Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are the property of Sotsu, Sunrise, TV Asahi, Bandai, etc. I don't own any part of it and I'm not making any money out of it either. This is purely for entertainment purposes, nothing more and nothing less.

Warnings: Mild language and violence and a very long flashback. 2+R fic.

A.N. I was hoping to make this the last chapter, but knowing how I never get what I really want, it didn't happen. Damn, I feel like I've been writing this fic forever, considering I started this around the same time as Zero Soul. I'm only finishing this now cause I wanted to finish Zero Soul first. Besides it was also due in part to some e-mail that sorta bordered on the lines of death threats, asking me to finish Zero Soul. They might have been crude, but there's nothing like a death threat to make someone type faster. Also, this chapter is a bit slow; it kinda reflects how my summer's been: boring. This chapter mainly serves to answer some questions that a lot of you may have about My Ojousan; not all of them though, mind you, just some.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Ojousan
Chapter 9: The Calm Before the Storm

By: veGie-kun


Morning came with its usual cries of protest; when you've been through hell waking up is one of the hardest tasks to do. Right now, the Vice Foreign Minister was going through that exact same ordeal; this morning the light was not her friend. Whoever threw open the curtains was going to pay dearly; if not physically, then a verbal scolding would have to do. Groaning loudly she threw the covers over her head and proceeded to catch up with the departing Sandman. The nerve-racking events of the day prior had been extremely taxing and her young body had reached its limit last night when they snuck into the hotel. She'd never realized how difficult the task actually was since the movies always made it look so easy.

Last night's events revolved around her and Trowa slipping, more like breaking, in through the kitchen's back doors where the food supplies were dropped off. It wasn't easy to do that and avoid the night guards at the same time; where were the guards when all the real criminals were around? Wait; at that particular moment they were the ones trying to break into the hotel so technically that did make them the criminals. Those stupid conference weeks always meant that security was heightened to protect the welfares of the diplomats and representatives from the different countries and colonies. Well, after the initial entry was accomplished, thinking of a way to make it up to Relena's room was a bit more intricate.

With so many security cameras, the hallways and lobby of the building didn't allow much to go on without alerting the night patrol. That only left one method of actually getting to and inside her room; the ventilation ducts. Much to her displeasure, Relena was no longer 15 and unlike Trowa who had years of training, her body wasn't as flexible and didn't fit all too well inside the hollow metal shaft. On more than one occasion she found herself bumping her head, knees, elbows, as well as other body parts into hard steel. Yep, her body was sore this morning and it'd probably stay that way for the rest of the day and well into the next. She'd mused that if she had known what a Vice Foreign Minister had to put up with then she'd have said "no thanks".

Well, after all the crawling and sneaking around and accidentally coming to the wrong room... more than once... they'd manage to find their way into her humble abode. Of course that wasn't without complications either. Weariness having shot her reflexes to hell, Relena wasn't sure which way was up or down and ended up falling on her rear rather than gracefully landing on her feet. In her mind she was certain that last night had been the worst one to date in her entire, albeit short, lifetime. There just wasn't anything more that fate could do to her... was there? She'd experienced the worst, right? Braved the fiercest storm? Just how could it be worse? There was nothing she could really think of to top it but knew she shouldn't be thanking her lucky stars just yet.

As sleep began to reclaim her bruised body a frown crossed her face, the question of Heero and Duo's safety once again popped into her mind. After all her efforts to quiet them last night it seemed she just couldn't put the two out of her thoughts. The troubled look on Duo's face when he stormed out of warehouse, the things she and Heero had discussed, the fear in Duo's eyes when he barged in on the two of them, and the gunfire she heard as she and Trowa drove away from the warehouse. They were still alive, she could feel it inside her bones, but their actual condition was another matter. She didn't want to imagine them lying in a pool of blood, battered and bruised with haunted looks on their faces. She cringed at the image and buried her face into the sheets repeating to herself that they were going to be okay, her mantra eventually easing her into slumber.

*****

"So, Heero," Duo huffed as he jumped over a large rock, "anything wrong? You've been awfully quiet... more so than usual. That's disturbing even for you." He waited for a reply, keeping pace with the other youth as they made their way over the hill. That would bring them into the section of the city where Relena's hotel was located then they'd finally get to work things out.

