Disclaimer: Not again! I DON'T own Gundam Wing so this story is NOT official! There, I've said it again!

Warnings: Mild language and violence

Author's Note: Again, I've switched out Zechs for Une. After watching the series a second time I had the feeling that Zechs wanted the world to still believe he was dead, at least for the time being. So for now he's still in the shadows and Une is handling all the diplomatic relations.

ZERO SOUL

Chapter 12: Escape to Battle

By: Vegie-kun

It was late evening and OZ's soldiers were still busy making changes to the mobile suits they were utilizing for this war. The sounds of clanging metal and noisy power tools began to die down as the night wore on, accompanied by the sounds of bodies leaving the hangar. Soon the remaining OZ mechanics began to show signs of exhaustion and decided to call it a night. Packing up their tools into their respective boxes they prepared to head out. One of the mechanics, a young woman with fiery red hair, got up to stretch and gave a loud tired yawn. Her partner, a man who seemed a few years younger with dark blond hair, smirked at this.

"Getting too old for the job?" he asked jokingly with a grin on his face.

She turned to glare at him with angry green eyes and gave an indignant snort, turning around to head for the platform elevator. Her partner saw this and gave a look of surprise as he also got up and ran after her. "Hey, I was only kidding! It was only a joke," he pleaded as he chased after her, "I didn't mean anything by it. Honestly, I didn't! C'mon, why do you have to act like this? Hey, wait up, will ya!" he shouted again as he continued to run in her direction.

Fortunately for him she stopped when she reached the platform elevator, standing near it with her arms crossed over her chest as she gave him another glare. When he caught up to her he lowered his eyes and bent his head in shame, muttering a soft apology. She gave a quiet sigh and boarded the huge metal platform, gesturing for him to get on as well. Pressing a switch, the machine began to move and the sound of the metal elevator filled the enormous hanger. The young OZ mechanics remained fairly quiet for the duration of the ride but resumed their antics once they had reached the steel floor. As they headed towards the exit, the shadows of both the Neo Epyon and the WingZERO loomed over them. Reaching the exit, the sound of metal doors sliding open and closed signaled their departure.

"Hn." Heero grunted as he moved from behind the mountain of crates in the corner he was hiding in. He had been there the whole time the mechanics were working on the suits and he felt what they were feeling: tired. /How long does it take to add upgrades to a mobile suit anyways? Four hours is more than enough to make changes to those machines… Well, it doesn't matter, as long as they didn't touch my WingZERO. If they did.../ But first things first and that meant getting out of the base. Yep, he would be leaving OZ's base tonight. Five days was already four days too many to be spent in hiding. The young man had practically become a rodent, scurrying through vents and raiding the kitchens. His lips curled up into a cruel smile as he walked over to the OZ mobile suits to give them a closer inspection. /What were they called again?... Oh yeah, Gemini's. Humph, OZ has got to come up with a better way to name their mobile suits; they're starting to run out of astrological signs./

As he walked over to the mobile suits he took detailed mental notes on what he saw. The ones with the upgrades were a navy blue color with dark green trimmings instead of the camouflage green that was the standard. They didn't look much different from the originals but that was probably how OZ wanted it; a way to confuse the enemy. When he reached one of the suits his eyebrows perked up slightly noting that they had changed the firearms on the suit. Instead of the customary double Gatling gun, it was equipped with a double beam cannon. His eyes widened when he noticed the thrusters and boosters on the suit. It was probably modified to be faster than the original; the engines were similar to the ones found on the Tallgeese. /Why didn't I see any of this when I was going through their files? Did they just think of this now or was there another level that I wasn't able to reach? Dammit./

Heero continued his inspection for another half hour, making sure he remained a good distance from the suits. Getting any closer may set off any alarms that could have been wired to the suits and he wasn't eager to get reacquainted with a prison cell. It was undeniable that they had made some definite changes to the internal programming of the suits; what the changes may have been he wasn't certain. Abandoning the inspection he turned around and started walking in the direction of the Gundams stationed in the back. /At least they're not wired like those mobile suits./ A dark smile crossed his face as he slowly began to close the distance between himself and the towering machines.

