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.
By Arayelle Lynn.
Quatre ran like he never run
before. His heart pounding and his feet felt like jelly. His throat and chest
were on fire but still he continued on, knowing a second wasted for a break
would mean death, approaching Kylie. Occasionally, he encountered some of the
alien guards but he dealt with all of them, quickly and not stopping at any
costs.
‘I hope I’m not too late,’ he
thought. In his heart, emotions started to mix around. The times he had spend
together with Kylie in the cell made him able to understand more of the very
reserved and quiet girl. Despite what happened, she was still living with the
pain of the past, still thinking that her existence was a mistake. The same
emotions he went through the day he pulled the trigger of Wing Zero’s buster
rifle on the innocent colony. Until now he still couldn’t forgive himself for
it.
And he knew exactly how
dangerous that feeling was.
Now, he knew that in order to
completely forgive himself of the incident, he had to show Kylie how to forgive
herself and to tell her how precious her life was to the others. And to him. It
was right then, he realized the meaning of Wilfred’s words to him before he
left. He realized why he had given so great attention on the girl. Something
about her, something inside her, appealed to him. And something inside him
wanted to heal the pain and fill emptiness in her life. And that feeling had
somehow existed before he even met her.
‘Kylie, wherever you are, please
don’t die,’ he thought. ‘Please don’t die.’
>>>@@<<<
Kylie fought her way through the
guards. They had her cornered in two directions as she was forced to leap into
the only room available. She had purposely caused the explosion to distract the
aliens long enough from going after the fleeing shuttles, the way she had
planned it in that battle where she was captured. Knowing that the prisoners
and Quatre were safely on their way towards Earth somehow eased the anxiety in
her heart as she accepted the eventual death.
But her plan was not yet fully
accomplished. She still had to find a computer terminal on this ship, download
a few necessary information and transmit it back to Earth. Only after she’d
done that would Kylie finally embraced her final gift. Death.
She turned to examine the room
only to find out it wasn’t a room at all. It was a huge chamber. A tower was
standing in the middle of the chamber, a few hundred feet long. There were
catwalks connecting to the tower and she was standing on the lowest catwalk. As
she look down, she noticed that the floor below was only twenty feet from her,
but enough to break a leg if she fall.
She then heard a humming sound
coming from the tower and realized that she was in the engine room. Slowly, she
made her way towards the engine as a plan started to form inside her head. But
before she could get near it, she heard a shout from the catwalk on the other
side and the dirt near her feet exploded.
She jumped and released her own
fire. The guards were already pouring into the chamber and she was a sitting
duck without anything to dodge into. Ignoring pain, she flicked her right
wrist, sending three makeshift shurikens flying towards the aliens as they
struck two and missed another.
Kylie killed the third guard
when suddenly a series of shots coming from above. She looked up and released
some of her own, killing all of them. But that distraction proved to be futile
for her. Back where she had came from, a guard was aiming at her blaster.
Before she could see what was going to happen, her blaster sailed away from her
as her left hand felt like fire. The guard aimed again as Kylie reached for her
cards. But she knew even them, would be useless.
Suddenly, a shot rang and the
guard toppled down. Swinging by a cable from above, Quatre landed on the
catwalk behind Kylie. She turned, surprised. “What are you doing here?” she
hissed, displeased at seeing him there. She had thought he was safe in the
shuttle but he defied her orders.
He was about to say his reasons
when something behind her caught his attention. Kylie saw his eye widened as
the look of horror flashed on his face. Suddenly, he pushed her aside and it
was then Kylie saw the fallen guard had risen and was aiming at her.
But Quatre had purposely placed
himself before her, shielding her from the coming assault. The guard fired as
Kylie watched in horror. Quatre was hit and was thrown aside and over the
railing and down the twenty feet drop. It was like a slow motion movie but
Kylie found herself choked as Quatre hit the ground. She then turned to the
guard and flicked her wrist, killing the guard instantly. Then, she got hold of
the cable Quatre used and slid down.
She landed a few feet away and
ran towards him. “Quatre, are you alright?” she said, taking him into her arm.
She ignored all the pain as her main concern was to make sure he was alright.
Quatre coughed as blood trailed down his mouth. And his head was starting to
swell and bleed. “Quatre?”
“My chest hurt,” he managed to
croak. Suddenly, they were rained with bullets. Kylie looked up to see the
guards shooting at them from above. “Come on,” she said, throwing his arm over
her right shoulder. “We must move out.” She took Quatre’s blaster in her left
hand and started to shoot to cover their escape.
They backed into a small room
where Kylie found a ventilation chamber and shove Quatre into it. He groaned
but still she continued to lead him deeper into the chamber to find a safe
place to stop. When she felt it was safe to stop, she gently placed Quatre on
the floor and began to examine his injuries. He was pretty bad. His ribs were
cracked and he showed all sign of internal bleeding. There was a gaping hole in
his right side. But Kylie was more concerned of the head injury.
“Quatre, whatever you do, I need
you to stay awake,” she said, looking into his glassy eyes. He took a moment to
register what she said and nodded. “Good. I’m going to get us out of here but I
need you to help me out. I can’t carry you all the way and fight the
aliens.”
“I’ll help,” he gasped, started
to reach for the blaster. But Kylie pulled it away.
“No. I’ll do the shooting and
you just keep yourself awake, okay?”
He nodded, struggling to get on
his feet. She helped him up and supported him on her shoulder. Ignoring the
grinding pain in her wrist, she clamped her right hand on his waist, putting a
pressure on the bleeding wound. “Kylie, your wrist,” he reminded her. She
looked away to wipe the tear of pain from her eyes and looked at him. She
smiled. “It’s fine, really.” She shifted her hold on the blaster and said,
“Ready Quatre?”
“Yeah,” he gasped.
Kylie looked ahead. “Alright,
let’s go.”
>>>@@<<<
After a treacherous journey,
Kylie and Quatre finally saw their goal. From the vent, they could see that an
alien fighter was just waiting for them but another look told them that it was
well guarded. “Hmm… looks like they’re waiting for us,” she reported.
“Should we wait until the coast
is clear?” asked Quatre, fighting the dark spots that had started to bother him
a few minutes ago. His body was losing blood rapidly.
Kylie glanced at him. “Yeah, you
would want that badly, wouldn’t you? Sorry, Blondie. You’re not going to sleep
on my watch,” she said, gently but firm. Occasionally while making their way
here, Quatre was lapsing into unconsciousness and back. So, she ignored her own
personal urges for a break and decided to keep moving.
“Maybe you should leave me here,
Kylie. Go back and help the others,” he said, his speech starting to slur.
“Take Sandrock and fight with him on my behalf,” he offered. Kylie frowned and
stared at him. “Listen, Winner,” she said. “If you continue talking like that again,
I’m going to kill you myself. I’m not leaving you here and that’s that.”
For a moment, Quatre could sense emotions ran along the words and was touched by it. Forcing himself awake, he shifted his weight from her shoulder. “What’s the plan then?” Kylie sighed. “There’s no other choice but to fight them. They would surely have other guards guarding the other hangars while the others look for us. If we attack them now instead of laying low as they’re predicting, we should have the element of surprise.”
“Great, I’m ready,” said Quatre.
“Right,” she said as she kicked
the ventilation grille open. She started to fire at the guards, killing some of
them as the two humans jumped to the floor. Kylie’s right leg nearly buckled
from both injury and the weight but still she fought on. They dodged behind
something. “When I gave the signal, ran towards the alien fighter,” she told
him. He nodded.
