A figure ran through the forest, hiding from shadow to shadow. Trees towered above his head as he moved in the night. Moonlight broke through the canopy in fractured patches of silver light. Duo dropped into a hollow of large green fern and froze. Calming his breathing, he listened with bowed head for any sound of pursuit. Cricket song filled the darkness around him. Off to his left a small animal made its way unconcerned through the forest cover and in the distance a night bird called once. No other sounds reached Duo’s sharp ears. Finally, he raised his head and smiled. He sank back to sit comfortably in the fern patch. He wore a red zip up turtleneck under a black leather jacket. His pale hands were covered with gloves. Black jeans and black boots with a thin layer of mud on them completed his outfit. Hanging at his right hip was a square bag. Duo reached down and checked the bag to make sure it was closed. A hand stole inside his jacket to a pocket and touched the small disks hidden there. Duo smiled again and took one out. The small silver disk was round and shone in the faint light, hinting at the valuable information stored on it.

Duo looked over his shoulder toward where he had come from. The fires burning at the OZ base could not be seen from the distance he was, nor could he hear any of the noise. He knew that the soldiers at the base would be trying to save any of the mobile bolls from the large south hanger. If Wufei had done his job, and there was no doubt that he had, none of those machines would even be standing anymore. Heero in Wing had created a very large distraction as the others infiltrated the base. Duo had made his way into the bowels of the base and hacked the main computer. He could still see the bright green information scrolling down the large computer screen as it was uploaded on to the disks. He had then finished his mission by giving the computer system a very nice virus; one Howard and Dr. G had created themselves. Unless the OZ officers noticed something very wrong very soon the virus would leak out through its network and infect any machine connected to it. The virus would then destroy that computer piece by piece and send itself along.

Duo hugged his knees as he remembered coming out of the base. He had been forced to shoot an over zealous guard that refused to move from his path. Softly, letting his voice flow into the air, Duo repeated the same prayer he always said after a mission. "The lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever."

As the words drifted away from him, Duo crossed himself and stood. He pulled from his pocket a black square device that fit in his palm and pressed a button along the side of the case. A green screen lit up and a map was shown. Large red blocks represented the base and another building was shown several miles to the east in soft gray tones. Duo hit another button and a map of the gray building came up. Like the OZ base it was actually several large buildings connected by halls and catwalks. "God, this place is huge. I hope you know what you’re doing Heero." muttered Duo as he started forward. Duo knew that the old abandoned buildings were the perfect place to hid Wing as the hut for them continued. But, did he have to choose an old prison? Direction West Penitentiary had been abandoned 28 years ago by budget cuts of the Alliance. It was always about money.

Duo studied the map of the penitentiary, memorizing the layout. Near the edge of the compound was the old guard and staff barracks where they were going to hid Wing. It was open ground to the prison buildings and those buildings were connected together, like a stone web. Four guard towers stood at the cardinal directions on a 10-foot wall. A broken, falling wall that couldn’t hold in air any more let alone a person but a wall none the less.

Suddenly, Duo stopped. He could tell the exact point when he entered it, precisely where he walked through that invisible barrier. All sound stopped and everything became still. Not even the wind moved. Duo kept his eyes on the ground just to the side of where he held the small pocket computer up before him. "Oh hell." Duo’s breath fogged and swirled in the air. Slowly he slid the computer back into his pocket and stood loosely, arms at his sides. Duo raised his head and looked from side to side, searching the forest around him. No moonlight broken the trees here and only darkness with the shadows of tree trunks met his eyes. Duo trembled for a second and made a small noise. Taking a deep breath that fogged he started forward at a sedate pace toward the direction he was heading before.

After a few minutes of tense walking, Duo broke through a line of trees and stood before the penitentiary wall. He sighed out a clear breath and looked at the wall. At a few places barbed wire clung stubbornly along side dark ivy plants. The old rock had yellowed with time and was terribly pit marked. It would be easy to climb if there wasn’t a rather large gaping hole near the ground. Above the wall he could see the roof of a tall building. For a moment Duo debated turning back and leaving. But that would leave the others here, alone. He couldn’t do that. Reluctantly, Duo ducked into the hole and entered the penitentiary grounds. The large building closest to the wall was indeed the guard barracks. It rose five stories high and had windows set out at equally measured spaces. The glass was gone and a part of the far wall had fallen into a heap of old moss-covered bricks on the ground. Duo narrowed his eyes as he saw a pale shape through a high window and smiled, he knew that Heero had already placed Wing and gone to the main building.

Duo walked through the over grown grass that had taken over the grounds. He went around the barracks building and stopped at the corner. Before him a field of grass stretched for 30 yards toward the dark shapes of the prison buildings. He could see the

north and west guard towers as silhouettes against the fading light. Duo started across the field with an unclouded sigh.

