Gundam Wing: The Space between…Chapter 4 An Overture

Heero (VO): Previously on The Space Between:

Heero: That was one of my (bt) contacts informing me that the minister is once again trying to gain control of the Security Council (SecCon).

Heero: You remember Sen. Kelly Griggs?

Cathy (smiling): Yeah, why?

Heero: Well, according to my contact she will be found dead in a few hours of, and I quote, "natural causes."

Cathy: How'd she really die?

Heero: Cranial-facial lead infusion

Sen. Hayes: Right, [hands Heero a drink and the lowers him self in to a the chair opposite him] about three weeks ago I began to hear about a certain individual inquiring as to what would happen if a member of SecCon were to pass on. I found that Sen. Louis Martin was the one asking the questions.

Heero: The jerk from the finance committee? Relena's lap dog?

Sen. Hayes: [reaching for a folder that lay on the table next to his chair] he's more than her lap dog

Heero: Aw crap. She has got us in a corner but good don't she? We can't let it go cause she'll have an operative on SecCon. If we act then she'll know that we have someone on the inside.

Cathy: A dangerous game she's playing.

Heero: A game she's gotten good at.

Heero: Well that makes it a bit easier. [Turns to walk away but stops his voice low] I never asked but why Kelly?

Sen. Hayes: You don't remember? She took the floor and began to verbally tear her dumb bill a new one. [By this time Matt is laughing] After she was done with the bill, which by the way never passed, Kelly turned her sights on the Minister herself and very politely told her to go fuck herself.

Heero: God, I wish I could have seen that.

Sen. Hayes: (still grinning) Yeah that was Kelly at her best. (Sobers) I'm gonna miss her. Heero, you know I've never asked anything of you, but can you do this one thing for me?

Heero: Sure, what is it?

Sen. Hayes: Make that sonofabitch suffer.

Heero: Mission Accepted.

{Fade to Black}

{Title sequence, teasers for upcoming episodes (not in order) along with opening credits}

{BGM The Space Between by Dave Matthews Band}ßplays through

Panning view of the interior of the Operations Center with Catherine Bloom, in Summer Whites, sitting in the command chair.

Heero, at home, sitting on his couch typing on his laptop as Cathy comes up behind him and wraps her arms around his shoulders.

Heero, Cathy and the gang, clad in black, in a firefight, all with matching feral grins

Duo storming out of Heero's office, after he leaves Heero turns to a shadowed corner and raises an eyebrow in a silent question at the figure that steps out.

The President of the ESUN speaking at a press conference with Heero, Lady Une and Relena sitting next to each other in the background, all with varying degrees of boredom on their faces

 

Wide shot of all the primary Preventers gathered around Lady Une's office desk: Lady Une seated in the center, Heero perched on her side of the desk to her right with Cathy at his left elbow; Grey and Wufei, standing at parade rest, to her right.   Duo standing to Une's left. Trowa and Quatre are both seated in the chairs in front of her desk but are turned to face the camera.

Face shot of Heero that zooms in on one of his eyes and then transitions to a star field.

Were the title of the fic is superimposed into the shot.

Heero: (VO) An Overture

{BGM: Basketcase by Green Day}

{Cut to:}

Location: En Route to Preventers World Head Quarters.

Time:  05:45 Zulu; 06:45 Local

Date:  Thursday, April 19 A.C. 200

[Ext. shot of one of Heero's cars, a BMW 333i, as it cruises through the morning traffic. Cut to Int. shot. Heero at the wheel and Cathy in the front passenger seat. Cathy is sitting deep in thought while Heero is stealing glances at her as if waiting for her to ask a question]

Cathy: Heero, can I ask you something?

Heero: Sure.

Cathy: What's going on, I mean what's really going on?

[The expression on Heero's face is a mix of relief and pride]

Heero: Do you know how long I've been waiting for some one to ask me that question? Never mind, don't ask. [Pauses to gather thoughts] I don't really know where to start.

