CHAPTER
ELEVEN:
Heero Yuy was tired, both physically and mentally.
Cobalt blue eyes stared at the relatively quiet streets, the presence of
something strong yet terrifying still hovering in the air. There was no doubt
that a showdown between Amon-Ra and his fellow hunters had happened earlier,
but right now, his mind whirled with conflicting emotions. Emotions that
threatened to drive him insane if not resolved soon.
He leaned against a mud-baked
wall, his hands pressed upon his knees as he lowered his gaze to the
floor. Only one name kept ringing in his
brain, over and over again.
Duo…
Rubbing a dusty hand across
his eyes, he tried to squash the feeling of desolation and emptiness that
filled his being at the thought of his emotions not being returned by the
long-haired demon. It was funny that one he was destined to destroy and kill
was the very one that threatened to send his heart into a state that he had
sworn not possible. He had never really felt ‘love’ for anyone. Perhaps a
little for the old doctor that had become a father to him over the years and
that was it. This…this, however, was almost terrifying. He hated it and yet
loved every minute of it. He wanted to feel, taste and be with the one named
Duo Maxwell. He wanted to fill himself with the light that he was sure that the
real person within possessed and if it meant dying in the process, then Heero
was more than determined to bring out that side of Duo regardless.
The hunter’s quick reflexes
whipped out a deadly knife from his pockets as he muttered out softly. “Stop
hiding and tell me what it is that you want.”
The young Arabian boy stepped
out from the shadows and bowed slightly to the scowling Heero, a warm smile on
his face. “Welcome, Master Yuy. My master has eagerly anticipated your arrival
for quite some time now.”
“Your master?”
“Yes. The great sorcerer and
advisor to the gods. Lord Khatet.”
Heero’s eyes narrowed, not
trusting himself to believe what the friendly face told him. “Lord Khatet is
dead, is he not?”
The boy shook his head, that
same mysterious smile on his face. “No. Lord Khatet is only dead to the
physical realm. But to those who believe in him and his works, he continues his
mission to rid the world from the clutches of Amon-Ra from the Shadow World.”
Heero eyed the looming
building before him. “So…”
“So, the house you see is
actually not seen by the physical eye. Lord Khatet moved it from the shadow
realm over here. He sensed that Amon-Ra would be making his presence known soon
and so he brought us all here.”
Heero stared at the boy. He
looked no more than thirteen at the most. “How long…”
“Three thousand years, come
next month,” he announced proudly. “My name is Usman. I was killed by one of
Amon-Ra’s messengers and Lord Khatet took me in…rescued my soul.”
“I see.”
“I am forever in his debt,”
Usman continued with a grin. “But you need not fear him. He is a bit eccentric,
but otherwise a decent human being…or should I say….spirit.”
Heero nodded and motioned for
him to lead the way. Noticing that Usman didn’t ‘walk’, Heero had to quicken
his steps to keep up with the floating figure. “In what form is he in?”
“Oh, he is in his human form,”
Usman replied casually. “Your fellow hunters are being taken care of quite
nicely. So you need not worry about them.”
Heero shrugged. “I wasn’t
worried. I sense no malice or hate from you.”
Usman laughed lightly and
floated up the long flight of stairs, stopping to hold open the large wooden
doors for Heero to go through. “I wouldn’t be so sure about appearances, Master
Yuy. You of all people should know that one cannot judge another by appearances
only.”
They walked through a long
dark corridor, stone bricks enclosed around them with fire torches for light.
The tunnel seemed to go on forever and just as Heero thought that the walk
would never end, Usman came up to another door that had the carvings of several
local gods and goddesses on it. He stood back as Usman clasped his hands
together and began to mutter out a prayer of some sort. A strange light
emanated from the statues and the loud grinding sound of stone against stone
was heard as the door opened up to reveal the most beautiful garden he had ever
seen.
“Come, Heero Yuy.” Usman said
with a chuckle. “Do not stand there and stare as if hypnotized, although the
gardens do tend to do that to first-time visitors. I shall take you to your
quarters and then you will wash up and join everyone for dinner, yes? My master
is quite eager to meet…”
“What about Duo and Quatre?”
Heero interrupted curtly as they walked through the boulevard of azaleas and
marigolds. White roses and red roses. Carnations and lilies. Orchids and
hibiscus. The overwhelming smell of the flowers caused Heero to sneeze and
Usman to chuckle in delight.
