DISCLAIMER: Gundam Wing belonged to Sunrise and co. I’m not making any profits out of this, so don’t sue. Oh, those you think you’ve never heard before belong to me. And feedback is very welcome, people!☺

TIMELINE: The story mostly takes place after Endless Waltz. To be more precise, one year after Endless Waltz. That means two years after my very own Treize’s Revenge series.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST XI: BETRAYAL.

By Arayelle Lynn.

                It had been three days since they had been taken on the alien mothership. During that time, Mariemaia got to know most of the people who were sharing the cell with her. She recognized some of them from the circus Lady Une used to take her to a year ago and counted them as friends. As for the others, she avoided crossing paths with them, seeing that they would either stare at her suspiciously or would keep to themselves.

                But of all people, she felt most comfortable with Francine and Jack. Especially Jack. She had recognized his name right away. She knew that he had been Kylie’s friend and knew that she could trust him with her life. And Jack had been very good to both girls. He single-handedly took care of her and Francine like a brother would with a little sister. He became the source of strength for the two girls as they went through their prisoner life. Mariemaia was very glad that she at last found someone who vaguely resembled her late father, Treize Khushrenada.

                “Time to eat, Marie,” he said, gently nudging her off her thoughts. It had taken her a while to get used to her new name but luckily, her new name wasn’t that far from her original one. It had been Jack’s idea because they needed to hide her identity from everyone. Especially the Telrhanis.

                Mariemaia took the bowl from Jack and started to eat. Whatever it was, it tasted bland but good enough for someone as hungry as she was. As she ate, she watched the other prisoners taking the food from the guards at the steel bar.

                “A penny for your thoughts?” said Jack, breaking her reverie. He was watching them eat as he always did. Jack Fields would only eat once the girls had finished their food and would offer his portion if they were still hungry.

Mariemaia looked at him and shook her head. “It was nothing. I was just thinking about home,” she whispered so Francine wouldn’t hear her. The little girl was still awfully sensitive at the mention of home. They heard from a prisoner that her mother was killed when some rubble fell on top of her.

                “Well, don’t be thinking too hard on it,” he said, winking. “Pretty soon you’ll be missing the harsh hospitality of the Telrhani when we get back,” he joked, trying to make her feel better. “After all, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

                But Mariemaia didn’t laugh or smile this time. Instead she sighed. “If we get back, Jack. I’m not even sure we can.”

                At that Jack gripped her shoulder, firmly. He stared at her in the eye. “We will get back, Mariemaia. Trust in Kyle. He… she will rescue us. We both know she’ll never rest until she get us back home.” He paused. “Have faith,” he said as she nodded.

                Then, he looked away. Though he had sounded very sure, something inside him seemed to doubt his words. There was something inside him that’s telling him that he won’t be seeing Amy again. And that thought itself filled him with dread.

                “I miss you, Amy,” he whispered, swallowing the heaviness inside. “Where are you now? Are you safe? Have you found Kyle yet?”

>>>@@<<<

                The sound of a sobbing cry continued but all she could see was total darkness. She ran around the darkness, hoping that she could find where the sound came from or how to escape the never-ending darkness. As she ran, her heart started to heave for air as if she had been running for miles and her legs were starting to buckle under her. But she didn’t care. She must find where the sound was coming from.

                Suddenly, she saw a faint light coming from her left. She quickly made her way towards the light and the sound started to become clearer and louder. Her heart thumped even faster as she began to recognize the darkness around her. She had been there before but when?

                Then she stopped. Before her, a little girl with dark hair was hugging her knees. She was all bruised and filthy. Although her face was buried in her arms and knees, she could still hear the little girl crying. Crying for her long gone mother and father.

                Yes. She had been here before.

                Suddenly, the little girl looked up. For a moment their eyes met. And like a mirror, she saw herself in the little girl’s eyes. And she knew that those eyes would never be warm again. That those eyes would always remain cold and heartless for the rest of the little girl’s life.

                Then, there was a scraping sound and their gazes were broken. From the shadows, something was moving. They looked around them, couldn’t determine where that something were. She was about to stand before the little girl to protect her when suddenly that something jumped from the shadow and onto the little girl, devouring her. She tried to save the girl but her feet seemed to be rooted to the floor.

                Sounds of screaming and tearing rang in her ears until they hurt her. She began to scream, pleading for the sounds to cease and the darkness to go away. But the darkness seemed determined to torment her more. A vision of the past started to play in her mind as the sounds of screaming and tearing complimented the vision. It was then something broke in her and her soul seemed to scream for her death.

                Then it stopped. The vision ended, leaving her lying on the floor, sobbing. Her whole body shook as if the cold came from inside her, not from the outside. She felt pains all over her body, her soul. Her mind were all jumbled and mixed as she struggled to push herself up from the floor. The little girl was no longer there and so was the scary black thing. But the darkness stayed as she finally staggered on it her feet.

