Opposing Angels

by Amber

There was an urgency riding him since he left the cavern he had been out of contact too long. If what he suspected was true, what he dared to bring himself to believe, was remotely true he feared he was going up against someone as skilled and as well versed in combat as he. Maybe better than he because whomever he was this man wasn't constraining himself with rules.

Heero checked his messages by habit his mind elsewhere skimming the Intel Duo had sent on. He could hear the frustration the worry but couldn't spare the energy to contact him and sooth him with meaningless platitudes. He had cause to worry they all did and how prophetic that thought was. Exactly twenty six minutes later when he walked into headquarters wary eyes followed his progress and the knot in his stomach became bigger. Passing through the security barriers he moved into the heart of the Preventer's communications center, here to like before all eyes turned to stare. It was then the words of the communications expert registered.

"Phoenix 1 this is base respond please. Phoenix 1 you are off course, I say again you are off course please respond."

Twenty-eight minutes after Heero entered, Phoenix 1 the shuttle craft carrying the Minister disappeared off radar and his worst fears were realized. Turning he stalked from Central it was time to do what he did best, bring her back, hopefully alive.

Heero looked up as the door clicked open then closed just as quickly. Holding Duo's gaze for a moment before continuing to gather what he might need he couldn't bring himself to start the conversation first as badly as they needed to have it. As usual Duo had no such qualms initializing a scrambler he made the first salvo. "You don't even know where to look. And no way Une's going to turn you loose out there." His lip curled in contempt, "we're enfamous Gundam pilots remember."

Heero ignored the issue of whether he was going or not. He was going. "I know where they disappeared off radar I'm familiar with that sector there isn't too many places he could take her."

"He? He who? Don't you mean they?" Heero looked up meeting his gaze yet saying nothing. "Don't get paranoid on me Heero you don't know it's this psycho stalker that has her." Heero's brow quirked pointedly before he resumed stuffing things into a backpack .

Duo stepped forward slamming his hand on the desk."While you were out playing Batman they got a lead Nicolas Carrington. I uploaded what we got into your PDA knowing you you've already reviewed the information and unless you know something different your not leaving it like this damn it I love her too. Tell me what you found."

Heero continued before slowing, then finally stopped, what he was doing. The professional mask he usually wore slipped and for the first time Duo could see the uncertainty. "It's not Carrington he doesn't have the skills or ability to hide the levels demonstrated by this individual he would have given himself away long ago. I don't have proof just feelings what's more I think you know this as well. On a hunch, I went to Wing." Duo sucked in a breath but said nothing no one but he and Heero knew what had been damaged of the huge mecha had been slowly but gradually replaced or repaired. "Wing... didn't feel right." Heero looked up meeting the worry in Duo's stare he didn't even try to hide with the confusion of his own. "Relena..."

"Relena, what?"

"Relena was there."

"What do you mean there?"

Frustrated he raked his hair back. "There! There, in the machine that crazy bastard imprinted Relena into ZERO somehow. Apparently that unaccounted for time with Dr. J was him somehow putting Relena in Wing."

"How?" Duo whispered appalled. "Why? There is no way she would agree to that she couldn't have known or she would have said something."

"I don't know." He growled. "When I find her I'll ask her that.. and a great many other things." He muttered. "He fought me every step of the way to get that much it was almost like he... I mean there has always been an impression of curiosity where she's concerned but...'

"He? He who? Do you even hear yourself if you tell me her stalker is your damn Gundam I'll put you in a rubber jacket myself."

Heero glared at him. "Don't be a baka. Wing has defenses installed to prevent even me from doing what I attempted."

"Attempted, Duo pounced. "Tell me one time when you haven't been able to get that thing to do what you need it to do? And what's the big conspiracy about Lena? Why would J need Relena inside your Gundam?"

"Now whose being paranoid"? Heero stepped around the desk tossing the backpack on his shoulder.

" No, not this time. Your not leaving until I can half way understand what has you so freaked. You don't get spooked. You get eerily cold, precise, down to the bone relentless but you don't get scared."

"He's been there.'

