Title: The Dark Heart of the City

Author: Zoisite NightDragon

Part: 5/who has any idea...

Pairings: 1x4, 2x3x5, there's lots more that escape me right now. Zechs, Treize, and everyone else shows up later.

Status: I'll finish it eventually.

Disclaimer/Warnings/etc: Slap every warning you can think of on this. First off though, UnderCity is owned and copyrighted by me and Stonewall Publications, so please don't take it, okay? Any chars that aren't owned by Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and their respective companies are mine as well, such as the Enforcers and so on. Erm... yarg. I know I'm forgetting some, so I will say this. This piece was originally meant to be the opener of a second never in the Dark Heart series, but it really didn't fit for the chars it was written for, but it worked pretty good for an alternate universe GW story. It does have a good deal of horror, bloodshed, angst, etc.. all the bad stuff. You all will learn that I specialize in that. For background info, the wars never happened. Treize screwed up, and the entire Earth was scorched, cutting them off from everything. None of the GW boys came from colonies or wherever. They were born within UnderCity or came by other means. They were never pilots, the Gundams weren't made in time or at all (that comes up later, so shhhh) Yes, I did intentionally make this long so that if this isn't anyone's cup of tea they don't have to see anything they don't want to.
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Trowa's steps were slowed as he stepped off of the balcony and began making his way across the white sea that was Wufei's marble floor. Even the spiced scents on the air spoke of a richness that he had never seen. Sharp green eyes flicked back and forth, watching warily for any sign of life. The entire place had an unlived in feel to him, almost as if it were all stage dressing for a play about to begin. The sensation of being watched didn't help any. Touching a fingertip to his lips, he glanced meaningfully to Duo, knowing too well how the other boy liked to start talking at a rapid clip when he was nervous. The violet eyes that met his own showed fear in them, but also bravery that brought a hint of a smile to Trowa's stern features. It was all the comfort he could offer without speaking, and the celestials were known for their sharp hearing.

From the looming shadows above them, Wufei watched the two curiously. What would press two humans to enter his home? Hunger had never been enough before. Dark celestials were known for flinging lesser beings off of their balconies to the sharp cliffs before for amusement occasionally. Drugs? Couldn't be that since neither of them looked stringy enough to be strung out, nor did any angelic creature touch the stuff that humans poisoned themselves with. Weapons perhaps. Wufei's collection of ceremonial and combat worn katanas did grace the walls, but what good would a three-foot long blade do a mortal? It wasn't as if they could walk around with them on the street or sell them. Possession of any such weapon was a death sentence. Creatures as petty and small-minded as humans couldn't be trusted with something they could hurt themselves with, nor would they ever really appreciate the blade's beauty. However, the taller one was twirling a knife of his own in one hand.

The dark angel's stealthy prowl brought him further along the rafter until he was immediately above the two. Wrapping his ankles about the beam, Wufei lowered himself until he could have stretched out his hands and touched their heads. The one with long hair was a curiosity. Usually only females or ones like Millardo grew their hair that long. For now, he hung silently above them, batlike wings folded loosely about his coppery skin to cloak it in ebony.

"I don't like this, Tro-man. Something doesn't feel right," Duo muttered in a whisper, fingers worried working through the edge of his braid. This place made his skin crawl. Too many shadows. The fact that he was standing in a dark angel's home... a bloody dark angel!... made it all the worse. These were Treize's personal guard, things that mothers told their children about to frighten them into being good. The scents of sandalwood and sakura hanging in the air fell just short of cloying. It was better than the blood and ashes scent outside, but damn if it didn't add to the general creepiness.

Trowa only nodded in reply, internally cursing Duo for even speaking. Tapping his fingers to the other boy's shoulder, he started for the stairs. The blade spun between his fingers; moonlight catching off of it like quicksilver. At least it wore away some of his jitters. If it hadn't been for Quatre, he would never be running a suicide mission like this, but he wasn't about to let a friend die or live in the hands of creatures like the dark angels. Mounting the stairs, the boy's jaden eyes swept over the darkness once more.

