"I'm coming with you Nightheart," Hunter insisted the moment they were alone in the hallway.

"You are not," she said tonelessly. They walked swiftly down the hallways, heading to the caf for some real food with real-food-taste.

"We don't know what threats aside of Nightsiders there are in this other alternity. My Symbiont grants me immunity to disease and regenerative abilities. You don't have that. If something unexpected happened we don't how your system would react to alien healing practices, they might end up making the situation worse. So therefore, you are not going."

"I've been assigned by the Alliance to watch you and keep account of your activities; I can't do that if I'm not there." Hunters Australio-British accent became more pronounced in times of stress, Nightheart noted.

"And what do you suppose that I'm going to do while I'm over there? Run amuck? No I want you here and safe, monitoring things for me so they don't get out of hand. If word were to leak out that the cat was away, you know as well as I do that the mice are sure as hell going to play!"

"I don't want you going over there without me to back you up!"

"Face it Hunter, I don't need your back up! I'll do fine, probably better, on my own."

"Not this again," he grumbled. It was an old argument between them. Nightheart insisted on trying to do every assignment without him. She saw him as a liability, not a partner. A frail human being that could be torn apart by the force of a Nightsider attack. Either that, or she really did prefer fighting alone.

"Nightheart, you are not trained in diplomacy, body-guarding or long-range weapons combat, or a lot of the stuff you're going to need for this mission. I am. You need me there. You can't even drive a skimmer for heavens sake let alone a ship for space travel. You may need to go up into space did you ever think of that?"

"I'm not trained in it because I don't need it. I go in there, I eliminate the threat and I get out. Plain and simple."

"Your answer to every new Nightsider problem is to blast them with your powers then suck them dry," Hunter retorted.

"Yes, and it's worked fine so far."

"Because they've all been weaker than you," he insisted. "If they've feasted off the vital essences of a suburb full innocents, they'll be pumped up and able to take you on a level playing field. You'll need a strategist, and that's me."

"You certainly think a lot of yourself. And who says I don't use strategy? Who trapped all those Nightsiders in the station and picked them off one by one? Me. Who thought up the use of channels to knock the energies right into their teeth? Me. Who thought up the decoys we use to distract them? Me. Who also thought up the Taggers? Me again. What part of this progression escapes your grasp?"

"Okay. You're no mean strategist. I'll give you that. But, your diplomacy sucks. You can't just waltz in there, flash your permits and expect everyone else to fall in line behind you."

"Why not?" she asked pretending to look genuinely interested.

"Because they won't recognize them. You're in another dimension, the Alliance probably doesn't exist over there."

"I'm sure this Noin character has everything sorted out. They're both soldiers, they're probably used to all that bureaucratic bull-shit."

Hunter took a deep breath and started again. Arguing with Nightheart was irritating at the best of times, probably because she tended not to sweat the details until after the massive property damage was done.

"Nightheart, listen to me. You're going into an uncertain situation, with a host of hostiles who most probably want to see you dead. I mean, we don't even know if those two really are who they say they are. This could be all an elaborate trap set up by the Nightsider Council to get rid of their one opposition. You. You are the only Nightsider on our side, the only one we know of who survived with her ethics intact and the only one willing to fight them. If they get rid of you, they get rid of their only real threat. The only one who can track them, the only one who can kill them without massive destruction and loss of life."

"Hunter, Nightsiders are not invulnerable. They are not immortal, no matter what they would like Normals to think. They can be killed. Take off their heads, blow them up, deprive them of energies. It's simply very difficult to do so."

"And we've tried. You do recall that one team we sent out in full exoskeletons don't you? You remember how many came back alive? Five…out of twenty-four!"

"Of course I remember!" she snapped. "That was my main argument for taking on this job in the first place, the loss of civilian and soldier life alike if I didn't! But I don't want you to get hurt or killed in a place where I may or may not be able to do anything about it. I am the Executioner. That means I take all the risks. Me. Me and only me. You need to be here where your alliance soldiers can come and back you up with superior numbers and weapons. I don't want to see you or any other Normal casually decapitated by a pissed off Assassin. Period. You're staying."

