The Mysterious Affair at Victoria (or, the Worms' Mistress)

Part 8


Entrance passageway - CRF at Victoria


Darkness. Profound darkness and cold they weren't expecting. They each carried a 
portable flood that worked to dispel the immediate gloom of the tiny, winding 
staircase. But as they followed smooth wooden steps far down and to the west, 
Duo found himself feeling more and more closed in - wondering whether the path 
into the darkness actually had an end.
At last the steps opened up and leveled out into a wide room. It was so wide, in 
fact, that their floods did little to illuminate the dark corners. Zechs walked 
towards the middle of the room, his eyes focused upwards. "We must be under the 
lake," he murmured. "The ceiling's been heavily reinforced here - not like it 
was above the stairs."
"The air doesn't seem thin at all," remarked the professor. "There must be an 
airlock system."
Duo felt a shiver run through him. "Did either of you know about this place?" he 
asked, looking from Zechs to the Professor.
The older man shook his head. "I was a Federation employee. We didn't know much 
about what went on in OZ, obviously."
Zechs was silent for a moment. "I can't see Treize creating a facility like this 
- a place just for developing computer applications. He already thought too much 
of OZ's resources were going towards technology. Dermail must have gone behind 
his back on this place." He bowed his head for a moment, the lifted the small 
messaging device off of his belt and punched in a code. Noin's voice came 
through the darkness.
"Zechs? Is that you? Are you all right? Where are you?"
"We're all fine, Noin," Zechs answered and gave her a brief summary of how 
they'd gotten in. "We'll be in touch later - it may be difficult actually 
getting down to where Miranda might be. So be patient. I'll talk to you again 
soon." He signed off and replace the unit on his belt.
By this time they had come to the far end of the room which,up until now, had 
been shrouded in darkness. Here the space branched off into two identical 
corridors, one heading north, the other south. Try as they might, the three 
could find no difference between the two hallways, no way to tell which might 
lead them farther into the facility.
"Well this place is gonna be a pain to get into," Duo snorted, hands on hips.
Zechs cast a sideways glance at the irritated boy. "Why Duo - surely you didn't 
expect to walk right in? Where's the fun in that?" Duo's only response was to 
cross his arms in front of him and look annoyed.
Trying to ignore the temporarily humorless Duo, Zechs cast a glance along the 
side wall, near the junction of the hall and the main room. "What's that ?" he 
murmured, walking over to a door he had missed until then. It led to a small 
work room, furnished with a table and chair, and a computer workstation.
Zechs eyed the space and then said, "Professor, there's a network connector next 
to the computer. If we set you up here, you could work on getting the physical 
plant system up while Duo and I look for Miranda."
"But what if Tolv comes?" Duo asked. "We don't really want to leave the 
Professor here on his own with that maniac wandering around."
"No, no -of course not," Zechs countered. "Luckily we have a security system 
right here, albeit a rather, uh, *primitive* one."
Both of his companions looked thoroughly perplexed until Zechs dragged the chair 
over and placed it neatly under the door handle. Duo rolled his eyes and the 
Professor started to chuckle. "Well, you're right, it's primitive, but it works 
well enough for my liking!" He began exploring the connector set-up, bringing a 
small, palm-sized computer out of his jacket pocket and setting in on the table.
Duo was still uneasy. "I still think it's dangerous for him to be here, on his 
own with no way to defend himself."
"Then it's a good thing I brought an extra gun, isn't it?" Zechs smiled at him 
and pulled a small pistol out of a leg holster, placing it on the table next to 
the computer.
"Oh. My. A gun, well, well -" The professor was peering at the blond man over 
the tops of his glasses. "I suppose you think that's *absolutely* necessary, 
Zechs?"
"Just in case professor. I would hope, of course, you wouldn't have to use it, 
but Duo and I can't guarantee he won't come here. We'd both feel better knowing 
you had it, wouldn't we Duo?"
The American was taking turns staring first at the pistol and then down at 
Zechs' pant leg. Pistol. Leg. Pistol. Leg.
Zechs arched one blond eyebrow. "Is there a problem, Duo?"
Duo looked up at Zechs with a perplexed expression on his face. "Where did you 
get the gun? I never saw you pick up a gun. Who gave you the gun?"
"Noin," replied the tall man. "She had two with her. She brought them with the 
clothes from our room."
/Yeah. Of course she did,/ thought Duo. /She's been with you long enough to know 
what you'll need in any situation. She's the perfect companion - efficient, 
organized... female.../
Duo forced a smile at Zechs. "Great! That's great that you have one for the 
professor, too."
Zechs tilted his head slightly, giving Duo a questioning look, but the 
long-haired boy just looked away from him.
"Professor? Are you all right here on your own? Do we need to do anything more?" 
Zechs put a hand on the old man's shoulder. The professor, already engrossed in 
connecting his system to the facility's, looked up vaguely.
"What, my boy? Oh, me? Yes. Of course. I'll be all right. You go find Miranda, 
don't worry about me." He clapped Zechs on the arm and gave a wink to Duo. "I'll 
be just fine here - just fine!"
"Be sure to bar the door as soon as we leave," Zechs said. "We'll be back as 
soon as possible."
They left the academic to his work and walked back out into the mysterious 
hallway. Zechs looked up and down the corridor one more time. "Looks like we'll 
have to split up," he said in a decisive voice. "Duo, why don't you take the 
northern hallway and I'll take the southern."
Duo protested immediately. "Zechs! You've gotta be kidding!" he said, a flash of 
anger in his voice. "What if that weirdo's down here? I'm sure he's armed by now 
if he wasn't before. You want me to just let you meet him on your own?"
"Duo," the tall blond said softly, putting his hands on the braided boy's 
shoulders, "this place is too big and our time too short for us not to do this. 
We'll have a much better chance of finding Miranda if there are two search 
parties."
Duo, looking miserable, dropped his gaze to the floor. "You wouldn't say that if 
it was Noin being concerned about you," he said, his voice almost a whisper.
Zechs frowned. "Of course I would! What does Noin have to do with this?" He bent 
down slightly and looked Duo in the eyes. "Duo, I don't know what's gone on 
today between you and Noin, but you have to know one thing. She is one of my 
dearest friends - someone I couldn't have survived without, given the idiotic 
things I've done in the past. But what I feel for her and what I feel for you 
are two very different things. I *love* you, Duo. And I don't believe in saying 
that to someone unless it's absolute. Do you understand me?"
He had taken hold of Duo's chin and was staring intently into the boy's wide, 
amythest-colored eyes. "Now, let's go find Miranda and end this ridiculous 
business so we can concentrate on each other. Yes?"
