Tapestry - Chapter 2
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
It was late afternoon, and Wufei was training again.
He had risen early that day – the twenty-seventh day of his confinement at the Luxemburg estate – and stretched with the sun. An hour of long, slow katas followed; his muscles tensed and rippled with the repetition of graceful movements, growing warm and supple as the sun rose in the sky. Focusing on balance and technique, the youth pushed his body to hold beautiful, impossible positions, appearing to balance on one foot while shifting his weight from side to side, hardly raising his heart rate or respiration. He would have continued practicing for at least another hour, but his time was cut short by a call to breakfast; with a sigh, he dropped his stance and left the small courtyard, hurrying inside to shower and change.
There had been no time to practice after breakfast, either. He had a short exam that morning on the philosophers of the ancient world, needed to read and work several tricky chemistry problems, and then had his usual appointment to try and kill Treize in the training room. All scheduled before lunch.
His exam and the chemistry problems had gone extremely well. Unfortunately, though, his dueling match had not. He lost – again.
Scowling at this latest memory, the teen let go a flurry of hard punches and chops, all aimed at the imaginary head and neck of his assailant. Each movement was a vicious attack; had any one connected, his foe would have been dead at his feet.
Shame and anger spurred him to increase his tempo, while the desire to keep his form pure and his stances clean forced him to maintain an even rhythm. Training was the only way he could simultaneously lose himself from the pain and the frustration of day to day life and hone his fighting skills. He had to keep training; he wanted to make sure that he was ready to kill Khushrenada when the opportunity presented itself. That, at least, had not changed.
Everything else in his life, though, had been turned upside down – but that's because I wanted my comrades free, he reminded himself, pausing in the middle of a particularly difficult set of movements. I only agreed to his conditions so that they would be free…
Well – so that most of them would be free; Sally Po was a totally different story. She wasn't free – but at least she would be where he could keep an eye on her. And in some ways, he found that more comforting than knowing the other gundam pilots were free.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
The sun dipped lower in the sky, creating long shadows across the courtyard. Wufei continued to practice, pushing himself to a slightly faster pace, his motions somewhat blurred. As with many other martial artists, Wufei also used his practice time as time for meditation and reflection; he pressed his body through automatic, learned movements, and allowed his mind to roam curiously free. It was during sessions like this that he was able to ruminate on the events of the last several weeks and how he came to be in such a strange situation.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
It had begun several days after his capture. They had been at dinner - which was yet another piece of weirdness, as Khushrenada apparently enjoyed dining with his prisoners. Or so it seemed to Wufei.
"Well, Wufei ...? Will you accept this proposition?"
The boy was silent for a moment, staring at Treize, trying to see through the harmless words to the veiled layers underneath.
"What do you intend to have me do?" he asked, suspicious. "Simply lounge around here like an idiot heir and fight you? I won't hurt anyone for you; I won't run any missions; I will not fight any of your battles, nor give you any information. I will do nothing to help your cause at all, and I will try to kill you, no matter how much you attempt to charm me." The boy narrowed his eyes and jutted his chin in the air, daring Treize to gainsay anything at all in his little speech.
Treize considered Wufei from under half-closed eyelids, a strange, small smile on his lips. "I would not ask you to run missions or hurt anyone - I would only ask that you keep your word."
"And my word would only involve not attempting to kill you out of turn and not leaving? That's all you want from me?"
Lowered lashes hid a sudden gleam in the older man's eyes as he smiled and replied, "Oh, yes, Wufei - that's all I want."
"And we would fight every day," the boy continued, a very strange look crossing his face as he regarded Treize. "Uninterrupted."
Treize nodded, watching Wufei's expression. "Absolutely. Uninterrupted. And we would continue to duel every day until you succeeded in killing me."
"...and that's all you want …." Clearly, Wufei did not believe him; it was much too simple a plan.
Shrugging, Treize repeated, "That's all I want, Wufei. I am willing to do something for you as a sign of good faith-"
"You have to want something more - that is ridiculous," sputtered Wufei, eyeing Treize, doubts and misgivings plainly written on his face.
Regarding him mildly, Treize replied, "As you say, Wufei. Eat your dinner ... it's getting cold."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Examining the problem from all sides, Wufei could find no hidden agenda, no flaw, nothing that would eventually come back and hit him in the face – and he could see only the benefit of dueling daily with the man who had murdered his wife. True, he had to give his word that he would not attempt to leave; but that was a minor inconvenience when coupled with the possibility of killing the leader of OZ.
Chang Wufei accepted Treize's proposition.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Several days later Wufei was walking in the eastern part of the mansion when a heavy bang, accompanied by a considerable amount of shouting and cursing, brought him to a dead stop. More shouting and louder cursing, together with sounds which could only have been caused by heavy rifle butts striking soft human tissue drifted toward him. Now intensely curious, Wufei turned and took several steps down the connecting hallway toward the source of the noise. What he saw caused his eyes to widen in horror and his indrawn breath to hiss between his teeth. The corridor was darkened; fading daylight illuminated only bare highlights and left most of the area in deep shadow, and Wufei was glad. Instinctively keeping to the shadows as he moved in the unfamiliar corridor, Wufei was rewarded with an unobstructed view of OZ's most recent acquisitions.
Three dirty, roughed-up gundam pilots – Quatre Winner, Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell – were being prodded and dragged gracelessly through the hallway in chains, Duo with his arms stretched and locked behind his back. Dried blood was caked on all their faces, but Duo was undoubtedly the worst; and as the strange procession shuffled closer to Wufei's place in the shadows, Heero's gaze unerringly found his.
Wufei needed no extrasensory powers to feel the outrage and contempt in Heero's stare. Traitor, he could almost hear him sneer. Walking around free while we're in chains. What did you trade for your freedom, traitor? Ours?
Meeting Heero's gaze with a minimum of flinching, Wufei realized that his retreat into the shadows of the hallway was fortuitous. As he watched his comrades being pushed and shoved toward the center of the mansion, he turned his head and saw Treize waiting for them at the end of the corridor – but this was a Treize he had never seen before. It certainly looked like the same man, but was not the same man who had been his sophisticated warder during the past ten days – or if it was, this was a side that was never presented to him.
Dressed in full military regalia, the leader of OZ stood directly in the path of the prisoners, unsmiling and severe, his gaze locked on the figures of the boys as they walked toward him. He seemed to swell and grow as Wufei watched him; Treize was a large man, Wufei knew, but now that he could compare him to others standing next to him, Wufei realized with a start how large Treize really was.
Many other people were behind him, as well – Wufei could make out several media reporters with hand held cameras, portable lights, recording devices – everything needed for a live broadcast.
And they're going to do that right now, Wufei realized as he slunk back farther into the gloom. Treize gestured to the prisoner's escort, motioning where he wanted them to stand as he turned to speak with one of the media interviewers, an air of regal detachment about him.
It would be prudent not to be seen right now. Even though he was also a prisoner, Wufei realized that Treize was not going to require him to appear with the other gundam pilots on the live broadcast. A large sense of relief, followed by a wave of guilt, washed over him. He should be with his comrades – should stand with them as they were put on display to the public at large – but …
As he was chewing that over in his mind, certain words and phrases from various conversations drifted toward him. Those words were so shocking that Wufei stopped completely in his tracks, his eyes large and staring as he strained to hear the voices.
