Cross My Heart
Part 17
To say that Duo was angry was an understatement, but watching his enemy melt in his hand was enough to reduce his anger. He was so surprised that he stood still, staring at floor where Anne's clothes lay. What the hell had happened?!
"hmph.." At hearing the muffled voice, Duo turned his head slightly and saw Heero. His surprise was forgotten as he acknowledged Heero's condition. The Japanese boy was gagged and cuffed. His gown was a mess and there are some tiny trails of blood on his pale body.
"Heero!" Duo quickly knelt down and removed the gag and the cuffs. He then scooped up his Japanese lover and deposited him back onto the bed. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Duo looked Heero up and down worriedly and mixed with anger. "What did that bitch do to you?" He gritted out the words as he saw Heero's blue stomach.
"Needles." Heero said as he rolled to lie on his side. It was too painful to lie on his back with his bottom throbbing painfully. "On my left arm, bottom, and chest..."
Duo let out a stream of curses as he retrieved the medical box from under the bed. He then cleaned Heero's wounds and put a healing salve on them. Heero lay still, feeling the tension in his body slowly melt as Duo's calloused but gentle fingers caressed his body. He waited till Duo finished tending his wounds, helped him put a new gown on and pulled the blanket over him. When the braided boy was about to move to sit on the chair, Heero seized Duo's hand and entwined their fingers, indicating to Duo he wanted him to stay where he was. The braided boy complied and leaned against the headboard. There were a few minutes of silence before Duo felt a squeeze on their entwined hands and looked down at Heero's asking eyes. "Anne?"
"I didn't do anything to that bitch." Duo growled, mixed with confusion. "I wish I did, but I didn't get the chance. She just .... melted... "
"Ordinary humans can't just melt." Heero frowned. His head still throbbed, courtesy of Anne, making it a little difficult for him to concentrate.
"I don't have a better explanation. One second I was strangling her and the next second she melted and then evaporated." Duo glanced at the clothes on the floor. "Those are her clothes on your floor."
"I don't believe she came here just to take her anger out on me. As a spy, she knows better not than to mess with Gundam pilots, yet she did it. There have to be some strong reasons behind her actions." Heero frowned deeper. "She said she wasn't allowed to kill me..... "
"She was ordered by someone else then." Duo concluded.
Heero nodded. "I believe Anne tortured me by her own will. This someone must have ordered her to do something else."
"Why do you think Anne tortured you by her own will?" Duo frowned.
"She enjoyed my pain."
Heero's answer only made Duo curse once again. Blinded by his anger, his hand unconsciously tightened on Heero's, causing the Japanese boy to wince.
"You're hurting my hand, Duo."
Duo was startled and quickly lessened his grip. "Gomen, koi." He bowed his head dejectedly while trying to calm his anger. A few minutes passed in silence again before Duo lifted his head. Some of the anger had calmed down but the heated fire was still blazing in those violet orbs. "So except forr torturing you, what do you think Anne's real purpose was in coming here tonight?
Heero thought for a moment. "Something that she couldn't wait until tomorrow to do. Something that she knew well that we're involved in....."
"The microfilm!" They stated in unison. Duo quickly searched his pocket and cursed loudly when he found it wasn't there.
"Search her clothes, Duo."
The braided boy scrambled off the bed and was about to grab the clothes when his trained ears heard a gun with a silencer fire. Duo's body moved on instinct and rolled, but it was not fast enough and the bullet grazed the side of his head. Duo cried out in pain and slumped onto the floor, unconscious.
"Duo!" Heero was startled. He quickly sat up, ignoring his protesting muscles, while his hand slipped beneath his pillow, searching for his gun.
"Don't move, Yuy or I'll kill your lover."
Heero froze. He recognized the voice too well. In disbelief, he turned his head to where the voice came from near his opened window and saw someone perched on it. A girl, to be precise. She was holding a gun with a silencer and pointed it at Duo. Although it was dark and the moon was hidden behind the clouds, Heero didn't need to see the girl's face to identify her. Her voice alone had been enough and it was the last piece he needed to complete the puzzle in his head.
