Boot Camp Part 38
Team Spirit
When Heero woke up, it was to the sound of Trowa throwing up again. The sky was barely light, making the interior of the barracks a muted grey.
The team leader got up and went to lean in the doorway of the bathroom. "I take it you're still feeling like shit, Barton."
The auburn-haired boy didn't even make a snide remark; he just nodded and gripped the sides of the bowl harder, leaning forward for some more dry heaves.
"Don't expect a lot of sympathy," Heero drawled coolly.
"I don't," groaned Trowa, leaning back and pressing an arm across his stomach. "I expect Maxwell to run crying to Chang."
Heero straightened. "Why the fuck shouldn't he? You got him beat up and raped, Barton. You damn well deserve whatever he does to you."
"Y'think I don't fucking know that?" Trowa demanded. "For Christ's sake, I'm sorry. An' I've been sorry from the moment I realized how K. set us up. But that won't take back what happened. If I could..."
"Would you?" Heero asked, raising one eyebrow.
Trowa shrugged, doubling over with both arms clasped across his stomach. "Fucking hell!" he gasped, trembling from head to toe.
"Ah, shit," Heero sighed. "Let me get you back to bed," he said firmly. "I did some research, and if the pills you took are what I think, you may not have seen the worst yet."
"S-swell," came the pained reply.
"We can handle the vomiting and fever...but if you start getting delusional or have convulsions, we might have to bring Doctor Po into it."
"Just let me fucking die," Trowa muttered, letting Heero pull him to his feet and help him stagger back to Quatre's bunk.
The blonde was asleep up on Trowa's bunk, having been up nearly all night watching over his teammate. But he stirred as Heero settled Trowa back into bed. "Everything okay?" he asked through a yawn.
"Same as last night," Heero said noncommittally. He glanced up at Duo's bunk to see how the braided boy was doing, and his jaw dropped. "Where's Duo?"
Quatre looked over too, eyes widening. "His bunk's empty. When did he get up?"
"I didn't know he did," Heero said tensely, walking over and grabbing a shirt and socks. He dressed in a matter of seconds, and hurried to the door, yanking it open and stepping out onto the little porch.
Duo was sitting on the steps, leaning against one of the posts, his braid trailing over one shoulder, and his hands folded in his lap.
"Duo? Are you--alright?"
The chestnut head nodded, and Heero walked carefully over, settling onto the step beside his teammate. He looked searchingly at Duo's face, trying to read his mood.
"Why are you out here?"
Duo shrugged. "I needed some--space."
"Did you sleep okay?"
Another shrug. "S'pose so." A faint smile lifted one side of his mouth. "Hard to say, since I was asleep at the time."
Heero smiled too, relieved that the braided boy seemed able to joke around a little. "You wanna come back inside before Quatre has a coronary?"
This time both sides of Duo's mouth curled up. "He's very high-strung."
"You're one to talk," Heero chided, slipping an arm around the other boy. Duo relaxed into the embrace, resting his head on the team leader's shoulder. "You're cold," Heero noticed, running a hand down Duo's arm.
"Been out here awhile," Duo admitted, shivering a little, and pressing closer.
"Come inside. We may as well get ready to go to the mess hall for breakfast."
"I'm not--"
Heero tightened his grip fractionally. "I don't care if you eat dry toast for breakfast. You're going to eat."
Duo smirked at him. "Yes, Mother Yuy."
"Didn't I promise to kill you if you called me that again?"
"You've promised to kill me for a lot of things," Duo replied. "It has yet to happen."
"Baka," Heero said softly, his voice laced with affection. "It never will." He stood up, pulling Duo along with him.
They opened the door to find Quatre just about to come after them. The blonde sighed in relief. "Duo! What have I told you about sneaking off?" he scolded.
"Christ! I was only on the steps," Duo said, shaking his head. His glance slid past Quatre as there was a strangled cry from Trowa's bunk.
Quatre turned around sharply, crossing the room to Trowa's side. "Heero? He seems worse."
