The Missing Soldier

9/13/01

Notes: In regards to the events two days passed, I'd just like to say a few words before beginning the story.

I pray for the victims of the act of human cruelty that had taken place merely days ago. Nothing I or anyone will say could ever replace the grief of the loss of loved ones, but I can only provide my prayers to the families of the victims. This does not affect only America, this event will forever be remembered by the world.

God bless.

Mushiness...WAFF...I hate writing 'em!! I love reading them but I can't write 'em. But of course, if one is to write a Sailor Moon/Gundam Wing crossover, it's inevitable. *sighs* Here is my attempt at that.

Thanks a million to Cher chan, who was patient with my many errors, especially concerning getting 'she' and 'he' confused because I was confused myself while writing the mushy stuff.

Thanks also to Dez-chan, the source of my inspirations and my sanity. :p ("Hidup adalah perjuangan" iya kan Dewi? Your fave quote ne?)

Also to my friend angelstorm, a great Final Fantasy writer and a great friend. ("I will remember you, will you remember me? Don't let your life pass you by, weep not for the memories." - Sarah Mclachlan "I will remember you". Untuk elo, Elin, fellow Sarah Mclachlan fan.)

The Missing Soldier

Chapter 3: Remember you

By: Lady of Earth

"Let him who desires peace prepare for war." - Vegetius, De Re Mil.

I wrote this days before the events took place and it seems to me that this quote is valid not only to this story but to the forthcoming events lead by these terrible acts.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters mentioned in this fan fiction. And there's no reason for you to sue me since I have no money whatsoever. (Well, I do have five hundred rupiah which is worth less than 50 cents US$.)

How long had he been there really? Could be days, weeks or even months. Time was flying by so fast, he didn't even know anymore. The only real concern to him was Usagi. How was she holding up?

Funny, how he could be attracted to her in the first place. Considering the fact that he thought he wasn't able to love anyone. The only person he ever came close to loving must be...Relena. He shuddered at the thought. But the girl did grow on him eventually, as scary as that thought may be. Though he only liked her to an extent, he had never really loved anyone until he found Usagi.

As much as he hated relying on something 'superstitious' as fate, it was partially so for the two of them. If he hadn't changed his mind and joined the Preventers and to be transferred to her colony of all places...

He sighed quietly, closing his eyes as the memories rushed back to his mind.

He walked down the corridor with the woman. She had long, dark green hair and amber eyes, her gaze alone was enough to make anyone feel intimidated. She was not any other woman, she wasn't anyone to be crossed. Her name is Setsuna Meiou and she's the leader of this branch of the Preventers.

Ahead of them, he saw a girl with long braided blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Meiou-san stopped and motioned the girl to come over. "Heero Yuy, I want you to meet Usagi Tsukino, one of our best around." Meiou-san said. Heero nodded, acknowledging the girl. He half-expected the girl to shriek and hug him to death, as he would expect from Relena. But she instead smiled politely and made no motion of doing so. She looked no older than 18 and there was innocence radiating from her face.

"Usagi, how was the last mission?' Meiou-san asked.

"Went as smoothly as usual. I sent the report to you last night, everything is in it." the girl replied, almost immediately the innocence on her face disappeared. She had spoken to Meiou-san in a monotone, almost like him. And the look in her eyes as she spoke of the mission, reminded him of himself.

"Excellent, as usual Usagi." Meiou-san said to her, nodding. She turned to look at Heero. "I'll probably have the two of you working together on one of the more important missions. After all, Usagi here is the only one I trust with the more dangerous missions."

Usagi's eyes flickered with an intense light for a moment, but it died down quickly. "With your permission, Meiou-san, I have training to attend to." This time, she spoke in her normal voice, no longer in a monotone.

"Of course, Usagi. And take it easy with these new soldiers, onegai." Meiou-san said with a sigh. "I heard what happened to the last group. We really can't have them scarred for life with your antics, Usagi. As much as you'd like to, your actions can not be considered appropriate." Usagi gave a smirk and a shrug, before walking away.

"Mission accepted." She said airily before taking off towards wherever it is she was heading at top speed. Heero was stunned for a moment. He's the only person, that he knows of, to say 'mission accepted' to anything.

