Disclaimer: I own nothing from the original series. There, that should do it.

              From the Ashes

              Raijin

              Chapter One: Varied Beginnings

              ‘Do you think we could take him?’, whispered one of the doctors. ‘He’s young enough to join the others.

              ‘No, he can’t. Not at this point. He can, however, go alone.’

              ‘Who will train him?’

              ‘I will. I have no other charge.’ The other five doctors looked at Professor V. His glasses sparkled in the moonlight.

              ‘All right, but I still think he would make a good partner for young Heero. Or maybe Wufei, Master O? He certainly seems... antisocial enough.’ Doctor J’s mechanical arm pinched together.

              ‘It’s settled. I’ll take him. I already have a Gundam in mind.’

              ‘Really, V? What is it?’

              ‘I don’t have a concrete schematic drawn up, but I can tell you the name: Exon.’

              ‘We haven’t much time. This is where we part, comrades. Good luck to you and your trainees.’ All six doctors nodded, and they moved back into the shadow of night, each exiting the meeting warehouse through a different door.

              Professor V crept through the door leading to a waiting room. The six year old boy inside looked up at his approach. His grey eyes shone visibly despite the dark. ‘Come, Ziro. You are now my “son”, for lack of a better term. We have much work to do.’

              Ziro nodded once, and rising slowly, followed the professor into the open midnight. After the dark hem of his pants turned through the threshold, the warehouse fell silent once more.

              ‘Mother?’

              ‘Yes, Emi?’ Mrs. Hideki looked towards her daughter.

              ‘Why are they going to start a war between us and Earth?’

              Emi’s mother sighed. ‘I don’t know. I wish that they wouldn’t.’

              The young girl lowered her eyes. ‘I can help fight. I want to become a pilot.’

              ‘Oh, no, dear. It’s just too dangerous. I couldn’t live with myself knowing that you were out on some battlefield getting blown up.’ She shuddered.

              ‘I have to. I can make a difference.’

              ‘Of course you can, Emi. I hope beyond hope that it won’t come to that.’

              ‘Lieutenant, your son is here to see you.’ The office aid awaited instructions.

              ‘Well, let him in.’ Lieutenant Renol stood up and went over to greet his six year old. ‘Adrian! I haven’t seen you in two months.’

              ‘Hi, Dad!’ He was quite happy to see his father again. ‘Mom said that you’ll be on vacation!’

              Mr. Renol smiled. ‘That I will, son. I get off for a week starting tomorrow. Then it’ll be just you and me. I was thinking that we could stop at colony LA-38 and visit Aunt Carla.’

              ‘Christopher, where is your homework?’ The instructor looked frustrated.

              ‘I told you, ma’am, just call me Chris. Well, my homework was stolen by some mad chap. He was really tall, and I don’t know how in the bloody heck he even got in my room.’, answered the blonde 9 year old.

              ‘Chistoph.. oh, very well, Chris, you know that we don’t make up stories.’

              He looked up in resentment. ‘But ma’am, it’s true! This ruddy bloke broke into my room and took my homework. I don’t know why. And you can get mum to prove it.’ He then added, under his breath, ‘I wish mum had let me go to the colony defense school instead of here, anyway.’

              Ziro listened silently as Professor V explained the revised Operation Meteor. Professor V also told the young boy about the gundam he had planned, Exon. ‘While the other five doctors are preparing gundams for your allies, you were discovered late. However, you were perfect for what was required at the time. The other five gundam pilots will go to Earth for Operation Meteor. Ziro, you will remain in space for that time. The Exon will stay in reserve in case something happens to one of the other five--if that was to happen, then you must take their place. You will each be trained in a special groups of skills, that will complement your fellow pilots. However, you will not know who the others are in the beginning. Any questions?’

              Ziro paused for a moment before responding. ‘What will my mission be if none of the others are impaired?’

              Professor V smiled slightly. ‘No one can say for certain at this point. I personally think that the battles will likely come to space at some point in time, in which case you will assist the others. There may also be some solo missions for you in the future.’

