Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ G-men ❯ Talents ( Chapter 22 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Arigatomina 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.08.2002 | Updated On: 12.08.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.5K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.08.2002 | Updated On: 12.08.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.5K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress
Category: Anime, Yaoi, AU, GW/YYH
Warnings: not much
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5+6/6+5, KuramaxHiei, will be 6x5
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
www.fanfiction.net under Arigatomina
G-men
Part 22: Talents
They seemed to reach the town quicker than he remembered, and Duo was surprised to notice the people who'd paid such interested attention to him before glanced away from them now. It wasn't that they weren't noticed, considering they walked down the sidewalk of the main road leading up to the manor. But people outside the buildings were careful not to pay them any mind. Those walking down the street toward them moved to the other side. Rather than appreciating it, he thought they were being rather rude. A glance toward Kurama showed it was nothing unusual, the red-haired boy leading the group.
"The lower levels haven't ever been assigned letters as far as I know," Kurama was saying, his bright green eyes directed at Quatre. "Mutants levels one through six generally have a slight talent, nothing they can control. Usually, they don't even realize they *are* mutants. And you know seven through ten, right?"
"Ten being A," Quatre nodded. "But I've never heard of something above that." Heero was a few steps behind them and he exchanged a quick glance with the boy, knowing he was listening carefully.
"It's not just you," Kurama told him, "Relena-dono hadn't heard of it either, when we first came here. Sometimes I wonder if it isn't a level Hiei made up." He smirked suddenly, his eyes dropping to the boy in his arms. "But I can't imagine him doing that. No, I think there is a definite level above A, and Hiei calls it S level. I don't know where he first heard it, but I'm confident it's real. There's a gap between A and S, and he's definitely jumped it. You know that level A mutants have multiple talents, as level B have mastered talents. But level S is different. It isn't a level you're born with."
"What do you mean? Mutants are born with their abilities," Duo commented, his eyes still shifting to the people they passed.
"I know," Kurama nodded, glancing back at him. "I was born with the ability to control plants. When I started, I could make them grow, from a seed to a full grown tree in minutes. But I couldn't do more than that until I practiced. Now I can change my shape to a form that allows me to *create* plants that don't exist, rather than just manipulating seedlings. Maybe I was born with the *potential* but I had to work *hard* to develop the power. *That* is when I moved from A to S."
"So this level means multiple talents, but mastered," Heero said, his expression losing that pinched look. "Then all we have to do is to master our abilities? It's too easy."
"You make it sound easy," Kurama said lightly, "but you're still an A level mutant. You talk as if you've mastered your talents, but Hiei said you were A level. Maybe you have something more you haven't tapped into." The dark-haired boy gave him a glare but he shrugged, facing forward again.
"That guy said we were A before he even saw us," Duo smirked, his eyes shifting over the sleeping boy. He looked nothing like the short fighter who'd held a sword on him earlier and Duo wondered what made him the expert. "How would he know so much about us, or classes, for that matter?"
"He's good at reading those things," Kurama said lightly, turning to direct his gaze at Zechs. "You said you were seeking shelter here. Are you rebels, then? I heard there were a few mutants attacking OZ. Of course, I did notice that Duo looked familiar." The longhaired boy's eyes widened and Kurama nodded. "I've seen your picture before, though it took me a bit to realize where. I admit, I'm surprised to learn that Relena-dono's brother is one of the rebels."
"As apposed to being a pacifist," Zechs said, his expression droll. "I haven't been in this kingdom in years."
"I know." The red-haired boy nodded again. "And as people attacking OZ, I'm sure the idea of pacifism is hard to accept. You have to realize that only a few of the students here are level B, the rest below that. Any resistance they might put up would only get them killed. Relena-dono gives them an outlet for their frustration, a place to live in peace. It isn't just a fanciful notion, you know. She doesn't just teach them to accept their lot, she's working to unite them so a *peaceful* solution might be reached."
Quatre frowned, glancing back at his friends before meeting the green-eyed boy's gaze. "She doesn't really believe OZ will let mutants join normal society, does she? It's a nice idea, please don't get me wrong, but it's not likely."
"You might be surprised at how much can be accomplished through discussion," Kurama told him, not bothered by the boy's skepticism. "The Sanq kingdom has quite a reputation among the neighboring countries. Leaders listen to Relena-dono as if she had some mutant ability of manipulation; even those with inherent fear of mutants are willing to give her ideas a chance. And she isn't so foolish as to think things can be changed with *complete* pacifism." Zechs blinked at him and he smiled at the man, understanding his surprise. "Relena-dono *did* think that at first, but she realizes now that the country will *have* to be able to defend itself. Talking about peace is useless if OZ could just come in and kill all of the mutants in one blow. She knows that."
Duo shook his head, smirking at Heero. "And here I figured she was just sitting around talking about peace as if the rest of the world didn't exist. I guess I had pacifists dubbed wrong."
"No," Zechs said sharply, his pale blue eyes sliding over the back of Kurama's head as the boy didn't look back. "My father did that. We had a small defense to be called up in case of an attack, but it wasn't something he actually took seriously. Where did Relena get the idea of a defense using mutants?" Kurama glanced over his shoulder and Zechs shook his head. "She never believed there was an appropriate time for violence, no matter what. She always thought discussion could solve anything."
"Did she?" They were moving up the steep hill directly beneath the manor and Kurama shifted Hiei higher so the boy's black head lay over his shoulder. "I haven't known her that long, but it sounds as if you're describing Yukina-chan, not Relena-dono. Relena-dono despises violence just as much, but she accepts that sometimes it's unavoidable. All she hopes is to keep the violence limited to as few people as possible. Which is why the other students stay clear of the border of the country. They can be taught to control their powers and how to fight for peace without violence. We make sure they have the chance to do that."
"But you're guarding the country against OZ," Duo put in, following closely behind Quatre, "right? Don't you think it's a waste of time to sit around here and wait for OZ to attack when you could be out there getting them first?"
"Like the six of you," Kurama said softly, his lips curving into a slight smile. "But where has *your* fight led you?" Silence met him and he ducked his head, closing his eyes for a moment before quickening his pace. "The rightful heir to this kingdom is Millardo Peacecraft, but if you plan to stage your attacks from *within* this kingdom, I'd ask that you tell Relena-dono first. We should be prepared for the inevitable retaliation. It's only a matter of time before they realize where you are."
Wufei's eyes narrowed when Zechs' face darkened. "We weren't planning to attack from within the Sanq kingdom." The red-haired boy gave him a surprised look and he blinked. "We just needed a place to hide for a while."
"I wasn't saying it was a bad idea," Kurama commented. "Attacking and then retreating into the Sanq kingdom would give you safety. And so long as we're notified, we can guard the perimeter from any retaliation. I just meant that you should discuss your plans with Relena-dono." The blonde boy beside him was shaking his head and Kurama sighed, smiling at Quatre. "You really weren't going to do anything except hide here, were you. I should have known. I really wish people would stop hearing the word 'pacifism' and automatically linking it with weak. I was giving you my support."
