Adult-FanFiction.org : Gundam, Beyblade, DBZ, FMA

The Shadowman	By : ColdSilence Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2328 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing/AC, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Title: The Shadowman

Author: Cold Silence

E-Mail: writer.coldsilence@gmail.com

Category: Alternate Universe. Medieval Times.

Pairings: So far: 4 x Relena, 5 x Meiran, Odin x Catherine

Warnings: NC-17. Yaoi. OOC. (I'm trying to keep them IC, but I don't think I've succeeded.) Death. Squick. Incest. Rape.

Website: http://coldsilence.tumblr.com/post/433113072/index

The Shadowman

-Chapter Nine-

(The Farming Arc - Day Four)

An unabashed grin stretched normally pouty lips, and morning sunlight spilled onto that upturned face. Duo had never really appreciated the comfort that came from simply sitting beneath the bright sky, but now he basked in it. Sheep milled in the surrounding pasture, and amid the fluffy creatures there was Heero, playing fetch with Wing.

He couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun. The night before seemed to have quelled the tension between the three boys, and for the first time the Shadowman felt like he was welcomed. Heero and Trowa weren't so bad when one got past the glaring and the mean pranks.

Cobalt colored eyes lazily tracked towards the messy haired boy, who had stopped throwing sticks and was staring back. He followed the other's gaze, which was riveted on the sheathed sword at his side. Duo avoided smirking as he called to Heero.

"You like it, don't you?"

The other boy blinked, then averted his eyes away from the weapon. "Just looking."

Sounds of grass being trod upon reached Heero's ears, and when he canted his eyes back he found that Duo was now standing only a foot from him.

"Go ahead, try it." Still wearing that pleased grin, Duo held the sheath within his palm, its hilt pointed towards the shepherd. Reluctantly, Heero glanced from the boy to the blade, before wrapping his fingers around the butt end of the sword and slowly tugging it from its protective covering.

It pulled free with a faint swiiiish of steel caressing leather; every inch reflecting beams of sunlight that hurt their eyes. His arm dipped a bit at the unexpected weight, but once adjusted Heero held it in an easy grasp. With almost childish fascination, he gave it an experimental thrust into the air.

Stepping back to give him room, Duo allowed the other become acquainted with the weapon. It amused him that he was so taken with it, and in truth, the moment it left its sheath the shepherd seemed to have completely forgotten his presence.

A few minutes passed as Duo simply watched Heero enter into his own little world. Reflected light streaked across his bronzed skin as he twirled the saber, moving it much as he would his own staff. Unsure of how it happened, the Shadowman zoned out as he began to stare, hypnotized by the fluid movements and the ripple of muscles beneath skin. In all likelihood, he would have stayed that way if Wing hadn't trotted up and bit him in the ankle.

"Ow! Stupid dog!" Duo yelled at Wing.

        The outburst snapped Heero back to reality and caused him to sheepishly duck his head. No one had ever seen him fool around like that before, except Trowa. His best friend still teased him about it to this day. Silently handing the blade back to its owner, he waited for similar treatment from the Shadowman as well.

Instead, he was surprised when Duo simply resheathed the sword and spoke in all seriousness. "Have you ever sparred anyone before?"

"Nai." (1)

"Assuming that nai means no... wait right there."

Heero gave him an odd look, but did what he was told and waited. An eyebrow lifted when Duo walked back to the tree and began breaking off bits of its branches. He had no clue what the braided boy was up to, but who was he to question a strange gaijin's (2) ways? Turning around to face the sheep once more, he resumed being a silent sentinel while Duo worked behind him.

When it was just about time to leave, a triumphant "Taa daa!" came from the Shadowman's direction. Heero turned around in time to see Duo bounding in his direction, holding what appeared to be two bundles of sticks wrapped tightly together. He threw one set at Heero, who caught it with a perplexed look.

"What is it?" asked the shepherd.

"Practice swords!" With a grin, Duo cut into the air with a flourish of his own bundle of sticks. "This is how everyone learns how to use a sword. They practice with these -- all the fun of beating each other up, and minimal pain. What do you say Heero, think you can beat me?"

Something inside Heero responded to the mischievous glint in those blue-violet eyes and the challenge in that tenor voice. Shifting his feet apart so that he could get better footing, his actions answered Duo's question.

Hah! He's never held a real sword in his life, but still thinks he can beat me? I better go easy on him just to save him some shreds of pride, Duo thought to himself.  "And here we GO!"

Heero was forced into an instinctive block from Duo's first attack. Though battling with sticks wasn't deadly, the resounding crack of them connecting together proved that getting hit would at least sting. Needless to say, Duo fenced circles around him with his superior training, and Heero was soon left kneeling on the ground, wincing from the several welts across his arms.