Duo's returned the steady gaze, his eyes fixing on the ice blue pools of Zechs' 
eyes. As always, they were infinitely kind but steely in their determination. 
/This is part of what I love about him. He has two hearts. Two minds. The 
soldier and the peacemaker. And he's finally figured out how to live with them 
both.../
"Sorry, Zechs," Duo said softly. "I don't mean to be so insecure. Can't seem to 
hide it when it comes to you, damn it all." He shook his head, his long braid 
swaying behind him. "I wish we could just put this stuff behind us."
Long fingers caressing his cheek, a quick nuzzle and a brush of lips against 
his. "We will," whispered Zechs. "I promise you. But right now, there's someone 
in here who needs our help, and someone else who needs to be stopped. Let's get 
it done, so we can start living that other life."
They looked at each other for a long moment. The morning and it's tenderness 
seemed years ago. Duo tried a grin. "Okay - I'm in. Let's go."
Zechs smiled back. "You *are* carrying a weapon?" he asked.
The grin widened and Duo patted the waistband of his jeans. "Would I walk around 
without one, blondie?"
Zechs tried to act annoyed and didn't quite pull it off. "Go as far as you can 
down that way. If you reach a dead end come back here and start down my side. 
I'll do the same here." He pulled Duo close for one last intense kiss, then 
straightened.
" I'll be seeing you - soon." And with that, they parted, Duo heading one way 
and Zechs the other.
***
Holding Area - CRF at Victoria
One floor lower, Tolv Roos stood in the holding area's small computer room, 
staring at the schematic on the monitor. Oxygen levels were dropping and CO and 
CO2 levels rising. "It shouldn't be long now," he said softly to himself.
/And not a moment too soon. Hadn't anticipated how sticky it would be getting 
away from this place and knowing the job was done right. Damned, paranoid 
Trentes... almost ruined the entire thing. Well, that's no longer a problem at 
least... but I have to say, I am very displeased that my hand was forced on that 
one. This is supposed to be about *elegant* revenge, not violence - Ah, but it 
was just that one... just one...
/But *Kazu's* still in here somewhere - alive. Can't underestimate him... I've 
made that mistake once - but never again, sweet samurai. Never again/
Tolv removed his Excellency's cape and thought about his proteges. Kazu, of 
course. A brilliant mind in a crippled body, and hadn't he turned out to be a 
small, unexpected delight. He had always thought that the General's taste in 
sexual partners was the one area of fault the man had, but now that he had made 
some forays of his own into that territory, he had to acknowledge that, even 
here, Treize knew what he was doing. The young Japanese man had turned out to be 
a perfect partner - all yielding, no demands. And Merquise, this afternoon... 
well hadn't that been a revelation.
Tolv studied himself in the small mirror in the adjacent bathroom as he thought 
about the blond man. /Exquisite... absolutely exquisite... the struggle, and the 
sight of him beneath me. Just as his Excellency would have done with him... oh, 
your life was sweet, dear General... and those who cut it short will be 
punished... I promise you.../
Merquise was a problem, of course. He had gotten away, and had no doubt gone 
straight to the authorities. As long as he was free Tolv would know no peace. He 
would have to be found - and dealt with.
/I was just too soft-hearted earlier... too much in awe, being that close to one 
of His Excellency's favorite toys... and perhaps... enjoying myself a bit too 
much.../
He removed his shirt and breeches and his thoughts turned to Miranda - every bit 
the genius, and she had seemed to be an amoral genius at that. "I'm looking for 
challenging work," she had told him. "As long as the project holds my interest, 
I don't much care *who* I work for." So promising at first. But it appeared that 
her unconcerned attitude was a late casualty. She simply hadn't been strong 
enough to stomach the necessary applications of her work. It was a real pity, he 
thought, turning to the small closet.
/If only she hadn't started to get suspicious. It was good thing I wasn't too 
trusting to use surveillance from the beginning. Who could have known what she 
talked about and with whom?
/Of course, she *was* an excellent network engineer... the network... could she 
have done something to activate the network from inside? Don't be stupid... 
she's dead... or dying, right now... Nothing will go wrong... I'll see to 
that.../
He changed his clothing and now wore black trousers, a black turtleneck, and 
boots. He had strapped on a slim-fitting flexible O2 tank that was concealed 
beneath his shirt and slipped on the small mask. Now he could check on the two 
below, just to make sure their silence was assured, and then he would slip away 
to a less conspicuous place and let the worm finish its job.
/I just want to find them... make sure she's really gone... and as for Kazu - if 
he's dead, that's fine, but if not I'll make the little bastard tell me why he 
did it... Why, Kazu? How could you betray me after all those things you told 
me.../
One last look in the mirror, a smoothing gesture across the hair and he was 
heading for the door and his one last job at Victoria. Moving through and out 
into the hallway beyond, he pressed a small yellow button on the room's control 
panel. A faint buzz could be heard briefly, as if some electronic device had 
been activated. He smiled. All contingencies covered. On to Miranda and Kazu.
***
Hardware Engineering Lab - CRF at Victoria
"We can't just sit here and let him find us, Kazu. I know he wanted me dead and 
he didn't come and rescue you, so..." Her voice trailed off as she realized how 
cruel she sounded. "Sorry... didn't mean to -"
"No, you're right," Kazu said quietly. "I'm sure he doesn't trust me anymore. He 
shouldn't, given what I've done. You're right - he probably wants me dead, too."
Miranda looked over at the mild, handsome face, the graceful hands, and gleaming 
black hair. "No, I'm sorry, Kazu. I could be completely wrong. Maybe he *has* 
come to rescue you."
The Japanese man smiled, his eyes bright with tears. "No - I seriously doubt 
that. And you're right - you shouldn't be here when he comes. I think you should 
try to get as far up as you can. There's a stairway no one really ever used at 
the back of that work area." He pointed to other side of the large, pitch black 
room to their left. "Perhaps one of the doors might still be unlocked.
"Go on and go - you can always come back for me if you find a way out. His voice 
was growing weaker, and another coughing fit hit both of them.
"Oxygen must be getting pretty low - does your head hurt any?" she asked.
"Yeah, it does. Like hell. That's why you've got to find us a way out of here, 
all right? So *go*!"
Miranda hesitated, torn between running for freedom, if it could be found, and 
watching out for this gentle creature before her. "But what if he comes? That's 
leaving you in some pretty serious danger."
Kazu was quiet for a moment, then said softly, "I want to see him again, 
Miranda. I *need* to."
On impulse, Miranda leaned down and gave him a hug. "Take care, Kazu. I'll come 
back for you it I can." Then she was gone, swallowed up in the inky darkness. He 
watched her disappear and began thinking of what he would say to the man he knew 
was coming.
