Gundam Wing/AC 1. Ch 1 Complicated Frustrations

I don't own anything Gundam Wing.

WARNING! RATED MATURE

(O)(O)(O)

Ch. 1 Complicated Frustrations

Life was so complicated, so confusing. Nothing could even be as simple as pushing a button. Then again, it was his own dam fault he was in this mess to begin with, but he had been desperate. Seven months without as much as a call or even a letter. More than once he had though him dead, but deep down knows that wasn't true. He was in love with the fool and would wait a lifetime for him to return.

Nagging doubt plagued him daily. Did he still harbor the same feelings he'd had before he left? Or had those changed and he would be cast aside upon his return?

Duo cast aside that thought as he set to work on yet another vehicle. If his hands were busy his mind wouldn't wander, just focus on the task at hand. His brief love affair with Heero had crushed hi when Heero had suddenly left on an assignment. They had been together two weeks when Duo had confessed his feelings to Heero. He had been overjoyed when they had been returned, and then Heero was suddenly gone, leaving behind an empty void. One he thought would never be filled, until…

He glanced at his silent companion. Then Trowa had reentered his life after almost two years. Since the war, Trowa and Quatre had been an item. It had been a complete accident that they had run into each other. Apparently the couple had moved to the L2 Colony for Quatre's job, but things had been sour between them for some time.

The day he had literally ran into Trowa while carrying an arm load of parts, had been the day Trowa had ended things with Quatre. They still lived together, as Trowa had nowhere to go, but that night…

A pleasurable shiver ran up his back, that night had been spent in ecstasy, and now, Trowa spent almost every waking moment with him, that is, when he wasn't trying to smooth things over with his ex. He didn't mind a jealous, angry ex, he'd had to deal with Relena when she had found out he and Heero were a couple. Heero…

He pulled his arm across his forehead, wiping away the sweat beading down his face. Heero was a whole nother matter in itself. Late at night, entwined in Trowa's arms, he would think about the wild passionate nights spent with Heero, and his heart would ache. He longed to be with him, feel his arms around him, that masculine scent that always seemed to smell of oil and gun powder. Here his name called lovingly.

"Duo?"

Sure he was dreaming. Had Heero really called his name?

"Duo?"

No this voice was different, softer."

"Duo?" The voice was concerned and a hand on his shoulder pulled him from his reverie.

Looking up, he stared into the concerned eyes of his lover and made a carefree gesture with his hand, a smile spreading across his face. "I'm fine Trowa." He insisted, "Just got lost in a day dream for a second."

Trowa continued to stare at him, unsure, but the look of concern had left his handsome features. "Why don't we call it a night?" he suggested. "You've been taking on a lot of work lately and I think it's getting to you."

Trowa was right of course. Since Heero had left and the affair had begun, he had buried himself in work during the day to keep his mind occupied. He looked across the shop at the past several cars he had finished that day. His heart yearned to see Heero working on the vehicle behind him; he could almost see the taunt muscles in his back through the sweat soaked tank. Blinking, his vision disappeared. He nodded to Trowa in agreement. "Yeah, there's plenty of time tomorrow to finish what's left."

As he began cleaning up the remaining oil and miscellaneous vehicle fluids, Trowa began pulling down the doors to the remaining service bays. With the floors cleaned and his tools in their usual disarray on the work bench, he left through the side entrance knowing Trowa had locked the front. He found the 03 pilot lounging casually against the lamppost by the street. After checking his pocket for his keys, they headed off down the darkened street.

Walking home late at night was a joy for him until recently, when something had gone wrong with the artificial atmospheric generator. It was making summer almost unbearably hot even the cool evenings were gone. The only sanctuary he had was his apartment. The head had forced him to cover his windows with thick dark curtains to keep the heat out. He only had to run the air conditioner for thirty minutes or so to get the temperature reasonable. It saved a lot on his electricity bill.

They continued their silent walk down two blocks and up four flights of stairs to his apartment; Trowa periodically texting his ex to assure him he would be home at a reasonable time. This unnerved Duo, it seemed to him that Trowa and Quatre were still together. On the other hand, Quatre may not be handling the break up very well.

While Trowa continued conversing with Quatre, Duo entered the apartment and started the shower. Being a mechanic had its down falls. Working on vehicles, he loved, but washing all the filth off, that could get frustrating some days. Tossing his filthy clothes on the bathroom floor he stepped into the shower allowing the hot water to rinse away the tensions in his body. The hot water felt good on his tired body, though with the heat wave he should be taking a cold shower. Grabbing the soap he began to clean off the day's dirt and grime. As he stepped out of the tub, he heard the familiar ring tone on his cell phone as he wrapped his hair in a towel.