"I'm going. You'll be isolated there. Even if you are the Executioner, you'll at least need the appropriate medical assistance, and we don't know if they have the kind of facilities set up to handle someone of your…unique physiology. You're a hybrid now, if they took you to an ordinary hospital and a regular doctor got a look at your self-healing abilities they'd be falling all over themselves to cut you up and figure out what makes you tick. And that's always assuming this all isn't some trap to get you isolated then fall on you like a ton of bricks. You aren't Immortal either Nightheart, so stop acting like it!"

"I work better on my own. I don't want you getting in my way while I'm on assignment. You can never resist sticking your nose in and that could end up putting you in the line of fire. The assignment will be in less jeopardy without you there causing a distraction for me and getting under foot."

"I'm touched by your concern," he said sarcastically. "You know, it's so flattering that you consider me more of a hindrance than a help."

"I've made no secret of it."

Hunter frowned at her insensitive manner. Nightheart was being pig-headed again. But his small amount of telepathy told him that deep down, she was concerned for his safety, and that her gruff manner was manufactured to ward him off.

"Face it sweetheart, I'm going and you're not stopping me," he said.

"Don't push it Hunter. I am still a Nightsider, I can incapacitate you."

"But you won't."

"Wanna bet?"

"My my my, are you two fighting again? What is it this time?" The dulcet voice of Doctor Mian Ishora rang from the table near where they had sat down after collecting their food (arguing the entire way of course).

Doctor Ishora was a lovely young woman, deep ebony skin, perfect white teeth, sharp and perceptive black eyes. Tall and lanky, she carried herself with pride and confidence but there was no mistaking the compassion in her eyes and her commitment to healing hurts and curing illness.

"The usual," said Hunter. "Nightheart's just being difficult again."

"Well if you'd just give in and stay here, I wouldn't be so difficult," she retorted. "Good afternoon doctor."

"Good afternoon. Hunter, I just got orders. You're to be given a full work-up, they want you scanned, sprayed, inoculated and virus shielded. Apparently they're worried about you contracting some alien contaminant on your next mission."

To give Hunter credit, he tried very hard not to smile in triumph. Nightheart pretended not to see the smirk that escaped and sighed in resignation. He was going.

"Also, they want me to come along with a portable med unit," Doctor Ishora continued. "They want the resident expert in Nightsider biology in attendance on our Executioner, just in case something unexpected should happen."

The smirk widened. Hunter looked positively gleeful with gratified ego. That was two major points for him.

"You can stop smiling now," Nightheart grumped.

The doctor and Hunter exchanged a glance that spoke volumes.

"Aww, is poor Nightheart feeling little miffed because she doesn't get to go on the mission all by herself?" Hunter teased.

Nightheart chose not to dignify the teasing with a retort and ordered her meal in peace.

"And you…need to eat more," Doctor Ishora meddled dialing in a double portion of what Nightheart had just ordered, which earned her an irritated look. "Man cannot live on nutrapaste alone."

"I refuse to qualify this Outworlder slop you serve me as food. I don't know what it is that you do to your feed-animals that makes the meat taste so odd but it can't be healthy. Don't trust it unless you kill it yourself I always say," she replied, looking at the burger patty, slice of pizza and basket of greasy French fries Hunter had just ordered with suspicion.

"Now who in the civilized world actually kills their own food?" Hunter rebutted. "Food comes in packages, like it's supposed to. If you kill something from the wild it could have a disease and you wouldn't even know it until after you'd eaten it. Packaged foods have been scanned and examined for those dangers and you know it's safe to eat."

"It isn't natural," Nightheart argued. "Man was meant to hunt his own food, be part of the cycle… hunters and prey. That's the problem with outworlders. They don't think they're part of anything larger than what they themselves build."

"Oh don't start this again."

"Soooo…" said the good doctor in a confiding tone. "You two know where we're headed? I'm not usually hauled out of my med-fac, to go star-hopping with you two. Usually you just ship her back to me to get her patched up."

"Well, due to unique circumstances I can't discuss here out in the open, we won't be able to ship back until she's terminated all the Nightsiders," said Hunter. "Pack for primitive conditions, we don't know what we're going to see when we get there."

Doctor Ishora looked intrigued, but said no more. Nightheart finished her meal in silence, as usual.

