| Gundam Wing: Legend of Mystiks Chapter 13 Cosmos, even without a beating heart, opened her marine blue eyes and smiled at Duo. Using the last of the moving blood in her veins, she whispered, � I never thought I�d die so early in my life, but I suppose anything can happen.� She gave a rueful chuckle. � I guess I won�t be able to fight the Restars or Hekatats.� Duo didn�t bother stopping the tears that ran down his face. � I don�t . . . Cosmos, onegai. Please don�t go! Onegai! Onegai!� Cosmos reached up and gently brushed his tears away. � Gomen nasai, Duo. I think that�s one promise I can�t make. You�ll be all right without me though. Just ask Shinigami-sama to teach you how to control your power.� Hearing the name of the Death God, Duo growled through his tears, � This is all his fault.� Then, a bit louder, � It�s all his fault!� Finally in a throat-ripping, pain-filled scream, � It�s all his fault!� Cosmos frowned. She knew what he was thinking. � No Duo. It�s just that it was our time, that�s all.� Duo bent forward from some inner pain. � Doushite? Doushite?!� Cosmos gave another smile and a soft caress to his cheek. � I�ll find you again. I . . .�--she winced and finished in a final, quiet exhale--� swear it.� There was a short moment of denial, then Duo stood, trembling in fury and grief. He glared at the Ferals standing in a circle around him. � You little bunch of shits.�--Their heads bobbed in calculation.--� You think ripping out insides is fun, huh?�--They advanced slowly, as a wolf pack would on a sheep.--� I�ll show you how fun it is when it�s your turn!� The Ferals leapt as one. Duo grabbed the tongue of one head of a Feral on either side and swung them in a circle, finally releasing them into the lake. He ripped open the stomach of several and pulled every organ out. After a while he was overwhelmed, but refused to give in. Then he saw a Feral�s heads lowering on Cosmos� body. In a flare of anger, he leaned back and screamed. Black energy swirled around him like a small tornado, then shot out in all directions like a shockwave. The remaining two hundred Ferals were left twisted and contorted in totally unnatural positions when the shockwave had finished with them. After a few seconds of deathly silence, Duo began to breathe. He looked around in sad resignation. It was no use. Cosmos was dead. � How could you?!� he shouted hoarsely at the sky. � You said so yourself that she was your best Reaper!� Some of the old anger returned. � How dare you take her away from me! Come here and I�ll give you a one-way ticket to Hell, you bastard!� A black silhouette-aura appeared, then it solidified to reveal the God of Death standing barely five feet away. � What are you prattling on about now?� he asked in a tolerating tone as he twirled his scythe in a circle in a thoughtless gesture of boredom. Duo pointed behind him at Cosmos. � Look at that and then tell me you don�t know!� Raising a skeptical eyebrow, Shinigami glanced over his shoulder, then did a double-take. He turned completely, the scythe falling unhindered onto a Feral�s back. � Iie. This isn�t right.� He knelt and then looked at Duo. � This shouldn�t be like this, I checked ahead to make sure . . .� He looked back down at Cosmos, his head shaking. � Something�s not right here.� Duo gave a hysterical giggle. � What was your first clue?� � Iie, I mean I told every Reaper that they were to come straight to me upon their death. I shouldn�t�ve just found out about this now.� Shinigami noticed Duo�s sporadic giggles of hysteria. � Nan da?� Duo raised his hand above his head and his shiny Reaper scythe appeared. He let it swing downward menacingly. � I�m going to fix everything. Make sure everyone I get close to won�t die.� Shinigami�s eyes closed and his head bowed. � If you think it will bring them all back, go right ahead.� � You�ll die, right?� � Hai, I�ll die. I�ll bleed to death right here beside my Reaper. Death can die, contrary to popular belief, and I�m not afraid to.� Duo positioned his weapon . . . but couldn�t do it. Something inside him, in his heart, said that if he did it he�d regret it forever. Shinigami finally looked up and saw Duo�s indecision. He stood and opened his arms slightly in gentle invitation. � It�s all right, Duo.� Without knowing why, Duo ran to the one person he had sworn to hate his whole life and hugged the man�s waist, sobbing into his chest. � Make it go away,� he begged. � Make it all go away.� The God of Death closed his arms around his son. Most of his sleeves hung down to the ground, shielding the boy from outside harm. � Make what go away?� � The pain. Just make it go. Onegai.� � I�ll try, Duo. I promise I�ll try.� He started to crouch by Cosmos, but was stopped. � Nani?� Duo wiped his teary eyes. � Doushite? Why are you doing this for me?� Shinigami smiled softly. � Anything worth my love is worth a fight.� The surprise was evident. � You . . . love me?� � Why not? Is it illegal to love my own son?� The was an obvious moment of inner denial. � You . . . You�re my . . . my otousan?� The answer was one slow nod. � Hai.� � Masaka.� � Iie.� Duo abruptly felt weak. He started to slip, but felt the other�s arms tighten, holding him up. <My . . . otousan. The person who I�ve hated my entire life is my otousan?> The Death God knelt on the ground again and drew Duo into his lap. � I know it must be too much right now; I�m sorry you had to find out at such a time. I never planned to---� Duo was shaken from his numbness. � You weren�t going to tell me?� � Please don�t take it the wrong way--that I�ve never cared about you--I just didn�t want you to have to bear the knowledge and feel awkward around humans.� |