Episode 5: The Secret of Heero

Heero stared out the window of the shuttle. He watched the scenery speed by, as the shuttle arched upwards into space. He stared listlessly out at the stars, wondering where Relena had disappeared. He guessed he would probably never see her again… but he wished he would.

“Vice Minister Yuy, I’m honored to be your escort,” a man in glasses said as he floated to a halt near Heero’s father.

Heero turned when his father made no response, but simply kept reading his book.

“I’m just trying to make polite conversation,” the man smirked maliciously with a certain amount of arrogance in his voice.

“I have nothing to say to you,” Mr. Yuy snapped not turning his head, but glaring at the man from the corners of his eyes.

“Those are harsh words,” the man glared. “I’m just following orders from my superiors to escort you. I hope you don’t hate me personally.”

Heero had a bad feeling about the man in glasses. The way he move, talked, and smiled said he was hiding something.

“Heero,” his father said, not taking his eyes away from the officer before him. “Take a good look outside. And remember how beautiful the earth looks from above.”

Heero looked out; he’d seen it a million times, and it always looked the same. It was very pretty; but he’d see it again on the way back to earth and next time his Father took him to meetings on the colonies. Still… the way his father had said it, it was like he’d never see the view again.

Across the aisle Treize flipped open a pocket watch and a sinister smile twitched on his face.

Somewhere down on earth, at a crowded outdoor café, three girls and a boy from Heero’s school sat discussing the up coming dance.

Marie let out a small sigh as she looked up at the stars.

“What’s the matter?” the girl next to her asked. “You seem sad.”

“I was just thinking,” Marie said as she glared at Rick who was making comments on her cerebral abilities, “that among all those beautiful stars are the colonies. Why can’t the colonies be beautiful like the stars?”

“That’s not true at all,” a bright eyed, black haired girl disagreed, clasping her hands together. “Heero is up there. So the colonies are more handsome than usual.”

Rick made a choking noise as his head hit the table.

In a dark dorm room, Relena lay on the bed, hands behind her head, staring at the ceiling.

‘Four corners, thirty-six cracks, and one section of peeling paint,’ she counted as her eyes rechecked the findings. To her right she saw a blue light flare and the beep of downloading data. Flinging herself to a sitting position she saw her laptop had activated.

Quietly she walked over and sat down. Her eyes immediately read and copied the data to memory as she typed in recognition.

“Target: North Pacific OZ supply base,” she read aloud as she called up information on the particular site. Her eyes narrowed, “mission acknowledged.”

Heero rolled his eyes as he walked down the stairs behind his Father, toward two men dressed in suits. He recognized the men as two of the colony’s political leaders. Now his father would greet them, they’d talk business for a few minutes before moving along. It was very boring and typical. The only thing different from the million other times was the presence of Treize in the corner talking to his underlings. Heero had a bad feeling about them.

“Mr. Yuy,” the man in the brown suit greeted with arms outstretched as he extended a hand to shake. “Now I know the news about earth’s economic crisis is just a rumor. They could afford to launch a shuttle just for you.”

Heero wanted to groan. It was hard to believe that actually passed for mild humor. Maybe there wasn’t enough air on the colony.

“Those kind of rumors are rather innocent ones,” Heero’s father smiled using it as an opening to get to what he really wanted to talk about. “But the rumor spreading in the Federation ranks is a very serious one.”

“The one about how we are going to invade earth?” the man in the gray suit asked.

“They know we would gain nothing by such a stupid act. Why do they believe such things?” the man in brown snorted with vague anger.

“That’s why we are here,” a voice from behind spoke. “To see if it really is a rumor, or actually the truth.”

The men turned to a very cocky looking Treize, “of course, I hope it’s just a rumor.”

The suitcase hit the bed and bounced twice before settling into place.

Heero jumped on to the bed after it. He threw his jacket over the pillow as he looked out the large bay window overlooking the colony.