Oblivious to his nudity he sprinted into the bedroom to snatch his phone from the top of the dresser. He knew that ring, it only belonged to one person, but he had been too late. He had missed the call. His heart sank as he sat down on the bed, phone in hand. He started at its dark screen blankly when it vibrated, alerting him to a new message. Hastily fumbling with the phone, he managed to flip the phone open to find a text, not the voicemail he had hoped for.

'_Sanq Kingdom, will be heading for the states.'_

Duo sat, numb. The states? He responded back quickly afraid of the answer he might get in return.

'_States? Are you coming home first? I miss you.' _He hit send before he could think too much on what he had typed and pulled the towel from his hair instead. He sat fingering the buttons blindly on his phone, trying to be patient, staring, willing a text to appear, and when it came, his heart sank.

'_No.'_

Short and to the point, Heero's usual style, and totally oblivious to anyone's feelings. Funny how one small word could wreak so much havoc, his world shattered. Heero wasn't coming back like he had promised. The delusions he had built up crumbled, allowing him to see the reality of the situation for the first time. Setting the phone down, he stalked back into the bathroom, suddenly remembering he was still nude form his shower.

Toweling the remaining water off his body, he threw on the nearest pair of pants and a t-shirt. He needed to walk, clear his head. Leaving the apartment he did not even notice Trowa was absent. Out on the street he walked aimlessly not caring where he went. He could not really be mad at Heero, he was only going where his job dictated he go. It wasn't like they were in a committed relationship, it had been a short lived fling, two weeks, then he had left. Heero had promised to come back but Duo had known there would be complications. The promise had been made before Heero even knew what his mission entailed. Despite that, Duo had believed him, convinced himself, Heero would keep his word and come back.

He jammed his hands into his pockets, silently berating himself for being so foolish, but Heero had seemed so sincere. If Heero was back in the picture, where did that leave Trowa? Weren't they a fling as well? His heart belonged to Heero, but at the moment, his body belonged to Trowa.

His still damp hair brushed the back of his arm, reminding him he had forgotten to put it up. Too late now, it could air dry for the time being. Idly twisting a stray lock of hair, he went back to the more important issue, what to do. From the start he had made sure Trowa knew he was looking for fun and not really a commitment. Having just come out of the war and then, his thing with Heero, he couldn't handle anything serious. Maybe in the distant future, but right now he wanted to be happy, something sorely lacking during the war.

But Heero was gone, headed for the states. Why not continue his fling with Trowa? Maybe things weren't as complicated as he had thought. Life could continue on as it was and if, and it was a big if, Heero came back, he would deal with the situation then. Until that time…

(O)(O)(O)

So this is something I have been working on for some time and just recently had a lot of time to really crank out some chapters. A few more should be posted same day! Please R&R


	2. Ch 2 Betrayed

***WARNING ADULT CONTENT***

Ch. 2 Betrayed

A sly smile crossed Duo's features. Looking up from the ground, he realized for the first time where his feet had taken him. He stood in front of the old military junkyard. War vehicles scattered the grounds, missing various parts. There were a few Pisces and Cancers in there as well. A couple of Tallgeese prototypes mingled among the other machines, the important systems having been removed immediately after the war before scrapping the rest of the machine. With the war over, they were no longer necessary.

He held onto the chain link fence, resting his forehead on the oddly cool steel. How they could just toss them away without a care, Duo would never understand. He and Deathscythe had been inseparable, but that was probably out of necessity. Regardless, a piece of him had died when Deathscythe was obliterated with the other gundams. He missed the sleepless nights working on repairs, or sleeping in the cockpit, camouflaged in the jungle.

Things had been simpler then, kill or be killed. Until he had met up with the other pilots, all he had cared about was living to see the next day, to see the war end, the suffering stop. So much pain, the worst he had ever felt was when Oz had Deathscythe destroyed on planet and colony wide live screen had nearly killed him. He remembered screaming then, the loss of his only friend had been nearly unbearable.

He released the fence and pushed away, shaking off the horrible memories. That was then, life was different now, he had people he cared about and in return, cared for him. They weren't at war any more, finally giving all of them a chance to live life to the fullest.

Head cleared; he twisted his still damp hair into a knot at the base of his neck, the thickness making the heat seem worse than it really was. He walked back the way he came, thinking not of the past, but the future, trying to keep his mind focused on more positive thoughts. Upon entering his apartment he realized Trowa had left and there was no note. He located his phone in the bedroom and sent Trowa a short text, but there was no response. It didn't worry Duo in the least; Trowa was more than capable of handling any situation.

