Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Pinball ❯ Rescue ( Chapter 11 )

Series: Pinball

Chapter 11: Rescue

Author: Niere

Rating: PG-13

DISCLAIMER: The series Gundam Wing and the characters therein do not belong to me. I'm just putting them in different situations to see how they react.

Summary: It's a world where everyone has psionic abilities…well, most everyone. Another contest is coming up and the undefeated Duo notices a new player, a null, a person with no psionic abilities. Just what is it about this boy and why can't Duo get him off his mind?

Author's Note: My sincerest thanks to all of you that are reading this and especially to those that have let me know. Your comments have really brightened my life! Sorry about the 'cliffhanger'. It wasn't intentional, just seemed like an appropriate stopping place at the time.

I'd like to apologize to those that have had difficulty knowing when the manual alphabet was being used. I was using stars as well as italics to highlight what was being 'spelled'. I had no idea that the stars were not coming through. Gomen. I've change it, now. Again, I apologize for the confusion.

Methods of communication:

"normal speech"

{manual alphabet}

//telepathic speech//

::morse code::

TK=telekinesis, the ability to move things with one's mind. TP=telepathy, the ability to send/receive thoughts. Empathy=the ability to send/receive emotions or feelings. Pyrokinesis=the ability to create/control fire. Pre-cog=the ability to "see" the future.

* * *

The growling of Duo's empty stomach began to pull the boy back towards wakefulness. His sleep-fogged brain was in conflict. A part was pulling him upwards, while another, more primal section clung to the nothingness of sleep. Sleep was good. Sleep was safe.

The part dragging him from the sludge of sleep was stronger. Slowly, sensations manifested. He was warm, this was emphasized by the chill of his nose. Easily fixed. Duo's head turned to bury his face in the warmth next to him. There, better now. Another sense surfaced. He was also safe. That's good.

Wait a minute…safe? There was something wrong with that. Of course he was safe, why wouldn't he be?

Duo felt arms tighten around him and a sense of panic began to flare, his body tensing.

Who was holding him? Why was he being held? And most important, what happened to safe?

He forced his eyes to open as a hand started moving along his back. The motion was soothing, reinforcing the feeling of safety. His head tilted upwards and his vision fought to focus. Dark, unruly hair, deep blue eyes that seemed to see through him, a slight quirk of a smile on luscious lips…he knew that face…didn't he?

His stomach growled again. The smile before him widened a bit and the warmth he was cuddled against shook slightly. A hand groped gently until it found his.

{hungry}

Heero. He was being held by Heero.

He was dreaming again, he figured. There was no way that this could be anything but a dream.

His stomach growled yet again. This finally pulled his grudging mind awake. Ok, so it wasn't a dream. If it was, he wouldn't be starved and they would be wearing a lot less clothing.

{where's the pizza, you never got a chance to eat}

Pizza?

That's right. He vaguely remembered fixing a plate for Heero before taking his bath.

Duo craned his neck to look over his shoulder. The pizza box was still on the desk where he'd seen it last.

All the way over there. Darn. Too bad Trowa wasn't here. He could sure use his talent about now.

Something registered as he thought about his friend, something about calling Trowa.

Why would he call Trowa?

Maybe to get the pizza for him. Yeah, that was a good idea. Call Trowa and have him send the box over.

{Duo where's the pizza}

{on the desk where I left it}

{do you want me to get it for you}

Duo thought about that. Not such a bad idea, either, but then he would lose the warmth. He didn't want that. And there was that safety issue again.

He looked back towards the pizza box. He widened his field of awareness and noticed something on the floor. He couldn't see it very well, but he thought he could just make out a foot sticking out from the couch area just beyond the wall separating it from the bed.

Duo shuddered and burrowed his face back into Heero's neck.

{Duo what is it}

{I think Erik is dead}

{who is Erik}

{the officer who was supposed to watch us} Duo shuddered again. {I could see his foot}

Heero held the braided boy tightly for a moment, then found his hand again. {help is on the way} he spelled.

