Chapter 01

It wasn't long before Heero arrived at Colony L-3 8253. For the past five hours of his trip he had pretended to rest. In reality he had been running over scenarios again and again in his mind. Despite his efforts his mind always came back to Relena, shattering his professional concentration. Why was it that Relena could invoke such strange emotions in him? He cared for her a great deal and the thought of any harm caused to her brought anger into his soul. He could not and would not let anything happen to her. She was a part of him that he could not afford to lose. He just didn't understand why.

"All passengers remain in your seat. We are nearing the L-3 Colony and will be docking shortly."

Heero glanced out the window to the colony. Something about the way Trowa had corrected him about the New Years Eve party troubled him. He had mentioned an "engagement party." Was Quatre getting married? He then thought about the mission on hand. 'Would Quatre be a target as well. That is only in the case that the woman he is marrying is Relena. But that wasn't possible, was it?'

Somehow when that thought struck him, it felt like a punch in the stomach. For the first moment he felt the fear of losing something, however, he realized how foolish he was being. Even if Quatre were going to propose to Relena, it would not change his willingness to protect her. He had been out of her life for four years. Out of Quatre's as well, however it still did not change the fact that Relena was still the most important person to protect in his lifetime. He would willingly give his life for her if it came down to it. Heero frowned and looked to his feet, 'Then why am I so concerned that I am about to lose her?'

Heero did not heed any attention to the other passengers on his flight as he grabbed his laptop and left the shuttle. He needed to find Wu Fei to gain more information on the situation at hand. He gathered his thoughts and walked swiftly to the main lobby.

"Heero!"

Heero turned towards the origin of the voice. He acknowledged the approaching man silently.

"Took you long enough to get here." Duo's laughing eyes greeted him warmly. Ever since the aftermath of the New Years Eve War five years before, they had become friends. They trusted each other and sometimes chatted, but they were never very close. Heero kept his distance from everyone he cared for. He never contemplated why. Perhaps it was just a remainder of the soldier coming out in him that was slow to fade away.

"The party will be starting shortly," Heero announced in his serious monotone voice. "We'd better get going."

Duo took the situation into consideration. It was possible that Heero already knew of Quatre's engagement to Relena, and had come here to congratulate them, but he knew his wishful thinking was probably too wishful. Guilt began to etch into his veins. He didn't know how to begin to explain his lack in judgment of Heero where matters involving Relena were concerned. "Look, Heero, there's something I have to tell you—"

"Not now Duo. We have to make sure this event is secure." Heero continued walking towards the main entrance of the spaceport. From there he would head to the Winner residence. Heero surveyed the area and quickly scanned the walking along the street. He could see no one acting suspicious. "I have still no leads as to who is behind this kidnapping. Have you turned up anything? I've turned over many dead files and I couldn't find one faction who would pose a threat to the United Earth Sphere Nation."

"Uh, Heero, I think we really need to talk." Duo gently spoke. He tried to conceal the guilt in his voice, but the guilt was too evident. No matter how hard Duo tried to hide his emotions they always spilled out. Heero, with his perfect soldier guise, was the opposite. He had become a master of shutting people out and bottling up what he truly felt. He had become even more so as of late.

"What is it Duo? Is it about Quatre's engagement to Relena?" Heero turned back to his comrade. He dreaded speaking his own intuition aloud. He begged silently that Duo would ask him what he was talking about. It was too evident that Duo was hiding something from him.

"How did you know? I didn't want to tell you." Duo said aloud before he saw the resigned look in Heero's eyes. It was then he realized his mistake. Heero hadn't known and now he, Duo, had just given his friend the greatest blow he had ever taken. 'I'm so sorry Heero,' his mind begged.

Heero immediately averted his gaze. 'Why are my eyes burning? Why do I just want to scream? What's wrong with me?' He collected himself and answered Duo. "I didn't know for sure until now. It's all right. There's greater matters at stake."

"I understand that, but Heero, you need to hear me out," Duo pleaded in desperation. His mind screamed, 'Please don't kill me Heero.'

"All right Duo, what is it," Heero asked. Heero fought to control the rage that had been ignited inside his chest. 'Relena, why?' his mind begged.

Duo looked at the ground and fidgeted uncomfortably. He couldn't smooth talk himself out of this situation so he just spoke the simple truth. "It's about the kidnapping. I made it up."

