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Heero found himself floating through blackness. His arms spread out to his side as if trying to feel something, anything. A chill ran down his spine when he found out he couldn't find anything, he was alone. Alone in the darkness, with nothing but his thoughts to occupy him. He wondered idly how he ended up here. The last thing he remembered was… wait… he could remember something about… Duo.

'Yes. The boy had come all the way from L2' a voice in his head responded.

::Why?::

'To stop you from something.'

::What?::

'To stop you from death.'

::I was going to kill myself::

'Yes.'

He dug deeper into his mind trying to figure out what happened. ::Duo had finally left me alone for a minute… Then I… forced Quatre to let me take a shower.::

'And then?'

::I don't know, I cant remember::

'Cant remember or don't want to remember?' The voice had a mocking tone and his words rang loud in Heero's head.

::I don't… I think I remember something about… blood.::

'Whose blood?'

::My blood. I made myself bleed. The razor… with the razor. I cut…:: He shuddered in realization, ::Am I dead?::

Laughter was his answer. The voice boomed loudly and Heero was beginning to feel irritation.

'You were wrong you know.'

::Wrong about what?::

'Death.'

::Will you stop with the short answers and make some sense. I feel like a god damn parrot!::

The voice laughed again, 'You think your death is the answer. You were wrong.'

::So I am dead then? How was I wrong?::

'You do not see what your death will cause, you haven't looked ahead only behind.'

::Is something bad going to happen because of my death?::

'Yes and no.'

::What?::

'By dying, you will trigger someone's death. By living, you will trigger someone else's death.'

::What? So either way someone is going to die. Who… who is going to die?::

'Can you think of no other that would die because you did? This person will fall into a depression and end up following your footsteps.'

::Who would become depressed because of my death?:: The voice would not answer and Heero realized he probably had to figure this one out on his own. The only person who would be most devastated would be Duo. But he should be relieved to be able to go back home and not have to care for Heero, shouldn't he? ::Duo… it isn't Duo is it?::

'I can not tell you.'

Heero growled, ::Why the hell not? You've been telling me everything else, and just who the hell are you.::

'Tsk, Tsk. No need to get grumpy now, I only tell you what I can.'

::But why are you telling me this?::

'You have been given a choice.'

::Choice?::

'Yes Mr. Parrot, a choice… I'm sure you've figured out what it is by now.'

::To live or die, and dying might mean Duo's death… who is going to die if I live?:: Heero waited for a couple minutes before he got a response.

'I cant tell you.'

::Is there anyway to stop it?::

'Yes.'

::How?::

'I cant tell you.'

::Can you tell me anything?:: There was silence again, and Heero wondered if he was left alone. The darkness was getting to him and he felt better having someone to talk to.

After a while more of silence the calm voice finally replies, 'Three pins will show you the way.'

::What is that suppose to mean?::

'Have you made your decision?'

Heero paused, that's right, he was given the choice whether he wanted to live or die, either way someone was going to die. His felt like screaming. Death followed him everywhere. Would he ever be able to escape it? But what was he suppose to do now? He didn't want Duo to die, he would rather spend the rest of his life in a nightmare than hurt Duo again. But at the price of another's death. Someone he might not even know.

Was he willing to sacrifice one life for another? Maybe he could somehow stop it, after all the voice in his head said there was a way to stop it. That means there is a chance that the person will not die at all. Hope. He hoped that he wouldn't fail. He had a new mission now. He would live for Duo, and live for that small chance of stopping another death.

::My choice is to live.:: At those words said, brightness filled the black abyss and he found himself drifting away back into his mind, far from the dark and into reality once more.

**********

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He could here yelling now. His senses told him he was lying on something soft, a bed. A soft beeping noise was heard to his right, and could barely be heard above the cursing on his left. He was most likely in a hospital, but who was making all that noise?

He slowly opened one of his eyes a crack to get a peak around the room. The brightness took awhile to get used to and the room slowly came into focus. ::Yup definitely a hospital:: There was a couple machines to his left and he had an IV in his left arm. He could see his wrists were bandaged but he didn't feel any pain. ::Must have given me pain killers::. On his right he could see a lone figure sitting in a chair next to the bed he occupied.

Duo. It was Duo, and he sounded pissed. He had his head down with his hands propping it up. His back was hunches and he was yelling out a bunch of curses. Heero couldn't make out most of them because of the slurring. But he definitely heard a few 'That idiot.' and 'I'm gonna fucking strangle him.'

Duo didn't seem to notice Heero's eyes slowly opening all the way and staring at him.

Duo was alive, Duo would not die. Was that just a dream? Heero felt relief wash over him before it was replaced with worry over what was to come. He still didn't know what he was supposed to do, and if he could stop the death. It might have just been a bad dream, but something inside him disagreed with him, and he didn't want to take the chance of doubting it.

::How am I suppose to stop something like that, something I have no control over::

He shook himself out of his thoughts and forced his mind on the present. Right now he had to deal with Duo, and Duo was not in a good mood. ::Shit, if he realizes I'm awake…::

He heard Duo sigh, the braided boy had stopped his swearing and now seemed deep in thought. Heero wanted to close his eyes and feign sleep but he couldn't bring himself to stop staring at Duo's hunched form. ::Damn it, I probably put him through hell. I didn't even think he would become this upset, and to think what would have happened if I had died… would he really have… killed himself? Just because of me?:: He shivered at that thought then mentally slapped himself as he saw Duo's head shoot up. ::Shit, nice going Yuy::

Duo looked up when he felt movement on the bed. Heero's eyes were now open staring at him. "HEERO!" Duo jumped to his feet and had to control himself not to hug the said boy. His happiness was quickly replaced by anger as he glared at the pale looking boy on the bed. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

Heero sank his head deeper in his pillow trying to distance himself as much as possible from the furious Duo Maxwell, he was in for a long lecture.