Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Preventers: The Griffin Mission ❯ Chapter 3

The next day, Amy survived a quick and uneventful-at least compared to dinner-breakfast before Wufei whisked her out the door. The trip to Sally Po's office seemed to drag on; Wufei didn't seem to be very talkative (big surprise) and Amy couldn't shake her guilty feeling for ruining the form-dance. It had been so perfect. Everything, both physical and emotional, had seemed so right. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel the strong, muscular curves of his body pressed against hers. . . . She made herself stop and shook her head. It seemed an awkward way to begin the partnership-with a childish crush on Wufei. That sort of thinking could jeopardize the mission.

Finally, they pulled up in front of the Preventers' headquarters. Well . . . to the public, this building was referred to as Preventers HQ. Actually, it was only the office division of the organization. At Lady Une's urging, the actual headquarters had been set up several miles away, at a secret location. There, new recruits were trained and some of the more dangerous experiments and tests were conducted. Amy remembered the simulation training in particular. She had always liked the holodecks on Star Trek . . . that was, until she went through the Preventers training program. True, if one was a good student, he received a pass for some free time in one of the simulator rooms. That was funky, but training itself was rigorous and unrelenting. As one gained more experience, the holographic opponents solidified and their weapons became potentially lethal. And that sucked.

Sally called them into her office at precisely 8 am. Greetings had barely passed their lips when she pulled two seats up to her desk. Sitting down in her own chair, she riffled through a pretty darn big stack of papers. "Okay. Now here are maps of Altaos Beta . . . or at least of the area you two will be surveying." The woman handed them two maps. "This map shows altitudes and geological formations. The red circle here"-she pointed to a giant plateau-"is the drop-point. Your shuttle will be landing here once to drop you off and again four days later to pick you back up.

"I advise you to head to the mountains ASAP. Four days is a fairly tight schedule, but with Wufei setting the pace, I know you'll make it." She flashed a brief smile at the former Altron Pilot. Despite herself, Amy suffered a brief pang of jealousy. She quickly beat it down and attuned her ears to Sally's explanation.

"This other map," the Preventers president was saying, "shows where it is possible for Evionite deposits to be located. Of course, I would prefer you check out each highlighted area, but I expect you to lay out your own schedule. You each know what you're capable of. And a compromise certainly wouldn't hurt Wufei in the least." She smiled wryly, locking her fingers under her chin in a self-satisfied gesture. Of course, Wufei just scowled darkly and muttered about dishonorable, weakling women. Before he could work his way up to a full-blown rant, Sally stood and began pacing the room behind her desk. "I know you both prefer to work alone-"

Heh . . . Amy remembered her reaction upon being told that she would have an accomplice on the upcoming mission. She had almost left Sally's apartment right then and there. The older woman knew how she felt about working with others on the job. Sure, she enjoyed the companionship, another human being with whom she could discuss the situation and their next move. But once they were out there in the field. . . . She wasn't a freaking mind-reader, for crying out loud. There were so many improvisations and last-minute corrections she liked to make. And that was nearly impossible when she couldn't openly communicate with her comrade.

"-But I took special considerations in mind." Sally went on. "You are both highly skilled in your own areas. Amy: infiltration, computer/systems hacking, strategy-conception, improvisation, and, when provoked, fairly lethal sarcasm." Amy had to laugh at that, nodding in agreement. Sally flashed a small smile and continued. "Wufei: kung-fu expertise, swordsmanship, infiltration, and the ability to bore anyone to death with your justice rants."

The bishounen jumped up, his face livid and contorted with rage. "Fuh- . . . kisama! You dishonor yourself! I suppose you would think you know of justice? I-"

"Relax, Wufei!" Sally suggested breathlessly. Amy suspected she was fighting back laughter. "I was joking. Don't take everything so personally." Wufei's eyes shot daggers at Sally Po, but he took her advice and sat, albeit a bit sulkily.

"Anyway, I also had my own reasons for pairing you two up. Partially because of a certain . . . special ability. . . ." She let her sentence hang, unfinished, in the air. At her words, Amy abruptly leaned forward and opened her mouth, ready to question Sally's meaning. But even as she did this, she caught a movement from the corner of her eye. Wufei had stiffened, shock plainly visible in his almond-shaped eyes. Frowning in confusion, Amy sat back again. What was he so surprised about? Surely Sally had meant her Elemental abilities. . . . Or perhaps Wufei had secrets of his own. . . ?

