Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A Shade Darker ❯ Chapter 18

Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. The characters of these works are used WITHOUT permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit.

Author's Notes: I'm sorry that this took so long to come out. I became really busy lately and didn't have much time to work on it and wanted to write a crossover for a crossover contest. Thank you for e-mailing me to finish this and I'm sorry that it took so long. Thanks, Elf.

A Shade Darker Part 17

By: Elf

"I like the hair," Duo said playfully as he reached out and lightly tugged Aurora's braid. His own hair blew around him in a witchlike tangle. This is gonna be a bitch to comb out later, Duo thought as he blew his bangs out of his face.

Aurora looked around and wiped tears out of her eyes. Duo smiled at her. She said, "Well, it's actually easier than before."

"I like it better down," he told her truthfully as he stroked a few stray locks from her face. She was so beautiful. They were sitting in a graveyard, the ashes of a vampire who had hunted and taunted both of them still fresh, and talking about hair when a battle needed to be waged. Life was strange that way, Duo knew.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her, enjoying the feel of her body next to his again. She said, "I like your hair better down too." She ran her fingers through the tangles of his hair, gently smoothing them out again. He sighed, loving the feel of her nimble fingers through his hair.

He wrapped his arms around her as she stroked his hair. All he could do was sit there and sigh in contentment like a big cat. "You're gonna distract me, Aurora," he moaned as she kissed his forehead. She ignored him as she pressed closer to him. He grabbed her wrists and said, "I'll take you back to bed, necromancer."

"It was practice of the Catholic church to burn necromancers. I guess you found a whole other way to burn a girl," she teased him.

He smirked as he replied, "You ain't seen nothing yet." He stood up, bringing her with him. She giggled and he looked at her. He said, "Okay, that's it. We have a few hours to plan things out and . . ." He leered at her with a grin. He said, "Play."

******

"Where the hell is Damon?" Lilith sneered, gnashing her fangs. She dug her claws so hard into her palms that they were dripping blood in black rivulets. How could this happen? They had saved Duo, who tasted so sweet, and now Damon was gone.

"I do not know, Mistress," Jason said with a polite bow.

Illiana looked up and said, "I think he was summoned."

"By whom?" Lilith snarled.

Hawk answered, "The little necromancer bitch hated him. I think she killed him."

******

"Crisis averted," Zechs said to Duo and Aurora as they walked in the door. Treize had this smug look on his face, as if he had planned this all along. Duo wanted to punch that look off that face of his.

Aurora looked at Treize and snapped, "Do you go around telling everyone about other's people's business?"

"He's a Damphier, he probably heard and smelled us," Duo said dryly as he looked the Lighting Count in the eye. So did Heero and Trowa then. Quatre probably felt the emotions and the increase of power. There was blood, Aurora's blood, and there was power, Duo thought as he glared at the two sophisticated beings before him.

He could still feel that power on his skin. In him as he was imbedded in her. It was unreal, electric. The witch had power, but it was nothing compared to what Aurora had. She was a true Wielder of Death. And Duo would be thrice dammed before he let anything happen to her.

He took her hand and lead her away from them. Treize leaned over and whispered something in his lover's ear before they got out of the hallway. Aurora blushed bright pink as they walked. Duo looked over at her, curious to why she was blushing.

He asked, "What is it, babe?"

"I didn't wash off. He could still smell it," she said, blushing even redder. Duo leaned over and wrapped his arms around her, planting a sweet kiss on her forehead. He had an idea.

******

"You said you had a plan, what is it?" Heero asked in his monotone as he looked at Duo. Duo had them all here. Aurora, Heero, Quatre, Trowa, Lady Une, Noin, Zechs, and Treize. The two Dampiers were ready to fight with every thing they had, Duo knew, but he had a plan.

Sorta.

He started to pace, not looking any of them in the eye. He said, "Its sorta simple, really."

"What?" Zechs asked, his tone taking an edge.

Duo faced him and replied, "Don't get your fangs in a twist, Rouge. We go at Lilith with everything. Now. Well, tonight really. We need to rest, get weapons, etc."

"Just attacking blindly? There's no logic in that Duo," Trowa told him in his quiet voice.

"Sure there is," Duo replied, swinging his arms behind him. He said, "We kill Lilith and her group before anything really nasty happens. No end of the world, so we'll come out okay. We're good at losing battles, remember?"