/Come on, Tolv... you have to know I'm waiting for you... come and tell me what 
a traitor I am...just let me see you one more time...but know this: I won't let 
you get *her*... She'll get away from you, I'll make damned sure of that... /
***
The Map Room - The Victoria Club
Noin was pacing the floor. /At this rate I'll wear a nice long hole in this 
beautiful Berber carpet before I hear anything. Won't the staff love that?... I 
know Zechs said to wait for him to call, but damn it all to hell - I have to 
make sure he's all right./
She picked up the small paging device from the desk and entered the code for 
Zechs' unit. After a moment of waiting, the small screen lit up with the words: 
ERROR - MESSAGE NOT SENT - UNIT INACCESSIBLE.
Noin stared at the words, blinking in confusion. /Inaccessible? Why would his 
unit be inaccessible? He had turned it on just as he was leaving the room. He'd 
have no reason to turn it off again... Oh God... Zechs.../
She looked absently at Trentes, still sleeping, and thought of the call she'd 
made from Zechs' and Duo's rooms when she was up there earlier, getting a change 
of clothes for Zechs. She hadn't liked going behind Zechs' back on it, but she 
had felt that, given the *personal* aspect of this problem, he would probably 
not consider bringing in outside help. She didn't want to get into a fight with 
him over it. Besides, it wasn't an agonizing decision, making that call. It had 
seemed the only really effective thing to do., and she smiled slightly, thinking 
of the gentle face of Sally Po, Chief Operations Officer of the Preventers, 
smiling back at her from the screen...
>> 1 hour in the past<<
"Noin! It's great to hear from you! How are you doing, now that you're back on 
Earth?"
"Well, it could be better, Sally -" Noin began.
"Oh no - has Zechs still not come around? Sometimes I think what that young man 
needs is a good whack on the head to bring him to his knees. Then while he's 
down there he can propose to you!"
"Ah, well... I'll have to talk to you about that soon, Sally. But actually, this 
is a business call."
Sally's expression turned instantly to concern. "What's happened, Noin?" she 
asked as she leaned forward. Noin gave her the briefest summary she could of the 
Victoria Club's mysterious occurrences, and that state of the search for Miranda 
Centov.
"We'd heard of the man who was trying to pass off a false ID - you're telling me 
he was legitimate and that this man, Tolv Roos, had his real identity *erased*?" 
Sally shook her head. "I always knew the pro-Treize faction was devoted, but 
this is downright fanatical."
Noin nodded. "What do you think, Sally? Would it be appropriate for me to 
request Preventer presence in this case?"
"Absolutely. This goes far beyond a little grudge from the war. If this man has 
been able to break into the main database for the Earth Sphere, we've got a 
dangerous situation on our hands. I'll send a team right away, and I'll make 
sure one of our best crackers is included." The older woman leaned slightly out 
of view of the screen for a moment, then was back. "Looks like I can get a 
scramble team there in, let's say, 90 minutes - if we use our fastest planes and 
I recruit from those agents already in the area."
"Guess that'll have to do," Noin said weakly, and smiled. Who knows - maybe 
everything will go okay and we won't need you by then..."
"I'll do my very best, Noin - now you hold on tight, okay?"
The dark-haired woman nodded and the screen went blank.
>>present time<<
Now there was nothing to do but wait and hope that the Preventer team showed up 
soon. But with the messaging device not working, and with Zechs in that dark, 
airless facility under the lake, every minute seemed an hour to Noin.
/You're stupid, you know that? He broke up with you. He's not going to ask you 
to marry him. They'll be no delicate wedding dresses, no Sankian heirloom rings. 
No little boys with my eyes and his hair... no chance for any of it now. He's in 
love with another man... Just say it, Noin, he's in love with Duo Maxwell. Yes, 
folks, the match has gone to the last-minute contestant with the long, brown 
braid. The kid staged a complete knockout. The popular and returning champion 
has been defeated without even knowing there was a fight.
/So why am I so damned worried about him? Why, indeed... /
She started as the comm unit squawked to life, a coded message from the Club's 
airstrip. Noin reached over and typed in her security code and heard the voice 
of the airstrip's chief controller.
"Lieutenant Noin? I have some information for you on the status of the Preventer 
team's planes."
Noin made a face at the unit. "That's *Ms.* Noin, Axel. I'm a civilian now, 
remember? What the message?"
"We've got three aircraft heading this way. One left from Cairo, ETA is 25 
minutes, another is inbound from Ankara, ETA 40 minutes on that one."
There was a pause. "Axel?," Noin ventured. "You said three, what's the status of 
the other one?"
"Uh - well, the other came from Djibouti..."
"Yes - and the ETA?"
"Ah, it's landing now."
Noin pulled back and stared and the comm unit, as if it had just done the 
impossible. "Oh - that's great! I... wonder how they got here so fast. Okay, 
Axel, thanks for the update. Can you have someone bring that agent to the Map 
Room in the Club ASAP?"
"Will do Lieutenant. I mean Ms. I mean ma'am. Ah, hell - over and out."
Noin breathed a little easier. The secret call had been the right thing to do. 
The Preventers were simply the best in the business when it came to taking care 
of the nasty elements of society these days. She felt a great sense of relief 
that one of them was here, and on the case.
One more attempt to call Zechs, and one more error message. Now there was only 
waiting, and thinking - about the way it felt to touch him again... about the 
way he looked when Duo was with him... about the talk she had had with the 
ex-gundam pilot in the hallway outside...
/'He's a hard one to forget.' That's what I told him and damn it, it's so 
true... but his eyes... and that dream won't leave my mind... keep seeing him... 
Treize... looking at me with dead eyes... 'It's all your fault...' My fault... 
for not being able to let go. But I have to... I have to allow Duo a chance...
/And I can't believe that I'm saying that./
***
Northern Access Corridor - CRF
Duo heaved a sigh. He was getting nowhere fast. The corridor was lined with 
doors - or what he assumed were doors, because in all honesty he had yet to see 
any of them open. He had gone quickly but systematically down the hall and had 
found no way of gaining access to any other part of the building. It seemed 
perfectly airtight - no way in.
/What? Airtight? Airtight... Yeah - there's air in here,but the O2 levels 
further down are falling. What had the professor said? That the building must 
have some kind of airlock system built in so that air could be evacuated from 
the main facility, but could be kept in the upper areas...
Duo began wandering around the hallway, staring up at the ceiling.
/That's one place that *has* to lead downwards, right? - the ventilation system. 
If the ducts are wide enough I might be able to fit through and follow 'em down 
to an airlock. Hmm... wonder if I could get through it?/
Finally, he spotted a ventilation grill in one of the ceiling tiles. 