"Your support?" Quatre's eyes widened and he glanced to the side, meeting Trowa's gaze. The tall boy gave him a slight nod and he turned back to Kurama. "You mean in our fight against OZ?"
"Hiei won't leave this country, not with Yukina-chan here, so I'm bound to its defense. But Relena-dono would support you, I'm sure of it. Don't disregard the idea, even if it didn't occur to you before. The Sanq kingdom is the safest place for mutants right now, even if you're hiding in the most obvious spot." They'd reached the yard and Kurama stopped, turning to face the others. "If you want to discus this, just speak to Relena-dono. She'll have your voice recorded for our area."
"Your area?" Duo's eyes widened for a second before he scowled. "You have your own area?"
"Actually, it's sectioned off for students learning to master certain abilities. We can't have just *any* student wandering in at odd times, too dangerous. I'm sure you'll see it eventually, if Yukina-chan gives you a tour. That's usually the first thing for new students, even if you aren't official students." Zechs blinked suddenly and Kurama raised an eyebrow at him.
"I know who you're talking about," Zechs said, his eyes shifting to Quatre. "The girl, earlier."
"Oh," Quatre nodded, "Miss Yukina, I remember. You promised to take a tour with her this afternoon."
"You're a bit late," Kurama smiled, "but she won't mind. Just go to Relena-dono's office. I'll see you later, ne?" The blonde boy nodded and he turned, greeting a student before entering the wide doors.
"This is getting complicated," Zechs muttered, rubbing his eyes. "I *definitely* didn't expect this trip to be like this."
"But it's better than what you expected," Wufei commented, his eyes glinting when the man gave a reluctant nod.
"I should check on Une," Quatre said suddenly, blinking as he glanced down at his watch. "She's sure to be hungry when she wakes up."
"We can bring her a tray of food," Trowa said, "I'll go."
"I'm going to speak to Relena," Zechs said, lifting his chin as if he where steeling himself to the confrontation. Duo grinned at him and he sighed. "There's no point putting it off. I obviously had the wrong idea about this place and I want to know more about those two," he nodded toward the door Kurama had gone through.
"We'll go with you," Heero said sharply, exchanging a quick glance with Wufei, who also nodded.
"Get us when you decide to take the tour," Quatre smiled, "we should all know our way around this place." Zechs nodded to him and he turned, entering the building with Trowa.
* * *
It was his room, but Duo had given the key to Quatre so he tapped on the door, waiting in the hall. He wondered briefly if anyone noticing him would think it odd that he had to knock on his own door, but he doubted anyone realized it was his room. To hear Relena talk about her school, they didn't have to worry about busybodies. And she already knew of their extra guest. Trowa opened the door and he stepped inside, his eyes flying over the bed and the blonde boy seated on it. "Where is she?"
Tossing his head toward the closed bathroom door, Quatre sighed. "In there. She's been in there since I woke her up, but she isn't hurting anything. I don't think it's a good idea to keep putting her to sleep, it's not good for her and she doesn't have anything to pick the lock if we break this side. She could conceivably try and break the door down, but I don't think she'll try now that she knows where she is."
"You told her?" The blonde boy looked depressed, but Duo couldn't hide his uncertain expression. She had, after all, aligned herself with OZ, the ones determined to kill mutants. And now she knew she was in a school *full* of mutants.
"You forget," Quatre said softly, stepping to the door and waving Duo toward the hall. "She worked for OZ convinced that she was only going after rouge mutants. She's upset and confused to be around so many young ones who've never done anything wrong." His violet-eyed friend was raising an eyebrow at him, but Quatre didn't speak until they were outside the room. "Trowa and I have both searched her mind, she isn't faking it. She honestly has no want to leave the room, she's afraid one of the students might see her. The idea of them learning peaceful ways eliminates them as targets for her, she wouldn't harm them even if she *did* escape. We're her only enemies here."
"Well," Duo murmured, shaking his head as Quatre locked the door, "that makes it easier. Zechs told Relena about her, but Relena feels sorry for her. She wasn't upset that we were holding a hostage so much as she was angry at OZ for brainwashing her like they did." He smirked, waving the boys in the direction of Relena's office, where the others were waiting. "She gave us her full support as far as Une's concerned. Of course, we didn't mention Kurama's offer, just that we were planning to stay for a while to work on Une."
"I don't think Zechs would take him up on that offer," Quatre said. "But Heero wanted to ask about those two boys. Did Miss Relena tell you about them?"
"Not a word," Duo smiled, "she just suggested we ask *them* our questions, that it wasn't her place. She was very...polite and careful about it, too. I guess she was respecting their privacy, or something." They'd reached the doors to Relena's office and he nodded to Heero. "Une's doing better than we expected. Looks like she'll stay in the room willingly, believe it or not." The Japanese boy frowned at him, but he shrugged, his eyes moving to Zechs. The white-haired man was looking down the hall and Duo blinked as he spotted a small girl. She was rather short, but she smiled when she spotted Zechs, red eyes blinking at them.
Stepping forward, Zechs nodded to the girl, glancing back to the others. "This is Miss Yukina."
"Just Yukina," the girl smiled, looking at them. "I expected you sooner, but Relena-dono said you were busy."
Zechs nodded, introducing the others to her. He noted that she didn't offer her hand, though he remembered she'd reciprocated Quatre's gesture before. Her talent had been ice, and he could feel that slight chill in the air as he stood closer to her. But her smile was very warm. "We'd be grateful for a tour of the manor. An acquaintance of yours, Kurama, mentioned an area for special students. Relena said we could have access to it."
"You've met Kurama-san?" Her smile faded for a second before coming back just as strong. "We'll go by there and you can voice-print yourselves. It's very simple, but only a few of us have the key to the computer room in order to gain access. I'm sure if Relena-dono were not so busy, she would take you herself." Turning, she glanced back to make sure they were following before nodding toward the doors lining the hall. "I know Relena-dono showed you your rooms last night. This is the floor for new students. As they stay longer, they're moved up to the other floors. The actual classes are located on the first two floors of the manor." Yukina paused outside a stairwell, her eyes shifting up to Zechs. "You saw them earlier, ne?"
"Yes," Zechs nodded, "but there didn't seem to be many classes going on." The rooms in question had been mostly empty, the doors left open to show tables or desks.
"Most classes take place in the morning," Yukina said, leading the way downstairs. "Attendance is not mandatory, but students go willingly. I've sat in on a few, they're very interesting. You might want to try a few. In the afternoon, students usually eat lunch, or go into town. We don't have any sort of curfew, but again, students come here by choice, so we don't need rules like the ones normal schools have. You've seen the cafeteria?"
