Mystic Dragonsfire: Thanks for compliment. Yes, there will be a battle at
the end but what kind and what the outcome will be you will have to wait
and see. ^_^ I made a rhyme.
diane: Glad you like that. It may have been a little over the top but I liked it.
Chiizu: *lol* I bet a lot of people say that but will never admit it.
April Aries: In a way yes he will but he is more like a guide. Lets just say there is a reason he knows so much about it. Why? Hopefully the next chapter will explain.
Ryoko-onee: Actually this is some where after Treize's supposed death but before the end of the first war. It's before the Mar incident.
I wanted to change the rating because for this chapter and all the potty mouths in here. Hope you all like. Got questions or comments, review and let me know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first thing he became aware of was the feeling of warmth. He was too warm in fact. He could feel solid arms wrapped around him as well as the gentle vibrations of the moving van. 'So we are still traveling. I wonder what time it is. Why am I so hot?' His thoughts were stained. He was finding it hard to think. He wanted to open his eyes or speak to Heero to tell him he was not feeling well. None of this happened. Nothing was working. He could not move or speak. 'What's happening to me? Heero help me please?' His mind started to fade to black.
The others in the van were unaware of the difficulties Deathscythe's pilot was having. Trowa and Quatre were still sleeping as well as Heero. Wufei had taken over driving at a little after midnight. Treize was asleep in the passenger seat. He had confided in Wufei as to where they were headed. He had visited his lover there many times so he knew where to go.
'Damn this fog. Where the hell did it come from all of a sudden.' Wufei thought. The fog was getting thicker and thicker. It looked like something straight out of scary movie. Then it hit him. "The stronger the emotion you fell the more you influence the environment around you." That was what Treize had said about Duo. 'What if that was what is happening now? Is he having a bad dream? Better check it out any way.'
He found a spot to pull off to the side of the road and killed the motor. For a moment he hesitated. 'Should I wake the others, just Treize, or Yuy?' The unspoken question was answered when all of the pilots awoke at feeling the van stop, all of them except Duo. He remained motionless.
"Wufei, what's wrong? Why did you stop?" Quatre asked. He could feel something not right. Actually, it was more of a warning than an out of place feeling.
"Yuy how is Maxwell? I think you should check on him. Something is not right. This hellish fog just showed up and it appears to be getting darker too."
Heero instantly did as Wufei had suggested. The first thing he noticed was that he was burning up. His flesh felt like it was on fire. "He is burning up again." That was not what scared him the most though. He could feel him trembling in his arms. As he brushed some loose hair away from his love's face he saw that Duo's face was stained with tears and looked as if he was frightened and in pain.
The others were quick to notice the panic look run through the static pilot's eyes. That greatly worried them all. They became even more fearful when Heero started calling out Duo's name and shaking him to try and awaken him. He did not even whimper.
"Duo? Duo-kun can you hear me? What's wrong? You need to wake up now." He looked toward the others for help.
Quatre was quick to fall into "mother mood". He crawled his way over to the distressed pair and spook in soft, comforting yet demanding tones. "Heero you need to check his pupils, his pulse, and his breathing. Here is the thermometer, check his temp." 'What is happening to you Duo?'
######################################################################## *inside Duo's mind*
'Where am I now? I was just in the van with the others, with Heero. What's going on? Is someone there? Hello?' He was surrounded in total darkness. Hot steam filled the empty space making it hard to breath. For a moment, the thought of being alone in this place scared him greatly, but then he felt a heavy stare looking right at him. He heard light footsteps coming towards him. Still he could see nothing.
As the other presence got closer, the more fearful he got. The aura this other person/thing was putting out was pure malevolence. It felt as if someone had just poured a steady stream of ice water down his back. He breathing was becoming labored and he starting sweating more heavily. The footsteps were coming closer and closer until they sounded like they stopped right in front of him.
He felt a hand touch his cheek. He tried to jerk away, to turn around and run from this monster in front of him but he was frozen to the spot. His brain was not working as it should. His thinking was clouded by terror, but what stop his heart for a few beats were the words that came from its mouth.