Duo stared blankly, his mind as empty as he felt floundering he forced his brain to function. "The Stalker? J's Science project?!Who? It's just not possible. How is that possible?" Heero stared at him silently. Duo drew a breath, "how would he even know where Wing is? OK lets think about this J was dead, the geek assistant I can't see having that level of access J was a paranoid freak. Even if this guy is some souped up version like you he would still have had to get past Wings defenses that monster chooses his own pilot remember and last time I looked that would be you.. How could he have done that?"

"Password same as I."

"No." He shook his head. "I'm not buying it. That means someone other than you would have been in contact with Wing it would have left traces you and I know can't be hid. Not to mention only you and I know its not a scrap of junk. You would have seen it in your diagnostics."

Heero swallowed against a lump of cold fear nothing showed on his face but that calm implacable determination.

"You find anything?" Duo pressed.

"No, again there was nothing".

"So you found no evidence physical or otherwise that someone other than you and I knows the location of Wing or has tampered with it?"

"No." Heero struggled verbal communication wasn't his forte but he tried to put into words for once something inexplicable. "But I know the machine intimately something has changed within it. It fought me every step of the way and I know I told you its just a machine but it felt like there was an emotional component involved that hasn't ever been there before, like it didn't want me to have any access to the information concerning Relena or this supposed project."

"So your saying your Gundam, chose to assist this other soldier over you? Why?"

"I won't know until I find them. But for J its always been about the mission somehow this is all connected we just don't have enough information yet."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"NO! I need you here."

"What aren't you telling me?" Duo leaned his forehead against Heero's. " Man talk to me I don't need this Lena is giving me a enough nightmares without you adding to it." Heero tunneled his fingers into Duo's hair soothing the back of his neck. "Stay here don't make me worry about both of you."

"Damn you.."

"Against anyone else I wouldn't think twice about you going along your formidable in your own right. This time..this time its different if what I suspect is true all the advantages are his. He's been watching us all for some time he knows our strengths our weaknesses he may be even engineering this as we speak. He'll use Relena against us. He'll use you against me..The notes to me alone sent to Preventer's HQ no one should know where I am yet he does. From the very beginning he's had knowledge no one should have, access he couldn't possibly achieve yet he does. He's making this personal whoever he is."

Duo suddenly pulled back. "You honestly truly believe Dr. J created another soldier. O hell it's more than that you think that is whose been stalking Relena. Why Relena? Why the games? He had to know once he involved Relena you would go after him." Heero tucked a strand of hair back into his braid. "I don't know when I find him I'll ask him right before I kill him."

"What do I tell the others? Une has been breathing fire about you being gone for most of the day. You disappearing indefinitely will cause havoc."

"For now nothing, there isn't enough information to formulate a clear picture its all just conjecture. Everyone connected with the project is dead , except one whose snooping and lack of any concrete Intel has kept him alive. No, there isn't enough concrete evidence. Not to mention we have no idea what he looks like. Tell them I'm following a lead."

"We have something to go on we know..."

Heero's brow quirked, "do we? Nothing concrete."

"Like hell Relena has seen this asshole," he insisted.

"Has she? Or is he in disguise? Is his hair really long or is it short? Is it his or a wig? There is everything from a voice synthesizer to laser surgery to the simple latex mask and Relena wouldn't think twice because she's not looking for it. At most, we'll get what she thinks he looks like and we wont even have that until we get her back. All we know is she has to know the image he's presenting her with to get that close there is no other reason for her protecting him."

"You damn well better check in. I don't hear from you I will come after you." Heero slid his thumb along Duo's bottom lip then brushing his fingers down Duo's cheek letting his actions speak where he couldn't verbally he reluctantly moved away and silently from the room.

Relena left the lounge moving up the spiral stairs to the pilots cabin the element of surprise wasn't possible they already knew everyone else was dead. The most she could hope for was convincing them she meant business. Standing to the side of the door she turned the knob as quietly as she could and pushed it gently open. "You going to just stand there all day or are you coming in?" She was stunned, but why she was surprised she hadn't a clue.

