~~~~~~~~~~~Preventer’s base ~~~~~~~~~~~~`

"Troy?" The words left Sarah’s lips before she could think. It had been so long since she had seen him. So long since their fight to save themselves. So many years since he’d run away and never come back.

"Who’s Troy?" Heero asked her his face remaining without expression.

Sarah shifted her gaze to examine him. His features though matured where the same. His hair the same deep chocolate color and his eyes the same deep cobalt blue. In fact the face he know wore was the one she had seen him so many years ago. When he was nothing more than a scared little boy. So much had changed. "Heero. I mean Heero." She paused and wondered if the name meant anything to him, but it didn’t appear as if it did.

"Who took Duo?" He asked immediately getting right to the point and ignoring her earlier blunder.

"An organization called Dragon." Sarah said slowly and decided that now was not the time to tell Troy of his past. Now it was time to win the man’s trust before she would be able to make him believe the truth. She had to prove herself to him. "I know because they have my brother." She paused for a moment and pulled a scrap of cloth out of her pocket and handed it to him.

Heero took it from her fingers and examined it closely. "What is it?" He asked tiredly as if he didn’t believe a word she was saying.

"It the end of a dragon and the tip of a broad sword. It’s their symbol. I found it on the window of my brother’s room five days ago."

Heero looked at her skeptically and wadded the cloth up and tossed it back at her, which she caught promptly. "I don’t have time for this." He said coldly and turned to Relena. "Why did you bring her up here?"

Sarah watched as the former princess opened her mouth to answer but shook her head instead. "There’s something about her Heero. She says she knows who you are."

Heero turned his gaze Relena back to the girl. "What do you know about my past?"

"I know that you have parents." Sarah began trying to capture his attention. "Their names were Terri and Henry Mathers. Your mother had dark brown hair just like yours and you father he had your eyes."

Heero just looked at her disbelief apparent in his eyes. He turned away and sat back at his computer. His bangs hanging over his face as he looked at the screen. Sarah didn’t know if he was in pain or not. She couldn’t read the man’s hard expressions but she knew that somewhere inside him was Troy the boy that had saved her life. That refused to be a slave to other’s rule. Before she could say anymore Relena had her arm on the younger girls shoulder and started to lead her out, but Sarah wrenched her way out of the woman’s hold and reached deep into her pocket until her fingers folded around a bent and faded photo.

"Look!" She told him bluntly. "I have proof. They’re right here. They look exactly like you. You can’t deny it!" She held the photo few feet from him and was surprised when a lightening quick hand plucked the picture from her fingers and looked at it. "I told you." She said softly and watched his expression harden once more.

Heero looked at the picture a faint yearning building in his chest with the possibility. Could he have a past? Did he ever have parents? He looked at the picture closely and had to admit they did resemble them, but if those were his parents then what of Dr. J. He had always told him that he was a war orphan whose parent put him in an orphanage when he was still a baby. He had known Dr. J for years and this girl he had only met there was no way he would trust her. Creasing his brow Heero put his thumbs beside each other on the side of the picture and ripped it in half. He watched it float to the floor and turned to look at her. "I don’t have parents."

Sarah looked up from the floor. She hadn’t planned to tell him everything but it seemed there was no other way. Dr. J’s warning still burned in her ears but she had to tell him. If she didn’t make him believe then it would be too late. She reached into her pocket again and pulled out a letter.

"I know who trained you." She said and tossed him the letter, which he caught. "You wrote this letter to me and my brother when he found you. It’s your handwriting. You can have it checked." She watched as he pried the letter open and read the two sentences written there.

"That doesn’t prove…" He began but Sarah reached out with almost as quick an reaction as he and grabbed his arm she pulled up the sleeve of his Preventer’s shirt and point to the scar on his forearm. "I know how you got that! You used to have a tattoo on your arm. I don’t know if you remember it or not. It was a dragon curled around a broadsword. It was right there." She poked his flesh one more time before he grabbed her fingers and pushed her violently away from him.

"If what you say is true then who am I and who is Dragon? Why are they after me?" Heero almost appeared enraged but Sarah stood her ground.

"Nine years ago when I was six and you were eight…" Sarah began to recount the entire story or at least as much as she could remember from her point of view. When she finished Relena was shaking her head and Heero was giving her a cold glare.

"Are you finished?" He asked and she nodded. "Then leave." He pointed for the door.

Relena looked at him. "Heero I don’t think she’s making it up. It’s too weird not to believe." She put he hand on his arm but he pulled away.

"If what she say is true than what does that make me?" He asked her his expression softening for a moment before they hardened again and he glared at Sarah. "Get out."

"I know about the little girl Troy. I know about the dog and those buildings. I know you remember that. Don’t things about it seem out of place? How long where you away from training after that. It’s it odd that you don’t remember…"

Heero blinked as something she said sparked a memory a very distant one. He remembered the day he had killed the girl. How he’d carried the small brown dog back to the base and buried it in the yard. How bad he had felt…How…Heero crinkled his brow as a burning started in the back of his mind as he tried to remember. He had gone to Dr. J and then…The burning intensified so much that he had to reach his hands up and grab his skull. The doctor had called him… Heero could see the man’s lips moving in his mind, but no name would come. This time the burning was a white-hot fire that consumed his mind and sent him into darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

"Heero!" Relena called in alarm and jumped from her seat and to his side. She pulled his limp body to a sitting position and shook him lightly. "Heero? Wake up." Relena turned her panicked expression on the girl who had seemingly caused all this. "What did you do."

Sarah pulled her gaze from the fallen man and back to Relena. "I…I don’t…I was just trying to make him remember."

Relena turned away from the girl and back the man who had captured her heart so many years ago. She looked him over and found his chest was still rising and falling as he breathed. In fact he seemed to be in a deep sleep. That fact did nothing to calm her though, she wanted to know what had happened and why he had grabbed his head that way and mumbled something about a dog over and over before he fell over.

Sarah came to kneel beside Relena and tapped the woman’s arm. "I’m sorry Doctor J warned me that something might happen if I tried to make him remember, but I had to." She paused. "I didn’t know he would do this. I didn’t know…"

"What did Dr. J do to him?" Relena whispered as she stroked his hair waiting for him to awaken.

"Erased his memory so he wouldn’t remember Dragon or his promise to never become a soldier." Sarah stated and turned her head. She heard something, something very slight. Sarah narrowed her eyes and peered at the door. Was there something on the other side?

"They must have put a block in him." Relena continued unaware of the other girl’s distress. "So that if he ever were reminded of something or his memory came back this would happen. Do you think that we can take it out?" Relena turned to ask Sarah and saw the girl rising to her feet her gun raised and her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"I hear something." Sarah whispered. "I don’t know what it is, but I can sense it." She paused as the new feeling rushed over her in a wave. Was this another part of her suppressed training? Sarah paused as she listened trying to catch any small noise but this time nothing reached her ears.

"Sarah!" Relena called in a panic as she looked at Heero’s forearm. It was starting to glow a faint pulsing yellow through his sleeve. Frantically Relena ripped the material backwards and saw his arm pulsing and with each pulse the symbol of a Dragon appeared in his skin. All doubt was gone as she looked at it and something told her that there was danger just ahead. "We’ve got to get him out of here!"

Sarah turned from her position and almost balked at the glowing symbol on his arm. She swallowed and nodded. "Yeah I don’t know what it is, but I sense something is close. I feel it." Just as the words left her mouth something dropped from the ceiling landed silently in front of a stunned Sarah. Sarah felt her fingers shaking as her gun started to fall from its erect position. It couldn’t be but it was. It was her brother. "Mace?" She whispered.

Relena watched the display a growing dread filling her. Something about the young man made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. His eyes were absolutely empty. Quickly she wrapped her arms around the unconscious Heero’s upper body and dragged him under on of the tables. Perhaps they hadn’t been seen and maybe she could wake him up.

