Maxwell was silent throughout the journey. Shang understood that this peculiar  behaviour was caused by the incident back in the abandoned building and therefore let him be. Maxwell needed time to come to grips with the ruthless side of him which he had regrettably, but necessarily, revealed.

It was just as well. He was not in the mood to talk either, considering that their destination was… Cheng’s cabin. It was located a good two kilometres from the nearest road, and was only accessible by a narrow footpath cutting through thick, impassable undergrowth and foliage. Shang noted that flora had begun growing on the once well-trodden path, making the footpath barely noticeable. However, this fact did not worry him as his familiarity with the place was such that he would be able to find the cabin even with his eyes closed. He had no trouble recognizing the gnarled, ancient tree with so many epiphytic and parasitic plants and fungi growing all over it that it appeared to support an entire ecosystem by itself. Cheng had named it his ‘Grandfather Tree’, supposedly because of its obvious old age.

The scent of the place was familiar too- the green musk of herbs, the heady, sweet fragrance of wild flowers and the tannin-rich breath of the trees around him. The familiar sounds created by the singing birds, the buzzing insects and the rustling leaves also tugged at his heart, bringing a lump to his throat.

They arrived at the cabin at around noon time. Behind the medium-sized log cabin was a range of forested foothills which seemed to have the cabin nestled like a child in the embrace of his mother.

Shang took out the key which was carried on a chain around his neck and used it to unlock the door. The cabin was in the same state as Shang had last left it. That was three months ago. And he had not intended to leave the place alive.

He led Maxwell to one of the rooms and showed him the clean clothes in a small chest of drawers at the side of the bed. “Get changed into whatever clothes you can find here,” instructed Shang. Maxwell, with his blood-stained shirt and pants, merely nodded and said nothing. Shang left him alone in the room, closing the door behind him.

Shang’s eyes slowly traveled around the interior of the cabin, his mind whirling with the memories invoked by each object and piece of furniture. There was the radio in the kitchen, set to play 98.2 – the classical music station. Cheng preferred music to songs and would always turn on the radio every time he worked alone in the kitchen. Not that Shang never helped out in the food preparation. It was just that they both agreed to let Cheng do the cooking after Shang made a meat loaf that looked, and tasted, like something dug out from a peat swamp.

More often than not, they ate fish during their stay in the cabin. There was a brook nearby which was the habitat of many fat, edible fish. Shang, who had never experienced country life before, could not even understand what Cheng meant by ‘baiting the hook’. Cheng had taught him many things – everything from gutting a fish to executing breakneck stunts with a mobilesuit. Shang marveled at how an empty space could be so full of a person, absentmindedly touching the two fishing poles on the mantelshelf. He was so absorbed in the reminiscence that he was not aware of the warm wetness of his cheeks.

* * * * * *

Heero was on the brink of collapse, sustained only by the adrenaline in his veins. It had taken him an hour to bring Trowa back to the hideout and another hour to patch him up and make sure that he wouldn’t die from the head wound. The hardest and most time-consuming part was trying to calm Quatre down, who was on the verge of a nervous breakdown after seeing the state Trowa was in.

That gave Shang and Duo more than four hours of head start.

Duo… He rode on throughout the night, ignoring the protests from his exhausted and abused body. 

* * * * * *

He had changed into a long-sleeved, white shirt that was meant for someone more broad-shouldered and long-limbed than him and a pair of khaki shorts that reached his knees. He could not find it in his heart to forgive Shang for what he did to Broomhead. However, after seeing the tears, his heart softened.

“Where is the medicine cabinet?” he asked.

Shang looked up at to him and, as if suddenly aware that he had been weeping, hastily scrubbed his face with a sleeve. “It’s…” said Shang in a slightly nasal voice. “..It’s somewhere beside the sink in the kitchen.”

He went to the cabinet and began digging through for sterile bandages and any form of antiseptic, feeling Shang’s eyes on his back. Shang did not bother to stare less obviously even after he had turned around. He wetted one roll of bandage under a cold tap and approached Shang. Once he was close enough, he pulled Shang’s right hand out, palm facing upwards. He was surprised to discover two gunshot wounds, one appearing several days older than the other. He set to the task of wiping away the dark blood around those wounds with the wet bandage.

“I thought you hate me,” said Shang, still looking at him with wonder in his eyes. “For what I did yesterday.”

“I still do” was his terse reply. “I asked you before and I’ll ask again. Why did you do it?” He applied more pressure than was required as he cleaned the injured hand.

Shang gave no objections to his rough ministrations. “He was trying to take you away from me.”

