Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Dead Ground ❯ The attic ( Chapter 11 )

Quatre's eyes widened as his met Trowa's. Quatre could feel pain and jealousy radiating from the tall boy. When Trowa's gaze shifted to Duo, although Trowa's face didn't change its expression, Quatre could sense the strong hatred that seemed to consume the other boy. Quatre could feel Duo stiffen, and the emotions of one who feels misunderstood and embarrassed rolled off the American, as well as mild anger.

 

Duo blushed and quickly dropped his arms. Quatre let go of Duo and stepped away from the other boy. “Trowa. It's... not what you...” Duo began but Trowa cut him off.

 

“What's going on in here?” It was said mildly and the average observer would have thought the brunette was disinterested in the scene before him. Quatre wasn't a casual observer though, and he could feel something wasn't quite right with the other boy. It wasn't just the negative emotions that were coming from Trowa.

 

No.

 

It was something else... The blonde boy inched toward the bed trying in vain to disappear. It wasn't just the strangeness coming from the tall boy that made Quatre uneasy; it was all that had happened earlier. The blonde boy knew he had hurt Trowa deeply, and he felt ashamed. Quatre wished with all his heart that he could throw himself into Trowa's arms and beg forgiveness for his words earlier, but he couldn't. Quatre wanted to make it all better. He wasn't really fair to the tall boy. Trowa really had done nothing to him. It was just a dream...

 

But then...

 

It took all of Quatre's will power not to reach up and touch the scars on his arms. They were reminders to the blonde boy that nothing was what it seemed anymore. Trowa wasn't what he seemed anymore... The world seemed to be going crazy, and it was taking Quatre along for the ride.

 

“Well... I...” Duo stuttered, bringing Quatre out of his thoughts.

 

“Fuck. Duo. Just tell me what the hell is going on.”

 

The words clashed horribly with the soft tone Trowa was using. Quatre sat on the bed and looked at the floor as he listened to the two boys talk.

 

“I wanted someone to check out the attic with me so I thought...”

 

Trowa raised an eyebrow and said, “You wanted a sick person to cover your ass?”

 

Duo's blush deepened. “No. Yes. No. I mean...”

 

Trowa folded his arms and took up the attitude of one who is bestowing patience on a child.

 

“I was going to ask you or Wufei, but you guys were asleep. Then I thought I'd see if Quatre was feeling up to going with me...”

 

Trowa glanced over at the broken dish, then to Quatre. The blonde boy could feel Trowa's gaze and tensed when he sensed the possessive jealousy from the brunette.

 

“Obviously, he isn't up to it Maxwell.” Trowa walked into the room and Quatre scooted back on the bed until his back met the wall. Quatre lifted his gaze to see Trowa looking down at him with a concerned look. “Are you alright Quatre?”

 

Quatre looked away from Trowa's searching eyes. The tender caring Quatre felt from Trowa almost convinced his paranoid mind that everything was fine.

 

Almost.

 

The compassion in Trowa's voice couldn't mask the felling of something not quite right from the brunette. To Quatre, it seemed the tall boy had begun taking a trip into madness, then decided to rest along the way, making Trowa only half mad instead of completely insane.

 

If everything was fine, Quatre wouldn't have been able to feel the other pilots' emotions. Each of the boys were usually very good at hiding their emotions from him.

 

Not now though.

 

Quatre wasn't sure what to make of the emotions from Trowa. In the room besides his, Quatre could feel Wufei's presence stronger and stronger. The despair coming from the Chinese boy was almost unbearable. Yet even this was confusing, for Quatre's eyes were just telling him, moments before, that the black haired boy was outside.

 

Then of course there was Heero. An involuntary shiver ran through the blonde boy. The terror, guilt and pain Quatre felt earlier from the pilot of Wing still lingered in the back of his mind like some sort of residue. The emotions had driven the blonde from the supposed safety of his room, out into the living room to do anything he could think of to make it stop. Not out of any real pity for the Japanese boy, Quatre guiltily admitted to himself, but for the last bits of what might remain of his own sanity.

 

Quatre's eyes flicked to the braided boy.

 

Duo...

