Disclaimer: This fic is the only thing that's mine; characters aren't, unfortunately. All rights to these amazing ANIMEs belong to Clamp, Kodansha, Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, yadda yadda yadda, so don't waste your time trying to sue me! Your 'corporate boogeyman' won't get anything valuable from me anyway, except for a bunch of lousy grades, some leftover cookie crumbs, a Pentel point 5 ball pen, and some crumpled research papers.
Author's Notes: Again, many thanks to all my faithful readers! Your inspiring reviews make all the migraines and pimples worth it. ^-^
Natsu-chan: Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make the necessary revisions that you've kindly pointed out for me, but the info that you've shared will be applied from now on. Don't hesitate to tell me about my sucky translations, okay? You ain't being a pain in the ass! I really appreciate your help!
DESTINY by rei-chan
Chapter Eight: Brotherly Affections
"Oh, my."
Wei shook his head at his own stupidity as he eyed the overturned bowl on the floor. Rice grains were scattered all across the kitchen, and Syaoran's lunch kit lay a few feet away, soaked in terriyaki sauce. The butler had woken up early to prepare his young master's lunch to school, and since he had also stayed up last night cleaning all the popcorn and pineapple juice from the living room rug, Wei was not the sharpest tool in the shed that morning.
Sighing, the man bent forward to start cleaning up his mess, when the resounding click of a gun's safety latch being released caught his ears. Gulping, Wei slowly rose from his crouched position with his arms raised slightly above him in surrender.
A tousled-haired Li Raiu stood by the kitchen doorway, barely illuminated by the light coming from the hallway. His gun was aimed at the butler's face. Recognizing Wei, the Li heir lowered his gun and asked in a monotone. "What are you doing?"
Wei smiled a bit shakily at his older master and motioned to the mess on the floor. "Making lunch for your brother, Raiu-sama." he informed the dark-haired boy. Bending down, he picked up the bowl and deposited it on the kitchen sink.
"Lunch is normally served on plates, Wei. Or in bento boxes."
Wei's hesitant smiled turned into a sheepish grin as he carefully made his way across the room to the broom closet. "I had a little accident, Raiu-sama." he admitted as he began sweeping rice off the floor.
Heero watched Wei cleaning up quietly for a few moments, before taking a seat on one of the tall stools around the counter, setting his gun down in front of him. "What are you making?" he asked as he surveyed the scattered rice and dripping sauce all over the kitchen.
"One of Syaoran-sama's favorites, Raiu-sama. Chicken terriyaki(1)."
The Wing pilot eyed the still uncooked pieces of chicken on a chopping board on the counter, and the whole vegetables laying neatly beside it. Wordlessly, he picked up Wei's discarded knife and pulled the chopping board towards him. "I will help." he stated flatly as he began cutting the chicken into thin strips.
"Certainly, Raiu-sama."
Syaoran skidded into the kitchen thirty minutes later in his uniform(2). "I'm late!" The amber-eyed boy gasped as he hurried over to the counter where his breakfast sat, pausing only for a minute to stare increulously at the Browning Hi-power sitting just beside his plate before sitting down and stuffing a whole toast into his mouth.
"Hn." Heero grunted at him as he held out a hand to Wei, who promptly passed him the lid of Syaoran's lunch kit. Pressing the lid on, the Wing pilot efficiently wrapped the small lunch box in a large red handkerchief and tied the ends into a knot. Turning, he walked towards the counter and set his masterpiece down. "Your lunch."
Syaoran stopped devouring is food to stare in surprise at the neatly-wrapped lunch box in front of him. He sneaked a glance at Wei as if to confirm what was in his mind, and his butler just smiled at him and nodded. Turning his attention to the person who had thoughtfully prepared his meal, the ex-Card Captor squeaked. "Arigato."
His brother just shrugged at him. Grabbing his gun, he turned to leave, pausing only to glance at Syaoran out of the corner of his eye before muttering. "You're welcome."
~ 0 ~
Tomoeda Elementary School
"..So that concludes my explanation on the Aborigines. Any more questions?"
Takahashi Yamazaki's(3) dark eyes swept across the sea of faces surrounding him. At the far back, Syaoran shook his head in disbelief as one boy from their class asked his chinky-eyed friend how a car works. Leaning towards his companion, the youngest Li child murmured. "Yamzaki hasn't changed a bit, has he?"
Hiiragizawa Eriol shook his own head back at his descendant.
In front, Yamazaki was explaining. "Hamsters play a big part in cars. Did you know that big car companies employ at least three million hamsters a year? They use the hamsters to make the wheels turn, and..."
Both boys just turned to each other and sighed.
"...when the hamsters achieve the certain required velocity, the car wheels move. In race cars, it's an entirely different thing. Instead of hamsters, they use cheetahs..."
"Leave me alone!"
Syaoran's head snapped up and he looked around, a frown marring his face as another "NO!" echoed across the school grounds. That scream sounded familiar...
"No! I won't!"
Eriol placed an urgent hand on his companion's arm. "Syaoran, hayaku(4)! I think it's Sakura-chan..."
Li Syaoran was off like a shot, Eriol following closely at his heels.
The screams seemed to be coming from the opposite end of the school, just by the dividing wall between Tomoeda Elementary and Seijou High(5). Syaoran recognized the area as the same place where he had tried to take the Clow Cards away from Sakura two years ago.
'What's going on?'
He skidded to a stop as he noticed five figures from a distance. He recognized Sakura and Tomoyo right away; they were the only non-males in the bunch. The rest of them were the biggest, hulkiest sixth graders Syaoran had ever seen in Tomoeda.
At that moment two of the thuggish goons held an unconscious Tomoyo in their arms, while one of them, the biggest in the group, had Sakura's arm in a death grip.
"C'mon, gorgeous." the boy leered, making a grab for the auburn-haired girl's chin as Sakura tried to shrug him off. "Gimme a kiss."
