Insanity's Kiss
Prologue
I can hear him.
He's singing again - something he does often now, humming mindless little tunes with no real rhythm to them, eyes blank and staring off into space.
He's certifiably crazy you know. What a surprise, eh? All through the war, his joking while being splashed by the blood of those he killed, his shrieks as he went on a rampage - did you honestly expect him to be sane?
Dr. G told me he knew Duo was missing more then a few marbles when he first selected him to pilot Deathscythe. Well who wouldn't be - abandoned by his parents at such a young age, watching his best and only friend in the world die in his arms, seeing the bodies of every single resident at the Maxwell Church covered in white sheets as they prepare them for moving to the nearby funeral home... his mind snapped that day. Turned him into a snickering mockery of what used to be a loving and playful child, a boy who called himself Death and strove to be the finest assassin the rebels could ever ask for.
It's the only reason he was so much better then me.
Yeah, me, the Perfect Soldier. Born and bred to be a living weapon, I had NOTHING on Shinigami. I fought because I was told it was the right thing to do, that all my sacrifices would be for the benefit of the colonies.
He fought because he liked painting the walls red.
When the war ended, he didn't know what to do. I was so shocked at the emptiness in his eyes when Oz and Romefeller declared a cease-fire - those eyes that had always seemed lit up with laughter were dead. I now realized it wasn't life that Duo was reflecting - it was madness.
They wanted him terminated. Dr. G, the man who had taken a broken child and molded him into a deadly warrior, wanted to kill his creation. He tried to justify his reasoning by pointing out the fact that with Duo's mind on permanent hiatus, he was a threat to the peace that we had all originally fought for and attained.
Quatre had always known about Duo, I think. His space-heart allowed him to see past the surface of a person's mask, and see the turmoil within. He felt the pain, the anger that dwelled within the American and felt that same pain spiral within him until lashing out was the only way to get a handle on his emotions. I believe that's why Duo, when not sticking by me, preferred to remain close to Quatre - the Arabian exuded peace and light and tried to help Duo fight his mental demons. The times spent in Quatre's hideouts where the most times I'd seen Duo with a near normal attitude.
Wufei wouldn't comment on what he personally thought of Duo. Initially, I knew he thought Duo was a menace. I then made him read his file, and when he'd finished, he stood up and locked himself in his room for over an hour. I don't know what he thought about while he meditated, but from that day on, he was as devoted as me and Quatre to helping Duo retain some semblance of sanity.
It wasn't hard. During the war, battles took their toll, mentally and physically, wearing us down and making it easier for Duo to remain in control.
When the war ended, so did Duo's tenuous control.
Trowa sides with Quatre, trusting his love's judgement. Wufei stands with me. Duo will not be terminated. We will see to that.
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