. If only he could get out and get his medicine again he could analyze things clearly. He picked up the crayons and began to conceive a plan. Trowa was tired, but there was no harm in letting them think they had him worn down.
Duo looked over at Trowa, who lay on the bunk staring at the ceiling. It was the last day of pills and Trowa was getting weaker as the days went on. Duo was concerned at the glazed-over look and the weird crayon drawings that were little more then scribbles.
"Hey, Trowa? You okay? I brought you some food." No response. "Ah, come on. Don't be so stubborn." Duo set the bowl down and helped sit Trowa up. He turned around to get Trowa's breakfast when he heard a subtle click. Duo turned around slowly to see Trowa pointing a gun at him and fully lucid. "Hey! How the hell did you get that?"
"That's what you get for turning you back on me. Keys. Now. Slowly," Trowa demanded. Duo gingerly held them out and dropped them right before Trowa's finger tips touched them. Trowa glared while Duo gave him a mischievous smile. "Pick them up."
"I'm sorry. What did you say?" Duo asked with a playful smile.
"Get the damn keys now!" Trowa shouted, pointing the gun to the bridge of Duo's nose. Duo slowly bent down and retrieved them. Trowa unlocked the shackle, not taking his eyes off the American. He slid off the makeshift bed and gave Duo a sardonic smirk.
"Drop it, Trowa," Heero growled from the vault door. Trowa whirled Duo around and put the barrel to his temple.
"I don't think so. I'll paint his brain's on that wall over there if you don't throw yours down," Trowa said while Duo squirmed under his arm.
"His brains wouldn't cover a corner. Now let him go," Heero said, gun unwavering. Duo gave Heero a glare and about smarted back, but Trowa jabbed the barrel of the gun against his check.
"Back off now," Trowa said. He forced Duo forward. Heero's gun wavered and then clattered on the concrete floor. Quatre appeared at the vault door. The Arabian walked up to Heero's side with raised hands.
"Trowa, please listen to me. Please let Duo go. Take me instead if you must do this. He didn't do anything to you," Quatre pleaded, walking forward slowly. Trowa's gun quivered as sweat beaded on his forehead.
"No! Stay away from me," Trowa shouted. Quatre froze. Heero couldn't believe this was happening again. Only this time Trowa was mentally ill and Quatre was going to sacrifice himself. Quatre walked closer.
Trowa re aimed his gun at Quatre's chest. Quatre never faltered a step until Trowa put the gun back to Duo's temple. Turmoil was embedded in Trowa's emerald eyes. Confusion.
"I mean it," Trowa said in low tones. He dragged Duo towards the door. Quatre charged three steps. Trowa swung the gun and fired reflexively. The discharged echoed harshly around them as Quatre bucked backwards with a muffled cry.
"Trowa, so help me," Heero shouted. Trowa quickly stilled Duo with the butt of the gun slammed to his head. He trained his weapon on Heero and flung Duo over his broad shoulder. "If Quatre dies I'll kill you. I swear I will see you dead."
"I warned him," Trowa voice held tones of remorse. "He... he.. I didn't want to, but he made me. Damn it! He shouldn't have run up on me." Trowa left hesitantly with Duo as his hostage.
Heero ran to Quatre, who's shirt was covered in crimson. He began to rip Quatre's shirt open as Sally ran in with a med kit and a .45. Wufei ran past the vault towards Trowa's escape. Heero assisted Sally as she used her vast medical knowledge to treat Quatre.
"Damn you, Quatre, for doing this to me again," Heero growled as Quatre began to grow paler. "Pull through or I swear I'll kill that bastard."
Duo blinked and suppressed a grown. He was upside down? Looking at a horse belly? A firm white clad leg? His abdomen felt a sick pressure while the blood rushed to his head.
"You awake back there?" It was Trowa's voice. Duo groaned. "Good. We'll be at the cottage soon."
Duo slowly realized that he was tied over the back of a horse that Trowa guided through the woods. He watched his braid gently snag against several branches. It collected a myriad of leaves and twigs.
"I really didn't like you when you were a Gundam pilot, but now that you are an OZ soldier you have turned into the biggest dick. No wonder they sent you off your colony. You probably pissed everyone off," Duo grunted in rhythm with the horses gentle strides.
"You have a big mouth that I'll slap around if it doesn't close soon," Trowa said.
"Screw you, Barton! You shot Quatre. I can't believe you did it! Damn you! He cared for you like a brother and killed him! I always suspected you were too dangerous for him to hang around. I knew I was right, bastard. You talked about him murdering innocent people? You can shove your sanctimony sideways." Duo gasped as Trowa yanked hard on his braid twisting his neck painfully.
"I told you to shut up," Trowa whispered through gritted teeth.
"Feel... guilty?" Duo squeaked defiantly. Trowa slammed his fist into Duo's head and pressed his horse into a gallop. Duo was positive that his stomach was bruised and maybe had a cracked rib by the time they reached the Luxemburg cottage. He tossed Duo to some waiting soldiers and dismounted.