She then released a series of
shots, forcing the guards to take cover. When the coast was clear, she signaled
and the two of them started to run. As they ran, Kylie released her shots as
Quatre threw the cards at any guard who jumped out. When they were onboard,
Kylie turned and aimed at the thing they had ducked into and shoot. An
explosion nearly threw them off as Kylie helped Quatre into the cockpit and
placed him on the copilot seat.
She started the engine, thinking
the explosion would distract the aliens long enough and launched. Quatre
glanced at her and smiled. “You always seemed to cause huge fireworks everywhere
you go,” he commented and then lost consciousness. Kylie quickly reached out
and shook him.
“Quatre, wake up!” she shouted,
shaking him. But the Sandrock pilot was already in a dreamless sleep. She bit
back rude words and glanced at him. Fear and deep concern were starting to eat
her very existence. “Hold on, Quatre. Don’t die on me. Just hold on.” And she
kept saying the words as if they were some sort of a magical chant.
>>>@@<<<
When the Preventers detected
alien shuttles coming from the opposite way, the headquarter burst with
activity. Then, a transmission came in through the command bridge, identifying
them as the prisoners who were captured a week and a half before. Quatre’s
group.
Realizing that somehow Quatre
and Kylie had managed to free the prisoners, Lady Une sent out her agents to
intercept the shuttles, fearing that there would be alien fighters waiting to
recapture the prisoners. The Gundam pilots were already off to the designated
coordinate before the command was even out from her mouth, hoping that their
friends were in one of the shuttles.
But they weren’t, according to a
man named Curtis. He told them that the two had gone back to make sure that they
got out safely. The Gundam pilots watched as the Preventers herded the shuttles
into their base. They intended to wait for some time, hoping that Quatre and
Kylie had somehow managed to steal another shuttle and escaped.
Back on MO V, Lady Une and
Dorothy waited patiently but by the time the prisoners were all taken care of
and provided with proper medical care, all hopes started to vanish. ‘Quatre,
where are you?’ Dorothy thought, praying hard. Beside her, Lady Une was staring
at the comm., waiting for the Gundam pilots to give their reports. Noin and
Sally had taken the initiative to supervise the placement of the prisoners on
her behalf.
“Maybe they didn’t make it,”
said Duo, breaking the intense silence. They had been waiting for hours but
still there was no sign of anything that come from the opposite side. “Maybe
they’re taken prisoners again.”
Inside his Gundam, Heero
frowned. ‘Come on, you two,’ he thought, shifting his hold on the control
stick. He then closed his eyes. ‘Zero, show me the way,’ he said to his Gundam.
Suddenly, something blinked. “There!”
>>>@@<<<
“We have enemy fighters entering
the asteroid belt near Jupiter,” an agent reported. Hearing that, Lady Une
snapped out from her reverie and went to him. “Reports, agent,” she ordered,
knowing that these could be the ones who were ordered to recapture the prisoners.
“Fifteen of them, Lady Une,” he
answered. “They’re heading straight for us.”
Lady Une turned to Noin. “Ready
to deploy our mobile suits.”
“Ma’am,” said the agent on the
scanner. He frowned. “Something strange is happening.”
She turned to him. “What is it?”
“They seemed to be firing at one
of their own.”
“What!” said Lady Une. Then the
answer hit her. “Kylie.”
>>>@@<<<
“Incoming!” said Duo as soon as
he saw the alien fighters entering the asteroid belt. To his surprise, he saw a
battle took place in the belt. “What the… why are they firing at each other?”
he looked at his friends for an answer.
Trowa gave him one. “They’re not
firing at each other. They’re attacking a fighter. Do the math.”
His jaw dropped. “You mean,
Quatre and Kylie are in the fighter?” As soon as he said that, Wing Zero flew
passed him, entering the asteroid belt. Heavyarms followed him after, each
racing to get into the battle. Not wanting to miss the action, Duo cranked up
his own suit to join them.
>>>@@<<<
When the alien fighters started
their pursuit, Kylie knew she had to lose them or risk being space dust. And
she knew she had to do it fast. The longer she was stalled, the lesser chance
it was for Quatre to get help. Now, she had both hands on the control stick as
she maneuvered the fighter into the asteroid belt, hoping the asteroid would
make it hard for the aliens to target them.
Flying through the asteroid belt
was never an easy job, especially if you had enemies running along your tail.
The trick was that you have to watch out for your enemy and at the same time,
watch out for the asteroids that would be coming at you in every direction.
But Kylie wasn’t worried. When
she was twelve, she went through the training and managed to come out alive,
the only cadet in her team of eight. Not only that, she had came out with a new
record, beating the record of a certain former cadet Zechs Merquise with only a
few seconds.
No. What made her worried was
how long Quatre could hold on. Praying hard, she hoped that the rumor about the
Gundam pilots being unkillable was true. “Hold on,” she whispered to Quatre and
to herself.
>>>@@<<<
Even at maximum speed, Trowa
knew they were still too far away. He watched as some of the fighters were
destroyed, having collided with the asteroids or the fires from the fleeing
fighter. But every time that happened, Quatre’s fighter got hit by the other
fighters. Desperate to get to Quatre before it was too late, Trowa said a
silent prayer. “Hold on, buddy.”
Heero’s jaw was set. Every time
the fighter was hit, his grip on the throttle hardened. He wished Wing Zero was
a little faster but he knew even now, Wing Zero was giving him all that he
could. So, he decided to calm himself, knowing that he would make the aliens
pay for what they’re doing to his sister.
Suddenly, a shot hit the fighter
as he saw smoke pouring out. Then the fighter Kylie and Quatre were on slowed
and almost hit an asteroid if it wasn’t for a clever maneuver from its pilot.
But still, the fighter was a sitting duck, a perfect target for the other
fighters.
“No!” he found himself shouted,
firing his buster rifle. Thankfully, he was close enough to the battle that the
fire sliced through the enemy troop.
>>>@@<<<
When she was hit, the fighter
shook as she heard explosion coming from the engines. The fighter slowed as the
alarms deafened the cockpit. She checked the system, discovering that she had
lost the engines and weapons. It was then she knew it was her end.
But somehow she felt cheated.
She didn’t mind if it was her fate alone but now Quatre was sharing the same
fate with her. She felt cheated because she had done all she can, risked her
life and everything to make sure Quatre didn’t die in the hands of the
assassins. But now she discovered, to her disappointment, that Quatre would die
because of her incompetence.
Slowly, she made her way towards
Quatre who was thrown out of his seat. He was still unconscious and his
breathing slowed and ragged. Seeing him, all the emotions that plagued her
every time he was near, started to overwhelm her. And she found herself
regretting that she would not be able to experience them again.
She gathered him into her arms,
holding him close. “I’m sorry, Quatre. I tried,” she said, so softly that she
herself didn’t hear it. She then looked out the screen, staring at the alien
fighters and waiting for the final blow. Then the universe was bathe in white
light.
>>>@@<<<
The room was quiet as they
waited for Quatre to wake up. It had been a touch and go for him a few moments
ago and they’re waiting for him to regain consciousness so they could make sure
he’s out of danger. As usual, Trowa was sitting close to Quatre, as if guarding
him from any harm. Dorothy was sitting on the other side of the bed, standing
by patiently, wanting to be there when he woke up just in case if he needed
something.