"What happened last time?" He asked, before he could help himself. His curiosity towards the girl got the better of him and he nearly cursed at his mistake.

"Apparently she decided to fool the new soldiers by pretending she's one of them. She asked if anyone of them would like to spar against her and take it easy on her. Of course, these soldiers would have to be keen on pranks too and thought they should teach her a lesson." Meiou-san paused, shaking her head. "In the end, she showed them that she wasn't the weak girl they thought she was. All fifteen soldiers ended up in the care with injuries." She sighed again. "Not someone to cross."

Her heart was pounding against her rib cage, she had no idea what was going to happen next. She bit her lip, holding the tears back. She wasn't about to cry. Especially not in front of the Perfect Soldier. It was bad enough that he acted always so aloof towards her and so uncaring.

He glanced at her, seeing her glazed eyes. He frowned and looked at her with concern. Maybe it had been a bad idea to agree for her to come along. She was far too sensitive for something like this. After all, she's just a girl, despite the fact that she had been with him on other missions. Not to mention the fact that she's absolutely gorgeous. He swallowed, having no idea where that last thought came from.

She didn't want to be weak, especially not at moments like this. She was angry at herself, why was she weak? She had been on missions like these before but what was making her so upset? It wasn't the danger that they were in, she knew that. Only then she realized that what was really bothering her had not been the mission, but her partner for this mission.

She'd rather have avoided this mission, but Meiou-san had entrusted her with this. Although she had sworn not to accept another mission with Heero, there was no way she could back away from Meiou-san's decision. Especially not over something so petty as love. She paused, eyes widening in shock.

Love?

Where did that come from? She couldn't possibly...She couldn't! The only reason she put up with him for so long was because she needed it for her training. Right? She realized that her face was growing hot and that she was probably going as red as a lobster. She silently prayed that Heero wasn't looking. She looked at him and nearly shrieked when she found out that he had been looking at her.

'Great, now he probably thinks I'm a freak.' She thought, before looking away again. But to her surprise, he grabbed her hand. Before she could ask, he spoke up first.

"There's only one chance to escape." He said, then pointed at an unguarded craft in the hangar. She looked at him in surprised, but then grinned.

"Lead the way." She said, reloading her gun and adding a mental note to herself, 'Maybe he isn't that bad after all.'

"You did a great job out there, I was really impressed." Usagi said with a smile. Apparently, she had waited for him to come out of the hangar. He kept silent and walked on. But she's never really been one to quit, and she walked on beside him.

"I wish I could fly as well as you do. But I guess you've got to be one of the best, since you can fly a Gundam and all."

"I have nothing to be proud of." He muttered.

"But you're a good soldier, Heero. You're the Perfect soldier after all." She said. He stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around.

"Soldier, warrior, fighter...they're all just fancy words for murderer." He said coldly. She was taken back by his cold voice and the bitterness that lingered in his voice. But what really took her by surprise was that she too thought that way sometimes. She was the best soldier in the base, always sent to the most dangerous missions. But there was really nothing to be proud of.

She had always thought soldiers were just merciless beings that kill for no reason. She had that picture on her mind for some time. Until she found out that there are soldiers who protect and are forced to kill others to protect. There was no place for pacifism in the real world. In order to gain peace, you have to fight the war. There's no other way around it.

"Believe it or not, I used to think that all soldiers were monsters." She said quietly. He turned to look at her. "I had my own reasons of thinking so at the time. but I know that a soldier, like you, is someone who kills in order to protect. Not at all like a murderer."

He saw then, through the aura of innocence that she usually radiates. He saw the wisdom in her eyes, that she had seen a lot. He also saw the hidden pain, in the depths of her blue orbs. He didn't really know much about her or her past. He just assumed that she came from a good home and dreamt to be a soldier because she thought soldiers are noble people who protect people.

A childish, hope-filled dream that was far from the cruel reality. He knew then that she didn't come from the picture-perfect family that he had thought she came from.

