Between
Part 2
By Mieren
Wufei was jerked roughly back to consciousness by a worried voice alternately yelling in his ear and arguing with someone else near them. The sight that greeted him when he opened his ebony eyes made him wish for oblivion again. A few paces apart, Duo and Zechs were bickering like children. He was surprised to find himself wrapped protectively in the braided pilot's arms where he was seated, glaring daggers at the platinum blond who was scowling back. Confused, he forced his mind to focus on the conversation which appeared to be going nowhere.
"…good would it do? There are no people here. There is no light. In fact," Zechs muttered, "nothing here is even alive."
"We need to find help!" Duo insisted, clutching Wufei tighter. He seemed to be unaware that the Chinese pilot had regained consciousness.
"I'm not wandering off!" Zechs shouted. "Look around, Maxwell. Nothing is solid!"
"You can't prove that!"
"You've been throwing rocks through my head for the last hour!"
"What'd ya expect? It's empty space!"
"Enough!" Zechs roared, towering over the two pilots. "Even you must realize that something is wrong. Look at Chang. He's translucent." Duo's hold tightened convulsively, but his gaze did not lower.
"I know," he answered in a strained voice. "Look, Zechs. He needs help and I don't know what to do. I'll go with ya. I'll carry him. We can't stay here. Those things are getting closer."
Wufei opened his mouth to ask what 'things' Duo was talking about. Before he could formulate a question, the answer rippled through the air. An inhuman shriek resounded in the distance, the lingering cry chilling him to the bone. He shuddered.
"Wufei?" Duo asked instantly, hope flaring in his violet eyes. "Are ya awake now?"
"Yeah," he managed groggily. His hand reflexively reached up to scrub a few loose strands of hair from his face. He froze when his hand came into view. His expression must have looked horrified because Duo suddenly pushed his hands down and forcefully redirected his gaze.
"It's okay," he said quickly. "It's getting better."
"B-better?" Wufei stammered.
"Couldn't get much worse," Zechs drawled. Duo threw him a withering glare, redirecting his attention to the Chinese pilot in his arms when he wilted slightly.
"Don't worry, Wu," Duo murmured. "When we first found ya… God, ya almost weren't there. Our hands went right through ya and we almost couldn't see ya. It was like ya weren't there."
Wufei nodded shakily and looked around, trying not to think about the fact that he could see through his flight suit and legs well enough to stare at Duo's lap. After seeing the area around him, for a moment he wished he hadn't looked. Then he went back to wishing for a return to peaceful oblivion.
The area was clearly the remains of a mobile suit battleground. Debris and corpses littered the ground. They sat nestled up to a partially intact suit, the only source of movement in the area. The area was cloaked in blackness, the only illumination was a delicate, unsteady glow that came from nowhere and everywhere all at once. The eerie light spread out in such a way that everything was draped in blackness without creating a single shadow.
The unearthly howl sounded again, much closer and from a different direction. Answering cries resounded from three other areas.
"Can we go now?" Duo asked tensely, eyes huge.
"What are you asking him for?" Wufei demanded, struggling to get to his feet. He only managed it with Duo mostly supporting his weight. "If Marquise doesn't want to come, I say leave him here."
"I'm all for that," Duo said quickly, starting a quick jog with the raven-haired pilot in tow. Behind them, Zechs cursed and started after them.
"Idiots!" Zechs fumed. "We could be running right towards them!"
"In case ya haven't noticed, blondie, they're after us," Duo snapped back. As if to support his statement, the cries sounded again, forming a semicircle behind them.
"They're driving us," Wufei said. "Herding us like cattle." The other two pilots stared at him in unconcealed horror.
"Shit," Duo managed, beginning to pant under the weight of his friend.
"FUCK!"
Shocked at the language from the platinum blond, the two pilots glanced at him, seeing only a glimpse of a pale, horrified face before Zechs snagged Wufei's free arm and began to help carry him. The two Gundam pilots glanced around quickly, searching for an explanation for his sudden change in behavior. They found it immediately. Wufei began a litany of phrases in Chinese that didn't sound happy. Duo began to go through every curse word and filthy phrase he knew.
Behind them, four bear-sized figures were racing forward, their inky forms almost invisible in the gloom. The creatures were mostly indistinct, but the fleeing pilots were able to make out thick barrel chests and thick, wide maws gleaming with ivory fangs. Paws the size of dinner plates pounded the earth as they rapidly gained ground.
Wufei felt a hot breath on the back of his neck, barely resisting the urge to close his eyes and accept his death. Using the last of his meager strength, he lunged forward, throwing himself into a desperate sprint. Even with the sudden surge of speed, thick jaws clipped the back of his neck, throwing him off balance and throwing him to the ground. Still trying to hold him up, Duo and Zechs were dragged down with him.
Terrified, they watched as death approached, dagger-like teeth leading.
A flash of bluish white energy crackled over their prone forms, slamming into the four snarling beasts and driving them back. A child's voice called out over the pained cries and the scuffling of the creatures as they regained their feet.
"In here! Hurry!" he called.
Turning, the three sprawled young men found themselves facing a small boy with wild russet hair and vivid emerald eyes. Behind his frail form was a hovering wisp of opalescent light. Seeing that he had their attention, he leapt into the gentle radiance and vanished from sight.
Eyes flickering back to the recovering monsters, Duo led the dash to the light, dragging Wufei with him as he leapt to safety, Zechs on their heels.
Tumbling into a heap, the three exhausted young men took a few seconds to sort themselves out as they studied the new terrain. Blackness stretched as far as the eye could see in all directions, not from lack of light but from lack of anything to fill the space. Just beyond their feet was a pearly wall of gently roiling light. Many nondescript individuals stood in the distance, afraid to approach the glittering radiance. Beside them, the russet haired youth was panting for breath, smiling sadly at them. He extended one bony hand warmly.
"My name is Reyn," he said breathlessly. "Welcome to Between."
To Be Continued…
I know it's mean to leave it there, but I love forcing cliffhangers on people. I'm sure everyone's nice and confused by now. Yay! Go me! ^__^