Duo nodded, smirking at the thought of students going to classes by choice. It almost made him wonder at the sanity of mutants at the school, but he doubted the classes were like normal ones. "The one on the first floor, right?" The pale blue-haired girl smiled and nodded at him and he blinked. He couldn't remember anyone else who smiled so much with people she'd just met. But then, he'd never spent time around girls. "We've seen it."
"Well," Yukina said as they reached the first floor. "There really isn't much to show here. The yard in the back is mostly used for recreation, and then there's the forest beyond the town. Students like to walk the paths." Her eyes flicked to them and she pursed her lips. "But don't go off the paths, the border isn't too far beyond them and that area isn't for leisure."
"I figured that one out the hard way," Duo smiled, "walked right in on Kurama's 'training exercise.'"
"Then *that's* where you met him," Yukina said, her eyes widening for a second. "It's really very dangerous to be out there. You really must be careful."
"I know," Duo nodded, "advice taken."
"Aside from there," Yukina turned, "we have the underground training facilities. A few students go down there, to be trained in mastering their abilities. As Relena-dono said, you'll have access to that, but there are a few rooms used for housing as well as the main gyms. Those are private rooms." Blinking, she glanced back as Zechs, pausing next to a door near the back of the first floor. "You might want to move down there, if you're here long enough."
"We'll take that into consideration," Zechs nodded. The girl answered with a nod of her own and he blinked when she pulled a small necklace from inside her pale blue robe-like dress. There was a small stone attached to it and she pressed it into a circular indention in the door. It slid open immediately, revealing a small room filled with computer equipment. Yukina waved them inside.
After pressing a few buttons, Yukina stepped back. "Just say your names and the computer will record your voices. Then I'll take you to the entrance of the training area." It took a while, but they finished soon enough and she shrugged. "We installed this recently. There was no need before, but a few of the newer students were adventurous and kept sneaking down to watch the training. Kurama-san was adamant that access be limited after that." Zechs nodded to her and she took them back into the hall, pressing the door shut again. Leading them back to the stairwell, she stopped before the metal door that stood at the bottom of the stairs. A small speaker system was set up and she pressed the button, her eyes sliding back to them as she smiled. "Yukina."
The door gave a slight hissing sound, but it opened when the girl pressed on it and Heero nodded, his eyes passing over the small box. It was basic equipment, but more efficient than any key. He wondered why the girl had used a key for the other room, when they could have had it rigged to voice-code as well. Keys were easily stolen. But he reminded himself that the chances of that happening within the kingdom or the school were slim. Another staircase was revealed, but it was lined with cement, dull lights barely eating away the shadows. The girl's steps quickened and he was surprised when she didn't wait for them, passing through the door below. They followed and stopped just inside a large room. Actually, it might not even be called a room, easily as large as the cafeteria above. There were a few doors set into the wall across from them, glass windows showing a small office-like room. The blue-haired girl moved directly toward it and Heero spotted the red-haired boy inside, seated with his back to the window.
The girl seemed to forget them, but Duo followed quickly enough, not glancing back to see if the others were going to stay just inside the doorway. Yukina reached the room, tapping lightly on the door but not going inside. Kurama stood and opened it, nodding to them.
"You finally got to give them your tour?" Kurama smiled, his eyes dropping to Yukina. The girl shifted and he kept his expression neutral as if he couldn't see her hesitation. "Hiei is still asleep."
Her smile was brilliant and Duo blinked, staring when the girl rushed past the red-haired boy. Kurama stepped aside and gestured for him to enter, the others right behind him. "There's room, this is a rest area." They moved into the office and he smiled when Duo stopped in surprise, the boy's wide eyes locked on Yukina. The pale-haired girl was sitting next to the bench Hiei was lying on, her face buried against his neck. "Don't mind them," Kurama murmured, "it's the only time she can show her affection." The girl in question glanced up, a bright blush marring her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," Yukina said quickly, her face warmed by the eyebrow Duo was raising at her. "I don't see my brother very often."
"We mostly spend our time training or teaching students," Kurama explained, reclining in a chair. Zechs was the last to enter and he nodded when the man closed the door. "But we aren't expecting any students this evening so we trained outside, today."
"You teach here?" Duo asked. There were two long tables in the room and he took a chair next to Heero, across from the one Kurama had been sitting in before. It gave him a nice view of the room they'd come through earlier. "How old *are* you?"
"Seventeen," Kurama smiled, "but I don't actually teach classes, not like the teachers upstairs. Mostly, what we do is take students who we think could be stronger. We can't always help, but if they have the potential we can train them to master their abilities." His eyes flicked to Heero and he nodded at the boy, remembering his comments from earlier. "We could definitely help the six of you. If you're level A without any help, you might have the potential to get stronger. But it really depends on what sort of talents you have."
"What about you?" Heero asked, his eyes narrowed. He didn't like the confident way the boy spoke, but he disliked the idea of telling their abilities even more. Usually he wouldn't be so careful, but they'd already found one mutant who was willing to turn against them.
"I'm just a controller," Kurama said, his green eyes glinting at the boy. He had a good idea what was going through Heero's mind and he understood. "Plants are my weapons, and I have the ability to change shapes in order to increase my strength." His eyes flicked to Hiei and he smiled a bit, watching Yukina stroke the boy's black hair. He almost felt sorry for her, but he couldn't forget that Hiei cared more for his sister than he did for anyone else. That would never change no matter how cold the boy acted around her. "Hiei has a mess of abilities, though. That's what makes him a higher S class mutant than myself. And as far as I can tell, he's mastered all of them."
"What does he have?" Duo asked, leaning his elbows on the table. "I know he's fast."
"Very fast," Kurama nodded, "and he's incredibly agile. He can't fly, but he can come very close to it. And he's strong, don't let his size fool you. His sword isn't just for show, he can cut through steel. He's immune to ice and cold," Kurama smiled, his eyes flicking to Yukina again, "and he has a high tolerance for fire. But most of his abilities center around his jagan." He noticed that Heero's eyes narrowed and he nodded. "His third eye lets him see things other people miss, allows him to read people and find things. He can also control humans, non-mutants. Recently, he mastered his best ability, his kokoryuuha. Black flame. It's hotter than any fire, and he can send it out in the form of a dragon." The longhaired boy was holding his breath and Kurama smiled, nodding to him. "That's what you saw earlier. Hiei can control the kokoryuha as well as I can my plants, but he can also use it on himself. As far as we can tell, it makes him invulnerable." Kurama smiled suddenly, smirking at the boy in question. "Of course, he's comatose for hours after he uses it, but he's getting better. The first few times he tried he was asleep for six hours. We've knocked it down to four since then."
"You said something about him blocking out searches," Duo put in, hiding his irritation. He didn't *want* to be impressed, but he really couldn't help it.
"Oh," Kurama said, blinking, "I almost forgot. That's the effect of his jagan. It doesn't just block out searches, although his mind is closed off from any readers. We've found that anyone with telepathic abilities finds it painful to be near him when he uses it. That's one of the reasons we limit who has access to this area." Leaning back in his chair, he tilted his head, looking from each of the males. "And you?"
