Warnings: bad language, violence, more Duo angst!

Author's note: Nearly there now!

Part 9 – And The Clouds Roll By.

Bryn's ruse has proved successful. There have been no cries of 'someone's getting away!' and I know that Tyler will not have wasted time in vacating the premises. I mentally offer him a silent prayer, asking God to both keep him safe and grant him speed so that he may contact Heero in time to prevent this planned massacre. Fearful that he may die while they are supposed to be offering protection, the troops have kept Bryn up front with them for observation purposes and he is quiet now, playing the role of the invalid dealing with a life-threatening incident as convincingly as possible.

The angry townsfolk are also quiet now as night draws in. I hear fewer children's voices as they are laid down to sleep, their parents no doubt staying close to ward off any nightmares their progeny may have after the day's unsettling events.

Of course, there's no one here to guard against my nightmares. As I lay down on the pew with my weight on my good shoulder I recall the nights where Heero would hold me close until I drifted into an easy, dreamless sleep. War tends to affect even the best of slumberers and I am no exception. You can't begin to imagine what it is like to be plagued by visions of battles past and present, assaulted by faces of those injured and killed by your own hand, which flash through the mind like a grotesque slideshow. Having Heero hold me eased that terrible burden somewhat, but he is not here to guard me now and so I have to content myself with my arms, which I wrap around my slender body, ignoring the pain in my shoulder, which thankfully has lessened slightly.

I don't want to sleep since I feel on a knife edge waiting for something to happen, be it good or bad, but my body is protesting more successfully than my mind and before long, I have retreated into the blackness, which these days is barely distinguishable from my waking life as a blind man. As I drift into oblivion I say my prayers although I'm pretty sure the words do not get as far as my lips.

Oh Lord, please keep Heero safe. I know it's selfish to ask when there are people suffering but please take care of him. If anything happens to me Lord, then please let Heero know that I always loved him. I want so badly to survive this war so we can build a life together but if that's not meant to be then I understand. I know we'll be together one day. I'll wait for you Heero, I promise…

But if I went to sleep praying for a miracle, then it worked, although it wasn't exactly what I was expecting….

I wake to find something is different although at first, I cannot put a finger on what it is. I lie still for a minute or so, momentarily disorientated before my heightened sense of hearing picks up on someone stating the time; six forty-five am. Tuning in to other conversations, I learn that nothing has happened overnight and my heart lifts slightly in the hope that this is because Tyler has been successful in warning Heero of Oz's plans. The second thing that I learn is that I am damn well hungry and my stomach growls loudly lest I had missed the gnawing pains in my abdomen. I can only hope that Oz's caring pretence extends to keeping us well fed and to my relief, when I give my olfactory organs a workout, I am flooded with the scent of coffee and fresh bread. Realising that I may well miss out on these delights if I continue to give the appearance of one who is sleeping soundly, I haul myself into a sitting position to shake off the drowsiness.

That's when I realise what it is that is different.

I can see something.

Let's not get too excited here, after all, this isn't some fictional drama; you know - blind one minute, full sight the next. The day has dawned clear and bright and as the early morning sun beams in through the stained-glass window behind the altar, I am aware of the brilliance of the area in front of me in comparison, when I turn my head, to the more darkened area behind me. It's not a lot, but it's a start as I remove my sunglasses and find myself squinting, my brain registering the brightness and reacting accordingly.

"Oh wow," I find myself muttering but before I can contemplate this any further, there is a voice at my shoulder.

"Would you like some coffee?"

I instinctively turn towards the sound and am disappointed that there is no face accompanying it. The voice is female and inherently gentle and since I have no visual reference I imagine she is much like Sister Helen. I nod in response to her question, eager to have anything inside my empty stomach.

"Thank you," I say as she presses a cup into my hands. I take a grateful sip of the scorching liquid, sensing that I am still being watched.

"Was that your father that had the suspected heart attack?" the girl asks cautiously and I realise from her youthful tones that she is much younger than Sister Helen.

"Him? Oh no," I reply, shaking my head. "He's um, just a friend." I realise that not being with a friend in his moment of need would seem callous so I ask, "Is he okay now?"

"He's fine," she says confidently and I hear the creak of the pew as she sits down next to me. "My name's Marli."

"Duo."

"So, Duo, do you have a girlfriend?"

