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He had to hurry.
With every second, he saw Maxwell getting weaker and weaker. He seemed to be injured on his right, and he had little mobility
with his left arm. He was losing his battle. Badly.
“Hold on, Maxwell!” he shouted. When he received no response, he panicked. Maxwell always had something to say
to that remark.
He knew a bit about Trowa, enough to predict a few of his moves. That made it easier to change his own attack and catch the
bald replica off-guard. Of course, not every hit met its target. Trowa's reflexes were good, and this guy's were no exception.
When he would have thrust in, he moved around his opponent. Trowa's clone turned quickly, completely balanced despite the
sudden twist, and moved in with a dagger. Instead of going to grab, he dodged. His hand snaked out and grabbed the blade,
pulling it out of his enemy's grasp. He swung like a dancer inside his opponent's attack and sliced up. His enemy didn't dodge
quite in time and suffered a slight nick on his upper arm.
He took a millisecond to check on Duo and saw him fall.
“Duo!” He moved to Duo's side and kicked Quatre's clone away from them. Trowa's came on them, diverting Wufei's
attention from Duo. He had to fight the clone back with the knife. A quick upper thrust to the clone's left abdomen. He fell
back long enough for Wufei to stand before Maxwell.
“Stupid,” Duo whispered, “move.” His voice was thready and weak, but his breaths were loud and ragged.
“Stay still,” he ordered, and gained a small chuckle.
“Aye-aye, cap'n.” And he passed out.
“Shit,” was Wufei's last word. Then he was charged.
<<<<<*>>>>>
Wufei's clone quickly figured out that knowing his enemy wasn't going to be enough. So he changed, too.
Suddenly Hero's quick win wasn't so quick. He ducked the clone's sword and back flipped away from his kick. He dodged right,
then rolled, coming up behind his enemy. He shot out a kangaroo kick, hitting his turning enemy in his side. He pushed himself
up and back-fisted his opponent. He waited for him to get up, wary of the sword.
The clone's lip was bloody when he stood, his legs practically useless. His own clone came in then to protect, but strangely
did not attack.
“What do your emotions say now?” his clone asked, shocking both him and the other clone. “Tell me.”
“My emotions?” Heero found himself caught completely off-guard.
“Tell me,” his clone repeated.
“What are you doing?” Wufei's clone hissed.
Was this a ploy? A trick to lure him into a trap? If it was, it was completely unrehearsed. If it had been planned, the other
clone would know of it.
Keeping his guard up, he answered. “That I have to beat you.” At the enemy's hardened look, he continued a bit
quicker. “I must get to Duo.”
Now Wufei's clone piped up. “It is true, then, the emotions I felt from you.”
Heero stiffened his spine. “What do you mean?”
The swordsman stood. “I could feel your caring for the braided fool. When you heard his name, when you stood up for
him... a weak liability... I knew.”
“He's not weak, and he's not a liability.” Despite what he'd said during the war... he hadn't been able to lie
to himself. But now his enemies knew... what would they do to Duo? He can take care of himself. The thought didn't
comfort when he remembered Duo lying motionless on the ground.
“Why do you fight?” his clone asked.
“To protect,” he answered immediately. “To protect my friends and this peace.” It had taken him a
long time to say the word “friends”, longer still to truly understand what it meant. He was proud of his friendships
now, because...
“You said emotions were all you had,” his clone said. Heero thought it sounded accusing.
“They were,” he replied. “And they gave me more. They gave me reasons to fight. More than just fulfilling
a mission.”
There was a look on his clone's face. It looked like... hope. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you want something else?”
“Why don't you?” he countered. “My life was empty. Meaningless. I threw it around like it didn't matter.
But I found one reason... above all... to stay alive.” Someone I had to protect. Someone I had to keep safe. That's
why I couldn't die... I had to stay alive to make sure Duo would survive.
Wufei's clone stared at the two of them. “Do you wish to know?” he asked his comrade. “Do you wish to let
him live? Live a life that you, his clone, could never have?”
