Notes: this is a really, really long one…I advise that you read sleeping tigers first, this is the second half. It’s dedicated to Zero-chan! Who insisted I make another one =)
The figure in the be groaned and shifted slightly, his lithe body wrapped in the knotted satin sheets. “Mikha…” The man groaned as the little tiger-kitten swatted at his foot, its claws digging into the soft skin of his foot. He sat up and scooped the little kitten in his arms and wrestled gently with it. “Hey, your up early.” He said to the little kitten, in response it attempted to swat at his nose. The man grabbed the paw and scratched its ear.
The was a polite cough at the door “Sire, your father is asking for you.” A man in a black suit said in a high English accent.
“Yeah Doug…I am coming.” He muttered as he set the little kitten on the floor and threw the sheets aside “Where are my pants?” He muttered as he looked around the room.
“I put them in the wash, sir. Here are another pair.” The butler held out a pair of black dress pants.
The man took them and looked at the butler “you can go now Greg, I can do this by myself.” He said sounding fully annoyed.
The servant nodded and quietly left the room as the man dressed.
Later, when he was fully dressed and fed, he wandered down the hall toward his fathers office. He knocked on the door and waited for admittance. “Enter.” A voice grumbled from behind the door. The man slowly opened the door and looked at his father, sitting in a leather chair.
“Michael, when I tell you to show up in my office, you will. Not a half an hour later, not two minutes later, I want to see you appear before me.” The older man grumbled as he lifted a porcelain coffee cup to his lips.
Michael nodded “Sorry father, I would have appeared but I know your rules about appearing before you naked.” He said sarcastically. “And you know how squeamish I get when I don’t have anything to eat.”
“Don’t get smart with me.” The man muttered “I am calling you here to tell you that I am going out on holidays for a while and I want you to take care of everything. If there is any trouble, you know what to do.” He said as he set the cup down and stood slowly, groaning as his ancient bones creaked.
The man nodded, his eyes traced the gold weave on the carpet “how long will you be gone?” He asked.
His father walked by him “I’ll be gone for a couple of days.” He opened the door “Tell your sister that I will get her something nice.” And he shut the door. Michael sat down on the couch and sighed, he rubbed his head and thought about what he would do to burn the time for the day.
Michael found himself at his sister’s bedroom door, later that morning, knocked politely on the door and waited for admittance, he heard his sister call him in and he slowly opened the door. She was sitting in front of an open window, the gauzy white curtains fluttering as the warm tropic wind caught them. She was bundled tightly in a white heavy down quilt, regardless that it was hot and muggy out. She turned her head and smiled, her light blue eyes meeting his.
“Hi Brother.” She said quietly.
He sighed as he sat in a chair beside hers. “Not feeling well today, Marnee?” He asked as he reached out and touched her forehead.
She was two years younger than him, but weak and sickly, always pampered which she took modestly. Marnee, Michael thought, was made angels pale in comparison. “Not really…” She sighed wistfully. “but I want to go outside today.” She said, leaning over, putting her elbows on the window sill.
Michael smiled “Well, what’s stopping you?” He asked as he scooped her up abruptly. She let out a squeal of surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck.
She sighed, her breath tickling his neck “I love you so much Mikey.” She said as she rested her forehead on his shoulder.
“I love you too little sister.” He said as he dramatically kicked the door open. Servants rushed to their sides. “Get her chair and her blanket and put them in the garden.” He ordered a servant, who went away quickly to his orders.
Heero closed his eyes, slowly breathing as buckled the seat belt. He could hear Kyla crying and screaming for her daddy as the chopper’s blades started to whirl around, as they went faster they got louder, blocking out the little girl’s crying. “It’s for the best…” He muttered as the helicopter lifted off the ground. He turned and waved at the little girl that was being held back by her nanny. She was crying and the tears made her face red from where she rubbed profusely at her eyes. He waved and pressed his lips to the palm of his hand and pressed it against the window.
He had never been far from her, never. Until he got a call from Quatre that could not be neglected, they needed his help. Or in their words his expertise. The preventors, had his name down on paper, that he was still an employee of the branch of the government that Relena had painstakingly put together after the war. He was obliged to go, it didn’t bother him. Some things about his past were bound to come up, along with the people that were involved. He had assumed that he was right that the other four might be a little hesitant about showing too because they had gotten on with their lives. Duo was a veterinarian, Quatre and Trowa had taken up the family business together like they had planned to do one they found each other and got to know each other. Wufei had teamed up with Sally Po and became lawyers and he was a father and the owner of a haven or a sort of zoo for tigers.
Heero sighed as the helicopter went above the tree line. They didn’t explain much to him. Only that they needed him for one last mission and then they would let him go. And never ask another thing of him again, then he could go back to raising his daughter and tigers. He composed himself, bringing out the old soldier that was in the corner of his mind, it replaced the crying imp-like face of his little daughter. The soldier in him yearned to get out, and feel the familiar weight of the cold steel gun in his hands, that would replace the familiar weight of his daughter. It would give him time to think, think about what had happened in the past year when his former friend and lover showed up at his doorstep abruptly and the sudden departure of that person. It was his past, he kept telling himself over and over again, a past that deserved to be left as a memory and nothing else…
He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, and let the helicopter lull him to sleep. The picture of his child kept springing back into his mind, her surprised look when she saw the helicopter and the look that he gave her when she was told she couldn’t come. It broke his heart to leave her behind, but this was something that could not be left in the dark. He smiled as he thought to himself ‘you are getting weak…’ he would have dreaded that phrase, but given the circumstances, he didn’t mind it at all.
