Author: Merula
Pairings: 1x2
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, angst-ness, angels, other gods, mythology.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.
Egypt Story Part 1
"I despise all this secrecy," Wufei complained as he sat down on Quatre's bed. It was late at night and the four of them couldn't meet until the fifth was asleep.
"Duly noted," Trowa drawled from his place at the foot of the bed. "But it's necessary."
"It wouldn't be if G. had done his job correctly!" Trowa shrugged. It wasn't the first time the pilot of Nataku had complained about this subject.
"Wufei, please," Quatre soothed from his place at the head of the bed. "It wasn't G's fault that he built a gundam that one of us couldn't pilot. It required a darker spirit than we possess."
"That's the other thing I don't believe," Wufei snapped. "Maxwell is many things, but dark? His spirit is not dark!"
"Well, he's human," Trowa shrugged. "Since the days of Eve they have all had darkness in them. Perhaps that's enough."
"Enough to pilot that evil thing?" Wufei shuddered. "I doubt it."
"Deathscythe is not evil," Trowa countered.
"You've heard about his past," Quatre added. "That had to stain his soul."
Heero slipped quietly into the room and sat down on the opposite bed.
"He's sleeping," he said in response to their inquiring looks. "What did S send?"
"We have a new mission." Trowa stood up and walked over to the computer. "An Oz munitions factory. Treize has sent a demon to run it- we think."
"We think? We don't know?" Wufei growled.
"It seems to have been a surprise to the rest of the base. Apparently it just showed up and assumed command. You would think Trieze would've warned them it was coming." Trowa frowned at the screen.
"Not necessarily." Wufei snapped. Quatre looked thoughtful.
"That doesn't seem right. Treize always tells his servants what to expect. All that noblisse oblige of his."
"He was always very honorable before." Trowa added. Wufei spat.
"He betrayed us all! How can you speak of him that way?"
"He may be fallen," Quatre pointed out, "but he is still one of our brothers. He cannot deny that part of his nature."
"He lost his honor when he chose to side with the Light-bringer!"
"Treize followed the Light-bringer out of honor- his loyalty was sworn to him in the early days."
"His loyalty was misplaced!"
"Wufei, I know he was your teacher, but..."
"Can we get back on task?" Heero shifted. "I don't feel up to listening to an all night debate on the Fall."
"You just want to get back to your human lover," Wufei snapped.
"He has nightmares," Heero met Fei's gaze evenly. "He sleeps easier with me there."
"You know that He is not going to be happy about this whole scenario." Wufei replied.
"Don't be ridiculous," Heero shook his head. "You know perfectly well that love is to be cherished however and wherever it's found. He won't be mad at me." Quatre and Trowa nodded in agreement and Wufei groaned.
"Fine. Whatever. Just don't let it distract you."
"I won't. I wanted to talk about the mission. You're the one wanting to discuss Duo."
"We need to infiltrate the base and take out the demon." Trowa continued. "The base is heavily guarded. We will need all five gundams."
"All of us?" Quatre asked.
"Yes. Deathscythe is needed."
"And how do we hide the fact that there is a demon in charge of that base?" Wufei rolled his eyes. "Ask Maxwell to wear a blindfold?"
"Duo won't be anywhere near the command post," Trowa replied. "He'll be our distraction outside along with me. You, Quatre and Heero are going to go in and take out the demon."
"Acceptable," Heero nodded.
"Very sound," Quatre agreed.
"Very well," Wufei sighed.
~*~
Outside the door, Duo Maxwell rose silently to his feet as he heard the others agree to the plan. Their meeting was over and Heero would be joining him soon. He slipped silently back down the hallway and into bed. A few minutes later, Heero slipped in beside him.
"Mmm?" Duo rolled over, feigning sleepiness. "Heero? Where'd ya go?"
"Couldn't sleep," Heero whispered back. "I went to see the others. We have a mission in the morning. Go back to sleep." He pulled Duo tightly against himself and closed his eyes. Duo cuddled up against him.
"Love you," he murmured to Heero.
"Always." Heero murmured back. He breathed in the faint spicy scent of Duo's hair and thought about what he'd said to Fei. Love was to be cherished wherever it was found, but he thought even if he was damned for it eventually, it would be worth it to keep Duo.