Realizing he was sticky with sweat from his walk, he took a quick shower before climbing into bed, lying on top of the sheets rather than under them. He pulled the remove off his night stand and turned on the stereo, allowing the rock music to lull him to sleep, his stresses forgotten.

The following morning, Duo headed straight to the shop, his mood much improved from the previous day. If he could repair the last few cars by lunch, he could leave early for the day, allowing more free time with Trowa. What he wouldn't give to spend the entire day with him. Since they had started their fling it had been nightly trysts, ending with Trowa returning to Quatre's mansion and he sleeping alone. With any luck, today would be different.

Tossing his braid over his shoulder, he set to work on the vehicle he had been working on the night before. Trowa had not arrived yet, but that was to be expected, Duo was an entire hour early. He wanted to enjoy the slight early morning coolness before the heat took over making the day miserably hot. By the time Trowa did arrive, Duo had finished the first vehicle and was finishing the second.

"Someone came in early." Trowa remarked kissing Duo on his way to the other end of the shop.

"I was hoping to finish early." Duo replied brushing his bangs out of his face with a grease covered hand.

"Hmm, that would be nice." Trowa shot him a sly grin as Duo returned to work.

They both enjoyed the silent company of each other. It had been like this even during the war, each pilot making their own repairs; tools and heavy machinery the only sounds Duo worked tirelessly all morning until he reached the last car. He would have it finished a little after noon. Letting a smile spread across his face, he set to work with renewed vigor despite the heat. He could hear Trowa working idly behind him, continuing on a more long term vehicle. Trowa practically had to rebuild the thing from the ground up, but at least he was finally making headway. Problem after problem had cropped up in the beginning but under Trowa's expert hands, the machine began to take shape and run, to some degree. There was still a lot of work.

Duo sighed, content. Nothing felt better than working with a fellow pilot; it brought a measure of peace to his currently scattered world. And there was always the cars the one truly reliable thing in his life; there were always vehicles in need of repaid. With that thought he set to work with renewed vigor. He was determined to spend some much needed time with his companion. Less than an hour later, he was finished. Pressing his hands into his lower back as he stood, bones cracking as they realigned.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to head out." Duo stated as he tossed his tools on the work bench and took a seat on the stool. He watched as Trowa rolled out from beneath the car, face smeared with grease.

"I agree. Not much more I can do today without that part." He stood slowly, stretching his lanky body.

Duo admired the cat like quality in Trowa's always fluid and graceful movements. He couldn't wait to have it under his hands, feel their bodies pushed close together, their lips…

"Duo?"

The questioning tone in Trowa's voice pulled him from his dirty fantasy. "Yeah?" he answered quickly, unsure of how long he had been locked in his own thoughts.

"Daydream?" Trowa inquired.

"Fantasy." He grinned.

"I hope it was dirty." Trowa responded as he put his tools away.

"Very, let's get out of here so we can make it reality." A Cheshire cat-like grin spread across his face.

Duo cleaned up what fluids were on the floor while Trowa closed the bays and locked the front door. They met up at their usual lamp post before making their trek to the apartment. The walk was unusually quiet and it took a moment before he realized Trowa's phone wasn't going off. He had become so accustomed to hearing it that there was an awkward silence without it. He didn't dare broach the subject, he was not at all sure he would like the answer. Horrible thoughts began to crowd his head as the silence stretched on, but all thoughts disappeared as soon as they entered his apartment.

Trowa shut the door behind him before pinning him to it, kissing him breathless. Duo stood like a deer in headlights as his lover literally tore the shirt from his body and discarded it haphazardly as he dragged Duo towards him, tugging his braid to entire his head to tip back, exposing the soft creamy skin of his neck.

Duo moaned in satisfaction as he clawed at Trowa's clothes, desperate to be skin to skin. He tore at them vehemently as Trowa ravaged his mouth. Duo returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm as he explored bellow Trowa's pants, thrilled to find he had gone commando. Gently, he fought past the dense curls to Trowa's erection, stroking slowly, enjoying how Trowa's body responded beneath his hands. His free hand made quick work of the button and zipper, exposing Trowa's body in all its naked glory.