“The two possessed ones are
under control as well. Luckily we blessed the house before inviting them in, so
Amon-Ra’s powers are not as potent.”
Heero nodded in response.
Usman had now taken him into another long hallway, lined with doors. Usman
stopped before one and pressed his palm against the oak paneling. The door
opened up to reveal a bedroom similar to that of Duo’s.
“If you wish to take a bath, then let me know.
You can call me by closing your eyes and muttering out my name. I will be here
in a flash to escort you. Please try and be quick about it, though. Dinner is
served promptly at
With a quick bow, Usman
vanished from sight.
Heero sank down on the plush
bed decorated with fur from some wild animal he couldn’t fathom at the moment,
before collapsing upon it with a sigh. He was fatigued and the fact that Duo
was actually in the same house with him…sent his insides churning with nerves
and anticipation. He curled up on his side and stared blindly at a statue of a
nude boy. He could sense the other boys’ presence. Thankfully, they had all
finished with their orgy and Heero was grateful that he would at least not see
them touching each other in such a way. He knew he was jealous, but he couldn’t
help it. He wished he were as bold as Trowa or Wufei. Sighing softly, he got to
his feet and began to peel out of the dirty shirt he wore. He tossed it onto a
chair and closed his eyes as the soft breeze from the patio whipped against his
hot skin.
He walked out to the small
balcony and leaned against the steel balustrades. The view was simply
breathtaking from his vantage point. Rows and rows of flowers leading to what
seemed like a lake stretched out below him. Heero closed his eyes and inhaled
the sweet scent of the blossoms, only to open them up again in a snap as a low
growl from an animal reached his ears. Darting worried eyes around, he blinked
as he saw the white tiger that prowled restlessly amongst the hedges. Quirking
his lips into a small smile, he leapt down from his high position, landing
lithely alongside the animal. Fangs were immediately bared at him and raising a
hand quickly, Heero soothed the agitated creature with a few words.
“What’s the matter,
beautiful?” He muttered softly as the large cat began to chuff in content. It
allowed the hunter to stroke his fur and scratch its ears. “Is someone after
you…?”
“You can say that again. The
damn thing almost bit me and all I wanted to do was to say hello.”
Heero spun around so fast
that he ended up falling flat on his rear, cobalt blue eyes widening at the
sight of the boy he had been thinking about just a few minutes ago. “Du…Duo?” he gasped out weakly, kicking
himself inwardly for the increase in his heart rate and how sweaty his palms
had become. He vaguely heard the growl from the tiger behind him as he took in
the delectable vision before him.
Duo was dressed in one of the
traditional white sleeveless robes that the Egyptians tended to wear. His feet
were bare and his arms and neck were
decorated with gold bands that flashed brightly in the late evening sun. A thin
golden belt adorned his waist, highlighting the slim hips to perfection. But it
was Duo’s face that sent Heero’s mind into overdrive. His heart-shaped face had
been adorned with light makeup, something that wasn’t unusual for Egyptian men.
Amethyst depths were even more pronounced as a line of dark kohl enhanced his
eyelids and lashes. His long, beautiful hair fell down in loose waves along his
back, some slipping forward to frame the amazing face. And as if Heero wasn’t
in enough physical and emotional agony, Duo smiled, sending his countenance
into one of ethereal beauty. Heero was sure he was going to pass out soon.
Duo shrugged lightly and fell
to his haunches beside the hunter, trying to reach out to touch the
still-growling tiger. “I saw what you did to him,” he began conversationally.
“What did you say to him? How come I can’t say such words? Is this some hidden
hunter secret thing you guys have?”
“It’s because you are not of
pure heart,” Heero replied coolly, somewhat amazed at his composure. He winced
as he noticed the dark look that flashed on Duo’s face, before it was quickly
wiped off and replaced with a small smile.
“I am quite aware of my heart
condition, Heero Yuy,” Duo muttered, as he rose to his feet. “So! The old man
brought you here, didn’t he?”
“I came on my own accord.”
“Oh?” Duo raised an eyebrow
and stared at him in curiosity. “Why? You came a bit too late if you ask me.
Your team mates almost had us wiped out.”
How could Heero tell Duo that
he had come partly because he was jealous of the orgy scene he had witnessed in
his vision. “No matter,” he answered curtly, trying to rise to his feet. “They
didn’t accomplish their mission, did they?”
“Are you disappointed?” Duo
asked with a smirk. “Or did you come here to make sure that they didn’t slack
off again.”
