Duo's Demon 03

Part 3 ====================================================================== [at Relena's office, located on one of the buildings on Treize's estate]
Relena Peacecraft's secretary was cleaning up her employer's office when room suddenly went dim, as if someone had simultaneously closed the curtains and turned off the lights.

She froze as something sharp pricked the back of her neck and a soft husky male voice asked, "Did Relena receive a bunch of photos recently?" "Y-Yes. From two different people. It was two days ago. She was frightfully upset...," she murmured nervously.

"I see. So there really are two sets of pictures floating around. So where are they now?"

"She took one set with her."

"And where's the other set?" the male voice asked cheerfully.

Terribly conscious of the sharp object brushing her neck, she told him.
"Thanks for the info. Just one last thing."

"Y-Yes?"

"Did you take a look at that second set of pictures?"

She shivered. When she didn't answer, the sharpness pressed against her throat and she felt something warm trickle down her neck. "Yes... I... I did."

"And what was on them?"

She told him that, too. The sharp object abruptly left her neck. The secretary whirled around to see a short, slim figure standing a few feet away, its black clothes blending into the general dimness of the office. She was startled to realize that her attacker was just a teenage boy. But there was something strangely familiar about him....

He chuckled ruefully and shook his head. "Oh dear. Now I'm going to have to kill you."

The boy's long chestnut bangs had obscured much of his face, but when he carelessly tossed back his waist-length braid and lifted his head, the secretary was horrified to see two luminous violet eyes staring at her. No whites or pupils... just those softly glowing amethyst orbs that seem to suck her down into their endless depths.

Totally entranced, she never noticed when the glowing green scythe flared into existence and decapitated her with a single stroke.

---------- [15 minutes later, Relena's office]
Heero stalked into Relena's darkened office and froze as she fiddled with the broken light switch. He thought he could detect the familiar metallic scent of blood, but a careful look around the room showed nothing unusual.

"Where did she go?" Relena muttered in frustration. She had been relying on having her secretary around to help make the necessary arrangements, but the foolish woman was nowhere to be found.

The Wing pilot shook his head sharply as Relena walked over to her desk. At first, she seemed confident -- almost smug -- but as he watched, she became increasing frantic as she searched the desk for something.

"Oh no... oh no... it's not here! Where can it possibly be? It has to be here!" she wailed.

"Relena...," he growled ominously.

"They're gone! All the pictures of Maxwell are gone!"

Heero stalked over to her. "Are you still going on about that?"

"But I'm telling you they were here! The other set of pictures and the videotape of the monster!"

He grabbed her arm and snapped, "Where's the computer?"

"The computer where you put the file together," he said flatly, giving her a hard shake. "I'm in no mood for games!"

She mutely pointed to the work station off to the side of her desk. After he got the necessary passwords out of her, he sat down at the computer and started to work.

Relena was in a near state of panic at the moment. The pictures were gone. Her only evidence against Duo Maxwell had vanished. But how? They had left the monster far behind at the house, so who could have taken the pictures?

She gazed at Heero's back as she continued to rummage around her desk in the faint hope that her secretary had simply put them in a drawer. But she was coming to realize that even if she could find the pictures, they would be useless. That demon Maxwell simply had too powerful a grip on poor Heero's mind. The monster had even managed to convince Heero that Duo was actually in love with him, when it was blatantly clear to her that Heero was just a convenient plaything and maybe even a potential meal.

Her face set with grim determination, she opened one last drawer and pulled out the specially prepared pistol. She had hoped that it wouldn't come down to this, but with the missing pictures and her inability to break through Maxwell's web of lies, she had no choice. Relena took deliberate aim at Heero's back and pulled the trigger.

Heero caught a glimpse of her movement reflected off the computer screen a fraction of a second before she fired. Sheer surprise held him frozen for a vital split second and a sharp pain hit him in the left shoulder. He jumped to his feet and spun around. Grabbing at his shoulder, his fingers encounter a tranquilizer dart.

In the face of his accusing stare, Relena dropped the air pistol and whispered tearfully, "I'm sorry, Heero. I really am. I didn't want to do it, but it's the only way to save you from Maxwell. I know you probably hate me at the moment, but when you're cured and that monster's dead, you'll understand and forgive me, I'm sure."

Heero's brain skipped to the most important thing. "What do you mean 'when that monster's dead'?" he shouted furiously. The Wing pilot pounced on her and pinned her against the desk. "What the hell have you done to Duo!?"

