Adult-FanFiction.org : Gundam, Beyblade, DBZ, FMA

Cages	By : Ryoko21 Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 14164 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing/AC, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
- 22
Zechs 183



I hadn’t felt the bitter burn of anger like this in a long time. Angry at myself, angry at the idiot boy in the back seat. I took a turn too sharply, and I couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction when he was thrown against the side of the car. He glared at me; he’d given up pleading half an hour ago.



The nearest Collar pickup location was two hours from the house. I had been given firm instructions on bringing the slaves there if I grew bored with them, if I hurt one too badly to be useful, or if one of them died. I had been warned that turning a slave loose or losing a slave would result in my termination as a Master (and most likely my termination as a living person). So while it was tempting to just drop Sith off by the side of the road, I had little doubt that Collar would find out, and I would not endanger the rest of my slaves over this one.



I could still feel Quatre’s arms in my grip, feel the tug as his body slammed against the side of the house. It had been nearly an hour now since I left, and my ears still rang from his scream. If I’d been anywhere else, if I’d been any slower, he’d have crashed to the earth beneath, and probably would have died.



It wasn’t just that Sith had endangered Quatre’s life. They’d all done that to each other to some extent while they were adjusting. It was that, with no warning or provocation, he’d gone out of his way to intentionally harm one of the other slaves. And he’d done it away from Collar, at my home, where they were supposed to be safe.



Where I could let my guard down, just for a little while, and be with them.



But the buzzing in my head told me that my guard was back up now, and it wasn’t likely to go down again until after Collar. Even home wasn’t safe anymore, and just hours away from heading into the biggest completion of their lives, my boys were wound up and confused, angry and scared.



Not to mention Quatre’s hands. The cuts across his palm had been small, not even large enough for stitches, but would the pain distract him? They certainly wouldn’t be healed by Collar. Had this boy just cost me the edge in these competitions?



Because the closer it came to the actual games, the more certain I was that we had to win this year. I had to meet with the Owner, and take down the Collar games, because I could not take another year of this. I would break, and the boys would suffer.



It was dusk outside, and the houses had given way to a thick forest the further we went. It wasn’t an area I was familiar with, but I was good at following directions. I had been told that this location was more secluded than the others, that it was on a ranch instead of in the city. Eventually, I had found the private road and turned into a denser part of the forest for the last few miles to the ranch. In a way it felt almost comforting to drive through the thick forests at this time of night. The lights and sounds of the city would have aggravated me, but the imposing forest suited my mood.



Because I didn’t really want to give up on Sith. There was promise there, behind those sharp eyes. The boy had wit and intelligence, and one could hardly blame him for lacking compassion after all he’d been through. His competitiveness was a problem, but mostly because the environment he’d been in had forced him to fight for his survival. It wasn’t like a week with me would convince him that it was different now.



But, at the same time, I couldn’t keep him. Taking him to Collar was out of the question, but so was leaving him at the house. After all, I really had no idea what Sith was capable of, or how deeply his psychosis ran. Keeping him locked up the whole time was an option, but I would have to let the other slaves feed him. I could trust Demos not to free him, but it was pretty likely that Sith could corrupt one of the others. If two of them overcame Demos and made a run for it, it would jeopardize the entire mission, not to mention all of my slaves. And I couldn’t risk blowing my cover by asking for an agent to watch my slaves. I had done it when I initially got Heero, but I was too deep under cover now. There was too much of a chance that I was being watched, especially since I’d gained so much status as a master. If Collar itself wasn’t watching me, there was a good chance other masters were, in an effort to knock me out of the competition.



I felt bad about taking Sith back, but I couldn’t risk the safety of the rest of my slaves for him. And, hopefully, in a few short weeks I could offer a brighter future to him and all the rest of the boys trapped in this horrible situation.



“I just want you to know, I know who you work for. If you send me back, I’m gonna tell everyone.”



Shit.



I slammed on the breaks and pulled over to the side of the road. I’d been so careful. How had he found out? Had Wufei said something? But Wufei was smarter than that, and I had made sure to keep all the files on my computer locked and encrypted. I’d even kept the door locked when he was in there. It seemed impossible that Sith had gotten in there and found anything incriminating without leaving any evidence. It seemed impossible.



And, I realized as I glanced in the rearview mirror and was met with a shocked pair of blue eyes, it was. The dawning horror on Sith’s face let me know he had been bluffing.



And I’d just given myself away.



I couldn’t take him back to the house now. He’d tell the others. There was no way I could contain all of them, not if they knew. Not well enough to be sure they wouldn’t jeopardize the mission. Not well enough to ensure the safety of my boys.



