DC: I don't own GW (or anything affiliated with them, though I wish I did) All other characters are mine and created from the mind of insanity, mainly me. All resemblances to any characters of other fics are purely coincidental. Otherwise, don't sue me, all I have is my laptop.

Peacecraft Estate (2:31 p.m.)

"Where?" Relena Peacecraft asked alarmed.

"T-they just packed up and left." said a servant. "There was a phone call from Mr. Yuy for Mr. Winner. Mr. Winner looked kind of happy, relieved. In an hour they were packed with all of their belongings and Mr. Yuy came with a young girl. I think she was at the party the night before."

Relena clenched her fists weakly. The surgery still took a lot out of her. She stared teary-eyed at Pagan. "We have to find them, Pagan."

"Do you think it is wise-"

"How could they leave without saying good-bye? I bet that Kirin Shido just coaxed all of them into leaving! How could they do such a thing? I want a full report on that Kirin Shido, too. This is absolutely horrible!"

The phone rang. Relena's spirits arose. She reached for the phone. "Hello, Heero?"

"...No." said the voice. It sounded deep and...uneven. "This is Miss Relena Peacecraft, is it not?"

"Y-yes..."

"Good. I have a proposition for you. I know who was trying to kill you."

Relena's eyes widened. Pagan came near her but she held up a hand. "Go on...I'm listening."

"Let me tell you about myself. I am a prestigious scientist on the verge of breaking into the science world. I am on what people of Earth would call the Forgotten Colony. It is near the L1 Colony Cluster, mind you. You know someone that is the finishing touch to my research."

"Who is that?" she asked warily. If this man said Heero...

"Kirin Shido."

"Who are you?" Relena said stiffly.

"My name is Lee Ikuza. I'm...an acquaintance of Kirin's. You see, she is the final phase of my little project. You can help me."

"Help you?" Relena was very interested. "...How?"

"The project is my little business, but I'll give you a quick summary. Are you aware of the Perfect Soldier Project?"

"I've heard of it. I must admit that it hadn't interested me."

"Just as well." Lee said pleasantly. "That project is like bio-engineering a human being to become a Soldier. Heightened abilities, skills no one else has ever learned, supreme intelligence...a pure, one-hundred percent Soldier."

The first thought that came to her mind was Heero. He was the embodiment of a Perfect Soldier. "Ok. What does Kirin have to do with all of it?"

"She's only eighteen. The Perfect Soldier Project was brought up right around her birth. She...is a prototype. The first Perfect Soldier. Unknown, that is."

Relena linked Kirin to Heero. Maybe that was why they were so involved with each other? They were alike in many ways, in combat, in social status, and probably attitude. No, not that. Kirin was livelier than Heero in all aspects. She had more emotions. "Are you going to fix her or something?"

Lee laughed over the phone. "Certainly. In fact...Kirin is the one that was trying to kill you."

Relena almost dropped the receiver. "Kirin? She's my assassin?" Did Heero know?

"Sadly, yes. But it's not her fault. As a Soldier, someone gave her that mission and she simply accepted. What can you do? I'm sure you know someone who also follows orders? Someone...I'd say...Heero Yuy?"

"Y-yes." Relena said eagerly. "What do I have to do?"

"You accept my offer?"

"May I hear the terms first?" she asked quietly, trying to be careful in fear of treading on thin ice.

"Well, if you give me Kirin Shido, I'll take her off your hands. It's as simple as that. I won't bother you anymore."

"That's it? You just want Kirin?"

"Oh, yes. Oh, and the Gundams that she has. Her mind is very valuable." said Lee. He chuckled softly. "She is a very cunning one, she is. She has some irresistible charm that absolutely no man can turn down. Has she ensnared Heero Yuy in her little web of deception?"

"Yes." Relena said, the sharpness in her voice making Lee laugh again.

Lee's voice became serious and lower. "Bring her to me."

"I don't know where she is. She's elusive."

"True." said Lee. He sighed over the phone. "Just find an address. That's all I need. Once you have that, you and I will break ties. I won't even say you were the one who ratted her out."

"I want a favor." Relena said, not believing she was asking a perfect stranger to do a favor for her.

"And that is?"

"Heero-" she began.

"I know." Lee speculated. "I'll take them both. I'll keep Kirin and I'll fix Heero to suit you. How's that?"

"Is that all? No catch?"

"You are doing me a favor...and I will do you a favor. We're even. It's the least I can do." Lee crooned.

Relena felt a smile spread on her lips. "All right. How do I contact you when I get the address?"

