28-Jan-2002
"I dreamt it."
Heero looked over to Trowa who rolled his eyes and shrugged. Whenever there was a high profile case that the media got a hold of they had to deal with these types of "witnesses". He shook his head a bit and took out a piece of paper. "Did you see who did it?" Heero asked with all seriousness, getting a snort of contempt from Trowa.
"No. It wasn't like that." Duo looked confused and at hearing the snort from Trowa figured they were like every one he had ever tried explaining it to. "I only got pieces of it. A smell, and... and saw the hands as they... touched her, as they wrapped around her throat... squeezing." Duo shut his eyes tightly and began shivering. Heero stood up and helped him to sit back down and handed him the soda that was now warm. Duo sipped it anyway and took another deep breath. "You don't believe me do you?"
"It's my job to listen to all possible leads." Heero answered.
Duo smirked and let out a huff. "Well I guess I'll be going then. You don't believe me, so there's very little point in me embarrassing myself further." Duo shrugged and made his way to the door of the office in an angry huff. "Thanks for the help." He said as he flicked Heero's card at them and headed for the stairs.
"Well wasn't that fun?" Trowa huffed, running his hand through his sandy colored hair. "I told you it was nuts."
"I believe him." Heero said as he watched the young man hurry down the stairs.
"What?" Trowa looked at him incredulously. "Why?"
"He knew some things that weren't released to the press. Things that only I, Une, you, or the killer would know." He picked up the cup of bitter coffee and took a sip.
"Things like what?"
"Strangulation was never released as a cause of death to the press. It was kept very quiet because of both her age and who's daughter she was. That and the only ones who knew she had been molested were Une, the forensic team, and myself. We didn't even put it in the original report. We left it sealed."
"What about the Hilde girl?"
"She was found dead in a car two hours out of town about a week ago. She'd been similarly attacked, only cut as well."
"Poor kid. Do you think Duo was telling the truth about what he saw?" Trowa asked quietly.
"Stranger things have happened." His eyes drifted to the soda can still sitting on the edge of his desk. "Run his prints and DNA through the mainframe, I'd like to know more about Mr. Maxwell."
"You should have just asked him for his number then." Trowa smirked as he deftly plucked the can from its spot using a pencil. "Our shift's done. You want me to give you a lift home?"
"No. I'm fine. Tell Quatre I said hello."
"I will." Trowa left with the can, leaving Heero alone in the office to ponder the strange young man who they'd just met.
"Fucking damnit!" Duo slammed through the apartment, throwing his coat across the room and kicking at a pile of newspapers on the floor. He knew they wouldn't listen to him. The only thing he wanted was for people to take him seriously. He couldn't explain the strange dreams anymore than they could understand them, but it didn't matter if no one would listen. He crashed on the couch and buried his head in his hands.
He looked over to the snapshot of he and Hilde at the park two summers ago. She was his only real friend and now she was gone. "I'm sorry Hilde girl, I tried, they just wouldn't listen." He had met Hilde a little over two years ago when he had moved to the earth from the L2 colony. He had saved everything he could to get off that hellhole and get to earth. But he was finding that some things didn't change with a change of scenery.
He rubbed his eyes and lay back on the couch. He was so very tired, but didn't want to sleep in fear his visions would return. He hadn't even known who he was seeing die until it appeared in the paper. It was getting worse with each murder. They had a monster on their hands and didn't even know it. He would have tried to explain it, but they didn't even condesend to give him the benefit of the doubt tonight. He didn't just see it as an after effect, he lived it along with the killer, and he was afraid he was starting to lose what little sanity he had left.
He should be exhausted, but found he was completely wired after talking to Duo. What was worse was that between Trowa's innuendo and his own hormones, he couldn't help to notice the static he felt from the young man he had met. He was vibrant with energy but had a mystic about him as well. Guarded perhaps, not unlike himself. He waited an hour for the lab to process the prints. He wouldn't be able to get a complete profile until morning but at least he could get some background on the attractive boy. He scanned the file on his laptop and read the first article:
'Arson Suspected in Maxwell Church Disaster
Boy, 8, only survivor of tragic loss of life.'
He read further finding out that Duo had been the only one to survive the fire. He was an orphan, and had been there for a few years after being brought in off the street by the L2 authorities. He had a record of petty theft, and was kicked out of a club for fighting on more than one occasion at sixteen, but for the most part was pretty clean. No drugs or heavy crimes.
After leaving L2 he lived in New Los Angeles for a year, before moving to his present address in the shadier part of town. He worked odd jobs and painted, but didn't seem to have anything steady. Currently eighteen years old. No living relatives.
Heero sat back and thought about the kind of life the kid must have had. Growing up on the streets, being involved in such a horrific disaster, moving around from place to place. No wonder the kid was so nervous and guarded. He really didn't give him a chance tonight either. It could have been the fact that he was tired, but more likely it was just the fact the Heero Yuy didn't like people in general. He found the masses fake and phony and out for themselves. He trusted few people; Une, Trowa and Quatre, and his old mentor Professor J. But he was intrigued by this boy with the long, braided hair and the volumous midnight blue eyes. Enough to print out his current address and grab his car keys.
End Part 2
(:./ebony/within2)