Cathy (grinning): The best way to tell a story is to start at the beginning and stop at the end.

Heero: True, guess I should take the long way to HQ. Well to begin I'm not really Heero Yuy, I am, but I'm not…

{Cut to ext. shot of car. Camera zooms out till the car is undistinguishable from the other cars on the road. Time-lapse footage of the morning cityscape shows the passage of time.}

{BGM fades}

{Cut to}

Location: En Route to Preventers World Head Quarters.

Time:  08:45 Zulu; 09:45 Local

Date:  Thursday, April 19 A.C. 200

{Ext. shot of Heero's car at an intersection near Preventer HQ. You can see the black marble twin towers rising high amid the surrounding buildings.  Cut back to the int. of the car.}

[Heero is just winding down form his story and Cathy has a spell bound look on her face.]

Heero: … and that's really all there is to tell, to bad you won't remember this conversation, (to himself) at least until the time is right. (Louder, to Cathy) Cathy! Wake up, we're almost there, (grinning) did we wake up too early?

Cathy: Shut up, you of all people should know I'm not a morning person.

Heero (smug): I don't know about that, a few mornings ago you seemed pretty alert to me.

Cathy (blushing, changes subjects quickly): Oh look the light's green.

[Heero just grins and drives on]

Location: Preventers World Head Quarters.

              Underground Parking

Time:  08:48 Zulu; 09:48 Local

Date:  Thursday, April 19 A.C. 200

[Still in the field uniform, pulls into the underground parking garage beneath Preventer HQ at the same time as Duo]

Duo: [stepping out of a red Ford-150 crew cab]: Whoa, Heero buddy where did you get the money to buy that?

Heero: [climbing out of car] what do you think I was doing on my laptop for all those years, playing Quake?

[Cathy is already out of the car and on her way to the express elevators. Heero turns locks the doors and heads that way, but calls out to Duo over his shoulder]

Heero: If you like that you should see my condo!

[Enters elevator just as the doors start to close leaving a dumbfounded Dou standing in the middle of the parking garage]

[Int. shot of the elevator.]

Cathy: so what's my assignment? 

Heero: First, I want you to go and talk to Quatre, tell him that we need him to investigate a Code Three. He'll know what that means, he's helped me with these type situations before. After that I want you to go and talk with Grey, tell him that I want one team from Group Six (GR6) spooled up and ready to go at a moments notice and prepped for recon duty.

{GR6 is the ultra secret special opts detachment of the Preventers.  They are tasked to quietly resolve uprisings and disputes using any means at their disposal. Cross-trained in a number of disciplines and highly motivated these operatives are second to none, save the Gundam pilots. Group Six is the first choice of ISD for sensitive operations}

 [Elevator 'dings' she is at her floor exits the elevator, turns to Heero]

Cathy: What will you be doing?

Heero: I'm going to the Medical tower and talk Sally into going along with this and then I'm gonna talk to Trowa. [Doors close]

Heero: Computer, locate Captain Po.

Computer voice: Command level authorization is needed for remote location of command staff.

Heero: Captain Heero Yuy, authorization code: zero zero one-omega epsilon enable.

Computer voice: Authorization codes accepted, Captain Po is in the main lobby, central aft section.

[Shrugging Heero presses the button to take him to the lobby.  Int. shot of lobby: open and spacious. It spans the entire distance between the two towers (about 300 ft.) and up to the third story of both. The receptionist's desk stands a several meters in from the entryway just behind the large Preventer seal on the floor. Behind the receptionist's desk there is a large fountain in the middle of the lobby and other stuff you would see in the lobby of a government building. Sally Po is standing near the central elevator bank, dressed in summer whites, cover tucked under her left arm briefcase in her left hand (right arm is left free to return or give salutes).]

Sally: [to elevator] will you hurry up!

[On queue the doors open to reveal Heero Yuy standing in the car with a small grin on his face]

Heero: Going my way sailor?