* * *

"I don't know Zechs," said Noin. "I don't like the idea of pinning all our hopes on a child," said Noin as they walked down the hallway to the quarters that the President had assigned to them. A lovely suite, even if some of the technology was vastly beyond anything they had back in their own alternaty.

Zechs considered his impressions of the "Executioner." A young person, possibly not even much older than Relena. Not very tall, razor thin and whipcord tough, with golden bronze skin. Her dark complexion did not really belong to someone from the Orient, she did not have the slanted eyes…some form of Native perhaps? He shook his head. Whatever.

"Did she really strike you as so irresponsible?" Zechs persued. He would like to get Noins impressions of the girl and her partner. Noin was more in touch with her intuitive nature, sensed things with her heart, and that granted her a certain advantage when reading people. Zechs, relied solely on his solder's instincts and logic in situations such as that, so between them they usually managed a pretty accurate reading.

"No, not at all" said Noin. "If anything she seemed to take her responsibilities very seriously."

"And what about her partner?"

"I've seen guys dressed like he was around the base. He must be part of some sort of military organization," she offered. "But he didn't carry himself like a soldier, didn't snap to attention or make any sort of formal salute to his president. I'd say he was part of a group structured more like the Preventors."

"He seemed rather young also. Do you think it's common practice to employ people just barely out of adolescence here?"

"I'd say, after meeting that girls eyes, that she's no more a child than you are. Besides, they have a lot of new settlements in this Alternaty. Frontier life can be rough, kids probably grow up fast. It was like that in our own history at one point if you'd recall."

"She looked perfectly relaxed, like she was accustomed to being in control of the situation, or that if she wasn't in control of it it was only a matter of time before she took control. She didn't look like she missed much either, her eyes took in every detail. She also didn't make any noise when she walked. She doesn't look like a soldier either, more like an…assassin."

"That would track with what she said earlier. That her…kind were originally trained as assassins."

"Can she be trusted with my sister's life?" asked Zechs. It was one of his few vulnerabilities, his sister. "If she's an Assassin…"

"Heero's assassin-trained. He hasn't let us down yet. Set a thief to catch a thief after all."

Zechs frowned at the mention of his old arch-nemesis' name. He still did not like the idea of entrusting his baby-sister's life to some boy, her own age, endowed with all of the magical hormones therein. Ex-solder-assassin-mercenary or not. Especially one whom she had made no effort to hide her attraction towards. Dangerous combination as far as he was concerned.

"Aside of that," Noin continued. "I think that if she's risked so much fighting against her own kind for a people she doesn't appear to trust or like very much then she can be trusted to protect the lives of the people in our world just as though she were fighting for the ones in this one."

"Speculation," Zechs dismissed. "This girl kills for a living. The Alliance assigned a watcher to her. We've hired her to kill for us, to protect my sister. I'd like to know she'll do the job and not be tempted by the thought of having free reign to 'drain life energies.' Don't her kind need these life energies to sustain their own lives? The president mentioned that the other Nightsiders put a lot of value on how powerful they are, that the more life-energies they drain the more powerful they become. So…maybe she goes rogue, slips the leash, pumps up her power and comes back for a hostile take-over. No one could stop her, from what I gather. If she's a mercenary and goes to the highest bidder…"

"Well, they say everybody has their price. It depends on what hers is. Maybe we should talk to her privately. Sound her out, get a feel for the room. It can't hurt. And frankly Zechs, we need her. We've tried taking these guys, they just won't die!"

"Let's go."

They straightened their jackets and left the room, looking for the Executioner they'd just hired.

* * *

Nightheart went for a wander in the immense gardens on the grounds of the Alliance Headquarters by herself after lunch. Hunter was with the Doctor, organizing things for the trip. It had been way too long since she'd felt real, true solid earth beneath her feet. Breathing non-recycled air, wind on her face, real wind, not air being blown through a vent but the ebb and flow of it. The gardens were a little too manicured for her taste. She was more accustomed to the wild wood, running free with the wind running through her hair, an overgrown game trail, the springy feel of soft earth beneath her feet, the rustle of leaves, the scent of pine and growing things filling her lungs…

Homeland, she thought longingly, tugging on her constricting white dress uniform again. She'd never understand how these Outworlders thought or their ridiculous sense of decorum. They seemed to have a set of clothes for every occasion. Granted, her own people liked to dress in decorative costumes, but at least theirs were functional as well as beautiful. These uniforms they seemed to prize so highly…they were so damned restrictive.

