Author: Nate Grey
E-mail:
Title: Man or Machine
(Gundam Wing/Dragonball Z/Outlaw Star)
Rating: PG-13
Category: Action/Adventure, General
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. As far as I know, Androids 16-18 belong to Akira Toriyama, and all characters from Gundam Wing and Outlaw Star belong to Sunrise.
Notes: This takes place after the final episode of Outlaw Star, but between the last Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz.
Part 1: The Infinity Project
He'd only seen pictures of the new Gundam, and even those images were half-hidden in shadows. Still, from what he could see, it was the most impressive Gundam he'd ever seen.
The brochure had rambled on and on about how the original team of scientists from Operation: Meteor had worked around the clock to build the ultimate mobile suit. They made sure to list all the suit's good points. The flight capabilities, weapons, reaction times, navigation and communication systems had all been copied and improved from the latest Gundams. In fact, there was just one problem.
There was no pilot. At least, not yet.
The suit's designers were asking for experienced pilots, but mainly those with major battle experience. Naturally, all the Gundam pilots had been contacted. Only two had agreed to participate.
He was going to be the pilot, of course. All he had to do was prove it. Duo was skilled enough, but he lacked the dedication. Although it would be interesting to compete against him again.
Heero Yuy allowed a tiny smile to inch across his lips as he entered Earth's atmosphere. This new Gundam was supposed to be the best mobile suit ever. But Heero was the greatest Gundam pilot ever, of that there could be no question. He'd flown both Wing Zero and Epyion in battle. Still, that was then, and this was now.
It was a new day, a new age, and a new Gundam. But to Heero Yuy, it was only a new challenge that would soon be conquered.
* * * * *
Melfina fingered the edges of her cloak nervously as she waited for the elevator. Like all the other contestants, she had her own reason for being there. She was hoping that the new Gundam would be worth a rather large fortune. Something that advanced had to be expensive, and perhaps it would help Gene pay back some of the money he owed to Fred Luo.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the elevator finally arrived. The door slid open, and Melfina gasped. She hadn't expected people to be on it. But then, it was their appearance that really surprised her.
Two teenagers, a dark-haired boy and a blonde girl, stood just inside the doors, staring at her expectantly. Behind them, a huge man was kneeling, as he was too tall to stand in the elevator. But it was their eyes that held Melfina's attention. They were cold and lifeless, yet she could sense great power behind all three pairs.
"Going down?" the blonde asked, giving her a curious look.
Melfina blinked, and then nodded. She quickly stepped inside, moving across from the large man. "Basement level, please," she whispered.
The boy glanced back at her. "Hmm. Same as us, then."
The elevator gave a loud hum and began to move.
Melfina lowered her head, staring at her feet. For some reason, these people made her more nervous than she usually was. She was trying to figure out why when a large hand was offered to her. She slowly looked up to see the huge man smiling at her.
"Greetings, sister," he said.
The two teens looked over at them. "Sister?" they both asked at once.
Melfina hesitantly tried to shake the man's hand, and upon realizing it was physically impossible, she settled for his index finger, which still took both her small hands to shake.
"Sister?" the blonde repeated. "But he wouldn't say that unless-"
"Unless she was one of us," the boy finished for her. He looked Melfina up and down. "You're a pilot?"
"Not exactly. I'm more like a navigator," Melfina replied.
"Interesting," the blonde said. "You're an android, too?"
"You could say that."
"What are you called?" the boy asked.
"Called?" There was a puzzled expression on her face. "My name is Melfina."
"Oh," the blonde muttered, sounding a little jealous. "I'm 18, and this is my brother, 17," she said, pointing to the boy beside her. "That's 16 over there." She sighed heavily. "Our creator didn't give us real names. I wish I had a name like yours. It's beautiful."
Melfina blushed a bit. "Thank you." She paused for a moment. "Are all of you in the competition?"
"Oh, yes," 17 replied. "We figure as long as one of us wins, he can take the others out for joyrides."
"Well, maybe she would rather go shopping in it," 18 added, looking annoyed.
