Post by blackhairedgirl on Oct 8, 2008 9:16:35 GMT -5
Title: Little Shinigami and Solo
Author: Black-Haired Girl
Pairing: 2+1; Duo and Heero
Rating: T
Warnings: Violent themes
Chapters: 12
Summary: Duo on L2 as an orphan, befriends "Solo"; AU
Chapter One:
The gentle snores from the other little kids worked great to hide the sound of Duo’s flat, hard shoes as he snuck through the darkness towards the window. He glided past rows of bunk beds that held the other oblivious, slumbering orphans. He was always good at sneaking around. It was one of his favorite games. The other kids didn’t like to play hide and sneak with him because he always managed to get to the ‘safe spot’ before the kid who was ‘it’ could even spot him. Tonight he was using those stealthy skills to sneak out.
He approached the window at the far side of the dark room. It had been nailed shut weeks earlier to prevent such an event as this from occurring again. That didn’t stop the long-haired boy. Upon seeing the nails the little imp cracked a huge smile. Then he retrieved a small bag from his back and began digging around within it silently. He found what he was looking for. A pair of pliers he had pilfered from the gardening shed. He wrapped his small hands around the handles and began going to work on the nails. It took quite a bit of effort to do considering there were so many nails and he had to be super quiet in the process. After a five or ten minutes he had freed all of the nails from the wood frame of the window and had left them in a neat little pile on the window sill. He dug his fingers under the small lip at the bottom of the window and began to pull fiercely at it. It was still stuck. He stepped back from the window and began to chew his lower lip nervously.
The faint sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. Duo crouched low to the ground and held his breath. He could hear Sister Helen’s soft, confident steps as she came up to the bedroom door. Light from a flashlight glowed faintly from the doorjamb. Then the sound of keys being fumbled with. Finally a loud click sounded. The door swung open. Duo flattened his body against the cold cement floor. He could see the bottom of Sister Helen’s long, black habit rustling around her black leather shoes as she strode inside. The beam from the flashlight tracked from one corner of the room to the other in silent inspection.
It was customary for Sister Helen to do night watch of the children once in a while. What confused Duo most was that the sister had all ready been in their room that night and he couldn’t recall the last time she came in more than once in one night. He began to grind his teeth in agitation. His plan was about to be ruined if he couldn’t sneak past her!
He watched as she wandered up and down the narrow aisles to check and make sure each child was safe and sound. His body grew tense as she approached his bed. He looked from Sister Helen to the door to the hallway she had left ajar.
I can sneak out that way! The little boy had begun to crawl under the beds towards the door without a moment’s hesitation. He shimmied across the floor in silence and pushed his way quietly through the hidden messes and boxes from beneath the other children’s beds. His face pressed through a large, sticky cobweb. He bit his lower lip and grimaced as he began to tear it away from his eyes and nose. In his desperate attempt to pull the web from his face he bumped the top of his head against the underside of another little boy’s bed frame. The sound caused Sister Helen to turn and point her flashlight towards the bed under which the braided boy was hiding. Duo curled up into a ball and tried to pull a pair of dirty pants he had found under the bed over himself to shield his body from view. The nun had begun walking in the direction of the noise.
Nonononononono!! Duo’s mind raced as he began burying himself under the pile of dirty clothes. He peeked through the armhole of a shirt and saw the curtain of black habit hanging right at the side of the bed. One of the leather shoes was tapping impatiently.
“Duo. Come out right this instant!”Helen said sternly. She knelt down beside the bed and directed the light right in Duo’s half-hidden face. “Escaping again, huh?” The woman’s usual round and friendly face showed a hint of disappointment. The sight made Duo feel guilty. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” Then the sister held out a delicate hand for the little boy. Duo hesitated before taking the hand. She pulled him gently from beneath the bed and led him quietly out into the hallway. Once in the hall she looked down at him and began picking cobweb out of his disheveled bangs. She didn’t lecture him or scold him. That was never her way. Instead she wiped down his face with her sleeve and smiled down at him.
“I am going to have to tell Father Maxwell about this.” She said in her light, airy voice. Duo nodded and frowned down at his feet. “Okay then. Goodnight, Duo…” She said sweetly before turning the little boy around and urging him into the room. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast, right?”
Duo looked over his shoulder at the nun and nodded with a deep frown. This made the woman laugh. The corner of the little boy’s mouth sprang to life into a crooked smile before he padded back into the room. The door closed behind him and locked.
He looked around the dark room at the other orphans. Most were asleep. A few of them peered at him from beneath their blankets, having woken from the noise. Duo scowled at them before wandering over to the window. He stared at the neat pile of thin, black nails on the window sill. He couldn’t bring himself to open the window. He couldn’t understand his sudden change of heart. It was how children worked. One minute they did something, without knowing why, and then the next they change their minds about the entire thing. So, having decided he didn’t want to escape tonight after all, he began to slide the nails back into their little holes around the frame of the window. After a few minutes he had slid the last nail into its shallow hole.
Duo took a step back and placed his hands on his hips as he surveyed his work. Every nail had been replaced. Then he leaned in close to the window and looked out into the dark night. The colony’s lights were dim to give the appearance of night on earth, but were still bright enough to see just about anything you needed to. The view from this window was of the cemetery behind the church that the orphanage was attached to. The gravestones were relatively new compared to some Duo had seen in books. They were all upright and uniform in long, perfect rows. They stood as reminders of those who had lived. The oldest one was a little more than 100 years old. There were no bodies beneath the memorials, either. Everyone on the colonies was cremated.
Duo wondered what it was like to be cremated.
The thought made him grin. He could see a ghostly reflection of himself in the window. He turned away from his reflection and skipped over to his bed, removed the little bag with his belongings from his back and slid it under his own bed. Then he toed off his shoes and let them fall to the floor with two loud bangs. The sound made a couple of the kids shift in their sleep.
I won’t escape tonight, he decided, tomorrow morning is pancake breakfast.
And with that thought the little boy fell asleep.
Chapter Two:
The first sound of the church bell tolling in the morning silence brought Duo to life. He sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes vigorously. The other children were shuffling about the large room that they shared. Some were getting dressed. A few kids in the far corner were jumping on their beds. A small boy at the front of the room was showing off a mouse trap he had found beneath one of the beds, complete with a petrified mouse attached.
Duo changed his clothes and feverishly made his way to the door. He tried the handle. Locked. The sound of his stomach grumbling unhappily in his torso made him wince.
“Duo! Look! A mouse! See how its eyes popped out of its head!” The small boy exclaimed with eyes gleaming in delight. Duo sighed and looked at the mouse. It was squished in the middle. It must have been dead for quite some time because its fur was falling off and it seemed stiff as a board. And, just as the small boy said, its eyes were jutting out.
“Everything that sees death loses its eyes.” Duo said in a faux expert tone. The small boy stared at Duo in awe.
