FORGOTTEN SOUL

Chapter Five

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Duo's yell echoed down the empty street. There was no one around to hear him.

Heero stared back him from behind the muzzle of the gun, his eyes as cold and unblinking as death. "Stop the car, Duo." His voice was hard and unyielding, and he brought the weapon a little closer to Duo's face. "Don't make me kill you."

"You're crazy!" Duo cried, but he pulled off the main road into a deserted parking lot and stopped the car, glaring at Heero with angry, wounded violet eyes.

"Geez, Heero, what the hells' gotten into yaaaaaaaaaah!" Duo's question was cut off as Heero grabbed the top of his braid and literally dragged him out of the car through the passenger seat. "Ow ow ow! Heero, you--UGH!" He doubled over as Heero pulled him upright and buried his fist in his stomach, then gave him a solid blow across the face that laid him flat out on the pavement.

Coughing violently, Duo struggled to keep from spilling his guts onto the concrete. Pushing himself to his knees, he barely had time to draw a breath before Heero kicked him in the ribs and dropped him yet again. Anger, betrayal, and hurt swelled up to drown his fear, and as Heero drew back to strike him again, Duo surged up and tackled his friend, gritting his teeth as they both went crashing to the pavement.

For one brief moment, Duo had the advantage, pinning Heero's wrists to the ground and keeping the deadly gun away from him. But the braided pilot was no match for the other's strength, and Heero quickly turned the tables, slamming Duo on his back and stradling his waist. Duo froze as the muzzle of the gun was shoved back in his face.

Panting hard, fighting the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes, Duo glared up at his former best friend.

"Why are you doing this?" he managed to grit out. Heero stared at him impassively, shifting his weight to keep Duo pinned to the ground. The braided pilot couldn't hold back a painful gasp as Heero's weight crushed his previously bruised ribs. From the way his side throbbed like it was on fire, he was almost positive Heero had cracked a rib or two, maybe even broken them. "Heero...."

The Wing Zero pilot stared at the boy lying helpless beneath him. The big violet eyes shimmered with unshed tears, an undisguised hurt and anger raging within. For a split second, the cold blue eyes softened, and a frown crossed the impassive face.

"Duo?" His voice was hesitant, confused, and Duo blinked at him wide eyed, his anger instantly forgotten.

"Heero." Slowly, he grasped the other's wrist and carefully put the gun away from him. Heero let him do this without protest; his eyes were lost and bewildered, and seemed to focus on something in the darkness beyond them. Duo felt a stab of fear for the pilot who was never uncertain or lost or afraid. "What's wrong with you, pal?" he prodded gently. "What happened back there?"

"I--" Heero's face suddenly twisted in pain, and he clapped a hand to his forehead. Duo saw his muscles bulge as he strained against some inner torment. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead and ran down his face.

"This isn't right," Duo heard him whisper. "I don't want to....I can't...."

"Heero!" Duo grabbed his wrist and pried it away from his face. Tortured blue eyes stared back at him, a frightening madness dancing within. And for the first time, Duo felt an icy fear grip his heart as Heero turned the full intensity of that chilling gaze on him. Duo could feel the desperation in that look, pleading for him to do something. Heero was scared, in pain, and confused, begging Duo to save him from....something. And he was scaring the crap out of him. Almost without thinking, he lashed out, and felt the back of his fist connect with Heero's cheek. Heero jerked, and the bared emotions in his eyes vanished instantly, to be replaced with the cold, detatched emptiness he'd seen before.

Too late, Duo realized his mistake. But before he could draw a breath to speak, iron hard fingers clamped down over his throat. He struggled wildly to breathe, to tell his friend to stop, but his air and strength slipped rapidly away from him, and he fell headlong into blackness.

Early morning at the Preventer's Headquarters

Sally Po yawned. She couldn't help it. Being the head nurse/doctor/miracle worker in the building, she was quite used to putting in the occasional all nighter, but several days in a row made it hard to stay awake, even for her. Wearily, she sipped her coffee and tried to concentrate on what Noin was telling her and her stoic partner. She didn't miss the half irritated, half concerned looks the Chinese boy was shooting her way, and smiled into her coffee, pleased that her welfare could distract the overly discilplined young soldier.

"Sally? Did you hear what I just said?"

"Hmm?" Sally sat up, and Wufei rolled his eyes in a gesture of eternal patience. "I'm sorry, Noin. I wasn't listening. What was that?"

"I said that security around Releena should be even tighter, now that we know there is still someone out there who means her harm. Why capture a gundam pilot if they didn't want to disturb the peace?"

