Beta written by Snow Tigra.
Gundam Wing: The First Chapter Part 12
Duo continued to snore softly on the floor just at Heero's feet from where the Japanese boy sat on the rises. It had been a little over an hour since the braided teenager was thrown into the cell that Heero and Wufei were locked in. In that whole time, the Wing pilot never took his eyes off him. Looking back over his shoulder, the Japanese boy noted that Wufei had fallen asleep. The Chinese pilot sat at the highest step, his eyes closed and his back up straight against the wall with his legs folded. The even rising and falling of is chest gave proof enough that he was not awake.
Satisfied that there wouldn't be an audience, Heero turned his attention back to the sleeping boy at his feet as he called softly, "Hey." There was no response, other than Duo's snore growing louder. Frowning with slight irritation, Heero tried again, just loud enough not to wake the third pilot in the room, "Duo. Wake up." Still, there was no response from the sleeping pilot. Rolling his eyes, the Wing pilot sighed deeply to himself in irritation. "I don't know what's worse," he spoke quietly, "your constant talking or your snoring."
Finally tired of being patient, Heero's eyes closed as he raised his left foot and used its heel to shoved Duo's right shoulder. "H-huh!?" the braided youth mumbled as his eyes shot wide open. His violet gaze narrowed on the boy sitting over him as he growled, "What's the big idea?" Heero's eyes remained closed as he never moved to answer. Duo sat up and lifted his chained wrists to his face as he scratched an itch at the end of his nose as he sighed, "You know, there are other ways of waking a guy up." A quick glance over at Wufei was all he needed to be certain that they weren't being listened in on. With that, Duo smiled inwardly in relief to himself.
Sitting up and leaning his right elbow on the step beside his comrade, the American smiled warmly. "It is good to see you again, Heero," he said in a soft, sincere voice. "I was worried about you."
His eyes still closed, the Japanese boy replied flat tone, "I'm capable of taking care of myself. Apparently you aren't able to do the same."
"Aw," Duo smiled. "So my coming out here worried you?" He laughed at the instant, threatening glare he received in response. Raising his chained wrists, palms raised, the violet-eyed teenager chuckled, "Yea, yea, I know, you're going to kill me." Heero's eyes relaxed a bit along with his stiff back as he gave a humph in response. Leaning against the step, the American met his eyes and gave his warm, friendly grin as he said gently, "I am glad that you're alright, Heero. Back at the dorm you where left me I wasn't sure when I would see you again."
"I've seen you every night since the last time," Heero commented quietly with a slight shrug, as if he was commenting about the weather.
In a soft, uncertain voice, the braided pilot asked, "Y-you've seen me every night since then? What do you mean?"
Taking a deep breath, the Wing pilot turned his head back to glance quickly on Wufei. Sighing softly after making certain that he was still sleeping, the Japanese boy glared ahead as he answered quietly, "Ever since we were enrolled in that boarding school not long after we met, I've seen you constantly."
Wide eyed, Duo whispered Heero's name in question, bringing their gazes to meet. Noting the obvious shock his partner was in, Heero continued as his eyes narrowed. "You were in my dreams after I self-detonated. I saw you when I slept during my visits to the Noventa family." The irritation grew in Heero's voice as he went on, "Even when I was awake, you were smiling at me with that damn braid swinging behind you." Gazing into those wide violet eyes, he growled, "Since the day I met you, I wanted nothing more than to get away from you. But you're always with me."
Panting softly, Heero watched and waited as the stunned youth before him processed what he had just heard. The silence hung for a long moment before Duo remembered to breathe. Moving closer to the Wing pilot, he stopped only when his hands just brushed up against the other boy's leg. Gazing up at him in awe, Duo whispered breathlessly, "Heero... I... I see you all the time, too."
Straightening at those words, Heero's cobalt gems filled with a hint of genuine confusion. "I don't know how to explain it," he heard himself admit softly. "I don't know what is causing it." Turning his head away, he thought aloud, "I meant to ask Trowa. He would understand this better than I could."
"Do you really want to know what it is?" the braided teenager beside him whispered. Heero turned to him just as Duo sat up, pressing his hands between their close bodies.
With a sharp gasp, the Japanese pilot's eyes widened, his heart pounding as the other boy tilted his head and closed his eyes. Ever so slowly, Duo leaned forward as his eyes slid closed. Heero remained still and wide-eyes as their lips touched fully in a soft, sweet caress. Nearly as soon as the moment began, it ended as Duo pulled back. Casting his heavy-lidded eyes to the side, Heero waited as he panted softly. He could feel the other youth's warm, soft breath on his face as his lips tingled at the new sensation they experienced.
