Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ In the City at Night ❯ Chai ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chai

"Are you trying to get us killed?" Heero demanded of Jordan as they neared the table where the others were waiting tensely. "Do you have any idea why we're here?"

"Not really," Jordan returned shortly, chugging half his bottle of beer, "All I know is that if you guys are here, something is up."

"Zechs was shot and nearly killed. The assassin gave us a name and we worked from there."

Jordan paused, meeting Erin's eyes, "Is Zechs okay?"

"He was saved," Erin returned, "What the fuck was that?"

"What the fuck was what?" Jordan demanded in irritation, slamming the end of his beer before turning and starting for the doors.

"Where are you going?" Wufei demanded, giving chase.

"I'm going home," Jordan replied easily, focusing suddenly on the bar where Stephan was sitting with an icepack to his head, leaning against the wall. He smirked, starting for the door again.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Quatre muttered, giving chase.

"Sure, why not?" Jordan replied, shrugging indifferently.

Quatre blinked at him, then turned to the others as Heero brushed past him. Trowa and Wufei scurried to catch up with the blond, taking pains to keep their expressions normal.

"You aren't driving, are you?" Trowa asked warily.

Jordan turned his amethyst eyes onto Trowa, narrowing them slightly, "Drive what?"

"You don't...have a car?" Trowa was startled at the thought.

"What good would it do me? I already have to change pseudonyms. I'd have to have a car in whatever name I choose, and names aren't that hard to link."

"So..."

"We walk," Jordan replied, starting toward the heart of the city.

"Surely you must be joking," Quatre muttered, his eyes sweeping the area in disbelief, "You don't walk down here?"

In the distance, several shots were fired and dogs started barking. A warm wind blew and the smell of exhaust and mild pollution tantalized their senses.

"I walk down here all the time," Jordan muttered, giving them looks before focusing on an alley near the club they'd been in, "Chai?"

The dark haired woman moved from the alley, holding her beer in one hand, "What took you so long?" she demanded petulantly, "Jesus, you think I like hanging out in this area? Who the hell are these?"

"We're having an orgy, baby," Jordan muttered, draping a companionable arm over her shoulders, "You're still on the pill right? I'm out of condoms."

"Duo!" Quatre was aghast.

"My name is Jordan!" Jordan snarled in extreme irritation, turning to face the other four, "I left Duo back at the Preventer's base and he's not coming back any time soon. If I have to tell you again..."

"Jordan," Chai muttered, grabbing his wrist, her own eyes concerned. "What is with you? You've been acting odd ever since they showed up...and what do they mean, Duo? You have another name?"

He met her eyes in such a way that she sighed in disgust, turning to look them all over and meet Jordan's eyes again, "I haven't been able to afford the pill in the last three months."

Jordan had to laugh at that.

"Yeah, you think it's funny..." she muttered in disgust, turning and starting away.

"Uh, she realizes you're not serious, doesn't she?" Trowa asked.

Chai turned to glare at him, "Can we please go home?"

"All right, fine. Christ..." Jordan turned and started to lead the way.

"You really live out here?" Quatre asked, moving closer to Jordan slowly. He knew the man too well to imagine that his outburst meant more than a build up of tension.

"I really do," Jordan agreed, looking over his shoulder at them all, "I always have."

"Well...not really," Wufei muttered, moving to flank Chai, his eyes everywhere, "That colony wasn't this bad."

"It was just as bad for the time it was," Jordan muttered, watching with interest as Heero also moved to flank him and Trowa took up the rear.

"I take it these aren't just random acquaintances," she noted, studying them all.

"You have eyes like he does," Quatre noted suddenly, studying her.

"Mine are darker," she replied instantly, then blinked, looking around. "You can tell? There's shit for lighting out here."

"It's not that dark," he muttered with a frown.

"He's like me, Chai." Jordan muttered in explanation.

"I'm Cody," Quatre said happily, extending a hand. "I've known D...Jordan since he was about fifteen."

