Author: Snow Tigra
Rating: R
Pairing: 1+2
Warnings: AU, Gundam Wing characters in the Utena storyline with a few changes.
Archive: Fanfiction.net
When Duo was young the people he cared about were killed by Death, in order to avoid pain he becomes Death.
Revolutinary Duo-kun Part 1
Discovery
Once upon a time there was a young boy who had grown up in a church. One day, he returned home to find the Father and Sister who raised him dead, Death himself kneeling over their bodies in a long dark cloak. Death stood up and walked past the boy, leaving only one thing behind. The boy was grief-stricken, but he didn't cry. The boy picked up the badge Death had left and decided to become Death and never feel pain again. But was that really such a good idea?
~*~
The young blond haired boy leaned over the ledge and watched as the many students passed below him. With a sigh he glanced at the stopwatch around his neck.
"Duo-kun, where are you?" he asked no one quietly.
"Quatre-kun, who are you waiting for?"
Quatre turned around to find a group of three girls dressed in dark maroon school uniforms matching his own. "Duo was supposed to meet me to study..."
Two of the girls started to giggle while the other smiled sweetly. "Anou... I saw him with his normal followers, heading toward the school a while ago."
Quatre frowned. "Arigatou!" He bowed and raced down the path to class. Duo had skipped out again on studying. It wasn't a surprise really but he wasn't going to make it to the next year if he kept this up. This time Quatre wasn't letting him off the hook. This time Duo would do his homework!
~*~
"Ohiyo Duo-kun!"
Duo grinned and waved his hand in the direction of the voices. Many more 'ohiyo duo-kun's echoed across the campus lawn as he walked toward the school at a relaxed pace, his arms up with his hands laced behind his head, his pinkies keeping a steady hold on the book bag which bounced off his back with each step. Yes that was it, calm cool Duo-kun, the talk of his grade and on, one of the most popular boys in school. And he knew it, and he enjoyed it.
Everyday this was normal. He'd saunter to school, walking at a carefree, relaxed pace, and just listen to all the calls around him. A goofy grin was always painted on his face and his violet eyes were always alight with his trademark happiness, Duo was the most cheerful person in the world. He never frowned. Duo was so cool!
Duo turned his head to acknowledge one of the groups of girls that yelled to him and bumped hard into something, his bag slipping from his fingers to the ground. Check that, someone. In a swift graceful movement Duo snatched up the bag and turned to face the person, he froze as he saw who it was.
"Maxwell-san..."
Duo swallowed and a sweat-drop appeared. "Ohiyo, Une-sensai."
"Ohiyo," her voice was icy and stiff, just like the rest of her. Une glared down at him through her glasses. "Maxwell-san, do you honestly plan on keeping your long hair this year as well?"
Duo kept his face straight but she looked like a mouse that had had her nose pinched I a mousetrap one too many times. 'Your face stuck that way as a kid didn't it?' he thought quietly. Duo coughed as he tried to keep the laugh in his throat. "Why not?" he asked.
"They make you look like a girl! Men don't wear long hair in braids."
Duo shifted his bag to one hand and pulled the hair tie from his hair. Running his fingers through the braid he untangled it until it fell relatively straight. Duo grinned as he heard some of the girls around him give yells, Une only seemed to frown more.
"Ja ne sensai! Don't want me to be late for class, now do you?" He waved and walked off, listening to the sounds from the students around him, they apparently liked him better with his hair down. 'Maybe I should leave it that way,' he thought, then shook his head. 'Too much hassle, the braid is much better.' He hurried around a corner to retie up his hair before heading to class.
Duo stopped after a flight of stairs and dropped his book bag to the floor. Placing the hair tie in his mouth he slowly worked at re-twisting his long hair into the braid once more, disappointed with the fact that it wouldn't be nearly as neat as usual but that was something he'd have to live with.
"HEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Duo winced at the high-pitched voice and quickly tied his hair up, then spun around and looked down at the closed-in garden below.
"Heero!" The woman called out again as she crossed the garden. Duo arranged his fingers to resemble a gun and pretended to shoot at her, dang she was annoying! He pretended to fire until she pounced and wrapped her arms around the non-responsive young man before her, then he just gave up and made a face. Displays of affection like that shouldn't be public, especially when the boy looked ready to kill her. Still it was amazing that the boy didn't react to her rib crushing hug, Duo knew that if any girl ever did that to him his grin would have disappeared and he would have ran away from her post-haste!
