Gundam Wing - Kindred Spirits

by Sandrock

The year - After Century 195. Two centuries after a devastating century-long war ravaged Earth. A fragile peace exists but Earth remains a world divided. Enter Heero Yuy, one who believes himself a mere college student, but about to witness a passage of e

1. Default Chapter Title

KINDRED SPIRITS by Sandrock(sandrock@gundamwing.mailbox.as)

Legal Disclaimer
Gundam Wing belongs to someone else. That's why Kindred Spirits is fan
fiction and not an OVA series.

CHAPTER ONE - KINDRED SPIRITS

Content Guideline: All ages/mild violence

April 17 AC 195 0900hrs EST -Chinatown, Los Angeles-

The sky was a clear azure blue, a pure blanket of reflected ice crystals,
unmarred by the presence of clouds and daunted only by the shining ball of
flame that radiated its relentless heat down on one of mankind's great
metropolises. The world below moved along with the bustle and inefficiency
of any major city, harried pedestrians jostling for space on the sidewalks.
Cars and other vehicles jammed neck-to-neck, the occupants extremely free,
and
audible, with their horns. The occasional police siren could be heard, along
with the sounds of people scuffling in a fight, of glass breaking and metal
bending as cars hit each other. All the wonders and sounds of city life.

The boy surveyed all that was taking place beneath him, as he stood tall
above the organised chaos that was the city below. The wind responsible for
the cloudless sky picked up, with it providing some temporal relief from the
unrelenting heatwave that was engulfing Los Angeles. Not that the boy felt
the heat, of course. He felt the wind reach into his clothing, the gentle
tendrils of air sweeping back his unbuttoned black windbreaker into a
flowing arc, in much the same manner as his dark chestnut-brown hair, now
whipping gently in the wind.

Dropping to a crouch, his deep amethyst eyes peered out from behind a pair
of black shades, deep piercing eyes that seemed to take hold of you and
refuse to let go. He peered down from the rooftop of the eight-storey
building he was scanning the horizons from, and his gaze shifted, taking in
each corner of the street below. His eyes finally fixing on a small
convenience store located some three hundred meters down. Flipping open the
small brown folder he carried in one hand, his eyes shifted down to read
through the lines as though confirming something, then swept up to stare at
the convenience store one more time.

He whispered to himself, in a voice that could only be described
as...smooth.

"He's there."

Deftly leaping to his feet, the boy made his way across the rooftop,
descending down the fire escape as silently as he had arrived.

The wind died, first into a fluttering breeze, then into nothingness.

*****

April 17 AC 195 2100hrs SGT(0900hrs EST) -The Central Business District,
Singapore-

Siting one's office at the top of a skyscraper had its advantages, thought
Quatre Raberba Winner as he took a deep breath, leaning against the railing
of the full-length windows. Gazing out those windows, he looked out at the
city beyond that mixed together the neo-titanium and transpari-steel
skyscrapers that technological advancements had provided, with the
remodelled quaint concrete two-storey 'shophouses' that had been the city's
only infrastructure centuries ago. A city bathed in an orange glow from the
lights that provided refuge from twilight.

The blond teenager walked slowly away from the windows, seating himself
firmly in the large chair situated behind an ornate table. The table of the
CEO of one of the largest neo-titanium manufacturing corporations on the
planet. Quatre had inherited the Maganac Corporation from his late father,
who had
died somewhat unexpectedly in an accident during a routine walkabout at one
of the processing plants in lunar orbit. At first, there had been concerns
that he was not up to the challenge, but the young blond had proven himself
against all his critics. He allowed himself a contented smile as he picked
up a china cup from a sidetable, taking a sip of strong black coffee.

An insistent beeping from the companel on the table spoiled the moment.
Composing himself, though not entirely able to mask his annoyance at being
disturbed, he slapped the 'receive' button, his voice soft, yet with a hint
of contempt.

"Yes, Rashid?"

The deep male voice of his personal assistant responded through the speaker,
"Sir, the person you were expecting has... arrived."

A momentary tinge of uneasiness crept up Quatre's spine. Trying to shake off
the chilling effect, the blond teen took a deep breath and another sip of
coffee and nodded, "Send him in."

Standing up, Quatre Winner made his way towards the polished-oak double
doors that led into his office, reaching them just as the large frame of
Rashid pushed them slowly open, admitting both him, and the black-clad youth
he was escorting.

Quatre forced a smile, as he extended a hand towards the newcomer, "Glad you
could make it, Mr. Maxwell." The newcomer nodded, reciprocating the
handshake. He didn't seem to bother that Quatre had gripped his hand harder
than was absolutely necessary. Gesturing towards the table, Quatre motioned
for the other youth to sit, as Rashid closed the doors behind them.

Seating himself primly in his own chair on the other side of the table,
Quatre Raberba Winner took a moment to assess the person in front of him.
Mr. Maxwell, as he knew him, was wearing a deep, all-black windbreaker, worn
loosely over a light grey t-shirt that clung tightly to his sleek,
well-toned body. Coupled with a black jockey cap, deep blue jeans and a pair
of black shades, Mr. Maxwell looked like one of the many ordinary youths you
could pick off the streets. Especially with that smirk on his face.

The smirk broke into a grin, as the youth leaned back, allowing a
waist-length braid of chestnut-brown hair to dangle from behind the chair,
as he put his feet, along with the pair of high-cut sneakers they were in,
on the table.

Quatre gritted his teeth, forcing a nasty smile. His voice was tight,
controlled, as he spoke, "Have you confirmed... it?"

The braided youth nodded, taking of his cap and twirling it on one finger,
revealing a thick mess of chestnut-brown locks that almost covered his deep
amethyst eyes, "Oh yeah... it's all true. Every single last thing I told ya
about. It's all in there if ya don't believe me.". He tossed a large brown
envelope on the table, whistling softly.

Quatre scowled at him, "I... see."

The braided youth took his feet of the table, sitting upright and folding
his arms across the table, "I take it... this means you'll support us?"

The blond youth picked up the envelope, staring at it for a moment, "I don't
suppose I have a choice." He pressed the comlink on the table, "Rashid,
prepare the documents and see that they are sent according to my previous
instructions."

*Very good, sir."

The braided youth grinned again, leaping to his feet, already making his way
to the double doors, "Well then, it was a pleasure doing business with you,
Quatre."

Quatre sighed, "I suppose the same can be said of you, Mr. Maxwell. I just
hope I'm not getting myself into more than I can handle."

The braided youth winked at him as he left, his parting sentence somewhat
muffled by the door, yet still audible.

"Call me... Solo, Quatre. Everyone else does anyway."

******

April 17 AC 195 0915 hrs EST Chinatown, Los Angeles

Only a handful of customers, thought the young Japanese boy behind the
counter, as he wiped up yet another spill from a careless customer who had
knocked over her hot chocolate while trying to pay for it. His deep blue
eyes kept a constant watch on the aisles of the store, his vision only
slightly obstructed by the thick locks of deep brown hair that swept down
his face. He put away the cloth, closing the cash register as the careless
customer left, the cheery 'ding' of the bell on the door marking her exit.

The Asian youth sighed. He had only been on the job for two weeks, and he
was already regretting his decision... but he needed a means by which to pay
for his studies, and what his folks back in Japan were sending him was
barely enough to meet the inflated prices this year, so he had figured this
was the best of bad choices. But, three robberies in the last week alone was
enough to unnerve anyone, especially one as unaccustomed as he was to life
in the City of Angels.

His train of thought broke as he spotted a suspicious looking character,
lurking in the back aisles of the store. The Japanese youth mentally noted
that he'd been skulking around the back for nearly ten minutes now, not
moving very much, randomly picking up and looking at some items. However, as
though suddenly aware that he'd been spotted, he walked hurriedly to the
opposite side of the store, where they kept the juices and milk.

The Japanese teen manning the store narrowed his eyes, taking a mental
picture of the suspicious customer, in the likely event he'd need to
describe him later. Averagely tall, the customer looked to be a typical
American, in his teens, and was wearing a black jockey cap that covered his
head. It wasn't much use at concealing his hair color, though, as a thick
waist-length braid of hair swept down from behind his shoulders. He was
wearing a deep black windbreaker, unbuttoned over a white t-shirt that was
snugly clinging to his form, a pair of dark blue denim jeans and high-cut
sneakers, finished off with a pair of black shades.

The Japanese boy snorted *Typical troublemaker. A foolish one, no doubt, but
still a troublemaker*. He grunted. Anyone stupid enough to wear
a -windbreaker- in this heat had to be a few screws loose.

A light tap on his shoulder broke his intent gaze on the black-clad youth.
Turning his head, the Japanese boy inhaled sharply, stepping back from the
counter, and the large, unshaven man pointing a pistol at him.

The man breathed heavily, sending pungent whiffs that smelt distinctively of
stale alcohol and anchovies in the Japanese boy's direction, aiming the gun
at the boy's chest, his voice gruff, "Ya know the routine."

The Japanese boy nodded, opening the cash register and filling a paper bag
with its contents, all the while keeping a wary eye on the gun trained at
him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a hint of black moving up from
the back aisles. What was the black-clad youth up to? He glanced back at the
man holding him at gunpoint. The guy was too engrossed in watching him fill
up the bag to notice anyone else in the store.

"Hey."

Both the man and the Japanese boy whipped their heads in the direction of
the voice, finding themselves staring at the black-clad youth now standing
next to the large robber. The youth had both hands on his hips, and a cheeky
grin on his face.

"I suggest you put down the gun, turn around, and get your sorry ass outta
this place before I do it for you."


For a moment, all the man did was stare at the youth. Without a word, he
turned back to the Japanese boy behind the counter, motioning for him to
continue transferring the cash.

"Hey! I said put the damn gun down and get the hell outta here!"

The large-sized man grunted, and whipped the gun around, pointing it
squarely at the black-clad youth's chest.

The youth frowned, looking down at the weapon pointed at him, then up again
at the man. His voice was grim when he spoke.

"You'd better get that thing outta my face before I make you regret it."

The Japanese youth could see the robber's face turning redder and redder.
What the hell was that kid trying to do? Get himself killed? Was this some
sort of crazy diversion? The kid was speaking again.

"What say you play nice and listen to me, huh?"

The man squeezed the trigger. The bullet hit the youth square in the chest.

The Japanese youth backed away instinctively, his back hitting the ice-cream
machines, his heart beating furiously. *I'm next.*

"Wrong answer."

His head whipped around. *He's still standing. The boy was still standing!*

His shirt was drenched with blood, and the Japanese youth could see the hole
in his shirt where the bullet had struck, but... the black-clad youth was
still standing, his face grim rather than stricken.

By now, the robber had probably realized that something was not right, and
had backed away from the black-clad youth somewhat, the weapon still pointed
at him.

The youth began walking towards him. Slowly.

The man fired again. And again. And again. Each round struck the youth with
precise accuracy, but the end effect would've been the same if he had
missed. The boy just seemed to shrug off the bullets, his face not even
registering pain when hit.

All of a sudden, the youth charged forward. With deadly speed. It was all
the Japanese youth could do to follow his movements.

The weapon flew out of the man's hand, landing several meters down the aisle
looking somewhat bent out of shape.

A hand clenched around the front of the man's shirt, and for the second time
that day, the Japanese youth tried to back away as he realized that the
black-clad kid was holding the large-sized would-be robber two feet off the
ground.

The would-be robber panicked, and realizing his violent struggling didn't
seem to have any effect on the boy's grasp on his shirt, brought his right
arm up in the wide arc of a roundhouse punch.

The braided youth's free hand came up as well, stopping the blow head-on by
intercepting the guy's fist. The youth smiled. He applied pressure, and the
sickly *crack* of bone snapping filled the room as he crushed the man's fist
in his own. He released the broken hand, and a dark smile crossed his face
as he glared at the now whimpering man.

"Bye."

He threw the robber-wannabe out the door, sending him flying out on the
pavement in a hail of shattered glass and metal. Several vehicles horned and
some pedestrians swore as they sidestepped the new obstruction, eyes
carefully averted, not looking in the store.

The black-clad youth made a show of dusting his hands, breaking into a grin
as he turned to face the now-somewhat-pale Japanese store assistant. Leaning
against the counter, he eyed the petrified teen.

"Omae no namae wa Yuy Heero desu ka?"

The Japanese teen behind the counter blinked. ~Is your name Heero Yuy?~ The
braided youth, the braided -American- youth had just spoken to him in fluent
Japanese.

Heero found his voice, "H...Hai."

The braided youth winked at him, "Glad ta meet ya. I'm Duo Maxwell. You can
call me Duo. Everyone else does, anyway." He stretched a hand out towards
the Japanese boy.

Heero eyed the hand warily.

As though sensing his uneasiness, Duo chuckled lightly, reaching over
instead to pat Heero on the shoulder.

The Japanese youth winced slightly, managing to ask, "What do you want?"

Duo tugged playfully at his braid, "Well... that's kinda hard to explain...
all I can say is that..."

He paused.

"I was sent to find you."

*****

CHAPTER TWO - ETERNAL DESTINY

Content Guideline: All ages/mild violence/sexual themes

April 17 AC 195 Singapore

Quatre Raberba Winner leaned heavily into the large comforting contours of
his chair as he watched the huge oak double doors of his office slowly
close, an almost inaudible creaking marking their progress. He found himself
thinking, pondering on what had just transpired. Mulling over what he had
just agreed to. It had been an incessant worry for a number of months now,
starting with his first meeting with Solo Maxwell.

He clenched a fist, his face growing slightly dark. Quatre had been
travelling along a relatively clear road in central Los Angeles, heading
back to Asia after an important conference regarding a company he had just
acquired. All of a sudden, a teenage guy had just dashed across the road,
right in front of his car. The driver had attempted to stop, but the boy had
been too close, and the inevitable had happened.

Quatre blinked.

*I should just have left him there.*

Immediately, he chided himself for thinking that. A voice in his mind seemed
to stir.

*Quatre, you know that's not really you. You try to put up this gruff
exterior, you try to be unemotional, distant to everyone, including your
family, but, you know, deep down.... it's not really you.*

The young blond shook his head violently, his thoughts warring within.

*No, no doubts!. I have to be... like this. I can't be weak. I have to
be strong!*

He slumped in his chair, swivelling around to stare at the city skyline,
trying to derive solace, a sliver of sanctuary from his rampaging inner
thoughts.

He had gotten out of the car, rushed to the front where the boy he had
knocked down was lying motionless. The road had been marred with a deep red
that was only too sickeningly familiar. Quatre could not help but grimace at
the sight. He had shouted for the driver to call for the paramedics,
simultaneously reaching to feel the boy's neck, careful not to move him in
any way. A faint sense of hope stirred inside Quatre as he felt the steady,
if faint, beating of the boy's pulse.

The paramedics had been fast, reaching the scene within minutes. As they
loaded the boy carefully into the ambulance, Quatre had taken a moment to
study the boy. Most of his features were covered with blood, it was hard to
see anything, and his eyes were closed. He was dressed simply, most of it
now stained red. One thing Quatre hadn't been able to miss, though, was the
thick, long braid of chestnut-brown hair flowing down the length of his
back.

Quatre had spoken to the paramedics, informing them to charge the boy's
medical expenses to his corporate account. The Maganac Corporation was large
enough to be recognised world-wide, and the paramedic's eyes widened ever so
slightly as he realised who he was talking to. Quatre had also left
instructions to be informed of the boy's status, despite knowing that, from
the look in the paramedic's eyes, the boy's chances of survival were very
slim.

Two weeks later, Quatre had received a letter from the Los Angeles hospital
the boy had been sent to, stating that the boy had made a complete
recovery after days in intensive care. The report did not elaborate, and
Quatre did not ask. The boy had survived, and that was all he needed to
know.

The blond teen sighed. Several days after that, the boy had shown up at his
office, identifying himself as Solo Maxwell. Everything had gone downhill
from there.

A sudden rush of feeling struck Quatre hard, breaking his train of
thought, and he reacted as though somebody had punched him. Looking up at
the door to his office, he whispered a single word, a name.

"Iria."

She was outside. Somehow, Quatre knew it.

The door flew open with a bang, admitting a young woman, older than Quatre
by a few years, her short crop of brunette hair a marked contrast to
Quatre's blond. She stood at the door for a moment, watching as Quatre gazed
coolly at her, coming to the realization that Quatre wasn't surprised to see
her. She was carrying a small black folder nestled in one arm, her face a
stolid mask that seemed to be keeping a raging fire barely in check. Quatre
listened as her heels made soft, repetitive clicking sounds against the hard
blue marble that tiled the floor, watched as the indignation he felt
seething in her allowed itself to invade the way she walked.

She reached his table. And slammed the folder down hard, a resounding crack
that startled even herself. Quatre remained still.

Iria Winner, older sister of Quatre Raberba Winner and Vice-President of
the Maganac Corporation, stared down at her younger brother seated in his
chair. Her voice was ice.

"Would you care to explain what all this is about? And why was it sprung on
me only now?"

Quatre looked at her, meeting her cold gaze with one of his own, his hands
folded on the table. He spoke.

"Rashid."

The large man entered the room, "Yes, sir?"

Quatre turned on him, his deep sapphire eyes gleaming like shards of
crystal, his brow furried into a frown, "What did I tell you about letting
anyone in here unannounced?"

Rashid gave a start, then found himself standing up a little straighter.

"Sir, I-", he began.

Quatre slammed a fist down on the table, cutting him short, "No excuses,
Rashid! No one is supposed to come in here without me knowing beforehand!"
The nagging voice that lived inside his head sprung to life. *But you
knew...* Quatre gritted his teeth, and tried to ignore it.

The large man looked chatised, "I didn't expect that you'd include Miss
Iria-", he was cut off again, backing away slightly as Quatre shouted in
fury.

"NO one, Rashid! No one at all! Is that clear?!"

Rashid was trembling, "As...as you command, sir."

Quatre snarled, "Get out of here. Now.", turning his back even before Rashid
left the office. He didn't want anyone to see the sickened look on his face.

The voice whispered in his head. You were too hard on him. He doesn't know
why you're so insistent on this. You don't want anyone to know, do you?
You -don't- need anyone to tell you who'll be through that door next. You
kn-

Quatre yelled, shaking his head violently, "Shut up!!"

"I haven't said a thing. Besides asking you that question. Which you still
haven't answered."

The young blond shivered, having forgotten that Iria was still standing
there. Masking his face with cool detachment again, he turned back to look
at her. The indignation on her face was still evident, though Quatre
could... tell that a tinge of worry had crept into her. He flushed. She was
worried about -him-.

Quatre spoke, his voice steady and firm, "All you have to know is that you
have to approve it. And sign there.", he pointed casually towards the
folder.

She picked up the folder, staring at her brother's signature on the
documents, staring at the empty space next to it where her signature was
supposed to be, looking up at Quatre incredously, "You want me to approve
diverting almost twenty percent of our financial resources into the black
fund? Without knowing what it's going in there for? Are you out of your
mind?"

Quatre simply looked at her, "Sign it, or I'll find someone who -will-." The
threat was evident.

The young blond watched as his sister stiffened in front of him. Inside,
Quatre trembled. Please, Iria, don't fight. I can't back down, but I would
rather die than do this to you... please, sister...

Her face was a blank mask, but Quatre could feel the fury bottled up inside
her. When she spoke, her voice was a match for his.

