"Hey! Hey kid!"
"Huh?" A boy stood in the middle of a field. His eyes were violet, and he had long chestnut brown hair that hung loosely around his body. It swished in the light breeze and his bangs whipped at his face as he turned against the current to see another boy. "Solo!"
The boy referred to as Solo smiled and walked over to the other hands buried in his hole dappled pockets. "Whatcha doing out here all alone?"
"Just looking at the sky." The other boy answered, sitting down in the grass. Taking a deep breath in he inhaled the sweet goodness of the clear air. Nature was that of a friend of the smaller boy and he viewed the world through his violet optics.
Laughing, Solo sat next to him. "That's just like you, kid. Always looking to the world for your answers. You need to---" Solo was cut short as he coughed uncontrollably. His hand flew to his mouth, however when he stopped, small specks of blood dappled his hand.
After raising a brow at Solo, the other boy inquired. "Are you all right, Solo?" Only then, did he notice the blood and gasped silently staring at the coloring.
Noticing that the other was staring at his hand, he wiped it abruptly upon his dirty ripped pants, and stood up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little cold you know. Nothing big."
Watching him leave the boy only shook his head.
A few days passed, and Solo's condition only worsened. The boy only became more worried for his best friend, and watched him carefully. One night, when Solo was forced to his small rundown cot with the boy at his side did the words finally spill.
"Kid…" His voice was hoarse, and it was obvious it was hard for him to speak. "I've got a disease…had it all my life for all that I can tell…" He coughed again, this time a hacking cough. After he had finished, he ran a hand around his pallid face and regained himself. "The medicine is very expensive, and hard to find…"
"I'll get it for you!" The boy answered without thinking about the difficulty the thing he was saying was going to be. He shook his head defiantly. "I won't let you die, Solo!"
Solo smiled, though knew it was his time. "Do what you wish, but promise me one thing, kid. Don't get caught."
Sneaking into the small shack that served as a pharmacy, the boy looked around at the different bottles in which pills, liquid, powder, herbs, and other unidentified objects were collected. After secretly searching for at least fifteen minutes, the boy finally found a small purple flowered plant and ran back to the hideout of the group of war orphans.
"Solo! Solo, I got the medicine!" The boy ran into the small room to find Solo lying on the bed, brow covered in droplets of sweat and gasping for air. "…Solo?"
"Heh, so you made it back, kid. I'm proud of you…" Coughing he blinked back tears that welled in his eyes as he fought to uprising death that awaited him.
"I, I got the medicine…" Walking over to the cot, the boy sank to his knees and held out the plant in his open palms.
Trying to focus his gaze upon the plant, Solo smiled. "So you did…that's…good to know…"
The plant fell from the boy's hands as his arms fell to that of his sides. "Don't leave me, please don't!"
Putting a hand upon the boy's shoulder, Solo pat him in a reassuring manner. "Don't worry kid, I'll always be by your side no matter what. Just consider us a duo of thieves…" His voice trailed off as Death swept over the shack, and his eyes closed forever.
"A duo of thieves…" The boy repeated in the wake of his best friend's death. "You're always with me… My name…my name is Duo…"
"Duo? Duo? Duo!"
"Huh what?" Duo was pulled from his state of thoughts by the familiar voice of Heero, his fellow Gundam pilot.
"I said, are you going on the mission?"
"Uh, yeah." He nodded his head, his long braid bobbing with his head.
"Right. Well we'll be setting out in five." He muttered, quirking a brow at his friend before stalking from the hanger to his awaiting Gundam.
Sighing, Duo paused for a moment in thought, then followed suit.
From their directions, Oz had been planning to attack another base of the colonies, which was on Earth, and was ready for a major onslaught of the colonial people. It was the five of their job to protect the colonies for attacks. However, due to the present state, the only two who were able to go on the mission were Heero and Duo.
Sinking into the cockpit of Deathscythe, Duo turned the switch on preparing to load onto the large fighter plane, their only means of transportation of the large Gundams. Duo remained in his Gundam as Heero flew the plane to the base.
After waiting a few moments, Duo stared blankly at the screen in front of him, an almost blinding yellow light. As he continued to stare deeply at the cockpit screen, memories flooded his mind.