It was already well past dawn and the two could see that the various businesses were starting to open which would provide them cover. With so many bodies roaming around the streets it would be hard to discern one recognizable figure from the next, but when one wants to find somebody, people start becoming clearly distinct individuals rather than one big mass. Hopefully they'd be lucky and elude the watch of their enemy. Speaking of their enemy, where the heck were they? Duo was sure they had no idea where Relena was headed, but the two should have spotted them by now. According to Heero, their one major flaw was their inability to stay out of sight.

Chris, the easier going of the two, was never a guy for all that sneaking around business. He was always a man who preferred the sunshine and light breeze that accompanied the day; of course that never did suit his image as an assassin. But despite that and his demeanor, Chris was one of the best, his jovial nature served well to cover up the killer inside. As sick as it sounded at times, he took pride in what he did and always did it with a smile. Marcus was an opposite of sorts, fitting the bill of what an assassin should be. He was serious, unwavering, mysterious, succinct, and also downright ruthless. He was willing to do just about anything to accomplish his missions, get his pay, and come out on top of Engel. Even with all his talent his greatest failing was his insurmountable pride. The man didn't take kindly at all to defeat and having been up started by a nineteen-year-old newly recruited rookie for the position of Teufel's leader really left a mark on his pride.

If there was anyone Heero had to worry about it would be Marcus; the man had it in for him the first moment he stepped inside Todesengel. The Japanese youth had been the one who unknowingly stole Teufel's leadership position from right under his nose. In fact, Marcus was already considered second under Heero; that was a title not easily gained. The older man also suffered humiliation after humiliation every time Heero outdid him during training and field practices. When you summed up all the things he had against the ex-pilot it was no surprise at all that he wanted the Japanese's head.

"I'm just thinking about how I'm going to deal with those two as well as the rest of Todesengel..." he finally replied, still in deep contemplation. "Wufei's not going to be able to handle them by himself so I want to be able to finish this and get over there to Germany to help him." Hearing nothing from the mechanic Heero continued on with his thoughts, "If he left yesterday afternoon then he would have returned to Earth and Preventer Headquarters late last night. Knowing them and all the procedures they have to go through, he probably won't even leave for his assignment for another day or two... That doesn't give us much time."

Duo kicked a nearby rock and exhaled deeply before slumping onto the ground, yelling over his shoulder at his still walking companion. "Oi, Heero, stop before I lose you." He saw the other halt before making his way back.

"What are you doing?" he asked, frustrated, "We have to keep going in order to rendezvous with them."

Seized by anger Duo was about to shout at him, but he saw the worry in those dark blue eyes and felt himself calm down. "*sigh* Look, Heero, there's no point, they're not going to move on us and if they do they'd inform us of it. Besides, we've been walking nonstop since last night and I don't know about you, but I don't function well in battle when I haven't even gotten an hour of sleep. If you want to keep on going then it's fine by me, I already know where Relena's hotel is located, but even you're human, Heero. We're no good to Relena if we can't even prevent ourselves from falling asleep."

Heero clenched his fists, his entire body shaking with anger, but then he saw how useless it was to argue. Bringing his hands back down to his sides, he took a seat across from Duo. "You're right," he admitted sullenly, "I'm a bit tired myself. Working without sleep for the past three days isn't healthy."

"Three days?!" the American shouted incredulously, eyeing his comrade as if he'd sprouted another head. "It's a wonder you haven't just dropped from sheer exhaustion yet." He laughed and sprawled himself onto the grass, staring up to the very heights of the colony. He took in the painted skies, the artificial light, and the unnatural breeze blowing across his face. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the scent of the fresh morning grass and wildflowers that surrounded him. It was so peaceful right at that moment that he wondered how anything like their situation was even happening at all. "Oi, Heero..." he found himself asking, "do you think there'll ever be an end to this?"

The Japanese youth was silent, taking a quick glance at the ex-Shinigami before turning his attention to the same painted skies. "I've been wondering about that myself for years... In my opinion nothing ever ends..."

"Thanks for cheering me up, buddy," Duo remarked sarcastically, opening his eyes to catch sight of a sparrow flying by.