He poured the liquid antiseptic, which was supposed to be diluted before application, all over Shang’s hand in more than generous amounts. Shang did not even flinch. “So you’re telling me that you’ll just murder, in cold blood, anyone who comes for me?”

Shang calmly answered, “Yes.”

He silently lamented over his sorry fate of having to contend with not only one, but two, homicidal psychopaths in his life. He had thought that Shang was more understanding and ‘normal’ than Stoneface. How very wrong he was. “Damn it! You don’t go around killing people for reasons as trivial as this!”

“It’s not trivial to me,” stated Shang.

He bandaged Shang’s hand as tightly as he could, making sure that the bandage caused as much discomfort as possible. “It is to me!” He looked into Shang’s eyes challengingly. “You do that again, and I will kill myself. How about that?”

Shang’s expression grew grave. “I won’t let you.”

He laughed at that. Laughed, because he knew that Shang meant what he said and laughing was his way of concealing his true emotions. And he was feeling a lot of fear at that moment. “How about if I kill you instead?” He was startled by the words that came out of his own mouth. It was almost as if he was comfortable with the idea of killing. Could this mean that he was slowly reverting to the old Duo Maxwell?

Shang closed his eyes, momentarily breaking the eye contact. When he opened them again, the two azure orbs burned with an intense flame. “You would do that, wouldn’t you?” Shang’s voice trembled slightly. “No matter what I do. No matter how much I’ve sacrificed for you. I would never be more important to you than… him.”

“Him? Who are you referring to?” He slowly moved away from Shang, frightened by what he saw in the eyes of the other boy.

Shang seized hold of his left wrist in a crushing grip, preventing further retreat. “Him. Heero Yuy.”

He laughed again, this time out of amusement and not fear. “Stoneface? Don’t make me laugh.”

“I’m not trying to be funny. Why else would you have come with me willingly yesterday?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I followed you because I hate Stoneface! So much that as soon as you mentioned his name, I was more than eager to leave that place than to remain behind and confront him.”

Shang shook his head sadly. “Your denial only pains me more. Why can’t you be honest with me?”

“I am being honest!!” he yelled, suddenly very tensed up. “Do you think you know me better than myself?!”

“Maxwell, you followed me because you feared for Heero Yuy’s life, not because you hated him.”

“Bullshit,” he countered. He tried not to think too much about the matter, afraid that Shang would be able to read his thoughts again.

“Prove it then.”

He stared at him, utter confusion showing on his face. “How do you expect me to do that?”

“I have a feeling that Heero Yuy will be joining us soon.” Shang fingered the sapphire ring worn on his immobilized hand. “You can then show me how much you hate him.”

* * * * * *

The blades of long grass cut at him as he trudged through them, making him wish that he had worn his jeans instead. Checking his radar every now and then, Heero slowly made his way to the spot indicated. The route through the forest was a difficult one, more so when he hadn’t a clue where the footpaths were located. Undaunted, he carried on walking. He was only vaguely aware of the insects which bit at him mercilessly and the thorns of bushes which tore at his flesh when he forced his way through them. He had long since forgotten the needs of his physical body, the fatigue, hunger and thirst considered as no more than a nuisance.

His mind had incessantly plagued him with the question: Why am I doing this? Because he needed to bring Duo back. Why? Because… because Duo knew too much. Duo was a danger to him and all the other Gundam pilots as long as he was with Shang – an OZ officer. He was doing this solely for the sake of his mission. That was the only reason. Yes, the only reason. Trowa’s words came unbidden to his mind. You are not being honest with yourself, Heero.

“Bah! What do you know?” Heero suddenly realized that he was speaking to no one in particular and began to feel foolish. Keep your mind on the mission! The mission! The mission of hauling Duo’s ass back to where it belonged, and making Shang pay for everything he had done. Quatre had made him promise to give Shang a slow and painful death. The Arabian pilot shocked him sometimes. Quatre hardly showed any hatred when he was told that it was Shang who had knocked him down with the motorbike.

Heero stumbled upon a footpath and was pleased to find that it was leading him straight to where Duo was supposed to be. He would have to proceed with more caution from here on as there was no telling how many traps Shang could have set up along the path. He was surprised that there were none, and this only made him more wary.

Hiding behind a tree, Heero carefully studied the log cabin in which Duo was staying.

The main door was closed and most probably locked, but it was never his intention to use that entrance. There were several windows through which he could enter the cabin. He would be lucky if he could chance upon a window to an empty room walled off from the rest of the cabin.

