Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Fighting the Darkness ❯ Chapter 2
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: deathangel125 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Horror / Psychological / Supernatural / Thriller / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 06.23.2012 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 316 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Horror / Psychological / Supernatural / Thriller / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 06.23.2012 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 316 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: The G-boys and Gundam Wing don’t belong to me.
Warnings: Located in the first part. Be sure to look or you might be surprised.
FIGHTING THE DARKNESS – PART 2
“I don’t think I understand your request, Barton,” Une’s hands were flat on her desk, revealing her confusion.
“I would like a leave of absence, starting now,” he repeated, knowing what her response would be.
Threading her fingers together, Une shook her head, “I’m sorry, but there are too many things right now that cannot be put off because you feel the need for a sudden vacation. Request denied.”
Any other morning he would have nodded respectfully and returned to his office without argument. This morning, however, was like no other. He did manage the nod, but it was executed as he removed the badge and gun he had been awarded upon completion of his agent training. Setting the items on Une’s desk, he turned to walk out, stopped by the incredulous voice of his superior, “What is this?”
“My resignation.”
“A leave of absence is this importance to you? May I ask why?”
Hoping he wouldn’t be laughed out of her office, Trowa faced her, meeting her eyes. “I have a feeling Duo may be in trouble.”
Obviously surprised, Une leaned back in her chair, “I didn’t think you were close.”
“We aren’t, but I plan to see him anyway.”
“Why you? Why not one of the others?”
“Because no one else seems to care.”
Trowa withstood the searching look he received, showing no emotion when she pushed the gun and badge back toward him. “I’ll say you have a family emergency. I can give you two weeks. If you need more time than that, I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t make any promises.”
Grateful someone else seemed willing to worry about the long-haired man, Trowa picked up the things that identified him as a Preventer agent and put them back where they belonged. “Thank you.”
“If anyone asks, what would you like me to say about your abrupt departure?”
“Don’t tell them anything. They were too busy with their own lives to care, so it’s none of their business.”
He was almost out of the building when Heero and Wufei caught up to him. The desire to ignore their hails was strong, but it was also petty. Stopping inside the main doors, he lifted an eyebrow when Wufei asked, “Where are you going?”
“I’m taking a leave of absence.”
“On what grounds?”
“Family emergency.”
At this, Heero gave a snort, “You don’t have a family.”
Recalling the lost expression on Duo’s face in the nightmare, Trowa turned and began walking again, “It seems I do.”
The slip of paper in his hand led him to the salvage business, where workers were scattered across the yard. After searching through them, he had to admit Duo wasn’t there and went to the building that housed the offices. Entering, he was greeted by the sight of a bulky man with shaggy blonde hair, his large feet propped up on a small table, “Whaddya want?”
“I’m here to see Duo Maxwell.”
The man dropped his feet to the stained carpet and stood, trying to intimidate with his size, “He ain’t here.”
“Can you tell me where I can find him?”
“Bo? Who are you talking to?” Hilde asked as she came from a room at the back, steps faltering when she saw Trowa standing in the center of the small waiting room. “Trowa Barton? What are you doing here?”
The man named Bo laughed cruelly, “He’s lookin’ for Maxwell, babe.” Sitting back down, he sneered, “You ain’t gonna find him around here. Hil got rid of him when he couldn’t take care of business, if you get my drift.”
Hilde’s face flamed but she didn’t contradict the statement. “I haven’t seen him. If you see him, tell him I’ve got a box of stuff he left here.”
“I thought he co-owned the business.”
Narrowing her eyes, Hilde put her fists on her hips. “If he told you that, he’s a liar. This place has been owned by my family for over twenty-five years. He worked here, that’s all.”
Thinking back, Trowa realized they had all assumed Duo owned part of the salvage yard, though Duo had never actually said so. “He did live with you, didn’t he?” he asked, hoping that information was true and not just another assumption.
“He did. He moved out about eight months ago.” From the way Bo snickered, Duo had some help when he had moved out, all of it unwanted.
Angry at the way Duo had been treated, both by his so-called friends and this woman, Trowa stepped closer, “You replaced him while he still lived with you?”
“She upgraded to a better model. Maxwell was defective.”
Whether Hilde’s face paled from embarrassment or shame he didn’t care. “That was cruel. You didn’t have to be cruel. You know all you had to do was ask him to leave and he would have.”
Bo stood again, moving to Hilde’s side. “You need to watch your tone, skinny man. You don’t talk to my woman that way.”
Wondering how anyone could go from being in love to Duo to having feelings for this Neanderthal, Trowa didn’t know. Ignoring the large man completely, Trowa directed his question to Hilde alone, “Do you know where he would have gone?”
The way her eyes shifted to the side told him whatever came out of her mouth was going to be a lie, “I have no idea.”
“You will tell me.”
“I told you not to talk to her like that. I’m gonna hafta break you in half so you get my meaning.”
