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"Custos"Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing nor any of
its characters. I only own the original characters. And nobody's paying
me to write this. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU, OC, Yaoi, Lemon, Language, Violence Pairings: 5x4, 1x3x1, 2x6x2 Summary: Just as things begin looking up for the
Gundam boys, Wufei disappears. " Custos" Chapter 8 Duo shivered as they left the jet. He'd steadily grown more and more uneasy with the trip as they neared Alaska, and as soon as he stepped onto the ground he wanted to turn around and fly right back to New York. “It's July,” he grumbled. Wufei raised an eyebrow as he looked to him. “Yes, and?” He ground his teeth. “Why the hell is it so freakin' cold?” Heero cleared his throat. “We're in Alaska, Duo. Besides, it's not that much cooler than New York.” He rolled his eyes. “Feels like it is to me.” Zechs wrapped his arms around him. “Better?” He shrugged and dropped his eyes to the ground, not bothering to say anything else as they made their way to the hotel. He couldn't really explain his irritability and hoped none of the others noticed or asked. He hoped they'd just chalked it up to his aversion to cold weather. He sighed in relief as they moved into the lobby of the warm hotel and waited as Quatre retrieved the keys to their suite. They moved up to their rooms and, while Heero set up his lap top in the common room and the others gathered around, he paced the floor, trying to calm his nerves. Zechs glanced to him. “Don't you want to know what's going on?” He bit his lip to keep from retorting that he couldn't care less and huffed before joining them to watch as Heero ran a search for 'Death's Kiss'. “Is 'Death's Kiss' all you have to go on?” “Verbally, yes. He had a tattoo on his back.” Heero scrolled passed several sites before clicking a link. Quatre's eyes widened and he pointed to the picture. “That's the tattoo.” All fell silent as they read the paragraphs beneath the photo of a stone tablet. *'Death's Kiss' was discovered in the early sixteen hundreds in Scotland. It was claimed that a young man carved the drawing after he saw it on the back of what he called the angel of death. Legends speak of the beast as one who walked the night, drinking the blood of young, beautiful women, what was later referred to as vampires. Folklore suggests that the vampire who bore the image of 'Death's Kiss' upon his back was one who had the power to bring multitudes under his control. There are two varying views upon the being. Ancient texts state that only one such creature, according to myth, ever existed and it destroyed countless armies before finally being brought down. How is still a mystery. Superstitions claim that it is only a matter of time until another such monster arises to terrorize the world of the living and enslave other beings to bend to his will. Although there are others who disagree with this information, claiming that the one bearing 'Death's Kiss' was a warrior who defeated vampires plaguing a nation. They claim that the vampire was a savior of humankind, which they referred to as their Keeper.* Heero looked to Trowa. “Custos.” His lover nodded, rereading over the paragraphs. Wufei raised an eyebrow. “Well, that was infuriatingly informative without giving us any direction in which way to go.” Duo grunted. “So not only are we hunting for four powerful vampires, now we have to find one who has a weird ass tattoo on his back and either protects humans or slaughters them? Fei, this mission of yours is really starting to suck.” “You opted to join, as far as I recall.” He stared at the braided man, eyes narrowed. Duo frowned, but didn't really have anything he could say to that. Wufei ran his hands through his hair and looked up to the ceiling. “All right, for now we'll put the Custos talk on hold. The important thing is to get rid of this ancient.” Duo snorted. “Oh, yeah, that shouldn't be too hard. Especially considering you're not quite up to par.” Zechs frowned. “What's wrong with you?” The brunette's brows drew together and he looked at the others staring at him. He rubbed his forehead. “I don't know. I'm just feeling...” he waved his hand, “anxious, for some reason.” He released a heavy breath. “I don't want to be here.” “How long have you felt like this?” Wufei asked. “Ever since we got off the plane.” He covered his face with his hands and rubbed it harshly. “I know it sounds stupid, but I have a really bad feeling about this.” He shook his head and spun on his heel. Zechs gripped his arm. “I think you need some sleep. You've been up for well over twenty-four hours.” He nodded and allowed the blond to pull him to the room they would be sharing in the three bedroom