*...* denotes thought or psychic speech
~~~ indicates scene breaks or flashbacks
[1, 2, 3, ...] indicates author's notes at end

Notes: terribly OOC, but then again, I believe I have already established that..... ^_~ and an additional warning, there is a tiny bit of non-con in this part.

Embrace The Night Part 10b

Earth, Sank Kingdom, AC 199 [present time]

Duo watched, his violet eyes anxious and worried, as his partner tossed and turned on his bed. His gaze fixated itself to a small bead of sweat that popped out on Heero's brow, watching as the moisture slowly trickled down the side of Heero's face. Heero's eyes were moving rapidly under their natural curtains, his mind deeply smothered within REM sleep. His skin was slightly flushed, a complementary rosy hue, yet his brows were furrowed together in displeasure.

Duo sighed as the palace's grand watchtower suddenly tolled out the hours, revealing the early hour. As the low toned chimes reverberated though the night air, Duo stood up to glance out of the room's window once more.

Aside from his occasional tossing and turning, Heero had shown no further indication that he would be waking any time soon. As anxious as he was for his partner to awaken, Duo couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that his moment of confession would be stalled.

As he peered out from behind the heavy brocade curtains into the inky black night, Duo's mind raced over memories that he had long since buried. He had never wanted to relive the pain of those few cherished years with his soul mate. Yes, those years had been pure bliss, once they had finally gotten together, but the happiness he had found had made the parting even more bitter.

Duo's hand unconsciously curled into a tight fist, wrinkling the expensive brocade in his grip. Again he tortured himself with his thoughts, his desperate questions about his lover's actions.

~~~

Earth, Sank Kingdom, AC 140 [remember this is from Heero's tombstone-ref Prologue]

"Forgive me, Duo," a whispered plea uttered by one preparing to leave the mortal coil.

"What's there to forgive, Heero?" A brave smile from one whose sun is eclipsing and losing its light.

"For not being strong enough to stay with you. For not having enough courage."

A desperate grasp, hands meeting hands, eyes searching eyes. Tears gleamed in eyes that had vowed not to show sadness. Duo's lips frantically rained kisses over their joined fingers, trying to entice his lover to stay, if only for a moment longer.

"No, my love. You have more courage than any other I have ever met."

A sad smile, terrible in its finality.

"But I'm leaving you alone to face the world."

"I have faced it before. I am not afraid to do so again."

Prussian blue, faded with the curse of age, searched eternally vibrant amethyst. "Then promise me one thing, Duo."

"Anything."

"Find someone else. Don't live in the shadows any longer. Fall in love with another and continue to live. Embrace the night as you must, but never surrender to the day."

A fervent shake of a braided head. "Never. I will never love another. I cannot give my heart away when it's no longer mine to give."

A sad, but resigned smile, born from knowledge that his request would be answered thusly. Pain in the chest made speaking hurt as time crept in. Breathing became harder for the invalid lying in bed, the lure to surrender the struggle becoming more enticing with each passing moment. But the urge to reassure his lover overrode his desire to rest, to slip into his eternal sleep. His love was strong, strong enough to strengthen his will to hold on, if only for a brief moment more.

A smirk, wiping away the sadness, crept across the aged face. Eyes sleepily closed, as strength ebbed and faded away. In a soft whisper, as fragile as the passing wind, he gave his lover a promise.

"Then... I will just have to find my way back to your side... my dark angel."

One last breath, slow and futile, as an elderly heart stopped. Life ended for the mortal, a quiet passing for time well spent. A soul fled the scene, headed for heavens forever denied to the immortal being left to mourn.

Tears finally escaped their violet prison, streaking their salty paths down pale cheeks long unused to the sun's rays. Eyes closed in sorrow and pain as the vampire laid a final kiss on his lover's empty shell. His own promise was whispered into ears no longer capable of hearing.

