Disclaimer: I in no way own Gundam Wing or AD&D. Don't sue; I'm simply an E5 in the USN, therefore I have no money. Ha.

A/N; /spell/

-BEGIN FIC-

Everyone stared at the black figure that stood in the center of the only path leading to and from the small corpse-littered clearing they stood in.

Wufei's hand tightened its grip on his katana, the already beaten and bruised skin of his knuckles splitting and oozing red vitae.

Trowa blinked, staring at the form ahead, his mind twirling in circles about in his skull, the recognition of that light-hearted yet cruel voice bounding happily in his brain.

Duo and Heero just stared at the new intruder, trying to consider what to do about this new and interesting situation.

And everyone blinked in shock as the pale hand they'd previously viewed lifted to throw the heavy hood away from the mysterious person's head.

On cue a cool breeze whistled through the forest trees, rustling the green leaves under the morning sun's gleeful rays.

Lifting the gaze of brilliant topaz eyes, the young, pale-skinned human boy smiled cheerfully as the romping wind tossed his platinum blond hair about his face. "Didn't think you'd see me again, did you?"

Trowa promptly fainted. Whether from the shock of seeing the boy or the bombardment of two concussions given by the meaty hands of ogres in rapid succession barely minutes ago is irrelevant. He still fainted.

And Trowa's fainting incurred one of the most unexpected of responses from the boy.

He tromped over to the still body and kicked him sharply in the ribs.

"HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO ENTERTAIN ME WHEN YOU'RE DROOLING ON THE FOREST FLOOR!"

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Trowa winced as he sipped his soup from his travel mug. Not only did his head ache like it'd been beaten on by ogres (which, of course, it had), but his side was killing him as well. Why, he didn't know. And he didn't dare to ask.

Sip. Ah, it was good broth this afternoon.

Focusing on the flavor of his broth, he steadfastly tried to ignore the bubbling and brewing situation to his left.

Bubbling and brewing like his soup.

Yum.

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Wufei glowered.

The boy smirked, his narrowed eyes reflecting no single shred of kindness in their azure depths.

"Why have you been tormenting me?"

"Why do you ask me about your personal mental torment?"

"You are the one causing it, aren't you?"

"Why do you suspect me?"

"Is it not your voice I hear?"

"Perhaps, you think, it could be someone imitating my voice?"

"But that doesn't explain how well the attitude of that dream voice and your attitude match, now, does it?"

"Maybe they've been studying my behaviors, neh?"

"You're dodging my questions, aren't you?"

"Am I?"

"Will you quit answering my questions with questions?"

"Will you quit questioning me?"

Wufei clenched his fists.

"Are you going to split the skin on your knuckles again?"

Gkkkk.

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Duo plopped down beside Trowa, smiling as he refilled his friend's mug. "There ya are, buddy."

"Thanks."

"So, Trowa, mind telling us what you know about that kid?" Duo asked, inclining his head towards the person who was still grinning madly at Wufei, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the Eastern warrior was about ready to snap his thin neck in two.

Sighing quietly, Trowa let his gaze fall upon the boy once more, and nodded slowly. "He's Vincent VonWinner's son. He's the one I was hired to entertain while we were still in Waterdeep."

"Ah. Very interesting." Scratching his chin, Duo's violet eyes narrowed slowly, his gaze turning from playful to critical.

"What are you thinking, mage?"

"That he doesn't resemble Lord VonWinner in the least. And that there's no way someone of that apparent age could be a son of that antiquated geezer."

Nodding, Trowa slurped at his soup. "Still, that's who he claims to be. Lord VonWinner."

"And his first name?"

Trowa shrugged. "Lord."

Duo stared as a single sweatdrop rolled down the side of his face.

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"So, he had no relevant information?"

Duo shrugged, his stance completely at ease even under the critical glower of Heero Yuy. "Aa. Nothin' at all, ol' buddy of mine. Apparently he knows just as much about this kid as any of us do. Save maybe Wufei. He seems to know something, judging from the number of questions and the quantity of information he's prying for. 'Course, YOU can be the one to question that psycho about what he's figured out."

Heero simply smirked. "Wufei's nothing to be afraid of."

"Fuck that! I saw that guy rip the arm off that hill giant last time we were together and beat him to death with it. I ain't messin' with somethin' like that."

Chuckling, the brown-haired warrior shook his head. "You are ridiculous, baka."

"Yeah, and? That doesn't matter right now, hun."

"Aa."

