Disclaimer: No ones mine. Except the girl and the stupid general.

Kati: I don't know if I really want it to be like this. It's kinda sad.

Chapter One: Possibilities

"What do you mean you couldn't block the attack? It was in your league and your area first! We had to sustain the damage, even after the attack on Relena left us open and most of the soldiers went to her cause." Duo was pissed. Really pissed.

"What about the assassin? Was he caught? Was he killed?" The bland general asked.

"She was caught, after she nearly died because of the Elite Soldiers that your troops neglected to block from civilian cities on colony X1435.

"X1435 is entirely military. Why would there be civilians there?"

"Because the soldiers passed a petition by you a year ago, AC199, that stated, and I quote 'Military personal have the right to bring their families onto the colony for housing.'"

"She was related to military personal?"

"She was military personal, that's the only reason she was able to get that close to Relena. In AC198 she joined as X Ps. Someone she knew was already on the inside and they passed all her faulty information and got her in." Duo's braid slapped against his thigh as he paced: entirely caught up in his argument.

"Well, who was this someone?"

"A man by the name of Kaia Madriad. He died in the battle with Mariemaya and Dakim Barton."

"Then we have no source of information."

"Hell no! They've all been killed, conveniently, and I think somebody doesn't want us to find any history of this girl." Duo slammed a thin file on the desk. "That's all we've got. And we're nearly done questioning."

"Do anything you have to to get the words out of her, drug her, pursuade her, I don't care if you have to relapse to torture if need be. I want the information!"

Duo ignored him and without waiting to be dismissed, he left.

~

"Hey, Heero." Duo found the man drinking coffee at the kitchen table of the three-story home all the former Gundam Pilots shared. "What's up?"

"Hn."

"Well, I thought you'd lightened up after the Mariemaya war, but I could be wrong." Duo poured himself a cup and took a swallow.

"I'm trying to figure this out." Heero pushed Duo the morning paper and on the front page Duo saw the image of the girl assassin and the title 'Hit Woman to be Tried For Attempted Murder.'

"What!" Duo sprayed the front page with coffee. "It wasn't supposed to leak! This is the weekend!"

"We're going to have to fix it." Heero said matter-of-factly.

"I'm supposed to be off! Not cleaning up a mess some doctor who can't keep his mouth shut made!" Duo was nearly hysterical with frustration.

"We'd better go." Heero stood up and went to the door, putting on his jacket.

"How come I'm always the one getting dragged along to these things?" He called as he followed Heero out the door.

"Phew! That was a close one! I almost got dragged along." Quatre sighed as he, Wufei and Trowa filed down the stairs.

"I told you, the early bird gets towed along to do the work." Wufei was smug.

~

"How are you doing?" Duo entered the stark white room that housed the murderer.

"Bad."

"How bad?" He was worried.

"Do you really wanna know?"

"Not just now." He sat down on the chair by the bed.

"They locked the window." She said wistfully.

"They would."

"They told me I needed a lawyer."

"You probably do, unless you disappear again."

"Not in this condition."

"I never asked. What's your name?"

"I don't have one." She was keeping him distant, he felt like a stranger by not knowing her name.

"Now I want to know how bad it is."

"I'm dying." Her cold eyes met his soft ones and in his heart he knew it was true. "It's no different, I've been dying all my life. My soul, bit by bit, going. And this is just speeding up the process."

"How long?"

"Three days." Then he sensed her fear, at truly not having enough time.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Her eyes snapped into focus.