Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ VIVA ❯ Intermission: Gothic Ambience in A minor ( Chapter 10 )

11: Intermission: Gothic Ambience in A minor

The door probably would have slammed on his heels if Duo hadn't walked away from it in half the time it took to swing shut. In fact, by the time he heard the heavy wooden slate fall into place Duo was turning around the far end of the corridor and sliding down the banister. Had he been thinking straight, he could have remembered the rules about banisters, namely that you were not to slide on them. He might have even paid attention. But he wasn't thinking straight at all, and the more his mind tried to focus the more his feet sped him away.

"It's just your imagination, it's not what you think it's all in your head…calm down, go slow, think…no, don't think! It's my fault, I'm making it up…It's just your imagination…" Duo mumbled under his breath, oblivious to where he was, where he was going, even where he was going from. All that mattered was that he kept moving.

Unfortunately, this also meant that when he rounded a corner in the middle of the bottom floor of the music block he ran straight into a rather hard body, whose first reaction was not to stop their fall, but to swing a bulky shape off his back and fling it onto Duo's back, hauling the smaller body onto his own. Hence, Duo came semi-alert to realize he was lying on someone's chest, a guitar sitting on his back, steel grey eyes glaring, promising death. Duo knew where he was, and decided it was a good idea to promptly forget again.

"Maxwell," Heero growled, a throaty snarl from the back of his throat that only put Duo more on edge and sent him flying back into mental oblivion.

"It's just your imagination. You're seeing things. It's not what you think…all in your head…" He pushed himself off Heero as he continued to mumble under his breath, hauling the guitar off his back and dumping it in Heero's lap, completely oblivious to the mixture of fury and confusion in Heero's gaze. Then his feet were moving again, speeding him down another hallway, out another door, through cold courtyards of fake snow.

"Maxwell! We've got practice for the EO!" Heero's voice bellowed after him and Duo's feet only moved faster, aware something was following. He could not hear the tinge of worry in the other boy's voice. He didn't even know it was a boy.

In the distance a shed came into view and it seemed to Duo the very metal glowed with heat, radiating warmth, beckoning him in. He went to it, throwing open the door. The sound of the metal door slamming against the wall was followed by a round of profuse swearing and a familiar head appeared, furious, from beneath the bonnet of a car.

"Duo Maxwell, what the hell do you…" Solo's voice trailed off as Duo didn't halt in the doorway but threw himself at the young man, arms wrapping around his waist tight enough to bruise, voice muffled in the filthy coveralls. "Duo?"

Solo tried to fathom what the kid was saying, but it was garbled rubbish through his shirt. He was about to squirm free when none other than Heero Yuy appeared in the still open doorway.

"What did you do?" Solo hissed, furious.

"I didn't do anything! He ran into me and seemed strange…well, stranger than normal, and when he ran off I just thought I should…" Heero's voice trailed off, and it was obvious he did not want to finish that line of thought verbally. Solo snarled at the boy and would have probably said more had Duo's form not started shaking uncontrollably. More than a little worried, Solo pried the arms loose from about his waist only to have them flung tight around his neck. The only advantage was that Duo's mouth was now by his ear.

"It's just my imagination. It's not real. It's not what you think. It's all in your head…"

Solo's arms wrapped around the form possessively, eyes hardening at Heero. He didn't think the guitarist capable of being to blame. Not for this. But something had set Duo off and Solo would know what.

"Where did he run into you?"

"The music block. Bottom floor. I think he must have just come downstairs…the way he rounded the corner like that…" Heero appeared a little chocked by everything that was happening but Solo was not about to explain. That was personal. He needed to find a phone.

"What's upstairs?"

"Storerooms and an auditorium on the second and third floors, the theatre…and the Chancellors office."

Solo's eyes narrowed. He knew the rumors. He didn't like the way the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. And yet, at the same time…the pieces were not all there. Duo was frightened, not furious and spitting like a feral cat. And those words…Solo had heard those before.

"Do you have a phone?"

Heero seemed surprised by the question, but shook his head. Solo growled.

"I have a laptop though. You can connect to anywhere for free."

Solo raised a brow. For free…the kid was a hacker then. Typical. Muso geeks were so bizarre. Still, he was one of them. Solo waved a hand and Heero began digging the item out of his bag as Solo dragged himself and Duo to the bench and sat down, pulling the smaller boy into his lap.

Knowing Duo wouldn't respond yet, he tugged the long braid over his shoulder and wrapped it around his wrist, running the fingers of his other hand through soft bangs until Heero placed his laptop before them.

"Can you open a connection?" Solo didn't watch him do I, keeping his attention on Duo.

"Where to?"

"L2."