Unfortunately, the ceiling was about a meter above his head. /Well, rats. This 
is where being Zechs would come in handy... *except*... Zechs probably can't 
jump as high as I can.../
Duo crouched and then jumped up towards the ceiling panel. He missed it the 
first few times, but gradually he was able to push the tile back further with 
each jump. In less than a minute he had moved it back far enough to allow him to 
latch his fingers around the opening of the air vent on his next jump. Pulling 
himself up, he disappeared from sight for a few moments, then briefly 
reappeared, a cheerful face looking down as his long braid dangled into the 
corridor.
"Cool! I'm in!" he grinned to himself, then replaced the ceiling tile and began 
the journey down the wide metal duct.
***
Southern Access Corridor - CRF
Zechs had worked out the air duct solution a couple of minutes before Duo. The 
only problem was that Zechs was rather a larger person than his lover, and the 
journey down the ducting was cramped, to say the least. There were one or two 
spots where the ducts narrowed and he thought he might have to give up and go 
back, but enough squirming he made it through. There were also a couple of short 
falls that he could very well have done without.
He was crouched now at a large, circular pane of plexiglass that stretched 
across the duct. No obvious mechanism held it in place.
/Of course it wouldn't work manually - the central computer must make it slide 
into place. Damn - I'd hoped the professor would have gotten this disabled by 
now... Hmmm - doesn't seem all that thick... There's always the gun of course, 
but shooting it off in this place would be a good way to commit suicide... A 
good kick might do it - if it's placed correctly.../
Wriggling back a little, he took a deep breath and kicked the barrier with one 
long, well-muscled leg. It bowed outward, but did nothing more. Another breath, 
another kick produced a long vertical crack in the pane. Two final kicks caused 
a large part of the plastic to break out from the inside of the circle. Zechs 
thought he could get his shoulders through the opening and moved forward, 
wincing immediately as jagged plastic raked his skin. It caught on his ribs and 
one thigh before he got completely through, panting as he crawled the last few 
inches to the other side of the airlock.
/Well. That was stunningly painful. But I'm through... have to concentrate on 
that.../
It was odd to notice the difference in the air on this side. It made the entire 
situation, which had begun to seem somewhat unreal, instantly concrete and 
urgent. He could feel the faint stir of air coming from the broken barrier, 
though. That could buy them some time - although it would take a long time to 
filter downwards, especially without the ventilation fans on.
The low levels of oxygen made it difficult for Zechs to slow his breathing, 
coming fast as a result of the pain he was feeling. He leaned against the side 
of the duct, panting, and planning on resting for just a few moments before 
continuing to head down.
/I should try to reach Noin... probably should have gotten back to her before 
now. Hope she's not too worried.../
He pulled the paging device off of his belt and punched in Noin's code. Instead 
of the familiar beep that indicated a connection had been made and a message 
sent, Zechs was confronted with the following: ERROR - MESSAGE NOT SENT - E 
FIELDS MUST BE DE- ACTIVATED BEFORE TRANSMISSIONS CAN BE SENT.
/An e-field? That'll block transmission in *and* out of here. Where did *that* 
come from? Unless someone anticipated.../
A slow feeling of dread came over him. Had someone planned for their presence 
here? Known they would come? Only one person could have done that...
/Stay calm. He could have activated the e-field weeks ago. No one would have 
noticed. It doesn't mean he's here now... But then, I *could* get through 
earlier, and now I can't... Oh, Duo... God I hope you're all right... I swear to 
you when we get through with this I'll take you so far away from everything that 
nothing will touch us... our time together will be sacred... I promise.../
As he sat, eyes closed, focused on slowing his breathing, he heard a strange 
mechanical buzz and was instantly alert. As much as he could in the cramped 
duct, he got into a defensive crouch and pulled his gun from it's leg holster. A 
movement to his left made him swing around and point the gun at the remnants of 
the plastic barrier, which was now, to his great surprise, being retracted into 
a narrow opening in the side of the duct. The professor had gotten that far at 
least.
For a moment, Zechs just stared at the wide open space where the barrier had 
just been. He looked down at his bleeding shoulder, his bleeding thigh, then 
back at the opening. He sat down heavily, shook his head, and let it fall into 
his hand. "Excellent timing as usual, Merquise..."
Trying to ignore the the warm, wet feeling of blood flowing down his skin, he 
began moving forward again. Every strained breath reminded him of the urgency of 
what he was doing, and of how little time they might have left.
***
The Map Room - The Victoria Club
She was on the comm with the Club's security chief, getting the status on the 
hunt for Tolv Roos, when the door to the room opened. Without turning her head, 
Noin called out, "I'll be right with you," and finished scribbling down the 
various places searched, all of which had been empty of Tolv or anything else 
suspicious. Signing off, she sighed, turning to the visitor, a Preventer agent 
with a large black carrying case and a facial expression that could turn milk 
sour.
"Hello" she began.
"Where's the comm unit?" the woman demanded.
"Uh... it's, uh, over here -" Noin was rendered momentarily speechless at the 
woman's bruspue manner. The agent moved quickly to the unit and opened the case, 
pulling out computer equipment as she did so. She was small, with straight black 
hair and a grim, no-nonsense face, dressed in the usual Preventer khakis.
/Heavens, Sally/ she thought, /Where do you and Une find them?/
She tried again. "I'm Lucrezia Noin. Admiral Trentes is the one in the chair 
over there, sleeping. What's your name?"
The dark-haired woman looked up briefly. "Asuka Irie," she replied, nodding 
curtly to Noin and then turning back to her computer screen. Since no other 
information seemed to be forthcoming, Noin decided to press.
"Are you here to help with getting the CRF's network on-line?"
This time she didn't look up. "That's why I brought the computer," came the 
reply. Noin counted to ten, willing herself to stay calm.
"Well, I'll let you go to it. Please let me know if I can help with anything."
"Hn."
Noin rolled her eyes. /When this is all over, I'll *have* to ask her whether she 
knows Wu Fei.../
"Does he need to be here?" the woman said suddenly, looking over at the sleeping 
Admiral.
Noin looked over to the armchair where Trentes sat. "Admiral Trentes was an OZ 
officer and part of the Romafeller faction that fought against Treize. He was 
being threatened by Tolv Roos, the man we're after. It's a long story, but -"
She stared at the ex-officer for a moment. Something seemed wrong. "He's been 
sleeping for awhile, now. Maybe I should wake him up. I'm sure the police will 
want to talk to him again." Noin crossed the room to where the older man sat, 
settled deeply in the large wing chair. Shaking his shoulder, she jumped back a 
little when his head wobbled limply - a little too limply.
Her eyes widened. "What..." The Admiral's chin had been resting on his chest. 
