AN: CHAPTER THREE HERE. I REALLY LIKE THIS FIC SO AM PROBABLY GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON IT FOR A WHILE. BUT UPDATES WILL STILL BE SPORADIC AS I AM RECEIVING AN OBSCENE AMOUNT OF WORK AT THE MOMENT.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, DON'T SUE ME, AND THERE'S NO POINT AS I AM BROKE.
Chapter Three
To Lucasta, Going to the Wars
'Tell me not (Sweet) I am unkind,
That from the Nunnery
Of thy chaste breast, and quiet mind,
To War and Arms I fly.
True; a new Mistress now I chase.
The first Foe in the Field;
And with a stronger Faith embrace
A Sword, a Horse, a Shield.
Yet this Inconstancy is such,
As you too shall adore;
I could not love thee (Dear) so much,
Lov'd I not Honour more.'
Richard Lovelace
The first person to speak when the three pilots and Duo crossed the threshold into Treize Khushrenada's bedroom was not Duo himself. It was not that Duo had suddenly been shot dead or had his tongue cut out, although these were the most obvious reasons for why he would not be talking. No, either the young Major had nothing to say, unlikely; or he was saving his comments for a time when they would create more uproar, a far more reasonable explanation.
Indeed, the first person to speak was not even the unfailingly polite Quatre Raberba Winner. No, the first person to speak was the infinitely laconic Heero Yuy.
"Chang, what is going on?"
Not that Heero said much. But, every little helps, or whatever. Wufei made to retort angrily to Heero's question, but Treize smoothly interrupted,
"We are still awaiting the results of our enquiry as the circumstances behind your incarceration and the subsequent assault. I can assure you that full and proper investigation is being carried out."
Heero raised an eyebrow,
"Hn. We're leaving. Now."
Treize smiled equably but firmly,
"No, I do not believe you are."
Quatre spoke then, his voice cool but even,
"Are we to consider ourselves your prisoners then, General?"
Treize shook his head,
"Nothing of the sort. The Doctor has ordered Wufei to have five solid days bed rest. I intend to see that he gets it. You may consider yourselves my guests for that time."
Wufei pushed himself up onto the pillows,
"That is unnecessary, I have no need of bed rest."
Treize frowned down at him,
"Don't be ridiculous. You can barely sit up."
Wufei scowled ferociously, but his denial was belied by the beads of sweat forming on his forehead even as he spoke,
"I am no weak onna. I am perfectly fine."
Treize's expression was implacable,
"No. You need bed rest and you will have it. You are going to stay in bed for the five days if I have to chain you there."
Wufei flushed and sagged down onto the pillows reluctantly, but grateful for the comfort of the soft sheets. Duo took that moment to speak,
"Sir, the doc also said that there was to be no strenuous exercise, remember."
Wufei flushed further and the three other Gundam Pilots looked on in confusion as he did so. Treize merely rolled his eyes and spoke to Duo in a mock-tired voice,
"Get out of my sight, Major."
Duo smiled angelically. It might have been convincing on anyone but Duo. As it was, Treize and the pilots could practically see the horns, tail and cloven hoof.
"Getting so, sir."
Duo sketched a lazy salute and made towards the door, when he turned back,
"D'ya want me to go help Zechs and Noin with the investigation?"
Treize considered this for several moments, but finally he shook his head,
"No. I want you to escort our three guests to your quarters and see that they have all they need."
Duo's eyes widened; Treize quickly elaborated,
"They can hardly all stay here, I work out of these rooms."
Treize didn't seem to consider that Wufei was also a Gundam Pilot. Obviously he trusted him more. Before Duo could suggest any other possible location on base for the three other pilots to stay, Treize continued,
"I can't give them quarters on the base without people finding out that they're here and that news getting back to Romefeller. Aside from you, the only people with enough space in their quarters and reason for privacy are Zechs and Lady Une. I can hardly put our guests in with either of them."
Duo considered this and nodded,
"I agree, the blood would be hell to get out of the carpet."
Treize smiled slightly,
"Well, now you understand the risk to the carpeting, I must also order you to curtail your extra-curricular activities during the duration of our guests' stay."