*****

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" Marcus shouted as he kicked and punched, venting all his frustrations on a would-be-thief who tried to take his wallet. With a sadistic gleam in his green eyes he repeatedly decked the unfortunate young man across the face, left and right. Grabbing the guy by the shoulders he brought him close and forcefully kneed him in the gut. With a silent scream of pain the youth collapsed to the ground, wrapping his arms around his wiry frame, curling into a tight ball to protect himself. That did nothing to stop the older man as he continued to mercilessly kick him over and over again until the other fell unconscious.

"Feeling any better?" Chris queried from where he leaned against the brick wall of a building, a weary expression on his face.

Tired from his little distraction, the taller man breathed heavily as he attempted to recompose himself. Brushing the dirt off his shoulders and straightening his jacket and tie; Marcus greeted his partner with a satiated smile. "Yeah, I do actually." He took a deep breath and followed the younger man out of the alley and to the car they parked a block away.

"So what's the plan from here on end? As I see it we have three Gundam pilots to deal with, two allies who aren't here to help, one mutineer, and no Vice Foreign Minister. It doesn't look good, does it?" He asked, looking over his shoulder to his lagging assassin.

The older man shook his head and moved his hands to massage his temples. "Like I said before, it was a bad idea to take on this assignment." With agitated movements, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, placing one in his mouth as he continued to mumble. "Well, anyways... we can't go home, we can't call for backup, we can't tell Taylor, we have no leads as to where Darlian is, and we don't even know what that traitor has up his sleeves. Scheisse! I'm hating this mission more and more every minute!" His outburst surprised a lot of the pedestrians who, up till that point, were minding their own business. They stared at him with wide eyes, ceasing in their activities to discern what all the commotion was about.

//Ah, this is just beautiful.// Chris sighed inwardly and put on his most exasperated expression as he addressed the onlookers. "Well, you know we wouldn't be in this mess if you'd just swallow your damn pride and apologize to your girlfriend! But no, instead you have the two of us going to Gott knows where just to find a replacement for that stupid figurine!"

That seemed to satisfy the audience they'd acquired who immediately resumed their daily routine. Patting his own back for his quick thinking, Chris gave the older man a superior grin as he walked by. "What would you do without me?"

"Humph," Marcus snorted as he bumped shoulders with the blond, "Just exactly whom were you addressing back there? As I last recall, you were the one with the girlfriend not me."

Sporting a mischievous grin Chris laughed at the comment and trailed his partner, heading once again towards their car. "You have to admit though that I saved us from being exposed." Noticing how Marcus reached into his various pockets, he dug into his own and pulled out a lighter. "Here," he said, tossing the object into his companion's waiting hands.

The brunette took a couple of seconds to light the cigarette and smile contentedly when he took his initial puffs. Pocketing the lighter, he removed the cigarette from his mouth and exhaled smoke. "Speaking of girlfriends," he turned back to his companion, "how's it with you and Karen? You haven't been talking about her as much as you used to. Anything amiss between you two?"

"Wie? Ah, well... she was kinda upset when she discovered that she wasn't assigned to this mission. Got a tad bit mad I was the one appointed and said she'd dance on my grave if I botched it up. I got the impression she really didn't want to be left behind," he remarked trailing off into a reminiscent tone.

"You think? That woman of yours is not someone to be trifled with, you should keep that in mind," the older man advised, exhaling another breath of smoke.

"Karen? Nah, she just likes to kid around; she'd never harm me in the least, she loves me too much," Chris replied confidently, "Besides she didn't have much to say in the matter, the boss had her sent on a different mission; some manager or something who was getting too cocky for his own good. Since she's not one to argue with the boss she just dropped the subject and wished me luck... said I'd need it if I was really going to kill Darlian."

Marcus digested those words with much thought before commenting. "Hey, do you think she could be the cause for our slump?"

Caught off guard by those words, the shorter man shrugged his shoulders replying casually, "It wouldn't surprise me; she's not above using voodoo or anything of the sort." They left their conversation at that and remained silent until they reached their car and drove off, hoping to spot something along the way that would aid them in their quest for their missing target.

*****

"Relena, wake up," Trowa said, nudging the sleeping diplomat's shoulder. "C'mon you have to get up and eat, you'll be needing your strength should we have to make another escape." He nudged her again and saw her lashes flutter open, her ocean blue eyes scanning over him and then the room.