Anger boiled in the amber-eyed boy's blood. As if seeing through a red haze, he stormed over to where the group was with Eriol not far behind. "Get your gorilla hands off her." he snarled when he was within earshot.
Sakura's head snapped up at his direction. "Syaoran-kun!" she breathed out, half in relief, half in fright, as the hand around her arm tightened. At the same time the boy's head swung around to face him. "Ooohhh, who do we have here? Ah! It's the new kid!"
"Let her go." Steam was almost coming out of his nose as he glared daggers at the boy holding HIS Sakura. "Now."
Out of the corner of his eye Syaoran could see Eriol challenging the goon's two cronies.
He took a step forward.
The malicious glint in the bigger boy's eyes was quickly replaced by that of anger as Syaoran took another step towards them. "Stand back, pretty boy. You don't know who you're dealing with." he warned.
"Syaoran-kun, no!" Sakura screamed.
The ugly brute bared his teeth at the girl and tossed her aside. Sakura landed on the grass with a soft thump, her emerald-green eyes wide with fright as she looked at Syaoran tearfully.
One of the goons being handled by Eriol suddenly shrieked in fear as he levitated alarmingly in the air. The other one was pinned against the chain-linked fence, the blacks of his eyes almost gone as he hyperventilated in panic.
Clow Reed's magic vibrated in the air.
While Syaoran was distracted with the sudden wave of magic in the air, the goon's fist connected with his left cheek. Pain exploded in a fiery show in front of his eyes as he fought to regain his balance, while the bully laughingly sneered at him. "Dared to challenge the great Kino, huh, kid?"
Syaoran willed himself to stand upright and ignored the throbbing in his cheekbone and the metallic taste in his mouth. Shaking his head to clear it, he spat blood on to the ground, then turned to Kino and smirked. "That all you've got, oh great Kino?" he taunted. The bully's eyes narrowed, and with a snarl, he charged forward, fists up and ready. But Syaoran was faster. Jumping up, he twisted his body into a round house kick and hit the bigger boy squarely on the cheek. While the latter moaned in agony for a few seconds, the brown-haired boy reacted.
Kino was defenseless as soon as the smaller boy tackled him to the ground. Even with his huge bulk and massive forearms, he was no match with the angry boy. Years and years of Syaoran's martial arts training kept him fighting. He threw each punch forcefully and solidly, and in a few moments the bigger boy was whimpering like a sissy.
A soft hand on his shoulder was what made the Chinese boy stop. "I think he's had enough, Xaio Lang." Hiiragizawa Eriol's gentle voice told him as he held out a hand to his friend. Syaoran grabbed the offered hand and pulled himself off the bigger boy, still breathing hard. Sakura had the head of the still unconscious Tomoyo pillowed on her lap as she cried.
Looking down to the bruised face of Kino, Syaoran muttered. "Let's see you try anything to her again." With that, he and Eriol headed to where the girls were.
~ 0 ~
Duo Maxwell listlessly flipped through the channels with a remote. Cable TV or not, he was bored. It didn't help that his partner was once again typing on a brand new laptop, the continous clicking of the keys serving as a great distraction for the braided pilot as he tried to concentrate on the TV movie he was watching. "Ne, Hee-chan?" he asked after a few moments, tugging at his long braid in slight irritation as he elbowed his comrade. "Can you take that godawful typing somewhere else? I can't understand anything from my show!" he complained as he gestured towards the television.
Heero took one look at the show and grunted. "It's Indian, Duo."
"Eh?" the Deathscythe pilot asked in confusion, turning to look at the program. Sure enough, two Indians were lying in a tangled pile on the bed, kissing and---Quickly changing channels, he grinned. "Oops! Didn't notice that!" he remarked loudly.
Heero grunted at him again before turning back to his laptop. "You are such a hentai, Duo." the Wing pilot commented quietly as he turned his computer screen back on.
Duo snorted at this. "Yeah. Coming from the person who reads Fushigi Yuugi(6) porn online, that's a compliment indeed." he told his partner sarcastically.
Heero threw him a dirty look. "That was an ACCIDENT, Duo. It wasn't intentional."
"Uh-huh, right. And Trowa's the most talkative guy in the planet."
"Duo--"
"Say what, Heero?" the braided pilot sang out, closing his eyes and wriggling way from his comrade.
"Turn--"
"Yeahhh?!?!?!?!?"
"--the goddamn volume up."
There was a slight scruffling sound as Heero grabbed the remote control out of Duo's hand. The long-haired boy giggled as he made an exaggerated grab for the remote, causing the Wing pilot to lose his balance. There was a thud as Heero landed flat on his back on the floor, with Duo sprawled across his stomach, as both watched the news program on TV.
"--Taiwanese officials had warned the general public to stick close to their homes until the bombings have been solved. Here is a short clip on the current bombing in Taipei."
Heero's mouth tightened as the screen showed an aerial view of the carnage. He could feel Duo's whole body stiffen as he, too, recognized the all-too familiar pattern of the attack.
"Goddamnit, Yuy." the Deathscythe pilot breathed out. "That isn't just an ordinary bombing."
"Hai. Oz."
"Didn't take them long, huh?" Duo muttered to himself as he shifted impatiently from his perch. Heero grunted slightly as his partner's hand came in contact with his stomach, which was his most ticklish spot. Tugging lightly at the long braid trailing down the carpet, Heero whispered. "You can get off me now, Maxwell."
"Hmm?" Duo murmured absently. Heero gave him a pointed look, and realizing their awkward position, immediately leapt to his feet and bounced back on the couch, a light blush on his cheeks. "Soooo," he said, "What do you think will be our next course of action, Oh-Great-One?"
The Wing pilot shrugged. "As of now, none. I will contact Ieran to deliver our Gundams tonight. Then we decide on a plan." he told his partner flatly as he powered up his laptop.