"Where's Colonel Une?" Trowa demanded.
"Tearing the Earth apart looking for you. God knows she'll be relieved to see you. We'll take your orders while she's away, Captain Barton," a soldier said, looking relieved.
"My first order is to get Arryon ready for battle. I'm going to take those pilots out once and for all. Second, get this piece of trash transported to our Russian sector. Prison might teach him who his betters are. Send a message to the Colonel. Let her know my condition and plans," Trowa said.
"Yes, sir!" Half a dozen OZ soldiers saluted and scrambled to follow his orders as they brought him a pair of dark green flight togs to replace his stained and tattered clothing. He met those indigo eyes as he began to strip down.
"What are you looking at?" Trowa asked.
"Damn it, think about all the things you did to screw me over. First you shot at me on the battlefield. Then you blew up my first Gundam. Not to mention the fact that you punched me when I was a prisoner on the moon. I know! Do you remember that?" Duo asked.
"Yeah. That's the only time I remember ever seeing you. I beat you because you have a big mouth," Trowa said as he finished zipping up the OZ flight suit.
"Ah ha! You didn't punch me for that reason! Think! You punched me to give me the schematics for the Deathscythe Hell and the new Nataku. It was the safest way you could give them to me without blowing your cover. Think...think!" Duo pleaded.
Trowa froze with a furrowed brow. He remembered Lady Une assigning him his own detail that day. Yes, he did have something in his fist as he sunk it into Duo stomach. He shook his head and focused on Arryon being driven up on a flatbed trailer. For some reason he expected the Gundam to be red and not green.
"Take him away," Trowa ordered two soldiers. Duo struggled against the tight ropes and hands that dragged him towards the cottage.
He turned on Arryon's monitor to watch the helicopter lift off. Zero-Two was on board and headed to the Siberian Sector. He felt pangs of guilt. Nickole and he had gossiped one night about what went on in Siberia. Zero-Two would defiantly not come out unscathed. Trowa rolled Duo's name in mind trying to humanize him. The last ten days of the long haired pilot's care filtered into Trowa's mind.
Trowa suppressed his train of thought. He wanted to belay his order to send Duo Maxwell away. It would conflict with his duty to destroy the other Gundam pilots.
There was a part of him that suddenly need to see if the blonde boy was alive. Quatre or Duo? Did it matter if some of his fellow soldiers had some fun at Duo's expense while Quatre's life hung in the balance? The choice was clear in Trowa's mind that throbbed in chemical deprivation.
He got out of Gundam Arryon and ran over to the horse stables. It would take him three hours, but if he went in Arryon all of OZ would know where the pilots were. He would not risk it. Not to mention, Heero and Wufei would attack without question if he came in a mobile suit. Why was he risking court marshal for strangers? They must have known him. Why would they risk getting captured by OZ for his sake?
He tried hard to remember as he guided his speeding horse through the woods. A memory was coming. He clutched the reigns back causing the quarter horse to rear. He sat still in the saddle as the horse circled in confusion.
He remembered now. Having no parents, no food, and no name; starvation was always so hard for children. He also remembered the girl Middie. He remembered watching his fellow mercenaries get slaughtered. Her betrayal. He remembered seeing the real Trowa Barton murdered and fearing he would be killed for witnessing the whole thing. He also remembered seeing Quatre twisted with so much emotional grief he went on an insane rampage. These bloody memories all sprang to life and oppressively pressed into his head.
Trowa slid off the saddle and leaned against a tree. He hugged the tree and began to shake uncontrollably. He couldn't believe those things happened to him.
He launched himself at the horse and rode to the hideout. That's what Quatre had meant by what he had said. Getting his memories back would cause him a great deal of pain. The other pilots knew. Did Colonel Une? It didn't matter right now. What the other pilots had told him was true. He was Zero-Three. He could have never made that hell up on his own.
Trowa brought the horse up short. Heero stood in front of the compound with a .45 and malicious expression. He dismounted and lifted his hands in the air.
"I don't remember much, but I know that I am what you say. Take me to Quatre," Trowa said.
"Where's Duo?" Heero asked.
"On his way to Siberia. Please, I need to know if I.... killed him," Trowa said.
"He's alive and resting. I think it's in his best interest if you didn't see him right now," Heero said, getting a white knuckled grip on his gun.
"Who the hell are you? His keeper?" Trowa asked, glaring at Heero.
"Damn straight," Heero growled.
"Please let me see him," Trowa beseeched the stoic Japanese boy.
"If you turn us over to OZ, I will kill you," Heero said. Trowa let Heero frisk him. It was a lot of effort to allow Heero to pat him down. He still felt as if he didn't know Heero and his memories screamed at him to not trust.
Heero led him to the cell that they had kept him in. Quatre was bundled in all the quilts and sleeping soundly. Sally's grey eyes narrowed. She kept Wufei from jumping out of the chair that was beside Quatre's bed. He held his arm upright, holding a bandage to the crook. His callow skin was pale as Duo's.
"Take it easy. You need to drink some more juice," Sally said.
"What's he doing here," Wufei demanded as Sally handed him some more orange juice.
"He's beginning to come around," Heero answered, making Trowa keep his hands raised.
"What did he do to Duo?" Wufei asked.
"He turned him over to Oz before he came around. I'm going after Duo in a minute," Heero said.
"No," Trowa said softly. "I'll go. It'll be easy for me to slip in. There are some loose ends I need to take care of first. I know you'll take good care of him."
Trowa brought the horse up beside Arryon. It was ten at night by the time his feet hit the ground again. He let two soldiers take his horse off as he looked up at Arryon. This wasn't his Gundam. He remembered why he was poorer at close quarters combat. With all of Heavyarms missiles he had no need to actually get close.
Several memories worked themselves free over the ride he took back to the cottage. He needed the time to get stronger. He was about to declare himself as his Colonel's enemy, someone who he had grown to respect and care about. What she had done to him was cruel at worst. He brought his aching head into focus and headed to the cottage.
He found her sitting in the kitchen idly sipping tea as the kitchen staff finished their chores. Trowa waited until they had all cleared out before he stepped from the shadows.
"Trowa! Where have you been? I received your message, but when I arrived the Arryon was still here. I'm glad to see you escaped those Gundam pilots," Lady Une said while she took on an abashed expression. "Did they hurt you?"
"My friends would never hurt me," Trowa whispered. A stricken expression crossed her face. Their eyes locked and the facade between them was destroyed.
"How much of your real memory did you get back?" she asked. Trowa took on a hardened glint as redness crept to his pale skin. She looked down and said, "I see. I'm so very sorry. I guess that was the main reason I choose to help you in the way I did. I hated the idea of someone like you suffering. Mister Treize warned me not to make my decision concerning you out of pity." He nodded receiving the answer he wanted; she did it out of misguided feeling for him. She stood up and walked over to him. Then she said, "I didn't mean you any harm. Please believe that."
"Goodbye, Colonel," Trowa said in a whisper. Trowa turned to leave. He paused at the door and turned his head over his shoulder. He said, "I've left Arryon unharmed. I don't want you to get in trouble with Mister Treize."
"Where will you go?" she asked, her voice crackled with concern. Trowa turned towards the outdoor and the wide evening sky. Her footsteps trailed after him.
"Siberia. I have to atone for a mistake I made. After that, I'll go back to where I belong. I trust you won't stand in my way," Trowa said. Lady Une nodded. He glanced at her one more time to see she was the picture of despondency.
He walked away and started a jeep beside the stables. Trowa took a sigh and said to himself, "There was someone who manipulated me like you once. I rejected her too."
"Duo. Wake up," Trowa said, gently shaking the long haired pilot. The five by seven solitary confinement cell that they had put Duo in was lit enough for Trowa to check him over.
They had worked Duo over rather badly. All of Trowa's worst fears had been realized. He was balled up in a corner dressed in a slate colored tank top and boxer short. Large indigo eyes opened slowly; fear was the only thing in Duo's eyes. Duo's fear turned to white hot anger.
He caught Duo's fist and twisted him in a firm hold until he stopped struggling. "I'll understand if you hate me forever, but work with me and I'll get you out of here. Heero's waiting for us. Okay?" Trowa asked.
"I can't trust you," Duo said. Trowa was shocked to hear Duo's hoarse voice that couldn't go above a gravely whisper.
"Please?" Trowa asked. Duo relaxed and Trowa helped him stand. "Good. We're all going to Quatre's compound to recover."
Trowa guided Duo through the twisted maze of the Siberian prison. Heero waited in the jeep with thick blankets. Trowa quickly helped Duo into the backseat and gave Heero the sign to head out of the compound.
"Here," Trowa said. The gold chain was dangled around his finger. Quatre drew his knees up to his chin as he looked up from the cockpit platform of Sandrock. "The first person I was ever in love with gave it to me."
"Really? Does she live on the colonies," Quatre asked, taking the chain back.
"She died a long time ago. Before I tell you any more about her, will you tell me what Duo said? Is he still angry with me?" Trowa asked.
"He said he was happy you're feeling better, but that was about all. That is the start of forgiveness for him," Quatre said.
"Will he see me?" Trowa asked. Quatre shook his head.
"He needs some time," Quatre said. Trowa nodded. Quatre took a deep breath and said, "I hope that you've found forgiveness in your heart towards me."
"Quatre, I never harbored any resentment towards you. I knew you were in incredible pain; I remember what I said to you before I set myself adrift in space. Please don't worry about it." Trowa said. "I hope Duo will find it in his heart to forgive me."
"He will," Quatre gushed with a bright encouraging smile. It cheered Trowa considerably. It made him feel as if he finally found people he could truly trust.
"Tell me about this girl you were in love with. Was she kind and sweet?" Quatre asked.
"No. Very different. She was more like a woman I've been involved with recently," Trowa said.
The End.
PS- Please don't hate me for cutting off Trowa's bangs in this one. I just couldn't resist doing it once in a story!