Review reply:
GundamPilot03: Thanks for reading! As for Quatre's 'evil' attitude, it'll be explained a bit later – hopefully you read that long. (little laugh) Thanks for the review again, and hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I in no way own Gundam W or AD&D. Don't sue; I'm simply an E5 in the USN, therefore I have no money. Ha.
A/N; /magical spell/
-BEGIN FIC-
Heero calmly flexed his fingers, trying to keep them warm and flexible despite the pressing cold that surrounded him. Lifting his wrists once more, the blue-eyed fighter nodded.
'Iron shackles. And fairly cheaply constructed ones at that. I could easily break these. However...'
Turning his gaze, he glowered at the cell door.
'There's still that to deal with. Plus the sound of these pieces of crap breaking would draw the guards down upon us.'
"Why not try the window? You could bend those bars and grant us all freedom before they could even open that door."
Heero took deep, slow breaths, attempting to calm his racing heart that had all but leapt into his throat at the unexpected sound. Closing his eyes, he grunted softly, "I thought you were asleep."
"No. But everyone else is."
Quickly peering at his companions, Heero nodded. They were, indeed, asleep.
"So why not utilize the window?"
"You know that I was contemplating escape. How?"
With a quick smug smirk, the blond shrugged. "My little secret. Nothing to concern yourself over, Heero."
Snorting, Heero let his bound hands rest in his lap once more, playing carefully with the end of the braid he found there. Watching Duo's sleeping face, he knitted his brows. 'His 'little secret,' eh? Seems eerily familiar. Almost like... Like...'
'Hmph. All the more reason not to trust this 'Quatre.''
"I don't care if you trust me or not. I just want you to answer my question; why not utilize the window?"
Narrowing his eyes, Heero lifted his glare to set it upon the blonde's angry blue eyes. "Perhaps because utilizing the window will force us to leave behind the weapons we own which are being held on the other side of that door."
"And so?"
"I prefer to have my sword before me when I face whatever awaits us out there."
Sighing, the blond shook his head. "Poor untalented fool."
"Maybe."
Glancing back over, Quatre frowned. "So, how are you truly planning to escape?"
"I don't know yet. Give me some time."
"I don't like waiting."
"Tough."
Huffing, the blond turned away from the brunette fighter and returned to laying upon the cold cell floor. Stretching his bare arms and drawing them forth from the folds of his cloak, he wrapped them around the prone body he was slowly yet steadily snuggling against.
Shifting, the newly magically healed Trowa draped an arm over the VonWinner child, drawing him closer to his body all the while snoring contentedly.
Heero arched a brow as he saw Quatre smirk before proclaiming the lanky sleeping acrobat to be a 'goofy dimwit' and nuzzling his neck.
His eyes rested upon the sight for a few moments longer as he attempted to discern exactly what the flash of silver he'd seen wrapped around the blonde's upper arms was before Trowa inadvertently blocked his view with an ill-timed dream-inspired hug.
Shrugging, the warrior returned to playing with Duo's braid, ignoring the soft whimpers of his nightmare-ridden Eastern friend and the loud snores of his green-eyed adventuring companion.
He focused, once more, on the door.
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"Neh, you're certain you don't need any help?"
"I'm certain."
Duo narrowed his eyes, his gaze remaining firmly set upon his lover's face. He quietly huffed, "Be careful, Heero."
"Aa."
Casting his penetrating stare back over the small rag-tag group, Heero nodded. Trowa was indeed fully recovered thanks to the magical aid of the jail's clerics who'd worked to preserve him for questioning. Duo worried with his shackles, eager to remove them. Wufei stood calmly by the window, his hands loose and stance easy. And Quatre stood beside Trowa, his eyes frigid and empty.
'Worthless boy. He's going to either hinder us or bolt.'
Turning away from the gathering, the blue-eyed man flexed his fingers, listening to his knuckles popping with satisfaction.
'Personally, I hope he bolts. He's annoying.'
Heero quietly whispered, "On 'three,' Wufei."
"Ready."
"One."
Both men approached their destinations, Wufei stepping to the window, Heero to the heavy wooden door.
"Two."
They raised their shackled hands as one.
"Three."
