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"Center Ring"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU/Fantasy/Adventure, Angst, fluff,
sap, mile gore at one point, mild lemons, mild language Pairings: Eventual 1x2, Singular 2x4/5x2 encounters,
3x4, Eventual 5x6x9 Summary: The last of the world’s half animal hybrid’s face the adventure of a lifetime when they are sent to capture a rogue that appears determined to start a war. However, it is unclear as events unfold what his true purpose is and exactly who is hunting who. This is an unbeta’ed version. View Art for Center Ring: Pic
1, Pic
2 " Center Ring " Ch 4 The dark. It wasn’t unknown to him. His kind were well suited to the dark. If he thought he’d be safe in the shadows he was sadly mistaken. The night was the perfect time for the hunt. He was here, he could smell him. A fresh scent, dark and decadent just like the fleshy, feather like plume Hiiro kept obsessing over. He would regret bringing the Eaglet any pain. It was easy to see he was captivated by the demon but if he had harmed one golden hair on his lover’s glorious head he was going to rip him limb from limb. He was above ground. All the better. What little light filtered through the canopy was more then enough refraction to light up the forest floor for the emerald eyed lion. He could feel his primordial instincts taking control as he moved soundlessly through the brush. His lover was alive; he could feel him deep down, his breath, his heart beat, faint but always steady, always there as it had always been. They shared a deeper connection than the other creatures of this planet. A kindred bond that was unbreakable, undeniable and inseparable. Even by death. He’d known since the moment he met the beautiful unicorn he could never again live without him. He growled deep in his throat, a throaty base tenor that reverberated around the dense underbrush making it impossible to tell just exactly where he was to any who might hear. Any perhaps, but the silently still form of the demon he sought as he lay bonelessly on a fallen log in a small clearing gazing adoringly up at the sparkling night sky. “You needn’t hide in the bushes like an animal,” the demon sighed sounding bored as he chewed on a black, stringy looking thing that smelled like old oil or gym socks. “Where is he?” the lion growled dangerously stalking carefully into the clearing. “I’m afraid I can’t allow you to take him back,” the long hared wraith told him sitting up to smile at him with glittering amethyst eyes. “Your enchantments wont work on me,” the emerald eyed feline informed him moving into a better position to strike. “I’m taking him,” he told him firmly, a menacing growl lurking in the depths of his throat to emphasize his determination. “I am truly sorry but that’s not possible,” the demon sighed as if irritated that he hadn’t heard him the first time. “You see,” he grinned shifting in a way that made Trowa step back and guard himself. How’d he get up there crouched on the log like that so fast? “His time in this realm is about to come to an end,” he went on grinning like a hyena as his violet eyes crackled with mischievous glee. “What have you done!?” Trowa snarled circling the winged wraith. “Shown him the door to heaven,” the demon grinned preparing for the inevitable attack. His jubilant joy at the prospect only served to further enrage the solicitous lion. Trowa’s anger boiled in his gut, he was down wind from the mocking demon now and could smell his lovers scent on him, his sweat, his fear... his sex. It was only his own desperate need for more information that held him at bay. “I’ll kill you,” he growled extending the lethal claws that hide beneath his skin and baring fangs that could easily render a man in pieces, his heart beat slamming against his ribs as the demon cracked a huge, mocking grin and replied. “Do wait a moment longer. I will need the full force of your fury tonight.” The pure arrogance in the smart ass wraith broke what was left of Trowa’s will to restrain. He was in mid preparation to pounce when his chest suddenly caved in and he fell gasping to the ground holding his ribs and trying desperately to understand how he could possibly have misplaced his heart. It took only a moment for him to realize his connection with Quatre had been severed. He couldn’t feel him anymore, his breath had stilled, his heart beat was silent, it was like having his own heart ripped out of his chest. He was gone. There was only one way, one reason that this could have happened. Quatre must be dead. And this creature, this demon, this foul, mocking, living sacrilege to their very existence had killed him. He would not allow it to live. True to his nature the demon showed no sign of fear when the lions empty emerald eyes turned up to regard him, a sure sign that his sanity was in question as nothing sane can look into the eyes of its own death and not be effected; yet the demon sat crouched on the log with a grin on his face as the words Trowa had heard earlier that night resounded once again in his mind. Shinigami has come for