Sally: (sly) that depends. [Steps in to elevator, door close]

Heero: (Taking the bait) On what?

Sally: Will it involve the removal of your clothing?

Heero: Sadly not this time, my physical isn't until next week.

Sally: (Broad grin) I can wait. Besides I'm headed for a meeting with 'The Lady'. [Glances down at his attire] Speaking of clothing aren't you a bit out of uniform?

Heero: Had an early morning meeting with a deep-cover operative which, by the way, is what I need to talk with you about.

Sally: How so?

Heero: Unless I miss my guess the meeting with 'The Lady" will be about Sen. Griggs' death.

Sally: (shocked) Kelly's Dead?

Heero: [looks at watch] Her body was found about an hour ago. I want you to do the autopsy.

Sally: (still a bit shaken) Yeah, alright. What do you want me to look for?

Heero: Nothing.

Sally: What do you mean 'nothing'?

[Gives her the Reader's Digest version of the meeting with Matt, but leaves out the part about him being a senator. Or the assassination plot for Sen. Martin. Instead he calls him Preventer Bishop, as he finishes the elevator reaches it's destination. They exit and head down the hall]

Heero: So you understand why we have to do this?

Sally: Yeah, I do. I don't like it, but I understand.

Heero: That makes two of us [pulls out cell phone, hits speed dial, is answered on second ring. We only hear his half of the conversation] Bloom, Yuy, status…yeah…uh-huh… great, that's two down… yeah I'm on my way to find him now…(short chuckle) whatever, Yuy out. [Hangs up] Computer locate Captain Barton, authorization code: zero zero one-omega epsilon enable.

Computer voice: Authorization codes accepted, searching.

Sally: So that's how you do it.

Heero: Do what?

Sally: Know exactly where everyone is at all times

Heero: Oh that, don't tell anyone. It'll take away from my image.

Sally: It'll be our secret.

Computer voice: Captain Barton is in situation room four.

[Heero stops in his tracks draws his weapon, checks the clip and the chamber, re-holsters it in one smooth motion and then continues on]

Sally: what was that about?

Heero: You hear about the mid week meeting?

Sally: (understanding now) Oh, I see. Smart move.

Heero: Yeah, wish me luck. [Reached the door to Lady Une's office]

Sally: How bout' a good luck kiss [stands on her toes and gives him a peck on the cheek]

Heero: Thanks, I think that I'm gonna need it.

[After she enters the office Heero turns on his heel and head back the way he came, after a quick stop-off at his office, and takes the elevator down to sub-level 4 where the indoor ranges and the situation rooms are located. The situation rooms are kinda like the holodecks off Star Trek, a variety of locations and conditions may be recreated all with safeties, except for room four. It is reserved for Group Six and the Gundam pilots.

As he reaches the entrance to the room he glances at the control panel that displays the current scenario settings.]

{BGM: Weapon of Choice by Fat Boy Slim}

Heero: (reading the display) Scenario: Office High-rise, operatives: 8, seven computer controlled one human; Tangos: 67 all computer controlled, Time limit: none. Looks like he's just started.  (evil grin) Computer, add one human tango to Opp-four [opposing force] free agent.

Computer voice: Scenario modifications complete, enter when ready

[Heero Draws his weapon, presses the panel that open the massive blast doors and enters. Inside he finds himself inside a recreation of Preventer HQ, smiling to himself he moves off to track his prey. Two hours, 450 rounds of .45 cal, 800 rounds of 9mm (from the MP-5 he 'acquired' from one of the computer controlled operatives before he pasted him with his own weapon) and twenty shotgun shells later it was down to only him and Trowa with two clips of ammo between them.]

Heero: [behind a column checking the various weapons he has collected] Hey, Trowa I'm down to one clip for my sidearm. How bout' you?

Trowa: [behind another column on the other side of the room] Me too.

Heero: [tossing aside all the empty weapons and drawing his sidearm] How bout' we pull a Matrix?

Trowa: [Doing the same] Sure, why not.