That got Heero's attention. The boy's head snapped up, calculating as he looked from one to the other and wondered just what the hell he had stumbled on, but his fingers tapped at the keys and made the connection.

"Number?"

"563-714-993"

Heero again tapped in the code and the transmission began. He grunted aloud when the receiver came up as `Maxwell Church Orphanage.' The money-snitch was beginning to make sense, and it was so typical of Quatre to know.

The call was suddenly accepted and a middle-aged man's face appeared on the screen.

"Solo? Man, it's been…Duo? What…" The ma hesitated, pulled himself together. "Hey kiddo!"

Duo finally looked up, mouth silenced as his brain tried to process that voice. It looked like he was having some trouble with it, but no one spoke, waiting for him to figure it out.

"Father Riley…"

"Who else, kiddo? How's school?"

Duo shuddered and there was a sudden glint to Riley's eyes. Heero could only call it calculating.

"I heard there's a concert there soon." Duo nodded numbly in response. "I think I can scrounge enough money to come see it. Would you like that?"

Duo finally snapped.

"NO! You don't have that much money you crazy arsehole! What are you going to do, starve everyone for a month so I can act like a sissy in a tutu? No fricking way!" Duo stopped, gaped…Even Riley appeared surprised at his outbreak. Or maybe just his language. Heero was finding the entire situation…enlightening.

"Nice to see you're head screwed back on, Duo Maxwell! Now, tell me what happened."

"Nothing."

All three other men thought that a little too abrupt an answer and remained silent, forcing Duo to elaborate.

"I had to see the Dean. It felt like…I thought….He was…It seemed like…" Duo was fumbling for words, trying to find the right ones, failing but not giving up, his mouth running ahead of his thoughts. Heero noticed Solo tugging gently on the long braid and Duo slowly fell quiet, face pale, eyes distant.

"I need you to try and remember everything that happened Duo," Father Riley said softly. "I know it's hard, but I need to know if you were just feeling that way, or if something happened."

Heero looked from the face on the screen to Solo's stiff form and back to the face on the laptop, completely confused. They couldn't honestly be talking about what he thought they were? And yet, the Dean had a reputation, and Duo was…

Heero clamped down on that line of thought as Solo slowly disentangled himself from around Duo, leaving his cousin to talk to Father Riley as he walked over, grabbed Heero by the elbow and dragged him outside.

"Heero, I…I'm sorry you got involved in this. You can go now."

"Hn." Heero didn't move. He wanted in on…whatever this was.

Solo raked a hand through his hair, sensing the stubborn nature behind those steel grey eyes. He had seen it before, in his own damned reflection, and knew the boy wasn't going anywhere until he had answers. It was only that stubborn determination, and the fact Solo knew Heero Yuy would do anything to protect his friends, that loosened Solo's tongue.

"We're from L2, Heero."

"L2 has been under terrorist attacks since it was made," Heero stated coldly, trying to fathom what the colony had to do with what he had just witnessed.

"We're from an orphanage. Everyone who grew up at Maxwell Church lost families to attacks. But, Duo and I…We didn't go to Maxwell Church straight away. We lived on the streets after a bomb hit our street block. We survived okay, but…The day old Father Maxwell finally found me was the day Duo decided to run off. I was talking to the old priest, talking about joining the orphanage, while Duo was being molested by a gang. I had no idea…"

Heero froze. They had been talking about something like that after all. And the Dean…

"They didn't hurt him. Didn't get the chance to. While Maxwell was talking to me, his assistant was out looking for Duo."

"Riley," Heero put the pieces of the puzzle together in his head. Solo nodded.

"Ever since, duo has been…odd around certain people. Sexual advances normal people don't even register are like flying tackles to his psyche. We're never sure if he's just being jittery, having an off day, or if…something else happened. Only Riley ever seems able to sort it out."

Hence the long distance phone call.

"The Dean has a reputation for inappropriate behavior around male students. Dance students in particular." Heero glared a hole straight through Solo as he waited for a response.

"I know."

And that was all he was going to say, Heero realized, as Solo turned away and went back into the garage just as Duo was disconnecting the call.

"Well?"

"It's okay. The Dean was just being…a sleaze." He looked around Solo's hulking form and grinned. "You ready for rehearsal?"

Heero was so shocked by the attitude change he couldn't reply. Duo just shrugged, grabbed the other boy' guitar from where it was leaning against a wall and grabbed his hand on the way past. Heero looked over his shoulder to glance at Solo, but the other boy just nodded in his direction, brow slightly creased as he turned to go back to the garage.

All in all, Heero thought, today was a seriously messed up day and he intended to play some mean, loud guitar to make up for it.