Last revised: 04/17/00 ******* WARNING ******* *** ALTERNATE REALITY, semi-darkfic *** YAOI, NC-17, obscene language, mature content *** LEMON *** LIME *** LEMON *** LIME *** LEMON *** LIME *** LEMON *** "CAUTION: Proceed at your own risk" "TORTURED / PSYCHOTIC WUFEIs ahead" This is the slightly revised teaser for "Dragon's Fire" (which is Wufei's portion of "Mechanics of Control". It takes place before any of the events in "Wicked Game" and provides a little background for Wufei's dilemma. Standard warnings -- subject to change and endless revisions, try to ignore the typos and grammar mistakes, etc., etc. Comments/corrections welcomed. The rest of "Mechanics of Control" can be found on my website: http://www.geocities.com/madamhydra/GW.html ====================================================================== MECHANICS OF CONTROL: DRAGON'S FIRE A Gundam Wing ALTERNATE-REALITY fic by Madamhydra ====================================================================== teaser (revised) ====================================================================== Short Disclaimer: (Full Disclaimers at the end) Gundam Wing copyrighted by their respective creators and all distributors of their work. Used without permission. /.../ represents mental and/or subconscious dialogue ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The window burns to light the way back home A light that warms no matter where they've gone They're off to find the hero of the day But what if they should fall by someone's wicked way * * * Mama they try and break me Still they try and break me * * * Don't want your aid But the fist I've made For years can't hold or feel No, I'm not all me So please excuse me While I tend to how I feel -- "Hero Of The Day" by Metallica ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ====================================================================== [ several months prior to Relena's shooting ] Master O frowned slightly as he stared at his subordinate. "Is that the best you can do?" "I'm afraid so. This is the only way I've managed to come up with to handle with the new security on the OZ computer networks. Once we get this program loaded," the younger scientist held up several disks, "We'll have a permanent backdoor into their systems. The hard part is getting *our* program onto their network." "What's the problem?" Master O said. "Well, our program needs to be loaded in steps in sync with OZ's security upgrades. We can't do it all at once. And it has to be done on a computer physically within the installation. That means that our operative has to be able to access a computer workstation -- one with sufficiently high security clearances -- inside the main OZ command complex at regular intervals for nearly SIX months!" "And none of our agents have the necessary access?" "No. I've got to tell you, sir, that I'm at a total loss here. I'm sure the program will work *if* we get it into OZ's computer system, but how we're going to accomplish that...." The younger scientist shook his head in despair. "It's only possible at high security workstations, hm? Like the sort commanding officers would use?" "Yes, but...." Master O took the disks from the younger man's limp grasp. "I'll take care of the arrangements." "Sir, how on earth do you intend...?" "It's not your concern or responsibility. Just concentrate on figuring out how best to exploit this program once it's loaded." "Yes, sir," the younger man said dubiously as he left the lab. Master O turned to his own computer and typed out a quick message. It was time for him to put his control theory to the test. -------------------------------------------- Wufei scowled as he read his email message from Master O. (What could be so urgent to require an immediate, face-to-face meeting?) He glanced at his watch. If he hurried, he should arrive right on time. -------------------------------------------- At the isolated cabin, Wufei stared at the older man and said tersely, "What's going on? What's so important...?" Master O chuckled and said, "Sit down, Wufei, because this may take a while. I want you to take a look at something.... That's it. Just relax." Some time passed, then the scientist sat down next to the motionless Wufei and said, "I have a very important mission for you. It will be difficult and perhaps even extremely distasteful, but I know you can handle it. After all, we have to be prepared to endure adversity and make great sacrifices in the pursuit of justice. You said so yourself, correct?" "Yes... for justice...," came the dully whispered reply. -------------------------------------------- [ just over 5 months later ] As Wufei got on the motorcycle and revved the engine, before taking off down the empty road, his mind continued to run through the same unanswerable questions that had haunted him both day and night for the last five months. (What the hell's wrong with me? Why do I keep going back to him... and to his bed? Don't I have any pride!? Treize Khushrenada's the enemy! But I can't stop thinking about him....) Try as he might, he couldn't deny that he felt something for the OZ general -- not merely lust, but something deeper... more than respect, more than mere affection.... (I think I just might be in love with him, damn it!) he thought with a sinking feeling in his stomach. (If things