Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Chupacabras Synchronicity ❯ Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Mobility was still sluggish, but it was returning, for which Trowa was grateful. He didn't like their current predicament one bit, but he also didn't have any better ideas. He kept one eye on Quatre, the other on the corridor, ears pricked and listening avidly for any sound that would signal they were not alone. Not that Trowa thought he would sense it before Heero.

Something was strange there, but he couldn't tell what. The tension was not right. Heero was expecting something to happen, something to go wrong, and Trowa intended to be there, if only to pick up the pieces.

"Stop worrying so much," Quatre leaned close and whispered in his ear, no doubt blissfully unaware of what such things were doing to him. Trowa gave him one stern glance before turning back to glare at Heero's back.

"He's worried too," Quatre added, as if this would make things better. Trowa already knew Heero was worried, and he didn't need to be an empath to know it!

Quatre was watching him, studying his profile, considering something, probably weighing his words. Trowa was used to it and waited patiently.

"He's worried about Duo. Ever since the power boost, Duo has been…different to what Heero is used to."

But not different to what they were used to. In other words, something about Duo's Psionic ability had changed so subtly only Heero could tell and it was bothering him. Trowa could almost perceive what it was, but not quite. He recalled Duo fighting against the doctors…something had been different then too but he had assumed it was just the bands being used against them. Apparently not.

Trowa recalled the way Duo had been huddled against a bookshelf when they had first entered the library, and he realised he had seen Duo toss the books he had been reading back on the shelf. That, in itself, was not overly worrying. What was worrying was that Duo no doubt knew something the rest of them didn't, and it was unlikely he would tell until the last possible moment, when he could no longer get away with silence. That was Duo's way.

"Can you sense anything?"

Quatre looked away from them all, staring at the wall as they passed. He seemed distracted, but by what it was hard to say. They were tiring, and Trowa was starting to find it hard to concentrate.

"I sense a lot of things, but none of them make sense."

Doubt. Trowa recognised the slight change in Quatre's voice, knew the way his shoulders were slightly hunched. Quatre rarely doubted himself, but when he did he was unlikely to act, and Trowa could not allow that. Not when they could be attacked from the shadows at any moment.

He was so lost in his own dark thoughts he almost stepped on Duo as the smaller boy stumbled, a death grip on Heero's arm the only thing keeping his from hitting the floor. Scowling, Duo allowed Heero to pull him in tight against his side. Heero looked even more concerned; a feat Trowa had certainly not thought possible.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Heero. My back hurts, that's all."

Everyone was hurting, Trowa wanted to scream, but something held his tongue. This was not the time or the place. He didn't think there would ever be such a time. He followed in silence, trying to ignore his own shrieking pains as they stumbled for the labs.

Rounding a corner, Trowa stopped dead as Quatre fell against him, shivering, hands clutching at his head. Treize was pushing Wufei slightly between himself and Milliard, and Heero's fingers were white where they gripped Duo. Duo himself looked perplexed, but nowhere near as shocked as the others.

The corridor was black, as if someone had taken to it with a paint blaster, but scattered throughout the black were faint glowing spots of luminous green that were all too familiar to Trowa. Chupacabra blood.

Heero was the first to step forward and Trowa watched the way his feet slipped a little. The floor had to be drenched, so he made sure to tred carefully as he followed, pulling Quatre along as Trieze, Milliard and Wufei followed in their wake. It was eerie, almost like walking though a graveyard. Only there were no bodies.

"Heero?" He heard from the shadowy forms barely visible ahead. "What did this?"

Heero was silent in reply and Trowa wondered why he didn't tell Duo about the mist he had created. Heero never kept secrets from Duo. Not since the Psionic Saga had come to an end; since Duo freed his gift from its prison and woke them all to powers supernatural. That Heero was keeping secrets now did not bode well, in Trowa's opinion. In fact, when he though about it there were far too many secrets floating around. Milliardo knew something about Relena he wasn't telling them. Duo had found out something in those books, Trowa was sure. Heero wasn't telling Duo about the mist. Quatre wouldn't tell of what he was feeling. And Trowa…

Trowa could hear something. Reaching out with his own talent he searched the corridors There was no sign of life; no hint of a living Chupacabra, but…Something was out there and he felt like it was watching them, waiting for a moment of weakness.

But it made no move.

"This is it," Heero hissed from up ahead and Trowa looked up to find they had entered the science block and were currently headed for the door to Professor J's lab.

