November 16, 2002
Title: MDL:Hell
Author: Christine
Email: Devilkitty@speakeasy.net
Pairing: HowardxDuo, 6x13, 6x2
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Language, violence, NCS, Yet more confusing name references.
Duo woke up slowly, only gradually becoming aware of how much he hurt. Every inch of his body hurt it seemed to him and that he felt sticky all over. He shifted and fought back a groan, not wanting to give into the pain that he felt. He wondered how long he had been under the effect of that crap and where he was now. He realized that he was cradled in someone's arms, but he didn't know who was holding him and that scared him. Duo attempted to wiggle out of that embrace without waking the person, when he felt their arms tighten around him.
"It's okay Duo," T-chan murmured to him.
Duo nearly cried with relief. He wasn't with anyone but T-chan right now. He wasn't delusional enough to believe that nothing had happened. He felt too bad for that, but maybe it hadn't been that bad. He might not have pissed Howard off that much if T-chan was holding him. He was just glad that he wouldn't remember any of it, just the fragments of things that showed up in his dreams. Since he hadn't slept peacefully in ages, a few more ghosts wouldn't hurt him. He wondered what he had to do to get that icky, gluey taste out of his mouth. He was trying to decide if he felt good enough to move so that he could get a drink. He just had to figure out why was his throat was so sore.
"I'll get you something to drink..." T-chan offered, getting up and shifting Duo into the warm spot. Duo snuggled further down into the bed, not wanting to move, not wanting think yet, not wanting to face what had been the result of his mouthing off to Howard. God that had been stupid of him, but couldn't the man understand that the kid that he wanted was gone? All that was left of the Duo Maxwell that climbed on that ship was the name. His training, his experiences and time had changed everything else in him, during and after the war. When was Howard going to realize that?!
He was surprised when T-chan returned with a bowl of water and not a glass. Duo looked up at him in astonishment, before sitting up a little to grab the bowl. He hissed in pain when he shifted in to a sitting position. God that hurt and if he didn't need to be semi upright to drink he would curl up again. As he cautiously tipped the bowl back to drink from, T-chan answered the unspoken question in his eyes.
"Miri treats me like a dog, because it amuses him now. So I drink from a bowl and I am fed table scraps and play little doggie games with him." #I play the foolish mute with him. Please don't break my cover. You haven't before this, so I know you won't, but please don't slip and let him know that I'm not as broken as he thinks.#
Duo curled up again and looked up at Treize, "He doesn't know that you can still talk?" He twigged on that real fast. He didn't blame T-chan for anything that he did, if it spared him the attentions of that nut. He thought that was the case when Howard and Cosimo kept treating T-chan like he was the village idiot after he had grabbed him in that closet and so he wouldn't blow T-chan's cover. It was to both of their advantages if everyone thought that T-chan was still loopy from Mirialdo torturing him.
His voice was raw and he winced a little at the sound. Treize shook his head. "No and don't talk. You...you did a lot of screaming."
"Pain or pleasure?" Duo tried to keep his tone casual, but his voice cracked a little. He really didn't want to know what happened, but he didn't have the luxury of ignorance so he was going to have to ask T-chan what happened. He didn't want to know what happened but he couldn't afford not to. He had to know how much trouble he was in.
"A bit of both...mostly pain towards the end," Treize admitted, watching Duo's eyes darken. He knew that Duo wouldn't shut up until he got the truth. As much as he hated to do so, he would tell him the truth, because Duo deserved that much from him. That was the only thing that had kept him sane when he watched those two animals abuse his lover. Duo couldn't remember what was happening to him, so he would have to remember it for him so that he would know what happened to him.
"Howard did give me to Mirialdo," Duo said quietly. He looked up to stare T-chan in the eyes. "Did they make you watch?"
"I...I was not involved in what happened," Treize answered, not wanting to hurt Duo.
Duo refused to break eye contact with him when he told him, "That's not an answer." #I'm sorry...I don't want you to see that...see what happened to me. But...hell you might have to deal with the aftermath...but...I wanted you to stay innocent. I wanted you never to find out how bad it can get, even though you lived with that sadist for two years before you left him.#
"They made me watch them with you and see how you were under the influence of that poison," Treize said softly. "They took turns with you and you liked it. Miri got a little rough towards the end, Howard..." #Howard found out that he liked watching Miri beat you with a riding crop and you liked it in the beginning...before it got too painful, because they got rougher with you as the night wore on. You liked it a little before you saw who was with you, since you had been blindfolded for most of the time. You started screaming when they took it off of you and wouldn't stop, because you were so frightened and out of control because of everything that they had been doing to you.#
Duo shivered, "I'm sorry that you had to see that. I feel really dirty now." #You bastards! You couldn't take me someplace else to work me over could you? I really hate it that you made he see that, do you think that was going to change what he felt for me? He knew I was a whore and it didn't matter to him!#
"You are not dirty, you are the victim!" Treize snarled. "I don't care Duo...what I care about is what this is doing to you. I am not talking about the physical damage." #That wasn't you with them, I don't know what they did to you, what they were giving you to get that reaction, but that was just your body out there. It wasn't like I didn't know that they both had hurt you in the past. It's just that I never wanted to see you hurt like that again,#
"So long as it isn't you...I...I..." Duo couldn't finish the sentence, so all he did was curl up in a ball and shake, too tired to cry.
Treize held him and crooned a lullaby as Duo fell back to sleep in his arms, dozing off himself and wondering what he could do to heal Duo. All that time that they had spent together, the effort that they both made to heal and it had been destroyed by a jealous old man in one night.
Treize looked up after a while to see Howard staring down at him and Duo. He couldn't read the expression in the older man's eyes, but he sensed that Howard wasn't happy that Duo was curled up and sleeping peacefully with him. Duo trusted him, which was something that Howard never had gotten from Duo. Was he jealous of them because of that? If he had treated Duo right from the beginning, then Howard wouldn't have this problem. But then, if Howard hadn't been an ass he would have never have gotten away from Miri and learned to like himself again. Howard's stupidity had been his gain in more then one way. If he hadn't run from Miri he would have never known Duo again. That had been worth any amount of torture to him. Even if he went a bit crazy, he thought it was worth it. From some of the side effects that he was feeling from Epyon, that he was still feeling from that machine, no matter what he told Wufei that time, he didn't think that he had been sane. Better then Duo, but he still felt that there was more missing with him then just his memories. During the time that he had spent alone in that kennel, he wondered more then once if Epyon had also eaten a part of his soul, like it had with Miri. He wondered if he was crazy to think that something as metaphysical and theoretical as a soul could be eaten by an inanimate object, like the Gundam that he had created, even if he didn't remember doing it.
"You don't care...you still want him after what we just put him through? Hell, I do too. I can't blame you for it. Or can't you figure out what we were doing to him, just that you don't want Angel hurt? Is it that you really haven't connected what Mirialdo does to you to punish you and what you watched happen to Angel last night, but you didn't like what was happening to him, did you?" Howard asked. #Mirialdo had to taser you a couple of times to get you to stop trying to get Angel away from us. Not the Angel gave a damn about anything. He was so out of it for most of the night with the drugs he didn't know who he was, never mind who you were. Mirialdo couldn't believe that he would be like that, willing to do anything so long as he didn't know it was him and fucking up a storm like he did. Shit it was incredible and I didn't want him to come down.#
Duo stirred at the sound of Howard's voice and opened his eyes to stare numbly at him. He didn't say anything, just shrank back into Treize's arms, shaking uncontrollably. He bit back a sob when Howard leaned over and touched his face gently, while he asked in a conversational tone, "You want a repeat of that session?"
Duo shook his head frantically, unaware that tears were streaming down his face. He didn't even remember what had happened, but he didn't want it to happen again. He didn't want T-chan to have to watch it. "No," he whimpered.
"Then you are going to behave?" Howard continued in that same calm, conversational tone of voice. "No talking back and you are going to act like you are enjoying my kind attentions, Angel. It can get worse for you. I can make you watch Mirialdo do to Treize what we did to you last night. And he would remember it, unlike you."
Duo whimpered and nodded his head again whispering, "I understand. Don't hurt him, please." before burying his face in T-chan's chest. He didn't want to leave his arms, he felt so safe here. And loved, T-chan still loved him even if he saw him being such a mindless animal last night.
"So glad that you understand me, Angel, and if you don't behave, you already know that you aren't the one that is going to pay for it. I can arrange for another session of you and Mirialdo, with Treize watching. Or have you watch Mirialdo repeat what he did to you on the Libra with Treize. All he's gonna understand is that it hurts. He's too out of it most of the time to understand why we're hurting him."
Howard was furious that Angel was acting like he was. God, it had only been sex. He was hot for it when it was happening to him. Mirialdo had been so fun to watch, showing him what Angel's reactions were to pain in a little session of S & M. Treize had been still as he watched them take turns with Angel, fucking his mouth and ass until they were drained. There hadn't been much that he could do about it, since Mirialdo tasered him until he could barely move. Shit he had gone psycho again as soon as he figured out that it was going to be an all night fuck session for Angel with the two of them. Mirialdo had been royally pissed about it and took some of that out on Angel in the beginning. It was amusing to him then that the pain had turned Angel on so much that he had creamed all over the place from a few spankings.
Angel had loved all that attention they gave him, from the spankings to the weights on his nipple rings, because he had enjoyed the pain and the pleasure that he got from them until he had come down and started screaming uncontrollably. He thought that Angel was going to hurt his throat doing that before he finally passed out. Treize had dragged Angel into his closet after both he and Mirialdo were through pounding Angel into the floor. They had all slept off that night's exertions, sleeping almost twenty-four hours through. But rest time was over and Angel was going realize that there were worse things then being in bed with him. The fact that Angel was cuddling with Treize didn't help his temper, because he clung to the man like he would never do with him. Shit what was so bad about him that Angel didn't want to be touched by him? What the fuck did that brain damaged idiot still have that Angel willingly went to him?
#Howard, don't you realize that Duo already knows those little facts? Why do you think that Duo is so skittish in your bed? It's that he has experienced the worst and he can't forget it. # Treize thought bitterly. Treize wondered exactly how much Howard knew about the man that he claimed as a 'pet' to protect him. Who was going to protect Duo from Howard's 'protection'? Duo had survived so much, the war and living in the streets, so why did he insist on punishing him for surviving! Treize bent over Duo, stroking his back slowly trying to calm him down. He was angry that Howard had snapped the way that he had and hurt Duo. Didn't the man realize what he was destroying by making Duo come to heel for him? Treize saw that Duo was now trying to retreat from everything into the shell that he was struggling to create for himself to survive this, so that he could get through what had happened to him. Why couldn't the other man?
"Com'on pet...time for you to get back to our room, I want to try a few more things on you." Howard gloated. #I am not letting you spend any more time with Treize then this. Shit it took me a while to figure out what had happened to you Angel. Thankfully Mirialdo didn't find out that Treize dragged you into his kennel for a cuddle. Combined with last night's little protest from Treize about what we we're doing to you, there'd be a lot of pain being spread about by him. Good thing that he let me look, he's at least realized that losing it is not an option right now. Not if he wants to play some more with my Angel. The guy was panting over him because he had someone that was reacting to be fucked over by him again, since Treize isn't anymore. #
Duo stood up silently, his face blank and his eyes empty. Treize was worried that Duo was shivering slightly because he thought that he might be going into shock. Treize stood up and enveloped Duo in a hug, rubbing his arms, trying to get some warmth back into them. Duo gently unwrapped Treize's arms from around him and then reached up to brush the hair back from his forehead. He then patted Treize on the shoulder, signaling him to stay before walking out the door. Treize winced when he saw the dried semen and blood that had run down Duo's thighs. Duo was injured and Howard wanted to use him? What was Howard trying to do, break his body as much as he was trying to break his spirit?
