Duo stood up glanced over at Heero, but his face showed nothing. Duo was sure enough of his playing ability but…he wouldn't put anything past Heero, Duo knew about all the classes Heero had been taking. He had laughed so hard when he had found Heero practising ballet positions that he had almost fallen in the scrap metal compressor.

Duo shook himself and followed the others into the lounge where the couches had been positioned to resemble grandstands around a small square polished table with two polished chairs at opposite ends. A polished chess board lay bare on the table, a timer beside it (also polished).

Heero took his seat. Duo did the same and pulled out his box of chess pieces. Heero began laying out his white, quite unremarkable pieces. Rook. Knight. Bishop. King. Queen…

Duo hesitated before setting out his pieces. They were black and just like normal pieces…except that they all had a mini scythe, little black wings, a wooden black steed of doom and two large fangs protruding from their mouths. They all had Duo's face imprinted on them from when it had first been given to him by his fan club. Duo remembered hacking at the box with a meat cleaver, fearing that it was another one of those cards that sang shrilly about the dirty things that whoever she was wanted to do to him. Miraculously, none of the pieces were damaged. Duo suspected that there was some metal involved due to the way all his fridge magnets stuck to them. Eventually, after some work, the chess pieces resembled something that he could be proud of.

"Still with the God of Death thing?" remarked Heero.

"Old habits die hard buddy"

"At least now I know what you would look like as a vampire."

Duo looked closely at the pawn in his hand, the fangs protruding from his mini face extended to below his knees. If he were a vampire, it looked as though he would be gouging holes in his thighs before doing anything else.

"Shall we begin?"

Heero had already finished setting out his pieces. Duo scrambled to set his up as well. Once he saw that he was ready, Heero moved one of his white pawns forward two spaces. As he lifted his piece, there was an intake of breath, and when he put it down, there were sighs of relief all around the room. Duo looked around to see Rashid's men sitting in a circle around them, their eyes following their every move, popcorn held halfway to their open mouths.

bing

The chime of the timer as Heero finished his turn. Duo reached for one of his black, demon pawns, grimacing as the crowd held their breath as he lifted it. He decided to try something, he let the piece down, the crowd sighed. He lifted it, they gasped. He let it down, they sighed. Up. Gasp. Down. Sigh. Up. Gasp. Down. Sigh. Up. Gasp. Down. Sigh. Up. Gasp. Down. Si-

"Stop playing with them."

"Yes mother"

Duo put his pawn down on the board and left it there.

Bing

Tick

Heero stared fixedly at the pieces, thinking hard. Duo shifted in his seat…waiting.

Tick

"Hurry up will ya?"

Tick

Tick

bing

Duo immediately snatched up his knight and set it where he could take one of Heero's pawns in the next turn. That was how he played. Fast.

bing

Tick

Duo's heart rate picked up. Heero was just staring fixedly at the board.

Tick

"Just hurry up please!"

"I'll move when I'm ready. So shut up."

Tick

Tick

"Heero!" Duo whined.

"I won't tell you again"

Tick

Duo felt something building up in him, threatening to break loose. If there was one thing he was not…it was patient.

Tick

Just calm down Duo. Give him some time.

Tick

Grrrrrrrrrr

Tick

Tick

Ti-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!" Duo sprang out of his chair, knocking the pieces flying.

"THE GOD OF DEATH WAITS FOR NO MAN! DO YOU HEAR ME?" he yelled at the top of his lungs with pent up insanity not only from the game but also from all the years of quiet. He then turned and sprinted out the door knocking the crowd of men over like the pins in a bowling alley on the moon.

Trowa, Quatre and Wufei rushed out to the front door. Duo was running in a circle, hands in the air cackling and yelling "SO YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE RID OF THE GOD OF DEATH, DID YOU? HELL NO BABY! I AM BACK!" between insane cackles.

Quatre walked back inside to Heero.

"I think Duo has withdrawn…he was disqualified for knocking the board over anyway" Quatre said quietly.

Heero nodded.

"I suppose it was his turn for a bought of madness" Wufei said thoughtfully as he came in the door. "That's one period of insanity for nearly all of us. Whose turn is it next?"


Mischief Mage: heheh...sorry if i annoyed anyone with all those "..." and "tick"s