Duo Maxwell ducked out of his car, breathing in the cool, damp night
air. He enjoyed this time of night; no one was about, the city was miles
in the other direction, and the stars made the most beautiful show in the
world. In the black, star-lit canvas of the night, the only other light
came from the car's dashboard. He sighed, smelling moss and rain and
ferns.
Heero and the others were back at school; there hadn't been a mission in three weeks, and the team was getting restless. It was funny, really; day-in and day-out they were surrounded by people their own age, and yet they were much older than their peers. Made older on purpose; made older to survive; made older to kill. Duo shook his head, trying to clear it.
There were times that he raged against his life; against the path that had been chosen for him, without consulting him first. Those were dark times; times better left to themselves, hidden from the rest of the world. Those were memories best left guarded tightly.
He hid his pain under a mask of zaniness. Humor helped him to cope; he knew that the others often found him annoying—especially Heero—but they had no idea why he was so goofy. There was a special kinship amongst them, he decided, something that could never be broken. Something that was stronger than words, and more meaningful than actions. Duo sighed, breathing in the forest, and began walking the path he'd worn to the cliff's edge.
Duo tilted his head back, thirsting on the stars for peace. It was hard in coming; in these days of war... the moments were few and far between when one could catch a bit of solace in the world today. Duo treasured these moments as if they were his last, because Lord knew they could be.
Lord... God... did he believe in that stuff still? He didn't know anymore. He sure didn't believe in accidents; but Duo wasn't so sure of anything else right now.
Hell, right now, he didn't _care_ if he believed. It was all too much to think about and right now he'd better watch his step or he'll go right off the cliff's edge!
Duo stood on the precipice, breathing in the damp, rain-laden wind that swept up to him from the field below and smelling the grass that had recently been cut. He didn't know if anyone else knew of this place; it was his special place he went to think. He squatted, and bent back to enjoy the stars.
Their beauty and peace always cleansed him. He was a refreshed man when he left here, ready to face his battles again. For now, though, he was content to just lie back and gaze up at the sky. The stars drifted by phlegmatically, dancing their intricate celestial pattern in tedious rhythm. He gave no thought to the dew that dampened his shirt, nor the rocks that nudged his legs. He only gave himself up to the night, giving in to the tranquility they provided. He gave not a care to what time it was; he only sank himself in the ground, saturating himself in the safety and haven of the ethereal midnight above him.
His beeper went off, sounding its alarm into the night; shredding the illusion of divinity into pieces. Sighing moss and rain and forest one last time, Duo picked it up and checked it:
NEW MISSION GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE NOW
Duo allowed himself a quick grin and a chuckle. That would be Heero, good old buddy; he wasted no time in messages. Straight, direct, and to- the-point; that was Heero in an understated nutshell. Duo sat up, and trudged back to his car. He opened the door; the dome light came on and the dashboard lit up. With one last look at the stars, he slid in the drivers' seat. Gunning the engine, he spun gravel and squealed onto the road.
There was a new mission to run.
Heero and the others were back at school; there hadn't been a mission in three weeks, and the team was getting restless. It was funny, really; day-in and day-out they were surrounded by people their own age, and yet they were much older than their peers. Made older on purpose; made older to survive; made older to kill. Duo shook his head, trying to clear it.
There were times that he raged against his life; against the path that had been chosen for him, without consulting him first. Those were dark times; times better left to themselves, hidden from the rest of the world. Those were memories best left guarded tightly.
He hid his pain under a mask of zaniness. Humor helped him to cope; he knew that the others often found him annoying—especially Heero—but they had no idea why he was so goofy. There was a special kinship amongst them, he decided, something that could never be broken. Something that was stronger than words, and more meaningful than actions. Duo sighed, breathing in the forest, and began walking the path he'd worn to the cliff's edge.
Duo tilted his head back, thirsting on the stars for peace. It was hard in coming; in these days of war... the moments were few and far between when one could catch a bit of solace in the world today. Duo treasured these moments as if they were his last, because Lord knew they could be.
Lord... God... did he believe in that stuff still? He didn't know anymore. He sure didn't believe in accidents; but Duo wasn't so sure of anything else right now.
Hell, right now, he didn't _care_ if he believed. It was all too much to think about and right now he'd better watch his step or he'll go right off the cliff's edge!
Duo stood on the precipice, breathing in the damp, rain-laden wind that swept up to him from the field below and smelling the grass that had recently been cut. He didn't know if anyone else knew of this place; it was his special place he went to think. He squatted, and bent back to enjoy the stars.
Their beauty and peace always cleansed him. He was a refreshed man when he left here, ready to face his battles again. For now, though, he was content to just lie back and gaze up at the sky. The stars drifted by phlegmatically, dancing their intricate celestial pattern in tedious rhythm. He gave no thought to the dew that dampened his shirt, nor the rocks that nudged his legs. He only gave himself up to the night, giving in to the tranquility they provided. He gave not a care to what time it was; he only sank himself in the ground, saturating himself in the safety and haven of the ethereal midnight above him.
His beeper went off, sounding its alarm into the night; shredding the illusion of divinity into pieces. Sighing moss and rain and forest one last time, Duo picked it up and checked it:
NEW MISSION GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE NOW
Duo allowed himself a quick grin and a chuckle. That would be Heero, good old buddy; he wasted no time in messages. Straight, direct, and to- the-point; that was Heero in an understated nutshell. Duo sat up, and trudged back to his car. He opened the door; the dome light came on and the dashboard lit up. With one last look at the stars, he slid in the drivers' seat. Gunning the engine, he spun gravel and squealed onto the road.
There was a new mission to run.