"Yeah, I know," Heero said with a sigh. "He could conceivably become delirious or have convulsions during all this. So someone will have to stay here at all times."
"Don't look at me," Duo said flatly. He gave the team leader a challenging glare.
"Winner's got to eat, too," Heero pointed out. "And we can only go in pairs, knowing the lengths Kushrenada will go to in order to get at you." He pulled Duo around to face him, keeping his hands on his arms. "Please, Duo. This has to be a team effort, or it won't work. We nurse Trowa through withdrawal, and then we can focus on the capture the flag competition, and then go after Kushrenada."
"Fuck, Yuy! It's not fair for you to ask that of me," Duo snapped.
"I know," Heero conceded. "But you know better than anyone that life isn't fair."
The braided boy pulled away, walking over to his foot locker and starting to gather up dirty laundry. "I'll do what I have to," he muttered.
~*~
While Trowa didn't succumb to convulsions, he did lapse into a nearly-delirious, feverish daze, so that Quatre had to remain glued to the chair by the bedside, alternately mopping the other boy's face with a cool cloth, and tucking the blankets in closer to keep him from getting chilled.
Duo and Heero brought back food for the blonde, and Heero spelled him at Trowa's side long enough for Duo and him to go start the laundry and take showers. When they returned, Heero took Duo with him to finish the laundry.
While they were waiting by the dryer, folding the batch of clothes that were already done, while waiting for the rest, a boy from another team approached them.
"Hey, Yuy. Is your team coming to the game this afternoon?"
Heero glanced at Duo, and then nodded. "Yeah, we'll be there, Curt." He watched the other kid walk away, frowning slightly. As far as he remembered, that boy had never spoken to him, or anyone in his team before. He couldn't help but wonder why he did today.
"I don't want to play baseball," Duo muttered, breaking into Heero's wandering thoughts.
"Just come and watch, then," Heero suggested.
"I don't feel like it," insisted the braided boy.
"C'mon. It'll get you out of the barracks--give you a break."
"Keep me away from Barton?" Duo guessed, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact," Heero shrugged. "You need a little distance, Duo. That was a hell of a shock, finding out what he did. You need time to absorb it. So do I, for that matter." He frowned at the braided boy. "Y'think I didn't want to do exactly what you did? To try to beat him senseless for what his screw-up put you through?" He shook his head. "But that's what you have to remember. He screwed up. And you have to lay blame where it belongs. Kushrenada set it all up. Set you up. Trowa was just stuck in the middle and did a stupid, thoughtless thing. And the stinking guard..."
"Shut up!" Duo snapped, scowling and looking away. "Please, Yuy. Just stop."
"I'm sorry. I just want you to think about who your enemy really is. Don't let the real bad guy get away because you're fixated on blaming Barton."
"I know who my enemy is," Duo said coolly.
~*~
Despite his reluctance, Duo finally did accompany Heero to the athletic field to watch the game. One team consisted of boys from several teams, including Ben, Adam, Troy, and Austin; while the other team had Kyle and his three teammates, among others.
When Ben saw Heero and Duo approaching, he jogged over to them. "Hey, Yuy...how 'bout pitching? We're a little shorthanded."
Heero glanced aside at Duo, frowning. "Sorry, Ben..."
"Sure he will," Duo said quickly, nudging Heero towards the other boy. "I'll sit up on the hill and watch."
"That's kind of far away," Heero noted, looking at the distance from the playing field to where Duo would be sitting, and wondering how fast he could get there if his teammate needed him. "I don't want you up there alone."
Ben glanced between them. "Aren't Winner and Barton coming?"
"No, Barton's a little under the weather today, and Winner elected to stay with him," Heero explained.
"Well, if you don't want Duo alone, we still need someone for second base," Ben offered.
Duo scowled dangerously at Heero. "For fuck's sake, Yuy. Stop babying me!"
Heero gave him a look right back as if to remind him how recently he'd welcomed the concern. "I'm not. If I were, I wouldn't want you playing baseball until you're a hundred percent healed."