"Today, your only assignment is to learn to work as a team. Heaven knows it will do you both a lot of good." Amy and Wufei exchanged an apathetic glance. "I guess I'll send you on your way before you decide to gang up against me. You both remember where HQ is, right? Good. Jiro Heyaki will be waiting for you there. See you two the day after tomorrow-same time, same place."

† † † † † † † † † † † † † †

Preventers Headquarters was much the same as Amy remembered it to be. On the outside, it appeared to be an abandoned military base. The public had been fed this information and, of course, they bought it. After all, they thought, why would the new government lie? In the light of peace agreements now over five years past, several military bases had been left to rot from the inside out. Unlike the others, this one now served another purpose. Once one passed through its aged and decayed shell and passed through a confusing maze of mildew-laced corridors, he would find himself at an apparent dead end. Authorized personnel knew where to find the hidden keypad panel and could tap in the password, which would power up a high-tech elevator. The section of flooring they stood on was, in fact, a lift that would transport them to the Preventers' true headquarters, five stories below the abandoned military base.

Once they worked their way through the facade and reached the correct level, Wufei and Amy were met by a middle-aged man with a giant beer belly. In one hand, he carried a clipboard with a small stack of papers. He grinned amiably and extended his free hand in a friendly gesture. "Hey, I'm Jiro Heyaki. Chang Wufei and Amy Clark, iie? I was beginning to wonder if you guys had taken a . . . detour along the way." He chuckled and winked deliberately at Wufei, who simply arched an eyebrow in acknowledgment. Jiro, surprised by the lack of response, pressed his lips together silently for a few seconds, eyeing the partners with a measuring look. "Well, Sally set up a pretty rigorous program for you two. She must really like you, eh?" His entire belly jiggled under the force of the word. Amy suffered a brief image of Mr. Winne before she began to feel sick.

Wufei took the man's cheerful attitude with an indifferent nod. "Shi. Where are you sending us first?"

Jiro checked his clipboard. "Let's see. . . . Simulation room 23. That's, eh . . . Sub-Level Eight. Yeah, and when you get there, program the room for sequence 394. She had Bob write the program just last night, special for you." He clasped the clipboard with both hands. "I'll let you kids find your own way there. I'm sure you'll get there sooner or later. Heh heh." He elbowed Wufei "knowingly" on his way past the stunned bishounen.

However, being Wufei, he wasn't tongue-tied for long. "Narrow-minded simpleton. One thing on his mind. . . ," he grumbled under his breath. Amy bit back a giggle and followed the Chinese pilot through the corridors to Sub-Level Eight. From there, it wasn't too hard to follow the numbers until they reached Simulation room 23.

"Access Dragon Alpha Five," Wufei droned into a keypad by the door. His fingers flew across the soft-celled buttons, entering the corresponding password.

"Will anyone be joining you?" A pleasant neuter voice wafted from the speakers.

Amy stepped forward, stopping beside Wufei. "Access Phoenix Gamma Thirteen." She fluidly tapped the password into the keypad. After the computer repeated its question, Wufei answered in the negative.

"Please enter training sequence number," the voice advised politely. And, with that, the door slid open and they were inside.

The room was rather nondescript in its natural state. Its inky black sides were inlayed with brilliant green computer cables. Wufei led Amy into the center of the room and began a sort of prep talk. "Okay; the program is new so it's nothing either of us has faced before. I don't know if she'll give us weapons or not. Just be ready for anything, hey?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. I've been around Sally enough to know the sort of stuff she'll throw at us. And I've been through the training program, don't forget."

Wufei didn't respond. Holding her pinned under his steady stare, he called out for the computer to begin the program. As they looked on, a holographic image of Sally Po appeared before them. "Hello, you two. Welcome to Winter Wonderland 101." Wufei rolled his eyes peevishly. "Sorry, I know Wufei probably isn't appreciating my humor now. I'd hope he's used to it by now, though. Okay, then, down to business. I hope you two had a good long talk because you're going to have to work together here. The situation: you're on Altaos Beta, near the drop-point. You have located and infiltrated the Griffin plant, but you have been discovered. You escaped the plant with only the clothes on your backs-" Amy looked down to see her Preventers uniform transform into casual clothes: a long-sleeved tee-shirt, jeans, combat boots, and a dark blue cap. A quick glance told her that Wufei was wearing similar clothing.