Trowa followed suit, relieving him of his pants in record time. Once free, Duo pushed Trowa back into the bedroom and onto the bed, Trowa flawlessly pulling the lube from the beside stand as they fell. Duo ran his hands over Trowa's erection while Trowa dripped lube over his hands. Duo couldn't wait to feel him inside; the pure ecstasy would be heaven. When he was sure Trowa was ready, Duo gently lowered himself down, finding pleasure in the briefest moment of pain upon penetration. Trowa moved slowly, always the gentle lover. Once settled into a steady rhythm, Duo pulled his hair free of its braid, allowing it to brush against Trowa's thighs in feather-light strokes. The tightening of Trowa's abdomen told Duo everything. He moved in ever increasing strokes, enjoying the look on his lovers face.

Without warning, Trowa rolled them over then grabbed him by his hips and held him still. Duo reveled in the feel of Trowa's fingers biting into his hips as he brought their rhythm to a fevered pitch! He could feel his orgasm building and cried out when Trowa grasped his erection and stroked at the same speed. Duo cried out as his orgasm rocked through his body, Trowa following immediately after.

He didn't care that he was covered in grease, sweat and a combination of both their fluids. It didn't matter that his favorite shirt lay in shreds on the floor and his bed was filthy. All that mattered was this one moment of ecstasy, where he and Trowa could lay in each other's arms, and for a short time, Duo could pretend the world was perfect. But Trowa didn't lie down next to him like he usually did. He pulled away and left the room to return with their pants. Duo's stomach plummeted as Trowa tossed his pants on the bed. This was not what he had expected. Hesitantly, he pulled his pants on and stood on the opposite side of the bed.

"Quatre and I are back together." Trowa stated frankly.

"What?" Duo was breathless, his worst feel come to life.

"We're back together." No emotion, no feeling, it was so Heero like! Duo was instantly angry.

"Then what the hell was this?" he demanded motioning towards the bed.

"I needed to feel you body, remember what he had."

"You...used…me?" He emphasized each word.

"Duo, don't do this, we agreed…

Duo cut him off. "Get out!" He ordered suddenly feeling a dirty that had nothing to do with the grease on his skin.

"Duo, please…"Trowa begged taking a step forward.

"OUT!" he yelled, pointing furiously towards the door.

Trowa's didn't argue, but respected his command and left without another word.


	3. Ch 3 Marriage and Messages

Ch. 3 Marriage and Messages

Duo threw his fist out, putting it through the bedroom wall. Unaffected by the pain, he stalked into the bathroom turning the shower to a blistering temperature. He tossed his pants into the living room, determined to throw them away with his shirt.

The water scalded his skin but he didn't care. He needed to feel clean, to wash the feel of Trowa's hands from his body. He had known at some point Trowa would leave, but he had never expected it to go down like this. It was cold and calloused, even Heero would not have stooped so low. Heero. Trowa. Abandoned by two men. Was there any hope for him? He scrubbed his hair vigorously washing out the dirt and oil from the day. He was taking a vacation, something he had never done. He would finish Trowa's car, notify customers and take off. No one would miss him if he disappeared for a while. In fact, the idea was appealing, no technology, no work, though that may get boring. Most of all, no ex-lovers. Heero had forsaken him for the job, and Trowa his ex who, coincidentally, was his best friend, was being key. He was sure Quatre would never speak to him once he found out about what he and Trowa had done.

With is mind made up he turned off the shower to dry quickly. There wasn't much to pack, passports and a gun. Even in times of peace, a gundam pilot never left home without a gun. There were still fanatics out there who believed the war wasn't over or should not have ended. Better safe than sorry.

Placing his passport on the night stand alongside the gun, he threw on his favorite sweatpants, stripped the bed and carried everything, including his pants and shirt, down to the dumpster. After making the bed and returning his gun to its usual place, beneath his pillow, Duo flaked out on the bed, eager for sleep to take him. And take him it did! He slept so soundly that he never heard the front door open, or the footsteps leading the figure to the side of the bed.

(O)(O)(O)

Duo woke to sunlight on his face, something he hadn't felt in months. That realization startled him awake. Why were the curtains open? He never opened the curtains in the bedroom. He bolted upright in bed, gun in hand, but the room was empty. A quick sweep revealed the rest of the apartment was clear as well. Flopping down on the bed he noticed the note on the night stand. What the hell was going on? His hands shook as he unfolded the note.

_I had to see you one last time. You looked so peaceful, I couldn't wake you. _

He didn't recognize the script as belonging to anyone he knew. This could not lead to anything good. He was plagued with bad luck. The only other luck he had was bringing death and destruction.

He folded the note and placed it in the night stand. Time to finish the car and close shop for a while. Walking the few blocks to his shop alerted him that the atmospheric generators had been repaired. It was a comfortable 72 degrees. Go figure, he decides to leave and they repair the dam generators.

