Part 20
Duo woke up in a cell, in what he presumed was the sheriff's office, which he had seen so briefly from the outside until that girl... Duo's face twisted into an angry mask and punched the bars of the cell.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." said a quiet voice. Duo nursed his hand and looked for the source. A blond man about his age was sitting on the desk, swinging his legs back and forth under the desk.
"Who are you?" Duo muttered. The blond smiled at him brightly.
"I'm Quatre Winner. We've actually met before," he said. Duo blinked and slowly nodded.
"In that blond bi- I mean- lady's house," Duo said. Quatre nodded. "I'm Duo Maxwell, by the way."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Duo. How are you feeling?" Quatre asked.
"I'm alive... as opposed to dead," Duo said flatly. He hurt. His leg and hand throbbed to the same beat and he wanted to see Heero. Quatre nodded sympathetically.
"Relena suckered you good, didn't she?" Duo nodded. Quatre picked up what appeared to be a canvass from the table and studied it. Duo shuffled over to the bars, using them to brace himself so he could stand.
"What is that?" Duo asked. Quatre looked over at him.
"The question I am more interested in is, who is this?" Quatre asked, turning the picture around so Duo could see. Duo sucked in a breath.
"Where did you get that?" Duo asked. Quatre set the picture down beside him, tapping it gently.
"You drew this, as I recall," Quatre said. Duo nodded slowly. "Who is it?"
"Solo, my brother," Duo said tiredly. Quatre crossed his ankles, looking intently at Duo.
"I want to help you, but you need to tell me everything," Quatre said. Duo did.
"And so, that's all of it," Duo said, after he finished filling Quatre in. The young blond man nodded, deep in thought.
"Unless we have proof, there is no way you will be released. Dermail, Dekim and Tsuberov are already after your blood, and Relena and Zechs will surely be after your head now as well. Relena will not take kindly to being rejected," Quatre said at length.
"Why should she care, she's engaged to him and I'm not," Duo put in bitterly.
"Because she isn't engaged to him," Quatre said. Duo stared at Quatre, studying him for his honesty.
"She lied?" Duo managed after a few moments. Quatre nodded, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
"Of course. Duo, you will be good for Heero and I think vice-versa. But we need to prove what you say. So, we will need to contact the people who you helped."
Duo nodded. "I've told you who they are. If you can find them and bring them back here, I'm sure they'll come in if you tell them why."
Quatre nodded to himself and hopped off the desk, offering Duo his hand. Duo shook it.
"Don't worry Duo, I'll do all I can to help you," Quatre said firmly, then left Duo alone.
"I hope that's enough," Duo said. He sighed, letting his head fall forward to hit the bars with a clunk. "Ow, damnit..."
TBC...