31-Oct-2000
Title: Mini's Trick or Treat - an Extended Family Fic
Writer Credits:
Duo Maxwell - RavynFyre
Heero Yuy - Kateri Marie
Sallah - Diane V Davis *(new addition to the group!)
Duan, Wufan, Tryan - von
Kenny, Carter, Wufei & Special Guests - bonnejeanne
Category: yaoi, AU
Rating: G for now
Pairings: 1x2
Spoilers: Series, Endless Waltz
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing characters and universe are the property of the copyright owners. Our stuff is ours. No money being made here.
Feedback: Any and all comments, feedback, critiques welcome, be they short or long.
Please feel free to direct feedback to any or all of the authors!
ravynfyre@hotmail.com, fenwyck@radiks.net,
sablexo1@yahoo.com,
bonnejeanne@yahoo.com.
WARNINGS: AU, Original Characters, LEMON in some sections.
This takes place after the events in Mission: Arcadia. Where it fits into the new storyline for the upcoming Chasing the Crown, we have no idea!
"Thanks kiddo. Couldn't have done it without ya," Duo said, grinning down at Tryan who had just spent the last half hour helping pry the braided youth into his costume.
"You're welcome," Tryan said, retrieving his fake pistols from the bed. He put both of them back in their holsters and looked up at Duo. "That's big hair," he added. "Are you carrying a Trick or Treat bag too?"
"Thankfully I had enough of my own hair to pull off this 'do'," Duo replied, patting his immaculately styled tresses, "Trick or treat bag? Nah. I'll let you guys do all that for me, then raid em all for the spoils," he finished with a giggle and a wink.
For a moment, green eyes looked up at Duo with a little closer inspection. "Hn," Tryan remarked. "You actually look... umm... pretty for a guy."
Duo grinned again, fluttering his eyelashes coquettishly at the boy, "That's the idea. Shall we?" he asked, motioning for the door and the staircase beyond, "Bet the others are getting antsy."
Tryan giggled as Duo fluttered his eyelashes. Then he put one hand on his gun and pulled his cowboy hat off in a sweeping bow. "Right this way, ma'am," he said, opening the door for Duo, then waiting until he walked out.
Duo smiled, snatching up a paper umbrella in one hand while hiding his face behind a paper fan with the other. "Why domo arigato, my brave little cowboy," he simpered in a falsetto.
"Aw shucks, ma'am. It's mah pleasure." Tryan replied, shutting the door, then offering his hand to the Geisha.
Duo spared him a typical Duo grin before carefully walking to the top of the stairs in mincing little steps. "Everyone ready down there? 'Cause here we come!" he called.
Sallah glanced down from where she had been hanging a cardboad cut-out of a mummy, adding it to the many grinning Halloween characters that already adorned the walls. "It's perfectly fine," Sallah replied, smiling down at her son as she ruffled the top of his head fondly. "Even dragons need glasses, sometimes."
"Are you sure it's okay for a dragon to wear glasses, Ma?" Wufan asked Sallah.
"It's perfectly fine," Sallah smiled down at her son. She ruffled the top of his head fondly. "Even dragons need glasses, sometimes."
"Hmm," Wufan said, "That sounds right. You look very pretty, Ma."
Sallah leaned down to hug Wufan, careful not to poke him with the metallic detail-work on her costume. "Thank you. And you look like the best dragon ever!"
Wufan grinned and pushed his glasses back up on his nose. Then he scampered off to find Kenny and Duan and tell them it was okay for a dragon to have glasses and they were right.
Sallah chuckled softly as he bounded away and set off a motion-activated ghost that dangled from the ceiling light fixture. As the ghost above shimmied, shreiking out a wailing cackle, she inconspicuously tried to tug at the lower hem of her short leather skirt. Hopefully, this outfit hadn't been a bad idea....
Duan was the first to look up at the sound of Duo's voice. He had to work a little with the Grim Reaper cowl in order to see, but when he did, his eyes grew round as saucers.
"Wow," he said, watching as Duo and Tryan came down the stairs. "Kenny look! It's Duo!"
Kenny looked over and up the stairs and blinked. His brows drew together slightly. "Hn."