Trowa wanted nothing more than to push Quatre behind him and charge on in, sort things out and go back to their dorm to sleep. Unfortunately, even if were naïve enough to believe it could be that simple, he still couldn't get his legs to work well enough to achieve that goal.

Instead, he waited patiently as Milliard creapt past him to Heero's side and they conversed in low tones. Heero glanced over his shoulder, motioning Treize forward and before he could even think to argue, Duo was being swung up into the older man's arms, Wufei taking Treize's sword in his free hand. Trowa was bemusedly reminded of Shiva. Not that he really needed to be reminded of any kind of cult-figure at that moment, he chastised himself.

Heero and Milliardo were breathing in perfect harmony and without warning, kicked a leg up and pounded the doors open, charging in, hands upraised as if they held guns, and yet while Trowa thought it looked ridiculously stupid, he also knew they held in those same hands something infinitely more potent.

"Now, now boys, is that anyway to greet your teachers?" Trowa blinked and as hi eyes began to open after that split second hesitation, Milliard was flying across the room, and out of sight. Trowa growled low in the back of his throat as he stumbled forward, Quatre's arms bound tight about his waist, hands raised, ready for anything.

As he reached the door, he turned to face the teacher's desk. There stood G and J, arms outstretched, ready for anything, Duo's Psion-bands on their wrists. Relena sat n the centre of the front row, not looking at any of them. They were not what made Trowa's knees wobble weakly.

Spread out over the desk was a fat Chupacabra. A still kicking, gurgling, snarling Chupacabra. The small claw-like hands were swiping at the professors to no avail, the small body weak. Trowa couldn't help but notice the thin red line covering its shivering body. He didn't want to know what the Professors were doing with it.

Heero lifted a hand, ready to strike, but J lifted his hand, motioning for Relena to stand, and she did, her movement halting Heero's advance. She turned to face them, eyes locked on Heero, a strange smile playing on her lips. Heero simply stood there, cold as ice as Relena lifted a hand.

"Heero, watch out!"

But like Trowa suddenly found himself, Heero was caught in a trance, unable to move. Even before they had entered the room, Relena had gathered her strength; reached out and pulled them to her. They had underestimated what she was. Trowa had no more time for thought as he was suddenly thrown back with the rest of them. Relena, sending her strength to the Professors and doubling it before it came back to her, was throwing herself at the room and the room was feeling the effects, as were those within.

Cold gripped Trowa's heart as he fell to his knees, the wall he was leaning against shaking, the plaster ceiling throwing dust around him, blearing his vision. He coughed as the dust itched his throat and barely restrained a moan as he looked down at his shaking hands. Lines were appearing as the room continued to shake; fine blue lines that almost glowed in the dusty yellow light. It was a like a roadmap laid out across his skin that was all too familiar. Relena was tearing them apart from the inside, hauling on their own bio-magnetic fields.

From the corner of his eyes Trowa saw movement and when he glanced over he could have sworn he saw on old lady standing over Duo's limp form, though he knew there was no old lady. And yet…hadn't Duo been asking where some old lady went? Confused as all hell, Trowa struggled against the bonds Relena was forcing on him and pushed out a small amount of his gift.

"Wake up, Antithesis. You have to wake up now." The old woman lay a wrinkled hand o Duo's brow as Trowa blinked and this time as he opened his eyes once more there was no one there, just Duo, still limp and unconscious on the floor.

The pain suddenly faded, as quickly as it had come, but the pale blue lines remained on his skin, itching wildly, a fire started to burn in each one.

Heero stood, glaring at the Professors, as if he hadn't just been filled with agony.

"Have you had enough?"

Heero grinned darkly at Relena. Trowa didn't think that was a very good sign. A thought proved right as he lifted his hands.

"I haven't even started," Heero hissed under his breath as light exploded through the room, blinding everyone. As Trowa covered his eyes he heard a wicked screaming and recognised the Chupacabra. It sounded…afraid…What did those things fear? Except maybe…

The room was plunged into darkness and for a moment Trowa thought Duo had actually countered Heero's plan. But when he looked over he could still make out the vague shape of Duo's unconscious form. No, this was Heero's doing.

Looking forward, Trowa realised a shadow had indeed entered the room; a dark, billowing cloud of black mass that had the Chupacabra squealing wildly as it furiously tried to break free. The Professor's were watching the cloud warily, sensing something dangerous about it but not knowing what. Trowa grinned to see their fear. And yet, he felt it too.

A hand fell on his waist and Trowa looked down to find Quatre had crawled to his side. He was pale as a sheet, aquamarine eyes wide as he stared at something only he could see, lips moving without a voice.

"Quatre? What's wrong?"

Trowa placed a hand under Quatre's chin and gently pulled him around to face him. Quatre blinked, but the fear never left his face.

"Chains. The chains are everywhere!"

Trowa's heart froze. Quatre couldn't be there, could he? Not now…

"Quatre. Where are you?"

"In the white place," Quatre replied, skin going an ever paler shade of white. Trowa pulled him onto his chest, pleading with his eyes for Quatre to look at him.

"What's happening Quatre?"

"It's not light anymore…It's so dark…And there are chains everywhere. They're like a wall. I can't see through them. I can hear…" His eyes crossed darkly, unfocussed and lost as his pupils dilated.

"Quatre!" Trowa hissed, panicked and trying not to show it; trying to be strong as the shadows around them continued to thicken.

"I hear laughter…It's all around me, cold…I've heard it before…"

Trowa shivered. He had heard cold laughter once before too, and had hoped to never hear it again. He glanced aside and could only see a vague, dark outline, but it was proof Duo was still there, still unconscious…

Unconcious. Trowa's eyes snapped back to Quatre.

"Quatre. Are you alone?"

"No. There are things here. Things everywhere."

"What things Quatre?" Trowa was trying his damndest not to panic, but the experiences they had had with that space were rarely good. Yes, they had freed Heero from his chains in that place, but Trowa was not sure that had been the brightest decision. He loved Heero like a brother, but the man had a psychotic streak a mile wide. Just look at the shadow monster in the room with them!

"I don't know. I can't see them…It's so dark and I keep getting tangled in the chains…" Quatre's body suddenly stiffened and his eyes snapped shut, face twisted in agony.

"Quatre?" Trowa shook the smaller form fearfully, trying to get a reaction. "Quatre, what's happening?"

"He's not laughing anymore! I have to find him Trowa. He's not laughing. Why won't he stop screaming Trowa? Make him stop! I can't stand it! Make him stop Trowa!"

Panicking, Trowa didn't even notice as he released his own talent. He realised what he had done only when Quatre relaxed against him and he opened his eyes, which he had not known he had shut, to find the room perfectly still and completely silent.

"Quatre?" Trowa whispered, trying not to draw attention. "Are you alright?"

"Shh…I'm almost there…I can hear him. I can hear him breathing…" Trowa watched Qurte struggling in the depths of his aquamarine eyes and wished he had that gift so he could help his partner, but this was something only Quatre could do, and maybe Heero had he any idea what was going on.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Quatre suddenly screamed, all sanity leaving his body as he railed against Trowa's chest. Trowa gripped his small form tightly, tryng to hold on, but only had that single moment to grab hold as the room suddenly pounded, the air sucked clean away for the briefest of moments, and then they were being hauled bodily into the air and thrown about in a whirlpool of darkness. Trowa felt his head spinning and looked down, trying to find something to focus on before he threw up, arms still wound tightly about Quatre's flailing form.

Below him, standing in the midst of the dark maelstrom, completely unaffected, stood Duo and the Doctors.

"You can't harm us, while we have these," J chided, holding up his wrists.

Duo's face was perfectly blank as he lifted his own arms. Trowa caught a flash of silver and realised Duo was wearing bands of his own.

"Duo, NO!" Heero's voice came from the maelstrom somewhere, but Trowa was not willing to turn his head to try and find him. What was Duo planning? And what was wrong with Quatre?

The bands on Duo's wrists suddenly lit up and again the air was sucked from the room. Trowa felt the floor slam into him and tried to breathe, only to realise the air had also been stripped from his lungs. There was a scream from somewhere to his left and then air was rushing into his lungs as the shadow faded and the world came to a standstill once more. He caught sight of G, waving his arms frantically about his head, the Psion-bands on his wrists sparking and burning the flesh beneath. J was looking at his hands, furious.

Trowa realised Quatre was a dead weight in his arms and looked down into unseeing eyes.

"Quatre?"

"I won't leave him Trowa. I can't leave him here."

"Leave who Quatre?" Trowa asked quietly as he brushed back blonde bangs.

"Duo."

Eyes snapping open, Trowa turned to see Heero cradling Duo's dead weight in his arms, tears in his eyes that refused to spill. Then movement caught his eye and Trowa saw Wufei uncurl from Treize.

"What the fuck was that?"