Part 21: S class
Young people dotted the hall when Quatre and Zechs left the room. Quatre paused to lock the door securely behind them.
"She should be under for a few hours," Quatre murmured.
He slid the key into his pocket and glanced back at Zechs. The white-haired man nodded, pale blue eyes meeting his for a second before shifting to the
students passing behind them.
Quatre turned to face the hall, as well. The first thing he noted was the various uniforms the kids were wearing. They seemed to range in age, but he
didn't see any that looked over twenty. Many of them were dressed in similar outfits, different colors distinguishing them in a way he didn't understand.
None of the students paid them much attention. Vague glances were the most they received. The kids seemed on their way to classes.
"Do you think this school has regular classes besides Relena's lectures?" asked Quatre.
"I assume so," Zechs nodded.
His eyes locked on one girl in particular, the pale blue hair catching his attention. She was standing about six feet away, watching them with wide eyes. A
glance to Quatre proved that he had noticed her as well.
Instead of one of the uniforms, the girl was wearing a pale blue dress of sorts that looked rather like a robe. The shade was clearly done to match her
hair. She stepped forward and paused when they were only a few feet apart. She barely reached Zechs' chest and her smile was so sweet he had a
sudden urge to bend down to her level.
"I don't mean to be rude," the girl said in a soft voice, with a Japanese accent. "But you are Relena-dono's brother, aren't you?"
"Yes," said Zechs.
His eyes caught on her hands where they were clasped near her neck. They were small and delicate, very pale, even against her dress. It made him
wonder if she could be as young as she looked.
"It's wonderful to meet you," she said. "I am Yukina. Your sister speaks of you often. She looked so pleased this morning. She asked me to show you
around the school."
"I appreciate that," Zechs said quickly. "But I really need to speak with my comrades first. Perhaps later this afternoon?"
The girl smiled at him, and he shivered suddenly, feeling as if a cold waft of air brushed through his hair.
"Of course," said Yukina. "I should have thought of that. When you are ready, simply tell Relena-dono and she will call me."
She smiled at Zechs, who looked relieved, and then glanced over to include Quatre.
"I'm sorry," said Quatre. He'd been staring. He quickly introduced himself and extended a hand to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Yukina."
The girl smiled at him and brushed her fingertips over his hand. His eyes widened at the cool gesture.
"Ice," Yukina murmured. She ducked her head for a moment before smiling at the surprised boy. "Don't let it bother you."
"I was just surprised," Quatre said quickly. A light, embarrassed flush hit his cheeks.
"I will let you get to your comrades," she told Zechs. With a polite nod to both of them, she smiled again moved off down the hall.
"I forget that the students are all mutants," Quatre muttered. He felt as if he'd insulted her, and he stared down at his shoes in self-reproach.
"She took it well," Zechs reassured him. "Come on, we obviously aren't going to be left to our own devices for long. We'd better tell the others what we've
learned."
.-.
"No one noticed when we came in," said Quatre.
They had moved to the cafeteria and were seated at an empty table. Lunch seemed to be scheduled at different times for students since there weren't
that many in the wide room.
"One girl did look like she was going to introduce herself," said Quatre, "but Zechs caught her before she got the chance. We probably shouldn't have
used Duo's form."
"Hey," Duo taunted. "Can I help it if girls are attracted to me?" Heero shot him a glare and he smirked. "Besides, you had to use me. After all, with me
invisible, we didn't have to worry about two of me walking around."
"Yes," said Quatre, "I know. We have her secure in Duo's room and she should sleep for a while. I was able to make her change shapes easily, but the
actual questioning was more difficult. She's been a member of OZ since she was young."
His expression dropped and he shook his head. "She went through a lot of pain, just like the rest of us. She hid her ability at first, when she joined OZ,
but Treize noticed it."
