Devil In Disguise

Devil In Disguise (Part 1)

"It is supposed to be an easy mission, right? Sneak into the base, set up the explosives, get the hell out of there and Boom! Easy, right? Then, why the hell am I running like a lunatic?" Duo cursed as his eyes darted around, looking for an escape route.

It was a simple mission. Following Heero's instruction, he was supposed to sneak into the base to create as much ruckus as possible while Heero broke into the base's computer center to steal a piece of vital information on the latest mobile suit prototype design. They must destroy this information to prevent OZ from creating these deadly mobile suits that will bring more bloodshed to the mankind.

Duo planted the explosives and was running off to a safe distance, getting ready to activate the detonator when suddenly he heard loud barks from the opposite direction. Bloodhounds! Those nasty animals with razor sharp teeth were coming for him.

"Shit!" Duo exclaimed. He quickly detonated the explosives and ran towards the forest. A loud boom was heard, followed by sirens ringing loudly and searchlights flashing everywhere. Behind him, the bloodhounds were chasing relentlessly, getting closer and closer to the Shinigami pilot, ready to pounce on him anytime.

Duo ran deeper into the dense forest. The dogs had stopped the chase the moment he entered the darker part of the forest. They loitered at the edge of the dark forest, whining in fear. There was something in the dark forest, something that scared those bloodhounds. The bloodhounds continued to pace around for a moment before running off to the opposite direction.

The tall canopies of the trees blocked away the evening sun and the surroundings were getting darker and darker with ghostly shadows everywhere. Danger seemed to lurk from behind every shadow. A breeze swirled, making the trees whisper. The air suddenly carried a chill. But Duo was too busy running to notice anything.

He came to a small clearing and collapsed on the soft grass, too exhausted to carry on running, too tired to care if he will be captured or not. As he slipped into unconsciousness, a strange fog suddenly appeared and gathered around the young pilot. A pair of menacing eyes watched the boy with eagerness.

"Finally!" A voice whispered softly.

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Heero smirked when the words "Password Accepted" flashed on computer screen. With his adequate hacking skills, OZ's so-called data mainframe security was nothing but a child's play to him. Having downloaded the information he wanted, Heero slipped the virus disk into the computer and uploaded it to the OZ network. Soon, all the data in every OZ base around the world will be destroyed.

"95%……97%…….99%……..Uploading completed."

"Ninmu kanryou."

Heero removed the disk and slipped out of the computer center quickly. Outside, the whole base was in total disarray, making his escape unnoticed.

Running towards his hidden bike, Heero looked back at burning base and marveled at Duo's handiwork. Three quarter of the base was destroyed, along with some of the Leos and Aries in the hangars.

"Not bad," he thought, "That baka did something right for a change."

He gunned the engine of the bike and zoomed away into the twilight.

Arriving at the safehouse two hours later, he was surprised to see the empty parking lot beside him. Duo was not back yet? Heero frowned, wondering what that baka was up to. Did he escape in time or was he captured?

Heero shook away the troubled thoughts. He hardened his heart, willing himself not to worry for that braided boy.

"Duo is a gundam pilot; he should know what to do. He should be able to take care of himself," Heero reasoned to himself. He ignored the gnawing feeling and logged on his laptop to type out his mission report.

As nightfall approached, Heero felt a lurch in his heart; a strange unsettled feeling surrounding his thoughts. Why wasn't Duo back yet? What was he doing? Sitting alone in the room, facing his laptop, the silence was deafening, anxiety was slowing building up in the Wing pilot’s stone cold heart.

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Opening his eyes slowly, Duo tried to register his location.

"Where am I?" he wondered, "How long has it been since I passed out?" Then he remembered the earlier incident. He quickly stood up and checked himself. No dog bites, no injuries. He heaved a sigh of relief.

He looked around him. Apparently, he was in the midst of a dense forest. A pale mist hung over the low half-moon, like a thin curtain holding back the light. The dewy, dark trees shimmered under the pale, filtered light. The distant dog barks sounded like banshees screaming bloodcurdlingly. It gave the surrounding an eerie ambience. Duo shuddered, partly out of cold, partly out of uneasiness.

Suddenly, the air felt so dry and tight. Behind the trees, something gathered there, something wicked and vile. He could feel it watching him, watching and waiting with its evil vibrations pulsed in the air. A black mist had risen, higher and higher, almost obscuring the bushes around. It began to gather before Duo. For a moment, it swirled without form. Slowly, the mist coagulated and the form of a man with an evil looking face was visible.

Duo stared at this terrifying sight before him in openmouthed horror.

"Who……what…… are you?" he gasped.

The strange man or rather the ghostly figure smiled at him menacingly.

"I am a lost soul, a spirit or a ghost, whichever you prefer," the apparition spoke in a chilly voice. "I have been waiting here for so long, so long. Finally you came."

His fiery eyes studied Duo carefully. "Perfect, you are just perfect for my plan."

"Plan? What plan?" Duo asked hoarsely.

"Revenge!" the ghostly figure hissed, "I want revenge on those who did me an injustice! And you are going to help me."

"What…what do you want with me?" Duo backed away slowly, his voice quivered in fear.

A thin, cruel smile of triumph played across its’ face. "I want to be alive again. I want to get out of here."

"What? Now, wait a minute……" Realizing what the evil spirit was planning, Duo tried to run but his legs refused to move, totally immobilized to the ground. He could see thick tendrils of black mist coiling along the ground and around his feet.

"What are you trying to do?" Duo cried out to the evil spirit.

It gave a maniacal laugh and vanished from sight, startling Duo. He stared around the clearing, looking out for that vengeful spirit. Suddenly Duo began to feel strange, dizzy. A chilling sensation lanced up his forearm, spreading across his shoulders and back. Ice cold fingers choking his neck, shooting into his skull. Duo gripped the sides of his head and screamed. He felt a weight pressed down on the top of his head, then down on his entire body. He had the sensation of losing control, losing all control.

That evil spirit was invading his body! Duo tried his best to resist.

"Get out! Get out!" he screamed. But that evil spirit was too strong. Slowly, the mist began to enclose Duo like a pair of dark wings, surrounding him, smothering him and the blackness swallowed him.

When Duo looked up again, his eyes were no longer violet but glowing red. His mouth curled into a cruel smile.

That vengeful spirit had taken over.

~~~ End Of Part 1 ~~~