Four hours later, he was nudged awake by a familiar face, it was Noin’s. “Hey, nice to see you again.” She said quietly as he unbuckled the seat belt.
“Yeah, you too.” He lied, it wasn’t a good thing. But it was a pleasant change from the loneliness of the helicopter ride. Heero turned and grabbed his bag and looked at her “Lets get down to business.” He muttered as he shut the door and waited for her to escort him to the office.
She smiled and walked across the rooftop of the skyscraper. “How is Kyla?” She asked, trying to lift the grim atmosphere.
“She’s fine.” He said curtly.
“Oh…” Lucreizia sensed his business like tone, she had gotten a taste of it from the others that made her realise that they didn’t want to bring up their personal lives to the people of the past. They were there namely on the sake of business and not to become friends or open old wounds. Even Quatre was a little hesitant about telling her anything. Her new husband, Milliardo Peacecraft, had told her to expect that from them, they were children when they fought the war and now, they want their pasts to have nothing to do with their futures. She sighed quietly, I wish I knew them before the war. The woman had thought. I wish I could tell them my special secret. She smiled as she opened the door to the office and let Heero in.
Heero nodded to them all and sat down in a chair along the long table, this was an indicator for the rest to take their places and let the meeting start. A familiar woman walked in the room, Lady Une. She had her hair pulled into a tight bun on her head.
She cleared her voice and looked at each of the former pilots “I am sorry that I had to call you here, I know that you are all trying to get on with your life but this mission, which will surely be your last from us, is no normal mission and we do not have anyone of your experience.” She took a deep breath “I am passing out documents that will not leave this room.” She passed the booklets to them.
Heero glanced across the table and realised that one seat was missing, Duo’s. He frowned and took his book and opened it. Thinking nothing more of it, he started to read. He sighed and realised that it was a regular old mission, seek and destroy, listening to the details and tapping a pen on the cover of the booklet, just a regular old mission.
“This mission is in two parts.” She looked at them all again.
Time to get this done, he thought grimly.
Michael sat quietly at the desk, reading documents of his father’s latest business reports. All is well. He thought as he tossed the document on the desk and turned to look out the window, over-looking the vast, lush gardens of his father’s estates. He jumped as the phone rang and laughed despite himself.
“Hello.” He said as he picked up a pen and tapped it on the desk.
“Hello, Sir.” The voice responded.
“Yes? What is it?” Michael snapped, annoyed that his peace and quiet had abruptly ended.
“Um…I am sorry to report that your father was involved in an accident sir.”
Michael’s stomach suddenly felt like he had eaten lead for breakfast “What are you saying, if this is a joke, I will have you lynched.” He said in a vicious tone.
There was silence over the line “It is true sire, he was found in his hotel room…dead.” The voice was quivering with perceptible fear.
Michael closed his eyes and took a deep breath, smelling the tang of roses in the air. “When?” He asked.
“Yesterday afternoon, sir.”
He bit his lip “How?” He asked.
“he was shot in the head.”
Michael closed his eyes.
“I was phoning to tell you that he is on his way and that he will arrive at the air port tomorrow morning.”
Michael stared blankly at the desk top “Alright, thank you” He said and then hung the phone up. The man stood and ran a hand through his hair, thinking of how to break the news to his sister.
“What’s a wrong Mikey?” His sister asked as she stood in the door, the smile fading from her face.
He walked to his sister and pulled her into a hug, they stood there, unmoving. She pulled back after a while to look into her brother’s eyes. “What is it?” She whispered, her voice quivering.
“Its dad…he-he was killed.” He said quietly as he turned away from her.
She frowned “No…” She cried.
“I’m sorry…” was the only thing that came out of his mouth, although he was thinking something completely different and more comforting to say. But telling her the truth was hard, something that should not have happened.
“Daddy…” She sobbed. He bent down and pulled her into his arms, he brought her into her room and put her in the bed. The man shut the door and leaned against it, listening to her crying.
He gritted his teeth and went back into the office. Michael picked up the phone and dialled the number to his father’s personal body guard’s cell phone.
“Hello.” A deep voice said.
“it’s Michael.” Was all that he said.
There was silence and after a while he started to speak “I am sorry Mikey, it happened that way, I guarded him the way I always do, and they got him anyways…these guys are good, they were damn good.”
Michael took a deep breath in through his teeth “Did you even get a glimpse at the person?” He asked.
“No, but we have reason to believe that this was the work of the preventors, they don’t like what your dad was doing.” He paused and took and breath “And we have reason to believe that they are coming after you next.” He added dourly.