you There was no other thought in his mind but to end this beings life when the lion attacked. The battle was furious but Trowa was no fool. He was being played with. The demon refused to use the considerable advantage of his flight capabilities. The most he would do was hop skyward when it became necessary to keep his skin intact. It didn’t matter; such was the feline’s rage that he wouldn’t give up, not ever. Not until the dark winged wraith was laying in a pool of his own blood spiting up his organs. He couldn’t think of anything else and was therefore unaware and unconcerned with the fact when their battle suddenly exploded through the wall of one of the local village’s barns sending chicks and live stock squealing and scurrying in every direction and pretty much waking up the entire town. It wasn’t long before the townsmen were up in arms intent of vanquishing their village of the warring hybrids. Trowa leapt just before a shotgun blast ripped through the crate behind him and the demon dodged heaving a stray, terrified chicken in his face as he escaped out into the center of town. There were people everywhere now; running around screaming, throwing rocks and anything else they could find at the furiously snarling pair as they went at each other no holds barred in the center of town. Trowa leapt again taking a rock up side the head but he hardly felt it in his rage. All he cared about was finding a way to sink his razor sharp claws into the flesh of the beautiful demon. Another shot rang out as a window exploded just beside the wraiths head spraying him with glass but he had no time to consider it as he currently had a rampaging lion trying to crawl up his ass. He was forced to use his wings to escape this time having been cornered by the intelligent feline. He just made it over the roof top when Trowa slammed into the wall of the house cracking boards and leaving a rather large dent behind as he rounded on the panting demon and continued his attack. The wraith made to land in the middle of the street but was hindered by the form of a small child as he ran out unaware of the danger from above. The small distraction cost him as Trowa took full advantage of his altered point of focus to snag him by the foot and sling him into the nearest structure which just happened to be someone’s stable. The force of the impact brought down the entire building as the demons body crashed into it frightening the lone horse inside into hysteria sending it bolting from the fallen stall and down the street. He had him! He was down! He was right there in front of him tangled in the debris! Another bullet dusted the ground as the enraged lion leapt in for the kill but it was not to be. Trowa roared in pure fury as Hiiro snatched him right out of the air dropping him through the roof off a nearby house when the ferocious cat bit him hard on the forearm in his desperation to get back to the ground. Hiiro’s high pitched cry of pain and fury split the air as he hovered there, his massive wings beating the air ruthlessly causing a windstorm in the already turbulent village. His heart froze when he heard another shot ring out just missing the shadowy form of the demon as he burst forth from the wreckage of the fallen stable into the blackened sky. He got no more than ten feet off the ground before Trowa’s powerful form slammed into his legs but he couldn’t manage to keep his grip and fell the fifteen feet to the ground as the demon continued to rise to his escape. His heart felt like it would burst if this filth was allowed to get away but his anxiety was once again changed to new hope when a second dark form swooped down and latched onto the fleeing demon. Hiiro was already on his way to aid in the containment when the demon suddenly whirled around with Wufei in his grasp, his hand gripping the dragons throat tightly enough to cut off his air supply as his thunderous wings beat the air to keep them aloft. Hiiro paused awaiting his next move and was absolutely mesmerized by it when it came. The demon smiled, a wonderfully enchanting, gorgeous smile that lit up Hiiro’s heart like a super nova then he turned offering some small semblance of the gift to Wufei as he released his throat. The dragon wasted no time sucking in a deep breath of air that came right back out again as a stream of burning hot flames which the demon promptly sucked into his lungs as if he were feeding on the dragons very life’s blood. Hiiro couldn’t believe his eyes but there he was, draining Wufei of every ounce of fire his slight body could produce. “Wait!” the Eaglet heard himself call when he realized Wufei couldn’t stop, he was truly being drained of his energies, his body going limp in the demons arms even as he sucked the last dancing flames from his lips. Hiiro swallowed hard when the wraith used his delicious looking mouth to cover Wufei’s making sure he’d drained him of every last bit of fire he possessed before repaying him for it with a deep kiss. Wufei was completely unconscious by the time the demon tossed his limp body to Hiiro. Hiiro caught him relieved to see