Hear me... I'm cryin' out, I'm ready now
Turn my world upside down
Find me... I'm lost inside the crowd... It's getting loud
I need you to see I'm screaming for you to please... Hear me
-lyrics to 'Hear Me' by Kelly Clarkson
Crimson Ties Part 82
Quatre was like a child about to open his presents on his birthday when he set his backpack atop the main sofa of Heero and Duo's estate. He had not been home for more than a whole ten minutes since returning from the base and already his mind was racing with thoughts. Theories and strategies to break the answers to them down were overlapping each other as he struggled to open his carrier in the confusion of it all.
Not having more than a few words for his friends moments ago as he was so looking forward to looking into his findings, the living went to his friends' estate where he could work in relative peace. Now that Treize and Lady Une were already taking in new guests in the Hunters that were arriving, he needed as much space as could be allotted to him.
Carefully setting out the microscopes and other equipment as she had many a time leading to that early evening, Relena glanced up from her half of the table that was being used as the living's station. "Do you really think that you have a sample of Solo's blood in one of those vials that we recovered from what we believed was the lab?" she asked, unable to mask the hope in her tone. Recalling how thrilled the blonde scientist had been in finding the tubes, she couldn't help but share his excitement over the possibilities that they held.
Peering over his shoulder, a warm smile tugged Quatre's lips as he met the Councilwoman's eyes to reply, "Let's hope so." Shrugging, he added, "I've seen specimen safes like this before, so we may have gotten lucky." Even as the word 'lucky' escaped him, he ducked his head with a wince as Peacecraft shuddered. It certainly was no 'luck' for those poor souls that had been sprawled across the floor that had to be moved away so that they could find the dummy wall that secured their discovery.
It was not 'luck' that had them on their hands and knees in some of the most disturbing materials that would no doubt haunt them for the rest of their days.
"W-well, you know what I mean," Quatre chuckled nervously. A small grin spreading across her face, Relena gave him a reassuring nod and returned to her work just as Heero and Duo entered the room to check in on their guests.
Shaking his braided head, the Companion commented, "I hope you didn't have an attachment to those coats. It's going to take a miracle to get that god-awful smell out of them. I think it's made a permanent home in the fibers."
On his heels, the 'little mother' bore a tray with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate as she smirked, "It will be a challenge, but I have yet to meet a cleaning challenge that I did not best. Your coats will be smelling like new by the time I'm finished with them." Setting the tray down, she handed one of the glasses over to Quatre with a sweet grin. "This should do you some good after being out in the ice and snow, dear."
The scientist beamed as he accepted his mug. "You're the best, Midi." Quickly leaning in, he placed a quick kiss that had the Latin Infected giggling as she gave her cousin his marshmallow-covered serving. Snickering along with his lover, the Reformer gladly took a sip from his drink without having to blow on it to cool the cocoa down.
Yuy gestured to the now revealed black box on their couch, smirking, "You haven't cracked that thing open yet? With the energy you put out from how excited you've been to see what's inside, I'm surprised it hasn't combusted by now."
To the chorus of the laughter from his friends, Quatre's aquamarine eyes glared at the Original over the rim of the mug that he had to his lips and raised his free hand to slowly extend his middle finger. Their heads falling back, the lot gathered only howled all the more at the unexpected gesture. "Knew it was only a matter of time before we corrupted him," Duo sniggered under his breath.
Focusing back on the black, metallic box that was now revealed with the sides of his pack slipping away, the living lowered his glass, licked his lips and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Okay," he muttered under his breath to his prize, "Let's see what you've been hiding all this time." Gripping the safe from its bottom, he carried it over to the table to examine the large combination lock on the front of it.
A frown marring his face, Winner hummed to himself and mumbled, "Now to come up with a way to open-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Heero appeared at his side, his cold right hand on the knob of lock and the other atop the box to hold it in place. Smirking, the Infected did not even strain himself in cracking the metal with one forceful tug that had the door falling open, its hinges protesting as they were bent back. His eyes growing, the blonde blinked at his friend and grinned, "Why thank you for that." The Original chuckled and stepped aside with the door.
Crouching before the opened safe, Quatre peered inside and exclaimed, "By Allah! This is fantastic!" The immortals around jumped at his shout and watched as he gingerly extracted a rack of vials.