He couldn't hear anything the woman said but he got the impression that she was angry about something. Why else would she be stamping her food and squinting her face like Une-sensai? The boy just stood there like a statue, nodding every so often. Duo realized that the boy actually wasn't giving her a threatening look at all, more like he was just emotionless. Duo frowned in confusion, as he noticed how even from a distance it was easy to tell that that boy was in his own world, one far away from the other girl.
The one sided discussion grew rather heated, the female began waving her arms and raising her voice. Duo caught a few words... did she just say kill?!
"Relena!"
Duo's and the girl's heads snapped toward the other side of the garden. A tall man stepped out of the school building and headed toward the couple, the boy not responding. Duo gave a low whistle, dang! Duo wasn't usually drawn to look at men but this guy was amazing. He stood there with a manor as if he ruled the world. His shoulder length blond hair matched the female's, were they related? Duo watched as the older boy walked over and scolded 'Relena', behind him came a low hiss.
"Duo-kun..."
Duo froze and a sweat-drop appeared. He turned away from the garden below with an embarrassed smile on his face. "Ohiyo Quatre-kun!"
"Ohiyo? Duo-kun! We were supposed to study together today!"
Duo took a step backward from the angry blond boy. "Gomen! Gomen! Anou..."
Quatre glared. "You're going to fail this year if you don't do you homework, Duo! So we're meeting after class right?"
Duo sighed and the grin disappeared. "Hai, hai."
Quatre's angry glare immediately disappeared and he smiled. "I saw Une-sensai today, what did you say to her to make her so mad?"
Duo's grin dropped back into place. "Nothing I haven't done before. I wear a boy's uniform, where does she get the right to call me a girl?"
"She complained about your hair again?"
"Hai, as usual."
Quatre laughed and glanced out the window behind Duo, her smile freezing. Duo turned to see another figure walk towards the three which were already talking. This one he recognized, as did Quatre.
"Trowa-senpai," Quatre whispered. Duo grinned, it was obvious Quatre looked up to Trowa, but how much?
"I recognize Trowa-senpai, but who are the others?"
Quatre looked at him in surprise. "You don't know the student council of the school?!" He shook his head. "The female is Relena Peacecraft, the vice president of the student council. The boy next to her in the normal school uniform is Heero Yuy, he's in a few of my classes, really quiet and creepy. The blond one is Zechs Marquies-"
"You mean he and Relena aren't brother and sister?"
Quatre shrugged. "They sure seem to be at times. But no, Relena knows her parents, Zechs is an..." Quatre broke off, stumbling to find the right word, glancing at Duo warily.
"An orphan." Duo finished for him, the grin never faltering.
"Hai."
Duo shrugged. "Wish Relena-senpai wouldn't hang over him in such a way, it's real annoying."
Quatre nodded. The bell rang outside and both jumped. Duo and Quatre both grabbed their school bags and raced down the hall. "See you after class!" Quatre yelled.
Duo only sighed and ducked into his classroom, flashing a flirtatious smile at the sensai, then realizing it was Noin-sensai. Great of all the people to get mad at him... well it looks like he'd get two scoldings today, the new term was not looking good.
~*~
The figure in the shadows watched quietly as the large ornate elevator doors opened. He frowned as he saw the student council members step out. Each walked over to the meeting table and sat in their specific chairs. One chair remained empty, its owner preferring the view from the shadows of the entire group. He now listened silently.
"Relena!" Zechs said loudly. Relena frowned and watched him quietly. "Your treatment of the Star Prince is inexcusable. He is not a toy nor a servant."
Relena allowed a careful smile to cross her face. "Zechs-senpai, Heero and I are perfectly happy. I won his fairly. If you have a problem with how I treat MY Star Prince then you may duel me for him, as the rules say."
Trowa frowned. "Don't forget, Relena-chan, the Star Prince is not merely a prize to be won."
"Hai, Relena, don't forget how important he really is."
Relena frowned. "Hai, hai!" she said with impatience. "I know!"
"Zechs-sama."
The student council members turned to the figure in the shadows. The figure stepped out from the shadows; it was a young man quite short compared to the others. His shining silver hair was long and thick, covering a large amount of his face. In his hand he held four envelopes, his bright blue eyes watching the group intently. "OZ has sent another letter."