Quatre asked, "Do you have any tactile plan?"

Duo nodded and answered, "I'm gonna need all of your help, though." He took Aurora's hand and said, "Are you in this, baby?"

She nodded and gripped his fingers in her scarred hand. She replied, "We're together, no matter what."

"So, if I die, you'll raise me as a zombie?" he replied with a grin. The joke was to hide his fear. There was still a good chance that he was going to die a horrible painful death at Lilith's hands. At least he got to have Aurora before . . . He pushed the thought out of his head and gripped her hands.

She glared at him with her silver eyes. She answered, "That's not funny, Duo."

"What's your plan?" Heero demanded in his monotone.

Duo smiled and said, "Well, Lilith's got a bad ass magic user. Aurora, Quatre, that's where you come in."

"What do you mean?" Quatre asked him, his aqua eyes wide in his cherubic face.

Aurora smiled softly and replied, "He means that while he attacks us with skill, we're gonna face him with sheer, raw power. You're untrained, Quatre, but you've got the power, I can feel it."

"Aurora, I'm not sure what I'm going to do, though," Quatre said.

Aurora smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll show you." She chuckled softly before she added, "But you'll be wiped out for the next several days, trust me."

"A small price to pay," Quatre said with a determined tilt to his chin.

"What about us?" Noin asked.

Duo leaned against the mantle of the fire place. He let go of Aurora's hand and stuffed his in his pockets. He answered, "You, Zechs, Une, and Treize are on vamp control."

"What about me?" Heero asked in his monotone.

Duo smiled and said, "You've got more of an important part. Illiana's got the hots for you in a bad way. Distract her, just keep her from sicing her ghouls on us."

He turned to Trowa and smirked. Trowa's green eyes took on a slight glow. He said, "We'll take Lilith."

"Are you insane?" Zechs asked him, rasing an elegant eyebrow.

Duo asked, "What do you mean?" He had a good feeling about what Zechs was going to say. He sensed disbelief and doubt in the Rogue.

"Lilith tortured you not even three days ago and Trowa's simply a fledgling. She's more powerful than anything that you could imagine, and you only want yourself and Trowa to go after her," Zechs answered.

Duo took a deep breath at Zechs stinging words and the images that they brought with them. He crossed his arms and replaced the fear and the shame with a much easier emotion to deal with, anger. He snapped, "Listen here Dampier. Out of all of us, Lilith has an obsession with Trowa and an infatuation with me. We could use this against the bitch and kill her."

"I think you're being foolish," Zechs replied.

Duo sneered, "Well, I think I just might have to take up my real duty and kick your ass."

"I don't think you could, Maxwell," the Lighting Count replied.

"Both of you, stop it, now," Heero intoned, his face expressionless to any onlooker. To those who knew him, his face was basically giving away, "If you don't stop, I'll kick both of your asses." The thing was, with Heero Yuy, he could.

Quatre said, "We shouldn't be fighting each other."

"Yeah, there's an ancient bitch out there who's gonna destroy the world," Noin said, crossing her arms.

Treize said, "The Queen of all Darkness."

"Who's plans are about to be ruined," Trowa said, a gleam in his dark green eyes.

Aurora tilted her head and said, "Lets go kick some ass."

Une shook her head and said, "You can't. You need to prepare. You all are ready, but you need rest, you need to be at your best and sharpest."

"She has a point," Noin pointed out with a smile.

Duo and Zechs simply glared at each other. Duo turned away. Zechs said, "And somehow you became a Called."

"And I know why Heero kicked your ass so many times too," Duo zinged, getting in the last bow. No one can beat me at word play and insults, no one, he thought as he walked up to his bedroom.

He sat on his bed with a sigh. He laid back on it and looked at the ceiling. "I may live through this after all," he said to himself with a smile. He chuckled for a moment and closed his eyes. He said, "I may live through this after all."

He felt Aurora come into the door. He smiled as he didn't move from the bed. He felt her weight shift beside him as she snuggled close to him. "Hey sweetheart," he told her, kissing the crown of her head.

"Hey," she replied, wrapping her slender arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her, stroking the scars on her left hand. She whispered, "I'm afraid."

"I won't let anything happen to you," he promised. If she died, he was lost. She had brought him back from everything. He loved her. "I love you," he breathed into her silky hair.

Aurora looked at him and shook her head. She replied, "I'm afraid to loose you. You're all I have. I was just a wondering waif until you found me."

