City of Angels
chapter 2
by Krystal
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Part 2: Remembrance
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"Quatre, you want foreplay? Go pick on Trowa."
"But, Wufei, that's not what"
"No! No threesomes!"
"Wufei, don't you think the boy's red enough?"
"But, Heero, it's not *my* fault he's easy. . . ."
Heero sighed and left his designated spot by the window. It *had* been too long. He had to admit he'd missed this. However, it just wasn't the same. Not without-- Iie. He wouldn't start thinking like that. Duo was better off where he was. He had to be.
Trowa decided to enter the small living area a little too late to catch all of the excitement. He paused at the archway leading to the kitchen and watched Heero head toward his room. Raising his eyebrows, he shot Quatre a questioning glance. Quatre raised his hand, warning Trowa to let it be, while Wufei fought off a snicker at the faint blush that still decorated Quatre's pale cheeks.
As Quatre sat upon the couch worrying a small pillow between his hands, Wufei failed miserably at containing his laughter and darted past Trowa toward the kitchen. There was tea in there, and cups that were just begging to be played with. Besides, his mission didn't start for another three hours and if he didn't find *something* to keep him entertained, he'd go looking for some C4 charges to play with and then he'd end up get yelled at.
As he went to the sink to get the water, he couldn't help but look out the window. The sky was blurring into night. The sun already set, Wufei could hear the street lamps popping and buzzing as they struggled to life. He sighed as he put the kettle on top of the stove. This current safe house was small but much more comfortable than the ones they had occupied during the war. The war . . .
Staring out the window, Wufei let his mind wander back to times when their team was whole. Once they learned to work together, things had changed dramatically. It was because of *that* the war had been won. The time they had spent after the war, running about taking care of things, cleaning up after everything . . . They had all changed so much in that short period.
But it was all too brief. They never had found out exactly what had happened to Duo, or who was behind all of it. The ones who had hurt him directly were dead, and the higher ups hadn't left a trail--it had been more of an unbreakable wall. Wufei gripped the mug tighter as he fought off the rage bubbling inside him. The trail wasn't worth sitting here brooding over. At least they were left with the small comfort that Duo had lived. Wufei didn't know if it had been luck or that god Duo had spent so much time talking to. Duo didn't remember what had happened.
Hopefully, he would never have to.
*****
When Duo awoke, he immediately wished he hadn't. His head was pounding, his mouth tasted like vomit, and, on the whole, he felt like shit.
/Duo?! Wait a goddamn minute. What the fuck?!/ He must have had more to drink than he thought. "But, no. My name is *Duo*." He tested it out to get the feel of it on his tongue. Yesss . . . It just felt . . . *right*.
Sighing, he attempted to sit up. Before he could, however, a sharp pain lanced mercilessly through his body, burning along his very nerve endings, biting at his insides.
"Oh, fuck!" He was alone, and he couldn't remember where he was. This day just kept getting better and better. Duo could do nothing as a few pieces from 'Good Morning Sunshine' chose to dance through his head. /Of all the goddamn songs, why this one? Maybe I'm just cursed./
Moaning, he flipped on the little bedside lamp. He didn't know what the hell had happened, but he still felt the last remnants of what ever drugs had been pumped into his body. Although he couldn't remember any of the previous night's escapades, he was pretty damned sure that none of this had been his idea.
What was bothering him--Hell! He'd remembered his name; he knew it was his name because . . . oh, hell, he just did. It just *felt* right.
Sadly, however, Duo's stomach chose that moment to reward him for his drinking habits. Less than ten seconds later Duo was in the bathroom losing his dinner from the previous evening. /Oh fuck! Jarod is going to *kill* me! But first he's going to chop me into little itty bitty pieces. Shit shit shit shit./
When Duo was done feeling like he'd been raked over a bed of hot coals--and feeling more than a bit sorry for himself--he decided to pick his ass up off the bathroom floor and go home. Where Jarod and the Ditz could bitch at him for being so irresponsible, help him clean up, and then get him to bed.
When standing Duo noticed himself in the mirror. "Oh gawd, I look like death warmed over." Duo smiled at that. "No pun intended, of course." Absently he ran his hands over glittered cheeks while undoing what was left of his braid. /It's gonna take years to get this crap off./
Dully he noticed he was still naked. Slipping around the room as quietly as he could, Duo grabbed at the pile of cloths on the floor and--praying to god that they were his--struggled into them. With a grimace of distaste, he turned and left the sorry excuse for a sleazy hotel room.
He knew this place; it wasn't exactly the first time he'd been here. It was the . . . the . . . Oh, fuck it! He knew the desk clerk well enough. It was certain he could get a ride home.
*****
The steady pulse of heavy metal music seemed to plunge itself into the very souls of the people occupying the floor. All around, people were swaying their hips seductively with each beat of the hard bass.