~~~~~~~~’

Mace cocked his head to the side and examined the gun-carrying girl in front of him. He had to admit that she was slightly familiar, but other than that small recollection she was of no interest to him. His eyes didn’t rest on her for more than a second before he turned his attention away from her and saw a pair of feet disappearing under a conference table.

"Don’t move."

Mace turned away from the place his target had gone and back to the girl. She had her gun raised and was looking at him as if she planned to finish him off, stupid. Looking her up and down he immediately knew that she was no threat. He only needed to unarm her and if necessary kill her. Moving swiftly he jumped for her and was surprised when she pulled the trigger. Her reaction time was fast, almost as fast as his was. He tried to dodge but the bullet grazed his shoulder. Mace stopped his advance only for an instant so he could change directions and grabbed the gun from her shaking fingers and punched her in the stomach letting her crumple to the floor.

"You’ll pay for that." He growled as he turned the gun on the girl. No one was better than he was no one. Mace eased the trigger back just as she looked up at him her violet eyes pleading with him and wet with unshed tears.

"Please, Mace." She whispered. "Fight it Mace."

Mace faltered his hand tightening on the handle of the gun but unable to pull the trigger. Something about her pleading face pulled at him and wouldn’t allow him to pull the trigger. He growled again and lunged at her pulling her up by her hair and ignoring the cry of pain that escaped her lips. He held the gun to her temple his eyes burning into her innocent ones. It happened again the pain flared and then it was white.

"Stay here Sarah." Mace whispered as he released her hand and looked into the darkness trying to make out landmarks so he would know which way to go.