suite that Quatre had acquired. He sat on the edge of the bed and kicked his shoes off. He pulled his shirt over his head and raised an eyebrow as he looked to the blond. “Can I help you?” He smirked. “I was wondering if I could help you?” He shook his head and sighed. “I'm really not in the mood, Zechs.” “You need a distraction, I think.” He sat next to Duo and gripped his chin lightly, laying a kiss on the brunette's lips. Duo slowly began to relax against him and turned to pull one leg up at the bed, tangling his hands in thick blond locks. Zechs moved his hand down Duo's chest, teasing at a nipple before slipping down to undo the button of his jeans. He slipped his hand inside and Duo whimpered softly in the back of his throat as Zechs began working at his awakening length. “Zechs,” he warned against his lips. “It's all right. I won't do anything you don't want to.” He moved his lips down Duo's neck and chest, pushing him to lie back on the bed. He pulled his jeans and boxers down the leg on the bed before allowing them to pool around the foot Duo still had on the floor. Duo closed his eyes as Zechs sat up and received his first look at his unclothed body. He ran his hand lightly up and down Duo's hip and leaned down to lay a kiss to collarbone. “You're beautiful.” He bit his lip. “I'm not sure about this.” Zechs stretched out beside him and braced himself on his elbow as he ran his fingertips down Duo's cheek. “Look at me.” Violet eyes slit open and Zechs smiled. “Trust me. I'm not doing this because I want to use you. I'm not even doing it because you're one of the sexiest people I've ever seen.” Duo frowned. “Then why are you?” He met Duo's eyes evenly, all the earnestness in his heart showing through. “Because I'm falling in love with you.” Duo's eyes widened and Zechs put a finger to his lips as they opened. “And when you love someone, you want to show them. Let me show you. Please.” He nodded slowly and stared up into pale blue eyes as the hand on his lips trailed down his neck and torso. He sucked in a breath as long fingers teased at his erection. Zechs pressed his lips to Duo's, quickly deepening the kiss. He pulled Duo's tongue into his mouth, sucking gently in an imitation of what he had planned. Duo groaned as the sensation shot to his groin. Zechs left his mouth and traveled his lips and tongue down the lithe body until he was at the hard length. He gripped the base and swirled his tongue around the tip, smiling as Duo's hips jerked reflexively for more contact. He wrapped his lips firmly around the erection and slid down slowly. When he pulled back up he added as much suction as he could and Duo covered his face as he groaned, body shuddering. Duo was sure he was about to lose his mind as Zechs' mouth did things to him he never thought possible. It was nothing like using his own hand. Had he been of the mind, he'd have been embarrassed by the sounds coming from him, but thought was difficult to come by as a hand cupped his testicles, rolling them gently as Zechs pulled him closer and closer to the edge. Zechs pulled up as he felt the orbs in his hand tighten and swallowed Duo's release as the braided man's back arched and he let out a heady moan. Zechs licked him clean and stretched back to his side to watch Duo try to recover his breathing. He pulled his hands from his face and heavy lidded darkened violet eyes met his. “Not so bad?” he whispered. Duo laughed softly. “Damn,” his voice was a bit shaky. “Not that I have anything to compare it to, but that was... damn.” ****** Quatre and Wufei looked to each other with raised eyebrows as Trowa dragged Heero from the common room and into the bedroom. The blond bit his lip, but it didn't stop the corners from curving up. Wufei's shoulders were shaking with suppressed mirth. Quatre moved from his seat in the recliner and sat on the love seat beside the vampire. “Poor Trowa.” Wufei pulled the blond to his chest with a laugh. “I'd more say poor Heero.” “Hm. Either that... or they're just lucky.” He laughed again as Quatre snuggled against him. 'Comfortable?' 'Very much so. Am I bothering you?' Wufei tightened his hold. 'Not at all.' He rested his chin on the top of Quatre's head, trying to simply enjoy the moment and forget for a small time where they were and why they were there. 