"He really did a number on her," said Zechs. He took over, knowing Quatre would have trouble with it. "I'm beginning to suspect Treize is a mutant himself,
with all of the brainwashing he did. She's completely dedicated to him, but Quatre found a softer side that she's buried since meeting him. Treize
convinced her that helping OZ isn't the same as betraying mutants. They're going after the mutants who abuse their powers and make normal humans
hate them. At least, that's what he's told her. As far as we can tell, she believes everything he said."
"Wait," Duo interrupted. "You said Treize could be a mutant? Where do you get that from?"
"When I was in OZ," said Zechs, "I couldn't read anything from him. I thought it was because he buried things too deeply. Some humans are like that,
where even the strongest telepaths can't read them."
Duo looked doubtful, and Quatre was quick to back Zechs up.
"It's true," said Quatre. "I've met people like that as well."
Zechs flashed him a smile and continued. "It could be that, or he could be a mutant. If he's a mutant, then it would certainly explain why I find two people
inside Une."
"What do you mean?" asked Wufei. "Two people?"
"Split personalities?" asked Heero.
"Yes," said Zechs, "but it's more than that. It's as if there are two entirely separate people. I didn't understand at first, but Quatre kept getting different
answers to the same questions. I get the feeling she locked herself away after she met Treize. That part of her doesn't remember anything past the time
when she entered OZ."
"You've obviously dissected her," said Heero. He ignored the way Quatre winced at his choice of words. "And you've shown you can control her. What
about the idea?"
"The soft side of her would do it willingly," said Quatre. "But I don't think she can revert to that side on her own."
"Can you help her?" asked Trowa.
"I could try," said Quatre. "I can force her to be honest and I can make her do things, but I don't think I could control her thoughts. Plus, I still don't know
what my range is. Imagine if we got her into a base only to have her get out of my range. I don't think that idea would work."
"We can test your range," Heero reminded him. "We do need to know what OZ is doing now. I doubt they will remain inactive just because we found Une."
"But how would I test it?" asked Quatre. "I couldn't use Une. Once she got out of my range she could turn into anyone. We could find her again, but who
knows how many students might get hurt. It's too dangerous. And it couldn't be one of us unless he were being made to do something he wouldn't do
voluntarily. Otherwise we wouldn't know if he were doing it because he was in my range, or because he chose to. I may not know when my power stops
working. I haven't tried anything like that."
"You wouldn't use Une," Heero murmured.
His expression changed suddenly and he turned his eyes to Duo. The boy frowned, blinking at him in confusion.
Heero smirked. "This shouldn't hurt anybody..."
.-.
They were gathered on the wide green lawn outside the school, Quatre seated beneath a shade tree. The others were relaxed around him, seemingly
enjoying the nice weather. But their eyes were on Quatre, whose expression was one of concentration and worry.
"He's really angry," Quatre commented.
He peeked at Heero for a second, then closed his eyes again. He'd yet to have any trouble controlling Duo, but he was expecting him to get out of his
range any minute now.
"That boy nearly followed him into the woods," said Quatre. "I'm surprised so many people came up to him."
"Duo looks friendly," said Wufei. "The people in the town seem to be open, so they probably expected him to be as friendly as he looks. They couldn't
know any better."
"I'm surprised he didn't fight more," said Heero.
"Well, he's not going along with it," Quatre assured them. "Ever so often he tries to break my control. I almost wish he wouldn't."
"He's stubborn," said Wufei. "That's the reason he was the best choice. After all, he would never willingly walk through that town alone, with so many
people looking at him."
"The woods are thick," Quatre continued. "He doesn't see anyone, but there are paths. I'm making him take the one that looks used the most."
"No one ever lived in those," said Zechs. "They stretch out for over twenty miles before the border and farther after that. There used to be a fence
separating us from the neighboring country. Nothing complicated, just wire. If he reaches that, we'll have to try somewhere else. We don't want to risk him
going outside the kingdom."
"I doubt my control stretches that far," Quatre said, in a wry tone. "Besides, it would be dark by the time he got there. We can't expect him to just keep
going."
