A/N: Be forewarned, character deaths abound. Sorry about the last chapter, I forgot to put that warning in. I'm withholding the epilogue, since this chapter was far longer than I thought and I appreciate it if you can leave a review. I love the hits that my story is receiving, but some feedback would be great too. Thank you for reading, and I hope you all have a wonderful holiday that's coming up. Be safe!

ooooo

Crossing Paths

ooooo

Wufei gazed at his watch. The green glow deceived his eyes. Too much time has passed since his last briefing with Sally. "Something's wrong." He tossed and turned in his sleep. For the night, he couldn't catch the elusive feeling. He turned his back from the door and shut his eyes as tight as he could.

"Wufei," a soft deep voice came over his shoulders.

It sounded like her, and he shot up from his position. There was no one. Only the deep solitude of his room kept him company. A shiver ran down his spine. It was the same feeling when he lost Meiran. He hopped off his bed and quickly dressed himself in his uniform that was draped over his chair. The light outside the hallway was fairly bright, and he rubbed his eyes to get readjusted. He then made his way down to the north end of the colony and entered the room where he was there only two hours ago.

One of the computers flashed a signal. "It has to be her." He pulled up the voice recording, and her voice came to him. The tone sent chills through his spine. It was his affirmation of what he felt minutes ago in his room. He didn't want to believe it. I'm sorry, Wufei. The words lingered in his ears. He pounded against the screen in disbelief.

Trowa crept from behind him and placed his hand on his comrade's shoulder. There were no words to say from his point of view. A simple gesture was all he had to offer. He stood there and listened to what his friend had to say.

"She said that she would be home today." He balled his fists, as tears started to stream slowly. "I gave her such a hard time in retrieving the info." He broke down.

Pilot 03 stood by his friend a little more and grabbed a box of tissue from one of the tables. He had listened to her last message, and it only deepened his fears. With Heero being the enemy, fighting him will be the hardest thing that any of them will have to do. He placed his hands over his mouth, trying to see what their next move might be. He scribbled something onto a pad of paper and left it where Josh or Duo would see it. He briskly walked over to Wufei and grabbed the man by his shoulders.

The two then entered a small shuttle, and headed back to the earth to where Sally's last known coordinates were. On the ride there, the two remained silent. It seemed all their life…silence followed them wherever they went. Trowa eyed a possible landing site, as he guided the craft towards an open field. In his field of vision, he saw the car that Sally parked.

Once they touched the ground, Wufei leapt off the back end, and ran towards the building. The door was slightly unhinged, and he shoved it as far back as he could. He didn't care if a firing squad was on the other side, he just wanted to find her. The evidence of the early morning's escapade was behind him. A smear of her blood on the wall made his stomach tie into knots. "Sally." He slowly walked up to her and embraced her lifeless form in his warm arms. "I'll avenge for your death, mark my word. He'll have hell to pay for." He gritted his teeth as he made his pledge.

Outside, Trowa made his rounds around the building. When he turned around the corner, he found a dead body. "Graves." He flipped the body over. There was a single shot to the heart. He resumed his task, and looked for any other clues that could crack their mission time. He wandered inside, and saw Wufei still holding Sally in his arms. Instead of breaking his last moment with her, he decided to follow the trail of her blood that she left behind.

The copper stains lead him to the basement of the building. Her instincts were right on the structure, and Trowa grimly followed the evidence. The former office of Lyra was total wreckage. Bullet ridden walls and shards of papers littered the site. In it, he found Heero's first victim, judging by the paleness of her skin. His eyes darted back to the computer that she used. In his mind, he tried to recreate what possible last hours of the woman's life. He walked up to the machine and opened it. Miraculously, the machine seemed to be in fine working condition. Instantly, the files leading to the mysterious Gundam opened up and the secrets were somewhat revealed. Hardness of metal close to that of diamondsammunitions ranging from heat guided missiles to countermeasures. Double-edged saber, his eyes trailed over to the familiar info he already knew…Zero system installed.

He looked over his shoulder. A single ray of sunlight shined through the open ceiling. The mecha they were so desperately looking for was not in sight. An incoming signal caught his attention.

"What's the status down there?" Une's voice loomed over the com link.

"The Gundam's missing. Graves is dead along with another woman." He didn't need to tell his commanding officer that one of their own was dead. "I'm requesting for some Preventers to continue patrolling the area and to seal the scene."

"Alright then. Get back as soon as possible." Une paused for a moment, "On a second thought…stay where you are. If Heero has the Gundam, he may start attacking the ESUN council. Be prepared to evacuate any major officials to shelters."

"Will do." He remembered something else he had to say to her, "The hardness of Heero's Gundam is close to that of diamonds."

