Warnings: language, spoilers, possible OOC (see first part for warnings covering the whole story)

Feedback: MUCH appreciated. Comments, constructive criticism, confusion, questions, all welcome!

Notes: Here's a longer part, to make up for the last ones being kinda short. Longest part so far, actually. Again, dialogue is taken from the episodes. I promise I won't be doing this every time… in fact, next part will have a bunch of original dialogue. Just needed to set up the scene. Enjoy!


Part 8 – Coincidence

There were no missions for a whole two weeks after New Edwards, and with good reason, I think. I doubt I could have handled one much sooner, given the emotional upheaval, let alone all the damage 'Scythe had taken during the fighting. And of course, public sentiment pretty much consisted of fear, fury, and even hatred for the Gundams at that time, and I think G was reluctant to send me back out so soon for that reason as well. No need to rub salt in the wounds Noventa's death had inflicted on our public image… at least not immediately. I spent those weeks back at the warehouse with the guys, working on Deathscythe and generally doing my best not to think about anything that had happened recently. The work was a good distraction, but not quite good enough to help me blot out the all memories. I couldn't get New Edwards out of my head.

You will understand my relief, then, when a mission finally came. The blinking light on my laptop was like a blinking, miniature salvation. Ignoring the creeping dread that another mission might mean another New Edwards, I opened up the message and began to read. A large battleship had been stationed some ways to the north, conveniently located right next to a school for boys and girls my age. I was scheduled to begin classes the next day, and would have five days to destroy the ship before I had to move on. No mention of important people, just that the ship contained a number of mobile suits and the parts for many more, hence its strategic importance. Why OZ was using a battleship to transport freight was beyond me, unless we really had them that scared. Either way, I was just happy that there wouldn't be anyone higher than a captain stationed on board. Certainly nobody famous enough to catch the public's attention… and nobody who would add to the already overwhelming guilt I was experiencing for my hand in Noventa's death, since they were all soldiers anyway.


I arrived at the school early the next morning, dressed in the required white top and blue slacks, with my backpack on and duffle over my shoulder. I was relieved when a woman offered to show me to my room, as I had half expected them to try taking my stuff there for me so I could get to class on time. There was no way in Hell I was letting anyone get their hands on my duffel… the items in my backpack were innocuous enough, but I didn't want to have to explain away the handgun, ammo, knives, and other items that probably would have been questionable even to someone who didn't recognize them as materials for constructing bombs. Those were stored in the duffel, of course, and I wasn't letting it out of my sight until I changed the locks to my dorm.

I was also happy to discover that I had received a single room, as requested. My mission parameters had stated that I would have a single, but you never know with school administrations. Not that I'd ever actually gone to school before, but I'd heard stories, okay? And yes, this would be the first time I'd ever attended a real school, unless you counted the Sunday school I went to while living at Maxwell Church. I had refused to go with the other kids to the regular elementary, preferring to help around the church and receive tutoring from Sister Helen and Father Maxwell. They hadn't been able to refuse me when I informed them how scared I was that the church would be gone if I left it long enough to attend school for a whole day.

I smiled and thanked the kind woman who had escorted me, then promptly began securing the room once she left. Unfortunately, I did not have a private bathroom. I'd have to deal with some civilians when showering and doing my business since whoever built the school thought it was appropriate to have only one restroom/bathing facility per floor. Damn. Then I realized I'd have to deal with civilians… students… all day long while taking classes. Somehow that hadn't occurred to me yet. Silly, right? Not a problem, though. Keeping my mask on would just add to the things that kept my mind off New Edwards. Between a mission and the need to fit in as a student, my head would be happily occupied and prevented from dwelling on unhappy thoughts… whether of recent times or of my more familiar dark memories.

In any case, the dorm room was simple. Single bed, small desk and chair, small closet. I didn't bother unpacking my clothes since I wouldn't be staying long, but instead unpacked my knives to put them in their customary place just under the mattress, where I could reach them if someone was trying to get into the room when I was asleep. Nobody would be able to even get in before I was awake, you see. I had put wires on the window and door that would set off my watch in case they were opened by someone else. Not a beep, mind you, just a vibrated alert. No reason to let the intruder know I was aware of him, right?

Room secure, I set about changing the lock on my door before gathering up my backpack and heading to my second class, which would be starting in about fifteen minutes.


Lunch could not come soon enough. I was sitting in third period, History, and was silently counting down the minutes. Unfortunately, we were only halfway through class, so I had a little more than twenty minutes left to go. One and a half classes into my first day of school and I already knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that private tutoring with Sister Helen and Father Maxwell had been the absolute right choice for me. While some of the material was new to me, most of it wasn't, and I was bored almost to tears from being forced to sit still and be silent while some God-awful old man or woman lectured from the front of the class.