Duo silently walked out of the room behind Howard. Howard knew that his Angel would follow him, since he really didn't have any other choice. Howard was surprised when he felt the draft from an open door and caught a glimpse of Angel running out the front door. He watched in astonishment as Angel kept running, ignoring the shocks that he was getting from his collar, to pass out at last, still twitching from the overload that he was getting while he was unconscious. Howard shook his head, wondering if he should leave him out there for a while or actually try and get him back before he was too damaged. Angel knew that escape was impossible, so why did he run?
Duo woke up again and groaned. Someone was washing him, gently bathing his abused body. He knew that he shouldn't have run, but it had been a desperate ploy to buy time so that he could heal a bit more. He was so sore and he just ran, not caring if he got hurt from the shocks or if T-chan was punished for his actions, because he couldn't deal with another session with Howard, sober or stoned. If the guy had touched him again, he would have lost it. Duo hoped that T-chan understood what he had done. Hell T-chan was probably madder that he zapped himself then if he got punished for Duo zapping himself. But Duo didn't know that really. He didn't know how much was actually T-chan, pretending to be a dog and how much he had been hurt by Mirialdo's treatment when he got retaken, even after he talked to him. If he had all his marbles, what was he doing still hanging around here? All he had to do was get some clothes and run for it. But then, if he got caught running it was going to be worse for him, then whatever Mirialdo had done to him the first time he ran. T-chan wasn't that desperate to run now that the worst of it was over.
Duo opened his eyes wondering who was bathing him so gently, T-chan he hoped. He was disappointed when he opened his eyes and it was Cosimo that bathing him. Cosimo must have seen the disappointment in his eyes, because he shook his head. "Sorry. They want to keep you two separated now. You're in my room. Howard isn't too happy with you last attempt at whatever you were trying to do." # Escape is out of the question, but you still tried it. What happened last night to you that you'd do that to yourself? I have no idea how the two of you are connected, but Spot was wild last night because of whatever they were doing to you. I heard him screaming more than you in the beginning. To be honest, I was ready to run because all the screaming was getting on my nerves.#
Duo sighed and settled further into the bed. If that was the worst thing that was going to happen, he could live with it.
Cosimo continued with, "And Howard wants to discipline you...a week with Mirialdo... something about training."
Duo looked at him with horror. He curled up in a little, shuddering uncontrollably. Not Mirialdo, not a week with the man that hated him. He hurt so much and was so tired still, that had been only from one night. He just wanted to sleep the rest of his life away. He hadn't felt this bad in ages. The good life had made him soft. He was fighting not to cry and he didn't know what to do. When was he going to be able to escape these two nuts? What had he done to piss off the universe so much that he couldn't get his 'happily ever after'? God was T-chan going to have to watch him be broken again? The film of the first time had driven him insane. One of them needed to be with it in the future and he had a sneaking suspicion that it was not going to be him.
Cosimo looked down on the small body huddled on his bed. Howard knew that he had had some training in first aid, since he had been a medic for a while before returning to the family after his 'rebellious' phase. Cosimo was pretty sure that was why the man said that he wanted him as the family liaison, just in case they needed him for some minor injury. He thought it might be something for one of the jobs that Mirialdo was occasionally sent on, but that wasn't the case. It had turned out that he took care of Spot more with the way that Mirialdo treated him, but this sickened him. He had no idea what had happened to Angel, since that probably wasn't even his real name, it was just something that Howard called him. But what he did know was that Angel was in no condition to do anything. He had been injured before he pulled that stunt with his collar, being electrocuted didn't help him any. If he had a choice, Angel would be in bed for a week, just sleeping and trying to get him to eat again. He had never seen someone so stressed out as Angel was and he had thought that he had seen it all. He didn't mind going a little over the line things, that was part of family life, but this little play that was unfolding before his eyes went beyond what he could stomach. #And what did you think when Howard asked you to do a snatch and grab from L2, that it was for the kid's health to begin with? With the way that he stared at you the entire trip? And I don't think that walking out is an option right now, not with Mister Tall, blonde and psychotic on the edge because of Spot's reaction to the little party that they threw and the fact that Howard found Angel and Spot cuddling. I just wished I knew what was going on, what connection is between the four of them. #
Cosimo gently drew the covers over Angel and tucked him in, "I'll try and stall for you."
He didn't expect an answer and was worried that Angel was going into shock. He'd just keep him warm and try to convince Howard that leaving him alone would be the best thing for him, unless he wanted another brain damaged guy running around, like Spot. Did Spot know Angel, was that why he was so restless last night when the other two played with him? Or did he just want to fuck him like the other two were doing and had been mad that he didn't get to play with Angel also? The weirdness was getting worse and he wanted to be out of here as soon as possible. Cosimo walked out of the room and quietly closed the door behind him.
Howard was in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee when Cosimo wandered in. Howard looked at him and asked, "What's the situation?"
"He's shocky," Cosimo said, searching for a cup for himself. He was tired after dealing with Angel. He had been worried about his condition, since Howard hadn't been too fast to get him out of there so he wouldn't get too hurt by getting shocked by his collar. Had he lost a few brain cells with that overload, was that the reason that he wouldn't say anything to him? Or was the damage already done and he should be calling the kid Spot II?
"Whatever little games you want Mirialdo to play with him, I'd recommend a couple of days rest before you do anything. He hasn't been eating or sleeping very well, am I right?" Cosimo asked in a concerned tone. #You know the answer to that one even if you don't want to admit it. The kid's a mess and he needs to get the hell out of here before he gets better.#
"He never has, as long as I knew him," Howard admitted.
"Then let him heal up, he's a little raw from that...orgy might be a good word, but since he wasn't really a willing participant, I'd call it rape. Stoned out of his mind doesn't count as a willing participant, in my book." Cosimo growled at him. "That session of electrotherapy didn't help either."
"I don't care," Howard said shortly. Who did Cosimo think he was to scold him like this? Shit what did the guy think he wanted a street kid from L2 for except as a fuck toy? Angel's pilot training made him valuable in other ways, but he wasn't going to tell Cosimo that now. Once he got Angel up to par he would offer his services to the family. He had hinted that there were few more goodies that he could give them, which was why Cosimo was still here. The family wanted it all. Or had Cosimo figured out that there was something more to this and he figured out that Angel was more then a good fuck?
"Then when he goes permanently into la-la land like Spot, don't blame me. I think that he should be in the hospital, but I know that isn't going to happen. So just give him a day or so to recover and then do whatever you have planned as punishment." Cosimo said.
Hell he didn't know why he cared about the little guy, except...he was oddly enticing in an androgynous sort of way. Shit the kid looked enough like a girl to make him wonder about it at times. Cosimo had a suspicion that Duo was a good kid that just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had never acted like any of the others that usually did this for a living. Hell, looking the way he did, Angel hadn't been peddling himself to anyone. Even on L2 no one wanted a whore that looked like that. So why had Howard thought that Angel would just roll over for him?
"So what was his answer to his punishment?" Howard asked.
"I don't know, he didn't say anything before he passed out again, if you could call it that. I just want to tell you in no uncertain terms that Angel's mind might not want to come back to his body. So if you can live with that, do whatever you want to him, it's on your head."
"He's tough...he's survived worse."
Cosimo snorted in contempt at that statement. "I figured out that one, the scars told me. But what you don't know is that there is only so much he's going to put up with before he checks out, either physically or mentally. How many times do you want to watch him run until he drops from the pain? You have to figure out what you want from him. Is it someone that can respond to you and know who you are or a drooling idiot who doesn't know or care who's fucking him?" #Shit you wanted him for a reason. Was it just to fuck around with or what? You're killing him and you don't seem to care about that, so why didn't you just go with a kid that would have you, one that wasn't like this? What is it that Angel has and you want? Or are you tired of him already and throwing him to the psycho amuses you too? Shit make up your mind soon about this, because Angel's not in any shape for the games you're playing with him.#
At that Cosimo grabbed his coffee and went back into his room. He didn't know what he could do, but Angel might just want someone to be with him, even if turned out to be him,
Howard looked at the other man and frowned. It seemed that Angel had picked up another admirer. He didn't know if this was good or not. Cosimo was an unknown factor that had to be watched and he really couldn't do anything to him because of the connections that the kid had. He did believe that Angel needed a rest, but he wanted to push him to his limits, so that he would know what it would be like if he angered him again. He knew that it was a fine balancing act that he had to perform with Angel's sanity, but he thought that Angel would survive anything that he did to him now, since the boy had been always been tough as nails during his pilot training.
Cosimo spent most of the rest of the day in his room reading and listening to Angel whimper in his sleep. He found out early that Angel didn't relax around him. In fact, he became more agitated when he knew that Cosimo was near him. So long as he was left alone, Angel slept peacefully. It was getting near dark when Cosimo heard the knock on his door. He got up to answer it and he wasn't surprised to see that Howard was standing outside his door.
"He's gotten all the down time that he is going to get from me," Howard announced. "Wake him up and bring him down to Mirialdo's room."
Cosimo sighed and closed the door. He went over to the bed and leaned over to wake up Angel. Angel woke up with a start, shrinking back from Cosimo with fear before looking around the darkened room. "It's just you and me," Cosimo informed him.
Duo's face fell at that and then he looked worried. He peered up at Cosimo, his eyes saying more then he ever could. They showed the fear, hopelessness and resignation that filled him. Cosimo thought that he could drown in those eyes. He thought he finally knew what had attacked Angel to Howard, it was those eyes of his. He could finally understand all the meaningless poetry about the eyes being the window to the soul now. So how did Howard find out about the kid in the first place?
"All I know is that I'm supposed to deliver you to Mirialdo," Cosimo explained softly.
Angel's eyes went dead at that and he stood up. Cosimo hated seeing the life drain out of them, because even with that frightened expression they had been beautiful. Damn it the kid must have really screwed something up to get caught by these two nuts.
Duo winced a little at the twinges that he felt when he moved around, he hadn't really healed from the night before. But he didn't want T-chan punished for what he had done, so he'd behave. As he told Quatre so long ago, he had been raped before. He knew how long it was going to take for him to heal and to learn to trust again. He barely was doing that with T-chan before and he loved him. Duo jumped when he felt Cosimo's hand close on his collar.
"I don't trust you not to run again, so I'm keeping a firm grip on you. I don't like what's happening, but if I'm here I might be able to take care of you afterwards, when Mirialdo is through with you. I've taken care of Spot a couple of times, so I'm getting to be an old hand at putting people back together."
Duo laughed shakily at that information. "When Howard got me the last time, I was on drugs for most of the time that I was with him...I guess he doesn't like me off of any kind of drugs, because he doesn't like what I am. So I'm getting punished because I can't be what he wants, by being handed over to Mirialdo."
"What does Howard want from you?" Cosimo asked curiously. #Some information at last!#
Duo was silent for a moment before answering, "Someone that died a long time ago. A boy that he had for a little while, but didn't realize that he wasn't real, that he was just an act that I put on because that's how I survived back then. I showed the universe a mask of laughter, to fool everyone, to show them that I wasn't in that much pain, even when I was dying inside. But...he died by inches over the years...a long with a lot of people that I killed."