As usual, Heero stood near the window, leaning
against the wall. Wu Fei was also standing on the other side of the room. Zechs
and Noin were sitting next to Lady Une and Relena, who had came when she heard
Quatre and Kylie escaped. And Duo was standing at the foot of the bed, looking
at Kylie who was standing near the door, further away from their group.
Occasionally, he would return his gaze on Heero, sizing them up. It was then he
noticed how frighteningly similar they were. Both had the same intensity in
their eyes as well as the coldness in their demeanor to drive people away from
them. And not to mention both had the tendency to do the craziest things.
Duo actually do not know what he
was supposed to do with the secret that he discovered. He couldn’t tell Heero
that he knew, fearing he would do something to him for going through his things
and he couldn’t tell anyone because the secret wasn’t his to tell. So, he
decided to stay quiet, to see what would Heero do next.
A groan interrupted his thoughts
as all of them turned their attention on the figure on the bed. “Ow… my head
hurts,” was the first thing Quatre said. He looked at the people around him, as
if seeing them for the first time. “Trowa?” he croaked.
“I’m here, buddy,” said Trowa,
surprisingly gentle. “You’re safe.”
Quatre smiled his angelic smile.
“Thank goodness. For a moment there I thought I was in heaven.”
It was then Dorothy broke into
tears and held him. Surprised, he let her hold him. “God, I thought we lost you
forever. I thought we would never see you again.” He smiled and titled her
chin. He then wiped her tears. “I’m here now, aren’t I?” he said, touched by
her display of concern.
Dorothy nodded and sniffed,
embarrassed. “Don’t you ever do that to us again,” she threatened. Quatre
nodded, weakly. He looked around the room, searching for a face. “How are you
feeling?” asked Dorothy. He returned his gaze back to her and checked himself
out. His chest was heavily bandaged and so was his pounding head.
He winced. “I’m fine, I guess,”
he said, turning to look at Trowa. “Now, I know I will be alright.”
Then the alarm blared as Lady
Une reached for her comm. “What is it?”
“The aliens are attacking a
colony in L2,” came a female voice. Lady Une looked up and nodded at the Gundam
pilots. Zechs, Wu Fei and Noin quickly followed Lady Une out of the room. Heero
and Trowa exchanged glances and made their way towards the exit. Duo winked at
Quatre and waved. “I’ll leave you with these beautiful ladies. Catch ya later,
buddy boy.”
Kylie pushed herself from the wall, slowly and said
to Heero as he was passing by. “I’m going to borrow a mobile suit. Wait for
me,” she said. That made Heero stop in his tracks. He looked her over. She had
refused to have the doctor looking at her burns and insisted on waiting for
Quatre to wake up. Heero hadn’t taken a careful look at her before but now he
noticed she was wearing a glove on her right hand.
To everyone surprise, Heero took
an empty vase and threw it at her face. Quick as lightning, Kylie’s left hand
shot up and caught it inches away from her face. His eyebrow raised, impressed
by the display but he shook his head. “No can do. You still need to have
yourself examined by the doctor.”
“I’m fine,” she said, placing
the vase back on the table.
Heero folded his arm. “Really?
Pick up the vase again,” he said and she reached out. “With your right
hand.”
For a moment Kylie reached with
her right hand and hesitated. She shook her head, in dismay. “You will need
your right hand to control the right stick since it hold the main functions of
a mobile suit. Although your left hand is as capable as your right, it could do
you no good.” He glanced at Quatre. “Stay here with Quatre and let the doctor
take a look at you, okay?” he said, looking at her in the eye. It was then,
Kylie saw something strange shone in his Prussian blue eyes. She nodded.
Heero nodded at the doctor who
had came in to examine Quatre. “She’s ready.” Then, he Trowa and Duo left for
battle.
>>>@@<<<
Quatre watched as the doctor
treated Kylie’s burns and broken wrist. The doctor had actually startled when
he was examining the swell in her right hand. “How long has it been like this?”
he asked her. Kylie, who was stifling the pain, shrugged. “Sometime ago.”
“Four days to be precise,” said
Quatre. “It only got worse two days ago.”
The doctor looked at him. “Has
she been using this wrist?”
“Yeah,” he answered, looking at
her.
The doctor pressed gently on the
swell and each time, Kylie stifled a gasp. He then shook his head. “We might
have to x ray it, just to make sure.” He then left the room to prepare for the
x ray. Again, the room was plunged into silence.
Quatre leaned back, trying to
ease the pounding in his head and trying to stay awake. He had told Relena and
Dorothy to leave for Kylie’s benefit so they wouldn’t see how vulnerable she
could be. But Kylie, he knew it now, would never show her weakness even it was
necessary.
“Why?” suddenly a soft voice
asked. Quatre turned and saw Kylie staring at her hands. She looked up. “Why
didn’t you leave when I asked you to? Why did you came back for me? Why took
the bullet for me? And most of all, why are you being so kind to me when I have
been everything but that?”
For a moment, Quatre could see
the pain in her eyes. Then, he reached out and put his hand on hers. “Because
you never had anyone in your life who would show you one act of kindness.” She
looked at him, startled. “But you could’ve been killed because of me,” she
said.
“Don’t blame yourself for it,”
he said. He then pushed himself to a sitting position. He looked at her. “If
that incident repeat itself, even a thousand times, I would gladly take the
bullet for you again,” he told her.
Surprised by his words, Kylie
stared at him. “Why? Why would you do that for me?”
He looked away, as if shy by
what he was going to say next. He stared at his lap. “Because I can’t let you
die, Kylie. Your life is so lonely and so sad. You risked your life everyday
for people who didn’t know what you were doing for them. And yet, you never ask
anything from anyone.” He looked at her again. “Not even from us
who’s fighting with you. That’s why I feel that someone need to watch
over you, to show you that life is more than just getting yourself killed.”
When she started to open her
mouth, he quickly interrupted what she was about to say. “I know you, Kylie. I
know that you think no one cares if you live or die. That no one would miss you
if you were gone.” He stared at her, blushing. “The truth is, I care. I
care for you so much that I know I’ll miss you if you were gone. I’ll
miss you a lot.”
Kylie stared at him. The feeling
she had experienced before were starting to overwhelm her again. The same
feeling, which she once thought, was annoying and weakening her sense. It was
then she realized what the warm feeling was. She had experienced it before when
Treize took her in but this time, the feeling was slightly different. This
time, the feeling felt just right.
When she saw him blushed, she knew that he’s feeling the same way too. But she still had to identify exactly what it means. Then it came to her. Her protectiveness, her concern for him, the reason why she risked her life so blindly for him. Relena had the same effect too on Heero. And there, she realized that she’s in love with Quatre. Love him with her whole being.
“Thank you,” she said, as Quatre
turned to look at her, surprised. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. And
I’m sorry for what I’ve done to you.” She put her uninjured hand on his,
gently. She smiled at him, a smile that Quatre found so beautiful that he also
smiled.
“There’s nothing to be
forgiven,” he said. “Let’s put the past where it is and look into the future.”
For a moment, Kylie hesitated.
Then she nodded as the doctor returned. He looked at them, curious at what had
just transpired between the two and turned to Kylie. “Are you ready, young
lady?” She glanced at Quatre and nodded. Then they were gone, leaving him to
wonder what had just happened.
>>>@@<<<
The battle ended well. They
managed to drive the aliens away without having to lose a single colonist.
