Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Liberation ❯ Chapter 7

Title: Liberation Part 6

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: H+2, 3x4, and eventual 1+2

Warnings: AU, OC, some OOC-ness

Archives: Lev's Lair

Fanfiction.net

MediaMiner

Disclaimers: That day I went to the store counter in wherever Santa shops and asked for the GW boys. But when the clerk came back after searching their stocks, she told me that the GW boys had already been bought up. So, sadly, I do not own any of the GW boys or the anime. I do, however, own Vespera.

Duo and Hirde walked down the street with disinterest. They were both unsure of what to say, and least of all, what to do now. They had watched another movie earlier -their third in a week- and even the movie was boring them. The initial excitement and elation of their relation seemed to have dissipated like a snowflake in the morning sun, and all that was left was a puddle of dull water.

For a while, Duo wished that he had stayed in the safehouse with Heero instead. At least, they could have tuned up their gundams together and even that once mundane task could become very interesting, as he had proven the other day. He had turned on the com unit in Deathscythe by mistake, and as per tradition, he sang a myriad of songs. Off tune. Heero had of course, heard every one of them and even recorded a few. Now he was threatening to duplicate the file and send it to everyone they knew.

Not only had he given up that, Hirde had been trying to tell him something throughout the day. Somehow though, she was repeatedly interrupted. Or maybe that was a good thing. Duo had a sneaking suspicion that that wasn't something he would like to hear.

He sighed again.

Suddenly, as they rounded a corner, Hirde bumped into someone, and Duo quickly steadied her. But the other guy was not as lucky, or just didn't have the same social skills as Hirde. His friends just guffawed loudly as he fell on his bum, cursing a long string.

'A gangster, of all people,' Duo noted with distaste.

"Sorry…" Hirde said, almost reflexively.

"You bitch! Look at my clothes! They're all soiled!" the man moaned. "You'd better pay me for my laundry bills!" He grabbed Hirde by her shoulder.

"Let go of Hirde, you bastard!" Duo shouted irately, and pulled her towards himself. Those thugs were getting on his nerves.

"Kids these days. How rude," the man laughed, obviously amused. "Now look, kid. This lady here soiled my clothes. Unless you pay the laundry bills, otherwise…" he trailed off. His gang of friends laughed merrily and yelled, "Yeah! Pay up!"

"Pay you? I would rather burn my money than to give them to you!" Duo spat, disgustedly.

"Oh yeah? Don't say we didn't give you a chance!" he shouted, and he lunged forward to deliver a heavy blow to Duo's face.

But Duo jumped aside dexterously, and retaliated. With a powerful kick to his bum, the idiot flew into the heap of rubbish by the side. He remarked mirthfully, "Aren't you going to thank me? I sent you back home!"

His friends wavered for a moment, then one stood out and yelled, "C'mon guys! Let's teach this kid a lesson! Someone pull off that sissy braid!"

"Yeah!" the gang of crooks answered in unison. Together, they ran up towards Duo, trying their best to bash Duo into a pulp. That might have worked for a normal man, but unfortunately for them, Duo was no ordinary person. He was after all, a gundam pilot with years of combat training.

Within minutes, Duo got away with some minor bruises and scrapes. On the other hand, the gangsters were all lying on the ground (or in the rubbish heap), some clutching at their stomachs and groaning while others were already unconscious. It looked as though a tornado had just passed through the vicinity.

Snorting, Duo turned and grabbed Hirde's hand. "Let's go, Ves…"

"Duo?"

Blinking, Duo turned back. "Hirde?" he asked, almost confused. Then he shook his head. "Let's go, Hirde."

*****

"You know, you were on a date with Hirde, for god's sake? Why did you call me there? I got there, to that stinky place, only to find all those thugs still moaning like hell," Vespera complained. "One of them was even lounging on the rubbish heap!"

"I… I don't know for sure. Just in that moment, I thought I was with you," he explained. Looking up at her, he added, "You remember that one time you were cornered by a few guys in school?"

She nodded. "Of course. How could I forget? Those guys were apparently not happy with me, and they tried to beat me up after school dismissal. You saved me though, and we got the lecture of our lives for that brawl. Still, I would say that Jason deserved that broken arm as much as Van deserved that broken nose," she huffed, crossing her arm at that memory.

"I think… when I was beating those guys up this afternoon, I didn't see them. I mean, it was like Jason and Van and their gang's faces were superimposed on those guys! I was… reminded of when you were cornered and nearly beaten up."

"You…" Vespera frowned. "You thought Hirde was me?"

"Maybe."

"So…"

He nodded. "Maybe you're right. I've only loved her as a brother, and nothing more."

"What're you gonna do? Break up?"

"I won't lead her on anymore. It's not fair to her… and me. Someone else will step into her life, and walk up the red aisle and towards the road of happiness with her. I'm definitely not that person. But I just don't know how to tell me that."

"Be honest with her, Duo. It'll make things easier."

"I know.

*****

Duo kicked at a small pebble on the concrete pavement. Hirde just walked silently beside him, head bowed low as if she was hiding something. Eventually, they found themselves at Hirde's doorstep. She was about to close her door, when Duo stopped her.

