18-Aug-2003
Title: Identity: 6/?
Author: Elemental
Rating: R for Violence
Genre: Drama/Action
Archive: GW Addiction
Pairing: 1+2 2+5 1+2+5 (Eventually)
Warnings: OC pov that switches (Painlessly, I promise) Violence, Swearing and
Gang warfare.
Blurb: Well, more angst, more violence, some prostitution and an attempt at rape, with a wee lil bit of plot to make it all work. Don't worry, I'm playing nice! *definitely* my longest chapter. I'm surprised it's as long as it is, but I had a lot to cover, and I wasn't ending it till exactly where I do.
*italics, peeps*
Contact: Writerz_bloc@yahoo.ca and on the board is fine as well!
Notes: The amount of feedback I get is directly proportional to how quickly I write
more- (hint hint). Oh1 I'd LOVE fanart of Dita... just to see how *you* all see her... *puppy eyes*
~ I am the Breeze of Wisdom, I am the Wind of Insanity~
The Elemental
I had promised Duo I wouldn't be drunk when I came back, so I watched my drinks... kinda... Anyway, I left Nemesis around six am, when the club began to wind and shut down, already beginning to prepare for the night. Slipped out the door with the mass exodus of people, disappearing down a back alley and heading for the tower.
I bumped into a group of teens at the end of an alley and panicked for a few seconds before I recognized one of them.
"Hey Raine. How's your arm?"
"Not too bad," came the nonchalant reply. Raine used to go to Lady Alexander until he decided that he'd make more money on the streets full-time. He was fairly tall and thin, built on almost feminine lines. He was also one of the deadliest people I'd ever met- there wasn't a single form of fighting, street or otherwise, this kid didn't know. He clenched his fist and drew back the arm of his jacket, revealing a rapidly healing knife wound. "You do good work."
I shrugged and smiled and let him throw an arm around my shoulders. "So, Dita, where you heading? What's new with you?" He handed me a cigarette.
I don't smoke, but I accepted it anyway, taking a deep drag before I answered. "I'm headin' out of the city. Mom's dead."
*That* got a reaction, simply because most people knew either me or my mom. It was a safe bet one of us had patched up everyone at one point or another. There was the normal mutterings of "shit man" and "woah" and even a slurred "sorry Dita" from the mingled teens. Raine squeezed my shoulders a bit. "Sorry Dita. What happened?"
I shrugged out from under his arm and faced the group, "Soldiers. Looking for that terrorist they think is here." I snorted "Decided to tell ma what she could and couldn't do in her own house, and when she didn't listen... "
"That guy they're puttin' ads out over? He's got a fifty thou cred reward- dead OR alive!"
"Yeah, him. And if any of you grab him, give him one for me." I managed a twisted smile and there were more sympathetic noises. I turned back out to the main street, "Anyway. I'm heading out. Try to stay intact, I'd hate to think all that work, "I motioned to Raine's arm, "was a waste."
He nodded and grinned and I left, pulling my jacket a little higher around my neck. All I wanted to do was get back to the tower, back to Duo. Maybe pass out on my futon or maybe finish the bottle of Vodka I'd stashed under my easel and then go to bed. Maybe I could even get Duo to grink a bit. He might be more fun if he loosened up.
I was aware enough *not* to walk straight back to the tower, taking the longest route around that I knew and acting like I was going into the shed to catch some sleep if anyone actually even saw me. I walked, not staggered, up the stairs and into the bolthole. Duo was asleep, but woke up with a start when the door opened, pointing his gun in my direction even as he put the safety back on. I'm sure I muttered something perfectly reasonable, part of which I remember being "See. Told you I wouldn't come back drunk. Half drunk, that's more like it. I'm going to bed. Wake me when the war is over."
I *think* he chuckled... I really don't remember. I gave up on the Vodka and walked, not staggered, into my room, locking the door behind me. I pulled a canvas off my bed and fell into it, ignoring the cloud of dust that rose when my body hit the mattress. Of course, I ignored it mostly because I didn't see it. I was already sinking into oblivion, and couldn't be happier.
Duo had acknowledged Dita's need to 'get out' and knew full well he couldn't really follow her without being recognized. It didn't make him feel any better about the situation, but he let it go. He trusted her, more or less. Even if she wouldn't let him into her room.
He was damned curious about it, that was certain. Still, he'd promised, and he'd already scanned for any signals- the room was dead. So it wasn't a threat... just something to annoy his curiosity.
He'd napped a little while Dita was changing (and what a change! I never knew she could look like *that*, and those tattoos... ) but he was still tired. He visited the bathroom and clattered around the kitchen, but there was little to do. Sending a quick e-mail off to the guys asking when they thought they would be near enough to Old New York to figure out a meeting place and time, he set the laptop to standby and set it beside the couch, and placed his gun, loaded and ready, on one of the milk crate cartons that served as tables in front of him. He grabbed the blanket he'd used before and promptly curled up, using his arm as a pillow against the side of the couch. It smelled a little of paint and maybe turpentine, but it was easy to ignore as he drifted of into his subconscious.