"I joined the Preventers to protect others, so they wouldn't suffer the same fate as I. I want to give them the happiness that was never given to me." She said softly. There was deep sadness in her voice and she didn't mask her eyes this time. Usually, she's much like him, keeping her emotions hidden. Although unlike him, she radiates a positive aura instead of a negative one. Her innocence conceal the time bomb within her.

He felt a sudden change inside of him, as if something was happening in his chest. "Usagi, your family..." he didn't finish his sentence. To tell the truth, he didn't know how to finish his sentence. She sighed sadly.

"Another story for another day, ne?" She said, painfully hiding her tears with a smile. She walked away, leaving him to stare after her. There was something about her, that makes it seem as if she can relate to him and all that he has been through. Suddenly, he felt something alien in him...it was a feeling he never felt before. Of course, feeling by itself is unusual for him, but whatever emotion he was feeling now...it was intense. What was it?

She smiled as she picked one of the pink flowers from the field. He watched her with quiet interest, mesmerized by the innocence of this one pilot. She's so much like a little girl, when she's not in a mission that is.

In the missions, she's a completely different person. Cold and aloof, almost like himself. Not a trace of the happiness that usually shines around her. She had acted that way to him during the first couple of missions. But after the last mission, it seems that she grew more understanding towards him and is really trying to be a companion to him.

"Here." She said, handing him a flower. He reached out to take it, but before he could touch it, a sudden feeling of dread consumed him. The scene was too familiar. Usagi's smile faded as she looked at the fear that he failed to mask from his eyes.

"Are you lost?" The little girl asked innocently, holding the leash of her dog tightly. She was the personification of innocence, standing in front of him. Suddenly, the girl's shoulder-length brown curls and brown eyes shifted to long, braided blonde hair and clear blue eyes. And before his eyes the girl aged to about 14. Usagi...Suddenly the vision was consumed in flames and an ear piercing shriek cut through his heart.

"Heero?" She asked carefully, reaching out her hand to touch his shoulder. But before she could, he tossed her hand quickly away.

"Don't touch me." He said, voice gruff, his whole body bathed in cold sweat. A flash of hurt passed through her eyes, but it was quickly hidden. How much like him, she can seem sometimes. One moment she's completely innocent and the next moment, she masks her feelings from everyone.

"Don't come near me." He whispered, causing her to look at him with curiosity. "Everything I touch...disintegrates." He finished, then quickly look away, realizing that he had said that aloud. A part of her was holding back, but there was something inside herself that was telling her not to leave him be.

"Heero," She whispered, her eyes shining with understanding. She walked to his side and touched his shoulder, causing him to jump slightly then look at her. "I don't know about your past. And I don't plan on listening to it, if you don't want to tell me. Whatever it is that happened, you must go pass it. You have to leave your past behind, you can't take it with you forever."

He looked away. Her hand was still on his shoulder but he made no motion of brushing it aside. Her touch provided him comfort, something he had never known. She took her hand away and then braved herself to take a hold of his hand.

"Trust me." She said with serious eyes. He looked at her with surprised. Surprised at her courage and also of her honesty. The shock wore off a moment later and he finally nodded, to both their surprise. She smiled softly and squeezed his hand. Not once did she let go of it and neither did he let go of hers.

He was typing away at his laptop while she sat a couple of feet away, reading a book. Unconsciously she began to hum a tune, long ago engraved in her memory. He looked up from his laptop and stared at her. The tune itself was haunting but the sound of her sweet humming was playing tricks with his mind. She suddenly realized that he was staring at her.

"Gomen, I didn't mean to hum, it's kind of automatic." She said, he shook his head.

"It's not a bother."

"My okaa-san used to sing me to sleep, so I always hum this tune." She told him, as her mind flew back to the days of her childhood. The gates of memories were opened and there was no way she could stop the flow. The only thing to do for her, is to tell her story. "My otou-san was a true Pacifist, he was planning on going to Earth to stop some operation from happening. That cost him and our family dearly. Something happened, I don't even know what, and he was killed." She looked out of the window.

"After they killed otou-san, they went to our home. They...killed everyone. My okaa-san, my itouto and even my itoko, who just happened to be there." She closed her eyes, the images were still vivid in her mind. "I was at a friend's house at that time. They never got me." There was a long and uncomfortable pause. Uncomfortable for him, because he had been desperate to find something, a word or a gesture (preferably a gesture) that would make her feel better.