Inside each of the glass containers was sloshing, red fluid. Equally taken aback by the sight, Duo gasped and took a few steps forward for a closer look at what could only be blood that turned clear to shine forward an array of colors when it caught the light in the room... all but for one of the near dozen capsules.
Seeing the change in the fluid, the Companion's hand unconsciously reached up to grip the glass bulb hanging from his neck. Slowly peering down at the drops of his family's blood, he turned the pendant. Like what was inside of the vials, it too glowed and acted like a prism in sending forth colors in brilliant beams.
"Those... can't be just Solo's blood in there," he commented softly, his silver-and-violet eyes locking back on his roommate. Shaking his head, he commented, "My blood doesn't react to light like that." Gesturing with his braided head to the single, unaffected vile of blood at the end of the display rack, he thought aloud, "That's most likely his."
Winner set the the case down and bent at the waist for a closer examination as he replied, "It's very possible that the scientists working on him had enhanced him somehow. Or it could very well be from another experiment from Vampires that they'd tested on to compare his composition to."
Shrugging, he said, "There are really any number of possibilities to what these samples are from." Quickly straightening himself, he finished off his cocoa in a couple gulps and grinned, "But that's why I'm here, to figure that out."
Not about to wait another moment, the living rolled up the long sleeves of his green sweater then began to take out slides and a stopper from one of his many personal carriers in one swift, fluid motion. Smiling, Midi took up the empty mug. "I'll be back with more hot chocolate for you," she promised with a wink. Set to his work of arranging his station, Quatre only took a moment to flash her a brilliant grin of appreciation before he focused on his task once more as Relena moved in to help.
To give Quatre his space, Heero and Duo followed their cousin from the room. Once they were out in the hallway, Midi sighed over her shoulder, "I'm just so relieved to have all of you home safe and sound." Biting her lip, she admitted in a grin, "There may have been quite a bit of fretting on my part while you were away."
"Ah," the Companion snickered as his fingers laced with his Vampire's. "So how far along are you in the wedding plans now?"
Beaming, the Latin Infected answered, "I have many of the big details worked out in my head and have already begun to assemble the table centerpieces. Of course, you're not going to get out of me what they look like until I'm finished with a sample that is to my satisfaction." A thought coming to her just as she was about to turn her head forward again, she added, "Oh, and your colors are crimson and deep purple, by the way. I do hope that works for you."
Duo smiled brightly, "Sounds great to me. Those are two of my..." His voice trailing off as his eyes grew, he looked over to his lover and laughed, "You told her my favorite colors."
A sly smirk tugging the corner of his mouth, Heero shrugged, "I might have whispered something to her-" He was stopped in the middle of his train of thought when Maxwell swooped in for a passion-filled kiss.
Midi giggled and turned her head forward and continued to walk ahead when the pair came to a halt in the middle of the hallway. Before she disappeared around the corner that led to the kitchen, she shook her head in amusement. "They really are just too cute," she smiled to herself.
Finally breaking their lips away, Duo panted as he stared deeply into his lover's heavy-lidded eyes. "God, I love you," he breathed. He was answered with a husky chuckle and a softer kiss that returned the sentiment in ways that words would never have been able to convey. Sighing, he rested the his braided head on a firm shoulder as they continued to hold onto each other.
Thoughts of their wedding had already worked their magic in lightening the mood that had settled ever since they'd left for Antarctica. Suddenly, there was hope again in having that wonderful day to look forward to. It would come at a time when this nightmare was far behind them along with the fears and troubles of these dark times. There would be laughter and tears of sheer joy for a change.
And he would be married to the most remarkable creature in existence. He would be Mister Duo Yuy-Maxwell. Simply the sound of that in his head came with such a nice ring that he couldn't help but smile as his violet-and-silver eyes drifted closed with a soft hum.
Were there not so many people in their home, the Companion would have suggested to Heero that they get a start on 'rehearsing' for their wedding night. But there would be a time for that, too. For now, there were more pressing matters that needed to be tended to so that they could be that much closer to having this war as something that they would look back on.
Reluctantly, Maxwell stepped back to meet his Vampire's gaze and suggested, "We probably should check and see how Wufei's coming along with that laptop. I'm really anxious to know what might be stored on it." Every bit as curious over that, Yuy gave a firm nod as he took his Companion's hand into his own.
