........The man waited another couple of hours, and the boy’s eyes opened again. This time, he didn’t look so young. As the boy sat up, the man could see that his eyes were dull and emotionless.
........The boy saw him sitting there, and reached for where his gun should have been—only to discover it was missing. He glared at the man.
........The man spoke up. “I’m not taking it. I put it up in the Gundam.” The boy’s glare didn’t falter. The man sighed. This Gundam pilot still saw him as a threat, as an enemy. “You’re an excellent pilot.”
........ “I get that a lot,” the boy said in a cold voice. “I didn’t need your pity.”
........ “What . . .?”
........The boy motioned to the bandages on his chest. “The bandages. Now it’ll make me feel guilty killing you. Why’d you have to go and do that?”
........The man swallowed hard. “You’re a kid. It didn’t seem right to just let you die.”
........The boy lowered his gaze. “Really . . .?” It didn’t seem like the kind of question that required answering.
........The man tried again. “My name is Kevin. Who are you?”
........The boy raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Now, how do I know you aren’t just gonna go back to the government with that information, trace where I come from, and destroy that entire colony in the name of justice and peace?” The last part sounded as if it were meant to be sarcastic.
........ “No, you’ve gone through enough trouble. I’m not going to do that.” The man hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Please, I’d just like to know who you are.”
........The boy frowned. “I…thought I knew . . . but now . . . I’m just not so sure.”
........ “You’ve got a name, though, don’t you?”
........ “Heero.” He frowned. “I ought not to have told you that.”
........ “I won’t tell. They’ll never even know I saw you.”
........The boy looked at him, really looked at him, for the first time. His face remained blank. “What’s your rank?”
........ “Oh! Uh, sergeant.”
........ “Who’s your immediate superior officer?”
........ “Lieutenant Zechs Merquise.”
........ “Thought so.” He frowned again. “Had a lot of trouble with Zechs when I was arriving on Earth last month.”
........ “So I heard.”
........ “He knocked Wing into the ocean,” Heero said tonelessly. “02 pulled it up for me. I wound up owing 02 big time . . . I don’t like owing favors.”
........Oh. So that was it. That’s why he didn’t like that he’d helped him. “You don’t have to pay me back.”
........ “I’ll just agree to let you live,” Heero said.
........Kevin noted that something was wrong about Heero’s face when he talked. It was as if his lips weren’t moving . . . no, his lips were moving clearly. He could even read them without trouble if he tried. He wasn’t making any facial expressions!
........Kevin shivered. Was this the same boy that he’d spoken to a couple hours before that asked if it was time to leave yet?
........ “I thought you knew I was fixing you up.”
........ “. . . what do you mean?”
........ “You were awake, you know.”
........Heero’s Prussian blue eyes narrowed. “I didn’t say anything, did I?”
........ “Not much, really . . . but . . .”
........ “Tell me,” Heero insisted.
........ “You . . . you said something about sending a messenger to your mother, and you asked me if it was time for you to go.”
........ “I spoke about my mother? Never thought that would happen.”
........ “Why is that?”
........ “She’s been dead for nine years.”
........ “I’m sorry.”
........Heero winced at this bit of pity. “Don’t . . . don’t tell me that. It’s not as if it was your fault that she died . . .” He stopped, then looked at the Alliance uniform. “Looks like I might have to take that back.”
........So that was why he had joined the rebels. “Was your mother one of the people who rebelled?”
........Heero exploded right there. “Rebelled?! You were the ones that took over! We’d been living peacefully before you came along! And, for your information, my mother was a police officer and OZ hired an assassin to kill her because she was promoting the peace and was to be considered dangerous. She never did anything to anyone.”
........ “Wha—?” There was no way this boy was correct. OZ would never do something like that! Killing an innocent woman to take over a space colony.
........ “You don’t believe me.” Heero scowled. “Why do you think I agreed to attack OZ in the first place?”
........Kevin felt his heart sink. Of course, it was true. He’d been lied to about the colonies being aggressive—it was the Earth Sphere Alliance—the OZ specials, in particular—who were at fault. This boy was trying to save future generations. “Now I really don’t know what to say.”
........ “I never do. That’s why I usually don’t talk.”
........ “That must be lonely.”
........ “It’s better being alone—that way you can’t be hurt.”
........Silence reigned for a long while, perhaps another five minutes. Finally, Kevin blurted out, “How old are you?”
........ “Fifteen,” Heero said. He frowned, mentally calculating. “Yes. I was born in AC 180, and it’s AC 195, so I’m fifteen.”
........ “You don’t keep track of your age?” Kevin asked in surprise.
........ “What’s age for? Children are considered too young to understand the things that I do. Adults don’t trust me, and the other kids are afraid of me because they’re intimidated as well.”
........ “I have a daughter who’s also fifteen.”
........Heero blinked. “She must be lovely.”
........Kevin smiled. “I think she is.”