Wufei hit them like a runaway train. Not once did either of them hear a hint of noise as the angel release his ankles from the beam and start down. The only warning they had was a second before impact when he unfurled his wings, the membranes making a whiplike cracking sound to catch the air and set him into a near hover. Duo's braid was seized and jerked, enough to throw him off balance and crashing into the futon across the room. Trowa's knife was arrested in midswing as Wufei's clawed hand closing about the Latino's wrist. Jerked about, Trowa found himself staring into the creature's face for the first time. Coppery skin shone softly as if coated with oil or lightly bronzed while instead of normal eyes with only the iris containing colour, Wufei's were entirely black, moving constantly as if coated with oil. Tips of needlelike teeth edged out from beneath the angel's lips, each one a pure white compared to the rotting teeth most had in UnderCity. A handful of dark nails that looked sharp enough to cut steel caressed Trowa's cheek, those malevolent eyes reflecting back only Trowa's own frightened visage like a pair of black mirrors. Even the creature's breath bore taints of sakura blossoms to it, another lying beneath that was scented of flyblown meat. "And who might you be?" he asked, head tilting in an almost birdlike manner towards Trowa's face.

Whatever words had been in the Latino's throat dried up as he gazed into those eyes. They were voids of nothingness, swallowing everything, even the light within their ovals. Struggling with his captured hand to drive the blade back towards Wufei, Trowa's knee smashed upwards, trying for the angel's pelvis. Shattering laughter rained down on his ears as a muscular thigh reflected the strike, the wrist of his hand holding the knife was smashed into the marble banister. It was hard enough for him to feel the bones crack on impact. Hissing in hurt, Trowa felt himself and Wufei begin to fall backwards, down the path of stone stairs that were too willing to break more of his bones.

Rising to his hands and knees in the wreck of what had been the futon, the violet eyed male shook his head, trying to clear away some of the dizziness from being thrown headlong into an impact hard enough to shatter the furniture's sturdy wooden frame into matchsticks. Praising his own hard skull, he rubbed his eyes and blinked at the fight on the stairs. Seeing Wufei's jaws yawning open with those daggerish teeth bared was enough to spurn him into action. Racing onto the balcony, Duo gathered up the rope and grappling hook. If his aim was good, this might just work. Flinging the hook towards the frilly bars of the stair's rails, luck was with him in snaring one. Jerking the rope tight, it snapped against he back of Trowa's leg, all the warning he could give him.

Green eyes snapped down at something striking his leg, releasing his free hand's hold on Wufei to grasp the strand. Launching off the stairs with a shove, he rolled back with the rope, landing just a step below in a crouch. Wufei wasn't so lucky. Pulled with Trowa's initial push, he free fell into the trap, tumbling down the stairs with it tangling about him. Realizing what he'd caught, Duo let go in a hurry. The dark angel flailed in the loops he had inadvertently tangled himself in, shrieking loudly in a voice that sounded like a falcon spotting prey. Black wings tried to unfold and free themselves only to be caught as well. The screaming of the creature grew louder at that. Of all their vulnerable points, their wings were the worst. Shouting above the noise, Trowa seized one of the loops and began to pull. "Duo! Tie it off!"

Steeling himself, Duo grasped one as well, trying to keep back as far as he could. The gnashing teeth of the dark angel was frightening, not to mention those soulless eyes. Could he even see through that? The creature's black hair had pulled free of its ponytail, riotous strands of onyx swirled about his face. The beauty of that tanned skin and black locks was almost as scary as Wufei himself. Tying his end off around one of the posts on the balcony, Duo kept back, surprising himself at feeling almost sorry for the angel as its thrashing in the rope died off. When given the choice of injuring his wings or escaping, his kind evidentially took the latter.