Heero heard Duan's exclamation and looked up himself and promptly forgot to breathe. Duo was wearing a kimono that was somehow the same shade of deep lavender as his eyes. And at the bottom, a phoenix rose blazing in reds and oranges and a blue that seemed strangely familiar to Heero. All the accessories were in the same motif of the firebird and the effect was stunning.
Heero looked at his lover's face and was stunned again by the precision and beauty of the make up on Duo's face. He could remember seeing a Japanese Geisha a long time ago, in some book or other, but Duo.... Duo put even the legend to shame. It took him a moment to even find his voice and even then "Duo" was all he could manage for a minute.
Duo noticed his lover's rather charmingly stunned expression and smiled smugly to himself, hiding it behind another wave of the fan.
"Duo? No Duo. Lotus Blossom," he corrected in that same falsetto as he giggled in his best "geisha" voice.
Heero's eyebrow raised and then he shook his head just slightly in amazement. "I'm impressed." He managed before stepping forward and offering his hand.
Tryan looked over at Heero, dressed in his EMT blue jumpsuit. "Now, hold on a minute, varmint! This here's a special little filly. Don't you do nuthin to upset her or I might hafta call you out in the streets for a gunfight," he said.
Somehow, and even he couldn't have explained how, Duo managed to keep a straight face as he simpered over his fan again at the two.
A wry grin edged Heero's lips just slightly though his mien was serious as he looked at the young gunslinger. "Will do, pardner." He said in a low voice before giving into temptation and winking briefly at Tryan.
Tryan tipped his hat to Heero and nodded. "All right," he said, then turned to the Geisha. "You be good, little lady and have a nice time. If this varmint gets fresh, you just call on Tucson Tryan and I'll come a blazin' back to rescue you. Ok?" he said.
"Hai. Domo arigato," Duo replied with a respectful bow to the cowboy.
Tryan nodded once again, then handed the Geisha over to the EMT. Then he ran down the stairs and joined his friends. He stopped cold when he saw Sallah. "Wow, great costume Sallah," he said.
She grinned down at the cowboy. "Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it." Pulling the metal ring the costume store clerk had called a chakram off her belt, Sallah handed it to the boy. "The store even gave me some toys to go with it."
Great," Tryan said, "But it's supposed to be that short, so you don't need to pull it down. You have nice legs, so don't worry," he offered.
She blinked, stunned for a moment, then laughed. "Ah...thank you again," Sallah said, blushing faintly. "I'm just getting used to it, that's all." She adjusted one of the leather armbands, trying to restrain herself from adjusting the skirt instead.
Sallah gasped softly as she finally caught sight of Duo. "Oh my! That's...incredible!"
Duo's gaze traveled swiftly over Sallah's own costume and he spoiled his persona by giving a soft whistle.
"Not bad yourself, Sallah. That's from.... was it Xena? Warrior Princess, I think?" he said, cocking his head in query.
"That's what they said at the shop," Sallah shrugged. "I'm impressed at your knowledge of media history. I just wanted something...different. And the sword helped." She grinned as she gestured to the toy sword in its scabbard strapped to her back.
"Ancient American pop culture? I'm there," he said with a grin, "Besides... I was thinking about using that costume myself. I just didn't have the legs to pull it off," he confided.
Sallah giggled. "I think your legs would have been just fine. Although I'm not sure what Heero would have thought of that. Nice costume, by the way," she said, glancing at Heero. "What's in the box?"
Heero smirked and his free hand tugged on the back of Duo's kimono, "It's a.... surprise."
"Ok," Wufan said, to himself mostly. "That's Duo."
Duo turned and smiled at the young boy, nodding appreciatively at Wufan's dragon costume, before slipping back into his 'persona' and giggling coquettishly once more.
Heero snorted and rolled his eyes slightly, tugging once more on the ties off the back of the kimono. It wasn't a braid but it would have to do.
A small figure in a billowy black cape swept in dramatically, peering over the edge of a cloak-draped arm. The blond head gave away identity as Carter glared at each one of the adults.
"The volf is very misunderstood creature!" he declared dramatically. "Ooooh!!!" Blinking at Duo, Carter swept up and held out his hand in a courtly fashion.
"I don't believe ve haf been introduced..."
Duo hid his face behind his fan, giggling and batting his eyelashes prettily as he offered his free hand to the young blonde.