Duo took comfort in the smell of grease and oil as he wandered down to the end of the garage to find Trowa's car already finished. Trowa must have finished it sometime during the night. He made quick work contacting his customers and locking up shop before calling a cab to take him to the shuttle port. The cab ride was uneventful as was the shuttle ride. He had no set destination in mind, just boarded the first shuttle off the colony. It was no surprise when the pilot announced they would be landing in the Sanq Kingdom.

With a heave sigh, he departed with the rest of the passengers into the narrow off ramp leading to an obscenely packed shuttle port. No wonder people moved off planet. It sickened him how congested things planet side could get. He took comfort knowing that back home, he could walk down the street without bumping into people.

Finally outside the port, he was able to see a whole four feet in front of him. He should have thought more about where he wanted to go, but he was here now, and the next flight would not depart for some time. At least the area was familiar so there wouldn't be an overwhelming paranoia that someone was out to get him. And there was always the apartment. That thought sickened him.

He and Heero had shared and kept and apartment for over 7 years in the Sanq Kingdom for Heero's job, but he had said he was traveling to the states. Good a place as any and he would not stay long, just enough to decide where to go next. With a heavy sigh, Duo flagged down a cab willing to take him to the middle of the city; it was at least three hours away.

As the cab drove, Duo watched the landscape pas in a blur, nothing in particular standing out. The land had recovered with little scarring after the war. It all looked much the same since he had been here last, two years ago. The palace passed by on his right, still ugly pink. Relena still in the even uglier pink wedding dress. Heero still on her arm. HEERO ON HER ARM!

It took a moment for that to sink in.

"STOP!" Duo bellowed leaping from the car before it could stop. He tore through the gates and up the drive as they disappeared around the corner. He skidded to an abrupt stop, landing on his ass as the damp grass gave way beneath his feet. It had to be a nightmare, there was no way this was real.

Heero stood before the priest, Relena's hands in his as the priest read through the nuptials. Duo's mind was blank, void of all rational through. His whole world, obliterated. That should have been HIM, not Relena. Heero loved him, didn't he? Lies! Everything had been a lie! Like Trowa, to get what he wanted, used and discarded.

Duo had no idea how long he sat in the grass, nor did he care that his clothes were soaked. For some sick, twisted reason, he was unable to pry his eyes away from the couple. He vaguely registered getting to his feet or staggering back a few feet trying to get away, but at that moment, Heero noticed him stared directly at him as he repeated "I do.", his face as stoic as ever. He couldn't stand to see the rest, and as cowardly as it was, he ran. Past the guards at the front door, past the cab and the gawking guests on the lawn. He ran until it felt as if his lungs would burst.

He felt sick and disgusted. What was going on? Had everyone gone mad? Was he seeing things? Maybe he should check in to the asylum. He shook his head as he tried to catch his breath. No, he wasn't losing it; he had seen Heero marry Relena. Heero had made sure he knew what he was doing.

He collapsed on the curb, arms resting on his knees. "That's fucked up Heero." Duo whispered as he surveyed his surroundings. He had run at least 4 miles, putting him somewhere in the lower districts. Of course, just his luck he had run in the wrong direction, taking him farther from his original destination. "Dam it!" He just wanted to get back to the accursed apartment, plan the next destination, and disappear, permanently. Stringing several curse words together, he got up and headed back the way he'd come at a much slower rate. With any luck, the wedding would be over and he wouldn't have to see the "happy couple." He though sarcastically. Unfortunately, luck wasn't with him.

The bride and groom were headed towards the pink limousine tagged with "Just Married" on the back window. Duo shoved his hands in his pocket and kept his head down. Passing by the estate wasn't an option, the only other street that could detour him was 30 miles away. He hoped they wouldn't notice him but peeking out from beneath his bangs confirmed he had been seen.

Heero was watching with the same intense stare he'd had earlier. Duo averted his eyes; he couldn't take seeing the man he loved with that woman. He took the first side street available, confident in his knowledge of the Kingdom. It would add 20 minutes to the trip but he'd be off the main road and wouldn't have to torture himself by watching the limo drive away. The two hour walk would do him some good; he needed to sort things out.

How much had Heero lied? At the time, it seemed like Heero had really meant it when he had confessed his love. Something was going on, but what? Duo wracked his brain, trying to remember every detail from that night. They had just finished a particularly satisfying round of sex when he had stated he was in love with Heero. Heero's face had been turned towards him when Heero returned the feeling, but he wasn't looking at him, his eyes were focused beyond him, but on what? The only thing beyond was the window, more importantly, what had been on the other side? He remembered Heero's eyes having that hard edge they always held when danger was near.