Ben smiled reassuringly. "We'll take it easy," he promised. "It's not a contact sport anyway."
Duo snorted skeptically. "I've seen how it's played here, and yeah, it is." Sighing deeply, he resigned himself to participating.
An hour later, he was feeling pretty glad he did. Their team was up by two runs, the exercise was making him feel good, and he had a perfect view of Heero's ass every time the chocolate-haired boy threw a pitch.
Life was good.
Not only that, but Duo hadn't thought about Trowa since the game began.
Then Kyle came up to bat, and Heero glanced warily back at Duo. "Time out!" He jogged out to second base. "Maxwell!"
Indigo eyes narrowed in warning as Duo stalked over.
"Promise me, you won't start anything," Heero asked.
"Such as?"
"Anything." Heero took the other boy by the arm, leaning in close. "Chang said he didn't think Kyle's team hurt Jason. So don't do anything stupid here."
"For Christ's sake, why would I?" Duo demanded. "Y'think I want to have a fistfight with my ribs still feeling like a mule kicked 'em?"
Heero frowned at that. "Do they still hurt that much?"
"No," came the exasperated response. "I was exaggerating for effect, Yuy. But I don't feel well enough to want to start a physical altercation, okay?"
"Okay," conceded the team leader. "Just..."
"Go pitch," Duo ordered with a scowl. "I'm a big boy, Yuy." He gestured over to first base, where Ben was playing. "I've got backup right there, anyway."
Austin had walked over to them from his position as shortstop. "Yuy, I know we haven't exactly been pals, but right now we're on the same team here. I'll keep an eye on Maxwell, too."
Duo shot him a dangerous look. "If you're all done figuring out who's babysitting me next, how about playing some fucking baseball?" he snarled, stalking back over to the base and getting in position to play.
Sighing, Heero jogged back to the mound, while Austin returned to shortstop position.
Kyle hit a ground ball that brought him to first base, and he grinned maliciously as he waited there for the next player to bat.
Duo glanced over, and the boy from Team Faction smirked at him, winking suggestively.
"Asshole," muttered the braided boy, shaking his head.
The next player hit a line drive that made it to center field, and enabled Kyle to reach second base, sliding in and narrowly missing Duo's ankles.
The braided boy shot him a glare. "Nice try, Norton. But after what you did to Jase, I know enough to watch where you put your feet."
Kyle stood up, dusting himself off. "Wasn't trying to kick you, Maxwell. You were blocking the base."
"That's what second-basemen do." Duo turned his attention back to the mound as Heero wound up for another pitch.
"So, pretty boy, how was solitary?" Kyle sneered.
Duo spared him a scathing glance. "It was lovely," he drawled icily. "You weren't there." He watched the ball sail past home plate for a strike.
Austin looked over and frowned, watching the exchange between Kyle and Duo, and edging a little closer to second base so he could hear what was going on.
"I hear you got out by playing nice with the guards," jeered Kyle.
Duo stiffened, face turning stony. "Shut up about it, Norton, or they'll be picking you up in pieces."
"Right," came the skeptical snarl. "As if a pansy like you could take me!"
"Don't let the hair fool you."
Austin scowled at Kyle from behind Duo's back, tempted to walk over and intervene. But he knew Duo wouldn't thank him for the gesture; the boy from L2 obviously liked to fight his own battles. Instead, the leader of Team Chase caught the catcher's eye and nodded to him.
At a signal from the catcher, Heero glanced back, and noticed Duo's angry expression. He gestured to his teammate, shaking his head in warning.
Duo sighed, turning his attention back to the game. "Drop dead, Norton."
The batter hit a fly ball to center field and Kyle took off, shoving Duo aside as he did. The braided boy cursed, tempted to tackle the bully, but his attention stayed on the ball, waiting to see if it was caught. The center fielder did, indeed, catch the ball for an out, and the runners returned to their bases.
