Gundam Wing: The First Chapter Part 20
Colony W541 was hidden from all others, nestled not far from Neptune. Stationed on that Colony was the headquarters of the OZ Assembly that laid their command over the weakening grip held on the Colonies deep in Space. For several hundred acres, the base that secured the men and women who led the OZ organization was nothing short of breathtaking and terrifying in the same instance upon seeing it.
Secured in the center of that base stood the tall mansion that housed the highest in rank and power. From where it rose, the mansion stood out sorely among the metallic fortress that surrounded and protected it as a boastful taunt for all to try and tear it down. All who attempted to level the mansion had failed and failed miserably. At the end of every day, the mansion still stood as a reminder that OZ was to forever remain. Despite the many Colonies they had lost at the start of the war thanks to the rebels led by two particular Gundam pilots, the OZ Assembly headquarters remained as strong and steadfast as ever.
Deep into the night, a dark figure made its way from one of the control rooms, sheathing a blood-soaked knife into the black belt of their uniform. Once out in the open night air, they moved slowly as not to draw attention from any guards that may become suspicious at why one would need to make such a hasty retreat from their station at the end of their shift. Shifting the brim of their gray cap lover over their brow, they lowered their head just slightly to hide the bruise on their right cheek obtained from the brief struggle in the control room. Giving and receiving small salutes and nods to the armed soldiers wearing the same blue and gray uniforms, the lone figure made their way towards the mansion.
Slipping their identity card into the security lock at one of the main doors, they entered the mansion and walked past the disinterested guards that took their watch. Entering the first elaborate hallway, they moved to the elevator doors. Once inside the empty room that awaited when the doors opened, they discretely removed a small device from their right pocket. Once the doors were closed and the elevator began to move its way up, the small button on the trigger was pressed. At the activation, every security camera picked up only static. The blinking red button on the edge of the elevator's security camera was proof enough that the interference had worked.
As planned, in effort to keep everyone where they were until the problem in the observation room was corrected as quickly and quietly as possible, all elevators were halted 'until further notice,' as a voice advised through the link overhead. Moving quickly, the silent soldier climbed onto the handrail and lifted the emergency door in the elevator's roof. Firing a grappling claw to the top of the elevator shaft, they secured the other end of the thick wire to their belt as they were raised steadily. Reaching the closed elevator doors to the sixth floor, they swung into place before carefully pulling the doors to slide open. Peering through the cracked doors and to the dimly lit hallway, they noted two soldiers speaking amongst themselves in hushed, but anxious voices. "Shouldn't we wake the Commander to let him know that we're experiencing a possible breach in our security?" the first young man asked.
The second shook his red head and answered quietly, "We've experienced glitches like this in the observation room before. The Commander will be more enraged if we disturb him when there is no call for alarm. We have three guards stationed at his bedroom door, just as at every leader's door in the floor below. Right now, just search the halls in case something is up." With a nod, the first soldier ran off further down the hall as the second turned down another corner.
Opening the cracked doors further to slip inside, the dark figure removed their pistol after closing the doors again. Looking as though they, too, were searching for anything strange, the uniformed OZ soldier quickly ran down the halls. Making their way to the deserted corridors of the Commander's quarters, they continued to scan their surroundings for any 'unknown threat.' After a long and empty stretch, they approached the three guards watching Commander Jeffrey Dalton's room.
At the sight of the silent figure, one of the guards removed a hand from his riffle and asked, "Find anything?" When they shook their head, the other two men seemed to relax with slightly annoyed faces as the first officer laughed quietly, "I knew it. Just another false alarm."
At that, the dark figure smirked, "Well, I wouldn't say that." The three guards gazed on them with wide eyes. The first officer fell instantly when a bullet shot through his forehead, dislodging from the back. No sound came from the shot thanks to the silencer attached to the assassin's pistol.
The second soldier was taken down with another bullet, this through the chest, before he could aim his own gun in time. With a sharp yell, the third guard charged forward as the second fell. Dodging the fist thrown by the OZ soldier, the dark figure removed their reddened dagger from their belt in a blink second before slamming the blade into the side of the young man over them. A startled, breathless gasp left the guard as his eyes widened in shock. With a twist and a yank of the dagger as it was embedded into him, the young man fell into a lifeless heap along with his already fallen comrades.
