Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ THE SIGHT ❯ FUTURE BORN PAST ( Chapter 1 )

PAST AND FUTURE BORN:

1.

There is a click and then an image appears. A smiling face with wide lavender eyes framed by chestnut brown hair. It*s the face of a young man who then leans back and sighs.

 

*It*s two o*clock in the afternoon, my name is Duo Maxwell, and I am suppose the change the future. Some how.,* the small laugh is uneasy and meant to cover the embarrassment. *I can see dead people. I know it sounds like that movie but when I see the *dead* they don*t look dead. They look like you or me or the guy next door. There aren*t any wounds, they don*t look white and pasty, they don*t really look dead. I guess the only reason I know some of them are dead is only because they tell me. It*s so weird. Ileah was the first one I ever saw. She*s a sweet pretty blond girl who has a strange fascination with pink. I asked her about it and she only made a face and said that her mother liked it. I thought that was odd, but then she vanished and I got chills- - - then I think I fainted.* Shrug.

 

*Any way she was the first, the one they elected to be their speaker. Why I don*t know but that*s what they all finally said once we met. When I asked Ileah about it she told me that I was born too soon. They hadn*t expected me to come at the time I did. There are, maybe, fourteen in all. They died in various ways, but mostly murder. I was suppose to help them, they said. I was sixteen and had only gotten my driver*s licence the day before. Sometimes I think my life sucks.*

 

*Apparently my grandfather, Michael, had this gift. She called it *the sight*, a way of seeing between the light and shadows that only a chosen few can see. Apparently I*m one of them. It took me a while but I got the numbers down to three, I*m nineteen now.* Laugh.

 

 

*But really only one is mine. Ileah and Brooks won*t tell me how I*m suppose to solve their deaths and Sebastian won*t leave me. He says that he*s meant to stay until the end. That sounds kinda ominous, but he refuses to explain it to me. He*s never really been very visible, it was like he didn*t want me to really see him until he was ready. Now I know why. He wears a uniform, one that I*ve never seen before. I asked him about it, but he just tells me that it doesn*t matter since they lost. I think it does matter but Brooks and Ileah just tell me to let it go.* Sigh.

 

*Any way the reason I*m making this is because of what happened a few days ago. A new one showed up. This one was different. He was odd and I knew right away he was dead since I could see through him. It was so weird. Oddly enough Brooks knew him. Saluted him in fact. Ileah didn*t like him and avoided him at all costs. When I asked about him she would get this odd enigmatic smile and just fade away. I hate it when they do that.* Shiver and sigh. *He*s not like the others. His uniform is similar to Sebastian*s but there is a difference in color and piping and he has this air of command about him. Brooks even called him Commander. Whatever he is, he*s got some kind of power. He even knew my name, though that*s not really surprising, but what he said exactly was.* Face change. *Duo Maxwell! Where is your braid?! What kind of question is that? Usually it*s something else, but before he could say anything else Brooks had Sebastian drag him off.* Shrug. *Weird. I didn*t see either one of them for a few days . Until yesterday.*

 

He looks away and runs a hand through a shaggy mess of layered hair that falls around his face and down to his shoulders. He looks down at his lap and releases a heavy sigh.

 

 

*Anyway, why I made this thing because . . .* eyes cut to beyond the camera. *Well you see, this Commander- Treize- is from the future and he*s not here because of the circumstances of his death. He*s here because of the circumstances of my birth. In as much as I*m wrong. I was born too soon. He says he has a solution but it will require some stuff that I barely understood and quite frankly didn*t want to.* Shakes head and looks away before sighing with a nod.

