by Arithkenshin
Disclaimer: Stop rubbing it in, I don't own them, just playing.
Notes: Thanks to Bronze Tigress. And a huge *glomp* to CYT for being a wonderful beta/muse that I couldn't do without. My amazing lack of grammatical errors are only because I've had a fantastic teacher!!! Oh and she is evil. Very very evil.
Wufei's eyes rested on the man with the long hair that he could see on the other side of the room. Realisation made him smile. He knew that man. The small smile of triumph that crossed Duo's lips sent a shiver of rebellion through him. But the words he spoke were like a drug. A homecoming.
"I welcome thee, Arioch."
In his soul he knew it, felt it, revelled in it. In that moment, everything that he had been, melded with that which he was. Wufei Chang finally became whole.
Intense hatred gripped him suddenly, a snarl spreading over his face as he leapt from the bed. Bindings no longer needed, let him pass as he lunged for Duo's throat. The latter didn't even move, but let the action happen. Violet eyes locked with his own, drawing him in, making him flounder.
A grip like iron encased his wrist, making him cry out. Losing his balance he fell to his knees, his eyes refocused. A trick of the light and shadows in the room made Quatre seem like the angel he no longer was. Soft wings seemed to stretch to either side, like an eagle swooping on its prey. Wufei's eyes blazed and the illusion vanished as the shadows crept away.
"Never ever do that again." Quatre pressured his wrist once more, before letting go. "Next time, I won't be so lenient."
"Lenient?" Wufei spat the words out, as he flexed his hand. "You know not the meaning of the word, Fallen!"
He reeled back as Duo's fist connected with his jaw. "You have no right to call him that."
In a fluid motion, Wufei stood. His eyes smouldered, measuring the man in front of him. He gave a short nod as he absently wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. Vaguely, he was a little surprised that he was bleeding, and he spoke through clenched teeth.
"You went overboard and you know it."
"Did you really expect anything less of me?" Duo's eyes belied the mirth in his voice.
"I expected you to grow up!" Onyx eyes flashed dangerously. "You acted without honour. For that I will never forgive or forget."
A slight sigh escaped Duo's lips as he made to leave the room. "I would expect nothing less from you, Wufei."
A thoughtful look crossed Wufei's face as he watched Duo leave the room.
"Ahem."
Wufei looked over at Quatre."Yes?" He was not in the mood.
"Seeing as how you are less than friendly right now, I will just remind you of one thing." A feather touch caressed his mouth, taking away the pain and blood. Surprise registered on Wufei's features as Quatre moved towards the door.
"You only bleed if you forget you aren't human, Wufei. Get those notions gone, before you screw up." Quatre opened the door, but looked back once more, grinning. "Oh, by the way. Since you've forgotten that tidbit, I'll leave you to it. If you can't get out of the room by yourself, you don't deserve to."
The door closed behind the blond, leaving the room to the soft red glow it had before. Wufei took in his surroundings and approached the door with a frown. The information was somewhere in his head, he knew it. Sitting himself down on the floor, he relaxed into a brief meditative state. The answer was in there, and he would find it.
Duo wasn't feeling too good. Quatre could sense it, but then Quatre could usually sense a lot of things. A little concerned, he made his way downstairs, stopping briefly in front of Hilde. Idly, he wondered if she ever moved from there.
He didn't have to wait long. She actually looked up as she spoke. "He's in that room." Her cat-shaped eyes flickered briefly to gold, before returning to their normal blue. She shrugged. "They followed him, I don't know if you'll be able to get through."
She didn't need to say anything further. Quatre knew that he wouldn't be able to get through if Duo decided that he didn't want to be disturbed by anyone. He simply nodded at Hilde and made his way through the house, towards Duo's favourite room. Arriving at the large double-doors, Quatre sighed. The door was obscured by shadows, barely visible. They twisted and writhed, expressing the discontent of their master's mood. Quatre held up a hand, allowing a small ball of light to spring into his palm. The shadows wriggled, happiness momentarily taking over their sombre disposition.
Gently Quatre pulled his hand away, leaving the ball suspended in the air. It was something that entertained the shadows. The light drew them and they played with it, covering it, smothering it, letting it burn brightly. They barely acknowledged Quatre's entrance into the room, but then, Quatre wasn't a person they kept out of anywhere often. Quatre wasn't even a person.
Closing the door behind him, Quatre mentally checked for the boundaries. Sighing in relief, he let a smile spread over his face. The shields were so much stronger in here, almost impenetrable. He chose to go and watch Duo for a while.
The room was huge. A cathedral ceiling rose to a dome. Plants that should have been at home in the depths of a jungle or rain forest wound their way through and around everything. A trickling could be heard as the tiny waterfall happily spilled its contents into the myriad of small streams that ran throughout the habitat. The air seemed alive as a gentle breeze ruffled Quatre's hair. However the final grace were the fires which lit the area. Suspended in the air, they shone brightly every few feet. The flickering flames gave the room a warm ambience.