The door opening woke him with a start from dreamless sleep, the gun up and ready before he'd even fully opened his eyes, the safety released when he'd realized it was only Dita. She didn't look very well, considering, and her eyes were red from crying. She muttered something about being all right and that she was only half drunk before moving to her room and locking the door behind her. Duo put the gun back on the crate and laid back down, falling back asleep easily.
The next morning dawned early, but neither Dita nor Duo rose to meet it. Without windows in the hideaway, there was no way to tell the time without a clock, and both teens were too tired to want to wake 'early'.
Duo finally opened his eyes as the smell of bacon and the clatter of dishes in a sink filled the room. He froze for a second before remembering where he was and relaxed, gingerly sitting up. His shoulder was a little tense, but other than that he felt fine, if he could ignore the taste of old sock in his mouth.
Dita turned around and smiled as she saw him sitting up, and grabbed another plate from a cupboard, filling it from the stove. She set the plate down in front of the braided teen and placed her own breakfast on another crate, returning to the kitchen for two glasses of orange juice, one handed to Duo and the other for herself.
Her hair was wet from the shower and pulled back into a ponytail, Duo noticed, a black scarf keeping her bangs from her face. She had changed from the outfit from the night before, now in comfortable brown cotton pants and a simple black shirt with flared sleeves. He was almost disappointed, wanting a chance to really look at the tattoos he'd glimpsed last night, but shrugged it off.
Dita was eating quietly, reading from a magazine, so Duo put his plate on his knees and set up his laptop, pulling open his e-mail. Two new messages- one from Howard, a general, run-of-the-mill how-the-hell-are-ya, you-should-mail-more-often letter, the other a reply from Heero.
~Duo:
*Quatre's gone to pick up Trowa- he's injured and Heavyarms took serious damage. Not life-threatening. Wufei and I will be able to meet you tomorrow 1300 hours or later. Our Gundams will be hidden but accessible. Reply with location and time.*
~Heero
*Duck and cover. *
~Wufei
Duo grinned, "05 and 01 will be here tomorrow by about one. I need to go meet them then, and then I'll be out of your hair."
Dita looked up, surprised. She thought for a moment, then spoke carefully, "Duo, you're here because you think OZ is doing something, right?"
Duo blinked and dragged out the answer. "Yesssss...?"
"I think... I think I know what they're doing. But I need more proof. I'm going in to work today. I'll tell them I'm leaving the city. There are some files I need to show you, so don't leave yet... " She bit her lip. "I know it's boring here, but- oh!" She stood and strode to the corner behind her, yanking a dusty, cloth-covered box across the floor. It was obviously heavy, but she managed well enough. Whipping off the paint-splattered cloth (and sneezing half a dozen times from the dust) she revealed an even dustier, but intact, vid screen.
She went into her room with the cloth and returned with a stack of vid disks in her hands. "Here, if you get bored. I got all the oldies, plus some other stuff, some anime, old newscasts, movies, a little bit of everything."
She dropped the disks in Duo's lap with a grin and he began to flip through the scrawled labels. "Stargate, Sailor Moon, *all* ten series of Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mission Impossible, The Matrix, Dilbert, Family Guy, Word of Honor, 24, Some Mothers Do Have 'Em, CSI, NGE?" He looked up.
"Neon Genesis Evangelion. Great series, ending is a bit... Mental. Same for Lain somewhere in there."
An eyebrow was quirked. "Aha. Well, *These* are oldies! Hogan's Heroes, M*A*S*H*, The A-Team? Never heard of it."
Dita's grin was blinding. "Watch that one first then- you'll like a character called 'Murdock' a *lot*"
Duo grinned back and put the disks down. "Maybe I will. So, *where* are you going and what are you planning to do anyway? You said you knew something about OZ? Why didn't you mention it before?"
The smile threatened to leave Dita's face but she shrugged and stepped back, stretching her arms high above her head. "I'm gong to St. Catherines. Pick up my last check, tell them I'm leaving, then either hack into the computers and download the files I need, or I'll steal the hard copies if I have to. I think our last set of strange deaths that have been coming in might be related to OZ, lord knows we haven't a clue what else could be doing it. I didn't mention it before because I really wasn't sure, but I think you should look at the files. They won't be hard to grab, and I should be back by nightfall. Nothing extreme, but I'll have to leave soon." She glanced at her watch and winced. "Especially since we're eating breakfast at six pm."
Duo looked at his laptop's chronometer and nodded assent. "I'll still be here when you get back."
"Good." Dita paused in thought, then, "Yeah, that's best. You know they got posters up on you, with a fifty-thou cred reward?"
"It isn't the first time. Is it a good picture?"
"I don't know. I haven't seen one yet?"
"Then how'd you know about the posters at all?"
"A little birdy told me." Dita shrugged "I should get going. Watch the vids, and finish eating, you need the energy. Oh, and take some antibiotics, I'll look at your arm when I get back. And if you want a shower there's towels in that little cupboard by the door. I threw out your backpack because the sewage had ruined everything but there's some toiletries on the bathroom sink I'd grabbed for you, you can keep 'em since I know you don't have any and I've got my own. If there's an emergency there's another exit through the sewers through the grill at the bottom of the tower and I-"
Duo laughed "Deet's *enough*! You're babbling! Go! I'll be fine. You're the one who I'm worried about right now. I don't know what your hospital's security is like, after all. Now go!"