"Father Maxwell! Sister Helen!" The voice of a small boy could be heard as he ran through the streets of the small town racing towards the Maxwell church. His eyes were that of a deep violet, and shimmering with tears as he ran, racing around the remains of what used to be the buildings; stumbling over dead bodies as terrorists ran past him, their guns held tight in their hands.
"Duo!" An elderly man, the priest Father Maxwell, reached young Duo's ears as he turned a corner to that of the church. "Stay where you are---!"
Just as the words escaped the man's lips, the rubble of a large building, which collapsed, fell upon the church, demolishing what remained. Father Maxwell, Sister Helen, and all the terrorists whom had been taking forced refuge in the church were swallowed within the mass of rising smoke.
Freezing in his place, the tears sprung to his eyes as he cried to the sky, praying to the savior he was taught to believe in, "Oh God, why do you watch us suffer?!!!!" The tears were soon mixed with the crimson color of blood as a large cut was produced and blood ran down his face.
"Sister…is the young boy all right…?" Father Maxwell's voice was sullen and quiet, as he lay crushed beneath a large piece of cement. His nun, Sister Helen lay near him, blood rolling from the corner of her mouth.
Straining her eyes, she saw Duo's small squatting form sobbing to God, the one and only God and smiled weakly. "Yes, Father…he is…"
"That's good… May God be with him for the rest of his days…as I cannot, Sister…" Father Maxwell's eyes dulled as he took in his last breath of life, returning to the right hand of God the Almighty.
Dragging himself to Sister Helen's side, Duo continued to sob, rubbing at his eyes with his dirt and blood covered hands. "Sister Helen…Is he…is he…"
"Yes, Duo…" Taking the boy's hand in her own two, she held him tightly in her wake. "Father Maxwell died. But he was talking about you until he did take his last breath… He loved you dearly, Duo…"
"Sister! Please, don't leave me too!" Duo buried his face in her hands, and cried profoundly. His form shook with heaved sobs and Sister Helen tried to comfort him.
"Duo…Father Maxwell and I will never leave you. You are never alone…" She took a deep breath in and began to recite the verses of Psalms. "The Lord is my Shepard…I shall not want…"
Raising his head slowly, Duo took a deep breath in as well and spoke in unison with Sister Helen. "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters…he restores my soul---"
Smiling proudly at the young boy, Sister Helen's eyes closed and she sighed.
"He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me…" Opening his eyes, Duo let go of Sister Helen's hand, and if fell limply to thud against the ground.
Staring at her body with horror, Duo shook her shoulders lightly. "Sister Helen, Sister…?" Eyes quivering with not only fear, but sadness, Duo fell upon her body soaked in blood and tears.
The plane was shook as a missile hit it, and Duo saw Heero's lithe form run towards his Gundam. Once the doors of the cockpit shut, Heero's voice could be heard on the intercom, completely bringing Duo back to the present world as usual.
"Duo, watch out!"
Blinking, Duo moved just in time to watch a large missile sail into the plane. Both Duo and Heero retreated from the plane just moments before it blew up in a smoldering explosion.
"Be on alert!"
"Roger." Duo answered as he made Deathscythe raise its large scythe, cutting two Leo's in half with a single swipe.
With that action, the battle commended. The base of the colonies stood behind a mass of Leos, Aries, explosions, and the two Gundams that stood back to back, fighting off the Mobile Suits. Just as the two thought they were in the lead, the large form of another unidentified Mobile Suit appeared.
"You're fighting a never ending battle, Gundam Pilots." The voice rung through the battlefield, elaborated with the exploding Mobile Suits.
"What the hell?!" Duo exclaimed as he paused to see the new suit. "What kind of Mobile Suit is that, Heero?!"
"It's not an Oz model, I can tell you that." Snapped Heero as he glared in the opposing pilot's direction.
"How correct you are… Heero Yuy. Not an Oz model but one of my own. My name is Daikon Gesshoku, and I am your annihilator." A man inside the new mobile suit smirked. He had short light brown hair, and golden eyes that glimmered sickeningly in their sadistic glory. His suit was clearly formed after that of the Epyon, however was a midnight blue.