Heero: On three?

Trowa: Check.

Heero: One…two...THREE!

[On three both rush out of their hiding spots at each other and began firing at each other while dodging bullets. Trowa, with the flare of the acrobat that he is, flips and spins to avoid the rounds flying at him. While Heero moves the with grace and economy of movement of a shadow, a drop of a shoulder and a side step here, a twisting of his torso there, almost as if he knows were the next round was going to be. The most effort he shows is when his does a baseball slide to avoid a shot in the chest while firing, causing Trowa to do the same.  The result: both wind up next to each other with their guns to each other's head.]

Heero (grinning): You're empty

Trowa (small smirk): So are you.

[at that Trowa tosses his spent weapon aside and springs to his feet while Heero actually does the 'Neo' fly/flip/spin thingy to his feet.  Then he tosses his weapon aside and reaches into the back of his jacket and pulls out two six-inch long and an inch and a quarter in diameter cylinders. One he tosses to Trowa who raises an eyebrow in silent question. Heero doesn't answer him verbally instead he presses a panel on the cylinder and what looks to be a black three-foot long thermal blade forms.]

Trowa: Personal Beam sabers?

Heero (shrug): I decided to change movies on ya.

Trowa: Um, won't these hurt a bit?

Heero: Right and bullets wouldn't?

Trowa: True, but I'm not as good as you with a beam saber.

Heero: I'll go easy on ya, besides these are set to stun.

Trowa: Stun?

Heero: Yeah, these are set to emit a highly focused static charge. [Assumes a fighting stance] Just think about it as really bad static cling.

Trowa (shrugging): whatever [presses panel and an orange-yellow blade forms] Nice.

Heero: I thought so.

[With that he began his assault. A few minutes in Trowa began to see that Heero wasn't trying to get him, but rather setting up a moderate workout pattern for him to follow. After five minutes of silence Trowa spoke]

{They are still fighting}

Trowa: How long?

Heero: Her working for me, or the relationship?

Trowa: Both.

Heero: Eighteen months and six months, respectively

Trowa (after thinking a bit): Do you love her?

Heero: That's…how do I say this right? I love her, but I'm not in love with her. Nor her me.

Trowa: I don't follow.

Heero: Cathy and I had this conversation just last night. The best that we can figure is that we are using each other.

Trowa: What?

Heero: Right now she needs someone to care for. I fill that spot. She also sees that I need some sense of normalcy in my life and she provides it.

Trowa (beginning to understand): How so?

Heero: Do you know how comforting it is to know that there is someone to come home to? Or to just sit and hold them just because?  I didn't, till she came along.

Trowa: What about…you-know-who?

Heero: She may have started the process, but she forfeited any and all chances we had, with the Mars Riots fiasco.

Trowa: Yeah, that was harsh.

Heero: But that's not what I came down here to talk with you about. [Disarms Trowa, catches his weapon and points his own weapon at Trowa's throat]  We have a situation.

Trowa: Do tell.

[Gives Trowa the full version of his meeting with Sen. Hayes, but still leaves out him being a senator and refers to him only as Preventer Bishop.]

Trowa: So you need a terrorist group to pin this on, right?

Heero:  Yeah, preferably one on our hit list. Computer, end scenario.

[At his command their surroundings shimmer and then dissolve into the bare walls with the emitters embedded in them.]  

Trowa: Come by my office tomorrow and I'll have something for you.

Heero: Excellent. [Looks at watch as he walks away] Now if you'll excuse me I have to take a shower and change.

Trowa: Why?

Heero: [over shoulder] If she stays true to form she'll be calling for a press conference to express her 'heartfelt sadness and sympathy' for Sen. Griggs' tragic death.  Oh yeah, [Tosses PBS (Personal Beam Saber) to Trowa] you can keep the saber.

