Kracken
Disclaimer:I don't own them and I don't make any money off of them.
Warnings: Male/male sex, graphic, language, violence, NCS flashbacks
Light and Dark
The mattress squeaked. Duo felt his nerves tighten at the sound, the ghosts
of his past inching to the surface. He tried to ignore it, tried to keep his
mind on escaping the tomb that had been their home, but that place was too much
like the small room they had kept him in so long ago. So was the damp stink,
the smell of bodies that were dirty and full of sweat, the murmur of male voices...
and the mattress.
"Duo..." Heero's voice was deep, soothing, knowing. "It's all right. I'm here, Wu Fei, Mr. Hulitt... we won't let anything hurt you."
Duo nodded jerkily and then winced as a nail jammed into a finger. It cleared his head, that pain, and he was grateful for it. It didn't last long, though, especially when the lantern started to fail.
"Our turn," Wu Fei announced. "Take a rest."
Duo crouched into a corner, shivering. Soda came to lean against his side and he wrapped arms around the dog. Heero crouched in front of him, a dark shadow without a face. Duo flinched back and said, "Don't wanna," in a very small voice, automatic rebellion that had never stopped his torment, only made it worse. He could feel the anger, the fear welling up, ready to take over and cause violence.
"Duo," Heero asked very gently. "What's wrong? Tell me. Your therapists, remember, told you to believe in your strength and to walk away when it was necessary. If we're doing something that's bothering you, tell us so we can stop."
Duo tried to bring his mind back, tried to bring words to his lips. The shadows of his pimps, the feel of their hard bodies and harder hands pulling him down on a mattress and taking their pleasure after everyone else had left... It was right there, in the fore front of his mind. Almost he fell into the hell hole of his past. The violence churned inside of him, making his sight turn red with anguish, hate, and the need to lash out and... kill, but Heero said to him, "I love you, Duo. Stay with me. Don't let them take you back there. Don't give them that power to hurt you. You are too strong for them. You are not a little kid any more. Make them go away. Make them leave you alone."
Duo took a shuddering breath and forced out, "Mattress." And then he buried his face into Soda's thick fur and fought to stay in the here and now.
There was movement without questions. The mattress springs squeaked and then were still as they tilted the mattress up against the wall and out of the way. Heero was with him again, then. "It's gone. What else?"
"Not so close," Duo told him against Soda's fur. "The smell... guy smell.."
"All right," Heero replied from further away.
Wu Fei's voice began speaking then, soft, yet confident and strong. Duo had trusted it once, trusted Wu Fei enough to allow the man to sleep with him."Duo, remember the safe place we built together during the war?"
"Yeah," Duo whispered back.
"Can you go there? Can you calm yourself enough?" Wu Fei wondered.
"I don't-" Duo began, doubtful, but then Wu Fei was speaking again. His voice was insistent, coming out of the deepening shadows as the lantern began to go out, to draw Duo into a spell, to bring him to a place in his own mind that was safe.
As Duo tried very hard to think of nothing, to stop the build up of a dangerous anxiety attack, the others began digging again, their motions even more urgent.
"Will he be all right?" Mr. Hulitt asked in a whisper.
"He is in control," Wu Fei replied and then signaled Mr. Hulitt
to let it drop as they continued to work.
A long time passed while they worked. The lantern reduced itself to a firefly
glow.
"Hey!" A voice shouted. "Anyone in there?"
"Harri!" Duo exclaimed, opening his eyes and uncurling from his crouch. Soda barked excitedly, recognizing a friend.
"Mr. Maxwell? Duo?" Harri shouted. "Is Mr. Yuy in there with you?"
"Yes!" Heero shouted back, "And Agent Wu Fei and Mr. Hulitt as well! Be careful! The roof is still falling. We are in danger!"
"I'll get help!" Harri called back. "I won't be long!"
"Thank God," Mr. Hulitt sighed. "We can stop digging. I'm too old for this."
"We're not out yet, sir," Wu Fei warned.
"Always the skeptic," Duo grumbled, but there was an edge to his voice as he retreated to his corner again and tried to contain his thoughts once more.
Heero paced, but had to stop when the last of the lantern light went out.
Plunged into darkness, he retreated with the others to the far end of the room,
along with Kong, and began to talk about anything he could think of, anything
that would let Duo know where they were, that they weren't coming towards him.
"Soon," Heero reassured Duo, hoping that Duo wasn't advancing towards
them, instead, and wondering if his lover had any of the weapons that he usually
had around the house and on his person.
"Okay," Duo murmured."I'm okay... Just have to concentrate."
The sound of machinery made them all jump.
"Water pump," Hulitt guessed.
Two other noises joined it. "Earth mover and chain saw," Heero surmised.
"That might not be good,"Wu Fei warned. "If they don't understand how fragile our position is..."
"Harri!" Heero shouted, his voice carrying through the debris, but not over the sounds of machinery. He growled in frustration when no one replied. "We should get under the mattress again, just in case."
