Chapter 2
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Quatre studied the box intently. He was fighting his childish impulse to tear it open and see what was inside. Really fighting. However, years of war had taught him the need for caution. Turning the box over in his hand, he could find no indication the box had been tampered with or rigged for detonation. Some might have found that reassuring. Quatre didn't.
"Sorry Einstein, I can't be too careful. You might as well come with me." Quatre frowned to himself as he said that. Since when did he talk to birds? Trowa was really beginning to rub off on him, or he was even more crazy than anyone had ever given him credit for.
Quatre chuckled at the self-deprecating joke as Einstein flew over and landed on his shoulder. "Going to join me then?"
Einstein merely cocked his head to look at Quatre with a questioning expression.
Quatre certainly could not deny this owl had a personality all its own as he turned and went back into his office, box and letter still in hand. He crossed the room to sit at his massive desk, stacked with surveys, reports, and spreadsheets. He was surprised when Einstein elected to stay perched on his shoulder as he paged his secretary in.
Of course one might expect a prim business-looking sort of lady to walk in as Quatre's secretary but one would be wrong. Instead a short boy no older than 13 or 14 walked in wearing a crisp clean pair of jeans and a white 'I love NY' t-shirt.
Quatre had found him shortly before the end of the war, working in a remote salvage yard on earth. The kid's quick wit had instantly reminded him of Duo, but it had been his near perfect organizational skills that Quatre remembered later. So, he had gone back to offer the boy a job and a real education, something that had become a valuable commodity during the war. Neither had ever regretted the partnership.
"Yes, Mr. Winner?"
"Sam, am I ever going to convince you to just call me Cat?"
"Of course not, Mr. Winner," Sam replied with a hint of a smirk.
"Quatre?"
"Possibly, Mr. Winner, sir," he returned with mock formality.
Quatre smiled brightly at the cheeky lad. Sam certainly reminded him of Duo, and was just as stubborn as Quatre's friend.
"Could you cancel all my meetings for the rest of the day?"
"Of course Mr. Winner. And Mr. Winner?"
"Yes Sam?"
"Are you aware you there is a bird perched on your shoulder?!?"
"Is there?" Quatre grinned, "Are you sure?"
Sam looked at Quatre as if he had grown another head, since, with an owl on his shoulder, it might very well look like he had.
"Yes, Sam, I am aware there is an owl on my shoulder. Could you also please call down to security and tell them to have the scanners ready?" Quatre stated in a tone that clearly said he did not want to say anything more.
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Quatre walked out of the security department no less confused than he had walked in. The package appeared to be completely harmless. That *should* have reassured him, but, instead, it made him more nervous. He knew Trowa would not have smuggled an owl onto L4 just to send him a gift. On that same note he could rule out the other pilots and his family, which completely ruled out everyone he could think of that would send him a 'harmless' gift.
Einstein, who had chosen to remain on his shoulder this whole time, hooted softly at him.
"You think I should just open this don't you?" Quatre had stopped trying to rationalize why he was talking to Einstein. It just seemed right.
Quatre looked back down at the package; his impulsive side was still itching to just rip it open. Denying it was becoming especially hard now that he had no logical reasons to do so. He looked one last time at Einstein as he boarded the elevator, and then threw caution to the wind and just opened it. He tore the paper off with all the enthusiasm that had been building up inside him all day and then lifted the lid to the box.
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Brutus stared at Wufei. In fact, Wufei got the distinct impression that Brutus was shooting daggers at him and wishing for his untimely death.
Wufei looked at the box he was just about to open and started to wonder if it was such a good idea. Just how dangerous could one of Maxwell's pranks be?
Screwing up his face in frustration Wufei tore the paper off the package and opened the lid of the box. He flinched and ducked his head in preparation of whatever might come out. After a few moments of silence which completely baffled Wufei, he decided to take a look at the contents of the box. Still holding it away from his body, he attempted a quick glance inside, but what he saw stopped him from turning away so quickly.
Inside was a tiny replica of a Chinese Dragon. His own family considered the dark, blood red mythical creatures on par with the gods. Wufei suddenly wondered if opening the box so quickly had been such a good idea. Duo would never have thought to send him a gift such as this, especially for no good reason. In fact, he could think of no one that would give him a gift of this magnitude. The dragon was perfection. Its intricate deep, maroon scales gleamed under the sunlight. Its golden, spiked mane circled the dragons head like a lion's, looking as if it would move in the breeze at any moment. And the small, black beads for eyes gave Wufei a haunting feeling of being watched.
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Trowa carefully removed the package from the bird's leg and moved his water glass over to offer a drink to the travel-weary animal. Socrates gratefully accepted the refreshment as Trowa began opening the small parcel.
The box itself was wrapped in the plainest of brown paper, tied on with what appear to be twine string. Once the paper was removed it revealed an equally plain white box with a snug fitting lid. Trowa removed the lid and looked inside.
It was fascinating-- easily one of the most intriguing things Trowa had ever seen. In the box was a miniature replica of some kind of animal. Except it was an animal of which Trowa had never seen or heard.
It appeared to be some variety of cat. It had very sleek golden fur that appeared downy soft in surprising contrast to the rigid, stony material it was made of. The fur was speckled with dark grey spots, similar to that of a leopard. Its tail looked very much like that of a lion except that the tuft of fur at the end was the same dark grey as the spots on its fur. The mysterious feline's ears had an oval shape to them and appeared overly large for its head.
The cat's head is what really pulled Trowa's attention. Its basic features were much like that of a leopard, since they were much smaller and more delicate looking than that of a lion or panther. Its eyes shone a very vivid jungle green. The gleam in them made Trowa instinctively recognize this as a creature to be respected for its intellect and independence.
The former Gundam pilot couldn't control his urge to reach in and remove the enchanting animal from its confines.
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Duo knew he had made a mistake the very second he felt his stomach lurch, as if being pulled outside himself by some invisible force. He could feel Heero's hand on top of his own. That gave him a small amount of comfort as the room faded from view.
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Quatre stared at the exquisite replica of a unicorn inside the box. Its entire body shone like a well polished pearl. The pure white mane and tail seemed to ripple in the non-existant breeze. Its head was tucked in as if captured in the moment of bowing gracefully in greeting.
It seemed to call to Quatre to release it from its prison inside the small, consticted box. Quatre reached inside to lift the figurine out for a better look when he felt something pull from behind his bellybutton and the room around him seemed to dissolve.
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Disconcerted by the eerie feeling the miniature figure gave him, Wufei moved to return the lid to the box. However, Brutus chose that exact moment to launch a surprise attack, and flew at Wufei. His wings knocked the box from Wufei's hand and sent it, and the dragon, flying into the air.
"Damn bird! What is wrong with you, you psychotic excuse for an owl?!" Wufei roared in complete aggravation.
He caught the small figure just before it hit his head.
Suddenly he felt a tug inside his midsection and the area around him began to fade. The last thing he could see was what appeared to be a very satisfied smirk on Brutus' face.
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Trowa felt the pull on his navel immediately. The café faded from view. Socrates' comforting hoots echoed, as if coming from down a long hallway. Slowly the hoots faded away completely and there was nothing left for him to see or hear. And then just as everything was gone, it was back and Trowa landed with a thud on the floor.