Duo looked mutinous and Treize qualified the orders,
"At least keep your activities out of your quarters and restricted to your investigation."
Continuing to look aggrieved, but obedient, Duo snapped a perfect salute and nodded crisply,
"As you command, your Excellency."
The Major then turned to the pilots, his aggravation clear on his face,
"Looks like we're stuck with each other then. Follow me."
And before the pilots could protest, Duo was practically dragging then from the room. Treize sighed,
"He's going to be insufferable for months. I'm going to have to check everything before I use it. And I mean everything."
Wufei frowned, Treize noticed this and explained,
"He won't sabotage anything important. It's just that he's fifteen and still finds pranks terribly amusing."
Wufei was shocked,
"He's a full Major, at fifteen?"
Treize grimaced,
"Duo has certain skills which are unique and indispensable to us. Thus, we have to put up with his juvenile behaviour and moments of insanity. And he's no younger than you, dragon."
Wufei considered this for a moment, wondering why the comparison unnerved him so much. Then he asked,
"Where does he come from?"
Treize sighed,
"That is not my story to tell you. Hopefully he will tell you himself, as I believe it would be enlightening for you to hear. All that I can tell you is that he is from the Colonies."
Wufei was stunned,
"He's from the Colonies, and he joined OZ?"
Treize nodded,
"All I can say is that he hates the Alliance more than anyone I know. Except maybe one, and the two of them, I think, might have to call it a draw as to who hates the Alliance more."
Wufei frowned,
"Why does he hate the Alliance so much?"
Treize sighed,
"You are not to mention what I am about to tell you to anyone, especially not him or your friends."
Wufei nodded, stunned. Treize continued,
"I trust you had a complete education in the evils of the Alliance?"
The question didn't really require an answer, but Wufei nodded anyway. Treize sighed and continued,
"As best as we are able to tell, Duo was born and spent his early childhood on L2."
Wufei grimaced, L2 was by far the poorest of the Colonies, not a good place for anyone to grow up. Treize nodded and continued with his tale,
"He was, at first, a street orphan and pickpocket, as many children are there. He then had the good fortune to be taken in by a Catholic Mission there, and raised by the Father and Sister there."
Treize paused for a moment,
"I presume you have heard of the Maxwell Church Massacre?"
Wufei nodded, the incident was an infamous example of Alliance brutality. Then he gasped, connecting the story,
"You mean…"
Treize nodded,
"Duo was the only survivor of the Maxwell Church Massacre. He has reason enough to hate the Alliance."
Wufei could only nod dumbly, unable, for that moment to say anything at all. Finally he asked,
"How did he come to be here?"
Treize sighed and shook his head,
"That, little dragon, I cannot tell you. Suffice it to say that he had, when he contacted my father, skills enough to make him highly useful to us, outside of his unfortunate hobbies."
Wufei grimaced,
"You mean the pranks?"
Treize shrugged,
"That too."
Wufei was just about to ask what the unfortunate hobbies were if they weren't a childish predilection for mischief. Treize however, spoke before he could,
"As much as I hate to admit it, there is a pile of extremely tedious paperwork in my office that is reaching dangerous proportions. Moreover, if I don't do some of it now, Lady Une will have my head."
At the mention of Lady Une, Wufei paled and struggled to sit up,
"I…I shouldn't be here…"
Treize frowned and gently pushed Wufei back against the pillows,
"You're under my protection, for as long as you are injured I can guarantee you that at least. Lady Une will accept that, as will anyone else here. But Romefeller will still be after you, so your presence here, and that of your friends, must be known to as few people as possible. Duo, Zechs and Une I trust implicitly, and I have all confidence in Lieutenant Noin's utmost discretion."
Wufei was about to say something more, but Treize pressed a finger to his lips,
"I have to leave you now, little dragon. You get some sleep otherwise I will send Duo to baby-sit you."
And with that terrible threat having been made, Treize left the room. Wufei rolled over and tried to get to sleep, ignoring the ache in his chest that had nothing to do with the beating he had received.
TBC.