 

*Any who, he tells me that since I*m wrong that it*s got to be made right or the future is the burning deserted structure of my nightmares.* Shiver and shakes head. *They*ve been getting worse and Ileah won*t tell me why, neither will Sebastian. Treize, the ghost from the future, says that this has to be done now or things will not turn out right in his time. So I*m making this to be left for a Lady Une as he has instructed and she in turn will find the me there and see to it that we are re-joined.* Shakes head again. *That sounds weird but it*s what has to be done or the world will cease to be.*

 

A bitter sweet smile forms. *I*m going to sleep and when I wake I*ll be different but the same- or some shit like that. He says that I won*t feel much and I*ll have knowledge and memories of who I really am. The person I am in that time.* Sighs and looks up. *God, that sounds so dogged up.* Blows air into bangs. *Okay. The date is, oddly enough, October 31 2008. My name is Duo Maxwell and I*m about to go to sleep.* There is another bitter sweet smile before the a two finger familiar salute is given. *I guess this is it. I*ll catch you all on the flip side.*

 

The screen fuzzed and then went black. Une clicked the machine off and sat back with a stunned expression. She would never I her life believed it if she hadn*t seen it. Duo Maxwell without a braid, with knowing amethyst eyes, and a lack of L2 accent, speaking from the past on an antiquated disc that hadn*t been produced for over a hundred years. It had arrived with a letter from Treize written a few months before his death and instructions on where to find the past-born Duo Maxwell.

 

*Oh, Mr. Treize what have you done.* Taking several deep breaths, Une re-read the letter.

 

 

My dearest Lady,

To my regret I will be dead when you read this.

I wish that were not so but that is the way it must be.

This war must end and my death is the only way for that to happen.

I don*t truly understand the whole of it, but on this date I received a message

from my ancestors telling me that I was the one to help save the future.

Imagine my surprise when I viewed this vid to see a Duo Maxwell I*d never seen before.

My instructions were simple. I was to pass this on to you upon my death.

I was to make sure that the past-born was safe and make sure that the future-born lived.

Imagine how I felt when I saw the *other* Duo sleeping so peacefully. It was so normal.

I locked the vault and insured that it would not be disturbed- ever and set upon my course.

You will find the vault in my mountain ancestral home. I realize that this sounds vague,

but I didn*t want any one finding it should this fall to some others hands.

I have made arrangements should you not survive- though I have been told that you will-

with a letter intended for Zechs and then Noin. But I know that you will not let me down.

The plan is simple.

 

Bring the future-born to the vault. He must be in perfect health.

Once the vault is open, begin the procedure of awakening and place

the future-born next to the past-born, and leave.

Seal them in. The activation will begin when the vault is shut and

the joining process with complete itself. I*m relying on you, my dear Lady.

Please see to it that the future I died for comes to pass.

 

Yours,

 

Treize Kushrenada

Commander.

 

 

As head of the Preventers it was simple enough to retrieve Duo Maxwell. After the last war, he*d only lasted a few months on L2 before coming back to Earth and joining Wufei in the field. He*d proven to be the best demolitions expert around and his infiltration skills nearly rival those of Trowa Barton. He has been promoted twice since his joining and was training a few of our new recruits, though he prefers to remain in the field. Thus getting him to HQ, or even the mountain home for that matter, would not be hard. It would be keeping the others away until the process was complete.

 

*Beverly.*

 

*Yes, Commander.*

 

Une smiled at how easy it was for her to enjoy having a secretary. *Have Capt. Maxwell come to my office when he is free.*

 

*Yes, Commander.*

 

Beverly was very efficient and as soon as Duo had a free moment she would get him to her. With a nod, she used her personal line to have the hanger ready a shuttle for planetary travel. They could be air born within minutes of him reporting to her. Duplicity was so easy to fall back into to and Une was surprised to find her hands reaching for her glasses.

_________________________________________________________________ ___________

 

 

Duo bounded into the reception area and smiled at Beverly. The blonde was used to the affections layered onto her by the people who wanted to get to Commander Une through her. She knew her fine model looks let them come on to her without too much effort and had always thought them to be phoney no matter what, but the young warriors of Une*s special forces were different. They were all perfect- handsome, beautiful, lithe- attributes she*d never thought she*d give to any male. Any of them made her heart jump in her chest and some, like Capt. Maxwell, could make her feel more.

