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"Pax Ultima"Written By: Clara Barton Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following
is an intellectual exercise with no intention of profit. That said,
these characterizations, words, and situations are mine. Please ask
before reprinting. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Angst, violence, language, sex Pairings: If you need to know, please email me
and I will be happy to tell you. Summary:They fought for peace, but peace took away what they loved the most. A very grim tale of suspense and betrayal, set post-canon and featuring character death. Thanks as always to the always fabulous Cuzo
for being my beta! "Pax Ultima " Chapter Fifteen He hadn't eaten in sixteen hours. Just two of those
damn protein ration bars Wufei had somehow smuggled into his rucksack. They felt rough, coming back up, scraping his throat,
scratching against the burn of bile and Trowa felt himself choking
as he vomited. He was used to death, his earliest memories were of
corpses. He knew the smell of death, knew the warm, wet cling of blood
that slowly grew cold, knew the weight of lifelessness. It didn't make him ill, it didn't affect him. Only once
- that rare mission when he and Duo had been undercover together,
right when the riots first started, and a colonial MP had been torched,
burned alive in his polyester uniform and the scent had both he and
Duo retching, dry-heaving until they were doubled over, unable to
protect the man because they were undercover, posing as rioters, as
terrorists to gain the trust of one of the better organized rebel
groups. But Heero's body. Heero's death. Trowa's stomach heaved again. His throat convulsed and
his eyes burned. "Drink." Wufei was at his side, leaning against the sink, staring
down at Trowa as he knelt in front of the toilet. Trowa accepted the bottled water with trembling hands. Wufei's eyes were black, fathomless, and Trowa wanted
- needed - to lose himself in those dark depths. He stood, slowly, and flushed the toilet. Wufei stepped aside and allowed him to rinse out his
mouth. "We need to find Duo." Trowa felt his gut churn at the name. And that gruesome
scene replayed in his mind again. Heero's body falling. The gun skittering
across the floor. Duo on his knees. He needed a minute - needed an hour. Hell, he needed
a lifetime to process this shit. But Wufei wouldn't give it
to him. "How?" He croaked out, not caring about the
rawness of his voice. Wufei held his gaze in the mirror, his eyes merciless. "He gave us the files. He wanted us to know." Trowa had to agree. And it - it made him question every
damn thing that had happened in the last three years. All of it, all
of his knowledge and logic was unravelling and why? What was
the fucking point of all of this? "So he knows. He knows we'll look for him. Where
would we find him?" It wouldn't be with the Sweepers. Duo wouldn't risk
that - and besides, Howard had threatened to kill Trowa if he came
around asking about his precious spacer rat again. Howard had called
Trowa an imbecile, had claimed Duo would never kill Heero, would sooner
kill himself - and Trowa had written him off as a sentimental old
man. It wouldn't be with Hilde. Trowa had tried there too,
and she had coldly informed him that Duo hadn't spoken to her in two
and a half years and frankly, they were all better off not thinking
about him again. It wouldn't be at that same dive Trowa had found him
at last time. Duo was too cautious for that. A memory tugged at him. A whispered confession one night
when they were both drunk, giddy with adrenaline after surviving a
close call and Heero had been away on a mission, not around to temper
their inclinations to drink far too much when they couldn't deal with
their emotions in a more productive way. "I know." Trowa said, and he finally looked
away from Wufei's gaze. "I know where we'll find him." ~ * ~ |