Somehow, the return of Quatre and Kylie gave them the boost of motivation they
needed. As the others were assembling in Quatre’s room, Heero made his way
towards Kylie’s knowing she had just finished her treatment.
He found her there, lying on her
bed. Adin was with her, sleeping. Both jumped when Heero entered the room.
“What is it?” she asked, seeing the serious look on his face. Instead of
answering, he took out the envelope and handed it over to her.
“This came for you while you
were gone.”
The look on her face told him
she hadn’t expected it. He watched her took out the folder and read its
contents. Then, her face changed from the look of curiosity to the look of pure
shock. She looked at him. “What does this mean?” she demanded. Heero shrugged.
“I was about to ask you the same thing too. I thought it was your doing.”
She shook her head. “This can’t
be,” she whispered. Then her eyes widened as she realized that it was possible.
And somehow she knew it inside her heart. Heero nodded, telling her that he
also reached to the same conclusion. “We could ask the person who sent this,
you know,” he said, offering her a choice.
“How?” she asked.
Heero took the folder and showed
her the small scribble at the back. “Rui’s Lounge, 117” she read. “I know that
place. I stayed there when I was Treize’s Revenge,” she said, standing up,
looking for something.
“Here,” said Heero, extending a
gun at her. “If we’re going to find out about our past, we might have to decide
what to do with him,” he said. Kylie nodded and tucked the gun inside her belt.
She then reached for her coat and put it on.
“Let’s go.”
>>>@@<<<
Rui’s lounge was exactly as it
was three years ago. Shabby and dark, it offered little comfort for anyone
seeking it but offered as much privacy as anyone who needed it. Perfect place
for criminal activities or criminal hideout. Its owner was unknown but none cared
enough to find out.
Heero and Kylie walked along the hallway, searching
for room 117. Finding it at last, they knocked and the man that came to the
Preventers headquarter invited them in. He took one look at Kylie then at Heero
and nodded. “Yes, now I see the resemblance,” he said to himself. He turned to
Kylie, who was examining the room for traps. “Hello, young lady. Glad to know
you’re here at last. Someone paid me well to find out stuff about you.”
Kylie looked at the man. “Who
paid you?” she asked.
“Direct to the point. He warned
me that about you,” said the man, sitting down. “I’m a private detective. Mr.
Treize Khushrenada hired me five years ago.” He saw the look of surprise on her
face and held up his hand. “He paid me dearly to find out about your family so
you would at least be able to find out more about your past before becoming a
street thief.”
He turned to Heero. “But you,
that was a totally unexpected discovery,” he said. “I guess if Treize was still
alive, he would’ve laughed at this turn of event.” He looked at them. “So, are
you two here to find who you really are or are you planning to shut me up?”
Heero spared a glance at Kylie who nodded. “Talk,” he said, leaning against the door as she covered the window. The man nodded and sighed. “Where should I begin?” He thought for a moment and nodded. “Right. Your real name, Heero Yuy, aren’t that far from your current one. Your real name is Heero Marumi, named after the infamous Heero Yuy.” He turned to Kylie. “And you, young lady, was once called Sarashina Marumi. Both of you were the only children of Kakeru Marumi and Sheila Constantine-Marumi, personal assistants for the late Heero Yuy himself.”
The two exchanged glances, not
expecting that their parents had once worked closely with the legendary
pacifist. The man continued, as if narrating a story to a couple of
five-year-olds. “When Heero Yuy was killed and the communication between the
colonies as well as Earth were severed, your parents took on the job to
maintain peace within the colonies and tried to gain a close relationship with
Earth.”
He looked at them. “Then on the
fifth anniversary of Heero Yuy’s death, the two of you were born. But despite
all threats on your life, your parents still worked hard and endlessly so the colonies
would return to their pacifist ways and not taking action against Earth for the
late Heero Yuy’s death. And for a moment there, their hard work seemed to be
paying off.”
“Then two years later, your
parents received an invitation from a pacifist nation called the Sanc Kingdom.
King Peacecraft somehow heard of your parents’ effort and was impressed by it.
He invited them over to discuss ways Earth and the colonies could live together
in peace.”
Then his face was grim. “But
then something else happened. Someone in the colonies didn’t like what your
parents were accomplishing and decided to eliminate them. They thought that
your parents’ effort was interfering with their major plan.”
“Operation Meteor,” Heero
whispered, realizing what he was referring to. The man nodded and continued.
“Yes, Operation Meteor. A plan to devastate Earth and render it useless.
Somehow, your father caught the sense of danger and assigned five of his most
loyal and trusted bodyguards to took care of you and your mother while he tried
to convince Dekim Barton to drop Operation Meteor.”
For a moment, they saw sadness
in the man’s eyes but he continued. “Your father was assassinated before he
even got to Barton’s whereabouts. Your mother fled with the two of you and the
five bodyguards. But the assassins found them and in that moment, your mother
decided to make a stand and assigned two of the youngest bodyguards to flee
with her children.”
He looked at them. “A remarkable
woman, your mother was. She was a trained hand in combat, only to disinherited
herself from her Greek aristocrat family to marry your father and became a
pacifist. She fought the assassins bravely to the end, buying time for the two
bodyguards to escape with you two.”
“Somehow, the two bodyguards
decided to split up to heighten the chances of one of you getting through
alive. They agreed to meet up again a year later once everything was settled.”
He looked at Heero. “Your bodyguard, Will Stachbeck, fled to the colony cluster
L5 and sought refuge in the Long clan. There he stayed for a few months before
moving to colony L2.” He shook his head. “That proved to be a fatal mistake.
One of the assassin who killed your parents saw him and killed him. He decided
to took you in and mold you into a ruthless assassin.”
He stared at Heero. “And I guess
the rest you knew. The assassin you knew as Adin Lowe was then killed and you
were adopted to pilot a Gundam in the Operation Meteor.” He laughed bitterly.
“That was the irony of the story. You became the center figure of the secret
operation that your father sacrificed his life to have it stop from happening.
To add to the irony, you were given a codename that was similar to your real
name.”
He then turned to Kylie. “And
you young lady, your days after that wasn’t a walk in the park either. Your
bodyguard, Cray Forest brought you to Earth so he could somehow seek refuge in
the Sanc Kingdom. But when he heard of the Kingdom’s fall by the hands of the
Alliance, he fled to Thailand and changed your identity. He used his maiden
name, Rayden and adopted you as Kylie Rayden. But the assassin caught on his
plan and tracked you down. In the chaos, Cray Rayden handed you over to a
family of twenty kids, promising the parents that he would come back and take
you and pay for their help.”
“However, he never returned. The
family, sold you and one of their own to a man so they could regain the money
they used on you. The money Rayden promised them as a reward.” His eyes sad as
he regarded Kylie. “That’s why you ended up with him.”
“Alonso Di’Pardi,” she named
him. Her voice was as cold as ice and there was a trace of burning hatred in
her voice that Heero never heard before. The man nodded, then looked at them.
“The two of you suffered the most ill-fated life a child could ever had. At
such a young age, you two were stripped off an adult warm comfort and were
plunged into the darkest lifestyle mankind had ever offered.”
There was silent as he looked up
to the young faces before him. Then he sighed. “Maybe I should have told you
earlier that the story of your parents inspired me. It made me mourned for the
lives lost for this peace.”