Heero took a step back. He couldn't believe what Duo had just revealed to him. Of all the low things that Duo had ever done. He forgave Duo for shooting him, but this was more than that. If Relena was safe and going to be engaged, he did not have to be here. Now Duo had made him look like a fool. 'That idiot! What the hell am I going to tell the Preventers? Wu Fei will think that I've lost my edge.' He glared at Duo, "What!"

"I said I made it up. It was a prank call to get you here for this event. I knew that Quatre had not invited you because—" Duo answered cowering like a dog to the man before him. He knew Heero well enough to understand that this situation could be the last time anyone saw Duo Maxwell alive.

Heero drew his gun and pointed it at Duo. He wouldn't kill the other, however Duo needed to be taught a lesson. He cocked it and made as if to pull the trigger when alarms sounded around them. 'Damn, they saw me,' Heero thought. He turned and fled.

"What in the name of—" Duo started then looked up at Heero. His comrade was nowhere to be seen. "Huh? Go figure."

Duo turned and raced in the general direction of where he thought the commotion had originated. This was unexpected and now he wanted to know what had happened. 'Well he let me live. Maybe I'm still the God of Death after all.'

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

Heero held his gun and sped back towards the spaceport. Security saw him running with his gun drawn and made an effort to restrain him. He threw them off with a couple of punches. Guns started firing all around him. He only ran faster and continued his approach to the shuttle bay. He was positive that was where the commotion had originated. Breaking through the last line of security he was met with the site he had feared the most. A woman was being forcefully carted into a shuttle. He knew she was Relena.

The last time Heero had set his eyes on Relena was two years before at a conference in one of the remote colonies. He had been passing through on his way to other business and had decided to stop in. She had no idea he was there. He couldn't afford for her to know. At that conference she had appeared so passionate and strong, the Relena that he held in the back of his mind. She was peace in its purest form. The Earth and Space could not lose her. He could not lose her, yet now he had failed her. His mind silently pleaded to the captured woman. 'Relena, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, but I get you back. I'll bring you home.'

Anger seethed through him as he watched the shuttle speed down the docking path. He was too late now, however, he had a knack for getting what he wanted. He holstered his gun and began walking in the opposite direction. He knew that Trowa was already on the colony and that he was probably searching through the databases right now.

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

Trowa had arrived on Colony L-3 only a few hours before. He had been gathering information on various factions within the colonies and came up with nothing. The Preventers had already put most of the rebel factions to rest, Heero being their main correspondent. He could not find one bit of information as to who was plotting the kidnapping of Relena. Quietly he awaited Heero's arrival, as he knew the other man would be well on his way. Heero could not sit still, or sleep for that matter if Relena was in danger.

It had been four years since Heero had uncovered a plot concerning Relena and as usual, had smoothed the matter over. It was always Heero who saved the day in matters concerning Relena. But he had noticed a change in Heero then. Before that kidnapping everyone had been aware of the connection between Relena and Heero. For a while it appeared as if Heero may have settled down nearby, but after the kidnapping everything happened so fast. Heero began coming around less often and one day, he just vanished all together. He left without saying good-bye. It was hard on Relena at first, but as the years passed, she had become stronger and happier. Perhaps this was what Heero had been trying to achieve. Relena's safety meant more to him then his own growing feelings towards her. Or else his motives were entirely different. It could have been that the perfect soldier had realized that his skills as a professional soldier would not lead towards the future Relena proposed to bring. It could have been that Heero had realized that his presence now had no significance in this new era without war and he was letting himself fade into oblivion. Unconsciously Trowa stated, "I've found my humanity Heero. Why do you still deny yours?"

Trowa brought his mind back to the screen in front of him. Quatre had given him full access to the Winner database, as he had to Heero during the Mariemaia crisis of AC 196. Trowa also knew that Heero would come eventually to seek information about the situation at hand. All Trowa could offer was the information the other was seeking. Quatre, to the best of Trowa's knowledge so far, was unaware of Heero's presence on the colony.

Trowa finished his search. His gut instinct was correct. There were no factions on this colony who were at political unrest. Though he had lost touch of the status of the other colonies, he figured that all sweeps throughout them would prove to be the same. That would mean the faction behind the kidnapping originated from Earth. Heero was probably onto the same thing. It was possible; however, unlikely that the perfect soldier had overlooked his information, however from experience, he knew that Heero would never read more into a situation than he should. He must have been really sure that this kidnapping would occur.