                Suddenly, the black thing jumped at her and she started to scream…

                Kylie bolted. Her chest burned for air and she was drenched with sweat. For a moment, her mind was in chaos. Then, remembering the nightmare, a sob suddenly escaped her lips as she buried her head in her knees. Her body shook as she tried to gain control of her emotion.

                And she did. For the thousandth times, she managed to keep the tears from crumbling the mental walls she had put around to protect herself. After truly making sure she was well composed, she walked over to the sink and washed her face.

                She looked at herself in the mirror. Yes, she recognized the little girl in her dream. She had been there every time Kylie closed her eyes. But only until recently, only after she used the Zero system, had she started to see the shadow. And only now she realized what had happened to her years ago. Only now it told her that she truly had nothing more to live for.

                She glanced at the digital watch. It was 4.40 a.m. Exactly the time when she would start her day. She got dressed and made her way to the hanger. Her heart was determined and her mind was set. If she had nothing more to live for, she could at least make sure others had something they could live for.

>>>@@<<<

                From the minute Jack opened his eyes that morning, he knew something would go terribly wrong. And so, he kept his eyes and ears opened. He noticed that the spaceship they were in was suddenly filled with activity. He later realized that the aliens had been busy since two days ago. He took a moment to reprimand himself for failing to detect that much earlier. But then he reminded himself that he wasn’t Kyle.

                However, one moment later, he realized that the queasy feeling hadn’t come from the activities outside at all. It came from inside the cell. And quickly, he turned his attention back to the man he had been watching earlier. To his dread, the man was watching Mariemaia intently.

                But before he could distract the man, Jack saw his eyes widened as a look of recognition crossed his face. Instantly, Jack knew that there will be trouble so he decided to silent the man for good. Somehow, Mariemaia must’ve seen him tensed. She pulled his arm.

                “What’s wrong?” she asked, concern filled her eyes.

                Jack saw the man’s eyes strayed on his, as they were both locked in a glare. The man was looking at him, mockingly. His lips curved into an evil smile, as he seemed to be thinking of what he would do with the discovery.

                Jack’s fingers balled into a fist.

                “Jack?” asked Mariemaia.

                His eyes were on the man but he addressed his words to Mariemaia. “Stay here and take care of Francine.” He pried her fingers off his arm. Then, he started towards the man. His mind was planning the way to beat the man into a pulp as a warning to keep his mouth shut.

                But he never got to him. The cell door suddenly swung open and the Telrhani guards entered. They then began separating the prisoners in the cell, Jack and the man included.

                As they were being ushered to the door, the man started to scream and shout. He pointed at Mariemaia and shouted to a Telrhani guard. “There! There’s a person your Warleader would love to get his hands on. She’s Mariemaia, the foster child of Lady Une, head of the Preventer.”

                Rage filled his whole being for the first time in his life. Jack lunged for the man, punching him in the mouth. As the man went down, Jack jumped on top of him and started to beat him up. The Telrhani guards tried to pull him away but when Jack was stubborn, they started to beat him up as well.

                “Stop this!” said a very commanding voice. The beatings stopped as Jack was pulled onto his feet. The woman, who stopped the chaos, looked at him and then at the man on the floor. “What’s the meaning of this?”

                A guard stepped forward, bowing in respect. “That man claimed that that girl is important to the Preventers. He said that she’s Mariemaia, the fosterling of Lady Une, head of Preventer,” he reported.

                She looked at the man on the floor. “Is that true?”

                “Yes. In fact, I heard she’s pretty close with the Gundam pilots.”

                Something flashed in her eyes then. And she looked at Jack next. “And who’s he?”

                “He’s the one protecting the girl.” The man looked at Jack. “Don’t worry, he’s nobody.”

                The woman gave him a look. “I will decide who’s somebody and nobody here,” she said, firmly. There was something dangerous about the woman that Jack cannot place.

                She went to Mariemaia, who was holding Francine. She squatted before her and looked at her in the eye. “And who are you, girl?” she asked, her voice was cold. Mariemaia shuddered.

                “I’m Marie,” she answered, firmly.

                The woman looked at her for a moment. Then she signaled the guards. “Take her away. The Warleader would like to hear about this,” she said, seeing through the lie.

                “No!” Jack growled, struggling to free himself. Francine was starting to cry as the guards tried to separate the girls but they refused to let go of each other. A few of the prisoners went to help the girls, only to be beaten by the guards. The woman, starting to tire of the delay, wrenched Francine away from Mariemaia and nearly thrown her to the walls.