She stepped into the cabin and glanced around. Moving to the co pilots seat she slid bonelessly int to it as if all her strength suddenly failed her. "Heero" She shook her head. Lifting a shaking hand to push her hair back she blinked startled at the gun. Hiro's lip quirked upward as she gingerly offered it to him. Her eyes glided over him worriedly checking for injuries as he tucked the gun away in yet another Heero Yuy hidey hole. "Heero," she whispered. Relena reached for him then stopped her hand faltering she was going to let it fall back into her lap when he grabbed her hand in his gloved one and gently rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. God how he hated the hesitancy and uncertainty in her eyes when she dealt with the exalted Heero Yuy if he could change that then it just might be worth her never knowing he wasn't her Heero..

Staring at their joined hands she turned hers after a moment and clasped his tightly in hers. "O Heero you shouldn't be here."

He smirked. " I told you I would be back for you."

"Are you alright?" His eyebrow lifted. She shook her head, "of course you are your indestructible aren't you? What happened it looks like a war back there."

He returned her look. " Relena did you think just because they recalled you home that would be the end of it? I told you this is about money the politics are incidental. They are not going to stop until they have you or your dead both serve their purpose as far as their concerned. They already had a team in place among yours. He resumed looking into space. That is unacceptable the world is a much more interesting place with you in it. So I eliminated the threat."

A forlorn sigh carried around the cockpit. "I guess this means security will bury me somewhere where until these men are apprehended."

He gave her a look she couldn't define. "Probably, but I suspect this goes deeper than any of us are aware. And I'm not willing to take you back.."

"What?" She whispered. "Heero god, you have to take me back it would cause a galactic incident and that's not even going into the repercussions to you."

"Earth Sphere has been informed that I find their current measures unacceptable." He nodded toward the bag. "There are things in there for you change we're leaving".

She laughed hysterically. "This isn't a bus Heero." She waved her hand toward space. "Where do you suggest we debark?" He looked at her then pointedly to the bag. "Fine but this conversation isn't over. The days when I blindly ask how high when you say jump are over Mr.Yuy." She stood abruptly snatching the bag up she moved behind him. She cocked her head listening as she started pulling off the clothes she had just put on this morning. "We're slowing."

"Ai."

She sighed in exasperation." Heero."

"Relena time is critical dress first explanations later." Once Hiro felt it safe to smile without her seeing him he did in quiet amusement. She might be shaken but nothing kept her down for long his Relena always seemed to bounce back. The shuttle stopped and Relena felt a slight nudge. The voice of the automatic pilot alerted them to the presence of the other ship initiating docking procedures as she finished zipping the suit up. "Ready?" When she turned he was leaning against the seat with his arms crossed.

"I really think we should talk about this." He straightened. "hmm"

"Heero, I'm serious." He took her arm and started guiding her toward the exit. "What about these men? Heero?"

"Relena, their dead and we cant help the dead. Your team was lost if I hadn't been here then you would be badgering the enemy right now."

She gasped offended. "I wasn't badgering."

"Hn." He pushed her aside as he flipped the vacuum seal it went thru its cycle then signaled green. "I wasn't," she insisted. "I merely wanted to know if we were going to leave these poor souls here it doesn't seem right." Opening the door he stepped in moving to his ship punching a series of numbers on a panel there the door slid opened there as well. "Heero?"

"Doesn't seem right..."

"Then you agree?" He walked briskly back grabbing her hand pulling her through. He shut the shuttle door before pushing her toward the ship.

"We're not leaving them here?"

He sealed the ship door steering her toward the cockpit. "Sit down and strap in." She grabbed his hand. Hiro paused letting her light grasp still his movement. Compassion would be the death of her she needed him now more than ever. "The shuttle is programmed to return, the Preventer's have it's coordinates. They know your safe but that's the limit of their knowledge they know nothing more where your concerned nor will they not until the leak is plugged."

"I can't be out of contact Heero not now god knows what will..."

He frowned, "you can't mediate dead Relena." Hiro strapped himself in then looked at Relena waiting for her to decide.

She nodded, "alright where are we going?"

He turned engaging the ship punching in the coordinates. Hiro gave her a enigmatic look. "Back to the beginning."