Eleison
A Gundam Wing Fanfic
By:
Sailor Seraphim
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Notes:
Please see Chapter One for full disclaimers and Notes.
"Eleison" means "have mercy."
SPOILERS for the TV Series, Endless Waltz and Episode Zero.
WARNINGS: 1x2, major angst, bad language, violence, death, shounen ai, and suicide... in no particular order. Timeline is roughly 3 years after Mariemaia, making it AC 200.
Enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter Three -- Conversations With Eternity
When the Japanese man's body went limp in his arms, Duo's head snapped up in panic. He was about to start screaming when he realized that Heero was still breathing, albeit shallow and raspy. A bright flare of hope started to burn in the American's heart. If Heero was not yet dead, if he had just passed into unconsciousness or even a coma, there was still a slim hope that he could live.
"Baka..." Duo whispered, gently fingering Heero's tousled hair. "You shouldn't have said it. *I* shouldn't have said it. You would have survived for sure..."
Lowering his head, hands still clasped around Heero's body, Duo wondered how long it would take for the Preventers to reach them. The Jeep was still smouldering nearby, sending pitch black smoke above the treetops. Surely enough time had passed? Help would be coming soon, wouldn't it? Duo would have checked his watch if he hadn't already known it had been broken in the crash.
Still... something was tickling at the back of his mind, and Duo couldn't let himself rest. It was too quiet in the forest. Even if the explosion had scared away the wildlife, the birds should have returned by now. It was too still. Too eerie. It was like paranoia almost, or that sixth sense that all fighters had... that *something* that told you that someone was watching you. It was sending chills down Duo's spine. Still, the feeling was familiar; like it had always been around all his life and he had grown so accoustomed to its forboding that he no longer was conscious of it. But... there was only one thing that had followed Duo for his whole life.
He frowned.
"Show yourself!" Duo called into the depths of the forest, feeling slightly foolish. Maybe he had just hit his head harder than he had thought. "I know you're there, so you might as well come on out!"
There was a rustling sound of leaves being stepped on and Duo's head snapped to the right. Violet eyes widened as he watched a slim young woman with raven black hair emerge from the shadows of the forest. Her skin was unnaturally pale, her attire unrelieved black, and a thick silver anhk was settled against her throat. Duo's arms tightened around Heero's body even more, unconsciously protecting the precious armful.
The woman stopped a few feet away from where Duo was sitting and gazed at him curiously. "How strange. Most humans don't know when I'm around. Until it's too late, of course."
"Death," Duo spat out, his eyes narrowing. All of the rolling, tumultous emotions in him now had a target. He couldn't believe the gall... that Death would actually show herself to him at a time like this. Sudden and unreasonable anger flooded Duo, and he would have physically attacked the woman if Heero wasn't in his arms.
"You know who I am?" the ebony-haired woman said with surprise.
"Of course I know who you are," Duo replied with a sneer. His arms tightened around Heero, hands still clasped above the wound that was slowly leaking the Japanese man's life onto the muddy ground. "I didn't think you'd be so surprised. Hell, you've been around me so much that I wonder why you don't keep photos of me in your wallet. It'd be great to show your friend. 'Hey! Check it out! Isn't he growing up so fast? He's a handsome boy, doncha think?'"
"I understand what you're feeling. I know you're hurting--"
"Hurting?!" Duo barked out, choking off his bitter laugh. "You 'know how I feel'? Damn right you should know how I feel! You've been following me around since before I can remember! You were more of a mother to me than Sister Helen was -- if only for the fact that you were always around. I named myself after you. You have made me everything that I am today," Duo said grimly. He pulled one arm away from Heero's body, stretching out in a mocking gesture. "What's wrong? No welcoming hug for your son?" Then he looked scornfully at his blood-covered clothing. "Ah. I see. I'm not exactly dressed appropriately for this meeting."
Death frowned. "If you know who I am and you know why I'm here, then you shouldn't fight the inevitable."
"Telling me it's impossible? You were there every step of the way, babe. Following in my footsteps, trailing me like a shadow... you hounded me every time I closed my eyes." Duo looked down sadly at Heero's slack face, running a bloody hand through matted brown hair. "But when I opened them, *he* was there. He was the only one who could be with me and not suffer the consequences. I love him for it. But that's the crutch, ain't it? You take away everyone that I love. You always do."
"I just do my job, Duo. I don't give people their fates."
"Does it sound like I'm blaming you?" Duo snapped, violet eyes blazing before they rested on Heero's face again. "I'm just telling the truth."
"Then if it's the truth, why don't you accept it?"
"Accept? I've always accepted the truth. I've know Death -- I've feared you, hated you, and in the end I accepted and loved you. But I loved him, too."