Melfina smiled. "It must be nice to have a twin."
Both teens look at her and responded at the same time. "Yeah, right."
* * * * *
Duo Maxwell was a little disappointed when he couldn't find his friends. But when he spotted the familiar head of brown hair, the cold, blue eyes, and the impassive, stony face, he grinned. "Hey, Heero! Glad you could make it, buddy!"
Heero glanced up as Duo sat down next to him. "You're late."
"Aw, c'mon! They haven't even started yet and you're already on my case!"
Heero looked around. "The others aren't coming, you know."
"Really?" Duo asked with a cocky grin. "Guess when they heard I was coming, they all chickened out!"
Heero rolled his eyes.
Duo leaned closer and lowered his voice. "You really think this new Gundam's better than Deathscythe Hell or Wing Zero?"
"I'm reserving judgment until I'm the pilot's seat," Heero said. "That's the only way to be sure."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Duo paused for a moment. "Hey, what do you mean, when *you're* in the pilot's seat?!"
Heero shushed him. "They're starting."
A large movie screen lowered from the ceiling, and soon the room was filled with the sounds of battle. On the screen, various shots of the original five Gundams locked in combat were displayed.
Duo grunted. "They keep getting Deathscythe's bad side. What a crappy deal!" He would've said more, but Heero elbowed him. Normally, Duo wouldn't have stopped, but when Heero elbowed someone, they got quiet (mostly to keep themselves from whimpering).
"These are the Gundams," a voice said. "Five mobile suits with incredible abilities. But even more amazing, and perhaps alarming, are the abilities of their pilots."
The Gundams were replaced by shots of their pilots in action. Duo was a little offended when Zechs appeared in the shots, but he kept quiet. That is, until, in his opinion, they only showed his bad side. Heero had to silence him with another elbow.
"The Gundams and their pilots have always given us major surprises. The improved versions of the original five, and the introduction of two new Gundams, Wing Zero and Epyion, are excellent examples. We seek to give the world another surprise."
A dark outline of the mysterious, new Gundam appeared on the screen.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Infinity Gundam. However, only the greatest pilots could appreciate and handle its capabilities. Will you be one of those pilots? It's time to find out."
The screen retracted back into the ceiling, and a tall man stepped onto the stage. "I am Lt. Graves, your commanding officer. I will oversee the trial runs. There are over a thousand of you present today. By tonight, there will only be six left. Good luck."
Duo grinned. "Wonder who the other four will be?"
"That's the first sensible thing you've said all day," Heero replied.
* * * * *
Part 2: Combat Trial
Melfina was beginning to regret signing up for the Infinity Project. She, like most of her competitors, had assumed that all the tests would have something to do piloting. So they were all very surprised to learn that the first test was combat training. The rules were fairly simple: don't get shot, and shoot everyone else.
While she had managed to avoid most combat simply by hiding, Melfina knew this would only last so long. Taking a deep breath, she gripped the gun tightly and stuck her head around the corner. The corridor seemed to be clear, but she threw out her cloak just to be safe.
Instantly, three high-pressured paintballs hit the cloak, slamming it to the nearby wall.
Melfina gasped and backed away, only to feel something hard and cold press into her neck.
"Gotcha," a chuckling voice said softly.
There was a sound not entirely like "ZAP!" followed by a thump.
Melfina slowly turned around and nearly screamed. There, in a charred heap, was her would-be attacker. Well, the remains of his smoking corpse, if you could even call it that anymore.
Seconds later, Android 17 dropped seemingly out of nowhere and landed on the other side of the pile of ashes. "Sorry I didn't warn you," he apologized, blowing some smoke from his fingertip, "but that would've given away my position."
Melfina blinked several times. "But...you didn't have to kill him! It was just paintballs!"
17 arched an eyebrow. "Ashes are less messy, and they don't stain as bad," he pointed out calmly.
Melfina's eyes widened. "How can you talk about a life like that?!"
