This is Part 10 of this fic. I am now continuing with the original timeline, before the flash back started. Er... I realize that Gabriel in my fic seems a lot like Gabriel in the Anita Blake books... erg... I didn't mean to... ^^;;
~blah~ = thoughts, "blah" = talk
This is my first GW fic series, there is some violence, strong language and it has the yaoi pairings of Heero & Duo (Ack, they're equal partners, so I guess I would say 2x1/1x2, right?) and Quatre and Trowa (once again, I don't want to be yelled at for not saying the correct pair. Let's just say they are equal partners as well). So if you don't like male/male pairings, then don't read this, or pretend that Quatre and Duo are chicks. Okay? And there's some semi-rape in this...
I woke up in my apartment. My head was in someone's warm lap, and I immediately sensed that it was Heero. He was softly humming and brushing my hair gently with his fingers. "Heero?" I asked in a dry voice, like when you first speak in the morning and your voice is all raspy. I found myself saying his name like that a lot lately.
"Relax. I'm here," he soothed, his arms cradling me like I was a precious treasure. I did as he said, and I soon fell asleep again, his soft tenor voice following me to a blissful rest.
It was dark. That wasn't a surprise. What was a surprise was that there were candles in the distance. I walked over to them, and saw that they were in a birthday cake. I read the words on the cake. 'Happy 6th Birthday Duo!' Suddenly, the lights turned on and I was in a room with Heero and the guys in front of me. They were all little kids, and I soon realized that I was shorter and my voice was higher as well. A woman moved in the corner of my eye and I looked at her. Her red hair was shocking, and she seemed familiar. She smiled happily at me. "Happy birthday, my son. I brought all your friends here for a surprise party!" The guys then tackled me, and we were all glomped together in a huge group hug. It felt so nice... I had a family, and friends...
Wait a minute.
I was a street orphan when I was six. I never had any cake, or a party for that matter. I didn't know the guys back then. Something about this dream was off. I looked at the woman. The red hair.
"Murdida!"
She smiled, and suddenly my surroundings changed into the upstairs room in Bloody Delights. The place was crawling with vamps and vampire junkies, but no one noticed me or her. "Duo, please, I can take you away from all of this. Your mother cares about you." I shook my head as two vampire women came up to me and pushed their bodies against mine. "No! I don't want this! Get out of my head Murdida!" She bared her fangs in an evil grin and laughed a braying laugh like a donkey. Then she floated away and out the window, leaving me with the vampires. I was being surrounded on all sides, their numbers growing with each passing moment. Their fangs were bared, and some licked their lips with anticipation. One of them started to leap forward. I screamed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Heero was still there, holding me against his chest. I could hear his heart beat as I slowly re-learned how to breathe. He wiped a moist towel against my brow, and crooned softly to calm my nerves. My whole body was trembling, cold and sweaty. "Hee... Hee-chan..." I never called him Hee-chan unless I felt really emotional, and he knew that. Now was one of those times.
"Shh... it's okay, Ma—... Duo." He had nearly called me master again. I guess I really did prove myself worthy of being his master, but at the cost of using up the majority of my energy, leaving me weak and vulnerable to physical and mental attacks. I sat up and looked out the window, shielding my eyes from the glare of the light. It was sunset. "How long have I been sleeping?"
"Most of the day."
"Oh... I'm starved."
Heero pulled me up to face him. He kissed me gently, then offered me his neck. "My blood is yours, lover." I was shocked for a few moments. First, he was offering me his blood. Second, he just called me lover. I think that merited me a few minutes of shock. "Actually, I was thinking more of solid food..."
Heero's eyes went downcast. Dammit. I bet he feels rejected. I would have drunk his blood, but I didn't know how to summon the fangs. Maybe if I just wished hard enough. I closed my eyes and kissed the pulse at the base of his neck. My lips lingered there, and I felt a sudden lust for blood. The fangs came suddenly, and I went with my emotions. I sunk my fangs into his neck, right at the pulse. I let the warm liquid flow into my mouth, my body trembling with desire. It was almost as good as sex. Almost.