                Then, the guards took a hold of Mariemaia as she struggled to get to Francine who was screaming. Jack finally broken free from his restrainers but with lightning movement, the woman lashed a kick at his chest. And Jack was unconscious before he even hit the floor.

                “Jack!” Mariemaia exclaimed, trying to get to him but she was being led away. Soon, she was gone.

                The woman looked at the rest of the guards and threw the crying little girl at them. “Take them away,” she ordered, gesturing at Jack who was on the floor. “We can’t delay the transfer anymore. We must send these slaves back to our motherworld before the final attack.”

                The guards obeyed her as they picked up Jack and rounded up the rest of the prisoners they wanted. The woman walked towards the other man. “You had just betrayed one of your own. What do you expect from this betrayal?” she asked him.

                The man bowed at her. “Just my release. Or maybe a better future once we reach your motherworld.”

                The woman nodded, knowing exactly what the man was asking. “In that case, follow me. The Warleader might have something to reward you with for your excellent service,” she said, turning and walking out of the detention hall. The man followed her with her personal guards flanking him.

>>>@@<<<

                When a little girl was brought into the bridge, Mylin was startled. Finally, her confinement was lifted and Varishk called for her service. But before he could tell her anything, the guards appeared with a human girl. Warleader Varishk looked at the girl and then the guards.

                “What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded.

                The guards looked at each other, uneasily. They didn’t know how to explain what had happened.

                “Let me explain, sir,” said a voice as Sira entered the bridge with a human male. She saluted him before gesturing at the little girl. “This girl is Mariemaia Khushrenada. The foster child of Lady Une, head of Preventer. And close friends to the Gundam pilots.” At that, the Mican warrior looked at her.

                Varishk stared at the girl. Then he glanced at the other woman. “Mylin. You’ve been on Earth during the crisis they called Operation Meteor. Is this the infamous Mariemaia Khushrenada?” he asked.

                Mylin looked at the girl. To her surprise, the girl stared back at her, her blue eyes showing no fear. For a moment, Mylin was torn. Her heart was telling her to deny it but her mind was telling her to tell the truth. “Yes,” she found herself saying.

                The Warleader smiled. “Good. It seemed that we have a bargaining chip,” he said, looking at Sira. “Good work.” Then his eyes landed on the human man. “Who is he?”

                “The man who reveal the girl’s identity to us,” said Sira. “He was expecting a reward.”

                Varishk looked at the man. “You want a reward?” he asked as the human nodded, eagerly.  Then, he nodded. “Yes, you will have your reward,” he said, as a plan began to form in his mind. He then looked at Sira. “Looks like you haven’t lost your touch yet, my Sira. We could distract the Preventers long enough while we make the necessary preparations for the final assault.”

                Sensing that her beloved had a plan, Sira stared back at him and smiled. She turned to the man at the comm. “Contact the Preventers right away,” she ordered, knowing exactly what the Warleader had in mind.

>>>@@<<<

                When the call came, the Gundam pilots were in the lounge with Lady Une. They were just relaxing after hours of making the necessary repairs on their Gundams as well as preparing for the final battle. Hilde, Sally, Dorothy, Zechs and Noin were also there, discussing strategies for the upcoming battle as Catherine babysat Anne while her grandfather was handling a frustrated McGarth.

                “Here,” said Quatre, handing Kylie a glass of juice. She took it with a grateful smile and took a sip. Then, she continued staring at the blueprint of Nova, still trying to figure out how to make her Gundam more efficient.

                Then Relena entered, supporting a very pale Vincent. Heero, who was sitting on the sofa, glanced up. “What are you doing here?” he asked, looking particularly at Vincent. Relena shrugged and answered, “He insists on seeing you. Said he couldn’t rest while there’s a war going on.”

                “Well, he’s got to get used to it,” said Heero, closing his eyes.

                Vincent smiled. “Look who’s talking,” he said, noticing how pale and tired Heero looked. “You should be in bed too, you know.”

                Duo snorted. “Even if you tell him that a thousandth times, he wouldn’t even listen to you,” he said. Judging from the tone of his voice, Vincent could make a guess that Duo had been telling Heero that for a thousandth times. He chuckled in amusement. He always liked the humorous pilot best.

                “Keep your voice down, will you?” said Heero, his eyes still close. “I’m trying to catch a nap.”

                At the look of Duo’s face, Vincent laughed. But before any of them could say a thing, the comm beeped. “Ma’am,” Preventer agent Lisa appeared on the vidscreen. There was an alarm look on her face.

                “What is it?” asked Lady Une.

                “It’s the Telrhani,” said Agent Lisa. “They’re hailing us.”

                That brought the attention of all those in the room. Heero, Duo and Trowa stood up from the sofa while Kylie, Quatre and Wu Fei pushed themselves off the wall they had been leaning on. They all stared at the screen as Warleader Varishk appeared on it.