"That list makes us sound pathetic," Duo muttered, but he wasn't as depressed as he sounded. After all, the boy had offered to help them and he for one intended to get stronger if he could. "I can turn invisible, and I can teleport myself, or anyone I'm holding to a location I've been before." The red-haired boy nodded and he smirked. "That's it."
"Those aren't light abilities," Kurama said, frowning at the boy's disparaging expression. "Considering the uses, you could cause a lot of trouble. I can see why OZ has been looking for you specifically. And with your talents, they'd never find you."
"Maybe," Duo said, "but I've mastered them. How would I get stronger if I've already mastered the talents I have?"
"Speculate for a moment," Kurama told him, leaning closer to the table. "You can turn invisible, so I assume whatever you're touching turns invisible as well, right?" The boy nodded and his eyebrows rose. "Would you do it?" Duo smirked at him for a second then disappeared. Nodding, Kurama glanced over the seemingly empty chair. "Enough." Duo reappeared immediately, resting his chin in one hand. "You went invisible well enough, but not everything you touched turned invisible with you." The boy blinked violet eyes at him and he shook his head, pointing at the chair. "You were touching the chair, the table, as well as the floor, yet all of those things remained. If you had mastered the talent of turning yourself, and *everything* you touch invisible then they would have gone as well."
"Turn the floor invisible?" Duo asked, his eyes wide to show his disbelief. "What would be the point in that?"
"It doesn't matter," Kurama said, "the fact is that you should be *able* to do it if you wanted to. I imagine you've been turning the things you wear or hold with your hands invisible but not focusing on the other things that are touching you. That makes the difference in using your full potential and how you are now. As for your teleportation, you said you could teleport whatever you were holding. It sounds like the same thing, but what you're really doing is moving yourself, right? You're controlling your body, transporting it from one place to another. I wouldn't be surprised if you could move things *without* touching them. You might want to experiment on that." Duo was blinking at him and he raised his hands. "Now remember, I'm just speculating, throwing out the possibilities the way I would with any other student who came to me. You may not have the potential for the things I've mentioned, I can't say just by looking at you. I don't have Hiei's skill for that sort of thing."
"Maybe not," Zechs murmured, "but you've definitely given food for thought. What advice would you give me? I have the ability to read minds and to heal people. Not much to build on, I can't see any openings for improvement."
"You could try not to make the healing quite so painful," Duo put in, a playful smile directed at the white-haired man.
"If it hurts when you heal," Kurama said, "it might be a flaw in the delivery. I assume you've never experimented with your abilities?"
"No."
"Then that might be a place to start. Also, telepathic abilities often lead to other, similar abilities. I doubt if you can read Hiei's mind, whether he's using the jagan or not. If you wanted to build on your ability to read people, you might want to work on using your powers when he's using his jagan. Although, as I said, it's painful."
"You said Hiei could control non-mutants," Quatre put in, "I can control mutants."
"Really?" Kurama blinked, his eyes widening in obvious respect. "And he *still* read you as A... That's something I've never heard of."
"I guess I could build on my range," Quatre nodded, "but other than that, I haven't had any trouble controlling mutants. I'm also telepathic, although I'm not as strong as Zechs is." He blinked for a moment, glancing at Trowa and then Wufei. "And I can't block out searches. I don't have a mental block."
"And you'd want to work on that," Kurama said. "You obviously see where to improve."
"Yes," Quatre said, "but Trowa is the opposite of me. He has a block like I've never encountered before. And when he lets it down, he can't control his powers."
"What do you have?" Kurama asked, his eyes moving to the tall boy.
"I fly," Trowa said, "beyond that I don't know. I have no control over my emotions when I lose hold of the wall I place in my mind."
"He glowed," Wufei put in, "and he had the strength to knock loose a steel door." Trowa blinked at him and he wondered if the boy didn't remember that, it wouldn't surprise him.
"Bullets," Duo nodded, "we don't know for sure, but he might be impervious to bullets."
"Sounds like a mystery," Kurama said, his eyes glinting. "I do like mysteries. If the block you have is strong enough, you might already *be* an S class. It would be interesting to find someone Hiei's jagan couldn't read. I *definitely* want to be there when you start experimenting with that power."
"It's painful toward telepaths," Zechs said, his eyes darting to Quatre.
"I've no telepathic abilities at all," Kurama said, shaking his head, "and Hiei doesn't have to worry about that." He looked at the two remaining boys, his eyes pausing on Heero. "And you?"
"Speed and self-healing," Heero said succinctly. "Nothing more."
"Speed? If you're interested, I think Hiei might actually enjoy a mock battle with someone else who has that ability. I know that doesn't help you improve your talent, but it would be nice to watch." The dark-haired boy frowned at him and Kurama smiled. "As for your other ability, you might try to determine *how* you heal yourself. That could lead to something else."
"Not very helpful," Duo muttered, sighing in disappointment. He didn't think Heero was upset or anything, but he'd expected more advice. The red-haired boy shrugged and he shook his head. "Oh well. Wufei, here, is our elemental."
"You control the weather?" Kurama asked, his eyes moving to the black-haired boy.
Nodding, Wufei tilted his head to the side, frowning at the teen. "I have the ability to block out most searches, to keep people from locating me, but Zechs saw through that. I suppose I could build that block. Other than that, I can control any sort of weather phenomena."
"Lightning could be an excellent weapon," Kurama said brightly, his eyes glinting. "I'm sure you already know how to make it strike the target you choose, but can you make it curve?" The boy frowned and Kurama nodded. "As a fellow controller, I can tell you that you should be able to curve lightning as easily as you can order it to strike. It could be as mobile as any of my vines, or Hiei's kokoryuha. I can *definitely* help you with that. And you can fly, right?"
Wufei's eyes narrowed even more and he scowled. "No."
"You *should* be able to," Kurama said, blinking at the boy's evident anger. "After all, if you control the wind, you should be able to lift yourself with it. Actually controlling such a strong gust might be difficult, but you should be able to fly using the wind."
"I hadn't thought of that." Wufei stared for a second before a slight smile curved his lips and he glanced at Zechs. "Looks like I won't need a hang-glider, after all."
"Kurama-san." Yukina smiled when the males looked at her, many of them no doubt had forgotten her presence. "I'm going back up now."
"Right," Kurama nodded, standing so he could see the girl out. He paused when she reached the doorway, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I'll call you next time, Yukina-chan."
"Thank you," Yukina murmured, giving him a bright smile.
Turning back to the others, Kurama shut the door behind him, his eyes glinting. "Don't mention that she was down here, okay?" A few frowned at him, but he shook his head, his eyes flicking to Hiei. The boy frowned for a second, then abruptly sat up, scowl firmly in place. "You missed the conversation," he said lightly, taking his seat again. The short boy sniffed before taking a seat beside him, red eyes moving over the six males. "I'll fill you in."