"-and the weapons you grabbed on your way out." To Amy's delight, weapons materialized in their hands. Wufei was soon holding a sword almost identical to his real one while Amy found herself in possession of two wicked daggers. "Hey, hey!" She executed a lightning-fast back-hand slice, feeling the weight and make in her hands. "Niiiiice."

"I'd better get the rest of this in before Amy freaks out about those daggers I gave her." Amy blushed guiltily, tapping the blades against her pant legs. "They have sent men after you with orders to kill. Your mission: to survive. That simple, `ey?" The holographic image of Sally chuckled and began to fade out. "Safety settings are at fifty percent. If you get hit, you'll definitely feel it. The program will monitor the hits; if you receive a blow that would be considered lethal in real life, you will be `dead' and, therefore, no longer able to participate in the program. Enjoy, kids."

Sally disappeared and the simulation room began to transform almost magically. The setting was an open plain, covered with at least two feet of fresh, unbroken snow. As the new team looked on, however, this soon changed. Holographic shapes appeared all around them, faint and ethereal at first, but rapidly growing in density and, Amy would guess, becoming more tangible. Five robust men charged at them from all sides, churning up the snow in their path.

"Oh my God! Wufei! They have laser guns!" Amy hissed, her breath condensing in the frigid air. Suddenly her daggers didn't seem so funky anymore.

"Don't worry," he murmured calmly, squatting on the balls of his feet in anticipation. "We can take them. If I were you, I`d worry more about my ankle."

Wish I had your confidence, Wu, Amy thought, shaking her head. Even with her ankle fully healed. . . . If Sally had allowed her to tell Wufei about her Elemental abilities, she'd be feeling a hell of a lot better about now. But maybe, just maybe, a simple shield of Air wouldn't hurt. Just in case she needed it.

As the men rushed nearer, she embraced the cool rush of wind that heralded the Elemental force of Air. It whipped across her skin and she pulled out a number of thin cords. Although she could "see" the force clearly, she knew Wufei couldn't detect anything different by sight, sound, or touch. Only others who dabbled with Air could. Satisfied with the width and strength of her chosen cords, she rapidly wove a slab of Air that resembled a rectangular shield and attached it to her arm before tying it off and releasing the Element. Now it would stay on her arm until she found the time to pick the knot apart.

In almost no time, the men were within firing range. They leveled their guns and began to fire a steady barrage of laser blasts at the waiting teammates. Wufei easily shifted the broadsword's weight in his hand and began using it to deflect the shots. Amy edged back until she was slightly behind his peripheral vision, then let the laser blasts hit her Air shield. Soon the holographic Griffin employees ceased their advance and, safely out of blade-swiping range, satisfied themselves by firing a continual stream of bullets at the pair.

"Wufei!" Amy wailed, moving closer to the Chinaman. "What do we do?"

He spared her a slightly worried glance. "I thought you were the plan expert."

"Cut me some slack here! I've never been in this kind of situation before!" She waved the holographic daggers around. "I've always had . . . firepower." Not a lie exactly; Wufei only thought she meant guns.

This time, he elicited her a withering glare. "You're supposed to be innovative. Sally said something about improvisation, didn't-" He stopped short as a laser blast lanced by, dangerously close. Amy was just beginning to feel relieved that the beam had missed them when Wufei's face contorted in pain. He bit back a yell, but couldn't hide the visible signs of agony.

"Wufei!" Amy jumped in front of him. She pressed a hand to his shoulder and forced him to crouch down behind the protection of her Air shield. His sword fell to the ground as his hand moved to clutch his bleeding arm.

"Wu! Are you all right?" she tried to move his hand aside so that she could get a good look at the wound.

"Does it look like I'm `all right,' woman? And don't call me `Wu'!" he yelled into her face, angrily slapping her hand away. "Fight! We're right here in the open!"

Amy shook her head. "We're fine. I have a shield here-" Another well-aimed laser blast hit the edge of her shield. Too late, she realized that it had struck the knot, which was rapidly unraveling. "AAAAA!!! Strike one shield!" she squeaked.