"And I shall wait for as long as it takes. Forever."

~~~

Earth, Sank Kingdom, AC 199

The memory of his promise and his lover's promise to return freed Duo from his session of self-torture. He relaxed his death grip on the curtain and turned back to the figure on the bed. With a rakish smile, his eyes glittering with dark promise, he moved back to the bed and regained his seat there.

He gathered up his partner's hand, once more young and firm with the gift of youth, and held it fiercely in his own. His thoughts turned darkly possessive as he contemplated the future, both for himself and his sleeping partner.

*You promised to return, Heero, and you did. And this time I will not let you go, even if you desire it. But first, I have to get you to remember who we were to each other and what I am. But hopefully, you won't find out what I am the same way you did before.*

~~~

Sank Kingdom, AC 86 [picking up where Chapter 10A left off]

*This one is dangerous. He must be watched.*

This thought flew through Duo's mind like an arrow to its target. His violet eyes narrowed in consternation and suspicion as he watched the uni-banged pilot mingle and interact with his Heero.

Unable to help himself, the braided vampire had returned to the air show, night after night, torturing himself with the impossibilities of loving a mortal. He could sense the joy in Heero's heart and mind as he soared amongst the clouds, lost in the weightless freedom of flight. He would follow Heero as he would leave the airstrip, despising himself for spying on him, yet unable to stay away.

Heero seemed to be ever in the company of the slender, taller pilot that commanded the aircraft nearest Heero's in all of their formations. The graceful, calm man, who seemed to be graced with impossibly long legs and unique hair bangs, was often found with Heero. The two shared a quiet, introspective respect for the other, finding common ground in their self-imposed silence. Able to communicate without the need for extensive vocabulary, the two were obviously very close.

But the thought that Heero might care for this mortal filled the vampire with a monstrous rage and jealousy.

Everytime they shook hands or one touched the other with friendly gestures, he wanted to rip the boy's hands away from Heero's body, tempted beyond belief to tear the other to shreds. He guiltily indulged in the brief, gory fantasies of clawing the flesh from his handsome young face until nothing remained.

And yet, something whispered in his mind to stay his hand and his bloodlust. There was something uncanny and unnatural about the taller pilot that seemed to tease his sub-consciousness.

Perhaps it was the look he could often see in the forest green eyes, the hidden threads of strength and power. Or it could have been the fact that he could get nary a reading from the young man, not even the tendrils of mortality that usually leaked from humans. Or perhaps it was because, for some reason, he tended to get visions of his immortal friend, Quatre, every time he attempted to pierce the psyche of the quiet pilot.

As introspective and questionable as these rationalities were, Duo knew in his heart that the reason he did not harm the pilot was because of Heero. He was obviously special to Heero, though if the reasons were platonic or went deeper had yet to be revealed, and Duo would never do anything to cause intentional grief or sorrow to the orphaned pilot.

Even if it was killing him inside to watch a relationship bloom between the two mortals.

He could force Heero to love him. The knowledge was there, tempting and beckoning his darker side. He could hypnotize him with his Power, so that Heero would do anything he asked of him. The vampire could even take Heero's blood, binding the other to him for as long as Heero's natural life existed. Heero would be his slave then, mindlessly adoring, obediently doing whatever he asked. The young pilot would live for him, begging the vampire to take his blood; even willingly die for him, if Duo but said the word.

But Duo didn't want a slave. He could have hundreds, thousands, of those. He wanted devotion, love, freely given.

Duo was filled with his own disgust at himself, ashamed of the cowardice that ran rampant through his soul, keeping him from confronting his young ward openly.

