Chapter Five

Wufei gave me directions to where Duo's bodyguard reported that he would be that day. I spent the flight on my computer, constantly checking the stocks on my company and making revisions for the newest version of the software. With a little persuasion and anonymous promotion from Winner Enterprises, I had risen as the colonies' newest entrepreneur, trying my best to make a name for my company in order to help my best friend pull his people out of destitution.

I found the studio for Success Magazine bustling with life. Duo waved me over, having been told of my visit by his Preventor bodyguard. I practically ran over to him, but on closer inspection my happiness turned to worry as I saw the way Duo's shirt hung from him and his skin had lost its hue. He either didn't know that I had noticed or wanted to pretend I hadn't, as the jovial smile never left his once handsome face. Duo stepped forward and grabbed both of my hands, and despite the feeling of sickness that had come over me, I grinned. The crew seemed to be preparing for the next series of shots, and Duo was waiting.

A security guard approached me and asked me to leave. Duo protested and his bodyguard pulled out the clearance form. The security guard scrutinized the form and snorted and said,

"This is rubbish. Sir, state your name."

I fixed the guard with my darkest glare and growled, "Mihoru Shoibi of Mikoshi Incorporated."

Duo ducked his head to my level and peered at me, "Mikoshi Incorporated?"

I was granted clearance but the environment became hectic when the word got out of who I was. Duo's manager begged to have the two of us pose for a cover shot.

"So, what's Mikoshi Incorporated?" Duo cut to the chase on the drive to his apartment.

I sighed, "It's just something I've been doing to fill the time. Mikoshi is my mother's name." Hoping to make enough to save your kids so you don't starve to death in this wretched business.

When Duo didn't say anything, I said, "So you're done filming A Praise Chorus, what are you going to do now?"

Duo's clenched his hands on the steering wheel a little tighter for a split second. His face lit up, "Actually, I've been asked to do another movie. I've been filming for that and promoting 'A Praise Chorus' in between." Silence ensued. Duo clenched and released his jaw. "This one pays me a lot more, Heero." He smiled, "In fact, after this movie I'll be able to build enough dorm space to get all the L2 orphans in school. Then I think I'll call it quits." I looked at him and he smiled again, "I'll do a farewell tour and best hits album to seal enough for the kids to go to college until Quatre gets the colony. I'll leave on good terms in case I ever need to come back, if L2 can't be saved."

I looked out the window, "So if all goes as planned, what will you do when you come home?" I was almost afraid to ask for fear of the answer. When none came I brought my gaze back to a very disturbed looking Duo. He coughed and then spoke,

"I thought I would join full time as your partner with Preventors, since we did kick some ass in the war and you seem to like the idea."

I reached up and pushed a strand of hair out of his face as he drove. "I would really like that Duo." I smiled.

We made it to Duo's apartment, but didn't get a chance to do much as I forced him into a hug the minute he shut the door. I wanted to show Duo how much better I'd gotten at making love, but he seemed so tired that I was content to hold him and drift into sleep.

"You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are gray

You'll never know how

Much I love you

So please don't take

My sunshine away."

My eyes slowly came open. Duo was sitting up in the bed, holding my head in his lap and running his fingers through my hair. I didn't want him to stop. I stroked his leg and looked up at him.

"Where did you learn that song?"

Duo looked down at my face, a few strands of hair falling around us. "It's a song one of my best friends taught me a long time ago."

"Was it Solo?" My question caught Duo completely off guard. His eyes widened and he took in a sharp breath, his expression suspicious.

I hurried to justify myself, "Corey said that he was your gang leader on L2."

Duo slowly smiled. He continued stroking my head, his eyes staring off into space. "He told me he picked me up from a whore house when I looked two and a half or three. He was so cool, everybody loved him, especially me. Solo was ten when he found me. I became his lover when I was five and he was twelve. He sang to all of us, especially when one by one we came down with the plague, but that song was only sung to me." I laid there helpless as I saw Duo's beautiful eyes brim with tears. He shut his eyes tight and whispered, "I wish he was here." I sat up and brought him to my chest.

We stayed as we were for several long minutes before I broke free of his embrace and reached for my duffel on the floor at the foot of the bed. I zipped open the unusually full bag and took out what I was looking for.

"Duo, isn't today the day the kids chose for your birthday?"

I looked at Duo to see him hug his knees and rest his chin on them. "Yeah," he said softly. "Solo's birthday was yesterday…"

I turned around and smiled, "Well then you have to accept my birthday gift." I crawled over to him and placed the long black case in his lap. Duo's face scrunched, recognizing the shape of the case but still doubting himself. His mouth opened silently as he opened the lid and ran his hand along the smooth surface of the guitar. He slowly lifted the shiny black electric from the case and rested it on his leg, running his fingers down the strings. I touched the his left hand that was adjusting the strings and pushed it away for him to see the back of the arm. Stretching across the oak wood of the back of the arm in gothic letters was "Deathsycthe."