"Hello my beautiful Duo. Sorry to have to keep you in the dark like this but it is necessary at the moment. Next time will be much different." Zechs' voice was low and sultry. Had it been under different circumstances his voice would have been erotic and enticing, but now it was just terrifying.
Duo felt another hand join its twin in exploring his body. He wanted to slap the hands away from him in disgust but still could not move. The touches were light and almost affectionate, but they were not his love's hands so they felt wrong and unwanted. Luckily for him, they stayed focused on his face, neck, and hair. Since he could not move, he tried to speak.
"Zechs? Is that you? Where are we? Why are we here?" He mentally cursed when his voice came out sounding so weak and fearful. 'Great. That'll make back off. Baka.'
The soft chuckle sent shivers down his spine and not in a good way. "Yes, it is I little bishounen. We are here but here is nowhere. You are here because I wanted you here. Does that clear everything up for you?"
He was starting to get control over his body. He tried turning his head to where he thought that Zechs would be but everywhere he looked was pitch black. "Fuck you Zechs. That did not answer shit and you know it." 'Damn that felt good.' He felt fingertips on his lips but this time he was able to slap them away.
"My my such language coming from such a pretty mouth. I can't wait to see what else that mouth can do." He latched his lips onto Duo's in a forceful kiss.
'Shit. Damnit Heero where the fuck are you? Please take me away from this. Make him stop. Make him stop.' His mind repeated that over and over while his body tried to push the taller man away from him. His struggles were futile. He could not brake free. The taste of copper was thick in his mouth from the cut on him lip caused by Zechs' aggressive kiss.
After a few moments, the taller man broke off the kiss but held fast onto Duo's upper arms. When he spoke to him again, his voice had lost all pleasantries and was hard and cruel. "You listen to me and you listen good. You are MINE. Do you hear me Duo? You will come to me when I call you do you understand?"
Anger took over his mind and body. He pushed Zechs away from him and instantly felt warmth around him. It almost felt like being in Heero's arms. He heard Quatre's soothing words. Duo could almost see the others by his side giving him their strength. His whole body began to glow lightly. Now he could barely make out Zechs' form in the darkness.
Zechs lunged for him but was pushed back when he touched the edge of the glow. "What the hell are you doing? Stop this at once and come here." He tone was now somewhere between seductive and cold.
"No Zechs. You will stop this. I don't know what the fuck your problem is but you leave me out of it. I'm not your property or any one else's. I have Heero now. That is all I will ever need or want. You can't change that so don't even bother trying." The whitish glow around him increased ten fold. He could see Zechs grab his head and scream in pain as the light got brighter. Then, he vanished.
######################################################################## *meanwhile in the van*
Having been prompted by Quatre's words, Heero set out to follow his orders. A strong yet gentle hand felt the pulse at his beloved's neck. It was faster than it should have been. Wing's pilot then took note of the harsh and labored breathing from the motionless form of his partner. As he listened closely, he could also hear a slight wheezing sound come from his lungs. 'His heart rate is elevated, breathing and lungs indicate beginning stages of flu or worse.' As he checked Duo's eyes, he jerked back slightly and his eyes widened. "What the fuck is that? Treize what the hell is wrong with him?"
Treize heard the desperation, fear, and anger in his voice and knew now was not the time to argue or hold any thing back. So, he asked the question he knew he did not want to have to explain. "Heero, what color are his eyes right now?"
Heero looked at him in surprise for a moment then narrowed his eyes at Treize. "You know what is happening to him don't you? Answer me damnit." The tone was harsh and demanding.
"Yuy, calm yourself right now. He is trying to help. We all care about Maxwell. NONE of us want to see him hurt. Answer his question and let him explain." Wufei's strong voice penetrated Heero's clouded mind enough to realize what he had just done.
Once again, his face was clear of emotion. "Gomen. I did not mean to accuse or offend you. His eyes are. his pupils are entirely white and the violet around them is much lighter and brighter."
Treize's eyes widen and his voice was almost panicked as he spook. "No. It cannot be. He should not be able to do something like this so soon. Heero listen to me carefully. You need to wake him up, but what ever you do, do not let go of him. If you do, then we may loose him to Zechs. I had hoped to explain everything to you all at once. To sum up what is happening, Zechs is using Duo's weakened state to try to take over his mind."
