Impact

"…So that's why everyone thinks that Dorothy and I were a couple."

"I don't know why you're so upset. Okay, maybe I do, but look at it this way; if a lie keeps her away better than the truth ever did, just let it be. And now you don't have to worry about people making wrong assumptions about you."

"It's still just not right."

David the Woman and Willis the lacrosse player exchanged looks. Whatever it was that was disturbing the homicidal rich kid had to be big. They wondered if it had anything to do with Quatre's old girlfriend, Dorothy, who had arrived just arrived yesterday. The gossips were having a feeding frenzy with this, as they told of a tragic romance that was worthy of Shakespeare. The story was of love stretching across enemy lines, even as she battled her family's ideals and he endured his family's unfair accusations of homosexuality.

Heero, and possibly Wufei, would have killed Pricilla for her lies, but she was not their business, so they tried instead to convince Quatre that it was for the better.

Willis made a comment about lacrosse positions, and David snorted, being a basketball fan. But Quatre had missed his chance at the team because he had been showing around all the new students, and the other four had missed it because they were spying on Quatre.

"…probably midfielder, because you can cover so much ground. I doubt any of you would make goalie, you're all more offensive than defensive.

"We'll have to see."

At this point, the coach walked by, spewing his usual mantra of "feel the burn, let's see some effort, pick it up ladies, don't make me give you more work!"

Willis, David, and most every other student lined up along the edge of the field doing pushups worked harder as the coach passed them, trying not to look like they were slacking. The pilots ignored the man, for they had long since proved themselves able to do more pushups than he had ever, or would ever, been able to do. It probably said something about their situation that it took them exactly as much effort to complete these assignments as it did to eat their dinner.

The bell finally rang, and the five skipped showers, since none of them had even broken a sweat in the September cool. They left the lockers, the halls, and the building, and trotted down the front steps, ready for homework and games of shogi and go. They didn't stop as they rounded the corner, even as they were intercepted.

"Hello Dorothy." Trowa said blandly, not looking at her.

"Quatre" said Dorothy, ignoring the others but keeping pace with them. "Have you heard?"

"I know about the rumor. Just ignore it, and it will go away."

"As much as I love the idea of us dating, that was not what I'm talking about. Releena's coming."

No one stopped as she had anticipated. "Why would she come here?" Trowa said "She's got work to do."

"She's due for some vacation time, so she's taking a week off. And I am one of her best friends. So she's coming back to her old school for a visit."

"What does that have to do with us?"

"Well, it's not like you all and she are strangers. And I promised her that she could see you guys play football, so I need to know when the games are, so she can schedule her vacation."

"Not going to happen" Heero said

"Why not? I can always just ask someone else for the dates and times."

"Ask away" Heero sounded annoyed. "We're not playing football."

"You're not? But everyone said…"

"You mean you listened to a rumor?" Wufei sneered at her. "there's rumors that you and Quatre were sleeping together, there's rumors that I'm some sort of playboy, there's rumors that all five of us are immortal, or gay, or secretly plotting to over throw the government, or are genetic experiments, or aliens, and you honestly believed a rumor?"

"There's no need to get snippy." Dorothy did not frown, for that would wrinkle her face, but slid into her 'I'm-better-than-you' mode. "Maybe if you spoke to more people, they wouldn't have to make so many assumptions."

Quatre was angry for once. "Like you assumed that I would want to-"

"Don't pretend that you didn't enjoy it." Dorothy said smugly. "And any time you want a do-over, just make sure that your friends can't interrupt us." At first she sort of posed, trying to look like a model in the pink girl's school uniform, until Wufei jumped forward and, gripped her by the lapels of her coat, and lifted her off the ground to his eyelevel.

"You think you can joke about something like that, about what you did to him?" He growled, right up in her face about it. "How would you like something like that to happen to you? No? Just as I thought, you're nothing but a whore who's trying to make yourself feel stronger by preying on other people when they're down. You had better hope that we don't start talking more, or you may find yourself crumbling when people find out the truth."

"You're calling me weak? Who took three weeks just to master the Zero System?"

Wufei began shaking her slightly, and lifted her a few more inches. Her toes were a good half-foot off the ground, and she fought his grip. "Do not seek to compare yourself to us just because you were guinea pigged on that toned-down piece of machinery! You couldn't last thirty seconds on the real systems capabilities!"

"I'll have you know that Zechs allowed me full reign on that thing. I was there for hours on end."

"But not at max power!"

"I was too!"

Trowa put his hand on Wufei's arm, and the other boy slowly put Dorothy down, still glaring at her as she smoothed out her uniform.

"You weren't under the real Zero System." Trowa said flatly. "You were given an adapted system, a prototype that was at a lower level, and could control multiple mobile suits at once. That's why you never experienced the same problems as the rest of us when trying to master it, and why we were able to out-strategize and beat you even though you controlled entire armies, and it was only five of us."

"Well obviously Mr. Marquise trusted me above anyone else to command his armies."