 

The American was the only one who had not been affected like the rest of them, and the blonde boy had a vague idea why though he couldn't put words to it for some reason. His mind just went fuzzy when he tried to think it out. Whatever the reason, it would change soon. When or how, the blonde didn't know. He just knew that it would.

 

Quatre's gaze returned to Trowa in time to see the tall boy frown slightly before he turned to Duo and said calmly, with something close to contempt in his eyes, “I'm not ill or injured, so I guess I'm safe to go up to the attic with you.”

 

Duo's eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”

 

“I mean that you are a fucking pervert who likes to pick up on sick boys.” The blood drained from Duo's face and his eyes widened as Trowa delivered the verbal attack in a calm, but grated voice.

 

“It's... not like that...” Duo whispered in shock, eyes flicking nervously to Quatre then away again. The braided boy was clearly hurt and embarrassed.

 

Quatre's eyebrows knit together at the scene before him. There was obviously something going on between the other two boys. There had to be some reason Trowa would say something like that. Some reason Duo would respond like that... Something that Quatre didn't understand. The hatred, pain and jealousy that came with Trowa's last words were... indescribable. The blonde pilot moved his eyes to Duo. The usually cheerful boy was plainly making an effort to keep his feelings in check as his embarrassment and hurt turned to anger.

 

Duo pressed his lips together, then said, “I'll wait for you by the hatch.” Turning to look at Quatre the American forced a smile. “I hope... I hope you feel better Quatre. I'll come check on you later okay?”

 

Quatre wanted to tell Duo not to trust Trowa. As much as it hurt Quatre to admit it to himself, Trowa was unstable and maybe... dangerous.

 

But he kept silent.

 

Quatre didn't want to believe that about Trowa. The blonde boy cared for Trowa, even though Quatre had been afraid to show it, he always had, but... but now... now he was afraid of the other boy. Quatre didn't know how... when it happened. He just didn't know anything anymore.

 

Quatre nodded numbly to Duo's statement. Turning his head, Quatre looked at the window that he had been standing at only a short while ago.

 

Maybe he was just imagining everything.

 

Maybe.

 

As Duo stalked out of the room, Quatre cautiously glanced back at Trowa. The brunette suddenly seemed uncomfortable and looked away. Quatre suddenly felt sorry for the tall boy. The emotions coming from Trowa were no longer anger but shame, embarrassment, pain and confusion. It was unnerving to the blonde boy how fast Trowa was changing from one emotion to another.

 

“Quatre. I... I'm sorry. I... whatever I did to make you... mad at me... I'm sorry.” Trowa's voice dripped with the pain and confusion he was feeling. Quatre wanted to cry but didn't have the strength. He wanted to reach out to Trowa but didn't have the courage. The Arabian didn't want to feel afraid of the other boy, but he did. Quatre felt confused in the things he saw, thought, and dreamed.

 

When the blonde boy didn't respond, Trowa turned and walked to the window. Quatre wondered if the tall pilot was able to see Wufei, but he didn't ask. After a few moments of silence, Trowa began in a whisper, “Quatre... I... I don't know what I did wrong. I'm not sure what is going on with you... or with me or...” The tall boy rested his forehead against the glass.

 

Quatre swallowed back the tears he felt threatening to come.

 

In the same soft whisper, Trowa continued, “I had this dream... something happened... there was someone... and a door... but I didn't go in... I can't remember anything else. Now everything is all wrong. I don't know how to explain it.” Trowa squeezed his eyes closed. “I don't know what's wrong with me...”

 

Trowa lifted his forehead off the grimy glass and turned his head to look at the Arabian. Quatre felt a pain in his heart when he saw the perplexed agony in the other boy's eyes.

 

The tall boy took a step toward Quatre and said quietly, “Quatre. I want you to know...”

But Trowa never finished. With the sudden movement toward him and the words, “I want you,” Quatre gasped and involuntarily shrank back from the advancing boy, the disturbing dream making an assault on his memory and emotions.

 

At Quatre's reaction, Trowa stopped and stared at the blonde with a torn look on his face. When Quatre just stared back at him, Trowa turned and despondently left the room without another word. Quatre stared at the door for a few moments before he lowered his head into his hands and let loose the tears he had been holding back.

 

----------------

 

Duo clenched his fists together tightly and made his way toward the stairs.

 

That... Bastard! What the hell is his problem?! Duo thought angrily.

