Chapter Text
Soft voices made their way into Wufei's awareness, gently pulling him from sleep. It was a smooth tenor, much unlike the voices he was used to waking up around. He carefully opened an eye just a slit and looked around as best as he could. The blue coat caught his eye first. Blue coat…? No one in Romefeller wore that bright of a blue, Tsubarov's was much paler. The voices paused and someone left the room, leaving Wufei alone with the wearer of blue. His plan was to let the man think he was still sleeping-
“You need not hide from me, pilot.” The man's voice was gentle and warm, very unlike the harsh grating he'd become used to. Beyond that, Wufei realized with a start, how did this person know he was awake?! He must have lost knowledge of how to control himself in captivity. With a sigh, Wufei opened his eyes to suspiciously stare at this new person.
Of course it was Treize.
Seeing him awake, Treize offered a gentle smile. “Hello there. Nurse Po tells me your name is Wufei, is that correct? My files only have you listed as pilot 05, which is far too impersonal. Judging by your distrustful expression, you are quite aware of who I am.”
Wufei nodded warily. Treize hummed softly as though having expected that.
“Well. As little as I feel you will believe this, you have not fallen from the fangs of the unicorn into the jaws of the lion. I do not seek to enslave you.”
Wufei forced himself to speak despite the pain it caused him. “Why… should I be… lieve you?”
Treize had waited patiently for Wufei to finish before speaking. He replied with a nod. “You shouldn't, really. Not with what you've been through. I can only prove my intentions with time. If you'll forgive such a presumption, I have taken over your custody to protect you.”
Wufei knew it. Treize continued in the same gentle tone.
“I would offer to send you home, but my intelligence says that your colony is likely in danger. General Septum, who unfortunately escaped the castle before we could apprehend him, has allegedly begun plans to destroy A0206. Rest assured,” Treize held a gentle gloved hand up. “My Specials are protecting your home. They will not allow any Alliance forces nearby.”
Something wasn't clicking. This wasn't how his confrontation with Treize was supposed to go. Wufei forced himself to speak again.
“Why? Why help me? Help my people? I'm supposed to… to kill you.”
Treize nodded, once again as though he had anticipated this.
“Indeed you are, young man. You may yet get that chance. However, despite the situation we both find ourselves in, you are the one with the power here.” Treize noted Wufei's obvious disbelief. “I shall be blunt. We are yet in a war, young man. You have been missing in action for just about a year now and both the rebels and Oz have faltered under the sudden uptick in strength from the Alliance. The best I can tell is that, when they stripped your gundam, they used all data found inside to bolster their own AI and training.”
Stripped…? Wufei felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his existence. He'd thought for sure that Septum would return Nataku to him when Wufei proved himself loyal! Hot tears started out of the corners of his eyes when he realized that his monument to his wife was gone. Septum had defiled her just as he had him. Treize sighed softly and stood, picking up something from the table next to him and approaching Wufei.
“I realize this is a major loss to you. I offer my most sincere apologies, Wufei. If I may, all is not lost. This was recovered hidden in the remains of the cockpit.” Treize gently sat the object on Wufei's lap.
His sword.
With careful hands, Wufei drew it enough to confirm that, yes, this was the blade Master Long had bequeathed him upon leaving A0206. Tears fell on the cold steel without Wufei realizing they'd been building. Treize bowed his head in respect. Silence reigned in the room for a moment.
Wufei was next to speak.
“What do you want of me?”
He missed the way Treize smiled gently.
“I wish to help you regain your strength, young warrior. I have a project I am working on which I believe would best suit you, though please forgive me that I must keep it under wraps until it is complete so that I do not raise undue hope. In an ideal world, where it works and you accept it, I would like you to contact the other pilots and negotiate a peace between them and Oz-”
Wufei's head snapped up with a snarl. “You would use me, then?! You're as he-”
Treize shook his head firmly. “No, Wufei. You misunderstand me. All of this is contingent upon your agreeing to assist me.”
“And should I refuse? What shall you do then?”
“I will let you go once you are healed.” Treize's answer was immediate and firm. “As I said, you are not in my cage. I will cover the costs of your recovery and then what happens beyond that is your choice. I am not Septum.”
There was something in that statement that reached Wufei. He stared into Treize's eyes for several moments and found naught but genuine honesty. He sighed, suddenly tired. Treize took a respectful step back.
“I shall leave you now. Sally is on shift and is due to bring you food soon. I will have her report your condition to me and not return unless you specifically call for me. Rest well, Wufei.”
With that, to Wufei's shock, Treize left. Sally entered a minute or so later with a tray holding room temperature water and warm broth, tilting her head at his perplexed look.
“Wufei, what is it?”
The young man shook his head. “Treize… he's so odd. Did he leave?”
“He did,” Sally confirmed while setting the tray on his little table. “He told me to call for him either if you take a bad turn or if you request him. Why? Do you need him?”
“No… he is just… odd. I am hungry today.”
Sally beamed gently at him. “Good. That means you are recovering.
---
True to his word, Treize stayed away. Wufei almost wished that the other pilots would visit him but he understood why they didn't or couldn't. It was dangerous, after all. Wufei gradually made what could be called friends with Sally and even tentatively learned more about the others who cared for him. Access to Wufei was limited and Sally personally introduced everyone new just like she said she would.
