Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Serenade ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Midnight Serenade

 

Author's Notes: Midnight Serenade was started five years ago when I was a sophomore in high school. It started out as a humorous little get together fic I wrote in gym because my friend and I were really bored, but the more I wrote, the deeper this fic got. So, now that I am a junior in college, I'm re-writing it. This was actually pre-Death. There are some original characters, but don't let that scare you, they serve a very important purpose in relation to the plot, not just because I want to flaunt my original character skills.

 

Rating: NC-17

Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, OCx2.

Warnings: Racism (not realistic, but terrible none the less), angst, sap, lemon, violence, language, supernatural elements, OOC, annoying Relena, NCS, torture, mentions of past pedophilia.

Summary: Duo is a being not from our world, hiding from beings that wish to persecute him for the way he was born.

 

Chapter 1

 

Duo flexed his wings, spreading his seven foot wingspan with ease, his tail swishing back and forth as he perched on the top of the tree. His cat-like ears twitched from side to side, trying to pick up the slightest sound in case he should be discovered. He had finally managed to get away from the safe house to relax in the woods without anyone noticing he was gone. Hiding his `true' self for so long was taxing on his body. He could keep a human form for as long as he needed to, but it hurt. So, every now and then he would try to find a safe place to change and rest his tired powers and muscles. He sniffed at the wind, his super-human senses picking up a familiar scent.

 

*****

 

Duo had disappeared again. Heero trudged through the woods with an annoyed look on his face. Every so often the braided pilot would wander off. Sure, each time he would return looking just fine, but Heero had no idea why or where he went. The boy was a mystery and Heero hated not being in control. Still, when he really questioned his motives, he found that it was not out of curiosity that Heero was walking through the thick bushes in search of Duo, but concern. They were in between missions and OZ was still hot on their trail. If they had to leave quickly, Heero wanted to make sure that Duo was with them. Heero growled at his own thoughts. Duo was a Gundam pilot and could take care of himself, but he just couldn't ignore his own feelings. Love… it was perfectly useless during a war, but it was also overwhelming. He just didn't understand how Quatre and Trowa could cope. Of course, he bet that they didn't spend hours pining uselessly after each other. After all, they had already confessed their feelings while Heero was too afraid to say a thing. Heero took a break and leaned against a large tree. Something dropped down from it behind him. He whirled around, whipping out his gun to shoot at whatever, or whoever, it was. Amused violets bore into him as Duo smirked at him, looking completely normal, at least for Duo.

“Did I scare you?” He teased. Heero rolled his eyes. Duo didn't wait around for Heero to respond and ran off towards the house. Heero looked up at the high branches that Duo had jumped from. His gaze was suspicious for such a tall height… Heero shook off his thoughts. It was nothing… just his imagination.

 

*****

 

`That was close,' Duo thought. Just a few more seconds and Heero might have looked up and seen Duo changing. He sighed. He had to be more careful. If Heero found out… Duo shuddered. No, that was not going to happen! He thought that he could survive anything as long as Heero didn't find out that he was a monster.

“Have a good walk?” Quatre asked, chopping carrots and dropping them into a large pan on the stove as Duo walked into the kitchen. Though only Trowa and Wufei seemed to have a true knack for cooking, they all took turns. Quatre, Heero, and Duo weren't exactly great at it, but they weren't bad, either. With the cold, autumn weather, it appeared that Quatre was making some sort of stew. Trowa, while living with the mercenaries, had learned all of the basics, but it seemed like he had a natural talent for cooking. Wufei had learned how to cook from his mother, though he only seemed to know how to make oriental food and had a lot of trouble with Eastern foods. Quatre, having been raised in a household filled with servants, had to have been taught by the rest of them and was still learning, but he could make simple things like grilled cheese and soup. Duo, after watching Sister Helen cook, had picked up a few things. Out of all of them, Duo was the best baker, so when they had the luxury, he would make cookies and pies and cakes for them. His cooking was mediocre, but, like Trowa, he knew how to make more complicated stuff, he just wasn't as good at it as him. As part of his training, Heero had to learn how to take care of himself, so like Quatre, he had a basic knowledge of cooking, his food just seemed bland until one of the others helped him with it. Duo felt proud that Heero's opinion of his cooking was good. In fact, it seemed like it was one of the few things in which Duo was better than Heero at. Duo took a whiff of what was cooking in the pot.

“Good, it's not too cold out today. Smells good, Quat!” Quatre beamed at him, grateful to be doing something for the team after a week of monotony. Their controllers had ordered them to stay low while OZ's hunt for them heated up. However…

“Trowa received a mission today,” Quatre said in a somber tone, “he leaves in an hour.”

“I'm sorry,” Duo said sincerely. It had been a great relief when Trowa and Quatre had hooked up. Duo was glad to see his friends and comrades happy for a change. He just wished he had a reason to smile like they did. Quatre smiled again, but it was darker and unsure.

“I'm sure he'll be fine, Wufei will be going with him.” Duo nodded. Wufei could be an ass sometimes, but he was loyal and treated his friends like family. If he had to make a choice between a friend or his arm, he would use his own katana to cut it off. Duo patted Quatre on the shoulder.

“I'll make you those blueberry pancakes you like tomorrow, ok?” Quatre hugged him.

“Thank you, Duo,” he murmured in his ear. Quatre was the only one who knew that Duo was in love with Heero and understood that Duo would do whatever he could to take Quatre's mind off of Trowa leaving, just like Quatre did whenever Heero left on a mission. The only difference, the one that really mattered, was that while Quatre could kiss his lover goodbye, Duo could only watch Heero leave in silence, waiting, wishing, and hoping for a way to change things. Quatre remembered what it was like when he had fallen in love with Trowa but had not been able to confess his feelings. He did not understand how Duo could bear it. Quatre turned back to his cooking as the water started to boil. Duo smiled at his best friend.

Duo looked out the window at the sky which was a burning orange and blue as the sun set. This world was such a strange place. Still, he did not miss his home at all; he merely wondered what was happening to his kin. He felt a darkness fill his heart. The ones he loved… they were suffering now all because of him, because he had escaped. And yet, he was glad. He was a horrible creature because of that.

`Despite all of the pain it's caused,' he thought as the sky slowly darkened into twilight, `I'm glad I came to Earth. It is so much better here and at least here I have people who care about me.' His eyes softened as his being was filled with sadness and pain, glad that he was facing away from Quatre so he could not see it, `I hope I never have to go back. I don't care if Heero doesn't love me or not, for the first time in my life, I actually feel like I belong and for now, that's all I need.'

