Beta written by Snow Tigra.
Gundam Wing: The First Chapter Part 11
Dawn's early light ran up the sides of the large dormitory, seeping into the windows and spreading over the floor of one of the highest rooms. The occupant laid peacefully in their bed on their right side, turned away from the light stretching its way across the room. His long, chestnut locks spread across the mattress, making a second sheet over the white cotton covering the slender and naked form. Ever so slowly, the young man's eyes began to open. Heavy-lidded amethyst gems took in the soft glow in the room as their possessor sighed softly.
Sitting up in his bed, Duo hunched forward, his long bangs covering his eyes but not the dark bruise on his left cheek. Moving slowly, he rose to his feet, pulling the white sheet around his shoulders to cover his naked body before walking across the dorm room. The braided pilot's bare feet tapped against the cold floor with every weighted step until they stepped onto the plush, cream-colored throw rug in the bathroom. Turning his head and gazing up, he peered into the wall mirror over the sink beside him.
Meeting his own reflection, Duo's heavy lids opened fully at the ghastly state he was in. Most of his chestnut hair was falling loose from its braid as he cascaded over his shoulders in limp waves. His skin was two shades paler than normal, making the dark circles under his eyes stand out. Had anyone else seen him in this state they would have been in awe that he was still alive and on his feet.
Slowly, Duo reached his right hand up to the mirror, resting limply on the glass that reflected the dark bruise on his left cheek. All too quickly, the images and sounds from the night before flooded back. When he had killed those two men, everything happened so quickly that he couldn't recall either of them getting a hit in. But, the proof that one of them had lied on his face staring back at him.
It was another reminder of what he had done... what he could never undo. Another reminder of what he was and always would be... "The God of Death," Duo whispered to himself with a voice thick and cracking from his exhaustion.
He turned away from the image, unable to look any further and removed the hair tie at the end of his braid. Letting the sheet slip from his shoulders to fall onto the floor, he walked over to the shower and closed the glass door behind him. Turning the showerhead on, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes as his head fell back to the hot water pouring on him.
As he lowered his head again, Duo reached up with one hand to rub against the bruise on his cheek. As he rubbed harder, his eyes squeezed closed as he whimpered softly as he wished for nothing more than to remove the repulsive label that marked him. Lowering his hand again, Duo sighed softly as he leaned forward to rest his other hand against the tile wall before him for support. His long, wet locks fell just past the cups of his bottom as they clung to his skin in some spots along his back.
As his violet eyes remained closed and finally a small, tight smile tugged at his lips as he finally found calm in the spray of water cleaning him. In his own world now, Duo forced himself to believe that the hot stream would wash away all that which made him dirty and hated. He forced himself to believe that the chains tying him down, his missions, his fears and his past, were all being cleansed. When he stepped from that relieving water, he would be free from all of that. For that moment, Duo convinced himself of these thoughts so well that he actually believed them... if just for a moment.
* * * * * *
"Bastard!" the guard hissed as his foot flew into Heero's chest. With a sharp grunt of pain, the young pilot's back collided with the steel wall of his small cell. His shackled wrists fell into his lap as he struggled to push himself up, eyes closed and groaning. The blonde OZ soldier that had been beating him the most of the three uniformed men glared down on his prisoner, snorting, "Not so tough without that Gundam of yours, are you, boy?"
Heero remained lying on his side, a trickle of blood running down the corner of his mouth and dark bruises coloring his cheeks from his beating. "Don't tell me that you've had enough!" the redheaded guard shouted, "Prove to us how much better you are than we are, you little shit!"
Panting as he managed to push himself from the floor on all fours, the Wing pilot's eyes remained closed as he spat, "You're doing a fine job of that, yourselves. I know better than to shackle someone and outnumber them three to one to feel better about myself."
Before he could take another breath, Heero was kicked in the chest by the third guard as he shouted, "Fuck you!" The dark-haired man took the metal cane he armed himself into both hands as his eyes thinned into narrow slits. "Let's see how you like running your mouth now!"