"Roger that."

The former Heavy Arms pilot gave a last final thorough sweep of the scene to see if he can extract any more information that could bring down Graves' mecha. With the information off of Lyra's computer, it was the only lead that he was given. He climbed back up the stairs and heard his own footsteps coming from below him. Back on the main floor, Wufei had his back against the wall, while his jacket was draped over Sally's body.

"Anything down there?"

Trowa stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Only one good lead about the metal they were using." He looked out the dusty windows, "There's another victim downstairs. It makes a total of three."

"Who else did he kill?" He looked down on his blood soaked hands. The scarlet liquid blended into his skin.

"Graves." The two officers heard the requested patrol pull up to the building. "Its our cue to leave." Outside, Trowa briefed the group about what occurred. Immediately, they descended into the building with their mission. "We have to head over to the ESUN council. He may be there."

"Fine by me," he pulled out his gun.

The two took Sally's spare car, and headed over to the main building. It was the first time they headed back there since Relena left her office. With Graves out of the picture, they would have to explain what his true intended goal really was. Trowa glanced into the rearview mirror, "So who wants to explain it?"

Wufei was on the same wavelength with him, "Shouldn't Une brief them? I don't think they would like two Preventers storming in on their morning meeting." He continued to stare through the rows of buildings that meshed with the background. "I'm not in the mood to explain."

"Very well then. I will…" The car arrived at its destination, but the guards were already expecting them.

"Are you Trowa Barton and Wufei Chang?" The man asked wearily. The pair nodded their heads in affirmation. "The council has been awaiting for your arrival. Commander Une gave you clearance."

Trowa pulled the car onto the long winding road until the main entrance was seen in full view. Already, there was a strong military and police presence around the front gates. A senior staff member greeted them at the front door. "This way gentlemen." The female guided them to the general assembly area.

The blinding lights greeted the pair as they approached the podium. Whispers were heard among them, as they learned Graves' fallout. "Good morning, members of ESUN council. Earlier today, we found the body of Graves down at a local warehouse not too far from here. Over the past several weeks, reconnaissance was conducted on Graves and his whereabouts. From our investigations, we have found that Graves was harboring a Gundam." Shouts and gasps were heard about. "The original five Gundams were destroyed after the Mariemeia incident, but Graves managed to create this new prototype with the Zero system installed in it."

One of the senior members of the council stood in his seat, "How are we going to defeat this atrocity? We don't have any current weapons up that can stop it."

Wufei stepped into the limelight, "The Preventers have secretly housed three newer Gundams in Andromeda. This project was never leaked out to the ESUN before."

"You're telling me that your organization had these weapons all along, while at the same time, you violated your peace-keeping premise." Another council member stood angrily up in his seat.

"Look," Wufei' voice silenced the room. "You're all in danger now. The pilot of this new Gundam is Heero Yuy. He already has murdered three people…Graves and his senior scientist, and one of our own officers." His fists pounded against the podium, "Now is not the time to quarrel about violating treaties. We have to focus on defeating what Graves started. Otherwise, the whole world and the colonies will be at the mercy of Heero Yuy."

The vice president of the ESUN made his way towards the stage, his hand covering the microphone, "I agree with what you have to say. From this moment on, any work related to Graves is dropped. We have a far more serious crisis on our hands if Heero starts gunning us."

"Sir, I suggest you move everyone here to the secured bunker," Trowa walked up to him. "Right now his whereabouts are unknown."

"Whatever you say, Barton." The vice president adjourned the emergency meeting and initiated the protocol for evacuation. Trowa and Wufei joined the other Preventers in securing the main floors, in case Yuy snuck in and tried one of his rampant shootings.

ooooo

Odin looked out at the quietness of space. He managed to hijack the mecha from Graves before he met his untimely fate. The politician had underestimated how much the system took over Heero's mind and body. The thirst for ultimate power was his true downfall.

"Where should my first true target be?"

"Stop this, Zero!" Odin seethed under his breath.

"Still fighting are we?"

"Someone will stop you." He tried to regain his motions.

"Don't underestimate me. I already made you kill three people last night." The voice mocked back at him. Zero made Odin guide the mecha in orbit around the earth. "It's a shame many lives will be lost."

"Why didn't you want Graves?" Odin tried to keep his mind free from the computer system for a moment.

"He was a nuisance, end of story." A stinging sensation came from the back of his head. "Now behave."

Relena looked up from where she had fallen asleep. Someone had moved her over to a makeshift cot. She felt his presence there in her dreams again. It wasn't the same vision she had in the infirmary, but this one was distant. His body was there, but his mind was somewhere else. "Heero." Sounds coming from the wide-open bay caught her attention. Duo had scrambled up to one of the cockpits, and began to tinker with the controls. His mind was set for anything now.

