Note: Well, I can assume that y'all were wondering when I was going to update one of my stories Sorry for the long wait—I had HSA tests this week so I was swamped with studying and crap.

Sorry, also, for the shortness of some of the other chapters. Sometimes it's hard to write a really long chapter for me (I don't like jumping around scenes a lot like). Anyways… thanks to those who did review for this story! It makes me so happy!

Zero Down

By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)

Chapter Six:

Heero looked up, a machine gun in lazily leaning against his body which was in a relaxed position itself. Rei looked out through her binoculars, glancing every so often at Heero who simply found himself entertained by making sure that his weapons, placed expertly all over his body, were in place and all in good order. For explosives in the soles of his faded yellow tennis shoes to a gun in his waistband, he was well prepared, as any expert assain would be.

"Having fun?" She questioned, leaning back against the buildings cement railing. The roof top had an amazing view of the city, giving them time to get used to their surroundings and also to calm their (or at least Rei's) jittery nerves. The woman wondered if it was just the drugs or his past that made him so calm when faced in situations such as what they were faced with at the moment.

"Hn."

She smirked, a small chortle falling from her lips as she ushered him over to her. He raised an eyebrow, following her orders and waiting patiently for her orders. She pointed up to the sky.

"So…?"

She looked at him and slung a arm lazily over his stiff shoulder, "So? What do you mean so?" She looked up at the night sky once more, "Do you know what they are?"

He nodded, "Stars and colonies." Who didn't?

She smiled lightly, "Yes. They are." She sighed heavily and looked up at the sky once more, tracing the twinkling lights so far away.

"And that's the moon." He grunted and truned, walking back to where he was with his weapons, tracing the contors of the metallic killing machine.

"Yes," Rae commented, "You're right." She knew he was being sarcastic, but she couldn't help but reply. "And from space it just looks like a graveyard."

Heero froze, frowning… why did those words seem like they had come from the mouth of someone else? Rae looked at him, seeing his expression but he quickly shrugged it off.

"The mission?" He questioned her as he locked the safety back onto his machine gun, checking the clip to make sure that it was fully loaded.

Rae got to her feet, moving like a cat without sound and took the weapon from him, putting it securely into a violin case. The prep school uniform that Heero was wearing made him look inconspicious to her and any bystanders. For all the world to know, she was just his mother.

Funny how he felt like he had done this whole routine before, only with a "father" instead of a "mother".

She turned to face him, an aura of seriousness now replacing the usually outgoing person that she was. "I want you to remain silent and not do anything. Do not remove any weapons and pose any threat at all. Act innocent and be the "perfect little angel" you're supposed to be."

He nodded, the tone in her voice sounding as if there was no room for failure.

She smiled at him calmly, "Good." And the conversation was over like that.

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There was a girl there, honey colored hair with innocent light blue eyes. She stared at him, blue eyes glazed with tears that had refused to fall, or already had. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes somewhat pink colored and a gag was in her mouth, making it impossible for her to speak. Her arms were tied behind her back and she was sitting on a comfortable looking sofa.

The only thing was that there were men all around her, their body languid speaking dangerous despite the languid positions they found themselves in. Heero knew better than to underestimate anyone, as did the people who knew him. Despite his thin frame, he was probably more dangerous than any of the other people in this room.

"So, taking to hostages now are we?" Rei flicked the cigarette out of her mouth, holding it with experienced ease between her index finger and her middle. She grinned, putting it back in her mouth and taking a deep drag of the smoking fag, thankful for the nicotine rush it gave her to calm her even more. She raised off her hand again, this time not to take the drug from her mouth but to flick off the men in the room who obviously eyed her slim, but full figure.

"Burn." She growled, taking a seat roughly while Heero remained standing, looking at each of the men who, in turn, stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What's with the kid?"

"My son." She grunted. Some of the men grinned at her, throwing some money on the table as if a bet had been made. Someone reached down and put the money in the pocket.

A gun was drawn and Rei's form stiffened minutely as did Heero's, who stared at the shocked girl and the gun pointed at her head.

"Why are you here?"

"Aw…you missed me that much?" The gangster grinned back.

