Title: The Agency: Meeting of Souls 38/?
Author: Karina
Pairings 13x6 [eventual], 5xS [established], 3x4, Others undecided at this time.
Archive: Gundam Wing Universe []
Gundam Wing Diaries [-wing-diaries. ]
Website address change
If anybody would like to archive The Agency, just drop me a line. There are betaed chapters on my hard drive if you want them.
Warnings: Extreme Alternate Universe setting. Aussie spelling, not much else in the early chapters though it will involve murder, stalking and possibly some colourful language down the track. Some Out Of Character depictions are unavoidable considering the alternate universe setting.
Rating: M [In Australia that would be mature adult 15+] Not sure with the new rating system. Rated for murder and violence as well as adult concepts.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. That's about as plain as you could say it.
Many thanks to the wonderful ShenLong Deb for betaing this chapter for me.
Summary: The world took a very different turn with the acknowledgement and training of select psychic individuals enlisted in elite fields such as law enforcement and politics. A grading system for the strength of psionic abilities was developed and those who were the top of the elite have been dubbed Prime Talents and are highly sought after. Elite institutions have been developed to mark, train and employ individuals with useable psionic talents. The colonies of canon Gundam Wing do exist in this fic and were founded before the psionic system was founded.
/…/ Thoughts
~/.../~ Telepathy
The Agency: Meeting of Souls
Chapter 38
"Would you mind explaining to me just where you think you are going, Your Highness?"
The voice of doom.
Of all of the people it could have been to come upon them it just had to be the last person he would ever wish to come face to face with.
Heinrich Otto.
In his tenure at Tsuberov, Duo had had more than sufficient exposure to that particular deep voice to never mistake it. He must have heard every inflection it was possible to give a voice, depending on the situation, and he was more than familiar with 'that' voice when it echoed exasperation, disapproval and a warning of consequences one would prefer to avoid.
They were in so much trouble.
Otto could be the forgiving sort if the mood took him for which Duo had, in the past, thanked his lucky stars or he would not long have remained enrolled at Tsuberov. He knew Otto could be forgiving, he could turn a blind eye or he could bring hell down upon an offender's head. He could be hard when the occasion demanded it and Duo had no doubt this occasion would have to measure up to being one of the biggest offences the Tsuberov establishment would not smile upon.
Besides, Otto had history with the girl at his side.
One did not take a Princess, any Princess, least of all the Princess to Otto's home country, to one's hotel suite if one was male. What had he been thinking? He knew what was right and what was wrong in polite society and Relena knew it too. Why had he allowed her to convince him it was going to be okay for them to leave the reception let alone actually go up to his suite?
Enough people in the past had told him he was a no brainer, an idiot, and this had to be the final proof of that accusation. He might have a brain in his head but it sure as hell had failed him in this endeavour.
It would be a lot easier to think if he did not have the shadow of a headache dulling his thoughts, but now that they were caught he had to do something… quickly… and it had to be something inventive and constructive to limit the damage. He had to think.
First things first though, check out his companion's reaction to Otto's appearance. Make sure she realised how screwed they were and would keep her mouth shut and let him handle matters. A quick glance revealed the Princess giving serious concentration to her neat white shoes while her blue eyes were shielded by demurely lowered lashes.
He had the distinct impression she had been caught out more than once by Otto in the past and was well aware of the man's reputation at Tsuberov. How often had she run into him at Sanc?
The silence was growing and they had to do something… He had to do something. Otto would not wait forever and he was up to the task of explaining… well… coming up with some sort of an excuse. He really had no idea why they were heading up to his suite other than the Princess wanted a word with Zechs. But he couldn't say that.
Movement from the corner of his eye drew his attention back to his companion. Relena plastered on a saccharine sweet smile, squared her shoulders and turned gracefully to face the Security Chief. Duo sucked in a breath, trying to come up with something that might be considered a lesser offence and punishable by something a little more mild than expulsion.
He had to think fast and get them out of trouble.