 

*Hello, Captain Maxwell.* Beverly smiled then nearly blushed when she realized how husky her voice sounded.

 

Duo returned her smile. *Hello, Pretty, is the Commander in.*

 

Beverly shook her head and relegated her hormones back to neutral. The pet names changed every time he came up here and she knew he was just waiting for the one that felt right to him.

 

*She*s the one who called you.* She reminded him.

 

Duo ducked his head in fake embarrassment before giving her his patent smile. *Well yeah, but sometimes she forgets and then . . .*

 

Beverly shook her head again and checked the phones. *She wanted to see you as soon as you got here so you better get in there, studly, before she comes out to get you.*

 

Duo jerked and cut his eyes at her. *Studly?*

 

Beverly laughed and shooed him away, pressing the contact to let Une know he was coming in.

 

Duo stepped into Une*s office and found his Commander seated behind her desk packing up a case. She looked up when he walked in but did not stop her actions.

 

*Maxwell, come in. I have a mission for you.*

 

 

Duo sighed softly and threw himself in the chair in front of Une*s desk. Since he*d joined the organization he*d come to understand his hostility toward Une and had worked hard to rid himself of it. It had taken four months. In that time he*d ranted, raved, and threw things until finally she let him prank her. He*d been leery at first, especially since she*d called him into her office expressly to give him permission, and had spent the better part of a mission trying to reason it through. Finally Wufei had slapped him in the head and told him just to do it and get it over with. She*d looked so good with purple hair, which she*d kept for a month, that he felt relaxed around her now.

 

*What*s up?*

 

Une smiled at him as she stood and gathered her loaded case. *You are to accompany me for a recovery operation.*

 

Duo straightened as Une stood. *Sure. Where we going?*

 

Une thinned her lips before she stepped around her desk and ignored the question. *The shuttle is waiting for us.*

 

 

Duo stood quickly and followed her out the door. When Une paused at Beverly*s desk, he fought to keep his mouth from running off with curiosity.

 

*Deliver this to Chang when he stops by.* She handed an envelope to her assistant before turning to Duo. *Let*s go, Maxwell.*

 

Duo shrugged and gave Beverly a last flirtatious wink before following the Commander to the elevator. Beverly looked at the plain envelope before setting it aside and watching the doors close on her boss.

 

It took only minutes for Duo and Une to get to the shuttle. It was sitting on the pad engines all ready running. He followed her from the car and into the shuttle with just a nod to the security force at the port. They were barely seated before the engines whined sharply and Une gave the nod to take off.

 

 

Duo waited as long as he could, trying to remain calm and silent as Une placed her case next to her. When she didn*t speak or remove any papers for him to look at he shifted in his seat and tried to get comfortable.

 

Once they*d reached the required altitude a steward came by to ask if they would like a drink. Une ordered for both of them before Duo could speak. When he returned with their drinks, water for Duo- tea for Une, she turned to her attention to him.

 

*Would you go check with the pilot to see how long we have before we reach Brussels?*

 

Duo nodded. Once he was gone, Une sighed and closed her eyes. The letter was specific. Bracing herself she reached for Duo*s water and slipped a capsule from her pocket. Breaking it quickly, she dropped the powder into the clear liquid and watched as it dissolved. Pushing the glass back into place she took a sip of tea as Duo returned.

 

*He said we*d arrive in about fifteen minutes.* He reported to her. *Commander, may I ask what we*re recovering?*

 

Une set her cup carefully onto it*s saucer before looking over at him and decided to tell him part of what she knew.

 

*I received a parcel today from Commander Treize.* When his eyes widened she knew she had his full attention. *There is a vault in his mountain home in Brussels that has certain things inside that need to be taken care of.*

 

Duo frowned. For some reason she was being secretive about this whole thing and it was making the hair on the back of his neck tingle. That hadn*t happened in years and longer than that in Une*s presence.

