Appotropaic Apparatus
part eightWhen the unexpected blur of black, blue-violet and chestnut swarmed into the regal office of Lady Kyldre, the two men standing guard had little time to react. With two bullets, each was on the ground, seizing their bleeding knees or shoulders and holding in tears which threatened to spill from pain clenched eyes. Another shot from the silver pistol sent a bullet in the Lady's direction, the lead weight splintering into the wood backing of the chair and sending pieces of oak in all directions. A single piece caught her across the face, a thin line of welling blood oozing from otherwise unmarked skin.
"Your alive..." she remarked, eyeing Duo in little surprise, despite his abrupt entry.
"Send your men away, Kyldre." He ordered her with intensity flaming behind amethyst pools.
"Do you mean to kill me, Maxwell-san?"
"If I were here to kill you you'd be dead already."
Sensing the truth and integrity of his words, Lady Kyldre waved her guards away. Though bound by code to follow her instructions, they left behind their warnings to he unwise position she left herself in.
"Don't worry about me," she consoled then, "He's right. A professional killer such as himself would not have acted so boldly if he meant to murder me. Attend to yourselves."
They bowed and left, shutting the great doors behind them and closing off the rest of the world to the discussion within.
"So you know." Duo pointed out.
"Your profession?" Kyldre whipped away at the blood on her face, "I had a background check done on you after you saved my life. A very interesting young man... no record of birth or life at all till the approximated age of eight or seven, survivor of the L2 plague only to live to see the Maxwell Church Massacre, destroying the Maxwell church which it was named for and any semblance of a normal life. From there the nameless child became a member of the sweepers group and then was given a Gundam to fight in the war of AC 195. It's no wonder your such a bitter young man today."
Duo chuckled darkly, "Nothing you know has anything to do with what I am today." He remarked, digging into his pocket and producing a disk, "I brought a message from Heero."
"You do so in a rather violent manner," she took the cased object and looked over it with a keen eye, "Heero tried to kill me yesterday. What makes you or me sure that this isn't an attempt at my life again? Perhaps an intentional back-load of viral codes like what happened to you."
Duo shook his head, "I read over it myself. You've got my word that it's safe."
"The word of Duo Maxwell or the assassin who stand before me?"
With great deliberation, Duo turned to stair at her fully in the eyes, "Who exactly have you been calling on for information about me?"
"Relena Peacecraft-sama."
Duo cursed and kept the half smile hidden, "Then perhaps, you should take my word as an assassin. Relena was never fond of me. No secret there. Did she tell you I was crazy? That I was a loud mouth moron unfit for the battle field?"
Lady Kyldre shook her head, "Not at all. She told me you were very kind to her and brought out the best in Heero whenever her own attempts at opening him to the world around him failed." She inserted the disk and ran a viral check for safe measure, "You do wrong to judge her so harshly. She does think well of you."
Duo shook his head, gaping at the unfeasible story the Lady had strung, "Relena said those thing about me?" he scratched the back of his head in confusion, "I don't suppose you know why she had the sudden revelation that I wasn't such a bad guy?"
Kyldre opened the given file on the disk and smiled at Duo, "Since she found out Heero was in love with you."
At that, Duo's knees suddenly felt rather weak as though someone had replaced his bones with lime jello.
Lady Kyldre smiled as she skim read over the facts in Heero's letter she already knew, "That's the thing about common interests, Maxwell-san. It brings a whole new light on subjects. Even love and friendship."
"Is all this part of your compassion for mankind?"
Kyldre sat back in her chair, fingers laced together and lips drawn into a thin line, "Duo... when Heero tried to kill me.. why did you step between us? You hated me so much at that moment. I was the one responsible for your fate, the reason you're dying. So why did you step between me and the bullet?"
Duo shifted uncomfortably, "You know the malfunction of the AA wasn't really your fault. James and the Creator programmed it to default like that. I.. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did." He looked back at her, the dead eyes of a killer once again imbedded in his features rather than the warm soulful violet gems of the past, "But I'm not sorry about what I said about you still wanting to distribute the program."
"I agree," she sat up and pulled a hand held pistol from the drawer to her right. Duo sat bolt right and leveled his own gun at her.
She smiled at his reaction and holstered the gun in her belt, "If we're going to stop the Creator and save Heero and James, we'll need to leave now while the surprise can still be had. Who knows whom else that damned machine has under its control. I'll take only my most trusted men with me if you'll show us the way."
Duo nodded, "And the AA?"
"The Apotropaic Apparatus will be banded from the market until we destroy this menace."
"Until.." Duo smiled, "I like your optimism, ojou-san!"
"And I like the cheerful, genuine side of you better than the other." He touched his face lightly, fingers playing over the youthful roundness to his cheeks, which had, though less prominently, remained with him. "You're too young to be bitter. Save that for the future when wars are fairy tails and battle scars become our only link to the truth."