Heero snorted and turned
around, his hands absentmindedly brushing against the cat’s ears again. “Don’t
flatter yourself, Duo. I will kill you…eventually.”
“Would you really…Heero?”
The hunter’s body flared with
awareness at the softly whispered words against his ear. He was unable to stop
the shiver that coursed through him or the low moan that escaped his lips as
Duo’s hands placed themselves upon his waist. He closed his eyes and arched his
neck, allowing Duo’s softly muttered words to encompass him in their soothing
magic.
“You couldn’t kill me, Heero
and you know it. You have feelings for me. Feelings that could jeopardize your
mission and make this another… failure.”
“I won’t fail.” Even this
excuse sounded weak to Heero, for Duo was doing a fine job of making his
thought processes nonexistent.
Duo chuckled and tightened
his hold around Heero’s waist, forcing the hunter to grunt softly at the
pressure that was now on his chest. Duo could easily crack his ribs or worse,
cut off his breathing by squeezing around his lungs. But Heero, at the moment,
couldn’t care less about what happened to him, he was swimming in a sea of
smell and touch, his mind reeling in the sensation of being close to the body
he had fantasized about for years.
“You were always a determined
man, weren’t you, Heero Yuy?” Duo drawled lazily, his tongue darting out to
trace the curve of a perfect-shaped ear. “So strong…so dangerous, so…”
“My love.”
Both boys spun around to
blink at the stormy visage of the pale-skinned Arabian. Quatre was dressed
in similar fashion to what Duo had on at
the moment, but those usually calm aquamarine depths now blazed with hate and
fury.
“Ah, my precious one,” Duo
hailed with a warm smile, which was not returned in the slightest, as Quatre
seemed to be locked in a staring duel with Heero. “You are finally awake. The
old man refused to give us any information on how you were doing.” By this
time, Duo had walked up the long winding stairs that led to the porch where his
lover was currently standing. He wrapped his arms around the blond’s waist
loosely and placed a chaste kiss on his forehead. “They kept me away from you, my
love…”
“And that is why you were in his
arms, my dear?” came the cold retort that sent Duo’s body into a slight
chill. The long-haired boy frowned and stepped back, lips curving into a wicked
smirk. He placed hands on his hips and cocked his head to the side, dark violet
depths lighting up with amusement at the present situation.
“Hmm…if I didn’t know any
better, I would say that you were jealous, Quatre.”
Quatre growled and snorted
lightly. “I assumed that I was to be yours till eternity, but I guess you have
other plans, ne, Duo?”
This wiped the smirk off the
American’s face and he scowled. “And I meant that, Quatre. You know that you
mean the world to me. Everyone else is just an obstacle to our final goal.”
Heero listened with an
impassive expression on his face, even as his blood ran cold at the words that
were exchanged. His eyes were still being held captive by Quatre’s, although
the hate was beginning to fade away from them slightly. The malice was still
palpable and Heero swallowed tightly, clenching his hands into fists as he
fought the urge to fire a blast right through the boy’s body. But Heero would
have to remember that Quatre had been brainwashed by the demon. He struggled to
believe that Quatre did not really love the Duo inside, but rather with
Amon-Rah himself, but then again…the hunter could not deny that there was something
else far deeper than mere infatuation.
I love him, Heero Yuy and don’t you forget it!
Heero started in shock, eyes
widening as he realized that the blond had somehow tapped into his telepathic
capabilities. They narrowed in irritation and sought to block him, only to
wince in pain as Quatre deliberately pushed even further.
What do you think you are doing?!
Claiming what’s mine. I sincerely hope that you do not
think Duo is actually interested in you.
The same way that you are interested in a demon?!
You fool! Duo is not a demon. He is just possessed. I
am in love with the real boy inside, not the thing that Amon-Rah has tried to
create!
Duo blinked at both boys and
shrugged lightly. He spun around to acknowledge the presence of their two new companions.
“Ah, and the gang’s all here!” he announced with open arms, walking up to
embrace the two stoic figures of Trowa and Wufei. “Heero and Quatre seem to be
making themselves more comfortable with one another.”
“Looks more like they are ready
to kill each other,” Wufei commented dryly, as he pushed Duo off gently. “Yuy.
What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be back at the
Estates?”
Quatre released Heero long
enough to scowl at the intruders, before walking up to Duo and wrapping his
arms around his waist. He snuggled against his lover’s back, the soft feel of
the silky length of hair brushing against his face.
