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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
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Zechs 190

I found myself naked, seated on the floor at Treize’s feet. Around me were four other naked slaves, all younger and smaller. I felt ridiculous, but the humiliation was probably part of Treize’s agenda for the night. I curled my legs under me, trying to discreetly cover my groin with my hands. One of the nearby slaves smirked, another hid a giggle behind his hand. I suppose seeing a Master brought so low was a novelty to the other slaves, but even though I expected it I still felt myself blushing. Treize leaned over and placed a hand on my cheek, turning my face to give me a lingering kiss.

“You’re doing well,” he whispered to me, but I could take no pleasure in his praise. If anything, it just made me feel worse. “Would you like some wine?”

I would have liked to say no. Would have like, actually, to say no, spit in his face, push the table over, find my slaves, and fly home. But I had been too nervous to eat this morning and hadn’t been offered anything since then. I could feel a migraine building behind my eyes, and I knew it would only get worse if I didn’t get something in my stomach.

“Yes,” I said softly.

“Yes what?” he asked, swirling his wine glass.

“Yes… master,” I replied, blushing furiously. He smiled and tilted my head back, bringing the glass to my lips. I suppose it would have been too much to ask for him to let me feed myself, given the amount of humiliation he’d put me through so far. I took a few sips before he pulled the glass away.

“He seems to have adjusted quite naturally to life as a slave,” said an amused female voice above me.

“More likely he’s simply returned to life at my side, as he was always intended to,” Treize responded, placing his hand on my shoulder and pulling me against his leg.

“Bring him up here,” commented an older male voice, “I think we’d all like to see the rewards of your efforts these past months. Between the surveillance and the manipulation, not to mention the risks to our security, you’ve got a pretty hefty investment in this one, haven’t you?”

“Well worth it,” Treize mused, pulling my hand until I rose gracefully beside him, letting my arms fall away and baring my body to the view of the other masters. There were three besides Treize, a middle-aged woman with striking red hair, an older man with a rugged build and a short-trimmed beard, and a slim, younger man with glasses.

“Older,” the woman commented blandly, but I could feel her eyes roving over me appraisingly. My knees ached from where I had been kneeling on the floor, and I had to agree that I might be too old for this.

“Are you calling me old?” Treize laughed. “He’s still younger than I am.”

“There’s something to be said for age and experience,” commented the large man. “They tend to lack a bit in flexibility, but they can be far more reliable and stable than a young slave. Besides, one only has to look at that flawless pedigree to know that he’s well worth the investment.”

Treize nodded and signaled for me to return to the floor. I knelt as gracefully as I could manage as my knees protested once again, but I must have succeeded because Treize smiled down at me.

“He’ll be providing us with intel, correct?” came the younger man’s voice, ghosting over the table, but it immediately turned Treize’s attention. “On the activities of the Preventers to stop us?”

“Of course,” Treize replied casually. “He’ll be as invaluable to us as a spy as he would have been to them as an infiltrator. But he’ll need an adjustment period.”

“Adjustment period?” the other man said, and I could hear the cynicism in his voice. “Meaning you’ve yet to get anything out of him.”

“If I wanted to ruin him as a slave to get the information out of him, I could simply beat it out of him. I’m sure you would be of assistance there. However, if I want continued information along with a loyal slave, I’m going to have to use more finesse. You’re inability to see long-term is one of the reasons I was so hesitant to bring you in as an advisor,” Treize said, and I knew him well enough to read the veiled hostility under the impatience in his voice. Treize didn’t like this man, though whether it was simply a personal dislike or whether this man posed a threat to him as the leader was unknown to me.

The door opened then, and a dark-haired man entered, followed by six slaves. I recognized him as a fellow competitor in the Collar games, and I realized that he must have been the one that defeated me. It was with no small amount of bitterness that I watched him claim his prize, standing before the other masters.

“And finally, Saiya and his team of competitors,” the bearded master introduced. Saiya, who’s name amplified the hint of oriental heritage around his eyes and in his skin tone, bowed as his slaves knelt on either side of him. He glanced at the table, his eyes stopping on me. I cast my eyes to the ground, feeling the shame burn in me even as I knew it would be trying my luck to hold the gaze of a master other than Treize. And while I welcomed his wrath toward me, I knew eventually it would land on others that I held dear.

“Can I suppose this would have been my fate had the Dragon not fallen in his last competition?” Saiya wondered apprehensively. Above me, Treize chuckled.

“The events that led to this slave kneeling at my feet were set in motion long before you were selected to win the competition. If Dragon had succeeded in his event, the outcome would have eventually been the same. The competition itself is little more than a playground for us to entertain the masses with.”

It shouldn’t have stung to be reminded that the game had been fixed. Actually, on more than on occasion I had contemplated that very fact myself when planning for my mission. Had I been blind in thinking they would bring me into the fold, much as they were now doing for my rival? In retrospect, it seemed that way.

“Congratulations, Saiya,” Treize began smoothly, and I cast a glance up to see him smiling charmingly. “You are the first master to be brought into this circle in the three years since Tanion joined us,” Treize said, inclining his head toward the master with glasses. “And I’m sure you’ve heard of Rebbekka and Argo, who have been with me since I became the head of this organization ten years ago. In these past few years, I have taken what was originally a small prostitution ring and made it an interplanetary force that now has ties on each of the colonies. As the head of the mars development program, you are here to insure that our reach continues to expand as humanity continues to move away from earth and toward that stars.”

“And him?” Saiya questioned, glancing at me and still obviously ill at ease. Around him, his slaves were tense, the two largest seeming ready to jump to their master’s aid. Did Saiya suspect he was to join the same fate as me? “Why is he here?”

“The slave beside me has been acting as an agent for a rival organization. He has been delivering information to them since his arrival, and had plans to assassinate me and disband this organization.”

It took a moment of Saiya staring at me, but eventually he threw his head back and laughed. His slaves relaxed, and Saiya took a seat across from Treize, still chuckling.

“And what do they call you, Owner? Now that I have joined your circle of trust?” Saiya asked.

“I am Treize,” he replied, and there was a smile of satisfaction on his face as he reached down and patted my head. Obviously, Saiya’s reaction had pleased him, if only because it showed how much faith the masters had in Treize’s control. “And this slave, who you might remember as a rival of yours, is to be called Platinum. I hope you can forgive any rivalry that may have passed between you. As you can see, he is no longer in any position to be a nuisance to you.”

“We had very little interaction as competing masters,” Saiya admitted. “However, seeing him in this capacity is unexpected. I didn’t think he’d be quite so… alluring as a slave. He didn’t strike me as quality slave material.”

Treize smiled fondly at me and pulled me into his lap, laying a hand on my neck and pulling my head back to bare my neck and chest to the other masters. I knew he was showing me off and I flexed my muscles to reveal chiseled abs and sculpted shoulders. I hadn’t trained with Heero for nothing, and as humiliated as I might be, I didn’t want to risk embarrassing Treize in front of his peers. I knew him well enough to know that the consequences for that would be dire.



“I assure you, Platinum has excellent breeding and an exquisite physique. With a firm hand to guide him, he can be an inventive and accommodating lover. Would you like a demonstration?”

Saiya nodded and Treize rose, pushing me off of his lap. I managed to catch myself, slipping to the floor gracefully, and managed not to reveal my annoyance on my face. Really. He could have asked me to move.