“The people of the colonies live in such a peaceful society,” he mused aloud having spent half his young life living in colony hotels and diplomatic centers due to his father’s work. “Why do the people on earth actually think they would want to start a war?”

Flumping back on the bed, he tried hard to think of a rational explanation.

Stories below the man in the brown suit sat next to Treize.

“Excuse me, Mr. Treize, but your diplomatic credentials have not been officially accredited by the Federation government,” he explained, wincing back as the other man’s eyes glared at him. “Therefore, you are not technically able to attend this meeting.”

“I understand,” Treize responded coldly. “But I would still like a report of the meeting.”

“Of course,” the man in the brown suit said with some relief that security wouldn’t have to be called.

“Then I’ll excuse myself,” Treize said stiffly, getting up and walking out the door, careful to shut it tightly behind him.

As he did he pulled out the pocket watch from his uniform and lifted the lid. He pressed down the center of the watch and closed it, looking around before setting it on one of the ornate tables that lined the hallway.

“Ten minutes,” he mused with a last sweep of the hallway for complications. “It will be finished… No. Just the beginning.”

With that he walked off down the hallway paying no attention to the elevator opening and Heero stepping out.

Heero himself only took a look at the man’s back and frowned in dislike before he continued on his way to see his Father. He wanted to get there before the meeting actually began.

“Four nineteen,” he remembered the room number as he knocked on the door. “It’s Heero.”

“What is it?” the stuffy man in the gray suit asked as he opened the door.

“I’m going out to look around,” Heero said raising his voice so his father could hear.

“Be careful, Heero,” his father responded.

“Don’t worry, I’m a big boy now,” Heero responded beginning to turn away.

“I’ll arrange for a bodyguard to go with you,” the gray suited man offered.

“That’s okay,” Heero assured him grabbing hold of the doorknob. “This place is much safer than earth.”

With that he pulled the door closed and turned to leave.

A glint of gold caught his eye. It was the pocket watch that man, Treize, had been carrying around. He picked it up and looked it over. It was definitely the same watch. He considered leaving it; but that wasn’t the way he’d been raised. He hoped he could catch the man before he went anywhere.

Inside the room the politicians registered their complaints and disbelief with Mr. Yuy.

“The whole thing is ridiculous,” the man in the brown suit stated and many others nodded their heads in agreement. “Operation Meteor…the new mobile suits… everything they say, we’ve never heard, let alone done, any of it!”

“Mr. Yuy, why do you think the Federation suspects us on this?” a man with buzzed black hair asked.

Mr. Yuy lowered his head in thought.

Outside, surrounded by his underlings, Treize looked down at his wristwatch.

“Ten seconds left,” he muttered, pulling the sleeve back into place. “Nothing can go wrong.”

“Excuse me,” Heero said as he ran up behind the officer who turned with contempt. “You forgot this,” Heero said, ignoring the look as he handed him the pocket watch, “upstairs on the table.”

Treize’s eyes widened in horror as the young man innocently held the pocket watch out to him.

“Damn,” he cursed, wrenching the watch from Heero’s hand. He then pushed the boy aside as he ran toward the building and threw the watch with surprising force.

It crashed through the window and seconds later an explosion erupted from inside the room, blowing what was left of the glass outward.

Heero threw his hands up instinctively until the blast cleared and he realized what room had just gone up in smoke.

“Dad,” he yelled, running back into the building.

“He’s going to screw up our plans,” he heard Treize yell behind him. “Get that boy. If he resists, you may kill him!”

‘What the hell is going on here?’ Heero’s mind screamed as he ran up the stairs, the elevator having been deactivated by the blast. Shoving the stairwell door open he made haste toward the room and stopped in the doorframe.

“Dad?” he called out trying to see through the dust and smoke. “Dad? Where are you?”

“Heero…” a quiet broken voice called.

“Dad!” Heero yelled his eyes focusing on a limp form under part of the collapsed ceiling. Rushing over he pushed a large slate of concrete off his father.

“Dad,” he called again shaking the limp form a bit.