The room was dark but the form of a body could be seen lying on the bed with its back on the mattress. The faint lights of various buttons and switches of the machines also occupying the room illuminated the outline of her face. Her hands were folded across her chest and her eyes were closed as she slept lightly. The doctors had done a great job on her and she had returned to being what Whitenburg had taken to calling her – the perfect weapon. /They managed to lose that Gundam pilot I captured but no one will tell me how it happened. Whitenburg won't even mention it around me and he is usually so keen on details. The matter doesn't really concern me but I've done nothing but train the last two days. That means the real battle is about to come. They're switching me back to the Neo Epyon… I've no qualms about that... Orders are orders./

"Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down," Lady Une pleaded as the conference started to take a turn for the worse. The Head Preventer was in currently in an emergency meeting being held at the Peacecraft mansion. In attendance were representatives from the former Sanc Kingdom's bordering neighbors and a few diplomats from Earth and the colonies who felt the meeting too important to ignore. They were there to discuss the situation with OZ now that the organization had revealed themselves to the rest of the world with those last attacks. Many of them were afraid the small attacks would quickly escalate into something more, even a war to rival the Eve Wars or the coup d'état by Mariemaia. The others weren't surprised when Une informed them that the President of the E.S.U.N. had given his support to the Gundams considering the close father-daughter like relationship he had with Darlian who in turn held a great amount of respect and gratitude for the Gundam pilots. What was proving problematic and becoming the main point of discussion was the discovery that the recent attack on the base in North America was led by WingZERO.

"How can we stay calm when we know that OZ is out there ready to attack at any moment?!" an overweight man from a country to the north shouted from his seat. "And what are we going to do about the Gundam that's turned against us? I mean, if that one is now on the OZ's side then who's to say the rest of them aren't as well?!"

"You know as well as the rest of us that those Gundam pilots would never do that!" another representative wearing glasses shouted from the far corner of the conference table. "The reports we received from that military base confirmed that WingZERO also attacked the other Gundams and that those Gundams successfully protected the base."

"It was probably a trick they came up with to gain our trust and support so they could undermine us from within," the fat man stated as he leaned on the table.

"That's ridiculous!" a middle aged woman exclaimed from the seat next to the man with the glasses. "The Gundams and their pilots have always been on the side of the people and have always done all they can to ensure their safety. We have seen enough of it in the past to know the truth behind their actions! They fight for the people not OZ or any other organization and you know it."

"Things change," the rotund representative started, "as do people. We can't always expect the Gundam pilots to have the same convictions now as they did in the past. I still say we shouldn't trust those pilots fully." That earned him a glare from Noin who stood in one of the corners of the conference room, observing the meeting with intense interest.

"They just wouldn't do that," the woman stated once again with renewed determination.

"Then how do you explain WingZERO?" a short and stout man from the opposite end inquired as he tilted his head to the side.

"It was probably a plan devised by OZ to divide up loyalties," the man with the glasses stated as he began to calm down.

"I say we should try to make some sort of deal with OZ so we can avoid a war," the large man began again as he leaned back against his cushioned seat, crossing his arms against his chest.

"What guarantees do we have that OZ will respect and honor any agreements we would make with them?" Une began in a low and dangerous voice as her eyes narrowed on the overweight representative. "If they wanted to negotiate then they wouldn't have fired first without just provocation." Her expression remained unchanged as she waited for the other man's next statement.

"We have to do all we can to try and spare the people of Earth and the colonies from another war," the representative began, "they have had enough of it in the past and I don't think they can handle another one now." The fat man obviously cared about his country and its people despite his misplaced views. "I just don't want to see any more bloodshed; we have had too much of that already."

"Blood has already been spilled, representative," the Commander stated coldly, never taking her eyes off the other, "all we can really do is make sure that we can keep it to a minimum. Now, before we adjourn this meeting I want to know how many of you will be siding with OZ? Just know that if you do so you will be going up against the Gundams; they will be your enemies, as will we in E.S.U.N." She scanned the room. "This is not a threat. I'm just stating the obvious should you choose OZ." The young woman looked about the room and saw that no one was raising their hands or making any other gestures indicating their agreement and took that as a good sign. "If you please, ladies and gentlemen, this meeting is adjourned. I wish you a safe trip back to your respective homes or lodgings."

Lady Une got up and slowly made her way towards the exit with Noin joining her as she reached it. The sound of moving chairs filled the room as the others followed suit and walked towards the door, following suit. Soon the entire area was empty of its previous occupants as the last of the diplomats filed out. The group walked down the halls of the Peacecraft mansion with its chief and agent in the lead. They passed a few halls when Une suddenly took a detour, gesturing towards a secretary to lead the others to the front door. The men and women said their farewells and continued onwards as Une and Noin still proceeded to walk towards a door. Upon opening it the two were instantly greeted by four Gundam pilots and an irate Zechs Marquise.