Now, she lifted it carefully, letting out an involuntary gasp. The old officer's 
face was a dark gray color, tinged with blue around the mouth. Quickly, she felt 
for a pulse, but couldn't find one under the man's cooling skin. "Tolv..." she 
said outloud, "it had to have been Tolv... he must have gotten to him before the 
Admiral found us. Oh, God - I have to get the security chief back on the comm 
unit." She stood and quickly crossed to the desk. Asuka was back at her 
computer, but her voice followed Noin across the room.
"You don't know that he was murdered," she pointed out. "It could have been a 
natural death."
"I suppose it could have been," she replied, her fingers working the unit's 
keypad. As the screen gave the connection signal, she muttered under her breath, 
"Yeah - and I could be the Queen of Sank..." 
Hardware Engineering Lab - CRF
Kazu was waiting at the far end of the elevator lobby watching the floor 
indicator lights as they moved from the holding area floor downward. With each 
newly lighted number, his heart pounded just a bit faster, his breath even 
harder to draw. He had decided what to do and was determined to go through with 
it. It had to work. Surely the man still felt *something* for him... he couldn't 
be immune to *everything*, especially if he thought his plan was going as it 
should...
/And of course, there's a little something in it for me, too - if it works.../
His head ached and surely his chest must be be wrapped with steel bands, but 
when the glowing numbers stopped glowing and the elevator doors moved smoothly 
open, all of the pain seemed to fade.
Tolv Roos stepped out into the gloom of the emergency lights. Kazu felt a shock 
of adrenalin - heart pounding and breath coming too fast for the thin air. His 
master was tall, slim, and darkly handsome. Wavy brown hair and pale skin set 
off stunning blue eyes - eyes that seemed to search and probe him as they moved 
his way. /He's got to be the only man who could wear an oxygen mask and still 
look so good.../
Without thinking, the wheel-chair bound man let out a soft sigh.
Tolv slowly removed the mask. "We meet again, my little samurai." The silky 
voice was achingly familiar, and Kazu felt a wave of sadness come over him. Tolv 
continued. "How I wish this meeting could have happened under different 
circumstances."
"I do too, Tolv," he answered, soft voice almost a whisper. "I know I've 
disappointed you... and I'm sorry...Master. I never meant to hurt you. I just 
couldn't..." his voice trailed off.
"Couldn't let her die the peaceful death she deserved? My dear boy - that's just 
a bit selfish of you, isn't it?"
Kazu looked up at Tolv sharply. "She didn't deserve to die at all!"
"Little man, please - don't waste our last moments together arguing. Just tell 
me where she is, sweet one. That's all I need to know. Tell me where she is and 
all will be forgiven."
Kazu was silent for a few moments. /All right. Give it your best shot. It has to 
work... it has to.../
He ducked his head and looked up at Tolv through long, jet black lashes. 
"Perhaps... we could strike a bargain, Master..." He cast his eyes downward as 
he continued. "Perhaps, I could tell you about her, in exchange for something 
from you..."
Tolv's voice was low and gentle. "What could you want from me, little samurai?" 
A slight breathiness told Kazu he had succeeded in sparking the older man's 
interest.
A sweep of lashes, looking up at him again. "One more time, Master..." Kazu 
whispered. "Just once more before I'm gone... won't you do that... for me?"
A seductive smile spread across Tolv's face. The tall man slowly crossed the 
distance between them, leaned over, and took Kazu's chin in his hand, tilting 
the younger man's face upwards. "You still want that - even now...?" His voice 
was a breath on Kazu's cheek.
He kept dark eyes on Tolv, then took his palm, turned it up, and covered it with 
slow kisses.
Tolv could feel the sweep of Kazu's lashes, feather light, across his palm as 
the young Japanese man closed his eyes and continued kissing and licking the 
hand he held. Then, slowly, Kazu opened his eyes again and held Tolv's gaze as 
he licked each finger in turn.
The tall man watched, breathless, for several moments, his eyes riveted to what 
was being done to him. Then he pushed two fingers deep into Kazu's welcoming 
mouth. Dark eyes closed again, and Kazu sucked passionately as Tolv felt a wave 
of heat pass over him. He pushed more fingers in, wanting to overwhelm his 
little man, wanting to be in there himself. So, with his other hand, he undid 
the front of his trousers and pushed himself against Kazu's face.
Groaning softly as he breathed in the scent of his master, Kazu wound his arms 
around the tall man's hips. He sucked at the cotton briefs covering Tolv's long 
member, making them clingy and wet. Tolv's eyes were closed and he began rocking 
slowly against Kazu's hungry mouth.
Fire... the room was turning to fire...
Kazu gave a tug and Tolv was bare in front of him, then pushing deep down his 
throat. The inevitable slide to that unreal state - the feeling of being simply 
a tool for his master's pleasure. His arms hung limp beside him, head dropped 
back, his throat relaxed and opened through long practice, a warm, tight glove 
for the tall man's erection. There was nothing for him to do but take it in - 
nothing to do but be the toy his master played with. And every thrust made the 
ache between his own legs sweeter...
Tolv groaned loudly and pulled out of Kazu's mouth. The younger man tried to 
protest, but Tolv was too quick, lifting him out of the wheelchair and down to 
the floor. Kazu, his eyes still closed, had to smile. /It's going to happen... 
he's going to give it to me... his pleasure assured... my pleasure too... and 
Miranda... Miranda will have more time to get free... there could be worse ways 
to go. Ahh, come and take me, master.../
Tolv was nuzzling Kazu's neck, licking and biting, leaving bruises before 
claiming his slave's mouth with hard, deep kisses. He got Kazu's clothes off 
somehow... pulling at them in frustration until only bare skin remained. Hands 
everywhere, running the length of the smaller body, pressing it down onto the 
floor, then running across Kazu's head and pulling the black cord off so that 
dark, silky hair fell around the Japanese man's shoulders.
They were forehead to forehead, ragged breaths mingling, as Tolv pushed Kazu's 
legs apart with his knees. He pressed the young man's arms above his head and 
against the floor, immobilizing him. Then, ever so slowly, he rubbed his aching 
member up against the tender entrance to Kazu's body, making it warm and slick. 
Kazu whimpered beneath him, trying to pull tall man further in. Tolv smiled and 
relented, pressing forward, filling his lover's body, making both of them moan.
Soft, slow strokes at first, eyes locked on each other. But it was almost too 
much for Kazu. His eyes closed, his head moving from side to side and, finally, 
his back seemed to arch on its own, instinctively seeking to intensify the 
feeling that was filling him. "Ohhhh... Tolv.... Tolv....," he cooed softly. "My 
master..."
