Several more performances went by unhampered. The lions made leaps through the hoop, walked on their back legs and completed other such entertaining but menial tasks. They were always well rewarded though and continued to do so show after show. The troupe packed up after three weeks and changed location for fresh crowds. As they were setting up at the new site, the acrobat Trowa worked with on the trapeze caught some kind of flu. He insisted that he was still quite competent for work but was dismissed until he could regain his strength.
The ringmaster came to speak with Trowa about his replacement. �What do you mean he has limited experience?� The slightly shorter of the pair stroked his beard, �Well, I�m not honestly very sure, but we were going to leave it to you to determine whether or not he�s qualified.� Triton crossed his arms with a sigh and nodded, �Fine, where is he?�
The fallen angel pushed aside the flap to the dining tent and paused for his eyes to adjust to the slight gloom inside. The first thing they fell on was a semi-slender man that was sipping at a water bottle. As he didn�t recognize him as a usual carne, Trowa approached him, �You must be the new acrobat they hired?� Dark brown eyes rose to him and one busy eyebrow arced as they took him in, �Yeah and you are?� Pilot three flopped into the chair across from him, �Your partner.� �You�re awfully big for a trapeze artist.� The Latino shrugged, �But I can pull it off. Now listen, they left it to me to see whether or not you�re right for the job. We have two weeks until the next performance, if that day comes and I don�t feel comfortable going on without a net, it�s not happening. Got that?� He nodded slightly and Trowa questioned, �How much experience do you have on the trapeze?� �Um�actually, I�ve never been on one, but I�m a good gymnast and have heard that it wasn�t much different from the rings; which I excel at.� Trowa�s stomach sunk slightly, �You�ve never been on a trapeze? This is going to take some work. Timing is everything.�
Over the next week, Trowa often found himself lying on the net below the practice area. The newbie�s timing was getting better but still wasn�t as good as it needed to be. The first time Amber watched one of their practices, she slapped Triton�s partner for dropping him numerous times. She always received an apology but eventually had to leave due to Trowa�s urging. The date rapidly approached that everything had to be perfect and four days before, the act ran without glitch. Trowa had them go through it several times before he was completely satisfied with it, �Alright, you improved more than I thought you would. I guess that this show is good to go.�
Standing on a platform nearly three stories above the ground, the performers listened to their introduction and geared themselves up for their act. Triton glanced warily at his sweating partner and watched him wring his hands, �What? Don�t tell me you have stage fright?� The dark eyed gymnast gave him a panicked look in return, �I just don�t want to mess up, this is the first time we�ve done this without a net.� Pilot three simply nodded. He shifted himself onto the cabled bar that would could easily mean some one�s undoing and searched the ground for the girl he knew was there, �Just run it like you always have and you�ll be fine. Don�t think about it.�
The spotlight hit them with a temporary moment of blindness and Trowa shoved off. His partner seemed to have taken his advice to heart as the first leap and catch was flawless. It was clockwork: swing, jump, catch, flip, and return to swing. The smaller of the team took his final land on the platform, but realized too late that his turn should have been faster. He tried to fix his mistake by pushing off the edge harder than he needed to and saw that Trowa had already released his hold and tucked into his flip. Reaching hands found air between fingertips as where there should have been connection, there was nothing. A scream rang out as gravity took over; it was a woman�s voice. It was followed by several others as people began realizing that this man plunging to earth was not part of the act.
Poseidon turned to see the dirt rushing to meet him and felt his muscles tighten themselves to a point of immobility. He knew he had to take action quickly or a painful reunion would soon be had. He was unaware of his body�s reaction until he felt the tear of flesh and fabric as his wings slowed his fall. Crimson showered the ground beneath him and the upturned face of Amber. Familiarity sang across her mind as pilot three landed and collapsed by her side. Thinking furiously, the slender German grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet, �Bow Trowa! They�ll think it�s part of the act if you bow!� Though heavily shaken, the Archangel did as he was told.