{BGM fade}

{Cut to:}

Location: Preventers World Head Quarters.  Brussels, Belgium

              17th Floor, Office of Captain Heero Yuy

Time:    11:50 Zulu; 12:50 Local

Date:    Thursday, April 19 A.C. 200

[Heero's office, being a corner office, is huge. To the left of the door is his big screen TV and VCR. To the right of that and in the corner between the two floor-to-ceiling windows is where his desk is situated, with two armchairs in front of it. In the center of the room there is a large oval shaped conference table with seating for six. Behind the conference table and to the right of his desk there is a working fireplace with two overstuffed high-backed chairs in front of it. To the right of the fireplace, and against the wall, sits a distressed-leather couch. On the same wall the couch rest against there's a door that leads to his private bathroom, complete with shower and wardrobe. The door from the outer office, where his secretary sits, opens and in walks Cathy. She has on dress blues, her cover under one arm and I the other she has the jacket to Heero's dress blues on a hanger and is running a lint brush over it. The door to the bath opens and out steps Heero in the dress blues also but without his jacket and his tie in hand.]

Heero: I know how much you like to tie my tie, so I didn't put it on this time.

Cathy: Smart boy. [Walks up to Heero ties his tie and then helps him into his jacket]

Heero: Thank you. [Heads for the door with Cathy in tow. Heero stops as he passes his secretary.] So Kim, who's in on the office pool this time?

Kim: [reads from list] From our division: Prince put down twenty for general BS; Marcus, Jones and Franklin put twenty each on 'a truly tragic loss'; Parker and Koloko put down thirty on tears, but she'll continue and Jenkins, Liles, Ballard, and Bussell put down fifty each on 'a sad day for all of us'. (pause) Whadda ya want me to put you down for?

[It had become an office past time to bet on what the first fake response that the Minister would give at a major press conference. At one time the betting pool topped one thousand dollars, Heero won it.]

Heero: [after thinking for a minute] One hundred on 'my heartfelt sadness and sympathy' plus fifty says that she'll get choked up two minutes in and can't continue.

Kim: You got it. Oh, before I forget, The Lady wanted me to tell you that she wanted to go and to ask you to wait for her.

Heero: No problem. [To Cathy] Guess we'll have to take a fleet car.

Cathy: I'll get it. [Starts off but stops and turns back to Heero] Which do you want, the Mercedes or the BMW?

Heero: The Merc.

Cathy: [Nods] I'll be waiting on sub-level one.

Heero: Gotcha

[Cathy heads out the office and toward the elevators. Heero, meanwhile, waited for The Lady in his outer office and chatted with Kim. Shortly after Cathy leaves lady Une enters and without preamble turns to Kim and speaks]

Une: (fake wise guy accent) Gimme two hundred on whatever Heero put down.

Kim: He also has a side bet on.

Une: Whatever it is, double it. I'm feeling lucky!

Heero: Really? In that case why don't we just shuck the press conference and go back to my office and…(waggles his eyebrows)

[They both move out of the outer office and head for the elevator bank. The doors open and an influx of junior officers exit cutting off her retort. They enter and begin the ride down]

Une: And run the risk of raising the ire of one Ms. Bloom? Tempting, but no.

Heero: Your loss.

Une: Speaking of Cathy...

Heero: She's down on sub-level one with our ride.

Une: The Merc?

Heero: Of course.

Une: (chuckling) If you like it so much why don't you buy one?

Heero: Who says I haven't already?

Une: All joking aside, give me a status report on the Kelly case.

Heero: Well, basically the Minister wants to get a foothold in SecCon. She didn't like Sen. Griggs and, if you'll pardon the pun, tried to kill two birds with one stone by having her killed. Her hopes being that Sen. Martin, (at her look of disgust) yeah the shithead from the Finance Committee, would be put in Kelly's place. What she didn't count on was our Human Intelligence (HUMINT) being as good as it is.

Une: You have someone on the inside?

Heero: (warning tone) Beka, you know the rules.

Une: I know, sources and methods are on a need to know basis and I don't need to know, right?

Heero: Right now? No, you don't.