"Very well then, sir...". She didn't emphasise the title, nor was there any
trace of sarcasm in her voice, but that she had called him that struck
Quatre hard. Iria made her way out of the office slowly, turning back once
she reached the door, the look on her face clearly one of disappointment,
and hurt.

"I'll have it signed by tomorrow morning.". The door slammed shut behind
her.

Reaching into one of his drawers, Quatre drew out a small remote control and
aimed it at the door, a soft click indicating the lock had been activated.
He put it away mechanically, swivelling his chair to face the skyline.

And wept. Silently.

I'm sorry... Iria... Rashid... I'm... sorry.

*****

AC 195 April 17 Los Angeles

The two youths simply looked at each other for what seemed like ages, one
whose face was a mask of incomprehension, the other, a knowing yet
mischevious smirk.

Heero Yuy swallowed, a little uncomfortably, as he met the gaze of the
black-clad youth smirking at him as though nothing had happened.
Lifting a hand to brush away the locks of dark brown hair obscuring his
vision, Heero found his voice. Deep blue met sparkling amethyst.

"You were... sent to find me?"

Duo Maxwell broke into a grin, placing his hands on his hips, "That's
right."

Heero tensed visibly. Sometimes, having someone sent to 'find' you meant a
lot more than being invited over for tea. Especially if the one sent was
dressed like Death itself, and had just thrown a man three times his size
out the front door like a piece of paper.

His eyes scanned the counter for something... anything he could possilbly
use as a weapon, for all the good it would do. After seeing what the youth
standing in front of him could do, he bore no illusions that if it came down
to defending himself... he wouldn't stand a chance.

Duo quirked an eyebrow at him, as though realizing what Heero was thinking.

He rolled his eyes, sighing, "Look, here's the deal. I'm not gonna hurt you
or anything. I
was sent to find you, not -kill- you! Why do ya think I saved you from that
jackass?!"

The Japanese youth stared at the other boy. His mind was screaming at him,
yelling caution and danger at every turn. Yet, the boy was... vaguely
familiar. Something intangible within him was responding to this youth, he
bore a sense of closeness, of familiarity. Like...

... a kindred spirit.

Despite what his mind was saying, instinct was telling him to trust the boy.
He looked down.

"Who's... looking for me?"

The one who called himself Duo grinned broadly as he leaned forward to place
one elbow on the counter, propping his head up on his hand as huge amethyst
eyes blinked at Heero. His free hand came up to wag a finger at the Japanese
youth.

"I can't tell ya that. Not just now, anyway. I was only supposed to locate
you, then bring you back with me."

Heero tensed again. The fears returned.

"Where are you supposed to take me?".

Duo stared at the boy behind the counter for a moment, sighing. Gazing
firmly into Heero's eyes, he reached over and placed a hand on Heero's
shoulder, squeezing lightly, a gesture meant to help him relax.

Instead, Duo felt Heero tense even more, trembling slightly.

The braided teen shook his head in desperation. Heero was too shaken up by
what transpired to listen to him rationally. He sighed. His job might have
been a little easier if he hadn't intervened. After all, the robber would've
just left after getting his cash, and Duo would've had all the time in the
world to work on Heero. *Why'd I have to go and butt in?*

Duo shook his head. It wasn't that. Something had just... triggered inside
him when he saw Heero at gunpoint. It was odd, almost inexplicable really,
but there had been an overwhelming urge to protect him, to prevent him from
getting hurt.

He turned back to the Japanese youth still looking at him and trembling.
There would be time enough later to deal with his odd reaction. He spoke,
his voice soft.

"Look, Heero... I know you have no reason to trust me, and I know I didn't
exactly make a good first impression... but you gotta believe me when I say
I'm not gonna hurt you. I know the only thing on your mind right now is to
run away or hide or something... but I'm not lying, Heero. I don't lie. I'm
here to protect
you."

Heero blinked.

*I know the only thing on your mind right now is to run away or hide or
something...*

**He runs... he hides...**

*...but I'm not lying, Heero. I don't lie.*

**... but he never lies.**

The odd sense of trust returned. He looked up at the braided teen.

"Okay."

Duo smiled, "Cool. Now, I know ya probably can't go anywhere right now,", he
stared at the mess in front of the store, his smile becoming somewhat
sheepish, "... heh... sorry 'bout the mess... I know you're probably the one
whose gonna clean it up, but I'll pay for the damages."

He turned to look at Heero again, "Can you meet me at lunch? There's a quiet
alley way five blocks down. I'll bring you to them, then."

Their eyes met.

Heero nodded.

*****

AC 195 April 17 Singapore

Quatre Raberba Winner drew his jacket tightly around his small frame, trying
to ward off the chilly night breeze that sent his light-golden locks flying
in all directions as he patiently waited for the open-air transport to
shuttle him to the private jet awaiting his arrival somewhere on the huge
runways of Singapore's Changi Airport. He shivered slightly, his mind making
a feeble effort at blocking out all his stray thoughts.

Next to him, Rashid stood silently, aloof and withdrawn. Quatre tried to
ignore him, even while a small part screamed at him to go and salvage this
situation. *I... can't back down.*

The silhouette of his private jet came into view, and Quatre uttered a
silent prayer of thanks. The transport eased to a halt, and both passengers
alighted, making their way towards the aircraft. The aircraft crew nodded
politely by way of greeting as he boarded, and he asked one of the
attendants a passing question.

She smiled, with the practiced grace and charm of all flight crew, "If we
take off immediately, we should reach Los Angeles around 2pm EST."

Quatre nodded, "Tell the pilot to do so. Rashid, take the bags and put them
away. Then, get some rest. I'll take care of things myself."

"Th..thank you, sir."

*****

AC 195 April 17 Los Angeles

The store finally cleaned up, Heero Yuy gave a quick wave to the colleague
who was taking over from him. Grateful to finally be able to change out of
the
gaudy green-and-blue uniform of that particular convenience chain, he had
garbed himself in his more familiar, and comfortable, t-shirt and jeans
ensemble. Normally, he would spend the time walking home planning out the
rest of his day, when he had to be at the campus for class, and if he had
any social activities planned for the night. Today, however, as he made his
way towards the alleyway five blocks down, Heero found himself thinking
about the enigmatic black-clad youth who had just stormed into his life this
morning. Who the hell was he? And how did he do... all that?

Most importantly... why the hell did he seem so familiar?

Heero shook his head, his mind unable to shake the memory of Duo's startling
abilities. It couldn't be anything to do with the genetic modification
fiasco of the decade before, could it? The whole project had been scrapped
by the Euro-American Alliance after the initial tests had produced...
horrifying results in the test subjects. Besides, the Asian Federation had
made quite a huge political ruckus over the incident and in the interest of
maintaining the world peace that had lasted for centuries, the Alliance had
scrapped the project.

"~Heeeeero!~"

So deep in thought was Heero, that he jumped as the shrill voice
reverberated around the street. Flushing red, ignoring the odd looks the
passersby were giving him, he turned to face the one he knew would be there.
He forced a smile, staring at the girl now hooked onto his arm.

"Misako... uh... hi...", he managed to say, as he gently tried to remove her
vise-like grip on his upper arm.

Inwardly, Heero sighed. Misako was a fellow student from his school, taking
most of the same classes he was. That meant they spent a lot of time
together. Cheerful to the point of bubbly, she had attached herself to him
from the first day he had stepped into class. When she discovered he was
from Tokyo as well, everything had gotten worse.

She grinned, swinging her free hand melodramatically as she walked, "So,
whatcha doin', Heero-kun?". The hand gripping Heero's arm squeezed tighter,
"Wait... don't tell me... you've been working out, right?"

Heero, still trying to pry off her hand, looked at her silently. Deep black
curled locks swept down towards her shoulders, outlining her petite frame as
she walked, an ironic contrast to the bright psychedelic colors she loved to
wear. Large brown eyes gazed fondly at him, casting a look so demure it had
to be fake. The ring she had pierced into her nose didn't help much either.

Heero supposed she could be considered... nice. In a way. After a fashion.

Heero, realizing he was staring at her, abruptly turned his head, casting
his gaze down, "I'm meeting someone. An old...friend."

Immediately, she let go of his arm, and stopped walking. Heero suppressed a
sigh. *Not again.* Why did she have to do this -everytime- he said he was
busy?

He turned back to where she had stopped.

She was looking down.

"I thought... we could have lunch together."

Shaking his head slightly, he walked the few steps back towards her,
"Look... Misako, I promised him I'd meet him today. He said it was really
important."

To his surprise, she brightened up visibly. She met his gaze, grinning
madly, "Oh... I see! You're going to meet a -him-... uh, I mean, you're
gonna meet -him-! In that case, I don't see why you shouldn't..."

She paused momentarily, then quietly asked, "Meet you for dinner?"

Heero repressed a shudder as he realized the reason for her change in mood.
In the moment of confusion as the thought sank in, he answered, saying the
first thing that came to mind.

"Uh... yeah..."

The girl made a sound much like a rat being stepped down, and looked as
though she were about to faint. She leapt at him, wrapped her arms around
him, and landed a kiss right smack on his lips. Her eyes were closed, so she
didn't have the opportunity to see the way Heero's eyes bulged out in shock.

He tried frantically to extricate himself, tried to push her away. From the
sounds she was making, it appeared she thought he was trying to grope her.

Heero flushed a deeper red.

Finally, after five infinite seconds, she broke the kiss, running away
laughing, shouting back at him, "Great! See ya at seven, then!" She blew
another kiss at him.

A deeper, smooth voice broke into Heero's now numbed mind.

"That was... amusing."

He jerked in the direction of the voice, spotting Duo leaning against a wall
a few meters ahead, grinning at him. Walking hastily towards the boy, he
said simply, "She's a... classmate."

Duo quirked an eyebrow, still grinning, "A classmate... Right."

Heero glared at him for a second, before realizing who he was glaring at,
then hastily looked at his feet.

The amused lilt in Duo's voice remained, "C'mon, let's get you in the ca-."

Abruptly, Duo halted.

Heero looked up. Duo was staring at something far off in the distance, up at
one of the buildings.

Heero squinted in that direction. Nothing.

He was about to turn back towards the black-clad American, when Duo suddenly
yelled, "Get down!"

Heero had no time to react before Duo grabbed his shoulder and shoved him
away. The Japanese youth hit the ground with a dull thud, wincing from the
impact. He looked up, allowing a slight tinge of irritation to creep into
his voice, a mere shadow of what he was feeling within, "What was that
all...? He cut short abruptly as he saw what Duo was holding. The braided
youth's hand was right at the spot where Heero's heart would've been if he
had been standing. A hand that was clutching at the long shaft of a crossbow
bolt.

Heero's mind froze, putting two and two together. A crossbow. Someone had
fired a crossbow bolt at him. The weapon of choice of professional
assassins. Silent, yet as accurate and deadly as any firearm, the crossbow
had been revived from it's medieval inception and enhanced with modern
technology into a weapon feared by rich
businessmen and politicians alike. But, certainly not one a Japanese
university student struggling to earn a living should have to worry about.

Duo tightened his grip on the bolt, snapping the wooden shaft in half as
Heero scrambled to his feet, hissing, "What the hell is this, Duo? What have
you gotten me into?!". He didn't care who Duo was anymore, or if he would
take offense at being talked to like that. The anger inside Heero had to
come out, and he was doing a fine job of it now.

Duo had the decency to look a little... shamed. He looked at Heero, "Don't
ask. Come." He grabbed Heero by the arm, literally dragging the other boy
with him towards a small, unmarked car. He motioned for Heero to get in,
waiting for him before getting in himself, starting the engine, and driving
off.

*****

The assassin removed the scope affixed in front of his eye and deactivated
it. Deep blue eyes watched the small car as it drove off. Dismantling the
crossbow, and placing it back in its casing, the youth couldn't help but
shake his head in disgust. He had been too late. -They- had gotten to him
first.

Opening a seperate bag, he accidentally tossed out a large brown folder, its
contents spilling out on the floor. A large photo of Heero Yuy fell out,
along with some documents clearly marked 'CONFIDENTIAL'. Documents clearly
marked with the seal of the Asian Federation. The youth slammed a fist on
the floor. A lot of people had risked their lives to gain that data... and
he had screwed it all up by being too late.

Fishing out a small mirror and some hairstyling tools, the youth busied
himself with his hair. He usually made it a point to disguise himself while
on such missions, in the unlikely event that he was discovered, he had a
completely seperate identity to use. No one would be able to recognize him.

No one had caught him before. And he had never missed his target. Until now.
And it was only because of that Maxwell kid.

With practiced ease, his blue eyes deep in concentration as he worked to
style his thick brown locks back into the way he usually wore his hair,
brushed forward into a thick bang that covered one eye, something he felt
added to the aura of mystery that surrounded him. Removing the contacts that
changed his eye color, he blinked twice, and deep brown eyes stared
wistfully out the window once more, gazing where he had missed his first
target. For the moment.

Unhurriedly packing his tools, he retrieved the scattered folder and placed
in back in the bag. He stood up, silently, and proceeded to report his
failure.

*****

Heero was silent as he sat in the car, watching Duo warily as he drove,
swerving recklessly yet precisely through midday traffic. For once, Duo
wasn't saying anything either.

The Japanese youth looked at him for a full minute before speaking.

"Duo."

"Yeah?"

"....Thank you."

The braided teen glanced over his shoulder at Heero, a questioning look
evident on his face, "For what?"

"For saving me again. If you hadn't... intercepted that arrow..."

Duo grinned, brushing it aside with a wave of his hand, "Don't mention it."

Heero paused for a moment, as if deciding something.

"Duo... can I ask you something?"

Duo looked at him, "Sure... I guess... no, wait, hold that thought. We're
here."

The car was pulling up to a large unmarked door, nestled almost invisibly
along a side road. On cue, the door began sliding open, admitting the
vehicle. Duo drummed his fingers on the dashboard as they waited for the
door to close behind them, sending the cavernous room they were in into
pitch blackness.

Without warning, the vehicle began moving on its own power, and it took
Heero a few seconds to get accustomed to the darkness to realize that they
were on a conveyor belt. The conveyor turned left, into a large elevator
built into the wall. The doors of the elevator closed behind them, and Heero
felt his gut rise as the elevator plummeted downwards at great speed. In the
meantime, Duo had reclined his seat, and his feet were now resting on the
dashboard. He quirked yet another grin at Heero.

Abruptly, the lift stopped, and the doors opened, revealing a small
reception chamber. Three people were standing there, apparently ready to
greet him.

Duo leaped out of the car, walking up to the trio. Heero heard him saying
something that sounded vaguely like, "That's him."

The first person nodded.

Heero slowly opened the car door, heading in their direction, taking the
time to study the three. The man in the lead towered over his two companions
and Duo, and fine tendrils of soft hair curved down towards his shoulder,
the stark white color accentuating the light blue of his eyes. He was
dressed in simple shades of cream and white, the only element of color a
small badge he wore on the left breast of his coat. Shaped like a long
silver sword surrounded by a wreath of green laurels, the badge glinted in
the room's illumination.

His two companions were female. The one on his left had short-cropped dark
blue hair with a slight fringe that favored the right side of her face,
slightly covering her eyes. The one on his right had light brown hair that
was nearly as long as Duo's, reaching her waist, tied into a neat ponytail
as opposed to Duo's braid. A neat fringe framed her ice-blue eyes. Both were
wearing muted greys, and the same badge.

It was beginning to look like some cheesy science fiction show.

The man in front extended a hand to Heero, his deep sonorous voice
reverberating throughout the room.

"You are Heero Yuy? Good. My name is Zechs Merquise, I am director of
operations here. These are my associates, Lucrezia Noin, and Relena
Darlian."

Both the women nodded at him.

Heero's gaze took it all three of them, "Are you the ones looking for me?"

Zechs' smile was... knowing, "Yes and no. If you'll follow me, I'll bring
you to those who asked for your presence."

At Heero's nod, Zechs turned to Duo, a small smile on his face, "Excellent
performace, Duo. Father would be proud of your work today. Why don't you go
report to Sister? Solo should be back soon, and according to our logs, both
of you are well past your scheduled maint-". An insistent tap on his
shoulder made Zechs look at Relena, a frown evident on her face. She turned
to the braided youth, "Go see Sister, Duo. She's been waiting for you."

Duo shrugged, "Whatever." He winked at Heero before leaving, "Catch ya
later!", exiting through a side door.

The one introduced as Lucrezia Noin took Heero by the arm, leading him
through another door, with Zechs and Relena bringing up the rear. They made
their way through what seemed to Heero to be a rabbit warren, identical
grey-painted corridors illuminated brightly with numerous flourescent
lights. After twisting and turning for about five minutes, Heero abruptly
stopped, turning to face the three, his face portraying an emotion that
could have been adamance... or fear.

"Look... I'm not going to go further until I get at least -some- of my
questions answered."

Zechs eyed him slowly, and Heero felt an unconscious urge to back away... to
back down. He fought the urge, forcing himself to meet Zechs' gaze.

The white-haired man nodded, "Very well, then. I will answer -one- question,
and no more. Those seeking you do not like being kept in waiting."

Heero released the breath he had been holding. They had actually agreed,
given in to his demand! Hurriedly, he went through all the questions running
through his mind, choosing the one thing he wanted to know. He would soon
find out who was looking for him, and why, so that wasn't necessary.... that
left...

"Who is Duo?"

Relena and Noin stiffened as though he had slapped them. Immediately, the
brown-haired girl pulled Zechs away, out of Heero's hearing range.

Zechs eyed her strangely, "We agreed to answer one question. No exceptions."

She frowned at him, "We can't tell him -that-! Not even the staff here know
what Duo is! We don't even know if this is the Heero we're looking for, and
if he is, whether he'll agree with what we want!"

Zechs shook his head gently, "That's why we need to build up his trust. And
we have to do it -now-. We -have- to tell him. Besides, even if he turns out
to be a fake, he can be disposed of. The only way he leaves here is in full
agreement with us. Or dead."

Relena's frown remained, "I don't suppose we have a choice then." She turned
away.

Zechs shrugged to himself, walking back towards Heero, smiling slightly,
"Very well, then. Simply put, Duo Maxwell is a cybernetically-augmented
clone, one of two built by this organization. He, and his twin, Solo axwell,
were created from DNA extracted from the victim of a vehicle accident
several months back. The person's name was Blake Richardson, one of the few
positively identified as potentially compatible to the cybernetics program.
From him, we created two clones, spitting images of Blake, and we named
them. Solo, and Duo. The first, and the second. The scientist in charge,
Professor Maxwell, then augmented the clones with the latest in the
cybernetics field. The result: two enhanced humans, with unequalled
strength, speed, hearing, sight... everything. Coupled with the transfer of
the original subject's personality, Solo and Duo are unmatched in what they
do best, covert operations, and anything else we need of them."

Without waiting for Heero to absorb what he had just learnt, Zechs resumed
walking, dragging the boy along, "Now then, shall we?"

Heero Yuy allowed himself to be led.

Duo...

Led towards whatever was awaiting him.

Blake...

His future.

What do they want with me?

His fate.

Somebody answer me.

His destiny.

*****

CHAPTER THREE - THE ILLUSION OF TRUTH

Content Guideline: Be warned! Extreme violence.