 

*****

 

Duo stuck his tongue out of his mouth as he leaned over the stove, mixing a large bowl of pancake batter; a cute habit he had when he was concentrating. He was so deep in his thoughts that he did not notice that Heero was watching him work behind him. As Duo leaned forward to heat the pan, his braid slipped forward, exposing his pale, thin neck. Heero swallowed. He had the sudden urge to lick at that fair skin. But, he had no right, despite the fact that he wondered what Duo would taste like. Need ate at him, becoming a solid thing in his gut, but he was nothing if not able to sacrifice his own wants for what needed to be done. Some would call that a virtue. Heero called it a curse. He wondered how things would change if he just took that one little step forward…

But… some things were just not meant to be. Heero left the kitchen and returned to his laptop.

 

*****

 

Quatre watched as Duo and Heero packed with a sad expression. It was hard to imagine that he would be all alone in this house when just yesterday they were all together, enjoying each other's company.

“When will you be back?” He asked with a heavy heart. He hated this, watching his friends going off into a situation that could lead to their own deaths.

“In three days,” Duo told him, “we can't bring our Gundams with us. We just have to get in, steal the data, wipe as much as we can, and blow the rest up. It'll be easy to get in without our Gundams, getting out on the other hand…,” Duo shrugged nonchalantly. Quatre shuddered. So much could go wrong with a mission like that. Heero continued to bear an expressionless face as he helped Duo packed the materials he needed to make explosives. Finally, he left the room. Quatre was grateful. He sighed. The boy could be so cold sometimes. Duo could easily imagined how lonely the boy was, especially with Trowa gone. Duo wished he could have at least a little comfort. Hell, he was a virgin in more than one regard. And Heero was probably just as oblivious to it all. Maybe he was lucky like that; you certainly couldn't miss something you didn't know existed.

`Not that it matters anyway. If I ever have sex with a human I won't be able to go home. Well, that wouldn't be so bad, but these powers are useful. Besides that, anytime I lose control, I turn into my true form. So… if I had sex…,' Duo shuddered a little. Quatre looked at him in concern.

“There's no way Heero could ever fall in love with someone like me,” he muttered. `Even if I was fully human.' Quatre's gaze turned pitiful at the tragic statement.

“Duo,” he murmured. Duo smiled reassuringly at him.

“I'm fine,” he said, but Quatre knew that that wasn't the full truth at all. “There's no use whining about it, right?” Quatre's smile was weak.

 

*****

 

“Are you sure you're ready for this?” Heero asked as they put their duffle bags in the car. He realized at the last minute how condescending the remark sounded, but he genuinely worried. In truth, this was his mission, not Duo's, and he was supposed to go it alone. But, though he was loath to admit it, this was Duo's area of expertise and with the two of them, the chances of something going wrong was much slimmer. Of course, when Heero had told him of his mission, Duo had jumped on it, outlining plans for the both of them that greatly exceeded J's plans. The fact that they made such a great time made pride swell inside of Heero. In the past, Heero would have rather shot the boy instead of letting anyone even know about his missions, let alone let them adjust his plans.

“You have to do the most on this mission,” Heero continued. While he was glad to work with Duo, he also didn't like putting the boy he loved in dangerous situations.

“I know it's your specialty,” Heero tried to change his mind. He could pull this mission off on his own, it would just have a greater chance of him getting hurt, “but even so… if you mess up, it'll get us both killed.” Heero didn't have to psychoanalyze himself to know that it was Duo getting killed that bothered him the most. Duo rolled his eyes at him.

“Gee, thanks,” Duo's voice was heavy with sarcasm.

“Don't mean to be cold,” Heero tried to reassure him, “I am only stating the facts. This mission is riding on your shoulders.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll try better than my best. I'm the only one who can pull this off flawlessly, remember? I'll do what I'm good at and succeed. Don't worry, I won't screw up.” Heero nodded, feeling better at Duo's infectious confidence.

“I know you won't. I'm putting all of my trust in you and your abilities.” Heero opened the driver side door and slid in, not seeing Duo's blush at his words. Despite the fact that they both had fake driver's licenses, Heero looked older than Duo and was less likely to get pulled over.

`He's putting his trust in me?' Duo thought, `in that case, I really cannot afford to fail.'

“C'mon, let's go,” Heero's voice broke Duo out of his thoughts.

 

*****

 

The plan was simple enough. They would travel the compound's heating duct into the main control room. The duct was an elaborate maze and Duo was counting on Heero's memorization skills to get through it. In the main control room, Duo just needed to enter the pre-hacked computer codes to gain the password for the room and files they were looking for. Then, they would have to find the right computer room with the data they needed as there were twenty computer rooms and not all of the files were connected to the network, but specific computers. Getting into the control room would be hard enough, considering the duct was a good twelve felt up, meaning they couldn't go back the way they came in. Then, Heero would have to knock out the guards while Duo broke into the right room and obtain the data without getting killed. The room would not be empty and Duo would have to fight himself. Then, Duo would set up the explosives and virus Heero had created and the two boys would only have five minutes to get to the bottom floor and get out. Okay, so the plan wasn't that simple. But it was functional. If either of the pilots made a slight error, they would be blown to smithereens. Not a pleasant thought. Duo was nervous, but confident. He had done missions like this many times, though he had had better time ranges and odds and there had only been his own life at stake. As they crawled through the duct, Duo found it hard to keep his eyes off Heero's ass.

`C'mon! Think of the mission!' They reached the end of the duct. Heero opened the hatch door.

“Be careful of the drop,” Heero advised. Duo nodded even though he knew Heero couldn't see it. Then, Heero jumped. Duo slid forward and jumped. He landed gracefully on his feet and took in his surroundings. They ran to the nearest computer and started typing. Heero found the passwords for the mainframe and individual computers while Duo cross referenced the files they needed with each computer. Despite the enormous amount of information they both had to sift through, they were efficient at their jobs and got all that they needed in a matter of minutes. No words were spoken as they ran to each room, downloading from the individual computers before needing to go to the main computer room and attacking the mainframe. It would be from there that Duo would plant the explosives.
“Halt!” One of the guards patrolling the computer room spotted the two boys racing towards them. This was the only way into the room, so sneaking past them was impossible. Their only chance was to attack full force. It was time. They whipped out their guns and shot the three guards. They fell in no time. The guards had had just enough time to get a few shots off, but none of them hit their targets. The worse was a minor graze that swept over Duo's arm, but it wasn't bad. Even as Duo got the door open, more guards were running towards them and an alarm was sounded.

