"I know all about you, pilot 02."
Duo didn't comment. His eyes followed every movement of his captor, who had been pacing back and forth the entire time. "Shinigami. God of Death. That's quite the moniker you're carrying."
"It's the truth," he answered.
"Oh yes, I know." The man halted in front of a small table. He picked up a bottle of water and took a few sips, albeit shoddily; some of the precious liquid trickled from the corner of his mouth, all over his chin. Duo refrained from licking his lips. He knew this kind of 'interrogation' method all too well and he wasn't going to break that easily. It had been hours since he had something to drink. "How many lives have you taken? How many innocent people have you killed?"
"Is this what it's all about?" Duo snarled. "You want to talk to me about what happened in the wars?"
"No, don't get me wrong." The man put the bottle of water down on the table, casually spilling some. It was painful to watch it going to waste. "I was just curious. If it's up to me, you'd be killing much, much more people, Duo Maxwell."
Okay, so he knew his name. Duo wiggled on his seat. His movements were restricted by the shackles around his wrists and ankles. The shackles were interconnected with long, heavy chains; if he moved one limb, his entire body moved along with it. He grunted. The chains ran across his chest, his abdomen and his upper legs, as if someone had gone crazy and had tried to wrap him up like a Christmas present.
"Is this some kind of revenge?"
"Not at all. I'll explain it to you, all in due time. You probably have a lot of questions and I don't want you to tire yourself out. I should quit all that wiggling, if I were you. You must know by now that escape is impossible. I took elaborate precautions."
Duo snorted. "I'm impressed. Tell me your name, it gets very frustrating to think of my enemy as 'that motherfucker'."
"Enemy? I'm not your enemy. But you're right - introductions are in order. My name is Alex."
"Well, Alex, so far you suck at interrogation and torture, and if you think I'm intrigued by your mysterious ways, you're dead fucking wrong."
Alex frowned. "They warned me for this."
"They?"
"Believe me or not, but you've made some powerful enemies along the way, Duo Maxwell. I'm almost flattered that you see me as one, but like I said... I'm not your enemy."
"So, who is?"
"Why, the Preventers, of course."
Duo arched an eyebrow. Alex looked at him expectantly, but Duo remained silent. Why would someone regard the world's largest organization on peacekeeping as an enemy? He had to be a psycho, someone who wanted to instigate a war. Duo slumped into his seat. His mind raced a mile a minute. He'd been on his way to Geneva, Switzerland to meet up with the rest of the former Gundam pilots, Relena Peacecraft and Lady Une to talk about... He hissed when the realization hit him. Of course! The European Peace Summit! "You want to sabotage the summit," he said.
Alex made a gesture as if he swatted away a fly. "I don't care for the summit, as hollow and empty these 'peace talks' are," he said, disdainfully.
"Then what is it you want?"
"You're going too fast," Alex said. "Besides, you're not in the position to ask questions."
"Tell me something new," Duo said sarcastically. He was rewarded with a slap to the face. He braced himself for more, but nothing happened. Instead, Alex stalked out of the room, turning off the lights as he closed the door. Duo didn't mind the pitch-black environment, he wasn't afraid of the dark. He wiggled once more. He couldn't reach any of the lock picks in his hair, not like this. The shackles gave him very little leeway and the chains wrapped around his body weighed a ton. It was hard to breathe with big, metal chains pressing down on your chest. Duo closed his eyes and tried to remember one of Wufei's breathing techniques. Calm. Stay calm. Focus on your breathing. He wasn't afraid. He'd been in dire situations before. By now, Heero had discovered that he wasn't on the train and he was going to raise hell when his boyfriend was missing. A smile tugged at his lips. Heero had wrapped up a mission in Kazakhstan and would travel by plane to Switzerland. It wasn't unusual that they went on separate missions in different parts of the world. Duo had visited Brussels, home of Relena Peacecraft, and he had declined travelling along with her to Switzerland; not because he didn't like being around her - he was pretty good friends with the Queen of the World - but because he was looking forward to some alone time, after all the missions and work he'd done as of late. Even Mr. Perfect-workaholic-Soldier Heero Yuy had been protesting that the workload was getting out of hand.