He could only watch as his clone fought with himself. He was struck amazed by the sudden development. Duo had said that their...
humanities... were sucked from them. He had wondered at the time if that were even possible.
Maybe... maybe it wasn't.
“Oh-two has already been taken out,” his clone said. Heero's heart lost a couple beats before he realized that
his clone was speaking about Duo's clone, not Duo himself. His chest burned in an adrenaline overload, his heart beating double-time.
He couldn't discard the fact that he was in extreme danger of losing Duo. More than ever, he needed to see him. Needed to
protect.
“I understand that,” Wufei's clone snapped. “He was the weakest of us.”
“He was... the one that spawned my emotions.” And then, before everyone – and him oblivious to it –
a tear slid down his cheek.
Jesus. Heero was left speechless.
Oh-Five, of course, had plenty to say, mostly sentence-less and certainly inventive. Then, without warning, he shot Oh-One
in the head.
Heero watched horror-struck as his clone fell to the ground. The blood quickly spread to his feet. “Why...?”
“It was dishonorable, but it had to be done. He was having ideas that he should not.”
“He was becoming honorable,” Heero argued. He found himself unable to think coherently, and so was unprepared
when Oh-Five touched Heero's throat with his blade. He cursed himself for a fool.
“Betraying your comrades is honorable?” Oh-Five demanded.
“When your comrades are wrong,” Heero said and got to watch the clone's face contort slightly in rage.
“I'll kill you, as well.” It was a promise. Heero got the hell away from the blade.
And raised his gun when the sword followed him.
<<<<<*>>>>>
Wufei was prepared when the two clones stumbled for a moment and didn't hesitate to fire. His bullet met Baldy's right shoulder,
his next hit Quatre's clone in the chest. Baldy shouted and clutched his chest.
“No!” He ran to his partner's side and kneeled beside him. Quatre's clone was unresponsive, even when Baldy shook
him over and over again, calling to him.
“Shit,” Duo murmured, “I think we just killed his lover.”
Wufei studied Baldy's face and had to agree. The best thing to do would be to kill him before he turned on them. The idea
that they could be lovers stopped him, however. Lovers? They were ruthless, lacking emotion due to the scientists' attempts
to create the perfect soldiers.
“Shit.” Duo raised his arm to do what Wufei couldn't. Wufei could hear his hand shake. “Shit,” he
repeated, a bit firmer, and then he fired.
<<<<<*>>>>>
Getting through the mountains of bodyguards was starting to piss Quatre off. Especially when he Felt the pain and anguish
coming from his friends.
“Something's wrong,” he told Trowa. “Everyone's hurting... I don't think it's physical...” That wasn't
quite true. Duo was in agony, so much pain that there had to be something dreadfully wrong. “Except for Duo...”
Which, really, was to be expected. With the amount of wounds that Duo had had before they'd even gone into the building...
“You think it has to do with the clones.”
He and Trowa had become closer and closer until they were close enough to finish each other's sentences. It was like they
were of one heart. “Yes. It has to be.”
“Then we have to hurry.” Trowa shot down another enemy, careful to not kill. Quatre took down two more while Trowa
reloaded his magazine. “They'll be higher up.”
“I know. And we have to check on Heero, as well.”
“We'll have to split up,” Trowa told him, voice calm. Trowa never showed his emotions, even when they weren't
being shot at. Quatre envied him that.
“I know.” Quatre fired again, clipping a man on the side of his head. He would have a splitting headache when
he woke up.
“I'll go after Heero,” Trowa said softly. “You take care of Duo.”
“I'll do what I can.” Telling Trowa just how bad off he thought Duo was.
“Take care.” The closest Trowa would come to saying what he wanted to in a situation such as this.
“I love you,” Quatre said fiercely. He saw Trowa smile before running off. Quatre covered him before taking off
in another direction.
<<<<<*>>>>>
“It had to be done,” Oh-Five continued. “And now that Oh-Four is dead...”
Heero felt his heart thump in relief – another down. Now there were only two that could threaten Duo, and one was here.
And with Wufei accompanying him...
