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Bright lights, someone crying… no there was a man crying. Someone was holding her hand.

The green-eyed wonder-girl blinked…

"What… what's going…" she started…

"SCARLET!" Mr. Maxwell exclaimed, and embraced the sixteen-year-old as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I thought you were dead!" she confessed crying into his shoulder "I missed you, oh Mr. Maxwell I missed you so much!" she cried, tears of joy finding their way down her cheek.

"It's OK, kiddo, it's OK… I thought you were dead - twice! Oh Scarlet…"

The two after all had not seen each other since the first separation.

They clung to each other a long time, because for all of Scarlet's life Mr. Maxwell was all she had in the universe, and Mr. Maxwell loved Scarlet like his own child.

Heero and Kiyoshi rolled their eyes; they didn't exactly what the entire hubbub was about, after all Scarlet had only just almost died and everything about three times.

Chang Wufei and Chen Lian glanced with little interest, they both wanted to get on with the mission.

Max and Trowa stood, still in circus garb, standing silent over to the side a little. Max cast a glance at Scarlet, who seemed more and more, like his little sister.

Quatre and Basim laughed merrily, the entire group was back together again, and they hadn't been together since the first battle that they sent the kids away.

Lyla looked at them, standing father back than the other pilots were, thinking to herself.

She closed her eyes.

"They've grown so much…" she mummered to herself "The pilots elder had grown in age, wisdom… and compassion. The young ones too have matured… yes… yes it's time for the battle." She mummered, glancing up at the grouping.

"It's time for the final battle."

*~*

Relena, Dorothy, Lucretzia, Lady Une, Milliardo senior and Treize Kushrenada sat together in the living room of a fine town house in the middle of an abandoned city. Everyone had a cup of coffee or tea in front of him or her, and they were all more than a little disheveled. Their gracious host, the Scorpion Emperor smiled his death's grin at them.

"I hope you didn't object totally to your… kidnapping… during the mayhem that followed the circus performance of the young Scorpion." He chuckled.

"What are you talking about? I certainly saw no one that looked like you." The aged Relena said with a stern face.

"Why… young Scarlet, or Nicole, or Raven, or any number of names she might have gone by. She is, after all, the last one born." He shrugged "Though she has LaGrange colony blood in her… but that can be over looked."
"What do you mean? Is Nico… Scarlet related to you?" Treize asked, a little bit of shock on his face.

"Why… no. She's related to another Scorpion that you all know. She's of Moore blood."

"That's impossible, the only way she could have done that is if Lyla had children, and we all know that she left Duo long before Scarlet could have been born." Lucretzia piped up, her hand finding Milliardo's. Milliardo Peacecraft just looked angrily at his grandson, who stood stern-faced at the door, his back to them as he guarded the room.

"How did this happen?" he growled to himself as he glanced up at the Scorpion.

"Scarlet Erin is the last chance for this colony! Only she holds the key to opening the mystery… oh yes the mystery!" Scorpion laughed. "And she's not bad looking either."

Dorothy scowled.

"That's disgusting. You are a sick man!" he stood "And I DEMAND you release us!"

"Sit down, Grandmother." Nicholas said with a smirk "You don't want to get hurt."

Dorothy blinked, looking in shock at her grandson, he had… had threatened her! She turned to Scorpion

"How could you pervert our grandchildren's minds! You sick bastard, why if I were twenty years younger I'd…" she said, her hand as if reaching for a sword.

"Dorothy… it's not the time." Milliardo said sternly. Treize agreed with his friend

"Yes Dorothy, please. Come sit beside me."

Lady Une glared at the Scorpion in silent hatred, this man who had not only ruined her life more than once but also had taken her passion as a Preventer away, and kidnapped her and now held her against her will.

Scorpion laughed.

"On that note, my little ones, I will leave you be." He taunted, and smirked at the group.

"Good night, good night, parting is such sweet sorrow."

*~*

Scarlet winced as she rubbed her back, glancing around at the hospital ward on Pod-Hopper II, everything had come back to her in one great rush, so she was trying to sort everything out. She had been able to change from her trapeze artist suit to her regular black fatigues and a black button-down shirt. Her green eyes searched the room boredly… and she ran a hand through her red bangs. Mr. Maxwell had graciously braided her hair for her, and she ran a hand as far down as her mid back before her side hurt.

She sat up and swung her legs over the side just as Lyla, the aged woman who had doctored Scarlet's wounds walked in.

"You should be laying down." She said, adjusting her glasses and looking at the young pilot.

"I can't lay down! I KNOW something's wrong and no one's telling me anything!" Scarlet cried out, throwing her hands into the air, wincing.

Lyla sighed.

"The other pilots are in briefing to make an assault on the colony. You can't go, you're down for the rest of the war." Lyla said, putting away some things

"WHAT? I can't be down! Oh… wait… Bran exploded… " Scarlet blinked, her face turning sorrowful. "I guess you're right… I'm no use. I'm useless. I'm so uncool."

"No use and useless mean the same thing, Scarlet. You've been around Duo too long."

"Well… I repaired Bran once myself - I can do it again! And I even used LEO parts on him!"

Lyla blinked… of course! She had landed on the deserted island base Treize had been making his home on, and of course there would still be mobile suits there. That's why the systems were a little messed up.

"You also had a virus in your computer system." Lyla said. Her face darkened,

"The Epyon! Yeah, I know… is… is Bran OK? The systems I mean…." Scarlet said.

Lyla smiled

"Perhaps one such as yourself doesn't need to be down for the count, Scarlet. I'll show you something…"

Lyla motioned for Scarlet to follow, and the two women on the ship made their way down a long stretch of hallway.

