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"Center Ring"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU/Fantasy/Adventure, Angst, fluff,
sap, mile gore at one point, mild lemons, mild language Pairings: Eventual 1x2, Singular 2x4/5x2 encounters,
3x4, Eventual 5x6x9 Summary: The last of the world’s half animal hybrid’s face the adventure of a lifetime when they are sent to capture a rogue that appears determined to start a war. However, it is unclear as events unfold what his true purpose is and exactly who is hunting who. This is an unbeta’ed version. View Art for Center Ring: Pic
1, Pic
2 " Center Ring " Ch 1 Summer nights by the seaside; he missed them sometimes. How long had it been since he had breathed the salty air? It reminded him of his home once upon a time. He had no home now save for his small traveling nest. He really didn’t have any complaints though. It was better than the desolate cliffs that now adorned the coast where he’d been born. He watched silently as a lone sea gull hovered on the breeze searching for its next meal in the lapping waves. It was nice. So peacefully serene he chose to ignore the approaching sound of the one that would eminently bring an end to his unauthorized little adventure until he landed silently in the sand behind him. “The Ring Master wants to see you,” his companion informed him of what he already knew. He could see by the shadow on the ground that the raven hared whelp had no intention of hanging around as he hadn’t bothered to retract the huge, leathery skinned wings that had brought him here. “Your wanderings will be the death of you yet shiroii hanate,” the young dragon hissed so close his forked tongue tickled his ear. “Then let me die now,” he sighed wishing something, anything could change his miserable existence even a little bit. Not since the day his kind were extinguished had he felt the desire to continue living in this world. His life wasn’t all that bad really. He had a job albeit a pitiful one. He had his friends even though he could count them on one hand; but even so he felt so terribly out of place. He was different, like his half dragon friend. They were all different thanks to the mad men that had chosen to tamper with the genetic code of human beings. The insanity had spawned hundreds of new races that had almost wiped out man kind altogether. Man’s solution to his crime? Genocide. Every non-human race was systematically extinguished. There were only a few left now. Stragglers left in the wake of the carnage. They were hated because of the war that had raged in their attempt to earn their right to exist. The dragons in particular had been targeted because of their great strength and formidable natural weaponry. It was believed by most that this boy, one Chang Wufei by name, was the last of his species. If he weren’t it was quiet possible he’d have been dead the moment his prehensile tail wrapped seductively around the Japanese fledglings calf. “You may get your wish,” the dragon purred in his ear. “The ring master is not amused,” he told him pushing his luck as he rested his hand on his companions shoulder. Hiiro could feel his desire. It was always the same with the insatiable dragon boy. He craved power and was inexplicitly drawn to those who held it. Though it seemed no one was safe from his ravenous need to dominate it was those closest to his own perplexity that were at the most risk. Other’s like himself…like Hiiro. There was little point in killing him however, and for the most part he was harmless when handled with the proper respect. There was one thing the boy with the ebony cleft eyes could not tolerate, one thing that Hiiro turned to make use of as he snatching him into his arms and kissed him hard dead on the mouth. For a moment all Wufei did was let him drinking in the passion that poured freely down his throat but the moment he realized he was being pushed down into the sand, Hiiro above him, controlling him, dominating him, he suddenly jerked free hissing like an angry snake. His black eyes dancing with a fire that germinated in his crawl and spilled from the corners of his thin lipped mouth as that black tipped, forked tongue of his darted from between white fanged teeth. He was truly a sight to behold. Thin and wiry with an inhuman grace, strength that showed both in the steely glint of his eyes and the well formed musculature beneath his golden skin. The wings that sprang from his shoulder blades were the most stunning feature of his emancipated form stretching a full four meters from tip to tip when fully spread like they were now. Great, leathery appendages of golden hues where the skin stretched so thin it was transparent over the ashen skeleton that framed and supported their immense power. They had been a proud and beautiful race. Hiiro didn’t have the heart to kill him even if the dragon whelp did irritate him madly. He could see the boy was still entertaining thoughts of an attempted suicide as he looked for a possible opening in which to take Hiiro down but it took little more than for the Eaglet to spread his own impressive wing span and shake loose a few stark white feathers to change his mind and send him rocketing skyward with another loud hiss and a flit of his dangerously tipped tail. Hiiro was considerably larger than the dragon boy when he stretched himself to his limits but he didn’t have the will to retain the intimidating visage. He bore no fangs nor could he breathe fire like his lethal partner