Note: Gundam Wing is not mine, and all the wishing in the world will not change that fact.
Sunlight slipped into the bedroom through the gaps in the curtains like uninvited children. Gentle fingers of light caressed the antiquities that lined the room, passing from one to next as if searching for something and leaving only trace amounts of heat behind to mark their passing. One spot drew them like a magnet, and soon all the wandering rays focused on one point, softly highlighting the halo of hair that framed the sleeping man's face. The man groaned and tried to turn away, but the sun was drawn to his face, like a moth to the flame.
"Dammed curtains," Duo muttered throwing an arm over his sleepy eyes.
It was no use. He was awake and painfully aware that he had several projects to get started on before Heero woke up this evening. A quick glance at the clock told him he had slept a whole three hours this time, a new record! Oh well, once Heero was settled and able to fend for himself, Duo would be able to indulge in things like sleep, and possibly even a social life. Yeah, right, and maybe winged monkeys might fly out his butt.
Duo slipped out of bed and padded over to the bathroom for a quick shower and shave so he could face the day. One half hour with a blow dryer and 100 strokes with a brush later, Duo left the bathroom and made his way to the bedroom at the end of the hall, braiding his waist length hair as he went. He snapped the hair tie on the end as he reached the back bedroom and paused for a moment, preparing himself for what lay within. Another deep breath and he pulled the door open and pushed his way inside.
The velvet darkness within rubbed against his naked flesh. Threads of silken gossamer tickled his face and neck, sending a shiver up his spine. He pushed in deeper against the heavy darkness, trying hard to ignore the fact that something that felt like a snake brushed past his ankles as he moved deeper into the room. Just a little further, I just need to get a little further, he told himself. It was no use, the smells of dried blood and old death assailed his nostrils, sending another shiver down his spine, one fueled by a more primal darkness. Duo reached the back of the room and felt for the foot locker that was lying there. Exhaling in relief when he found it, he picked it up and beat a hasty retreat from the room, hastily closing the door behind him.
Why he had left his clothes in that room he would never know, but they were free now. He returned to his room and placed the chest at the foot of his bed. It only took a few minutes to pull himself together and make his way to the kitchen for a quick cup of coffee and a bagel. Duo was out the door ten minutes later.
"Ah, so you do rise this side of noon," a familiar voice chuckled.
"I can see why you're a detective Mycroft," Duo said with a smirk, "Nothing gets past you."
"Hey, you promised to introduce me to your roommate today, so I thought I'd hang out and try and catch you,"
Duo smacked his forehead, "Of course, I promised to introduce you to Ramses. Where are my manners? Please, come on in, just excuse the mess, I'm not fully moved in yet."
Mycroft grunted in surprise as his eyes took in the decor of his neighbor's apartment. The walls were all paneled in English oak, faded to a nice warm brown by the fickle English sun. Antiques lined every wall. Here were artifacts from Greece, there were statues from Tibet, and off in a far corner he thought he saw a few items from China. It looked like someone had robbed a museum to decorate this home.
"Ramses has his own room, he's over here." Duo called over his shoulder heading towards the front bedroom.
Duo stopped when he realized that he had lost his guest back at the entry way. Mycroft was studying a Greek bust that stood on a pedestal in his living room.
"Ain't she a beauty," Duo said with a sigh, "Grandpa told me that was a bust of Helen of Troy. You know, the face that launched a thousand ships?"
"She's beautiful enough to be Helen," Mycroft sighed pulling himself away from the bust. "Your grand father had quite a collection, not to mention quite an imagination."
"Yep, he was the best," Duo sighed sadly, "He was the one who took me in after my parents died, and instilled my love of adventure in me. You might have heard of him, his name was Clark Savage Jr."
Mycroft shook his head, "Nope, I can't say that I have, but he must have been quite a man."
"He was," Duo said and then fell silent for a moment. Silently he turned back in the direction he had been heading earlier. "Anyhow, Ramses is back here."