* * * * * *
Weaving their way through their sibling's home, Duo took comfort in the familiar surroundings that came from the Celtic-inspired décor and dozens of framed photos. Though it was not his own home per say, it was no less welcoming and warm than the mansion he shared with Heero. Of course, the fact that it was Wufei and Anna who resided here only helped make it as cozy and comforting as his own place.
As soon as they reached the floor of their scaly brother-in-law's office, the pair could pick up on their siblings' voices speaking in hushed voices. Occasionally, Chang would break their discussion to call for a tool in a polite request soon followed by a smiled 'thank you' before they would pick up where they had left off when their visitors reached the open door to peer inside.
Perched on the edge of the main desk of the brightly lit space, Anna was peering over her husband's shoulder and every bit as focused on his work as he was. A smoking soldering tool in one hand and a small bundle of cords from the laptop in the other, Wufei leaned forward heavily in his office chair while he very methodically went about his repairs to the circuitry.
Onyx-and-gold eyes narrowing in his concentration, he muttered, "Now we'll see in a moment whether or not we can access the data on this machine."
Just behind where the Irish Infected sat, the rest of the flat surface was covered in a variety of extra wires and instruments that were all within a short arm's reach of her. Her head turning at the arrival of the couple that stopped in the entrance, her mouth curled up in a wide smile as she greeted, "Hey, there. Always wonderful seeing your faces, brothers."
Biting his lip, Duo stayed planted where he stood and stated, "If we're going to be in the way, we could stop back later."
Chang never so much as glanced at the couple as he snorted, "I could do this part of the repairs in my sleep if I needed to. You couldn't possibly get in the way. I might seem a little distracted, but the company's more than welcome." A relieved sigh escaping him, the braided hybrid grinned and stepped inside along with his lover.
"There is not a lot that Duo or myself can accomplish at the moment besides wait for whatever you and Quatre come up with from the items we brought back from the base and so we're both a bit on edge," Heero commented on his way past his scaly sibling to take up one of the spare chairs across from him. Tilting his head, he asked, "How are things progressing here?"
Carefully setting the last loose wire that he had in his possession, Wufei burned the end to glue it in place as he replied, "Very well. It shouldn't be much longer before I can hook these data storage's to my machine so that I can extract whatever was on here. So long as the damage was not too great, that won't be a problem."
Squinting an eye when he was just about finished his soldering, he continued, "Then I can move my attention on to the CDs that we extracted that are in the process of being fixed as we speak." He gestured with his head to the quietly humming tower of a disk holder that stood against the wall behind him.
With a deep breath, Heero pressed, "From what you've been able to examine so far, what is your assessment of the damage? Think you'll be able to get anything for us?"
Chuckling, Chang never broke his attention from the wires that he was melting as he answered, "Between the video and audio cards, I'd be shocked if I'm not able to extract anything that had been saved here. You know I am not one to boast if there was ever a shadow of a doubt to what is within my power. I can say with all certainty that we'll be able to see and listen to any stored data within a few hours here as the reconstruction part will be the longest, most tedious part of this project."
Now having a very clear assessment, the Original physically relaxed as a deep sigh that was echoed by his lover escaped him.
Duo chewed on the inside of his cheek and nodded shallowly. Focused and driven as his scaly brother-in-law was in his labor, the reason behind that came flooding back to darken his mood that had been so bright only a moment ago. Thinking back to the wedding that he hoped more than anything to live to see, he decided to try and hold onto the more pleasant things while he still could.
A smirk tugging the corner of his lip when the former warrior set his tool back in its holder, the Companion asked, "So, how would you feel about being my Best Man, Fei?" Chuckling softly as their sister smacked her hand over her mouth to contain the excited cry that almost broke from her, Heero leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head.
Wide-eyed, the Infected's head shot up to look on the Reformer in shock at the sudden and unexpected inquiry. "R-really?" he managed in a soft whisper. Arms falling at his sides, he shook his head, "You really want me to...?"
"I couldn't imagine a better person," Maxwell smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "You were the one who convinced Anna to talk to me when I had sent Heero away so that I could understand the bond between us. Besides that and our being of the same blood now, you're the one that I was really hoping would stand up with me ever since Heero and I got engaged."
Moving only enough that his enlarged, gold-ringed eyes could blink, Chang remained frozen in his chair otherwise. "Say yes, love," Anna giggled with a light kick to his leg to catch his attention. "Yer's gonna make 'im nervous if ye don't speak up soon.