April 17 AC 195 01:00pm EST Los Angeles Outskirts, Euro-American
Alliance

The young Asian boy named Heero Yuy followed the three blindly, walking as
they guided, not seeing or hearing. His mind raced with thoughts. Thoughts
of the enigmatic black-clad youth he had discovered was no ordinary kid.

*Duo... is a cyborg?*

*What do they want with me? Why I am special?*

His breath caught in his throat.

*Are they going to turn me... into...*

The three people leading Heero stopped in front of a large entrance, the
wooden panels of the double-doors painted the same stark gray as the walls.
A strange symbol, impossible for Heero to describe, lay etched on either
door. Zechs Merquise turned to his two associates, and nodded. Lucrezia Noin
took the left door, and Relena Darlian took the right. Zechs turned to face
Heero.

"They are waiting for you."

Both women pushed the doors open simultaneously. The room was large,
expansive, and at best, could be described as functional. The floor was gray
carpet, the walls, a pristine white. The only illumination in the room came
from halogen bulbs in the ceiling, thankfully, and Heero found himself
staring a large floodlight
affixed to the ceiling aimed at the doorway, the bulbs within glowing red as
they cooled down.

A rumbling cough caught his attention, and his head turned to the front.

Arrayed in front of him, seated at a long, polished-oak table, were five...
people.

They were all dressed in the same white garb that Zechs was wearing, the
strange symbol from the door pinned on the left of their shirts. They were
all smiling at him... or at least, showing teeth.

The first from the left was a tall, balding man. He sported no distinctive
features, and had a stern visage. Heero quickly shifted his gaze to the
next. The man next to him was somewhat plump, and he had the look of one who
perspired profusely. A wire-thin black mustache complemented the thinning
black hair on his head, and he had a wierd smirk on his face. The third man,
in the center, wore a lab-coat over his white garb, and had a pair of
strange spectacles obscuring his eyes, his coarse face framed by a thick
length of
graying hair. Thr fourth had a huge mushroom-shaped shock of hair. In any
normal person, this alone would be a distinctive feature, but it was
overshadowed by the grotesquely large nose planted firmly in the middle of
the man's face. An old scar ran down one of his cheeks. The final man
sported a short crop of graying hair, and had a permanent worried frown on
his face. His nose was somehow obscured, it appeared to be covered with a
grayish material that Heero could not recognize. They somehow seemed
familiar, especially the man with strange spectacles. They seemed to...
frighten him... intimidate him in some subconscious way.

All these people... starting with Duo, they are seemed a little too...
familiar somehow... the feeling Heero experienced was something akin to deja
vu... like they've met before, only he could not remember for the life of
him when.

Heero shook his head, dismissing the thoughts as side-effects of the Dreams.

His train of thought broke when he realized that the center man, the one
with the strange spectacles had spoken to him, and that all five were now
staring at him intently, awaiting an answer.

Heero blushed, dipping his head in what he thought looked like an apologetic
stance, "I'm sorry... what was your question?"

The spectacled man didn't blink, "Are you Heero Yuy?"

Heero paused for a second, then nodded, "Yes."

The questions continued, "From Tokyo, Japan, in the Asian Federation?"

"Yes."

"Born June 29th AC 180 at St. Anthony's Hospital?"

"Yes."

The man nodded, "Good."

He stood up, "We are glad to welcome you. I am known as J, and these are my
fellow colleagues, O, H, S and G. Our real names do not matter. Our business
with you does."

Heero swallowed, "What do you want with me?"

The man who called himself J smiled. It was not reassuring.

"We need to examine you, Heero. That is all, for now. Would you be willing
to... allow us?"

Heero's heart was pounding in his chest, "...what.. for?"

The one introduced as G cackled softly, his large nose shaking a little,
"Don't worry, boy. The last thing we want is to hurt you. In the business
we're in, one happens to... hear a lot of rumors... and one of those rumors
happen to be about you. We are scientists... of sorts, and curious about
you. You'll be surprised... about the things that are said."

Heero tried to back away, but found himself immobilized by Zechs, "What...
rumors?" He didn't care if his whole body was shaking with fear, or if his
face was now death-white.

The stern-visaged O stood up, and a deep smile unexpectedly formed on his
face. Unlike J's smile, his seemed genuine.

"Listen, Heero. A lot of effort was made to get you here. Our agent, Duo,
even saved you from an assassination attempt. Doesn't that make you at least
think that a part of what we say, at least about the rumors about you, are
true? Someone is clearly out to kill you, to remove the threat before it can
take form...", he stopped himself as he realized he may have said too much.

Heero frowned, "I'm... a threat?"

J snapped, "Enough talk. You have two choices, Heero Yuy. Either you submit
to the examination we want to conduct, and we will put the resources of our
organization behind you and protect you from those who would harm you... or
you can walk free... no questions asked... until the next assassin tries to
put a crossbow bolt into your head. Choose. Now."

*****

The five scientists watched from behind the one way mirror looking into the
plain white room where Zechs and Noin were strapping the boy down to the
examination table, while Relena stored away the boy's clothes. They watched,
as Noin and Relena left, leaving the boy alone with Zechs, shivering
against the cold metal of the table, with nothing but his skin touching the
surface he lay upon. Zechs patted the boy's arm reassuringly as he attached
numerous sensors to various parts of the boy's slim form.

The five murmured softly to themselves, tapping at the controls arrayed in
front of them. J pressed a button, signalling to Zechs that they were about
to begin. He turned towards the mirror, and nodded. Walking out of their
sight, he activated a small switch on the wall.

The lights in the room dimmed, and a soft green glow began to emanate from
the array of equipment above where Heero lay. Almost instantaneously, the
monitors in front of the five scientists began to feed information...
displaying it in the forms of charts and diagrams. The five peered eagerly
at the results, their eyes widening in anticipation.

Ten long minutes paused, and Heero Yuy found himself sweating despite the
cold. He was glad that he was alone, apart from Zechs. He could not bear the
thought of people looking at him, as he was. His face flushed as he caught
sight of his own naked form lying on the table, and he squeezed his eyes
shut, willing himself to endure this humiliation for however long it took.

Meanwhile, behind the one-way mirror, an aura of excitement was building up,
and the scientists were beginning to grin. They were talking excitedly,
their words incomprehensible to anyone but themselves.

"I see it! There! The block is there!"

"No, fool! That region has -nothing- to do with it! The block is here!"

"It is not a block, rather... it is more like a thinning, like a river being
dammed, the flow reduced to a trickle..."

"This is no time to be poetic, J! We've found him! We can avert it all! It
doesn't have to happen!"

"Yes, brothers. I think we have found him. And that gives us a better chance
at restoring the balance... but you forget..."

"..he is not the only one."

The five paused in their rambling as the words of O hit them hard, and J
nodded, "You're right... only half the battle is fought and we are already
declaring victory. The search must continue, and I think I know where to
look... give us a little time, and all will be well."

H was staring through the mirror, staring with an almost wistful look at the
shivering boy. He asked softly, "Do you think we should release him?"

J nodded, "We should, at least. It must be cold in there without clothes,
and the restraints must be hurting him by now."

H laughed softly, "No, J. I mean, do you think we should release his block?"

J stared at the other incredulously, while the three remaining masked their
expressions, "Are you crazy, H? If we release the block, there's no stopping
him! Their plan will begin to execute, and everything... she told us will
take place. You know she speaks the truth. We cannot release the block!"

H shook his head, "No, J. I'm not suggesting what you think. I worked for a
while on a similar project, I know how these blocks work. We can release the
physical block, while maintaining the mental block. He will still not be
aware of his true purpose, but the stress taking its toll on his body, the
stress he can't feel and won't feel till it is too late, that will be
released, and he will be at his full potential. Besides, if he is to work
for us, he will need time to adjust, and the best time for that, is when he
doesn't know that the block is gone, when he doesn't even know there's a
block at all. When he still believes himself to be Heero Yuy, the innocent
university student from Tokyo, scraping through life unknown and unheard."

J paused, as did the rest, save H. Moments that seemed like hours passed,
until, finally, reluctantly, he nodded.

"Very well."

H smiled, turning to tap a few instructions into the control panel, and the
greenish light above the boy turned blue. The boy's eyes widened, as in
shock, and his body spasmed. He fought against the restraints, thrashing
about violently, his teeth clenched, the veins in his temple and neck
looking ready to burst, the muscles in his body looking ready to cramp. Five
seconds, and it was all over... the blue light subsided, and so did the boy,
sagging motionless back onto the bed, breathing heavily.

H smiled, "The block is gone... slowly now... he will return to normal."

O picked up the small microphone that plugged into the chamber in front,
"Zechs, see that he is clothed. If he wishes rest, arrange appropriate
quarters. Otherwise, tend to whatever needs he requires."

Zechs nodded to the mirror, "Yes, sir."

Turning off the microphone, O turned to his associates.

"When do you plan on telling him?"

J nodded, his eyes gleaming, "Let him rest. There is ample time."

*****

Heero allowed Zechs to literally carry him to the small room adjacent to the
chamber he had been in. He doubted he could have walked on his own, not
after that ordeal, whatever it was... let alone try to struggle out of the
larger man's grip. Zechs gently helped him into the room, laying him slowly
on to the small bed.

The light-blond man smiled at him, "Rest now... that process always exhausts
the receipient."

Weakly, Heero looked up, "They've... done... this... before?"

Zechs turned away from him, walking slowly towards the door. He stopped,
turning to face the boy again.

"Yes..."

The door opened, and Zechs began to walk out.

"... but you're the first to survive. That means you're really the one
they've been looking for..."

Heero drifted off into sleep, the rest of Zechs' words cut off.

*****

Heero Yuy nearly fell out of the bed in his haste to wake up. He was
breathing heavily again.

*The Dreams...*

He tried to calm his frayed nerves. Having the Dreams always gave new
meaning to the word 'fear'. The government had explained it, and why the
Dreams were happening, but that didn't help at all. Whatever the government
said, the Dreams sure seemed -real-.

He tried to recall what had happened this time. Everything was vague... he
knew Duo had been there, he now recognized him in the Dreams... and there
were three others... young boys, his age... he did not know them... and they
were fighting... just the five of them... fighting against a horde of
giants... all alone. The giants... they were blurred in the Dream and Heero
could not make them out very well... were relentless... never-ending, but
somehow the five of them kept on destroying the giants as fast as they
came... Heero could make out that he was somehow inside one of the giants
himself, as were the other four, watching as the giant he was inside refused
to surrender, refused to give up fighting... and he saw himself... and did
not like the Heero he saw in the Dreams...

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, reminding himself that the
Dreams were part of life... they had been part of life for centuries. This
was not the first time he had this particular Dream. Or the countless others
like it. He glanced at his watch, noting that he had been asleep over four
hours. He stood up, stretching a little, and yawned. Stripping out of the
sleeping robe they had dressed him in, he changed back into the clothes he
had worn to this... strange place, which he had found lying on a chair near
the bed.

He was about to knock on the door for someone to let him out when the door
slid open, admitting Zechs. The taller man smiled at him, "I see you're
looking a lot better. Follow me."

Heero frowned, "Where are we going now?"

Zechs laughed a little, "No more tests, I assure you. Someone who's a little
worried about you wants to see you."

Heero quirked an eyebrow, "Someone here is worried about me?"

Zechs shook his head in amusement, "Look... I know you're suspicious about a
lot of things, but trust me, I'm telling the truth, okay?" He proffered a
hand.

Heero stared at the hand for a long moment, before looking up in Zechs'
eyes. He took the hand firmly and shook it, "Okay."

Zechs winced slightly, but said nothing other than, "Follow me."

*****

Heero Yuy entered through a small door, and found himself immediately
greeted by a cheery "So there you are!". His gaze turned, looking at the
black-clad figure sitting in a large sofa with his legs propped up on the
coffee table. He couldn't help smiling. He sat down next to the boy.

Duo Maxwell peered at Heero from behind black shades, his eyes wide in mock
anticipation, "So.... how did your meeting with the five old buzzards go?"

A snort came from across the room, and both Heero and Duo turned. Heero
blinked. And blinked again.

Standing in the corner of the room, casually holding a cup of hot coffee,
was... Duo.

He turned to the boy sitting next to him. Then looked at the one standing in
the corner. And gaped.

Duo blinked at Heero, "Didn't Zechs explain it all to you?"

Flushing a bright red, Heero realized his error, kicking himself for
forgetting. Zechs had explained it all, just before the meeting with the
five scientists.

Duo grinned as he watched Heero blush, "Looks like they haven't done
anything much to you. Heero, I want ya to meet my twin bro, Solo Maxwell.
Solo, this is Heero, my last assignment."

Solo nodded at Heero from where he stood, flashing a wide smile and a 'V'
sign, "Hey."

Heero still couldn't help blinking. The two of them were -identical-. The
expressions, the voice, the -hair-...

Duo tapped Heero on the shoulder, grinning, "Hey, we ain't that pretty. Stop
gawking at him."

Heero glared at the braided youth, a glare that was countered with a small
smirk, and he gave Duo a friendly punch on the shoulder.

Duo's face remained unchanged, but his hand came up to rub the spot where
Heero had hit him. The grin was still on his face when he spoke, "Man,
someone's been workin' out..."

Heero quirked an eyebrow at him, but he wasn't really listening to Duo's
banter.

*C'mon... the guy's a cyborg! You couldn't possibly have hurt him... he's
just foolin' around as usual. He always fools around... you know that...
always saying the wrong thing, always annoying you because he won't stop
talking, even during a mission...*

Heero's eyes widened.

*What the hell am I thinking? What mission? I don't even know him, other
than that he's a cyborg! And why am I joking around and laughing and
punching him like we're best friends??*

He shook his head violently.

*No... I'm not supposed to let the Dreams... affect... the government...
says... dangerous.*

"Heero? Are you okay?"

Heero snapped out of his train of thought, turning to see a pair of
concerned amethyst eyes gazing at him.

He nodded, "I'm fine, Duo. Thanks."

Duo eyed him, "You were asleep before this, right?"

Heero nodded.

Duo pressed on, "It was the Dreams, wasn't it?"

Heero nodded again, wordless.

Duo grinned, "Only fools let themselves be affected by those, Heero, and
you're no fool. Heck, even Solo and I have the Dreams, and you know what we
are. Sure, we Dream the same things and Dream being the same person, since
we're clones, but we still Dream."

Duo leaned closer, the grin on his face mischevious, like he was about to
play a trick on someone, "And y'know what? You're in our Dreams too."

Duo jerked back as Heero abruptly stood up, his whole body shaking. His face
was death-white.

Duo stood up, and Solo was instantly at his side, holding Heero, making sure
he didn't fall.

Heero was shivering, "I have to get out of here..."

Duo eased him back into the chair, "Hey, take it easy... you worry too much,
y'know that... hey, calm down, will ya?"
He struck Heero lightly across the cheek, startling the boy back into
cohesive thought.

There was no time to react, for at that moment, Zechs burst into the room.

Immediately, Heero turned to Zechs, repeating his plea.

Zechs nodded hurriedly, "We'll let you leave as soon as this problem is
settled. And then, only if you agree to report back here tomorrow for
further tests. We'll be monitoring you." He shook his head, "That aside..."
He looked at the two Maxwells.

"Duo, Solo. You're needed."

He eyed the two, walking into the room and activating the screen at the
opposite end. The screen activated, bringing up the view from a surveillance
camera. Heero studied it carefully, and recognition passed before his eyes.
The surveillance camera was monitoring the abandoned warehouse that served
as the cover for this installation. This was where Duo had driven into and
taken the elevator down to where they were now.

Only now, the warehouse wasn't so empty.

In the center of the chamber, twenty soldiers wearing the uniform of the
Euro-American Military Defense Force stood, weapons at the ready, spreading
out from a single armored personnel carrier that had apparently smashed
through the front gates of the warehouse.

Hurriedly, Zechs filled them in on what had happened.

"We've been monitoring all the usual frequencies, and five minutes after the
assassination attempt on Heero, a Lieutenant Trowa Barton reporting in to
the Defense Force Headquarters stating a failure of some kind. He gave a
series of coordinates which corresponds to where Heero was nearly killed,
and apparently described the vehicle you were driving, Duo. The police were
alerted, and you were followed back here. The police informed the
military... and now they're here."

He looked at Heero.

"To capture you."

Heero's heart started pounding again, his voice anxious, "What for?! I
haven't done anything?! What's going on?!!"

Zechs muttered something under his breath, Heero barely made out the words.

"...haven't done anything... yet."

To Heero, Zechs said more clearly, "The doctors promised you... we'd protect
you against those who'd want to hurt you. And we keep our promises. Duo.
Solo." He turned to the two.

The two Maxwells were waiting expectantly.

Zechs nodded.

"Dispose of the intruders."

*****

Heero and Zechs sat, watching the screen, watching as the soldiers spread
out, trying to clear the area. They could hear the faint audio pick-up of
the orders their commander was issuing them.

All of a sudden, one of them was yelling, pointing at something near the
ceiling. Zechs adjusted the camera.

Duo, his black windbreaker flapping in the breeze wafting in through the
broken windows, standing motionless at the top of a pile of crates stacked
nearly fifty feet high.

All the soldiers had their weapons trained on Duo now, who still wasn't
moving.

Heero frowned, wondering what the fool was up to, not wanting to watch, yet
unable to tear his eyes away.

They were shouting at Duo now, ordering him to come down and surrender.

Heero thought he saw Duo smirk faintly, but it was gone in a flash, replaced
with a grim, expressionless mask, unlike the usual cheery persona Duo
portrayed. His mouth moved, and the surveillance camera picked it up.

"Seems like you guys chose the wrong place to park."

With that, he leapt off the crates, landing deftly on the ground, unfazed
and unhurt. Moving like lightning, Duo tore through the first two soldiers,
leaving behind lifeless sacks of flesh dropped on the ground. Even as he
moved towards the third, one hand grabbing hold of the helpless guy's head
and smashing it hard against the ground, shouts could be heard from the
soldiers on the opposite end of the warehouse. Intermittent gunfire could be
heard, and
Zechs trained the camera over on that end, focusing just as Solo snapped a
rifle in half and stabbed the rifle's owner with it. Two soldiers tried to
tackle him from behind, one grabbing hold of him and trying to pin him down
while the other tried to choke him from behind with a chain. Solo's hand
came up, grabbed hold of the chain around his neck and snapped it. He
backhanded the man to the throat, crushing his windpipe. He turned upon the
guy trying to pin him down, and sent him flying with a massive blow to the
gut.

Heero winced, turning away from the screen. In a small voice, he asked
Zechs, "Why are you making me watch this?"

Zechs shook his head, "I wanted you to see... that we can defend you against
anything the enemy will send to hunt you down. You are important... more
important than you can imagine... and if we have to do this...", he pointed
to the screen, "...ten times over, to keep you from harm, we would."

Heero sighed, and shuddered, looking at the screen, "They seem... to...
enjoy it."

Zechs stared at him, "You couldn't be more wrong, Heero. Killing people
takes its toll on Duo and Solo. Remember that they were programmed with the
personality of Blake Richardson, may his soul rest in peace, and he was far
from a violent person. Duo and Solo aren't violent, either, but they are
programmed to be completely committed to duty, and to perform to the best of
their ability. And when duty requires them to kill... they kill. Sister
always has the hardest time maintaining and repairing them after a mission
that involves killing... the emotional trauma plays havoc with the implanted
circuits... she won't be very pleased after this one. Neither will Duo or
Solo. We know they hate to do this, but we have no choice. They are our best
defence. If we sent our staff, the enemy will be killed, but so will some of
our staff. By using Solo and Duo, we're killing less. They're the better of
bad choices."