Heero rubbed his temples and
tried hard to ignore the ache that seared through him at the sight of the two
boys locked in an embrace. He turned to face his fellow partners and had to
fight the urge to snap at them in irritation. “I came to bring you both back,
actually,” he muttered softly, hoping the lie would sit well with them. “Treize
was beginning to have a fit again.”
Trowa sighed and sat upon a
low wrought iron bench, brushing away an invisible piece of lint from his robe.
“When is he going to stop treating us like babies and begin to realize that we
can take care of ourselves?”
“Not until we get seriously injured
till the point of death,” Wufei reasoned.
Duo laughed softly and placed
his hands upon his lover’s arms, eyes sparkling with mirth as his gaze fell on
each hunter. “So you all were brought here for some reason…perhaps to finally
purge this thing within me?”
All three hunters stared at
him as if he had gone mad. “I still do not understand how you can be so calm
about this, Duo Maxwell,” Trowa asked in bemusement. “You might not survive
this.”
Duo shrugged and replied
carelessly. “Neither will you or you or you. We might all just die and go
straight to hell as soon as this cleansing bullshit is done.” He stopped as he
felt Quatre almost squeeze the life out of him. “My love…”
“I don’t want you to die, Duo,”
Quatre whispered against his back. “I would rather die than to lose you.” He
tightened his grip around the lean waist and would have sent his lover wheezing
for air, had Usman not appeared before them with that perpetual smile on his
face.
“Usman, you idiot!” Wufei
growled in annoyance. “Why can’t you knock or walk like regular people?!!”
“But, Master Wufei, this is
the only way I know how and besides, Lord Khatet requests all of you to attend
dinner now. You might need to get changed, Master Heero. Your robes have been
lain out for you.”
Heero followed another
servant back to his quarters, refusing to make eye contact with anyone else. He
would take a quick wash and get dressed, but then he would have to find a way
to have a one-on-one conversation with Lord Khatet.
The dinning hall was a grand
spectacle in itself. The five boys gaped in awe at the lavish decorations that
gave the room a feel of being in the midst of an Arabian paradise. They were
obviously to sit on the floor, as large, golden hand-beaded pillows with
intricate designs on them were strewn all across the square expanse. It left
the middle of the square open to the assortment of delectable comestibles that
were served on golden dishes. The sounds of a soothing mini-waterfall and local
music from several women in a corner of the room completed the serene and
beautiful atmosphere.
Each boy made himself
comfortable on a pillow and accepted the glass of wine that was offered to them
by their beautiful female hostesses. Usman floated around them, smiling and
surprisingly laughing away with Duo as if they were the best of friends. The
hunters were getting quite perplexed. Suddenly, Usman stopped laughing and
stood to attention, eyes turning to face the large doors that had remained
unopened for a while.
“Presenting My Lord Khatet!”
he bellowed out loud, before bowing at the waist in respect to his master.
The five boys watched the
doors open with different expressions on their faces. Trowa, Heero and Wufei
had bland looks of curiosity, Quatre looked resigned, while Duo had turned his
attention back to the bowl of delicious dates. Quite frankly, he couldn’t care
less at this point, but a light nudge from Quatre had him raising his head up
to stare at the tall, well-dressed and quite handsome young man that had
stepped out through the doors.
No! It…It can’t be!!
“Hello, Duo. It’s nice to see
you again,” came the low, but rich baritone from the long-haired man, whose jet
black locks were tied in a familiar ponytail.
The memories came flooding
back in a rush. Every scene now replayed in his mind again as he was taken back
to that fateful day, eight years ago.
He adjusted the white collar
with a grimace. It was too hot and having to wear this priestly garb was
beginning to tire him out. He slowed down his steps, tightening his hold on the
string that held his schoolbooks as he approached the looming building that was
Saint Gabriel’s. He could see the large white car in front of the home. It
looked like another child was going to become a little angel to some other
parent again. Sighing deeply, he wiped the sweat off his brow and wondered if
he could convince Solo to run away with him to the
With his stomach growling in
hunger, he began to quicken his steps, only to stop in disbelief at the young
boy that had stepped out of the home accompanied by a well-dressed man and
woman, Sister Helen and Father Maxwell. They were all smiling and shaking
hands, all except for the young boy, who looked like he was about to cry at any
moment.
No…No!! It can’t be!!