* * *
TBC
Warnings: not much
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5+6/6+5, KuramaxHiei, will be 6x5
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
www.fanfiction.net under Arigatomina
G-men
Part 22: Talents
They seemed to reach the town quicker than he remembered, and Duo was surprised to notice the people who'd paid such interested attention to him before glanced away from them now. It wasn't that they weren't noticed, considering they walked down the sidewalk of the main road leading up to the manor. But people outside the buildings were careful not to pay them any mind. Those walking down the street toward them moved to the other side. Rather than appreciating it, he thought they were being rather rude. A glance toward Kurama showed it was nothing unusual, the red-haired boy leading the group.
"The lower levels haven't ever been assigned letters as far as I know," Kurama was saying, his bright green eyes directed at Quatre. "Mutants levels one through six generally have a slight talent, nothing they can control. Usually, they don't even realize they *are* mutants. And you know seven through ten, right?"
"Ten being A," Quatre nodded. "But I've never heard of something above that." Heero was a few steps behind them and he exchanged a quick glance with the boy, knowing he was listening carefully.
"It's not just you," Kurama told him, "Relena-dono hadn't heard of it either, when we first came here. Sometimes I wonder if it isn't a level Hiei made up." He smirked suddenly, his eyes dropping to the boy in his arms. "But I can't imagine him doing that. No, I think there is a definite level above A, and Hiei calls it S level. I don't know where he first heard it, but I'm confident it's real. There's a gap between A and S, and he's definitely jumped it. You know that level A mutants have multiple talents, as level B have mastered talents. But level S is different. It isn't a level you're born with."
"What do you mean? Mutants are born with their abilities," Duo commented, his eyes still shifting to the people they passed.
"I know," Kurama nodded, glancing back at him. "I was born with the ability to control plants. When I started, I could make them grow, from a seed to a full grown tree in minutes. But I couldn't do more than that until I practiced. Now I can change my shape to a form that allows me to *create* plants that don't exist, rather than just manipulating seedlings. Maybe I was born with the *potential* but I had to work *hard* to develop the power. *That* is when I moved from A to S."
"So this level means multiple talents, but mastered," Heero said, his expression losing that pinched look. "Then all we have to do is to master our abilities? It's too easy."
"You make it sound easy," Kurama said lightly, "but you're still an A level mutant. You talk as if you've mastered your talents, but Hiei said you were A level. Maybe you have something more you haven't tapped into." The dark-haired boy gave him a glare but he shrugged, facing forward again.
"That guy said we were A before he even saw us," Duo smirked, his eyes shifting over the sleeping boy. He looked nothing like the short fighter who'd held a sword on him earlier and Duo wondered what made him the expert. "How would he know so much about us, or classes, for that matter?"
"He's good at reading those things," Kurama said lightly, turning to direct his gaze at Zechs. "You said you were seeking shelter here. Are you rebels, then? I heard there were a few mutants attacking OZ. Of course, I did notice that Duo looked familiar." The longhaired boy's eyes widened and Kurama nodded. "I've seen your picture before, though it took me a bit to realize where. I admit, I'm surprised to learn that Relena-dono's brother is one of the rebels."
"As apposed to being a pacifist," Zechs said, his expression droll. "I haven't been in this kingdom in years."
"I know." The red-haired boy nodded again. "And as people attacking OZ, I'm sure the idea of pacifism is hard to accept. You have to realize that only a few of the students here are level B, the rest below that. Any resistance they might put up would only get them killed. Relena-dono gives them an outlet for their frustration, a place to live in peace. It isn't just a fanciful notion, you know. She doesn't just teach them to accept their lot, she's working to unite them so a *peaceful* solution might be reached."
Quatre frowned, glancing back at his friends before meeting the green-eyed boy's gaze. "She doesn't really believe OZ will let mutants join normal society, does she? It's a nice idea, please don't get me wrong, but it's not likely."
"You might be surprised at how much can be accomplished through discussion," Kurama told him, not bothered by the boy's skepticism. "The Sanq kingdom has quite a reputation among the neighboring countries. Leaders listen to Relena-dono as if she had some mutant ability of manipulation; even those with inherent fear of mutants are willing to give her ideas a chance. And she isn't so foolish as to think things can be changed with *complete* pacifism." Zechs blinked at him and he smiled at the man, understanding his surprise. "Relena-dono *did* think that at first, but she realizes now that the country will *have* to be able to defend itself. Talking about peace is useless if OZ could just come in and kill all of the mutants in one blow. She knows that."
Duo shook his head, smirking at Heero. "And here I figured she was just sitting around talking about peace as if the rest of the world didn't exist. I guess I had pacifists dubbed wrong."
"No," Zechs said sharply, his pale blue eyes sliding over the back of Kurama's head as the boy didn't look back. "My father did that. We had a small defense to be called up in case of an attack, but it wasn't something he actually took seriously. Where did Relena get the idea of a defense using mutants?" Kurama glanced over his shoulder and Zechs shook his head. "She never believed there was an appropriate time for violence, no matter what. She always thought discussion could solve anything."
"Did she?" They were moving up the steep hill directly beneath the manor and Kurama shifted Hiei higher so the boy's black head lay over his shoulder. "I haven't known her that long, but it sounds as if you're describing Yukina-chan, not Relena-dono. Relena-dono despises violence just as much, but she accepts that sometimes it's unavoidable. All she hopes is to keep the violence limited to as few people as possible. Which is why the other students stay clear of the border of the country. They can be taught to control their powers and how to fight for peace without violence. We make sure they have the chance to do that."
"But you're guarding the country against OZ," Duo put in, following closely behind Quatre, "right? Don't you think it's a waste of time to sit around here and wait for OZ to attack when you could be out there getting them first?"
"Like the six of you," Kurama said softly, his lips curving into a slight smile. "But where has *your* fight led you?" Silence met him and he ducked his head, closing his eyes for a moment before quickening his pace. "The rightful heir to this kingdom is Millardo Peacecraft, but if you plan to stage your attacks from *within* this kingdom, I'd ask that you tell Relena-dono first. We should be prepared for the inevitable retaliation. It's only a matter of time before they realize where you are."
Wufei's eyes narrowed when Zechs' face darkened. "We weren't planning to attack from within the Sanq kingdom." The red-haired boy gave him a surprised look and he blinked. "We just needed a place to hide for a while."
"I wasn't saying it was a bad idea," Kurama commented. "Attacking and then retreating into the Sanq kingdom would give you safety. And so long as we're notified, we can guard the perimeter from any retaliation. I just meant that you should discuss your plans with Relena-dono." The blonde boy beside him was shaking his head and Kurama sighed, smiling at Quatre. "You really weren't going to do anything except hide here, were you. I should have known. I really wish people would stop hearing the word 'pacifism' and automatically linking it with weak. I was giving you my support."
