Hanma Schism Part 5
"So, should we flip a coin? Pick one at random?" Duo suggested.
"I have a better way," Heero replied. He turned off his lightsaber, tucking it back into its holster. Then he went and stood in the center of the hall and closed his eyes.
Duo watched him curiously. No doubt Heero was using some kind of Jedi trick to figure out which way to go. He wondered if the Jedi had some kind of inner compass. He didn't remember his father saying anything about that kind of thing... but then his father had not spoken all that much about his time in the temple.
Heero stood perfectly still, hands at his sides, his chest rising and falling as he breathed evenly. Duo watched him while trying to keep an eye on all of the dark doorways around them. It wouldn't be good if something managed to sneak up on them...
After a few minutes, Heero opened his eyes. "Three of the rooms have a strong force signature. The rest don't register at all."
So much for the inner compass.
Duo frowned. "So here's a trick question- do we check out the ones that are heavy with the force, or do we assume those rooms are dangerous?"
Heero pulled out his lightsaber again before he answered. "One of them feels...." He frowned as he searched for a word. "Alive."
"Alive? Like Dad and Odin alive?"
Heero shook his head. "It's not them. It's a... darker feeling."
Duo's eyes widened. "Dark is not good."
Heero lips twitched "I agree."
"What about the other two?"
"Neutral feeling. Neither dark or light."
"I'm voting for a room with no force signature. We want to stay out of trouble."
"But the presence of the force points to something important in those rooms." Heero pointed out.
Duo sighed. "Good point. But please- not the dark one, okay?"
"I agree. I think we need to stay away from that one- for the moment at least."
"For the moment?" Duo repeated.
"It is possible that once we reunite with Master Odin and your father they will want to investigate all the rooms." Heero frowned. "There was a Sith ship out front- it's possible the dark signature in that room has something to do with that..."
He'd forgotten about the Sith ship. Duo shivered a little and nodded. "Gotcha. Speaking of- since none of the other force rooms feel alive- maybe we should move on instead of checking them out?" It might be better to get far away from that dark room.
Heero was silent for a moment, as if considering the suggestion. "But where do we go to move ahead?" He gestured around them. "I can't tell which of these is just a hallway and which a room. Some of the rooms might open into others, but there is no clear exit that I can see. Like I said, the force rooms might contain something useful at the very least."
"Okay," Duo conceded. "Which do we try first?"
"The closest," Heero suggested, and walked across the room to a door that looked like all the others. Before Duo could caution him, Heero pulled the door open.
A soft purple light spilled out into the room. "What's inside?" Duo asked, frowning.
"I can't really see anything..." Heero took a step towards the light...
And vanished.
The light disappeared at the same moment, leaving Duo blinking in shock. He cautiously peeked into the room. It was a simple square; its walls and floor unadorned. There was no sign of Heero or the light.
He was completely alone.
Duo forced himself to take a deep breath through lungs that suddenly seemed starved for air.
"Heero? Heero?"
~*~
Heero blinked. He stood in an empty room, its walls glowing a soft purple color.
"Welcome student, to the training room. What level?" A pleasant voice intoned.
Heero relaxed in relief. He knew what this was now.
"No level. End program."
The light vanished and he found himself standing in the middle of an ordinary room.
Before he could move, something hit him square in the back.
"Heero!" Two arms squeezed him tightly. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. It's just a training room." Heero reached up instinctively to pat Duo's hands. He could feel the other man trembling a little.
"Guess you haven't seen one before?"
"No- you just kinda vanished." The arms tightened again slightly and then let go. "Uh.. sorry..."
What was he apologizing for? Anyone in their situation would be taken aback by watching yet another companion vanish in front of them.
Heero turned and met Duo's eyes. "It's okay. After watching Master Odin and your father vanish, I'd be a little bit concerned if you did too." He looked around the empty room. "I wonder if the other room is a training room as well... if it is, then we'll just have to try all the doors."
Duo nodded. "Which one is it?"
Heero frowned, concentrating. "It's farther down." As he headed towards it, Duo stayed right on his heels.