The three men engaged in letting their feet, sticks and fists fly as they beat their captive as he grunted and bit back cries of pain at their blows. After allowing themselves a long moment to best the fallen pilot, the blonde guard shouted to the others, "Alright! That's enough!" His comrades stepped back, panting and growling as they glared at the bruised teenager lying in a tight ball on the floor between them. The fair-haired soldier smirked lopsidedly, "Let's see how much more he really has to offer than we do." Clenching his teeth, he took the front of Heero's shirt and pulled him up in a forceful tug that brought their faces just inches apart.
The Japanese boy didn't give them the pleasure of meeting those cold brown eyes as he kept his own lids closed tightly, wincing at the burning agony coursing through his body as he groaned. Chuckling darkly, the man holding him smirked, "You really should have stayed out of this war when you had a chance. Now you'll just have to know what it's like to mess with the real men."
With a deep grunt, Heero felt his back slam into the floor, bringing his eyes to snap wide open as he peered up to the three grinning faces over him. The redhead bent at the knees quickly to hold the wrist shackles against the floor, stretched out over the Wing pilot's head. The blonde soldier kneeled himself between his prisoner's legs as he snickered deeply. The right side of the third guard lifted as he leaned close. Gasping sharply, Heero felt the man between his legs pull his green top up, freeing them from his spandex shorts.
"Make sure you save enough for the rest of us, Lawer," the observer of the trio advised his friend. The guard looming over the young pilot turned back at the mention of his name as the dark-haired soldier asked, "How else will he learn his lesson?" With a toothy smile to match the darkness in his brown eyes, Lawer nodded before turning back to gaze down on his prey.
Heero grunted and growled deeply as he struggled to move himself from those hands lifting his shirt to the middle of his chest. The coldness of the room and the floor sent a chill through his body along with a twinge of fear that was buried as quickly as it appeared. Gritting his teeth as the waist of his spandex shorts was grabbed, the young pilot shouted in rage, "Stop! Get your hands off me!" His only response came from the deep, lust-filled chuckles of his captors.
Gasping sharply at the rough tug on his shorts and boxers beneath as his legs were spread, Heero's eyes widened in shock as Lawer positioned himself between his open thighs. Holding onto his consciousness as best he could, the Japanese boy couldn't even make out the taunting words spoken to him nor the discussions between the three guards as he felt the room spin. Heero never realized how badly he had been beaten until now. All he saw was flashes of Lawer's face between brief moments of blackouts. The blonde OZ soldier's face was smirking that disgusting smirk of pride as he leaned down closer to him, saying something that Heero could not hear or translate in those moving lips.
Powerless, Heero was unable to find the strength to fight off his attacker as he felt unconsciousness threatening to swallow him whole. Just as darkness settled over his vision, there was a sudden flash of light. Wrapped in a swirl of white and black, a boy appeared before the Japanese pilot. Turning his head to peer over his shoulder, his long rope of braided swung against his back. Heero gasped hoarsely as his cobalt eyes widened in recognition. As his friendly smile spread across his face, Duo winked at his friend. One look from those violet eyes and suddenly, all of the pain and fear that was causing Heero's world to crash around him had been forgotten. He felt... safe... protected. As the image faded into blackness, Heero's eyes slowly closed as he whispered breathlessly, "Duo."
Lawer paused as his eyes widened, gazing down at the limp boy beneath him with confusion in his eyes. "What did he just say?" The other two guards leaned in close, uncertainty in their own faces as they tried to make out what their prey's last conscious statement was. Heero remained still under their gazes. With his brown eyes filled with confusion as he watched the calm expression on the bruised, bloody face as the boy slept. "Strange," he said quietly. "After all of that, it's as if he's at peace." Frustration and hatred quickly replaced Lawer's awe as he glared and reached for the belt of his pants as he shouted, "We'll just have to fix that!"