Heero decided to wait until dusk before making his move. He failed to notice that the lights in the cabin were already switched on, in spite of the fact that it was only mid-afternoon.

* * * * * *

Two figures were hiding behind a thicket on the slope of the hill which gave a good view of the cabin and its immediate surroundings without betraying their presence.

“There he is,” he informed Maxwell, pointing to the silhouette of a human who had stealthily walked out from the cover of the forest and was now working on the locks of one of the windows. “Just as I suspected. That ring of yours is a tracking device.”

Maxwell swallowed several times as he stared helplessly at Heero Yuy. Shang noticed that his shoulders were shaking slightly. “Shang, why don’t we just leave right now? It’s really not necessary to…”

Shang shoved a detonator in Maxwell’s face, cutting him off. “I thought you said that you hate him. If you hate him, you shouldn’t have any problems doing this.”

“I hate him alright, but that doesn’t mean I want him dead!”

“You certainly had no qualms about killing me though.” Shang saw that Heero Yuy had managed to open the window and was climbing through it. “If you won’t do it, I will.”

Maxwell reached out and snatched the detonator from his hand. “I’ll do it.” Shang watched Maxwell fumble clumsily with the switch before the braided boy gave up the little act and threw the detonator to the foot of the hill instead. His actions did not surprise Shang at all. Maxwell turned to face him and even managed to look convincingly abashed. “It slipped out of my hands.”

“That’s too bad then.” Shang smiled and took out the real detonator from one of the pockets of his coat. Maxwell’s violet eyes widened as he realized what was happening. “You have failed my test and I’m afraid Heero Yuy will have to pay the price.” Shang’s thumb moved to flip the switch.

* * * * * *

Heero did a systematic check of every corner of the cabin’s interior, his lithe body moving quickly and quietly. There was no living person in sight. But Duo must be around here somewhere. The lights were on. There was even a half-filled glass of water on the table in the lounge. And the radio in the kitchen was softly playing orchestral music.

His instincts alerted him to danger when he saw the sapphire ring lying on the mantelshelf, next to two fishing poles. Only the ring. No Duo.

Heero ran towards the closest window as fast as his legs could carry him. His shoulder had barely touched the glass before the explosion threw him clear out of the window. He could feel broken pieces of glass burying themselves in several parts of his body before he even hit the ground. Heero did not manage to break his fall properly and the indirect force of impact fractured his collarbone. Searing hot flames billowed from the burning cabin as Heero painfully crawled out of harm’s way.

* * * * * *

“NO!!” Even as he charged forward to grab hold of the detonator, he had a sinking feeling that he was too late. His fears were confirmed when he heard the loud explosion coming from behind him. Fear gave way to immense sorrow which was soon replaced by pure rage. He tackled Shang to the ground and began raining fast, furious blows on him. Not the pathetic, child-like pummeling he did the day before, but serious, calculated punches that were meant to cause as much damage and pain as possible. After breaking Shang’s nose, he somehow recalled that Shang’s left shoulder was injured and started to concentrate a few hits in that particular area. His efforts were rewarded by grunts of pain which Shang had managed to hold back until then.

Shang made no attempts to fend off the blows.

“Why don’t you defend yourself?!” he demanded angrily. “Are you so keen to die, Shang? Because I will kill you if you don’t stop me!”

Shang smiled at him. A smile that appeared grotesque with the swollen lips and bloodied nose. “Heero Yuy means a lot to you, doesn’t he?”

“Don’t change the subject! I’ve warned you that I’ll kill you if you ever harm my friends again. Why did you still choose to do it?”

“Because he holds your heart, Maxwell,” said Shang in subdued tones. “Even if you don’t realize this yourself.”

“You’re insane, you know that? Insane!!” He let go of Shang in disgust and turned towards the burning cabin below. Killing Shang wouldn’t bring Stoneface back to life. His throat had constricted, making it difficult for him to breathe. He felt so hollow all of a sudden, as if something inside him had died. 

There was a movement near the cabin. Not daring to hope too much, he refused to feel any relief or joy until he was sure. He strained his eyes to make out the figure near the flames – a human figure. The illumination by the fire enabled him to catch a glimpse of the face. It was Stoneface’s face. Alive. Stoneface was alive.

His legs started to carry him towards Stoneface of their own accord. He was infused with an unexplainable desire to rush towards Stoneface and hug him as a drowning man would a piece of flotsam.

So overwhelmed was he by the joy of seeing Stoneface alive that he didn’t notice Shang closing the distance between them. He gasped in surprise when he felt the barrel of a pistol pressing against the small of his back. He froze immediately.