"Right. I'll get Yuy on it right away." Sally covered her mouth as another yawn broke through, and ignored Wufei's indignant glare. "I'm sure he'll have no problems with that," she concluded, smiling at the obvious understatement.

At that moment, there was a timid knock on the door, and Hilde's dark head poked in cautiously. "Oh. Noin, Sally. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were holding a meeting. I'm just looking for someone."

Wufei spoke for the first time. "Looking for Maxwell, are you? Well, good luck. He and Yuy left last night, and both of them were supposed to be here today." Wufei snorted. "The baka probably dragged the poor fool off to a bar or something and got him drunker than a suicidal--" He stopped then at the glare he was recieving from everyone else in the room, and decided to wisely shut up. Yes, he was a soldier, and they were mere women, but at the moment they had him outnumbered.

Hilde tried to hide her fear as she addressed Noin. "Duo never came home last night," she said, refering to the apartment she shared with him. "He called before he left here and said he was on his way. And now Heero is missing. You don't think....anything's happened to them...?"

Wufei had been studiously avoiding anyone's gaze, but now his slanted eyes went to Hilde, and raised one thin black eyebrow. "Why don't you ask Yuy?" he suggested, motioning to something behind her.

Hilde whirled around to face the dark, silent pilot himself. He just stared back at her, unblinking, and she felt a chill run down her spine. Never one to be afraid of Heero Yuy, Hilde couldn't help but feel a tad apprehensive as she faced him now, gazing into those blank eyes of his. Licking her lips, she was about to ask him a question, but Heero beat her to it.

"Duo stayed at my place last night," he stated in a perfect monotone voice. "He ordered pizza, bought some beer, got a little drunk, and was hanging over the toilet seat last time I saw him. I offered to drive him to work this morning, but he said he needed to lie down for awhile. Nothing serious. He said not to worry about him, and he'll be in tommorrow bright and early."

Hilde pursed her lips and shook her head, storming off down the hall. Wufei snorted. Sally and Noin sighed. Heero remained impassive as he took a seat across from them all.

"Heero," Noin gestured to the silent pilot, trying to restore some semblance of organization. "We were all just discussing the possibility of moving you back to your post as Releena's personal bodyguard. With the recent hostilities, I don't we should take any chances. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Heero quickly weighed his choices, and decided that refusing the post would only raise suspicion. After all, he was supposedly this girl's boyfriend, as well as her bodyguard, and could see no reason why he shouldn't keep up the charade. He shrugged, and Noin took that for acceptance.

"Very well. You have your duties, people. Heero, Releena's in a meeting right now, but I want you with her as soon as it's done, understand?"

Heero nodded. Noin looked at him strangely, and, motioning for Sally to follow her, left the room. Wufei watched them go, then turned to Heero and gave him a lopsided smirk.

"Well, Yuy, looks like we're both under a Woman's command for awhile." He shook his head in mock disgust and looked at his watch. "Releena's meeting doesn't end for a couple hours at least. That'll give you a few minutes of quiet, anyway. No offence, Yuy, but you look like hell."

Heero's eyes narrowed. He felt like hell, too. And not only from the physical wounds; this discomfort ran much deeper. He didn't know what he was feeling, and he didn't like it. It had been strongest when he'd looked into Hilde's eyes and told her what had "happened" to Duo. The memory of the night before made him....uncomfortable as well, and he had no idea why. The first part of the mission was successful, and things were proceeding as planned. Why then, did he feel so....strange?

"Hey, Yuy." Wufei rose from his seat with an easy grace and raised an eyebrow at him. "Wanna grab a bite to eat before getting back to work? I'm going to meet Barton and Winner at the new coffee shop down the street, and you're welcome to join me, if you like."

Heero shrugged. "Whatever," he muttered, and followed his fellow Preventer down the hall.

At the coffee shop down the street, Quatre glanced at his watch for about the hundreth time and peered out the window. "Wufei said he would meet us here half an hour ago," he stated worriedly, his sapphire eyes bright with concern. "And Wufei is never late."

Trowa glanced up from the newspaper he was reading. "Heero is supposed to return to work today," he said calmly. "Perhaps the meeting was longer than they expected."

"Maybe." Quatre said, gazing out the window again. "He should be here anytime, then."

But Wufei never showed up.

Oooooh, and the plot thickens. Sorry this took so long to get up. I hate writer's block. Well, tell me whacha think so far. I wasn't going to show Heero beating on poor Duo, but then a reader stated that she would've liked to see Duo get his clock cleaned, and I aim to please. ( Poor Duo ) Anyways, feel free to write or flame. ( Don't kill me for hurting Duo! I love Duo, really!