The train from Brussels to Geneva would take at least 9 hours, with some transfers at the larger train stations. A long trip, but he had left Brussels in the early morning to arrive at Geneva in the late afternoon. Who had known that he was going to take the train? He hadn't announced his plans to anyone but Relena, it had been a spur of the moment. The Queen of the World had suggested he could take a car from her garage, as she knew how much he liked to drive. Usually he would've jumped at the chance, but he had declined once more, as he wanted to experience the luxury of being driven. Relena didn't have any personal chauffeurs to spare and he had opted for the train. She was a good friend and not the kind of person to blab about travel itineraries of high-ranking Preventers. Duo racked his brain. His identity wasn't known to the general public. He hadn't been in uniform. Whoever had figured out his plans, it had to be someone close... someone who knew him. They warned me for this. You've made some powerful enemies along the way, Duo Maxwell. His name wasn't publicly known either. Lady Une had set up the Preventers in such a fashion that the former Gundam pilots still maintained a secret identity. How did this guy know? How had he managed to capture him, Duo Maxwell, in the first place? The train. That stupid train. He had been careless, and nothing else. It was his own fault. He'd been looking forward to a cosy train ride so much that he had dropped his guard. Duo gritted his teeth. He had ordered coffee on board of the train; someone had to have tampered with it. He couldn't recall anything after station Basel, right after he had his coffee; that was the moment he'd been drugged. Stupid, stupid!
It didn't answer all of his questions, but at least he had a general idea of how the events had unfolded. Now he had to focus on the present. He was in a fairly large room, completely dark, chained to a chair. This Alex spoke in singular form. Was he truly acting on his own? No back-up from a group or an organisation? Could one person be able to pull this off? Or was this Alex employed to act as a stand-alone interrogator? That slap to the face didn't hold much physical power behind it, so he was probably going for the mentally exhausting route. The thought had barely crossed his mind when suddenly the lights went back on, generating intense heat. Duo squinted, the harsh influx of light burning his retinas. He kept his focus on his breathing. They were going to make him sweat, literally. They wanted to make him beg for a sip of water. Well, whoever 'they' were and 'they' had warned Alex, 'they' didn't know that the fucking God of Death didn't fucking beg. Breathe. Inhale, exhale. It was a matter of time. His train had arrived in Geneva by now and Heero would discover that he wasn't on board. He would ask questions and start up his own investigation. No one was that good to kidnap someone and not leave any trace. No matter how small, Heero would find it and use it to track him down. Duo hung his head; not in defeat, but to save his energy. The burning heat from the lights was uncomfortable and he tried to ignore it as best as he could. Time went by, hours passed. He couldn't look at his watch; one of the chains covered it. Sweat rolled down his spine and his clothes stuck to his skin.
"I'm sure you haven't had enough."
Duo snapped his head into the direction of the voice. He hadn't heard Alex coming back. Was he weakened already? Alex was dressed in light, cotton clothes and wasn't bothered by the heat. He drank from the water bottle again and held it invitingly out to Duo. "Want some?"
Duo's throat had run dry and he would actually kill for a drop of water, but he wouldn't give this man the satisfaction of even licking his lips in anticipation. "Go fuck yourself."
"This," Alex pointed up at the bright lights, "is nothing, of course. But you know that, don't you? You Gundam pilots are tough and hardened to the core. A bit of heat exposure won't get to you. As far as I recall, asphyxiation didn't bother you much either."
"You were at the Lunar Base?" Duo asked, incredulous.
"Who do you think I am?" Alex snorted. "Do you really think I'm giving out information that easily? That we take turns asking questions? No, it doesn't work that way."
"For the love of chocolate chip cookies, just quit your tough act already," Duo said. His voice cracked and he didn't sound as menacing as he'd like, but Alex seemed to be impressed and he took a step back.
"Interesting," he said. Duo rolled his eyes. "I told them I would do this for free. Don't make me regret it."
"I'm sorry, I don't do megalomaniacal psychopaths," Duo answered. "If you know me so well, you would also know that I specialize in..."
"Stealth missions, yes. You crippled the rebels in Denmark by stealing their plans for a new attack system. Because of you, the Dark Evening faction was unable to effectuate their coup."
"Boo-hoo, I'm so sorry."
"A lot of people admire your work," Alex said. "Including myself. I'm not here to inflict pain on you, though you might believe the opposite. I only want you to cooperate."
"By burning me to a crisp," Duo said.
"Some people need more conviction than others."
"Look pal, if you want to brainwash me into joining your side or whatever, you should've offered me a plush bed, raw oysters and champagne, okay?"
"You're quite unpredictable." Alex smiled, it was almost pleasant. "According to my information you like chocolate, coffee and cake, not oysters and champagne."
"You got me there," Duo muttered. Where did this guy get his information from? A leak at Relena's office? At the Preventers' office? No, this was... personal. Very personal.
