Chapter 35 / 37
Written by Jessi Maxwell - send C&C to Megami_no_Remon@hotmail.com
"Heero, I should drop-kick you in the fucking teeth."
Heero frowned and looked at the ground. "If it will make you feel better. I am sorry I shot you, Duo."
"Eh. I know how it is. Reflex and all. I'm still pretty pissed about it, though. You have no idea how much that fucking hurt." A quick glance at Zechs told Duo his lover was not so forgiving, but he rested his hand on Zechs' arm before he could visit violence upon the Japanese pilot.
Heero eyed him skeptically, although Duo was shirtless and there was no obvious sign of a bullet wound. "So this...he fixed you?"
Duo grinned slightly. "Well, I think it'd be fairly obvious to look."
Rook wandered out of the hangar and eyed the sun impatiently. He was using a dagger he drew from his belt to perform impromptu surgery on himself, growling as he dug bullets out of his flesh.
"You alright, Darian?" Duo asked with a blink, arching an eyebrow.
Rook waved one hand dismissively. "I'm fine. This is far less bloody convenient than arrows...although arrows tend to burn more."
Zechs eyed Duo for a long moment. "Darian, eh?"
Duo blushed. "Erm. Well. It IS his name." Duo flicked his eyes to his lover and immediately felt guilty. "Its nothing you need to worry about, Zechs...we just had a sorta...intense mental bonding experience when he saved me. He had to do some sorta mental connection thing to talk to me 'cause I was too out of it to speak. So I kinda ended up getting to learn a thing or two about him and...well. I dunno. Somehow his real name just seemed more appropriate."
Zechs nodded, relaxing a bit and even smiling, leaning down to give Duo a light kiss. "You know I trust you. And I should trust him after all he's done for us. I'm just...paranoid."
Quatre rejoined them a moment later, although he was unable to keep from staring at Rook for a moment. Heero was staring at the vampire unabashedly. "Er...I got in touch with Wufei...they'll be ready for us."
"They?" Zechs arched an eyebrow.
Quatre grinned slightly. "Ah...yes. Treize stole Wufei's communicator midway through my speaking to him...apparently, they've been working together to research. They said they would have Shaiyra ready to go when we got there."
Duo blinked. "Wufei and Treize are being all buddy-buddy?"
"Treize has always been fond of Mr. Chang," Zechs responded dryly. "Research indeed."
"I think Fei's way too uptight to EVER let Treize touch him..." Duo said incredulously. "Eh. Guess we'll find out when we get there...then we can see about going someplace that has a shower. I hate to say it, Q, but your estate's toast."
Quatre nodded gloomily. "It's really a shame, I liked this one. I have a place we can go in Egypt, though. Come on, I already have a shuttle ready."
Soon all four Gundam pilots, Zechs, and Rook were in the air heading for the OZ base.
~ * ^ * ~
Treize reluctantly turned on a dim light as he strode into Shaiyra's room. The dragon was shivering and his breathing had an irregular, horribly raspy grate to it. "Shaiyra...?"
There was no response, not so much a twitch from the dragon's limp body. Treize frowned and walked over to him. He hesitantly reached out to touch him, gasping a little at the temperature of Shaiyra's skin. He had a raging fever.
Wufei gave Treize a dark scowl as he noted the bandages. "What did you do to him?"
Treize sighed. "Nothing, he did it to himself...it's a long story." Treize pulled out his personal communicator and put in a call. "Good afternoon, Colonel. I want the west wing hallways cleared for the next three hours, surveillance feeds to my office only, and have the Shuttle Bay clear for landing."
The Colonel saluted smartly. "Yes, Your Excellency! Right away!"
Treize sighed softly as he fingered a few wispy strands of Shaiyra's silver hair. "I hope he survives the next few hours. He looks dreadful. When first he came here, he had the strength to rip Epyon apart with his bare hands and tore a three inch steel door off its frame, bending it practically in half. Now he can scarcely move his body. Imagine, to be so poisoned simply by existing in the world..."
Wufei shuddered at the thought.
"Come, we must black out the windows in the shuttle bay and the hallway."
Wufei eyed Treize. "Er...why?"
"The sunlight causes him grave injury. I believe it'd kill him this time. I would wait for the evening but I'm not so sure he would survive that long.
~ * ^ * ~
Things seemed to be going fairly well and they were making good time. Rook seemed rather curious about the truck itself, having never experienced anything like it.
Duo started to cough after a while, and then looked slowly but increasingly ill. Zechs was concerned and Rook was watching him like a hawk. "I...don't feel so good..."
"Stop and let him out a minute," Rook said hurriedly. "It's a ...side effect of his recovery."
Quatre pulled over and Duo practically fell out of the truck in his eagerness to get out, scrambling to the side of the road and dropping to his knees, retching violently. Zechs frowned deeply and glared at Rook.
Rook sighed, frowning in obvious concern. "He will recover from this illness within the next day or two. He fully understood this would happen and made the choice himself. I did nothing without his consent."
Quatre suddenly paled in the front seat and collapsed over the steering wheel, clutching at his heart and gasping desperately. He fell over, his eyes wide.
Heero stared as Quatre fell into his lap. "Quatre? Quatre! Are you alright?"
The blonde clutched his chest as if digging his fingers into his flesh could somehow still the pain lancing through him. "D...Duo..."
Zechs almost felt his own heart stop and he glared daggers at Rook before launching himself out the door towards Duo. He skidded to a stop as he saw Duo shakily getting to his feet. He looked somewhat wobbly. At his feet was a large amount of blood and something blacker in color. Zechs stared at Duo in horror as Duo wiped his mouth on his sleeve, making a disgusted face. "Duo...what happened? What did he do to you...?"