A/N: Inspired by just about any supernatural sci-fi/fantasy thing I've ever read. In particular, a shout out to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files… 1x2, 3x?, 5x?, 4x? Expect multiple pairings, some het and some not, and also some breakups and…changes.
Warnings: Language, violence, sex, language. Angst. AU. Gore.
A/N #2: Thank you for the reviews! And as a reminder, if you aren't logged in and if you don't accept PMs I can't respond to your reviews. So… just know that I appreciate them!
A/N #3: as of this posting, this fic has 58 reviews, 4500+ hits, is on 40 alert lists and 19 favorites! THANK YOU so much everyone!
A/N #4: Thank you everyone who gave the 1x2x3 a shot. See, that wasn't so bad, was it? But seriously, thank you for sticking in there. Continue to enjoy!
A/N #5: Snowdragonct: you disabled your PMs so I can't respond and have another conversation! Just know that I love you!
A/N #6: I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long to write. Moving has been…well, it is what it is. A warning: the next two weeks are also going to be rough. Expect maybe one update a week for the next little while, but by November I should be back to my twice weekly self.
Umbra
Chapter Eleven
When they arrived at Quatre's apartment Duo decided to hang back and let Heero take charge – he wondered just how Quatre would react to Heero's very dry humor and his commanding presence.
Sure enough, Quatre did not seem pleased when he opened the door and Heero, followed by Duo, came in.
"Listen, I really don't think that I need Heero to watch over me. I'm perfectly capable of –"
Before he could finish the sentence, Heero spun around from his perusal of the apartment and wrapped his forearm around Quatre's throat in a chokehold. An instant later a gun appeared in his left hand and he held it against the blonde Ephemeral's temple.
"You were saying?" Duo asked in amusement.
Quatre glared at him, but to his credit he didn't bother struggling in Heero's grasp.
"This is ridiculous."
"No, what's ridiculous is the fact that you are the Arbiter and you don't even value your own life enough to have bodyguards. You realize that that's what the Council primarily uses their human servants for, right? And yes, when I'm around you, it's my job to put my body between you and harm, but I'm not with you all that often. You need full time bodyguards."
"I have full time bodyguards," Quatre groused. He pulled away from Heero, who let him go without a struggle.
"Oh? Are they invisible?" Duo made a show of looking around. "Heero, you see anyone?"
"No," Heero confirmed without looking.
Quatre sighed. "Rashid is on his way over."
"Rashid – your driver?"
Quatre nodded. "Also my bodyguard. But I do not like the idea of walking around with a bodyguard all the time. It gives the wrong impression."
"It gives the impression that you don't want to die," Heero said.
"I don't, but it's also intimidating."
"The Arbiter should be intimidating," Duo argued.
Quatre sighed. "No, I know. I just – forget it."
"No, what?"
For a moment it looked like Quatre would remain silent.
"I'm not my father. I'm not – I just can't seem to lead the life he wants me to. I'm an Ephemeral – which he considers an abomination against our religion – I'm not married with four children already. And now – now I have people trying to kill me and I have to have a professional killer guard me?" He shook his head and chuckled bitterly. "This is not what I should be doing with my life."
"It's exactly what you should be doing with your life," Duo argued. "Quatre – your magic is an amazing gift. You are one of the most powerful Ephemerals I've come across in a century. That's not an abomination. You are using your magic to do good things, to help people. What could… God possibly not appreciate about that?" Religion also made Duo uncomfortable, but he forged ahead for Quatre's sake. "And yeah, you've got people trying to kill you now – that just means you're doing something right!"
"Hitler had people trying to kill him," Quatre muttered.
Heero snorted a laugh at that.
"Yeah, well, my point is that you are doing the right thing with your life and you shouldn't be questioning this. You're important, you need to stay alive, and you are a good man. Those are pretty rare, you know. So forgive me for thinking that you need to be protected." Duo waited until Quatre nodded in sullen agreement.