“How come?” The small boy questioned as he stared at the mouse in the trap. He was holding the mouse by the tail which looked as if any moment it would tear off.
“Because,” Duo began loudly, “Death does that to things. When you see it, you lose your sight. Then people just give up and die because they don’t want to live blind.”
It didn’t have to make any sense. The small boy was still impressed. He stared up at Duo with wide, worshipping blue eyes. The braided boy grinned and nodded his head, as if he was very certain that was why the eyes popped out. It wasn’t a lie, though. Duo had his own philosophy on everything. Granted, it was the philosophy of a seven year-old, but still a personal philosophy nonetheless.
The metallic clanking of keys sounded from down the hall. Duo bounced up and down eagerly. He was starving and the thought of pancakes was making him restless.
The door opened. Just as it did the braided boy bolted through the opening and rushed forward towards the cafeteria.
“Duo. No breakfast yet.” Said a smooth, calm voice. The little boy stopped short and nearly toppled over. He turned around and stared up at Sister Helen, who was smiling down at him with an amused twinkle in her deep green eyes.
“But… can’t I eat first? I am starved!” He squeaked.
“I am afraid not. We have to see Father Maxwell first.” And with that the sister grabbed Duo by the shoulder and began guiding him down the hallway opposite of the cafeteria.
“But… they are gonna eat all the pancakes!” Duo protested. He glanced over his shoulder at the other children who were running happily in the direction of the cafeteria.
He began to imagine the other kids as round, pink pigs who hogged all of the food. They ate everything on the table, including the silverware and the plates. And, when he finally arrived, there would be nothing left but a crumb under the table. When he crawled under to get the crumb the dead mouse would come out of the shadows and steal it from him. His imagination also revealed an image of himself skinny and weak, begging door to door searching for pancakes.
They walked around the corner at the end of the hall where Father Maxwell’s office was. As they approached Duo saw a stout wooden chair set just outside of Father Maxwell’s door. Upon the seat of the chair was a small stack of pancakes.
The little boy’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Those for me?!” He asked the sister and he scurried up to the warm plate of sticky pancakes.
“Yes. Hurry up and eat. I’ll tell Father Maxwell you’re here.” Then she slid through the door into the office.
Duo took a seat on the chair. His legs dangled over the edge. The toes of his shoes just barely scraped the floor as his legs flailed back and forth as he settled himself on the hard wooden chair. He then lifted his plate near his face and began scarfing down his pancakes. And, to him, these pancakes tasted different than the usual.
He began thinking perhaps Sister Helen had not only got these just for him but that she made them too. That was probably why they tasted so good.
After finishing his breakfast he put the plate on the ground and slid it under his chair. He could hear Sister Helen’s soothing voice faintly through the door. Her voice was accompanied by the raspy, hoarse voice of Father Maxwell. Duo’s eyes lit up as an idea immediately struck him. He shoved himself from the chair, landed lightly on his feet then scampered over to the large oak door that led into Father Maxwell’s office. He could hear they were in a heated argument about something. Sister Helen’s voice was a few tones higher than her normal alto and Father Maxwell’s words seemed to spill out quicker than they normally did. Duo pressed his ear to the smooth, knotted wood and closed his eyes to listen. He could only make out parts of the conversation.
“He …to escape but then he … so why … another chance?” The sister was saying.
“As long as he doesn’t cause any more trouble. We…let…for the only…lives and safety … just one child.” Father Maxwell’s voice was somber and Duo just knew he was in big trouble.
He didn’t want to hear anymore. He slid away from the door and padded back to his seat against the wall. Just as he had repositioned himself in the seat the office door opened and Father Maxwell strode out, closely followed by a smiling Sister Helen. Duo tucked his legs under the chair and smiled his happiest, most carefree smile.
“Duo. Why do you keep trying to run away? Don’t you like it here?” Father Maxwell asked. He was a kind looking old man. Tall, and very skinny, he had a wrinkled face that held the kindest eyes Duo had ever seen. They were pale blue, trustworthy eyes. Duo always liked to look into them. He was doing so at the moment while Father Maxwell stood patiently beside the chair waiting for the little boy’s answer.
“I didn’t want to run away forever. Just for a little while.” Duo replied truthfully. He wasn’t exactly sure what he meant, but those words seemed to fit. Father Maxwell looked as if he understood. His light-colored eyes began to mirror the smile on his aged, wrinkled face.
“I suppose once a stray cat, always a stray cat.” The old man said with a hint of laughter in his voice. “We don’t want to keep you from being happy, Duo. There is just a lot of danger outside of the orphanage. You know that…” The father reached down to rub the top of Duo’s red-brown hair affectionately. “We don’t want to see anything happen to you.”
The braided boy frowned a little. Those words made his chest ache. “Sorry…”
“It is OK young man, but there is still consequence for what you did. You are going to have bathroom duty for a week.” Father Maxwell said. Duo frowned deeper and began to groan in protest. Sister Helen chuckled behind a small, delicate hand.
“Bathroom duty!? YUCK!” The little boy exclaimed. Father Maxwell patted Duo firmly on the back with a large, thin-fingered hand.
“Starting now.” The old man said. Duo groaned louder. “Go on. The bucket and mop are in the closet.”
“The girl’s bathroom, too?!” Duo exclaimed, incredulously. Father Maxwell nodded. “Man… this stinks!” The braided boy hopped to his feet and began shuffling reluctantly down the hall towards the supply closet. He could hear Sister Helen and Father Maxwell’s laughter behind him as he went.
The way they laughed made him mad. He didn’t like it when people laughed at him. He didn’t like this punishment, either, and he couldn’t understand why they wanted to humiliate him like this. He quickened his step. He decided that he would hurry and finish cleaning the bathroom so he could go outside and bug the gardener. He began running an inventory of things he needed from the garden shed…
Then, when he rounded the corner, he ran smack into someone.
“Watch it.”
“Sorry.”
Duo stood in place and stared straight into the face of the kid he had run into. Two narrow, deep blue eyes stared coldly back at him, half-hidden by a mass of messy dark brown hair. The person he bumped into was a kid the same height as he was. He looked to be the same age as Duo, too. Yet, something was very different about this kid. For one thing, his eyes were narrowed in the most intense glare Duo had ever seen. The second thing was that the kid was accompanied by two Colony Police Officers.
Duo’s automatic response when in the presence of the Colony Police was to run.
So he did. He turned around and ran away as fast as he could down the corridor and darted around the corner. Then he leaned against the wall and panted a few times before peeking around the corner at the boy and the police. At first he thought the police were there to take him away but as he watched them lead the other boy towards Father Maxwell’s office he realized they were at the church to bring another orphan. That strange boy with the angry eyes. They knocked on the door then escorted the strange boy into Father Maxwell’s room.
