GUNDAM W

OVA SERIES 2

Episode 1 THE BEGINNING OF THE END

"So Miss Relena, your dream has finally come true," said Lucrezia Noin. "Yes Ms. Noin, it seems as though Heero is here to stay.... for awhile at least" Relena Peacecraft replied.  It was two months after the occurrence with Dekim Barton, and it seemed as though life was retuning to normal for all of those involved with the incident. Ms. Noin had married Milliardo Peacecraft, Relena's brother, and was now living with her in her mansion. Most of the pilots had settled down; trying to live normal lives. Heero, having no other place to go, had moved in with Relena, and she was absolutely ecstatic about the idea, of course she would never show it. Being Queen of the world was a rough job. Having to attend all of those diplomatic balls and galas became quite boring after awhile. All Relena wanted in her life was a chance for some peace and quiet, and to be nearer to Heero. She quickly shook all of her thoughts away and turned back to her sister-in-law.

They were both sitting outside in the rose garden of the young queen's estate, drinking their morning coffee and enjoying the cool breeze and smell of the flowers. Suddenly, Relena saw Heero running towards the large garage in the back behind the trees. The garage usually housed mobile suits, for her protection of course. But the thing that intrigued Relena was that the garage had been emptied since the destruction of the LIBRA space station three months before.

Relena quickly excused herself from Ms. Noin's company and curiously followed Heero into the garage.  When she stepped in, she became breathless. Inside was a completely rebuilt Wing Gundam Zero Custom! She saw Heero inside working furiously at the controls. 

"Heero….what are you doing?" she asked him. He lifted his head long enough to see her beautiful face, then stood up and jumped down from the mobile suit. He walked over to her, and stared into her eyes.

"There is a new Gundam heading for the earth", he replied, his monotone voice somehow soothing to Relena. "I must go and stop it before it reaches its destination. Relena saw the determination that she knew so well in him flicker in his eyes. She knew that there was something else there besides the emotion, though, but she couldn't figure it out.

Suddenly, she was worried for Heero. She knew his habit of self-destructing his former Gundams. She knew he didn't care, as long as the mission was completed successfully. But she was worried for him, for his life, and for the life that they would hopefully share together. Apparently, she let the worry show on her face.

"But Heero what if—", she was cut off as he reached his hand up and stroked her face, the first real emotional action he had showed her since that day on the Peacemillion. Slowly, Relena grabbed his hand and squeezed it, not wanting to let go. "I will come back, I promise," he said, the determination returning in his eyes. "Now let me go…Relena" he continued in the most comforting voice he could manage. He let go of her hand and turned away, climbing the ladder up to the Gundam's cockpit once more.

When he was settled in, Relena looked up to him and smiled, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "Heero…" was all she could say as Heero closed the cockpit hatch and Wing Gundam walked off.

ONE HOUR AWAY, IN JORDAN CITY—10:39 AM

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"Lady Une, mam", said the soldier standing in front of her. "Lady", he continued, "we have a lock on both Gundams. One is heading for earth, the other away from earth."

"Very well" Lady Une replied. She stepped closer to the bridge controls of the underground command center. "Keep tracking both Gundams and give me reports of their progress and confrontations Commander."

The Commander snapped to attention and replied with a firm "Yes Mam" before he walked off and relayed his orders.

Une walked out of the room and continued down the hall to the elevator. She took the elevator up to the 43'rd floor of the Preventer's building, all the time thinking of her dream with Treize. Her only love, Treize Khushrenada, had died three months earlier against a certain Gundam pilot. It was Treize's dream to continue the OZ Federation and merge it with the World Sphere United Nations.

He only put up with the bureaucrats because he had to, not to mention that most of them were on his payroll. "Those damn politicians" she thought. "They were too smart for their own good, and see where it got them?" It was only recently that she realized the true plans of OZ. And since her beloved Treize and that fool Barton had failed to institute even part of the true ideals of OZ, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She stopped thinking for a moment, then smiled as the elevator doors opened.

"Time to play good cop once again" she thought, stepping out of the elevator and walking down the hall to her office.

IN SPACE, JUST OUTSIDE TH EARTH'S ORBIT

Heero maneuvered Wing Gundam around to face the opposing Gundam. It was a large mobile suit. It was very green, and it looked almost like a dragon. Then it hit him. "That's Nataku," he said very determinedly. "That means—" he was cut off by a transmission coming in through the com-link.

"So Heero, we meet again." Said the familiar voice of Chang Wufei. "What are you doing Wufei" asked Heero, ready for battle at any moment. He still had not forgotten the battles they had on the defected colony and in the earth's atmosphere two months ago. He still had not forgotten what an improved fighter Wufei had become. But what was still burned in his memory was that Heero had faced his most dangerous opponent ever, and lived.

Heero, an experienced fighter at only fifteen years of age, he could beat even a mobile doll made with his exact fighting patterns. These thoughts all turning themselves over in his mind, he just stared through the com-link back at his foe.

"I'm here for Queen Relena" Wufei answered in a determined voice. "Then you'll have to go through me first my old friend", Heero said, "Lets finish this now" he finished, finality setting his tone. As Heero reached for his beam sabre, he could feel the familiar sensations of the ZERO System taking over.

He lunged quickly at Wufei, losing himself in the System, but not too much. Heero knew how to control it. He was the only pilot who had mastered it, besides Wufei. Once you mastered the ZERO System, you were permanently connected to the Gundam's control systems and maintenance operations. It was almost like you could feel the mobile suit's emotions and feelings. But Heero had mstered the System in a different way. When he took control of it, he reached farther than any pilot ever had with the System. He could reach deep inside himself and give Wing Zero simple commands. And that is what gave him extraordinary skills in battle.

At this point Heero and Wufei were fighting ferociously; Nataku with its two-sided beam trident, Wing Zero with its twin beam sabres. Occasionally, Heero would bring out one of his buster rifles to shoot at his opponent, but it was almost strictly a sword battle. With every blow, Heero became even more enthralled in the battle. He was slashing furiously with each weapon, letting the ZERO System take even more control over him than usual.  ________________________________________________________________

  TO BE CONTINUED…