Lifting sore limbs to remove her blanket, she got out of bed and stood up. Her legs wobbled automatically but Trowa's quick reflexes saved her from a fall. "Thanks, Trowa, I can't believe I'm still tired. Ow, my whole body still hurts," she cringed slightly as she felt the bruises on her arm. It was only a faint purplish color now but sore nonetheless. "What time is it?" she asked looking up into his stoic face.

"A quarter till eleven," he replied emotionless, helping her into the dining area where a covered platter was awaiting the young woman's approach. "I called room service and had them send up lunch. Do you mind?"

After seating herself onto a stool and working the kinks out of her joints she shook her head. "I don't mind at all, it's not as if I don't have the money to pay for it. Care to join me?" she queried when she uncovered the sterling silver dome, revealing a rather large spread of food. "Trust me when I say that I'll never be able to finish this."

"As you wish," he whispered, smiling a bit as he stared at the diplomat while she divided up their meal. //She's trying to be so strong during this entire ordeal. It's a wonder why she hasn't broken down into tears yet. Most people would be bawling like children at this point but she takes everything in stride... Hm, well this is the woman who did stare Heero Yuy down when he threatened to kill her. I guess there's not much to be scared of if one can survive that.// Broken out of his thoughts he was handed a plate full of pasta. He thanked her with a nod and slowly began to eat, not taking his eyes of the girl who seemed to smile every time their eyes met. //I can see why the world depends on her so much; with such strength I wonder if it's possible for her to continue at the rate she's going... I hope either Heero or Duo will be able to support you when you come to need someone to lean on.//

"How do you like it Trowa?" Relena asked, interrupting his train of thought.

"It's very good," he replied in monotone, "I'm glad I didn't order anything I'd regret later on. Most of the items on the menu were things I'd never even heard of." He heard her laugh and joined in with a low chuckle himself.

*****

It had already been an hour and the two were still on the grass-covered hill, resting tired limbs and relaxing in the artificial light. It was a stark contrast to what they did the days previous, lurking in shadows and sneaking around in dark alleys. For that fleeting moment the two imagined they weren't in their current situation, that they weren't the people they were, that they were normal and enjoying the day like all the other citizens of the colony. Turning his head to the side, Duo caught sight of children playing near a tree. There were two boys and a little girl; if not for a difference in hair color, the mechanic could have sworn that they resembled Heero, Relena, and himself. He smiled and wondered that if there had been no war, Alliance, OZ, or Romefeller, if they could have been those three kids right there.

The children's laughter got louder as they neared, the three playing a game of tag. As they chased each other around the flower field Duo became sadden. //It must be great not to have a care in the world. I wish I'd been able to laugh as freely as they do now... Well, no use living in the past. What's done is done... At least I had a part in creating a world these kids can live in.// "It's great seeing children smile, ne?" he mused to no one in particular. "I swear, just seeing them like this makes all the shit we go through worth it."

"What'll make all this shit worth it is seeing Taylor pay for trying to kill Relena," Heero muttered, taking out his gun to inspect it's condition although he already knew it was pristine. Not having control over the situation made him nervous and his hands worked without accordance with his brain.

The American's eyes went wide as he shifted his view from Heero and his gun to the children still at play, "Heero, put that gun away," he whispered, motioning his hands frantically about. "Do you want to scare those kids or something? You're the one who's always talking about not being conspicuous, so put that stupid thing away." Seeing the other continue he knew his words fell on deaf ears.

"She's already got enough to deal with; men like Taylor who only care about themselves can't even see the harm they're inflicting on others," he spat, his jaws clenched with anger. "Relena's doing all she can for the people of the Earth and colonies even though it sometimes makes her sick, drains her of all her energy," his voice trailed, "even though she hardly ever gets time to eat, sleep, or read a book. Men like him don't care that she's resigned herself into servitude just so children like them don't have to follow the same path we did... Dammit! It's not fair." His voice was so quiet Duo barely heard it.

For once, Duo didn't have a quick response, but instead cocked his head to where the children should have been, but saw they were gone. Doubting whether or not that entire scene was nothing more than a delusion conjured by a mind wracked with fatigue, he decided to let it go. "My, aren't we mad?"

