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"Fire Born "Written By: Keiran Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or its characters... Shame about that. Pairings: 1+2+1, 3+4+3, mentions R+1, mild Relena
bashing. Rating: R Important Note: This fic has been inspired by Madam Hydra’s ‘Balancing the Scales’. There will be some similarities. The author needs to get a good line to express her thanks to Sundaire, for putting up with her creepy use of commas and other mishaps. The author is very happy to have such a good beta.
"Fire Born" Chapter 1 Ever since they had started going down the road leading to a romantic relationship, Heero started having some bizarre mood-swings. He was clearly happy to have Duo close, for a trained eye that much was obvious. But sometimes, when he thought no one was looking, Heero would try to reach and check if something was there… something he didn’t get from Duo. That made Duo sad. But then, it was gone, as soon as it came, and Heero would pull the long braid, sneak his arms around Duo’s middle and hold him close. He was still fairly reserved, but at least the ‘moments’ never happened in public. Duo sighed. It was Heero’s day of classes - the Preventers had asked some of them to provide basic training for the younger agents. Heero and he were the ones responsible for hacking, demolition and bomb-planting, with an additional programming course from the Perfect Soldier and a course of what the God of Death fondly dubbed ‘Extreme Mechanics, or, how to make a tank work using a microwave.' However, this day was not going to be as simple as Duo - or anyone else - might have thought. Heero returned sometime after midday, tired but satisfied. However just as he finished the sandwich that had been left for him, he heard a distinct sound of tires coming to a sudden, yet not unexpected halt. He furrowed his brows. Quatre had left a message that he would drop by later, around evening, Trowa had two performances in a circus, Wufei was… doing what Wufei does when he says he wants to go hiking, and Duo was probably sleeping on the roof again. Speak of the devil. In that very moment slender, a black-clad body landed in front of the kitchen door. “Hi, Ro. Were you expecting any guests?” the body asked, entering the kitchen with a grin. “Relena was supposed to have a conference in Iraq today, wasn’t she?” Heero made a face. “I told you I had a program sending me copies of her schedule.” He admonished with a smirk. “Well, yeah. But her personal bodyguard happens to be my good friend, remember?” Duo smirked in return. “As touching as it is, for you to have a double-proofed alarm against my sister, we have a problem.” Milliardo Peacecraft appeared in the doorway, framed by the golden sunlight. At his side stood none other than Treize Khusherenada. The two boys gaped, disbelief painted clearly on their faces. “Either I was misinformed or G left something out when he was telling me what could survive in a mobile suit. Or we somehow got sucked into an alternative universe. That’s possible too.” “No Mr. Maxwell, you were not misinformed. My mobile suit really did explode,” Treize smirked explaining. “Cool. Oh, I get it! You found out you’re really Heero’s daddy and are here to visit? I’ve always wanted to know just how he managed to live through an explosion. Now I guess I know - a family trait. Was your last name Addams, by any chance?” Treize was the only person befuddled by the speech. It was understandable, since he was the only one who never had the privilege of meeting one Duo Maxwell in person. “No, it’s not. I didn’t plan to survive, but some old-time acquaintances of mine thought I’d appreciate some help, and they summoned me in the last possible moment. But the reason we are here is more serious than that, I’m afraid. Heero, Rauko is alive.” A half-empty glass exploded in the boy’s grip. “Heero! Are you mad? Or scratch that. I know you are.” Duo twirled and found the first-aid kit. He sat down motioning the other guests to sit as well. “I’ll make you something to drink when I’m done with the smart-guy’s palm." “So, who’s this Rauko guy?” the long-haired boy shot the million dollar question. Heero jerked sharply. Something akin to panic flashed though his features when he gave Milliardo a quick pleading look. Milliardo only shook his head, however. “Rauko is sort of an… well, he is, to put it simply, a Dark Lord trying to take over the world.” “You’re pulling my leg,” Duo said three minutes later when it became obvious that no one was trying to make fun of him. “I’m afraid Milliardo is very serious,” Treize solemnly put in. Then he paused. “You think we’re crazy, don’t you?” Duo shook his head vehemently. “Nonsense. But you must pardon me while I back away to what I deem to be a safe distance.” [1] Heero smirked and snapped his fingers. The refrigerator opened and grapes danced outside, had a shower, jumped into a bowl and sailed to the table gracefully. “I know you do tricks. Now sit down, boy!” “I’ve notified Trowa, Quatre and Wufei. They will be here in a few hours.” Treize interrupted the domestic scene. “You have notified them? Did you make sure someone was there to give them smelling salts afterwards?” The general coughed embarrassed. “No, I’m afraid I forgot.” “Well. A normal Wufei is a handful. An angry, furious for being played a fool for three years, misinformed Wufei is a lot funnier, you know. But of course you do. So. What’s the deal with the Evil Guy? Does he have an inexcusable plan of possessing all refrigerators with evil spirits, so that the population would starve to death and bow to