A couple weeks into his treatment, Wufei had been moved into a private room off of the ICU and into a much calmer environment. Sally still cared for him, likely requested by Treize, and often would sit and chat. Wufei wanted more than anything news about the other pilots and Sally obliged with any information she came across. All four of them were alive. 01 was often seen with 02 or, more often, worked alone. 03 and 04 were always together, combining long and short range in typically brutal attacks. Sally caught on quickly that Wufei had a particular curiosity about 01 so she spent most of her free time tracking down information about him.
One day, Wufei called Sally in.
“I want to see Treize, please.”
If Sally was surprised, she didn't show it, instead smiling. “Very well! I shall contact him and arrange a meeting when you're both free.”
“Thank you, Sally.”
When she left the room, he flopped back against his pillows with a groan. What was he getting into? Wufei looked on the table next to him at his sword. Treize hadn't had to give it back. But… he did. He'd returned something that clearly belonged to Wufei and had even armed him in the process. Treize knew what he was doing, Wufei surmised.
Sally came back in a few minutes looking quite surprised.
“Wufei, would you be up to Treize visiting today? I know it's quite sudden, but apparently he has standing orders that requests from you take priority over all else. One would think a general would have more on his plate, but there it is. It is your call.”
“My…” Wufei marveled at actually having a choice. He hadn't had a choice since the night before New Edward's when Heero had asked if he wanted to try the chicken he'd made. That memory hurt and Wufei quickly returned to the present so he wouldn't get emotional. “Yes, I'll see him today.”
Sally nodded and left the room again, seemingly to relay the message. Wufei curled around a pillow and began overthinking the various outcomes of this meeting.
---
Treize arrives three hours later looking as perfectly pressed as always. He entered calmly and, to Wufei's surprise, gave Wufei a respectful little bow with his hand over his heart.
“You wished to see me, Wufei?”
Wufei wondered privately just who was in charge here. Outwardly he gestured at the chair next to his bed.
“Sit, please. It makes me nervous when people hover.”
“I would hate to make you nervous,” Treize replied as he took the offered chair with a careful press of his tailcoat. That reminded Wufei of his rescue.
“Did Zechs ever get his coat cleaned?” Wufei asked almost absently but with genuine concern. “I remember when he found me it… got filthy.”
Treize smiled gently. “Indeed it did. And it is just fine now. He is not cross, if that worries you. He didn't seem to notice until Lady Une commented on the odor.”
Wufei blushed and looked away. “That… was my fault. They took away my-”
Treize gently gestured to cut him off. “Nothing that happened in that castle was your fault, Wufei. You were the victim there and still are until we can restore you to yourself.”
Wufei stared at the older man in something close to awe. Treize was… defending him? How odd and maybe a bit ironic considering Wufei had wished so much to kill this man.
“Now, I doubt that you summoned me to talk about my Lieutenant's dry cleaning.” Treize's dry tone pulled Wufei from his thoughts. “What can I do for you?”
“Ah, right…” Wufei carefully cleared his throat. “I've thought a lot about your offer. I can refuse, and maybe if I do return home they will understand my failure. But it will leave a hole in my heart. I will not have justice for my wrongs, or the murder of- of my wife.” Well he hadn't meant to admit that much, but he supposed he was in for a penny now.
Treize gracefully didn't press. “What would you ask of me?”
“Train me,” Wufei responded. He had Treize's full attention, he knew, so he kept on. “I want my justice and to finish my- well. I suppose my original mission is a moot point, since it was to kill you and avenge my wife and your attack on my colony.”
Treize blinked in surprise. “My what? Forgive me, Wufei, could you please elaborate on that?”
Tilting his head curiously, Wufei obliged. “You ordered an attack on my colony to exterminate my people with gas.”
Treize looked shaken and appalled. It took him several minutes to find his voice. “Young man… I do not know how you came to that conclusion, but that was not my order. I would never be so lacking in grace to use gas against unarmed civilians. No, sir, that was always General Septum's preferred method.”
Shock echoed through Wufei's system, making his heart rate climb alarmingly until Sally came in to investigate. She went to administer a sedative but Wufei held up his hand. “N-no… I want to hear him. Treize… you just said Septum was the one who ordered my home to be gassed?”
Sally froze while Treize nodded. The doctor looked between the general and her patient several moments before speaking up. “He's right. I… was the commanding officer of that mission.”
Wufei's head snapped up in horrified shock but Sally held her hand up and spoke quickly. “When the Tallgeese and the Gundam came out to fight us off, it was my order to leave. I lied and told Septum that the mission was a success. If I hadn't, or if it had been someone else, the Alliance would have learned of A0206's actions and would surely have come back in force to kill you all.”
Wufei sat in horror while trying to digest that. He didn't notice Treize standing and approaching his bedside, sitting carefully. Didn't notice until a soft gloved hand gently wrapped around his frail one. Wufei looked up at him in surprise and almost told him off until he saw Treize's expression. His eyes carried hurt and regret for Wufei, pain at all that he could imagine the young man had gone through.
“You asked me to train you, Wufei.” Treize's voice was soft but Wufei could still feel the power under it. “I shall. If not personally, then with your permission I shall authorize those closest to me to do so. We will see you grow strong again, and we will help you get your justice if you will allow us.”
A thick lump settled in Wufei's throat and prevented him from speaking so instead he nodded and squeezed Treize's hand. The adult smiled softly.
“I daresay you are on your way, son. That grip of yours almost hurts.”
Wufei laughed softly and shook his head. “You don't know pain yet. I'll kick your ass one day, Khushrenada.”
Treize smiled.
“I look forward to it.”