//italics//

Part 6

Relena woke up with a vague sense of unease. Yawning, she crawled out of her canopied bed and proceeded to perform her morning ritual. "Brush you hair, brush your teeth, Keep your appearance healthy and neat." God, that phrase made her gag! She went to her wardrobe and pulled out her Sanq Kingdom uniform. //Because,// she reasoned, //it's the only thing I own that's not pink.//

She walked slowly down the hall to he office. Everything seemed so surreal, like she was watching things from afar. Relena felt her forehead. //No fever, I'm not sick.// She sat at he desk with a sigh. Space has been quiet recently; so quiet it made her suspicious. //Brother, what are you up too?//

Noticing that she had mail, Relena skimmed through various proposals and treaties, coming to a rest of an email from SR04. Confused, she clicked on it.

//Relena-sama, Something urgent has come up and I must leave for space tonight. I regret not being able to tell you personally but I had no choice. If I'm not back in a week DO NOT come after me. Contact Rashid and he'll fill you in on the details. Take care of yourself. Da suka.

//Quatre? Suka da?// Relena felt her hands begin to shake. She forced herself to delete the message and power-down her laptop. She stood on wobbly legs and moved with mechanical motions to the intercom. //Contact Rashid...//

"Pargon.... Pargon!"

"Yes, my lady?" The old man's voice trembled through the intercom.

"Ready the limo."

Trowa watched as the braided boy slept. He hated that small line of pain that had so recently resided between his feathery eyebrows. He would do anything to take that line away. He gently brushed aside the vibrant chestnut bangs and placed a soft kiss upon Duo's brow.

"Ai shiteru, Duo."

"Hmm?" Came the sleepy reply.

"Ai shiteru."

He was totally unprepared for the reaction.

Duo bolted upright, eyes wide and frightened. He scooted hurriedly away from the banged pilot.

"Nani?!"

Trowa reached out comfortingly. "Don't worry, we'll make Heero understand that love is boundless and just because you love me doesn't mean you still don't love him." Duo jumped to his feet.

"I don't love you!"

Trowa's eyes narrowed. "Duo Maxwell doesn't lie. Don't start now." Duo's eyes held a wealth of pain.

"I don't love you! I can't love you!"

Trowa strode over and grabbed the violet-eyed boy and shook him. Green eyes filled with tears.

"Why? Because of Yuy? Are you afraid of what he'll do to you? Or is he better than me? The Perfect Soldier is certainly preferable to the Nameless Bastard!"

Duo's own eyes filled with tears.

"It's not that! It's not that at all!" Trowa released him in disgust.

"Then why?"

Duo walked over and placed his head between Trowa's sturdy shoulders. How can he explain it?

"Because..." He whispered. "You won't survive..."

Trowa turned around in surprise. "What do you mean?" Duo glared at him.

"Everyone I love dies!"

"But you love Heero." Duo sighed.

"That's different. He's-"

"The Perfect Soldier." Trowa was rapidly beginning to understand. Duo nodded.

"Right. And he's-"

"The only one who can survive your love." Duo bit his lip and nodded again.

"So you see, Trowa? I care about you, a lot. But I can never love you. I'm sorry."

Trowa pulled the braided pilot into his arms and held him tight. He felt the smaller boy's shudder as he tried to keep from crying.

"It's okay, Duo. That's enough for now."

Behind him, one dark eye looked on with malice.

Heero, Quatre, and WuFei moved as one unit inside the complex. Heero had found out that the lab was to the north, but had no further info. They had no clue where the prisoners were held.

"We'll attack the lab, and then find Duo and Trowa." The Japanese boy stated.

WuFei nodded. "I'll proceed down the south corridor and create a distraction."

"I'll go with him." Quatre offered. "Maybe we'll find out where the prisoners are kept." "Okay, but be careful. Who ever it is already managed to capture two of us." Heero watched the others depart. //I'm coming, Duo.//

He reached the lab with no difficulty. Placing a detonator, on the lock, he blew a hole in the door. Rolling through the opening gun ready, his eyes searched for anything of importance. //There!// Heero ran up to the transparent chamber holding the most important thing in his life. Duo was hooked up to hundreds of sensors. The Wing pilot could see the other's hands clench and pull against the restraints holding him. The braided boy was firmly fastened to the chair. Worse, a Zechs-like mask was fitted over him, preventing Heero from seeing those beautiful indigo eyes.

"Duo." He opened the chamber and was about to remove the helmet when a voice spoke up.

"I wouldn't do that. It could kill him."

Heero whirled around, pistol in hand. His eyes widened in shock and the gun fell to the floor.

"Dr. J..."

A nasally voice drifted out from the darkness.

"That's enough, Doctor. You had your dramatic entrance. Now go secure the others. I can handle this one."

The Doctor looked at Professor G through his spectacled eyes. "That boy is more of a handful than you think, G."

Professor G snorted and gesture to where Heero stood numbly, unable to assimilate the facts in his mind.

"He's no threat now."

Duo was raised from his own private hell. The buzzing and lights abating for a moment, as a cool breeze touched his cheek. And on that breeze was the scent of...

"Heero?"

No answer was given and Duo sunk back in despair, allowing hell to envelope him once more.

Chapter 7

Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing © Sunrise, Bandai, and Sotsu Agency.