Chapter six- a Mere Shadow of A Soul
Duo tossed and turned on the bunk. The sheets tangled around his waist as the blanket rose up to his chin.
He groaned and rolled onto his stomach. Soft snore lifted from his throat and reached the air, barely audible.
His mouth opened slightly and he muttered, "Get out of the way baka...you fool you'll kill yourself. Ummm... Iie, get out of the way."
Duo rolled over again, "I couldn't save them. I could save him. Duo Gomen...Father Maxwell forgive me..."
Duo rolled onto his back his body sprawled out on the tiny bunk.
The door slid open and shut. The room was bathed in silence, only breathing echoed off the bare steel walls.
Duo mumbled in his sleep again, "will win...Wont fail...again..."
Suddenly feet padded silently on the hard cold floor. They stealthily made their way silently across the room and over to the lone bunk.
The door open and the person froze slipping into the shadows of the small room.
"Hey Duo."
"Umm."
The person sighed, "We're almost to Earth. Anther two hours."
Duo groggily replied, "Alright..."
He rolled over onto his back. Quatre sighed, "I'll wake you when we arrive."
"K."
Quatre sighed again and shut the door. Beyond it you could hear, "That baka, can't he take his mission seriously?"
Trowa's voice spoke up, "Give him some credit. He hasn't slept since he was given the mission. And that is five days. He found us all and he has done his job."
Quatre then stated, "Trowa is right. Come lets let him rest and join Sally at the cockpit. Did she ever find where that shuttle on the detector go to?"
Wufei shook his head, "No. There isn't a trace. Wouldn't be surprised if it hooked up to our ship."
The voices then soon faded as the group walked away.
The figure hiding in the shadows slithered out and stepped towards the bed.
It froze when Duo groaned again in his sleep and stretched his arms out in front of him. They fell onto the bed seconds later.
The figure waited till he heard the easy breathing and continued. He now loomed over the bunk staring Duo in the face.
A shooting star passed the ship and the glow entered the room through the window that made up the wall of the ship.
Everything was lit up from the bright light.
The figure frowned slightly as his eyes fell onto Duo.
Duo didn't look like the over anxious, wound up American Pilot. No he looked different from all the time the pilots had spent together.
The figure knew that Duo hadn't been his self after this mission and he didn't blame him.
Duo held dark circles under his shut eyelids they marred his tanned skin. His long arms, with defined muscles, were stretched up above his head and where crammed against the wall. His legs long, well toned thighs and calves were tangled in the beige sheets the bed had been covered in. A thin body, one that shouldn't belong to a man of his healthy age, was faintly outlined under the thick blanket.
Duo's face was innocent as a child of 4; his lips were slightly parted to let out the small sounds of snores that erupted from his throat.
His hair was loose from the usual thick brown braid, it fanned out over the sheets like a blanket of it's own. And in the light of the star the figure could see the small trace of silver stands, so small and unnoticeable. If the figure didn't know any better he would believe on first site that he was starring down at a 16-year-old girl.
The figure narrowed his dark eyes. His hand raised up into the air as if to strike the body lying asleep on the bunk.
The core of the star finally passed, the brightest part of a star, and the figure glowed in the dark, like a beacon of light.
His lean and well-toned body was outlined, and shadows streaked across his face, making him look haunting.
His unruly hair was long, from never being taken care of. Long thick bangs fell into haunted looking eyes that were outlined with the evidence of little sleep. Dark Prussian blue eyes glowed like a demon in the night, ready to take a life. His stomach and chest were lean, his dark skin stretched over defined muscles. His legs were long and built to run if need be. A green tank covered his chest, the end tucked in slightly into the spandex black shorts, which hugged his nice legs. A gun was tucked into the waistband of his short.
His hand came down and clamped tightly over the pale lips of Duo's mouth.
Duo jerked awake and stared straight into dark eyes. He fought against his attacker, but another hand grabbed the gun from behind and aimed it at Duo's head.
Duo's eyes widen in horror. His cobalt blue eyes glazed over. But then the attacker leaned forward, the thin lips, brushed Duo's ear. "It was hard trying to find you Maxwell."
