Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ III. Nocturnal State ❯ Fall to Pieces ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: Kyeian

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Fall to Pieces 
 
I curled into my corner and cried as I shivered. Duo was gone�he�d left me with no more hesitation than�than�he just left. He was gone, just like my sister�just like my dad�just like all those people I�d cared for before. I�d made one wrong choice and�they were all gone� 
 
If only I could go back in time� 
 
�Hey, buddy? You all right?� 
 
The voice snapped my attention toward the end of the alley I was in, and I studied the unfamiliar face uncertainly as I pushed up to my feet again. 
 
�You okay?� the guy asked, moving forward slowly. �You need help?� 
 
�Yeah,� I muttered, wiping at my eyes as I realized the rain made it a pointless act. �Yeah�um�can you tell me how to get to�to the Lexington?� 
 
�Lexington? Hotel?� he asked. 
 
I nodded, moving toward him slowly. 
 
�It�s over on Thurman and Hines, right?� 
 
�I�m not sure,� I returned, pulling the jacket I had on closer to myself. 
 
�Were you crying?� 
 
�Not your business,� I noted. 
 
�You go this way,� he muttered, stepping back to point up the alley. �It�s�a ways off. You want a taxi?� 
 
�No,� I returned. �I�m having issues with my friends and�I just need to keep away from them for a while. I lost my way.� 
 
He nodded, pointing. �At that block, take a right. I suggest you stay on the main roads because these alleys are a maze if you start into them. Just go right, and the first light you take a left, and walk that way until you get to Minuet, go right down Minuet�it�s a mile or three, not sure exactly. It�ll be a walk.� 
 
I�d been out since before sunset, kinda made sense I was far beyond. 
 
My jacket was soaking through�but it wasn�t even my jacket. 
 
Where had it even come from? 
 
��you get to Hines then,� the guy summed up. �It�s a ways up there somewhere, you�ll have to look around because I�m not familiar with that district�all right?� 
 
Uh� 
 
I nodded at him. 
 
�You sure you don�t want a taxi?� he pressed, frowning at me as he looked to the clouds. �It�s awfully wet out here.� 
 
�I�ll be�fine,� I returned, looking the way he was pointing. �Um�thanks.� 
 
�I really think you should get a cab,� he muttered, starting to walk with me. �You sure you got what I said?� 
 
�My camera has film,� I retorted. 
 
�What?� he asked uncertainly. 
 
�Joke about photographic memories,� I retorted dryly. Wufei liked to say he wanted to run out of film some day just to see what he�d do� 
 
�Oh,� he laughed a somewhat token laugh. 
 
�I really don�t want company right now,� I noted, meeting his eyes. �I�m in no mood.� 
 
�In all honesty I think you need medical attention,� he retorted, stopping to cross his arms. �You�re either high or something else.� 
 
I tsked at him in disgust. �I don�t do drugs, thanks for the faith in me.� 
 
�Hey,� he called. 
 
I turned to look at him. 
 
�Don�t dog me for caring about my fellow man.� 
 
�I appreciate it,� I returned wryly, then turned to start walking again with my hands in my pockets. 
 
Why did my wrist hurt? 
 
I pulled my arm out to rub at the thing as I turned right at the road. 
 
<center>x x x</center> 
 
�Yeah, hey,� Bobbi muttered with his cell phone to his ear as he watched the guy walking around the corner. �I just wanted to let someone know that there�s a guy heading over toward Minuet now�he looks a bit off.� 
 
�Off?� the operator asked. 
 
�Yeah�high or something. He can�t seem to stay focused. He asked me for directions to the Lexington Hotel�I gave them to him, but I don�t know how far he�ll follow them.� 
 
�Blond guy?� he asked. 
 
�Yeah�about six foot�wearing a jacket.� 
 
�A jacket?� that sounded confused. �Well, we�ll go check it out. Can you make sure he's going in that direction?" 
 
�I�ll see. He turned a few minutes ago, he should still be in sight.� Bobbi moved up the alley, looking down the road when he reached it and stopping. �I�don�t see him.� He ran up the road to look at the cross-street, studying the distance as he wondered if maybe he�d been seeing things. 
 
�Sir?� 
 
�I�there he is,� Bobbi darted across the street to honking horns. �He�s heading up the alley between Norfolk and Timbale�is someone looking for him? I can probably stop him until the authorities reach us.� 
 
�Yes, and no,� the guy noted. �He�s an ex-soldier with post-traumatic stress. Just leave the man alone. You�ve done your bit, I have officers heading to the location now.� 
 
�All right,� Bobbi muttered, stopping and looking at the traffic that had picked up again. �I�ll see if I can tail him.� 
 
�I�m going to have to ask you not to do that, sir,� the man muttered. �He could be a possible threat to you if he thought you might be an enemy. He�s a war veteran, and we�d rather not have someone getting hurt. Can I get your name?� 
 
<center>x x x</center> 
 
Lightning flashed and I looked up to the sky with that same sick sensation in my stomach. 
 