                He regarded at them for a moment. “Good, you’re all here.” He then looked at Lady Une and nodded. “And you’re here as well. That’s very convenient considering that I have an interesting proposition for you.”

                “What is it?” asked a new voice. McGarth and the President entered the room, looking at the vidscreen. “What’s your interesting proposition, Varishk?” asked the President, quietly.

                “Ah, Mr. President. Glad to see you well,” said the Warleader. “Did you enjoyed our hospitality?” But without waiting for an answer, he returned his gaze on Lady Une. “I have something that is precious to you,” he said, as Mariemaia came into view.

                Lady Une gasped as Quatre saw Kylie’s grip on the glass tightened. “You were so determined to protect your precious Gundam pilots that it resulted to this consequence,” he said, gesturing at a human man to come forward. “This man revealed the girl’s identity to us and he will be rewarded for it.”

                Without any warning, the Warleader twisted the man’s head until his neck snapped. Catherine gasped and held onto Anne, trying to comfort her as much as herself. The others just looked at the dead man, surprised.

                The Warleader dropped the body. “This is your last chance. Surrender the Gundam pilots or we will kill the prisoners, starting with Miss Mariemaia here.” He looked at Lady Une. “Choose wisely.”

                Then the screen went blank.

                Silence was deafening as each was trying to recover. Her knees weak, Lady Une slumped on the sofa, muttering her apologies to the late Treize Khushrenada. Sally sat next to her and held the woman until she calmed. Zechs was wearing a look of anger they’ve never seen him display before. It was then that they realized that Treize’s daughter held a significant part in his life.

                The others were looking at each other, deeply concerned. There was a dangerous look in the Warleader’s eyes when he killed the traitor and they each knew he meant what he said. But none of them knew what to do anymore.

                Suddenly they heard something broke as Quatre cried out. They turned to see Kylie’s bleeding hand as the broken glass cut into her flesh. She looked at it, surprised to find the glass in pieces. “Sorry,” she muttered to Quatre, dropping the pieces into the nearest trashcan. She didn’t know that in her rage, her grip had tightened so much on the glass that it broke.

                Then, without any word, she walked out of the room. “Kylie!” Quatre called out, stopping her in the hallway. She looked at him, her face was blank but there was something in her eyes that he couldn’t tell. Something more than rage.

                “Where are you going?” he asked, concerned.

                She shrugged. “Back to work. There’s a battle coming and I want to be ready,” she said. Then, she was gone. But they all managed to see her fist balled and her jaw set. They immediately knew that she was determined to fight the Telrhani even if it meant sacrificing Mariemaia’s life.

                Heero nodded. “She’s right. We should get back to work,” he said, walking out. Trowa, Wu Fei and Duo followed him silently. Quatre hesitated, glancing back at the people in the lounge.

                “We’ll be fine, Quatre,” said Sally, reassuringly. “Besides, somebody has to take care of her cuts. She may let you get to them.”

                Knowing exactly what she meant, he nodded and left to give whatever comfort he could muster to his teammates.

>>>@@<<<

                Everyone was working late that night. Lady Une couldn’t force herself to sleep, thinking of Mariemaia’s fate so she spent most of the time working with her agents, McGarth and the President on their battle plan. Noin and Sally were still trying to find out more information on the Telrhani’s fleet by going through the data Noin and Zechs collected again, with Hilde and Dorothy’s help.

                The Gundam pilots and Zechs were busy updating their Gundams, making sure that they were in top shape. They had been working together silently in the hangar, without even taking a rest or even letting Howard and his engineers help them. Howard understood their need for privacy and the distractions and so he supervised the regular maintenance on the Preventers’ mobile suits and Dorothy’s mobile dolls in the other hangars.

                It was already 2 in the morning when Dorothy, Catherine, Hilde and Noin came, bringing in some food for the pilots. Catherine went to Trowa immediately when she spotted him. “Come on, Trowa. You gotta take a break,” she said, gently touching his shoulder.

                He looked up, startled. “Oh, it’s you Catherine,” he said, glancing at his watch. “What are you doing still up? It’s late.”

                Catherine had to smile at him. “Making sure my little brother rest and eat properly,” she said, handing him a bowl of stew. Smiling at her gratefully, Trowa wiped his greasy hands and settled down next to her. His eyes watching the others.

                Heero and Wu Fei were still working on their Gundams, ignoring the food that was placed for them. Duo was sitting comfortably, with Hilde giving him a massage. Zechs was eating his stew with Noin watching him intently. Dorothy was tending to Quatre who smiled gratefully when she handed him his food. Kylie was nowhere to be found, Trowa discovered surprisingly. He hadn’t noticed when the girl left the hangar.