Michael licked his lips “I’ll be waiting with a bullet with their names on it.” He said, then he hung up suddenly. He sat back and put his feet up on the desk, he rolled back his sleeves, looking at the black tiger that was tattooed on his right forearm, it was snarling and its red eyes glared upwards, like it was seeking its next victim. Its tail curled down his arm and stopped, wrapping around his middle knuckle: family ring was.
He pulled the gun out of the bottom drawer, it was his gun. It gleamed in the sunlight, a silver cross hung from the handle of the weapon, he took a clip out and set it in the gun, perfectly cocking it and set it on the desk. Almost instinctively, wondering where he ever learned such a thing.
The man walked to his sisters room, a servant by his side He opened the door, to see the girl still laying as he left her. “Take her and put her on a chopper and send her somewhere safe.” He ordered the manservant to do.
She sat up abruptly “What? What is going on?” His sister asked.
He looked at her “Marnee, you have to go away for a while, there is some business I have to attend to and I don’t want you hurt.” He said quietly as the servant picked her up.
“No!” She panicked and started to kick and flail her arms, hitting the poor servant in the face.
“Yes, now go.” He growled as he turned and walked down the hall, to get find more appropriate apparel. Something for a funeral he thought coldly.
Heero climbed expertly through the window, softly letting his feet touch the ground and he ran across the room, his back to the wall. Opening the door quietly, finding the halls murky and deserted. He crept through the halls carefully and quickly checking doors by opening them a bit to peer inside, then shutting them.
The others had started on the other side of the mansion, because of its size they figured they could go through quickly and find the headman’s son, his successor. He opened a door that lead into an office, he aimed a gun at the chair that was facing the window directly behind it. The chair turned slowly, the moon light lit the features of the person sitting. His face was concealed in the shadows but his left eye glowed an eerie red. The man held his own gun up, Heero could see the cross that hung from it was a silver that glittered as it caught the moonlight. He stood up slowly and Heero dropped his gun and took a step back.
“Duo…” The words formed on his lips, no sooner had he said that then there was a shot and Heero blinked as the pain exploded and throbbed from his right knee, he almost crumpled to the ground. There was another shot and another, his left knee and his right arm were useless, he fell to the ground, slumping against the wall.
Duo walked slowly towards him, he lifted the gun that he had dropped and fired a shot, it missed, hitting the window. The glass shattered and the cool tropical air blew through. Duo quickly disarmed him with one last shot to the left shoulder. Heero sat with his chin in his chest, stunned. I really must be getting soft he thought to himself. He felt the gun press against his forehead and thoughts of his daughter flashed through his mind “Kyla…” He whispered. ‘I guess I am not coming home after all.
“Did you kill my father?” Came a low, dangerous voice.
Heero nodded and felt the gun press harder against his head. “Why are you doing this, Duo?” He asked.
“I am not Duo.” The man growled.
Heero frowned “Well just who the hell are you then? Is it Shinigami, Doctor Maxwell, what do you want me to call you?” He snapped.
“I am Michael.”
“Oh, really.” He was starting to loose his patience “Well, why are you holding a gun to my head Michael?”
“Do you have someone that will miss you?” The voice was quiet, yet ominous.
Heero’s head snapped up to look into the violet eyes “Y-you know I do.”
“I do, do I?” His eyebrow went up. “Why do I know?” He asked as he stooped down and sat on his haunches.
His braid was now long enough that it curled at his feet a bit, on his right forearm was a tattoo of a tiger, and his once boyish figures, and handsome chiselled face were covered in scars. He had a long, faint one that began somewhere under his hair line and stopped, diagonally over the bridge of his nose and ending at his cheek. Duo, or rather Michael was dressed in very expensive looking clothes, black leather pants, heavy boots and a man’s dress shirt that was unbuttoned, showing a tan, scarred chest. On his left hand he had on a leather glove that seemed not to stop at the wrist.
Heero looked at him, his steel eyes hardened “This is really sick, Duo. If you’re going to kill me, then do it. Don’t leave me hanging.” He growled.
Michael grunted as he scratched the side of his head with the barrel of the gun. “No, I don’t think so.” He said then turned to answer the door that was knocking “What is it?” He asked.
“Sir, we have the intruders, we have done what you told us to do, what now?” A man asked.
“Get them to the other estate.” He said as he stopped and tapped the gun on the door “And make sure they are unconscious and blind folded.” The man shut the door in the other’s face and turned back to his business at hand.
“You have no intention of killing us yet, do you?” Heero muttered, the shock that had cradled the pain from getting to him was starting to wear away and he was feeling each bullet hole in his body, each drop of blood that hit the highly polished floor. Why did I run away? Why did I take Kyla? Why did I run away? These questions keep circling through his mind, he almost lost his composure.
The violet eyes stared into his, the lopsided grin spread across his face. “Hmmphmm.” He sat down in a chair and assessed the situation “Now, look what you did to my good carpets, I’m gonna have to get those cleaned now.” Michael muttered as he pointed the gun at the dark red patches that looked like black pools in the night.
Heero groaned and closed his eyes, slumping into a black oblivion.