"I did everything I could to annoy you," he said with a smile.

Aurora asked, "Do you do that with all the girls?" Duo felt hurt at that. Before the witch, there had been others. He had done things and had things done to him. He just never had plain sex before until that girl. Until Aurora, he had never made love before. That made all the difference.

"No, just you, and only you," he told her. He kissed the side of her neck, nibbled on her ear lobe before he captured her mouth in his. "There is only you, Aurora," he told her as he kissed her. She traced her slight hands down his back, before she captured the end of his braid with her hand. Within moments, she was running her fingers down his chestnut hair.

The feeling was incredible. All he could do was arch back and moan. She let go of his hair and strattled his waist. She looked uncertain. All Duo could think of was need. He needed her, like she was some addictive drug. She licked her soft lips and that drove him off the edge.

He took her waist and brought her mouth to his. He claimed her again that night, loving her over and over again. He swore to himself that nothing was going to happen to either of them as she curled up and fell asleep in his arms. Nothing.

*******

Aurora reached out for Duo, only finding that he wasn't there. She sat up in their bed, clutching her sheets to her chest. She called out, "Duo, are you there?"

"Yeah, sorry, getting dressed," he said with a smirk as he stood before her, wearing only his black, silk boxers and a smile. She smiled at the lovely image produced before her and got out of the bed.

He wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "Don't take a shower."

"Why not?" she asked, puzzled. It was not that she needed one, but lately she had become quite obsessed with being clean. After being on the streets for so long and not being able to have them, then suddenly being thrust into a shower stall by a grinning imp with violet eyes brought new meaning to being clean. She wasn't dirty, and her hair was very clean, but she did spend half of the night being made love to. Not that she minded, but she figured that she smelled very much like Duo.

He smirked and said, "Not to sound macho or anything, but I want every one of those vamps to smell me on you. To know that part of Lilith's 'brilliant' plan had crashed and burned."

"You do sound macho," she said with a wiry trace of amusement. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched him. She asked, "Now what?"

He smiled and answered, "We get dressed. We have a fight to win. Kick ass and chew some gum, but I'm all out of gum. All that shit." He turned from her and threw her some clothing. He said, "As much as I would hate to see your beautiful body covered, I think it would be good to wear something when fighting a bunch of vampires and other nasties." He winked at her and she smiled as she slid into the underwear and bra.

She asked, "How did you know my size?"

"Good guess," he answered as he slid into a pair of sinfully tight black leather pants. Her mouth went dry at the sight. He chuckled and said, "Dramatic effect works wonders." Then he put on a black silk shirt, with the sleeves down, not his usual style she noted, and the priest's collar, except of being white, it was screaming crimson. Then the silver cross slid on that, a perfect contrast to the two colors.

She had to catch her breath for a moment. He was beautiful; she had to admit it. He was beautiful inside and out, she realized. He was too good for his own good, but he would always have that mischievous side that made him Duo. No matter what happened to him, he would grin. He'd probably smile his way into Hell, she realized as she watched him.

She slid into the black jeans and turtleneck that he gave her. She walked over to the vanity and picked up the brush lying there. She dug out the strands of chestnut hair there and ran it through her hair. Within moments she had braided her hair almost as efficiently as Duo. Duo walked over to her and slid his arms around her waist.

He said, "I like it better down, you know."

"I know, but I can't really cast spells with it in my eyes," she replied as she snuggled into his silk clad shoulder. She had doubts, but was afraid to voice them.

Duo, being the empath that he was, said, "You'll be fine. I'll be fine. It'll all be good. I love you, you know."

She smiled at him and whispered, "I love you too." Then he kissed her, softly, with more love than lust or passion. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling perfectly comforted.

*******

They all stood at the opening of where Lilith had set up shop. Duo, Aurora, Heero, Trowa, Quatre, Lady Une, Treize, Zechs, and Noin. Each of them was armed in some fashion. Duo had his scythe and a pistol. Heero had a machine gun strapped to his back, a sword and a pistol. Une had a flame thrower. Zechs was armed simarly to Heero, except that he had wrist sheaths that contained silver knives. Noin had a pistol and a crossbow strapped on her back. Quatre had a cross that doubled as a knife and a pistol as well. Treize simply had a sword. Trowa had grenades anything that would cause massive explosions, a wooden stake, and a machine gun. Aurora had wrist sheathes as well, ready to cut herself if needed.