Not wasting any time, the dark assassin quickly opened the door to the Commander's room before stepping inside quickly. Finding the large bed in the center of the room, their eyes adjusted to the blue light peeking through the windows to make out a form lying on the mattress. Raising their pistol without a second thought, they fired three rounds into the still person sleeping there. Panting with narrowed eyes, the assassin lowered their gun slowly.
From behind them, the sound of a metallic 'click' filled their ears as their eyes widened. The cold, round barrel of another pistol pressed against the back of their neck as a deep voice growled slowly and quietly, "Lower. Your. Weapon." After a brief moment of hesitation, the intruder opened their right hand, their gun falling heavily to the carpeted ground. The doorway was now filled with more than ten armed soldiers as one turned the light switch on. Looking to the bed, the assassin's cobalt eyes saw that several large blankets had been rolled together and covered by the bed sheet to appear as though someone had been sleeping there.
Chuckling deeply, Commander Dalton stalked around the intruder as he lowered his own pistol before securing it in his belt. Standing before the assassin, he removed their cap quickly, revealing a fountain of silver hair that fell long and straight to the young woman's thighs as she glared into his eyes. With a smirk, the Dalton shook his head, "Well, well, well. Congratulations, Kumi Yuy. You're the first person ever to have successfully infiltrated our headquarters." His smile faded as he glared heatedly into those piercing cobalt eyes. "Unfortunately for you, your stay here will be short-lived."
Kumi chuckled deeply at the threat as she replied in a hushed tone, "You know I'm only one of thousands that now stand against you. Even if you do kill me, I'll be waiting in Hell for you when they finish you off." At the sight of the shock and disgust in his eyes, the Japanese pilot smirked, "It must be a comforting thing, knowing that there is nothing you can do to protect yourself from an inevitable end. I'm actually glad to have a face now to match with the man who's power has been taken right our from under him."
Gritting his teeth with a deadly glare, Dalton leaned close to the young pilot as he whispered harshly, "Nothing is going to be able to put a stop to me or what I've worked to accomplish out here. I am God here. Once I finish off you and your friends, there won't be anyone to keep me from bringing OZ to full glory and power over every Colony and the Earth. So, enjoy your delusional victory while you can." With his eyes looking to someone behind her, he gave a firm nod.
Quickly looking back to whom the Commander had nodded, Kumi's eyes widened as she gazed up to the tall, dark form of Demetris. The muscular man chuckled deeply with an evil smirk before his fist soared into her vision as everything went black.
* * * * * *
As sirens throughout Libra rang continuously, two White fang soldiers floated down a corridor over one of the ship's hangers as the first man asked, "Have you checked the system?"
With a nod, the other responded, "Yes, sir." At that, they left the hanger to reach the control room to follow up on the status of the fierce battle that was taking place outside.
Below them, hidden among the large cargo boxes in the dark room, Heero sat atop one of he boxes with his arms crossed and his eyes closed as Relena stood not far to his left. Dressed in her white blouse and purple skirt, the young woman looked up at the platform where the two guards passed. Turning back to the Wing pilot, she addressed him quietly in question, "Heero?"
Keeping his eyes closed and arms folded, the Japanese boy replied flatly, "I'm going to stay here 'til this battle's settled." Unstirred by Relena's surprised 'huh,' Heero explained, "It'd be hard for Treize to destroy Libra right now. So, when the time comes, I'll do it myself."
Extending an opened hand, the blonde girl spoke up, "But I still think we have to stop this battle. Dictators are the only ones who sacrifice lives, in order to achieve peace."
Still unmoving, Heero reminded her, "But Treize and Zechs are ready to sacrifice their own lives. That's why I have no intention of stopping them."
Relena stepped forward with narrowed eyes at the thought of her brother's stubbnorness as her voice rose, "Yea, but-"
Cutting her off as he peered up at her with cold, stern cobalt eyes, Heero ordered firmly, "You stay right here with me."
Blinking in shock at those words, the young woman gasped, "Huh?" She hesitated before asking quietly, "You're going to look after me... Heero?"
Turning away from her, the Wing pilot closed his eyes and lowered his head again before answered simply, "I just don't want to feel like I owe Zechs something when we end up fighting." Relena considered his words with a thoughtful hum. Peering over her shoulder, the blonde girl walked towards Heero and sat beside him as he watched out the corner of his eye.