And I couldn’t send him away. There was no question that he’d tell the officials that I had a secret, out of spite if nothing else. And even if he wasn’t believed, the attention it would bring to me was too much of a risk.



Can’t keep him. Can’t send him away.



My heart was pounding, and I could feel my pulse behind my eyes. I turned the car off and rubbed my temples. Trying to give myself time to think.



“You can’t take me back now. I know,” he said, and his voice was calm and sultry. “Let’s go back to the house. I won’t make any problems for you.”



But I could hear the lie there. He knew he had me now. I couldn’t take him back. He had power over me, and he wasn’t afraid to use it. If I took him with me to Collar, he could embarrass me in front of the other masters. If I left him at him, he could bolt or corrupt the other slaves.



Can’t go. Can’t stay.



The car was suddenly too small, and I unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed out. The night air was cool and hit me like a blow, letting me clear my head. I took a few deep breaths and stared into the forest. I doubted anyone would be out at this time, especially on land that belonged to Collar, so I gave myself minute to calm down. I walked to the back of the van and leaned against the rear doors, but the pounding in my head just wouldn’t subside.



There was a far off thought in my mind, but I couldn’t bring myself to contemplate it.



I let myself slide to the ground as I heard Sith’s door open. He hesitated a moment, then climbed out and quietly came to kneel beside me.



“I can be just as good for you as those other slaves,” he whispered in my ear. “You’d be much happier with me, if you’d only give me a try.”



I pulled him into my lap and he curled against me, but I was too sick to my stomach to feel anything for him. I placed my hand on his shoulder and found the heartbeat under my fingers. Slowly, I squeezed the pressure point. He struggled for a moment, surprised at the unprovoked attack, and then went limp against me.



The buzzing in my head faded as I stretched him out across my lap. Unconscious, he was far prettier than when I could see the manipulation in his eyes. His face was angular like Trowa’s, although the cheekbones weren’t set as high. His nose was small, like Wufei’s, and his eyes were just a shade darker than Heero’s. His hands were like Quatre’s, and as I held him in my lap I couldn’t bring myself to lace our fingers, because I was afraid I’d see too much of them in him.



Because, really, he wasn’t so different. They’d all been scared by what they’d been through, been raised to look out for themselves no matter what the cost or who got hurt. How could I blame a person who’d been tortured for adapting to that abuse? How could I blame him for surviving? If anything, Sith was the victim here, not the villain. And as he lay silent and helpless in my arms, it became harder and harder to blame him for anything.



It tore at my heart to see him looking so innocent, and I felt a tear splash the back of my hand before I even realized I was crying. I cradled his limp body to me, hiding my face in his and smelling the same soup that all my boys used. I sobbed against his shoulder, unable to contain myself. The crickets were chirping in the background, and suddenly the sound was deafening, like an unholy audience watching my every move. But I wouldn’t let them stop me.



Because I would do anything to protect my boys. Even if it damned me to hell, I would gladly trade my soul for theirs.



The crickets were deafening now, and the buzzing in my head had returned with it. I let out a primal howl of rage against the injustice of the universe, against the fickleness of fate, and against the unholy act I was about to commit against the boy in my arms.



Sith’s neck snapped with an audible crack, and then everything was quiet.

Wufei 184



When Zechs returned home, I knew something was wrong immediately. Not because he came into the room without any pretense of being quiet, though he usually tries to sneak in when he thinks I’m sleeping. Not because he’d forgotten to take his shoes and his coat off downstairs and he’d tracked mud over the carpets. And not even because he refused to turn on the light after I was clearly awake.



I knew something was wrong because he went straight for the bottle of whiskey on the desk in the corner, and lit up a cigarette from the pack he had stashed in the bottom drawer.



“Zechs?” I asked hesitantly. I’d never seen him in a mood like this before, and I wasn’t sure how to deal with it. “What’s wrong?”



Zechs made a pained, abortive snort into his whisky glass, something that could have been considered a chuckle if it hadn’t sounded so despondent.



“No, nothing’s wrong. I’m sorry I woke you, I’ll let you go back to sleep,” he said, then snagged the whiskey bottle and headed for the door. I was out of the bed before I realized I was moving, and had his hand in mine before he’d managed to take two steps.



“Don’t,” I said. “You’ll wake the others going back down the stairs.” It was pure emotional blackmail, but I didn’t want him facing this alone. Whatever it was, I wanted him to face it with me.