She shook the loose cords from her arm and was standing before they even had a chance to dissipate into the air. Careful to place herself between Wufei and their holographic oppressors, Amy reached for the torrent of Air. If she no longer had the use of a shield, perhaps she could use the Element in a more offensive way. Fire was definitely out of the question because Wufei would know something was going on and the jig, as they say, would be up. But before she could draw on the power, one of the Griffin men leveled his gun, sighted on the tall brunette, and fired. The force of the blast spun Amy around, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground beside Wufei. She gasped and writhed in agony, clutching her stomach.

Wufei saw the crazy onna take the full laser blast in her abdomen. As she fell, he pushed himself to his feet, ready to fight in her place. What was a mere gaping laceration to a descendant of the Dragon Clan, after all? He lifted his hand, bloody from the wound, to face the gunmen, fingers splayed outward. Closing his eyes, he prayed for Nataku to guide the lasers around him harmlessly. He just hoped Nataku was listening. . . .

Suddenly, a loud power-down noise sounded. Wufei's dark, almond-shaped eyes snapped open to find the simulation room back in its dormant state, both the enemy and alien landscape gone. Their weapons had similarly disappeared and they were both wearing their Preventers uniforms again. He quirked an eyebrow in uncertainty and whipped his head around the face the doorway. He found himself looking at a very embarrassed Jiro Heyaki.

"Ah, I guess I made a mistake kids," the older man was saying. He shifted his clipboard from hand to hand uncomfortably. "Sally just called me and asked if you were finished talking. I forgot that. . . . What the-? Aaahhhhh, shit!" Jiro ran over to the pair, abandoning the clipboard at the door. "God, you both got it, didn't you?"

He brushed by Wufei and knelt on the floor before rolling Amy onto her back. She fought the pressure, trying to curl up into a fetal position. Jiro clamped a hand on her shoulder, attempting to keep her face-up while whipping out a cell phone. Wufei approached the woman from the other side, curiously searching for her wound. He didn't have to inspect her for long. The front of her tee-shirt clung to her stomach, slick with blood. Despite his battlefield experience and training, the young ex-pilot winced; that had to hurt.

Jiro turned to Wufei. "Hold her down so she doesn't hurt herself. I need to call out for help." He leapt up and jogged toward the door, his large belly bouncing ickily.

Wufei nodded in acknowledgment, then knelt and pressed Amy's shoulders to the floor. She hurled her body forward, trying to slip out from under his hands. "Let me . . . up," she gasped laboriously, blood rattling in her lungs. He shook his head. Crazy onna.

"I can . . . heal myself." Tiny splatters of blood flecked her lips as she spoke.

Uncertainly, Wufei eased the pressure on her shoulders and sat back on his legs. She immediately curled up into the fetal position she had been trying to attain since the shooting. As Wufei watched, she began to cry, but not in the way of hysterical women. Instead of blubbering inanely, she let the tears fall onto her stomach, catching others with her hands. To his surprise, the expression of pain on her face decreased as she repeated this in the next few minutes.

"Hey! What's she doing?" The fat man had returned. This time he had remembered to bring that damned clipboard of his. "I thought I told you-"

"Shut up," Wufei ordered, disgusted with the older man. He continued to watch Amy as she made sure that every teardrop reached her abdomen. Suddenly, she looked up at him and smiled. "Much better."

Wufei's jaw dropped about a foot before he remembered to shut his mouth. "Wha-what did you do?"

Amy slowly stretched out onto the floor, wincing as she eased her tense limbs. "Nothing," she said, quickly dismissing the subject. "The wound wasn't as bad as it looked; that's all."

"Like hell it wasn't," he countered, grabbing the blood-soaked tee-shirt. Before she could stop him, he jerked it up to just below her bra. To his surprise, the skin of her midriff was smooth and unbroken, though glistening with new blood. Fascinated, he ran a finger across her abdomen where he had seen her take the shot, leaving a clean streak in the blood-slick.

"Excuuuse me," Amy quipped, tugging the tee-shirt down again. She rubbed her tummy self-consciously and pushed herself to her feet. Wufei gripped her elbow tightly, trying to help her stand.

"Where's the victim?" a man called from the doorway. A team of medical officers had arrived and was rushing toward the small group. "Hey, Jiro, I thought you said a kid was dying here."

Amy flashed a winning smiled and pointed at Wufei's arm. "He got a boo-boo, sir. Could you fix it with a biiiig Band-Aid?"

