Iia Disera Part 13

The knock on his door had Heero picking up his computer before opening the door. Trowa stood waiting outside.

"Ready?" Trowa asked.

Heero nodded. "Thank you, Trowa. I won't be there for long."

Trowa led the way towards the door leading to the lower level. "Your eyes, Heero, they're not blue any more."

Heero shrugged. "I saw."

"I've never seen anything like it," Trowa added.

"Neither have I." Heero returned. They arrived at the door and Trowa commanded the door open.

"I'm going to be right here."

Heero nodded. "I won't be there for long," he repeated before stepping through the doorway. He followed the stairs down and found himself in a large room; it would appear that the lower level was almost one single room. But Heero knew that couldn't be true; there had to be the cargo area, and the hatch. There were large engines that were whirring, rather quiet despite their size. Heero studied the area for a long time before he saw a door along the left wall.

"Trowa?" Duo called. Heero made his way towards the door without answer.

"Doesn't sound like Trowa's steps," Duo murmured. "Who's there? No one else should have access here."

Heero didn't answer and flipped up the visual panel of his computer as he approached the doorway. There was a window and he looked in to see the escape pod he had arrived in. Several buttons at the side told him that he was right as to how to operate the hatch. Looking down at his computer, he took a deep breath and hit the a button to play a recording, listening as his computer played back Trowa's voice and command that had opened the door to the lower level.

"Trowa?" Duo asked. "Answer me. This isn't funny!"

The door slid open. Heero stepped inside despite the sound of running feet, using the manual override to close the door and keep it locked. He'd asked Quatre during their half-rotation stay in the pantry whether it was possible to jumper the door, even for a short while, so Duo wouldn't be able to simply override the commands and enter his room. Quatre's chuckle let Heero know that he'd done that more than once, and Heero saw that the method worked on the door to the hatch as well. He opened the door to the escape pod.

"Heero?" Duo's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you doing here? Who let you...Heero?" Duo tried to open the door, then cursed when he realized the command had been temporarily jumpered. "Heero!"

Heero turned to look at Duo. Duo's eyes were light with worry and concern, and the eyes narrowed. "What the hell?" Duo muttered. "Heero, your eyes! Wait, Heero, open the door."

Heero walked up to the door but instead of opening it, he raised his hand and pushed the appropriate buttons to set the countdown to open the hatch, ensuring that the door separating him and Duo would remain closed until the launch process within the hatch had been completed.

Duo's eyes widened and he banged on the door. "Heero! What are you doing? That isn't safe! This isn't a game! Hit the bottom button three times, Heero! Please!"

Heero shook his head and touched the window as if to touch Duo's hand resting on the other side. Duo's fist slammed against the window. "Heero!"

"You promised me, Duo, that you would let me go if I believed that you were not my other."

"Not through this hatch, no!"

"So I'm going to make a promise back to you, Duo," Heero said sadly. "My other has forsaken me. I no longer belong on Leo."

Duo shook his head. "No, Heero! I didn't --"

"Iia disera saruow. I desire you, Duo. I need to protect you from myself," Heero forged on. "And I can only do that if I leave. Iia oul heiobek saruow. I will protect you, Duo." Heero backed away from the door and stepped into the escape pod. "Iia joavu saruow. I love you, Duo, so I'm sorry. Iiala aysuei. Iia oul heiobek saruow."

"Heero!" Duo shouted. The door to the escape pod closed, sealing Heero from his view. "No." Duo shook his head. "No!" He turned and raced up the stairs, hoping that a manual override of the hatch would stop Heero from being able to leave.

Trowa jumped in surprise when Duo burst through the door. He immediately followed Duo as the Arian raced towards the control center, shoving Wufei out of the way.

"Stop the hatch!" He shouted. "Come on!" He was about to enter the commands when the screen overrides all faltered; it was too late to abort the procedure. Wufei had called up the screens in confusion, but he realized what had happened when the screen appeared and the escape pod was launched from the hatch.

"Turn Leo around." Duo said frantically. "Turn Leo around! Quatre! Where's Quatre?!"

"Duo?" Quatre appeared. "What's going on?"

"Heero's gone. He's gone. I need everyone strapped down. Now!"

The three systems scurried to do as they were told.