He then reached out under his
seat and took out a fat folder. “After I heard about the sacrifice your parents
made, I spent my remaining life researching your family. Even when Treize
Khushrenada died three years ago, I continued searching. It hadn’t been easy
because no one knew what your parents really did. Dekim made sure they erased
your parents from this existence so they wouldn’t be creating another Heero
Yuy. And since King Peacecraft and family were killed in the fall, your
parents’ story seemed to die with him.” He extended the files. “But I guess,
now it would be appropriate for their children to know it. This folder
contained everything I found regarding your past. And I’m giving it to you to
decide what to do with it.”
As Heero took it, the man leaned
back in the seat as if telling the story drained him somehow. He looked at the
two, wearily. “Now, you two are creating history as your parents was. But this
time, you’re fighting for the survival of humankind. Trust each other
and you’ll never falter.” He paused. “And keep this story inside you at all
times.”
“One question,” said Kylie. The
man looked at her and nodded. “Who are you to Treize? Why doing this when he’s
no longer here to pay for your effort?” she asked, knowing that there’s a
connection between him and Treize.
He chuckled. “I know you would
ask that question,” he said. Then his face serious. “One reason was that your
parents inspired me. Another reason was that Treize saved my life once. And it
would be appropriate for me to help him uncover the past of his beloved little
girl.” He looked at her. “Treize really loved you, girl. To him, you were
everything.”
“Thank you,” said Kylie, then
glanced at Heero. He gave her a nod, telling her to decide what to do
with the man since he was Treize’s man. Instead of reaching for her gun tucked
behind her, she shook her head and gestured at the dresser where a few bottles
of pills were lying open. It was then Heero discovered that the pale man before
him was actually dying.
The two then exited the room
without much of a good bye but just a quiet thank you. They walked away from
the lounge when Kylie remembered something. “He never give us his name,” she
said, walking into the reception office. She called for the male receptionist.
“Do you know the man who is living in Room 117?”
The receptionist looked at her.
“Sure, kid. He’s old Will. He’s been our customer for years,” he answered.
Kylie was startled to discover that the man was staying there when she had been
Treize’s Revenge. But what mystified her even more was the man’s name.
“His real name doesn’t happen to
be Will Stachbeck, does it?” she tried. The young man shrugged. “That’s his
name. Old Will never made his name a secret.” Before he could ask why, Kylie
was already turning towards Heero who heard everything.
They then returned their gaze
back to the room and saw a figure standing behind the window. He gave them a
small wave before disappearing back into the room. Heero turned to his sister
who was looking at him. “Let’s go,” he said, as she nodded.
>>>@@<<<
When they got back, Heero and
Kylie decided to stay a little longer in the hangar. They read everything that
Will had about their parents and themselves, telling them that what they’d just
heard was true. That the two of them were twins and their parents were Kakeru
and Sheila Marumi. They also found pictures of them when they were little,
marveling at the image how they once were innocent children. But what really
caught their attention was the picture of their parents on their wedding day.
Kylie smiled her first tender
smile, looking at Heero who was sitting next to her. She then turned to look at
the picture and trailed a finger on the image of her mother. “You have mom’s
smile, Heero,” she said, softly. “Your smile is so gentle and so beautiful
because it is pure.”
Heero stared at the image of his
father and glanced at his twin sister. “And you have father’s smile. It has a
great sincerity in it because when you smile, it came from your heart.” He then
looked at the stack of papers. “Have you decided what to do with them yet?”
“You’re asking me?” she
said, telling him that he had as much decision on it as she was. Heero looked
at her, his eyes pained but hard. “The past is the past. It’ll do us nothing to
dwell on it,” he said. Kylie nodded in agreement and picked up their mother’s
wedding ring.
She handed it to him. “Keep it,
Heero,” she said, taking his hand into hers. “Give it to Relena when you’re
ready. The two of us will likely die in this war and it’s up to her to carry a
part of our parents with her.”
He nodded and kept the ring.
Before long, the two of them had built a fire big enough to burn the papers.
They watched as their forgotten past burned away before them. Then, lastly, the
picture of their parents was the only thing that left. Kylie looked at it for
the last time. “They look so happy together,” said Heero, looking over her
shoulder.
Kylie nodded and tossed the
picture into the fire, burning the only image of their parents. They knew that
they didn’t need it. They just needed to look at each other and the faces of
the two who had once been their parents would resurfaced in their minds.
>>>@@<<<
When the door slid open, Quatre
was glad Kylie entered. “Where were you?” he asked. “I didn’t see you for a
whole day yesterday.” She looked at him, seeing that he was doing much better.
“What is it? Is something the matter?”
Realizing that he was talking to
her, Kylie shook herself awake. “No. Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know,” said Quatre.
“You somehow seemed different.”
“Oh,” she said and shook her
head. “I’m just tired. Couldn’t sleep well,” she said, scolding herself for
being so obvious. She and Heero had decided to keep their real identity to
themselves, knowing that it won’t do anyone good to know. The two agreed to
buried the past in the past and look into the future. And at this moment, the
future was the battle ahead.
“I stopped by because the doctor
wants to examine my wrist,” she said, still standing by the door. He looked at
her, concerned. “Well, what did he said? Did it got worse?” he asked. Kylie
showed him the cast. “No. The swell is gone and they might remove it in five
days.”
“And your burns?”
She looked down. “Healed,
mostly,” she said. Then heard a scratching on the other side of the door.
“Actually, someone else is here to see you,” she said, opening the door. And
Adin ran into the room and leapt on his bed, letting out a yelp.
Quatre laughed as the puppy
licked his face. “He still like you better than me,” she said, sitting down. He
laughed when Adin suddenly leapt on top of Kylie, almost pushing her to the
floor. And two sets of laughter and a little bark seemed to echo along the
hallway.
>>>@@<<<
For five days now, Dorothy
watched Quatre and Kylie who were in the infirmary. She had tried a lot of
times to confess her feeling to Quatre, but each time she went to the
infirmary, Kylie would be there. The girl had become somewhat a regular visitor
in the infirmary since she too was still under observation. The only time Kylie
hadn’t been in the infirmary was when she disappeared with Heero but that day,
Dorothy was involved with another mission. Sending Vice Foreign Minister Relena
Darlian to Earth for an emergency conference.
‘I wish she would leave for a
little while,’ she thought. ‘Then maybe I will have enough time to tell him how
I feel.’
But that never happen. Kylie
continued to be by his side. Sometimes Dorothy even caught her sleeping on the
chair in the room, waiting for him to wake up. Dorothy didn’t know what
happened when the two were taken prisoners but she knew something had changed
between them. Her only wish was that she knew what it was.
Watching the two of them for the
last time, she sighed and walked away. She didn’t even noticed Lady Une walking
into the infirmary.
Silence in the room was normal
for both Quatre and Kylie. They needn’t say much, just the presence of each
other was enough for them. When Quatre had been weak, Kylie had be the one who
stayed by his side, waiting for the moment when he woke up and watched him
sleep so soundly. She took such a great care of him that her gentleness
surprised the others. Even Trowa left Quatre in her care, knowing she would
watch over him while he went to battle.
Now as usual, they sat in
silence, watching the beautiful view outside.
When Quatre looked away, Kylie
turned her head towards the door. “Lady Une,” she said, standing up. The woman
looked at both of them. “Sorry to have interrupted you two but I must speak to
Kylie,” she said.
Frowning, Kylie looked at her. “You can say it
here.”
Lady Une sighed. “I need you to
prepare for a trip to Earth,” she said.
“To Earth?” Kylie and Quatre
chorused. They exchanged glances.
