Disclaimer:

I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. I just love them to no end and have a very twisted imagination. Please be aware that I am extremely poor so suing me will do you no good. Thanks.

Warning: NC-17 / Lemon -- Yaoi / Explicit Language / NCS / Angst / Violence / AU

Pairings: 3x4 / 1x2 / 5+S

FYI: Inner thoughts -- [ Flashback ]

Author's Notes:

Gah! It's been an eternity since this fic was updated. I'm soooo sorry for the wait. Hopefully, this longer than the norm chapter will make up for it.

Thanks to all who commented on TotH and have continually motivated me to continue with it. As always, my thanks go out to Neko, Anney, and Nev for their constant help and support.

Well, that's it for now. Enjoy the fic!

Forsaken

Trials of the Heart

"What are you doing here?" Duo snapped at Treize Krushrenada, forgetting any kind of decorum. A hand briefly grasped his forearm, instantly calming him, and Duo bit back the angry words he'd been all but ready to spew forth. Calm down, Duo told himself, knowing that this wasn't the place or time to rehash the past. Stay calm …… Stay calm …… Stay calm…….

Unaffected by his anger, Krushrenada gazed into Duo's eyes and said, "It is nice to see you again as well, Agent Maxwell."

Duo almost growled. Why that son of a bitch…….

"To what do we owe this unexpected visit, Commander Krushrenada," asked Zechs, his voice calm and collected, as he caught the newcomer's attention.

Blue eyes shifted toward the blonde. "I have come to offer my assistance in retrieving Agent Winner." At the stunned looks of those around him, Krushrenada continued to speak. "As you now know, if you fail in locating the Bosca base within the next 48 hours, OZ Corps will be dispatched to not only retrieve whatever they can of the data that was stolen but to nullify Bosca and its operatives …… completely. Agent Maxwell's summation of what will happen to Agent Winner during the infiltration is more than accurate …… That is why I am here. To prevent that from happening."

Duo could only stare at his former leader, unable to hide the shock he knew for certain was now written all over his face. What the hell? What the fuck is going on? Since when does he give a shit about anyone?

As if reading his thoughts, Krushrenada once again looked at Duo, his eyes glinting with an inner strength that had always appealed to Duo's strong sense of justice and had at one time earned Duo's respect. "I am here by the Foundation's command to ensure Agent Winner's safety."

Duo's eyes turned even colder. Knew you couldn't do anything that required you to have a heart, Krushrenada. "Why are 'they' suddenly so interested in Quatre's safety?" he asked, his disdain for the Foundation more than tangible. Was he being disrespectful? Probably. Did he care? Hell no. His best friend was in danger, and knowing that he 'had' to rely on a heartless bastard for help was more than grating at Duo's nerves.

"The Foundation has their reasons, Agent Maxwell," replied Krushrenada, "Reasons you nor I may question."

"What else is fucking new?" Duo mumbled under his breath, feeling Heero shift beside him in warning. Yeah, yeah, I know. Shut up.

"Are we still to proceed with our orders, Commander?"

"Yes, Agent Marquise, you are," Krushrenada responded, before he motioned for his second in command to come forth.

Lady Une, as Krushrenada always referred to her, stepped forward and handed Zechs two files. "The blue file contains all of the necessary data you will need in order to locate Bosca's base of operations," Lady Une informed them, as she once more stood near her commander's side, the overhead lights briefly glinting off of her silver-rimmed glasses. "The black file contains the orders and procedures you must follow if the Leo squad is dispatched as planned."

Duo looked at the black file in Zech's hand and felt a wave of anger hit him full force. There's no fucking way I'm going to let whatever's in there tell me what to do. No one's going to stop me from bringing Quatre back home. Not even the fucking Romefeller Foundation. The old bastards leading the huge military-industrial combine were no longer his superiors. Besides, Duo thought in defiance, no one told him what to do. He owed his allegiance to Preventers, Inc. and to its head, Relena Peacecraft. It was by his choice alone that he was here and no bloody organization was going to alter that fact. Duo only answered to himself and, violet eyes shifted slightly to look into cerulean blue ones, maybe one other.