“Now!” Heero yelled. Duo rushed into the room, trusting Heero to cover his back, and slid on the blood coating the floor, giving him a greater advantage in speed to duck the bullets that managed to slip past Heero, though one lucky shot hit him in the back. Heero locked the door behind Duo just in case he failed and Duo needed to gain a few minutes to destroy the data. They could do incredible damage to OZ by getting rid of that data. Of course, they would also be giving themselves the edge by keeping the data for themselves, but if there was no way out, they had their orders to destroy everything, even if it went killing them. The sounds of shooting just beyond the door filled Duo with fear for his partner, but he had a job to do. There were two more guards waiting for him in the room, but Duo was prepared with a knife. He wiped his weapon clean of blood, stepping over the corpses and ignoring the feeling of tacking blood seeping through his clothes and onto his skin. He typed furiously, wrapping a hand around the wound on his arm and wincing at a hot pain in his back as the computer quickly downloaded the files onto a protected disc. He whipped out the disc when it was done, scared as the sounds from the hallway ceased and he felt blood leaking into his pants, from his back wound or the dead guard's blood he did not know. He taped the explosives to the computer screen.

`Okay, we've got five minutes to get the hell out of here,' Duo thought as he sped out of the room. The hallway was chaos with blood and guts and bodies all over the place, but he discovered happily that Heero was not dead or badly wounded. The second Heero saw his partner, he started to run. They never made it to the first flight of stairs.

 

*****

 

They ran through the hallways and, upon reaching their last corridor, Duo let out a breath of relief. But it was short lived. As they turned the corner… they met with a large glass window.

“Fuck!” Heero swore.

 

The explosion sounded behind them. Fire flowed like a rapid tidal wave, slamming them against the window. Heero hit the glass, his body was savagely cut by the brutal force of it while Duo was hit by the brunt of the explosion and the smell of burning flesh filled the air as they both fell towards the ocean and rocky shore below.

 

 

*****

*****

*****

*****

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Velvet wings unfolded from Duo's back as he fell, ripping through the flesh of his back as he didn't have the time to prepare his human body for the sudden change. He winced when a red hot pain shot through his right wing. He felt something warm trickle down his feathers.

`Shit! Not good!' He plummeted after Heero's falling body. He managed to catch his friend and with all his might, he managed to pull them up from the tailspin.

“Duo?” Heero's murmured.

“It's ok,” Duo reassured him tiredly as he struggled to keep them in the air as the base burned behind them. Heero fell unconscious. Duo was worried at the amount of blood that was pooling out his wounds, but he couldn't do anything until they were on land again. Duo wavered in the air. The explosion had created harsh winds that made it difficult to control his movements. His injured wing was flapping oddly as well.

`Double shit! I can barely carry myself on these currents! There's no way my wings can hold him up as well.' Just then a strong wind hit and slammed Duo into a nearby cliff. The pilot used his large wings to shield Heero from the impact. He cried out as he heard a loud crunch. He quickly grabbed a root jutting out from the cliff with one hand and with the other he slung Heero over his shoulder and grunted.

“Damn! If we survive this, you are so going on a diet!” Duo looked pitifully at his right wing which was laying limp, dark rivers of blood streamed down his feathers and trickled down to the rocky earth below in thick drops. Duo looked up. It was a good twenty feet to the top of the cliff. He gritted his teeth as he could feel the stress in his tightened muscles as he began to climb.

 

*****

 

Someone saved me. I felt as though I was falling to hell. I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe. Then, I started to float. I looked up and saw that an angel was carrying me back up to heaven. As the blackness came, I welcomed it. I know that I'll be safe in my angel's warm embrace.

 

*****

 

Duo pulled Heero up towards the ground.

`Whew! Finally!' His muscles felt as though they were on fire. Duo sat down next to Heero. He strained his back to try to lift his broken wing but all that resulted was more pain.

“So much for flying,” he muttered. He looked down at the fallen boy. Heero needed medical attention right away, but they were too far away from help. He would die by the time Duo could carry him to a safe house or hospital. Even then, a hospital was too risky. He could use his powers to transfer Heero's wounds onto himself, but that would render himself useless completely useless and make him very ill. He looked down at his body. He was badly burned but because of his abilities, he would be able to heal himself within a few weeks. There was a bullet stuck in his wing that he wouldn't be able to get out on his own considering how sensitive his wings were. All in all, he would be able to do the transfer but…. No! He had to save Heero! Duo placed a hand on Heero's forehead. He closed his eyes as a soft blue light glowed around his body.

 

*****

 

Heero awoke slowly, feeling comfortable warmth.

`What a weird dream… I dreamt Duo was an angel… odd. Wait, where am I? I remember hitting the window and falling… but what came after?' Heero looked around and noticed Duo curled into a ball next to him. Except, Duo wasn't… Duo. He had feline ears, a long black tail, and… wings? Heero shook his head.

`I must be dreaming… even is he does look beautiful like that.' Heero looked more closely at Duo. His right wing looked mangled dripping with blood. Hell, his entire body was practically drenched in it and there were burns, bruises, and cuts all over him. His shirt had been burned in huge chunks and seemed to be hanging on by threads. What Heero could see of his back to seemed to have been ripped open by his wings. Besides that, his face was flushed with fever and he was breathing hard. Then, Heero looked down at himself. He was completely unharmed.

`But I was the one who hit the window; I'm the one who should have the cuts. What the hell is going on?!'

`Kill him. He lied to you. He betrayed your trust. It's the obvious choice. He's a freak of nature. He's obviously dangerous,' the soldier in him snapped.

`No! I will not! Ok, so, he's not exactly human. Mutant, alien, experiment, I don't really care what he is. He's my friend and he's hurt. And he didn't betray my trust, he was just trying to be normal, I think. He didn't want us to alienate or persecute him. At least, that's what I would feel like if I was… different. So just SHUT UP!' The soldier made no response. Heero touched one of Duo's ears. He needed to get Duo some help, but how when he looked like this?

`Still, it's soft…' Heero blinked as Duo made a strange noise.

`Did he just purr?' Heero stroked the ear. The purring noise got louder. Heero smirked.

`Cute.' His gaze got serious as he noticed Duo's right wing. He ran his fingers through the bloodied feathers and against the protruding bone of the break. He grimaced as he felt wet blood there. Duo suddenly made a noise that sounded like a cross between a purr, mewl, and cry of agony. Heero winced. His wings were so sensitive… he needed bandages and something to get the bullet out. There was no exit wound, so it was still lodged in there and pretty deep by the looks of it. Heero peeled of his white jacket and green tank top as well as the remains of Duo's shirt. In other circumstances, he would have drooled over the site of Duo's naked upper torso, but the sight of Duo's pale back made Heero stop what he was doing. The poor boy's back was covered in pock marks, long nasty scars, burn marks; there was even a scar in the shape of a demon wing. The tattoo looking scar looked painted, but Heero realized that the skin was actually charred black. Someone had also carved symbols he didn't understand and derogatory words like `monster', `freak', `whore', and other horrible things that made him see red. He shook off his feelings of rage. There was nothing he could do about it now, but as soon as Duo was better, they were going to have a long talk. He put his jacket back on and tore up the tank top into long strips. They would do fine for bandages, but he had nothing to get the bullet out except for his fingers… Heero winced, but there was no way around it. He slowly pressed a finger against Duos wing muscle tissue. The unconscious boy whimpered.