Just then, Duo started thrashing around like he was fighting someone. He kept repeating the same thing over and over "Make him stop." They reacted quickly. Heero pulled him up so he was now completely in his lap with Duo's head tucked under his chin. Quatre and Trowa moved to either side of him, while Wufei and Treize moved to be as close as they could as well. Quatre was talking to him trying to calm and reassure him that everything was okay.
Through their combined efforts, the ill young man settled down once again. This time his pulse and breathing was not so bad, but he still showed signs of unease. Heero did not stop holding him tight. He began to slowly rock back and forth in order to further comfort him. Soft, loving kisses were placed on his chestnut colored head. Words of protection and affection were whispered in his ear. A few moments later, his eyes slowly opened to revile their normal violet selves sparkling up at Heero and his friends.
It was Trowa who recovered first. "Welcome back my friend. You gave us all quit a scare. What happened?"
He frowned and moved even closer to Heero. The closer he got the better he felt. "I. I don't really know exactly. I couldn't move. I tried to tell Heero but I couldn't even open my eyes." His voice got louder as he spoke and he started to tremble.
"Shhh.Its okay now love. Your safe. We will not let anything harm you. I will not let any harm come to you." Hearing the reassuring words from his partner, he continued.
"The next thing I knew I was in pitch blackness. It felt so hot that I could hardly breath. I heard someone coming closer. It was . Zechs."
At the mention of Zechs' name, Heero growled and tightened his arms around Duo. 'Bastard. If he did anything do you Duo I will make him suffer.' Quatre grab onto his hand and held it between his. Trowa place a supporting hand on Heero's shoulder. Treize pulled Wufei to his side to offer his support as well.
"Maxwell, did he say or do anything?" Duo looked at his friend. He could tell that Wufei was fighting the rant that wanted to come forth. He smiled his kindest smile to him.
"At first, he talked in riddles sorta. Then he.he kissed me. I've never felt so helpless in my life. I couldn't make him stop. When he finally did, he got all possessive and shit. Said no one but him could have me. laughter I told him where he could stick it. Then I got this feeling of being safe and protected. I could almost see you guys standing around me. Did you guys do anything I should know about?" He looked at each with a child-like innocence.
It was Treize that found his voice. "That my dear Duo will have to wait. We must continue to our destination now that we know you are okay. I promise once we are there that I will explain EVERYTHING and answer all questions you will have. You are still not well. You need to rest. There is a cooler towards the back with chilled bottled water. You might want to drink some."
Trowa moved to get the water for everyone. He returned with the whole chest and passed out a bottle to each person present. To everyone's delight. Duo drank all of the one he had and half of another.
Treize seated himself in the driver seat. Noticing that the fog from earlier had completely disappeared, he wandered what time it was. "Do any of you know what time it is?"
"It is 5:12 a.m." The perfect soldier's internal clock never stops.
"Arigatou Heero. We still have a whole day before we will reach the mansion. Why don't you all get some more sleep? Duo will hear nothing more from Zechs for a while. That I can say for certain." They all nodded their agreement. Treize knew more about this than they did and he could be trusted.
Duo, on the other hand, did not want to go back to sleep. He flat out refused to go back to sleep despite the treats made by Heero and Quatre and Wufei. "But Hee-chan, I'm not sleepy any more. There is no way I could go back to sleep now." He was so caught up in looking into Heero's endless eyes that he missed the hand motion Trowa did with the remainder of his second bottle of water.
He gave the water to Quatre knowing that he would not suspect the gentle blonde to do anything underhanded. "Well then, if you insist upon staying up, you should drink some more liquids. Here drink this."
Duo, not knowing what Trowa had done to it, took the bottle from Quatre with a triumphant smile. 'Ha. I knew they could never say no to me.' He drank the rest of it in two gulps.
Although Duo missed what happened, Heero had not. Once Duo was sound asleep in his arms he looked at Trowa and asked, "What was it?"
His short and direct question was answered the same. "A mild sedative."