Howard was so going to give his arse a polishing if he was tossed out of Tsuberov before he was qualified. The Sweepers were well aware of the cost of putting him through this level of education and Sweepers never liked to waste money.
"Why good evening, Otto. What a pleasant surprise it is to find you here."
Oh he was so going to pay for this. He was sure he was dead meat walking. She was the Princess and while she might be reprimanded in private, that would be the extent of her punishment, he was sure. If not Otto here and now then someone, at some point, would make the decision to point the finger at him and make an example of him. He deserved it too.
He knew it was a stupid thing to do but he had wanted to find out what had happened in the reception room, he wanted to learn what it was that had upset a friend. There were too few people in this place that he really thought of as friends, but of those few his room mates were top of the list.
Quatre and Zechs had left the reception, that much was a fact, and Relena had informed him something appeared to be wrong with Zechs. That was why they had left the reception and he was afraid that for some reason Zechs might have become ill. Perhaps he had eaten something that disagreed with him… at worst he was afraid it might have been one of those bad attacks that had, thankfully, not bothered Zechs for some time now.
An attack of that nature might have returned at a most inconvenient time and Quatre had been near enough to act. He'd heard all about those panic attacks and how bad they could be and for a certainty Tsuberov would not have wanted it to be a public spectacle. If Zechs had had an attack and it was not simply something he had eaten had disagreed with him, then it was more than simply an inconvenience, it was a bad time for an attack with Zechs undergoing his final stages of accreditation.
Could he distract Otto from thoughts of dire punishment if he mentioned Zechs had appeared unwell? That was a two edged sword, bringing Zechs into this. The blonde got on tolerably well with Otto after all, and from what Duo had learned over time as Zechs' room mate, Otto had displayed a high level of tolerance of his misbehaviour in the past. Certainly he had displayed more understanding than the majority of the authority figures at Tsuberov when it came to those panic attacks.
Duo was sure he had seen genuine concern from Otto before during one of those instances. He really was a good sort and if they could just explain things to him, surely Otto would not make a scene.
"Your Highness, I believe the reception is in 'that' direction."
A large, blunt finger clearly indicated the reception room and Duo would have liked nothing better than to slink off in that direction. Otto might overlook the matter if he could just get the girl to smile graciously and retreat while they had the opportunity. When Otto's back was safely turned and his attention held by someone else, he would find some means of getting back here and trying the elevator again.
It was decidedly odd that the elevators were in-operational, all three of them at the one time, and surely whatever fault was causing the problem would have been caught by diagnostic soft-wear and the service staff have been alerted by now. They would have to have at least one of the units fixed for hotel patrons to return to their rooms for the night.
Now if he could just nudge the girl and get her to notice his 'don't rock the boat' look…
"I do believe it is, Otto, how astute of you to notice. When my business is done I will be only too happy to return to the reception and simper for the masses."
Duo swallowed, trying his best to anchor his jaw to his face and keep it off the ground. Would either the Security Chief or the Princess notice if he decomposed himself into goo and oozed into the ground? Or there was a nice gap of a millimetre or so under the door to the elevator behind him, he could become a nice unobtrusive puddle of ooze and just… leak… his way into the elevator and hide for a bit.
Was she a nutcase?
Princess or not she should have at least sounded a little worried about being found about to take an elevator up to private suites occupied by three males in their late teens. Any girl with half a brain would be worried about that! Ah, but of course, she was a Princess after all. A real live, honest to goodness Princess.
If anyone was going to be in trouble over this it would be him, not her. She had nothing to worry about and, no doubt, she had grown up back chatting the lowly security guard now fronting her and had no fear of him at all.
He was so screwed.
If his headache would ease just a little, just enough to give him the chance to think clearly… He was more than capable of thinking fast and talking Otto around. He had done it before and not just once or twice. If he could just manage to think straight. He was sure he could come up with a plausible sounding excuse for their current situation if the constant dull, throbbing pressure would ease.