Mycroft took his cue and followed Duo dutifully into the bedroom, letting the subject of Duo's late grandfather drop. The room was filled with Egyptian artifacts, all arranged tastefully about the room, but the main focus was the sarcophagus that stood open against the far wall. A dried mummy, his arms crossed over his chest stood behind a sheet of plexiglass that was secured over the top of the sarcophagus. A few tattered linens preserved his dignity, and a cracked and faded funerary mask covered his head and rested gently on his shoulders. With an air of silence, Mycroft approached the preserved man and tried to imagine what he might have looked like when he was alive, using the damaged lines of the mask as a guide.
"I can see how you might have thought this was the king Ramses, he looks so . . regal. Tell me, have you ever removed the mask?"
"Na, Grandpa said it's disrespectful to steal from the dead. That mask and his dignity are all Ramses has left, I couldn't take either from him."
Mycroft chuckled, "That's a funny philosophy for an archeologist to have."
"Not at all," Duo said, his smile returning, "Archeologists only dig up what others have left behind. It's a dirty thankless job. It's only the few that find burial sites laden with treasure that get all the press."
"Point," Mycroft conceded and chuckled. "Detectives get the same rap, Every one assumes we drive Ferarris and have butlers and beautiful women at our beck and call."
"You mean you don't?" Duo said shocked.
"Nope, I usually take a cab or the metro, gas costs too much."
"Amen to that," Duo laughed, "Well, I need to go run some errands, but you are welcome to stay and look around if you like."
Mycroft shook his head, "Thanks, but I would be tempted to help myself to some of your collection. Then I would probably be called on to crack the case of the missing artifacts, and that could just get plain embarrassing."
"At least I'll know where to start looking if something goes missing."
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It was cleaner then the alley he had watched last night, but not by much. The locksmiths shop was near the rear of the alley, nestled in-between a pair of pawnshops selling hastily cleaned merchandise for a quick sale. Duo had been told that this locksmith was an artist, and his work could even satisfy a fashionista like Heero. With a sigh and a silent prayer, he stepped into the locksmith's shop.
His nose was assailed with the smells of living greenery as he stood in the doorway of what looked for all the world like an atrium. Cool travertine tiles paved the way through the foliage towards the counter where a large man sat reading the news. Every hair on the back of his neck stood on end. This place was not what it seemed. Where in the seven hells did J send him? Duo masked his confusion with a practiced air and strolled towards the counter, seemingly without a care in the world.
"Hello there," Duo smiled, "I'm looking for a locksmith named Finn MacCool."
The large man lingered over his paper for a moment longer before responding. "I'm Finn MacCool, but I'm sorry to say I'm no locksmith."
"Oh," Duo sighed, "and your services came so highly recommended to me by Master J. Apparently he was mistaken."
"Master J Huh," Finn snorted. "I guess this means he finally made an heir. Took him long enough. What can I help you with today my good were?"
"I promised my ward I would get him his own key to his apartment, but he is a bit of a," Duo paused for a moment looking for the right word, "aficionado for his clothing accessories."
"I should have guessed that any progeny of J's would be a fashionista. I'll need a copy of the key to work with, and some time but I'm sure my smiths will make you proud. I will assume you will want yours made of gold, but what about the fashionista? Should I do gold for him as well, or would you rather it made in silver so you can beg off his unwanted attentions?"
Duo smiled coldly, "We are both male, I do not think I will have a problem fending off his affections. Gold will be fine."
"Oh to be young and naive," Finn crooned holding his abnormally large palm out to Duo.
Duo shook his head and took the key off his ring. "This is my only copy, I will need it back today so I can go home."
"Do not worry, I will have your keys ready and waiting for you at Mycroft's before you get home." Finn smiled at Duo's look of shock, "Don't look so surprised, Mycroft is a good friend of mine. You might say I do a bit of freelance occult research for him from time to time. Pardon me for a moment."
Finn stood, towering over Duo and strode over to the large wooden door that sat behind him. Duo felt a blast of heat, and the smell of deep underground caverns blow through the room as Finn showed the key to a pair of slender men with delicate features dressed in thick leather aprons. Try as he might, Duo could not overhear the words that were exchanged between the three men. A moment later, with the conversation finished, door was closed once more.
"Here you go," Finn said handing the key back to Duo. "I'll have your new keys to you this evening."
"Don't you need it to make my copies?"
