Author: Tori Sakana

Summary: If you could see the future, what would you do? Would you start a war to save your friends? Or let them die to win peace? When all the paths lie in shadow, Heero must make a terrible choice...

Warnings: blood, violence, POV

Time frame: Five years after Endless Waltz...no, this isn't an AU.

Pairings: none

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters or plot or anything. Zero's personality belongs to me, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing...

Heero angst ahead, but not all is dark...

Thanks to my reviewers for all their encouragement: Clairol, Dark of Sky, lee-chan, Yami Aibou, Evil Tsubasa and Colleagues, Raevyn Maxwell, and Sparda 219. Couldn't do it without you!

Now, on to the fic!

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Nexus

Part 3: Hope Springs Eternal

********************

I stand for the third time in a room I wish I'd never seen.

All this for nothing. The visions, the careful choices, all for nothing. A foreseeable but still inevitable tragedy.

Many people say they would rather know something bad is going to happen than be surprised. They only say that because they can't even imagine what it's like to know, yet be unable to prevent.

I was fully prepared to die when I saw that ballroom. To die for peace as I always thought I would. And I was equally prepared to do whatever it took to save my friends. I was even prepared to make that terrible choice -- between death and war. But I can't even do that.

I have no choices.

The fate of the world rests on one man. One lone dissenter in the rebel ranks. In the aftermath of the coming slaughter, he will grow disgusted with the leader and leave the group. It is with him that the fate of the world rests. For if he tells our story, the world will be shaken to its foundations. It will unite the people for peace as not even the lessons of Zechs and Mariemeia could. The great sacrifice of a hundred brave souls will be a rallying force. No one would even think of bowing down to anyone again.

But if that one soldier remains silent, then the world will shudder with grief and confusion, but not inspiration. The rebels will seize power and a bloody war will begin between the factions of peace and war. This time, with all the great pacifist leaders dead on a marble floor, there will be no quick victory.

In the end, it all comes down to one man.

And that man is not me.

********************

The clock strikes eleven, echoing through the vast empty room. One hour to hell.

I've been gone over an hour. Duo and the others are probably looking for me.

Pushing open the connecting door to the other room, I feel hands grab my lapels and yank me bodily forward.

"Where the hell have you been for the last hour, Yuy?! Geez, didja get lost or something?" Duo's smouldering eyes bore into mine. Apparently they were looking for me quite anxiously.

"I was thinking."

"Thinking? About what, the meaning of life? You can't have been thinking for an hour and a half, Heero. Now spill."

I remain characteristically silent. There is nothing you can do either, Duo. I don't wish to worry you, nor do I wish to fight with you...not now...

With an exasperated sigh and without letting go of my lapels, Duo turns and stomps off toward the tables in the far corner. Unwilling to jerk free I am forced to follow in a somewhat undignified hopping slouch to keep up without ripping my tux.

Once we reach the relative privacy of the tables, he sits me down and takes his own seat opposite me. After about five minutes of staring, Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei appear from the crowd. They take their own seats around the table, and join Duo in watching me.

"I think you owe us an explanation, Heero." Duo is deadly serious for once.

"Of what?" If he is bluffing, it isn't going to work. He doesn't know anything, and I know he doesn't.

"Of your behavior. First, you zone out while I'm talking to you. Twice. And I've only ever seen that look when we were on Peacemillion. You always zoned out like that right before something bad happened."

Maybe I haven't been giving Duo enough credit. That was remarkably observant.

"So. You've been acting all weird, then you mutter to yourself under your breath, throw a very expensive wineglass to the floor, then disappear for an hour. This, to me, indicates that we have a problem." Duo sits back, never breaking eye contact with me.

"Heero, we respect your privacy, you know that." Quatre breaks in. "But if something's wrong we want to help. You can trust us."

I look at their faces. Quatre's concern, Duo's stubborn determination to help, Trowa's unspoken support and Wufei's glare that says there's no way I'm getting away without explaining. How could I have ever refused their friendship, all those years ago?

*Because you're an idiot.*

Ah. Zero's back. How nice.

*Face it, it's true. You were too stupid to realize that you can't prioritize your emotions. Dedication and stubbornness do not take precedence over friendship and affection. You were too busy following some of your emotions to even notice the others.*

*I am aware of that, Zero. Why do you think I am here now?*

*Because you got your act together and saw what had been there all along. Trust, loyalty--*

Sometimes Zero sounds more like a guidance counselor than a psychotic computer system.

"Heero! Damn it, you're doing it again!" A violent shake snaps me back to my immediate surroundings. Duo is quite obviously angry with me and the others are now visibly concerned.

"That's it, Yuy. You're telling us what's up right now. No excuses. NOW." The look on Duo's face brooks no argument.

"It's the Zero system isn't it." Quatre states quietly.

...

How the hell did he know that?!

"How the hell did you know that?" I ask incredulously. Four sets of eyes lock onto Quatre, and he shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

"I've been getting a weird feeling all evening, ever since I got here. It has something to do with this room, I think...something bad's about to happen here."

No shit. Something _very_ bad is about to happen.

Now everyone's looking at me for confirmation. Well, too bad. If I can't stop this, then so be it. I will watch and wait for the horror I know is coming. But there's no way I'm letting the others suffer this also.

*How noble. But do you really think they'll let you keep this a secret from them? Besides, they have a right to know.*

*No one should have to know when and how they will die. It's not for us to know.*

"Heero? Is something coming?" Trowa's voice is calm, unflappable. He's so unshakeable, even more than I am. I think of all us, he's the only one who could take something like foreknowledge of his own death in stride. It wouldn't ruffle him for a second.

"Yeah Heero, anything you need to be telling us?" Heavy with menace, Duo's voice clearly promises that refusal will be painful.

"No. Nothing."

