17-Aug-2000
Category: Experiment
Pairings: 13x4
Disclaimer: Not mine, no money being made or sought here.
NOTES: All right.. the guys are barrelling full steam ahead with me tonight and the conclusion of this might be out later tonight. I decided to send this out on it's own before things started to spiral into the truely edgy tones. Yes, this is a warning. Part 4 and if there is another part after that are going to be very VERY edgy
The delicate dance continued between Treize and Quatre over the next four days. Each day, Treize sent for Quatre. They would play a game of chess, Quatre would win, they would exchange verbal spars and Treize would win.
Each day, the doctor visited Wufei. Once properly bound, the young dragon's ribs started to knit and caused him less discomfort, which only made him more and more agitated. Trowa remained silent, completely withdrawn. He watched Quatre with dark, haunted green eyes. Duo tried to bring light conversation into the mix but more often then not, he was gentle silenced by Heero who was the only one of them all who could seem to approach Quatre and get him to talk.
Quatre would come back from his encounters with Treize, dazed and obviously off balance. Daily he would check on Wufei's condition and try to approach Trowa who ducked away from him. Already confused, Quatre was unable to understand the green eyed boy's reactions so he'd retreat to a quiet corner of the cell. It was in this quiet corner that Heero would seek him out.
The Japanese boy wasn't so much.. nosey... as he was relentless in drawing every detail of the encounter out of the little blond. Every time, Quatre answered that yes, he'd won the chess match describing the match in detail. Each day, Heero would frown a little deeper but then leave Quatre alone. Quatre couldn't understand Heero's reaction any more then he could understand Trowa.
The fourth day, Quatre came back with a little grin on his face. The ritual started the moment he walked into the cell. Wufei, working on stretches in the center of the cell, would glare at him. Quatre had come to realize the *glare* was actually the young dragon's way of scouring him top to bottom, making certain there were no physical injuries. Trowa would watch him, pale faced and miserable, then the green eyed boy would disappear into a shadow. Duo seemed to be the only one who was ever happy to see him.
"Hey Q-man, how'd you do today?"
"Very well. I won the chess match and managed to outflank him in the conversation."
"Really?" Duo... tried to sound interested but the American really had no use for Treize unless the Commander of Oz was in his cross hairs.
"Yes. We were discussing economic impact of war and..."
"You won the verbal match?" Heero's cool tones interrupted from somewhere in the dark.
"Uh..." Quatre stopped, blinking. "Well.. yes."
"Hn." It was the only noise any of them would hear out of Heero for the rest of the night and it was a noise of vast displeasure.
Quatre waited for Heero to come over and ask him about the chess match. The Japanese boy usually wanted a in-depth move analysis, specially of Treize's moves but tonight even Heero kept his distance. Quatre sat down on the stone floor and felt miserable. He didn't understand what he'd done wrong, specially when it came to Trowa. Twice he'd sought out the slender outline of his new friend, hoping against hope that Trowa might come over and talk to him, that perhaps since Heero wasn't grilling him for details, Trowa might ask.
It was a futile hope and the evening passed in silence between them all. Morning came, or at least what their internal clocks told them was morning. Their meager breakfasts arrived and were consumed then the waiting game began. About the time Quatre was used to the guard coming for him, early afternoon, he stood and began to pace around the small cell.
No one came.
Quatre watched the door with the same expectant confusion that someone awaiting their own execution might watch for the deathrow guards.
But no one came.
As the hours passed, Trowa slid out of his shadows and along the wall till he stood next to Heero. The two boys conversed softly, too softly for the other's to hear. At one point, Wufei's looked over towards them, drawn by the soft sound of Trowa's fist hitting the hard stone wall. His dark eyes met Heero's intense cobalt gaze for a long moment then he looked over at the pacing Quatre, his lips tightening in an expression helpless anger.
'There is no justice in this.' The young dragon thought to himself.
Trowa moved away from Heero, disappearing back into the shadows without giving Quatre another look. For his part, Duo was letting the whole thing slid right over him. He refused to even let his quick, street smart mind focus on the situation, since if it did, he'd be forced to acknowledge something he didn't want to think about. Heero studied the American boy for a long time. It was not lost on him, the way Duo could not bring himself to look at Quatre.
"Hn." Heero murmured softly.
Pushing away from the wall he walked over till he stood right in Quatre's pacing path. The little blond wheeled around and about bumped into him.
"Oops.... sorry Heero, didn't see you."
"Obviously." Heero said, not unkindly. He reached out and took Quatre's elbow, walking him a few paces away from the others. Heero spoke too low for the other three pilots to hear, though no one was trying to listen too closely. Quatre's startled..
"Wha?" Broke the quiet in the cell and caused Trowa to flinch, Wufei to stiffen and Duo just started to quietly hum to himself. He wasn't thinking about it.
Heero had just finished what he had to say and was bracing for the questions he saw in Quatre's face, when the slide of a keycard through the door lock alerted them all to the arrival of the guards; for Quatre.
The light from the corridor fell across Heero's face, illuminating it brightly for a moment. Quatre could see the way the cobalt blue eyes burned with a fierce intensity and something else... compassion.
"Remember what I said Quatre. It's your only chance to win." Heero did not usually repeat himself but he did now.
The guards, never comfortable with the door open for any length of time, reached in and grabbed the shocked Quatre, pulling him out of the cell and slamming the door.
Into the darkness, Wufei's voice broke over Duo's soft humming. "Nakatu watch over him."
End Part 3
Laekin
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