Duo bounced back up to his feet. "Sounds good to me!" he crowed. Skipping all the way to the door, the braided bundle of energy paused long enough to slip his shoes on before calling out. "Well, I'm off to get something to eat! You want anything while I'm out? No? Ok. Ja-ne!!!"
The front door slammed shut.
For about five minutes, the room was silent except for the continues clacking of keys as Heero typed rapidly on his laptop. It was no use. The Perfect Soldier could not hack into the Oz system's mainframe simply because Oz doesn't even EXIST yet. The internet proved to be useless as well, except when searching for Fushigi Yuugi porn (which he DOES NOT do). After a few moments, the Prussian eyed boy sighed and closed his machine with a snap. It was still early to call Ieran and too late to talk to Syaoran, since the kid left for school hours ago. As he thought of something useful to do, his hand absently reached up to toy with the tasseled green orb(7) he had in a chain around his neck. The heat emanated by his source of power comforted him. Sitting up properly, he slipped the chain off his neck and stared at it, pondering on how he would possibly turn it into a sword like the kid's.
The two green orbs seemed to give out a faint green glow as Heero felt his magic rise within his body. Experimentally he swung it sideways as he had often seen Syaoran do back in Hongkong. Nothing happened. Frowning, Heero held it up at eye-level and closed his eyes. 'Magic, come forth!' he commanded as he felt around for the strong force he knew he had in him. He tried again. 'Obey my bid, magic!'
Still nothing happened.
Sighing in defeat, he slipped the chain back on and pulled his computer towards him. Might as well start formulating a battle plan for him and his comrade. At least he knew how to do this.
~ 0 ~
Syaoran cringed slightly as the cool draft from the airconditioning in the apartment lobby brushed against his wounded cheek. While Eriol had effortlessly lifted Tomoyo up to carry her all the way to the nurse's office, Sakura had insistently assisted Syaoran while he walked, wrapping an arm around his waist despite his continous protests.
"The guy just socked me in the face, Sakura-chan. I'm not disabled!"
But a stern look from the auburn-haired girl silenced him.
Reaching the door to his apartment, Syaoran dug around his pocket for his house keys. Finding it, he quickly inserted it in the knob and went in, shutting the door soundlessly behind him.
Duo and Wei were sitting in the living room, laughing.
"So, I was hiding in the bathroom at the safe house right? And Heero was--Oi, Syaoran! Jesus God what the hell happened to your face?!" Duo was beside him in a flash. Tilting his chin up to take a better look at the dark nasty bruise he had on his cheek, the braided boy tutted. "Tsk tsk tsk. This is pretty bad." he murmured as he grabbed Syaoran by the shoulders and steered him towards the couch. "Here, have a seat." he told him. Turning to Wei, Duo smiled. "Care to give me a towel and some ice, my good man?" Wei smiled back at him and stood up, brushing potato chips off his trousers as he made a move towards the kitchen. "Oh, and Wei-san! While you're at it, grab the tube of ointment Heero and I have on the dresser in our room, onegai?"
"I'm FINE, Duo, really. It's just a stupid bruise." The Chinese boy said loudly as Duo fussed over his face. Wei came back a second later with some ice cubes wrapped in a towel and the ointment Duo asked him to get. "It's no big deal."
"Ssshh. Shut up and lemme work, k? You'll be as good as new when I'm done with you."
Syaoran rolled his eyes but stayed put as Duo gently dabbed at his bruise with the make-shift ice pack. Wei stood by and watched, occassionally being instructed by the Deathscythe pilot to get certain things from all over the house. While he was being attended at, Syaoran narrated what happened.
Duo let out a low whistle. "You are really soooo like your suicidal brother." he commented as he squeezed a small amount of the ointment on his finger.
"Eh? Suicidal?"
Duo laughed heartily as he began applying the warm ointment on Syaoran's bruised cheek. "You heard me right." he told the younger boy. "Suicidal. Whole reason why we got here in the first place. That idiot brother of yours had another one of his heroic bastard moods and tried to self-destruct. Failed big time, though, as usual. You don't have any idea how many time I've had to patch that asshole of a baka up in the future." Rubbing the last of the ointment on the boy's skin, Duo smiled and patted him lightly on the head. "There! All finished!" he declared happily as he stood back to admire his handiwork. "Your bruise will fade in about two days, so you don't have to worry about looking like shit in front of Sakura-chan for long." he winked slyly as Syaoran made a grab for his braid.
Just then, the front door flew open and Heero walked in, carrying several paper bags. Sakura and Tomoyo were both with him. "Take-out Chinese." he intoned as Wei hurriedly grabbed the packages from him and headed to the kitchen. He glanced at Syaoran and motioned with his head at the two girls. "And you've got visitors. They told me what happened." His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the large black bruise his brother was sporting. "That kid better not show himself to me, or else...omae o korosu." he growled as he walked over to where Syaoran was, bending down to examine the younger boy's ointment covered face.
Both Sakura and Tomoyo looked rather mortified at his announcement, but the jaunty wink from Duo made them both smile.
"Syaoran-kun!" The emerald-eyed girl cried, running towards the boy and throwing her arms round him as she cried. "I'm so sorry!"
Syaoran's cheeks reddened at this, but awkwardly returned the hug as Duo waggled his eyebrows comically at him. "Daijobou, Sakura-chan." he murmured in consolation as he lightly ran a hand over her back. "It was nothing."
"Hn." Heero grunted suddenly, and within moments had disappeared from the living room, pulling a protesting Duo and an indignant Tomoyo with him.
"Oi! Matte! It was just getting good!"
Syaoran closed his eyes for a moment to bask in the feeling of having Sakura this close to him, but reluctanly pushed her upright again. She sniffled guiltily as she saw the bruise on his cheek. "Gomen ne, Syaoran." she apologized softly.
The brown-haired boy shook his head firmly at her. "Don't be." he admonished. "It wasn't your fault."