Duo didn't shrink away from her touch but rather from the candor she spoke with, "We'd better go. Get your men. I'll wait here and finished with some loose ends."
Lady Kyldre nodded, stepping towards the door, "Duo?"
"Hm?"
"You didn't really answer my question."
Duo shook his head, "I guess not. There's really no way to answer it though. Though at the time I thought you were my only enemy, your intensions were pure. You really did just want to provide mankind with something greater than what they have. You weren't really evil, your views just opposed my own. I don't let good people die if I can prevent it." He looked back at her, "Answer your question now?"
She nodded and smiled warmly, "Peacecraft-sama was right. You are kind and I believe the power to bring out the good still lives in you."
Duo neither approved nor disapproved of her statement as he watched her run from the room towards the officer's lounge.
"We're coming, Heero. It's time to set you free."
**
The sirens were their only warning and even those had been too late to be of any help. Under the complete control of the Creator, Heero walked to the operative computer terminal and typed in the code for the surveillance controls. Immediately the image of Duo, Lady Kyldre and perhaps fifteen soldiers were projected on screen.
Duo....
He felt a slight pressure in his shoulder and turned to see James holding a gun out for him, "There's not many. Kill the leaders and the troops become inoperative. Lady Kyldre shouldn't be a problem. I know her strategies."
Heero nodded and took the gun offered him, "And Duo?"
"Kill him." James ordered, "You're one of us. He is expendable as he was in the past. For your future, kill him."
"I...." Power, control, dominance. Heero fought against them from within, clawing his way to the surface of an invisible sea, "I... won't..."
"Won't what?" James asked, glairing at him as he pressed past him to the control board..
"I.. won't.. let him live."
James smiled, "Good." He tossed him an extra clip and listened, as the footsteps grew nearer. Like the predator waits in the brush for the prey to open itself to attack, Heero stood and waited, ready but patent. Meanwhile, James opened a dormant file in the Creators database labeled, 'AA'.
"What's that for?" Heero asked.
"The Creator can wait no longer. I'm going to upload the AA into every computer in this network."
No! Heero shook his head, "They'll die...." His eyes were clamped shut, every muscle tense in his body.
"They were made mortal for the purpose that they could one day be exterminated." James dictated, "The gods of the past made it possible so the gods of the future could rise to power. These gods will be born through the Creator and his master program. Remember what I programmed you to understand."
"Optima quaeque ies mireris mortalibus aevi prima fugit; subeunt morbid tristisque serectus et labor et durae repit inclementai mortis." Heero rattled off as though in his native tounge.
"Very good," James stopped his typing and grabbed his own gun, "It's Latin, you know. The ancient language of the gods. 'And so, for each poor mortal creature the best time of its life is the first to go; diseases come along and sad old age and things become laborious and death, hard death, unsparing, takes us away.' Remember that. It was their promise to mortals that revenge would be served for defying them. It's all part of the universal law. History, when viewed by ignorance, will always repeat itself."
"I don't think so, James."
The blue haired man turned, green eyes focusing on the braided young man standing at the juncture between rooms, "Duo..."
Several more bodies appeared, each armed and ready for a battle. The troops had arrived.
"So very pleased you cold join us, Duo, Lady Kyldre." James bowed courteously, "Welcome to Headquarters. I'm sorry I couldn't welcome you at the door. I've been busy."
Lady Kyldre gave the sign and her men aimed their weapons, "Let Heero go, Creator. And James as well."
James threw his head back in a deep laugh, "Oh please. Your antics are amusing, Lady. If I gave them up I'd have little to protect myself with. I consider them both to be valuable as both my servants and hostages."
Duo's fists drew tight, the tips of his fingernails digging painfully into his palm.
"You bastard. You know we'll kill them if we have to. Where's all that justice you were programmed with? Can't you see it's useless to fight against us?" Lady Kyldre shouted.
"Nothing is useless, my Lady. Not when the end is near and victory is in sight," James smirked, "Still... I don't suppose I need two hostages, now do I?" he turned to Heero, gun raised and pointing at his head, "You may remain Duo, but unless Kyldre and her men leave, Heero's brains are going to make a very unique pattern on the wall."
Duo's breath was immediately caught in his throat, "N-n-no!" he managed, eyes wide and frightened. He turned to Kyldre, "Get you and your men out of here."
"But Maxwell-san.." a look of scrutiny fell over her round face, "The AA... The Creator..."
"I'll destroy them all, don't worry." Duo placed his hand on her shoulder, "Trust me, as a professional. And if you still believe I have the gift to bring out the best in people, trust me to save Heero and James too."
Kyldre nodded, "Alright, Maxwell-san. I trust you." She turned to her troops, her expression changing to one of undisputable authority, "You heard him. March!"