he had merely passed out then turned back in time to catch that glorious smile again just before the dark one turned his beautiful head and released the capture fire into the ruins of the broken stable setting it instantly ablaze. The villagers went nuts trying to put out the flames before they spread to the neighboring houses but it was clear that without Hiiro’s help they wouldn’t stand a chance. He was forced to move into a position where he could fan the flames in an opposite direction of the townspeople’s homes while the demon casually moved to land in the center of the street just outside the boarders of the village. He just stood there barely touching the ground, his huge ebony wings stretched out behind him as if he were … waiting? Hiiro realized too late what it was he was waiting for when Trowa’s lithe form suddenly burst forth headed straight for the shadowy figure. “NO!” was all the Eaglet could shout as he watched the grin curl the corners of the demons supple mouth, his violet eyes ablaze with amethyst flames as he caught the rampaging cat full in the chest wrapping his pliable, midnight wings around the cub; swallowing him up in the blackest shade of night. Hiiro blinked and they were suddenly gone, all that was left was the reverberating sound of the demons voice in his head…. Shinigami has come for you He had no time to contemplate what had just happened as another gun shot rang out, the bullet barely grazing his already injured forearm. The fire appeared to be under control and under the circumstances he deemed it wiser to let the villagers deal with it on their own. This was so much worse than bad he couldn’t even comprehend it yet. Their lives had just changed completely whether they liked it or not. There was no way in hell anyone was going to be able to protect the wraith from the authorities now no matter how much they pleaded or reasoned. There was also a very good chance that he and Wufei would also face the firing squad over this nights events. He decided it would be better to take Wufei into the mountains to recuperate for awhile before they faced whatever fate now awaited them. * Wufei groaned softly late the next day as he rolled over and slowly woke from the few hours of deep sleep. Hiiro hadn’t managed to close his eyes at all wondering how long it would take for the helicopters and soldiers to overrun these beautiful mountains. Last nights events would hardly go unpunished. He’d spent the hours wondering where the demon child might be and why he’d done this to them all. Their lives were definitely over. They’d be lucky if they were humanely executed at this point. Life on the run wasn’t possible for someone like Hiiro and Wufei. They were conspicuous. It brought a wry little smile to his face when he heard Wufei’s gentle chuckling as he woke fully from whatever dream his was immersed in. “You ok?” the Eaglet asked glad for the light mood that was emanating from his giddy friend. “Awww, man,” the dragon giggled wiping his face with his palms. “Where the hell are we?” he asked looking around the clearing and noting the sheer drop off where Hiiro had been gazing out over the valley below. “North about fifty miles,” Hiiro informed him. “How do you feel?” he asked. “Fantastic,” Wufei chuckled springing to his feet. Indeed, his black eyes had a sparkle that Hiiro had never quiet seen before. It left a curious frown on the blue eyed fledgling’s brow. “Shouldn’t we be getting back?” the dragon asked smoothing back the escaping strands of his heavy raven hair. “To what?” Hiiro snorted wryly. “We can’t abandon Treize” Wufei reminded him. “I know” the Eaglet sighed heavily. “You sure you’re alright?” he asked concerned. “Yeah,” the dragon grinned. “I thought he was gonna suck my insides out there for a minute but whatever he did when he kissed me was damn well worth the sacrifice” he grinned. “Where’s Trowa?” he asked suddenly realizing the lions scent was missing from the clearing. “He took him,” Hiiro informed him steeling away some of his giddiness. “The whole thing was set up.” “You think he meant to destroy the village?” “He’s declaring war,” the Eaglet stated quiet clearly. The idea clearly shook Wufei to the core as he stood silently contemplating that possibility. “Why?” he breathed more to the wind than his companion. “There’s no way we could win a war against the humans.” “I don’t think it’s his intention to win.” Wufei could do nothing but stare drop jawed at him. “Trowa was in a blind rage,” Hiiro went on gripping the bandage he’d made of strips off the bottom of his shirt around his forearm. “You think he killed… Quatre?” Wufei asked, his voice breaking on the unicorns name. They’d never gotten along but they were brothers just the same. Hiiro didn’t reply for a long moment. When he did his voice held a shadow of a doubt when he said “No... I can’t believe he’d kill them.” Wufei saw no reason to start bickering with him about it even though he was of a different opinion. There next course of action was clear and standing around gabbing about speculation was getting them no where. “We need to