"Without you, everything just falls apart..." NIN "Perfect Drug"
Violets are Blue... So were your Eyes
Part 2
Sitting in the darkly lit room, Relena fanned herself as the droning music filled the air of the large opera house. She didn't mind operas, but not being able to move around or turn the music off and listen later made her fidgety.
Ever so often she would accidentally elbow Wufei who just grunted and stared completely at the ten-page paper in his head timing till Intermission. He wondered how Heero did it without killing someone in the building--especially the main male lead that seemed to hit the wrong note on his pick-up and grind against the harmony of the three women dressed in devil costumes.
He leaned over to the blonde woman's ear as they both cringed when the man started up again, whispering slightly so as not to have anyone in the balcony box getting annoyed. "How did he get the lead of Oscar? He's horrid."
"His father is rich and paid for the entire production. You got your gun?"
"Why?"
"I want to shoot the little bastard if he goes off key one more time..."
Right as she stated her distaste for the man, his screechy voice rose up to peel the paint off the walls.
Growling, Relena reached into her bodyguard's Chinese style jacket, unclipping it as she went while digging around for something that resembled any weapon, but forced too much weight on the back of the ex-pilot's chair.
Wufei fought to stay up and get the woman's wandering hands back to herself but without avail, their chairs tilted over backwards and the blonde into his arms.
Ten pairs of eyes set on the Vice Minister Darlin and Captain Wufei Chang as they scrambled to sit themselves right only making the scene look worse.
"Um...sorry." The ex-pilot turned red and nearly lost it when he noticed the girl's hands still in his coat. Batting her away her face turned up in a grin as she took his cigarettes and took off for the exit, tripping slightly on the long lace of her dress. All he saw was a blur of navy blue and silver as she waved the pack of cancer sticks and hoping to have some half decent ending to the worst evening she'd had.
Narrowing his onyx eyes, his lip curled, showing off his pearly teeth as he went after the obnoxious blonde bimbo that had just stolen from him.
Wufei jumped over the toppled chairs and swung a hard right around a row of women with binoculars attached to long sticks so their dainty fingers wouldn't touch the handcrafted gold. Reaching the outside of the auditorium he saw Relena waiting patiently and digging in her purse for something.
"You know how dangerous that is?" He leaned on a tall marble column as he tried to catch his breath.
Pulling out a small lighter and putting a cigarette between her painted lips, Relena looked up with a sarcastic look. "I stayed next to the guards and didn't leave the building."
"No," he corrected, snatching the pack out of the young woman's hands, "stealing MY cigarettes is a deadly game. Many a man have been killed for doing so." Smiling he stuffed the little box back into his jacket and buttoned up the neck saving one white stick for himself. "Got a light?"
Blowing out a line of smoke, Relena rolled her blue eyes. "You got to be kidding me, threaten to kill me and now you want a light. Men..."
"Women... steal things and then expect not to do anything in return."
"Men, lousy, good for nothing, cheap bastards!"
"Women, loud mouthed, nosey, good for nothing bitches!"
They glared at each other, blowing smoke into each other's faces to see who would crack first only to drop the cigarettes on the ground and embrace each other in a dueling kiss.
Heated by their blood lust of hate for the other, their arms wrapped around searching out the unknown territory.
Feeling air leaving her lungs, Relena released the young man's lips still swollen from the experience.
"Jerk."
"Slut."
Bending his head down, Wufei pressed his lips down gently capturing the panting mouth in his.
@~`~
The Med. team scrambled around the pale body stretched out before them. The face was unrecognizable; not even human by the way it was swollen from the impact of the hard surface of the street below.
The doctor rushed in and flinched knowing the scene before so many times. "What do we have?"
"Teenager, drunken suicide off of a twenty story building. Eighteen broken bones, including three in his ears alone. No I.D."
"What did MRI say?"
"Swollen brain and pressure is bad, we are readying equipment to open up his skull and circulate the cerebral fluids."
"Granted, get someone to shave this..." Looking and the long hair and knowing that the young boy would be a bit upset if he lost it all, he positioned an angle for the nurses to cut off a small piece and still keep the length.
"Okay then," taking a light and trying to peel open the crusted shut-eyes he shook his head as he saw the slow dilation. "Get me some blood and begin prepping for surgery."