Both men stared at the seemingly friendly blond, who was now apparently poking Wufei with a long, pointed stick.

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Wufei, frankly, was ready to snap.

His fingers were still clenched, his finely cut fingernails cutting crescents into his palms, staining his skin red.

His teeth were gritted to the point that Trowa, who was riding the horse at the rear of the small party, could hear the enamel grinding from time to time.

His hunched shoulders shook from time to time with breathless, manic chuckles that were still putting Duo's hair on edge.

Poke.

"Neh, will you cut that out?" Duo growled, glaring at the boy who rode behind Wufei upon the mighty black steed the Eastern boy had chosen.

"Nope. With Trowa out of commission, I've got to find something else to entertain me amongst you dull, boring dunderheads, haven't I?"

"Can't you find something else to do?"

Duo immediately regretted his words as the boy turned sparkling blue eyes towards him, his grin widening.

'Oh shit...'

Heero was forced to physically separate the fighting bundles of bodies moments later, extracting his flailing lover from the pile that had been created by his horse mystically having been blasted out from under him.

The boy was perfectly fine, even after having been drug from the back of his horse and seemingly punched a few dozen times.

Duo was much worse for wear, the topple from the horse and the fistfight he'd started with their 'savior' really showing.

And, with wild cackles, the blond boy walked onward, leaving Duo and Heero to stare ponderously first at him, then at the fallen horse.

Duo knelt before the whimpering animal before grimacing and thrusting his dagger through the base of its muscular throat, killing it instantly.

"What...?"

"No saving it, Heero. Kneecaps..."

Both stared at the animal's legs.

The legs were lacking kneecaps.

"Like they were blown up by magic... but he didn't cast."

Wufei simply muttered under his breath as he eased his horse past the grisly scene.

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Heero and Duo glared simultaneously at the guard who was currently warding them off with a halberd.

"Explain this again."

"I'm sorry, sirs, but with these times of troubles and unlawful mercenaries roaming the roads upon us, we can not allow any to pass these city gates after nightfall."

Wufei shook his head. "How many times do we have to prove our validity?"

Bowing his head, the guard shook his head. "I do apologize, sir, but even your rank as a Commander of the Guard of Waterdeep as you prove by your sword doesn't grant you access. I have been instructed by the Magistrate of the City to allow none to pass after the sun settles into the western lands."

"CRAP!" Duo snarled, kicking at the road in disgust.

Trowa simply bowed his head. "We can camp outside of the gates, can't we?"

The guard nodded. "So long as it is not within 500 paces of these gates, it is permitted. Such land is beyond our jurisdiction."

"Alright. Understood."

Wufei nodded. "I suppose it is acceptable."

"Aa," Heero grunted.

"Dammit, another night on the hard, hard ground," Duo whimpered.

"Hmph! This is ENTIRELY not acceptable."

Bowing his head, the guard sighed. "But such are our la..."

"Take me to the magistrate. Now."

"Sir, I can't do tha..."

"Why are we still standing here?"

"Because, sir, I ca..."

"NOW! Chop chop!" Pale fingers snapped impatiently.

"But si..."

"Don't you 'But sir' me! I want to speak with him, and I want to speak with him now!"

Trowa, who'd dismounted during the conversation, gently grabbed the blonde's arm. "Please, Lord VonWinner, it's just one night..."

The guard visibly paled. "V... VonWinner...?"

Turning, the blond smiled viciously. "Haaaaaaaai."

Gulping, the man quickly laid his halberd upon the ground and dropped to his knees. "Forgive me, m'Lord! If I'd but known your identity, there'd been no troubles. Please, please have mercy upon this poor humble guard. I shall have you escorted to our finest Inn immediately!"

The adventurers blinked.

Lord VonWinner smirked.

"Fine."

The guard sighed.

"But I still want to see the magistrate."

Gulp.

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Trowa, Duo, Heero and Wufei were sitting in one of the two tavern rooms they'd been provided, staring at one another.

"It's clear we can't trust this person, neh? At the least, his attitude towards us shows this, neh?" Duo blinked, twiddling his thumbs.

"Aa. And I doubt he'll be leaving us any time soon. His delight in tormenting Wufei will most likely keep him around for quite some time."

Wufei audibly groaned.

"But we should keep an eye on this kid. Can't trust him."

Trowa nodded. "I agree with you, Duo."

"He's not staying with Duo and myself," Heero snorted. "He'll have to room with Trowa and Wufei."

"WAIT A SECOND!" the Eastern man snarled, rising to his feet. "I will NOT share a room with that little... twit!"