I smile in response to her boldness. "No I don't."

"Do you want one?"

I laugh and shake my head. "That could be tricky."

"Why, do you have a boyfriend?"

My laughter ceases at her perceptiveness, but my smile of amusement remains in place. "How old are you, Marli?"

"Eight and a quarter," comes the serious reply. "Now you answer my question."

I sigh, knowing I cannot evade this interrogation. "Yes, I have a boyfriend. Happy now?"

"Uh huh," she says sagely, "Was it the guy that sneaked away last night?"

My eyes widen and I instantly fear for Tyler's safety. If a child saw him leave then surely Oz did too? Marli must have seen my worried expression because she says: "Don't worry, no one else saw him go."

I visibly relax. "Are you sure?" I ask, realising I am trusting the judgment of an eight year old girl.

"Totally," she replies with all certainty. "So is he your boyfriend?"

"No. My boyfriend isn't here."

"I see," she says as she starts to swing her legs back and forth, rocking the pew beneath us as she contemplates her next enquiry. "Do you love him?"

The question shocks me and for a moment I don't answer. My mind finally engages and I ask myself what the hell I am doing telling a complete stranger, a child no less about my love life.

"Duo?" She's waiting for an answer.

"Yes I do… I love him very much."

"Is he going to come and save you?"

I frown at this slightly odd question. "Why d'you ask?"

"Because that's what handsome princes do, stupid!" she replies, as if she is talking to the dumbest person she has ever come across.

I allow myself to smile slightly at her childish innocence. "I hope you're right, Marli," I say, thinking of Heero and hoping that he is safe.

Before she can continue the Spanish Inquisition, a voice floats from somewhere behind me. A female, I'm guessing it's her mother, calls my new friend back to her family and in response, she jumps up from her seat. "Well goodbye, Duo," she says quietly. "I hope your handsome prince comes for you."

And then she skips away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. This…. this situation is wholly wrong. People like Marli and her family have nothing to do with this war and yet they are here; forced to be pawns in a game than none of the major players truly understand. People like Marli and her family are the reason that people like me and the other guys ever took up arms in the first place, despite the hardship it has brought us ever since.

I could have pondered similar thoughts all day if it hadn't all gone off at that very moment. Yup, from here on in, things were about to get a little crazy.

It started with a door behind me slamming, quickly followed by the sound of booted feet running up the aisle past me. Before the owner of the feet can speak, there is a huge explosion from somewhere nearby, the strength of which rocks the very foundations of the church. The 'feet' save us from drawing our own conclusions.

"The gundams are at the base!" he yells, his voice more than a little tinged with fear. I've heard fear like that before; young men who sign up for the cause not fully understanding that war can result in their grizzly and untimely deaths. The realisation of just that usually comes right before they are about to meet their maker, but of course by then it is far too late for regrets and recriminations.

Other than the sound of destruction from several miles away, there is silence within the church. Fear is pretty contagious and right now, it's spreading like wild fire. The innocent citizens of Lyndberg are scared, and quite rightly so. We all wait in anticipation of what Oz will do next.

"How many gundams?" the captain snaps, unsympathetic of his underling's alarm.

"Four," comes the response and with that single word, my heart freezes. If there are four gundams at the base then Tyler never managed to contact Heero to tell him to stay away. He's dead. We're all dead.

The captain regains a little composure with the realisation that their master plan is running smoothly. "Okay," he shouts above another particularly large explosion, his voice carrying his authority above the blast. "Everyone remain calm. We're safe in here. I'm certain the gundams will not come near a church so we're in the best place possible."

Bastards. Fucking bastards.

How can they lie like that? I shake my head in disgust, unconsciously reaching up to touch the handgun nestling in the inside pocket of my coat. I need to think and fast. If there's any way I can help any of these people escape then I need to think of it now, but in reality, time is the one thing you never get when you need it, and now is no exception.

I am drawn from my desperate ruminations by a single ear-piercing scream to my left. I turn to the sound and am greeted by nothing more several blurry shapes, which I'm guessing are people, one of which is the person responsible for that terrified shriek. Her reason for screaming quickly becomes obvious as someone else yells: "Oh shit, there's a gundam!"