                Catherine watched Dorothy wiped a speck of dirt on Quatre’s face as she said something that made the blond pilot smiled. “Looks like Quatre managed to melt yet another cold heart with his kindness,” she commented.

                Trowa looked at her, startled. Then, he returned his gaze back to Quatre and Dorothy and realized what she meant by that comment. But as he watched them, a great sadness filled his heart as he thought about his own heart. And his own happiness.

                Suddenly, Kylie reappeared, carrying a container in her hand. Immediately, Dorothy and Quatre’s conversation ceased as the blond girl started to move away from him. Dorothy then told Kylie where she had placed her food and then quickly walked out before the other girl could say a thing.

Then, Kylie walked over to Nova without any word and climbed into the cockpit. Then, they heard her rummaging through the circuitry. Curiously, Quatre went over to her. “What are you planning to do?” he asked, looking at the mysterious container. Despite her bandaged right hand, Kylie could still handle the circuitry expertly.

                She didn’t looked at him when she answered his question. “I’m installing the self-detonation device in Nova,” she said, her tone somehow mirrored Heero’s. “I’m also adding the destructive power to ensure total destruction when I use the self-destruct mechanism.”

                That made Quatre surprised. Even Heero and Wu Fei stopped working and were staring at her. And Lady Une, who had just stepped in, looked at her in horror. The whole hangar seemed to plunge into silence again.

                “Don’t worry,” said Kylie, trying to reassure them. “I’m not planning to die that easily.” She looked pointedly at Lady Une, knowing that the woman knew what she was talking about. Then she looked at Quatre. “I’m programming a 15 seconds delay from the point of meltdown so I have time to get away safely.”

                “15 seconds!” Quatre exclaimed. “But that won’t be enough for you to get away safely. You could be killed.”

                Kylie looked at him. Her eyes deeply bore into his. “Quatre, if I were to die, I rather die in battle with honor,” she said, gently. Then she winked. “Besides, I’ve survived explosions, getting shots and more than this. I’m very sure that I will survive this one,” she said, lightly. “Anyway, maybe I won’t even have to use the self-destruct system.”

                Surprised by her tone, Quatre couldn’t say a thing. But Kylie sensed that the others didn’t buy what she said and so she looked at them, particularly at Heero. “Don’t worry about me,” she said to them. “Now I have something to come back to.” She gestured at Quatre, telling them that she will be back for him. Then, she returned to her work. As far as she was concerned, the matter was settled.

                The others then returned to work too. Quatre hesitated for a moment before making his way back to Sandrock. But before he could do so, Kylie stopped him. “Quatre,” she said, quietly. Her eyes were on the circuitry that she was working on. “In two days time, it’s the day of your birth, right?” she asked, quietly.

                Surprised, he nodded. “Yeah. But how did you know that?” he asked. He had never told anyone that before. Not even his Maganac friends, though he’s pretty sure they knew it too.

                “I asked around,” Kylie answered, refusing to give him the answer. Then, she stopped talking and went back to work. Deciding that their conversation was over, Quatre went back to Sandrock and continued to work.

>>>@@<<<

                “We better take our rest now,” said a voice, startling everyone in the hangar. They all looked at the person who broke the thick silence. Heero, in his part, looked back at them. “There’s no point exhausting ourselves before the final battle begin,” he continued.

                Duo checked the time and almost cursed himself. They had been working non-stop for more than 24 hours! Now, it was already time for breakfast, according to the sudden growl in his stomachs. “Yeah, you’re right,” he admitted. “Besides, we can continue later.”

                “Not me,” said Quatre, putting away a wrench. “I’m all done.”

                “What!” Duo exclaimed, noticing that the others were putting away their tools as well. “All of you?” he asked, disbelief.

                Trowa looked at him and shrugged. Heero, Zechs, Wu Fei and Kylie just ignored him. They continued storing their tools. Quatre looked at Duo, apologetically. “I guess they’re done too.”

                “Is there anyone here who have not finish their modifications?” asked Duo, desperately. He looked at Kylie who was the only one with extensive modifications. But the girl didn’t even bother to look at him.

                “I guess not,” Duo muttered, thinking why it had taken him the longest to make the simplest modification to his Gundam. Then remembering Hilde’s heavenly massages, he groaned. ‘So that’s the reason,’ he thought.

Quatre chuckled. He then wiped the sweat that trickled down his forehead. The hangar was too warm a place to be in for a long time. Luckily, Heero and Wu Fei had on their tanktops. Trowa was already shirtless, being at the very deep end of the hangar where it was the warmest and Duo and Zechs were in their t-shirts. Quatre was more comfortable in his thin shirt so the heat didn’t really bother him.