“Hold on,” Heero murmured reassuringly. He dug his finger into the wound, holding the trembling boy in his arms. He clutched Duo tighter as the longhaired boy screamed in pin. Heero dug harder into the muscle, feeling for the tip of the bullet. He grimaced as a wave of blood leaked past his finger. Duo started to yell in a foreign language that he had never heard of, but he understood the tone of someone begging for pain to stop. But the sound of his voice… it sounded like he was beginning against something worse than the pain he was in… it tore at his heart. Duo squirmed and thrashed in his arms as the pain overwhelmed him and fuelled his nightmares. Heero cried in triumph as he felt the tip of the bullet. In one fluid movement he ripped the bullet from the flesh. Duo screamed again and this time Heero had to hold him down with all of his strength to keep him from convulsing out of control.

“Ssh,” Heero stroke the writhing teen's hair and ears in a desperate attempt to calm him. However, it worked. Soon, Duo was sound asleep once again. Heero looked at the blood and flesh covered bullet in disgust and chucked it over the cliff as hard as he could. He gazed down at his feverish partner; his normally cold eyes were warm in concern. He continued to stroke his silky hair and sensitive ears.

“Don't worry. Everything's ok now. We'll find a safe house soon, I promise.” Amazingly, Duo completely settled down as Heero spoke.

 

*****

 

Quatre cuddled against Trowa in complete contentment. It felt so good to have him back and healthy. Trowa caressed Quatre's smooth face and leaned in to kiss him. Quatre hummed in happiness and melted against Trowa's firm chest. Then, it happened. Mostly when Quatre `felt' things, it was a gradual build, but this time it hit him suddenly and at full force. He screamed. Trowa sat up and grabbed Quatre's shoulders, trying to keep his love grounded in the here and now instead of something miles away, but it was no use.

“Is it Heero or Duo?” Trowa asked desperately. If he knew what was causing the pain, he could stop it. Not to mention he needed to know if his friends were in trouble. Quatre shuddered and twitched as wave after wave of pain and anguish hit his heart.

“Yes!” He whimpered. He knew it was one of the pair that was feeling such physical and emotional pain, but every time he tried to reach out to find out which one it was and the specific emotions, the pain became too much and he had to back off.

“Is it fatal? Are they in danger?” No response; Quatre appeared to be going into shock and was muttering something too softly for him to hear but it sounded like `brother' or `mother' something like that.

“Quatre!” Then, Quatre started to scream again, this time in fear and anger instead of pain. Then, it all just stopped.

“It's ok,” Quatre murmured exhaustedly, “the pain's stopped for some reason.

“Are they alright?” Trowa asked with baited breath. Quatre placed a hand over his heart and nodded.

“I think so. I can still feel him… but he's asleep and relaxed. But I can't tell if they're captured or not! That's what I hate about my empathy! All I can do is feel their emotions and pain! They both feel calm, though someone is anxious and doubtful.”

“We need to start to look for them. They can't be too far away from the base, especially if one of them is injured.”

Quatre nodded. Then, the door bell rang.

“What the hell?” Trowa snapped. Wufei was sleeping and he doubted that Duo and Heero were back already and there was no way OZ would be that courteous. There was really only one person left that it could be, but Trowa held onto high hopes that it wasn't that one. Still, he had little choice but to roll out of bed to answer the door.

“Relena,” he muttered. The girl crossed her arms over her curved chest impatiently.

“I need to speak to Heero. Is he here?”

“No,” he grumbled. It was way too early in the morning to deal with the woman. It was a good thing that Heero and Duo were on a mission. It seemed that when Heero was around, Relena was much worse and Duo always bore the brunt of her malicious attitude.

“Then I'll just have to wait for him,” she smiled sweetly and forced her way past Trowa. Trowa sighed. He knew that once the girl had started, there was no point in arguing with her. He only hoped that she didn't lead anyone else here like she had before. If she didn't have such political pull they would have killed her easily. But, J had given them orders to put up with her.

 

*****

 

Heero paused to take a breath as he trekked up the steep hill. He had been walking for three hours with Duo's limp body in his arms. The longer they walked, the more Duo's body changed back to his human form. His ears lost their fur and changed shape and his wings and tail slowly shrunk back into his pale body. However, his wounds seemed to bleed more and stood out more prominently on his skin. So far he had yet to see any forms of life and to make things worse, Duo's fever was escalating to an alarming rate and his breathing was startlingly uneven. Heero clutched his bundle tightly, trying his best to warm Duo's body, which was shivering in the brisk, autumn air.

“It's ok,” Heero said, more to himself than to Duo.

 

*****

 

General Turov barricaded the door to his office, a pistol in his tight, white grip pointed at the door. He could hear chaos happening outside in the hallway. Explosions and bloody screams… He shuddered. Ever since that damned surveillance tape had come in today, strange things had happened. The tape itself was bizarre… After news of the destruction of the Tsu Ni La base, the Niryana base that Turov controlled had been trying to recollect the data that from there by the networked computers, but the terrorists had wiped everything which had effected every base within a hundred mile radius. The only thing they had been able to salvage was the surveillance tapes from the base which were also networked in case of terrorist attacks. Turov hoped that he could find some weakness of clue to the terrorists. Instead, he had footage to something even better; a winged boy saving his comrade from falling to certain death. At first he had thought that someone had tampered with the tape, but they couldn't find anyway it could have been done. And now, someone had broke into this base, killing and destroying all that it could. Turov's surveillance tapes showed a eerie sight; a young man with messy, shoulder black hair tied in a pony tail and strange, green-gold eyes, ears that were pointed and covered in fine black hair, clawed hands, and he had strange black markings on his lightly tanned skin. He and the other guards stationed here had wasted all of their ammo on the creature, but none if left a mark. He just kept coming, tearing everyone and everything with his claws, an evil smirk on his cruel face, exposing pearly fangs. Then, the door started to dent inward, then exploded outward. The creature stood there, covered in blood and a satisfied smile on his face.

 

*****

 

 

After another two hours of hiking with worry eating at him, Heero had found his way back to the safe house. The jeep that Trowa had stolen was still there and the house was the way that they had left it yesterday, so Heero figured that it had to still be secure. He was so concerned about Duo's failing health that he did not realize that there were four pairs of shoes instead of three.