"Such a sweet tooth," Alex continued. He was standing next to Duo and he raked his hand through his sweaty, sticky bangs. As if stung, Duo shook his head wildly. Such an intimate gesture was meant for Heero only, not for this guy. "That's why you never noticed the extra melatonin I added to your coffee. Poor fellow, you went out quickly. You must've been so tired."
So Alex had been on the train already, then? Duo refused to take the bait, though anger flared through him. He didn't like to be considered weak.
"Tell me how you got me off the train," he demanded.
Alex took a pristine handkerchief out of his pants pocket and cleaned his hand. "Why don't you ask who I'm working for?"
"I don't give a shit about who you're working for," Duo snapped. His voice was hoarse and raspy. "You'll never get me to cooperate!"
"You're pretty full of yourself, aren't you? The way you behave, the way you call yourself... isn't that a little grotesque, 'God of Death'? You're a war orphan, like millions of others. They've all seen death and destruction. What makes you so special?"
"We're not taking turns asking questions, remember?" Duo grinned at him.
Alex didn't hesitate for a second. "Sharp mind, 02. You keep surprising me."
"You're welcome. Say, is this going to take long? I need to take a piss."
"It all depends on how well you cooperate, but you mentioned that I'll never get you to..." Alex shrugged. "I have all the time in the world to make you see a different point of view."
"I've heard it all," Duo said.
"Really? You've heard everything about the concept of peace? This lie that has been told to the people of Earth for many generations, fuelled by your beloved Preventers..."
"Stop right there!" Duo tilted his head and flashed a grin at Alex, baring his teeth. "Don't give me that shit about people not wanting any peace, that peace is artificial and overrated and that whatever faction or group you're working for, is going to be the new revolution or the answer to everything. Feed that bullshit to someone else who will gobble up that garbage!"
The slap to the face was harder than the previous one, even splitting his lip. "Shut your fucking mouth!"
Duo was silent, but not because of Alex' command. He simply had run out of saliva to speak. "You're not the one dictating this interrogation, 02."
"Interrogation," Duo repeated, chuckling. "You call this an interrogation?"
"Don't bother to try to fuck with me," Alex said, walking calmly to the door.
"Alexander 'the Great' Wiltington," Duo suddenly said. Alex halted. "Now I know who you are."
"I'm flattered. What made you realise..?"
"I told you I don't do megalomaniacal psychopaths," Duo said. "But my partner does. He recently brought home some files, and yours was among them. He called you an up-and-coming terrorist; a douchebag wannabe dictator who offered his services to several factions and who got either kicked out or refused." He coughed a couple of times. "When you couldn't find something to your liking, you decided to take things into a different direction and you schooled yourself into a torturer, an interrogator, offering your 'services' to anyone interested." He grinned as he spotted an unmistakable twitch at Alex' left eye. "Awww, did I strike a nerve? You're not as important or as badass as you pretend to be. You're just another bad guy for hire; one of the many on the list, who values violence and cheap torture tricks over human lives!"
"I don't care for your words," Alex answered, but his voice was clipped. His hand was on the door handle.
"My my, such a tough guy," Duo mocked him. "Does it give you a boner, being 'in control' like this? Do you get hard when you've got someone shackled to a chair, unable to move? Does it make you feel really big when you're sure the other can't strike back? How does it make you feel now, you douchebag?"
Without another word, Alex pulled open the door and left, slamming it shut behind him. Duo heaved a sigh of relief. He had hoped to get more out of Alex, a lot of people got loose-lipped when angry, but to no avail. Oh well, at least he had some fun riling him up. Duo hadn't been lying though, Duo Maxwell never told a lie, but he couldn't recall more on Alex. Heero had dropped the files on the kitchen table when he got home, and they had spend delicious time in the bedroom first, after being separated for so long due to their different missions. When Heero was taking his shower, Duo had sauntered into the kitchen to prepare a quick meal and had leafed through the files, out of curiosity. They barely talked about their missions and Heero had taken the files away from him, distracting him with passionate kisses. Duo shivered. The lights went out again, for which he was grateful, but he realized quickly what came after heat: cold. The temperature went down. Fine, if that was the extent of the 'torture'... but this was just the beginning. Alex had 'all the time in the world', which meant that he was rather confident about their environment. They were somewhere they couldn't be found that easily. He shivered again. It was time to get some work done. It was nice to be rescued by your boyfriend, but he wasn't going to wait for Heero like a damsel in distress.