"Lotus Blossom," he whispered with a wink.
Carter bowed over the hand. "Charmed," he said with a slight lisp, revealing gleaming white fake fangs. "I.... am Dracula.... Bwahahahahahahah!!!!"
Sallah clapped her hands over her mouth in an effort to keep from giggling at the adorable scene before her.
Duo made a show of dramatically snatching his hand back and swooning a little as he gasped girlishly, "Oh dear! Tucson Tryan! Save me!"
Carter swept away, whirling his cloak. "Bleh! You are too pale anyvay... No blood...."
Tucson Tryan looked up and scampered over. "Here Ah am, little lady!" he said.
Carter flashed a glare at the cowboy. "Bah! Your pathetic bullets can not harm the Prince of Transylvania!"
"Hold on, you varmint! You'll git this young lady, over mah dead body," Tryan countered.
"Blah! She is too pale... you however seem kvite healthy!!" Carter said and began chasing Tryan around, clashing his teeth and fangs.
Heero watched the two and felt a chuckle escape him as he settled back to see if the others joined in.
Duan turned to Kenny and Wufan. "I'd go help him, but I'm just here to take his soul."
"Hn," Kenny said. The faint greenish tinge to his skin and the many large puckered stitches indicated that he was made of parts of dead people. He adjusted the small bolts at the side of his neck, seeming strangely smug to have chosen a costume that did not require speech.
"Hn," Wufan said, thinking hard. "I suppose I could breathe fire on him. Does fire destroy a vampire?"
Kenny stood up and walked stiffly to Wufan, leaning over him on platform shoes. He glared.
"Don't say fire around him," Duan said. "It reminds him of the villagers."
Duo, meanwhile, was desperately trying not to mar his makeup by biting on his lip to stifle the chuckle aching to burst from him.
Wufan looked up at Kenny with wide eyes. "Ok.. no fire," he said. "We can be friends?"
Kenny backed off. "Hn," he said.
"Yeah, he said you can be friends," Duan said, interpreting. "But no f.i.r.e."
Duo squeaked suspiciously behind his little paper fan, his eyes dancing with mirth as he watched the exchange. After a moment he finally emerged from hiding and used his fan to shoo them all towards the front door.
"We should go, young masters, if we wish to make the most of the night," he said, trying his level best to maintain the persona without laughing again.
Right behind Duo, Heero snorted, knowing that they'd make the most of the night either way.
"The night!!! The children of the night are calling!" Carter cried, sweeping towards the door. Fake spider webbing taped up over a nearby window fluttered in the wake of his swoop.
From the back of the house, a figure walked into the entranceway. Barefoot, wearing plain drab pants, a plain homespun shirt and jacket, with the sleeves pushed up, a simple bag over one shoulder and a worn slouched hat over dark hair, the figure paused. Barely visible on the inside of each arm, there appeared to be reddish tattoos of a dragon and a tiger.
"You wish to go trick or treating, but someone must stay and give out candy..." the figure said slowly. "I am Cain... I will help you..."
Duo paused near the front door, his too wide eyes, and too innocent expression betraying his mirthful conflict.
"You will pause from your wandering here? We are humbled, Master," Duo said too calmly, offering another respectful bow.
'Cain' bowed back without batting an eyelash. "Be careful, Miss," he said. "You seem to be keeping rough company. Perhaps... the Princess will protect you," he said, casting a look at 'Xena's' legs and then dropped his eyes respectfully.
"But of course," Sallah grinned as she bowed back. Retrieving her chakram from Tryan, she took up a 'defensive' position at Duo's other side.
"Ah. Thank you. But with the gallant young Tucson Tryan and Xena herself, I could be in no safer place," Duo replied smoothly.
Carter had already opened the front door and made it a few steps outside, whirling his cape. His blond hair glowed almost radiantly under the black-light from the novelty bulb in the porch lamp.
Duan stepped just outside the door and waited until people passed out. As they did, he said, "Don't fear the Reaper."
Kenny walked stiffly out, glancing at Duan as he passed. "Been there, done that," he muttered out of the side of his mouth.
Heero snickered as he passed the miniature God of Death and shrugged just slightly, "Hn." He offered, a grin playing on his lips.