Something thumped behind him as Duo walked across the field and he stopped. He kept his gaze down and listened as his breath fogged from his lips. Another thump sounded to his right and Duo continued forward. A fence sprang up 10 feet from the prison buildings, almost invisible with rust in the dark. Duo walked over a fallen section and went to the building. He lay his gloved hand on the brick and quickly pulled it back, rubbing his fingers as he grumbled. Turing away, he went around the building and past two more until he reached a large square building that was the front door to this place. A set of crumbling steps led up to a metal door that was hanging open. This building was much like the guard barracks in appearance but was only two stories tall. Filled with offices and rooms for the operation of the penitentiary none of the prisoners ever saw the inside of this building. Duo wished he had never seen the building at all, period.

Finally, Duo made himself go up the steps and squeeze between the doors. He stumbled as he pushed through and almost fell in the dark. That was going to be a hard maneuver for Trowa. Straightening, Duo pulled a penlight from a pocket inside his coat and twisted it on. An old, rotting desk met the light beside the door. Torn paper lay across the floor and dust coated everything in gray. Duo’s breath fogged and he moved the light. "Turn that off." Duo almost jumped out of his skin at the voice and his light clattered to the floor. "Duo." was growled at him. The door next to him screeched harshly and Duo’s fried nerves snapped. He screamed, throwing himself backward. He hit the desk in his scramble and flipped over it, landing on an old wooden chair that broke under his weight and sent him crashing hard to the cold floor.

Everything went black for a moment as his head hit the ground and then he came back to hear Quatre’s voice. "Duo! Duo, are you all right? Say something, please."

He could hear the concern in the other boy’s voice and coughed some dust from his lungs. "You’re a dead man when I get up, Quatre Winner." he hissed.

"He’s fine." said Wufei’s voice sourly. His location was lost in the dark.

Someone grunted and Duo was lifted up from the ground. "And you, Yuy! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" accused Duo.

Heero stepped back into the dark. "You shouldn’t have turned on your penlight, Duo. It could attract people’s attention." he said.

Duo slapped at the dust now covering him and wiggled around to readjust his clothes. "Well, I’m sorry if I don’t like walking around in pitch black. It will hurt your eyes, ya know." He hit what he thought was another desk and sighed. "That’s it! Someone turn on a light or I swear I’ll get a match and set this desk on fire right now!" he exclaimed. There was a soft chuckle and a lantern was turned on. Trowa was revealed standing two feet away from him. "Thank you!" said Duo with some wild gestures. "Now, everyone grab your stuff because we are leaving!" He walked toward the door while pointing at it. The door was open wider than before he noticed.

Heero grabbed his arm and Duo walked around in a circle to face him. "We are not leaving. We must stay here until we are sure OZ is no longer searching for us."

Duo shook his head furiously, braid whipping around. "No! No way! No chance in hell! This place gives me the creeps, Heero! Mega creeps!"

"I must admit, this place is quite a choice Heero. Looks like it came out of some old horror flick." said Wufei. He melted out of the shadows to stand next to Quatre.

"No, Wufei. This place is a horror flick! I say we leave! Now!" exclaimed Duo.

"This place is really getting to you, isn’t it Duo." said Trowa quietly.

"Not getting, Trowa, has gotten!" retorted Duo. He really wanted to leave. They all needed to leave. "Heero, please!"

The Wing pilot grabbed Duo’s arm and dragged him over to a pile of supplies. "We can not leave until sunset of tomorrow. Get your gear." He tossed Duo a sleeping bag and the braided boy slung it over a shoulder with a grumble.

Wufei picked up his bag and grinned. "Good. I want to explore this place." he said cheerfully.

"Oh god, famous last words." groaned Duo as he followed Heero past an open gate and into the penitentiary. Quatre looked at Duo and frowned.

Duo walked behind Heero as the other pilot led them farther into the prison. Heero held a small computer with a map of the penitentiary on it. He didn’t even glance down at it as they walked. He didn’t need to; he had already memorized the map. But the Perfect Solider is always prepared, so it was there anyway. After the first long hall Duo had grabbed a hold of the back of Heero’s green tank top and had closed his eyes, trusting the other boy to led him without injury. Quatre and Wufei walked behind him and Trowa acted as rear position. Duo heard the sound of their footsteps change and knew they had entered an area bigger than the hall. Risking a peek he saw a row of jail cells with all the doors open to the side. Duo opened his eyes and looked up. Catwalks spanned the air between the sides of the cell block levels above them. The floors of the jailhouse disappeared into darkness, each floor with an endless number of cells. Duo shut his eyes again. Heero glanced behind him and frowned at Duo’s tight face.