Duo was curious. He took a step in the direction of the closed door and considered listening in on them but stopped and shook his head. He had a busy day ahead of him with cleaning and gathering tools. With a sly smile he turned and ran towards the supply closet. He pulled forth a smelly mop and a big, metal bucket before trudging towards the boy’s bathroom.
The bathroom was a formidable size as far as bathrooms go. It had three urinals against one wall with one short, wooden stall with a full toilet inside. There was a short, off-white porcelain sink with a cloudy square mirror set above it. Despite how old everything was the bathroom was not very dirty. The braided boy began filling the bucket with water, added some lemon scented liquid to it and began stabbing the mop into it roughly. Water splashed in all directions and fresh-smelling suds began to rise from the top of the bucket and spill out onto the floor. Then he yanked the mop from the bucket and let the wet fibers fall to the tile floor with a loud “splat”. He began dragging the mop across the floor mindlessly at first before realizing he could make a game out of it. He began drawing shapes on the floor with the suds. Then he kicked off his shoes and put them in the sink to keep them from getting wet. He tipped the bucket over with a bare toe. The water poured out onto the floor and began to spread to every corner of the bathroom. Now there was a giant puddle in the center of the room. Duo tried to resist but it was no use. When presented with the perfect opportunity to splash in a puddle he took it.
With an excited yell he ran into the center of the massive puddle and began stomping joyfully in circles. Water splashed in all directions. The bottoms of his pants were soaked and the walls all around him were darkened with streaks of water.
Just as he was about to test how big of a splash he could make the bathroom door opened. He froze, expecting the scolding voice of one of the nuns or Father Maxwell to speak. Nobody said anything. There was silence. Duo hesitantly peered over at the entrance of the bathroom to see the strange boy from earlier standing against the inside of the door staring at him.
“Uh… heh heh… cleaning.” Duo explained. He went over to pick up the mop he had discarded in the corner and began frantically mopping up the puddle. He didn’t want the new boy to tell on him for what he may have seen. The new boy made a noise in the back of his throat and began walking across the wet floor towards the small, high window against the far wall. Duo watched him as he did. The strange boy was thin, just like Duo, and wore dark gray slacks and a white dress shirt. Duo wondered if he was from a private school. That was how he was dressed. He even had on one of those weird, thin black ties that the rich kids wore. Then Duo noticed that the other boy’s dark, leather shoes were leaving dirty footprints in the clean water on the floor.
“Hey! Watch it! I’m trying to clean!” Duo exclaimed loudly. The other boy ignored him. He was standing beside the wall looking up at the window. Duo wasn’t sure what he was doing, so he asked. “What are you doing?”
The other boy ignored him. Instead, the strange kid began searching the bathroom with a focused, intense gaze. Duo frowned. He didn’t like being ignored.
“If you’re thinking about trying to get out that way, don’t bother. They nail the windows closed.” Duo said smartly before going back to his work at mopping the floor. “I can’t even escape this darn place…” Duo added in a low, annoyed mutter. The other boy turned to look at him. Duo looked up from the puddle he was mopping up to meet the other boy’s gaze.
“You’re not me.” The other boy said in a low, quiet voice. Duo’s eyes widened. Then the other boy’s mouth curled into an amused smile before turning to look at the stall beside the window. Then, with effortless movement the strange boy grabbed the top edge of the stall and pulled himself up. He was standing on the top edge of the narrow wooden wall of the stall when the bathroom door opened with a loud bang.
“It doesn’t take five minutes to take a piss!”
It was one of the Colony Police Officers. He stepped inside the bathroom and stood right in the center of Duo’s work. He began scanning the bathroom with an angry expression. Then the officer spotted the strange boy standing on the top of the stall’s wall.
“Hey! What are you doing up there!?” The man yelled. The strange boy’s amused expression darkened. He turned and leapt up at the window. Duo stared in amazement as the boy kicked in the window and slid through the broken glass in what Duo thought was less than a second. The police officer was also in shock but finally snapped out of it, let out a string of curse words Duo had never heard before, then turned and ran out of the bathroom. Duo could hear the officer yelling to his comrade. Then the sound was followed by their stomping boots as they ran down the hall towards the main entrance of the orphanage.
Duo smiled and looked at the broken glass lining the far wall. The bathroom door opened again. He looked over to see Sister Helen standing in the doorway with a worried expression on her face.
“Duo, are you all right?” The sister asked anxiously. She stepped up to the little boy and began looking him over.
“Yeah. That kid broke the window.” Duo said plainly. The corner of his mouth perked into a smile. “Do I have to clean that up, too?”
The nun frowned and looked over at the shattered window. “Of course not. You’re done for the day, Duo.” Then she took the mop from his hand and began ushering him out of the bathroom. He grabbed his shoes, slammed his feet into them quickly and began running down the hallway.
“Duo! Stay out of trouble!” She yelled after him. Duo waved a hand at her and darted down the hall as fast as he could go.
He had to tell the other kids about this!
Chapter Three:
“And then he jumped out of the window!” Duo squeaked. The other children all gasped in unison at the end of Duo’s thrilling story about the strange boy’s escape. Duo grinned proudly before letting his expression slip into seriousness.
“You know I heard that some kids from other colonies are mutants because they drank some chemicals.” Duo explained. “Maybe that kid had super powers or something.”
One of the younger girls frowned. “A mutant?” She echoed. Her voice lined with a hint of fear. A stocky 8-year old stood up from his seat high atop a bunk bed and scoffed loudly.
“There ain’t no such thing as mutants.” The stocky kid retorted loudly. “That kid is prolly just a criminal or somethin’.”
Duo was annoyed with the stocky kid and immediately began feeling defensive. “Are you calling me a liar?” The braided boy had been sitting on his own bed but now was on his feet beside it with hands balled into little, menacing fists. The stocky kid, who was a few inches taller than Duo, looked down at him and scowled.
“I ain’t said nothing like that.” The stocky one replied. “And you ain’t worth fighting. You’re just a scrawny pea-brained street kid.”
Duo’s shoulders began to shake. He took a step towards the stocky boy and grit his teeth so hard his temples began to ache. He was trying his best not to get into any more trouble but the idea of punching this fat boy in the nose was very tempting. He stopped himself at the foot of his own bed and willed his anger away as best that a seven-year old boy can. With a great amount of effort he forced himself to laugh. The sound was bitter and broken. Then he grinned brightly and flicked the other kid the bird. One of the older kids began to laugh.
The other children were silent. They watched Duo’s struggle for self control with curious stares. They had actually only expected a fight to ensue. It was the usual way. One kid would say something mean and the target kid would immediately swing a punch or leap upon the provoker. Then they would fight until an adult tore them apart. It was strange for them to see someone much like themselves break that chain of action. And, in a strange and unexplainable way, many of the children who watched this felt that Duo was superior for his actions rather than a chicken for not falling into the step of a fight. If Duo had looked he would have seen respect and admiration in many of the onlooker children’s eyes.