Mace blinked and dropped the girl his grip on the gun failing him as he let it drop to the carpet along with her. Where had that come from? Mace knew he had to shoot her but something wouldn’t let him. Growling fiercely Mace stalked toward her and kicked her again. If he couldn’t kill her he could at least keep her from talking.

~~~~~~~`

Relena peeked out from behind the table her lip trembling and her fingers shaking with fear as she caught sight of the man beating Sarah until she wasn’t even able to call out. They had to get out and quick. She couldn’t wake Heero and she knew that as soon as he was done with Sarah he would come after them. She wanted to help Sarah, but if what she had been saying was true then they would do that to Heero and she couldn’t let that happen.

Wrapping her arms around his chest and under his arms, Relena tugged him using all her strength to pull him from under the table. Moving as quickly and as quietly as she could Relena dragged him around the enraged man and tried to ignore the way Sarah slumped limply on the floor and focused on the door. Her only escape and only chance to save Heero. She was almost there the door was only inches from her grasp. In a last instance of panic Relena looked over her shoulder and saw the man turning from Sarah’s beaten body and back around to retrieve his gun. She didn’t have anymore time. Tugging harder she pulled Heero to the door her fingers wrapping around the doorknob. Relief washed over her as she pulled it open.

Before she could even think to look up the door was shut again. Relena looked up and found herself face to face with the inhuman man who Sarah had called Mace. Relena gulped and shoved Heero behind her shaking the whole time. What would he do to them?

"You won’t get away with this!" She yelled at him as she shoved herself and the unconscious Heero backwards.

He didn’t say anything but reached down his hand wrapping around her neck as he pulled her off the ground with unbelievable strength. She felt all the air leaving her lungs, as she was unable to breathe. Her eyes widened as she looked at him knowing that he would kill her. Giving her a tight squeeze he pulled her back and flung her across the room. Relena felt a scream escape her lips as she slammed into the side of the conference table a pain racing through her body and making it hard to breath. She could hardly see Heero through her blurred vision and she tried to get up but her body refused to listen and she fell into the darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preventer’s base Lady Une’s office ~~~~~~~~`

"I hate to say it but whoever is after us might be too skilled for us to stop." Quatre mumbled and glanced across the table at Lady Une. "But despite this we can’t give up. We can’t stop because we are the only ones that come even close to this guy. If we don’t more than should will perish. There had to be a reason they’re after us and we’ll find out soon. If things play out we should hear something from Duo’s captures soon and we’ll work from there."

Lady Une sighed. "I don’t know if this is such a good idea Quatre. For all we know Duo is dead."

Quatre frowned and closed his eyes for a moment. "I know that he’s not dead." He said firmly. "I would know if he were dead." He smiled faintly.

Lady Une shook her head. "I can’t rely on that Quatre. Just because you think you’re connected to the pilots it doesn’t mean that you’re always right."

Quatre shook his head firmly. "I know he’s alive and if they do anything to him I’ll know. Right now we need to try and find out who is behind this."

Sally sighed beside her comrade and threw a stack of rubber band bound files across his desk. "Check this out." She sighed. "In here is every scientific attempt at the ‘perfect soldier’. We have robots, genetically engineered human beings…everything but I might add none compare to what this guy did. By look at those bodies I would say he didn’t even break a sweat."

Lady Une flipped open the first file and read the title then looked through the rest. "Most of these projects were terminated."

Sally frowned. "I know. It turns out that a few of the test subjects turned on their creators." Sally reached around him and grabbed on of the thinner files and pulled it out. "But this guy he was at a lot of these facilities. His name was George Hammond." Sally tossed Quatre the file. "He had hands and almost all of these projects. He’s name is referenced at least a dozen times in other’s research. If he’s still alive he might be able to get us answers."

Quatre nodded. "It sounds like a good place to start. I’ll get Heero, Wufie, and Trowa and we’ll go check it out."

Lady Une held up her hand. "I don’t think so. All of you aren’t going to go. Two of you can check him out and the other two I want here. There is no sense in all four of you disappearing."

Sally nodded. "I have something else I want to check out in Asia." Sally said slowly. "I could use Wufie’s help on that. Me and him found an abandoned research facility using our contacts and we believe it might be a lead."

Lady Une nodded. "That’s fine just take either Yuy or Barton with you."

"Yes ma’am." Sally responded smartly and headed out of the office.

"I think I’ll take Heero." Quatre said evenly. "The man is driving himself crazy looking for a lead."

