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"Dirty Job"Written By: ExecutiveShrimp Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, it belongs
to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. Written for pleasure not
profit. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Violence, angst, Lemons, Limes Pairings: 1x2x1 Summary: Duo is a masterful pickpocket and skilled but small-time con artist who always chooses to play it safe. When his best friend owes the wrong people a lot of money, Duo get pulled into a high-stakes plot to rob thirty-something billionaire Heero Yuy. The only way to succeed and save his friend is to push his own boundaries and get way too involved.
"Dirty Job" Chapter Twenty-one For a moment he didn't even hear The Bear's dark chuckle. All sound was drowned out by the noise of blood rushing in his ears. He swallowed and that made him realize how nauseous he had suddenly become. The sole of his shoe squeaked on the marble floor as he was finally prompted into action. He rushed forward, but before he could reach out for Heero's unconscious form, a strong arm stopped him and pushed him back. The Bear growled at him, like a true predator staking claim over his prey. Duo glared at him, as furious as he could, but he had never felt smaller than he did that very second, looking up at the powerful beast of a man, towering over him. "What have you done?! Are you crazy?!" "Possibly," was the sly reply. "But this, right here, is what is going to save us from Tsubarov's wrath." "What the fuck does that even mean?" "Now that you have killed Angelica, he is our only chance at getting into that safe." Duo reeled back at the accusations and was unable to deny it, but then the second part of what The Bear said sunk in. "He's out cold, how is that going to help?" The Bear quirked an eyebrow at him like he was stupid – and yeah, in the moment, he was, he had no wit left in the situation. "We're going to wait for him to wake up and get him to open the safe for us." He reached down, roughly rolled Heero onto his back and grabbed at the front of his shirt to raise him up and throw him over his shoulder like a ragdoll. The American conman watched with horror at the man being handled like that, his body completely lifeless and the blood that had poured from his nose drying and darkening on his upper lip and chin and a trail down his throat to his stained shirt. He shot a glance at the smear of blood on the white wall, right by the alarm panel. A small green LED blinked calmly and Duo had half a mind to slam his hand down onto the red panic button, but he couldn't see an outcome that would improve the likelihood of any of them making it out of the house unharmed. As long as The Bear believed he could still get out of the heist what Tsubarov had demanded of them, there was still a chance for Duo to get J.J. and Heero out alive. He trembled from head to toe as he followed the big man through the home office and down the stairs into the secret basement. The Bear rolled the desk chair around the desk to the middle of the room and dropped Heero into the seat. He tied the billionaire's hands to the armrests using electrical wires from Angelica's kit, stepping on her hair as he walked around her to get what he needed, without any respect for her. The basement felt like it was shrinking around them further and further with every breath Duo took, like a boa constrictor tightening around him. J.J. was nothing but a ghost, paper white and silent. He had followed them down into the office and stood to the side uselessly. His gaze was fixed on a spot on the floor, he couldn't look at any of them, not at Duo, not at The Bear, not at Heero and not at Angelica. The bald man kneeled in front of Heero and took off his shoes and socks before tying his feet together with more wires. When he moved away to continue rummaging through Angelica's kit, Duo stepped forward and fretted over the unconscious man. His head had drooped down, his hair had fallen in front of his face. He gently cupped his chin in his hand and raised his head up. With his thumb he tried to clean some of the blood. He put his hand on the man's chest, feeling his heartbeat and he listened to his breathing. The other hand he ran through his hair. It was soft and wild, like he hadn't put in any gel that he usually used to calm his youthful mop. He had seen him vulnerable before, but never like this, never so helpless. His heart ached and he was terrified. Then J.J. finally spoke: "Where is Neil?" The Bear rose from the floor and placed a large pair of cutting pliers on the corner of the desk. "He left us, J.J. He left us in this mess." Duo remained close to Heero, shielding him from The Bear as he listened to the man lie to his little brother. He knew Neil hadn't just left, The Bear wouldn't have let him. His only hope was that the guards would find his body somewhere in the yard during a routine sweep in the night, although