Silence passed for a few minutes. Then Zechs laughed suddenly. He blinked and glanced over at Quatre, who was wearing a weak smile.
"He just passed your reach," said Zechs. "He has some of the loudest thoughts I've ever heard."
"Yes," Quatre smiled, "I'm afraid so. He just turned invisible again. But...he's still walking." He frowned and glanced over at Heero. "He's thinking that he'll
come back once he's cooled down. I told you he was angry."
"He'll get over it," said Wufei with a smirk. "Besides, he can come back in an instant, right? He's been practicing his teleportation skills, hasn't he?"
Heero had a funny expression and Wufei raised an eyebrow at the boy.
"What?" asked Wufei.
"He's been practicing," said Heero. He was careful not to meet the boy's gaze.
Wufei wisely decided not to ask for details.
Two groans made Heero lift his head. He stared at Quatre's grimace, and then turned to see the same look of pain on Zechs's face.
"What's happening?" asked Heero.
Quatre took a deep breath, wiping a hand over his forehead. He exchanged a wide-eyed look with Zechs.
"It broke," said Quatre. "It hurts to try and find him now."
"A barrier of some kind," Zechs whispered. He turned to look in the direction Duo had gone in. "Maybe a rogue mutant or something. This could be bad."
"I'll go," Trowa said sharply.
"We all go," said Heero. "This was supposed to be a secure country."
Zechs dropped his eyes with a glare, but Heero shook his head.
"I'm not blaming you," said Heero. "There are too many mutants here, too many bystanders to have a battle. Damn it."
.-.
It sounded like a dinosaur was tearing the forest apart, without the roars. Duo could hear trees falling, the air seeming to shudder around him.
His first impulse was to turn right around and go in the opposite direction, but he wasn't one to run away. If it were a battle, then the others would know
what he was thinking. And besides that, it wasn't as if he could be seen.
The anger he'd felt when he finally got free of Quatre's control was forgotten now. Duo ran up the hill, stumbling a bit on the thick undergrowth. The path
had turned earlier and he'd kept going straight. Now he had to force his way through bushes and thorns, wondering why anyone would choose the forest
for a fight. Then he reached the crest of the hill and found himself looking down at a valley that was alive with action.
His eyes widened and he pressed himself against a seemingly sturdy tree, forgetting the fact that he couldn't be seen and didn't need to hide.
Thick vines were churning over the ground, reaching up in too many blades to count. They darted around the valley, tearing through trees in a mindless
rage.
Duo stared, but he was unable to follow the fast movement with his eyes. Most of it was a huge blur of green..
A rocky bluff separated him from the ground below. It wasn't until a number of those thick vines crashed into the rock that he saw them clearly. They were
covered in what looked like thorns the size of swords and they writhed, obviously struggling to get free of the rock they were imbedded in.
A dark flash lighted on the cluster of vines he'd been staring at. If he hadn't been frozen in shock, Duo would have jerked back in surprise.
A small black clothed figure crouched for a split second, a bright blade cutting through the vines. Then it disappeared again. Points formed on the cut
sections and the plants arched after the figure.
Duo didn't know what he was seeing. He leaned around the side of the tree, his eyes flying over the valley. He could barely make out the person he'd
glimpsed. Heero had blinding speed, but Duo had never actually seen it. Still, he thought this was similar.
The black clothed person was a constantly moving flash that lighted on limbs in the remaining trees, darting off again when the vines pursued. It seemed a
useless evasion, though. Each time the figure cut the thick green vines, more took their place, originating from the ground itself.
The valley was nearly demolished by the time the figure was caught. Duo clenched his fists when he saw those vines wrap around the black clothed boy.
He couldn't see clearly from so far above, but the person was small and he remembered those sharp thorns and how they'd torn through the trees. Why
he assumed the person wasn't an enemy he didn't know, but he ached to be able to do something to help.
The boy swiped a slim sword at the vines circling his waist but it was caught by a smaller vine and jerked from his grasp.
"What now?" a voice taunted. "Black flame is useless against these plants."