To amuse myself, I had taken to people-watching. I was genuinely curious about my fellow students, since I assumed that they were all what one would call 'normal' kids, something I've never been. Regrettably, the students at this school were fairly well disciplined, and the ones who weren't listening intently while scribbling notes were nodding off to sleep rather than talking with others or starting mischief. I really, really didn't fit in here. All I could really ascertain was that 'normal' kids didn't like to start trouble, even when many of them were clearly as bored as I was. By the end of class, my mind was chasing itself in little circles, trying to amuse itself by telling stories of what the dozing kids were dreaming about. Did I mention I was bored?

Finally, the bell rang, and I was up and out of class in about five seconds, tops. I headed for the cafeteria I had seen while making my way to class earlier and hoped to God that the students here were more interesting when socializing over food and away from adult supervision. I didn't think I could stand any more time surrounded by people without interacting with them. In fact, I knew I couldn't, and if some of the students didn't at least reciprocate, I'd end up doing something I'd regret. Like start screaming at them that 'normal' kids were supposed to be disobedient, noisy, disruptive, or anything instead of paying attention through an entire class and following every damn word the teacher said… or at the very least I'd probably start a food fight. Either option wasn't that great since I was trying to keep a low profile.

I entered the cafeteria to the joyous sounds of laughter and loud conversation. Grinning, I made my way to the line for food. So far, so good. At least the students knew how to talk… I had seriously begun to doubt this as all my attempts at conversation during classes had been outright ignored, if not scowled at. I moved through the line, grabbing a sandwich, carton of milk, apple and some lime jello. I had to grin at that last item; I hadn't had a dessert in months, at least. Genuine smile gracing my visage for probably the first time all day, I turned to find a table, and froze.

It was all I could do to keep from gaping, but some part of my brain was still functioning, telling me that drawing attention to myself was a bad idea. Drawing attention to him was a bad idea. In my mind, my mouth was working like a fish out of water, but it was actually just frozen in an awkward grin, all traces of genuine joy gone. Not that I was unhappy to see him… I was just surprised. And I had no idea what the Hell I should do.

I guess I should tell you who 'he' was. Can't you guess, though? Who else could put me so off balance? It was Heero, of course. He sat, quiet and alone, eating his lunch mechanically as if the meal were a mission to be completed carefully and efficiently. The table could easily seat six, but no one had yet braved his company. I snorted. Of course no one was sitting with him. He radiated menace and antisocial so much you could almost see it, glowing red and angry around him.

Shaking off my astonishment, I slapped my signature grin on my face and started walking towards Heero's table. That's when he looked up, and he obviously hadn't noticed my presence before, because his face transformed to the closest approximation of shock his face could ever manage. I doubt anyone besides myself would even notice, but notice I did, and I stopped in my tracks once again. Almost instantly, his face turned to an angry scowl. I hesitated for a moment, then decided I should sit somewhere else.

Surprised? Me too, really. But what was I supposed to do? If New Edwards was still fresh in my mind, I could only imagine how it was plaguing Heero's thoughts. As much as I would have liked to talk with him, I couldn't bring myself to confront him just yet… not after what he'd been through. I'd probably see him again later, anyway. In fact, I would ensure that I saw him again later. Chance enough to talk to him then. In the meantime, I could think about what the Hell I wanted to say, because at that moment, I had no clue. There was so much running through my head, and absolutely none of it was coherent or even formed into words. I nodded to myself, happy with my decision. Later. For now, I had lunch to enjoy.


There was barely half a minute left in the game, and the score was 100 to 99, in favor of the other team. Catching the basketball, I dribble towards the basket, only to find my way blocked.

"Heero!" I call, alerting my teammate that I am about to pass. Heero catches the ball expertly, dribbles close to the basket and then bounces the ball against the ground so hard that it ricochets off the backboard. He leaps to catch the rebound and dunks the ball just before the whistle blows, signaling the end of the match.

"Nice shot Heero!" I called, panting and sweaty but grinning like mad. This memory is still so vivid, it seems to me like I relive it each time I think of it. Heero and I were acting as a team, minds set on victory, and Heero was actually a willing partner… which was seemingly a first, at that time in the war.

It was fifth period, PE, and Heero and I had it together. The class had taken turns playing two on two basketball, and since we had been allowed to choose our teammates, I had instantly chosen Heero. Not that anyone else would have approached him, but I wanted to be sure nobody tried to take me as a teammate before I made it to Heero's side. Somehow, the other students seemed to be drawn to me as much as they were repelled by Heero, so it was a legitimate worry.

Ours was the last match of the day, so there was no rush to get off the court. I walked over to my partner, placing a hand on his shoulder and then waving to the girls in the bleachers calling our names.