"Where are we staying, Heero?" asked Quatre.

Heero shifted his gaze to the blond and then looked forward again. "There is a room in the center of the compound in which we will stay." he said.

Duo suddenly came to life at that, stopping and pulled Heero to a stop also. "That better not be the hospital!" he exclaimed.

"The hospital is in one of the south buildings, Duo, not in the center." said Wufei in annoyance.

Duo looked at Heero for confirmation. He nodded. "Wufei is correct." Heero said. Duo sighed in relief and allowed himself to be pulled along with Heero as he walked forward.

They past through another rusted open gate and walked by some over turned tables. A row of broken windows were set horizontally along the wall to their right, too high up for a person to reach. Catwalks crisscrossed above them and were set along the wall. "I believe this was once a mess hall." said Trowa. Heero grunted an answer and led them through a wide door. They entered another smaller room that had a total of four doors leading out, including the door they had come through, and no windows. A catwalk from the larger room continued through the wall above them and formed a cross in the center of the room with another catwalk so that each disappeared out above the other doors.

"This is where we are staying." said Heero, setting his gear down decisively.

Trowa set the lantern on the floor and they placed their sleeping bags around it. Duo looked around the room. "You’re going to make us split up into different doors if we are discovered, aren’t you." he said in a timid voice.

"Hn." With a cry of frustration Duo threw a pack of batteries at Heero. The other boy caught them without looking up and tossed the pack onto Duo sleeping bag. "Calm yourself." he said in monotone.

Duo tugged at his braid and sat hard on his sleeping bag. "Calm myself he says. Calm myself. There’s no way I can calm myself in this place." He covered his face with his hands and flopped back onto the ground, knees bent.

Heero went to look out the other doors and Quatre followed him. "Heero, may I speak with you?" the Winner heir asked politely. Heero stopped to look at him. Usually, if Quatre had something to say then it was something he thought was important and so Heero must listen. Quatre coughed and smiled lopsidedly. "I don’t think Duo’s actions are just his normal personality showing. I think something is really wrong with him."

Heero’s cobalt eyes rested on the longhaired pilot by the lantern and then on Quatre. "Explain."

Quatre sighed gratefully. If Heero asked you to explain then it usually meant that he agreed with you. "I can feel that he is agitated, more so than normal. Even his emotions are jumpy. He feels like a twisted coil ready to spring at the lightest touch. And there is this deep and serious fear under it all." Quatre paused to look at the other boy but could not tell what Heero was thinking. "Duo is actually frightened and it started because of this building."

Heero looked toward the lantern and grunted. With a sharp nod he continued his check. Quatre sighed softly and returned to the others. There was nothing he could do unless Heero decided to act.

Duo sprang up into a sitting position on his sleeping bag. "All right, Wufei. You’ve seen the yuky prison. Can we please go now?" he demanded.

A flashlight was turned on and shone in his face. Duo’s hands flew up to protect his eyes with a squeak. There was a soft chuckle and Wufei moved the light so it was under his chin. "No way, baka. I’m not done exploring this place." He stood and the others saw that a small bag was hanging from his shoulders. "I’m going to go look around. Anyone want to come? Maxwell?"

The braided pilot shook his head wildly. "No way on God’s green earth, Wufers."

The Chinese pilot gritted his teeth and was about to retort when Quatre cut him off. "I’ll come, Fei." said Quatre.

"As will I." said Trowa, not looking up from the palm computer he held.

Duo rolled his eyes. He should have known. Quatre plus Wufei equals Trowa.

The trio left out the door across from them, Quatre waving pleasantly. "You’ll regret this." Duo cried after them. Quatre stopped and looked back at him before Wufei pulled him along. Duo sighed and lay back down, coughing up dust. "Damn it."

"Get some sleep." ordered Heero as he lay in the sleeping bag next to him. All was quiet but as Heero drifted he could have sworn that Duo said something before he fell into sleep.

"Heaven help us all."

Some unsettlement in his environment had triggered the waking process. When Heero opened his eyes he was alert for any danger. However, he was not prepared for the sight of Duo sitting in the eerie light of the lantern with his bangs shading his eyes and his steady breath fogging before him. Heero didn’t react to the freezing cold but to acknowledge that it was much colder than the season could produce.

Duo suddenly spoke in a soft voice. "So it begins."

Heero was about to ask him what he meant when the sound of footsteps from the mess hall stopped him. Heero was on his feet and had his gun drawn in a second. "We have been found." he hissed to Duo, hoping to spur the other into action. What was wrong with him?

