Fey Part 6
About a month later, Duo was well versed on the mobile suits the Mercs used. "Hey, Nan?" He slid down and scampered to the only other child in the camp. "Do we have any more oil? There's a joint in the suit I'm fixing that needs lubing."
Nanashi smiled and handed the boy the oil. The kid had dubbed him "Nan" after stating that Nanashi was a mouthful. Everyone in the camp learned early that Kid's almost perpetual good mood was contagious. Nanashi, who had been solemn and silent most of his life, blossomed into an almost normal child due to Kid's influence. "Don't use it all, Kid. We won't get any more until the next shipment."
"Gotcha! Thanks a bunch!" Duo dashed back to the suit he was working on. He froze at a... wrongness in the wind. "Captain?"
The captain looked over at the child. "Is there something wrong, Kid?" In the month the boy had been there, he'd frozen only when they were about to see action. Otherwise... he was in perpetual motion.
"Better scramble... there's something off about the wind." He grabbed the tools he was using and checked the suit. "She's ready for use, but the right arm will be stiff. The joints need oiling!"
The captain nodded curtly. "All right, men! You heard the kid! We need to move! Let's look lively people!"
Duo watched as the men all ran for their suits. He laughed as one lifted him up and tossed him into the air once before catching him and setting him on the ground.
"I LOVE the sound of your laugh, Kid! I'll come back just to hear it again!" The mercenary tapped Duo's nose before getting into the suit.
Duo watched at the suits left.
*****
About twenty minutes after the force left, Nanashi frowned worriedly. "Kid?" The child was still and his eyes were darting around.
"Something's coming." Duo scrambled into hiding along with Nanashi. They learned fast. If the camp is discovered, hide wherever they could while the enemy infiltrated. Their safety had the topmost priority.
The enemy mercenaries entered not five minutes after the two boys had gone under cover. Duo breathed very softly... just as he had been taught. Nanashi didn't fare as well. One of the enemy force kicked up some dust near him and caused Nanashi to sneeze.
"What the HELL?" The enemy reached down and grabbed Nanashi. "Well... what have we here?"
Nanashi knew it'd go badly for him if he fought, so he just glared.
Another enemy merc leered at the boy. "Pretty thing... looks like we're going to have some fun tonight before our adversaries return."
"NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!" Duo ran out of hiding, grabbed the enemy mercenary and pulled at him. Duo wouldn't let the older boy get hurt. Not when he was so close to considering the boy as a friend.
The mercenary turned to him and grinned. "Well... look at this! You're a pretty little thing. Guys... check this one out! He'll be more fun, don'tcha think? He's louder and he has all this hair."
Nanashi stared at his friend. 'No! Doesn't he realize what they'll do to him?' When he was shoved away, he tried to warn the smaller boy. "KID! NO!" That was all he got out before he was shoved aside. He stood up and ran to the shed that the enemy pulled Kid into, only to be blocked. "NO!" He was about to start ramming the door when the first scream pierced the air. 'No! Oh no!' He ran at the door several times until he saw stars, all the while letting tears fall at the sounds coming from inside the shed He ran at the door one more time before passing out. The last thing he heard was an anguished wail followed by a growl that signaled the first infiltrator had found release.
*****
Nanashi jerked awake when someone touched him. He started sobbing when he saw the captain. "KID! They took Kid into the shed! They were gonna take me, but he stopped them!"
"I was just about to ask where he was." The captain handed Nanashi over to the medic and ran to the shed. He paused outside the door and prayed to every deity that the child was still alive. Steeling his nerves, he pushed the door open. After one look at the scene, he felt like vomiting. The child was face-down on the ground with his long hair in a disarray. There was a pool of blood around him and there were various fluids and bruises covering him. The most prominent of those were around Kid's throat and wrists. He looked like a tiny doll that had been thrown against the wall after being played with too roughly 'How could anyone do this to a child?' He walked carefully towards the too-still form. "Kid? Are you alive, little one? It's just me. If you can hear me, I promise to try not to hurt you, but I have to get you out of here. Can you hear me?"
A tiny, weak voice responded. "Na... na... shi?"