"I wouldn't if I were you," came a calm voice from the door behind them. With wide eyes and sharp gasps, the three guards snapped their heads back to the young soldier leaning his back in the doorway. His arms crossed against his own OZ uniform, the young man's green eyes peered past his long bang as he stated coolly, "I don't recall raping the prisoner being one of the Commander's orders. She doesn't want him emotionally distraught when he is to be questioned, if memory serves me right... Or did I missed something?" Focusing on the blonde man in the center of the group, the young soldier addressed him smoothly. "Then again, you would know better that anyone, Private Lawer."
With a deep growl, the private secured his belt as he turned to the young soldier and yelled, "This is none of your concern, Barton! We were left in charge of handling the prisoner as we saw fit!"
Trowa closed his eyes and shrugged, "I never questioned that. I simply commented on the fact that I don't believe the Commander would be please with what you see as 'fit' should a helpful little tip reach her." Lawer's companions paled as their eyes widened and jaws slackened. Only the blonde Private kept his menacing glare darted on the Latin pilot.
Pulling Heero's boxers and shorts back in place, Lawer growled lowly in the back of his throat as his accomplices quickly ran from the cell, never looking back. Rising to his own feet, the blonde soldier strode slowly to the door. Trowa's eyes remained closed as he never moved from his post in the doorway. As he passed the newest soldier, he snarled at him, "A lot of us are keeping out eyes on you, Barton. Keep up this shit and you're going to wish that you never stepped into that uniform." Trowa never budged. With those words, Lawer stepped from the room as the door slid closed behind him.
At the sound of the door sealing itself, Trowa's eyes opened before he quickly made his way towards his comrade. Heero remained still on the cold ground. For a moment, the tall pilot's emerald eyes widened at the bruised, but calm face as he bent at the waist over him. 'That's odd,' he thought to himself. Leaning his head closer, he called, "Heero?" There was no response from the other boy.
Kneeling beside Heero, Trowa gently lifted him from the waist up as the Japanese pilot's head fell back. Carefully, the Latin youth wiped away the blood that trickled down the corner of his friend's mouth. 'Bastards,' he growled mentally to himself. "If I had taken any longer getting here...' Instantly, Trowa stopped that thought. As he gazed down on the unconscious pilot in his arms, he paused before hearing himself softly aloud, "I wonder..."
Closing his eyes, he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against Heero's. The moment only lasted a brief moment as he pulled back the moment a soft moan of pain escaped the other boy. Slowly, Heero's cobalt eyes opened, filled with exhaustion and confusion. As if in a daze, Heero stared up at the tall pilot in uncertainty. Their lips only a short distance apart, he asked softly, "Trowa?"
His own eyes calm and without a trace to his own thoughts, Trowa gave a small nod as he sat up straight. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice the only betrayer to his sincere concern.
Nodding in response, Heero sat up on his own and inched back a few inches to put some space between them. "I'm fine," he stated in his characteristically flat tone. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." His eyes slightly narrowed as they scanned at the uniform Trowa wore. "Least of all, wearing that," he growled out.
Chuckling softly, Trowa smirked, "You should be glad that I am in this. It was the only thing keeping those guys from getting any further with you."
Wiping his mouth with the back of his chained hands, the Japanese pilot replied in a low voice, "Yea. I didn't have any way of defending myself back there." He turned his eyes away for a moment before taking a deep breath and meting Trowa's gaze again. "Thanks for stopping them," he finally managed with much effort. Thanking others for their help was something that was still foreign and annoying to Heero.
Trowa gave a half-smile as he shrugged, "Somehow, I don't think that I deserve all the credit." Heero blinked in surprise and confusion and the tall pilot continued, "Even with your condition and given the situation, I would have expected to walk into that scene with you fighting them off with everything you had. But, when I came in, you were already unconscious." He paused, rubbing his chin in search for the right words to explain. "It was almost as if you found some sort of serene escape from your situation. You looked to be no more than in a peaceful sleep."
