22-Feb-2001
Disclaimer: I don't own GW. I'm poor. Go bug someone with money. This story is for entertainment only. It has yaoi, death, violence, and things that may offend. If you can't deal, don't read. Here we go again folks!
He was floating in a sea of darkness and pain. Everywhere agonizing nothingness filled space. Alone. Again. All his life people left him. Died and left him behind. Duo sobbed. He was so tired of being the last one.
"Duo," a soft voice called to him. "It's OK. We're here."
Far away a bright light made its way toward him. Soon the outline of seven people could clearly be seen. As they came closer, the young man's tears turned to ones of joy. They hadn't gone. They kept their promise!
Duo could see Quatre clearly. The poor blond looked furious. An expression the others tried to hide.
"Quatre?" He didn't understand why the Arab was so angry. They were together again. Forever this time.
"I'm sorry we failed you, Duo." The blond said quietly, avoiding looking at his living friend. "We thought waiting would get us more information. All it got was you hurt."
Duo looked at each face carefully. None of them would meet his eyes. No. No. NO.
"I want to go with you," he called to them. "Please, I don't want to be left alone again!" He was dead. He had to be!
Suddenly, his friends surrounded him so fast he didn't see them move; a sure sign they were in his subconscious again. Whenever nightmares threatened, the seven found their way into his mind, easing the fear. Now they all held him close, trying to stop the tears threatening. Why did he always end up so very alone? He lost Solo and the gang. Then Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. Why did the list have to get longer? Why?
"Shhhh," Treize soothed, running a hand through his hair gently. "We want you to be with us too, my little pilot, but you have much to do."
"Someone wants to start the wars again," Wufei put in, clutching one of the American's hands to his chest.
"Make everything we fought and died for useless." Trowa said. Fire glowed in his emerald eyes.
"Please, koi," Heero begged, softly. "Go back. Be what you really are. Make them pay!" Duo felt sympathy build for the Japanese man. Of them all, he hated war and killing the most. The scars the wars left on his soul clearly visible.
"And afterwards," Zechs smiled and nibbled at their loves neck. "If you still want to come to us..."
"We will be waiting," Une whispered into his ear. Blowing softly over the sensitive parts, she purred a little.
"With open arms," Quatre promised.
All of the ghosts descended on the American, burying him in sensation until his mind could not take the intensity any longer and forced him to wake.
Duo awoke in a bed, a sobbing Hilde clutching his arm. A headache like he'd never had before claimed his attention at first. Turning to view the crying woman, the former pilot discovered his upper right shoulder also hurt terribly. For another thing, an awful, shrill whine filled his ears.
"He's awake," a strange voice said to his right. A quick glance showed a man in an ambulance uniform. So he was on his way to a hospital. With Hilde.
"Duo?" There she was now. "Duo, are you OK? Can you understand me?"
"Hilde," he rasped. How could he be so thirsty?
"Don't talk," the young woman hastily told him. "I was outside your house when a man attacked me." No need to tell him how long she'd been there or why just yet. If only the bastard who attacker her hadn't turned off all the surveillance equipment. "When I came to, this noise was coming out of your house. I ran to see what it was. The house looked like a bomb went off, but there was no fire damage. I found you on the floor and called an ambulance. I-I-I thought you were dead; that I'd failed you."
The last thing he saw was her tear filled eyes before unconsciousness reclaimed him. The others came back and comforted him. It didn't do much good. Duo wanted to stay. The living world held nothing but loneliness and pain. Yet they were adamant; he was going back and finishing the business.
If he was honest with himself, Duo had to admit to wanting a chance to balance the scales. Whoever killed the pilots and Une deserved to die. In a very painful, slow manner. No one else existed who could deliver such a fate. Finally, his loves could stay no longer and Duo made the journey to wakefulness alone.
He awoke in a room to the sound of machines beeping softly. Several I.V.s ran along his arm, but fortunately the doctors hadn't put a tube down his throat. The things were annoying. A shadow outside the window of this room wore a Preventer uniform. Maybe someone was taking him seriously. About damn time.
Carefully, moving, the once terrorist pulled the I.V.s from his arm. The stitches made the whole thing take too much time. Sooner or later the killers would return and he did not need anything keeping him pinned down. The next time they met, Duo was getting some answers. Period. At least someone kept the hospital from cutting his hair.