A different sound turned their attention back to the screen. Apparently, Duo
and Solo had decimated the entire force, save one person. He was on his
knees, crying and begging, pleading. Duo was standing in front of him. Solo
was no where to be seen. Duo was watching the man sob, beg. The surveillance
camera picked up some words, something about '...a wife and kids.', and Duo
just stood there, his face blank.

Heero was sitting on edge, tense, his heart pounding.

He saw Duo smile at the man, and place a hand on his shoulder.

Heero sighed in relief.

Duo's expression hardened, and the hand on the shoulder crushed. He let the
man drop, lifeless.

Heero's heart clenched. His mouth fell open, and he turned to Zechs.

*Duo...*

Zechs shook his head, "He's not to blame, Heero. Duo and Solo are programmed
to follow instructions to the letter. If they were told to eliminate
something, they would do it without question.... even through guilt, through
pain and hurt."

Heero turned away, and he whispered, "He's not the one I blame."

The Asian youth stood up, "Can I leave now? I.... have an appointment."

Zechs stared at the boy for a full moment, "Yes... but remember the
conditions." He paused.

"Don't you want to wait for Duo before you leave?"

Heero was already walking out the door.

"I don't think he'd want to see me right now."

*****

Heero Yuy studied himself in the mirror at his apartment. He had traded his
t-shirt and jeans for a more presentable dark blue long-sleeved shirt,
rolled up to his elbows for that casual look, complemented with a snugly
fitting pair of dark black trousers. Inside, he kicked himself for actually
agreeing to go out with Misako, even if he had done it in a moment of
confusion. The girl had been trying to get a date with him since the first
day she had set eyes on him, and he had evaded her since. Until now.

He gave a small grunt. As if he didn't have enough problems already. To add
insult to injury, the tap controlling the heat of his shower had snapped off
the moment he touched it, leaving him to bathe in freezing cold water. Yet
another bill to pay.

Giving his hair a few quick brushes out of custom more than any real attempt
at trying to control it, he jumped a little when the doorbell to his
apartment rang. Making a quick last minute check, he dashed to the door,
hoping that the evening wouldn't drag on.

*****

Heero eyed the restaurant they were standing in front of suspiciously.

He turned to the chirpy girl, next to him, her deep black hair gelled into
sharp little spikes looking out of place with the psychedelic
green-pink-yellow-red dress she was wearing. Not to mention the extra-large
nosering she had put on 'especially for this occasion'.

He suppressed the urge to laugh, managing to ask, "Misako, what made you
choose this place?" Heero knew the place. It was reknowned throughout the
city, and certainly not for the quality of the food served there. Heero
didn't know if he'd be able to eat anything, knowing just exactly was going
on in the 'private suites'.

She stuck her tongue out at Heero playfully, "I like the ambience. It's
very... seductive." She winked at him.

He glowered at her slightly, "Hn."

She looked surprised, "What was that? I've never heard -that- before."

He quirked an eyebrow, "Something wrong with it?"

Inside, his thoughts were different. *What the hell was that? 'Hn'? What
kind of sound is that, anyway? What's it supposed to mean?! Why not 'hmph'?
Why am I even thinking about this?*

Misako broke his thoughts with a quick, almost violent shake of her head,
"No...no... don't get me wrong... I like it..." She grinned cheekily, "It
sounds... sexy."

Heero flushed a deep red, and Misako laughed, dragging him into the
restaurant.

*****

Making their way to their table, Heero heard a shout over the din inside the
restaurant, over the racous laughter and dirty jokes being told. It sounded
like...

"Misako! Over here!"

He turned in the direction of the sound, and saw a young girl waving at
them. She was dressed rather formally, in a shimmering green gown that
suited a ball more than a seedy restaurant. She looked resplendent,
especially with the short-cropped dark blue hair, the slight fringe
accentuated by a pair of pearls adorning her ears. He pointed her out to
Misako, who squealed a little and started waving back madly before rushing
over, dragging Heero with her.

After what seemed like an eternity of hugging, Misako finally unwrapped her
arms from the lady in the gown, and looked at Heero, "Heero, I want you to
meet my guidance counselor and best friend, Hilde Schbecker. Hilde, this is
my really really close friend, Heero Yuy. We're taking the same course at
the university."

The lady named Hilde stood up, smiling at Heero as she extended a gloved
hand, speaking in a warm voice, "It's nice to finally meet you, Heero.
Misako has been telling me many... interesting things about you."

Heero raised an eyebrow, "I'm... sure she has." Taking her hand, shaking it
gently, he smiled back, "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Schbecker."

Misako bounced a little, "What are you doing here? I didn't think you would
come to places like this."

Hilde smiled, "One of the people I'm counseling encountered a problem here,
so I came to talk to her. She was in a mess, crying and everything. I
finally got her back on her feet and her dad just picked her up. I'm waiting
for my fiance. I just called him and he was in the area so he said he'd come
and fetch me."

Misako squealed, "You're engaged! You never told me!! Who's the lucky guy?"

Hilde laughed softly, "You'll see. He'll be here any moment."

"Hilde! There you are!"

Heero's eyes widened.

*No...*

He turned...

Duo Maxwell stood there, decked out in his usual black garb, grinning for
all he was worth.

Heero stared at him, ignoring the faint sounds Misako was making as she
ogled the newcomer.

Hilde stood up, allowing Duo to draw her into an embrace and a kiss, smiling
beautifully, before turning to Heero and Misako.

She nodded at them, "Heero, Misako, I want you to meet my fiance, Blake
Richardson."

Heero could only stare.

*Duo, what the hell are you playing at?*

*****

CHAPTER FOUR - REVELATIONS

Content Guideline - all ages

April 17th AC 195 Los Angeles 7:25pm

Heero Yuy could do nothing but stare at the braided youth grinning at him.
The braided youth Hilde had just introduced to him as 'Blake Richardson'.

*What the hell are you playing at, Duo?*

Duo grinned at him widely, thrusting a hand in his direction, "Nice to meet
you, Heero."

Warily, Heero took the proffered hand, shaking it lightly, "As it is to meet
you... Blake."

Vaguely, he heard a small sigh escape from the person beside him. Turning to
her, his eyes narrowed as they caught sight of Misako still ogling Duo.
Recalling that this was why he'd been trying so hard to avoid her, he shook
his head in vague amusement.

Realizing after a moment that all three of them were now looking at her,
Misako jerked out of her Duo-addled state, and grinned madly, her black eyes
brightening, "Hey! Since we're all here, why don't we all have dinner
together?!"

Duo grinned, "That sounds like a plan. I'm famished."

*****

April 17th AC 195 Los Angeles Outskirts 7:35pm

Quatre Raberba Winner stared contemplatively at the stark gray walls of the
waiting area the two strangely-dressed girls had ushered him into. The
furniture in the room was spartan, at best, and he chose a small chair
nestled in one of the corners.

He barely had time to sit down when the feeling struck him. There were
people heading this way. Shaking his head violently, breathing heavily,
trying anything that would drive the voice and the feeling away, he hoped
and prayed that he was wrong, that he would be wrong. He began to count.

"5..."

"4..."

"3..."

"2..."

"1..."

The door slid open, and Quatre winced as though he had been struck.
Grimacing, he looked up, gazing at the six people gathered in front of him.
All seemed in their middle years, except for the one in the lead, a young
man with shoulder-length white-blond hair. All were wearing the same stark
white uniform.

The tall man in the front came forward, smiling warmly, "Mr. Winner, you
have no idea how glad we are to finally meet the one who so generously
agreed to fund our cause."

Quatre gritted his teeth into an unpleasant smile, "Your Mr. Maxwell was
very... convincing."

The tall man nodded his head in agreement, "Solo is a very charismatic young
man."

The young blond muttered something under his breath, before looking up at
those standing in front of him, "Well, I think it rather obvious that you
know who I am... but I haven't a clue as to who you are, or why part of our
'agreement' was that I come down all the way here."

One of the older men in the rear walked forward, a strange pair of
spectacles seemingly embedded on his face. When he spoke, his voice was
deep.

"Mr. Winner... Quatre... our names are not important. If you must, I am J...
this is O... H... S and G. And he is Zechs, our director of operations. And
as for why we requested you come..."

Quatre blinked as another of the older men approached. He was bald, and had
a warm smile on his face, "We have asked you to come... because we would
like to examine you."

A third came forward, the one introduced as H, "We are scientists... and in
our business, one tends to hear a lot of rumors... It just so happens that
one of those rumors happen to be about you. Believe me when I say we mean
you no harm. We simply wish to confirm... our suspicions."

Quatre eyed the five carefully, and the voice decided to manifest itself,
quiet, yet resounding inside Quatre's head as loud as a gong.

**Careful... they're hiding something... They speak the truth... but they
are holding something back...**

*Go away! I don't need you!!*

Vaguely, he heard a concerned voice asking a question, and he opened his
eyes. And realized that he had been clutching his heart. He looked up at the
one who had asked the question, the one called J.

"I'm fine. If you must do some... examination, let's get on with it. I'm a
very busy person."

The five scientists smiled.

*****

Heero eased the door to the bathroom open quietly, peeping inside. Catching
sight of his target, he pushed the door open the rest of the way, striding
in forcefully, walking until he stood behind the braided youth preening
himself in
front of the mirror. Heero wrinkled his nose up in disgust. The smell in
here was appalling, no doubt because a number of cubicles were in desperate
need of repair. Though not as desperate as some of those who had
chosen to use the cubicles anyway.

Duo grinned at Heero's reflection in the mirror, "Hilde's really somethin',
ain't she?"

Heero just stared at him.

The braided youth looked at him through the mirror for a moment, then
turned to face Heero, "What's wrong?"

"She called you Blake."

Duo quirked an eyebrow, "Oh... that." Turning away, he resumed toying with
his hair.

"I want to know what you're up to with Hilde, Duo. I want to know what
they've put you up to this time."

Duo turned back violently, his face creased into a frown.

"I'm not playing any games, Heero. I'm trying to protect her. You see...
when it comes down to it, the very essence of me... I am still Blake
Richardson... and I know what he knew, as does Solo. And Blake knew that
Hilde was a very sensitive person. She was very attached to Blake... she
still is. If she ever found out... if she ever finds out... that Blake is
dead, and the one she now thinks to be her fiance is a clone of her real
love... I don't know how she'll react. She may kill herself. And I... we...
the organization can't let her die. Not yet. Which is why I'm seeing her.
Which is why she thinks I'm Blake..."

Duo looked deep into Heero's eyes.

"And... because..."

"I... love her. As much as Blake ever did."

Heero looked at the braided youth, unsure of what to say. When he did speak,
it was a question.

"Does... Solo love her too?"

Duo nodded, "Yes... both of us inherited that from Blake. It was a very
strong love... Hilde was very lucky to have someone like him with her."

Heero continued, "Does this mean that you and Solo take turns to see her and
pretend to be Blake?"

Duo looked down, "No... I'm the only one."

Heero quirked an eyebrow, "Why not Solo?"

Deep amethyst eyes penetrated Heero. Deep, hurt-filled eyes.

"Because... he was ordered not to. That I was to be the one to maintain the
illusion."

Duo looked away, shivering.

"He was ordered to put away his feelings... his emotions. That's why...
although on the surface we seem the same... Solo is... very different from
me. To people he doesn't know, even to the staff, and to Zechs and the
scientists, he is every bit the same as me... but when we're alone, or with
Sister... you see the real Solo. The one created by the order that he could
not love. That he was not allowed to love."

Heero shook his head, remembering what Zechs had told him while they watched
Duo and Solo decimate the intruders trying to enter their organization's
base of operations.

*Duo and Solo are programmed to follow instructions to the letter. If they
were told ...... something, they would do it without question.... even
through guilt, through pain and hurt."

Duo Maxwell shook his head, shuddering a little as he began walking out of
the washroom. As he reached the door, his trademark smirk was firmly planted
on his face again.

*****

Quatre Raberba Winner shivered as he lay on the examination table, a vast
array of sensory equipment affixed to the ceiling above him. Shivered as he
watched Zechs neatly place the folded pile of his clothes on the table at
the side. Turning away from Zechs, unable to look him in the eye, he found
himself looking at a large mirror. Looking at his naked form, spread out on
the table for the world to see. He shuddered, looking away. Color rose in
his cheeks.

*Please... let this end.*

The array of equipment above him began to hum, and the lights in the room
dimmed in synchronization with the sensors, which now glowed brightly,
casting its eerie illumination over Quatre and the table.

On the other side of the mirror, five wizened heads drew closer to the
screens in front of them, absorbing the flow of information like children
attacking candy. Again, they began talking amongst themselves, their words
gibberish to anyone apart from them.

"Nothing... absolutely nothing."

"In both regions..."

"How could we be so wrong... the rumors..."

"The reports said there were two of them. They never said who they were."

"Wait. J, do you see it? There... in that corner..."

"What about that? That region is inconsequential, G! You know that!"

"Don't you see? The structure... the pattern... it's almost exactly like the
blocks we saw on the Yuy kid."

"Something's not right."

"What is it, H?"

"This block... it's not right. That region has nothing to do with
either the physical or mental blocks. That region of his brain has
absolutely no purpose! There's no reason for a block to exist there. And...
the block isn't right. It's too chaotic. All artificial blocks are very
systematic, very ordered. This one looks like it was hastily erected... if
it wasn't humanly impossible, I'd say this kid created the block on his
own."

"On his own?"

"For what purpose? The region, as you said, is of no importance."

"That we know of, O. No importance that we know of."

"Do you think we should release it, J? Like we did for Yuy?"

"It might be educational. Do it."

The one known as H depressed a button. Through the mirror, they watched as
Quatre Raberba Winner gasped in shock, as his body tensed, breaking into
convulsions, shaking violently on the table. His body went rigid, his veins
looking ready to burst, his muscles cramping.

H studied the screen carefully, his brow creasing into a frown as he watched
the information flow.

"Something's wrong... it's not..."

Tears were flowing from Quatre's eye, streaming down his face, and he threw
his head back, letting loose a cry, one of despair and pain.

The array of equipment above him exploded into a burst of sparks, sparks
that scattered across the room. The equipment went dead, spewing thick black
smoke that fogged the room. Behind the mirror, the screens displaying the
flow of information lit up the room with sparks of their own, before
short-circuiting, the glass of the screens shattering and collapsing in,
well-choreographed with the one-way mirror that crumbled into peices mere
seconds later. All around the five scientists, equipment fused, and smoked,
choking the room. The bright white illumination failed, replaced by the dim
red lights that indicated that the back-up generators had been activated.

The five scientists went silent, staring through the haze, at the young
blond teen, lying motionless on the table in front of them.

J found his voice.

"This will certainly be... very... educational. He is not the second one...
but this will be very educational."


*****

Heero Yuy watched with a barely concealed amusement, with an obvious
fixation, as Duo Maxwell polished off his fourth plate of Chinese-style
fried noodles. How could the kid eat so much? He was like a bottomless
pit...

His thoughts scattered as he heard Misako begin to speak. Turning to face
her, he caught the tail end of her sentence... something like '...eat so
much, yet stay so slim.' Something Duo was replying to with a mysterious
grin. Heero quirked an eyebrow at her, even though she wasn't looking at him
to
begin with. He frowned. Come to think of it, she had barely glanced his way
from the moment Duo stepped in.

He grunted. At least there was one thing he could be thankful to Duo for.
Maybe she would finally leave him alone.

As Duo picked up his napkin and began wiping his mouth, Hilde stood up,
resplendent in her green gown. She smiled at Misako and Heero, before taking
Duo's arm in hers, "We should really be going. Blake wanted to catch that
new movie that's showing down at Central.... some martial arts flick... what
was it called?"

Duo grinned as he joined Hilde, "The Dragon's Justice. A fitting title,
especially considering the main lead."

Heero blinked. Duo was a karate-movie freak? He never understood why anyone
would pay to watch those exaggerated things to begin with. Quieting his
thoughts, he simply said, "And who would that be?"

Duo stared at him, his face the very essence of incredulity, managing to
convey both surprise and indignance that someone could actually ask that
question.

The moment didn't last, and Duo soon reverted back to his trademark grin. He
shrugged, "The one and only Chang Wufei, of course! I'm surprised you never
heard of him, Heero. He may only be breaking into Hollywood now, but he's
been a huge hit in the Asian Federation since his childhood."

Heero raised an eyebrow.

*Who the hell is Chang Wufei?*

To Duo, he faked a knowing smile, nodding his head, "Oh, him... right."

Hilde laughed softly, "Well, whatever the case, Blake, we're going to be
late if you don't hurry. Misako, Heero, sorry for having to eat and run, but
we can't make Blake unhappy, right?". She nuzzled Duo.

Heero raised an eyebrow, "...right."

Misako let loose another sigh as she watched Duo and Misako leave, arm in
arm. Shrugging slightly, she turned back to Heero, the maniacal gleam back
in her eye, as the distraction that was Duo left the vicinity. Heero
shuddered, suddenly wishing that Duo hadn't left.

Toying with his drink, he refused to look at Misako, speaking into his
glass, "So... what do you want to do now?"

She smiled at him, not too reassuringly, "Let's just stay here and talk a
while." She swirled the deep amber liquid in her glass for a moment before
putting the glass down, looking at the clear
fizzy liquid in Heero's, "Are you... sure you don't want something
stronger?"

He stared at her, "I'm sure. I don't take alcohol very well."

"Ah.", came the non-committal reply.

She looked behind herself for a moment, and her hand reached out towards her
glass. She squealed a little as her hand knocked into the glass, spilling
the amber liquid over the table and on herself. Standing up suddenly, she
tried to brush the stuff of herself, making small little squeals as she did.

Heero could only sit there and stare, his face blushing at the commotion she
was causing, at the way the other patrons looked at her. Even the ones who
had previously been too interested in each other. The waiter glided over,
fussing over the table, and replacing her drink, as Misako looked around
vainly for a napkin or something. Looking at Heero, she asked if he could
fetch her one.

Heero stood up quickly, agreeing without hesistation. Anything to get away
from here for a while, he thought.

Misako grinned as she watched Heero turn his back and leave to search for
the requested napkin. Diving into her handbag, she drew out a small
foil-wrapped object. Peeling off the foil, she played with the small white
pill for a second, before reaching over, and dropping it into Heero's drink.
She watched as it interacted, fizzled with the drink, and dissolved.

"Here you go."

She jumped slightly, looking up at Heero standing next to her. Taking the
proffered napkin, she muttered her thanks, and sat down, wiping herself off.

Heero sat back down, his hand reaching for his glass.

Misako busied herself with removing the amber-colored stains.

He swirled the drink in his hand.

She studied him carefully out of the corner of her eye.

He took a huge gulp of the fizzy liquid, swallowing.

She grinned madly.

Putting away the napkin, she leaned closer to Heero, who was still looking
at her.

"So, Heero-kun, we never ever get a chance to talk! Tell me about yourself!"

Heero sighed, shrugging a little, "There really isn't much to say about...
me. I'm much like you, I guess..."

He paused, a confused look creasing his face.