"Look, Quatre, you aren't the first Ephemeral whose family treated them like, you know, a witch. But you can be one of the last. Isn't that what you want – to change the world and make this a better place for everyone? So – do it. Show your father that you ARE the son he wanted, just better."
Quatre shook his head, but a smile tugged on the corners of his mouth.
"This doesn't sound like your usual, the world is ending self."
Duo shrugged. "I've turned over a new leaf. Which reminds me – Heero's going to protect you. Non negotiable."
Quatre opened his mouth to protest again.
"If this Rashid is good enough, we can rotate duties," Heero intervened. "He can escort you for more mundane things – and I'll protect you at night and in dangerous situations."
Quatre rolled his eyes.
"It's just until Monday night's Council meeting," Duo placated him. "And then the contract expires. So – three days and then you can go back to your carefree self."
"Until the next crisis."
"Exactly," Duo agreed with a smirk. "Now, sorry to run, but I need to get down to the FBI's gas station. See you two later."
He looked over at Heero, who nodded at him, and then he left.
It had been more than an hour since Hilde had called, and he was positive that Zechs would have arrived at the headquarters by now to try and secure the release of his servant.
Sure enough, when Duo was led back to the conference room where Hilde and Wufei were interrogating Zechs's servant, the Light Court Faerie was already present, one of his long arms wrapped around the slender shoulders of a blonde woman who must have been his servant.
"Sorry I'm late," Duo drawled as he entered. Both Zechs and Wufei looked up to glare at him. Duo smirked back at them before looking to Hilde. "What did I miss?"
"This is Dorothy Catalonia, she is Zechs Merquise's servant, and she is the only one to have escaped from our Ephemeral serial killer."
"Serial killer? Are you sure?" Zechs repeated, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Well, what would you call someone who goes around murdering women in the same pattern, with a ritual circle and draining their bodies of blood – and magic, now?"
Zechs shrugged. "Are you sure there is a pattern? It might not even be the same Ephemeral."
Duo ignored him and looked towards Hilde and Wufei.
"So, what do we have?"
Hilde sighed.
"Ms. Catalonia refused to answer any of our questions until her master arrived… and we decided to just wait for you."
"She decided," Wufei corrected, with a glare in Duo's direction.
"Love you too," Duo muttered.
He sat down at the head of the table, with Hilde and Wufei to his right and Dorothy and Zechs to his left.
"Alright, so let's talk. What happened?"
Dorothy tossed her hair and remained defiantly silent. She was pale, and clearly shaken, so Duo gave her points for being this bold and stubborn. Then again, having Zechs beside her probably did a lot to bolster her confidence.
Duo sighed and turned to Wufei.
"Hey, Chang, what usually happens to a victim who escapes a serial killer?"
The Chinese man shrugged one shoulder.
"Serial killers like order and they hate to have their plans wrecked. Usually they hunt down the victim and finish the job – but most of the time, because it's a break from the pattern – they punish the victim more than they would have."
Duo nodded thoughtfully and looked back to Dorothy.
"Sound like fun?"
"Zechs will protect me," she insisted.
"Like he did when you almost got killed in the first place?" Hilde suggested.
Dorothy's eyes narrowed.
"Zechs cares more for me than your master ever could for you."
Hilde actually laughed at her.
"You know… I think I'm okay with that. Because my master wouldn't force me to remain silent and sign my own death warrant. So, if that means that he doesn't care as much for me… I'll take it."
Duo smirked at Zechs, amused by the battle between the two women.
"This is ridiculous. You do not have the authority to force myself or my servant to answer your questions, and you are wasting time that you should devote to solving other criminal cases," Zechs insisted.
"Other?" Duo echoed.
"The shape shifters that are marauding about trying to form a pack? Surely they represent more of a danger than one rogue Ephemeral. Duo, you know what shape shifters are capable of."
Duo's eyes narrowed.