Michael woke up screaming, he sat up and looked around the room. It was the same dream as before; but it was more graphic and more detailed then ever before. He dreamt that he was running to his home, and found his sister dying and his father dead. She told him that his father always loved him and then, she died in his arms. He could feel the heat of the fires that were burning around him and he could taste and smell the blood that hung heavily in the air. Then a giant monster loomed over him. It was death and it held a scythe. He could tell it was death because it was covered in blood.
“Brother?” A voice pierced the silence that accompanied the dark.
He touched a fingertip to his sweaty forehead, finding himself trembling, the bed shifted and his sister crawled in and wrapped her arms around him.
“Bad dream?” She asked as she wiped the bangs from his forehead and tenderly kissed it. “I could hear you crying.” She whispered.
He looked at her “I’m sorry” He muttered as he laid his head on her lap.
She was smiling slightly, this he could tell in the dark because she always smiled her best and most when she was depressed. “Don’t apologize.” She hushed him “What are you going to do with the four men that you captured?” Marnee asked quietly.
Michael seemed to try and shrug. “Dunno, what do you want to do with them?” He asked.
His sister shrugged “Well, you have got to get rid of them before the cops come a knocking, Mikey.” She suggested.
“Your right.” He nodded as he closed his eyes “I’ll deal with it in the morning…” He muttered as he fell asleep.
Heero groaned as he shifted his weight and sat up slowly, the room spinning. He bit his lip as he tried to lift his arm to touch his forehead. The memories of the night before flooded into his mind as he realised where he was and why he had bandages wrapped over his body. “Kyla…” He muttered his daughter’s name as images of the wild, red haired girl surged through his mind. He rocked back and forth, the tears streaming slowly down his face the idea of him never seeing her again surged through her mind.
“Heero, are you alright?” A voice asked.
He looked up and quickly wiped the tears away when he realised Quatre was in the room with him. “Y-yeah, I am alright, where’s the others?” He asked.
The blue eyes shifted to the door “On the opposite end on this hall I presume.”
“We’ve gotta find a way out of here.” Heero muttered as he looked around the tiny cell. There was a thick wooden door, with a tiny barred window on it and a small window on the opposite end of the room that had thick steel bars down it.
Quatre shook his head “They thought of everything, I am injured and so are you and the others.” He pointed out, there seemed to be a dull moment of silence between them “Why didn’t you kill Mr. Rothschild’s son?” He asked.
Heero closed his eyes and let in a deep breath and held it, letting it out slowly but shakily. “Michael Rothschild is Duo.” He said in a low voice.
Quatre’s eyebrows went up “Really.” He said, sound slightly surprised. “That’s typical”
The once-perfect soldier shot his friend a look that could kill “I don’t think he realises who he is, but I know he recognised me, I just can feel it.” He said more to himself than Quatre.
“isn’t it funny how things end up?” Quatre said, sounding slightly cynical “I mean, we might die at the hands of a friend, I guess that’s better than the hands of time.” He said resignedly.
Heero cringed “I don’t think this is funny at all, I just want to go home to my little girl, and my job. Nothing more, nothing less. I want things the way they used to be before Duo came back. I was perfectly happy.” He said in a low voice.
“Where you?” Quatre snorted “There must have been some part of you that was resentful and still angry.” He said quickly.
Cobalt blue eyes glared at the blond man “Of course there was, wouldn’t you be slightly pissed off if you stumbled in on the two people you trusted the most were screwing each other and the only thing they could say was that it wasn’t what it seemed?” He said sounding slightly fanatical “Imagine Trowa in Duo’s place and you in mine, what would you have done?” Heero snapped.
Quatre shrugged nonchalantly “I guess I would have done what you had done, but I would have let him apologize, and get on with my life.”
“I did that!” Heero yelled “I let him apologized and I got on with my life, it didn’t mean that I had to accept the apology.”
“Well, you obviously haven’t moved on, you are still fuming!” Quatre retorted. “You are ruining your life, and you are going to ruin that little girl’s if you don’t do anything about this!” His brilliant blue eyes glittered in fierce anger.
Heero gritted his teeth “Leave my daughter out of this!” His voice boomed, face turning red and wet tears trailed down his face.
The door flew open, hitting the wall and bouncing off a bit “Here…” a man threw a pair of crutches at Heero “Get up and follow me” He growled as he turned and stalked out of the cell, leaving the wounded man to fend for himself.
Heero grabbed the crutches and groaned his lifted himself up and set the crutches under his arms. He cried out and stumbled over as he tried to take a step, the man that had appeared in the hall suddenly appeared again and caught him in time. He scooped him up like a little child instead of the 130 pound, 6 foot man that he was. The door shut and Quatre listened intently to the scuffling foot prints as they faded down the hall.
“Well, hello.” Michael said as he looked at the sorry looking man that was held in the other’s arms. He was set gently in a chair before the desk that Michael was sitting at. “How was your sleep?” He asked as he tapped a gloved finger on the red pine desk.
“Just peachy.” Heero growled as he glared at the other.
A smile spread across the man’s lips, but it slowly faded as he turned his chair and looked out the window. “Tell me why I didn’t kill you?” He whispered.
Heero opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it when he realised that he really had nothing to say.
