Secrets Part 10

"They'll let us know soon."

"They said that two hours ago."

"He was beat to hell, Heero. I'm amazed he even managed to talk..."

Heero clenched his fist, remembering.

He leaped into the truck, his heart stopping at the sight of the battered, bloody figure on the floor. Duo had squinted up at him- one of his eyes was swelled shut, but the other had focused on Heero with a hopeful intensity.

"I knew you had..." He'd whispered and Heero had knelt down beside him, his mind cataloguing Duo's injuries, ripping his jacket off to bind the worst of the wounds. He heard Wufei shouting into a phone- calling for help.

"Duo-"

"Bugged me- didn't you?" Duo's smile was bright red and Heero winced.

"Yes."

"Tell Fei- met him- saw him..."

"Saw who?"

Duo said a name and then his eyes rolled up in his head, and his pulse flickered under Heero's fingertips...

"Heero?"

Heero gave Trowa a weary smile. "Sorry. Just thinking-"

"It's okay. I was trying to tell you- last time I went back they gave me his stuff. The clothes they had to cut off, but-" Trowa shrugged and flipped the wallet open. "He had this in his pocket- and this in his braid."

It took a moment for Heero to identify the small metallic cylinder. Then his lips curved in a faint smile. "A disruptor. He said he knew I'd bugged him."

"He must've turned it off when they tossed him in that truck. Good thing you still had your program running."

"Yes," Heero picked up the small cylinder and sighed. "Any word from Wufei?"

"Just a little- not much yet. He went right back to Une with the name- Quatre is with them now too. I guess the name Duo gave you is someone pretty highly placed- they have to go after him carefully. Too bad he couldn't give them more than a name."

Heero bit back his first response. "Yes," he repeated and took the wallet from Trowa. He flipped through it slowly- a few credits, that false ID. Idly, he slid it out of the wallet and studied the front. The unknown- dying in that vent in L2.... What connection did he have in all this?

He flipped the card over and blinked at the strip on the back. That wasn't supposed to be there...

"Trowa?"

"What?"

Instead of replying, Heero pulled his pocket comp out and ran the card under the scanner.

Names began to run over the screen. Names and dates and times.... Heero had a feeling that the Preventers might understand some of it...

Trowa leaned over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the screen. "What the hell?"

"I think this is what they need- feel like making a run to the Preventers HQ?"

"I'll go right now. You okay here?"

"Fine." Heero handed the card over. "I'll call if they tell me anything."

"Got it." Trowa tucked the card in his coat and left the room at a fast clip.

Heero sat down in one of the chairs, pocketing his comp. The pieces were fitting together- he could almost see the whole picture... Though he'd have to run it by Duo to see if he was right... if Duo didn't...

"Mr. Yuy?" A nurse appeared before him, looking slightly ruffled.

"Yes?"

"The doctor requests your assistance. You said you were friends with the young man they brought in?"

Heero rose quickly to his feet. "Yes- is there-"

"If you could follow me?"

He followed her down the hallway, not quite running. "What happened-?"

"He woke up a lot sooner than we anticipated...and he's a little disoriented..." She gave him a nervous smile. "We finished patching him up the best we could- but the doctors are afraid he'll open something up again- and he won't let us medicate him..."

She pushed open the doors to the ICU.

"Look doc- I'm sure you mean well, but-"

Relief swept over Heero at the sound of that familiar voice, weak and hoarse as it was, nearly making him stagger. He turned into the room, the nurse hovering anxiously behind him.

"Duo," he said to the man perched on the edge of the bed, battered and bandaged, but managing to hold off the doctor with the IV stand. "Lay down. You're fine. Safe territory."

"Heero?" Duo peered at him. His one eye was still swollen shut, Heero noted, but he was still swinging the stand pretty accurately.

"Yes. Stand down."

Duo obediently put down the IV stand. "Safe?"

"Very much so." Heero moved closer and stretched out a hand. "Lie down. You're badly injured."

"It doesn't feel bad," Duo protested, but he did inch back onto the bed. The doctor and nurses approached cautiously.

"Trust me, it is." Heero reached out and squeezed his hand gently. "Let them work, okay?"

"You'll stay?"

Heero looked at the nurse who had brought him in. "Can I?"

"Please do."

The medical personnel fussed over Duo for a bit, rehooking him to the IV and a few other machines, checking his stitches. Before they left, the nurse pointed out the call button and brought Heero a chair. "We'll check on him in a bit. He should sleep..."

"I'll make sure he does."

Once they were alone, Duo's hand tightened on his. "How did I get here?"

"We found you in the back of a van. Do you remember?"

"Did I tell you-"

"You gave me a name. And we found some information on the back of the ID in your wallet. The others are working on it now."

"You aren't hurt?"

Heero shook his head. "Just fine."

Duo relaxed. "Thought I was dead for sure that time... but they couldn't leave a body in that fancy place..."

"No vents to stuff it in."

"Poor Dan- I didn't want to get him involved... but he caught me talking to Wufei one time. He helped me get all that information- and then when he thought they were getting suspicious- he told them what I was. Said he was getting close to feed the Preventers false info- and they ordered him to kill me..."

"And you two made that video."

"Didn't work. They still killed him. He gave me his wallet right before..."

"But why did you come down here?"

"Dan had a meeting with the big boss. Face to face... I knew if I went- I'd see who he was..."

"You knew they'd kill you for that."

"I had to see." Duo sighed. "If you knew what they were doing on L2-"

"Wufei and Une explained a little."

Duo squeezed his hand. "I am sorry I didn't tell you. I just- after what they did to Dan- What I saw them do to other people... I couldn't..."

"We're really going to have to work on that overprotective thing of yours."

"Are you very mad at me?"

Heero sighed and lifting Duo's hand up carefully, kissed one of the few unbruised places on it. "Yes. You really owe me for this one, Maxwell."

Duo's bruised lips curved up a little. "I know I do. Anything you want- once I'm back on my feet again..."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

"Good, because I need a partner. Quatre keeps harassing me about getting a copilot, so you're it." Heero smiled. "It's not that bad a deal- the pay is pretty good, the ship has some nice extras-"

"And there's you."

"That too. But- no more secrets, okay? No more running off without me. Agreed?"

"You sure?"

"Wouldn't offer if I wasn't."

Duo's fingers brushed over Heero's lips gently. "It's a deal."

OWARI

 

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