"So you remember that night, then?" She looked at Heero, "Why not let you 'son' be with my friends? I'm sure that they'd love to meet a pretty little thing like him." He looked at her as she glared at him, already refusing the offer in the second it left his mouth.

"Never." She hissed, grinning cockily, "It was a mistake of me to ever have that night with you."

The gun was pressed more against the skull of the little girl, eyes pleading at Heero who stared at her, emotions supressed expertiley underneath his cold gaze.

"Well, I'm sure that it's something 'bout this kid, right?" The gun's safety was removed and the girl flinched, closing her eyes as tears streamed down her face.

And, in an instant, a gun fired.

Rei jerked back, turning eyes back to Heero who had a semi-automatic in his hand, the barrel of his gun smoking as he flipped a switch on the violin case, the classic move of a machine gun coming out. Bullets streamed out of the weapon, hitting the wall, table, glasses, and just about anything else in the room.

He grabbed the girl, firing all the way, bullets hiting their mark. Blood splattered on his face and his clothing, one stray bullet from the 'enemy' hitting him in the arm, tearing through the skin. He jerked the table in front of them to it's side, helping to shield them from other enemy bullets, though the skilled assassin didn't need it.

Rei simply sat there, glaring at Heero as he continued firing, finally removing her gun and firing shots at the targets trying to shoot at her 'baby' or 'kid' as she decided to call him after he was put under her wing.

Bang. Another bullet in the head and another target fell, blood splattering across the room and a person fell, hitting the blinds and making the room become a dimly lit area, the shades blocking the sun's rays and luminating the siloutette of the person's still frame.

Bang. The final shot. A bullet shell fell to the floor, clinking until it stopped rolling.

Blood was everywhere, covering the entire apartment... everywhere, except on the little girl.

She looked up at Heero with a thnakful look in her eye, tears of happiness in her eyes despite the horror of seeing her 'angel' drenched in the blood of other's and some of his own. He looked down at her with eyes that held turmoiled emotions, mixing togetehr to form a raging sea in his prussian irises.

The gag was removed after he cut her bonds. "Thank you…" She whispered with relief.

"Heero," the brunette turned upon hearing his name to his superior. Rae looked at him, sighing heavily. "Why did you loose control?"

Would he be able to tell her that she was the little girl that he had accidentally killed so long ago, something about miscalcuations and then the sweet face of another that looked like the girl and her puppy. Rele… the name was gone as quickly at the flash of memory bearing the name with the person's dimly-lit face.

"I don't know." He manged to let out, looking down at the floor and at the many bullet shells scattered around, gleaming at him mockingly. Bullets rimmed the bodies, the walls, everything was torn to shreds. His aim was true, and bullets were something that could eaily be disposed of—it wasn't at his expense. Just the company that Rei, and he himself he assumed too, worked for.

"Was it because of this girl?" She looked at the child, never expecting the hostage to be there.

Their mission was something simple—elimate the gnagsters that were disrupting the balance and messing with their missions—killing or saving their targets and jobs. And, even though it was completed, it was not the way planned. And, everything was supposed to go as planned.

Rei flicked the safety off her gun, walking over to where Heero was. Her raised her gun and took aim at the short distance, Heero standing still and waiting for his punishment.

"No—" The cry of protest was cut short by a bullet. It pierced the skull and the little girl fell over, blue eyes lifeless and dead. Rei's target was never faulty.

She walkedup to Heero, looking at the body, blood dripping from the gaping wound, taking in the carnage of her skilled work. She didn't even glance at Heero who tensed, refusing to look at the body.

"Never disobey the orders of the mission ever again."

For some reason, that girl was crying for him. That was tow that he had failed, but…the memory quickly dispappeared, the teary face of a girl bruied beneath cement and concreate beyond his reach disappated.

Never disobey the orders of the mission. He closed his eyes and nodded, never…

TBC

Author's note: wow…that was kinda sad, neh? Well, I tried to make it long since the wait was kind of…long. Wow, I used the same two words in the same sentence. Cool! Woo!

Thanks for the reviews everyone! I hope that you liked this chapter—reviews and comments are always welcomed!

Love, Red Tail