In his own lair, a small complex that he had recently purchased in the Sank Kingdom, he would restlessly and endlessly prowl through the nearly empty rooms. He had sent Heero away from him, in order to make a life for himself, and that is what his ward had done. Heero had dreamed of being a pilot, of the freedom in soaring the open skies, and now he was a premiere ace, the toast of the adoring public. He had an apartment of his own, friends, and a young man who obviously cared for him on some level. What need did Heero have for an ancient, bored-with-life, vampire?

~~~

[Later that evening]

Heero smiled as he waved to the pleased crowd, his bright eyes shining with the residual traces of adrenaline remaining from his air show. Instead of retreating to the bunker where his precious aircraft was stored, he and his teammates had decided to grace the crowd with their presence. Clad in their form fitting uniforms of green, black, and red, the unit was sharp and classy.

Heero allowed his gaze to scan over the heads of the enthused fans; his mind moving a hundred clicks per minute even as he continued to smile at the crowd. He was still thinking about his previous nocturnal experience; his vaguely disturbing, yet highly arousing, dream. He had awoken in a sensual haze, his lips and flesh eager to feel true caresses from his phantom lover.

Reality had been a cold dose of water, waking alone in his darkened bedroom with nothing more than a lingering hint of twilight and musk on the airwaves. The spring breeze had obviously tempted his senses; inner desires previously hidden were becoming unearthed once more. After all, Duo couldn't be in the Sank Kingdom, right? His guardian was surely beyond his reach, hightailing it around the colonies in the far reaches of space.

Just as that thought passed through his mind, Heero's gaze fell upon a shadowed figure that danced just on the horizon of his vision. His eyes widened in recognition as he caught a brief glimpse of a long, chestnut streaked braid before it darted out of sight.

As his body moved involuntarily forward, as if gravitating towards the fleeting image of his absent guardian, a slim hand came to rest on his padded shoulder. Heero quickly looked to his left, only to come face to face with Triton's concerned emerald gaze.

"Are you coming, Heero? The rest of the squad wants to go party downtown at Cat's Lair."

Heero inwardly winced as his friend mentioned the ritzy little club that his friends and fellow pilots preferred to frequent. He knew that if he joined them the carousing would last long into the night and he wasn't sure if he wanted to invite the morning's headache.

He hesitantly replied, "I don't know, Triton. I'm not sure I feel up to it tonight."

Triton's left eyebrow rose briefly before settling back down. He blinked once, his gaze unsettling although it was only half-visible. "Are you sure? We have tomorrow off before we have to put on that show for the visiting German diplomat. It might do you some good to let loose."

"Uh huh." Heero answered with a half aware sound, his attention already pulled back to scanning the crowd for another glimpse of that mysteriously familiar figure. However, for all his searching, his results were disappointing. His shoulders slumped with disappointment even as he mentally berated himself. He returned his gaze to his tall friend and said, "I guess so."

"Good!" Triton exclaimed, even as he pounded Heero friendly on the back. Allowing his hand to drop to the small of Heero's back, he guided his friend away from the still excited crowd towards the rest of the waiting squadron.

~~~

[And still later that evening]

*Stupid, stupid, stupid!!!*

Duo's mind screamed at him even as his body disobeyed its direct orders. He was keeping to the shadows, cautiously tailing the evening's subject. With a streak of stubbornness he inherited from his mortal father, his mind continued to rant at him though he heeded it not.

*You're gonna get yourself caught!* it taunted him. *And you won't be able to convince him of any lie!*

"Oh, shut up," he mumbled under his breath, not stopping for a minute to ask himself why he was verbally answering his own mind.

*I thought the entire point of this visitation was to clear your system of him?!*

"I am clearing my system of him."

*Yeah right. After that little debacle last evening? What were you thinking when you invaded his dreams like that?!* his mind continued to screech.

That question stopped Duo in his tracks, bringing his progress to an abrupt halt. He straightened his posture as he mused on his inner debate, not realizing that the mortal he was following was quickly outdistancing him.

"I don't know. I just had to see him. After all, it's been five years."

*A five year separation that you desired, if you kindly remember,* his mind added.

"I'm allowed to change my mind, aren't I?"

*Not without a good reason,* it retorted.

Duo floundered within himself, trying to come up with an excuse that would satisfy his heretofore-unknown split personality residing in his mind. Unfortunately for that part of himself still denying his heart's calling, no reason came to mind except the truth.

"I need him," he whispered, as if spoken louder that tiny declaration would bring forth the wrath of the heavens upon his cursed head.

*And???* his mind prodded.

"And... and... I... I want him," he finished lamely, finally admitting his desire to himself.

*Well finally!* his mental voice shouted, although to the vampire it was as loud as if someone standing right next to him had shouted in his ear. *You finally admit your desire, eh fanged one?*

"Desire? No, not just desire. Desire, yes, and lust, oh definitely lust, but also want, and need, and-"

Sounding a little bit peeved, his mental voice cut Duo off in the middle of his self-confession. *Okay, okay! Sheesh, no need to go off on a tangent with me, buddy. I'm you, remember?*

Duo got defensive, not realizing that he was arguing with a nonexistent spirit that was his own messed up mind. "Hey now, you asked for it. And since you got me to agree with you, why don't you go back to hiding wherever you were hiding before?!"

His inner voice chuckled, even as it receded in his mind's ear. *Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll be back, ready to kick you in the brain the next time you do something stupid.*

"That's so reassuring," he said sarcastically.