he wasn't exactly sure how any rescue operation could get them out of that basement alive. "He's going to tell Tsubarov that we failed," J.J. worried his lower lip with his teeth. "But we haven't failed, not yet," said the other. He motioned at Heero. "He will open that safe for us. And you will help, won't you?" J.J. nodded eagerly. "Stop it," Duo seethed. "Stop trying to recruit him." The Bear turned to face him. "I'm only giving him a choice. The choice to be a success, or the choice to be a failure." "We are all failures!" Duo shouted angrily. "We're a bunch of losers who think we deserve stuff when we don't." "So what do you think we deserve, Duo? What do you think your brother deserves?" The Bear challenged with a condescending tone. "Do you think your brother deserves to be cruelly executed by Tsubarov?" "Don't twist my words," he growled. "J.J. made a big mistake when he lost Tsubarov a lot of money, but Tsubarov was kind enough to give him a second chance, rather than make me kill your little brother right away. And what of you?" "What of me? I've given him plenty of chances! I'm always cleaning up his messes for him, that is exactly why I'm here! I've always been there for him, unlike you and that fucking comic book villain that Tsubarov makes himself out to be!" The Bear chuckled and it infuriated Duo further. "Maybe it is true that you always helped him out in the past. But lately, ever since you've been hanging out with this spoiled piece of shit," he thumbed in Heero's direction, "you've gotten to think that you are too good for us; for this life." "Actually, the opposite is true," Duo argued. "Heero is the person who has made me realized that I am not too good for anything, but instead that I should work to be better." The Bear titled his head. "How adorable. You're so full of shit, I honestly thought he wouldn't fucked that out of you by now." "We haven't even-!" He stopped himself. He shouldn't let the man get him riled up like that, he needed to keep his cool to the best of his abilities if he was to figure out a way for them to escape this mess. "Oh yeah, that's right. You two didn't even fuck at all. Because you love him too much," he mocked. "And you didn't want to fuck him as part of your con. He clenched his hands into fists but managed to keep his lips sealed. While maintained eye contact with Duo, The Bear instructed J.J. to go upstairs to go get some water to wake Heero up with. J.J. obediently headed up the stairs. "What are you going to do to us when you get the money?" The Bear shrugged. "That is not my decision. That is up to Tsubarov." "What about what you did to Neil? You didn't do that on your own accord?" "Neil tried to leave. Neil was a traitor. Tsubarov gave me clear instructions on how to deal with traitors." His voice dipped low. His eyes sparkled. He was about to say something. Probably not something clever and definitely not something that would successfully intimidate the much taller, much broader man. But a groan silenced both of them and Duo felt a surge of adrenaline that swelled his veins from his clenching heart to the tips of his fingers and even his toes. In turn, The Bear had never looked more pleased. "It looks like sleeping beauty is waking up." Both of them turned to see Heero loll his head to the other side. His eyelids began to flutters but then clenched shut as his brows furrowed in an expression of pain. Duo shot across the room on instinct. He moved to stand behind the desk, directly behind Heero, so as not to be seen and recognized. He watched Heero's head move back to the right and his shoulders tense up. The man groaned again – the more he returned to consciousness, the more he became aware of his throbbing head, after The Bear smashed his face into the wall, just a few minutes ago. Duo knew exactly when Heero became aware of his surroundings and the situation he was in. It was when he completely stilled – even stopped breathing – and he became quiet. The Bear stood in front of him, grinning. J.J. came back down the stairs, holding a glass of water like an idiot, looking like a deer in the headlights standing next to the Russian hulk. "Hello," purred The Bear. Duo's every breath came out shuddering. "It's nice to finally meet you," he continued. "What do you want?" Heero said through gritted teeth, masking his fear well. At first, laughter was the only response, then The Bear mocked: "Aren't you supposed to be a genius?" "We want your money!" Shouted J.J., his anxiety making him impatient. A single gesture from The Bear silenced the youngster and he cowered back into a corner. "Open the safe," he instructed. His voice was so calm, his inflection was very nearly friendly. "I am a genius," Heero asserted. "Which is why I know you'll kill me as soon as I give you access." A smile crept across The Bear's face. He stepped closer to the bound man – making Duo swallow so audibly he wondered if it had given away his position, hidden out of