" … huge operation … completely successful … Relena Peacecraft … another area of the mansion …. will get access to video her later …"
Wufei felt numb – Khushrenada has HER somewhere here, too? Determination tightened his jaw and narrowed his eyes as he looked at Treize. I will find and free Relena, he vowed, understanding he needed to do that before he attacked the problem of the other gundam pilots.
She must be free—
"… can't video Sally Po, though … military prisoner, badly injured … Colonel Une … wrapped that one in military secrecy … not until after the war crimes trial … "
His eyes widened in appalled astonishment. War crimes? What? Sally Po – a military prisoner?
Silently Wufei backed down the corridor, keeping to the shadows, and crept into the east wing of the mansion. His mind now focused on one thing, and one thing only – finding out as much as possible about the current situation and how he could help his friends and comrades escape. Just because he couldn't leave did not mean that they should not go free – his sense of honor demanded that he try to help them.
Unnoticed, Wufei strode into the nerve center of the east wing, his eyes sliding from side to side as he assessed the potential danger. From his perspective, it was a madhouse – people rushing about, firing off orders at each other, machines clicking and spitting out reports – and that was good, because controlled chaos worked in his favor. No one challenged Wufei's right to be in that section at all, as opposed to other, more "normal" days – which meant that he had free rein to do whatever he needed to do.
How pathetic. This security system is incredibly poor. And these people are so dense – they do not realize their own weakness. Good.
Slipping behind a terminal, Wufei scowled and hacked into the system right away, wasting no time. The information he sought was readily available; in fact, the bulk of the data was intact when he searched through the database. Squinting in concentration, the youth leaned close to the computer screen and began to read the confidential file in front of him.
What he found deepened the frown around his eyes.
It had been a new weapon that brought Shenlong down; at the time, firing that weapon at his gundam had been the test case. OZ used that same weapon on Sally Po's shuttle, to verify the results obtained from Shenlong – and then waited until the next gundam came along. This new weapon, in fact, was very much like a large electronic net; and everytime it was released and used, it was almost as if it "learned" from its previous mistakes. By the time it was released on Relena's craft, it had learned exactly how to bring down a crusier class space shuttle while keeping the crew from harm.
That wasn't good news at all. He would have to get this information to Dr. O as soon as he possibly could – but his first priority was to free those taken prisoner.
Wufei pursed his lips in thought, his eyes narrowing appreciably. And to do that, I know he'll demand that I trade something for them…
Resolved, the youth logged off the computer, pushed his chair back and marched out of the room.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"I would speak with you about today's activities."
Glaring, his head held high, Wufei stormed from the nerve center of the east wing directly to Treize's office, charging through a sea of lackeys and soldiers to stand in front of him, demanding his attention immediately.
"I see. Well, then … come into my office, Wufei – please." Treize ushered him in without another word, a serious expression on his face. Only his eyes showed his amusement and unguarded interest, taking in Wufei's agitated state in a glance.
"Today, three other gundam pilots and Relena Peacecraft were captured, as well as one Sally Po." Straight and to the point – Wufei saw no reason to prolong any conversation of this type with the man. It was uncomfortable enough simply being near him.
A tiny smile quirked the corners of his mouth as Treize regarded him, his eyelids lowering. "Your information is correct. The three pilots were captured today, as well as Relena Peacecraft; however, Sally Po was captured several days ago."
There was no appreciable change in Wufei's expression, but his body seemed to stiffen and his gaze grew hard as he absorbed that information. "What will it take, as per our previous conversation, to gain their release?"
Treize's eyebrows shot up; apparently, it was possible to surprise him. "Bargain for ALL of them?"
"Is it possible to bargain for all of them?" Wufei snapped quickly, not wanting to let this opportunity go by. After all … if he could bargain for ALL of them at the same time … He stared back at Treize, his expression flat and unreadable.
Now Treize looked at Wufei a long moment, his gaze hooded behind thick lashes. "It is possible," he acknowledged slowly. "But it will take some extra effort on your part."
"Very well. Tell me what, and we'll bargain."
Treize took another long look at the young man in front of him, taking him in from the top of his head to the tips of his shoes. "All right, Wufei. I will need some time to decide what to do – I should have an answer for you by dinner."
"That is acceptable," the youth said, walking across the room. "I will be waiting." And without another word he left – pushing his way imperiously past the lackeys and soldiers again, earning himself some very hard looks from the Elite guard outside Treize's office.
The last rays of early evening sunlight shone through the single office window, gently highlighting the room with a warm, comforting bronze glow. In contrast, Treize's expression as he watched Wufei stalk out of the room was nothing less than predatory.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
He remembered what happened when he bargained for his comrades' freedom. Wufei firmly believed that Khushrenada was mad, but now realized there was more than simple insanity at work behind the man's eyes. At times, the way the general looked at Wufei confused him and sent chills up his spine … no one had ever looked at him in quite that way before …
Scowling in concentration, Wufei slashed the air, a rapid sequence of kicks and punches claiming his body's attention while his mind puzzled again the odd bargains he had made.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"I've been considering your request, Wufei … and have come to several conclusions. I believe we will be able to come to an agreement."
They were sitting in the formal dining room, waiting to start dinner. All the servants had come and gone; there were steaming plates of Mandarin delicacies on the table, waiting for someone to serve them.
Wufei leaned forward slightly in his chair, his gaze intense, locked on the man to his left.
"That, in fact, was the main piece I needed to consider," Treize continued, serving Wufei from one of the platters and then serving himself. "If there was any doubt in my mind as to whether I would actually be able to deliver what I promised to you, then I would have rejected this out of hand."
Wufei looked at Treize with an incredulous expression, his eyebrows lifted. He still had a difficult time believing that Treize kept his word; however, in the time that he had known the man, he had always kept his word. It was an odd feeling, though - the boy believed that only honorable men were concerned with their end of any bargin. Because Khushrenada was concerned with keeping his word and because he had never broken that trust with Wufei, then logically that meant that Khushrenada had to be …
No. That thought was pushed away rather quickly by the youth; he was not going to be distracted at this point by unexplained, surprising behavior on the part of his wife's killer. Keeping his face an expressionless mask, Wufei nodded politely and waited for Treize to continue.
"So – let us begin. Currently, the gundam pilots – Winner, Yuy and Maxwell – are my guests here, as well as Relena Peacecraft. You also indicated you were interested in the rebel leader, Sally Po."
Wufei nodded once, acknowledging Treize's statement.
"Very well – then let us start with one of the gundam pilots – Quatre Winner. He is, I believe, the only heir to the Winner mining corporation …."
"Hai," Wufei grunted, continuing to watch him carefully.
"…and as such, does have an extremely responsible position to maintain." Drawing his eyebrows together in a frown, Treize looked sternly at Wufei. "He is not someone who should be running around, terrorizing civilians in a mobile suit. He has responsibilities – there are millions of people who depend upon the businesses that the Winner family control for their livelihoods. Should their mines close for any reason, it will not simply be a temporary inconvenience – there will be a major economic crisis in the colonies."
