IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE REREAD CHAPTER AND ON FOR THE REVISIONS (CHAPTER FIVE IS ACTUALLY THE UNREAD CHAPTER)!
Downfall
By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)
Chapter Six: Twice the Temptation
Duo crossed in arms, slightly in confusion and the other half of frustration. "So," he drawled out, looking each of the people in his or her eyes, "You're telling me that I'm "fated"—" Doing the famous quote motion of course—"to be with Heero for ever and ever and ever."
The woman beside him nodded, flipping her hair behind her back. "That's about it."
"Yes." The same woman said, to her own comment, only in a lower tone of voice. It held almost a gruff bite to it.
Duo double-took on that, wondering why the person was commenting on hr own stuff. Then again, "So who are you?"
The woman grinned evilly, "Cerberus." Duo stopped the shiver that almost ran down his spine when he saw the long lines of sharp, pointed canine teeth in her mouth.
"Aren't you supposed to have three heads?" Duo looked at her, "And be a dog?"
"I'm a watch dog, sounds better than a watch woman, baby." A different voice from the woman said this time, looking at the one known to all of them as 'baby Shini'.
"Sounds like your selling watches." A person commented.
"I could be." Cerberus grumbled, crossing her arms. "Don't temp me, Temptation."
"Oh, you have no idea." Temptation purred with a smirk wickedly. "How do you think I have fun, besides messing with our little baby Shini and his lover here."
Duo heart sank at the mention of Heero. He felt a cold feeling washed over him, reminding him of how lonely he had been without the stoic blue-eyed brunette. He tried to make up with Heero, really, he did, but something always stopped them, like a barrier and tended to make things worse.
It became one of the lowest points when Quatre tried to play matchmaker, having past experiences with his sisters after all.
"Don't mind Cerberus." A cute little child said while licking her lolly-pop, "She just has split-personalities instead of three heads. That's why her voice sounds funny all the time."
"Who are you?"
The girl giggled, licking her lolly-pop some more, "Discord and chaos!" She smiled at him and her eyes held a cold gleam in them, making Duo remember how looks could be deceiving. Quatre was a good example, especially when under the influence of ZERO.
"Now, now, my minions," Lucifer swiftly entered into the room like a King, though the impression was shattered when he began grinning like a Cheshire cat as he nodded his head to them and they likewise. "What is on the agenda today?"
Envy sighed, rubbing her head as she nudged Temptation in the side sharply for muttering something to her, "Each time that you say that, Lucifer," her eyes narrowed as she gazed up at him, "It seems to mean something else each time."
"Why would that be?" Chaos questioned innocently while blinking to show her long lashes, choosing to then looking at her lolly-pop after had her words spoken.
"Because he wants all your candy." Temptation whispered, "Do you like candy?"
"Do shut up." Lucifer hissed and Cerberus growled, grumbling as her other "heads" began to hold her own conversation with, well…herself.
"So you're my Dad." Duo raised an eyebrow while pointing to the guy with the cape and scythe in hand.
Lucifer nodded, sweeping himself into a glorious bow. "At your service."
Duo stared at him for a moment, "Why was I left alone then to fend for myself on the streets of L2?"
The occupants in the room lapsed into an awkward silence.
"It wasn't so much the fact that I abandoned you," Lucifer obviously winced when Duo said it in that way, "It was simply that you were already wasting away."
Quirking an eyebrow, Duo propped his head against his hand and tilted his head in question. "How so?"
Lucifer chuckled lightly, taking a seat in his chair. "I forgot that you don't remember." Once more, a laugh followed the statement, only this one seemed more distant. Lucifer's eyes were clouded, caught in a distant memory.
"You and that Heero made an excellent pair. Contrasts do attract, after all." He sighed and leaned his head against the backboard to his chair. "But God—" he laughed here at his own private joke—"forbid if there is a mixing of the breeds. An angel and a devil?