{how do you know}

{I called}

{you called someone} Duo stared at his friend in shock. {who how} Something wasn't quite registering right.

{you dialed the number for me} Heero explained. {I used the morse code to communicate. Trowa should have gotten someone to send help by now}

Duo's eyes widened. {smart thinking} A thought came to him. {you know, I think that deserves an award} With a grin, he tilted his head up further and kissed Heero for the first time.

* * *

Although completely exhausted, Heero only managed to doze for a few minutes. Something in him wouldn't allow it, wanting at least one of them awake, if not totally aware of their surroundings.

He spent the time physically enjoying Duo's presence. The boy's warmth and innate strength were a comfort to him. His mind, on the other hand, was busy.

He didn't like the fact that someone could come in without his knowledge. Duo needed protection, which meant that Heero needed at least his senses back. He divided his mind: part concentrating on the air patterns to let him know when/if the door opened, and part continuing to chip at the barrier placed on him.

Dr. J was a very strong telepath, which was how the block had been placed. Heero had once been a telepath also. Supposedly, he had the potential to become very strong also. This was why J had wanted him in the first place.

As his body was trained, so Heero worked with his own mind. He would spend his long, lonely hours first becoming aware of the block, then attempting to chip away at it. Apparently, he had made some progress. His ability to play the game of pinball was proof of that. Being blind and deaf, he shouldn't have any awareness of the ball when it was in play, but he had noticed that if he was being watched, he could sense it…sort of 'see' it through the eyes of the person watching him.

This was what he worked the hardest on. If he could just become aware of his surroundings, he could keep Duo safe, or at least warn him in advance. It no longer mattered that much to him if he regained his telepathy. He had been without it longer than he'd been aware of it. Sensing the thoughts of others, although a nice talent and potentially handy, was no longer a necessity to him.

Sight and hearing, on the other hand…

He wanted to see what his fingers told him was a lovely face. He wanted to hear the voice of the person he was coming to love. Anything else would be just icing on the cake.

Duo shifted slightly. Heero could feel a vibration coming from the vicinity of the boy's stomach. He remembered that Duo hadn't eaten, they had been attacked before he'd had a chance to. It must be Duo's stomach growling that he felt.

He tightened his hold to let his friend know that he was safe for the moment. His attempt at reassurance apparently had the opposite affect, as the form he held tensed. Heero began running his hand up and down the other boy's back. This worked better. The body relaxed again.

The vibration came again and Heero chuckled at the tickling sensation it caused. He felt around until he found Duo's hand. {hungry} he asked. The tickling vibration happened again. The only way to stop it would to feed him. {where's the pizza, you never got a chance to eat}

He felt Duo look over his shoulder towards the desk. Was that where it was? {Duo where's the pizza}

{on the desk where I left it}

{do you want me to get it for you}

Heero felt Duo look over again, then shudder and bury his face back in it's place in Heero's neck. This worried him. {Duo what is it}

{I think Erik is dead}

{who is Erik}

{the officer who was supposed to watch us} Duo shuddered again. {I could see his foot}

That would explain a few things. So, the creep had taken out their protection in order to get to them. Heero held Duo tightly for a moment, then groped for his hand again. {help is on the way} I hope, he thought.

{how do you know}

{I called}

{you called someone} Duo's head lifted. {who how}

{you dialed the number for me} Heero explained. {I used the morse code to communicate. Trowa should have gotten someone to send help by now}

{smart thinking} There was a pause. {you know, I think that deserves an award}

The next thing Heero knew, Duo was kissing him. It was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened in his life. Duo's lips were so soft and sweet. Oh, if only he could see him. The small part of his brain not caught up in the kiss began to throw itself frantically against the barrier surrounding his mind.

Heero could feel a flare in Duo's power. Suddenly something within him shattered, causing him to gasp and pull back from Duo. His eyes flew open.

There before him was the most beautiful pair of violet eyes he had ever seen. They were the highlight of the heart-shaped face. He could hear the hissing of the air conditioner in the otherwise silent room.

