|
"The Negotiator"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,
Sexual favors from a dragon? ^0^ (non graphic), Eventual Lemon, Mild
violence, My corky humor lol ^-^ Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5xM Beta’ed by the wonderful Mechante Fille *hugs*
You’re the best baby! ^__^ Summary: Duo Maxwell finds himself on the adventure
of a lifetime when he is hired by the future king of Lagrange to aid
in dealing with an encroaching Dragon. However, he quickly discovers
that not everything is as it seems. Wizards, Dragons and magic abound
in this epic tale of adventure and discovery when one young man finds
himself between two worlds and suddenly the future depends solely
on his skills as The Negotiator. View art work commissioned by SkyLark and drawn by t_shirt for "The Negotiator" - Click HERE "The Negotiator" Ch 19 * “Why are we skirting Hound’s Fang?” Duo asked, noticing their course around the long peninsula. “Harlock’s current runs south this time of year,” Howard reminded him. “If we try to go through the middle of the Transient Sea right now the engines will be clogged with salt.” The current in question was the main reason for the large body of water’s lack of life, making it uninhabitable for a thousand miles around. For part of the year it ran more to the north, though most ships passing that way avoided the sea all together regardless of its path. The Peacemillion was not dependent upon sails however, something any sailor that had seen her could not comprehend because the large solar panels on the top deck very much resembled them - and could easily make her home in its black depths, until the current shifted and made the water thick with the heavy salts that were the basis of its origins. “The new filters aren’t working?” Duo asked, casually moving in on a tall, blonde woman that happily surrendered her console to him. “We uh… lost the number two wash last year,” the woman grinned, flashing Howard a cocky grin. “Shit,” Duo grumbled. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” “If you ever came out of your room maybe I would have,” Howard chuckled. Duo flashed a brilliant shade of crimson while Hiiro shot him an utterly unrepentant smile. “You know how to maintain those engines,” he said, ignoring the way everyone on the bridge was smiling under their hair. “Why didn’t you take your skinny ass down there and fix it?” “I’m too damn old to be crawling around in the waste systems of this ship,” Howard informed him. “Then train Beasley to…” “He’d be stuck in that web for the next ten years!” the man laughed along with most of everyone else. “It’s only a couple of extra days to skirt the Fang.” “We don’t have a couple of extra days,” Duo snipped, snagging a tool belt on his way out. “I hope you’re part snake,” Howard laughed when Hiiro made to follow. “’Cause where he’s going ain’t fit for anything with arms and legs!” Hiiro hurried to catch up, feeling ill at east about what was transpiring. Duo was already in the lift by the time he joined him but he didn’t managed to come up with anything to say until they had descended several decks. “So,” he opened, uncertain of a better way to begin. “You’re a mechanic as well?” “Tough to live aboard this boat without knowing how she works,” Duo replied, turning his attention to the tool belt to take an inventory of its contents. Hiiro tried to hide his smile but failed to the point Duo caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye so he voiced his observation. “So much more than a pretty face.” “Everybody’s been somewhere,” Duo countered, hiding the color on his cheeks admirably by hitting the stop. Hiiro retained his coy amusement only until the doors slid open. “I thought we were headed for the engine room?” “We are,” Duo informed him, sticking his head out. “But I need a… Hey! Billy Bones!” “Duo!” a very large, very bald older man down the hall grinned over his several chins as he called to some others down the corridor, “Check it out! The prodigal son has emerged!” Duo’s color went up a notch as the group cheered, then escalated to dangerous proportions when Hiiro poked his head out to grin and wave and the cheers hit a righteous pitch until Duo’s hand covered his mate’s silly face and shoved him back inside. “You got a portable plasma cutter?” he asked, ignoring the lot of them. “You planning on fixing the number two wash?” Billy laughed, already checking his tool belt. Duo rolled his eyes and smacked Hiiro’s hand when it tried to sneak out and waggle its fingers at the crew. “Somebody’s gotta keep this bucket of bolts afloat.” “Well I’d be glad to help!” the man laughed heartily and Duo rolled his eyes as the rest of them doubled over with laugher. “I doubt your pinky’s gonna be much help,” he retorted. “Maybe you ought to leave him here,” Billy grinned, tossing the requested tool to his friend. “Seems every time a door closes behind you two we don’t see you for days!” Duo was just getting ready to spontaneously combust when Hiiro swooped out of the lift, smoothly scooping him into his arms, bent him back and laid a firm kiss right on his lips, much to the delight of