Duo spun his scythe and said, "Lets get this party started."

"Agreed," Treize said as he held his sword ready.

Noin swallowed and said, "The whole world is depending on us."

"Nothing new," Heero intoned calmly.

Trowa added, "We've done it before."

"Then we can do it again," Quatre said with a bright smile.

Zechs stated, "We really don't have another choice."

"That's comforting," Aurora said bitterly, rolling her eyes.

Duo smirked at Trowa and said, "Well, Trowa, lets say hello."

Trowa's eyes had some unreadable emotion in them as he pulled the pin of the grenade. With a quick flash of his wrist, it went flying. Within moments, fire and a loud rumbling signaled an explosion.

Duo smirked and said, "The God of Death is back from Hell. Get ready guys, this is gonna get ugly."

A chorus of nodes was his reply as he held up his scythe. He said grimly, "On my mark."

"I don't know what to do," Quatre whispered nervously. Duo sensed fear and apprehension.

Trowa whispered, "You'll figure it out." He sensed an over whelming protectiveness for the stoic vampire.

"One," he said, sensing the dark powers rising.

Aurora said, "Let's do it."

"I'll be by your side always Zechs."

"Are you sure about that Noin? It's not going to be easy."

"I don't care."

"Treize . . . I . . ."

"My beloved Lady, everything will turn out all right in the end. Remember that."

"Mission accepted."

Duo shut his eyes and felt the emotions swirl around him. He sighed. It seemed that time seemed to freeze at that moment. Everything depended on this moment, every connection, every being on this planet and the heavens above. Duo realized what a huge responsibility was resting on his shoulders.

He opened his eyes and looked into the orange flames. In a tone not his own, he said, "Go." In a rush, they charged in.

******

Lilith looked down at the orange, gold, and scarlet flames below her. Illiana was immediately at her side, her small face looking afraid. Jason ran over to the railing and looked down below them. There were shards of glass around from the explosion. Lilith cursed softly, "Fuck, I didn't even hear the bastards coming."

She spun around and started to walk away. All of her carefully laid plans were being washed away. She didn't think they would attack this early, with such overwhelming odds against them. "Fuck," she hissed again. Damon was dead and they were attacking.

Why was she afraid? She was the First, the Dark Mother, the Queen of Evil, she was Lilith. She had defied God in all of his glory and mingled her blood with a demon. That granted her immortality for a price. She was shunned, but that didn't matter to her at all.

She spun around and faced her children and the witch standing before her. She sneered, her fangs flashing, "Deal with them. Save Trowa and Duo for me." She spun back around and waited. Those two would come and meet their fates, at her hands.

******

Quatre watched as Zechs, Treize, Noin and Une threw themselves into battle, charging, taking as many of the vampires out as they could. Heero ran off to the side and Duo and Trowa ran strait ahead of them all, seeking their target: Lilith. He felt power rising and looked to see a golden haired and eyed man dressed all in black standing in the center of a pentagram.

"He's casting a spell," Aurora said briskly, taking out one of her blades.

Quatre blinked and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Acting as your focus," Aurora said as she looked him in the eyes. The Arab swallowed and looked into those silvery depths that meant business. She knew what she was doing and he had no clue.

Quatre asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Blocking his skill with pure, sheer, raw power," she said, slicing the blade into her palm, "Here, give me your hand." Quatre looked at her with trepidation and held out his hand. To his surprise, she didn't cut it.

She said, "My power needs blood, not yours. Just concentrate and build the energy. That's all you have to do."

She intertwined her fingers within his. He noticed how small her hands were compared to his, how small she was. He closed his eyes and focused on that energy, he focused on Trowa, on helping him.

"This is going to hurt," Aurora said softly, flinching.

Quatre heard something being chanted in Latin around them. He felt dark power rising up around them, ready to be released. He felt the power rise up in him and he gasped. He felt the dark power being released and suddenly, Aurora tensed and screamed.

The energies met and somehow, they managed to hold on.

******

"I'll be damned, they did it," Zechs said with a smirk as he beheaded a vampire. He looked at the two blonds standing in a circle of bright light, obvious to the rest of the world. He heard a snarl behind him and he spun around, bringing his sword up with him.