Duo nodded and turned back to James and Heero. When the door sounded behind Kyldre's men, Duo began to step forward, "They're gone now, Creator. You don't have to threaten Heero anymore. We'll settle this. Just you and me."
The blue tinted glasses slipped down James's nose which he pushed back up with his forefinger, "Oh really? And how do you plan to do that? A duel? A fistfight? You'll only kill your friends that way, Duo. How do you plan to kill the monster without destroying the man?"
Duo winced, "I don't know."
"That's why you fail." James turned, his gun now aimed at Duo, and shot.
The bullet delved deeply into the flesh of his left thy, the pain knocking Duo to his knees. He raised his own gun only to have a second bullet fired into his right shoulder, immobilizing his limb. The gun fell to the ground and was kicked further away by the souls of James's shoes as he loomed over Duo. The barrel of the gun pressed lightly against his face.
"You see, Duo? You've already lost." He gloated, pressing the weapon closer, bruising the skin beneath it.
"I'm not gonna die yet. There's still Heero to save. I'm not gonna allow myself to die till he's free from your control."
"Do you still doubt my power over him?" James howled, "Do you need a further demonstration of his loyalty to the Creator?" James pushed Duo hard, sitting him back on the ground, "Very well then. Heero," he turned, a wicked smile on his face, "You finished him off."
Every human part of him willed his legs to stop moving forward and his hand to lower or drop the gun he now pointed at his friend's head. No... I still haven't told him...
"Heero?" the voice seemed so small and incredulous.
"I... must obey."
Duo smiled, though tears brimmed his eyes, "You don't have to do anything, Heero. You could fight it before. You can still do it. We can destroy it together."
"It's different now," Heero paused, feeling a foreign wetness dampen his cheeks, "Duo.. I can't stop myself..."
A flicker of hope passed between violet eyes. Heero's gun was held in a white knuckled grip, slightly shaking and wavering while the internal conflict continued.
I can't kill him. I won't do it. I can't do it. I love him. I won't kill him. He has to live. But the blue flames seared through his veins, burning and nulling his senses and will to protest. His finger flexed around the trigger, I'm losing. I'm going to shoot him.. oh god no....
"Duo... I'm sorry...."
The braided youth nodded, pain from his previous wounds flickering across his face. Blood flooded around him like a pond, the metallic sent filling the air, "I know, Heero... we tried to save the world. We tried.." he reached out with his left hand and rested it against Heero's leg, wanting to comfort him, touch him while he still could.
Heero's scream was deafening and was soon joined by another's. Duo's. James watched in horrific silence as the blue-violet viral infection on Duo's arm seemingly became alive. Duo's body was being covered in it further with each passing second as the metal rings Heero wore began to buzz and screech at horrendous decibels. James covered his ears but could not advert his eyes. The blue tinted glass of his glasses shattered with a ping and the frames bounced to the ground. James was lost visually to what was going on in the room but his ears listened as the sounds and screams died. There was another loud clink of metal falling to the floor and one thicker and muffled. Like the sound of a fallen body.
Heero gripped his head as the pain faded. But out of the depths of his pain, realization hit. The will of the Creator was no longer with him. He opened his eyes and looked to his hands. The metal rings were cracked, leaking the blue fluid. The circuitry was gone from his flesh. He had been released. He looked to see his gun lying dormant on the floor by his feet but looked further to the lump on the floor.
Covered in blood, Duo lay motionless, sprawled on his stomach over the cool metal floor. His back was almost completely covered in the viral infection, large patches of pale skin peaking out from under it in random arrangements.
Heero bent down and turned him over. Duo's eyes rolled open them churned within their sockets. His face was almost as badly overtaken. He pulled his body onto his lap and pushed the long jagged bangs from Duo's pained face.
"Duo? Can you hear me?"
"Hai." Duo managed a smile though is voice cracked in ache and exhaustion, "When I get back, I'm requesting vacation time."
Heero laughed. A steady stream of blood flowed from the corner of Duo's mouth and he gently whipped it away, "Don't forget about our date, Duo." He reminded him, "I'm still holding you to it."
"Hai. Our first real date, ne Heero-koi?"
Heero's heart clenched in a painful yet relieving way. Duo had just called him Koi. Sweetheart. Lover. "Duo? You-"
"Ne Heero," Duo interrupted, coughing up more blood as he spoke, "How long have you loved me?"
"Since before I knew what love was," Heero answered truthfully. He held Duo tighter, mindful but not overly so of the deformities his hands caressed along his body.
Duo's eyes became heavy, slipping half shut with a soft growl of pain, "That sounds nice. I think it was he same for me, ya know? I've just kind of been waiting for you to say something."
"Sorry it took so long."
Duo smiled, his eyes falling completely, "That's okay. At least I found out before it was too late."
"Duo.." Heero shook his body slightly, trying not to jar his injuries to hard. There was no response. "Duo? Duo!"
James, though almost blind to the scene, felt tears slip down his face.