Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing; this is just for fun.

Author's Note: Oh man, it's been ages since I last updated this story, but here it is. BTW, sorry about the grammar mistakes before this; I haven't had time to beta read them as I first posted them. I'll do my best to revise as I go along. Please bear with me. Thank you!

When Light Dies

By: Ame-san

Chapter 5

A.C. 183

" Are you sure you want to leave here?"

" Yes."

" Well, you do realize that you don't really have anywhere else to go, right?"

" I've made my decision." There was a brief silence. " Thanks for having me, Howard." I turned to leave.

" Wait, " He called after me. " Before you leave, I have something to show you. Who knows, the next time I see you, we could be in hell." He laughed and then motioned me to follow him.

Howard, always liked to be discreet, led me to the new lab that was prepared specially for his scientist friend. Professor G was not present, but I saw something that resembled a blue print lay on the table. The detail of the print was beyond comprehensible. It was like a drawing of a giant robot but much more complicated than ones I'd ever seen in my life.

" What's this?" I pointed at the piece of paper.

" Do you know what a mobile suit is, Lowe?" He was talking in circles.

" I've heard of it but never had the chance to see one in person. That's the new weapon the Alliance is developing, isn't it?" I began to have an idea what he was getting at.

" Well, at this point in history, not just the Alliance has the technology to build such a machine." He hinted.

" So you have it too, but what's the significance of telling me that?"

" Lowe, you don't get it, do you? You don't understand the power of a mobile suit."

" I get the destructive power of those suits; I just don't get why you would be telling me your little secret. Aren't you afraid of me selling that information and get you killed?"

" I'm not really concerned with my death at this moment."

Another brief silence past between us.

" So what does that thing do?" I asked.

" We call it the Tallgese. It's a special type of mobile suit, much better than the ones the Alliance has. We are not sure at this moment how powerful it can be, but trust me, this thing can destroy five of theirs without breaking a sweat." He had a vicious smile.

" You are quite confident about it. Confidence can be a weakness sometimes." I warned him.

" Not this time, Lowe. The Tallgese is only a prototype to something even greater, something mankind has never seen in its entire history, something mankind will fear and bow down at its feet for mercy." He was quite serious.

" To have mankind at its mercy? Such thing will not last long."

" But at least it will free the colonies." He argued.

" Then what? What are you going to do with it after you've accomplished your goals? As long as weapon like that exists, people will fight over it."

" When did you become a pacifist, Lowe?"

When that bullet hit the chest of Heero Yuy.

" Don't insult me, Howard. I'm only saying that you might be making a mistake."

" How so?"

" I'm not a seer, how should I know? But I do wish you luck finding someone who would do your dirty work for you. That thing will need a pilot, right? "

His silence confirmed my speculation.

" No normal people would have the guts to kill and destroy with that thing; I hope you can find the monster who would. " I had just about enough mobile suits for one day.

" Thanks for your support, Lowe." He hissed out the words and then decided to change the subject. " So where are you going now? Taking up the assassin's job again?"

" Sort of." I walked toward the exit. " I'm going to visit the earth."

" Earth?"

" I have a job to take care of there. Someone to kill down there."

" Well, see you in hell then."

****

" Where are we going, Odin?" He asked timidly. His footsteps quickened to match my pace.

" That's nothing of your concern, Kid." He was after all only a shadow. He could only exist as long as I live and I never did make promises.

I slowed down and came to a halt. He stood next to my legs and stared at me with those sad eyes. I knew he wanted to ask more questions, but my glare shut him up. There was no need for questions; he only had to follow orders. Then again, there were those eyes.

I looked around and said, " We are setting up camp here tonight." That was an order. The nice thing about Earth that I liked was it had natural bushes and forests, good hiding spots indeed. The little light left from the dying sun made it possible for me to pick a secure base for our camp. Between the tall pine trees was a clearing about four or five feet long and three feet wide, quite sufficient for me and as for the Kid, he never did take up much space.

Knowing very well of my intentions, he began gathering broken tree branches for a fire. I got to admit that the reason I kept him alive was his fast learning abilities. I never had a child before, but I knew he was much more intelligent than the average kid. He had never forgotten a thing I had taught him.