"I believe it would be appropriate, and safest for you, if you considered your business 'done', Miss Relena. The Dean is waiting and it would be advisable for you to attend him and charm his guests."
Blue eyes turned decidedly frosty and Duo felt the irrational urge to bolt. The girl might be a Princess but she had absolutely no sense of survival. Retreat was an honourable option, it allowed you to regroup and make plans for another foray toward a goal that was hard to reach. Sometimes you had to take a step or two backwards to make an advance forward.
"I shall attend the Dean in good time. At the moment I have a matter that requires my undivided attention and I have had enough delays and excuses. I am heartily tired of being ignored or 'put off', Otto. I mean to have words with my cousin and this time I will not tolerate being 'distracted'. I've played 'nice' and it has gotten me nowhere and you should know that I have already spoken to him and now we need to finish our conversation."
Oh, Otto did not look too amused by that! Duo watched with baited breath, waiting for the sky to fall in. Otto's eyes were narrowed and that quick glance around the foyer to mark the presence of the other patrons and staff at the hotel was not missed by either he or the Princess. Otto wanted to keep this confrontation low key and it was clear Relena was not inclined to cooperate in the least with him.
"You have spoken to 'what' cousin? I was not made aware any of your cousins were attending Tsuberov, Your Highness. I assure you that if a cousin of the House of Peacecraft were to attend this establishment, I would be informed. I believe you are mistaken."
/I should go. Just sort of… slide on out of here. I doubt either of them would notice at the moment… and it might be better to deal with this tomorrow. Otto might let it slide if she would just… let it go./
But it would not really be polite to leave the young woman to face Otto on her own… not that either of the protagonists seemed to notice him, let alone want to listen to anything he might have to say. It was not a pleasant feeling to be there and be totally ignored.
"Do you take me for a simpleton?" The young woman's eyes were narrowed now, her smile, false as it had been, gone. "I am not mistaken and you know it, Otto, and I am not going to back down again. I have played nice. I have gone through all of the 'appropriate' channels to gain the time, opportunity and the 'blessing' to have a simple talk to a man who is undoubtedly my cousin… and I am denied at every turn. Why? Enough is enough. I 'will' speak to my cousin, and I 'will' learn what I need to learn… and that will be an end to it."
"You are behaving like a spoilt, wilful child deprived of a candy, not as a Crown Princess should."
A small toss of the blonde maned head responded to his hard eyed glare. The girl was hardly afraid of him and her temper was heating up. While they were whispering at the moment Duo was not certain how long they would keep their voices down.
"You might have bounced me on you knee in years gone by, Heinrich Otto, but this is now, not then. I am no longer that little girl you used to feed candied fruits to. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and the work you do, but I wish people would stop looking at me as though I am either a pampered fool or a tool to be used. I am heartily tired of the constant demands that I do 'this and that' at exactly 'this' particular time, as it is most convenient for everyone. I am the Crown Princess of Sanc. I know that quite well, thank you, and I am well aware of the responsibilities the title places on me. I am also quite aware the only time I am treated like an honest to God person is when I am surrounded by my 'cousins'. I can be Relena then, I can be myself, not the Princess of an antiquated piece of history that is considered more important than the lives of real people. I and my 'cousins' are always being treated as tools, but when we are together it is just 'us'. Us; real every day people not future office holders and spare parts for the royal machine whenever it sees fit to break down. To find there is one of them here… A 'cousin', Otto. Someone I can talk to as 'me', who will see beyond the Princess to the 'me' that is real… I just want to talk to him! Is that such a bad thing?"
Duo thought the sigh must have originated from the depths of Otto's boots it was so deep. The man looked anything but happy, but Duo could see the anger fade and there was no denying the understanding either.
"Will you return to the reception and play your part if I arrange a meeting with Zechs?"
Her blue eyes widened and it was almost pitiable to see the hope that shone to sudden life. Clearly, despite her plea, she had not expected the concession might be made. Duo had the impression the Princess was quite familiar with being denied. She could be a wilful woman, he thought, but how often did she actually get her way? Perhaps he needed to reconsider his views on the spoilt nature of royalty. Under all that starch and formality he had now glimpsed another personality, one of a young woman who wanted to be seen for more than the position of her birth.