She leaned closer in anticipation, "You guess what?"

Heero broke into a mad grin, "I guess I'm feeling really really really
really great, don't you think?"

She laughed, looking at her watch. Right on the dot. As promised. She would
have to thank her friend majoring in chemistry for that concentrate.

She looked at Heero again, who was now standing up somewhat shakily, still
grinning for all he was worth. He started prancing around the table,
laughing to himself, dragging Misako up. His eyes were lit up with laughter
as he danced madly around the table with Misako. Fortunately, most of the
patrons didn't even blink an eye. One was expected to get drunk or high
here. Or worse.

Misako smiled as she allowed her to be pulled into the dance, "What say we
find a... quieter place, Heero? There are some wonderful... suites upstairs.
Perfect for... dancing."

Heero continued to grin at her, speaking shakily, "That... that sounds...
like.. a... pl... plan." He wobbled on his feet.


*****

April 18th AC 195 7:30am Central District General Hospital, Los
Angeles

Heero stared blankly at the nurse behind the counter. He looked down at the
form placed in front of him. He looked up at the nurse again. She stared
back at him. And handed him a pen.

His head hurt. The last thing he remembered was getting Misako a napkin...
sitting down again... total blank.

The next thing he knew, he came to in the visitor area of this hospital,
with the nurse behind the counter yelling his name. He had shakily walked
over to the counter, his head ready to burst. And she had slapped two sheets
of paper in front of him. He studied the forms carefully, his brain not
fully focused yet.

One was a form, a declaration that the signed party would pay for all
expenses incurred during the patient's stay. He glanced at the name on the
form. *Why the hell am I paying to admit Misako into hospital?*

The other was a bill from the restaurant they had been last night.
Apparently, in the course of the evening, someone had forgotten to pay the
bill. He muttered, scanning down the list. He raised an eyebrow. And
blinked. How could the meal come up to almost eight hundred dollars?! Sure,
Duo ate a lot, but... his eyes narrowed.

*Why the hell am I paying for a bed and 'assorted other damages'?*

He blinked. The haze was lifting from his mind. Vague memories were coming
back. His jaw dropped.

*Oh, shit.*

*****

The door to the elevator opened, admitting a somewhat dishevelled looking
Heero. He blinked as he looked around the complex he had only been
acquainted to yesterday. Strange. He remembered the place being a lot
brighter. Looking closer, he noticed that a number of the flourescent lights
in the ceiling had blown and needed to be replaced. A number were
flickering. He walked over to Zechs, who was standing behind the glass doors
leading into the complex proper, standing behind a console. Nodding at
Heero, Zechs pressed the button that would release the locks on the doors,
to admit Heero.

Nothing happened. He pressed again.

Silence.

Grumbling to himself, Zechs walked over to the door, reaching into his
pocket to retreive a key, which he fitted into the door and opened in one
swift motion.

Heero walked through, eyeing Zechs, "What happened?"

Zechs sighed, "We experienced a... massive power surge yesterday. Almost
everything connected to the power grid shorted out, computers, scanners,
terminals, even Solo was hurt quite badly from the surge, he was being
repaired by Sister at the time. Half the lights need to be repaired, and the
main generator melted from the strength of the surge. We're hooked up to a
standby generator that the professors brought in this morning."

Heero raised an eyebrow, "The generator malfunctioned."

Zechs looked away, "Not... quite." He shook his head, "It doesn't concern
you. Everything is under control. And the professors want to see you. They
have something to say to you today."

Heero nodded, and let Zechs lead the way.

*****

Walking down the long corridor leading to their destination, Heero tapped
his fingers on the side of his leg. He looked at Zechs, who was now talking
to Relena. She had intercepted them along the way, and had taken the
opportunity to clarify certain matters with Zechs. Of course, beyond Heero's
hearing range. The girl was far too suspicious.

Sighing, he watched as Zechs broke into a small laugh, as their conversation
ended. Relena smiled at him, scowled at Heero, and departed in silence.

Heero watched her go.

"So, Heero, don't you have anything you want to ask? Since we've met, you've
been full of questions."

Heero turned to Zechs, looking at him strangely. This was the first time the
man had offered any information. Everyone here was way too secretive.

"What's the name of this organization? What is your purpose?"

Zechs only smiled, "We call ourselves... 'Veritas', Heero. In Latin, it
means 'truth'. Our organization stands for truth. As for your purpose
though... that, you'll have to wait for the scientists to tell you."

"What do they want with me?"

The white-blond shook his head, shrugging a little.

Heero grunted, "Okay, in that case... who is this Sister you people keep on
talking about?"

Zechs laughed, "Alright, that I -can- tell you. Better yet, I can show you.
The scientists can wait. They don't know what time you'd decide to show up
anyway."

Turning left, Zechs led him into a smaller corridor with only one circular
door at the end. The door was painted bright red, and clearly marked against
unauthorized access. The white-blond keyed in three seperate passwords, and
the door opened with a loud hiss, opening like the aperture of a camera,
it's opening marked by a loud siren.

Inside, he saw Solo, lying fully garbed in a depression inside a large white
apparatus, his eyes closed. The boy was breathing lightly, and he appeared
in pain, even though not awake. There were lights blinking on the apparatus,
and a status monitor appeared to be updating progress on his repair. An
identical depression lay empty next to him, no doubt for Duo.

Zechs smiled, "There you go, Heero. That's Sister."

Heero stared at the device, scrutinizing it, listening as Zechs gave a
running commentary.

"Sister is the lifeline of Solo and Duo. Without her, we would not be able
to maintain the two of them. Modified from Professor Maxwell's original
cybernetic placement, repair and construction device, she is used now to
maintain and repair, to nurture Solo and Duo. Even while repairing their
cybernetic defects, and maintaining the parts of them that are flesh, Sister
is also nourishing them mentally, stimulating impulses in their brains, the
same impulses that would have been triggered by that of love and affection
received from a parent. In essence, Sister is like a foster mother to Solo
and Duo. They cannot live without her."

Heero could only look at the device, wondering how something like that could
replace the warmth and affection of maternal love. He shook his head, his
thoughts now on his own mother, back in Tokyo. It had been nearly two years
since he last saw her... he really should go back and visit. If only he
could find the time...

Zechs broke his train of thought with a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go."

*****

Heero stared at the five scientists seated in a row in front of him, behind
the large ornate table, inside the huge bright room he had first met them.
He fidgeted uncomfortably. Standing in front of them like this was too
reminiscent of being tried in front of a tribunal.

After several lengthy moments of silence, J spoke up, "Heero Yuy."

Heero blinked a little, and nodded in acknowledgement.

The scientist continued, "We have concluded our examinations of you, and
that, with all the other information we have gathered, has allowed us to
reach a conclusion.

He looked the boy straight in the eye.

"You are the one we have been looking for."

He pressed a button, and the same blue light that had washed over him during
his examination caught him, and took hold of him. Unlike the first, there
was no sense-numbing shock or pain, rather, it felt like someone had opened
his skull, and was proceeding to stab his brain with needles. Many many
needles. Heero fell to the floor, his hands clutching his head. A soft wail
escaped his throat.

In a second, it was all over, and Heero lay on the ground, breathing
heavily. The fear and the shock was rapidly diminishing, replaced by a fury.
Leaping up, he glared at the five seated in front of him. He began taking
slow purposeful strides.

"I don't care who the f--- you think you are, but I don't like what you're
doing to me one bit! I want you to tell me everything! Now!"

Zechs snapped his fingers, and two large-sized men in the same white robes
entered the room. Each placed a beefy hand on each of Heero's arms,
restraining him.

Heero's gaze glared at both of them, and his fists came up in a
lightning-quick backhand that sent both men flying, slamming both
unconscious into the wall.

With the fury of the moment still burning in him, he turned back to the
scientists, even while a small vestige of his mind was screaming at him,
screaming for answers, answers for what was happening, answers for how he
had done that. He suppressed the thoughts. The fury was all.

J pressed another button, and a glowing white field took hold of Heero,
immobilizing him. The boy grunted, and struggled, and the field crackled
visibly. H stared, a little worriedly, at the console in front of him, "That
restraint isn't going to hold him much longer."

J looked Heero directly in the eyes, "Look, Heero..."

Heero glared back, "No, J! I'm not going to look! I want answers and I want
them now! If I don't get them by the time I'm out of this restraint... I'm
sure I'll find a way to -thank- you for whatever it is you've done to me!"
One hand broke free of the restraining field.

"Very well, then."

Heero blinked, and stopped struggling, "What?"

"We'll give you the answers you're looking for."

*****

Heero rubbed his wrist unconsciously. Breaking out of that restraining field
had hurt... a bit.

J eyed the young boy seated in front of him. The young boy who was waiting
for some answers.

"We have done nothing to you, Heero."

Heero gazed at the scientist coolly, "You want me to believe that? All of a
sudden I can throw men larger than me around like Duo does, and break out of
restraining fields like it were an ordinary affair, and you want me to
believe that you did nothing to me?" He laughed throatily, "Give me a break.
I wasn't born yesterday."

J looked at Heero, as did all the other scientists, "Let me explain. But
first, I need you to tell me a bit about yourself, Heero. Tell me about...
your life before you came to Los Angeles... about your parents and family."

Heero quirked an eyebrow at J, "What for?"

"Just do it, Heero."

The boy muttered something under his breath, "I don't see why, but if it'll
get me the answers I'm looking for, then, okay..."

He began, "I..."

And stopped.

A growing tinge of worry overcame him.

*Why can't I remember?! It was all clear as day! I was from... my parents
were...*

His face contorted with fury, and he slammed a fist down on the table,
cracking it visibly, "Just now... when I entered! That field you used on me!
What was that?! Where are my memories?!! Why can't I remember anything?!
Tell me!!"

J looked at him calmly, "That field removed a... block that was placed in
your mind. We had planned on removing it yesterday, but we could not,
because we did not know how to counter the reason the block was put there in
the first place. But with some minor modifications, we have been now been
able to remove both the mental block, and the danger beneath it."

Heero's eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about? What block? What I want
to know about is where all my memories have gone!"

J smiled sadly, "You have no memories, Heero. What we removed yesterday
during the examination was what we call a physical block, inside the part of
your brain that controlled all physical, motor functions in your body. It
was placed there to keep your real physical strength in rein, to keep in
under control. In essence, it was to hide what you really were, until they
were ready to use you. We had to release that, because such blocks, when
left there over a prolonged time, would eventually build enough stress on
the body that you would just have collapsed and died one day, and no
post-mortem would be able to tell why. What we had to leave, until just a
few moments ago, was the mental block. There was another small region of
your brain that was blocked off. This block took the form of implanted
memories, and over that they placed an implanted personality to assist the
artificial memories they gave you. In essence, think of it like this. The
first layer, underneath, is your real identity, and real purpose here. Above
that, there is a thin layer of false memories, this is the mental block
keeping your real purpose hidden, unknown even to you. On top of that is
layered your personality as you see it now - Heero Yuy, the young university
student trying to make a living in Los Angeles."

Heero was breathing heavily now, "I..." He shook his head violently.

J cut him off, "What we've done is to remove the mental block, and the
original purpose behind it, leaving behind the layer of personality that is
you now. Your memories about home, about your family, your parents, your
life before you came here, all of that is false. None of it ever happened.
It was all placed in your mind, part of the greater secret of what you are
really here for, part of the best disguise an assassin can possibly use. The
one of actual innocence."

Heero blinked, "I'm... an assassin."

J pressed a button, and the screen behind him lit up. The seal of the Asian
Federation was prominent on the top of the page, and was the blinking red
'SECRET' flashing in the corner. A photo of Heero was on the page, along
with some scant information.

"You are Heero Yuy, they kept your name at least. Everything else about you,
your history, where you're from, any family, everything has been erased from
the Asian Federation's database. As far as they are concerned, you do not
exist any more, so the offical records are of no use to us. This is what we
managed to gather through our surveillance networks in that part of the
world. You apparently signed up with the military a year back. You were
assigned to a naval base in Okinawa, before being transferred almost
immediately to a high-level installation somewhere in Korea. After that, no
records of any kind can be found about you for over six months, before you
reappear, having been transferred to another high-level installation, this
time in Indonesia. Two months after that, you apparently get assigned back
to Okinawa, and nothing else is heard of you. And you appear here, a
university student in Los Angeles."

Heero stared blankly at the five, at a loss of words.

"What we had suspected, from all the rumors and information, was that you
were part of a program that the Asian Federation was trying to develop, one
so secretive that if it ever leaked out..." He paused, "You are familiar
with the genetic engineering project undertaken in After Century year 182 by
the Euro-American Alliance?"

A nod from Heero.

"The same genetic-engineering project the Asian Federation denounced so
strongly and violently, they even threatened war?"

Another nod.

"Well... it seems that they've been developing one of their own. And you
were the first test subject."

Heero could only stare.

J continued, rubbing his cheek, "It seems that the Asian Federation never
really got over losing the last war, and being forced into submission, into
signing the peace agreement that has lasted us for over two centuries now.
The greatest blow was the loss of their research and development rights.
They had been making such great strides, especially in the space program. In
fact, from the scientific viewpoint, it was a great loss. You know how
there's been all this talk recently about the recently discovered LaGrange
points, and how it might be theoretically possible to construct space
colonies at these locations? Well... all our evidence suggests that, as far
back as two centuries ago, the Asian Federation might have had the ability
to do it, if they had been allowed to continue with their research
programs."

J shrugged, "So they seethed for two centuries, all the while pretending to
submit, even while plotting quietly, researching quietly. They abandoned
unnecessary research, concentrating on several key areas. One of those areas
came into fruition last year. You are the culmination of a lot of hard work,
and evil intent, on that part."

He laughed softly, "I'm actually quite impressed that they got such results
out of you. From the examination yesterday, and from what we've seen, you
are easily a match for our own Duo or Solo here... you might even be able to
win in a fight, if you knew how. Of course, Duo & Solo have other
augmentations that are superior to yours, all their senses are far more
acute, but we're not here to talk about that."

Heero managed hoarsely, "What are we here to talk about?"

J eyed him carefully, "We are here to talk about why you were sent here."

"We analyzed the original purpose beneath the mental block before we removed
it. You are here as an assassin. You would work under the guise of a
university student for a period of time, and you would have been inclined to
follow your fellow students on a five-day study workshop to the capital,
that had been planned for mid-June. Once there, one of their agents would
have intercepted you, and sent the trigger signal to release the blocks, and
revealing the real you. From there, you were to assassinate the President,
the Vice-President, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense.
Exactly as she said."

Heero's eyes narrowed, "Exactly as who said?"

J ignored him, caught up with what he was saying, "If you had succeeded, it
would have meant the end of everything. Do you remember the assassin who
tried to kill you when Duo met you? He is Lieutenant Trowa Barton, one of
the finest snipers in the Alliance military. That he was targeting you means
that the Euro-American Alliance knows that you exist, and the purpose of
your presence here. We could not let you go ahead with the Asian
Federation's plan, but we could not have you killed. She said you were the
'key to restoring everything'. If you had succeeded however, and
assassinated all those leaders, the Euro-American Alliance would've pointed
their collective finger at the Asian Federation. Tensions would escalate.
Within two year, we would have been at war with each other. In five years,
no human would be left alive on Earth. We would have annihilated ourselves
completely."

Heero tried to interject, "How do you know all this? What is going...?"

J spoke right over him, "Even now, the threat is not over. You have been
rescued from your fate, and you are with us now, I hope, to help restore
everything. But the threat is not over. You were the first. You were not the
only one. Another, like you, is here, somewhere in Los Angeles, like you,
living a false life, thinking he's nothing more than he really is now, right
until the point that his life takes him to the capital, and..."

J looked Heero in the eye, "We have to find him. She says that all this can
be averted... all this isn't supposed to be. She says she knows... we need
your help to find this other..."

Heero nearly yelled at the scientist, "Who is this 'She'? How does she know
all this? How do YOU know all this? How can you trust her?!"

J's answer was simple and to the point.

"We trust her, Heero... because... she doesn't have the Dreams. No one,
Heero, no one in the last two hundred years has NOT experienced the Dreams.
Until her."

Heero was quiet.

"Who is she?"

J nodded to H, "Let me show you." H got up, walked over to a side-door and
opened it. He leaned inside, calling for someone. Heero heard faint
footsteps. A person stepped out of the shadows.

Heero gasped. The woman was in her middle-years, close to forty. She looked
a little frail, thin, but through the creases and wrinkles of age, she was
recognizable. The green shimmering gown looked as resplendent on her now as
it did the night before.

He was looking at Hilde Schbecker. Not the same Hilde he had met last night,
not the Hilde that was smitten with Blake Richardson. She smiled at him, a
small, sad, wistful smile. Her eyes were bright, but deep pain cut through
them like a sword. This woman had gone through a lot of pain in her life.
This was not the same cheerful woman he had met. Definitely not.

His mind numbed. *If this isn't the same Hilde... who the hell is she?*

*****

EPILOGUE

Quatre breathed heavily as he stood at the balcony of his second-story hotel
room, staring out at the street below. He was still shivering, not from
cold, it was still too hot for that, but from fear, and from confusion. He
looked at his hands, shaking his head.

*What have they done to me?*

*Tell me it's not true...*

**You know it's true, Quatre... it's always been true. You've only been
fooling yourself.*

For the first time, Quatre spoke to the voice. He didn't yell at it, or try
to shout it down. He spoke to it.

*I have, haven't I?*

He looked at the car he had rented, parked on the street corner below.
Watched as pedestrians hurried by.

*How do I know it wasn't all a dream? Or a Dream?*

**Use it. Once you see for yourself... you can't deny it anymore.**

Quatre sighed. One hand lifted up, and he focused his thoughts. A bright
glow seemed to flare up around his hand, lighting up the balcony. In an
instant, the glow winked out, and Quatre reeled back, sucking in air
sharply. Gathering himself up, he leaned over the balcony, looking down at
the street. Nothing seemed to be happening.

All of a sudden, there was a resounding *thoom*. A deep crack lanced through
the center of the road, growing rapidly both ways for a mile in each
direction.

Quatre shook his head softly.

*Why did this have to happen to me?*

*Why?*

*****

CHAPTER FIVE - REFLECTIONS

Content Guideline - Safe.

April 18th After Century Year 195 9:25pm Los Angeles Central Cineplex

Hilde Schbecker raised an amused eyebrow as Duo Maxwell led her out of the
theatre, his face lit up with a broad grin as he talked continuously about
the movie, not even bothering to check if she was listening to him.

Waiting for the rare moment when he paused for breath, she quickly
interjected, "Blake... that's the third time you've brought me to see 'The
Dragon's Justice'... aren't you just a little bit tired of it by now?"

Duo blinked at her, "What? Me? Tired of ol' Wufei kicking ass?! Never!", he
finished with mock indignation.

Hilde smirked, shaking her head with resignation.

Duo's eyes gleamed as he continued the taunting, "In fact, I can't wait for
the video release!"

Hilde laughed softly, "Blake... I swear one day I will take your Wufei
collection and smack you over the head with it..."

Duo stopped walking, turning to Hilde, wrapping his arms around her waist,
pinning her arms to her sides. His grin was mischevious, "I'd like to see
you try... 'cos after that... I'll just have to show you the kind of...
punishment I give to naughty little girls..." He drew her close to him,
close enough for their noses to touch.