"Your support?" Quatre's eyes widened and he glanced to the side, meeting Trowa's gaze. The tall boy gave him a slight nod and he turned back to Kurama. "You mean in our fight against OZ?"
"Hiei won't leave this country, not with Yukina-chan here, so I'm bound to its defense. But Relena-dono would support you, I'm sure of it. Don't disregard the idea, even if it didn't occur to you before. The Sanq kingdom is the safest place for mutants right now, even if you're hiding in the most obvious spot." They'd reached the yard and Kurama stopped, turning to face the others. "If you want to discus this, just speak to Relena-dono. She'll have your voice recorded for our area."
"Your area?" Duo's eyes widened for a second before he scowled. "You have your own area?"
"Actually, it's sectioned off for students learning to master certain abilities. We can't have just *any* student wandering in at odd times, too dangerous. I'm sure you'll see it eventually, if Yukina-chan gives you a tour. That's usually the first thing for new students, even if you aren't official students." Zechs blinked suddenly and Kurama raised an eyebrow at him.
"I know who you're talking about," Zechs said, his eyes shifting to Quatre. "The girl, earlier."
"Oh," Quatre nodded, "Miss Yukina, I remember. You promised to take a tour with her this afternoon."
"You're a bit late," Kurama smiled, "but she won't mind. Just go to Relena-dono's office. I'll see you later, ne?" The blonde boy nodded and he turned, greeting a student before entering the wide doors.
"This is getting complicated," Zechs muttered, rubbing his eyes. "I *definitely* didn't expect this trip to be like this."
"But it's better than what you expected," Wufei commented, his eyes glinting when the man gave a reluctant nod.
"I should check on Une," Quatre said suddenly, blinking as he glanced down at his watch. "She's sure to be hungry when she wakes up."
"We can bring her a tray of food," Trowa said, "I'll go."
"I'm going to speak to Relena," Zechs said, lifting his chin as if he where steeling himself to the confrontation. Duo grinned at him and he sighed. "There's no point putting it off. I obviously had the wrong idea about this place and I want to know more about those two," he nodded toward the door Kurama had gone through.
"We'll go with you," Heero said sharply, exchanging a quick glance with Wufei, who also nodded.
"Get us when you decide to take the tour," Quatre smiled, "we should all know our way around this place." Zechs nodded to him and he turned, entering the building with Trowa.
* * *
It was his room, but Duo had given the key to Quatre so he tapped on the door, waiting in the hall. He wondered briefly if anyone noticing him would think it odd that he had to knock on his own door, but he doubted anyone realized it was his room. To hear Relena talk about her school, they didn't have to worry about busybodies. And she already knew of their extra guest. Trowa opened the door and he stepped inside, his eyes flying over the bed and the blonde boy seated on it. "Where is she?"
Tossing his head toward the closed bathroom door, Quatre sighed. "In there. She's been in there since I woke her up, but she isn't hurting anything. I don't think it's a good idea to keep putting her to sleep, it's not good for her and she doesn't have anything to pick the lock if we break this side. She could conceivably try and break the door down, but I don't think she'll try now that she knows where she is."
"You told her?" The blonde boy looked depressed, but Duo couldn't hide his uncertain expression. She had, after all, aligned herself with OZ, the ones determined to kill mutants. And now she knew she was in a school *full* of mutants.
"You forget," Quatre said softly, stepping to the door and waving Duo toward the hall. "She worked for OZ convinced that she was only going after rouge mutants. She's upset and confused to be around so many young ones who've never done anything wrong." His violet-eyed friend was raising an eyebrow at him, but Quatre didn't speak until they were outside the room. "Trowa and I have both searched her mind, she isn't faking it. She honestly has no want to leave the room, she's afraid one of the students might see her. The idea of them learning peaceful ways eliminates them as targets for her, she wouldn't harm them even if she *did* escape. We're her only enemies here."
"Well," Duo murmured, shaking his head as Quatre locked the door, "that makes it easier. Zechs told Relena about her, but Relena feels sorry for her. She wasn't upset that we were holding a hostage so much as she was angry at OZ for brainwashing her like they did." He smirked, waving the boys in the direction of Relena's office, where the others were waiting. "She gave us her full support as far as Une's concerned. Of course, we didn't mention Kurama's offer, just that we were planning to stay for a while to work on Une."
"I don't think Zechs would take him up on that offer," Quatre said. "But Heero wanted to ask about those two boys. Did Miss Relena tell you about them?"
"Not a word," Duo smiled, "she just suggested we ask *them* our questions, that it wasn't her place. She was very...polite and careful about it, too. I guess she was respecting their privacy, or something." They'd reached the doors to Relena's office and he nodded to Heero. "Une's doing better than we expected. Looks like she'll stay in the room willingly, believe it or not." The Japanese boy frowned at him, but he shrugged, his eyes moving to Zechs. The white-haired man was looking down the hall and Duo blinked as he spotted a small girl. She was rather short, but she smiled when she spotted Zechs, red eyes blinking at them.
Stepping forward, Zechs nodded to the girl, glancing back to the others. "This is Miss Yukina."
"Just Yukina," the girl smiled, looking at them. "I expected you sooner, but Relena-dono said you were busy."
Zechs nodded, introducing the others to her. He noted that she didn't offer her hand, though he remembered she'd reciprocated Quatre's gesture before. Her talent had been ice, and he could feel that slight chill in the air as he stood closer to her. But her smile was very warm. "We'd be grateful for a tour of the manor. An acquaintance of yours, Kurama, mentioned an area for special students. Relena said we could have access to it."
"You've met Kurama-san?" Her smile faded for a second before coming back just as strong. "We'll go by there and you can voice-print yourselves. It's very simple, but only a few of us have the key to the computer room in order to gain access. I'm sure if Relena-dono were not so busy, she would take you herself." Turning, she glanced back to make sure they were following before nodding toward the doors lining the hall. "I know Relena-dono showed you your rooms last night. This is the floor for new students. As they stay longer, they're moved up to the other floors. The actual classes are located on the first two floors of the manor." Yukina paused outside a stairwell, her eyes shifting up to Zechs. "You saw them earlier, ne?"
"Yes," Zechs nodded, "but there didn't seem to be many classes going on." The rooms in question had been mostly empty, the doors left open to show tables or desks.
"Most classes take place in the morning," Yukina said, leading the way downstairs. "Attendance is not mandatory, but students go willingly. I've sat in on a few, they're very interesting. You might want to try a few. In the afternoon, students usually eat lunch, or go into town. We don't have any sort of curfew, but again, students come here by choice, so we don't need rules like the ones normal schools have. You've seen the cafeteria?"
Duo nodded, smirking at the thought of students going to classes by choice. It almost made him wonder at the sanity of mutants at the school, but he doubted the classes were like normal ones. "The one on the first floor, right?" The pale blue-haired girl smiled and nodded at him and he blinked. He couldn't remember anyone else who smiled so much with people she'd just met. But then, he'd never spent time around girls. "We've seen it."
