Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / GetBackers Fan Fiction / Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Consequences of our past ❯ Chapter 21 ( Chapter 22 )

 

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Chapter 21

 

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“Wait a minute…” Duo interrupted. “How could the puppeteer control Q? Didn't he tell Fei that a New-type couldn't use their abilities on another New-type?”

 

Chang rolled his eyes as he shook his head, careful not to disturb the sleeping blonde. “Why don't you just listen, Duo? Do you really think that your questions won't be answered?”

 

“We're wasting time that we don't have.” Trowa agreed, his hand gently caressing his former lover's. “If they're as close as Quatre says they are…”

 

“Fine. Continue.” The braided teen huffed.

 

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With a stiff roll of his shoulders, the blonde blinked wearily at the blinding computer screen. He had spent hours trying to locate the cause of the devastating virus. The empath had determined that it wasn't a fluke. Someone had deliberately infected the virtual boy's system, however, that person rivaled Hiiro at his best. The former Gundam Pilot could find no trace of the culprit nor could he find a way to save the dying teen.

 

Quatre sighed, running his hand through his hair. It was so late, but he couldn't give up. If nothing was done soon, in a couple of hours, Makubex would be nothing but a memory.

 

“You should get some sleep.” Wu Fei whispered, resting a supporting hand on his partner's shoulder. “You're still recovering from last night, and tomorrow we're supposed to meet up with the Get Backers.”

 

“I can't.” The smaller teen declined apologetically. “Makubex may seem to be just a computer program, but to me and many others he's a living, breathing soul… I refuse to let him die!”

 

“Can you help him if you make yourself sick?”

 

The empath heaved a defeated sigh. “I wish Hiiro were here.” He mumbled, “He's so much better at this than I am.”

 

“Well he's not.” Wu Fei stated bluntly, “So don't waste energy making useless wishes.”

 

Quatre nodded, staring at the code-covered computer screen. “Gen was right when he said the virus was attacking Makubex's algorithms…”

 

“If you can't stop the virus… What about rebuilding the destroyed data? Surely, a program as complex as a virtual person, would have a back-up system that you could use as a guide?”

 

“Oh Allah, Fei!” Quatre shook his head in amazement, his fingers flying across the keyboard with renewed fervor searching for that small beacon of hope. He whimpered with barely suppressed joy as he leapt out of his chair, glomped his lover, knocking them both to the floor before proceeding to kiss him near senseless. “You're a genius! I'm so stupid! Why didn't I think of that?” The blonde rambled, punctuating each statement with another kiss. “Allah, Thank you, Fei! Thank you!”

 

“You're welcome, Quat.” The Chinese teen calmed. “And you are by no means stupid.” He placed a finger over the smaller teen's mouth to prevent any arguments. “Sometimes it's just difficult to see the solution when you're so close to the problem.” Wu Fei, silently, was impressed at how far the distraught teen had gotten before hitting a dead-end.

 

Quatre smiled softly as his lover's admiration filtered through his empathy. He was nearly startled when the taller teen spoke again. “Let's not waste anymore time. I'll get us some tea. It'll go faster if we both work on this.”

 

“Xiexie, Fei”

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Kazuki moaned in agonizing pain, irritating his raw throat. Though he had long given up his futile attempts to escape his coffin-shaped prison, the thread master had by no means calmed down. While his heart and breathing raced, his fingers and side bleed profusely. The smell alone was enough to make him feel ill. Curling up into as tiny a ball as he could in such closed quarters, the longhaired teen cried silent, terrified, tears. `Juubei, Juubei, Juubei…'

 

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“You should be asleep, Ginji.” Ban frowned as he stooped next to his partner. The blonde didn't say anything to acknowledge the Jagan Wielder. “Why so serious? You're not going Emperor on me, now, are you?”

 

“Nah. It's nothing like that Ban.” The shorter teen shrugged.

 

“Then what's bothering you?” He poked Ginji in the side, making the smaller boy squirm.

 

“Ban!” The former Lightening Emperor protested, “Stop!”

 

“Not until you tell me what's going on in that head!” The poking became tickling.

 

“BAN!” Sparks began to jump from the human eel's skin, but his attacker was relentless. “BA-Ha-Haan!”

 

“Give up? Give up?”

 

“H-HAI! Hai! HAI!”

 

Immediately, the older teen ceased his torture, allowing his victim a moment to catch his breath. “Now, baka, are you going to tell me what's on your mind?”

 

Ginji's flushed expression became sullen as he avoided his best friend's concerned inquiring gaze. “It feels weird, Ban.” He finally whispered, a shiver running down his spine. “There is something very powerful her, something that wasn't here before… before when I…”

 

“When you were leader of the Voltz.” The Jagan user finished when the normally hyper boy drifted off. “Or even the last time we came to help Makubex.”

 

“You feel it too?” the blonde whispered, his bright brown eyes staring at his lover.

 

“Of course I sense it.” Ban snorted, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it before settling himself to sit against the smaller teen's back. He blew a slow, lazy wisp of smoke, relaxing in the familiar taste, smell and feel of the nicotine. “I haven't seen you this on edge, Ginj.” He stated, pressing his reluctant partner to tell him what was bothering him.