"You killed?" Cosimo asked. Duo couldn't kill anyone. Hell he was too young, too fragile. And if he was a killer, then Cosimo was the Easter Bunny. Most of the men that he had dealt with growing up had killed and he could always tell who they were, they all had a sort of hardness about them and in their eyes. Angel had never looked like that to him. Hell he thought he had been an innocent kid before Howard got his hands on him.
"More people than I possibly want to remember. More people than I can remember." Duo told him and then smiled sadly, "Don't look so shocked Cosimo...or is it astonished that I haven't killed Howard yet? I can't, I can't get away fast enough...If I can't get away someone else will be punished. If I manage to kill Howard and not get away, I'm in Mirialdo's gentle care...forever. I like having some part of my body that isn't scarred."
"What do you mean, when Howard got you the last time?" #So Mirialdo was the one that carved you up like that...I had been wondering...but what exactly did you do to deserve that?#
Duo frowned. "I'll tell you later, if I get a chance. But I think that you've figure out that I'm not here voluntarily. Not since you dragged me off L2 drugged to the gills."
Cosimo winced at that comment. That was not one of the better things that he had done in a life filled with shady dealings. "Not with some of the crap that has happened. But then Spot isn't too with it, so I don't know about him." #Hell I know that there are some sickos out there that would act like Spot because they like people treating them like that. But since Spot's so out of it in other ways, I don't think that he's like them.#
Duo's eyes darkened. "He was a brilliant man, witty, charming and so in control of everything around him no matter what was happening. But he just let go of himself because of a number of things...some of which are Mirialdo's fault...some other people's fault, and a lot of it is mine. And no...he's another prisoner here. If you get a chance...could...could you get him out of here?" #Not that I am ever going to hope that that would happen, because you're still around after watching what was going on last night. Did you like it? You want a piece of me too? Or are you just too callous to care about what is going on here? I think that it is the last one because why should you actually give a shit about a kid that you just dragged out of his life on the orders of a loon.#
"Yours?" Cosimo asked in astonishment. What the hell had Angel done before the old man had him kidnapped him? The information that he had was that the gang had snatched him out of the halfway house that he was working in. Serving meals to a bunch of street rats usually wasn't what killers did in their spare time. Spot and witty were just two words that did not go together, not with the way that he acted. If Angel was a hitter, that would be one of the reasons that Howard wanted him. The family would get some use out of Angel, unless he lost it because of Miraldo's playing with him.
"I love him and he loves me and I couldn't accept that at the time. I didn't think that I deserved his love, so I wanted some time separate from each other, so that he had choice...and they found us. It's my fault...so I deserve to be punished." At that Duo led the way downstairs, willing to go through whatever he had to, just so T-chan wasn't hurt. Shit what could Mirialdo do to him that he hadn't? Aside from cutting his hair, which might be safe because Howard liked it, Mirialdo had covered almost everything that you could do to a person to torture him on the Libra. All he had to fear now was what was going to happen to T-chan. If those bastards touched him...he would kill them. He had nothing to lose.
Cosimo followed, amazed. Spot and Angel... former lovers? What the hell was going on here, how did all these people meet? What the hell did one old gangster, a psychotic blonde, the person that Spot used to be and this scarred little kid have in common?
Wufei looked at the burnt out mess in disgust. This place had been a dump, but he knew that it hadn't been a firetrap. He was willing to wager that the police report would agree with him. He had blown up enough OZ bases to know what arson looked like. Heero stood silently at his side, letting Wufei put together the facts in his head. He'd let Wufei make his own conclusions before telling him what the report has said.
"Arson?" Wufei asked.
Heero nodded, he had hacked into the police database and read the reports. Wufei just wanted to make his own observations before checking with Heero. They often did this in the field that it had gotten to be second nature for the two of them.
"Two bodies. One was positively identified as the owner. The other was thought to be the drifter that was working here." Heero reported.
"No ID?"
"Tentatively ID'd as Trevor Solo. But no one ran prints or dental because the damage was too great to the body and they didn't want to spend the money. The fire burned hot and fast, fueled by the amount of alcohol in the building and the age of the structure."
"How long ago?" Wufei asked.
"A couple of weeks," Heero said. "If that means that T-chan could have been with those two all this time, like we were worried about. I don't know what condition that he would be in, because I don't think that Mirialdo would have been too happy about his leaving with Duo. He would punish him for what he thinks of as T-chan's 'betrayal' of him."
Wufei shuddered involuntarily. He had seen what Duo looked like after Mirialdo Peacecraft had tortured him. He knew that Treize was scarred from his accident, but it was nothing like the damage that had been done to Duo. He wondered if Treize was even alive. That had been one of the man's worries the last time that they talked. T-chan had been worried about that Mirialdo, who was insane getting a hold of Duo again terrified him.
Heero saw that shudder and hugged his lover. "It won't matter to either one of them, you know that."
"That's if they both manage to survive this," Wufei replied. "Mirialdo is insane. He burnt down this place to cover T-chan's kidnapping and killed someone. He is the suspect in a number of assassinations and organized crime deaths that have had hardened investigators shocked. He is dangerous and I don't know if Howard can or will control him. For all we know that second body is Howard and both Duo and T-chan are dead in a shallow grave someplace!"
Duo was curled up in the tub and staring at the wall, blinking occasionally. Treize was trying to clean him up after his first 'training' session with Mirialdo, like Howard told him to do. Cosimo was out someplace and Howard didn't want to know what happened last night, so he was allowed to clean Duo up. Treize was sure that Cosimo had left as soon as he dropped Duo off with Miri, the coward. If he was going to help those two torture Duo, then he should stay around for it. Howard didn't want to deal with the mess that he made so Howard dumped it on him. It also might be that Howard was figuring out that he wasn't as insane as he was pretending to be, playing Miri's dog. He didn't care right now, since he was more worried about Duo then blowing his own cover.
Treize was worried that Duo seemed to be awake, but he wasn't responding to him, no matter what he did. He looked up to see that Howard was peering into his bathroom. He controlled his shudder of disgust when Howard got closer to him. He wondered what had happened between Howard and Duo to make him snap that way that he did and punish Duo. Was it the fact that Duo had to be coaxed into any kind of physical relationship, because of what had happened to him on the Libra? That his drugging Duo into submission the first time that he had him didn't help things, Duo need to trust who he was with now and Howard hadn't earned that trust at all.
"He still out of it?" Howard asked coldly. "God, he didn't react this way the last time that Mirialdo had him, I don't know what his problem is!"
Treize looked up at Howard, fighting to keep his expression neutral and act like he didn't know what was going on. He knew what the problem was, Duo had some hope that it would be over soon, that there was some limits to what Mirialdo would do to him then and he didn't have that safety net now. Treize was terrified that Duo wasn't going to ever get better this time, that there would be too much damage for him to bounce back again.
Duo heard Howard's voice and got up, ignoring Treize's attempt to have him lie back down again and let him finish cleaning up the blood. Duo was moving stiffly and he thought he might have been hurt enough that he should go to a hospital, not that it was ever going to happen. There were new burns on his body and he was covered in bruises, from last night and the other night when Howard had shared him with Miri.
Duo walked over to Howard and knelt in front of the startled man, unzipping his pants and starting to nuzzle his crotch. Howard gently pulled Angel's head off of his crotch and tilted it back. He smiled down at Angel and ruffled his hair, happy that Angel understood what he wanted from him, finally. Just Angel's cooperation, without trying to figure out what game he was playing and access to his wonderful, talented body. Howard ignored the slightly blank, inward look that was in Angel's eyes. He didn't expect Angel to be that happy about last night. "You know what I want now, Angel. That's good. Show me how much you learned to please me."
Duo bent his head back down, coaxing and teasing Howard to an erect state before taking him into his mouth and showing him all that he knew about giving oral pleasure. It wasn't long before Howard started groan and thrust into Duo's mouth, giving a strangled shout as he came. Duo licked him clean, and then zipped him back up, before tilting his head back to look at Howard, wondering what he wanted him to do next. When Howard didn't say anything, Duo turned around and got on all fours, obviously thinking that Howard wanted him that way also. Treize looked at Howard, peering at him through his shaggy bangs, trying to hide the anger in his eyes. He wondered if Howard would figure out what Duo was offering. Duo's mind shut down last night when it got too much for him and Treize didn't know if it was coming back. He was furious at what he just seen and it had taken all of his self control not grab Howard and hurt him. He wondered if that was the other thing that Howard was looking for, some sort of reaction out of him at watching his lover suck Howard off.
Howard patted Angel on his ass, "I'm not interested right now, maybe later."
Duo peered over his shoulder, confusion and a little bit of fear on his face when Howard spoke to him. It was as if he didn't understand what Howard was saying to him, all that he knew was that he wasn't wanted and that scared him. If Howard didn't want him then something bad would happen. Duo wiggled his body and arched his back, throwing worried glances over his shoulder when it was apparent that Howard was not going to fuck him. If he didn't want him or please him, would Howard give him to the bad man again?
Howard frowned, confused by this display. Why was Angel acting like that? "I said no, Angel. Don't you understand anymore?"
Treize almost snorted at that one. Duo didn't understand much now, why couldn't Howard take a good look at him and figure that out? Treize just wanted Duo to be left alone and he wanted to be left alone. He wanted the two of them out of here and someplace safe. He wanted to wail and cry and curse something in response to what had happened to him. What had happened to the two of them. Treize was ashamed that he had given in so easily the first night, but the tasering had gotten too much for him to fight. He had been locked in the cellar last night when Miri and Howard had started Duo's 'training' session. He had tried frantically to break down the door or find another way out, but it had been futile. All he could do in the end, was listen to the muffled screams of pain the Duo had made on and off during the night. When he had been let out, Miri and Cosimo were gone and he was told to take care of Duo.
"Treize?" Howard started to ask him. Howard frowned when Treize didn't respond to him. He tried again, "Spot?"
Treize looked up, slowly, fighting to keep his eyes as blank as Duo's, hiding the murderous rage that he felt towards his one time friend. Howard was at last realizing something was wrong with Duo. That he might have finally driven Duo over the edge with his treatment of him. That whatever little sick thrill he got last night with handing Duo over to Miri was the incident that broke Duo. The man didn't know how close he was to dying, because he wanted to kill him for this.
"Could you take care of him for a while longer? I'm going to have a talk to Mirialdo about this development about Duo with him. I don't think that he should worry, both of you seem rather out of it now, so you won't do anything that we don't like. But given the fact that your owner is a nutcase, he might be pissed off at this too."
Treize continued to stare blankly at Howard until he walked out of the area, muttering to himself. Treize then went over to move Duo to his bed. He was just glad that Duo wasn't afraid of him now and he snuggled into his arms without a sound, finally realizing that Howard was through with him for now and he wasn't going to be punished for that.
Treize was worried though, since he didn't like the blank look in Duo's eyes. He has seen the very same thing in his own eyes, the morning that he had woken up after the first night that Miri had first introduced him to the 'joys' of S & M. He had recovered, but it had been hard. For a long time, until he had escaped with Duo, he had noticed that blankness in his eyes, trying to deny the abuse that he was getting from Miri and insisting that it was love. It was eventually replaced by a look of total confusion when he was overwhelmed at the speed that everything moved outside that small little estate that he had made his world. Then, when he had more confidence in himself, he felt that he could look at himself in the mirror and not get sick at that look in his eyes, that look was gone. He hoped that Duo could recover too, get the time and love that he needed to put himself back together...again. They just had to get out of this hellhole that they were in.