�Quatre, please rethink this,� Irania protested, moving to follow me. �What can you accomplish on your own? Why do you think they chose a mere boy for this job?� 
 
�I fit in the cockpit,� I retorted in aggravation. �I�ve committed myself�I don�t care about the fortune.� 
 
The rain was so cold� 
 
Another flash of lightning lit up my sister�s somber expression, and when the light had gone I couldn�t see her anymore. 
 
I stopped, looking around. 
 
I was alone in the alley. 
 
The eerie sensation of being watched intensified, and I picked up my pace. 
 
�Quatre, please, rethink this,� Irania insisted, following me. �What can you accomplish on your own? Why do you think�� 
 
I looked around to glare at her, then noticed a car at the end of the alley, turning in slowly. 
 
They�d found me. 
 
I broke into an instant run, launching from ground level to a fire-escape above my head. They might have mechs, but with the damned cars they were no match for a man on foot. 
 
�Wait!� someone shouted. 
 
My ass. 
 
I launched myself across the alley to the far side, landing loudly on that fire escape before scrambling over the top of that building. 
 
�Damn,� someone muttered in amazement. �Who said white boys can�t jump?� 
 
That should have been funny, right? 
 
I ran across the roof, spotting a ledge of the far side that would keep me more or less out of sight from any hovering mechs, and ran at that, jumping parkour style toward the thing. 
 
Running around with Trowa had some very serious benefits. 
 
I didn�t have enough room for a proper landing, but I didn�t really need more space as I wound my way very carefully along the ledge, wondering what the people inside those apartments would think if they noticed me. 
 
I didn�t want them to catch me, though�I just had to find Sandrock. 
 
At the end of my little ledge was a much thinner ledge that led to more fire escapes, the only issue was that moss had grown on that edge, and there was a very real chance I could fall four stories. I wasn�t sure anymore if four stories was a lethal height or not, but no matter if it was fatal or not, it�d hurt like hell if I fell�but I absolutely had to get out of the open. 
 
I started along the ledge. 
 
<center>x x x</center> 
 
�Someone called in a report,� Trowa muttered as he caught up with Heero and Wufei again as they started past the end of an alley. �Said he was in some alleys over there,� the man pointed toward their right. �He picked up a jacket somewhere�and they�re sure it�s him because he jumped to one of those,� he pointed at one of the fire escapes that was higher up than most normal people could jump. 
 
�Second guessing teaching him your tricks yet?� Wufei asked wryly. 
 
�You�re so clever,� Trowa retorted irritably. 
 
�Don�t even start,� Heero cut them off in his monotone. �Why aren�t we in a car?� 
 
�Because Quatre is a pilot,� Wufei explained sweetly, looking to him. �Quatre was trained excessively with his body. I seem to recall a story of you using a horse to jump to a third story office�and if you think he can�t do that same sort of shit you�re sadly mistaken.� 
 
�Cars move faster,� Heero retorted. �We could drive around and look for him, and have somewhere to put him when we pick him up.� 
 
�Or we could find him with a car and have to ditch it because�oh, wait, he�s already gone to the rooftops. Come on, Heero. Let�s go get a helicopter.� 
 
Heero stopped, staring at Wufei in hurt disbelief. �What did I do?� he demanded. 
 
Wufei reached over and touched one of the abrasions on his face, which made him flinch hard, then studied the fluid the wound had been weeping. Touching the thing transferred the liquid to his fingers. Wufei met Heero�s eyes again as he rubbed the tips together to dispose of the wet, then turned away. 
 
Heero�s frustration with the entire situation ballooned in his chest. He didn�t understand�he hadn�t expected Duo to do anything�Duo�d had a life of luxury, and then he�d run away�and then everyone was attacking him�like Duo�d been the perfect angel. 
 
�A little bitter, Wufei?� Trowa demanded. 
 
�I would leave you both in a heartbeat,� Wufei spat back viciously. �I�d let you both rot in Brazil and be done with you if I could do it.� 
 
�Because you�re such a prize to deal with yourself,� Trowa snapped back, then hesitated and looked back to Heero, stopping himself. 
 
�Heero, come on!� Wufei�s order was full of latent irritation and a sort of bitter anger that smacked obviously of controlling himself and his tone. 
 
�You really hate me, don�t you?� Heero whispered, staring at the Chinese man in disbelief. 
 
�I hate that we lost Quatre,� Wufei snarled, then looked to the road�and crossed the street. 
 
Heero swallowed slightly as Trowa moved quickly to follow. 
 
What had he done to deserve hell, really? 
 
Did everyone hate him? Did Trowa really hate him? It was obvious that Duo did� 
 
�Heero!� Trowa snapped. 
 
Heero hurried to catch up. 
 
 

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