Disclaimers: I have nothing but a strange yet amusing brain, I guess.
Archived: Yume Maxwell-Yuy (www.geocities.com/maxwell_yuy2002/)
Warning: OOC, Weirdish, Yaoi 2x1, 3x4, meant be slightly humorous, and that's about it.
Note: I was bored! Enjoy!
Thanks for the reviewing (especially Candy and Yume Maxwell-Yuy). Arigato gojaimas!
Okay, this part has a disturbed enemy (Setsuna), beware, he really freaks me out!
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Haunted
Part 14
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"I'm going to see how Barton is handling that man." Wufei said rising from his seat, "Thank you for making things clearer for us."
Marou nodded, "I think we should be leaving now." with that, Marou and Hikage vanished.
"I'll come with you Wufei." Quatre followed Wufei wanting to know why his lover had volunteered to take the man upstairs, and Trowa had called the man something.
/Setsuna.../
That's right, Trowa had called him Setsuna. Was he one of Trowa's friends? If he was, wouldn't Trowa have told him? Was he an enemy? How did they know each other?
Relena looked around the big emptied room, "Oh damn...wait for me!" the girl said as she scrambled up the stairs.
~!~!~!~!~
"Ne Hee-chan? Do you think we should find Trowa now?"
"Mmmm..." Wing ZERO's pilot kissed Duo softly.
Heero didn't really want to leave the bed, he just wanted to stay with Duo.
"Heero?"
The boy looked up at Duo and gasped, "Duo...your face is still red from Relena."
"Is it now?" Heero ran a finger along the reddened area of skin and poked it, "Itai!"
"Gomen."
"I didn't think it would hurt."
"Baka."
"C'mon Hee-chan, let's find the others."
Heero nodded as the two got up and searched for their comrades. When they opened the door, they met up with Wufei, Quatre, and Relena. What timing!
"Hey, hey." Duo greeted.
"Maxwell! We're on a mission and you're keeping yourself busy with YUY?!"
Duo waved his hands, "Nononononono! You got it all wrong! Heero was telling me about the little girl, right Hee-chan?"
Heero nodded.
"Well then, what's with the little girl?"
Duo repeated what Heero had told him, "So now we have to figure out how to return them to the heavens. THEN we can go home."
"You do realize we will have to repeat this all to Trowa?"
Duo shrugged, "Then I'll make one of you tell him. And we are all standing out here because...?"
"We're going to check up on Barton, Relena-san, I don't think you shout enter." said Wufei. Quatre nodded in agreement.
"What am I suppose to do then?" Relena asked.
"Why don't you go take a nice long bath?" Quatre suggested.
A bath? That wasn't a bad idea, she WAS filthy. A bath would cleanse and relax her. It would help her sort things out about Heero and Duo's relationship as well as the treaty she was suppose to sign. A bath was a GREAT idea. Screw the ghost. Screw the mysterious man. Relena Peacecraft was going to take a bath! Okay, enough about the bath.
"Alright." Relena replied as she headed to her room.
The remaining four continued their search.
"Over here!" Duo said as he entered the room with Trowa. "Ack! Tro, why'd you uncuff him???"
"What's the girl doing here?" cold maroon eyes asked referring to Duo, "I thought all of the Gundam Pilots were guys."
"I *AM* a guy, thank you very much." Duo growled. Okay, he braid was sexy, not effeminate.
"Well you don't look like one..."
What was wrong with this man??? Duo hadn't done anything to him, but just decides it's alright to insult him? Shinigami will not tolerate such shit from anyone! Well, except from Heero maybe, but that's not the point!
Duo opened his mouth to speak-
"Duo, shut up." Heero ordered.
"Hn." Duo replied.
"That's MY line."
"Baka."
"Duo!"
Quatre walked into the room, "Trowa, do you know this man?" he asked.
"An old.........friend..." Trowa replied picking his words carefully, somehow, Quatre knew there was much more to this friendship.
Just then, Wufei came into picture, "Barton! What is the meaning of this? Do you want to endanger our mission?!"
"Relax."
"Yeah, 'relax' you say, 'think happy thoughts with cute cuddly bunnies' you say, well I will not!"
"Wufei, I trust that Setsuna will not flee..."
"Trust? Trowa, dude, this is a mission, you don't trust anybody on a mission, only your comrades..." Duo said, disapproving taller boy's decision, Heero nodded to support his noisy lover. Duo was right. You DO NOT trust anyone on a mission. Yet here Trowa was, uncuffing the suspected criminal. Heero found this very unlikely and unprofessional of Trowa.
"Matteo, how did you know his name?" Duo asked.
"It's none of your concern." Trowa drew in a breath, "If he does flee...I'll capture him myself, and if I have to...I'll kill him."
Setsuna laughed, he laughed a laugh that resembled Heero Yuy's suicidal laughter. "Kill me will you? Very well, I'll try not to roam far..."
It was funny, to Quatre, the two men didn't SEEM like 'old friends'.
"Hn." Heero didn't care if Trowa trusted this guy or not. He took the shackles and recuffed him to the bed post. There were no windows, the only way out was through the door.
"Now Tro, if ya know what's good for ya, I wouldn't take them off again." Duo enforced his lover's actions, he sensed that Heero didn't have a good feeling about this guy. And he knew that Heero was relatively good with instinct. "Let's go, we still have to figure out this game."
"Barton, stay away from this room." Heero ordered, "We can't allow your emotions to interfere with the enemy right now. In fact, Wufei stay here, you have proven that you handle the situation."
"..." Trowa eyed Heero, and Heero shot Trowa a death glare as they began to exit.
Heero gave Wufei a warning look, "No one goes in, and no one goes out." he ordered.