The snapping of breaking metal chains rang through the still atmosphere, catching the ears of the guards even as sounds of bending, straining metal and shattering wood emanated from the small cell. Donning their shortswords, five armored men raced towards the cell of the racket's origination.
Heero Yuy bowled right through them before they had the chance to draw their weapons.
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Wufei glowered out of the window.
"It's only a thirty foot drop. We can manage, Barton."
"But what about Quatre?" Trowa said, a frown taking his lips as he regarded his raven-haired friend.
"Let him fend for himself."
"What's your problem with him?"
Glaring, Wufei growled, "I don't like the way he toys with us. I don't like the trouble that's found us, thanks to him. And I especially don't like that supremacy attitude of his." Seating himself upon the window's ledge, gathering Duo into his arms to aid the young mage with the jump, he snorted. "That boy can rot in Gehena, for all I care!"
Trowa frowned as he watched the agile warrior fall and land with cats grace, sweeping himself and the robed, braided man into the nearest conglomeration of shadows that existed and vanishing instantly.
"Damn him," Trowa hissed softly.
"I'll be fine."
Turning, Trowa arched a brow. "You certain?"
Quatre smirked. "Don't underestimate my abilities as that dingbat moron has, clown. I can hold my own."
"I'm sure you can..."
"You doubt me?"
Trowa shrugged.
"Fine. Then watch, child."
"Child?" Trowa whispered, before he charged in a panicked fright for the window, having seen Quatre slip between the bent bars and take a flying leap.
"QUATRE!" he cried as he stared at the ground, his heart already all but stopped with the expectation to see a smear of pale pink flesh covered in black cloth and topped by blond splattered across the cobblestone.
A foot taped him upon his head.
Glancing up, he stared, his dropping jaw accompanying widened eyes that thoroughly belayed his shock.
"Yo."
Troaw's gaze barely caught Duo's manic bounding and wildly flapping lips as he apparently spoke rapidly to Wufei. Out of habit, the acrobat's mind deciphered what the mage was saying, reading his message off his lips.
'"He didn't cast."'
'"It's not magic."'
Emerald eyes blinked.
'It isn't magic...?'
He barely had the sense of mind to tumble and land safely on his feet as the boot that caught him upon the back of his head sent him flying out of the window accompanied by wild laughter.
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Heero was huffing and puffing exhaustion when he finally caught up with the small group in a forest clearing due South of the town they'd just escaped. "There you are," he grunted even as he dropped the large bundle he'd been carrying over his shoulders, "just as planned. Let's distribute these quickly before the city guard catches up with us."
Merrily rooting, each adventurer quickly grabbed his pack and weapons, taking a few moments to give their precious weapons an appreciative kiss before stowing it.
Equipment having been regained they once again hit the trail, walking steadfast to the south.
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Trowa slowly opened his eyes as the distant conversation caught his sensitive ears.
"You know the answer already, mage."
"Pity. Then I've truly no choice, have I?"
Blinking, instantly awake, Trowa sat upright. 'Who...?' Eyes quickly roving over the campsite, he nodded. 'Not Duo. He's dead asleep. So who's Quatre talking to... Where is he?'
Trowa quickly sought him out.
And, upon seeing him, he stared.
'That's...!'
Standing upon the top of the small hill who's side they'd made camp on, Quatre had his arms crossed tightly over his puffed-out chest and his glacial blue eyes narrowed, the fires of murderous hatred all that warmed those icy spheres. An elderly man faced him, his posture identical to that of the boy before him, chocolate brown orbs glowering from beneath bushy white eyebrows, one of which was obscured by a waterfall of gray-white hair.
'Lord Vincent VonWinner! When did he get here? And what's he doing this far from Water-'
A gust of wind blew past.
'...deep...?'
Trowa blinked as he got to his feet.
'What the hell?'
The breeze of the night picked up once again, blowing long auburn strands of bang across Trowa's vision. He watched as Quatre's soft blond hair was tussled wildly, as the loose breeches he wore flapped unceremoniously and the huge black cloak that hung around his frail- looking shoulders caught the wind and billowed grandly behind him, leaving his thin yet shapely arms exposed to the night for once. Blinking, Trowa peered at the expensive jewelry that he'd previously not noticed - the large amulet around his neck, the twin platinum bands that were snuggly fit upon his upper arms. And then Trowa watched the elderly opponent of the boy.