Like he had been doused with ice water, Wufei jolted back to the world and nodded excitedly, "Well, yes, of course!" He smiled brilliantly, "I am most honored at being the one considered, brother." If his wide grin and sincere words were not enough to convey that, his rising to his feet so that he could give the hybrid a tight embrace made it perfectly clear.
Duo chuckled as he returned the hug, patting the Infected's back before they parted and returned to their chairs. Smirking, Wufei leaned towards the pair as he asked, "What do you think my chances might be at getting lucky with the Maid of Honor? I hear she's pretty hot."
If she were able to blush, Anna's face would have been as red as her hair as she ducked and giggled while her siblings' head fell back with loud laughter. "Oh, compliments like that might go a long way with her," the braided hybrid winked.
Shaking his head, Chang turned towards his bride and smiled, "I'll actually be serving in one of our family's weddings." The Irish immortal hummed an affirmative and nodded as she rubbed her thrilled husband's arm.
Moved by the deep sense of pride and true appreciation at the request that was emulating from his scaly brother, Maxwell looked on with a wide grin of his own. There couldn't be a better fit pair to stand up right beside him and Yuy than Wufei and Anna. After everything that they all had endured together already, it was only right that they had been chosen for the responsibility.
Squeezing Anna's hand that had slipped into his own, Chang returned back to reality once more at the steady beeps that came from the disk reader behind him. "Right," he nodded firmly, "back to work." At that announcement, he hurried back to his feet and proceeded to extract the CDs to begin their examination.
Her arms folding across her chest, the redhead leaned back and inquired to her brothers, "So what do the two of you have planned for your day back at the campus tomorrow now that the weekend is almost over?"
"Well, we've actually both been discussing that," Heero responded. Glancing from the corner of his eye at his fiancé, he peered back to his sister and informed, "It only makes sense that we both take a leave from our work and classes for however much longer we'll be centering our focus on stopping Solo. Since there is a plan at hand in intercepting his Others when they are on a hunt to bring in more Companions, we'll both need to be at the ready at all times."
Shuddering, Duo added, "Besides, the last thing that we want to risk is bringing any innocents into the mix. We have no idea how all of this is going to pan out in the end and we can't risk any of the livings on or around the campus being put into danger just because they happen to be around us at the wrong place or time."
Anna replied, "Not a bad idea. Great minds seem do think alike since we're all making similar arrangements. Sally is covering for me at the hospital by telling the rest of the staff that she's extending my leave in and a couple more days, she is going to be making the announcement that she will be going off on vacation. Wufei and Trowa have very lenient employers that have them covered and it's still another couple of months before Treize and his family are due back to serve in Council again."
Tilting her head, she smiled, "Luckily, the two of you have your wedding as an excuse to take leave. No Infected or living would ever get in the way of the matrimony between a Vampire and their Companion."
Yuy smirked, "Exactly. It's the perfect alibi for when we file for our leave of absences tomorrow." He took his lover's hand as their gazes locked and grinned, "I know how much you're going to miss always having your classmates' and teachers' eyes on you wherever you go."
"Oh, yes," the hybrid huffed with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "I don't know how I'm going to survive without that nagging feeling of constantly being watched and ogled." The Infected snickered and outright laughed around him to which he gave them all half-hearted glares.
Craning his head to gaze over his shoulder as he carefully placed each disk into a fresh case, Chang questioned, "And has anyone informed Trent of what Josh had to share about the Others? About how there are some that have lost their minds likely to the deaths of their intended Vampires? I have a hard time seeing him the type to want to keep up a public air that all is well when there is a very real danger that his sister could fall beyond out help. He is still in some association with the Hunters to help."
Heero and Duo exchanged nervous glances before the Original cleared his throat and stated, "We have every intention of disclosing that to Trent. We're just... not looking forward to when we do." Swallowing roughly, his Companion frowned and nodded.
Sooner or later, the matter was going to have to be discussed. And it was only fair to the mortal that had stuck his neck out for them that he be delivered the news sooner than later. The stern, almost accusing gazes from Wufei and Anna that had settled on their brothers clearly addressed that sentiment.
Throwing his hands in the air, Maxwell sighed deeply, "Alright, alright. I'll tell him. Better it comes from me since I've known him longest, right?" To his siblings' smiles, he rose to his feet while pulling Heero up onto his own. "I'm going to need backup with this," he muttered under his breath.