the gathered crew. Duo was still reeling when he set him back on his feet and waved to the cheering group before nudging him back inside. “Asshole,” Duo chuckled, letting him take him in his arms in spite of the sunburned impression on his skin. “They really care about you,” Hiiro smiled, seemingly very pleased with the idea. “They’re the closest thing I ever had to a family,” Duo replied shyly. Hiiro’s heart skipped a beat seeing his mate so cutely off balance and inspired him to kiss him again only this time it was slow and tender and sent the blood rushing to other parts of Duo’s body than his face. “Hiiro?” he moaned, enjoying the feeling of his lover’s lips on his neck in spite of what his mind was telling him to do. “Hm?” “It’s going to be really hard crawling through the ducts with a hard on.” “Sorry,” Hiiro chuckled, pulling back. “You’re just so damn cute somet…uf!” He laughed again when his back hit the wall and Duo’s brow furrowed crossly. “Adorable?” “Shut up.” Hiiro paid for his insolence once they had entered the tiny tunnels that were the only way to access the wash system when at sea. They had been designed for maintenance from the outside but with the hull under water it had to be done from within. Being able to both understand the workings of the strange machines Howard invented and squirm into the tightest parts of the ship had turned Duo into the best mechanic on board very quickly. He also knew the web like infrastructure of the ship well enough Hiiro had a time keeping up and was hopelessly lost by the time his lover finally stopped. “Are we there yet?” the man-dragon groaned wishing very hard that they could get out of the duct and stretch out for a minute. “Shit,” Duo’s grumble echoed. “The shafts flooded. We’ll have to double back.” “Can’t we just swim?” Hiiro chuckled. Duo ignored the comment in favor of instructing, “Just back to the last junction. We can access the maintenance shaft from the upper deck.” “Hai, hai,” Hiiro grumbled, inching backwards in the three by three tube. Happily it only took another twenty minutes or so before Duo had led them to a small hatch in the wall of the duct that opened into a larger maintenance tunnel. They still had to bend over but crawling on their bellies wasn’t necessary anymore and from Hiiro’s point of view the scenery wasn’t too bad either. He was just contemplating the possibility that he might coerce his mate into an impromptu break when Duo suddenly stopped and turned his attention to a panel on the ceiling. “Can you fix it from here?” Hiiro asked curiously as he watched Duo pull wires and hook them up to a meter on his belt. “I have to locate the problem first,” Duo replied. “Anything I can do?” Hiiro asked, though keeping him company appeared to be all he was qualified for in this situation. “Yeah,” Duo grinned, backing away. “See that?” he asked pointing to a stay that was hindering his efforts. Hiiro nodded then smiled widely when Duo requested, “Rip that bitch out of there for me?” The metal support didn’t stand a chance against Hiiro’s superior strength and groaned piteously as it gave way. Hiiro’s smile slid into a smirk as he offered it to his mate and was rewarded with a gentle kiss. “My hero,” Duo quipped, earning a slap on the ass before he went back to his work. “I told Connors that thing was going to be a pain in the ass.” “Who is Connors?” “An engineer Howard hired to help with the design,” Duo explained. “Guy was in idiot. The old man must’ve owed him or something though because he kept him on until construction started. Then it was too late to revert back to my original plans.” Hiiro blinked and asked, “Your plans?” Duo nodded absently as he unhooked his meter and began replacing the panel. “There’s a fried transformer in the eighth grid.” Hiiro followed dutifully as Duo lead the way but couldn’t let the subject drop. “So you designed the wash systems?” he asked, inspecting the area with a new interest. “Yeah,” Duo replied, turning down another corridor that had many rows of panels, one of which had a scorch mark along the edges that made him smile. “Made sense I suppose,” he went on as he opened the damaged box. “Since it was my engine it was going to protect.” “You designed the engines too?” Hiiro chuckled. “Exactly how long did you live here?” “I don’t know,” Duo shrugged. “Long enough. Can you hand me a new transformer from the storage under that beam?” Bending slightly, Hiiro confirmed the presence of a latch and opened another panel to find it full of spare parts and smiled again at his lover’s ingenuity. “Thanks,” Duo smiled, pulling the old part out to make room for the new. “Is that all there is to it?” Hiiro asked, peering over his shoulder. “It is when it’s done right,” Duo chuckled, plugging the modified transformer into its socket. “You are truly amazing,” Hiiro breathed, stealing a taste of his neck. Duo stilled, swallowing hard as a shiver raced down his spine. “No I’m not,” he denied, unable to stop his body from leaning back into the warmth of Hiiro’s strong chest. “I’m just…” “Incredible,” Hiiro whispered in a way that made it clear the word was not meant