"Oh, shut up, Miliardo. What did you have me dragged all the way down here for?"
"Is that any way to talk to your dear brother? I see you haven't lost any of your defiance, Relana. How's that sister of ours, anyway?"
"What do you care? You abandoned us, remember?" Zechs sighed.
"You know I had to."
"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of the colonies."
"No, technically Relena is." Zechs smiled.
"Shove it."
"You know, I can easily have you thrown in the dungeon. Do you think I would?"
"Is this a multiple choice question?"
"Still living on the streets?"
"No. I live with my friends-" She cut off suddenly and clamped her lips together.
"We know you're with the Gundam pilots, Relana. Why do you think Treize, and especially Une, would love to get their hands on you? I also know you're a Gundam pilot yourself." A faint smile touched his lips. "I don't think even Une knows that."
"Well, don't you feel special. Listen, Miliardo, my friends are coming right now to blow this place up. You're still my brother, and I don't want you killed. Let me, and the children, go and then get out of here yourself. Even if you did abandon the Sank Kingdom."
"You know I can't. Treize would have my head if you... escaped. I'm sure Une would love that."
"Then come with me. You don't have to stay here. By the way, how did you know I was here?"
"That lieutenant you talked to? Apparently you called me just Zechs. You didn't use my proper title here."
"Well, that was stupid. Ah well, next time I'll try better." Zechs rose and walked over to the door.
"Sometimes, Relana, I wonder if you're actually sane." She grinned at him.
"Who says I am?"
"Not me. I'm going to regret this, I know. Give me the gun you have in your pocket. Keep the one in the shoulder holster and pretend that I'm taking you with me when I leave. Let's go. We'll pick up the children on the way."
Relana smiled delightedly and, leaping up, kissed her brother on the cheek.
"Stop that." He growled, then put a hand lightly on her back. He held the gun out, but still looking as though it was pointed at Relana. "Head down. We don't want anyone getting suspicious." Relana complied, and they walked out of Zechs' office.
Soon, they were outside the children's prison. They could hear Masayoshi wailing, and Makiko's attempts to soothe him. Zechs pulled a key out of his pocket, and unlocked the door. Two heads jerked up in surprise and even Masayoshi stopped crying.
"Auntie 'Lana!" Makiko cried, running toward her. She stopped suddenly when she saw Zechs. "Go 'way baddie! Leave my Auntie 'Lana alone!" she screamed at him.
"Makiko, it's ok. He's going to help us get out of here. His name is Zechs, and he's my brother. I'm going to get Masayoshi, and I want you two to stay close to us, understand?" They both nodded solemnly. Relana crossed the room to pick up Masayoshi, who giggled when he saw her. Cradling Masa, she returned to Zechs and the children. They carefully crept out of the room, and Relana cautioned the children to stay quiet. They only had trouble once, when another lieutenant questioned them. Zechs told her that he was taking Relana and the children to Treize right away.
They were almost out when the firing began.
"They're here. One of them is going to come and try to rescue us." Relana said, listening to the sounds of battle from outside. Zechs caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned. Relana saw him, looked into the shadows, and gasped.
"Duo, no!" she screamed, leaping at Zechs. She shoved him out of the way as a bullet whined over their heads. Duo appeared, his face dead white.
"Relana! I thought I hit you!"
"Well, Maxwell, it's good for me that you have no aim." She snapped, flipping herself to her feet. "What were you doing?"
"What do you think I was doing? That's Zechs Marquise, unless you couldn't tell."
"I know, Duo. He's my-" Zechs cut her off.
"Her savior. I couldn't let Treize have her, she would be killed or used for ransom."
"You mean you actually care?" Duo said sarcastically.
"Shut up, Maxwell. Let's go, before those idiots out there blow us all up. Duo, help us get to Kamikaze." Relana commanded. Duo frowned slightly, then turned and headed back into the shadows, leaving Relana, Zechs and the children to follow.
Outside, the battle raged on furiously. The OZ base was well-armed and the Gundam pilots were hard put to avoid all the cross-fire. There was a burst of static over the comm, then Duo's voice.
"Guys, I found her. We're going to find Kamikaze now, so cover us. We're coming out the big door to the south."
"Move it, Duo! Then we can totally destroy this place." Heero said, slashing a nearby mobile suit to pieces. He glanced down, and saw five figures running out of the building. To his surprise, one of the figures was Zechs.
"What the...?" Quatre said over the comm. "What's Zechs doing with them?"
"If I knew, I'd tell you." Heero retorted. "You guys destroy the building; I'll cover Duo and Relana." He turned Wing Zero and blasted another mobile suit headed for the figures on the ground. The figures looked up, and Relana waved pertly. Heero growled under his breath, and continued checking for any OZ suits. He almost crashed into Kamikaze when the Gundam suddenly rose from the ground right in front of him.