What did it matter? Heero had been married before god and in the eye of the public, to Relena Peacecraft. Nothing could be done about that; Heero had made his bed, he could like in it even if it was with the devil.

Duo let his mind wander after that, never touching on any one thing for longer than a few moments. He tried to concentrate on his next destination, but nothing was jumping at him, but if Heero married Relena, was he still planning to go to the states? The live screen outside in the square, and ironically enough the very one he had watched Deathscythe destroyed on, answered his question. Relena was headed to the states on some diplomatic quest of hers. Heero would be with her. The States were out, then again, wasn't his goal to stay away? Was there any better way to avoid him than to be where he knew Heero wouldn't be? Heero would expect him to leave after what he had seen today. Always do the unexpected, it's what had kept him alive this long. Sanq Kingdom it is! What a dump, he thought miserably.

He would make do, he always did. The final block to the apartment seemed to take eons; the eight flights up, even longer. Apprehensively, he slid the key into the lock and waited, unsure if he should turn it, but the lock clicked open. The door opened saliently on its well oiled hinges. It was like a scene from a horror movie. Only one of the window blinds was up casing eerie shadows across the room.

"And the killer jumps out and hacks me to pieces." Duo chuckled as he closed the door behind him. The apartment hadn't changed at all, everything in the exact place it had been the last time he was here. He pulled all the shades up to take advantage of the nice weather. Heero had been here recently, the apartment held a distinct masculine smell that was attributed to Heero. How long ago had that been?

He tore his thoughts away from his traitorous ex-lover. The sun would set soon and he wanted to shower and eat. At least the apartment had been well maintained. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere and the rooms were immaculate, but then again Heero was a bit of a neat freak. At least the massive shower would be clean. He discarded his clothes haphazardly as he crossed the bedroom, anxious for a hot shower after spending six hours on a shuttle, then running four miles unexpectedly.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. Blood smeared the white tiled walls in various stages of age. There was no body, thankfully, but who did the blood belong too? Had Heero lost it and gone on a killing spree? No, he wouldn't have left this kind of evidence behind. Could it be Heero's? What kind of trouble was he in for this to have happened and how bad was the damage?

Duo threw his clothes back on and headed for the front door when a note on the night stand caught his eye. He snatched it off the stand violently and tore open the envelop seal. The same cursive writing from his note on L2 flowed flawlessly across the paper.

_Duo,_

_If you're reading this then you already know. I'm sure that you hate me right now and no amount of sorry will ever repair the hurt and pain I have caused you._

_There is no reason for you to believe me after all the doubts you now have, but things are not what they seem. What you think you saw today wasn't what you think it was. _

_I know you have no reason to believe this and I wish I could explain in detail, but it would put you in greater dangers than you are already in._

_You know where everything is._

_Heero_

_P.S. No, I did not go on a killing spree._

(O)(O)(O)

So this is what I have gotten so far. Thought I would leave a little bit of a cliffy for you all! R&R!


	4. Ch 4 Torture and Warrants

********GRAPHIC CONTENT MATURE AUDIENCE ONLY*********

Ch. 4 Torture and Warrants

Duo stared at the note for a long time, easily deciphering Heero's words. Something serious was going on and Heero had stumbled upon it. "You know where everything is" meant that Heero had uncovered important information that he needed to see, that would give him a clue to whatever it was that Heero wanted him to know. At the same time, an illogical part of his brain cried out that it was a trap Heero had set to get him to believe something was up when there was nothing. However, his gundam pilot instincts told him to investigate and at least find out if there really was something going on. You never know.

He walked purposefully over to the closet on the far side of the room and yanked the door open hurriedly. Pushing past some of the clothes that were never used and moving aside a few boxes of "equipment" (their usual, easy to get to in a "we are about to die" scenario, stash) and removed the hidden panel. He punched in his code, placed his hand against the touch pad while a retinal scan was completed. Paranoid as it seems, it was their last ditch effort in the event they were about to die and what information they did have, shouldn't get out. If Heero had put information in there, it was important.

Time seemed to pass slower than usual as Duo waited impatiently for the system to recognize his information. Finally, the metal plate slid to the left, disappearing into the wall to allow access to a disheveled looking package. He removed it quickly before telling the security system to see the vault as he walked back into the bedroom.

By now, the importance of Heero's letter had set in and Duo wanted to make damn sure everything was secure before looking in the package. Methodically, he set about dropping all the blinds, triple checking the locks on all doors and windows; reprogrammed the apartments internal security system and hack proofed the spare laptop Heero always kept in the top shelf of the closet.