"And Duo?" Wu Fei wondered nervously.
"He's coming underneath it as well," Heero replied tightly, "However I can manage it."
"We should get as far back as possible," Hulitt suggested.
"Agreed," Wu Fei said and pulled Kong along with them until they were in the very corner of the hallway.
"Duo," Heero called. "I need you to come here, with Soda. You won't be safe out there." Silence greeted his words. Heero licked nervous lips and then said, "Maxwell! You're jeopardizing the mission. Get over here now and take up a position to protect the others."
Wu Fei took in a sharp breath, perhaps going to protest, but Duo retorted,
"Don't worry about me, Yuy! Worry about your damned self. I'm on point."
"Yes, you are, so do your damned job," Heero shot back. "There's
going to be incoming any minute."
They heard Duo moving. Soda nosed under the mattress and Duo crawled in after him. He sat on the outside edge and Heero let him be, knowing he wouldn't get anything more.
"Keep your damned heads down," Duo grumbled."Stupid civies... always going where they shouldn't and making us risk our necks."
"Part of the job," Wu Fei joined in, building up the fantasy that Duo was using to get past his fears.
"I know, protect the weak," Duo replied in exasperation. "But you're the first person to say the weak shouldn't fight."
"That's why we are here," Wu Fei told him grimly, "To fight for them. To be strong for them."
"I hate the dark," Duo whispered. "I hate all the noise. How long?"
"Unknown," Heero replied.
"Keep talking," Duo urged when there was a moment when no one said anything. "What's the plan?"
"Stay safe until they come for us," Heero replied uncertainly, not sure how to keep up the fantasy without any real 'mission' parameters.
"Stupid plan," Duo grunted. "We could get killed waiting. We should try getting out ourselves."
Hulitt grunted, "If only we could."
"I lived in abandoned buildings," Duo replied. "You learn how to skinny in and out or you don't live long.
"It's too dangerous," Heero warned, ready to physically restrain Duo.
The house creaked and groaned, the sounds of demolition grew louder. "It's dangerous just sitting here, too," Duo retorted.
Wu Fei gave up the game long enough to growl, "We're trapped, Maxwell."
Duo snorted. "Both ends, maybe, but how about both sides? I bet some things have cracked by now. If we can get through the plaster, we could make a hole."
"To where?" Heero wondered.
"Well, to what ever is on the other side," Duo replied.
"This is a supporting wall on the left," Hulitt warned them. "Leave that one the hell alone if you want to live."
"Civies," Duo grumbled."Other side, then."
"That's the kitchen," Heero said thoughtfully. "If we pace off the studs we might be able to go through between them."
"No guarantee it isn't already crushed under the second floor," Wu Fei said pessimistically.
"Those men are professionals out there," Hulitt protested. "They know what they are doing, we don't. I suggest that we wait."
"Professionals?" Wu Fei listened to the noise of machinery. "There isn't any guarantee of that either. They could be our neighbors with what ever tools they have."
"I can't sit here," Duo admitted tightly. "I have to do something or..."
"Let's do it, Maxwell," Wu Fei agreed, " But if you bring the house down on our heads, I will personally get my revenge, even if I must follow you all the way to Heaven to get it."
"That's okay," Duo chuckled darkly, "'cuz I'm going to Hell."
"Not you, Maxwell," Wu Fei replied seriously, and then more quietly, "You've already been there."
Duo ignored that and Heero was surprised by a touch on his biceps as Duo told him, "Lets find the stud and then you can use that bad ass strength of yours, okay, Baby?"
"I'm ready," Heero replied. He took off his shirt, tore it into strips, and then tied his knuckles with them to protect them.
Hulitt was the one who searched for the studs, tapping along the wall until the hollow sound turned dense. He paced out a space between it and the next one with his fingers. "Here. Watch out for wires and pipes."
Heero collected himself, centered all of his being on the end of his fist, and then punched the wall. Plaster cracked and shattered. Heero punched again and his fist went through, once more, and his fist went through the opposite sheet of plaster. He felt nails rake his flesh. He gritted his teeth and ignored it as he took hold of the ragged edges of the damaged wall and pulled outwards, shoulders bunching and flexing violently.
The wall gave and Heero fell back into Duo. Duo caught him around the middle, cushioning him, and Heero could hear his grin as Duo laughed, "You still got it, Baby!"
"Make the opening bigger," Hulitt suggested and there was the sound of more plaster being pulled off.
"Not much room between the studs," Wu Fei grumbled. "I hope you're skilled at 'squeezing', Maxwell."
Heero said anxiously, "We don't know what's on the other side, Duo. Don't do anything foolish."
Duo wasn't giving up his fantasy of being on a mission just yet, it was holding his psyche together. "We all have to sacrifice, Yuy. Now it's my turn."
"Duo, please be careful," Heero begged, suddenly refusing to go along. "We can wait a little longer. You don't have to take any risks."