"Not bad Heero! But ah, you might want to stop now, you're looking kind of red," said Duo sheepishly.

Heero tilted his chin back to glare at Duo through his ragged forelocks. He knew the other boy had to be holding back, and even though he meant well, his words were just another form of patronization. Suddenly he was embarrassed, and chasing on the heels of that emotion was anger. This was just one of the things that created the rift between peasant and upper-class. Everyone considered Heero ignorant, backwards, defenseless and weak because of where he was born.

He may have been a lot of things, but he was NOT weak.

Unexpectedly springing back to his feet, Duo was unprepared for the flurry of strikes landing across his arms. At first, he attributed the phenomenon to beginner's luck, but soon he found that he couldn't parry fast enough, and Heero was forcing him to take a step back with each blow. His moves were completely unpredictable, and he was flowing from stance to stance with the consistency of a rushing brook.

What the hell?! Just a few seconds ago he couldn't even hold the damn sword right! came Duo's astonished thoughts.

        A cry of alarm escaped the Shadowman's lips when he tripped over Wing's tail, which sent him tumbling on his backside while the dog yelped in pain. Reflexively holding the bundle of sticks at both ends, he used it as a shield against Heero's attack while he was helplessly sprawled. The shepherd's final blow landed directly in the middle of the bundle, and the hilltop echoed with the screeching rip of bark.

Expecting pain, Duo waited for it with eyes closed and teeth clenched. When none came, he slowly creaked his strangely tinted orbs open, his mouth dropping a little at the site that greeted him. His hands now held two severed pieces of tightly wound twigs cut so neatly it was as if Heero had used a real sword. The shepherd still held onto his weapon; its very end resting harmlessly against Duo's chest.

Enough force to tear his bundle in half, and sheer precision to calculate that it would stop just as it kissed the fabric of his tunic.

"How did you do that?" asked Duo incredulously.

Heero looked just as startled as Duo, and his grip on the end of the twigs faltered. Within moments, he reverted to fumbling with the practice sword as if he didn't know which end was up.

"We should get something.. for the welts.." At Heero's murmured words, Duo glanced down to his arms, eyes widening in even further shock.

Each blossoming bruise was placed perfectly parallel to each other, and if he didn't know better he could swear they were all exactly half an inch apart. There was no way anyone could hit a moving target so perfectly.

Disturbed by the way Duo was now staring at him, Heero glared back and spoke a clipped, "What?"

"You're not bad." A slow smile curled the corners of Duo's lips. "Not bad at all."

Heero felt strangely titillated by the look of respect in those cobalt colored eyes.

        Another long day of saddling horses and keeping them clean greeted Trowa Bloom. Or would he soon be Trowa Bloom - Lowe? Or just Trowa Lowe? He wasn't particularly sure if his last name would change at all once his mother married Odin.

Heero Lowe - Bloom.... Heero Bloom - Lowe...or maybe Heero's name would stay just the same, Heero Lowe.

What was Duo's last name? Thinking back, he realized the strange gaijin had never once told them what it was. Considering it was rude not to tell someone that bit of information when one was first introduced, it made him wrinkle his nose in thought.  Perhaps merchants were just weird that way. They had a lot of habits he didn't understand, nor did he care to. In truth, Duo wasn't so bad; he had gotten to know the braided boy a lot better the night before. Maybe he could answer a few questions that he was otherwise too shy to ask of someone of the upper class.

        "Oi, Nanashi."

The blood froze in Trowa's veins at the sound of that voice. He turned around, and sure enough, there were Alex and Mueller, blocking the only exit out of the stables.

"Oh excuse me, I forgot. It's 'Trowa'," sneered Alex.

        Hiding his scowl beneath the long fringe of hair, Trowa did his best to ignore them as he continued to saddle a yellow mare. Alex stalked closer while Mueller remained at the door, his arms casually folded across his chest.

"I'm talking to you Tro~wa. Where's your friend?" hedged Alex.

Again, Trowa refused to answer or acknowledge them as he continued on his work. Unfortunately, Alex would have none of it. The stablehand's shoulders were gripped, and Trowa was roughly turned around to face angry eyes.

"LOOK at me when I'm talking to you, peasant!" shouted Alex.

        Emerald green narrowed at the irate boy, but Trowa remained silent.

        "You know, my father owns this stable. And he hates it when one of his hired hands goes about causing trouble." If Trowa was disturbed by the direction this conversation was taking, he didn't show it. He continued to look passively at Alex, and it was his very lack of expression that angered the merchant's son even more.