get back,” he reminded him. “Treize is facing this mess alone,” he said before jumping off the cliff and sailing out into the midday sky. Hiiro took a deep breath and sighed stepping up to the sheer drop. He paused to look out over the breathtaking landscape. This was likely to be the last time he’d ever see a valley like this, or even the beautiful blue sky. He could run but he’d never be able to live with himself if he abandoned Wufei and Treize. If the others were alive as his heart told him they were, even if his head was clouded by doubt, he couldn’t abandon them either. He took another deep drought of the sweet, clean mountain air before spreading his massive wings wide and beginning what could very well turn out to be his last flight. ** Wufei slipped silently over the tree tops. It really wouldn’t do to go to his death on an empty stomach. If it was to be his last meal then he figured he should make it a good one. He spied a likely tree and slipped beneath the canopy lighting on a branch near the top of the boughs and was rewarded right off when he spotted a nice, big, fat, juicy looking beetle crawling along the bark. It was crunchy and had a good flavor that resembled toasted brazil nuts leaving him craving more of the delectable insects. He made it a point not to eat around the others since his preferred diet was a tad offensive to the general human side of the equation; but when it came right down to it this was his natural food source like any other reptile. He very much enjoyed his tasty little treats and got a kick out of hunting them down. Such variety and plenty. He even garnished the fluids he needed from them as water wasn’t exactly a dragons best friend. Mmm… the crunchy cream filled kind! This was definitely a good spot. He spent the next hour or so peeling back the thick bark of the trees in search of his last meal. Of course he wasn’t certain he was going to die but he didn’t know what they’d allow him to eat if he ended up in a cell five hundred feet below the ground. He just about jumped clean out of his skin when a soft, melodious tone softly said… “You missed one.” “GEEZ!!!!” he gasped almost falling out of the tree as his latest find, a nice, fat burrowing grub wriggled once and fell twenty feet to the forest floor. “Nice one,” the demon purred releasing his long braid from his hand to dangle in a long rope from where he hung upside down in the tree beside the stunned dragon. “You going after it?” he asked plucking a small bit of bark from the spot where Wufei had been foraging to examine. “What do you want?” the dragon asked still trying to put his heart back in order. “You,” the demon replied evenly offering him a warm smile as he righted himself to sit beside him. “What”dya want me for?” Wufei inquired feeling his pulse speed up again. “Isn’t really more about…” the wraith smiled scooting over closer to him, a sultry smile playing on his pouting lips. “What you want… from me?” he purred leaning in close enough for Wufei to breath in that hopelessly intoxicating scent. “Your casting a spell,” Wufei breathed him in deeply, his black eyes transfixed on the creamy texture of the skin of his neck as he willingly offered it up to him. The dragon knew he could lunge forward right then and rip a large chunk of that sweet smelling flesh from his body but then, if he did that, he wouldn’t get to... kiss it. “I don’t need a spell for this,” the demon chuckled slipping down through the limbs of the tree, drawing Wufei behind him as he guided them towards the warm, soft earth below. “This is just natural charm,” he smiled pulling the impassioned dragon down on top of his slender body as he wrapped his long legs tight around his hips and caressed the back of his head with the prehensile feather plates on the tips of his ebony wings. “It’s very effective,” Wufei swallowed feeling his body begin to burn out of control as his hands and eyes roamed the slender demons sumptuous body. He was an uke? Gods in Heaven, he was so damn beautiful it took his breath away. He smelled like nothing he’d ever sensed before, the aroma so intoxicating, the feel of his skin, so smooth and alive, those tantalizing feathers brushing his skin like a thousand individual fingers all bent on driving him completely insane. He was buck naked before he even realized those fingers were doing more than touching his skin. “Are you going to kill me too?” he asked helping the sumptuous wraith out of his black attire. Damn, he was even more beautiful naked! No surprise but... damn! “Transcendence is nothing to fear,” the demon assured him drawing him down for a deep kiss. Wufei felt the last of his resistance fade away as he drank deeply from the demons mouth. If he lived through this he might even get an idea of what had happened to the others. In any case, he was seme with the single most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes on. It wasn’t a horrible way to die. Had to be better than what the army had in mind right? ** Hiiro took his time getting back. He knew Treize was dealing with things alone but he wasn’t really in that