"Hirde, wait. I've got something to tell you." Hirde opened her door wider and waited patiently. The braided pilot frowned at the silence between them. It was so thick that he was positive that he could cut it with a knife. Finally, he broke the silence with his husky voice.

"Hirde, I… I…" He struggled to get the words out of his throat. If the situation weren't so serious, he might have even laughed at himself. He could fly into death's waiting arms without a second thought all for the sake of peace, but telling Hirde how he felt was one of the most difficult things he would ever do. Finally, he forced himself to continue, "Gomen, Hirde. But… I don't feel that way for you. I thought I did, I really did. But now, after so many days of trying and lying to myself, I find that I can't do it. Maybe… I love you like a sister. And… there can't be anything more between us. I'm really sorry." He bowed, his eyes downcast, almost afraid to face Hirde now.

She bit her lips. Words struggled up her throat and clamored to get out...reasons, both sensible and ridiculous...anything to keep him here. But she swallowed them back down, realizing the truth of his words. It wasn't true love, and it wouldn't bring them happiness. If anything, it would just make them both miserable.

Finally, she nodded sadly. "I understand. Perhaps I've known about this from the beginning, almost since we started dating. Even when we were together, your heart wasn't always with me. But even so, I didn't want to let you go. I was selfish and greedy; I wanted to keep you with me, even if I couldn't have your heart. But now, I guess you're right. We can't go on like this…" She felt her heart wrench, and her eyes brim with tears, but she felt that she had a tremendous weight taken off from her shoulders. "We can still be friends, can't we?"

Duo nodded firmly. "I'll always, always be your friend."

"Well then, I guess this is goodbye."

"Thank you, Hirde."

She shook her head, and offered him a smile. "No, thank you, Duo."

He smiled back, and giving her a gentle peck on her cheek, Duo turned and ran off.

Hirde stood at her door, watching Duo disappear into the darkness. With a strangled sob, she finally let the tears fall freely. But the pain wasn't as acute as she had thought, the agony not as unbearable as she had imagined. Perhaps, she was doing the right thing.

For the both of them.

Suddenly, she felt a lot better.

*****

"Can you really let him go?" a voice asked.

Hirde glanced to her side, then replied wistfully, "It's hard, but I have to. I'll hurt him if I keep him here." She snuggled deeper into the darkness, feeling warm. She wasn't afraid of the darkness, having become used to it over the last few days. It was… comforting.

"Yes… that's right."

"We've tried dating, and now we both know that we're not meant to be. It makes me better, knowing that we had at least tried before giving up. And I still have Duo as my friend. I won't ever give that up," Hirde replied resolutely. "Do you think I did the right thing," she looked beside her, "Vespera?"

Vespera gave her a warm smile. "If you think you've done the right thing, then you have. And it is better to have a friend, rather than an estranged ex-lover, do you not think so?"

Hirde nodded.

"Someone once told me that everyone has a guiding star."

"A guiding star?"

"Yes," Vespera replied absently, eyes looking lost in thoughts. Or perhaps it was her memories. "Everyone has a star guiding them to their destined paths. But sometimes, when you lose faith in it, it will become dimmer and you'd be misled… Don't envy the beauty of shooting stars; don't long for the brighter Northern star; you have your own star. It calls to you, as you would call to it. When you're afraid, when you're lonely, just look up… and reach for your own. Believe in it, and it will lead you to where you should be."

Hirde looked upwards, and suddenly, the black veil that was covering the skies became a dazzling canvas of celestial bodies, each fighting to be the most brilliant. Yes, there was the beautiful shooting stars falling in an amazing shower, and the steady glow of the Northern star, but Hirde did not notice them.

All she saw, was her own little star. It wasn't the most magnificent, nor was it the most vivid, but it was enough.

"I feel its presence. And it's speaking to me…" Her voice was in awe, and her eyes fluttered shut. "I will find my happiness in someone else, as will Duo."

"Yes, you will," Vespera replied, unable to contain the smile on her face. Quietly, she left Hirde to her own thoughts. It was better this way. At least, Hirde would be able to go on with her life. Sadness was bound to be there, but if she believed that she could go on, she would certainly be able to.

Then her mind fell into deep concentration. Now that Duo had broken up with Hirde, what was he going to do? It was only one more day to their deadline, and there was little more she could do other than pray.

*****

"Beep!" That sound was unmistakably the signal of incoming mail. Heero walked over to his laptop and checked his mailbox. It was a mission that required all five pilots, and they were to blow up an OZ base that was a fair distance from their current safehouse. At last, a mission. After being cooped up in this damn safehouse for three whole weeks, they were finally having a mission.

After notifying the other pilots, they planned their strategy. Quatre and Trowa would invade from the east, and take care of the soldier's barracks and the arsenal. Wufei would attack from the west, and destroy the warehouses. Meanwhile, Heero would sneak into the base, along with Duo, and download the information they needed. Then, they were to plant a few bombs in the base to bring it down before returning to their respective gundams and help the rest to obliterate the entire base.

