Living in the Shadows Chapter 2
It had been almost two years since the war between the Earth and the Colonies had begun. The conflict had been going on far longer then that, having only now come to a head. That was where we, the Gundam pilots, came in. We fought for the colonies so they wouldn't have to. Pity, now that the colonies no longer wanted us. We have been declared terrorists, all thanks to that smooth talking schizophrenic bitch, Lady Une, who sweet talked the colonies into believing that Oz was only there to help. Shit, she might have even believed that bullshit; but I sure as hell didn't, and neither did my comrades. I've met that lady before, I still have the scars.
I guess it really doesn't matter either way; we'll keep on going on the missions that the Professors send us on; continue trying to a little good. At the moment we were hiding out at a school on Earth. It was kind of nice, pretending to be a normal teenager instead of a terrorist. I had always wondered what it would be like. The steady click of keys indicated that Heero was still working on the computer. If I didn't know better, I would swear that the boy is physically connected to the damned machine; he at least is obsessed about it. Not that I can really say much, we all have things that we obsess about. Heero has his computer, Wufei has his Justice, Quatre and Trowa have their music and each other, hell even Relena had an obsession – Heero. Me? Yeah, I have one too, mine is thunder storms, ocean, basically nature in general. It's kind of bizarre, I know. But, in my defense, I lived in a place for most of my life where water, or green things were pretty much something that you had to live without. We got brief showers on L2 every few months, which lasted about thirty minutes, and then it was gone; since L2 is basically the equivalent to a inner city slum, there really wasn't that much of anything natural, much less trees and such.. Oceans fascinated me, just for the sheer fact that I have never seen so much water. Thunderstorms and forests, however, where my true obsessions. If a thunderstorm was brewing, it was guaranteed that I would be outside waiting for it. Then I would stand there and allow the rain to pour over me. It was also one of the few times that I could dance with my angel. The storms, in all their destructive nature, attracted Nyx as much as it attracted me. I would stand on the top of a hill, while the storm raged around me, and my angel would come, and I would let go of my human skin, and the winds would bear me up into the sky; and there, amidst the thunder and lightening, we would fly, dancing with the storm. It was a wonderful feeling; there was no guilt, there was no hate, no anger, just the pure unharnished power of nature. Forests on the other hand, were peaceful and just had an ancient feeling to them. I could walk into a forest, and I knew that there was something out there. The air was so clean smelling in the forest as well, there I could relax a bit and have some fun; use my stealth skills for something other then death. I longed for it, I longed for the forests and thunderstorms as much as someone might long for a loved one.
It took me a second to realize that the typing had stopped. Heero was watching me, a suspicious look in his cobolt eyes.
"Problem?" I ask, not moving from my position on the bed.
"You haven't said a word since the 'hey' when you came in." he replied; "What's wrong?"
I just starred at him, dumbfounded. Heero Yuy, Heero-I will kill you if you say another word- Yuy had noticed that he wasn't talking? Why did he even care?
"Uh....other then you've officially startled the hell out of me Yuy, nothing." I said. "Then why are you being quiet?" Heero asked again; "You always talk, even when you have nothing to say...you talk."
I blinked at him some more. It was true, I did talk just to make noise, people then tended to write me off as an air head and wouldn't notice me. Personally, however, I enjoyed silence; silence and darkness were two of the traits I specialized in. "I was thinking about something." I said slowly, watching Heero carefully. I cared for the Gundam Pilots, all of them, they were like my brothers. I trusted them with my life.....however I did not trust them with my two dark secrets; my past and my angel.
"You were...thinking about something???" Heero asked, he seemed to be amazed that I was capable of thought. I glared at him, rolling off my bed and standing in one fluid motion.