After I had drank my fill, I licked the wound and it started healing almost immediately. I pulled back, my fangs disappearing as I took a deep breath to get my bearings straight. I looked at Heero's pale complexion. "Heero, are you okay?" He nodded, but he was bit out of breath. "That felt good," he said. I nodded my agreement, then suddenly realized that I wasn't starving anymore. "Hey, I'm not that hungry anymore. But I still kinda want a burger." Heero smirked, and we went to Burger King for some fast food.
He didn't eat anything, of course. He doesn't need to; he's dead.
The next day, we returned to work. It was still amazing to know that we still did our jobs well, considering that we practically stay up all night hunting vampires. Of course, no one else knows about vampires besides the five of us ex-pilots, Sally and Anita. And Hilde, but she was one of them, so that didn't really count.
Hold on.
Heero has been to Relena's house a few times during the course of these events... Maybe she knows something. I doubted it, because she was the vice foreign minister; she didn't have time to chase vampires, or hunt lycanthropes. But for some reason, I felt it wise to talk to her.
So during my one hour lunch break (thank God for benefits for 'veterans'), I drove over to Relena's house. I should say mansion, but it doesn't have the same regality that the word 'mansion' brings. Her house just seemed like, well, a house. I parked my jeep and rung the door bell.
"May I help you?" It was Pargan, Relena's faithful servant.
"Hi! I'm Duo Maxwell, a friend from the war. Can I speak to Relena-ojousan?"
Relena's voice came from behind him. "Pargan, who was— Oh! Duo! Welcome, come on in."
Pargan opened the door and I walked in. It was a nice house, with paintings of the woods and rivers all over the place. I guess it made up for living in the city with its concrete towers and such. "Oi, Relena-san, can I speak to ya, uh..." I looked over at Pargan. "Privately?" She looked over at Pargan, and he left like a good little servant. [1]
Is it obvious I don't think much of servants?
We walked to the living room, sat down across from each other and she offered me tea. I declined, watching her pour some for herself. Sometimes I forget that she's related to Zechs and not Quatre.
"So, is this about Heero?"
"Yeah. How did you know?"
"Why else would you be here?"
"Oh." I stared down at the glass table. It had all sorts of intricate designs. No, wait, those were coffee stains. "Drink a lot of coffee lately?"
She looked down and the table, and laughed softly. "Yeah, late nights trying to keep the peace. The maids have practically given up trying to clean that table. So now I just put the cup in a different spot, and that's what made this weird pattern," she said while pointing at a spiral design. It looked like one of those spirograph designs.
"Cool," I said blandly. She smiled and took my hand. The second she touched me, I felt warmth and love flowing through me, like a mother's sweet embrace. I flinched, and she let go of me. "What the hell was that?" I asked all too harshly.
"I am an empath. And you are a necromancer. I can feel the death in you, no offense..."
I shrugged. "None taken. But... how long? And how much do you know?"
She smiled and said, "I've known that I had powers ever since after I was kidnapped by Mariemaia. She told me that when I had slapped her, she felt something. She said that I had changed her outlook on life. Then while I was on one of the colonies, one of the colony delegates taught me a couple of things with my power. I stayed with him for a couple of years, then I came back to Earth. So I can feel other's emotions... It's kinda interesting."
I wondered idly if she could feel my emotions. Yeah, she probably could. If she had been training for two years, then she must know something. "Do you have some free time?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Quatre... Quatre has the same powers as you, I think. Maybe you could help him."
She quietly pondered this for a few moments, sipping her tea. "I think... I think it'd be better if he goes to same man I went to for training."
"We don't have time for that. You know what's going on in the city, don't you?"
"No, what is it?"
"Heero hasn't told you?"
"Well, he says you're part vampire and some other vampires are threatening you, but what does that have to with not having time to send Quatre to the colonies? You have time to see me, so why not help him?"
