Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Götterdämmerung ❯ Götterdämmerung ( Chapter 1 )

Götterdämmerung

 

Rating: R for blood

 

Disclaimer: I don't own, so shh! Sekra and Cloud I do own, though.

 

AU: Duo Maxwell just wanted to live a semi-normal life after losing his parents. Unfortunately, he is the “Key” in a battle between the light and the dark, who could free the vamps and the were's from their curse or shove humanity into the darkness forever.

 

 

 

~*~

 

Sir, I encountered Death

Just now among our roses,

Thin as a scythe he stood there

 

I knew him by his pictures.

He had his black coat on,

Black gloves, a broad black hat.

 

I think he would have spoken,

Seeing as his mouth stood open

Big it was, with white teeth.

 

As soon as he beckoned, I ran…

 

excerpt from Encounter in the Rose Garden

 

by Donald Justice

 

~*~

 

Götterdämmerung

(Twilight of the gods)

 

PART ONE

 

Duo Maxwell hardly paid attention to his friend Hilde as he walked home with her. He was a healthy looking 16 year old with long, chestnut brown hair in a braid down to his waist, with violet eyes and thin lashes. He wore a red shirt and black jacket, and black jeans that threatened to fall off his slim hips. He nodded as Hilde looked at him expectantly, smiling.

 

When he began drowning in his thoughts again, Hilde raised a purple eyebrow and regarded him skeptically. “Hey Duo, we should go somewhere this weekend!” she suggested mock-excitedly.

 

“Yeah, sure thing...”

 

“Why don't we go to the bridge so I can push you in?”

 

“Sounds great…”

 

“Did I mention I'm getting married to a squid?”

 

“That's- what?!”

 

“Jeez Duo, your so spacey lately,” Hilde laughed, elbowing her friend. She was dressed in all purple and black, and had purple hair, so Duo often called her a goth.

 

“I just haven't been feeling well…nightmares, you know,” Duo said distractedly, watching his feet.

 

“Oh Duo… its about them, isn't it?” Hilde asked gently. Duo nodded quietly. Hilde was the only person who knew Duo's parents had been murdered in their sleep two years ago. It had looked as if a wild animal had torn into them, and the poor then-fourteen year old boy had been found hiding in the bathroom, covered in blood, repeating one word- “monsters”. Some had speculated Duo had done it, but Hilde, who'd know the boy since he was twelve, knew he couldn't have possibly done it.

 

“Well, I hope they go away soon. I want to see your wonderful light again sometime,” Hilde said as they reached the home of Duo's guardian. Duo looked confused by her vague words but Hilde simply smiled and hugged her friend before sprinting off.

 

`She hasn't changed…not in all these years,' Duo thought fondly as he went inside.

 

~*~

 

Duo woke up in the dark of the night, the time when the moon is covered and you can barely see anything. He had been startled out of a dream where the creatures he's seen kill his parents were chasing him trough an endless bathroom…always chasing, and always getting closer.

 

As he came fully to, the scent of something…musky hit him like a brick wall. He coughed, covering his mouth. It smelled like blood, and wet dog, to him. He looked around, trying to identify the source, but found something a little more ominous. His window was broken, the glass lying on the floor, glittering like jewels. The clouds were passing, and moonlight illuminated the room. Duo gasped, his back hitting the wall against his bed as he scooted back.

 

There was his guardian, Dorothy, a kind if not eccentric woman, or had been anyway. She lay on the ground next to the window, arm almost ripped completely off and deep gouges in her chest, blue eyes staring unseeing at him.

 

That wasn't the crux, either, oh no. Two dark, furry shapes crouched next to her, looking at him as he gasped. One had red eyes, and the other blue. There was one clambering up the windowsill now, one near the door of his bedroom, and one right at the foot of his bed.

 

He whimpered, recognizing the creature as it began clawing its way up the bed towards him. He wished he was a geister now, as Hilde put it, so he could sink through the wall as one furry, clawed hand wrapped around his foot.

 

Suddenly, they all perked their heads towards the door. The one next to the door yelped as a larger, reddish creature tackled it, digging her teeth into its neck. At least, it seemed female to Duo. Suddenly, a similarly sized brown creature tackled the one holding his leg, but its claws managed to rake across his ankle before it was torn into.