"Well," Yukina said as they reached the first floor. "There really isn't much to show here. The yard in the back is mostly used for recreation, and then there's the forest beyond the town. Students like to walk the paths." Her eyes flicked to them and she pursed her lips. "But don't go off the paths, the border isn't too far beyond them and that area isn't for leisure."
"I figured that one out the hard way," Duo smiled, "walked right in on Kurama's 'training exercise.'"
"Then *that's* where you met him," Yukina said, her eyes widening for a second. "It's really very dangerous to be out there. You really must be careful."
"I know," Duo nodded, "advice taken."
"Aside from there," Yukina turned, "we have the underground training facilities. A few students go down there, to be trained in mastering their abilities. As Relena-dono said, you'll have access to that, but there are a few rooms used for housing as well as the main gyms. Those are private rooms." Blinking, she glanced back as Zechs, pausing next to a door near the back of the first floor. "You might want to move down there, if you're here long enough."
"We'll take that into consideration," Zechs nodded. The girl answered with a nod of her own and he blinked when she pulled a small necklace from inside her pale blue robe-like dress. There was a small stone attached to it and she pressed it into a circular indention in the door. It slid open immediately, revealing a small room filled with computer equipment. Yukina waved them inside.
After pressing a few buttons, Yukina stepped back. "Just say your names and the computer will record your voices. Then I'll take you to the entrance of the training area." It took a while, but they finished soon enough and she shrugged. "We installed this recently. There was no need before, but a few of the newer students were adventurous and kept sneaking down to watch the training. Kurama-san was adamant that access be limited after that." Zechs nodded to her and she took them back into the hall, pressing the door shut again. Leading them back to the stairwell, she stopped before the metal door that stood at the bottom of the stairs. A small speaker system was set up and she pressed the button, her eyes sliding back to them as she smiled. "Yukina."
The door gave a slight hissing sound, but it opened when the girl pressed on it and Heero nodded, his eyes passing over the small box. It was basic equipment, but more efficient than any key. He wondered why the girl had used a key for the other room, when they could have had it rigged to voice-code as well. Keys were easily stolen. But he reminded himself that the chances of that happening within the kingdom or the school were slim. Another staircase was revealed, but it was lined with cement, dull lights barely eating away the shadows. The girl's steps quickened and he was surprised when she didn't wait for them, passing through the door below. They followed and stopped just inside a large room. Actually, it might not even be called a room, easily as large as the cafeteria above. There were a few doors set into the wall across from them, glass windows showing a small office-like room. The blue-haired girl moved directly toward it and Heero spotted the red-haired boy inside, seated with his back to the window.
The girl seemed to forget them, but Duo followed quickly enough, not glancing back to see if the others were going to stay just inside the doorway. Yukina reached the room, tapping lightly on the door but not going inside. Kurama stood and opened it, nodding to them.
"You finally got to give them your tour?" Kurama smiled, his eyes dropping to Yukina. The girl shifted and he kept his expression neutral as if he couldn't see her hesitation. "Hiei is still asleep."
Her smile was brilliant and Duo blinked, staring when the girl rushed past the red-haired boy. Kurama stepped aside and gestured for him to enter, the others right behind him. "There's room, this is a rest area." They moved into the office and he smiled when Duo stopped in surprise, the boy's wide eyes locked on Yukina. The pale-haired girl was sitting next to the bench Hiei was lying on, her face buried against his neck. "Don't mind them," Kurama murmured, "it's the only time she can show her affection." The girl in question glanced up, a bright blush marring her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," Yukina said quickly, her face warmed by the eyebrow Duo was raising at her. "I don't see my brother very often."
"We mostly spend our time training or teaching students," Kurama explained, reclining in a chair. Zechs was the last to enter and he nodded when the man closed the door. "But we aren't expecting any students this evening so we trained outside, today."
"You teach here?" Duo asked. There were two long tables in the room and he took a chair next to Heero, across from the one Kurama had been sitting in before. It gave him a nice view of the room they'd come through earlier. "How old *are* you?"
"Seventeen," Kurama smiled, "but I don't actually teach classes, not like the teachers upstairs. Mostly, what we do is take students who we think could be stronger. We can't always help, but if they have the potential we can train them to master their abilities." His eyes flicked to Heero and he nodded at the boy, remembering his comments from earlier. "We could definitely help the six of you. If you're level A without any help, you might have the potential to get stronger. But it really depends on what sort of talents you have."
"What about you?" Heero asked, his eyes narrowed. He didn't like the confident way the boy spoke, but he disliked the idea of telling their abilities even more. Usually he wouldn't be so careful, but they'd already found one mutant who was willing to turn against them.
"I'm just a controller," Kurama said, his green eyes glinting at the boy. He had a good idea what was going through Heero's mind and he understood. "Plants are my weapons, and I have the ability to change shapes in order to increase my strength." His eyes flicked to Hiei and he smiled a bit, watching Yukina stroke the boy's black hair. He almost felt sorry for her, but he couldn't forget that Hiei cared more for his sister than he did for anyone else. That would never change no matter how cold the boy acted around her. "Hiei has a mess of abilities, though. That's what makes him a higher S class mutant than myself. And as far as I can tell, he's mastered all of them."
"What does he have?" Duo asked, leaning his elbows on the table. "I know he's fast."
"Very fast," Kurama nodded, "and he's incredibly agile. He can't fly, but he can come very close to it. And he's strong, don't let his size fool you. His sword isn't just for show, he can cut through steel. He's immune to ice and cold," Kurama smiled, his eyes flicking to Yukina again, "and he has a high tolerance for fire. But most of his abilities center around his jagan." He noticed that Heero's eyes narrowed and he nodded. "His third eye lets him see things other people miss, allows him to read people and find things. He can also control humans, non-mutants. Recently, he mastered his best ability, his kokoryuuha. Black flame. It's hotter than any fire, and he can send it out in the form of a dragon." The longhaired boy was holding his breath and Kurama smiled, nodding to him. "That's what you saw earlier. Hiei can control the kokoryuha as well as I can my plants, but he can also use it on himself. As far as we can tell, it makes him invulnerable." Kurama smiled suddenly, smirking at the boy in question. "Of course, he's comatose for hours after he uses it, but he's getting better. The first few times he tried he was asleep for six hours. We've knocked it down to four since then."
"You said something about him blocking out searches," Duo put in, hiding his irritation. He didn't *want* to be impressed, but he really couldn't help it.
"Oh," Kurama said, blinking, "I almost forgot. That's the effect of his jagan. It doesn't just block out searches, although his mind is closed off from any readers. We've found that anyone with telepathic abilities finds it painful to be near him when he uses it. That's one of the reasons we limit who has access to this area." Leaning back in his chair, he tilted his head, looking from each of the males. "And you?"
