Game Day
"Red nine is nearing the crease, blocked by green, green thirteen has the ball. Feeds to green twelve, twelve to ten, intercepted! Red three has the ball, feeds to re- and green twenty slap-checks, feeds to green nineteen, nineteen to three, three to five, body-check, red six scoops a ground ball, cross-check by green nineteen, nineteen shoots, he scores!"
The crowds literally went wild. Green nineteen, who was coincidentally possibly the richest seventeen-year-old in existence, wandered over to green five, an eighteen-year-old named Aaron, and offered a hand up from the grass as the ref's whistles called for time for discussion. Neither young man said anything, but red six was glaring daggers at them from under his helmet. The speakers came on again, "personal foul, red six, illegal body-check, slashing." The player in question protested with loud gestures, but was led to the box by the referee.
Quatre spit out his mouth guard. "You okay?" He asked Aaron "Looked like he got you good."
"I'm all right. Glad I had my helmet on, though."
"Maybe you should be glad that he didn't aim for anyplace unguarded."
"Yeah, maybe." Aaron said, and the coach called him over, probably to ask the same thing Quatre had just done. Quatre and number three, Wufei, watched their fellow attack man jog off. They glanced at each other under the visors of the helmets, an if to say 'did you see that?'. Number twenty, Heero, looked at them from several yards further in field.
No one said anything, but they thought the same way; these players were getting more ruthless. Or desperate may be more like it. The score was 36-zip, and it was only the beginning of the third quarter. Quatre sighed and shook his head, and 3 and 20 took this as a sign to get back to their positions, Wufei off to the other side of the attack area, and Heeto to the center of mid-field. As he fitted the mouth piece back in, Quatre privately wondered if all their games would end up with the opposing team so intimidated that they would foul play. If the last four games were any indication, then yes.
Another face off, another goal, and two minutes in the box later, and red six was back on the field, still glaring at the players in the green jerseys. The effect was rather dulled, not just because the helmet diminished the facial visibility, but also because there was really nothing to back up the non-verbal threat. What was he going to do, wave his stick at them?
For anyone not interested in seeing well-orchestrated plays counteracted unsuccessfully by underhanded tactics, the rest of the game would be rather dull. Coach Fickes rotated the players after the third quarter, allowing some more non-deity-like students to have a go, and the opposing team scored two goals, but the ending score was still 52-2. There was the mandatory show of sportsmanship where the teams lined up and shook hands with each other, and then the Green team packed themselves back on the bus for the ride back to the hotel, where they would say over night before heading home in the morning. Crowing and victory chants rand out through the vehicle, and there were a lot of high-fives and fists pumped into the air.
Sports fever had gripped the school, and school spirit couldn't be higher. The lacrosse team enjoyed a particularly good year, for not only were they undefeated, but many people who previously ignored the minor sport became interested due to certain players. Granted, football games were still more popular and more crowded, but lacrosse still had its best showing ever.
School almost seemed worth it, if only for this.
Everything else still sucked though.
The school security and its heightened status was often put into play during sporting events. No less than four princes were on the starting lineup of the football team, and there were over twenty players on the varsity team alone. Classes often had visits of fathers who were visiting their sons at their Alma Matter, and football games were a watering hole for important people trying to forge alliances through the shared place of learning. The normal popularity contests that plagued schools world wide were hyperbolized in this institute, as people fought for friendships that might later lead to political of business advantage or even marriages. Avoiding this melodramatic and highly emotional arena was no easy task, but the Gundam pilots refused to be dragged in. While they all had various casual friendships with players of different teams, they made a point of refusing to come meet fathers and prime ministers and CEOs, or sit with them during games. Sitting in the foot ball stands, hidden in a crowd of relatively average people and trying to not attract attention to them selves, they gradually picked up on the intricacies of different fandoms.
One school event which they flat-out ignored were dances and parties. Heero had nothing positive to say about his experience at these events and between Quatre's reluctance to see Dorothy, and Wufei's fear of molestation, no one could come up with a reasonable excuse for them to go. Duo teased Heero and Wufei that they would gleeful go if certain females were present, but his friends all saw it for what it really was; just a cover for is own sorrow that he couldn't escort Hildi to one of these ritzy settings. While this place now seemed less awkward, it still didn't feel like home. Outside communications were still restricted, and Duo had received no word from her since he dad come to this place over a month ago.
With no news from the outside world, no interest in gossip, and no larger problems around, a common topic of conversation was just how to get around the restrictions placed on them.
"What exactly are they afraid of?"
