---------------------------- Kyuuketsuki Duo Demons -- The Second Chapter ---------------------------- The moment he stepped out of the shadows, Heero was by his side. ::Duo? Are you alright?:: He was filled with anxiety and concern for his charge, but kept it from his mindvoice. He knew that his braided companion had been disturbed by something on the last mission; he had felt it, but he did not know what it was. When he had first interjected, Duo had shut him out with an undirected anger, and he had been unable to observe any of the following events. He was also unaware of what had happened to cause it, for he had recently withdrawn from the sidelines of Duo's mind. In Duo's impromptu lessons on humanity, he had explained the human need for occasional privacy, and Heero had decided to back off a little and give Duo some mental space. Besides which, he had done his job well. Duo was well-trained and competent now, even stable most of the time, and no longer needed the former hunter to watch over his every move like a nervous nurse. "I'm fine," Duo responded curtly, moving away from his guardian. ::No, you're not. I'm no expert on human behavior, but I can certainly tell when something is bothering you.:: He had spent much time with Duo, observing him and learning from him until he could interpret most of the nuances of his behavior, even if he didn't always understand them, but he didn't even need those skills now, so obvious was Duo's distress. This was not the first job he had done alone, but it was the first time he had come home distraught and distracted enough to have foregone his post-mission habits. The young guardian offered no reply as he silently exchanged his work clothes for his home clothes. ::Duo. You've told me on numerous occasions to share things. To speak my mind, to let you help me. That it was all part of being human. How about following your own advice?:: Duo turned with fire sparking in his violet eyes and stalked back to him. Obviously he had hit a sore point. "Humanity? Let me tell you about humanity. Humanity sucks." He emphasized the point by jabbing one slender finger at Heero's chest. ::Tell me about it,:: he stated simply. A blink, and the fire died out and was replaced by a tired, vulnerable look. Duo's shoulders slumped as he closed his eyes and hid his face in Heero's robe. ::I thought it was going to be an easy job,:: he prompted, gently placing one hand soothingly on Duo's back, the other lightly stroking the silky chestnut hair. "It was," he murmured. "It was terribly easy. And when the Shinma was gone, nothing changed. Turns out the human was just as depraved as he was with the Shinma. And then I killed him. First human I ever killed. Can't even tell you why I did. And then some crazy snow demon named Dorothy showed up and tried to screw with my mind...." His hand stopped its comforting motion. Dorothy? What the hell was she doing there? Duo suddenly pushed himself away from him. "Look, I'm tired. I'm going to get some sleep." ::Duo --:: He took a step towards him. "I... I'll talk to you in the morning, okay?" Duo turned away, and Heero would have followed, but for the impression that he was truly as tired as he looked and sounded. Very well, he would wait until the youth had rested before he again wore away at his reluctance to speak, with the same patience and determination that had made him the best hunter there was. But in the meantime, he would seek his answers from another source. He guarded his charge until he had fallen into a fitful sleep, and then exited their home, hating to leave him alone, but needing to take care of business. He went past the boundaries of the land they had staked as their own to where there was only the planescape of the place between places. There, he issued his summons to the otherwinds. The snow demon responded swiftly, as if she had been listening for such a summons. ::What did you say to him?:: he demanded the moment she completed her materialization. Dorothy smiled. "Come now, Heero. Is that the way to greet an old friend?" ::You're no friend of mine,:: he retorted coldly. "Old acquaintance, then. Although I'm quite unaccustomed to this 'new' you. I liked the ruthless hunter better," she purred as she dragged a fingernail slowly down his chest. He batted her hand away. ::You always were fascinated by power.:: "Guess that would explain why I'm so fascinated by the guardian." Heero's eyes narrowed. ::You're fascinated by dangerous things, Dorothy,:: he warned, an edge to his voice. It was always a fine line to walk with her. Putting any more of an ominous hint to his statement would only have encouraged her. "That's what makes them so fascinating." She smiled again. ::What did you say to him?:: he demanded once more, irritation creeping into his mindvoice. "What makes you think I said anything?" ::I've had enough of your