I didn't say anything to the zero pilot on my way to the door. "Yes, Yuy, I was thinking, I occasionally like to do that, same as I occasionally like to sit in silence." Then I walked out the door. I couldn't believe that Heero Yuy, the Perfect Soldier, hadn't seen through my mask. He thought, just like everyone else, that I was an air-head. Just a big-mouthed American baka. I surpressed the snarl that rose in my throat. Was that how the other pilots saw him? Maybe I had played this role too well. You could always get rid of the mask you wear, dear heart. A velvety voice said by my ear; as the demon landed on my shoulder. Full sized, Nyx was almost eight feet tall; normally however she kept herself small, about the size of a fairy, and sat perched on my shoulder. No one saw her sitting there, I could walk through a crowded mall and no one would notice a small winged woman on my shoulder. She only appeared to those whom she wanted to see her. No, I replied to my angel's suggestion, I have no desire for people to see the true me. They would not like who they saw, it is better to play the joker and attempt to make people happy. My feet had carried me outside into the woods that surrounded the school. The forest was dark and quiet, with the coming night. I, not wishing to disturb the serenity of the woods, moved silently through the forest. Long ago I had learned the art of moving with out making a sound; you had to in order to survive in the thieving business. Now that I was a Gundam Pilot, I had perfected the art. I became part of the forest, moving through it like a ghost. Look Nyx whispered to me, it's Wufei. I glanced over to where she had indicated. Sure enough, Wufei stood in a small clearing, doing one of his katana exercises. Still in stealth mode, I moved over to the edge of the clearing, I lean against a tree to watch the Chinese boy. You have to admit, Nyx purred He's a striking person... I grinned. Yes, he was striking. His long black hair, normalyl pulled back into a tail had fallen free of the clasp, whisps hanging in the boys face. A sheen of sweat glistened on his golden skin. Each movement was smooth and controlled. It's kinda like watching a big cat... I stated. I feel Nyx nod in agreement. We stand there, watching Wufei move. It was oddly relaxing.
Wufei lost himself in the movement of his own dance. His world narrowed down to the smell of the forest, the feel of the sword in his hands, the ground under his feet and the strain of his muscles. Absently Wufei's mind noted that the sun was setting, it was time to return to the school. Wufei brought the activity to a close and bent to pick up his sword's sheath. Grabbing his towel Wufei turned to leave...and came face to face with Duo Maxwell. Wufei quickly surpressed the urge to jump; how was it that he had not heard Maxwell come up behind him. In fact, this Maxwell was different from the usual boy he was use to dealing with. Duo stood leaning against a tree, he was partically hidden in the shadows. He just stood there, silent, watching Wufei. It was somewhat eerie, seeing him like that. His dark violet eyes were cast in shadow, the normal light-hearted laughter was gone from his eyes, replaced with age and sorrow. The eyes that looked at him now were far older then face they were set in and held far to much sorrow in them. Suddenly, Wufei realized exactly who it was that he was looking at; this was the real Duo Maxwell. Not the loud mouthed American, but the person that the behind that mask..
"Good Evening Duo." Wufei said, watching the shadowy figure in front of him. Duo smiled at him, some of the laughter returning to his eyes.
"Hey Wu." He said softly, Wufei had never seen him so still.
"Are you ok?" Wufei asked. Duo gave him a look; Wufei barely caught the spark of anger in those violet orbs.
"I'm fine." Duo said stiffly. "Why do you ask?"
Wufei had enough sense to know that THAT was a loaded question. Wufei gave Duo a small bow. "Just thought I'd ask, it's not very often that you allow someone to see behind the joker; I just wanted to make sure that everything was alright."
Duo blinked. "Oh; you knew then." This was a statement.
"Yeah, I had guessed it after the second or third time boarding with you guys." Wufei replied. "So what are you doing out walking in the woods instead of bothering Heero?"
"I was up there with him, but....yeah...I decided I needed some fresh are away from the Perfect Soldier." He replied.
"In other words, he said something to annoy you and you left." Wufei translated. Duo missed a step while walking.
"How....?"
