28-Sept-2000
Title: Demons NOTES: This is part of the Frozen Colony Arc, and takes place following The Hunt. If you are not familiar with the timeline and are curious, you can find the stories on GW Addiction and on DF's site. On GWA on the Bonne&Von page, there are numbers denoting which stories are FC Arc and should be read in what order. Duo's demons appeared first in Down Time in Hell, and reappeared in Dancin With My Mirror. This is a fic to explore their existence and origins. Liberties are taken with Duo's history and original characters from ESO appear. Important Note! From here on out there will be numerous references made to events in a previous fic, ESO. If you haven't read ESO, you might get a bit lost before too long.
Authors: bonnejeanne (bonnejeanne@yahoo.com) and vonceia (vonceia@yahoo.com
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Archive: GW Addiction http://www.oocities.org/fenris_wolf0/ and if she chooses, Darkflame http://members.xoom.com/riouka/gwpage.html
Category: yaoi, angst
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: 1x2, 6x5, various
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Warnings: LEMON. Angst. AU - we do not guarantee that our interpretations of characters or events will agree with yours, so a general OOC warning.
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Spoilers: Series, EW
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing characters and universe are the property of the copyright owners. Our stuff is ours. No money being made here. As with all our fics so far, while our goal is to stay as in character as possible, any discrepancies are our mistakes.
Feedback: Any and all comments, feedback, critiques welcome, be they short or long.
"So you got a line on a shuttle?" Duo asked, in the cab on the way to the spaceport.
"Hn," Heero replied. "Bought it," he added.
Duo chuckled. "I always forget about that option. So tell me, do you have a lot of money, Heero? I never really thought about if you did or not. I'm too used to taking care of things myself."
"Yes," Heero replied. "I've got something to show you later on, okay?" he added.
"Yeah? Now you got my curiosity going. So how long do I hafta wait?" Duo asked, looking interested.
"Until we can get back to L2," Heero said.
"What if we don't go back there right away?" Duo asked. "That mean I have to wait longer?"
"Hn," Heero said, affirmatively.
Duo pouted, crossing his arms. Then he sighed and sat back. "Oh well," he said, a grin creeping over his face. "Maybe I can persuade you otherwise once we get off Earth."
Heero turned his head to look at his lover. "Hn," he remarked.
The taxi dropped the two pilots off at a private terminal away from the commercial traffic of the port. In the small lobby, Heero presented a card to the woman at the counter and watched as her expression changed from mildly interested to very helpful.
"Your shuttle is ready, sir. Right through those doors. Would you like an attendant to help with luggage?" she asked.
"Not necessary," Heero said. "But thanks." Turning to Duo, he said, "This way."
Duo followed, checking out the craft as they boarded. "Not bad," he said. "Musta set you back quite a bit. Is it fully fueled-up? How far can we get without having to stop for resupply?"
"It's fully fueled and ready to go," Heero said, checking the controls. "Sit down and enter in your code. It's set up as Maxwell right now, but you can change it. If you want to read specs, just call it up like you would do in a mobile suit."
Duo nodded, tapping in the code and promptly changing it to a new one. "I'll look at specs later," he said. "Let's just get off the ground."
Sitting down himself, Heero prepared for take-off. "No time like the present," he said, getting clearance. A short time later, the shuttle was in the air and heading towards space.
"I was just thinking about Zechs," Duo said. "Remembering all the battles we fought. Does it seem like a long time ago to you, Heero?"
"Yes," Heero said. "But I still remember them."
Checking the instruments, he then leaned back in his seat. "So, where are we headed first?" he asked.
Duo looked at Heero. "I know there's probably no one following us... but I hate going at anything too directly. Let's make like we're going back to L2. Then, I have another destination in mind. I've been thinking about this a lot, and I know how to get the coordinates of where I want to go."
Heero nodded. "Got it," he said, setting the course as Duo suggested.
"I thought you weren't going to do that any more?"
Alfa looked up to see her African-American partner leaning in the door with her arms crossed.
