Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Winter Demon ❯ Two ( Chapter 2 )

Two

Duo sat down, his finger still on the monitor. Heero. He knew it in his bones, that they weren't done. The timber of Relena's voice was deeper than he'd expected, or remembered, laced with a sorrow that had been there long enough to be a companion. Relena. Old friendship; it was like a tree ripped over by the wind that stubbornly refused to stay cut down, and kept sending up shoot after shoot. They'd been friends too, Duo and Relena, before the last disaster. It had almost brought a kind of peace that Heero had wanted to be with her, rather than being alone.

Before he knew he was crying, tears had dropped down to soak into his black turtleneck. It had been a razor sharp comfort, that Relena had been a comfort to Heero. Hair partially unbound, Duo almost caressed the screen as he triggered the computer to call Relena. She had saved his life once. Once they'd even been lovers. It seemed so far away, so long ago. His eyes closed, the computer made soft beeps as it reached across the solar system to Heero and Relena's home on Earth.

"Duo?" Relena's voice sounded just the same and it took him back to discussions of manga and Heero flirting techniques. "Duo! Oh Gods! Duo, are you okay? It's not as bad as it seems. We can get out of this too. Just like when Heero came across that battle field and, Duo you remember that, right?"

He opened his eyes, stinging from the tears. Half of her face was swollen, her eye nearly closed. "I remember, Relena. Heero? What happened to your face?"

"Heero did it. I'm afraid, Duo and I'm sorry. Can you come to Earth? Right now?"

"It'll take at least three days, 'Lena, but you know I'll come. Where's Heero?"

"I don't know. But I know where he'll be within 72 hours."

This was beginning to feel like a mission, bringing back other old feelings. "What's his target? What triggered this? Are you in danger?"

She half smiled. "Shinigami always comes back."

Violet eyes went diamond cold. If the tears could have frozen his cheeks they would have. He didn't flinch away from the fear in her eyes, her lip between her teeth. On some level within himself. He was a killer, a thief and a killer, and without Heero living in the world and the hope of Heero's return to him it felt like he was walking on an icy I bar far above the nice comfortable life of an antiquities professor. "That's right, Relena. Shinigami's had a long time to think too. You know what'll do to you if you've hurt Heero?"

"Duo Maxwell don't you dare threaten me! IF I had hurt Heero I'd lay down under one of those big gundanium shoes you used to wear. I need your help! Heero's having a nervous breakdown, and I think he's going to assassinate a member of the senate."

Groaning, Duo almost felt like his head was under a Gundam foot. "Is this channel secure?"

"Iie," came an emotionless voice. "I told you not to call Duo. Maxwell, if you come to Earth I will take out the whole senate. It's justice, Duo. You understand justice."

"Heero," Duo whispered, touching the screen, even though it was only Relena's face. Two years without Heero's voice seemed like two years of space with no air now. "Heero! Oh God, Heero! I love you."

Relena rolled her eyes and batted at his hand on the screen. "He's not here, Baka! He's just hacked my secure comlink!"

"Duo." There was a pause then, a moment of eye in the center of the storm. "She sold me, Duo. I remember. I have to do this. Duo, then I'll be free. I wanted to love you. How's your knee?"

The question caught Duo completely off guard, one eyebrow arching up, pulling the side of his face up in a half shocked smirk. "I told you. I'll fix it when you tell me it wasn't your fault, that some people are just assholes."

"It's a mission, Duo. I don't fail missions. Stay away from Earth, away from Relena. It's justice."

"What the fuck happened? Heero Yuy, if we got some vengeance to give out, I'm coming too!" The comlink terminated though and Duo's computer went black. There wasn't any smoke or dramatics, but Duo knew it wasn't coming back up. "Damn, Heero, fuck my computer, will you?"

Duo quickly collected some supplies, a change of clothes, four pair of socks, an extra brace for his knee, a nice ceramic pistol, and enough money in cash that he could probably buy a shuttle if he needed it. He took the matching set of gold wedding bands he'd been going to give Heero one of the night they'd been attacked. The academy would cover his classes. It wasn't that unusual for him to disappear for a while. He showered though, remember old missions and that it might be a while before he could wash out his long hair again, dried it and braided it. In blue jeans and a black turtleneck, combat boots, and one emerald earring. Heero might think he was a bad ass, and okay, he was, but Shinigami was still going to Earth.