"I'll call sporadically." Lee replied. "I trust you won't tell Kirin that you spoke to me?"

"Of course not." said Relena. "I owe her. She almost killed me so...she should go back where she belongs."

"Good answer, Miss Peacecraft. I'll call again tomorrow. Good-bye."

"Bye." Relena hung up the phone. She smiled. "I know your little secret now, Kirin...Shido. You're going back to the dumpster from whence you came..."

Safe House (3:47 p.m.)

"WHAT?" gasped Quatre Winner. He crushed his paper cup and stood. "Kirin, YOU? You were the one trying to kill Miss Relena?"

"Yes, Quatre." said Kirin. "The Elders at ONI wanted her dead. They chose me to do it and I accepted. Had I known that I would have to contend with you five-"

"I must call Miss Relena-"

"It's better she doesn't know, Quatre." said Heero. He was sitting, protectively, beside Kirin as if shielding the verbal onslaught by Quatre.

"Why? She almost died!"

"Her major arteries weren't damaged. She sustained damage only on her leg and shoulder. She'll live." Heero insisted.

"But Heero!"

The searing look Heero gave Quatre made the blonde Arab quiet down. He sat down, a little hurt. He gazed at the other pilots. "And the rest of you are ok with this?"

"Of course we're not ok with it." Wufei snapped. "But she confessed what she's done. She was simply following orders, Winner. You have to appreciate the fact that she has the audacity to actually tell us a day afterwards, but if Heero can accept it, then we should, too."

"She tried to KILL Miss Relena! She was almost successful!"

"Tried and almost is not as good as succeeding." said Trowa. "I'm sure if Kirin told Relena this information right now, Relena would be reacting as you are, Quatre. But she confessed. She's come clean. Obviously she's not cold-hearted."

Kirin was nibbling on some chips, watching the reactions of the pilots, minus Duo who was in a conversation with Shin. They were looking at each other and poking at each other's stomachs. They looked cute together.

Kirin leaned next to Heero and took his hand. "Let them say what they want to say. I'm prepared for it."

The pilots quieted. She looked at them and waited. "Tell me what's on your mind. I'm prepared for whatever you're going to tell me. Tell me that I am a heartless monster. Tell me that I'll be damned to die in Hell for a life that I didn't want! Tell me!"

Heero brought Kirin into his arms. He petted her head quietly, glaring at the three pilots who were once in a heated argument. Quatre wanted to punish Kirin for only a short while. Trowa said she should be left alone. She confessed and that should be enough. Wufei was in the middle. Agreeing she should be punished, but since she confessed her `crime' she should be taken off the hook. It created so much controversy, surely it was going to make Quatre cry in frustration and the other two wouldn't even talk or look at each other for the rest of the night.

Yume wasn't really paying attention to the arguments or conversations going on around her. She was silently fuming at Xellos for leaving her so abruptly. One minute they were together, the next he was gone. He didn't even say good-bye! The next time she saw him, she was going to give him a piece of her mind. Among other things...

Heero finally broke the awkward silence. "What's done is done, it's in the past. She's changed, now."

"Can we be so sure?" Quatre replied, absent-mindedly.

Heero shot Quatre an angry stare. "She's not who you think she is."

"And who is she?" asked Wufei. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm as just about confused about her as you, Yuy."

Heero took those words to offense. "What are you getting at Wufei?"

"Sometimes you have to read between the lines! How do we know that this Kirin is actually Kirin? Maybe she stole the identity like you stole the name Heero Yuy?" Wufei argued.

"Heero Yuy is my code name." said Heero. "I have no memory of anything before that point in my life. Even if I was anyone else, I wouldn't know how to be him. And if you have any objection to that, take it up with Dr. J."

"Everyone calm down!" said Quatre. "It was stupid of me to overreact. Let's put this all behind us and move on."

"When the going gets tough, leave it to Winner to run out first." Wufei scoffed.

"How could you be so cruel?" Quatre asked, the hurt on his face was obvious.

"If you want, I can go over all the times you've taken the easy way out!"

"ENOUGH!" Kirin shouted. "This is pointless! You're all overreacting! Everyone just calm down and relax! This is our home so at the very least let's make it habitable. Agreed?"

Wufei scoffed. "Whatever."

"I'm fine with that." Quatre said, taking in a deep breath. He settled down and their lunch resumed at a more quiet pace.

Kirin ran her hands through her hair. "I'm going downstairs to set up the diagnostic systems. Once they're done, we'll get the Gundams and start repairs, ok?"