 

Two people burst into the room at Duo's exclamation of pain, one he recognized as Hilde, but the other a mystery to him, a gentle looking blonde with friendly blue eyes wearing a trench coat.

 

“Gentle” was erased off that list as he pulled out a shotgun and fired, one handed, into the nearest creature. “Duo!” Hilde cried, running to her friend's side. “Your hurt!”

 

“Hilde! What the hell are these things!” Duo yelled at his friend as she grabbed his arm and hauled him behind her.

 

“Werewolves! Haven's you ever watched Underworld?!” Hilde managed to quip as she pulled out a gun and fired twice into the window, where more things were trying to pile in. “The red one and the brown one are with us!” She told him.

 

“Hilde! I know he's your friend but why are we doing this?” the blonde yelled, and Duo almost thought he was a woman.

 

“Quatre, can't you see? He's our Licht! The Key!” Hilde shouted, but as she shouted two werewolves that had crowded into the overflowing room rammed into her, teeth and claws digging into her.

 

“HILDE!” Duo yelled as Quatre shot at them and the red she-wolf ripped them off of Hilde. Her violet eyes, the same shade as Duo's, looked at him. She was much larger than the others, and turned to guard the two as more werewolves came at them.

 

Duo was next to his friend, who was clutching her stomach. So much blood was leaking out, and Duo could see the large gap where her stomach had been, making him sick. Hilde coughed blood. “Well, looks like this immortality stuff was a gyp,” she remarked morbidly.

 

“Hilde?!” Duo asked, not understanding as he cradled his friend's head.

 

“Vampires can't get…clawed by weres, Duo. Its bad for us,” she gasped, and raised her arms to show Duo the wound which was now burning away at the edges like acid. “Listen Duo…be strong. Trust Quatre and the others-“ she hacked up more blood, and Duo's worries increased tenfold- “the others, you'll meet them soon. You're our licht… light, and you're the Key…”

 

Duo looked horrified as Hilde, starting at her midsection, began to turn into misty dust that wafted away. “The key to what?!” Duo asked, grasping her hand.

 

Hilde smiled the smile of the dying. “Licht und Dunkel…” she whispered, before completely fading.

 

“Hilde!” Duo said, looking at the crumpled clothes she'd been wearing. The infamous Maxwell anger-after-death reared its head, and Duo grabbed the gun she had and began firing blindly into the din.

 

~*~

 

`This isn't good,' Quatre thought as he backed up next to Hilde's friend. `We're outnumbered!' “Sekra! Heero! Get him and lets go!” he yelled at the two werewolves. “Duo!” he yelled at the teen that was now firing blanks.

 

“What?!” the youth yelled, turning to him, tears in his eyes. “We need to leave, quickly, or Hilde's death will have been for naught,” he told the other softly. Duo gave him a look, tearstained and unbound hair making him look all the more depressing.

 

“How?” the other asked finally as Quatre began pulling at his arm. “The others,” Quatre said, as red-wolf and brown-wolf stood in front of them. “Here. Put your arms around here-“ he placed Duo's trembling arms around the chocolate brown wolf's neck- “and wrap your legs around his waist when he begins running. He'll hold onto you too,” he said as both were hoisted up by the weres.

 

“Don't let go,” he added softly as they took off. Duo hugged the creature and closed his eyes, disoriented by the world going by so fast. It was like being in a car, only the comforting weight of a seat was replaced by a furry body that flexed in front of you.

 

“We have to lose them first, Duo! Think you can handle him jumping?” he heard Quatre's voice, faintly. He didn't think he could, but if it meant no more things then sure. He nodded, realized Quatre couldn't see the movement, and as he went to yell, the werewolf holding him jumped.

 

He wanted to let go, but all rational though told him not to.

 

“Sekra, Heero! Lose them in the forest! Through the river!” Quatre yelled, as Duo opened his eyes to see an approaching forest horizon over a furry shoulder. He could also see the large she wolf and Quatre, who clung to her.

 

When blurry buildings suddenly shifted to lots of blurry green, Duo closed his eyes and tried not to think. It seemed some time passed, and suddenly he was being shaken awake.

 

“Wow, you fell asleep. I can't do that- it still terrifies me,” Quatre was leaning over him, as Duo felt something more comfy than a werewolf under him. It was a couch, he noticed as he sat up.

