Author's Note:
"/ /." Indicates Heero's thoughts.
A Healing Touch
by Kayko
Chapter 3
Heero's eyes drifted to the rear-view mirror. He couldn't seem to take his eyes or mind off Duo. It had only been an hour since Duo was able to talk to Maya, yet nothing seemed resolved. Neither of them knew why this had happened. It bothered him that he couldn't figure it out. What bothered him more was what happened when Duo first woke up after he "healed" the girl. Duo was hysterical. Screaming and sobbing, he didn't know what to do. In fact he did the complete opposite from what he was trained to do. He could have slapped him, punched him, or walked away, but no, he didn't do either of those things. Heero reached out to the pilot of 02 and held him. He actually held him, and let Duo cry on his shoulder. Why? Why, did he do this?
/"Because he is was in pain."/ A tiny unfamiliar voice deep inside Heero's mind said.
/"That doesn't matter. A solider is supposed to endure pain, it is their duty."/ A very familiar voice said. The voice inside Heero that was in control most of the time, the Perfect Solider.
/"Duty or no duty, he was in pain. You didn't want him to feel alone, like what you feel half the time."/ The tiny voice spoke up.
/"Bull shit! It is your job to carry out missions, do what you are told. You are a trained professional killer. There is no room for crying, no room for emotions. They prevent you from accomplishing the mission."/
/"Ha! Don't listen to that uncaring fool. You have every right to care."/
/"No he doesn't! His mission is what is important, not caring for some second rate pilot who can't keep his cool."/
"That's not true." Heero said out loud. He realized that he spoke those words aloud, and glanced over to Wufei who had fallen asleep as well as Duo. Again he looked at Duo through the rear view mirror and noticed his lip movements. Duo was dreaming, but what about?
"Why do I care what he is dreaming about?" He asked himself.
/"Because you care."/
"I don't care."
/"That's right, Heero Yuy, does not care."/
/"Because you envy him."/
"I do not envy him."
/"You're lying."/
"I am not."
/"He certainly does NOT envy Duo Maxwell."/ Perfect Solider stated.
/"You're jealous because he is so full of life. He can laugh, he cries, he makes friends easily."/
"That doesn't matter, friends end up killing you or they are killed."
/"That is correct."/ said the Prefect solider voice inside Heero's head.
/"Wrong, friends is why life is worth living. Something to look forward to, a future."/
"Duo, my friend? I don't think so."
/"Yes he is! You're letting the Perfect Solider take over. Why not let me come into power again, you remember me right? You remember the human side of you."/
"The human side?"
/"Yes, you know the one that allows you to feel emotions. The ones Dr, J stole.1"/
/"NO! Don't do it, look what happened last week. You actually sat there and let that guy cry on your shoulder. There is no reason for that."/
/"Of course there is a reason. Do you know the reason?"/
"The reason is…"
/"The reason is you let the pussy-wimp side of yourself breakthrough. Duo is not worth it."/
"The reason is I am his friend."
/"NO! Friends get you killed."/
/"Friends, help you live."/
"Duo is my friend. He was in pain. I reached out to him…"
/"You pushed the Perfect Solider off his high horse. You gave me, the Human side of yourself a stronger voice. You are balancing out Heero and you needed one braided baka to do so. You are mortal. You ARE a human being."/
"Duo is my friend." Heero said aloud in the car. He looked at Duo again through the mirror. His lips curved slightly up. It was the first time he had ever called someone his friend. It was the first he actually cared enough to help another through something so painful. Duo was his friend. Maybe he was something more?
Duo opened his eyes, letting the world come into focus once again. He had fallen asleep in the back seat of the "borrowed" van. He dreamt again. Back again he faced his older self with the angel wings protruding from his back. However, this time he could understand a few words that escaped the Angel's lips. He understood, "child, reason, death." He was really getting sick of this dream. He just wanted to understand it. Was that too much to ask? He shifted his body and looked to the front seat. Wufei sat in the passenger seat. He was asleep, emitting small snores. Heero was driving. They must have switched off at one point when he had fallen asleep. He looked up, sensing someone was watching him. It was Heero, who looked at him through the rear-view mirror. It was usually creepy seeing his ice cold blue eyes stare at him, but this time they weren't cold. They seemed warm, almost inviting.