"I thought Treize had that situation under control."
Zechs sneered. "His pet seems to have… gone missing. As have most of the shape shifters at court."
Duo blinked and hid his surprise. There was no way that that could be good news.
"We are looking in to that," Hilde spoke up quickly, "however, we ARE capable of investigating several crimes at once. Now, if we could please return to the subject."
"We will not be discussing the events of last night with you," Zechs assured Hilde.
"Then you will be charged with obstructing justice," Wufei assured him.
"How? The only way that I can be formally involved in a human investigation is –" Zechs abruptly snapped his jaw shut, but it was too late. Duo smirked.
"Is if the Arbiter tells you to. Hmm, I wonder if… why, look at that, I do have his phone number right here." Duo grinned as he dialed and held the phone to his ear. "Don't worry, this will just take a second."
Quatre answered on the third ring with a long suffering sigh. "Duo, please call off your baby sitter. This is… beyond ridiculous. No one is trying to kill me. And even if they were, Rashid is perfectly-"
"Yeah, sure, anyway, I'm down here with the FBI and Zechs Merquise would just love it if you could stop by for a moment so that we can all chat."
Quatre sighed again. "What did you do –"
"Not me. His servant escaped an attempted murder last night by the serial killer but neither of them will talk."
"I'm on my way," Quatre's voice had changed from the almost whiny, sullen tone to completely professional.
Duo hung up and turned back to Zechs.
"He's on his way. So… while we wait, what's this I hear about an Emissary coming to visit?"
Zechs' eyes narrowed.
"What's this I hear about you failing to Summon your lover again?"
Duo clenched his jaw against the immediate desire to pummel Zechs. Instead, he casually crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
"You would think, that after five hundred YEARS of failure you would realize that he has no interest in seeing you. Ever again. Let's be honest – you're a decent lay, but –"
"Shut your mouth. If you aren't going to cooperate with the investigation then you can shut the hell up until the Quatre arrives." It was actually Wufei who spoke up, and all eyes turned to him in shock. He merely glared back. "None of us needs or wants to hear about Maxwell's personal life."
Duo snorted at that, but settled down and contented himself with glaring at Zechs in the silence that fell over the room.
When Quatre and Heero arrived ten minutes later there was an audible sigh of relief from nearly everyone in the room. As soon as the two stepped into the room, Wufei and Hilde started speaking at once, demanding that Quatre intervene.
But Duo was more focused on the fact that Heero had taken one look at Zechs and completely frozen. He looked over at Zechs and noticed a fierce, predatory smile spread across his full lips.
"Heero Yuy. What a pleasure to see you again."
"Zechs," was Heero's frosty response.
"I didn't realize you still used your… talents for government work."
"I'm not," Heero hissed.
"Given up?" Zechs asked with an unpleasant chuckle. He nodded to himself. "After what happened, I don't blame you."
Heero's fists clenched tightly.
"Who is this?" Wufei demanded, seeing Heero for the first time.
"My bodyguard," Quatre growled and sat down in the seat that Duo vacated for him. Duo stood behind him, positioning himself near Zechs. Heero stood on the other side. "So – what's going on?"
"Dorothy Catalonia is Zechs Merquise's servant, and she would have been the most recent victim of our Ephemeral serial killer – except that she escaped. But she's refusing to provide us with any information about the Ephemeral or how she escaped." Wufei summarized, glaring at Zechs the entire time.
Duo was amused and relieved that he was no longer the sole recipient of Wufei's ire.
"Is there a reason you won't allow your servant to provide evidence that could potentially save the lives of other Ephemerals – other Council servants?" Quatre asked Zechs.
"It was a traumatic experience and Dorothy is still recovering. I fail to see how the information provided by one victim can do anything to change what the agents already know," Zechs said stiffly.
"Right – but Dorothy is the only one who survived. So she's not like the other victims," Duo pointed out.
Zechs still looked stubborn. Quatre sighed.
