Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Devil's Due ❯ - 10 - ( Chapter 10 )

— 10 —

October 22, A.C. 204. Base. 7pm

“Hey, Calvin,” Wufei greeted the empath, smiling happily at him…as he led two men into the testing area. He’d brought one man back previously, but only once. Wufei gave them curious looks, knowing his pleasure was obvious to them and realizing it didn’t matter.

“Hey, Wufei,” Calvin returned, moving to one side so the guys could follow. “These are Clinton Anjer and Mikel Jamison.”

“Hello,” Wufei offered his hand. “I’m Chang Wufei…Wufei Chang,” he laughed. “Call me Chang…or Wufei…it doesn’t matter. This is my associate, Morgan Robert.”

“Hi,” Morgan said, smiling as he stood and offered his hand.

“I’m not too fond of the idea of being poked and prodded,” the one named Mikel noted in a serious sort of voice.

Wufei gave him an uncertain look, glancing sidelong at Calvin for the feedback Quatre supplied thoughtlessly. Calvin was not Quatre, however, and just gave him a happy little smile of a look.

Clinton sniggered.

“I know exactly what I’m doing,” Wufei noted pointedly to him.

Clinton raised his eyebrows. “Really? Because I got the impression you were just kinda drifting along.”

“I drift with style?”

The guy laughed at that as Mikel grinned.

“What kind of poking and prodding do you mean?” Wufei asked somewhat nervously. He hadn’t actually said they’d do testing to Cal. He’d suggested it might be something for later, but…

“Needles?” the guy returned, raising an eyebrow.

“Well…we got some friends who’re willing to look into DNA,” Wufei muttered, looking around to Morgan. “But…”

“You got someone to do it?” Calvin asked curiously, moving around to sit on the table. “Who?”

“Our doctor,” Wufei explained. “The…pilots…former, pilots. Our doctor wanted to do some tests on Yuy and while I was there with him I told him what I was doing…he said he’d be willing to help a couple nights a week. He said he’d do three people at a time.”

“So you want us to give you DNA samples?” Mikel asked, looking intrigued.

“Well, this is entirely voluntary on your part…but it would help. I mean, if you don’t want to do it…we have Winner and Marks to offer, and then we were going to put some in so we can tell if there really is a difference along those lines.”

“I think he’s more than floating,” Calvin noted to his friends. “He’s never run his own tests before or anything, but he does know how to get things done.”

“Have you guys established anything?” Clint asked, moving around Wufei in a wide arc to sit nearer Morgan.

“Mor’s gonna give himself carpel-tunnel from writing so much,” Calvin returned promptly.

“What was that?” Morgan asked, pointing at the guy and ignoring the other.

“Huh?” Clint gave him a confused look.

“You just skirted Fei,” Morgan jerked his head at him.

“I told you he was bright,” Calvin retorted. “It appeals to some and puts others off. That’s why Winner didn’t keep him,” he indicated his friend. “He can’t stand the bright ones…hurts his eyes or something.”

“I’m…sorry,” Wufei focused on his emotions instantly, trying to rein them in.

“Aww, he dimmed,” Calvin frowned at that, looking accusingly at the other.

“Intense emotions suck you in,” Clint shrugged, then blinked as Morgan started writing.

“No, keep going,” Calvin corrected the action. “He’ll probably be able to recite you word for word in a week.”

Morgan gave him an amused look.

Calvin smiled innocently at him. “I got you more volunteers.”

Morgan smiled at that.

“I’m not…bright…anymore, am I?” Wufei asked Mikel.

“You have an inner spark anyway,” Mikel shrugged, moving around to sit on the other side of Wufei.

“Um…when people are intense like that,” Clint pointed at Wufei, “you get pulled in…sorta like the moon, you know?” he gestured toward the sky. “It orbits but stays…if you get pulled in, you’re stuck there until something gives.”

“And the give is painful,” Morgan surmised.

Clint nodded.

“Are you up there with Marks and Winner?” the man asked seriously.

“We’re different, but the same,” Clint shrugged.

“Why does it vary?” Wufei muttered to Morgan.

“It just does,” Clint noted in amusement. “Tall isn’t a specific height, is it? Or short? Fat is variable, too…”

“No, it’s…for research,” Wufei muttered, looking to him. “You make a good point, though.”

“But what even got it to build up,” Morgan said quietly, looking away. “They’ll never know in our life-time.”

“But if we can just help,” Wufei said sincerely. “I don’t need to know it all…I just need to know that Cat can walk down the street without being bombarded from all sides…that Paris can sit in a group and not know what they all feel…shit, Mor, you’ve seen Quatre puke…”

Clinton scooted his chair back from Wufei as Calvin smiled and looked away. Mikel was studying the Chinese man with a very intent interest.

“We should hook him up with Chai,” Morgan noted quietly.

“What?” Calvin demanded in amusement. “Jordan’s wife?”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Wufei noted, looking down.