 

The American almost slammed his foot on the stair but stopped himself. He didn't want to make a racket and wake Heero. Slowly and deliberately, Duo made his way up the stairs.

 

Despite the intense anger, Duo felt tears well up in his eyes. He had always had a decent relationship with Trowa and the sudden onslaught from the tall boy was not only confusing, but hurtful as well.

 

When Duo reached his room, he quickly grabbed a flashlight and a gun from his duffel bag and returned to the hall. He looked over the balustrade and saw Trowa going through his own stuff. Duo turned his gaze from the other pilot to Heero's door, and decided to look in on his friend to make sure he was alright.

 

Slowly he cracked the door open and glanced inside. The pilot of Wing was still asleep but the sleep was fitful. Heero moaned softly in his sleep and was shaking his head back and forth. Duo debated on whether he should wake the other boy or not, but before he could come to an answer a hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away from the door.

 

Before Duo could react, Trowa had his hand over the other boy's mouth.

 

“Shhhh.” The hushing sound from Trowa was soft and light.

 

Trowa turned his quieting look from the braided boy and looked into Heero's room. Slowly, Trowa reached out with his other hand and grabbed the door knob. The tall boy didn't shut the door immediately though. The boy's green eyes rested on the Japanese boy for a moment. Duo saw a slight tightening of the tall boy's lips, before Trowa slowly shut the door.

 

As if sensing Duo's thoughts, Trowa said, “He doesn't need to be woken.” The words seemed to leave something unsaid, but Duo didn't want to know what those unspoken words might be. The American nodded slowly and Trowa took his hand away from Duo's mouth.

 

The two boys stood and stared at each other for several moments. Though Duo's expression remained neutral during the undeclared 'staring contest', Trowa's changed several times.

 

Anger.

 

Shame.

 

Frustration.

 

Pain.

 

Jealousy.

 

Uncertainty.

 

Confusion.

 

What Trowa could have possibly been thinking, Duo couldn't say. The expression changes, however, were unnerving and quickly made Duo nervous. There were several times Duo thought Trowa was going to say something, but he never did.

 

Duo, out of frustration, widened his eyes and said impertinently, “Weeeell?”

 

Trowa shook his head slightly as if shaking off an unwanted thought, then turned to position the chair he had brought with him underneath the hatch. As Duo watched the tall boy work, he began to feel his earlier reservations about going into the attic return.

 

The American absent-mindedly grabbed the cross he wore through his clothes. When he realized what he was doing, Duo dropped his hand. After all, the thing never seemed to help before. Sniffing in exasperation Duo said, “Ya know... either this thing is broken or someone up there just doesn't like me!” Trowa glanced at Duo with a blank stare for a moment before replying.

 

“Why do you wear it then? Why not just get rid of it?” The tall boy asked sincerely.

 

Duo, not sensing the genuine curiosity from the other boy, pushed passed Trowa and snapped, “It's none of your business asshole.”

 

Trowa's eyes widened slightly as he watched Duo climb on the chair. Then as quickly as the wounded look came, it was gone, leaving a dangerous glint in narrowed eyes.

 

When Duo situated himself on the chair he pulled out his gun. The braided boy looked down at Trowa. The brunette took out his own gun and nodded. Duo tensed when he grabbed a hold of the hatch handle and pulled. It came down easily since it hadn't been shut tightly. Keeping his gun pointed up, Duo ducked as he brought the hatch swinging down.

 

When nothing came jumping down at him, Duo straightened and gasped. The reason the hatch had been so hard to open the first time was because it had been nailed shut. The thick nails were coming from the sides of where the hatch closes, and were bent at an upward angle. Duo squinted at the upturned steel on one of the sides.

 

The nails were covered in red.

 

--------------------

 

The small seven year old ran. He had been successful in killing his target. The dirty politician had deserved to die. He knew that because Odin said the man was bad. The janitor however, hadn't deserved death. The boy hadn't expected the nice old man to walk in. It wasn't fair. The boy didn't want to kill the friendly custodian, especially since the old man had given him a piece of candy earlier when he and Odin had been checking the place out, but he had no choice. The small boy brushed the tears from his cobalt-blue eyes as he ran. The dark haired boy could still see the shock in the grandfatherly face at seeing the politician dead, before the old man met his own death. The boy hated having to kill people, especially when they didn't deserve it. Yet, the blue eyed boy felt he had little choice in the matter. If he wouldn't kill, then Odin wouldn't want him around. And the last thing the boy wanted was to be alone; being alone was worse then killing.