were different... if we weren't enemies....) Might as well wish for the moon. The strange sense of foreboding that had been nagging him for the last several weeks certainly didn't help Wufei's state of mind. Something told him that his time with Treize was soon coming to an end. Wufei knew that his furtive relationship with the OZ general could not continue forever... not as long as they were on opposite sides of this ugly war. And he knew quite well that Treize would not betray his own particular beliefs any more than Wufei would abandon his own ideals of justice. (But why now? Why do I have this sickening feeling that something terrible's going to happen between Treize and myself?) The rushing wind gave him no answer. -------------------------------------------- "You're sleeping with one of them... the Gundam pilots." Treize glanced at Zechs Merquise who prowled restlessly back and forth in his office. "Don't bother to deny it, Treize." "All right, I won't. But it's hardly your business who I sleep with, is it?" the OZ general replied coolly. "After all, you were the one who ended our relationship." A casual observer might have missed the faint, underlying tone of bitterness, but Zechs had no problem picking it up. The pilot sighed, "I... I just needed some time to think things through...." Treize merely raised an eloquent eyebrow, but said nothing. "But you're wrong when you say that it's none of my business that you're sleeping with one of those damn Gundam pilots!" Slamming his hands down on Treize's desk, Zechs said urgently, "They're enemy terrorists! You know just how much mayhem and havoc they've caused, not to mention how many of our men they've killed! You don't know anything about him or how he thinks! What's to stop this Wufei Chang from slitting your throat one night!?" In a polite, but firmly dismissive voice, Treize said, "I appreciate your concern, but are you quite through?" Zechs made a frustrated noise and stalked off without another word. Treize uttered a faint sigh. (I didn't mean to hurt you, but you were the one who walked away from me. And you're wrong, Zechs. True, I don't know much about Wufei, but I do know something very important about him. I know how he feels about me... I know he cares. And that's more than you ever gave me, Mirialdo.) -------------------------------------------- [ later that night ] The OZ general did not awake as Wufei pulled free of his slumbering grasp and arose from the bed. The sleep-inducing drug that the teenager slipped into Treize's last glass of wine insured that nothing short of a grenade under the bed would wake the older man up. But even if Treize had been awake, he would have had a difficult time recognizing his young lover. The Wufei who stood staring down at the general with cold dark eyes that glittered with a hard, fanatical fire was completely different from the emotionally torn, yet loving Wufei that Treize was familiar with -- an utter stranger. Satisfied that the general was fast asleep, Wufei headed for Treize's desk, activated the computer, and calmly began uploading the next part of Master O's program into the OZ computer network. An empty little smile appeared on Wufei's face as he monitored the upload. Ten sections done, three more stages to go. And once the last part of the program was completely embedded in the OZ network.... He would kill Treize Khushrenada. Wufei suddenly winced and his hand drifted to his temple as the coldness in his eyes wavered for just an instant. Then with a sharp shake of his head, the icy fanatical gleam was back. Master O had been quite correct. This assignment had not only been difficult, but at times, it had been positively disgusting. But his mission would soon be over and then he would take his revenge for all the indignities he had suffered at the general's hands. Honor meant nothing. Love meant nothing. There was only justice. And if it was necessary to play the loving whore in Treize's bed to further the cause of justice.... ....then so be it. ------------------------------------------------- ===================================================================== Author's Notes: ------------------------ "Mechanics of Control" is the title for the overall alternative-reality storyline, with sub-stories for each pilot. ^_^ The sub-stories are titled as follows: "Wicked Game" - Heero and Duo "Brilliant Disguise" - Trowa and Quatre "Dragon's Fire" - Wufei ------------------------------------------------- Keeper of Duo's Dark Side ~~~ Duo no Seishi Co-Keeper of Duo's Scythe & Bat Wings Co-Keeper of Little Grim Reaper Duo Keeper of Saitoh's Sex Life ~~~ Saitoh no Koibito ------------------------------------------------- madamhydra@aol.com /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/:E http://www.geocities.com/madamhydra/ ------------------------------------------------- ===================================================================== The Full Disclaimer All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. The characters of these works are used WITHOUT permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not meant for sale or profit. Original portion of the fiction included here is considered to be the sole property and copyrighted to the author. =====================================================================