Suddenly, his thoughts went to the image of Duo that he saw just before he lost consciousness. That smile on his face that reached those deep violet eyes... so reassuring and welcoming. If he didn't know better, Heero would have sworn that somehow, the braided pilot was looking out for him, sending Trowa to help just in time. With a bitter mental snort, Heero banished the very idea of that suggestion. But then... how was it that all of his anguish and fear vanished the moment he gazed on that smile... the moment he melted into those violet pools?
Uncertain how long he had been lost in his thoughts, Heero was brought back when Trowa asked, "By the way, what ever happened to that one pilot? The one with the braid?" Heero's cobalt eyes widened for a brief moment at the sudden question.
Lowering his head slightly, he answered, "Duo.. His name is Duo. I ended up getting him out of there. Right now, he should be working on healing back on the colony that I left him on. I had enrolled under his name at one of the high schools there until he is ready for his next mission." At that he lifted his head again, Heero was met with wide emerald eyes.
"That was the last thing that I expected to hear," Trowa admitted. "He was a pretty large risk to risk your life over. I would have sworn that you would have killed him on sight. I'm surprised that you kept him alive."
Heero cast his gaze away again as he whispered to himself, "No more surprised than I."
Trowa never caught the quiet statement as he rose to his feet and said, "The fifth pilot, Wufei was captured not long ago. You're both to be transported to another location here on the lunar Base. The scientists and their new Gundams will be coming along to continue their work there. Since I've been working with the suits in their tests, I was asked to pilot one of them."
With a slight growl, Heero sighed, "Let me guess. They're going to force either Wufei or myself to pilot the other. It'll be the best way to keep tabs on us while using us as their pawns to carry out whatever they have planned."
Giving a firm nod, Trowa confirmed, "They know better than to look for experienced pilots when they have their own held at gun point." Taking a deep breath, he said quietly, "I'm going to see if I can't make it that they choose you to be the second pilot."
Not bothering to hide his shock, Heero snapped his head up to face him as he asked, "Why?"
"There is a good chance that OZ has more up their sleeves than I am able to gather. Better to have you in action, even if it isn't in your own Gundam," Trowa suggested. The Wing pilot lowered his head and closed his eyes as the other boy went on, "I know that you don't like the thought of working to help them, I don't either. But right now, it's better to at least continue training than to stay locked up." Heero gazed up again as Trowa concluded, "They're providing us the tools that we need to keep up with their own forces."
Having said that, Trowa turned and began to walk towards the door. "And if this backfires?" Heero called after him.
The door opened just as the Latin pilot turned his head to peer at his bruised comrade over his shoulder. "I had the scientists install self-destruct buttons in both of those new suits. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility and will move to take out as many OZ soldiers and this base as I can." Trowa straightened himself as he said sternly, "I'm not going to hesitate the way that I did before that night at the circus."
Blinking once, Heero replied quietly, "Trowa..."
"Following my emotions, just like you told me," the other boy commented. That was enough to leave the Japanese youth silent as he sat frozen in his place. Trowa turned his head away as he walked through the door, waving once as he said, "I'll be back in the morning when we'll be moving to the next location." The door slid closed behind him as the cell was plunged into darkness again.
In the silence, Heero sat staring at the door. Sighing to himself after a long pause, he lifted his head as it fell back, gazing up at the ceiling. Alone with his thoughts, he silently wished to see those violet eyes again, that reassuring and welcoming smile... that swinging braid of hair.
* * * * * *
Dressed in his priest outfit with his hair braided in its usual rope behind him, Duo stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. Slapping both hands on the either side of the glass, he scowled at the image looking back at him.
He mentally cursed himself for acting so weak the night before. Death was a constant part of Duo's life. Why should what happened the night before be any different? There was nothing more for him. Might as well make the best of it. A smile crept across his lips as he leaned forward and announced, "Welcome back, Shinigami!"