 

Taking a gulp of his water, he spoke hesitantly, *Is it OZ stuff?*

 

 

Une jerked startled. She*d been so lost in her thoughts that she*d pushed his presence out of her mind. With a quick shake of her head, she answered his hesitant question and felt her stomach tighten as she watched him take another drink.

 

*Duo, you know that I think of you as one of my best agents.* Une wanted to say what was in her heart before everything changed. *I think, no matter what anyone said, that you are highly intelligent and worthy of great admiration.*

 

Duo frowned at her words. Why was she being so sincere and looking at him with regret. Then as she continued to speak, he felt the drug begin to take effect. Une*s form began to weaver, twisting and turning on itself. He shook his head, trying to focus and jerked when her hand gripped his arm.

 

*I*m sorry.* He heard her whisper. *But this is the best way for you. Commander Treize was specific about what was to be done. I hope you understand.*

 

Duo jerked his arm free and stood from the seat. She*d drugged him. He*d learned to trust her and she*d drugged him. He tried to move to the cockpit, but the steward was there to hold him up. He weave and tried to pull free the drone of voices playing in his head; the words sounded almost of a different language. With an angry look at Une*s worried face, he let the darkness take him down. Next time he*d shave her head.

 

Une held the tears back as she had the steward lay him in the seat and secure him. She thanked him with absentmindedness before sitting next to the unconscious boy and took his hand.

 

*I hope you*ll be all right.* She whispered. *And forgive me when this is all over with.*

 

.________________________________________________________________ __.

 

 

Wufei sighed and looked up at the clock of the office he shared with Duo Maxwell. He*d come in after lunch to find the American out but knew that he*d be back before quitting time. He*d gotten lost in his paperwork and only now thought to look at the time. To his surprise it was only fifteen minutes before they were allowed to leave and Duo wasn*t bouncing around the room. He checked the e-mails before getting up and looking over his partner*s desk to see if there was a note. There was no alert that he*d been sent on a mission nor was there a note telling him he*d left early.

 

Frowning Wufei quickly straightened his desk and headed up a floor to the Commander*s office. She would know where the braided baka was if no one else did.

 

Beverly looked and smiled as Wufei stepped out of the elevator. Like Captain Maxwell, Lt. Chang was some very nice eye candy. However unlike Duo Maxwell, he didn*t even pretend to flirt or joke. He was a strict no-nonsense agent who*s words seemed to be limited to the job. She*d never heard him say anything flirtatious or joking unless it was to Capt. Maxwell.

 

Wufei saw the woman who served as Une*s assistant and hide the cringe. Duo always kept her busy so that he wouldn*t have to acknowledge the onna or listen to her.

 

*Is the Commander in?* he spoke quickly in the hopes that he could get this over with without her fawning over him as she seemed to.

 

Beverly smiled and fought to keep her drooling to a minimum as she looked him over. His tightly pulled ponytail made all the women want to loosen him up and his deep voice was the nightly fantasy of many of her dreams.

 

*She*s out. Left after lunch with Capt. Maxwell.* She purred and saw his shoulders tighten. *She left this for you.*

 

She handed him the envelope Une had left and licked her lips as he took it with a nod. When he simply turned and headed back toward the elevator she licked her lips and sighed. It was so unfair that they were all so yummy.

 

 

Wufei was glad when the doors closed blocking that Onna*s eyes. He kept his automatic reaction hidden and looked at the blank envelope left to him. If it weren*t for the fact that she was the best assistant Une ever had, he*d have said something about her along time ago. Once in his office he ripped open the envelope and removed the note.

 

*What!?* Wufei grabbed his cell as he ran out of the office. *Heero! Meet me at the shuttle port immediately and being the others!*

 

He didn*t wait for Heero*s answer as he raced to his car and tore out of the parking garage.

 

.________________________________________________________________ .

 

Une wheeled Duo*s unconscious form into the mansion and dismissed the pilot and steward. She gave them meaningless words before ordering them to leave and setting her case on the table. It had been so long since she*d been here and could feel the ghosts fly along with the dust motes. She*d only been in this house once and that was upon Treize*s arrest. She shuddered to think how long ago that was.