"Stop preaching to me, Khushrenada. Tell me what you want and get it over with." Wufei stared calmly at the older man as he served himself from the surrounding dishes. Make this look as normal as possible. However, he was prepared; should the madman demand anything too bizarre, Wufei was ready NOT to react. That, after all, was what this man wanted, wasn't it? To rattle him … keep him off balance … so that he would be forced to reveal ... something ... to get whatever it was he wanted …
Treize looked back just as calmly. "I am proposing to give this young man a second chance – with no prison time at all."
Wufei's eyes widened a scant millimeter – difficult to see, but definitely there. "Very well. And what are you demanding in return?"
"What I want in return, Wufei, is something very, very, simple." Looking directly into the boy's eyes, Treize said, "Simple. Basic. Manners. From you."
Wufei blinked.
" …. Huh?" he choked out, staring at Treize stupidly.
Gazing steadily at Wufei, the commander of OZ said, his voice low, "And you will start by using my given name instead of my surname. My name is Treize. That is the name I expect to hear you call me from now on."
The boy sat in his chair, his meal forgotten, staring at Treize, his jaw slack. " … you … you want me to call you T … Treize?" As he stared at the older man on his left, it was becoming clearer to Wufei by the moment that he really, truly did NOT understand Khushrenada at all.
That was a new and frustrating experience. Wufei prided himself on his ability to read people quickly, sum up their intentions – good or evil – and categorize them based on those ideas. Khushrenada, by virtue of several of his actions – most notably this last one – had neatly put himself outside of the realm of Wufei's understanding.
Giving him a level stare, Treize nodded. "Yes. I want you to call me Treize – and I want you to start practicing basic manners as well."
"What manners are those?" Wufei asked, suspicious.
Treize raised one forked eyebrow at him. "Manners are simply rules of conduct people use in various social situations. I will teach you those I wish you to observe on a regular basis."
"I know what manners are," Wufei snapped, peevish, sure there was some type of trick behind Treize's words. "But WHAT manners are you talking about?"
A small smile of amusement quirked Treize's mouth. "The way in which you speak to people. The way in which you enter and leave a room. The way in which you conduct yourself with acquaintances and such. The way you present yourself to strangers." Shrugging, Treize continued, "There are myriad social situations for us to consider. That is my price for Quatre Winner's freedom. Do you accept?"
Wufei frowned, thinking. There must be a trick – this is WAY too simple. He turned the idea over and over in his mind, and could find nothing evil about Treize's request at all – which was completely confusing.
Carefully, Wufei nodded. "I accept."
"Very well. Then I will set Winner free tonight."
" …. you trust me?" Wufei blurted, incredulous, staring at Treize.
"Yes, Wufei. I trust you. You have given me your word that you would not attack me at any time other than when we dueled – and you have kept your word. Accepting the terms of Winner's release means that you are now willing to learn basic manners."
"Okay," Wufei responded, giving Treize a strange look. This is just so … surreal... "You trust me. How do I know that I can trust you?"
"A fair question." Nodding, Treize considered him for a moment before responding. "We have not yet discussed Ms. Po, the rebel leader. I would be interested, Wufei, to learn of your connection with her. Your interest in the others that were captured is fairly obvious – but not so with Ms. Po."
Wufei continued to stare at him, saying nothing, his face an expressionless blank. "Is that part of the price?"
"No, Wufei. I was merely curious."
Well, you can damn well keep BEING curious, because I'm certainly not going to tell you a fucking thing.
Treize's eyebrow raised as if he had heard Wufei's caustic thought. "At any rate – because of the seriousness of her crimes – I'm afraid I cannot offer Ms. Po her freedom. However, what I can offer her is a respite from prison. Something more palatable than living out the rest of her life in a prison cell."
Wufei looked at him, willing him to continue.
"I propose to bring her here, so that she would be near you. She would be under my protection."
"And the price?" Wufei asked. His mind raced ahead; when she was well, he might be able to get her out …
"No price, Wufei. It is my goodwill gesture to you. I promise – on my honor – that I will bring Ms. Po here, and that she will be permitted to stay here indefinitely. There will be no jail time for her. She will not suffer any penalty for her crimes in that manner."
"She will not have her freedom," Wufei pointed out.
"No, she will not." A small smile crossed Treize's face as he said lightly, "I had a very difficult time persuading Lady Une to drop the charges against her today."
Blinking again, Wufei stammered, "You … you did that?"
"Of course," Treize responded with a nod. "You knew, of course, that the courts were going to try her as a war criminal? However, since it did not appear that her crimes were on the same level as the gundam creators, I was able to have the charges dropped with one proviso – that she will be released into my custody, and will live with me while she pays her debt to society…." Giving him a small, significant look, Treize finished, "…as you are."
The gundam creators? Does he mean Dr. O? Slightly pale, Wufei looked at him and nodded, not really hearing the last part of his statement. "I … understand."
"Poor thing had quite a shock, I'm afraid. She was badly injured in a shuttle accident, but has been recovering nicely and will be sent here tomorrow to continue her recovery." Treize leaned forward a little, watching Wufei's reactions. "You must understand, Wufei, that she will be unconscious for quite some time. The doctors feel that make be several weeks. She will recover – but slowly."
Wufei was still trying to assimilate the news about the gundam doctors. Did they capture Dr. O? Should I try to contact him? Realizing that Treize was watching him, though, helped Wufei to haul his attention back to the present and the conversation about Sally Po.
"I hope this is acceptable to you, Wufei."
"Hai," the boy whispered, looking down at his plate. He felt a slight pressure to tell Treize why he wanted Sally Po with him – but that passed rather quickly, and he was left sitting in silence, looking at his tea and hoping that he didn't just agree to anything stupid.
"This now leaves us with the problems of Maxwell and Yuy. These two are difficult for, as with Ms. Po, people view them as renegades." Shaking his head slightly in reproof, Treize snorted. "Gundam pilots, both of them. Irrepairable. Unfixable. Unfit to join human society."
"You're crooked enough. You can figure a way," Wufei said, looking at him, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. There was no malice or forethought in that thought, either – it was simply the way the boy's mind worked. When presented with a problem, he said what he felt was obvious and tried to use all the tools at hand to solve the problem.
"I would appreciate your NOT saying things like that in my presence," Treize said dryly.
Wufei started back at him, uncowed. "Fine. Then I won't be honest," he shrugged.
Evenly, Treize said, "Wufei. Considering what you just agreed to do, I think that you need to reconsider your attitude." His words were mild, but his gaze was anything but as he looked at the teenager.
Wufei shot a sulky glare in Treize's direction. "If you prefer that I lie to you – and that's what you believe 'manners' are – then I will do it." Dropping his gaze to his plate, Wufei shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glowering.
With a sigh, Treize tilted his head to the side and gave the boy a long look. "Wufei. Manners are a codified set of rules that society uses to make things run smoother. 'Insulting' someone can include showing things to them in an unflattering light, or being intentionally rude while hiding behind the façade of, 'but I'm only speaking the truth.'"
A short silence ensured while the teenager digested that bit of information. "All right," he finally said, looking up, "I'm sorry. Please go on."
Slightly mollified, Treize looked at him another moment, then continued. "What I was saying is that I must come up with a creative approach in order to give the other gundam pilots their freedom."
Pursing his lips thoughtfully, Wufei asked, "Am I allowed to speak now?"
Treize nodded at him. "Of course."
"Allow them to escape."