 

Sore wa fukouheida, sore wa fukouheida yo!(1) The boy thought over and over again.

 

The young assassin stopped running when he was sure he was far enough from the government building. Leaning down, he put his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath. As his breathing began to slow, the boy turned his head and looked at the building next to him. It was a store with a large window for the people passing by to look in.

 

The seven year old could see himself reflected in the shop window. Standing up, the boy walked closer to the window, raking fingers through his ever messy hair. Realizing the window belonged to that of a pet shop, the boy forgot about making himself presentable and leaned against the glass to look inside. The featured pets were a large litter of kittens. The small Japanese boy gazed in innocent wonder at the small mewing creatures. After a few minutes, one of the furry animals noticed him and made its way toward the glass.

 

The dark haired boy was about to put his face closer to the glass when he noticed an older man reflected in the glass behind him. The man was wearing a business suit and was glaring down at him. The boy thought he may have seen the older man before but didn't know where. The Japanese boy remembered his cover story if asked where his parents were and turned around to speak to the man.

 

There was no one there.

 

The boy's eyes went wide involuntarily and he whipped around to look back at the window. The man was still there, but he wasn't alone. Now there were more men with the first, and they all looked very un-happy with him. The boy began to feel nervous and for some reason… guilty. The boy turned around again, and again there was no one there.

 

Noventa… The name flitted through the child's mind and he gasped.

 

Fear seized the boy's heart and he slowly turned to face the window again. There were even more people, some looked like soldiers and they were all angry... at him. The young assassin put his hand to his head, which was starting to throb. The Japanese boy had never seen these people in his whole life, he was sure of it, but he felt like he had...

 

The boy began to shake his head as if he could clear the unwelcome people from his brain. The phenomenon was incomprehensible to the boy's young mind. Finally the boy did the only thing he could think of.

 

He ran.

 

------------------

 

Duo reached out his hand and rubbed at the red on the nails.

 

It was blood.

 

Dried blood.

 

“Those must be what caused Heero's wounds.” Came Trowa's voice from below.

 

Duo looked down. “You think so?”

 

The brunette nodded. “Look at the thickness of the nails. Tell me Duo, how old does that blood look to you?”

 

Duo returned his gaze to the metal before him and nodded. Grudgingly he said, “You're right. It's dried but it's not very old.” Duo looked back down at Trowa. “But... if it's the nails that caused his wounds then why doesn't he have gouges on his other side as well, or even his back and front?”

 

Trowa rolled his eyes. “It really is obvious, you know. If Heero was standing directly in the middle when the hatch came down then he wouldn't have gotten hurt at all, but he wasn't. He was off to the side a bit and that little bit made the difference. Heero was lucky that he wasn't off to the side and back... or front for that matter.” Trowa grimaced with the thought of being gouged in the front by the nails.

 

With the mystery of Heero's wounds being solved, Duo felt a little better about going into the attic. Not a whole lot better, but some.

 

Duo's original plan had been to pull himself up into the attic, but now with the nails he knew he would need a new plan to avoid getting cut himself. Looking down at Trowa, Duo said, “I think it will work better if you stand on the chair and give me a boost up. Then I'll pull you up.”

 

----------------

 

The small Japanese child stopped running and collapsed onto a bench at the bus stop. The boy's chest ached from the run and he had trouble getting his breathing under control. Thinking back to what he saw in the window, the boy shuttered and shook his head. Though the dark haired boy was being conditioned to bury his feelings, he wasn't, as of yet, an expert on hiding his emotions completely, and the people in the store window frightened the boy more then he wanted to admit.

 

The young assassin looked around and his heart sank. There were soldiers, like the ones in the window, on the sidewalk and in cars. Some glared at him. Others just glanced in his direction. There were also many people, who weren't soldiers that were staring at the Japanese boy as well.

 

The child swallowed hard. Many of them... Some of them... The boy was sure that he knew some of them... In some way... But then... There was no way...