"I've been bitter for so long. I hated the war, but I was powerless to do anything. I knew then that in order to protect all there is left to protect, I would have to fight too. That's why I joined forces with the Preventers now, working as mechanic and as a soldier.

I wanted to protect others from having to have the same fate as me. I thought that maybe, somehow, I can make a difference in this world. As childish and stupid as that might sound to you, that's what I've always dream of and what I would die to fulfill."

He sat and stared at her, determination shining in her eyes this time. There was really nothing much he could say or do to this one girl. Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, the feeling came over him again. He quickly looked away, this time, he knew what it was. At least, he thinks it is...It's a feeling he was never suppose to have, heck, he wasn't even suppose to feel in the first place!

But he felt love. It was as if his whole body was numb as the chills passed through his system. He looked at her once more and the chills disappeared. Instead it was replace with a sudden warmth in his chest. He wanted to shoot himself there and then. The Perfect Soldier, in love? Duo will never let him live this one down.

"Heero?" She asked, waving her hand in front of his face. He didn't reply, instead he continued to focus on whatever it was he had on his plate. It was pass lunch hour and no one was around except the two of them really. No one liked to sit with him during lunch anyway, with the exception of Usagi. One or two people sat with him, with reluctance, due to orders from Meiou-san no doubt. Even Usagi had been reluctant to sit with him until now.

"Daijoubu ka? You look like you're coming down with a fever or something?" She asked, worry evident in her voice. No, he didn't have a fever. He wouldn't be blushing in the first place if only she realize that her face was mere inches away from his. And it was very tempting to kiss her red lips at that moment. He gave himself a mental kick and tried his best to ignore her instead.

"You're not going to go on like this for the whole day are you?" She asked, scowling. After receiving no answer yet again, she finally pouted. "Fine, see if I care." She muttered, taking a bite out of her apple and looking away. Does she even know how adorable she looks when she's angry like that?

"Saa Hii-chan!" She suddenly exclaimed, though she caught herself after she said the words. His eyes widened at the nickname. Did she just call him what he think she called him?

"What did you call me?" He asked.

"Ano," She was blushing ten shades redder than he was. "It was just a mistake." She muttered. "I won't do it again." She added quickly. His eyes shone briefly with disappointment, before he quickly hid it away. Although, that annoying voice in his head was once again urging him to do something. And he had to admit, at that moment, he really didn't want to be the Perfect Soldier.

When his finger touched her cheek, she looked up in surprise. Then she saw the hidden depths of his eyes, the emotions that were once hidden by the cold front and her eyes softened. She placed a hand over his, the one that he placed on her cheek at that moment. His hand pulled away slowly and he wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him.

She let out a soft gasp at the action. She'd never thought that the Perfect Soldier was able to show any emotions. But for once, it wasn't the Perfect Soldier that held her at that moment, it's the real Heero Yuy. The person that was brought up to be the Perfect Soldier and be called by that code name.

When their lips finally met in a kiss, she knew that it doesn't matter whether or not he's the Perfect Soldier. In her mind, he's only a man, whom she loves very much and that's all that matters.

The memories caused him to smile, though only slightly. He let out a sigh, wondering whether or not she was all right. If she found a way out of the colony and made her ways safely to earth, then he knows she's fine. The forces wouldn't be able to seize her in broad daylight, at least that was some assurance. He's also confident of Usagi's capabilities. She could have been one of the Gundam pilots and have fought with he and his friends during the war and still survived it. She had the ability, courage and perseverance to do so. If anyone can live through this, Usagi can.

"Usa-chan."

The words reached her ears and she immediately knew it was his voice. She bolted up quickly. "Hii-chan?" She whispered at the dark room. When no one answered, she sighed. She missed him. Neither she or the Gundam pilots know what they should do next. They have yet to devise a plan.

But getting Heero out won't be easy. Especially because the place where he's held captive has tight security and one hell of an alarm system. You'd have to be a ghost to be able to slip in and out unnoticed. Her eyes widened at the thought.