"Not by OZ soldiers, Heero. And your gun will do you no good now." said Duo. Heero looked at him to find violet eyes staring at him. Heero blinked as he saw the fear in Duo’s face. The footsteps stopped in the mess hall and a door slammed somewhere in the compound. A moment of pure silence filled the air. Something banged on the catwalk and Heero jerked his head up, searching for the person but found nothing.

"Where are they?" he hissed. Another door slammed inside the penitentiary and it echoed in the halls. Screaming followed it.

Duo stood swiftly and snatched up the extra lantern as he rushed toward the door. "It’s the others." he breathed as he ran out with Heero on his trail. They ran down a short hall and entered the ground floor of another cell block. Duo pulled a surprised Heero down a shadowed corridor in the middle of the run. Another gate was past that and Duo jerked Heero sharply to the left. The screaming now had materialized into a few words. The voice that was clearly Quatre’s pleading with something to open and Trowa’s voice offering foul words that mixed with it. Another voice under them was muffled, screaming incoherently.

Duo picked up his speed, the light bouncing as he ran. They ran through another gate and Heero hesitated as Duo raced across the catwalk to the other side of the cell block. Growling under his breath, Heero hurried after Duo as he ran down the hall and into another gate. He could see another white light lying on the floor; two people were shadows near the wall. Duo dropped his lantern next to the other and joined Quatre and Trowa near the door. "What happened?" demanded Duo.

Through sobbing Quatre choked out a few words. "Wufei went into the cell…it was just a little room…the door shut and we thought…we thought Wufei was playing but…but…he started screaming and the door won’t open!" Duo looked at the door. The sliding latch was open and the two were pulling at the handle but the door refused to open. The large metal door muffled Wufei’s screams. High, breath taking screams of pure terror. Heero appeared next to them and began helping tugging at the door. It still would not open.

Duo stepped up next to them and pulled a black glove off with his teeth. He then snaked his hand between the other’s bodies and felt the cold metal against his skin as he touched the door. Wufei stopped screaming and the door swung open under their weight, making them wobble to regain their balance. Duo stepped back as Quatre and Trowa rushed into the room and knelt by Wufei. The Chinese boy was kneeling with his body folded in half, his forehead resting on the floor before his knees. Their breath clouded in the small cell and Wufei shivered uncontrollably. "Fei?" asked Trowa, resting his hands on the others hunched shoulders.

Quatre was shaking next to him, one hand on his chest. "He’s terrified. I’ve never felt fear like this. Even when we fight." he gasped out.

Duo walked into the cell and took a hold of Wufei’s arm, hulling him up and toward the door. "Out. Now." he said shortly. As Wufei began to move he came back to himself a little and almost pulled the both of them to the floor again as he lunged forward, trying to get out. Duo let go of him when they were outside the door and the other boy stumbled across the hall to the wall, sliding down it to sit on the floor.

Trowa and Quatre knelt by him as Wufei began to sob. Trowa held the distraught boy as Quatre rubbed his back. Heero stood by the lanterns, an emotionless mask on his face. Duo opened the door to the cell as wide as it could go. A shadow moved in the room and Duo’s breath fogged. "The door is wide open. You don’t have to stay." he said softly before he turned away. His hand shook a little as he forced it back into his glove.

Wufei’s sobs were calming as he buried his face in Trowa’s chest. "Wufei, what happened?" asked Trowa.

Wufei drew in a breath and spoke in a harsh voice. "I...I…it was horrible. There…there was…something…and the door just closed…by itself…. and…" he said brokenly.

Duo placed his back against the wall and slid down it to sit on the floor. "And he doesn’t remember a thing." he said. Wufei shook his head in agreement.

"You don’t remember anything, Wufei?" asked Quatre softly. "You were screaming so badly."

Wufei shook his head again. "No, nothing from the point the door closed to Maxwell dragging me out." He raised his head and sat back.

"Yeah, the mind does that. Makes itself forget what it can’t handle." said Duo. He was frowning at the map on his small computer.

"Hn. How do you know that?" asked Heero. He was still standing by the lanterns.

Duo glanced at him and smirked. "Still having trouble fitting this little occurrence into your file cabinet of a brain, eh Yuy?" Something banged down the hall and everyone but Duo turned to look. "When I joined the Gundam program I suddenly had access to lots of information." Duo continued as if the sound never happened. "I studied everything I could get my hands on but I was a morbid child then just like I am now. I looked for and found stores of information on what I wanted. I soaked it up until I left for Earth to begin this roller coaster ride." Duo stood and gestured grandly to the hall around them. "Congratulations Heero Yuy, you have landed us right smack dab in the middle of a haunted Direction West Penitentiary. Strap on your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride."