Sitting up onto the same step with Heero, the braided pilot smiled as he lifted his shackled wrists, lowering them so his arms wrapped around either side of his friend, embracing him tightly. Closing his eyes again, Duo leaned in again as the Japanese boy's breath hitched in his throat. Breathlessly, he whispered, "Du-" as another soft gasp took his voice away, his eyes widening and lips parting in anticipation. Just as their lips were about to touch again, Heero finally allowed his eyes to slide shut as he closed the gap, quickly meeting Duo's mouth first.
The kiss that they shared was soft and simple, not passionate or demanding in any means. It was simply experiencing, learning, gentle and sweet. Their lips remained pressed fully against each other for a long moment, not long enough for either young man when they finally pulled back slowly, reluctantly. Slowly, as if waking from a dream, their eyes opened. Time stood still as Heero and Duo panted softly, gazing into each other's eyes in silent awe.
After what seemed like a short eternity, a warm smile spread across Duo's face. Heero's eyes remained glazed as he lowered his head. The American asked gently, "So? Did that help explain your question?"
Gazing up at his braided comrade, Heero spoke softly, his voice unsure, "Duo..." He lost all thought as he lost himself in those violet fields. After struggling to fins his voice, he whispered "I-I..."
The sound of footsteps in the hall outside the door grew as they approached. "Shit," Duo gasped. Quickly, he spread himself a foot away from Heero, ascending a few steps. Both he and the Japanese pilot lowered their heads, acting as if half asleep just as the door to the cell opened.
As the light from the hall poured into the pitch cell, they heard a guard order, "Get out, Zero One." By the shadows cast across the floor, Duo could tell that there were three soldiers at the entrance. The familiar shape of the one in the center proved to belong to Trowa.
Casting a heavy-lidded glance at the three young men, Duo groaned, "Come on. How come him again? I'm a better pilot than Zero One is, you know. Let me take care of the next battle."
Trowa stood before the other guards, his arms crossed and hear high as he replied sternly, "You can't do it in your shape. Even a Gundam pilot runs the risk of getting killed in this next mission." Walking into the cell, his footsteps echoed off the walls as he stated, "Because it's a Gundam pilot you'll be fighting."
Awake and alert since when the door opened, Wufei's eyes slightly widened at that announcement as his eyes followed the tall pilot, whispering, "What!"
"Apparently it's a new model," the brunette explained. Unable to hide his own curiosity, Heero's eyes opened as he looked up. Trowa continued, "He wiped out a whole OZ division with one shot."
Rising to his feet, Heero asked, "What are its characteristics and weapons?" Duo felt his heart leap in his throat at the thought of the Japanese youth going off on this task. It took every ounce of strength in him not to show that concern as he glared at the Latin pilot beside him.
Meeting Heero's gaze, Trowa answered, "The engineers asked the same questions. That shows you're familiar with them."
The Wing pilot took a deep breath before agreeing flatly, "Okay, let's go. With that red one, the Mercurius, this should prove to be quite a fight."
Leaving no room for argument, the green-eyed soldier paid no attention to the glaring violet burning through him as he ordered, "You're coming whether you like it or not."
Duo hissed at Trowa, "And you'll just sit back and watch as the two Gundam pilots fight each other." Quickly jumping to his feet, the braided teenager met Heero's gaze as he shouted, "Don't do it, Zero One! It's probably a suit performance test!" Before he could say anything further, his chest was slammed by Trowa's left fist. Bending forward with a sharp cry and wheezing groan of pain, his eyes squeezed closed as his attacker held him up with the same fist that knocked the air from him.
"You guys just better keep quiet, there," the Latin pilot advised. "You'll get your turns eventually." Duo's eyes finally opened as he looked up in time to watch as Heero was herded through the door.
Cobalt met violet for a moment when the Wing pilot looked back. Through his pain and fear, Duo forced his partner a small smile of reassurance. Relief seemed to fill Heero's gaze as he gave a small nod while the guards walked through the door as it closed behind them.
'Please be careful, Heero,' Duo's mind whispered as he stared at the closed door. Once again, the cell was plunged into still darkness.
* * * * * *
As they walked down the hall towards the hanger, Trowa and Heero remained in silence, walking side-by-side as they gazed down the long hall ahead of them. Taking a deep breath, the European pilot turned his head in his comrade's direction as he thought back to the gaze that he and the braided boy had shared. It would have gone unnoticed if Trowa hadn't looked back just as the cell door closed behind them.
