Chapter 9 ::  Marks of Injustice and Fear

Yawning, I stretch and sit up in bed.  I did something last night... 
something that had to do with helping the cobalt-eyed boy in the room 
next to mine.  However, the Sandman has decided to deprive Shinigami of 
that particular event and I shrug, stretching again.  A knock on my door 
heralds Heero's entrance and he stands sheepishly by my door, waiting 
for me to usher him in.  

This Heero is so different from the one I knew before.  His mannerisms 
have changed, his eyes, his expressions, everything.  It's refreshing and 
scary at the same time.  Every so often I don't know what to do and find 
myself just watching him for some sort of clue to go on.

"Whatcha need, Heero?" I say cheerfully, slipping out of bed.  

"The address to my work..." he murmurs, clearly embarrassed.  Hell, I'd 
be embarrassed too if I had to ask someone where I worked.  Then again, 
he has an excuse, I wouldn't.

"Sure, it's in my address book."  I stand and wander over to the closet to 
pull out my usual black outfit.  Seems that my entire wardrobe consists of 
this absence of light color.  It suits me though.  As I pull on a shirt and 
change pants, I hear him riffling around my drawers.  "Top drawer on the 
left."

"Sankyuu."  I've always loved his accent.  He never could get rid of it even 
after the war had ended and he moved to America.  Guess the Japanese 
in him wouldn't let go.  I slip my arms into my standard work jacket and 
cross over to him.  He's staring at the book as if something's wrong.  I 
stop just a few feet from him and gasp mentally.  

Shit…I forgot to remove his old address.  

He turns to me questioningly and blinks.  "I thought this was my 
apartment…"

"I…I…It…This…" is all I'm able to say.

"Why does your book list me as 372 North Lincoln, Warehouse District?" 
 He hands the book to me, confusion battling the hurt look on his face.

"I…you moved recently…and I…uh…didn't update it."  I hate lying.  I 
really, really hate lying.  So why am I doing it so much?

He blinks and nods.  "Oh…all right.  Sorry."

"It's okay, Heero.  Did you get the address you needed?"

He nods and holds up the piece of paper he scribbled on.  Stuffing it into 
his pocket, he starts towards the door and calls out over his shoulder, "I 
left some breakfast for you on the table.  Make sure to eat before you 
leave.  Have a good day at work."

The door closes and I'm glued to the spot.  He can cook?!  He lived on 
military rations and fast food even AFTER the war and he can cook?!  

"Ittekimasu! [1]" is heard from the front hall just before a door closes.  I 
slowly move out of my room and into the kitchen and dining area.  There 
on the table is a small, Japanese breakfast of miso soup, rice, tea, and 
the American component of eggs and bacon.  I glance over to the sink 
and see his washed dishes in the dish rack.  

Heero Yui can cook?  I snort and smile.  Of course, he's the Perfect 
Soldier.  Dr. G even taught me rudimentary cooking during my training.  

I know he can't hear me, but I have to say it anyway.  "Itterashai…[2]"

Work is uneventful.  I signed up with a local mechanics garage when I 
arrived on Earth and they were more than willing to take me.  I've brought 
in more business than they can handle.  Hey, what can I say?  My 
charms are too much for people.  Grinning, I wave to my latest customer 
as they drive off satisfied with their car.  The bell over the door sounds and 
I turn, saying my usual greeting as I do.  "Hello and welcome to the 
Mechanical Generation Garage!  My name is Duo and I'll be helping you 
with anything that you---"

"Hey..."  

To say that I'm surprised to see Heero here is an understatement.  He 
looks as if he ran the whole way.  "Uh...Hi!"  My composure sneaks up 
and jumps me from behind.  Thank Shinigami for it too or I'd be a 
gibbering mess.  "So, whatcha doing here?"

He shrugs slightly, staring out the window at the cars still in the shop.  
"Want to go out tonight?"

I blink and my courage slinks off again.  "You...Uh..."

Duh, baka, he's not asking you out on a date, he's asking you if you want 
to go do something.  "Sure.  What do you have in mind?"

He shrugs again.  Something's on his mind.  "Hey, Heero?  What if we 
just go out for a nice long walk away from the city?"

He smiles at me slightly.  "That sounds great."