With one swipe, the vampire was nothing but ash. Zechs grunted in satisfaction as he looked at Treize. The ancient vampire was chuckling as he held off two fledglings. He jumped back and spun gracefully. He thrust the blade up into one's heart, cleaving it before cleaving its head clean off its shoulders. With a graceful arch, the other vampire was soon ash beside it.

"Well, well, aren't you a pretty thing," a familiar, taunting voice said. Zechs turned around to see Hawk holding Noin like she was nothing but a rag doll, nothing at all. He snarled, "You're Zechs' little bitch, aren't ya? Lets see how well you do with me."

"Fuck you," Noin sneered as she planted her knee into his groin. He looked surprised as he doubled over in pain and dropped her. She snapped her boot into his knee, causing it to cave in, sending him crumbling to the ground. She kicked his face and snapped, "That's for Relena." She kicked his gut and sneered, "That's for Quatre." She kicked his bad knee and shouted, "That's for Minvera!" Then she stomped on his hand. "That's for Zechs," she sneered. Then she aimed her crossbow. She let the arrow go and snarled, "And that's for me!" He crumbled to ash around her.

Zechs had to smile as she joined him again. Zechs asked, "Do you feel any better?"

"Ask me when we're not fighting a group of vampires," she snapped, shooting round after round of bolts at the creatures around them.

He only smiled at that and continued to fight.

******

The scarlet eyes of the ghouls watched Heero as he parted through them. The small girl looked up at him with sad, almost tragic, violet eyes. Illiana pushed back strands of her silvery hair as she looked up at him.

She said, "Hello Heero." Her voice was eery. Maybe it was the age and wisdom that came from someone who seemed so young. Or the innocence lost that she represented.

Heero stared at her and held out his gun. She sighed and said, "I don't want to do this."

"I don't care," he told her.

Her violet eyes sparked and she snapped her fingers. Her eyes bled from violet to crimson and fangs protruded from her pert little mouth. She hissed, "Get him."

The ghouls attacked, springing in a screaming fury. Heero pulled out his sword and dodge the slashing claws of one of the monsters. They wanted his blood. They wanted him. They had no mind except for what Illiana told them.

They were like primitive versions of Mobile DOLLs he realized as beheaded one. He sprang smoothly out of the way and closed his eyes for a moment, focusing. He could feel their dead energy around him, and he could almost sense what movement they would make.

It quickly became a dance of wits and instincts. Heero reacted to each of Illiana's commands, the child fiend screaming in rage. He blocked each attack, leaving black blood and beheaded bodies in his wake. He slowed and took a breath.

He realized what the fight had been doing to him. Sweat dripped down his back, his face, and his lungs were laboring for air. He stood there, catching his breath as he stared the demon child down. He held up his sword again and Illiana screamed wordlessly.

******

Lilith hid in the darkness. Lilith, the girl, she's been . . . Jason's weak voice chorused in her mind. "Fuck, Duo got a hold of her," she cursed as she hid in the shadows. She sighed and gathered her power. It was too early and somehow, they were winning.

Illiana's ghouls were gone, half of her vampires had been killed, Jason was bearly holding on to his power due to that little bitch and that little fag. She could sense her Chylde and Duo coming for her, each wanting her blood for the crimes that she had committed.

Summon something. I don't care. A demon, something, just keep them off my back, Lilith hissed telepathically.

I can't, Jason's weak voice pleaded.

Lilith looked around the curtain she was hiding in. No one yet. She wasn't going to be killed by some snot-nosed brat and a fledgling that she created. For Hell's sake, she had killed Liam O'Rouke in front of Forest Anderson and laughed at her while Liam took his last gasps for life. She had defied the Masters of Heaven. She was the Dark Queen. She wasn't about to be beaten!

Of course you can! Damn you, I know you have that power in you! Lilith raged.

"No, not with my Aurora blocking him," a mockingly familiar voice told her. She saw the scythe blade in front of her neck. Then she locked eyes with a pair of violet and a pair of dark green. Duo Maxwell smiled and said, "Time to atone for all of your sins, bitch."

******

Aurora smiled. They were winning. She smiled at Quatre and he weakly smiled back. Jason screamed and the energy hit them like a fist. Quatre cried out and crumbled, too much for his newly wakened abilities.

Aurora grit her teeth and managed to stand up. She locked eyes with the witch and he smirked at her. He wiped a trickle of blood from his nose and chuckled. He said, "Not so fast, you little bitch. Your partner has passed out."