Heero's line of sight. The big man kneeled down in front of him and cocked his head to the side, amused. "If you don't give up the code, I'll make you wish you were dead." His smile widened and he lay a hand on Heero's, making the man flinch. But his hand was tied to the armrest, so he couldn't pull away. "And then I will grant you your wish." The Bear started to tighten his grip, moving the vice of his fingers up to Heero's wrist, which he squeezed harder and harder and the Japanese man started to squirm in his seat. The Bear kept studying Heero's face, leaning in uncomfortably close so he could enjoy the anguish he was causing. "I like you," he said. His big hand was becoming white-knuckled as he squeezed harder still. "You're tough. I'll enjoy breaking you." Heero whimpered. He struggled against his restraint to no avail. His flingers flexed and trembled. Then The Bear moved his gaze over Heero's left shoulder to look directly at Duo, taunting him with a smile. He was going to break his wrist and that would only be the start of it. Duo couldn't stand to be a witness to it any longer. Self-preservation was ignored and he yelled out: "Stop it!" Instantly The Bear let go of Heero and stepped back and Duo realized he had done exactly as the man wanted. This was the way in which The Bear meant to torture Heero. This was the way he was going to break him. Not by breaking his wrist, but by breaking his heart; making Duo reveal himself to the billionaire to ruin him mentally. After too long of a silence, Heero turned his head slightly but then stopped, like he didn't want to confirm it. Duo's face contorted. He was on the verge of crying, but he didn't let himself. "… Heero…-" He started to walk around the desk, getting closer to him. "No." Heero purposefully turned his head the other way. "No." "I didn't mean for any of this to happen," he said uselessly, coming to stand in front of him. Slowly, the business man looked up at him and as their eyes met, he started to hyperventilate. "No. No…" He kept saying. "I'm so sorry." He tried to ignore The Bear staring at them both, knowing the sadist was enjoying every second of this. He focused on Heero, on his wrought expression, his betrayed eyes. Forcing himself to see the consequences of his betrayal, because he deserved to be punished by the haunting memory of a man destroyed. Tears started rolling down his face, but the first sound to escape him was a bitter chuckle. "I should have known," he berated himself. "I should have known." "I've told you many lies, Heero. But I didn't lie when I told you I love you." "Oh stop it!" He burst. "You've won, Duo! You've conned me! You can stop now!" The Bear burst out laughing. "Trust me, Heero. Please. It was just a job at first. But I fell in love with you. That was real. It is real. I didn't want to do this to you, I know you don't deserve this…" He frantically motioned at J.J., the shrinking young man in the corner. "That's my baby brother. I had to help him." He nearly lost his footing when The Bear pushed him aside and he would have tripped over Angelica's lifeless body had he not steadied himself just in time. "I'm getting bored," he said. He produced the gun which had been stuffed into the back of his jeans. He waved it around threateningly. "Open the safe." Heero defiantly looked away. Frustrated that he didn't have the desired effect on the business man, he pointed the gun right at his forehead, parting his messy bangs with the end of the barrel. "Open the safe," he repeated more forcefully. "No." He inched forward and the gun pressed against Heero's forehead, making him tilt his head back. "Now." "No." He let out a frustrated laugh and with a smooth swing of his arm he aimed the gun at Duo and both men observed the flicker of fear in the Prussian blue eyes. The Bear smirked. "He fucked you over and you still give a shit about him?" He looked at Duo incredulously. "You know, I never gave you any credit for your mind games, but I have to admit: I am impressed. You are good." To Heero he said: "Tell me the combination for the safe, or I blow his brains out." His lower lip trembled for only a second until he regained control over his expressions. His face was a stone cold façade and his voice was steady as he retorted: "As soon as I open that safe, you will kill us all. I will give you the money; you walk away right now and I will have my guards drop the cash in a locker at the train station." The Bears gaze flitted from Heero to Duo and back. "You really are a slick business man. But I have to decline your proposal. I know the entire police force will be waiting for us at that train station." "Then we are at an impasse." "This is not a negotiation, little prince." He tucked the gun into the back of his jeans again. "It's time for my favourite part." He snatched the cutting pliers off the corner of the desk where he had deliberately placed them before. Duo stepped forward, but a single look from the large man