But then he was backing away from the table to give the other Masters a good view, and I crawled to kneel in front of him until he motioned for me to undo his pants. My hands shook as I reached up, carefully undoing the button and the zipper, releasing Treize’s manhood, which was still of considerable length even in its soft state. I gave an anxious lick to the crown, trying to banish the feeling of being watched. Treize hummed and put his hand in my hair, guiding me to take his length in my mouth. It swelled and I fought not to gag as it pressed toward my throat. When the pressure on my neck abated, I pulled back and lapped at it, knowing that my saliva was the only lubricant I was likely to get. My suspicions were confirmed as Treize turned me around and bent me over the table, positioning himself at my entrance. I put my head down and bit my wrist as he pressed smoothly inside, but I welcomed the pain. I wanted to suffer. Wanted to be punished for my failures.

As Treize settled inside of me, I released my wrist and raised my head just enough to see the other masters. Argo was getting oral from the little blond slave, while Rebbekka was being serviced by the tall, dark haired man. Only Saiya and Tanion were actively watching. As I peered around the table, Tanion caught my gaze and smiled viciously.

“Will we all get to sample?” Tanion asked from across the table. Treize’s eyes flashed with anger. Tanion was definitely a rival, then.

“Only a weak leader would choose to share his prize,” Treize responded, and his voice was too cultured for it to be called a growl, but there was definitely a thread of possessiveness in his voice. “I favor you enough by letting you view my prize, so that you can aspire to the same greatness. It would be reckless to as for more indulgence than I am willing to give.”

Tanion frowned but said nothing else, and I was distracted from their interaction as Treize gave me a particularly vicious thrust that made me gasp. Although I was accustomed to Treize enough that I wouldn’t rip, his deep thrusts still hurt. I moaned and Treize chuckled, fisting my hair and pulling my head back.

“Let them all see that beautiful face while I fuck you,” he said. I closed my eyes, unable to look at the masters as Treize found his pleasure in my body. He shuddered behind me, coming with nothing more than a quiet hiss of pleasure.

“He is lovely,” Saiya commented once Treize had recovered and pulled himself from me.

“A prize like this needs to be savored,” Treize replied, clearly pleased by Saiya’s compliment. “Would you like to try him?”

"I wouldn’t presume,” Saiya responded cautiously, but his tone was interested. I could tell that he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to have me. “But I wouldn’t mind having his lips wrapped around my cock, if you would allow. I’d be honored if you’d show me such favor.”

Treize smiled and pushed me toward Saiya. I got down from the table cautiously, extremely self-conscious of the semen dripping down my thighs as I approached and knelt before Saiya. My eyes met his dark brown ones, and my first thought was that he didn’t seem to have a cruel face. But like so many of my other intuitions recently, I was proven wrong as Saiya pressed my face into his half-hard member, almost choking me as I took his length into my mouth.

Saiya was an attractive man. Young and fit, with dark hair and a slim, athletic build. His hands, which brushed my face as he released my head, had calluses along the fingers, indicating that he was no stranger to a gun. I wondered if a mercenary had managed to rise to power, or if he had simply been well-trained to protect himself. He smelled of freshly washed clothes and cinnamon. I tried to focus on that as his length swelled in my mouth. Tried to bring up Sunday mornings with the boys and the scent of cinnamon buns and laundry. Tried pretend it was one of them I was going down on. Quatre, I decided, remembering just how irresistible he could be covered in cinnamon and clothed in nothing but an apron.

“Let’s see him come,” came Rebbekka’s voice, and I would have liked to strangle to nosy woman. I could feel more than see Saiya nod at one of his slaves, and then he was moving to sit on the table so that I could lean over him. One of his slaves, a pale oriental boy with brown eyes, slipped under the table and knelt beneath me, taking my disinterested member into his mouth. I took a shuddering breath around Saiya’s cock and tried to pretend it was Wufei.

“As though I’d debase myself like that for you,” Wufei sneered in my mind, but I knew he would do as I bade if I truly needed it. I felt him pull my cock into his mouth, but the illusion faded as I began to swell and instead of pulling back and patiently letting me rise, the overeager mouth tried to suck me deeper. I could feel him gag around me as I swelled to unexpected proportions, but I ignored it as I continued to lap at the cock in front of me. But my erection faltered and I found myself needing the illusion to maintain it, so I switched Wufei to the man in front of me. Saiya moaned as I ravished his cock with renewed vigor, and my cock swelled at the thought of having the raven-haired youth splayed in front of. Underneath me, the slave had adjusted to my length and was now eagerly sucking my length. I imagined it was Duo, who could be such an eager lover when the mood suited him.

“Fuck yeah,” fantasy-Duo said from beneath me, reaching up to smack Wufei on the thigh and then grinning as Wufei cursed in mandarin. “We’ll give ‘em such a show!”

I moaned, my fantasy bringing me closer to orgasm than the mouth that was working my erection.

The cock in my mouth was quickly reaching climax as well, and I was so caught up in my fantasy that I thought nothing of the hands slipping into my hair. When orgasm hit I was totally unprepared for Saiya to force my head down, and suddenly his seed was hitting the back of my throat, burning its way up my nose as I tried to take a shuddering breath. My body went rigid as I fought the instinct to bite, glancing up to see that Saiya was completely unmoved by my plight and actually seemed to enjoy it as I struggled. The only relief was that Saiya was thankfully quick taking his orgasm, before he releasing my head and letting me gasp for air, choking as I tried to clear the semen from my windpipe. I continued to lean over Saiya, resting my face on his thigh as my eyes watered and I struggled to control the urge to cough the remaining liquid out of my nasal passages.

Under me, the slave struggled to keep my erection from fading as orgasm was the last thing on my mind while I tried to control my breathing. Still, I doubted Treize would let me off the hook before I preformed, and I struggled to bring my fantasy back and finish my orgasm.

This time it was Heero that made an appearance as the man in front of me, his fingers ghosting over my back as the burn in my throat faded to a tickle.

“Try to breath normally,” he advised, and while I already knew that, his concern helped to dissipate the last of the fear and humiliation. I let myself lean over his wilting erection, knowing he would never hurt me if he could avoid it. “We’re here for you,” he assured me. From between my legs, Trowa nodded, then gave one last long, suckling pull that finally pushed me over the edge. I moaned, my face lifting from Heero’s thigh as the orgasm rocked me.

Then the illusion faded as quickly as it had come. My legs shook and I found myself collapsing in front of the startled slave, whose mouth was still filled with my seed. Saiya didn’t even make an effort to catch me, letting me slide from his lap and fall beside the table.

“I can see why you would claim him as your prize,” Saiya said, rising and fixing his clothing as he stepped over me to return to his seat.

“The performances will only improve as I train him,” Treize assured, and I managed to pick myself up at this point and return to kneeling at his side. I felt sick sliding to the floor beside him, feeling his seed still trailing down my thighs and the sticky remnants of my own seed between my legs. Not to mention the smell of semen that I still couldn’t get out of my nose. A few other pleasantries were exchanged while I sat miserably beside Treize, but thankfully he soon called an end to the meeting.

“I have some business to attend to with Argo, so if the rest of you would like to retire to my chambers I have called for dinner and entertainment to be prepared.”

Gratefully, I rose and followed Treize out of the room when he beckoned, happy simply to be leaving the memory of what I’d just done behind.

Zechs 191

I had expected Treize to take me to an office or perhaps another dining area. I had hopes, slim but present, of being allowed to wash Treize’s come from my thighs and the taste of cum from my mouth before Treize and Argo conversed. And I had fanciful thoughts of being fed and allowed to sleep. Before, after, or during the meeting didn’t really matter to me.