"Demo--"
Syaoran silenced her with a finger to her lips, and her cheeks flushed. "Ssshh. It's okay. I'm glad I did it." Realizing what he had just said and done, the amber-eyed lad blushed madly as well, and for a few moments they were silent.
Sakura found her voice first. Clearing her throat, she began softly. "Uhm, ano ne, Syaoran-kun..."
Syaoran's throat constricted as his heart began beating in happy anticipation. "Nanda?" he inquired, staring directly at her emerald eyes.
Her voice shook slightly as she spoke up. "Atashiwa...atashiwa...anata ga--"
She was suddenly cut off by a loud thud and a squeal. Spinning around, the two teens stared with their mouths hanging open as the sight greeted them.
Duo Maxwell and a camera-wielding Daidouji Tomoyo smiled sheepishly at them from the floor.
~ 0 ~
The two girls ended up staying over for dinner, and by the time any of them had glanced at the clock, it was too late to send the girls home unaccompanied.
Duo immediately offered to play chauffer for them.
"But we haven't got a car, Duo." Syaoran pointed out as Duo was putting on his shoes. "How will you drive them home?"
Duo smiled an 'I-know-something-you-don't' smile before shrugging his coat on. Motioning to the girls, he said cheerfully. "Come along, girls!"
Heero's wiry form suddenly blocked the doorway. "No." he said firmly, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared daggers at his comrade.
The Deathscythe pilot pouted. "Aw, c'mon, Hee-chan!" he whined, stamping one foot as he jiggled impatiently on his spot. "I haven't picked the lock of a BMW in AGES!"
Sakura turned wide eyes at Syaoran. 'Picked the lock?' she mouthed at him. He just shrugged helplessly at the Card Mistress.
"You drive too fast."
"So do YOU, Destructo Boy!"
"You haven't got a license."
"DUH! As if it'll matter! I'm not even supposed to exist yet, Yuy!"
"Fine." Heero stated flatly. Opening the door, he gestured for all of them to file out. Once outside, he declared. "I'm coming with you."
~ 0 ~
And picked the lock of a BMW he did. As soon as they were out in the basement parking, Duo purposely headed towards the shiny black BMW Syaoran recognized as the one belonging to their next door neighbor and leaned by the driver's seat door. Winking impishly at all of them, Syaoran, Sakura, and Tomoyo watched in astonishment as Duo pulled out various lock picking instruments from his hair and started opening the car. Within moments there was a click, and Duo triumphantly held the door open for all of them.
"What if we get caught?" Sakura asked Duo in panic as she glanced around frantically at the empty garage.
Heero, who had strapped himself in the front pasenger seat, turned to Sakura and replied in a monotone. "I shoot." he told her simply, holding up his gun for her to see. The Card Mistress squeaked and leaned back on her seat, wrapping her arms unconsciously around Syaoran's waist and burying her face in his shirt. (And, nope, HE did not mind this at all!) Heero nodded curtly at this before turning his attention back in helping Duo.
The ride had been a wild one. They were at Tomoyo's neighborhood in a matter of minutes. After dropping the long-haired girl off, they drove over to the Kinomotos. Duo turned the car a safe distance away from the road and killed the engine as Syaoran herded Sakura out the door that Heero had thoughtfully pulled open for them.
Syaoran's heart was pounding loudly in his ears as he and Sakura climbed up the steps leading to their front door. It was the first time he would be meeting Kinomoto Touya since he arrived in Japan. It was somewhat comforting to the Chinese boy that his brother had insisted on accompanying them all the way to the door.
Sakura had hardly raised a hand to knock when the door suddenly flew open, revealing an extremely worried--and a VERY IRATE--Touya. Syaoran instinctively hid behind his brother.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Sakura's older brother growled as his eyes narrowed into tiny slits.
Sakura took a step back. "I-I was at Syaoran-kun's, 'nii-chan. They dropped me off..."
Touya's ears were practically smoking as he turned to glare at his baby sister's quiet companion. "OI, GA-" he was immediately cut off by a pair of intense blue eyes pinning him on the spot. "--ki." the elder Kinomoto finished, looking at Heero up and down. "You've grown." he couldn't help but comment as Heero's eyebrows furrowed.
Syaoran stepped out from behind his brother. "Kinomoto-kun." he greeted, bowing slightly. He was surprised when Touya bowed back at him, confusion written all over his face as his eyes travelled from Syaoran to Heero. Smirking, Syaoran said. "My brother, Kinomoto-kun. Li Raiu."
Heero nodded curtly at him. "Pleasure."
Touya nodded back. "Yeah."
The two older boys eyed each other stonily for a few seconds before Touya herded his sister into the house. "Get inside, kaiju, and take a bath. You stink." Nodding at the two of them, Touya closed the door.
"Sakura kaiju janai mon!"(8)
Syaoran shook his head as the sounds of two people arguing loudly echoed from inside the Kinomoto household. Wordlessly, he and Heero walked back towards the car.
None of them noticed it when a huge mecha flew over the Kinomoto house.
TBC
==*ho-hum* I stayed up all night just to finish this. hope you like my latest installment.
FOOTNOTES:
1. Actually this is one of MY favorites. ^-^
2. I know it's not really that relevant in the context, but for those of you who want to know what uniform Syaoran-kun was wearing, it's the one they use during warm weathers. ^-^ Kawaii!!!! The itty-bitty shorts look good on him, don't you think?
3. Is it Takahashi? There are some authors who say Yamazaki's last name is Takashi. Which one is it really?
4. My sister says this means 'quickly' or 'faster'.
5. As obsessed as I am with CCS, I never got around to knowing if Seijou is actually the name of Touya's and Yukito's school. Is it?
6. There ARE a lot of porn stories about Miaka and Tamahome circling the net. ^-^
7. Many thanks to Natsu-chan for providing me a name for Syaoran's and Heero's orb thingies. Just for the sake of clarification, Syaoran's orbs are black while Heero's are green. Again, arigato gozaimasu, Natsu-chan!