With all the commotion Quatre, Trowa and Wufei were providing, Heero and Duo sneaked in effortlessly. Expertly, they downloaded the files they needed with ease.

DOWNLOAD IN PROGRESS: FIVE MINUTES LEFT

Duo noted with satisfaction that the mission was going well. But when his eyes stopped at a wall clock, he sighed inwardly. It was already 6pm. That meant that he had only six hours left before the deadline, and with the way things looked, it was impossible to win his bet with Vespera, and of course not the other bet. Looking at Heero, who was glued to the computer screen, he suddenly felt lonely. In just six more hours, he was going to go back to where he belonged.

Home… it was such an unfamiliar word.

And he didn't want to go back. Not when going back meant that he would never see Heero and the others again. And they would not remember him ever again.

It felt as though he was wiped away from existence.

Gazing at Heero's determined and fearless silhouette, Duo could not help but wonder what it could be of them if he stayed. After all, they had become closer in the last three weeks than they had in the last few months. Perhaps… just perhaps, they might even fall in love. If only there were no deadline!

But… at least he had gotten one more mission with Heero. After so many weeks of vacation, he had almost forgotten the adrenaline that sped through his veins and the excitement throbbing in his ears whenever he was on a mission. And it meant another chance to make sure that Heero didn't use the self-destruct mechanism on himself.

Then, a set of words brought him back to the mission.

DOWNLOAD COMPLETED

The glaring green words stared back at him almost angrily, and Duo sighed again. It was almost time to go home, a place he didn't want to go.

Heero spun around in the seat, and stood up. "Let's go!"

Duo gave a nod, then sprinted off for the exit. Heero quickly took off after him. Strangely, on their way out of the base, they encountered no enemies. It was almost as though the place had been deserted, but the sound of heavy artillery and the occasional shaking of the building told them otherwise. Most of the soldiers were probably out there, busily fighting against their fellow gundam pilots. And they knew, for better or for worse, a good portion of those soldiers would not make it back.

As they rounded a corner, they came face to face with a stray OZ soldier, who was holding a gun and aiming at them. It didn't seem natural, Duo thought. It was as though the soldier knew they were going to be there and was waiting patiently for them to arrive. Something was off, and he could feel a strange warp of reality.

And when the gun was fired, Duo could almost see the bullets flying towards him as though they were just floating along. The piercing tracks they left in the air… and the smell of gunpowder… it overwhelmed him. Everything felt unreal. But Duo knew the bullets were definitely real when he saw the blossoming redness on Heero's right thigh and torso.

"Heero!" he shouted, carefully extracting himself out of Heero's strong arms. Quickly, he spared the soldier a look, and noticed the glaring gun shot on his forehead. Heero was still the perfect shot despite his injury.

"Heero! Are you okay?" Duo asked anxiously, looking at his wounds. Blood was gushing out like there was no end to it, and there was little time left. If they did not leave the building in five minutes, the bombs Duo had planted earlier were going to go off and kill both of them.

"I won't make it out of here in five minutes. Duo, leave me here and just go! Hurry!" Heero yelled, pushing Duo away from him. Carefully, he forced himself to lean against the wall but made no effort to stand.

Heero did not answer his question, but the slight wince on his face was more than enough of an indication of how much pain he was in. Duo reached for Heero's arm, hoping to make Heero grab onto him and so they could make their escape.

"Are you kidding? I'm not going to leave you here!"

"You have to go! Or the bombs will go off and both of us will die here! Better one than both! Just go, Duo!" Heero pushed him away again with his free hand. His other hand was already slick with blood gushing out of his wound from his torso, as was the metallic grey of the ground.

"Oh yes, you're definitely joking now. Duo Maxwell does not leave him friends behind!" Duo tried again, and grabbed onto Heero's shoulders. "Either you cooperate with me and we can leave here as fast as we can, or we can both jolly well just stay here and wait for the bombs to take us." He glared with as much power he could muster up, and met Heero's death glare eye for eye.

For a moment, they were engaged in a game of will power. Whoever backed down first would lose, possibly not only the game itself but also a large part of themselves. Outside, the sound of explosions and fighting persisted.

After what felt like an eternity, Heero sighed and looked away. "Baka… why do you do this to yourself?"

Duo quickly slid his arm under Heero's and wrapped it around his shoulder. As they slowly stood up, he looked over to his friend. "Because you're my best friend and my partner," he answered truthfully.

Heero gazed into his limpid, liquid violets and saw only his sincerity. Finally, he nodded. "As you are mine."

"Let's go now, or we won't make it!"

Duo's words were marked by an especially violent trembling of the building's frame, and they quickly hurried down the corridors. Still, according to their calculations, they were a far distance from the exit. If they were at their best, it would be an easy task of just dashing like hell. But now, with Heero injured and Duo supporting him, it was likely that both of them would not make it out in time. Both of them knew that, but neither was willing to give voice to it. It was, already, the last chance they had of being together.

Suddenly, they heard another explosion. But this time, the blast came from inside the building.

Their five minutes were up.