Somewhat guiltily, the diminutive scientist and former mobile suit test pilot glanced back at the computer screen showing graphics of gene pairs and data being analyzed in small print. She rubbed her eyes, realizing that she'd been hunched over the charts and data for... uh oh, not sure how long.
"Oma..." she said, drawing the syllables out like a kid trying to wheedle a parent.
"Don't Oma me," the woman in question snapped. Then her expression softened. "What is it? Duo Maxwell?"
Alfa sat back, rotating her shoulders and nodded. "I decided to run a projection analysis with inclusions of new data I picked up at the time of the Event." The reference to "the Event" was Alfa's way of earmarking the arrival and confrontation with the Extra Solar Entity, only some weeks before. The 'new data' would refer to DNA samples from the pilots taken at the base, matched against original samples or precis from as much as 16 years before.
Oma shook her head. "We've had this discussion before," she said. "*I'm* the one with the degree in psychology, and I've told you any number of times that you can not judge mental stability on genetic factors alone."
Alfa glared back, happy to resume the old argument. "You mean *you* can't," she said with more than a hint of smugness. "You don't know how to read the strand."
"There is no basis for the arcane method of divination you call scientific deduction," the African-American repeated the familiar objection comfortably.
"Twenty years of experience is the basis," Alfa responded just as comfortably, with that touch of arrogance considered insufferable by former scientific peers and former subordinates alike. 'The armor of intellect' she'd called it once.
Oma's mouth quirked to the side. "Fine, Madame Curie, and did you *find* anything worth all this effort?"
Alfa frowned. "I'm not sure," she admitted, sticking her tongue out at Oma's subtle but detectable 'told ya so' glance. "Maybe... minute anomalies..."
"Which mean what?"
"I don't know yet!" Alfa growled, frustrated. "There are some things which... well they don't come from my alterations, and yet..."
Oma frowned. "Something unusual about Duo Maxwell's DNA code? Something you're not responsible for?"
Alfa shrugged, scowling. "Not just his," she admitted. "All... five of them. It took a while but I may have discovered a correlation. I cross-referenced against the genetic libraries. It's not something anyone has looked at before, not on record any way but... it's only present in samples from third generation Colony residents or later."
Oma blinked. "What... Alfa..."
"It's not as if we didn't know something like this would happen," Alfa said, using the historical 'we'. "But it's something, frankly, I think no one wants to find."
From a psychological perspective, Oma shuddered. "If the idea were to get out that humans in space are a different species..."
Alfa dismissed the political implications with the narrow-mindedness of a scientist. "It's irrelevant. Someone will figure it out sooner or later, but don't expect *me* to spill the news. I'm more concerned with the immediate, practical implications, if any."
"And are there any?" Oma was not able to dismiss the ramifications so easily but she knew better than to continue to discuss it with her partner. "Professor G seemed quite certain that Duo Maxwell suffers from paranoid schizophrenic delusions."
Alfa scowled ferociously. "That was *I* was diagnosed with too, and as it turned out, they really *were* after me, and there really *was* an alien menace on the way. Did Maxwell strike you as paranoid?"
Oma shook her head. "No. Remarkably well-adjusted, like all of them. But..."
"But nothing. Something else is going on here. I don't know what it is, but I would very much like to find out," Alfa said. She looked up at her partner. "Gordon's being very evasive on a number of fronts. Of course that's his M.O. at all times, but I got the impression there might be something going on that he..." she shrugged. "Of course he's hiding something, he's *always* hiding something, even if it's completely harmless, but I think..."
"Alfa..."
"Well, you said I don't get out enough, right? So why don't I just pay him a little visit and see what he's up to?" the auburn-haired woman stood up,
Oma rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said, resignedly. "Do you have any idea where he is?"
"I'll find him," Alfa said smugly.
"Of course you will. Try and stay out of trouble."
The look of wounded pride was a little too exaggerated to be genuine. The predatory confidence that followed was the real thing.