She smiled at him, shaking it. She was quickly noticing something about the group that had always been in Jordan's nature. They were constantly scanning the area and they were situated to protect not only herself, but the blond bit of fluff who was obviously very likable. She could tell by his build that he wasn't just fluff, and if Jordan was any kind of model, then he was probably armed to the teeth with a knowledge of how to fight...and fight dirty.

"This is Chai. We've lived together for the last few years," Jordan muttered to them.

"Are you two..." Quatre glanced between them pointedly, "I mean to say..."

Chai sighed, "I wish. Jordan is a terrific asshole about relationships."

"So he's...using you?" Wufei muttered, his tone questioning.

"Not even!" she said in irritation, turning to meet his eyes. "I even walk around half-dressed, and he doesn't even care!"

"You're my friend," Jordan snapped as if he were highly offended, "I don't want to put you on the same level as a fuckin' blow-up doll."

"You don't notice!" she squeaked at him.

"Yes I do!" Jordan snapped back, "I just ignore it."

She drew herself up.

"You gonna do that for us?" Trowa asked sweetly, "I swear we'll notice."

Her reply, whatever it would have been, died on her lips. She blinked at Trowa in astonishment for a long moment before starting to giggle.

Jordan rolled his eyes, then started to slow down. After seeing all of their faces, Chai realized that there was possible danger, turning to look...at a group of guys with weapons on them. Stupid weapons...broken pipes for the most part, one had a board, though.

Quatre grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her behind himself.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Jordan demanded of them, not consciously aware that he'd placed himself in front of Quatre.

"You have money that we want," the leader replied, "Sorry. Hard times."

Heero scratched one eyebrow, looking to Quatre.

"Duo," Quatre muttered in irritation.

Jordan moved aside without bothering to comment on the name. He hadn't realized that he'd obstructed the other's sight.

"Boards...poles...nothing serious," Quatre noted. "They don't seem to have firearms," he studied them all a moment longer, then studied the buildings around them, "But they do have firearms on the second level."

"What the hell are you doing?" the leader demanded pompously, "Just give us your money...and leave your woman."

"The issue with that, you see," Jordan muttered, "Is that she's my woman and I don't really like to share."

"It wasn't exactly a choice, buddy," the man muttered.

"Two, three, and four," Quatre muttered, turning his head slowly to survey the windows, "Seven...and eleven. Previously broken windows. No civilians."

Chai wasn't sure how she should react. On the one hand, the god was loosening his pistol in its holster, eyeing across the street carefully; on the other, there were about seven people in the group facing them. If what she understood from Cody was correct, there were twelve people in all, and five of them had guns.

"But it is a choice," Jordan countered, "Because while you lot are too scared to play with guns...I'm not."

Chai stared as he suddenly pulled his pistol from its holster and shot...across the street. She was instantly forced down, but didn't miss the fact that all five of her escorts had guns in their hands—especially at the loud sound the different guns made.

There were only five shots total.

"You see," Jordan muttered easily, "We're not your average easy-pickings."

Chai raised her head to stare around her in dismay. The only gun in sight was that of Jordan. He was facing the people who were carrying the boards and poles.

They seemed to be in shock.

"Don't worry," the god muttered, "We didn't kill them."

"Well, we didn't," the one in the rear noted.

"Jordan?" Cody asked sweetly.

Jordan laughed, "I'm not really sure, actually. I wasn't paying all that much attention." He turned back to the men in front of them, "They're probably bleeding heavily," he noted, "You may want to get them some emergency care."

Almost as one, the group broke and ran toward different doors or alleys.

Jordan laughed his evil laugh, "That was fun," he muttered, bouncing back to drape an arm over Chai's shoulders.

"You're demented," the Chinese one informed him easily, "Can we leave? I don't exactly relish the idea of cops showing up on us."

"Oh fine," Jordan drawled, rolling his eyes, "They won't get here for another ten minutes. The ambulances will, but they have no authority and are allowed to tend the wounded."

"You were a soldier?" Chai demanded of him suddenly, the realization connecting in her mind. She'd always seen it in him, though it had never had a name before.

"I was," he agreed, "I'm not now, but it's like riding a bike...almost. You say yourself that I'm paranoid."