"Wouldn't it be bad if you couldn't work here huh? No more leeching off our money. Yah, it would be pretty bad if your dear old okaasan (3) couldn't afford that lovely little wedding coming up in a few days."

        Alex's words finally gained the desired effect, and he felt Trowa tense in his iron grip. Wasting no more time, he drew his arm back and punched the green-eyed boy square in the stomach, smirking triumphantly when he doubled over in pain. Trowa fisted his hands, preparing to return the favor when Alex's voice cut in once more.

"Don't fight back Tro~waaa. Or I'll make sure there won't be a wedding to talk about."

        Trowa's fingers still clenched, but he froze in his place. Once more, Alex punched him hard, this time in his jaw. Staggering back from the resounding crack, it was all he could do to protect himself from the flurry of jabs and kicks that followed. His nose and lips trickled with red as he was backed into a corner, wincing from the pain radiating across his torso.

"Do you cry Nanashi?"(4) Alex accentuated his question with a kick to Trowa's bowed head, sending him sprawling to his side. "Do you yell? Do you whimper? Do you BEG?" Every question was accompanied by another blow; each causing his clothes to become more stained with Trowa's blood.  "Because you know what?" Alex paused in the middle of his torture to step towards one of the walls of the stable and tug a horsewhip off its hook. "I'm not stopping until you do!"

Trowa stubbornly set his jaw. He was not about to give Alex the pleasure of hearing him crumble, even though he felt like he was on fire. The resounding crack of leather meeting flesh mingled with the sound of Mueller's laughter from the door.

        "Duooo-chan, wear your hair like this for the wedding!" crooned Marie.

"Hell no," answered Duo in an annoyed tone.

        "Don't be stubborn! Or we'll just have to tell everyone about the little game we played down by the brook."

Duo blanched at the thought of Marie spreading "Show and Tell" stories across the countryside. He expelled the mixture of a sigh and groan through his lips as he held his head in his hands. The twins sat to his left and right, each braiding a portion of his hair into pigtails.

"Duo. Why aren't you sheering sheep yet?"

Looking up from his place on the ground between Marie and Meia, Duo gave Heero a doleful look. "Trust me, I'd rather be shaving the furballs bald right now instead of doing this."

"Don't look at him like that Heero, you're next!" threatened Meia. "I always did want to run a comb through that boy's messy hair."

        Her words had Heero scowling; he too knew the consequences of going against the redheads' wishes. He was starting to wonder what Trowa and himself had ever seen in them in the first place.

"Cluck cluck."

Duo's eyebrow twitched. That couldn't be..

"Cluck cluck."

He looked up and stared at the Rabid Turkey From Hell. It was currently pacing back and forth, mocking the Shadowman with little clucks and bobs of its red, fleshy chin.

"DIE TURKEY!!!"

The girls and Heero were left in the cloud of dust formed from the charging Duo. His arch nemesis was way ahead of him, crowing in triumph with each miss of the sword.

"Baka." (5) Heero shook his head, and wondered if the Shadowman had any idea how ridiculous he looked chasing after fowl with his chestnut locks in pigtails.

"Well, since Duo's obviously busy, it's your turn Hee-chan!"

Heero tried not to groan at Meia's words.

        "Ooo, you think you're SO smart climbing into the sheep pen don't you!!"

Duo was about to join his feathery rival by scaling the wooden fence, when Odin's rumbling voice stopped him.

"Hah hah, Duo! Stop chasing that turkey."

Forced to pause in his endeavor, Duo uttered one last threat to the little creature before turning around to face Odin. The older man was chuckling his head off, speech momentarily rendered impossible until he settled down.

"Duo, heheh, come here. I have a favor to ask of you. The girls won't let me see Catherine because they say its bad luck -- superstitious onnas (6). You know how it is. Could you go over her house and fetch my good hat? I left it behind. I would ask Heero, but he seems to be avoiding Cathy."

"No problem Mister Odin, I'll get it now." Duo plastered on a grin, even though the memory of the fight between Heero and his soon to be stepmother galled him. He supposed Trowa's mother didn't want to upset her fiancee before the wedding; that would explain why the older man didn't know about it. Choosing not to say anything on the matter, he gave his benefator a salute before turning and heading towards the neighboring cottage.

Odin watched him walk off, deciding that having Duo on the farm wasn't such a bad thing. He worked hard, and he wasn't pompous or as sinister as he expected a Shadowman to be. His presence was like a breathe of fresh air, and it made him long to have another child to raise. Perhaps Catherine wouldn't be too adverse to the idea.