He and the other three were special cases. They had been created originally for the battle between Heaven and Hell, warrior angels. There had been quite a few of them. Trieze was originally of their kind until he'd changed sides. Others had followed him.
But not all. Heaven had retained enough of an edge until peace was declared and the battle ended. The light bringer and his kind were to rule in hell and leave the Earth alone.
When the battle was over, the peace lines drawn, the four of them had been restless. Beings created to fight, yet lacking a battleground.
It had been almost a relief when they discovered that Trieze had been messing around with the latest war on Earth and they had been assigned to take the colonies side.
The Gundams had been built, designed for their special pilots. Deathscythe was the mistake. A gundam built for a dark spirit. G had found Duo to pilot it, though Heero wondered sometimes if the old man hadn't built it with Duo in mind. The scientists were older beings than the four, and not inclined to confide in their charges.
Heero sighed. The scientists always implied a deeper knowledge of His purpose, but if they truly had it or not...
"Heero," Duo mumbled. "Go to sleep. You're thinking so hard you're keeping me awake."
"Sorry," Heero brushed a kiss over Duo's hair. As he fell asleep he wondered why Duo had used that phrase. It wasn't like Duo could read his thoughts.
~*~
"Trowa! Behind you!" Duo called out, swinging his scythe in an arc. Heavyarms turned and shot down the aries winging in behind him. It fell with a resounding crash. The two gundams stepped more towards the base, keeping a careful lookout for more mobile suits.
"That's odd," Trowa was scanning his instruments. "That can't have been all they had."
"It is weird," Duo agreed. "Well, we can always go inside and help out the guys."
"Uh, that might not be the best idea. What if more of them come back?" Duo smiled at the evasion, knowing Trowa couldn't see it.
"Well, what if one of us goes? I can stay here and you go see if you can help. I'll call you if I need you." It was an offer Trowa couldn't refuse. He knew how dangerous even the minor demons were.
"Are you sure Duo?"
"Yeah, no problem. Go ahead." The Deathscythe pilot replied easily. "The others might need you."
~*~
"That's the last," Wufei caught up with Quatre and Heero right outside the command post. "He should be in there."
"Then let's go." Heero laid a hand on the doors and they blew apart.
"Destructive little thing, aren't you?" Quatre joked.
"It's my job," Heero shrugged, a faint smile on his lips. "Let's go in."
Trowa slipped up out of nowhere and joined them.
"Trowa?" Quatre's eyes widened. "Where's Duo?"
"Guarding the exit. We took out all their defenses." Trowa caught the glare Heero was shooting at him. "Relax. He said he'd call if he needed us, and you know I can get there in time." Heero just nodded and the four of them slid into the command center, not noticing the dark shadow that followed behind them.
~*~
"Demon!" Wufei bellowed at the sight of the handsome young man lounging in the main chair of the command center. "Surrender and return to hell, or be destroyed!"
The red-haired young man laughed merrily. "Return to hell? But I'm not from there!"
"Liar!" Quatre threw off his human seeming, spreading his wings and conjuring his scimars into his hands. "We know what you are!" His golden wings glowed with light.
"Angels?" The young man's yellow eyes widened. "Well, well, well, I had heard that you lot existed. I never thought I'd have the pleasure. Very pretty. What kind are you?"
"What do you mean?" Wufei frowned. "You are one of the fallen! You know what we are- what you are!" He threw off his human form, spreading his dark red wings, katana in hand.
"Oo! I like the red," the young man shook his hair out. "I thought you lot only had white wings and went around with harps and things."
"We're warriors," Trowa's gray wings spread out behind him, nearly invisible. "Created to make sure that you stay in your place. We are here to send you back."
"I told you before. I'm not one of those young weasels from Hell." The red haired man sniffed. "I should be insulted that you would assume that I am one of those inferior creatures..."
"How dare you!" Wufei roared.
"He's lying," Heero said calmly. He spread his wings out as well so that the room was now awash with angelic light. "Don't let him provoke you Fei. He's one of the Fallen."
