Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Cult Characteristic ❯ Chapter 16

Title: Cult Characteristic 16/?

Author: Lethanon

Archive; www.geocities.com/lethanon

Email: Sansillion@hotmail.com

Warnings; same as always

SIXTEEN

"Clear!"

Wufei charged past Heero's lookout at the corner, ran across the intersection and pressed himself hard against the wall, ears straining against the constant roar for any signs of life. His heart thudded loudly in his chest, palms were slightly sweaty, but his mind was still.

Trowa appeared beside him, eyes scanning the mess all around them. L2 had finally found its feet, only to have them completely knocked out from under them. Wufei wasn't sure what to think. He loved Duo, would do anything to protect him, but this…This was madness. There was no need for this destruction. No need to take his fury out on the innocent. His only hope was that Duo wasn't responsible. That the damage done by the Gundam was at the hands of Shinigami. Even then they would have enough trouble trying to get Duo to accept…One step forward, one hundred back…

Heero was with them, hand signals flying. Wufei nodded in response, feet already moving, hand tightening about the grip on his sword as they headed up the long drive of the largest house on L2. The Devourjac manor.

Heero suddenly stopped. Wufei silently came to a halt at his side, aware of Trowa at their backs. He didn't think any of them were paying much attention to the looters now. Their gazes were instead focused on the hulking beast standing in the middle of the ruins of the manor.

It was shaped like a man, just as the Gundam's had been. Like a shadow the black Gundanium flickered in the firelight, a vague silhouette within the smoke. Two hulking black wings stuck out the back, turning every now and then to maintain balance. A scythe swung wildly at the house in one arm while the second arm retracted from slamming into a wall.

"It has Nataku's flame thrower…" Wufei gaped in awe. The Gundam was exquisite. What really caught their attention, however, were the bright violet eyes glowing in the dark head. The exact shade of Duo's.

Wufei spared a glance at Heero and following his gaze watched the Gundam turn and finally saw the thick twist of metal running down the spine, a thick gleaming silver braid. Even as he gasped in awe, the Gundam moved forward, scythe swinging as the loud speakers exploded with sound.

"Welcome, sinners, to my valley!"

Wufei felt something in his break, some small part of his heart snap off and wither. That voice was all too familiar. All too cold and detached, too determined. It was the voice of the hand of retribution.

"Shinigami's come home!"

A tear slipped down Heero's cheek, slipped off his chin and splattered against his hand. Wufei watched its fall and wanted to scream. It was not meant to be this way. It wasn't supposed to hurt like this.

"It's not your fault Heero," Trowa whispered lightly from behind, but Heero only tensed as another tear strolled from his eye.

"He was so mad…"

Wufei grimaced, knowing Heero was not referring to Duo's voice right then. He was remembering their fight, eight months gone, remembering how they had fought over what was right and wrong, over how each had acted in the war.

Wufei had heard the story a thousand times, coaxed it from Heero in all its dark glory. They had been out on a Preventers mission and Duo had almost been shot. It had been a hostage situation. They had orders. Duo went in, took one look at the situation and let the rules float away on the wind. He said the orders would get the hostage killed. The only alternative was to kill a Preventer. Supposedly. But Duo had known he was fast enough, had known he could steal the hostage…the bullet had missed him. Just. Heero, furious, had lost it and screamed the importance of following orders, of not just doing whatever you feel like. There were rules for a reason, Heero had said.

Duo had agreed. Rules were there to be broken. Heero was right. Duo had been so mad! Wufei didn't blame him, no one did. Duo had followed Solo's orders, and watched Solo died. He had followed the rebel's orders and watched the Church burn, taking everyone he loved with it. He had taken the doctor's orders and believed for a time he had lost Heero. Orders only killed the things Duo loved.

"I shouldn't have yelled at him."

"It's not your fault!" Wufei snapped at him and Heero seemed to wake up. The tears stopped. His eyes left the Gundam, turning to face…

And Wufei heard it, a light buzzing nearby that was all too familiar. A mobile suit was coming.