to flatter but merely state the truth. “Hiiro?” Duo spoke softly as his chest rose and fell in quick, short breaths, the addition of his lover’s hand slowly sliding up the sides of his hips making it harder to think but he forced his mind to remain focused. “Hn?” the man-dragon hummed against his neck, making him gasp softly as his fingers slowly invaded the hem of his shirt. “What if…” “It doesn’t matter,” he cut him off, turning him in his arms so that he could kiss him softly before he looked into his eyes. “Come what may, I will always love you.” He was unprepared for the passionate kiss and embrace that followed his declaration but saw no reason to complain as Duo seemed more than willing to address his earlier impulses and grant him the rapturous feeling of being joined with him one more time. Each knew the time was approaching fast when they may be denied this sort of union so they cherished it with all their might. Hiiro knew, somewhere deep down, that Duo’s offering had in some small way been an apology for having made it possible for that time to come quicker but it merely made the gift even more sweet so he took his time and made sure the longhaired one understood their hearts were as one, their thoughts parallel and their souls in perfect harmony. They made their way back topside with little to say but when it came right down to it, there wasn’t much either of them didn’t already understand. “Took you long enough,” Howard grinned when they walked on to the bridge. “Sub-deck K-4 is flooded,” Duo informed him. “Did you hit something in your sleep?” Howard bristled indignantly while his present crew snickered under their breath. “You can blame that one on Carley Simms,” he snipped. “Damn woman never could see straight.” “Since when do you turn the helm over to someone else?” Duo snickered, happy to have the spotlight off him for a change. Howard flushed as brightly as his shirt but it was Thea that spoke. “Since she got him drunk and impugned his virtue.” “She didn’t impugned anything!” Howard growled, making everyone laugh again when he amended, “But she did have some mighty fine whiskey.” Duo snorted under his breath when the old man winked at him, understanding exactly how far the woman in question had gotten under his skin. “So,” he chortled, mercifully changing the subject. “You going to try it or what?” “Already did,” the man smiled. “She’s purring like a sated dragon.” Hiiro coughed hard, choking on the words as he had been unaware of Howard having any knowledge of his true form. Thinking perhaps it had been a coincidental comment he turned to peer at the older man only to find him smirking his ass off. “How did you know?” Duo asked, almost as off balance as Hiiro. “Little kitty told me,” Howard smiled as Meilan jumped into his lap. “Nice to see you out and about,” Wufei grinned, joining them as well. “Indeed,” Meilan sniffed, washing her paw. “One wonders if all dragons are inherently insatiable or if perhaps it’s just you.” Hiiro glared into her flashing yellow eyes but it was Quatre who spoke breaking the tension with his lightly amused tone. “I am happy to attest that they are all so inclined,” he smiled, shifting Hiiro’s expression to smug determination and Meilan’s to silent consideration as she watched he and his lover walk across the room. “Someone calling himself Billy Bones informed us that we may be arriving early?” “Thanks to Duo,” Howard smiled, nodding at his young friend. “Good,” Quatre sighed seeming relieved. “The closer to the apex of the black moon the better chance he’ll have of surviving.” “Surviving?” Howard gasped, shooting Duo a worried glance that he blatantly avoided. “You mean…” “Returning him to his true form requires a dangerous spell,” Quatre explained grimly. “Then why not just leave him like he is!” Howard snapped. “At least like this he and Duo could…” “He is a dragon,” Trowa cut in. “He can be nothing less.” “You can change at will!” “Yeah!” Thea piped in, rising to her feet. “If you can do it then what’s the problem?” “Trowa is different,” Quatre tried to explain. “Then find some other way!” Howard insisted, also on his feet and suddenly the entire bridge was shouting indignantly. “Guys!” Duo suddenly barked, calling a halt to the cacophony. “We have! Quatre’s done everything possible to find another way. It’s just not possible.” “Then try again,” Thea demanded. “We don’t have time,” Duo replied softly. “You’re talking about the summit,” Howard cut in. “Postpone it.” “If we miss this opportunity we may never get another chance,” Wufei reasoned. “Many nations are already skeptical over our lack of proof that he exists. Without him, they will retreat and the endless cycle of war will continue. We must strike now when most are at peace and willing to cooperate.” “Duo,” Thea said softly, offering her touch to her violet eyed friend but it was Hiiro who laid his hands on his shoulders. “Everything will be fine,” he assured him as much as her, wrapping his arms around his chest when he felt the slight tremor in his form as he declared, “I will survive.” The entire attitude of the ship suddenly changed after the