09 Mar 2001
I know, I know - it's been a long time in coming right? *winces* Hope ya still remember this ficcie!
Quick recap - when we last left off, it was showdown time in Duo's head, with Heero vs Shinigami!
Title: Heart of Darkness
Part: 8c
Author: Stormy
Pairings: 1+2 3x4 5+J (for now)
Archive: Gundam Wing Addiction (www.gwaddiction.com) and Jana's site
(www.1x2x1.org) and several others already have permission to archive.
The subconscious is a dangerous thing, Heero decided firmly as he dodged another swipe by the laughing lunatic, cursing as he stumbled. "Shit!"
"Such language!" Shinigami scolded him in a high-falsetto voice. His wiry arms raised and the scythe flashed red in the murkiness that was Duo's mind. "You should be punished!"
"Not fuckin' likely!" Heero growled. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder at Duo who was watching them, shock in his wide eyes. No help there. Sudden movement caught his attention and he ducked again, listening to the hiss of metal slicing through the air. Hitting the pseudo-ground, he rolled away from Shinigami and came to his feet in a crouch.
Across from him, the devil wearing Duo's face giggled with amusement.
"You know, this really is entertaining!" the boy sneered. "I should have busted free a long time ago!"
Heero growled deep in his throat and spared Duo a quick glance. The braided American was watching the two of them, eyes darting back and forth, abject terror stamped across his face. Heero swore. No help there.
Duo bit back a whimper as Shinigami's scythe came within a hairs- breadth of slicing Heero's chest open. The Japanese rolled to his feet a small distance away, gaining some breathing room and Duo sighed with relief.
He couldn't understand it, couldn't explain the paralyzing fear that seemed to grip him. Why? Why was he so afraid? Violence, pain, blood - it was nothing he hadn't seen before. He should be helping his partner!
With that thought, Duo pushed himself slowly up. Before he could get to his feet completely though, Shinigami whirled around with a murderous statement on his face, scaring the daylights out of Duo.
"Stay out of this!" the blood-soaked apparition snarled at him, and for a minute, Duo saw claws springing out of his hands, fangs jetting out of the slanted mouth. He crashed to the ground, his knees completely giving way. With a grunt and a sneer, Shinigami turned away and Duo felt the mindless panic dissipate. 'What the...'
Heero blinked as he watched an odd statement flit across Shinigami's face before the doppleganger whirled around to shout at Duo. That hadn't been....fear, was it?
He had seen something on Duo's face - a fraction of the resolve the American used to be full of, but it had been there. He had been about to help him. What stopped him?
Fear. Heero stopped short. That had been fear on Shinigami's face when Duo had started to stand up. Duo had been about to join the fight, and his evil counterpart had known that. That was it. Shinigami was afraid of Duo!
"Help me Duo!" he shouted. "He's scared of you!"
The look of pure rage on Shinigami's face made even the perfect soldier back up a step.
"Shut up!" he screeched and lunged across the short distance, scythe twirling like a baton in his skilled hands. "I'LL KILL YOU!!"
"ARGH!" Heero didn't move nearly fast enough and Shinigami's blade slashed across his raised forearm. It was only a glancing blow, but the razor-sharpness dug through the outer skin like butter and Heero cried out, blood suddenly pouring down his arm.
' Too slow!' Heero shouted at himself as he braced himself against the searing pain in his arm. 'Dammit!'
"Say goodnight Gracie," Shinigami remarked, almost absurdly casually, and raised the deadly weapon high above his head in preparation for the final blow. Heero closed his eyes.
"NO!"
Duo screwed up the last remains of his waning courage and leaped to his feet. In his eyes he saw the blood coursing out of his partner, and with that image came the realization that it was his fault. Heero was going to die because of him. He shook his head angrily.
"NO!"
With a howl, Duo launched himself at his evil twin, knocking him away from Heero. The scythe was struck from Shinigami's hands and it skittered across the floor, near Heero who eyed it nervously before looking back up.