but he held a power much more inevitable in the depths of his dark blue eyes. He gazed out over the endlessly sighing sea once more before lifting his powerful white wings to heaven to carry him away in the direction his raven hared brother had disappeared. * His silent contemplation bore testament to just how upset the Ring Master was with his disobedience. Hiiro was known for his patience however, and stood quietly awaiting his fate. He really couldn’t blame the man; it had been the fifth time in a month he’d ventured off into the world of man without permission. No doubt it would cause his benefactor a great deal of trouble if the authorities got wind of his little escapades. Honestly, he knew the only reason any of them were alive at all was because of the ginger hared man that sat with his fingertips to his lips in his high backed chair silently regarding him. It was due to an arrangement Treize had made with the government to regulate and care for the hybrids that had kept them all from being executed on sight. He’d spent the last two years locating and gathering what was left of the hybrid population together offering them up to the public as wonders of the world in his small three ring circus. They performed all over the planet and were accepted for the most part as welcome entertainment for the bored people of the land. It was a lot better than living on the run, never knowing when some bounty hunter might pop out and put a bullet in your brain pan. There were rules and regulations to be followed however, and Hiiro was having a bit of trouble with them as of late. Something no one in the organization was very pleased with; least of all the man responsible for saving all their lives. His left wing ruffled slightly when the door opened. He knew by the sound and delicacy of the foot falls exactly who it was that had entered first. Quatre. Even his scent was light and crisp, like a ray of sunshine in the early morning air. He didn’t have to turn and look at him to know he was glowering faintly in the dim light of the portable office that served as a headquarters for the traveling band of misfits. This was his way. It was only one of the strangely magical properties that had been granted him by his unicorn lineage. Hiiro had always been partial to the slight blond foal but then, he had an unearthly talent for enchanting those around him to the point of willing servitude just by gracing them with his winsome smile. Next in line was Trowa, the willowy lion cub. His aroma was much thicker than Quatre’s airy redolence, his steps warmer and truer to the earth beneath his padded feet. Hiiro had learned early on not to let the slim figure fool him as the boy possessed the strength of the great beast that was the origin of his complexity. Short fangs adorned his supple smile that few had ever had the honor of witnessing. One of his more uniquely hidden qualities were the sharp claws of his hands and feet, a mirror image of his heritage in the fact that he could retract the deadly claws when not in use. Hiiro didn’t have to turn around to know the black aperture of his emerald eyes would be trained on Quatre from beneath the thick main of auburn hair that fell over his face. He’d been enraptured by the young unicorn since the day he’d laid eyes on the foal. Quatre couldn’t help his mesmeric traits, he was a great favorite during the shows they performed because of it but Trowa was the only being he had ever shown any real acquiescence. It was a little unnerving at times when they got particularly cuddly. Trowa’s purring could wake the dead when he was fully content. No one bothered wondering about their odd sexuality, once you got past the fact that they were of a completely different species the fact that they were both boy’s was a little redundant. Hiiro didn’t mind, he found both genders acceptable in his mind and Wufei certainly didn’t care. He spent most of his time trying to breed one or another of them with the exception of Quatre. It was known among all people that dragons and unicorns are mortal enemies. The only reason they could co-exist at all was because of their human halves. The dragon didn’t take kindly at all to being bewitched by the mystical colt. Something Quatre took great pleasure in attempting on a regular basis. Treize released a sigh of long suffering as Wufei hissed in response to the blonds’ shimmering smile and ducked behind Hiiro using the imposing presence of the Eaglet as a shield against Quatre’s winsome charms. Hiiro steeled himself; it was very irregular for his teammates to be called in during a private disciplinary council. “Where did you go?” Treize asked evenly once the others had settled. “The seaside,” Hiiro replied coolly. Treize didn’t have to ask why. He already knew of Hiiro’s origins and half expected the lure of the ocean to be a temptation he couldn’t withstand being so close. “That’s the fourth breach of regulation this month,” the man reminded him gaining no response from the silent fledgling whatsoever. “Is it your intention to spur them into clipping your wings?” he asked reminding him of the brutality his keepers were capable of but he didn’t so much as blink in reply. Wufei; on the other hand hissed and growled low in his chest at the very idea shrinking back into the shadows of the room. “He only wished to see his home,” Quatre smiled starting to step forward but he found himself veiled behind a curtain of thick, white feathers as Hiiro stretched out his left