But when I was led instead to a plain white room that housed only two chairs, a metal surgical table, and a rolling cabinet present, I felt both my hopes and my stomach plummet. My first instinct was that Treize had reconsidered torturing me after all, but it wasn’t his style to accept assistance when pulling information from a source. Treize much preferred to torment individually, applying a mix of pain and pleasure to wage a psychological battle that he was always, inevitably win.

So as Treize bade me to climb onto the table I realized that only option left was that Treize had decided to show Argo “favor” and let him have me. I closed my eyes and clenched my fists, positioning myself so that my ass was perched on the edge of the table, my legs bent and splayed, ready for whoever decided to fuck me first.

Treize chuckled.

“Not today, poppet,” he said, and guided me further up onto the table, letting me lie flat and still as a corpse. My heart pounded as I contemplated what else Treize could be planning to do to me on a table like this, but I couldn’t help but be relieved that at least it wasn’t that.

Argo entered a moment later, grinning broadly as he spied me on the table with a wary look on my face.

“So he hasn’t the foggiest idea what he’s here for, eh?” Argo asked, taking the seat not already occupied by Treize. They were stools more than chairs, and well high enough for the two of them to look down on me as I lay on the table. Treize stroked the back of his hand down the side on my face, but I couldn’t help the feeling that they were both looming over me.

“No, but he’ll figure it out soon enough. Do you remember what we discussed?” Treize asked, and Argo leaned over me, tracing his fingers down my leg from the tip of my thigh to just above my knee.

“Along here?” he indicated and Treize nodded.

“Perhaps splayed a bit along the front and the back as well.”

“Best have him on his side, then.”

As my heart pounded, Treize pressed me to lay on my left side, exposing my right leg to whatever insanity Argo would perpetrate upon it. Did they mean to lame me? Treize enjoyed a partner that could challenge him, but he had Wufei to duel with and he had indicated that I was to be his trophy. Was this how he intended to ensure that I would not try to escape? Did he mean to make me completely physically reliant on him?

My stress level increased as I watched Argo don bright blue medical exam gloves from the rolling cabinet that he had pulled up beside him. Beside my head, Treize pushed a strand of hair out of my face, but I could not bring myself to look at him. My stomach was still rolling, and I could feel the remnants of what I had swallowed earlier settling like thick slime in the bottom. The salty tang of semen still hung in the back of my throat, and it burned ever so slightly when I breathed. The sweat from my earlier activities had dried on my skin, leaving me feeling dirty and worn. Treize’s cum had dried between my thighs and still slicked my insides, only adding to the feeling of filthy that hovered over my body. Now with the added threat of becoming a cripple, it was all I could do not to give in to my misery completely. Instead, I lay there rigidly on the table and stewed in my anguish.

Until finally, Treize leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Relax, darling. I would not take the ability to walk from you.”

My eyes darted to his and I could not help the relief that bloomed as I found his gaze to be honest and devoid of malevolence. Whatever he had planned for me, I would not come away from this hobbled. This thought kept me still as Argos wiped down the length of my thigh with alcohol and once again turned to the cabinet.

It was not comforting enough, however, to keep me from tensing and nearly leaping from the table when Argos pulled a small black instrument in the shape of a gun out of the cabinet. Treize laid a hand on my shoulder, although I couldn’t tell whether it was to comfort or restrain me. It took me a moment more to realize there was a needle attached to the nose of the gun, and that Argos was attaching a black bottle of liquid to the other end. And when he laid the gun against the flesh of my hip, I bit my lip and closed my eyes.

The sting of it was quite unlike anything I had ever felt before. Like the sting of a hundred infinitesimal wasps, it was more the surprise of it than the actual pain that made me raise my head and open my eyes. When I did, it was to find a line of black ink trailing down my leg in a curling, undulating design.

I was being tattooed.

And I realized in a sickening, gut wrenching twist of logic, that this was far worse than being hobbled. I could hide being hobbled. I could pretend it was a sacrifice. I could be forgiven if I were hobbled, and if I ever returned to my old life, people would look upon me with compassion.

But a tattoo… A tattoo would forever mark me as Treize’s. Every time I changed clothes. Every time I showered. Every time I felt the itch under my skin and felt the ink that would never really fade from there, I would know that I belonged to him. There would be no forgiveness of this mark.

I must have made a noise of distress, because Treize pressed my face back down to where it was laying on my arm. The stinging continued, trailing lazily down my leg. I felt lightheaded with panic, shudders running down my spine. Under the lights, I felt bare and raw, like there was nothing left of me. Treize took my hand and I allowed it, clenching my fingers around his because I needed the support, even if a bastard was giving it. Isolated from my boys, my only system of support, Treize had engineered situations that would make me come to him for comfort and protection. I knew this, but that didn’t make his tactics any less effective. I burned with shame as Treize’s hand ran through my hair, but I leaned into the touch none the less.

“Did you want to go with the design I sent you?” Argos asked, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at my leg to see what he was doing.

“Yes. You might need to modify it a bit to his dimensions, but otherwise it was exactly what I had hoped for. I was pleased by how well you managed to grasp the concept from the images I sent you.”

Argos hummed a response, but I could tell that he was concentrating on his work. I couldn’t tell if I should feel relieved at that or not.

It seemed like a long time before Argos pulled the tattoo gun away from my flesh. Only the cessation of the buzzing of the gun roused me from my stupor as he pulled back and fiddled with his instrument. I glanced down at my side and found the black outline of a rose vine winding its way across my thigh. There were half a dozen tiny rosebuds that I could see, and I had a suspicion that there was one on my ass to match the one on my groin. As the vine looped its way down the side of my thigh I could see it spelling out the letters of Treize’s name, although anyone who hadn’t been looking for it would be hard pressed to see it amongst the leaves and thorns. But I knew Treize well enough to know that he would always put his name on something that he sought to keep.

"Is this the color you wanted the buds?” Argos asked, pulling out a shade of red that was almost burgundy. When Treize nodded, Argos quickly changed the ink and began filling in the buds. It was only then that I realized where I had seen those flowers before, that they had grown wild in the desert when Treize and I had been sent to try to find rebel soldiers during the war. Riding on horseback and sleeping in a tent, it had been one of the first missions Treize and I had been partnered for. To someone as young and naive as I was, it seemed like an adventure worthy of Arabian Nights. And Treize had been just as dashing, teaching me about the desert and keeping me out of harm’s way. The roses had seemed absolutely enchanting, filling the grotto where we camped with their sweet perfume. They had been blooming the first time Treize and I made love, and in a tent and under the moonlight in the middle of a desert, I’d thought it was terribly romantic.

Now, seeing the image of all those thorns and choking vines etched into my thigh, I had to wonder if it symbolized Treize’s love. Carefully wrapped in vines and thorns, he tried to hide the damage they could do by enticing me in with roses. And suddenly, I couldn’t remember the roses to fondly either.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I was almost startled as the gun stopped again, indicating the Argos had finished filling the roses. I glanced down to find them almost glowing ruby red against my skin, and was it the black outline making it look that way? Or had I always been that pale? Still, I said nothing as Argos changed his ink once again.

“Are you sure you want to finish it today? There’s always time later,” he offered, but he was already setting up the green ink.

“No, I want it done now, while the message is fresh in his mind,” Treize replied. I glanced up at him, but couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes. If I got angry at him, I wouldn’t be able to accept his comfort. And I really needed the comfort right now.