stopped him dead in his tracks. The Bear kneeled in front of Heero and used the pliers to cut the wires that tied his feet together. As soon as his feet were freed, the man kicked wildly, but The Bear was strong enough to restrain him with his bare hands until the threat to break both his ankles subdued Heero. The Russian enforcer took one of Heero's bare feet into his lap and he ran the pliers up the sole of his foot, causing his toes to curl. "We are going to play a game," The Bear said. With a tight hold on Heero's calf, he kept the foot in place. "I've heard you've played it before. It's called Twenty-questions." Duo's face paled and so did Heero's. It was a new level to the betrayal. Duo had mentioned the game, which they had played in New York, to J.J., in passing. The little snitch obviously didn't keep anything private, still willing to do everything to earn the graces of the Russian enforcer and his superiors. "The rules are a little different than you're used to. You see, I am going to ask the same question, over and over. And every time you refuse to answer…" he paused to trail the pliers over the arch of Heero's foot to his little toe. "… I am going to cut something off. Twenty questions, ten toes and ten fingers. See how that works?" Heero pulled on his leg again but barely managed to move it an inch in The Bear's grasp. He jostled violently as the man positioned the cutting pliers around his little toe. "Don't you fucking dare!" Duo snapped. "Let go of him!" He lunged forward and pulled at the man's shoulders but he couldn't even get him to budge. J.J. intervened, grabbing at Duo's shirt and eventually his braid, trying to get him off The Bear. "What are you doing, you little shit?!" Duo shouted at his baby brother, turning his anger to him. He shook himself out of the youngster's grasp and pushed him so hard he staggered backwards and slammed into the paneled wall to the left of the safe. "They are going to kill us if we don't get Tsubarov his money!" J.J. shouted, distracting Duo. "Tell me," said The Bear to Heero. "No," was the response. Before Duo could do anything, Heero's shriek pierced the air, following the audible snip, accompanied by a sickening crack. The man flailed his leg but The Bear kept a hold of it as blood poured onto his lap. Duo punched The Bear in the face, breaking his knuckles on a cheekbone that was as hard as a brick wall. The next thing he knew, The Bear had risen to his feet and looked truly angry for the first time that evening. The man swung the steel pliers and hit Duo across the temple, knowing him down to the ground. He was barely able to remain conscious. He tried to scramble back up on his feet, but couldn't get up more than on his hands and knees. "Don't ruin my fun," the Russian warned and he kicked Duo in the stomach, causing him to roll across the floor. J.J. just stood by, watching with frightened eyes. Duo groaned and his mouth flooded with wetness. When he spat, red appeared on the floor in front of him. The Bear walked back to Heero and got into position on his knees again and this time he grabbed Heero's right hand and put the pliers around his index finger. Duo forced himself up on his feet, even as his vision was blurry. He searched Angelica's case for something heavy to use as a weapon, but he could hardly see. Then he realized the case itself was steel, with sharp edges and corners. In a split second, he slammed the lid shut, picked up the entire thing and bashed The Bear into the head with it before tackling him to the ground. Even in his groggy state, the bigger man soon got the upper hand and he rolled them over. Duo punched at him as thick fingers enclosed around his neck and the last thing he was able to say before the pressure silenced him was: "J.J." His plea was unanswered. J.J. just took a step back, leaned back against the wall and let himself slide down. He was too selfish to intervene. Too afraid of what Tsubarov would do to him if he helped Duo defeat The Bear. Duo reached his hands up to The Bear's red face and poked at him eyes. But the man leaned back, out of his reach. He was much bigger than him, so his arms were much longer and he was able to maintain his choke hold. Over the sound of blood rushing in his ears, he heard noises to his right: slamming and cracking. Heero was fighting against his restraints, able to move more in his seat since his feet were now free. The only thing Duo could think about, was what The Bear would do to him after he had killed him. He would cut off every single one of his toes and fingers, because Heero knew giving him access to that safe was a death sentence. Then he would proceed to cut off more. Probably his ears and his tongue. Likely even his penis. Duo had heard more terrifying stories than he wished to remember in that moment. It would all be his responsibility. He had led them into this house, into the only place where Heero ever felt safe. He would be mutilated and eventually