The stocky kid just rolled his eyes and lumbered away towards the hallway. Duo straightened his posture and looked over at a few of the kids who were watching him with eager looks as if waiting for another story from the braided boy. “So yeah. That is what happened. I don’t think they will ever catch that kid. He was too smart. Too fast.” Duo stated plainly. As if to mark the end of his story session the lunch bell broke through the air. The children leapt to their feet and scurried quickly to the doorway and towards the cafeteria. Duo didn’t move. He watched as they all ran away. After the last child left Duo grabbed his bag from beneath the bed and began wandering towards the door. Once in the hall he turned to go the opposite way the other children had gone, away from the cafeteria. He had important
matters to attend to and food would have to wait. Well, at least lunch food. He rummaged around in his pockets and retrieved a small handful of jellybeans. He popped the colorful little candies in his mouth and chewed on them vigorously. He couldn’t forgo eating completely!
The halls were empty. It was guaranteed that all of the orphans were in the cafeteria eating. Duo recalled his vision of the round, pink piggies again. The thought made him smile. He picked his way through the halls to the back door which was propped open to let the air circulate through the building. The door led to a massive square of grassy yard that was adjacent to the cemetery. A sandbox and a swing set sat in the middle of the plush, green grass. The entire property was lined by a short, light brown brick wall.
The colony’s climate control had determined today to be cool and brightly lit. As Duo exited the yellowed light of the building he had to squint against the blinding pure white sunlight of the yard. He knew that it was imitation light but it was the closest thing to sunlight he had ever had. He never much cared for it, either. He was a peculiar kid. Many of the other children had a natural need to be out in the fake-sun rays but Duo always preferred the artificial light. Right now he was wishing he could return to the dim, dark environment of the orphanage but it would have to wait.
As he stepped out into the yard his squinted eyes immediately locked onto the crooked garden shed that leaned against the back wall. He made his way to it with brisk, energetic steps. Then he looked around cautiously to see if anyone was watching. Nobody seemed to be. He turned to look at the door. It had a padlock on the front. He fingered the lock for a moment before slipping around to the back of the little shed. There was a wooden panel that he had pried loose the last time he came out here. With an easy slide of the fingers one could dislocate the board just enough to make a hole to crawl through. Duo did just that. It was a tight squeeze but he managed to fit inside. He wondered how he was going to get in and out if he got any bigger.
The garden shed held a plethora of tools and items a sneaky little boy could use. There was gardening equipment such as hoes, shovels, rakes, hoses, seeds and fertilizer. Maintenance items were present as well. Things like hammers, nails, screws, drills, saws, pliers, duct tape- Duo’s eyes immediately locked onto the duct tape. He just knew he had to have it. He picked it up, rolled it around in his hands for a moment for a quick inspection, and then shoved it into his bag. He gathered a few other items he thought would come in handy. A small Phillips-head screw driver was one thing. His eyes lit up when he found the blow torch. He wanted badly to take it with him. He could think of hundreds of things to use it for however none of them were nice things. So he passed on the blow torch however he did take the spark-making thing that went with it. After thoroughly plundering the shed and finding a variety of treasures his stomach growled an angry reminder that he needed to eat lunch. Just as he was about to crawl through the secret hole in the wall he heard voices from the yard. He froze in place and listened. It was Father Maxwell’s voice. He crept to the front door of the shed. A small beam of light shone through a hole in the wood around the door. With silent, catlike movements he knelt beside the hole and peered through it.
Father Maxwell was standing ten feet away from the door to the shed. He was accompanied by a large man in a Colony Police uniform. The officer’s hair was cut so short he was practically bald. He had a distorted face. It reminded Duo of the face people make when they eat a lemon. The men were facing one another. Father Maxwell’s expression was of displeasure.
“I just don’t think we are accommodated for such a task.” The father was saying. “I don’t want the other children to get hurt.”
The officer seemed unhappy to hear this news. His face scrunched up even more. “I assure you it will be safe. We will take measures to make sure the child is not able to hurt anyone.”
“What do you mean?” Father Maxwell asked. He seemed worried. Duo knew they were talking about that strange boy from this morning. He leaned against the wood and listened eagerly.
“He will be medicated. We will have one officer here on the property at all times. Also, we request that you house him alone. A sort of solitary confinement.” The officer replied in an agitated tone. Father Maxwell shifted uncomfortably.
“But he is only a child. Is it necessary to take such extreme precautions on such a young boy?”
The officer nodded. “As you know we have no facilities for children under the age of ten. We cannot legally hold a child of that age. And, under normal circumstances we would put the child in foster care until assigning them. However, this kid isn’t like any other I have ever seen. He may be a little boy in appearance but he is highly intellectual and potentially dangerous.” The officer then seemed to have regret bringing ‘danger’ up to the priest, who was now even more worried looking than before. “Father, I promise you it will only be for a week or two. Until we can assign him to a rehabilitation facility or admit him into some sort of psychiatric home.”
Father Maxwell was frowning now. Duo peered through the hole in confusion. Psychiatric home? He wasn’t sure what that was. The officer crossed his arms over his chest as if waiting for an answer. Father Maxwell seemed to be warring internally on the matter. However, after a minute or two the priest nodded and slouched in defeat. The officer’s mouth transformed into something of a smile.
“Very good. We will see to all of the arrangements.” The scrunched-faced man replied before turning to walk towards the back door to the orphanage. Duo saw Father Maxwell rub the spot between his eyebrows with his thumb before following the officer inside. After they had left Duo stood up and began chewing his lower lip in thought. The thought of the strange boy staying there in the orphanage was exciting and scary at the same time. The braided boy had never heard of a kid that adults were afraid of before. He couldn’t help but let his curiosity take control of him.
Thoughts about the strange boy nagged him for the rest of the day. He began wondering if he was lucky to have gotten away from the crazy boy. He wondered if the other boy had ever killed anyone. Maybe he was a mutant after all? That would explain why the police officers were scared of him. What if the strange boy was a robot? Maybe he had guns that popped out of his fingertips? Maybe he wasn’t a little boy like him but an adult stuck in a kid’s body?
The more Duo thought on it the more curious and obsessed with the idea he became.
That night as he lie on his bad thinking that the new boy could possibly be a lizard-person he heard the sound of a car pulling up to the orphanage. He jumped out of bed and quickly ran to the window. He could see the headlights of a car coming to a stop near the front door. The window only allowed him to see the headlights of the car and nothing else. He stared for a long moment, hoping something would reveal itself in his line of vision. Nothing happened. The car shut off and the lights went off. The sound of the front door opening and closing was soon followed by a mixed assortment of footsteps in the hallway. The people passed the door quietly and soon the sound vanished to the back of the building. Duo slumped to a sit on his bed in disappointment.
He had been hoping to see something. He flopped down onto his bed and curled up beneath the covers. He decided he would find out more about this strange kid tomorrow.