The silent crowd burst into a roar of cheering as she led the winged boy backstage. As soon as the curtain fell into place, a sharp hand lashed across Trowa�s face. Catherine swiftly pulled him into a hug, �Tell me when you�re planning something you idiot! You scared the hell out of me!� He barely managed a nod as he didn�t trust his voice yet. Relief came as pilot six led him away from questions and exclamations. Trowa fell onto the nearest thing that made a suitable seat and turned his sapphire eyes to the huntress, �I couldn�t think of anything else to do�I panicked.� She kneeled before the tall boy and placed a hand on either side of his face, �No one will think twice about it. After all, these people came to be amazed and entertained by the circus, that�s precisely what they got.� Amber could feel his racing heart steadily slow to its normal pace and watched the trembling in his wings fade, �You�re ok, nothing�s going to happen to you�but, I think that we should head back to your place before anyone else comes looking for you.�
At his door, Trowa checked for unknown eyes and pulled his wings into his flesh. Amber closed the door behind him and convinced him to lie down, �You need to get some rest. After all that, you won�t last much longer on your feet.� He allowed himself to be coaxed and sank onto the make shift pallet they�d been sharing the past few weeks, �I could have survived that fall�I should have just let myself drop and spent a few days in the hospital rather than exposing that secret to so many people!� His voice rose nearly to a yell but was quickly toned sown by a hand on his shoulder, �Forget it and get some rest!� Knowing he was defeated, the silencer pulled his companion into his arms, �I will�what would I do without you?� Amber smiled into his well muscled chest, �Become a hopeless bachelor with no sense that looses his job a lot and only keeps peanut butter in the pantry.� �Ok, good to know.�
Millions of thoughts hummed through the angel�s head, how he would present this foul up to Heero, when Amber was going to change, whether Hell would be so bad, the possible Midian� Triton leaned down to give Amber a kiss on the forehead, �Good night then.� Her earsplitting scream of pain jolted Trowa�s heart rate into its previous danger zone. The only sound to overcome it was the rip of her flesh as it separated at two points for flying white and black. Amber dug her fingers into Trowa�s sides as her blood-covered wings became limp and drooped to the floor. After the initial explosion, she collapsed into unconsciousness. Two wings draped across the pallet, one an ebony leather that begged to be touched, the other a crisp white waterfall of feathers that seemed to be too sacred for such treatment. Only one word came to Trowa�s tightly pressed lips, �Shit.� Another few came slowly after, �Heero�s going to kill me.�
Explanations and beginning flying lessons followed over the next few days, but home beckoned to them both. Pilot three knew that their return home wouldn�t be greeted so warmly when a certain arch learned about what happened. He determined to speak with Quatre first thing when he got home, he hoped faintly to postpone the inevitable. The pair grabbed the first shuttle to earth and took to wing from there. Amber�s newborn wings only took her so far, she found herself in Trowa�s arms the remainder of the ride. There wasn�t much talk exchanged, but there didn�t need to be. Their silence was comfortable and mutual. As home came into view, pilot three sighed, �Things might get a little hectic at home with you being unlocked.� Amber didn�t register his words for a moment as she was carefully feeling and considering her new power, �Hmm?� �Heero didn�t want you unlocked yet. He might cause problems or just be royally pissed.� A crease formed in pilot six�s brow, �Why should he care? He has no say in what I am and what I do. I�m no threat to him.� Triton landed softly on the tiled roof and folded his wings, �Well, he�s paranoid. Anything not under his control, he wants under his control�Don�t worry about it.� The huntress brushed her lisps under his chin, �You can put me down now, you know.� Rather than doing so, he squeezed her tighter, �But what if I just want to hold you?� A smile danced on her face, though she said nothing. His mouth met hers again briefly, �My heart is yours.� A monotonous, yet threatening voice cut across the roof, �That�s very sappy and all, but it�s not going to happen. You don�t have a heart Poseidon, or at least not one you can share.� Two sets of eyes turned to take in Heero�s lithe form. His face held no expression while his eyes smoldered within that stone. Trowa�s stomach twisted as he waited for the words he knew were coming. �This isn�t what I had planned Barton. Bring her here.� Triton stiffened slightly, he�d expected Hell about the matter but he hadn�t expected him to drag Amber into it, �No, why?�
The fury in Helios�s gaze deepened, �She�s not going to remember this, now bring her here!� The blackened Archangel shrank back from him, �No! I won�t let you do this again! Not again! She has to know sometime, why not now?! If you want her, you have to get through me!� Nothing crossed Heero�s face, but his chest constricted with the thought that he would lose his hold on Trowa, �If you don�t want me to kill her, you�ll bring her to me.� Triton looked at Amber in desperation as though she held some answer but was met only with an expression of melting anger and sorrow. As he�d never set her to her feet, Triton carried her over. His whispered apologies were heard and taken by the young woman. Heero grinned as the silencer set his charge before him. As he reached for her, the certain steps in mind, Amber angrily spoke her opinion on the whole business; �You�re a liar, a control freak and very rude. I think you�d make a better demon and don�t deserve to be called any else.�
Heero�s eye twitched at her statement, �I don�t care what you think, halfling, as you can�t be considered as either.� He touched her head and completed the process that seemed to be repeated more often in this household than it anywhere else. Trowa looked away as Helios issued orders and sent Amber on her way. The silver Arch turned on Triton instantly, �Now to deal with you. What you did was very foolish, as usual. Your actions are really starting to piss me off. You�re pushing your luck Barton, Hell seems to be your calling lately, you want to go visit it?� He didn�t respond, even as he felt the front of his shirt seized and pulled so his face was inches from Helios. Summoned energy gathered in Heero�s palm as he continued to speak, �You don�t have any chances left, you pull anything again and I�m letting you go. Then you�ll really find out what it�s like down there.�
He brought the energy forward into Trowa�s wing and it seared both feather and flesh. The fallen grit his teeth at the introduction of concentrated light on his shadow accustomed skin. �Even the light scorns you now. Maybe I won�t let you go next time, maybe you can spend a few hours with one of these buried in your gut.� The pain intensified the longer the contact was kept, Trowa bit his tongue to keep from screaming. At the slight flex of pilot one�s fingers, the energy expanded and blood trickled from between Triton�s tightly pressed lips. As quickly as the perfect soldier had commenced this torture, he released him, �Consider yourself on my last edge of patience.�
