Twisted Sight:: Chapter 2
The next morning Duo was lying in his OWN bed, resting, recovering. He hadn’t fully recovered from the Zero system yet. Wufei never left his side from the very moment that they had returned to the safe house. He sat in the chair beside the bedside watching over him. Wufei cast him a worried look than gave Duo a light kiss on the cheek.
“Are you alright, Duo? You going to be ok?” asked Wufei his worry radiating from him.
“Yeah,…” said Duo his voice hoarse and weak.
“I’ll kill them for this.” Said Wufei clenching his fist, “I’ll kill them.”
“No…” protested Duo but Wufei had already disappeared. He was going to get caught, Duo knew it.
Trowa walked in a few minutes later, “Hey Duo, nice to see you’re still alive.”
“Wufei…” said Duo.
“I know, but I can’t stop him from going off. Ever since we came back and found that they had captured you, he has been off the wall. Seeing you like this must have been the last straw.” said Trowa shaking his head.
Duo fretted and worried all day but still Wufei had not returned. Duo’s senses were almost all recovered from the system when Trowa came in later that day. He brought a bowl of soup with him.
“You know what I’ve come to say, “said Trowa.
“Wufei got caught didn’t he?” said Duo. Trowa nodded, “We have to get him out of there before-“
“I know, I’ve already got a plan. Don’t worry about it. I’ll bring his sorry revenge crazed ass back.”
“I’m coming too, I’m well enough.” said Duo. He argued until Trowa agreed.
They prepared the next day and that night Duo and Trowa snuck back into the base following a different more complicate route. Duo crept up the all too familiar staircase into a very familiar room. He made his way over to the extra bed and lightly touched Wufei’s arm and the Chinese boy silently got up and followed him out into the hall where they quickly ducked into an empty room in the C 244 hall where Trowa was waiting.
“So how are we going to get this collar off?” said Trowa reminding them that they couldn’t escape until it was removed.
“I dunno.” Said Duo then thinking of the many things that he had seen when he was there, “Maybe a bolt crusher can snap the locking mechanism. I know where to get one. I’ll be right back, stay here.”
Quietly he slipped out of the room and down the hall into a room where he remembered the bolt crusher was but found that it wasn’t there. Duo cursed under his breath then returned to the hall where he bumped into someone. Quickly he drew his gun but then lowered it recognizing Quatre.
Quatre’s eyes were wide and he took a step back, “What are you doing here? I thought you left!” He hissed in a whisper.
“Please I need you to help me get Wufei, the other boy out.” Said Duo, “Please, we need that collar key.”
Quatre seemed very unsure and nervous, “This will have to be the last time, alright.”
“Thank you.” Said Duo, “We’re in the empty C12 room.”
“You’d better stay quiet.” Said Quatre, ”Heero’s awake and looking for your friend.” Then he turned and walked down the hall.
Duo swiftly went back to the hiding place and kept everyone quiet, after what seemed to take forever he heard a tap on the door. He opened it slightly to peer out and see who it was when a yellow key was shoved through and the door shut forcibly. He heard Quatre walk a few steps away from the door when he heard another set of footsteps walking toward the door. He paled visibly as he recognized them.
“Have you seem them Quatre?” came Heero’s cold voice.
“What do you mean them? There’s just that one boy.” answered Quatre.
“They’re all here, I know it. My instincts tell me that they are close.” said Heero.
“They might have escaped already.” Said Quatre turning to walk further down the hall only to be stopped by Heero.
“They couldn’t escape unless somebody gave them the key.” Said Heero walking towards Quatre, “They couldn’t have found it so quickly on their own.”
“What are the odds of that happening?” said Quatre who found himself backed into a wall the fear evident on his face.
Duo was listening to the conversation and his heart jumped into his throat. Heero knew! He knew what Quatre had done and he was going to kill him! The tone of his voice, it was colder than ice.
Heero put his hands on either side of the wall that Quatre had backed into trapping him there, “I bet someone gave Maxwell the key the first time and then again this night. Walking off as if nothing happened, in fact I bet that this person knows where they are right now.”
“W-who would do something like that?” said Quatre unable to keep his voice from shaking.