"A ghost?" She asked herself. She thought of it for a moment. It was definitely crazy and as far fetched as could be, but there was a chance that it's so crazy that it just might work. It's worth telling to Quatre anyway. Duo hadn't been much of a help in coming up with a plan, but he's pretty good at coming up with some information, which he had managed to gain somehow. Even Trowa was helping out, getting information that was vital for the planning.

It was only Wufei that hadn't done much with the plan. In fact, no one had really seen the Chinese pilot since the incident at Quatre's home. That was a week ago. When Usagi mentioned Nataku, Wufei had turned pale so fast, even Usagi was taken back by his appearance.

It was then that Usagi realized who Nataku was, in Wufei's case. But for the forces' secret weapon to be Wufei's Meiran? That was more than just far-fetched. It would make one heck of a soap opera though. Usagi whacked her forehead, mentally scolding herself for thinking that way. It must be hell to be Wufei at the moment. But still...

Hii-chan...

"Why would you want to be with me?" He asked her suddenly. She turned to look at him with questioning eyes, before smiling softly.

"Baka Hii-chan. You know why." She said. Her eyes were light blue at that moment, as clear as the sky and radiating with innocence. Although that brought him comfort, it sometimes brings him grief as well. She deserves better, or so he thought.

"Really Usa, why?" He asked again. She realized then that he needed an answer for comfort more than anything. She knew that he always feels as if he's tainting her innocence by being with her. He never really said it of course, but every time the two of them are together and enjoying the company of each other, sadness flickers in his eyes. She knows why.

"Aishiteru, Hii-chan." She said softly. "And whatever you're thinking, I'm not an innocent. I've killed too. You don't have to worry about me, I've learned to take care of myself." She told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I wouldn't be here now if I wasn't able to."

"Still," He said, which made her frown and looked away, shaking her head.

"Saa Hii-chan, I don't know what it'll take to convince you." She said, looking rather frustrated. He cracked a smile at the sound of her voice. It seems as if she'd always find a way to make him feel better somehow. He kissed her cheek softly and wrapped his arms around her.

"I know, Usa." He whispered softly. "And you know what?" She frowned, placing a hand on his arm and craning her neck to look at him, thinking that he was going to start again. "Aishiteru Usa." She sighed softly and closed her eyes, before smiling once more.

Next morning...

"Ohayo." Usagi said quietly as she sat down at the table. Quatre looked up from the newspaper he was reading and smiled at her.

"Ohayo." He greeted back. Trowa merely nodded his head, preferring to acknowledge her presence that way than to actually say something. She didn't mind it. Duo's greeting is slightly different, in the form of a wave as he continued to devour his meal. She smiled and shook her head at his lack of table manners.

At that moment, Wufei walked through the door. Usagi had asked Quatre to get the four pilots together after all, for the plan she had in mind. She had no clue how Wufei would react to it, as he's the hardest to convince out of all of them. She had to admit, the plan wasn't exactly fool-proof and there's more chance of it failing than she liked to admit...but it's the only plan they have.

"So what's this plan of yours that's so good, onna, that you have to call all of us this early?" Wufei asked. Usagi gritted her teeth, trying to ignore yet another 'onna' comment from Wufei.

"I'll tell you as soon as I have breakfast." She shot back.

"Yaw Vuu-mun, eet fuwst!" Duo said, with his mouthful of toast. Usagi grimaced at the sight and even Trowa shook his head. Quatre preferred not to look and save himself the headache.

"What the heck is he trying to say?" Usagi asked Trowa.

".........." Trowa replied. Usagi groaned, not knowing which one was worse, whatever it is Duo's trying to say or Trowa's explanation of it.

"I think Trowa's trying to say, 'Duo just said, Yeah Wu-man, eat first.'" Quatre explained, not even looking up from the newspaper.

"Quatre?"

"Hai, Usagi?"

"How do you stay sane with these people as your friends?" Usagi asked. Quatre chuckled at her question, while Duo looked up from his plate with an offended look, Trowa raised an eyebrow and Wufei growled.

"It's better than having an onna like you around."