Meanwhile, Quatre was doing his best to be cordial to their so-called guest. However, she didn't seem to want to talk at all, she just sat there waiting and sipping the tea that Quatre had made for her. Quatre could practically taste the tension in the air as they all waited for their missing pilots to come home. Even Wufei had taken a seat at the table, his entire body tense with worry and annoyance when every now and then Relena would bombard them with questions about Heero and, to their anger, occasionally Duo and his relationship with Heero. Quatre gritted his teeth. He wished that they did have a romantic relationship that Quatre could brag about to her, just to wipe out that damn smirk off her face when she realized that there was nothing between the two. Quatre was glad that she also realized that there very well could be something between the two boys. It was just too bad that she didn't understand that she had no chance with Heero whether or not he was in a relationship with Duo. They were all saved both from Relena and their worry when the door slammed open. They all had their guns out and ready to flee when they saw Heero standing in the door way with an injured Duo draped in his arms. No words need to have been spoken as the three boys swooped upon the other two pilots and Relena was shoved aside to take care of them. Heero refused to let go of Duo, but let Wufei and Trowa work on his wounds as Quatre got the bed ready upstairs for Duo as well as some new clothes. Both Wufei and Trowa got on eye full of the scars on Duo's back, but they said nothing. Right now they needed to concentrate solely on saving their friends life. Relena tried to speak to Heero, but Quatre took her in hand and brought her to the kitchen. The girl had enough common sense to not follow him back out, at least while they were performing triage on their fallen comrade. Duo's cuts were cleaned and stitched closed by Trowa while Wufei cut away the dead skin from Duo's burns and Quatre managed to feed Duo antibiotics for his fever.

“I don't think we need to take him to the hospital, his burns and cuts aren't too bad,” Quatre murmured, stroking Duo's hair as he cried out in pain as Wufei continued to take off the dead skin.

“It's ok,” both Quatre and Heero murmured to him. Heero noted that his wounds didn't look as bad as they had before because while Duo was asleep they had started to heal rapidly until he was back in his human form. Quatre was right, with the medical supplies they had Duo probably wouldn't need to be taken to the doctor, but Heero still wanted someone to tell him that his love would be ok. He debated whether or not to tell them about Duo, but deep inside he already knew the answer. They were a family; a strange and borderline dysfunctional one, but a still a family and they deserved to know the truth about one of their own. But, beyond that, it was not his place, it was Duo's decision. Once she had sensed that the excitement had died down, Relena emerged from the kitchen.

“Heero-!” Heero glared at her as he picked Duo up once more.

“Don't touch me,” he snapped. Relena paled. She was used to Heero being too shy to engage her in conversation, but she had never seen him like this before. She narrowed her eyes at the shivering bundle in Heero's arms. It was all his fault. Still, she followed them upstairs until the door was slammed in her face.

Luckily for Heero, they all took his moderated version of what happened with ease. He only hoped that they wouldn't hate him for lying if Duo decided to tell them the truth. Duo shivered harshly as he was laid on the bed. Wufei left the room to gather more blankets for them.

“I'll take care of him,” Heero told Trowa and Quatre. Trowa nodded.

“Ok, we'll get Relena out of here, somehow,” Quatre muttered despite the sweet smile on his face at Heero's concern for Duo, “if you need us, just call. Once Duo's up to it, we'll need to leave.”

“Fine,” Heero murmured, taking the desk chair and sitting next to Duo's bedside. He took Duo's slack hand in his, stroking his fair skin with his thumb. Trowa and Quatre's presence faded away, only he and Duo existed in the room.

“I'm so sorry,” he murmured, not realizing that Quatre and Trowa could hear every word, “I shouldn't have taken you with me. You saved my life and now you're sick. If I'd only memorized that map better, you would be ok,” Heero shook his head, “I never should have been so selfish. The truth is, I wanted you by my side. I'm so sorry.” Heero felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Trowa pulled up a chair and sat next to him, sharing a small, knowing smile with Quatre.

“You shouldn't say such things.”

“Oh and why not?!” Heero snapped, “if it weren't for Duo I'd be dead! I don't deserve his forgiveness, but I still want it! He drives me crazy, but I love him so much! I don't want him to hate me…” Hearing his feelings out loud like that was strange, but after everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, he didn't really care.

“He doesn't hate you, Heero. He risked his life to save yours for a reason. He thinks of you as a good friend. If you had died you would have caused him even greater pain. He needed to save you. Don't go around slandering that need! Yes, you screwed up, but I think that Duo would be very happy about that. Duo, he loves you too.”

“Happy?” Heero murmured in disbelief. `He loves me? He's happy that I fucked up?' Quatre gave Trowa a heated look. He didn't think that they should be interfering like this.

`How could he possibly be happy? I almost killed him,' Heero thought, `I caused him pain.' Trowa nodded at Heero's questioning expression.

“Yes. It shows that you're finally becoming a human. Humans make mistakes. It's completely normal. Even Duo's made some,” Heero bit his tongue when he almost debated the fact that Duo wasn't really human, “but he didn't let those mistakes overwhelm him. As humans we can use those mistakes to become stronger. I'm sure that now you'll never make an error like that again, right?” Heero nodded.

“I understand,” Heero realized, “Duo wouldn't want me to sulk because of this. He'd want me to be happy we're both alive and well.” He caressed Duo's cheek with his knuckles. The door opened as Wufei returned with a quilt. He draped it over Duo with a soft look that was foreign on the stern boy's face.

“The bitch has left,” he told them, glaring at the closed door. “At least she understands when she's beaten.” Duo's trembling subsided a little at the extra warmth. Trowa patted Heero on the shoulder as they made to leave.

“Tell him how you feel, Heero. You'd surprised where a little honesty can take you,” he smiled at Quatre and grasped his hand in his, intertwining their fingers together.

 

*****

 

The room was dark save for the glow of the TV screen which played the same scene over and over; two boys fell, then one of them grew wings and flew…

Two pairs of eyes glittered in the dark; one pair greenish gold and the other silver. The green-eyed, black haired boy's features were wolfish; his pointed black ears were standing up at attention. His partner was more feline-like with pale skin, long silver hair that matched his eyes, white furry ears, and a slim white tail like a panther's that was wrapped around his waist which also had a long width of chain he was using as a sort of belt. Both of them looked cold and feral.

“He's the one you're looking for?” The cat, named Yun, asked the wolf, named Miori.

“I know those eyes anywhere,” Miori murmured, stroking the boy's visage on the TV screen, his eyes narrowed in a mix of anger, disgust, and lust. Yun smirked.

“He's pretty cute for a monster.” Miori snorted.

“Don't worry,” Yun reassured him, “I'll do as I'm told.”

“You'd better,” Miori snarled. Yun paled. He knew of the wolf's legendary temper. He almost pitied the little freakish hybrid.

“Do whatever you like,” Miori ordered him, “nothing fatal. I want to break him myself.” Yun bowed and disappeared. Miori turned back to the screen. He smiled.

“Soon, Nyet. It's been too long.”

 

*****

 

General Turov stared at the blank wall, his eyes blank and unseeing. Yun smirked at his puppet. Extracting souls was a specialty of Miori's. Turov still had some free will left, but without his soul he wouldn't be able to disobey them.