Wufei eyed the crowd with utter distaste. Why the hell they couldn't pick up the informant at someplace quiet, like a library, was as far beyond him as the thought of Heero wearing a pink tu tu. Although he was sure this was Quatre's doing. The little shit could seem so innocent, but he could also be such a sadistic little bastard when the mood hit him.
Wufei scowled as his bottom was grabbed, a rather undignified moan breaking free before he could stop it. Quatre was going to pay. /Sadistic bastard./
Wufei crossed his arms, scowling out at the crowd once again. This was going to take forever.
*****
Sighing as he closed the door to the black sedan, Duo leaned back in through the window, his now unbound hair snaking over his shoulders, and thanked Janace for a most wonderful ride home. She had picked at him all the way, telling him that he needed to go to the local hospital.
Duo didn't know why but he really didn't like hospitals, so he had had the pleasure of explaining to Janace that he was perfectly fine and there was *no* reason to worry.
"Hee--I mean, Duo, are you sure?"
"Absolutely." Duo shrugged. "Don' worry 'bout it"
"You can't even walk straight," she observed dryly
"Janace . . . 'm fine. Thanksh for th' tequilla!" Duo bubbled loudly while shaking the bottle's contents all over the seats. She had given it to him hoping to calm him down a bit. It had done it's job, albeit too well.
Janace scowled, pouty lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes . . . Well, just make sure Jarod has a good look at you before you go to sleep."
"'m 'kay," Duo said, shrugging again. The after effects of the rape drug combined with the alcohol were making themselves more than obvious. What a night. Well at least he was drunk and wouldn't have to think about anything for a while.
Duo stumbled his way up the walk onto the porch, and then threw himself at the porch swing. Settling in for a comfy night outside, Duo lazily put one arm up over his head. Morning was coming and the sun would soon be out, driving him off of the swing. /Oh well. Might as well take whatever sleep I can./ Duo sighed, rolled over, and passed out.
*****
/// Water was pooling at his feet. The deck was soaked. Wind lashing about violently. Duo! Where was Duo?! He'd found him, oh my god blood! Blood all over. Duo why?
"I can't Heero . . . I just can't"\\\
Heero sat up, echoes of Duo's words swirling around in his head. He still couldn't get a decent night's sleep. These days, everything just passed in a blur. He did what he was told, when he was told to do it. It was hard to be the perfect soldier when the only love of your life had turned into a ghost.
Looking out the small window above his bed, Heero gazed greedily at the tiny pin pricks shining in the night sky. Duo would love a night like this. If only--but, no. Duo had begged Heero to let him go.
Bowing his head and holding his hands across his lap, Heero waited until the stinging in his eyes and the pain in his chest faded. Heero leaned over the rumpled sheets to look at the clock. Four a.m. Wufei was still out.
Guessing that the others must be with him, Heero slid from the bed and dressed quickly, grabbing a light jacket on his way out. A walk would do him some good. He needed a clear mind; old feelings could only jeopardize things.
*****
Duo awoke with a start. He was supposed to be doing something, but he didn't know what. Seeing as how he didn't *know* what, he decided that the safest move would be to go into house.
It was yet again a rainy day. /Very promising,/ Duo thought to himself while attempting to sit up. He couldn't really remember how he had gotten on the porch. Bits and pieces of the night before dancing through his already pounding head, Duo decided that he'd better go inside and face the Wrath of Jarod. "Ooh, scary!" Duo chuckled to himself.
As Duo stood up and made his way rather stiffly toward the door, he noted that it was slightly ajar. The metallic lock had been picked at--judging by the scratches, the intruder was no professional. Some jackass had probably waited until he had left last night before going in and robbing the place.
"Figures," Duo sighed to himself, standing up to look through the door into the foyer.
"Hello!" Duo called out. The place had definitely been ransacked. Papers, bits of glass . . . anything and everything seemed to be littering the hardwood floor. "Hello!" Duo called again, louder. He definitely did not want to come home to some armed street punks. It was *not* the best way to begin the morning after a really bad bender the night before.
Duo kicked at the remains of a poor vase, already half broken, on his way in the door.
/Damn./ They had certainly trashed the place. Deciding that there was no way any idiot would stay behind and wait for the owners, Duo slowly crossed the hall and padded into the living room, unsure of what he would find.
Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. Blood spattered the freshly painted walls, little pools of it decorating the carpet. /It's all over the place,/ he noted with detachment that startled him. The smell hit like a ton of bricks, it's coppery sent carried upon the breeze drifting from a nearby shattered window. There was something about this that Duo recognized. Something . . . He couldn't pin it, but for some odd reason he wasn't quite as horrified as he would have expected.
Duo moved closer toward the couch to get a look at the body. He could already see one pale hand stretched toward the fireplace, almost as if the person were looking for any warmth possible,even in death. His stomach lurched. This was *not* going to be pretty.