Reha: You reviewed again! It's always good to have public approval, even if you're going on without it. I dunno about the shifting closer thing, it might be a sign of feelings, it might just be seeking comfort and reassurance. Who knows?
Avalan: -_-; Who cares.
*smack* Everyone but you!
scarlettrose12: Yay! Go people that review! I know I don't really count in that category unless I REALLY like what I'm reading, but that's beside the point. Go you!
Sailor Aurora Helios: Don't worry, Quatre is competent enough to take care of himself. ^__^. I still don't know about any pairings, I haven't written anything like it before but… who knows? I might, I might not. It all depends on my mood… which is right now rather manic… I tells ya, never read about three Hunter X Hunter manga in a row, it's bad for your sanity *twitches*
ShadowEyedCat: *ducks popcorn* Okies!
Argh! I forgot!
Disclaimer: I own nought but a computer which is clogged up anyway with Gravitation and Hunter X Hunter as well as endless picture files… so don't sue.
Trowa had his arm comfortingly around his friend's shoulder as he sat on his couch with a blanket around his shoulders sipping warm tea with shaking hands.
They both watched with glazed eyes as two police officers searched the room, and three paramedics looked after the unconscious body of the assassin.
"So he tried to strangle you after you came off the net?"
Quatre nodded slowly, his eyes lowered to his steaming mug.
"When you think about it, Heero saved my life. If he hadn't have gotten me off the web when he did, I wouldn't have been able to fight back… he would have caught me unaware…" Quatre's slight from shuddered slightly. "Now I'm indebted to two people…" He smiled bitterly.
"I turned around as soon as my sister screamed, and felt the wire go around my neck just moments before it tightened. Aria ran into the room and started hitting the man, and eventually, when my vision was starting to go grey, I managed to pick up a book from my desk, and I hit him in the face with it…" There was the smile again, never quite reaching his eyes. "Who would have known that biology could come in so handy?"
Trowa attempted a smile even as dread filled him. Heero had been right.
That was the second attempt on the Winner heir's life.
The door to Quatre study burst open, and a familiar tall man swept in.
"Quatre my boy! I heard! What happened?"
Treize. The man who was second only to Quatre's father, but not the one to inherit it all when he died. He was young, and obviously a money-grubbing worm, but undenyingly good at his job. With his slicked cinnamon hair and cunning blue eyes, he was popular around the office, but still thoroughly untrustworthy to Quatre. He could sense the resentment sizzling off him even as he hugged Quatre and claimed he was like a son to him.
Trowa was instantly suspicious. Going by what he had heard about his man from Quatre, he wasn't to be trusted. As far as he was concerned, he could very well be behind the attacks in an attempt to get at the Winner Empire.
"It's alright Treize, I'm fine now."
The policemen started protesting that he was destroying the crime scene, but Treize walked straight over and sat down on the couch next to the other two.
"And you must be?" Treize said, offering Trowa his hand.
"Trowa Barton. I'm Quatre's friend." He didn't take his hand, one firmly around Quatre's shoulders, and the other locked firmly between his knees.
"I see, well, you take good care of him now…"
Treize's phone rang, and he instantly fished it from his pocket.
"Hello? … yes, I'm already aware… I know it's not acceptable, tell him so… yes, of course, start preparing straight away." Treize closed his phone, and smiled thinly at the two.
"Work, you know? Well, I hope you can forgive me, but I really must get going."
Treize breezed to his feet, and walked straight across the crime scene to the door and out.
Ms. Une, who had been waiting outside the door, pulled in behind him.
"You realise you just walked straight…"
"Yes Une, I am well aware."
Ms. Une smiled slightly.
Trust Mr. Kushrenada to keep up appearances and tamper with the scene at the same time.
"So what will you do now?"
"Act like nothing ever happened. When things have cooled down, we'll go for the direct root of the problem."
"Yes sir."
*~*~*~*
Wufei sat at the back of the classroom, chewing on his pencil. History was as boring as ever, the teacher up front (Wufei hadn't even bothered to memorise her name) was still prattling on about a new project that was due in a few weeks, but it was to be done with a partner. With a grimace as the paint started coming off in his mouth, Wufei let off the pencil, and placed it at the front of his desk, trying to discretely deal with the chips left in his mouth.