As Kyle headed for second, he passed close enough to Duo that his hand brushed against his thigh.
Duo slapped it away smartly, narrowing his eyes in a deadly glare. "I swear--you touch me again an' I'll fucking kill you," he promised in a vicious snarl.
Kyle gave him a leering sort of grin. "I just may have to put that to the test." His gaze raked Duo from head to toe, and as they got into position for the next pitch, he laughed quietly. "I'll bet you screamed like a girl for that guard, didn't you, Maxwell?"
Duo gritted his teeth, suppressing a shudder at the bleak memories that tried to surface.
But Kyle could see he was getting to him. "Might be kind of fun to hear you scream-- If I were you, pretty boy, I wouldn't go anywhere alone." He licked his lips, his eyes traveling down the length of Duo's body.
The braided boy grimaced, the suggestive look making him feel like he needed a shower to clean it off. "I'm warning you, Norton. Fuck off!"
"I'd rather fuck you, Maxwell."
Duo turned a disbelieving look to the other boy. "What happened to your thinking Jase and I were disgusting?"
"I don't want to kiss you, Maxwell--just fuck you. I hear you're a really nice, tight piece of ass. I want to hold you down and--"
"Shut up!" Duo snapped, turning and taking a step towards Kyle, fists clenched at his sides.
Heero called a hasty time-out, jogging quickly to second base. "Duo? Problem?" he asked, blue eyes intense.
The boy from L2 was trembling with anger, and Heero grabbed his arm firmly, pulling him aside. "Duo! Talk to me!" he ordered sternly.
The indigo-eyed boy glanced at him, and then away. "It's nothing, Yuy." He visibly drew himself together. "Go on and pitch. I've got it under control," he said quietly.
Heero looked suspiciously at Kyle, who smirked nastily.
"Go on," Duo repeated. "Don't worry. I'll be okay."
Ben, like Austin, had edged closer, seeing the tension between the team leader he hated, and Jason's dear friend. He gave a reassuring nod to Heero to let him know he'd stay nearby.
Still frowning with concern, Heero jogged back to the mound; Duo took his place at second base again.
Kyle watched a couple of pitches, waiting until Duo's attention seemed to be occupied by the game. Then he started using what the guard had told him about the rape. "Yeah, Maxwell...you're a sweet piece of ass...so nice and tight...they're gonna love you on L2...do this t'you all the time..."
Duo stiffened, eyes going wide, and he swallowed a scream that tried to work its way up his throat.
And then the batter hit a ground ball that flew past Austin, who was more intent on the conversation taking place at second base than he was on the batter.
With a muttered curse, Kyle dashed for third, but Duo ever-so casually hooked a foot around one of his ankles, sending him sprawling in the dirt. When Kyle came to his feet, he saw a deadly gleam in the indigo eyes. But his temper won out over his common sense, and he launched himself at Duo.
Within seconds Austin and Ben had run to help, while Kyle's teammates intercepted them, and Heero sprinted from the mound to Duo's defense. It soon became an all-out brawl, with every player on the field involved in some way.
Duo's only concern was Kyle. The hated team leader had tackled him at the start, and the braided boy was pinned underneath him, fighting his rising panic as much as his enemy. When he finally twisted aside and got free, Duo spun and kicked Kyle squarely across the face, knocking him flat. The sounds of yelling, cursing, and running feet faded into the background, as Duo hauled Kyle up, wanting nothing more than to shut the bastard up for good. But Kyle brought up a handful of dirt with him, flinging it into Duo's face, and twisting free. Duo reached out blindly, catching Kyle's wrist and pulling him back, bracing a forearm across the back of the other boy's elbow in the textbook position to break it.
Kyle grimaced, panting in exertion. "You're nothing but a piece of L2 street trash!" He turned a mocking look to the other boy. "Goddamned faggot whore! You deserved what you got in solitary!"