Shang spoke into his ear. “You still have one more chance to do the right thing. Don’t botch it up again.”

At the same moment, Stoneface looked up and saw the two of them.

* * * * * *

Heero could only make out the faint outlines of two people standing on the slopes of the hill. However faint outlines were all that he needed to identify them. Feelings of jealousy stirred inside Heero when he saw that Duo was standing very close to Shang. Jealousy? How can…This is no time to think about this! The mission! Concentrate on the mission!

“Why are you here?” asked Duo. His voice sounded unnatural to Heero’s ears.

“I’ve come to bring you back. You have been gone for three days.”

“I don’t want to go with you.” Again, that artificial voice.

Something is wrong. “Why?”

“Because I’ve decided to stay with Shang. I want to live out the rest of my life with him,” said Duo in a voice that sounded too cheerful to be genuine.

“Why?” asked Heero again.

“Because he needs me, and I need him too… Why don’t you just go back, Stoneface?” said Duo, almost pleadingly.

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean by ‘you can’t’? You can’t, or you won’t?”

“Both.” Heero tried to look into Duo’s eyes but could not find them in the darkness. “You may think that I’m drunk when I’m saying this, Duo, or that you’re dreaming. Let me reassure you that it’s neither.” Heero took a deep breath and braced himself for what he was about to say. “Ever since you have gone missing, I have not slept a wink, or eaten any food or drunk any water.”

Duo did not know how to respond to this and therefore remained silent.

A soldier has no need for feelings. A soldier has no need for anything other than a purpose. “I came because I need you, Duo,” continued Heero, not recognizing his own voice. His mentor would turn in his grave if he ever heard Heero saying such things. But Heero was no longer concerned about maintaining his ‘Perfect Soldier’ image. He was human after all; and Duo was the one who had helped him discover that. “I need you in my life.”  

“Heero…” The name was uttered so softly that Heero thought he had imagined it.

* * * * * *

As that name left his parted lips, the mist that had been clouding his mind dissipated. There was an inrush of memories – the reason why he was sent to earth, the other Gundam pilots who had become his comrades-in-arms, the black Gundam which he had named Shinigami, his last mission and his encounter with Shang which had led to a long, dreamless sleep that he thought he would never wake up from. With those memories came pain. Duo dropped down to his knees, his hands clutching his head which felt as if it was going to burst. Duo Maxwell. Yes, he recognized that name now – his name.

As his mind was processing his new-found identity, his vision was suddenly filled with the back of a hand which was swung savagely across his face. The hand continued in a fluid motion to strike the side of his neck in a short, powerful stroke.

What the hell…? Duo was very annoyed as he slipped back into unconsciousness once more.

* * * * * *

Heero bit back a growl when he saw Duo slump to the ground after Shang delivered his blow. Heero’s survival instincts were screaming at him to run for cover but Heero still carried on standing at where he was. He would not risk losing sight of Duo again. It was unfortunate that he had dropped his pistol somewhere on the ground when he was flung out of the cabin by the explosion.

“You are a most tenacious foe, Heero Yuy,” complimented Shang as he aimed his pistol at Heero. “It seems that nothing short of death will stop you from haunting me time and again.”

“I will haunt you even after I die,” said Heero, with so much conviction that it sounded like a promise.

Shang lowered his pistol. “Pick up your gun, Heero Yuy. I’ll grant you a fair fight.”

“A fair fight?” Heero almost sneered. “You didn’t experience a bomb going off under your feet.”

“And you didn’t experience three bullets ripping through your body in less than two weeks.” Shang was trying to tell him something but Heero could not figure out what it was. “I give you ten seconds to find your gun. Once I count to ten, I will shoot you regardless of whether you’re armed or not.”

Heero’s lips curled in a deadly smile. He would play Shang’s little game, and he would make sure that Shang lived to regret it.

* * * * * *    

I’ll wring the neck of the bastard who knocked me out! Duo seethed, as he fought his way back to consciousness. He wasn’t going to wake up and regain control of his body only to have some brute whack him senseless again. He had not been himself for a long time and was eager to find out what had happened during his period of incapacity.

Duo came around suddenly, lurching back to consciousness on leaf-carpeted soil. How in the world did I end up here? Duo pushed himself up on his feet. At the same time, he heard someone shout “Ten!” before two ear-deafening gunshots rang out.

He was thrown forward by one bullet sinking into his hip, and then backward as he took another bullet somewhere near his right shoulder. This is definitely not one of my better days… thought Duo miserably before his world exploded in a red haze of pain.

                                                                                                                             < To Part 4 >