"My line," Kenny murmured, growling slightly.
Heero growled back, "I had it first."
"Can't prove it," the Reaper said.
"Maybe.." Kenny muttered at the same time, "But I've got it now..."
"Nice bedside manner there," Duo muttered to his partner as he minced carefully past.
Sallah grinned at Wufei/'Cain' as she turned to leave. She had a feeling it was going to be a *very* interesting evening. Gesturing at the immense bowl of candy on the endtable next to the door, she said, "Everything you need should be there. Have fun!" She picked out a Pixy Stick from the assortment of miniature candy bars, lollipops, and other treats in the bowl, then exited, shepherding
Wufan as she went.
Out of consideration for Wufei, Sallah resisted the urge to step on the Halloween-themed screaming doormat--she had a feeling he would be hearing that sound quite enough that night. She really didn't want to come home and find it disassembled like she had the light-up, talking gargoyle doorknocker a curious Kenny had recently dissected in an effort to see how it worked.
Duo smiled at the waiting children, slipping back into his persona as he peered down the street.
"Look. A path of lights to guide our way," he said sagely, opening the paper umbrella and settling it demurely on his shoulder as he pointed to the first house with his fan.
Heero snickered and shook his head slightly. With a tug he summoned Duo and the whole group forward, muttering, "Baka."
"It doesn't please you?" Duo pouted softly to Heero.
Heero managed to maintain his glare for all of ten seconds before it relented, "Hai." But the grin returned soon after, "Lotus Baka."
They weren't quite tired yet... though they'd managed to visit almost every house on that section of the colony. It had been a very successful trip, if one counted in terms of loot... lots of candy, as well as small toys and a few pieces of fruit from the health conscious.
It was also successful in other terms... for example, they hadn't lost anybody yet! Although Carter kept 'flying' off down the street and swooping back.
As they reached the end of the block, they saw another group of kids coming back in their direction. Some if these kids were their age and other were a year or two older. They waved at the group and started yelling out which houses had the best candy.
"Appreciate it, podner!" Tryan called out to the group.
"Wow, your mom's are cute!" one of the older boys yelled, whistling at Sallah and Duo.
The Grim Reaper, Duan stopped and leaned his scythe at the older boy. "Hands off or I'm comin for you tonight!" he intoned.
Heero grinned in approval and wrapped the ties to Duo's kimono a little tighter around his hand.
One of the kids, dressed as a werewolf, laughed. "Chill out, shortie," he said. "Looks like your dad keeps your mom on a pretty short leash..."
There was some snickering to this and the group ran away laughing.
"Hey, they skipped that house at the end," Carter called back. "Wonder why?"
"Let's find out!" Wufan offered, excitedly.
Heero lifted a shoulder in a shrug then waved his hand forward, "Lead on."
Tryan came and patted Duo on the arm. "Don't worry, little lady. I had them varmints in my sights." he said, winking broadly.
"Death, the cowboy, and the EMT... now THAT'S a vanguard!" Duo giggled.
"Or a comic book," he muttered to Heero, letting his voice drop back into it's normal timbre for a moment.
The house at the end of the block... when they got to it, it might have seemed like somewhat less than a good idea. Unlike the other houses with their lights or even spooky decorations, this house looked... off. For one thing, it looked old. Like a house on Earth - that kind of old. The style was not like anything Duo or Heero had ever seen on a colony. It was from a period in history known as Gothic. A round tower on one corner with a spire, a wide wrap=around covered porch, peaked roof, and high, narrow windows. There were two gateposts in front but the gate had been removed or had rusted away. A real pumpkin jack-o-lantern sat on each post, flickering dimly, an indication that the house was inhabited, but the windows were dark.
Except for that occasional, fitful glow in a window at the top...
Wufan pushed his glasses back up on his nose and looked up. Then he looked up and up and up. "Wow," he whispered, very impressed.
"That's a haunted house all right," Duan said with some knowledge. "I saw something like this one in the library book. Bet there's lots of souls in there for me to take back to Hell tonight, eh Frank?"
"Hn," Kenny said, eying the house. He actually looked interested. He'd been rather bored most of the evening and had even managed to dump most of his candy in the bags of other kids while they weren't looking.
"Yeah," Duan said. "I bet you're awake now, huh? Well, there's things waitin' for us."