He didn't know exactly what happened, but it seemed that his wish had been granted. His sight and hearing had been restored. What about his voice? Was he able to talk also?

It was harsh from years of non-use, but functional. "Duo?" he asked.

* * *

Kissing Heero was wonderful. Forget the pizza, Duo could survive on the sweetness of that mouth. Forgotten was the horror they had been through. He could lose himself in this forever.

Suddenly, Duo's power flared. He hadn't tried to use it, it worked on it's own. He could feel something within Heero shatter.

Heero gasped and pulled back from him.

Oh, no! What had he done?!

Heero's eyes flew open and for the first time actually focused on him. His mouth slowly opened. The voice was harsh from a long time of non-use, but what came out was the most beautiful thing Duo had ever heard.

"Duo?"

Suddenly Heero's eyes widened. He started clutching his head and he whimpered.

"Heero? What is it? What's wrong?"

//too much. Too many people. Help me//

'Oh, gods', Duo thought. 'I managed to break down the barrier, but now he has no shields at all.'

//shields?// Heero whimpered again.

Duo clamped down on his own thoughts. All of the guys were able to shield, being around Quatre had taught them that. But Heero had no training, nor the need for such…until now. Now, they were in a crowded hotel in the center of the city. There was no telling just how many thoughts Heero was picking up. If something wasn't done soon, the boy could lose himself completely.

Just then, the door opened. Duo looked up and saw a familiar form peek around the corner. That white-blonde hair was unmistakable.

"Zechs!" Duo called, "hurry, Heero needs help!"

Both Zechs and Treize moved quickly into the room, guns drawn. They took in the sight of the bodies on the floor, one in the living area and the other at the foot of the bed. No blood was anywhere to be seen. The position of Erik's head made his method of demise obvious, a broken neck, but the other?

In a matter of seconds, the situation had been assessed and Treize moved over to where the two boys were.

"What happened to him?" Zechs asked.

"I don't know. All I did was kiss him," Duo's eyes were wide and frightened. "Then my talent flared somehow. I felt something in him shatter. Oh gods, what did I do to him?"

Zechs gathered the terrified teen into his arms. He was careful to keep his own body between the boy and the corpses. The sight of them just might make things worse.

Treize, in the meantime, went to Heero. He took Heero's hands and reached out with his mind. He was almost overwhelmed himself by the sheer number of thoughts whirling through the boy's mind. He immediately reached out with his own shields and surrounded the other's mind, before it became completely lost.

Heero slumped in relief as the cacophony in his head was eased. "Heero," Treize said softly. The boy looked up at him. "I'm going to show you how to shield. It will only be the basics, but it will help." Heero nodded, then closed his eyes in concentration.

"He's going to be all right," Zechs reassured the boy in his arms as they watched Treize 'instruct' Heero. Duo just nodded and stared.

After a few minutes, Treize drew back his hands and Heero's eyes opened. "Better?" Treize asked.

Heero nodded. "I can still hear them, but it's quieter, more distant."

"Are you ok, Heero?" Duo whispered.

"I'm fine." Heero turned his head and smiled. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

Treize noted the direction Heero was looking and smirked. "I agree, but he's taken."

"Huh?" Heero asked, while both Duo and Zechs blushed.

Treize laughed and shook his head. "Never mind. Let's go, shall we?"

"Where are we going now?" Duo asked.

"Home with us," Zechs told him.

"Home with you?" Heero parroted.

Treize smiled. "Exactly. Especially now that your talent is back. There you will have the safety you need as well as the distance from people that you desperately require at the moment."

"We wanted to take you there in the first place," Zechs continued, "but channels had to be followed."

"If you would both close your eyes please," Treize instructed the boys.

"Why?" they both asked.

"I'm sure you'd rather not see what the events of this evening have left in the room," Treize told them. Duo and Heero looked at each other, then screwed their eyes tightly shut. "Thank you. Now, if you would permit us…" He nodded at Zechs who stood, already holding one boy in his arms. Treize scooped up the other. They both squawked at the sudden elevation, but kept their eyes closed.