 

The boy grabbed his head and shut his eyes. Wakaranai yo... wakaranai yo...(2) He thought while shaking his head back and forth.

 

Suddenly there was a barking noise and the boy looked up to see a little girl, about his own age, standing by the bench with a puppy beside her. The boy knew he knew this girl, knew her dog... but the knowledge was fleeting and he couldn't grasp onto it long enough to get an answer.

 

The girl was glaring at him and again the boy swallowed hard.

 

“It's all your fault.” She said accusingly.

 

The boy's eyes widened.

 

“It's all your fault!” She screamed.

 

The Japanese boy's head whipped around as he looked fearfully at the people. They were all staring at him. The puppy growled as the boy quickly stood up. The young assassin felt cold and empty inside...

 

And guilty.

 

The boy began to back away from the girl and tripped over the bench as he turned to run away from the other child. The Japanese boy felt a hot pain in his knees as the skin was roughly torn away by the sidewalk. The boy stumbled to his feet, blood running down his legs...

 

And ran.

 

--------------

 

Duo caught his balance after pulling Trowa up through the hatch opening. The braided boy glared balefully at the brunette. “Ya know... you don't look it, but you're one heavy son of a bitch.”

 

The tall boy glanced at Duo before searching the attic with his flashlight. The uppermost room in the cabin was open and large. Dust particles floated in the dim light that streamed down through the hole in the roof. The light from the collapsed roof lit up the attic enough that as one got closer to the wreckage a flashlight wasn't needed. Broken crates laying in one corner of the attic, and a few picture frames dotting the walls were the only things worth any notice other than the pile of wood and old roofing shingles from where Heero had fallen.

 

“What the hell...?”

 

The brunette looked to Duo who was looking down and pointing his flashlight to the floor. Looking down himself, Trowa saw what the other boy was looking at and raised an eyebrow. There were foot prints, obviously Heero's, in the dirt on the wood floor. Ordinary foot prints...

 

Except that they looked months old.

 

Duo looked at Trowa with a confused look on his face. Heero had been up in the attic that morning...

 

Trowa moved the beam of his own flashlight along Heero's tracks and stopped.

 

“Duo.” Said Trowa softly.

 

The American looked up.

 

“Look over there...”

 

Duo shined his own flashlight to where Trowa's was at and took in a sharp breath.

 

“They're up there...” Duo whispered.

 

Trowa stared at the braided boy with a confused expression on his face. “What? Who?”

 

Moving his flashlight over the attic floor he whispered, “Them. All... of them.”

 

-------------------

 

The young boy threw himself onto the large pile of trash that dominated the dingy alleyway. He was shaking and near tears. Pulling his legs up near his chest, the little boy gave into his emotions and began to sob. It was all so confusing… He didn't understand. Who were all the people and what did they want with him? The boy was sure he knew many of them from somewhere but he couldn't think of where! The child ran the name from earlier over and over in his mind.

 

Noventa, Noventa, Noventa…

 

The boy knew it from somewhere he was sure… but why did he feel so much remorse when he thought of the name?

 

A hand on his shoulder brought the boy out of his deep thoughts. With a strangled gasp, the young assassin whipped around grabbing the arm that was attached to the hand. Blinking the tears from his eyes, the boy focused his gaze on a man with a strong jaw and blonde hair.

 

“O…Odin?”

 

The man smiled, but the smile seemed greasy and unreal.

 

The Japanese boy stared into the hard eyes.

 

“A..Anata wa…(3)” The boy had to think hard for a moment then continued in a hesitant English. “You…you are not Odin.”

 

One of the man's eyes brows lifted and the smile grew. “Oh? Is that who we seem to be to you?” The man looked shrewdly at the boy and continued. “You're very observant, the other one didn't realize until… well, that hardly matters now does it? No. You're very correct. I am not Odin.”

 

The child looked even more confused and the man kept silent for a moment, as if enjoying the boy's confusion before making his next statement.

 

“He's dead.”

 

-----------------

 

 

Duo and Trowa swept the beams of their flashlights over the dirty attic floor. There were foot prints everywhere.

 

Fresh footprints... as if made only hours ago.

 

The two boys walked to the place where Trowa first saw the tracks. “Who ever made these footprints... These people... were walking towards Heero.”