Kenny observed the house for another moment and then reached down and took off his platform shoes, pulling a pair of sneakers out of a pocket somewhere. He silently checked some other hidden things such as his pocketknife and then nodded to Duan.
Tryan walked up to the Geisha and smiled. "If you get spooked or scared, just scream and I'll be right over, little ladies," he said, with a tip to the hat in Sallah's direction as well. Reaching inside, he removed what appeared to be a keychain. On closer inspection, a little folding knife was attached along with a working penlight.
Carter, who as usual had been swooping ahead, suddenly swooped back, his cape fluttering.
"Music!" he gasped. "I hear music from inside the house!"
Wufan came up to stand level with FrankenKenny. "I got the detonators in the side of my costume and the C-4 strips in the other pocket... just in case." he said confidentially.
Duo stifled a giggle/sigh behind his fan, gazing down at the kids with an amused expression.
"Detonators? C-4? And just what kind of tricks were you all planning for tonight?"
"Just defensive surprises in case of attack. We're all kind of vulnerable out here. Some people aren't as balanced as you and Heero." Wufan replied.
Duo spared a glance at Heero, tears of mirth springing into his eyes.
"Balanced? There's a first!"
Heero's eyebrows had shot up at the word and he couldn't help the smirk that overtook him.
"Sorry, Wufan," Duo finally managed to gasp after he'd gotten his snickering back under control, "I just never thought I'd hear my name, Heero's name, and the word balanced in the same sentence unless it was preceded by the prefix 'un'. Took me by surprise. Heh. Although... it might be a good idea to see if we can keep the mass destruction to a minimum tonight, if at all possible, ne?"
"Sure," Wufan replied.
"Clean, targeted strikes," Kenny said, nodding.
"We know how much to use so we don't break the Colony," Duan said.
"Never doubted that for a second, Shi-chan," Duo assured him.
Sallah, who had looked vaguely pained at the mention of detonators and C-4, sighed, shaking her head. "I should have sewed those pockets shut," she muttered to herself.
"But you guys... I heard music!" Carter exclaimed.
"I gotcha there, podnah," Tryan said. "So let's go find out who's doin the entertainin'," he said.
"Should we?" Sallah glanced at Heero and Duo. "Somehow I don't think they'll let us skip this place...."
Heero looked at her with an amused smile for a moment, "Have you ever tried denying them candy?" He'd tried it with Duo once... he didn't want to try again. He glanced up at the house and looked to his lover.
"If nothing else, it's a nice lesson on infiltration," Duo replied with a shrug and a lopsided grin.
"I suppose we might try knocking on the door first," Sallah replied with a wry smile.
Kenny glanced at Sallah. He liked Sallah but clearly she didn't get it. "Hn."
"Door?" Heero asked with an expressionless look and a sidelong glance at a window.
"How... progressive of you to suggest a door first, Hee-chan," Duo muttered, "But that would probably be the best way in, yes," he concluded, pausing for a moment to slip off the wooden sandals.
Far above, the light in the high window disappeared.
Carter pointed. "Didja see?"
Kenny glanced at Carter and nodded. Then he exchanged a look with Duan and moved forward, disappearing almost instantly into the darkness of the yard.
"Ya know... there are times when I just know that kid could teach even me a thing or two about stealth," Duo murmured thoughtfully as Kenny vanished.
"Hn." Heero commented with a grin before following the two mini-me's into the dark.
As they moved between the gateposts, they could all begin to hear the music Carter had talked about. It sounded, as unlikely as this was, like a pipe organ. It seemed to come from somewhere deep inside the house, the vibrations oozing through the ancient structure.
As they approached the porch steps, Kenny materialized in front of them.
"There's a note on the door," he reported. "It says, 'come in for tricks and treats'."
Eyes narrowed slightly in perpetual suspicion, Heero glanced over the note and looked to Duo in question. Go in?
"What are you so paranoid for? We used to blow up entire bases before. What's one lil ol' haunted house?" Duo whispered back.
Duan moved forward, blending in with the darkness. Tryan quietly moved away and around the porch before anyone noticed he was gone.
The dragon bounded after the Grim Reaper.
