The C.O.W. Project
Part 4
"Trowa do you think you'll be alright?" Heero asked as he finished bandaging some cuts Trowa had gotten when he had been showered with glass.
"Yeah I'm fine. How is Justin?"
"He's doing fine. He wasn't hurt. Your body shielded him."
"What about the others?"
"They're all fine as well. We ducked in time."
"Where are we?"
"An abandoned warehouse and it's getting late. We hid in the sewer until some men had finished searching it and we were going to find another place to stay when Justin suggested that we stay here since they already searched it, it would be the last place they'd look. You're son is pretty smart, you know."
"No, I wouldn't. I'm ashamed to not know him. It is my fault after all."
"Don't sweat it, we all make mistakes."
Duo looked over at his son who was playing cards with Aaron, Ashleigh, and Bryant. Heero was talking with Trowa and Quatre was busy on his cell phone. Duo thought he remembered Quatre saying something about calling his ex-wife. Duo listened for a moment to the sound of rain on the rooftop and then he looked over at Wufei who was sleeping...or something...in a corner by a small lamp so Duo decided to join him.
"Hey Wufei, what's up?"
"Hn." Wufei said, not opening his eyes.
"It's raining pretty hard. It's getting pretty dark outside and I'm hungry." Duo paused to give Wufei a chance to say something but he sat silent, his eyes still closed. "So, how did you get this restraining order put on you in the first place?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Whoa, a whole sentence from Mr. Silent. Come on, I'm just trying to make conversation here."
"Alright, how's this for a conversation. How did your wife die, Duo? Huh, tell me that!" Wufei said turning to stare at his old friend.
"Wufei? What's gotten in to you? You're bitter about something, aren't you?"
"My life is none of your concern." And with that Wufei picked up his lantern and prepared to walk away.
"Cancer."
Wufei turned.
"She had cancer." Duo said once more.
"I'm sorry." Wufei said just before he walked away leaving Duo alone in the darkness.
"So is that it? I answer your question and you're just going to walk away? I think I deserve an answer to a few of my questions!" Duo said, following a few seconds later.
"As I said before, my life is none of your business." Wufei kept walking.
"Listen here, I'm just trying to help you! I'm not trying to hurt you!"
Wufei turned and held the lantern close to his face so that Duo could get a good look. "My children hate me and I've lost the only family I've known! There is no way you can relate to what I've been through." Wufei almost shouted.
"In case you've forgotten, I lost my wife!"
"But at least she loved you."
"Look Wufei, things change! People move on!"
"She's poisoned my own children against me!"
"Yes but you can't go through life afraid of your past!"
Wufei was through talking and out of sheer rage he punched Duo in the nose. Quatre saw this and quickly ran over.
"Wufei, calm down."
"I'm going to get something to eat." Wufei replied.
Quatre sighed as Wufei walked off. He then turned to Duo. "Duo, are you alright?"
Duo looked at Quatre through his hands and mumbled something.
"I'm sorry Duo, what was that? I couldn't understand you."
"I said I think my nose is broken." Duo said removing bloody hands from his face.
"I have a first aid kit over here." Quatre said. "Come with me."
"So dude, what's up with your sister?" Shane asked Bryant as he pointed at Kari who was walking around the warehouse.
"She's mad at my dad for kidnapping us."
"He kidnapped you?" Ashleigh asked as she dealt the cards for another hand of Jin Rummy.
"Yeah, he picked me up from school and then he took Kari from her karate class."
"Didn't someone notice that two kids were being kidnapped?" Aaron joined the conversation.
"No, because before my mom took out the restraining order he used to pick us up all the time."
"Well then why should she be mad, he did it to protect her." Shane said.
"Yeah but she doesn't understand. She's a girl and she's believed everything my mother has told her about my father."
"Well is it true?" Ashleigh asked.
"No, of course not! It's all lies!" Bryant said taking offence that Ashleigh would suggest such a thing.
"How do you know that?" Ashleigh continued.
"I can't believe you're saying this! My father is a just man who has never done anything wrong!"
"Oh so you're saying he's perfect, is that it?"
"Are you saying he's not?"
"He's killed people before."
"My father has never killed anyone! Have you been talking to Kari? My mother was wrong!! Don't you start believing her lies as well."
"You mean you don't know?" Ashleigh asked, surprised that his father had never told him.
"All I know is that my father would never lie to me and all you people are crazy!" And with that Bryant ran off to one of the many non-lighted areas of the warehouse.