"Will you really arrange for us to meet, or will it be deemed conveniently 'inconvenient' yet again?"
"Miss Relena, this is the final year at Tsuberov for a young man who will be rated a Prime level Empathic Telepath. I can not begin to explain to you the excessive demands on that young man at this time. He will have little in the way of free time, however, if it will save you from making a mistake that will reflect on the House of Peacecraft in a most unfavourable light, then I will act on your behalf. I will initiate contact with his Guardian and I will speak to his Instructors and endeavour to arrange some free time. Sufficient time for an official audience, not simply a few minutes stolen here or there. Understand that I can't promise you how soon it will take place, or how long the meeting will be, but I will arrange for something that should please you. However, you should know, and understand, that this will only eventuate if Zechs is agreeable."
"He will be, of course." Relena beamed and Duo thought that she looked like a very young girl in that moment.
"You are so sure? He may not be as willing as you think. There is a lot of responsibility riding on young shoulders and, to be honest, being a Prime level Psi carries more weight and responsibilities than being the Crown Princess of a country."
"Well I certainly know what that's like! Otto, thank you. I know he will wish to talk to me. Why would he not? We are cousins, though for some reason he appeared surprised not only to see me, but to hear it from me. When I called him Cousin… There is something odd going on here, Otto, and I want to learn what it is. Why have I never met him before? I had thought I was acquainted with all of the cousins, particularly the ones of his age who are preparing to step up into positions of responsibility. But I have never seen him around the palace, or the city, and that is odd. The cousins are family and I should have met him at least once by this time."
"Yes, well that is something best discussed at a later time. At the present time we need to attend to important matters, such as you attending the Dean. We are drawing too much attention, Miss Relena. I suggest you return to the reception."
"Yes, I suppose I had best return. Promise me I will get to talk to Zechs, Otto, and that I will not be put off again."
"I will do everything in my power to arrange a time for you to speak with him, but it may take a few days. It certainly will not be tonight or tomorrow."
"I can be patient, Otto. All it takes is for me to know I will be given a fair hearing. Thank you."
For a long moment she studied the older man and finally, with a tiny nod signifying her agreement and her belief that he would arrange the time for her to visit with the young man she named her cousin, she turned a glowing smile on Duo.
"Thank you, Mr. Maxwell. It would please me if we could speak again at some other time and I would like it if you would dance with me in the future. Then you can tell me how Otto spared you any repercussions for my persistence in garnering your assistance. Good evening, Mr. Maxwell. Otto."
Security Chief and Sweeper watched as the young woman glided across the foyer and entered the reception room and not until she was out of sight did either move. Otto sighed and Duo collapsed backwards to lean on the elevator doors, feeling as though every bone in his body was in the process of turning into mush.
"Damn, she has quite a way about her."
Otto drew a slow, deep breath and gave his attention to the shorter man and grunted softly. "She does indeed. The Princess is very much like her mother in some regards." Dark eyes scrutinised the younger man for a long moment. "Do you have a headache?"
Startled Duo met the Chief's gaze and nodded slightly. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."
The man pinched the bridge of his nose and again that heavy sigh marked his state of exhaustion. "It's nothing a few standard painkillers and a decent night's sleep should not cure. I would advise you to go to your room and take some and to see about getting that good night's sleep. I will make my excuses to the Dean to spare you any repercussions for not returning to the reception, so you can retire immediately."
"I… Yeah. Sure. Thanks, Otto. I could go an early night." Duo hesitated, unable to motivate himself enough to straighten his posture and actually move. "Ah, I'm not in trouble then?"
The man snorted softly and inclined his head slightly to better study the younger man. "You heard the subtle 'suggestion' that I spare you any repercussions, did you not? No? Yes, I thought you were bright enough to catch it. Relena has quite a way with her, and unfortunately she does not always realise what she is doing. My apologies, Mr. Maxwell, but I honestly did not think it would be a problem."
