Hunter
By: Jade Starlight

Chapter Four: The Unread Book and Painful Look


Relena, Hilde, and the five pilots stood at the doorway to Dr. J's hidden base.
Relena stepped up to a control panel and placed her hand on it. Hilde did so as well on
the other side of the door.
"Voice identification please," the computer asked.
"Liz Evans." An eye detector came out, scanning Relena's eyes. Then her hand
was scanned.
"Voice identification please."
"Piper Rhodes." Hilde's eyes and hand was scanned as well.
"Access granted," the computer replied. The metal door slid open, revealing a
hallway. As they approached the second door, Relena opened the control panel and
began typing.
"I just need to insert your codes into the system, or you won't be able to pass
through," she explained. Two minutes later they were through the door, and at another
one.
"Talk about tight security," Duo said.
"Dr. J wanted to take extra precautions. We've had people coming a little too
close for comfort lately, trying to destroy our base," Hilde explained. Relena started
typing in her access code, as well as the others.
"I'm surprised whoever's found it hasn't come back with an army," Quatre
commented. Relena turned around, waiting for the door to open.
"Well, everyone who has found it never had the chance to tell."
"What do you mean by that?" Trowa asked this time. Relena turned, walking
through the door.
"Hilde and I...we...well...let's just say we took care of it."
"How did you-" Duo started.
"I think you know how," Hilde said. She and Relena stopped at a door and
unlocked it. Then they took the prisoner and shoved him in the cell. Then they closed
the door and opened the slot in the door. Relena peered in and smiled.
"I hope you like this place, because you're going to be here for a very long time,"
she chirped. Then she and Hilde led the others to a stairwell, where they descended two
flights. Then they walked through double doors, and into a huge hanger where
construction of two machines was under way.
"Ah, Liz and Piper, back so soon? I thought you weren't coming home for three
days," Dr. J said, greeting the group. Relena and Hilde stood next to each other, straight
as a pin, ready to salute.
"Mission complete, sir." Relena said.
"Good, good. Is he in his cell?"
"Yes sir. Awaiting further orders." The former Gundam team was still in shock
about Hilde and Relena. They stood there completely silent.
"Your next mission is to take a break," Dr. J said with a smile. Hilde and Relena
smiled at each other and saluted again.
"Mission accepted!" they squealed. Then they hugged Dr. J and jumped up and
down.
"A couple of things before you take off. First of all, when you return, your
Gundams should be complete. Secondly, why did you bring them here?" he nodded
towards the now completely bewildered boys.
"They sort of found us, and we told them briefly of the situation. They wanted to
come," Relena said.
"I cannot believe you two. After all I've done, and you give away your cover?"
"But sir, we-"
"Liz, or should I say Relena? Don't worry, I'm not angry. I knew that your
feelings would lead you back to your friends, and I knew this would happen. But your
brother doesn't know, does he?"
"Absolutely not. If he did, I probably wouldn't be here right now."
"No, you'd be dead, Lena," Duo said. For the moment the boys were recovered.
"Well, in any case, this is fine by me. Now hurry up and go before I change my
mind and send you half way around the world on another mission."
"Okay! Bye!" The two hyperactive teens raced back the way they came, the
others close behind. All but Heero.
"Dr. J?"
"Yes Heero?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It's not my place to do so. Relena came to me wanting to start over and do what
she wanted. This was all her choice completely. I thought of telling you but she wanted
no one from her former life to know about her until she felt it was right." Heero stared
and then turned around.
"Bye," Heero started running away. Dr. j shook his head.
Apparently he still can't quite accept his emotions, he thought sadly.


Relena and Hilde dragged their suitcases out of their apartment. The boys were
waiting in the car for them. After the stuff was loaded into the back, they started heading
for the Peacecraft house.
"Where are you going?" Duo asked.
"We're taking you back home. You do still live there right?" Relena said.
"No we don't. When you two disappeared, we moved over to the Preventer's
barracks," Heero said. He was in the front with Relena, who was driving, and Quatre. In
the back were Hilde, Trowa, Duo, and Wufei. Heero didn't look at Relena once since
they left the base, and she took notice of this.
"Fine then. We'll go to Preventers." Relena turned the wheel sharply, sending
the car into a spin. Everyone yelled, except for Heero. When they were in the right
direction, Relena peeled out and sped away.
"God Relena, are you trying to kill us?!" Hilde yelled. When Relena didn't look
at her, she immediately dropped the subject. Wufei and Duo, however didn't.
"WOMAN YOU SHALL PAY!" Wufei screamed.
"RELENA, ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Duo screamed as well. Trowa and Quatre's
faces were extremely pale.
"Oh shut it you two!" she screamed back. They never heard her speak that way,
so they dropped it. Then Trowa realized something.
"How do you know where it is?" he asked. Hilde smiled. Relena did too, but it
was a bitter one.
"We've been keeping tabs on you guys. Every now and then we'd pay you a
visit, but of course you never knew it was us," Relena explained. She looked over at
Heero, who was still staring out the window. "We wanted to make sure everyone was
okay," she added. The rest of the ride was in silence again.


"See you later!" Hilde yelled to the group. The boys were retreating from the car,
but once again Heero stayed.
"Relena, we need to talk," he said. She got out of the car and followed him out of
Hilde's earshot. When they were far enough, he took her arm and spun her around so she
was facing him and caught between him and the wall of the building. She glared at him,
and he returned that with one of his own.
"What?!" she growled. Her cerulean blue eyes were burning a hole through him,
and his Persian blue eyes were doing the same to her.
"Why?" he demanded.
"Because I had to!" Tears threatened to fall, but she kept them in. Heero saw her
eyes glinting with them.
"No you didn't, Relena. Do you have any idea what you put us through?!" Their
faces were inches apart. Relena looked in his eyes and saw the emotion. She gasped.
"You wouldn't understand," she whispered. "You have no idea what I was going
through! Do you know what it feels like to have the entire world looking to you for
peace? Pressuring you to make things right when you're only one girl who doesn't have
that much power? Do you understand what it feels like staying at home because you fear
going out will get you killed? And not having any time for yourself?" The tears started
flowing. "Do you know what it's like to see the one you love put themselves on the line
for you because of your ideals? And seeing that person everyday knowing how much
you love them, but also knowing they won't ever return that feeling?" The last one was a
whisper, but Heero heard it.
"Relena you have no right to leave your duties!" She looked at him, and he saw
the sadness she felt, as well as all the pain.
"Heero, is that all you have to say?! After I pretty much spilled my heart out to
you for the second time, you still ignore it?!" She laughed bitterly, anger in it. "Typical
of you. The Perfect Soldier still stoic through and through. You know what? I think
everyone is right with what they say." She pushed herself past him, bumping his arm
hard.
"What is that?"
"You have no feelings at all, and you are just a monster!" With that she ran back
to the car, jumped in, and took off with Hilde. She didn't realize that she left a peace of
paper behind, which Heero saw and picked up.
"I'm so sorry Relena," he whispered, before heading into the building.