 

Wrapping her arms around herself, she left Duo in the foyer and made a quick search of the place before fining the office. There, behind the large mahogany desk, was the large portrait of General Sebastian Kushrenada. He had been the leader of one of the last world wars and instrumental in getting the colony project started. It was here that the vault was hidden.

 

With a sigh, she stepped forward and pressed her hand to the raised gold medallion at the portrait. There was a hiss, a click, and then the painting slowly swung out to reveal a heavily re-enforced gundanium door. She stroked the cold metal and knew that it had been put into place after Treize had made sure the contents were safe.

 

Returning to the foyer, she took a stilling breath and grabbed the handles of the wheel chair to take Duo to the study. Once inside she reached into her pocket and removed a small piece of paper with the pass code on it. The key pad was not the only lock mechanism but it was the first and with quick fingers she typed in the code.

 

D10312008 A195C 1800418M

 

There was an accepting beep and the panel opened to reveal another more complex mechanism. She placed her eyes to the small opal and waited for it to scan her retina before placing her finger to another port. There was a soft beep to let her know the scan was complete and a sudden pain let her know the DNA sample had been taken. In a few seconds the lights flashed and another lock was released. Two more keypads and one more DNA scan lead to the final lock, that one would require nothing from Une.

 

With a sigh, she turned and pulled Duo over to the final panel. It looked like a simple hand scanner but this one was the most sophisticated of them all. It would scan the palm, extracting each and every little line to verify before checking DNA, RNA, and some other biological that had been deemed un-needed in this time. Once that was done it would seek a heat signature before it even began to ask for the code letters and numbers that would allow the lock to open.

 

Placing Duo*s hand on the panel she held it tightly as it went about verifying who he was. The only way she knew it was working was a quick scanning light and a grunt when the samples were taken before a large light shot out and encompassed the drugged pilot. Seconds ticked by and Une felt sweat bead on her upper lip before there was a grunting sound and a simple keypad opened up.

 

 

*Please input sequence. You have thirty seconds to complete. You have three tries before the lock is sealed and clocked for ten years.* The computerized voice startled her and made her mess up the first try. Taking a steady breath she watched the numbers re-set and allow her another thirty seconds, this time she punched in the long series and stepped back.

 

Lady Une gasped as a hologram emerged from the dark opening. It was Treize in full uniform looking as handsome as ever.

 

*Hello, Lady.* He smiled as he stood there guarding the entrance to the lab his ancestor had build hundreds of years ago. *I*m glad that you survived. I*m also glad that you found him. I know how hard it must have been to fight against him and keep him alive as I requested. It made no sense to you I*m sure, but now it does. I found it strange that this one boy would be the keeper of the future.* The imaged shimmered for a second and then seemed to reset itself. *Inside there are two cylinders. One you will find occupied with the past-born; the other is open and waiting for the future-born. Place this one into the empty, press the blinking amber light, the leave. The machine will join the two halves and re-open when it is complete.*

 

Une nodded as the image blinked out and turned to get Duo. Inside the chamber was dim, the light casting an eerie blue hue over the metallic surfaces. Inside one clear glass chamber lay the body of one Duo Maxwell, with short hair and wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Une glanced at him amazed at how much they shared in looks, then shook herself.

Lifting Duo was no easy task, he was dead weight and the chamber was higher than a bed. With several grunts she managed to get him inside and laid out flat. She arranged him just as the other lay so that they looked like twins before searching out the amber she was to push. With one last touch, brushing her Duo*s bangs aside, she pressed the button and sealed the chamber. There was a warning sound and she slipped out of the chamber as the door was sealed again.

 

There would be no opening it from this side.

 

 

It seemed like the day should be done but it had only been three hours since Une had started down this path and only half that since she*d placed Duo Maxwell inside the vault. She figured it wouldn*t be long now before the rest of the pilots showed up wanting answers.

 

No sooner had that thought entered her mind than she felt the hard muzzle of a gun pressed against the back of her head.

