Shouri-chan: Hey guys, here's 8! Enter Trowa! I'm gonna try to get Trowa's Interlude and 9 up quick too. I'm looking for another GW author/fan to maybe do some beta-reading and collaborations... with my concentration as bas as it has been these past few weeks, my writing is seriously being dragged down, and another person is usually just the thing to goad me on, but none of my friends are GW fans... Yugioh and stuff.... Anywho, I hope you like! Ja ne!
Chapter 8 To Trust, Mayhap to Live Once More...
The circus big top looms. Duo hitches his trench coat tighter around him. Behind him, failing miserably at looking inconspicuous are about ten unhappy Maguanacs, surrounding a re-clothed Quatre. The little blonde now sports a thick coat and a pair of nondescript jeans, as well as Duo's battered black cap to cover his bright hair. Duo had only allowed him to come after he had donned the concealing article and promised to stay back and quiet.
On Duo's left is a man in his late twenties wearing a large loose windbreaker and army boots. On his right is a rather smug Hilde. Duo makes a mental face, while keeping up his normal façade. His grin is huge and insane, and he slinks like a starving wolf that is going after a fat calf. His eyes dart about him sharply, searching the shadows and turns.
People move around them in a sparse stream, as they approach the opening at the front of the tent. A burly man carrying several crates passes nearby, and pauses to look at them. He feels dangerous to Duo, the glitter in his eyes is discomfiting, and about ten feet back, Quatre is leaning away from him. Duo grins at him with menace in the expression.
"We're looking for the Ringmaster." The man narrows his eyes, and then jerks his head towards the big top.
"He's in there... you might want to wait a bit though, he's working with a couple of the performers." Duo nods equitably, but shoves aside the tent flap and enters anyway, his 'team' staying close behind him. Inside, the tent is dark, but for the light illuminating a single ring in the center where a man in a red coat is standing, hands on his hips, and watching with a critical air as a beautiful brunette girl throws knives with rapid precision at a number of targets. Duo narrows his eyes.
The girl flickers faintly into color for a moment, but fades back into grays again for several seconds before flaring weakly back into pale peaches, purples, yellows and browns. He only breaks out of his reverie when the dark cage beside him draws his attention. The lion within snarls at him, and he steps to the side quickly, looking at the beast in confusion. The thing is just a lion, but it paces and rages, eyes locked on him and his team with murderous desire. Quatre presses his hand to his chest.
"Duo, this place hurts... it's full of pain and intense sorrow..." Duo looks at him in surprise, and smiles reassuringly.
"Don't worry Kat... We'll take care of business and get out of here as quick as possible... Hilde, stay by the exit..." He turns and his eyes narrow as they take in the Ringmaster.
"I don't like it here much myself..." he mutters, and then he slips back into his mask, face a hard, scary and movements deadly dangerous.
"YO!" The man with his dark curly hair and beard turns, and Duo sees a flicker of light in his eyes that adds to his unease. The girl turns, and her pale eyes are broken, sad and fearful. She looks at him with an accusing stare, hands gripping the blades still left in her hand. The Ringmaster takes him in with a haughty air.
"May I help you?" Duo comes to a stop in front of him, and looks up at him with sure eyes and a steady gaze.
"We're looking to hire a Beastmaster, and I was told you were the one to see." The man narrows eyes that glimmer in that dark way.
"Of course! I'm sure we can come to an agreement that will suit us both... after all, they are here to serve, but of course, I can't simply let them off at a moment's notice. They are my star performers, as you must know." Duo smiles wider.
"Oh, no doubt. And we have bought you a few trinkets to help make up for the inconvenience." Duo motions with one hand, and the man reaches into hi windbreaker and pulls out a small case. With a flick, the lid flips open, displaying several flashy pieces of jewelry, all of moderate value and with a lot of show, just the sort of thing to appeal to a man who works with performers. The Ringmaster smiles in a vaguely pleased expression, and motions behind him to the girl.
"Catherine! You have a job!" Duo looks at her critically, noting the very faint mists of an aura around her. Rashid, close at his back, makes a sound in his throat and leans over to whisper into Duo's ear.
"That is not the Beastmaster we normally contract. Something is off..." Duo nods reassuringly, as the Ringmaster addresses Catherine in a forceful whisper. The girl nods meekly, eyes downcast. Satisfied, he turns back to them.