"I can't leave Quatre alone. The vamps might use Quatre as bait for me, and I don't want that. If he's far away, I can't help him if a vampire attacks him in the colonies. I don't know if there are any vamps in the colonies, and I don't wanna take that risk."
"Trowa could go with him."
I had nearly forgotten about that. Trowa was a were-lion. He could take on a vamp and not get too hurt. "Oh yeah... Hey, how do you know?"
"Heero told me."
"And he didn't tell you about Quatre?"
"Nope. Must have skipped his mind."
Heero's pretty thorough. This was starting to sound suspicious.
"I know that sounds suspicious."
I looked at her blankly for a few moments. Is suspicion an emotion?
"But Heero hasn't been himself lately. You've noticed right?"
I nodded.
"I think I know why."
"Go on."
"I think... I think he only has half his soul."
First it was shock. Then, "What?!"
"I mean, when you resurrected him, you didn't do it fully. After all, you probably had no idea what you were doing, right?"
I nodded.
"So... I think that maybe half of his soul escaped, so he's not really being himself. He's... uh... kinda like... half of a Heero."
I just sat in the silence, trying to sort out what she had said. Thankfully, she changed the subject.
"You know, I think I have some free time. I could teach Quatre how to control a bit of his powers, but to really understand, he has to go talk to the delegate of the L4 colony."
Huh, a delegate from his own colony. Go figure. "Alright, I'll ask him first. He might be a little uncomfortable about practicing his powers without one of the guys."
"No problem. Trowa could always come and watch."
I just nodded. "I'll let myself out now. My lunch break is almost over."
"Bye Duo."
"Bye Relena."
I left her house and didn't look back. I trusted Relena, just not with my life, or anyone else's. It wasn't that she was a backstabber, she just hasn't experienced the amount of bloodshed and gore that I've suffered. She may know how to use a gun, but can she kill?
No. And I intend on keeping her away from the butchery and carnage that is my life. Ever since Mrs. Dorlian died two years ago, she's been an orphan. Maybe not in the true sense of the word, but let's face it: she never knew her real parents, and her foster parents died before she reached 20. Life's not fair sometimes.
The only person taking care of her now is Pargan, because Zechs and Noin are on Mars terraforming. If only Zechs knew... Maybe he'd come back to his sister.
But none of this is my business. I never had a real family. And besides, I have more important things to worry about. Like Hilde.
I returned to work, and talked to Quatre. "Oi, Quatre!"
"What is it?"
I lowered my voice. "Um, Relena-san knows how to use the same powers that you have. She's offered to teach you how to use them a bit, if you want."
His eyes brightened at the prospect. "Really? I'll be glad to take the offer. When?"
"Probably tomorrow. Alright, I'll call her and tell her when."
"Thanks Duo."
"Don't thank me, thank her for teachin' ya."
And here I was worried that Quatre wouldn't go. I went to my office before he could say anything else. I did all my paperwork and left early. No one questioned me.
Heero followed me out. "Duo."
"What?"
He looked at me for a few moments. "Nothing, never mind," he said.
That was weird. He usually didn't say anything unless he had to, and doesn't forget much either. He has the memory of an elephant. He hopped onto his motorcycle and sped off, while I got into my jeep and drove after him.
Maybe Relena was right. Maybe he only had half his soul.
It was finally time to move out of my small apartment (well, small by Quatre's standards) and to move into our house. It was a small house on the edge of the city, out in the middle of nowhere so no one would get hurt.
Heero and I had been driving back and forth carrying boxes of my stuff. Which wasn't very much, not including the furniture. Heero had rented a U-Haul truck, and he moved most of the heavy stuff. He could lift it all by himself, but I helped him out so we wouldn't arouse suspicion from the neighbors. If a guy carried a three-hundred pound sofa out the door by himself, wouldn't you be suspicious?