"It's you." Heero said, changing his voice to that of a girl's. "You're the mastermind of the stunts Anne pulled."
"Correct." Ryoko smiled coldly and stood up, walking closer toward the unconscious Duo. "Don't try anything funny with me. I'm not like Anne. A slight movement from you will result the death of your lover."
"Who are you really?"
"An OZ spy. Mario and Anne were my subordinates."
"Nani? Mario too?" Heero was startled and moved his eyes around to find the boy.
"Don't bother. Mario was a spy, yes. But that dumb boy became useless once you came. He used his hormones rather than his head and ruined my plan." Ryoko scoffed. "He was useless so I killed him. Stupid boy."
Heero's eyes widened but he kept his face neutral. His soldier side had kicked in once he learned how dangerous the situation was. He was really worried about Duo's condition but he could see the slight rise and fall of Duo's chest, indicating he was still alive. Assuring himself that Duo was all right, he kept silent while Ryoko started ranting, just like she liked to do in class. The girl ranted about how she found out that Anne was a double agent and how she threatened her in order to get the microfilm back.
"I should have known I couldn't depend on that girl to retrieve the microfilm." Ryoko finished her ranting.
"Why did you forbid her to kill me?" Heero asked calmly.
"Because I want you to join us." Ryoko looked at him sharply. "The offer still stands if you want."
"Why do you want me to join you? Why not Duo?"
Ryoko smirked. "I'll tell you why. You're a trained Gundam pilot. I have watched you long enough to know you're smart and very good at fighting, not like your rascal boyfriend. You're too good for a stupid boy like him."
"He isn't stupid." Heero stated flatly.
Ryoko smirked. "But you're smarter than him. With a little smile, you have him in your hand and you can make him do whatever you want. That's a girl's greatest weapon. And that's the main reason why I want you to join us. You're a great girl, just like my mentor, Lady Une."
At Ryoko's last sentence, Heero tried to keep his expression neutral outside while he blanched inside. His mind thought fast while he tried to get the equation 'Lady Une equals to Heero Yuy' out of his mind. "Is that why you're so kind to me?"
"Why else? To tell the truth, I admire you. You don't have to speak a lot or do something to get the boys' attention. It's your natural talent."
"So you only want me because I'm a girl?"
"That's right. I believe you can control a pack of male soldiers with just your smile." Ryoko said confidently. "You won't be disappointed if you join us. OZ will take care of all of your needs....."
"What if I'm not a girl?" Heero cut in. This time he spoke with his usual voice. Slightly Nasal and low.
"Huh?" Ryoko was startled.
Heero ripped the front of his gown and revealed his flat chest. Ryoko stared in disbelief and that was all Heero needed to withdraw the gun from beneath his pillow; fully equipped with silencer so its sound wouldn't wake the dormitory's residents, he fired twice.
Ryoko cried out and slumped onto the floor, clutching her bloodied hand. Her gun was thrown a few feet away and her right leg was also bleeding from Heero's second shot. "So..so stupid.." She hissed at Heero who was sitting straight on the bed and pointing his gun at her. Her eyes looked down at Heero's chest before looking up at his face, glaring furiously. "You're ... really a boy."
"Yes, I am. Yuy Hirosue is only my disguise." Heero stated flatly.
"So all your behaviors with Maxwell are merely an act? I don't believe it."
"Not really." Heero tilted his head a little. "At first, it was an act, but you, Anne, and Mario had a big share in making it into a real act."
"So we have helped a gay couple find their love." Ryoko chuckled in sarcasm. "So... stupid..."
Heero's face turned sad for a moment before his blank expression covered it. "I was really happy to have you as my friend, Ryoko. I liked you. You were my first female friend who cared for me so much. I had hoped that once the war was over I could come to you and befriend with you once again."
Ryoko stopped chuckling and was silent for some seconds. "Is that why you didn't shoot me to death? Because you think me as your friend?"
"Part of it."
"What's the other reason then?" Ryoko looked at him sharply.