An odd gleam shone in the older man's eyes as he looked at Wufei. "An interesting idea. Please – continue."
"It's the only answer that makes sense," the boy said, shrugging as if there was nothing odd about his suggesting how his comrades would be set free. "The public would believe it. They're 'gundam pilots.' And if you make sure that YOUR men don't screw up, your end of the deal is fulfilled."
"Creative … original … " Treize murmured, nodding his head slowly. "And an idea, I believe, that will prove to be workable."
Raising his chin at his captor, Wufei narrowed his eyes and demanded, "Now – what's my end? What do you want?"
"You realize there will be a price for each person involved—"
Snorting, Wufei shook his head at Treize. "I am aware. Or I wouldn't have offered." Just get on with it and tell me what you want.
"Very well, then," Treize said, leaning toward Wufei and watching the boy's expression. "Yuy will escape first. For this, I will expect that any and all information leaks from my establishment will dry up immediately. And Wufei," he continued, a cold smile on his lips, "by 'my' establishment, I mean from any location I frequent to which you would have access. Do you agree?"
Shit. Immediately, Wufei's mind wrapped around the idea, poking and prodding it for any holes he could to continue to gather information – but he couldn't see any way around it. From Wufei's point of view, he had given his word previously that he would give his word – so … there could be no arguments.
"Yes," he replied, his voice heavy, "I agree."
Treize nodded, accepting his agreement. "Very good, Wufei. Therefore, we can go on to number two – Duo Maxwell. Maxwell will escape the day after Yuy."
"Hai," Wufei said automatically, still trying to think of a way to pass information out of the complex without compromising his word.
"In exchange for Maxwell's freedom, I expect you to place yourself in my hands for some intensive education, including reading and discussing any number of books from my personal library."
For the second time that day, Wufei looked at the older man stupidly. "….huh?" he croaked, his mouth open. "Education?" With the look Wufei gave him, the leader of OZ might have been speaking Martian for all he knew.
Smiling faintly, Treize confirmed, "Yes, Wufei – education. You need form and structure in your life right now –"
Interrupting, Wufei blurted out, "…what are you talking about – education?" His mind was churning as he considered this incredibly odd demand. Education? That's not evil at ALL …
With a patient sigh, Treize asked, "Wufei. Did you believe that your education stopped the moment you left your colony? That there was nothing else for you to learn about the universe? Do you know everything there is to know?" Eyeing him, Treize asked dryly, "Are you God?"
"I .. I gave it up. I never assumed anything of the sort."
"I see," Treize replied, looking at the closed, tight expression in Wufei's eyes. "Then – if you want Maxwell to go free – you will need to start learning again."
A stubborn, angry look crossed the teen's face as he considered Treize's proposition. His gaze fixed on his plate, Wufei exhaled slowly and rubbed the side of his head. "Just … 'education.' Nothing more. Nothing that would involve harming anyone, or giving you information."
"Just 'education.' Nothing else, Wufei. Do you accept?"
For Maxwell …. "Yes. I accept."
Treize settled back in his chair; the hint of a smile was around his lips, but his eyes were … gleaming. "Very well, Wufei. That leaves us with … Relena Peacecraft."
Wufei inhaled slowly. Dark eyes regarded Treize warily as he straightened his back and tightened his lips. Slowly … and be careful …. He knew the other agreements would pale in comparison to this one. But I'm ready for you …
"Her people are at war with OZ, you know. That makes this situation rather tricky."
"You mean you are at war with her. Her people are pacifists." Wufei spit the last word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth, glaring at Treize.
Treize raised an eyebrow in Wufei's direction. "Indeed. Then they are pacifists with guns, Wufei. At any rate – it will be possible to release her. I have made the necessary contacts, and I do have a way to take her back to her people." Settling farther back in his chair, Treize watched the boy, steepling his fingers together. "Should you agree to the terms, of course."
"What do you want?" the boy snapped, his glare becoming more intense. What else could he want?
"She will go free, Wufei," Treize said softly, never taking his gaze from Wufei's face, "if you agree to tell me everything you're thinking whenever I ask you to."
The teen stared at Treize for several moments, blank incomprehension on his face. "If I agree to … what?"
Treize said nothing; he simply watched as Wufei processed his request. A slight smile played around his mouth as he saw Wufei's eyes widen.
Ah, yes – he understands now
"You … what?" the boy said hoarsely, staring directly at Treize. This can't be true … he can't really mean that …
Patiently, Treize repeated, "All you need to do is to agree to tell me everything you're thinking whenever I ask you to."
Wufei's expression was heading into complete horror. "But I .. I can't do that … you will accept nothing else?"
"I'm sorry, Wufei.," Treize said, shaking his head, keeping his gaze fixed on the boy to his right. "Those are my terms. It hurts no one."
Swallowing, Wufei said, "..that's true – it hurts no one … " But … it's so HORRIBLE … Closing his eyes for a moment, Wufei imagined himself telling Treize what he was thinking; his heart pounding, Wufei opened his eyes again and looked directly at Treize.
This is for Relena ... she must be free ... the world needs Relena free ...
Wufei's mournful eyes regarded Treize for a moment before he spoke. "All right," he said, his voice husky and rough. "I agree. You have my word." The boy looked down at his plate and shook his head, more in disbelief at himself than anything else.
Treize inclined his head in acceptance. "Very well, Wufei. Ms. Peacecraft will go free as soon as I can get her out of the house." A small, triumphant gleam sparkled in Treize's blue eyes for a moment as he looked at Wufei's bent head; it was quickly extinguished and replaced with an expression of mild concern as Wufei raised his chin to look at Treize, blinking.
The more Wufei considered the implications of those simple words, the colder the pit of his stomach felt. His face pale, Wufei looked at Treize with a guarded expression of dismay. He wasn't sure what the feeling was that crept from his head through his bones – but it was one that left him feeling used, violated .. and alone. As if … as if in some way he had just bargained away his soul …
Ridiculous, he immediately thought, pushing that feeling to the back of his mind. I agreed so that my comrades could go free … so that Relena could be free. There was no other choice to make …
That was cold comfort as he stared at his plate, thinking about everything he had agreed to do.
"Wufei," Treize said gently, breaking into his thoughts, his tone slightly disapproving. "You haven't touched your dinner."
Stricken, Wufei raised his dark gaze to the general's.
"Eat something, Wufei," Treize murmured, supportive and comforting. "Please."
"Do I have to? Is that part of the bargain, too?" Unaware of the plaintive note that crept into his voice, Wufei sighed and looked at his plate, hoping in some way that the food would start disappearing on its own.
"Yes, Wufei," Treize replied, his voice gentle. "That is part of it, too. I will not permit you to starve yourself – or harm yourself in any way. You need to eat."
Miserably, Wufei looked up at Treize; he nodded mutely, took his silverware in hand and started poking at the food, looking down at his plate again. Clearly, he was more comfortable when NOT looking Treize.
"Very good, Wufei … now eat the food."
Sighing, the adolescent pushed his food around a little more, put some on his fork and ate a bite. A slightly pouty look was on his face as he ate; he was clearly embarrassed about the entire situation, as his face had turned the color of ripe apples in the fall.
Another triumphant gleam shone in Treize's gaze as he relaxed at the table, watching Wufei. Soon …
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
It was late afternoon, and Wufei was training again.