"You have them for a week. In exchange, I want them to bring back five lycanthropes at least. I want an additional were for each day over a week you use them. Does that seem fair?" Duo, uneasy, bites his tongue.
"I want two weeks, and they can clear all the stable weres out of our territory if they're so inclined." The Ringmaster frowns slightly.
"At least seven, and you have two weeks. Same terms for additional days." Duo nods.
"Fine." The Ringmaster smiles and it has a faintly wicked tinge to it.
"Good. Catherine, dress and get Trowa." The girl nods and freezes, until the Ringmaster disappears out of sight. Her eyes rise to take in the group once more, and there is terror and loathing in her eyes. Quatre makes a noise in his throat, but stays silent as she turns.
"I will be a moment..." Duo frowns slightly, his eyebrows furrowing as she walks away towards the portion of the tent partitioned off for the performers and equipment. He notices her pause for a moment by a cage near the curtain, and kneel. Her arms go through the bars, and a shadow detaches itself from the back. The black shape stands out clearly to Duo's sight, a huge lithe shape with silent feet and a snaky tail. He blinks as the big panther presses a deadly muzzle into her hands and leans its forehead against the bars for her to press her face against. She murmurs something, then rises and hurries into the back. Quatre gasps and grips his shirt over his heart harder.
"Duo..." Duo starts to turn, when the black cat turns and looks straight at them, and his eyes widen as it locks gazes with him, its brilliant green eyes glowing vibrantly against its black fur. He can't look away from the bright intelligent gaze, not until the sad emerald eyes turn from him and lock on the door where Catherine went. Duo gulps.
"Shit... that's a were! What the hell is a werepanther doing locked in a cage?!" Quatre grips his shoulder.
"Duo! He... I ..." he gasps, trying to get out what he feels.
"Duo, we can't leave him in there... he's..." Duo's eyes narrow.
"Don't worry Kat... I understand... this place is rather low on my lists right now..." He glares at Rashid, who is looking both disgusted and bashfully embarrassed.
"It was not like this the last time we used this contact..." Just then, Catherine reappears. She is carrying a small bag, and is dressed in jeans and a tan sleeved shirt. She keeps her eyes averted from them as she sets the bag to one side and goes over to the cage. Then she unlocks it, and Duo jerks with an instinctual tension. He clears his throat.
"It's gonna be hard to walk around the city with a panther on a leash..." Catherine looks at him as she lifts her bag, the black cat padding by her side towards them.
"I won't go without him. Trowa goes with me everywhere." Duo sighs, and shifts uneasily. Quatre suddenly takes a step forward and kneels, holding out his hand to the big cat that is now on an eye level with him.
"Hello, Trowa. My name is Quatre." Duo groans.
"Fine!" Duo growls, and rolling his eyes, he starts shucking out of his coat. Catherine's eyes go wide as his actions reveal several blades and a gun. Her hand grips into Trowa's fur, and he eyes Duo with resigned jade eyes, though his gaze flickers briefly to Quatre's smiling face. When Duo doesn't make a move to dispatch him, his tense muscles relax almost imperceptibly. Duo removes all of his visible weapons and hands them to the guy with the windbreaker, who quickly tucks them away.
With one more wary glance at Duo as he tugs his shirt out a little to hide the grip of his gun, Trowa suddenly rolls his shoulders, dislodging Catherine's grip and paces forward to nose softly at Quatre's extended hand. Rashid and the Maguanacs tense, and Catherine hisses out a disbelieving 'Trowa!...' but Quatre just smiles brilliantly and rubs his hands lightly along the sides of Trowa's cheeks as the big cat purrs menacingly. Duo barely flicks a look at the spectacle before he steps forward. Catherine watches him tensely, and Trowa looks up, his muscles going tense and his purr stops. He jerks badly, nearly toppling Quatre as Duo throws the coat over him.
"There! Now ditch the fur for a while, and let's get out of here before I change my mind and make a few fireworks!" Catherine gasps and her hand goes to her mouth, and Trowa's bright eyes widen. He steps back slightly, crouching, his tail twitching in agitation. Quatre frowns and rubs his chest.