The chief medical officer shot an angry look at Jiro. "False alarm, eh? Thanks a lot. How you thought this guy was dying is beyond me. It's easy enough to fix up with a standard medical kit, which, in case you've forgotten, there's a med kit outside each of the simulation room, Jiro." He rolled his eyes and began cleansing Wufei's upper arm with a pretreated cloth. Once the laser wound was disinfected, he wrapped the arm in a short length of white gauze.

"Hey, what about her?" An assistant had noticed the giant blood stain on Amy's tee-shirt. He approached her hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged, unconcerned. "Yeah. You're wasting your time on me. There's no problem here."

The young man looked as though he didn't believe her. "Well, here's some disinfectant cloths anyway. For the blood on your hands." He pressed a handful of wrapped packets into her hands, which, when she looked down at them, were covered in her own blood. She imagined she looked like a casualty of war-which fit since that was almost what she had been.

The chief medical officer tucked the end of the gauze strip in and packed up his medical kit. "Next time, Jiro, keep your head. We could have had real emergencies," he growled. Then the medical team left.

Wufei patted the gauze encasing his upper arm before turning to Jiro. "Soooo, you forgot something, did you? Something trivial, I'm sure. Like . . . simulator safety settings?"

Jiro's jaw flapped open and closed, his eyes locked onto the bloody tee-shirt. "I-ah . . . How-ah . . . eh. . . ."

Amy rolled her eyes. "It's just a spot of blood, okay? Well, what about those settings? Sally said we would feel the laser blasts if we got hit, but"-she patted her tummy-"I don't think she meant that it would be this real."

"Well, maybe Bob did forget to set the safety levels or something," Jiro ventured, finally discovering that he still possessed the use of his tongue. "But, ah, that's not what I was going to tell you. You see, Sally didn't mean for you two to jump right into the simulation training room. She had scheduled a chat for you first. You were supposed to go to an unoccupied conference room."

Wufei glowered at the older man and thwacked the clipboard resting in his chubby hands. "What? Is your clipboard defunct, man?"

"A talk? About what? The simulation?"

Jiro pulled the clipboard out of Wufei's reach. "I don't know. She didn't tell me; said you'd know. About something important? I think she mentioned secrets." He shrugged.

"Thanks a bunch, yo," Amy snapped angrily. "Sally's not gonna be too thrilled with you when she finds out-"

Wufei squeezed her elbow tightly, a silent signal. She yelped and glowered at him, but stopped talking, instead redirecting her efforts to silently exude hatred in the fat man`s general direction. He steered her out the door without a backward glance at Jiro. As soon as the door closed behind them, Amy pulled her elbow from his grasp and whirled on him.

"That-that guy! He could have killed someone! Did you hear him?!" she hissed, waving her arms around frantically. "He made `a mistake'! Bull-"

"Calm down, onna. We're both alive, aren't we?" The woman shut her mouth and continued walking in silence. In a few moments, they reached a conference room. A little keypad beside the door read "Vacant." Wufei paused, hand on the pad, and spoke up again. "Hey, are you okay?"

Amy shook her head in disgust. "Yeah." She paused and turned to regard the bishounen with a weighing gaze. "Don't get all mushy on me, Chang," she murmured wryly.

"What did you say?" he snapped in an irritable tone.

She smiled and shrugged innocently. The gesture caused the wet tee-shirt to pull away from her midriff with a sickly slurping noise. "Bleh. I've got to get out of this thing!" She poked at the shirt and stuck her tongue out.

Wufei was silent for a few seconds. "You can borrow mine." Without waiting for her reply, he pulled his navy blue shirt up and over his head in one fluid motion. Then he thrust the warm bundle into her hands. "Here. Don't worry about the blood."

Amy entered the conference room alone and closed the door behind her. Once the door had clicked shut, she pulled the wet tee-shirt off and used the clean back-side to wipe the remainder of the blood from her stomach. Once she was tolerably clean, she slipped Wufei's shirt over her head. For a few seconds, she just stood there, smelling his shirt happily. This was probably the closest she could ever let herself get to him; might as well enjoy it while she could. Finally, she sighed and called for him to come into the room himself.

The pair sat on opposite ends of the conference table. They took longer than necessary to make themselves comfortable in the plush swivel chairs. Amy finally contented herself with drawing her legs up beneath her, curling up against the arms of the chair. Then they sat in silence and stared into space.