wing baring his advance. “He endangers us all,” Wufei’s harmonic tone graveled in the darkness. It was uncertain just how he managed to sound as if he’d split himself in to several separate beings that all spoke as once but the effect was wholly mesmerizing. “No one saw him,” Trowa argued coaxing the blond boy back against his chest, the faint rumble of the purr that always accompanied the foals touch rolling in his chest. “He’s only making the restrictions worse by running off,” the dragon injected. “Like you’re terrorizing the audience last month was of any use!” Quatre spat, the tell tale stirring of an preternatural wind ruffling his long bangs making the soft outline of the five pointed star that was visible on his forehead whenever he used his special talents glimmer with life. Wufei hissed again growling dangerously as he slithered along the opposite wall behind Hiiro’s still unprovoked form. “Enough!” Treize barked suddenly calling a halt to the confrontation. “Trowa’s right” he said bringing a curious crease to the brow of all attending, including Hiiro who had been awaiting what he thought would be a severe reprimand. His behavior had indeed endangered the others. Any time one of them disobeyed it meant a reevaluation of the guidelines that spared their lives. Of course, as Trowa had said, no one saw him but they knew Treize was taking his own life in his hands when he withheld information like this from the authorities. There had to be a reason and Hiiro really didn’t believe it was because he was feeling fuzzy towards the delinquent Eagle. “We have another problem to deal with at the moment,” Treize said confirming Hiiro’s thoughts. “The other,” Quatre smiled. He really loved it when he could show off. He’d felt it in the still of the night more than once since they neared the mountains. “A hunt?” Hiiro asked. They hadn’t been on a hunt since Trowa’s capture over a year ago. He could feel his blood running faster already. A hunt meant they got out, out of the circus, out from under the governments rule and out of the shackles that had been placed upon them. There were given full amnesty when they were on a hunt. As long as they didn’t kill any humans or cause too much damage they were free to do whatever they saw fit in order to bring the rogue hybrid to order. Hiiro had begun to entertain the idea that the four of them really were the last. This was quite a revelation. “It would appear our young unicorn already has a handle on things,” Treize smiled like a proud pappa at the grinning blond. “If you would enlighten us?” he went on laying his hands on his desk. “It’s dark,” Quatre began dramatically, his blue/green eyes flashing with the excitement still coursing through his veins as he spoke of the new creature. “The essence is thick… heavy,” he went on grinning as Wufei moved to keep Hiiro between them as he walked forward. “What are its attributes?” Hiiro asked effectively killing the dramatization and replacing the colt’s thespian smile with a cute little pout as the tension bled out of his description. “It flies,” he sighed giving up on the theatrics. “It moves too fast to be earthbound,” he explained moving back towards Trowa’s side. “What do you mean by `dark?`” Treize wanted to know. “The opposite of light,” Quatre quipped unhelpfully. “Any… mmmmagical properties?” Wufei hissed slithering around Hiiro to poke the colt in the ass with his tail. “Hard to say,” Quatre smiled turning his huge, cerulean eyes over his sumptuously pale shoulder to peer seductively at the suddenly mesmerized dragon. “There is telepathic potential,” he said with such compulsion even Hiiro felt the tendons in his thighs tighten. Wufei’s defenses were shaken as well as he stared blankly into the light in the unicorns bottomless eyes. “Release him,” Treize commanded just before the light faded from Quatre’s eyes and the dragon growled menacingly again and slapped the blond on the ass with his tail before retreating back to his side of Hiiro again. Quatre stumbled oh so conveniently right into Trowa’s outstretched arms looking indignant and smug all at the same time. “We are uncertain of its origins,” the Ring Master explained. “All that we know is that it has been terrorizing the villages along the eastern boarder of the Antilles Mountains.” “That’s the range west of here,” Hiiro noted. He’d seen the long range of jagged peaks during his unscheduled flight. “Yes,” Treize confirmed. “You must locate and contain it before it causes any more damage.” Hiiro’s brow rose on the word `damage` as the others all looked at each other in concern. “The raids appear to be restricted to missing livestock and equipment,” the man explained. “But it’s enough to have the locals in an uproar,” he warned. “Stay away from the towns if you can. I can assure you the people will be anything but welcoming.” “Understood,” Hiiro replied, his voice all but humming with anticipation. Quatre wasn’t the only one that could feel the resinous power lying under the Eaglets breast. “When do we start?” he asked evenly, his tone barely betraying the tumultuous storm playing just under the surface of his skin. Treize let him thrum for a long moment, a small smile playing in the corners of his mouth. It was his greatest pleasure really, to cut them loose and allow them to be what they were. The closest he could come on a normal day was the shows they put on utilizing their special talents but this was no ordinary day. He felt the rush in his heart mirrored in