Satisfied, the gang settled down for some much needed rest. Instead of lying beside Duo this time, he pulled him over so he had his braided love was lying on his chest with his head over his heart. 'I am here for you itooshi.' And he followed him into the land of dreams.
diane: Glad you like that. It may have been a little over the top but I liked it.
Chiizu: *lol* I bet a lot of people say that but will never admit it.
April Aries: In a way yes he will but he is more like a guide. Lets just say there is a reason he knows so much about it. Why? Hopefully the next chapter will explain.
Ryoko-onee: Actually this is some where after Treize's supposed death but before the end of the first war. It's before the Mar incident.
I wanted to change the rating because for this chapter and all the potty mouths in here. Hope you all like. Got questions or comments, review and let me know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first thing he became aware of was the feeling of warmth. He was too warm in fact. He could feel solid arms wrapped around him as well as the gentle vibrations of the moving van. 'So we are still traveling. I wonder what time it is. Why am I so hot?' His thoughts were stained. He was finding it hard to think. He wanted to open his eyes or speak to Heero to tell him he was not feeling well. None of this happened. Nothing was working. He could not move or speak. 'What's happening to me? Heero help me please?' His mind started to fade to black.
The others in the van were unaware of the difficulties Deathscythe's pilot was having. Trowa and Quatre were still sleeping as well as Heero. Wufei had taken over driving at a little after midnight. Treize was asleep in the passenger seat. He had confided in Wufei as to where they were headed. He had visited his lover there many times so he knew where to go.
'Damn this fog. Where the hell did it come from all of a sudden.' Wufei thought. The fog was getting thicker and thicker. It looked like something straight out of scary movie. Then it hit him. "The stronger the emotion you fell the more you influence the environment around you." That was what Treize had said about Duo. 'What if that was what is happening now? Is he having a bad dream? Better check it out any way.'
He found a spot to pull off to the side of the road and killed the motor. For a moment he hesitated. 'Should I wake the others, just Treize, or Yuy?' The unspoken question was answered when all of the pilots awoke at feeling the van stop, all of them except Duo. He remained motionless.
"Wufei, what's wrong? Why did you stop?" Quatre asked. He could feel something not right. Actually, it was more of a warning than an out of place feeling.
"Yuy how is Maxwell? I think you should check on him. Something is not right. This hellish fog just showed up and it appears to be getting darker too."
Heero instantly did as Wufei had suggested. The first thing he noticed was that he was burning up. His flesh felt like it was on fire. "He is burning up again." That was not what scared him the most though. He could feel him trembling in his arms. As he brushed some loose hair away from his love's face he saw that Duo's face was stained with tears and looked as if he was frightened and in pain.
The others were quick to notice the panic look run through the static pilot's eyes. That greatly worried them all. They became even more fearful when Heero started calling out Duo's name and shaking him to try and awaken him. He did not even whimper.
"Duo? Duo-kun can you hear me? What's wrong? You need to wake up now." He looked toward the others for help.
Quatre was quick to fall into "mother mood". He crawled his way over to the distressed pair and spook in soft, comforting yet demanding tones. "Heero you need to check his pupils, his pulse, and his breathing. Here is the thermometer, check his temp." 'What is happening to you Duo?'
######################################################################## *inside Duo's mind*
'Where am I now? I was just in the van with the others, with Heero. What's going on? Is someone there? Hello?' He was surrounded in total darkness. Hot steam filled the empty space making it hard to breath. For a moment, the thought of being alone in this place scared him greatly, but then he felt a heavy stare looking right at him. He heard light footsteps coming towards him. Still he could see nothing.
As the other presence got closer, the more fearful he got. The aura this other person/thing was putting out was pure malevolence. It felt as if someone had just poured a steady stream of ice water down his back. He breathing was becoming labored and he starting sweating more heavily. The footsteps were coming closer and closer until they sounded like they stopped right in front of him.
He felt a hand touch his cheek. He tried to jerk away, to turn around and run from this monster in front of him but he was frozen to the spot. His brain was not working as it should. His thinking was clouded by terror, but what stop his heart for a few beats were the words that came from its mouth.
"Hello my beautiful Duo. Sorry to have to keep you in the dark like this but it is necessary at the moment. Next time will be much different." Zechs' voice was low and sultry. Had it been under different circumstances his voice would have been erotic and enticing, but now it was just terrifying.