Throwing the gun down onto grass the youth's shoulders slumped and he drew his knees up to rest his arms on them. His body shook slightly from a mixture of both confusion and exhaustion and he raked his hands through his hair to gain whatever was left of his sanity. "More than anything, I'm angry with myself," he admitted in a quiet tone. "She trusted me, placed her faith in me, and all I've done was run away. When she needed my help, when she could do nothing but cry, when those political bastards cornered her into a wall, when she just needed someone to hold her... I've done nothing but bring her pain..."

"You still care about her, don't you?" Duo asked keeping his face turned away.

Hearing the sad tone in his friend's voice he resigned himself to be truthful. "Yes, I do... but there's no way I can bring her the happiness she deserves." Retrieving the gun, he held it in his hands and looked on with sadness. "My life will forever revolve around war and its many other forms... but don't think I haven't tried to let it go, I have. Yet I'm always drawn back into the tempest, no matter how much I try to resist. You, however, you've stayed away... it doesn't tempt you..."

"I just don't think about it," he replied, shrugging his shoulders, "It's just not a topic that pops up in my everyday life now."

"Well, it's my life."

Nothing more was said for the longest time and for Duo, that was uncomfortable. Talking kept the demons at bay and he liked that. "Oi, Heero," Duo suddenly thought, not knowing why he was about to ask the question he had in mind but just knowing that it was there. "How long have you been here on L2?"

"Ever since the conference started," the Japanese youth replied, a bit suspicious, "Why ask?"

The thoughts were becoming harder and harder to differentiate in his sleep-weary mind. "Well, did you know Relena and I attended the circus?"

"Yeah, that's where I got the idea to recruit Trowa for the mission," he answered getting frustrated by the questions that seemed to have no real point or certain destination. "Just what are you getting at?"

"Were you there at the circus watching us then?"

The exasperated youth sighed, "Yes, so where's your point?"

"That would mean you saw us eating on that bench right?"

"Duo..." he seethed menacingly.

"You saw her with the Popsicle too, didn't you?" he asked looking up at the other youth who had mysteriously gone stiff and silent. A faint blush spread across his face and Duo confirmed his answer. He chuckled loudly at the ex-pilot's flustered actions as he attempted to dismiss the earlier comment. "Hahahaha, don't deny it Heero, you're face is redder than a cherry!"

Heero growled dangerously, fighting against temptation to just shoot the hysterical mechanic. Instead he stood up and started walking towards the city, calling to Duo over his shoulder, "I think we've rested enough." Not wanting to deal with any protest he quickened his pace and was satisfied when he heard Duo getting up to chase after him.

*****

//It's been over 36 hours since they last contacted me; where the hell are they? Did they even finish the job?// Taylor worried, pacing around his office yet again. The past two days had almost been enough to send the man into a nervous breakdown. Things weren't going as he planned since the Vice Foreign Minister had yet to be killed. With all the other diplomats and politicians believing that she was sick, they'd decided to forgo the actual discussion concerning his country since the young woman possessed strong opinions about the matter. Because of that his plans were momentarily halted, the only thing that would remedy that was her actual death. However, if things kept on going the way they were, they'd probably just call the entire thing off if she died, as a way to pay their respects to the young diplomat.

"They would do that," he muttered to himself, finally stopping to take a seat in his cushioned chair. "I swear that girl leads them around by the nose! To think that some of the most powerful men in the world are bowing their heads down to a mere girl who's too naïve to comprehend what makes this world go round. Humph! They're nothing but a bunch of spineless pushovers."

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

He paused then reached out to switch on the videophone. "Yes, what is it?" he asked looking at the dark haired man standing behind a counter.

The other's eyes shifted nervously down onto the papers he held in his hands, then back to the overweight politician. "Well, sir, like you requested me to do I called to inform you that Ms. Darlian is back in her hotel suite."

Those words jolted the large man forward, his face now close to the screen. "Are you sure about that?" he asked anxiously.

"Um," the younger man hesitated, "at around ten thirty, there was a call from her suite asking for lunch to be brought to that room. As far as I know, she's the only one besides the maids who's got a key card to the room. Would you like for me to tell her that you wanted to speak with her?"