"I just need one more adventure before Hilde has the baby." The happy-go-lucky pilot called out from his seat.

"I don't think you should do anything crazy," Quatre countered back, as he sat in another cockpit.

"We're two pilots short." He suddenly was distracted with a sound that came from one of the buttons. "Oops…I don't think I need to do that."

Josh minded his own business. His photographic memory kicked into high gear, as he awoke the giant. He looked over at the two old timers and shook his head back and forth.

All throughout this time, he lied to his parents about playing over at a friend's quarters. To them, they were amazed that their socially challenged son had made an effort to meet new friends on the colony. What they don't know can't hurt them. His mantra repeated back and forth in his mind, easing his guilty conscience. This was much way cooler than playing video games.

"Josh, you sure your parents said this was okay?" Quatre looked wearily at the teenager.

"Yes."

"Why do I get a feeling that they don't know about this?" The clairvoyant hit his mark.

"Hn."

Une monitored their progress on the ground, "Enough talking. I want each of you to adjust your lasers to the highest setting as possible. Trowa has just relayed me the necessary info about the synthetic metal." The three pilots obeyed her orders.

"Are you sure about this?" Duo being the antagonist he was at the moment. Somehow, he needed that one last adventure, but he didn't want to become scrap metal.

"Don't make me take you off this mission." Une threatened him with her voice. "Just direct your lasers to the reactor core of his Gundam."

"It's easier said than done." The God of Death returned to his system diagnostics.

Relena gingerly paced herself to where everyone was at, "How is everything?"

"Fine for now." The commanding officer looked at the former foreign minister reading the notes that she took from her messages. A tear trickled down the young woman's face.

"When did that happen?"

"Earlier this morning." Une glanced towards the notes that were in her handwriting. "I'm afraid we have to stop him at all costs."

"Let me ride with Quatre," her eyes focused back on the older woman. "I need to do something."

The blue orbs pleaded with her chocolate eyes. Une hadn't mentioned about her wakening to the colonists yet. There were security measures still intact, and she never knew if there were any Graves sympathizers. Judging by the majority of the colonists that were uprooted from their homes and lives, a majority hated the late politician. But still, chances could never be taken.

She placed her hands down on her makeshift table, "Alright you can fly with him." She hoped she was making the right decision, as she watched the girl properly introduce herself to their newest team member. Everything was moving too fast, and she felt it in her bones. It seemed Relena's awakening was tied to all of the events that were happening with the Zero system.

ooooo

The rockets pulsed the hybrid Gundam steadily in its orbit. Down below, sparks of silver darted between clouds. A thunderstorm had materialized over the Atlantic Ocean. Odin had managed to break the walls that Zero surrounded his mind, but all he could do was wait and see what the combat system would do next. His visceral functions were still being controlled by the faceless system.

Without warning, his hands glided to the control panels and he felt the machine being pushed further into deep space. "Might as well return to where it all began." The deep voice cut through his thoughts.

The sensors that Trowa had setup were picking up the looming intruder. One by one, Zero took them down, but he was snagged in their trap. The alarms sounded off throughout the colony, as everyone fanned out to their designated areas. Une had made sure the colonists were briefed on what could possibly transpire if Zero attacked the colony, she was barely one step ahead of the combative system.

"Initiate the colony's defenses and shield. Everyone, battle stations!" Une shouted to her officers, and in no less than ten seconds, the three secret Gundams were released from the holding bay for the very first time. The three spiraled into the endless night, and met their adversary head on. The pale ghost reared its double-edged laser, ready to annihilate anything that came across it.

"Remember it's not Heero. It's Zero controlling him." Relena kept replaying the thought in her mind. How will she be able to complete his request? She didn't want to be the last person to kill him. He had given up so much for her dream…she just couldn't take him down.

Quatre sparred against the system. "He's just too fast…more like a machine than being human." The master alarm rang off, as Odin locked onto his target. "Brace yourself, Relena." The blonde managed to thwart the wielding blade from their attacker. He quickly maneuvered around, hoping to hit one of three reactor cores on the backside of the metallic hybrid. The white beam bounced off in the never-ending night. "He must have a shield activated."

The two watched Duo and Josh charging onto the scene. "Move aside, Gramps."

"Look who's talking, squirt." He fired a barrage of bullets to see the extent of the invisible shield. "Heero you need to stop this now!"

Odin's voice sneaked through their communication's line, "I don't respond to that name anymore."

