Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ And the Two Shall be as One ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Title: And the Two Shall Be as One

Author: ShitaeTenshi (shitaetenshi @ hotmail.com)

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

General Warnings: AU, some OOC (trying to keep that to a minimum), angst, sap, supernatural and just about everything else

Summary: It's the beginning of Duo, Trowa and Quatre's fourth, and final, year at OZ University, located in the picturesque town of Sanq. But a shadow lies over the three friends as they return, a shadow that formed during their break, a shadow that stretches back to a past life none of them remember.

Rating: R

Spoilers: Urm, not really sure

Pairings: 2+3+4, 1+5, 2xH at beginning of fic, eventual 1+2+3+4+5, 2+H, 1x2x1, possibly others as well

Quick Key

“blah” speaking

`blah' thoughts

 

—

 

“Sir, there's been a development.” Treize looked up momentarily before returning to his pruning.

 

“Oh?” He placed the clipped rose branches in a wagon to be composted. “There's something wrong with the school, Lady?”

 

Une shook her head, her loose hair shifting in the light breeze. “Not with the school but with one of the students. There is a student going through the Change.”

 

Treize put down his shears, devoting his full attention. “You're certain of this?” Une nodded. “Find out who it is; they'll need to be guided.” Treize paused, a small line forming on his brow. “Get a list of transfer students as well; we'll need to keep a look out for any other Ancients.”

 

“Right away Sir.” Lady Une nodded sharply before leaving. Treize looked off into the distance as she left.

 

“It has been a while since someone went through the Change, I wonder why the delay.” Still pondering, Treize absently picked the shears back up, returning to his pruning.

 

—

 

The four young men spent the rest of the day chatting away as they sat in the living room of the small Victorian house. Wufei learned about most of the professors and their various quirks, including which ones you had to watch out for. As dusk approached Wufei withdrew to his room, claiming travel fatigue.

 

As he closed the door to his room Wufei stiffened. “Show yourself; I know you're here.” He slowly scanned the room, stopping when he faced the small window. “Yuy.”

 

The air shimmered as a pale, ghostly figure of a young man turned visible. “As alert as ever,” the specter spoke in Japanese. “What can you tell me.”

 

Wufei smirked slightly as he leaned against the door. “Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow,” he replied in the same language, the smile widening when Heero growled. “He's here.”

 

“You're certain?”

 

Wufei nodded. “He's in this very house, a fact I'm sure you're going to verify later. There are also two others here and they're all going through the Change.”

 

The pale image of Heero paced back and forth. “Three at the same time; this is unprecedented. Treize and Une are rumored to be in the area; have either of them made a move?”

 

“No. I'm the first Ancient to interact with them.” Wufei paused, listening intently. “One of them is heading up, I'll tell you more tomorrow.” Heero nodded, fading from sight.

 

As he straightened up his hastily placed possessions, Wufei listened as someone entered a room on the floor below him, Duo's room he realized. The footsteps faded as the person, presumably Duo, went back downstairs. `I have a feeling that Maxwell only makes noise to annoy those around him; I almost couldn't hear him. We are going to have our work cut out Yuy.' Wufei carefully placed his swords on their stand, sinking into a lotus before them. Once down, he cleared his mind and entered meditation.

 

—

 

Duo paused on the top step, looking up at the third floor. `I coulda sworn there was someone else up there.' He shook his head, trying to clear the unsettling feeling. `Better get back; Tro said he had somethin' to tell us.' Sketchbook and pencils held close, Duo silently walked down, avoiding the faulty step with practiced ease. He settled down into his favorite chair, one leg thrown over the arm with the sketchbook propped against it. Securing all but one pencil in his braid Duo began to draw. “So what did you want to tell us Tro?”

 

Trowa leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees as he stared into his empty mug. “Something started to … change during the summer.”

 

Duo immediately stopped, putting his materials down on the coffee table as he sat up. He shared a look with Quatre before turning to Trowa. “Do we want to take this talk someplace more private?”

 

“Definitely.” Quatre looked at his two friends. “Trowa, do you still have that lab key?”

 

“Yeah.” Trowa nodded as he stood, the three of them slipping out of the house and into Beckett Hall, the science hall. As silently as they could they made their way to one of the inner labs. Trowa pulled the shield down over the door window as he turned on the lights, ensuring none seeped out into the hall to betray their presence. “Something's been happening to the two of you as well.” Trowa leaned against one of the tables, his hands stuffed in his front pockets.

 

“Yeah.” Duo rifled a hand through his bangs as he sat on another table, his foot absently twitching. “What's been goin' on with you?”

 

“I'm not quite certain.” Frowning, Trowa stared at the floor, silently demanding answers. The floor failed to co-operate. “It's as though everything's become clearer. Sounds are sharper, more distinct. Objects and colors stand out more. But it doesn't happen all the time and I can never predict when it will happen.” He looked up at Duo and Quatre. “And it started …”

 

“June 28,” the other two finished for him. The three fell silent for a minute.

 

“Yeah,” Trowa broke the strained silence. He began to pace, feeling the need to move for some reason. “So what's happened to the two of you?”

 

“I can … sense what other people are feeling.” Quatre absently played with the hem of his shirt. “But like you, I can't always sense them. Except,” he paused, chewing on his bottom lip for a second before continuing, “except with the two of you. I know exactly how the two of you feel, but it's muffled.”

 

“Dampened?” Duo looked down at the tiled floor, trying to out stare it. He failed. “Maybe `cause you want to make sure we're alright but you also don't want to intrude.”