Duo's eyes snapped toward the source of that soft comment. He found himself staring at a figure perched in one of the few remaining trees across the
valley from him. For a second he squinted, then his mouth fell open as he realized the person had a tail. It looked like a girl from so far away. He could
make out long silver-white hair and an odd white dress. Or maybe it was a robe. The voice had been rather deep for a girl. The person was standing on
a limb, arms folded.
"Ch'."
The black-clothed figure tossed his head and Duo realized his right arm was free. Vines had caught the other arm, but his right one lifted, a black shadow
writhing around it as the loose sleeve fell back.
Duo didn't know what it was but he jerked back when a wave of heat hit him. Black fire seemed to erupt around the small boy. The darkness obscured him
from view, a strange green spark barely visible within. Then the ground shook around him and Duo fell back, his hands digging into dead leaves.
A loud roar made him clutch his ears and he thought again of the dinosaur he'd imagined before. He was on his back, and his eyes widened when a pillar
of black shot up into the sky before rushing back down. The leaves of the tree he'd been leaning against writhed for a second before the heat dissipated
suddenly, an oddly calm burning sound dying out.
After another moment, he broke his paralysis and pushed to his knees, looking back into the valley. Everything looked the same except the plants were
bits of ash, only the tree the white-clothed figure was in had been left untouched. The boy was still bound by vines, but Duo could hear a low laughter.
"Is that the best you can do? Not a scratch."
Black fire blazed around the small male and the vines were ripped apart suddenly.
What happened next was too fast for Duo to follow, but his eyes locked on the bits of green that showered to the ground. The boy lighted on the ground
briefly, snatching up the fallen sword before darting to the tree. He stopped with his blade pointed at the other's throat. Duo blinked.
"You're no fun this way," the white-clothed figure murmured. He didn't seem to mind the blade that was aimed at his neck. "You gave in so easily, too."
"We have company."
Duo's throat went dry when the black-haired boy turned suddenly, left hand raised and pointing directly at him. It was then that he saw the glowing green
spot on the boy's forehead and he would have moved back if his body hadn't frozen. He was visible before he had a chance to think about it and his
muscles relaxed suddenly, having clenched on their own.
The boy disappeared from the tree and reappeared in front of him. Duo jerked back, staring down into two wide red eyes and a third dark blue one that
glared out of the short boy's forehead.
"Kisama," the short boy whispered, in a deep, almost growling voice.
"What are you doing out here?" another voice asked, this one a light tenor.
Duo's head jerked to the side and he blinked as a tall boy with long red hair stepped out from behind the tree next to him. This boy was wearing a pale
magenta outfit, bright green eyes looking him over without a hint of malice.
But the short one still held that sword. Duo blinked. "I..."
"Ch'," the short one muttered, "he's only level A."
Duo frowned at the way that comment was tossed and he relaxed enough to be angry. The short boy's sword had disappeared behind his back.
"Hiei, that's cruel," the tall boy said in rebuke.
Moving forward, the red-haired boy held a hand out to Duo, a slight smile playing with his lips.
"I'm Kurama," he said. "You must be new to this kingdom if you didn't know not to come out here."
"Yeah," said Duo. He shook the boy's hand dazedly. "The name's Duo. What just happened?"
"A little training exercise," Kurama said lightly.
He stepping past Duo to crouch near the shorter boy.
Looking at them, Duo found his gaze drawn to that single blue eye, barely taking in the shorter boy's spiked black hair. That eye was staring at him, he
was sure of it, and it had to be the creepiest feeling he'd ever had.
Kurama had pulled a white cloth from inside his vest and tied it around Hiei's forehead, shutting the eye from view. That simple movement was a great
relief and Duo let out a small sigh.
"You guys are students at the school, then?" asked Duo.
"I am." Kurama nodded, glancing at Duo. "I'm surprised Relena-dono didn't tell you during orientation. This is our training area. No one else is allowed
out here until four at the latest."