"This one." Heero placed his hand on the door. "It feels... stronger than the last."
"So, it might not be a training room?"
"Or if it is... it's a higher level one. Stand back."
"No way." Duo shook his head. "I'm not going to watch you vanish again."
Heero thought about arguing, realized he'd be wasting time, and pushed the door open. The room beyond was pitch black.
Heero pulled his lightsaber back out and ignited it, but the cool silver light couldn't seem to pierce the darkness. He took a step inside the room, Duo right behind him.
"There's something here..." He said, and at that moment, the door slammed closed behind them.
"That... is not good." Duo noted.
"It wasn't a dark signature..." Heero protested. "It might simply be another training room."
"Does your temple have one like this?"
"No," Heero admitted, "but the Hanmas doubtless developed some things on their own. I'm sure the door will open."
Duo stepped away from his side, his scythe blade barely visible in the darkness.
"Heero- I can't find the door."
"What?" Heero joined Duo by the wall. There was no door.
"You see?"
"We didn't turn around..." Heero frowned. "I don't understand... We have to search all the walls. Go that way and look- we'll meet on the other side. Keep one hand on the wall."
Duo gave him a doubtful look, but did as Heero asked.
It was unnerving to walk in the dark, knowing that he should've been able to see Duo's scythe in the room, outlining the other walls... and yet not seeing anything at all except the blade of his lightsaber.
He was relieved when he ran into Duo on the opposing wall, even though it meant that the door had mysteriously vanished.
"This isn't good."
"No." Heero frowned and lifted his blade. He tried to pierce the wall, tried to cut a way out, but the blade merely rebounded off the wall.
"Maybe this is a prison cell," Duo suggested.
"It's possible- I've never heard of one like this though."
"So we're trapped?"
"It seems so." Heero hated to admit it.
"So what do we do now?"
"We try and think of a way out."
"And if we can't find one?"
"Then we hope Odin and your father find us."
"Small chance of that, we don't know what happened to them either." Duo sat down on the floor. "We're dead."
Heero sat down next to him. "I'm sure we'll be fine."
Duo snorted. "A textbook answer from Mr. Perfect. Not very reassuring."
They were silent for a moment, busy with their own thoughts.
"Do you really think that about me?" Heero asked quietly.
"What?"
"That I think I'm perfect? Am I that arrogant?" The wistful note in Heero's voice smacked Duo's conscience.
Duo sighed. "Heero, you aren't arrogant. I was wrong to say that. You have to understand, I've been hearing about you for years. Odin wrote about you all the time. I was looking forward to meeting you- I was sure we were going to be friends and then you show up and you act... well, like a Jedi should I guess... and I went overboard."
"No. A Jedi should not be arrogant."
"You weren't. You were cold- distant... and Jedis are that. Don't get attached to anything and all that stuff they teach you... It sounded awful to me. Dad offered to let me go to the temple and be trained, but I didn't want to have to give up my feelings."
"We don't give up our feelings. We just control them." Heero objected. "It's not a bad thing."
"Well, I control my feelings just fine without it."
Heero snorted. "Really? You are the most impulsive person I've met. You couldn't control an impulse if you tried."
"Wanna bet? I've been controlling one since I met you."
More than likely, Duo had wanted to deck him.
"Fine then, stop controlling it."
"I don't think you'd like it." Duo put his scythe down on the floor, its glow highlighting the lines of tension on his face. He was very close to a breakdown, Heero realized. The loss of his father, being trapped in this room... it was beginning to take a toll on him. Maybe it would help if he released his feelings...
"I'm sure I won't. But you don't need to hold yourself in check if it's so bad..." Duo grabbed his shoulders, and Heero dropped his saber.
He had been expecting a blow. Not the feeling of lips on his own, strong hands holding him down on the cold floor...
Desire swept through him. He had thought himself above such feelings. Once again Duo showed him a weakness.
His arms wrapped around the other, pulling him down, holding him closer, ravaging the mouth so freely offered. His control vanished.... and he forgot the perilous situation they were in, forgot that Jedi did not give into their desires, forgot everything but the man beside him...
TBC...
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