"So Wufei never told him." Duo said to Quatre. The two of them had been watching from a distance while Quatre fixed Duo nose.
"I guess not." Quatre answered.
"I can see why. I never told Aaron the details but I told him some." Heero said as he and Trowa joined the other two pilots.
Duo and Quatre agreed that they had taken the same approach as Heero.
"Should we really let Wufei's son roam the warehouse by himself?" Trowa asked.
"Well he should be safe enough but I guess you're right. I'll go look for him." Duo offered.
Soon after Duo walked into the darkness, armed only with a flashlight, Wufei returned with some Chinese pick-up. After calling everyone together Wufei noticed that his son was gone, as well as Duo.
"Where's Bryant and Duo?" Wufei asked, though you could tell by his voice that he was more worried by his missing son than fellow pilot.
"Oh he got into a fight with us and got mad at Ashleigh for some things she said and then he ran off. I think he went up to the upper level." Shane said.
"Ashleigh, what did you say to him?" Quatre asked his daughter.
"I just asked him some questions, that's all." Ashleigh said.
None of the other teens offered any more information so no other questions were asked.
"He'll calm down soon enough. He's been through a lot. I wouldn't worry about him." Wufei said.
"Well just to be safe we didn't want him wandering around by himself so Duo went to look for him." Heero explained.
"But still, they should be back by now, don't you think?" Quatre asked.
As if to answer Quatre's question the glass from one of the skylights shattered and fell to the floor a few feet away from the makeshift table where everyone was seated. Shouts could be heard admits the rain that was now pouring through the hole. Nothing could be seen except for a small trickle of light coming through the skylight and casting a shadow of two men locked together in a struggle. Suddenly a body fell through the open skylight and someone could be heard screaming in Chinese in the background.
"BRYANT!" Wufei yelled as he began to run.
To Be Continued...
Authors note: yeah I know, not a very long chapter but hey, it ends when it ends! Besides, I thought this was a good place to end it! Nice cliffhanger and everything! Hope you're enjoying and don't forget to review!
Reviewer response:
Unrealistic: yes I know I'm evil! But I hope this real chapter makes up for my evilness!
Rho Omicron: well I'm not finished but this chapter is definetly a step in the right direction!
Part 4
"Trowa do you think you'll be alright?" Heero asked as he finished bandaging some cuts Trowa had gotten when he had been showered with glass.
"Yeah I'm fine. How is Justin?"
"He's doing fine. He wasn't hurt. Your body shielded him."
"What about the others?"
"They're all fine as well. We ducked in time."
"Where are we?"
"An abandoned warehouse and it's getting late. We hid in the sewer until some men had finished searching it and we were going to find another place to stay when Justin suggested that we stay here since they already searched it, it would be the last place they'd look. You're son is pretty smart, you know."
"No, I wouldn't. I'm ashamed to not know him. It is my fault after all."
"Don't sweat it, we all make mistakes."
Duo looked over at his son who was playing cards with Aaron, Ashleigh, and Bryant. Heero was talking with Trowa and Quatre was busy on his cell phone. Duo thought he remembered Quatre saying something about calling his ex-wife. Duo listened for a moment to the sound of rain on the rooftop and then he looked over at Wufei who was sleeping...or something...in a corner by a small lamp so Duo decided to join him.
"Hey Wufei, what's up?"
"Hn." Wufei said, not opening his eyes.
"It's raining pretty hard. It's getting pretty dark outside and I'm hungry." Duo paused to give Wufei a chance to say something but he sat silent, his eyes still closed. "So, how did you get this restraining order put on you in the first place?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Whoa, a whole sentence from Mr. Silent. Come on, I'm just trying to make conversation here."
"Alright, how's this for a conversation. How did your wife die, Duo? Huh, tell me that!" Wufei said turning to stare at his old friend.
"Wufei? What's gotten in to you? You're bitter about something, aren't you?"
"My life is none of your concern." And with that Wufei picked up his lantern and prepared to walk away.
"Cancer."
Wufei turned.
"She had cancer." Duo said once more.
"I'm sorry." Wufei said just before he walked away leaving Duo alone in the darkness.
"So is that it? I answer your question and you're just going to walk away? I think I deserve an answer to a few of my questions!" Duo said, following a few seconds later.
"As I said before, my life is none of your business." Wufei kept walking.
"Listen here, I'm just trying to help you! I'm not trying to hurt you!"