"Sorry," Duo muttered. "I missed the orientation."
Scratching the back of his neck, Duo shifted. He wondered why he felt as if he'd walked into a girls' restroom and was being reprimanded.
"No harm done," Kurama said softly. He handed a roll of bandage to the short boy before straightening and facing Duo. "It's a good idea not to go more
than a mile into the woods, though. We're in charge of the perimeter and we don't want students getting harmed if there's an attack."
"Attack?" asked Duo. "I thought this was a pacifist nation..."
The black-haired boy snorted and Duo found himself very irritated by the sound. It made him feel like an idiot.
"Mutants from around the world gather here," said Hiei, " and you think no one targets the place? Baka."
Duo's jaw hurt from the way his teeth were clenched and he glared at the short boy. That word was one Heero could use for him, no one else. Thinking of
the others, he wondered if they had heard his thoughts earlier. He had to have been thinking loudly.
As if the two heard him, the black-haired boy jerked suddenly, looking at him for a second before lifting the band up so that third eye sparked.
"Five males," said Hiei, "A class."
"Friends of mine," Duo said quickly. He saw that the boy's free hand was curved over his shoulder and remembered the sword. "A few of them are
telepaths," he said, "so they must be worried about me."
"They couldn't have heard you," Kurama said with a shake of his head. "Hiei blocks out any mental searches."
A hand fell on Duo's shoulder suddenly and he jumped, whirling to give Heero a dark glare.
"You took five years off my life!" Duo blurted.
"Friends of yours?" asked Heero. His voice was cold as he looked at the two strangers.
Footsteps sounded behind them and Duo gave a glance to Quatre and Zechs, noting their pained expressions. Trowa landed beside him and he turned
his gaze back to the two teens.
"Maybe," Duo said slowly. Kurama smiled and he felt a bit guilty. "Yeah, they go to the school. This is Kurama and..."
"Hiei," said Kurama.
Stepping to Heero, he extended a hand in greeting. His lips twitched when the dark haired boy made no move to accept it. Then the blonde boy moved
forward and he nodded to him.
"Your friend stepped into our training area," said Kurama.
"We were worried," said Quatre. His eyes caught on the black-haired boy. The teen pulled a white band down to cover a third, blue eye. Quatre felt a
sudden pressure lift from his mind. Obviously that was the reason he'd been unable to read Duo earlier.
"You were worried for good reason," said Kurama, "but no harm was done." A soft sigh reached him and he turned, moving back to Hiei. The boy was still
glaring, and Kurama followed his gaze to the tall white-haired man.
"You're Relena-dono's brother," Kurama noted.
"Does everyone know what I look like?" asked Zechs. He raised an eyebrow in exasperation. "You're the second person to ask me that in only a couple of
hours."
"He said they defend the kingdom from attack," Duo said suddenly. Zechs shot him an incredulous look, and he nodded. "Seriously."
"Relena-dono keeps a picture of you in her office," said Kurama. "But we haven't spoken to her today. I didn't realize you had come back."
"This country has a defense," Zechs interrupted. "Have there been attacks?"
"Maybe," said Kurama. "But I really am not at liberty to discuss the details without Relena-domo's permission."
Another sigh sounded and Kurama glanced down, smiling at Hiei's irritated expression. The black-haired boy glared at him then promptly fell over.
"Is he all right?" asked Quatre. He rushed forward to crouch next to Kurama. The short boy's eyes were closed and he didn't move, but he was breathing
deeply.
"I can heal him," Zechs offered. The red-haired boy shook his head and Zechs frowned at him.
"Hiei doesn't like to be touched," said Kurama. "Don't worry, though, he isn't injured. He just needs to sleep for a few hours."
Kurama's lips twitched and he lifted the small roll of bandage. His friend hadn't used it, too distracted by the new students' arrival. Pushing back the long
sleeve of Hiei's black cloak, he sat down, wrapping the boy's right arm. The blonde boy was still crouched beside him and he glanced over at him.