Duo's eyes changed to a confused expression. The hand moved away and the gun was put away.
Duo pulled the covers up and over his chest, his other hand flipped on the switch above his head.
Everything blurred, when the lights turned on. With his left hand he rubbed his eyes as they cleared and he stared at his attacker. "Holy Jesus Heero!"
The man in front of him crossed his arms over his chest. His glare focused on Duo, and Duo alone.
Duo pulled the blanket closer to his chest. He covered his mouth as he yawned, "What are doing in here?"
Heero turned to stare out into space. The star had passed long ago, and once again space was black, with small white stars that were millions of miles away.
"My mission was to find you."
Duo rubbed his sore eyes, "what time is it?"
"7:15. But, that is in space, at the academy it's 3 o'clock in the morning."
Duo sighed, "Barely enough time. We'll get to earth at 5 and hopefully arrive at Relena's before 8." Duo yawned but this time didn't cover his mouth.
He glanced at Heero who was glancing at him over his shoulder. Broad shoulders actually, barely covered by the straps of his tank top.
Duo pinched the corner of his eyes to get control of himself. "Man I'm tired. Barely an hour of sleep. Oh well.
Duo threw his legs off the side of the bed and jumped to his feet. But the sheets tugged tight and he fell forward.
Duo hit the floor hard and let out a painful groan. He rolled over onto his but and impatiently kicked off the sheets. When loose he was on his feet. He grabbed the coat on the end of the bed and tugged it on. He turned to see Heero already at the door.
With another yawn he walked to the door as Heero slid it open, both men walked out and headed to the cockpit.
The door slid open, "evening guys."
All head turned to see Duo with Heero in toe. Duo yawned again. The dark circles seemed to have darkened by just the small walked the two pilots had to take.
Quatre stood from a seat, "Heero...you finally made it."
Heero gave a curt nod and glanced at the others. They were silent, and just nodded to his presence. Sally sat in a seat near the door fast asleep, a blanket thrown over her form.
Duo plopped down in a chair, "to Earth."
Trowa nodded and pressed a few keys. The engines roared and the speed picked up. They would be on earth in no time.
Duo tossed and turned on the bunk. The sheets tangled around his waist as the blanket rose up to his chin.
He groaned and rolled onto his stomach. Soft snore lifted from his throat and reached the air, barely audible.
His mouth opened slightly and he muttered, "Get out of the way baka...you fool you'll kill yourself. Ummm... Iie, get out of the way."
Duo rolled over again, "I couldn't save them. I could save him. Duo Gomen...Father Maxwell forgive me..."
Duo rolled onto his back his body sprawled out on the tiny bunk.
The door slid open and shut. The room was bathed in silence, only breathing echoed off the bare steel walls.
Duo mumbled in his sleep again, "will win...Wont fail...again..."
Suddenly feet padded silently on the hard cold floor. They stealthily made their way silently across the room and over to the lone bunk.
The door open and the person froze slipping into the shadows of the small room.
"Hey Duo."
"Umm."
The person sighed, "We're almost to Earth. Anther two hours."
Duo groggily replied, "Alright..."
He rolled over onto his back. Quatre sighed, "I'll wake you when we arrive."
"K."
Quatre sighed again and shut the door. Beyond it you could hear, "That baka, can't he take his mission seriously?"
Trowa's voice spoke up, "Give him some credit. He hasn't slept since he was given the mission. And that is five days. He found us all and he has done his job."
Quatre then stated, "Trowa is right. Come lets let him rest and join Sally at the cockpit. Did she ever find where that shuttle on the detector go to?"
Wufei shook his head, "No. There isn't a trace. Wouldn't be surprised if it hooked up to our ship."
The voices then soon faded as the group walked away.
The figure hiding in the shadows slithered out and stepped towards the bed.
It froze when Duo groaned again in his sleep and stretched his arms out in front of him. They fell onto the bed seconds later.
The figure waited till he heard the easy breathing and continued. He now loomed over the bunk staring Duo in the face.
A shooting star passed the ship and the glow entered the room through the window that made up the wall of the ship.
Everything was lit up from the bright light.
The figure frowned slightly as his eyes fell onto Duo.