"What did he say?" Wufei asked; intrigued to know what had caused the self proclaimed Shinigami to leave Heero Yuy in peace.
"He couldn't believe that Duo Maxwell, the loud-mouthed American baka might actually like to sit in silence for a little while." Duo explained.
"Ah." Wufei replied. Odd how Duo chose the exact words that Wufei had just used to describe him. Was it possible that Heero honestly hadn't seen past Duo's cheerful mask, or even more unbelievable, could he have actually told a joke?
Wufei hadn't realized he had said that aloud until Duo snickered. "Yeah it would be kinda shocking for the perfect soldier to actually tell a joke!"
They had reached the school by then, and several of Duo's classmates waved at him, calling him over. Duo waved back, and turned back to Wufei, "We'll looks like I'm being summoned. See ya later Wu, it was nice talking to you."
"Like wise Duo, if you ever need a place where you don't need to hide, you know where I am." Duo smiled at him;
"Thanks Wu. I'll keep that in mind."
"One more thing Maxwell," Wufei called, "How was it that you were able to sneak up on me like that?"
Duo smiled sadly at him, "I've lived in the shadows all my life, Wu, we've become fond of each other."
With that cryptic response, Wufei watched in amazement as the mask slide back in place without any effort. It was eerie as hell.
Wufei headed up to his room for a shower then down to the library to work with Quatre and the others on a project.
By the time Wufei got to the library, everyone was already there; the only exception being Duo who didn't have this class with them and was currently at a basketball game.
Through out the entire session, Duo's last words bounced around in his mind. "I've lived in the shadows all my life....." what the hell did that mean?
"Ok, Wufei," Quatre said after the session, "What's wrong, you're mind has been else where all evening."
"Uh? Oh, it's nothing, idle wondering." Wufei replied.
"Well, come on tell us." Quatre replied.
"Alright; we all know where we came from, Quatre from the Winter family, Trowa being a mercenary, and Heero having been with Doctor J since he was a kid, am I not correct?" He was answered with a chorus of nods, "My question to you is, what do we know of Duo Maxwell?" Wufei asked.
There was silence around the table, "Now that you mention it, I don't know." Quatre said, "A happy young man who enjoys life, is a terrorist and believes himself to be the god of death, Shinigami....other then that....i don't know."
"Anyone else?"
"He hides behind that joker's mask," Trowa said, "what is behind it, I don't know."
"It's a little eerie to tell you the truth Trowa." Wufei said.
"And exactly how do you know?" Heero asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
Wufei met that gaze unflinchingly, "Simple, I saw him without it."
"What?" The table chorused. Wufei nodded.
"I was in the woods doing my exercises when I turned around and there he was. I didn't hear him, didn't see him, didn't even sense him. It was like he wasn't there. It was hard to tell him apart from the shadow he was in, his clothing blended with it so well. But, it was his eyes that were startling, you know how normally he always seems to be laughing at you?" Nods around the table, "Gone, void of any laughter. He looked about ten years older, at the least. And he was so damned still, I don't think I would have seen him unless he wanted me to see him. And right before he left, I asked him how he did it, all he said was "I've lived in the shadows all my life, we've become fond of each other."" Wufei said.
The others blinked. "Strange." Quatre whispered. "I can't believe that we know so little about him. I mean we all have secrets, but how is it that we know nothing of his past."
Heero, who always carried his laptop with him, plugged the thing up and pulled up the profiles that the Doctors had given him on the other pilots. Let's see....Maxwell.....
They watched as Heero blinked in confusion. "What?" Trowa asked.
"There's nothing on him." Heero said, "Physicaly features, height, weight...abilities, but there isn't anything on his history." Quickly Heero fired off a letter to Doctor J asking him about Duo. "When the response come back I'll inform you." Heero stated. Thus it was agreed. Somehow, they were going to find out who the boy named Duo Maxwell really was....
~*~
Review please.....let me know what you like and what you didn't....all comments welcome...however flames will be laughed at so I wouldn't even bother....