"Sooooooo. . . ," Amy murmured. "Secrets. Ready to delve into your deep, dark past, Chang Wufei?"

For some reason, the Chinaman's face clouded up, his expression darkening. Oops. Mark one for the stupid, stumbling, bumbling, funkified Amy. Thanks to her quip, they sat in silence for yet another five minutes. She was just about to suggest a phone call to Sally Po when Wufei spoke up. "Sally has a rigorous training program waiting for us and I doubt she would be pleased to discover how we've been wasting our time. If she wants us to talk about secrets, let's spill."

Amy pursed her lips pensively. "When I was in elementary school, I got put in the quiet room a lot. No one liked me very much. I don't know why. Maybe those boys really didn't like being kneed in the balls. . . ."

"Ehhh. . . ." Wufei's hands shifted in his lap.

She burst out laughing. "Sorry, Wu-" He shot her a Glare of Death which rivaled Heero's. "-Fei." Once the giggles died down, she threw her hands into the air. "Okay, all the cards on the table: I'm really one of the most powerful Fire Elementals on this planet. My alias is the Phoenix (given to me by Master Ling). To go with the Phoenix Fire-power stuffs, I've got those funky healing tears you saw. Kim, Stacie, and I knew each other when we were in high school and we were all superheroes. I've fought demons, vampires, mystical funky guys, and a teenage zit-faced boy with `issues.' I joined the Preventers to use my powers for the good of all mankind. I don't like bleu cheese dressing. And I'm part of an evil plot to poison the world one can of Spam at a time." She finally decided to pause for a breath or two. "How's them bananas?"

Wufei stared at her.

"Okaaaay, maybe I'm not poisoning the world," she admitted reluctantly. "But everything else is true. Scout's honor." He continued to stare at her in silence. She couldn't read the expression on his face-but maybe that was because she was staring at the smooth muscles of his bare chest. He caught her looking at him and cleared his throat softly, self-consciously crossing his arms across his torso. Blushing, she looked away, suddenly very interested in the wood grain of the table. "Hey, if you don't believe me. . . ," she muttered.

"Well," he started, but was interrupted before he could say any more.

"Naw, it's okay. I'll show you." Amy closed her eyes and reached out for the unseen torrent of Fire that surrounded her. The familiar sensation of falling and being caught up in the forceful blast didn't surprise her anymore, but elicited a thrilled gasp. Her skin tingled with power. She opened her eyes and used the power of her mind to draw a sliver-thin thread of Fire from the tidal wave that threatened to sweep her away. Using that string, she fashioned an intricate knot that would have been the envy of any sailor.

To Wufei's eyes, everything happened in a matter of seconds. The woman fell silent and closed her eyes; moments later, she opened them and extended a hand, cupped palm facing the ceiling. A small tongue of fire appeared above her hand, flickering hungrily. She stared into the flame, her eyes suddenly half-lidded and pensive. Her attention directed at that one point in space, she didn't see Wufei's face go slack with shock. He soon wiped that expression away, replacing it with a complacent smirk.

"That's the mighty strength of `one of the most powerful Fire Elementals on this planet'?" He grinned crookedly. Sending up a brief prayer to his ancestors, Wufei lifted one lazy finger. A large, tennis ball-sized fireball zapped into existence above the finger.

This time, Amy's jaw came unhinged. The tongue of flame above her hand winked out. "You too? No, wait! I didn't see your weave. You're not a Fire Elemental. . . . What are you?"

Wufei let a small smile slip across his lips. "That's right; I'm not a Fire Elemental. I'm a descendent of the Dragon Clan." He got a blank stare. "My ancestors have a legend that our clan is descended from a long-wang dragon prince and a human woman. The dragon fell in love with the woman, but the only way they could be together was if he gave up his natural form and became a human as well. There was no other way. . . . So that's what he did."

Amy put a hand to her forehead and swooned melodramatically. "Ah! How romantic!"

"No. He was foolish. Knock that: he was stupid! Sacrificing his dragon skin for a woman." The man sighed harshly.

"But don't you think it's sweet? I mean, I'm totally not the romantic type, but he obviously loved her." Amy received a sour glare from the bishounen. She shrugged and tried a different angle. "Well, if he hadn't done it, you wouldn't be here. How does that hit you?"

