008 | What lurks in the dark.

[stillshinigami]

Duo sat on his couch, thankful for the sliders on the legs of it. It took him some effort, but he finally had a nice piece of his property from back in the hanger, complete and in piece except for a tear in one of the pillows. Oh well.

So he sat there, hand against his chin as he watched the rest of the room, watching for Harth. He wanted to see that little runt just to see exactly who he was dealing with. After about an hour of sitting and waiting, drawing with some chalk on the wall he'd pushed the couch against, he saw him. They met eyes briefly and Duo forced himself to have a straight face, deliberately shrugging at the boy who seemed intent to look at him. Look at him like he was his next meal.

Well, there was gonna be none of that.

But as far as who he was, Harth wasn't showing signs of being one of the undead, so once the man went outside into the hot and humid sun he relaxed, laying against the armrest of his couch.

"We're boned... Goddamn... Someone get me outta here."

Comments

[stoicperfection]

"Odd wish to have."

Heero was on his way back from outside, having decided to do a bit of exploring. It was a bit early and no one else seemed awake yet, but that was fine with him. Seeing Duo on a rundown-looking couch caught him off guard for a moment and then remembered the fountain. But why that couch?

Making his way over to the older pilot, he undid the strap to the holster he was wearing on his back and held it at his side.

[stillshinigami]

"Odd?" Duo says in a tired drawl, looking at his surroundings. The couch is odd?

"Makes this place a little more livable. Even so, I still wanna get off this god forsaken rock." Civilization!

He moves aside to sit up, looking at Heero's sword. "Huh. That sword suits you, Heero."

[stoicperfection]

"It's just a couch."

After settling the scabbard against the side of the couch and sitting on the other side of it, he looked over the older pilot to see if he was getting any sort of sleep. Tone of voice pointed to no, and those bags under his eyes were saying the same thing.

"Still not sleeping?"

[stillshinigami]

"I've slept. Just not very well." Duo shrugged, frowning a bit.

"I just can't get comfortable in that bed." This was far better. It was a reminder of home. It smelled like home. It even had his pillows. He grabbed the one made of flannel and picked at one of the tassels.

"You're not much for possessions, but..." He makes a motion for Heero to catch before throwing the pillow to him.

"Smells like gundam fuel. I spilled some on that one once. Washed it a million times but that smell is never coming out."

[stoicperfection]

"I don't stick around long enough to have any." Just the laptop and clothes on his back and even those could easily be replaced.

He caught the pillow and set it down in between the two of them, watching Duo again.

[stillshinigami]

"You should, Heero. Have things. Be somebody and stop thinkin' you're a machine." Because only bad things come of it. He got to his feet and started for his room.

"I got some stuff I need to talk to you about." He says this with a bit of tension, and this he wore on his sleeve. He wasn't hiding that he was angry.

[stoicperfection]

"It's pointless." And that was all he would say about it. This wasn't the sort of conversation he wanted to get into. Despite the war having ended, there were splinter groups trying to disrupt things. He had to keep tabs on all of them.

As Duo got off the couch, he grabbed his scabbard and stood to strap it back on. This was important, he knew. It was easy to see how angry even thinking about it made Duo. "What?"

[stillshinigami]

"No it isn't, but it is pointless to argue with you about it." Duo protested as he moved into the room he had called home for the last four months.

Once the door was closed, he sat on the bed and looked up to Heero. "I know what happened to Toph."

[stoicperfection]

"Hn." It's the best response to give Duo. Anything else would have been too personal and weak.

Toph's name peaked his interest. How had Duo found out what had happened to her? He spent days searching the castle grounds for a clue and even resorted to using Toothless as a bloodhound for clues. "What happened to her?"

[stillshinigami]

"Harth killed her." Duo said flatly, grimacing and shaking his head.

"He's a vampire. Killed her, sucked her blood." He throws his hands up.

"A fucking vampire, Heero! And... to make matters worse? He... He did something to Haku. She died some how and he revived her and turned her human. I don't know if that's a bad thing but he's planning to use her as food!" And it's as if he wants to be caught!

