Crimson Ties Part 20
Gasping softly, Duo sank back on his perch as far as he could when a pair of pale hands gripped the bars of the grate. The metal moaned and creaked before they bent and pulled free, taking large chunks of the cement that they'd been in embedded in along with them.
Sweat running down his face, the boy scrambled in search of something, anything that he could use to defend himself. There was no hiding now. All that was left was biding himself a little time before they...
Then, another pair of hands appeared at the top of the grate to yank back at the cement and pull it away. Large pieces of granite and concrete fell away like jagged shards. Acting on instinct, Duo's hand reached out to take one of the longest and sharpest of those falling splinters. Simply wrapping his small hand around it, the rough edges bit into his flesh as the 'roof' over his head was peeled back.
Violet eyes wide with panic, the child held his weapon behind his back as he stared up in horror at the two faces leering down at him with hunger in their gold-flecked eyes. The larger of the Infected grinned threateningly, fangs showing, as his white hand shot forward to grasp his prey by the front of his black shirt.
Heaving the boy before him, the bald, tall and muscular monster brought them nearly nose-to-nose and chuckled deeply. "You'll hardly be a morsel for the lot of us, but you'll have to do," the Vampire sneered.
Duo panted heavily as he scanned the four faces around him. Knowing that he was not going to be able to hold them all off, he contented himself to at least making a mark on the one holding him. Before the others were clued in on his intent, he had to act.
Eyes narrowed, the shaggy-haired child let out a sharp cry and turned the shard in his hand so that its sharp point was what was sent forward with a swift blow to the neck. As the tip of the splinter stabbed into his neck, the Infected gasped and gagged on blood that gurgled along with the scream of pain that tried to escape and he dropped his prize.
As he fell, Duo saw the dark-haired female of the quartet run to the injured Vampire, crying, "Hector!"
Before he even hit the ground, the child was scooped up in a pair of cold hands so harshly and quickly that the air was forced from his lungs with a sharp grunt. His vision spinning, he soon found himself looking into the square face of the other male, this one not as built as the Infected that was being nursed as he tried to pull the shard from his neck, but he was every bit as terrifying with his fanged sneer.
"You're going to pay dearly for that, boy," the red-haired beast growled lowly. The blonde female was quickly at his side, her own fangs dripping with drool in anticipation of the meal to come. Gold-flecked, green eyes homed in on their prey.
Finally catching enough of a breath, Duo was able to get the world to stop moving on him and gripped the wrist holding him in a snap. Heaving himself forward, he yelled and bit down on the hand gripping his waist... hard.
He heard the shout of surprise and agony before he was flung. This time, he was hurled forward and the world went black when he struck the wall of one of the buildings behind him.
Clasping his good hand over the bleeding wound in his wrist, Nigel hissed and swore, "Little bastard!" Heidi was at his side in an instant to wrap his injury with a cloth she'd torn from the hem of her red dress.
Jasmine had tears in her eyes as Hector's hand fell away lifelessly, his dead eyes staring upward as he lay on the ground in a pool of his blood. Stricken by shock and disbelief, her cousins slowly approached. Their clan leader was easily one of the strongest of their kind... and his existence had been claimed by a mere boy.
Her hands gripping the front of her husband's bloodied t-shirt, the Hispanic Infected shot a fiery glare at the boy lying a few feet away from her. "He's mine," she snarled, fangs cutting in to show past her lips as she sprang for her partner's murderer. Rising to her feet, she picked up and held her limp meal by his shoulders.
"Don't. Move," a deep voice growled deeply from the alley entrance. Their eyes growing, the surviving family of three turned in surprise to see Heero Yuy standing there. Gold-and-cobalt eyes narrowed and fangs showed beyond his tightly pursed lips whilst his enraged gaze bore into the trio ahead of him.
Quickly coming up to his side, Midi froze when she spotted Hector's body on the ground. A quick look to Nigel's wrapped wrist only served to shock her all the more. "T-that boy managed to do that to them... all on his own?" she breathed, blinking her large brown eyes.
Heero never so much as looked over at her, his full attention on the small child that continued to dangle in Jasmine's arms. "Anna," he gritted through his teeth, never looking away from the startled lot. "Do you have her?"
Stepping forward from the shadows that had shrouded her, Anna appeared on the landing of the fourth floor of the fire escape of the abandoned building beside him. Her right arm raised and aimed at Jasmine, at the tip of her wrist a crossbow gleamed in the streetlamps. Smirking, the redhead's eyes glared at her target as she smirked, "Yea. I got her."