 

Duo raised an eyebrow. “How can you tell?”

 

“Look.” Trowa swept the beam of the flashlight around the room. “There is a pattern. Also, the tracks are all heading for Heero's tracks.”

 

The American looked disbelievingly at the other pilot. “I don't see how you're getting all this. All I see are a bunch of overlapping shoe marks in the dirt.”

 

“How did you say you became a gundam pilot again?”

 

“Fuck you.”

 

Trowa walked toward the rubble under the hole in the roof. “Not if you were the last...”

 

The tall boy was interrupted by a bright flash of lightning that was accompanied by a loud crack of thunder. A couple rain drops came through the opening in the roof.

 

“Let's just get this done and get the hell out of here.” Said Duo testily. The braided boy didn't want to worry about old and new footprints or the boot marks of a host of people that couldn't have logically been in the attic. Duo just wanted to get Heero's laptop and get back to the object of his affections before he woke up.

 

Duo kept his gaze on the floor as he made his way toward the pile of wood and shingles. He stopped abruptly at a different set of foot prints. Child foot prints… and a dog? A puppy? What the hell? Duo thought. Looking up, Duo was about to bring the prints to Trowa's attention when he noticed the brunette looking through the rubble. Not wanting to be out done, Duo quickly made his way to the pile, forgetting about the strange prints.

 

The American felt irritated when Trowa, not him, was the one to find the laptop among the rubble and pick it up. The tall boy pushed a few buttons, tinkered with a few plugs, inspected the damage and finally declared the slim machine busted.

 

“Let me see that!” Duo growled and grabbed Heero's pride and joy from the other boy.

 

Trowa shrugged and picked up the makeshift antenna Heero had been attempting to use. “This would have never worked anyway...” Trowa murmured.

 

As Duo looked over the laptop, he realized, as much as he hated to admit it, that Trowa was right. The electronic notebook had definitely seen its last all nighter. Duo didn't look forward to giving Heero the bad news. Sighing, Duo picked up the laptop and looked around, his gaze finally stopping on an object near the far wall. As Duo approached, he saw that it was a gun.

 

Heero's gun.

 

Duo reached down and picked the weapon up. The American looked from the gun to the wall then back to the gun. It had been thrown against the wall, that much was obvious, but why? Duo remembered hearing the clicking noises of an empty gun earlier and checked the clip.

 

It was full... the ammunition in perfect condition.

 

Duo turned around. “Yo Trowa, I...”

 

The tall boy was standing in the same place Duo had seen him last, holding the makeshift antenna in a death grip, staring forward with an angry look on his face.

 

“Trowa?”

 

No answer.

 

Duo opened his mouth to try again, then rolled his eyes and walked over to the other boy. The braided boy reached out and roughly grabbed Trowa and shook him hard. Quickly, Trowa whipped his head around and said fiercely, “He's not a bitch!”

 

Duo's eyes widened and a hint of a confused smile played on his mouth. “What the hell are you talking about?”

 

Trowa blinked a couple of times and said, “What? I… I…”

 

Duo narrowed his eyes feeling an unwelcome feeling of concern for the pilot of Heavyarms. The braided boy didn't want to feel concern for Trowa, he wanted to be mad at the other boy for being such a prick.

 

The brunette rubbed his eyes and murmured, “Let's check this place out and be done with it.”

 

-------------------------------

 

The small boy's eyes widened with shock, then narrowed in pain.

 

“Iie... no… he can't…”

 

Tears welled up in the young boy's eyes, and spilled over onto his cheeks without the boy being aware of them.

 

The man continued to grin, as if he were pleased with the result of the news. “You know, we're actually surprised to see you like this here. This age I mean. Very interesting. The other one was only a few years younger then he is now, but you…” The man laughed.

 

The young assassin sniffled and looked over at the man who looked like Odin. “Nani…uh, what do you mean? What other one?”