The words only reaffirmed them that Zero had a firm grasp over their friend. Josh charged in, firing three different lasers. He hoped that his random assault knocked one of the units for the shield out of commission. "Nothing." An invisible cloak surrounded the giant.

"It's useless…I activate the shield from the inside." The pilot scowled at their futile attempts.

The teenager rubbed his forehead, analyzing what other clues he could use to help them penetrate Zero's defenses. Without any warning, Josh lunged at the machine ahead of him. He was testing his own little theory.

"What are you doing kid? Are you crazy?" Duo gasped in horror.

Josh had his Gundam's laser beams set for the antenna at the top of the suit's head. It was a small target, but he just wanted to see if Odin had dropped the shield for an instant.

"You foolish boy!" Odin raised his double-edged saber, and sliced through the legs of his attacker. The force sent Josh reeling forward in his cockpit.

"So much for that theory," the wind was knocked out of him, as he felt his harness choking him.

"Josh, are you alright?" Quatre called out to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he coughed slightly. "Did I make a scratch?"

"No. Nice try, though." Duo grinned, " We were like that before…come to think of it. I guess we'll be doing things the hard way after all."

An alarm went off in his cockpit, "That's my cue to leave."

"Thanks for your help, Josh." Relena jumped into their conversation.

"No problem." The teenager managed to fly back with the mangled wreck. Out of the corner of his screen, his parents watched him dock. He could already here his mother's voice in his head. What on earth were you thinking speech wasn't too far away.

ooooo

Odin continued to attack his foes relentlessly. The sneak attack by Josh only pushed the machine further to obliterate them. "I don't know how long I can keep this up?" Duo looked at the electronic readings. He was almost out of ammunition. "We could use the detonation system." A smile graced his lips, bringing him back to the days when he was so close to using that as last resort.

"That would be useless," Quatre interjected him. With that shield still on, I highly doubt it would do us any good. And plus, you're going to be a father soon."

"It's just a thought." The God of Death began to run out of ideas. A flash came to the right of his screen. Odin was starting to make his move towards the colony. "Damn him," he cursed under his breath. "Une, how are the shields holding?"

"So far, they're at maximum power. The field stations are holding up."

"I don't know how long we can hold him off." The severity of the battle heavily weighed in his heart.

"The colonists are in their rescue pods as of this moment. If that comes down to that, I need Quatre and you to secure a route for them to take."

"I'll see what we can do out here." Another jolt came from behind his Gundam. "Odin…err…Heero you're starting to piss me off!" Duo threw a couple of stabs against his buddy.

"Come back to us, Heero!" Relena shouted into Quatre's com link. "I know you can hear me. Fight it." She pleaded to him.

Inside the cockpit, Odin clawed at his head. The voices were becoming intense. "I know that voice. It's her." The mental barriers that Lyra and Zero had placed were crumbling. "Zero, you will die with me."

"She's a fake," the system tried to keep him under his grasp. Another pinprick was felt behind his neck.

A scream escaped from his lips. Heero had regained his memory. Images from his first encounter with the Gundam came flooding back. He had pushed Relena into the life pod to save her life. His memory then wandered back to that winter's night, where he saw her standing by the window. Her back was turned to him, but his heart had skipped a beat. It was the first time he felt like that. Eventually his mind gazed back to the time he had left her the teddy bear for her birthday. Zero crept into his mind again, repairing the damage that was done by her voice. "You lose." Heero pressed a sequence of buttons to deactivate the protective cocoon that surrounded the mighty giant.

Right then, Duo noticed that the shield began to waver. "Perfect timing." He made a mad rush at the goliath, and knocked the double-edged saber out of the hybrid's hand. The two were locked into hand-to-hand combat. "I guess it's time to go back old school style."

"You will never defeat me!" The faceless system still used Heero's voice.

"Now Quatre, hit the reactor core." Duo jiggled with the controls in his Gundam, taking into account the force he was holding against. A flash of silver whizzed across the screen. He immediately ejected from his cockpit and escaped from the back. The explosion pushed his pod further back towards the colony. He watched as gravity pulled Graves' mobile suit back to the earth. A silent fireball of red and orange fell through the atmosphere.

"Looks like Heero managed to escape," Quatre picked up a signal on his radar. On the sphere dome, a blip registered. It was heading down to the earth."

"Do you know where he's heading?" Relena looked over his shoulders.

"We'll just have to follow him." Quatre pushed the boosters and prepped their entry. "Duo, will you be alright for now?"

"Yeah, I can sit tight until someone tows me back." He watched his friends dart into the atmosphere.