"Let me get my jacket."

As we're walking through the outer rims of the city, the moon shines down 
on us.  We ate dinner in the city, then moved out here.  Heero's been 
quiet all night.  It's unnerving considering how talkative he'd been earlier 
today.  Could his memory have returned?

We walk beneath a tree and a cloud slips over the moon.  He glances up, 
the filtered light illuminating his sorrowful yet handome features.  I'm about 
to speak when his voice beats me to the punch, yet his words aren't the 
ones I expected out of him.  "With the clouds covering the moon like 
that...I'd think it was the Earth..."

"Wha-what did you say?"

"Don't you think, Duo?"  He motions toward the white orb floating in the 
sky, reaching as if to try and catch it in his hand.  "It looks like the Earth 
from far, far away...I don't know how I know, but it does..."

"Heero?"

He moves away and lowers his hand.  "So cold and lonely up there, yet 
beautiful and alluring at the same time."

Much like you...

"It's hard to take your eyes off it...but you remember it's only rock and pry 
your gaze away."

I turn to him and furrow my brow.  He couldn't have returned to how he 
used to be...I wanted to save him from that.  He couldn't have...

"What happened today, Heero?"

His head drops and his body falls back against the tree we're under.  "I 
don't want to go back to work tomorrow..."

"But!  The doctors said you needed to return to familiar surroundings!"  
How ironic...Still, he can't quit working.  He has to keep busy and 
remember what he can about the good times.  

It's confusing.  I want him to remember, but I don't.  I want him to know 
about all the good things, but I don't want the bad to come with it.  I don't 
want to lose another person that I lo--care for.  His cobalt eyes glance at 
me, pleading with their depths.

"I don't want to go back to work tomorrow...can we stay home?"

"We?"

His voice drops and he turns away, ashamed of himself.  "...I...I don't 
want to be alone..."

"What happened today?"

His moss-green head shakes side to side and he slides down the tree 
trunk, bringing his knees up to his chest.  "Debrose...I don't...I can't face 
him tomorrow..."

I've never seen him like this.  I hate to admit it, but it scares me.  

"Heero?"  I kneel down next to him and touch his arm when he suddenly 
winces, pulling back.  Alarms propel themselves into motion in my mind 
and I grab him gently, pulling him closer and removing his jacket.  Up and 
down his arms are huge, unsightly bruises and a few bandages.  I suck 
my breath in sharply and move him away from the tree, pulling his shirt 
off.  There are more bruises on his back.  "...Jesus Christ...what 
happened..."

He turns away from me again and pulls his jean jacket back on.  "I 
couldn't decode the files...it took me too long...he got angry.  I guess this 
happened a lot before..."

The tangible pain in his voice cuts through me like the raw wind.  
"He...got...angry?!"

I hadn't meant my voice to rise like that.  He cringes and nods.  That's 
when the last part of his words hit me.  "What happened a lot before?"

"...the beatings...the..." He shakes his head again and tries to stand.  "...I 
just want to go home..."

I'm not going to let this go.  If that guy did something more to Heero I 
want him to pay for it.  "What happened?"

"He said the pills would dull the pain and I'd forget in the morning...I guess 
I don't take them anymore...but he didn't know.  He...cornered me in the 
parking garage in the darkest corner and...I tried to get away... No one 
heard anything..."

The shaking of his shoulders tells me everything as he slumps to the 
ground again.  "We'll go to the police.."

"Aa..."

"Why didn't you go to them before coming to me?"

"I...I needed to see you...I didn't know what to do."  He takes a deep 
breath and raises his head.  "Besides...he said no one would believe a 
dead man walking..."

Those words...the very same ones that destroyed Heero before and sent 
him to that private hell.  Debrose - he's the one who put those ideas in 
Heero's head.  

"I'll kill him..." I growl under my breath.  "We're going to the police.  Now."

"Aa..."

I'll make him pay for this.  I'll make him pay for breaking Heero like this.  
Shinigami's coming for you...you bastard.

----

[1] Ittekimasu - Standard Japanese saying meaning, "I'm going out and I 
will be returning."
[2] Itterashai - Standard Japanese reply to [1] meaning, "Go out and 
come back."  A way of acknowledging someone else is leaving for awhile 
when they say [1].