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"Return from Eternity"Written By: Karen The Huntress Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its
characters Rating: R Warnings: angst, language, suspense, eventual
happy ending Pairings: 1+2 Summary: Can Heero save Duo from a Zero System
malfunction? "Return from Eternity "
Chapter Two
Isolation. Unearthly murmurs of hellish demons. Two tiers of red glass votive candleholders, each row of six glimmering scarlet, barely kept impenetrable gloom at bay. Smoky traces of incense failed to sweeten the stench of decay. Clad in black clothing, Duo melded with the encompassing void. Ironically, a white Priest collar mocked his fall from grace. Father Maxwell believed angels watched over foolish mortals. Had those heavenly guardians averted their sight and denied absolution to the God of Death who utilized Deathscythe Hell as an avenging archangel? Prayers, disregarded since Shinigami defiled his soul, were mirages of memories. Duo implored the Fates, begged unashamedly for fragments of forgotten entreatments. But distorted perceptions, fluttering on broken wings, splintered reality. ****** ~Quest~ Bordered by primeval trees, a narrow rocky path wove through the twilight-shrouded forest. Skeletal branches, cloaked in brittle colorless leaves, created a tangled canopy. Gnarled roots jutted up to snag and trip. Heero navigated the spectral labyrinth instinctually. Perpetual night eclipsed sun and moon and stars. Dusky silhouettes tricked sight. Silence negated hearing. Absence of scents yielded no ecological clues. Ahead rippling shadows redirected awareness. Heero froze in place. A male Dire Wolf prohibited further progress. Red eyes scrutinized the stranger who dared cross the threshold of his domain. Choices versus consequences. Stand ground or retreat. Withdrawal impeded the search for Duo. No, Heero decided, fight and win or die trying. Forward. Massive wolf sniffed the air. Another step. Silver-gray lupine gazed down the arboreal corridor. A waggle of his shaggy head beckoned the bipedal trespasser to follow. Time in a vacuum is indiscernible. One mile or ten thousand. Whether the journey ended in a minute or continued for a lifetime, Heero would endure for Duo's sake. Remnants of recollections. Telepathic glimmers. Rocky path changed to sand. Invisible currents swirled grainy particles and tattered outer fringes. Another hindrance. Exasperation tinged with anger eroded patience. "Dammit!" Heero cursed unmerited injustice. Acidic glare targeted the wolf. "Where the fuck am I supposed to go now?" *Oward.* was whispered subliminally. Guidance concluded. Mystical lycan, enveloped in an iridescent aura, dissolved into the cybernetic dreamscape. Heero stared at the vacant spot where the wolf disappeared. What did Duo often say about dealing with uncertainties? "Leap of faith." Without hesitation confident footsteps traversed the sandy expanse. ****** ~Salvation~ Transparent as flawless glass. Stronger than Gundaninm. Too high to climb. Too wide to go around. The wall of energy formed an impassable obstruction. Fingers tapped against the glossy surface. No tactile sensations were transmitted. As if peering through a window Heero observed a profile backwashed in murky crimson. Black pseudo priest clothing verified tangible evidence of what he already knew in his heart. Beyond all doubts, Duo was on the other side. Wasn't any reason to yell or even speak. Conversations couldn't be achieved verbally. Heero cleared his mind and envisioned a mental nexus. Voiceless thoughts pulsated like twin heartbeats through the neuronic conduit. Ebb. Flow. Synchronize. Zero System completed the connection. Feedback from Duo resonated so intensely Heero almost blacked out. Unspoken query rumbled like distant thunder. "What are you doing here?" "I came to find you." Heero informed. Duo pivoted. Heat lightning flickered inside the long braid draped over his shoulder. "You found me." was stated sardonically. "Go away." Rules of engagement established, Heero vowed. "Not leaving without you. We return together or I stay here." "Can't go back." Duo affirmed utter despondency. "Have to atone for a multitude of sins." Heero countered the certitude Duo was unworthy of redemption. "Every transgression can be forgiven." Duo sneered. "You're a fuckin' fool Heero Yuy. You really believe my bloodstained soul can be saved?" To underscore reprehensible guilt, Duo touched the uppermost candleholder and snuffed out the flame. "Solo." Eleventh candle. "Father Maxwell." Tenth. "Sister Helen." Ninth and eighth. Muttered pleads for exoneration. Sudden realization. With each extinguished flame a bit of Duo's essence faded away. If the wall wasn't breached before the last candle went dark, there'd be no life-force to reclaim. Panic engulfed Heero. Fists pounded. Saints were cursed. Deals made with the Devil. He'd dwell forever in Hell if Duo was spared eternal damnation. Leap of faith. Spiritual coupling bypassed the Zero System. Calm replaced panic. Hands flattened on the wall. Fierceness and fire suffused the wintry facade. Hairline cracks sizzled. Heero pushed harder. Fissures expanded. Hiss. Snap. Rupture. Entire barricade exploded into kaleidoscopic diamond dust. Seven candles burning. Heero ran faster than humanly possible. Six candles. Hovering above Duo the phantasmal doppelganger Shinigami waited eagerly for the final light to die. Five candles. "DUO!" Heero screamed. This time the name was audible. Four candles. Embrace. Both men tumbled sideways. Sprawled in pungent vestiges of candle smoke and incense Heero shielded Duo from the wrathful Shinigami denied his prize. Enraged shrieks. Venomous claws ripped flesh. Blood. Pain. Never wanting to cause Heero anguish, Duo begged, "Let me go with Death." "NO!" "Why?" 01, the solitary soldier, unfettered his heart. "Because I love you." Total system shutdown. Shinigami disintegrated into thousands of ethereal fireflies. ****** ~Medical Technology~ Colonel Massie demanded 01 and 02 submit to further analytical evaluations, even ordered Akira Tanaka, Captain of the Sun Hawk, to forcible detain his lab rats. Duo told the Commander of Medical Corps to fuck off. He and Heero pummeled six guards then stole the transport shuttle where Wing and Deathscythe were stowed. ****** ~Earth~ Unknown location. Neither Duo nor Heero incurred actual physical trauma during their trek through cyberspace. Psychological scars were harder to define. Enhanced bio-alterations helped Heero manage erratic cognitive side effects. Although Heero was grateful for this ability to cope, it was imperative to alleviate Duo's affliction described as brain tremors. These residual aftershocks varied in gradations from momentary lapses in concentration to manic outbursts requiring protective intervention. Heero refused to contact Dr. J. Instead he hacked and copied all pertinent data for deleting human integration with the Zero System. The helmet from Deathscythe was modified for light and sound therapy. After twenty daily adjustments Duo benefited from improved memory, longer attention spans and equalized emotions.
~Midnight~ Moonlight shadows. Snuggled beneath a downy comforter, Heero and Duo shared dreamless sleep. Recovery might be gradual. Rehabilitation not fully achieved. No matter the adversities, the Perfect Soldier and God of Death would prevail as friends, lovers and soulmates for infinity plus a day.
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