We are all hopelessly drawn to the drone of engines, which grow louder and louder until the noise becomes unbearable. All around me people are screaming but I do nothing, except close my eyes and try to accept the fact that my life's contract is about to terminate itself. It's a bit of a head-trip to think that I am going to be killed by my lover's gundam, but I know that even though he is inside, there is little he can do about it with the controls frozen by the parasite. I just pray that Heero won't feel guilty for whatever happens here today.

The grumbling of the mecha's engines grow louder and I realise that it is outside. I instinctively look up to the source of the noise, which is directly ahead of me. But today is just full of surprises as just on the other side of the large stained glass window I am greeted by a blur which is the most welcome thing I have probably seen, period. I blink a couple of times in disbelief and the thought that this could be nothing more than a trick of the mind looms large in my brain. But no, despite my minimal vision, I cannot fail to recognise the large weapon being wielded by the gundam cast in silhouette by the brilliant morning sun. It's a thermal scythe.

Which means, that blur is most definitely Deathscythe.

Relief floods through me as a familiar voice booms out from the mobile suit, cutting through the sound of the engines and straight to my heart like a sniper's bullet. "Everybody get back," Heero calmly instructs, as the gundam looms in front of the window like a fairytale giant. "Please stay back and away from the window."

"Heero," I say to myself, just uttering his name giving me the strength to fight. I realise that people will be truly frightened now so I yell at the top of my lungs, urging people to do as he says. I drop to the floor in between the pews just as the sound of shattering glass adds to the deafening cacophony around us. Shards of the stained glass window rain down on us, but its destruction has created an escape route for the captive people of Lyndberg. However the building is obviously in a poor state of repair as masonry starts to crash down from the rafters, triggered by the initial explosion. The people have a way out, but the only problem is everyone is too scared to move. The troops are also in a state of confusion as their plan seems to be rapidly veering off course and I move into action to take advantage of the ensuing chaos.

"Bryn!" I yell, standing quickly and shaking off the dust and glass that are coating my hair and body. Something is trickling down my forehead and I reach up and feel blood mingling with my hair. Damn, glass cuts always bleed like hell. Before I can shout my companion's name again, his voice reaches my ears and I move my head, trying to locate the source.

"Bryn! Get people out now!" I bellow, coughing as dust forces its way down my throat. "Hurry!"

"But, Duo…" he yells back, and I know his loyalty to Tyler and Howard means he wants to get me to safety, but I have no intention of being first out.

"Just do it!" I roar, tripping over some debris from the blast as I make my way towards the back of the church in response to the sound of someone crying almost hysterically. As I listen more closely I realise there is a name being lamented between the sobs.

"Marli, where are you?" her mother cries in anguish as she darts around searching for her missing daughter. "Please, Marli, you don't need to hide now honey"

I almost bump into the woman as my poor vision causes me to misjudge the distance between us. When she senses me just behind her she spins around and clings to me, crying and begging for my help.

"Don't worry," I say, ignoring the pain as she sways against my damaged shoulder. "I'll find her but you need to get out now. The building is unstable."

"But Marli…"

"Please," I insist more forcefully this time, "I'll find her I promise."

Reluctantly she relinquishes her purchase on my clothing as someone else urges her to do as I say. With her gone, I begin to feel my way around this unknown territory, calling the little girl's name and offering other words of reassurance in an attempt to coax her from her hiding place.

"Marli, it's Duo," I say gently despite my inner voice telling me to run like hell as the building creaks and groans ominously above me. "You were right, my handsome prince has come and he's here to save you as well."

Nothing.

"Please, Marli, your mom's scared and she can't be brave without you."

I pause as a small movement to my left alerts my attention. "Marli, is that you?" I ask hopefully and am relieved when a small voice responds. "My leg is stuck," she says and I move hurriedly towards the sound of her voice. When I find her, it's through touch, as the poor light renders me totally blind once more. She informs me that a statue of Christ fell from its wall mounting after the blast and came crashing down onto her hiding place, trapping her leg amongst the debris. Although I cannot see what I am doing, and my shoulder is protesting violently against the exertion, I make short work of the obstruction as I toss the detritus clear with a strength born of animal desperation.

Eventually she is free but she is clearly in shock as she stands next to me shivering so hard that I can feel the vibrations of her body. Somewhat awkwardly I remove my jacket and drape it over her shoulders, but not before I have removed Tyler's handgun, which I slip into the inside pocket of the lightweight jacket I am wearing underneath.