games, Dorothy. Tell me. Now.:: ************ Duo's rest was plagued by the doubts ringing through his mind, as he was unable to forget the incisive words of the snow demon. Everything she had said held a grain of truth in them, and right now those little grains had worked their way deep into his mind like the grains of sand one gets in one's shoes and socks and can't shake out. He had indeed killed that man, for no justifiable reason. It hadn't been self-defense, or for the defense of another. He supposed that, if pressed, he would respond that the man had deserved it. But as the demon had said, who was he to pass judgment on humanity? The man would probably have claimed that the boy had deserved it, for casting suggestive looks at him, or simply looking so tempting. Was it so very different when the man killed the boy and when he himself had killed the man? Did he really think that he was better than they? He was one of them. He had claimed it time and time again before, clung to his humanity beyond reason. It appeared now that he had succeeded well in remaining in humanity's clutches, if it was humanity's propensity to leave a trail of destruction in its wake. The innocent souls of holy men and children had been denied their final rest because of him. And he had had the audacity to think that he could lay a single soul to rest with an empty prayer to a god that abhorred darkness such as his own. He, with hands as filthy and stained as the rest of them. He should have just let Heero kill him the night they met. Everyone at the church would still be alive, and he would have been forgotten in a month, if that long. Heero would have been able to continue on his way.... But he would still have been in the thrall of his Shinma masters, wouldn't he? Well, what difference would it make? He had traded in his Shinma masters for an insolent, *human* master. Now that he took a moment to consider it, his behavior towards Heero had been appalling. His companion had displayed concern, twice, and both times he had merely dismissed him without a thought. What if it hadn't been concern? What if, when Heero said, "Tell me about it," he hadn't meant it literally? What if he had been sardonically agreeing with Duo's assessment of humanity? And the way Duo had shamelessly taken what he had thought was comfort? When had he ever given Heero anything in return? That was why he had pushed himself away from him. The realization had struck him the moment Heero's hand had stilled, tired of having to give everything to this greedy, grasping human. Recently, Duo had also felt a distinct lessening of Heero's presence in his mind, sensed a certain mysterious reluctance on his mentor's part to watch him as he once did. It was just another sign that his endless duty was wearing on him. And in the midst of these, and other, doubts, disembodied words drifted to him in his sleep, two voices he knew, and he listened. ************ Her laugh filled the air like soft sleigh bells. She shrugged negligently. "I just told him the truth." ::Your truth.:: "The truth. He's depressingly *human*, Heero. Subject to all of those *human* faults. Why do you put up with him?" He refused to answer. There was no how or why about it. It was just who Duo was, to keep hanging on to his human side, and he accepted that, even though it was his own opinion that he and Duo were neither human nor Shinma, but creatures condemned to live forever between them both. But if she had challenged Duo's humanity, or rather, cruelly reaffirmed it by emphasizing all of the human faults, he could well see how Duo might have been disturbed. She had a talent for knowing precisely what to say to manipulate someone. "Can't figure it out yourself, eh? Your 'concern' for your charge is charming, to say the least, your devotion to your mission to keep him alive and well -- admirable, even. But humans are such selfish, irrational creatures, after all. Only through sheer luck did they come to dominate this sphere. I don't know how you can stand them at all." 'I was once human,' he wanted to cry, but Dorothy did not know that, few did, and he would not give her more fuel to add to her fire. She would find a way to twist whatever he said into whatever she desired. But he wondered what she would think if she knew that perhaps it was his humanity that gave him the power she so admired. ::Humanity cannot be judged purely on its faults.:: "Parroting the ideals of your master, I see. 'Not all humans are the same,' he said. 'Can't judge them all in one group,' he claimed. He has you trained well, to repeat his words so faithfully." His eyes narrowed behind the mask. 