"If you want me to order you to…" Quatre trailed off.
"If you must."
"Fine. As the Arbiter for the United States government I request that you submit yourself – and your servant – for investigation by the FBI in this criminal matter. If you fail to cooperate with their investigation then both you and your servant will be brought up on charges for obstructing justice and failing to maintain the criminal codes outlined under federal mandates regarding magic users."
"Very impressive," Zechs smirked. "You memorized it?"
Quatre arched an eyebrow at him.
"I'd start answering their questions right now before I decide that they can involve you in other ongoing criminal investigations," he suggested.
Duo appreciated the cool confidence that Quatre was displaying, and he hoped that the Ephemeral continued to evolve as the Arbiter. Badass was a good look for him, Duo decided.
"Ask your questions," Zechs growled.
"Ms. Catalonia, what can you tell us about the circumstances in which you were abducted?" Wufei started immediately.
Dorothy heaved an angry sigh, but sat up in her chair.
"I was leaving a meeting and –"
"What kind of meeting? Where?" Wufei interrupted.
Dorothy's gaze flicked over to Hilde's.
"My coven. I can't tell you where we meet."
"Yes you –"
"Wufei, she really can't," Hilde stopped him, "it's secret-kept. Part of our ritual."
Wufei's eyes narrowed, and Duo suspected that those two would be having another argument later.
"You were leaving the meeting of your coven and?"
"And all that I remember is getting into my car and then nothing. Just this feeling of cold, of ice, and darkness." She shrugged. "When I regained consciousness I was naked in the circle, and my arms and legs were held in place with magic, and he was casting some threshold spell on the circle."
"He took you from our – you were still there?" Hilde asked, and there was a thread of fear in her voice.
Dorothy nodded, her eyes narrow. "He was waiting for me."
Hilde closed her eyes and shook her head. Duo could actually feel her anger through their connection.
"That bastard was staking us out. He was watching us."
"You aren't safe meeting there anymore," Duo pointed out. "You should contact your coven members and warn them."
Hilde nodded, but Duo could tell that her focus was elsewhere. Her anger was growing, and Duo knew she was already plotting revenge.
"How do you know it was a threshold spell?" Wufei asked.
"Because I know magic," Dorothy growled.
"What did he look like?" Duo asked the obvious question.
"I…don't know." Dorothy slanted a look to Zechs, who shook his head.
"Lying only makes me hate you more," Duo drawled.
"I'm not lying. I really don't know. He was dark – like a shadow or a cloud hung over him."
"What about his magic?" Hilde asked. "What did it feel like?"
"Like nothing I've ever felt before. He was strong and… cold. Very, very cold." She shivered. "His eyes – I saw his eyes. They were like electric blue."
"Electric blue?" Duo echoed.
She nodded. "They glowed. And I've never seen such a brilliant blue."
"What about his voice?" Wufei asked.
She frowned. "It was Old World. That same accent."
"Old World?" Wufei asked.
"From Europe," Duo clarified. "And he's old, right?"
She nodded reluctantly.
"Zechs, any Ephemeral that old and powerful would have to have the Council's blessing to even be in the States."
The golden haired Faery frowned.
"Yes, if they were sanctioned to be here."
"You're telling me that there's an Ephemeral strong enough to be considered an Old One here and you don't even know who it is?" Duo demanded.
Zechs glared at him.
"I am not the Head of the Council," he bit out. "If you want to ask Treize in for questioning then do so. It is not my place nor my obligation to speculate."
"How did you escape?" Hilde asked Dorothy.
"I really don't know. He was in the middle of summoning my magic – I could actually feel it start to leave my body – and then suddenly he just stopped. He… he started to moan, and then he lost his concentration - I could feel the magic start to weaken, and I took my chances and ran."
"What time would you say this was?" Wufei asked.
She shook her head.
"I have no idea."
"Before or after midnight?" Heero offered.
