Heero's Clone

Chapter 1: Heero Has A Clone?

Heero Yuy got up from his latest gene project to answer the door. It had been pouring rain outside for hours, making the work in the basement even more miserable than usual. Upon opening the door he saw Duo Maxwell standing there, Duo looked worked up about something, the usual calm cobalt blue of his eyes were swirling with silent pleads yet unspoken. "Come in.", Heero plainly stated, "Don't sit on my new sofa though, Maxwell."

Duo nodded sitting on the old pull out couch of their college days; Heero had studied genetics, while Duo studied mechanics. If Duo had recalled correctly Heero was now heading his own genetic research laboratory. "I came to confess something to you Heero.", he said head bowed, "I-I'm your clone..."

Duo's eyes looked sorrowfully up at Heero. "That can't be true Duo, you even know that clones die do to the fact that they spontaneously start to age at a fast rate...."

Heero looked at Duo realizing why Duo had come to him then; it was always the clone that knew what was happening first. Which meant Duo had started to age! Heero asked Duo to come downstairs so he could prove what was going on was true. Duo sat there allowing Heero to scrap pieces of skin from his arms for DNA sequencing, and for later studies. "So am I going to age at a constant rate or not?", Duo couldn't help asking.

"It'll start out slowly, but pick up speed as time goes on. I'd give you three to four months of life.", Heero stated without a note of sympathy in his tone.

"Could I stay with you then? I really don't want anyone else to find out."; Duo gave Heero a pout.

"Fine, but you sleep downstairs.", Heero replied.

The next few days involved Heero doing the DNA sequencing, only to find that his and Dou's DNA were an exact match. So Heero began to study the cells...

Heero stared long at the cells, which every few minutes would either split, or die. Duo, who had been there since the first day he came, was bounding down the staircase dressed for their morning routine of one on one. "All work and no play makes you dull all day!", Duo proudly smirked.

"In a minute Duo I'm busy right now.", Heero waved him off.

Later that afternoon Duo called down, "Heero I made us some lunch! Want some?"

"If you bring it down here so I can work then yes.", came the response.

So things went on in this manner for about a week and a half. Until one morning when Duo woke up with a single strand of gray hair. Duo came bounding down the stairs, "Heero! I got a gray hair!", he whimpered.

Heero promptly plucked the troublesome strand and went back to work. The next morning it was obvious that Duo had aged to around thirty to forty years. During their morning routine a major throbbing pain went through Duo's chest, causing him to fall, crippled on the ground.

Heero having been pre-warned about heart attacks knew what was happening, and managed to act on what he knew, giving Duo an aspirin. "What happened Heero?", Duo asked after the pain subsided to nothing more than an ach.

"You had a heart attack, that's all.", Heero replied, "However you'll stop playing basketball in the mornings."

"Heero, do really think.", Duo was cut off by Heero.

"Yes, Maxwell, I do.", Heero's response was firm, there was no way Duo would convince him other wise on the matter.

So as Heero went back to his routine alone, Duo stared sadly at him. Heero noticed this, and it tore deep into his mind and soul. "I think that's enough for today.", he mumbled going inside and locking himself in his basement.

The next morning when asked whether or not he was going outside that morning Heero responded by saying he was skipping it that morning in order to go to work. He didn't return until late after Duo was well asleep on the couch. The TV still on, and the Nintendo Neo dragged out, a game still in it.

End Chapter 1