It had been almost two years since the war between the Earth and the Colonies had begun. The conflict had been going on far longer then that, having only now come to a head. That was where we, the Gundam pilots, came in. We fought for the colonies so they wouldn't have to. Pity, now that the colonies no longer wanted us. We have been declared terrorists, all thanks to that smooth talking schizophrenic bitch, Lady Une, who sweet talked the colonies into believing that Oz was only there to help. Shit, she might have even believed that bullshit; but I sure as hell didn't, and neither did my comrades. I've met that lady before, I still have the scars.
I guess it really doesn't matter either way; we'll keep on going on the missions that the Professors send us on; continue trying to a little good. At the moment we were hiding out at a school on Earth. It was kind of nice, pretending to be a normal teenager instead of a terrorist. I had always wondered what it would be like. The steady click of keys indicated that Heero was still working on the computer. If I didn't know better, I would swear that the boy is physically connected to the damned machine; he at least is obsessed about it. Not that I can really say much, we all have things that we obsess about. Heero has his computer, Wufei has his Justice, Quatre and Trowa have their music and each other, hell even Relena had an obsession – Heero. Me? Yeah, I have one too, mine is thunder storms, ocean, basically nature in general. It's kind of bizarre, I know. But, in my defense, I lived in a place for most of my life where water, or green things were pretty much something that you had to live without. We got brief showers on L2 every few months, which lasted about thirty minutes, and then it was gone; since L2 is basically the equivalent to a inner city slum, there really wasn't that much of anything natural, much less trees and such.. Oceans fascinated me, just for the sheer fact that I have never seen so much water. Thunderstorms and forests, however, where my true obsessions. If a thunderstorm was brewing, it was guaranteed that I would be outside waiting for it. Then I would stand there and allow the rain to pour over me. It was also one of the few times that I could dance with my angel. The storms, in all their destructive nature, attracted Nyx as much as it attracted me. I would stand on the top of a hill, while the storm raged around me, and my angel would come, and I would let go of my human skin, and the winds would bear me up into the sky; and there, amidst the thunder and lightening, we would fly, dancing with the storm. It was a wonderful feeling; there was no guilt, there was no hate, no anger, just the pure unharnished power of nature. Forests on the other hand, were peaceful and just had an ancient feeling to them. I could walk into a forest, and I knew that there was something out there. The air was so clean smelling in the forest as well, there I could relax a bit and have some fun; use my stealth skills for something other then death. I longed for it, I longed for the forests and thunderstorms as much as someone might long for a loved one.
It took me a second to realize that the typing had stopped. Heero was watching me, a suspicious look in his cobolt eyes.
"Problem?" I ask, not moving from my position on the bed.
"You haven't said a word since the 'hey' when you came in." he replied; "What's wrong?"
I just starred at him, dumbfounded. Heero Yuy, Heero-I will kill you if you say another word- Yuy had noticed that he wasn't talking? Why did he even care?
"Uh....other then you've officially startled the hell out of me Yuy, nothing." I said. "Then why are you being quiet?" Heero asked again; "You always talk, even when you have nothing to say...you talk."
I blinked at him some more. It was true, I did talk just to make noise, people then tended to write me off as an air head and wouldn't notice me. Personally, however, I enjoyed silence; silence and darkness were two of the traits I specialized in. "I was thinking about something." I said slowly, watching Heero carefully. I cared for the Gundam Pilots, all of them, they were like my brothers. I trusted them with my life.....however I did not trust them with my two dark secrets; my past and my angel.
"You were...thinking about something???" Heero asked, he seemed to be amazed that I was capable of thought. I glared at him, rolling off my bed and standing in one fluid motion.