With a small smile after a brief pause, Relena offered, "If this battleship really does go down, there wouldn't be a reason left for you to fight my brother."
For a brief moment, Heero took that possibility to heart as he looked ahead in thought. He could understand that Relena was concerned for her brother and didn't want to see anything happen to him. But in reality, the Japanese pilot knew that the only was to stop Zechs was to defeat him in combat and in combat alone. Taking a deep breath to bring the girl to realize that, he turned towards her and frowned in frustration, "Relena-"
His lips were stopped when hers pressed against his suddenly when she closed her own eyes and leaned in to kiss him. His cobalt eyes widened briefly before closing as he brought his gloved hands up to her shoulders. Carefully but without hesitating, he pushed Relena back. Slowly, her eyes opened and gazed up at him sadly as she bit her bottom lip. Shaking his head, Heero sighed, "I'm sorry."
Stung by his rejection, Relena fought back the tears threatening to fill her eyes as she shook her own head and replied quietly, "No. I'm the one who should be sorry." Inching slightly away from him, she folded her hands in her lap as she lowered her head.
Rising to his feet, the Wing pilot ran a hand through his hair as he kept his back to Relena. Without looking back, he cleared his throat before saying, "There is a favor that I wanted to ask of you." Gasping softly, she looked up in question. Reaching inside of his brown coat, Heero retrieved the small remains of the ceramic cottage that Duo had given to him. Turning back to Relena, he held it out and requested, "Could you hold onto this for me?"
Taking the small broken house, Relena's eyes filled with confusion as she peered at it. After a brief examination of the trinket as she turned it in her hands, she looked up and asked, "What is it?"
Heero's eyes filled with a sadness that the blonde girl had never seen in them before he closed them and lowered his head. To her knowledge, it was the first time Relena could recall seeing any emotion in those cobalt gems. After a long pause, Heero answered quietly, "Someone... very important to me gave that as a gift a while back. It was given to serve as a home, since I never experienced one. But, I don't need it anymore."
At the mention of someone else serving as an important role in the Japanese boy's life, Relena could feel her heart breaking all the more. Rejection was one thing, but to realize that there was someone else... Still, she maintained her strong front as she reflected on his last statement. Shaking her head, Relena asked, "You don't need it anymore?"
Unable to face her, Heero turned his back to Relena again and stated, "They meant to give it as a home, not knowing that they were my home all along... They gave me everything that I need... Something worth fighting for." His voice trailed in a faint whisper as Relena fought the stinging tears in her eyes and blinked them away. Slowly turning back to the young woman, Heero took a deep breath and continued, "If anything happens to me, I want you to make sure that it's returned to him." Relena's eyes widened in shock and disbelief at the word 'him.' With a small smirk, Heero nodded, "You'll know who it is when this is all over."
Nodding as she held the small remains of the ceramic cottage, Relena placed it safely in a side pocket of her blouse. Looking up at the Japanese boy, she assured him, "If anything does happen, I'll be sure that he gets it."
To her amazement, she witnessed for the first time relief filling Heero's eyes as he nodded, "Thank you." Gazing around the room for a moment, his emotionless mask returned as he said, "Let's go." With a nod, Relena rose to her feet and followed him from their hiding place.
* * * * * *
"Well, this is it, guys!" Duo announced with a wide smile as he turned to him fellow Gundam pilots in the hanger as they stood before their suits. Lowering one in his hands from where they fell on his hips, the braided pilot stated, "We all agree that Libra is the biggest threat in this fight, and we know that Treize won't be able to take it out himself. Along with Peacemillion, we're the only ones that stand a chance in destroying it. Everyone here alright with the game plan?"
Quatre replied with a nod, "We came this far, I'm not about to give in now." Both Trowa and Wufei gave their own firm nods of agreement with the Arabian's comment.
Duo nodded back and replied, "Then on that note, let's finish this!" At that, the four pilots climbed into their cockpits as Noin waited in her Taurus suit near by. When they were all ready, the doors at the far end of the hanger opened as they peered out to the vast darkness that awaited them. Taking a deep breath, Duo leaned forward in his seat and yelled, "Let's go!" On his word, Deathscythe soared forward into space with the others close behind.