There was nothing else to do.
Author: Black-Haired Girl
Pairing: 2+1; Duo and Heero
Rating: T
Warnings: Violent themes
Chapters: 12
Summary: Duo on L2 as an orphan, befriends "Solo"; AU
Chapter One:
The gentle snores from the other little kids worked great to hide the sound of Duo’s flat, hard shoes as he snuck through the darkness towards the window. He glided past rows of bunk beds that held the other oblivious, slumbering orphans. He was always good at sneaking around. It was one of his favorite games. The other kids didn’t like to play hide and sneak with him because he always managed to get to the ‘safe spot’ before the kid who was ‘it’ could even spot him. Tonight he was using those stealthy skills to sneak out.
He approached the window at the far side of the dark room. It had been nailed shut weeks earlier to prevent such an event as this from occurring again. That didn’t stop the long-haired boy. Upon seeing the nails the little imp cracked a huge smile. Then he retrieved a small bag from his back and began digging around within it silently. He found what he was looking for. A pair of pliers he had pilfered from the gardening shed. He wrapped his small hands around the handles and began going to work on the nails. It took quite a bit of effort to do considering there were so many nails and he had to be super quiet in the process. After a five or ten minutes he had freed all of the nails from the wood frame of the window and had left them in a neat little pile on the window sill. He dug his fingers under the small lip at the bottom of the window and began to pull fiercely at it. It was still stuck. He stepped back from the window and began to chew his lower lip nervously.
The faint sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. Duo crouched low to the ground and held his breath. He could hear Sister Helen’s soft, confident steps as she came up to the bedroom door. Light from a flashlight glowed faintly from the doorjamb. Then the sound of keys being fumbled with. Finally a loud click sounded. The door swung open. Duo flattened his body against the cold cement floor. He could see the bottom of Sister Helen’s long, black habit rustling around her black leather shoes as she strode inside. The beam from the flashlight tracked from one corner of the room to the other in silent inspection.
It was customary for Sister Helen to do night watch of the children once in a while. What confused Duo most was that the sister had all ready been in their room that night and he couldn’t recall the last time she came in more than once in one night. He began to grind his teeth in agitation. His plan was about to be ruined if he couldn’t sneak past her!
He watched as she wandered up and down the narrow aisles to check and make sure each child was safe and sound. His body grew tense as she approached his bed. He looked from Sister Helen to the door to the hallway she had left ajar.
I can sneak out that way! The little boy had begun to crawl under the beds towards the door without a moment’s hesitation. He shimmied across the floor in silence and pushed his way quietly through the hidden messes and boxes from beneath the other children’s beds. His face pressed through a large, sticky cobweb. He bit his lower lip and grimaced as he began to tear it away from his eyes and nose. In his desperate attempt to pull the web from his face he bumped the top of his head against the underside of another little boy’s bed frame. The sound caused Sister Helen to turn and point her flashlight towards the bed under which the braided boy was hiding. Duo curled up into a ball and tried to pull a pair of dirty pants he had found under the bed over himself to shield his body from view. The nun had begun walking in the direction of the noise.
Nonononononono!! Duo’s mind raced as he began burying himself under the pile of dirty clothes. He peeked through the armhole of a shirt and saw the curtain of black habit hanging right at the side of the bed. One of the leather shoes was tapping impatiently.
“Duo. Come out right this instant!”Helen said sternly. She knelt down beside the bed and directed the light right in Duo’s half-hidden face. “Escaping again, huh?” The woman’s usual round and friendly face showed a hint of disappointment. The sight made Duo feel guilty. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” Then the sister held out a delicate hand for the little boy. Duo hesitated before taking the hand. She pulled him gently from beneath the bed and led him quietly out into the hallway. Once in the hall she looked down at him and began picking cobweb out of his disheveled bangs. She didn’t lecture him or scold him. That was never her way. Instead she wiped down his face with her sleeve and smiled down at him.
“I am going to have to tell Father Maxwell about this.” She said in her light, airy voice. Duo nodded and frowned down at his feet. “Okay then. Goodnight, Duo…” She said sweetly before turning the little boy around and urging him into the room. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast, right?”
Duo looked over his shoulder at the nun and nodded with a deep frown. This made the woman laugh. The corner of the little boy’s mouth sprang to life into a crooked smile before he padded back into the room. The door closed behind him and locked.
He looked around the dark room at the other orphans. Most were asleep. A few of them peered at him from beneath their blankets, having woken from the noise. Duo scowled at them before wandering over to the window. He stared at the neat pile of thin, black nails on the window sill. He couldn’t bring himself to open the window. He couldn’t understand his sudden change of heart. It was how children worked. One minute they did something, without knowing why, and then the next they change their minds about the entire thing. So, having decided he didn’t want to escape tonight after all, he began to slide the nails back into their little holes around the frame of the window. After a few minutes he had slid the last nail into its shallow hole.
Duo took a step back and placed his hands on his hips as he surveyed his work. Every nail had been replaced. Then he leaned in close to the window and looked out into the dark night. The colony’s lights were dim to give the appearance of night on earth, but were still bright enough to see just about anything you needed to. The view from this window was of the cemetery behind the church that the orphanage was attached to. The gravestones were relatively new compared to some Duo had seen in books. They were all upright and uniform in long, perfect rows. They stood as reminders of those who had lived. The oldest one was a little more than 100 years old. There were no bodies beneath the memorials, either. Everyone on the colonies was cremated.
Duo wondered what it was like to be cremated.
The thought made him grin. He could see a ghostly reflection of himself in the window. He turned away from his reflection and skipped over to his bed, removed the little bag with his belongings from his back and slid it under his own bed. Then he toed off his shoes and let them fall to the floor with two loud bangs. The sound made a couple of the kids shift in their sleep.
I won’t escape tonight, he decided, tomorrow morning is pancake breakfast.
And with that thought the little boy fell asleep.
Chapter Two:
The first sound of the church bell tolling in the morning silence brought Duo to life. He sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes vigorously. The other children were shuffling about the large room that they shared. Some were getting dressed. A few kids in the far corner were jumping on their beds. A small boy at the front of the room was showing off a mouse trap he had found beneath one of the beds, complete with a petrified mouse attached.
Duo changed his clothes and feverishly made his way to the door. He tried the handle. Locked. The sound of his stomach grumbling unhappily in his torso made him wince.
“Duo! Look! A mouse! See how its eyes popped out of its head!” The small boy exclaimed with eyes gleaming in delight. Duo sighed and looked at the mouse. It was squished in the middle. It must have been dead for quite some time because its fur was falling off and it seemed stiff as a board. And, just as the small boy said, its eyes were jutting out.
“Everything that sees death loses its eyes.” Duo said in a faux expert tone. The small boy stared at Duo in awe.