 

 

*We trusted you.* the hard words were spoken from Heero so she knew who held the gun.

 

*Commander.* Wufei came around to be seen, his arms folded over his chest, his uniform wrinkled from travel. *Where is Duo?*

 

Une sighed. There was no point in giving them any explanation; they wouldn*t understand, so she merely handed him the disc.

 

*What is this?* Quatre asked, taking the disc from Wufei*s lax hand.

 

*It*s the answer.* She stated.

 

Wufei nodded and Une felt the gun withdrawn as the group moved to the desk behind her. It was set up to play the disc, Treize had let her know that if she couldn*t find any other way to play it. She listened to it load and heard the gasps as Duo-the-past-born appeared on the screen before tuning out the rest.

 

The other pilots stared transfixed as the *video* played. They couldn*t take their eyes off the short-haired Duo as he spoke to them. When it was over with there was nothing but silence. Une just waited and eventually the boys joined her- two each on the settees next to her.

 

*Where?* Quarte*s softly spoken word broke the tense silence.

 

Une sighed and looked over at each of them. While they were not pointing guns or cursing her with angry eyes, they did seem leery of her. She understood, she*d fought long and hard go gain their trust and with this one move she*d made them question it.

 

 

She nodded to the portrait which had closed itself. *He*s in the vault.*

 

Heero and Wufei jerked both wanting get up and rip the portrait off the wall, tearing into the vault with their bare hands.

 

*Why?* Quatre was their speaker. His voice was subdued in comparison to how he usually spoke. It was very telling of his emotional state.

 

Une sighed. *I don*t know.* she said honestly. *I received that message from Mr. Treize and after seeing the video I couldn*t not follow his wishes. Somehow it just seemed to make sense.*

 

Wufei snorted and stood with an angry jerk. *Onna,* he cursed.

 

Une smiled softly knowing that it was his way of dealing with the situation.

 

*What*s happening in there?* Heero growled, hard blue eyes cutting into the wall where the vault lay.

 

Une looked at the grandfather clock as it ticked the minutes away. There had been no mention of how long it would take, in fact Treize had said that he didn*t understand the process enough to explain it properly.

 

*If Duo was born before the colonies, then how is it . . .*

 

*That wasn*t Maxwell!* Wufei shouted almost turning on Quatre in his anger.

 

Quatre, and by default Trowa, glared at him for being so snappy. *I know that, Wufei, I*m just trying to understand what*s happening.*

 

Wufei snorted and turned away, again facing the window and the garden beyond. Quatre ignored him and looked at Lady Une.

 

Une met his eyes honestly, she had nothing to hide. *You saw the video. The only other information I received was a letter of instruction and the codes to the vault.*

 

 

That made Heero stand up and turn on her demanding that she open the vault.

 

*I cannot open it!* Une shouted back over both his anger and Wufei*s standing to face them. *Even if I could start the procedure it*s useless. There is an electronic lock that requires Duo*s DNA to open!*

 

*We can find samples!* Wufei argued as Heero began to pace the room.

 

*Lady, how long will the vault remain sealed?* Trowa asked in a more reasonable voice.

 

Une sighed and sat back down. *I don*t know.* She was resigned to the fact that they would never forgive her for this no matter what the happened. *Treize didn*t understand the process enough to explain it. His ancestor, Sebastian had the vault built before he five years before he died.*

 

Quatre frowned and jumped up off the settee. His eyes scanned the portrait finally finding the dates he sought.

 

*He died in 2001!* he shouted and looked at Lady Une.

 

She shook her head. *I don*t understand how any of this to work out.*

 

*Maybe you should have thought of that before you locked him in there for who knows what!* Wufei shouted drowning out any other sounds in the room.

 

Trowa sighed as Heero and Wufei ganged up on Une, shouting and cursing as they all stood facing each other. He got up and went over to Quatre.