They spent most of the rest of the day curled up together, Treize gently stroking Duo's back as they slept together. Duo made small, contented sounds as he felt Treize's arms around him, as he softly whispered to him. "It's okay Duo. Don't worry...just come back to me sometime...I love you...I understand that you don't want to fight any more. I just want you to safe. If this helps...just come back to me...sometime." A litany of comfort for himself and hopefully for Duo, something that he could repeat to himself when it got too bad for him with Howard and Mirialdo, if he still had enough of his sense of self to remember this. He didn't care if he got caught doing this by Miri. He'd welcome it in fact, anything that would take Miri's attention off of Duo.
Howard delivered food to them, but Treize couldn't get Duo to eat while Howard was in the room. Duo watched Howard to see what he wanted from him and didn't pay attention to anything else when he was in the room. Treize slowly rubbed Duo's back to comfort him and tried not to glare at Howard when he left the room, apparently still confused about Duo's condition. Duo managed to eat after he left, but Treize had trouble coaxing him into finishing most of what was there. He was worried, seeing that Duo was starting to lose some of the weight that he had gained while they were on L3.
Howard dragged Cosimo into the kennel to examine Duo, to see if he was faking his insanity or what his problem was. Neither man was prepared for the wail of terror that Duo let out, before he frantically tried to hide in a corner, scrabbling at the wall to get away from Cosimo, thinking that Cosimo was there to bring him back to Mirialdo. Treize just growled after a minute of watching that mindless fear and chased Howard and Cosimo out of the room, before slowly approaching the corner that Duo was hiding in. He opened his arms and was relieved when Duo willingly came to him. He cuddled with Duo on his bed and listened to the furious argument that was talking place outside his kennel. The shouting bothered Duo and he trembled in his arms as the voices got louder and louder. Treize was just thankful that Miri still was running errands now, out picking up some new 'toys'. He was so amused with tormenting Duo now, since he had a responsive partner at last. Treize wanted to put off Miri's playing with Duo as long as possible, even if it meant that Mirialdo would be using him like he had in the past. He was debating if it was worth it to break his cover as he listened to the argument outside his kennel.
"I told you not to push it!" Cosimo shouted. #I should have just taken him and ran last night. I can't believe I stood by and let him be hurt like that! But I didn't think that Howard would go through with it. I thought that Howard loved him a little, but stupid me watched the guy hand him over to that psycho without a second thought! Like the chickenshit that I am, I left before the 'entertainment' started because I wasn't going to spend another night listening to him scream. #
"He was a street whore! He had customers hurt him before! Hell he managed to escape from Mirialdo when he had first hurt him!" Howard shouted back.
"How long ago was that?! And since when is selling yourself an invitation to rape? Or having that psycho playing with your body?!" Cosimo snarled. Why was Howard being an ass? He thought that he really had cared for the kid before this incident. He had warned him that this might happen and the ass acts surprised that the kid lost it. Seeing all the new marks on the kid's body, he wasn't surprised that it had happened. Torture for fun was what was happening here and Angel decided that checking out was the thing to do. He didn't blame him and wished for some of that mindlessness himself.
"He went through worse things than that and survived!"
"Maybe he's sick of surviving!" Cosimo shouted and stormed off. If he didn't, he was going to do something stupid, like punch Howard out and get him kicked out of here. He needed to stick around to maybe get the two of them out of here. The faint voice of his ethics was finally finding a voice, hell he might even listen to it soon.
Howard stuck his head inside the room that Angel and Spot were in and was annoyed that the two of them were huddled together, Spot comforting Angel. He didn't like the pale, sick look that Angel had on his face, still trembling because of the fight he heard. But the sight of Angel frightened and pale turned on Howard instantly for some reason. He also wanted to make sure that Angel knew who his owner was and it wasn't Spot. He was sick of the kid going to Spot for comfort. He wasn't going to let him touch Angel again!
"Come here Angel," Howard demanded.
Angel approached Howard warily, wondering what Howard wanted now. He was in a lot of pain, but he hoped if he showed that he had learned his lesson, that Howard wouldn't let Mirialdo hurt him again. He rubbed against him and touched Howard, acting like he wanted this and acting like he was excited that the old man was going to fuck him.
When they got to the room, Angel scrambled onto the bed and waited. Howard frowned. Angel was willing, but it just seemed odd that he was this eager. He put that thought aside. Angel was very inviting, looking over his shoulder like that and wiggling his ass at him. Howard smiled as he grabbed the lube by the side of the bed. So there weren't any preliminaries with Angel, but he wasn't doing anything but getting himself off and marking his territory in the most basic way. Angel for all his rubbing, fawning and apparent eagerness wasn't hard. He seemed to think that this was just something that he had to do, not something that was to be enjoyed by him. Howard paused at that thought and then shrugged. He got what he wanted, an eager, compliant Angel. So he didn't have a thought in his head besides pleasing him...it was easier then dealing with the sullen homicidal maniac that he had been. He could start rewarding Angel later with getting him off while he was fucking him. It just took a night with Mirialdo to show Angel his place here, too bad he didn't realize after this session he was still spending the rest of the week with Mirialdo, no matter how eager he was with him now. Howard wanted to make sure that his Angel behaved himself in the future.
Howard started stretching Angel, noting the silent hiss and the hint of pain that crossed his features, that this was hurting him. Angel didn't fight him though, because he was still wiggling about on the end of his fingers, enticing him to fuck him. After a minute of stretching, Howard thought that Duo was ready, since he was still a bit loose from Mirialdo playing with him. He saw that Angel was a bit raw, but didn't care. This action would show him that not matter what he did, Howard wouldn't give in to him and Angel was going to finish his discipline session with Mirialdo. As he eased into Angel's tight heat, he groaned. Even after last night, Angel felt tight and hot. He slowly moved in and out of Angel, setting a pace that would please him. Angel didn't matter, since he was just a body underneath him. Howard pounded into Angel, picking up the going faster and faster as he got closer to his climax. Angel took it though, moving with him, making soft noises. Howard couldn't tell if they were from pleasure or pain and frankly he didn't care as he emptied himself into Angel. He collapsed on the smaller man, his weight driving him onto the bed. Angel was quiet, not fighting him, lying there quietly until Howard got off of him. He frowned at the blood that was trickling down Angel's thighs, mixed with his semen. He must have been torn a little, even with being stretched or that he was more injured then he thought.
"God that was wonderful Angel," Howard moaned. Injured or not, he had been tight and hot and wonderfully responsive, nothing like the stiff creature that he had had in his bed the last few weeks.
Angel curled up and watched Howard for a second, before leaning over to start licking his balls, attempting to clean him with his tongue. Howard stopped Angel by grabbing his chin and staring down into those beautiful, blank eyes. He regretted that it had come down to this, but Angel might recover if he took care of him, after Mirialdo was through 'training' him. Then he would have a willing, loyal bedmate and all those wonderful skills that Angel had, when he remembered them. It was a win-win situation for him if he was willing to wait. He was sorry that he had lost his temper with Angel, but he had ruined it for himself by not cooperating with him earlier. He had asked for this session with Mirialdo by not being the happy kid that he wanted, playing up to him now wasn't going to get him out of the rest of it.
"Get a washcloth," he ordered Angel, not wanting to debase him that much. It was kind of nauseating also to see Angel willing to lick his own blood off Howard's cock. Did he hope that if he did everything that he asked him to that he wouldn't have to go back to Mirialdo? Was he that frightened of the other man? Howard almost snorted, because any one with a brain was frightened of Mirialdo. Angel had pushed him knowing what the punishment was going to be, so he didn't have that much pity for the boy. Also a few more scars didn't matter to him, not with the way that Mirialdo had worked over Angel the first time.
Duo got up and staggered into the bathroom, ignoring the pain that he felt when he moved. Mirialdo had hurt him, taking him roughly a couple of times while he was getting off on torturing him. Howard's roughness just now didn't help and he wondered if he would heal up at all.
Duo started to gently wash Howard up, going back to the bathroom to rinse the cloth a couple of times as he wiped the sweat and lubricant from Howard's body. He sighed under Angel's attention and his cock made a feeble attempt at interest, but when Angel dropped down to coax it into life, Howard stopped him.
"Don't have to," Howard reassured him when Angel looked panicky at the refusal of his attentions. "You're wearing me out. No doesn't mean that I don't want you...just means that I can't at the moment. But no matter how nice you are to me, you still are going back to Mirialdo tonight and for the rest of the week."
Howard ignored the small pang of guilt that he felt when heard the helpless wail of terror that Angel made with that statement. But it was his own fault, if he had been a bit more cooperative earlier; then he wouldn't have to be trained by Mirialdo to obey him. This was all his own fault and he shouldn't feel guilty at all about Angel being handed over to a man that obviously terrified him,
"So you couldn't find anything on L2 either?" Heero asked in tired voice.
They had all gathered in Quatre's and Trowa's room, they didn't want anyone else overhearing this conversation and Quatre knew that Maria stayed away from this section of the house, she didn't want to get involved in their 'adult stuff' s she put it. None of them wanted to her to hear how hopeless it was to even think that Duo and T-chan were safe. Howard had broken up his business, selling the legitimate and the illegal portions off to different buyers. It had been a fairly quiet and very fast process. Rumor had it that he was living under the protection of one of the bigger mob families or the Tongs. No one that was willing talk to them could tell them anything. All they knew was that Howard was on Earth someplace, because they were watching the shuttle terminals constantly. They had had a few false positives, but nothing that they could use to trace either man down. They couldn't track him down and Mirialdo had gone into retirement with him or had changed his style of 'work' because they couldn't trace them that way either.
"Small time gang had been taken out after making a boast that they had scored a huge favor off of someone big on Earth. They had thought that it would lead to bigger and better things. They ended up dead." Trowa said. "No one really wanted to talk to me, but they were all too afraid of Rashid not to."
Quatre frowned, "What about Duo's activities on the colony?"
"He was helping out in shelter, taking care of homeless kids. Seeing that they were okay and hooked them up with jobs or schooling through the KW Foundation. You know the charity that was set up under Khushrenada's name after his death that you went into with matching funds. Shelter's a dead end because of turnover there with most of the staff. They all remember him, because of the clothes. He was always wearing long sleeves and high collars." Trowa told them, "He cooked there and looked after the younger ones. Duo would make sure that they all had something for supper and were happy. As soon as he was gone for a week, his stuff was distributed among the rest of them. There wasn't a lot, he was traveling light. They all thought that he either walked out or got mixed up in something and was killed. They checked around a little, but there are too many places on that colony where a body can be hidden. They didn't bother going to the authorities because they knew that no one would care. Hell, they laughed in our face when Rashid and I filed a missing person's report. They told us to try the whorehouses or the morgue."
"T-chan was traveling light too," Wufei commented. "I know that most everything that they thought was important that they had picked up on L3 was shipped off to that estate."
"What about Une and Relena?" Heero asked.
"They're safe." Quatre told them. "I have Rashid and a few more of the Manganacs there on the estate. Neither one of them go anyplace without a guard, but I don't think that they are in any danger. Mirialdo hadn't threatened either one of them before, so he isn't going after them now. It wasn't like that he didn't know where they were, he just chose to ignore them."
"So which one of us gets to tell Maria the bad news?" Wufei asked the group.
"I don't think that she should know about this yet," Heero said quietly.
Quatre sighed, "If we don't tell her she will find out about it some other way. She..."
"She has her sources of information," Wufei observed wryly. "If we don't tell her she's not going to trust us and might go off on her own. Duo and T-chan will kill us for that."
"So you think that they're alive at least?" Quatre asked hopefully.