Duo suspected... no, he expected a camera somewhere in the room, to keep an eye on him. Probably an infra-red one, now that the lights were out. He shivered for the third time, and not for good measure. The temperature was around freezing point right now. He really needed to go to the bathroom, and his thirst was gigantic. This discomfort was nothing compared to what OZ and other factions had put him through. He was going to get himself out of this, no matter what. He would found out who 'they' were and who Alex was working for, and he would get a piece of Alex himself. He had to do something before his fingers froze off. Duo slumped again in his chair, in the hopes that the camera, any camera, would register his defeated posture. His body ached, his physical discomfort increased by the second. Despite the 'simplicity' of the torture methods, they were very effective. Duo wiggled in his seat. He also expected Alex or anyone else for that matter, to have strip-searched him. With a bit of luck, they had only found the obvious hiding places... or perhaps they had taken special precautions, as Alex had said that 'they' knew everything about him. One thing for sure, Duo was dying to know who had given out personal information. A computer hack? No, Heero would've noticed immediately and besides, he had set up the entire information system for the Preventers; no one could hack his passwords and codes, let alone someone like Alex, whose superficial interests in torture and pain weren't computer-related at all.
Duo searched with his fingers, slipping between the waistband of his pants and his belt. All the secret pockets were empty. Damn. He had to give them credit for their thorough search. Duo grinned nonetheless. They had searched between the belt and the waistband, but they had failed to search inside the belt. With a little bit of effort, Duo found the spot where he could tear open his belt with his fingernails. It was definitely getting much colder in the room and he knew he had to hurry. He kept counting in the back of his mind, to hold on to Wufei's breathing technique. Inhale... 2...3...4...5... exhale... It helped him to keep calm and to focus. Now he had to retrieve the small lock pick from the belt. He didn't know if this particular utensil would help him, but the shackles seemed old-fashioned enough to at least give it a try. He winced and hissed as he cut himself on the razor-sharp lock pick. Slowly, he pried it out of his belt and shifted it around in his hand. Duo had to turn his wrist into an awkward position to be able to pick the lock, and it turned painful very quickly. The heavy weight of the chains around his chest didn't improve matters. Just taking a simple breath was becoming an arduous task. Alex wanted to weigh him down, to exhaust him, to pull him under.
"Motherfucker," Duo said out loud, but his voice lacked any force. Somewhere in the room was a bottle of water; delicious, cool, refreshing water. He was going to drink it all and then use the bottle to bash Alex' brains in. Stupid asshole..! Why did people like him exist, infatuated with violence and torture, people who liked to get paid for all the pain they caused? If it's up to me, you'd be killing much, much more people, Duo Maxwell. Like hell! He'd seen death and destruction enough, he brought peace and he was going to maintain peace, damnit! Duo pushed the lock pick upwards and he heard a snap. He gasped. He'd broken the lock pick in two. With a similar sound of a pin dropping to the floor, the two parts of the lock pick slipped through his fingers and ended up on the tiled floor, gashing the palm of his hand on their way down.
"Fuck!" He didn't care about the blood or the gashes. He'd live. He didn't have a spare lock pick, at least not one he could reach in his current position. Breathe, breathe... Duo closed his eyes. Hands tied behind his back. Gnawing pain in his wrists. Lock pick broken on the floor. Alex could come back any moment. Heero could show up any moment. Should he just take it and wait for him? No way. Shifting around once more, Duo turned his left wrist and to his utter delight, the shackle started to gave way. Careful, very careful, he tried to withdraw his wrist from the shackle. He ignored the pain as the narrow shackle chafed his skin; he twisted and turned, and finally, finally the heavy contraption came off. Duo pumped his fist in the air and he bit his tongue to not cry out in pain: the sore and cramped muscles protested against the sudden, brusque movement. Slowly, he brought his arm down and took a few precious seconds of rest and recuperation. No noises. No alarm. No running or stomping footsteps. Duo waited for another few seconds. Some of the chains slipped from his shoulder but he couldn't take them off as they were still connected to his right arm and legs. It was so freezing cold...! Had Alex forgotten about him? How was he going to interrogate a prisoner frozen into a popsicle? It was all about extremities, or so Duo thought. The heat until boiling point. The cold until freezing point. He wasn't going to stick around to find out what would be next. He leaned forward, as much as the heavy chains allowed him to, in an attempt to reach his right boot. He had to contort himself into a human pretzel in order to grab his right ankle and flip open the secret compartment of the boot. Duo moved his foot back and forth to slide out the utensils he needed; as it was dark in the room, he had to trust his touch, not his restricted vision. He couldn't afford to drop these lock picks. Carefully, he recovered the utensils and put the ones he didn't need yet in his lap. Duo twisted his left wrist again to work on the shackle on his right one. He was right-handed, so this one took more time. He groaned in frustration, every muscle in his body screaming against the unnatural position he had twisted his upper body in, the discomfort so great that it made him want to yell out and scream. He didn't know how much time he had; still no sign of Alex. Could he be so fortunate that he hadn't been watched by a camera after all?
