Disclaimer: I own Kaia, The DCROW TIGHN and Girl.

Chapter Four: The Horizon Line

"I'd say she has less than ten minutes." Sally was once again guessing. She saw Duo's determination as he walked in to the room, his normally relaxed and jovial face tense.

"H-hey." The girl was calm, facing death, all her panic seemed to drain away.

"I have to ask you a few more things."

"Go ahead."

"Where is the gang that came to get you hiding? Are they the Dcrow Tighn?"

"They are." She nodded weakly. "They live…in the storehouse on First…and Main, that's how they get…all their ammo."

"Who is Kaia Madriad?"

"My adoptive…older brother."

"That's all."

"You're getting…awfully formal."

"I have to."

"Well, I get…a question…now." She sat a little taller.

"What?"

"Who is death? They said…you were the god…of it as…a Gundam Pilot."

"Death is no mortal, no embodied spirit, it is part of god and yet a super-human being of its own."

"That was…profound." The girl shifted. "It seems like I've been running from the Dcrow since I met you guys, I don't really want to go back."

"You aren't."

"I know, silly child's fears. It's odd…that in this life it seems…you have all the time in the…world, and then…when you hit…the dead end it's kind of like, 'wow, where'd it all…go?'"

Duo nodded silently.

"That's what…I've been frightened of, afraid…that I wouldn't have…enough time. I even forgot to say g'bye…to Kaia when he left…because I was so preoccupied…with death." She shuddered slightly. "I feel…that I'm slipping away… If you find it, could…you dig a hole…for me…beside Kaia's…grave?"

"Yeah, I'll do that."

They sat in silence for the remaining time, and then as she was letting go for good her whisper broke the silence "Life…is but…a dream…"

~

The grave was simple unblemished gray stone, inscribed with that line from the old nursery rhyme that the children sung in preschools; Life is but a dream. The grave site was not beside a man named Kaia's, for this Kaia was not buried anywhere at all, rather he was above ground, relatively well, apart from the casual heartbreak that the tragedy had given him.

"If you build it, they will come." Duo was dressed in black, not for mourning effect, but just in circumstance.

"I suppose I would be 'they'." The man had a worn black hat, on which the brim was pulled down to cover his eyes. The trench coat was in about the same state of use with the collar pulled up, the effect was one of the old movie's mystery men.

"Yeah. She would have liked to have known that you were alive."

"I know, but it was better that she didn't." His voice was little more than a hoarse growl.

"You have odd reasoning."

"Yes I do."

"The name's Duo," he stuck out his hand, "I'm a Preventer."

"No, you're a Gundam Pilot." Kaia took his hand for a short handshake.

"That was when Gundams still existed."

"True."

"I have an offer to make."

~

"Ammo?" Duo went over the list.

"Check." Quatre held up the ammunition.

"Vests?"

"Check."

"Weapons of choice."

"Check."

"Tear gas?"

"Check."

"Gas masks?"

"Check."

"All set. Here's the deal, I want all prisoners, as few casualties as possible. This is a clear out mission. Got it? Okay." Duo didn't wait for an answer.

"Move out." Heero called.

The six piled into two jeeps and made their way to First and Main.