A/N: Happy Sunday Funday! Hope you enjoy this little update. Once again I want to give a shout out to all of the fabulous guest reviewers who never cease to make my day with all your positive feedback... that goes for all the usual readers as well! I love you all!

Onward!

- RFP

So Heero had lied to Duo. He wasn't sure why, other than he felt extremely protective of the third iteration of his mobile suit. And as he and his fellow Preventers were formulating their rescue mission on the spot, he decided the less others knew about the new Wing Zero, the better. When it came to dealing with terrorists, or whoever it was that had taken over Relena's shuttle and forced her to call out the Gundam pilots, well…

Heero was counting on the element of surprise.

His lips twitched as he watched Zechs's expression go from bewildered to enraged.

"Like hell you will," the former Lightning Count growled, swiftly dismounting the shuttle ramp and stomping back over to Heero. "Have you even taken her out for a test flight?"

Heero smirked in response. "What do you think?"

"I think," Zechs said through clenched teeth, "that you ought to follow orders, and stop screwing around." His eyes darted back to the shuttle. "We stick together on this one. If you let them see the Gundam now, you'll be playing into their hands."

Heero's eyes tightened. "I don't let anyone see it. That's the point."

"So what, you're just going to attack?! With my sister onboard?!" Zechs's eyes burned. "Don't be foolish."

Heero glanced around them before addressing Zechs again. "Pilot Zero-Two is going on ahead. He'll wait for my signal. By then Zero-Three will have already boarded the shuttle, and we can rescue the hostages at our leisure." His eyes hardened, daring the other man to question him. "Do you copy?"

Zechs's eyes glittered. He crossed his arms over his chest and leveled a condescending gaze upon the younger man. "Your plan has too much improvisation and, therefore, room for error."

"We may have to improvise," Heero hissed. "We may not have a choice."

Zechs rolled his eyes to the ceiling before flicking them back down to Heero. "And in the meantime, where the hell is Wufei?"

"Circling in the Aventinus. We'll load the hostages on there, once we've annihilated the enemy." Heero's eyes sparked. "Copy that?"

Zechs turned his head and scoffed under his breath. "I think you're being cocky, and not thinking things through before you go charging into space."

Heero's nostrils flared. "There's a time to think, and there's a time to act. Now is time to act."

"You're acting irresponsibly," Zechs countered. "I won't allow you to concoct some half-baked scheme on the spot." His eyes simmered. "That's my sister out there."

"She's my wife," Heero growled, tipping his chin up to the taller man.

"Used to be," Zechs seethed, taking a mighty step forward and bearing down on Heero. "But you left."

Heero reached up and grabbed Zechs's jacket by the collar and half-lifted the taller man off the ground. Zechs snatched Heero's hands and pried them away, stepping back on the balls of his feet with ease. Before Heero could respond, Zechs pulled back his arm and swung with surety. Heero's reflexes were quick, but no match for the Lightning Count's speed, and Zechs's fist swiftly connected with Heero's jaw. Heero stumbled back, holding his chin and glaring up at Zechs morosely, all the while welcoming the sting.

"Fine," Heero spat as his jaw throbbed. "I deserved that."

"Heero! Zechs!" Une stormed over to them, thrown enough to drop their codenames. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"This imbecile wants to take Zero out," Zechs snapped to Une, who instantly paled.

"No, Heero." The commander dropped her voice. "It's too soon to reveal ourselves. You heard what Relena said? It sounds like that's exactly what they want. Whoever 'they' are." Une's mouth hardened into a firm line. "We don't have enough information to go and engage an unseen enemy with the Gundams," she said quietly. "Not yet. If we're not careful…" She glanced around furtively, as if she cared who might be listening. "This incident could spark a civil war."

Heero matched the commander's firm gaze. "Then get me a carrier," he said. "I'll follow behind the shuttle with Zero, and I'll only attack if necessary." Une was already shaking her head.

"I've already given you our fastest shuttle. If you want to reach Relena quickly, you have no other choice."

"I have Zero."

"And it will be here, waiting for you," Une said sternly. Heero looked back up at her with burning eyes.

"Send someone else with it, then," he pleaded, his desperation growing. "I don't care. But we need it." He worked to soften his expression, looking imploringly at his commander. "Please." It had to be his least favorite word. Besides "ex."

Une continued to glare at him, but Heero thought he detected a twitch of some sort. Before she could answer his plea, a ringing phone sliced into the tense silence between the three Preventers. Une reached into her jacket pocket and answered the video call.

"Agent Delta," she said smoothly. Heero watched as her face went another shade paler. "Quatre, what's wrong?!"

Heero quickly maneuvered so that he could see Une's phone over her shoulder. Beside him, Zechs did the same. Quatre's normally serene eyes were wide and troubled, red-rimmed with tears.

"Heero!" the blond man cried out upon seeing his comrade's face on the screen. "Oh, Heero…" Quatre's face crumpled. "I'm so sorry..." The words came out choked and ragged. Heero's entire body went rigid. He let Une continue to do the talking.

"Quatre, what's happening?"

"I-it's Relena," Quatre sputtered. His eyes were growing wilder by the second. Heero reached down and snatched the phone away from Une.

"Spit it out," he commanded his friend. Something squeezed Heero's chest and he felt he might explode. "Quatre, tell me!"

Quatre clutched at his own chest, as if he felt the exact same pain. Heero was about to beg Quatre to speak once more, but words began to tumble from the blond man's lips.

"I felt her fear," Quatre whispered, his eyes haunted and hollow. "And her pain. And then…" He choked back a sob. "Then... I couldn't feel her at all." Heero gripped the phone until his knuckles turned white.

"No!" he shouted, his own eyes bulging."Try again," he urged. "Find her."

Quatre's voice hitched. "I-I have been trying, Heero. Sometimes I think I can feel her, but she's fading." His eyes widened again, as if a fresh wave of pain roiled him that very instant. "Go, Heero," he whispered, his eyes pleading. "Quickly."

Heero swung desperate eyes to Une, whose face must have mirrored his shock. But he'd already decided, this time, he wasn't going to ask her permission. He tossed the phone back at her and bolted from the hangar.

- RFP