" Just put them over here. " He complied without a word. I searched for my lighter and lit the fire. He just sat nearby silently and stared at the burning flame.

I was fond of the silence.

" Odin." His voice destroyed that one moment of peace in my life.

I waited patiently for him to continue.

" Why do you never take me to the park?" I hated how he had learned to speak in full sentences.

" I'm not obligated to do so. It's not my job." I was slightly irritated.

" My daddy would have, right?" I hated his innocence.

" NO. But he's dead anyway, so just live with it. Don't think of things you can't have." I kept up my icy tone.

" Odin, why did daddy and mommy leave me?" I hated the fact that he was growing up.

" Because I didn't kill you, that's why. I was damn stupid to keep you alive that's why."

He seemed to understand the meaning behind my words and became obedient and quiet once again. He pulled his legs against his chest and lay down in a fetal position, his cobalt eyes empty and distant except the reflection of the crimson flame.

I sighed. Sometimes one just had to follow one's emotions.

" I've never told you a bed time story, have I? You want to hear one?"

He didn't respond.

" Well, did you know that a single person can change the course of history?" I paused. " One mistake and everything you've believed in and tried to believe is gone, and you can't do a damn thing about it. The sad thing is that you are still trying even though you know is fucking futile. That's what's so stupid about the guy, he's got too much hope and tries too hard. It's like he's doing everything he can to fix that one mistake, but in the end he knows he'll fail. Well, it's not like he's got anything else to do. "

The Kid's eyes were closed. I looked at the black sky and saw the flickering lights of the colonies.

"It's easy to change history, but it's damn impossible to reverse it. The only way I know how to fix a broken vase is to buy a new one and teach it not to fall again. Train it, so it won't ever break even if it did fall. Break it so many times that it doesn't know how to break anymore."

He was asleep now.

" You know what Kid? Not everyone went to the park, some died when they weren't even born."

* * *

The next morning we arrived at the airport; apparently, the person I was looking for had changed his address several times in the last few years. Figures, he probably knew that I would come for him eventually.

" Hurry up." I said to the Kid. " You don't want me to leave you here, do you?"

He seemed tiny amidst the sea of people who were trying to get to their own destinations. A rather significant group caught my attention as they marched toward my direction. I could see that it was a bunch of annoying reporters surrounding a particular family like bees around honey.

" Mr. Dorlain, Mr Dorlain, would you care to comment on the current situation with the colonies? What's the next step for the Alliance? Is it true that you are planning your first visit to L2 at the end of this months?..."

So that was the newly elected Vice Foreign Minister from Earth. I stood still and watched him and his entourage of reporters walk past me. Too much of an idealist. I passed my judgment as I saw the genuine look in his eyes. He was too kind. Kind people like him can't survive long in this time period.

" Let's go." I ordered the Kid who seemed not to hear me. He followed the flashing lights of the camera as if in a trance.

Emerged from the wave of journalists was a little girl in a pink dress. She seemed to have dropped something on the ground and was now trying to pick it up. But to no avail, she was carried away by her mother to keep up with her Vice Foreign Minister father.

" No! " She squirmed in the arms of her mother. " No! My Teddy! Mommy, I dropped Teddy!" She cried.

Before her mother could say anything, she wiggled out of her hold and ran back toward the stuffed animal on the floor.

The Kid got to it first. I was curious as to see what he would do with it.

" That's mine." The little girl demanded. The Kid stared at her for a second then gave her the bear.

" Relena. Relena, aren't you going to say thank you?" The mother had arrived, and I knew it was my turn to make an appearance as well.

" He took it." She was now pouting.

" Relena." Her mother lowered her voice.

" Thank you." She said rather reluctantly.

" I'm sorry." The mother spoke to me apologetically. " I don't know what came over her." She smiled. " You've got a nice little guy there."

I merely nodded. She smiled again, took her daughter by the hand, and led her away.

" You deliberately disobeyed my orders." I scolded the Kid who still stood there watching the little girl disappear from our sight. " Are you listening?"

" Yes, Odin." He turned to face me.

" You are wasting my time." I dragged him by his collar the rest of the way.

He didn't wince at all even though it was leaving a mark on his neck.