"That really hurt, Wufei." Usagi said sarcastically, before adding, "Now go run along and play with your katana." and waved him off. Everyone around could see the Chinese pilot turning red in matter of seconds. As if by magic, everyone leapt out of their seats and tried to calm Wufei down. Everyone except Usagi, who was too busy buttering her toast to pay attention.

"Easy Wu-man! She's just...not in a good mood this morning!" Duo exclaimed. Of course, we must all leave it to Duo to say something like that in front of a pissed off Wufei. The Chinese pilot decided to take an alternative, unsheathing his katana and chasing Duo around instead.

"What did I do?" Shouted Duo, as he ducked from an oncoming vase that Wufei had thrown, while wielding his katana around, shouting "Shine!" (note: Shine! as in "Die!" not Shine as in 'shine like a star'.) at the top of his lungs. Quatre stood at the sidelines, groaning as he heard the sound of broken glass.

"There goes the family heirloom." He said, shaking his head. Usagi looked up from her plate for a moment to watch the little show and smiled. At least that meant Wufei must be in better mood than before. She shrugged and then continued to eat.

An hour, five broken vases, eight broken glasses and a battered and bruised Duo later...

"....And that's what I propose for a plan." Usagi finished. There was a deafening silence from the pilots. "No, I don't think I'll be going to the loony bin anytime soon." Usagi said sarcastically at them. Duo cracked a grin.

"Why not? The more challenging it is, the better. I'm in." Duo said with a nod.

"It's worth a shot." Trowa added, shrugging.

"It's better than nothing." Quatre said.

"No way." Wufei said, flat out. Usagi rolled her eyes.

'Did I or didn't I predict this?' She asked herself and then focusing back on the stubborn pilot. There must be some way to beat him through this. The way through Wufei, would have to be through his ideology of Injustice, his honor and his ego. Usagi hid her smirk.

"Why? Scared are you?" She challenged, she knew of course that was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Quatre, who was sitting next to Wufei, shifted away from him uncomfortably. He didn't like the steam that was coming out of Wufei's ears.

"What? I'm not scared you baka onna! That plan of yours stinks! There is no way it's going to work!" He shouted. Miraculously, he didn't reach for his katana, which Duo took a note of.

"Really? Want a bet on that?" The look on her face was one filled with determination. There was no way Wufei was about to back down. This was a matter of honor.

"All right." He growled. "What do you want to bet?"

"If my plan fails, I'll get out of your way and I'll make sure Duo doesn't bug you for a month." She said. He thought of it for a moment. It would be heaven really, to not have the weakling Maxwell around him for a month.

"And if it works?" Usagi grinned, it was the moment she was waiting for. He wasn't about to back down now.

"You would have to sing the song 'Irresistible' in front of a crowd of people." She said. Wufei's eyes widened with shock and Duo nearly burst out laughing, but Trowa silenced him with a glare. Duo looked away, knowing if he looked at Wufei's face, he would certainly burst out laughing.

"Fine." Wufei said, finally. 'Curse that onna!' He thought. 'She tricked me into agreeing!' But a loud howl of laughter, coming from Duo's direction distracted him out of his thoughts. At least if he can't threaten this onna, he can still unleash his anger at Duo.

"You dare laugh, Maxwell? You're dead!" He shouted, his katana ever ready in his hands. Duo quickly took off. The Winner manor was filled by the sounds of Duo's laughter and the many threats and curses that were trailing out of Wufei's mouth. Quatre winced and then massaged his temple, muttering something about knowing why he didn't want to meet with his old friends.

"Gomen ne, Quatre." Usagi said, apologetically. "This was the only way to cheer Wufei up."

"You certainly have a strange way of doing so, Usagi." Quatre said with a sigh.

"At least this way, he won't be thinking of Meiran." Trowa pointed out.

"I highly doubt that this Nataku is his Meiran though." Usagi commented.

"What makes you say that?" Asked Quatre.

"I hardly think Wufei's Meiran has dark purple hair and purple eyes and is around 16."

Last Note: When I read the reviews for the previous chapter, I would have to admit I was amused. A lot of you gave my ideas, but I think I'll stick to my original idea and surprise you all. All questions (or assumptions) of the enemy in this story will (or will not :p) be answered next chapter.