After taking a few moments to peruse the black file within his hand, Zechs closed the folder and faced Krushrenada. "Our orders are quite clear and," the blonde man briefly looked Duo's way, "have been seconded by Relena Peacecraft herself. We, Preventers, will do all that is required of us …… no matter the circumstances."

Relena approved this bullshit? Goddammit, how could she …… Uh! Duo could barely hold back a snarl, as he realized just how badly the odds were set against them. Fuck!

"That is good to know," Krushrenada said to Zechs, as he began to turn away. "I must go now. However, I will be meeting with Miss Peacecraft shortly and can be reached through her if you should need me."

"Yes, sir."

Krushrenada nodded and turned. But as he passed Duo by, he paused and stared into Duo's hard gaze. "As always, Agent Maxwell, it's been a pleasure."

Duo gritted his teeth and kept himself from replying, knowing full well his anger would get the better of him if he did. Besides, he didn't know if he could keep his voice steady and Duo was in no way going to show this man even the smallest sign of weakness.

Seeing that Duo wasn't going to say anything in return, a small, satisfied smile curved Krushrenada's lips a moment before he stepped past Duo and walked out of the room, Lady Une beside him.

Fists clenched tightly at his sides, Duo watched the man leave, trying with all of his might not to go after him and ram the bastard into something. Duo grinned suddenly, as a thought came to mind. Don't worry, you arrogant asshole. You'll get your due soon enough. And when that time comes, Duo's eyes hardened, you'll regret ever crossing Shinigami's path. Justice would be carried out eventually. All he had to do was bide his time. He had waited all this time to finally get a chance at having his revenge. Waiting a bit longer wasn't going to kill him.

Zech's voice brought Duo back to the present and he focused his attention on his leader. He was completely unaware of the intense blue gaze fixated on him.

His heart pounding against his chest, Quatre watched Fyren slowly walk into the room. The brunette's face appeared calm, showing no signs of anger, as he walked passed the filing cabinets, one by one, towards Quatre's hiding place, his dark eyes darting from side to side, searching. But Quatre could 'feel' the rage pulsating within his enemy, could feel it beating away at him. He wanted to rub at his chest, to alleviate some of the pain the other man's fury was causing, but he didn't dare move. Fyren was much too close.

Everything inside of him seemed to slow down as Fyren came nearer. Quatre could hear his heart beat drumming in his ears, harder and faster with Fyren's every step, and it was taking all of his remaining strength to keep still, to fight against the panicked urge to move further into the shaft, into the darkness that offered him safety. No, no. Don't panic. He can't find you here. Just stay calm and don't move until he's gone.

But it was hard. So very hard. Memories were tumbling into his mind, grabbing a hold over him, reminding him of all that he'd suffered at the hands of this man. Every touch, every word, every moment of pain and humiliation flashed before his eyes, marking Quatre once again. Fear clawed at him, making it hard for him to think, as he stared, wide-eyed, at Fyren's torso and legs. The brunette was only an arm's length away from him now and Quatre sat petrified in his small haven, locked in an inescapable nightmare. God, hurry up and get out already. Please, just go.

He was scared. So scared. All he could almost feel Fyren's hands on his body, touching him, entering his bruised body, taking what he'd allowed only one other to have. Quatre wanted so badly to close his eyes, to block out the sight of the man who'd violated not only his body but had shattered what had been left of his trust. But he knew that he couldn't. To do so would be his folly, and Quatre had already learned his lesson in that regard. No, he couldn't let his guard down. Not ever again.

So Quatre waited for the man he now hated to decide what his next course of action would be, as determination fuel by anger began to override his fear. He couldn't allow himself to be taken again, not by Fyren, not by anyone. He had to find a way to reach help and if getting passed Fyren was the only way …… then so be it. Quatre closed his eyes, taking a fortifying breath, and then opened them once more, their blue-green depths holding an eerie light. Your call, you bastard. Your call.

After a few agonizing moments, Quatre let out a silent breath of relief as he watched Fyren turn around and walk back toward the doorway. He leaned forward a bit, just as Fyren opened the door, and nearly jumped clear out of his skin when the brunette turned around abruptly, looking around the room yet again. Holding his breath, not daring to move, to even blink, Quatre held himself still. Dammit, how much longer? Just get the fuck out!