The shackle came off and Duo withdrew his right wrist. The chains slipped from his upper body and pooled in his lap, freeing up his chest. Mouth wide open, Duo gaped for air like a fish on dry land; finally, his lungs worked again at full capacity! The heavy weight and pressure were gone! He shook his head as if to feel his braid was still there; comforted when he heard the unmistakable sounds of the braid swishing from left to right, he tried to remove the chains. Annoyed, he realized that the weight had shifted from his chest to his upper legs, and that his lock pick utensils were right underneath the chains. He couldn't see how the chains were looped and he started to curse. To top it off, he heard footsteps. The darkness sharpened his other senses and he picked up on the sound infallibly. The footsteps were a firm stride, not hastened. Alex had been warned somehow and was coming to check up on him. Duo braced himself and his fingers curled around the chains. He was ready to defend himself. He closed his eyes, not wanted to be blinded again as soon as the lights went on. The door swung open.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Alex sounded annoyed. "You're trying to escape? Despite being told it's impossible?"
Duo didn't deign him with an answer. He stalled for time to get adjusted to the bright lights.
"Even if you get out of this room, you won't get very far." Alex snorted. He approached Duo. "I see you managed to free your arms. That's... amazing."
"I don't need your admiration," Duo said.
"I can barely hear you. Are you sure you don't want any water? A sip? A few drops?"
Duo opened one eye and blinked. Alex was dressed in comfortable sweat pants and looked like he had just rolled out of bed. As Duo had lost all track and notion of time, he wasn't surprised that it might be evening already.
"Fuck you," he answered tonelessly, then remained silent again. His captor was carrying a gun. A small one, a Smith & Wesson Compact. He held the weapon very loosely, like an accessory, but Duo had no doubt that he knew how to use it perfectly. Alex felt safe in his presence, a former Gundam pilot who had freed up his arms, just because of that gun. Duo was going to take great pleasure into wiping that misplaced arrogant grin off of his face.
"I have to chain you up all over again," Alex said and yawned lazily. "You're a lot of trouble, 02."
Duo's knuckles turned white from the grip on the chains. His eyes were glued to the gun in Alex' hand. The other noticed his worried look and chuckled humourlessly.
"Don't worry," Alex said. "I have orders not to kill you, but they weren't averse to wounding you."
"Fu..." Duo broke out in a violent cough.
"I'll give you some water," Alex said suavely. "In return, you'll listen to my proposal, all right?"
Duo nodded and leaned forward.
"Water?" Alex repeated.
Duo nodded again. With a satisfied smirk, Alex turned a little to reach for the bottle. It was all that Duo could've wished for. He used all his strength to throw the chain towards Alex or rather, his leg, and the heavy metal cord wrapped itself around his limb. Duo yanked at it before Alex had time to realize what was going on and with an undignified yelp, he went down. He dropped the gun in his fall and the weapon clattered to the floor. The water bottle bumped on the floor as well and rolled away. The chain slipped from his leg and Alex, young and strong without being subjected to the elements like Duo, was about to get up again. Duo scrambled for the tangled mess of chains and threw everything he could find at Alex, to hit whatever he could. "Son of a bitch!" Alex brought up his arm to defend himself and one of the chains hit his lower arm hard. He cried out in pain. "You'll pay for this!" He cradled his injured arm to his chest. He didn't need more than a second to locate the Smith & Wesson he had dropped and he went to retrieve it, keeping half an eye on Duo. He didn't make it. Duo toppled himself over, chair and all, grabbing Alex at the waist as he was bending over to pick up the gun from the floor. Pulling him away from the gun, Duo hugged Alex close in a bizarre embrace, his arms working fast to wrap the chains around the younger man's upper body. Alex wheezed and coughed as Duo pulled the chains into a tight knot.
It was a strange sight. Duo in the chair, sideways on the floor, his legs still in shackles and chained, and Alex in his arms, with his own arm reaching for the gun. He made guttural noises, his eyes widened. Duo had managed to wrap the ends around Alex' throat and he pulled them closer.
"St... stop," Alex wheezed. "I... can't breathe..."
"One Gundam pilot was more than you could handle," Duo hissed at him. "Despite all the warnings, despite all your information... you bit off more than you could chew."
"You're weakened," Alex said. His confidence had been rattled by Duo's sudden actions, but it was already returning full-force. "You can't hold on. You'll go out like a candle. 'Gundam pilot', it doesn't mean a thing!"