“What are you?” Turov asked, his voice hollow and devoid of all emotion.

“Gaiiji,” Yun said simply, “beings of another world with powers you… people,” he said the word like it was dirty, “don't even understand.” He placed a clawed finger under the middle aged man's chin. “We need some help from you, unfortunately. One of ours has escaped and is hiding out here. We can't track him as long as he is in human form. If everything goes well, we might just not eat you.”

 

*****

 

Heero sat on the edge of Duo's bed and ruffled his bangs as the teen slept peacefully. As he slept, his wounds little by little seemed to be knitting themselves back together, leaving deep white scars. Just what was he? Why did his back look like that? Who had hurt him like that?! Duo's breathing had evened out, but Heero wanted him to wake up so badly. If he could just see his beautiful eyes again he would know that he was ok. Heero placed a hand against Duo's fevered forehead. His fever was also falling, just not as fast as he would have liked. Duo made a content sigh as he felt the warmth of Heero's hand on him, but didn't wake up. The silence was broken as Heero's laptop beeped, informing him of an incoming message. He accepted it and J's image appeared on screen.

“Heero, I just received your report from your last mission. I am displeased that you had to rely on 02 to get it finished.”

“I apologize,” Heero said, “but the mission was successful.” J snorted.

“It seems there is nothing I can say to that. We have received information that a base in the southern quadrant of your area is transporting raw Gundanium. We do not know why, but the transports must be destroyed. If you can, steal the Gundanium, if not, it must be destroyed. The transports will be heavily guarded, so all five Gundams will be needed.” Heero bit his lip. Duo wasn't ready for a mission like this.

“When do we move out?”

“The transport is scheduled in one week.” Heero relaxed. With the rate that Duo's wounds were healing, he should be fine by then.

“Mission accepted.”

“I will send you all of the information tomorrow morning. End transmission.” Heero shut down his laptop.

“Mmm, Hee-chan?” Duo murmured weakly from the bed. Heero was by his side like a shot.

“Duo?!” Duo gazed up at him deliriously, his eyes low-lidded.

“Hmm?”

“Are you alright?”

“Mmm, sleepy.” Heero smiled and caught up in the moment, he kissed him lightly on the forehead.

“I noticed, get some rest.” Heero stared deep into amethyst pools as Duo yawned.

“M'kay,” Duo fell back to sleep. Relief flooded his entire being. He didn't even care that he had kissed him. Hell, even that little intimate move had felt great. What Trowa had told him spurred him forward. He vowed that when Duo was awake and coherent, he would tell him how he felt.

“I don't care what you are,” Heero said out loud, “it doesn't change a damn thing.”

 

*****

 

Heero didn't have to wait for long as Duo finally awoke fully the next morning. Duo groaned as he felt he had been hit by a truck. Heero helped his sit up as he was still weak and slightly disoriented from the meds he was on.

“Heero… what happened?” He murmured.

“You've lost a lot of blood.” Duo looked away in shame as it all came to him. Heero had seen his true form… did he remember it or had Heero been in too much pain to remember.

`Oh, please, please, don't let him have remembered!' Heero saw his pleading look.

“We need to talk about what happened, Duo.” Duo paled.

“You don't disgust me.” Duo stared at him in shock.

“But, Heero-!” Heero glared at him.

“No, Duo, no buts.” Duo wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his head against his knees. Heero rubbed his back, heart crying as Duo flinched from him.

“Duo, what's wrong?”

“I'm a monster!” Duo cried against his pajama bottoms. He looked up at Heero and Heero was shocked to see tears streaming down his cheeks. Heero sighed.

“Duo, you're not a monster! You're beautiful.” Duo's eyes hardened.

“That's a lie, I'm a freak.”

“No, you're not,” Heero said strongly. He was going to beat this into him even if it took all day.

“Yes, I am!” Duo practically screamed, but Heero saw in his eyes that he wanted desperately for him to be proven wrong. Heero brushed a stray lock of hair away from Duo's face.

“Oh, really? Funny, even in your other form, you still look like the same Duo to me. Though, a bit cuter, kitty.” Duo blinked at the pet name.

“Heero?” Heero took the chance to press his lips against Duo's. The kiss was sweet and soft and the two seemed frozen even as they broke apart. Heero finally broke the silence and cupped Duo's cheek.

“I'm no good at this and I don't understand this feeling all that much but, Duo, I love you and…,” he took a deep breath, “I want to be with you like Trowa is with Quatre so, will you be my boyfriend?” Duo's expression turned desperate and sad.

“Heero, I'm not human.”

“I don't care about that!” Heero snapped.

“I don't even know if I can make love with you.” Heero shook his head.

“We can figure that out if we get to it. If not… I don't care. I mean, it would be nice to make love to you, but if that's the difference between having a relationship or not, I want to love you, sex or not.” Duo's expression softened.

“Heero, I do love you. Very much,” he looked away from Heero. “If you can feel that way, too, even knowing what I am, then, I want very much for us to have something special. But you have to understand, I'm not human and I never will be.” Heero nodded.

“You're you, that's all there is to it.” Duo smiled brightly.

“Go to sleep, Duo. We can talk about everything later. Right now, you're still sick and you need to rest.”

“Heero, have you told the others?” Heero shook his head.

“It's your place, not mine. If you want me to tell them, then I will.”

`You are kind and understanding,' Duo thought of Heero and how his knowledge of what he was and how little that had changed things, `even when you are trying your best not to be. Maybe too much so. Same with Quatre and the others, but I wonder how they would react if they learned what I really am? Would they be that kind even then?'

 

*****

 

Trowa looked at his sleepy love after a long session of love making. Fortunately, the walls had been slightly soundproofed so Wufei wasn't yelling at them for once.

“Trow?” Quatre murmured sleepily.

“Yes?”

“I love you,” Quatre smiled, his empathy of what was going on in Duo's room filled his heart with happiness. Finally, those two had stopped beating around the damn bush!

“As do I,” Trowa frowned.

“What's the matter?” Quatre asked, concerned.

“You realize that Heero is hiding something from us, right?” Quatre sighed.

“Yes, I don't need my space heart to tell me that.”

“Remember how Heero had said he had almost drowned and Duo had to save him?” Quatre nodded, “well, when Heero came in with Duo, neither of their clothes were wet! And those bruises on Duo's body when Heero came back unscathed don't add up to Heero's story!”

“I know,” Quatre said, “but I'm sure Duo did save him.”

“Yes, but we're a team. We're supposed to tell each other these sorts of things.” Quatre put a hand on Trowa's arm.

“Just let it go.” Trowa sighed.

 

*****

 

In the end, Duo just wasn't comfortable about telling the others about what he really was, but he told Heero as much as he could while he was confined to his bed until his fever broke.