Trowa stalked back to the angel after securing his own to one of the room's massive pillars. His wrist throbbed sickly, broken bones grinding against each other. Spinning the knife in his good hand, he crouched before Wufei, having that same moment of pity. This wasn't a thing meant to be captured and nearly broken. It was like seeing a proud tiger in a too small cage. Shaking it off, Trowa lifted the knife to before the creature's eyes. "I know you can understand me. I've seen you all follow Treize too many times to think you can't. You or one of your flying freak pals took a friend of mine. Small, blonde, pretty. I want him back."

Stoic silence met his demand, those coal black eyes fastened on his own without emotion, regal face without expression.

Trowa scowled and began edging the point of his blade closer and closer to the angel's copper kissed skin. "I don't want to hurt you. All I want is my friend back. It was either you or Heero that took him."

Wufei murmured something too low to hear, his black crowned head bowing as if ashamed. Trowa frowned, leaning closer to hear as the knife lowered a fraction of an inch. Crouched low still, Duo's sharp eyes caught the flexing of the dark angel's hand in now cut ropes too late. Those damned long sharp nails the creature possessed had been forgotten by both.

And then everything went to Hell.

Before Duo could even start to tell Trowa to move back, Wufei's hand shot out, grasping to the front of the male's shirt and jerking him close. With a snakelike quickness, the angel's lips sealed over Trowa's own, the tip of his tongue pressing past the unwilling male's lips and forcing them to part to a deep kiss. Emerald eyes went wide with surprise and began to slowly cloud over, fluttering to near closed as he gave into the kiss, returning it with the same passion that wanton given his cool manner moments before. Wufei's own eyes moved onto Duo, a dark, secret smile greeting the other boy as he released the now limp Latino to fall to the floor. A slash of Wufei's nails severed the rest of the ropes from his body, gingerly freeing his delicate batwings as his gaze stayed locked on Duo's own. Instead of opening his mouth to speak, the angel's voice whispered in the American's own mind, malicious and tempting at that same time. //Foolish mortals... come here, little one. Come kiss me...//

The breath racing in and out of Duo's mouth felt heated suddenly, sultry in what had been near coldness before. Gazing into those dark eyes, he could see himself spread out beneath Wufei, legs wrapped around the creature's waist as he rode his thrusts. His own voice echoed in his ears, begging for more, harder, faster. Duo's own hands were buried in those freed black locks of hair while his own fanned out beneath the two of them. He could even feel the searing kisses from Wufei and the more tender ones of Trowa sprinkled over his lips and chest. Dropping to his knees on the floor, he stared blankly still as Wufei rose to his feet with a rustle of his wings, the membranes wrapping about the Chinese angel as if they were a cloak, tips brushing the floor. With each step the creature took closer to him, another thrust was given in his mind's eyes, soft whimpers of need falling from Duo's lips. It was all too clear until those razored nails of Wufei's touched his cheek. With a shriek of his own, the boy skittered backwards, gaining his feet somehow and running blindly for the balcony. Behind him, he heard the low menacing growl and then the rapid pounding for feet as well as the whip crack sound of wings opening once more. Without even thinking, he reached the rail and jumped.

Wufei scowled darkly as he landed on the rail, balancing himself in a crouch and glaring over it. Nothing moved below in the heaps of garbage and brush that lay along and at the bottom of the sheer cliffs. The little fool had killed himself. Pity really. Those wide purple eyes and chestnut hair had more than fired his own imagination. Good things that these humans hadn't suspected that unlike Heero, most of his kind were more than capable of psychic manipulation. Tapping a fingertip to his lips, he still watched below for any sign of the other surviving even as his mind wandered. So Heero had finally gotten himself a new pet. Wufei had to wonder if this one would actually survive the night. The other was infamous for killing those that didn't meet his high standards... mostly that a pet didn't lose its mind at the sight of him. Harder trick than it sounded with their appearances. At times he cursed the ones who had let them fall from the heavens, to become these twisted creatures that they now were. Glancing at his leathery wings, he could remember when they had been covered with downy feathers that glittered in the light instead of bare and ugly... when the sun itself had shone brighter when he laughed or smiled instead of bringing such fear. Things that couldn't be changed were only to be accepted though. This is the way it was, and as it would stay until he had one his penance.