the sharp eyes of the anxious Eagle as he parted his lips and gave the command, “Now.” Hiiro completely ignored the fact that the spreading of his wings, the raw power and force contained within his soul spilling out as he rounded and exited the room knocked the others clean off their feet. They’d catch up, they always did. He wasn’t disappointed. The workers that were always milling around the circus doing whatever jobs needed to be done knew in an instant something was very different about their resident angel. As hard as he tried it was impossible to make the general population understand that he wasn’t some celestial being but a hybrid just like his brothers. However, a beautiful young boy with huge white wings spoke much louder than any reasoning he could offer. Even the ones he was quiet familiar with gathered in the shadows to peer at him as he strode purposely through their midst. It was evening, just before dusk. There wouldn’t be a show for at least four days. Four days wasn’t really enough to track and contain a hybrid with flight capability but they might at least locate it. Identify it. Possibly make first contact. There was always a time limit on these things however. They’d have to bring it in within the two week window or the army would get skittish and start firing blindly. “Trowa?” Catherine, one of the humans the adolescent cub worked closely with called as she fell into step behind the four motley creatures. “What’s going on?” she asked glancing nervously around the strange pack. “A hunt,” Trowa replied evenly. “What!?” she breathed looking seriously alarmed. “There is another,” Quatre beamed knowing full well he was going to receive the glare of blinding hatred the young woman flashed his way. She had appointed herself the cub’s personal keeper the moment he’d arrived and took her duties very seriously. It was fairly obvious to everyone that his infatuation with the young unicorn was a sore spot for her in more ways than one. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she snapped, her expression softening again as she turned back to her self appointed charge. “There is another” Trowa repeated. “What is it?” she asked accepting the words from him as gospel. “Not sure,” Wufei purred slipping up along her other side. “Could be dangerous,” he added slithering along much too close for comfort as she rolled her eyes. “Peerrrhapssss you should offer me a proper farewell,” he suggested, his black tongue darting out to tickle her ear while his tail suggested other things as it crept under the back of her skirt. Trowa said nothing nor showed any sign of malice as he extended one razor sharp claw and severed the tension cord that held the canopy of the tent they were walking next to neatly dumping the entire canvas on the impudent dragons head. No one bothered to slow down and help the hissing, spitting reptile as he disentangled himself while the whole of the residents laughed at his misfortune. “Why do you all have to go?” Catherine asked staying true to her over protective nature. “Who else can do it?” Quatre asked saucily. He didn’t miss the little half smirk on Trowa’s lips when the girls eyes hardened again. The cub really loved having the pair of them fighting over him. Must’ve had something to do with that whole king of the beasts thing. “Why don’t you just hang him in a cage and use him as bait?” she suggested through clenched teeth and narrowed eyes. “Hmmm,” Quatre hummed thoughtfully. “Ya know That’s not a bad...” “No” Trowa cut him off instantly slipping a protective arm around his waist that just about popped a vein in the girls neck. “It will take all of us to accomplish the task,” he told his care worn keeper. “Look after the pride while I’m away,” he instructed meaning the three lions he usually worked with during the shows. Each of them had a particular gift for communicating with the beast of their origin. Lions were still abundant whereas dragons and unicorns were thought to be as extinct as the great ivory eagles that had once adorned the cliffs by the sea. It was because of their involvement in the war and their obedience to their hybrid brothers that they had also been hunted to extinction. Trowa was one of the few successful genetic creations that had managed to survive with feline DNA; therefore, his root species had never become intricately involved leaving them to prowl the land as they always had. Catherine was hardly that easy to put off. “I don’t see why you have to go along,” she insisted. “You can’t even fly! What if something happens and you can’t get home?” “Cath...” the green eyed kit began. “No!” she spat stubbornly. “You don’t need to go! Hiiro!” but that was all she managed to get out before she coward back suddenly under the full weight of the Eaglets fiery blue gaze as he rounded on her, the motion disturbing the very fabric of the space that surrounded him and sending everything within five meters scurrying to make room for his impressive form. Hiiro said nothing clearly having no patience for the petty argument as he stepped forward and grabbed the lion cub by the belt. Catherine could do nothing but fall back on the ground as the Eaglets huge, powerful wings began to move the air lifting them both off the ground. The girl actually screamed out loud when a dark shape suddenly slammed into Hiiro’s side dislodging the slender boy from his grasp some hundred feet above the ground. Trowa’s body never hit the Earth however as the much faster, smaller form of