“Yes and it’s very important.”
She saw that the cast was off Kylie’s hand. “How’s your wrist?”
Kylie stared at her, not
bothering to check. “It’s fine,” she lied, ignoring the sore in her wrist.
“Good because I need you fit,”
said Lady Une, accepting her answer at face value. She turned to Quatre. “How
are you, Quatre?”
The blond pilot nodded. “I’m
fine, thank you. The doctor said I could leave the infirmary today and return
to battle in a few days.”
“That’s good to hear,” said Lady
Une, turning to Kylie. “Do you mind coming with me?”
Kylie shook her head. “Not if
could help our side.”
“It could help. In fact, it’s
important and it is dire for you to come with me.”
>>>@@<<<
Mylin walked along the hallway.
At long last, she returned to the mother ship after being summoned personally
by the Warleader himself. She walked purposely and proudly towards the bridge
to give her latest reports. When she got there, she found Warleader Varishk
with his assistant and lover Sira and six other people in the bridge. Looking
at their attire, it doesn’t take Mylin a second to identify the Empire’s Mican
Warrior.
Turning to face the Warleader,
Mylin bowed. “Warleader, I have arrived,” she said.
“Mylin, it’s been a long time,
hasn’t it?” said Varishk. “You and your team of spies had been useful in
helping us to conquer this galaxy.” She looked at him, meeting his eyes. “Then
you must add this to my report, sir, that in my years living with the human
being and now encountering the Gundam pilots, our conquest on this solar system
might not be as easy as we thought,” she said.
Sira shifted her feet, angered.
Nobody said the Warleader would fail and live to say another thing. Varishk
quickly raised his hand, stopping her from doing harm to the obviously
experienced spy. “Your point being?” he prompted.
“I know that those whom I had
sent back to you have given you the basic knowledge of these human. But I
stayed on with the humans so I could fully understand them. And I purposely
engaged the Gundam pilots personally because I want to see how far they could
go.”
“And your discovery, Mylin?”
Mylin looked at him. “They’re
not to be taken lightly, Warleader. Them and their friends. Something about
these humans are unique. And we must prepare to accept the possibility that we
might lose this war,” she warned them.
Varishk laughed. “If those words
have come out from the mouth of your men I would’ve tell Sira to kill them but
you are the only expert in this creatures we have so I guess I have to take
heed of your warning.” He glanced at the six. “These are the Mican Warrior as
you can see. They are Con’trai, Keil’n, Trec’na, S’Irai and the two are the
infamous twin Mican, K’Vai and K’Rin.”
Mylin nodded at them. If others
paled at the mention of their names, Mylin didn’t gave them the luxury.
Instead, she looked at each and every one of them in the eye. Varishk smiled at
her, obviously impressed by her courage. “They’ve been assigned by the Regent
to destroy anyone who pose a threat to our mission. From now on, you’ll be
helping them gaining a better understanding on these Gundam pilots and their
friends.”
“Quite true,” said K’Rin,
stepping forward. “I want to know more about someone who wasn’t in your team’s
previous reports.” Mylin frowned, knowing that she had covered as many grounds
as she could in the reports. “Who do you mean, Warrior K’Rin?” she asked,
curious.
“The female who flew that blood
red mobile suit.”
>>>@@<<<
Kylie glanced at Lady Une as she
drove through the desert sand. The wind whipped her hair around as Kylie tried
her best not to let them poked her eyes. Although it had been two days since
they arrived on Earth, Lady Une still refused to tell her what were they
looking for and where it was.
Used to only asking a question
once, Kylie kept her mouth shut, not saying anything. Even when they started the long and quiet journey through the
desert, they both traveled in silence. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kylie saw a
huge building in the middle of the desert. Lady Une drove towards it and
stopped when they were there.
“We’re here,” she declared as
Kylie climbed out of the jeep. The building was indeed huge but it was also
made completely out of metal. But as Kylie and Lady Une entered it, there was a
blast of cool air. She glanced at the older woman. “Well?” she said.
Lady Une looked at her. “Stay
here while I find a switch.”
“What is this place?” she asked,
looking around. But the building or rather, the hangar was dark and she saw
nothing that could help her see. Somewhere inside, she heard Lady Une moved.
“What this place is, it is not relevant. What it’s storing is.”
“Well, aren’t going to tell me?”
“I’m going to do better than
that,” said Lady Une. “I’m going to show you.”
Then, Kylie was blinded by
bright light. When her vision cleared, what she saw before her rendered her
speechless.
>>>@@<<<
When the alarm blared, Heero,
Duo, Trowa, Wu Fei, Zechs and Quatre prepared for battle. As Quatre was
climbing into the cockpit, he heard Trowa called him. He looked at him. “Are
you sure you’re well enough to fight?” he asked.
Touched by Trowa’s concern, he
nodded. “Yes, I’m ready to fight them.”
“Alright,” said Trowa, nodded.
They launched, following Heero
and the others. A few minutes later, Noin and her Preventer agents entered the
battle zone. Sally was left at the headquarters to supervise everything in Lady
Une’s absence. The battle was furious. The Mican Warrior seemed to give them
everything they got, barely giving some of the Gundams to defend themselves.
And Noin’s team was heavily attacked by the Mican Trooper and the alien
fighters.
Trowa yanked at his control
stick, fighting Trec’na and at the same time looking out after Quatre. He knew
that the Sandrock pilot was still healing from his injuries that he might not
be able to fight at full strength. Not only that, Quatre had been missing from
the action for too long that Trowa was worried he might not be able to handle
Keil’n alone.
Suddenly, he saw something else
coming towards them. To his surprise, a team of Mican Trooper was approaching
the battle. “Watch out, they have a support troop,” he warned his friends,
particularly Duo who had his back on them.
He saw Duo turned. “What the
hell… where did they come from?”
“I don’t know,” Quatre
responded, his voice sounded strained. “But it looks like they’ve developed
some sort of strategy.” He barely dodged a blow from Keil’n but it distracted
him from seeing the newly arrived Mican Trooper, aiming at him. He cried as
Sandrock shook and struggled to maintain control.
Like Quatre, the others weren’t
spared either. Heavyarms was hit and collided with Nataku as they spun and hit
a Taurus suit. Duo had regained control in time before he hit Wing Zero who was
thrown into Epyon. Without any words, Epyon resumed its duel with K’Rin while
Heero glanced at his friends.
“You know what you must do,” he
said. “Time to decide.” Then, he also resumed his battle with K’Vai, destroying
any enemy fighters and suits that appeared in his way. Frowning, Quatre looked
at the others. “What is he talking about? Decide to do what?” he asked, dodging
Keil’n’s blow. His main concern was to find out what they were planning.
It was Duo who answered. “The
Zero system has been installed in each of our suit, due to Trowa and Wu Fei’s
request. And Heero was telling us to use it if we want to stay alive.”
“What!” said Quatre, almost
letting go of his throttle in disgust. He turned to Trowa. “Is that true? Has
the Zero system been installed in our suits?” he asked, fighting the Mican
Troopers now since he had managed to lose Keil’n for a moment. When Trowa
didn’t answer, his eyes widened. “You’re not thinking of using it, are you?”
Trowa looked at him. “I have no
choice, Quatre.”
“No, Trowa. Please don’t do it,”
he pleaded. He turned to Wu Fei. “Please don’t do it. You will be destroyed by
it.”
