Chapter 5

A week later Wufei's father finally died...

Wufei watched silently as the procession continued as they lowered the coffin down into the six-foot deep hole. He really had no tears for his father. He and his father were never close. He was only an heir to the family power to his father, nothing more.

Heero and Trowa were standing protectively behind Wufei to make sure no one tried to make any funny moves to dispatch of the new heir of the Dragon Clan.

Then it came the moment where everyone could drop a flower into the grave. Wufei was holding a single red rose as he stepped forward and dropped the rose to begin the tradition. Then everyone else began to file in a line and drop off some kind of flower or dirt.

"Come on, Wufei, you need to go home and think things through," Heero said quietly as he took the elbow of the new heir and led him to the limo waiting outside of the cemetery.

"Wufei, I'm so sorry," Quatre whispered as he caught him to his friend. "I know this must be sort of hard on you."

Wufei looked at his friend and smiled with his eyes. "You know me too well, Quatre."

The blond nodded his eyes also just a bit bright. He also knew of the cold relationship between Wufei and his father and he knew his friend wasn't really morning his father's death, only a sire's.

They got into the limo where Sally and Zechs were already waiting.

"What are you two conspiring about?" Zechs asked as he pulled his lover onto his lap and held him there. Quatre smiled and squirmed until he was comfortable.

"Are you all right, Wufei?" Sally asked quietly.

Wufei smiled at his "mother". "I'm fine, Sally. You know that."

Sally sighed in relief and smiled as well. "I'm just glad they have darkly tinted windows or the whole world would wonder why we're all smiling." She then looked over to Heero and Trowa. "Well, almost all of us."

Trowa smiled slightly and Heero raised an eyebrow.

"Let's go home. I'm tired and I need to think before I take this heir thing head on," Wufei said quietly. "There's a lot to be taken care of."

They all nodded and the rest of the trip was made in a comfortable silence.

~*~

Wufei had been heir for a month and already everything was beginning to improve as the Dragon Clan quickly regains its old power. He was a firm yet just leader and led the Dragon Clan back to its former power. The Dragon Clan was satisfied with their new leader, but only them. The other clans were still furious at the political power that Wufei was gaining because of his skill and charm with the most powerful of people in China where he had moved back to so he could over look everything in the Dragon Clan with ease instead of all the way from America where things would reach him more slowly. It was infuriating for the other clans to lose their power so quickly and to know there was nothing they could do about it. Well, almost...

~*~

Sighing, Wufei rubbed the bridge between his eyes and worked off the tension there. He had been working really late and was starting to get tired. He was sixteen years old and already he was taking on a lot of responsibility while Sally helped him make it all legal for a minor to accomplish certain things. But then in China things were more different and sixteen wasn't such a young age to get some things done.

"Wufei, you've been working all night," Sally scolded as she stood there with some tea. "Go to bed."

"But Sally--"

"Go! I will not have you pass out at the meeting you have with the politics from Iran on Thursday," Sally said, shaking her head as she set the tea down and pulled the slight boy to his feet. He was slight before, now he was just down right skinny. He didn't eat right and Sally was beginning to wonder if he even got enough sleep.

"Sally, I still have some more things to--"

"If you don't listen to me I'll tie you down to the bed and won't let you up till I see those black bruises under your eyes gone," Sally threatened. "And you know Heero and Trowa listen to me."

Wufei smiled at Sally and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, Sally. I don't know where I would be without you."

"Dead from exhaustion," Sally snorted as she pushed Wufei over to the bed. "Now, change and go to sleep. You're a grown young man so I think you know how to get dressed."

Wufei rolled his eyes.

Sally laughed and left the room.

Doing as Sally told him to, Wufei changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed. He missed Quatre and Zechs but they had a better life in America and he was happy for his friends. Heero and Trowa naturally followed him to China and from what Wufei saw, they were getting much closer. But of course business doesn't allow them to show affection in public. Wufei smiled as he turned off the lights. But the noises heard at night sure gave everyone an idea what happened in private.

Wufei was grinning as he dropped down on his pillow and quickly went to sleep. He hadn't realized how tired he really was.

Sometime in the middle of the night a shadow flitted into the room noiselessly. It stood up from its crouched position and walked over to the bed where the Chinese boy laid.

Hilde was close to Wufei when suddenly a sword appeared out of nowhere and was pointed at her throat.

"Don't take another step," a slow yet dangerous voice said.

Hilde froze. She looked down at the shiny sword and immediately recognized it as the Dragon Clan heir's sword.

"Wufei," Hilde tried.

"Shut up," Wufei barked as the lights went on to reveal a very angry boy. "Are you another assassin?"