I stand to leave, but a hand on my arm stops me. I turn to look at my friends, and it suddenly strikes me that this may be the last time I see them. That in a little under an hour all this will be gone. If I spend this last hour alone, absorbed in my pain, then this will be the last memory I have.

One by one, I meet their eyes. Trying to erase the terrible images of the vision, I imprint one last picture of each of them on my memory. A surge of grief tears through me before I angrily force it back.

Quatre gasps.

*Forgot about your little friend's 'special talent' didn't ya?*

Damn it all, I _had_ forgotten. Quatre's empathic ability, 'space heart' or whatever he calls it, is too weak to do more than pick up extremely strong emotions over short distances, usually only in moments of severe emotional or physical distress.

I think this certainly counts as severe distress.

*Naturally. So of course Quatre noticed. Now tell them what you know.*

*Why are you so insistent, Zero? What does it matter if they know or not?*

*You think the future is reserved for you alone? If I could, I would show them all what I show you. But only you can see, only you can hear. I depend on you to pass it along. You aren't the only one who can change the paths.*

"Heero?"

And so I tell them everything.

The whole terrible truth. The paths I can see, the path we must take, the attack, the ultimatum, their own grisly deaths, and the gruesome slaughter that will take the life of every person in this ballroom.

When I am through, I can feel the anguish pouring from them in waves. Even Trowa's hands are shaking.

"That's it? We're all gonna die in an hour?" Duo whispers.

"Forty-five minutes now." I nod sadly. "Do you see why I didn't want to tell you?"

"Yes...but thank you for telling us." Quatre's voice is quiet but steady.

And I'm confused. "What?"

"I'm glad we know. Because now we can find a way to stop it."

"Haven't you been listening to me? There are only two paths! Two! And neither path will let us escape alive. We're dead, Quatre. Just face it."

But it is Duo who answers with anger in his voice. "No! You were like this in the war too, always assuming the worst. You didn't think you'd survive that either, did you. You didn't think you'd survive blowing up Libra. Or Mariemeia's rebellion. And you were wrong. You've always been wrong. We've all cheated death a dozen times before, so we're not stopping now!"

I start to argue, then halt as it hits me. He's right. I saw my own death before, in Epyon. It showed me a different time and place, one before the end of the war. I've seen a dozen battles with no paths leading out, and lived through them all.

There is one crucial fact I had left out, forgotten in my panic.

The face of the future lies in shadow, like a book next to a shuttered window. Some paths are illuminated, others are hidden.

Just because I can only see two paths leading from this room doesn't mean there isn't another path lying in the shadow.

For the first time since I stepped in this room, I dare to hope again.

********************

*I wondered when you would figure it out.*

*You couldn't have taken the effort to tell me?*

*No. This was your puzzle to solve. To tell you of the path would eliminate it. Foreknowledge leads to ignorance.*

*I suppose asking you to explain that would be out of the question also?*

*Of course, soldier boy. Now back to work!*

********************

I lean forward, creating a conspiratorial huddle around our little round table. The others must be able to see the change in my attitude, as they are starting to look less desperate and more curious.

"There may be a way out of this." I whisper, not sure who I'm afraid might overhear us.

"All right! Knew we could count on you Heero!" Duo cheered.

"It's not guaranteed. But sometimes, you can only see some of the paths, not all of them. There may be a different course of events that we can choose. Do you follow me?"

"No, but keep going." Trowa smiled. "We've got the basics."

"The only problem is, I can't see what's along that path so I don't know whether it will be better or worse, or how to choose it, or if it even exists. This is all purely wishful thinking."

"Sounds like a plan to me. But if we can't see how to get there, how're we gonna know if we're on the right track?" Duo frowned. "I mean, we've only got one shot at this so we better make sure we don't screw up and head down the wrong path by accident."

I sigh. "I don't know. I can't think of any way to walk a path you can't see."

A hush falls over the table, filled only by the mincing sounds of the orchestra playing a waltz in the background. Suddenly, Quatre sits up straight and claps his hands. "I got it!"

"What? A solution?" I'm sorry if I'm skeptical, but I can't think of anything and I'm the one with the experience in precognition.

*Jealous are we?*

*Shut up.*

"Well, not quite a solution, but close enough! Look, we know exactly what lies along the two open paths right? How it started, everything. So all we need to do to find the other path, is _not_ do anything on those paths."

"Huh? I don't think that made any sense, Quat."

"It's simple, Duo. All you have to do is the opposite of whatever Heero saw! That way, we're guaranteed not to end up like the visions."

"What is this, Opposite Day? That's it, you're all officially insane. I'm leaving." Wufei stood as if to go, but Duo yanked him back down with little difficulty.

"Don't be an idiot, Wufei. What're you going to do on your own?"

"For a start, arrest the rebels as soon as they walk in the door."

Pause.

Why didn't I think of that?

********************

I can't believe we're calling this a plan. This has to be the most insane, idiotic, hopeless, and suicidal so-called strategy we have ever had the misfortune to implement. And against my better judgment, we're actually going to use it.

Because it's the only chance we've got.

It's very simple, really. Wufei, as the only real Preventor agent, will try to head off this whole disaster by stopping the terrorists before they can surround the ballroom. Duo, Quatre, and Trowa will act as backup, ready to step in and push the course of events in the opposite direction from the visions. And me, I stand watch over the future to give a signal if and when a new path appears. Once the shadows clear, we will be able to choose with more surety.

But one misstep will be our downfall. We cannot afford a single mistake; the slightest error is death. As dangerous as any of the battles of the war, this will be the ultimate test of our skills, the ultimate challenge.

And damned if I'm not looking forward to it!

******* ******************** End Part 3 ********************

Next time on Nexus: The clock strikes twelve and our story nears its conclusion...