"Hai." a metallic click rang throughout the room as Wufei accepted staying behind, he personally would rather be watching over the captor of Relena Peacecraft for the sake of the mission than see his comrades groping at each other. Especially Yuy and Maxwell. They're non-stop. Wufei cringed at the sick visuals and fought a nosebleed.
~!~!~!~!~
"So basically, all we have to do is return the four of them to the heavens and bring that Setsuna guy back to Une, ne?" Duo summarized in one quick sentence after talking about the subject and explaining it to Trowa.
"Basically." Heero confirmed.
"BUT. We know there will be future complications."
Heero nodded.
"What about the game?" Trowa asked.
"That's the puzzle of the whole thing." Duo said as he draped his arm over Heero.
"I don't understand? How does this all tie itself together? Why would they want our help? How are we connected to them?" Quatre asked oblivious to the weight he just added to Heero's load of guilt. The Perfect Soldier hid his face in Shinigami's shoulder.
"Yes, how are we connected?" Trowa asked deciding that it was best to forget about Setsuna at the moment, he could deal with him later.
"We know that Setsuna didn't want Relena to sign the Treaty, but what for? Does he wish to start another war?"
"We'll have to ask those questions later. The problem is how to return the supernatural spirits. Then we can take care of the Setsuna dude."
"What should we do?"
There was a long moment of silence. None of the pilots knew anything about helping people rest in peace, it wasn't required knowledge for the war. All they had to do was kill.
Duo suddenly had an idea, "Hee-chan, the girl said that they were 'distrubed', ne?"
Heero nodded into Shinigami's shoulder, Duo smirked and pulled Heero closer. He was such a baby.
"What do you think she meant by distrubed?" Trowa wondered for everyone.
Quatre searched his memory to see if he knew something about burials and death ceremonies. Suddenly, it hit him, "I remember being told that the Egyptians used sarcopagus to protect the great Pharaohs in entering after life. Do you think...?"
"Think that their graves need to be reburied?" Trowa completed.
"Hai, demo...I still don't understand why we're doing it, we don't even know the child...do we?"
Heero sat up, "I do."
"Really, well that would explain the connection. Was she a friend?" Quatre asked.
"No."
"Oh, then what were your relations with her?"
Heero took in a breath, no point in hesistating. "I-I-" he struggled with his words, "I...I killed her." Heero studdered, why was it so hard to say? He buried his head back on Duo shoulder. The braided boy felt sorry for his lover. He hugged him tightly. "If it wasn't for me...we would have already been able to leave now. I didn't think she would ever come back..."
"Gomen nasai, I shouldn't have brought it up. Gomen ne, Heero." Quatre said in remorse. Though, it did explain alot.
"It's all my fault..." Heero whispered loud enough for only Duo to hear.
Duo frowned, didn't they have this talk earlier? The American boy scooped the Japanese youth into his arms, "I'm going to take him upstairs."
Quatre nodded watching his companions retreat up the stairs. Once they were gone, he turned to his koibito, "Trowa?"
"Aa?"
"Tell me about Setsuna."
Trowa sighed, "Hai...what do you want to know?"
"For starters, how do you know him?"
"We met on the battlefield on L3 when I was six years old and he was ten or eleven." Trowa replied, might as well go all the way, "He saved me from dying during a fight in MS. I thanked him, he told me his name, Setsuna. He asked for mine. Of course back then I didn't know what my name was so he called me 'Nanashi' from that day on."
Quatre listened to his lover talk about his past memorizing each sentence and storing it in his memory banks for safe keeping.
"We went on our seperate ways, but during another battle, we met up again, and he saved my life a second time. We parted again, the next two times we met, I watched his back and saved him to return the favors.
Along the way we grew close to each other as he to join my squad. Turns out, I was like a kid brother to him and I looked up to him only being six. He taught me battle strategies and everything he knew. He gave me tips, ever since then we watched each others' backs. I even know the history of his piercings. He even tried to pierce my ear.
We had something in common, we were both alone. Demo, I'm not alone anymore, I have you." Trowa gave Quatre a soft half-smile remembering those times, but soon the smile disappeared.
"Until one battle he betrayed me and his companions. He turned on us killing everyone of my comrades, but he spared my life. I guess I should be grateful, but...I'm not. He wanted me to join him on the enemy's side, I refused his offer. Without saying anything, he left me behind, but I knew I would see him again.
Sure enough the next month I saw him. He was vicious, relentless, monsterous. I told myself, it wasn't him, but the enemy. Soon he and I were engaged in a heated battle. It was the hardest battle I ever took on mentally.
After about an hour, I had him gunpointed. 'Sayonara...Nanshi' he said and self detonated. I never saw him again thinking he had died until today...but he's alive."
"Trowa, I'm so sorry." Quatre hugged the other boy. He couldn't believe that Trowa just told him like...everything. That was the most he ever heard out of the taller boy from his own free will.
"Quatre? Is he my still my brother...or my enemy?" Trowa asked, "I always thought of him as a brother, but now after all these years...even now he's on the opposing side."
"What does you heart tell you?"
"...Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Hai, if I had to, I would save his life, but at the same time if I had to, I could kill him with my bare hands... It's like I'm angry to see his face, but happy too." Trowa said with no emotion once or ever. "Tell me Quatre, have you ever felt like that?"
Quatre shook his head, "No, I haven't."
Trowa bent down and kissed Quatre, "Arigato."
"What for?"
"For listening, I haven't told anyone that story."
"I suppose you would want to see Setsuna?"
"Hai, I want to find out just what the hell he's doing here and why he wants to prevent a peace treaty..."
With that said, the two boys walked up the stairs to see the mysterious man.
~!~!~!~!~
"Heero, you aren't going to make things better by blaming yourself." Duo said as he held a sobbing boy rocking him back and forth.
"But it was my fault...!"
"Oh get over it! I know it's hard, especially for you, but dammit, just do it!"