 

The man moved in closer to the boy and caressed the child's face with his hand. “Even I didn't realize your soul was so immature. This will be easy… easier than with the other one… yes, I'm definitely glad we changed my mind about that.” The man chuckled and the boy shuttered at the sound. “Did you know he came half way? No of course not. You know nothing. It would have been better if he would have come closer, but this is still entertaining. We need him to control that bitch of his. The blonde one has more power than he knows. I don't want to risk anything until… ”

 

The Japanese boy didn't understand the man's ramblings, but he didn't want to interrupt the man. If he did, then the man might leave and he would be alone again. Being with this man, who looked like Odin, was better than being alone. The boy came out of his thoughts only to realize the man had stopped talking and was now looking at him intently, almost greedily. The boy swallowed hard.

 

“I know what you want, what you need. We can give it to you.”

 

They young boy looked at the man with a confused look on his face. “What is that?”

 

“You don't want to be alone. I can make that happen. All you have to do, is come with us.”

 

“Come with you?” The Japanese boy looked doubtfully at the man. The dark haired boy wasn't sure what he felt about this man who looked so much like Odin. The man seemed… strange…

 

The blonde man shrugged and stood up to leave. “Well, I can see you're not interested…”

 

“MATTE!”(4) The boy lunged forward and grabbed onto the man's pants. If the man left… then… then… he would be alone again… alone with all those people… staring at him… The young boy looked up at the man's face then both ways down the alleyway.

 

“They are not who they seem, you know.”

 

The boy looked back up at the man's face in confusion. “What… what do you mean? Who are they?”

 

“They are the same as me. Not only that but, they are we.”

 

The young assassin's face showed the confusion he was feeling. “Wakaranai… uh… I… don't understand…”

 

“You will if you come with us. Follow me, do what I have planned for you to do, and you will know… and you will never need to be alone again.

 

The young assassin bit the inside of his cheek. “What do I have to do?”

 

--------------------

 

Duo made his way to the broken crates, but after kicking around the broken remains, he decided there was nothing of interest there. Next he looked at what used to be pictures. Now all that was left were the frames and tattered canvas. The last was an oval mirror that was covered with who knew how many years of dust. The American lifted his shirt and wiped off the surface of the glass. The mirror was not only dusty, but it seemed to have a greasy film covering the surface that smeared slightly.

 

When he was finished, Duo stepped back to examine his work and found Trowa's angry reflection behind his own, pointing a gun at Deathcythe pilot.

 

Duo froze, his heart beating. “Trowa?” He whispered. The brunette didn't move. Slowly Duo raised his hands in the air. Duo wasn't sure if Trowa would really shoot him or not, but with the way the tall boy had been acting that day, he didn't want to chance anything. The braided boy saw Trowa smirk in the mirror. Swallowing hard, Duo decided to take a chance and turned around to face Trowa.

 

But when Duo turned around, Trowa was off at the other side of the room looking at more of the broken frames fixed on the walls.

 

Duo blinked in confusion. Suddenly, the mirror behind the American shattered. Duo ducked low, covering his head. Trowa ran over to where Duo was huddling. “What happened?”

 

Duo peeked up at Trowa. “I… I don't know!” Duo stood, brushing glass off his clothes.

 

“What's this?”

 

Duo looked up as Trowa pried something from the wall where the mirror had once been. Trowa looked at the object in confusion for a moment then held it up for Duo to see.

 

It was a bullet.

 

The type Trowa's gun takes.

 

Duo stared for a moment, eyes wide, mouth open. Slowly, Duo tucked Heero's gun into his pants, then quickly grabbed Trowa's wrist.

 

“Let's get the hell out of this attic!”

 

-----------------

 

The man who looked like Odin walked to the other side of the alleyway to a large metal door and opened it effortlessly. Looking at the boy expectantly, the man gestured with his hand for the child to enter.

 

The dark haired boy stood and peered into the opening. It was dark and he was unable to see what was beyond the door. Slowly the boy took a step toward the doorway, then another. Almost in a daze the boy traveled the distance to the entrance.

 

“Go in.” The man whispered eagerly.

 

Slowly, the boy walked over the threshold. His footsteps seemed to echo around him. The Japanese boy didn't notice the man slip in through the doorway and follow the boy.

 

A rat scuttled out of the way, nearly missing being caught in the slamming door. The rat sniffed the door for a moment, only to be frightened away by the sudden screaming within.

-----------------------------------------------------

1- Sore wa fukouheida (yo) - It's not fair!

2-Wakaranai (yo) - I don't know!

3-Anata wa - You…

4-Matte - wait