Sure enough, a minute later revealed a jazzed up Leo that landed a `safe' distance from the Gundam which was suddenly still and silent. Wufei rushed over to the Leo, reaching it just as the hatch opened and Quatre jumped out.

"Want a suit Heero?" He asked, voice cheery but strained. "Howard had a few scraps lying about and thought you might like one."

Heero didn't even reply, just crawled into the cockpit and slammed the door shut. Wufei watched the suit move carefully in the direction of the Gundam, which still hadn't moved, and grimaced. This was not going to go well.

"Come on," Trowa hissed in his ear, heading off toward the smoking manor. Wufei thought he must be mad, but understood. They had a job to do and that job required them to get as many people out of that house as possible. Preferably before Duo decided to stomp on it.

*

Inside the Gundam Duo watched as the new mobile suit arrived. He watched as Quatre got out, watched as Heero got in, watched as it started moving straight for him. He had no idea what to do. That part of him that was Duo was screaming at himself to stop. That part that was Shinigami wanted nothing more than to continue, but neither Duo nor Shinigami wanted to hurt Heero Yuy. Heero was innocent.

"Duo, open your com link!"

"Go away!" Duo screamed but flicked the external speakers off and the internal systems on. He could not disobey those orders. Not his. Not now.

"Duo…" The voice sounded like it was choking. Duo couldn't stand it.

"GO AWAY!" Tears broke free from his eyes and streamed down his face, splattering against his thin black shirt, staining the white collar.

"I can't."

"You can! Go away, Heero!"

"I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"Both." He sounded so tired, it only made Duo cry harder.

"Boys don't cry," he hissed at himself.

"They do Duo. You can cry all you want. Just come home."

Home. Home to his dark wing, where he was safe, to Heero's big white bed, to the lounge on the verandah, to the sound of laughter and the smell of green grass. Home to Quatre, and Trowa. Home to Wufei. Home with Heero…

"I…I can't!" Duo wailed, turning the Gundam to face the manor. He had to destroy them all before they hurt anyone else. He would not let them win, not this time. Not ever again!

"Can't or won't Duo?" Voice suddenly cold, calculating, trying to decide. Duo knew he had come to a crossroads. If he said won't, Heero would try to stop him. If he said can't, Heero would know he was weak.

"Both…" He replied in a near whisper, hands cold on the controls. He wasn't seeing the house anymore. It was the Church in his vision, smoking, burning, falling apart. It was Solo lying on a bed, struggling for one last breath. It was Heero, falling through the rain of pieces of Gundam, eyes wide and unseeing. It was himself, curled up alone in the dark, waist deep in blood, cold, hurting…It was Fiona, drowning inside a barrel, screaming his name.

"I'm Shinigami."

"No," Heero whispered just as softly. "You're Duo Maxwell."

The Leo lunged, grabbed hold of the Gundam's left arm and twisted. The Gundanium screamed in protest but Heero was determined and the metal twisted. Duo knew the flamethrower would not work and some small part of him thanked Heero even as the right arm came around and sliced clean through one of the Leo's arms with the scythe.

"Move aside…"

"No."

Duo screamed in rage and swung the scythe again, lopping off one of the Leo's legs even as Heero wrenched the Scythe out of his hands and tossed it aside, leaning heavily on the Gundam, wrapping the one arm about its waist, pulling it close.

"You can stop, Duo! We know what happened! The Devourjac's will pay, but we have to get out of here! Please…stop this…"

"No." He tore the Leo's other arm off his waist and out of its socket, watched as the metal hung limp. Duo moved to get around the broken Leo when the legs wrapped about one of his own and held him in place. Gears struggled, jammed, snapped. The cockpit went dark.

"H…Heero?"

"Come home with me Duo!"

"I can't!"

Can't, or won't? The question was not spoken but it was there nonetheless.

"Time to choose Duo. Whatever you decide, I'm not letting go."

"Heero…" Duo groaned, switched on the video link. Heero was there, grim, determined, a small trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, face covered in small pink burns, covered in soot. He looked tired, but his eyes were on fire as he waited.

"Come home."

"I…Heero…" Duo looked from Heero to the Devourjac manor and saw Trowa and Quatre dragging people free of the smoking mess, Wufei bringing out even more. Fury welled within. He would not be robbed of retribution!