murdered and it was all on Duo. He couldn't stop it now – now he was powerless – but he could have stopped it before and he should have. With a last surge of strength, he fought back. He kicked and kneed the big torso above him, but the grip on his neck never loosened. Meanwhile, the entire room had gone quiet, aside from Duo's own, pathetic gurgling sounds. He stared up at the ugly face of the Bear. His smile made him so angry. Then, suddenly. The smile vanished. The black eyes widened with shock and an uncharacteristically fearful realization. Before The Bear could do anything and before Duo could figure out what was going on, a deafening gunshot bounced off the walls in the tight space and a second later the enforced dropped down on top of Duo as his arms and legs gave out. The American sucked in a deep breath and found the strength in his arms to roll the heavy body off his torso before the weight would suffocate him all over again. He sat upright and found himself staring down the barrel of the gun – his own gun. Heero stood over him, needing both hands to hold the gun steady as he kept it aimed at his face. His face was a twist of fear and shock. He stood off-kilter as he kept as much weight off his right foot. Duo glances to the right, where The Bear lies next to him, on his stomach. His body is still and his eyes are glassy. There is a small, wet stain on his dark jacket, high up on his back, a little off center. "I wish I could kill you," Heero said, drawing Duo's attention back to him. "I wish that would make it better," he whimpered. "I wish that too," he said truthfully. He closed his eyes, squeezing out tears. He slowly lowered the gun, then limped a few steps until he reached his desk. He placed the gun on the surface and sat on the edge. He raised his foot off the floor and while biting his bottom lip he clamped his hand over the wound. Instinctually, Duo crawled over to him, wanting to him stop the bleeding. His heart ached for him. "No, don't fucking touch me!" He stilled and could only nod. Resigned, he sat back. He heard J.J. softly crying, but he ignored him. He couldn't care about him anymore. If the night had made anything clear, it was that the young man was too far gone. He looked at Angelica and thought of her son and he wondered what kind of course his life would go down now. If this loss would do to him what it did to J.J. If he would be lost like him. Then he looked back at Heero and he waited for him to grab the phone that was within reach and call his security. It was silent for a long time – minutes that felt like ages. J.J. eventually stopped crying and went into a shell-shocked state. Heero, in the meantime, used his tie to bind his foot and stop the bleeding. Without looking up from the task, he said with broken voice: "Take your brother and go." Duo's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" "Leave," he ordered. "But-…" "Just go, okay?!" He glared at him and it was chilling. The rustling of clothes indicated that J.J. was moving and shortly after, Duo felt the young man trying to pull him up to his feet. "Let's go, man." He shook the hands off him, disgusted. He never took his eyes off Heero. "Heero, call the police." "I will. After you've left. I'll tell them it was just them." He nodded at the two bodies on the floor. "Heero, you can't do that. Why would you even…-?" J.J. started tugging at him again, desperate for him to take the opportunity that was granted. Heero's blue eyes were piercing. "I made a promise to you." Duo frowned. "You told me you loved me and you made me promise I wouldn't ever doubt it..." He said poignantly. "I do love you," he whispered. "I believe you." After a heartbeat, he said: "But I don't ever want to see you again. I don't want to have you arrested, because I don't want to see you in court. And I don't want to know exactly in what prison you are going to be for the rest of your life. I want you to disappear from my life like you were never here." He swallowed and slowly nodded. Yet it took a full minute for him to stand up. "Let's go, man. We have to get out of here," J.J. said with shaking voice. "We have to leave. We have to get far away. The police are the least of our worries." He looked around as if the Russian mob would be storming in any second. Duo took his first step towards the door, but then turned around and had to say: "I understand that you want to forget all about me. And I know it won't matter to you what I'm going to say, but I have to say it: I will never forget you. You are… unparalleled. Every prejudice with which I stepped into this, you've proven wrong. I went into this thinking I deserved what you have, that I had the right to take what you have because you are no better than me. But you are better. You are…-" He stopped, unable to find the words. "You are incredible. I hope that, someday, you will let someone else in again, to undo the damage that I know I've done. I can't do anything to fix my