"That list makes us sound pathetic," Duo muttered, but he wasn't as depressed as he sounded. After all, the boy had offered to help them and he for one intended to get stronger if he could. "I can turn invisible, and I can teleport myself, or anyone I'm holding to a location I've been before." The red-haired boy nodded and he smirked. "That's it."
"Those aren't light abilities," Kurama said, frowning at the boy's disparaging expression. "Considering the uses, you could cause a lot of trouble. I can see why OZ has been looking for you specifically. And with your talents, they'd never find you."
"Maybe," Duo said, "but I've mastered them. How would I get stronger if I've already mastered the talents I have?"
"Speculate for a moment," Kurama told him, leaning closer to the table. "You can turn invisible, so I assume whatever you're touching turns invisible as well, right?" The boy nodded and his eyebrows rose. "Would you do it?" Duo smirked at him for a second then disappeared. Nodding, Kurama glanced over the seemingly empty chair. "Enough." Duo reappeared immediately, resting his chin in one hand. "You went invisible well enough, but not everything you touched turned invisible with you." The boy blinked violet eyes at him and he shook his head, pointing at the chair. "You were touching the chair, the table, as well as the floor, yet all of those things remained. If you had mastered the talent of turning yourself, and *everything* you touch invisible then they would have gone as well."
"Turn the floor invisible?" Duo asked, his eyes wide to show his disbelief. "What would be the point in that?"
"It doesn't matter," Kurama said, "the fact is that you should be *able* to do it if you wanted to. I imagine you've been turning the things you wear or hold with your hands invisible but not focusing on the other things that are touching you. That makes the difference in using your full potential and how you are now. As for your teleportation, you said you could teleport whatever you were holding. It sounds like the same thing, but what you're really doing is moving yourself, right? You're controlling your body, transporting it from one place to another. I wouldn't be surprised if you could move things *without* touching them. You might want to experiment on that." Duo was blinking at him and he raised his hands. "Now remember, I'm just speculating, throwing out the possibilities the way I would with any other student who came to me. You may not have the potential for the things I've mentioned, I can't say just by looking at you. I don't have Hiei's skill for that sort of thing."
"Maybe not," Zechs murmured, "but you've definitely given food for thought. What advice would you give me? I have the ability to read minds and to heal people. Not much to build on, I can't see any openings for improvement."
"You could try not to make the healing quite so painful," Duo put in, a playful smile directed at the white-haired man.
"If it hurts when you heal," Kurama said, "it might be a flaw in the delivery. I assume you've never experimented with your abilities?"
"No."
"Then that might be a place to start. Also, telepathic abilities often lead to other, similar abilities. I doubt if you can read Hiei's mind, whether he's using the jagan or not. If you wanted to build on your ability to read people, you might want to work on using your powers when he's using his jagan. Although, as I said, it's painful."
"You said Hiei could control non-mutants," Quatre put in, "I can control mutants."
"Really?" Kurama blinked, his eyes widening in obvious respect. "And he *still* read you as A... That's something I've never heard of."
"I guess I could build on my range," Quatre nodded, "but other than that, I haven't had any trouble controlling mutants. I'm also telepathic, although I'm not as strong as Zechs is." He blinked for a moment, glancing at Trowa and then Wufei. "And I can't block out searches. I don't have a mental block."
"And you'd want to work on that," Kurama said. "You obviously see where to improve."
"Yes," Quatre said, "but Trowa is the opposite of me. He has a block like I've never encountered before. And when he lets it down, he can't control his powers."
"What do you have?" Kurama asked, his eyes moving to the tall boy.
"I fly," Trowa said, "beyond that I don't know. I have no control over my emotions when I lose hold of the wall I place in my mind."
"He glowed," Wufei put in, "and he had the strength to knock loose a steel door." Trowa blinked at him and he wondered if the boy didn't remember that, it wouldn't surprise him.
"Bullets," Duo nodded, "we don't know for sure, but he might be impervious to bullets."
"Sounds like a mystery," Kurama said, his eyes glinting. "I do like mysteries. If the block you have is strong enough, you might already *be* an S class. It would be interesting to find someone Hiei's jagan couldn't read. I *definitely* want to be there when you start experimenting with that power."
"It's painful toward telepaths," Zechs said, his eyes darting to Quatre.
"I've no telepathic abilities at all," Kurama said, shaking his head, "and Hiei doesn't have to worry about that." He looked at the two remaining boys, his eyes pausing on Heero. "And you?"
"Speed and self-healing," Heero said succinctly. "Nothing more."
"Speed? If you're interested, I think Hiei might actually enjoy a mock battle with someone else who has that ability. I know that doesn't help you improve your talent, but it would be nice to watch." The dark-haired boy frowned at him and Kurama smiled. "As for your other ability, you might try to determine *how* you heal yourself. That could lead to something else."
"Not very helpful," Duo muttered, sighing in disappointment. He didn't think Heero was upset or anything, but he'd expected more advice. The red-haired boy shrugged and he shook his head. "Oh well. Wufei, here, is our elemental."
"You control the weather?" Kurama asked, his eyes moving to the black-haired boy.
Nodding, Wufei tilted his head to the side, frowning at the teen. "I have the ability to block out most searches, to keep people from locating me, but Zechs saw through that. I suppose I could build that block. Other than that, I can control any sort of weather phenomena."
"Lightning could be an excellent weapon," Kurama said brightly, his eyes glinting. "I'm sure you already know how to make it strike the target you choose, but can you make it curve?" The boy frowned and Kurama nodded. "As a fellow controller, I can tell you that you should be able to curve lightning as easily as you can order it to strike. It could be as mobile as any of my vines, or Hiei's kokoryuha. I can *definitely* help you with that. And you can fly, right?"
Wufei's eyes narrowed even more and he scowled. "No."
"You *should* be able to," Kurama said, blinking at the boy's evident anger. "After all, if you control the wind, you should be able to lift yourself with it. Actually controlling such a strong gust might be difficult, but you should be able to fly using the wind."
"I hadn't thought of that." Wufei stared for a second before a slight smile curved his lips and he glanced at Zechs. "Looks like I won't need a hang-glider, after all."
"Kurama-san." Yukina smiled when the males looked at her, many of them no doubt had forgotten her presence. "I'm going back up now."
"Right," Kurama nodded, standing so he could see the girl out. He paused when she reached the doorway, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I'll call you next time, Yukina-chan."
"Thank you," Yukina murmured, giving him a bright smile.
Turning back to the others, Kurama shut the door behind him, his eyes glinting. "Don't mention that she was down here, okay?" A few frowned at him, but he shook his head, his eyes flicking to Hiei. The boy frowned for a second, then abruptly sat up, scowl firmly in place. "You missed the conversation," he said lightly, taking his seat again. The short boy sniffed before taking a seat beside him, red eyes moving over the six males. "I'll fill you in."
* * *
TBC