The ending of his inner debate brought Duo's attention back to the present where he noticed that his young target was nowhere in sight. Shaking his head to clear it of any lingering confusion, he headed once more off in the direction that Heero had been walking. As the wind shifted directions slightly, his keen, inhuman hearing caught the distressed cries that were faint and weak, and quickly muffled.

His heart started to pound as he recognized the voice that was uttering the aborted cry. *Oh shit! Heero!!!*

~~~

Heero's hands were stuffed into the pockets of his blue jeans. Having opted for casual wear, he had changed from his elite Specials' suit into jeans and a simple, oxford-cloth wintry gray shirt. Although not too fashionable with his adoring fans, Heero still opted to dress the role of the conservatist when given the choice. Even though his job demanded flamboyancy to the extreme, his personal tastes still tended to border this side of reserved.

But that didn't seem to deter his fans, male and female alike.

*If only you could attract the one you really want,* he thought to himself. Feeling a bit blue, and more than willing to indulge in a rare fit of self-pity, Heero continued to walk down the nearly empty street, heedless of his surroundings.

Earlier, he had been at the club, along with his ebullient teammates; the quiet observer not really in the mood to party. The earlier self-delusion of thinking he saw his former guardian had placed a damper on his spirits and not even the promise of learning a new routine in the next few days could raise them.

Although Triton had tried.

And tried.

And eventually given up to indulge in his own bout of carousing with their mutual friends. In the early hours of the morning, the impromptu party had broken up, with each team member going their own way. Having caught a ride to the club with Triton, he had assumed he would be catching a ride home the same way.

Yet his plans changed when he realized just how much Triton had had to drink that night. His uni-banged friend was in no condition to drive, let alone traverse the streets on that bucket of bolts he called a motorcycle. And he had pretty much forbidden anyone else from touching his precious piece of scrap metal, so that left Heero to figure out how to get him home safely.

Shinji, the anchor pilot of the squad had offered to drive the inebriated Triton home, but he had come in a sports car. Though flashy and great for impressing fans, the car only had a front seat, no back. So, that left Heero on his own. Luckily his apartment wasn't too far of a walk and he assured Shinji that he'd be able to make it on his own.

So, that left him walking home alone, though luckily the night was pleasant enough to be in, and the route home should have been well lit. However, being alone, he was left with nothing but his own thoughts for company. And sadly, his own musings weren't very entertaining since they kept circulating in a futile whirlwind of thoughts that always came to rest upon one subject, Duo.

Lost in his bout of self-pity and consternation over his obsession with his missing guardian, Heero never heard the series of footsteps falling in behind him.

Just as he was walking past a dark alleyway between two tall buildings, Heero's hearing finally heard the footsteps, but it was too late. He was literally jerked from his thoughts and his footing by a rough shove, his body propelled into the dark area. As he floundered for a bit before he regained his balance, his assailants blocked off his only escape from the dead end alleyway.

A round of rough laughter, accompanied by a few leering cracks and comments assaulted Heero's ears as he regained his equilibrium. He raised shocked eyes to confront a group of five older men, a few holding weapons clutched lightly in their hands.

"Well, well, well, looky what we have here boys. A plump pigeon, right for the plucking," mocked a grease-slicked man, obviously the unspoken leader of this gang.

"Hey, it's that flying ace from that fancy group of pilots, Kenji. It seems mister hotshot has lost the rest of his flock and is flying solo right now!" another one jeered.

One of the men, lightly thumping a solid looking crowbar against the palm of one large hand, leered at Heero. The lust in his eyes was barely illuminated by the poor light seeping in from the streetlights, but it was obvious to Heero, who was growing more alarmed with each passing minute. "Heh heh heh, I wouldn't mind keeping the young man company!"

The men were slowly advancing in on Heero, closing ranks to ensure the younger man would be hanging around for awhile. Heero slowly backed up with each step they took, trying to edge away from them. His fists were unconsciously curled into tight fists, ready to defend himself should one of them get too close. However, although he knew how to take care of himself in some situations, there were far too many for him to take care of by himself. And they had weapons, whereas he only had his two fists and feet.

Swallowing his fear and taking command of his situation, Heero demanded, "What do you want?!"

The leader, whose name seemed to be Kenji, smirked at the shorter boy and said, "Why, we want nothing more than payment from you."

"Payment for what?" Heero asked, belligerently.