"After – right around midnight, actually. Yes, it was right around midnight."
Which was right around the time that Duo, Heero, and Trowa had been engaged in healing Trowa.
"Where were you? Where did he take you?" Duo realized that Hilde and Wufei hadn't told him where the crime scene was.
"A hotel room at Planet Hollywood."
Close enough to Duo's condo that he might have felt the Ephemeral if his spell had succeeded.
"It doesn't seem like this guy's style to get so easily distracted," Duo commented.
"No, it doesn't," Wufei agreed.
"Perhaps it isn't the same person…" Zechs suggested.
"No, the circle is the same, the runes, everything – he just wasn't able to kill Dorothy," Hilde murmured. "I wonder what distracted him?" She looked over at Duo. "You know, that was around the same time that you –"
Duo cleared his throat.
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
"I'm just saying – you live really close to Planet Hollywood, and I felt it across town."
"You're my servant. We have a connection."
"Right. I'm just saying that it was enough to distract me. Maybe something similar happened to him? Could he be connected to someone in the same way?"
Duo frowned. It seemed a huge coincidence for their Ephemeral to be the servant of someone who had also unleashed a lot of magic at the exact same time that Duo and Trowa had. Duo frowned and looked over at Heero. The assassin shrugged his shoulders, admitting that his mind was going down the same path as Duo's.
It wasn't often that shape shifters had servants, but it was possible. And with someone as old and powerful as Trowa, it was even likely.
Which made Trowa a suspect.
Duo stopped by Quatre's office on his way home to check in and see how Heero and the Arbiter were getting along. He had spent the afternoon going over the Planet Hollywood hotel room with Hilde, and then several hours trying to track down Trowa. He had called Chippendales, only to be informed that Trowa no longer worked there, and the FBI database had no records on where he lived.
He planned on simply popping his head in, saying goodnight to Quatre and Heero, and then leaving, but once again, fate needed to remind him how much she hated him.
Heero refused to answer Duo's questions about how and when he might have met Zechs in front of Quatre, so Duo had to content himself with wild speculations in his head.
Duo was on his way back out of Quatre's office when Catharine Bloom barged in. Duo could feel her anger like a physical blow, and he tried to move out of her line of fire.
"You were supposed to protect him!" She accused, her voice a growl very reminiscent of a lion's.
"Um, no, I was supposed to find out how he was," Duo corrected.
"Oh? And how was he after you tortured him to within an inch of his life?"
"After I spend the next two days trying to fucking heal him he turned out just fine!" Duo barked at her, thoroughly pissed that this was Trowa's idea of telling Catharine what she needed to know.
"You destroyed him!"
"What?" Duo asked, feeling a jolt of alarm. He ignored the curious looks from Heero and Quatre.
"Your magic is all over him. It's like a… shadow."
"But he can shift?"
"Of course he can."
"And he can still do his… other stuff?"
"Of course!"
"Then how, exactly, did I destroy him?"
She glared at him with such hatred that Duo actually stepped backwards.
"His back! You took away his ability to pass as human! He can't work at his job now, and among us he is marked! By you! The most vicious man alive!"
Duo winced. With all of his other concerns, he really hadn't given any thought to the fact that Trowa would no longer be able to work at Chippendales. The scars from Deathscythe couldn't be concealed with magic, and the taint of that dark magic would always be with him.
"I think you are exaggerating the –" Quatre started to interrupt.
Catharine turned blazing eyes on the blonde Ephemeral.
"Unlike you, Arbiter, or the God of Death, my brother and I have been slaves for the last four thousand years. We don't have a fortune we've made at the expense of others. We barely make enough to survive, and with the prejudice against shape shifters, his job was one of the few that didn't question his background. You've taken that away from him. How is he supposed to live?"
"Treize doesn't support you two?" Heero asked.
"Of course not! Treize expects us to fend for ourselves and then show up and look presentable when he needs us."
"Catharine –" Duo began.