His eyes straying around the classroom, Wufei saw that Duo, Quatre and Trowa look just as bored as he was. He could tell that Trowa and Quatre would be working together as Quatre clung to Trowa like white on rice and Trowa didn't really seem to mind, and Duo would probably manage to find himself a partner amongst the nerds. Thanks to the odd number in the class, Wufei would probably be given the option of going in a three, or doing the project alone, and he knew which one he would choose. It was always a resounding 'I'll work alone, thank you.'
When Mrs. What-his-face told everyone to pick a partner, Wufei kept his head down until a shadow was cast over his desk.
He looked up to see Duo standing there, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"Wufei? You wanna work together?"
Wufei blinked, surprised.
"Well, I was just thinking that since we work so well together on the site, that we might give it a bash here?" Duo nervously babbled, clutching a folder to his chest, and running a hand nervously through his long hair, held back in a plait.
"Alright."
"Really?!" Duo asked, seeming thrilled and barely containing a grin.
Wufei raised an eyebrow in the usual 'do you even have to ask?' fashion that he was known so well for a Shenlong.
Duo instantly plopped down at the desk next to him, and started discussing the presentation.
*~*~*~*
"I'm scared you guys. I don't like admitting it, but I'm definitely scared."
The five had picked a safer spot this time, in the lush main office of Duo and Wufei, something that could only be accessed by those that they invited in, or those that picked the lock. The office was large, with twin desks that Duo called 'power desks' because they were large and made of solid and well varnished wood. Just the type of thing bosses sat behind in big companies, and they even ran to large, plush black leather chairs as well. Needless to say, the two teenaged boys looked rather out of place behind them, even though they both seemed quite at home. There was a gigantic window taking up a whole wall of the office that looked out on their empire, as it truly was. Buildings and bustling streets stretched out as far as the eye could see, and each was a site hosted by the central tower in the middle, Duo and Wufei's office building. The city was done in an old empire style, with large gardens in-between the various sections, and whitewashed buildings with terracotta roof tiles, with the occasional add-vendor setting up brilliantly coloured stalls in the middle of the wide paved streets. This is not to say that the place was un-advanced, GOD sites allowed any sort of decoration and decor inside, so long as there was no graffiti on the outside of the buildings, and it was one of the most advanced hosts around.
The office had personal touches as well, with several pictures hung on the walls that were by no means professional office-type things, including framed and signed manga covers covers, and soccer posters, and even one of Bruce Lee.
"Okay, this is the way I see it." Duo said from behind his desk, leaning forward, elbows on the desk and knitting his delicate fingers in front of his face, "We already know that someone's trying to off Quatre. The question is; what do we do about it?"
There was silence as everyone mulled it over.
"Who is next in line for succession after yourself?" Heero asked from near the window where he had been soberly standing, staring out.
"Treize, probably." Quatre asked, slouching in his comparatively small chair facing the two desks.
"Would he ever do something like that?" Trowa asked from his chair, the twin to Quatre's and next to it.
Quatre frowned slightly. "It's possible. I've known Treize for as long as I can remember, but I don't think he's ever actually liked me. Treize was actually the heir before I was born, because my father had almost given up on having a son. But with my arrival, he was shoved out of the spotlight… I think he resented it, or at least I can feel it whenever I'm around him."
"What do you mean by 'feel it'?" Duo enquired, raising a barely visible thin white eyebrow.
Quatre failed miserably at trying not to blush, and looked down at his hands as he twisted them in his lap. "I just… feel it. I can feel other people's emotions… I go it from my mother." he finished quietly.
"Pay more attention to this ability of yours then." Wufei suggested in his usual practical tones. "If you sense anyone that feels any sort of negative feeling towards you, keep away from them." Wufei turned his head slightly to get Heero's opinion, his thick black hair, despite it's being tied back, falling over his right shoulder and draping on the desk, covering his hands like a glossy coat.
Heero nodded an affirmative. "We should all be careful though. If anyone else puts two and two together if one of us is around when another assassination attempt goes awry, then we might all be in trouble."
Everyone looked pale, but in turn, nodded.
*~*~*~*
Treize pulled out his phone, not looking up from his computer screen.
"Tell Trent to step up the operations. He boy's father is starting to annoy me."
Aargh! I'm an idiot! Please excuse me for my moment of insnity, and thanks to everyone for telling me so I don't look like a complete and utter numb-nuts. Gomen-nasai!!!!