Nightheart's sensitive hearing picked up the sound of footfall approaching her. She scented the two who had been in the office earlier. The woman a soft mix of lavender and jasmine from her soap and leather polish from her shoes. The man a mix of aftershave and gun-oil.

No threat. She didn't bother to turn.

"Hello," she said. "I trust you find your accommodations satisfactory?"

"Yes," said Noin. "They're very nice. Although, a lot of the technology is beyond us and I can't figure out what that second stall in the bathroom is for. I turned the knob, but, no water came out."

"Vibe-scrub. I also trust that you didn't come here for small talk. What did you seek me out for?"

"You're a in a sense?" questioned Zechs.

"In a sense," she said. "I work for the Alliance. They pay me to kill for them, but I fight because people will get hurt if I don't. I dislike the thought of a Normal being forced to face certain death at the hands of a Nightsider as a result of my inaction. That is unacceptable."

"I see. So you do it because deep down you really care about what happens to others," said Noin, reassured. "You don't seem so bad."

Nightheart looked at her measuringly, her face noncommittal, debating whether she should give a small demonstration of exactly how bad she really was. She killed people. They were inside her head when they went, she took their lives for her own use and part of her went with them every time.

"When am I scheduled to leave for the assignment? I'll have to get this over with quickly and return to my own alternity before the Nightsiders here realize I'm gone."

"I understand. We're going to open up another gate in the morning, that'll take us back to our own dimension," said Zechs. "We've got the number of Nightsiders who've crossed over and the president gave us their files."

"How many?"

"Twelve," Noin said. "Our people couldn't even handle one. We tried everything. Bullets didn't seem to hurt it, we tried a grenade but it wouldn't go off, then we tried a plasma ball but the creature just erected some kind of a sheild around itself. The few mobile suits we kept around for emergencies just stopped working around it. Are these things some kind of immortal demi-gods or something? The Nightsider seemed to be only amused at our efforts to destroy it."

"Despite all appearances, no…it's not Immortal. But they would simply love for you to think that," she said assuredly. Nightheart went on to explain that every thing was either a clever use of the Nightsider's own powers or the use of technology from an alternaty that was superior to their own.

"The grenades not going off for example, that would most probably be telekinesis jamming the triggering mechanism. Same thing for the mobile suits, they probably triggered the Manual Override device or some such. As to the energy-shielding, there are a lot of suits that come with such devices built in. my working uniform for example, some of those have Shields. Oh, and Nighthsiders have certain other abilities as well, abilities that trick the mind and the eye to avoid detection, abilities that can temporarily make a person act in a way contrary to their nature if the person is particularly weak willed."

"They're hard little buggers to catch that's for damned sure," Hunter called out cheerfully in his british accent. "They have ways and ways of getting around things…Oy! I really wish that the Committee had never though up Project Dracula! It's one big headache that's what it is."

Nightheart nodded emphatically, looking weary.

"I came to find you Nightheart. Doctor Ishora wants to run a few tests on you to take a look at the health of your Symbiont. Then she wants you in the Goop-tank for a while."

"My Symbiont and I are fine Hunter," she growled.

"Still, better safe than sorry in this case. We might no have access to everything that we have here so it's best to go into the situation as prepared as possible."

"I see, if that is the reasoning then I will comply."

Nightheart said nothing further, simply nodding at Zechs and Noin and walking from the garden towards where the medical facilities were located.

"Hey guys," Hunter said, always willing to be friendly. One caught more flies with honey than with vinegar after all, a fact which Nightheart had yet to catch on to. Then again, the flies she caught probably wouldn't respond to honey very well, if at all.

"Hunter wasn't it?" said Noin.

"That's my name lovely lady," he said with a courtly bow and a roguish grin. "And just so you know, I'm a Scorpio, I enjoy piloting cruisers, sparring and long walks by the beach."

Noin chuckled as Hunter gave her a flirtatious smile and a wink to show he was joking.

"So, give us the dirt…what's she really like?" asked Noin in a confiding tone. "How long have you known her?"