She looked down at Quatre's cherubic features. She stood to her full height and caught her breath. She said, "You were going to sacrifice me to some horrible demon."

"Yes, that's the second sacrifice that Duo Maxwell has stopped me from completing," the witch raged.

Aurora took a deep breath. She was warring with fatigue. She wasn't going to let herself pass out because of some witch. She sneered, "He should make a career of it."

"Well, that really doesn't save you, angel," he said with a smile as the energy started to flair around him again.

Aurora closed her eyes and clutched her palm. The wound reopened, sending a warm rush of blood trickling down her arm. She heard the chants in Latin and recognized the spell. He was raising a demon. She tried to block it, but the darkness was threatening to overcome her, whatever he was bringing wanted her, at least, part of her. She screamed wordlessly.

She screamed for Duo. She screamed for Quatre, helpless on the floor. She screamed for Heero, fighting the vampiric necromancer. She screamed for herself and the sorrow that Duo would feel when she died.

Then, suddenly, she felt death. The cold rush of the recently killed. She gasped and staggered back to see Illiana latch herself on Jason's neck, sucking greedily. The magic quickly faded away, and so did the portal to Hell.

Illiana dropped the corpse to the ground and looked at Aurora with crimson eyes, blood dripping from her rosette mouth. Suddenly, she launched herself at Aurora, fangs and claws flashing. Aurora tried to summon enough power to take ahold, but the brat was stronger than she was.

She felt the fangs sink deep into her throat. Then, the hard, painful rush of having blood being drawn out of her body. She tried fruitlessly to throw the brat off her, but it was no use. She knew what Illiana was trying to do.

She was trying to change her. She was going to make her into what she hated most. Aurora thrashed some more, causing a white-hot pain in her throat. Illiana's mind hit her's, shouting, I'll trade my mind with yours! I'll have my power but your body! You will be mine! I'm tired of being a child! I'm tired of being everyone's pet!

The rage was overwhelming. Then, suddenly, in the red, painful haze, Aurora looked up into a pair of icy, dark blue eyes. She saw the flash of a sword and Illiana's body crumbling into ash. Heero held out his hand to her and helped her up.

She asked, "Duo?"

"I don't know," Heero answered. She crumbled against his form. He asked, "Is there enough power here to help you?"

"I'm not sure," Aurora said as she looked at Jason's cooling body. She placed her hand against her neck. She wasn't bleeding. She stood up on her own accord and asked, "What happened?"

"There's something going on here, power, can't you feel it?" Heero asked her.

Aurora closed her eyes and felt it. Hard, fast, ancient, dark and evil. Unbearable. She looked up at the source. She said, "Duo and Trowa are up there!"

He took off running up the stairs, with her following.

******

Duo chuckled as he held the scythe blade up to the bitch's throat. Her eyes changed from blue to black to crimson. Trowa said, "This is over."

"No, it's not," Lilith said with a chuckle springing back away from them. She stood on a banister and tossed her long, raven hair. Duo narrowed his eyes and looked at Trowa. Trowa's green eyes were unreadable. Duo wanted her dead more than anything and so did Trowa.

Lilith said, "Don't you two get it? I'm eternal. Without me, Duo, you'd be dead, useless. I gave you purpose. Because of me you were created."

"Fuck you," Duo said without thinking, then wishing he could retract the words. He flinched at her familiar grin, the grin before the humiliation and the torture. He knew fully well that there were other tortures than pain. One could torture with pleasure and shame just as well as pain.

Lilith laughed and said, "I would love too. Trowa, you know what your friend tastes like?"

"I thought that . . ." Trowa said cluelessly.

Duo glared angrily. He felt his rage bubbling up in him, wanting to destroy anything in his path. He snapped, "No, she didn't drink my blood."

"Oh, that," Trowa said with sudden insight.

"We could both have him. I chose you to rule beside me. Duo could be our slave," she said with a smile, pointing at him.

Trowa said, "No. You can't do that to people. You can't control people like that. They have their own minds, even Duo."

"Hey," Duo said, knowing that the Heavyarms pilot was slightly mocking him. He snapped, "I'm not an idiot, you know. Lets kill the bitch and go home. We've won."

"Right," Trowa said. Before Duo could blink, the acrobat flipped over to Lilith, snarling. Lilith smiled and her eyes turned pure red, no pupil, no iris, no white, just sheer scarlet. Then he felt the power crash around them and Trowa froze, motionless, his green eyes glassy.