        "Hellloooo! Anybody home?" called Duo.  He walked into the Bloom's residence, noting immediately how oddly quiet it was. Along the way, he had removed those infernal pigtails and tied his hair back in low ponytail to keep it out of his face. He didn't go far when he spotted Odin's top hat on the kitchen table, which he scooped up with a grin and plopped it on his head. He was admiring the debonair vision of loveliness he made on the reflective surface of a pot, when a sound caught his attention.

Drip.

Tilting his head to the side, he heard it again. Drip. Perhaps he should have learned his lesson by now, but once curiosity took possession of him, he was lost. He followed the sound to its source, and discovered that it led to one of the bedrooms. Cheerfully poking his head through the doorway like the busybody that he was, he called to the occupants with a grin.

"Hey everybody! What's that.... sou.. nd...."

The words died in his throat. Shock froze him in his place by the doorway. In the center of the room, there was a bed with rumpled sheets, and its occupant was strewn haphazardly over the red stained mattress. One of his wrists dangled listlessly off the side, where a steady stream of crimson flowed to the wooden floor.

Drip.

"Who..."

Drip.

"Who did.."

Drip.. Drip..

Gentle hands laid themselves on Duo's shoulders and guided him away from Trowa's bedroom. They didn't stop leading him away until he was back on the porch of the cottage, where the fresh air helped him gather his wits. Once this was accomplished, he turned around to face the red rimmed eyes of Catherine.

"Who.. who did this.." asked Duo, his voice barely above a whisper.

        "I'm sorry Duo." Catherine lifted one of her hands to rub at her tear streaked face. In her fingers she held a washcloth, which was obviously used to clean her son judging by the stains. "I'm sorry you had to see him like that."

"What's going on? Why is he -"

"I always tell Trowa not to go to the stables, but he does anyway. He always says we could use the extra money. He doesn't care that they hurt him when he's there."

"You mean this has happened before?" said Duo in shock.

        Catherine's eyes fell shut; she couldn't bring herself to nod in answer to his question. "He'll be okay. I promise he will. It's only a few bruises and some cuts, he's better than he looks."

"Why did this happen?"

"Onegai, (7) don't take this the wrong way, it's just that your kind doesn't take well to peasants. You're the first person I've met who doesn't ignore or look down your nose at the poor folk. I wish they were all like you.. not like Alex and Mueller. They always hurt my poor Trowa."

Whatever more she had to say became lost in her sobs. Duo felt numb as he mechanically placed a hand over her shoulder to comfort her. They stayed that way for several minutes until Catherine composed herself. Giving Duo a tightlipped smile, she told him to send her love to Odin before slipping back inside to tend to Trowa.

        Duo continued to stand in front of the closed door, eyes unblinking. As if in a trance, he turned around and began walking back towards the farm, unable to think of how to break the news to Heero. He was about halfway back when the sounds of laughter made his steps slow. Off to his left, a couple of children were playing in the tall grass, dancing as they twirled colorful ribbons.

They looked so happy prancing in their imaginary world, that he had to stop and watch them for a little bit. However, he was unable to share in their peace because he kept seeing Trowa's swollen face overlaying the scene of serenity. His fingers clenched as his thoughts strayed themselves back to that bedroom and the prone figure.

Just what did these people do to deserve that kind of treatment? From what he had seen, all his previous misconceptions about them being stupid and weak were unfounded. The many times Heero and Trowa got the drop on him were proof enough of that. They worked, lived simply, and compared to the life of word games and back-stabbing he had come from, it wasn't a bad thing at all.

Realization struck him at that moment. What was it that he had told Wufei the other day?

        "Look, I've just about HAD IT with these country folk! All they do is work, eat shit and they won't leave me alone!"

        By the Dark. All this time, he had been despising them just like everyone else. He wasn't different from Alex and Mueller at all. He should have beaten Trowa with his own hands, because now he felt responsible for every bruise and tear on his skin.

The children waved good-bye when Duo suddenly began dashing towards the road leading to the heart of Sanc; the hat he was sent to fetch was sent fluttering into the grass.

        "You think Nanashi will be coming back anytime soon?" asked Mueller. He was leaned against the fence penning the stables, his foot idly tapping to the music from the Fair.

"Tch. He always comes back like the baka he is. The little chikushoume (8) never learns." Alex tipped his head to the side to spit his disgust onto the dusty floor.

"Heheh, yah. Maybe next time we'll bet some sense into him. Stupid peasant," said Mueller.