[The elevator stops at SL-1 and the exit and head over the motor pool where Cathy is waiting with their ride: a custom made black Mercedes 600 S series. A V-12 under the hood and enough armor to make a tank jealous yet it still retains the smooth ride of a civilian model. As they reach the car Heero opens the rear passenger door for Lady Une to enter and then follows her in. Once in Cathy starts the car and drives off]

Location: En Route to ESUN Senate Building.

Time:  12:08 Zulu; 13:08 Local

Date:  Thursday, April 19 A.C. 200

{BGM: Hook by Blues Traveler}

Heero: Shall I continue? [at her nod he goes on] Quatre is 'investigating' this one and I brought Sally in on this so she can do the autopsy and report anything that we want her to. Also I asked Trowa for a list of possible Terrorist Cells we can hang this on and I have Team Six from GR6 on stand-by to deal with Martin.

Une: How?

Heero: Dunno really, I still need to gather info on him, but I think that I'll play it close to what we're doing with the Griggs case.

Une: You seem to have everything in order, just keep me posted.

Heero: Acknowledged. By the by, do you know where this press conference is being held?

Une: Not really. [to Cathy] Do you know?

Cathy: [from driver's seat] On the East steps of the Senate building.

Heero & Une: Figures.

Une: One would think that she'd get tired of hearing her own voice.

Heero: Lord knows I have. (Under breath) Bitch.

Une: Heero, you still haven't gotten over that have you?

Heero: It's not the fact that she cheated on me, or the fact that she tried to have me killed, hell that happens just about every other day. Nor is it the fact that when I confronted her about all of it she lied to my face and then used one of the most tired lines in the history of man to break it off with me.

Une: Did she use 'I think we should just be friends' or was it 'I love you, but like a brother'

Cathy: Or a combination of both?

Heero: No, she used 'I think we should see other people.'

Une: That tired line? I thought she had more imagination.

Heero: According to Grey: if a woman says 'we should see other people' you can sure bet that she's cut a pony from the herd, and if she ain't riding him she sure as hell has got the saddle out the barn! But, seriously what really (bt) hurt was that she did it all just to get publicity!

Une & Cathy: What!?

Heero: That's right. (Monotone) She wasn't getting the exposure that she felt she deserved.

Cathy: So she screwed around and tried to have her (bt) boyfriend killed. Didn't she think that the scandal would have ruined her?

Une: Not at that time. You see this was during the time that the public thought that she could do no wrong. Heero: Hell, they probably thought that her shit smelled like roses! But, I digress. She was going to publicly announce our break-up because the 'false allegations' had put undue strain on of relationship. In doing so she would have accomplished two objectives at once: getting her much craved attention and making me look like the bad guy for dumping her at such a  'traumatic time'.

Cathy: But it didn't happen like that did it?

Heero: Nope, I beat her to the punch. I held a press conference first and said the reason for our break-up was over security reasons. The attempt on my life caused me to see that I was putting her life in danger and with a heavy heart I had to put my duty as a Preventer ahead of my heart and end our relationship.  Not the allegations of her unfaithfulness. (Stops, shakes head and gives a rough chuckle then continues) That was the biggest line BS ever to come out of my mouth.

[The car is filled with laughter as the camera pans out.]

End : An Overture

Next time on GW: The Space Between:

[The shot rang out in the crowded hall freezing all present in the hall, save four. One was clutching her shoulder trying to stop the blood flow, the two others on either side of her had their sidearms out. The third was pulling his wounded comrade down and shielding her with his body he to has his sidearm out.]

Heero:  (picking Lady Une up and cradling her) Cathy, clear a path. Quatre! Get the shooter!

Quatre: Got it!

[Like an attack dog Quatre shoots off after the shooter, with a feral grin on his face]

Quatre (VO): The hunt begins.

Murphy's Laws of combat # 86: A Purple Heart just proves that were you smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive.

Hey sorry bout the delay, hope you like it. R&R!!!