The words, the softness of the voice speaking them, and Tolv was drifting away, 
pleasure almost tangible around him. More. He needed more. His body took over, 
and the thrusts came faster and deeper, the feeling of possessiveness, of 
invasion, overwhelmingly strong.
And yet - somehow - he held back from it and pulled out, leaving just the 
slightest pressure against the tender opening. Kazu whimpered in frustration, 
feeling the heat of his lover and not being able to bring him inside. Tolv's 
voice, as he began to speak, was hoarse with emotion. "Why did you betray me - 
Kazu?"
The young man looked up at his lover, eyes wide with desire and hope... hope 
that this last part would go as he'd planned. "I... I told you, master. She 
didn't deserve to die. Oh please - let's go back to what we were doing..."
"You told me you loved me, Kazu... you said I was everything to you... now 
you've cut me to the quick, haven't you... tell me why, little man..."
Kazu was finding it hard to keep back tears. /Gods, he knows me far too well... 
knows just what to say... I... I know I had to do this... had to... /
"Tolv," he whispered, wanting to wrap his arms around his master's neck, but 
frustrated because they were still pinned to the floor. "I *do* love you... I'd 
give up *my* life for you... in a moment... but... but I couldn't give up 
someone else's life... that's just not our choice to make..."
"Such a kind-hearted little man, Kazu. But you'll have to pay for that kindness 
now."
"I know, master... I know... " He felt himself weakening, wanting to give in to 
the lovely man above him, wanting to give him anything he desired.
/I can't let that happen... not now, when she's had a chance... and he's almost 
mine again.../
He opened stinging eyes and looked deeply into Tolv's eyes. "Please master... 
don't deny me this... don't deny yourself... I'll give you everything, if you 
just give me a little more..."
"Oh, you want more, little man?" Tolv's voice was a seductive whisper, silky in 
his ear. "Then tell me where she is..." The tip of his erection nudged at Kazu, 
making him shiver with anticipation.
The younger man stared up at his lover, his own mind awash with longing and 
fear. "Ah, master... she's... she's... don't make me do this, please... I want 
you so badly... please..."
"Where, little man?" the low voice whispered again. "Tell me where, and you can 
have it all...inside..."
His eyes half-lidded, his back arching with desire, Kazu stared into Tolv's 
eyes... and lied.
"She came up here, master... the drugs didn't work long enough... I couldn't 
stop her - didn't have a gun... she went up the front stairwell... oh please - I 
can't take any more... I need it... need you... master..." His breathing was 
ragged, dark eyes pleading as Tolv pushed in and began to work him in a steady 
rhythm. As the sweet wave of his release grew, ready to break over him, he was 
only half aware of his own voice whispering, "Forgive me, master... forgive 
me... forgive me..."
The next time he opened his eyes, Tolv was gone.
 
***
Ventilation System Above Northern Service Corridor (level 04) - CRF
Duo had reached the duct barrier a few minutes after it had opened. Giving a 
quiet whoop for the Professor's handiwork, he scrambled through it, noticing the 
stale, thin quality of the air beyond.
From that point, the duct continued for about 3 meters, then appeared to drop, 
no doubt to the floor below. Duo crawled over to it and, swinging his feet above 
the opening, peered into the yawning darkness. "Sure hope this ends up someplace 
safe," he muttered and then let himself fall into the space.
It was a heart-stopping drop - a full floor's length. His hip hit the rounded 
side of the duct painfully at the bottom as it leveled out above the ceiling, 
two floors below when he had just been. He was contemplating the anesthetic 
properties of swearing when he heard a soft sound a short distance in front of 
him.
Immediately he was crouched defensively on the balls of his feet, edging slowly 
towards the sound. When he reached the point where it was the loudest, he put 
his ear to the duct opening and the ceiling tile just below it. /Is that a 
voice?... definitely coming from down there. Could be Tolv. That would be bad. 
Very bad. Maybe it's Miranda - but surely he wouldn't have just left her to 
wander around here while she suffocated... naw, she's probably drugged or tied 
up somewhere... it's gotta be Tolv. Damn! How can I take the guy out if I have 
to fire into pitch blackness from this stupid little hole in the ceiling... have 
to, I guess... better see if I can place him - maybe I can hear where he is.../
Duo removed the ceiling tile carefully, trying to be as silent as possible, and 
put it aside. His head was beginning to hurt, and his chest felt funny, so he 
knew time was running out. He put his head near the vent's opening and held his 
breath - listening for any sound the hallway afforded. The time seemed to 
stretch out and for a moment he wondered if whoever it was had left the hallway. 
Then he heard it. A soft, muttered curse.
"Damn!"
He sat up suddenly. /A woman's voice! Maybe it *is* Miranda! Or a sidekick of 
Tolv's. He seems like the type for a sidekick... /
Then the worst happened. He felt a cough building in him, no doubt from the lack 
of oxygen. He tried to stifle it, tried with every ounce of will he had, but it 
came out anyway. It sounded like thunder in the thick silence.
There was a flicker of light below him and the next thing he knew he was being 
blinded with intense light. He backed away from the opening, covering his eyes. 
"Shit!" he hissed painfully.
"Who are you?" an unfamiliar female voice demanded.
/Nope, that's not Tolv, obviously - but what if he's *with* whoever that is?/
"Who *are* you!?" The voice came again, this time tinged with the slightest 
anxiety.
Duo thought about his options - none of which were too good - and decided to 
answer her.
"My name is Duo Maxwell. What's yours?"
"Not so fast - what are you doing up there, Mr. Maxwell?"
"Call me Duo - and, uh... at the moment I'm crouching uncomfortably in an air 
duct, trying to get rid of these lovely spots in front of my eyes."
"Very amusing. Now tell me why you're really there."
Carefully sliding his gun out of the waistband of his jeans, he held the weapon 
up in front of him with both hands, muzzle pointing up. Whether or not he used 
it would depend on the answer he got to the next question. "You wouldn't by any 
chance be Miranda Centov, would you? 'Cause if you are, I got this old professor 
guy upstairs who said you were his best student... and he'd really like to know 
if you're alive."
A brief moment of silence. Duo tried his best to be patient, turning slightly to 
get a better angle if he needed to shoot.
"Yes. I'm Miranda. Do... do you know of a way out of here?" The fierceness in 
her voice had gone completely, leaving fear and anxiety. Duo felt a wave of 
sympathy and peered out of the opening to see a figure standing in the gloom of 
his flood.
"Tell ya what," he said cheerfully, "you put your light on you, and I'll put my 
light on me, 'kay? One - two - three."
When the count was done, Duo saw a very young woman standing in the hallway 
below. She was of moderate height and dark-haired, and she returned his stare 
with something resembling disappointment.