"I never fell," the young man sniffed again. "I told you. I am not one of those riffraff." He grinned and his head morphed into that of an indescribable beast. Quatre flinched back. What was this thing? "See?" his voice was deeper and tinged with laughter. "I was never in your Heaven or Hell. I'm much much older than that."
"What... what are you?" Heero blinked. He had never heard of a fallen one like this! But the power radiating off of it! It felt like a demon!
"I will not gift the likes of you with my name, child." The beast sniffed and then stiffened.
"Then I will give it to them- Set." A cold voice spoke out of the shadows behind the beast-man. "What a surprise to find you here." Duo stepped into the light, his violet eyes hard and cold. He didn't look surprised to see his friends in their angelic glory, his gaze was intent on the beast-man.
"Duo? What are you doing?" Quatre gasped, afraid for his friend. Heero was looking at his lover in surprise. How did Duo know who this thing was? Why was he here in the first place?
"You?" Set took a step back. "What are you doing here?" His voice trembled for a moment and the others realized that for some reason this demon was afraid of Duo. Heero was suddenly afraid as well. He could feel the power radiating off of Duo. It was dark and cold...
What had he fallen in love with?
"Really Set, can't you guess?" Duo's voice was cool, his expression grim. "She isn't be pleased with you interfering like this. Taking over one of the human's places? Interfering in this skirmish? Against the rules."
"You're here!"
"I have permission," Duo smiled coldly. "You do not. Though it's never stopped you before."
"True," the beast man hissed. "Do you think you can stop me?"
"Of course." Duo shook his head. "I have before, and if you don't develop a brain, I will more than likely have to again. Unless Our Lady finally hardens Her heart and has you dismembered and the parts scattered in the desert like I suggested ages ago."
"My sister would not do that to me!"
"I know it. So I am merely to stop you- this time." Set growled and changed tactics.
"Why do you side with them? They usurped our place! Stole our worshippers! Changed our world!"
"The world always changes. Our time will come round again. Until then, we can enjoy ourselves." Duo shook his head. "You don't see how free we are now. A pity, but then you always were less than bright."
~*~
The other gundam pilots had been silent during this exchange, mostly out of shock and surprise. Heero was studying the young man who he thought he had known better than his own self. How had he missed the darkness that poured off the other? What was Duo?
As if he could read his thoughts, Duo's eyes slid over to meet his. "Sorry, beloved. I didn't mean for you to find out like this. But Set is more than the four of you can handle."
Heero didn't know what to say. Should he get angry with Duo for hiding this from him? But hadn't Heero been hiding his true self from Duo as well? Was their love based on a lie?
"Duo- what are you?" Quatre asked when Heero remained silent. Set laughed mockingly.
"Hiding again son?"
"You know perfectly well that I am not your son, uncle," Duo frowned. "Mother was never very fond of you after you killed her brother."
"She slept with him! And produced you, her bastard son!"
"Come now, uncle, can you blame her?" Duo laughed. "You never were the most devoted of husbands."
"Uncle? Sister?" Quatre repeated, completely confused.
"Yes, I'm afraid you fell into the middle of a little family spat." Duo grinned, his eyes returning to Set. "Now are you going to be a good little boy, uncle, and return to your sisters?"
"I'm not going back to them!" Duo grinned like a jackal.
"It's not a choice. Your wife and sister have plans for you, stepfather." The inflection that Duo put on the last word turned it into an insult. Set flushed angrily.
"I'm not going back!" Set repeated.
"Oh uncle," Duo shook his head and raised one hand towards Set. "You are."
"NO! DON'T YOU DARE!" Set was surrounded in a golden light. "YOU ARE NOT MY EQUAL! HOW DARE YOU!" Duo's voice turned cold.
"I dare by her authority. I judge you, Set. You are guilty of disobeying Our Lady Isis's orders. Again. For this crime you will be cast down into Her sister's domain. The Lady of the Mansion will hold you until Isis sees fit to return you to your place." Now his voice held a hint of darkness. Heero shivered at the tone. "Mother's so looking forward to seeing you again."
"You will pay for this!" Set shrieked.