Thankfully, Fyren did just that, as he exited the room and slammed the door closed.

How long he sat there, waiting for any telltale signs of Fyren's presence, Quatre couldn't begin to guess and he honestly didn't really care. He couldn't take any chances, not when he was so close to finding a way out of the hell he'd been thrown into. He would wait as long as he had to in order to ensure his freedom.

His body gave a violent shake of a sudden and Quatre leaned back onto the metal panel behind him, trying to calm his nerves as he crossed his arms and ran his hands up and down his shoulders. He was cold, dressed only in the long white shirt Fyren had left him in, and scared beyond belief so it was more than a little hard for him to stop his obviously fragile body from trembling. Pull yourself together. Stop shaking!

But he couldn't. Another tremor ran through him and Quatre began to worry yet again. What's wrong with me? He was shaking from more than the aftershocks of fear, he realized. But why? Quatre looked down at his hands, watching them with increasing dismay as they shook in place. What's happening to me? What ... He gasped suddenly in comprehension. Oh, no. Oh, no. Fuck. Fuck!

It was withdrawal.

He was withdrawing from the drugs Fyren had been pumping into him since he'd been taken. Shit. His stomach twisted painfully, causing Quatre to grimace, and he knew that it wouldn't be long before his body rebelled against him. Despairingly, Quatre closed his eyes and ran a frustrated hand through his sweat-dampened hair. Dammit, he didn't need anymore complications. God, what am I going to do?

Taking a deep breath, Quatre willed himself to calm down, to push aside the growing dread attempting to consume him. Don't lose control. Not now. You'll deal with this 'after' you get out of here. Focusing on his surroundings, Quatre steadied his breathing as much as he could and listened once again for any signs of movement, trying to determine whether it was safe for him to finally move.

Detecting nothing out of the ordinary, Quatre turned his head and gazed into the metal air shaft he'd crawled into. The path ahead of him would be a dark and cold one, Quatre was sure, but he couldn't allow his instinctual need to stay where he was stop him from moving onward. He had to find a way to contact the others even if it meant crawling through the darkness, unsure and basically lost. He couldn't allow his fear to control him any longer. It was time for him to remember who he was.

Quatre's eyes narrowed as he gazed into the black void ahead of him, his purpose clear. I'm Agent Quatre Raberba Winner, an agent of Preventers, Inc. I'm going to make it through this. I have to.

Moving onto his hands and knees, Quatre took a deep breath and made his trembling body move forward, trying with all of his might to rely upon something he now doubted in ……

Hope.

"Sir, are you sure that you're doing the right thing?"

"Are you doubting me, Lady?"

"No, sir, but……."

Curiosity peeked, Treize glanced at his second in command from the corner of his eye. "But what?"

"Sir, Maxwell's animosity toward you was quite tangible. Your stepping forward to help his friend may not ensure his forgiveness. In his eyes, the past is something that cannot be easily erased."

Treize sighed as they continued to walk along the large hallway, knowing just how accurate Une's words were. "That is a fact I am well aware of and quite prepared to come up against, Lady. However, even the possibility of his eternal hatred will not deter me from helping him."

"You truly care for him, don't you, sir? Even though he despises you."

Coming up to one of the three elevators at the end of the corridor, Treize looked into the perplexed face of his confidant. "Yes, Lady, I do. Very much so. And I'll do all that's in my power to protect him and those he cares for, no matter the circumstances."

Une nodded her head in understanding. "Very well then. I will do all that I can to help you, sir."

Treize smiled, once again grateful for having found such a loyal companion. "Thank you, Lady. Having you at my side means a great deal to me."

A faint blush appeared over Une's cheeks as she stared at the elevator doors. "You're quite welcome, sir."

With his smile still in place, Treize mirrored Une's stance and fixed his gaze upon the elevator doors as well. His thoughts strayed toward the man he still regarded as a younger brother and felt a wave of sadness wash over him as he recalled the anger and the hatred he'd seen within Duo's violet eyes. You have every right to hate me, Duo. But no matter what, I'll do my best to bring your friend back to you. I won't fail you again.