[stoicperfection]

A part of him wanted to say something about vampires being myth, but in this place it made sense. It better explained the lack of heart beat than the artificial heart story and the unusual control he had. The weakness seemed almost too perfect now that he thought about it. So Harth had killed Toph and done something to Haku. It seemed like the vampire was trying to pick at the group one by one. But for what purpose?

Looking down at his arm, he looked at the two small scars he'd earned after waking up in the sarcophagous. He couldn't remember any of it, but something had attacked him then and left him weak. It had to of been the vampire, and knowinfg that he mentally kicked himself. He had actually followed Harth onto that rooftop when the Shadows attacked. If they hadn't, would Harth have taken the opportunity to attack him there and kill him like Toph.

"Something has to be done about him."

[stillshinigami]

Duo nodded at that, but he didn't know where to start. He was only telling Heero because he needed a plan. He needed someone to lead him into this. Because he was afraid. Fighting a war was one thing, fighting a vampire? A magical creature?

It was completely out of his depth. Everything here was out of his depth.

And maybe that was why he was failing so completely, like the life was just draining out of him bit by bit.

"You can't go alone. We need a plan. The usual weaknesses don't work for him. He can walk in the sunlight."

[stoicperfection]

Duo wasn't the only one out of his depth. It was just that Heero seemed better able to adapt to these strange circumstances. Not that he had done much good so far, but he wasn't falling apart yet.

As for his suggestion, he didn't see that going over very well. Duo wasn't in much shape to do anything at the moment. Too tired, stressed -- whatever the hell it was making him look and act that way.

"Of course." That didn't mean he wasn't going to comply.

[tophbeifong]

It seemed as if several days of bed rest and taking it easy had done the trick. While her body still ached if she moved too much, the little Earthbender was back on her feet and as spunky and spirited as ever. What little pain she felt from exertion, she hid from view.

But bed rest was boring, and if she had to spend another few minutes stationary, she would have exploded, she felt. That in mind, she was out, walking the hallways and common room. It was clear she was intentionally avoiding any areas where the shadows were known to lurk. At the time, she was out, seeking someone to keep her company, someone to alert her to approaching shadows that she couldn't detect and couldn't hear.

While she'd noticed the couch in the distance, she didn't notice Duo on it. The couch held her attention, until the vampire crossed her path. She started, a grin taking over her face. She was happy- he'd made it out alive! And unhurt, by the feel of it.

Quickly and quietly, she ran to his side. When she was close enough, she pulled her fist back and socked him in the arm, a smile plastered over her face.

[herotherhalf]

Harth sees her coming, a brow raising at her smile. So she didn't remember did she? Hm! That was of benefit to him, now wasn't it? Fortunate, but really inconsequential aside from keeping her as a potential ally. He grunted at her punching him and rubbed his arm.

"Toph!..." He said flatly. "You're okay. I was wondering where you were. Nobody could find you all this time." That flippant voice he used. Friendly and weak sounding. Harmless. He smiled at her up until he noticed the man running up behind them and the expression on his face. His expression changed only to confusion at Duo's arrival.

[stillshinigami]

"Toph! Hey!" Duo moved swiftly, stopping just short of being within two yards of Harth.

"Uh..." His voice almost trembled glancing at Harth, then focusing on Toph. "Hey. We're... Going exploring in like two minutes and my scythe broke. I need it fixed." His voice shook, only because he was deliberately lying.

C'mon, Toph. Come with him. No questions asked.

[tophbeifong]

Of course she didn't remember. She wasn't conscious at the time. But she did remember he was there.

"You got out okay, though, right?" A hand rose to run over his chest and arms, checking him over for injuries. It would have been easy to check someone else for them, typically because a pained body beats differently than a well one, but... with his mechanical heart...

Duo's approach snatched her attention and she moved her head to focus an ear on him.

"Duo?"

The man was lying. Flat out lying. She could tell. His heart was racing, his body trembled, and his voice was about as solid as the wind. It worried her, because Duo Maxwell didn't lie. Something was up.

"Duo?" she repeated his name, though this time it was thick and dripping with concern and confusion, and sprinkled with apprehension. "... what exactly is going on?"