"Wufei, listen to me," Hilde said softly, her eyes pleading for him to listen to her. "There's something important I have to tell you."

"What is that?" A cold voice said behind Hilde as a metal muzzle of a gun was pressed into her back.

Hilde felt anger rise in her. She clenched her fists and continued to stare at the Dragon Clan heir.

"Tell him to back off," she said tightly.

"And why would he do that?" A quiet voice asked. A tall green-eyed boy appeared beside Wufei.

Hilde thought angrily.

"Because I have something important to say." She smiled coldly. "If I was dead, he wouldn't know what it was."

"And why would anything you say be important to me?" Wufei demanded, his sword still pointed at her throat, ready to slash it open if she made a wrong move.

Hilde smiled. "Duo."

Wufei visibly paled as he stood there. He slowly lowered his sword and stared at the girl in shock. "How--Who are you?"

"Tell your body guards to back off or I don't say anything," Hilde threatened.

Wufei looked at Heero and Trowa and motioned for them to back off. They were confused but did as told. What was Wufei doing?

Wufei looked at the girl. "What's your name?"

"Hilde."

"And what do you know about Duo?" Wufei asked softly.

Hilde felt her heart twist. This boy really did love Duo. She hadn't believed it when her "brother" told her but it was true and she knew that Duo loved this boy as well. That's why she was risking so much right now by coming to this boy like this.

"A lot. And he's in trouble," Hilde said quietly. She looked at Heero and Trowa. "Is it okay to talk in front of them?"

Wufei hesitated. Then he turned and told his bodyguards to leave the room.

"Wufei, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Heero hissed as he grabbed the boy roughly. "You can't trust her."

"You don't understand. I have to," Wufei said, shaking his head. "Now leave. I can protect myself. She's no threat."

Hilde snorted.

Trowa stared at Wufei for a long moment. Then he reached out and took his lover's hand. "Let's go. I trust Wufei."

Wufei bit his lower lip at those words but remained silent as Trowa led a furious Heero out of the room. Wufei quickly locked the door and closed the windows as he turned to face Hilde.

"Tell me," he told her.

"Okay, when Duo left he also left the country. He's been on the run for a month or something like that. Anyway, I just got into contact with him and it looks like he's been found by the organization and they're gonna kill him for not obeying orders," Hilde explained quickly. "I saw him last about three days ago in Russia. They're probably gonna take him to France where all the main head quarters of the organization is at."

"Why?"

"Because he didn't kill you. Rules are, you don't kill you get killed," Hilde said coldly. "The main council is gonna see him first, it's gonna take a few days to gather them together in one spot. Then they're gonna decide Duo's punishment."

"Why are you risking your life telling me this?"

"I'm the next assassin," Hilde said quietly.

Wufei looked at her in shock. "You mean--?"

"Yes. Wufei, I'm risking a lot because I can't bear to have Duo know that he did all of this for nothing. He loves you Wufei, more than you can imagine. He's like a brother to me, we grew up together and when I last saw him he told me everything and I knew it was the truth. You've got to save him, Wufei," Hilde said firmly. "He loves you and I know you have some kind of power to get him out of this shit."

Wufei walked over the bed and sat down hard. He looked down at the carpet, taking in everything that he was just told.

"I'm just the Dragon Clan heir. Assassins won't listen to me." He looked up at her. "What about you? You're my next assassin but you're not gonna kill me."

"I'll be fine. I'm a survivor and I don't fear death," Hilde said cockily.

Wufei shook his head. "No. I'll try my best to protect you."

"How?"

"Work for me. I'll keep you safe," Wufei promised. "Now, back to Duo."

"I know where he is. I can take you to him," Hilde said, nodding.

"But what can I do then?"

"Break him out," Hilde said matter-of-factly.

"But I don't have the skills for that!"

"Easy. We go there, get past security and find Duo. Then we break him out and high tail it back here to China. Hide him till everything goes down, give him a new identity and it's done."

"It sounds so easy."

"It's not."

"I know." Wufei stood up and walked over to his closet. He changed quickly in front of Hilde, not caring that she was staring. He changed into a black silk shirt and black jeans with comfortable boots. Then he grabbed a duffel bag and removed a piece of carpet off the ground. He pried off the wooding there to reveal a safe.

"Damn, I always thought they were hidden behind paintings. That's what made it so easy to find," Hilde remarked.

Wufei smiled and twirled the lock. He pulled open the safe and pulled out thick stacks of money and dumped them carelessly into his bag. Then he pulled out a long skull dagger.

"That's Duo's!"

"I know. He left it."

"Hn. Never thought he would do that. That's his favorite weapon and he only kills certain people with it."

"Should I be honored?"