much of a hurry to rush to his death. He took a little detour out over the sea relishing the smell of the salty air. It had taken three trips into the outer stratosphere to satisfy his need to soar enough to even think about grounding himself for more than a day. He felt more than a little guilt about the indulgent hours when he returned and found that Wufei had not come back. He should have been there even if he did the same as Hiiro and took his time. It didn’t surprise the Eaglet to find that the army had seized control of the circus and all its assets including Hiiro the moment he landed. It was only by Treize’s grace and some very important connections the man still held in the armed forces that he hadn’t been shot out of the sky upon his approach. “Where are the others?” the General, a wiry man with a little black mustache and way too much time on his hands, demanded. “He already told you three times,” Treize sighed tolerantly. “I’m not at all convinced this isn’t some elaborate hoax concocted to make us believe they’ve died so they can escape the rules and regulations that have been places upon them,” the man sneered. Hiiro would have rolled his eyes but that would only give the idiot a reason to start over at the beginning again. “General, please,” Treize sighed again. “You’re too soft on them!” the man snapped brandishing his riding crop. “If you hadn’t allowed them to wander the countryside free to do as they will none of this would have happened!” he growled slapping the small whip down on the desk firmly. “Discipline! Discipline is the only way to keep order!” he snapped turning a hard eye on Hiiro that suddenly melted away under the steady blue gaze of the Eaglets sharp eyes. “Yes... well,” he bristled turning his attention quickly away from the imposing fledgling and back to the more reasonable visage of the man. “The thing now is to find them,” he surmised oh so intelligently. “We’ve got squads out looking now,” he said turning back to Hiiro with considerably less attitude than the first time. “If you were to see your way clear to aiding us in their capture you might ease your own sentence in the end,” he bargained. “What has he done?” Treize suddenly snapped. “He’s broken no rules, abandoned no regulations! He and the others went out in search of another and have suffered greatly because of it,” he told him flat out. “He is a hybrid and responsible for the destruction of an entire village!” the General snapped quite clear in his conviction. “Stolen livestock, savagery, kidnapping! Where does it end?!” he growled, his face turning purple with rage. “People like you simply cannot understand! Sympathizers! You don’t see the dangers to your own kind! All you see is pretty wings and fancy fangs” he sneered daring to flip one of Hiiro’s pristine feathers with his crop in his rage. “They’re not pets! Their dangerously powerful hybrids created by man! An abomination to God and I for one wont stop until every last one of them has been wiped from the face of the Earth!!” he shouted sending a hateful glare at Hiiro before he stormed a bit nervously out of the room. “I’m sorry,” Treize sighed slumping back into his chair. He looked so damn tired. Hiiro felt bad for him, he’d been nothing but kind to them and worked so hard to gain their right to survive. He was a good and decent man. “It’s not your fault,” Hiiro reminded him. “We all appreciate everything you’ve done for us,” he told him while he still had the chance. Treize sat quietly for a long moment just looking at him before five simple words fell softly from his lips. “My God, you’re so beautiful,” he told him, the love and affection in his heart spilling out to warm he Eaglet’s soul. “I just can’t understand why they can’t see it too,” he wondered out loud clearly stumped by the dilemma. “Perhaps,” Hiiro offered by way of some small explanation. “We were never meant to be,” he reasoned knowing that he was now the last of the entire line of hybrids left on the planets surface. Where ever the others were they would never return, of that much he was certain. “Will you help them?” Treize asked uncertain of Hiiro’s state of mind. “Will they spare my life if I do?” he wanted to know. “At least until the task is complete,” the man sighed heavily again. “Then I see no point in prolonging the inevitable,” the Eaglet replied evenly. The demons words came back to him over and over again. Shinigami has come for you. Shinigami. The god of death. The deliver of transcendence. The guide into the netherworld. Had his brothers really been taken to heavens door? Was this impossibly beautiful creature really a demon come to collect their souls? Whatever he was he had taken everything from Hiiro that he’d had left and he really wanted to know why. He also needed to know for sure if the others were alive or victims of this seemingly otherworldly spirit. In any case, there was no turning back. He offered his former keeper a shallow bow before turning to take his leave. “Hiiro?” “Hn?” “I hope you find what you’re looking for.” He didn’t have the courage to look back.
~ * ~ tbc... |