He had risen early that day – the twenty-seventh day of his confinement at the Luxemburg estate – and stretched with the sun. An hour of long, slow katas followed; his muscles tensed and rippled with the repetition of graceful movements, growing warm and supple as the sun rose in the sky. Focusing on balance and technique, the youth pushed his body to hold beautiful, impossible positions, appearing to balance on one foot while shifting his weight from side to side, hardly raising his heart rate or respiration. He would have continued practicing for at least another hour, but his time was cut short by a call to breakfast; with a sigh, he dropped his stance and left the small courtyard, hurrying inside to shower and change.
There had been no time to practice after breakfast, either. He had a short exam that morning on the philosophers of the ancient world, needed to read and work several tricky chemistry problems, and then had his usual appointment to try and kill Treize in the training room. All scheduled before lunch.
His exam and the chemistry problems had gone extremely well. Unfortunately, though, his dueling match had not. He lost – again.
Scowling at this latest memory, the teen let go a flurry of hard punches and chops, all aimed at the imaginary head and neck of his assailant. Each movement was a vicious attack; had any one connected, his foe would have been dead at his feet.
Shame and anger spurred him to increase his tempo, while the desire to keep his form pure and his stances clean forced him to maintain an even rhythm. Training was the only way he could simultaneously lose himself from the pain and the frustration of day to day life and hone his fighting skills. He had to keep training; he wanted to make sure that he was ready to kill Khushrenada when the opportunity presented itself. That, at least, had not changed.
Everything else in his life, though, had been turned upside down – but that's because I wanted my comrades free, he reminded himself, pausing in the middle of a particularly difficult set of movements. I only agreed to his conditions so that they would be free…
Well – so that most of them would be free; Sally Po was a totally different story. She wasn't free – but at least she would be where he could keep an eye on her. And in some ways, he found that more comforting than knowing the other gundam pilots were free.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
The sun dipped lower in the sky, creating long shadows across the courtyard. Wufei continued to practice, pushing himself to a slightly faster pace, his motions somewhat blurred. As with many other martial artists, Wufei also used his practice time as time for meditation and reflection; he pressed his body through automatic, learned movements, and allowed his mind to roam curiously free. It was during sessions like this that he was able to ruminate on the events of the last several weeks and how he came to be in such a strange situation.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
It had begun several days after his capture. They had been at dinner - which was yet another piece of weirdness, as Khushrenada apparently enjoyed dining with his prisoners. Or so it seemed to Wufei.
"Well, Wufei ...? Will you accept this proposition?"
The boy was silent for a moment, staring at Treize, trying to see through the harmless words to the veiled layers underneath.
"What do you intend to have me do?" he asked, suspicious. "Simply lounge around here like an idiot heir and fight you? I won't hurt anyone for you; I won't run any missions; I will not fight any of your battles, nor give you any information. I will do nothing to help your cause at all, and I will try to kill you, no matter how much you attempt to charm me." The boy narrowed his eyes and jutted his chin in the air, daring Treize to gainsay anything at all in his little speech.
Treize considered Wufei from under half-closed eyelids, a strange, small smile on his lips. "I would not ask you to run missions or hurt anyone - I would only ask that you keep your word."
"And my word would only involve not attempting to kill you out of turn and not leaving? That's all you want from me?"
Lowered lashes hid a sudden gleam in the older man's eyes as he smiled and replied, "Oh, yes, Wufei - that's all I want."
"And we would fight every day," the boy continued, a very strange look crossing his face as he regarded Treize. "Uninterrupted."
Treize nodded, watching Wufei's expression. "Absolutely. Uninterrupted. And we would continue to duel every day until you succeeded in killing me."
"...and that's all you want …." Clearly, Wufei did not believe him; it was much too simple a plan.
Shrugging, Treize repeated, "That's all I want, Wufei. I am willing to do something for you as a sign of good faith-"
"You have to want something more - that is ridiculous," sputtered Wufei, eyeing Treize, doubts and misgivings plainly written on his face.
Regarding him mildly, Treize replied, "As you say, Wufei. Eat your dinner ... it's getting cold."
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Examining the problem from all sides, Wufei could find no hidden agenda, no flaw, nothing that would eventually come back and hit him in the face – and he could see only the benefit of dueling daily with the man who had murdered his wife. True, he had to give his word that he would not attempt to leave; but that was a minor inconvenience when coupled with the possibility of killing the leader of OZ.
Chang Wufei accepted Treize's proposition.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Several days later Wufei was walking in the eastern part of the mansion when a heavy bang, accompanied by a considerable amount of shouting and cursing, brought him to a dead stop. More shouting and louder cursing, together with sounds which could only have been caused by heavy rifle butts striking soft human tissue drifted toward him. Now intensely curious, Wufei turned and took several steps down the connecting hallway toward the source of the noise. What he saw caused his eyes to widen in horror and his indrawn breath to hiss between his teeth. The corridor was darkened; fading daylight illuminated only bare highlights and left most of the area in deep shadow, and Wufei was glad. Instinctively keeping to the shadows as he moved in the unfamiliar corridor, Wufei was rewarded with an unobstructed view of OZ's most recent acquisitions.
Three dirty, roughed-up gundam pilots – Quatre Winner, Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell – were being prodded and dragged gracelessly through the hallway in chains, Duo with his arms stretched and locked behind his back. Dried blood was caked on all their faces, but Duo was undoubtedly the worst; and as the strange procession shuffled closer to Wufei's place in the shadows, Heero's gaze unerringly found his.
Wufei needed no extrasensory powers to feel the outrage and contempt in Heero's stare. Traitor, he could almost hear him sneer. Walking around free while we're in chains. What did you trade for your freedom, traitor? Ours?
Meeting Heero's gaze with a minimum of flinching, Wufei realized that his retreat into the shadows of the hallway was fortuitous. As he watched his comrades being pushed and shoved toward the center of the mansion, he turned his head and saw Treize waiting for them at the end of the corridor – but this was a Treize he had never seen before. It certainly looked like the same man, but was not the same man who had been his sophisticated warder during the past ten days – or if it was, this was a side that was never presented to him.
Dressed in full military regalia, the leader of OZ stood directly in the path of the prisoners, unsmiling and severe, his gaze locked on the figures of the boys as they walked toward him. He seemed to swell and grow as Wufei watched him; Treize was a large man, Wufei knew, but now that he could compare him to others standing next to him, Wufei realized with a start how large Treize really was.
Many other people were behind him, as well – Wufei could make out several media reporters with hand held cameras, portable lights, recording devices – everything needed for a live broadcast.
And they're going to do that right now, Wufei realized as he slunk back farther into the gloom. Treize gestured to the prisoner's escort, motioning where he wanted them to stand as he turned to speak with one of the media interviewers, an air of regal detachment about him.
It would be prudent not to be seen right now. Even though he was also a prisoner, Wufei realized that Treize was not going to require him to appear with the other gundam pilots on the live broadcast. A large sense of relief, followed by a wave of guilt, washed over him. He should be with his comrades – should stand with them as they were put on display to the public at large – but …
As he was chewing that over in his mind, certain words and phrases from various conversations drifted toward him. Those words were so shocking that Wufei stopped completely in his tracks, his eyes large and staring as he strained to hear the voices.