"What the...?" Heero mirrored Quatre's earlier statement as Kamikaze flew, seemingly of it's own will, towards Relana. It set down just in front of them, opened it's hatch, and then fired straight at an incoming mobile suit. Heero gaped, his normally expressionless face showing utter disbelief. He watched as Relana pulled herself in, then reached down for the children. Duo boosted them up to her, then gestured at Zechs with the gun. Relana leaned down again, and it looked like she was yelling at Duo, who in turn was yelling at Zechs.
"What's going on over there?" Quatre asked through the comm. "Relana, you there?"
"Yeah, it's me." Relana replied. Heero saw Zechs and Duo both climb into Kamikaze, which took off in the direction of Shinigami. They landed, and Duo was soon back in his own Gundam.
"Ready to blow this place?" Duo asked. Without waiting for an answer, he fired at the warehouse, setting a whole section on fire. Relana threw her chakram at the warehouse, and soon it was all ablaze. The other Gundams fired or slashed at the warehouse, which quickly became a pile of rubble.
"If we're finished with the massacre?" Zechs' dry voice came over the comm. "I'd like to get back before my absence is noticed."
"You're not going anywhere!" Duo said.
"Quiet, Duo. Zechs, you can't go back now. They'll know immediately that you helped me to escape. You have to go with us." Relana interrupted. Zechs said something to her quietly, but she was adamant. Zechs was coming with them.
"Let's go." Trowa said, and they headed home.
"It's about time you got back." Doc snapped when the pilots walked in. "Relana, I want to talk to you now."
"Doc, I had to do it. Don't look at me that way, you know it's the truth!" Relana replied, her eyes searching Doc's face.
"I still told you to wait. How did you know I wasn't planning something? Instead you go running off and- Zechs?!" Doc exclaimed, seeing Zechs as he walked in the door. "What are you doing here?"
"I was forced to come here. Trust me, Doc, it isn't my pleasure." Zechs replied, looking around the room.
"Do you two know each other?" Relana asked, looking from one to the other.
"Unfortunately." Zechs said.
"No." Doc said at the exact same time.
"Well? Which is it?" Relana demanded, staring at both of them.
"Yes, we know each other." Doc sighed. "We're acquaintances."
"Doc, don't be so modest." Zechs added. "Doc here used to work for OZ, and he was the one who designed Kamikaze, 'Lana."
"How do you know her nickname?" Duo demanded suspiciously, before Relana could really register what Zechs had said.
"Because!" Makiko interrupted. "He's her brother!"
"Is that any way to talk to your dear brother? I see you haven't lost any of your defiance, Relana. How's that sister of ours, anyway?"
"What do you care? You abandoned us, remember?" Zechs sighed.
"You know I had to."
"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of the colonies."
"No, technically Relena is." Zechs smiled.
"Shove it."
"You know, I can easily have you thrown in the dungeon. Do you think I would?"
"Is this a multiple choice question?"
"Still living on the streets?"
"No. I live with my friends-" She cut off suddenly and clamped her lips together.
"We know you're with the Gundam pilots, Relana. Why do you think Treize, and especially Une, would love to get their hands on you? I also know you're a Gundam pilot yourself." A faint smile touched his lips. "I don't think even Une knows that."
"Well, don't you feel special. Listen, Miliardo, my friends are coming right now to blow this place up. You're still my brother, and I don't want you killed. Let me, and the children, go and then get out of here yourself. Even if you did abandon the Sank Kingdom."
"You know I can't. Treize would have my head if you... escaped. I'm sure Une would love that."
"Then come with me. You don't have to stay here. By the way, how did you know I was here?"
"That lieutenant you talked to? Apparently you called me just Zechs. You didn't use my proper title here."
"Well, that was stupid. Ah well, next time I'll try better." Zechs rose and walked over to the door.
"Sometimes, Relana, I wonder if you're actually sane." She grinned at him.
"Who says I am?"
"Not me. I'm going to regret this, I know. Give me the gun you have in your pocket. Keep the one in the shoulder holster and pretend that I'm taking you with me when I leave. Let's go. We'll pick up the children on the way."
Relana smiled delightedly and, leaping up, kissed her brother on the cheek.
"Stop that." He growled, then put a hand lightly on her back. He held the gun out, but still looking as though it was pointed at Relana. "Head down. We don't want anyone getting suspicious." Relana complied, and they walked out of Zechs' office.
Soon, they were outside the children's prison. They could hear Masayoshi wailing, and Makiko's attempts to soothe him. Zechs pulled a key out of his pocket, and unlocked the door. Two heads jerked up in surprise and even Masayoshi stopped crying.
"Auntie 'Lana!" Makiko cried, running toward her. She stopped suddenly when she saw Zechs. "Go 'way baddie! Leave my Auntie 'Lana alone!" she screamed at him.