Sitting on the floor of the bedroom, propped up against the foot of the bed, Duo opened the package in the dim light of his borrowed laptop. What he did find was only mildly surprising. Death warrants out for all of them, all five gundam pilots. He had been wondering when that would happen, peace was not allowed for Gundam pilots, ever. What he did find interesting was that the warrants on Heero, Trowa and Quatre had been rescinded, but why? That didn't make any sense at all. The signature wasn't familiar either. Warrants like these would have required Relena's signature, yet hers were not there. Nestled inside the folded warrants were transcripts of someone's conversation but the speakers were labeled person 1, person 2, and a lot of good that would do him.

Flipping through the papers, Duo noticed an old school memory card at the bottom of the package, something easily missed, but obviously important. Double checking the laptop's security, Duo plugged it in and waited for it to load. Nothing, not even his years as a gundam pilot, could have prepared him for what he saw next.

Heero was strung up; spread eagled and naked in the bathroom, the tile was white in this video. Duo had a clear view of Heero's perfect backside; he noticed that his lover's head hung limply forwards. Drugged? Then the cat o nine tails snaked out across the perfectly smooth flesh of Heero's back with such force it tore the skin open on its first pass. The sound of the tails biting into the flesh before tearing it away was sickening to hear and nauseating to watch. The tails retreated out of sight before lashing out again, opening deep furrows into Heero's tanned skin. Blood began to flow then, smoothly and effortlessly down the wounds, trailing down his well defined muscles to wrap around his legs in long streams before pooling on the floor around his feet.

The movie skipped ahead then, the blood from the previous whipping having now dried to a muddy brown color, but Heero was strung up the same way, the wounds before still a dark pink, indicating that they were not fully healed. Again, the cat o nine tails sought flesh, tearing open the old wounds while simultaneously creating new ones. This elicited a grunt from Heero, but nothing more. The next pass jerked his head back, before it collapsed forward again, hopefully unconscious. Again, the movie skipped, wounds from both sessions barely healed before they were inhumanely torn open again, and again, and again.

The recording would have continued that way for a couple of hours if Duo hadn't skipped through to the last entry. Heero's back was now unrecognizable as welts crisscrossed up and down his back, some wrapping around his waist. The bathroom looked much like what he had seen when he had first come in the apartment this afternoon, this must have been the last session before Heero had hidden this information away. It was here that he finally noticed the date on the bottom of the right corner of the screen. It was dated one week back, but the amount of footage and the amount time it would take for cat o nine tail wounds to start to close was considerably long. Moving straight to the beginning of the recording, he noted that date. It was dated two days after the last day Duo had seen Heero, the same day they had confessed their love and Duo had noticed Heero staring over his shoulder.

That thought triggered something in Duo's mind and he looked over Heero's shoulder on the recording. He could see a faint reflection that had reflected off a window and on to the mirror. Just his luck, it was too distorted to make out any dominant features.

Was this why Heero had left? Had he known what was going on? Did he know who had done this too him? He couldn't have, or he wouldn't have recorded it, unless he wanted the evidence. His mind could barely organize all the information! He'd been used by his current lover and discarded, abandoned by the one man he loved for another woman, and now discovers that, that same man has been tortured and subjected to unthinkable punishment; all in less than two days. He needed time to think, time to sort through all the information. This was too much to handle, even for him.

Duo removed the memory stick and returned everything to package where it was safely deposited back into their vault. Wiping the computer memory clean off all evidence of what he had viewed, Duo sat in the cool living room trying to calm his nearly irrational mind. What the hell was going on? It was obvious that there was some link between Trowa and Heero leaving him. Had Trowa's choice to leave been the action the remove the death warrant on Quatre and thereby himself? Even more, had Heero marrying Relena removed his warrant as well? Then why did WuFei and he still have a warrant out?

He shook his head and pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes, trying to remove the images of Heero's torture from his mind. Looking at the video in its entirety would be sick, but there had to be clues as to who had subjected Heero to such a fate. The video and recordings where the only clues he had to go by and unfortunately, he didn't have any other choice but to go through everything, even the video.

Removing his hands from his eyes he vowed he would kill whoever was behind all this. Life was great until the warrants were issued, and he refused to let them tear apart what little goodness was left in his life. First, he would clean up the bathroom. It was a constant reminder of what had happened and he refused to remember Heero and have Heero be reminded, of what had happened. Motivated, he went to the kitchen for the bleach, and opening the small window above the shower and turning on the vent, doused the entire room in bleach and let it set. There wouldn't be a single ounce of blood on any surface, anywhere in the room when he was finished. In fact, there wouldn't be a trace of any blood for any forensic team to test if they searched the apartment. A gundam pilot is always thorough.