He smiled and cupped her chin in his hand. "Mel, maybe no one's told you yet, but piloting a Gundam is serious business. If you've got a problem taking a life, this is the wrong place for you. Now, I don't mind helping you, just as long as an android ends up in the pilot's seat."
"Why?" she asked, trembling at his gentle touch.
"Why?" 17 stepped back and laughed. "Humans are imperfect. They will always make mistakes. The only halfway decent thing they ever did was create us, and even we are restrained by their limited imaginations. But this Gundam is different, Mel. It may be the closest we ever get to perfection."
17 suddenly tilted his head slightly, and a red paintball flew past and slammed into the wall he was facing. "Anyway, I have to go. I would stay and watch out for you, but I'm an action junkie. I'm sure if you could find 16, he'd be more than happy to help. Have fun!"
A second later, 17 was gone, and there was a bloodcurdling scream, followed by the android's amused laughter.
Melfina shuddered and sank to the floor, hugging herself tightly. Siding with the other androids was the most logical choice, but there was no way she could ever take a life so thoughtlessly. It just wasn't right.
The footsteps broke into her thoughts, and Melfina found herself looking up the barrel of a paintball cannon. The blue eyes at the other end had no emotion in them at all, and she could only watch as the finger tightened on the trigger.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" a voice boomed. "THE COMBAT TRIAL IS NOW OVER! ALL REMAINING COMPETITORS ARE TO REPORT TO LAB C-6 FOR MISSION TRIALS!"
The boy lowered his cannon and stared at her for a long moment. Finally, he offered his hand.
Melfina slowly took it, gasping as he pulled her up with little or no effort. For some reason, his gaze made her uneasy and she lowered her eyes to the floor. "Thank y-"
"Don't thank me," he interrupted in an emotionless tone. "Next time, I won't hesitate to kill you." Then the boy simply turned and walked away.
Melfina swallowed nervously and followed him at a respectful distance.
* * * * *
"Man, what a rush!" Duo stretched his arms. "Too bad we couldn't use live rounds."
"Maybe you couldn't, but we did," a voice responded.
Duo looked up to see a blonde girl sitting on a huge man's shoulder. "Whoa. What's with you two?"
"We are androids," the man replied.
"Figures," Duo muttered. "So, where are the other three that made it out?"
"Right here," Heero said as he emerged from the maze.
Duo grinned. "Never seen you pause that long at point-blank, Heero. You losing your touch?"
Heero ignored his friend's teasing. "There's something strange about that girl," he muttered as Melfina came out of the maze.
"She's probably just an android," Duo pointed out. "The rest of them are, too."
Heero watched as a dark-haired android joined the other three. "Let's go."
* * * * *
Part 3: Mission Trials
17 was happy with his mission the instant he got it. All he really had to do was chase down a small cargo ship. But it wasn't the supposed simplicity that pleased 17. It was the fact that he got to chase something. He was very good at that.
Of course, 17 began to see how difficult the mission might be early on. He was only provided with a second-rate ship, and about an hour's worth of fuel. Taking in the fact that he had to find the cargo ship first, 17 quickly realized that the Infinity Project people weren't as stupid as he'd first thought.
Still, 17 was an android, and tracking was something he personally excelled at. Within a few minutes, he'd picked up the cargo ship's energy trail, where it might have taken a human half an hour. Soon, the cargo ship was within range, and 17 swooped in to catch it in the tractor beam.
As soon as he got close to it, the cargo ship came to life and flew in the opposite direction.
17 followed it as best he could, but his large, clumsy ship could only go so fast. The cargo ship, on the other hand, was much smaller, faster, and seemed to have plenty of fuel to burn.
It didn't take long for 17 to get frustrated. Any time he managed to get close, the cargo ship would fly just out of his tractor beam's range. Finally, 17 had had enough. He converted all his power to the engines and attempted to ram the cargo ship into the next galaxy. He only managed to clip one of the wings, but by that time, his fuel was spent.
As the two ships touched down back at the Infinity Project, 17 demanded to know who was piloting the cargo ship. He soon got his answer as the ship's door spiraled open.