The captain let out a relieved breath. "He's all right, Kid. They didn't touch him. You did good. I'm just going to wrap my coat around you, Kid... you must be cold. All right?"
"'Kay... hurts."
"I know... I know, Kid. We'll make it better. Do you trust me?" He gently covered the broken, bruised and still-bleeding child. "All right... I'm going to pick you up now and get you to the medic. It might hurt, though. Ready?" He gently scooped the child up, trying not to jolt him. He winced at the soft cry the child let out. "I know. I'm sorry about that." He moved very carefully as he walked towards the medic's tent.
"Got these trying to break down the shed door." Nanashi winced as the last of his bruises was tended to. He looked up as the captain entered the tent. "KID! Is he...?"
"He's alive, Nanashi, but he's very badly hurt." He smiled gently into the pain-glazed eyes of the child he just set on a cot. "You're a very brave little boy."
Duo shook his head weakly. Everything hurt. "Lost... 'nuf... friends." He looked around slowly. "Nan?"
"I'm right here, Kid." Nanashi placed his hand on the Kid's forehead. "Thank you. I'll never be able to repay you for what you did for me."
Duo smiled a little. "You... 'kay?"
"I'm all right, Kid. You just rest now." Nanashi returned the smile. "Don't die, okay?"
Duo let out a whimper, but he nodded. The last thing he wanted was for Nanashi to feel the same self-blame he himself felt.
*****
The medic finished his report. "By all logic, that child should have died! Not that I'm complaining, but... I can't see any reason why he stayed alive long enough to receive treatment. The boy bled himself white!"
The captain smiled. "He was worried about Nanashi. The only thing that kept him from dying in the shed before we got here was the fear that the enemy had gotten Nanashi as well, and he wanted to live long enough to know whether or not that was the case." He shook his head. "As for why he's hanging in there... Nanashi asked him not to die, and he agreed knowing that he never broke his promises. Friendship is a very strong incentive." He scowled. "I thought his mark was supposed to protect him!"
The medic shook his head. "We're not on L-2! The only reason I knew about the mark's meaning was because I spent some time there a little over a year ago during the plague. An ordinary mercenary can't be expected to know what it means. Even if he did... most claimed ones are put on the streets to make money for their claimers." He sighed. "I stopped the internal bleeding. We just have to hope the boy is strong enough to live long enough for his blood to replenish itself."
"Anything broken?"
The medic shook his head. "No broken bones... oddly enough. A lot of bruises... some internal bleeding due to the rape. Looks like one of the sick bastards used a dagger while waiting to be able to perform again. Some scratches. The closest was a few bruised ribs."
The captain looked through the charts. "Do what you can to keep him alive."
The medic nodded and walked to his tent. He smiled sadly at Nanashi gently washing the Kid's wounds. "Any change?"
"His nose wrinkled at the scent of the water... I added a little alcohol to it for an antiseptic. Other than that... no change." He bit his lip. "Will you get me a brush for his hair?" He silently apologized to the kid. He knew that Kid had wanted to die... that he was tired, but the kid was so very young. "You'll be all right. I know you will. Hang in there, Kid! I look forward to hearing you call me Nan again."
*****
A week later, Nanashi looked up as the Captain entered with another mercenary... one not from their camp.
"You asked me why I killed what prisoners I took? The answer is lying in that bed!" He glanced at Nanashi. "Any change?"
"No, sir. He hasn't woken up yet. I managed to get some soup into him earlier." He narrowed his eyes and looked at the other mercenary. "You're the commander of the men who hurt my friend?"
The enemy commander approached slowly... being very careful not to get too close. He gazed at the thin child lying unconscious on the cot. His eyes darkened as he saw the fading bruises around the child's wrists and neck. "If I had learned what they had done, I would have killed them myself." He walked back to the captain. "I do not condone rape of ANY kind."
Nanashi was about to get up and follow when the hand he was holding tightened. He looked back down. "Kid? Can you hear me? You awake?"