Sally nodded. "I know me and Wufie were up all night. Finally we came across an old medical file in the government box and that’s where the rest came from. This facility in Asia is kinda weird. It seems that over four hundred people were burned alive on the inside when it exploded. The place was full of bunks and quarter’s very much like those of soldiers but it was supposed to be a medical research facility. There were supposed to be twenty licensed workers trying to find a cure for Cancer." Sally paused. "But that doesn’t explain the extra people and why almost all of those there eighteen or younger." Sally shook her head. "I’m hoping if the government won’t corporate then we’ll be able to find something there."

Quatre frowned. "I don’t know but I wonder is this Hammond guy is linked with that place. Where was he when it was still set up."

"Funny thing." Sally commented. "I can’t anything on him at that time, but that he did take a flight out of Asia in AC 190. After that there is nothing. Good luck finding the guy."

Just as the two of them rounded the corner a high pitched scream tore their thoughts away from the case. "That was…."

"Relena." Quatre finished. Both of them dropped the papers and tore down the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Preventer’s base ~~~~~~~~~`

Sally pulled the door to the conference room open her gun raised ready to take aim on the attackers. All she caught sight of was a pair of military shoes being pulled through the ceiling tiles. Sally turned to Quatre who was at her side and nodded at him. He left her side and raced down the hall with full intentions of stopping the man who undoubtedly had Heero Yuy. Scanning the room she caught sight of Relena slumped on the floor a puddle of blood around her head where it had been cut open and her skin pale and drawn. Not to far from the former princess was another girl Sally had never seen. She was in horrible condition.

Sally picked up the radio attached to her belt and called security. "We have a red alert. Red Alert! We have a man in possession of Preventer Heero Yuy making his way through the air ducts. I want the facility on lock down. No one gets in or out. Find him before he leaves! Quatre Winner is tracking him through the pipes. I repeat Red alert." Moments after her speech an alarm sounded and Sally bent down to press her fingers to the brown haired girl's throat. There was still a pulse if only a faint one. She then turned to the Relena, her friend, and pressed her fingers to the girl’s exposed throat. The pulse there was strong but it was apparent she was in pain. Sally reached for her radio again and called for a medic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Quatre kicked open the door to the ventilation room and pulled his standard issue gun from his holster and held it up as he charged into the room. Just as he thought there were feet dangling from the ceiling tile and then he saw one of Heero’s pant legs. Quatre reached for the radio on his waist and called for back up.

"Stop right there or I will shoot you." Quatre demanded as the man emerged fully from the shaft Heero slung over his shoulder. The man starred at him, or more accurately past him as he entered the room. Not even giving him a second glance the man turned and started out the door. Quatre took aim and pulled the trigger. To his amazement the man moved. He moved with such speed and grace Quatre couldn’t follow him. He had dodged the bullet. How?

"You’ll be sorry you did that."

Quatre swallowed refusing to let fear take over. "Move again and I will not miss." He warned as he took a stance and aimed again.

"Your choice." The man said his eyes glazing for a moment as he set Heero on the ground and leaped toward Quatre with an animalistic rage.

Quatre kept his eye trained on him and fired. In fact he fired repeatedly but he kept coming. He couldn’t tell if any of his shots had met their mark, but it was impossible. He couldn’t dodge this close. They were no more than a few feet from each other. Just as his gun ran out of bullets Quatre tossed it to his side and prepared himself for the blow that was sure to come. The man jumped on him knocking all the air out of his body as he flung Quatre backwards his skull striking the concrete wall. Quatre groaned as he tried to pull himself to his feet, but nothing was focusing at the moment.

"Mission accomplished." Mace whispered as he reached for Quatre his fingers wrapping around the blonde’s neck. He prepared to snap it in half when he felt a sharp stinging pain in his upper arm. Phased he dropped the blond and turned around where the shot had come from. Someone had shot him. A maddening rage filled him as he thought of the failure. He didn’t, wouldn’t fail.

Trowa pulled the trigger again as he took aim on the enraged man whom had almost killed his best friend. Unfortunately he was prepared this time and none of Trowa’s bullets hit their mark. He was disabled now though and moving visibly slower than before. Trowa tossed his gun to the side and jumped out of the way turning one of his flips in the small area before he landed and stood to face him again. The man, or whatever he was, was staring at him intently his eyes blazing. His legs were spread as if he planned to fight and his arms to the side, then as if he was given a better plan he jolted and darted into cover. Trowa did the same keeping an eye on Heero through his side vision. He couldn’t see Quatre anymore but was content in knowing that he was probably out of the way.