many mistakes, all I can promise you is that I won't make these mistakes again. And whatever happens to us after this… the police, or the gang… I know now we deserve no better. And I never should have thought otherwise." "… Just… go." Heero bowed his head. "Yeah. Okay." He hesitated, but was urged to move by J.J., who was suddenly on his side again, now that he had no one else to turn to. He headed for the stairs, even though he knew there was no escaping the situation. Even if the police investigation would lead to their arrest in spite of Heero's decision to let them go, they would not be able to escape the gang. They could try to run, with the money that Duo had saved up. But he didn't believe they had the means to escape the wrath of a scorned ego like Tsubarov's. Moreover, Duo simply didn't have the energy, nor the will to run from his punishment. He just wanted to go back to his hole-in-the wall apartment, crawl into bed, curl up and wait for his door to be broken in. His foot was on the lowest step when he hear Heero say: "Wait." He halted and his heart pounded. Heero couldn't make himself look at him, so instead he stared straight ahead as he asked: "Your brother said you would both be killed without this money." Duo wasn't about to explain the situation to him, because he had a feeling Heero would end up feeling guilty for them, in spite of everything. And neither of them deserved his guilt and Heero shouldn't burden himself with that on top of everything else. But J.J. could always be trusted to be selfish. He had already been halfway up the stairs, but he came back down and rambled: "Tsubarov made us all do this. I lost him some cash and he made us do this job and steal from you to pay him back. He is going to kill us if we don't get him his money." "It's not his money." Duo seethed. "Shut up and just go." He grabbed J.J. by the back of his neck and steered him towards the stairs. "Duo…" The conman froze and stared at his love. "All you had to do was ask." Those were the soft-spoken words Duo knew would haunt him forever, more even than anything else. The two watched as Heero limped across the room. With one hand planted against the wall for support, he let the safe scan his fingerprint and then slowly punched in a code. With a mechanical clang the thick door popped open and Heero wordlessly shuffled back to the desk. J.J. didn't waste any time. He freed himself from Duo's limp grip and rushed to the safe. He squealed excitedly. He kicked an awaiting, empty duffel bag right under the safe and started shoveling the stacks of cash into it. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." He repeated over and over. "Heero…" Duo didn't know what to say. He thought he would at least feel some relief, but he only felt more horrible. "Farewell," Heero said. Too shocked to fight J.J., he let the young man grab his hand and dragged him up the stairs and through the house. They burst through the kitchen door, setting off blaring alarms. But before the skeleton crew of guards would even reach the house they had already climbed over the wall. Before jumping off to the other side, Duo threw one last look over his shoulder at the estate; a fortress that had started to feel like home. He knew he would never see it again and would never see Heero again. He jumped and then they were sprinting down the street. Duo's feet had him following his young brother. With empty eyes he watched the heavy backpack bounce on his back as they ran. They ran for several blocks, until they left Corbeau Park far behind them. In the distance he heard sirens, but they grew faint as they ran some more. Finally, J.J. couldn't run any more. In a quiet street that Duo recognized because it was near to the church where he used to go, the young man stopped and leaned forward. He panted heavily and his face was red. He laughed breathlessly and Duo stared at him with tearful eyes. "We did it!" J.J. exclaimed. He dumped the bag on the pavement and zipped it open. He dug his greedy hands into the cash and laughed harder; relieved, ecstatic even. "We actually did it!" He looked at his big brother with giddy eyes, as if they hadn't just lived through the same night. "We should call Neil. He'll help us explain everything to Tsubarov." "Neil is dead," Duo stated flatly. J.J.'s brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?" "The Bear killed him." "No…" He chuckled uncomfortably. "No, he left." "He tried to." The younger man was momentarily stumped, but then he reasoned: "Well, it doesn't matter. Tsubarov can't be mad when he sees this." He took out a stack of bills and waved it around excitedly. Duo lurched forward and grabbed his skinny arms. "It doesn't matter?" His breath hitched in his throat. "He is dead, J.J.! And so is Angelica! Don't they matter?" He tried to placate his brother with a sheepish grin. "But we're okay. That's all that matters to me. We're gonna be fine. No, we're gonna be better than fine! We'll