"Low budget - in other words, *what* security? A couple burly guys on the top floor to keep the unstable from hurting themselves, or anyone else, that's about it. I'll be fine. But you're right, I should leave. I'll be back soon, ok?"
"Go already!" Duo waved her out.
Dita retreated into her room one last time, and left with a black carrier bag over her shoulder. She shut the door but didn't lock it, and headed out into the main tower.
Duo watched her leave, then eyed the cold eggs and hash browns on his own plate, as well as the remains on hers. Shrugging, he scooped the two together and dug in heartily, his first *real* meal in days. He absently wiped dust from the vid screen and popped the first A-Team disk into its viewer.
Saying goodbye and getting my check was almost too easy. The hard part was two-fold. First, maintenance was on our systems, fixing what bugs it could and tying up the whole network - meaning that downloading was out of the question. So I'd need to get the physical files - normally not a problem, but then again, there was Jacques.
Like everyone else he apologized for my mother and offered his sympathies, and like everyone else told me how much they'd miss my help staffing the poor community hospital. The problem was, Jacques was being *too* helpful.
He *helped* me pick up my check, and *helped* me clean out my locker, as well as 'accompanied' me throughout the hospital as I continued to say my good-byes and settled chart problems with the remaining volunteers and interns.
I couldn't shake my 'shadow' and it was becoming annoying. Not to mention he kept hugging my shoulders or rubbing my hand. I was getting sick of it.
I'd finished my circuit of the children's ward, promising a few of the long-timers I would e-mail them when I settled down wherever I went, and had gone to grab my labcoat from the changeroom, seeing as it was a loan and would need to be returned. When Jacques followed me in, I decided I'd just knock him out and grab the files and run.
The asshole never gave me the chance.
My back was to the lockers before I could even realize what was happening, my hands pinned above my head, and he was kissing me, hard. His free hand slipped underneath my shirt and over my breasts. He was stronger than I was, and I couldn't move against his weight. Reminding myself to breathe, forcing my outrage into the smallest, farthest portion of my mind I could manage, I relaxed; keeping him from forcing his tongue into my mouth, but moving my lips against his.
He pulled back, panting slightly and grinning at my 'acceptance'. I smiled back, coyly, then smashed my head against his.
I saw stars but I didn't need to see to do what I did next. Knee to the groin - he cried out and doubled over. I grabbed a fistful of hair and drove his face into my knee once, twice, three times. I heard something snap and I let him fall to the floor, nose broken and bleeding sluggishly. I gave him an extra kick in the ribs; just to be sure he was out.
I left him on the floor. He could possibly suffocate on his own blood, but I didn't care. I pulled a pair of spare scrubs over my pants (now a tad stained by blood) and shrugged the labcoat over my shirt, making sure the ID tag I'd snagged from Freya, the head nurse on the fourth (children's) floor was firmly attached to the outside of the coat. I was shaken, but I would manage. I always did.
I took the shaft elevator down to the morgue, bypassing the fridge and going into the file room in the back. I had to swipe the tag to get the door open, but it took only seconds to process the barcode and unlock the doors, letting me in.
It took a good twenty minutes to find everything I thought would be important before I felt I could leave, locking the doors and dropping the ID tag on the floor so that someone would find it. I was about to call the shaft elevator when I herd voices, distant but growing closer. Dr. Weiss speaking to one, maybe two other people. "I realize you have the proper documents to do this, but there is still patient confidentiality to consider. I've been told to let you take whatever you want, but you could at least tell me what you're looking for!"
There was a murmured response I couldn't make out, as I ran for the stairs. I cracked the door open just enough to slip through and closed it even more softly behind me, catching a few words of the doctor's reply. "...were several cases... see why OZ is interested in... deaths."
I practically flew up the stairs as quietly as I could manage, carefully hiding the folders in my bag and dropping the labcoat somewhere along the way. On the ground floor, I calmed my breathing down to a tolerable level and slipped out of the staircase, walking slowly towards the Emergency entrance, nodding to whoever noticed me. Spread thinly, but there nonetheless, were a handful of OZ soldiers, doubtlessly waiting for the return of Dr. Wiess and whomever I had heard with her with her. Seeing Ms. Henson was waiting by the door for an intern to take her outside, I sidled up beside her and slowly wheeled the woman out into the dimming daylight.
A smile from Ms. Henson is kind of like looking at a desk lamp full on - serious wattage. She patted my arm gently and murmured something about a nice child before Samantha, one of the newest interns, appeared, looking panicked until she saw me with the woman.
Samantha was of course teary-eyed about my leaving, and I personally felt the girl was far too emotional for the kind of work she was supposed to be doing, but I smiled at her nonetheless and wished the girl luck.
Moving to leave, I heard shouts from the soldiers and caught the word 'stolen'. Someone shouted outside and I took off, running faster that I ever have, not waiting to see if the shout had been for me or not. I could hear more arguments and shouting in front of the hospital, and I though someone was chasing me, but I didn't look back, pushing myself faster and faster as I wove through the streets, taking as many shortcuts, back alleys, and crowded thoroughfares as I could remember. It didn't take long to loose them.
