Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Wherever You Will Go ❯ Of Bullets and Brethren ( Chapter 12 )

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Duo's mind flew into overdrive as the six officers drew inwards, inevitably toward him. He focussed on his situation as the dead weight of the lifeless and hindering soldier helplessly drew him down. Every few seconds it seemed he was pulling him up, only for him to slip right back down again.

Duo felt hope quaver and nearly fall again with the soldier as he took in the menacing looks he received from the other men. He quelled any thoughts of possible defeat and swallowed with a visible gulp. It wasn't his style. Pushing aside any thoughts based on his shoulder; he shrugged inwardly; it would have to wait.

There were options, he decided. Just not any that were apparent.

He frowned, testing the pressure of the shelf behind him when a thought arose. A sharp point dug into the middle of his back and he realised he was at a corner. The shelf gave slightly under his weight, and he smiled at the predictability and organisation of OZ. Everywhere in this room around him - or at least where he could see - the shelves were arranged one behind the other; in pairs. It could be assumed that the shelves he dared not look back at, were the same.

Duo tried to hide a grin as a prospective plan rose to the surface of his thoughts like a bubble in water. Carefully, with his little remaining time until he was attacked, the American calculated brief possibilities, running over feasible moves in his head. Shelves? Sure, why not. Headlong, a thought came to him.

Why Dobson, Duo schemed. See that man over there? How would you like to give him a nice big hug? He almost laughed at the absurdity of the dead-weight soldier becoming anything but a liability. He wasn't exactly helping at the moment.

Again Duo caught the leading officer's eye and cleared all traces of emotion from his face. This man wanted fear, and Duo decided, it was something he definitely wasn't going to get. Defiantly, the American pilot found himself again grinning in the face of danger. I can do this. Just a little bully, nothing I can't handle…

Thompson snarled, and he raised his left arm in a swift plain movement. There was no need for words, Duo knew what it meant. Attack.

He knew he was right as soon as he spotted the sudden movement out of the corner of his eye, and he blew a teasing kiss at the soldier, baiting him. The man did not stop moving, and smirking, Duo realised this was it. Bring it on buddy, Shinigami's coming at ya…

As the man moved on his right, Duo forced Dobson's limp body forward, pushing him forcefully into his brother, Thompson. Finally free to move, Duo barely noticed the man crumple under the unexpected weight, and he released a bubbling laugh.

He spun, succeeding in rolling away from the other man's lunge, around the giving shelf behind him, dodging a hail of gunfire in the process. Duo winced as a bullet loudly ricocheted off a metal bar next to him, making his ears ring with the over-indulgent noise. It quickly made him realise just how lucky he had been to succeed at the move, before he again concentrated on the developing scene before him.

The American watched as the other men warily sought him out, trying to spot him behind the accumulated clutter on the shelves. From his vantage, he could clearly see Thompson struggling on the ground with his late brother, could see the men narrow their eyes as they worked out their next move.

He laughed loud enough for them to hear him as he watched Thompson flail as if he was a bug on his back.

"Having fun? I told ya he was heavy, man."

In no time, it seemed, they had decided their next tactic, and without another moment's thought, Deathscythe's pilot checked the safety on his gun, ready to fire. The same soldier as before - clearly annoyed that Duo had eluded him so easily - was again the first one to move, attempting to come around the edge of the shelf and fire a bullet. The man's arm came around the corner first. Hastily Duo grabbed it and pulled the resisting man closer. With his boot, he flicked the top-heavy shelf over - raining junk and metal it crushed the man beneath its ample weight.

Duo darted with no time to spare behind the second shelf as the other one gave his position away. The cover proved more than adequate.

"Come on guys," he scoffed, laughing as a cover. "Open your eyes, you haven't hit me yet. And yes, before you ask, that bullet hole in my shoulder was there before. So no, it doesn't count."

The very mention of his shoulder made it jump to his attention as it throbbed in time with his thumping heart. He caught himself squinting as he bent to find a spot where he could see. There were no gaps in the shelf that he could make out, and as he scouted for a place to watch through, he could only hear someone snort, and hear someone shout in anger. Without seeing their faces, Duo could tell that they were pissed.

Keeping an ear out for any quick moves, Duo quickly checked the layout around him. Two crates against the wall, both the same size - about waist height, if he could get up there maybe he could fire over the top…

He quickly quelled that thought as dual footsteps came from either side. Before any more thought could become involved, Duo rolled the wheeler-shelf flush against the nearby wall, effectively spilling more junk on the floor and blocking at least one man's path. Obscurely he noticed the crates could be used to his advantage now, and the small gap between the shelf and the other wall corner was only enough for one man to get through at a time.