The seconds ticked by as we stood there, illuminated only by the moonlight coming in through the windows. It was a cool summer night, with the promise of fall still a few weeks off. And yet Zechs’ hand was like ice in my grip, and I could see a shiver run up his spine even under his light blazer and full clothes, while I was dressed in nothing but sweatpants and could barely feel the cold. Eventually, Zechs sighed and I knew that I had won as he let the bottle slip from him fingers and drop to the floor with a dull thud. I released his hand and reached up to take his jacket, only to suddenly find myself enveloped by his desperate embrace.



I managed not to react, even though the sudden entrapment sent a spike of claustrophobia through me, and I spent several seconds limp in Zechs’ vice-like grip. It was only when I felt the tremors running through his shoulders that I managed to put my arms around him, running my fingers through his hair with one hand and placing the other on the small of his back. It seemed to calm him a little, and his grip on my torso eased slightly.



“Zechs,” I called as calmly as I could manage, because quite honestly he was scaring me. “Tell me what’s wrong,” I asked, but he only shook his head and would not even look at me.



Surely taking Sith back had not upset him this much? I knew how strongly Zechs cared about his slaves and how seriously he took his role as their guardian, even the slaves that had so recently come under his protection, but this was too much. Sith had damned himself by his own actions, and it was plain that Zechs could not keep a slave like that without endangering the lives of the others. Not everyone could be saved.



But I couldn’t fathom what had brought about this reaction. Surely Zechs didn’t feel that Sith’s actions had been because Zechs had failed him? They’d hardly had more than a week together, and Zechs had been forced to spend much of that week helping us train for Collar and training the other new slaves for when we left. And I hadn’t seen anything that would lead me to believe that Zechs had formed a special connection with Sith- actually, Zechs seemed to have a genuine dislike of the boy. So, while I understood Zechs being upset that he had been forced to send Sith back into the hands of the other masters, wasn’t this amount of emotion… overdramatic?



But it felt real enough. The pain almost radiated from Zechs, sending aching coldness down to my bones. Whatever the reason, he was wretched, and I didn’t know how to help.



“Please, Zechs, just tell me what’s wrong!” I prompted, and his movements made me think that he might finally be ready to talk to me, but instead he took my lips in a frantic kiss. I was so surprised at first that I couldn’t even kiss him back, and just let him plunder my mouth with his tongue. I finally regained my composure enough to meet his kiss, holding his face in my hands to steady us. It was a desperate kiss, more tongue and teeth than lips, and we were both panting by the time it was finished. His eyes finally met mine as we parted, but they were so filled with pain that they gave me no hint to what was causing his turmoil. He met my gaze for only a second, and then pulled back.



As he released me, I realized that his cigarette was still clutched in his fingers, bent from the force of his grip and spreading ashes all over the carpet. Zechs seemed to notice it for the first time, and quickly put it out on the antique mahogany wardrobe and chucked the stub into the wastebasket.



“I’m sorry, Wufei, I’m not myself right now,” he said, his voice deep and troubled.



“I don’t know how to help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong,” I told him, even though my anxiety was giving way to annoyance.



“I don’t think anything can help me now,” he said, more to himself than to me. With that comment, I felt my fear shift toward anger and felt the glare return to my face.



“Then run from it, you coward. Whatever’s haunting you, I’m sure it will go away if we don’t talk about it,” I snarled. “Far be it for me to suggest you share your problems with a lowly slave!”



“I just want to forget!” he snapped, grabbing me by the shoulders so suddenly that I instinctively grabbed the front of his shirt to steady myself. “I don’t want to see his eyes anymore! Damnit, Wufei, just help me forget!” he cried, shoving me toward the bed. I think he meant to push me away and then retreat, but I had the front of his shirt in an iron grip, and he was pulled to the bed with me as I fell. He landed with his knees splayed on either side of me, his face merely inches from my own. His eyes were haunted still, but either the whiskey or the kiss had brought some of the life back into them, and he looked at me like I was his last hope.



“Just help me forget,” he whispered, and this time he was pleading.



I know now that I probably should have denied him. That all I really did was to help him bury the emotional wounds, so that they could fester under cover. And I could blame it on the years of training to please my master, or I could blame it on the loyalty that I felt to the foundation of my new family. But the simple fact was that after seeing such pain his eyes, there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to ease his pain, if only for a moment.



If I had to do it all over again, I still don’t know that I could deny him.