“How do you know...?” Heero asked, punching at Oh-Five's groin. Oh-Five hopped backwards – Heero followed
him with an elbow. Oh-Five evaded that, as well. Heero shot at him with his left hand. When Oh-Five dodged, his leg momentarily
gave way. Heero shot again, hitting him in the shoulder. Oh-Five fell with a hiss.
“We Feel each other, thanks to the scientists giving us each a piece of Quatre's Universe Heart. We Feel when we die
or get hurt. Oh-Three is about to go Berserk.”
Well that didn't sound good. Heero shot Wufei's gun out of his reach. “Berserk?”
“Your love is about to find out.” Oh-Five grinned. “It was an honor to battle you, Heero Yuy.” He
dipped his head in a bow.
Heero swallowed hard. Oh-Five looked far too much like Wufei there, despite his hair color. Heero had to think of Oh-One and
Duo at the same time to be able to pull the trigger.
<<<<<*>>>>>
“Shit,” Duo muttered again. His shot missed, instead slamming the bullet into the wall. He tried to replace his
magazine with trembling hands.
“Do not bother.” Baldy stood again, slowly, with his head and arms dangling. Like he was a puppet. When his head
raised, his eyes glittered with madness. There was a sharp intake of breath from Duo.
Wufei raised his gun without hesitation this time. These eyes were mad beyond mere grief. This was a madness that was taking
root in his very soul.
“Fuck,” Duo whispered, an upgrade from before. “We're toast.”
Not if he could help it. Wufei made the first move, going straight towards Baldy and dodging to the right. Baldy spun like
a tornado, picked him up and threw him. He hit the far wall with a cry.
“Wufei!”
<<<<<*>>>>>
They were on the fourth floor when Quatre suddenly stopped and clutched his chest. “No...” His eyes were wide.
He could feel Duo's strength ebbing like the tide... after a tsunami. He was dying. Quatre could feel a trace of fingers on
his neck and a fierce desire to not let his friends get hurt. And that desire was almost gone, despite its fierceness.
He stumbled as he moved forward, almost forgot the two men tailing him. He took shelter behind a nook leading to a locked
office. Duo was leaving them! Oh, Allah. Duo was leaving all of them. And dimly, dimly he could feel a wish being granted.
“Oh, Duo, no. Don't go yet. Don't give up.” Quatre fisted his shirt in his hand, right above his heart, and willed
his hope and fear into Duo. If only he were there... he knew well that Duo couldn't leave if he and the others asked him to
stay. He had Felt Duo's desire for them all to be friends long before they had become like blood brothers. He knew very well
what Duo would be willing to do for his friends. Couldn't he Feel it now, as Duo died? Oh, Allah.
He had also Felt, while in Duo's house, something even deeper. The Feel of despair – the Feel that he had lost, and
no amount of trying would give him victory. He had given up on their friendship.
Now he was giving up on life.
“No, Duo,” he pleaded. “Don't give up yet.” A bullet ripped at the wall beside him. With grim determination,
Quatre calculated the angle and waited to confirm with the second bullet. He hoped that Trowa had found Heero and was heading
further up. He feared they may be too late, no matter what.
He prayed such wasn't the case.
<<<<<*>>>>>
He hit the ground with a hard thud. He heard movement, a choked sound. He struggled up and saw Duo in Baldy's arms. Baldy
was trying to throw him, as well, but Duo was holding on like a piranha. He was attempting to pull up his gun, but was having
little success. Finally Baldy gave up on throwing him and wrapped his hands around Duo's neck.
“Duo!” Wufei cried out, trying to stand. He felt pain shooting through his right arm and feared it would be out
of commission for a while. His entire body groaned as he stood and swayed. His eyesight blurred for a moment, making Duo's
body merge with Baldy's. Duo's jerky movements took on a meaning then, a meaning even Wufei's blurred eyes could read –
he was running out of oxygen. Wufei stumbled closer. His eyesight cleared at the same time he finally saw that last piece
that he already knew would haunt him forever.
He wasn't going to make it.