confrontation on the bridge. Every man, woman and child seemed bound and determined to see that they arrive well before the apex of the black moon. The event spurred thousands of celebrations and rituals all over the planet but none were as delicate as the spell Quatre would be attempting to weave. Trowa once again underwent blood work and examinations that revealed nothing more than Quatre had discovered before. Hiiro was also poked and examined only to confirm that his composition was, for the most part, human, which was one of the reasons Quatre was so concerned for his safety. Trowa’s dragon form had suffered a great deal when the spell was performed; to think of Hiiro’s human body undergoing such a thing put the blond wizard ill at ease. The weather had turned foul, matching the mood of the crew as the Peacemillion approached the desolate isle of Metonia. Its jagged peaks rose ominously into the grey sky, sprouting from a dead sea to loom over the shore bound adventurers. Hiiro kept a tight hold on Duo who sat beside him safely tucked under his hood against the driving rain. Three skiffs made their way along the traitorous cliff walls, doing their best to avoid being smashed into the dead coral reefs that surrounded the isle, until the swelling ocean finally delivered them to the gaping crag that provided the only entry. Thunder cracked high above as they forced their small boats into the jagged mouth using arms and legs to keep from being smashed against the walls until the water finally relented within the protection of the cliff. Absolute silence engulfed in blackness surrounded them for a time, the only evidence of their presence within the world of the living the beating of their own hearts until the sound of distant thunder alerted them to the end of the beginning and brought them out of the darkness and into the antechamber of Hades itself. There was nothing but desolation as far as the eye could see, black cliffs devoid of any movement save the rivers of dark rain water that bled from deep crevices in the dreadful downpour. Quatre shivered, leaning into his lover’s arms and even Trowa’s emerald eyes seemed ill at ease in this place. There was a shadow in his eyes that spoke of things better forgotten and Duo felt a new wave of gratitude wash over him, understanding how difficult it must be for the two of them to return to this miserable place. The curiosity over how Trowa could have survived, much less been born there was lost to the despair in his heart over the possibility that Hiiro might not be so lucky. Slowly the rain eased enough to allow them their first view of the long, uneven stairs that were cut haphazardly into the side of the tallest spire. Duo shook to the bones as he gazed up at the endless steps, his mind providing a lovely vision of his lover hanging at the gallows before Hiiro’s sure embrace chased the demons away. “All the way up there!?” Howard groaned, tying off the bow line of his skiff. “The chamber is on the summit,” Quatre shouted over the howling wind. “Great,” the old man grumbled and the blond chuckled, digging in a pouch that hung beneath his robes. “Here,” he smiled, offering Howard a small, stone necklace. “It’ll help.” Howard nodded his appreciation but his smile didn’t brighten until he slipped the charm on and suddenly felt as if half his weight had vanished. He offered the wizard a much happier grin of gratitude, then fell into step behind the grumbling Meriy as they made their way up the long and winding stair. As treacherous as the climb had been, Duo found it over far too soon as he and his mate stepped into the chamber at the top. The storm had darkened, drenching the hollow in both eerie shades of grey and the constant, hissing roar of the falling rain. In the center of the cavern lay a simple dais raised by three steps and concave in the center. Above the rain filtered through an opening that spilled waxen light from the absent day outside giving the rain that invaded the sanctity of the cave an odd, silver/grey glow. “Are you all right?” Hiiro asked, feeling his lover shake hard beside him. “I sense nothing but death here,” Duo whispered as if afraid something might hear and snuff out their unwelcome intrusion. “Lumen!” Quatre’s voice echoed and suddenly several previously unseen lamps burst into flame along the high walls, bathing the cavern in red/orange light. The splash of color did not warm the cave however, giving it more the feeling of hell on Earth than ever before and Duo turned his eyes away from how the light played in the water standing in the center of the dais. “Siccus,” the wizard muttered, waving his hand and Hiiro took Duo into his arms protectively as the stone beneath their feet warmed and smoldered, the water soaked into the rock slowly rising to dissipate while the small pool in the dais bubbled and hissed until the stone was as dry as the desert. Quatre went about his business sealing the rain away and conjuring up black candles to set at the tips of a diagram that flared to life in the stone around the dais at his command. “Hiiro?” “Yes?” he replied, brushing the bangs back from his lover’s