A pair of ice blue eyes suddenly came to mind, within a face of almost angelic beauty, and Treize frowned as his thoughts rebelliously shifted. Closing his eyes briefly, he willed the hurtful image away and focused his mind on the matter at hand.

He would be meeting with Relena Peacecraft soon, and Treize knew that it would be yet another stepping stone toward ensuring not only Quatre Winner's life but the lives that his loss would affect direly. That objective took precedence above all else, even over his futile desire to embrace the memory of the one person he'd given his heart and soul to long ago, the one person he'd foolishly given up all for the sake of glory.

What's happening? Heero asked himself, as he paced outside of the men's room a few doors down from the Preventer's briefing room, waiting for Duo to come out. He knew that Duo needed the space, needed a moment to himself, away from the others, even him. It was an absolutely normal reaction to the events that had unexpectedly unfolded these past few hours. But even though he understood the reason behind Duo's sudden aloofness, Heero couldn't help but be hurt by it. Duo was closing himself off, erecting barriers against his fear of losing Quatre, and no matter how many times Heero offered his support his lover refused it, relying on the instincts that had been honed by Duo's horrible past.

Heero knew that he shouldn't be complaining. Not so long ago, he'd been the same way. Emotionless and cold, refusing to acknowledge his humanity, he had personified the perfect soldier, the perfect killer; the boy he'd once been, before blood had tainted his hands, had come very close to being completely erased. But Duo wasn't like him. Duo, despite the harsh realities his life had been based upon, had retained his heart. Throughout all of the misery, all of the despair his childhood had wrought him, his lover hadn't given in to the darkness that Heero had readily accepted all in the name of duty. Because of those reasons, he guessed, it was hard for him to see the one person who'd shown him what it was to be human, to be a man unashamed of his emotions, mirroring his long dead counterpart.

Heero sighed, rubbing at his chest as an unfamiliar pain ran across it. He didn't like this, didn't like this feeling of helplessness and unease. Quatre was gone, taken from them without warning, and now Duo was pushing him away. Heero leaned into the wall behind him and looked up to stare at the light fixture on the ceiling, remembering the look in his lover's eyes back at their apartment when Duo had told him of Quatre's disappearance. Rage, pure rage, had consumed the depths of Duo's eyes, filling Heero with more than apprehension. He had seen that look before, years ago, when Duo had been a merciless killing machine, destroying anything in his path. Heero couldn't stop himself from shuddering at the memory, from remembering how different Duo could be when 'Shinigami' was in control. It was a sight he'd thought -- hoped never to see again.

Heero's heart clenched as an old fear once again resurfaced. He was afraid. Afraid of losing Duo to the darkness that had held them both in an almost unbreakable vise. The temptation was always there; it would be so easy to revert back to being just a soldier, ready to kill at a moment's notice, with no regret, no remorse. It was a constant battle, a battle he was afraid Duo was beginning to lose. No, I'm not going to let it happen. I can't lose him.

"You didn't have to wait for me, Heero."

Heero turned to face Duo, slightly chagrined by the fact that he hadn't heard his lover come out of the bathroom. Had he been that lost in his thoughts? he wondered. "I didn't mind waiting," he replied, looking into Duo's violet eyes. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm alright," Duo answered, as he passed Heero and began to walk back towards the briefing room.

Heero sighed and moved quickly to walk alongside Duo. "You're not alright, Duo. I can tell."

Duo stopped walking abruptly and turned his head to face Heero, anger plain to see on his face. "Stop trying to analyze me, Heero. Stop trying to figure me out. I said that I'm fine and I am."

"Then why are you acting this way? Why are you closing yourself off to me?" Heero demanded in a low tone, unwilling to bring attention to the two of them in the somewhat busy hallway. He was hurt and angry and he wanted the unrelenting pain in his heart to stop.

"Dammit, Heero, why can't you just drop it? Why does everything have to be an issue with you?" Duo practically hissed.

"Because what affects you affects me. I know that you're hurting and that you're scared for Quatre, but acting like this, like you don't need anyone, isn't going to solve anything."

"What do you want me to do?" Duo asked, angrily. "Do you want me to come crying to you like some weakling? I don't think so, Heero. Either deal with it or leave me the hell alone because I sure as hell don't need your shit right now on top of everything else."