"That's my girl," Yuy replied, the corner of his mouth curling up in a smirk. Losing the slight amusement, he ordered coldly, "Take her."
Jasmine's wide blue eyes narrowed as she decided to make her last moments count. In a flash, she snapped her head towards the boy in her possession and lunged to take a bite from his exposed neck as his head fell back.
Her fangs were only inches from his flesh when the arrow that was fired pierced through her forehead. In the same second that the dark-haired Vampire was falling, her cousins were reaching for their weapons that were concealed within their long coats.
Matching blades whirled in the air, Heidi's coming down in an attempt to strike at Yuy when she charged him. In a whirl, she was knocked back when her steel only came down on a long, rounded sword wielded by Trowa who suddenly appeared before his cousin. Smirking at the startled blonde, the Latin Vampire swung with is other hand to send his twin rapier around and knock his challenger off balance before they engaged in combat.
Nigel, meanwhile, took a swipe at the child that fell from Jasmine's still hands. A shimmering streak was all that he saw before his sword clanged against something solid, the force of the blow knocking the redheaded Infected back as his weapon shattered into pieces. As he fell backwards, he recognized the shimmering scales of the back that peeked through the gaping tear made in the brown shirt that had covered it.
His arms wrapped securely around the little one, Wufei remained hunched over his charge to shield him with his body. Slowly peering over his shoulder, Chang snarled at his prone target. He was so distracted that he missed the drops of blood running from the wound on the side of the boy's head that began to fall to the ground.
A light breeze picked up the scent of the small, red puddle and carried it towards Heero. His eyes widening with a gasp, he shot his hand up to cover his nose and mouth. Quickly turning away, he choked back a whimper in his effort to fight his sudden and intense need. Instantly, Midi was at his side, resting a hand on his shoulder, frowning in worry, "Cousin?"
"G-get that boy out of here," was all that Yuy could manage when he met her brown eyes, how own showing his strain. "Keep him away from me."
Swallowing roughly, the brunette nodded and rushed off to the end of the alley before Nigel was on his feet again. Carefully taking the child from Wufei, she held him close against her.
With a quiet groan in his being transferred between the Infected, Duo's head turned towards the entrance of the alley as his violet eyes cracked open. Just as Heero turned back, his piercing gaze locked with the boy's. His hand lowering, the Infected's mouth fell open when he could not tear his eyes away.
Securing the child as he drifted off again, Midi leapt the railings of the nearest fire escape to take to the rooftops where they disappeared.
Unsheathing his long sword at his hip, Chang met his attacker's charge to slice him from abdomen to neck in one swing.
In the same blink of an eye, Heidi had nearly rebalanced when Anna leapt from her perch to land atop the blonde's shoulders in a handstand. Gripping the Rogue's face, the redhead spun herself in a full revolution until she heard the neck beneath her snap and felt the skull in her grasp facing its back.
And within minutes of the attack, the last two of Hector and his entire clan was gone, their bodies lying still on the ground.
His legs nearly giving out from his prolonged stress of holding himself back, Heero sank towards the closest wall to lean heavily against it. "Brother?" his sister called in panic just before she was with him, hands on his arms to help keep him upright.
"I'm alright," Yuy sighed as he ran a hand through his hair to collect himself. That was not entirely true. Even though his full strength had been restored from his recent feeding, everything about him felt unsteady... shaken.
Sheathing his rounded blades at his sides, Trowa shook his head as he appraised the carnage before them. "We don't have a lot of time," he stated. "This needs to be cleaned up quickly before any of the humans notice. It's not exactly the kind of scene that would go without questions."
Wufei removed what remained of his shirt and secured his own sword, nodding, "The last thing that we need any of the living to worry about is news that there are Rogues amongst our kind. After all of the work that Treize and the others have done in securing the relationship between our kinds, this could very well undo it all."
Content that her brother was well when he straightened himself, Anna hurried to her husband and began to gather up the bodies along with him. Wiping the back of his hand across his mouth, Heero took one more moment to gather himself before helping Trowa in kind.
"Had a bad feeling about this bunch when they were trying to send us the wrong way," Anna frowned deeply as she headed for Jasmine's body. Shrugging, she admitted, "I never would have thought them to go Rogue."
Yuy paused before the fallen clan leader's body as he replied, "It's usually the ones you least expect. They wouldn't have stopped at that boy had they survived this... and who knows if they haven't killed livings before tonight."