 

“That does make sense Quatre.” Trowa grinned as Quatre heaved a sigh of relief. That smile faded as he turned to face Duo. “And you Duo? What's happened with you?”

 

Duo continued to stare at the floor as the seconds ticked by. Just as Trowa was about to ask again Duo answered. “I've been … having this dream.” He continued to stare at the floor, not elaborating.

 

Trowa frowned as he stared at his friend's bowed head. “What kind of dream?”

 

Duo pulled his legs up, propping his heels on the edge of the table. He leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his knees as he hugged his legs closer. “It starts with me floating somewhere, somewhere dark. Then these … hands, cold hands … strip my clothes from me. Sometimes I wake when I've only lost my shirt, but I've always managed to wake up before losing everything. Except…” Duo swallowed, trying to wet his drying throat, “except for last night. Those cold, so cold hands took all my cloths from me. Then a voice spoke, and he, yeah, he, called me beloved.” Duo shivered as the memory bubbled up.

 

Trowa let out an explosive breath. “Damn. That's…”

 

“Not all.” Duo lifted his head, meeting his friends eyes. “Don't know if it's anything, but just before I came back from my room tonight, I coulda sworn Wufei was talkin' with someone, and I don't mean over the phone.”

 

Trowa's frown deepened as Quatre continued to fiddle with the hem of his shirt. “You heard someone else up there?”

 

Duo shook his head, the end of his braid slithering along the top of the table. “Naw, couldn't hear a thing. More like I knew Wufei was up there and I knew he was talkin' to someone. It's…” He paused, eyes widening as they focused on some unseen object.

 

“Guys,” he whispered, voice strangled, “we gotta get outta here now.” Just as he finished speaking Trowa could just hear the faint sound of footsteps on the level above them, the night guard on his patrol. Not questioning his friends, Quatre joined them as the trio hurried out, erasing any sign of their presence as they left.

 

Once a level down they paused, listening as Jacob, the night guard, continued his rounds, walking the floor they'd so hastily vacated. As one they heaved a sigh of relief when the door closed behind him.

 

“Up to the fourth level and wait for him to leave the third or back to the house?” Quatre looked back up the stairwell before answering Duo.

 

“Back to the house; let's not push our luck any more.”

 

“Agreed. But I think we should meet again after finding out what we can.” Trowa looked at his two friends. “This can't be a coincidence.” They agreed to meet again in two nights at an old study hall nobody used anymore and slipped back to the house.

 

—

 

Treize watched Une from over the rim of his teacup. “So what did you find that couldn't wait until the morning?”

 

Une leaned forward slightly, the leather chair under her creaking as she shifted her weight. “There are two Ancients on their way here.” She paused, getting Treize's full attention before continuing. “Heero Yuy and Wufei Chang.”

 

Treize carefully put the cup down, folding his hands and resting them on the desk. “I see. Where did Housing place them?”

 

“Three Pearl Street.” Une paused again. “Sir, I drove by there before coming here and … the ones going through the Change are there as well.”

 

Treize's eyebrows rose slightly. “Ones? More than one student is going through the Change?”

 

Une nodded. “From the scent, all three of the students. And I'm afraid it gets worse.” She slid a folder across the desk. “Look.”

 

Opening the folder, Treize read the first students dossier, Quatre Winner. He studied the attached photo, not finding the significance. It was the same for the second student, Trowa Barton. The moment he flipped to the third student, Treize felt his blood freeze. “My god. It's happening again.” He picked up the picture, a slight tremble the only indication how shocked he was. “How did we miss this? It's an exact likeness.”

 

“I don't know Sir. But if Yuy and Chang are heading here then He will too.” She shifted again. “Sir, what is your plan?”

 

Treize carefully placed the photo back into the folder, closing it. He folded his hands, placing them atop the folder as he thought. “We find out what Yuy and Chang plan to do. These are my students and I will do whatever I can to protect them. Obviously, those two manipulated the system; otherwise the odds of getting rooms at that address are slim. Do we know when Yuy and Chang are supposed to arrive?”

 

Une nodded. “Chang's already here and Yuy is expected to arrive tomorrow.”

 

“Then in two days we meet with them; an unannounced visit would be best.” His gaze flickered down to the closed folder. “The fact that Yuy and Chang have enrolled implies they have no murderous intents.”

 

“Then they likely intend to fight Him.” Une looked directly into Treize's eyes. “Again.”

 

Pushing back Treize stood, heading to his private library. “Start making preparations. We'll implement that plan should the situation dictate it.”

 

“Yes Sir!” Une all but saluted as she stood, hurrying out of the room. Stretching out a mental hand Treize deftly undid a complex series of locks, a small door popping open in the side paneling. He slipped through the narrow opening, the door automatically locking behind him, the folder still laying on his desk.

 

For several minutes the room remained undisturbed. Then, without warning, the folder flipped open, papers fluttering as something rapidly scanned through. The movement stopped as suddenly as it began, a brief calm descending on the room before one of the pens floated up from the holder. It moved to hover over a small notepad, suspended motionless for half a minute before descending downward. A series of quick swipes followed before the pen returned to its holder, the room stilling once more. The folder, left open to the last file, stared blankly at the ceiling as it and the message waited.

 

—

 

A/N

And the second part's up! I'm so sorry for the long delay; I just do NOT function well in heat. Throw in any humidity and I'm done for. But it's finally cooled down to a comfortable level so my fics are back on track! Woohoo! Many thanks to those that have reviewed the first chapter (I hope I didn't lose any of you!) and as always, reviews are welcome, especially critiques, any flames will be used to make smores.