'Perhaps the words are true,' he thought to himself. "They live among their own filth, they reject members of their own kind, they think only of themselves. Even you just now did not deny that humanity has its faults." ::We all have faults, Dorothy. Shinma and demons as well.:: "Again, as his master said!" she scoffed. The demon molded herself to him, placing her hands on his chest and looking up at him with ice blue eyes. "Oh, Heero. What has he done to you, my darling?" Unseen, he snarled at the endearment and the invasion of his personal space by this power-obsessed demon. "You used to be so great! So powerful! Until this upstart human came along and had you cast out of the Shinma." 'I believe I had something to do with that,' he retorted to himself as he silently shoved her away from him. Apparently both she and Duo were capable of ignoring that fact when it pleased them. He himself had allowed himself to be distracted and to fail in his mission, and after that, it was he and he alone that had made the decision to side with the guardian's heir. ::What do you want here, Dorothy?:: "I only want what's best for you, Heero," she pouted. ::Which you think is...?:: He didn't really want to hear the answer. "I think you should ditch that human deadweight. I don't know what hold he has over you, but you should break free from it. I'll help you. I want to see you returned to your full potential, the great warrior you once were! It's because of *him* that you have been denied your place of honor among the Shinma, don't you see?" 'It's because of him that I have broken free of the Shinma!' He wanted to defend Duo from her vicious onslaught, to protect him from her wicked words, but knew how futile that would be. He had dealt with Dorothy several times in the past, and was well aware of her peculiar blindness. ::You think too highly of me, demon.:: His place of 'honor' had been a position of slavery, but she was too far crazed to care for the difference. Power was power. She stilled at the icy edge to his mindvoice. "Is that your final answer, then?" she asked dangerously. ::...:: His frosty silence was answer enough. "Very well," she concurred in a low tone. "Perhaps I was mistaken, then. Perhaps you truly and irrevocably have sunken to such depths because of that human that you no longer know who and what you are, nor know what is best for you. But let me remind you, Heero. I only want what's best for you." She was gone in a snowy whirl, leaving Heero disturbed by the confrontation. Her departing words had left far too much room to become a threat. ************ Duo woke with a start. 'Dear gods, let that be a dream, let that have been a dream,' he repeated to himself desperately, but when he opened his eyes, and did not sense the presence of Heero near, he knew that it was not. He squeezed his eyes shut once more and curled himself into a vulnerable, defensive tuck, clutching the tail of his braid tightly to himself as a lifeline, as he tried hopelessly not to drown in the black whirlpool of depression and self-doubt which engulfed him. He opened his eyes once more when Heero returned. ::Are you alright, little one?:: he inquired again, coming silently to kneel by his companion's side. "Where were you?" the braided one asked quietly. Heero looked searchingly for some sign of accusation or recrimination for his absence, but found none. There was only... something he couldn't understand behind the wide, staring eyes. A bit of hurt, a touch of fear, and a lot of unreadable. ::I'm sorry I wasn't here,:: he apologized. ::I had some ... business to take care of.:: "Business," Duo echoed softly, a final confirmation that his dream had been reality, and he looked away. ::Duo?:: A decision was made. Duo stood abruptly and headed out the door with a determined step as he changed his clothes once more. "I have some business of my own to take care of." Heero stood swiftly and turned after his charge. ::Duo?:: he asked again, his hand outstretched to the guardian's back. "Alone. I need to do this myself." He shut his mentor out of his mind and disappeared into the dark shadows. Heero's hand fell. ::What are you hiding from me, little one?:: His question was lost in the silence. ----------------------------- You think the Heero-fascinated demon would be better played by Relena, do you? But Dorothy is obsessed with his power, not with Heero himself. She wants only for Heero to be returned to his glory. Had Heero been stripped completely of his powers by the Shinma, Dorothy would have given him a thought or two about his fall from grace, and then she would have forgotten him. Besides, Relena has another role to play in this drama, much later on. _________________________________________ This piece of fiction is the intellectual property of the little turnip that could. The basis for this fic, i.e. Gundam Wing, Kyuuketsuki Miyu, et al., is the property of someone else. The author can be con- tacted at jchew@myrealbox.com. This has been an entirely automated message. http://www.cs.hmc.edu/~jchew/misc/gw.html last modified : 12/6/2002 00:37:50 PST