"Hey! Wave back to them or something, they're cheering for us, superstar!" I'm not sure what inspired me to say this to him, but I was caught up in the moment, flush with victory, and I wanted him to take part in the triumph I felt. Instead of waving, however, Heero just turned his back on me and walked away. Taken aback only for an instant, I chuckled to myself. Of course Heero wouldn't wait around to bask in the glory of the moment. He could care less about the game, now. All that mattered was that he won, and now that that mission was complete, it was time to move on to the next objective.

With one last wave to our feminine admirers, I headed off to the locker room to shower and change. Heero had already disappeared inside by the time I started out, so I picked up my step. I had had two whole periods of meaningless lecturing to think about Heero's presence at the school and what I wanted to say to him, and I was ready. Heero, though, still seemed bound and determined to avoid me, so I was going to have to work pretty hard catch him off guard.

I showered as quickly as I could, but Heero had left the locker room by the time I finished, of course. Sighing, I dressed, then brushed my hair and braided it deftly. Years of practice has made that process into a science, and I had it down to mere minutes. Binding the end of my braid with an elastic band, I grabbed my backpack from my locker and decided to head back to my dorm before seeking Heero out. He'd had plenty of time to get away, so starting now or later wouldn't make much difference, I thought.


It took me about half an hour to find him, which was actually much faster than I had expected. Maybe, deep down, he had wanted to see me too, because I was certain I wouldn't have found him at all if he'd really been trying to avoid me. Or maybe he was just that distracted over what had happened at New Edwards, though I was hard put to imagine he would let eventhat get in the way of his functioning. Either way, I found him. He was sitting on a bench, which was situated on a walkway overlooking the ocean, waves crashing against the base of the cliff below him. He didn't even look up as I approached him, his gaze focused on the battleship offshore.

"Sooo, this is where you went. You know, that's pretty smart. Changing schools when you've gotta move on. After all, it's natural for people our age to be in school."

My attempt at humor was, of course, lost on him. He glanced at me sharply, then demanded in that deadpan voice of his, "What's the idea?"

I shrugged. "I'm just tryin' ta act normal."

"You stand out." It was as short and perfunctory a phrase as could be, and yet I felt my stomach leaping into my throat. What was wrong with me? What had he said that made me giddy all of the sudden? Could I not hear the disdain in his voice, read it in his glare?

"You wouldn't be as suspicious if you acted natural instead of being so secretive," I said quickly to cover my reaction. "Why don't you just chill out and have some fun as a student?" Of course I knew the reaction to this would be anything but positive, but it's what popped into my brain first, so it's what I said.

"Leave me alone," Heero said blandly, standing up and making as if to leave.

"Aaand stay out of your way, right?" I intimated with a grin, trying to get a rise out of him.

"Hn?" Well, the fact that he actually responded probably meant that was a rise for him. Beggars can't be choosers, so I decided to be happy with what I got.

"The two of us are goin' after the same thing here. You can't hide it from me. I can see it in your eyes plain as day, pal." I had figured this out before I got here, but finding him gazing out at the selfsame battleship we were here to destroy only confirmed my assumptions. Of course, he wasn't happy to hear this, and his eyes narrowed in displeasure.

"Whatta ya say the first one to destroy the ship wins?" I asked, unfazed. I was determined to be happy for his presence here, and nothing he could say or do would deter me. But Heero didn't do or say anything, for at that moment there was a disturbance behind us and we both turned to see a blindingly pink limo pulling up nearby. It was all I could do not to gape in shock. I mean, come on, a hot pink limo? Who on the Hell..?

That's when a girl with honey-blonde hair stepped out of the back seat, and I really did gape.

"Hey, that's…" I trailed off, having no clue what her name was. Heero startled me by murmuring beside me, so quiet I almost didn't hear it.

"Relena…" I glanced sidelong at him. Clearly, he had not been expecting to see her again. Hell, I hadn't been expecting to see her within five miles of him, given that the last time they'd been together, to my knowledge, he'd been doing his damnedest to kill her, and I had been the only thing stopping him. Or perhaps she was there to see me, to thank me for my intervention? My brow furrowed at the thought that I was so easily tracked. I didn't have any more time to think, however, as the girl had approached us, smiling warmly.

"Heero. I wanted to see you," the innocent-looking blonde chirped.

"Well, she's not your average chick, wanting to see the guy trying to kill her," I muttered. What was wrong with this girl? Crazy I say, absolutely bonkers.

"Hn," Heero replied, then just walked away. Apparently, he didn't want to see her. I shook my head before shrugging at the girl and turning away myself. I was tempted to follow Heero, but decided I wasn't feeling suicidal and headed back to my dorm instead. I had preparations to make for my mission, anyway. Time enough to see Heero again later.

tbc