                But the only person who wasn’t affected by the heat was Kylie. She was still wearing her thick, long-sleeved shirt. If it weren’t for the beads of sweat on her forehead, Duo would have to believe that she was indeed the ice queen. He also had noticed that the girl assassin always dress fully, never neglected to cover a single area of skin except for her face and hands. But then again, Duo had to remind himself that the girl was not much of a fashion freak.

                “Uh, Duo,” said Quatre. “You might want to stop now.”

                His thoughts broken, Duo realized that the others were staring at him. At first he wondered why but when a sudden growl echoed throughout the hangar, his question was answered. He blushed, clutching his stomach. “I guess you’re right then.” He gathered his things while Quatre and Trowa waited for him.

                Wu Fei was just following Heero and Zechs out of the hangar when suddenly he heard a chime coming from his Gundam. After exchanging glances with Heero and Zechs, he ran back to Nataku and leapt towards the cockpit. There, he flipped a switch as a face appeared on the screen.

                It was Mylin.

                “You didn’t expect to see me again, did you?” said the alien. But before he could respond, she continued. “Never mind. The situation has changed quite drastically over these past few hours.”

                “That’s obvious,” said Wu Fei, sarcastically.

                Mylin frowned. “Don’t hold me in contempt, human. It was your own kind that betrayed your friend. If I had known earlier that she was among the prisoners, I would have kept things quiet and would wait for your daring infiltrators,” she said, referring to Heero and Kylie.

                “But it’s too late now,” she continued. “The deed is done and the Warleader is preparing to attack. As it stands, he has the advantage since your government are now in disorder caused by this new development.” She stared at him. “You do know that his plan was only to distract you with Mariemaia’s predicament, don’t you?”

                “We figured as much,” said Wu Fei. “Which is why we’re here with our Gundams instead of at the conference table.”

                “When is the Warleader attacking?” Heero asked, cutting the chatter.

                Mylin rolled her eyes. “That would be giving you the easy way out, wouldn’t it?” she said. “Never mind that. You don’t need to know when he’ll be attacking. I don’t even know when. He and Sira had been keeping things tighter than usual.”

                “Then why are you here? To gloat?” asked Wu Fei.

                She frowned, angrily. “What did you say? My contacting you now has already officially, branded me a traitor. I can’t even help that little girl because Sira wouldn’t even let me get near her. Even now, the Warleader refused to give me even the slightest detail of the coming battle. So don’t you dare say I’m enjoying my being here.”

                That put a silence wall between them. They realized that the alien girl had no place anywhere now. Not even with her own people. And all because of her relation with the president’s granddaughter. And maybe her sympathy towards the humans.

                “Anyway,” she said, brushing away any apologies. “Since I already am a traitor. I decided that I should live my life as that.”

                “Meaning?” asked Wu Fei.

                Mylin looked at him. “I’m sending you the information you required. It’s already being downloaded in your Gundam’s database as we speak.” It was then that they noticed the slight hum as the database was receiving the information she sent.

                She looked away, at something. Then she looked back at them. “I can’t talk long. I just hope that you will use the information wisely. Make the right choice,” she said, meaningfully.

                “What about you?” asked Wu Fei, a little too quickly. It drew a lot of weird looks from his friends. “You do know that once the firework starts, you’ll be caught in the middle.”

                Mylin shook her head. “Never mind me. I’ll be busy with something else,” she said then looked at him. “Good luck, Gundam pilots.”

                Then she was gone. Silence again overwhelmed the hangar as the pilots looked at each other.

                “Can she really be trusted?” Duo asked Quatre, who shrugged. Trowa and Zechs were looking at Heero, Wu Fei and Kylie, the only people who had close encounter with the alien assassin.

                “Yes.” It was Heero who answered. Kylie just kept her own opinion to herself and watched Wu Fei took out a disc.

                “I’m taking this to Lady Une,” said the Chinese pilot.

                Heero put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll go with you. We might need to verify her.” He looked at Kylie who was leaving.

                “You two can go by yourselves,” she said, without even looking at him. “I’m not involved.”

>>>@@<<<

                The headquarters was bursting with excitement when the news of Mylin’s defection came to them. McGarth had been very suspicious, even after Heero and Wu Fei verified her, but when the President and Relena supported their statements, the Defense General could do nothing.

                So, Lady Une had her agents looking at the information Mylin sent, with the supervision of McGarth’s own men, of course. Most were encrypted but some, which were not, told them more about the Telrhani than what they’ve gathered before.

                Heero and Wu Fei observed Noin, Sally and their team tried to decrypt the files. And after making sure that everything was going fine, the two left to join their friends to gain as much rest as possible. That, and a late breakfast.

