Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me.

Going Away- Heero

The old, gray-haired, clawed engineer stood back and admired his paint job of the tall metal pillar before him. His claw held a fat-bristled brush. An empty bucket of white paint was lying at his feet. Dr. J smiled, pleased with himself, at his finished handiwork, which towered over him. Everything was ready. Now it was time to get down to business.

He stroked his beard thoughtfully. It was all done, but one factor wasn't present. Without it, all his work would be useless. No matter how hard you try, he mused; you can't seem to get anywhere without humans. Bidding his creation a fond farewell, so that the paint could dry in peace, he set out to find that missing piece. He fumbled in his coat pocket and pulled out a miniature black remote. His good thumb clicked a button multiple times, like a person channel surfing, only at an open doorway instead of a big screen television. There was a loud creak of rusted metal as a heavy door slowly descended to the ground. Clearly not taking any chances, Dr. J pressed another button and a thick metal chain-linked fence came down over it. Sealing it completely with a large padlock, he returned the remote to his pocket. Then he marched up a narrow stairway. He ducked to avoid hitting the leaking pipes above him. The air was tight down here. Few people came, except for maintenance workers making repairs to the colony. Had anyone been there to see him, they would have been sure this creepy old man was up to no good. Depending on who said it, he chuckled to himself, they might be right. Finally he came to a dead end. His fingers groped the wall until he reached an almost invisible catch. The metal panel swung open, revealing a cold, almost empty room, with only a ratty gray couch and a small kitchen alcove. To his left, there was a door, slightly ajar. Dr. J went through that.

A boy of about thirteen years old kneeled on the floor, folding a tank top and then tossing it into an old blue duffle bag. A pair of black shorts followed, covering an inch of steel buried under the few worn-out T-shirts and pants. The boy wore a dark green tank top and ripped jeans. His unkempt brown bangs fell into his Prussian blue eyes, looking like they'd neither been combed nor washed for days. Dr. J studied the boy and grunted. "I'm going to have to get you some new clothes," he commented.

"Hn." The boy shrugged indifferently, causing the scientist to roll his eyes. This kid is a peace of work, he complained to himself. Far from the same as the normal teenagers hanging out in the mall with their friends, or the poor orphans that begged on the street, this kid lived in the shadows, seemingly caring little about everyone and everything. Though, under Dr. J's care for some time now, he showed no sign of having any feeling towards the man at all. As for Dr. J, this youth was a pain to him at times but others almost a pleasure to teach and train. Although, teaching wasn't exactly the word Dr. J would use. . Amazing his 'teacher' by his sheer skill was more like it. A piece of work he may have been, but one his enemies wouldn't stand a chance against. That alone (and the slight affection and admiration he had for him) was enough to make Dr. J put up with him. He was one of the things that made the doctor's creation an ultimate weapon.

The boy zipped his bag closed and looked up expectantly for orders. Dr. J cleared his throat, preparing to go through this one last time. "You've been enrolled in this facility as Heero Yuy, a fitting name for this mission, considering your intent. Your goal is to infiltrate the top-secret base. Further instructions will be transmitted to you via your computer. I trust you have it with you." The boy, Heero, nodded. Dr. J paused. "It's… in the best interests of the mission for you to act as inconspicuous as possible and blend in with your, er, peers." Had Heero been more of the type to show his feelings, he would've snorted aloud. He knew this was the scientist's roundabout way of saying "Be nice to the other children and make some friends." Heero didn't bother telling him that his reply to that was "No way, Jose." Socializing wasn't his thing, which he'd already made clear. And friends would only get in the way of his mission. Dr. J repressed a sigh and took another remote device out o his pocket. This one was a hard white metal with a dark blue button on top. He handed it to Heero. "Use this if it becomes necessary."

Heero nodded again. "Mission: Accepted."