She turned from Harth to Duo, showing that he had her full attention.

[herotherhalf]

Harth just stood there, almost smiling at the touches to his form. She could probably feel his ribs under his shirt, probably feel how skinny he was before he died. Probably give him a little trouble just for that. It was Toph, after all. Droll as her antics could be he was still rather amused by her not coming after him so readily. His spell had worked like a charm.

Duo's approach however had him watching the boy carefully. His eyes shielded by the sun reflecting off his glasses. That fear in his eyes, that fear on his scent, it was clear exactly what he was afraid of. Haku must have talked. That would have to be dealt with immedietly, and this boy would have to be silenced.

"Yeah. Is something wrong?" Harth asked, playing up the act for Toph's benefit.

[stillshinigami]

Shit. Those eyes were cold. Duo composed himself, turning his eyes to Toph.

"I need you to come with me, Tophy. C'mon. I got some work you need to do back inside." Partially true. More true than before. He reached for her hand, trying not to look at Harth at all. So much for keeping the secret. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. He's gonna know, isn't he? Either way he couldn't risk Harth interacting with her anymore.

[tophbeifong]

Duo's fear was contagious. If he would have been anyone else, it wouldn't have even bothered Toph in the slightest.

But this was Duo. Everything they'd been through in the castle, and she'd never once caught him even breaking a sweat over even the scariest and deadliest foes and situations they'd faced so far. Whatever had him on edge was probably something worth being wary of at least a little.

Or it could be nothing at all. Either way, it bore a looking into.

Toph dropped her head and sighed a grunt. She turned her head towards Harth.

"I'll be right back. Glad to know you're okay," she told him before letting Duo lead her out by the wrist. It helped her catch his heart rate, his temperature, and his skin condition.

She followed him for a while, the distance between them and Harth growing longer and longer until finally she brought it to an end. She dug her heels into the ground and stopped, jerking her wrist away and folding her arms over her chest.

"That's enough, Scaredy Pants. Now, what's got your feathers ruffled?"

[herotherhalf]

Harth just nodded, offering a solemn gaze to the two of them as they walked away. He himself turning to that place he usually perched on directly in the setting sunlight. Of course as long as they were in this room he could still hear them.

[stillshinigami]

Duo made an effort to move as calmly as he could away from Harth. He worried. He was a horrible actor even on a good day, could Harth tell what was wrong? That his apprehensions were directed at him? Better not have.

Finally when Toph dug in and yanked her hand away, he flipped around. "What's got my feathered ruffled? That kid is a monster!" Hush hush tone.

"He killed you!"

[tophbeifong]

Reflexively, Toph blinked.

"What?" ... someone had killed her?

"Wait," she held up a hand. After a second of running over Duo's words in her head, she tossed a thumb back towards the vampire. "You mean Harth?"

Harth killed her? Duo was joking, obviously. Or he was just being weird. Or he'd finally snapped and gone crazy. Either way, Toph could barely contain her laughter, hugging her sides and holding the back of a wrist to her lips.

"Did you drink something funny, Duo?"

[stillshinigami]

Duo grabbed both her shoulders, looking over her shoulder at Harth who was just grinning ear to ear. Fuck!

Eaagh! "Toph, Dammit. I'm serious here. You hang around him anymore and who knows what he's gonna do to you!" Duo grit his teeth, shaking his head as he reached to her hand to trab her.

"C'mon."

[tophbeifong]

Sorry, Duo, she's not going anywhere. Not if he feet sunk ankle-deep into the dirt have anything to say about it.

"What's your problem?" she demanded, glaring at nothing as she tore her hand from his.

"He's not a monster. I don't know why you're so scared of him. He can't do anything to me that I can't stop."

It was true. Without Harth's sleeping spells, Toph had the upper edge. Sure, he was strong, probably fast, and likely not too bothered by many injuries she could inflict, but she'd eat her own feet if he managed to break out of being completely immobilized by solid rock. None of this occurred to her, though. He was just... just Harth. Just a too-thin, scrawny, quiet and shy kid who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and was being accused of so many senseless things.

And Harth certainly couldn't kill Toph.