"You destroyed his life. I will get revenge for this, Executioner." And with that promise she left in a swirl of auburn hair and angry magic.
Duo spent Sunday afternoon on bodyguard duty – Rashid had taken the early morning, and Heero still insisted that he watch over the Arbiter at night, so Duo covered the afternoon so that Heero could get a few more hours of sleep. He expected Heero to arrive around sunset, at six, and sure enough, the assassin arrived right on time. But he wasn't alone.
Heero and Trowa walked in to Quatre's office, Heero completely unfazed by the gun Duo had trained on him as he walked in, and Trowa looking slightly taken aback by the weapon in Duo's hand.
Duo looked between them and noticed the vaguely embarrassed look on Trowa's face and the smug, satisfied expression on Heero's. It was an expression that Duo was very familiar with – Heero also sported that smirk after particularly good sex – and Duo was used to having it directed at HIM. It was a completely new sensation to see Heero looking at someone else like that, and Duo quickly stomped down the feelings of anger and jealousy that the look aroused in him.
"So you two fucked," he commented casually.
Trowa actually blushed, but Heero shrugged.
"We resolved an argument."
Duo rolled his eyes.
"We have got to work on your conflict management skills, Heero. You can end a fight without killing or fucking someone, you know."
"I know," Heero agreed, completely unapologetic.
Duo didn't know why it bothered him so much that Heero had slept with Trowa, and he was afraid of examining the emotions too closely. He had slept with Trowa, and he and Heero were now in a committed relationship – so maybe it was fair that Heero also slept with Duo's Soul Mate? But Duo didn't even want to be involved with Trowa, and now… Heero seemed to be forcing the issue by becoming involved with the other man himself.
"What are you doing here?" Duo demanded of Trowa, storing away the emotions and thoughts to deal with later.
"I'm here to see the Arbiter," Trowa said, in the calm, confident voice that Duo knew was his alpha voice. He looked past Duo to Quatre, who was sitting behind his desk looking a little shell shocked from all of the new information he had just learned.
Duo frowned.
"What –"
"I represent the Free Clan of Las Vegas as the alpha of our pack, and I am here to formally petition that we are granted the same rights and freedoms guaranteed to other Old Ones and Ephemerals under the legislation passed last year. Under the 38th Amendment we are guaranteed the same rights and privileges of other American citizens, regardless of our magical nature. I am here to demand that that Amendment is enforced and that the slavery of shape shifters ends."
"You – you're a shape shifter?" Quatre asked.
Trowa inclined his head.
"And you knew?" Quatre turned to Duo in disbelief.
"Yeah, I found out recently. After we started dating, I should point out."
"And you… are okay with that?"
"Hell no. But I don't think he's here to talk about our personal issues."
Quatre shook himself.
"Of course. Um, please, sit?" He gestured to the chair across from him, and Trowa sat down. "This situation is incredibly complicated, Trowa – is that your real name?" There was a frosty hint in Quatre's voice, and Duo was glad that he too was taking it personally that Trowa had hidden his identity.
"Yes, that is my name."
"Okay, then, Trowa, the Council insists that there is a difference between the Old Ones – magical beings – and shape shifters. They claim that shape shifters are magical creatures."
"How is that different from Faeries?" Trowa asked, slanting a look at Duo to judge his reaction to the question. It was, Duo had to admit, a fair point.
"The argument is that a creature is mastered by his magic, while a being masters his magic. Shape shifters are subject to being controlled by their magic, and can't control their shifting. Not like Faeries can control magic."
Trowa nodded thoughtfully.
"What about those of us strong enough to control our magic?"
"Alphas?"
"Yes. What are we?"
"Well – technically you are still a shape shifter."
"But I'm not subject to my magic. I can control it. Surely that means that I have…evolved into another being."
Duo sighed. He could see where Trowa was going with this, and for some reason he decided to help him make his point.