" … huge operation … completely successful … Relena Peacecraft … another area of the mansion …. will get access to video her later …"
Wufei felt numb – Khushrenada has HER somewhere here, too? Determination tightened his jaw and narrowed his eyes as he looked at Treize. I will find and free Relena, he vowed, understanding he needed to do that before he attacked the problem of the other gundam pilots.
She must be free—
"… can't video Sally Po, though … military prisoner, badly injured … Colonel Une … wrapped that one in military secrecy … not until after the war crimes trial … "
His eyes widened in appalled astonishment. War crimes? What? Sally Po – a military prisoner?
Silently Wufei backed down the corridor, keeping to the shadows, and crept into the east wing of the mansion. His mind now focused on one thing, and one thing only – finding out as much as possible about the current situation and how he could help his friends and comrades escape. Just because he couldn't leave did not mean that they should not go free – his sense of honor demanded that he try to help them.
Unnoticed, Wufei strode into the nerve center of the east wing, his eyes sliding from side to side as he assessed the potential danger. From his perspective, it was a madhouse – people rushing about, firing off orders at each other, machines clicking and spitting out reports – and that was good, because controlled chaos worked in his favor. No one challenged Wufei's right to be in that section at all, as opposed to other, more "normal" days – which meant that he had free rein to do whatever he needed to do.
How pathetic. This security system is incredibly poor. And these people are so dense – they do not realize their own weakness. Good.
Slipping behind a terminal, Wufei scowled and hacked into the system right away, wasting no time. The information he sought was readily available; in fact, the bulk of the data was intact when he searched through the database. Squinting in concentration, the youth leaned close to the computer screen and began to read the confidential file in front of him.
What he found deepened the frown around his eyes.
It had been a new weapon that brought Shenlong down; at the time, firing that weapon at his gundam had been the test case. OZ used that same weapon on Sally Po's shuttle, to verify the results obtained from Shenlong – and then waited until the next gundam came along. This new weapon, in fact, was very much like a large electronic net; and everytime it was released and used, it was almost as if it "learned" from its previous mistakes. By the time it was released on Relena's craft, it had learned exactly how to bring down a crusier class space shuttle while keeping the crew from harm.
That wasn't good news at all. He would have to get this information to Dr. O as soon as he possibly could – but his first priority was to free those taken prisoner.
Wufei pursed his lips in thought, his eyes narrowing appreciably. And to do that, I know he'll demand that I trade something for them…
Resolved, the youth logged off the computer, pushed his chair back and marched out of the room.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"I would speak with you about today's activities."
Glaring, his head held high, Wufei stormed from the nerve center of the east wing directly to Treize's office, charging through a sea of lackeys and soldiers to stand in front of him, demanding his attention immediately.
"I see. Well, then … come into my office, Wufei – please." Treize ushered him in without another word, a serious expression on his face. Only his eyes showed his amusement and unguarded interest, taking in Wufei's agitated state in a glance.
"Today, three other gundam pilots and Relena Peacecraft were captured, as well as one Sally Po." Straight and to the point – Wufei saw no reason to prolong any conversation of this type with the man. It was uncomfortable enough simply being near him.
A tiny smile quirked the corners of his mouth as Treize regarded him, his eyelids lowering. "Your information is correct. The three pilots were captured today, as well as Relena Peacecraft; however, Sally Po was captured several days ago."
There was no appreciable change in Wufei's expression, but his body seemed to stiffen and his gaze grew hard as he absorbed that information. "What will it take, as per our previous conversation, to gain their release?"
Treize's eyebrows shot up; apparently, it was possible to surprise him. "Bargain for ALL of them?"
"Is it possible to bargain for all of them?" Wufei snapped quickly, not wanting to let this opportunity go by. After all … if he could bargain for ALL of them at the same time … He stared back at Treize, his expression flat and unreadable.
Now Treize looked at Wufei a long moment, his gaze hooded behind thick lashes. "It is possible," he acknowledged slowly. "But it will take some extra effort on your part."
"Very well. Tell me what, and we'll bargain."
Treize took another long look at the young man in front of him, taking him in from the top of his head to the tips of his shoes. "All right, Wufei. I will need some time to decide what to do – I should have an answer for you by dinner."
"That is acceptable," the youth said, walking across the room. "I will be waiting." And without another word he left – pushing his way imperiously past the lackeys and soldiers again, earning himself some very hard looks from the Elite guard outside Treize's office.
The last rays of early evening sunlight shone through the single office window, gently highlighting the room with a warm, comforting bronze glow. In contrast, Treize's expression as he watched Wufei stalk out of the room was nothing less than predatory.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
He remembered what happened when he bargained for his comrades' freedom. Wufei firmly believed that Khushrenada was mad, but now realized there was more than simple insanity at work behind the man's eyes. At times, the way the general looked at Wufei confused him and sent chills up his spine … no one had ever looked at him in quite that way before …
Scowling in concentration, Wufei slashed the air, a rapid sequence of kicks and punches claiming his body's attention while his mind puzzled again the odd bargains he had made.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
"I've been considering your request, Wufei … and have come to several conclusions. I believe we will be able to come to an agreement."
They were sitting in the formal dining room, waiting to start dinner. All the servants had come and gone; there were steaming plates of Mandarin delicacies on the table, waiting for someone to serve them.
Wufei leaned forward slightly in his chair, his gaze intense, locked on the man to his left.
"That, in fact, was the main piece I needed to consider," Treize continued, serving Wufei from one of the platters and then serving himself. "If there was any doubt in my mind as to whether I would actually be able to deliver what I promised to you, then I would have rejected this out of hand."
Wufei looked at Treize with an incredulous expression, his eyebrows lifted. He still had a difficult time believing that Treize kept his word; however, in the time that he had known the man, he had always kept his word. It was an odd feeling, though - the boy believed that only honorable men were concerned with their end of any bargin. Because Khushrenada was concerned with keeping his word and because he had never broken that trust with Wufei, then logically that meant that Khushrenada had to be …
No. That thought was pushed away rather quickly by the youth; he was not going to be distracted at this point by unexplained, surprising behavior on the part of his wife's killer. Keeping his face an expressionless mask, Wufei nodded politely and waited for Treize to continue.
"So – let us begin. Currently, the gundam pilots – Winner, Yuy and Maxwell – are my guests here, as well as Relena Peacecraft. You also indicated you were interested in the rebel leader, Sally Po."
Wufei nodded once, acknowledging Treize's statement.
"Very well – then let us start with one of the gundam pilots – Quatre Winner. He is, I believe, the only heir to the Winner mining corporation …."
"Hai," Wufei grunted, continuing to watch him carefully.
"…and as such, does have an extremely responsible position to maintain." Drawing his eyebrows together in a frown, Treize looked sternly at Wufei. "He is not someone who should be running around, terrorizing civilians in a mobile suit. He has responsibilities – there are millions of people who depend upon the businesses that the Winner family control for their livelihoods. Should their mines close for any reason, it will not simply be a temporary inconvenience – there will be a major economic crisis in the colonies."