He shook his head sadly “I should have put a bullet in your head, but I just can’t explain what I am feeling…”
“Michael, tell me how you got those scars?” He asked quietly.
Michael shrugged “I remember nothing.” He answered.
Heero’s eyebrows slowly raised “Then why do you remember me? Or those feelings?” He asked as he looked frantically at the other man, who was still turned away from him staring out the window.
He shrugged, turning to meet his eyes, eyes violet eyes glittering with tears “Who am I?” Michael asked as he slammed his gloved fist on the desk.
A door opened and a girl stepped slowly in the room, looking at him with tears in her eyes “Mikey…” She sobbed as she ran to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Heero turned his head and stared at the carpet.
“Maybe it’s a good thing…” Heero muttered as he tried to stand. “Maybe you really shouldn’t know who you are. You are the lucky one, you can forget about what had happened 9 years ago.” He leaned all his weight on the back of the chair.
“Heero, wait a minute.” The woman said “Sit down and give him what he deserves, give him back what shouldn’t have been taken from him.” She ordered as she glared at him. Michael was biting on his lip, the tears slowly making their way down his scarred face.
Heero shook his head. “No.”
“But…” She turned to argue with him but Michael held his hand up to halt her from arguing further.
“Maybe, there is a reason.” He muttered as he set his hand on the desk. “Maybe if I found out what I was, I will want to forget again. I know my dream has something to do with this, and if my life was as terrifying as that, then I really don’t want to know.”
Heero slumped back down into the chair. Blood soaked the bandages, and slowly trailed down his leg. “Good…” He muttered.
Michael turned again and looked back out the window. His sister stood beside him and crossed her arms over her chest. “Get out of my site. I will deal with you later.” He growled.
His sister looked at him and then at Heero. She closed her mouth and then shut it again, trying to decide what she would do next.
“GET THE HELL OUT OF MY SITE NOW, BOTH OF YOU!” He screamed as he stood and pointed to the door. His breathing was rapid and his face was turning red.
Marnee stood beside Heero and helped him up, both walking slowly to the door and out in the hallway. She shut the door and shuddered as there was a scream and a loud crash, like something hitting the door and smashing. She looked at him, her face was contorted with anger “I hate you so much, I…” She pulled a small handgun out of the waist of her pants and held it up to his forehead “I will kill you myself” She snarled, the tears glittered in her eyes.
“DO IT!” Heero screamed as he limped forward, pressing his head against the gun “I want you to do it…go ahead.” He growled, glaring at her.
She sniffled “Why the hell is he crying over you?” She whispered “Why? Why does he scream your name at night as he tosses and turns at night?”
Heero shrugged “Do you think I know? Do you think I care?” He asked, there was a silence between the two that was almost deafening.
“You do know and I know you must care. I have nothing anymore. It was all because of you. You killed my father and you are about to take the only person I loved away from me.” She dropped the gun and raised a hand to her face as though she had been struck by an unseen hand.
He looked away “He wasn’t yours to begin with.” He muttered.
The woman slumped to the ground, her shoulders shook as she silently sobbed “Why are you doing this to me? Why?” She cried.
He snorted and looked down his nose at her, his mouth turned down in disgust “If you knew who he was, you wouldn’t want him anyways…” The man answered in a low, dangerous voice.
She looked up at Heero “Try me…” She responded quickly.
Trowa sighed as he looked around the room, restlessly. “Where is Heero?” He asked.
Wufei shrugged “How should I know, but what I do want to know is how he knows Mr. Rothschild.” He answered, touching his chin in concentration. “Why aren’t we dead yet?” He asked bluntly as he looked at Trowa.
Eyebrows furrowed over the green eyes, knitting together in concentration. “Yes, it really doesn’t make sense…” His eyes lifted to the door as keys jingled and voices were muffled. “I guess he’s back.”
“Hn…” Wufei closed his eyes and leaned slowly against the wall, cringing as his back made contact a little harder than he expected.
Trowa followed the lawyer, leaning against the wall with a little more heed. The cool cement walls felt nice on his sweating back. His piercing green eyes shot open “Where’s Duo?” He blurted.
“You are just noticing that?” Wufei answered “have you lost your edge, nanashi?” He asked acrimoniously as he opened one ebony eye and stared at him.
“Hn…” It was his turn to be silent. “Maybe” One long finger waved in the air “Maybe, Mr.Rothschild has something to do with Duo’s disappearance.”
Wufei snorted “I think you have gone crazy…” He muttered as he closed his eye and went to sleep.
Quatre glanced at Heero who was still leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. He had been like that all day since he was put back in the cell, not moving or speaking. Blood was beginning to soak through his bandages and Quatre was scared that his wounds might get infected if it was not attended to soon.
“Heero, you gotta get something for those wounds, they have opened again…” Quatre said as he put his hand behind Heero’s head. Heero groaned, his face was flushed and his breathing was fast and irregular. “You have got an infection.” He muttered as he let go and laid him carefully on the floor. He crawled to the door and banged on it screaming for help.
He had screamed himself hoarse for fifteen minutes when finally he heard the heavy bolt slide open and the door hinges creaked. “What?” The man growled.