Duo's eyes almost popped out of his head when he read the engraving. He stopped his strumming and looked up at my face, our eyes locked. I was expecting happiness or excitement, but what I got was completely different. The look in his eyes drew me back into the war, back into my hallucinations, all the running, all the pain we felt. I'd learned a long time ago how to read Duo's every facial expression, every movement of body language. I didn't know why, but I was torn apart at the urgent and almost hysterical look in Duo's eyes. It clearly said, "I'm haunted, and it's killing me."

I pushed the guitar aside and pulled him over to me, kissing him fervently. He gave into the kiss and let me pull him down to the mattress. As much as I refused to admit it, I knew that I had lost Duo completely. He'd given himself away, despite the fact that I'd come back from the dead to spend the rest of my life with him. But I'd be damned if I went down without a fight, that part of me never changed.

I returned to the colonies with renewed urgency and a sense of dread. I had to get the company's stocks up and quick, Duo wasn't going to eat until this was over, and if I didn't hurry it would all be over with his death. I never asked him about this, but I wondered if he was planning on using his death to help L2, some sort of last ditch effort to raise the funds needed for his cause.

I entered the W.E.I. headquarters and went up to the fourth floor. As I got closer to Quatre's office I heard his and Trowa's voices in some sort of an argument. I slipped through the door and was met with a scene I never expected to find once Trowa paired with his lover.

Quatre was standing behind the desk, his arms were crossed and his head was down. Trowa was in the corner facing the window, his hands in his suit coat pockets, his voice low and pained,

"I'm telling you if I cannot go, then you're not going. If you get killed because you insisted on visiting a crisis area without your head of security who just happens to be a former terrorist, then all that we have fought for will be in vain. I don't give a fuck about the rest of the world, I just want you. I will not let you sacrifice yourself for a world that is not worthy of it."

Although I'm sure they were both aware of my entering, it didn't stop Quatre from glaring daggers at the top of his desk, and Trowa bringing his hands up to rub his temples. I was trying to remember something I'd heard other kids say to each other after they fought at St. Gabriel's, what was it…"

Oh that was it. I crossed my arms, leaning against the office door and growled, "Kiss and make up."

The café around the corner was alive with bustling Christmas shoppers. We were seated on the patio, Quatre sat in front of me and Trowa sat to his side to get a good view of everything. Quatre smiled as he leaned in to speak to me,

"I saw the premier of Duo's movie last week, it's wonderful!" He said happily.

I nodded, also smiling. "If the stocks increase enough, I think I may be able to bring Duo home for Christmas." This got the attention of my two friends. I was barely able to conceal my happiness, "The security system's at fifteen million right now, if it moves up a couple more points it'll be forty million. All we need is for it to stay that way for three weeks and then we'll have enough to build dorms for the rest of the kids on L2, and Duo can have more flexibility with his career."

"What has Duo been doing since filming ended anyway?" Quatre questioned.

I push back in my chair, "He's signed on for another movie. He says this one will bring in a lot more than 'A Praise Chorus'."

Trowa's eyes paused on me halfway through his scan of the crowd. Quatre took a similar expression, "That's funny, I haven't seen any advertisement's for the new movie."

As the waiter came with our food I realized that after this long with the last movie, I had already received several video clips and a trailer from Duo, but had received nothing from him. We ate in silence, Quatre only nibbling at his food as he punched something into his hand-held vid-chip. My thoughts drifted to Duo, hearing the children squeal outside the nearby toyshops.

A harsh gasp from Quatre brought me back to the present and I looked to see my friend covering his mouth as if he was going to vomit. Trowa took his vid-chip, and after only a second's glance his face became the emotionless mask he had worn during the war. He finally set the chip down, startling all of us when he slammed his empty hand against the table. Quatre started crying, and I reached for his vid-chip as Trowa moved to embrace his lover.

I opened the vid-chip and looked at the article displayed on the screen after Quatre had apparently searched for Keiichi Sei. The web page was black and read, with a picture of Keiichi Sei on the left side. He was naked and lying on a bed, a black sheet barely covering what was necessary. It didn't look too different from his album photos, but what was different was the text.

"Filming has begun on the much anticipated third movie of the Gangbanger Series. A young teenager out of work (played by rising popstar KEIICHI SEI) wanders into the GB hideout, offering himself in exchange for safety and protection.

"The video is set to release in July, after a long delay by director Mike Cohan. Cohan insisted that he have Keiichi Sei play the lead, so production was delayed for several months until a contract was signed.

"With the leading role filled by someone so famous, profits are expected to skyrocket for GB 3, an estimated 50+ million to be made in the opening weekend. Why not join in the fun? Now the entire world (and twelve lucky men) gets what we've always wanted, to fuck Keiichi Sei."

The world stopped moving. I handed the chip back and pushed my chair from the table, Quatre and Trowa one step behind. He piled into Quatre's car and went to the shuttle port.

A/N: Sorry if it looked like Chapter Four was the last chapter, there's still a couple more. Thank you for reading so far, and please leave any suggestions or complaints. -KS