I checked my watch and grimaced at the ugly pink wristband, but it couldn't be helped since my nicer piece was smashed over a week ago by one of the cases whose files I now had. Nonetheless, it was later than I had expected, past nine-thirty. I stopped by a takeout joint and grabbed a double super meal of Chinese food, knowing it would hold over well into tomorrow, and expecting that I'd have to feed Duo's friends. I made my way back to the tower, now happier more than ever at how deserted the area always was, and trudged up the stairs to my room.
It had been nice, having a place to myself. When dad and I found it, we'd cleaned it up till it shone, fixing everything up and making it a second home. When dad died, I kind of let it go, not caring much about the dust anymore. It was a retreat, and dammed handy right now to boot. Zoe had used it once, when mom kicked her out, but she could never stay in one place for too long, and she was always too stubborn for her own good. I still wish she had left a note or something when she took off, but its history now.
It was odd, having someone in the place after so long. It'd been over a year at least.
But even I could admit, privately, that I was enjoying the company. Not that I'd ever tell Duo that.
Duo had discovered the A-Team, and the world was good.
"...What we need is a little distraction... You got an atomic bomb?"
"...I want you to be my role model, someone I can turn to when the purple wobblies start to wobble... "
"...I love the smell of a revolution in the morning, it smells like hushpuppies... "
Duo had discovered Murdock. In doing so, he had also discovered that Murdock and orange juice did not mix well together, mainly because the orange juice had a tendency to end up on the vid screen at the most inopportune moments. Yes, Dita had definitely been right, and he *had* to get copies of these disks before he left.
Not wanting to waste the day, he finally took a break from the vid screen and hit the bathroom, intending on grabbing a shower in the hopes that it would make him feel at least a little more human.
Here he found what Dita had been babbling about- towels in the cupboard by the door, and a stack of toiletries on the counter- toothbrush, toothpaste, a hairbrush, deodorant, and a travel-sized shaving kit. Duo grinned and ruefully rubbed his chin, still very bare of hair. Still, it had been... thoughtful of her.
He had a sinking suspicion he'd never *really* understand what the hell was going on in her head. But it also didn't really matter, and he quickly stripped down and showered, careful of his tender shoulder but far too happy to be under running water again.
He had a brief memory of the night he'd stumbled into Dita's home, and blushed when he realized he'd fallen asleep before cleaning himself up, which meant Dita had done so for him. He hadn't even thought of it at the time... really, he didn't have any reason to be embarrassed, he reminded himself, since the guys had done the same for him on more than one occasion... but still... they were *guys*.
Clean and toweled dry, Duo dug around in the duffel bag until he found another pair of sweats to pull on, not bothering with a shirt until he managed his hair. His hand hit something solid and he drew out a sweater, obviously wrapped around something. The 'something' turned out to be a picture, a family portrait, if he guessed right.
Dita was in the middle, grinning and wrapping her arms around the man standing behind her, weaving his arms around hers. A slightly older girl stood just to Dita's side, smiling with her arms crossed defensively and her hip jutting out at an angle. Giving her a one-armed hug was Dita's mother, looking far different from the woman Duo had met before, happier and more together. Her other arm was in a cast from her fingers to her elbow, not white but painted with a multi-coloured design of some kind.
They look pretty happy, he thought to himself. I wonder who that other girl is, a sister maybe? Dita didn't mention her, but she hasn't exactly mentioned her father either, so that's no surprise.
Carefully re-wrapping the photo, he tucked it back into the bag and zipped it up. Braiding his hair as he walked he stopped by the kitchen hoping to find enough food to prepare dinner for himself and Dita. The first fridge held three shelves inside, plus two more on the door. The top shelf held nothing but cans of coke, obviously Dita's drink of choice. The second held bottled water, a good idea, he figured, because of the limited water the tower seemed to have. The bottom shelf was filled with large, flat Tupperware containers, all with brown bottoms and heavily multi-coloured lids. Cracking one open, he found it held paint. Shrugging, Duo switched to the other fridge.
This one seemed a little better, actually holding *food*, more or less. There was a bag of small apples on the bottom beside a bunch of celery and some potatoes and carrots, all looking a little runty but edible nonetheless. A quart of milk, a quart or orange juice, a package of instant bacon, several kinds of cheese, and the remains of a deli chicken. There was jam on the door, along with a few other condiments, and prying a little further Duo found two jars of homemade pickles stashed behind everything else, one labeled 'garlic' and the other labeled 'murder'. He grinned.
The pantry held more promise - food he was used to - non-perishables and canned goods, peanut butter, tins of canned fish and boxes of macaroni and cheese. It felt a *lot* like a safe house. The door opened as he reached for the macaroni, and the smell of Chinese food quickly reached him. Stepping out of the kitchen he helped Dita unload the several bags. "Why'd you buy so much? And how'd you get it through the tunnel?"
