Death of a Dragon

Hospitals were really crappy places to be, even if you needed the care provided there. The cleaners used didn't just clean out the smells of the sick and injured; it also cleaned out the life. Wufei had to give points for trying, though, to wherever he was now.

The place didn't reek of antiseptic. Instead there was a faint citrus oder, and barely anything was painted white. The hospital room he was in had a fantastic view of a large garden. Looking out from his bed, Wufei could see patients walking or rolling along. His room was nice, but he was stuck in it with no t.v., no books, and no company.

He still had no idea where he was, and it seemed everyone was under orders not to tell him. His leg was mending fine after surgery. Even though it had only been two days, he was bored. The man who'd picked him up, Joseph he'd said, had been by once after the surgery and hadn't said a word to Wufei.

When the door opened, the ex-pilot hoped it was someone who'd actually speak to him.

The man who walked in was drop-dead gorgeous in a hunky male-model way. He was also definitely not a doctor or a nurse.

"Hello, Mr. Chang. I am Ty Delorenté."

"The mob boss?" Wufei asked unbelievingly.

Ty smiled. "Yes, the mob boss." He had a faint accent Wufei couldn't place. "I'm glad your are recovery well. I'm sorry about the sniper. He's been reprimanded for firing without need."

That almost made Wufei smile. He really hated being shot. "Thank you. So, why am I here?"

"Frankly, Wufei - may I call you Wufei?"

It must've been the man's smile, or deep green eyes, that made Wufei say yes before he even thought about it. Ty smiled wider at Wufei's positive answer, and Wufei tried to ignore the fact that his breath had hitched in his throat. He'd never felt so uncomfortably attracted to anyone before, and the man was a bloody mafia don.

"Thank you. You see, Wufei, I have heard a great many things about you from my associates. You are a scourge to criminals and most fear you. I, though-" Ty leaned closed to Wufei and placed a long-fingered hand over Wufei's cheek, almost touching. "I have become fascinated."

"Fascinated?" Wufei took a quick moment to kick his mental self in the balls for allowing that word to come out breathless and needy.

"Yes. You, little warrior, are all I can think about now. And when you were spotted in the city, I couldn't pass up the chance to get to know you. Or, better yet, to have you for my own."
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The group seated about the conference table were all worried, though it showed in different ways. One chewed the end of his pencil while staring off into nothing. Another studied the papers in front of him like the end to his problems would show if he kept looking. The third waited patiently for the meeting to begin, only his eyes betraying him as they flicked from the door to the photo in front of him and back.

The last person, seated at the end of the table, had his brunette head resting on his folded arms. He was asleep, and the other three men kept quiet. Of the four, he was the most anxious and the least rested. When the door opened, his head came up as if he'd never been asleep.

Sally entered the room and briskly started the meeting. The five comrades exchanged information quickly.

"I've checked through his missions, and couldn't find anything out of the ordinary," Heero stated. "This last mission went perfectly according to plan. The last any one saw of him was when the police initiated the raid. Wufei said he'd report tomorrow and would walk back to his motel room."

"I, too, found nothing strange. I went through all his emails and personal papers twice. No threats, no secret plans, nothing." Trowa passed a sheet of paper from his pile over to Sally. "I did, however, find a drawing and receipt for a tattoo he had done two months ago."

"Wow," Sally remarked, looking at the drawing. "This is gorgeous." She passed it around the table. "Quatre?"

The blond shook his head. " The hotel said he'd paid cash advance and that I could pick his things up anytime. He hasn't been seen at hospitals, police stations, or airports and hasn't used his credit card."

"So what next?" Duo asked suddenly. "We're running out of ideas. We know he can't drop off the face of Earth, but there are no leads."

"We should follow Wufei's steps after he left the raid," Sally told them. "We may find a clue that way."
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A day later and Duo and Trowa were standing outside a deserted nightclub in the early afternoon. Wufei had helped the local police stop the illegal drug trade going on behind those doors at night. He'd gone undercover and called the cops in for the bust after just two hours in the club. After that he'd disappeared.

The two searched around but found nothing immediately pointing towards Wufei, or even foul play. They walked down the street, following the path Wufei most likely would've taken to get back to the motel. Every scrap of paper was examined as they hoped desperately for a clue.

"Did you ever tell Wufei you liked him?" Trowa asked suddenly.

Duo shook his head. "Too chicken. That man knows how to intimidate. Did you?"

"No. No need to now, though."

"You and Heero are the strangest couple, by the way."

Trowa smirked, knowing how true that statement was. "Do you still like him?"

"Wufei? Oh yeah. It's pretty sad. I mean, there's- hey, is this blood?" Duo crouched down for a closer look at the rust colored patch on the sidewalk.

Trowa frowned. "We better get a sample for testing," he said. He opened the backpack that served as Duo's kit and took out what he needed.

"Yes, it's blood," Trowa verified. "Hopefully Wufei's."

Duo laughed softly as he stood up. "I can't believe that I'm hoping Fei got hurt somehow."

Trowa nodded agreement. "I'll take this back to the office for testing." He looked questionably at Duo.

"I'll see if there's a trail."


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Author's note: Thanks for the review, Mama! I love feedback. I'm also stuck mid-way through the next chapter. Btw, does anyone like the original character?