The room was silent. For a long time no one said a thing, they all just looked at the silver haired boy holding the envelopes. Finally Relena stood up and snatched her letter from his hand. The silver haired boy simply tossed the other letters onto the table, where they landed in front of the other student council members. Heero watched the envelopes with his dark black eyes but said nothing. Relena gave a small cry as she read the letter within.
"A new duelist?! No! How can OZ send someone to take my Heero away?"
Zechs looked to the silver haired boy. "Seite, why were these not given to us like the other letters?"
"They were here before you arrived. As usual I was correct in the belief that you had more important things to speak of first."
Relena glared at 'Seite'. "It's you isn't it? You're the one who's going to try and take Heero from me."
Seite smiled lightly. "Have no fear, Relena-sama, I have no desire to have the Star Prince. There is no reason for me to fight for him." His face became more grime. "The letter also says we are to wear our badges now. The time has come to wear them in plain view once more." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge. A single movement and it was attached to the front of his student council uniform.
Wordlessly the other student council members took their badges out of their pockets and attached them to the front of their uniforms. After they had all attached theirs Seite reached up and took his off, placing it back in his pocket. Trowa raised an eyebrow.
"I thought..."
"I am not a duelist, as of yet," Seite said. "I have not dueled nor have I won a duel, thus I may not wear the badge yet. And as you know since I have no reason to fight I must wait for OZ to request my participation. My time will come, be assured, but not now."
Zechs nodded. He turned to Relena and Heero. "Don't mistreat the Star Prince, Relena-chan."
"Don't worry Zechs! Heero loves me, he'd never leave me. Heero, lets go." Relena stood up and so did the emotionless Heero who followed her out.
Trowa shook his head sadly.
"I don't know what's worse," Seite said softly. "Her fawning over him like a true prince or her actually knowing what he can do."
"She knows of the sword, isn't that enough?" Zechs asked.
"Even that seems too much." Trowa commented quietly.
"May she never discover how to unlock him."
All three nodded in agreement.
~*~
Duo dropped his bag and gave a loud sigh as he fell back on the ground and stared up at the sky. Quatre sat down beside him and looked up as well, a smile painted on his face. Duo moved around slowly, trying to get comfortable, finally he sat up and slipped off his suit coat, crumbled it into a ball, and slipped it under his head. Quatre jumped as Duo gave a cry.
"Serves you right, you shouldn't wrinkle your uniform, Une-sensai will catch you again."
"Something stuck me!" Duo rolled over and picked the jacket, shaking it out. He frowned as he saw the badge fall out of the jacket. Quatre's eyes widened. Duo picked up the badge and sighed softly, clutching it in his hand.
"What is it?" Quatre asked.
Duo tossed it over to him and Quatre fumbled to catch it.
"Where did you get this?" Quatre muttered as he turned the badge over in his hands.
Duo frowned, his face turning grim. "From Death," his voice just above a whisper.
"Nani?"
"When the Maxwell church was destroyed and Father Maxwell and Sister Helen were killed I met Death. He gave me this before he left, I've been trying to find out what it means ever since."
Quatre held the badge softly and glanced at Duo, surprised to see his friend frowning. He did it so rarely. "It looks like some kind of mechanical star."
Duo nodded. "Haven't found anything yet." His grin slipped back in to place. "Still looking."
"Ne, Duo-kun, I've seen this symbol before..."
Duo sat up and stared at him with wide eyes. "Where?!"
"I passed Relena-senpai after my class with Heero today. She was wearing one on her student council uniform."
Duo jumped to his feet and snatched the badge back from Quatre. As he raced across the field back to the school he gave a yell back to his stunned best friend. "Arigatou Quatre-chan!"
"Duo! Chotto-matte! You need to study." Quatre sighed as Duo disappeared. "Baka."
~*~
"Oh! Isn't it pretty Heero?" Relena plucked a red rose from the ground and placed it in Heero's hands. He grunted an agreement as the rose landed atop the large pile he was holding. Relena went back to searching through the flowers.
"Relena-senpai!"
Relena looked up and frowned. Duo stood at the edge of the garden, breathing heavily from running. She stood up and glared at him. "What do you want?"
Duo caught his breath and walked up to her, his eyes locked on her badge. "He was right, you do have one."
"Have what?"