Dita grinned back. "I don't have much to offer your friends tomorrow, and I was in the mood for takeout besides. And I made a couple of trips. I'm pretty used to it now." She took the food into the kitchen and quickly filled a paper plate. "Dig in. I managed to grab the files, but I ran into some problems getting out." Grabbing a can of coke from the fridge, she kicked off her shoes and curled up on the couch, setting her dinner on a crate while she pulled the files out of her bag. Having pulled on a spare t-shirt, Duo sat on the opposite couch, using another crate as his own table and accepted the files with a raised eyebrow. Dita grinned wryly, "OZ was there, looking for the files too. They were right behind me when I grabbed the files, and I think they realized, or at least thought, it was me when I ran off. Don't worry," she quickly reassured his troubled look, "I lost them *long* before I came back here. We're still safe. Though I'm going to have to do some work if I don't want to be spotted when I pick up your friends tomorrow. Have they figured out a spot yet?"
Duo choked on his mouthful of noodles and had to wait as he coughed, then drank from his coke can heavily, before he could answer. "'Deets, what makes you think *you're* going to pick them up. I plan to go tomorrow. And no, they haven't picked a place, I'm going to."
Dita frowned. "Duo, there's bloody *want ads* out. A flipping *bounty*. No pictures, but look," she tossed him a folded piece of paper from her back pocket. Unfolding it, Duo realized it was the bounty warrant, advertising fifty thousand credits to anyone 'capturing this terrorist renegade. Under various aliases, he is male, Caucasian, approx. 16, with long brown hair often in a braid and blue eyes. He stands approx 5'4 and dresses in black. Information leading to his arrest will be rewarded. Can be brought in dead or alive.'
Duo whistled, ignoring the glare Dita sent his way. "Yep, looks like whoever sent it out had a good look at me before, which cinches it bein' OZ. Though my eyes are purple, thank you. But they've put these out before and I've avoided 'em. Besides, you seem to be a wanted woman too."
Dita's smile was almost feral "That's true, but *no* one's gonna recognize me tomorrow. You, on the other hand, only need one semi-coherent drunk to blow your cover. I'm going. And do you even *know* a place your friends can meet me at?"
"And how exactly are you going to 'fix' yourself up so no one will recognize you? Far as *I* can tell, you seem to be better known around here than I ever will!"
Dita blinked. "You really don't think I can, do you?" She tapped the side of her empty coke can with a fingernail, the tin clanking hollowly. Her plate was empty, while Duo's was still half full. He wondered idly if she'd grabbed less food or if she'd just eaten faster than he had when she stood, wiping greasy fingers on her jeans. "I bought dinner, you clean up. And look at those files. I don't really know what's going on, but you might. And you can figure out what's in them OZ wants... " she pursed her lips, "Or what OZ *doesn't* want us to have. I'm taking a shower." With that she strode purposefully into her room, stepping out with a pile of clothing and a silver box in her arms as she walked into the bathroom and firmly shut the door.
"I wonder what that was about?" Duo muttered under his breath. He used the time to finish eating, looking through the files as he ate, his worry growing. There wasn't anything outwardly *wrong* about any one case. But together, there were too many coincidences to simply be mistaken as 'freak accidents' or anything else. Looking through the files (over 46 cases worth) he doubted it was a virus. Each victim was male, for one, and roughly between the ages of 14 and 19. All were gang youths, and all showed little signs of substance abuse. It was too... neat. Far too clean for an epidemic that should choose its victims without that kind of... precision. No, these kids *were* chosen. But why?
He thought the dilemma over as he tidied the kitchen, re-wrapping the takeout and grinning as he thought of Wufei's reaction to the 'Chinese' meal. It would be nice to see him and Heero again, Duo admitted to himself. It's too bad Quatre and Trowa are out, but I can't expect too much, and besides, having all of us here is practically overkill! He grinned to himself and grabbed another can of coke. It's nice for Dita to worry, I suppose, but I'm going to have to be the one to pick them up. First of all, I'll recognize them better, and they know me. And I don't want her dragged any further into this than she already is. OZ will probably recognize her. I know they've got their eyes out for me, but I'm used to that. He fingered his braid. "Yeah," he sighed. "I'm the one to go."
The door to the bathroom opened and Duo glanced at his watch, surprised that it had been over two hours and he hadn't noticed. Dita stepped out.
Had he not been absolutely certain that there was no other entrance to that bathroom, he probably would have pulled out his gun and demanded to see Dita immediately. As it was, he let his jaw fall open and left it there.
Dita... Dita's hair was black now, instead of the mouse brown. It no longer fell to her shoulders, now cut sharply at an angle, her bangs falling a few centimeters below her chin, the cut swiftly rising to the back of her neck.
The long-sleeved shirt and jeans were gone, but they weren't replaced with her club outfit from the night before. Instead, Dita wore a corseted, cropped shirt, exposing her midriff and a bellybutton-ring. The top was black, laced in the front with red silk and sat low. Short, off the shoulder sleeves puffed out, only to be cinched inches lower by a giant, silver buckle around her forearm. Her pants were black too, laced as well with the red silk, and very tight, flaring only at the ankles. The slit up each side exposed her outer leg from ankle to hip. Fighting the urge to blush - the pants rode *very* low and were partially see-through - Duo yanked his eyes up, noticing how well the top emphasized her chest. Yanking his eyes again farther up, where a heavily studded choker wrapped around Dita's neck, Duo noticed the tattoos once again, this time uncovered completely. He also realized Dita was blushing as well.
"Don't look much like myself, do I? Can you help me tie the top? It's laced in the back and I can't see... " She purposefully didn't meet his eyes as Duo nodded, stepping around the girl.