"What...exactly...does she know about you?" the god demanded, his expression guarded.

"He's an asshole," Chai offered immediately.

"That's one thing," the Chinese one muttered, putting up a finger.

"And a slut," Jordan added, meeting her eyes for consensus.

"Two things," the one in the rear agreed, raising two fingers.

"That's not actually funny," Cody muttered, frowning at him.

"She knows what she needs to know about a former street-rat," Jordan decided.

"So, Adonis," Chai muttered, moving to lean against the god, wanting to change the subject, "Were you serious about that threesome?"

"What?" Quatre spluttered at her in complete shock.

The man laughed evilly, then tilted his head at her, "Adonis?"

"You're a god," she shrugged, "I go with what I'm given."

He smiled at her, offering a hand, "Erin."

"Chai," she returned happily, flicking her hair slightly.

"Are you coming, or what?" Jordan demanded.

"Excuse me, Jor," Chai said in irritation, "But I have a feeling they'll be staying the night. I don't think it's really too much to ask that I know their names."

"We can walk and talk a the same time...that's a simple multitask that even these lab-rats can get down."

"You are so annoying!" she squeaked at him.

"And you are so femenine!" Jordan mocked back. He was walking away from them backwards.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," the Chinese one noted, moving up to her side as she started to follow the guy, "Why do you put up with this shit?"

"Because I'll never be able to afford a car, and it's a bad idea for a girl to walk alone on the street."

"So you put up with his bull-shit to have a body-guard?"

"She gives me plenty of bull-shit," Jordan muttered, still walking backwards, "Don't let her mislead you too much."

Chai smiled at him, not able to help but lose her irritation when he smiled back.

The Chinese one looked from Jordan to her a moment, then offered a hand, "Daniel."

She giggled, "Really?"

He gave her a look.

She giggled more, shaking his hand, "Sorry."

He smiled at her.

"I'm Toby," the last one informed her, moving up to fold his arms over her shoulders, studying her eyes with a slightly tilted head, "You are a very attractive woman, might I add?"

"No," Jordan replied promptly, "Because you lot won't be using her."

"She's yours," Erin agreed.

Chai started giggling again.

"When was the last time you got laid?" Jordan demanded of Toby.

"I dunno...last night or this morning?" he asked Cody.

Cody blushed.

"You're shittin' me," Jordan muttered, stopping dead.

"Why not?" Toby asked sweetly, "What's so wrong with the idea of me sleeping with...him?"

"Don't be a jerk, Tro," Cody muttered with a frown. "It was this morning, because you woke me up at four," he looked back to Jordan as he neared him, "He has something of a girlfriend back home."

"Home?" Jordan asked, looking curious.

"We've lived on the base for a while now," Erin muttered, "We have a block of rooms in the end of one wing...behind a bolted door." He flashed a grin, "It's almost like a house. I'll tell you about it later if you want. Right now, I'd like to avoid anymore misadventures."

There were sirens in the distance, and now that they were listening, the dogs were barking again. There was also the sound of steadily moving traffic and the wind through the trees that grew throughout the cement jungle.

"All right," Jordan muttered, turning to walk normally and dropping back to offer a hand to Chai.

"So...how long are you guys gonna be around?" Chai asked, looking to them.

The instant she asked it, she wished she wouldn't have. Not because it implied an invitation to stay at her and Jordan's apartment, but because the way they all suddenly closed off and Jordan's eyes narrowed.

"You're going to have to tell her something," Daniel noted. "This is incredibly rude of us, and the fact that it may put her in danger suggests we tell her the truth."

"She's been very happy not knowing the truth," Jordan noted.

"Has he always talked to people as if the subject weren't there?" Chai appealed to Erin.

"I think that's a more recent bad habit," the man replied, "He and Jon were doing it about me."

"You met Jon?" Chai stopped to blink at him.

"He came up with me," Jordan explained.

She blinked to the guy, then back to the god, then around to the others and crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't want to know. I have a feeling that anything about this you tell me will be considered too much information on my part."