"One more inch and I snap his neck."

Trowa turned slowly his eyes falling on the kidnapper and Quatre being held up by his throat. Trowa faltered. What should he do? Either way someone he cared about risked being killed.

"One for the other, but if you take the other this one will die while if you take this one," He shook the lifeless body to emphasize his point, "won’t live much longer."

Trowa didn’t have any choice with out back up any he didn't have a chance and he couldn’t wait forever. Trowa lowered himself to the ground yelling a silent apology to his friend. At least know he knew both of them would be alive and Heero could take care of himself, couldn’t he? "Take him." Trowa hissed through clenched teeth.

"Good choice." The man mumbled and dropped the blond to the floor and scooped up Heero throwing him once again over his shoulder.

Trowa remained that way until he was out of sight and heading down the stairwell. Then he yanked his com-link off his belt and yelled. "Everyone get you asses to the lower sector. He’s headed for the basement. I repeat he’s headed for the basement."

Trowa threw his link across the room in rage and moved to his friend and felt for a pulse. There was one, as he had thought and he hoped he had done the right thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~` Colony

Duo closed his eyes his mind no longer functioning on normal terms. He didn’t know what to do. He had spent what he guessed was the whole night and possible all day trying to find a way out, but it was as if every possible escape route had been planned and he was trapped. Draping his arm over his forehead Duo lifted his lids and wondered what this organization would have in store for him. It was obvious that they didn’t want him. They were after Heero, but he was foolish to believe that they would just let him go. That was stupid. It was more likely that they would try something with him, maybe try to get some information out of him, but he doubted he had anything that they didn’t already know.

"Are you hungry?"

Duo didn’t even sit up. It was the kid again. He had come back periodically over the last couple of hours and so nicely graced him with his obnoxious presence. Each time he had a bit more useless information to feed and this time he guessed it wouldn’t be much different. "Kid I swear if you come back one more time I’m going to snap your neck off." Duo was surprised when the boy laughed at him.

"I brought you something to eat. I figured this time you wouldn’t throw it across the room."

Duo lifted himself off the metal table and stalked toward the kid who didn’t even flinch in his presence. "What is it?" He asked as he reached for the tray.

"Does it really matter?" The boy asked as he handed the tray over and smiled when Duo shrugged at him.

"I guess not. Food is food. So when do they plan on letting me out?" Duo carried the tray back to his table and sat down his feet crossing underneath his body as he picked up the plastic fork on the side of his plate and ran it through the mashed potatoes on the corner of his plate.

"I’m guessing when hell freezes over or perhaps when the proclaimed God of Death goes to heaven." The boy replied smirking and making no motion to leave just yet.

"Are you sticking around to make sure I don’t choke on my food. So thoughtful of you." Duo jested as he brought the fork to his mouth to take a bite.

"Do you ever wonder what’s in that stuff." The boy asked his voice edging with something more than his usual hero-worship and indifference.

Duo put the fork back down and shrugged. "I really don’t care at the moment. Why the sudden concern in what I’m consuming? Do you want me to share?"

The boy immediately shrugged. "Nothing. I was just wondering if you even look at what you’re putting in your mouth."

"I’ll put in whatever seems edible at the moment." Duo said shoveling a mouth full of the mashed potatoes into his mouth to emphasize his point. Duo chewed and poked his fork in the meat on the side of his plate covered in some sort of gravy and shrugged as he took a bite of that as well.

"I would be more careful with what you put in your mouth." The boy said slowly his voice so different than before that Duo stopped to look up at him. The boy’s eyes were rounded as he eyed Duo’s tray with suspicion.

"Are you telling me not to eat?" Duo asked for the first time examining his food more carefully.

"No!" He called immediately. "I was just saying that you should check it out something might you now get in it."

Duo dropped his plate beside him and glared at the boy. "What are you saying kid. Did you…"

"No." Mitchell shook his head his arms waving. "No, I was just talking that’s all." He gave Duo one last glance before he turned to the door and left. "Bye Duo."

Duo glared after him and picked up his tray this time poking through the contents for a moment and found that there was nothing in them and shoveled some more into his mouth. "Ass." He mumbled between bites. I swear if that kid loves me I’d hate to think what he does to people he hates. It didn’t take long for him to finish and when he was finished he dropped the plate on the floor and leaned back onto the table feeling tired. "Must have eaten too much." He mumbled just as his eyes closed and his hand fell limply to his side.