"Duo, no!"

Duo flicked open the self destruct, knew Heero could see what he was doing, but locked out the cursing bellows of his partner. The thief would not be robbed.

"I am Shinigami…"

Air thumped, followed by an explosion. Duo felt the machine around him break apart, and then it was time to fall.

*

Wufei saw the head of Duo's Gundam come up and instinct took over. Heero was not going to succeed.

"GET DOWN!" He bellowed and everyone obeyed, throwing themselves against the earth, behind walls of debris, hands covering heads as sobs escaped raw throats. Wufei leapt behind an overturned bench and looked up as the explosion rocked through the colony.

"By Allah…" Quatre gasped as the Gundam lit up from within, a deep, raging purple, the lines of the machine glowing for a split second before it began to crumble and small pieces of Gundanium flew in all directions. The Leo held on, even as its head was blown off and the metal shell began to melt in the heat. Wufei watched in horror as the Gundam's chest broke free of the rest of the machine and fell…

More crashes, the earth shook, but Wufei kept his gaze steady on the chests of both mobile suits, longing for them to open, but they remained still.

"Five!" Trowa bellowed, rushing to his feet and hurrying toward the wreckage. Wufei was only a step behind, picking up his sword from where he had tossed it before the explosion.

Trowa went straight to Heero's suit, leaving Wufei to the Gundam. It only took Wufei a moment to realize why as he struck his sword against the metal to no avail. They could not get it open! Only Heero stood a chance of getting that thing to lift…

Wufei spun to see Trowa bang against the Leo's hatch. Nothing happened, and nothing would. The heat from the explosion had welded it shut.

Quatre was suddenly at his side, gun in hand.

"Quatre, what?"

Quatre shoved a phone into Wufei's hand, stepped back, and aimed at the Gundam's cockpit. Wondering what the hell was going on, Wufei put the phone to his ear.

"Winner?" Howard's voice snapped. He sounded furious.

"Chang," Wufei corrected, curious.

"Has he done what I said yet?" Even as Howard asked, Quatre shot the door of the Gundam, directly on the head on one massive Gundanium screw. It turned. Quatre shot another and it too spun a little. A third loosened with another bullet, then a fourth, a fifth. Wufei reached out and tested the loose screws. They turned in his hand. He swallowed dryly. Howard had replaced them with direct release pulls. Battle wouldn't shake them loose, but one precise hit with a single bullet…

"It's working," Wufei choked into the phone, passing it back to Quatre as he undid the rest.

"Yes, Howard, Wufei's nearly there, I'll keep you informed. We need you here asap. We're going to have to cut Heero out! Alright, see you in five. Four, out."

Wufei was only vaguely aware of Quatre's hands moving about his own. He finally tore loose the last screw and heard the hatch release. It took both of them to push it off the wreckage.

Duo was still strapped into the pilots seat. One of the straps had snapped straight through three of his ribs which hadn't healed. The bone had broken through the skin and blood was pooling in the pilot's lap. One arm was still wrapped around the detonation switch, but the arm itself was obviously dislocated. The other arm was sitting at the wrong angle, crushed between the pilots seat and the broken switchboard on the wall of the Gundam. The legs did not look broken, but a piece of metal was buried deep in one thigh, blood pooling at his feet. There was a deep gash over one eyebrow, the face was pale, the eyes closed.

"Duo…" Wufei breathed out heavily.

The eyes flickered and the lids opened slightly.

"Fei? Heero!" Duo tried to sit up but the belt dug deeped into his chest and he screamed.

"Don't move! It's alright, Heero's going to be fine. Just stay still. Howard's on his way."

Wufei didn't know what else to do. He just kept whispering reassurances as he peeled the belts away and began tying bits of Quatre's shirt around limbs. Five minutes before a medic got there. And if Duo was this bad, what was Heero like after crashing in the Leo?

It occurred to Wufei that they had heard no attempts by Heero to get out of his prison. For the first time in his life, it occurred to Chang Wufei that Heero might not be alright at all. That Heero Yuy might in fact be dead.