"I should write the psychological case-study of an instance of bizarrely-twisted maternal instinct," Oma muttered softly, but Alfa was no longer in earshot.
On Earth, Zechs received a message from Lady Une. Her reply indicated that she got Zechs' communication and would pass his request along to the appropriate party.
"Yes," Zechs said, feeling that his decision was a right one.
That evening, Zechs received a message on his home console.
It said: "My eternal friend, I heard that you wanted to speak with me. What is it that has happened to cause you to take such a drastic action?"
Zechs chuckled, then he laughed as he read the message again. "Hmm," he said aloud, then sent a reply.
"Two things. One, I have a friend in need of assistance. Secondly, the implications of the cause of his distress go beyond him and extend into the halls of power. Will you meet me to discuss this further?"
Leaning back in his chair, Zechs sent the message.
"It would be difficult for me to get to you at this time," came the answer. "I am not presently on Earth. I am sending you a code key. Input the nickname I once called you when we were at the Academy together, and we will be able to establish a two-way visual shielded communication."
Zechs received the key and typed in the nickname *s.n.o.w.w.h.i.t.e*, and then waited.
A moment later the vidscreen opened to show Treize, looking much the same as when Zechs had seen him the last time, but dressed in... yes... a pair of coveralls...
"I'm glad you haven't forgotten," Treize said, smiling slightly.
Zechs smiled. "Never," he said, his eyes taking in Treize's attire. "Where are you?" he asked, not able to keep the surprise out of his tone.
"In space, at a location I'm not at liberty to divulge," Treize answered. "The people I'm working with appreciate my technical expertise, but I'm not entirely sure they trust me yet. Therefore I will have to respect their wishes rather than using my own judgment - I hope you understand."
"Of course," Zechs replied. "I'm working on something that I'm pretty sure you would have some expertise in as well. It involves some of our former leaders and their connections with the Church," he said.
Treize's eyebrows rose a bare quarter of an inch. "Intriguing. Are you becoming religious, Milliardo?"
"No," Zechs answered. "I'm becoming curious, however. There is a man on the Ecumenical Council, a Monsignor Anthony Elvay. According to the data that I've been analyzing, he might have ties to some of the aristocrats and former leaders. Have you ever heard of him?"
Treize frowned slightly, but it was just for show. He'd never had to take time to actually think or remember something the whole time Zechs had known him. "One of a group of about 500 or so individuals I kept tabs on during the war. Ambitious, certainly within the Church hierarchy, but there were some indications he was maneuvering to solidify ties in a more secular world order. I'm afraid my information is not current however."
Zechs listened carefully and nodded. "Quite the contrary," he said, "It seems the Monsignor is still as ambitious as ever, but I admit I'm confused. How much further up can he go? The Council, as I understand it, is the highest level in the Church."
"Although the current structure of the Official Non-Orthodox Catholic Church is as you describe, its predecessor, the Holy Roman Catholic Church was governed by a prelate - the Pope. It is not well known, but at the time that the Church went through its 'Second Reformation', provisions were left in place for the possible return of such a position and person. I had suspicions that Monsignor Elvay might be privately in favor of such an occurrence, if it could be arranged in *his* favor." Treize was as always perfectly comfortable discussing politics on this or any other level.
"What would he need to ensure his ascendancy?" he asked, as a part of his mind registered the familiar look of Treize in action. It was easy to understand why brave men fought and died for him.
Treize smiled. "He would need some kind of upheaval in the status quo," he said. "Though the provision is there, it's almost a dirty secret at this point. No one in the general populace of the Church's constituency favors it, and certainly the powerful in the Church hierarchy do not - it would strip them of a considerable amount of the power they now possess. If the war had gone differently..." Treize shrugged. "An environment of fear and oppression would work in its favor if the secular authorities could be bargained with. Peace.... isn't really conducive to the kind of atmosphere that would cause such a change."
"Hm," Zechs remarked. "I see. So, he is walking a thin line here. Good." He looked up at the screen and smiled again.