"No Set. You will." The beast man disappeared in a flash of light and it was Duo, their Duo, walking towards them. Gone was the harsh expression, the glowing violet eyes. "Sorry about that guys. I didn't know you'd get dragged into this. Set's always been a bit of a troublemaker..."
"What are you?" Wufei demanded, finding his voice at last.
"I'm one of the old ones. The ones that came before your race." Duo smiled gently. "You and yours have taken over the spiritual rule of this world, but me and my kin still walk the earth as we always have."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Quatre asked.
"Same reason that you didn't tell me that you were angels, Quat. Why else?" Duo smiled. "Of course, I knew when I met you what you were."
"How come we didn't recognize you?"
"I'm older," Duo grinned and ruffled Quatre's hair. "Trust me- I'm good at hiding." He looked at Heero. "I honestly didn't think that you'd ever find out."
"Who are you?" Heero demanded. What had he taken into his heart?
"Anpu," Duo answered, his gaze locked with Heero's as if he could tell what Heero was thinking. "Anubis, Khenty-Imentiu. Hermanubis. The judge of the Dead. The protector and conductor of souls. I have been here since humans settled in the Nile delta."
"The conductor of souls?" Trowa repeated and Quatre's eyes widened.
"G built Deathscythe for you." Quatre stated matter of factly. "Didn't he?"
"Yes." Duo nodded. "He and I go back a ways."
"You know the scientists?" Wufei snapped.
"Of course." Duo smiled. "They may have gone into your Lord's service, but they served another before him." Duo turned to look at Heero. The other's silence was worrying him. And that look in his eyes... "That's the way it works you see. We all help one another out. Truces have been made. Pacts have been wrought. We share this world and protect its inhabitants as we always have. When you four were sent to this battle, G asked me to help you. We knew that some of my relatives had joined with your fallen ones."
Heero shook his head, confused. This was not what he had been told, not what J had taught him. Why did They lie?
Duo stepped closer to his lover, reaching out to run a hand over one dazzling wing. "Heero?"
"Please don't." Heero stepped away, leaving a white feather behind in Duo's fingers. "This is... difficult."
"I can understand that." Duo's fingers caressed the feather. "But can't you see that we're on the same side in this?"
"And later? Will we be on the same side again?" Heero countered. "What if these pacts break down? What if it becomes your kin's time again and they seek to cast us out?" He shook his head, confused and uncertain.
"Heero- what would that matter to us?" Duo reached out a hand again, but Heero avoided it.
"I need... I need to think..." Heero protested.
"I understand." Duo's expression darkened. The feather in his fingers turned black and crumbled to ash. He turned towards Quatre, who took a step back at the look on the other's face. "I will part company with you for a while. Should you need me, contact G or one of the other scientists."
Quatre nodded. Duo turned back towards Heero and moved quickly, neatly pinning the other before he could react.
"I love you, my angel of destruction, as I have never loved anyone else. You are mine." He kissed Heero briefly and bruisingly. Then he was gone.
~*~
Quatre stared at his screens and waited for Sandrock to get close enough to the Oz troops to attack. Duo had left them six months ago. They had not seen him since.
Oh, Deathscythe still fought against OZ and Romefeller, but not at the side of the other gundams. He took out targets on his own. There were no communications between them, but Quatre knew that Duo was no doubt getting his orders from the same place they were.
Quatre had done some research- he now knew who Set was and who Duo referred to when he spoke of his 'mother' and 'aunt'. He did more research into other places and wondered if all of those old gods still roamed the Earth. Did Zeus and Thor hurl thunderbolts together? Did Hathor and Aphrodite still brew their love potions?
Or did they hide out among the mortals, free from having to act at all?
Would he and his kin eventually do the same?
He watched the blips on his screen, the other gundams were keeping pace with him as they rushed to stop a military shipment. Wing was closest to the train, he would attack first.
Heero worried Quatre.
Heero had not spoken of Duo. Not once. Not when Quatre pleaded with him, or Wufei yelled at him or when Trowa merely sat beside him. Duo's name had not passed his lips. He fought as he had been told to do and that was all. He didn't even smile anymore. It was like dealing with an empty shell- the light that had always burned so fiercely inside of their Angel of Destruction was gone.