Heero banked down the rage building up inside him; both of them losing their tempers wasn't going to get them anywhere. "Listen to me, Duo. I'm trying really hard not to lose my temper, but you're not making it easy on me. Stop acting like an ass. This isn't about your masculinity or your pride. This is 'me' worrying about 'you'. I love you, you idiot, and I don't want you holding in whatever's bothering you."

Duo looked away from him, his brow furrowed. "There's no need for you to worry about me. I said I'm fine and I'm not going to say it again. Take my word for it and drop the subject, Heero …… before we both regret it."

God, why is he being so unreasonable? Heero asked himself, desperately. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he took a step forward, raising his hand to gently touch Duo's face. "Duo …… Are you angry because Krushrenada was here?"

Duo flinched at the touch and moved away. "He has nothing to do with 'anything', Yuy!" Duo responded, harshly. "God! That's it. I'm going back inside."

Unable to even move, Heero watched with stunned eyes as Duo turned away from him and stomped his way back into the briefing room. Yuy …… He called me Yuy. Heero placed a hand on the wall, clenching it tightly over its painted surface, and took a deep breath, trying in vain to calm himself. It was hard though, hard to control the raging agony coursing through him, building steadily with his every breath. It hurts. It hurts so much.

Realizing that he was in plain sight of others walking along the hallway, Heero pulled himself together, straightening away from the wall, as he ran an unsteady hand through his dark hair. Getting a rather shaky hold of his turbulent emotions, emotions that at this moment he regretted ever allowing to take root in his heart, Heero made his way into the briefing room.

Closing the door silently behind him, he caught sight of Duo standing next to Wufei and Sally on the other side of the room and deliberately walked away from his lover, stopping to stand next to Dorothy. The petite blonde raised an eyebrow at him, but thankfully didn't say anything. Either way, he would've ignored her presence, Heero thought to himself as he fixed his dark blue eyes on floor, making a valiant attempt in regaining his inner balance.

After a few minutes, he could feel Duo's eyes on him and a part of him wanted to look up, to assure himself that the other man's eyes still held love for him, but Heero couldn't make himself move. He just couldn't. Duo had hurt him, hurt him in a way he'd never experienced before, had never allowed before, and he needed time to sort things out. Confused as he was, something he never could tolerate, it would be better for him to concentrate on what was truly important right now ... Finding and saving one of his closest friends.

Heero's back stiffened as his resolve grew stronger and he instinctively reached out to the training embedded within him, allowing a familiar rush of cold to seep into him. His problems with Duo would have to be put aside for now. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to function efficiently. Yeah, keep saying that to yourself. Maybe one day you'll actually come to believe the bullshit you keep handing yourself.

"Heero!"

Hearing his name being called out, Heero roused himself from his more than depressing thoughts and looked up to see Trowa motioning for him to come forward. He pushed himself away from the wall and began to make his way over to his friend, all the while hoping silently that the growing distance pulling Duo away from him didn't eventually tear them apart.

Standing next to Noin as she entered the information Krushrenada had provided them into one of the many computers in the room, Trowa watched various sets of data and schematics flash across the flat computer screen. After a few minutes of perusing several system files, Trowa looked away from the screen and rubbed at his eyes, feeling frustrated and overly impatient. He lowered his hand when Noin stopped typing.

"Shit."

"What's wrong?"

Noin looked over her shoulder at him and pointed to the screen. "Look at this."

Trowa leaned forward and narrowed his tired gaze. He cursed profusely when he realized what he was looking at. "You've hit a firewall."

Noin nodded. "I managed to retrace some of Wallis' steps. Apparently, there were some files that he couldn't copy onto a disk and so he transferred them to an unknown source. He's good, I'll tell you that. But not good enough. I was able to trace the link but," Noin waved her hand in front of the monitor with a flare of annoyance, "we have to get past 'this' in order to gain access to the computer system it hooked up to."

"Shit."

"Exactly."

Trowa straightened, determined not to let this minor setback halt their progress. He turned his head, scanning around the room, until his green eyes feel upon the only man he felt would be able to pull off the impossible. "Heero!" The brunette looked up at him and Trowa waved him over.

"What is it?" asked Heero, as he came to stand in front of Trowa.