8. Ah! The famous phrase!
==Like it? Hate it? Let me know!
Author's Notes: Again, many thanks to all my faithful readers! Your inspiring reviews make all the migraines and pimples worth it. ^-^
Natsu-chan: Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make the necessary revisions that you've kindly pointed out for me, but the info that you've shared will be applied from now on. Don't hesitate to tell me about my sucky translations, okay? You ain't being a pain in the ass! I really appreciate your help!
DESTINY by rei-chan
Chapter Eight: Brotherly Affections
"Oh, my."
Wei shook his head at his own stupidity as he eyed the overturned bowl on the floor. Rice grains were scattered all across the kitchen, and Syaoran's lunch kit lay a few feet away, soaked in terriyaki sauce. The butler had woken up early to prepare his young master's lunch to school, and since he had also stayed up last night cleaning all the popcorn and pineapple juice from the living room rug, Wei was not the sharpest tool in the shed that morning.
Sighing, the man bent forward to start cleaning up his mess, when the resounding click of a gun's safety latch being released caught his ears. Gulping, Wei slowly rose from his crouched position with his arms raised slightly above him in surrender.
A tousled-haired Li Raiu stood by the kitchen doorway, barely illuminated by the light coming from the hallway. His gun was aimed at the butler's face. Recognizing Wei, the Li heir lowered his gun and asked in a monotone. "What are you doing?"
Wei smiled a bit shakily at his older master and motioned to the mess on the floor. "Making lunch for your brother, Raiu-sama." he informed the dark-haired boy. Bending down, he picked up the bowl and deposited it on the kitchen sink.
"Lunch is normally served on plates, Wei. Or in bento boxes."
Wei's hesitant smiled turned into a sheepish grin as he carefully made his way across the room to the broom closet. "I had a little accident, Raiu-sama." he admitted as he began sweeping rice off the floor.
Heero watched Wei cleaning up quietly for a few moments, before taking a seat on one of the tall stools around the counter, setting his gun down in front of him. "What are you making?" he asked as he surveyed the scattered rice and dripping sauce all over the kitchen.
"One of Syaoran-sama's favorites, Raiu-sama. Chicken terriyaki(1)."
The Wing pilot eyed the still uncooked pieces of chicken on a chopping board on the counter, and the whole vegetables laying neatly beside it. Wordlessly, he picked up Wei's discarded knife and pulled the chopping board towards him. "I will help." he stated flatly as he began cutting the chicken into thin strips.
"Certainly, Raiu-sama."
Syaoran skidded into the kitchen thirty minutes later in his uniform(2). "I'm late!" The amber-eyed boy gasped as he hurried over to the counter where his breakfast sat, pausing only for a minute to stare increulously at the Browning Hi-power sitting just beside his plate before sitting down and stuffing a whole toast into his mouth.
"Hn." Heero grunted at him as he held out a hand to Wei, who promptly passed him the lid of Syaoran's lunch kit. Pressing the lid on, the Wing pilot efficiently wrapped the small lunch box in a large red handkerchief and tied the ends into a knot. Turning, he walked towards the counter and set his masterpiece down. "Your lunch."
Syaoran stopped devouring is food to stare in surprise at the neatly-wrapped lunch box in front of him. He sneaked a glance at Wei as if to confirm what was in his mind, and his butler just smiled at him and nodded. Turning his attention to the person who had thoughtfully prepared his meal, the ex-Card Captor squeaked. "Arigato."
His brother just shrugged at him. Grabbing his gun, he turned to leave, pausing only to glance at Syaoran out of the corner of his eye before muttering. "You're welcome."
~ 0 ~
Tomoeda Elementary School
"..So that concludes my explanation on the Aborigines. Any more questions?"
Takahashi Yamazaki's(3) dark eyes swept across the sea of faces surrounding him. At the far back, Syaoran shook his head in disbelief as one boy from their class asked his chinky-eyed friend how a car works. Leaning towards his companion, the youngest Li child murmured. "Yamzaki hasn't changed a bit, has he?"
Hiiragizawa Eriol shook his own head back at his descendant.
In front, Yamazaki was explaining. "Hamsters play a big part in cars. Did you know that big car companies employ at least three million hamsters a year? They use the hamsters to make the wheels turn, and..."
Both boys just turned to each other and sighed.
"...when the hamsters achieve the certain required velocity, the car wheels move. In race cars, it's an entirely different thing. Instead of hamsters, they use cheetahs..."
"Leave me alone!"
Syaoran's head snapped up and he looked around, a frown marring his face as another "NO!" echoed across the school grounds. That scream sounded familiar...
"No! I won't!"
Eriol placed an urgent hand on his companion's arm. "Syaoran, hayaku(4)! I think it's Sakura-chan..."
Li Syaoran was off like a shot, Eriol following closely at his heels.
The screams seemed to be coming from the opposite end of the school, just by the dividing wall between Tomoeda Elementary and Seijou High(5). Syaoran recognized the area as the same place where he had tried to take the Clow Cards away from Sakura two years ago.
'What's going on?'
He skidded to a stop as he noticed five figures from a distance. He recognized Sakura and Tomoyo right away; they were the only non-males in the bunch. The rest of them were the biggest, hulkiest sixth graders Syaoran had ever seen in Tomoeda.
At that moment two of the thuggish goons held an unconscious Tomoyo in their arms, while one of them, the biggest in the group, had Sakura's arm in a death grip.
"C'mon, gorgeous." the boy leered, making a grab for the auburn-haired girl's chin as Sakura tried to shrug him off. "Gimme a kiss."
Anger boiled in the amber-eyed boy's blood. As if seeing through a red haze, he stormed over to where the group was with Eriol not far behind. "Get your gorilla hands off her." he snarled when he was within earshot.
