29-Dec-2002
Title: Magic Happens Part 21
Author: Ebonydove
Archived: aenai.steelsong.com and with Team Rocket & Shinigami's Castle.
Warnings: language, lots of sap, slight angst, yaoi. Also wanted to mention that I have taken great liberties with Duo's past, so for you purists out there... don't hang me.
Spoilers: none
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: still not making any money off anything here...
Summary: Heero & Duo are on the run from a group out to destroy Relena and Quatre's hard work for the peace process and fair trade policies in the colonies.
Author's note: I have to say that I have been in a terrible slump and working like a damned fool, so my writing has been taking the toll for it. There are a lot of loose ends to be cleaned up in this chapter, so for those of you who have stuck through to the end, you're feedback is craved more than chocolate covered Duo's... really. ><
I held my breath and glanced to Trowa, who was standing ram-rod straight and dead locked on his own target before turning my attention back to Trakener and Relena at the opposite end of the room from me. Relena was scared, but had it more together than I had expected her to. And as for Trakener; she was an ice queen not revealing even the slightest hint of her intentions as she held the gun to Relena's head. Tiny whips of smoke and gas were seeping their way in from the hallway and swirling around my ankles as I waited for her to respond to Heero's quiet, threatening voice. Gladly, I didn't have to wait long.
"We both know you won't do anything to harm your pretty princess, Heero. So you may as well stop glaring at me like that. You know who I am and what I want, so let's skip the pleasantries and get down to demands."
"I know that you're insane. And seeing that you think you know me so well, you should also know that I wouldn't give you the code. So it seems we are at an impasse."
I wanted to roll my eyes at Heero's negotiating skills, but I was still busy watching the Brute. He and I had a score to settle of our own and he knew it. I just needed something to break the tension so I could make my move.
"Heero please, you know the code for the Preventer's personnel files was just a red herring. No one would really pay for those. Anyone with any brains already has figured out that the Gundam pilots are all employed by Une and that fool of a president. There's no money in selling that information." She cocked her head and smiled a nasty little self-appreciating smile. "Give me what I want or she dies. It's that simple."
"The access codes to those accounts have been changed by Lady Une herself. I don't have access to them anymore than Relena does."
"You're lying. You were the only one who had access to those funds. I was there when Relena and Quatre Winner handed over the management of the security of those accounts to you. And I know that you always leave yourself a back door in any program you develop. So don't try to fool me on this Heero. It was you after all that trained me."
"You mean to tell us that all this espionage and drama about the code Heero developed to protect the agents working in secret for the Preventers and the interests of the earth and colonies was all just bullshit? The power struggle between StarQuest and the E.S.U.N. to try to monopolize free trade rights and distribution of resources between the earth and colonies was all a rouse? Blackmail? All you were really after was... the money?!" I probably shouldn't have opened my big yapper, but I mean really, everything I had been going through for the past weeks was to protect a damned code that I thought was to protect those very things and this psycho-bitch just wanted money? Heero was protecting assets including the E.S.U.N.'s bankroll, not the people who worked for them or the Preventers. I wanted to laugh out loud. Right after I was done screaming my frickin' head off.
"Tell your little lackey to keep the running commentary to himself, Heero." She spat in my general direction as she began to inch she and Relena against the wall. "This has gone on long enough. I thought for sure that the fire at Preventer's headquarters would inspire you to come up with them, and if not that, than the disappearance of your long time partner from the wars, or the assassination of Quatre Raberba Winner, certainly would."
"You're the only lackey here. And as Duo or Quatre, I'd never allow them to come to harm." Heero growled back.
I felt more than saw Trowa tense at the mention of a threat against Quatre. She didn't know that the guy was right outside bleeding in the rose bushes waiting for us to settle this whole thing and I certainly wasn't going to give her the satisfaction by filling her in on that little detail. And we all knew how much harm I had come to in the past weeks. As for Quatre, I would have spared him all this in the first place had I known it was just about money. I would've just come on my own and taken all these StarQuest lunatics out myself, but Heero had developed this 'all for one mentality' over the past years that was as obnoxious as it was endearing. When my attention finally returned to Trakener, she was still trying to make her way over to where I was standing in front of the doorway to the hall, but I wasn't about to budge. I still had my sights on the Brute and wasn't going to let her distract me from my target. Plus Heero had her covered anyway.
"Hmm, just like you didn't allow your... what is he, Heero? Your... boytoy? Your tryst? Your own little whore... come to harm? Didn't do that very well, now did you? He was an easy little catch and should have gotten me what I wanted, but... ah well sometimes even the best-laid plans can fail. Still, all you had to do was compromise and give me a few little numbers to access those accounts and I would have left your little plaything alone. I've known you for a long time now Heero, and you never once even mentioned him. I didn't think you'd take it so hard. I mean really, you trained me to protect your true love while you went after the big, bad global terrorists, so I was more than appalled when I realized it was him you wanted to protect and not our own little princess here. And I thought you were so mad about her. Imagine how surprised I was that you decided to go slumming with... that and she gave her heart to a washed-up, pencil-pushing, honorless ex-gundam pilot from a non-existent colony no less. Will wonders never cease?"