As they soared from Peacemillion, the Gundam suits were lined up beside each other as they looked towards the battle that was taking place around Libra. With determination in his violet eyes, Duo smirked, "This war's finally going to come to a close one way or the other, Heero."
* * * * * *
Rising from her seat in the back of Peacemillion's control room after Noin and the Gundam pilots departed, Sally addressed the soldiers present in a loud voice, "Keep a straight course for Libra and have every engine pushed as far as they'll allow and don't slow them when the ship is in sight! We're going to fly straight into it!" All eyes present turned back to her widened with shock and fear.
Behind Sally, Howard sat calmly as he nodded to himself. Shouting as she raised a hand, Sally yelled, "There's no telling how much damage we'll face, so get into your space suits! Alert everyone on this ship to prepare for collision!" With nervous nods, the crew quickly went about their tacks as Peacemillion's engines pushed the ship to its destination.
* * * * * *
Quinze's glasses shimmered from the overhead lights as he turned to one of his officers at Libra's main controls as the brunette cried in horror, "I don't believe it! Everyone prepare for impact! Peacemillion is flying right towards us!" Dorothy turned with wide eyes as Quinze's eyes narrowed as he looked up to the monitor. The gray-haired man's eyes soon widened in disbelief as he watched as, indeed, the silver ship was heading straight for Libra.
Turning to watch Peacemillion as it prepared to ram itself into Libra, Duo's eyes widened as he yelled, "They're going for it!" Trowa gazed to his own monitor in Heavyarms as he gazed on the same image Duo watched and held his breath.
Sally gripped tightly to the board before her, dressed in her white space suit and helmet along with those in the control room of Peacemillion. As the red lights around blinked their warning, the young man at the controls sat up a bit and announced, "Engines one and three damaged!" A smirk tugged the corner of his lips as he yelled, "Well, I guess now we don't have to turn them off!" Sally's eyes narrowed as she growled to herself as the image of Libra filled the screen, showing they were feet from hitting. With a wild cry, the man at the controls shouted, "Alright! How about some excitement!"
The tip of the V-shaped ship crashed straight through the metal siding of Libra at an amazing force as everyone inside both crafts held on to whatever they could to keep from being knocked form their feet. Finally, the violent quakes passed as the crews in both crafts shakily worked to regain focus.
In the hallway that they had been walking through, Heero grunted deeply as he lifted the steel door that had fallen atop him and Relena. Pushing it to the side, he kneeled beside the young girl after having shielded her. Rising from where she lied on her stomach, Relena swallowed past her shock as she turned to the Wing pilot and said quietly, "Thank you, Heero..."
Smiling as he looked to the large hole left by Peacemillion, Duo chuckled, "Someone tell Sally I'm never driving with her." The sound of his comrades chuckling over the comm was proof enough that they needed a break from the tension that had been building up. "Let's not waste the window they opened for us, guys. We don't have a lot of time to work with." At that, Deathscythe, Heavy Arms and Sand Rock flew quickly towards Libra.
Inside Libra's control room, enraged at Quinze's remark that Libra was finished following the massive blow they suffered, Dorothy turned to a soldier at the main system with narrowed eyes as she shouted, "Get a damage report immediately! I want every able soldier in a mobile suit or armed! Those Gundam pilots have a chance to break in now!"
Nodding nervously, the blonde White Fang soldier replied, "Yes, ma'am! I'll send the message now." Quickly, his fingers worked their way over the keys.
* * * * * *
"Here we go!" Sette screamed at the top of her lungs in a battle cry as she led Mason and a swarm of mobile suits behind her against the OZ Assembly's main defenses at their own headquarters. Three Virgos came to meet the tomboy and one-by-one, she crushed them with her laser mallet. Growling deeply, she spun her Gundam around to take on the next wave of opponents.
Matt soared downward along with the army of more than three thousand strong that they helped build. While the OZ soldiers had been taken by surprise with the sudden attack, the sirens ringing through the massive base would have reached all of their troops in minutes. As he shot down as many OZ suits as he could, Matt called to his friend, "Sette, we have you heard anything from Kumi yet? There's no sign of Excalibur. If she's in trouble, it'll take us a long time to reach her, if we can at all."