Meiran... had she been worth the fall from above? Wufei still thought yes, now centuries... or was it millennia... after her death. Time grew fluid when one reached the age he had. To love a mortal woman had been forbidden. Heero's crime had been worse than his own, perhaps why the other angel had become twisted as mentally as he was physically. One did not simply fall in love with another angel and abandon their post of Death Angel because they felt like it. Heero's love had seen him kill; destroy an entire generation of children. He had been an angel of love... death playing no part in his fragile existence of joy. To kill the innocent had been unacceptable. So Heero had thrown his sword down, refusing to pick it up ever again and raging against being forced to.

So in the end, they both fell for love.

Stalking back towards Trowa, Wufei's gaze studied over his new captive. The question was, what to do with him? The kiss was the big problem. It more or less bound this one to him. Crouching over the still stupored male, he brushed away some of the fallen brown hair over the pale face. Pretty. Very pretty with those jewel-like eyes. Perhaps he'd make a good servant or something after he had some meat on his bones. Much too thin. The words that he had spoken before flitted across Wufei's mind once more. Blonde... Heero still couldn't be obsessing over that after this long. With a frown on his lips, one angel's mind reached for the other's. //Heero... are you all right?//

The reply was breathless, a near visual accompanying it of Heero atop someone, lips feasting on the other's. The taste of strawberry registered for some reason. //I am busy. What do you want?//

Wufei's eyes rolled as he sighed. That was Heero for you. All business, and still unable to make his powers work. The knowledge that Heero was getting laid was not something he wanted to see or experience through their telepathic connection right now. //I had visitors tonight. Two searching for a delicate blonde. Haven't seen any, have you?//

Anger and a possessive jealousy that nearly burnt flooded across their line to each other, hard and vicious enough to almost make Wufei lose their connection. When Heero spoke up, his mental voice was taut and barely controlled. //I won't give him up. Kill them for me.//

Wufei shook his head and sighed again. Sweeping Trowa's hair from his face, he thought over his reply carefully. Really, what did it hurt if Heero had himself a new pet for awhile? The blonde was safer than any creature in UnderCity if Heero honestly was this way about him so early. Had Trowa and ... what the other's name... oh yes, Duo. The name had been plucked from Trowa's mind like a ripe fruit when he'd kissed him. Had Trowa and Duo charged Heero first, they would be ribbons of bloody flesh on the floor. Wufei's voice in reply was soothing and supportive; the friend had been since they had found themselves here on Earth. //Worry not, Heero. They're taken care of. No one will be taking him from you. Perhaps I can meet him tomorrow? I've acquired a new one myself. They could be friends, keep each other company when we're out on patrol.//

Heero's voice softened some in reply, the anger and hate releasing some as he calmed. //Hai... I would like that. Until then...//

Sliding his arms beneath Trowa and lifting him carefully to cradle against his chest, Wufei began the climb to his room. It was going to be a long night.

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Duo groaned as he saw the shadowy gargoyle like form high up on the balcony go back into the house. It had been fate's own luck that he'd landed on a good-sized pile of garbage atop an old mattress. He couldn't do this alone, not against all of them. If he'd had any brains, he would have insisted that he and Trowa had brought the others with them this time. Then ... none of this would have happened. Shaking fruit peels and other slimy things he'd rather not identify off of him, Duo got wearily to his feet, his mind still confused and slow from whatever the creature had done to him. Only two things made sense right now: Getting Hilde and the rest, and rescuing Trowa with Quatre. Staggering every few steps, he headed for Hilde's club, Slick Spots.