"Yeah."

Wufei shook his head and stood up, kicking the safe close and hiding it again. Then he slid the dagger into his boots. "Let's go."

"Now?"

"Yeah. I don't want Heero and Trowa involved in this. They're my friends and I don't want them getting killed."

Hilde raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She gestured to the window and disappeared through it. Wufei took one last look around his room before following her.

~*~

"Damn! He's gone!" Heero shouted as they surveyed the empty room.

Trowa pointed at the piece of carpet sticking out messily. "He took his money."

"What the hell does he think he's doing? He's gonna get himself killed!"

"What did that girl say about Duo?"

"Something about him being in trouble."

"Then that's it," Trowa concluded. "Wufei's going after Duo."

Sally was suddenly there. "What happened? Where's Wufei?"

"Gone," Heero said disgustedly.

"What? How!?"

"He left through the window with a girl named Hilde. She said something about Duo and Wufei just went into pale. He ordered us outta here and now he's gone," Trowa explained.

Sally looked faint. "Where did he go?"

"Review the security cameras," Heero said quietly as anger boiled inside of him. "Then we'll know."

~*~

Few Days Later...

"This is," Hilde whispered over to Wufei. They were both crouched in the bushes outside of the assassin organization's mansion/compound.

"How do we get in?"

"Easy," Hilde said with a slight smile. She moved closer to the keypad outside of the unguarded gates and connected a wire with it from her minicomputer. Then she began to type furiously as she hacked into the program. "I'm disabling their security system for three seconds. They'll never notice it."

"Is that enough?"

"More than enough."

"If you say so."

Hilde flashed him a quick smile as something clicked and the gates were unlocked. Hilde ripped the wire out and they ran through the open gates before the security went back on.

"See, easy," Hilde whispered as they hid in the shadows and moved to another bush.

"Easy, sure," Wufei grunted.

"Let's go, we have to do this quick," Hilde hissed as she led Wufei across the compound and to a back door. She stuck the wire into the security pad there and began to work on it again. There was another click and they were in.

"I can't believe we made it," Wufei sighed as he looked around the dark room.

"Sssh," Hilde warned as she pressed a finger to her lips. She motioned for Wufei to come with her. They were out of the room and keeping to the shadows as they moved down the deserted hall.

Wufei wondered as he followed the other girl. He really wanted to see Duo again. To make sure he was safe. He swallowed hard and fought back the fear that had been with him since he left China. There was no time for fear. Only Duo.

"All right, found him," Hilde whispered triumphantly as she stopped next to a wooden door.

"How do you know?"

Hilde gave him a cocky smile. "I'm an assassin. We have training in finding the right rooms."

Wufei resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Hilde connected her computer to another security pad and started working. She cursed along the way but there was finally another click and some beeping noises and the security was off. Hilde pushed open the door and they quickly slipped in, closing the door silent behind them.

Wufei scanned the darkened room and found a bed. On top of the bed was a figure. He looked over to Hilde who nodded her affirmation.

Wufei quickly moved over to the bed and sat and knelt down on it. He looked over at the prone figure and almost cried out in relief when he spotted Duo. He was asleep, probably drugged.

"Here, I got something that'll counter the effects," Hilde said as she offered Wufei a pill. "He'll get dizzy but I don't think that's as bad as him being asleep."

Wufei nodded and slipped the pill between Duo's dry lips. He worked the pill down until he was sure it was in.

"What do we do now?" Wufei asked quietly.

"We get the hell outta here. Look, he's coming around." Hilde pointed at Duo.

"Strong stuff," Wufei remarked. But then his attention was back to Duo who was slowly waking up. "Duo? Duo wake up, we have to get out of here."

Duo opened his eyes and blinked. His mind was a bit fuzzy but it quickly cleared. Being an assassin gave him an advantage at clearing his head. He always had to be on alert.

"Wufei?" He asked in shock. He hadn't seen Wufei in a month or so and it was a shock to see his love again. "What are you doing here?"

"We gotta get out of here," Hilde hissed. "Come on, get Duo and let's go!"

Wufei quickly gathered Duo into his arms and found that the assassin was too light. He grunted and followed Hilde as they left the room and set the security back. Then they were running down the hall, back into the room that they came through and out of the door. It was all so easy Wufei was afraid.

But then they were running again and soon they were out of the compound. They ran harder until they reached a truck that Hilde had some how "borrowed". Wufei quickly got into the back seat with Duo in his arms and Hilde leaped into the driver's seat. She turned on the engine and then they were gone.

Wufei held a still-out-of-it Duo in his arms and thanked all the gods for allowing them to escape without trouble...

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::smile:: So, what do you think so far? It's not the end...