09 Feb 2001
See prologue for all disclaimers, spoilers, and whatnot.
Note: I just really want to thank everyone for their constant feedback and support. You have no idea how much better it makes my day.
All previous parts can be found at the incredible GW Addiction's new address: http://www.gwaddiction.com. You know how Tyr made that joke about it being easier to remember provided one can spell "addiction"? I think I gave myself bad karma, because after laughing at that little line, I've messed it up everytime I type it in. I think it's all the d's. You know, all two of them 0.o
AC 196
The Leo was almost wheezing as I pushed it to its limit, the Altron's Dragon Fang smashing into the wall behind me.
He was playing with me.
"I've always wanted to fight you." Wufei's voice came hard and sharp over the comm link; there was none of the uncertainty I had heard in his voice when we last spoke.
I held my ground when his beam saber powered up - if it was a fight he wanted, I would give it to him. Although I had always thought of challenging Wufei, it was back in the first days of the War in 195; I knew he had entertained the same thoughts.
Especially since he had feelings for Duo. Not that he knew it, of course, but I would have to be blind to have missed it. I can't believe he did, but there are some things people just don't want to see.
As if sensing my thoughts, he came at me.
"What's going on, Wufei?" I asked calmly. I was not surprised to see him here, and I wasn't surprised that he chose to fight me. But I wondered if he knew what he was doing.
"Are you in the right, here?"
"What?" I knew he was here for his own purposes, but to question ours...
Sparks flew as we clashed, and the Leo was definitley having a hard time now, the gears grinding with a deafening screech. We both slammed into reverse and the Altron's thrusters came up hard as Wufei swung his saber and propelled his Gundam at mine.
I threw up the Leo's buster rifle as a shield - Not the best idea you've ever had, I thought dimly, as the heat from Altron's saber reacted to the energy in the rifle. I was temporarily blinded in the ensuing explosion of light, and the only warning I had that Wufei was coming at me again was his outraged cry.
"I'm asking, are you in the right!" His voice was edged with desperation, and I could imagine the look on his face, the deep grooves furrowing his brow, lips compressed into a hard line.
I knew his face like I knew my own; Duo may have been my partner during the war, but Wufei was my counterpart. We so easily could have switched places, had merely one circumstance changed for either of us.
I pulled out my own beam saber at the last second, and the two weapons connected solidly.
We went a few passes, but, as I suspected, we were equally matched. But even I couldn't hold out against Altron in the borrowed Leo.
And Wufei knew it.
He was hoarse from yelling and his breathing rasped across the communication channels, the sound of it filling my cockpit.
I thought about his question as I let my instincts take over the fighting, hoping the combination of my skill and sheer luck would see the Leo holding out a bit longer.
"Are you in the right here?"
Of course we were. We were trying to prevent war. We had sent our Gundams to be destroyed in the hopes of securing a world without weapons.
When we hadn't heard from Wufei, I knew he had made his decision. But I never thought he would question our judgements.
He hated weapons and war more than any of us. And yet he was the only one clinging to it.
His beam saber slipped past my defenses and my HUD sizzled with the energy overload. I fired up the reverse propulsion to full and shoved hard with the saber arm, throwing Altron off me.
I didn't have much time.
"Wufei, push the self-destruct switch," I said, as steadily as I could. It was my last line of defense; one more blow and the Leo would be finished. I could hear the metal whining in protest as it started to give under the weight of its damage.
His cry was an inarticulate shout of fury as his thrusters flared and he advanced hard and fast. His beam saber flashed faster than I could follow.
The sound of ripping metal drowned out any thoughts I may have had, as one arm of the Leo was flung aside.
Another flash; this time, the light from his weapon blinded me as it penetrated the cockpit. Wufei was done playing; I felt cold, thin air rip the breath from my lungs and I scrambled to get my helmet on.
We faced each other squarely. I knew Wufei wouldn't move unless it was to kill me, and I wasn't quite ready to die yet.
I popped the hatch and stepped out onto the cockpit platform. "I'll say it again: push the self-destruct switch."
In my head, he narrowed his eyes. I knew this was the moment - I would live or die by the next move Wufei made.
A stray thought of Duo crossed my mind, and I hoped he would forgive Wufei.
It was frozen in my head, the picture the two of us made, me standing on the Leo's cockpit platform, and him in Altron, the Dragon Fang poised for the killing blow. I stored the memory away, for when I had time to analyze it.
Me, asking him to accept us. Wufei, asking me to understand him.
There was an explosion, and the wall behind Altron blew inwards.
No, I'm supposed to die!
It was an odd thought, one that I wouldn't think about until much later. I swung down the Leo's leg and sprinted for the colony.
I'm supposed to die I'm supposed to die.
Wufei knew it, and when the dust cleared, I watched him slowly turn Altron towards the damaged wall, saw him step out onto the platform, clencing a fist. I watched his lips move, read my lover's name on them. He scrubbed a hand over his faceplate of his helmet and straigtened, smoothing his other hand over his suit. He turned my direction again, and slowly, deliberatley, mouthed words that he knew I would be able to read from where ever I was.
This is not over.