"Actually…" Quatre sucked up his nerve to talk to her. She had to know the truth. "He could have used anyone, the system would have taken care of the rest. But the modified system was untested, so they used you. If there was a glitch, and it made your brain boil in its own juices like they were afraid it would, then you were expendable."

Dorothy stared hard at Quatre, who did not flinch, fidget, or look away. Finally, she realized two things: he was recovering and was almost over her, and that he was telling the truth.

"He…Mr. Marquise trusted me! He needed me!" Dorothy didn't want to believe it, and protested with her fists clenched. "He gave me the job because he knew I could do it!"

Trowa picked up where Quatre left off. "He gave you the job because he knew that you wouldn't question it as long as you got to help and feel important. He gave you the job to get you out from underfoot. He gave you the job even though you are an untested, untrained, and know nothing about how to fight a battle, instead of risking losing someone more skilled and important."

"You were lucky." Heero added "He and the scientists were wrong about the modified system being dangerous, as far as anyone can see."

Dorothy didn't bother them again. None of them thought for a moment that she had given up on Quatre, whatever her intentions may be, but rather, that she may have come to the conclusion that they were just too strong when they were in a group, and was waiting until she could once again find him alone. They also weren't sure how she was handling the truth about the treatment of her in the White Fang army, or weather she had been able to convince herself that they had been lying.

They didn't care, either. They ignored her in the few classes she would share with one of them, and disregarded any questions imposed on them about what was going on with her. After some discussion, they reached the conclusion that she must have understood the threat of telling on her. Somehow, a criminal investigation into her actions would damage her position and reputation.

Pricilla proved inconsequential. She had no classes with any of them because she was so much younger, and she rarely joined them for meals, having found a clique of similarly minded young women who gossiped with a passion. The only real reason she had to talk to Quatre was to discuss family matters, which in this particular family almost always meant that the company was somehow involved. Quatre still couldn't decide where she stood in the big scheme of things, but still was of the impression that some one had sent her here to keep an eye on him. The other four found their lives Pricilla-free, as apparently someone had told the violence-hating girl just who her brother's friends were. She had reportedly thrown a temper tantrum when she realized she had spent an afternoon in the company of murderers, and from thence forth avoided them like the plague. Quatre was bothered slightly by the idea that the other two younger sisters might find themselves on his doorstep, but didn't let it worry him.

The only part of those two days that even slightly troubled them was the idea that Vice Foreign Minister Dorlian would be coming. True, Dorothy could have been lying, or been mistaken, or there might have been a change of plans. But nonetheless, it was a possibility that they could not ignore. Experience taught them that she was like an omen, and almost always brought trouble behind her. The most obvious scale she could tip would be their current lives in this school, meaning they could either be released into their old lives, or that someone had finally decided they needed to be punished. But as days slid by with out incident, it seemed less and less likely that she would actually visit.

Which was quite alright with them. Lacrosse was the highlight of their day, a way to get some adrenaline pumping. The first few practices were spent adjusting themselves, and then they moved on to playing practice games. It was oddly familiar, and while the distance between their skill and the rest of the team was apparent to all, when pitting pilot against pilot they could really have a challenge. Truthfully, they didn't get as into it as some of the other players, because they didn't see a need to kill themselves over it when the only real challenge was each other. But it was still fun, and these were boys who hadn't had this much fun in years, or maybe even their whole lives.

The quiet was snapped when Wufei didn't show up for PE one afternoon.

Mr. Gunter, the PE teacher, had to yell at them to break it up when they stopped working out and were just talking about what they should do about this. They had to quickly remind themselves that they were not in a war zone, this class was not a rendezvous point, and that any danger the heard of cow-people could throw their way was nothing to be worried about.

Wufei wasn't at the dorms after class was over, nor was he in the lunchroom, in a class talking to a teacher, or at their work out spot in the woods (which they still visited every morning).

It was Trowa who suggested that they try the front office. It seemed a novel idea to ask an authority figure for help, but at least they could see if he had been given detention or been sent to the principals office or something. A familiar face was waiting for them in the administration hall, but not the one they had been expecting.

"Miss Noin. What an unexpected surprise. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Duo had never really been interested in her, this was just how he had originally hidden his distrust of the former OZ officer, and the playful flirting had just never faded, even after his suspicions had been laid to rest.

"Hi Guys! I'm here for a scouting job."

"Is the school in some sort of trouble?" Heero asked.

"No. Nothing like that." She knew that he was the overly paranoid of the group, and didn't want him doing anything drastic. "This place is seeing some real posh visitors this year, you five, another member of the Winner family, the granddaughter of the ex-head of Romafeller, and all sorts of kids that are related to heads of states and hot shot business men. Were making sure everything is in tip-top shape."

"Uh huh." Duo looked at her in a way that said 'what do you think I am, stupid?'. "And why is one of the Preventers' top agents doing recon at a school?"

