[Fic] Dropping the Ball - Prompt 259: Ball
Title: Dropping the Ball
Word Count: 500
Challenge: 259 - Ball
Rating: PG-13 for profanity
Pairing/Characters: All five pilots, assorted anonymous Preventers Trainees
Summary: During a Preventers "mission", someone dropped the ball
“You dropped the damn ball!” Wufei yelled.
Quatre, Trowa, Heero, and Duo had the good grace to duck their heads and looked ashamed, even if it wasn’t their fault.
Wufei jabbed a finger in the direction of the locker room door, face growing redder by the second as he spat his vitriol at the four former pilots and the Preventers trainees who were lined up in ranks before him.
“What the hell happened out there? We’re Preventers. We represent the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, and when we’re sent on a mission, we don’t end it in the unholy clusterfuck I saw out there tonight!”
Quatre’s eyes went wide. Wufei never used profanity. Perhaps they’d underestimated his emotional investment in their team even though he’d stepped into the command position last-minute.
Wufei turned on Duo. “You’re a loose cannon, Maxwell. When we’re in the field, we’re a team - we don’t go gallivanting about with Shinigami shenanigans. Foolishness like that could get civilians killed.”
Duo opened his mouth to protest, but Wufei plowed ahead.
“I don’t care if no one got hurt tonight - abandon your position again and I’ll set you on discipline. Is that clear?”
Duo nodded meekly.
“I said is that clear?”
Trowa’s visible eye went wide, but Duo nodded vigorously.
“And you, Barton, what the hell was that? This isn’t the circus - when we need a man up the middle, we need a man up the middle ASAP, not dancing on high-wires over the top of the enemy troops.” Wufei’s eyes almost bulged out of his head, and they were shaking.
Heero looked like he was trying to suppress a laugh.
“Don’t think I can’t see you smirking, Yuy.” Wufei spun and advanced on Heero. “Being a team means communicating. You’re not the perfect soldier anymore, and it takes more than one man to get the job done. Keep playing solo like that and you’ll see yourself chained to your desk for the rest of the month.” Wufei was now approximately the same shade as a Chinese New Year money envelope.
Heero nodded, and he looked so sincere about the criticism that Wufei really couldn’t go on. Even though Quatre had been mentally preparing himself, having five-foot-four of typhoon Wufei up in his face was still breathtaking, and not in the good way.
“And you, Winner - this isn’t your sisters’ tea and knitting circle. It’s combat. If one of those useless louts gets left behind, leave him behind. In the battlefield there’s collateral damage - learn to calculate it. And I don’t ever want to see you in that pink shirt again - we’re Preventers. We have dignity.”
Quatre ducked his head to hide his grin. Wufei stormed out, and then the trainees relaxed, only slightly.
“Is he always like that?” one of the trainees asked.
“He takes his inter-departmental basketball very seriously, but still, you should see him after a mission,” Quatre said.
The trainees shivered and darted nervous glances at the locker room door.
Word Count: 500
Challenge: 259 - Ball
Rating: PG-13 for profanity
Pairing/Characters: All five pilots, assorted anonymous Preventers Trainees
Summary: During a Preventers "mission", someone dropped the ball
“You dropped the damn ball!” Wufei yelled.
Quatre, Trowa, Heero, and Duo had the good grace to duck their heads and looked ashamed, even if it wasn’t their fault.
Wufei jabbed a finger in the direction of the locker room door, face growing redder by the second as he spat his vitriol at the four former pilots and the Preventers trainees who were lined up in ranks before him.
“What the hell happened out there? We’re Preventers. We represent the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, and when we’re sent on a mission, we don’t end it in the unholy clusterfuck I saw out there tonight!”
Quatre’s eyes went wide. Wufei never used profanity. Perhaps they’d underestimated his emotional investment in their team even though he’d stepped into the command position last-minute.
Wufei turned on Duo. “You’re a loose cannon, Maxwell. When we’re in the field, we’re a team - we don’t go gallivanting about with Shinigami shenanigans. Foolishness like that could get civilians killed.”
Duo opened his mouth to protest, but Wufei plowed ahead.
“I don’t care if no one got hurt tonight - abandon your position again and I’ll set you on discipline. Is that clear?”
Duo nodded meekly.
“I said is that clear?”
Trowa’s visible eye went wide, but Duo nodded vigorously.
“And you, Barton, what the hell was that? This isn’t the circus - when we need a man up the middle, we need a man up the middle ASAP, not dancing on high-wires over the top of the enemy troops.” Wufei’s eyes almost bulged out of his head, and they were shaking.
Heero looked like he was trying to suppress a laugh.
“Don’t think I can’t see you smirking, Yuy.” Wufei spun and advanced on Heero. “Being a team means communicating. You’re not the perfect soldier anymore, and it takes more than one man to get the job done. Keep playing solo like that and you’ll see yourself chained to your desk for the rest of the month.” Wufei was now approximately the same shade as a Chinese New Year money envelope.
Heero nodded, and he looked so sincere about the criticism that Wufei really couldn’t go on. Even though Quatre had been mentally preparing himself, having five-foot-four of typhoon Wufei up in his face was still breathtaking, and not in the good way.
“And you, Winner - this isn’t your sisters’ tea and knitting circle. It’s combat. If one of those useless louts gets left behind, leave him behind. In the battlefield there’s collateral damage - learn to calculate it. And I don’t ever want to see you in that pink shirt again - we’re Preventers. We have dignity.”
Quatre ducked his head to hide his grin. Wufei stormed out, and then the trainees relaxed, only slightly.
“Is he always like that?” one of the trainees asked.
“He takes his inter-departmental basketball very seriously, but still, you should see him after a mission,” Quatre said.
The trainees shivered and darted nervous glances at the locker room door.