Argos began to fill the green in the leaves and the vines, and there was a lot more of the foliage than there was of the flowers. I tried to pick out each of the little black thorns to keep my mind off the continued sting, but there were too many to count. It became too much effort to hold my head up and I let it drop back to my arm. My stomach roiled again and I must have squeezed Treize’s hand, because he kissed my temple and whispered, “Not much longer now.”

It wasn’t much longer, but it felt like ages before the buzzing finally stopped and Argos put the gun aside. I sagged in relief, my leg burning from hip to knee. I barely had the time to appreciate the design, although had I been in a better mood I probably could have admitted that it was a fairly decent piece of art. At least I wouldn’t walk around looking like I had graffiti painted on me.

Argos pulled out a container of clear, slightly bluish cream from the cabinet, gently spreading it onto my tender, abused flesh. I noticed that everywhere the new ink was settling in the skin had become inflamed. The gel took some of the sting out, but the flesh was still tender. Argos handed the container to Treize with instructions to apply it twice a day for the next two weeks.

They shook hands then and I knew we were finished. I sat up quickly and then regretted it as the world tilted and I found myself clinging to the table. I felt Treize’s hands descend on my shoulders.

“Be careful with him for a bit,” Argos advised while putting away his equipment. “His body’s just taken a lot of trauma today. He might have a bit of shock. Best keep him quiet and let him sleep it off,” Argos advised.

“Noted,” Treize replied and helped me to shakily step down from the table and gain my balance. “And thank you again.”

As I took the first steps to the door I managed to pull away from Treize’s steadying hand and shakily walk on my own. After a few steps, my stomach settled and I was able walk at a steady pace without lurching too visibly. Treize walked at my side, his hand out to catch me if I stumbled, but otherwise allowing me to walk on my own.

By the time we returned to Treize’s quarters, I felt like everything inside of me had been pulled out, leaving only a ragged, empty shell. I was cold all over and the skin down my leg burned despite the gel that he been applied to it. The shaking that had made its presence known as I had risen form the tattooing table had only intensified, and showed no signs of abating. There was a dry, aching pain just behind my eyes that I knew would last for several more hours even under the best of conditions, and might take up permanent residence given the current ones. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, and my lower back ached from Treize using me so roughly over the table. And I still could not get the taste of Saiya’s rancid cum out of my mouth.

So I was, understandably, testy. And perhaps a bit foolish.

“I want to see my boys,” I demanded as the door closed behind us Treize merely raised an eyebrow as he poured himself a glass of bourbon.

“You’ve been doing so well tonight,” he sighed, swirling the liquid in his glass and leaning patiently against the wall. “Don’t tell me your about to get stubborn now.”

“I’ve done everything you asked of me. I’ve been humiliated and debased all night. You said if I was a good slave, you’d let me see them!”

“Oh, you’ve certainly acted the part of a good slave,” he said, and I felt my hope deflate as Treize argued with me. Treize never agued if he was going to lose. “But I said that you need to be a good slave, not just act like one. And your tone now shows me that you’ve merely been behaving to get your reward, which certainly isn’t proper slave behavior. When you’ve come to accept your life now and your lack of control, then I will reintroduce the other slaves to you.”

“That could take weeks!” I protested, and felt conflicted by the fact that I both wanted to hold out as long as possible and wanted to see my slaves as soon as possible.

“That’s entirely up to you,” Treize replied nonchalantly, and I had hit my breaking point.

“If you won’t bring them to me I’ll go find them myself!” I threatened.

“Will you now?” Treize asked, and I sensed his mood change from tolerant to annoyed in an instant. I’d like to blame it on my exhaustion, that I didn’t even see him move, but Treize has always been much faster than I am. His foot snaked out faster than I could even see and pulled me feet out from under me, dropping me hard onto my hip, but thankfully onto my left hip. His hand came around just as quickly and he grabbed me by the throat, cutting off my air.

“You do not tell me what you will do. I tell you what to do, and you obey,” he told me, enunciating so slowly that by the time he finished and released my throat, I was seeing spots. I gasped and choked as he stormed into the other room. I was still panting when he returned from the other room and placed a large, steel cage on the floor behind me. I glanced at it miserably, and was unsurprised by his next words.

“Get in,” he ordered, and I looked the thing over again before moving. It was the size of crate you might but a Rottweiler or a Doberman in, so far too small for me to fit comfortably inside. I glanced balefully at Treize, but seeing no mercy in his glare I decided that back into the thing was far preferable to spending the night on my hands and knees. I scooted myself backwards until my shoulders were pressed against the cold bars of the back of the cage, my neck bent to keep my head from hitting the top, and my knees pressing into my chest to fit my long legs into the short cage. Treize slammed the door shut, and I felt the vibration through the rest of the cage as he clicked the lock in place. It was a padlock with an actual key, not a simple sliding lock that I could open myself or a combination lock that I might guess the combination to. And the cage itself was made of welded steel. I would have been hard-pressed to bend the bars if I had leverage and strength, but from my position and in my weakened state it would be impossible to free myself. Realizing this, my hopes of having a decent rest dwindled to nothingness.

Treize, meanwhile, had spared me a few moments of attention as I acclimated to my new surroundings, and had the audacity to look disappointed in me. I gave him a stubborn glare and he sighed, then rose and headed for the bedroom that I could see through the open door. He paused in the doorway, looking back at me as he reached for the light switch.

“I had hoped that you would warm my bed tonight, but I can see that you are not yet worthy of that consideration. Perhaps a night of sleeping out here will show you how generous I have been.”

Then darkness descended and he shut the door.

Zechs 192

I dreamed of the desert.

The moon hung just outside the curtains of our canvas tent. The moonlight shimmered on Treize’s naked skin, leaning over me as the wind brought the scent of desert roses wafting through the tent. My legs were splayed over his shoulders and he thrust rhythmically inside of me. I felt nothing, but that didn’t seem to hinder Treize as he continued thrusting in perfect time inside of me. I sighed, wishing he’d just finish.

My head fell to the side, and the wind blew through the camp again, rustling the flap of tent beside me. Something was out there, in the desert. I raised my hand, ignoring Treize’s incessant thrusting, and opened the flap.

Outside, there was evidence that a battle had raged, but now everything was quiet and still. My eyes shifted through the wreckage, the blood splattered sand and the smoldering bodies.

I found Quatre first, his tiny body twisted and trampled near the edge of the battle, his soft blonde hair now so caked with blood and sand that it was only by the color of his eyes that I could recognize him. And those pale blue eyes looked at me imploringly, but they were already clouded over with death.

My eyes searched the field again, this time finding Heero and Trowa, blades still clutched in their hands even though their throats had been cut and their bodies were certainly cold by now. The two had been back to back when they died, trying to hold off an enemy far stronger and more numerous than themselves. Now, in death, they leaned up against each other and seemed to scan the battlefield with dead eyes.

Duo was just beyond them, splayed on the top of a pile of bodies, his torso so covered with blood and gore that it was impossible to tell just how many wounds had been inflicted on him. His chest had been completely opened, evidence of a brutal and savage attack. And yet, Duo was still grinning, his lips pulled back from his teeth in an expression that could have just as easily been a snarl. His hair was coming loose from its customary braid and the strands wafted gently in the breeze.

My eyes resumed their search once again, and I shivered as the cold breeze bit into me. It was getting late, and still Treize showed no signs of ceasing his thrusts into my body. But it was fine, because the cold was stealing over me, and I could hardly feel it anymore. It was growing dark outside, and I glanced up to see that the moon was becoming red, casting a bloody glow over the carnage below. I glanced up at Treize to find that his features had become twisted and warped in the red light, and the man that had been making love to me was now replaced with the monster that was fucking me. But I couldn’t really feel anything about that.