I wanted so very much to march over there and knock that sneer of her face, especially for trying to insult Wufei, but I simply grinned at her as she continued to throw insults and inch slowly around the desk. I knew where Heero's heart was and nothing she could say now would come between us after what we had been through in the past weeks. Besides, I had been called far worse than trash and by far better than her to get upset over it. Her attempt to distract any of us from our goal was laughable. Heero glanced at me anyway, to register my reaction so I had to give him some sign that I was fine and winked. He looked smug when he made eye contact with her again.
"You can't hurt him anymore to get to me. And believe me when I say that you'll pay dearly for what you've done to him."
"Hmm. Well, I really wasn't the one who did him, now was I, Marcus?"
"Yeah, he tasted real nice."
My stomach lurched as my brain registered the words that the Brute's low voice had spoken. He was wearing a sickening grin on his face and try as I did to avoid it, I felt the world tilt from the implication.
"He's lying, Duo." I heard Trowa say quietly. I knew that he was nearby, but suddenly everything seemed very distant.
From my peripheral view I saw Heero move forward, then heard Relena whimper as Trakener pressed the gun harder against her temple. "Don't move another inch, Yuy. You're upsetting our little princess."
He froze and I watched as a tear rolled down Relena's face and drip onto the carpet. "Please, don't." She whispered and I realized then how very scared she was.
"Funny, that's what he said as I took him and just before I buried him." Brute leered at me and winked.
I swallowed as the bile began to rise in my throat and I began sweating. I felt like all attention was suddenly on me and I blinked to regain my focus on the present situation. The infinite possibilities that could have occurred while I was out cold raced around and around in my skull and then suddenly I was back in that dank, dark hole, with no light and no sound. I could feel my blood pumping harder and my stomach twist again. I couldn't let my emotions cause me to do something foolish, despite the anger and fear that was bubbling and gurgling up inside me. Everything I had gone through would've been for nothing if Relena was harmed, or Heero's codes were compromised. But the fact that I really had no idea what had happened to me from the time I passed out at that fire to when Heero and the others had found me in the grave was terrifying. Anything could have happened. I mean... once you pass out, it's free game.
Stirring in the back of my mind, in the very dark places I tried to forget, was the knowledge that I had been... touched in the past. I had been fondled, and abused, without being able to prevent it. The idea that this thug had seen me vulnerable and took advantage of it, then tried to bury me in the ground like a dog made me doubt again if any god did exist in this universe. I didn't dare take my eyes off of the monster in front of me, but I couldn't seem to beat back the darkness that was creeping in on all sides.
All I could think was it was over. Everything... was just over. How could Heero and I make a life with each other after all this? It took two wars to avenge all the terrible things that had been done to me and the ones I loved. It took me two long years to face up to my complacency, and join the world of the living again. It took all my strength and courage to find my heart and place in this crazy world. And I had hoped with Heero. Everything I had suffered was all supposed to be for something, to make a difference, wasn't it?
I was suddenly very, very angry. I could feel it welling up from somewhere deep down inside me. Someplace from where I had locked away all my fear, and doubt and pain came a razor sharp clarity. I was tired of letting these things have control over me. I was tired of trying to understand why I had been through all the things I had been in the past weeks, or months, or even years and just accepted them for what they were. Things best left in the past. They had no more place in my future whether it was with Heero, or not. I had to let my demons lie and focus on the here and now. And that meant dealing with the Brute who threatened to steal away my chances for happiness with nothing more than hollow words and pale innuendo. I took a slow, shaky breath and relaxed my posture. I wouldn't let them win. I wouldn't let anyone have that kind of power over me anymore. I glanced quickly to Heero, then back to the Brute, before giving him my best Shinigami glare and bringing my sight back up to his forehead.
"Enough witty banter. Time is ticking, Heero. We can't stay in this standoff much longer. Why not just give me the codes and let me disappear into nothingness? Granted, I have no aversion in killing the best and last chance for free trade and ultimately peace in the universe for nothing more than a payoff, but you see... I don't limit myself to the things that you Gundam pilots have. I don't care about her peace, or her world. I don't care about the men you protect in the field, or the politicians in the wings. This world owes me and it's time to get paid. Don't you think?"
"I think you're nothing but a common thief." Heero growled back.
"Ahh, no Heero. I'm anything but... common." Without the slightest hesitation she swung her gun to where Wufei was laying on the floor in front of Relena's desk and fired. A scream from Relena followed and all hell broke loose.