Melfina could only smile at him. "Surprised, 17?"
17 somehow managed to prevent himself from gaping. "How did you…"
"You can't say I didn't warn you. I told you when we first met that I was a navigator."
17 blinked slowly and allowed a tiny smile to creep across his face. "So you did. I must admit that I'm impressed…among other things. Let's just hope you do as well on your mission."
"Oh, that was my mission: staying out of your reach."
17 paused and frowned.
Melfina looked concerned. "You're not mad, are you?"
"Hmm. I suppose I should be, but I'm not. I'm just glad to see that whoever becomes the pilot will be quite the capable android."
Melfina blushed and looked away.
17 chuckled. "Well, we should go watch the other missions. I think 18's should be starting soon."
Melfina nodded and followed him back inside, silently hoping the other androids would do as well as she had.
* * * * *
Duo had been in races before. He'd often tricked Quatre into racing their Gundams around deserted planets, and he'd almost always won. Of course, they'd never raced through an asteroid belt at their top speeds. That was just crazy, damaging a Gundam when there was no need to. So Duo was a little hesitant when he discovered what his mission trial was. He'd almost backed out completely.
And then 18 had smirked and said, "What's wrong? Afraid you'll get beaten by a girl?"
That was all it took. Soon, Duo found himself zipping through an asteroid belt at least thirty miles long. He didn't even bother to glance out of his side window, though. He knew that 18 was keeping up with him. Even if he didn't, her constant taunts through the radio were enough to keep him on his toes.
"You're slowing down, Duo," she teased. "Are you trying to let me win?"
Duo narrowed his eyes. "Say whatever you want, babe. When I win, I'll be sure to thank the little people I stepped on to get the glory…namely, you."
"Big words for someone I just passed."
Duo's head snapped up, and he could see 18's ship inching ahead of his. "Oh, no you don't!" He put on a burst of speed and quickly caught up with her. "There's no way I'm going to let a machine beat me!"
"Just pretend that I'm Deathscythe Hell in a skirt. Will that make losing any easier?"
"You're starting to get on my nerves, babe."
18's laughter sounded tinny through the radio. "Well, too bad. Oh, and watch out for the mine field up ahead."
Duo's ship swerved sharply, just missing a mine. "Where's the weapons on this thing?!"
"Didn't you know? There aren't any."
"Great! Just great!"
18 laughed again. "Don't worry, Duo. You're cute, so I might still go out with you. Even if you are a loser…"
Sure enough, 18's ship was closing in on the finish line. There was no way Duo could catch her now. Increasing his speed would probably get him blown to bits, if the mines were real.
"It's ironic, really," 18 said softly. "You become famous for piloting Deathscythe and calling yourself 'God of Death.' But in the end, a machine beat you. Face it, Duo. You're only the God of Death while you're in the Gundam. Outside, you're just Duo Maxwell, another pretty boy who just might get a kiss from me, if he's not a sore loser."
Duo sighed heavily. "Okay, you beat me. There, I admitted it. Are you happy?"
"Not really. You almost sound surprised."
"Well, I am. Nobody's ever really beaten me at this stuff, except maybe Heero. But that's only because he's got a good luck streak that never fades. It's the only logical explanation of why he isn't dead right now. In fact, I'm pretty sure I saw him die three times."
* * * * *
Nothing ever surprised Heero, and even if it did, he never showed it. The mission certainly didn't come as a shock to him. He'd assumed that the Infinity Project people already knew of his weapons skills. Blasting an enemy ship probably wouldn't prove too difficult, unless he was flying against one of the androids. Then there might be…trouble.
But when the mission was over, Heero knew that there was no clear winner. They'd both fired the same number of shots, and none had connected. He had a feeling that Android 16 knew it, too, because neither of them said a thing to each other afterwards.
Once they received the trials results in the lab, their suspicions were confirmed. Heero assumed that they'd both failed the mission, but Lt. Graves had a different opinion.