>>>@@<<<

                The smell of the cooking bacon on the stove made Duo’s mouth all watery. Trowa, Quatre and Kylie were there with him on the same table. While Duo and Trowa were waiting for their meal, Quatre and Kylie were eating their toasts. The blond pilot was studying some star charts while the ex-assassin was scribbling something that Duo didn’t care enough to ask.

                And working behind the stove was Hilde and Catherine. Both had waited faithfully until their love ones entered the galley and prepared a decent meal for them. And to Duo, things were looking, or rather smelling, good.

                Suddenly, Vincent Dupree entered, looking much better. The color was returning to his face though he still looked a little weak. He looked at all the people in the galley, searching for someone. When his eyes finally rested on Quatre, he made his way towards him.

                “Hey, Quatre,” he said, nodding a greeting at Duo, Trowa and Kylie. Quatre looked up from the charts, surprised.

                “Vincent! What are you doing here?” he asked, gesturing for him to sit. “I’m sorry that I didn’t see you coming in.”

                “It’s okay,” said Vincent, noticing the fatigue on the younger boy’s face.

                “Please, join us,” Quatre invited, pushing his toast at him. Vincent shook his head. “No, thanks. I’ve already eaten.”

                Then he looked at the other three again, nervously. “Actually, I was hoping that I could have a word with you alone, Quatre,” he said, hesitantly. He glanced at the others. Trowa had stood up and changed to another table nearby. Duo stayed, only to be pulled by the ear by Hilde, who led him to the table Trowa was occupying. She then placed the bacon and scrambled eggs in front of Duo and told him to eat up. Catherine settled down next to Trowa, watching her little brother ate.

                Only Kylie stayed. She was still busy scribbling, ignoring the rest of them.

                Vincent looked back at Quatre, figuring that there was no other way to remove the girl. Besides, in a strange way, he felt reassured when she was nearby. It was as if she was his source of strength.

                “What is it, Vincent?” Quatre prompted, gently. He noticed the hesitation on his face.

                “It’s about Relena,” Vincent began. “You know that we both have been friends since we were children…” Quatre waited for him to continue, patiently. “But even then, we were more than friends. We were inseparable, well, until the day my father died.”

                Vincent inhaled. “And now that we’re reunited, my feelings for her has somehow… changed. It was even more serious. In fact, I discovered that there’s no other person I’ve ever felt this way but her.” He stopped when he saw Quatre smiled. He frowned. “What?”

                “You don’t have to tell me the whole story, Vincent,” said the younger boy. “I know that there was something between the two of you from the moment I saw your little reunion.”

                He blinked. “You do?” he echoed. Then he blushed. “I guess I haven’t been that subtle over my feeling for her, have I?’

                Quatre shook his head. “It took me a while to figure out things too,” he said, well aware of Duo leaning closer to listen to their conversation. Even Hilde was curious. “What seemed to be the problem?” he asked.

                Vincent lowered his voice. “I’ve asked Relena to be my wife.”

                A choking sound answered his revelation. Quatre looked at Vincent, startled as Hilde was rubbing Duo’s back to ease his coughs. The braid-haired pilot turned around in his seat to address Vincent. “You pop the big question to her?” he asked, disbelief.

                Vincent looked at him, then at Quatre, bewildered. “Did I do something wrong?” He noticed everyone were staring at him, looking a little surprised. All except Kylie.

                “B… but what about Heero?” Duo blurted. “He’s supposed to…” he broke off when he earned a warning look from Quatre. He then sat down, stuffing his mouth with the scrambled eggs. The blond pilot then spared a glance at Kylie, who was still scribbling. Instantly, he knew that she already knew what was coming. And if she knew, Heero would too.

                He turned his attention to the uncertain Vincent. “What did she say then?” he asked, gently.

                Vincent cleared his throat, looking very uncomfortable. “I didn’t ask for her answer right away. I thought that I should give her time to think about it. Maybe I’ll ask again when the war is over.”

                “So, what’s the problem?” Quatre probed, carefully. He glanced at Kylie for her reaction but there was none.

                By then, Vincent was blushing furiously. “I’ve just suddenly thought of something that I need to know.” He looked at Quatre. “You’ve known Relena for some time now. Does she… does she have a reason to say no?”

                There was a moment of silence as Quatre contemplated his answer. He could sense Duo, Trowa, Hilde and Catherine’s stares bore into him, expecting his answer too. Even Kylie had stopped scribbling though her eyes were still on the paper that she was writing on. It was then, Quatre felt a slight burden over one little question. And the worse part was, he didn’t know what the answer was.

                “She doesn’t,” said a deep voice. They all turned to see Heero and Wu Fei coming in. Wu Fei wordlessly settled opposite Trowa while Heero walked towards Vincent and Quatre. He looked at the older boy. “Don’t worry about that. Relena has been too busy with her pacifist ideals to even consider about her future. But now it’s time for her to do so. And you should be the one who start it all.”