"What do you mean Heero's gone? Why would he be gone?"

"He thinks that I don't want him anymore. He's afraid he'll force himself on me so he left."

"Signal!" Wufei suddenly shouted, then cursed.

"What?" Duo asked, frantic to reach Heero's escape pod.

"This is the same signal! Heero turned on the signal to his computer. That means we aren't the only ones to see him. The Zepras --"

The alarm claxons began to scream.

"No." Duo tried to coax Leo to move faster. "No. Heero's not going to survive in that tiny pod. He won't survive if he's captured by the Zepras. Damn this! I'm such an idiot! Quatre! Weapons!"

"Stay calm, Duo! You won't get anything done if you panic!"

"Don't tell me to stay calm! My own stupidity led to this! My other is out there!" Duo forced Leo into overdrive. "Come on, Leo, do this for me, for Heero!"

Heero had no way of telling how far he was from Leo by now. It had only been a minute or two but the launch had been strong; Heero could tell by the g-forces that had pressed against him. He turned on the signal to his computer.

"Good bye, Duo," he whispered. "I won't let myself hurt you. I can only protect you if I'm somewhere far away from you."

"He must think that if he gets caught he'll be far enough away from me!" Duo tried to call up the screens to spot the small pod. Far on the other side of the pod was a Zepra ship.

"Quatre!"

"I'm on it!" Quatre geared up the weapons.

"Trowa!"

"You need to kill the overdrive or you'll risk shorting out Leo if you want Quatre using the weapons!"

"It's a risk I'll take. Wufei!"

"I'm trying to cut off the signal from Heero!"

"Come on, come on," Duo muttered under his breath. "I'm not letting you go, Heero, not without a damn fight!"

"Incoming!" Quatre suddenly shouted. Duo watched the incoming beam directed straight towards Leo. Quatre opened fire to deflect the beam, but the resulting explosion knocked the escape pod off course.

"Heero!"

"Calm down, Duo!" Wufei shouted. "Clear your head!"

Duo forced himself to calm and focus on evading Zepra fire until he could get closer to Heero's pod. As soon as they were able, he brought the arms into play, extending them from the hatch and taking manual control of them as he had the first time he'd brought Heero's escape pod in.

"Go!" Wufei was pushing at him. "I'll take control. Once we bring him in, we're jetting out. You need to pull out that signal; I can't scramble it."

Duo jumped up and raced towards the hatch, his heart pounding.

"Please be okay, Heero." Duo arrived and watched as the pod was brought in, waiting impatiently as the hatch pressurized and he could open the door. Peeking in through the small window of the pod as he struggled to open it, Duo's heart plummeted at the sight of blood oozing from Heero's head. He got in and removed the protective straps, easing Heero down onto the floor of the pod. "Heero! Oh God, Heero!" He tried to find the wound and put pressure on it, setting Heero down only for a moment as he pulled his shirt off in attempt to use it as makeshift bandaging. Then he grabbed the computer and manually shut it down.

"Wake up, Heero, wake up!"

Heero stirred at Duo's shaking, and once he'd opened the still-white eyes, he began to pull away.

"Don't move, Heero, you're hurt!"

"Please, don't touch me Duo!" Heero pleaded. "You don't want me so please, please --"

Duo dove in and kissed Heero hard before pulling back. "Mireh. Mine. You're mine. I was stupid. Please, please forgive me, Heero. Iiala aysuei." He pressed his lips to Heero's again.

Heero panted when Duo released him from the second kiss. "Arians don't lie."

Duo shook his head. "Not lying. Never lie." The alarms stopped and Duo felt his tense body relax slightly; they were out of danger now.

"Iia joavu saruow, Heero, I'm sorry I was stupid."

"Why?" Heero asked, trying to sit up only to have Duo press him down again. "Why didn't you come see me?"

"I was afraid, afraid to find out that you wouldn't think I was your other. I didn't want to pressure you."

"But I asked Trowa to tell you to come see me."

"I didn't believe him because I didn't know if you...if you really knew what you were feeling." Duo closed his eyes as several tears fell. "I almost lost you, Heero."

"Here now," Heero murmured. "Should have waited for you. I'm sorry."

Duo shook his head. "I'm the one who is sorry. Come on. Let's get you fixed up."

TBC...

 

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