Heero shook his head, "I can't! I can't..."
"You can, you just don't want to because your sulking in your self pity, Hee-chan." Duo replied kissing Heero's hair.
Heero let out a small whimper, "But-"
"Listen to me Heero, it's in the past and there's nothing you can do about it but accept and move on. You're not getting anything accomplished sitting in my arms sobbing."
Duo was right.
Heero sniffled, "But I like it here." he pouted.
If the Japanese boy could joke like that, he was definitely feeling better, "That's more I like it. I like you here too, but not sobbing. Oh no, you're a big boy Heero Yuy." Duo said tapping his nose. "You do know that you don't have to cry in order to be in my arms, ne?"
"Aa." Heero smiled up at Duo, "All I have to do is jump, and you'll catch me..."
"That's right."
"Duo?"
"Nani?"
"You're too good to me." Heero said and closed his eyes. Duo bent down and kissed the soft lips. "But this doesn't make me feel completely better about the girl."
"I wouldn't expect it to."
"How do I make it go away?"
"Maybe if we help her get home, you'll feel better." Duo suggested. Heero thought about the idea for a moment, "I think it will help me."
Duo gazed down at his lover in his arms. The beauty had his eyes closed, Duo knew that they had to come out of the room sometime, "Hee-chan, we should go..."
Heero snuggled closer to the braided boy, "Five more minutes."
Duo chuckled.
~!~!~!~!~
Relena stepped out of he large tub and wrapped a towel around her. She felt clean and refreshed, the bath was very nice. She thought about the treaty, if she didn't sign it, a war between earth and a terrorist faction on L5 would emerge. That was the last thing that the galaxy needed, another war. She set aside those thoughts of the world affairs and thought about Heero...and Duo.
Indeed she was jealous, but again, she found herself happy that Heero had someone that understood him. She understood that Heero Yuy was in love and loved by someone else that wasn't her. And she decided to accept that.
Maybe Relena had a change of heart...
Dressed and now brushing her hair, she sighed.
"I'll accept Heero's relationship with Pilot 02, I should have seen it before. I should have known that they were lovers, but no. I blocked it all out, that's my fault. I suppose slapping him wasn't the best reaction..." Relena said to herself, "I mean, I didn't have any right to...I'm not the Queen of the World. Heero's not my knight in shining armor and I'm not his dream princess...that's the reality. I guess I should apologize to Duo Maxwell..."
Relena ran the brush through her damp hair and sighed again, "But that doesn't mean I can't *dream* of Heero anymore..." the girl licked her lips, "And I'm assuming that also means that I don't have to stop bothering him. We can still be friends after all, right? I'll just be a friend that can't stand him being away too long." Relena began thinking devious thoughts, "And if they *DO* break up for some terrible reason, I'm always here waiting."
"I wonder who gets top..." the wheat-haired girl giggled, "And what would it take to break them up, I wonder. Not saying that I would ever try anything. Oh! But I still love the bastard."
Okay, maybe Relena's heart didn't change at all.
~!~!~!~!~
This was so frustrating, Wufei had tried to pump information out of the stranger, but he wouldn't crack. He kept on asking for Trowa and Trowa alone. What was up with this guy anyway?
KnockKnock
Wufei crept to the door gun at hand walking backwards so he could still see Setsuna, "Nani?"
"It's me, Wufei." a soft voice said through the old wooden door.
"Barton?"
"Hai."
"What do you want?"
"To come in."
"You heard Yuy." Wufei said, "No one goes in and no one goes out."
"I don't care what Yuy says, let me in."
Wu-man couldn't believe this, what had gotten into Trowa? He wouldn't go against Yuy's orders, he was never disobedient. Then why would he start now? It must have something to do with the suspect. Yes, that's it. It has something to do with the suspect, but what? He did uncuff him and he did trust him...what trouble would occur now?
"Wufei, I'm going to enter." Trowa said cooly.
The Asian sighed, "Yuy's gonna kill me," he said as he unlocked the door, "You have five minutes."
"Fifthteen."
"Six."
"Fourteen."
"Seven."
"Thriteen."
"Eight."
"Twelve."
"Nine."
"Eleven."
"Ten."
"Ten."
Wufei agreed and opened the door for Trowa.
"Setsuna." he greeted.
"Trowa," Setsuna eyed Wufei, "I've been wanting to talk to you...alone."
"Wufei get out."
"Are you crazy Barton???"
"No. Get out." Wu, left with no options, exited the room and stood outside the door. He was official convinced that if Yuy sees him, he will be hunted down by the Perfect Soldier while Shinigami laughs his head off. What a sucky way to die.
SLAM
Trowa observed the room, it had a very cold feeling in it. As goosebumps emerged from Trowa's skin, he approached the bed. The dim light provided by a small lamp, run by batteries since no one had turned on the power box, was the on the left side of the room. The uni-banged boy could only see half of Setsuna, where as the man could see all of him.
"Nanashi, Nanashi, Nanashi..." Setsuna said mockingly spread out on the firm matress, cuffed. "I never thought I would ever be so vulnerable in front of you."
"What are you doing here." Trowa demanded looking staright at the cold maroon eyed male before him.
"I already told you."
"Why don't you want Relena to sign the treaty?"
Setsuna grew quiet.
"Answer me Setsuna."
"To start another war..."
Trowa glared, "Why? Why would you want to do something stupid like that??? Who sent you?"
"I sent myself."
"Why?!"
Setsuna sighed, no trying to escape the questions. This was his Nanashi he was talking to, he could never lie to Nanashi. "I like wars. In fact, I love them! It's the only time when I'm useful. The only time when I'm needed. The only time I can kill whoever, whenever without being punished...It's what I live for. I truly am-"
"--insane..." Trowa finished in disgust.