              Professor V regarded Ziro before continuing. ‘The Exon will not focus on long or close range combat, but a mix of both. I may have to make some adaptations to the design depending on your own abilities. It doesn’t specialize in certain areas like the other gundams. To compensate for this, it has a part of all of them. That can let it hold its own as a single mobile suit or as an excellent teammate for another of the gundams. Anything else?’

              Ziro nodded. ‘What will we do now?’

              ‘I was planning to remain discreet by holing up in one of the L1 colonies. Probably LA-38, as that’s where the Exon is intended to be constructed. Doctor J was kind enough to give me a number of helpful contacts.’

              Despite his unchildlike seriousness, Ziro yawned widely. Professor V glanced at the door. ‘We’d best attempt to sleep. Tomorrow we can begin to teach you mobile suit basics.’

              Adrian and his father stepped off the shuttle. They were running slightly late, and were due at Aunt Carla’s in a few minutes. Adrian noticed an odd pair of people on the shuttle with them: one, a man with a lab coat and spectacles, and the other a small boy with grey eyes. They were talking to each other in rather low voices. Edging closer while his father struggled with the luggage, he heard the words “mobile suit”, “Exon”, and “Oz”. Curiosity piqued, he was disappointed when his father urged him on.

              Up ahead, an automated greeter was saying, ‘Welcome to LA-38, famous colony of the L1 cluster. Of particular interest are....’ Adrian tuned it out, looking again for the man and the boy. They were gone.

              Ziro and Professor V, after leaving the reception area, made their way through the streets. Professor V seemed to know where he was going -- but despite the auto-welcomer’s assurances of LA-38’s wonderful virtues, Ziro thought that many of the people that continually leered at them weren’t exactly friendly neighbors. At last they reached a condemned, crumbling building that had been a small duplex once. Professor V looked around quickly, before ducking into the building. He whispered to Ziro, ‘Remain here and keep a lookout. I’ll be back in a moment -- I need to verify some information.’

              Emi had apparently become lost. While returning from school with her mother, a jostling crowd had separated them. She was forced to take to the small alleys, not liking the looks some of the gruff men on corners gave her. While wandering aimlessly, wondering where she was, she spotted a boy that appeared to be around her age. He was fairly far away, but his eyes snapped to her as she came closer. She assumed that he knew where he was, so decided to ask.

              As she came closer, she inquired, ‘Can you help me?’

              His reply was abrupt. ‘I’m busy.’

              ‘I think that I’m lost..’ She continued. He didn’t reply, but kept her locked in the piercing glare. ‘Who are you?’ She persisted.

              ‘If I told you that, I would have to kill you.’

              Emi looked away. The boy slightly frightened her, but he was the only one around. ‘I’m Emi. I need to find my mother.’

              His head moved slightly. ‘There is a woman in that direction calling you.’ He pointed.

              Emi could hear nothing for a few moments, and then, straining to detect any sound other than the ones of the city, she made out her mother’s cries. ‘Thank you!’ Emi smiled at the strange boy, who didn’t return it. She ran up and hugged him, and he stiffened. Seeming to sense no threat, however, he allowed her to embrace him quickly, before she dashed away to find Ms. Hideki.

              Chris sighed as he left the school building. “Bloody teacher. She never believes me.” He remembered, as he said this, that he didn’t have to be home for another hour, because his mother had a meeting of some sort. Not having anything better to do, he wandered aimlessly around the schoolgrounds, kicking pieces of debris as he came across them. He sighed again, and decided to walk to the colony defense school.

              After the girl called Emi had left, Ziro folded his arms and continued to watch for any movement he could detect. For a few moments, curious thoughts about her pervaded his mind, but he put them aside to concentrate on his current task. A few uneventful minutes later, Professor V appeared through the same enterance he had used to enter the dilapidated building.

              “It’s settled, then. The construction of this Gundam Exon is underway. Let’s get started with your training, Ziro.”

              Without another word between them, the two were off through the strees once more, soon lost in the rabble as they rejoined the masses.