There was a silent truce and Kirin took that as on okay to go on. She stood. "I'll be done in about two hours. Three the most."

Heero watched her leave. He needed time off from Kirin's presence. Or was it the other way around? He eyed Quatre and Wufei as if giving them the order to clean up for their little outbursts. They both nodded solemnly and began clearing up the floor where they ate.

Heero stood and walked out to the backyard. He stopped at the perimeter wall and gazed out onto the ocean. The clean air and serene surroundings made his mind wander. He was very lenient when Kirin had told him- or supposedly told him, the truth. He accepted her as easily as when he was ready to kill her. At both times he hesitated. He had learned a lot from Kirin, as much as her past to her present. In each aspect, though incredibly different, they were alike. Taken in when no one wanted them, following orders to the very best of their ability, and completing the mission without a second thought. Perfectly made for each or absolutely incompatible? He never dealt with Kirin's anger before. He had seen her thoughtful, sad, happy...but what was the other emotions she hid underneath?

"You, too?"

Surprised, Heero turned and met with a pair of blue eyes that were seemingly like his own. "What do you mean?"

Yume crossed her arms, the muscles showing faintly through her tight, dark violet shirt. "You know what I'm talking about. The `meaning of Kirin'. You're just about as curious about her as Shin is curious about why Duo has that stupid braid."

"Hn."

"Closure. I thought you'd do that. If you don't want to deal with anything you end up in closure." Yume said, fiddling with a metallic purple yo-yo. "I've been watching you, Yuy."

"Don't start." Heero meant the use of his last name. Wufei never called anyone by their first names.

"I've been watching you, Heero." Yume corrected, issuing a smile. "I've been friends with Kirin longer than you've known her, which, is probably about a day or two. Kirin is who she says she is."

"That helps." Heero mumbled. He turned away from Yume and continued staring out to the horizon.

"She's just a child." Yume continued. "Never had a childhood. Never had any close friends like me and Shin. Never had a life. And now here you are, Heero, ready to go to the ends of the Earth for her."

Heero tried to block out that last statement. He had no childhood. He had no close friends. He didn't have a life. But, in truth, he was willing to go to the vast reaches of Space to make Kirin happy. He'd do anything for her. But...why...?

"How do I know?" Yume was now playing tricks on her yo-yo. She glanced at Heero before continuing. "That's the way she is. She'll do you a lifetime of favors without a catch. But when it's your turn to do her a favor...you know it has to equal the amount of effort of what she did for you. Am I right?"

In every way. Heero had learned an entire lesson in life from her. Whether or not it was a favor, he needed it. He needed to be reminded the war was over. His life was beginning anew. He needed to be reminded he was a human being. And how was he going to repay her?

"I'm right." Yume replied, answering the un-answered question. "The way you're repaying her is with love. Something she has never had or experienced before. How do I know that? She never lets any man close enough to touch her the way you have."

Heero eyed her. And how would Yume know that he's touched Kirin in any other way?

"I'm not as ignorant as I deem myself to be, Heero." Yume smiled. This time the action was full of understanding. She turned on her heel and walked back into the house.

Heero sighed and leaned on the wall. This was it, then. He already chose his life with her. Or did he? Was this a ploy from Yume-or Shin-or both, to get him away from Kirin? Why would they want that? That's right, they were the Triad. A group of three that were feared among ONI. What difference did it make? The Triad was no more. It was Heero and Kirin, now...

L1 Colony Cluster-The Forgotten Colony (5:00 p.m.)

Mike Lane ran his dirty hands through his dark blonde hair. His blue eyes wandered over his Gundam, Centaur, and he began a fit of swear words. He jumped to his feet and wiped the grease off his hands onto his dark blue pants. With his forearm, he swiped the sweat off his forehead. "If Kirin were here, I wouldn't be stuck doing these damn repairs!"

"Poor baby!" said a deep, raspy voice. "Now that you're little play toy ain't here no more, no one's gonna fix up your machine, man!"

Mike glared annoyingly at Byron Mathis. Byron wasn't much on appearances or morals with his exaggerated Jamaican accent, his out-of-style black dreadlocks, and his dark brown eyes. He was muscular like so many of the soldiers in ONI, in fact, he was an Elite, but overall, he got women through power. "Go away. You should be typing up your report on yesterday's mission."

"I'm done with that, man." He smirked. "I just came to tell you that the big-man is a calling you."

"Lee." Mike said, absently. In ONI there weren't really formalities unless they were called for. "Tell him I'm busy."

"He's a-rounding up all the Elite, man. It be best that you be coming."