Dismissing it with a shake of his head he addressed the front desk worker, "No thank you, I'll be doing that later in the evening. That'll be all for now." He switched the device off and reached inside his blazer's inner pocket to retrieve his cell phone. Turning to a number already stored inside, he waited through two rings before the other line was picked up. "This is Taylor, do you have any idea where Darlian is? No? Well, here's a hint for you, she's at her hotel suite apparently eating lunch. I don't know what you three have been up to but I want her dead now!" He hung up quickly and his mind debated over his next actions. Wavering minutely, he got up and left his temporary office, dashing out the door dead set on where he was headed.

*****

"Geez, what's up with him?" Chris remarked staring at his cell, a dumbfounded look adorning his face.

His partner turned to look at him asking, "Who was it?" before stopping at a red light.

Leaning back in his seat, arm out the window he casually answered, "The fat bastard who's got us going around the entire city on a wild goose chase, trying to kill the hardest woman to kill in history."

"What did he have to say?" the older assassin asked starting up the car again.

"Well," the younger began taking up a more comfortable position, "it turns out Darlian is back in her hotel suite. That's not much a drive from here, is it? We could start heading there now, or would you rather we get some lunch first? There's supposed to be a fast food place about two blocks away."

With a thoughtful expression he debated over which to choose, duty or hunger. A second later his mind was made up and he grinned at his partner, "As I see it, an assassin with an empty stomach can only do a half-ass job. We'll get drive-thru so we won't waste time."

"Sounds good to me, lets go."

*****

"Oi, Heero," Duo piped up again as they reached an intersection, stopping at the red light along with enormous crowd.

"What is it now?" he asked, agitated beyond belief.

"Just wondering," he began putting his hands inside his leather jacket, "Exactly how did you get into Todesengel? You never really told me how you did it, just that you got in."

Fighting against the memories that threatened to overwhelm, Heero swallowed hard and shook his head. "There aren't many paths you can take if you want to get into Todesengel. Either you're well known and get recruited by them... or you prove to them that you're worth investing in."

Taking in those words, Duo quickened his pace until he was side by side with the Japanese youth. "I'm guessing since they've never even heard of you, you had to prove yourself," the American assessed. "How?"

Once again Heero became quiet, sorting out the hazy memories of a year ago. "While I was hacking into some record files from Taylor's country I was able to intercept one of their missions. It was an e-mail sent from the country's offices consisting of a detailed profile of the target along with confirmation of the target's location. He was a rising politician, quickly gaining the popularity of the people from Taylor's country. He was harmless really, but they knew that his stature would grow with time and they didn't want to take the chance, especially when he stood against them. When one is unsure of their allies, the best course of action is to eliminate those in question..."

*FLASHBACK*

The evening celebration being held at the prime minister's mansion was slowly dying down as the guests gathered into a large crowd in the middle of the ballroom. The dining and dancing done with, the young man newly elected to office was to deliver a speech on his victory. As he walked the many finely dressed men and women halted in their conversations, clapping as they looked towards the stage to see the man making his way to the microphone. All was silent; he was about to accept his future, hold in his hands the fate of his country, but destiny had other plans for him. For destiny was a means to an end, a tool to be manipulated and distorted by those in power.

Heero had had enough of destiny, of being led in life by something that was supposedly written out in the stars. Are men not the masters of their own destinies? He was not going to be controlled in such ways any longer and neither was he going to allow the same to happen to those who were oblivious to it. With the stolen invitation safely tucked away in his tuxedo pocket along with his gun he made his way up the stairs. No one noticed him, but that was how he wanted it. To be nothing more than a passing breeze, a shadow cast on the wall along with the many other. He was like a hunter stalking his prey, silent, focused, determined, and deadly; however, his prey tonight was also a skilled hunter. //Things are really going to get interesting tonight.// He thought, turning right to make his way up another flight.

As the crowd focused their full attention on the handsome young man, Heero focused his onto the dark form hiding behind a curtain on the third floor. Yet that was not the only form that entered his field of vision; turning to the left and right he saw more lurking shadows. //They sent an entire team to take out this guy? He's as harmless as a fly and they send five men to kill him? I guess that means they're not the elite teams, they'd only send one. Which makes this a mission of small importance.// Not having lost any of his stealth over the years he matched their silence and moved into a more convenient position where he could get a clear shot at all of them.