Heero shrugged, "The second body from the fire wasn't Treize. We had it exhumed and ran a few basic tests. You can't blame them for not really checking it out in the first place. It was the logical thing to think that the second body was Treize. There was no reason for them to think that it wasn't T-chan and the owner that had been killed. He lived over the bar. The owner lived in back, which was the only reason that he was killed. It actually might not have been a deliberate killing on the part of either Howard or Mirialdo."
"If they get to trial, I'll worry about that then," Wufei growled. "Right now, T-chan was very concerned about Miri and Howard finding Duo. He was worried about what they would do to him more then what would happen to him. He knew that walking away from Mirialdo Peacecraft was a dangerous thing to do and that what would happen to him when he got back would be...unspeakable. He knew that the man was insane for any number of reasons and that he would hurt him because he walked out on him. T-chan knew that if either man got his hands on him again, that he would be punished severely. Not to mention what Howard would do to Duo. The man...he has lost all reason it seems if he can collar Duo like a dog. Treize...T-chan was ready to kill him for that. It was then that I realized that Treize Kushrenada was...not dead, but gone at least. I do not know what T-chan would do if he finds out that Duo was hurt be either one of those people again."
"I'll pass this on to Maria," Trowa offered.
"But..." Quatre protested.
"She's my niece and it's my duty to tell her this," Trowa replied flatly.
"But...what are we going to tell her? Should she not expect that either one of them is going to show up again? That she may never be safe again because those two things are out there?" Heero asked bitterly. "That she is never going to be able to be with her father at all?"
"I am going to tell her the truth, because anything less then that would be insulting to her." Trowa told him softly. "She deserves that much at least. Duo was always honest with her."
"I am willing to go with you," Wufei offered quietly. "I know that she will never admit it, but she will want someone to talk to afterwards and it might not be you. It might not be me either, but I feel that I should offer that comfort to her...it usually helped after Barton was through with her."
"Thank you," Trowa told. "I...I don't know if I can tell her this. I admit that I was jealous, a little, of the love that she had for Duo, but then I realized that she was one of the things that kept him going during that disastrous time after the war. And that he was the one person that was willing to accept her the way that she was, having done all the things that she had to do with Dekim Barton."
Wufei nodded, "Maria...it was hard for her to understand a lot after the rebellion, but Duo's love for her was the most astonishing thing to her."
They both walked out of the room reluctant to tell Maria how hopeless it was that she was going to be able to be reunited with either Duo or T-chan. They were silent as they walked through the long corridors that filled Quatre's home. The house had grown like jigsaw puzzle, adding an odd piece here and there until there was enough room for all that lived here to live in comfort. Maria's room was in what had been dubbed the 'children's section', the rooms were Winner offspring stayed if their parents were with them. With over 29 sisters there were always about a dozen children that were staying there, because their parents were away on business or vacationing without their children.
Trowa knocked on Maria's door and wasn't surprised to hear her call out, "Come in." It was late, but Maria was a night owl. As he and Wufei entered her room, he wasn't surprised to see that she had tried to make herself at home here. Small touches, mostly knickknacks and stuffed animals. Wufei winced to see that the Teddy Bear that T-chan had sent back with him was given the place of honor in the middle of her bed. Maria was curled up in a chair and was reading.
"Maria," Trowa started gently.
Maria sat up straight and dropped her book. It had felt so heavy all of a sudden. Trowa and Wufei looked so uncomfortable about being here that she knew that it was something bad. Bad in her world only meant one thing, and that something had happened to Duo and T-chan. That would be the only thing that would bring the two of them into her room this late. She wasn't stupid enough to believe that no new was good news. There had been no news about Howard and Mirialdo Peacecraft from almost the beginning. The men had disappeared like they had never existed.
"I...I don't want to know..." she told them, her lower lip quivering.
"Maria," Wufei started. "You know that..."
"...ignoring the problem isn't going to make it go away," she replied almost sullenly. "Don't tell me that there isn't anything that you can do to find them. I...I can't accept that. I won't accept that!"
"Maria, we haven't given up looking," Trowa told her. "It's just that we haven't been able to find anything that would lead us to Howard and Mirialdo Peacecraft to them to even if they are the people that have Duo and T-chan. If Duo and T-chan didn't just disappear for another reason."
"Maria, all we came to tell you, is that the second body that was found where T-chan was last seen was not him," Wufei told her. "Nothing more then that. We didn't want you to find that out on you own. We haven't given up."
"I want to be alone now," Maria whispered, moving over to the bed and grabbing the Teddy Bear that was lying there like it was her only hope. It was in a way. It was the only thing that her father had really given her, besides Duo and his love for her. She couldn't take it any more. If the best thing that they could tell her was that T-chan wasn't that body, then what was all their training and the resources of Winner Industries good for? Why couldn't they find two people? It wasn't like either man had been able to keep a low profile before this, why now? Why when the most important thing in her world was that she find them? She was just glad that Trowa and Wufei had gone before she broke down and cried hysterically, desperately wanting to know if Duo and T-chan were safe and alive.
The next few weeks passed peacefully, after Angel went through his 'training' sessions with Mirialdo. It had done a world of good to Angel's attitude, Howard thought, he was the perfect little pet for him. He submitted to Howard when he wanted him and Howard had woken up a few mornings with Angel's mouth wrapped around his cock, Angel sucking on him because he had gotten hard in his sleep and he brought him off because of it. He couldn't complain, since it was a nice way to wake up in the morning. He just had to say frog and Angel jumped. The boy was that terrified of being alone with Mirialdo again, so he did anything that Howard told him to. Howard didn't know what had happened during those sessions and he didn't ask. He had heard the screams during that time, but didn't care. Mirialdo had known his limitations, he just couldn't touch the hair or permanently mark Angel's face, anything else was allowed, so long as Angel knew his place after his training. Spot had stayed with him for that week and Howard enjoyed using Treize as much as he did his little Angel. There was something so wicked about getting down and dirty with the former general, pounding it into the shell of a man that used to discuss books with him, was interesting in a kinky sort of way. He had had to punish him a few times because Spot had been upset about Angel screaming that way, but on the whole he had been well behaved pet for him.
Howard woke up this morning to Angel sucking on him and emptied himself into Angel before he was really awake, and decided that was a good way to wake up in the morning and he could get used to it. As he was woke up a little more, he studied his pet, wondering when Angel was going to become a little more aggressive, like he used to be. He didn't think that Mirialdo had broken Angel, just scared him silly for a while and it was time for him to get over his fear and become a little more useful to him. As good as the sex was with Angel, he did want more out of his little Angel of Death because he knew how useful he was to him besides being a great fuck.
As he studied him, Howard was slightly worried at how thin Angel was getting and how pale. He wasn't eating as much as he should and Howard started to worry about him getting sick, since that would set back his recovery time. He decided to send Angel out into the garden to get him some sunlight and he'd arrange for some 'playtime' with Spot. Mirialdo couldn't disagree with him about that, Angel and Spot knew their places now; they knew that they were pets for the two of them and would behave themselves to avoid being punished. Having them spend time together couldn't be something that Mirialdo could even remotely view as a threat to the control that he had over Treize, not that there was anything really left of him, Treize Khushrenada was Spot now. Treize Khushrenada from what he remembered during the War would never allow himself to be treated like a dog for weeks unless he had a good reason and Howard couldn't think of one. The old Khushrenada that he had heard about wouldn't have let anyone bend him over and fuck him like he spent a week doing. He had tried out a few of the odder things that he wanted to do to Angel on the older man and he was satisfied with the results that he had experienced.
"Angel?" Howard asked and was rewarded with one of his blinding smiles as he looked up at him expectantly, waiting breathlessly for his order. Howard was worried about the weight loss, but this thinner Angel was beautiful even if it looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over. He noticed it last night as Angel danced for him, wearing nothing but a few bells that had been attached to his rings. They were still chiming sweetly for him and Howard dismissed the stray thought that their weight must be uncomfortable to Angel if he had been wearing them on his nipple and cock rings all night. If he was in pain it didn't show, he still was smiling and posing for him in the manner that he had been trained to do by Mirialdo. He was always eager for him, which was what he wanted.
"Yes, Howard?" Duo asked, wondering what he had done wrong. He was suddenly frightened, even though Mirialdo was away on job and he had done everything that Howard had told him to do last night. He had acted happy that Howard was using him and he had acted excited about everything that Howard was doing to him. He had even come once himself, which had thrilled Howard to no end. He thought he managed to please his captor. What did he want now?
"Would you like to spend the morning outside, Angel?" Howard asked slyly.
Duo hesitated, wondering what the trick was, why would Howard leave him alone? He hadn't left him alone for the entire time that he had had him. If he wasn't with him, it was Cosimo, or Duo controlled his shudder, Mirialdo. He decided to play dumb and submissive, that should be safe for him and T-chan. He didn't want either one of them hurt again. T-chan didn't need to be punished because of him.
"If you want me to," he murmured.
Howard shrugged at his response. He really didn't think that he would get an opinion out of Angel, since he wouldn't say anything to anyone unless he had to. Mirialdo had done his job well. He at times missed Duo's spirit, but he also felt better that he wasn't drugging him into oblivion to control that spirit.
"I want you to and you might be able to see Spot again, since Mirialdo isn't home."
Duo was glad that he had kept his eyes on the floor, so then Howard then wouldn't see the pure joy that he felt must be shining out of them. To see T-chan, see if he was okay and to hear his voice...shit it would be worth anything for that, even if it meant a night with Mirialdo.
Howard grinned, not fooled at all by the submissive posture and demure attitude. Angel would be very grateful that he was going to let him see Spot again and have them spend some time together out in the garden. When Mirialdo was away Spot spent most of his time out in the garden. He spent his time just soaking up the sun, sleeping the days away and avoiding the rest of them as far as Howard knew. Cosimo checked on him once or twice a day to make sure that he was taking care of himself and to feed him.
Angel deserved a reward for all the good sex that he had been giving him, so he should spend time with the former general and get some sun with him. If he wasn't as inventive when he was under the influence of drugs, he was willing to do almost anything with Howard. He should be rewarded for his cooperation and some time outside might simulate his brain a little more, have him start to remember all those useful skills that Gundam pilots have. Angel should have gotten over his shock by now and he would start be more useful to him, be something more for him then just a submissive little toy boy. If he didn't...well there were a few places that would be willing to take Angel off his hands for a week or two. Time in a few of the cheaper brothels he knew of might help Angel remember faster then he was doing now. He wanted Angel back up to speed, because he had plans for him. Seeing Treize, as much as he hated to admit it, might be good for Duo.
"You just can't do more then let him hug you, I shouldn't allow that even, but I'm feeling generous and you have been such a good whore lately you deserve something nice. If I catch you doing anything more then that, you both get punished," Howard said calmly, knowing that it Angel would take that threat seriously, if not for him, for Spot.
"I understand," Duo said quietly. He did, just one slip on his part and T-chan would be a mirror image of him. Mirialdo threatened him with that punishment as he was adding to the collection of scars on his body. He was confused about what exactly was going on here. Why was Howard letting him see T-chan? The older man was jealous of the attention that they paid each other, even more so then Mirialdo, so why was he letting him out of his sight with T-chan in the garden? What was going to be the catch to this and who was going to get punished for this afterwards? Him? T-chan? He would think that it was worth it, but he didn't know about T-chan. He didn't what had happened to him during the weeks that they hadn't seen each other. T-chan might be further from sanity then he was.
Howard clipped the leash on Angel's collar and started to take him out of the room. He scampered after Howard, following him without a sound besides the various bells that were still hung on his piercings. They went into the garden, but Howard had to push Angel a bit to make him enter it. Howard briefly wondered if Angel was bothered by his memories of any of the 'training' sessions that he had out here. He didn't know and frankly didn't care at the moment. If this is where he wanted him to be right now, Angel was going to be here. Howard smiled and dropped the leash. He knew that Angel couldn't go anywhere so he could leave him alone.