The door opened. Trowa didn't turn around. Even though Heero was a perfect soldier and could hide his presence, Trowa noted that Heero's presence was not one easily forgotten. Heero had finally arrived. Trowa spoke to the man behind him, "I've run another scan on this colony and have uncovered nothing. If there is a kidnapping planned, the faction is working outside this colony. It is probably a new radical group that still refuses to live in an era without war, or a group that is at a political unrest and is demanding a high ransom. Other than that, I have no further information."

"I know," Heero walked past Trowa and sat at a console next to him. "Relena's been kidnapped."

"How did you know?" Trowa asked, surprised that the other was already informed. He knew that the Heero had several contacts that he probably consulted. It was possible that Heero had been in contact with one of his informants and the information was leaked to him.

"I didn't, at least not before two days ago." He opened the database. Trowa wondered where Heero had gotten the access codes for the database; however, he knew that Heero would let nothing stand in his way from extracting the information he needed. He probably got the access codes from Quatre, and if not him, then one of his many contacts.

"Do you have any leads? My search turned up nothing." Trowa had turned away and continued to search through the database.

"No, not really. All I can suspect is that if there is no information in the colonies, the faction may have come from Earth." Heero was searching the colony's logs for data on people with Earth backgrounds.

"Are you sure?" Trowa asked. Maybe Heero wasn't as hard to read as before. His mind was slowly drawing back to the time where he needed to put on his poker face. It was the only way he could function as a soldier, or in Heero's presence for that matter. Perhaps this was the reason he could somewhat read Heero in this moment. 'We used to be the same, Heero,' he thought. He would show no weakness in front of Heero. All that mattered was that Relena was found unharmed. She was too important to the Earth Sphere and the colonies to lose.

"Security believes she was kidnapped between sixteen and sixteen thirty hundred hours. That was twenty minutes ago. We have approximately seventy hours to comply to the factions demands, otherwise they will execute her." Heero spoke firmly, showing no trace of concern or emotion.

"Security filled you in? You mean the Preventers?" Trowa asked, somewhat astonished. He was unaware that Heero was in contact with them, as Heero was one to go about everything alone.

"Yeah, the Preventers. I've been in contact with Wu Fei," Heero informed him.

"I see. What are their demands? Do you have any leads?" Trowa spoke.

"As far as I can say, their demands are to financially reimburse their organization which had been unstable since the war of AC 195. It would seem as if they have something to cover up as well, but I am not sure what that is as of yet." Heero responded. He turned back to Trowa and continued. "No- one predicted this happening. I need you to stay here and keep searching for any clues as to who is behind this." Heero rose, turning to leave. He didn't have time to chat with Trowa. Security was hunting for him as they spoke.

"Where are you going?" Trowa asked as his comrade made to depart.

"To Earth. I need to find some answers and some leads. Keep me informed if you come up with anything new. You can reach me through Wu Fei," Heero hastily left the room.

"Welcome back Heero," Trowa whispered under his breath. He had wished Heero had kept in touch more often, but that was too much to ask of the other. Keeping in touch for means other than professional business were not Heero's style. Heero preferred to do things his way and by himself. Trowa just wished that his comrade remained safe. He knew Heero would risk everything to bring Relena back. He cared for her too much.

Five guards entered the room. Trowa didn't flinch. "Hey you, have you seen a man with dark hair and a black jacket come through here?"

"Yeah, he passed through here. He was trying to get onto the roof, oh and he had a gun," Trowa lied, but at least Heero would have a head start.

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

Duo wondered what had just happened. Heero had just tried to kill him and now everyone was running around in a panicked state. 'Is Heero that intimidating?' he wondered as he ran in the direction he presumed Heero had taken. It wasn't long before he was able to slip into a secured dock left unprotected during all the chaos. 'Where the hell did Heero get to? Maybe I shouldn't risk looking for him now,' he thought. He knew that Heero had a knack for disappearing without notice, but if he was on Heero's most wanted list he'd better lie low for a while. In the meantime he needed to know what was going on. He stepped out from behind a stack of crates in time to see a serious faced man run past with a black ponytail. Duo decided to take the chance. He shouted loud enough to gain the other's attention. "Wu Fei!"

Wu Fei spun around and froze at the sound of the ever so familiar voice. "Duo. Have you seen Heero around?"

Duo was taken aback. 'Reality check, Heero just tried to kill me,' thought before answered, "Yeah, he was just here. I don't know where he went though. One moment he was here, the next he was gone."