My eyes found the battleground again, and I could no longer see the individual corpses of my boys. Still, my eyes searched desperately, my mind unable to pinpoint what was so important out in the darkness.

And then I found Wufei. Face down on the edge closest to the camp, I could sense more than hear the pulse that still beat within the battered body. For the first time since I had awoke in this nightmare world, I felt something stir inside me. I tried to reach toward Wufei, but my body was too heavy and I could only move my hand the barest inch in his direction. He must have noticed, though, because he raised his head and looked at me with those dark, fiery eyes.

“Zechs,” he called, reaching his hand out to me.

Above me, Treize roared, a monstrous sound that rattled the tent around us. I felt nothing still, and didn’t even glance at him, so focused on moving my hand a few more inches toward Wufei.

“Zechs,” he called again, and his voice was softer this time, and I could feel his heartbeat failing. He reached his hand toward me, moving just as slowly as I was. The space between us suddenly seemed much further than it had been, and I wanted to cry out with anguish, but I couldn’t feel anything except the icy cold that was penetrating my body.

“Zechs,” he called a third time, his hand falling to the sand as his strength failed him. “Wake up.”

I came to with a gasp, and would have sat up straight, but the bars that were biting into my back didn’t allow me to move more than an inch upwards before I hit the top of my tiny prison. I sat there for a moment, gasping for breath and trying to control the shaking running through my body. I was still naked, trapped in the miniature steel cage, and it was so cold.

“Zechs?” came a quiet voice from beside me, and I had a surreal moment of wondering whether I was awake or asleep when I saw Wufei kneeling beside me. I could only gape at him, until he slipped his hand through the bars and laid his cold palm against my forehead. “Son of a bitch!” Wufei snarled, moving his hand to the side of my face. “You’re burning up!”

And then he was gone again, gracefully hoping up from the floor and padding across the floor. I wanted to call out to him, beg him to come back, but the rational part of my brain kicked in and reminded me that Treize was sleeping in the next room over and likely didn’t know Wufei was here.

Wufei returned moments later and slipped his hands through the bars once again, this time placing three pills into my palm and handing me a paper cup of water. I quickly popped the pills and followed it with all the water in the cup. The cold liquid felt like a stab in the gut to my empty stomach, but I was distantly aware of just how bad of shape my body was in.

“That absolute bastard,” he said. “I bet he didn’t even feed you,” he guessed, and my stomach chose that moment to rumble its assent.

“It’s… I’m alright,” I lied, still trying to settle my stomach around the water. It took me a moment to bring my attention back to Wufei, and I found him looking miserably at me.

“I…” he started, but without his anger at Treize to guide him, he seemed lost.

“It’s okay,” I tried to sooth, but he only looked more upset.

“I didn’t know,” he said finally, brokenly. “You have to believe me, I didn’t know he’d do this to you!”

“I know,” I told him calmly, leaning back against the cage again. It was just too much effort to sit up anymore. “I know he tricked you. He tricked me too.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said, and I noticed that he couldn’t meet my eyes. “I should have trusted you.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered,” I told him. I knew why he had doubted me, and I couldn’t honestly blame him for choosing to protect the others instead of blindly trusting me. In light of my current health crisis, I couldn’t find any anger or betrayal in me. I was just so happy to see him. After a moment, I managed to ask him, “How are the others?”

“They miss you,” he said quickly, and I saw him draw his sleeve over his eyes, but I didn’t comment on it. If I had the strength, I probably would have cried as well.

“Are they… Is he treating them well?”

“Yes,” Wufei answered honestly, then hesitated a moment before slipping his hand between the bars and lacing our fingers. I took a shuddering breath and squeezed, just reveling in the feeling of his skin. “He’s set us up in guest quarters. We are well fed, and otherwise left alone. Only…”

“Only what?”

“Duo… has not taken well to his forced confinement. He tried to come find you yesterday and got caught. Treize… Treize had him shackled in the bedroom.”

I could only imagine that Duo, who had come so far with his fear of being restrained, had not taken that well. I felt a stab right through my chest, that he would have to go through that because I had failed him.

“Is he alright?”

“Yes, they gave him so drugs to calm him down and Heero managed to convince him to take them. Duo’s been sleeping a lot since then, and Quatre’s sitting with him now.”

“I didn’t think Heero would leave Duo’s when he’s so vulnerable,” I commented, and there was a flash of guilt on Wufei’s face. “I see. So where are Heero and Trowa?” I asked, feeling my stomach lurch sickeningly.

“They… We needed someone… Heero and Trowa distracted the guards, so I could come and check on you. Trowa offered to go alone, but Heero has grown very protective of him recently. Of all of us.”

What little contents were in my stomach tried to come up, but I forced it down knowing the noise might wake Treize and reveal Wufei. I knew what kind of “distraction” it would take to make Treize’s guards leave their post. The thought of Trowa and Heero letting those bastards touch them, use them, so that Wufei could come find me, was almost more than I could take.

“They volunteered,” Wufei whispered softly, his thumb stroking the skin of my hand. “We’re all so worried about you, that I didn’t even have to ask them. I think they would have done it on their own if I hadn’t offered to help. They miss you so much.”

“Thank you,” I said, and my eyes were getting heavy. I tried to adjust my position in the cage and rubbed my leg along the bar. I hissed as it aggravated the tattoo, and Wufei gasped as he noticed it for the first time in the dim light. He spent a moment just staring at it, tracing his fingers along the outline from the outside of the bars. But even his feather-light touch was agony for me, and I pulled my leg away.

“It’s…sore,” I told him, and he looked stricken again.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered softly, staring down at his hands. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a tattoo. They were popular in Collar when I first arrived, but there’s no value in a slave with someone else’s tattoo. I guess…” he said, and his fingers ghosted above my skin again. “I guess I’m lucky he was never sure he’d keep me after the novelty wore off.”

I nodded, because I was too tired to find a reply. My eyes slipped shut.

“Zechs,” Wufei called me, slipping his fingers through the bars and lacing them with mine again. “Please, you can’t stay like this. I want to… I want to help. I need you to tell me your contact. Maybe they can send someone to get you out.”

“It’s okay,” I told him, but my eyes slipped shut and I couldn’t get them to open again. “Treize will keep his word. As long as I stay with him, I can still protect all of you.”

“We want to protect you, damnit!” Wufei snarled, barely keeping his voice down, but even his anger was not enough to get my eyes open. “Zechs, please, you can’t go on like this! We’re trying to get you free. Please, I need your contact.”

And because I was too tired to fight… I gave it to him.

When my eyes opened again, Wufei was gone, and there was a shrill ringing noise coming from the bedroom. I lolled my head to the side to look towards the bedroom, but the door was still shut. I let the darkness take me again.

I don’t know how long I was out, but I awoke to my cage being rattled and Treize’s feet beside me. He was dressed in casual clothes, slacks and a button-down top with the top few buttons left open. His feet were bare, and he knelt on his toes to open the cage for me. I stifled a groan as I tried to sit up; my entire body was sore, right down to my ankles, which had been tilted awkwardly all night as I tried to fit into the cramped space.

“Come on, my love. I’ve missed you all night, and now I’m hoping you’ll behave well enough for us to have a pleasant breakfast. I forgot how trying you could be,” he joked, and his mood seemed to have improved with sleep, because he smiled at me. “But I enjoy the challenge. Come out now, and perhaps I’ll give you a rub-down after breakfast.”