Stepping from the bathroom, the braided pilot's eyes fell on the remains of the small ceramic house that Heero held onto. Placing one hand on the desk it sat on and the other on his hip, Duo smiled down at it. "You look exactly how I feel right now." He paused a moment in thought as he shrugged, "I guess it's only right for me to bring you along. I'd love to know the adventures you've been through to get here."
Running his finger down the edge of the cottage, Duo said softly, "I'm still amazed that Heero held onto you. I never doubted that there was a heart beating in that chest of his. Whether he likes it or not, Heero is no less human than I am or the next person." His violet eyes widened as a thought crossed his mind. "Maybe he kept you around to remind him of that."
Lifting of the ceramic home, Duo brought it just before his face as he smiled, "Well, we have a busy day ahead of us to get ready for our next adventure." At those words, Duo lowered the round base of the cottage back onto the desk before pulling out his large, black duffel bag to begin packing.
In the light beaming from the window, the small house shimmered.
* * * * * *
Over the Lunar base, one lone shuttle flew through the stars. Inside, the only passengers sat opposite of each other with their seats beside the same window as they faced each other. Their shackled wrists lay in their laps as they sat in silence. Turning his head to peer around his own chair, Wufei noted quietly, "We must be close. They're slowing the shuttle down."
Sitting himself straight again, he gave a mischievous smile at the other teenager before him. "I have to admit that I am curious about something with you." Heero turned his eyes from the window to meet the onyx orbs of the Chinese pilot. "You must have something in your life that kept you from dying back in Siberia. No one could possibly survive what you had without something in this world keeping them here."
Lowering and shaking his head, Heero replied, "Sorry to disappoint you. My survival was nothing more than a mistake. Since I am still alive, I'll continue to fight OZ, but there is nothing in this world that I find worth sticking around for." He did not receive the response he expected. Wufei laughed.
With his cobalt eyes narrowing, the Japanese boy silently asked what was so humorous. Shaking his head, Wufei smirked, "You say that as if you're trying to convince yourself of that." He paused before asking, "But you don't really believe that, do you?"
Heero met that dark gaze evenly. A million responses came to his mind. 'Of course I believe that. There is nothing worth living for me. All of my life has meant nothing but the missions that I am assigned... I am no more than a machine.' All these and more ran though his mind... But not one was voiced as Heero sat in silence.
The remainder of the trip was made without another word spoken.
* * * * * *
Hundreds of miles further in space, an OZ base was alive with noise and activity as those working in the factory worked late into the evening, building more mobile suits. Hundreds of suits were moved into the hanger attached to the massive facility when they were completed. All around, sparks flew as the metal was worked to take shape of Aires, Taurus, Space and Ground Leos, Virgos, every suit in OZ's ranks. As a large tank transported a mass of completed Libras, one soldier counted the suits as they passed. As they wheeled away, she jotted down their numbers on a clipboard in her other arm. Her cap, with its brim covering her eyes as she lowered her head, matched the same shade of blue of her smudged uniform. Noting that there were no eyes on her, she slipped another piece of paper in her pants pocket.
As the sun rose, the same girl made her way from the factory at the end of her shift. Stepping out into the light outdoors, she made sure that she wasn't being watched before entering the surrounding forest. Away from any probing eye, she removed the baseball cap, allowing her dark blue hair to fall past her shoulders before resetting the cap backwards. Removing the baggy uniform, she tossed it aside as her vest and T-shirt remained along with her own blue jeans.
As she entered an opening in the trees, she found the area empty. Just then, she heard the metallic click of a pistol safety behind her. Turning quickly, she freed her own gun as the same metallic click rang from it. Her narrowed blue eyes calmed at the armed girl before her. Sighing deeply, Sette lowered her gun and shook her head, "Kumi, you really know how to scare the shit out of someone, you know that?" The tomboy replaced her pistol back in her jeans as the silver-haired pilot lowered her own weapon.
Kumi walked over towards her comrade with her face smudged as well from the prior night's work. "What were you able to find?" her monotone voice asked.