With a growl of rage, Duo yanked back on the arm, just as Kyle tried to pull away. Hesitating only an instant, the braided boy brought his forearm down hard, hearing a distinct snap, before he flung Kyle away into the cloud of dust from the ongoing fight. And then the braided boy staggered back from the fray, wiping the sand from his eyes, and choking back angry sobs.
Arms went around him, and he started to struggle in panic until he heard Heero's soothing voice in his ear. "Duo! It's okay. It's me. C'mon...I've got your back."
Guards and soldiers were already dragging the combatants apart, clearing the field, and within moments they had the situation under control, and Captain Chang was stalking angrily down the hill. He consulted with his troops for a moment, and then approached the inmates.
"Who the hell started this?!" he demanded furiously.
The boys, including Heero and Duo, were shoved into a group, except for Kyle, who was curled on the ground clutching his arm and screaming obscenities.
"Well?" demanded Wufei. He glanced distractedly over his shoulder. "Would someone get that boy off the ground and to the infirmary?"
Soldiers hastened to comply, quickly pulling Kyle to his feet and half-carrying him away.
Finally all the boys stood lined up before Captain Chang. Dirty, disheveled, and bloody, they nonetheless stood at attention, eyes straight ahead.
Wufei paced restlessly, glaring at the line as if he could read the truth just by watching them. "Who started the fight?" he demanded. While the soldiers had been keeping tabs on the recruits, they hadn't been close enough to hear or see the exact cause of the brawl.
No one spoke up, and Wufei suppressed the urge to scream in frustration. "Honor among thieves, eh?" he muttered. He walked up to Heero, fixing an intent gaze on him. "Yuy? Care to tell me what happened out there?"
Heero looked back impassively. "Two very competitive groups got carried away, sir," he said evenly. Blood still trickled slowly down the side of his face from a small cut above his eye.
"Don't you think that's a bit of an understatement, considering Norton is headed for the infirmary with what appeared to be a broken arm?" He looked sharply at Duo, who bit back a smirk and kept his gaze straight ahead.
"He fell wrong?" Heero shrugged.
"Rumor has it, he 'fell' over Maxwell's ankle," Wufei accused. He fixed a searching gaze on the braided boy. "Did you deliberately trip him, Maxwell?"
Duo hesitated. There was only one honest answer to that question.
"It was an accident, sir," came a voice at the end of the line.
Wufei turned sharply, frowning. "An accident, Pritchard?"
Austin nodded. "Norton was running for third and tripped over Maxwell's ankle."
"And broke his arm?" came the skeptical reply.
"Well, either then or in the scuffle afterwards," shrugged Austin. "Probably afterwards, since when he got up, he attacked Maxwell."
"Norton threw the first punch?" Wufei's eyebrows rose at that.
"Yes, he did," Duo asserted. That was the honest truth.
The Chinese officer looked from Austin to Duo, sensing something a little off. As far as he knew, they hated each other, and yet their accounts of the incident supported one another. The man's dark eyes settled on Heero, and he frowned deeply. "Do you agree with their story?"
Heero shrugged. "I didn't see who threw the first punch. Pritchard was shortstop. He had a much better vantage point than I did." He glanced at the other team leader warily. In spite of the apology, he wasn't eager to trust the boy who'd been so obnoxious in the first couple of weeks of camp. But by the same token, Austin's story clearly placed the blame on Norton, where it belonged.
"Very well," sighed Wufei. "Since three of you agree on what happened--"
"Four, sir!" Ben spoke up quickly. "It happened just like they said."
Wufei looked suspiciously at Duo, walking closer. "Everyone seems to feel you weren't to blame in this incident," he said with a frown. "Do you have any idea why Norton started it?"
"I've said it before, sir," Duo said quietly. "He hates gays. And he's a malicious bully who gets off on hurting people."
Wufei snorted slightly. "I can't argue with that," he muttered, shaking his head. He looked searchingly at Duo. "Did he hurt you?"
Duo managed a cocky smirk. "Not physically," he shrugged.
