A bit of DB Chapter 56: "I Remember When I Lost My Mind"
The new chapter of Deadly Beautiful is done and I'm waiting for it to come back from beta, but I haven't posted here in a long time so here's a bit of it (obviously, unbetaed):
“Enter!” came the muffled response to Zechs' knock on the Commander's office door. Rebalancing his armload of files, he walked inside to find Treize standing next to the window, staring outside.
“I've brought the personnel files you requested, Commander,” he said hesitantly, trying to gauge his superior's mood.
Treize didn't turn around. “Find an empty spot on the desk for them, Colonel.”
Zechs pushed aside a small mountain of memos to make space for the stack. Standing at attention, he waited for his dismissal, but Treize was still mostly ignoring him. He had other things to do, dammit. He cleared his throat. “Um, sir? Is there anything else I can...?”
Treize turned around quite abruptly and went straight for his chair. “Please take a seat, Colonel.”
Zechs took one, but inside he was flailing a little. Treize was watching him; should he talk? Luckily, after a moment the decision was taken away from him.
“This White Fang thing,” the Commander started. “It's killing us. The casualties, the loss of resources... the entire upper ranks is in a complete panic; no one knows what to do.”
“That's... disheartening.”
Treize chuckled. “Isn't it, though. Myself, if I think about it for too long, I just start laughing and can't stop. They don't like it when I show up to organizational meetings anymore-I have to send Lady Une instead.” He settled back into his chair. “White Fang has been startlingly quiet ever since I sent some men after two of their known operatives-those teenagers. I'm frankly quite worried. We never recovered either of their bodies, either, so there you go. Trouble is brewing on the horizon.”
“What does that mean for OZ, then, sir?” Zechs couldn't help being interested by intrigue and struggle at this level, even if it was far above his pay grade.
“Well, in the short term, there are some very important puzzle pieces to be placed, and soon, if we want to continue as we are. In the long term, there is going to be conflict. A lot of it. I don't think we can avoid it anymore.” He looked thoughtful.
“What kind of puzzle pieces are you talking about, sir, if you don't mind my asking?”
Treize sighed. “We know of one or two high-level political figures that are probable targets for assassination. Chaos is nearly guaranteed if they aren't protected.” He gave a delicate shrug. “Sounds like a job for OZ, don't you think, Colonel?”
Zechs straightened up more in his seat. “I would be honoured to help win this war in any way I can, Commander.”
The Commander smiled faintly. “That's good to hear, but you work too hard, Colonel Merquise. Tell you what: why don't you take a couple of days' leave? Go see the countryside. Catch up with Lieutenant Noin.”
Zechs hesitated; he was actually being granted vacation time at such an hour of strife. His first instinct was to appeal to stay where the action was, but it had been a while since he'd been able to check up on Noin and Relena, and if things were getting difficult, then who knew when another opportunity would come? And frankly, this White Fang thing was making him feel edgy for his sister's sake. He nodded. “Thank you, sir; I believe I will.”
Treize's smile got wider. “Excellent! Report back for duty on Monday morning, Colonel, and I expect you to be well-rested, eh?” He winked.
Zechs had no earthly idea how to respond to that, so he accepted his dismissal quietly.
***
“Enter!” came the muffled response to Zechs' knock on the Commander's office door. Rebalancing his armload of files, he walked inside to find Treize standing next to the window, staring outside.
“I've brought the personnel files you requested, Commander,” he said hesitantly, trying to gauge his superior's mood.
Treize didn't turn around. “Find an empty spot on the desk for them, Colonel.”
Zechs pushed aside a small mountain of memos to make space for the stack. Standing at attention, he waited for his dismissal, but Treize was still mostly ignoring him. He had other things to do, dammit. He cleared his throat. “Um, sir? Is there anything else I can...?”
Treize turned around quite abruptly and went straight for his chair. “Please take a seat, Colonel.”
Zechs took one, but inside he was flailing a little. Treize was watching him; should he talk? Luckily, after a moment the decision was taken away from him.
“This White Fang thing,” the Commander started. “It's killing us. The casualties, the loss of resources... the entire upper ranks is in a complete panic; no one knows what to do.”
“That's... disheartening.”
Treize chuckled. “Isn't it, though. Myself, if I think about it for too long, I just start laughing and can't stop. They don't like it when I show up to organizational meetings anymore-I have to send Lady Une instead.” He settled back into his chair. “White Fang has been startlingly quiet ever since I sent some men after two of their known operatives-those teenagers. I'm frankly quite worried. We never recovered either of their bodies, either, so there you go. Trouble is brewing on the horizon.”
“What does that mean for OZ, then, sir?” Zechs couldn't help being interested by intrigue and struggle at this level, even if it was far above his pay grade.
“Well, in the short term, there are some very important puzzle pieces to be placed, and soon, if we want to continue as we are. In the long term, there is going to be conflict. A lot of it. I don't think we can avoid it anymore.” He looked thoughtful.
“What kind of puzzle pieces are you talking about, sir, if you don't mind my asking?”
Treize sighed. “We know of one or two high-level political figures that are probable targets for assassination. Chaos is nearly guaranteed if they aren't protected.” He gave a delicate shrug. “Sounds like a job for OZ, don't you think, Colonel?”
Zechs straightened up more in his seat. “I would be honoured to help win this war in any way I can, Commander.”
The Commander smiled faintly. “That's good to hear, but you work too hard, Colonel Merquise. Tell you what: why don't you take a couple of days' leave? Go see the countryside. Catch up with Lieutenant Noin.”
Zechs hesitated; he was actually being granted vacation time at such an hour of strife. His first instinct was to appeal to stay where the action was, but it had been a while since he'd been able to check up on Noin and Relena, and if things were getting difficult, then who knew when another opportunity would come? And frankly, this White Fang thing was making him feel edgy for his sister's sake. He nodded. “Thank you, sir; I believe I will.”
Treize's smile got wider. “Excellent! Report back for duty on Monday morning, Colonel, and I expect you to be well-rested, eh?” He winked.
Zechs had no earthly idea how to respond to that, so he accepted his dismissal quietly.
***