'I love you, Quatre.' Quatre pulled away and turned to gaze into obsidian eyes. He smiled and cupped his hand to Wufei's cheek. “I love you, too.” He helped Wufei to his feet and pulled him to their bedroom. ****** By their third day of waiting for Wufei to recuperate, Duo was ready to pull his hair out. He paced the room while the others talked of plans on how to get into the castle Quatre and Wufei had seen in their vision. As far as Duo could tell, it was going to take forever. Alaska wasn't exactly a small state and there were plenty of beaches and mountains 'near' Anchorage, which was all Quatre had helpfully informed them. He went into the bedroom and snatched his long coat from the back of the chair by the dresser. He stealthily slid out the door while the others were talking, sure he would be stopped if any one noticed. Zechs would throw a fit or demand to go with him, but he just needed some time to himself. He bypassed the elevator to take the stairs to the ground floor. He stepped out of the hotel and wandered down the empty street, berating himself for being so out of sorts. He wasn't sure how long he'd been walking, but when he looked up, he realized he was lost. “Shit.” “Hm. The master doesn't appreciate profanity, Mr. Maxwell.” He spun, pulling his gun free and aiming at the woman. “You're the bitch that burned the house down.” She tsked. “Language.” Her eyes dropped to the gun, sparkling with mirth. “And what do you intend to do with that?” “Shoot you if I gotta.” She laughed merrily and held out her hands. “Oh, please do. I love the look of surprise people get when they try that.” He ground his teeth. “What do you want?” “Vincent awaits for your presence.” He snorted. “He can keep waiting.” She laughed again and put a hand on his, twisting the gun free with a surprising strong grip and tossing it to the side. “No one keeps Vincent waiting. Not even his intended mate.” Duo frowned, refusing to rub his aching wrist. “Aren't you his mate?” She raised an eyebrow. “Not as in love or even lust. It's merely a mutual agreement between us. But he longs for you.” “I don't care what he longs for. I have a lover, thank you very much.” She smirked. “You haven't had actual intercourse with him.” He growled low in his throat, not knowing and not caring how she knew that piece of information. “That doesn't mean I'm not committed to another.” She laughed lightly. “Oh, I'm sure he's nothing compared to the master you will have. Vincent is amazing.” Duo snorted. “I'm sure he thinks he is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got things to do.” She sighed and pulled a gun from her belt. “We can do this one of two ways. I take you to Vincent walking, or hanging limply over my shoulder. Which would you prefer?” He pursed his lips. ****** Wufei looked at the door. “Something is wrong.” His vision shifted and Quatre touched his shoulder, both presented with the image of Duo being led into a large stone building at gunpoint. Quatre gasped. Heero frowned. “What?” “Duo. He's been taken,” Quatre said softly. Pale blue eyes widened and he turned and threw the door open to their room. He ground his teeth when he saw Duo's jacket gone. “That idiot. When did he leave?” Wufei shook his head, the same thing running through his mind, and he jumped to his feet and began loading up on weapons as everyone else did. He tossed a crossbow to Zechs. The blond ground his teeth. “When we get him back, I'm chaining him to the bed.” He firmly kept the 'when' in the forefront of his mind, refusing to think in terms of 'if'. "Do you know where he is?" Wufei closed his eyes and grabbed Quatre's hand, pulling the vision to the forefront of his mind. They followed it backwards to find the course that was taken. He couldn't stop the smile that came to his lips and he looked to the others. "Yes." ****** Duo looked around the large room as he followed the woman who'd introduced herself as Clarice. It was large, pillars running from the high ceiling to the floor in a row up the middle of the room creating an aisle. It was what Duo would have expected from an ancient throne room, which he suspected it was considering the rest of the building he'd walked through. At the other end of the room sat a large marble chair, and upon it sat a man who was watching him curiously. Clarice led Duo to within five feet of the chair and bowed deeply. “Vincent, I have brought your intended, as requested.” The ancient stood and nodded to her, a smile raising his pale lips. “Very good, Clarice.” She beamed and cast a smirk to Duo before leaving the room. The man stood gracefully and stepped toward Duo, eyes roving over him as if appraising his next meal. Duo suppressed a shiver. “What do you want?” “You already know that.” His eyes narrowed. “I won't be your mate.” He clicked his tongue. “Surely there is room for negotiation. You must understand, Mr. Maxwell, there are only two options for you. Be my mate or die.” He spread his hands. “The others disagree with me. They don't like the idea of me keeping you alive.” He raised a hand to raked his nails softly down Duo's cheek. “But I think to kill such beauty would be a waste.” The anxiety he'd felt since they landed in Alaska grew into a compulsion, demanding he give in to