"Stop preaching to me, Khushrenada. Tell me what you want and get it over with." Wufei stared calmly at the older man as he served himself from the surrounding dishes. Make this look as normal as possible. However, he was prepared; should the madman demand anything too bizarre, Wufei was ready NOT to react. That, after all, was what this man wanted, wasn't it? To rattle him … keep him off balance … so that he would be forced to reveal ... something ... to get whatever it was he wanted …
Treize looked back just as calmly. "I am proposing to give this young man a second chance – with no prison time at all."
Wufei's eyes widened a scant millimeter – difficult to see, but definitely there. "Very well. And what are you demanding in return?"
"What I want in return, Wufei, is something very, very, simple." Looking directly into the boy's eyes, Treize said, "Simple. Basic. Manners. From you."
Wufei blinked.
" …. Huh?" he choked out, staring at Treize stupidly.
Gazing steadily at Wufei, the commander of OZ said, his voice low, "And you will start by using my given name instead of my surname. My name is Treize. That is the name I expect to hear you call me from now on."
The boy sat in his chair, his meal forgotten, staring at Treize, his jaw slack. " … you … you want me to call you T … Treize?" As he stared at the older man on his left, it was becoming clearer to Wufei by the moment that he really, truly did NOT understand Khushrenada at all.
That was a new and frustrating experience. Wufei prided himself on his ability to read people quickly, sum up their intentions – good or evil – and categorize them based on those ideas. Khushrenada, by virtue of several of his actions – most notably this last one – had neatly put himself outside of the realm of Wufei's understanding.
Giving him a level stare, Treize nodded. "Yes. I want you to call me Treize – and I want you to start practicing basic manners as well."
"What manners are those?" Wufei asked, suspicious.
Treize raised one forked eyebrow at him. "Manners are simply rules of conduct people use in various social situations. I will teach you those I wish you to observe on a regular basis."
"I know what manners are," Wufei snapped, peevish, sure there was some type of trick behind Treize's words. "But WHAT manners are you talking about?"
A small smile of amusement quirked Treize's mouth. "The way in which you speak to people. The way in which you enter and leave a room. The way in which you conduct yourself with acquaintances and such. The way you present yourself to strangers." Shrugging, Treize continued, "There are myriad social situations for us to consider. That is my price for Quatre Winner's freedom. Do you accept?"
Wufei frowned, thinking. There must be a trick – this is WAY too simple. He turned the idea over and over in his mind, and could find nothing evil about Treize's request at all – which was completely confusing.
Carefully, Wufei nodded. "I accept."
"Very well. Then I will set Winner free tonight."
" …. you trust me?" Wufei blurted, incredulous, staring at Treize.
"Yes, Wufei. I trust you. You have given me your word that you would not attack me at any time other than when we dueled – and you have kept your word. Accepting the terms of Winner's release means that you are now willing to learn basic manners."
"Okay," Wufei responded, giving Treize a strange look. This is just so … surreal... "You trust me. How do I know that I can trust you?"
"A fair question." Nodding, Treize considered him for a moment before responding. "We have not yet discussed Ms. Po, the rebel leader. I would be interested, Wufei, to learn of your connection with her. Your interest in the others that were captured is fairly obvious – but not so with Ms. Po."
Wufei continued to stare at him, saying nothing, his face an expressionless blank. "Is that part of the price?"
"No, Wufei. I was merely curious."
Well, you can damn well keep BEING curious, because I'm certainly not going to tell you a fucking thing.
Treize's eyebrow raised as if he had heard Wufei's caustic thought. "At any rate – because of the seriousness of her crimes – I'm afraid I cannot offer Ms. Po her freedom. However, what I can offer her is a respite from prison. Something more palatable than living out the rest of her life in a prison cell."
Wufei looked at him, willing him to continue.
"I propose to bring her here, so that she would be near you. She would be under my protection."
"And the price?" Wufei asked. His mind raced ahead; when she was well, he might be able to get her out …
"No price, Wufei. It is my goodwill gesture to you. I promise – on my honor – that I will bring Ms. Po here, and that she will be permitted to stay here indefinitely. There will be no jail time for her. She will not suffer any penalty for her crimes in that manner."
"She will not have her freedom," Wufei pointed out.
"No, she will not." A small smile crossed Treize's face as he said lightly, "I had a very difficult time persuading Lady Une to drop the charges against her today."
Blinking again, Wufei stammered, "You … you did that?"
"Of course," Treize responded with a nod. "You knew, of course, that the courts were going to try her as a war criminal? However, since it did not appear that her crimes were on the same level as the gundam creators, I was able to have the charges dropped with one proviso – that she will be released into my custody, and will live with me while she pays her debt to society…." Giving him a small, significant look, Treize finished, "…as you are."
The gundam creators? Does he mean Dr. O? Slightly pale, Wufei looked at him and nodded, not really hearing the last part of his statement. "I … understand."
"Poor thing had quite a shock, I'm afraid. She was badly injured in a shuttle accident, but has been recovering nicely and will be sent here tomorrow to continue her recovery." Treize leaned forward a little, watching Wufei's reactions. "You must understand, Wufei, that she will be unconscious for quite some time. The doctors feel that make be several weeks. She will recover – but slowly."
Wufei was still trying to assimilate the news about the gundam doctors. Did they capture Dr. O? Should I try to contact him? Realizing that Treize was watching him, though, helped Wufei to haul his attention back to the present and the conversation about Sally Po.
"I hope this is acceptable to you, Wufei."
"Hai," the boy whispered, looking down at his plate. He felt a slight pressure to tell Treize why he wanted Sally Po with him – but that passed rather quickly, and he was left sitting in silence, looking at his tea and hoping that he didn't just agree to anything stupid.
"This now leaves us with the problems of Maxwell and Yuy. These two are difficult for, as with Ms. Po, people view them as renegades." Shaking his head slightly in reproof, Treize snorted. "Gundam pilots, both of them. Irrepairable. Unfixable. Unfit to join human society."
"You're crooked enough. You can figure a way," Wufei said, looking at him, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. There was no malice or forethought in that thought, either – it was simply the way the boy's mind worked. When presented with a problem, he said what he felt was obvious and tried to use all the tools at hand to solve the problem.
"I would appreciate your NOT saying things like that in my presence," Treize said dryly.
Wufei started back at him, uncowed. "Fine. Then I won't be honest," he shrugged.
Evenly, Treize said, "Wufei. Considering what you just agreed to do, I think that you need to reconsider your attitude." His words were mild, but his gaze was anything but as he looked at the teenager.
Wufei shot a sulky glare in Treize's direction. "If you prefer that I lie to you – and that's what you believe 'manners' are – then I will do it." Dropping his gaze to his plate, Wufei shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glowering.
With a sigh, Treize tilted his head to the side and gave the boy a long look. "Wufei. Manners are a codified set of rules that society uses to make things run smoother. 'Insulting' someone can include showing things to them in an unflattering light, or being intentionally rude while hiding behind the façade of, 'but I'm only speaking the truth.'"
A short silence ensured while the teenager digested that bit of information. "All right," he finally said, looking up, "I'm sorry. Please go on."
Slightly mollified, Treize looked at him another moment, then continued. "What I was saying is that I must come up with a creative approach in order to give the other gundam pilots their freedom."
Pursing his lips thoughtfully, Wufei asked, "Am I allowed to speak now?"
Treize nodded at him. "Of course."
"Allow them to escape."