Duo felt another hand join its twin in exploring his body. He wanted to slap the hands away from him in disgust but still could not move. The touches were light and almost affectionate, but they were not his love's hands so they felt wrong and unwanted. Luckily for him, they stayed focused on his face, neck, and hair. Since he could not move, he tried to speak.
"Zechs? Is that you? Where are we? Why are we here?" He mentally cursed when his voice came out sounding so weak and fearful. 'Great. That'll make back off. Baka.'
The soft chuckle sent shivers down his spine and not in a good way. "Yes, it is I little bishounen. We are here but here is nowhere. You are here because I wanted you here. Does that clear everything up for you?"
He was starting to get control over his body. He tried turning his head to where he thought that Zechs would be but everywhere he looked was pitch black. "Fuck you Zechs. That did not answer shit and you know it." 'Damn that felt good.' He felt fingertips on his lips but this time he was able to slap them away.
"My my such language coming from such a pretty mouth. I can't wait to see what else that mouth can do." He latched his lips onto Duo's in a forceful kiss.
'Shit. Damnit Heero where the fuck are you? Please take me away from this. Make him stop. Make him stop.' His mind repeated that over and over while his body tried to push the taller man away from him. His struggles were futile. He could not brake free. The taste of copper was thick in his mouth from the cut on him lip caused by Zechs' aggressive kiss.
After a few moments, the taller man broke off the kiss but held fast onto Duo's upper arms. When he spoke to him again, his voice had lost all pleasantries and was hard and cruel. "You listen to me and you listen good. You are MINE. Do you hear me Duo? You will come to me when I call you do you understand?"
Anger took over his mind and body. He pushed Zechs away from him and instantly felt warmth around him. It almost felt like being in Heero's arms. He heard Quatre's soothing words. Duo could almost see the others by his side giving him their strength. His whole body began to glow lightly. Now he could barely make out Zechs' form in the darkness.
Zechs lunged for him but was pushed back when he touched the edge of the glow. "What the hell are you doing? Stop this at once and come here." He tone was now somewhere between seductive and cold.
"No Zechs. You will stop this. I don't know what the fuck your problem is but you leave me out of it. I'm not your property or any one else's. I have Heero now. That is all I will ever need or want. You can't change that so don't even bother trying." The whitish glow around him increased ten fold. He could see Zechs grab his head and scream in pain as the light got brighter. Then, he vanished.
######################################################################## *meanwhile in the van*
Having been prompted by Quatre's words, Heero set out to follow his orders. A strong yet gentle hand felt the pulse at his beloved's neck. It was faster than it should have been. Wing's pilot then took note of the harsh and labored breathing from the motionless form of his partner. As he listened closely, he could also hear a slight wheezing sound come from his lungs. 'His heart rate is elevated, breathing and lungs indicate beginning stages of flu or worse.' As he checked Duo's eyes, he jerked back slightly and his eyes widened. "What the fuck is that? Treize what the hell is wrong with him?"
Treize heard the desperation, fear, and anger in his voice and knew now was not the time to argue or hold any thing back. So, he asked the question he knew he did not want to have to explain. "Heero, what color are his eyes right now?"
Heero looked at him in surprise for a moment then narrowed his eyes at Treize. "You know what is happening to him don't you? Answer me damnit." The tone was harsh and demanding.
"Yuy, calm yourself right now. He is trying to help. We all care about Maxwell. NONE of us want to see him hurt. Answer his question and let him explain." Wufei's strong voice penetrated Heero's clouded mind enough to realize what he had just done.
Once again, his face was clear of emotion. "Gomen. I did not mean to accuse or offend you. His eyes are. his pupils are entirely white and the violet around them is much lighter and brighter."
Treize's eyes widen and his voice was almost panicked as he spook. "No. It cannot be. He should not be able to do something like this so soon. Heero listen to me carefully. You need to wake him up, but what ever you do, do not let go of him. If you do, then we may loose him to Zechs. I had hoped to explain everything to you all at once. To sum up what is happening, Zechs is using Duo's weakened state to try to take over his mind."