"Why, they've already seen it. It's rather crude by their standards so they would rather not have to look at it any more then necessary." Finn smiled at Duo's confused look, "Not to worry lad, they are the very best craftsmen I know. Now go about your business and look for me this evening."
"Ok," Duo said shaking his head in disbelief as he headed for the door. "Hey wait, how much do I owe you for the keys?"
Finn chuckled, "I'll send the bill to J."
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White Chapel looked worse in the daylight hours. Refuse and debris was the prominent decoration for the region, be it human or not. Scattered here and there were houses of hope, trying to clean the human debris from the street and transform them once more into respectable citizens. The front doors might have well been rotating considering how fast the citizens became debris once more. Poverty was a disease, and there was no quick cure.
Duo kept a sharp lookout for the blond and the small group of "converts" from the night before. For his plan to succeed, she and the others would have to fixate on their new "angelic high" and crave it like they craved their previous fix. This first batch was the tester, and if it failed Duo would be forced to come up with another idea. He wanted nothing more then to keep his nights of body disposal to a minimum.
Fortune smiled on the were as he rounded the corner and saw group of derelicts huddled around an old packing crate. A ring of familiar faces circled the base protecting the passionate woman who was preaching from on top.
" . . . You all remember how we were yesterday. Every one of us had the shakes, willing to crawl through a bed of broken glass just to get something to make life seem a little more bearable for a few more hours. Look at us now! Not one of has a single shake or jitter. Listen to my voice; it has strength and vigor again. Our eyes are clear, are minds are our own. What are we on you ask! I'll tell you what we are on. We are on a spiritual high brought to us by our guardian angel."
"I'm not a good person," a shaking voice said.
"None of us were good people," Relena crooned, "but we all got a second chance. You can too, all of you can. The angel told me to gather a flock and he would bless us with freedom from our addictions, and set us on the proper path."
"How will we survive?" another sad voice cried out, "I've not eaten for days and I'm in bad need of a fix."
"Come with us, we are lodging at the clinic just down the street. If you promise to let them give you a through pat down to make sure you are not carrying any drugs, they will see that you get food, and a safe place to sleep. Get some rest and then join us on our pilgrimage . . ."
Duo had heard enough as he slipped back around the corner. They had gotten lucky and had made at least one true convert to their cause, and she would bring others to them. He felt a weight fall free from his chest as he realized that they might be able to find a way to survive in this city without killing. A movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention. His nose caught a familiar sent; it was that junkie informer from the other night.
There was something odd about his smell, something that Duo couldn't readily identify. He quickened his pace and turned into an empty alley. Two inhuman leaps later and he was on the rooftop. A minute later the informant looked cautiously around the corner into the alley Duo had so recently vacated. The look of confusion that crossed his face told Duo volumes: someone was already taking a serious interest in their activities. As he stepped into the alley and scratched his head another vagrant came whimpering up to him. Duo strained his ears to learn all he could.
"Carl," the newcomer wheedled, "Lena is saying that her 'angel' will be coming back tonight to visit again. They are going to go to the same alley as before and wait for it again tonight."
"Is that all?" Carl hissed.
"Yah Carl, I swear it is," the junkie pleaded, "Can I get my fix now Carl, I did like you asked!"
Carl pulled a small baggie from his coat and handed it to the shaking man, who proceeded to skitter off to a dark corner of the alley to shoot up. Duo's eyes narrowed as he watched Carl pull a cell phone out of his coat.
"It's Carl," He said in a commanding tone. "Gather up some boys, we have to end this little miracle worker's career tonight."
He sat silent for a moment. "No I am not over-reacting, not only has he revived Relena Darlian back into the girl she once was, he's got her converting them as fast as she can to 'see the light' with her. Do you understand what that means?"
Carl paused again, "Your damned well right it does. Once the press gets word that she is alive and well, all hell is going to break loose. "
Another pause followed, "I don't care what it takes, get them here tonight, I want this 'angel' dead and Relena back under our control."
Duo watched as Carl hung up his phone and made his way back onto the street. Duo shook his head in wonder. What was so special about that blond – Relena? – That would rate such a reaction? He glanced down at his watch and noted that evening was approaching fast. He had to get back home and meet Finn for his keys, and be sure to meet Heero when he awoke.