Scanning the base grounds that lied thousands of miles below them, Sette shook her head, "I don't have a confirmation of her yet, either, Matt. I'm sure that doesn't mean anything. All we can do now is fend for ourselves up here until the next part of our plan comes into play." Reluctantly, the blonde young man nodded his affirmative before they concentrated fully on the attack again.
Inside the large estate that housed the OZ Assembly in the center of their stronghold, the men and women in charge of the hold over the Colonies gathered in the large meeting room. The long table where they normally held their meetings was empty as they all lined before the large glass windows. Peering up to the skies as they squinted and shielded their eyes from the bright artificial sun, they tried to see the massive battle that suddenly fell upon them. All around, the piercing sirens called any and every able soldier to their suits to join the fight as they took to the skies like an endless swarm of bees.
One dark-haired woman smirked wickedly as she chuckled, "What a waste. Those damn rebels must be mad if they think they can breach such a secured facility. They've come out of hiding just to die."
Shaking his head, the older, bald man beside her replied in a much less certain tone, "I don't want to take any chances, knowing that those Gundam pilots are behind this."
"We hold our position here," a deep voice behind all of them commanded flatly. Turning back, they gazed on Commander Dalton as he stood with his back leaning against the table with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "There has not been a successful attack on this fortress since the war began. We won't be overrun." The OZ leaders standing before him each gave a nod of their own agreement. Meanwhile, the sirens throughout the base along with the explosions overhead filled the air all the louder.
* * * * * *
In a deserted equipment room, Heero pulled on one of the brown space suits in the locker he had broken into as Relena watched, dressed in her own suit as she held her helmet with both hands. Dressed in his usual green tank top and spandex shorts, the Wing pilot used the white scarf he had worn around his neck to serve as a bandage for the cut his right upper arm suffered after being pinned beneath the steel door earlier. Zipping the front of his suit, Heero looked up to Relena and stared firmly, "Once we're on Peacemillion, follow Howard's instructions and get your butt out of here."
The blonde girl held her ground as she replied, "I want to talk to my brother just one more time." Sighing inwardly, Heero walked to toward the helmet that sat on the desk before him.
Picking up the helmet without looking back up to her, he answered simply, "It won't help. Zechs' decision is final." Sighing deeply in frustration as the Japanese pilot walked past her, Relena closed the locker that he left ajar before following him again.
* * * * * *
Chuckling as he peered around the desolate hall he floated down, Duo's violet eyes shone through the helmet that he wore as he chuckled deeply and smirked, "This area's obviously used for confinement."
Reaching the door at the end of the hall, he lowered his pistol and pressed an ear to the door. At the sound of a faint rustling inside, the braided pilot smiled to himself, "Alright. I'm here." Lowering the bag that fell over his left shoulder to remove a detonator, he called to the prisoner inside, "Step away from the door if you don't want to get hurt!" Placing the detonator to the lock, he Duo switched on the small explosive as he quickly took up the bag and ran to the opposite side of the door. The detonator charged with a faint sound as it blew the lock apart.
Pulling open the door until there was a crack for him to peek within, Duo smiled, "Hey, Heero! Is that you?" Looking up his violet eyes with a small gasp. Turning his back to the door as he closed it behind him again, wide-eyes pilot asked quietly, "What the-? That definitely wasn't what I was expecting to find."
Taking a deep breath, Duo turned back to the door and opened it again. The five scientists looked up at him with wide eyes of their own from where they sat atop a long sting of mattresses in the center of the cell. Professor G gazed past his long nose as he questioned, "Duo?"
His eyes filled with disbelief, the braided pilot yelled, "What the hell is going on here!?" Doctor J moved to speak but was cut off as Duo's shoulders slacked and his eyes narrowed as he spoke up, "Before you start, let me just say this is the most fucked up rescue mission I've even been on! I damn near get killed sneaking into this flying death ship, work like hell to find this place, thinking that I'm going to find Heero and get him out of here and I find the five of you! What the hell are all of you doing here anyway?"
Clearing his throat nervously, Doctor J lowered his head as Professor G replied, "Well, my boy, I'm afraid that's a bit of long story."
"Why the fuck doesn't that surprise me!?" Duo cried in frustration. Closing his eyes with a deep sigh, Duo scratched the back of his braided head with his armed hand as he gritted his teeth and growled, "Unbelievable. Well, looks like we're going to be here for a little while, then."