"You were sent down to earth to have another chance at a life—a better life—instead of thoughts without your beloved angel. However, that plan backfired for the Lord of the Heavens, as you can see. I strongly approved of your relationship, but… ever since you left," he paused and added, "and Heero as well—thing just haven't been the same with the terms."
"Terms?"
Chaos sighed and put her hands on her hips, glaring at Duo, "There's a war going on, idiot!"
"A war?" Duo repeated, lost in distant memories, "Okay—look, I just finished fighting a war, like, two years ago! That's enough fighting for me—hell, the nightmares are an added bonus, right?"
Hell, anyone could tell his dreams were nasty if they happened to be in the same room when he woke up from a sudden fright. Heero obviously learned that the hard way. If only the other brunette knew how much Duo dreamt of him in those nightmares, screaming as he watched his only love die.
"Duo?"
"Huh?"
"You seemed distracted." Temptation leaned over, letting her obvious cleavage draw his eyesight. Duo pulled away from her slightly. "I can help take away the…distraction." And licked her lips.
"Oh shut it." Lust mumbled, crossing her arms, "I'm the one who should be saying things like that."
"No," Temptation smiled innocently, "You're just the emotion, not the action." Lust glared. Envy yawned.
"So," Duo looked around the room. "Why are almost all of you women? I mean," he smirked evilly, "Is it because women tend to do the sins more than men?" (1)
The women glared at him.
"We tend to like this form more than that of a male."
"Ah."
"Well," Envy smirked, "In your case, Temptation would be a man."
"Yea—hey!" Duo protested, glaring at her cutely, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm simply stating an obvious fact. You do understand that you are fighting a loosing battle. I know that you wish you were with a certain guy. What if he was already hooked up with someone else?" Duo's cheeks heated up, "After all, I mean, you did say that you wanted to see other people."
He ignored her and decided it was better to get back onto topic if they were ever going to get to the bottom of this whole weird…situation?
Clearing his throat to stop the taunting and the random conversations floating around, he spoke to all of them, "And I'm meant to be with Heero, you say?" There was a definite tug at his heart, which he ignored. Heero made it fairly obvious that he never wanted to see Duo Maxwell's face again, ever. "Who, by the way doesn't like me."
"Are you sure about that?" Temptation whispered in his ear, making Duo jerk away from one of the seven sins.
Duo glared, Heero's hurt face appearing in his mind. Forever scarred with his hurt eyes, drowning in anguish. "W-what are you talking about?" Duo stuttered hesitantly, fearing how the woman could sneak up on him without a sound. Didn't she ever stop with her advances? He already had his heart set on one person, and that was forever Heero.
There was a silence in the room before Envy stood up, laughing coldly in all her glory. "It looks like baby has a little jealousy towards a certain girl who was looking after Heaven's little heir."
Eyes narrowing with fury of having that known, and said out loud, Duo seethed with barely contained anger in his seat. "How dare you…" Him jealous of Relena? Ha—that was a laugh. She should take a part time job as a comedian.
"Oh, you know it, doll." Temptation chose now to interrupt, "You want him and to—"
"Hiya!" Chaos shouted, jumping on the table and throwing her lolly-pop at Cerberus who glared, reaching to pull the object out.
Her hand froze, holding onto the stick.
It was stuck…in her hair…
Her eyes twitched. Chaos was cackling on the table, head thrown back. "You little…" She lunged for the younger-looking child, whom nimbly leapt out of the way.
"Everyone sit down." The room darkened, the walls twisting and bending as if the room was warping with them in it. Duo gripped the chair handle.
"I want my son to be happy." Lucifer's now serious eyes met Duo's own, holding his gaze before he broke their silent contest and continued on, "They were meant to be."
"Well," Envy said, licking her lips, "I'm with Shini all the way, whatever plan."
"We already have Heero Yuy in our custody you might say."
Duo perked up, "Heero? He's here? Where—why? How did you get him here?" Questions continued to pour from his mouth, some repeating themselves as new ones spurted from his howling screamer.