The man to Kenji's right, holding a length of iron chains in his grip drawled out with, "Payment for your protection, flyboy. These streets can be dangerous at night and lone birds like yourself need to be protected."

As Heero backed up another step, he suddenly found the brick end of the alley against his back. The gang in front of him had managed to back him to the end of the small space, far enough from the street that their actions could go unnoticed, especially considering the lack of human traffic out.

With more bravado than he really felt, Heero said, "I don't need protection, especially offered by the likes of you." His eyes darted nervously around the five men, looking for any weaknesses and finding none. "Besides, I don't have much cash on me, so this is a waste of your time."

The five men suddenly burst into laughter, their voices harsh and cruel.

"We don't want cash payment, little bird. We only take payment in the form of flesh, and what we want is your pretty little ass!"

Heero growled under his breath and prepared himself to fight. He snarled, "Over my dead body!" He was prepared to go down fighting, even if it resulted in his death. And it looked like it just might. These men were serious in their intent and Heero was not the best equipped to defend himself. His life in the orphanage had been sheltered from such violence, and his training as a pilot had yielded some self-defense training but not much.

"Now that wouldn't be any fun at all, at least not for us," one of the thugs taunted.

Heero didn't know who moved first, his attention having been concentrated on the thug in front of him, but he was aware of a sudden amount of movement to his left. The surprised boy suddenly found himself being thrown to the side, his head smacking against the wall of the alley with a sickening crack.

Heero slumped to the slightly damp concrete, his head spinning and dizzy. He was vaguely aware of raucous laughter in a loud din, barely concealing a low moaning. He was shocked to realize that he was the one moaning, as pain continued to spike through his head. Disoriented and shell shocked, Heero could taste blood in his mouth, could feel it trickle slightly out of the corner of his lips.

The blow to his head had been hard enough that black spots were fading in and out of his vision, even as he tightly clenched his eyes shut to close out the world. He was barely aware that the gang of five was above him, surrounding his kneeling body in a loose circle.

A small sense of self preservation was screaming at him to get up, compelling him to try and move. However, as the stunned pilot tried to gain his feet, one of the gang members decided to kick him in the gut, causing a sharp stab of agony to pierce through his stomach and belly.

As he curled inwards on his body, trying to alleviate his suffering, Heero could feel rough hands on the rest of himself. Somebody's fingernails were digging into the flesh of his arms, holding him down to the dirty ground, as another pair of hands roughly tore the front of his shirt, splitting the seams.

Heero tried to scream, but a quick hand slapped over his mouth muffled his cries, masking the sounds of his distress. His assailants forced the barely struggling boy onto his back, his mouth still muffled by the dirty hand. His arms were pinned above his head in an iron grip, his shirt lying limp and torn around his upper body.

Heero's eyes, which had been previously shut, shot open in distress as he felt another pair of hands fumble at the waist of his jeans, eagerly snapping open the button and yanking down the zipper. Heero tossed his head, arching his back as much as he could, trying to futilely shake off his attackers. All his efforts got him was a rough hand shoved onto his chest to hold him down, only to linger on the smooth plane to knead the firm flesh.

A greasy hand was shoved down his open pants to roughly fondle the boy, even as Heero could feel someone lifting his hips to slide his jeans down. The raucous laughter had changed to lusty leers and harsh breathing as the men focused on their dirty deed at hand.

As the realization of his rape grew stronger, Heero's mind was locking in on itself. His eyes were wide open, his vision filled with the cruelly lust filled expressions of his rapists. He wasn't even aware that he was still making small whimpering noises, though smothered almost completely by his attackers.

He didn't know which one it was, but one of the men roughly yanked his legs apart, jerking them above his shoulders. Heero tried to kick his feet in a disjointed attempt to fend off his attackers, but the man between his spread thighs merely held his legs in a firm grip. As panicked and disoriented as he was, Heero could still feel it when an invading finger made an intrusive stab into his most private region, forcing itself past the dry, tight ring of muscle.

Struggling to no avail against the five grips that held him, Heero frantically fought as he felt something hard and hot slide between his legs, seeking entrance and invasion.

"Nononononono!" he sobbed low, in the back of his throat, even as he lay helpless to prevent what was happening to him. Pain and humiliation streaked through his mind, rendering him shamed and horrified.

Desperately trying to block out what was happening to him, he tightly clenched his eyes shut, his mind screaming internally for help.

*SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!*