"I know, you told me that earlier."
"You're not the Setsuna I remember."
"But you're the Nanashi that I recall." Setsuna gave Trowa a disturbing smirk, "Still a kid, an innocent little kid."
"Why else?"
"Why else what?"
"Why else are you doing this?"
"That's it."
"No, it's not. You wouldn't just start another war on your behalf, you're not that bold. There's something else you're doing this for." Trowa folded his arms and deepened his glare sending chills up Setsuna's spine with his pirecing emerald eyes. Setsuna could never resist him.
"You're right as always, Nanashi." Setsuna grinned evilly, "I assume you know Dekim Barton."
Trowa's eyes widen, "Dekim?"
"Ah, so you do know him. Well, you don't know him like I do. At least when he was still among the living. Oh no. He was my mentor, my idol, and even like my father. I looked up to him. I obeyed him. I served him. I did everything to please him. In return, he took care of me, he was like family. He even took aliking for me. I've been under his control ever since I last saw you...until he died..."
That's where he had been hiding! With Dekim Barton. All these years, he had thought that Setsuna had died, but again, he had teamed up with the enemy.
"After Dekim was pried from me, I became depressed much like when I lost you, growing more blood thirsty by the moment, and as we speak." Setsuna said, "I vowed revenge on his enemies, which were now my foes as well. I would kill them myself...with my bare hands. Squeeze them until their eyes popped out and exploded...that's what I would do.
First I beat the shit out of and shot the officer who killed Dekim directly." Setsuna stared Trowa in the eye, "But what good became of it, after I killed him? I felt empty inside...I moved on to crowds and parties terrorizing the politicans who opposed Dekim.
I did it for Dekim and to soothe the burning pain I felt...only for temporarily did the pain subside. I realized it would be impossible to kill them all. It was pointless, even so I did as much as I could..."
Trowa stared back at Setsuna, he never thought the man before him was ever like that.
"I'm a killer, ruthless and willing. I have no one. I enjoy feeling the warm crimson between my fingers, sometimes I lick it off my hands..." Setsuna wickly smiled at Trowa, "You don't know how good it can feel. You haven't killed unless you drink the blood, some are sweet, some are sour. Type AB is the best...it's a mixture of both, right in the middle...tangy. I love it! I love the taste. When I get to someone with type AB, sometimes I can't help but suck them dry...almost as if I were a vampire, but I'm not...no fangs." Setsuna said with and evil cackle.
Sickened by what the man was saying, Trowa pried his eyes away. How could he have turned into this?
"The Barton Foundation crumbled as you already know, and now I have no where to go," Setsuna sighed, "I've started a terrorist gang on L3, perhaps you've heard of it? Maybe not. Most of the men have left, very few remain. The ones that abandoned us were killed. Not surprised though are you? Well, the remaining followers have vowed to revive the dead foundation and have hell break loose, but in order to do that, we must have no obstacles standing in our way..."
Terrorist gang on L3? Emerald eyes glared at each word the flowed from Setsuna's mouth.
"My next target are the Gundam Pilots, Nanashi."
Gundam Pilots...that meant him, and Quatre, Wufei, Duo, and Heero!
"Why?"
"Because they wanted to stop the Barton Foundation. That's why. I'll stop as many people as I can. It's all I have to do. Dekim was the only one I had, and the Gunam Pilots helped to destroy him!"
Trowa stared blankly at Setsuna. He was the real enemy. He was the foe.
Setsuna was no longer his brother...
"It's all part of my master plan. Preventors are so predictable. Take someone of high rank from the chair, and they will send the best out to retrieve the lost. In this case, Miss Darlin is the high ranked and the Gundam Pilots are the best, it's perfect. I have you all right where I want you. I trained hard to take on the Gundams, but now it's just the pilots, I am prepared to take extreme measures. I look forward to kill each and everyone of your comrades, especially the Japanese boy, rumor is, he's the best. I will succeed...and once I do, I will carry out Dekim's plans to have the earth in the palm of my hand...just like he wanted.
They would have been dead this evening if those other people weren't around. I can't do it in front of them..."
"Other people?"
"The girl, dog, and the two men." Setsuna replied, "They won't allow it..."
Trowa was confused, "Why not? Why didn't you kill Relena when you had the chance?"
"I wanted to have my way with her first, of course. What else is she good for? Nothing! I can't now that you and the other people are here. Oh well, there will be other women and men like the ones I have already put out of misery..." Setsuna paused, "You know Nanashi, the small blond pilot wouldn't be such a bad--"
"No one will touch Quatre." Trowa could never allow that no matter what.
The uni-banged boy nearly threw up his dinner (no offense to Heero). Have his way with Relena? That was just plain out sick! Both ways. Trowa kept his cool and continued listening.
"I have gone insane, Nanashi, but I will not reach out for help. I don't want it. Oh no, I will kill your comrades just like before. I will kill Relena. I will kill the world! I want the world in my hands, and when I have it, I'll smash it into thousands and thousands of pieces..." Setsuna began to laugh, manical laughing. It hurt Trowa's ears.
Finally, he stopped.
"But I will not kill you." Setsuna sighed and whispered, "I can't..."
Setsuna began his evil laughter again. The light from dim lamp faded.
Trowa exited the room emotionally shaken. Outside, Quatre and Wufei were waiting patiently for him.
"Well Barton? Did he tell you anything?" Wufei asked.
Trowa nodded.
"What did he say?"
Trowa turned to Wufei and his lover.
"Barton?"
"Don't let anyone enter that room." Trowa said. Quatre looked up at the taller boy.
"Trowa, what did he-"
"He wants to kills us........."
~!~!~!~!~
TBC?
~!~!~!~!~
um...Setsuna didn't take his medicine today. How's this going so far? I think I'm almost finished. Just a few more parts.