~~~~~~~`

"That was close." Hammond nearly screamed as he watched the pilot snore. "I swear that kid almost gave us away. If he had said anything more Maxwell wouldn’t have eaten all of that sedative. We’re going to have to get rid of them sooner than we thought. Especially that Mitchell guy. He poses the most threat."

"He’s just star struck." Smith mumbled. "Duo Maxwell is his hero. That’s all. He couldn’t do what we ordered him to without warning him."

"Doesn’t matter. He’s a threat. He’s jealous of Mace and we haven’t found a way to recreate the chip just yet and with the threat of him defecting we’re going to have to get rid of him and quickly." Hammond grabbed hold of the disk to his right and put into the computer to his left and turned on the screen. "As soon as we have this procedure mastered. Duo Maxwell will be on our side."

Smith shrugged and smiled. "It won’t be that hard. We’ll have his memory erased easily enough and we can keep his fighting sense intact. He’ll know how to fight. He’ll be our own little perfect soldier and as soon as we have Yuy back we’ll have a nice little army to start with."

"First we get that chip out of Yuy’s arm and duplicate it so Maxwell here won’t feel left out."

"Yeah, I think Mace should be carrying out that mission right now. He’s supposed to be at the Preventer’s base at this very moment." Smith turned around and walked toward the radio that linked him to Mace. "I can contact him if you want."

Hammond waved his hand. "No that’s okay. He’ll contact us when mission is accomplished. All we have to do is wait."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

"Mission complete." Mace called into his link as he switched on his frequency. "I have the target and I’m heading back to the base with damages minimal."

"Damages?" Hammond asked disbelief stealing over him. "What damages?"

"Shot in right arm, but still functions. Injury hardly damages fighting ability." Mace glanced at his arm that was bleed profusely but he didn’t have time to tend to it right now. "Might require medical attention."

"Acknowledged. Return to base immediately."

Mace nodded thought there was on one to nod to. "Understood."