The top was laced in the back, with a larger gap down the middle than was in the front and exposing her skin, though the lacings this time were black. Her back fully exposed, Duo took a minute to examine the sprawling design across Dita's neck, shoulderblades and back as he pulled the top tight.
It was a rosebush, a thorny briar-patch, done in rich shades of green and red. The stems twisted and wove around themselves and her skin, thorns looking almost alive. A handful of roses bloomed in different stages, sparse amongst the greenery. It was easily one of the nicest pieces of laser tattooing he'd ever seen, and he told Dita as much.
Her blush deepened and spread down her neck as she stepped away, defiantly meeting Duo's eyes. "So? Think anyone would recognize me now? Would *you* if you saw me on the street?"
Duo shook his head.
"This is why *I'll* meet your friends. You can't do this," she gestured to her outfit and fingered her hair, "but I can. Get it?"
"And you're only putting yourself into more danger!"
The red in her cheeks deepened again, but this time in anger, "Danger? Danger!? You *dare* talk to me about *danger?* Have you *looked* around lately? I'm sharing a room with a fucking Gundam Pilot - and I'll be rooming with two more tomorrow! If OZ found out, I'd be shot - which, I'll remind you, my mother *was*, in her own HOME, when she'd done nothing WRONG! I was almost raped in the hospital, I was a minute from being found by OZ getting those documents, and if I walk down the wrong street at the wrong time in the wrong colour in this place, I'll be shot - or worse! I can't *get* much deeper into the "danger" my dear, stupid boy." She exhaled loudly and let some of the anger go, her skin returning to its normal shade, but the resolve was still in her expression. "Now, will you let me go pick up your friends, or shall I taunt you a second time?"
Duo paused, then grinned as he placed the quote, remembering he'd seen Monty Python's Grail listed on one of the vid disks. He didn't want to let her go, but she had a point, and more specifically, Duo really doubted he could convince Dita otherwise anyway. Raising his hands in defeat, he sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright. I know when to give up a lost argument. You *do* look completely different, that's for certain." Duo fought, and won to keep the blush off his face, pulling his laptop out and opening it, pulling up his e-mail program. "Where should I be sending them to meet you, oh great one? And... what happened in the hospital?"
Dita tugged his braid from behind and leaned over Duo's shoulder, looking at the computer screen. "I'm fine... it was just some jerk thinking with the wrong head. I... dealt with it." She grinned widely, the sobered.. "Send your friends to the White Lotus. It's a club east of here, at the corner of Jackson and Finch. You said they'd be ready by one, right? Tell them to be there for... eight. Any earlier and it'll look bad."
Duo typed out the address and club name, keeping his eyes glued to the computer screen. She's either teasing me or completely clueless, he thought fiercely as his eyes slipped sideways at Dita's chest, which was leaning over his shoulder and giving him one *hell* of a view. Swallowing hard he stared back at the screen. "What'll look bad?"
Dita laughed lightly, stepping back, much to Duo's relief, and planted her hands on her hips. Winking at Duo when he turned to look at her, she grinned slyly. "Haven't you figured it out yet Duo? I'm not picking them up, they're picking *me* up. The Lotus is a strip club."
Duo laughed so hard I worried about whether or not he could breathe. Despite the fact that I felt like I was going to fall out of the damned top any minute, I leaned over and clapped him on the back, hoping he'd calm down.
Eventually he sat straighter, wiping tears from streaming eyes and sighing contently. "Man, Deets," he commented, "you sure know how to choose 'em!"
"I'm certain I have *no* idea what you're talking about." I batted my eyelashes at him and he burst out laughing again, sputtering so hard I grabbed him a bottle of water and left him there while I changed into decent clothing.
I stripped in my room, changing into cutoffs and a t-shirt to sleep in, setting the outfit aside for tomorrow. The clothing had been Zoe's, left behind when she took off. I never knew why I'd kept it, really, though I suppose subconsciously it was in the hope she'd come back one day. All I knew was that having it now was a bonus, and that was all.
My hair felt... weird. My bangs kept falling into my eyesight and I tried not to jump as I saw them as black instead of brown. My head felt... lighter, somehow. I think I liked the haircut, something I would never have tried before now. It was... different.
Duo had calmed down by the time I'd returned, still sitting in front of the laptop. Turning to me he smiled. "Is that everything they need to know?"
I nodded. "So long as they've got an idea as how to recognize me. They know what to look like themselves, right?"
Duo grinned. "They should, and I'll remind them." He turned back to the computer, typing lightly on the keys before hitting send. It was probably close to midnight, but I wasn't very tired. I grabbed a bottle of water for myself and a package of saltines from the cupboard and sat next to Duo, watching as he typed another e-mail to someone else. He sent it and smiled, turning to grin at me. I wondered if he ever stopped smiling. "They got the message, they'll be there."
I nodded. "Good, now, who are *they*?"
Duo blinked. "What?"
I pointed to the computer. "Who are they? You told me 01 and 05 this morning. I know I saw three on the screen back at home, and since 03 was hurt, that means it was 04 at the time. I know two names, but not who they belong to- H'ro and Wufei. And now I'm going to meet one, both or possibly none of them, so I'd like to know what I'm doing." I shook my head wryly. "So, who are they?"