I don’t know when the atmosphere changed, but suddenly the sense of urgency in Zechs was gone. When our lips met this time it was slow and deliberate, like he needed to savor every second of the kiss. His tongue lapped at my lips and I gave him entrance, deepening the kiss slowly. My pants hung low on my hips, and I could already feel an erection pressing against the fabric. Zechs moaned, with only a hint of his former desperation, and began to shrug out of his coat even before we had parted the kiss. I shrugged out of my pants as Zechs hurriedly pulled off his clothing, practically throwing the clothing once he was free of it. His body was a gorgeous as ever, sinewy muscles covered in golden skin. He pressed me back, laying his body over top of mine and I relished the feeling of his skin against mine. I moaned as he gave a shallow thrust, his hard length rubbing against mine. I moaned, and Zechs pulled back and reached for the lube in the bedside table. He slicked himself quickly and entered me slowly, savoring the way my body grasped him. When he was seated, we kissed again before he began thrusting.



But there was no rhythm to his thrusting. Sometimes quick, sometimes slow, I had never seen him so lost, especially when it came to sex. I stroked my own length and gave him encouraging nips to the shoulder, but we could both tell that the sex wasn’t going anywhere.



“It’s no good,” he said finally, and I felt a sharp stab of hurt as he pulled out and flopped to the bed beside me, his wet manhood still bobbing between his legs. He felt around the bed for a moment before finding the lube and handing it to me. “Please,” he said as I took it, then he turned around and presented me with the firm, rounded globes of his ass.

          “

You want me to… what?” I wondered out loud, because I couldn’t bring my brain to process what was being asked of me.



“Take me,” he gasped, laying his face on a pillow. “Pound me until I can’t think any more.”



I jerked, then, like I had been shocked. This was something that was not done. The slave was the receptacle, meant only for their master’s pleasure. Even the masters that liked anal play would only let a slave use a phallus to stimulate them. The act of submitting was supposed to be a degradation that only slaves were forced to bare.

But there had never been any degradation with Zechs, and as far as he’d never offered to bottom before, I also doubt that any of the slaves had ever asked. And I couldn’t help but wonder (and hope) that perhaps him asking me for this kind of release instead of one of the others was a sign that he relied on me more than them. That perhaps we would never have a typical relationship, but that it would not be so strange to think of us as lovers rather than master and slave.



“Are you sure?” I asked when I had finally gotten my head wrapped around what he wanted, but I only received an impatient nod in return. I lubed my fingers then, carefully inserting one into the dark pucker that he presented me. I had done this before with the other slaves, but somehow it presented a naughty thrill to be able to do this to my master, and I took special pleasure in eliciting several gasps from Zechs before adding another finger. I could tell, however, that Zechs was getting impatient, as he snapped his hips back against my hand and impaled himself on my fingers.



“That’s good enough,” he said, pulling forward until my fingers slipped out of him. The desperation was back in his voice, so I didn’t argue with him. Instead, I positioned myself on my knees behind him and pressed my dick against his entrance, prepared to enter him slowly, knowing that he wasn’t fully opened and that he hadn’t done this in a while. Instead, upon feeling the head of my dick against his hole, Zechs snapped his hips back against me, plunging my cock into him and making us both hiss in pain. A second later I felt Zechs tense, ready to snap his hips again.



I shoved him to the bed, pinning him down with a hand on the back of his neck as I slowly pulled out and made sure I hadn’t torn him.



“If you want to hurt yourself, you don’t need me to do it,” I snarled.



“I’m sorry,” Zechs said, looking sufficiently remorseful. “I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t use you like this.”



“It’s okay if you want it hard,” I told him, unable to stand the pain returning to his eyes. “Just… let me do it. Brace yourself like this,” I said, putting his hands on the headboard and spreading his legs wide, “and let me do the work.”



Zechs nodded, but I don’t think he actually believed that I would give it to him hard, especially when I eased my cock into him and gave him several seconds to adjust. When I knew he could take my length, though, I pulled back and plowed into him hard enough to knock him into the headboard. I began slamming him, giving him the punishing thrusts that he had asked for, and he moaned, pressing his face against the wood of the headboard and hanging on for dear life. Eventually I fisted my hand in his hair, pulling his head around to look at me and slammed into him, leaning over him to give him a bruising kiss. He sobbed into the kiss but met it so eagerly that I didn’t doubt I was giving him exactly what he wanted, whether it was sex or penance or merely a distraction.



When we broke the kiss I pulled out of Zechs, grabbing his elbow and tossing him down to the bed on his back and mounting him again. His long legs went over my shoulders, and I bent him nearly in two with the force of my thrusts, our flesh smacking against each other with wet thwacks every time I pounded him. He cursed, pulling me in for another kiss, then threw his head back and moaned. His hand found its way to his cock and he began to stroke in pace with my thrusts. His breath came in ragged pants and he soon found his orgasm, his body clenching around me as he let out a ragged moan and orgasmed, spurting hot seed all over my chest. I gave a powerful thrust into him and achieved my own climax, biting down on his thigh to keep myself from screaming.