the vampire. He clenched his teeth and somehow managed to move back a step. He closed his eyes, picturing Zechs in his mind as his heart began racing. Vincent's lips curved upwards and he slid the coat from Duo's shoulders, trailing his hands down his arms. “Exquisite.” Duo couldn't stop the shiver that time and he ducked his chin to his chest. “Why me?” He laughed softly and moved to stand in front of Duo. He cupped a hand behind his neck and pulled him close, inhaling deeply. “I'm sure you taste divine.” Duo tried to shove the ancient away, but it was as fruitless as a one year old trying to fight off an adult. “Let go of me.” Vincent sighed and backed away. “It would not be so bad, being mated to me.” He snarled. “Isn't it dangerous to try and mate with someone who's unwilling?” The vampire nodded and paced. “True, but I've never encountered one unwilling to mate with me before.” He sat back in his char and stared at Duo as if he were a fascinating puzzle. “You deny the mating yet you answered the summons.” “We came here to kill you.” Vincent raised an eyebrow. “How do you intend to do that with the death of Chang?” Duo frowned. “What makes you think he's dead?” The vampire laughed. “There was no way he could have escaped. The fire would have weakened him and the sun finished off whatever was left.” Duo nodded slowly, not allowing his expression to change. “The rest of us aren't as weak as you think.” He gave Duo a humoring smile. “I caught you easily enough, did I not?” He ground his teeth. “I was careless.” Vincent pushed to his feet and Duo felt the compulsion grow stronger. “Do you truly dare to deny me?” He clenched his fists. “Yes,” he bit out between his teeth. ****** Wufei crept through the darkened halls, listening intently. A woman stepped out of the shadows, hands on her hips. “You're not allowed to be here.” His lips peeled back in a snarl. “Where is Duo?” Her eyes widened. “Chang Wufei. You're supposed to be dead.” He smirked. “It seems you failed your mission, then, doesn't it?” She shook off her surprise, but there was still a measure of concern in her eyes as she moved her hands behind her back. “Soon your precious Duo will be mated to my master, and Vincent will use him to destroy you.” She flung her arm forward, sending a dagger with deadly accuracy, but Wufei smoothly bypassed it and was behind the woman before she had a chance to move. She raised her chin. “You can kill me, but you'll never defeat Vincent. He's powerful. Much stronger than you.” “Is that so?” She crept her hand into her deep pocket and spun, trying to slam a stake into Wufei's chest. Quatre jumped behind her and caught her wrist, twisting it behind her back. “I can't let you do that.” “Let go of me.” Wufei grabbed her neck and squeezed until she passed out. Quatre laid her against the wall and followed Wufei. “When we kill him...” He nodded. “She'll die, too.” He glanced back to the woman with a twinge of remorse and Wufei put a hand on his shoulder. 'She chose to align herself with evil.' 'I know. I just pity her.' Wufei gave his lover a brief smile before looked up toward the ceiling as if he could see through the stone. “We need to hurry. He's a Charmer.” Zechs frowned. “What does that mean?” He glanced over his shoulder to the tall blond. “It means he has the ability to take over someone's mind and force them to bend to his will.” ****** “I do not wish to kill you, love. Give in to me.” He shook his head, backing up a step. “No.” A hand snaked around his waist and pulled him tight to the vampire, cold gray eyes bore into violet. “Become my mate.” “No! I will never be with you!” The sheer force it took to fight against the compulsion left him in near agony. Vincent snarled. “Have it your way. If I can't have you this is my only option.” Violet eyes flew wide and his mouth dropped when the vampire shoved his hand into his stomach. His back arched and he gasped for breath as his insides were torn. He crumbled to the floor, vaguely aware of a scream from across the room. Heero and Trowa held Zechs back as Duo's body fell in a heap and the ancient vampire looked to the group entering his throne room. Gray eyes narrowed and his lips peeled back in a snarl. “Chang.” Wufei moved toward the ancient, crossbow leveled on him. “Get away from him,” he growled. “Clarice!” Wufei smirked. “I'm sorry. She won't be joining you. She's taking a little nap right now.” Vincent's eyes became vacant for a moment as he searched for her and he clenched his teeth. “You bastard.” He flew at Wufei, dodging the bolts that were loosed toward him. Quatre watched the fight progress, heart in his throat as the two vampires attacked each other with blows that would have easily killed a normal human. Wufei grabbed the ancient's arm, swinging him toward