Tilting his head, the unruly-haired Vampire took a good look at the imposing mass of a body. "It is pretty hard to imagine that child getting the better of Hector like this. There are not many of our own who would have been as lucky."
When he peered to his brother-in-law, Wufei noted how preoccupied he was. It was unusual, to say the least, for the leader of his pack to seem to be distracted... especially at a time like this. "Heero," he called. "You okay?"
As if waking from a dream, the Infected was brought out of his thoughts with a start. Locking onto the dark eyes watching him, he nodded firmly, "Yea. I'm fine." Clearing his throat, he looked back at Hector's remains and said, "Let's get to work."
(End Flashback)
* * * * * *
Running a finger over the rim of his wine glass, Wufei sat back in his chair as his dark, gold-rimmed eyes cleared from his return to that dark night. "Midi did not return for hours after that," he said to the braided teenager at the head of the table beside him. "She patched up your wound as best she could and delivered you to a hospital far from the city so that you would be well out of danger."
With a shrug, the scaly Vampire continued, "Heero was still completely unaware as to what was happening to him since seeing you... smelling your blood and being so filled with need to claim you. He never talked about it with any of us for days because it scared him so, especially after what had happened to your parents."
Rubbing the back of his neck, he all but whispered, "What happened in the Harvest alone was enough to make him all but completely pull away from us for some time." He shuddered at that unpleasant memory.
Duo swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat and wiped at the shimmer that had formed in his eyes. Yes, revisiting that terrible ordeal was difficult. Painful. And yet at the same time, having the whole picture... getting those pieces that he had been missing for years now gave him peace of mind as well.
There were more questions, of course. Many questions at that. And there would be a time for those to be asked. But for the moment, the things that he was learning about the events that had befallen that night were a stepping stone to some sense of real closure.
Slowly drawing a deep breath after a long pause, Wufei continued, "When Heero did finally talk, explained what had transpired between the two of you in that alley over a week later, the rest of us knew immediately that he had found his Other. There was no other explanation for the connection that he felt, no other way of defining that need in him. We were elated to finally know that he'd found his Chosen, but that joy was short-lived."
Running a hand over his dark hair, he sighed, "By then, it was far too late for us to do anything. You were long gone from the hospital, placed with an adoption agency and protected by the system to keep your whereabouts and identity private despite our best efforts to locate you. If only I had realized sooner how familiar that drifting look on his face was in that alley. He was already attached to you."
Hesitantly, Midi and Anna peeked their heads through the kitchen doorway, looking to their guest anxiously. Maxwell snickered as he wiped away a stray tear and waved with his other hand to urge them to come in. The redheaded Infected was in his lap in an instant, hugging him tightly and gently rubbing the back of his braided head.
Biting her lip, the brunette stood close by as she said softly, "Heero insisted that we stay in the area because he somehow sensed that you wouldn't be far. For all these years, we've been on pins and needles, hoping against hope that you would come back into our lives... not only for my cousin's sake, but for yours as well since we know how the bond works between two souls that are meant to be together."
Anna pulled back when the arms around her loosened. Her own eyes misting over, she smiled and brushed Duo's long bangs back as she all but whispered, "We have loved you from the moment that we first saw you. Our family's not whole without you around."
Quickly kissing the end of her 'little brother's' nose, the Irish Infected rose and moved to sit on the edge of the table beside her husband. Smirking when their eyes met, Wufei reached out and took her hand to squeeze it.
Leaning back in his chair, Maxwell appraised the three Vampires and saw them all in a completely new light. These creatures were nothing like the monsters that he'd labeled every one of their kind to be.
They'd protected him, put themselves in potential danger to get him to safety. And they never boasted the fact or asked for anything in return.
More than any other living, Duo had to appreciate what they really were- his rescuers, his friends and if he so accepted the bond that he and Heero clearly shared... his family.
Still, there were so many questions to details of that story that he wanted to understand. Were Vampires and the Chosen linked by destiny or some subconscious decision? What other Infected, along with Relena's husband, had he not met that surrounded his friends? Did every Vampire wield a weapon like the ones described in the tale?
What 'business' was Heero on that had taken him away... and at a time when Duo actually found himself needing his presence more than ever?
For the time being, those and many other inquiries would have to wait. Duo knew that he was far too physically and emotionally taxed to hear it all now. And he already had a sinking suspicion that he might not want to know all of the answers.
Another stray tear rolled down his face as he looked to the friendly faces watching him. Taking a deep breath, he spoke the two words that he'd never dreamed he would ever say to an Infected. Not only was he about to speak them, but his sincerity could not have been more sincere or profound as he breathed, "Thank you... all of you."