My head was aching and it felt like I hadn’t gotten any sleep at all. Awkwardly, with my body protesting every move, I managed to scoot out of the cage and, using the structure for support, climb to my feet. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I used my hold on the cage to keep it from taking me down.

“You look terrible,” he commented, and I heard genuine concern in his voice, but it didn’t touch me. My head was spinning, and I clutched the iron bars of my cage and tried not to throw up. “Perhaps you’ll remember this the next time you pick a fight with me.”

            I couldn’t hold back the bark of laughter as I lost my battle with gravity and went to one knee. Looking him in the eyes for the first time since I’d climbed out of the cage, I said, “You’re such a dick.”

            And then passed out.

            I dreamed that I was back in the desert and that a scorpion kept stinging my arm. I know that I slept for a long time, and that I probably could have woken up well before I actually did. But I simply couldn’t bring myself to face my broken body, my bleeding heart, or my pissed off owner. Eventually, though, I couldn’t keep hiding.

            When I surfaced, I felt better than I had expected. Much better, actually. I was warm, and I could feel the weight of a blanket over top of me. The stinging in my arm from the dream had not faded. I reached out to brush away the scorpion, but fingers intercepted mine. I raised my head from the warm body beneath me and found Treize smiling at me.

            “That’s the seventh time you’ve tried to pull your i.v. out. It was always difficult to get you to take your medicine, but I see you’ve only gotten worse,” he joked, then kissed my forehead. I let my head fall back to his chest, trying to reconcile the Treize beneath me to the one who tattooed me and locked me in a cage all night.

            “I didn’t know that your condition was that bad,” he admitted softly before I had even finished thinking. “I suppose I… expected too much of you. I wanted us to pick up where we left off. And I expected you to feel for me… what I feel for you. I didn’t mean to push you so far, and I never thought you’d be so fragile.”

            I didn’t respond, because I didn’t know what to say. My head was swimming, but I couldn’t feel any pain. Even my leg, where the tattoo was wrapped up in the blanket and should have been stinging like hell, was strangely silent.

            “Did you give me something?” I asked, my voice raspy and my words slurred. Treize nodded.

            “There are painkillers in your i.v. The doctor said you were suffering from dehydration and stress. He suggested anti-anxiety medication, but I’m not sure I’ll give it to you. I don’t really want your personality changing,” he said, stroking a piece of hair away from my face, “but I don’t think you can continue being as high-strung as you are.”

I chuckled and buried my face in my arm. Of course I was high-strung. It didn’t make me any less high-strung that Treize was now contemplating whether to get me addicted to mood-altering medication, while I had no idea of the possible side effects or consequences. My chuckle turned into something more, and Treize rubbed soothing circles in my back as I sobbed into my arm.

Then the drugs took me under again, and I let myself be drawn down into sleep.

When I woke next, I was alone and on my back on the couch. The heavy blanket was still over me. I stretched and realized that my i.v. had been removed. I rubbed my arm absently and stroked my fingers over the cotton pad that had been taped over the vein. I yawned, my head feeling a bit clearer, and sat up.

As if on cue, Treize came in trailed by a slave carrying a lidded tray. The slave set the tray on the table and uncovered it, revealing a simple soup and sandwich platter, then bowed to Treize and quickly left. My stomach rumbled loudly, and Treize smiled at me.

“I can tell you’re famished, so I’ll make this brief. I have some matters I need to attend to, so I’m going to leave you here. I’ll be back in a few hours. Eat, watch some tv, don’t do anything strenuous. I’ve sent for someone to keep you company, so that you don’t overtax yourself. Do not,” he said firmly, “make me regret giving you this much freedom.”

He turned then and went to the door. The conversation was moving faster than my lethargic brain could keep up with, so I was nearly floored when Treize opened the door to reveal Quatre waiting demurely. He was fully dressed, surprisingly, in trousers and a soft blue shirt. My heart jumped to my throat then, because as excited as I was to see Quatre, nothing was ever that simple with Treize.

“Enter,” Treize said, and it was not a suggestion. It was easy to tell that Quatre was intimidated by the way his eyes never left the floor, and I could feel my hackles raise at the way Treize was menacing over Quatre, but I knew I was at a disadvantage so I forced myself to calm down.

“Now,” Treize said, taking Quatre’s chin in his hand and forcing the smaller man to meet his eyes. “I’m going to leave him in your care, and I trust that you will show some… decorum in my absence. I know it’s been some time since you’ve seen my slave, but I hope you can remember that he, and you, belong to me.” His eyes went to me, then, and a chill went down my spine. “If you both behave while I’m gone, we’ll get better acquainted when I return. If not, perhaps I’ll get better acquainted with him alone,” he threatened, and then glided out of the room.

I was practically snarling, just barely keeping from jumping up to chase after him, Quatre bound over to the couch beside me. And, despite the warning Treize had given us only moments before, I pulled him into my embrace.

It was everything that I had been aching for. Where Treize’s embrace caged me and filled me with dread, Quatre’s embrace made me feel free. It felt like I could finally breathe for the first time in months as I pressed my face against his hair and took in the his scent.

All too soon he was pulling back, petting me and shushing me as I practically hyperventilated against his shoulder.

“What’s he been doing to you?” Quatre wondered, brushing my hair away from my face. “You look like hell!”

I laughed. “You’ve been hanging out with Duo too much,” I said, and maybe it was the drugs still in my system that made it so funny.

“No, I’m just worried about you. We’re all worried about you,” he said gently, stroking my hair. It was so gentle that I felt my eyes start to slip closed, leaning against his shoulder as he petted me gently. After a bit, he said, “You should eat something,” and it roused me enough to sit up.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you,” I told him, and stretched. It was then that I realized I was naked, covered only in the blanket I had awoken under.

“It’s alright,” he said, and served me half of the sandwich. I ate it mechanically, not even noticing what kind it was.

“Did Wufei get back alright last night? How’s Duo doing?” I asked as I ate.

“Wufei didn’t get caught, and the guards let Duo take a shower this morning. Treize said that he’d release him if I kept you company while he was gone.”

I finished the first half of the sandwich, and he pressed the soup into my hands. The soup was chicken with vegetables and potatoes. I pushed the other half of the sandwich at Quatre.

“You should eat something too,” I said, but he smiled and shook his head.

“Treize has actually been keeping us pretty well fed, and I’ve been so anxious lately that I’ve been cooking non-stop.”

“I’m sure the others appreciate it.”

“Mm. Trowa doesn’t like me working so much, but eating keeps Duo occupied. And I find it soothing. But we can talk more about that later,” he said, as I finished the soup and set the bowl aside. “You should sleep now,” he told me, and there was no arguing with that tone. He pulled me down, and I curled up on his thigh and sleep took me under.

And for the first time since I had come into Treize’s possession, there were no dreams.

Quatre 193

            I couldn’t let Master see how miserable we’d been without him. I could feel that he was hanging on the precipice of despair, and that one more blow could push him over the edge. So while he was awake, I had smiled and held him, determined to lift his spirits if only a bit. But as he slept, I felt the mask slip, and I was glad he was not awake to see how pained I was.

            He was burnt out, burned through until nothing was left but ashes. His fighting spirit and his determination were gone. Zechs didn’t care about himself, didn’t care if Treize used him or abused him or left him to rot. As long as he was assured of our well-being, he would allow himself to be treated however badly Treize chose. Zechs was a man nearly broken, who felt that he had failed in his only purpose and lost everything of meaning in his life. I stroked his hair and tried to fan the flame of hope that had kindled when I entered, but it was smoldering under his own helplessness.