his wishes?” “Where did you find him?” Treize asked Heero. “They didn’t teach that when I was trying to become a pilot.” Heero hned with a smirk. “Of course not! I have a license!” Duo puffed indignantly. “Okay. Let’s move to the living room, shall we? We’ve got these comfy couches, you know?” The two men shook their heads and followed. The living room, true to the advertisement, could be briefly summarized as ‘comfy.' But only after someone lived there for more than a month. The room itself closely resembled a jungle, full of plants that seemed strange in the surroundings, and they reduced the sunlight to a warm glow. There was only one window, but it was almost as big as the whole southern wall, with blue-green curtains hanging around it, overlooking a small garden. Treize’s artistic soul nearly screamed with joy seeing the carefully arranged mess that made up the garden. “See? Everything is comfy,” Duo concluded, bouncing on a couch a couple of times. There was also a TV - in-between a Christmas tree and a holly. “Why don’t you say something more? So, what’s the guy’s evil plan?” “We will talk about it when the others get here. No sooner,” Heero put in rather coldly. Duo glanced at him, surprised. The dark-haired boy’s gaze softened a fraction. “That way they wouldn’t have to say everything twice. Now… could you please make us some coffee?” “Sure. Coffee is okay with you?” he asked the two men. They both nodded. “Okay. Give me a few minutes.” With that he disappeared into the kitchen. As soon as he was gone Milliardo looked at Heero incredulously. “You didn’t tell him?” Heero hung his head. “I told him about the magic…” he said softly. “But not about the war,” Treize put in. The boy shook his head. “He doesn’t need to know that.” “He should, nevertheless.” “I don’t want to risk telling him.” “You’re being selfish, Heero,” Milliardo said softly. Heero’s eyes burned. “I don’t care,” he hissed. “I gave out Laure, because I thought that it would be selfish if I chose to keep him with me. And I made a mistake. I will not be repeating that mistake.” “We’re not talking ‘burn Duo to the ground’ here, we’re talking ‘explain to him what the war was about!'” Milliardo hissed back. “He needs to know, since I suppose we will be taking him with us. Duo will understand.” “Duo is a human being. Why should he understand? I certainly don’t.” “You just had to fall into pits of self-loathing. Look. Laure was burned at that stake, so that he can’t born anymore. Yes, that probably was a mistake. Hindsight is 20/20, right? We had no way of knowing. But he is gone now, and there is nothing we can do about it. Forget about him, think of Duo.” [2] Heero was silent for a moment. However, before he managed to say something, Duo returned with coffee. “Why so depressed guys? Something wrong?” “No, nothing,” Heero replied dejectedly. Duo frowned. That looked just like a ‘moment.' So he sighed, placed the coffee on a nearby table and sat right next to his boyfriend. “Hey, cheer up. Why don’t we watch something exhilarating?” “What do you have in mind?” Treize asked. “Well, ‘Bambi’ should cheer us all up a bit.” [3] Silence reigned in the room. “Or you could try to explain to me the deal with incarnations. Heero was sort of vague.” The two men looked at each other, than at Heero. Finally Treize started to speak. “Most people don’t get reborn. You have to be a mage, and you have to really want to return. Some of the older mages are so set on the idea, that they get reborn almost as soon as they die, so they are sort of immortal.” “Are they reborn just like they looked the last time? And what about their parents?” Duo started asking questions. “The child only starts to remember it’s past life after it’s fifteen or sixteen. And it comes back in bits and pieces. Sometimes it comes back sooner, but rarely. As for the looks, it has been confirmed that the looks are usually the very same, but one never really knows.” “How so?” “It’s not like most people say, that you start having weird dreams about who you’ve been in the past life. You never remember the physical sensations, such as sights, smells, sounds. You remember the facts, the events. The neutral knowledge.” “So how did you all know that Heero for example was Hith, if I said it right?” Duo pressed with a puzzled expression. “There is something called an ‘aura’ around every person. A mage perceives a person through their aura. And that - since it isn’t connected with the body, but the spirit - is what a mage remembers about a person.” Duo fell silent, then looked at the Lightening Count. “Creepy. So, how do I look?” Milliardo smirked. “Like a regular ‘we’re stuck on a remote island’ bonfire.” “Oh. What does that mean?” Duo blinked a couple of times. “That you are a Fire Born, with a great deal of life force in you,” the man replied. “Cool. And what does that mean?” “That Heero likes to play with fire.” “Argh. No wonder we are stuck doing the teaching. Man, you are hopeless when it comes to explanations.” Duo scowled, looking at his older colleague. They then moved to safer topics. Heero, however, realized that sooner or later he would have to tell his boyfriend that the people he trusted with his life had once sentenced their best friend to a horrible death, for the greater good. Then they started to wonder what exactly that ‘greater good’ was. ~ * ~ [1] Another Garfield line, said on October the 29th, 2003, regarding toasters. [2] Yes, they don't think that Laure has become Duo. Will be explained later. [3] See ‘What a Tragedy’ by KatiKat for reference. **TBC**
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