<<<<<*>>>>>
Heero felt something strange happen in his chest. His adrenaline jump-started again, and his heart burned. He looked around,
trying to find what he'd felt. An enemy attack? He sensed no one. The only enemy left now was Oh-Three. There was no one else
this far up due to Quatre's and Trowa's help...
Heero's heart went to his throat. He'd felt this before. When Duo...
“No.” His voice was feather-soft, his fear contaminating every pore of his skin, every marrow of every bone. Duo
was in danger. He knew it. He could feel it. It was as if a part of his soul was being ripped from him. The thought of Duo
dying...
He saw Duo's body lying on the ground again, unmoving and bloody. Oh, God. Duo. He had to get to Duo now.
Where was Wufei? He couldn't imagine Wufei letting a comrade get injured. The man was too noble. What did that mean about
Wufei? They hadn't had the luxury of having an enemy kill the other. What was happening to them?
He found that he'd stopped moving in his fear. Now he sprinted across the hallway, not caring that his footsteps were echoing
loud and clear. Despite how hard he tried to not listen to the thoughts in his mind, he couldn't help but hear, over and over...
He's dead and you weren't able to save him.
He's dead because of you.
He should have sent Duo back to his house as soon as he'd seen the man on the cabin doorstep. He should have tied Duo to the
hospital bed. He should have... he should have...
He had to get to Duo.
He heard footsteps behind him and swiveled around without thought, his gun up and aimed at the approaching enemy's heart.
“Heero! It's Trowa!”
His heart tripped for a moment. His finger was already pressing the trigger. He wrenched his hand as fast as he could, trying
to keep the bullet from ripping into his friend's chest.
<<<<<*>>>>>
There was hardly anything left of Duo. Only a small murmur, more like a memory. Quatre had taken out his enemies and had made
it to the fifth floor. But still, he wasn't... he wasn't going to make it.
“No! Dammit!” Tears spilled down his cheeks and fell to the floor. “Dammit!” He ran as fast as he
could – and stumbled at the Feel of shock coming from his lover. “Trowa?” he breathed.
<<<<<*>>>>>
Trowa just stared at him, a bit wide-eyed. “Heero-”
“I missed you,” Heero said curtly. “Now we need to move.”
“Heero,” Trowa came up beside him, still looking a bit shocked. “What-”
“Duo,” he snapped. “We have to get to Duo. Now.”
Trowa's shock was replaced immediately. He took Heero's back and they ran down the hallway as fast as they could.
<<<<<*>>>>>
Duo's body slackened a bit more. His hand, once holding on to Baldy's arm like a talon, slipped down to swing limply by his
side. His mouth, pulled back in a snarl, slipped closed with his eyes. His other hand, holding his gun, stayed up long enough
to press the trigger twice. The bullets slammed into Baldy's leg, but Baldy didn't even sway.
“Duo!” Helpless, Wufei struggled forward again, willing adrenaline to course through him. Duo's hand fell. The
gun's crash to the ground was deafening, as was the ricochet shot that snapped into the wall. Duo was still as a stone.
“No!” Wufei pressed forward, cursed his weak limbs and the grating sound of broken ribs. He thought of what Duo's
condition must have been before he'd even come into this building and cursed his weakness. This couldn't be worse than what
Maxwell had suffered, yet he'd managed to crawl through the grate and fight Quatre's clone. All to help their mission and
a woman he'd hardly known.
And now he, with the same injuries, could not even save his friend!
He let out a primal scream and ran forward. Baldy's attention went to him. His free hand was raised to deal with Wufei's threat.
But Wufei had something else planned.
He'd seen Maxwell reload. He knew there were shots left in that gun.
He shifted his momentum at the last moment and dove for the gun. Baldy saw what his movements meant and swirled, Duo still
in hand, to fight. Wufei had expected Baldy to use Duo as a shield and wasn't disappointed. He rolled up to the wall, gun
in hand, and kicked himself away from the wall. Baldy spun to follow the movement, but Wufei had taken him by surprise. He
pulled the trigger.
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