He was feeling a little lost at the moment, Otto did not seem to be making a whole lot of sense… but then it might have been the headache was distracting him from noticing subtleties.
"What do you mean, 'realise she is doing'? I don't understand."
Otto glanced about the foyer before turning back to Duo. "Miss Relena is the first member of the ruling house of Sanc to be educated beyond Sanc's borders. That is primarily because of the recent development of her Psi talent. There was much discussion before it was determined that Tsuberov would be best suited to controlling her Suggestor's ability. There had been a number of incidents which could no longer be ignored and her private tutors were not up to the challenge of training her. The young lady is quite talented and, given her position, she must be made 'safe' for others to associate with."
"A Suggestor?" A light bulb had gone off in Duo's mind, an explanation for his actions and for the incessant pounding of his skull. "Princess Relena is… she's capable of influencing… Is… Otto, is that why I was… taking her… She used her Psi talent to get me to…?"
"As I said, Mr. Maxwell, you have my apologies on behalf of my country of origin. I highly doubt the young lady knew she was influencing you. She is quite new to her talent and not by nature disagreeable, spiteful or vindictive. As yet her control is… limited at best. Whilst the Princess was eager to be educated outside of Sanc it was only the advent of her talent and certain subsequent incidents which secured her parents' permission for her to leave Sanc."
"I… see." Duo stared toward the reception room considering what had happened between he and the young woman and finally dropped his head back to rest against the elevator door. "So… what's this about Zechs being her cousin? He's not mentioned any ties to royalty before."
Duo left unspoken the thought that if Zechs had it could have led to an easier stay at Tsuberov for him.
Otto looked anything but happy and shook his head slightly. "It is not my place to know the personal dealings of the Royal Family of Sanc or their immediate family. To my knowledge Zechs Marquise was not born in Sanc, nor has he ever visited the country, but it may take some convincing for the Princess to accept that. Once she gets an idea into her head…" he shrugged. "Now, I suggest you summon the elevator and enjoy an early night."
Recalled to the problem at hand Duo sighed softly. He really did not fancy the walk ahead of him.
"Ah… yeah. Small problem there. I'll have to take a walk around the hotel since the elevator's not working."
Otto frowned and shook his head, reaching out to stop Duo from stepping away from the elevator. "If it is not working, call another one."
"No, Otto, you don't understand. None of the elevators that go up to our level of the hotel are working. I tried them all, but they are down."
Duo was subjected to a hard look from the Security Guard before he strode along the elevators, pressing the call buttons on each of the units that serviced the floors housing the Tusberov suites. Duo winced when the man swore as each red light flashed on, indicating the faulty 'call'. He wondered if he should not quietly make himself scarce and nurse his headache, Otto looked fit to kill someone, but the man reached for his com unit and Duo opted to wait.
There was always the chance he might learn something of interest and Duo was never one to forego an opportunity should it present itself, headache or not.
"Heirnich Otto, head of Tsuberov security. Your elevators servicing the Tsuberov guest suites are not operating."
Duo waited, trying to look as though he was not there and wishing his head would cease its incessant thrumming. It would be a darn fine idea to get some sleep and he was only too willing to comply. It was just thinking about the walk that was putting him off… and Otto might be able to get the repair crews or computer techs in so he would not have to take the detour.
"You were requested to deactivate them? By whom?"
Now there was no way Duo would move, even should Otto wave him off. Someone had deactivated the elevators deliberately? Otto was not sounding particularly happy and Duo absently rubbed at his temples as he watched the man's scowl deepen.
"Fine, you can now reactivate them…"
Duo could faintly hear a tinny voice over Otto's headset though he could not hear any distinctive words.
