Chapter 10-

As he made his way, slowly back through the halls and back to his room, Ryo's mind shuffled through all the new information. The massive amounts of knowledge seemed almost too much to process. The scary thing was that the information Zechs, well he went by the name Millardo now, only covered a small portion of his life. There was very little on his training and even less on his missions before this Perfect Solider project sent him to earth.

Long gone was any speck of his old life- his mother, his childhood, his life; he now found replaced by burdens of war he faced alone. As much as the older man's story bothered him, Ryo knew it and every bloody detail was true. The small visions now fit better in his jumbled memories.

Opening the door to his room, he could not help but notice a still figure stretched over the covers of his bed. Walking closer, he found the sleeping form of Relena waiting for him. The rise and fall of her chest kept in rhythm with her shallow breathing and mesmerized him.

He did not have the heart to wake her, nor did he want to disturb her slumber. Sitting on the bed, he just watched her and marveled at the beauty and strength that radiated from her entire being.

Scanning the room, he found a folded blanket on a chair. Using it to cover her up, Ryo decided he too should try to get a few hours of sleep. Getting as comfortable as he could, lying on the opposite side of the bed from Relena, Ryo finally allowed his tired and emotionally drained body to rest.

His mind was at ease as the warm arms surrounded him sometime during the night. Nightmares disappeared as quickly as they had appeared with her there supporting him.

Relena did not know what images caused his distress; however, she awoke when needed. He calmed easily under her touch and soon he was sleeping peacefully. Pulling him to her, Relena was also able to find a similar peace with him. This was something special she noted- she had not felt this free for years.

Yet, the night of restful sleep was not to be for anyone in the Peacecfraft estate. Before dawn broke over the horizon, a mass of attackers struck. The silent killers completely overwhelmed the compound's security measures and quickly swept up to the front doors.

Waves of black-cloaked men, backed up by machines assaulted the walls of the mansion. The alarms went off and wailed through the halls of the slumbering house.

Taking his wife by the hand and crying daughter in the other, Millardo rushed them to a secure bunker. After safely depositing his family, he knew he needed to go back and make sure hiss sister and Ryo were safe as well. However, before he was able to get back into the mansion the protective doors closed and sealed. It was impossible to get past them until the hostile presence left. He knew with all the fail-safe devices, there was nothing that could get through. Millardo only had to hope that his sister had enough time to make it to another of the sealed bunkers.

"Damn it! Open these doors now!" Millardo shouted as he pounded on the doors.

-

The alarms awoke the two slumbering occupants of the bed with a start. Quickly taking his hand, Relena led the still half asleep and groggy Ryo out the secret entrance to the room and into a dark hallway.

"Ryo, we need to get to my brother." She whispered.

'What… what's going on?" He asked only to have Relena place her hand over his lips.

"They are attacking. We have to find Millardo in the bunker system- we have to get there. Follow me."

Nodding, Ryo silently followed holding tight to her hand. Hiding in the shadows the two crept across the compound and away from the gunshots echoing off the empty halls.

Without warning Relena suddenly stopped and turned towards Ryo. The fear in her eyes scared him as she pushed him behind a billowing curtain. He was about to ask her way the sudden change of direction until he heard the voices of troopers approach.

They came out of nowhere and instantly spotted Relena. Before he could reach out and safely pull her inside the small hiding place, a masked man took her arm. She fought to free herself from the man's grasp, however another came and took her free arm.

"Let me go!" She struggled. Ryo did not know what to do at that moment. Watching them rough up such an innocent and kind person like Relena was maddening. However, he stayed quiet for now.

"Hey, isn't she that political chic? The one who is always in the pictures with Yuy?" One of the men asked pulling the woman closer. Grabbing her face the man looked down on her with cold eyes. If that was not enough to get Ryo to move, the man's next actions would.

Withdrawing his hand from her face, the soldier gave her a quick slap before pushing her into the arms of the other man.

In the span of a few seconds, Ryo went from scared to rage… it was instant rage when he dared lay a hand on her. Suddenly his vision saw only red. Moving with a speed, he did not know he had within; the curtain ripped off the runner in one swift motion of his hand and swept over the man who held Relena.

In the confusion, Ryo made quick work of the other man, the one who brought on the strong feelings of hate. Snapping his neck easily, Ryo stayed there silently watching the blood trickle out of the man's mouth. It both fascinated him and frightened him on some levels.

When Relena and her captor finally freed themselves from the thick fabric, both were stunned. There was Ryo, looking so much like the Heero of old hovering over the dead body on the floor.

His emotions again fell behind the mask of the perfect solider- a majority of them anyway. Struggling to come to grips with what happened, Relena could tell Ryo was struggling not to become the killer of old.

Relena saw the pain that came with the realization he had killed spread across his face as Ryo looked at her and than back to the corpse. The other solider say his chance and opened fire on the attacker. Feeling the poorly aimed bullets piercing his shoulder and arm, Ryo hardly moved. It was not until Relena tried to stop the man, that Ryo acted.

Moving with lightning reflexes, the man's gun was turned on him. Relena gasped and backed away from the bloody scene. Ryo had over powered the man and shot him between the eyes.

Dropping the gun to the floor with shaky hands, Ryo's breath came out in a choked sob. Blood covered him, both his and the other man's. Falling to his knees, Ryo could not explain what had over come him.

"Why…" He whispered into the darkness. As his shoulders throbbed with pain, he felt the warmth of Relena trying to get his attention.

"Ryo…" She said as she approached him slowly.

"NO! Don't come near me…" He shrieked, starling her to a stop. She was just an arm length away from him, but her hand could not reach for him.

"Ryo, we have to get out of here. There will be more."

She watched as he slowly tilted his head to look at her, Ryo's eyes looked so lost. Hearing ominous footsteps not far down the hallway, Relena once again pleaded with him to run with her. However, no matter what she said, the man kneeling in front of her stayed still- lost in his trance brought on by the blood on his hands.

It was too late to run, they were surrounded in seconds and with a hit to the back of his head, Ryo fell to the floor, unconscious. Relena fought for him, as the soldiers began to drag the boy away from her.

"Take them both if she's going to be a problem." An order was given and now Relena found herself being dragged as well.

-

The mansion's grounds were silent once again after a mass of guards forced the intruders back behind the protective gates. Little did they know that the masked enemy had retreated for other reasons…

Millardo, leaving his family still in the protective care of several armed soldiers, made his way upstairs.

"Status!" He yelled seeing the mess created by the intruders. Several officers approached and informed him of the situation. "Has Relena been located?"

"We suspect she is in the second bunker sir." Some guard answered.

"Suspect? Why don't you know?" Millardo asked with his anger growing. He wanted to know where they were and now. There was just something bugging him about the sudden attack and retreat. It was not like this group to retreat without fulfilling their mission.

"There's a lot of debris down that hallway sir- we have a squad moving down that way as we speak."

"Give me your side arm," Millardo commanded. "I'm going myself. Secure the perimeter and double check everything!"

"Yes, sir." With that, the long blonde haired man ran down the darkened hallways and towards the second safe room.

-

A/N:

Sorry it has been a while since the last update- BUSY!

I guess you figured that- I promise not to take toooo long to finish this fic- I will have tons of time after Christmas!

I'm done with classes in two weeks and then it's only two months until I'm off to the land of anime! Too bad, I actually have to take classes over there- otherwise it would be all for fun… Watch out Tokyo, Kate's coming! YEAH!

Until the next time,

Ja Mina