"Well, look, kid. The idea was to shoot the enemy and not get hit in the process. None of the shots landed, but nobody got hit, either. And it's not like either of you had terrible aim." The soldier grinned. "Besides, this was just the first day of trials. You got the rest of the week to prove yourselves."
"Good," Duo muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now I can make up that controversial loss."
"There was no controversy," 18 responded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I won and you didn't."
Lt. Graves chuckled. "Neither of you has to worry about controversial endings anymore. From this point on, you'll be working in two-man teams."
Duo gave him a mock look of disgust. "You mean I'm stuck with her?!"
"Actually, no. The scientists have taken your test results and paired you with the partner that will most likely bring out your natural talents, and vice versa. You'll get your assignments tomorrow morning. For now, all of you should get some rest. You've earned it."
* * * * *
The week passed by faster than anyone expected, and soon the six competitors found themselves awaiting the declaration of the single winner that would pilot the Infinity Gundam.
Lt. Graves cleared his throat and began. "We've taken a long, hard look at your individual scores, and combined them with your team scores for a grand total. First, I'll announce the winners of each division. Coming in first for Navigation and Flight Tactics was…heh…Girls Rule."
18 smirked and patted Melfina's shoulder. "As if anyone could beat us."
"First for Battle Tactics were…The Lords of Death?"
Duo and 17 high-fived each other.
Lt. Graves just shook his head. "And first for Overall Strategy and Mission Specifications was…Silent but Deadly?"
"Oh, that's got to be them," 18 muttered, shooting a glance at Heero and 16.
Lt. Graves cleared his throat again. "Anyway, the scientists have made their decision. The pilot of the Infinity Gundam will be…Heero Yuy!"
"WHAT?!" 17 shouted.
Lt. Graves grinned. "And he will be assisted by his navigator, Melfina!"
"WHAT?!" Duo screamed.
"Don't get mad at me. They had the highest grand totals."
"But how can two people pilot a Gundam?!" Duo cried.
Lt. Graves only grinned wider. "Perhaps we didn't mention it was a two-seater. At any rate, it doesn't matter. Heero & Melfina will go for a test run, and if everything goes well, the Gundam is theirs, for now. But they may be required to use it in the planet's defense, in case we get any serious threats."
Melfina swallowed nervously and looked at Heero. He didn't appear to be in shock. In fact, he didn't seem to be expressing any emotion at all. That probably should've offered her more comfort, as it meant he wasn't angry. But with Heero Yuy, Melfina was beginning to think that showing no emotion was the scariest thing of all.
* * * * *
"I can't believe you're going to fly with that girl instead of me. It's a total tragedy!"
Heero ignored Duo and continued doing sit-ups.
"I mean, there's never even been a female Gundam pilot!"
"First time for everything," Heero muttered, getting to his feet. "You jealous or something?"
"Well, yeah! I'm the one with the experience!"
"Apparently, she's had more."
Duo glared at him. "Wait a minute. You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Seeing you overreact over nothing and make a fool out of yourself? Yes. Piloting with that girl…I don't know."
"That's another thing! I'm the master when it comes to women! What could you possibly know about girls?"
Heero almost smirked. "I know I'm flying with one and you're not."
* * * * *
"Melfina, you have nothing to worry about," 18 said confidently. "Heero's not going to try anything."
"18, the only time we spoke, he said he wouldn't hesitate to kill me!"
"Real Gundam pilots have to sound tough. It's part of their training."
"But if he does try anything," 17 added, "you better believe I'll kill him!"
"He won't," 18 repeated. "Besides, he doesn't even like girls. I mean, I flirted with him several times, and nothing!"
"Maybe he didn't think you were cute," 17 offered.
18 glared at him. "Impossible. Everyone thinks I'm cute."
While the twins started arguing over how attractive 18 was, Melfina sighed and lowered her head. "I can't believe I left Gene and the others for this."
16 placed a reassuring (but very large) hand on her shoulders. "Do not worry, sister. Heero will not harm you."