Having made it to the clearing, Quatre stopped and enjoyed the sight before him. Duo was in the middle of the clearing. He was playing. Shadows twisted and twirled around him. If they could have laughed, they would have. They entwined themselves around Duo's form, caressing him, protecting him. Completely under his control and yet able to act on their own should he be wronged, it was a joy to watch.
Duo danced to a music that was his own, playing in his head. Every twist was sensual, deliberate and exquisite. The shadows moved in time and the picture they presented together was fluid, surreal and somehow erotic.
The mood of the habitat was always matched to its master. So Quatre was no longer as worried about Duo as he had been before. If the area had been a raging thunderstorm or covered in complete darkness, Quatre would have been worried.
Quatre moved a little further in, and Duo stopped. Hoping he hadn't interrupted him and made him angry, Quatre waited.
As Duo turned, the smirk on his face was evident. "Enjoy the show, Angel?" His voice was slightly breathless, a little husky.
"Mmm, I did at that." Quatre moved over to Duo, slipping a hand on his hip and leaning into the other. He murmured into Duo's ears. "Abaddon."
Duo froze, though a shudder passed through his body. "Quatre, that was foolhardy."
"No it wasn't." Quatre was placing strategic kisses all over Duo's neck. "I checked the shields, no one could hear through them." And he went back to his self-imposed task.
"But Quatre." For a few moments, Duo found it difficult to get the words out of his mouth. It wasn't because he lost concentration. Being what he was, that was rarely a consideration. It is, however, hard to speak when someone is kissing you thoroughly. And that was one of the reasons Quatre was doing so.
"Yes, Duo?" The blond continued to tease him. He slipped one hand down Duo's chest and rubbing it over a hardened nipple.
"They can hear my real name, Quatre." And once again Duo's lips were claimed by his Angel. It was another one of those things that Quatre knew with absolute certainty: how to shut Duo up.
"I won't let them hear, Duo."
Duo surrendered.
Quatre pushed him gently to the ground, the shadows cushioning them both. Abandoning that mouth that he adored, Quatre began to kiss down Duo's neckline once more. The feel of Duo's body under his always delighted him.
Slowly he began to work Duo's chest free of its coverings. A slightly surprised gasp escaped his throat as Duo's fingers entwined themselves in Quatre's hair. He began to shower kisses on Duo's bared chest, fingers working at the pert nipples. Moans escaped Duo's throat as he gave himself over to his lover's ministrations.
Quatre let out a low growl as he felt the shadows tense beneath them. Duo was already sitting back up, eyes alert. "We have company."
Quatre's eyes flashed briefly red. "I guessed that much." He wasn't impressed as he too stood and brushed himself off.
Duo made a motion with his hand, releasing the shadows from their duty to keep out any others. They both waited.
If there was one thing he was good at, it was focusing. Wufei sat on the floor, clearing his mind of clutter left over by his human existence. Only the important things were kept and stored, to be used later.
Although it took a little longer than he would have liked, Wufei finally opened his eyes. A smile spread across his face, empty of emotion. Standing up, he motioned over the door. Pleased to see it begin to slide away, he waiting until it was finished before stepping through. With an arrogant wave of his hand to close the door, he went in search of his `brothers'.
All he had to do was briefly close his eyes and concentrate, to get an approximate `for where they were. He frowned as he opened his eyes again. It was going to get tedious if he had to do that all the time. However, Wufei was fairly certain that once he had gotten used to being himself again things would become easier.
The frown on his face deepened as he vaguely recognised the figure hunched over a large, ancient tome in what appeared to be a foyer.
He started a little when the person addressed him without looking up from her work. "If you insist on disturbing them, I suggest you knock first."
Wufei simply nodded and continued on his way, his mind working at an alarming speed. The key word was them. He wracked his brain to find out what that could mean. And he found it. A grim smile stole over his face, replacing the frown.
Arriving at the door, he glared at the shadows that sought to keep him out. Slowly he drew flame, seeking to burn away at the shadows. He could see them tighten their grip on the door, and somehow solidify. It wouldn't be an easy task but he didn't feel like knocking.
Suddenly the shadows melted away and the doors swung open. Face still grim, he entered the room.
Duo knew it had to be Wufei. No one else there at the moment would have had the power to make the darkness tense like that. He wasn't disappointed as the well-groomed Chinese man approached.
Feeling that fiery gaze on both himself and Quatre made Duo grin. He didn't avoid Quatre's possessive touch when the latter reached out an arm to encircle Duo's waist. In fact, Duo played to it.
A slightly confused expression covered Wufei's face, as if he was trying to recall a memory.
Quatre broke the silence. "It took you long enough."
A scowl spread across Wufei's confusion, wiping it from existence. "Apparently not long enough for your liking." He looked pointedly at the state of Duo's clothing only to be met by an insolent grin.
"No, definitely not long enough. But we can take care of that later." Duo motioned idly with his hand and the shadows swirled. As they solidified into something resembling seats and a table, he motioned for Wufei to join he and Quatre.