"I see." Wufei frowned deeply. If Duo was implying that Kyle had somehow hurt him mentally, the officer could easily guess how that had been accomplished. "Well, if you need to stop by the infirmary, you have clearance at any time."
"Yeah, I know," Duo replied. "Doc Po told me that my first night back, sir."
"I suggest you avail yourself of her hospitality if you need to," Wufei said curtly, turning to his lieutenants and giving them the all-clear before walking away.
Duo's shoulders sagged in relief.
"Are you alright?" Heero asked quietly, walking over to him as the crowd began to disperse.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Duo shrugged.
"You seemed pretty shook up just before the fight. What was Norton saying out there?"
Duo scowled and looked away. "Same old shit, Yuy."
"He got to you," Heero observed. "It'd take more than the 'same old shit' to get under your skin the way he did."
The braided boy winced at Heero's choice of words. "He's a fucking asshole, Yuy!" he said more sharply than he intended. "He hurt Jase, and he'd have done the same to me if he could." He turned away and stalked off towards the barracks.
Austin walked up to Heero, keeping a safe distance between them. "Yuy. Norton was talking about the rape," he said with a scowl. "The fucker was throwing it in Maxwell's face...and..."
"And?" Heero asked, feeling a cold knot in the pit of his stomach.
"He told him not to go anywhere alone...said he wanted to do the same thing the guard did. And he was pretty graphic about it. Made my skin crawl, and I wasn't the one it happened to."
"Fucking Hell!" Heero spat in fury. "That goddamned piece of shit!"
"Yeah...no wonder Duo broke his arm," Austin added.
Heero looked sharply at him. "Duo did it?"
"During the scuffle," shrugged the other boy. "Me...I'd have been tempted to break his neck instead."
"Duo did it on purpose?"
"Oh yeah," grinned Austin. "Neat as the textbook version...forearm across the back of the elbow."
Heero frowned. While part of him understood Duo's actions, he was still concerned that he'd done something so blatant...something that could get him charged with assault and sent to L2, if anyone found out. The Japanese boy looked at Austin with a deadly gleam in his eyes. "Pritchard--" His tone carried a world of warning with it.
Austin's green eyes met his steadily. "I didn't see a fucking thing, Yuy," he said flatly. "Duo's been through enough. I won't be the one to make trouble for him over this."
"Why the big change of heart?" Heero asked, his natural skepticism making it hard for him to believe the other boy's attitude had made such a drastic turnaround.
"Like I told Duo, knowing what that bastard of a guard did--" Austin shrugged. "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." He smiled faintly. "And up to that point, Duo was my worst enemy, next to you anyway."
Heero couldn't help smiling in return. "Thanks for backing him up today."
Austin eyed Heero for a moment, opening his mouth as if to say something. But then he just closed it and shook his head. "Lucky bastard," he muttered, walking quickly away.
~*~
Captain Chang was waiting at the steps to the barracks when Duo rounded the corner. "Maxwell, come take a walk with me."
Sighing, the braided boy obediently followed the MSC officer.
They crossed the compound, bypassing the administration buildings, and continuing out towards the track.
"Uh...if we walk much further, sir, I'm gonna need to let Heero know, or he'll be having fits when he gets back to the barracks and I'm not there."
"Let him have fits," Wufei shrugged unsympathetically. "We need to talk."
"Yes sir," came the weary response. "How about I cut this short? Norton was being an ass. I tripped him on purpose, and he tackled me."
"Some of my soldiers seemed to think he was harassing you out there. At least that's the impression they got from the other recruits and what little they heard." The Captain eyed Duo searchingly. "Am I safe in assuming this is the kind of taunting I warned you about before I let you out of the infirmary?"
"Pretty much."
Wufei nodded. "How bad was it?"
Duo grimaced. "Captain, I really don't want to--"
"How bad?" the Chinese officer pressed. "I want to know exactly what he said and did that made you feel justified in breaking his arm."
"I didn't plan for that to happen," Duo said quickly.