 

“The…wolves?” he questioned, noticing now he was wearing someone's baggy jeans ands a white button down shirt.

 

“Showers, dressing. Every time they turn back, they're naked, you know. Technically, they are when they're wolves too,” Quatre remarked as is it was the most normal thing in the world. Duo found himself embarrassed, and remarked with a small `oh.'

 

“Oh, we haven't been properly introduced! My name is Quatre Raberba Winner,” The blonde said cheerily, sitting on a chair next to the couch. He wore a white-pink shirt that resembled the one Duo was wearing and black jeans.

 

“Duo Maxwell,” Duo answered, looking at his bandaged ankle. He was wracked with sadness now, thinking about Hilde. He should've been able to protect her.

 

“Hilde knew you were strong. But we were caught off guard,” Quatre said, almost as if he knew what Duo was thinking. Duo looked up, surprised, and Quatre smiled sadly. “I'm an empath, Duo. I'm also quite old…but I'll tell you that later, when everyone is here. Only Heero and Sekra are here right now…”

 

“Hey, Hilde told me I was the Key, or something, to…Licht und Dunkel. What did she mean by all of that?” Duo asked, putting his foot back down on the soft carpet.

 

Quatre sobered for a moment, then began speaking. “I can tell you a little…but not too much until the rest of us are here. I read part of what the Key is supposed to do, but we were in a hurry not to get killed and it was in German.

“The Key… it's supposed to be a very powerful person. Looking at you I can see you are one, Duo. The Key is supposed to, under certain conditions, be able to, and I quote, `Free the wolves and the bats from their curse or cause eternal darkness'.”

 

“That...last part doesn't sound too good,” Duo said. “What does it mean?”

 

“Wolves and bats are werewolves and vampires, and we're not quite sure, but we think its would either be something like no more werewolves and vampires, - freed of their curse- or make it so werewolves don't turn under the moon, vampires can walk in sun, or not drink blood. But we do know eternal darkness would be everlasting night. Humanity would fall prey to the dark side,” Quatre said.

 

“And you guys think I'm the Key?!” Duo exclaimed, pointing at himself then Quatre, eyes wide.

 

“Well... like I said, there are certain conditions that have to be met. Lets say you're a very likely prospect,” Quatre answered, looking at the arm of his chair, slightly nervous.

 

“What exactly are these `conditions'?” Duo asked, giving the blonde a look. Quatre didn't answer for moments, and then looked up as they both heard soft steps down the stairs. Duo turned as people appeared in the doorway.

 

“Oh, he's awake, Quatre?” the female asked. She wore a red belly shirt that showed off what looked like clawing scars, and blue jeans. She had chin length red-maroon hair, and violet eyes that matched Duo's.

 

The other was a slightly taller male, with messy spiky chocolate brown hair and intense, skeptical blue eyes. He was slightly muscled, and wore a loose green tank top and black jeans that hugged his hips. Duo was watching both of them intently.

 

“Duo, this is Sekra and Heero, the two who help us get away,” Quatre spoke, voice slightly lighter.

 

“So your Hilde's little Key. Never imagined we'd find you in my lifetime...well, maybe I should've,” Sekra gave a short laugh as she shook his hand vigorously. She reminded him of the kid you'd meet who was generally good, but still pulled horrible pranks and beat people up. Kind yet terrifying, yet he wasn't scared of her.

 

“Well, Quatre tells me I just might be the Key,” Duo answered, slightly at a loss to answer her question, pulling his hand back.

 

“Really! Maybe, then, maybe your Hilde's little Key,” Sekra smirked, all teeth and no smile, but her eyes twinkled. “Hey, Heero, say hello to the kid. We did save him after all,” Sekra turned to the male who was still in the doorway.

 

Duo took the momentary lapse in silence to study Heero closely. He had slim muscles, and what looked to be perpetually unhappy lips, high cheekbones, and eyes that… His eyes were intriguing, cobalt gray, like looking into molten metal that didn't glow orange.

 

“Hn,” Heero said finally, turning from the room to go back up the steps. Duo was hanging off the couch now, watching him go off.

 

“Bitchy personality,” Duo said aloud, not realizing that he did.