The five old men looked up to him with confused expressions as the Gundam pilot walked to the door, pulling it closed until only a crack remained to allow light to seep into the dark cell. Sitting himself on the floor with his back to the five scientists, Duo folded his legs and hunched forward as he closed his eyes as demanded sharply, "Start talking. Not one of us leaves this room until I get answers." Knowing better than to call such a bluff from the braided pilot, the scientists behind him lowered their heads with deep sighs.
Taking a deep breath, Doctor J began in a deep sigh, "Alright... It all started when..."
* * * * * *
Peacemillion pulled back from another blow delivered into Libra. Inside, Howard removed his white helmet and looked up to the main monitor in the front of the control room as he called out, "This ship won't be able to handle many more hits like this! We better pull back while we have the chance!"
Removing her own helmet, Sally turned towards him with concern in her eyes as she replied, "Libra is still a threat! Heero said, himself, that until that ship is completely destroyed, it's capable of doing more harm!"
Howard's shaded eyes met hers as he frowned, "Did you forget about Miss Peacecraft!? We can't risk losing Peacemillion now that she's been delivered here! Those kids are fully capable to finish where we left off." Lowering her head, Sally signed deeply as she paused in thought.
With determination in her eyes as she lifted her head again, the braided woman gave a firm nod before announcing to those in the control room, "Alright, everyone. Let's get this ship and Miss Peacecraft as far from danger as we can manage out here." At her command, those soldiers present went to taking Peacemillion from the direct line of fire.
* * * * * *
Relena took a deep breath as she watched Heero step into Wing Zero's cockpit. Since their arrival to Peacemillion, she had not changed from her brown space uniform or helmet as the Wing pilot decided to join the battle raging around them. Adjusting his dark flight suit, Heero only looked up when Relena floated up to the deck made by the open cockpit and called desperately, "Wait!" With a questioning 'Hm,' the Wing pilot met her narrowed eyes. Leaning towards the Japanese boy, Relena demanded, "Heero. Tell me why it's necessary for you to go, too."
With a small smirk, the Wing pilot chuckled deeply to himself at the girl's stubbornness. Turning his gaze away in what seemed to be consideration of his own response. Still, the young woman went on in her plea, "Libra is going down. There isn't any reason left to keep on fighting..." Her own voice hitching in her throat, Relena closed her eyes before continuing, "...my brother. Miliardo Peacecraft and the White Fang have been defeated."
At that, Heero looked back up at her as he smirked confidently, "I'll make you a bet. Zechs doesn't think that he's lost. What's more, I doubt him or Treize are going to allow this battle to end." Relena's shocked 'What!?' only moved the Japanese pilot to conclude, "That's why I've got to go and fight them."
Sighing deeply in frustration, the girl's blue eyes narrowed again as she asked sharply, "Do you really think, if you go, that this war is going to come to an end?" Mentally, Heero sighed in his own frustration at her stubbornness to understand anything about him. Thinking of the only way to make her listen, Heero rose from his seat as Relena's eyes widened. When he stepped towards her, she gasped, "Huh?"
Placing one hand to the back of her helmet, the Wing pilot brought their protected foreheads together as his eyes demanded her to pay attention. Speaking slowly so that she would listen to every word, Heero explained once and for all, "I'll defeat Zechs. And I'll go after Treize. Then the war will be over. Afterward, if you make it out of here, there will finally be peace."
Faintly, with her eyes frozen by the determination in those cobalt eyes, Relena whispered, "Heero..." Again, she could feel her heart breaking.
All this time she thought that Heero had been protecting her, he had only been protecting her ideals and hopes for peace. There was no other motivation. Heero never felt for her the way she hoped. Her own dread was confirmed in the next instant. ...As the realization of how foolish she had been to believe that Heero cared for her filled her own eyes, she saw relief fill his own in seeing that she understood.
Keeping Relena's helmet against his own to be certain that she was still listening, Heero continued, "I promised that I would protect you. But in order to protect you and the Earth Sphere, Relena, I have no choice but to fight." There was a small, but defiant 'no' in response from the young woman and finally, Heero pulled her back slightly as he asked gently, "Please let me fight."
Just then, Relena could feel the small ceramic remains of the gift that had been bestowed onto Heero by the person most dear to him. The thought of whoever that boy was filled her mind. She was entrusted by the Wing pilot to return it to that young man if he didn't make it out alive. Suddenly, the fear and sudden realization of Heero's true intentions caused a chill to run up her spine.