And before he could stop
himself, Duo dropped his books and ran as fast as he could towards the small
group, needing to know if this was real or not. He ignored the gasps of
surprise and the sharp cry of ‘Duo!’ from Father Maxwell, before latching
himself onto the only boy that he had called friend. Tears of despair began to
fall down his cheeks as he clutched Solo to him even tighter.
“You can’t go!” was his
muffled plea as he buried his face into the taller boy’s shirt. “You can’t
leave me here alone! You promised we would be together forever!! You can’t take
him away from me!!”
The young couple looked a bit
uncomfortable at the scene as Father Maxwell apologized profusely and tried to
gently pry the unmoving boy away from his friend. “Duo…he has to go, son. The
Lord has chosen a family for him and so…”
“I HATE THE LORD!! WHY SHOULD
HE TAKE SOLO AWAY FROM ME?!”
And turning back to quietly
sobbing dark-haired boy, he continued to plead desperately, amethyst eyes
trying to capture the lowered dark ones in front of him. “Please, Solo!! You
can’t leave!! We made a promise, remember?! You swore you would never leave
me!! We have a bond!! You can’t leave me!!”
“Duo…” came the soft whisper
from Solo, smiling tremulously through his own tears. “I have to go with them.
They…They want me as a part of their family…”
“But we are a family!! You
and I! You said so yourself!! You said we didn’t need anyone but ourselves!!
You can’t…leave…” he finished weakly as he noticed the determined look in his
friend’s eyes. Dropping his hands to his sides limply, he lowered his head and
stared at the floor unseeingly. The comforting words from Sister Helen and
Father Maxwell washed over him as he paid no attention.
Solo was leaving him alone.
He would be all alone, now.
He flinched as he felt the
young man’s hands on his shoulders. “Hey, son. I spoke to Father Maxwell and he
said you could come and visit Solo anytime you want. Sounds like a nifty deal,
don’t you think?”
His wife spoke up as well.
“So you see, you two don’t have to be apart for so long, and we would love to
have you over…sometime…”
They were lying. They were
all lying through their teeth. They didn’t need him. They would never need him.
They had taken his best friend away and they were all going to pay. Father
Maxwell’s sharp eyes noticed the clenched fists and the low growl as the other
adults talked. Nodding curtly to Helen, he walked over to Duo and laid a hand
upon his head.
“Duo. I want you to calm
down, now. Getting angry isn’t going to help at this time. If you would like to
follow Sister Helen inside, now….”
Duo slapped the hand away
from his head angrily and snarled at the concerned faces before him. Ignoring
everyone else, he walked up to his friend and stared deeply into unwavering
black depths.
“What is it, Duo?” Solo asked
a bit coldly. He was well acquainted with the other boy’s antics now and he
could tell that the long-haired one was about to do something unusual or stupid
or both.
“You are breaking a bond,
Solo.” Duo replied in kind, although a bit flatly. “And I will never, ever
forgive you for that!”
Amethyst and deepest black
clashed silently as the feeling of betrayal welled up within their beings
again. Duo grit his teeth and fought hard against the sting of tears that had
begun to gather at the back of his eyes. For over eight years, he had lived
with the shadow of his best and only friend and now from out of nowhere…to be
betrayed again.
Unforgivable.
“Solo…” He muttered out
coldly, as he rose to his feet, ignoring the concerned looks on the other
occupants in the room. A slight trembling from beneath the earth sent everyone
into panic mode, everyone besides the hunters and Quatre who had also formed a
rough semi-circle behind Duo.
“Are you Lord Khatet?!” he
bellowed angrily, a ball of energy forming in his hands as he glared at the
indifferent visage on his childhood friend’s face. “Answer me!! Are you Lord
Khatet?!”
Solo shrugged elegantly and
raised a hand to counter his attack. “I may be…I may not be…what difference
does it make?”
Duo growled and held out his
hand, which now seemed to blaze with fire. “Oh, it will make a difference,
Solo. Because I made a promise all those years ago, remember? And unlike you…I
always keep my promises. For betraying me then and now, Solo…here is my gift to
you…”
With a loud cry, Duo sent out
the wave of fire towards the smirking boy, only to gasp in shock as someone
else got in the way.
The accompanying cries and
gasps of shock that rang out through the room sent a chill down Duo’s spine.
The blood…there was too much of it…how could he have…?
“No…” he whispered softly,
falling to his knees as his body began to tremble. “No…he isn’t…”
Solo smirked and nodded
softly. “Yes, I am afraid you did, Duo. I am afraid you did.”