 

Sekra laughed, throwing her head back. “Not bitchy- antisocial, that's what he says!” she said loudly. “Anyway…” Sekra calmed down, sitting on the table in the middle of the room. “The others should be back soon, Quatre, and Duo, you can meet the rest of us,” she said.

 

“Who are the others?” Duo asked. “More people like us, working for the `good' side. The `bad' side is a little more organized. Their leader is Milliardo `Zechs' Peacecraft, another werewolf,” Quatre said. “There are three others in our little sect...”

 

“Well, four. There's an on/off member…” Sekra said thoughtfully, then perked up, looking around. “Speaking of which, they're back.”

 

~*~

 

Duo watched in amazement as four people burst through the front door in a very ungraceful entrance. A silver haired man supported a brown-haired man, while a tall lady was helping a black haired teen walk on an injured foot.

 

“Quatre, we're back, but Trowa and Wufei are injured,” the silver haired man said. He had long silver hair pulled into a loose braid to the middle of his back, and gray eyes that shone, and was very pale, wearing a trench coat like Quatre had.

 

“Here Cloud, put them on the couch- Duo, could you move?” Quatre asked as he helped the brown haired teen sit down. Duo acquiesced, getting up and helping the lady set the black haired teen down. He wore only a trench coat that was tied around the waist tightly.

 

“Hey Sekra, who's he?” The lady asked, wiping her forehead and looking at Duo. She had light brown hair in two large braids, with light blue eyes and wore a green vest and black long sleeved shirt and loose pants. She had a sword and shotgun strapped to her back.

 

“He's the one Hilde thought was the Key- his names Duo,” Sekra said, taking Cloud's trench coat. “Where's Hilde?” Cloud asked as the lady and Quatre began examining the two injured men.

 

“She's dead,” Duo said sadly before Quatre could. “She died protecting me,” he said, expecting someone to blame him.

 

“She must've really believed in you, then,” the light brown haired woman gave Duo a sad smile before lifting the black haired teens leg. The teen made a loud noise of pain. “That hurts, Sally!” he yelled, glowering.

 

“I think its broken,” Sally told Quatre as she felt the leg. “Trowa has blessed bullets in his shoulder, and he almost got clawed by a werewolf,” she finished as Quatre ripped open the brown haired teens shirt, revealing two slightly burning entry holes.

 

“Their still in. Sekra, get the first aid kit,” Quatre commanded the red haired woman, who sprinted up the stairs. Quatre looked at Cloud. “You, towels, now,” he said, and Sally yelled after him “A splint set too!” as he followed Sekra up the stairs.

 

“Is there anything I can do?” Duo asked quickly, not liking just standing there. “Actually, yeah. Can you hold him down? I'm going to pop this back into place, and he's going to jerk,” Sally said, motioning towards the black haired teen. Duo nodded, standing next to the teen and placing his arms on his chest. The teen had black hair that was slicked back and in a small ponytail, though it was mussed now. He had intense dark eyes and was slightly tanned, and as Duo noticed before, wore a black trench coat that was tied at the waist, and nothing else, though Duo couldn't see anything.

 

“Hold him down hard,” Sally warned and placed her hands on the teen's leg, then made a quick pull and jerk movement with her hands, and the bone slid back in with a sickening pop. The teen jerked violently, making a noise that sound a lot like a strangled roar, and Duo held him down tightly, so hard he thought he might crush his ribs. But he didn't, and the teen after a moment settled down. Sekra and Cloud returned at this time with the first aid kit and the splint.

 

Duo moved over to watch Quatre as Sally took the splint and began bandaging the others leg with Clouds help. Quatre dug out a pair of large blunt tweezers from the kit and leaned over the teen, whom Duo figured was Trowa. Trowa had light brown hair and green eyes, or at least one green eye. The other was covered by his hair, with had fallen in front of the left side of his face in a unibang. He wore a black turtleneck that was now ripped from the right shoulder to his chest and black jeans.

 

Quatre had fished out one bullet, and threw it to the side carelessly. As he went for the next one Duo looked up at Sekra and asked, “What are blessed bullets?”

 

“Bullets blessed by a pure priest, or one who's never done wrong and reaaally believes in God. Its hell for vampires if the shooter has a strong faith. As it stands with Trowa, it means he'll just have to heal normally instead of quickly,” Sekra answered, handing Quatre disinfectant when he held out his hand.