Duo pulled the badge from his pocket. "Do you know what this symbol means?"
Relena's eyes widened but she quickly schooled her expression to blankness. Heero stepped up beside her and gazed at the badge in Duo's hand with a strange kind of quiet wonder. Relena smiled slowly. "You don't know what it means?" she asked coolly.
"No," Duo said. "I was hoping you could tell me."
Relena's smile widened. "Of course, but I'm a little busy at the moment. Meet me in a few minutes at the gates to the arena."
Duo nodded, then paused. "Demo... normal students aren't allowed there."
"Don't worry, you won't get in trouble. I'll meet you there."
"Hai! Arigatou."
"Ja ne." Relena beckoned to Heero and left the garden. Duo grinned, finally! After all these years he would finally discover what the badge meant, and come closer to finding out who had killed Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, it was only a matter of time.
~*~
Duo paused at the entrance to the arena and his jaw dropped. Before him was a large gate, looking like some strange mechanical thing, yet it was shaped like a person... or a warrior in samurai armor. It knelt on one knee with one hand on the ground, as if it were kneeling before a king or emperor. The entire 'mecha' was made of silverish metal that gleamed brightly in the moonlight. Moonlight? Was it really that late? Oh well, he didn't really care, finding out about the badge was much more important. Though, was this the right place? It sure didn't look like any kind of gate he'd ever seen, just a mecha and a wall surrounding a large... area. So how was he supposed to get in?
He walked around the mecha, looking over every inch carefully, he found nothing. No handle, no keyhole, no nothing! Duo looked up at the mecha and tilted his head in question. "Come on! Give me a hint or something? How am I supposed to meet her if I can't get in? Show me the entrance, please!" He laughed at himself for talking to a statue then went back to looking around the mecha. He soon found that on the hand there was a small indentation, the shape of a star. Duo frowned. "I wonder..."
Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the badge. Carefully he placed it in the indentation, almost like a key. Suddenly all around him there were the loud sounds of gears and bolts. Duo jumped backward, taking the badge with him. He quickly placed it back in his pocket and watched in wonder as the large mecha moved. The hand touching the ground uncurled and laid our flat with its palm up, almost an inviting gesture. Duo grinned to himself. 'It figures' he thought 'of course the badge is the key'. He stepped on to the platform, and held on tight to the thumb as it began to rise into the air.
Soon the hand stopped and Duo heard a laugh. He turned to find the hand had taken him up to a large platform very high above the ground. An ornate star design was set into the marble floor, while on the edge of the platform on all sides were similar mechas just like at the door. Each was kneeling as the other, but each was unique with its own weapon and shape. Duo stood up slowly and looked at Relena and Heero, who stood in the center of the platform, the arena.
Relena stood in her student council uniform, yet it was different. Various accessories had been added , making it look much more regal and official, almost like she was an officer in the military or an old-fashioned prince. Beside her stood Heero, dressed in a similar outfit. He stood there silently, his eyes never making contact with Duo's. In fact, Duo realized, he didn't seem to make eye contact with anything, he was off in his own cold little world. Duo dropped his trademark grin into place and sauntered over.
"So this is where all the student's money goes, eh ojoson?"
"Oh, this was here long before I was elected onto the student council." She waved her hand around, indicating the mechas. "They serve their purposes. You have no sword... what is your name?"
"Duo Maxwell. Why would I need a sword?"
"To duel of course."
"Nani?!"
Relena laughed. "You truly don't know what the symbol stands for do you? All the better, you will be very easy to beat then. To think I was actually worried." She turned to Heero. "Heero, prepare us."
The silent boy seemed to glare at her for a single moment then held up to roses that were already in his hand. He reached forward and placed one in Relena's chest pocket then walked over to Duo, reaching to place one in his pocket.
"If the rose is knocked from your chest you lose," he said in a deep low voice as he placed the rose in Duo's pocket. "You're going to get yourself killed." The last part was soft, so soft that not even Relena could have heard it. Duo's eyes widened slightly. Why would he have said that? It was almost as if Heero cared what happened to Duo. Duo shook his head slightly, that can't be right!
Heero walked back over to Relena. Duo took a step forward. "Matte! What's going on?!"