Rolling his eyes, Duo jeered back. "I'm sorry about that, but Death cannot be annihilated."
"Or so you think, Duo Maxwell. I know of all of you. Your missions, who sent you, your pasts. Quite literally, I own our lives."
"Then we'll have to fix that, now won't we?" Heero spat as he charged at the new 'Gundam', beam savor drawn.
"Uh, uh, uh." Daikon shook his finger in a 'tsk tsk' manner, and grinned deeply as his eyes narrowed. "You cannot get rid of me that easily." Raising his arm to that of a lever on the top of the cockpit, he pulled upon it causing his Gundam to disappear.
Wing Gundam stopped charging, and looked around. "Where'd he go?!"
Reappearing behind Deathscythe, Daikon yelled at the top of his lungs as he swung at Deathscythe's back with his own heat laser. "Meet my Gundam Midnight Shadow!" The laser hit dead on, piercing the Gundam's alloy, and searing straight into and through Duo's left abdomen.
Gasping for breath, Duo reached the cockpit doors and opened them, to roll from his Gundam to the ground, just before it blew up from impact.
"DUO!" Heero cried as he slammed his fists against Wing's cockpit screen. He could hear Daikon's hysterical laughter, and shook with furry. "You bastard!"
Duo lay on the ground, eyes quivering. Blood soaked his shirt and sank down to the side of his pants as well. His body ached all over, and didn't have the motivation nor strength to move.
"Heero, don't allow emotions to confuse you during battle. It will only state the inevitable that you will be defeated with ease."
"Just shut up!" Heero caused Wing to rush Midnight Shadow again, only to repeat the earlier transaction of the new Gundam disappearing, and reappearing behind Wing. However, Heero moved just at the last minute and avoided the heat laser with a block of his shield.
Firing the bullets from the barrels aside Wings' head, Heero watched them sink deep within the metal of Midnight Shadow, smoking. "You're Gundam isn't true. It's not even made of the Gundaniam Alloy." Heero smirked with disgust.
Daikon looked about frantically as his control fuses burst and power began to shut down. "Damn." He muttered his eyes wide with horror as the main controls of movement shut down and Midnight Shadow stood stalk still.
Tears filled his eyes, and Heero had Wing raise the beam savor high. "This is for Duo." He said, the tears falling as he stroke downwards upon the Gundam, and its pilot.
Letting out a shrill cry of pain and fright as his Gundam exploded with a flickering light.
Opening his cockpit, Heero jumped from Wing and ran over to Duo's limp form. Taking the American in his arms, Heero held him tight, brushing the bangs from his face. "Duo! Duo hang on, I'll get a doctor!"
"No need…" Duo looked up at Heero and shrugged only to wince in pain. "I've been living in a Hellhole most of my life anyways…but I'm glad I got to spend my last days with you…"
"Duo, don't talk like that." Heero shook his head in disbelief, and only held Duo closer to him; the sticky warm liquid running through his grasping fingers.
As his violet eyes clouded over, Duo looked one last time at his lover and smiled purely, the first in a long time. "I'll…be waiting for you…on the flip side…" He reached to stroke Heero's face, but as his words faced his hand fell limply across his chest.
Heero looked down at his dead friend, no…more than a friend…his dead love and hugged his body close as he stood amongst the rubble.
"Duo Maxwell, pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe, number 02. You lived a life of pain…where everyone you held dear died in some gruesome death, that you had to experience." Pausing, he looked down at the handsome face, and bent his neck kissing Duo's lips like they used to before. "Now…you can rejoin your family and friends, in the sanctity reached in death. You shall wait for me, and I will meet you there someday…"
Bending down, Heero lay the body of his love among the remains of his Gundam, Deathscythe and walked over to the sakura tree, picking a flower. Walking back, he placed it between Duo's hands, which were placed so that they rested upon his chest.
Standing up straight, the tears of pain, of memories, of love ran down the silent soldier's face. The tears he could not have shed for those whom he killed and whom he lost who were close to him over his younger years. Finally, the kept in emotions broke the windowpane and sank deep within his heart.
"Just don't forget me, Duo. Never forget…"