Duo looked around the garden, which had been one of the places where he had been hurt by Mirialdo. This was one of the places that Mirialdo had done those things to him and he didn't like it out here; there were too many bad memories even if the blood was gone. All he hoped was that the psycho wasn't beating on T-chan again or that he had found out the T-chan was faking the dumbness all along. He wanted to see T-chan so much it ached. He wanted to smell him and touch him, know that he was still real and not something that he made up on one of Howard's drug trips or as a fantasy because he thought that he deserved something better then being Howard's boy toy.
He was worried until he saw that there was only one other person out in the garden, when he was alone. Howard hadn't lied to him about that, Mirialdo was away and T-chan could see him and he could get a hug from T-chan and see if he was safe. T-chan was suddenly here and he was cuddling him, so things were good. He wouldn't worry about anything else then, because to he was safe in those arms, safe and warm and...and... still so very loved he hoped?
"I miss you so much," Duo whispered, "I was so afraid that Mirialdo would break you too, like he did me," Duo laughed softly and bitterly. "Didn't take much. I was broken the first session with him and the rest were just to make sure that the lesson took. It did...I don't ever want to be near that man again. I'm sorry T-chan...but I don't know if...if...if your Duo's here anymore. Howard got me good, I'm his Angel and I'm too frightened to be anything but that."
He thought about rebelling against what was happening to him, but those thoughts didn't want to stay in his head for long; they were bad thoughts to think. Like remembering how he was before Mirialdo worked him over, those thoughts were not good for him. That was why Mirialdo had punished him, because he wasn't Angel, the pet that Howard wanted. That's why he had to stay Angel, so that Mirialdo wouldn't hurt him again and T-chan wouldn't get hurt. Angel was what Howard wanted, so he would be Angel and forget all about the time before, when he was Duo and he thought that he could have a normal life with T-chan. Angel didn't talk back or feel scared about what was happening to him, like Duo had done with Howard. Angel did whatever Howard wanted and showed him that Angel enjoyed it, so he wouldn't be hurt again. Duo sighed and burrowed further into Treize's arms. This was nice, much better then what Howard did to him. He'd keep that bad thought, no matter what it cost him.
Treize looked down at Duo and frowned. He was too thin, too pale and looked almost as bad as he did when they were at Miri's place, the first time he had seen him after the war. He could feel Duo's ribs and he could see how thin he was. There were a few new scars, mostly whip marks, but there were a few more burns and knife scars also. He had been terrified when he didn't see Duo for the last few weeks, but knew he was somewhat safe from the conversations that he heard from Howard. The older man boasted to Miri how willing, how eager his Angel was, he should have done this in the beginning and not have wasted his time with trying to win him over. That Mirialdo had taught Angel a lesson and they would never have to worry about him running again. Treize had clenched his jaw and kept still, because he didn't trust himself not to kill his former friend when he was talking like this. He had thought that pretending to a dog the entire time that he was with Howard had been difficult trying not to kill him because of the pain that he was inflicting on Duo was harder. There had been times that he had to fight not to kill Howard and get Duo the hell away from Miri. He didn't though, because he knew that he couldn't get Duo out of there before they were caught by Miri. He also didn't know what Cosimo would do if he did that. He didn't know if the man would be willing to help them escape or at least not help Miri trying to catch them.
He was at least glad that in the weeks that Duo had been in that room, that blank look had gone from his eyes. The replacement, that empty, happy stare wasn't much better, but at least remembering what Mirialdo had done to him wasn't tormenting Duo, he hoped. He could live with that and hoped that he could heal his lover when they escaped from this place. He wasn't as hopeful as he had been in the beginning, but he would try and hang on for a little while longer. Someone must have figured out that they were gone. Finding them must be the hard part. Treize had thought of and discarded several plans to get the two of them out of there because he didn't know what physical and mental condition Duo was in. He just found out that he wasn't in the best of shape and he wouldn't be any help in the escape, but Treize was not going to leave him behind. He was not failing his lover again. He was also terrified about what would happen to Duo if he left him behind. That was the only reason that he hadn't run by now. He couldn't get help and get back here before something would be done to Duo to punish him for running away. He had started to have nightmares about stumbling across Duo's dead body because Howard had killed him.
"I understand, I realize that you need to be Howard's...whatever. I'm broken too," Treize comforted Duo in a soft voice. He didn't know who was around and he couldn't let them find out that Mirialdo wasn't as thorough as he thought he was when he tortured him. "You do what you have to do to survive this and we can worry about repairing the damage later. To me you are still the nymph that I seduced on L3."
Duo just hugged him tighter, not willing to argue with him. He knew that their time together was going to be fleeting, a tease to reward him or torture him, he hadn't figured out which, but he knew that it was both right now.
Treize was willing just to hold Duo, since that innocent contact meant more to him then any sexual acrobatics that Howard thought that they might indulge in out here. Hadn't the man ever realized that a hug meant more to Duo than anything? Obviously, he hadn't, not with some of the idiocy that he indulged in, like what he had done to Duo when he first captured him and the additional things that he was wearing now. The jingling bells, he didn't have to be a genius to know why they had been put on Duo. Howard was just indulging himself in some kinkiness again. He should be happy that he wasn't beating Duo or doing something stranger then a few harmless kinks, after he had Mirialdo break him. But Treize was worried that Howard might get sick of Duo the way that he was even if he was responsible for it and then what would happen to his lover, since he wasn't able to do everything that Howard wanted him for now? A brothel? Or given to someone as a 'gift' in return for favors?
After a few minutes of cuddling, Treize let go of Duo and led him over to the rosebushes in the garden, since he liked it in that spot. It was secluded and they could be hidden from anyone casually looking for them, so they could talk in private. Duo's eyes lit up when he saw the roses and he grabbed one of the blossoms to give to Treize. Treize didn't know if he should be happy or sad that Duo had stared at the bushes for a little while before picking out a red rose to give to him, presenting it to him with a slight smile.
Treize smiled back and was glad when Duo sat down next to him. He stroked his hair, surprised that it wasn't as tangled as he thought it would be, hanging loose all this time, Duo or Howard must be taking care of it. He combed his fingers through it, gently working out the knots before starting to rebraid it. Duo looked alarmed at his actions, but settled down when Treize nuzzled his neck a few times. Duo sighed and nuzzled back, enjoying the feel of skin against skin. After his hair was braided, Duo yawned and curled up with his head on his lap to doze. He didn't want to talk, since there wasn't much that they could say to each other. He just wanted to be out here with Treize.
Treize smiled and tickled Duo a little with the rose that he had picked out, trying to ignore the message that it subliminally gave to him. Red, the color of love and passion, did Duo understand the significance of his choice? He had studied the roses for a few minutes, looking at all the different colors before choosing this one. Or was he reading too much into this? He wanted so much for Duo to be sane and whole that he thought even now he remembered the subtle messages that roses sent to receiver of such presents. He felt guilty that he never really told him how much that gift of roses the morning after he had woken up alone had meant to him. If he had, Duo never mentioned it to him. Or that he understood what Duo had been trying to tell him on L3 with the roses that he gave him there, when he allowed Treize to make love with him. He couldn't tell him that now; Duo was trying to forget all that so they wouldn't be punished by their captors.
Duo slept for a while, content that he didn't have to worry about anything, because Treize would protect him. He woke up and sleepily started to nuzzle Treize, glad that he was here. The sunlight and flowers had made him happy. He could stay out here for a while, since it was safe because it was only the two of them. He was surprised when Treize leaned over to kiss him back, and then stiffened in fear when he remembered that this was one of the things that Mirialdo had punished him for flashed through his mind. He knew that this was something that would definitely get Howard mad at him, even if he let them be together and then they would be punished again. Treize saw him do that and kissed his nose instead of his mouth, tickling him with the rose.
"Sorry to scare you...just...I had hoped...that I could sneak one. I guess not."
Duo shook his head and stroked Treize's hair back, smiling at him again. "I got hurt for that... he...he was so angry. I don't want to be hurt and have him hurt you, they might catch us..." Duo explained in a soft voice.
"I think that you need to eat more...you've lost too much weight again. Am I never going to keep you fed? To be able to fatten you up and keep the weight on you would be wonderful." Treize teased Duo, accepting that he wasn't going to be able to do more then hug him because of Howard's possessiveness. #Damn you Howard, you happy now? Was it worth it? Duo loved to be touched by me, I just found that out and you took that away from him!# "Want me to see if I can beg something off of Cosimo to eat?" Treize asked.
Duo shook his head, happy that Treize was with him. He didn't want the other to leave him. Food wasn't important. He didn't feel like eating a lot of the time, so he didn't eat, even if he was cooking. Howard didn't care that he wasn't eating, since he was letting Howard do things to him and be the Angel that he wanted, so that Mirialdo wouldn't be at him again. Is that why he felt safe and loved with Treize, because he was able to accept him the way that he was? This was so confusing ...and he shouldn't be thinking like this because they were the bad thoughts that Howard didn't like and he would be punished again! He didn't want that, he couldn't face another training session with Mirialdo. He didn't know if he would survive it.
Treize saw Duo's eyes darken and he worried. He had frightened Duo somehow, he just couldn't figure out how. Was it the mention of the past? Or was it talking about Howard? Or was it just the thought of Treize leaving him? He didn't know, but he wouldn't trouble him about it. He rolled on his back and let Duo lie on his stomach and then proceeded to tickle him. Duo started giggling and Treize laughed as Duo counter-attacked with tickles of his own, because he had never been punished for tickling Treize, just for letting him kiss him and make love to him, when he didn't like Howard touching him. The two of them spent an endless time rolling on the grass and laughing. They stopped when a shadow fell over the two of them. Treize and Duo looked up to see Mirialdo looming over the two of them. Treize swore that he wasn't supposed to be back for another day, or he would have hid in his kennel and left Duo alone so he wouldn't get hurt. He had given into his desire to see his lover and now Duo was going to be hurt for that. How could he have been so stupid!
"What the fuck are the two of you doing?" Mirialdo snarled, enraged that his toy, his creation, was enjoying himself again with that slut behind his back. He had made sure to break Duo so that he would never think about spreading his legs for Treize. As soon as he left these two were together, laughing and enjoying themselves. Duo hadn't learned his lesson yet and he was going to see what happened when he was bad, like he told him he would during their last session together. Treize would be punished if Duo misbehaved and that obviously kept the little slut in line up until now, but he had forgotten that threat and Duo was going to see that he kept his promise.
He reached down to pick Duo off of Treize and tossed him to the side, he would deal with this bit of rebellion later. He had told Howard that they couldn't trust the two of them alone even the way that they were and the senile idiot leaves them alone. Duo landed hard and had the breath knocked out of him. He stared at Mirialdo in terror as the tall blonde undid his belt and started hitting Treize with it, cursing fluently in four languages the entire time. Treize curled up to protect his face and genitals from the attack and prepared to ride out the pain. He hoped that Duo wasn't going to be hurt because of this, since it was his fault.
Duo shook off his dizziness and launched himself at Mirialdo, screaming, "It wasn't his fault. Don't hurt him! Howard...Howard said that we could touch."
He managed to grab a hold of the belt before it landed another blow. Mirialdo shook of Duo's attack with a snarl and threw him back down on the grass. Duo got up again and tried to stop the beating, struggling with Mirialdo until he was knocked almost unconscious by a blow to his head. Mirialdo then kicked Duo once in the ribs to make sure that he wasn't faking his condition and also to make sure that the little slut stayed down and then turned his attention back to Treize.