“How come?” The small boy questioned as he stared at the mouse in the trap. He was holding the mouse by the tail which looked as if any moment it would tear off.
“Because,” Duo began loudly, “Death does that to things. When you see it, you lose your sight. Then people just give up and die because they don’t want to live blind.”
It didn’t have to make any sense. The small boy was still impressed. He stared up at Duo with wide, worshipping blue eyes. The braided boy grinned and nodded his head, as if he was very certain that was why the eyes popped out. It wasn’t a lie, though. Duo had his own philosophy on everything. Granted, it was the philosophy of a seven year-old, but still a personal philosophy nonetheless.
The metallic clanking of keys sounded from down the hall. Duo bounced up and down eagerly. He was starving and the thought of pancakes was making him restless.
The door opened. Just as it did the braided boy bolted through the opening and rushed forward towards the cafeteria.
“Duo. No breakfast yet.” Said a smooth, calm voice. The little boy stopped short and nearly toppled over. He turned around and stared up at Sister Helen, who was smiling down at him with an amused twinkle in her deep green eyes.
“But… can’t I eat first? I am starved!” He squeaked.
“I am afraid not. We have to see Father Maxwell first.” And with that the sister grabbed Duo by the shoulder and began guiding him down the hallway opposite of the cafeteria.
“But… they are gonna eat all the pancakes!” Duo protested. He glanced over his shoulder at the other children who were running happily in the direction of the cafeteria.
He began to imagine the other kids as round, pink pigs who hogged all of the food. They ate everything on the table, including the silverware and the plates. And, when he finally arrived, there would be nothing left but a crumb under the table. When he crawled under to get the crumb the dead mouse would come out of the shadows and steal it from him. His imagination also revealed an image of himself skinny and weak, begging door to door searching for pancakes.
They walked around the corner at the end of the hall where Father Maxwell’s office was. As they approached Duo saw a stout wooden chair set just outside of Father Maxwell’s door. Upon the seat of the chair was a small stack of pancakes.
The little boy’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Those for me?!” He asked the sister and he scurried up to the warm plate of sticky pancakes.
“Yes. Hurry up and eat. I’ll tell Father Maxwell you’re here.” Then she slid through the door into the office.
Duo took a seat on the chair. His legs dangled over the edge. The toes of his shoes just barely scraped the floor as his legs flailed back and forth as he settled himself on the hard wooden chair. He then lifted his plate near his face and began scarfing down his pancakes. And, to him, these pancakes tasted different than the usual.
He began thinking perhaps Sister Helen had not only got these just for him but that she made them too. That was probably why they tasted so good.
After finishing his breakfast he put the plate on the ground and slid it under his chair. He could hear Sister Helen’s soothing voice faintly through the door. Her voice was accompanied by the raspy, hoarse voice of Father Maxwell. Duo’s eyes lit up as an idea immediately struck him. He shoved himself from the chair, landed lightly on his feet then scampered over to the large oak door that led into Father Maxwell’s office. He could hear they were in a heated argument about something. Sister Helen’s voice was a few tones higher than her normal alto and Father Maxwell’s words seemed to spill out quicker than they normally did. Duo pressed his ear to the smooth, knotted wood and closed his eyes to listen. He could only make out parts of the conversation.
“He …to escape but then he … so why … another chance?” The sister was saying.
“As long as he doesn’t cause any more trouble. We…let…for the only…lives and safety … just one child.” Father Maxwell’s voice was somber and Duo just knew he was in big trouble.
He didn’t want to hear anymore. He slid away from the door and padded back to his seat against the wall. Just as he had repositioned himself in the seat the office door opened and Father Maxwell strode out, closely followed by a smiling Sister Helen. Duo tucked his legs under the chair and smiled his happiest, most carefree smile.
“Duo. Why do you keep trying to run away? Don’t you like it here?” Father Maxwell asked. He was a kind looking old man. Tall, and very skinny, he had a wrinkled face that held the kindest eyes Duo had ever seen. They were pale blue, trustworthy eyes. Duo always liked to look into them. He was doing so at the moment while Father Maxwell stood patiently beside the chair waiting for the little boy’s answer.
“I didn’t want to run away forever. Just for a little while.” Duo replied truthfully. He wasn’t exactly sure what he meant, but those words seemed to fit. Father Maxwell looked as if he understood. His light-colored eyes began to mirror the smile on his aged, wrinkled face.
“I suppose once a stray cat, always a stray cat.” The old man said with a hint of laughter in his voice. “We don’t want to keep you from being happy, Duo. There is just a lot of danger outside of the orphanage. You know that…” The father reached down to rub the top of Duo’s red-brown hair affectionately. “We don’t want to see anything happen to you.”
The braided boy frowned a little. Those words made his chest ache. “Sorry…”
“It is OK young man, but there is still consequence for what you did. You are going to have bathroom duty for a week.” Father Maxwell said. Duo frowned deeper and began to groan in protest. Sister Helen chuckled behind a small, delicate hand.
“Bathroom duty!? YUCK!” The little boy exclaimed. Father Maxwell patted Duo firmly on the back with a large, thin-fingered hand.
“Starting now.” The old man said. Duo groaned louder. “Go on. The bucket and mop are in the closet.”
“The girl’s bathroom, too?!” Duo exclaimed, incredulously. Father Maxwell nodded. “Man… this stinks!” The braided boy hopped to his feet and began shuffling reluctantly down the hall towards the supply closet. He could hear Sister Helen and Father Maxwell’s laughter behind him as he went.
The way they laughed made him mad. He didn’t like it when people laughed at him. He didn’t like this punishment, either, and he couldn’t understand why they wanted to humiliate him like this. He quickened his step. He decided that he would hurry and finish cleaning the bathroom so he could go outside and bug the gardener. He began running an inventory of things he needed from the garden shed…
Then, when he rounded the corner, he ran smack into someone.
“Watch it.”
“Sorry.”
Duo stood in place and stared straight into the face of the kid he had run into. Two narrow, deep blue eyes stared coldly back at him, half-hidden by a mass of messy dark brown hair. The person he bumped into was a kid the same height as he was. He looked to be the same age as Duo, too. Yet, something was very different about this kid. For one thing, his eyes were narrowed in the most intense glare Duo had ever seen. The second thing was that the kid was accompanied by two Colony Police Officers.
Duo’s automatic response when in the presence of the Colony Police was to run.
So he did. He turned around and ran away as fast as he could down the corridor and darted around the corner. Then he leaned against the wall and panted a few times before peeking around the corner at the boy and the police. At first he thought the police were there to take him away but as he watched them lead the other boy towards Father Maxwell’s office he realized they were at the church to bring another orphan. That strange boy with the angry eyes. They knocked on the door then escorted the strange boy into Father Maxwell’s room.
Duo was curious. He took a step in the direction of the closed door and considered listening in on them but stopped and shook his head. He had a busy day ahead of him with cleaning and gathering tools. With a sly smile he turned and ran towards the supply closet. He pulled forth a smelly mop and a big, metal bucket before trudging towards the boy’s bathroom.