"I don't care, you will give me access immediately or I will make more trouble for you than… Thank you." Otto glanced at Duo as he deactivated the headset and inclined his head toward the ceiling, indicating the floors above them. "It appears Prime Khushrenada instructed for the elevators to be deactivated. Number three will be working momentarily and I want you with me. I want to know what the hell that man thinks he's doing."
A Prime had ordered the elevators be taken off line? Duo eyed the door behind him with trepidation. It really was not considered a wise move to mess with the Primes. They were dangerous individuals though Duo was well aware that both Quatre and Zechs had been impressed with the Prime Khushrenada. But what was he doing in the hotel and why was he interfering with the elevators?
It was harder to think than Duo cared to admit, his head was throbbing and it seemed the pain was getting worse, but he was curious to know what was happening upstairs. Quatre and Zechs had left the reception and gone up to their suite, and now it appeared the Prime was up there too. That did not bode well to him.
"I don't think Zechs was feeling well, Otto."
A quick glance and a grunt was all the comment he received as the door to the elevator chimed and slid soundlessly aside. Otto glanced into the elevator and then motioned Duo to enter, following the younger man into the car and waiting for the doors. When Otto remained silent after he pushed the appropriate buttons Duo decided he was not going to learn anything if he did not push a little.
"You know the Princess well?"
"I watched her grow up until a few years ago, when I left the service in Sanc."
'If' he left the security service in Sanc, Duo mused. He would be more than a little surprised if Otto did not still answer to someone there. He had been unable to distinguish any real features of the logo on the screen in Otto's office, but he was sure Otto had not put in that call to anyone nearby. The wait had been a few seconds too long for it to be a local connection. He was sure Otto had contacted a high level security service and he had spoken, and been spoken to, as an agent. He already knew something was going down at Tsuberov that was far more serious than the board of Tsuberov was letting on, but exactly what it might be, that was something he needed to find out.
Otto had all of the answers but questioning him was out of the question. He would get nowhere. It was neither his place nor his job to ask those sorts of questions. If his head wasn't aching so much he might have felt game enough to try feeling out Otto hoping he might make a slip, no matter how small. There was always the chance he might learn something he could pursue elsewhere and perchance discover something of interest.
"Hey, Otto?"
What did annoy him and made him curious enough to chance a reprimand, was the certainty of the Princess that his friend was her cousin. Zechs was sure to have mentioned something if he was related to royalty, just to shut up the arse wipes who were down on him because he was not of their social standing. Being related to royalty would open more doors than it would shut at Tsuberov, and it certainly would have given him a fairer treatment from some of the staff and students at the complex.
"Yes?"
Well, it seemed to him that Zechs would get fairer treatment.
"Why is the Princess so sure Zechs is her cousin?"
"Princess Relena assumes and assumptions are, more often than not, in error."
Headache or not, he knew when someone was avoiding a subject. That only further piqued his curiosity.
"She told me he was unmistakably a cousin. Why 'unmistakably'?"
Otto seemed to chew over the question for a few precious seconds and Duo wondered if he was going to be ignored. The man looked far from happy.
"I believe the lady is in error. As I said before, Duo, Zechs was not born in Sanc and he has certainly never been there. I admit when I first saw him I wondered, he does have a striking similarity to some members of the bloodline. However that means nothing. In Sanc we tend to have large families and over the centuries many family members leave Sanc to settle elsewhere. Finding someone who carries a resemblance to the Peacecrafts is not impossible."
That sounded plausible enough Duo mused, and it also meant the Princess was right in some aspects, though Otto had emphatically denied any ties between them.
"So… he is a cousin then."
"It is not impossible, I suppose. If so it would be of a very distant, diluted bloodline. A throwback in genetics could have produced certain characteristics which bring the Sanc royal family to mind. I can see the Princess is not going to be easily convinced until she speaks to him and he tells her himself that they are not related."
Duo frowned, glancing at the taller man before ducking his head and considering twice the thought that occurred to him.
"Would he know to deny it? I mean, he's an orphan, isn't he? He doesn't know himself who his family is."
"There is that, I suppose."