        They fell silent as they listened to the beat of drums echoing throughout the city. Mueller was contemplating getting some girls, when a glint of chestnut caught his attention. That was always the feature of the opposite sex that grabbed him first: hair, and he was instantly attracted to the loose ponytail he was looking at.  Lantern light illuminated individual strands of gold lost in the mix of brown hair, making his mouth water.

However, his eager face melted into a grimace once he perceived the figure that detached from the shadows of the doorway. That was no woman; girls did not have the gait of a stalking tiger. Annoyed, he called out to the person approaching from the entrance. "Oi. This stable is closed. Get horses from somewhere else."

The stranger moved forwards on silent feet, his blue eyes containing a strange violet tint in the orange light. His stance immediately put the two merchants on alert, and they began reaching for their swords.

"Are you Alex and Mueller?" The coolly voiced question accompanied the minute shifting of Duo's eyes from one person to the other.

"Yah, that's us. You got a problem, girly-boy?" Perhaps Alex assumed there was safety in numbers to give such a flippant remark, but that didn't help him when Duo punched him right between the eyes.

Mueller was startled, and the time it took him to recover was enough to allow a swift kick that sent him stumbling into a corner.

I'm getting more and more like Heero everyday. Duo grimly thought to himself as he began battling it out with a furious Alex. Although he possessed neither sword nor power at that moment, between Wufei and Pargan's influence he was positive he could hold his own in a good old fashioned fist fight.

Mueller had gotten his second wind, and pulled himself out of the corner to charge at Duo with his sword. The Shadowman merely smirked before slamming his foot down on a shovel, causing its wooden pole to leap up in time for the spoiled brat to smack into it. While he reeled in pain, Duo grabbed his arm and shoved him stop of Alex, who was already moaning on the ground.

Then, he proceeded to kick them both repeatedly with the heel of his heavy boots, making sure to deliver hard blows to their heads if they tried to stand up.

"If. You. EVER. Touch Trowa. Or any other peasant ever again. I am going to kill you, in the name of Winner! By the Dark, you will die as sacrifices to the God of Death!!!" he threatened.

        Duo didn't stop until they began coughing up red spittle. He was angry enough to cause more damage, but he figured eye for an eye would suffice. The Shadowman refused to be like them. With one more hate filled glare, he pivoted on his heels and began heading back to the farm.

        By the time Duo leapt off the cart back in the outskirts, the sky was pitch black. Most likely everyone was in bed right now, or waiting for him with a leather belt. Even if he managed to earn himself a whipping, the excursion was definetly worth it. Far from feeling triumphant, however, what happened a few hours ago at the stable made his insides feel even darker than before.

The faint sound of shoes scuffing against the grass made him close his eyes. He already knew who it was.

"That was a very stupid thing to do."

Duo ducked his head at the sound of Wufei's quiet voice. He didn't have to turn around to know he was most likely standing there with his arms folded and glaring at his back.

"I know," said Duo.

"You were very close to being discovered. A pair of Mystics were only three streets away from that stable."

"To hell with the Mystics!!" Duo spun around, finding much to his dismay that his prediction of Wufei's stance was right. The Dragon Leader's eyes were locked on his, but the mahogany depths were softer than he expected them to be. "Did you see what they did to Trowa? They deserved it!"

Wufei gave the Shadowman a careful look, before quietly answering, "You've only just recently became friends with that boy. Are you that desperate for companionship?"

        Duo's eyes rounded before they quickly averted away. Wufei was the only person he knew that could see right through him as if he were a sheet of glass, without the use of a psychic connection.  "I only did what felt right." After a pause, he added in a low voice. "It's what the people here do. They follow their emotions."

Although the Shadowman couldn't see it with his eyes slanted away, a brief smile worked its way to Wufei's lips. "Nataku's spirit haunts this place."

"What?" said Duo numbly. "How come the things you say never make sense?"

"They're not supposed to." This time, Duo did see the smirk on Wufei's lips as he stepped forwards and rested a hand on his ward's shoulder. "Go home Shadowman, it will all be clearer in the morning." With a gentle shove, he sent the boy moving in the right direction. "I won't tan your hide this time, but I make no promises for the next."

"Arigatou, Wu." (9) Duo gave one last, weak smile before walking in the direction of the house.

Wufei couldn't help but quirk a brow. Duo apparently had no idea that he had just spoken Nihongo.

End Chapter Nine

(1) Nai: No

(2) Gaijin: Outsider

(3) Okaasan: Mother

(4) Nanashi: No name

(5) Baka: Idiot

(6) Onnas: Women

(7) Onegai: Please

(8) Chikushoume: Son of a bitch

(9) Arigatou: Thank you
- 9
- 10
- 11
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Shadowman