Hilde found herself staring deep into Duo's warm amethyst eyes, trapped
within the depths of his irises. It felt... right being so close to him. He
was so... perfect. Embracing the warmth of his body, she contented herself
with staring at him. It was so hard for her to contemplate how impossibly
handsome he was. No man had a right to look THAT good. The smooth features
of his face... that impossibly long braid... the firmness of his body... she
did not have to look at him to know that he had never been in better shape.
Her mind recalled a time just several months ago when he had struggled just
carrying her groceries home for her. Now... he was so... perfect.

Too perfect.

Blinking out of her reverie, she looked around her and realized that a crowd
was blatantly gazing at their display of affection. Reddening, she smiled at
Duo, trying to struggle out of his grip, "Blake... I think we should save
this for later... we're making a scene."

Duo blinked as well, his gaze taking in the crowd, "Oh... right." He
released her.

"C'mon, let's go."

*****

April 18th AC 195 9:25pm Outer Los Angeles Wasteland

Chang Wufei sighed as he stared at himself in the large mirror, bordered
with those irritating tungsten lightbulbs. He scratched his forehead
lightly, running a hand through his thick crop of shoulder-length black
hair. Penetrating black eyes stared defiantly back at him.

*I hate my life...*

He shifted his gaze, staring out of his trailer's single small window, out
at the barren landscape where they were shooting on location. He sighed,
looking down. And caught sight of a pile of posters and assorted other fan
merchandise sitting on his desk, waiting for his signature.

*Why can't they all just leave me alone?*

A small knock on his door resounded throughout the room, causing his head to
jerk up and in the direction of the door. His lip curled up in frustration.
Raising his voice slightly, he called out, "I'm busy! Go away!"

The knocking became louder, more insistent.

His eyes narrowing, he got up slowly, turning to face the door. This time,
he yelled, "I said, GO AWAY!"

The door crashed opened, splinters of the wood surrounding the lock
scattering across the floor, the door itself slamming wide open and
rebounding slightly. The cold night desert air gusted in, and Wufei found
himself staring at four large men, looking in through the door. All wore
identical black suits, with identical black sunglasses, each with a stern
frown creasing his face. All looked like they had just jumped straight out
of a bad movie.

Wufei eyed them silently.

The lead man spoke.

"You are Chang Wufei?"

The Chinese boy raised an eyebrow, "Something tells me you're not looking
for an autograph."

The man did not respond in kind, instead folding his arms across his chest,
"We have instructions to escort you to those who are have sent us. We will
do so by force if necessary. It is suggested you come quietly... to prevent
unnecessary... accidents."

*****

Heero Yuy allowed himself to be led, led out of the large chamber where his
life had just been shattered, led into an adjacent room, where he was
motioned to sit, along with the five scientists... and her.

It was unmistakeable.

She looked at him levelly, her cool stare calmly contemplative, yet vaguely
hinting at reminiscence and... familiarity. Heero raised an eyebrow. She
knew him. Somehow.

J slowly took a cup of hot coffee out of the wall dispenser, before joining
the group. He eyed Heero for a moment, stirring the steaming liquid inside
the cup.

He spoke slowly, deliberately, "Well?"

Heero blinked, "Well what?"

J continued to stir his coffee, his voice nonchalant, "You wanted answers.
She has them."

Caught off-guard, Heero was speechless. He found himself alternating his
gaze between J... and the one who appeared to be Hilde. His mind raced...
thinking... trying to think. He felt his cheeks turning red.

The elder woman smiled lightly, her hands folded daintily across her lap, as
she took in Heero's discomfited state, "I never thought I'd see the day."

Heero jumped... a little, a small frown forming across his brow as Hilde
stifled a small giggle. It was unmistakeable. Her voice. Somehow...
she -was- Hilde. He looked at her, "What are you talking about? And what's
so funny?"

Her smile refused to fade, "It's nothing, Heero. It's just that... I've
never seen you blush. Or get startled."

He raised an eyebrow, "Of course you haven't. I've never met you before."

She nodded knowingly, "I know, but I've met you."

Heero simply stared. Was the woman insane?

To her, he said, "Mind running that past me again?"

To his surprise, her smile disappeared, replaced with the wistful, sad gaze
she had been wearing when she had first appeared ten minutes ago, "I know
you're confused, Heero. Especially since you apparently just met the Hilde
Schbecker from the here and now just yesterday... but I will try to
explain."

Heero leaned forward, "How did you know that I just met Hilde?". He blinked,
"The here... and now?"

The five scientists were silent, watching the exchange.

Hilde nodded, "The here and now, Heero. Let me explain."

She leaned back, the shimmering green gown glinting in the room's
illumination.

"I am Hilde Schbecker... as much Hilde as the girl you've just met."

She raised her arm, in a sweeping gesture that took in everything.

"All you see around you... the world that you know..."

She stared him straight in the eye.

"...it is not meant to be."

Heero drew back, frowning, "What are you talking about?"

Hilde raised a hand, silencing him with a motion, "I've lived through this
time, Heero, this year... After Colony 195. This is not the way it was."

The Asian youth corrected her, "After Century."

Hilde shook her head, "No, Heero. You're the one whose got it wrong. This is
all... wrong."

Heero could only stare at her, perplexed.

Hilde continued, "As you can guess, Heero, I am Hilde Schbecker... but the
Hilde from a future time, AC 219 to be exact... in the world as it should
be. We were conducting the final phase of a number of key experiments that
the United Earth Nation had implemented some twenty years prior to that,
experiments that delved into the realm of temporal anomalies. Duo and I had
been requested by the United Earth Nation's Scientific Research Division, to
assist in the most critical stage of the experiments, seeing that the
corporation we set up was the leading private organization in this field."

"Our goal was simple... we were going to open the doors to the one of the
greatest legends in what had been science fiction - time travel. All the
preliminary experiments had been successful, and both I, and the UEN SRD's
director of operations, were certain it would work. I activated the switch
that would begin the process."

She looked down, "I remember... Duo holding my hand... squeezing it...
hopefully."

Heero shook his head, his voice laden with disbelief, "So... this world of
yours has a Duo as well, huh?"

Hilde stared at him, "No, Heero. Not the Duo as he exists here. It's hard
for me to explain... but the best I can do is to say that the person who was
Blake Richardson here is Duo Maxwell where I come from."

Heero snorted, "How convenient."

Hilde ignored him, "Let me finish. Something went wrong. The generator was
reacting to something unknown that was jeopardizing the whole operation. And
I was the only one who knew how to stop it. I yelled for Duo to clear the
room. He refused at first, until I left him... no choice. The UEN's director
refused to leave, insisting that she could help. I could not stop her.
Together, we worked... frantically... trying to shut down the operation..."

She shook her head again, "But there was nothing we could do. The system was
slowly, but steadily going out of control. We tried to escape... but it
overwhelmed us both."

Hilde looked up, "I was unconscious for what seemed like hours. When I came
to... I was here... in this place."

She gazed at Heero, "That was four months ago. Stuck in what I knew as the
past, in a world I could not recognize, yet filled with people I know...
with people I worked with... with people I love.... just as I remembered
them, from their youth."

"I began researching on history, on everything that could have given me a
clue as to what had happened. And I found it. The history I knew was exactly
the same as the recording history of this world... everything... the
dinosaurs... Moses... the birth of Jesus... the fall of the Roman Empire...
the Middle Ages... the First and Second World Wars... the formation of the
United Nations... the formation of the Asian Federation... and the
Euro-American Alliance... everything was the same... until one point of
time... two centuries ago, in what should have been After Colony Year 001,
the year when the Asian Federation launched the first of the colonies... in
what would have been the first of the LaGrange colony clusters... in the
same year the two governments would have molded itself into the United Earth
Alliance."

She looked around the room, "Something... happened... in that year... that
shouldn't have. Or rather... someone. At the end of the final war between
the Euro-American Alliance and the Asian Federation... at least, the way I
know it, a truce was signed between both parties, a truce that called for
total cooperation between both governments. It worked well... hostilities
lessened, both governments cooperated with each other in research, and the
colonies were launched. That didn't happen... in the history records I read
upon arriving here. Instead, the President of the Euro-American Alliance
refused all research rights to the Asian Federation, ordering them to stop
all advancements in science and technology, on the pretext that advanced
weapon development could be 'hidden' amongst the peaceful research."

She looked at Heero, "Do you know who was the President of the Euro-American
Alliance at the time? In the year 'After Century' 001, as you know it?"

Heero nodded, "Everyone knows that. She was the founder of the two centuries
of peace since."

"Her name, Heero."

The Asian youth stared at Hilde, "Dorothy Catalonia."

Hilde smirked, "Dorothy Catalonia. Heero, Dorothy Catalonia was my friend.
She was the UEN SRD's director of operations during that experiment that
went awry. She was the one who was engulfed, along with me, when the
experiment went out of control. She was not from that time. She was not
supposed to be President. And most certainly, she was NOT supposed to have
done that. With that one move, she changed the history of our planet. There
are no colonies in space now. The only orbital structures are the Maganac
Corporation's neotitanium procressing plants."

Hilde looked at Heero, "True... she gave you two centuries of peace. True,
if the colonies were there, these two hundred years would've been a lot more
violent... we would be at war now, with you fighting on the side of the
colonies. But at what price, Heero. You know what you are now. Tell me...
are two centuries of peace worth the eradication of the human race?"

Heero slammed a fist down on the coffee table, "Look, I don't know if half
of what you're saying is true, so, tell me this much... how can I trust you
and what you're saying? How do you know YOU'RE right, and the rest of the
world is wrong. Why would your -friend- want to stop progress and prevent
the launch of these... colonies?"

Hilde looked at him for a second, "Dorothy lost her father to the war. She
has often seen the colonies as the catalyst... the reason that we were
fighting in the first place. The experiment that we conducted has clearly
left her stranded in the past. Perhaps... she reasoned that... if the
colonies were not launched... the template for the destruction that surely
would follow... would be eliminated. And it was... and replaced by a far
greater plan of destruction."

"As for how you can trust me... you know I don't have the Dreams... as you
call it, Heero. Do you know why?"

She did not wait for his answer, "The Dreams... Heero... are the vestiges in
your mind... of what should have been. Think of it this way... when a person
takes a photo of you, the flash leaves an imprint in your eye, a bright spot
that mars your vision for a while, an image... a reflection of the flash
remains imprinted on your vision. Likewise... the world as it was is still
out there... imprinted vaguely in your memories... memories of what should
have been... but was not. To prove myself to you, Heero.... I will describe
your Dreams to you, as I have to these five gentlemen. Believe me, they were
equally skeptical at the start. Until I told them their Dreams as well.

Heero eyed her warily.

Hilde smiled... a little, "The way I remember you... from the time I
remember you. You were a pilot, Heero, one of five chosen by the resistance
forces in the colonies to pilot the five greatest machines ever built, I
suppose in your dreams, they would look... something like giants."

Heero shivered.

/*He tried to recall what had happened this time. Everything was vague... he
knew Duo had been there, he now recognized him in the Dreams... and there
were three others... young boys, his age... he did not know them... and they
were fighting... just the five of them... fighting against a horde of
giants... all alone. The giants... they were blurred in the Dream and Heero
could not make them out very well... were relentless... never-ending, but
somehow the five of them kept on destroying the giants as fast as they
came... Heero could make out that he was somehow inside one of the giants
himself, as were the other four, watching as the giant he was inside refused
to surrender, refused to give up fighting... and he saw himself... and did
not like the Heero he saw in the Dreams...*/ - cf. Chapter Three - The
Illusion of Truth

"In fact... they were something like giants... huge humanoid robots, we
called them Gundams, nearly indestructible. You were sent... to wage
guerrilla warfare against the forces of Earth. Many things happened...
changed. You were captured... forced into..."

Heero interrupted her with a wild shout, "ENOUGH!"

She smiled at him, "Do you believe me now?"

Heero realized his hands were clenched into fists. One hand had been
gripping the arm of his chair. The wood had long since cracked. He slowly
released his grip, letting the splinters fall to the ground. He looked at
Hilde, "Am I... like this... in your world?"

Hilde smiled, "Something like. Only thing is... you were modified and
trained... by him." She pointed at J.

Heero was silent.

He looked up.

"What do you want us to do?"

She nodded at him, her eyes sparkling like polished gems, "We have a
chance... to right the wrongs done. But you, among other things, are
essential."

Heero gazed at her calmly, "Tell me what I have to do."

The elder woman stood up, "There is no hurry, Heero. Besides, not all
preparations have been completed. Not all the peices of the puzzle have
fallen into place. There is time yet."

She was about to turn and leave when Zechs entered the room hurriedly. Seven
pairs of eyes turned to him.

He ignored the intent gazes, looking directly at J, "Sir... we're having a
small problem."

J waited for him to continue.

Zechs fidgeted uncomfortably, "As per your instructions, sir, we've sent a
number of agents to invite Mr. Winner back here... so that we can explain
everything to him. As you remember, in the aftermath of the examination that
was conducted on him... there were too many... problems to keep tabs on him
and he escaped."

J nodded impatiently, "So... is he here?"

Zechs shook his head, "No, sir. The first two agents came back without him.
When questioned, they mentioned that they both invited Mr Winner quite
forcefully. He refused, and all of a sudden, they felt compelled to leave
him. They left him almost immediately, without even making a second
attempt."

J shooked slightly, "So... send another agent!"

Zechs shifted uncomfortably, "We did. Two of them, so that we could take him
by force if we needed to."

"...and?"

Zechs looked up, "Five minutes ago, a car from the hotel Mr. Winner is
staying at dumped the two of them outside our entrance. Both are in the
medical facility. Preliminary scan shows that their minds, their whole
neural system is scrambled. It's like... some powerful force reached into
their minds and...crushed. Not crushed physically, I mean. Their brains are
intact... it's only that all the processes and functions have shorted out.
The doctors say they have almost no hope of recovery."

He looked down, "When we retrieved them from the entrance... they were
saying something... over and over... repeated like a message... I think
they're probably still at it now... it seems like the only thing they know
how to do anymore."

"What are they saying?"

Zechs looked away.

"They seem to be saying, 'Their blood is on your hands. Don't send any
more.'"

J looked grim. H was pale. He turned to J.

"Perhaps we made a mistake... he could have been the second one."

J shook his head, "No... I know what he is, and how he came to be this way.
If only he would let us explain..."

He looked at Zechs, "Perhaps it's time for stronger measures. Zechs, send
Solo to meet Mr. Winner."

Zechs took a step back, "Sir... I don't think..."

"Do it, Zechs."

"...but, sir, Solo may be cybernetically augmented, but his brain is still
largely organic. He would not fare much better against whatever was used
against our agents."

"Trust me, Zechs."

"...Yes, sir."

As he approached the door, he turned back towards the scientists as J called
his name.

"Sir?"

J looked at him, "Did you forget to update us on the other matter of
importance? How goes the search for the second one?"

Zechs nodded, "Our agents are out in search, based on the information you
provided. We expect to find him shortly, if they haven't done so already."

Heero watched Zechs leave silently, before turning to the scientists. Hilde
had... disappeared, probably while Zechs was delivering his speech.

"Is there anything else you want from me?"

J shook his head, "Not at the moment, Heero. You're free to go for now. Just
keep this on yourself. We'll contact you through it when necessary." He
handed Heero a small comlink.

Heero nodded, "Is there any way for me to keep my... strength under control?
I can't go about breaking shower knobs and... uh..", he turned red,
remembering events from the night before.

J smiled, "I'm afraid you'll just have to be more careful." He looked at
Heero, "You know, a lot of guys out there would give anything to have what
you have..."

Heero simply looked at him, "I'm not one of them."

G eyed the young boy for a moment, "I understand that the convenience store
you were working in terminated your contract after the recent incident. No
matter, we have arranged for your bank account to be credited. You are
working for us now, anyway."

Heero nodded, before turning back to J, "Who... is this Mr. Winner?"

J sighed, "I was waiting for you to ask. He is Quatre Raberba Winner, the
CEO of the Maganac Corporation. He is funding our entire operation... and I
believed him to be the second assassin. I was wrong. Instead... we found him
to be... something totally unexpected."

Heero raised his eyebrows, "What is he?"

J smirked, "I'm not entirely sure myself. All I can say for certain is that
he's a newtype."

Heero blinked, "No newtype I know can do what I heard he did."

J looked at Heero straight in the eye, "He isn't a normal newtype."

*****

Duo Maxwell jaunted in through the aperture-like door leading to Sister's
room, whistling softly as he casually twirled his black windbreaker in the
air. He stopped, smiling at the gleaming white apparatus.

"Yo, Sis! How've ya been?"

*I'm operating optimally, Duo... Have you managed to keep yourself in better
condition this time? You have NO idea how hard it was to repair you after
that last incident.*

Duo grinned at the machine, "I'm fine, Sis. Just need the usual daily
maintenance."

A voice echoed out of the corner of the room, "Why do you bother to talk to
it in the first place? It's just a machine."

Duo paused, gritting his teeth as he turned to face his twin. He eyed Solo.

"You're a machine too."

Solo folded his arms, glancing away, "Thanks for reminding me. I would've
forgotten without you, wonder-boy."

Duo sighed, as he stepped into one of the repair crevices inside Sister,
"Where're you headed now?"

Solo shoved his hands inside the pockets of his windbreaker as he watched
Sister begin maintenance on Duo, "Latest orders from the brass. I'm to go
retrieve Quatre. Apparently, he's giving trouble."

Solo Maxwell snorted slightly as he walked towards the exit. As he reached
the door, his whole demeanor changed. A cheery smile erupted on his face,
his eyes
brightened, and he began walking with a casual air. Much like how his twin
had walked in. The facade had taken over.

Watching from within the confines of Sister, Duo shook his head.

*****


Quatre Raberba Winner ignored the insistent tapping on his door. He was
sitting on the carpeted floor of his room, sweating beading across his
forehead.

**Why did you do it, Quatre?**

*I had to... they wouldn't have stopped otherwise. I had to make an
example.*

**You call turning two perfectly healthy men into comatose vegetables an
example?**

*I didn't mean to use... that much. It's hard to control. I didn't mean to
do that.*

**Just keep calm... never EVER use it in haste.**

The door to his room flew off its hinges, a deep crack running horizontally
across the thick reinforced wood of the door. It landed on the carpeted
floor, snapped in two. Quatre looked up aghast, his concentration broken,
looked up to see Solo Maxwell standing at the door, one arm outstretched.

*Did I piss them off?*

**No... he's not here for revenge... I can sense it.**

The black-clad youth slowly walked into the room, walked towards the young
blond seated in the center of the room.

Solo smirked, winking , "You should've answered the door, Quatre."

Quatre looked up at the black-clad youth, "That door... was triple
reinforced, Solo. Would you care to tell me how you did that?"

Solo shook his head, "Don't waste time, Quatre. I was sent to bring you back
to the scientists. They need to tell you something."

Quatre smiled slightly, "I've already told your agents quite... clearly.
Don't send anymore." He raised a hand.

Solo found himself immobilized by an unseen force, his arms and legs bound
and crushed against his sides. He felt himself being lifted off the ground,
held suspended two feet in the air. Quatre smiled at him.