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The sun sagged lazily low in the sky like a grade school child trying to prolong bedtime. Shadow, night's favorite daughter, reclaimed the alleys in preparation for her mother's arrival. Duo loved the shadows; it allowed him to race through the city on cat's paws like a thought, leaving only a vague whisper of his passing.
He reached his home with time to spare, and found Finn engrossed in a conversation with Mycroft by his front door.
"Duo!" Finn rumbled in a cheery tone closing the distance between them with several strides. "You never told me you were moving into the city. Now what would your Grandfather have said if he had been alive today? Why he would never have forgiven me for not looking in on you from time to time."
"Well," Duo stammered before the giant cut him off with a bone crushing hug.
"Never mind the apologies lad, water under the bridge I always say. I must say that I approve of your choice of neighbor though; a very observant man Mycroft, sharp as they come, and a good man to have at your back in a pinch."
"Yes," Duo tried again, "very . . ."
Finn continued on as if Duo had not spoken, leading him towards his door, "Now, Mycroft tells me you've kept that old mummy your grandpa used to have in his study . . . "
Duo shot a look of apology to Mycroft as he was ushered inside his own home by the larger man. Mycroft was chortling silently at the younger man's dilemma and offered him a knowing smile before he was out of sight. Finn fell silent once they were away from prying eyes and made his way to parlor. Waiting for the two of them on the table was a pair of boxes that Duo did not recall placing there.
"Ah," Finn said with a satisfied smile, "I can see the keys have arrived on schedule. Have you got anything to drink? I could go for a shot of whisky right about now."
Duo looked confused as he pointed to a liquor cabinet, "I thought you had the keys with you?"
Finn took a moment to browse the contents of the liquor cabinet, "Ah, Bushmills 1608 special reserve, just the thing."
The large man took a glass from the shelf and poured a generous dollop of whisky into the glass. Duo had to almost bite his tongue to keep himself from making a rude comment. Finn swirled the liquor around in the glass for a moment and then downed the shot with a practiced ease. He sighed a contented sigh, and then turned a bemused smile back to the impatient were.
"Now when did I ever say I would bring the keys with me?" Finn smirked.
Duo shook his head and refused to be baited, "Alright, you did not specifically say you were bringing the keys, but I assumed you were. So, can I at least see the keys?"
Finn smile grew, "Why yes, I think they are ready to meet you now. Hob, Mab, the master of the house would like to meet you."
Duo was caught unaware by the sudden appearance of two small brownies atop the table. They stood a scant 10 inches tall and were covered head to foot in brown hair. Delicate pointed ears protruded from the sides of their head.
"Hob has recently received the high honor of minding his very own house. You are to be his very first ward," Finn announced in a no nonsense tone
The brownie on the left bowed solemnly. "This honor has allowed him to finally take his beautiful bride from her family and claim her as his own." Mab curtsied and smiled- showing a mouthful of pointed teeth.
"Hob's a lucky man," Duo said using his most sincere tone, "she's a real looker."
Hob pointed at Duo and gestured towards one of the boxes. Duo retrieved the box and looked inside. Perched on a bed of deep indigo silk was a stunning golden ankh, with a matching braided chain. The workmanship was better then superb; it was almost mythical in it's beauty and elegance. He reached his hand into the box and picked it up.
Red runes of power flared across the ankh and Duo felt a tingle of power run down his spine. He shook his head and felt the pendant dance on his chest. Funny, he never remembered putting it on.
"Thank you Hob, it's . . ." Duo paused. The brownies were no longer there.
"Don't feel bad Duo," Finn said patting the were on the back, "brownies are a secretive lot by nature. You will probably see them very rarely. They will keep the house clean and safe from all unwanted intruders."
"I thought I asked for keys, not domestic help?"
"Ah," Finn said tapping the side of his nose, "brownies are the best kind of keys. For you this house will never be locked, yet for anyone else not invited in this house will not only be locked, but also fiercely defended. Trust me, your ward will be impressed by your choice."
Duo looked doubtful, "If you say so. I've got one question though, what do I feed them?"
"Traditionally it's always been milk and bread."
Duo scratched his chin, "All I've got is mountain dew and Oreos; I guess that's close enough."
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