"Well, are you saying that a magic user who can't control their magic is just a creature then? That until you learn to control your magic you aren't… real?"
"That's ridiculous. You are still the same – you can't start legislating degree of magical proficiency," Quatre argued. "It's not right to do that." He realized the trap he had just argued himself into and sighed.
Trowa looked triumphant, and he shot Duo a grateful look.
"Then magical creatures and magical beings are the same. Furthermore, to suggest that shape shifters – who are human, and certainly are more human than vampires – are somehow a lesser being is to throw out the 13th and 14th Amendments." Trowa sat back in his chair, looking confident and cocky, and Duo had to admit, sexy as hell.
He looked over at Heero, still leaning against the wall by Quatre's door, and the assassin met his gaze.
Duo desperately wished Heero had some kind of magical ability at that moment. He wanted – needed – to know why Heero had slept with Trowa. He wanted to know what had changed, and what would change.
"Duo, can we…discuss it later, please?" Trowa interrupted his thoughts.
Duo frowned and looked down at the shape shifter in confusion, and then felt completely humiliated as he realized that Trowa had been able to sense his emotions through their connection.
"Sure, fine," Duo bit out and forced his mind to go completely blank.
"This process is proving somewhat difficult. But, I agree with you – and I want to change things."
Trowa's eyes narrowed at Quatre's tone.
"But?"
Quatre sighed. "The Council will not budge on this. I've spoken extensively with Une," Duo noticed that Trowa flinched at the name of Treize's servant, "and there are several other issues that the Council wants resolved before they will even discuss the situation with the shape shifters."
Duo frowned. "What other issues?" This was the first he was hearing of this.
Quatre looked cagey.
"Well…we've been discussing the statute of limitations on criminal prosecutions. Treize believes that since becoming a vampire is essentially leaving behind your human self, that any crimes committed should be forgiven."
"That's idiotic," Duo pointed out.
"He also thinks that any crime committed by an Old One – including vampires after their change – should not have a limitation for how much time can pass between the crime and the prosecution."
"Meaning?"
Quatre sighed and then met Duo's gaze. "He wants to bring you up on charges for murder."
Duo's jaw dropped.
"What?"
"When – when was the murder committed?" Heero asked.
Quatre shifted uncomfortably. His gaze flicked over Trowa and then back to Duo.
"Murders, actually. Back in 1898…you killed a group of shape shifters calling themselves White Fang."
Duo felt all color drain from his face.
"Fucking hell," he breathed.
The look on Quatre's face made it clear that Une had shared ALL the details of those murders with Quatre, and that Quatre was having a difficult time reconciling that information with the respect he felt for Duo.
"How many?" Heero asked.
"Seventeen," Duo answered for him. He swallowed hard. "Including six children."
Duo could feel Trowa's instant rage at the announcement, and the fury of the other man washed over him like a sharp, biting winter wind. Duo made himself meet Trowa's sharp, unforgiving green gaze.
"There were reports that they were attempting to start a pack, and the Council asked me to intervene. This group was responsible for the murders of several settlers up in Idaho, including two families. They killed an Ephemeral who was visiting the area, and the Council decided to take action. I was asked to go and investigate and use my judgment. I didn't know there were children. Not until… not until after."
Those had been some of the darkest days in Duo's life, comparable only to his actions during the Inquisition and when he had tracked down the last of the packs in Europe. He still had nightmares about that particular mission, and he would always be able to hear the screams of those children as they died.
"How did you kill them?" Trowa demanded.
"Fire."
Quatre winced, but Trowa's face went completely blank.
"Were you acting on Council orders?" Heero asked, ever the pragmatist.
"Yes and no. I was told to intervene – I was never given the order to kill them. It was simply…understood."
"You murdered six innocent children," Trowa pointed out.
"Yeah, I did," Duo agreed. He turned back to Quatre. "So Treize wants me out of the picture and he's trying to back you into a corner." He shrugged. "If that's what needs to happen – fine. I actually agree that there shouldn't be a statute on those kinds of crimes – but I also think it's bullshit to forgive a vampire crimes committed while they were human. Trade it."