We recovered for several minutes before I could bring myself to disentangle from Zechs and clean us up. When we had both been hastily wiped off with one of my shirts, I slipped into the bed beside Zechs, who gave me a quick, grateful kiss.



“Thank you,” he said quietly, and the sadness had been banished from his eyes, but now he just looked tired.



“You still haven’t told me what’s wrong,” I prompted.



“Does there have to be anything more? I failed Sith, endangered you all. Isn’t that bad enough?” he asked, but it was an evasion and I knew it.



“That’s not what it is. Tell me,” I prompted, but he would not budge, instead turning away from me and curling up on his own side of the bed.



“I’m tired,” he said, but I couldn’t let it go.



“Zechs,” I prompted, laying my hand on his shoulder, but he sharply pulled away from me.



“Wufei, enough!” he barked, and it was the master’s voice, the one he hardly ever used with me. It crystalized for me that whatever we had just shared, whatever I had given him by meeting him as a sexual equal, was now over. He was the master, and I was the slave.



It was the first time I truly wondered if Zechs was doing what was best for us.

Zechs 185



When we departed the train and boarded the satellite that hosted the Collar games, I’d like to tell you that my trigger finger was twitching and I was ready for action. In reality, however, my stress level was at an all-time high and, while I was happy that this would all soon be over, I was so sick to death of the lies and the abuse that permeated every facet of my new life that the only thing that kept me going was the idea that it might be over soon.



It didn’t help that, on top of my guilt over Sith, I was still dealing with my mistreatment of Wufei. I had wanted to tell him what had happened, had ached to unburden myself to someone, but I had been terrified that he would reject me, had been unable to face his recriminations. So instead I had hidden and shut him out, and so I couldn’t really blame him for his cold attitude toward me now, but it would have meant a lot to me to have his support. But it was my own fault he had withdrawn, and I prepared for the worst as we entered Collar.



So when a tall slave and two guards approached us as soon as we boarded the satellite, I didn’t even flinch. I nodded as they bid me to follow, bringing Wufei in tow, and sending the others on to our rooms. If they had found me out or if they merely wanted to question me about the loss of my slave, I would bear them all equally. It seemed all I could do was try not to crack under the pressure.



I wasn’t expecting to be led to a lush sitting room. Thick carpets adorned the floors, and expensive paintings lined the walls. Several couches were in the room, wooden with dark velvet fabrics, and a pair of wineglasses had been set out, resting next to a bottle of aged red wine. For a moment I thought we were alone as the doors closed behind us, before I noticed the figure sitting in a chair at the head of the room. The figure was tall and male, but the curtains hanging around the chair obscured any more of my view. Wufei peered around me at the figure, and seemed much more frightened than I could find the energy to be.



“Welcome, Zechs Marquis,” the figure said, and Wufei started as though he’d been burned.



“Master!” Wufei exclaimed, a barely-hidden tremble in his voice.



“Don’t worry, Wufei, I’m not here for you. Actually, you are dismissed, Dragon.”



Wufei cast a worried glance from the shadowed figure to me and hesitated.



“Dragon, out!” the voice snapped, and I think Wufei was leaving before he even knew he was moving. Still, he cast one last worried glance to me at the doorway before slipping out and shutting the door behind him. I turned back to the shadowed figure, unimpressed by his hold over Wufei.



“So I am in the presence of the Owner, am I? Should I be impressed?”



The figure laughed and rose, staying just inside the shadow of the curtains. I wondered if they had been set out merely to conceal his face from me, and I tried to catalogue as much information as I could. The person was intimidatingly tall, I would give him that much. Taller even than me by a few inches, and I was far from short. He was dressed in a black suit, which looked expensive although I couldn’t name the brand. The sleek fabric clung to his body, revealing a chiseled chest and sculpted biceps, both arousing and intimidating. This wasn’t the kind of person who would shy from a fight, and I realized that I might have my hands full if he decided to try a physical attack. Something in his voice told me that he wouldn’t need to resort to that kind of violence, though. Something strong and… familiar.



“Most people would be impressed by having their own, personal audience with me, but not you,” he said, and I could hear the amusement in his voice. “Then again, it isn’t the first time you’ve seen me in private. Nor the hundredth, I’d dare say.”



“I don’t follow you,” I told him, feeling my first genuine twinge of fear. It almost made me miss the cloud of apathy I’d been shrouded in.



“Come now, Milliardo, you don’t forget your lovers so easily now, do you?” the man wondered, and then stepped out of the shadow.