“Mr. Yuy is still alive,” someone said in shock as Heero jumped back. He hadn’t heard anyone come in after him.

“They’re all dead,” another voice said and Heero looked up to find the room had filled with strange men, some carrying weapons and checking the other corpses for signs of life.

“What are you doing?” Heero snapped as a man picked up his father’s body.

“All right, let’s get Mr. Yuy to a safer place,” the man called to the others in the room.

“What the hell is going on,” Heero yelled, grabbing the man’s arm.

Just as he did, two well-armed soldiers ran in with guns pointed at them.

“Damn they’re already here,” the man growled grabbing Heero’s wrist and pulling the boy after him. Behind them one of the other men fired at the soldiers.

“Let go,” Heero hissed, pulling his wrist out of the man's grasp. He kept running with him, though; the only other option was to head back toward the men with semi automatic weapons.

As they ran down the halls to the garage Heero watched the men; they weren’t soldiers, but they weren’t civilians either.

The men finally came to a stop in front of a large armored truck that looked like it was used to transport prisoners. They loaded Mr. Yuy in before turning to deal with Heero.

“You must come with us,” the lead man said. “We can’t just leave you here with the enemy.”

“That’s not the point,” Heero growled. “What are you going to do with my Father?”

“I don’t have time to explain right now,” the man said with exasperation. “Get in.”

Heero frowned. He didn’t have to many choices. If he didn’t go they’d take his father and leave him, but if he did go with them… His thoughts were cut off as the door behind them slid open revealing two guards with rifles. The decision made for him he jumped in the back as the man slammed the heavy doors.

Heero let out a hiss as he was thrown harshly against the wall. Grabbing hold of the back of the drivers’ seat, he looked out.

In front of the vehicle was Treize with his gun drawn and firing. The bullets bounced harmlessly off the bulletproof glass and the truck kept speeding toward the exit.

Suddenly it appeared Treize realized the truck was not going to stop and jumped out of the way, rolling on the ground as the side mirror knocked the gun out of his hand.

“Damn,” Heero muttered as the truck became steady and he sat on a bench beside his father. “Wish you’d hit him.”

“This will help you calm down,” a man said grabbing Heero’s arm and ramming a needle into it. Heero pulled away, but not before he’d been injected.

“Take my father to a hospital, now!” Heero ordered rubbing his arm. He knew he was in no position to make demands but it was worth a try.

“A hospital is even more dangerous,” a man in a blue jacket tried to reason.

“What?” Heero asked in disbelief.

“They would have already sent assassins to every hospital nearby,” the other man explained as he put the needle away. “There are very good doctors in our organization.”

“Who are you?” Heero asked as his eyes shifted from one man to another.

“Heero…” Mr. Yuy moaned grasping for his son’s arm as his eyes clenched shut in pain. “Listen to me, Heero…”

“Dad, don’t talk,” Heero pleaded. He’d never seen his father look so frail and old; it was disconcerting.

“I am not… not your real father…” Mr. Yuy choked out his eyes closing again as a spasm of pain hit him. “Your real name is,” he coughed violently before breathing out, “Heero Peacecraft.”

“Dad you’re delusional,” Heero reasoned. His father was losing it. It was the pain talking, it had to be.

“The heir to House of Peacecraft, the once highly admired monarchy that promoted peace,” he continued his fist clenching and unclenching at his sides.

“What are you talking about?” Heero demanded. This was a bad dream.

“I was a young member of the Sank Kingdom’s Senate,” Mr. Yuy went on; not responding to his son’s trembling and narrowed eyes. “But the kingdom was attacked and destroyed by the Federation. We were among the few survivors. I adopted you as a baby to hide your identity.”

“That’s not true,” Heero yelled, slamming his fists on the table beside his father.

“Beware of OZ,” Mr. Yuy warned his son before the pain knocked him out.

“Father?” Heero yelled grasping hold of his Father’s shoulders and shaking them. “Dammit, you can’t tell me this kind of bullshit and die!”