                Then, Heero walked over to the fridge, ignoring the disbelief look on Duo’s face. And others as well. Only Kylie remained neutral, that Quatre noticed.

                Vincent looked at Heero, uncertainly. Then he returned his gaze at Quatre and smiled faintly. “I guess all I have to do now is to wait.”

                “No, no,” said Duo, standing up. He was feeling a little angry with Heero for ruining his perfect plan to pair him up with the beautiful pacifist. Now, he could only think of a way to teach Heero a lesson. “You can’t just pop up the big question without giving her something to think about.” He purposely looked at Heero to see his reaction. There wasn’t any.

                Vincent frowned. “What do you mean?”

                Duo rolled his eyes. “When did you ask the question to her?”

                “While we were escaping from the Telrhani. Why?”

                “That’s it!” said Duo, obviously enjoying his revenge. “You asked her during a time of crisis. She might have thought that it was just a spur kind of moment.” He sat next to Vincent. “What you need to do is to give her a token to remind her that the offer’s still open.”

                Vincent looked at him. “You mean, I should get her a ring?”

                “Duh!” said Duo, rolling his eyes again. “Isn’t it a custom for proposals such as this?”

                “I guess you’re right,” Vincent admitted.

                Suddenly, Kylie stood up. She looked at Duo and grunted. “Speak for yourself, Maxwell,” she said, nodding at Hilde, who was washing the dishes furiously after hearing his words. Duo, realizing his mistake, gulped.

                “Oh uh!”

                Quatre looked at Duo, then at Kylie and then Hilde. Then back at Duo when the truth hit him. “You two are engaged?” he asked, disbelief. He looked at Kylie. “How did you know that?” Then turned to Duo again. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

                By then, the others were looking at Duo too, including Dorothy and Howard, who had just entered. Duo winced, as he became the center of attention. He looked at Hilde, who was blushing. “I… uh… guess we thought we could hold that off until after the war,” he said, looking at Kylie pointedly.

                Kylie ignored the dagger look he threw at her and glanced at Heero. She knew that he knew about it too, judging from the unreadable expression on his face. Then, realizing that Quatre was waiting for her answer, she replied, “I know because I noticed that both of them aren’t fighting as much as before.”

                Chuckling, Vincent looked at the blushing Duo. “So, what’s your reason for not giving Hilde the token of engagement, Duo Maxwell?” he teased. He decided that he indeed, liked the Deathscythe pilot more and more now.

                At that, Hilde folded her arms and paid close attention. Duo suddenly felt a few inches shorter as everybody was staring down at him. He gulped down the giant sized rock in his throat. “I’m broke, okay?” he answered, making his way towards Hilde. “But I promise that I will get you that engagement ring. Trust me.”

                Deciding that they had tortured Duo enough, Catherine stepped between them. “It settles then,” she said, kindly. Then she looked at Hilde. “Congratulations, my friend. I’m so happy for you.” The two hugged as Howard came over and slapped Duo’s back.

                “Make her happy, Duo.”

                Duo’s face glowed. They could all see the happiness in his eyes. “I will, Howard,” he promised. Soon, the couple was surrounded by well wishers, led by Quatre. Then, the blond pilot felt someone tapped his shoulder. He turned to see Howard, carrying what looked like a flight suit.

                “This came a few minutes ago,” he said.

                Quatre’s face lit up as he took the suit from Howard. He then turned to Kylie and gave it to her. “Here you go,” he said as she looked at him, questioningly. “Since you’re one of us now, I figured that maybe you should wear the same flight suit as ours.”

                Kylie examined the suit. Clearly, it was similar with the ones the other Gundam pilots were wearing. More precisely, it was identical with Heero’s black and blue suit. Then, she looked at Quatre and the rest of the Gundam pilots. When her eyes rested on Duo, she returned her gaze back at Quatre.

                She shook her head. “Thank you but I can’t accept this,” she said. She saw his face fell in disappointment as she handed the suit back to him. “We may fight as a team now but I don’t see myself as one of you.” She then walked to the exit and stopped. She turned to look at the Gundam pilots, and then regarded Quatre, apologetically. “Don’t ask me to be one of you until all of you agreed to it,” she said, pointedly looking at Duo, who looked away.

                Quatre watched her disappeared in the hallway, feeling torn over the impulse to go after her or to leave her alone. He was just taking a step forward when there’s a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “Let her be,” said Heero. “Like some of us, she too, is not ready to be one of us.”

                Reluctantly, Quatre admitted that Heero was right. And so, he returned to his quarters to catch a nap. He had never felt so tired before.

TO BE CONTINUED…