"You see... you aren't the only one keeping secrets. So, here's the deal.
Since your... scientists are so insistent on telling me something, I'll go.
After you tell me what you are. Somehow... I'm getting this feeling that
you're not the same person I knocked down in that car accident three months
ago..."

Solo stared at the young blond smiling at him. Staring at the first person
who had managed to incapacitate him. Staring at the first person he was
actually... a little afraid of.

He began his story.

*****

Zechs rushed into the operations room, rubbing his eyes sleepily, yawning.
He looked at Relena, standing in the center of all the activity, looking as
prim and proper as ever. She turned as she heard him enter, nodding at him.

Siding up next to her, he queried, "What was so important that I had to be
woken up at 2am?"

She pointed at the screen, "As you no doubt know, our agents have had no
success in locating the second one. I think we've just found out why. We
picked this up from one of our surveillance networks." She pressed a button,
and a large screen on the opposite wall came to life.

The screen showed an unfamiliar lab... with unfamiliar people. Lying on the
examination table was a young boy, Chinese by the look of it, garbed in a
simple gown like those found in hospitals.

Relena looked at Zechs, "We couldn't find him... because -they- have him."

The screen zoomed in on a small monitor inside the room, enlarging and
enhancing the video feed so that Zechs could see what was displayed.

His heart sank.

The seal of the Euro-American Alliance was prominently displayed on the
monitor, along with some personal information about the boy, and Zechs noted
his name. Another monitor, close by, monitored the boy's vital functions. A
third looked vaguely like the monitors the five scientists stared so eagerly
at during their 'examinations'.

Zechs looked up at Relena, "Recall Heero, and Solo. Get Duo up here now. And
wake up the scientists."

He paused.

"Tell them the Alliance has Chang Wufei."

"They have the second assassin."

*****

CHAPTER SIX - TWILIGHT

Content Guideline - violence

April 18th AC 195 11:35pm Los Angeles

The room was pitch black, engulfed, overwhelmed in total darkness, an
all-encompassing shroud that swept across his vision, marred only by the
soft silken threads of light streaming in through the open windows, light
from the surroundings, from the moon and the stars above.

Heero Yuy did not care. He let his jacket fall to the ground, his hands
reaching up to run through a thick mop of soft brown hair. His eyes stared
out into the darkness.

*Who am I?*

He found the couch, the motions of his body numb, instinctive, as he sat
down mechanically. Leaning back into the soft folds of the cushion, he
tossed his head back, strands of his hair now tangled in disarray, as he
stared at the ceiling. Looking for answers, answers to questions that could
have none.

*Is this... real?*

His eyes swept across the room once again, the darkness making everything
indistinct to his eyes, a fog that danced across his vision and made
everything in his home... unfamiliar.

*Is it really the darkness... or am I just seeing things as they are for the
first time?*

His eyes fell to an object standing on an adjacent coffee table, his hand
reaching out for it even while his brain screamed otherwise. Anything but
that.

In the dark he sat, his eyes locked on the object he held in his hand. He
shook his head in bitterness.

*Who are you?*

A small mirthless laugh escaped from his throat, as his eyes traveled across
the length of the photograph he held, first from the middle-aged man on the
left, smiling with his arm draped across the shoulder of a woman, roughly of
the same age. She had a dainty smile on her face. Both had one hand each
placed on a shoulder of a young boy grinning for all he was worth, his soft
brown locks partially obscuring his somewhat narrow prussian blue eyes. Him.

The mirthless laughter faded away as the wooden frame of the photo cracked
in his grip, as the photograph he had treasured for so long crumpled in his
hand, shards of broken glass cutting into his palm. He ignored the blood
that now stained the picture.

He shook his head, blinking, startled by the sudden wetness forming
around his eyes. He tasted salt on his lips.

*What am I doing? I don't... cry.*

But no amount of rationalization would ease the pain, the sudden surge of
emotion that Heero realized had been hiding inside him, a deposit of
anxiety, fear and confusion, a sense of loss that was coming to the fore.

He let the tears flow, all the pent-up emotion and frustration of recent
days seeking release, and the still of the night was shattered by the
plaintive sobs of one whose world had just come crashing down mercilessly
about him.

*****

April 19th AC 195 2:52am Los Angeles Outskirts

Zechs Merquise stifled a yawn as he nodded gratefully to Relena, taking the
proffered cup of coffee with a small smile. Lifting the steaming cup to his
nose, he inhaled deeply before taking a tentative sip of the strong brew.
Sparing a glance at the wall chronometer, his gaze focused on the main video
screen, at the static being displayed on it. He sighed. The surveillance
camera had mysteriously stopped working ten minutes after the initial
discovery, and all attempts at restoring the video feed had failed.

The scientists had arrived within fifteen minutes of being notified, and
were at this moment convened in heated discussion in an adjacent conference
room, leaving it up to Zechs to formulate a course of action to retrieve
Chang Wufei from the Alliance before everything went awry. And all he had to
work with was ten minutes worth of video feed. He sighed.

He gazed about the room, his view taking in the three night-shift
technicians manning their stations, at Relena beside him, warming her hands
on an identical cup of coffee. At Lucrezia Noin seated not too far off,
trying not to fall asleep.

And at Duo Maxwell, leaning back in a large chair, his legs propped up on
one of the consoles, his jockey cap covering his face. He was snoring. Zechs
sighed again. A temple in his forehead throbbed alarmingly.

The door to the operations room slid open with a loud hiss, admitting the
same middle-aged woman who had been frequenting the place so often. Zechs
found himself staring at her. Despite the unearthly hour, she somehow
managed to maintain an aura of control about her. She was as prim and proper
as she had been earlier that night, walking in regally in a resplendent blue
gown that swept at the ground. Her face radiated a soothing calmness, an
inner peace and self-control that a hermit would be hard-pressed to imitate.
She looked at him, smiling as she entered, her voice collected and lacking
any trace of sleepiness, "Good evening, Mr. Merquise." She looked around,
"Where are the professors? I understand there's been a situation."

Zechs tried to emulate her smile, standing up a little straighter, yet
failing utterly, "They're in the conference room, Miss Schbecker. That way."
He pointed in the direction.

She smiled again, walking in the direction he motioned, "Thank you." Just
before she entered the room, she turned back, a small smirk still remaining
on her face, "Zechs..."

The white-blond looked up, "Ma'am?"

She grinned at him slightly, and for a moment, looked exactly as though she
were fifteen again, "I haven't been 'Miss Schbecker' for ages. You can call
me Hilde."

Zechs shook his head, "That would be... improper."

Hilde raised an eyebrow at him, her face expressing amusement, "...Improper,
you say. Okay then, if you insist, you can call me Mrs. Maxwell."

She disappeared through the doorway, leaving Zechs staring at her shadow.

He was still staring at the closed doorway when a now-familiar tenor voice
broke the silence.

"I thought you guys said you were done with me for the night."

Zechs turned his head, his gaze taking in Heero Yuy, standing just inside
the entrance to the operations room, still garbed in the same outfit he had
worn earlier that night, his hair slightly ruffled and his appearance
dishevelled, but his eyes showed him to be alert and somehow fully awake.

Zechs sighed, "Such is the life of one called to service, Heero Yuy. I'm
glad you're finally here. Now we can begin."

Heero frowned, "Begin what?"

Zechs held up a hand, motioning him into silence, "First things first."

Picking up a small PDA, he looked at it for a second before tossing it
squarely at Duo's abdomen. The device landed with a subdued thud,
accompanied by a startled grunt, as the braided teen jerked awake, his
jockey cap dropping to the ground. He shook his head once as if to clear his
thoughts, and blinked as he looked around the room, his whole demeanor
instantly alert and awake. He spotted Heero, and a wide grin broke across
his face as he took his legs off the console.

Zechs folded his arms across his chest, "If you would care to join us, Duo."

Duo scratched at his head idly, "Ready when you are."

The white-blond man took a deep breath, "Right. Let's begin, shall we." He
pressed a button, and the video screen lit up, the static display melting
into a view of the unfamiliar laboratory. Pressing down the button that
would play the video feed in fast-forward, Zechs waited, allowing the two
teens to view the entire sequence.

Duo's jaw looked close to dropping, "That's..."

Zechs nodded, "Yes. He's the second assassin. According to the feed, his
name is..."

The braided teen cut him off, "Chang Wufei!"

The white-blond looked at Duo, "So it would seem, Duo. We really should
applaud the Asian Federation. A perfect cover for a perfect assassin. He
could go almost anywhere unsuspected."


Duo shook his head in amused disbelief, "I can't believe it..."

Heero was still staring at the screen, "Not perfect enough, it seems.
Someone was suspicious enough to do that."

Zechs nodded, "Whatever the case, it is imperative that we retrieve him
before the situation gets out of hand. The Alliance does not know how
dangerous the ground they are treading on is." He looked at his watch,
before turning his gaze back to the two boys in front of him.

"When we contacted Solo and requested his immediate presence here, his only
response was to say that he was currently... occupied. Judging from his
location transmitter, he is still at Mr. Winner's hotel apartments. I assume
that he is still attempting to persuade Quatre to return."

Zechs looked at Duo, "We cannot wait for him to return... and this mission
is too dangerous for you to go solo, Duo. So..."

His gaze fell on Heero, "...you have to back him up."

Duo's eyes widened as he leapt out of the chair, his hands raised slightly,
"Whoa... back it up a sec, Zechs."

He looked at the white-blond, then at Heero, and back at Zechs again, "Did I
just hear ya tell -him-...", he pointed at Heero, "...to back -me- up?"

Zechs nodded.

Duo nearly yelled, his voice the essence of incredulity, "Are ya NUTS? It's
too dangerous! I can't look after him and retrieve Wufei at the same time!
Are ya tryin' to kill him or somethin'? I..."

The braided teen's stopped his tirade when he felt a hand grip his shoulder.
He heard Heero speak, "Duo."

"Yeah?"

The Japanese youth locked eyes with him, "I'm going with you."

Duo rolled his eyes, a small snort escaping his throat, "Great. Now you've
lost it too."

"You can't stop me, Duo. I'm going."

The braided teen raised an eyebrow at him, as he quietly studied the
Japanese youth for a moment, "Listen to me, Heero, I'm not gonna kid around.
This is for your own good..."

He paused, before shaking his head, his amethyst eyes meeting Heero's blue,
"Better for ya to be KOed here than killed there."

Duo had barely finished the sentence before he drew his arm back, his
fingers already clenched as he slammed a fist at Heero's abdomen. *I'm
sorry, Heero.* He blinked, looking down when he realized something wasn't
right.

An inch away from his stomach, Heero's hand had intercepted Duo's punch,
stopping it cold. Duo blinked again, looking up at Heero's satisfied smirk.
He turned to Zechs, "You didn't tell me they'd released his powers."

Zechs gazed back nonchalantly, his voice a dry monotone, "Oops."

Duo looked at the hand immobilizing his arm, bringing his gaze up to look at
Heero, "Still..."

Without warning, Duo twisted in a sudden motion, and a startled Heero
suddenly found himself in a deadlock, the hand he had been using to
immobilize the braided youth now twisted behind his back, firmly in Duo's
grasp. Almost simultaneously, the braided youth used one leg to hit out at
Heero's, sweeping the Japanese youth off his feet.

Heero found himself breathing hard, his cheek flattened against the cold
hard floor, one arm twisted behind his back in a deadlock, a sudden weight
pinning him down, a steely hand holding him firm. He was entirely at the
other boy's mercy.

*How could I've been so stupid?! I should've... expected that.*

"... he still lacks training." The pressure on his arm disappeared, and
Heero immediately leapt to his feet, backing away from the other youth, who
was now looking back at him. He didn't meet Duo's gaze, instead looking
around the room.

Zechs had been watching the whole spectacle silently. Relena was staring
daggers at him, her demeanor frosty. He hastily looked away, his gaze
falling on Lucrezia Noin who had finally succumbed to sleep. He winced
slightly at a sudden pressure on his shoulder, before realizing it was Duo
giving him a pat on the shoulder.

The braided boy did look a little chatised, "Look, Heero, no hard feelings,
okay? I only did that to prove a point. I'm your friend, or at least... I
wanna be." He smirked a little at that.

Heero stared at him for a long moment, before returning the pat on the
shoulder, nodding, "No hard feelings."

Duo grinned, "Cool. Besides, you weren't bad for a beginner. There's a lot
of raw talent in ya. Remind me to do somethin' about that when we have more
time. Right now..." He paused.

He put an arm around Heero's shoulders, "...we have a mission to
accomplish."

*****

April 19th AC 195 3:32am Los Angeles Outskirts

Zechs Merquise stared at the video feed that was being transmitted from the
microcam embedded inside Duo's left eye, watched, along with the five
scientists, as both the Japanese youth and the braided teen made their way
stealthily along the perimeter of the military installation where the
Alliance was holding Chang Wufei. J was speaking.

"Listen Duo, Heero. We've already told you what we can of the installation
and its surroundings, and what kind of resistance to expect. Now, I want you
to listen carefully... there is a very likely chance that..."

He was interrupted as the main screen suddenly died out. J turned to one of
the technicians, "What happened? Get them back now!"

The technician shook his head in confusion, "Nothing's wrong, sir.
Everything's working within normal parameters. The screen should be
working."

J was muttering to himself, "They're going in there blind! The second
assassin could already have been released for all we know!"

Zechs shook his head, "I'll call back Relena and Lucrezia. Maybe they can
fix the thing." J nodded.

The white-blond pressed a button on his wristcom to do so. Nothing happened.
He pressed again.

The lights went out, throwing the room into pitch blackness, seconds before
every screen, console and monitor in the room darkened. It took several
seconds for the reassuring red glow of the emergency lights to activate, and
H looked at J.

"A generator malfunction."

"It has to be..."

"It could be an attack... the Alliance could've tracked us down..."

"No... our security measures are more than sufficient..."

All conversation came to an abrupt halt as the door leading into the
operations room exploded open, peices of shrapnel flying across the room,
even as a large vaguely human shape came flying in through the door, landing
with a dull thud.

Zechs squinted in the poor illumination. He blinked, his eyes widening. It
WAS human. A person. It was...

His jaw dropped, "Solo?" He heard the scientists gasp.

He tried to rush over to see if he was injured, but found himself
immobilized by some unseen force. He fought against it, the muscles in his
body clenching with the effort. Sweat began to bead across his forehead and
it was not long before he gave up from the strain. Realizing he could not
even move his head now, he looked around the room as far as his eyes would
let him, discovering bitterly that the five scientists and the three
technicians appeared to be in the same predicament. Solo had not moved an
inch, but as the white-blond's eyes became more accustomed to the dim
lighting, he could see the shallow rising and falling of Solo's chest. He
was alive, at least.

He heard soft footsteps resounding through the hallway outside the
operations room, even as his mind put two and two together. If Solo was
here, and everyone in the room appeared trussed up like turkeys for
Thanksgiving dinner, that meant only one thing.

A familiar blond figure emerged through the doorway. He was dressed much
like when they had last seen him, but... he was different. His eyes had an
almost maniacal gleam in them now, and his mouth had taken on a somewhat
demented smirk, one that looked as though it could break into a grin at any
moment.

He stood there, watching, as though waiting for something.

Everyone waited.

Finally, the smirk on his face really did break into a grin, "Well, isn't
anyone going to welcome me back?" He paced about the room, looking more and
more insane by the minute, "You wanted me to come back, right? Well, here I
am! Are you happy now?" He laughed suddenly.

J fixed his eyes on the three technicians, but he was speaking to Quatre,
"Let them go. They have nothing to do with this. We can settle this."

Quatre glanced momentarily at the three technicians, dismissing them with a
wave of his hand, "Why not? Get out of here."

Nothing visible happened, except that the three suddenly sagged slightly, as
though something that had been supporting them had been released, and one
technician actually fell to the ground. The other two hastily helped the
third up, and the three all but ran out of the room. Quatre laughed as he
watched them go, his gaze following them down the hallway, his hands
clapping as though in enjoyment.

H, who had been standing next to J, whispered, his eyes narrowing, "I think
now would be a good time to tell us just exactly what you know about him..."

J shook his head, or at least looked as though he was trying to, "I did not
count on this happening. The situation is not entirely hopeless though... we
can..."

"Well, isn't this just so... rude."

J's eyes looked at Quatre, who was now pacing in front of the five
scientists. The mad grin was still evident.

The young blond looked at each scientist in the eye, "You try -so- hard to
get me back here... and when you finally do... you have nothing to say to
me. Everyone's just -so- happy to talk amongst themselves, enjoying each
other's company, pretending as though I don't even EXIST. That's not
right... is it now?" The grin became a contemplative smirk, his eyes like
fiery sapphires.

J spoke to him, "That's not it at all. Listen, Quatre, we need to tell
you..."

The young blond interrupted him with a laugh, "I'm sure you have many many
stories to tell me... but I'm not sure I want to hear them." He paused for a
moment, as though thinking, "Then again, maybe I do. Solo Maxwell over there
told me a WONDERFUL story. I'm sure I could do with another. I remember
liking bedtime stories. They always had a calming effect on me. Right,
Solo?" He grinned at the unconscious boy.

He turned back to the professor, "You were saying...?"

J paused for a moment, "Quatre, before I tell you a... bedtime story, can
you tell me what exactly did Solo tell you?" When Quatre's eyes narrowed, he
hastily added, "So I won't end up telling you the same one."

The young blond nodded as though it made sense, "I see. Of course. Solo told
me a wonderful story, as I said. He told me that he's a
cybernetically-enhanced human, a clone of a boy called Blake Richardson I'd
knocked down over three months ago in a car accident. He told me that I'd
been a fool, that I'd let your organization make me believe that HE was the
boy I'd knocked down, not the boy himself. He told me that the boy was dead,
that I'd been fooled into supporting your little rebellion with a huge sum
of my money, that my emotions, my guilt had all been played with, just so
you wonderful people could go about your business. He told me that you're
planning to use me... for who knows what? All I know is...", his face went
dark, "I've been made out to be the greatest fool who's ever lived.
Wonderful story, dontcha think?"

The sudden noise of running suddenly erupted from the hallway behind, and
Quatre whipped his head around. Zechs and all the professors strained their
eyes, trying to look down the hallway. J's eyes widened. The three
technicians had called for help, and ten security personnel were running
down the hallway, rushing towards the darkened operations room.

J yelled, "No! Get away from here! Now!"

Quatre's eyes narrowed, and all of a sudden, the security detachment stopped
dead in its tracks. Zechs tried to avert his eyes, but he could not help but
stare in horror as the ten men simply... burst. There was no way to better
describe it. One moment, the security detachment was there. The next... the
walls were stained with blood and bits of flesh and uniform, weapons left
untouched, fallen to the ground. The young blond smiled, turning back to the
scientists, "We couldn't let them spoil our wonderful conversation... could
we now?"

He sat down on the ground, crossing his legs, the smile still on his face,
"Where were we?"

J tried to remain calm, doing a better job at it than some of the other
scientists. Zechs bit his lip, trying to quell the growing unease inside
him, a small voice inside wondering if Lucrezia and Relena were safe, or if
they'd been... accosted by this madman.

J looked at Quatre, "Before I can tell you... my story, you should know that
Solo never finished his. My story won't make sense unless you hear him out."

Quatre looked thoughtful, "Are you sure?"

J nodded, and Quatre turned to Solo. The boy's unconscious form was suddenly
lifted up into the air, hanging like a rag doll.