AC 195
We stared at each other across the cell for the first 48 hours, not speaking. It was the second visit from Trowa that prompted him to speak.
"Sometimes, I'm certain I'll never understand people."
I leaned against the cell wall, looking away from him. "What's to not understand?"
He made a low, frustrated sound. "They do things that don't make sense. They do things that aren't honorable-"
I snorted.
"What does that mean?"
I rolled my head to the left, and looked at him blandly. I would not be drawn into this. That was what Duo had done, wormed his way past my defenses and into me.
"I asked you a question, Yuy."
"Aa." I closed my eyes. He didn't understand people. I always thought I did, but then they did things like this.
There was a rustle, and I cracked an eyelid, watching as he crouched in front of me, his fingers white as they curled against the metal floor. "I can take all of this, but to be betrayed..."
"Betrayed."
"Yes! We're our only allies, and he betrayed that trust."
My lip curled. "You're the one I don't understand."
He was silent, almond eyes narrowed almost to slits.
"You're supposed to be a soldier."
"I'm a warrior, Yuy, not a soldier. I'm not like you."
I was surprised at the quick flash of anger I felt at the sneer on his face. Not like me. "There's no shame in it," I said with a shrug.
He knew better. "But you were simply trained. I-"
"Was trained. We're no different."
Lights flashed in the hallway outside, bright red lancing through the dimly lit passage. There was a rush of noise, and we watched in silence as soldiers ran by, their heels beating an interesting pattern on the metal.
As soon as we couldn't hear the footfalls anymore, the Chinese pilot spoke. "I'm a warrior. You could be, too."
I crossed my arms. "I don't need pretenses." This conversation was definitely taking a turn I didn't like.
I expected him to take a swing at me, or at least go back to ignoring me. But he seemed to be contemplating what I had said.
"I didn't want to be here with you. With any of you. Warriors aren't supposed to need anyone."
I was silent. Soldiers aren't supposed to need anyone, either. Wufei still didn't understand that no matter how you looked at it I was a warrior and he was a soldier and vice-versa, and in the end it was all unimportant save the mission.
"I have to make my own way." He sat back heavily.
"We all do," I said, dispelling the image of a certain pilot from my mind. He was a distraction. Even Wufei would have agreed with me there.
"I hate this war," he hissed, violently striking the floor with a tight fist. I could see the bruise start to darken his hand almost immediately, but I didn't say anything.
There were shouts down the hallway and the sirens stopped, the lights suddenly coming up normal. I knew a split second before the doors opened that Duo had been captured. It was just something different about the air - the hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight.
The American was roughly shoved inside and he stumbled, tripping down the wide steps and crashing to a heap. I could see the rips in his clothes, the caked on blood and dirt, and it took everything I had to sit still.
"Botched your mission?" My voice hitched up on the end and it was only through years of training that I was able to keep the bland look on my face when Wufei sharply glanced at me.
"You'll see," Duo said, pushing himself up on his elbows, and my heart lurched at the ragged tone of his voice. "I'll become Shinigami once again." His grand declaration was cut off by a wet cough and he slumped down, his cheek pressed to the floor as his arms gave way. "But right now, I'm so tired..."
Wufei and I were silent as Duo succumbed to unconsciousness, but my heart was pounding so loudly I was certain the Chinese boy could hear it.
He cocked his head to the side, not looking at me when he said, "Make sure he's okay."
"He'll be fine," I said dismissively.
He swung around to look at me, holding my gaze, his head high. "I care only for the end to this war; and we are its means."
I couldn't go to him now. If I touched him, it would be all over. He was such a distraction, it was infuriating and confusing and made my belly ache with it. I narrowed my eyes. "I said, he'll be fine."
"Dammit, he could be severly injured!" His hands were shaking even as he clenched them at his sides.
We were both caught, our eyes wide as we stared at each other, and something passed between us. Wufei felt it, too, felt that pull from the braided pilot, but he was as loathe as I was to admit it.
I nodded and moved closer to Duo, watching as my hand, completely unbidden, moved to skim lightly over his back, over his shoulder and down one arm. His fingers were icy, and I took one of his hands in mine as I rolled him over.
Now that I was touching him, I couldn't stop myself and I reached out to brush his bangs out of his eyes, letting my fingers trail over his eyelids and across his cheekbones. He was so fragile like this, so unlike the boy he showed to the world. My breath caught and I lay my hand over his heart, just feeling it beat.
Wufei shifted a little, and I glanced at him through the fringe of my hair, watching him watch me. His eyes flashed with pain and understanding, but when they met mine they shut down. He rose, moving to the far end of the cell, where he folded himself into a loose lotus position, the only thing betraying him the repeated clenching of his right hand.
I knelt next to Duo for hours, waiting for him to wake up, clutching his hand in mine.
Wufei only looked up once, when Duo stirred. He met my eyes over that shining brown head, and again, something passed between us. I had to look away, drawn inexorably to a deceptively angelic face.
Cloudy violet eyes blinked up at me wearily. "Hey," he croaked.
"Hey."
His small-boned hand flexed against my palm, long fingers threading through mine. "Hey." And he smiled.
End Part 9
(:./sparcck/waltz9)