            And yet, there was no real rescue plan. Without a leader, we had made no progress and had set only one goal- to free Zechs. Wufei had learned how to contact Zechs’ agency the previous night, but I had been taken before I could find out if he had managed to contact them. Wufei was like a man possessed, his betrayal of Zechs resting heavily on his mind until he couldn’t eat or sleep because of the guilt he felt. He had never confessed his sins to any of us, and I doubt the others even knew he had a hand in delivering Master to Treize. I had not asked him, knowing that anger would be pointless in helping us rescue Zechs. And I knew that nothing I could inflict on him would be worse than the misery he was putting himself through. And nothing I could say would alleviate it, either.

Heero was also in no state to lead us, with his hands full as Duo began to revert back to the near-animal he’d been when we found him. All that came from Duo when I was near was rage and panic, and I had taken to avoiding him because it made my heart pound to be around him. Trowa, meanwhile, had become a shadow once again, and I felt that he wanted to pull me under his cloak and hide me against the wall with him. But I could not live in the shadows, and I would not let him take me there. I wanted to step up and lead, but with everyone’s emotions bombarding me, and with the fact that I had not taken my pills since we had been separated from Zechs, I could not find the resolve in me to take charge.

I tried not to think of Treize, and his half-veiled threats toward me. When he had met me in the hall and I had been told I would see Zechs, his aura had been terrifying. I had never seen anything like it, and I was too frightened to read him. Now, stroking Zechs’ hair as he slept on my thigh, I wished I had. I glanced at the IV stand hung in the corner and the heavy afghan draped across Zechs’ legs, and could not understand why a man who seemed like he had been through so much also appeared to be so well-cared for. Because it was apparent from the lines on his face and the weight that had disappeared from his frame that Zechs had been miserable since we’d been separated. But at the same time, a master would not nurse a slave that he cared nothing for. Treize had gone through a lot of trouble to gain Zechs, and then it appeared even more trouble to keep him healthy. So why would he go through all that trouble only to treat Zechs badly? It didn’t make any sense.

It was too much for me to ponder at the moment, and I shifted to make myself more comfortable and found myself nodding off.

I was awoken by the sound of a door shutting and a deep throated chuckle. I gave a cold glare to Treize, but it was hard to look fierce in the face of someone who holds so much power over you. My hand went to Zechs’ shoulder to rouse him, but Treize only smiled in a predatory way as he made his way over to the opposing couch.

“Don’t bother trying to wake him,” he said as he dropped to the cushions. “I had them put a light sedative in his soup, in case you were brave enough to try to escape. I see I needn’t have worried,” he said, and there was the lilt of an insult to it. I felt a stab of guilt as I realized that I was the one who had prompted Zechs to eat, but I knew it wasn’t truly my fault. With the kind of power Treize held over Zechs, he could just as easily force my master to take the drugs. And it wasn’t like Zechs could stop eating.

I glanced at Treize across the room, and was immediately bombarded by his emotions. I looked away, trying to block it out again, but the amount of rage that was coming from his overwhelmed my ability to shield myself. I knew I needed to put some distance between us. I rose slowly from the couch, trying not to draw his attention any more than I already had, and allowed Zechs’ head to fall out of my lap. He hardly stirred, and I began to doubt the light description of the sedatives Treize slipped him.

I felt Treize calm as I separated from Zechs. It was only then that I could identify the emotion as jealousy.

“I’m surprised you didn’t try to convince him to run away,” Treize continued, and his voice was smooth, but his emotions told me that he was still trying to bait me. “With Dragon and Shinigami helping, I thought for sure that you would have tried to break for freedom.”

            “I am neither stupid nor suicidal,” I responded crisply, Treize’s anger seeping into me until it was difficult to tell his emotions from my own. I tried to rein in my temper, knowing that I was no match for the Owner of Collar.

“I was not sure about that, when I returned to find his head in your lap, but I suppose I can excuse it if he is only sleeping,” Treize said, and his rage dulled into a seething jealousy, once again lending credit to my theory that he did, in fact, value Zechs deeply.

“I did not mean to disobey your rule, but he feels strongly for his slaves, and he has been worried. I meant only to reassure him,” I tried to placate, but Treize’s tension did not ease. If anything, his anger increased. Still, he remained poised. There was a mask in place, one that was old and thick and well worn. Nothing penetrated it except the emotions he chose to reveal. I wondered, watching the cold calculations in his eyes, what he would do if he found out that I could see right through that mask at a glance? I doubted he would be pleased.

“Isn’t it strange how much affection he shows for slaves that he has known for less than a year? When he and I have known each other for far longer than that.”

He was trying to provoke me, that much I knew. Whether he was lying to provoke me or simply telling me a truth that Zechs had withheld was less certain, but he didn’t seem the type to lie. Still, I did not allow myself to rise to the bait, instead walking behind the couch and trying to put as much space as possible between us without seeming to run away. Treize’s manner was too predatory, and I knew that if I ran he would instinctively take the advantage and chase me.

“Some masters form quick attachments. He sees us as treasured pets,” I said, trying again to placate him, but again it had no effect.

“Does he now?” Treize responded silkily. “You’ll have to excuse me, I’m not accustomed to people fucking their treasured pets,” he scoffed. The vulgarity sounded forced and crude from him, but if he thought to surprise me with it then he was sadly mistaken. Being around Duo had been an education in language.

            “He may have sex with us, but he has never fucked us,” I replied, giving way to my own temper at last. It was the wrong thing to do, though, and Treize had me against the wall in a moment, arms splayed on either side of my head, threatening but not touching.

            “Then perhaps I should show him what little whores are for,” he snarled, and I gulped in a breath. I had to stay calm. Treize prided himself on his class, and if I lost control and resorted to animal instincts, then he would treat me as such. But if I could hold my composure, perhaps I could bring him back to reason.

            “You said you would not touch me if we obeyed your rules,” I protested, my voice coming out much more calmly than I felt. Treize smiled coldly, then.

            “No,” he corrected, backing away. “I said I would not touch you without him. So perhaps it is time to wake him up?”

            Before I could protest, Treize had knelt beside Zechs and was slowly pulling away the afghan, revealing Master’s naked and helpless form. Treize smiled at me, like he was showing off a fine piece of china, and slipped his hand up the porcelain thigh. His hand trailed the inside of Master’s leg, his fingers slipping down to cup his testicles. Treize’s fingers gently traced the skin, easing up to wrap around the slowly rising cock.

            Meanwhile, I stood frozen, desperate to intervene but knowing that I would only make things worse. Zechs’ eyes fluttered and he shifted, his legs falling open and Treize moved between them, settling his clothed body along Zechs’ nude form. They kissed, with Treize initiating the contact, but Zechs joining in groggily as he awoke. Zechs’ arms came up to wrap around Treize in a familiar grasp, and for a moment I thought that perhaps Zechs had mistaken Treize for one of us, but then Zechs sighed softly and called Treize’s name and I knew that this was not the first time they had been intimate.

            It was like watching an angel and a demon intertwine. The knowledge that these two had been lovers came as a shock to me, and I must have made a sound of distress.

            “Quatre?” Zechs called, looking blearily at me. I could see him trying to sort through his memories to come up with a reason for his situation. I tried to say something, but even though my lips moved I could make no sound. I wanted to flee, wanted to intervene, but I was frozen, unable to do either. Meanwhile, Zechs was becoming distressed, his gaze flickering between me and Treize until he settled on Treize. “What’s going on?” he asked, his voice surprised and betrayed. “Why are you doing this?” he asked again, this time trying to push Treize away, but the drugs left Zechs weak and Treize merely laughed.