the dragon scooped him up in mid air before the Eagle could fully regain his balance and darted off into the darkening sky with a harmonious laugh trilling behind his violently lashing tail. “You!” Catherine growled, her gray eyes flashing dangerously as she pulled herself from the ground and glared at the amused looking unicorn. “What did I do?” he asked sounding scandalized. “If you weren’t such a letch Wufei would have carried you!” she shrieked. “Oh, please,” Quatre sighed seemingly unconcerned by her distemper as he raised both his hands to heaven. “I’d sooner be skinned and left to the rats,” he sighed huffing suddenly as Hiiro swooped down and snatched him from the ground. “That can be arranged!” the girl shouted after them as they rose quickly above the horizon. * Flight. It was something he was usually denied other than the short sessions necessary to put on a good show. Twice a month he was allowed to stretch his wings but only under the strict supervision of his keeper. A keeper. That’s what Treize really was. And they were his pets. Like zoo animals no longer fit to roam the wilds but up here it was a whole different ball game. Right then there were no cameras trained on his movements, no documentation of his abilities and no one to tell him how high he could go. Quatre was no more than an after thought; his slight body weighing so little Hiiro barely felt it as he clung to his chest with arms and legs wrapped neatly around him. It wasn’t an unfamiliar pose. They often coupled like this for feats during shows so they were well practiced at it. Hiiro actually rather enjoyed having the sweet blond clinging to him. He was far from immune to his magnetism though he had a lot more control than most over his own emotions; however, at that particular moment, with the new found freedom coursing through him and the intense elation of being able to spread his wings and climb the heavens as he was born to do; his emotions were running as high as he wings were taking them. The clouds lay high above the mountains peek but nothing was above where Hiiro could reach. He couldn’t resist just once pushing the envelope and breeching the thick, white fluff, the great expanse of his exemplary, white wings tugging at the mist dragging it upward along with them leaving a twisted trail against the blackening sky behind him as he turned to face the setting sun, its warm rays piercing the bitter cold at that altitude as it set his entire visage aglow in a fiery golden halo. “P..p pretty,” Quatre stuttered still clinging tight. “Shit,” he muttered suddenly remembering his passenger was not equipped to deal with the chill and thin air up there. He wrapped his arms and wings tight around the shivering boy and turned head first toward the warm earth below suddenly dropping from the sky like a stone. He could feel the colt shaking but whether it was from the lack of oxygen, the cold or the three g’s they were having to tolerate as they rocketed toward the ground was unclear. Quatre gasped when Hiiro spread his wings again bringing their decent to an abrupt halt. “You ok?” the Eaglet asked prying him away so he could look at him. He felt a stab of guilt when he saw the tiny bits of frost that still adorned his thick lashes. “L...lets not add th...that to the act,” the blond chuckled relaxing a little as they soared silently through the endless sky. “Sorry,” Hiiro apologized cuddling the little foal close in the crick of his neck. He might have killed him being so careless. Had it been so long that he’d become that thoughtless in his need? “C...c...cold,” Quatre stammered still shivering a little as he burrowed into Hiiro’s warm chest. “Sorry,” Hiiro reiterated rubbing his hands up and down his back to warm him as he looked around for the others. “Warm me up?” the foal smiled turning huge blue/green eyes on him that spoke of pleasures far beyond any human’s capability. Hiiro didn’t usually give into the boy’s winsome fancies but then he was rarely serious when he offered. The few times he had been had been some of the most pleasurable moments of Hiiro’s young life. Most had taken place before the induction of their lion hearted friend but he was still known to offer small privileges to Hiiro from time to time. Like the kiss he was offering now. Hiiro took him up on it, he wasn’t a fool. He owed him that much for having almost killed him really. “Where are they?” he asked swallowing hard once he was able to pull away from the sweet ecstasy of Quatre’s delicate mouth. “West,” the blond replied still shivering but it had nothing to do with the cold this time. Even the frost had melted away. “Can you locate the target?” Hiiro asked setting a course. Quatre paused for a moment then shook his head. “Where was he last time you sensed him?” “There,” the blond pointed to a jagged peak to the southwest. “Alright,” the Eaglet smiled tightening his hold on the slight form clinging to him so he could relax a little. “Let me know if you sense anything else,” he reminded him needlessly. “I sense Trowa,” Quatre giggled. “What’s so funny?” Hiiro inquired feeling a little giddy himself. “He’s ripe” the blond informed him. “Must be the freedom,” he mused arcing back and spreading his arms as he dangled his head in the breeze while Hiiro held him firm. “Must be,” Hiiro agreed giving into the urge to draw him close and taste his long, sultry neck. Quatre giggled folding in on himself. “You shouldn’t tempt,” Hiiro reprimanded him. “There.”
~ * ~ tbc... |