His grin faded a bit at her expression. He moved to the edge of the opening and 
jumped down lightly from the ceiling and said, "Hi! I'm here to rescue you. Are 
you ready to go?" He looked at Miranda's startled face for a moment, then 
shrugged. "I've always wanted to say that!"
She looked him up and down and saw a short, slender boy with long legs, longer 
hair, and an adorable face with wide, violet eyes.
/Not exactly what I would call Knight in White Armor material./
"You?" she asked Duo. "*You're* going to rescue me? Aren't you a bit... small 
for that job?"
Duo made a face. "A bit *small*? I say I'm here to rescue you and your response 
is 'You're a bit *small*?' Sheesh - maybe I should go and let you wait around 
for someone taller..."
Miranda put her hands on her hips. "I only meant," she said, "that I'm not sure 
you can get us both out of here. I'm bigger than you are." She coughed suddenly 
and pressed a hand to her temple. "Sorry," she said in a soft, hoarse voice. 
"Ladies in distress shouldn't insist on tall, blond knights, should they?"
"Ah," said Duo, "a tall blond. That would be my boyfriend. He's in here looking 
for you, too - if it makes this seem any more legit."
"Your boyfr-? Oh never mind." Miranda shook her head and looked down the 
darkened hallway. "Well, were out of luck to go anywhere - I just came from two 
floors below. I thought it was so great that the doors in the stairwell were 
open. There's just one problem - the door leading to the next level is locked 
and worse - it seems the door I came through is locked from this direction. Now 
I can't get out of this damned hallway."
Duo grinned. "You don't need to! We can go back through the duct - the way I 
came. With both of us there we can probably get up the straight parts without 
too much trouble. C'mon, I'll give you a hand up."
She stared at him as if he were an idiot. "I can't just leave! I've gotta get 
Kazu before I go!"
Duo stared back and blinked. "Oh. Of course. Kazu... Can't forget Kazu, now, can 
we?"
"No, we can't," she said pointedly
Duo crossed his arms and frowned at her. "Who the hell is Kazu? I don't know any 
Kazu. I remember the description of this job very clearly and there was a 
definite *lack* of anyone named Kazu in it. I'm just supposed to get *you.*"
"He's down here, too. And I think *Tolv* may be in here - looking for him. I'm 
not just going to leave him here to die."
Duo looked around the hallway reluctantly. "Why don't you just come with me and 
then I'll come back and get this... Kazu...person when you're up where the air 
is."
Miranda shook her head. "You don't know where he is. Besides, I don't go in for 
all that macho crap."
Duo looked mildly shocked, then pouted. "Well, you sure know how to make a guy 
feel useful, doncha?" He rubbed one aching temple. "Damn, I wish that air would 
get down here faster."
"You got the air back on?" Her face was bright with hope.
Duo looked uncomfortable. "Well, no - not really... But we got the barriers in 
the ducts open, so *some* air should get down here... eventually..." He looked 
up at her and tried the grin again.
She sighed, folding her arms in front of her. "Well, that's something at least, 
but eventually may not be soon enough for Kazu - we really have to go back for 
him." Large brown eyes pleaded with violet ones.
"Ohhhh - all right - I'll take *five* minutes and try to get us out of here, but 
after that, we're going, Kazu or not. Got that?"
She saluted him. "Yes sir!" she said crisply, then made a wry face at him. Duo 
just rolled his eyes. As they walked toward the doorway to the stairwell, 
Miranda spoke again. "Hey - I was just thinking - since you're a rescuer and all 
- you *did* think to bring a weapon or two, right?"
The braided boy stopped and looked at her in great offense. "Of course I did," 
replied Duo, injured pride smarting. "Geez... you think I'm stupid or something? 
Guess they don't make Ladies in Distress like they used to."
"Thank gods for that," muttered Miranda as they headed down the corridor.
***
The Map Room - The Victoria Club
At long last, two of the Club's security team has come to the Map Room. They 
approached Noin and informed her that they would need to secure the scene of the 
Admiral's death and that the medical examiner had been right behind them. Noin 
looked up to see the physician in question walking through the door. She was a 
sturdy, capable-looking woman with an head of short, red curls and an open, 
intelligent face.
"You're the one who found him, I take it?" she asked of Noin.
"Yes," said Noin, miserably. "I felt for a pulse and there wasn't any. It... it 
was quite obvious he was dead, so I didn't think there was any use in trying to 
revive him."
The examiner asked a few more questions about how the body had been situated and 
what time the Admiral had last spoken to anyone, then moved over to the armchair 
and began her investigation.
Noin sighed and looked over at Asuka, still huddled over her computer as if 
nothing were happening around her. "Do you think you'll be able to get the air 
on?" she asked the young woman.
"I'll know in a couple of minutes. These old OZ codes aren't too hard to 
falsify, *if* you know what you're doing." Noin couldn't help but feel a slight 
tone of condescension in the dark-haired woman's tone.
"I'm sorry - I don't mean to keep bothering you. It's just that, well, I'm 
concerned about - the people down there."
The small woman looked up at her for the first time since she had arrived. "I 
can understand that. Unfortunately it doesn't make the code any easier to break, 
Lt. Noin."
Noin smiled weakly, feeling a sudden weariness. She was tired of scenes like 
this one. It was why she had gotten out of the Preventers a year ago. With a 
sudden flash of irritation, she said, more to herself than anyone else, "it's 
*Ms.* Noin - not Lieutenant. I'm not fighting anymore." Then she laughed 
bitterly under her breath at the irony of what she'd just said.
***
Northern Service Corridor (level 04) - CRF
"You see? It's maddening. It was unlocked, I swear. I came right through it 
about 20 minutes ago and now? Now it's locked!" Miranda sighed, coughed, and 
began rubbing her temples again. "No offense, but what can you *possibly* do 
about this?"
Duo was crouched down at the level of the door handle - a bar of metal that 
stretched most of the width of the door. He seemed, to Miranda, to be trying to 
get his nose into the tiny crack between the door and its frame. She watched for 
a few moments, impatiently tapping her foot, then tried again to get the 
strange, long-haired boy to speak to her.
"What *are* you doing down there?"
Duo sat back on his heels and let out a puff of air. He cocked his head to the 
side and looked up at her, coughing a bit. "Well, I got good news and bad news. 
Which do you want first?" When it became clear that her only answer would be a 
glare, Duo continued. "I can get it open - piece of cake, really. This isn't 
like the doors upstairs that are designed to keep people out. That's the good 
news."
"And the bad?" Miranda asked.
"The bad is we'll be going in the wrong direction!" Duo stood and put his hands 
on his hips. "Look, I know you want to help your friend, but there's damned 
little *air* down here! Now there are other people working on finding Tolv and 
getting the ventilation system back up, but *my* job was to find you and get you 
out of here. Now one more time - how about letting me do my job and let the 
*other* people do their jobs? Huh?"