Duo let out a tiny giggle. "Buncha dumb quest'ons." He opened his eyes a little bit. "Ya asked me stuff I wouldn' answer if th' answer were no." He focused on Nanashi and smiled a little. "Hey, Nan."
"You're awake!" Nanashi fell forward and hugged the kid, laughing as the hug was returned. "Are you hungry? I bet the cook'll make up something special for you! Do you need anything?"
"Couldja wash my hair? My head itches." He smiled as Nanashi let out a whoop and ran out to get water. Then he let the smile vanish and the trembling set in. Truth be told he wanthed a bath... a really hot bath to scald his skin off. But Solo had once told him what might happen if he were nabbed... and to not let the urge to hurt himself take hold. 'Solo... help me here! Help me to not hurt myself!' That he believed Solo was watching him soothed him slightly. 'Not your fault, buddy. You're dead and can't control people so don't blame yourself. I once promised to not change if bad stuff happened. I don't break my promises!' His trembling eased just as Nanashi returned with the captain and the medic close behind.
"Oh thank Goodness! How are you feeling, child?" The medic started checking his eyes.
"Everything feels sore. My throat hurts." He blinked as the medic hugged him.
The captain walked up to him. "I think what you really want is a bath with water hot enough to burn your skin off." He nodded as the child looked down. "Would you settle for water warm enough to soothe the aches?" He smiled and picked the child up. "I'll sleep in the community tent with the others. We all agreed that you should recover in a nice warm tent." Inside he marveled at the trust the child was showing him. He remembered one time in the past where a child of the camp had been raped by an enemy. The poor thing hadn't been able to stay with them a moment longer. "Why aren't you afraid of me?"
Duo blinked and tilted his head. "Why should I be? You and your men weren't the ones who hurt me." He smiled a little as a cheer went up when the captain exited the tent. He willingly accepted the hugs the group gave him.
"Can you stand on your own, or do you want Nanashi to help you?" The captain turned and smiled at the other boy.
"I think Nan had better help... I feel very sleepy. B'sides!" He grinned at the green-eyed boy. "He promised to wash my hair!"
The captain nodded and lowered the kid into Nanashi's waiting arms. "I'll have some porridge sent in."
Nanashi nodded and waited until the captain left before quickly removing the loose garments the kid had been wearing. "You're not mad at me, are you?"
Duo frowned. "Why would I be mad at you? It isn't your fault you sneezed, and I made my own choice when I ran out to stop them. I was well aware what they were planning. I AM from the streets of L-2, after all."
"But I thought you were claimed!" Nanashi helped the child into the warm water. He winced when Kid whimpered and started getting the boy's hair wet.
"Think they knew that? Even if they did... it wouldn't make much difference. My friend is dead, and if one of those saw that mark on me and knew what it meant, they'd assume I was a bedwarmer anyway." He frowned a little. "Woulda happened sooner or later. I screamed 'cause it hurt... not 'cause I was scared. They were really big and I wasn't ready."
Nanashi couldn't help it, he hugged his friend and started crying. The kid was smaller and younger than him... and he already knew what might happen to an unprotected child when ruffians got hold of him.
"Don't cry, Nan. Please? Boys don't cry!" Duo returned the hug. "I gotta leave soon as I can, Nan. You're becoming important to me, and everyone I ever cared about has died! I don't wanna stay here and risk that. Understand?"
Nanashi nodded. "I'll see what I can arrange. Will you be okay?"
Duo quirked a grin. "Yeap! I'll run and hide. I'm good at that. You stay alive, okay? Do what you have to ta stay alive! You owe me that!"
"I'll stay alive for you. One day, we'll see each other again... right?"
Duo nodded and looked up. "Ya hear that, Solo? Watch over 'im for me! I can't lose another friend!" He looked back down and met Nanashi's green eyes. "Tonight. I gotta go tonight. Don't tell the captain. He'll think it's his fault I'm leaving. Tell him that I was scared for him... not OF him. Got it?"
"I will. You better rest then. Tonight'll be busy. I'll wake you at the midnight watch." Nanashi quickly rinsed Duo's hair.
*****
The next day, the captain went to check on the kid... and found an empty tent.
TBC...
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