“But it would help him. Calm down, Fei, you’re making him uncomfortable.”

Wufei focused instantly, controlling his emotions.

“So,” Mikel muttered, shifting forward to catch Wufei’s eyes. “Do you need hair or something? What do we do for the DNA stuff?”

Wufei turned to blink at him.

“I’m on board…just don’t poke and prod me too much.”

Wufei blinked more at him.

“I told you,” Calvin noted to Clint. “What did I tell you?”

“You told me there’d be Amber,” Mikel noted pointedly.

“Oh, did I?” Calvin gave him a very wide-eyed innocent look, as if that were news to him entirely.

Mikel grinned in return, then looked back to Wufei. “The new kids are cute enough, but they just don’t have what it takes…”

“Hey!”

- -

October 23, A.C. 204.Base. 9am

“Wow,” Wufei muttered as he stumbled into the kitchen tiredly.

“What happened to you?” Trowa asked, blinking at his friend’s bloodshot eyes. “I thought you were with your empath last night.”

“I was…we broke into some Amber after a while…damn…” he dropped into a chair and rubbed at his face.

“So…why are you awake at nine on a Saturday morning?” Trowa asked curiously.

“We have…the ambassador,” Wufei returned, looking up at him blankly.

“Oh, shit,” Trowa sat up as he remembered. “I forgot about that entirely.”

“Yeah,” Wufei muttered wryly, dropping his head down on the table. “Can I call in sick?”

“I can break your leg,” Tro offered helpfully. “Then they’d have to take you through intensive and Morris is bound to have some Bloody Mary powder.”

Wufei started laughing weakly.

“How about an arm? If I cut it off, they might be able to reattach it,” he started for the cupboards.

Wufei laughed more, then groaned as his head throbbed.

“Here,” Trowa added, laughing himself as he tossed the Bloody Mary packet at his friend. “I picked a box up,” he added, running the water of the tap and gathering a glass. “How did you manage to get hung-over?”

“We topped off the flat,” Wufei returned. “Cal brought a couple friends and after we’d reassured ourselves that we were crazy for trying to start this, we offered a toast to the coming headaches and frustration. They only had one each, but me and Mor…”

“Wow,” Trowa set the glass beside the guy with a spoon. “Just…wow.”

Wufei laughed, emptying the packet into the cup. “I hate this stuff.”

“So which would you prefer?” Trowa asked, leaning against the counter to study him. “Not drinking that concoction or the hangover?”

Wufei considered that.

“…it wasn’t a trick question,” Trowa noted in amusement. “It was more redundant.”

Wufei gave him a look, then mixed the stuff together.

“I suggest you head toward the bathroom,” Trowa noted as the guy stood and took a steadying breath. “You’re gonna puke, I can already tell it.”

Wufei groaned at him in protest…but it came out more like a whimper…and he downed half the glass.

Trowa stepped forward and snatched the glass from the guy’s hand in that moment before the mixture took affect. Wufei had enough time to take a couple breaths…before he darted for the bathroom. Tro set the glass back on the table, then went about making his own breakfast.

He’d had a wonderful night’s sleep.

- -

October 23, A.C. 204.Base. 10am

The ambassador of Tanzania was a sober faced man who listened more than he talked. He didn’t interrupt as Chance explained the problem the Mozambique ambassador had brought to their attention the previous weekend, he simply nodded to note he was listening.

“So if we do go to assist,” Chance summed up, “we’d like to be sure your government understands that we have no dour plans in the mix.”

“My government will understand, I’m sure,” the man reassured him, studying him. “But the governments of the surrounding countries may not be so inclined.”

“That’s true,” Chance agreed, “but we’ll try to forewarn any surrounding government of our plan before it’s put into action. Considering that the clash is along the border, we wanted to be sure to let you know what the actual intent was.”

“I do appreciate that,” the man noted, nodding again. “I will call my government right away and get back to you with their official response.”

“I would appreciate that,” Chance muttered, extending a hand. “I’m sorry to call you here on a Saturday.”

The man smiled at him. “When I first came here, I was dismayed that nothing happened on the weekends. This hardly bothers me at all.”

Chance grinned at that.

“Have a wonderful day,” the man muttered, moving to shake hands with Jordan, then Quatre. He doubled back and shook Wufei’s hand, then Trowa’s…before leaving the room as quietly as he had entered.

“He understands,” Quatre supplied. “He’s not so sure his government will, though.”

The group exchanged a look.

“He’s moving on this now, because if he puts it off they might try to accuse him of hiding information from them. He doesn’t like who’s in charge of the country right now, but there’s not much he can do about it since he wasn’t there to vote.”

“Wonderful,” Jordan noted dryly.

“Mmhm,” Quatre agreed, looking to the ceiling. “So tomorrow we’ll probably get his response…but I don’t suggest you hold your breath.”

“Thank you for your chipper optimism,” Chance noted dryly, snatching up his papers. “Let’s go.”

Quatre grinned, and wordlessly moved to follow.