Suddenly, a man yelled again. Thompson, Duo recognised. Taking it as a signal the men (except for Thompson and the other tough guy, Duo noticed - who stood back and watched), ploughed into Duo's range, struggling to raise their arms high enough to shoot. They all struggled to cram themselves into the space between the shelf and the crates, snapping at each other when none gave way. Duo however, being smaller and the only in the small area, raised his gun easily as the others pushed and shoved. All were amply shouldering and barging, keen to kill the boy who had caused them so much trouble.

While they bustled, Duo managed to get off three shots before he ran out of ammunition. As he shot, he blithely watched two men go down, a bullet either between the eyes, in the arm or leg. The remaining third man hid behind the others and caught his friend as he fell, employing Duo's earlier tactic. His 'friend', now a half decent human shield, was effectively propped up by the scruff of his neck, the other man successfully blocking any of the American's attacks. He discarded his gun, the said weapon being deemed useless; his only ammunition was in his bag, behind the other rack.

However, the other soldier was also without a gun, his weapon having been lost and dropped in the struggle. Duo only just noticed this however, as his eyes scanned frantically, finally catching a glimpse of the said gun, which was discarded on the looted floor.

The young pilot looked up, catching the smaller officer as he followed his own gaze. Great, Duo thought. You know where the gun is. Nevertheless, he merely smiled; a devilish grin that caught the other man off guard.

"Race ya!"

He leapt first, diving and rolling as the other man hesitantly reached forward, dropping his partner. He jumped back as the other boy came too close, trying to hide. Too late. Duo brought the gun up as he stood, clicking the safety off.

The first bullet caused the man to fall backward, and he stumbled, bumping into the fallen shelf behind him. His knees buckled as they met the metal framework, and he landed hard, falling between the empty gap. Duo grinned at the small chain reaction, shaking his head and waving a finger in lecture as the man collapsed.

"Clumsy," he admonished with a heavy undertone of sarcasm. He winked as the man's eyes widened. "You were too slow." He nodded toward the body of the 'protecting' soldier. "Your friend got in the way, huh?"

The question was unexpected, and the man's brow clearly furrowed as he tried to contemplate the question. He finally nodded uncertainly. Duo chuckled. He stepped over a body and moved to stand in front of the other man, shifting to a crouch in one swift movement. He waved the gun in the man's face, the weapon a silent brag. His expression suddenly sobered, and he stood.

"But I guess it's too late for that now! If you see me, you die. Rules, are rules."

"Rules, I-" But before the man had the chance to finish his reply, however, or even scramble to his feet, Duo fired. The man flopped backward, boneless. He lay sprawled haphazardly, the force of the bullet having forcefully sent him head over heels to land beyond the fallen shelves.

Somebody groaned making Duo look down. The man from earlier was clearly struggling with the weight of the fallen shelves. Looking around, Duo spotted his bag on the floor nearby, and as the man began to rise somewhat shakily, a brief swing of the weighty satchel was all that was needed to send him back to the floor. Permanently.

His injured shoulder protested all movement, and he looked carefully at it, assessing his condition. The bleeding hadn't stopped - quite the opposite, in fact. From all the movement he'd been doing earlier, Duo decided, somewhere along the line he'd pushed his arm a little too far. Blood, both crusted and damp still flowed in rivulets down the curve in his shoulder. Therefore, the chill dampness on his back was probably also blood.

Looking at it caused vague dizziness, making him to blink in an attempt to clear his blurry vision. The disorientation was soon suppressed by mere will, casually swiped a hand across his head, removing a stray lock of hair from his vision. Dropping the bag - partly from the pain coursing through his shoulder, and partly because it now had no use, Duo made a show of dusting his hands off in disgust as he looked around the room in question. The faint movement caused his shoulder to pull and jar, and he winced, trying to hide the obvious pain from his audience.

A faint noise told him that Thompson was clapping, and he shifted his eyes up, recognising an amused look on his smug face. The other man looked much the same. To be honest, Duo couldn't tell what they had to be so happy about. They had just lost five of their own men while they stood there, watching the five die like it was some kind of show. Duo's mind boggled, and finally he grinned with mischief himself, though for a much different reason.

He bowed, a dangerous look lighting his violet eyes as he watched the men carefully.

"Heh. Glad to see I had some spectators." He cocked his gun, noticing their aimed firearms at the same time. "Any more takers?"

The two bigger men just offered bored smiles and nonchalant shrugs as they began to stalk toward him. Duo offered a shaky grin as he stepped backwards, into the crate behind him.

"Well shucks, guys. I'm flattered."

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authors notes: okay guys, tell me what you think. I'm not sure I like this chapter, because Duo seems to be kinda OOC. Anyway, tell me what you think…….remember, READ AND REVIEW:>:>:>