He was in the process of finding his clothes when the door flew open and Queen Relena Peacecraft, followed by a small army of Preventers, all but glided into the room. She stopped so suddenly several people ran into her. Duo had been bending over when the young ruler entered the room; thus she and the lead bodyguards, Sally Po and Dorothy included, got a wonderful view of his delectable bottom.
"What the hell?" He yelled turning and pulling the back of his gown closed. "Don't you knock?"
"You're supposed to be unconscious!" Relena complained. "How was I supposed to know you'd be running around flashing people?" And why does my stomach feel so funny from seeing you like that, the woman wondered silently.
"I'm trying to find my clothes," he complained back, "and they don't make these things with backs."
"Ummm, Duo," Hilde said from somewhere in the back, "you only had a towel on when you came in."
"Oops," a blush covered his cheeks. "Sorry about that. But you should have knocked."
"You're right. I apologize." Several people's mouths dropped open at her statement. Duo's included.
"We need to talk Mr. Maxwell." Relena turned to her guards. "Please wait outside."
"Miss Relena," Dorothy began.
"I'll be fine, Dorothy. We both know Duo has always been an honest and trustworthy person."
Duo's jaw was now on the floor. She trusted him? Since when?
The crowd quickly left the room, leaving him alone with someone who just days ago wanted to put him in a mental ward.
"What's with the sudden change of heart, Queenie?"
Relena opened her mouth to snap at the insolent young man. However, a look of calm replaced the annoyance. She deserved his comments.
"After Millardo's death, I was angry with the world. Losing Une, then Heero only made it worse. Can you imagine what it felt like?" Seeing his expression, she added. "Sorry, I know you can. You had it far worse than I.
Yet, I felt all alone. No one to talk to. Then you came along and started talking about murder and ghosts, sound insane. I was so mad at you."
Duo looked shocked. "Mad at me?!"
Relena gave a little laugh. "Yes. You were the last of the Gundam pilot. Just your living gave faith and strength to go on. But you went crazy, or so it seemed, and the world became a darker place.
I was also afraid you would hurt yourself to be with the others. I couldn't lose you too. Not everyone. I just couldn't."
"So what changed your mind? The cameras Hilde set up?"
"You knew about that?" Then she remembered he talked to the spirits. They must have told him.
Duo saw the knowledge light up her eyes. "That's right. Their not the kind of people to keep important things from me."
"So I saw you were telling the truth. The Preventers were sent to your house immediately, but came to late. The attack came as a complete surprise. Hilde's equipment was turned off and there are no images of the men to form pictures. Do you remember anything?"
Duo stared at her for a long time. He wanted to trust her, but anything he told her could cause the assassins to go after her.
'Trust her,' Heero whispered.
For more than an hour, the two talked. Relena told him about a series of murders involving former OZ personnel. Each looked like an accident, suicide, or unrelated act of violence. Yet, Sally dug deeper and found discrepancies.
Duo rolled it around in his head for a moment. Whatever this thing was, it was big. OZ, Gundam, who else? A piece of the puzzle was missing; the part Duo needed to make sense of the picture.
A soft sound reached his ears. A thud. Followed by many more. Pushing Relena behind him, Duo faced the door. Minutes passed and nothing happened. The Sank ruler stayed quiet and tense. Then the world wavered.
"What the hell?" Duo gasped.
"Gas." Relena breathed. "It's gas."
It was too late though. The young woman collapsed right after her discovery and Duo fought to stay awake. As his knees gave, nine men in gas masks cautiously entered the room.
"Glad to see you're still with us, Duo." A far too familiar voice told him. The aristo. It was the blond bastard. "Very appropriate clothing."
The man reached down. His hand again immersed itself in chestnut locks.
"I am so going to enjoy having you as our guest."
The American tried to ask him what that meant, but his eyes refused to stay open. Carefully cradling the slender form in his arms, the green-eyed killer faced his fellows.
"As I told you. They only have power if he is threatened. We have done nothing harmful, so the best they may muster is a stiff breeze."
Nodding, the men lead the way out, passing an entire hospital sleeping. None commented on the way their leader held the target; not even when his hand disappeared beneath the hospital gown. Their orders were to bring the boy back. Beyond that nothing was important. Beside, such treatment was all part of the plan.
End Part 3
Phoenix
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