"Brad and Alan are being called, too?" Mike asked, slightly intrigued.

"Yeah, man! I just hear a little of what the big-man said, he say, `The Elite is going to Earth. They best be ready to fight. They be getting the Triad back up in here.' Man, they be getting your girl back!"

"She's not my girl." Mike said, knowing Byron was talking about Kirin Shido. "She's just some girl I fool around with."

"Really, man? If she be some girl, then why is she the General of ONI instead-o-you?"

Mike clenched his fists. Trust Byron to open up old wounds, pour alcohol on it, and see how much his blood would boil. He wanted to strangle the Jamaican born pilot. Byron lost his thick accent when he was thirteen. He spoke eloquently and clearly, and for some strange reason he went back to his `roots.'

Mike finally got up and eyed Centaur with some deep hatred. Kirin had made all the Gundams in ONI. Why did she turn her back on them now? It was only a rumor that Kirin would eventually be leaving, but so soon? She could have at least left Shin and Yume. At least they knew how to repair the Gundams. At least...that was what Kirin hinted...

Mike followed Byron to the war room, a place where `special' soldiers went to meet, as Byron called, the `Big-man.' It used to be Kirin's old office but she got promoted with her two associates and moved up one entire level. They occupied an entire level just for the three of them. They were that powerful and that good.

Alan Parker and Brad Lansing were already in the war room, awaiting Mike and Byron's arrival. Lee was sitting calmly at the front, three females behind him. "Glad of you to join us, Mike."

Mike sat down at the first seat available. "I was fixing my Gundam."

"Something Kirin should have been doing if she had not gone rogue on us!" Lee's attitude changed drastically. He could be nice and soothing one moment and an arrogant prick in the next. He settled himself and smiled. "I've called you in here for a special mission. The Elite are going to Earth to search and destroy. However, I want Kirin perfectly safe and alive. Kill Shin and Yume. They are useless to me as bad experiments."

Everyone, except the new recruits, knew Lee Ikuza's notorious reputation. He was a mad scientist and genius. He had formed ONI not only for the good of all the orphans out there in the world, but for also world domination. All the outcasts the regal Earth and the snotty Space Colonies didn't want, he took them in, gave them a home, and provided a place for them to learn and grow. To others, he was revered as they slightly deranged father; loving, strict, psychotic, and domineering. Nonetheless, he had many who would gladly die for him.

"Is that all?" Mike asked. "Search and destroy and bring Kirin back?"

"Mike, Mike...have I ever let you do anything that would bore you?" Lee asked, his voice becoming too solemn and sweet.

Mike smiled. "No." He wondered what Lee had in mind.

"I am going to give you the position you've always wanted. You are going to be my new General. You will dictate my war from Earth." Lee laughed maniacally which prompted other fits of hysterics from the other members.

Mike couldn't believe his ears. For six years he had been trying to get that same position Kirin had been keeping. Now, it was his time to shine. He was going to be able to wage war and determine the outcome of battles. He was going to be better than Kirin Shido!

"Which also brings me to my second point I need to discuss with you, General Lane." Lee smirked. He beckoned to the three ladies. "These are replacements. They've endured hours of testing and have been taught various piloting techniques."

Mike eyed the shorter of the three. She had intense brown eyes, long brown hair and she was staring intently at him. "Who are you, Soldier?"

"Melinda Castle. Zero-zero-eight. Pilot of Gundam Hydra."

Mike turned to the second tallest female. She was a bit heavier, her brown hair was mused, her green eyes having a glitter of mischief and danger in them. "And you?"

"Faith Greer. Zero-zero-nine. Pilot of Gundam Cetus."

Mike looked at the third. Shoulder length brown hair, heavy set as the second, tall, with green eyes. There didn't seem to be much intelligence in her. "You?

"Geneva Cantos. Zero-one-zero. Pilot of Gundam Dorado."

These seemed adequate enough. He wasn't really sure of Geneva and Faith, but he was very `impressed' with Melinda. He turned back to Lee who was nodding happily. "When do we leave for Earth?"

"As soon as the Gundams are repaired and re-fueled. You'll get your final orders before you leave."

"All right." Mike saluted to Lee and turned to the girls. "You heard him, be back here tomorrow at oh-nine-hundred hours."

"Yes, sir!" They saluted.

Mike and the other Elite left first. With his ego boosted to the size of the Milky Way Galaxy...Kirin had to be careful. There was nothing worse than a egotistical maniac trying to go after the girlfriend of the Perfect Soldier.