With a piece of cloth covering the gun, the assassin leaned forward past the curtain to take aim as Heero did the same, making sure the silencer was in place. It wasn't in his best interest to go and start a riot before he made contact with the secret organization. //I can do this.// Clearing his mind of all doubts, he swallowed, closed his eyes, and fired. His bullet ricocheted off the other gun, making a noise easily drowned out by the politician's speech. The gunman's head shot up and he honed in on Heero's position locking his eyes with cold Prussian blue. They spoke of death to the assassin and he signaled the other four about their discovery. As quickly as they came, they were gone and Heero gave chase.

Within moments he was out onto the balcony, spying the fleeing offenders lowering themselves to the ground on ropes. He smirked at their precautions and inhaled before taking off into a dash. Nearing the edge he put all his power into his legs and leapt off the platform. The night air greeted him but refused to keep him. So he fell from its loving caress, landing neatly on the freshly fallen snow. The cold he could ignore, but not the knives that flew at him. Swiveling his head left and right the knives contacted only air.

He sprang quickly off the ground, running to tackle the closest opponent within reach; a hard swing at its head with the gun still in his hand delivered him into unconsciousness. Hearing the light footsteps around him, he tuned in, but distraction came with a passing bird. That cost him and he found himself flat on the ground wrestling with a large body. The faceless opponent swung at him and Heero swore his head would fall off with another blow. Using the strength in his legs, he kicked out and the other was sent reeling through the air. The large man moved to get up and his eyes widened in horror when he saw Heero flying at him, blue fire screaming with controlled rage.

Much to his good fortune, he was able to roll backwards, dodging the attack in time. Heero landed with both feet planted firmly in the area where his opponent once occupied, but swiftly recovered and spun around kicking as he got up, landing a direct hit to the side of the older man's face. That only left him with three more enemies and the adrenalin coursing through his veins told him he could take them all out.

Without warning a garrote wire wrapped around his throat from behind. Instinctively his hands went to his neck, groping at taut filament. He smelled blood, his own, and reached for the cuff of his pants, lifting it up and withdrawing the knife he's strapped to his lower leg. Flipping it upright he cut the annoying wire before bringing the knife down into his aggressor's thigh. Not surprisingly, he screamed in pain, but his howling was cut short as Heero elbowed him in the face, and he greeted his other companions in slumber.

A sound whizzed through the air, and before Heero was able to discern what it was, a sharp pain grazed his temple. His head jerked back and he felt the wetness dripping down his brow and into his eyes. The crimson liquid blinded him temporarily but was enough for him to lose his advantage. He couldn't see and the pounding in his brain was drowning out all the noise in the background. Searing pain sliced through his left arm suddenly and he fell to one knee, clutching his injury. He pivoted his head left and right frantically, sensing the moving shadows but unable to pinpoint their location. He was losing too much blood, that wasn't good, so he had to make his next few moves count.

Hearing a twig snap to his left he took his gun and fired in that direction. The next sound that greeted his ears was a groan and then a loud thud as the man hit the snow. Vertigo soon consumed him and he fell on his side, gasping for air and attempting to calm his racing heart. He saw lights floating above him and his vision blurred as he stared at the night sky. //This can't be from blood lost. I shouldn't be feeling like this in such a short time... it's got to be something else... but what?// A jab of pain struck his arm. //The knives! They must have been poisoned... This isn't good.// As the seconds flew by, the pounding in his head dulled out and the individuals sounds were amplified. He heard the rustling leaves in the trees, the cawing birds, the winter wind, and the muffled happy sounds coming from inside the building. They were clear and distinct, along with the pit pat of footsteps making its way towards him.

With constrained efforts, he pulled himself up, ignoring the dizziness, the urge to vomit, and scanned his surroundings. A glint of light caught his attention and he saw an object being hurled in his direction. It took a second before something clicked in his mind and he took off in a mad run. His efforts were wasted when the explosive went off, the blast propelling the ex-pilot forward. If the party goers hadn't been aware of the outside activities up till that point, they were sure to notice it now. Heero landed hard, sliding through the snow until the momentum gave out and he stopped a good ten meters away from the blast. He coughed, spitting out blood, and his mind stood transfixed on the way the crimson hue contrasted with the pure white snow.

