Eternal Bloodshed

Author's note: Hi there~! Tommi Gurrl here. I'm writing this story with a good friend of mine: Shadow-Assassin!! She is an awesome writer so please go and read one of her fics!! ^.^ We are going to write the story this way: I write one chappie, she writes the next, etc. She came up with the idea. Well, I'm going to try to do my best so please bear with me~! Anyways, on with the fic!! (Tommi Gurrl uses too many exclamation marks… ^^;;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing… *sniff* But Heero will own my heart forever!!

Chapter one - Ambiguous Peace

After Colony (AC) 198- L2 Cluster:

Narrator Guy: The year is after colony 198. Two years after the assault made by Marimeia's troops. Since the banning of all Mobile Suits made two years ago by the former Queen of the World, Relena Peacecraft/Darlian, the lives of the former Gundam pilots have been peaceful. Heero Yuy, pilot of the famed Wing Gundam, has appointed himself the task of keeping watch over Relena as her invisible bodyguard. Duo Maxwell, pilot of Gundam Deathscyth, has currently opened a new business with Hilde Shbeiker as a salvage dealer. Trowa Barton, pilot of the Gundam Heavyarms, has returned to L3 Cluster to continue his career as a clown along with his foster sister Catherine Bloom in a nearby local circus. Quatre Raberba Winner, pilot of the Gundam Sandrock, is currently in space, still trying to rebuild most of the colonies with the wealth left over by his father. He is also the president of the Winner Corporation. Chang Wufei, pilot of the Gundam Shenlong or "Nataku", is still working alongside Sally Po as one of the Preventers working to protect the Earth and all the colonies. Relena Peacecraft/Darlian is continuing her work as the Vice Foreign Minister, moving back and forth from the Earth and the colonies. Heero Yuy has presently accompanied Relena to L2 cluster for one of her numerous conference meetings.

A young boy of eighteen, clothed in a smooth, black, flowing jacket, settled uneasily into a rickety stool beside a filthy counter. The room was dull and dingy apart from two sole light bulbs that were trying their best to light up the dark atmosphere. Several chairs and unbalanced tables were scattered about the room, making the joint feel crowded and stuffy. He was alone save for the bartender and a passed out, drunk man.

             The boy looked around, feeling disgusted with himself for believing Duo.

"Hey Heero! You want to go get a drink together? I know this great place where we can go. It's called The Joint. I know, not a very original name, but it serves great booze! It's on 105th street 43 avenue, Suta-Raito road*. I'll see you then!"

             "Duo wa-" It was too late. He had already bounded off towards his truck. Heero sighed inwardly as he watched Duo speed away, pulling a couple of honks from neighboring cars. He might as well go. He had no plans for that night anyways. Not that he had any plans for the rest of his life.

            

Since Heero had been late himself, it could only mean that Duo had either forgotten about their get-together, or had lost his way again. It was probably the latter. The last time Duo had visited Heero, he had ended up in the police station for "suspicious behavior" around 4:00 am. Duo still refused to tell Heero what had really happened that day…

             Heero quietly mumbled death threats concerning his comrade until he was awakened out of his reverie by the bartender.

             "Hey Kid! What can I get'cha?"

             Heero blinked and replied in a monotone voice, "I don't drink."

             "Then what're you doing in a bar?" he asked, not taking his eyes off his task of cleaning a grimy glass with his unwashed apron.

             "I'm supposed to meet someone…" Heero mumbled.

             "I see… your girlfriend stand ya up?" the bartender asked lightly.

             Heero's body stiffened.

             "Th… That's not it! I'm waiting for a friend…" Heero muttered, embarrassed by the bartender's question.

             "Well, it's just that ya seem a bit sad is all. Here's a beer; it's on the house." The bartender said, handing him a dusty beer bottle.

             Heero nodded his thanks even though he had already informed the man that he did not drink. Inside he questioned himself. Why did he care so much when the bartender had asked if he had a girlfriend…?

             Heero ran his fingers through his thick, brown hair as he suddenly thought of the only person who would make him feel that way… He still remembered the last time they had seen each other… 

             "I'll relieve you of your pain."

"Heero!" Relena exclaimed. Heero was standing about five feet away from Lady Une holding Marimeia's body along with Relena by her side. He looked disheveled and rather delusional as he pointed a gun straight towards Marimeia.