"That's right, I'm no longer a Gundam pilot, I'm a Preventer," Duo said. "I work for the organization you so disdainfully discredited. I'd love to rub your words into your face right now, but I tuned you out after the second sentence. Besides, I'm obliged to keep the peace, so I won't kill you." He pulled the chains around Alex' throat a little tighter.
"You... won't... kill me! But...!"
"I'm not averse to wounding you," Duo said. He was hard to understand, but Alex got the gist. He started writhing and kicking his legs to break himself free, extending his arm to grab the gun. Duo pulled the chains again. Alex' eyes bulged out even more and panic settled in. He was right about Duo being weakened, no matter how much he wanted to deny it; he was holding onto the chains with sheer willpower alone. Duo's fingers were cramped and stiff, his hands trembling, but he applied the right amount of pressure as he tightened the chains once more. Alex, convinced that Duo was going to choke him to death, put all his effort into wrestling himself free, planting his fists wherever he could, trying to get the chains off of him. It was a weird, ludicrous wrestling match, wherein the two men fought for domination and freedom. Duo pulled and twisted the chains until Alex couldn't take another breath.
"I'll give you one answer, before your lights go out," Duo whispered menacingly. "You asked me what made me so special, out of all those millions of war orphans, to call myself the God of Death." Alex stared at him in disbelief while still labouring for the last gust of breath. "You don't know shit about me. Because if you did, you'd know that I didn't call myself the God of Death; I am the God of Death!" He twisted the chains harder than he intended and Alex gurgled loudly as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He slumped over Duo, losing consciousness. Duo pushed his limp body off of him, grunting. Silence. Apparently, no one else was around. Alex truly was working alone, or else he'd be surrounded by henchmen, guns charged.
He heaved a sigh. Craning his neck, he looked around to take stock of the situation. Alex was out cold. The gun was close to the table, so was the water bottle. He was still tied to the chair and lying on his side. His body ached all over. Duo felt around for the lock pick tools and he found two of them still hooked in his clothes; the rest had scattered. He didn't expect Alex to carry the keys with him; he'd been obviously asleep before being warned of Duo's escape attempt. He picked open the shackles on his legs and threw the chains off of him. He collapsed like a doll whose strings had been cut, panting heavily. He lied next to the unconscious Alex, trying to catch his breath. His throat was killing him. Duo forced himself to turn over and crawl towards the table. He picked up the bottle of water, unscrewed the cap and drank greedily, downing the entire contents at once. He almost threw it back up again and he had to keep his hand in front of his mouth to avoid hurling it over the floor, but the taste... the wonderful taste of the liquid, easing his raspy, dry throat! Duo slowly got up. His muscles were cramped, his body screamed in protest, he felt cold and the adrenaline had worn off. Using the small table for support, Duo got up and grunted as his knees wobbled.
He had to get out of here, fast. He allowed himself the luxury of a few minutes to rest and recuperate. The door to the room was open, but Duo didn't want to leave before he had tied the rest of the chains around Alex and locking them together with the same set of shackles. Then he picked up the Smith & Wesson from the floor and stumbled out of the room. His left hand hurt like a bitch and he wrapped a handkerchief around it, blood soaking the fabric immediately. He wondered where Alex kept his belongings; he probably hadn't bothered to take Duo's suitcase from the train... but he would've taken his keys and cell phone. They had to be around somewhere. It was too dark in the hallway, the only light provided by an emergency back-up, the tube lights small and flickering. It was cold here too, and damp; it had to be a basement. Duo went to the left, not knowing his way around. Alex had said he had taken elaborate precautions. He scanned the area meticulously, but Duo couldn't find wires or cameras. Had he been bluffing? How big was this place? In his search for an elevator, an exit or stairs, Duo came across a small room with cleaning supplies, including a bucket. His physical discomfort was too great to ignore and he used the bucket to relieve himself. He had no idea how much time had passed and he had refused to let it go in front of Alex. He wasn't worried about the other escaping; he had tied him up professionally, and Alex didn't dispose over lock picks. Besides, Duo had the gun now, and he felt much, much better after having something to drink and taking care of his physical needs. Duo continued his search and his mood increased a tenfold when he noticed a metal ladder standing against the wall, leading up to a large hatch. He climbed up the ladder and pushed the hatch up, just a little; he couldn't see much. He couldn't hear much either. Duo pushed the hatch open, his shoulders against the weight as he wanted to keep his hands free. Immediately, he cocked the gun and held it in front of him, searching for any enemies. No one.