"Oi! How could you let that fat jerk say all those nasty things about us?!" Duo fumed upon seeing them. "I'm tempted, and I mean really tempted, to get into my Gundam and teach him a lesson about playing nicely with others, but I'm too much of a nice guy to do that."

"I guess that means you heard everything that went on in the meeting," Noin commented, happy to be finally saying something after having stayed quiet for so long during the conference. She had only been there to make sure that Une was safe and protected.

"Zechs here even agrees with me," the Deathscythe Hell pilot turned to Tallgeese pilot and grinned evilly.

The older man glared in agreement before he closed his eyes and heaved out an exhausted sigh. "I would gladly do the same," he confessed then shook his head, "but Relena would never forgive me."

"Awww," Duo pouted returning his attention to Une. "Ok, then it'll just be me. I'll only chase him down with Deathscythe Hell but I promise not to hurt him… just give him a little scare, that's all. So?" There was a sadistic gleam in his eyes that made the others question his sanity.

"Any aggressions on your part, whatever they may happen to be, will just add fuel to the fire. That's something we really don't need right now," the Preventer chief stated as she slumped into a chair. "This situation with Heero puts us in quite the predicament. If they perceive that one of the heroes from the Eve Wars has decided to align themselves with OZ, other governments will take it as a sign of confidence that OZ is the power to follow."

Zechs clasped his hands beneath his chin gave Une a steely look. "What we really have to make sure of is that they don't get wind of Relena situation with OZ. If thinking how Yuy may be siding with them has gotten that group into such a panicked state, think of what would happen if they discover that Relena's been the one leading the attacks." He slammed his fist into the table, visibly frustrated.

"They're bound to find out sooner or later," Wufei said from his perch on the window sill, turning his head towards the others he continued on, "all we can really do is to try to find Yuy and Darlian and stop them before that happens or at least try to lessen the shock." He turned his gaze back to the outside, monitoring the diplomats and representatives as they got into their respective rides. He continued to watch them until they were completely out of sight.

The Japanese pilot looked over his flight suit for the third time, making sure no modifications had been made. He was lucky to have found it in one of the OZ lockers in the hangar. When everything had met his expectations he moved his right hand into the suit's hidden side pocket. After a few seconds of searching he found his prize and pulled out the object: WingZERO's detonator. He stared at the small device, thoughts running in his mind as to the object's significance. Unlatching a clasp he removed the protective glass casing that guarded the detonator's red button. The youth fingered the object thoughtfully in a seemingly possessive manner; glad that it had remained safe and undiscovered, otherwise he would have lost a very important option. /If I self-detonate WingZERO then I can end everything right now... It would be more than enough to destroy this base and the war can end before any more people get killed... I can end everything, my life holds no real value... but... but then I would kill her as well... she's still here... the people still need her... I.../ He shook away the last thought.

Shutting out all the thoughts swirling in his mind he stood there on the steel floor, quietly holding the detonator in his right hand. Letting out a soft sigh he replaced the glass casing and put the device back into his flight suit's pocket. /Not today I guess.../ He looked to where the Gundams stood and smirked as he began to make his way towards the towering beasts. It was getting late and he had to get out of that base as soon as possible if he was going to get the information he had 'acquired' to the Preventers and the scientists on L1. He stopped for a while and looked into WingZERO's ever-emotionless face as if trying to make a connection with it before making his way once more to the platform elevator. He carefully put on his helmet, sliding the visor in place, hiding his face.

As he reached the machine he got on and pressed one of its switches causing the contraption to groan slightly before it began to make its way up. Heero took that time to lean back against its railing to rest; short though it may have been. After a few minutes the platform reached the top of the metal walkway as the youth proceeded to jump off of it. The sounds of his footsteps on the walkway echoed through the empty hangar until he finally came upon his WingZERO. The Japanese pilot ran his right hand over the smooth surface of the Gundam's cockpit door until he found the switch. The door made a slight hissing noise as it opened but its pilot made no move to get inside. Heero froze in his position, his mind was debating whether or not he should leave or stay to make sure that everything was taken care of. /Why?... all I need to do is go in and leave... that's all so what's holding me back?... Re-NO! It's not her!/

He jumped into the cockpit seat and strapped himself in. Pressing a button on his control console the cockpit door slid shut, protecting its pilot from the outside world. The young man closed his eyes momentarily as he turned on the Gundam, letting himself get reacquainted to the feel. /I hope this works./ The humming of the Gundam's engines seemed to soothe him as if it were welcoming him home. His hand moved to press itself against his chest and he smiled inwardly when he felt the flash drive he had obtained earlier. He opened his eyes again and they held nothing but determination and conviction, nothing was going to stop him now: nothing.