Marimeia sighed contentedly as she whispered, "I thank you."

His finger tightened on the trigger as the gun clicked ominously against the complete silence of the room. But nothing happened. The gun was out of bullets. Marimeia fell silent and her eyes slowly closed.

            "Marimeia is dead... I... I won't kill anymore... I don't have to kill anymore…" Heero announced wearily as he fell forward with a worn-out groan.

             "Heero!!" Relena cried as she propelled herself forward and caught Heero in midair. She sunk to the ground with him in her arms as she lovingly caressed his hair and softly whispered, "Heero… Oh finally… It's all over."

Lately, he was keeping an eye on her by being her hidden body guard. Since that last encounter, they hadn't met at all. He wanted to keep it that way too. He didn't know why, but every time he watched her, his chest felt tightened by an invisible hand and his heart pounded twice as fast. He couldn't understand why she made him feel that way...

             Heero sighed as he fingered the bottle in front of him. Why did he keep thinking about her? Finally, after half an hour of debating with himself, Heero stood up, gave his thanks to the bartender again for the beer (it was still sitting on the table, its contents untouched) and walked out of The Joint onto the busy streets of Colony cluster 2.

*                                      *                                      *

             "Miss Relena!" a man in a navy blue suit ran up to Relena's side just as she left the conference room.

             Slightly surprised by the man's enthusiastic greeting, she asked quizzically, "*Mr. Cormier! How may I help you?"

             "Well… If you're not too busy tonight, do you want to get something to eat with me?" He asked, grinning shyly.

             "Excuse me? What for?" She asked politely.

             "I mean on a date." He replied still beaming at her.

             Relena's bright, crystal blue eyes widened slightly before she gave him a genuine smile. "I'm very sorry, but I'm already seeing someone as it is."

             The man's grin faltered and his cheeks turned a shade of pink before he regained his composure and replied, "Oh, I understand. I apologize for intruding then." He then bowed slightly and shuffled away.

             Relena exhaled deeply as he turned the corner. She had been asked out before and every answer she made was the same. She was not lying to them… Was she? It was true that she and Heero were close, but how close were they exactly? The truth was, she hadn't seen Heero in a while…. A long while. A year worth of while. It wasn't as if she was not searching for him… She was trying very hard to find him but it was as though he had disappeared...

But sometimes, she could feel eyes on her back during a speech or a seminar. How annoying it was when every time she turned her head at this feeling of recognition, nothing was there. Sometimes she was almost ready to abandon her fruitless search for the brown haired boy… If she wasn't so much in love with him.

At times when she was in pain of any sort, emotional or physical, she would think of the strength that Heero had given her in numerous situations and would get back up again. Was this how true love felt?

Relena smiled at the thought and whistling lightly, made her way towards Pagan who stood waiting beside the door to her bright, pink limousine.

*                                      *                                      *

"Duo!" Hilde called, waving as she ran up the steep hill of junk towards the occupied boy.

Duo looked up from his clipboard slightly frowning that he had been interrupted so suddenly from his work. But the stern look on his face was immediately replaced with a sunny smile as he waved energetically back at the tomboyish, blue-haired girl.

Hilde was breathing heavily by the time she reached the summit of the small mountain of debris (or Duo's preference of calling it, "re-used treasure") so Duo waited patiently as she got her bearings in place before asking, "What is it? Is something wrong with the order for the next shipment?"

Duo let out a small groan and hit his head with his hand fiercely as he continued, "I knew I should have done spell check afterwards! That order form is probably filled with spelling mistakes! Dam-"

Hilde cut him off in an amused tone saying, "Duo! Calm down. Nothing is wrong with the order form! Though I must admit, I had to correct quite a few stupid typos you made…" Hilde stopped abruptly as she sheepishly eyed Duo's annoyed glare.

"Well then what is it? I have to give Merlyn this check-up sheet by two o'clock."

"Oh, you're no fun!" she sulked as she held out a ripped off piece of paper. "It's from Heero. He wants to know why you stood him up last night. Did you lose your way again? Men! They have NO sense of direction whatsoever. Or maybe it's another one of your incidents… I had to bail you out last month remember! You made me wait for hours…" Hilde broke off in mid-sentence again as she hid a grin from a crimson-faced Duo.