An odd gleam shone in the older man's eyes as he looked at Wufei. "An interesting idea. Please – continue."
"It's the only answer that makes sense," the boy said, shrugging as if there was nothing odd about his suggesting how his comrades would be set free. "The public would believe it. They're 'gundam pilots.' And if you make sure that YOUR men don't screw up, your end of the deal is fulfilled."
"Creative … original … " Treize murmured, nodding his head slowly. "And an idea, I believe, that will prove to be workable."
Raising his chin at his captor, Wufei narrowed his eyes and demanded, "Now – what's my end? What do you want?"
"You realize there will be a price for each person involved—"
Snorting, Wufei shook his head at Treize. "I am aware. Or I wouldn't have offered." Just get on with it and tell me what you want.
"Very well, then," Treize said, leaning toward Wufei and watching the boy's expression. "Yuy will escape first. For this, I will expect that any and all information leaks from my establishment will dry up immediately. And Wufei," he continued, a cold smile on his lips, "by 'my' establishment, I mean from any location I frequent to which you would have access. Do you agree?"
Shit. Immediately, Wufei's mind wrapped around the idea, poking and prodding it for any holes he could to continue to gather information – but he couldn't see any way around it. From Wufei's point of view, he had given his word previously that he would give his word – so … there could be no arguments.
"Yes," he replied, his voice heavy, "I agree."
Treize nodded, accepting his agreement. "Very good, Wufei. Therefore, we can go on to number two – Duo Maxwell. Maxwell will escape the day after Yuy."
"Hai," Wufei said automatically, still trying to think of a way to pass information out of the complex without compromising his word.
"In exchange for Maxwell's freedom, I expect you to place yourself in my hands for some intensive education, including reading and discussing any number of books from my personal library."
For the second time that day, Wufei looked at the older man stupidly. "….huh?" he croaked, his mouth open. "Education?" With the look Wufei gave him, the leader of OZ might have been speaking Martian for all he knew.
Smiling faintly, Treize confirmed, "Yes, Wufei – education. You need form and structure in your life right now –"
Interrupting, Wufei blurted out, "…what are you talking about – education?" His mind was churning as he considered this incredibly odd demand. Education? That's not evil at ALL …
With a patient sigh, Treize asked, "Wufei. Did you believe that your education stopped the moment you left your colony? That there was nothing else for you to learn about the universe? Do you know everything there is to know?" Eyeing him, Treize asked dryly, "Are you God?"
"I .. I gave it up. I never assumed anything of the sort."
"I see," Treize replied, looking at the closed, tight expression in Wufei's eyes. "Then – if you want Maxwell to go free – you will need to start learning again."
A stubborn, angry look crossed the teen's face as he considered Treize's proposition. His gaze fixed on his plate, Wufei exhaled slowly and rubbed the side of his head. "Just … 'education.' Nothing more. Nothing that would involve harming anyone, or giving you information."
"Just 'education.' Nothing else, Wufei. Do you accept?"
For Maxwell …. "Yes. I accept."
Treize settled back in his chair; the hint of a smile was around his lips, but his eyes were … gleaming. "Very well, Wufei. That leaves us with … Relena Peacecraft."
Wufei inhaled slowly. Dark eyes regarded Treize warily as he straightened his back and tightened his lips. Slowly … and be careful …. He knew the other agreements would pale in comparison to this one. But I'm ready for you …
"Her people are at war with OZ, you know. That makes this situation rather tricky."
"You mean you are at war with her. Her people are pacifists." Wufei spit the last word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth, glaring at Treize.
Treize raised an eyebrow in Wufei's direction. "Indeed. Then they are pacifists with guns, Wufei. At any rate – it will be possible to release her. I have made the necessary contacts, and I do have a way to take her back to her people." Settling farther back in his chair, Treize watched the boy, steepling his fingers together. "Should you agree to the terms, of course."
"What do you want?" the boy snapped, his glare becoming more intense. What else could he want?
"She will go free, Wufei," Treize said softly, never taking his gaze from Wufei's face, "if you agree to tell me everything you're thinking whenever I ask you to."
The teen stared at Treize for several moments, blank incomprehension on his face. "If I agree to … what?"
Treize said nothing; he simply watched as Wufei processed his request. A slight smile played around his mouth as he saw Wufei's eyes widen.
Ah, yes – he understands now
"You … what?" the boy said hoarsely, staring directly at Treize. This can't be true … he can't really mean that …
Patiently, Treize repeated, "All you need to do is to agree to tell me everything you're thinking whenever I ask you to."
Wufei's expression was heading into complete horror. "But I .. I can't do that … you will accept nothing else?"
"I'm sorry, Wufei.," Treize said, shaking his head, keeping his gaze fixed on the boy to his right. "Those are my terms. It hurts no one."
Swallowing, Wufei said, "..that's true – it hurts no one … " But … it's so HORRIBLE … Closing his eyes for a moment, Wufei imagined himself telling Treize what he was thinking; his heart pounding, Wufei opened his eyes again and looked directly at Treize.
This is for Relena ... she must be free ... the world needs Relena free ...
Wufei's mournful eyes regarded Treize for a moment before he spoke. "All right," he said, his voice husky and rough. "I agree. You have my word." The boy looked down at his plate and shook his head, more in disbelief at himself than anything else.
Treize inclined his head in acceptance. "Very well, Wufei. Ms. Peacecraft will go free as soon as I can get her out of the house." A small, triumphant gleam sparkled in Treize's blue eyes for a moment as he looked at Wufei's bent head; it was quickly extinguished and replaced with an expression of mild concern as Wufei raised his chin to look at Treize, blinking.
The more Wufei considered the implications of those simple words, the colder the pit of his stomach felt. His face pale, Wufei looked at Treize with a guarded expression of dismay. He wasn't sure what the feeling was that crept from his head through his bones – but it was one that left him feeling used, violated .. and alone. As if … as if in some way he had just bargained away his soul …
Ridiculous, he immediately thought, pushing that feeling to the back of his mind. I agreed so that my comrades could go free … so that Relena could be free. There was no other choice to make …
That was cold comfort as he stared at his plate, thinking about everything he had agreed to do.
"Wufei," Treize said gently, breaking into his thoughts, his tone slightly disapproving. "You haven't touched your dinner."
Stricken, Wufei raised his dark gaze to the general's.
"Eat something, Wufei," Treize murmured, supportive and comforting. "Please."
"Do I have to? Is that part of the bargain, too?" Unaware of the plaintive note that crept into his voice, Wufei sighed and looked at his plate, hoping in some way that the food would start disappearing on its own.
"Yes, Wufei," Treize replied, his voice gentle. "That is part of it, too. I will not permit you to starve yourself – or harm yourself in any way. You need to eat."
Miserably, Wufei looked up at Treize; he nodded mutely, took his silverware in hand and started poking at the food, looking down at his plate again. Clearly, he was more comfortable when NOT looking Treize.
"Very good, Wufei … now eat the food."
Sighing, the adolescent pushed his food around a little more, put some on his fork and ate a bite. A slightly pouty look was on his face as he ate; he was clearly embarrassed about the entire situation, as his face had turned the color of ripe apples in the fall.
Another triumphant gleam shone in Treize's gaze as he relaxed at the table, watching Wufei. Soon …
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*