Something crashed loudly. Heero felt Duo moving past him. There was a chill kiss along the side of his mouth. "I think I do."
"Little baka," Heero swore and tried to find him to hold him back, but Duo was already in the hole and kicking his hands away.
"I think I can get in here, but I don't see any light at all," Duo's muffled voice came to them.
Duo's feet kept kicking as he squirmed and shoved his way through. Heero began pulling at more of the wall, his bloody fingers joined by Hulitt's and Wu Fei's. If Duo made it through, the opening had to be large enough for them to follow.
"Stuff's down in here too!" Duo shouted back as his feet disappeared all together. "But... I think... I can..." There was the sound of boards giving. The complete blackness was cut by a gloomy light. "Shit! I think something's on fire!" Duo shouted back to them and air began coming in tainted with smoke as he worked to get completely through. "Don't know if it's our place or someone else's, but we can't guess at this. We all need to get the hell out of here!" Duo shouted at them.
Soda had enough of waiting. He darted past the others and squeezed through the widening opening to reach Duo.
"Get through that hole right there, Soda," Duo was telling the dog. "And go find Harri! Fetch Harri, Soda! Go get him, boy! He can get us out this way a whole lot easier than pulling half the house off of us."
"Duo?" Heero called anxiously.
"Report, Maxwell?" Wu Fei demanded.
"Sent for evac!" Duo called back. "Get your asses in here! There's only a tree keeping me from getting out the back door. There was enough room for Soda though."
Heero was the first to go through, his broad shoulders making him leave skin behind as he forced his way to Duo's side. Debris was down in the kitchen as well, but there was a space beyond that by the broken back door. Through the window that was miraculously unbroken, Heero could see the mass of the backyard tree sitting across it sideways, leaving only a small gap at the bottom where Soda had presumably made his escape.
The smell of smoke was growing stronger. As Wu Fei and Kong, and then Hulitt, managed to join them as well, Heero began shoving his weight against the door, hoping to move the tree enough to allow them to escape.
"Break the window?" Hulitt suggested.
Wu Fei looked at the crisscrossing of thick tree branches. "Possible, but we'd also have glass everywhere. Last resort, " he decided.
"Soda will come through," Duo told them firmly as he reached a cabinet, shifted debris to get it open, and then fished out his antidepressant pills. Swallowing them dry, he grinned. "Come on guys, what's wrong with a little tension?"
They were all filthy, soaked to the skin, and cut and bleeding from dozens of points. Wu Fei glared, and Hulitt looked annoyed, but Heero laughed. They all looked at him as if he'd lost his mind, but he was looking at Duo as he said, "You are the most amazing man on Earth or in Space."
Duo winked. He was pale, stressed, and trying to wrestle down his demons, but he had still come through for all of them despite everything. "Takes one to know one," Duo replied warmly.
"Mr. Maxwell?" Harri's shouted very close by.
"We're here in the kitchen!" Duo shouted back.
"Move the tree and we can get out of here!" Heero joined in. "Hurry! I think there's a fire!"
"A house down the street is burning!" Harri explained. "There's nothing to worry about, sirs! I'll have your neighbors come back here and remove the tree!"
"Not professionals, then," Wu Fei grunted just as the roof crashed down into the hallway.
They looked at each other in the gloomy light, wide eyed.
"Good call, Maxwell," Wu Fei grunted.
Hulitt sat down heavily, obviously shaken. "Too close," he said softly and his voice trembled.
Heero crouched by him and squeezed his shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Hulitt nodded, "I think I will be better once we escape certain death."
"Death is never certain," Duo chuckled, "Just very likely."
"Duo," Heero admonished, knowing that Hulitt wouldn't understand, not having lived as they had for so long, with death as a constant companion.
The sound of heavy machinery came to their ears. "Earth mover," Wu Fei guessed.
Hulitt stood up with Heero's help. "I suggest we get away from the window."
They moved back and saw the shadow of the machine as it moved forward and blocked out what little light they had. They waited in the darkness as metal groaned with the stress of the tree's weight. Wood snapped loudly as some of the branches gave and then the light returned as the tree was slowly pulled away from the house.
The door was jerked open and Harri leaned in, pale and anxious as Soda leapt in to rejoin Duo. "Are you all right? Does anyone need medical assistance?!"
"We're fine," Duo told him. "We just want the hell out of here."
They all went through the door then, Kong and Soda eager to be first. Once outside, they were greeted by weary, but relieved neighbors, gloomy, over cast skies, and the destruction of their home.
Duo choked as he looked at the collapsed house and Heero tentatively slipped an arm around him. "We'll rebuild it," Heero promised him."The dream isn't dead, not as long as we keep believing in it."
Duo nodded and leaned into Heero, not caring who saw them as he replied softly, "The real dream come true is being with you. I'll always believe in that."
On To Chapter Five
Back to chapter three