She gasped out, "I... I sent a message to Treize Khushrenada... warning him all about Maxwell. He's probably sending OZ forces to destroy the creature even as we speak...."

"You...." Heero found it impossible to finish his sentence as a tremendous wave of numbness and dizziness sent him staggering. As he started to sag to the ground, she grabbed him and held him close.

"You bitch! What the hell did you do to him!?" the braided pilot shouted furiously at her.

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When Trowa and Quatre finally arrived at Relena's office, they found a most interesting scene. Relena was lying on the floor, bound hand and foot, and gagged with a big wad of pantyhose. She didn't pay any attention to the two newcomers. Instead, she continued to futilely thrash around, uttering very muffled screams of rage as she glared at the two boys on top of her desk.

Quatre and Trowa both blinked as they observed Duo who appeared to be in the middle of a protracted, saliva-swapping kiss with a rather passive Heero.

Finally, Trowa said in a detached voice, "Duo, don't you think that this really isn't the time for that? You're supposed to be trying to retrieve that computer file."

Duo pulled his lips free from Heero's and gasped, "Don't you think I know THAT!? But Relena somehow knocked him out cold with some blasted drug dart and now he's not breathing!" He bent down over Heero to blow some more air into his lover's lungs.

"WHAT!" blurted Quatre as he ran over to the desk. Checking Heero's pulse, he found it appallingly sluggish.

Between breaths, Duo managed to say, "Find out what that bitch used... and call Sally Po and see if she knows an antidote for it!"

He watched Heero tensely. Duo had been successful in getting Heero to start breathing several times already, but he couldn't *keep* the Wing pilot breathing.

Trowa yanked the wad of pantyhose out of Relena's mouth, listened briefly to her rambling discourse that consisted of abject apologies to Heero and screams for Duo to stop molesting the Wing pilot. Soon realizing that Relena wasn't going to say anything immediately useful, Trowa laconically stuffed the pantyhose back into her mouth and picked up the phone. Fortunately, the doctor was available.

"Sally, we have a problem."

"What's wrong, Trowa?" she said over the phone.

"Heero's been injected with a drug and now he's not breathing... correction, his breathing keeps stopping."

"Do you know what drug he was given?" Trowa carefully read off the drug name and dosage off the dart's label.

There was a long silence, then Sally said, "Would you mind telling me how Heero got hit with a tranquilizer for animals? And it's no wonder he's having problems breathing! That dosage could take down a herd of full grown horses!"

Duo scowled furiously at Relena. "Shit! Just what were you thinking, you idiot!?"

Quatre thoughtfully ungagged Relena who sputtered, "It wasn't MY fault! I asked a doctor who forwarded me to a colleague of his! I can't help it if the fool gave me the wrong drug! Besides, what difference could it make? If it's harmless for animals, surely it should be fine for people, as well!"

Trowa sighed quietly and muttered, "Someone should tell her about phencyclidine."

"What the hell did you exactly tell the doctor that you needed the drug for?" Duo asked sarcastically. "I bet you didn't tell him that you were planning to kidnap someone!"

Relena turned beet red and mumbled something.

Quatre, who was the only person in the room in a position to hear what she was saying, suddenly exclaimed, "You said you were going to do WHAT with a STALLION!?"

Over the phone, Sally said, "Listen. I know of something that will partially counteract the drug. You should be able to find it in any infirmary. Give me a call once you have it. By then, I should have figured out the appropriate dosage."

After Sally read off the name of the antidote, Trowa hung up and turned to Duo. "I'll take care of it and be back shortly."

--------------------------------------------
As they waited for Trowa's return, Quatre stood up and said, "I'll take a quick look around and make sure...."

His words were abruptly cut short as Relena managed to hook her feet around his ankle and trip him, sending him sprawling on his face. As he gingerly picked himself off the floor, he blurted, "Miss Relena! Why on earth did you do THAT for?" Quatre then looked appalled as she burst into tears.

"Please don't leave me and Heero alone with HIM!" she sobbed.

"With who?"

"With HIM!" With her bound feet, Relena pointed at Duo, who was staring at her with a decidedly nasty gleam in his violet eyes. "God knows what that monster will do!"

Quatre gave her a dubious look. "Miss Relena, are you STILL going on with those crazy accusations about Duo?"

"I'm not crazy! I'm telling you he's an evil monster and now he's going to kill me because I know too much!"

"Be afraid. Be VERY afraid," Duo said with a menacing snigger, even as he kept a careful eye on Heero's erratic breathing.