"Don't worry. We aren't going to hurt you. We just want your help..." Quatre holds a hand out entreatingly. Trowa looks at him with a bland look that could pass for anything on a cat's face, then takes another step back, and relaxes, bowing his head. The wiry muscles bunch and with a surge of warm air that smells faintly of pine, the black fur melts away, and the form shrinks.
In an instant, the big cat melts into a smaller figure, as wiry as before, but lanky and lean as he crouches on the floor, head bowed and hands gripping the edges of coat. His head comes up, and his honey brown hair sweeps up. Duo tilts his head at the strange style, short and clean along the sides and back, but grown out on the top and in the front till his bangs hang out in front of him, obscuring one vibrant green eye as he catches Duo's gaze.
With feline grace, he rises and the cloak swishes around his pale shins as he holds it loosely closed around him. Bruises mar his lightly tanned skin, and his well-muscled chest is crisscrossed with light cuts and livid marks ranging from the purple of new wounds to the yellows and greens of old damage. He tenses slightly, and shifts a few times, as if testing his balance. Catherine suddenly steps protectively in front of him.
"How did you know he was a were?!" Behind her, Trowa shifts again, and moves, putting his arms through the sleeves, and starting to button the coat. Duo blinks.
"Hell, lady, I know a were when I see one. I just don't normally get to see 'em this close unless they're dead, or they're rogue and going for my throat." Quatre smiles at Trowa. The were blinks, face impassive. Catherine flinches. Somewhere behind him, Duo can hear Hilde cursing. Rashid shifts his stance, watching in discomfort as Quatre continues to stand too close to Trowa.
Duo sighs, and sweeps the darkness once more with his violet gaze, still troubled by the atmosphere, and feeling his trigger finger twitch every time someone moves. Rashid nods slightly to Catherine.
"I am Rashid. I would like to know what happened to Horace..." Catherine blinks at him.
"He went out on an assignment about five years ago, right after he brought us Trowa, and he never came back..." Duo blinks at her for this bit of information, but the surroundings are making him very uncomfortable and so he cuts off the rest of the conversation.
"Look, we can all get friendly after we're back at the base! Now, no more chitchat, let's get going!" The Maguanacs look relieved, and once more form up around Quatre. However, Hilde and the other Sweeper drop back to the rear. Duo doesn't even acknowledge the look of disgust that Hilde wears as she gazes at the half-clothed were. Catherine walks tensely with Duo, behind Trowa who is pacing with inhuman grace at Duo's side. Duo eyes him out of the corner of his eye.
"I really hope you have some clothes for him in that bag of yours..." Catherine blinks.
"No... "Duo sighs and looks at the taller boy in exasperation.
"What, were you going to stay all fuzzy the whole time you were working with us?" Trowa pauses, then turns his head and looks at Duo.
"Yes..." His voice is deep and velvety, but it comes out in a whisper that is vaguely hoarse. Done, he turns and continues walking, leaving Duo to drop back beside Catherine.
"Is he always this silent? Man, I think I'd go insane locked up in a room with him! I don't know about you, but I need my conversation!" Catherine doesn't even look at Duo, just watches Trowa's bare feet as he pads in front of them.
"... I wouldn't really know... that is the first time I have heard him speak in over a year... the Ringmaster doesn't like him to transform... that's why he doesn't have any clothes..." Duo blinks and his eyes dart back to the straight back in front of him. He shivers as he imagines being trapped in an animal's form for over a year, and ice coils in his belly.
"How long have you been with the circus?" Catherine blinks and looks at him finally.
"I've been there all my life. Trowa didn't show up until five years ago, and even though he was always in panther form, I kind of took him in as a little brother... I don't really know why I'm telling you all this..." Duo shivers.
Five years trapped in that cage... I really see why Kat said we couldn't leave him there any longer... and Duo shivers once more. Well, if Quatre says we can trust them, I guess we can... but I'm not going to send them back to that hellhole! Duo smiles in a wicked promise, and then his steps falter and he pauses.
Just when did I start trusting anyone but myself this much!?! Hell, since when have I started feeling protective of weres? Duo turns and looks over his shoulder at Quatre.
... I must be going soft... but, I can't help how I feel... I trust Quatre, and for some reason I want to protect Trowa... this could get into trouble. Hell...
Shouri-Chan: There. How'm I doing? Please review! Heck, make requests, get my brain going! If you jumpstart the darn thing.... hm... I'll write my first gift-fic for you! Tankiwa! Ja!