"You didn't introduce yourselves," said Kurama.
"Oh," Quatre said softly. He moved back and nodded to the others. "This is Zechs, Trowa, Wufei, and Heero. I'm Quatre."
"It's nice to meet you," Kurama said softly.
Duo frowned, looking at the ground. He felt as if he were forgetting something and he glanced toward the valley for a second before his eyes widened.
"Kurama!" said Duo. "Who was that other person?"
The red-haired boy was putting the roll of bandage into his vest. He paused to blink back at Duo in confusion.
"I saw someone else," said Duo, "earlier, when Hiei was fighting. White hair, a tail."
"Heh." Smiling, Kurama lifted Hiei and stood, tilting his head as he looked at the violet-eyed boy. "That was me."
"What?" Duo frowned, staring at the boy's red hair and magenta clothing. "No, he was-"
"Just me," said Kurama. "I don't have the ability to control plants capable of challenging Hiei unless I use that form. He is an S class, you know."
Heero let out a sharp breath and Kurama blinked at him, taken back by the glare in those dark blue eyes.
"S class?" Heero whispered. His hands curled into fists. "There is no S class."
"Didn't you know?" asked Kurama. "I admit, Hiei was the first I met besides myself, and I'm at the bottom of the level. Don't worry, you'll learn more after
you take classes here. Relena-dono is good about teaching mutants more about themselves."
Kurama blinked when the boy continued to stare at him. He shifted Hiei a bit, glancing at his watch.
"I need to take him back now," said Kurama. "If you like, I can tell you a bit about classes on the way. Duo said you'd missed your orientation."
"We're not students," said Zechs.
He ignored the warning look Heero shot him. If his sister actually used the two boys as defense, then there was no way she'd be shocked to hear of their
own actions.
A glance at the sleeping boy reminded him of how young he looked. The red-haired one was a bit taller than Trowa and he could have been eighteen.
But the shorter one didn't look a day over twelve. Zechs had trouble believing Relena would use them, but it was obvious that she had.
"We're taking shelter here," said Zechs.
"Ah," Kurama smirked. "In the pacifist nation?" He smiled, glancing at Duo as he remembered the boy's surprise. "Then you picked the best place. But I
suppose you kept this from Relena-dono, am I right? You shouldn't have. Come, I really should go back."
He walked past them, nodding to Wufei when the boy moved aside to let him through. After a few steps, he could hear them following.
"Heero, you aren't going to believe what I saw back there," Duo whispered.
Heero still looked angry and stunned, taken back by the knowledge of a level beyond A class. Duo hadn't actually thought much about classes himself. It
was common knowledge that normal humans ranked mutants according to their abilities. He'd never known any other mutants, so he'd never worried
about it.
"That guy has to be just as fast as you are," said Duo.
Dark blue eyes turned to him and Duo smiled, putting an arm around Heero's waist. It was reassuring that the boy didn't shrug him off, but he could feel
how tense those muscles were.
"I really don't think you should be angry, Heero. Just think, they're mutants stronger than us. And they're friends. It's good news."
"He's right," Zechs murmured. He slowed down so he flanked them. "Obviously we do have something to learn at this school."
Wufei glanced back at him and Zechs nodded when the boy gestured toward Kurama. Quatre was talking to the boy, Trowa next to him.
"You can't read lips from back here," said Zechs. "Come on, Heero."
"I hate this," Heero muttered. "How could we not know there was an S class? It's infuriating."
"But we know now," said Duo. He squeezed Heero's waist and smiled when he glanced at him. "Just think, you were supposed to gather a team of
powerful mutants. I'd say those two would make good recruits, right?"
A glint sparked in those dark blue eyes and he smirked when Heero moved away suddenly, joining the others.
Glancing at Zechs, Duo shrugged.
"You just have to know how to work him," said Duo. His expression was wise, as if he knew everything about how to push Heero's buttons. "Make it a
mission and he's all over it."
.-.
PART 22
.-.
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