My jeep held a couple of boxes filled with my clothes and other various knick-knacks that I've collected over the years. I've become such a packrat over the past few years; it surprises even me. When I was a gundam pilot, all my belongings could fit into one bag. Now it takes a U-haul truck and a couple of boxes.
I drove down the road listening to an old song. "Turn me on take me for a hard ride, Burn me out leave me on the otherside..." [2]
Another car was following me, and it looked rather menacing in the rear view mirror. In fact, it looked familiar. Haven't I seen a jeep like that before?
I hit the accelerator and drove away. As I predicted, they followed me. They drove towards me, which was bad since we were driving on a cliff and I was on the outside. Looks like I had to force myself inwards. I drove towards them, our jeeps grinding together. The sparks were flying as I tried to keep control of my car and pull out my gun at the same time. I pulled out the Firestar and aimed it at the driver. There was only one person in the car, the driver. He looked up at me and grinned, then I felt my car lurch forward. Why the hell didn't someone tell me they had backup?
I looked behind me, which probably wasn't smart. The driver of the Cadillac behind me just waved, and I looked forward again. My jeep hit a tree and I flew out of the jeep. No matter what the seat belt warning says, wearing it will not protect you from everything. And maybe because I didn't bother to replace the faulty buckle for it...
I flew off out of my car and into a tree. It was the last thing I saw before I plunged into the darkness.
"Shit..." That's what I felt like. Animal droppings. My vision was blurry, and the first thing I registered was my sense of touch. I was on something soft. I was also tied up, no, handcuffed. I was bound spread eagle, one leg to each bed post. I opened one eye, then the other. I didn't like what I saw.
"You shouldn't be saying such naughty things... I'll have to punish you..."
It was Gabriel. Stupid fucking Gabriel. His black hair fell around his face, framing it. His eyes were liquid brown and his teeth were fang-like. I heard that happens when a shape-shifter stayed in animal form for too long. I think Gabriel was into bestiality, and he was the beast. Wait... didn't I say he was a vampire?
"What are you?" I asked.
"You really wanna know?" he replied, a grin on his face.
"Yes."
"I'm a were-leopard."
Oh. That explained a couple of things. "Where the hell am I?"
"You're in the royal suite of Bloody Delights. Nice and comfy, isn't it?"
He slithered up to me, covering my body with his lithe muscular frame. He was larger than me, and I felt like an underdeveloped pre-teen next to him. His muscles weren't too big, but they were there. He was grinding his hips into mine, making my body quiver.
"Stop that," I said, more calmly than I felt. Good for me. He just lifted himself and kneeled between my bound legs.
"Oh, this is only the beginning little one. My master has much planned for you."
Master? Were-leopards don't have masters, do they? Hell, I didn't know much about how packs worked, all I knew was that the cat-shapeshifters had pride leaders. But masters? Maybe it was a vampire.
"And hopefully," he continued, "he'll let me play with you when he's done. Or, what's left of you." He sniggered, very unattractive. But the sound seeped through my body like he was pouring hot wax over me. I groaned, because of the burning sensation, and because he had left me half-erect. I didn't like the fact that my body was betraying me.
"Oh, poor baby. Let me take care of that..." Gabriel grabbed my balls, all but ripping them off. I screamed in pain. It hurts like hell when someone grabs you right there. He just laughed, and started massaging them gentle, like a couple of those Chinese medicine balls. I moaned against my will.
"Like that, huh? How about this?" He unzipped my pants and took my erection into his other hand, and started jacking me off. I bit my lip to keep me from making any sounds. "You know you like it," he said in a stage whisper, gripping me harder. I cried out, but I bit my lip trying to keep my mouth shut. I could taste the blood in my mouth.
Gabriel leaned over me, and licked my lips. "Blood, your blood is filled with power..." He continued to lap at the wound on my lip, then moved to my cheek and licked me. I felt a cut there, and it was oozing blood. He sucked on it, making me squirm. That stung like a bitch. "So good," he said, his voice husky and filled with lust. I guess blood is like sex to shape-shifters as well as vampires.