"Well, out of everyone here, I've known her the longest. We traveled together for a while when we were younger, I was a bit of a space pirate back then, more of a renegade. It was fun. We traveled with mum for about three years there, then she died on a routine raid. I joined up with the Guardians, Nightheart and I parted ways for a while, and I didn't hear from her. We met up by accident while I was trying to infiltrate a top secret Committee Institute on Mars, Syria Plainum to be precise. She was on the inside trying to break out…"

Hunter paused in his narrative, trying to decide what it was safe to tell these people.

"She was part of an experiment, one with a high casualty rate as it turns out, and she hasn't really been the same since in more ways than one. Given from what I've read in the experiments files I think she's remarkably resilient to have come out with her ethics intact. Now, she kills for a living, and that's changed her too. But I have never once doubted either her loyalty or her commitment to protecting lives. Ever."

Noin and Zechs nodded in satisfaction.

"Oh, and just so you know, you and your partner are going to be working with someone. Several someone's in fact."

"Nightheart won't like that. She doesn't even like me coming along when she's on assignment. To her Normals, that's regular people who don't have Nightsider abilities, are to be protected. She does not work with them. She considers them a liability since the other Nightsiders like to use them as shields then kill them when they've served their purpose."

"These people are the best we have," said Noin.

"I'm telling you, it won't matter to her. Don't expect her to very receptive. I however, being a Normal, have no objection to working with other mere mortals. Tell me a bit about them."

"Well, first off there's Miss Relena, she's the person we're hiring Nightheart to protect. She's a key political figure and to many a symbol of hope and peace. She's also sometimes the only one who holds our fragile peace together. She's also really very sweet, but she can be incredibly stubborn when she thinks she's right."

"And she's Zechs' baby sister?"

"Yes," Zechs replied. "We're related by blood."

"Ah, I see. And who else?"

"Then, there's Heero. He's Relena's personal body guard."

Hunter caught the momentary sour look that flashed across Zechs face. Protective Elder Brother Syndrome?

"He's an assassin and soldier, good at about everything that needs doing. He may look young, but that doesn't really matter, if I told you stories about half the things he's done you wouldn't believe it. But just don't expect a whole lot of interaction with him, he's usually pretty intent on his mission."

"Hmmm, okay. Anyone else?"

"yeah, Duo Maxwell. You'll probably get along with him, most people do. At first glance it seems like he never takes anything seriously, but he always comes through when we need him. He's great at shadow games, breaking and entering, and not a bad pickpocket either. His greates strength lies in his ability to get certain circles of people to give him information."

"Sounds like we have a lot in common already, that's what I do."

"Then there's Trowa. He's the other quiet one. He doesn't often say much but when he does it's worth listening to because he's got a keen intellect. He's a very efficient and professional fighter and he also specializes in infiltration. You could say he's our knife in the dark, there generally isn't much he doesn't know about sooner or later."

"I presume he's the one who told you about the Nightsiders?"

"No, actually it was Quatre. Quatre Raberbe Winner is the heir to the winner fortune and also another ex-gundam pilot."

"Gundam?"

"A very special kind of suit…It's a long story," said Noin, brushing it aside to continue. "He's the one most in touch with his kindness in the group. I worked with him in the Sanc Kingdom and even though he's a pacifist he can be a very formidable opponent. He's the strategist of the group with a firm knowledge of tactics and an instinct for how the enemy will move."

"I remember," muttered Zechs darkly.

"Then there's Wufei Chang. He works for the Preventors full time. He originally had this…thing about women not being allowed to fight…But I think he's gotten over that. He has a high standard of moral rectitude and if one doesn't meet those standards they will be dismissed. He also has an obsession with honor and integrity. Be careful around him, he can be touchy."

"I see. He sounds a trifle like Nightheart. She's got this thing for honor too it gets a bit tiring after a while. She seems to hold herself to this impossible standard…You'd have to be God to measure up to it."

"Hmm. How interesting. I wonder if she's a feminist."

"In a big way," said Hunter snorting.

Noin looked positively gleeful.