"How do you know?" she asked, looking up at him.
"I have worked with him. I could tell that he has a good heart, though his methods may not always reflect that. You can trust him."
* * * * *
Part 4: To Infinity & Beyond
Once Lt. Graves was done explaining the Infinity Gundam's various systems to Heero, he asked, "Any questions, kid?"
Heero only had one. "Where's the navigator?"
Lt. Graves chuckled. "Already inside the mobile suit, waiting for you. She got here two hours early."
If Heero was impressed, he didn't say anything. Instead, he saluted Lt. Graves and entered the Gundam.
The first thing Heero noticed was that the Infinity Gundam's cockpit was more like the bridge of a large ship. His chair rested in the center of the typical Gundam cockpit. However, almost directly behind it, on a raised platform, was a large column of red liquid. Upon closer inspection, Heero saw that it was actually a tank of some sort. "What's this for?" he asked no one in particular.
"That's mine," said a quiet voice beside him.
Heero turned to see Melfina. Instead of her usual dark blue cloak, she was wearing some sort of red outfit that would've made her look stunning…to anyone else, that is. "What do you do with it?"
There was a hint of a smile on her face as she replied, "I'll show you."
Heero stopped her as he noticed something taped to the ceiling. "Wait. What's that?"
Melfina turned to see where he was looking. "Oh. That's a picture of my crew. I keep it with me for luck."
* * * * *
"Not going to watch the launch?"
Duo looked up to see 18 standing beside his motorcycle. "Don't need to. If you've seen Wing Zero and Epyion take off, you've seen them all take off."
"Sounds like you're just sore about not winning."
Duo tilted his head slightly. "You came out here just to insult me?"
"Of course not. I came out here to humiliate you…and then to ask you out on a date."
"You're asking me? I thought you didn't date losers?"
18 smirked. "I said you were cute, so you're an exception. Is that a yes or a no?"
Duo stared at her for a few seconds, then offered her a black helmet.
18 pushed it away and climbed onto the bike, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Don't need it. Even if we were in an accident, I could move fast enough to get us both out unharmed."
"You just love being better than me, don't you?" he asked.
"You said it that time, not me," she pointed out.
Duo slipped on a pair of shades and turned on the engine. "Deathscythe Hell in a skirt, huh?"
"Yeah," she replied, resting her head on his back. "But cuter and much more lovable."
He grinned. "Sounds good to me!"
* * * * *
Heero's fingers flew across the console as he completed the weapons check. "Final systems check?"
"All systems are go," replied Melfina.
Heero glanced over his shoulder. "Are you really comfortable in there?"
Melfina seemed surprised by the question. "Yes, but…I didn't think you'd be concerned about my preferences."
"It's important that we both be comfortable. If we aren't, something might go wrong and ruin the test run," he explained.
"Oh," she said quietly. So he hadn't really been concerned about her, only the Infinity Gundam. She should've expected as much. Maybe 16 was wrong about him.
Heero hit a button on the console. "Infinite One to Base. We're ready, Lt. Graves."
The radio crackled to life. "Good. Just take the Gundam through the obstacle course and then return to base."
"Roger that. Infinite One out." Heero turned his head slightly. "Can you handle the launch?"
"Yes," Melfina responded. She began to busy herself with the take-off procedures, unaware that Heero was watching her every move.
* * * * *
"Everything appears to be in order, Lt. Graves."
The soldier nodded to the scientist. "Excellent. I knew we did the right thing by picking those two."
"I do have a concern, though, sir. I wonder if picking a Gundam pilot was wise…"
"You got something against the kid?"
"No, of course not. It's just that Gundam pilots have never really been controlled before, and I don't think anything's changed. He could easily overpower Melfina and take control of the Infinity Gundam, if he wanted to."
Lt. Graves frowned. "True, but there's no reason to. We're practically giving it to him already."
The scientist grinned nervously. "It's just speculation, sir. I could be wrong." He quickly turned his attention to something else.
Lt. Graves turned to look at the Infinity Gundam as it took its first steps and flew into the air.
