Hopefully Short Note: I'm not a native english speaker, so please forgive me from any mistakes you might find here. If you could point them to me for correction, I'd be most grateful. I've actually never watched the Gundam Wing AC series to the end, only about half of the episodes... I've read a lot of manga, and a lot of fanfiction, and maybe spent too much time in a few wikis, though, but I apologise now for any bad characterizations as well... There's a reason this is the first story I'm submitting for this fandom. In this language. I think this note is getting too long, so I'll just leave now, hope to hear from any of you soon xx Katsucchi
"There can't be any large-scale revolution until there's a personal revolution, on an individual level. It's got to happen inside first."
―Jim Morrison
They slipped out of Une's control one after another, she would realize later, and think that, perhaps, there had never been a way of stopping it.
Zero-One went out of the radar right after the end of the Barton incident, which wasn't really surprising, all things considered. He had practically been raised to be a soldier, and Une had wondered for a long time if Yuy would ever be fit for peaceful times. She had thought about inviting him to join the Preventers, but honestly doubted he would ever do it.
Une hadn't been worried with his disappearance, back then. Despite his brilliance, Zero-One was still only one. He had seen enough war for a lifetime, and wouldn't get involved in it if he could avoid it, of that she was sure.
The alarms started ringing when Zero-Three left the circus he'd joined since after the Eve Wars.
Barton seemed to have settled down in the place of Catherine Bloom's lost brother, but that apparently hadn't been enough for him. Zero-Three had grown as a wanderer – a gypsy in ways his allegedly sister had never truly been – Une supposed it would be hard to ask him to stay in one place. But the question remained of whether he had gone in search of Yuy or not. She had reports of the two working as some kind of partners during the war. Maybe Barton would find a similar soul in Zero-One, and wish for his company?
But the two boys had mostly been lone wolves in their own ways. Was it really believable that they would search each other so easily? Was it for any of them, when the five had only worked together because the circumstances had pushed them to do so?
Things got serious when Zero-Two did his own disappearing act.
Une would never admit it, but that boy had been the one to threaten her cool the most. Maxwell was the most illogical of the pilots, the one who found amusement in enraging his enemies, and the one who showed most glee in practising general mass destruction and/or chaos.
He didn't hide his reasons for leaving from Miss Shcierbeck either. "He was bored," the young woman had said. "Restless. And lonely, I think. I never thought he would stay for long."
Duo Maxwell never lied, and the hint had been pretty obvious.
He was going after his comrades.
"If they want to wander, they are free to do so." Winner declared in simple terms. "It's their right, as human beings, Lady."
Chang said nothing, but Une was not trying to read his dark gaze. Zero-Five had become one of her best Preventers, but remained carefully neutral regarding the actions of his former comrades.
"They are Gundam Pilots, Winner," she said without hesitation still. "if they just disappear without warning, all three of them, people are going to mind. Important people, the ones who make big decisions."
Zero-Four's teal eyes narrowed slightly at her, as if sensing a threat. "And these people want them where they can see them, is it? Where they are under control?" he whispered dangerously.
"Winner." Chang called, low and serious, and the blonde closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before asking:
"What do you expect us to do, Lady Une?"
Une crossed her arms and stared at them, with the eyes of the Commander. That was who she was now, and she would do whatever it was necessary to do her job – maintain peace.
"You two are the only ones with a chance of finding them," she told the two pilots. "you are Gundam Pilots as well." Both boys only stared, faces giving nothing. "Find them and find out what are their intentions. If possible, bring them back."
"I see." Muttered Winner, standing up from his chair. "If that's everything…?"
Chang gave a sharp nod, standing up as well, and Une should have seen it on that moment, but she still thought foolishly that she had things under control. Zero-Five was a Preventer and Zero-Four wouldn't risk abandoning his position in his company and family.
She miscalculated things completely.
It was Mariemaia who went to her after the two boys disappeared. "What else were you expecting?" the girl had asked, eyes tearing up, but firm in her words. "You made them choose between their brothers and everything else. Of course they would choose their family!"
Marie had, quite childishly, refused to talk to her after that. She had even started spending most of her time with Miss Peacecraft to avoid meeting Une as much as she could. Une, with no experience with children, decided she had no time to deal with that now, and left her to her little tantrum, worried about the big emergency.
She now had five Gundam Pilots missing. And that was not good.
It's understandable that she never saw the thing with Miss Peacecraft coming.
It was a full plate for the tabloids. Relena Peacecraft, the symbol of pacifism post-war, suffered an attempt on her life while in a beneficent event. And shot the attacker to death without hesitation before he had a chance to get to her and young Mariemaia Krushrenada.
They questioned the Preventers security. They questioned Miss Peacecraft position and intentions. They brought up terrible stories of under the table deals for stopping conflicts, implying that the young minister had used her own body as a bargain.
Meanwhile, Miss Peacecraft became more and more recluse, and slowly began showing signs of depression. Major Po went to see her, and found out from Marie – who was practically living in the house by then – that the girl had been abusing of alcohol and sleeping pills.
It was disturbing. And still, Une never made the connection, not until after they were both gone.
Miss Peacecraft and Mariemaia disappeared during the night, leaving only a pair of polite letters. One of them was Relena's resignation from the Foreigner Minister position in favour of her brother. The other was addressed to Zechs himself, explaining her reasons for leaving.
"I'm sorry to say, my brother, that there are only few people with whom I feel safe and wanted right now," she had written. "and I wish for their company as nothing else in this world. It's the only way in which I believe I can find my peace and happiness. Please, understand."
They had actually made Mariemaia a ward of Miss Relena Darlian-Peacecraft so Une wouldn't have legal ground for a kidnapping accusation.
They had thought of everything.
Sitting alone in her office, Une sipped her glass of wine and read over a copy of Miss Peacecraft's resignation letter with tired eyes. This is the moment in which a revolution has reached its high point inside of me, and I realize my actual position is not where I'm supposed to be. I leave this task for one more able than me and will follow the way this change is pointing for me now, for this is the only path that I can walk after everything.
"A revolution…" repeated Une with a snort. "That's exactly what it is… Isn't it, you little bastards?"
No one answered her, naturally. And she silently admitted her defeat.