I didn't say anything to the zero pilot on my way to the door. "Yes, Yuy, I was thinking, I occasionally like to do that, same as I occasionally like to sit in silence." Then I walked out the door. I couldn't believe that Heero Yuy, the Perfect Soldier, hadn't seen through my mask. He thought, just like everyone else, that I was an air-head. Just a big-mouthed American baka. I surpressed the snarl that rose in my throat. Was that how the other pilots saw him? Maybe I had played this role too well. You could always get rid of the mask you wear, dear heart. A velvety voice said by my ear; as the demon landed on my shoulder. Full sized, Nyx was almost eight feet tall; normally however she kept herself small, about the size of a fairy, and sat perched on my shoulder. No one saw her sitting there, I could walk through a crowded mall and no one would notice a small winged woman on my shoulder. She only appeared to those whom she wanted to see her. No, I replied to my angel's suggestion, I have no desire for people to see the true me. They would not like who they saw, it is better to play the joker and attempt to make people happy. My feet had carried me outside into the woods that surrounded the school. The forest was dark and quiet, with the coming night. I, not wishing to disturb the serenity of the woods, moved silently through the forest. Long ago I had learned the art of moving with out making a sound; you had to in order to survive in the thieving business. Now that I was a Gundam Pilot, I had perfected the art. I became part of the forest, moving through it like a ghost. Look Nyx whispered to me, it's Wufei. I glanced over to where she had indicated. Sure enough, Wufei stood in a small clearing, doing one of his katana exercises. Still in stealth mode, I moved over to the edge of the clearing, I lean against a tree to watch the Chinese boy. You have to admit, Nyx purred He's a striking person... I grinned. Yes, he was striking. His long black hair, normalyl pulled back into a tail had fallen free of the clasp, whisps hanging in the boys face. A sheen of sweat glistened on his golden skin. Each movement was smooth and controlled. It's kinda like watching a big cat... I stated. I feel Nyx nod in agreement. We stand there, watching Wufei move. It was oddly relaxing.
Wufei lost himself in the movement of his own dance. His world narrowed down to the smell of the forest, the feel of the sword in his hands, the ground under his feet and the strain of his muscles. Absently Wufei's mind noted that the sun was setting, it was time to return to the school. Wufei brought the activity to a close and bent to pick up his sword's sheath. Grabbing his towel Wufei turned to leave...and came face to face with Duo Maxwell. Wufei quickly surpressed the urge to jump; how was it that he had not heard Maxwell come up behind him. In fact, this Maxwell was different from the usual boy he was use to dealing with. Duo stood leaning against a tree, he was partically hidden in the shadows. He just stood there, silent, watching Wufei. It was somewhat eerie, seeing him like that. His dark violet eyes were cast in shadow, the normal light-hearted laughter was gone from his eyes, replaced with age and sorrow. The eyes that looked at him now were far older then face they were set in and held far to much sorrow in them. Suddenly, Wufei realized exactly who it was that he was looking at; this was the real Duo Maxwell. Not the loud mouthed American, but the person that the behind that mask..
"Good Evening Duo." Wufei said, watching the shadowy figure in front of him. Duo smiled at him, some of the laughter returning to his eyes.
"Hey Wu." He said softly, Wufei had never seen him so still.
"Are you ok?" Wufei asked. Duo gave him a look; Wufei barely caught the spark of anger in those violet orbs.
"I'm fine." Duo said stiffly. "Why do you ask?"
Wufei had enough sense to know that THAT was a loaded question. Wufei gave Duo a small bow. "Just thought I'd ask, it's not very often that you allow someone to see behind the joker; I just wanted to make sure that everything was alright."
Duo blinked. "Oh; you knew then." This was a statement.
"Yeah, I had guessed it after the second or third time boarding with you guys." Wufei replied. "So what are you doing out walking in the woods instead of bothering Heero?"
"I was up there with him, but....yeah...I decided I needed some fresh are away from the Perfect Soldier." He replied.
"In other words, he said something to annoy you and you left." Wufei translated. Duo missed a step while walking.
"How....?"
"What did he say?" Wufei asked; intrigued to know what had caused the self proclaimed Shinigami to leave Heero Yuy in peace.