There was a moment of silence as Duo sat back down. "Ghosts do not exist." said Heero shortly.

Duo grinned. "Keep on telling yourself that, Heero, and maybe in the light of day you’ll believe it." His lips twisted. "But you’ll never look at the shadows the same way again."

"Can we please go back to the room where we are staying? I don’t want to be here." pleaded Quatre.

"Hn." Heero picked up the two lanterns and handed one to Quatre. He took out his computer map and pushed the side button. "What the…"

"What is it, Heero?" asked Trowa, helping Wufei up.

"No, no. Let me guess." snickered Duo. "It’s either dead or looks like a video game gone mad."

Quatre walked up to Heero and looked at the screen. "Video game gone mad." he groaned. Heero’s computer screen was moving around the building shapes like they were wooden children’s toys.

Duo snickered again. "I just love it when they begin to mess with anything electronic. It’s so much fun."

Wufei took out his. "Mine’s dead."

"I’ve got a mad video game." said Trowa. He turned his upside down and cocked an eyebrow at the computer. They looked at Quatre.

The blond put up his hands as if to ward them off. "I don’t want to know." he said, folding his arms.

Duo grinned. "We’ll use mine." He took out his and showed them the calm screen of his computer.

"How come yours is the only one working?" accused Wufei, completely recovered as if nothing happened. To his mind, nothing had. Just blank time.

Duo smiled at him a little sadly. "They don’t like me much." he said.

"Hn." grunted Heero. He started to walk down the hall.

"Umm, Heero?" called Duo. Heero stopped. "I think I should be the one to go first." Heero turned to look at him.

"I agree with Duo. He should go first as he’s the only one with any idea of what’s going on." said Quatre.

"There is no such thing as ghosts." said Heero. But he handed Duo the lantern and took a place behind him.

"Uh uh. Tell that to Casper." said Duo. He walked down the hall and through the gate into the cell block. Behind them a door slammed. Duo sighed and shook his head.

"What was that?" asked Quatre nervously.

"The door to the cell closing. Stupid idiot didn’t leave like I said he could." said Duo.

"Explain." commanded Heero behind him.

"Yes sir." Duo chuckled. "A ghost is created many different ways. The most popular is a horrible death. Then there’s the unfinished business point, but that’s not what we’re looking at here. The cell that Wufei went into was an isolation cell, meaning that there’s a good chance that prisoners were left to die in there." Duo stopped as he let Wufei deal with that and then went on. "When Wufei went into the cell he entered another being’s domain. It probably couldn’t retain its hold on the door and cell when we were all pulling." Duo’s breath fogged and he kicked out his foot as the door to the cell they were passing swung towards him. It wobbled as he hit it then hung loosely. "Thus my insistence that I go first." Duo said sourly. Duo walked across the catwalk and the stunned others hurried after him. "After it let go I opened the door and told the ghost it could leave. It works with most spirits but that one just shut the door on itself." Duo shrugged as they walked out into a new cell block.

"So why did it attack Wufei?" asked Trowa.

Duo looked at him and cocked an eyebrow. "Because it could." Trowa nodded silently in acceptance. Wufei shivered.

"What do we do if we’re attacked again?" asked Quatre.

Duo shrugged. "Run. Very fast." He grinned at them over his shoulder. "You could wait until the ghost exhausts itself. Saying the Lord’s Prayer works too. Seems to jolt the ghost into letting go. On an average the prayer works more often than not just enough to get out of there in a hurry. But it depends." he said.

"I don’t believe we are having this discussion." said Heero lowly.

"Depends on what?" asked Quatre, ignoring Heero.

"It depends on how angry or sad the ghost is, how old it is, and how shit ass scared you are." Duo said with a slight smile.

"I do not know your prayer." said Wufei, annoyed.

Duo smiled, happy to hear that annoyance. "Any prayer will do but it helps if it’s a language the ghost can understand." Duo began to recite the Lord’s Prayer so that Wufei could use it, the same prayer he had said in the forest for the soldiers. A moan sounded from the dark and Duo stopped talking to listen. He turned to face the way they had come and stared, biting his lip.

"What is it, Duo? Another ghost?" asked Quatre. Heero sighed.

"Well, yes, but…." Duo paused a moment. "Oh hell." He started walking back the way they came.

"Where are you going?" demanded Wufei.

"It answered the prayer, Wufei." replied Duo as he past the hall they had come out of and began to walk slowly down the cells. He scanned the cells as he walked, looking inside each. Duo stopped when his breath misted and stood before a closed cell. He approached the door and knelt slowly before the lock.

"Duo! What are you doing?" exclaimed Quatre.