Maneuvering his Gundam with a level of skill that came to him as naturally as breathing, they walked over to the platform that would take the both of them away to the outside world. Freedom. It was so close that he swore he could taste it but it was accompanied by a strange feeling. It made his chest ache, and he longed to rid himself of it if he could. But this wasn't the time for it and he knew that it would jeopardize everything if it kept on running its course. Now was not the time for mistakes or second thoughts or feelings and emotions. He stepped onto the metal elevator and waited for the program to take effect. /If I programmed it correctly, it should be activating itself right about... now./ Subconsciously he patted himself on the back for the good work and relaxed, letting the elevator take them to the surface as its sound filled the hangar. Although it was fairly quiet compared to other elevators, the noise still made Heero uneasy and he looked around to make sure that no one had heard.

It was minutes before he could even make out the faint moonlight that began to pour from the heavens. He looked up and saw the dark endless night, sprinkled with clusters of stars, greeting him with its familiar silence. It would be awhile before he was going to be completely out of the dark tunnel and he waited with unequaled patience. As soon as he was only a few meters away from the surface he fired up his thrusters and boosters and flew off into the inviting darkness leaving behind the pains of his heart.

"!" The girl's eyes shot open as she awoke from her light slumber. She lifted her body from the bed and began searching desperately around the room. What was it that had jarred her awake? What was that strange feeling she'd experience only a few moments ago? It was a nagging that told her something was missing; something that was important. In one swift action she pulled herself up from the bed to sit on the edge of the mattress. The girl looked into the dark room, thinking that maybe something would make itself known if she just stared hard and long enough. She wouldn't sleep now; she couldn't sleep, not until she had discovered what had happened.

The Japanese pilot made his way through the terrain, flying at an incredible speed, though careful to keep himself hidden away from any enemies that may be lurking nearby. The night was all too welcoming. His gaze was hard as he tried to concentrate on his surroundings yet found it difficult and opted to focus on the upcoming plans. He would first go to Preventer Headquarters to drop off a copy of the information, hoping Sally and the others would be able to do something with it. He would then proceed to L1 to meet with the old men to seek their assistance with a few matters. Speaking of those geezers he reached out his left hand and pressed a button.

The image of Doctor J appeared; the aged scientist's face looked surprised before it turned into a slow smile. "It's been awhile, Heero. How are you? I take it you've just finished a mission." His old eyes held an amount of relief that Heero failed to detect.

"I've been to OZ's main base," the Japanese pilot stated in his familiar cold and monotone voice, "and I have obtained data that needs to be looked at immediately."

"OZ, huh?" the aging man mused thoughtfully before he was pushed aside by another man sporting a mushroom haircut and a large nose.

"What kind of data did you acquire?" he promptly asked, not bothering with greetings.

"They're on the Seele units and Operation ZERO," the Japanese pilot replied coldly, "I'm on my way to Preventer Headquarters to drop off a copy then I'll be heading off to L1. I need you to make a few modifications to WingZERO."

"What kind of modifications?" the Deathscythe engineer inquired narrowing his eyes at the young man.

"I'm sending it to you right now," Heero said as he pressed a button on his Gundam's computer.

Their faces were deep in concentration as they scrolled down the lengthy data given to them on the screen but were soon contorted into a look of surprise as they got down further and further. Professor G's head popped up suddenly with a questioning look. "Is this correct?" he asked with an accusing glare.

"This is very interesting, Heero. Care to tell us why you would need this?" the older man with snow-white hair inquired with a smile, opening and clicking his robotic hand as he spoke.

Heero returned the other's glare. "That's my business. Just be ready to make those adjustments once I get to L1."

"Is it even possible though? WingZERO might not have enough room to accommodate such alterations," Doctor J spoke up in a more reasoning manner.

"Hn," the young pilot began, "I've already checked over the data three times. The numbers I've come up with will work. They won't compromise WingZERO's internals."

"Are you sure?" his mentor asked again.

"Yes," the youth responded in a tired but firm voice.

"Why do you need these?" Professor G asked again in a much harsher tone.

