Heero's Life: As Told By Fellow Pilots

Chapter 3: The Masked Enemy

It was in battle I first saw his skills, the pilot was entering the atmosphere, at first we thought him dead. However, we later found ourselves wrong. The first time I battled with him face to face, he was good, very good at his job. I thought I had found an equal to my own skills, only to find he was better as far as this... He was willing to die for his own causes, and I was not.

The next time I would see him was by invite. Oz was against my methods at the time, so I had hidden myself, and the few I trusted in Antarctica. However, I had to come with terms to what he wanted which was that another came with him, I accepted. The nearly restored zero- one gundam was stored here. His friend, a fellow pilot of the zero- three, had brought his own gundam, Heavy Arms, as he called it. When they first stepped off, I did not know one from the other, until one introduced himself. "You can call me Trowa.", he said, "This is Heero.",

I didn't take much time what the two looked like in detail. I already knew all that I needed for this battle, or so I thought. The bad arm was a dead give away, however I was senile to the obvious fact that Heero was blind. Maybe it was my ignorance of being on the verge of winning fair and square. It still take about three weeks for the restoration process to be completed. It was later that night that I thought something was not right. I had gotten up to get a drink of water, upon passing the gundam pilots' quarters, I heard someone talking to themselves. I decided to listen in on what was being said it was Trowa. "The place is all white, Heero, I know you don't understand what it is, white, but it's beautiful.", Trowa paused, "Good- night to you too Heero.",

The lights within the room went out, and there were sounds of the two covering up under the covers.

The next morning, I arrived downstairs dressed in uniform, including the mask. That's when I first noticed the eyes, they didn't focus at all. I just stared at him, thinking maybe I wasn't seeing right. However, I was, Heero had turned and used sign language with him. I shook my head slightly to reinsure myself I was not going crazy or something, but I wasn't. My one and only equal in a while at mobile suite combat was blind! Was I really that weak? No, I was not, or at least I didn't think I was. He must have had overcome his handy cap somehow. Noin knew of this already obviously for she was sitting there as though nothing was wrong. "He says the food is delicious.", Trowa translated.

I watched the kid eat, for God's sake the guy also had exquisite manners. He was rather well adapted, save the fact that he had to feel around for anything he wanted or needed. He felt for the bowl of oatmeal, and tasted it, turned used sign language with Trowa, and then nodded, and ate.

It would be later, while Heero worked on the gundam himself, that I would talk with Trowa. "How'd he become like that?", I asked.

"Blind? He was born that way.", Trowa responded, "If you don't mind, I was heading to the shower room. Goodnight Zechs.", he left.

I then walked back to the hanger, and I watch Heero work for a while. Then I walked quietly over and just stood, watching. He knew where everything was inside the thing too. He sat, not noticing anyone near him. However, when Heero dropped a tool, he brushed my side, and turned. He stopped reaching out to see what was there. He found me too, I stood unable to move as his hands ran through my hair, and finally touched the mask. He carefully pulled it off, I could barely breath as he felt my face. I had never been revealed to anyone, but he couldn't see me. I tugged on the mask in his one hand, Heero refused to let it go. He continued to feel his way along the bridge of the nose, then the eyes, which I closed. It was odd, being found out this way. Trowa returned, just as the mask was placed over my face once again. I didn't know enough about sign language to understand the hand signs, but I understood what Heero was asking Trowa right then. 'Who is the one with the mask?',

I left before hearing the answer to the question, it was too much to know that he knew me, my true face. Later that night, I snuck into their bedding quarters, Trowa sat there, writing something. Heero was asleep, completely asleep, nuzzling something ragged in his sleep. I couldn't tell what, though. "How did you meet him?", I asked.

"When he self- detonated, I took him with me, and nursed him back to health.", Trowa paused, "It was when he woke from coma that I found out he was blind, and deaf."

"He's deaf as well?", I asked.

"Yes, he cannot see, or hear. He was raised to live on his own though.", Trowa said.

"My only rival is blind, and deaf? I don't want to believe you, but there's no other way to explain him, is there?", I asked.

"No, not really.", the pilot said, "He's helped me in one way, I know that I am not alone with what had happened to me."

"Do you think... That he would help his... Enemy?", I asked.

"It wouldn't make any difference to him, he can't see you, or hear your voice. I believe he would.", Trowa stated, "He's a soldier that cares about the person, not the side. He told me once that all he wanted to do was end the war. Make people understand... That we're the same."

End Chapter