Chapter Four: The Paths to Battle
Act Three: Explanation
By: Alexandria the Great, Queen of Geats {sorry about the late update! Knux forgives me, don't you, Knux? Knux? Knuckles….?}
Relena chewed on the tips of her nails. A hand was gently laid on her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder with a toss of her golden hair.
"Hey, you," she greeted quietly. Quatre tried to smile for her. Relena couldn't feel anything but worry…she was all for the construction of the massive memorial, but she only attended the opening ceremonies. Cemeteries gave her the creeps. And she had a bad feeling about this particular operation. Her Heero was on the outskirts of occupied space, with a weird kid and a girl that seemed a little too sexy for her age. She hoped the girl didn't try to make a move on Heero. Relena smiled and giggled at the thought.
"What?" Quatre asked with a sweet smile. Relena shook her head.
"Just remembering what it was like to be a young girl in love with a older man."
Quatre rolled his eyes. "Relena, you're 18."
Relena blushed. Quatre chuckled and looked out at the stars with Relena.
"Winner," a seductive voice muttered from behind them. Quatre and Relena looked in to Milliardo's lovely eyes.
"Can I have a moment with my sister, please?"
"Sure," Quarter agreed, walking away. Milliardo's eyes focused in the direction Quatre left in until he heard a door close. He looked at Relena. He could tell that she was still in shock from being called and told that if she wanted to be ay her man's side, she would have to be at a hangar in fifteen minutes, no bags, and completely alone. She was tired, but ready to be exhausted if it meant being with Heero.
"Hello, sister."
"Hello, sister? Hello sister? You don't see me for years and all you say is 'hello sister'?"
"I would have said more, but you just defiled my attempt at a decent conversation."
Relena rolled her eyes. "Please, Milliardo. What do you have to say to me?"
"Plenty. Times are suddenly dangerous and I don't think the Vice-Foreign minister should be alone without her guardian and lover."
Relena turned red at the word 'lover.' "Where is Lucy?"
"She's here."
There was a pause. Relena looked away from her brother, into the eternal sea of pinholes.
"I'm a preventer."
"Good."
"But not really."
Relena looked at him strangely. Milliardo sighed. "I am a member of an underground version of Preventers, the Interference Faction."
"What is the Interference Faction?"
"As you know, the Preventers prevent the outbreak of war. Several smaller battles make a war. For those, there is not a way to prevent them. They must be fought. We are the interference. The fighters that fight the fighters."
This didn't make immediate sense to Relena.
"We are the driving force behind the preventers. Few conflicts between humans can be resolved diplomatically. That is when we step in: defend people and put evil in its place. Colonel Steed is our founder."
"Why is all this happening?" Relena thought out loud, completely disoriented by what she was being told.
"Relena," Milliardo walked over and laid his warm hands on her bares shoulders, hugging her close. He could feel her face scrunch up on his chest, and he knew she was crying quietly. "It's ridiculous for any human to believe that the so-called destruction of the gundams would bring about the end of all war forever. Humans conflict. And there will be no conflict that doesn't hurt at least one person."
"I know, dearest brother, I know." They hugged for a few minutes more, and then he released her, stepping to the door. He laid his hand on the knob. He gripped it, not knowing if this was the time to tell her. He decided yes.
"I also must tell you something."
"What is it?" she brought her head up from his chest and looked him in the eye.
"We're drafting Lance, Saori, and Heero into the faction." Milliardo stepped out and closed the door before she got a chance to protest.
"Forgive me, little sister."