* * * * *
Melfina was sure that they had passed the obstacle course with flying colors. All she had to do now was make a perfect landing, and the test run would be over.
"Melfina."
She blinked and looked up. "Yes, Heero?"
"Prepare to test the time portal system."
"What? But that wasn't part of the-"
"It needs to be tested, just like everything else."
Melfina hesitated, and for good reason. The time portal system had never been mentioned as part of the test run. On the other hand, Lt. Graves had made it very clear that Heero was to be the one in charge. If he gave an order, she was supposed to obey without any questions. But going against the Infinity Project's rules wasn't a very smart thing to do.
"Well?" Heero asked, beginning to grow impatient.
Melfina sighed. "The time portal system is ready for activation."
"Set the coordinates for one week and three days ago."
"Done. Place?"
Heero paused and glanced at a small photo taped to the ceiling. "Starwind & Hawking Enterprises."
Melfina's head snapped up. "What?!"
"You heard me."
* * * * *
"You think they'll get away with it?" 17 asked.
"Yes," 16 replied. "Heero was very careful to cover his tracks. No one will notice the plans for the Infinity Gundam are gone until it is too late."
17 tilted his head slightly. "And you trust him with Melfina?"
"He will not harm her, 17. I am sure of that."
"And just why are you so sure?"
16 looked uncertain. "Well, it is only my opinion, but I think that Heero…likes her."
17's eyes widened in surprise. "Him? The guy without any emotion whatsoever likes Melfina?!"
"Humans are confusing creatures," 16 replied. "Especially Heero."
"Got that right," 17 muttered.
* * * * *
"Now what?" Melfina asked.
"Nothing," Heero replied as he stood up. "We're done."
Melfina blinked. "Shouldn't we take the Gundam back?"
"No." Heero glanced at her and picked up a duffel bag from the floor.
Melfina slowly emerged from her chamber, looking very puzzled. "But we have to take it back!"
"No," he repeated. "We don't. They said when the test was over, the Gundam was ours. Now it's yours."
"Mine?"
"Yes." Heero shifted the bag to his other shoulder. "You need it more than I do. It should pay for most of your boyfriend's debts. Though I would try to make some money with it before selling it."
Melfina started. "How did you know about Gene?"
"I make it my business to know," he replied.
"But…don't you want the Infinity Gundam?"
Heero paused. "Eventually. But I'd rather build it myself. That's why I stole the plans. I have a friend who can help me build it."
Melfina was beginning to see that Heero wasn't as cold as she'd once thought he was. "Oh. Well…thank you."
He nodded and turned, heading for the door. "Goodbye, Melfina. You're an excellent navigator."
"Wait!" she called, running to catch up with him.
Heero stopped and looked at her. "Yes?"
Melfina stared at him uncertainly, then gently kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry. It's the only way I can possibly thank you."
For a long moment, he only stared back at her. Then he blinked, shifted his bag to the other shoulder, and said, "It's enough." With that, he walked away.
A few moments later, Melfina felt a hand squeeze her shoulder. "Who was that, Mel?"
She smiled and leaned against his chest. "Just a friend, Gene. Did you miss me?"
"Well, a little," he admitted, kissing her cheek. "But you've only been gone for an hour."
Melfina blinked, and then remembered the time portal. "Oh. Right."
"Anyway, we just got a big job offer."
"Really?" she asked. "From who?"
"Some rich kid named Winner. Quatre Something Winner, I think Jim said. He's hiring us to find some material called Gundanium in deep space. It's supposed to be about half as valuable as Dragonite."
A slow smile appeared on Melfina's face. "I see. When do we leave?"
Gene grinned. "Right away. He's offering a lot of money. And unlike a certain someone we know, he doesn't find me attractive. In fact, he was actually looking at Jim most of the time. Hey, you don't think-"
Melfina pressed a finger to his lips. "Let's go." And before Gene could offer a word of protest, she pulled him towards the Outlaw Star, her smile growing wider by the minute.
The End.