"Explain later." said Duo, a little breathlessly. He was shivering as his hands moved on the lock. Suddenly he hissed and pulled his hands back. On the back of one leather glove was an icy imprint of fingers. The others watched as he rubbed it off, shaking harder. "Can you please move back. I can’t feel my fingers anymore." he said to no one. They could practically see his words freeze in the air. His next breath was not as foggy. Duo continued to work on the lock before he reached back and pulled a long thin piece of metal from the coil of his braid. Heero raised an eyebrow at that. After a moment of working with the tool there was a soft click and Duo stood. He slid the metal rod back into his hair and took a firm hold of the door. He jerked it harshly twice before the old metal gave way and it moved to open. Duo stepped back and smiled. A blast of cold air rushed from the cell, pulling at everyone’s clothes and stinging their skin, and escaped into the cell block. There was a soft sigh on the wind and then everything was silent again.

Duo walked over to them, shivering and hugging himself. He tried to speak but his teeth clicked too hard for any sound to come out. Heero went up to him and wrapped his own jacket around the cold pilot. "Explain it to us later." he commanded. Duo nodded and allowed himself to be led down the hall.

They walked calmly for a few minutes before Quatre spoke. "Heero, shouldn’t we be seeing the lantern in the room by now? You guys did leave it on, didn’t you?" he asked.

"Yes, we did." answered Heero, frowning harder. As they moved farther down the first hall they still didn’t see the lantern that they had set in the middle of their sleeping bags.

"Battery…drained." Duo managed to get out as he walked next to Heero.

"Impossible Maxwell. That battery should have lasted for two nights." said Wufei. Duo only looked over his shoulder at him and raised an eyebrow. This was no normal situation.

They entered the room where their gear was left and the lanterns they carried lit up the scene. The center lantern was indeed dead and their sleeping bags had been neatly rolled up. Their gear bags were leaning innocently against the rolls. "This is a first. I’ve never seen a ghost clean up a mess before." said Duo. He was beginning to warm up again.

"What happened?" asked Trowa. Heero was busy glaring around the room, as if the force of his stare could cause who ever had done this to appear.

Duo walked around in small circles while he answered. "The battery was drained by the ghosts. They take energy from the environment, thus the famous cold spots and why your computers have gone haywire. The ghosts also moved the sleeping bags. Mostly likely a staff member since I can’t see an inmate doing something like this."

"But why would there be a staff member here as a ghost?" asked Wufei. He was kneeling down and examining his gear for any damage. He growled as a flashlight refused to turn on.

"Violent death is the best bet." replied Duo. He began to jump in place, his braid bouncing with him. "God, I hate the pins and needles sensation." he hissed.

"None of my electric equipment will work." said Quatre with a frown.

"Told ya." said Duo happily. Heero was prowling the edge of the room, gun out and safety off. Duo went still as he saw this. "Heero?"

"Hn." Heero barely glanced at him.

"Please, please put the gun away." Duo pleaded.

The Wing pilot stopped and turned toward him. "Explain."

"Think about it, Heero." Duo walked up to him and tilted his hand down so the gun pointed to the floor. "Would it be a good idea to shoot off a high speed projectile in a place where things move by unseen forces?" he said in a sing song voice. Quatre paled at what Duo was saying.

After a moment Heero gave a sharp nod and tucked his gun away. "Ghosts do not exist." he said.

Duo just rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Hee-chan."

"Don’t call me that."

Duo smiled and twirled around to face the others. "Everyone in favor of leaving right now raise their hand." Duo’s hand shot into the air followed quickly by Quatre’s. Wufei’s and Trowa’s agreement was not long after. "Great! It’s unanimous. Let’s boogie." Duo snatched up his gear and grabbed a lantern. The others gathered their own possessions and stood. Duo walked toward the door that led to what they thought was the mess hall, wanting to leave quickly. Suddenly he gasped, almost dropping the lantern, and danced backward. He pivoted on one foot and kicked the door shut. Something heavy banged against the metal a second later. "Not that way." snapped Duo shortly. He turned sharply and went through the opposite door.

Duo led them through the prison at a fast pace and no one complained. Twice Duo had to block something thrown at him. The air around them would alternately become freezing cold and then as humid as a summer’s night. Quatre fidgeted as the other’s fear and anxiety grew and clouded his mind. He blinked as he thought of something. "How come I’m not getting anything from them?" he asked no one in particular.

"What do you mean?" asked Wufei from behind him.

"Well, I can sense all of us but none of the ghosts around us. I don’t feel a thing outside all of you." explained Quatre.

In front of everyone, Duo smiled a little crookedly. "I think it’s as simple as the fact that you can’t sense dead people, Q-man. Your ability must only work on people alive." he said. He made two sharp rights and spilled them out into the long narrow hall that lead to the front building. "Now, let’s get out of here." said Duo.