Archived: Yume Maxwell-Yuy (www.geocities.com/maxwell_yuy2002/)
Warning: OOC, Weirdish, Yaoi 2x1, 3x4, meant be slightly humorous, and that's about it.
Note: I was bored! Enjoy!
Thanks for the reviewing (especially Candy and Yume Maxwell-Yuy). Arigato gojaimas!
Okay, this part has a disturbed enemy (Setsuna), beware, he really freaks me out!
~!~!~!~!~
Haunted
Part 14
~!~!~!~!~
"I'm going to see how Barton is handling that man." Wufei said rising from his seat, "Thank you for making things clearer for us."
Marou nodded, "I think we should be leaving now." with that, Marou and Hikage vanished.
"I'll come with you Wufei." Quatre followed Wufei wanting to know why his lover had volunteered to take the man upstairs, and Trowa had called the man something.
/Setsuna.../
That's right, Trowa had called him Setsuna. Was he one of Trowa's friends? If he was, wouldn't Trowa have told him? Was he an enemy? How did they know each other?
Relena looked around the big emptied room, "Oh damn...wait for me!" the girl said as she scrambled up the stairs.
~!~!~!~!~
"Ne Hee-chan? Do you think we should find Trowa now?"
"Mmmm..." Wing ZERO's pilot kissed Duo softly.
Heero didn't really want to leave the bed, he just wanted to stay with Duo.
"Heero?"
The boy looked up at Duo and gasped, "Duo...your face is still red from Relena."
"Is it now?" Heero ran a finger along the reddened area of skin and poked it, "Itai!"
"Gomen."
"I didn't think it would hurt."
"Baka."
"C'mon Hee-chan, let's find the others."
Heero nodded as the two got up and searched for their comrades. When they opened the door, they met up with Wufei, Quatre, and Relena. What timing!
"Hey, hey." Duo greeted.
"Maxwell! We're on a mission and you're keeping yourself busy with YUY?!"
Duo waved his hands, "Nononononono! You got it all wrong! Heero was telling me about the little girl, right Hee-chan?"
Heero nodded.
"Well then, what's with the little girl?"
Duo repeated what Heero had told him, "So now we have to figure out how to return them to the heavens. THEN we can go home."
"You do realize we will have to repeat this all to Trowa?"
Duo shrugged, "Then I'll make one of you tell him. And we are all standing out here because...?"
"We're going to check up on Barton, Relena-san, I don't think you shout enter." said Wufei. Quatre nodded in agreement.
"What am I suppose to do then?" Relena asked.
"Why don't you go take a nice long bath?" Quatre suggested.
A bath? That wasn't a bad idea, she WAS filthy. A bath would cleanse and relax her. It would help her sort things out about Heero and Duo's relationship as well as the treaty she was suppose to sign. A bath was a GREAT idea. Screw the ghost. Screw the mysterious man. Relena Peacecraft was going to take a bath! Okay, enough about the bath.
"Alright." Relena replied as she headed to her room.
The remaining four continued their search.
"Over here!" Duo said as he entered the room with Trowa. "Ack! Tro, why'd you uncuff him???"
"What's the girl doing here?" cold maroon eyes asked referring to Duo, "I thought all of the Gundam Pilots were guys."
"I *AM* a guy, thank you very much." Duo growled. Okay, he braid was sexy, not effeminate.
"Well you don't look like one..."
What was wrong with this man??? Duo hadn't done anything to him, but just decides it's alright to insult him? Shinigami will not tolerate such shit from anyone! Well, except from Heero maybe, but that's not the point!
Duo opened his mouth to speak-
"Duo, shut up." Heero ordered.
"Hn." Duo replied.
"That's MY line."
"Baka."
"Duo!"
Quatre walked into the room, "Trowa, do you know this man?" he asked.
"An old.........friend..." Trowa replied picking his words carefully, somehow, Quatre knew there was much more to this friendship.
Just then, Wufei came into picture, "Barton! What is the meaning of this? Do you want to endanger our mission?!"
"Relax."
"Yeah, 'relax' you say, 'think happy thoughts with cute cuddly bunnies' you say, well I will not!"
"Wufei, I trust that Setsuna will not flee..."
"Trust? Trowa, dude, this is a mission, you don't trust anybody on a mission, only your comrades..." Duo said, disapproving taller boy's decision, Heero nodded to support his noisy lover. Duo was right. You DO NOT trust anyone on a mission. Yet here Trowa was, uncuffing the suspected criminal. Heero found this very unlikely and unprofessional of Trowa.
"Matteo, how did you know his name?" Duo asked.
"It's none of your concern." Trowa drew in a breath, "If he does flee...I'll capture him myself, and if I have to...I'll kill him."
Setsuna laughed, he laughed a laugh that resembled Heero Yuy's suicidal laughter. "Kill me will you? Very well, I'll try not to roam far..."
It was funny, to Quatre, the two men didn't SEEM like 'old friends'.
"Hn." Heero didn't care if Trowa trusted this guy or not. He took the shackles and recuffed him to the bed post. There were no windows, the only way out was through the door.
"Now Tro, if ya know what's good for ya, I wouldn't take them off again." Duo enforced his lover's actions, he sensed that Heero didn't have a good feeling about this guy. And he knew that Heero was relatively good with instinct. "Let's go, we still have to figure out this game."
"Barton, stay away from this room." Heero ordered, "We can't allow your emotions to interfere with the enemy right now. In fact, Wufei stay here, you have proven that you handle the situation."
"..." Trowa eyed Heero, and Heero shot Trowa a death glare as they began to exit.
Heero gave Wufei a warning look, "No one goes in, and no one goes out." he ordered.