 

Biting his lower lip indecisively, the Limitless Fortress native stared at the dangerous dark night that shrouded them in a foreboding blanket. “These guys that we're up against…” Ginji began just when Ban thought he'd never get an answer. “They must be really strong… in order to capture Juubei and Kazuki… A-are you sure we can handle this? I-I mean…” The blonde wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face in them. “What if… What if you or I get captured too? What if I turn back into the Lightening Emperor? What if I…”

 

“You can't worry about things you don't know the outcome of.” The Jagan Man sighed, flicking away ashes from the end of his butt, before inhaling once more. “All the `What if's just get in the way of making decisions. If you get all flustered about possible outcomes, then you'll never be able to reach the destination- or even take one step forward, never reach your potential, never reach your goal and you'll never get back what was lost.”

 

A small smile tugged at the worried teen's lips, as his lover's words bringing him some sense of comfort. “We can't allow that, now, can we, Ban.”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Cause we're the Get Backers?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Hmm.” The smaller teen sighed, leaning back against his partner, his eyes slipping closed as the early morning sun peeked on the horizon. “Love you, Ban.” He whispered drowsily for his lover's ears only.

 

“Back at `cha, Ginj.”

 

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Wu Fei allowed a gentle smile to cross his face as he watched his little lover sleep. The hints of dawn's light added a soft glow to the gentle features of a potentially dangerous young man. Tenderly, he ran his fingers along the other boy's cheek. `I wonder if he knows just how long I've wanted to do this.'

 

The Chinese teen sighed.

 

They had planned to start off at first light in order to catch up to the Get Backers. However, that was before they had stayed up all night rebuilding Makubex's Algorithmic core. The two had managed to preserve the virtual boy's body; although they chose to hold off rebooting his personality or motor functions until they had caught the new-type responsible for the attack, a precaution against the virus spreading and destroying their efforts. For now, though, Makubex had stopped flickering like a bad cable channel connection and appeared to be in a restful slumber.

 

“Here.” An elderly voice startled the preoccupied Preventer.

 

Looking up, Wu Fei gratefully accepted a cup of coffee from their pharmacist host. “Thank you.”

 

“No, thank you.” Gen smiled warmly as he peered at his artificial grandson. “I do believe that Makubex will be alright now.”

 

“I'm glad.”

 

“You should head out. The Get Backers are early risers when a job is on the line. If you wait too much longer, you'll miss them.”

 

Nodding, the young man gently rubbed his sleeping partner's shoulder, “Quatre?”

 

Bright, alert eyes opened cautiously. “Fei. How long have I been asleep?”

 

“An hour or so.”

 

“You should have woken me!” The blonde protested, sitting up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

 

“You needed what little sleep you got.” Wu Fei pointed out, handing his lover his coffee. He watched as Quatre grimaced at the taste, but still drank the steaming drink. “We need to get going.”

 

The blonde nodded, before taking his partner's sword from its sheath and aiming it at the door in one fluid motion. His previously relaxed cadence had been replaced by battle-honed instinct that made each of his muscles coiled and ready to spring.

 

Alarmed by his partner's abrupt change in body language, Wu Fei also adapted a fighter's stance.

 

“You have some nerve coming here.” Quatre stated, catching his partner off guard by the note of malice that colored his tone.

 

“You need me.” A smooth and accented, voice replied as a tall redhead stepped into the room.

 

“Like hell.” The empath's glare darkened as his body tensed.

 

“How else will you get past the members of Esette?” The redhead mused, his emerald eyes glimmering mischievously. /”Do you really think that Jackie Chan here will be much use?”/

 

“Fuck YOU, Schuldig! You STAY the HELL Out of my head! I don't need help from the likes of you!” Quatre spat angrily.

 

The tall telepath chuckled mirthlessly, “Quatre, Quatre, Quatre… You're so naive, it really is amusing.”

 

“You've been asked to leave.” Wu Fei spoke up. “Do so now.”

 

“You call that rude exchange `asking'?” Schuldig smirked before silently taunting the empath. /”Your boy-toy is very entertaining. Does he do parties?”/

 

“Please, Mr. Winner.” A younger voice pleaded as a familiar teenager stepped into the room behind the obnoxious German, effectively cutting off any retort from the smaller Preventer. “For Nagi?”

 

“Omi…!?” The blonde gasped, before turning his glare at the taller man, /”That was despicably low, even for you! Involving a civilian teenager!?”/

 

/”Kitten isn't a civilian.”/ The redhead replied smugly, /”He may even match your Shinigami's killing prowess.”/

 

“What the hell is that kid doing here!?” Wu Fei demanded.

 

“He's going to help us find Nagi.” Quatre replied, sounding none too happy about it.

 

“Shall we go then, gentlemen?” The German purred.

 

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Juubei stood stiffly by the open window, listening to the dark sounds of Babylon City. Unlike Lower Town or even the Belt Line, the highest floors of the Limitless Fortress had a unique sound all of its own. It surged with power, wept with sorrow -the strong and the weak- all in an odd orchestrated symphony that taunted the lower levels.

 

Kazuki had been drawn to the sound as an adolescent. Like a moth to the flame, the thread-user unknowingly reached for what would have destroyed him. Juubei had protected him then, fighting off those who would have taken the young Fuuchouin as a slave.

 

The blind man snorted at the irony. He had risked his own life then- earning some of his most impressive scars- only to offer the Thread Master now as a living sacrifice to the same demons.

 

And for what?

 

Power.

 

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To be continued…