Chapter 3 / 18
Written by Jessi Maxwell - send C&C to Megami_no_Remon@hotmail.com
Duo scowled and drew his knees tighter to his chest. // Damn...why'd it have to rain on top of anything else? I'm cold, I'm drenched, and I have no place to go. What the hell am I supposed to do? I'm a freakin' fugitive! // Duo scowled as he sat on the cold stone of the alley. It was probably about midnight, and it was pouring rain. He had no money, no lockpicks; he didn't even have a hat.
// I wish I could go back to Q's...but I don't know what the hell is going on with that...did...I couldn't have, could I? I'd never do that to Quatre...I'd never do that to anyone, not after having it happen to me...I was at Hilde's place, and we were just talking over lunch...but...I saw the video myself...// Duo trailed off and looked up at the sky, ignoring the rain that streaked down his face. "What the hell is going on?" he asked the sky, but he received no more answer than he already had.
~ * ^ * ~
It had taken forever to get Quatre to calm down out of his state of wild terror after hearing the message on the television and receiving that letter. Wufei hated to admit it, but it had been Duo's handwriting. It made his heart hurt to think that just maybe his feelings were wrong, and just maybe...maybe Duo really *had* done it. // But I know you better than that, Maxwell no baka...you wouldn't. So...somebody is framing you, and they're damn good. I will do my best to prove your innocence. //
~ * ^ * ~
Duo woke up sneezing. // Great! Just what I needed! A cold to compliment my beautiful situation! // he thought ruefully, standing up. His bones protested, and Duo moaned to himself. // *AND* I'm sore! This just keeps getting better and better... //
Duo found he was also very hungry. Prison rations weren't very large, and he had run for nearly a day straight through, trying to get out of the area, and to a place where he wouldn't be suspected as much. It didn't help that periodically there would be announcements over radios and televisions, stating his description, or showing a picture, and saying how there was a huge reward out for him, and that he was so terribly dangerous. Duo sighed and scanned the streets for a food store of some sort, *any* sort.
Duo's search came up fruitless (and didn't have any other foodstuffs either). Duo sighed and slouched against the brick wall of a building. He noticed the people that walked by glared at him as if he were some insect not even worthy of stepping on.
Duo scowled to himself, and was just about to go asleep, when he noticed a shadow fall over him. He slowly lifted his head, and saw a black cloak whipping around black leather boots and black leather-clad legs. His eyes slowly drifted up this figure. They couldn't be much more than five and a half feet tall, at most, and that included the boots. Duo narrowed his eyes.
"Wha...?" Duo started. The figure motioned for him to follow. Duo, figuring he had nothing to lose, shrugged and let the cloaked person lead him into an alleyway. Once out of sight of the general populace, the figure leaned against a wall, crossing their arms. Duo was trying to judge whether it was a male or a female when they spoke in a silken purr of a voice.
"Hello, Duo Maxwell."
Duo froze. "How'd you know...never mind that. Who are you?" Duo demanded. The cloaked being laughed softly. The next few words sent shivers tearing through Duo's spine.
"I'm your insanity."