Looking back, I must seem painfully naive. Even with my rank and my double life, how I could have thought I would pull off a disguise around such powerful people, for so long, amazes even me. But when Treize stepped out of the darkness and revealed himself- taller, stronger, and older though he was- it was like a ghost and a nightmare all rolled into one. My stomach plummeted and I was nearly dizzy with fear and disappointment.



“But… you can’t be…” I stuttered uselessly. Treize only laughed. I remembered, heart wrenchingly, of when I had loved that sound. Now, it sent chills to my bones.



“Why not? Because my bloodlines aren’t as good and my heritage isn’t as long as yours?” he asked, and I could hear the bitterness there that didn’t quite show in his voice. It was always the same. “Come now, Milliardo, you can’t say I ever lacked for ambition. And now? Now I have Kings, Queens, and Heads of State under my thumb, trembling at the thought that I’ll reveal their dirty secrets to the masses. And, eventually, I will. But, come, sit with me. I’ve seen you for months now, but we’ve never really gotten to talk. To catch up.”



He was by my side now, resting his hand on my arm, and I think that the solidness of his presence was all the kept me standing as my head spun.



“You… Jesus… you knew all along? About me. About… About why I’m here?”



The world tilted, and I found myself leaning against the wall for support.



“That you’re a plant for Preventers? Of course,” he said, stepping toward me. “Why do you think you got in? At first I was just going to have you shot, but when I saw who the plant was I approved you to become a member. I wanted to see how you’d fare. And I’m impressed.”

“So… everything… all of it… was just a sham?”

I felt the heat rise to my face, and my stomach roiled.



“Not everything. You’re interactions with the boys was true, as was you interactions with the other masters, although I did push a few of them into your path to see how you’d react. Everything else, though? Yes, I’m afraid everything else was monitored and controlled by me. You should be honored that I took such an interest in you.”



“Honored?” I snarled, “Look at what you’ve done! Look at what you’ve become!”



But Treize just tsked, refusing to rise to my anger, and I felt it drain out of me.



“Collar was here before me, and it would be here without me. But if it’s any consolation, I’ve used it for a greater purpose.”



I snorted, and found my knees buckling beneath me. “What greater purpose could there possibly be in slavery?” I asked, still trying to hold the bile down. Treize knelt in front of me and took my hand in his own. The touch was so familiar that it sent chills down my spine.



“Listen, Milliardo, because I want you with me for this. I have a thousand, perhaps by this point a hundred thousand men here with no families, no ties, and no real reason to blame me for this situation. Most of them are immune to pain, and all of them are young, fit, beautiful, and begging to be given a higher purpose. The Collar competitions are part of that purpose, but it is not nearly enough. Do you see?”



“No, I don’t see.”



“It’s going to be a revolution, Milliardo!” he said, and his voice was so honest and exuberant that it made me want to vomit. And then I realized what he meant.



“You’re going to take out all the owners.”



“I am. For the same reason that Preventers didn’t take them out. If all of the leaders are killed, then countries will fall into chaos. The exact thing that they hoped to avoid by refusing to act against the organization as a whole is what I will now precipitate.”



“But… the slaves are not warriors. They’re… they’re concubines!”



“They’re young, and they’re miserable. Besides, with advancements like Dr. Darus is making, it won’t matter that they’re untrained. And don’t think his work is the only one I’ve been watching. I’ve got a genetic engineer and chemical scientist that have both shown leaps and bounds in their progress this year. That’s why I think that it’s about time to start culminating my little project, don’t you?”



“But what would make the slaves follow you, if their lives are on the line?”



“Why, because I will rescue them, of course,” Treize said, and it was with the same faked sincerity I had seen him use to convince troops and politicians alike. “I’ve already formed a crack tactical squad called White Fang that will target and eliminate the masters one by one. It’s all very public, actually. You see, once my organization announces that they have been created by a generous humanitarian specifically to stop human trafficking and punish those that engage in it, we’ll be public heroes. All we’ll need to do if flash some photos of abused, crying teenagers and we’ll be lauded no matter who we destroy in the mean time.”



“The public won’t let you shoot their leaders in the streets.”



“No, not the first few, but then we won’t have to, will we? The public will turn on them, and then once it becomes clear how rampant this perversion is, everyone with influence will be a target. It won’t matter if they were actually involved in Collar or not, all the public will need is my word that they are. Soon, the public will have disposed of all their leaders, and with my troops of rehabilitated slaves I’ll be able to come in and assume occupation of the area. After all, no one would suspect the hero, would they? Which brings me to you.”