"Hi."
"Hn."
"How much longer?"
"Not long, about 30 minutes."
"I wish we didn't have to leave our Gundams so far away."
"There was nowhere else to hide them. Someone, or enemy fraction, might of found them."
"Yeah, I know."
Silence filled the van as Duo watched the dotted white lines on the road pass one by one. It seemed like an eternity before someone spoke and this time it was Heero who broke the silence.
"Duo?"
"Hmm?"
"When you talked to Maya you said you have helped some people before."
"Yea…"
"Who did you help?"
Duo bit is lower lip, he didn't want to answer the question, but somewhere deep inside he knew he had to. "Well, I helped Quatre a little when he was impaled with the sword.1 Um, and I helped…ummm…"
"Who else?"
"I helped you."
Heero's eyes went wide with shock. He turned around to look at Duo, but he caused the car to veer off the road.
"Heero keep your eyes one the road!" Duo yelled forcing the Wing Pilot to concentrate on the road. Heero gained control of the car and kept driving. He looked in the rear view mirror he choked out a response.
"…You healed me before?"
"Yea." He said quietly.
"When?"
"Do you remember the time when you got back from that one mission where you had three bullet holes through you?"
"Yes." He said winced with the memory of the bullet wounds left by a Oz soldiers who got some lucky shots on him. Two in the shoulder and one in the thigh.
"Well, you weren't doing too well and we had to wait till morning until Sally Po could arrive to look at you. You were losing a lot of blood. We think your femoral artery was nicked. I wasn't sure if you were…..going to make it." Duo said the last part barely above a whisper.
Silence again filled the car as Duo looked down at the carpeting of the van. The sound broken once again by Heero, he clearly stated.
"Thank you."
"Hmm? What?"
"I said thank you."
"Really?"
"Hn, yes."
Duo smiled when he heard Heero thank him. It was a rarity and he would hold on to it.
The van slowed and came to a halt. Duo eyed Wufei closely. The young Chinese man's eyes were still closed. Duo brought his fingers right to Wufei's nose and was about to flick it to wake the other pilot, when a hand grabbed Duo's wrist.
"Maxwell, even though you can heal yourself, I bet if I break your fingers, it would still hurt like hell."
"Duo tried to pull his hand away from the death grip he was received from Wufei. "All right, jeeze, Wu-man, really?"
"My name is Wufei. Do not call me Wu-man."
Duo manage to gain control and pull back his hand. "Fine, fine, I won't call you Wu-man, anymore…Wu-chan."
Wufei snarled and tried to grab Duo, but the long haired baka was out the door already. Wufei would have gone after him, but Heero stopped him by placing his hand on the Chinese boy's shoulder.
"Let him go." That's all he said, but the look, or glare Wufei received was more than enough to understand how serious Heero was. Wufei nodded, to let Heero know that he understood. "Let's finish this mission."
"Agreed."
Wufei cursed at the overwhelming amount mobile suits, that shouldn't exist, attacked him. He was in his Gundam fighting his hardest to keep the off the dolls produced by terrorist comprised of former OZ fractions.
{Flashback}
"Our mission is to infiltrate, upload the virus into their system and then take out the base. Wufei you will distract the guards after dropping Duo and myself off at the far gate. We will go proceed inside and spilt up. I will take the West side of the underground compound, and Duo, you will take the East. We will keep constant contact over a secure frequency."
"Alrighty then, let's kick some ass!" Duo announced as he threw his right hand in the air display the victory sign.3
Simultaneously Heero and Wufei muttered "Baka."
{End Flashback}
Wufei sliced through another mobile suit and he confirmed Heero's position. He was almost finished and was off to meet Duo.
"It's about time you get what's coming to you!" Wufei yelled defeating another enemy.