Wufei turned and held the lantern close to his face so that Duo could get a good look. "My children hate me and I've lost the only family I've known! There is no way you can relate to what I've been through." Wufei almost shouted.
"In case you've forgotten, I lost my wife!"
"But at least she loved you."
"Look Wufei, things change! People move on!"
"She's poisoned my own children against me!"
"Yes but you can't go through life afraid of your past!"
Wufei was through talking and out of sheer rage he punched Duo in the nose. Quatre saw this and quickly ran over.
"Wufei, calm down."
"I'm going to get something to eat." Wufei replied.
Quatre sighed as Wufei walked off. He then turned to Duo. "Duo, are you alright?"
Duo looked at Quatre through his hands and mumbled something.
"I'm sorry Duo, what was that? I couldn't understand you."
"I said I think my nose is broken." Duo said removing bloody hands from his face.
"I have a first aid kit over here." Quatre said. "Come with me."
"So dude, what's up with your sister?" Shane asked Bryant as he pointed at Kari who was walking around the warehouse.
"She's mad at my dad for kidnapping us."
"He kidnapped you?" Ashleigh asked as she dealt the cards for another hand of Jin Rummy.
"Yeah, he picked me up from school and then he took Kari from her karate class."
"Didn't someone notice that two kids were being kidnapped?" Aaron joined the conversation.
"No, because before my mom took out the restraining order he used to pick us up all the time."
"Well then why should she be mad, he did it to protect her." Shane said.
"Yeah but she doesn't understand. She's a girl and she's believed everything my mother has told her about my father."
"Well is it true?" Ashleigh asked.
"No, of course not! It's all lies!" Bryant said taking offence that Ashleigh would suggest such a thing.
"How do you know that?" Ashleigh continued.
"I can't believe you're saying this! My father is a just man who has never done anything wrong!"
"Oh so you're saying he's perfect, is that it?"
"Are you saying he's not?"
"He's killed people before."
"My father has never killed anyone! Have you been talking to Kari? My mother was wrong!! Don't you start believing her lies as well."
"You mean you don't know?" Ashleigh asked, surprised that his father had never told him.
"All I know is that my father would never lie to me and all you people are crazy!" And with that Bryant ran off to one of the many non-lighted areas of the warehouse.
"So Wufei never told him." Duo said to Quatre. The two of them had been watching from a distance while Quatre fixed Duo nose.
"I guess not." Quatre answered.
"I can see why. I never told Aaron the details but I told him some." Heero said as he and Trowa joined the other two pilots.
Duo and Quatre agreed that they had taken the same approach as Heero.
"Should we really let Wufei's son roam the warehouse by himself?" Trowa asked.
"Well he should be safe enough but I guess you're right. I'll go look for him." Duo offered.
Soon after Duo walked into the darkness, armed only with a flashlight, Wufei returned with some Chinese pick-up. After calling everyone together Wufei noticed that his son was gone, as well as Duo.
"Where's Bryant and Duo?" Wufei asked, though you could tell by his voice that he was more worried by his missing son than fellow pilot.
"Oh he got into a fight with us and got mad at Ashleigh for some things she said and then he ran off. I think he went up to the upper level." Shane said.
"Ashleigh, what did you say to him?" Quatre asked his daughter.
"I just asked him some questions, that's all." Ashleigh said.
None of the other teens offered any more information so no other questions were asked.
"He'll calm down soon enough. He's been through a lot. I wouldn't worry about him." Wufei said.
"Well just to be safe we didn't want him wandering around by himself so Duo went to look for him." Heero explained.
"But still, they should be back by now, don't you think?" Quatre asked.
As if to answer Quatre's question the glass from one of the skylights shattered and fell to the floor a few feet away from the makeshift table where everyone was seated. Shouts could be heard admits the rain that was now pouring through the hole. Nothing could be seen except for a small trickle of light coming through the skylight and casting a shadow of two men locked together in a struggle. Suddenly a body fell through the open skylight and someone could be heard screaming in Chinese in the background.
"BRYANT!" Wufei yelled as he began to run.
To Be Continued...
Authors note: yeah I know, not a very long chapter but hey, it ends when it ends! Besides, I thought this was a good place to end it! Nice cliffhanger and everything! Hope you're enjoying and don't forget to review!
Reviewer response:
Unrealistic: yes I know I'm evil! But I hope this real chapter makes up for my evilness!
Rho Omicron: well I'm not finished but this chapter is definetly a step in the right direction!