"Duo!" exclaimed Quatre in a scolding voice. "You're only making her more frightened by teasing her like that!"

"Damn right I am!" the Deathscythe pilot said without a shred of remorse. "The bitch could have killed Heero with her stupidity and I'm going to see that she bloody well pays!"

"See! See what I mean!" shrieked the now terrified Relena. She could clearly see the malevolent gleam in Maxwell's hideous purple eyes.

"Gee, Relena, what do we happen to have in here?" Duo muttered as he peered inside the oversized purse she had left beside the desk. "My my my. A serious handgun -- it's even loaded! -- and a few hand grenades? Just the thing your normal, everyday total pacifist carts around in her bag, I'm sure."

"Keep your filthy paws off my things!" she shouted.

Duo glared dangerously at her. "Oh? Do you consider Heero to be one of your THINGS?" He lifted the pistol and took careful aim at Relena.

"That isn't funny, Duo!" the Arab pilot exclaimed.

"Who said I was joking?" the American said with the same maniacal grin he wore when he was slicing enemy Mobile Suits to shreds. But to Quatre's relief, he put the gun away and settled down beside the still unconscious Heero with the all the grace and lethal beauty of a black panther.

Quatre sighed and sat down on the floor beside the still hysterical Relena. He hoped that Trowa would come back soon.
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Within a half hour, Trowa returned with the antidote to the tranquilizer. After a quick consultation with Sally Po, they administered the drug and waited for it to take effect.

With Relena bouncing between wild threats and terrified entreaties, Trowa and Quatre finally dragged her out into the waiting room to keep her away from the thoroughly aggravated Duo. As they dumped her on a chair, the phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Trowa, I'm so sorry. I was in such a rush I forgot to tell you something important about the tranquilizer and its counteragent."

"What is it?"

"There are certain side-effects."

"What sort of side-effects?" Trowa asked, a faint frown of concern on his face.

"Uncontrolled euphoria, a loss of normal inhibitions, and a dramatically increased libido."

Quatre muttered, "Oh no...." He ran over to Relena's office and peered inside.

"What's up?" Duo asked the blond pilot with a curious look.

"Sally Po just told us that the drugs in Heero's system are likely to cause certain side-effects."

The American stiffened, "Like what!?"

"She said there's going to be euphoria...." Suddenly, Heero curled up and uttered a distinct giggle. "....and.... and a loss of...," the Sandrock pilot stammered, eyeing the softly giggling Wing pilot uncertainly.

A pair of arms suddenly wrapped themselves tightly around a startled Duo and pulled him back against a warm, firm body. "Heero!" yelped the braided pilot, a relieved smile on his face. "I'm SO glad you're safe...," Heero purred, nuzzling at Duo's neck and face like a playful kitten.

"....inhibitions...," continued the Arab pilot in a slightly strangled voice.

"....and I'm going to fuck you stupid!" the wildly grinning Heero growled roughly in the braided pilot's ear, his hands already slithering under Duo's shirt.

"....and a dramatically increased libido!" a wide-eyed Quatre finished with a squeak.

"I don't need a goddamn play-by-play commentary!" snarled Heero. With his usual excellent coordination, he was busily occupied unzipping Duo's pants with one hand while using the other hand to hurl a paperweight with deadly accuracy in the direction of the doorway.

Quatre ducked the chunk of outrageously expensive glass that would have split his head wide open and yelled, "Duo!?"

"I'm fine... close the damn door before he....mmmppph!" shouted Duo, but his words were abruptly cut by Heero's devouring mouth.

"Mine...." growled the Wing Pilot, shifting his attentions lower down Duo's body.

"Are you sure...?" repeated the anxious Sandrock pilot.

"YES, just do it! Heero, give me that gun! You can't shoot Quatre!"

"I fucking will if he doesn't get the hell out of here...." the Japanese pilot said with an unhealthy degree of enthusiasm. "In fact, I might go ahead and shoot him anyway...!"

Quatre slammed the office door shut, leaving himself alone with Trowa and Relena in the waiting area.

The Heavyarms pilot blinked, then said into the phone, "Sally, just how long are this side-effects supposed to last? I see. Thank you."

"Well?" Quatre asked impatiently as Trowa hung up.

"She said that the side-effects should wear off fairly soon... no more than a half hour or so."

Quatre looked at the closed door and muttered, "Poor Duo."

Relena, who missed most of the conversation involving Heero and Duo, angrily shrieked, "What's going on!? How could you desert poor Heero like that!? Who knows what that perverted beast will do to him!?"