"Hai." a metallic click rang throughout the room as Wufei accepted staying behind, he personally would rather be watching over the captor of Relena Peacecraft for the sake of the mission than see his comrades groping at each other. Especially Yuy and Maxwell. They're non-stop. Wufei cringed at the sick visuals and fought a nosebleed.
~!~!~!~!~
"So basically, all we have to do is return the four of them to the heavens and bring that Setsuna guy back to Une, ne?" Duo summarized in one quick sentence after talking about the subject and explaining it to Trowa.
"Basically." Heero confirmed.
"BUT. We know there will be future complications."
Heero nodded.
"What about the game?" Trowa asked.
"That's the puzzle of the whole thing." Duo said as he draped his arm over Heero.
"I don't understand? How does this all tie itself together? Why would they want our help? How are we connected to them?" Quatre asked oblivious to the weight he just added to Heero's load of guilt. The Perfect Soldier hid his face in Shinigami's shoulder.
"Yes, how are we connected?" Trowa asked deciding that it was best to forget about Setsuna at the moment, he could deal with him later.
"We know that Setsuna didn't want Relena to sign the Treaty, but what for? Does he wish to start another war?"
"We'll have to ask those questions later. The problem is how to return the supernatural spirits. Then we can take care of the Setsuna dude."
"What should we do?"
There was a long moment of silence. None of the pilots knew anything about helping people rest in peace, it wasn't required knowledge for the war. All they had to do was kill.
Duo suddenly had an idea, "Hee-chan, the girl said that they were 'distrubed', ne?"
Heero nodded into Shinigami's shoulder, Duo smirked and pulled Heero closer. He was such a baby.
"What do you think she meant by distrubed?" Trowa wondered for everyone.
Quatre searched his memory to see if he knew something about burials and death ceremonies. Suddenly, it hit him, "I remember being told that the Egyptians used sarcopagus to protect the great Pharaohs in entering after life. Do you think...?"
"Think that their graves need to be reburied?" Trowa completed.
"Hai, demo...I still don't understand why we're doing it, we don't even know the child...do we?"
Heero sat up, "I do."
"Really, well that would explain the connection. Was she a friend?" Quatre asked.
"No."
"Oh, then what were your relations with her?"
Heero took in a breath, no point in hesistating. "I-I-" he struggled with his words, "I...I killed her." Heero studdered, why was it so hard to say? He buried his head back on Duo shoulder. The braided boy felt sorry for his lover. He hugged him tightly. "If it wasn't for me...we would have already been able to leave now. I didn't think she would ever come back..."
"Gomen nasai, I shouldn't have brought it up. Gomen ne, Heero." Quatre said in remorse. Though, it did explain alot.
"It's all my fault..." Heero whispered loud enough for only Duo to hear.
Duo frowned, didn't they have this talk earlier? The American boy scooped the Japanese youth into his arms, "I'm going to take him upstairs."
Quatre nodded watching his companions retreat up the stairs. Once they were gone, he turned to his koibito, "Trowa?"
"Aa?"
"Tell me about Setsuna."
Trowa sighed, "Hai...what do you want to know?"
"For starters, how do you know him?"
"We met on the battlefield on L3 when I was six years old and he was ten or eleven." Trowa replied, might as well go all the way, "He saved me from dying during a fight in MS. I thanked him, he told me his name, Setsuna. He asked for mine. Of course back then I didn't know what my name was so he called me 'Nanashi' from that day on."
Quatre listened to his lover talk about his past memorizing each sentence and storing it in his memory banks for safe keeping.
"We went on our seperate ways, but during another battle, we met up again, and he saved my life a second time. We parted again, the next two times we met, I watched his back and saved him to return the favors.
Along the way we grew close to each other as he to join my squad. Turns out, I was like a kid brother to him and I looked up to him only being six. He taught me battle strategies and everything he knew. He gave me tips, ever since then we watched each others' backs. I even know the history of his piercings. He even tried to pierce my ear.
We had something in common, we were both alone. Demo, I'm not alone anymore, I have you." Trowa gave Quatre a soft half-smile remembering those times, but soon the smile disappeared.
"Until one battle he betrayed me and his companions. He turned on us killing everyone of my comrades, but he spared my life. I guess I should be grateful, but...I'm not. He wanted me to join him on the enemy's side, I refused his offer. Without saying anything, he left me behind, but I knew I would see him again.
Sure enough the next month I saw him. He was vicious, relentless, monsterous. I told myself, it wasn't him, but the enemy. Soon he and I were engaged in a heated battle. It was the hardest battle I ever took on mentally.
After about an hour, I had him gunpointed. 'Sayonara...Nanshi' he said and self detonated. I never saw him again thinking he had died until today...but he's alive."
"Trowa, I'm so sorry." Quatre hugged the other boy. He couldn't believe that Trowa just told him like...everything. That was the most he ever heard out of the taller boy from his own free will.
"Quatre? Is he my still my brother...or my enemy?" Trowa asked, "I always thought of him as a brother, but now after all these years...even now he's on the opposing side."
"What does you heart tell you?"
"...Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Hai, if I had to, I would save his life, but at the same time if I had to, I could kill him with my bare hands... It's like I'm angry to see his face, but happy too." Trowa said with no emotion once or ever. "Tell me Quatre, have you ever felt like that?"
Quatre shook his head, "No, I haven't."
Trowa bent down and kissed Quatre, "Arigato."
"What for?"
"For listening, I haven't told anyone that story."
"I suppose you would want to see Setsuna?"
"Hai, I want to find out just what the hell he's doing here and why he wants to prevent a peace treaty..."
With that said, the two boys walked up the stairs to see the mysterious man.
~!~!~!~!~
"Heero, you aren't going to make things better by blaming yourself." Duo said as he held a sobbing boy rocking him back and forth.
"But it was my fault...!"
"Oh get over it! I know it's hard, especially for you, but dammit, just do it!"