"He's elsewhere. Currently, he's being baby-sat by…"
The curtains hanging from the canopy made him feel more secure, and not as open to the world. He looked with wary eyes at the woman that was supposed to watch over him or something that was slowly inching closer to him.
He knew she was, probably during the times that he blinked. The distance between them was growing small, if not by mere inches or less.
He held back a heavy sigh, knowing that he was still tired from whatever drug they had administered to him while they abducted him from Relena's mansion.
He shivered at the name, knowing by now the police were alerted about his disappearance. Maybe she thought he committed suicide or something.
He heard a sound and look up, jerking back when he saw that woman, whatever her name was, closer that he would have liked, eyeing him like candy, or like Relena would.
He shivered at the name, again.
Heero looked at the woman standing in front of him seductively, a gleaming look in her eye as she looked him up and down. Why that slightly unnerved him was beyond him.
"Who are you?" He all but growled at the woman.
She walked over to him, "The person you've been dreaming of for so long." Her red lips were so close to him, making him inch away in a disturbed manner.
Where was he and why were all these people acting in some creepy manner?
"What the hell…?"
"Exactly," the woman cooed, licking her red lips as she leaned in, this time to whisper in his ear, "The Angel King will be so happy when he learns his son is alive and not with that little Devil Prince." Heero's eyes widened.
"W-what!" He pushed the girl off him but her grip held him and he felt weak all the sudden, and that made him become frantic. He never liked, nor experienced being helpless until Duo came and broke his soldier mask.
"You see, the King is willing to do anything to stop what the Stars are trying to say. He refuses a mixing of the bloods," Leaning down again she grinned when she saw him tense, "Even if it means sealing him away!"
Heero's eyes were wide at her last words before, slowly, his eyes drifted close after his vision swayed and blurred before darkening into unconsciousness.
"Um…" Temptation raised her hand meekly, gathering the King of Hell's attention.
"Yes?" He questioned, drumming his hands on the table and hoping that the woman would finish so they could go on with the report and all that jazz.
"Hey!" Duo interrupted, his eyes wide, "If she's Temptation, then how can Heero be back with Temptation also when she's here?"
The God of Death laughed, "Well, you see there's this thing we can do where we spilt and—"
"Uh…" The demi and lesser gods and goddesses looked at one another, wondering how many times they would have to go over something like this.
"What is it?" He looked around, "Everyone?"
Sighing heavily, Chaos got up on the table and walked over to the King, "How man times to we have to tell you, old man, that we CAN'T DO THAT! Only YOU and SHINI can do that!" She all but screamed in the elder man's ear.
"What!" Duo's chair fell backwards since he stood up so fast. His eyes were wide, cobalt blue irises filled with worry for Heero.
"So," Temptation drawled, looking at her nails in a bored manner, "Hurry up and go save your little Prince already."
"Yes, the King of the Heaven's is willing to do anything to stop the mixing of bloods." Cerberus looked up, obviously the new head speaking when Duo was silent, "Yes." She continued in a lower, manlier, voice this time. "I agree." Said a squeakier one afterwards.
"Where is he!" Duo questioned, looking to his 'father' for answers.
"Down the hall, big doors with angel wings. Ya can't miss it." Cerberus piped up, in a squeakier voice this time.
"You had better hurry," Duo looked with confusion, "Or you're friend might already have a seal being placed on him."
"What the hell does that mean?"
The 'watch dog' grinned, "It means he won't retain any of his memories." Those words were enough to send Duo shooting down the halls like a bat out of hell, dashing towards where Heero and 'Temptation' lay.
TBC
(1)- I'm not trying to be sexist. I myself am a girl so I'm not trying to insult anyone. I'm just trying to add some light humor here, like Shakespeare would.
Other than that, please ignore my stupid OC's for the moment. They won't hold any greater positions in the story or turn into something like a girlfriend to Duo or Heero and so forth. They are simply there for the mentions of mythology (Cerberus, etc.) and to further the portrayl of Hell. They're also thrown in for comic relief. Don't we love that?
in Liebe, Red Tail