He didn't notice the form looming over him until it lashed out with a hard kick to his injured arm. Heero howled in pain and rolled over, gazing at the silhouetted figure against the full moon. It was like Death coming to escort him to the other world. As its claws came down a voice from deep within screamed and Heero's hand shot out, grabbing the other's arm. His opponent was startled and tried to break free but the Japanese's iron grip was like a vise. Horror washed over the older man as the grip tightened and he stared terrified into calm, controlled, midnight blue eyes. *snap* The assassin's mind froze when he heard the crack and the pain in his arm didn't register as he saw it bend at an impossible angle. Heero took that moment of confusion to spring to his feet and head-butt his opponent as he was coming up.

All was quiet as he stood on the snowy field surrounded by unconscious bodies and fallen debris. That was it; it was all over. He'd defeated his enemies... but as he felt his mind haze over he knew he'd be the one to lose in the end. As the poison coursed through his veins he felt an emptiness overwhelm him. //I can't believe this is the end...// He hung his head and waited for the inevitable, for death. But his ears picked up the sounds of an approaching body and turned to find a middle-aged man clad in a dark suit. He whistled, assessing the damage, both in property and manpower, before setting his sights to the stoic youth.

"I must say, that was quite a spectacular sight," he said in awe, "You must be someone very special if you were able to take out an entire unit belonging to Todesengel."

"Todesengel..." Heero breathed out not quite believing what he heard.

"Of course," he said offhandedly, the wind tousling his graying brown hair, "the unit you defeated was only slightly above standard. I'm not sure how you would've done against Engel or Teufel though, but," his eyes held a certain fascinated gleam, "seeing how you fought back there, I think you would've even posed a threat to Gott. Hell," he chuckled, "the poison barely did anything to you at all. Oh, speaking of poison, if you don't want to die, you'd better come here and get the antidote."

Heero stood his ground, eyeing the older man wearily. Either the poison was clouding his judgment or it had taken its toll, the Japanese youth refused to budge. "Fine then, I'll go to you." He casually walked over to him, confident that the ex-pilot wouldn't run; the poison had made sure of that. Once at his side, he took hold of the Japanese's arm, taking a device out of his own pocket. Rolling up Heero's sleeves, he placed it on the disgruntled boy's arm and pressed a button.

Heero winced, but the pain was only fleeting. His arm was released and the former pilot spent a few moments staring at his arm then looked up into the man's strange golden brown eyes and asked, "Why?"

"Because you have potential," was all the man said as he placed a hand on Heero's shoulder, escorting the youth out of the snowy courtyard.

*END FLASHBACK*

"Wow, Heero," Duo whispered, digesting the story his friend had just related to him. "That must have been one hell of a ride for you. What happened to the team you took out?" he asked curiously.

"Heiliger? They weren't caught or anything and managed to find their way back. None of them were exactly happy to see me when they returned though," he said, smirking as he remembered the faces of the pissed off assassins.

"I can imagine why. Oi, look," he shouted excitedly, "there's Relena's hotel!" He prepared to run but Heero held him back by the hem of his leather jacket.

"Wait, look," the other youth stated, pointing to a figure entering the hotel, "There's Taylor." Scanning the hotel grounds he spotted other figures making their way to the building. "And there's Chris and Marcus," he noted with a toss of his head, seeing them exit their car about a block away.

"This isn't good, ne?" Duo gulped, forcing a weak smile.

"No, it isn't."


-to be continued-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You may be asking yourself 'Why are those assassins taking their situation so lightly? Aren't they supposed to be the best?' Well, it's because they're the best that they don't have to worry. Also, it doesn't look like I'm going to finish any time soon. Why? Well, when I first started writing it I had this really clear idea of what I wanted but somewhere along the line the concept was lost. In order to get where I wanted, I'm going to have to make it a bit longer than intended. How long? Just until I get it back on track. The original intent was a romantic comedy and so far it's not quite that.

I really don't wanna deal with this anymore but don't get me wrong though, I like this fic; it's progressed very well since I first started writing it. I'm just so edgy cause I don't have much time left with my muse. What's separating us? College! I'm going to be in San Diego and she's staying here in Long Beach; that's around a hundred and something miles away! I don't want to give her up but I have no choice in the matter so I'll make the most of our remaining time together; that's all I can do at this moment.