“He’s just unconscious,” the man next to Heero explained checking the pulse. “You need rest also.”

Heero felt himself go lightheaded as he tried to sit up. The shot they had given him, to ‘calm him down’ that had to be what made him so tired. His head lolled backwards as he fell into a dreamless sleep.

Hilde sat on the sea deck with her legs hanging off. She vaguely considered tossing one of her boots off so she’d have to jump in the water after it; but getting up without a ladder was annoying and just more effort than she wanted to exert an the moment.

An old man with gay hair and mustache, in a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and sunglasses, walked out on the deck behind the black clad girl staring off into the sunset.

“You’re mobile suit has been repaired,” he informed her.

Hilde turned with a cheeky grin on her face, “Thank you! I appreciate it.”

Pushing off the deck the girl virtually skipped past the man to see her baby.

“No need to thank me,” the man replied, “just pay me the usual. You’re my biggest client, you know.”

“We’ve managed to get her ready for the next mission,” Hilde murmured staring up into the dark face of her partner.

Dorothy bit her lip a bit as she watched from the window as the other girl walked away. The sun was probably hot on the black sweatshirt, she thought

“Do you have to go now?” Dorothy yelled down wishing to have someone to converse with or at least understand. The girl made no motion that she even heard her.

“I won’t ask you to stay,” she called out a bit louder. “But, at least tell me your name. My name is Dorothy Raberba Catalonia.”

The girl stopped and shifted her duffel as she looked up at the blond girl in the window.

“I don’t have such a presentable name,” she responded as she considered giving no name. “But you can call me Catherine,” with that she turned and began to walk again. “Catherine Bloom.”

“Thank you, Catherine,” Dorothy waved as Catherine approached the large truck that carried her Heavyarms. “Good luck.”

Dorothy turned away and sat on the bed, taking a last look out the window.

“Miss Dorothy,” Rasid queried. “Are you sure it’s all right to just let her go like that? Now that she knows where our base is…”

“Don’t worry,” Dorothy cut off the tall man. “She doesn’t seem like the kind of girl with a big mouth.”

“What if she comes back with enemy troops?” Rasid protested.

“I’d like that,” Dorothy smiled sweetly, “I’d be able to see her again then.”

With that said she looked back out the window.

Below Catherine threw in her duffle bag into the trucks cab. As she started the motor she spared a look back at the blond still looking out the window before driving off.

Shenlong fought the undertow as she swam undetected toward the shipyard. Attaching to the underbelly of a large carrier the mobile suit lay in wait.

It’s pilot managing to free herself from the restraints and swim to the side of the ship. Slowly Sally climbed an unsupervised ladder. Peaking over she found two men, easily under her superior skill and intellect. One moved to the other side of the ship while the other complained about his duty.

Jumping up onto the deck of the ship Sally quickly moved up behind the incompetent guard and slammed an elbow into his neck. The guard went limp and sunk to the deck. Dragging him a short distance, she stashed him by a jet wheel; where it was doubtful he’d be discovered.

“Hey is something wrong,” a voice asked over the radio.

“Everything’s fine,” Sally responded into the downed soldiers’ radio. Holding it a fair distance from her mouth, so the words could be heard but her voice could not.

The ground shook as Wing rose from its’ resting place deep in the forest. Leaves fell from the trees and birds flew away in terror.

“All systems normal,” Relena said, double-checking the data and clicking on the battle recorder. “Heading to the target point to execute the mission.”

With that the hatch closed and Wing came to life, eyes blazing with green flame and ready for battle.

“I’m counting on you Otto,” Noin called up to the man on the lift, in front of the Taurus.

“Leave it to me,” Otto responded with a salute. “The staff at this factory is the best. We’ll upgrade your suit with great care.”

“Are you sure that something designed more that twenty years ago is still even usable?” Zechs asked doubtfully as he leaned against the wall.

“This suit is probably better built than any of OZ’s newer models,” Noin responded with a small smile.

