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Duo stepped into Heero's room, towing Quatre, who was still pleading with the braided boy. If one looked only at Duo's ear-to-ear grin, one would think that someone had just given him a long-awaited gift. A quick glance into his eyes and the onlooker would know the truth: Duo was absent; Shinigami was here, and he was ready to earn his name.
"I saw what you did to her," the silver-haired boy whispered to Heero, the grin never faltering. He walked forward until he was nose-to-nose with the taller boy, Quatre, Trowa, and Wu Fei following after. "I hope you enjoyed that, because you'll never lay a hand on her again."
"Duo, stand back," Heero muttered tiredly. "I don't want to fight you."
"Sucks to be you," the streaked apparition hissed, and swung a hard left aimed at Heero's chin.
Heero ducked the blow and backed up. "Look, Maxwell, I just want to get out of here--"
"Not before you pay for what you've done!" Duo screamed, and lunged at Heero again, knocking Quatre to the ground. Heero brought a forearm up to protect his face, but to no avail; Duo's punch caught him in the stomach, bending him over and knocking the wind out of him. Duo pulled back and grinned, dropping into a fighting stance. "Not as easy to hit as a defenseless woman, ne?" he whispered happily through his teeth.
Heero looked up at him through messy brown bangs, purposely staying low to fool the braided boy into thinking he was seriously hurt.
Duo wasn't fooled. He brought his leg up in a kick that would have beheaded a normal man. But Heero was no normal man; his hand, blindingly fast, flashed out and grabbed Duo's ankle. Duo's eyes widened in shock as Heero straightened quickly, flinging the smaller boy into the air. Duo landed on his back, hard. He lay gasping for a few seconds; Heero, not even panting, turned again to leave.
The second his back was turned, Duo came off the ground screaming. Quatre and the other boys could only watch, unable to stop Duo and unwilling to inhibit Heero's punishment.
Duo ran at Heero's retreating form, intending to place a spine-shattering blow to his back; Heero sensed him coming and whirled around, striking Duo across his face and forcing him to stumble backward. Duo, too maddened to pay attention to where he was going, tripped over his own feet and fell to the floor again.
Heero stood over Duo, glaring at him through a shock of bangs. "Listen to me, Duo: I am leaving. I'm going away. None of you will have to worry about me for a while. So save your strength."
"You sadistic bastard," Duo sneered up at him. "If I hadn't promised her, I'd kill your ass."
"You'd better hope all these guys are prepared to back you up, then." Heero turned his glare toward the two boys still on their feet. Trowa said nothing, only returned Heero's glare. Wu Fei looked at Heero contemptuously. "You know I have no great love for Relena. But anyone who harms someone weaker than themselves..." He stood up straighter. "Yes, I'll back him up."
Quatre had untangled himself from Duo's legs, and now stood between Heero and the other boys. "Look, if he wants to leave, let's just let him go. I'm sure Heero is already sorry enough for all of this, and it's not good for us to fight each other."
Duo sprang to his feet incredulously. "Quatre, he beat Relena black and blue! I saw her--I could barely recognize her! Give me one reason why I shouldn't return the favor!"
"Because it isn't yours to return," Trowa quietly spoke up. The braided boy spun around to stare up at him. Trowa continued, "Relena is a smart girl--she'll avenge herself. Besides, it's none of our business. They can work it out."
"Are you nuts?!" Duo shouted angrily. "What if that were Catherine?"
Emerald eyes flashed dangerously. "Leave her out of this, Duo."
Quatre stepped between the two boys, placing a hand on Trowa's arm. "Please! Stop this!" The blond boy was nearly in tears as he looked at Heero. His eyes held a mixture of anger, hurt, and deep, deep sadness. Heero could only imagine what he was going through, feeling the emotional turmoil of five people at once. Still, Quatre visibly marshaled his strength and spoke.
"Heero, you know I'm your friend. We all are--"
"Speak for yourself," muttered Duo. Quatre turned to him. "Yes, even you, Duo. You and Heero were once best friends." He faced Heero again. "But I think it really is best that you leave now. You're doing the right thing."
~tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away~
Heero hung his head and sighed, shouldering his gear once again.
::they're all against you::
::HA HA HA HA::
Shut up...please...
When he felt he could control himself, using the methods of emotional control Dr. J had taught him, he lifted his head to face the boys who had been the only friends he had ever known.
"I know you don't understand why I did what I did," he sighed. "The truth is, I don't understand it either. I love Relena more than anything--"
"We don't want to hear your excuses!" Duo exclaimed. "We just want you the fuck out before I change my mind and rip your fucking head off!"
"DUO!" Quatre screamed at him. Duo fell back, bewildered. Quatre had never raised his voice to him before; indeed, the gentle boy never raised his voice to anyone. Trowa came forward and took the small boy in his arms, understanding the immense burden he was dealing with. Quatre slumped into the taller boy's embrace, surrendering to the tears. After a long moment he felt another hand, a stronger hand, on his shoulder, and looked up to see Heero looking down at him tenderly. Trowa was giving Heero warning glares.
"Don't feel bad for me, Quatre," Heero said quietly. "Relena's the one who needs your help, not me."
"But that's not true!" Quatre blurted out. "You're the one who needs help!"
"That's why I'm leaving now," Heero replied. "To help myself."
He gave Quatre's shoulder a gentle pat and turned to go. Quatre turned his face back into Trowa's chest, still crying. Wu Fei stared at Heero stonily, but stood his ground. Duo started forward, but a glance from Trowa stopped him in his tracks.
"You better stay the fuck gone, Yuy!" he shouted. "If you ever show your ass back here I promise I will fucking kill you! That's a promise from Shinigami, buddy!"
Heero did not flinch; he walked through the door and down the stairs without looking back.
~talking to myself all the way to the station
pictures in my head of the final destination
all lined up
(all the ones that aren't allowed to stay)
tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away~
The voices were out in full force tonight.
::it's morning, buddy...you've been up kicking ass all night::
PLEASE PLEASE STOP
::no chance, old buddy! didn't you hear the silly baka? you're stuck with us now, you can't ever come back here::
Heero cared nothing for God or whether or not He existed, but at that moment he began to pray that the terrible voices would leave him alone.
::oh, that wouldn't be good--if we leave you alone you won't have anybody::
He choked down a sob and pushed his way out of Quatre's house and into the garage. His own motorcycle, parked next to Wu Fei's, dwarfed the smaller bike; he nearly knocked it down mounting his own Harley. Revving the motor loudly, trying to drown out the voices, he squealed out of the garage and made for the spaceport.
~tried to save a place from the cuts and the scratches
tried to overcome my complications and my catches
nothing ever grows and the sun doesn't shine all day
tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away~
As he drove, he reflected on the previous scene. Kami, what a fuck-up...I'd hoped to get out of there without a fight. He supposed it couldn't have been helped; if Duo really wanted to hurt him, he would have found him regardless of where he went. Still...that had been messy. Too messy.
Heero came to a three-way intersection; going straight would take him to the spaceport, turning left would bring him eventually to Relena's house. He considered for a moment, wrestling with himself--and went straight.
He continued on his way, and the sun began to rise unnoticed. A storm was brewing, and there was heavy cloud cover; the sky merely gradually became lighter shades of blue.
As the commotion in his head increased, the tears running down his cheeks went unnoticed as well.
~tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away~