Mirialdo was incredibly annoyed that Duo had fought him about his punishment of his bad dog. He wasn't as broken as Howard thought he was and needed another reminder of his place here, like Treize did. What was it about these two that they were willing to suffer to protect the other? That no matter how broken they were these two still had some connection with each other. It was maddening and was going sever that connection even if he had to kill one of them! Mirialdo turned his full attention back to Treize, swinging the buckle end of the belt, not caring if he bruised or tore at Treize's flesh, he was in a blind rage about this entire incident. At Treize for misbehaving and Duo for convincing his Treize touch him.
Treize was gasping for breath and crying, feeling the blood trickling down his back, when he heard Mirialdo drop his belt on the grass. He wondered if just this would be his punishment or if he was going to be raped too. Treize felt his shoulder being grabbed and he was suddenly on his back, letting out a short scream when his torn and bruised flesh hit the grass. He was going to be raped; he should have expected that, Miri thought raping him meant that he controlled him again.
"You will pay attention to me only!" Mirialdo hissed. "Not that stupid, brainless thing behind me."
Mirialdo dropped his pants, and loomed over Treize. Pounding it into him, while he was on his back would leave Treize in excruciating agony, both before and after the act. He would remember this punishment for a long time. Mirialdo kicked open Treize's legs and dropped between them. Beating Treize always turned him on and having Duo as the audience for it was even better, it would show the both of them what happened when they broke the rules. He roughly felt for Treize's opening and stretched him, knowing that he was going to be in enough agony taking him dry. He smirked, removed his fingers and drove himself into Treize, enjoying the choked cry of pain that he caused. He thrust deeply, enjoying the feel of Treize around him. He lifted up one hand and slapped him across the face, snarling, "Move damn it! Don't just lie there like a slug!"
Treize flexed his hips, groaning in pain as Miri sawed into him. He felt like he was being split in two. Mirialdo laughed and drove himself deeper into Treize, ignoring everything except the heat that surrounded him. He threw his head back, eyes closed, feeling the heat and the tightness that he loved. He came almost instantly, Treize's slight whimpers of pain bringing him over the edge faster then anything had in the past. He waited a second and pulled out of Treize fast, knowing that would hurt him more then his entry had. He smiled at the cry of pain that he heard and zipped up his pants. Treize wouldn't be moving for a while so he would take care of that little brat now. If he were still in a good mood afterwards, he'd let Cosimo take care of his wayward pet. Mirialdo walked over to Angel and picked him up, glad that the little whore was still mostly out of it. From the tears that had spilled down his cheeks, he had been aware enough to know what was happening to his beloved 'T-chan' and it had upset him. That was what it was supposed to do. He had warned the little whore that he was not to touch Treize, but he had and Treize was the one that suffered because he ignored his warning.
Mirialdo looked up suddenly, feeling that there was someone above him. It was Howard, grinning like an idiot and motioning for him to go up to the over balcony. He carried Duo up to the second floor and followed Howard into his room and dumped Angel on the bed before starting to chew the older man out. What the hell had he been thinking letting the two of them be together unsupervised?
"Thanks Mirialdo...I had been worried that Angel was going to be less useful to me then I hoped when I took him in the beginning," Howard explained smoothly.
Angel moaned faintly before sitting up and looking around the room. He paled when he saw Mirialdo again and started shivering.
"That was a set up!" Mirialdo exclaimed, annoyed that he had been used.
Howard smiled smugly, "I figured that you'd be back early. So I arranged for some outdoor together time for our wandering pets and hoped that you would discover them. I thought that you would be upset that they were together. I figured that Angel would fight you about your disciplining Spot, since I had given him permission to touch him. Also they do have this illogical need to protect the other one. I thought that something like this would be the thing that might bring Angel out of the little funk that he was in."
"And since he did?" Mirialdo asked. He was annoyed that the old fart had pulled one over on him, but was intrigued about what he wanted Angel for.
"There is a small, discreet job for him to do for the family. Cosimo will take him to the site and return him after does the job." Howard said, wandering over to the bed to kiss Angel. He was overjoyed that his plan had worked and he wanted his reward for it.
Duo kissed Howard, he was still too afraid of a retraining session with Mirialdo to scream at the man, like he wanted to. He had been set up and T-chan got hurt just because he wasn't bouncing back fast enough for Howard. Could the bastard just make up his mind about what he wanted from him and tell him!! He would do anything for Howard if it protected T-chan for Mirialdo. He just had to know what the bastard wanted from him so that he could give it to Howard. All these fucking games weren't doing anything but confusing him. He wanted a submissive fuck toy and he got it! What the fuck did he want from him now?
"Hands and knees Angel," Howard ordered.
Duo scrambled into position, since he knew better then to hesitate, Howard wanted him now without any arguments, especially not in front of Mirialdo. That would get him another session with the man faster then anything else.
Howard felt a surge of pride that Angel was so obedient. He just had one more order for his little Angel and then he would have a few days alone with Cosimo. He'd tell Cosimo that he could play with him, so long as Angel was in shape to do the hit, Cosimo could have a piece of him too.
"You want a go with him too?" Howard asked as he started to stretch Angel. It would be rude of him to fuck his toy in front of Mirialdo without asking if he wanted a piece of him too.
Angel's head came up suddenly. Mirialdo was going to fuck him too? He didn't want him to touch him! But he didn't want the bigger man to punish him because Howard was mad that he wasn't as willing as he was supposed to be. Either way he'd get fucked, he might as well give in and save himself or T-chan some more pain.
Mirialdo unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock, wanting Angel or Duo or whatever that little slut's name was, to get him hard and then fuck his face. "Suck on it good or you know what will happen."
Duo leaned over at took him into his mouth, trying to ignore blood that he tasted. God T-chan was hurt and these two were playing with him! He grunted as Howard entered him, and then gagged a little on Mirialdo's cock before the two men established a rhythm. He just let his mind go empty as they used him, hearing the sounds that they were making as they fucked him, feeling nothing as they came in him. He knew that this time he was just a hole for the two of them and he felt guilty that he was relieved that this was the worst thing that was going to happen to him. He licked Mirialdo clean until the man stepped back and shoved his cock back into his pants. Howard was a little more difficult to deal with, because the guy was now getting all touchie-feelie as he played with his cock, getting him hard and jerking him off after they were done with him. He didn't like it, but Howard wanted this so he let him touch him and he hated every moment of it even as he moaned because Howard was making it feel good.
"The bells were a nice touch," Mirialdo commented, enjoying the look of shame that Angel had after he creamed all over the bed.
"I thought so and I might have some more rings done so that I can hang a few more on him." Howard replied, making Duo lick his hand clean.
Duo kept his mind blank, just letting these two do whatever they wanted to him. He was getting out of here and as much as that frightened him, he might have a chance to slip away from Cosimo and get help. He knew that it would be hard, hell he thought that Howard would have him wired seven ways to Sunday to make sure that didn't happen. He had to try though, because he knew that T-chan would be so pissed if he didn't take the chance, no matter what happened to him because of it. Duo knew that he would felt the same way if their positions were reversed, if T-chan ever got a chance to get out of this place. He didn't even notice the needle that Howard had in his hand until he felt the prick in his ass. The last thing that he saw was Mirialdo smirking at him.
Cosimo glanced at Duo once in while as they drove away from the house. Howard at least had dressed the kid before he had shoved him in the car and told him where the two of them were going to spend the week. They were going to use this frightened little boy to kill one of the family's rivals? He didn't believe it, but Howard assured him that Angel was good at this sort of thing and no one would recognize him, so it was a done deal. He just wanted to see what Angel thought of this.
He drove along in silence, knowing that Angel wouldn't wake up until they were there. Howard didn't want Angel to know where they were or even to let the boy out of the room until the hit had to be done. Cosimo wasn't surprised to learn that the pretty collar and the other jewelry that Angel wore doubled as other things. He knew how it all worked and he wasn't going to let the kid out of his sight until he was back at the estate. He wasn't going to fuck up this assignment. He was still debating about taking Howard up in his offer of the use of Angel for the week that they were alone. He didn't swing that way, but he was also getting might tired of his hand. Having a guy suck you off did not make you gay in his mind. A mouth was a mouth, no matter what the sex of the body it was connected to was.
Duo woke up suddenly, wondering how he had gotten dressed and into a car. It felt weird to be wearing clothes again and he wondered what was going on that he was in a car alone with Cosimo. Howard wanted to get rid of him? The job the Howard had mentioned before he fucked him the last time? Cosimo breakdown and realize that he wanted to get him out of there because the other two were loons? If so, why didn't he take T-chan and how did they get pass the electric fencing? He noticed that he was cuffed by those damned bracelets again, so no matter what was happening, it wouldn't be good for him.
"What happened?" he asked quietly. #Please say that you got smart and let me out of there...#
"An assignment," Cosimo told him. #Stop looking at me like that kid, shit do really think that I would stick my neck out for you? You're just a job, nothing more. I ain't saving you or your boyfriend from those nuts so stop looking at me like I would!!#
Duo swallowed and tried not to shudder, "What kind of assignment?"
"A hit," Cosimo told him shortly. The kid could get the rest of the information when he needed it. Right now all he needed to know was that.
"Oh." Duo said faintly. He couldn't even remember the last time that he had held a gun. What the Hell was going on that Howard was willing to let him out of his sight like this? How was T-chan? Where were they? How could he get in touch with Une or Quatre?
Those were only a few of the questions passed through his mind as he stared out the window of the car at the generic large city that they were driving through. He could be anywhere in the world and he wasn't able to get help because he didn't know where T-chan was being held. He knew that if he booked, T-chan would be hurt.
"Howard said that I could do you, and so long as you could do the hit...there were no limits," Cosimo told him, looking at Duo and trying to gage his reaction.
Duo shrugged, trying not to scream. Of course Howard would sweeten the pot by handing him off to Cosimo. Hell the guy might not be interested, which could be what Howard was counting on. "Not like I had any choice about what was happening to me since you dragged me off L2. Did care about why Howard grabbed me or was it just a job?"
"Piss me off and I might get rough Angel. Do you want that?" Cosimo threatened him. #It was just a job...still is kid. You better be worth the bother of dragging you out here. If you fuck up this hit I'll take you out myself.#
Duo laughed bitterly, "I had a week with Zechs or Mirialdo or whatever name the nut wants to be called. Anything that you do to me would be amateur night, because basically you don't have the balls to be a sadist. Not that it's a bad thing, but you know what I look like..."
"Mirialdo really did all that to you?" Cosimo asked him. He wasn't surprised that it had been the blonde that had carved up Howard's toy, the man had the reputation of being good with a knife. He just wondered why the old guy had let it happen.
"Got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time," Duo said sadly. "The story of my life almost. It was before I found out that Howard had the hots for me." #So you weren't around for the show. You didn't see Mirialdo torturing T-chan. Would you have gotten me if you had seen that? Do you care?#
"Howard...he...even..." Cosimo started to ask.
Duo laughed bitterly. "Yeah, even looking like shit Howard can get it up and fuck me. I'm amazed at that too. Howard knew me before this happened, I think I told you that. Acknowledging the scars and other shit means he has to figure out that I'm not the little kid that he grabbed on the PeaceMillion and he doesn't want to admit that. He still thinks that I'm the stowaway that that he handed off to... Never mind. You don't care and I don't have to tell you."