"I'm not trading you," Quatre argued.
"I'm a murderer – even you can't see the silver lining in that one," Duo pointed out.
"Still on Council orders," Heero argued. "You were the Executioner– there isn't much that that title leaves up for debate. You had some unfortunate collateral – enough that you should never be in a position with that kind of power again, but not enough to be tried for murder."
"Because, after all, they were just animals," Trowa added in a furious whisper. Duo winced at the surge of anger he felt from Trowa. He sighed.
"Quatre, what's the going rate for murder these days?"
"For seventeen murders?" Quatre repeated. "The Death Penalty has been outlawed for humans, but… I'm fairly certain that you would be executed."
Duo nodded and then looked back at Trowa, waiting until the other man looked up and met his gaze.
"If you want, I'll turn myself in right now – gladly. I'll accept whatever punishment I'm given and I won't even fight it. But before I do that – you need to understand – I've never thought you were an animal. Never thought that shape shifters were animals. I'm not a human, so my concept of 'animal' might be a bit off. But I still consider killing innocent kids murder. I'm not saying otherwise."
They stared at each other in silence.
"Except that they weren't murders," Heero repeated. "You were doing your job and you had a mandate from the Council. It won't stand up in court."
Duo shrugged and looked away from Trowa back to Heero.
"Probably not. Which Treize has to know. He's after something – like always. He's trying to get Quatre to trade something for me… or he wants me for something…" he turned back to Trowa. "Any ideas?"
"Wait – are you Treize's lion?" Quatre asked before Trowa could answer. "Your eyes – they look just like –"
"Yes, I am," Trowa interrupted in a firm voice. "And no. As I told you before, Treize doesn't discuss politics around me."
Duo was reminded of Zechs' comment yesterday about the shape shifters at court disappearing.
"Um… speaking of politics. Any chance you and your friends are planning some kind of revolution soon?"
Trowa's eyes narrowed. "Not in the immediate future. There were…some concerns over the past few days, but all members of the pack will be returning to their MASTERS." He switched his gaze to Quatre. "We've decided to wait for the Arbiter to do his duty. But we won't be waiting for very long."
"That sounded a lot like a threat," Duo commented.
"Good. I'm glad that I made myself clear." Trowa's gaze was hard as it turned to Duo's. "One way or another, we WILL earn our freedom. I'd like to think that the Arbiter, and you, would be on the side of justice. But if it comes to it we will make our own justice."
Duo's eyes narrowed. "If you lay a finger on him I'll kill you."
"I am almost six thousand years old and the son of a god. You didn't even realize I wasn't a null. Forgive me if I think that my chances against you are pretty decent. After all – I'm not a child." Trowa snarled and rose to his feet. A wave of anger and hatred assaulted Duo, but before he could say anything, Trowa left.
"So…you two aren't still dating are you?" Quatre asked.
Duo turned a withering glare in his direction. "You think?"
Up Next: Another visit to the Council!
Definitions:
Council: the body that presides over magical creatures and users in the US. The Old Council refers to the European Council.
Dryad: A nature spirit, like a Sprite. Another Old One. Usually associated with a tree, and different 'families' of Dryads are associated with different trees.
Ephemeral: a human who can use magic. Used interchangeably with witch.
Jinn: alternately Djinn or Genie. They are spirits, supposedly created by God (if you're Muslim), and can be good or bad.
Old Ones: the powerful magical races. Vampires, Shape shifters, Faeries, and a few more to be named later!
Old Ways: reference to the way that the European Council ran things or the way things were before magic was legal. Sally Po refers to the old ways – a reference to the practices of Native American Shamans, and NOT the Council.
Null: a human without magical ability.
Shaman: A Native American mystic or holy person. Used in this context to mean an Ephemeral.