Trying to dismiss his anxiety of being around Heero, someone who more than likely hated him right now, Trowa faced the blue-eyed man with a steady gaze. "Take a look at this." Heero peered over Noin's shoulder. "Can you get past it?"

Heero didn't answer. Instead, he gently nudged Noin shoulder, prompting the older woman to relinquish her seat, his serious eyes locked onto the screen. The instant Heero's hands touched the keyboard his fingers began to move quickly, tapping at the keys beneath them with unprecedented speed. Confident in Heero's abilities, Trowa kept his eyes on the rapidly flashing monitor. You can do this, Heero. Please, you can do this. We have to find Quatre before it's too late.

Trowa knew that Quatre was weakening. He could feel the certainty behind that knowledge through their bond, causing his already chaotic emotions to spiral uncontrollably within him. How much had Quatre already suffered at the hands of the bastard who'd taken him? How much more would he have to go through before he was finally rescued?

God ... Pain streaked across his chest, stabbing at him with its intensity, as regret once again tried to consume him. No! Stop it, dammit. Now isn't the time for this. Quatre needs you to be strong for him. Needs you to find him, he berated himself. You can go through the whole guilt trip once Quatre's safe. Right now, he needed to keep his mind clear and focused. He couldn't allow himself to falter in any way, couldn't allow his thoughts to be clouded by doubt and self-hatred. Crossing his arms over his chest, feeling a now familiar and even welcomed pain in his hand as he made a fist, Trowa pushed aside the anxiety beating away at him.

"Almost there," Heero said quietly, his fingers not once wavering from their task.

Trowa took a deep breath, feeling his heart's rapid beating against his chest. We'll be there soon, love. Just hang in there a little longer. Please ... Just hang on.

"Sh-i-i-t!" Quatre exclaimed in surprise, as the metal panel he'd been pushing down on gave way beneath his hands. Barely stopping himself from tumbling through it, Quatre held onto the sides of the narrow opening, hoping to all that was holy that he hadn't alerted someone of his presence.

After a few tense seconds, he slowly lowered his head and looked into the dark room below. Scanning around him, Quatre noticed three computer terminals a few feet away from where he was hanging precariously from the ceiling. The room was obviously just a regular office and not the communications room he'd been searching for. But that wouldn't deter him in the least, Quatre vowed as he pulled himself back into the air shaft. As long as a computer was handy, he stood a chance. The tricky part would be ensuring he had enough time to contact headquarters before his usage of the terminal was detected. Quatre frowned as another wave of tremors wracked his body. It would be risky. He wasn't foolish enough to think otherwise. He would have to move quickly or jeopardize his position. I have to chance it.

Moving as fast as his tiring body would allow, Quatre lowered himself carefully through the opening, his eyes darting side to side, alert and ready for any sign of movement. He landed on his feet with a small stumble, but managed to keep his balance. Moving quickly to the closest terminal, he sat down and took a deep breath as he took the computer off of standby. When the monitor lit up, washing him with light, Quatre willed his unsteady fingers to fly across the keyboard, entering the access codes required to establish a link with headquarters.

"Yes!" he whispered excitedly, as he finally breached Preventers' security system. If he made it out of this alive, he would kiss Heero senseless, thankful now for all of the 'tedious' computer training he'd undertaken upon the brunette's insistence. Now, to get my message across.

Typing as fast as he could, Quatre entered his personal access code, brimming with impatience as the computer processed the information slower than he liked. The signal was obviously being affected by outside interference, some type of jamming device, and Quatre knew that his time was getting shorter by the second. Shit, they probably already know I'm here. Come on, you bloody machine. Speed it up!

Not even a second later, the screen flashed and Quatre nearly jumped in his seat as he was granted access into the system. Immediately, he typed in another series of numbers and fidgeted in his seat, waiting for the desired effect. Sure enough, a few breaths later, a glitch caused the monitor and hard drive to flicker on and off. Quatre sighed in relief. Preventers was now locked onto the terminal and most assuredly onto Bosca's satellite. Thank God.

The door to the room suddenly opened, flooding it with light, and Quatre jumped out of his seat. Gasping, Quatre felt his insides grow cold as his eyes locked onto Fyren's heaving form in the doorway.