No on could think of an anything. Quatre would probably be able to come up with a feasible hypothesis, but Quatre wasn't here, he was in his room having a conference call with some of his employees. The other four were sitting on the roof. Despite David the Woman's warning of trouble, they found the roof to be a very convenient place- it was quieter than the dining hall or one of the picnic tables out on the grounds, and was roomier than just sitting in a dorm room.
Augmenting the complexity of the situation was the fact that the school was targeting them personally. Other students were allowed personal computers, cell phones, private correspondence, heck, juniors and seniors were allowed cars, and all students were allowed trips off campus. These unfortunate five, on the other hand, were figuratively bound and gagged. They couldn't even get a TV or news paper.
The reality of the situation was that they were helpless. Somewhere out there were politicians who were deciding their fates, and there was nothing they could do until then except try and stay out of trouble.
The sun beat down on this roof top, making them squint, but they were not over warm. Fall was in full swing, and the thick uniforms, while still stiff, itchy, and useless, were at least thick enough to ward off the chill. They reclined in the angles of the bay windows of the upper floors. They spoke quietly and stepped lightly so as not to be heard from the ground, but they weren't worried about someone hearing them through the roof, for directly below them was an attic. Their classes were over, their homework finished, and practice had been canceled (because some one had thought it funny to mess whit the sprinkler system and now the playing field was flooded and muddy), so they, without entertainment or work, were bored.
A series of taps on a window signaled Quatre's arrival, and they heard him slide onto the roof. Staying low, he scooted over to join them.
"Iria is thinking of coming to one of our games." He reported, "Some of my other sisters might come too, though I'm not sure if that's a genuine show of loyalty, or an attempt to suck up to me."
He paused, but no one said anything, still gazing at the clouds. More for his own benefit than theirs, he continued.
"Winner Corporation stock is up three and a quarter. There was a factory fire on New Brazil that damaged some goods and machinery, but we're fully covered by insurance. On of my trustees was arrested for embezzling money, and my lawyers are trying to battle a class-action suit from parents whose children have had problems supposedly arising from my being a bad role model."
"Luthor Corp. is on its last legs, thanks to a joint effort between myself and Wayne Enterprises. I've been informed that eighteen party invitations, twenty-three dinner dates, and four Tee-times have been turned down on my behalf, being that I'm essentially under house arrest until further notice. My investment in construction materials was a whopping success, and Winner Building Co. is about to pay up big." He stretched back and sighed. "And we're investing in new, scientifically developed super-crops."
The boys took a moment to digest the information. Eventually, Trowa asked "Those lawyers…couldn't you tell them to try and get us out of here?"
"It doesn't work like that. No real charges have been brought against us for them to try and squirm out of." He shifted his gaze from side to side, looking for anything out of place, and his voice dropped even lower. "Some things have come to light. If you pester some one long enough, they're bound so slip up somewhere. And someone let it slip that we're here for...observation."
"Observation of what though? Are they trying to see if we're dangerous? Super-powered and inhuman? Patriotic? What are they afraid of?" Trowa was visibly frustrated as he repeated the question that they had voiced earlier.
"What ever it is they're looking for, they're not getting it. When questioned about the length of time I was expected to be away from my company, they admitted that this is taking much longer than they expected."
"Can't say I'm surprised. We really haven't given them anything…except for that little bit where they took away our weapons, we've acted like normal people." Heero added his thoughts in his usual monotone.
"But we aren't…normal. And it probably shows." Trowa hypothesized. "Our disguises might work short term in making people ignore us, but none of us can maintain a long-term illusion. Even you were suspect when you were here at the start of the war."
Heero 'harumph'ed at the suggestion that his cover had been penetrated, but said nothing.
"We're hiding something. They just don't know what." Quatre said. "They're waiting for one of us to slip up. They know that this is only a facade of civility, and that we're all on our best behavior."
"It's not all a façade. You've always acted like this." Trowa pointed out.
"But they know that I am capable of behaving differently." He kept his voice even, but they could feel his unease. "Guys…they know about Dorothy…"
"What!" The cry came all at once from the other four.
Quatre elaborated. "They don't know everything. If they did, then they would have done something. But we were careless. We were recorded when we were, um, talking to her…" He sort of mumbled the last part.
"Since when have there been cameras around? We haven't seen anything." Heero was indignant.
"They were professionally hidden. They didn't take any chances, and used top-of-the-line
equipment. They don't have them in places like our dorms, or the locker rooms, because that's unnecessary invasion of privacy." All the boys looked slightly relieved. "But the investigators were questioning people like my sisters about just what Dorothy did to make us so angry, and 'drop our masks', so to speak."