"Makiko, it's ok. He's going to help us get out of here. His name is Zechs, and he's my brother. I'm going to get Masayoshi, and I want you two to stay close to us, understand?" They both nodded solemnly. Relana crossed the room to pick up Masayoshi, who giggled when he saw her. Cradling Masa, she returned to Zechs and the children. They carefully crept out of the room, and Relana cautioned the children to stay quiet. They only had trouble once, when another lieutenant questioned them. Zechs told her that he was taking Relana and the children to Treize right away.
They were almost out when the firing began.
"They're here. One of them is going to come and try to rescue us." Relana said, listening to the sounds of battle from outside. Zechs caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned. Relana saw him, looked into the shadows, and gasped.
"Duo, no!" she screamed, leaping at Zechs. She shoved him out of the way as a bullet whined over their heads. Duo appeared, his face dead white.
"Relana! I thought I hit you!"
"Well, Maxwell, it's good for me that you have no aim." She snapped, flipping herself to her feet. "What were you doing?"
"What do you think I was doing? That's Zechs Marquise, unless you couldn't tell."
"I know, Duo. He's my-" Zechs cut her off.
"Her savior. I couldn't let Treize have her, she would be killed or used for ransom."
"You mean you actually care?" Duo said sarcastically.
"Shut up, Maxwell. Let's go, before those idiots out there blow us all up. Duo, help us get to Kamikaze." Relana commanded. Duo frowned slightly, then turned and headed back into the shadows, leaving Relana, Zechs and the children to follow.
Outside, the battle raged on furiously. The OZ base was well-armed and the Gundam pilots were hard put to avoid all the cross-fire. There was a burst of static over the comm, then Duo's voice.
"Guys, I found her. We're going to find Kamikaze now, so cover us. We're coming out the big door to the south."
"Move it, Duo! Then we can totally destroy this place." Heero said, slashing a nearby mobile suit to pieces. He glanced down, and saw five figures running out of the building. To his surprise, one of the figures was Zechs.
"What the...?" Quatre said over the comm. "What's Zechs doing with them?"
"If I knew, I'd tell you." Heero retorted. "You guys destroy the building; I'll cover Duo and Relana." He turned Wing Zero and blasted another mobile suit headed for the figures on the ground. The figures looked up, and Relana waved pertly. Heero growled under his breath, and continued checking for any OZ suits. He almost crashed into Kamikaze when the Gundam suddenly rose from the ground right in front of him.
"What the...?" Heero mirrored Quatre's earlier statement as Kamikaze flew, seemingly of it's own will, towards Relana. It set down just in front of them, opened it's hatch, and then fired straight at an incoming mobile suit. Heero gaped, his normally expressionless face showing utter disbelief. He watched as Relana pulled herself in, then reached down for the children. Duo boosted them up to her, then gestured at Zechs with the gun. Relana leaned down again, and it looked like she was yelling at Duo, who in turn was yelling at Zechs.
"What's going on over there?" Quatre asked through the comm. "Relana, you there?"
"Yeah, it's me." Relana replied. Heero saw Zechs and Duo both climb into Kamikaze, which took off in the direction of Shinigami. They landed, and Duo was soon back in his own Gundam.
"Ready to blow this place?" Duo asked. Without waiting for an answer, he fired at the warehouse, setting a whole section on fire. Relana threw her chakram at the warehouse, and soon it was all ablaze. The other Gundams fired or slashed at the warehouse, which quickly became a pile of rubble.
"If we're finished with the massacre?" Zechs' dry voice came over the comm. "I'd like to get back before my absence is noticed."
"You're not going anywhere!" Duo said.
"Quiet, Duo. Zechs, you can't go back now. They'll know immediately that you helped me to escape. You have to go with us." Relana interrupted. Zechs said something to her quietly, but she was adamant. Zechs was coming with them.
"Let's go." Trowa said, and they headed home.
"It's about time you got back." Doc snapped when the pilots walked in. "Relana, I want to talk to you now."
"Doc, I had to do it. Don't look at me that way, you know it's the truth!" Relana replied, her eyes searching Doc's face.
"I still told you to wait. How did you know I wasn't planning something? Instead you go running off and- Zechs?!" Doc exclaimed, seeing Zechs as he walked in the door. "What are you doing here?"
"I was forced to come here. Trust me, Doc, it isn't my pleasure." Zechs replied, looking around the room.
"Do you two know each other?" Relana asked, looking from one to the other.
"Unfortunately." Zechs said.
"No." Doc said at the exact same time.
"Well? Which is it?" Relana demanded, staring at both of them.
"Yes, we know each other." Doc sighed. "We're acquaintances."
"Doc, don't be so modest." Zechs added. "Doc here used to work for OZ, and he was the one who designed Kamikaze, 'Lana."
"How do you know her nickname?" Duo demanded suspiciously, before Relana could really register what Zechs had said.
"Because!" Makiko interrupted. "He's her brother!"