There was no need for him to elaborate on the words meaning his appreciation for their saving his life, or for their kindness and patient understanding, nor their unconditional love for him that practically radiated from them. No, he could see in their wide smiles that they heard every one of those things.
Chang released his wife's hand to reach over the table to their 'brother.' Taking his cold palm in a firm handshake, Duo grinned and leaned into the kiss that Midi pressed against the side of his head as he and Anna exchanged winks.
The sound of a high-pitched bell chimed from the kitchen. "Ah," the brunette smiled in relief. "That would be your dinner just in time."
Under normal circumstances, Maxwell's stomach would not have been the most welcoming to the thought of food after undergoing an emotional ordeal like the one he'd just endured. But the combination of the delicious smells from Midi's cooking and how he skipped out on a couple meals left him too famished to miss out on another.
Anna disappeared along with her cousin to return with a couple trays including everything from light appetizers to a heaping course of different meats, vegetables and a small cake for dessert. Blinking in surprise over the amount of food that was being laid before him, Duo laughed, "Well, there's no way I can put all of that down on my own!"
With a sheepish smile, Midi giggled, "Well, we heard you and Wufei talking and needed something to do while we were waiting." She waved her hand before the teenager could speak up when his mouth opened and reassured, "It's no bother, at all. This will give you plenty left over to take back to school with you." Her natural nurturing skills never ceased to put Maxwell at ease, giving him a sense of having a mother again.
Before he continued down that train of thought, the braided living shook his head in amusement and gratefully enjoyed his dinner and the company offered around him. The Infected sat around the table, falling into conversation about anything but the Harvest and those dark thoughts.
In the end, there was really only one topic that Duo wanted to work around to. He just needed to take up some courage in getting there.
When his meal was finished and the plates were cleaned away, he summoned up the nerve to ask in a breath, "Is Heero... angry with me for what I did?" A whimper breaking from him, he moaned, "The things I said to him that day..."
Anna's hand reached out to hold his. "Heero could never be mad at you," she reassured, voice firm and confident in what she was saying. "You were upset and rightfully so. Just know that you couldn't have said anything as bad as what my brother had put on himself over what happened at the Harvest."
Guilt seeped deep into Duo's very fibers and a thick lump formed in his throat that he had to clear. Now hearing the story from his friends' points of view, one which he couldn't help but completely believe, he realized how wrong it had been for him to put the blame of his parents' deaths on Heero's shoulders.
Thinking back to that last encounter... against even his most solid of resolves, the living's heart twisted in his chest at the memory of how lost and broken the Vampire was. Hearing that Yuy held no offense over him brought on a relief like Maxwell had never felt before.
Midi's soft gasp had the others turning their heads to follow her line of sight to see the snow falling thickly beyond the windows. "Oh, I never get tired of watching this," she giggled, hurrying to her feet to walk up to the panes.
Without so much as a glance over her shoulder, the brunette announced in a very motherly tone, "Duo, you are not driving out in this. It's late and the roads are going to be terrible since the plows will take a long time getting out to clear them up."
If he had a real protest against spending the night with a family of Infected, the teenager was too tired to think of one. Midi did have a point, the roads were not going to be in any condition for driving even if he was alert. "I probably should have thought ahead and brought a change of clothes and sleepwear before I came here," he snickered.
"Already covered," Wufei smirked. "We have spare clothes that should fit you set aside." At the wide-eyed expression he was given, he shrugged, "Wishful thinking and planning on our parts that you might be around to use them."
Snorting, Duo grinned, "How does that not surprise me?" He raised his hands when the family... his would-be family watched expectantly. "Alright," he laughed, "Alright, I'll stay."
* * * * * *
It was hours later before Maxwell crawled into one of the many guest rooms of Midi and Trowa's home. Somehow, it didn't feel right to stay in Heero's place when he was away. So, wearing a white tank top and gray sweatpants, he was sound asleep as soon as his head fell on the plush pillows.
A moment passed before Anna slipped through the open door to tuck the sleeping teenager under the blankets that had fallen aside. Smiling, she bent at the waist to place a kiss on his cheek and whispered, "Sleep well, little brother." Soundlessly, she returned to the door and pulled it closed behind her.
In his sleep, a small grin spread across Duo's face as he sank deep under the covers feeling more safe and warm than he had in... a very long time.
TBC...
Back to SkyLark's Fanfictions Page