This was... a factory? His eyes adjusted slowly to the faint moonlight, coming in through large windows. He could see the outlines of machinery; huge and tall equipment that he didn't recognize. Duo saw a door and made his way over. His left hand was itching and throbbing and his stomach grumbled; he ignored it as best as he could. The door didn't lead to an exit, but Duo felt he had hit the jackpot anyway. This was Alex' room, judging from the cot with a suitcase -not Duo's- next to it. On the desk in the room was a laptop and other equipment; Duo all but raced to the desk and grabbed the cell phone, but it wasn't his. It didn't matter, he knew Heero's number by heart, so he quickly entered the number. You have reached the voicemail box of number... "You got to be kidding me!" Duo said, exasperated. He pocketed the cell phone just in case and opened the desk drawers. Nothing in particular, safe for some instruction manuals for the machineries he had seen. This was an office space, probably the director's - Alex wouldn't settle for less. Duo snorted. He took the laptop with him as well, not spending any effort to boot it up right now. He wanted to be outside and find a safe spot so he could contact Preventers HQ. Duo traipsed out of the office and searched once more for the exit. Frustrated, he was just about to kick in one of the huge windows, when bright lights washed over the interior of the factory: headlights from an approaching car. Shit! Reinforcements! Duo jumped to the side and hid behind a large, rectangular machine with steel hooks. He put the laptop and the cell phone next to him and held the Smith & Wesson in attack position. He only had one clip; it wouldn't take him very far. His breathing was erratic; once again, Duo focused on the simple yet effective breathing exercise. His lifelong experience and training kicked in; he wasn't afraid. He was already calculating and formulating his strategy. A car door went open; someone got out. The car door was shut again and now Duo could hear footsteps; calm, composed footsteps, audibly walking on gravel. He arched an eyebrow. Wait a minute... whoever was approaching, he cocked a shotgun. A Remington R12-E, issued for military use only. He'd recognize the sound anywhere. He peeked over the edge of the machine, glancing at the shape and brightness of the car's headlights. It was a Land Rover Defender, his favourite car! Relief washed over him. Heero's timing couldn't have been more excellent!
In the far distance, Duo could hear that someone... no, he was convinced it was Heero, was trying to get into the building. Heero wasn't as stupid as to storm in with his shotgun ablaze and when the doors didn't cooperate, he went through the window. Glass shattered. Duo wanted to call his name, but his voice gave out on him. Half a bottle of water wasn't enough to restore the damage done, and he squeaked when he tried to yell. How was he supposed to get his attention now? Duo picked up the cell phone and searched through its settings. Yes! There it was! Flashlight! He turned it on and put the phone on the floor, shining into Heero's direction. Duo's heart beat against his chest when the footsteps came close, fast. What if he was wrong? What if it wasn't Heero after all? Maybe he should've tried to sign SOS... but it didn't matter. He was staring straight into the barrel of the shotgun and he tiredly moved up his hand, to wave at Heero.
"There you are," he said, but it came out as a row of squeaks and hisses.
"Where is he?" Heero asked, keeping his voice low.
"Downstairs." Duo pointed his fingers down.
"Is he alive?"
"So far, yes." Duo nodded. Heero pursed his lips and turned around. With his last strength, Duo grabbed him at the ankle. "No, don't. He's not worth it."
He could've pulled himself free easily, but Heero didn't. He was obvious torn between killing Alex on the spot or helping his lover first. He finally set the shotgun aside and silently took Duo in an embrace.
"You never made it to Geneva," he said. "I searched the empty train and I only found your suitcase."
"How long?" Duo asked.
"Two days," Heero said. He put his hand on the back of Duo's head, his fingers gently caressing and petting his hair.
"Heero, don't... I need a shower first..."
"I'm sorry."
"What?"
"I should've known that this Alex Wiltington was more dangerous than was mentioned in his files," Heero said.
"You know how fast people can escalate," Duo answered. "It's not your fault."
"I can barely understand you. I've got water and food in the Land Rover. Come on." He shifted his arms to pull Duo up and support him.
"Wait, wait..! Don't you want to get Alex first?"
"I'll deal with the garbage later," Heero said. "You come first. No, no, not another word. Save your comments for now, Maxwell."
Duo shook his head. "He knew very personal information," he said. "We might have a big problem on our hands."
"Then we'll deal with it like we always do." Heero pulled him closer. "After I've taken care of you."
Duo didn't protest any longer. He felt cold, hungry, thirsty and his body refused to obey him, so he allowed himself to be carried away like a damsel in distress. He fell asleep from sheer exhaustion before they even reached the Land Rover.