"That's good. Now tell me what pushed you so far." Wufei gave him a long, searching look. "I promise, there'll be no punishment for his broken arm if I feel you were justified in what you did...even if you tell me it was intentional. But you need to level with me; trust me."
The boy from L2 sighed deeply. It was against his nature to trust authority figures. But then, Captain Chang wasn't your typical authority figure. He'd already shown that his concern was genuine. And if he really intended to get into the MSC Academy, Duo knew he'd have to accept that Wufei could be trusted.
"It wasn't so much that he was saying I deserved what happened in solitary, Captain. Or even that he said he wanted to do the same to me...that I better never be caught alone." He drew a shaky breath, his face paling slightly. "It was that he--he knew things. Like, exactly what the guard said while--while..." He stopped, shaking his head, and looking away uncomfortably. "Goddamnit, he knew what the bastard said during the rape! Word for fucking word. Sir."
Wufei started to reach out, wanting to put a comforting arm around the boy's trembling shoulders, but he hesitated awkwardly. And finally he just put a hand on Duo's shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. "You didn't do anything wrong, Maxwell." He swallowed a lump in his throat, feeling a surge of sympathy. "In fact, what you did falls under the category of self-defense. The bastard threatened you. And you defended yourself. It's as simple as that, and when Kushrenada comes running to complain, I'll put him squarely in his place."
Duo nodded, not trusting his voice.
"Furthermore, if Norton tries to make any claims against you, I'll personally see that he's charged with threatening, breach of peace, and for good measure, assault."
At that, the braided boy managed a wan smile. "Thanks, Captain." He looked up from under his bangs rather shyly. "And thanks for believing me."
"I told you that day in solitary that I wouldn't doubt your word again, and I meant it," Wufei said firmly. "And while we're on the subject, I'd like you to promise me that you'll go to see Doctor G when he's here on Wednesday. You give me your word you'll talk to the psych, and you can consider the whole incident a closed issue."
Duo grimaced at that. "You think I need a shrink? Is that it?"
"I think that a licensed counselor would be best suited to helping you sort out your thoughts and emotions so you can continue to function well in this boot camp." The onyx eyes pinned him with a searching gaze. "You do want to help your team win, don't you?"
"Yeah," Duo said with a grin. "You know I do, don't you?"
"Of course, Maxwell." The Chinese officer gave a rare, warm smile.
Duo nodded. "I'll go see him. Promise."
Wufei nodded. "Go on back to your barracks now. I'm going to talk to a couple of witnesses to make sure I've got ample ammunition when the warden comes calling."
~*~
Heero was waiting at the top of the barracks steps, having been on his way back out to find out where the braided boy had gone, when Duo walked up, shaking sand out of his braid. Without a word, the team leader grabbed Duo's arm and pulled him in for a hug. "Why didn't you tell me Norton was threatening you, baka?" he whispered into his ear.
Duo stiffened, pulling back slightly. "What? You want me to come crying to you every time someone's mean to me?" He shook his head. "I can take care of myself."
"I know that!" Heero snapped. "What you did to Kyle's arm proves that; but it could also get you into trouble."
Duo gave a wry smile. "Who saw me?"
"Pritchard. But I think he knows if he tells anyone, I'll kill him." Heero's tone was dead serious.
"Not necessary," Duo replied, giving him a scolding look. "Chang collared me on my way here and made me tell him the whole story."
"So that's where you were." Heero shook his head, scowling. "I should belt him one for the heart attack I nearly had when I got here and you weren't inside!"
Duo smiled fleetingly. "Aw, let him alone, Yuy. For all his stuffiness, that guy definitely has a heart. If I go see the psychologist on Wednesday, he won't make an issue of the scuffle. And he said he'll charge Norton with threatening, breach of peace, and assault if he tries to claim I broke his arm on purpose."
"I told you Wufei's the best."
Duo slipped his arms around Heero's waist, leaning back into the hug. "No, but he's a close second," he whispered in a voice that made Heero's heart skip a beat.