“I'm a Gaiiji. I'm not from this world.” Heero raised an eyebrow.

“So, you're an alien.”

“Not really,” Duo struggled to explain. “I'm from a different dimension. Gaiiji have the ability to mimic other creatures that they live with, which is how I can hold this form,” he gestured to his human body, “but our original forms are a mix of humanoid features and the features of a specific animal. We also have some magical abilities which is how I was able to transfer your wounds onto me.” Heero shook his head.

“You shouldn't have done that. You almost died.” Duo smiled.

“I'd do it again, even if it made me sick.”

“But… you said a specific animal; is there an animal in your world that has wings, cat ears, and a tail?” Duo paled and shook a little.

“Shit, Duo, I'm sorry.”

“It's ok,” Duo murmured, rubbing his arm in a nervous gesture, “among my people, I'm an abomination. That's one of the reasons why I fled here.” Heero stared at him.

“But why?”

“In my world, those with black wings are thought to be the spawn of barbaric Gaiiji and are enslaved as a lesser species. But, I'm also a hybrid. Gaiiji are only allowed to procreate with their own species. Procreation between a black wing and another species is considered disgusting and amoral. My mom was a panther and my dad was a black wing. So, I was born a black wing hybrid, which is the worst of the worst. My mother tried to hide me, but we were discovered. My dad sold us out; she was killed and I was sold into slavery. So, when I got my full powers at puberty, I escaped to this world. And I'm glad. I got to meet you,” Duo murmured, downcast. Heero wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, letting him rub his face against his shoulder to hide his pain. Heero saw red. How could anyone enslave a bunch of people just because of what they looked like? Hell, that sort of thing had been outlawed on Earth centuries ago.

“You're wings are beautiful,” Heero murmured against his hair, “those scars on your back…” Heero felt his shirt become wet as Duo cried a little.

“My master liked to see me in pain. It was my punishment for being… well, me. He was… so evil,” Duo shuddered. Heero stroked his hair.

“No more, Duo. I will never hurt you and I won't let anyone else either, not like that.” Duo smiled, settling into Heero's embrace.

“I love you, Heero.”

“I love you, too.”

 

*****

 

The week passed too quickly for Heero's liking. Duo's wounds healed nicely and all signs of his illness disappeared. On the fourth day, they finally got around to telling the rest of their friends that they were dating which resulted in Wufei muttering `it's about time', Trowa congratulating them, and Quatre glomped Duo. The small time of peace was welcome, but they had work to do.

 

*****

 

“You got everything?” Wufei asked Duo right before they prepared to launch their Gundams. Duo nodded.

“First Aid, rations, blankets; everything's in Deathscythe.” Wufei smiled and placed a hand on Duo's shoulder.

“I know this might seem out of character for me to say so, but it's good to have you back, Maxwell.” Wufei walked away to the hatch of Shenlong. Duo smiled, watching Heero pack Wing. They wouldn't be coming back to this safe house after they completed the mission.

“Yeah, it's good to be back,” he rubbed at one of his recent scars on his arm. Duo blinked as Heero waved a hand in front of his face.

“You ok?” Duo perked up.

“Yep. Let's go!”

`I shouldn't have to worry about him anymore,' Heero thought as he watched Duo's braid swing back and forth as he checked his Gundams systems. `He's super human but still… I love him so I can't help but worry for his safety and try to keep on protecting him.

 

*****

 

“Do you see anything?” Quatre asked Heero as Wing ahead of them and Shenlong, Deathscythe, Sandrock, and Heavyarms approached their target on the ground.

“Negative.”

`Shit,' Quatre thought, `the cargo should have reached this point by now!' He stared off into the horizon, looking desperately for any sign of their target. Suddenly, bright silver light shone in the cockpit. He gasped in awe.

“So beautiful,” he murmured, enthralled by the shimmering light. The self-destruct siren blared and red light flashed to deaf ears and blind eyes.

 

Duo felt a freezing chill shoot through him.

`This feeling is so familiar, but something is blocking my senses!'

 

“There!” Trowa shouted as a wave of mobile suits appeared in his line of vision; at least twice as much as J had informed them of.

“Shit!” Heero swore, with his friends so close to the squadron, he could only use his beam saber. Trowa looked to Quatre's suit and gaped in horror as Sandrock began to glow.

“Quatre!” He screamed.

 

Deathscythe's hatch opened in the midst of the battlefield. Duo ignored Heero's screaming over the comm. unit and emerged in his ethereal form; black wings spread, and fire in his glowing, amethyst eyes. His wings flapped and he flew towards Sandrock.

`I have to make it,' he chanted over and over, spedding towards the self-destructing Gundam. He touched its smooth surface as he landed and hissed in pain. The Gundanium allow of 04's outer hatch was literally boiling. Duo hooked his hands into the top of the cockpit door and, ignoring the smell of his own burning flesh, tapped into his super strength, and wrenched the steaming door off even as his muscles tore at the amount of force he needed to exert.

 

Trowa and Wufei could only look on in horror and astonishment as the feline ethereal that was once Duo flew to save their friend and lover from the inevitable disaster. Heero, however, had a different idea. He dispatched all of the suits that were nearing Sandrock and Deathscythe and piloted Wing to Sandrock.

`If you think that I'm just going to sit around while you risk your life, you are greatly mistaken, Duo Maxwell! C'mon, baby, get the fuck out of there!'

 

As Duo entered the cockpit, he was enveloped in a spray of steam. He coughed harshly as it flooded his lungs, searing his insides even as his ethereal body worked in over time to heal his wounds. He searched blindly through the smoke and sparks. He finally managed to grasp Quatre's harness. His fingernails grew and sharpened into claws and he slashed through the tough leather like it was warm butter. He wrapped his arms around the small Arabian and flew out of the exploding Gundam. As Quatre was much lighter than Heero, Duo was able to get into the air quickly, flapping as hard as he could as he heard an excruciatingly loud boom sounded behind him, throbbing in his ears, and hellfire was at his back, just like his last mission.

 

Heero winced in fright as Duo escaped right ahead of the explosion. Heero extended Wings arm to catch Duo as he was flung through the air by the explosion and lost all control of his flight. Wing immediately took flight with its back to the fire, protecting the two boys in its hands. Both Trowa and Wufei tried to move their Gundams, but it seemed that only Heero's was operating. All of their systems were frozen.

`What the fuck?!' Trowa thought, `this is a dream. Duo was wings, Quatre self-destructs for no reason, and now everything seems to be frozen in time!' Trowa noted as he suddenly realized that even the enemy suits weren't moving. Then, right before the boys' eyes, the very scenery, everything including their Gundams, melted away. Suddenly, they were in a prison cell. Duo stood before them in all of his angelic, feline glory. Wufei stared at him. As a scholar, he just could not accept what his eyes were telling him. Duo handed Quatre to Trowa who still seemed to be in shock. Duo stepped back and brought his wings into his body with a pained expression. As they disappeared, a few ebony feathers floated elegantly to the ground, the only evidence of his transformation. Quatre watched all of this silently from his lover's arms.