"So there are others with that white blonde hair of his? Other Nordic blonde's in the Princesses family?"
"Indeed there are, but there would be far more of them in Scandinavia and Norway, don't you think?"
"It's a pity though. It might have done Zechs some good to be able to say he had family. Especially while he is studying at Tsuberov."
To that Otto made no comment watching the numbers light up as the elevator rose and closing his eyes briefly as the elevator's classical music was replaced by a light chime and the doors slid aside. Duo watched the man's features harden with determination as he stepped out of the car and pinned his gaze on the three men guarding the hallway.
It would be an interesting conversation, Duo mused, and fell into step behind Otto. The man was not amused.
"Come along, Duo. I want you to take those painkillers and get some sleep."
00000000000000000000000000
Quatre rubbed his hands together, pushing his palms firmly into each other, grinding his palms together. It was taking so long… Were they alright? Everything seemed alright, but could he be sure? He was only training to work in high level sessions, but surely the Prime would not have left him here without being sure he could manage the session.
He glanced up at the sound of voices in the hallway, detecting a note of aggression in the tone and feeling a wave of strong emotion waft through the suite. He had been charged with ensuring no one disturbed the work session that was underway and he would not shirk the duty. It was not as though he was alone, he was well aware of the Duke's bodyguards in the hallway.
They had arrived some time ago and he had spoken to them when their Commander had looked in on him to ensure all was well. He had been assured they would not be leaving the area and that they would guard the door against intrusion. He was not alone and if he detected any stress in the two men immersed so deeply into the merge of minds, all he had to do was call on the guards.
Glancing up from his hands he watched the working Psi's for a long moment. Neither had moved; it was as though they had become frozen in place. Living sculptures. The Prime sat on the coffee table, leaning forward slightly, his hands resting on either side of Zechs' face, fingers spread through the cascade of silver white hair. The Prime looked serene, handsome to a fault, and Quatre suspected he could remain so for hours on end.
Zechs sat a little forward in his seat, his hands resting on the arms of the chair, head tilted up slightly, eyes closed. It seemed to Quatre that he barely breathed and each breath was light and perfectly spaced, exactly synced with the breathing of the Prime. Quatre had no doubt the merge was complete and that their hearts would be beating is perfect synchronisation. He could only wonder how deeply the merge had gone.
There would be some unhappy people at Tsuberov when this night's work was known, but Zechs seemed so much better. Whatever it was the Prime was doing it had relaxed Zechs, and Quatre could no longer feel any emotions from his friend.
His empathy could detect nothing of their emotional states since the initial merge had taken place. Under the care of the Prime, Zechs had very quickly 'vanished' off Quatre's 'emotional' radar. The Prime had emanated calm and controlled confidence and projected it over the distress that had poured from Zechs.
Now both men were like statues, isolated, immobile, emotionless. But they still breathed and he could detect no distress on the monitoring links he maintained with their physical bodies. He could only hope they would not be locked in the world of their minds for hours.
He was not sure he could do anything to influence the situation should the Dean turn up on his door… which might well be what the disturbance outside was all about.
Hesitating would get him nowhere and he needed to know what was going on, so with a final check of the health of the working pair Quatre slipped quietly to the door and opened it a little, just enough to peek out.
The sound of Otto's voice coming clearly through the opening widened his eyes and Quatre was quick to thrust the door open and step out into the hallway.
"It's alright, Mr. Winner. The situation is being explained to your Security Chief. I would suggest you return to monitoring the psi's."
Allah, was he ready for this? Actually monitoring a working session? It was his assigned function and thus far, he supposed, he had performed his function well enough. In every psi session a monitor was appointed to ensure the physical statistics of the pair engaged in deep level work, and that was his function. It was not just to keep the room quiet and ensure they were not disturbed. That was what the body guards were for, after all. He was the empath who would pick up the first signs of distress, should there be any and it was a vital role.
"I suggest you take your friend inside with you, he does not appear to be too well."
Friend?