The man's wild white hair and cascading robes didn't stir once as the wind raced by.
Sneaking to Duo and Heero's blanket, Trowa poked one of the two unidentifiable lumps that were cuddled in the warm safety of its wool folds.
Duo's head popped up. "What?" he growled, yawning loudly and smacking his lips as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.
"What is that?" Trowa softly whispered, pointing to the top of the small hill.
"Some old dude and Quatre."
"Duo..."
"WHAT!"
Slapping his hand over the mage's mouth, sweating as he saw the other form under that blanket shift, he grunted, "The wind doesn't affect the old man, yet he's present enough to hold a conversation with Quatre. What is it?"
"What did you say...?" Duo whispered through Trowa's fingers, his eyes popping wide open.
"That he isn't affected-"
Duo had already burst free of the blanket, leaving a thorougly confused acrobat and two equally confused, newly awakened warriors in his wake.
"What was that about?" Trowa gruffly whispered as he snuck to Duo's side, accompanied by Heero and Wufei, both of which were like Trowa in naught but their breeches and both of which unlike Trowa had a sword in his right hand.
"Duo?" Heero softly whispered after the young man failed to respond to Trowa's question.
Being completely immersed in spellcasting, Duo didn't reply. Rather, he slowly lifted his hands while quietly chanting and cracked open his eyes.
With a muted scream, he fell on his rear, his hands covering his eyes. "Fuck!" was all he screeched.
"Duo!"
Immediately Heero was on his knees, holding the mage to his chest in a protective embrace as Trowa and Wufei hovered nearby, intent on offering whatever assistance they could.
"What happened?" Wufei asked, his onyx eyes wide and his voice betraying worry he'd always sworn he'd never feel.
"Magic..."
"What?"
As Heero slowly pried Duo's hands away from his face, the braided man blinked rapidly. "/Detect Magic/ spell... makes everything magical glow. How bright depends... on how powerful..."
The three companions stared at the mage's completely constricted pupils.
"I can't fucking see..."
Turning as one back towards the odd couple at the hill's toup, Duo still in Heero's arms and now with his face buried in the warrior's muscular chest and oblivious to the world, they stared.
The image of Lord Vincent VonWinner's voice drifted to their ears.
"It will be an interesting end to my studies of you, discovering what happens to your kind when murdered on the Prime Material. Farewell then, sweet Quatre. You will be fondly remembered."
Everyone save the blond boy gasped.
The image slowly faded, even as rumbling filled the air.
Turning upon his heel, Quatre stared at the four adventurers before charging towards them. Leaping, he grabbed Trowa's arm and began to try and drag him down the hill. "Come on!" he yelled.
"What's going on?" the acrobat asked, staring with complete confusion at the blond.
"Don't ask. Just run!" Tugging at Trowa's arm, Quatre glared at him. "Come on!"
"But the others... Duo can't run. He can't see. And Heero won't lea-"
"Screw them! Let's go!"
Glaring at the small boy, Trowa yanked his arm out of Quatre's grasp. "I'm not leaving them. If you're so frightened, run and hide, but I'm staying."
Staring at him, his blue eyes wide with shock, Quatre's mouth hung slack. Pulling his mouth closed, he glowered at the acrobat, his eyes filling with tears.
"if you die..."
Trowa arched a brow.
"... it's not on my head."
Trowa sighed as the blond turned and ran into the night.
"What does he think he's escaping from?" Heero snorted from his seat, even as he drew his hand along Duo's hair.
Wufei gulped.
Lifting a finger, he pointed.
"That."
Everyone, including the mage who's sight was barely beginning to return, stared in horror at the huge mass of white which was slowly cresting the hill.
A huge mass of white that rattled with each step and stank of decay.
"Undead."
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"/MAGIC MISSILE/"
White dust exploded into the air, instantly being swept away by the now howling wind. The skeleton toppled, its form collapsing into a heap as the scant remains of its skull scattered themselves upon the grass.
"I'm out," Duo groaned, letting his hands fall and his robe sleeves slide back over them.
Heero immediately stepped before him, fiery sword held aloft. "Then stay between myself and Wufei. We'll protect you."
Duo nodded, hiding behind the warrior's billowing cloak.
They were completely and utterly surrounded.
tbc...