........Heero frowned, sitting up cross-legged, as if concentrating deeply. Kevin thought of Chryssa. She was home right now, probably sleeping in a warm bed with all the necessities and comforts all around her. He was grateful his daughter would never have to know what Heero did.
........ “Tell me something, are you planning civilian attacks?”
........Heero looked up, as if realizing for the first time that Kevin thought he was the bad guy. “No. My mission is to target and destroy OZ alone. The original Operation Meteor was to drop a colony on the Earth and send the Gundams to take over in the following chaos.”
........ “That idea was rejected?”
........ “Too harsh. Why massacre billions of innocent bystanders when the only one who was at fault was OZ?” Heero lifted an arm out, as if showing him something. “The real Heero wouldn’t have wanted that.”
........ “Heero Yuy, the pacifist. Of course, you’re using a code name.”
........ “I don’t like my real name. It doesn’t suit me.”
........ “You don’t have to tell me.”
........ “I wouldn’t if you asked me to.”
........There was an even longer silence as they looked up at the stars. Then . . .
........ “Is it pretty in outer space?”
........Heero seemed a bit surprised by the question. “Well, we have artificial sunlight and grass and things like that. The stars are beautiful . . . but the moon looks like a graveyard. It’s too close up from space.”
........ “Ever been to the moon?”
........ “The Lunar Base? Yeah, my parents took me once when I was about five.” A slight smile crossed the young boy’s face. “They . . . had a Mobile Suit exhibit. They showed information about the Gundams. Superior Mobile Suits of excellent quality. That was my dream . . . to be strong enough and capable enough to pilot one of the Gundams.”
........ “Did you know there would be a war?” Kevin asked in surprise. He personally hadn’t seen it coming.
........ “Oh, it was inevitable to me that it would happen. But I didn’t think it’d happen so soon. I had this elaborate plan—I’d fight in the war, get a bunch of medals, and become a hero. Then after the war, I’d have a good deal of money and I’d live out the rest of the life as a writer.”
........Kevin couldn’t suppress a grin. “A writer?”
........ “I was a poet,” Heero said, still staring up at the stars. “Pretty good, too. I also thought that I could have fell in love after the war, gotten married, and had a couple of kids.” He paused, frowning yet again. “That dream is lost now.”
........ “Ever heard that for every dream that’s shattered, another one comes true?”
........Heero shrugged. “I hope whoever’s dream is coming true realizes the gift they’ve been given…and I hope they live it to the fullest.”
........ “You’re very interesting, Heero. You mean you wouldn’t feel jealous?”
........ “I suppose I would, but if I ever happen to meet the person who got lucky, I hope I’m not cruel to them.” Then he paused. “No, I’ve already met her. I just never realized it.”
........ “A girl?” he asked in surprise.
........ “Her . . . her name’s Relena. She’s the Vice-Foreign Minister’s daughter.”
........ “You know her?” Kevin wondered if Relena knew Heero was probably involved in her father’s assassination.
........ “I’ve met her, yes, but I’ve been very cruel to her.” He sighed. “Maybe it was because I was jealous. I’ve been telling myself it’s because she found out about the Gundam. She even informed me not long ago that she met my Gundam’s designer.”
........ “She found out about the Gundam?”
........ “When my Gundam hit the ocean, I washed up on the beach. She found me there.” His gaze darkened. “I’m supposed to kill her.”
........Kevin felt his eyes widen.
........Heero continued, “I remember when she came back after her father died. She surprised me, and she said that I’d always been the one surprising her before. She invited me to dance. I accepted, of course, but…something strange is going on in my head. I can’t kill her; I just can’t stand the thought of it!” He looked over at Kevin. “Do you know what it is that I’m feeling?”
........Kevin hesitated. “Well, it sounds to me like you’ve fallen in love with her.”
........Heero looked away again. “Love?” he whispered. “Now I’m really in trouble. How the heck am I gonna get over this?”
........ “It’s not so bad.” Actually, from what he’d seen, Relena Darlian was very beautiful, and she was supposed to be very nice. And rich.
........ “Yes, it is,” Heero said, seeming to finally understand something. “I never noticed that before. She feels the same way. I’m gonna die in this war, and she’s going to wind up upset. I can’t do that to her.” Heero sighed. “I’ll have to scare her away, then.”
........Kevin didn’t say anything. Heero had already made it clear that he didn’t like pity.
........ “How long until they send a search party?”
........It was Kevin’s turn to shrug. “Not long, I guess.”
........ “I should get going.” Heero stood up, only a bit unsteady. “I would . . . appreciate it if you never tell anyone about this, at least until after the war’s over.”
........ “No problem.”
........ “Just a minute . . .” Heero climbed up the Gundam, reached into a secret compartment of some kind, and pulled out a blanket. “If anyone asks, it was in one of the other Leos.” He tossed it down, and Kevin caught it.
........ “Thanks!”
........ “Don’t thank me.” Heero climbed up into the cockpit. “Been nice talking to you.”