Heero leaned forward into Quatre’s face, “You did, didn’t you.” It wasn’t a question.
“No, no, of course not. Why would I-“ started Quatre then Heero grabbed his shoulders and slammed him into the wall hard.
“Don’t lie to me Quatre.” Growled Heero gripping Quatre’s shoulders tightly, “Tell me where they are, now!”
Duo couldn’t take it anymore, Quatre was his enemy but he had done so much for him aside from letting him escape, and now he was about to pay for helping him again. Duo rushed out from the room lunging forward at Heero.
“I’m right here!” he said connecting with Heero knocking him down and away from Quatre.
Wufei rushed out followed by Trowa to see Duo and Heero rolling around on the ground fighting. It was too dangerous to intervene. Finally, Duo managed to get the upper hand and pin Heero but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold the strong pilot for long.
“Run, get out of here!” Duo shouted at the others, looking around he didn’t see Quatre anywhere.
“No, we won’t leave you here, Duo!” said Wufei, “I won’t!”
Then Duo heard the sweet familiar melody from a violin and looked up to see Quatre playing. He felt Heero relax under his grip.
“No, you all go now. As long as I’m playing he won’t go after you,” said Quatre quietly concentrating on his music.
“But-“ started Duo.
“I’ll be fine. I promise.” Said Quatre then giving Duo a gentle smile, “I just can’t leave him here by himself.” He turned to Wufei, “I’m sure you understand.”
Wufei nodded. Duo gave Quatre a questioning look, “He was going to kill you!”
“I know.” Said Quatre softly, “I know.”
“Come on, Duo.” Said Trowa grabbing him by the wrist, “The whole base will be awake soon.”
Duo didn’t remember leaving but he soon found himself back in his bed and he fell asleep. It was a troubled nightmarish sleep and when he woke the next morning he felt as if he hadn’t slept at all. He went with Wufei to get supplies after breakfast. They entered one of the rebel friendly towns and walked up to the store. Duo sat out on the top steps to the store while Wufei went in. His gaze bored shifted to the trash bin across the way and something caught his eye. As if mesmerized he walked over to the trash bin and picked up the item from the top. It was the scrapped remains of a violin, not just any violin, however.
Wufei rushed out when he heard Duo’s cry. He ran over to where Duo was and saw him in a frozen shocked state. He saw the violin in Duo’s hands then frowned. He had to carry Duo back to the safe house since he couldn’t get the boy to regain his senses.
“It’s best to leave him by himself for a few moments.” said Trowa. Unwillingly Wufei left Duo sitting at his window staring blankly out.
Duo’s eyes filled with tears as he remembered how kind that the Arab pilot had been, “You promised! You said you’d be fine!” He yelled out the window.
Later Wufei had gone in to comfort Duo leaving Trowa to monitor the radio communications of OZ and the direct communication link to the base. He was glad that nobody else was hearing what Chandra was saying. Then he got a mission status sent in. Quietly he got up and went to see the others. Wufei was in Duo’s room talking to the baka who had cheered up just a little, Trowa walked up to the room just in time to see them in the middle of a kiss. He frowned.
“Ahem.” He said from the door, “We got orders. There’s a meeting at the Gundam base tomorrow, we’re to infiltrate and set charges blowing the place up and if possible steal the Gundams.”
“When?” asked Wufei.
“Early tomorrow morning.”
They snuck into the base again, having had experience by now so it seemed as if they belonged there. Trowa led them to a large room where they were going to plant the first charge. Duo nearly froze as he recognized the room. It was the Zero system training-area. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he passed the units. That’s when Duo noticed that the Epyon unit was online. Cautiously he crept over to it and peeked in to see who it was. He gasped. Quatre! He was alive!
“We’ve got to get him out of here!” Duo shouted to Wufei who had appeared by his side. Duo looked at the control panel beside the unit.
Password, it asked, input password. Duo cursed and tried several different words and even a few not to be spoken aloud words from frustration but none of them worked. He frowned, he had to think like Heero ‘the Killer’ Yuy. What word would he use? Duo thought hard the decided. Q.U.A.T.R.E. The controls released and Duo pressed End Program. He wondered why Heero had used that name as his password. Just then, he heard a gun safety click off and ignoring it for a few minutes he continued taking Quatre out of the system. Opening the hatch, he pulled the unconscious Quatre out laying him on the ground. He knew quite well who it was.