"It's two of their top agents." Wufei had come up behind them, along with Sally Po, two others in Preventers uniforms, and the Principal.

"So that's where you disappeared off too." Duo said laughingly.

"I was called out of class-"

"I know, I know. To make kissey-face with your old partner. You don't have to tell me." Duo held up his palms like he was blocking something. Wufei growled at him, while the principal looked on in wonder. It was weird enough to find out that this kid was a Preventer before he had been forced into school, but that he had been dating older women was a bit too much to accept.

"I was not, and never have-" Wufei started, but Lucrezia and Sally knew where this was headed.

"If you would step into the office, we can fill you in on the situation." Sally said

Wufei deflated. "Don't bother, I'll tell them later. You've got a schedule to keep."

"Excuse me young man," the principal interjected, "but you just swore not to tell a soul about what has been revealed to you in my office!"

"These boys are not a security risk." Lucrezia explained. "And they would probably figure it out for them selves even if Wufei didn't tell them. And lets face it, when we got our orders from higher up to consult Mr. Chang, it was pretty much understood that the vow of secrecy did not extend to his teammates."

"But he was right about that schedule." One of the unnamed agents tapped his watch. "We need to head out."

The four adults filed out the door at the end of the hallway into the sunlight, but there was a not-so-subtle exchange of looks between Sally and Wufei. Wufei was the first to look away, and before she was even at the door, he was already headed the other way.

Back at the dorms, Wufei filled them in in Russian, as they claimed places to rest in the room Trowa and Heero shared, on the beds, on the floor, in the only chair, and pulled out their homework.

"The Preventers headquarters neither confirms nor denies the possibility of Vice Foreign Minister Dorlian planning a vacation. They also neither confirm nor deny that she would like to take a visit on this vacation to see her old school, or her reasons for doing so. But they do confirm that they want a full assessment on the security of the school so as to prepare for any future attendance of various political or public figures."

"So Dorothy was telling the truth?"

"Can't say for sure. Knowing her, Releena dropped some miniscule comment on the subject, and then she used that to bolster some plan of hers. But there is no telling if someone worth protecting would visit, or if it would really be Releena. For all we know it's someone's Daddy coming to complain to a teacher about how their precious baby could possibly be having trouble in class."

"Seems reasonable. And the Preventers just wanted to get your opinion of how things were at the school?"

"Pretty much, yeah. I mean, why spend time and money on an official investigation that will tip people off and compromise the integrity of the report when you already have some one inside that has been there for weeks and can tell you everything you want to know?"

Truer words were never said. In fact, much of their musing turned out accurate, as one week later, the King of some random country personally came to yell at an art teacher about the correct letter grade of his sons report card. Three days after that, a wealthy business man pulled his daughter out of class and led her to his car, muttering about suing the school for having the audacity to give his precious child straight 'D's.

"Apparently this had nothing to do with Releena at all. They just sent out report cards, and they knew that some parents believe that just because they're important, their kid couldn't possibly be stupid or lazy." Duo did not voice his question about whether there had been report cards for him and his friends, or who they would send them to if there was.

"Releena? Who's that?" David the Woman was eavesdropping on them in the locker room, and they realized their mistake of assuming that no one would hear them in the din and echo of the place.

"Heero's girlfriend." Duo said in the same laughing tone that he had used earlier in the presence of the Preventers.

"You shut your mouth." Heero said threateningly. "The only relationship I want with her is the one we have now: no contact and never seeing each other."

"And I suppose what happened on L3 was just my imagination?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ri-i-i-ght. I'll believe that when I believe Wufei's 'just co-workers' excuse. Which, by the way, will never happen."

"What will never happen is anything between me and Miss Po." Wufei said sternly as he buttoned his shirt. "There is absolutely nothing there."

"Dude." Duo protested "I may be slightly stupid, but I'm not blind. When are you going to get off your high horse and admit that she's just waiting for you to be eighteen and legally up for grabs."

"Your words are as ridiculous as they are nonsense."

"What do I have to do, spell it out for you? If it weren't for the fact that you're a minor and she's like thirty or something, she'd already be introducing you to her family and hinting at marriage."

"She would not. And she's twenty-two, not thirty."

"See what I mean?" Duo looked to the others for support. "He even knows her birthday, of all things. I'll bet he doesn't know our birthdays."

"If you don't know when you were born, how do you expect me to?" Wufei was more than just a little frustrated as he stuffed his PE clothes in his gym locker.

Duo waved him off, then locked his own locker, feeling justified in believing that he had won this argument by the looks on the faces of the other three.

"Wait a minute. What's going on? Wuffy's dating thirty-year-old women? You don't have a birthday? How could you not have a birthday?" David the woman was finding out the hard way that even when they spoke in English, these young men were impossible to understand. He followed them out of the locker rooms, still whining. "Wait! Releena? Releena Dorlian? The politician? Heero's dating a politician?

Or do you mean Relina Smith, in biology? Huh? Huh? C'mon guys, tell meee!"