"He couldn't believe that Duo Maxwell, the loud-mouthed American baka might actually like to sit in silence for a little while." Duo explained.
"Ah." Wufei replied. Odd how Duo chose the exact words that Wufei had just used to describe him. Was it possible that Heero honestly hadn't seen past Duo's cheerful mask, or even more unbelievable, could he have actually told a joke?
Wufei hadn't realized he had said that aloud until Duo snickered. "Yeah it would be kinda shocking for the perfect soldier to actually tell a joke!"
They had reached the school by then, and several of Duo's classmates waved at him, calling him over. Duo waved back, and turned back to Wufei, "We'll looks like I'm being summoned. See ya later Wu, it was nice talking to you."
"Like wise Duo, if you ever need a place where you don't need to hide, you know where I am." Duo smiled at him;
"Thanks Wu. I'll keep that in mind."
"One more thing Maxwell," Wufei called, "How was it that you were able to sneak up on me like that?"
Duo smiled sadly at him, "I've lived in the shadows all my life, Wu, we've become fond of each other."
With that cryptic response, Wufei watched in amazement as the mask slide back in place without any effort. It was eerie as hell.
Wufei headed up to his room for a shower then down to the library to work with Quatre and the others on a project.
By the time Wufei got to the library, everyone was already there; the only exception being Duo who didn't have this class with them and was currently at a basketball game.
Through out the entire session, Duo's last words bounced around in his mind. "I've lived in the shadows all my life....." what the hell did that mean?
"Ok, Wufei," Quatre said after the session, "What's wrong, you're mind has been else where all evening."
"Uh? Oh, it's nothing, idle wondering." Wufei replied.
"Well, come on tell us." Quatre replied.
"Alright; we all know where we came from, Quatre from the Winter family, Trowa being a mercenary, and Heero having been with Doctor J since he was a kid, am I not correct?" He was answered with a chorus of nods, "My question to you is, what do we know of Duo Maxwell?" Wufei asked.
There was silence around the table, "Now that you mention it, I don't know." Quatre said, "A happy young man who enjoys life, is a terrorist and believes himself to be the god of death, Shinigami....other then that....i don't know."
"Anyone else?"
"He hides behind that joker's mask," Trowa said, "what is behind it, I don't know."
"It's a little eerie to tell you the truth Trowa." Wufei said.
"And exactly how do you know?" Heero asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
Wufei met that gaze unflinchingly, "Simple, I saw him without it."
"What?" The table chorused. Wufei nodded.
"I was in the woods doing my exercises when I turned around and there he was. I didn't hear him, didn't see him, didn't even sense him. It was like he wasn't there. It was hard to tell him apart from the shadow he was in, his clothing blended with it so well. But, it was his eyes that were startling, you know how normally he always seems to be laughing at you?" Nods around the table, "Gone, void of any laughter. He looked about ten years older, at the least. And he was so damned still, I don't think I would have seen him unless he wanted me to see him. And right before he left, I asked him how he did it, all he said was "I've lived in the shadows all my life, we've become fond of each other."" Wufei said.
The others blinked. "Strange." Quatre whispered. "I can't believe that we know so little about him. I mean we all have secrets, but how is it that we know nothing of his past."
Heero, who always carried his laptop with him, plugged the thing up and pulled up the profiles that the Doctors had given him on the other pilots. Let's see....Maxwell.....
They watched as Heero blinked in confusion. "What?" Trowa asked.
"There's nothing on him." Heero said, "Physicaly features, height, weight...abilities, but there isn't anything on his history." Quickly Heero fired off a letter to Doctor J asking him about Duo. "When the response come back I'll inform you." Heero stated. Thus it was agreed. Somehow, they were going to find out who the boy named Duo Maxwell really was....
~*~
Review please.....let me know what you like and what you didn't....all comments welcome...however flames will be laughed at so I wouldn't even bother....