Duo didn't look like the over anxious, wound up American Pilot. No he looked different from all the time the pilots had spent together.
The figure knew that Duo hadn't been his self after this mission and he didn't blame him.
Duo held dark circles under his shut eyelids they marred his tanned skin. His long arms, with defined muscles, were stretched up above his head and where crammed against the wall. His legs long, well toned thighs and calves were tangled in the beige sheets the bed had been covered in. A thin body, one that shouldn't belong to a man of his healthy age, was faintly outlined under the thick blanket.
Duo's face was innocent as a child of 4; his lips were slightly parted to let out the small sounds of snores that erupted from his throat.
His hair was loose from the usual thick brown braid, it fanned out over the sheets like a blanket of it's own. And in the light of the star the figure could see the small trace of silver stands, so small and unnoticeable. If the figure didn't know any better he would believe on first site that he was starring down at a 16-year-old girl.
The figure narrowed his dark eyes. His hand raised up into the air as if to strike the body lying asleep on the bunk.
The core of the star finally passed, the brightest part of a star, and the figure glowed in the dark, like a beacon of light.
His lean and well-toned body was outlined, and shadows streaked across his face, making him look haunting.
His unruly hair was long, from never being taken care of. Long thick bangs fell into haunted looking eyes that were outlined with the evidence of little sleep. Dark Prussian blue eyes glowed like a demon in the night, ready to take a life. His stomach and chest were lean, his dark skin stretched over defined muscles. His legs were long and built to run if need be. A green tank covered his chest, the end tucked in slightly into the spandex black shorts, which hugged his nice legs. A gun was tucked into the waistband of his short.
His hand came down and clamped tightly over the pale lips of Duo's mouth.
Duo jerked awake and stared straight into dark eyes. He fought against his attacker, but another hand grabbed the gun from behind and aimed it at Duo's head.
Duo's eyes widen in horror. His cobalt blue eyes glazed over. But then the attacker leaned forward, the thin lips, brushed Duo's ear. "It was hard trying to find you Maxwell."
Duo's eyes changed to a confused expression. The hand moved away and the gun was put away.
Duo pulled the covers up and over his chest, his other hand flipped on the switch above his head.
Everything blurred, when the lights turned on. With his left hand he rubbed his eyes as they cleared and he stared at his attacker. "Holy Jesus Heero!"
The man in front of him crossed his arms over his chest. His glare focused on Duo, and Duo alone.
Duo pulled the blanket closer to his chest. He covered his mouth as he yawned, "What are doing in here?"
Heero turned to stare out into space. The star had passed long ago, and once again space was black, with small white stars that were millions of miles away.
"My mission was to find you."
Duo rubbed his sore eyes, "what time is it?"
"7:15. But, that is in space, at the academy it's 3 o'clock in the morning."
Duo sighed, "Barely enough time. We'll get to earth at 5 and hopefully arrive at Relena's before 8." Duo yawned but this time didn't cover his mouth.
He glanced at Heero who was glancing at him over his shoulder. Broad shoulders actually, barely covered by the straps of his tank top.
Duo pinched the corner of his eyes to get control of himself. "Man I'm tired. Barely an hour of sleep. Oh well.
Duo threw his legs off the side of the bed and jumped to his feet. But the sheets tugged tight and he fell forward.
Duo hit the floor hard and let out a painful groan. He rolled over onto his but and impatiently kicked off the sheets. When loose he was on his feet. He grabbed the coat on the end of the bed and tugged it on. He turned to see Heero already at the door.
With another yawn he walked to the door as Heero slid it open, both men walked out and headed to the cockpit.
The door slid open, "evening guys."
All head turned to see Duo with Heero in toe. Duo yawned again. The dark circles seemed to have darkened by just the small walked the two pilots had to take.
Quatre stood from a seat, "Heero...you finally made it."
Heero gave a curt nod and glanced at the others. They were silent, and just nodded to his presence. Sally sat in a seat near the door fast asleep, a blanket thrown over her form.
Duo plopped down in a chair, "to Earth."
Trowa nodded and pressed a few keys. The engines roared and the speed picked up. They would be on earth in no time.