"Our own eyes never met like that," the brunette thought to himself as he silently watched the Wing pilot. "I wonder what Duo has that made Heero look at him like that." Shaking those thoughts away, he turned his green eyes forward again. Trowa knew that it was irrational to be jealous of that American. After all, it wasn't as if he and Heero were intimate. In fact, any time he had kissed the Japanese boy, the kiss was never returned. Not only that, but he could have been reading more into the concerned glance that Heero and Duo shared than there actually was. There was no reason for Trowa to be jealous of those wide violet eyes and the person they belonged to.
...But he was.
* * * * * *
Several hours later, the circulation cut from their cell, Duo found himself once again throwing himself against the cell door as he shouted, "God damn it! There has to be some way out of this!"
Wufei continued to watch the images splayed on the wall ahead of him from the handheld projector that Trowa had left them when he punched Duo in their last encounter. Without looking back at his friend, the Chinese pilot said nonchalantly, "I thought you said you were throwing in the towel as you rolled on the floor moaning just now."
Duo turned his head in the other boy's direction with a sly grin as he chuckled, "Well, a guy can change his mind. Besides, I'm not down for the count just yet. I still have to show OZ my gratitude for all they've done by shoving my boot up their ass."
Lowering the small projector, Wufei closed his eyes and commented, "Well, banging on the door like that isn't going to help you any. Like I said, you have to stay calm if you want to last longer. There isn't much air left in here."
Planting himself on his hands beside his friend, Duo frowned, "I can't just sit here calmly knowing that Heero is in trouble. Trowa's already proven that he's still on our side, but I have a real bad feeling about this mission they're on." He paused before adding, "And I know that you have the same hunch." There was no response from the other pilot as he remained still where he sat, his eyes still closed. That only helped worsen the American's fears. "Don't you?" Duo asked softly, already dreading the answer.
Without so much as opening his eyes, Wufei answered, "There's a lot more to this mission than OZ was letting on. I doubt that they'll both return from the fight unscathed."
Duo's violet eyes widened. Sitting up quickly, he leaned forward and shouted, "And yet you sat back and said nothing when they came to take Heero away!" The disgust was plain on his face as he yelled, "The least you could have done was said something to talk some sense into him!" When Wufei made no move to respond, Duo sighed deeply, falling back to sit with his shoulders slouched deeply as he regained his composure. "Yea, yea... Lot of good it did me," he snorted bitterly with a humorless smirk.
There was a long silence between the young men. While he still never moved, Wufei seemed to somehow accept Duo's attempt at an apology for his outburst. Rubbing the end of his nose, the braided pilot frowned and said softly, "Heero isn't afraid to throw himself in a tight spot. My biggest fear is that he's going to pull something that'll get him hurt... or worse." His voice, threaded in fear, trailed off in the end.
Gazing back at the other boy, Duo admitted, "I know that I shouldn't be so worried, after having witnessed half the shit he managed to walk away from. It's just that I'm afraid his luck is going to run out one of these times."
Wufei shrugged, "After watching that fight that took place in Siberia, he should have been killed that night. I had told Heero on the way to this cell that his survival is based on something in this world keeping him here. The night that you were thrown down here, I got to find out that something was actually someone."
Duo's eyes widened as he processed each of those words. After a period of silence, Duo's head fell back as he laughed hysterically. Wufei opened his left eye to peer at him with an annoyed glare as the American laughed, "So Heero is still alive be cause of me! Man, I think this lack of air is getting to you!"
Just as quickly as his laughter was brought on, Duo's laughter died as his eyes saddened. He brought his legs to his chest and hugged them with his chained wrists and he buried his head between his knees and his body. Again, that timely silence hung. "It might not be as crazy as you think. I get the feeling that you're hoping that might be the case," the Chinese pilot finally said.
Unfolding himself to lie flat on the steel ground on his back, Duo closed his eyes with a frown as he replied, "I want nothing more than for that to be true. But I also know better than to wish for something that will never come to be." His violet eyes half opened as he peered out into nothing. "Still," he whispered, "It's nice to dream."
Without lifting his head, Duo requested softly, "Hey, Wufei, let's take a look at those pictures again."
* * * * * *
Near a secluded Colony further out into space, the Veate and the Mercurius approached Wing Zero. Inside the white suit, Quatre panted softly, his eyes seeing things that weren't there as he was lost in the grip of his madness. Trowa called to his friend, "Quatre, it's Trowa. Can you hear me?"