Relena's eyes narrowed again at his request. She would deal with the fact that there would be nothing between them, but Heero was still her friend and she didn't want to see him hurt. Relena saw it as her duty to see that he returned to whoever managed to capture his heart. Instantly, she responded with a firm, "I won't! No way! Heero... you're planning to die, aren't you?" The blue visor of her mask lowered in reply as the Japanese boy pressed the small manual at the back of her helmet. With a sharp gasp, Relena's eyes widened in helplessness.
Smiling in gratitude of her acceptance of what was left unspoken between them, Heero said quietly, "Believe in me." At that, he pushed Relena from Wing Zero's cockpit as the girl reached an arm out for him, calling his name in distress. With the same, small smile Heero closed the cockpit hatch before him.
Turning as she floated to one of the balconies of the hanger, the young woman held onto the metal railing before looking back to Wing Zero. The large Gundam stepped up beside the balcony, peering and leaning forward toward the door of the hanger as it opened to the silent stars of Space. Taking a deep breath, Relena's own fears faded as she stated clearly, "I believe in you... yes I do."
There was only a brief silence before the Gundam's engines roared. Gasping sharply, Relena turned her head away with her eyes squeezed closed as the heat and exhaust from Wing Zero filled the room. Instantly, the mobile suit shot forward and through the hanger doors before vanishing from sight. Tears in her eyes, Relena leaned forward and cried, "Heero!"
* * * * * *
After suddenly finding himself under fire by two mobile suits as he soared down one of Libra's halls in Heavyarms, Trowa maneuvered and ducked his suit in an opening to his right. Peeking his Gundam out enough to make out how to best take out his obstacle, Trowa growled deeply as he watched the two mobile suits duck back behind the corner where they stationed themselves. "I'll never be able to reach them like this," he hissed to himself.
Quickly considering how to take out his enemies, Trowa was suddenly jolted when there were two large explosions where the two Virgos had been. Blinking in shock, he gasped, "Huh?" Peering out to see the flames and smoke remaining from the sudden attack, Trowa narrowed his eyes in attempt to make out who destroyed the White Fang suits. The heavy metallic footsteps ringing in the air were soon met with the familiar, dark outline of Deathscythe as it walked through the fire and smoke. The dark Gundam's wings were folded over its body to take the form of a protective coat as both large hands gripped its laser scythe in preparation for another attack. As Deathscythe approached him, the tall pilot smiled quietly to himself, "Duo."
Smiling brightly at the sight of Heavyarms as he walked his suit towards him, Duo greeted, "You made it, Trowa! Sorry, pal, but I gotta get going." Pausing before the other Gundam, the braided pilot commented, "So, I'm afraid you're on your own here."
Trowa smirked and shrugged, "That's fine. I'll be okay."
"You sure?" Duo asked with a wink. At that moment, Duo and Trowa smiled at each other as they met eyes through their monitors. They smiled sincerely... warmly, for the first time wither of them could recall. In that brief second, all the tensions between them had faded away to nothing. With a small nod, Duo took to his controls again and flew Deathscythe further down the hall past Heavyarms. Peering from the corner of his eyes, Duo frowned deeply in concern as he thought to himself, 'Don't go getting yourself hurt.'
Gazing over his shoulder, Trowa gave a small smile as his mind said gently, 'Take care, Duo.' Smirking to himself, the tall pilot moved Heavyarms in the opposite direction.
Gripping to his controls after throwing Deathscythe into the bring of the battle outside of Libra, Duo's eyes narrowed as he scanned the battlefield in his attempt to transport the scientists clinging inside the closed wings of his Gundam. His voice was threaded in relief as he thought aloud, "The good news is that if he wasn't captured, he got out fine on his own. And knowing him, Heero will be back to help finish off what we started here. There's too much riding on this fight for him to sit it out." Looking up to the ceiling of his cockpit, the braided pilot yelled, "Heero, you better not die on me out here!"
Not far from Libra, Wing Zero soared head-on to the merciless battle that continued to rage. His cobalt eyes narrowed, he searched for his target, knowing fully well that somewhere among those mobile suits, Epyon was waiting for him as well.
TBC...
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