"Is, is there any chance that you're going to, you know, tell them what happened?" Trowa asked
Quatre took his time in answering, and sat up and drew his knees up to his chin. "No. No chance at all. I'll carry this to my grave. I wouldn't have told you guys, except you and Wufei already knew, and then you told Duo and Heero."
Trowa and Wufei looked slightly abashed about having spread around information that Quatre might have wanted to keep secret.
"It's not like it would solve anything. Dorothy's really skilled at avoiding consequences." Heero murmured.
"I have a question." Duo stated, finally jumping in and not just listening. "Wouldn't the footage of us threatening Dorothy be considered proof of something? Like, that we're deranged and stuff? I'd think that they'd act on anything they get."
"Remember, they're probably hoarding intelligence for later court use. I can't recall what exactly we said, but most of it would have just been you guys defending me from her. The rest can be written off as hard feelings and resentment from former enemies. That won't prove anything to either side, except maybe that Dorothy is still kind of proud of her definitely terrorist actions under Zechs Merquise."
"So it's inadmissible due to the fact that it's irrelevant. Normal people defend their friends, normal people bear grudges." Duo summed up.
"Pretty much, yeah."
"But we still don't know-" Trowa was cut off by the chiming of the bells. Time for dinner. Duo reached over and woke up Wufei, and they snuck back in and pretended that they had been occupying non-rule-breaking locations. At the table they were joined by Willis and Aaron, but even the excitement of the upcoming home game was dimmed by their private feelings of anxiety.
"One thing is for sure." Heero said in Japanese, ignoring the English-only speakers, and interrupting the discussion. "We're going to be here a long time. Because they won't get anything from us, and none of us is going to break."
"Don't be too hasty here, bro." Duo cautioned in English, adding to the guest's confusion. "Now that they know they can get us riled up, they may try to duplicate the event."
Heero should have knocked on wood to ward off bad luck.
"If you will open your books to page two-hundred and ninety four, you will see the table listing the acids and bases you will need to memorize." The Chem. Prof. droned, trying to tell them all about the stronger combinations containing Hydrogen and Hydroxide. Out side in the hallway, some one was laughing and talking in a booming voice, the words flowing in through the open door.
"Now if the, uh, let's see, the third person in every row, come up and get papers for every one in your row."
Quatre alighted to his feet and went to retrieve the worksheets. He waited patiently for his turn, mildly listening to what Amanda was saying about recognizing some of those same acids from the list of ingredients in her anti-wrinkle cream. He was fine until a familiar voice said "Professor Severus, how nice to see you again!" Quatre spun around as the teacher was gushing "Milliardo, how nice to-" , but the man never got further than that.
Heero's seat was right in front of Quatre's, two back from the front. The brown-haired teenager lunged, somehow shooting straight out of his chair and over Dolan the Calculator Boy's head, tackling Milliardo Peacecraft, a.k.a. Zechs Merquise. The two crashed into the Prof. Severus' desk, Zechs taking the brunt of the impact, and then Heero was on his feet, and kicked the blond upside the head, knocking his head into the edge of the desk yet again.
"No Heero!" Quatre cried, jumping forward to restrain his teammate. He slipped behind him, and was halfway into a headlock before Heero let out a verbal tirade of computer default commands in Japanese, and broke free. The crazed boy dashed forward to try and attack once again, aiming for where Prof Severus and Milliardo's companion with the booming voice were dragging Mr. Peacecraft to his feet. Quatre lunged forward and grabbed the back of Heero's uniform, pivoted, and tossed Heero down one of the isles between the desks. Heero slammed into the side of one, causing the girl sitting there to scream, and bounced and rolled a bit of ways, but recovered in a heartbeat, and vaulted over a desk into the next row for a clear path to where the two men were dragging the injured (but still conscious) ex-soldier toward the door. Quatre blocked his way, and launched a flying kick into Heero's face. Heero fell, but once he was on the ground he used his position to kick Quatre's feet out from under him, and he ran past toward his quarry.
Quatre let out an Arabic battle cry and tackled Heero much like Heero had Zechs, and the two shot past the three adults and out the door in to the hallway.
The students, the teacher, and two guests could hear them struggling and crashing all the way down the hall.
I wonder what the average responce to a cliff-hanger is. But don't be too put out, I have a three-day weekend coming up, and if I don't blow it all on video games thenI should have a new chapter after then.