They took off down the hall at a jog and were soon standing in the first room of the penitentiary. Some faint light was spilling through the open door. "I am so ready to leave this place." said Wufei, going forward.

"Agreed." said Trowa.

"I think we all feel the same." said Duo. He walked forward and his breath fogged again. "Shit." Everyone turned toward him as he flung the lantern he held away from him. Even as he did so the light shattered and the glass casing flew apart. Duo cried out as the shards bit into his left thigh. He twisted his upper body to avoid the shards and fell on his side. A gasping sob was pulled from his lips as the hot glass cut and burned his skin.

"Duo!" Quatre brought the other lamp as they rushed to him. Bright red blood soaked his pants leg; most of the shards had hit him there. Duo felt someone slid his gear bag off his shoulders and he breathed easier as the weight disappeared. Everyone’s breath continued to fog. Duo hissed as Heero carefully lifted him up. A thin cut on his upper arm burned as he wrapped his arms around the Wing pilot’s neck.

Over Heero’s shoulder Duo saw that Trowa now held his gear and that several shadows danced in the darkness of the long hall, unable to pass the limitation of the past. "Go, now." Duo said, his voice tight.

Wufei loudly shoved the heavy front door open wider so that Heero could carry Duo out. There was a crash that echoed behind them as they hurried out into the moonlit night. Heero took the lead and guided them around the penitentiary buildings to the field. Quickly they crossed the fallen fence and started across the open space. "Duo, can they do anything to Wing?" asked Heero in a dead tone. Quatre gasped in concern at the thought. If the ghosts ruined their palm computers, what could be happening to the advanced Gundam?

Duo was panting slightly and staring fixedly behind them as Heero carried him. Several loud thumbs sounded on the ground around them and the grass rustled in patterns. Duo shook his head. "There are no ghosts in the barracks." he hissed out. A rather loud thumb came from behind them and Quatre began to turn to look. "Do not look back." commanded Duo. Quatre jerked his head forward and continued walking. About 8 feet from the barracks wall all sound stopped and Duo lowered his head to rest on Heero’s shoulder, closing his eyes.

The others stumbled through the square opening that once held a door and into the empty shell of the prison barracks. The old cement floor was covered with debris and dust. The other floors of the barracks had long ago collapsed and rotted away. The fourth wall of the building had fallen. "Quatre, get out your sleeping bag and lay it down." ordered Heero. The blond hastily dropped his pack and cleared a space to unroll his sleeping bag on. Heero then knelt and gently placed Duo down upon it. The longhaired boy hissed as pain shot up his left side. "Can you tell me where you were hit?" asked Heero. Quatre appeared by his side with the lantern and a medical kit. He blushed as he saw Heero reach for Duo’s clothes.

Duo was forced to speak from clinched teeth as any movement brought fresh pain. "Only my left side from my shoulder to my knee." he got out.

Wufei appeared from the shadows. "You were lucky that you were able to turn yourself away or we’d be taking glass from your chest and face." he said seriously. He set two large bottles of water by Quatre. The blond smiled his thanks warily.

"Thank you, Wufei!" said Duo in a stressed voice.

"Hush." said Heero. Duo lapsed into panting as Heero slowly peeled his pants leg away from the wound. Quatre bit his lip and closed his eyes. The area from Duo’s hip to just above his knee was red. It was hard to tell how much of the red was blood from the cuts and how must was burned skin. Shards of glass shone darkly in the lantern light sticking out from Duo’s leg. As gently as he could, Heero lifted away Duo shirt and saw the spray of glass thin out as it traveled up his side. Heero drew in a sharp breath and cut away Duo’s underwear. A towel appeared next to his head and Heero snatched it from Trowa’s hand. He covered Duo’s pelvis with it. No wise crack came from Duo and even Trowa and Heero had faint blushes across their faces.

"I’m going to start taking the glass out now, Duo." warned Heero. Duo nodded his head jerkily. Heero poured some water over Duo’s leg to clean it some and Duo squeezed his eyes shut. Wufei crouched by Duo’s head, his own eyes directed away from him but there none the less. Trowa scanned the darkness around them, his back to Duo and the others. Heero took a pair of tweezers and pulled a large piece of glass from Duo’s leg. A sound came from Duo’s throat but did not reach his lips. Quatre’s eyes widened, as the glass shard was as big as his palm. Heero glanced at Duo’s strained face and pulled another piece out. After four shards were removed Duo passed out, his scream cut off suddenly. Heero looked up in fear but Wufei was already checking the unconscious pilot.