“He has got a fever.” He answered as he peeled the shirt off of the unconscious man’s back. The flesh was purple and deep red around the wound. “He’s got blood poisoning.” Quatre muttered as he looked Heero over.
Quatre was roughly shoved out of the way by the man as he hoisted him up, walked out of the room and slammed the door.
“What’s wrong with him?” Michael snapped as he looked down at the writhing figure in the narrow cot.
“Blood poisoning.” The family doctor said as he looked at him from his chart. “But he’s alright, we are giving him antibiotics and food…”
“food?” Michael asked.
“Yes, food.” The doctor responded “he hasn’t eaten or drank any water for 3 days.” He set the clip board down and picked up another that was on the table.
“But we gave him and the others food.” Michael explained.
The doctor didn’t look up from his clip board “You gave him food but it is up to him to eat it. This man is under a lot of stress, and by the look of his body, it seems like all of the skeletons in his closet are coming at him…he needs to rest.” He explained patiently.
“Well, there is something you need to understand, Doctor.” He growled “they are my hostages, I will decide what I want to do with them, and he” He pointed a finger at the person, unconscious on the bed, but now he was still and quiet “killed my father.”
The doctor looked at him “quite frankly Michael, your father would be disgusted if he saw you doing this, your father was a good man. Although his line of business was not the best in the world and it offered some hazards, he did it to put food on the table and a roof over his family’s head.”
Michael’s violet eyes went wide, he stepped back and bumped into a small table. ‘do what you must…” he said in a weak voice “But I am doing whatever I can to protect my family, even if it means I have gotta kill every last on of them. I will, and with no hesitations…”
Heero sat up, a movement that startled the doctor and Michael “KYLA” He screamed then he slumped back down and rolled over on his right side.
“The fever is being flushed out, but its still taken affect on his brain…” the doctor explained for the outburst. “These men are harmless, I was speaking to one of them and they said that this was promised to be there last mission and then they could go back to what lives they have…he also said that he just wants to go back home…”
Michael frowned “What are you getting at doctor?” He growled.
“I am trying to say that your vengeance should not fall on their shoulders but on the shoulders of their commander, the person who told them to do this.” The doctor explained “go speak to them and find out for yourself.” He snapped as he glanced at Michael to see the disbelief in his eyes.
The violet eyes narrowed and his mouth turned down in disgust “You want to save them?” He asked.
The doctor nodded. “I feel that they should get the blame for this, it wasn’t their faults…they were just following orders.” The old man answered.
Michael nodded “Fine” He turned and walked out the door.
He made his way down to the cells that his captives were staying at and he opened the door to a cell, a man was curled into the corner, the hall light glinted off his hair, making it seem like gold. “Is Heero…” He lifted his head up and stared, his mouth hung open “Duo…?” He muttered, not believing his eyes.
“No, Michael, and he is okay. He has blood poisoning but is recovering soon.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. “Who put you up to this?” He asked, a wolfish grin spread across his face.
Quatre frowned “Why?”
“Because, you tell me who put you up to this and I will let you go, and I will let you get back to your lives.” He answered “You will never hear or see me again.”
Quatre stared at him in dismay “I-I can’t do that…” His eyes lowered to his own hands which were dirty and scratched.
“Hmmm?” The grin faltered slightly “Wow, how noble of you, you give up your lives to save your commander. Well, you have just signed your friend’s death warrants…I hope you have a fine night, but I will give you until the sun rises to reconsider.” He sighed and slammed the door shut.
Quatre stared at the silver patch of moonlight that was on the floor. It slithered like a snake across the floor as the moon rose, slowly higher and higher into the deep velvet sky.
‘I knew my life would end something like this…the life of a soldier, in a dingy cell…but…I’m not a soldier anymore. I am a businessman…we make sacrifices like this. Une can take care of herself. Can’t she? She always has since Treize died. I don’t want to go like this! Not with the one I love in the cell next to me, totally oblivious to the fate that I have chosen, just because of my gallantry or my self-prophesying, always the one so willing to sacrifice everything for a cause…why do I do that?
Kyla, Heero’s little girl. He would give everything for that little girl…Duo, he gave everything for that man…he gave away all that he had in order to rectify the hurt that he had bestowed on his love’s heart…but things change don’t they? Time takes its casualties, wounds heal, and a cause that was so dear to many that died for it, ends up being turned into black and white texts for little school children to bored of and lulled to sleep by their teachers’ senseless droning.
I want to live long enough to see that safely happen…I don’t want to be the perfect, reliable Quatre. With the destruction of Sandrock…my sense of loyalty shifted to the ones I loved and am closer to. My family, my lover…me.’
Quatre felt the thump of a boot softly on his thigh, he sat up and rubbed his eyes trying to remember when he fell asleep. But the cell was washed in a soft light, and the birds chirped gaily in the eaves of the neighbouring building. “hnn…” He grunted.
“Well, your answer?” The man insisted as he looked at him down his nose, his arms crossed.
Quatre held out his hand “Help me up.” He ordered.