"Get off of him!"
Gabriel turned towards the voice. His grip on my cock was a bit too hard for my liking, and I squeaked. It wasn't very manly of me. The voice spoke in a commanding voice, and I could feel Gabriel tremble.
"Get off now, Gabriel."
"Yes master." He got off me, leaving me with my dick sticking out of my pants, oozing with my seed. I felt kinda... embarrassed.
"No need to feel embarrassed, I'd like to think of it as an invitation."
He was a vampire. A stupid mind-reading vampire. He reached out towards Gabriel. "You have gone too far, little one."
"Master, I'm sorry."
"Sorry isn't good enough. You've made too many mistakes. I specifically told you not to touch him!"
"But—"
"No buts!" The vampire grabbed his neck and squeezed the life out of him. Literally. I watched in horror and the life in Gabriel's brown eyes flickered away. He hung limp in the man's hand, some blood dripping from his mouth, onto the vamp's hand..
Then the vamp looked at me. His power felt familiar. It wasn't until I got a good look at him that I recognized him.
Thanatos.
"You son of a bitch."
"Not very nice to speak to your elders that way," he countered back. "I'm a good four hundred and eighty years older than you. Don't provoke me."
I would have flipped him off if I could. But my hands were tied where he couldn't see them. I just stuck my tongue out at him.
"I know how you can use that," he chuckled as he walked towards me. He shed the robe he was wearing to reveal leather straps. Many leather straps, covering the majority of his private areas. He looked like a mummy that only had a mini-skirt on. He climbed onto the bed, and removed part of the straps, revealing himself. He straddled my neck, his cock hanging above my mouth. "You can use that tongue of yours to lick me." He squeezed my nose shut and shoved his cock into my mouth.
I gagged, and tried to bite him. He twisted my nose harder. I winced in pain. I didn't respond, I just lay there like a rag doll. He grabbed my head, and I could feel him trying to control me. I fought back, but my energy was so low... I felt myself start to suck on him, to my horror and disgust. I gagged. I didn't want to do this. I was the son of Shinigami!
"Even your powers can't save you. Those handcuffs have and will sap your power slowly until you die. Until then, I'll fuck that sweet mouth of yours." He thrusted deeper, and I gagged again. I hadn't eaten anything all day, so I had nothing to throw up. He let go of my nose so I could breathe, and I took a deep breath. I could smell his horrible stench of old blood and rotting flesh. He was a 500 year old vampire; of course he was going to smell like death.
"Ooh... You're just as good as your little friend, Hilde, right?" He said it like a question. My anger heightened. "She's a good little sucker; maybe she learned it from you!" As he said that, he pushed himself down into my throat. "I should tell your boyfriend what a good fuck you are... then I'll rip his throat out!" He laughed, withdrawing from my mouth. I leaned my head over to the side and spit out as much of his seed as I could. He laughed at my attempt to get rid of that nauseating taste in my mouth.
"Or maybe," Thanatos sneered, "maybe I should fuck your boyfriend first before I kill him! He looks rather yummy in those spandex shorts... I wonder what he looks like in leather!"
That enraged me like nothing else can. Heero is mine, mine to protect, mine to love. He was mine. "You... can't... touch... him!" I growled at him, and struggled in my restraints. But the more I struggled, the more energy I felt was leaving my body. "You bastard... Don't... even... think... of touching him!"
"I wouldn't struggle so much, my dear. You'll die sooner and I'll have less fun. I don't wanna ravish a corpse..." He pulled off my pants, ripping them in the process. He positioned himself right at my asshole. I clenched tightly, willing him not to enter. "No... You won't have me!" I said defiantly. The only person with that right was Heero.