“I… don't believe it!” Wufei mumbled. Duo smiled at him.

“I can understand. When I was little, I couldn't believe humans existed. But, I assure you I am very much real; this is not a dream. You're going to have to accept it sooner or later.” Trowa, who seemed to be taking all of this much better than Wufei, nodded in a daze.

“Duo, what just happened?” Heero asked. Duo looked sad.

“It seems that Quatre, all of us, are under a Gaiiji's spell?” Heero paled.

“There are more of you here on Earth?” Duo shrugged.

“I have no idea. I've never felt any others except for now.”

“Hold on!” Wufei snapped, glaring at Heero, “you knew about him and you never told us!”

“Yes,” Heero confirmed, “during our last mission, Duo had to change to save me.”

“I thought so,” Trowa muttered.

“But I decided not to tell you. I was too scared.” Wufei sighed.

“I guess it's understandable.”

“But what are you?” Trowa asked. Duo managed to tell them everything that he told Heero. He got sad looks from all of them and he knew then that they would get over this, that they were still a family. Then, the door swung open. A middle aged brunette man wearing an OZ uniform came in. Duo shuddered.

`He's so empty. All I feel is a strong negative life force. He's definitely human though. A Gaiiji must have sucked him dry and is using him as a puppet. Turov sneered at the five of them. Duo tried to attack him with his power, but his abilities seemed to have been blocked by a superior magic. If there was a Gaiiji in the area, it did not matter if they weren't handcuffed; they wouldn't be able to escape without Duo's help.

“I expected a lot more from the infamous Gundam pilots! For the threat that given OZ so much trouble, I thought you would put up more of a fight! Who knew that you could be defeated so easily!” Turov laughed at them. Duo glared at their captor.

“What do you want with us, besides the obvious?”

“The obvious? Ah, I see! You think I'm going to interrogate you!” Turov leered at him, “I'm afraid you're very wrong!” He moved in front of Duo, he grabbed his braid, and crushed the ethereal's lips against his. Heero roared and tried to leap at him, but found that he couldn't move at all. Then, all of them except for Duo were thrown against the wall by an invisible force.

“Bastard!” Wufei yelled as Turov drew back suddenly with a small trickle of blood down his chin. It took the others a few seconds to realize that Duo had bitten his tongue. Turov smiled coldly as he wiped the blood away.

“Feisty. Too bad, if you would just submit this would go a lot easier for you. But then where would the fun for me be?” He slapped Duo hard, sending the boy to the ground. He smirked as he brought out a whip from his belt.

“Please, don't try to move too much, the last thing I want is to hit those gorgeous eyes of yours.”

 

*****

 

Miori watched from the control room as his puppet whipped the braided youth. Yun stood next to him, sending Turov commands telepathically. His little Nyet was still so beautiful. He wished that he was the one making him bleed, just like when he was his slave. He frowned each time the whip sliced through the other Gaiiji's soft skin, but Nyet just had to learn his lesson. He had freed him of his spell just enough that he could curl into a ball to protect himself. Miori loved to see him in such a submissive pose. The soot wing was doing quite a good job of not showing how much pain he was in. Just like how he had trained him. It was much more enjoyable to force the screams from him. Soon, his entire delectable body was covered in crimson blood. Yun didn't understand how humans coped. If the soot-wing hadn't been a Gaiiji he would have been dead by now. Humans were so damn week. How could the little whore be willing to live among them. Miori sighed as he watched Turov.

`He's too trusting. Does he really think that I won't kill him for hurting my property, especially since he's a human… I'll enjoy eating him.'

 

*****

 

Duo cried out as the whip hit him hard once again. He had forgotten what pain like this felt like. But he wouldn't be broken, not again. He remembered a childhood filled with fear and humiliation. He remembered being beaten and raped and tortured and treated like an animal. He remembered being so reliant on his master after years of abuse and he refused to go back to that horrible state. He would not wear a collar again. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched his friends struggle in their bonds as they watched him being beaten. Then, the blows stopped. Turov ran his tongue against Duo's neck, following the scars that had been left by a very tight collar from his childhood. Duo whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Usually I do a bit more foreplay, but I'm not getting paid by the hour and my employer said to make it quick, so sorry. This may hurt a bit.” Tears streamed down Quatre's face as he was helpless to watch his best friend being raped. Heero, Trowa, and Wufei screamed at the evil man uselessly. Turov unzipped Duo's jeans.

`NO! Never again! If I ever have sex again it'll because I want it!' Duo's mind screamed. It seemed as if every fiber of his body was on fire with a mysterious energy.

 

Turov sneered at the body below him and started to slip the boy's jeans off his slender hips.

 

Everything at that moment happened so fast, it seemed like a dream. Duo's eyes shot open, the irises the only thing visible, they glowed a brilliant violet fire as the room filled with pure, violent energy and Turov was thrown off of him.

Duo stood up. His braid unraveled and his hair flowed and whipped like snakes behind him as though the strands had minds of their own. Turov laid on the ground or at least what was left of him. Duo tilted his head back and a monsoon of indescribable energy blasted and flowed in every direction. Then, everything faded away again.

 

*****

 

Miori walked through the charred ground that used to be the second most powerful OZ base with a smirk.

`Stupid Turov. Did you really think I would let you touch him that way? I made you my puppet, but gave you enough free will to do with him what you wanted and you thought that there wasn't anything suspicious about that? Idiot! I only needed you to do something to make him use his full power. I can't touch him with his power that high. But now he's weak enough to put my real plan into action.'

 

*****

 

Heero laid Duo on the bed and tucked him in.

`It seems that every time we go on a mission together, one of us has to drag the other back, injured and unconscious. Oh, well. At least you're just exhausted this time.' It was true all of Duo's injuries had miraculously healed and now all five of them were here in the same room, sitting around Duo's bed, thinking in complete silence. Finally, Quatre spoke up.

“What's going on?” Trowa patted him on the head.

“It's ok. We're still trying to figure it all out.”

“I think we deserve some answers!” Wufei grounded out, looking at Duo in concern.

“Until Duo wakes up, there's nothing more I can tell you. Duo's already told you everything he told me,” Heero said, holding Duo's hand. Trowa sighed.

“If he used to be a slave, I think his kind would be looking for him. Maybe that's what's happening.” Quatre nodded sadly.

“We have to protect him. I mean, I don't think there's much we can do against an enemy like this, but we have to do something.” All of their gazes settled on Duo once more. They felt so lost.

 

 

End Chapter 1