Wu Fei’s face was unreadable as
he glared at Con’trai. “I’m going to show them what Nataku and I are capable
of,” he said, punching a few buttons. In an instant, the cockpit seemed to came
to life as the Zero system was activated. He glanced at them. “If you won’t use
everything you got, I suggest you stay away from the battle from now on,” he
said. Then he and Con’trai resumed their personal battle.
Struck by Wu Fei’s words, Quatre
turned to Trowa and Duo. “You guys?”
“Hey, don’t look at me,” said
Duo, swung his scythe at S’Irai. “I’m not so desperate as to use something as
dangerous as the system.” He glared at S’Irai. “I can still fight him without
the Zero system.” With that he switched off the comm. to concentrate on S’Irai
alone. He would leave Trowa to Quatre.
Quatre looked at Trowa’s face on
the screen. “Please, Trowa. Don’t,” he said. Suddenly Sandrock shook as the
Mican Troopers converged their attack on him. Trowa heard Quatre cried but he
was too far away to help him. Knowing he only had one choice, Trowa tapped in
the code that would activate the Zero system. “I’m sorry, Quatre,” he said as
he braced himself for the same experience three years ago. He barely heard
Quatre’s plea.
Trowa fought Trec’na as he had
never fought before. The Zero system had made his Gundam easier to control and
it seemed as if he had been the one fighting the Mican suit with his bare
hands. Like three years ago, he felt free as if nothing was tying him down. He
felt as if he was soaring through space, destroying everything that he
identified as an enemy. Destroying everything in his path.
“Trowa!” Suddenly a scream
shattered his perfect world. He then realized that the blade under Heavyarms
arm was out and it was slicing towards Sandrock. Quickly, he yanked the
throttle back, flying over Sandrock, barely missing it and turned away. His
breathing was heavy as he realized what he had almost done. His fingers shook.
“So, that’s the effect the Zero
system has on its pilot.” Trec’na’s voice cut through his reverie. “No matter.
Unless you master it like your friends did, the Zero system would be useless to
stop me and my kind.”
Trowa looked at him. “You know
about the Zero system?”
“We know everything about your
Gundam, and you,” said Trec’na.
Looking at Trec’na hard, Trowa
was determined. He had no other choice but to master the system. At any cost.
>>>@@<<<
Quatre drew back a sharp breath
as Heavyarms sailed passed him. He was so distracted by Keil’n and the Mican
Troops that he failed to see Heavyarms heading straight for him. What triggered
his senses was when Keil’n and the troopers drew back so suddenly. Then, from
the corner of his eyes, he saw Heavyarms’ blade readied to do its damage and he
was too shocked to do a thing.
But when Heavyarms moved away at
the last instant, Quatre was still in shock. He then tried to contact Trowa to
make sure he was alright but Keil’n and the troopers attacked him again. He was
being overwhelmed quickly by the enemy because of his weaken state as well as
his concern for his friends.
“Look at your friends,” said
Keil’n as he hit Sandrock again and again. “They’re fighting bravely against
their enemy. And you, who called yourself protector of peace, couldn’t even
fight me with everything you got.”
Quatre struggled to regain
control but failed. “Because the Zero system is a mistake. I have no use for
it.”
“Which is exactly why you’re so
weak!” Keil’n shouted. “Maybe I should destroy you right now.”
He raised his lance, preparing
to strike the final blow. With a war cry, he brought the lance down. Then
suddenly, his lance skittered away as another bolt of fire hit Keil’n’s Mican
suit. Surprised that he was still alive, Quatre turned to where the attack came
from. “You’re not destroying him on my watch!”
Coming from Earth, they saw a
new mobile suit heading straight into the battle. It had a similar design as
Epyon but if Epyon was in blood red this one was in bright gold. The other difference
was that it lacked the armor on Epyon. And the way it move was also different
from Epyon. It was faster and more agile than Epyon, suggesting that the mobile
suit was built for speed and movement and less for defense purposes.
Quatre checked the features of
the new mobile suit and discovered one thing. “It’s a new Gundam!”
The others heard him and spared
a glance at the new Gundam. It entered the battlefield and quickly destroyed
its everything that was standing in its path. Then, it stood between Sandrock
and Keil’n. “You okay, Quatre,” the new Gundam seemed to ask. Recognizing the
voice, he gasped. “Kylie? What are you doing here? With that?”
Kylie appeared in the screen.
“Someone’s idea of a Christmas present, I think,” she said, then her eyes grew
cold as she regarded Keil’n. “If you’re planning to deal with him, you’re
dealing with me too,” she said. Her Gundam shifted its hold on the twin-headed
beam lance.
Keil’n smiled. “Very well, let’s
what you can do.”
Then Keil’n and Kylie were
engaged in a combat. A few minutes later, Quatre joined in as the two Gundams
showed the alien how well they worked together. They fought Keil’n and at the
same time destroying every troopers and fighters that targeted them. With a new
mobile suit, Kylie was able to fight even better and at the same time
protecting Quatre from any harm.
Then, it was finished. The
aliens retreated back to their fleet. Despite the Zero system and the new
Gundam, the aliens still managed to capture a few colonists from the colony.
But the Gundam pilots determined to rescue all of them no matter what it took.
>>>@@<<<
When Trowa finally reached the
hangar, he leaned back and took a deep breath. Never in his life had he felt so
drained and so tired. Except when he first used the Zero system. His body shook
from fatigue and he nearly lost consciousness when he heard Quatre’s voice,
calling for him.
Weakly, his hand pressed a
button and the cockpit door swung open. “Trowa, are you alright?” Quatre asked,
concerned. Trowa released the straps and climbed out of the cockpit. “I’m fine,
Quatre. Just tired.”
“What were you thinking?” asked
Quatre. “Please, don’t use the Zero system again. Promise me.”
Trowa looked at him, touched by
his concern. “Oh, Quatre. You know I can’t do that. You know that we need it to
fight the aliens.” He paused. “If you won’t use it, please allow me to master
it so I can protect those I love.”
Quatre was struck by his words.
“But it’s dangerous.”
“No one says good things came
easily,” said Trowa. “Once I master the system then I can truly fight my
enemy.” Suddenly he looked away, looking at the new Gundam which was making its
landing. “The new Gundam Kylie found is pretty amazing, don’t you think?”
He turned towards what Trowa was
looking at and noticed everyone was staring at the beautiful Gundam too. A
moment later, the cockpit opened and Kylie jumped out from it. She then turned
to look at it. Heero, Duo and Wu Fei walked up to it, looking at the new
Gundam.
“Amazing,” said Duo, whistling. “I
wonder what it can really do.”
“His name is Nova,” said Lady
Une, coming from behind them. Howard was following behind her. “This was the
reason why Kylie and I went to Earth,” she added. Howard looked up. “He’s
beautiful, don’t you think?” he asked, standing next to Duo.
“Very.”
Heero then looked at Epyon. “But
its design isn’t much different than of Epyon.”
“Of course,” said Lady Une. “The
two was designed by the same person.”
That made Heero turned to her.
“Treize?”
She nodded. “Exactly. Nova was
actually the brother of Epyon. When Treize planned to build a Gundam to give
one of you to pilot, he began the construction of Epyon.” She looked at Heero
and Quatre who were joining them with Trowa, Zechs and Noin. “But when he heard
both of you were on Earth hiding in the Sanc Kingdom, he began another
construction. He hoped that he could finish Nova in time to give it to you.”