Heero typed the last line of the virus that would run throughout the base's main computer and manufacturing plant of Mobil Dolls. He was awaiting confirmation from his partner that he was done downloading the information.
"Finished here Heero. Over." Duo announced over the communicator.
"Fine. Over"
"Roger that. Out"
He hit the enter key and watched as the virus began to take place. Soon it would eat everything in the computers, making them all crash and virtually impossible to recover the hard drive. Heero loved his work. He glanced at his watch, picked up the rifle he had acquired along the way and was off to meet Duo.
The alarm blared as Duo ran up to a Japanese pilot. For the past five minutes that annoying sound echoed through the base. No doubt caused by Wufei's attacked, but there was a chance that the virus they uploaded into the system set off a warning that it had been hacked into.
"Hey Heero, how nice to see you here."
Quit joking around and let's go."
"Yes sir!" Duo mockingly said and saluted Heero.
"Wufei do you read me?" Heero asked the Shenglong pilot who was making a diversion.
"Right here Heero."
"Mission Accomplished. Withdrawal and wait for us to come out for pickup."
"Understood. Wufei out."
They both went off ran down a hallway, however luck was not with them. At the end they rounded a corner where they met many soldiers, with lot of guns.
Wufei was about to turn off his frequency to silence to air waves, but right before he did an earth shattering boom and a scream echoed through his cockpit. He blink a few times when he let what he just heard seep in.
Duo bellowed "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"K'SO!" Wufei cursed loudly as he realized what happen. Gun shots, screaming, barking commands. That means they have been captured, or worse.
"KISAMA!" Wufei cursed again. There were too many Mobil dolls on his ass. There was no way he could turn around and rescue them without getting himself killed. He and Gundam were beat up pretty badly and running low on fuel. He was also hurt, his left arm hung low, broken. He would have to retreat and return with reinforcements.
{10 minutes ago}
Duo and Heero ran down the underground hallway. Their mission was complete and all they needed was to get to the door from where they entered. Not more them 200 feet away was their freedom, Duo smiled, he loved his work. However, as both boys turned the corner to escape, fifteen former Oz soldiers stood with their weapons held high.
"FREEZE AND DROP YOUR WEAPONS OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE!" an officer yelled.
But would Heero listen to a threat like that, no way. The Japanese teen was quick to respond by pulled the trigger of his automatic. Five soldiers fell before the others realized what happen. Gun fire was exchanged leaving the two Gundam pilots with limited cover. Duo watched, what seemed like slow motion, as a solider pulled the trigger of his hand held gun. Duo witnessed the bullet collide with his partner's arm forcing Heero into the open more and then another hit his chest. Heero eyes widened with shock as the cold metal bullet hit him. He flew backwards, his gun dropped, and landed on the floor.
Time reset its self and was back to normal. Duo's mind seem to be on overdrive. He mind repeated over and over "Heero has been shot, Heero has been shot." Finally when he let it register, he did the only thing he could think of. He screamed.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! HEEEEEERRROO!" Duo slide toward Heero, empting his gun and killing the one solider. He dropped his gun and crawled towards Heero's fallen body. In the background he could hear his enemies yelling at him to freeze but he didn't listen. He didn't care. He was on the ground, letting his pants soak up the blood that oozed from his partner's body.
"Heero? Heero can you hear me?" He screamed into the fallen boy's face.
Heero slowly opened his eyes and stared up at Duo. With a voice barely louder than whisper he spoke.
"Duo, Arigato.
"Thanks for what?"
"Thank you for being my friend."
Duo's eyes began to fill with water, salty tears spilled down his cheeks. "Heero, No! Heero!"
Heero closed his eyes and his breathing slowed to a stop. Duo panicked, he was not going to let this happen. No way, no how! He placed his hands on top Heero's chest, where the bullet had entered his body, and began to concentrate.
Nothing happened.
Duo concentrated harder repeating the words "Heal." Over and over again, but it still did no good. He was frustrated, why couldn't he heal him like he did Maya?