A male nurse nodded and began to get the needed drill and hoses to attach to the machine to lower the severe swelling in the longhaired boy's brain. The procedure was costly and dangerous, but with the massive bruising caused by the brain pressing against the skull walls would be more of an endangerment then a simple reduction in the cerebral fluids.
He looked to the still form. The sight frightened him--such a young person with so much in life, wasting it away. What was left of his clothing looked as if he lived well, his body was toned and the long mass of hair was the only thing they could use to identify him. It was a sad fact, but his mind was to save with ever was left so he could walk out and have a normal life if possible. But what made people jump off of roofs? How could things get so bad that there was no hope or no help?
Finishing washing up his hands up to his elbows, an army of staff members that worked in the Head Trauma ward surrounded the young patient. Masses of green and white filled the room as they worked mercilessly to save the small thread of life.
@~`~
Pacing began.
Heero sat in Une's office till everyone punched in the clock, but Duo didn't show up. Obligated to see what was wrong she called over to his apartment, only to get the answering machine. Cursing under her breath the German woman called up to the local police to see if she could find where his car was, he was usually near it at all times.
Nothing.
Sighing, Heero stood up. "I've got work to do. I'll be fine, don't worry." A small smile appeared on his face, concealing the swollen eye and the complete broken heart.
Nodding approval, she stood up and raffled though the morning newspapers, glancing at the front cover of each till one caught her eyes. Face turning red and teeth grinding, Une looked for something to destroy till a small knock came at her door.
"WHAT!?!"
A wide-eyed Quatre cleared his throat and winced when he saw the chief of Preventers breathing into a paper bag mumbling to herself.
"I-I came in to..." he uttered, clearing his throat again in nervousness, "to see if things are alright. Um…Miss Une?"
The deep brown eyes turned to look at him, ice freezing the air and catching in the blonde boy's throat causing his voice to squeak as Une threw the newspaper in his direction and go back to breathing into her bag.
Straightening the wrinkled pages and folding back the claw marks to see the front cover of National Daily News, Wufei and Relena.. in a major tongue battle.
"Oh dear... Um..." he giggled for a second and tried to slowly back out of the doorway knowing that the young woman's arsenal of sharp pens in her wake.
The phone rang loudly scaring the blonde into screaming and running smack into the closed door the falling over backwards unconscious.
Sighing Une picked up the phone, "Preventers Headquarters, Chief Une speaking."
The other end explained finding the black car with the matching license plate DEATH247 and bumper stickers 'I break for no one' and 'Jesus loves you, but I don't'. (1) Taking note of where it was located and writing it down, she hung the phone in its cradle and hit her secretary's COM.
"Bring Lieutenant Barton please... and tell him to be careful of the door." Leaning back and propping a tired foot on the small trash-can by her desk Une tried to imagine what the hell had happened.
Trowa peered around the corner as the door prodded the prone form of his lover. "You wished to see me, ma'am?" He bent down and helped the blonde Arabic up and helping him sit in one of the chairs.
"I need you to go to the Marshal Spaceport and do a sweep of this car which is linked to the owner who is involved in a domestic violence."
Handing over the slip of paper with the car's tag numbers and the space that was located.
"But this is Duo's car.." Trowa's green eyes flashed a sign of worry.
"Yes it is. He is under arrest for the assault of Heero Yuy." Une put her feet down and rubbed her temples. "Duo hit unarmed Heero then left the scene someplace--I have no clue where. I want you to see if you can get identification, get his ticket number anything. For Heero's sake I want to know why as much as anyone would." She hated to do it, but either arrest him or discuss, and at the moment her mind was burring with the picture of Heero slumped over on the couch whimpering through the memories.
"Yes ma'am, we will find out what we can." Standing, Trowa looked over towards the groaning ex-pilot.
A pale hand ran through the soft locks of hair, "What hit me?"
"A door, Quatre what is four plus four?"
"Er.. three."
"Close enough."
Une picked up a file folder and began to read over the contents, "Oh Barton... put him on decaf, he's too jittery and I'm going to kill him."
Picking up his partner they headed out the door when Heero came in with some papers under his arm. Most of his injury was hidden beneath the thick bangs, but Trowa the silent observer noticed the sadness that wept from his aura and the large bruise forming on the entire side of his face. Not trying to show that he noticed the injured face of his confidant, he just silently nodded in acknowledgement as he usually did and pulled his lover along his side down the hallway.