Heero took a rattling gasp of breath and Duo jumped, startled and his hands flying across to cover Heero's wounds. The Japanese man's body jerked and strained in the American's arms, and Death watch quietly at the play of emotions across Duo's face. It wasn't anything new. She'd seen it all before. She'd seen it too many times. There was one, last, slow exhale and Heero's body seemed to sink down on itself and lay still. Duo let loose a keening wail, throwing his arms around the now empty shell and rocking back and forth.
Death merely gestured, watching in a detached way as Heero's soul left his body and drifted towards her. She could see the torture in this soul's eyes as he watched his former lover grieve. But she was Death and had to be obeyed.
"Come with me," she said softly, holding out her hand.
"No."
Death blinked. She turned to where Duo was still kneeling in the mud, his violet eyes blazing and his arms still around Heero's corpse. "He's dead, Duo. I'm going to--"
"NO!"
Death sighed. "You can't stop me."
"No one gets Heero's soul but me," Duo answered, his voice quiet but strong. He was drawing from some sort of reserve that Death had never seen before in him. It made her insanely proud of the strength of human spirit for a brief moment. "He said his soul belongs to me. It was the last thing he said. Heero is *mine*. I won't let you take him away."
The ebony-haired woman watched as Heero's soul seemed to brighten at Duo's words. She shook her head and turned her back, gesturing towards the soul again. "I am Death, Duo. I do what I'm told. I'm here to pick up one soul today. It's Destiny."
"Fuck Destiny," Duo spat, and Death could almost *see* the grim grin across the braided man's lips. "I never liked following other people's orders."
And before Death could reply, a gunshot rang across the quiet forest, sending birds screaming into flight. She didn't need to turn around to know what had happened. The play of emotion across the soul's face told her everything she needed to know. Surprise, distress, shock, anger... then the genuine smile the lightened usually harsh features. Heero drifted behind her and finally, Death turned around. She watched as Duo's soul pulled itself free from its mangled shell, disoriented and confused. Then the new soul brightened, flashing across the distance easily and hurling itself into Heero's ghostly arms. The two men blurred into each other, making it difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. Maybe that was the point.
Duo grinned at her from his place snuggled against Heero's chest. It was a smile that could not be defeated... even by her.
//I told you that no one would get him but me.//
Death smiled.
And gestured.
And all that was left in the quiet forest when the Preventers vehicles pulled up minutes later was a mangled, smoking jeep, two bodies embraced together, and a cold, spent pistol lying in blood-red mud.
-- Owari --
A Gundam Wing Fanfic
By:
Sailor Seraphim
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Notes:
Please see Chapter One for full disclaimers and Notes.
"Eleison" means "have mercy."
SPOILERS for the TV Series, Endless Waltz and Episode Zero.
WARNINGS: 1x2, major angst, bad language, violence, death, shounen ai, and suicide... in no particular order. Timeline is roughly 3 years after Mariemaia, making it AC 200.
Enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter Three -- Conversations With Eternity
When the Japanese man's body went limp in his arms, Duo's head snapped up in panic. He was about to start screaming when he realized that Heero was still breathing, albeit shallow and raspy. A bright flare of hope started to burn in the American's heart. If Heero was not yet dead, if he had just passed into unconsciousness or even a coma, there was still a slim hope that he could live.
"Baka..." Duo whispered, gently fingering Heero's tousled hair. "You shouldn't have said it. *I* shouldn't have said it. You would have survived for sure..."
Lowering his head, hands still clasped around Heero's body, Duo wondered how long it would take for the Preventers to reach them. The Jeep was still smouldering nearby, sending pitch black smoke above the treetops. Surely enough time had passed? Help would be coming soon, wouldn't it? Duo would have checked his watch if he hadn't already known it had been broken in the crash.
Still... something was tickling at the back of his mind, and Duo couldn't let himself rest. It was too quiet in the forest. Even if the explosion had scared away the wildlife, the birds should have returned by now. It was too still. Too eerie. It was like paranoia almost, or that sixth sense that all fighters had... that *something* that told you that someone was watching you. It was sending chills down Duo's spine. Still, the feeling was familiar; like it had always been around all his life and he had grown so accoustomed to its forboding that he no longer was conscious of it. But... there was only one thing that had followed Duo for his whole life.
He frowned.
"Show yourself!" Duo called into the depths of the forest, feeling slightly foolish. Maybe he had just hit his head harder than he had thought. "I know you're there, so you might as well come on out!"
There was a rustling sound of leaves being stepped on and Duo's head snapped to the right. Violet eyes widened as he watched a slim young woman with raven black hair emerge from the shadows of the forest. Her skin was unnaturally pale, her attire unrelieved black, and a thick silver anhk was settled against her throat. Duo's arms tightened around Heero's body even more, unconsciously protecting the precious armful.
The woman stopped a few feet away from where Duo was sitting and gazed at him curiously. "How strange. Most humans don't know when I'm around. Until it's too late, of course."