With a sigh, Michael bent down and wrapped his arms around the other’s waist and hoisted him easily onto his feet. Quatre groaned as the room tipped and swayed, he held out a hand and leaned on Michael’s shoulder. He smiled and looked at the man “Thanks” He laughed in spite of his situation, but he heard his laugh, and found it to be clipped and strained “I really don’t know about myself sometimes…but, I really was planning on getting old and grey.”
“Will you tell me?” Michael asked as he reached out and steadied him with another hand.
Quatre smiled “Let me tell you something…” He looked at Michael and saw that he was becoming impatient, he ignored this and began to explain “My father was killed too. He was killed by the people that I was sworn to protect…I felt lost and hurt. So, I took my revenge…and I destroyed a colony, attempted to destroy another…and almost killed two other people that I cared about. In the end, all I did was end up hurting myself and my loved ones in the process.” He blinked hard, trying to rid himself of the tears that welled in his eyes.
Michael shrugged indifferently “I don’t see what this has to do with me, they are not my friends or my loved ones…they’re my enemies.” He snapped.
Quatre shook his head sadly “Duo, you really don’t know how wrong you are.”
“Stop calling me that! I don’t know who this Duo is, nor do I care.” He reached out quickly with his left arm, the gloved hand wrapped around the slender neck and squeezed “Tell me where your commander is. No more explaining or convincing.” Michael growled as he watched Quatre gasp for air.
Quatre nodded and crumpled to the floor, gasping and coughing. “Lady Une, Preventor’s Headquarters’ in Tokyo, Japan.” He muttered as he rubbed his neck “Now let us go.”
The familiar wolfish grin stretched across his scarred face “No. Not until I get back.” He slammed the door and leaned against it. Flexing his gloved hand, into a fist then palm up, fist, palm up. “What is this feeling?” He asked as he felt a shiver go down his spine and his flesh break into a cold sweat. He gasped as he clutched his forehead, emotions and distorted pictures flooded his mind. The big, bloody, steel angel, the love and admiration he felt for it. A little girl with red hair and the jealousy he felt about her. Cobalt blue eyes, filled with rage and tears and the remorse, regret, pain and desperation that flooded him in one final wave. He felt his head hit the floor and the warm, thick liquid leak from a cut in his forehead.
Heero tossed violently onto his side, a stab of pain racked his body and he turned onto his back. “Why did this happen to me…?” He muttered as he sat up slowly, looking around the room, he saw a figure shift in a chair and look at him.
“Am I supposed to love you?” Michael asked as he turned and looked at him.
Heero frowned “It’s coming back to you?” He asked slowly as he rubbed his head.
Michael slowly nodded as he looked down at his long fingers that were folded neatly on his lap “I bumped my head…” He lifted a hand and touched the guaze tapped above his eyebrow “…but not all has come back to me…I did something bad, didn’t I?” He whispered.
“You did something human…”
The violet eyes sparkled in a hope so vague that Heero barely caught it. “But, it was totally inexcusable.” He said sounding disgusted with himself.
“Yes, it was.” Heero agreed candidly.
“But…” He rushed to the side of the bed and kneeled before it “I want to know more, but…I want to do it by myself…”
The cobalt blue eyes stared at him “Do you know what happened to make you forget yourself?” He asked.
“Wrong place at the wrong time…Terrorist attack…” He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his chin on his knees. “Lost my left arm and left eye.”
“hn…” He looked him slowly up and down “ Why are you being so friendly to me? You were all for killing me a few days ago…”
Michael opened his mouth and closed it “You guys were under orders to kill me and my father…it wasn’t your fault. It was your leader’s…Lady Une.”
Heero glared at him “How-who told you?” He snapped.
Michael shrugged “Does it matter?” He stood up and dusted his pants off.
“Yes. It does, she is the leader of a very important government division. She keeps this world the way it is!” He pleaded.
“You are making her sound like an angel.” He said coolly.
Heero moved to stand and face him but the room spun and pitched “She is the closest to that! If she keeps peace then what does it matter! In order to keep peace, there must be sacrifices!”
“I am making a sacrifice to keep a daughter from loosing her father and a lover from loosing a lover!” He exclaimed “Would you rather die, and watch your daughter from heaven…it was your comrade’s pick, and he seemed to want to stay on earth. How thoughtful, huh?” He asked as he crossed his arms across his chest.
Heero closed his eyes and laid his head on the pillow. “Get out.” He snapped, hearing a sigh and the heavy footsteps, and finally, the door slamming. “I fucked up good this time…”
THREE DAYS LATER
Lady Une sighed softly as she cradled the precious picture against her chest “Treize-sama…Why? Why did you leave me?” She whispered. The Lady closed her eyes and pictured the soft brown hair and regal coloured eyes, the smell of roses softly wafting from his royal blue tunic. Her eyes flew open as she heard the creak of the bedroom door, a man standing in front of her held a gun to her, the silver cross glittering like an evil eye as it caught the sun.
“You killed my father…” He growled, his mouth pulled down in disgust.
The woman let her hands drop to her sides “ He was making weapons, Duo.” She said softly
He shook his head, tears trailing down his face “He was my family! And then the worst thing was…” He took a step forward, his finger pulling a bit on the trigger “You targeted me and my sister! You have no right to take another’s life! But, if you, the symbol of justice can kill, then this is alright. Is it not?” His teeth were clenched.