@~`~
Sitting cross-legged at the long coffee table used for a standard table filled with study books, documents and take out, Heero sat juggling his search for the missing comrade and helping the little red head pass her entrance exams.
"Okay, when did Haley's comet grazed Neptune's atmosphere?"(2)
Putting her pen to her lips then deciding to chew on it a bit she sighed, "I know it was 18th of March."
"Yes but you need the year also, come on..." putting the book down to grab a bite of Kung Pow beef and a sip of Voodoo Rain, (3) he tried to prod the answer out of the teen only to have her grumbling.
"I'll say AC 171" Putting down the pad with a sigh she saw a smile on her tutor's face, "I was right wasn't I?"
"Yes, do you know the prediction date of when it passes Uranus's atmosphere?"
"Easy, it was on the news last night, 3rd of March 234."
"Good now. Let's get to the harder stuff."
The girl slumped against the sofa groaning in displeasure. "I hate astrophysics!" Stomping her feet down she glared her bright blues straight at Heero.
"Don't blame me for you picking the courses. Now, describe why someone on the moon would see the Earth go through phases."
Crossing her eyes at the question she slammed her head on the table and began to whimper loudly.
"Not like I'm asking for when the earth is at sunrise and sunset..."
"Yes you are!" The large note pad muffled her voice; "Life's so unfair."
"Bingo kid." Heero turned towards the kitchen as the phone began to ring, "Back in a second... and don't cheat!"
Giving a raspberry in response, Mariemaia just dropped her head back down to wallow in her misery.
He clicked the cell's button. "Yuy residence."
"Heero, we got a sighting on the L1 colony. The person that called it only saw him for a second, but knew it was Duo by the hair."
Leaning against a wall and sliding down, the Japanese man felt something stir in his stomach. "Thanks. I'll get the first shuttle out. Thanks Trowa."
"Sure thing." The phone clicked off to total silence. Letting it drop to the floor, his head dropped down as he hugged his knees.
Two long years of wondering where the longhaired idiot went ever since the accident kept him awake at night. The wounds were fresh in Heero's mind, the initial shock, the punch, the fluid hatred but never the reason why. Why did it happen that way? Why wasn't it like it should have been? And why after all this time on L1 knowing it was Heero's home colony or what he thought it was his home.
Slippered feet brought him back to reality. Blue eyes of concern looked down at him as she pushed back a stray strand of hair from her cheek.
"They found him, didn't they?"
Nodding, Heero got up, holding the wall.
"You goin' to hit him?" The girl's voice was harsh and bitter.
"Why would I do that?" Everything was clear in his mind, Duo only retaliated to something he was afraid of and that was love.
"Because Uncle, he hurt you." Her voice went soft.
Squatting down to Mariemaia's level, the ex-pilot's smile eased down some of the bile in her throat. "I will not because it is wrong. People do strange things when they are scared."
"Strange? Two years he is missing, no phone call to say sorry, not using his accounts, leaving his home and car and possessions and just gallivanting somewhere else while everyone here worries on what the hell is going to happen!"
"Maria, please listen to me. Anger is not what is needed here."
"But he hurt you, made you..." voice trailing off as the tears soaked her eyes.
"Yes, he hurt me, but forgiveness is greater then hate. Just remember that." Kissing her forehead and petting back the fine hair, he just smiled and walked to his bedroom to pack.
Heero remembered the same conversation with Lady Une and talking her down from pursuing and prosecuting Duo. Plus he claimed he would just drop all charges any ways and marking the American's record would just upset him more then from the raving psycho that he was during that time period.
Booting up the old laptop, he began searching the quickest route to L1 and purchasing the ticket and boarding someplace close to the Spaceport. Things began to click so quickly that Heero thought for once in his life fate was working, but yet again he had that little thought with ‘Hope' and got twisted.
Grabbing for anything and everything that he could fit in the luggage case, happy that space was saved on not worrying about underwear. Finally looking over in satisfaction and grabbing a few grooming products he looked on his dresser and noticed the picture of Duo smiling while holding a gun to Wufei and his head to smile in the picture. It was a rare and treasured moment that he wanted to keep with him.
Frantically looking around for anything he missed, he printed the tickets and sat down at the coffee table while Mariemaia changed channels on his television.