Relena ignored his question and reached up to place her hand in the center of Heero's chest. Heero's hands covered hers and he closed his eyes. Slowly he leaned backward and their hands began to glow. Duo watched in amazement as the glow intensified, so bright that he had to shield his eyes. Yet he was still able to see the sword emerge from Heero's chest. Relena grasped the hilt and pulled it from Heero's chest. The glow seeped back into the sword and Heero stood back up straight. But now he was different, the look in his eyes wasn't blank and cold as it usually was, instead it was dead. There was nothing in his eyes, it was almost as if he had ceased to live. He stood still as stone and Duo had a suspicion that his skin was just as cold as stone as well. Duo shuddered at the thought and his grin faltered slightly.
"This should be easy," Relena remarked with a sneer. All around them bells rang out, signaling the beginning of the duel. Relena charged for Duo with the sword in front of her. He swore as he dove out of her way and rolled across the floor, his hand protecting the rose on his chest.
"K'so! Matte ojoson! Matte!!"
Relena ignored his yell and charged at him again, missing only by a hair as he scrambled away. "Stop dodging! I won't hurt you, just let me knock the rose off your chest!"
"Hey, what did I ever do to you?" Duo raced behind one of the mecha's hands and hid there as Relena tried to stab at him with the sword around the side of it.
"Your badge marks you as a duelist. The Star Prince is mine! You can't have him! Heero is mine!" Duo jumped out of the way as Relena dove around behind him, racing toward the center of the arena platform. He had an idea but only one chance to try it. Whirling around he stopped to face Relena. She continued to charge at him, quite fast. At the last second Duo dove out of the way to show that he'd been standing right in front of the statue-like Heero. Relena gave a cry and stumbled to the ground in an attempt to stop herself. She let go of the sword and it slid across the floor as she crashed into Heero and they landed in a tangled heap. Duo quickly picked up the sword and set it against Relena's neck where she lay.
Gone was his cheerful grin and happy demeanor, instead Duo stood there silent and angry. "All I wanted was an explanation for the badge! You owe me that much Relena-senpai!"
Relena swallowed. "The badge marks you as a duelist. We battle for control of the Star Prince and the power he holds."
Duo pushed the blade a hair closer, Relena gave a small cry.
"I swear that's all I know! Please don't take Heero away from me!!"
Duo frowned down at her. "You don't deserve him." Duo brought the blade down and sliced the rose from her chest pocket, sending it to the ground. Beyond him the bells rang out, the duel was over. The sword in his hand dissolved into nothing and Heero slowly stood up, shaking his head in what seemed like confusion. A second later he locked eyes with Duo. Duo stood frozen in that gaze as the silent boy stood up and walked to his side. Then Duo shook off the strange feeling and turned away from both of them. Relena sobbed loudly behind him.
"Heero!"
Duo walked to the edge of the platform and stepped onto the hand. "Get me out of here," he commanded quietly and the hand began to descend.
Heero walked to the edge after him and just watched as the hand touched the ground and Duo disappeared from sight. How strange, he thought, that one didn't seem to care about the duels, yet he still fought. And won no less. Heero glanced back at the crying, sobbing Relena and shrugged to himself, he found he really didn't care about her one bit. Had he ever? He wasn't sure. Looking back to where Duo he just stared.
How strange.
~*~
Zechs looked down on the arena platform and raised an eyebrow in surprise. The new one had won. He had beaten Relena. Oddly enough Relena was one of the best fencing students on campus but rarely needed to tap her skills. Yet this boy had beaten her, with out a sword no less.
"Fascinating."
The student council stepped back and found Seite standing beside him.
"You were here? You saw?"
Seite nodded slowly. "A very interesting development."
"Indeed," Zechs agreed.
"Do you believe he has the power to unlock the Star Prince and the gundams?"
Seite tilted his head slightly in thought. "Perhaps. Only time will tell." Seite turned and headed for the door to the observatory. Zechs turned and watched the younger man head out.
"You will have to duel him now."
Seite paused but did not look back. "We will all have to duel with him, Zechs-sama. Then we shall see if he has the power we search for. Only time will tell."
"Indeed," Zechs nodded.
"What will you do about Relena-sama?" Seite asked quietly.
"She lost, it is her problem to deal with." Zechs walked up beside Seite and followed him out of the room.
"Always the caring brother."
Zechs frowned. "We all have our secrets, Seite. We deal with them on our own."
"Believe me Zechs-sama, I know that better then anyone. Better then anyone."
TBC...
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