“If you kill me, Preventers will have reason and right to move against you,” I said, but it rang hollow in my own ears. He’d never buy it.



“Preventers don’t actually know who I am yet, correct? Or they would have moved against me already. And they won’t move against any of the masters because they can’t afford the chaos it would bring. And they won’t move against this station because they don’t have a definable target and they don’t know who will get caught in the crossfire. Am I close here?”

He was eerily close, unfortunately.



“So what do you want?”



“Well, unfortunately, you’ve created a bit of a nuisance of yourself. You see, my plan depends on the slaves hating and being miserable with their masters. Two of the few notable exceptions, you meet only weeks ago. Those exceptions are well aware that their every action is monitored and controlled by me, and that any whim of mine could have them destroyed. More or less, their emotional connections to their slaves have forced them to work for me instead of against me, and they are pawns in my plans. You however, do not work within those bonds, and so the loyalty of your slaves to you is not a benefit to me. Furthermore, your harem consists of slaves that I was grooming for important roles in my upcoming war, including Quatre Winner, who has supposed to rise from the ashes and reclaim the Winner dynasty for my purposes, Trowa Barton, who was showing promise as an assassin, and Duo Maxwell, who was going to be a leader for my berserker squad. Heero Yuy, who I originally sent to you, was a failed experiment, and yet you managed to bring him to full potential. Remarkable! And, of course, you’re probably well aware of my plans for Wufei given his military genius and his family position. And now, all the loyalty and commitment I would have gotten for rescuing them has gone to you, and all I’ll get for killing you is five little hellions on my hands. You’ve ruined them for me,” he accused, but his tone remained neutral and amused, because that’s how Treize was. Unstoppable in his own certainty that he was unstoppable.



“I won’t help you,” I told him, feigning a certainty I didn’t feel. Was there any way to protect my slaves now? Would helping Treize keep them safe, or put them in more danger? And could I compromise my own morals enough to participate in this sham? Because I didn’t honestly believe that the world created by the man responsible for Collar would be any better than the world before.



But could it be much worse?



“I don’t need your help,” Treize said, pushing me over and settling down beside me, our legs pressing together. I could still smell the same aftershave on him, and it reminded me of hot nights in the desert, with just a tent and the moon over our naked bodies. I pushed the thought out of my mind.



“Then what do you want?” I asked, my voice little more than a whisper as I pulled my knees to my chest.



“Oh Milliardo,” he sighed, and gently brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. “I had hoped you wouldn’t get so upset. Isn’t it better that you know me, that you know you can trust my word?” he asked, and I let my eyes closed. Was it better to know that I had been so close to the heart of this all along? That perhaps, in some way, I was responsible for this matter? If we had stayed together, would I have been able to turn him from this path? Or would he have pulled me down with him, as I feared he was doing now?



I jerked away from him, jumping up as I felt the anger return to me. “Just tell me what you want!” I snapped, even as he followed me, getting to his feet and trailing me to the other side of the room. Instead of coming to me, though, he went to the wineglasses, easily opening the bottle and pouring two glasses. He handed one to me, which I took despite myself and savored the bitter liquid. I would have liked something stronger, but it at least helped settle my stomach. Treize sipped his own, a small smile on his face, before eventually setting it aside.



“Let me offer you a deal; a bet, since you know I’m a gambler,” he said, and his voice was so friendly that you’d never know he was talking about life and death.



“What bet?” I asked warily, because I knew that Treize always stacked the odds in his favor.



“If your slaves win Collar, I will let you remain as you are,” he promised, and as much as he had changed, I still knew that his word was his bond. “Your contacts with Preventers will be gradually severed as you tell them that you have made no progress identifying the Owner. You and your slaves will remain in peace here at Collar under the same restrictions as Darus and Zephyr.”



“You mean… while you take over the world?”



“Think of it as creating world peace,” he coaxed, placing a hand on my shoulder, his body only inches from mine. “And, yes, you would be removed from all my political dealings.”



“You know I won’t stand idly by while you murder civilians.”



“You’re not a stupid man, Milliardo. You can see that you’re caught in quicksand. If you struggle against it, you’ll die. I’m offering you a rope. Tell me, would you really sacrifice, not only your life, but the lives of your slaves to stop me? To stop me when, from what you’ve seen so far, I might be the least corrupt ruler these people could hope for anyway? Could you do that?”



“I…” I answered, but my throat was suddenly dry, and I could barely contemplate his offer. “What if I lose?”