Quick as a snake, Trowa lashed out with his hand, planting the side of it across Bo’s throat. While the man gasped for breath, Trowa focused on the woman watching him with wide, frightened eyes. “Where would he go?”
“Before he left, he told me he would get an apartment in the Ravyn sector, in case I wanted to talk. As far as I know, he’s still there. He would have called and left a message if he’d been planning to move.
Listening to the wheezing breaths Bo was pulling in, Trowa gave her one last look, letting his disgust for her show, “After what you did he still would have taken you back. You deserve everything this creep gives you,” he added, gesturing to Bo before spinning on his heel and calmly walking out of the office.
The hotel he stayed in had seen better days, like most of the Ravyn sector. He imagined it had once been a beautiful place, named after the first governor of the colony, Carmin Ravyn. Her reputation had been tarnished when word of her various affairs with underage men had gotten out, the sector bearing her name following after into ruin and disrepair.
Not nearly optimistic enough to trust the food in the hotel vending machines, he found a small diner where the prices were atrocious but the diner itself was clean. With the take-out hidden under his coat he trekked back to his room, all too aware of the eyes watching him from the shadows. Reminding himself to take extra precautions when he went out again, he closed the door behind him and locked it, wedging a chair under the handle as an extra safety measure.
As he ate he turned on his computer, pleased to find internet access even here. A quick search told him there were over ten-thousand residents in the Ravyn sector alone – far too man to search through physically. His hacking skills were rusty from disuse, but he managed to get into the Ravyn sector database, where all resident information was stored. He briefly brooded; thinking of how many transient residents in the area would be unlisted, hoping Duo wasn’t one of them.
It was after midnight, L2 time, when he finally found the listing. Noting the address, he admitted it was too late to search for Duo now. No one would be willing to help him, and the denizens of the night were on the prowl for victims. He knew he would stand out as a predator among the prey, but he would rather wait until the next day to stumble around the roads since he didn’t know the area.
Before tumbling to the rock-hard mattress, he checked his voice mail, hoping for some reason to find one from Duo. The first was from Quatre. “I don’t know what’s going on, Trowa. Heero and Wufei said you took leave, but don’t know why. After this morning I tried to call Duo but received no answer. Please call me and explain all of this.”
The next call was, surprisingly, from Heero. “Let us know if you are okay. Call me when you get this.”
The last two calls were from Wufei, apparently still irate, “You have some nerve leaving like this, Barton. Call me and tell me your reasoning,” was the first. It was followed by, “What is your problem? I don’t like being ignored. Call me.”
It was easier then he would have believed to delete the messages, hoping his friends learned how it felt for their pleas to fall on deaf ears.
Warnings: Located in the first part. Be sure to look or you might be surprised.
FIGHTING THE DARKNESS – PART 2
“I don’t think I understand your request, Barton,” Une’s hands were flat on her desk, revealing her confusion.
“I would like a leave of absence, starting now,” he repeated, knowing what her response would be.
Threading her fingers together, Une shook her head, “I’m sorry, but there are too many things right now that cannot be put off because you feel the need for a sudden vacation. Request denied.”
Any other morning he would have nodded respectfully and returned to his office without argument. This morning, however, was like no other. He did manage the nod, but it was executed as he removed the badge and gun he had been awarded upon completion of his agent training. Setting the items on Une’s desk, he turned to walk out, stopped by the incredulous voice of his superior, “What is this?”
“My resignation.”
“A leave of absence is this importance to you? May I ask why?”
Hoping he wouldn’t be laughed out of her office, Trowa faced her, meeting her eyes. “I have a feeling Duo may be in trouble.”
Obviously surprised, Une leaned back in her chair, “I didn’t think you were close.”
“We aren’t, but I plan to see him anyway.”
“Why you? Why not one of the others?”
“Because no one else seems to care.”
Trowa withstood the searching look he received, showing no emotion when she pushed the gun and badge back toward him. “I’ll say you have a family emergency. I can give you two weeks. If you need more time than that, I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t make any promises.”
Grateful someone else seemed willing to worry about the long-haired man, Trowa picked up the things that identified him as a Preventer agent and put them back where they belonged. “Thank you.”
“If anyone asks, what would you like me to say about your abrupt departure?”
“Don’t tell them anything. They were too busy with their own lives to care, so it’s none of their business.”
He was almost out of the building when Heero and Wufei caught up to him. The desire to ignore their hails was strong, but it was also petty. Stopping inside the main doors, he lifted an eyebrow when Wufei asked, “Where are you going?”
“I’m taking a leave of absence.”
“On what grounds?”
“Family emergency.”
At this, Heero gave a snort, “You don’t have a family.”
Recalling the lost expression on Duo’s face in the nightmare, Trowa turned and began walking again, “It seems I do.”
The slip of paper in his hand led him to the salvage business, where workers were scattered across the yard. After searching through them, he had to admit Duo wasn’t there and went to the building that housed the offices. Entering, he was greeted by the sight of a bulky man with shaggy blonde hair, his large feet propped up on a small table, “Whaddya want?”