a pillar. The solid structure cracked under the impact, but the vampire hardly seemed fazed as he rounded on Wufei. They gazed at each other, circling with several feet between them. Wufei, lunged with a punch that would have taken Vincent's head off if he hadn't ducked at the last moment and thrown an uppercut that Wufei barely dodged. He flipped backwards. Heero and Trowa released Zechs as the fight moved further away from Duo and the three made their way to kneel by the braided man's broken body. Clouded violet eyes took several tries before focusing on pale blue. “Zechs,” he whispered with a groan. He gripped Duo's hand and looked to Heero. “Can't you help him?” He put his hand over the gaping wound. “Stomach and kidney damage... His spine is severed.” “No!” The three looked up as Vincent threw Wufei into the far wall and flew at Heero, hands circling his neck. They slid back several feet and the vampire slammed Heero's head to the ground. Trowa jumped, shifting as he leapt through the air and knocking the vampire from his lover. They rolled several times, Trowa landing on top. With a vicious snarl, he spread his jowls and ripped the vampire's throat from his neck. Wufei shoved from the wall, pulling a stake from his leg strap. “Trowa!” The shifter turned his head and transformed back into his human body. He grabbed the stake out of mid-air and slammed it into the vampire's chest. Vincent's already flapping jaw dropped further and Trowa snarled. “Weakest of the four, huh? Go back to hell where you belong.” He shoved from the dying body and raced to Heero. Blood was rapidly covering the floor beneath his head. “Heero?” “G-g-give... m-me... a m-m-minute,” he stuttered. His eyes were closed and his teeth tightly clenched. He raised shaking hands to his chest and blue light enveloped his body. Zechs' brows were drawn tightly together as he looked to Heero. “Is he going to be all right?” Trowa looked to Zechs and then his eyes fell on Duo. He shook his head. “Yes, but he won't be able to heal him. It'll take time for him to heal himself and then he'll need rest.” Quatre and Wufei knelt beside Duo and Zechs gazed at the vampire. “Wufei?” “Do you understand what you're asking? He'll become like me. No day. Living off blood. Never aging.” Zechs nodded. “But he'll still be Duo. Please,” he gripped Wufei's arm, “save him.” Wufei looked down into Duo's pale face. “Do you want me to turn you?” Glazed violet eyes stared at the ceiling and he made no response as gurgled breaths slipped through his lips. Wufei brushed Duo's bangs from his forehead. “I hope you can forgive me for this.” He leaned down and bit into Duo's neck. The braided man's body tensed, hand clenching Zechs'. Soft whimpers escaped him as Wufei drank until there was almost no blood left. He raised up and slit his wrist, sliding behind Duo to lift him up and hold the wrist to his lips. He didn't react and Wufei smeared the blood on his lips. “Come on, Duo, drink. Just a little.” He felt the lips part and a tentative lick. He knew once Duo had the first taste, he wouldn't stop until it was enough. He felt the shift as pressure began in his wrist to show that Duo had given in. Wufei sighed in relief and closed his eyes, dropping his forehead to the top of Duo's head. Duo released Zechs' hand and gripped Wufei's arm tightly. After several more long pulls of the vampire's blood, Duo's back arched and he tore his lips from Wufei's arm. He sucked in a breath, eyes wide but unseeing. Zechs watched, amazed as the grave wounds knitted themselves back together. Gasps fell on every breath as his body writhed on the floor, legs shifting restlessly and hands flexing and releasing. “Is he all right?” Trowa asked. Wufei nodded. “The turn takes several hours and then he'll sleep for a week, give or take a day or two.” He looked to Heero. “What about him?” “The wound's closed, but he's out of it.” Quatre stood and lifted Duo's coat, carrying it to Trowa. The shifter pulled it over his naked shoulders, grimacing as he looked to the shredded remains of his clothes. With a sigh, he lifted Heero from the stone floor. “I think we need to get back to the hotel.” Wufei nodded and sat back as Zechs' hooked an arm under Duo's knees and shoulders and stood. Duo released a shuddering breath at the move but remained incoherent. Quatre gripped the rope of braid hanging over Zechs' arm and laid it over onto Duo's stomach. “How are we going to explain this to the doorman?” Quatre muttered as he glanced at Duo and Heero. Wufei shrugged. “We'll just say they drank to much.” “Great,” Trowa grumbled. “That doesn't exactly help me too much.” Quatre looked to the bare shins and feet beneath the coat. “Maybe no one will look down.” TBC....
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