Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / GetBackers Fan Fiction / Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Consequences of our past ❯ Chapter 33 ( Chapter 34 )

 

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Chapter 33

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“Why did you leave?” Trowa whispered.

“We looked for you.” Wu Fei added. “Then Schuldig told us of a message you had left with him? Was that all we were worth?”

“Of course not.” Quatre whispered back, looking more and more tired. “I didn't have a choice… And if I had waited till morning you two would have tried to stop me… I couldn't let you… threaten my resolve.”

“What made you leave, Quatre?” Hiiro prompted.

“It's important, Q.” Duo insisted, “It must have been one hell of a situation to force our teamwork poster boy to decide he's better off solo.”

The blonde shook his head, “It's hard to explain.”

“It can't be harder than anything else you've already told us.” Hiiro pointed out.

A small, sad, smile twitched at the corners of the empath's lips. “After all that has happened, I failed on my promise to Gen… I failed… to rescue Makubex's program.”

“I forgot about him.” Duo frowned. “What's he got to do with you leaving Fei and Tro?”

Quatre sighed, “During the night, Talia paid me a visit. She proposed a trade that I couldn't refuse.”

“What was it?”

“I-I-I…” He swallowed, clenching his fists in his bedsheets.

“God, Quat, just spit it out.” Duo shook his head. “It can't be that bad!”

“In exchange for Makubex's life, I would be required to give up something… irreplaceable.”

“What was it?”

“I can't say.”

“OH Don't give me that, Quat!” Duo groaned, “We're trying to help you! You have to tell us!”

“I really can't say.” The blonde apologized, “She gave me a choice, and I made my decision. I have to adhere to that.”

“It was us.” Wu Fei whispered. “You had to give up your triad.”

Even though it seemed impossible, Quatre's complexion paled even more. “H-How?”

“It makes sense.” Trowa agreed. “Everything you've said up until now… How you ran away, and your reluctance to be near to Fei and myself, even though you obviously want to.”

“No! Yes… Kinda.” Quatre shook his head, “It's very complex! As I was explaining to Hiiro, there is only one empath alive at any given time and there hasn't been a single empath to live longer than their twentieth year. The last empath before me, Kurasoke Hisoka, was murdered by his Juggernaut just after he turned sixteen.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Duo demanded, his patients running low.

“EVERYTHING!” Quatre exclaimed, shaking with pain and frustration. “I'm an empath! The only one alive! I survived the war, I survived the Limitless Fortress… But without the support of a triad…”

“So all you have to do is get your triad!” Duo concluded, grinning.

“Except I can't.” The newtype stated. “I lost the ability to join with them when Makubex regained his program. It was the price required.”

“So You Give Up Your Life For a Computer Image!?” Shinigami exploded, furious. “WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?”

“Makubex is more than just some computer image!” Quatre bit back, his fists twisting in the bed sheets, “He's as alive as you or me! His family was suffering because his soul was missing! Besides that… Makubex has helped me out more than once! He's my friend! I'd do the same for you, or Hiiro, or Trowa or Fei… Don't you see? Makubex is the same! I had to help him.”

“At the cost of your own life! If he is the same, then you have to know that he'd never want you to make that type of sacrifice!”

“It doesn't matter now, the decision has been made. I can't go back on it.”

A dark glare crossed the braided teen's face, “When I get my hands on those bastards, they will feel the full fury of Shinigami. I promise you that, Quat.”

“Have you heard nothing that has been said?” The blonde demanded, his own eyes flashing with anger. “These are NOT ordinary people, Duo! To go against them is suicide! I'm not prepared to lose one of my best friends to some avenging rampage!”

The thin teenager pushed his way past his former lovers and staggered to the hook where his bathrobe hung. With trembling hands, the blonde managed to get it on; however that simple task exhausted the boy and he leaned, panting for breath, against the wall.

“I'm sorry, Quat.” The violet-eyed pilot apologized, rushing to help his ill friend. “I didn't mean I was going to go looking for them… Just if the opportunity arose that I wouldn't waste it… Don't be mad. I really have heard everything you've told us.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Duo, I really do.” Quatre's voice was really quiet. “But I want you to promise me, because you never lie. Promise that if they show up, or if you are confronted by them, Esselte, NWF, Schwartz, or the Hunters, that you will run and hide. Promise me that you won't fight them, Duo! No splitting hairs, no twisting my words.”

The braided boy's eyes grew wide at the fierce intensity that reflected in those azure counterparts. He opened his mouth several times, but no words formed.

“PROMISE ME!”

“Q… I-I can't…” The honest teen stammered, “I-If I promise you that… I-I'll be breaking e-every promise I-I've made till now… I can't do that…”

“Damn you.” The blonde shook his head, fighting back a wave of nauseous dizziness. “J-Just… Damn you all.” He hissed, pushing past the other pilot and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.

“Quatre, wait!” Trowa called, jumping off the bed and running after the smaller boy.

“Brilliant, Maxwell.” Wu Fei snarled, pushing past the stunned teen to go after his lover.

Hiiro watched his partner for some time before approaching him. Silently, the perfect soldier wrapped his arms around the smaller teen's torso and rested his chin on Duo's shoulder.

“He doesn't understand, `Ro.” The braided pilot whispered, his voice quivering with the effort to not cry. “I promised Sister Helen, before I even knew what a Gundam was, that no one would ever hurt my family again and get away with it… Q's like my brother… You guys are the only family I've got… I can't…”

“Sshh.” The Japanese teen soothed, rubbing his lover's back as Duo turned to hide his face in his shirt. “Quatre knows that, I'm sure. He's not unreasonable… Winner is… very strong, he likes to be in control… This whole situation is complete chaos, and he feels extremely vulnerable. He's trying to do the same thing you are, protect his family.”

“How can we protect him, if he won't even allow us to fight?”

“We'll figure out a way, Duo.” Hiiro promised. “Meanwhile, let's go find the others?”

“Okay.” The violet eyed teen agreed, leaning up and kissing his lover's cheek. “Thanks, `Ro.”

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Trowa didn't know what to expect when he ran after his former lover. The blonde was so sickly weak, that it was amazing he had even made it to the door without collapsing. However, despite how ill the empath had been, if he were upset enough, that burst of emotional energy could easily get Quatre out the front door.

So when he tore open the bedroom door, he looked frantically right and left, trying to determine which way the teen could have gone.

“I-I'm here.” Quatre mumbled to the right of the doorway. The banged teen looked down to where the younger boy was huddled against the wall. His frail frame was shaking very badly.

“Quat?” Wu Fei's concerned voice asked concerned, as Trowa knelt by the blonde.

“I'm okay.” Azure eyes turned upwards to meet emerald and onyx. “Just moved too damn fast…”

“Not with your usual grace, that's for sure.” A light tone teased, earning a glare from the three pilots in the hall and two guns aimed at his head and chest.

“Omi.” The empath watched as the assassin came closer, shadowed by a redhead he had only met once. “Fujimiya. It's about time you showed yourselves. You two have been contributing to my headache ever since the guys arrived. Why are you here?”

“We have a mission.” The assassin stated plainly.

Understanding shadowed the blonde's eyes as he stood with Trowa's assistance. “Did they give a reason?”

“No.”

“Does it matter?” Aya demanded.

Quatre offered him a sad smile, “I suppose not.”

“Uh… Q? Who are they?” Duo asked, as he and Hiiro entered the hall as well.

“Weiss.” The blonde stated. “They've come to assassinate me.”

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To be continued…