And for those of you that always say that I like to leave a cliffhanger, here's a real one for you...
Deliveryman Two Part 5
Trowa handed me the headset as I finished fastening the tracer to my collar.
"I'll stay in contact with you all the way," he said and I knew I had to look as bad as I felt. Trowa didn't offer consolation lightly.
"Okay," I told him as I slipped the headset on. I adjusted the camera lens over my eye, so that Trowa could see what I saw as I walked through the satellite.
Then he handed me my gun. I looked at it for a moment and then met his eyes. I really didn't want to put it back on again.
"You might have to disable him Duo. You can do it. You have before."
"It didn't work well," I muttered, but I put the gun in its holster. "Wish tranqs worked."
Trowa smiled. "Hopefully you'll work. I don't have to tell you how much I'm hoping Heero remembers how much he loves you."
I hoped so too. The only deity I prayed to though would no doubt find it amusing if he didn't, so I didn't bother praying for help.
"All right," I stood in front of the hatch. "Be ready. I'll get out there as fast as I can. Close the door right away."
"I know." Trowa took up his position, his headset on as well.
The hatch swung open and I ducked and rolled out, expecting to find Heero at my throat. The hatch slammed shut behind me.
The hallway was empty. I got to my feet carefully and followed it out into the main part of the satellite.
It was weird, to leave that metal hallway and step- well into a jungle. Trowa had told me about these sorts of satellites. Jungles, beaches, forests, snowscapes... playgrounds for the wealthy. As I looked at the dense foliage I sighed. Some people have more money than they know what to do with.
There were scorch marks on the walls that I could see. Looked like Heero had taken out the cameras. The only working ones would be above, and not much bloody use with all of this plant life in the way. The cameras in the jungle would no doubt have been taken out as well.
I looked up. I was sure J was watching... someplace.
I adjusted my headset. Okay. Time to go looking for my insane lover. Where the hell do I start? My sixth sense was telling me that danger was headed my way- but since it had been screaming that at me for hours now, I didn't pay it much attention.
"Duo? How are you doing?" Trowa's calm voice in my ear was soothing.
"It's a jungle in here," I told him and heard him groan. "How the hell do I find him?"
"Well, he's more than likely watching you."
Gee, that was a comforting thought. I scanned the jungle. I didn't see anything that looked like my missing lover.
"I don't see him. Do you?"
"No. Call for him Duo. Let him know it's you."
A mental image of me calling: 'Heeero! Come kill me!' Nearly sent me into a fit of nervous giggles. I took a deep breath and stepped onto the broad curving pathway that led around the perimeter of the jungle and into it as well. A jungle with a jogging track. Weird.
"HEERO!" I lifted my voice. "HEERO? WHERE ARE YOU?" Nothing called back. The place was eerily silent.
"Take the mike away from your mouth," Trowa groaned in my ear.
"Uh, sorry Tro." I walked cautiously along the path and into the trees, trying not to get too far from that hallway that led back to the ship. "Heero?" I called again. "Heero? It's me!"
The thought struck me that Heero himself might be dead.
Then, my sixth sense nudged me and I whirled around.
Heero stood between me and the hallway, right in the center of the path a few yards from where I stood. His head was bent down and I couldn't see his face under the fringe of bangs. He had spandex shorts on- J must love those for some perverted reason- and nothing else.
I wanted to go and fling my arms around him, and it hurt to force myself to stay still.
"Heero." I managed. "Heero, I've come to take you home."
He didn't move.
"Duo..." Trowa's voice was very quiet. But the effect on Heero was immediate. His head snapped up and I took a step back.
He was snarling. I had been expecting the cold soldier face, or even less likely, the warm smile he reserved for me. Not this- not an expression that looked like it belonged on a tiger. Before I even thought about it, my gun was in my hand, pointed at him.
He didn't know me.
"Heero, it's me, Duo." I tried, even as I sighted the gun on his leg. "Duo. Remember? The guy that steals all the covers?" He took a few steps towards me and I backed away further. "Please love, please don't make me hurt you..."
He stopped for a moment, snarl vanishing, and I felt a faint breath of hope. I took several deep breaths, feeling myself shake.
"Keep talking to him," Trowa's voice, lower still hissed in my ear. Heero looked back up at me, and I got a very bad feeling.
MOVE! My precog screamed along my senses. I moved.
Heero sprang at me, hands extended. Thanks to the warning, I only just managed to get out of his way. I was now several feet further along the path, farther from the safety of the ship.
He stalked towards me, death on his face and I shuddered. This was not my Heero. This was nothing more than an animal.
What had the doctors done to him? I remembered the recorded screams, Quatre's voice telling me that Heero was in terrible pain...
And I couldn't shoot him.
I turned and ran. Trowa was cursing in my ear, but I ignored him. Running was more important.
I ran until my lungs burned and yet, I could always hear him on my trail, not far behind. Bastard wasn't even breathing heavily.
I lost the headset and camera along the way. Trowa was no doubt looking at a tree stump somewhere. I knew he'd have tapped into the remaining cameras, but he couldn't do anything to help me.
Not like he could've before. Though I missed the sound of his voice in my ear. Even if the last words I had heard were: "Duo, damn it, disable him!"
Suddenly I burst out of the foliage and found myself standing by a river, right as it tumbled over a cliff. The view would've been perfect, except for the whole homicidal lover trying to kill me thing.
I had nowhere to go. The cliff was steep- damn the builders! And narrow.
Heero appeared out of the brush. He saw me and bared his teeth, growling low in his throat.
Shit.
I heard the hum of a camera and looked upwards at the ones hanging from the dome- out of my reach. Damn. Well, at least I was providing the good doctor with some entertainment. Trowa was no doubt tearing his hair out.
Heero was walking towards me slowly- stalking- playing with me. I raised the gun again.
And looked into his eyes.
Couldn't do it. I just- couldn't. I couldn't hurt him. I would rather die. Course- I was sure that's what Heero planned for me.
I tossed the gun over the cliff's edge and then just stood and waited. Heero paused, looking almost- puzzled.
Hope rose up.
"Heero?" I said as softly as I could. "I'm sorry I wasn't here before... I couldn't find you... I didn't realize the Preventers and Dr. J..."
Heero snarled.
Oops. He didn't like those words.
He leapt at me, teeth closing down on my neck, knocking us both over the edge.
TBC...
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