"I will have you. You're the ultimate challenge to my libido; you can go on forever, with the energy you have. A normal vampire would have withered and passed out by now. Those handcuffs are very powerful. If you were a normal human, you would have been dead hours ago. But since you're still alive, I might as well take advantage of you." He tried to pry my butt-cheeks apart, but he couldn't. He pulled out a knife. He grabbed my braid, yanking it towards him. "Such gorgeous hair..."
"Wait, no..."
"Then open up for me!"
It was either save my hair, or save my ass. I chose the latter. "No!"
"Fine." He lifted the knife and chopped a good foot off of my hair. My chestnut tresses fell to the bed, his hand clutching a handful of my braided hair. He brought it to his nose, inhaling the scent.
"Mm, smells nice. If you prove to be a good lay, then I'll remove the spell from the cuffs and you can just lay there and be my sexual servant." He grinned at me, and started to push in...
The window crashed inwards, sending little pieces of glass flying everywhere. Thanatos put up a force shield, protecting himself from the glass shards. I felt something cut against my cheek. I winced, too weak to heal myself quickly.
A figure stood in the window, his brown hair ruffled and a dark purple aura glowing around him. Gee, wonder who that could be.
I remained still, waiting for one of them to make a move. Heero's energy was strong, too strong to be just him. I sensed someone else with him.
"Let go of Duo. Now," Heero commanded. Thanatos just laughed and threw off all his leather straps, revealing him in all his... non-glory. Heero just sneered. "Old man, you're nothing compared to me."
It was Thanatos' turn to sneer. He just stood there, staring at him. Heero staggered back. He stared back with a vengeance. Their power was incredible, and it took most of my power just to stay within range and not fly apart at the seams.
I looked at Heero, and his eyes flickered towards me. I knew that without my help, he was going to lose. I closed my eyes and willed my energy to Heero. It wasn't easy, and most of the energy went into the cursed shackles. I started to lose consciousness again. "Heero..." I whispered.
~Duo...~ He whispered back in my mind. I could feel him trying to give me energy, to save me. ~No, stop,~ I thought, ~Please, take my energy instead. I know you can...~
~But Duo-sama...~
~No buts, and don't call me Duo-sama. We're friends, we're lovers... we're everything to each other. I'm your Duo. Just Duo. Now take my damn energy or I'll force it into you!~
He finally complied, and I felt as if a heavy weight was being lifted from me. It wasn't exactly a good thing, because that's also the same feeling that you get before death. That's what Shinigami told me.
Heero's boost of energy overwhelmed Thanatos, and I felt his life force float out of his body. "Aahgh," Thanatos moaned as I concentrated and touched the darkness once more, summoning the power within. Most the energy went into the handcuffs again, but I had enough to reach out, and squeeze his heart with my power. Thanatos choked his last, and fell forward, black blood seeping into the bed and floor.
"Duo, daijoubu ka?"
Even after spending this much time with Heero, I still didn't know what that meant. "What?"
"I mean, are you okay?"
I nodded. Heero broke the chains, freeing me from my imprisonment. The spell had broken when Thanatos died. "Heero?"
"Hn?"
"I... thanks. Thanks a lot."
"Hn."
I just smiled. This time, I was happy just to be near him. But something was missing. Wasn't I forgetting something?
"Oh shit, Hilde!"
Heero looked at me and shook his head. "No."
"What do you mean 'no'?"
"You don't have the energy. You rest, I'll go find Hilde."
"But—"
"I'm taking you home. Then I'll go and find Hilde."
"You don't need to."
"But I want to." Heero gently kissed my forehead, and took me home. I just hoped that she was alright, and could hold out until Heero got to her.
Please be okay, Hilde.
Back to: Part 9
[1]: Please don't kill me, this is just how I think Duo would think of all of this... Don't blame me, blame the muse... I *like* Pargan, just to let the rest of you know... Okay, I'm rambling now, I'll stop...
[2]: This is from the song "Otherside" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Anyway, feel free to e-mail me your rants and raves, just don't cuss me out, okay?
Copyright reserved 2000 Top Ace