“I see,” Zechs responded with doubt still etched in his features as he looked up at the giant. “It couldn’t be…”

“This Taurus is the prototype of all today’s mobile suits,” Noin explained lowering her head in thought. “Even those Gundams are derivatives of this machine.”

“Gundam,” Zechs half asked as Noin stared up at the Taurus with thought of victory playing out in her eyes.

Heero shook his head from side to side trying to get the stuffiness out. He blinked a couple times and remembered the shot they gave him in his arm. He remembered his Father’s confession.

“Dad,” he yelled, jerking up off the hard table he was laying on.

“You’re awake,” the man in the blue shirt observed. He was standing over Heero’s father as another man, who may or may not have been a medic, pulled the sheet over Mr. Yuy’s face. “Please accept my deepest regrets. Had we detected the Federation’s conspiracy sooner, this would not have happened.”

Heero stared.

He knew he was hearing the words but he couldn’t process them or react to them.

“Colonel Treize, what is your reaction to the bombing,” the TV spouted bringing his mind back as he looked over at his. That man was on it, surrounded by reporters.

‘Didn’t anyone else see that bastard throw the watch threw the window?’ Heero wondered. They had been in front of a posh hotel. ‘And if anyone else did, are they still alive?’

“It is extremely regrettable,” Treize assured the camera crews. “I am disappointed to learn that there are such violent terrorists on this colony.”

“Is it true that Vice Minister Yuy and his son have been kidnapped?” another reporter asked.

“We are investigating that possibility now,” Treize answered with a crispness that made Heero sure he did not want to be found. “The motive is yet unclear at the time, but if this incident represents the overall will on the colonies, I must say that the Federation will have to consider certain retaliatory measures, including the use of arms.”

“Wa… wait a second, Colonel Treize,” one of the reporters stuttered in shock.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Treize cut them off pushing by, “I have to get back to work on this investigation.”

The man in the blue shirt hit the off button as the man behind him punched his palm.

“Damn it,” he cursed. “They turned it into a terrorist act.”

“He’s right to call you terrorists,” Heero snapped in anger; momentarily forgetting the fact Treize had been the one to blow up the conference room. “You let my Father die by not taking him to a hospital.”

“I explained about the hospital,” one of the men snapped back.

“That’s enough,” the man in the blue shirt called before stepping in front of Heero with a bow. “I sincerely apologize.”

Heero looked at the man and his eyes caught sight of the gun. His mind quickly weighed the possibilities of getting away with it; but he wasn’t rational enough to care.

Bashing an elbow into the man’s chin he grabbed the gun with his other hand. Backing up against the wall he aimed it for the blue shirted man, who was now rubbing his chin in pain.

“I’ll get back at the ones who killed my Dad,” he informed them as his eyes narrowed and he looked over toward his fathers’ body. “He said OZ, was that it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” the blue shirted man yelled, more to the fact the boy was holding a gun on him than to the question. “You’ll get nothing but death if you go against them.”

“You’ll be killed,” another man agreed, not moving in case the boy spooked easy.

“I don’t really care right now,” Heero growled his eyes narrowing more as the vision of a blond girl with cold eyes, informing him that she would kill him, entered his mind. “Relena,” he said quietly, wondering if thoughts of being killed would always be attached to her.

Behind him the was a metallic click-click-click as a withered voice asked, “did you say Relena?”

“Huh,” Heero said jerking around in surprise.

The two men on either side of him took the chance. One grabbed the gun while the other pulled his arms behind his back.

“Shit,” Heero cursed as his shoulder felt like it was going to pop.

“Relena,” the withered voice mused and Heero matched the voice to an even more withered face of a man who was half rebuilt with metal parts. “You mean Relena Darlian?”

“You know Relena Darlian?” Heero asked with shock in his voice as he tried to struggle free of the hold the man had on him.

The old withered man smiled and let out a little laugh as he clashed his three-pronged metallic hand together.