Trowa and I both fired our weapons within seconds of each other, as did the Brute and the skinny guy before diving for cover. Skinny guy when down like a ton of bricks and the Brute dove behind a powder blue loveseat across from me. Trowa slid behind a wingback chair and fired again as I dove behind it's match not too far from him. Thank god that Relena liked a lot of puffy furniture in her office. The chair I was behind took three more bullets without them passing through, a good sign of craftsmanship in my mind as I returned fired on the Brute's position. Heero had also dove for cover behind the matching loveseat diagonal from the Brutes' as Trakener dragged a screaming and fighting Relena behind the overturned desk and shoved her hard to the floor. Two bullets hit the wall behind them from Heero's careful aim causing Relena to huddle against the wall as Trakener fired back at Heero.
I peeked my head out from around the chair and saw the skinny guy's blood seeping into the off-white carpeting and noticed that the hit Wufei had taken in the leg from Trakener's second shot was causing him to do the same. He had woken with a start when he took the second hit and was now wide-awake and obviously in a great deal of pain as he reached for his leg. As he moved I could see the first shot he had taken when he and Heero stormed the room was a shoulder wound and looked more like a graze, which I was glad about, but it too was bleeding sluggishly. Then I figured he had been in the way when I blew my bomb in the hallway by the way his head was oozing a thick slick of blood above his left eye.
"Duo!"
I ducked back behind my poofy chair and turned to Trowa who was calling my name. He gave me a sign that he was going to lay cover while I moved to take out the Brute. I nodded and crouched low ready to spring across the room and tackle him while he reloaded his gun.
Trowa fired twice at the Brute's loveseat, causing him to return four shots of his own before hunching over to reload. I took a big breath and made my move. I scrambled from behind the chair and dove over the loveseat knocking us into the wall with the forward momentum. He hit his head hard off the chair-rail and dropped his gun. I was out of bullets myself so I kicked his gun out of the way and gave him a hard punch to the head as I rolled off him.
I forgot how big the guy was and how agile he could be for such a brick shithouse. He grabbed my ankle and pulled it hard before giving me a good shot to my bad shoulder. My head was screaming with adrenaline and the blood pumping hard through my body gave me a little head rush. I twisted back around and swung again, but he blocked and yanked my foot hard and twisted. I felt the ankle give a little and cringed slightly. I struck out with the foot he was twisting and connected with his jaw almost allowing myself to yell out with pain as I felt the ankle strain. He let go of my foot and fell backwards enough for me to sit up and turn around.
As I turned, I knocked into a small endtable next to the sofa and had to duck out of the way as a heavy crystal lamp crashed to the floor in front of us. I grabbed the base and smashed it hard into his head as he lunged forward and was satisfied as he finally went down.
It didn't keep me for wanting to kill him though. That desire was so strong I could almost taste it like some tangible thing. I wanted to gut him, and bury his sorry ass in the ground like he had done to me, but I turned my attention instead to Wufei who was still laying prone on the floor in front of Relena's desk. Just on the other side of it was Trakener, who was firing on Heero and occasionally Trowa. Neither of them could get a good shot with Wufei in the way and Relena still behind her, so they were just keeping her pinned while I took out the Brute.
We had her completely surrounded. It was a classic three-pronged approach and she had no way out. I'm sure she knew it too, because suddenly the fury of gunshots had ceased and all I could hear was Wufei's breathing as he tried to move away from the desk.
"Damn you Heero... it didn't have to be this way!" Trakener suddenly screamed out and I heard Relena gasp. We all feared the worse. People do desperate things in situations like this but despite how well Heero trained her, I don't think that she had the stomach to eat a bullet. That meant shooting Relena was still a possibility.
Next thing I knew the gun came sailing over the ruined desktop and landed in front of Wufei, who in turn grabbed it and sat up waiting for Trakener to move from out behind it. Relena scrambled out from behind the desk first and I watched as she moved over to Wufei and proceeded to crawl directly into his lap. Tears were still streaming down her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered to him softly. I only caught the first part of her muffled apology to him. For what I had no idea.
Trakener slowly rose with her arms above her head and a wild look in her eye. All my senses were still itching as she slowly walked around the desk and stood in front of Wufei and Relena who were huddled on the floor together. I didn't want them caught in the crossfire if Trakener made a last ditch effort to flee and take them down in passing.
"You win, Heero. I guess you always were the best. We could have taken over the world you and I... we didn't have to be on opposite sides in this. We could have made a lot of money with no bloodshed at all, but still you resisted all that I tried to offer you. You killed all my dreams Heero... " She looked at me and before I had a chance to even register that she had a second gun, she pulled it out from somewhere and fired.
I heard Heero shoot and shout my name, then a flurry of gunshots going off at the same time right before everything went quite dark. I hit the ground laughing. I can't believe she actually shot me. Now I was absolutely certain that there was no god. Because if there was, I wouldn't be dying for the almighty dollar.
End Part 21
(:./ebony/magic21)