Heero replied by reaching over and turning off his communication to the lab, smiling a bit to himself when he did so. Explaining things now wouldn't do much good; he would have plenty of time for that once he reached L1. It had to work. It could be the deciding factor in the final battle yet to come. The wheels had already been set in motion and there was no turning back now. He knew that if OZ wanted to defeat the Gundams then she would have no choice but to use it… then again OZ had the numbers and they didn't. He also realized that if he was going to defeat her then he would have to utilize the same system but he couldn't guarantee how he would handle it. But if all went according to how he had planned it then the people would have their Foreign Minister back and he could disappear into the shadows once more. However, he wasn't sure if that was what he desired now, especially after all that had happened. Focusing back on the mission at hand he concentrated on piloting his Gundam, staring at the screen with unrivaled determination. Time was running out, and he couldn't waste another second.

After about half an hour of flying, Heero looked around his cockpit once more, checking the monitors and radar to see if anyone from OZ was following him. His gaze fell on the fuel gauge and noticed that it was starting to run low. His options were to either hurry it up and risk getting there on nothing but fumes or make a stop somewhere and contact the others. Not wanting to have them tease him about asking for help he decided to hurry up.

"Hello!?" an urgent female voice shouted over his com-link, "WingZERO! This is OZ second division mobile suit squad!" The feminine voice sounded a bit familiar but that familiarity was lost to the danger of the situation and the transmission static.

Not wanting to lose the transmission or waste any more fuel, Heero made to land in a nearby evergreen forest. Making sure the Gundam was well hidden behind the towering trees and thick brush, he became quiet and he waited for what the voice would say next.

"We need your assistance!" The girl yelled again before more static interrupted her plea. "We are currently in battle with four Gundams. Two thirds of my squad has already been eliminated and there are only a few of us left. I'm sending the coordinates to you right now..." More static and interference. "Please, we need your help!" More static and the transmission went dead.

/They must think that I'm her./ He smirked at that thought. When the transmission didn't come back after a few minutes, he wondered if he should go or continue on this previous course. If OZ was in a fight with the Gundams they wouldn't last for much longer, Geminis or not. Then again, if the pilots were there he could give them the disks, and they could take it to Preventer Headquarters for him while he could refuel and leave directly for L1. With his mind made up he started up his engines and boosters and began to fly to the coordinates sent to him minutes earlier. It didn't take him long to see the destruction off in the distance. The area looked to be a military base covered with fire and smoke; the majority of the buildings had already been destroyed.

Firing up his thrusters, he began his slow descent onto the concrete ground. It was worse than what he had seen in the distance; nearly everything had been destroyed and there wasn't a sign of life anywhere. He turned the Gundam's head to the sides to check for the enemy, reaching out to pull forth his beam sabre as he did so. A bright light appeared as he activated the weapon. Artillery fire was heard to his left and he made his way in that direction, careful to prevent his detection. When he reached the area he saw two of the Geminis being backed into a crumbling wall by Altron, Heavyarms, and Sandrock. Heero decided not to make his presence known just yet and slowly walked in the direction of the cornered mobile suits.

*CRASH*

Before he could even take two steps he was suddenly tackled to the ground by a very large and very heavy object. He pivoted WingZERO's head to the side to see who it was, sure that it was another OZ mobile suit, but instead saw the familiar head of Deathscythe. /Duo?! Dammit! They must think that I'm Rei!/ He quickly maneuvered his Gundam and easily dislodged himself from the other mobile suit. In a flash he was up again but was met by Altron who had decided to disengage from the battle with the inferior suits. Before Heero knew what was happening Altron had extended its Dragon Fang and knocked the beam sabre out of WingZERO's hand. Angry, the Japanese pilot was about to strike out at the other but a sudden force rammed into his side, knocking WingZERO face first onto the ground once more. He looked up and saw Heavyarms looming above.

He knew the situation would only get worse if he let this misunderstanding continue. He attempted to open up his com-link and switch to their frequency when he notice that the OZ mobile suits, previously near the wall, were now making their way towards them. One brought up their gun and aimed it in their direction. He had little time to wonder why they would risk firing on their comrade in order to get at the other Gundam. Realizing he wouldn't be able to move out of the way fast enough he closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact.