“Treize is a very good actor,” Noin complimented as her eyes glared into the screen of the TV.

“What do you think happened to Vice Minister Yuy?” Zechs asked from his standing position.

“He must have been killed,” Noin responded and Zechs thought he could detect the slightest tinge of regret in her voice. “But Heero…”

The picture on the screen changed to the missing party. It was footage of Mr. Yuy waving to the cameras and Heero making an obscene gesture when his father was not looking. When it originally happened it caused quite an up roar; but died quickly when no one seemed to defend the action and it had only been directed at camera’s.

“You look concerned, Noin,” Zechs commented almost feeling jealous as she stared at the boy on screen.

“Mmm?” Noin hummed, turning to the blond man and standing up. “What do you mean?”

With that Noin walked away as if the images on the TV were nothing at all.

Zechs glared at her retreating back before letting out a sigh and closing his eyes, “open up to me. You are a woman with too many secrets.”

The patrolling Leo’s crashed around clumsily. They never even saw what hit them as an explosion ripped them apart.

In the command center the tech tried to bring them back on to the scope.

“Commander,” he yelled. “Enormous heat readings have been detected. And the Leos on duty have disappeared from the screen.”

“Enemy attack?” the commander asked.

“Possible Gundam,” the tech responded.

“Dispatch all standby suits. Prepare the rest for launch the commander ordered.

The standby Aries moved toward the target quickly.

“Visibilities bad out here,” the head Aires reported over the radio as the smoke cleared to show a white unknown suit. “Gundam!”

A shot issued forth from the gun the Gundam held, destroying all Aries.

Inside Relena smiled, satisfied.

Back on the colony a car sped down a little known road so as to avoid notice. Inside sat Heero and the old man.

“Call me Dr. J if you like,” he said by way of introduction. “Believe it or not, I’m actually a scientist.”

‘Mad scientist,’ Heero decided internally.

“Dr. J, are you the one who sent Relena to earth?” Heero asked, realizing this was his only chance to get information on the girl.

“Yes, I am,” Dr. J admitted with pride. “But, Relena’s been in a class with Mr. Yuy’s daughter all this time? What a surprise,” the doctor said with a shake of his head. “Is she doing well?”

“What are you trying to make her do?” Heero asked forcefully. He was in no mood for diplomacy at the moment.

“What I’m trying to make her do is speak for us,” Dr. J said turning to face Heero.

“Speak for you?” Heero said in confusion.

“I raised Relena as a professional terrorist, teaching her every combat technique ever since she was a little child,” Dr. J explained with intense pride as he remembered the little wisp of a thing that he’d taught to take out a full-grown man.

“Why did you do that,” Heero said with disgust as he readjusted in his seat to be as far away from the doctor as possible.

“A simple reason,” Dr. J shrugged as if it was obvious to anyone with half a brain. “For the sake of peace for the colonies.”

“What!” Heero snapped in confusion and anger as he thought of Relena knocking out the poor medics that had only been trying to help her. “Killing people never leads to a peaceful solution.”

“On the contrary, it does,” Dr. J contradicted. “Nothing but people can start was, and nothing but people can prevent it from starting. What I’m having Relena do is terminate those people. The evil ones who are seeking to start war.”

“But there must be some other peaceful means to prevent war,” Heero disagreed at the thought of all the people being killed.

“Some twenty years ago, I also believed so,” Dr J. sighed with pity at the ideology of youth. “That the human race was not that foolish. That no one ever really wanted war.”

His mind wandered back to history, “the history of the colonies was first made by scientist and engineers like me. Our ancestors worked very hard to establish space colonies. It took more than a hundred years to establish the first colony where people could live in comfort. Twenty years ago, we were still enjoying out peaceful lives, under the outstanding leadership of the President of all the colonies, Relena Darlian.”

“Relena Darlian?” Heero asked in confusion as he wondered when exactly God, or whoever was up there, decided to turn his life into some kind of crazy, confusing movie.