 

*What are you thinking, little one?*

 

Quatre stared up at the portrait, ignoring the shouting going on behind him. *The Duo on that vid spoke of a Sebastian as one of the *ghosts* who vowed not to leave him.* He sighed and wrapped his arms around his middle. *Duo always spoke of his *ghosts* as being a part of him.*

 

 

Trowa placed a hand on his friend*s shoulder to try to comfort him. *He does call himself Shinigami.*

 

Quatre turned and sighed sadly, *what if this changes him? What if he*s not . . .*

 

A low hum began to build in the room until finally it made everyone fall silent. Quatre and Trowa moved away from the wall and joined others in the room*s center. Everyone was staring at the portrait when the image of Treize returned.

 

*The process is complete.* He spoke so solemnly that it was startling. *The past-born and the future-born are now one. The present is the ground on which the now will stand.*

 

No one moved as the portrait swung open and the large metal door behind it hissed with a pressure release. They all watched as it slowly swung open on silent hinges revealing a dim room beyond. Before any of them could move toward the room Duo Maxwell appeared and took another few steps into the room, stopping just behind the desk.

 

The others were quick to take in any changes in him. His eyes were down cast so they could not see them clearly, hidden behind feathered bangs and layered sides. It was down, it was long but only to his hips and not his thighs, his clothing consisted of his uniform pants but he wore an old t-shirt without the jacket, and his feet were bare. He hadn*t lost height but seemed to stand a little taller, straighter, his shoulders a little wider.

 

*Duo?* Quatre spoke quietly, taking a tentative step toward his friend. His empathy was telling him his friend was still there but that there was more.

 

Duo didn*t move, didn*t speak, and didn*t really acknowledge them in anyway but did tilt his head as if listening.

 

*Are you all right?* Quatre kept his voice quiet as he approached his friend, not wanting to scare him after all he*d been through.

 

 

Duo raised his head and locked eyes with Une. *Thank you.*

 

His voice hadn*t changed nor had his eyes- still the same luminescent violet they*d always been.

 

*Are you all right?* she asked, trying to calm her fast beating heart.

 

The others remained unconvinced until he smiled. Slightly cocky, slightly cunning, with a hint of innocence that only Duo Maxwell could pull off and cut the tension in the bodies of the others.

 

*Maxwell?* Wufei snorted but still remained unmoving.

 

*I*m good, Wu-man.* He grinned, cocked his hip, and met each of his friend*s gaze. *But I sure could use some dinner and coffee.

 

WHAT HAPPENED WITHIN:

2.

It felt odd. He*d known, somehow, that waking up would not be like *just getting out of bed*. First, he checked his body without moving. Old habits from the war kicked in so he could check for injuries without letting it known that he was conscious. Once that was done he opened his eyes to stare up at a metallic ceiling colored in dim blue. His ears filled with a dying hum that only machinery can make, letting him know that things were powering down.

 

Assured that he was alone, he took a deep breath and filled his lungs with fresh air. Flexing his hands, he stretched the muscles in his arms and legs before sitting up and throwing his legs over the side. Across from him sat an empty chamber identical to his own and something told him that once upon a time he had also lain there.

 

There was no clash of past and present, no merging of the two different Him*s, instead there was just him. Just Duo. Duo who watched Solo die and knew that Sebastian Kushrenada had saved his life at the cost of his own. Duo who had been the sole survivor of the Maxwell Church and had vague recollection of a smiling woman who was his mother. Duo who had piloted Deathscythe and had been on the high road to a Computer Degree. Oddly enough instead of over whelming him it made him feel complete. What was lacking in the one had been filled by the other.

 

*Duo?*

 

Duo turned and looked around. *Who?*

 

There was a simmer in a corner of the room as Sebastian made himself known. *I see that you are finally complete.*

 

Duo smiled at his long time ghostly friend, before noticing another standing near him. *Solo!?*

 

 

The seeming younger version of Sebastian solidified and smiled. *Hey kid.*

 

*What*s going on?* Duo asked but the answer appeared as a bright light filled a darkened corner of the vault, a doorway appearing.