~*~
Wufei looked up with little surprise as Warden Kushrenada walked into his office. "Something I can do for you, Warden?" he asked politely.
"You can start by explaining how Norton's arm got broken."
"There was a fistfight during a ball game," said the Captain, his face serene.
"So I heard. I also heard Maxwell was the one who broke his arm."
"The details are unclear. But it's entirely possible," shrugged Wufei.
"I want Maxwell sent to prison, Chang. He's dangerous." Kushrenada paced restlessly across the room.
"Maxwell's discipline is entirely up to my discretion," Wufei reminded the other man. "And in this matter, I don't find just cause to penalize him." He fixed a cold look on the corrections officer. "The boy was unjustly thrown in solitary, beaten and raped just a week ago. I can completely understand why he'd be a bit--volatile." His look was accusing. "The doctor and camp psychologist are both keeping tabs on him. They both assure me he'll stabilize very quickly, especially with the team support he's receiving."
"How many others will he put in the hospital before he 'stabilizes' Chang?" Treize's eyes narrowed. "Norton told me Maxwell broke his arm very deliberately."
"Did he also tell you he was taunting Maxwell about the rape prior to that?" Wufei demanded.
The slight widening of Kushrenada's eyes gave him away.
Wufei stood up slowly. "I'll take that as a 'yes.' You know full well what Norton was doing, don't you? In fact, I'd wager you put him up to it." The dark eyes went flint-hard. "Did you also fill him in on what the guard who raped Maxwell said during the attack?"
The tall man stiffened. "How would I even know that?" he demanded.
"How indeed?" Wufei snarled, placing both hands flat on his desk and glaring dangerously at the man. "Norton knew it. Which means either the guard told him, or you did. And I never gave you a copy of the confession, which means you'd have had to get the information firsthand."
"How Norton found that out is none of my concern," came the stiff reply. "And who even told you he said anything about the rape at all? Maxwell?"
Wufei replied coldly. "As a matter of fact, Pritchard was the one who seemed to have the most information on the subject. And Strom backed him up, as did a couple of other relatively neutral third parties." He was glad he'd taken a few moments after he spoke to Duo to track down Pritchard and Strom for corroboration. It gave him the perfect response for Kushrenada's skeptical inquiries, and witnesses to verify the information, should the need arise.
But Kushrenada was nothing if not persistent. "Neutral? Maxwell's pals?"
"To the best of my knowledge, Pritchard hates Maxwell's guts," Wufei clarified. The Chinese officer walked around his desk so that he was toe to toe with the warden. "This stops now, Kushrenada! You, your guards, and any fucking inmate informants you've got in your dirty pockets are to leave Maxwell the hell alone! You're to leave all my recruits alone!"
"Your 'recruits' are a bunch of juvenile delinquents, Chang! The worst of the lot! And mark my words, the violence will only escalate as the competition proceeds."
"So far the worst violence in this camp occurred at the hands of one of your fucking prison guards!" Wufei shouted back, dark eyes fairly sparking with fury. "Hell, I'd venture to say almost all of the violence has come from your people."
"You can't keep criminals in line by holding their fucking hands, Chang! Maxwell's a goddamned murderer! And sooner or later, you'll find that out! Does someone have to die before you take him seriously?"
The Chinese man's eyes went cold and flat. "If anyone dies, Kushrenada, I'll be coming straight to you."
The tawny eyes gleamed with menace. "And what if one of your precious 'recruits' leaves a knife in your back, Chang? You won't be coming after anyone."
"Is that a threat?" Wufei demanded.
"It's a warning. And it's one I'll put on the record, so that when something happens to you, or your troops, the Peacecraft Foundation will understand that I tried to warn you."
"I'll be putting my own thoughts 'on the record'," Wufei told him. "So that if anything does happen to me, or my troops, or my recruits, the Prison Commission will know where to look for suspects."
Kushrenada glared. "Your word against mine, Chang." He pushed away from the desk. "Watch your back." And with that, he turned on his heel and left.
TBC...
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