Sakura's head snapped up at his direction. "Syaoran-kun!" she breathed out, half in relief, half in fright, as the hand around her arm tightened. At the same time the boy's head swung around to face him. "Ooohhh, who do we have here? Ah! It's the new kid!"
"Let her go." Steam was almost coming out of his nose as he glared daggers at the boy holding HIS Sakura. "Now."
Out of the corner of his eye Syaoran could see Eriol challenging the goon's two cronies.
He took a step forward.
The malicious glint in the bigger boy's eyes was quickly replaced by that of anger as Syaoran took another step towards them. "Stand back, pretty boy. You don't know who you're dealing with." he warned.
"Syaoran-kun, no!" Sakura screamed.
The ugly brute bared his teeth at the girl and tossed her aside. Sakura landed on the grass with a soft thump, her emerald-green eyes wide with fright as she looked at Syaoran tearfully.
One of the goons being handled by Eriol suddenly shrieked in fear as he levitated alarmingly in the air. The other one was pinned against the chain-linked fence, the blacks of his eyes almost gone as he hyperventilated in panic.
Clow Reed's magic vibrated in the air.
While Syaoran was distracted with the sudden wave of magic in the air, the goon's fist connected with his left cheek. Pain exploded in a fiery show in front of his eyes as he fought to regain his balance, while the bully laughingly sneered at him. "Dared to challenge the great Kino, huh, kid?"
Syaoran willed himself to stand upright and ignored the throbbing in his cheekbone and the metallic taste in his mouth. Shaking his head to clear it, he spat blood on to the ground, then turned to Kino and smirked. "That all you've got, oh great Kino?" he taunted. The bully's eyes narrowed, and with a snarl, he charged forward, fists up and ready. But Syaoran was faster. Jumping up, he twisted his body into a round house kick and hit the bigger boy squarely on the cheek. While the latter moaned in agony for a few seconds, the brown-haired boy reacted.
Kino was defenseless as soon as the smaller boy tackled him to the ground. Even with his huge bulk and massive forearms, he was no match with the angry boy. Years and years of Syaoran's martial arts training kept him fighting. He threw each punch forcefully and solidly, and in a few moments the bigger boy was whimpering like a sissy.
A soft hand on his shoulder was what made the Chinese boy stop. "I think he's had enough, Xaio Lang." Hiiragizawa Eriol's gentle voice told him as he held out a hand to his friend. Syaoran grabbed the offered hand and pulled himself off the bigger boy, still breathing hard. Sakura had the head of the still unconscious Tomoyo pillowed on her lap as she cried.
Looking down to the bruised face of Kino, Syaoran muttered. "Let's see you try anything to her again." With that, he and Eriol headed to where the girls were.
~ 0 ~
Duo Maxwell listlessly flipped through the channels with a remote. Cable TV or not, he was bored. It didn't help that his partner was once again typing on a brand new laptop, the continous clicking of the keys serving as a great distraction for the braided pilot as he tried to concentrate on the TV movie he was watching. "Ne, Hee-chan?" he asked after a few moments, tugging at his long braid in slight irritation as he elbowed his comrade. "Can you take that godawful typing somewhere else? I can't understand anything from my show!" he complained as he gestured towards the television.
Heero took one look at the show and grunted. "It's Indian, Duo."
"Eh?" the Deathscythe pilot asked in confusion, turning to look at the program. Sure enough, two Indians were lying in a tangled pile on the bed, kissing and---Quickly changing channels, he grinned. "Oops! Didn't notice that!" he remarked loudly.
Heero grunted at him again before turning back to his laptop. "You are such a hentai, Duo." the Wing pilot commented quietly as he turned his computer screen back on.
Duo snorted at this. "Yeah. Coming from the person who reads Fushigi Yuugi(6) porn online, that's a compliment indeed." he told his partner sarcastically.
Heero threw him a dirty look. "That was an ACCIDENT, Duo. It wasn't intentional."
"Uh-huh, right. And Trowa's the most talkative guy in the planet."
"Duo--"
"Say what, Heero?" the braided pilot sang out, closing his eyes and wriggling way from his comrade.
"Turn--"
"Yeahhh?!?!?!?!?"
"--the goddamn volume up."
There was a slight scruffling sound as Heero grabbed the remote control out of Duo's hand. The long-haired boy giggled as he made an exaggerated grab for the remote, causing the Wing pilot to lose his balance. There was a thud as Heero landed flat on his back on the floor, with Duo sprawled across his stomach, as both watched the news program on TV.
"--Taiwanese officials had warned the general public to stick close to their homes until the bombings have been solved. Here is a short clip on the current bombing in Taipei."
Heero's mouth tightened as the screen showed an aerial view of the carnage. He could feel Duo's whole body stiffen as he, too, recognized the all-too familiar pattern of the attack.
"Goddamnit, Yuy." the Deathscythe pilot breathed out. "That isn't just an ordinary bombing."
"Hai. Oz."
"Didn't take them long, huh?" Duo muttered to himself as he shifted impatiently from his perch. Heero grunted slightly as his partner's hand came in contact with his stomach, which was his most ticklish spot. Tugging lightly at the long braid trailing down the carpet, Heero whispered. "You can get off me now, Maxwell."
"Hmm?" Duo murmured absently. Heero gave him a pointed look, and realizing their awkward position, immediately leapt to his feet and bounced back on the couch, a light blush on his cheeks. "Soooo," he said, "What do you think will be our next course of action, Oh-Great-One?"
The Wing pilot shrugged. "As of now, none. I will contact Ieran to deliver our Gundams tonight. Then we decide on a plan." he told his partner flatly as he powered up his laptop.
Duo bounced back up to his feet. "Sounds good to me!" he crowed. Skipping all the way to the door, the braided bundle of energy paused long enough to slip his shoes on before calling out. "Well, I'm off to get something to eat! You want anything while I'm out? No? Ok. Ja-ne!!!"