"Wow. 'Rebel Faction arrested at Basel'," Duo read the headlines of the newspaper out loud. "A remnant of the former Romefeller Foundation, the 'Rosenrot Mannschaft' operated from their headquarters in Basel to overthrow the Preventers and to plan attacks on the European Peace Summit. Eight leaders were arrested on the spot and computers and cell phones were confiscated to track down sympathizers. Two politicians have already resigned. See? Another root of evil, eradicated."
"Thanks to you being kidnapped," Heero said sarcastically. He propped up the fluffy pillows behind Duo's back. "If Alex hadn't been hired to do this, we'd never know about the impact of this rebel faction until it was too late."
Duo sipped a glass of milk; next to water and tea, it was the only drink his sore throat could bear for now. He had tried his usual soda (the carbonated drinks too irritating), coffee (too hot), and fruit juice (too sour), so now he simply stuck to water or milk. His left hand was neatly bandaged and his sore muscles and exhaustion would be gone in due time.
"I've got to give him credit though," Heero continued, "he was very competent in working alone. I dug through all the files on his laptop and he had prepared the kidnap into the finest detail. Train, plane, ship, car... he had taken every possibility into account."
"Yes, but how did he know I was travelling by train?"
"Unfortunately, you mentioning the train was overheard by Relena's chamber maid, who was conveniently bringing some mail to her. You never saw the woman as you had your back turned to her, and she wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. She was also employed by the Rosenrot Mannschaft; she was close to Relena and knew more about her visitors than anyone else. She's been replaced, of course."
"Where's Alex now?"
"In custody. He doesn't give a shit about the faction he was hired for. He would've fed you any story or any lie to get you to cooperate. His arrogance was his downfall. He made some errors, but if he had the chance to grow and improve, he would've become a first class torturer." Heero shuddered at the thought.
"We'll get more information out of him. Or rather, Wufei will... he loves himself some tough nuts to crack."
"I better don't follow up on that remark..."
Duo settled himself into the plush pillows and he puckered his lips. Heero leaned into him for a kiss. "You never told me how you found me."
"You weren't on board of the train, obviously... so I called you and you didn't answer. I called you again, and you didn't answer; you never send me a message that you were occupied, or had missed the train, or that something else was going on. When I found your suitcase, I asked the train personnel if they had seen you leave. One person remembered serving you coffee and the cup was still there, so I took it for analysis to headquarters. They told me it had traces of huge doses of melatonin, so I concluded you were drugged."
Duo curled up against Heero. "Tell me more."
"All right... By pinpointing the location of your cell phone, I figured out that you had left at Basel. I'm not sure on the details on how Alex exactly got you out of the train, we'll have Wufei dealing with that during interrogation. After Basel, any signal was dropped and I didn't know where to find you."
"So you asked Quatre and Trowa," Duo murmured, listening to Heero's steady heartbeat.
"Trowa specializes in up-and-coming factions and groups, he's the first to signal the rise of a new antagonist of peace," Heero said. "He gave me information on the Rosenrot Mannschaft, but even he didn't realize how great their influence already was."
"I feel sorry for Relena," Duo said. "It's hard enough to find good, trustworthy personnel."
"Yeah." Heero nuzzled his neck. "We're still combing the rest of the Preventers personnel to find out who leaked the personal information." He hesitated. "Do you want to hear the rest of the story?"
Duo tilted his head just a little. "Later, perhaps. For now, I want to drink milk and stay in your arms."
"I like how you prioritize."
"Something wrong about it..?"
"No, no... it's good to know that a glass of milk takes precedence over me."
"Are you jealous over a glass of milk? Heero!"
"Of course not." He pressed a kiss to Duo's cheek. "You should rest. But Duo..."
"I know, I know. Don't worry. I won't be having any nightmares over an Alex Wiltington."
"I'm not worried about him. I worry about what you were exposed to. The heat, the cold..."
"I'm all right, Heero."
"I won't press the issue."
"I know. Next time, I'll save your scrawny ass, mister."
Heero tsk-ed at him. "You were almost out the door. Who needed his ass saved?"
"Go home, nurse Yuy."
"I'm already home," Heero said and kissed him on the other cheek. "Now rest, Shinigami. Even a God of Death needs to heal."
"Fine, fine." Duo pulled up the covers and shifted around until he had found a comfortable position. Heero leaned into him to tuck him in. "Thank you."
"It's all right." He didn't leave the room, though. Duo closed his eyes. The images of the arrogant Alex and his torture methods were still fresh and he shivered. Heero's hand was immediately on his shoulder, to sign that he was there, not abandoning a fellow soldier, a Gundam pilot, his lover. Content, Duo fell asleep while Heero watched over him, leaving the bad days behind him.