"Oh, this should be very interesting indeed. Last and certainly not least on our list is Sally. She's my best friend and the only woman I know of who seems to have to boundless patience to put up with Wufei and his alternations of insufferable arrogance and bouts of self-pity. She specializes in guerrilla warfare tactics, and weapons work. You should see her gun collection, it's huge! Aside of guns, Sally is an excellent ground fighter and good with traps and ambushes."

"Sounds like you guys have a pretty good team set up," said Hunter. "I can't wait to meet them. Nightheart probably won't be around much, or at least you won't be able to see her. I'll be your official liaison for the time and keep you abreast of her progress."

"How's she going to protect my sister if she isn't with my sister?" demanded Zechs.

"Oh don't worry, Nightheart has her ways" Hunter reassured them both. "I couldn't even begin to explain them to you but be assured, your sister will be safe. Nightheart doesn't give her word to complete an assignment and then go and neglect the specifics."

Very well then," said Zechs. "Your president tells me that so far her record is impeccable. I'll trust her methods."

"Glad to hear it. Well, now that we've got some things worked out, I'm going to go double check to make sure that all of the items I requested for our tour of duty in your world have been taken care of. I'll see you tomorrow morning," then with a jaunty wave, Hunter was off.

"Huh. Cheerful fellow," Noin noted.

"He looks like a womanizer, do you think he'll behave himself around my sister?"

Noin rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Even if he does attempt to get fresh with her she's surrounded by body guards and Heero Yuy is not likely to let her wander off for a love tryst. You know how protective he is of her."

"Protective? I'd call it possessive myself," Zechs growled.

"And even so…Relena is nineteen dear."

"That's still not old enough."

"She could have grey hairs and a house of her own and she'd still never be old enough to you Zechs."

"I do believe you have got it surrounded," he replied flippantly to her exasperated tone.

"Honestly Zechs, you have too little faith in your sister's good sense. She a mature and capable girl. And besides that, you don't even know that this Hunter is remotely interested in her. Who knows, he may just have someone else here that he likes. I think you're worrying about problems that don't even exist."

"Hmm, you're probably right," he said. "Still, if this Nightheart is as good as her reports indicate I would wish that she could stay. I would feel far better with a professional female guarding my sister. I sill do not like the thought of Yuy spending so much time around her. You know what kind of an effect that life-threatening situations can have on a persons hormones and sexual drives."

"Do I ever. I can well recall some of the amazing trysts that you and I had after some of our training sessions."

"That's my point exactly," said Zechs with an air of triumph. "And we have Heero hanging around with the constant temptation of my all-too-willing sister and you don't think he's going to take advantage of this?"

"I think the only one taking advantage of the situation is probably going to be Relena," said Noin with a chuckle. Zechs frowned. Noin continued

"She's a healthy, fully grown woman endowed with all of the appetites therein. Relena is responsible and she won't do anything she'd have cause to regret later, so whatever decision she makes will most probably be carefully thought through. Even if you have not had the best of luck communicating with her about that particular subject, she and I have had several long talks about it. Relena had shown wisdom and maturity reaching beyond her years about the topic of sex just the same as she has about politics and warfare. First of all she's not into casual sex, secondly she's a classic case study of Unicorn Syndrome."

"Unicorn Syndrome?" questioned Zechs, that sounded promising.

"It's a term among women although it does on occasion apply to men too. Unicorn Syndrome is where a woman decides she isn't going to bed down with anyone unless it's nothing short of true love. Due to Relena's perfectionist nature she's decided to wait until the right time at the right place and with the right person. That may or may not be Heero, the decision is hers. And given what I know of Relena she isn't going to…lose her purity in a back alley somewhere in a fling of passion, she's too controlled."

"But even the most controlled of people have had their judgment skewed by hormones," He said.

"It doesn't run in your family," she said flatly. "Zechs…you're going to have to trust her. And Heero. She wouldn't do anything to harm herself or her career, her position and the work she does means a lot to her. If sleeping with someone outside of marriage would jeopardize that there isn't a doubt in my mind that Heero or any other man would find himself on the other side of her bedroom door, alone. That's just going to have to be enough for us."

Zechs made a noncommittal grunt, Noin took that to mean he was at least thinking over her words.

"Come on, let's take a look at some of the amazing leaps in technology they have here before we have to go home," said Noin.

"I would like to see those plasma weapons they have…"

End chapter two.