            “You can’t tell me your slave hasn’t seen you in compromising positions before,” Treize defended, pulling Zechs up until Zechs was sitting in Treize’s lap, with Treize’s hands kneading his ass. Zechs blushed and couldn’t meet my gaze, and it hurt worse that I could feel how humiliated he was rather than simply seeing it. But I was helpless to do anything, unwilling to stand up to Treize and make the situation worse.

            “Perhaps I should show you how to use him?” Treize continued, rubbing the bulge in his trousers against Zechs’ naked ass. “If you’ve used him so little that even this embarrasses you.”

            “Leave him be,” Zechs said quietly, hiding his face in Treize’s shoulder. “It’s me you want.”

            “And I suppose you’re willing to do anything I want?” Treize questioned, thrusting his hips at Zechs again. Zechs nodded, and the stab of humiliation that I felt from Zechs made my knees go weak until I was leaning against the wall for support.

            Zechs slipped to the floor then, trying for graceful but the drugs made his movements uncoordinated and he landed in a heap at Treize’s feet. Treize didn’t laugh or say anything unkind, though, merely took Zechs’ hand and helped him to his knees. It was with the familiarity of an old lover, then, that Treize pulled Zechs’ hair to the side as Zechs began to undo Treize’s pants. There wasn’t any hesitation in the way Zechs stroked Treize to hardness, a causal confidence in his own skill that told me this was far from the first time these two had been together. But the way Treize leered at me, and the way Zechs kept his face down and his eyes averted, told me just as surely as my empathy that what these two may have had in the past was not the same as what they had now.

            And when Treize pulled Zechs up from sucking his cock and kissed him deeply, I felt my stomach turn. I plastered myself against the wall, trying to pretend that I was somewhere else as the monster that created Collar prepared to fuck the angel that rescued me from this hell. But Treize hadn’t brought me in simply to be an audience, and eventually he got tired of waiting for me to move.

            “Come,” he beckoned me, and I knew that he would eventually have his way, even though I shook my head and dug my heels in. His eyes narrowed, and he beckoned again. “Come here, or you’ll regret it,” he promised, but nothing could make me budge. I was barely holding his emotions at bay with the space between us. Touching him would undo me. Zechs, still in Treize’s lap, could sense my distress and its cause, and tried to intervene.

            “Treize, please,” Zechs begged, and Treize turned his attention away from me for a moment. “He really can’t touch you. He’s empathic. He’ll be overwhelmed by your emotions. Aren’t I enough for you?” Zechs tried, but Treize could see it for the ploy it was, and would not be swayed.

            “So you can read my mind, little kitten?” he asked, smiling in a way that frightened me more than his frown, and I nodded hesitantly. Treize pushed Zechs off his lap, peering at me like an insect under a microscope.

            “It’s much stronger through touch. If I touch you, I’ll know all your secrets,” I lied, desperate to keep him away.

            “Tch,” he said, the smile disappearing. “Liar,” and then he slapped me hard across the face.

            “You bastard!” snarled Zechs and lunged at Treize, but he was still woozy from the sedatives and fell back easily when Treize pushed him.

            “Don’t!” I cried, getting between the two and trying to keep the fight from escalating. “I’m sorry! I meant that I’ll know all your emotions, everything you feel. I can block you from a distance, but skin to skin contact is undeniable without my drugs.”

            “Really?” he said, cocking his head and I could tell that the idea intrigued him. “Then tell me all about myself.”

            He placed his hand on my cheek and I felt my vision blur. In the distance, I heard Zechs scream. If I had been able to, I would have screamed as well. It felt like my mind was shattering, with thin cracks running all along my psyche until it finally burst apart.

            “You’re mad!” I heard my voice say.

            “Tell me what you feel, little rabbit,” Treize said, his hand stroking down to find my pulse, and it was only then that I felt my heart pounding against my chest.

            “You’re obsessed,” I gasped, and felt hot tears spill down my cheeks. “You’re so obsessed with power that it’s drowned out everything else!”

            “Leave him be!” Zechs shouted, lunging to separate us, but Treize knocked him to couch and jerked me against him, twisting my arm behind my back and pinning it between our bodies, his other hand still holding my cheek.

            “Move again and I’ll break his arm,” Treize promised, and I was terrified more by the lack of emotion I felt connected to that promise than I did about the threat to myself. Treize would feel nothing from snapping my arm and watching me suffer, but thankfully Zechs stayed frozen in his seat.

            “Now, darling, chat with me,” and I could feel his breath on my neck, “Tell me what you know.”

“Please, let me go,” I pleaded, trying in vain to pull my face away.

“In due time, but first I want to see your skill in action,” he said, and his personality was so strong in my mind that I felt the words spilling out before I even thought of saying them.

            “You’re lust for power overwhelms almost everything else,” I said, and felt the words slipping from my mouth in an unstoppable flow. “You’ve gone mad from hunger from it, and he,” my eyes rolled, settling on Zechs, “represents everything you’ve lost in your struggle for power, every goal unreached, every failure experienced.” My eyes rolled again, and I found myself staring over my shoulder at Treize’s cold countenance. “You love him. You love him so deeply that you frightened him away. You frightened him away and then you became a monster. And you know that if he did not love you then he could never love now. You…”

            I found myself hurled violently away. My legs crumpled beneath me, and my face connected with the floor. I head Zechs yell and knock over the end table. Treize’s heavy footsteps sounded, and I saw him lift Zechs and put him back on the couch, easily dodging the sloppy punch Zechs threw at him. Then he turned to me, and I pressed my face back to the floor, hoping it would swallow me up, but I felt strong hands grab my arms and I was lifted. I was pinned against the wall, Treize’s thighs pressed against mine, his chest only inches from my own as his hand snaked under my shirt and pressed against the skin of my ribcage. Rage and despair assailed me as Treize’s emotions leapt back into my mind and I sobbed.

I had pushed too far. I had seen too much, threatened him, and he would retaliate. Nothing Zechs could say would keep him from me now. His fingers slipped down into the waist of my pants, his fingers splaying across my hips, and I sobbed.

“Tell me, poppet,” he said in a terrifying whisper, “If I take you by force, will he ever forgive me?”

“No,” I cried, “He’ll hate you forever. Every time you touch him he’ll hear me crying and be disgusted.”

“And how will I react to that?” he pursued.

“You’ll become enraged. You’ll beat him until he loves you again. You’ll break his spirit, damn you!” I hissed, knowing that Zechs was just beyond us.

“And how would I do that?” he asked, and his voice was so sinister that I felt like I was talking to a demon. My empathy fed me the answer, though, and it was no less terrifying.

“You’ll kill one of us. Right in front of him. The failure would break him.”

“Which one?” he asked, because already he knew who it would be. I could feel it too. His darkness would put out our brightest light, our strongest soul. It had started already, but he could be far crueler.

“No. Leave him alone. You leave Duo alone!”

“My, you are good,” he said, and sounded unexpectedly pleased. “The Shinigami will meet his maker if you do not heed me. Do you want that?”

“No! Please, I’ll do anything, just don’t hurt him!”

“Anything?” he questioned, removing his hand from my skin to stroke my hair. I pulled in a sobbing breath as the connection of our skin was broken and I found myself alone in my mind.

“What would you have me do?” I begged him.

“Make him believe,” he said, pulling me close. “Lie. Make him believe you want me. Make me believe he loves me.”
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Cages