“Heero.” Said Duo turning around slowly to see Wufei and Trowa pointing their guns at him.
“You won’t escape this time.” He said his voice low.
“No.” said Duo as he heard Wufei and Trowa ready their guns, “Don’t fire I have something to say to him.”
“Duo!” argued Wufei but he lowered his gun anyway.
“You know what, Yuy, you piss me off!” Yelled Duo, “Don’t you realize that the only reason Quatre was still here was because he wouldn’t leave your side, even though he knew that you would have tried to kill him. He probably knew that this would happen if he stayed but he refused to leave you behind, and this is how you treat him! Don’t you care about him at all?” Duo took a breath letting his anger out with the air.
Heero paused, he didn’t move, didn’t answer. He seemed frozen in place by what Duo had said. He thought back to when he had awoken from the musical sleep. He had drawn his gun and pointed it at Quatre who had just stood there but he couldn’t seem to make himself pull the trigger, so he had just turned Quatre in. J had decided to retrain him rather than lose a pilot. Heero remembered that he had missed talking to the small pilot. He had walked by the testing area twice a day or more to check up on him, or perhaps he missed seeing him. Duo’s words stung.
A loud clicking sound echoed through the silent room and Dr. J walked in. He seemed disappointed, “Why are you hesitating Heero, eliminate them now.”
He raised his gun again and aimed at Duo.
“We can give you and Quatre sanctuary. If you kill us now they’ll put him back to training till he breaks. He’ll be just like you. Cold and obedient not caring at all.” Said Duo looking straight at Heero, “Is that what you want?”
For a moment, it looked as if Heero was going to pull the trigger. He walked dangerously close to Duo and put the gun to his forehead, nearby Duo sensed Wufei tensing. Heero took a deep breath then lowered his gun and knelt picking Quatre up in his arms, “Let’s go now before the guards get here.”
Duo smiled, “Now you’re being responsible.”
Suddenly a rain of bullets fired towards them as the soldiers poured in. They quickly ran to safety behind the mobile suits. Heero climbed into Epyon and set the unconscious Quatre before him strapping them both in. Heero gave him a small kiss on the cheek, “we’re going to get thrown around a bit but I promise you’ll be ok.”
Duo who had already been exposed to the Zero system climbed into the cockpit of Wing, Wufei going with him. Trowa was picked up in one of Wings enormous hands and held protectively as the two Gundams blasted off. Twenty Gemini suits followed in pursuit. With Heero guiding Duo through the operation of the Gundam they blasted across the sky leaving the Gemini suits in their wake. Duo was in the lead taking them to the actual base, it was the only place that they could hide these suits safely.
“Stop moving Wufei.” said Duo attempting to steer despite Wufei’s restlessness.
“I’m not moving.” Grumbled Wufei, “I’m just uncomfortable.”
“Well you’re making me uncomfortable.” Said Duo then at Wufei’s next fidget he blushed, “Watch your hands!”
“What?” said Wufei then he noticed where his hand was. He shifted quickly moving it, “Sorry.” Then he grinned wickedly, “You never minded before.”
“Not while I’m driving a flying object!” said Duo, “You nearly made me wreck a car into a bridge. Do you know what kind of damage that we can do if I crashed a Gundam!”
“Let’s find out.” said Wufei grinning.
Duo leaned forward and gave Wufei a kiss, “No be good.”
Heero set the Gundam controls to autopilot following the Wing Zero. He looked out the view screen for a moment then at Quatre. The angelic face seemed so full of forgiveness as if he wasn’t at all angry that Heero had turned him in forcing him to retrain. No the innocent face didn’t seem mad at all only sad. Heero felt tears welling up in his eyes. He hugged the small pilot close to him and buried his face into the sun golden hair.
“I’m so sorry.” He whispered feeling the tears run down his cheeks and into the soft hair, wetting it, “I’m so sorry.”