The bathroom was a formidable size as far as bathrooms go. It had three urinals against one wall with one short, wooden stall with a full toilet inside. There was a short, off-white porcelain sink with a cloudy square mirror set above it. Despite how old everything was the bathroom was not very dirty. The braided boy began filling the bucket with water, added some lemon scented liquid to it and began stabbing the mop into it roughly. Water splashed in all directions and fresh-smelling suds began to rise from the top of the bucket and spill out onto the floor. Then he yanked the mop from the bucket and let the wet fibers fall to the tile floor with a loud “splat”. He began dragging the mop across the floor mindlessly at first before realizing he could make a game out of it. He began drawing shapes on the floor with the suds. Then he kicked off his shoes and put them in the sink to keep them from getting wet. He tipped the bucket over with a bare toe. The water poured out onto the floor and began to spread to every corner of the bathroom. Now there was a giant puddle in the center of the room. Duo tried to resist but it was no use. When presented with the perfect opportunity to splash in a puddle he took it.
With an excited yell he ran into the center of the massive puddle and began stomping joyfully in circles. Water splashed in all directions. The bottoms of his pants were soaked and the walls all around him were darkened with streaks of water.
Just as he was about to test how big of a splash he could make the bathroom door opened. He froze, expecting the scolding voice of one of the nuns or Father Maxwell to speak. Nobody said anything. There was silence. Duo hesitantly peered over at the entrance of the bathroom to see the strange boy from earlier standing against the inside of the door staring at him.
“Uh… heh heh… cleaning.” Duo explained. He went over to pick up the mop he had discarded in the corner and began frantically mopping up the puddle. He didn’t want the new boy to tell on him for what he may have seen. The new boy made a noise in the back of his throat and began walking across the wet floor towards the small, high window against the far wall. Duo watched him as he did. The strange boy was thin, just like Duo, and wore dark gray slacks and a white dress shirt. Duo wondered if he was from a private school. That was how he was dressed. He even had on one of those weird, thin black ties that the rich kids wore. Then Duo noticed that the other boy’s dark, leather shoes were leaving dirty footprints in the clean water on the floor.
“Hey! Watch it! I’m trying to clean!” Duo exclaimed loudly. The other boy ignored him. He was standing beside the wall looking up at the window. Duo wasn’t sure what he was doing, so he asked. “What are you doing?”
The other boy ignored him. Instead, the strange kid began searching the bathroom with a focused, intense gaze. Duo frowned. He didn’t like being ignored.
“If you’re thinking about trying to get out that way, don’t bother. They nail the windows closed.” Duo said smartly before going back to his work at mopping the floor. “I can’t even escape this darn place…” Duo added in a low, annoyed mutter. The other boy turned to look at him. Duo looked up from the puddle he was mopping up to meet the other boy’s gaze.
“You’re not me.” The other boy said in a low, quiet voice. Duo’s eyes widened. Then the other boy’s mouth curled into an amused smile before turning to look at the stall beside the window. Then, with effortless movement the strange boy grabbed the top edge of the stall and pulled himself up. He was standing on the top edge of the narrow wooden wall of the stall when the bathroom door opened with a loud bang.
“It doesn’t take five minutes to take a piss!”
It was one of the Colony Police Officers. He stepped inside the bathroom and stood right in the center of Duo’s work. He began scanning the bathroom with an angry expression. Then the officer spotted the strange boy standing on the top of the stall’s wall.
“Hey! What are you doing up there!?” The man yelled. The strange boy’s amused expression darkened. He turned and leapt up at the window. Duo stared in amazement as the boy kicked in the window and slid through the broken glass in what Duo thought was less than a second. The police officer was also in shock but finally snapped out of it, let out a string of curse words Duo had never heard before, then turned and ran out of the bathroom. Duo could hear the officer yelling to his comrade. Then the sound was followed by their stomping boots as they ran down the hall towards the main entrance of the orphanage.
Duo smiled and looked at the broken glass lining the far wall. The bathroom door opened again. He looked over to see Sister Helen standing in the doorway with a worried expression on her face.
“Duo, are you all right?” The sister asked anxiously. She stepped up to the little boy and began looking him over.
“Yeah. That kid broke the window.” Duo said plainly. The corner of his mouth perked into a smile. “Do I have to clean that up, too?”
The nun frowned and looked over at the shattered window. “Of course not. You’re done for the day, Duo.” Then she took the mop from his hand and began ushering him out of the bathroom. He grabbed his shoes, slammed his feet into them quickly and began running down the hallway.
“Duo! Stay out of trouble!” She yelled after him. Duo waved a hand at her and darted down the hall as fast as he could go.
He had to tell the other kids about this!
Chapter Three:
“And then he jumped out of the window!” Duo squeaked. The other children all gasped in unison at the end of Duo’s thrilling story about the strange boy’s escape. Duo grinned proudly before letting his expression slip into seriousness.
“You know I heard that some kids from other colonies are mutants because they drank some chemicals.” Duo explained. “Maybe that kid had super powers or something.”
One of the younger girls frowned. “A mutant?” She echoed. Her voice lined with a hint of fear. A stocky 8-year old stood up from his seat high atop a bunk bed and scoffed loudly.
“There ain’t no such thing as mutants.” The stocky kid retorted loudly. “That kid is prolly just a criminal or somethin’.”
Duo was annoyed with the stocky kid and immediately began feeling defensive. “Are you calling me a liar?” The braided boy had been sitting on his own bed but now was on his feet beside it with hands balled into little, menacing fists. The stocky kid, who was a few inches taller than Duo, looked down at him and scowled.
“I ain’t said nothing like that.” The stocky one replied. “And you ain’t worth fighting. You’re just a scrawny pea-brained street kid.”
Duo’s shoulders began to shake. He took a step towards the stocky boy and grit his teeth so hard his temples began to ache. He was trying his best not to get into any more trouble but the idea of punching this fat boy in the nose was very tempting. He stopped himself at the foot of his own bed and willed his anger away as best that a seven-year old boy can. With a great amount of effort he forced himself to laugh. The sound was bitter and broken. Then he grinned brightly and flicked the other kid the bird. One of the older kids began to laugh.
The other children were silent. They watched Duo’s struggle for self control with curious stares. They had actually only expected a fight to ensue. It was the usual way. One kid would say something mean and the target kid would immediately swing a punch or leap upon the provoker. Then they would fight until an adult tore them apart. It was strange for them to see someone much like themselves break that chain of action. And, in a strange and unexplainable way, many of the children who watched this felt that Duo was superior for his actions rather than a chicken for not falling into the step of a fight. If Duo had looked he would have seen respect and admiration in many of the onlooker children’s eyes.