The Geisha followed on the tail of the dragon, tossing Heero a glance that even under all the makeup was still discernable as a request for the Japanese youth to take the flank.
Heero nodded ever so slightly and moved into position on automatic.
Carter blinked, watching all the kids move and then he grinned and made his way up the stairs to the door.
Sallah took one last look up at the house before following the others. "Why do I get a bad feeling about this?"
"Because yr a rational, intelligent, self-aware woman surrounded by five mischievous kids hopped up on sugar and two ex-terrorists?" Duo replied with an impish grin.
Sallah shook her head with a grin. "And yet I'm the one in the leather armor...."
Duo grinned back and then paused to simper fetchingly behind his fan again, once more falling into personae.
Carter reach a hand out and pushed at the door. "It's open," he said in a slightly hushed voice. The door swung open with a loud "Cre-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-a-k!"
Inside they could only see darkness. With the door open, the music was louder, seeming to pour out of the opening in a hollow wave.
Duan walked forward with scythe held out. "Souls..." he called out. "There are souls for me to gather," he added, checking out as much as he could.
"Hmm... And here I thought the Elder God of Death cleared out this colony a while ago," Duo mused.
"Looks like he missed a spot," Sallah muttered.
"The music is good," Dragon Wufan said as he looked around for enemies.
Kenny appeared next to Carter in the doorway. "The windows are nailed shut and blacked out on this floor," he reported. He looked into the open doorway. He followed Duan, having delivered the intelligence to the adults that there was only the single entrance/exit.
"Ah. So no one can see you scream, I imagine," Duo said with a nod, "Although, somehow I doubt that a few boards and nails would really impede Heero's rapid egress if push came to shove," he finished confidentially.
"Hn." Heero glared at his lover.
"Promises, promises," Duo countered, blowing Heero a kiss from behind his fan, "Well... Shall we find our gracious hosts?"
Heero snuffed then shook his head, "Lotus Baka." He jerked his head forward to move the group through the door.
The blacked out windows did explain why they had not seen any lights from outside. Entering, the entranceway was still very dark, but they could see a flickering light to the left and a low greenish light to the right. In front was a wide staircase leading up.
"Hmmm... Door number one, door number two, or staircase number three? Decisions, decisions. Well, left being the 'sinister' direction, and this being Halloween..." Duo said, letting his voice trail off as he nodded to the left.
Heero nodded in acceptance and adjusted to survey the lit area.
The flickering light revealed a large room, some kind of receiving or sitting room, with furniture covered in white cloths. At one side was a wide table, with several candelabras on it, and the table had several platters and bowls of conventional-looking goodies laid out. There was a small sign propped on the table that said, "Treats."
The music continued, and the vibrations seemed almost quieter inside. They could still be heard, however, and had the effect of causing a slight sense of unease to permeate the room.
Duan moved his cowl back and rolled up his sleeves. He looked over at Kenny Frankenstein and pointed to the right. He then pointed at himself, indicating that he would that the opposite direction. Catching Wufan's attention, he nodded for straight ahead. Then, he moved.
Kenny melted into the shadows to the right. There were doors going out of the room as well as the large archway they had come through.
Carter watched the other boys fan out and looked around, wide-eyed.
"Someone's watching," he said softly.
"Where?" Duo asked quietly, shifting to stand near the small blond.
Carter stood still for a moment. "Everywhere," he said simply. Then he blinked up at Duo.
"Where's Tryan?" he asked.
Duo blinked and peered around, growing agitated when he couldn't spot the young acrobat.
"Not sure... Heero?"
Heero materialized by his lover, "He broke off just before we entered."
"Broke off? To go... where?"
Heero lifted and dropped a tense shoulder. That answer he didn't have.
Carter looked from Heero to Duo and back. Then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Upstairs!" he said suddenly, and darted out of the room and back towards the staircase.
The adults quickly realized they were now alone.
TBC
End of Part 1
Check out RavynFyre's illustration of Duo in Geisha costume for Halloween!
The Extended Family Writers Team - ExFam!!!
bonnejeanne & von
RavynFyre, Kateri Marie and Diane Davis
Please feel free to direct feedback to any or all of the authors!
ravynfyre@hotmail.com, fenwyck@radiks.net,
sablexo1@yahoo.com,
bonnejeanne@yahoo.com.