“Among the people on the colonies, her name is still a legend,” Dr. J explained. “That girl’s code name is from the late president.”

“Code name…” Heero murmured looking out the window.

“But some people didn’t like her idea of universal peace,” the doctor continued. “Relena Darlian was assassinated by and organization that opposed her. After President Darlian’s death, the solidarity of the colonies quickly fell apart, giving the Federation and excuse to build up its arms. OZ… That’s the organization that assassinated Relena Darlian, and the one that’s trying to start a war.”

“OZ,” Heero repeated.

“You know about them?” the doctor asked in surprise.

“That was the last thing my father said: Beware of OZ,” Heero said as his fist clenched and the image of Treize throwing the pocket watch HE brought played in his mind. He shook it away. It wasn’t the time to guilt trip himself, “but what Relena is going after is…”

“OZ, also,” Dr. J nodded. “OZ’s conspiracy to take over the Federation armed forces, and eventually the Federation itself. That’s what we have to prevent.”

“But why Relena?” Heero couldn’t help but ask. The girl didn’t look right for war, well, except for the coldness in her eyes. “Why does she have to bear such a responsibility?”

“I don’t have an answer,” Dr. J admitted. “The only think I know is that she know the pain that all of us in the colonies feel.”

“But…” Heero began, unsure exactly what he was going to argue.

The last Leo fell headless at Wing’s feet as the Gundam aimed at a communication tower.

The tower exploded under unknown fire.

Relena’s head jolted back in shock before she leaned forward in the straps to deal with the possible threat.

Before her landed a black Gundam, the one she had stolen parts from.

“I guess we’re on the same mission,” Hilde’s voice crackled over the radio showing no signs of animosity toward Relena.

Relena stared out at the suit until something caught her eye. Setting her mouth back into the grim line that seemed virtually tattooed there; she moved to reposition her Gundam slightly.

“Hey,” Hilde called again over the radio. “It won’t cost you anything to say ‘Hello’ to me or ‘thanks for the help last time sorry I nicked parts from you suit’. Geez you’re anti-social.”

Relena aimed Wing’s gun in the direction of the chattering girl in Deathscythe.

“Target: locked on,” Relena confirmed; her trained eyes not even needing the site, but using it out of habit.

“So we have to fight this out after all,” Hilde said as a grim smile crept across her face.

The two Gundam’s stood facing each other, weapons trained and ready to fire at a second’s notice.

“The people in this building will help you get back to earth safely,” Dr. J assured Heero as he stepped out of the car.

“Why did you save my life?” Heero asked turning back. “It is because I’m a Yuy’s…” he trailed off. He wasn’t sure that was true anymore, but he didn’t care, “Yuy’s son?”

“No,” the doctor replied. “It’s because you have the same kind of eyes Heero used to have,” he looked up at Heero. “Clean, pure, and kind eyes. I want you to remember this: she was a kind, nice kid, just like you.”

Heero looked away as he thought of Relena as a child, “I know.”

“But no one can stop Relena now,” Dr. J said with certainty. “If you don’t want to die, don’t try and get close to her again.”

With that he rolled up the window and drove off, leaving Heero alone to think in the artificial light to the building.

Back on earth the stand off continued.

The rusted and worn metal beneath Deathscythe crumbled and Hilde let out a squeak as she tried to compensate and get her baby to stay on her feet.

Wing fired.

Hilde let out a scream.

The Leo behind her fell headless to the ground. She shook a bit; she hadn’t even noticed it sneaking up behind her.

“Now we’re even,” Relena announced over the radio, sounding proud of herself as she let out a crazed laugh.

On that note Wing leapt into the air and transformed before disappearing into the night.

“Damn,” Hilde said with respect. “You got me!”

On a shuttle heading for earth, Heero stared out the window deep in thought.

“Dad, I’ll always be your son,” he assured himself more than his dead father, “no matter what my name is.”

He allowed himself to drift off into a restless sleep just as earth came into view. A sight his Father had loved, and would never see again.