The stocky kid just rolled his eyes and lumbered away towards the hallway. Duo straightened his posture and looked over at a few of the kids who were watching him with eager looks as if waiting for another story from the braided boy. “So yeah. That is what happened. I don’t think they will ever catch that kid. He was too smart. Too fast.” Duo stated plainly. As if to mark the end of his story session the lunch bell broke through the air. The children leapt to their feet and scurried quickly to the doorway and towards the cafeteria. Duo didn’t move. He watched as they all ran away. After the last child left Duo grabbed his bag from beneath the bed and began wandering towards the door. Once in the hall he turned to go the opposite way the other children had gone, away from the cafeteria. He had important
matters to attend to and food would have to wait. Well, at least lunch food. He rummaged around in his pockets and retrieved a small handful of jellybeans. He popped the colorful little candies in his mouth and chewed on them vigorously. He couldn’t forgo eating completely!
The halls were empty. It was guaranteed that all of the orphans were in the cafeteria eating. Duo recalled his vision of the round, pink piggies again. The thought made him smile. He picked his way through the halls to the back door which was propped open to let the air circulate through the building. The door led to a massive square of grassy yard that was adjacent to the cemetery. A sandbox and a swing set sat in the middle of the plush, green grass. The entire property was lined by a short, light brown brick wall.
The colony’s climate control had determined today to be cool and brightly lit. As Duo exited the yellowed light of the building he had to squint against the blinding pure white sunlight of the yard. He knew that it was imitation light but it was the closest thing to sunlight he had ever had. He never much cared for it, either. He was a peculiar kid. Many of the other children had a natural need to be out in the fake-sun rays but Duo always preferred the artificial light. Right now he was wishing he could return to the dim, dark environment of the orphanage but it would have to wait.
As he stepped out into the yard his squinted eyes immediately locked onto the crooked garden shed that leaned against the back wall. He made his way to it with brisk, energetic steps. Then he looked around cautiously to see if anyone was watching. Nobody seemed to be. He turned to look at the door. It had a padlock on the front. He fingered the lock for a moment before slipping around to the back of the little shed. There was a wooden panel that he had pried loose the last time he came out here. With an easy slide of the fingers one could dislocate the board just enough to make a hole to crawl through. Duo did just that. It was a tight squeeze but he managed to fit inside. He wondered how he was going to get in and out if he got any bigger.
The garden shed held a plethora of tools and items a sneaky little boy could use. There was gardening equipment such as hoes, shovels, rakes, hoses, seeds and fertilizer. Maintenance items were present as well. Things like hammers, nails, screws, drills, saws, pliers, duct tape- Duo’s eyes immediately locked onto the duct tape. He just knew he had to have it. He picked it up, rolled it around in his hands for a moment for a quick inspection, and then shoved it into his bag. He gathered a few other items he thought would come in handy. A small Phillips-head screw driver was one thing. His eyes lit up when he found the blow torch. He wanted badly to take it with him. He could think of hundreds of things to use it for however none of them were nice things. So he passed on the blow torch however he did take the spark-making thing that went with it. After thoroughly plundering the shed and finding a variety of treasures his stomach growled an angry reminder that he needed to eat lunch. Just as he was about to crawl through the secret hole in the wall he heard voices from the yard. He froze in place and listened. It was Father Maxwell’s voice. He crept to the front door of the shed. A small beam of light shone through a hole in the wood around the door. With silent, catlike movements he knelt beside the hole and peered through it.
Father Maxwell was standing ten feet away from the door to the shed. He was accompanied by a large man in a Colony Police uniform. The officer’s hair was cut so short he was practically bald. He had a distorted face. It reminded Duo of the face people make when they eat a lemon. The men were facing one another. Father Maxwell’s expression was of displeasure.
“I just don’t think we are accommodated for such a task.” The father was saying. “I don’t want the other children to get hurt.”
The officer seemed unhappy to hear this news. His face scrunched up even more. “I assure you it will be safe. We will take measures to make sure the child is not able to hurt anyone.”
“What do you mean?” Father Maxwell asked. He seemed worried. Duo knew they were talking about that strange boy from this morning. He leaned against the wood and listened eagerly.
“He will be medicated. We will have one officer here on the property at all times. Also, we request that you house him alone. A sort of solitary confinement.” The officer replied in an agitated tone. Father Maxwell shifted uncomfortably.
“But he is only a child. Is it necessary to take such extreme precautions on such a young boy?”
The officer nodded. “As you know we have no facilities for children under the age of ten. We cannot legally hold a child of that age. And, under normal circumstances we would put the child in foster care until assigning them. However, this kid isn’t like any other I have ever seen. He may be a little boy in appearance but he is highly intellectual and potentially dangerous.” The officer then seemed to have regret bringing ‘danger’ up to the priest, who was now even more worried looking than before. “Father, I promise you it will only be for a week or two. Until we can assign him to a rehabilitation facility or admit him into some sort of psychiatric home.”
Father Maxwell was frowning now. Duo peered through the hole in confusion. Psychiatric home? He wasn’t sure what that was. The officer crossed his arms over his chest as if waiting for an answer. Father Maxwell seemed to be warring internally on the matter. However, after a minute or two the priest nodded and slouched in defeat. The officer’s mouth transformed into something of a smile.
“Very good. We will see to all of the arrangements.” The scrunched-faced man replied before turning to walk towards the back door to the orphanage. Duo saw Father Maxwell rub the spot between his eyebrows with his thumb before following the officer inside. After they had left Duo stood up and began chewing his lower lip in thought. The thought of the strange boy staying there in the orphanage was exciting and scary at the same time. The braided boy had never heard of a kid that adults were afraid of before. He couldn’t help but let his curiosity take control of him.
Thoughts about the strange boy nagged him for the rest of the day. He began wondering if he was lucky to have gotten away from the crazy boy. He wondered if the other boy had ever killed anyone. Maybe he was a mutant after all? That would explain why the police officers were scared of him. What if the strange boy was a robot? Maybe he had guns that popped out of his fingertips? Maybe he wasn’t a little boy like him but an adult stuck in a kid’s body?
The more Duo thought on it the more curious and obsessed with the idea he became.
That night as he lie on his bad thinking that the new boy could possibly be a lizard-person he heard the sound of a car pulling up to the orphanage. He jumped out of bed and quickly ran to the window. He could see the headlights of a car coming to a stop near the front door. The window only allowed him to see the headlights of the car and nothing else. He stared for a long moment, hoping something would reveal itself in his line of vision. Nothing happened. The car shut off and the lights went off. The sound of the front door opening and closing was soon followed by a mixed assortment of footsteps in the hallway. The people passed the door quietly and soon the sound vanished to the back of the building. Duo slumped to a sit on his bed in disappointment.
He had been hoping to see something. He flopped down onto his bed and curled up beneath the covers. He decided he would find out more about this strange kid tomorrow.
There was nothing else to do.