 

“He's a vampire?” Duo asked, watching Quatre pour disinfectant onto the wounds. Trowa hissed, tensing up in his shoulders and Quatre placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something. Trowa calmed down.

 

“Yeah. Here Quatre,” Sekra handed the blonde some bandages and a white, clean rag. The blonde took it, and folded the rag so it covered the wounds.

 

“Duo, could you hold this for a moment?” Quatre asked, and Duo held the rag down until the fair-haired empath had gone around the shoulder and chest a few times and didn't need the braided boy to hold it anymore.

 

“The other guys a werewolf. His name is Wufei,” Sekra said. Sally had finished with the splint and bandages, and was helping the teen up the stairs.

 

“Quatre, Cloud, Sekra, Trowa, I'm gonna help Wufei get dressed,” Sally called. “Like hell you are, woman!” he heard the other, Wufei, gutturally growl.

 

“Cloud is also a vampire,” Sekra said finally as the silver haired man crouched next to Duo. “There! All done, Trowa,” Quatre said, ripping off the end of the bandage and tucking it in under the rest.

 

“Thanks, Quatre,” Trowa's voice was pained as he sat up. He looked around, and then asked, “Where's Hilde?”

 

“Hilde died…she was protecting her Key,” Sekra said, motioning behind Trowa at Duo. The unibanged boy turned to regard Duo, who felt nervous under the sudden scrutiny. He wrapped his arms around himself. He felt like an object, they way people kept calling him a Key.

 

“He's the Key?” Trowa asked finally. “Hilde thought he was. I kind of think he is too,” Quatre said with a small smile. The green-eyed boy gave him another once over, and then turned back to the others. “Maybe,” he said finally.

 

“Where did our Heero go?” Cloud asked. “Upstairs. He's feeling quite the recluse tonight. He's apprehensive,” Quatre said, helping Trowa up. “Your getting heavy, love,” he laughed as he helped Trowa up the stars. Trowa merely gave a small glare.

 

Duo didn't know what to make of that exchange, and looked back to find Cloud and Sekra looking at him. “Well, sleeping rearrangements are in order,” Sekra said finally with a small grin. “Cloud, you stick with Heero. Duo can bunk with me…you can have Hilde's bed, Duo,” Sekra said, standing up.

 

~*~

 

Sekra changed the sheets on the once purple lined bed and showed Duo where everything was. “Bathroom, closet- it was Hilde's, we'll find a way to get inside your house tomorrow and get your stuff. Anything else, just ask,” Sekra said.

 

Duo turned to the red-head who was trying to make her bed. “How come…how come your just letting Hilde go so easily?!” he asked. Sekra halted, then turned to look at him.

 

“Duo…” she began, “I've been around for a long time. Most werewolves like Heero and Wufei have slightly longer life spans, one year aging for every three. Me… I'm almost 500 years old,” she said.

 

“What? How? And what does this have to do with Hilde?!” Duo demanded.

 

“Listen! When you've been alive as long as I have, you learn to… get over people quickly,” Sekra said sadly. “I only knew Hilde for 5 years- that's a blink of an eye for me. I'm a familiar- a vampire's familiar. Cloud's familiar, and when he gets killed, I will instantly age all the years I haven't. Quatre… he's Trowa's familiar, but he's known Hilde for about a hundred years. He's trying so hard to stay upbeat, because she wanted to protect you.

 

“Heero wasn't close to Hilde, and neither was Wufei. Heero just now met Quatre again after twenty years. Wufei is fairly new. Sally…isn't here half the time. We will all miss her, but its not like we have that much time to mourn her. There's no body, and we have to keep fighting Zechs,” Sekra finished somberly.

 

“This…is so wrong…” Duo said quietly, tears in his eyes. He lay down on his new bed. Sekra moved over to him, patting his shoulder. “Get some rest. You'll feel better in the morning,” she said softly.

 

Duo smiled sadly. “Your not such a hard ass, are you, Sekra?”

 

“Not really. Tell anyone and I'll hurt you,” Sekra laughed gently, and Duo fell into darkness.

 

~*~

 

Geister- ghost

Licht- light

Licht und Dunkel- light and dark