The two of them stared at each other, then Miranda spoke softly. "You said your 
boyfriend was down here looking for me, too. What if it was him? What if it was 
a question of your taking a risk in finding him, or leaving him here - alone. 
What would you do?"
Duo appeared to keep staring at the dark-haired woman, but his thoughts had 
suddenly flown very far away. Remembering the night before, the sweetness that 
had passed between him and Zechs, the things the beautiful blond man had told 
him, had whispered to him as the passion built, and again as they fell back to 
earth together. He thought of the silky hair and the intense, blue eyes that 
looked at him with hunger and with love. Then he thought of leaving all that to 
die in the darkness.
He looked down at the floor at kicked at a speck of dust there. "That wasn't 
fair, ya know. Not fair at all."
"It wasn't meant to be," Miranda replied. "I wanted you to know how important it 
was to me."
He looked up at her, a tiny smile on his face. "You love this guy?" he asked.
She looked uneasy. "No - I mean... no, I just met him. It's just that... I think 
he's really a very good person. He doesn't deserve this..." Now it was her turn 
to stare at the floor, trying to keep back tears for a man she hardly knew.
Duo leaned over and peered up at her face, a small grin fighting to get out. 
"Hey - it's okay. I understand. Just tell me one thing - is he cute?"
Miranda looked up into the impish face with its mischievous expression. She let 
out an exasperated sigh and had to laugh. "Well... *yes* if you want to know - 
he's *damned* cute." It seemed silly, but she could feel, ever so slightly, the 
tension draining away from her.
"Oh. Well," Duo said with a shrug. "You should have said so earlier. I can never 
resist rescuing a cute guy." He put his hands up to his hair and gracefully 
pulled out two gleaming, silver tools. Winking at her, he dropped to his knees 
in front of the door and began sliding them into the space near the handle.
***
Hardware Engineering Work Space - CRF
Zechs had come out of the ventilation duct on one side of a large, open 
workspace. He shone his flood over desks and worktables, tool cabinets and 
sinks, before seeing dim blue lights on the far side of the room. Turning his 
flood off, he crouched low to the floor and crossed the room slowly, gun cocked 
and ready. There was a slight movement in the place where the lights came from, 
and he thought he heard someone whimper.
As he neared the eerily lit space, he heard someone coughing and then the rustle 
of cloth. He reached the edge of the light and looked around a large supply 
cabinet, doing his best to keep hidden behind it. He wasn't prepared for what he 
saw - a slender young man with dark hair sweeping his shoulders, sitting on the 
ground, pulling on a shirt and then lifting glasses to his eyes. A wheelchair 
stood near one elevator door. No one else was there, but the thin, stale air 
held the scent of sex.
The man began coughing again, the force of it racking his small frame. His head 
turned slightly and the tall blond stepped back in shock. "Wu Fei?" he breathed. 
/How could it be - how could he be here, in this place? Is it really... really 
him?/
He was so intent on staring at the young man before him that he didn't notice 
his left foot, moving perilously close to a waste basket on the floor. He kicked 
it slightly and the sound echoed in the large, empty space. The man on the floor 
turned his head sharply towards the noise. "Who is it? Who's there? Miranda? Is 
it you?"
Now that he was turned fully around, Zechs could see that the man wasn't Wu Fei 
- just someone who looked remarkably like him. He shuddered against the cabinet. 
/First someone who looks like Treize - now someone like Wu Fei... what's next - 
a Lady Une lookalike? God that man is sick.../
The man on the floor looked worried as he peered into the darkness beyond the 
emergency lighting. Groping around in front of him, he picked up a flood and 
pointed it towards the source of the sound he'd heard. It flicker briefly 
against white-gold hair before Zechs remembered to duck behind the cabinet.
Kazu, was half expecting Tolv to show up again, dragging Miranda behind him. He 
felt a sharp shiver of fear. "Who - who are you?" the called, his voice hoarse 
with anxiety and lack of oxygen.
A man stepped forward into the light. A man like Kazu had never seen.
He seemed to shimmer, silvery gold in the gloom of the workspace, as he took a 
few tentative steps toward Kazu. His face was beautiful - a distinctive male 
beauty that commanded attention. Hair, palest gold, eyes piercingly blue... eyes 
that seemed to search him... to see all of his sins and yet, they were kind... 
no condemnation, no hostility... For a brief moment, he had to close his eyes on 
the white-gold perfection of him...
"Are you all right?" the vision asked, his voice deeply resonant. Kazu tried to 
speak, and actually couldn't for a brief moment- a state he'd never found 
himself in before. Finally, he found the words that had come to him as soon as 
he'd seen the man.
"Am I dead?" he whispered. "Are you an angel?" There was wonder in his voice.
The vision smiled softly, walking closer as he did. "No. No, I'm not an angel. 
And I hope you're not dead, because I'm here talking to you and, well - what 
would that say about me?" He stopped and looked around at the wheelchair. "Is 
this yours? Do you need some help getting into it?"
Kazu nodded, still staring at the stranger. /I could drink in that voice 
forever.../
"Looks like you need to finish dressing as well. Let me help." Zechs moved over 
to the dark-haired young man and lifted him gently, helping him to get his jeans 
back on. He could feel the man's eyes on him so he talked while he worked, 
lifting the slender body into the wheelchair, then hunting for shoes. "I'm 
Zechs. Zechs Merquise. What's your name?"
"Zechs?" The voice was full of amazement. "You're really Zechs?" Dark eyes 
searched the tall blond's face. Zechs stopped, one of the man's shoes in his 
hand.
"You act like you know me, but I don't think we've ever met." Back to getting 
shoes on unresponsive feet.
"No, we haven't. He just... he told me a lot... about you. Said you were evil... 
that you -" he broke off and looked up into ice blue eyes. "You're not evil, are 
you? I mean... you don't look evil..."
Zechs sat back a bit and regarded the young man. "I have a lot of faults. But I 
don't think being 'evil' is one of them. Were you talking about Tolv? Was he the 
one who told you those things?"
The man nodded. "I... I used to work for him... but - I couldn't do something he 
wanted me to do, so..." he couldn't finish the sentence but broke off and stared 
at the floor. "My... my name is Kazu."
"Kazu!" As if in reply, a voice called in a loud whisper from the back of the 
large work area. "Is that you? It's me, Miranda!"
Zechs stood, his gun still ready and looked out across the dark space. Out of 
the gloom, he saw a young woman appear, and behind her, the most precious sight 
in the world. "Duo!" his voice was a whisper of relief as he watched his lover 
walk towards him, grin intact.

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