"Thank-you." Wu Fei turned to leave. He had no time to chat with Duo. He never had time to chat with Duo. Duo was an annoyance that he had concentrated on ignoring when the other was present. Duo was never serious about anything. The fool would probably joke about the situation at hand.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Duo asked but he was talking to thin air, again. It was just like those soldierly types to keep him uninformed. He resented it at times, however he knew that keeping him in the dark was a sign of protection, at least with Heero it was. He didn't know about Wu Fei, though. In the back of his mind he knew that the latter did not care for his presence.

"Huh, I guess I'll have to find out the conventional way," he quipped, as he turned and ran towards his shuttle.

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

Wu Fei didn't know where to proceed next. In what way was the rebel faction justified in having kidnapped the Vice Foreign Minister? It made no sense. Heero must have known for some time that this was to take place. He had received the call from Heero two days ago. It was obvious that Heero had kept a better tab on the situation than he. Even though the Preventers were a well-established secret service agency, the threat of the kidnapping had neglected to reach their ears.

He entered one of the control rooms where he had thought Heero to be. Instead, his eyes set upon Trowa Barton. "Have you seen Heero?"

Trowa had expected that eventually Wu Fei would show up. "He was here. He's probably half way to the Earth by now. He came to search the database then he left all of a sudden. He suspects that a militant faction originating on Earth is behind the kidnapping."

"I see," Wu Fei exclaimed as he turned to leave. He needed to speak with Heero. It was possible he had uncovered a militant group that the Preventers had neglected to track.

Trowa paused from his research and glanced back at Wu Fei, "Is Quatre secure?"

Wu Fei had totally forgotten about Quatre. He picked up his phone. "Sally, is the head of the Winner family secure?"

"Wu Fei, you'd better get up here. Quatre is missing as well. I think that he went missing shortly after the commotion began. I don't know if his disappearance is related though."

"Is that so?" Wu Fei asked in shock. How was this possible? He wouldn't think of this now. Quatre could hold his own. What mattered now was that two very important people were missing and that he needed to gather everyone he knew to devise a plan to get them back. Where was Heero when he needed him?

Trowa rose. He could tell that something was very wrong in Wu Fei's voice. "Is Quatre all right?"

Wu Fei turned to Trowa. "Quatre went missing shortly after the commotion started. You said that Heero was on his way to Earth. Is it possible that he and Quatre left together?"

Trowa thought for a moment. He wondered whether or not Heero was aware of Quatre's relationship to Relena. He knew that Heero held a lot of respect for both of them, however he had a special bond with Relena that no one really understood. "It is possible, Wu Fei. There is just one thing that I am wondering, though."

"What's that?" Wu Fei asked impatiently.

"Does Heero know of Quatre's engagement to Relena?" Trowa asked.

Wu Fei thought for a moment. In all the conversations he had with Heero, the man never mentioned his opinion of the relationship between the two. All this time he had viewed this as Heero being himself and keeping a professional distance between Relena and Quatre's growing relationship. Besides it was unprofessional to speak of such matters. "I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"Just a hunch. He always has been concerned with Relena's safety, however I wonder if he has ever truly separated his feelings for her. We both know that when Relena is in danger he turns into a professional soldier. I just hope his professionalism is able to withstand the reality that he is about to lose someone dear to him to a man he considers his ally," Trowa stated.

Wu Fei didn't know what to say. It was possible that Heero didn't know, however, he did not see how this could be so. He and Relena had gone their separate ways a long time ago and Heero was not one to be pining after anyone for long. Heero was not the type of man to settle down and raise a family, which he knew would eventually become very important to Relena. He cared for her and in his professional way, and would keep a respectable distance. But why would Quatre withhold the truth from Heero?

"Heero wasn't invited to the party was he?" Wu Fei asked Trowa as he headed to the door.

"No. Quatre refused to invite him," Trowa spoke as he drew his attention back to the screen before him. "His excuse was that he couldn't track Heero, however I believe it was his intent to avoid tension that may arise had Heero been invited."

"I see," Wu Fei stated. He walked out of the room. Everything was becoming clear to him now. He was also aware that two men were more interested in Relena's safety and not only for the delicate balance of peace she brought. Wu Fei also knew that Quatre was not a fool either. The one person everyone could rely on to bring Relena back safely was the one man who had avoided entering her life. Quatre, though reluctant, would probably turn to the one man knew he could rely on to bring Relena back: Heero Yuy.