Duo glanced at the note and sighed. Hilde, noticing his distress asked quietly, "What really happened anyways…?"

Duo sighed even more deeply than before and rubbing his neck responded, "Well… I was getting ready to go when I received a call from Quatre…"

"Quatre Winner?" Hilde inquired.

Duo nodded and continued, "He said that he was working on some plans with Rashid when he noticed an unidentified shuttle flying by near L3 cluster. He already contacted Preventers HQ about it. They say that they didn't know anything about that and that they would check it out later. Quatre's pretty worried about it. He says that they seemed to be collecting pieces of mobile suit remains."

Hilde's eyes widened. Duo seeing the look on her face changed the subject, "Hey! No need to worry! They might just be a new salvaging company like us. Anyways, let's get some lunch! My treat." As Duo led Hilde away towards his truck, he groaned inwardly. Will this peace never last?

*                                       *                                       *

"Master Quatre!"

Quatre snapped out of his thoughts and looked up startled. He found two of the Maguanacs staring at him curiously. "Master Quatre, I was asking you about the blueprints to the upper left wing of the colony L3's x18999…"

Quatre smiled meekly, "I'm sorry. I don't seem to be myself today."

Kalil, one of the two grinned back, 'That's fine Master Quatre. I think you should rest a bit. You might get sick working as hard as you are right now."

"I'm alright Kalil, Iman. Leave the blueprints to me. I'll hand them to the workers later." He said, addressing the two Maguanacs.

Kalil and Iman bowed and walked away leaving Quatre to his thoughts. He walked over to one of the giant windows of the spacecraft and laid one hand on it.

He frowned at the thought of the shuttle that had passed by that day sucking up bits of leftover metal from the massacre that had taken place three years ago.

I wonder what will happen if another war should come upon this harmonious era. 

*                                       *                                       *

Fire. There was fire everywhere. The fields were alive with wails of pain and the gunfire of mobile suits. People lay scattered about unmoving. Unbreathing.

"Mama! Papa! Where are you?" she cried. She stood beside a broken caravan on fire. Her parents and baby brother were nowhere to be seen.

"Where are you/!" she screamed through her tears. The little girl gasped as black hands pulled at her clothes, dragging her into the bloody fields below.

"No! Leave me alone! I have to find Mama and Papa! And Triton!" she wailed as she was yanked downward.

"NO!" Catherine shouted in anguish. She thrashed about in her covers oblivious to the tall boy beside her struggling to wake her up.

             Finally her eyes shot open as she abruptly laid a hand to her mouth. Catherine gagged as the boy helped her to the toilet. Afterwards, he cleaned her up then led her back to her trailer and her bed. He silently watched over her as he contemplated what she had shouted out in her nightmare. Catherine

             Trowa left his foster sister's room after he made sure that she was alright. He walked over to the animal's sleeping area and sat down on a stool opposite a great, tan lion. He gently rubbed the lion's ears and a faint smile was traced upon Trowa's lips. He had always loved animals. He seemed to have developed a mutual relationship with them since he was a little boy. The lion purred like a small kitten and moved his head around to lick Trowa's hand. Suddenly, the lion's eyes grew fierce and he retreated from Trowa's touch as he roared at the person standing in the doorway to the tent.

             Trowa got up slowly and leaped, twisted in midair and landed gracefully inches from the woman's face pointing his handgun in her direction.

             As he glared into her face, his eyes cold, he said in a quiet voice, "What do you want, Midii?"

Author's Note: Hah! Cliffhanger~! I love cliffhangers~! They're so mysterious and they drive people crazy. ^^;;

*Suta-Raito: Suta-Raito is Japanese for "Starlight." Purty name ain't it?

Well, how was that for my first debut chapter? I took so long on this chapter… ^^;; 

I made Shadow-Assassin wait SO LONG so I apologize!! Gomen nasai~! I appreciate your patience with me~* Arigatou-Gozaimasu!

Please R&R~! And if you have any criticism, please tell me so! It may help me to get better at my writing. But, if you flame me instead of criticizing, that would not help either of us. I would not get any better and you would think that I am stupid and that I cannot improve. But I can and I will if you help me~! Domo~*