"No thinner than the line you walked when you accepted the leadership of the White Fang, my friend," Treize said with the merest hint of rebuke. "The danger of such a person, with extreme or seemingly impossible goals, is not measured by the weight of opposition against them, but by that person's ability to accomplish his goals."
"Got it," Zechs replied and then sighed deeply. "Thank you. That was very helpful. I owe you dinner."
"I'd rather not think of it as a debt, my friend," Treize said. "Don't you think that raises too many old ghosts that are better left undisturbed?"
Zechs looked down for a moment, then back up to Treize's eyes. "I think we need to find some time and talk," he said.
"What is it that we need to talk about?" Treize asked interestedly.
Zechs took a deep breath. "Life, anger, everything," he said, then looked down, "That is, of course, if you would like to as well. I've done enough pressing into places where I'm neither needed nor wanted. However, if you are amenable, I will come to wherever you feel comfortable."
Treize tilted his head slightly. "Will you indeed?" he said. "Forgive me for saying so, but, it seems there has been... an upheaval in the status quo..." Treize said, smiling slightly.
Zechs nodded once. "I am beginning to believe more in one moment at a time, rather than status quo," he said.
"Do you really think it's possible for us to overcome the weight of what has happened in our last several encounters with each other?" The former general said quietly.
"Yes, I do," Zechs replied, meeting Treize's eyes. "You just reminded me that it isn't a matter of the opposition, but the ability to accomplish goals. I consider it a goal."
"In that case, my assent is a mere formality," Treize said, with a slight curve at the corner of his mouth.
"When will you be available?" Zechs said.
"I'll have to let you know," Treize said. "Until I can, take care of yourself."
"You too," Zechs said, then ended the transmission. Standing, he went to the cabinet and opened a bottle of Wild Turkey.
Pouring a little of the liquid in a glass, he raised it. "To the death of the status quo," he said, and downed the contents, feeling it blaze a path down his throat and warm his stomach. He then looked at the bottle in his hand and made a face. "Has this always tasted this way?" he muttered and returned the bottle to the cabinet.
"A little early in the day, don't you think?" Wufei said, entering the room as Zechs replaced the bottle.
Zechs turned to Wufei and frowned slightly. "It's evening," he said, then shrugged. "In any case, I believe it will be *too early* for a quite awhile. I just finished talking to Treize about the Monsignor. He had a few interesting things to say."
Wufei's eyebrows went up. "You don't say?"
Zechs nodded. "He knows a great deal about... well everything and everyone. I thought he might have a line on Elvay. Of course, he's not on Earth right now, but that didn't matter much," he said, then ran his fingers through his hair. "Interested?" he asked.
"Am I interested? In what?" Wufei asked, sitting down and watching Zechs closely.
Zechs shook his head. "Bad question," he said, sitting back down. "Treize thinks Elvay might have ambitions to be the next Pope, even though there's no papal position in the Church currently. So the question becomes, what the hell would he want with Duo?"
Wufei's eyes darkened. "A tool to accomplish his goals," he said, controlling his anger with a ruthless efficiency he hadn't had to call on very much recently.
"Hn," Zechs remarked. "Yes, but what does he want Duo to do? And how would Duo's actions win him the papacy? Treize said something that I agree with. It would have been easier for him to accomplish this under a tyrannical rule or during wartime, perhaps. We have achieved peace, so relying on a groundswell of support from the people would be out of the question. He would need something pretty outstanding to persuade, I would think..." Zechs shrugged. "But, who knows?"
Wufei listened to Zechs words and then his eyes narrowed. "Who indeed."
Zechs looked up at Wufei. "What are you thinking, Wufei?" Zechs asked.
The Chinese pilot shook his head. "Give me a little time. I'll tell you very soon. I just want to check something out first."
Zechs nodded. "As you wish," he said, watching Wufei carefully.
End of Part 13 - TBC
What do you think?
bonnejeanne & vonceia
Please send comments to: bonnejeanne@yahoo.com or vonceia@yahoo.com