“But why?” asked Quatre.
“Because he wanted to see which
Gundam pilot would win,” she answered.
That surprised Noin. “He was
planning to have Heero fight Quatre?”
“Yes. And under the influence of
the Zero system, he knew that the two will fight each other.”
Trowa looked at her. “So Treize
actually wanted to see what made a Gundam pilot better than the rest?” She nodded.
“Exactly. Treize knew that if he were to compare you pilots with the other
soldiers, he wouldn’t find his answers.”
“So what happened?” asked Wu
Fei.
“It was never finished, until
now,” she answered. “Everything was happening so fast that he stopped Nova’s
construction and store it away so no one could find it. He knew Nova could be a
dangerous tool if it fall into the wrong hand.”
“Namely the Romefeller, right?”
said Zechs. “He knew that Epyon was already safe with Heero but Nova’s fate was
uncertain.” He looked at her. “And the name came from Operation Nova, right?”
She nodded. “It’s when the
blueprint was finished.”
“So, what can it do?” asked Duo,
repeating his question.
Lady Une nodded at Kylie, who
was standing before them. “Like your Gundams, it depends on the pilot to fully
utilize it.”
“Is the Zero system installed in
the cockpit?” asked Heero. Since Epyon had a built-in Zero system, he hoped
Nova had one too. Lady Une nodded. “Yes, but it’s inactive. The pilot will need
a secret password to activate the system.” Quatre released the breath that he
was holding. “Good, at least she won’t be in any danger from the system.” He
looked at Wu Fei and Trowa. “Which is the very thing I want to talk to you two
about. You can’t continue to use the Zero system.”
“The Zero system?” Kylie echoed,
walking up to them. “I’ve heard about it before. It’s the most powerful cockpit
system, right?” she said, looking at Heero. When he nodded, she was thoughtful.
“Maybe I should use it on Nova. It’ll help me fully explore its potential.”
“No!” said Quatre. “You can’t
use the system. It’s too dangerous.”
Heero looked at him. “The system
is only dangerous if you let it control your actions. In order to use the Zero
system you must first be able to control it.” He paused, staring into
his eyes. “The Zero system is a tool, Quatre. You should learn to
control it not being control by it.”
He then looked at Trowa, Wu Fei,
Duo and the others. “And Quatre, you are the only one other than me who could
truly master the system effectively. Believe me when I’m telling you this. Your
heart and mind are stronger than you think. All you have to do is to have faith
in yourself.”
With that, he left. The others
watched him disappeared into the hallway. “Heero’s right, Quatre,” said a
voice. They turned to see Kylie looking at him, carefully. “I know you have the
ability to master the Zero system as well as Heero. But first you must develop
enough confidence to use it.” She paused as her eyes softened. “I can protect you
as long as you need me to. But I can’t always be there for you. If you don’t
help yourself, we’ll both could end up getting ourselves killed.”
“And you know as well as I do
that Heero was never one who exaggerate. If he thinks you could do wonders with
the Zero system, then I believe him.” She walked away and then stopped, looking
over her shoulder. “Just think about it,” she said, but her words were also
directed towards Duo.
Quatre watched her leave. But
even her words and Heero’s couldn’t get rid of the fear in his mind.
>>>@@<<<
When Mylin were finally left
alone, she returned to her quarters and opened a secret channel to her
homeworld. The secret channel was only used by a number of people and only a
handful of special people knew about it. Special people like her.
It took a moment for her to get
through. But when she was there, a face appeared before her. He was as handsome
as he was regal-looking. His hair was sun golden and his eyes were a beautiful
shade of dark green. Although he had a proud look, his eyes showed a great
intelligence as well as comfort.
She knelt before him, showing
her eternal respect for him. “Emperor Gylendar, your humble servant is here.”
“Mylin, it’s been a long time.
How are you?” he asked, gently.
Mylin looked at him, showing all
her love and loyalty for him. “I am well, Your Majesty.”
“Good,” said Gylendar. Then his
face hardened as he got on with the serious business. “Tell us, Mylin. What
news do you bring from the new galaxy?” Mylin then found herself reporting
everything that happened, particularly on the Warleader and his men.
In reality, Mylin was actually
an Emperor’s Eye, a selected handful of Telrhani who worked directly under the
Emperor to do his biddings. Their loyalty and life lies in serving the Emperor
and him alone. Because their job was to protect the Emperor’s best interest,
only very few people were selected to serve him. Those whom the Emperor trust
the most. They went through trainings as tough as the one of the Mican Warrior
and even more of them failed to get through. However, Mylin was one of the
lucky ones. And she had been serving him since she was a little girl.
“We see,” said Emperor Gylendar
when she was finished. For a moment, he was thoughtful. Then he sighed. “We
think it’s still too early to decide anything, so we are going to tell you to
keep watching. We must make sure that Variskh is indeed working with the Regent
to take over our throne.”
Mylin nodded, remembering the
grave issue at hand. For years now, they had been receiving reports that the
Regent was planning to commit treason. The Regent was actually quite powerful
and very influential as he was the Emperor’s father younger brother. Ever since
Gylendar had come to throne at an early age, the Regent had been planning a
revolt against the inexperience Emperor by coaxing with some of the royal
family members and the member of the court.
And since the Regent had the
power to control the Imperial Army, Gylendar knew his position could be easily
threatened by him. Warleader Varishk was the Regent’s nephew as well as one of
the most powerful military leader in the Empire. Gylendar suspected that the
Regent purposely sent Varishk out to invade the new galaxy so he could hid some
of his secret army to attack the Imperial Palace. And he knew that the Regent
had other galaxies at his disposal.
Still lacked in prove and to
avoid a civil war, Gylendar sent his spies to spy on the Regent’s closest
people. Only when he had enough evidence to prove the Regent was planning to
betray the Empire would he have him arrested and convicted. And by the look of
things, Mylin could be the one who would be able to save the throne.
“Your Majesty, forgive me my
manners but I am troubled by the Warleader,” said Mylin.
Gylendar stared at her. “What is
it, Mylin? What troubled you so much?”
“The Warleader has the potential
of doing something unexpected.”
“Unexpected?”
Mylin chose her words carefully.
It wasn’t a good idea to accuse the cousin of the Emperor of this. “I’m afraid
he would do something dishonorable in the future. The conquest of this galaxy
is important for the Regent’s plan to work.” She paused. “And now that he found
an interest in the Gundam pilots, he might use them against you, Your Majesty.”
“Don’t concern yourself too much
of that,” said Gylendar. “We know our cousin.” He paused. “And Mylin, find out
more about these Gundam pilots. We want to hear everything about them.”
“Your will is my life, Your
Majesty,” she said. But when the Emperor’s face was gone from the screen, Mylin
suddenly longed for his presence again. Then again, who was she? She’s only a
servant to him. But Mylin loved him so much that she would give her life for
him.
Suddenly she felt ashamed. Mylin
had accepted this assignment not solely because of him. There was also another
reason, which had a name. Mylin took the assignment because she was looking for
the killer of her little sister. And she believed that the killer was Sira, the
Warleader’s personal officer. But still, Mylin had to wait for the right moment
to strike, fearing her quest for revenge might interfere with her job to
protect Emperor Gylendar.
She then looked out into the
stars. Her thoughts were on the Gundam pilots, particularly the one she met
personally, Chang Wu Fei. To her, there was something about him that would one
day fill her life. And she knew the time will come when she will have to duel
him again.