Lilith kissed his cheek and chuckled, "I'm your master and the First, angel. It would be good to remember that." Then she turned to Duo and smiled. Duo licked his dry lips, trying to keep his fear in check. She said, "You're annoying, you know that. Your kind is like a plague. You'd be my second Called you know. Actually, you're a lot like Liam."

"No, Heero is," Duo said, trying to keep his voice light. He realized that he was failing miserably. She moved toward him, swinging her hips, looking at him with those scarlet eyes. She ran her tongue over her fangs with a suggestive leer.

"I can't use my power on you, kiddo, but," Lilith said as she sprang at him. She had her hand around his throat before he could even blink. He didn't even see her move. He tried to slash his scythe at her, but she caught it and tossed it away. She went on, "But, I have more fun ways to kill you. You ruined the bitch for me, you really fucked me over, you know."

Duo gasped for air as her hand constricted around his neck. He thrashed at her hands, trying to break her grip. His heart was pounding rapidly. She said, "I can't drink your blood, which, pardon the pun, really sucks, but I can bleed you to death."

A sharp pain punctured his throat. He gasped as her claws jabbed into each Carotid artery, sending his blood flowing out. He gasped, almost choking on his own blood, but how Lilith punctured him made sure he couldn't. He would bleed out, looking at her face. He felt the hot liquid slide down his neck, over her arms as she laughed.

It hurt like hell too. His whole body was a blaze of pain as she laughed at him, her eyes the last thing he would see. "Trowa, snap out of it, pal," he rasped in a voice not his own. Trowa had to break out of it. He had too.

He flopped uselessly as the pain began to fade. It didn't hurt anymore. It didn't hurt at all. Death isn't so bad, he realized happily as things started to fade.

*******

Trowa felt the hold on him. He heard Duo's rasping voice, but there was nothing he could do about it. Lilith's hold was simply too strong for him.

Trowa, break it, I know you can, a soft voice said to him.

Trowa felt Quatre's warm presence in his mind. I'm not sure I can, Little One, he told him, using an affectionate term that he often thought of Quatre, but never used. He could feel Lilith's darkness slip from him.

I know you can, Quatre said pleadingly.

Trowa asked, Where are you?

I fainted, I'm all right, but you have to save Duo, Quatre told him in a determined voice.

Trowa concentrated. He built up his power and felt Lilith's bonds shattering around him. He staggered and looked at Lilith and Duo, dripping crimson blood onto the floor, his violet eyes starting too loose the light and spark that made him what he was.

He picked up Duo's scythe. He thought it apt that he would kill Lilith using Duo's signature weapon. He ran over to her and shouted, "Lilith! It's over!"

She turned around, but it was too late. The scythe cleaved her head clean off. Lilith's head crumpled to the ground and her body crashed, bursting into flames. She thrashed a bit before there was nothing left, not even ash.

Duo crumbled to the ground and Trowa was at his side instantly. He lifted Duo's feet above his head and placed his head and throat as low as he could. He looked at his friend's face, noting the closed eyes. "Duo, wake up," Trowa hissed as he felt the others run up the stairs.

He placed his hand's on Duo's throat, trying to stop the bleeding. There was so much blood here, but the smell of it was sickening him. It was even burning his hands a little, as if Duo was something so pure that he couldn't touch. Like Quatre.

"Duo!" Aurora cried as she was by his side in an instant. She was in his way, he realized. Treize dropped down beside him and shouted, "He's alive! If we get him to a hospital, he'll be all right!"

"Trowa," Quatre's tired voice said to him.

Trowa looked up into the wide aqua eyes of the cherubic face before him. He stood up, drenched in blood. "Trowa!" Quatre cried as he ran to him, wrapping his arms around him. Trowa blinked and held him back, inhaling his warmth.

"You did it, I'll be damned,"* Zechs said.

Heero said, "Mission accomplished."

"We did it," Noin said in a weary voice.

Trowa looked into Quatre's beautiful eyes and said, "Yes, we did."

The End!

*-- This line was taken directly from the second episode of the series premiere of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After Buffy had defeated Luke and his minions, Angel was standing outside the Bronze. He said in an amused voice, "She did it, I'll be damned." The ironic thing was, that Angel would later be damned by Buffy when she sent him directly to Hell.