Jordan nodded at her, running a hand down her back before he moved past her to the corner and she slowed down.

"What?" Cody asked, blinking as he looked around the edge.

"This is the battle-field," Chai explained. "Gang rivalries are fought here when they're arranged. If you've got the bad luck to arrive when they're about to start, then you're in danger until you get there," she stepped forward slightly and pointed at a building that was probably one-hundred yards away.

"What is this?" Cody asked, moving tentatively up beside Jordan.

"It was a park, once upon a time," Jordan explained. "The city doesn't have the funding to tear it up nor the sensibility to sell it. I guess that's a good thing, though, because everyone knows where this is."

"Why do you live here?" Daniel asked him quietly.

"Because Chai lives here," Jordan explained without looking at her, "And I can't afford a house in a real city for the both of us."

This brought a very direct scrutiny to her.

"It's clear," Jordan decided, starting to walk into open.

"Let Q look!" Erin snapped.

Jordan sighed, moving back behind the building and leaning against it as Cody moved forward slowly and looked everything over.

"We really are going to at least have to tell her our names," Daniel noted to Erin, "I mean...since she's with Duo it's hard to keep up the fiction."

"Stop calling me that," Jordan muttered simply.

"I dunno...it's cute," Chai muttered to him.

His eyes were cold when they met hers.

"It's also a sore subject," Erin muttered delicately, placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her toward Cody. He was walking openly away from protection, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one," she replied, frowning at him, "Why?"

"G.E.D.?"

She blushed, looking away from his eyes.

"Kids?" he pressed.

"No," Jordan's voice was cold.

Chai avoided everyone's eyes.

"I apologize," Erin informed her sincerely, "It was wrong of me to jump to conclusions."

She frowned at him, shaking her head, "I lost it."

"Oh," he muttered, understanding instantly changing his tone.

She avoided his eyes again.

"Can you stop this now?" Jordan demanded, moving up to her side and glaring over his shoulder at his friend, "I will tell you what you need to know later. Right now we just need to get home."

More sirens were coming close.

The shrill notes of a cell phone ripped through the night air and everyone focused on Erin as he whipped a small cell-phone from his pocket and raised it to his ear.

"No," Jordan muttered to Chai, "That's not conspicuous at all."

"I'm aware that we left, Une," Erin said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. "I think I'd know before you," he listened a moment, focusing on Chai. "No. I can't talk right now, Une...can you just trust me? It's not Breer's masterminding. He just fronted some cash," he sighed, "Can you just trust me for once?"

Chai's eyes wandered the group before she focused on Jordan, noticing that he was staring very intently at his friend's mouth. She couldn't understand what made him so tense, and wondered if she dare ask.

"I can't tell you that. I can't tell you that. I won't tell you that...I won't tell you that...I can't tell you...can you just hang up now?" he demanded. "I'm turning off this fucking phone as soon..." he heaved a huge sigh, "Sorry. Just think about my company. No, would you just hang up?"

The others were staring at him.

"I won't let you track me, genius."

That brought a group flinch.

"Yeah, fuck you too," Erin muttered, closing the phone and meeting Jordan's eyes, "Should I smash it?"

Jordan grinned at him.

Erin shook his head, doing something so it beeped before tucking it into his pocket, "We really need to get some facts straight before I report," he informed them all, focusing on Chai, "And of course, if we're bringing our little lady into the issue at all."

"We'll be leaving as soon as you leave," Jordan muttered quietly. "I'm not going back. I'm not going to have that harpy knowing where I am. I left for a reason—a different reason than you lot."

"What? Did you fuck her?" Chai hadn't intended to ask him the question in quite that tone, nor really thought about what she was saying. The fact that he'd so casually decided they were moving hurt her. He knew that she relied on him completely to survive and that he could make that type of decision at will. He'd never done that before, so the sudden change upset her.

"Why don't you not worry about that?" Jordan asked in a quiet tone.

Everyone was blinking at her, however, as if the thought had never crossed their minds.

Chai found that she really wanted to know who the hell Jordan had been...before he'd become Jordan.