Quatre half turned, peering around the much taller and broader men and realised that Otto was glaring daggers at the man who was speaking to him and Duo was standing behind Otto. And Duo looked anything but 'well', he realised. He looked pale and sick, his forehead furrowed into a frown and long fingers were rubbing at his temples, suggesting he had a headache.
Allah! Had Otto caught on to what they had been doing? Did Otto know they had bugged his office?
"Duo?"
No, that sounded almost like a squeak! He must be careful to appear unafraid, unconcerned… he might be fooling no one, but he had to try. If Otto knew… Allah, his father would beat him to within an inch of his life. Blessings on Allah for him being the only son; if he had any brothers he might even kiss goodbye to life!
Now that was a little dramatic, but the results of Otto knowing what they had been up to would be anything but good!
"Hey, Quatre. What ya doing?"
Duo slipped past Otto and the bodyguards and Quatre was as surprised as Duo when no one made a move to stop him, not even Otto. Did Otto not know then? It was a surety that if he did he would not let Duo out of his sight until he had dealt expediently with the matter.
Swallowing his trepidation Quatre extended a hand out to Duo as he neared, taking him by the arm and leading him into the suite. He acknowledged the glance of one of the guards and quickly shut the door, casting a glance and his empathic talent over the working pair before looking back to Duo.
"You don't look well."
An understatement as Duo looked almost as bad as Zechs had looked in the reception room.
"Yeah. I have a bit of a headache…"
Quatre watched as those blue eyes tinted violet and narrowed as he noticed the working pair. After a pregnant moment of utter silence, Duo took a step toward the men and Quatre was quick to step between them.
"Don't disturb them!"
"What's going on, Quatre?"
"Please, leave them alone. It's alright, I'm monitoring the session and they are both fine."
"Quatre. What is going on?" Duo looked unimpressed, that violet shimmer was more pronounced and a clear warning of a very uncertain temper.
"It's okay, really. Zechs had another panic attack, only it appears that diagnosis was wrong. They're not exactly panic attacks from what I gather."
"Eh?" A hand pressed to his temples and Duo seemed to shudder. "Look, I have a killer headache. I'll just take some pain killers so I can think without being hit in the brain with a ram-drive and then… Then we are going to talk about this."
"That's fine; that's good. Just don't go near them, please. It's a delicate bit of work they are doing and they don't need leakage from bystanders intruding on what it is they are doing."
"And just what might that be?"
"Fixing things, so Zechs is not bothered by another one of these attacks again."
Duo sidled to one side, making no move to approach the pair directly. He might not have been an empath or a fully functioning telepath, but he knew the dangers involved in interrupting a deep session and this, he was sure, was a very deep session. Tsuberov gave an extensive education regarding Psi function to all of its student body, so he well knew the dangers and how best to avoid them. Namely, don't interfere if you don't know what is going on.
Tsuberov's policies expressly forbade experimenting with psi talent beyond a laboratory's controlled conditions. This kind of session away from a contained and shielded environment was forbidden and someone, he knew, would have to face the music.
"Zechs is going to be in trouble over this, isn't he?"
Quatre shook his head quickly, returning to his seat to extend his empathy and scan for any indication of change in the pair. It was time to check their heartbeats again and assess their physical responses.
"Prime Khushrenada says not, given what the problem was. He says it is not some panic attack brought on by feeling insecure in Tsuberov's environment, Duo. The Prime says it was a violent emerging repressed memory. Something from his past that, each time it rises, is worse than the previous time. Prime Khushrenada says he can help and Zechs really did need help this time. He really did not look well at all."
Duo considered the pair lost in their work and then to the blonde he had come to trust and call friend. Quatre was no fool and he was a Telepathic Empath, though his talent lay more with empathy than telepathy. Quatre knew his stuff and he was an excellent student. He would not be easily fooled, even by a Prime.
"Yeah, well. I know all about not feeling well at the moment. I'm going to do something about my headache before my head explodes and then you are going to tell me what the hell is going on."
Karina Robertson 2010