Shaken, the blonde replied quietly, "I can hear you, Trowa. Don't come anywhere near me." Trowa ignored his small plea and flew towards him.
Quatre screamed, "Didn't you hear what I said!?! Don't come any closer!" At this, he shot the White Gundam's Buster Riffle at the blue OZ mobile suit. There was a direct hit.
Heero now took on the fight. The Japanese pilot was not leaving the Colony behind him down as he gave the fight everything that he had. "Quatre, I'm going to kill you," he said flatly to the Arabian.
Quatre's mind was lost in a dark sea of confusion. Didn't Heero and Trowa realize the Colonies were their enemies now? I made sense to him....Why were they so protective of the very reason this war existed? Quatre said in a small voice, "Outer space has lost all reason. That's why I'm going to destroy everything...It's natural...Isn't it?"
"Quatre," Heero growled as he prepared to continue the struggle.
As the battle continued, the Mercurius lost its protective shield and Heero was shot into the Colony's side. He groaned in pain and removed his helmet. Blood was running in a thin stream down his face. After a long pause, Quatre said quietly as he looked down to the trapped Mercurius, "I'd ask you to get out of your suit...But you won't, will you? In that case I'm just going to have to kill you."
Heero told the Arabian, "Then get it over with. I have no intention of chatting with an enemy."
Quatre replied, "That's it then. Good bye, Heero." Without hesitating, the blonde pilot fired Wing's Buster Riffle at the red mobile suit that Heero was flying. The beam of the riffle shot towards the Colony, and the suit. Suddenly, the Veate came from nowhere and blocked the beam.
* * * * * *
Sprawled out on the cold floor, Duo smiled down on Wufei as he watched him sleep calmly. "The guy really is unbelievable," he whispered hoarsely as he strained to breathe with sweat dripping from his brow. "Right to the very end, he refuses to give up."
Lowering himself onto his back, the braided teenager peered up to the ceiling as he lifted the small projector, watching images of Deathscythe's plans display before him. "The Gundams," he said softly, "...the Gundams can't afford to lose at this point. Not now." With a choked gasp through his parted lips, his eyes widened before closing as his arms fell limply against him.
In the pitch darkness of the cell, Duo clung to the last shred of consciousness he could hold onto as he smiled faintly, "Heero... Stay strong... I'm sorry I didn't stick around enough to make you bed to stick around with me like I promised..." Finally, his heavy-lidded eyes closed as he whispered, "Hee-ro."
* * * * * *
Quatre gasped sharply as his eyes were opened now. He looked to Trowa's suit, in the middle of the beam. Trowa groaned in pain from the hit, "Quatre! Why don't you realize you making a big mistake!?!... Quatre!"
The Arabian cried, "Trowa!" The suit that the tall pilot was flying was in terrible shape and Trowa was exposed as the metal that encased him was destroyed from the blast.
Heero came from behind and used the Veate's gun to shoot at Wing. The true Wing pilot shouted, "Trowa, the Veate's about to explode! Get out now!"
Quatre watched in terror as he heard his friend reply, "You're right. This is the end of the line for me." The Veate shot up and through the stars, sparks flying from every angle of the suit. "Trowa!" was all Quatre managed to cry before he was tackled by Heero.
The blonde shouted, "No, Heero! Save Trowa!" The two suits crashed into the Colony again. As Quatre got up, the voice in his heart came to say, "Quatre. I'll hold the darkness off, but I can't stop Heero. He doesn't know that you're yourself again." The Arabian replied in his thoughts, "But what about-" He gasped, "Trowa!"
Trowa used his transmitter as he said quietly, "Oh, Quatre. It doesn't matter how it happened, but the Colonies have teamed up with OZ. And we have to keep in mind that it does mark the end of a war. At the same time, it means our missions have come to an end..." The same voice that managed to snap Quatre from his state managed to calm him again. He now listened to his friend's voice, as his suit was about to explode at any minute.
Trowa continued, "...The only question left is what happens to the remaining soldiers...What happens in our hearts...With us Gundam pilots, we were completely trained before we ever realized it...We have to fight ourselves and we have to do it harshly in order to come to the right conclusions, even if it means our battles today are meaningless. We have to acknowledge the facts, the five of us have become nothing more than redundant soldiers, Quatre."