"You have information about OZ." Heero spoke flatly.
Ryoko looked long at him before chuckling once more. "Just like I thought. You're very good as a soldier. Well, I'll act as a soldier too, then. It's a shame since I want to use this for your boyfriend" Before Heero had a chance to react, Ryoko swallowed the tablet she held in her hand.
"What the hell did you do?" Heero growled angrily, cursing himself for not shooting Ryoko right away and not shooting her at this moment as well. His feelings told him to wait and somehow he complied.
"What a spy must do when they're caught." Ryoko chuckled. "Self destruct."
"Nani!?" Heero jumped off the bed. His mind screamed him to throw Ryoko out of the room before whatever she swallowed took effect but his body protested loudly at his movement. He lost his balance and fell onto the floor, bottom first. Pain speared through him as his wounded flesh made contact with the hard surface. Heero stifled his cry and hissed instead, rolling to his side to ease the pressure on his bottom.
"It looks like Anne has tortured you quite well, huh?"
"I can handle it." Heero gritted his teeth and glared at the girl who was lying a few feet from him. He stood up as quickly as he could and approached Ryoko.
"What are you doing?" Ryoko asked in surprised as Heero hoisted her up and hugged the girl, ignoring the pain that shot on his wounded chest from the impact of the girl's body against it.
"I'm going to throw you out of the window, what else." Heero growled. "I don't have enough strength yet to lift you up so I'll have to settle with this." He started dragging the girl in his arms. It was quite difficult since Ryoko was as tall as him.
"So you're afraid that I'll take you with me, huh? Are you so afraid of dying?" Ryoko turned her head to him and sneered.
"I'm not. I'll jump out of the window with you if I must, but I won't let you take Duo as well." Heero growled and dragged her closer to the window.
Ryoko became silent and Heero used that chance to drag her till they reached the window. He was about to push Ryoko out of the window when the girl suddenly spoke up. "You love him that much?"
"You said I have him in my hand. That's true but he also has me in his hand. I'll do anything for him." Heero answered coldly and proceeded to push the girl. But to his surprise, the wounded girl leant forward and kissed him. He was more surprised when he felt the girl's body became jelly.
"Siawase ne, tomodachi." A gentle whisper near his ear and then Ryoko was gone, evaporating into air. Heero stood there in disbelief, staring at the clothes in his arms that once belonged to a girl named Ryoko.
"Ryoko...." Heero choked out the name and knelt down, clutching the clothes tightly to his chest and mourning for the death of his friend.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Duo was typing on the laptop while his eyes ocassionally glanced down on his lover which was lying next to him.
He had awakened to the sight of Heero tending his head wounds and asked him what had happened. Heero told him everything while finishing the bandage then he carried Heero to the bed and retrieved the microfilm from Anne's clothes. He noticed how tired the Japanese boy was and when Heero wanted to send Quatre a message and modify the student database for Mario, Anne and Ryoko, Duo took over the job and sternly told the Japanese boy to rest on the bed.
Finally finished writing the message, Duo clicked the 'send' button and then shut down the laptop. He then looked down at the Japanese boy lying on his side. "I have changed the database and asked Quatre to take the microfilm as soon as possible."
"Good." Heero murmured. "Let's get some sleep then."
"Okay." Duo put the laptop on the nightstand and lowered himself onto the bed slowly, being careful with his bandaged head. Heero snuggled to him, as if searching for his comfort and Duo welcomed him, taking the Japanese boy into his arms. Silence followed for the next minutes and when Duo thought Heero had fallen asleep, the Japanese boy spoke up.
"I hate war."
"Me too." Duo stroke Heero's messy hair.
"I'll end this war."
"We will, koi." He kissed Heero's forehead and hugged him tighter. "But you have to get well first."
"You too."
"Yeah....... go to sleep now, Heero..."
"Aa...." Heero kissed Duo's chest where his heart was and whispered. "Aishiteru..."
Duo smiled. "Love you too."
Thus they fell asleep, safe in each other's arms. When they woke up later, a new morning would begin for both of them.
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