“Ah, now there’s the interesting part,” he said, his hand moving to my face, lifting my chin to meet his eyes. “You’re so beautiful. Even now,” he said, his voice barely a whisper as he stared fervently at me. “I thought you’d have grown less beautiful over time, but you age like wine. You’ve filled out, matured, and even now I can feel myself longing for you,” he told me, and as he approached he backed me up against the arm of the couch. I leaned back and he pressed himself over me, his body dominating mine, shaping my body against his like the two had never been apart. “Is it really so surprising what I want for my prize?” he asked, and I stumbled over the arm of the couch, falling onto the cushions. Treize was on top of me then, and I could feel the heat of his body through his clothes, pressing me down. I could feel my erection twitch, but I was afraid of what he was offering. Afraid… that I would want it. “I want you,” he continued, his face only inches from my own, “to keep as my own. My trophy. My pet.”



“But…”



“You and I will watch the conquest from a towered chamber far away from the battles and bloodshed, where your only job will be to serve and pleasure me.”



But the battles and bloodshed would be waged by the slaves, and he had already laid out his plans for mine. It was like throwing ice water over me, and I struggled to get away from him.



“No! I won’t let you hurt my slaves!” I yelled, and started to struggle, but he only pinned me harder.



“Shh,” he soothed. “They were in my plans, yes, but I’ve got thousands like them. I could let you keep them. If you behave, I could let them stay with you. I know how lonely you get when I’m away. They could keep you company.”

And this was how Treize gambled; where both options would benefit him. But what other choice did I have? If my slaves won, I would be a slave to his whims, and if they lost I would be a slave to his body. But I had no doubt that Treize would use any means to convince me, even forcing my surrender if I refused. It was only because he wanted some semblance of willingness that he gave me the options in the first place. But, win or lose, I was still under his control.



“I’ll play,” I agreed breathlessly, and the smile he gave me belonged more to a wolf than a man. He captured my lips to celebrate, and it was more than I could take. I let go to the sensations, giving myself over to him fully.



There was still so much power in Treize’s body, the same strength I remembered from before, when we had been warriors together. I wondered self-consciously if I had retained the same strength as well, but I doubted it. Treize had always been stronger, and I had become lazy and weak with age. How else could he have overtaken me so easily?



But Treize didn’t notice any flaws in me, deepening our kiss until his tongue was dueling with mine. I let him take, let him slip his hand under my shirt and tweak my sensitive nipples. It was like playing an instrument; he knew where all the chords were, and his movements quickly made me moan and thrash, my length hardening against his leg.



Our clothes went next, with him pulling my shirt off first and slipping out of his own things while I removed my pants. There was no need for coyness- we both knew this would end in sex, and that I would allow Treize to dominate me. He didn’t offer any flowery words as he flipped me over, my knees resting on the couch cushions and my face pressed against its back. He mounted me like a stallion, thrusting home in one powerful push, and I bit my fist against the pain of his entrance while I welcomed the agony. Treize was, and always had been, extremely well endowed. It had taken hours of coaxing for him to be able to comfortably enter me when we had first gotten together, and it was not unheard of for him to send his lovers to the emergency room if he was not careful with them. If Wufei had not been inside me only days before, I had little doubt Trieze would have torn me.



But even without preparing me, Treize gave no quarter, immediately pulling back out and slamming back in, this time forcing me to cry out as sharp spikes of pain leapt down my spine. He continued thrusting, my cries of pain eventually turned to cries of pleasure and I managed to stroke myself into hardness again. When I moaned in pleasure Treize decided to change positions, pulling me down so that I was forced to ride him as he sat on the couch. The penetration was much deeper this way and the pain returned, but it could no longer overwhelm the pleasure I was feeling. I let my head fall back onto Treize’s shoulder as he lifted and dropped my hips, fucking me as deeply as possible. We were both panting and covered in sweat when a particularly deep thrust pushed me over the edge. I yelled and came, covering my chest and stomach with my seed. My orgasm must have pushed Treize over the edge too, because he gave me a particularly hard thrust and bit down on my shoulder, growling as he filled me with hot come.



We stayed like that for a few minutes, Treize’s chest rising and falling against my back, before he lifted me and settled me beside him on the couch. Treize rose and began dressing, donning his pants and shirt before picking up his jacket and tie. He kissed me then, as I sat stunned and unmoving on the couch, my brain and body trying to catch up with each other.



“I shall see you at the games, then?” he said, heading for the door. “And soon after that, we will be seeing much more of each other,” he promised, and then closed the door behind him.



Alone, naked, and sore, I reached for a couch cushion and pulled it to my chest, bringing my knees up and hugging it.



I buried my face in the pillow and sobbed.
- 20
- 21
- 22
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Cages