The men carried the boys out of the room, closed the door, and set them gently on their feet. "I'm sure you can walk on your own from here," Treize said with a smile. "This way." He turned and led them down the hall.

* * *

Heero's senses as well as his talent had been restored. This fact made him extremely happy, but it was also rather overwhelming. The shield Treize had shown him how to erect, helped, but nothing would stop the multitude of sights and sounds that bombarded him. It was too much for him to handle now, and they were only in the bare hallway of the hotel. How would he possibly be able to manage the trip through the city?

Duo paused as Heero shrank back. "Heero? What is it? What's wrong?"

Heero closed his eyes and covered his ears. He backed up until he came to the wall, then slowly slid downwards, huddling on the floor. "Too much, too much," he kept repeating.

"I don't understand," Treize said. "He's shielding well enough to block most of the thoughts around us."

Duo went over and sat on his heels in front of his friend. "Heero?"

Heero lifted his head and opened his eyes. The light shining behind Duo hurt, so he closed them again, quickly.

Duo noticed the wince of pain and it hit him what the problem was. Heero had not only been without his talent, but had been blind and deaf. The sudden emergence of his senses as well as his talent was what was overloading him.

"Heero, can you hear me?" Duo asked softly. Heero nodded. "Good. We're going to leave now, I'm going to help you, ok?"

"How?" Heero's voice was muffled from his head being buried in his knees.

"Keep your eyes closed and just listen to my voice. I'll lead you. I know you can do this. Now, stand up."

Heero slowly stood. Duo put an arm around the boy and nodded in the direction of Zechs and Treize.

"Does this help?" Duo asked. Heero nodded again. "Good. Hey, now you can really meet the others. I'm sure Wufei, Trowa and Quatre will be happy to finally get to know the real you."

Duo kept his voice low to force Heero to concentrate to hear him. One thing Duo was able to do well was talk. He told Heero all about the friends he would be able to meet in person.

* * *

Keeping his eyes closed helped, as did the steady drone of Duo's voice. Heero was able to make it through the hotel and into the car. Even with his eyes closed, the bright lights bothered his eyes, and the multitude of sounds was easily overwhelming. Only by concentrating on Duo's soft voice, was he able to block out the rest of the world. The shield Treize had shown him how to build was full of holes, but the contact with the other boy helped with that also. He could 'hear' the thoughts as well as the words.

As they entered the car, other thoughts bled through. They were thoughts of guilt and remorse. "I should have been monitoring the link, not getting side-tracked like that. It's my fault. I should have known…"

Heero reached out a hand and placed it on Zechs' shoulder. "It's ok. You came. We're ok, the rest doesn't matter, now."

Zechs looked back at the boy, startled. "Sorry about that." He concentrated for a moment and Heero could no longer 'hear' him.

Heero sighed and snuggled closer in Duo's embrace. The steady chatter was soothing and he was still exhausted. He went to sleep listening to that quiet voice.

* * *

Duo smiled at the sleeping boy in his arms. Then he frowned as his still empty stomach made it's displeasure known. "Uh, guys?" he quietly asked, "any chance of getting something to eat? Things happened a bit quickly and I never got a chance at the pizza."

Zechs smiled back at him. "I'm sure we could find something for you when we get home."

"Thanks."

"In the meantime," Treize added, "why don't you try to get some rest also? It will take us a bit longer to get back than it did to get to you."

"Hey!" Zechs looked affronted. "I got us there didn't I?"

"Yes you did," Treize admitted, "but this is still a car, not a plane. It isn't meant to fly like you tried to make it do."

Zechs folded his arms and slumped in his seat, grumbling.

Duo grinned at the teasing between the two. For all their arguing and banter, they seemed very comfortable with each other. He yawned suddenly. It had been a very difficult day and even more trying evening. The short nap had helped, but more sleep sounded like a good idea. He maneuvered Heero into a more comfortable position and rested his head on the dark one. Moments later, he also was again asleep.

* * *

TBC