beautiful face. “Come with me,” Duo told him quietly, leading him into the darkest corner where he sat him on the floor and began unlacing his shirt. “I’m pretty sure we don’t have time for this,” Hiiro grinned, trying to lighten the mood but Duo seemed far beyond his attempts. “Just be still.” Hiiro watched curiously while his mate took a waxen twig from his pocket and creased his brow when he began adorning his face and arms with odd scribbling. “What’s this?” he asked, not recognizing the strange script. “I… don’t know,” Duo replied, unable to look away or continue while he spoke. “I just feel that it’s… necessary.” “You don’t know what it means?” Hiiro asked, forcing him to look at him. Duo shook his head gently and gladly accepted the kiss his mate offered before going back to his work. It took sometime before things were nearing completion. Howard, Rashid, Meriy and Wufei had made good use of Quatre’s gift of fire to make hot coffee for them all, helping to hold the fatigue and depression at bay while the blond worked feverishly at his task. Meilan had spent a good deal of time in close conversation with the wizard while Trowa did his best to remind his lover that collapsing from exhaustion would not help expedite their mission. All too soon however, Duo heard the ominous sound of silence fill the cave and knew the time had come. He forced his hand to make the final marks along Hiiro’s chest and kissed the stone around his neck before slipping it off and onto his mate. Hiiro snagged his hand before he could pull away and locked their gaze as he swore again, “I will survive,” then kissed his suddenly weeping mate and held him tightly until the weight of the eyes on them forced them to part. “I’ll be here,” Duo assured him as he made his way toward the dais. “You better,” Hiiro grinned, looking odd in the strange markings all over his body. Quatre followed him up the steps and stood before him when he turned to face his comrades saying only, “It is time to remember.” Hiiro nodded once then screamed as Quatre placed a hand to his forehead. “Hiiro!” “He’s breaking the seals!” Trowa shouted, barely able to restrain Duo as his mate cried out in utter anguish, the blinding light of the sage’s touch filtering through and even Quatre gaped in wide wonder when he finally backed way to see the runes Duo had inscribed on Hiiro’s body aglow. “Hurry,” Hiiro gasped, falling to his knees and Duo suddenly understood that the barriers that had kept him sane all this time were no more, he was himself again inside his mind and would soon go mad if they were not successful. “Hurry!” he echoed, bringing Quatre out of his stunned state to scramble back to the outer rim of the diagram. The entire group fell back as the wizard knelt, his hand hovering above two intricate circles of light on the stone as his eyes turned toward the sky. The soft litany of melodic sounds falling from his lips manifest in a stream of shimmering light that connected him to Hiiro, the words on his body responding to the sound and giving the man-dragon the strength to raise his head and capture Duo’s gaze. “I’m here,” Duo whispered, tugging against Trowa’s hold. In his mind he heard the dragon’s voice as clearly as if he’d spoken aloud, the rich timbre of it bringing back memories of their den and first days together as it gripped his heart and brought tears of joy and despair to his eyes when Hiiro looked into his gaze and declared, “I love you.” “HIIROO!” Duo shouted, seeing his mate’s pain as Quatre’s hands fell but Trowa’s grip held him fast. Golden light exploded in the cavern, filling it with a brilliance only overshadowed by Hiiro’s piteous cries. “Let go!” “Let him finish!” Trowa growled, resorting to flapping his wings to give some extra force to holding his captive at bay. Quatre’s form began to glow: his purple robes flowing out and up in the ethereal whirlwind that pummeled the cave. Lightening lanced the sky outside and Hiiro suddenly thrashed and arched back as a beam of white light erupted from the dais shooting straight for the heavens, the thick clouds above parting to reveal the presence of the black moon as the light shot upward toward its ebony surface. “He’s killing him!” Duo cried, weeping horribly as he fought to free himself. “Trust him!” “Hiiro!” “Trowa!?” Quatre suddenly shrieked and the jade paled to find his lover in a state of dire need. “Quatre!” he shouted, unable to go to his aid with Duo thrashing in his arms. Helplessly he watched as the blond and the dragon slowly began to fade from sight. “Damn it!” Duo suddenly roared, turning in Trowa’s arms to grip his forehead and suddenly the jade was knocked back by a white light in his hand with a force strong enough to bounce him off the cavern wall. He regained his senses just in time to see Duo slam into Hiiro wrapping himself around him tightly and felt the terror in his heart recede when Quatre was blown backward, Duo’s presence breaking the connection between he and the dragon so that his form once again solidified but there was nothing more to be done for the couple in the maelstrom in the center of the room.
tbc... |