"H'ro?" Duo asked, confused.
I sighed. "H'ro and Wufei, you talked about in your sleep. Well, actually, you thought *I* was 'H'ro', but you mentioned Wufei as well."
"Ah." Duo blushed lightly, though I didn't know why. I ignored it as he continued. "Well, you'll be meeting *Heero* and Wufei tomorrow. That's 01 and 05. Wufei is Chinese, black hair in a ponytail - "
"A bad temper and a habit of calling females 'woman?"
"Yeah, that's him. How long were you talking to him before you woke me up?"
"Long enough. Was Heero the blonde or the silent one with the death glare?"
"Death glare. That's Heero. Well, at least you'll be able to pick them out."
"Yeah, that'll help... " looking at the files open on the couch, I motioned to them. "Did you find anything?"
"Enough to keep me here. Nothing solid, but Wufei and Heero are bringing some information of their own, and I think that'll help figure out what this is. Thanks, by the way. For showing me. You didn't need to."
I smiled. "Yeah well, I wanted to. Did you watch the A-team?"
"I'm not nuts, I'm condiments. I've been promoted."
"I see. Want to watch some more before going to bed?"
Duo rubbed his hands together gleefully. "And how... "
Crossing my legs at the ankles and leaning back, I scanned the club again. They weren't here yet, but they would be soon. Knowing who they were, they'd either be here at eight on the dot or they'd be early. Glancing at the watch on the wrist of the guy next to me, I squinted until I could make out the time - 7:45. They'd be here soon.
I was seated at one of the corner tables, quietly sipping some fruity drink with one of those phony little umbrellas. I could see the door and watched with 'interest' those who came in. It was still 'early' by street times, but the place was still busy. Smiling but shaking my head at another male who approached, who simply shrugged and turned to find someone else, I waited. As I'd guessed, they came early.
They were hard *not* to spot. In theory they were the youngest here, but since half the club's clientele was in the 16-19 age group, it was a moot point. But they walked in with purpose, stopping in surprise as they took in the club's interior. Still, I had to give them credit, as Temper, or I should say Wufei, lead them to a table by the corner, and only a few feet from mine.
I bit my cheek to keep from grinning *too* hard. This was going to be *fun*.
Though I haven't actually done any of this before, I'd watched my sister enough to know the basics. And besides, like everything around here, 90% of it is attitude.
I stood and made my way to their table, slowly but obviously. Sizing the two up, I decided Wufei was probably the one to push the most, since I didn't think he'd kill me outright - Heero I wasn't too sure about.
I went for the direct approach: I sat on his lap. Curling my arms around his neck and crossing my legs for effect, I whispered into his ear even as I prayed the tense teen would let me speak before he snapped, considering how badly he was shaking.
"Relax, Duo sent me."
"WHAT?!"
He jumped up, dumping me onto the floor and into the table. Heads turned - those not already occupied - as I carefully stood and re-arranged myself. Whoever he was, he wasn't as quick on the uptake as Duo tended to be. Now I needed to do some damage control. Still, it was partially my fault for pushing him, but he *could* have been quieter.
I quirked an eyebrow and planted my hands on my hips. "I'm not *that* expensive, doll. And believe me, it's worth it!"
Those watching broke out into laughter, turning away from the scene and back to their own entertainment. I continued the farce, enjoying how red the Asian teen was becoming. "Besides *darling*, Max already paid me. Though, if you sweeten the deal, I can make it a two-for-one?" I jabbed my head in Heero's direction, the dark boy still seated with his arms crossed and glaring for all he was worth. When I met his eyes and winked, he scowled.
"Come on, have a little fun. Max said I was to show you two a good time, after all. He even set up a place. Oh," I pouted, letting a fingernail trace up Wufei's arm and watching the muscles tense underneath it. I debated kissing his cheek, but decided I liked my head where it was. Instead, I twirled his ponytail around my finger as I leaned in a little further. "Max says to tell you Death says hello. Are you coming?"
Wufei opened his mouth, practically growling. "Ounna... "
Heero stood before Temper could finish, nodding to the both of us and leaving the building without a word. "Well," I drawled, slipping my arm around Wufei's and hoping (despite how much fun I was having) that he wouldn't kill me for this later, "Seems like your friend's in the mood. Doesn't say much, but he's hot. Not that you aren't, of course." I giggled. "Let's go before he leaves us. Want to go to Max's place, or do you have somewhere else in mind?"
Come on, big ugly, I thought to myself, get with the program.
Wufei managed to force a response through clenched teeth. "Max - Max's place will be... *fine.*"
I smiled. "Wonderful."
Wufei felt the woman's arm tighten around his and he fought the urge to throw her to the ground again. How could she- he mentally shook his head and forced himself to focus on the path they were taking, pointedly ignoring the... banter... the - what was she? - A prostitute, most likely. Why in all seven hells would Duo send a prostitute to meet him?! It was- It was disgusting!
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself back on the path and occasionally looked to Heero, who had calmly offered the woman his other arm as they headed down the street. He didn't know how the hell Yuy could be so dammed *nonchalant* about all this! Just by how she was dressed it was obvious what she was - anyone who saw them would *know* Gods damn it!