"Oh, c'mon, Wufei, it isn't all that bad, is it?"

"Say that one more time, and I'll gag you with your braid, you flaming moron."

Heero snorted. "He's not staying with us."

"And why the hells not?"

Prussian eyes narrowed considerably. "Because it's been 9 months, 3 weeks and 2 days since we were last left on our own without one of you prying idiots in our business."

Everyone silenced themselves.

"Rabbits. I still swear they were homosexual rabbits in their last life."

Trowa nodded agreement with Wufei's observance.

"Oh, you're just jealous 'cause you ain't gettin' none," Duo quipped, sticking his tongue out.

"The room is suddenly reeking with maturity."

"Shaddup, Trowa!"

"ANYWAY," Heero snarled, "we have yet to figure out the situation."

Trowa shrugged. "I'll get a separate room. Let Wufei remain in his precious isolation."

"And just where are you going to get the money for this?"

The green-eyed acrobat grinned.

"Don't worry about it."

Duo slapped his forehead. "If we have the attention of the guards on our heads tomorrow morning, I'm going to strangle you and use your skin for spell scrolls."

"Hai, hai."

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Trowa groaned, rolling over in his bed.

His arms were aching. Namely because he'd been juggling coins for the last hour.

Tens of coins.

Reaching to the low hundreds of coins.

He suddenly loathed coins.

Still, Lord VonWinner was amused. Hell, he was amused enough to tell him his first name.

Trowa smiled into his pillow as he wrapped his aching arms around it, shifting under his thick, plush blanket.

"Quatre... nice name."

Rustle.

Trowa was instantly on his feet, his hands gripping the dirks he kept on his person (or under his pillow) at all times, his eyes scanning the corner nearest the huge window that occupied the room's eastern wall.

Standing perfectly still for minute on end, he stared.

His patience was rewarded.

The person hiding in the shadows moved, its figure barely made visible by the soft glow of moonlight that filtered through the flimsy white drapes.

With a flick of his wrist, the acrobat let his dirk fly.

He gasped as it was caught by a black-gloved hand and hurled back at him.

Rolling on the ground, Trowa instantly sprang back to his feet, charging towards that person in the shadows, following it as it leaped out of the window.

He didn't have time to catch sight of the black figure that had lingered, entirely undetected, at the foot of his bed and which had decided to stay behind in his room.

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KABOOM!

Duo staggered away from the raging fire produced by his flung /Burning Hands, shielding his eyes from the heat and light cast by the blazing flames. "Got 'em!" he chocked out to his companion.

Heero, however, was already gone, the sound of his boots echoing from down the hallway as he ran to check on their companions.

Pounding on Wufei's door, he waited a few moments, listening to the unnerving silence that poured from behind the wooden barrier.

He punched the door open.

He found the room completely empty.

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Trowa's palms were slicked with sweat, making his tenuous grip on his dirks harder to maintain. Swallowing, he narrowed his eyes, attempting to shield his pupils from as much light as possible with his eyelids.

His enemy was still before him, blended nearly perfectly into the shadows that occupied its wall, holding blackened weapons just as he gripped his own.

They were at a perfect stalemate.

Resisting the urge to twitch or flinch as he felt a bead of sweat trickle along his hairline, Trowa slowly shifted his weight onto his left foot.

He tried his damnedest to ignore the crackling of the ledge that he was standing upon.

Suddenly, his breath was meeting his ears and his lungs had leapt into his throat.

The shelf of the building he was balanced so precariously upon had given way.

As he slammed into the unmerciful ground and rolled with his fall, he tumbled right into a pile of trash that clanged noisily, its metallic clamor echoing beautifully down the alleyway he was in. Lifting his head as quickly as he could, giving himself a decent case of vertigo with the action, he cursed as the knowledge that his enemy would have escaped hit him.

Then he saw the body.

A strong hand gripped his arm by the elbow and hefted him to his feet. "Can you stand?"

"Aa..." Trowa grunted, rubbing his head."

"You'd best hurry back, Trowa. That was the second one I've cut down this night."

"Second...?"

"The first was from MY chambers. I noticed the sound of your chase outside and decided to join it."

Trowa cursed before turning on his heel and running back towards the Inn. Hearing his companion's footsteps by his side, he simply questioned without turning his head, "You think there'll be more?"

"Most decidably. The one who attacked me was hardly as skilled as the one you were chasing... common tactic, sending your weak links after those you aren't focused upon to keep them distracted."

tbc…