Quatre whispered sweetly in his direction, "Solo... wake up, Solo. The good
doctor here says you haven't finished your story yet."

Solo began shaking violently, thrown around the room roughly, like a dog
worrying a slipper. Quatre's voice became more insistent, "Solo, wake up!
Finish your story!"

J nearly yelled, "Quatre... stop!"

Solo fell to the ground unceremoniously, and Quatre fixed his gaze on the
professor, "You said he had to finish his story. I was trying to wake him
up."

J took a deep breath, "There's another way. You know Solo is a cyborg. There
are backup records of his memory inside that computer." He looked at a
console a slight distance away.

Quatre looked at the console from where he sat, before getting up to examine
the console, "This one?"

J breathed heavily, "Yes."

The console sprang to life, beeping slightly as it did. Quatre looked at J,
the light from the screen illuminating his face eeriely, "What do I do?"

J was beginning to sweat profusely, "Just... press the third button from the
right."

The young blond looked at the console for a long moment, "That will finish
the story for me?"

"Yes."

"And after that you'll tell me yours?"

"Of course."

"Okay then."

He pressed the button.

A thin blue discharge of energy lanced up Quatre's finger, spreading to
envelop the young blond in a bright blue net of energy, crackling and
leaping off his skin in nasty bolts. Quatre let loose a small shriek as the
energy pulsed inside him, and he fell to the ground, his eyes closed before
he hit.

The pressure binding the scientists and Zechs disappeared, and the lights,
consoles, screens and monitor came back to life.

Zechs found himself breathing heavily, staring at the unconscious boy lying
in the middle of the room. He turned to J.

"I think we deserve some answers... sir."

*****

"Come in, HQ... I repeat, Duo to HQ... come in, HQ. Over."

Duo shut off the comlink with an exasperated sigh, turning to look at Heero,
now garbed in a similar all-black suit which Zechs had forced him to
exchange his clothers for.

"It's no use. I can't raise them. Could be some local interference." He
paused, "We're on our own, Heero. Still think this is fun?"

Heero glared at him, "We'll make it."

Duo snorted, "I wished I was as sure as you."

The Japanese youth looked around, his eyes scanning the perimeter, the
installation, and the fifteen-foot high chainlink fence that seperated them
from the base, "Shall we go in?" He reached out to grab at the chainlink
fence, about to wrench a hole large enough for them to crawl through.

Duo's steady hand stopped him, "No, Heero. The first thing you have to learn
is to know -when- to use your new-found strength. In missions like this,
stealth is a lot more important. There's a huge chance this fence is wired,
either to an alarm that will sound if anything touches it, or if the base
commander is feeling particularly nasty, to a little generator that'll pump
five hundred thousand volts into you." He shuddered, "Trust me, it wasn't a
pleasant experience."

Heero stared at him.

Duo grinned, "Besides, even if it weren't hooked up to some little nasty or
other, a big gaping hole in the fence just cries out 'Hey, look, an
intruder!' to any passing patrol."

Without letting the other boy get a word in, the braided youth suddenly
stood up, bending his legs slightly before leaping up and over the
fifteen-foot height and landing as softly as a cat on the other side. He
laughed at Heero's incredulous look, "You try it."

Gazing up at the immense height, Heero swallowed nervously. Bending
slightly, he leaped up, putting as much force as he could muster into it.
His eyes widened as he found himself sailing past the top of the fence
without stopping, almost twice over the height of the fence, before
plummeting down towards the ground. He stifled a small yell as he landed on
his face, right next to Duo.

He felt Duo's hand help him to his feet. The braided youth's face was
typically amused, "You need a little practice, Heero, but that was good for
a first try."

He slapped Heero on the back, "C'mon, let's get a move-on before you trip up
on those big ol' feet of yours."

*****

Zechs looked at the young blond, still unconscious, now restrained in a
chair, a device that whirred and hummed attached to his head, green lights
blinking. O, S and G paced around the room, scanning several monitors, while
Relena assisted them. Lucrezia was down the hallway, supervising the
clean-up detail. J and H were observing the boy, with Zechs next to them.

J pressed a button on the device, which emitted a small beep, and Quatre's
eyes slowly blinked open.

The young blond seemed to be in a daze, his eyes unfocused as he stared
around the room, "Where... where am I? Where's Solo?"

**Easy now, Quatre...**

*What... what happened? Why can't I remember anything?*

**I don't know, Quatre. It's never happened before. I don't know what
happened either. All I remember was that you suddenly suppressed me down,
right down to the core, like you used to before...**

*Are you hurt?*

**No... but I think something's happened...you're not suppressing me
anymore... but it's still not right.**

Quatre vaguely heard one of the people in front of him speaking. He tried to
focus.

"...you feeling any better?"

He stared in front of him, recognizing J. He frowned slightly, "Oh... it's
you. Yes, I'm feeling fine." He looked at the blue restraining field holding
him immobile in the chair, "What's going on?" He struggled against the
restraint, to little effect. His eyes narrowed, trying to focus on the
device restraining him, to destroy it. Nothing happened.

J shook his head, "You will forgive me for suppressing your ability. That's
what that device on your head is for. After what happened, I think I am
justified in doing so, at least until I can explain everything to you."

Quatre's eyes widened, "You... know about this... ability?" When J nodded,
Quatre continued, "What... happened? I don't remember."

J nodded, "And rightly so. Let me explain."

He started pacing slightly, "Do you know what a newtype is?"

Quatre suppressed a wince, "...yes."

J continued, "A newtype is a gifted human, one with highly developed mental
powers, usually manifesting itself in the form of empathic or telepathic
ability. They are extremely rare, and much sought after because of their
abilities." He looked at Quatre, "I suspect that you are a newtype."

Quatre averted his eyes, even as J continued, "However... I also think that
unlike most, you KNEW that you were different from the rest, from
your parents. You didn't have to be discovered, because you discovered
yourself. And you hated being different, didn't you?"

The boy tried to nod around the restraining field. J smiled, "You hated
being different... having this 'special' ability, because it set you apart.
You had enough of being 'different'... the only son in the family... the
only 'rich kid' in school... you didn't want to add 'newtype' to that, did
you?"

A shake of his head.

J continued, "So... somehow, you rebelled. You fought against this ability
of yours... and you won. You suppressed it for years, despite the fact that
all the time, the ability inside you was fighting to get out, to manifest
itself. You suppressed it enough, that you managed to pass the testing for
newtypes undetected, even while the ability was inside you. It was only when
you came of age, when you hit puberty, that the ability broke through the
shell you had formed around it. You see, just as you start developing at
puberty, just as you start gaining height and strength at that age, so does
the ability only begin to grow to its full potential at that age. Even then,
you somehow managed to slap a rough block on top of the ability, suppressing
it for the most part, suppressing everything except an occasional
'feeling'... and a voice in your head that speaks to you... am I right?"

Quatre was staring at the professor in open shock now.

*How could he know?*

He nodded numbly.

J smiled, "Two days ago, we released that block... and you can see for
yourself just exactly what your battle with your ability has gained for
you."

Quatre's breath caught, "You mean..."

J nodded, "By fighting it constantly, by making the ability fight for its
survival throughout your childhood and teenage years, it began to evolve,
growing stronger because of the fight you put it through, manifesting itself
in the ability that you have shown over the past few days. The same ability
that just killed ten men outside this room less than fifteen minutes ago."

Quatre blinked, his eyes turning to look at the mess outside, at the people
cleaning it up. He tried to shake his head, but the restraining field caught
it, "I... don't... remember."

J looked at him, "I can tell you why."

The young blond simply stared, as the elderly professor continued, "I
suspected it from the time you came in here, from the time you told us
exactly what 'story' Solo had told you. I believe it even more now because
you just confirmed that you have a voice in your head speaking to you now."

He looked at Quatre, "I believe you are suffering from a
multiple-personality disorder. You refused to have anything to do with this
newtype ability of yours as a child, so much so that you suppressed it, did
everything
you could to seperate it from yourself, and you succeeded. That is why it
took on a voice of its own, that is why you can speak to it now. You are
essentially speaking to yourself, another 'part' of you, the seperate part
that houses the newtype ability. Both halves make up the whole Quatre that
you are. However..." (Quatre goes into berserk mode??)

He paused for a moment, "After he regained consciousness, I asked Solo what
exactly had happened in your hotel room, just before sending him for
repairs. He mentions that he told you everything that had happened, the
truth of it all. He said that at first, you just kept silent, while he
remained suspended in the air. All of a sudden, you began laughing, then
crying. You curled up on the floor, shaking, sobbing, and he found himself
being tossed around the room like a rag doll, slamming against the walls and
furniture and everything. Any normal human would've died from the force of
those blows alone, and even in his enhanced state, you injured him badly. He
mentioned that you began speaking like a child, talking about stories
and such, much like how you were behaving when you came here. After that, he
lost consciousness from his injuries."

"From this, all I can speculate is that a third personality was formed
today. Your background, your character, seems to me, to be somewhat fragile.
You are an uncertain... almost frightened person inside, one forced into
responsibility at a young age, forced to be something you were not ready to
be. All this added to make for one incredibly fragile personality. You,
Quatre. When this latest blow hit you, that despite ALL the measures you'd
taken, all the precautions to make sure that you were strong enough to deal
with anything your business could've thrown at you, along comes this
organization that plays on your emotions and gets the better of you. When
you learnt this... you simply... lost it. You could not cope with it, and
your normal personality fled, allowing a new, seperate personality to take
over, to take the pressure of this latest development. This personality was
child-like, a version of you from your childhood, a time you remember as a
time that you managed to conquer your greatest fear, the newtype ability.
Your subconscious probably figured that since you as you were now could not
handle the situation, perhaps this version of you could, and so the 'child'
Quatre was left to deal with the situation, and it could not. It drove you
slightly insane, and led you here seeking an answer, someone to pay for what
had happened. Does any of this sound familiar?"

Quatre was silent for a long time before speaking, "I don't know..."

"I think you do, Quatre."

"I don't know why... but it sounds... right." He looked up at the professor,
his blue eyes filling with tears, "What do I have to do?"

J smiled. The child was in his hands. "We can help you, Quatre. We can help
you deal with this problem of yours. We can help, if you will let us, and if
you will help us in return."

Utter silence prevailed again as the young blond looked down.

Turning his gaze up, he looked at the professor as his small voice broke the
silence.

"Yes."

*****

Duo Maxwell dragged the Japanese youth aside, hiding in the darkness behind
a stack of crates piled up in a darkened corridor. Looking at the quivering
boy, he drew back his hand, slapping the boy hard across the cheek,
whispering fiercely, shaking him by the front of his vest "Snap out of it,
Heero! It's over, you can't do anythin' about it!"

The Japanese youth was shivering, his eyes still fixed at the sight, "I....
I didn't mean to..."

Duo sighed, "I know you didn't..."

*Great job, Zechs. You've just screwed up another person's life.*

Heero was still shaking, "I... I didn't mean... to... to... kill..."

Duo forced the other boy to look straight in his eyes, holding his
frightened gaze with the sternest frown he could muster, "Heero! I said,
snap out of it! It can't be helped. Just make sure you learnt something from
this mistake."

Almost dragging the other boy, Duo crossed the several meters back to the
corridor where the two guards had unfortunately bumped into them, while they
were trying to make their way through the building. The first guard was
unconscious, the blow Duo dealt him knocking him out instantly. The other
guard however, had blood dripping out of his mouth, and his eyes were
beginning to have the glazed look of death. Duo's sharpened hearing had
heard the two guards approaching and they had tried to hide to avoid
attention, but the guards were observant and had spotted them.

Duo had reacted calmly, as he was trained to for espionage situations,
dealing a decisive blow that knocked out his opponent. Heero, however, had
overreacted, and in the heat of the situation, had aimed a punch at the
other guard's chest before Duo could reach him in time. The blow had been
way too powerful, as Heero still had little control over his strength, and
the guard's ribcage had simply snapped, piercing into the guy's heart. He
was dead before he hit the ground, and now Heero was a total mess. It always
happened that way... always after the first kill.

It took almost ten minutes for Heero to stop shivering, and before Duo could
coax him to continue. He prayed that they wouldn't bump into any more
guards.

"C'mon, Heero, it's not that much farther."

The Japanese youth was silent as Duo led the way through the darkened
corridors.

*Why did you have to get all mixed up in this, Heero? I tried to protect you
from it... but you refused, eager to be... what did you want to be, Heero?
Something like me? Do you think the life I lead is exciting, is wonderful or
somethin'? If I had a choice, I'd pick your life over mine anyday. Better
not knowing -than- knowing...*

A single door at the end of the corridor blocked their way, and the braided
youth turned to Heero, "This is it."

Turning his attention to the door, Duo suddenly frowned, "That's... odd. I
don't hear any sounds coming from beyond."

He pressed the button that should have slid the door open. An insistent beep
answered him, and he snorted, "Locked. I should've expected that."

He looked around, shrugging, "No time to be subtle, I guess." He reached
towards the left side of the door, his fingers digging into the metal of the
door, warping to conform to his grip. With one swift motion, he forced the
door to slide open, the hydraulic motor shorting out in its attempt to keep
the door locked against the overwhelming pressure. Glancing into the room,
both Heero and Duo took a step back.

The examination room was drenched in blood. The place was soaked red, from
the walls to the broken computers, to the smashed tables and screens and
consoles. It was a complete wreck. Stepping gingerly, Heero forced back a
gag reflex as the sickening smell of blood got up his nostrils. He looked
down at the ground, trying to keep blood out of his sight, and found himself
looking at a dismembered arm. He promptly threw up. Nothing could've
prepared him for this.

Duo looked, and grimaced, whether at the carnage or at Heero throwing up was
anyone's guess. Gazing around the room, he shook his head, "Something went
really wrong here."

Heero tapped him on the shoulder, and Duo turned to look at him. The
Japanese youth looked a little green, but appeared to have finished
regurgitating his dinner. He was pointing at something. Duo's eyes looked in
that direction, and found himself looking at another entrance to the room.
The door had been torn clean off, and was lying somewhat bent a short
distance down the corridor. The corridor bent sharply to the right a few
feet down, and a trail of blood clearly marked the progress of at least one
person down that corridor. Duo nodded silently, motioning for Heero to stay
close behind him.

Duo deftly sidestepped the bent door, making his way silently down the
hallway, his footsteps as soft as a mouse, hardly breathing, his eyes
constantly shifting, looking in all directions. He rounded the bend, and
immediately found himself staring at the back of an all-too-familiar figure.

Chang Wufei stood there, his hands and gown soaked in blood, as he dropped
the lifeless bodies of yet two more guards who had happened to get in his
way. He began walking away, apparently not having heard Duo and Heero's
approach.

Duo was apparently about to correct that. Placing his hands on his hips, he
yelled, "Hey!"

The Chinese boy did not even seem startled, turning around calmly to look at
the two youths behind him, waiting.

The braided youth fixed a glare on him, folding his arms across his chest,
"Didn't anyone ever teach ya not to litter in public places?"

The Chinese boy simply looked at them, up and down, as though assessing
them. After a moment, he simply said, his voice a low baritone, "If you know
what is good for you, you will leave now, and forget what you saw."

Duo smirked at him, "I don't think we can do that."

The Chinese boy had a small smile on his face, and he seemed a little
surprised, "Oh?" He took a step towards them, the smile melting into a
frown, "Then, you will die."

He charged at them, leaping across the short distance before either had time
to react. He slammed into Duo, knocking him to the ground, a flurry of
well-placed blows keeping the braided youth occupied with defending himself.
Duo grunted a little, as several evaded his defences, hitting home with a
vengeance. The Chinese boy seemed surprised that the braided youth beneath
him was still alive, let alone in able condition, and this only served to
further strengthen his resolve. Heero found himself backing away slightly,
uncertainty rooting him in place.

Wufei hauled the American youth up, lifting him off the ground such that his
feet dangled in the air, and his hand clenched around the other boy's neck,
attempting to crush it in. Duo managed a weak grin at him, "Not gonna happen
this time.". Grabbing at the hand holding him aloft with both hands, he used
that balance to gain momentum, lashing out with both his legs, kicking the
Chinese boy square in the chest, forcing him to release his grip, and
sending him flying. Duo dropped unceremoniously to the ground, in time to
see that the Chinese boy was back on his feet again as well.

Both opponents circled each other warily, feigning a move, waiting, waiting
for an opening, a weakness in each other to show. Duo made the next move,
lashing out with his fist. It ,however, proved to be a fatal mistake, as the
Chinese boy deftly sidestepped it, slamming both fists down hard on Duo's
head. The American youth hit the ground... and did not get up.

The Chinese boy laughed softly, reaching down to haul the American teen up
by the hair. Duo's eyes were closed, and Wufei smirked, "You were a worthy
opponent... so I will give you an honorable death."

Looking around the corridor, the Chinese boy's gaze fixed onto a thin length
of metal piping running across the wall. Reaching out, he wrenched off a
segment, tearing it such that one end was jagged, sharp as a knife. He
dropped the American youth to the ground, and holding the pipe in both
hands, he raised it up high.

He brought the pipe down with both hands, with enough force to skewer the
American and pin him into the ground beneath him.

The pipe stopped short, an inch away from its target. Chang Wufei quivered
with rage, looking at the two hands which were grasping at the sharp end of
the pipe, bleeding red, and he looked at the other boy, the Japanese youth
who had just interrupted.

Heero's gaze was firm, "I can't let you do that." He raised a clenched fist,
slamming it at Wufei's jaw.

*The dead guard... killed by accident. Ribcage... broken... heart pierced...
accident...*

The blow died off at the last moment, landing only softly on the Chinese
boy's jaw.

*I... can't.*

Wufei looked at him. Recognition passed before his eyes.

The Chinese boy snarled, "Traitor!!"

One hand lashed out for Heero's neck, and Heero reacted instinctively.
Grabbing at the hand, he twisted it around, using the same method Duo had on
him barely hours ago, twisting it into a deadlock behind his back. His leg
lashed out, knocking the Chinese boy off his feet, and Heero found himself
pinning the Chinese boy down with all his weight and strength. He looked
down, at his opponent. He was motionless.

Startled, worried that he might have hurt him more than he intended to,
Heero let up on the pressure for a second, and the Chinese boy took the
opportunity. Lashing out with his feet, he kicked at Heero, sending the teen
flying into the wall behind. Heero muttered a curse as he picked himself up,
watching as he saw the Chinese boy at the opposite end of the corridor,
running away from them.

"All I'll say... is that you're one heck of a fast learner, Heero."

Heero looked down, and saw Duo propping his head up on one hand, lying on
the ground like Cleopatra in a Roman chair, grinning for all he was worth. A
large unsightly bruise marred his forehead.

The Japanese youth walked over, and offered a hand. Duo snorted, taking it
and using it as a support to get up. He too stared down the corridor after
the escaped Chinese boy. He sighed.

"We really screwed this up... and I can't say the two of us are at fault.
C'mon, let's make a temporary retreat."

Duo led the way, hobbling out the way they entered.

"We'll get him later."

*****

"Irane yo! Abunai ryu!" - Hanabishi Recca

Sandrock
Keeper of the Wing Chronicles
Guardian of the Heart of the Universe
Wanna glomp Chichiri? Van? Duo? Recca?
Proud Member of Glomp Fest 2000 NO DA!