Lyla lead the way into a darkened hangar, the Work hangar Scarlet realized.

"Don't be scared, Scarlet. Come on in." Lyla said, and turned on the lights.

The bright lights blazed off the shining black armor on the black winged Gundam, eyes seemed to flare to life as Scarlet gasped, and cried out the name of her ol' buddy. She ran over to the Gundam and wrapped her arms around the leg (or attempted to), tears of joy running down her face, not as much as they had with Mr. Maxwell, but enough all the same.

"Lyla… Lyla did you do this?" She asked, turning to the gray haired woman.

"Yes. Bran was my finest work… aside from one other thing that now doesn't matter if I made it or not." She said in a tone that made Scarlet not want to ask.

"You made Bran?"

"Yes, I created all five of your Gundams based on the originals… and mine. The Gundam Atermis… Bran is the closest to Atermis in speed… but much more powerful. I'm surprised it didn't end up like Diabolic - one of the predecessors to Atermis in the Scorpion Gundam lines. He too had almost a mind of his own and mental connections to his pilot… young me. Younger than you, matter of fact."

Scarlet listened with rapt attention… if Lyla was saying it, it must be important.

"I was foolish in thinking that I could handle the system when I was very young, so I created a different one, though much more powerful. I'm sure you know that all of the New Generation Gundams are equipped with EROS?"

"Yeah, Mr. Maxwell used that to send us all away… Emergency Relocation Operation System, right?"

"Correct… anyway, you'd better get to briefing if you want to continue fighting, Scarlet."

"I don't want to fight… I'm just protecting those I love."

"Oh?" Lyla blinked "And who do you love? Mr. Maxwell?"

"Him and Heero and Quatre and Wufei and Trowa and Max and Basim and Lian and Kiyo and Treize and Matt and his mom and his dad and especially his sister and then her dolly too, and all sorts of the other circus people…" Scarlet paused "I guess… everybody."

Lyla smiled.

"Good, now get to briefing before you miss everything."

As Scarlet rushed from the room, Lyla pressed the comm button.

"Hey, Duo here, what's up?"

"Scarlet will be fighting, Duo. Make sure the briefing doesn't start until she gets there."

*~*

Kiyoshi Yuy, the ever-stern grandson of Heero Yuy and Relena Peacecraft sat down. He was the leader of the group, born into the position and trained to not show weakness. He almost seemed inhuman, distant. That's how he preferred it. His moss green hair was held back with a yellow bandana, to keep it from drifting into his eyes.

The red haired charge of Duo Maxwell stepped in the room, her bright green eyes behind her glasses as usual, and a brand new bottle of pills in the pocket of her fatigues. Her stomach growled slightly in protest of the single granola bar she had had before having the bullet removed. Her mind didn't wander; she focussed intently on the mission that was to be set before her. After all, the Scorpion had hurt her deeply, a black scar across her heart.

Max Barton heaved a slight sigh as he sat down, ever the introverted knife-dodger that he was. He knew he had grown, he had become more open, especially among these pilots who he trusted… no… whom he DEPENDED his life upon.

Basim Atif Winner, the smiling grandson of the most kindhearted of the pilots sat talking to his grandfather about the ZERO system, how it differed and how he had to fight grandmother Dorothy while using it. He was a little worried and speaking of his grandfather battling his grandmother often eased his worry.

Lian ran a hand over his hair, checking to make sure the small ponytail in the back was secure. He knew this was the beginning of the end… for him? Perhaps, but more importantly it was a matter of his honor. He would not be too afraid, simply because being so scared of something that you run away is dishonor. There is no dishonor in being scared for your life, or those you care about.

And before them stood the five pilots, the first Gundams… those boys that the organization known as OZ, branching from the Romefeller Foundation on Earth, had fought decades ago. They had all aged, and their piloting days was over. They knew, they felt it deep within their bones.

This was the battle that the next generation may loose.

And die in.

Heero Yuy looked at them, and spoke, no emotion in his voice, but his eyes were far from dead.

They shown with pride.

"As you know, this is our first assault on the colony where the Scorpion makes his rule. Since no one can enter the colony proper, you don't need to worry about defense systems on the main part of the colony. However, on the axis wheel where our enemies will be there are gattling guns as well as minor laser cannons. You are under no circumstance allowed to harm the colony, your mission is to cut the Scorpion troops down."

"Why aren't we allowed to attack the colony?" Scarlet inquired, raising her eyebrows.

Heero closed his eyes.

"In the confusion of the circus incident, Scorpion had kidnapped a number of our supporters, Relena Yuy, Dorothy Winner, Milliardo and Lucretzia Peacecraft, Lady Une and…"

"Treize!" Scarlet yelped a little louder than she wanted to, and everyone looked at her, with Mr. Maxwell guffawing.

"Sorry…"

"In any case, your orders are to not harm the colony, destroy the main defenses, the most powerful and threatening being the dolls and the larger cannons. We have reasons not to destroy the colony, and we have no choice but to continue with the assault."

All the pilots understood, and nodded.

*~*

They stood before their mobile suits, Kiyoshi with Raidon, the Golden Angels of Lightning. Scarlet and Bran, combined to become the Raven and the Dark Goddess of Death. Max Barton and his Blaze, the fiery Gundam that held within more ammunition than perhaps some of the colonies. Basim Atif Winner, the smiling young boy and the blue tank of Faris, the Knight of the Skies. Chen Lian stood before his Shen-Li, the unbending Willow and his weapon of truth and justice.

They had grown, but their growing was not done. They still couldn't function as a team.

And now was the time to learn they had to learn to be a team. Their lives depended on it.

One hour to the first assault.