It was odd to say the least. Duo looked like he was fighting himself in a mirror, the deadliest shadowboxing match in history. The two jockeyed for position, rolling across the ground, gaining even further distance away from the Japanese pilot who stood up shakily, clutching his torn arm in an effort to stem the bleeding.
"But this isn't real," he muttered softly, watching the two Duo's fight for control. "What will happen when one of them wins?"
"BEAST!"
Hank jumped to his feet and whirled away from the computer monitor at the cry from the other side of the room. Jean was on her feet, staring at Heero, hand clapped to her mouth in horror. The Professor motioned him over quickly, and with a bound, the blue-furred man was at the bed. He gasped.
A deep slash mark had formed on Heero's arm and the Japanese boy was losing blood at an alarming rate. Jean regained her senses and clamped her hands on Heero's arm, trying to stem the flow of blood while Hank rushed back across the room for his medical kit.
The Professor closed his eyes, searching.
"Charles?" Jean asked, the strain evident in her voice.
After a moment, Professor X opened his eyes and shook his head.
"Nothing. It's like going up against a sheer smooth cliff and trying to climb it with your bare hands," he said, teeth gritted in both exertion and frustration. "There is a definite upgrade in what Sinister did to this boy - Morph is infinitely easier to read."
"Well, something's happening," Beast said tersely, pointing out the obvious. Gently disentangling Jean's hands, he set about cleaning the gash and began sewing it up. As he did so, Jean once again let out a gasp of surprise. "Look!"
Beast and the Professor looked over at the flushed face of Duo Maxwell, and saw sweat beading on his face. His muscles suddenly pulled tight with some unknown tension and Jean made her decision.
"I'm going in Professor," she said. Charles looked up at her determined face.
"Jean, you can't get past that barrier!"
"I can if I shatter it," she replied smoothly. Charles slammed his fist down on the night stand next to the bed, inches from his golden hoverchair.
"Jean, you could KILL him!"
"He's going to kill Heero!" she countered fiercely. "Charles, you still don't have enough strength to break that shield of his without doing a lot of residual damage - but I might be able to!"
"Jean, going in there, is not only dangerous for him, but for Heero and you as well!" Charles fingers flexed in agitation. "You could render that boy a vegetable for the rest of his life!"
"Sir, I can't sit here and do NOTHING!" she cried. The red-head stood up and walked over to the professor, kneeling before him. "Sir, trust me! I have the strength to do this! And I have your training to guide me!" She gestured to the wound that Hank was trying in vain to staunch. " There is a battle being fought in there, with an innocent who doesn't know the first thing about the astral plain! Maybe I can help stop whatever is happening!"
Charles looked down. His hands trembled as he pondered her words and realized they had no choice. They'd lose them both if something wasn't done. Jean felt the resignation sweeping over him and she placed her smaller hand on top of the man's who had been like a father to her.
"Jean?" Another voice cut through the tension in the room. Jean looked back to where her husband was watching, neck muscles tense as he waited.
"I'm doing this Scott," she said calmly, standing up. Scott said nothing but nodded and walked towards her, pulling her into a fierce hug.
"Be careful."
"I always am, Mr. Summers," she smiled gently at him. With her husband's arms still around her, she closed her eyes, trusting Scott to catch her, and detached herself from her earthly body.
Scott caught her and scooped her into his arms as he felt their bond weaken almost immediately.
"Be careful my love," he whispered.
The infirmary door flew open again, and a gaggle of teenagers piled through. Quatre immediately zeroed in on Heero and he gasped at the sight of blood. Wufei and Trowa stared at everyone in confusion, noting the tense looks.
Behind them all, Jubilee snapped her gum as she surveyed the wounded Heero, the tense professor and the unconscious Jean held in Cyclops' arms.
"Figures," she snorted. "So what'd we miss this time?"
TBC......
Stormy
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