The front door slammed shut.
For about five minutes, the room was silent except for the continues clacking of keys as Heero typed rapidly on his laptop. It was no use. The Perfect Soldier could not hack into the Oz system's mainframe simply because Oz doesn't even EXIST yet. The internet proved to be useless as well, except when searching for Fushigi Yuugi porn (which he DOES NOT do). After a few moments, the Prussian eyed boy sighed and closed his machine with a snap. It was still early to call Ieran and too late to talk to Syaoran, since the kid left for school hours ago. As he thought of something useful to do, his hand absently reached up to toy with the tasseled green orb(7) he had in a chain around his neck. The heat emanated by his source of power comforted him. Sitting up properly, he slipped the chain off his neck and stared at it, pondering on how he would possibly turn it into a sword like the kid's.
The two green orbs seemed to give out a faint green glow as Heero felt his magic rise within his body. Experimentally he swung it sideways as he had often seen Syaoran do back in Hongkong. Nothing happened. Frowning, Heero held it up at eye-level and closed his eyes. 'Magic, come forth!' he commanded as he felt around for the strong force he knew he had in him. He tried again. 'Obey my bid, magic!'
Still nothing happened.
Sighing in defeat, he slipped the chain back on and pulled his computer towards him. Might as well start formulating a battle plan for him and his comrade. At least he knew how to do this.
~ 0 ~
Syaoran cringed slightly as the cool draft from the airconditioning in the apartment lobby brushed against his wounded cheek. While Eriol had effortlessly lifted Tomoyo up to carry her all the way to the nurse's office, Sakura had insistently assisted Syaoran while he walked, wrapping an arm around his waist despite his continous protests.
"The guy just socked me in the face, Sakura-chan. I'm not disabled!"
But a stern look from the auburn-haired girl silenced him.
Reaching the door to his apartment, Syaoran dug around his pocket for his house keys. Finding it, he quickly inserted it in the knob and went in, shutting the door soundlessly behind him.
Duo and Wei were sitting in the living room, laughing.
"So, I was hiding in the bathroom at the safe house right? And Heero was--Oi, Syaoran! Jesus God what the hell happened to your face?!" Duo was beside him in a flash. Tilting his chin up to take a better look at the dark nasty bruise he had on his cheek, the braided boy tutted. "Tsk tsk tsk. This is pretty bad." he murmured as he grabbed Syaoran by the shoulders and steered him towards the couch. "Here, have a seat." he told him. Turning to Wei, Duo smiled. "Care to give me a towel and some ice, my good man?" Wei smiled back at him and stood up, brushing potato chips off his trousers as he made a move towards the kitchen. "Oh, and Wei-san! While you're at it, grab the tube of ointment Heero and I have on the dresser in our room, onegai?"
"I'm FINE, Duo, really. It's just a stupid bruise." The Chinese boy said loudly as Duo fussed over his face. Wei came back a second later with some ice cubes wrapped in a towel and the ointment Duo asked him to get. "It's no big deal."
"Ssshh. Shut up and lemme work, k? You'll be as good as new when I'm done with you."
Syaoran rolled his eyes but stayed put as Duo gently dabbed at his bruise with the make-shift ice pack. Wei stood by and watched, occassionally being instructed by the Deathscythe pilot to get certain things from all over the house. While he was being attended at, Syaoran narrated what happened.
Duo let out a low whistle. "You are really soooo like your suicidal brother." he commented as he squeezed a small amount of the ointment on his finger.
"Eh? Suicidal?"
Duo laughed heartily as he began applying the warm ointment on Syaoran's bruised cheek. "You heard me right." he told the younger boy. "Suicidal. Whole reason why we got here in the first place. That idiot brother of yours had another one of his heroic bastard moods and tried to self-destruct. Failed big time, though, as usual. You don't have any idea how many time I've had to patch that asshole of a baka up in the future." Rubbing the last of the ointment on the boy's skin, Duo smiled and patted him lightly on the head. "There! All finished!" he declared happily as he stood back to admire his handiwork. "Your bruise will fade in about two days, so you don't have to worry about looking like shit in front of Sakura-chan for long." he winked slyly as Syaoran made a grab for his braid.
Just then, the front door flew open and Heero walked in, carrying several paper bags. Sakura and Tomoyo were both with him. "Take-out Chinese." he intoned as Wei hurriedly grabbed the packages from him and headed to the kitchen. He glanced at Syaoran and motioned with his head at the two girls. "And you've got visitors. They told me what happened." His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the large black bruise his brother was sporting. "That kid better not show himself to me, or else...omae o korosu." he growled as he walked over to where Syaoran was, bending down to examine the younger boy's ointment covered face.
Both Sakura and Tomoyo looked rather mortified at his announcement, but the jaunty wink from Duo made them both smile.
"Syaoran-kun!" The emerald-eyed girl cried, running towards the boy and throwing her arms round him as she cried. "I'm so sorry!"
Syaoran's cheeks reddened at this, but awkwardly returned the hug as Duo waggled his eyebrows comically at him. "Daijobou, Sakura-chan." he murmured in consolation as he lightly ran a hand over her back. "It was nothing."
"Hn." Heero grunted suddenly, and within moments had disappeared from the living room, pulling a protesting Duo and an indignant Tomoyo with him.
"Oi! Matte! It was just getting good!"
Syaoran closed his eyes for a moment to bask in the feeling of having Sakura this close to him, but reluctanly pushed her upright again. She sniffled guiltily as she saw the bruise on his cheek. "Gomen ne, Syaoran." she apologized softly.
The brown-haired boy shook his head firmly at her. "Don't be." he admonished. "It wasn't your fault."
"Demo--"
Syaoran silenced her with a finger to her lips, and her cheeks flushed. "Ssshh. It's okay. I'm glad I did it." Realizing what he had just said and done, the amber-eyed lad blushed madly as well, and for a few moments they were silent.