"You little bastard!" Fyren spat out furiously, a second before he lunged at Quatre.

Unable to move out of the way in time, Quatre cried out as Fyren tackled him down to the floor. Multicolored spots danced in front of Quatre's eyes as his head hit the floor. But having the other man's body pressed against his own threw Quatre in a panic and he began to fight for his freedom despite the daze he was under, kicking out his legs and throwing punches as hard and fast as he could. "No! Get off! Get the hell off!"

Large hands wrapped around his neck and began to squeeze without mercy, causing Quatre's head to bang once again against the floor. He latched onto them, trying to pry them off of him, but no matter how hard he pulled or scratched at the hands now choking him, Quatre couldn't break Fyren's hold. His vision began to dim, the edges of his sight fading to black, a sure sign that he was about to lose consciousness due to the lack of air, and began to struggle anew, knowing that he couldn't allow that to happen.

Growling in defiance, Quatre released his hold over Fyren's hands and, riding on adrenaline, rammed his hands into Fyren's body, one hand hitting the brunette in the head, right across his left temple, and the other landing a blow to the man's neck. Temporarily stunned by his attack, Fyren swayed above Quatre long enough to give him the chance to push the man completely off of him.

Fyren fell backwards and Quatre turned onto his side, trying to sit up and scramble onto his feet. The instant he tried, however, Quatre fell back onto the floor, the room spinning around him. Bile rose up in his throat when he made a second attempt to stand, but Quatre pushed the nausea aside, forcing himself to stagger onto his feet. Move! Move, dammit!

Hands flaying, reaching out for support, Quatre used the desks in the room to help him keep his balance as he made his way toward the door. A loud shrilling noise blasted through the air suddenly, echoing loudly in Quatre's sensitive ears, and he nearly fell down to his knees once again in surprise as the noise distorted his senses. Shit!

Red lights lit up the corridor, flashing in warning around him, as Quatre entered it and he began to run down its length. Dizzy and exhausted, Quatre blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the fog settling over him. Dammit, you can't pass out now! Stay awake! That's it. Move. Move!

The sound of footsteps echoing from behind him was his only warning before he was knocked off of his feet and slammed, face first, onto the floor. Blood pooled in his mouth upon impact and Quatre felt as if he was no longer connected to his body, darkness once again trying to consume him.

"You little shit. What have you done?" a voice demanded from somewhere above him, reverberating loudly in Quatre's head as he tried to regain his senses.

A hard kick to his side sent Quatre skidding across the tiled floor and he hissed in pain as the world spun around him, twisting and turning. Landing on his side, Quatre was so disorientated that it took him a few precious seconds to realize that he'd stopped moving. Move …… Have to …… have to move. Can't …… give up. Can't ……God, who was he trying to fool? He was fucked. So royally fucked.

Fingers trailed along his bruised cheek, startling Quatre into opening his eyes, and he winced as the flashing red light engulfing the room seemed to rip through his eyes. He fought to keep them open, however, desperate to figure out which one of the three faces shifting above him really belonged to Fyren. Shit.

"I must admit that I underestimated you, Quatre," said Fyren, with an almost satisfied grin, trailing a finger along Quatre's bleeding lips. "You are definitely a man without comparison. But even though I would love nothing more than to see the old man go down under a blaze of blood and pain, I can't risk your friends finding you. Your mine until I say otherwise and no one is going to take you from me."

Unable to move, Quatre felt despair wash over him as Fyren reached under him and picked him up from the floor. No …… Not again. Please …… Not again. He'd been so close, so close to finally being free. To have that taken away from him shattered something inside of him. He was going to hurt again, suffer through countless pain, and there wasn't a goddamn thing he could do about it now. Even if his friends managed to trace his signal, they would be too late to spare him from another round of pain and anguish.

Feeling broken and lost, Quatre allowed the darkness beckoning him to settle over him; it would be a small reprieve from what was surely to come. As his eyes began to close, his vision dimming with his every heartbeat, Quatre couldn't help but use the last of his strength to whisper, "You …… sonofabitch……."

The world finally faded away, but not quickly enough as Fyren's amused laughter followed Quatre into the numbing void of sleep.

TBC…….

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