The Arabian listened closely and watched with a heavy heart, knowing that he had caused so much damage up to now. Trowa was in danger, and there was nothing he could do to help, other than listen. His friend went on, "So now let's accept it..." Trowa smiled and closed his eyes, "Turn back to the nice guy I once knew...I just hope something triggers your mind and calms you down...something." No sooner had this been said than the Veate exploded, causing a bright light in the darkness of space. Quatre shouted in terror, "TROWA!"
Heero regained his strength and pinned Wing Zero against a wall of the Colony with the Mercurius. The door leading to space closed before them. Quatre, now completely broken from the spell of depression and insanity, shouted, "Heero, let me go! Trowa is going to die!"
Heero replied flatly, "Yea. And you're the guy that killed him."
The blonde whispered sadly, "Heero."
With a slash of his sword, Heero yelled, "You've gone crazy and I'm going to kill you!"
Tired from everything that had been happening, Quatre cried, "Then hurry up and kill me! Then you can go and rescue Trowa."
The Japanese pilot stated, "Pretty half-hearted way to die. I guess Trowa's death was just a waste."
Before this statement caused the darkness to return around the Arabian, the voice said to him calmly, "Heero doesn't understand that your mind and heart are clear now." Quatre nodded and told the voice, "I know. I won't hurt any of my friends further." The Mercurius was severely damaged and it fell back and Heero tried to retaliate. The 'Perfect Soldier' was beaten badly and in terribly pain as he struggled to sit up. Quietly, he growled, "Quatre...I am going to kill you." Just as he said this, the young pilot collapsed in his seat from exhaustion.
Terrified, Quatre shouted, "Heero...Heero!"
* * * * * *
In the control room of the Lunar base, Lady Une stood before the control panel in her purple space suit. Her braided hair pulled up and her glasses shinning in the lights from overhead, she the lever that had cut the circulation from the cells. Watching the levels within the prisons return to normal, the young woman whispered to herself, "I hope I'm not too late."
* * * * * *
The three surrounding the round cell opened as one, allowing the light and air from the halls to flood the dark space. Slowly, Duo's violet eyes blinked open as some of the fresh air began filling his lungs. Moaning softly, he lifted his head and peered at the center door. His eyes widened as he smiled, "Hey... I'm not dead after all." The braided pilot suddenly gasped when a familiar silhouette approached the doorway. Wide-eyed, Duo whispered, "Is it really you?"
Heero stood in the entrance, gazing on Duo with concern in his cobalt pools. Unable to blink, the American said softly, "You got me thought this... somehow." The Wing pilot's eyes softened as a warm smile of relief crossed his lips. Sitting up with their gazes still locked, Duo smiled, "Just when I think I'm at the end of my rope, you always show up when I needed you the most."
Still smiling, Heero turned his back to him, peering back at the braided pilot over his shoulder for a moment before running off. Duo leaned forward with wide, frightened eyes as he called, "Heero!"
"You're delusional, Maxwell. There's no one there!" Wufei's voice suddenly broke in. The Chinese boy walked towards his friend with a watchful eye.
Blinking up at him, Duo seemed to wake from a dream before he quickly looked back to the empty door. There wasn't so much a trace of Heero. Looking back up at his comrade, both Duo and Wufei shared satisfied grunts and sinister smirks. "Hurry up so we can get out while we have the chance," Wufei suggested.
Duo smiled, "Right behind you, man."
Moments later, freed from their shackles, the two freed pilots ran down the halls to where their Gundams were being held. His braid flicking behind him, the American smiled as he closed his eyes. "I can't wait to see the faces on those soldiers I cross when they see that the God of Death is back," he mused to himself. "There'll be a reckoning for what they've done." As they darted down the halls, his voice shouted and echoed, "I'm coming back from Hell for all of you!" Having said that, Duo and Wufei disappeared into the hanger.
It was a threat that he planned on carrying out.
* * * * * *
In a desolated dirt field on the Colony where their battle recently took place, Quatre knelt beside an unconscious Heero. Having pulled the Japanese boy's suit down to his waist, revealing his green tank top underneath, the Arabian held him up in a sitting position.
With one arm around his comrade's shoulders and his free one cupping water before his mouth, Quatre watched with small tears in his eyes as Heero took a sip. A relieved smile crossed the blonde youth's mouth as he whispered, "Just hang in there." Gently, Quatre wrapped his free arm around the sleeping pilot as he hugged him gently. Faintly, he said softly, "I know someone who really needs you." There was a small grunt from the fallen pilot in response.
It was all the proof that, Quatre needed to know for certain that Heero heard him... and that he understood.
TBC...
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