Maxwell was getting a mouthful - as soon as Wufei made sure he was alive. He wondered if this wasn't an elaborate plot by OZ, and if the girl wasn't leading them into a trap. She didn't look like the female who had answered the call on Duo's computer those days ago. It could well be-
He flinched. She'd grabbed his *ass*! Of all the-
Heero looked over his shoulder. "Wufei, relax. She's... supposed to do that."
Part of his attention mapped the course they were taking in case they would need to leave quickly, while the rest of him watched the girl on his arm stiffen, then smile at him, eyes brown and heavily made-up. Briefly, she hugged his arm, before returning to her conversation about what 'Max' had done last week at a supposed club. Heero made no comment, and Wufei clamped his mouth shut with an abbreviated growl.
He wondered why Duo had sent the girl at first, but there were 'wanted' posters on several walls they walked by, and it wasn't hard to see the description, as well as the 'reward'. Which meant Duo was doing the intelligent thing and lying low, for once. It was unusual for the boy, but Heero also knew he'd been shot. A shoulder wound was normally not a big deal to any of the pilots, but it could have gotten worse, another reason to stay back.
The girl here was the same one who answered Duo's computer days ago, now looking extremely different. Though Heero wondered why, he could wait for an explanation.
They walked through half a dozen alleys and lots and past even more buildings, each in a state of disrepair. As they turned up another street, Heero realized the girl was purposefully leading them through the most complicated route possible - his eyes narrowed minutely as he wondered the reason. To confuse them, or to confuse anyone who might be following them?
She giggled, though it sounded forced to Heero's ears. He couldn't say that for certain, since he was far from expert on emotions. Wufei's emotions, however, he was well aware of. Right down to the tension in the Asian's face as his teeth clenched and the fist he convulsively clenched on the hand not currently occupied with the girl. Heero had seen Wufei angry, but if he had to guess, this wasn't just anger in the Chinese pilot. It was also likely embarrassment.
But he couldn't say so for certain, since as said before, he wasn't an expert on emotions.
The girl finally slowed, bringing them to a dilapidated shack next to a raised garden. Slipping inside, she waited for the two to follow before shutting the door behind them. Wufei, traditionally, was the one speak first.
"Woman! What are we going to do *now?* I see-
She shook her head violently and kicked him in the shins, surprising him enough to stop his tirade, though Heero doubted she'd hurt the pilot. Pitching her voice, she spoke even as she moved to pull boxes and dirt from the centre of the floor. "Come on babe, it's not too bad. I cleaned up just for you."
She held her finger over her mouth, eyes forceful, as she pulled a handle that had been hidden in the dirt. A door opened in the ground, sending clouds of dust and dirt into the air. She motioned for Heero and Wufei to go down, and when the Chinese pilot sputtered angrily, Heero shook his head, pulling the Asian down the dark steps. The door shut behind them plunging them into darkness, but that only lasted a few moments before a flashlight clicked on and the tunnel was illuminated.
"Come on, this way."
The playful tone was gone from her voice as she led them down the tunnel, the swagger gone from her step as well. Heero wondered if the whole attitude had simply been an act, and if so, for what cause? To convince them Duo had sent her, in which case leading them to an OZ trap? Or for another reason altogether?
Wufei sputtered angrily, occasionally slipping into Japanese and Mandarin when the girl didn't answer him. Heero wondered why she had upset him so badly. She was obviously doing what she needed to, to look the part of a prostitute - of which Heero was now convinced she wasn't really. So what had set the other teen off?
She led them through the tunnel and to a blockade, turning a deaf ear to the Chinese pilot's sarcastic remarks about her sense of direction as she kneeled down, mutely handing Heero the flashlight and crawling into a tunnel he hadn't seen until then. Knowing Wufei would follow without needing to be told, Heero simply followed the girl into the tunnel and out again, both waiting for the third teen to emerge.
He appeared, *still* ranting, though he'd dropped his volume down to almost speaking levels. Without hesitation, the girl retrieved the flashlight from Heero's hands and continued to lead the two down the tunnel and to a brown, wooden door.
Playing with Wufei had been fun for all of five minutes. Now all I wanted to do was punch him!
Hadn't he *ever* learned any street smarts? He was loud and obvious and damnit if he called me 'woman' one more time...
After he'd spoken up on the street, I figured out Heero knew, or at least had an idea, of what I was doing. He was a smart one, and cute to boot, even if he was a little scary looking, truthfully. I decided I liked him better than Temper. If nothing else, because he knew when to be *quiet*.
Wufei had done nothing but question and rant since we entered the tunnel. I recognized his tone, and knew from the start it would be useless to even *attempt* to answer. He wouldn't like or believe anything I said, simply because *I* was the one to say it. So I said nothing, leading them through the tunnel and up the ungodly stairs to the hidden door, opening it to the hideout. Duo was sitting on the couch, having pulled half a dozen crates together to make a table to spread all the files out on. One hand held a sandwich while the other typed info into his laptop. He grinned and waved welcome, eyes lighting up as his friends stepped up behind me.
I turned around in time to see an angled hand falling towards me, and stars exploded in my eyes. Then I knew no more.
End Part 6
Evil, aren't I?
(:./elemental/ident6)