be royalty after this. We'll be respected." He shook him hard, causing a shocked expression. "We are not fine! Two people are dead because of us, a child is now motherless and another life is ruined forever. All for the privilege of Tsubarov's graces?" "But… but we have all this money now." He shook his head at him and released him. He took a step back. "If you don't realize we are worthless after what we have done… you are more lost than I ever feared." He took another steo back, not being able to stand being near him. "Go," he said. "Go to Tsubarov. Make him proud. Just know that A.J. would be scared of both of right now." He turned around and started walking away, stuffing his hands deep into the empty pockets of his jacket. "Duo!" J.J. called after him. "Duo!" He clenched his jaw shut and kept walking, never once looking back. He had followed J.J. too long and too far, making them both get lost in the process. He couldn't follow him any longer. He went home and only took off his shoes before crawling in bed, where he staid – not knowing how long. Nobody ever came to his door. Not Tsubarov's men. Not J.J. Not the police. Not Heero. All of it ate at him. When he finally came out of bed, he peed, showered, got dressed, packed a suitcase and got the money out from under the floorboards. He couldn't stay in this hollowed-out life that was once his. He had to try to find some purpose, so at the very least he wouldn't waste the gifts Heero had given him. And it only seemed right to get as far away from here as possible, to disappear off the face of the earth, as Heero wished he would. There was only one thing he figured he could do to atone. He used as little money as possible to buy an old truck and he allotted himself a small amount to cover travel expenses as he headed South. The bulk of the cash he bundled into the luxury brand toiletry bag that Heero had bought for him during their stay in New York. It wasn't until weeks of searching later that he stood outside a small plaster house with red roof tiles. He reeked of sweat, he was only wearing a tank top and his shoulders were burned. The paint on the front door was chipping. Even after all that time spent looking for this little home, he was pretty sure he was going to turn on his heels, get back in his truck and drive away without ever even knocking on the door. But, to his surprise, the door was unlocked in front of him and a young boy with black, shimmering hair appeared in front of him. Immediately disarmed and flooded with traumatizing memories, Duo kneeled down and he smiled at the boy to distract him from the tears that began to fall. In faulty Spanish that he had picked up along the way, he said: "Hello. My name is Duo. Are you Elías?" The child nodded eagerly. "Is your grandma home?" He nodded again and called: "Abuela!" An old woman came shuffling towards the door and was saying something to Elías in an angry tone, probably berating him for opening the door to a stranger. He straightened up to greet her. "Hello. My name is Duo." She waved her hand to silence him, recognizing his accent. "I speak English." That relieved him, since it would make this a little easier. Only a little though. "I have something for you. From Angelica." He held out the toiletry bag to her. She looked as confused as could be expected. "Can I come inside and talk to you?" She was understandably weary, but invited him inside anyway. He took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold. He couldn't save J.J. He didn't save Heero. He should try to save someone. Not himself, but a little boy who lost his mom, who might fall victim to the cartels as he gets older. He would be there for him in whatever way the grandmother would let him, after he told her the full truth of what had happened. He wouldn't make the same mistakes he did with J.J., because he knew better now. He knew how to be a better person. Heero Yuy taught him that. The end. ~ * ~ Thank you for reading. I had a very small epilogue planned, but I've decided against it. I've even contemplated cutting the story off a little earlier than I did, before Duo went down to Mexico, but I did want to give the ending a bit of an uplifting spin. Anyway, if you are curious: in the short epilogue (literally only a couple hundred words) the reader would find out Duo stayed in Mexico, where he works in a scrapyard to earn money to support Elías and his grandmother and has a big-brother-type role in the boy's life. While at work, a coworker comes up to him and says "some American" is at the gate, asking for him. It leaves open if that's Heero, J.J. or someone from Tsubarov's gang and it also leaves open whether Duo agrees to come meet whoever it is. The point of it is that Duo atones by making a difference for the better with Elías and not let him go down the same path as J.J., doing hard labor to earn honest money as opposed to the easy ways of before.
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