Heero shook his head, "I can't! I can't..."
"You can, you just don't want to because your sulking in your self pity, Hee-chan." Duo replied kissing Heero's hair.
Heero let out a small whimper, "But-"
"Listen to me Heero, it's in the past and there's nothing you can do about it but accept and move on. You're not getting anything accomplished sitting in my arms sobbing."
Duo was right.
Heero sniffled, "But I like it here." he pouted.
If the Japanese boy could joke like that, he was definitely feeling better, "That's more I like it. I like you here too, but not sobbing. Oh no, you're a big boy Heero Yuy." Duo said tapping his nose. "You do know that you don't have to cry in order to be in my arms, ne?"
"Aa." Heero smiled up at Duo, "All I have to do is jump, and you'll catch me..."
"That's right."
"Duo?"
"Nani?"
"You're too good to me." Heero said and closed his eyes. Duo bent down and kissed the soft lips. "But this doesn't make me feel completely better about the girl."
"I wouldn't expect it to."
"How do I make it go away?"
"Maybe if we help her get home, you'll feel better." Duo suggested. Heero thought about the idea for a moment, "I think it will help me."
Duo gazed down at his lover in his arms. The beauty had his eyes closed, Duo knew that they had to come out of the room sometime, "Hee-chan, we should go..."
Heero snuggled closer to the braided boy, "Five more minutes."
Duo chuckled.
~!~!~!~!~
Relena stepped out of he large tub and wrapped a towel around her. She felt clean and refreshed, the bath was very nice. She thought about the treaty, if she didn't sign it, a war between earth and a terrorist faction on L5 would emerge. That was the last thing that the galaxy needed, another war. She set aside those thoughts of the world affairs and thought about Heero...and Duo.
Indeed she was jealous, but again, she found herself happy that Heero had someone that understood him. She understood that Heero Yuy was in love and loved by someone else that wasn't her. And she decided to accept that.
Maybe Relena had a change of heart...
Dressed and now brushing her hair, she sighed.
"I'll accept Heero's relationship with Pilot 02, I should have seen it before. I should have known that they were lovers, but no. I blocked it all out, that's my fault. I suppose slapping him wasn't the best reaction..." Relena said to herself, "I mean, I didn't have any right to...I'm not the Queen of the World. Heero's not my knight in shining armor and I'm not his dream princess...that's the reality. I guess I should apologize to Duo Maxwell..."
Relena ran the brush through her damp hair and sighed again, "But that doesn't mean I can't *dream* of Heero anymore..." the girl licked her lips, "And I'm assuming that also means that I don't have to stop bothering him. We can still be friends after all, right? I'll just be a friend that can't stand him being away too long." Relena began thinking devious thoughts, "And if they *DO* break up for some terrible reason, I'm always here waiting."
"I wonder who gets top..." the wheat-haired girl giggled, "And what would it take to break them up, I wonder. Not saying that I would ever try anything. Oh! But I still love the bastard."
Okay, maybe Relena's heart didn't change at all.
~!~!~!~!~
This was so frustrating, Wufei had tried to pump information out of the stranger, but he wouldn't crack. He kept on asking for Trowa and Trowa alone. What was up with this guy anyway?
KnockKnock
Wufei crept to the door gun at hand walking backwards so he could still see Setsuna, "Nani?"
"It's me, Wufei." a soft voice said through the old wooden door.
"Barton?"
"Hai."
"What do you want?"
"To come in."
"You heard Yuy." Wufei said, "No one goes in and no one goes out."
"I don't care what Yuy says, let me in."
Wu-man couldn't believe this, what had gotten into Trowa? He wouldn't go against Yuy's orders, he was never disobedient. Then why would he start now? It must have something to do with the suspect. Yes, that's it. It has something to do with the suspect, but what? He did uncuff him and he did trust him...what trouble would occur now?
"Wufei, I'm going to enter." Trowa said cooly.
The Asian sighed, "Yuy's gonna kill me," he said as he unlocked the door, "You have five minutes."
"Fifthteen."
"Six."
"Fourteen."
"Seven."
"Thriteen."
"Eight."
"Twelve."
"Nine."
"Eleven."
"Ten."
"Ten."
Wufei agreed and opened the door for Trowa.
"Setsuna." he greeted.
"Trowa," Setsuna eyed Wufei, "I've been wanting to talk to you...alone."
"Wufei get out."
"Are you crazy Barton???"
"No. Get out." Wu, left with no options, exited the room and stood outside the door. He was official convinced that if Yuy sees him, he will be hunted down by the Perfect Soldier while Shinigami laughs his head off. What a sucky way to die.
SLAM
Trowa observed the room, it had a very cold feeling in it. As goosebumps emerged from Trowa's skin, he approached the bed. The dim light provided by a small lamp, run by batteries since no one had turned on the power box, was the on the left side of the room. The uni-banged boy could only see half of Setsuna, where as the man could see all of him.
"Nanashi, Nanashi, Nanashi..." Setsuna said mockingly spread out on the firm matress, cuffed. "I never thought I would ever be so vulnerable in front of you."
"What are you doing here." Trowa demanded looking staright at the cold maroon eyed male before him.
"I already told you."
"Why don't you want Relena to sign the treaty?"
Setsuna grew quiet.
"Answer me Setsuna."
"To start another war..."
Trowa glared, "Why? Why would you want to do something stupid like that??? Who sent you?"
"I sent myself."
"Why?!"
Setsuna sighed, no trying to escape the questions. This was his Nanashi he was talking to, he could never lie to Nanashi. "I like wars. In fact, I love them! It's the only time when I'm useful. The only time when I'm needed. The only time I can kill whoever, whenever without being punished...It's what I live for. I truly am-"
"--insane..." Trowa finished in disgust.