"HEAL! DAMN IT! LIVE!" He roared, and shut his eyes tight, but when he opened them he was no longer in the underground hallway, there were no guards around him or Heero's bloody body where he knelt. Instead Duo found himself kneeling on the white moss-like ground of white. Duo looked at his body and all traces of Heero's blood were gone, as if it never happened. He looked up and stared into the eyes of the familiar face he has seen in his dreams for the past nights.
"Oh no, not you again." He said annoyed. "I don't need this bullshit right now. Where is Heero? Where I am? Why are you just staring at me? Answer me! Tell me WHO YOU ARE!"
"I'm you."
"WHAT?" Duo screamed.
"I am you." He repeated.
"How can you be me, when I'm looking at you standing in front of me?"
"Come closer."
"Huh?"
"Please step forward."
At the request of the strange angel Duo walked up to him. This time he was able to move unlike the times in his dreams.
"Yeah, now what?"
"You do not see?"
Duo looked closer and realized that everything around and behind him was also right in front of him. Everything seem to meet two feet in front of himself and his older self. The same path that he traveled up, the same cloud formations, even the stance of the angel stood before him. Slowly Duo lifted his right hand, and if on cue so did the person before him.
"A reflection?"
"Very good."
"But you weren't moving when I was screaming and yelling a moment ago."
"Yes, well I may be your reflection, but I am also a separate being too."
"What?"
"I will explain. You have strange healing powers correct?"
"Yeah."
"You acquired those powers from me. You are a special person Duo, you were chosen to be my host body."
"Host body! What is this some stupid Sci-Fi thing?"
"No, I assure you it is not. I was joined with you when you were born. The Lord foresaw something special, someone who could meet the challenges that were thrown at them and still come out on top. You have been tested all your life, you have endured pain and pain again, but yet you are still so full of life. Those around you can feel your ability to bring greatness to the world. I, as an Angel of Death, have taken many lives and through all this time I have become desensitized. Nobody should see death as nothing. I needed to regain the emotions I had lost off over the years. To regain my humanity."
"Loss of emotions? Is that why you are a part of me? And what about this greatness to the world? Is that what you call it? I don't think not knowing your parents, being orphaned, living on the streets, living through a plague and watching your best friend die, coming to love certain people and then only to have them taken away in a most cruel fashion and finally witnessing my partner's, NO my friend's death! Is that the ability, the greatness?" Duo screamed.
"And through everything I lived through, be it a test or not, I was unable to save those who were most important to me."
"Duo it was their time to go. The Lord called them to his side."
"Yes, but what about Maya and this I can speak Latin all of a sudden crap? AND WHERE IS HEERO!"
"As for the Latin, again you acquired that from me. That was my native tongue before I was made an Angel. For Maya, the child she is carrying is important to the world. It is not a divine child, but this child will bring greatness to the world, just like you. As for Heero, he is in the same place you are in. We are talking inside your subconscious. As for as anyone else's concern you are still screaming 'live."
"Okay, let me see if I have this figured out. You are an angel that was fused with me at birth so you could have a host body to feel some lost emotions to regain your 'humanity.' You have strange healing powers, which can bring people back to life, but you are also an Angel of Death, so you take lives also. Correct?"
"Yes"
"That doesn't make sense? How could you be an "Angel of Death" and still heal people?"
"Simply put, I am Seraphin, the Archangel of Death, the highest ranking angel in my field. I have the abilities to rekindle a life if the Lord tells me so."
"And in reality I am still next to Heero in the base?"
"Yes."
"Well let me go back there and heal him. You have the power, help me bring him back to life, just like Maya."
"I can't."
"WHAT!"
"I can't do that."
"What the fuck do you mean you can't? You have the power to bring him back, why won't you do it."
"The Lord has not summoned me to do so yet."
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? I will not let Heero die! He is my partner, and my friend. I care to much about him to let him die like this, especially when there is a way to help!"
"I can't."