"I guess you will be my house sitter till Une comes to pick you up. You know the routine."
"Cat gets a half a cup of dry in the morning, then at lunch and dinner is a small can. Fish gets a pellet for breakfast and dinner. Don't riffle though your things, don't make too much of a mess when staying and no one without permission is not allowed to cross the threshold unless they want a gun stuck up their ass and a bullet in the head." Her head turned to meet his eyes with a bizarre smile.
"You made up that last part, been hanging around Chang too much. Remind me to wash your mouth out later." Ruffling the hair and slinging his jacket over his shoulder, Heero bounded out the door to his car. He had only an hour before the shuttle lifted or he would have to wait a week for the next take off.
Finally arriving at the same port that Duo left the Earth from, Heero took his bag and began a long run to the gate and to the terminal in under three minutes till lift off. Cutting it close was not his version of fun by a long shot. He tapped his foot waiting for the lady to check over his ticket, then call it in, then type for way too long then he wanted. Finally grabbing the stub, he jumped over a luggage rack and bound for section 5F only to find that the flight was delayed.
Crumpling to the ground in defeat, Heero sat down and began to catch his breath till his shuttle number was called.
Boarding the large white craft that reminded him of Wing when he first fell to Earth, he settled down and put his carryon case of things to entertain himself on the long trip. Knowing that he would either sit in his seat or drive everyone crazy by fidgeting and get up to do something: the Japanese man decided to go to sleep for the rest of the duration till the usual chimes by the Captain of the shuttle warning the passengers to ready themselves for docking. Of course sleeping for ten hours wasn't a good idea and made him feel more tired then rested.
Finally, after five magazines, three papers and six bathroom breaks later they arrived to the L1 docking station. Insanity was settling in Heero's brain while wasting time looking for his bag only to find that it was almost forgotten on the shuttle by the baggage handlers.
Finally out of the Spaceport with a little less hair then he started with, Heero dropped his luggage off and taking out the picture ready to narrow down his search for one Duo Maxwell.
Out on the streets, the air had a different smell then he was used to when he was a child, or maybe being on Earth for so long he wasn't used to air filtration systems. Either way Heero walked around each sector trying to conjure up his best Hmong, Cantonese, Vietnamese and trying not to forget some in the Indian section. The process was maddening, no one recognized the longhaired boy, but Chang seemed to be a hometown hero ever since he tongue wrestled the formal Queen. But if he mentioned that Wufei was from L5, then they would make a derogatory remake and go back to what they were doing. Still some people were more proud of being on one colony then the other.
Ready to give up for the day and rest up for the next day, something caught Heero's eye. Tall and lanky, but still muscular as ever, long hair braided down his back that bounced as he jogged with a group of people. Trying to cross the busy traffic, he stepped back with a near hit from an oncoming car, Heero began to scream towards the violet-eyed man or at least get his attention.
"Duo! Maxwell no BAKA!!!!" Nothing at all. Growling, he refused defeat Heero looked for a crosswalk as he tried to keep up with the laughing American and his traveling group.
Ready to just run across the road and hope nothing hit him, Heero readied himself when on the other side of the road a little girl lost her ball. Clenching his fist, Heero made a mad dash across the four-lane highway to push the girl back on the curb before the transfer truck mowed her down in front of her own mother.
"Suko! Tomeru!"
Feeling the soft skin in his hands, he knew that there was no time left; twisting his body and pushing the girl beneath him as his body took the brunt force as the large grill pushed his back with a loud crack and screech of brakes.
Blood, screams and oil filled the air as the tanker jackknifed into the oncoming traffic creating a massive pile up around the broken body and the crying child.
Notes:
(1) Yeah... I know, forgot who made up the list of Gundam bumper stickers, but I thank them.
(2) Ne... I have a program from Astrophysics called KEPLAR, named after the guy who made my life a living hell with all the damn theories. We used to race the planets in class when the teacher wasn't there and I found that on my birthday in 3071, Haley's comet grazed Neptune's atmosphere or will crash there. Uranus is 3134. I need to back it up to see if anything like this happened before, but it is pretty cool. And yes, these were questions on my test... you want to know the answers; they take up about a page. Harsh course.
(3) Voodoo Rain, my favorite drink... goes good with almost anything, made of Milkweed thistle and Echinacea. Brain food.
Next up: Honey is Sweet... Just like your Lips
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