Somewhat stiffly, Wufei nodded his agreement and made his way to the table. Sitting down as far from the other two as he could manage, he allowed an arrogant glare to take over his expression once more. Duo sighed.
"I meant what I said, Duo."
"If you had any brain cells, Wufei, you'd realise that-"
Duo placed a hand on Quatre's shoulder, silencing him. "It's ok Quatre. All in due time."
Wufei was still scowling and Quatre was glaring at both men. Duo sighed once more and tried again. "There are things I need to tell you both. There are some. complications."
Quatre raised an eyebrow. "Complications? Duo, what haven't you been telling me?"
"I don't know everything, Quatre. Damn it. I know what I see, but I only know the probabilities. As the day draws closer some of the probabilities disappear, until you are left with the one that will occur."
Duo ran a hand through his bangs. "Until the Waking this morning, things were.blurred. The next two will be similar. However, it is the third that I have not been able to pinpoint."
"Pinpoint?" Quatre looked incredulous.
"He means he has failed to locate one of our brothers." Wufei's voice was laced with scorn.
Duo's temper frayed, and the habitat jumped to respond. The fires flared, the water boiled, the wind picked up and the ground shook a little. Shadows raised themselves, quivering with undecided action.
"Breathe Duo, for crying out loud." Quatre's voice cut through the cloud of anger that encircled Duo's awareness.
Shaking his head, Duo calmed himself. The habitat settled once more. "It is not for lack of trying Dragon."
"Do not call me that!" Wufei had jumped up and was standing bent over the table, fists clenched. "Never call me that."
Duo leant across the table, voice velvety and dangerous. "I will call you what I feel like, Dragon. I ripped you out from the place you were buried. I can put you back again."
Wufei blanched a little before regaining control. He sat back down. "Continue." Duo knew it was as close to an apology as he would get.
"I've narrowed it down. I managed to successfully trigger Water, but I cannot find the exact sign yet. For some reason, it's. muffled. There are three or four possible people it could be."
"But the others." Wufei's face was slightly concerned.
"The others are clearly triggered. Air and Earth will arrive in time. But Water."
Quatre understood. "He won't come until this has started, will he?"
Duo bowed his head, the frustration almost overwhelming him. "No, he won't. But I do have Mal'akh keeping an eye out."
"You're using Mal'akh?" Blue-green eyes narrowed in thought. "He can't cover as much ground, Duo."
"No, but he can do so subtly. He doesn't have the power residue that we do. And besides, " Duo grinned. "The power that they might discover can be explained easily unless he were to be taken for a real interrogation." His face was smug.
Quatre was wary. "What did you do, Duo? How are you hiding him?"
"In plain view,Quatre." He leaned forward conspiratorially. "He's our `High Priest'!"
The blond laughed and sat back in his chair. "Nicely done, Duo. They won't even know what hit them."
Duo shrugged. "Wasn't my idea. My Mal'akh always loves a challenge. He should really be your courier you know. He's `employed' a few others to help him keep tabs."
Wufei was having trouble getting his head around everything. It seemed like he should know all of this and was having trouble reconciling the information. "So, how is he keeping tabs?"
"Every Vestige of our order is one of ours. If that makes sense." Duo winked at them.
There was a cruel glint to Quatre's eyes. "Never leave things to chance if you can help it. He's a fickle bastard."
"The odds still won't be even." Wufei didn't seem very alarmed by that fact.
A cold smile crossed Quatre's face, causing the other two to look at him curiously.
"Well, we are nothing if not inventive."
Duo blinked. Slowly, starting as a slight rumble in his stomach, laughter bubbled from his lips. The others joined in and the shadows danced.
But any human hearing that sound would have been chilled to the bone.
The wind whipped around his head as the tall man walked through the darkened streets. He never huddled against the wind; it didn't seem to affect him. Not since the tornado had ripped his entire life away from him. Feeling cold was relative and he couldn't be bothered with feeling cold, so he chose not to.
He came to a stop underneath the looming black building. It had been restored, beautified. A shiver travelled down his spine, leaving no feeling but anticipation. He had no clue why. Still observing the structure in front of him, he smiled an empty smile.
The supporters of Shadow had only started a re-emergence over the last two decades. But the re-emergence was there all the same, becoming less and less subtle. He shrugged, his pragmatic brain ticking overtime. It was the next logical step if one's gods had been proven wanting too many times in a row. Time for stagnation was passed; the people were tired of complacency. Humans might not always be bright, but underestimating them was a grave mistake. They would either create or take what they wanted.
But he needed strength for himself. On impulse he walked into the foyer of the temple, his green gaze sweeping the room. Finding what he wanted, he knelt in front of the tablet and sent a brief prayer for hope.
Feeling a little stupid he stood and left, not even glancing back. Perhaps the Shadow Lord of Death would grant him strength. A determined smile crossed his face.
Tomorrow he would find his prey and destroy him.
Tomorrow, Duo Maxwell would die.
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