Sakura found her voice first. Clearing her throat, she began softly. "Uhm, ano ne, Syaoran-kun..."
Syaoran's throat constricted as his heart began beating in happy anticipation. "Nanda?" he inquired, staring directly at her emerald eyes.
Her voice shook slightly as she spoke up. "Atashiwa...atashiwa...anata ga--"
She was suddenly cut off by a loud thud and a squeal. Spinning around, the two teens stared with their mouths hanging open as the sight greeted them.
Duo Maxwell and a camera-wielding Daidouji Tomoyo smiled sheepishly at them from the floor.
~ 0 ~
The two girls ended up staying over for dinner, and by the time any of them had glanced at the clock, it was too late to send the girls home unaccompanied.
Duo immediately offered to play chauffer for them.
"But we haven't got a car, Duo." Syaoran pointed out as Duo was putting on his shoes. "How will you drive them home?"
Duo smiled an 'I-know-something-you-don't' smile before shrugging his coat on. Motioning to the girls, he said cheerfully. "Come along, girls!"
Heero's wiry form suddenly blocked the doorway. "No." he said firmly, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared daggers at his comrade.
The Deathscythe pilot pouted. "Aw, c'mon, Hee-chan!" he whined, stamping one foot as he jiggled impatiently on his spot. "I haven't picked the lock of a BMW in AGES!"
Sakura turned wide eyes at Syaoran. 'Picked the lock?' she mouthed at him. He just shrugged helplessly at the Card Mistress.
"You drive too fast."
"So do YOU, Destructo Boy!"
"You haven't got a license."
"DUH! As if it'll matter! I'm not even supposed to exist yet, Yuy!"
"Fine." Heero stated flatly. Opening the door, he gestured for all of them to file out. Once outside, he declared. "I'm coming with you."
~ 0 ~
And picked the lock of a BMW he did. As soon as they were out in the basement parking, Duo purposely headed towards the shiny black BMW Syaoran recognized as the one belonging to their next door neighbor and leaned by the driver's seat door. Winking impishly at all of them, Syaoran, Sakura, and Tomoyo watched in astonishment as Duo pulled out various lock picking instruments from his hair and started opening the car. Within moments there was a click, and Duo triumphantly held the door open for all of them.
"What if we get caught?" Sakura asked Duo in panic as she glanced around frantically at the empty garage.
Heero, who had strapped himself in the front pasenger seat, turned to Sakura and replied in a monotone. "I shoot." he told her simply, holding up his gun for her to see. The Card Mistress squeaked and leaned back on her seat, wrapping her arms unconsciously around Syaoran's waist and burying her face in his shirt. (And, nope, HE did not mind this at all!) Heero nodded curtly at this before turning his attention back in helping Duo.
The ride had been a wild one. They were at Tomoyo's neighborhood in a matter of minutes. After dropping the long-haired girl off, they drove over to the Kinomotos. Duo turned the car a safe distance away from the road and killed the engine as Syaoran herded Sakura out the door that Heero had thoughtfully pulled open for them.
Syaoran's heart was pounding loudly in his ears as he and Sakura climbed up the steps leading to their front door. It was the first time he would be meeting Kinomoto Touya since he arrived in Japan. It was somewhat comforting to the Chinese boy that his brother had insisted on accompanying them all the way to the door.
Sakura had hardly raised a hand to knock when the door suddenly flew open, revealing an extremely worried--and a VERY IRATE--Touya. Syaoran instinctively hid behind his brother.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Sakura's older brother growled as his eyes narrowed into tiny slits.
Sakura took a step back. "I-I was at Syaoran-kun's, 'nii-chan. They dropped me off..."
Touya's ears were practically smoking as he turned to glare at his baby sister's quiet companion. "OI, GA-" he was immediately cut off by a pair of intense blue eyes pinning him on the spot. "--ki." the elder Kinomoto finished, looking at Heero up and down. "You've grown." he couldn't help but comment as Heero's eyebrows furrowed.
Syaoran stepped out from behind his brother. "Kinomoto-kun." he greeted, bowing slightly. He was surprised when Touya bowed back at him, confusion written all over his face as his eyes travelled from Syaoran to Heero. Smirking, Syaoran said. "My brother, Kinomoto-kun. Li Raiu."
Heero nodded curtly at him. "Pleasure."
Touya nodded back. "Yeah."
The two older boys eyed each other stonily for a few seconds before Touya herded his sister into the house. "Get inside, kaiju, and take a bath. You stink." Nodding at the two of them, Touya closed the door.
"Sakura kaiju janai mon!"(8)
Syaoran shook his head as the sounds of two people arguing loudly echoed from inside the Kinomoto household. Wordlessly, he and Heero walked back towards the car.
None of them noticed it when a huge mecha flew over the Kinomoto house.
TBC
==*ho-hum* I stayed up all night just to finish this. hope you like my latest installment.
FOOTNOTES:
1. Actually this is one of MY favorites. ^-^
2. I know it's not really that relevant in the context, but for those of you who want to know what uniform Syaoran-kun was wearing, it's the one they use during warm weathers. ^-^ Kawaii!!!! The itty-bitty shorts look good on him, don't you think?
3. Is it Takahashi? There are some authors who say Yamazaki's last name is Takashi. Which one is it really?
4. My sister says this means 'quickly' or 'faster'.
5. As obsessed as I am with CCS, I never got around to knowing if Seijou is actually the name of Touya's and Yukito's school. Is it?
6. There ARE a lot of porn stories about Miaka and Tamahome circling the net. ^-^
7. Many thanks to Natsu-chan for providing me a name for Syaoran's and Heero's orb thingies. Just for the sake of clarification, Syaoran's orbs are black while Heero's are green. Again, arigato gozaimasu, Natsu-chan!
8. Ah! The famous phrase!
==Like it? Hate it? Let me know!