Removing the folded paper from her jeans, the princess of H7 opened it and replied, "Not as much as we were hoping. I have the numbers of completed OZ mobile suits here and where they're being transported." She handed the paper over to Kumi, who removed her own assessment that she had gathered. As the other teenager read over their papers, Sette continued, "I did notice that most of those reinforcements are being sent to Colony R721."
Lifting her head, Kumi's cobalt eyes remained even as she inquired, "The Ambassador there is friends with your father, King Devion, isn't he?"
Nodding, Sette answered, "R721 and H7 have been trading partners for as long as I can remember. I'd have a better chance in talking with him and their alignment with OZ better than any of the other Colony leaders at this point." She shrugged, "There still isn't any telling if Ambassador Grance will listen, but it's a start."
The Japanese pilot nodded and folded both papers together. "It's a start. Let's go," was all she said as she turned and walked past the tomboy. Sette nodded and followed just behind.
* * * * * *
Attired in a blue OZ space suit and armed with a large beam gun, Duo panted softly as he charged through the halls of the base he had infiltrated. Finally coming upon the door that he was searching for, he leapt into the air, flipping in the process as his momentum sent the door collapsing before him.
Somersaulting in a tight ball down the ramp just inside, he reached the floor in a smooth landing as he aimed the gun before him through the darkness. His eyes narrowed, the braided teenager worked to adjust his sight in the dimness of his surroundings. Suddenly, two bright lights shined on him, forcing Duo to shield his eyes with one hand. What he saw before him as his vision cleared widened his eyes as he gasped sharply.
* * * * * *
Sitting in their dark cell, Heero and Wufei had been on the rises with their eyes closed and heads lowered as they stayed in silence. Suddenly, the door to the prison opened, spilling a wide splinter of light down the stairs. A dark-clad figure just barely touched each stop, their footsteps echoing against the metallic walls as they grunted in pain. Collapsing roughly to the floor on his stomach, a deep moan escaped him as the door slammed behind him. Both pilots turned in the direction of the fallen prisoner with wide eyes as their vision adjusted to the darkness.
Heero's eyes immediately ran down the familiar braided rope of hair along the captive's back as a small, sharp gasp leapt from his throat as his cobalt eyes widened further. 'It couldn't be...' his mind whispered. Then that face turned in his direction as violet gems opened lazily before closing again, too heavy for a second attempt. If there was any doubt as to the boy's identity, they vanished in that tired, brief gaze.
Instantly, concern and fear raced through the Wing pilot's mind. His first reaction was to run to Duo and hold him in his arms to see if he was alright. 'You should have stayed behind. This isn't the place for you. You took a foolish risk and you could have been killed. If that ever happened, I don't know what I would do... I... I think I may be in love with you.' Instead of voicing any of those thoughts, Heero's eyes narrowed on his fallen comrade as he stated in a mocking tone, "Botched your mission. You couldn't destroy the base and you didn't kill Doctor J and the others."
His own eyes still closed, Duo smiled, "How about a little sympathy? In any case, I'm still glad I decided to come here." Slowly, his eyes opened as they glanced up at where Wufei was standing on the highest rise with his back against the wall. "Your Gundam and mine are being rebuilt as we speak, you know?" the American advised him. He closed his eyes, still smiling as he said quietly, "I can hardly wait 'til they're done."
Softly, Duo vowed, "Just watch me. I'll become the God of Death once again... but for right now... I need some sleep." His voice trailed into a faint yawn as his body relaxed where it had fallen. Deep, even breaths caused his chest to expand and contract as a sure sign that he had fallen into a deep slumber.
With a deep sigh, Heero sat back as he watched Duo for a long moment. "You should have stayed behind," he finally whispered with a soft, saddened voice.
Behind him, Wufei's onyx eyes fell on the Japanese boy for a moment before turning to the sleeping pilot on the ground. He smirked as realization crossed his face. 'So...,' he thought to himself, 'Now I know your reason for living.'
TBC...
Back to SkyLark's Fanfictions Page