In From the Cold

Chapter 2: 6 Months Earlier

A harvest moon shone down upon multitudes of children, skipping happily from door to door chanting, "Trick or Treat" and smiling cheerfully when they heard the 'plip-plop-thud' of candy in pillowcases, plastic pumpkins, and paper bags.

Five young men studied the to-do from a shadowy balcony.

"ARGH! It's Halloween and we are standing around like fuddy-duddies. NO MORE! It's time for me to have some fun!" shouted a 'priestly' young man.

"But Duo!" protested the only blonde of the group.

"Nope! Don't 'But Duo' me, Quatre! And...you are all coming with me!" Maniacal laughter pealed in the evening air as certain disbelieving comments were heard.

"Hnnnn...."(Grunt Translator 2000: That's what you think)

"Braided baka, we don't want to go." A hawk-nosed black haired Chinese teenager muttered.

"........." Trowa yelled mutely.

"Duo, there is no possible way that we are going out with you." The calmest of the group declared.

*More maniacal laughter*

"But you are," He stated slyly. "Because I have ransomed some of your most precious items! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!"

At once, the four other teens searched their various hiding spots. Pockets, waistbands, backs, sub-space areas, and wherever else they could think to check were ransacked frantically. All came up empty.

"Give me my best friend back or omae o korosu, Duo." A hard, gravely voice commanded.

"Duo!!!" The Arabian Prince shrieked. "I want the picture of all 29 of my sisters, my mother, my father and myself back now!! Or I might just steal Heero's line!" A hard light flickered in Quatre's eyes, reminiscent of when the Zero System drove him mad.

Duo gulped, looking around for an escape. As he found none, he decided to stand his ground. After all, Quatre wouldn't kill him...would he?

The Chinese pilot was not as patient as Quatre. White pants rustling, Wufei moved to the fore, swinging out before the braided pilot could catch on. The pale hand stopped barely a centimeter away from Duo's nose. "Give me back my katana, braided baka," he hissed.

Trowa did nothing but glare. Duo had taken his clown mask and a picture of him and Catherine. Normally calm if silent, Trowa began to contemplate delicious tortures he could subject Duo to.

"If any of you are thinking of doing bodily harm to me before we go out and get candy, think again." Duo cried. "I have hidden them where you will never find them!" At that the four young men each grabbed one of Duo's limbs before turning him upside down and shaking the hell out of him. When nothing fell out besides a few stray papers, the four young men tore out of the room.

"I'll check his room." Quatre called.

"Deathscythe...braided baka..." Wufei put in.

"Hnnnn....." Heero put quite well in grunt language.

"So, if Heero has the kitchen that leaves the garden to you, Trowa." the Arabian decided.

"..." Trowa agreed.

Fifteen minutes later, a slump to their shoulders and defeat in their faces, the four Gundam Pilots stepped back out onto the balcony.

"Told ya so." Duo smiled smugly. "Here are my terms if you want your stuff back. One, we go find costumes. You will wear them. I pick. Two, we go trick-or-treating. Three, you pretend to enjoy yourselves. Four. When we return, you get your special items back. And finally, five. You will refrain from killing, maiming, beating, scarring, annihilating, and in general harming me. I want you to swear on your Gundams. Except you, Heero. I want you to treat this as a mission, because we all know that you have no problems whatsoever blowing up Wing."

Four mouths dropped to the floor. Duo appeared to actually have thought something through. It was a Miracle. Hell must have frozen over, and the second Coming of Christ was finally here! At least...until they remembered what he had done.

Reluctantly Heero, Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa promised. Each however was silently plotting revenge.

"Let's go!" the indigo-eyed man enthused.

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Thirty minutes later, all was set.

"Heeheehee HAWheeheeheeHaw," Duo rolled on the street holding his belly as he laughed. He couldn't help it.

The costumes...well, if he had not made them promise not to mutilate him, Duo doubted he would have lived a minute after they returned home from trick-or-treating.

The Perfect Soldier, serious and unemotional, was a clown. Not like Trowa was a clown...more like an old clown he remembered seeing on TV reruns. What was the name?...B...Borscht...Boudoir....BOZO! That was it. Heero had a gigantic smile painted on his face and a rainbow colored sparkly 'fro. Brightly colored fisherman's waders and super-sized red floppy flippers completed the ensemble. In order for Heero to even walk, he had to waddle like the duck on wheels he was made to pull behind him.

Duo's purple gaze turned to Trowa. Trowa had been cast as a baby, gigantic diaper, over-sized pacifier, hair bow, bunny slippers, everything. He even had to ride in a stroller. Thank Shinigami for his acrobatic skill, Duo thought, smirking.

Pushing the stroller was...A CROSS-DRESSED WUFEI. Wufei wore a long red wig streaked with black, and an outfit that could only be described as scandalous. A white leotard formed the base of his costume, hugging his body. At his hips flared a skimpy five inch (if that) red skirt, barely skimming the top of his thighs. A red sailor shoulder cover ended in a violet bow with a red jewel in front, and a red bow in back tied the outfit together. Heavily applied make-up and "break-my-ankle" red heels completed his (drumroll please...) Sailor Mars wanna-be outfit! Just looking at him made Duo almost die from the hilarity.

The fourth member of the party, however, was the best. Quatre...well, let's just say that Quatre had been dressed as if Batman, Rambo, and Superman had been chopped up, mixed around, and poured into a single body. Not to mention the Playboy bunny ears and tail and his tomato red blush. Duo tried valiantly but just could not manage to hold it in any longer. He howled, tears streaming down his face, ignoring the scorching glares his for comrades had just given him.

Unlike the rest, Duo had chosen a non-demeaning costume. He, of course, went as Death. But for some reason, people avoided him like they avoided the plague.

"On a public thoroughfare! Really!" One pedestrian commented. And "Must call Bedlam to tell them that an inmate has escaped," was quite frequently heard as well.

Finally, Heero, of all people, yelled, "ENOUGH!!! Duo, stop making like a hyena or we are leaving!"

That shut Duo up, and they were on their way to get candy.

At least they were until Heero put a flipper wrong and ended up tripping himself over his ducky-on-wheels's string, avalanching down a hill right into a gaggle of girls.

The world finally stopped spinning, and the last thing Heero heard before the lights went out was, "It's IT!"

tbc

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Alright, I admit that I'm not the best at humor...I try, though! Hope you enjoyed chapter 2, chapter 3 will be out soon!