Death of a Dragon

Wufei was pouting. He'd denied it for a while, and then gave up and admitted the truth. He was pouting. He just didn't know why.

After Ty's strange admittance yesterday afternoon, and the chaste kiss that had followed it, Wufei was unsure how he felt about his whole situation. In his mind, he knew that he was a Preventer agent and Ty a criminal. His heart, though, was doing cartwheels at the very thought that someone was interested in him. And Ty seemed to be very interested if the roses he'd sent this morning were any clue.

Today, after breakfast (a delicious breakfast, too), Wufei's doctor checked him over. The man seemed surprised by Wufei's fast recovering speed and suggested the man was ready to try a wheelchair. Wufei was excited to get out, even if it was only to the inner grounds of the hospital and that beautiful garden. He had a feeling he wouldn't get far if he tried to escape, though, so didn't bother.

Sitting in the wheelchair under a large oak tree, Wufei was struck by a sudden thought.

He was almost happy. He was enjoying himself, even if he was bored most of the time. Instead of looking for a way to contact someone for help, Wufei had been wheeling himself through the expansive garden. Not exactly the way an ex-Gundam pilot and current Preventer agent should be acting.

But really, what else did he have to do with a leg he could barely use?

Wufei sighed. "And why the hell should I care?" he said to himself angrily. "What's out there that I so desperately need to get back to?"

"Wufei!" a strong voice called from nearby.

Wufei did deny that a smile crossed his face for a moment. He wheeled himself out from the shade and over to Ty.

"The doctor said you were already out of bed. You recover fast."

Wufei didn't reply to that, but mentioned he was thinking of getting lunch. Wufei gave his mental self another ball-busting kick when Ty took his words as an invitation to lunch.
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Duo glared at the piece of paper in his hands as if he wanted it to break and start spilling intel. He wanted info and he wanted it now.

"Duo, calm down," Quatre said. "We're all frustrated but you growling death threats to a sheet of paper is annoying."

"Where the hell could he go if not to a hospital?" Duo snapped. "That was a lot of blood! Did you check every hospital?"

"Checked and double checked. I know how to do my job," Quatre told him just as angrily.

"Shut up, both of you," Sally interjected before the fighting could escalate.

Tensions and tempers were running high among the five of them with this major set-back glaring them in the face. The blood Trowa and Duo had found was Wufei's, but there'd only been blood in that spot on the sidewalk. They'd check with cabs to see if Wufei had left by car, the only way he could've, but still nothing. Sally sighed.

"Has anyone tried his cell?" Heero asked suddenly.

The only answer was stunned silence. Sometimes a solution is so obvious that it's overlooked in the rush to figure out the problem. Duo chuckled nervously.

"He never answers it, for one. And two I think we all assumed someone else did," reasoned Duo. Everyone nodded their agreement.

"Well, let's call him now," Sally said as she walked over to the office phone. She dialed and listened impatiently, her foot tapping a staccato.

"Chang."

"No way," Sally breathed. "Wufei?"

"Sally?"
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A musical tone danced about in Wufei's tired mind, weaving and ducking from his attempts to turn the damn alarm off already!

He awoke with a jolt, remembering he was in a hospital. There was no alarm clock. He looked around the room for the source of the ringing, and spied his jacket hanging on the back of a chair. His jacket had been clean, so it hadn't been sent to the laundry when he arrived like his pants had been. He'd also never been searched.

It took him a moment to get out of bed, and the person had already hung up and called again. He didn't recognize the number, but answered anyway.

"Chang."

"No way," he heard the other person say. "Wufei?"

"Sally?" Wufei could barely believe this was happening. Things like this just weren't supposed to happen when you'd been kidnapped.

"Yes. Where are you? We're worried sick!"

"I don't know. In a hospital somewhere. I think I've been kidnapped, maybe."

There was a scuffle on the other end of the call, and then Wufei was speaking to Quatre. He'd barely gotten to say hello to his comrade before Sally retook possession.

"Are you injured?"

"I was shot, left thigh. It's been treated and is healing. Someone sniped me after I left the raid, and someone else sort of kidnapped me."

"Sort of? What do you mean?"

"I mean that I have no idea what's going on." Wufei paused, hearing footsteps nearing his room. "I'll call you when I can." He hung up and stashed his phone back in his jacket just in time.

Ty walked into the room, a smile on his face. "I thought you were resting," he teased lightly.

"I was stretching a moment," Wufei told him. Hearing Sally's voice had given the rational part of his mind a thorough shaking. When just earlier that day he'd found Ty charming, now the older man seemed...creepy. "I should get back to sleep."

"Of course. I just wanted to tell you that I will be gone for a few days, Wufei. Don't get into trouble in my absence."

Wufei nodded, and allowed Ty to help him back to the bed. After Ty left, Wufei sighed. He was pouting again, but at least now he knew why.

The first nice guy he meets and he just has to be the enemy. Was it too much to ask that some of the sweet, handsome gentlemen be on his side for once?


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Author's Note: Right after I published the last chapter, I had an idea. It seemed so overwhelmingly funny to me that I had to use it. It actually makes sense that Wufei could still have his cell, and no one had thought to call. I finally have an idea about where this is going, and it's only going to get stranger.
*skips off to work on next chapter*