"I know, you told me that earlier."
"You're not the Setsuna I remember."
"But you're the Nanashi that I recall." Setsuna gave Trowa a disturbing smirk, "Still a kid, an innocent little kid."
"Why else?"
"Why else what?"
"Why else are you doing this?"
"That's it."
"No, it's not. You wouldn't just start another war on your behalf, you're not that bold. There's something else you're doing this for." Trowa folded his arms and deepened his glare sending chills up Setsuna's spine with his pirecing emerald eyes. Setsuna could never resist him.
"You're right as always, Nanashi." Setsuna grinned evilly, "I assume you know Dekim Barton."
Trowa's eyes widen, "Dekim?"
"Ah, so you do know him. Well, you don't know him like I do. At least when he was still among the living. Oh no. He was my mentor, my idol, and even like my father. I looked up to him. I obeyed him. I served him. I did everything to please him. In return, he took care of me, he was like family. He even took aliking for me. I've been under his control ever since I last saw you...until he died..."
That's where he had been hiding! With Dekim Barton. All these years, he had thought that Setsuna had died, but again, he had teamed up with the enemy.
"After Dekim was pried from me, I became depressed much like when I lost you, growing more blood thirsty by the moment, and as we speak." Setsuna said, "I vowed revenge on his enemies, which were now my foes as well. I would kill them myself...with my bare hands. Squeeze them until their eyes popped out and exploded...that's what I would do.
First I beat the shit out of and shot the officer who killed Dekim directly." Setsuna stared Trowa in the eye, "But what good became of it, after I killed him? I felt empty inside...I moved on to crowds and parties terrorizing the politicans who opposed Dekim.
I did it for Dekim and to soothe the burning pain I felt...only for temporarily did the pain subside. I realized it would be impossible to kill them all. It was pointless, even so I did as much as I could..."
Trowa stared back at Setsuna, he never thought the man before him was ever like that.
"I'm a killer, ruthless and willing. I have no one. I enjoy feeling the warm crimson between my fingers, sometimes I lick it off my hands..." Setsuna wickly smiled at Trowa, "You don't know how good it can feel. You haven't killed unless you drink the blood, some are sweet, some are sour. Type AB is the best...it's a mixture of both, right in the middle...tangy. I love it! I love the taste. When I get to someone with type AB, sometimes I can't help but suck them dry...almost as if I were a vampire, but I'm not...no fangs." Setsuna said with and evil cackle.
Sickened by what the man was saying, Trowa pried his eyes away. How could he have turned into this?
"The Barton Foundation crumbled as you already know, and now I have no where to go," Setsuna sighed, "I've started a terrorist gang on L3, perhaps you've heard of it? Maybe not. Most of the men have left, very few remain. The ones that abandoned us were killed. Not surprised though are you? Well, the remaining followers have vowed to revive the dead foundation and have hell break loose, but in order to do that, we must have no obstacles standing in our way..."
Terrorist gang on L3? Emerald eyes glared at each word the flowed from Setsuna's mouth.
"My next target are the Gundam Pilots, Nanashi."
Gundam Pilots...that meant him, and Quatre, Wufei, Duo, and Heero!
"Why?"
"Because they wanted to stop the Barton Foundation. That's why. I'll stop as many people as I can. It's all I have to do. Dekim was the only one I had, and the Gunam Pilots helped to destroy him!"
Trowa stared blankly at Setsuna. He was the real enemy. He was the foe.
Setsuna was no longer his brother...
"It's all part of my master plan. Preventors are so predictable. Take someone of high rank from the chair, and they will send the best out to retrieve the lost. In this case, Miss Darlin is the high ranked and the Gundam Pilots are the best, it's perfect. I have you all right where I want you. I trained hard to take on the Gundams, but now it's just the pilots, I am prepared to take extreme measures. I look forward to kill each and everyone of your comrades, especially the Japanese boy, rumor is, he's the best. I will succeed...and once I do, I will carry out Dekim's plans to have the earth in the palm of my hand...just like he wanted.
They would have been dead this evening if those other people weren't around. I can't do it in front of them..."
"Other people?"
"The girl, dog, and the two men." Setsuna replied, "They won't allow it..."
Trowa was confused, "Why not? Why didn't you kill Relena when you had the chance?"
"I wanted to have my way with her first, of course. What else is she good for? Nothing! I can't now that you and the other people are here. Oh well, there will be other women and men like the ones I have already put out of misery..." Setsuna paused, "You know Nanashi, the small blond pilot wouldn't be such a bad--"
"No one will touch Quatre." Trowa could never allow that no matter what.
The uni-banged boy nearly threw up his dinner (no offense to Heero). Have his way with Relena? That was just plain out sick! Both ways. Trowa kept his cool and continued listening.
"I have gone insane, Nanashi, but I will not reach out for help. I don't want it. Oh no, I will kill your comrades just like before. I will kill Relena. I will kill the world! I want the world in my hands, and when I have it, I'll smash it into thousands and thousands of pieces..." Setsuna began to laugh, manical laughing. It hurt Trowa's ears.
Finally, he stopped.
"But I will not kill you." Setsuna sighed and whispered, "I can't..."
Setsuna began his evil laughter again. The light from dim lamp faded.
Trowa exited the room emotionally shaken. Outside, Quatre and Wufei were waiting patiently for him.
"Well Barton? Did he tell you anything?" Wufei asked.
Trowa nodded.
"What did he say?"
Trowa turned to Wufei and his lover.
"Barton?"
"Don't let anyone enter that room." Trowa said. Quatre looked up at the taller boy.
"Trowa, what did he-"
"He wants to kills us........."
~!~!~!~!~
TBC?
~!~!~!~!~
um...Setsuna didn't take his medicine today. How's this going so far? I think I'm almost finished. Just a few more parts.