Wufei's obsidian eyes clouded over, hiding an internal battle from Amy's sight. He turned his head to one side, averting his gaze from her face. "Sometimes . . . I wonder. . . ."

Amy nibbled at her lower lip and watched expressions flash across his face at a rapid pace. "What do you mean? That would suck! If you weren't here, Sally might have teamed me up with . . . with . . . well, Heero for example!" The horrified expression on her face left no room for doubt as to what her feelings on the possible partnership were.

Watching her, he couldn't help it; he had to laugh. It started as a chuckle, deep in his throat, then rose to a rich laugh that brushed against her skin like silk. She smiled in relief, giving herself a mental pat on the back. She waited until his face smoothed out before speaking again. "So, any more secrets you've been hiding from the world? Tell me your darkest desire!" she whispered mystically.

Suddenly, Wufei's face closed up again. Amy frowned, angry with herself for causing him to clam up. And just when she'd been getting results! He pushed the chair back and stood, absently motioning toward the door. "We'd better go. I'm sure Sally has a lot more for us to do before the day is through."

She sighed, but picked up her bloody tee-shirt and followed him out the door. To their surprise, Jiro was waiting for them outside. He looked up from his clipboard as the door opened. "Hey kids. Have a nice heart-to-heart? Oh, Wufei, I don't know if you realized this, but you forgot to put your shirt back on when you were done." Great-he was back to his usual annoying buttwipe self again. Wufei's dark expression made it clear that he didn't appreciate the man's wit. Jiro shrugged the Chinaman's glare away, burying his nose in that damned clipboard of his. "Okay, then. Let's see. . . . Sally's got you two scheduled for another simulation exercise. Same room, program 431. Come see me when you're through."

Wufei brushed by the man, directing an icy glower his way. Jiro arched an eyebrow, watching Wufei's bare shoulders as he strode down the corridor. Amy smiled with deceptive sweetness and scurried after her partner, leaving Jiro's unspoken question similarly unanswered.

† † † † † † † † † † † † † †

They arrived at Quatre's country house just after sunset. Amy's muscles ached, screaming loudly for a rest-her reward for the long hours of training. She could tell that Wufei was just as relieved as she when they piled out of the Jeep and stumbled into the house. Her plans for tonight now included a gigundo supper, a loooong hot bath, fresh clothes, sleep, sleep, sleep, and-oh yeah-sleep. Unfortunately, as soon as she stepped into the house, she got the feeling that she wouldn't be enjoying a nice quiet evening. Everyone-except Heero, who was probably in the basement blowing things (or himself) up-had been waiting for them to return and now crowded around them, asking questions excitedly.

Duo managed to push through the others. He blinked at the sight of a shirtless Wufei. "Hey, Wu-man! Where's your-" His eyes fell on Amy. "Oooohhhhh! What have you been up to? Wink, wink!" Quick hands darted out to snatch the small bundle Amy was holding. Before she could grab it back, he shook out the tee-shirt to expose the giant blood stain. It had dried long ago and was now darkened to a crusty brownish hue. At the sight of the blood, violet eyes widened in shock. The braided man quickly sobered up, looking back and forth between Wufei and Amy.

Quatre gasped and approached Amy, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Amy, that's your shirt. What happened? Are you okay?"

Amy nodded, somewhat annoyed at the unwanted attention. She just wanted to go to bed! "Yeah, I'm fine. Just an accident in the simulation room."

A strong, tanned hand shot out and lifted Quatre's hand from her shoulder. Wufei swung the blond boy's arm away and dropped the hand. "It's nothing you should be concerned about. All of you, let us go upstairs in peace. We've had a long day."

Duo pursed his lips. "Oooooo. . . . Wu-man! You're my hero! Protecting your woman from the evil wiles of the adulterous Quatre! Such strength! Such courage! Such-"

"Shove it, Maxwell!" Wufei wrenched the tee-shirt from Duo's grip and pressed it into Amy's hands. "Excuse me. Good night."

Amy, beginning to get used to Wufei's powerful stride, kept pace as they forged their way through the sea of friends. "It's been a long day; I need some sleep. G'night guys. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Lighten up a bit, Wufei," she muttered before they reached their rooms. He shot her a sideways glance that she couldn't read into. "They mean well. They're your friends."

He paused before disappearing into his bedroom. Amy stood beside her door, waiting. Finally he nodded. "Good night."

† † † † † † † † † † † † † †