~~~

Kenji's lips were curled into a triumphant sneer of lust and satisfaction as he tightened his grip on his victim's flesh. He was wedged between the pale, spread thighs of the slender boy beneath him, as his cronies did their part to hold him down. Ikari had his hand securely plastered over the boy's mouth, successfully muffling any attempted cries for help. However, the whimpers made deep in the boy's throat were loud enough to come through, but just barely.

Already hard and eager, Kenji could feel his excitement rise in collaboration with his victim's distress. The boy was tight inside, so tight that Kenji could almost swear he must be a virgin. Innocence was so delicious, especially when he was the one to corrupt it. Kenji had fought hard and dirty for the leadership spot in his little gang of delinquents, and as such, he always won the right to 'deflower' their prospective toys.

His greasy blond hair fell forward into his face, but it remained ignored as his own gaze feasted upon the flushed, heaving flesh of the boy beneath him. With a low grunt, Kenji jerked his invading finger from the boy's anus, only to position himself to quickly replace it with something much longer and thicker.

His breath was coming out in heavy heaves, his lust so thick he could practically choke on it. He loved it when his victims were young men, just on the verge of their full adulthood. It made his conquest ever so much sweeter.

As Kenji gazed into the boy's face, he was delighted to see the dark eyes glazing over as shock enfolded the boy it its cold grip. The boy's heaving chest was slowing down, his breath coming in shallow gulps. Although it meant that the boy would no longer deny them, being locked within his own mind, Kenji couldn't help but bemoan the fact that the slender one would not have any fight left within him. Oh well, it was time to get down to matters, namely satisfying his own dark cravings.

Dimly, in the background, Kenji was aware of a low growling noise in the distant. Guttural and low, it almost sounded like a mongrel dog's snarl, but with a disturbing, almost human-like quality. Dismissing it as unimportant, Kenji blocked out outside distractions, focusing on his now-quiet victim.

It was a pity, for if he had been paying attention, he might have been able to save his own life.

~~~

Red.

Blood.

Their blood.

That was all Duo wanted at the moment. A dark streak of menace within the vampire was welling up within his soul, urging the immortal one to satisfy his immediate wants. He had the sudden desire to feel the crunch of human bones; to feel hot, rich blood welling up from its warm container and flood his mouth with its metallic presence.

Such desire to kill and feast upon his prey was a foreign thing to the braided one, his discipline having long contained his darker urges. However, such was not the current case, the situation before him dispelling all thoughts of civilized behavior.

The horrible scene before him was laid out in its gruesome entirety, Duo's vibrant gaze catching all the details. Heero, his Heero, was pinned to the ground by five much larger thugs, each wearing the clothing belonging to their kind of garbage. Greasy and unkempt, the portrait they made was perfect if in the seedy underbelly of the L2 colony. However, in a place such as the Sank Kingdom, proud promoters of peace and humanity, they were nothing but a scourge, a black mar on a pristine canvas.

Duo's eyes could pick out the details, even with the poor lighting in the alley. He could see tatters of Heero's clothing, both lying limply on the boy's slender frame and torn away, scattered on the damp, dirty ground. The small amounts of light fell onto patches of Heero's bare skin, revealing his vulnerable state.

Duo's extra perceptive nose could detect the faint trace of blood on the air, tainting the space with its metallic appeal. However, it did not belong to any of the five men who were infuriating the vampire, but rather to the young mortal who held his heart.

Duo's vision went crimson, undeniable rage bursting forth in a ruby tinted tide. His lips curled up in a fierce snarl as his gaze fell upon the disgusting blond who was currently nestled between Heero's outstretched legs. The most immediate threat to Heero became his first choice of targets, a low growl beginning in his throat.

After all, it was only proper to give your prey a small warning before pouncing.

~~~

Ikari didn't know what happened.

One minute, he was muffling the brat's whimpers, allowing his leader first dibs on their fleshy prize. The next minute, the self-same leader was hurtling through the air to ram against the alley's walls with a sickening smack.