A sad smile gracing his lips, Yuy rested a supportive hand between his partner's shoulder blades as they headed from the room. Pausing just before the doorway, he asked the other couple, "You'll let us know as soon as you have anything?"
"You'll both be the first to know," Wufei promised, a lopsided grin on his scaly face as Anna hopped from her perch to assist in collecting the remainder of the disks to gingerly wipe them down with practiced care. "Good luck with Trent."
Groaning, Duo tugged on his fiancé's hand and took them from the room. Somehow, he thought that he was going to need a lot more than 'luck' when it came to the conversation that he had been dreading to have with his classmate.
* * * * * *
Through the darkened corridors, Meiran made her way over the metal catwalks high over the many Others that had multiplied my several numbers over since her arrival to Solo's lair. Many of those silver-ringed eyes glared up at her and lips curled back to bear their gnashing teeth. Long used to those reactions to her presence, the Infected raised her nose and closed her eyes as she continued follow behind the two guards before her until she ran into the back of the one directly before her.
Scrambling back, the beautiful Vampire blinked in confusion, demanding in a snapped, "And why have we suddenly stopped? You know I do not like being out here longer than I need to-" She cut herself off when she noted the tall Other hunched forward, massive arms wrapping around his torso as he struggled to catch his breath and dropped the long staff from his hand.
"Nathan?!" the second guard called, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder. An animalistic snarl broke from the prone young man, his head snapping up to reveal the same blank, empty look that the wilder of his kind bore. The sudden change in his physical appearance and whole demeanor had Meiran freezing with a sharp gasp of terror when he turned his attention onto her and a wicked smile curled his lips.
Running into the scene from around the corner at the end of the walkway, Dorothy shrieked, "Stop him, Brad!"
The moment those words left her mouth, she watched as Nathan shot forward to attack the retreating Infected. Leaping, his arms stretched out to grip Meiran's neck to snap it without hesitation.
Brad was on his friend's heels, however, knocking him in the side with a sharp blow from the fallen staff to send him flying over the railing and into the crowd of Others below that caught him. Voices rose in howls and cries, all promising worlds of hurt for the raven-haired immortal that had narrowly escaped the end of her existence.
At that same instant, Dorothy sailed up to the stricken Infected to grip her arm and pulled her down the remainder of the catwalk, around the corner and into the protection of Solo's empty throne room where Brad sealed off the room with its heavy door.
Panting heavily, the Seer's hands rose to dry-wash her face. "Our Master is not going to be pleased to learn that he has lost the mind of another good guard when he returns from his hunt," she murmured as she stared out through the large hole in the wall overlooking the ocean.
"Well, I think that he'll be far more relieved to know that you did your job of keeping me safe after everything that I've done for your Master," Meiran huffed as she brushed down the front of her clothes. Shaken as she was, the last thing that she was about to do was let it show. Glaring at the lovely blonde's back, she snorted, "Glad you were at least able to see me being in danger considering how you can't find my family or anyone close to Duo lately."
Not bothering to look back, Dorothy lowered her head and closed her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You know, your old cell would be a considerably safer place for you for the time being until Solo returns. Brad, please escort our honored guest there."
Smirking, the guard replied, "With pleasure." Grabbing the wide-eyed, sputtering Infected, he hauled her off to the chime of her frustrated shouts that the Seer completely ignored through its being cut off by the slam of the door behind them. Finally alone to her thoughts, she sighed deeply and took in the view of the late evening beyond the throne room.
There were more cases like Nathan's unfolding nearly every day. That haunting, wild look that came on to those Others where they were beyond reason was truly beginning to terrify Dorothy now. How long before she fell subject to whatever it was that had claimed so many already?
A shiver running through her, she blinked her stinging eyes against the tears that were beginning to form. Wrapping her arms around herself, she sniffled and leaned heavily against the mouth of the wall.
More than ever, Dorothy wished that he was real... that strange presence that always seemed to be in the back of her mind that she worked so hard to forget now that Solo was whom she should have been giving her undivided attention and devotion to. Only, the more she pushed that unknown identity away, the stronger it came to her.
"Rosshe," she whimpered, speaking his name aloud for the first time in her life. Allowing the tears to fall freely, the girl breathed, "I don't know if you can hear me, but I really need you."
* * * * * *
Gold-ringed eyes snapped open, blinking away the sweat that ran into them and warming lips trembled as they parted to whisper faintly.
"Dorothy."
TBC...
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