Quatre had called H out of desperation, pleaded with him for some kind of explanation.
"You have one," H had told him. "It's true. Every story, every legend is true. As each new one comes into being, created by the humans, then so do the rest of us make treaties with them. And as we pass out of the human memory, we do not fade away. We are merely free to be what we desire. Your time in this will come."
Quatre had reported this dutifully to the others as he had all the other information he'd found. Wufei had been angry, Trowa accepting, and Heero silent.
Quatre shook himself. He was nearly upon the battle, now was a time of fighting, and he needed to concentrate.
The gundams fought fiercely. Quatre felled scores of opponents, the others causing major destruction to the opposing forces as well. The pilots were winning, until Trieze's second pulled out her master plan.
"Surrender." Her voice blared across their coms. "Give us the Gundams or the colonies will be destroyed."
One of Quatre's screens blinked, showing the massive guns pointed at the unprotected people above them.
Wufei cursed in his ear. Quatre was shocked. This was dishonorable! How could Trieze- even changed as he was- countenance this?
He turned to the others, wondering what they should do and froze in panic.
Heero's gundam's hatch was open. The angel stood on the platform, detonator in his hand, his finger on the trigger.
"NO!" Quatre shouted, as he watched Wing explode.
Heero fell.
~*~
Duo sat in Deathscythe, cloaked, watching the battle. He was frowning. The others were doing well, but they needed his help.
Why would that idiot not give in and call him?
He knew how Heero loved him. Hadn't he a special insight into other's hearts? He who had weighed so many? He'd known the moment the angel had fallen in love with him. He hadn't loved Heero then- only wanted him.
It had delighted him at first to have a member of the newest rulers so thoroughly under his spell. Then he'd fallen in love with the angel, broken his own rules that had kept his heart safe- and look where that had gotten him.
Hathor had laughed at him, caught at last, but she had been somewhat sympathetic to his dilemma. His mother was disgusted that he had fallen in love with an angel. 'Too flighty and stuck-up' she had called them. She had no pity for her son. He had brought his heartache on himself according to her. She would not help him at all.
~*~
Duo watched Wing cut a path of destruction. Graceful, swift, lovely... like its pilot.
He wanted Heero back. He was not used to begging, but in this case maybe it was warranted. He knew from the doctors that the others had been making inquires. He knew that they had all the information they needed. He was tired of waiting. He wanted his lover back now.
Une's announcement crackled over the airwaves.
Duo scowled. That bitch was going down!
Then, Wing stopped. The hatch opened and Heero stepped out, self-destruct button in hand.
Duo knew how powerful the gundams were. He knew what it would take to destroy one completely.
He knew about that switch.
It could kill the angel.
And their spirits weren't like the humans or his kin's. They simply returned and became part of the one that created them.
Heero would be gone forever. Out of Duo's reach...
No!
He watched as Heero looked up at Zechs' suit, his eyes empty... He knew about the power of the switch too- and didn't care. He wanted oblivion.
Duo threw Deathscythe into motion.
Too late.
Heero's finger depressed the trigger and Wing went up in a blaze of light.
TBC...
Notes:
Anubis is the Egyptian God of the Dying and Mummification. He really has all those names (and more). He is usually shown with the head of a jackal- since jackals hang out in graveyards. (He looks like that big dog-headed army in The Mummy Returns- those are Anubises... why more than one? I have no idea.) He also judges the souls of the dead in the afterworld by weighing their heart against a feather.
Anubis is the son of Nepyths, The Lady of The Manor, goddess of mourning. She had him with her brother Osiris because her brother/husband Set was either not interested in her or ticked her off (depends on the myth).
Osiris is married to Isis- the most famous of all the Egyptian Goddesses. She doesn't like Set because he killed Osiris and scattered the body parts around. Isis put him back together, but Set has been accursed since then.
Osiris, Isis, Nepyths and Set are all siblings- and spouses. That's how it worked.
Hathor is the Egyptian goddess of love and joy.
Thor is the Norse god of Thunder.
Zeus is the Greek Sky god.
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love. (Venus)
Whew. It's easier when I do this slowly with the kids!
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