“No, I was wrong. But what your father was doing was also wrong. But the weapons he made had the capability to kill millions of innocents! I wanted to go after you, because I knew you would either get to me or the other four that were sent to kill you.” She took a deep breath “But if this meant that I must sacrifice Heero, or Wufei or any of those men…even myself it is an easy sacrifice for those millions of people.”
Duo shook his head “You knew…you knew the outcome of this didn’t you? You knew everything didn’t you…about me and my loss of identity…my new family. You were willing to sacrifice your self and others for this?”
She nodded and clutched the picture tighter “Yes…”
“You are playing god…you always played god…” He muttered as the gun slowly went down to his side “You were always willing to sacrifice good people like they were nothing for other people that didn’t care what their freedom costs and that were rotten to the core. They are ungrateful! For that, they deserve to die!”
“No one deserves to die…its fate, it is the way things are done…fight or flight.”
“THEY FOUGHT! WHAT DID IT GET THEM!” Duo screamed as he raised the gun to her head again “They got thrown to the tigers! You are telling me that all people that do wrong do deserve to die. You did wrong…they do wrong by breaking laws that were so laboriously defended by us…so you all deserve to die!”
“No! You fought to defend the people! All that pain you put yourself through and all the pain that your friends were put through will be nothing! Kill me, I don’t mind just promise me you won’t hurt them…please.” She whispered.
He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, slowly pulling the trigger. He flinched at the gun shot and recoil of the gun. Tears blurred his vision of the woman before him, like a crumpled flower, the crimson pools slowly collected on the white carpets. Numbness crept through him, silence screamed in his head, dropping to his knees he looked at the picture the woman had dropped, he recognised it as he stared intently at it. “You’ll be with him now.” He whispered. The wail of police sirens could be heard approaching, he looked around the room, realising someone else was in the room.
“Come on…” She whispered as she grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet “You gotta get out of here.” She hissed.
“Noin?” He blurted as he followed her out of the house.
She sighed and looked at him “You did what you thought was best…someone needs you…take what you have got and redeem yourself. Make it count.” She said as she stuffed him in the back seat of a van. She sat in the front and backed out of the driveway, the van swirved and zoomed down the road and out of the city. “Duo, do you know why I am doing this?” She asked.
He stared blankly out the window, the gun still heavy in his hand “No…”
She sighed impatiently “I am sick and tired of sad endings! You deserve a happy ending, and you are needed and loved.”
He smiled sadly “No, I won’t have a happy ending…I don’t deserve one.”
“Modesty…that’s a killer.” She muttered “Now, shut up.”
Heero sighed again for the fifth time as he stared at the clock. “Where is she?” He asked as he glanced at Quatre.
“gee, I have about as much of a clue as you do.” The blond snapped.
The door swung open, Duo stood staring at the floor. His hair somehow was undone and flowed about him “where’s my sister?” He asked.
“I’m here…” came a soft voice from the behind Heero.
He walked in and raised his eyes and looked at her “I’m not your brother…and your dad was avenged…” Duo whispered.
She smiled “Duo…” Using his real name “I-I just want you to be happy…and he was our father…and you have the ring to our family. You can decide what you want to do…”
“Get rid of the weapons…” He snapped “Definitely…get ride of the weapons…”
An eyebrow raised ‘Anything else?” She asked.
“The factories and mines can be used for something better…” He turned to Quatre “Can’t they?”
Quatre smiled and nodded “yes”
“that is okay.” He reassured himself “What do you want Marnee?” He asked.
“I want to go wherever you are going…” She said quietly.
Duo smiled “I…I love you Marnee…but I will always think of you as my sister…”
Marnee laughed, she blushed “What did you have in mind…?” She asked.
“I am sorry…” Duo passed Heero his gun and forced it into his hand. “For everything that I have ever done to you…I am not quite sure what I did…and I think I have a reason to love you…that’s all I can remember. So, I think that that is more important than what I did wrong…but if you think otherwise, if you think I am wrong…” He dropped to his knees “Shoot me…kill me.”
Heero stared at the man that knelt before him “Right, Wrong…they’re always distorted or covered in lies…” He held the gun to Duo’s forehead. “But…I don’t give a crap about right or wrong…all I care about is that you are alright and I can go home to my little girl.” He dropped the gun and slowly, limped to the door.
“Heero…” Duo whispered.
Heero stopped and tapped his knuckle softly on the oak door “Are you coming, baka or are you going to kneel there, licking the floor.” He muttered.
“Baka…” Duo winced “Suddenly, that word sounds like music to my ears.” He got slowly to his feet and smiled at Marnee “I hope you are good at taking care of kids…” He said as he followed Heero, letting him lean against him.
“Kids!?” She cried “I would rather take care of a tiger!”
Trowa smiled “You’ll get lots of that too.”
She slapped a hand dramatically on her forehead “I was joking! And seriously! That’s disgusting!” She snapped as she looked distastefully at her brother who gathered Heero into his arms and kissed him tenderly on the nose.
THE END!!!!