"What do you mean that I don't care?" Cosimo asked, unexpectedly hurt by that comment. All right he hadn't been the best of people, but why did someone that was an assassin have the balls to sneer at him like he was doing. Assassins weren't nice people either.
Duo stared at him and after a second said coolly, "If you gave a damn about me or T-chan, we'd be out of that place by now. Don't fucking act like you care. You don't. And before you get all huffy and self-righteous, you listened to me scream for a week while Mirialdo tortured me and did nothing. You don't give a shit about any one else but yourself." He turned his back on Cosimo to look out the window again and wonder when the nightmare was going to be over.
Cosimo sighed when the woman was done and let the hooker out of the room. She had been superb, well worth the money that he had paid and he was thinking of getting in touch with her tomorrow night for an all nighter. He just didn't want any witnesses around for the next thing that he was going to do. Cosimo searched for the slip of paper that had the number that Angel had given him when he asked him to get Spot out of Mirialdo's hands if he didn't survive making the hit. He didn't know why he had kept it, but there was something about Angel that made him want to keep his promise to him about taking care of Spot. He hadn't seen the kid since they had gotten back from that assignment, but Howard probably was making up for lost time with him. He was now through with all those loons and was taking a well-deserved break before going back to the family and his next assignment.
He punched in the code and sat back to see who answered the call. The vid flickered to life as the connection was made and Cosimo sat back and calmly decided to betray the people that his family had offered protection to. Shit it wasn't difficult, it just had taken him this long to get the stones up to do it. After seeing Mirialdo dealing with an interrogation, no one thought about betraying that man lightly. Fuck seeing Angel naked was enough of an incentive to stay out of it, when he found out that Mirialdo had been the one the cut him up like that.
He wasn't surprised to see a man in his early twenties answering the call. What surprised him was how tough and cold the guy was. Handsome, with brilliant green eyes and the longish bang that covered part of his face, If Angel knew people like this, what the hell had he been doing on L2 in that neighborhood and why wasn't he asking them for protection from Howard? The man screamed tough just from his attitude and from the set up that he saw, had more then enough money to muscle Howard and Mirialdo out of the picture and protect Angel.
"May I help you?" the man asked coolly.
"Shygami asked me to call you," Cosimo told him uncertainly. He had no idea if he was pronouncing the name correctly or even if this was the right number. He thought that he had done something right when the guy leaned forward a little and asked harshly, "Who gave you this number?"
"Shi ni ga mi?" Cosimo repeated trying to remember all the syllables in the name that Angel had told him to tell anyone the answered the number that he had given him. He had thought that it was some sort of weird code name for Angel, but he didn't ask about it. The less he knew about, he was happy.
"When did he ask you to do this?" Trowa demanded. Finally a lead on where Duo and T-chan were!
Cosimo was very uncomfortable at the way the guy seemed to want to reach through the screen and throttle him for the information. He decided that this was one person that he didn't want to fuck with, because unlike that loon Mirialdo, he didn't know what he would do to him, all he knew was that it would be really bad.
"A week or so ago," Cosimo admitted. Shit, had it been that long? He mentally added up the days quickly and amended his statement to, "More like three weeks. He was worried and made me promise that I'd take care of this for him if something happened to him. Nothing did but..."
"And you are just now getting to it?" the guy sneered.
So he wasn't the best of people, but neither was someone that looked that cold. Angel's friend shouldn't be throwing stones at him, because they didn't know where he was. Hell if he had cared about the kid, he would have protected him from those nuts. He would have made sure that the kid was safe.
"If you had kept track of him..." Cosimo protested, trying to weasel out of the blame. He shouldn't have grabbed Angel in the first place and then let those two nuts torture him. But he thought that was just a kid from the streets and a nobody. He might have thought twice if he knew that Angel had muscle to protect him. Fuck this might have been one of the stupidest things that he had done, but he was too scared to stop it now.
"What is your message?"
"Who am I talking to?" Cosimo replied. "He wanted only a couple of people to hear this."
"Trowa Barton." Trowa told him harshly. Damn it! How the hell did this ass get Quatre's private code? What the hell did he want? Someone had given this ass their private number and he wanted to find out before that guy could bolt if he panicked on them.
"Well Angel asked me..." Cosimo started, recognizing the name as one of the people that he could talk to. It hadn't been a long list.
"Angel?" Trowa asked in confusion. Who was that? He heard Quatre come in the room and motioned him to stay out of sight of the video. Quatre quickly figured out what was happening, signaled to him and then picked up one of the other house lines to have the call traced by his security people. It was nice to have the latest equipment and a security team with no moral qualms about tracing anyone from anywhere that called them. All they had to do was keep the guy on the line for a minute and hope that he was someplace that he could send someone to get him.
"I know that isn't the kid's real name, but that's what Howard is calling him."
"Howard." Trowa said coldly. "What does Angel look like?"
"Short, young...long hair about your color, maybe not as red." Cosimo tried to remember what Angel looked like, all he could remember was his eyes right now. "Odd colored bluish eyes..."
"Merde!1" Trowa cursed. Howard had Duo and that's what they had all been worried about. Hopefully this guy would lead them to Howard and the old man was still with Zechs and then they could get Treize also and all this would be behind the two of them.
"You know him?" Cosimo asked. "And who is this Shin person? Sounds Oriental, but Angel isn't that as far as I can tell."
"What was the message?" Trowa asked. "And who else is with Howard?" #An all out assault is going to draw attention to us, so I hope that it can be a quick in and out before we turn that pervert over to the authorities. Une would love to be the one that takes this guy down.#
"Mirialdo no last name and his pet, along with Angel are living with Howard in a house that the family gave him. It had been just the five of us since the beginning, Howard, Mirialdo and their pets."
"Pets?" Trowa asked, trying not to punch something in his anger. He didn't want to know what had been happening to them, but if Mirialdo had abused Treize before and the things that Howard had done to Duo showed that he didn't think very highly of him either. Once those two had gotten their hands on Duo and Treize they would have punished them in the worse way that they could think of, just because they had run from them in the first place. He just hoped that he managed to get all the information that they needed before this person started to think about what he was doing. Trowa still remembered what Duo had looked like after those bastards where through with him. He had thought that the abuse that he had gotten from the Mercs had been bad, but what he had seen on Duo had made their treatment of him when he was a child seem like paradise.
"I don't know really what's going on...all I know is that it's been giving me the creeps for a while, but this is the first time that I got the stones to do something about it," Cosimo admitted to him.
Shit, the nightmares that Duo had had when they were on that job together had killed any interest that he had had in him. He didn't want to join the line of things that were in that messed up kid's head that made him scream at night. Duo had spent most of the week stoned because he couldn't handle listening to him talking in his sleep to people that he had killed.
"What does the man with Mirialdo look like?" Trowa asked him.
He vaguely noticed Quatre signaling that they had traced the call and that he was sending someone out to pick up their unexpected caller. It turned out that he was staying in a Winner Industries owned hotel and that Hotel Security would hold the man for them until they could get someone down there. He was hoping the Quatre would send Heero and Wufei. If he sent someone else, he didn't know if the guy would make it here. Talking about pets to one of the Manganacs would just piss them off and they'd kill him. He wouldn't survive because all forty of them had adopted Maria. Bad talking about her father and Duo would make this fool a dead man. He was going to get all that he could out of this man if it killed him. He started paying more attention to Cosimo and hoping that he got all the information that he could out of the man before he booked in fear. He could tell that the man wasn't comfortable at all making this phone call and he didn't want to give him time to think about at the nasty things that could happen to him if Howard and Mirialdo found out about this breech in their security. He wanted to see his face when he realized how deep a pile of shit that he just landed in.
"Medium tall I think, he's been crawling around on his hands and knees for the entire time that I was with those nuts. He doesn't seem to be too intelligent, because he plays being a dog or a fuck toy too well. Light brown hair and burn marks on his chest. Between the two of them, him and Angel, they have a nice collection of scars, like Mister and Missus Frankenstein," Cosimo laughed nervously.
"It's not fucking funny what they went through..." Trowa snarled at him, before he controlled himself. "...what they are going through now. How bad was it going to have to get before you got a conscience again?"
Cosimo swallowed and thought of that endless week when Duo's screaming got on his nerves, but it wasn't as bad as the silence that filled the place between those screams. It had gotten way beyond what was decent when he snatched an innocent kid from a colony to be Howard's little fuck toy. Hell the best time for the kid had been the week that they were waiting to do the hit, even if he had been drugged up most the time. It hadn't been his business how these people got their jollies, but shit...now that he was away from it all, it did bug him.
"I got family and we made a deal with these people. Our word had been given to protect these two because of what we and we couldn't go back on that, no matter how weird it got." Cosimo mumbled.
Hell his brother really didn't want to know what those two 'fruits' had been doing so long as he got what he wanted out of them. Hell Mirialdo being the loon that he was, his brother was happy that the guy wouldn't ever be interested in his daughters. He didn't care about anything else.
"But you are breaking that word now, aren't you?" Quatre asked coolly, coming over to stand behind Trowa. "What changed over the last weeks?"
"I haven't seen him, not that I was around much. I was told that the job was over and I could take some time off," Cosimo admitted, startled a little by the unexpected addition to the conversation. "Shit...something happened when this scared little kid asked me to watch out for Spot because he didn't think that he was going to survive the hit that he was supposed to do. He mentioned that he knew him and that they had been close, which had pissed off the other two. I never got the whole story and didn't know if he was lying to me or what."
"Taking out Don Medici," Trowa said flatly, after Quatre squeezed his shoulder gently. They had figured out who had been the shooter because of how the hit went down. Unfortunately, with the information that they had from Une and how well she knew Duo's 'style' of assassinations they knew it had been Duo that made that hit. Scared kid described Duo too well at times.
"How did you know that?" Cosimo asked in astonishment. He would have sworn that no one could have traced that hit. It had been risky, Angel walking up in the open and just popping the guy in that restaurant, but no one knew who ordered the hit, since the shooter had managed to get away. A lot of people were looking for the pretty girl that had taken out the Don. Howard had been right and no one traced it to him, except for these two. How did they figure it out and who were they?
"We want all the information that you have on where they are being held, the layout of the house and what we might run into for either resistance from them or any trouble that we might have getting our friends out of there," Trowa told. There was no way that he was going to explain to this ass that he could have told him how Duo had planned the shooting, Une had given him enough information of Duo's tactics and style to guess how he had done it.
"And if I don't?" Cosimo asked him. Shit no matter how scary the guy was, they were not in the same room as him and he could get away before there was any trouble for him or the family.
The blonde smiled innocently at him and then said coldly, "We traced this call to your hotel. Hotel Security will be at your room in under a minute, so don't bother trying to leave. We will be sending someone over to pick you up. We actually don't care what you do after you give us the information, so long as it is correct. If you lie to us in anyway...well, you really don't want to see any one of us angry with you, I will not only hurt you, because I want you to live with the pain after I'm through with you, but I will destroy your family. There wouldn't be enough left of it for anyone to remember. Don't think that I won't do it, a lot of people have made the mistake of underestimating me...most of them are dead. So do tell us what we want to know."
Cosimo involuntarily shivered. The tall guy was scary, but the blonde was another one that gave him the willies. As he started outlining all that he knew about the place that Howard set up for himself he wasn't surprised to hear someone unlock the door and enter the room. Behind him were two of the biggest guys that he had seen in a while. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to walk away from this and he just hoped that he made it out alive. If he knew that these people were looking for Angel and were willing to protect him, he would have never made that trip to L2 and would have just gotten the hell out of that nuthouse before he was in too deep.
End Part Thirty
1 Shit - French
Christine
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