Just then, Duo started thrashing around like he was fighting someone. He kept repeating the same thing over and over "Make him stop." They reacted quickly. Heero pulled him up so he was now completely in his lap with Duo's head tucked under his chin. Quatre and Trowa moved to either side of him, while Wufei and Treize moved to be as close as they could as well. Quatre was talking to him trying to calm and reassure him that everything was okay.
Through their combined efforts, the ill young man settled down once again. This time his pulse and breathing was not so bad, but he still showed signs of unease. Heero did not stop holding him tight. He began to slowly rock back and forth in order to further comfort him. Soft, loving kisses were placed on his chestnut colored head. Words of protection and affection were whispered in his ear. A few moments later, his eyes slowly opened to revile their normal violet selves sparkling up at Heero and his friends.
It was Trowa who recovered first. "Welcome back my friend. You gave us all quit a scare. What happened?"
He frowned and moved even closer to Heero. The closer he got the better he felt. "I. I don't really know exactly. I couldn't move. I tried to tell Heero but I couldn't even open my eyes." His voice got louder as he spoke and he started to tremble.
"Shhh.Its okay now love. Your safe. We will not let anything harm you. I will not let any harm come to you." Hearing the reassuring words from his partner, he continued.
"The next thing I knew I was in pitch blackness. It felt so hot that I could hardly breath. I heard someone coming closer. It was . Zechs."
At the mention of Zechs' name, Heero growled and tightened his arms around Duo. 'Bastard. If he did anything do you Duo I will make him suffer.' Quatre grab onto his hand and held it between his. Trowa place a supporting hand on Heero's shoulder. Treize pulled Wufei to his side to offer his support as well.
"Maxwell, did he say or do anything?" Duo looked at his friend. He could tell that Wufei was fighting the rant that wanted to come forth. He smiled his kindest smile to him.
"At first, he talked in riddles sorta. Then he.he kissed me. I've never felt so helpless in my life. I couldn't make him stop. When he finally did, he got all possessive and shit. Said no one but him could have me. laughter I told him where he could stick it. Then I got this feeling of being safe and protected. I could almost see you guys standing around me. Did you guys do anything I should know about?" He looked at each with a child-like innocence.
It was Treize that found his voice. "That my dear Duo will have to wait. We must continue to our destination now that we know you are okay. I promise once we are there that I will explain EVERYTHING and answer all questions you will have. You are still not well. You need to rest. There is a cooler towards the back with chilled bottled water. You might want to drink some."
Trowa moved to get the water for everyone. He returned with the whole chest and passed out a bottle to each person present. To everyone's delight. Duo drank all of the one he had and half of another.
Treize seated himself in the driver seat. Noticing that the fog from earlier had completely disappeared, he wandered what time it was. "Do any of you know what time it is?"
"It is 5:12 a.m." The perfect soldier's internal clock never stops.
"Arigatou Heero. We still have a whole day before we will reach the mansion. Why don't you all get some more sleep? Duo will hear nothing more from Zechs for a while. That I can say for certain." They all nodded their agreement. Treize knew more about this than they did and he could be trusted.
Duo, on the other hand, did not want to go back to sleep. He flat out refused to go back to sleep despite the treats made by Heero and Quatre and Wufei. "But Hee-chan, I'm not sleepy any more. There is no way I could go back to sleep now." He was so caught up in looking into Heero's endless eyes that he missed the hand motion Trowa did with the remainder of his second bottle of water.
He gave the water to Quatre knowing that he would not suspect the gentle blonde to do anything underhanded. "Well then, if you insist upon staying up, you should drink some more liquids. Here drink this."
Duo, not knowing what Trowa had done to it, took the bottle from Quatre with a triumphant smile. 'Ha. I knew they could never say no to me.' He drank the rest of it in two gulps.
Although Duo missed what happened, Heero had not. Once Duo was sound asleep in his arms he looked at Trowa and asked, "What was it?"
His short and direct question was answered the same. "A mild sedative."
Satisfied, the gang settled down for some much needed rest. Instead of lying beside Duo this time, he pulled him over so he had his braided love was lying on his chest with his head over his heart. 'I am here for you itooshi.' And he followed him into the land of dreams.