Kenji had just been about to breach their victim's body, to begin the night's fun, when a black blur had rushed past their kneeling forms and launched itself at their blond leader. Ikari heard the cruel snarl right before his leader went flying.

His shocked mind had just enough time to focus in on a dark shadow with glowing amethyst eyes before pure panic set in. The remaining four thugs lurched away, abandoning their victim, as they sought to rescue themselves. However, it was a case of too little, too late.

One by one, the black shadow caught them, throwing them with a vengeance against the walls of the alley. The bricks provided and unyielding force, although some of his friends were being thrown with enough power that their bodies indented themselves into the hard surface. Ikari felt adrenaline rush through his veins as mindless panic continued to spike in his head. Gibberish spilled from his lips as he gave one brief shriek of prayer before it was his turn.

A grip, icy cold as death and strong as steel, closed around his neck, crushing the bones in his throat. Ikari had no time to fight back before his neck collapsed, no chance to defend himself from his terrifying executioner. Mercifully, by the time his killer had tossed his body against the alley's wall, Ikari was already dead.

~~~

Duo resolutely forced himself to calm down, to dispel the red haze back from whence it came. There was no movement in the alley, no sound save for his harsh breathing and the shallow breaths coming from the figure sprawled on the alley's floor. Duo closed his eyes, catching his breath, forcing his rage and blood lust to dispel before facing his fallen love.

Kneeling on the ground, uncaring about the maintenance of his dark clothing, Duo quickly assessed Heero's situation. His quivering nose still caught the scent of blood, but a quick examination revealed it was trickling from Heero's mouth and was not coming from lower areas.

Duo stared into Heero's wide eyes, noting the dilated pupils indicating shock. Indeed, Heero's skin was pale, moreso than usual, his breathing shallow and rapid. To Duo's vampiric hearing, Heero's heart was beating abnormally fast, though Duo knew that his pulse would be weak.

Duo quickly unfastened his cloak, sweeping the heavy black fabric around his ward's exposed body. The immediate concern was to get Heero warm and into a safe place. And of course, the sun would be rising in a short while, so he needed to get to a safe haven to hide from the day.

Duo thought for a brief moment before coming to his decision. There was no helping it, he would just have to bring Heero to his current lair with him. Although he had no need of such luxuries, his complex was fully furnished, and would provide Heero with some comfort.

Having made his decision, he decided to act before he had time to recant it. Sweeping up Heero's limp body into his embrace, Duo quickly moved away from the alley, not bothering to give his bloody handiwork another glance. Clutching his precious bundle, he moved swiftly, faster than mortal eyes could see, heading home.

~~~

[And so the next morning... err, evening]

Although he could not see it, embedded as deeply as he was in the earth's protective darkness, Duo could sense when the sun gave up its dominance in favor of the night. Consciousness returned to the vampire, his senses exulting in the cool obscurity of the shadows. For a brief moment he was disoriented, but his memories soon righted themselves, as well as the knowledge that he was not alone.

For the first time, his temporary home in the Sank Kingdom had mortal life in it. Although he had bought the complex fully furnished, this was the first time someone other then he had been within. At least, the first time since his acquisition of the small house. He would have preferred to be hidden deep in the bowels of some long-ago abandoned building, where there would have been little chance of humans interfering, but this domestic setting had a sense of rightness to it.

Stretching his senses to observe his dwelling, he noted that Heero was still asleep. Upon return to his home, he had driven Heero's mind into a deep, healing sleep, one that he would be unable to wake from until Duo deemed it time. Heero had been deeply in shock, his mind trapped within a looping nightmare of his attempted rape. Taking it upon himself, Duo had decided that Heero did not need to be burdened with such harsh memories; that it would be better if his young ward had no knowledge of what had happened.

With a Power he usually only used when feeding, Duo clouded Heero's mind, technically erasing the memories of the harsh attack from that gang of depraved bullies. It was manipulative, yes, but the vampire felt it was necessary. As long as he had the Power, why shouldn't he use it to make Heero's life easier?

Duo rose from his resting area, intent upon waking his young ward up. As he walked through the house towards the bedroom he had placed Heero in, he prepared himself to answer a slew of questions.

*Here I come, Heero.*

Perhaps it was only his imagination, but Duo thought he heard an answering sigh in his mind say, *Welcome back home, Duo.*

TBC...

 

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