 

*It*s time for me to leave.* Sebastian stated. *My job is complete.*

 

*But you said you*d be with me to the end.* Duo was confused as his old friend moved toward the doorway that signaled his entrance to the after life. *What about Brooks or Ileah? Solo?*

 

Sebastian stopped at the door*s threshold and smiled. *Solo is staying with you, as he promised. Brooks went on about forty years ago having justified his own death and Ileah vanished the night you went to sleep. I*d like to think she, too, was allowed to go home.*

 

 

Duo ducked his head trying to think as Sebastian waited patiently. He knew the conflict that was happening in the boy and felt bad for leaving him, but he*d discussed this life with Solo and knew that this Duo was much stronger than the other.

 

*Duo.* he waited until he had the boy*s attention before continuing. *You are much stronger here than you ever were there. There is no mission course for you to follow, just do what you have always done.*

 

*What about saving the future?*

 

Solo frowned as Sebastian graced them both with a patient smile. *It*s all ready done.* Turning to the doorway again, he sighed, *I will miss our talks though.* Giving the younger men/boys a final look. *Make me proud, boys.*

 

Sebastian blinked against the brightness of the open door as he entered the stairway to his final destination. There was a heralding sound as he began his ascent and he felt his own burdens lighten. It would be good to finally rest.

 

 

Duo blinked against the bright light before it faded and the darken corner returned to normal.

 

*Don be so sad, kid.* Solo smiled. *I*s no so bad ta be rond.*

 

Duo laughed at his childhood friend. *Is no like I foggy ya.*

 

Solo laughed heartily at the return of the L2 accent. *Ya nottin.*

 

Duo laughed with him before calming himself and looking at the sealed vault door.

 

*They out there.* Solo said clearly. *I be rond, kid.*

 

Duo nodded absently, not seeing his friend fade as he took several deep breaths wondering how the other pilots were doing. It*d been a long time since he*d seen more than just his partner, Wufei. Quatre, he knew would be all *mother-hen* on him; while Heero would probably be silently fuming and Trowa would be stoic.

 

With a sigh, Duo raked a hand through his hair and frowned when he saw that it was loose and cut in layers on top.

 

*Well, at least it wasn*t a mullet.* Duo smirked while he punched in the code to unsealed the vault.

 

The mechanisms turned, spun, and pulled apart; the hiss releasing the air tight seal. He only had a few seconds before the whole thing opened and he would have to face his friends and Une. He went to straighten his jacket and noticed his clothing for the first time. His uniform pants were still on -Thank God- but his uniform jacket and top had been replaced by a t-shirt with the words: *Don*t make me get my flying monkeys* and his shoes were gone.

 

Before he could ponder much more but the door swung open then and he stepped out. It was show time. He wiped the smirk off just as he stepped into the light so the others could clearly see him.

 

 

*Duo?* Quatre*s voice was quiet which meant he*d all ready fallen into *protection* mode and for the first time in his life he could feel the empathy touch him.

 

Duo decided not to move, or speak, and or really acknowledge them in anyway but did tilt his head to indicate he was listening. He wanted to know the feel of the room before he added anything.

 

*Are you all right?* Quatre kept his voice quiet and he heard him take a few steps forward.

 

Duo raised his head and locked eyes with Une. He could see that she was stressed, her expression tight. The others had probably taken out their frustration and anger out on her the second they had gotten here.

 

*Thank you.* He kept his voice soft and eyed his friends/family wearily unsure of how they were reacting to the whole situation.

 

*Are you all right?* she asked, trying to calm her fast beating heart.

 

The others remained unconvinced until so he smiled. Slightly cocky, slightly cunning, with a hint of innocence that was his signature and felt the tension loose in the bodies of the others.

 

*Maxwell?* Wufei snorted but still remained unmoving.

 

*I*m good, Wu-man.* He grinned, cocked his hip, and met each of his friend*s gaze. *But I sure could use some dinner and a coffee.*

 

 

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