He heard two shots being fired. "Huh?" Heero questioned as his eyes shot open to see what had just happened. He looked around and saw that WingZERO's hands were now covered with a strange white substance. It was apparently sticky for when he tried to move his Gundam's hands he found he couldn't. It was very sticky when he failed after a second attempt. All of a sudden there was a strange weight on top of his Gundam pushing WingZERO more forcefully onto the ground. /Shit! What the HELL is going on here? Is this a trick by OZ? Did they already discover what I'd done?/ Heero tried hard to free himself from the weight but it was useless. Deciding that there were no other options left to him he pulled out the detonator from the pocket of his flight suit. /I refuse to hand WingZERO back to them!... Good-bye Relena... Huh?/

It wasn't working. He was still there and alive to boot. The youth was sure he would have been blown to pieces by now. /What the HELL is going on?!/ Turning his Gundam's head to the side he saw dark wings framed by the bright moon and night sky. "Duo," Heero seethed through clenched teeth as thoughts of killing the braided baka filled his mind. Duo had just de-activated WingZERO's self-detonation system. /I'll kill you for that!/ When he felt the other's weight shifting off his own Gundam he made his move. In one swift motion Heero unfurled the Gundam's wings throwing Deathscythe Hell across the grounds. Not wanting to waste the wonderful opportunity given to him he charged up his thrusters and boosters to see if that would help in setting him free.

After a few moments he managed to pry loose his hand and he reached to get at his spare beam sabre. However, before he could get to it Heavyarms' robotic hand grabbed his and slammed it to the ground, causing WingZERO to fall on its back. Heero looked up and saw the other OZ mobile suit walking in his direction, weapon drawn, and he cursed silently under his breath. His mind raced, trying to assess this new situation. Without warning it fired and WingZERO was hit again with the unknown substance which now had the Gundam's arm pinned once more to the ground. It fired again and WingZERO's legs were rendered immobile.

"What the-?" the engine noises had died down and the screens in the cockpit went blank. He turned to look at the fuel gauge and saw that it was disappointingly low, not enough to support the major functions of battle and flight. He cursed again under his breath. Things weren't looking too good and he couldn't self-detonate WingZERO.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Sandrock approach with its Heat Shotels in hand. The others followed suit, like a flock of vultures about to descend on a wounded prey. The majestic Gundam stopped when it reached the fallen mobile suit and raised its weapons high into the air. They glowed a dangerous red and in one quick swipe sliced at WingZERO's cockpit door. The attack wasn't hard enough to cut directly through the Gundanium but it was enough to leave a huge scar. Something akin to panic flooded the usually stoic youth as his mind worked again to see if he could free himself. Sandrock lifted its arms into the air once more before it brought it down again, tearing through the Gundanium. It repeated its action again and readied itself for another strike. Before he could finish the task, Heero, left with one last option, activated the only thing still functional under his present circumstances.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Then silence.

"Shit!" Duo yelled, surprised, and brought his Gundam to a dead stop, his hands covering his ears as he felt the impact of that statement through his com-link. "What did he just say?!"

"Duo!" Quatre's familiar soft but frantic voice called out to the Deathscythe Hell pilot. "Did you hear what I just heard?" He lowered his Heat Shotels.

"Who didn't hear?!" the American retorted, "That was loud enough to wake the dead… on Earth and in space!"

"T-That was Yuy talking," Wufei gasped, shocked by the sudden and unexpected outburst. "Didn't Rei usually refrain from speaking unless spoken to?"

"Yeah!" the American agreed. "And she never once yelled at us. I mean, no matter how hard I tried to rile her up, she was always so stony faced and quiet. Even this wouldn't have been enough to make her crack..."

"That's right," Quatre interjected, "Sally did mention that it was highly likely that one of those devices' main function may be to keep the subject calm, no matter the situation..."

"Hmmm..." Duo began again as he eyed the fallen WingZERO. "Do you think Heero's defective?"

Wufei scanned the grounds and scowled in frustration. "What in the name of Nataku is going on?"

"Look over there," Trowa's voice interrupted them as he pointed Heavyarms' hand in the direction of the fallen WingZERO.

They watched as a small figure climbed out of the broken cockpit door. The night wind tousled his hair as he took off his helmet, placing it in the crook of his right arm. Deep Prussian blue eyes were held in a penetrating glare as the Japanese pilot stared at the group of mobile suits. They stood there in silence as obsidian night turned to morning gray, the sun not far behind.

-to be continued-

Author's Note: I changed the battle scene so that Deathscythe was the one to engage with WingZERO first. Reason being that it has stealth capabilities and could avoid detection long enough to mount a surprise attack. I also filled in some gaps that I hadn't realized were there.