"You mean you won't! If you are a part of me then I am a part of you. We are one person, with the same feelings. How could you let Heero die when he means so much to us! If that's the case I don't want to live anymore. Either help me bring Heero back, or let me die with him!"
For the first time in over a few hundred years the Archangel of Death found himself crying. He lifted his right hand to his cheek and felt the wetness. Could a simple mortal mean so much to him? Duo was right. He was part of him as he is a part of Duo. They have lived there life together, even though the mortal side didn't know or understand. He will continue living together, understanding the world, feeling emotions, living to the fullest.
Duo crossed his arms over his chest and asked the Angel, "Well?"
Violet eyes meet Violet eyes. The more Seraphin thought about it, the more he understood. He didn't want to go back to the other side. He was being selfish. He wanted to experience more emotions, he wanted to live, and he wanted Duo to live. However, what would happen if he brought back a life that the Lord didn't approve. Surely, he would understand the importance of this boy. He could be a major factor in this ongoing war and if he did disapprove he would kill off the boy again. Probably punish him, but taking Heero away would be punishment enough. Seraphin looked up and nodded.
"I will do it. I will join with you permanently. There will be no submissive side to us. We will both have fifty percent. However, that means you will have to learn how to control my powers, as I learn how to control your emotions. Do you understand?"
"Control my emotions?" Duo asked.
"Yes, your human side is hard for me to control. It is why you freaked out so much when you woke up a few days ago. It will be a challenge. It can be draining for both of us. Are you up for it?"
"Yes." Duo confidently stated.
"Very well then, please step closer and place your hands on mine."
Duo stepped forward and as instructed he placed his hands on the older version of himself, the angel. A weird sensation washed over Duo as he watched Seraphin push through the mirror-like surface and into his body. They were merging into one, completely.
"I SAID PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" A guard yelled as he pointed his gun at the intruder.
Duo's eyes shot open. His hands were still on Heero's bloody chest. He looked down into the lifeless face of his friend. He concentrated again and closed his eyes. A soft golden hue began to formulate. Slowly it washed over Heero's body and his own. Light became brighter as two grayish wings emerged from the back of the pilot. However, this time the wings where not pure light, they were real. A few feathers flew from Duo's body and floated towards the guards who stood shocked.
The guards took a step back as they witnessed the glow become brighter. They didn't know what was going on, and it frightened them. Guns still drawn each of them watched at the dead Japanese intruder began to take in a breath, and then another one.
After what seemed like an eternity Heero's eyes opened and stared up at a pair of glowing violet orbs. A faint smile spread across Duo's face.
"Hey."
"Hey." Heero answered back weakly.
"You need to rest." Duo said.
"So do you." Heero responded back before closing his eyes and passing out.
Duo smiled once more before letting the feel of bile rise in his throat. He fought his body so he would not release the fowl substance all over Heero. Instead he forced it back down and let darkness over take him.
To be continued…
1. From Gundan Wiki, Heero, accidently killed a little girl and a dog that he befriended when AC 194, the he was assigned to destroy an Alliance base on a colony. After planting the explosives in the daytime, he took the time to relax, planning on destroying the base that night. While in a park, he met a young girl who was out walking her dog and befriended her. That night, when he triggered the explosives, a nearby Leo was knocked onto an apartment building, crushing it before it exploded. Investigating the ruins, he found the girl's dog, dead. The direction leaves no doubt that the girl died as well. When he buried it, and possibly the girl, out of remorse, Dekim Barton ordered Doctor J to retrain the boy, saying that emotions, and especially "the humane feeling of kindness," would be a detriment and unnecessary for a "weapon." Doctor J agreed , but feared that the real Heero Yuy would not like it if his namesake lost his humanity. This incident left the boy with a great sense of self-loathing and remorse. It also explains why Heero, in the series, displays little to no emotion.
2. Quatre was stabbed by Dorothy in a fencing duel in episode 48.
3. Victory Sign, pointer and middle fingers held up in a "V" shape.
Author's Note:
Okay boys and girls, if you had read the original story this is where I am doing a rewrite.