"Come on," I say, touching her shoulder gently, "you mom will be waiting outside."

Bryn has evidently succeeded getting everyone outside as we head up the aisle and I let Marli lead the way as the fallen masonry has created something of an obstacle course, which my limited sight cannot cope with. The crunching of glass becomes louder indicating that we have almost reached the destroyed window and thus our freedom, when a sound behind me causes me to turn.

The move proves to be a mistake as a fist connects squarely with my cheek, knocking me cleanly off my feet. Marli screams as she is forced to let go of my hand as I fall. Her cry is quickly replaced by another voice, which exudes a mixture of calm delight.

"Well, well, 02," the captain says as he looms over me. "Fancy seeing you here."

Before I can respond, the Oz soldier has hold of my braid and is yanking me to my feet. Pain shoots down through my scalp where it mingles with the agony rushing up from my damaged shoulder, which I have just landed on when I fell.

"Marli run!" I yell through a mouthful of blood and to my relief, she does as I say. My only thought as the enraged captain punches me in the face again is that at least I fulfilled my promise to her mother in rescuing her. I am awaiting further pummelling, still held upright by the rough grasp on my hair when a voice floats through the broken window just ahead.

"Let him go now."

"Heero!" I say, my words slurring as unconsciousness threatens. "Get away from here!"

"You heard him," the captain growls as he spins me round to face my lover so that his arm is hooked firmly around my throat. "Or d'you want me to snap his pretty little neck?"

The blur that I'm guessing is Heero freezes. Of all the scrapes we've been in, we have never had to deal with anything like this. The grip around my neck tightens as Heero shifts slightly in agitation.

"If you let him go then I won't kill you. You have my word," my lover states firmly, fighting to keep his emotions in check.

The captain laughs, a harsh raspy sound that comes from above me since he is a good foot taller than me. "I'm dead already," he says with chilling sincerity. "I lost both my sons when the Victoria base was destroyed by you scum. My wife is already dead so what have I got to lose? At least I'll go down a hero if I take one of you bastards with me."

As he finishes the sentence, he squeezes my throat a little tighter for emphasis of just how serious he is. My hands that are clawing desperately at his arm drop down a little as I start to drift towards oblivion and as they come to rest on something lumpy on my chest it takes a moment for it to register that I am touching the gun Tyler gave me.

The knowledge that I have a weapon pulls me back from the brink and I manage wake myself up enough to get my hand inside my jacket and take hold of the pistol. The captain however senses the movement and his free arm snakes across my body to pin my gun-holding arm to my chest. He doesn't seem to realise what I am doing, but the movement itself is enough to cause him to restrain me further and since I am using my injured arm, I haven't got the strength to push his second limb away in order to get the gun free.

This leaves me with only one choice; one that only sheer desperation will allow a man to contemplate, but I know that Heero cannot save me now and so the choice is as good as made. I manage to turn the gun slightly so that the barrel is pointing into my body and raise it so that, under my jacket, it is aimed at my shoulder. The captain has his body pressed against mine and, owing to the difference in height, I estimate that what I am about to do will cause more damage to him than me. At least I hope it will as I close my eyes, grit my teeth and pull the trigger.

The bullet tears through my shoulder causing phenomenal amounts of pain as we crash to the floor, but it does have the desired effect as the captain is forced to let me go to as he tends to his own wound. However Heero does not allow time for the shock to wear off as he rushes forward and fires his own weapon at the man crumpled on the ground behind me, and I know that his aim will be a little more accurate than mine. I'm guessing he's no longer a threat as Heero then hurries to me, scooping me up in his arms as he pushes blood and hair from my face.

"Heero…" I mutter weakly as the blur that is my lover threatens to fade out altogether. "I'm sorry for leaving. Can we go home now?"

"Shhhh don't talk," he says gently as he rips his t-shirt and uses it to staunch the crimson flow from my shoulder. "It's over now. You're safe, I promise."

I attempt to smile, but I can't be certain my face provides the appropriate response. Every part of me is hurting but the soreness is lessening as blood loss makes me light-headed. I'm safe now - Heero said so therefore it must be true. Those are good words to hear and as I let the blackness finally take me, my last conscious thought is that he didn't call me 'baka'…

TBC…