"Death," Duo spat out, his eyes narrowing. All of the rolling, tumultous emotions in him now had a target. He couldn't believe the gall... that Death would actually show herself to him at a time like this. Sudden and unreasonable anger flooded Duo, and he would have physically attacked the woman if Heero wasn't in his arms.
"You know who I am?" the ebony-haired woman said with surprise.
"Of course I know who you are," Duo replied with a sneer. His arms tightened around Heero, hands still clasped above the wound that was slowly leaking the Japanese man's life onto the muddy ground. "I didn't think you'd be so surprised. Hell, you've been around me so much that I wonder why you don't keep photos of me in your wallet. It'd be great to show your friend. 'Hey! Check it out! Isn't he growing up so fast? He's a handsome boy, doncha think?'"
"I understand what you're feeling. I know you're hurting--"
"Hurting?!" Duo barked out, choking off his bitter laugh. "You 'know how I feel'? Damn right you should know how I feel! You've been following me around since before I can remember! You were more of a mother to me than Sister Helen was -- if only for the fact that you were always around. I named myself after you. You have made me everything that I am today," Duo said grimly. He pulled one arm away from Heero's body, stretching out in a mocking gesture. "What's wrong? No welcoming hug for your son?" Then he looked scornfully at his blood-covered clothing. "Ah. I see. I'm not exactly dressed appropriately for this meeting."
Death frowned. "If you know who I am and you know why I'm here, then you shouldn't fight the inevitable."
"Telling me it's impossible? You were there every step of the way, babe. Following in my footsteps, trailing me like a shadow... you hounded me every time I closed my eyes." Duo looked down sadly at Heero's slack face, running a bloody hand through matted brown hair. "But when I opened them, *he* was there. He was the only one who could be with me and not suffer the consequences. I love him for it. But that's the crutch, ain't it? You take away everyone that I love. You always do."
"I just do my job, Duo. I don't give people their fates."
"Does it sound like I'm blaming you?" Duo snapped, violet eyes blazing before they rested on Heero's face again. "I'm just telling the truth."
"Then if it's the truth, why don't you accept it?"
"Accept? I've always accepted the truth. I've know Death -- I've feared you, hated you, and in the end I accepted and loved you. But I loved him, too."
Heero took a rattling gasp of breath and Duo jumped, startled and his hands flying across to cover Heero's wounds. The Japanese man's body jerked and strained in the American's arms, and Death watch quietly at the play of emotions across Duo's face. It wasn't anything new. She'd seen it all before. She'd seen it too many times. There was one, last, slow exhale and Heero's body seemed to sink down on itself and lay still. Duo let loose a keening wail, throwing his arms around the now empty shell and rocking back and forth.
Death merely gestured, watching in a detached way as Heero's soul left his body and drifted towards her. She could see the torture in this soul's eyes as he watched his former lover grieve. But she was Death and had to be obeyed.
"Come with me," she said softly, holding out her hand.
"No."
Death blinked. She turned to where Duo was still kneeling in the mud, his violet eyes blazing and his arms still around Heero's corpse. "He's dead, Duo. I'm going to--"
"NO!"
Death sighed. "You can't stop me."
"No one gets Heero's soul but me," Duo answered, his voice quiet but strong. He was drawing from some sort of reserve that Death had never seen before in him. It made her insanely proud of the strength of human spirit for a brief moment. "He said his soul belongs to me. It was the last thing he said. Heero is *mine*. I won't let you take him away."
The ebony-haired woman watched as Heero's soul seemed to brighten at Duo's words. She shook her head and turned her back, gesturing towards the soul again. "I am Death, Duo. I do what I'm told. I'm here to pick up one soul today. It's Destiny."
"Fuck Destiny," Duo spat, and Death could almost *see* the grim grin across the braided man's lips. "I never liked following other people's orders."
And before Death could reply, a gunshot rang across the quiet forest, sending birds screaming into flight. She didn't need to turn around to know what had happened. The play of emotion across the soul's face told her everything she needed to know. Surprise, distress, shock, anger... then the genuine smile the lightened usually harsh features. Heero drifted behind her and finally, Death turned around. She watched as Duo's soul pulled itself free from its mangled shell, disoriented and confused. Then the new soul brightened, flashing across the distance easily and hurling itself into Heero's ghostly arms. The two men blurred into each other, making it difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. Maybe that was the point.
Duo grinned at her from his place snuggled against Heero's chest. It was a smile that could not be defeated... even by her.
//I told you that no one would get him but me.//
Death smiled.
And gestured.
And all that was left in the quiet forest when the Preventers vehicles pulled up minutes later was a mangled, smoking jeep, two bodies embraced together, and a cold, spent pistol lying in blood-red mud.
-- Owari --