“I’m here to see Duo Maxwell.”
The man dropped his feet to the stained carpet and stood, trying to intimidate with his size, “He ain’t here.”
“Can you tell me where I can find him?”
“Bo? Who are you talking to?” Hilde asked as she came from a room at the back, steps faltering when she saw Trowa standing in the center of the small waiting room. “Trowa Barton? What are you doing here?”
The man named Bo laughed cruelly, “He’s lookin’ for Maxwell, babe.” Sitting back down, he sneered, “You ain’t gonna find him around here. Hil got rid of him when he couldn’t take care of business, if you get my drift.”
Hilde’s face flamed but she didn’t contradict the statement. “I haven’t seen him. If you see him, tell him I’ve got a box of stuff he left here.”
“I thought he co-owned the business.”
Narrowing her eyes, Hilde put her fists on her hips. “If he told you that, he’s a liar. This place has been owned by my family for over twenty-five years. He worked here, that’s all.”
Thinking back, Trowa realized they had all assumed Duo owned part of the salvage yard, though Duo had never actually said so. “He did live with you, didn’t he?” he asked, hoping that information was true and not just another assumption.
“He did. He moved out about eight months ago.” From the way Bo snickered, Duo had some help when he had moved out, all of it unwanted.
Angry at the way Duo had been treated, both by his so-called friends and this woman, Trowa stepped closer, “You replaced him while he still lived with you?”
“She upgraded to a better model. Maxwell was defective.”
Whether Hilde’s face paled from embarrassment or shame he didn’t care. “That was cruel. You didn’t have to be cruel. You know all you had to do was ask him to leave and he would have.”
Bo stood again, moving to Hilde’s side. “You need to watch your tone, skinny man. You don’t talk to my woman that way.”
Wondering how anyone could go from being in love to Duo to having feelings for this Neanderthal, Trowa didn’t know. Ignoring the large man completely, Trowa directed his question to Hilde alone, “Do you know where he would have gone?”
The way her eyes shifted to the side told him whatever came out of her mouth was going to be a lie, “I have no idea.”
“You will tell me.”
“I told you not to talk to her like that. I’m gonna hafta break you in half so you get my meaning.”
Quick as a snake, Trowa lashed out with his hand, planting the side of it across Bo’s throat. While the man gasped for breath, Trowa focused on the woman watching him with wide, frightened eyes. “Where would he go?”
“Before he left, he told me he would get an apartment in the Ravyn sector, in case I wanted to talk. As far as I know, he’s still there. He would have called and left a message if he’d been planning to move.
Listening to the wheezing breaths Bo was pulling in, Trowa gave her one last look, letting his disgust for her show, “After what you did he still would have taken you back. You deserve everything this creep gives you,” he added, gesturing to Bo before spinning on his heel and calmly walking out of the office.
The hotel he stayed in had seen better days, like most of the Ravyn sector. He imagined it had once been a beautiful place, named after the first governor of the colony, Carmin Ravyn. Her reputation had been tarnished when word of her various affairs with underage men had gotten out, the sector bearing her name following after into ruin and disrepair.
Not nearly optimistic enough to trust the food in the hotel vending machines, he found a small diner where the prices were atrocious but the diner itself was clean. With the take-out hidden under his coat he trekked back to his room, all too aware of the eyes watching him from the shadows. Reminding himself to take extra precautions when he went out again, he closed the door behind him and locked it, wedging a chair under the handle as an extra safety measure.
As he ate he turned on his computer, pleased to find internet access even here. A quick search told him there were over ten-thousand residents in the Ravyn sector alone – far too man to search through physically. His hacking skills were rusty from disuse, but he managed to get into the Ravyn sector database, where all resident information was stored. He briefly brooded; thinking of how many transient residents in the area would be unlisted, hoping Duo wasn’t one of them.
It was after midnight, L2 time, when he finally found the listing. Noting the address, he admitted it was too late to search for Duo now. No one would be willing to help him, and the denizens of the night were on the prowl for victims. He knew he would stand out as a predator among the prey, but he would rather wait until the next day to stumble around the roads since he didn’t know the area.
Before tumbling to the rock-hard mattress, he checked his voice mail, hoping for some reason to find one from Duo. The first was from Quatre. “I don’t know what’s going on, Trowa. Heero and Wufei said you took leave, but don’t know why. After this morning I tried to call Duo but received no answer. Please call me and explain all of this.”
The next call was, surprisingly, from Heero. “Let us know if you are okay. Call me when you get this.”
The last two calls were from Wufei, apparently still irate, “You have some nerve leaving like this, Barton. Call me and tell me your reasoning,” was the first. It was followed by, “What is your problem? I don’t like being ignored. Call me.”
It was easier then he would have believed to delete the messages, hoping his friends learned how it felt for their pleas to fall on deaf ears.