Wufei sighed in relief as he felt Duo’s pulse against his fingers, fast but strong. He nodded to Heero. "Just fainted." Heero nodded sharply in return, a flash of something crossing his eyes, and continued to pull glass from Duo’s body. Heero used a penlight, Duo’s penlight, to check the wounds carefully for glass. They washed the cuts and checked again, leaving none of the glass shards. Duo’s skin had begun to blister and peel from the burns. They applied medicine and placed sterile pads over the area of his leg. They then carefully wrapped Duo in bandages, covering his leg and around his torso.

Quatre and Wufei took the mess and left Heero to redress Duo. Carefully, the Wing pilot pulled on a new pair of underwear and a big pair of cloth drawstring pants. Heero tied the string as tightly as he dared; the pants were horrible big on Duo. It was as he pulled his hands away that Duo grabbed his wrist. Heero’s eyes widened as he looked to Duo’s face to see his violet eyes open to slits. He recovered his surprise in a moment. "You should be sleeping."

Duo breathed deeply. "In a moment I will be." He slowly closed and opened his eyes. "Heero, the forest around the prison…" Heero frowned as Duo stopped to breathe deeply again. "The ghosts are in it also. Wing will be safe here, they can’t do anything to him, but we can not stay here." Duo’s eyes slid shut again. "Please." he muttered.

"There is no such thing as ghosts." Heero said to the sleeping face below him. A moment of silence past before Heero stood. "Get your gear together." he ordered. "We’re leaving." The others nodded their understanding and pulled on their packs. The blood soaked sleeping bag was stuffed into a compartment on Wing and left. Heero lifted Duo’s unconscious form, settling the other boy’s head on his shoulder. "Let’s go." Heero said softly. They slipped out of the barracks and through a hole in the crumbling wall. Heero turned and followed the wall.

A branch broke from a tree a few feet away from them and crashed to the ground. Quatre made a sound and fastened his eyes on Wufei’s feet in front of him. He felt Trowa touch his shoulder. "Don’t think about it." the Heavyarms pilot said. The blond nodded sharply in response. Heero glanced at them as they came to the corner of the wall and past into the forest heading east, away from the OZ base.

The trees blocked the moonlight and muted green ferns and ivies covered the ground. Several white trees trunks glowed in the dark, looking more ghost like than anything they had seen so far. There was no sound and nothing but them moved. "I don’t like this. It’s too quiet." said Wufei nervously.

"Don’t think about it." repeated Trowa. They scrambled across a dry creek bed. Suddenly there was a sound like someone was walking down the creek, shifting rocks and kicking at grass as it moved. They stopped and looked at the creek for several minutes but nothing showed.

Heero snorted and continued on his way. The others hurried after him. As they walked Duo stiffened in his arms. "We’re in the forest." Duo said softly against Heero’s neck, stating fact.

Heero nodded and continued walking. "Yes, we are."

Duo gasped and hissed out loudly for everyone to hear. "Down!" Heero threw himself to the side and those behind him dropped and covered their heads. There was a groan and a dead branch came swinging through the air where they were once standing.

They looked as it past and saw it hang harmlessly from vines. Everyone stood and dusted themselves off. "Duo, how do we know when we exit the part of the forest the…" Heero paused for a moment. "the ghosts have control of?" Heero’s face was set in a frown.

Duo chuckled weakly against his neck. "You’ll know." he said.

Heero snorted and continued walking. "How do you feel, Duo?" asked Quatre. There was no answer; Duo was already asleep again. Quatre sighed and blew some blond hair from his eyes. "Tell me later then." There was another crash in the forest and Quatre jumped. "Oh, Allah."

Everyone’s breath fogged harshly once and then the forest around them came alive with noise. They all stopped as cricket song filled the air. A startled rabbit jumped from the ferns and kicked into the air, running from them. A night bird sang from the trees and the moonlight created bright patches upon the ground. "Well," said Wufei slowly. He turned in a circle. "Did we pass a sign or something?"

Trowa cocked an eyebrow. "Duo did say we would know when we past out of the ghost’s forest." he said. An owl call followed his words.

Quatre rubbed his eyes. "I vote we continue for a bit. I want to be no where near here when I fall asleep." The blond boy started forward without waiting.

Wufei held up one finger and pointed after him. "I agree with him."

Heero grunted and walked forward. They needed to find a suitable site for camp and check Duo's wounds again. He could go back in the day for Wing. In the nice, bright, fear destroying sun. Heero glanced over his shoulder at the area of forest they had just exited and shivered. "Ghosts do not exist." he said sternly to himself. Heero thought he heard quiet laugher and increased his pace.

::Grin:: You will find out!! Promise.