	5. Ch 5 Nothing

Ch. 5 Nothing

Duo sat on the couch, exhausted but satisfied, to a point. The bathroom sparkled like new, not a single trace of blood to be found. He had also had time to scrutinize over every detail Heero had left behind, outside of the videos; he hadn't mustered up enough courage to watch them again. Heero hadn't left him much to go on; death warrants, newspaper clippings from a few of Relina's balls, grainy black and white photographs where you could barely make out the people in them, seemingly random shots of different places, and the videos on the memory card. Heero had assembled all the information for a reason, questions was, why?

He had been able to assemble some sort of time line going all the way back to his memory of Heero staring over his shoulder at the window admitting he loved Duo. From some of the time stamps on the photographs, they had been taken; at the earliest a month before Heero had left. So Heero had known something was up, but why hadn't he said anything? It was obvious he was in some sort of trouble if he had been forced into marriage with Relena, but what did she have over his head?

The most recent photograph had been taken two days ago but he couldn't put a location to the image with the grainy distortion. You would think that with all the technology they had available, they would be able to clear up a simple photograph. Laying the photographs out in what he thought was the correct order had given him even fewer clues. It was possible there was more information on the videos, but he couldn't stomach watching them just yet. He wanted to make sure he had covered all other avenues before returning to them.

In addition, the death warrants seemed to have been signed randomly at different times and the signature different on each one. It was possible that there was more than one person issuing them, but his gut instinct told him this was the work of one person, and a very brilliant person at that if Heero hadn't managed to kill them yet. It would be much easier to just ask Heero what was going on, but that was out of the question. What he needed was a sign, some sort of starting place that would get him more information to fill in the gaps, and that sign came in the form of a text.

_Have you seen the news on Heero?_

It was from WuFei, who now worked for the Preventers office a few blocks away. Why hadn't he thought of that before! Mentally cursing himself he responded and requested the 05 pilot's presence at his earliest convenience. Duo didn't ask for much and when he did, it was usually a serious situation.

_Give me 20._

Ever the efficient soldier, WuFei. At least he wouldn't have to wait long and hopefully, WuFei would be able to give him some more insight, if not more intel on what might be going on.

(O)(O)(O)

Twenty minutes to the second, WuFei arrived at the apartment, still dressed in his shiny black dress shoes, perfectly pressed slacks with a tucked in button down dress shirt and black tie. Duo couldn't tell if he was coming from a wedding or going to a funeral. He kept those thoughts to himself as he let the other pilot in.

"I take it you've seen the news." WuFei stated as he loosened his tie and pulled his insanely tight ponytail out.

"No, I was there for the vows." He responded solemnly as he locked the door behind the Chinese pilot.

"What?"

Duo explained the whole sordid experience in detail, hoping that WuFie might find something in it and in the evidence before them that would give them some clue. When he was finished, he watched as WuFei leaned back in one of the armchairs, one elbow propped on the arm rest a hand over his face with the other hand resting quietly on the opposite side. He sat patiently waiting as WuFei digested all the information; it was taking quite a while considering he hadn't even told him about the evidence now sitting on the coffee table.

Slowly, WuFei lowered his hand and the look on his face was that of total exhaustion. It was obvious that even Gundam pilots get sick of seemingly never ending plots for their death.

"I take it all this has to do with Heero as well." He finally said as he made a large sweeping gesture with his now free hand to encompass everything sitting on the table.

"Yea, I'm just not entirely sure what he's trying to tell me." Duo said falling back into the couch himself. "A lot of information but not a whole lot to go on. I was hoping that you might be able to make something of it, or use your connections at Preventers to give me a lead. All I need is a starting point."

"Well, I certainly can't go marching in there with all this information, they'll want to know where I got it from, and I'm sure Heero didn't obtain any of it legally. Let me see what you have and we'll go from there."

Duo leaned forwards and pushed all the information down to WuFei's end of the coffee table before going to the kitchen. He could already tell it was going to be a long night, so he might as well make coffee. Black, freshly ground and strong, the only way to drink it. For his companion, green tea, caffeine was not a part of his diet, or in his vocabulary as far as Duo could tell, but hey, to each their own. While the coffee was brewing and water boiling, Duo reluctantly retrieved the videos from the other room. WuFei would need to see everything to have a full understanding of the extremity of the situation.


End file.