Quatre eyed the craft through the radar. He dodged the ashes of Graves' former Gundam that rained from the heavens... "It looks like we're going to touchdown in a forest." The turbulence rumbled throughout the cockpit, as Relena bounced in her seat to and fro.

"Just a few more seconds of this…" he gritted his teeth. He didn't think the G force would be like that. "I'm guess I'm a little rusty after all."

"You think?" she tightened her hands on her thighs. The pressure was excruciating.

Quatre guided the Gundam down the atmosphere even more, "The worst is over."

Relena let go of her breath that she was holding. Soon, they were upon a dense forest. Ahead of them, parts of the tree were hacked unintentionally. Quatre landed the mecha in a sitting position. It was an open field that was ten yards away from the peculiar pattern. The cockpit door slowly opened, as the pilot peered through. A bullet ricocheted off the metal, and clanged against the upper parts of the Gundam. He dove back to cover Relena for protection. Another bullet destroyed the button to bring close the cockpit door.

"We can't stay in here." She yelled at him, as the sound of more gunfire pinged against the metal. "Is there anymore escape routes?"

"Yeah," he placed his arms around his head as bullets kept ricocheting about, "in the back through the life pod." The two snuck to the back, and released the hatch. Judging by the sudden drop, it was a good six feet from where they were. "Might as well jump," he guided her to the edge, and she then sat down. He gave her a soft nudge, and she hit the soft brush underneath.

Down on the ground, she was peppered with bullets again. Quickly, she took cover in the trees, never thinking twice of looking back. Once she was deep within the green foliage, her thoughts ran back to Quatre. She crouched through the underbrush, but no matter how careful she was, gunfire followed her. The bullets kicked up the dirt, as they hit the ground. He must know where I am. A twisted cry caught her attention. Her jeans got caught on one of the shrubs. She yanked at the fabric and it finally gave away. Another gunshot resonated around the area. The sound sickened her stomach, but it was her only way in finding both of her friends.

"Stop it, Heero!" She emerged from her safety net, pleading him to stop. She couldn't stand the sound of the gunshots any longer.

"It's about time, you showed. Your friend wasn't going to last any longer." He threw out the empty magazine and added a new clip in.

Her cerulean eyes darted to where Quatre was. He was propped against the leg of the Gundam. A river of blood gushed from his open wound in his left shoulder. A ragged cough raged through his body.

"You need to stop this." Her eyes were filled with rage.

"Why?" He took a few steps towards her. "It's a perfect plan. The taste of power never felt so good."

"You're just a system in a machine. You're not real." She took several steps back, not knowing what he was truly capable off.

"He is the perfect body after all…youthful and strong. The first time we met, he resisted. And now, look where he is today." A stray laugh came from him.

"He's not the Heero I once knew." She stumbled over a pothole. "Heero is far different from you, he's human."

"Looks like this is where it will all end." He pointed the weapon in front of her. At that moment, it felt like dejavu all over again.

"I know you can still hear me Heero." She ignored the system that ravaged his body. "Please listen to me." Her response only elicited him to push the barrel pushed harder on her forehead. "You have to be strong. I never had a chance to say this to you, but…I love you." She heard the trigger being pulled back, and braced for the end.

Strained words escaped from his body, "Don't you think about it, Zero." Heero focused on regaining his movement with his right arm. He could tell Zero still had a firm grip over the trigger. "Dammit, Zero." He used all of his strength he had to jar the gun away from her. Bang.

Relena looked up to see what had transpired. Heero stood awkwardly with his right arm holding the gun to the heavens. The gun had misfired above her. "Please hurry, I can't hold him back much longer," his words were strained as Zero was eating away his life force. The more times he fought against the system, he felt a piece of him die each time. He managed to have his hand drop the gun to the ground.

Automatically, she went to him and picked up the weapon from the dirt ground. It was still warm from his touch. Her fingers shook as she wrapped the weapon into her own hands. "I can't," tears began to well up in her tranquil eyes.

"I know you can. I've killed too many people already." His eyes pleaded with hers. "I…" His body jerked, it was a sign that Zero still infested him with his poison. "Please, Relena…do this for me."

She looked at him still. It ate at her conscience…why was she forced to kill him. It wasn't fair. Her finger quivered over the trigger. "I'm sorry, Heero," tears cascaded down her cheeks. She finally came to terms with his wish, but it tore her heart into pieces. Why is it always unfair? We don't deserve this.

Heero watched the bullet as it made its way towards him. He was finally getting the absolution he was searching for. Zero screamed inside his mind, trying to reason with the man to dodge the projectile. All he did was remain firm in his stance. Thank you, Relena. The bullet pierced his heart, and he dropped to his knees, never breaking eye contact from her. A smile graced his youthful face once again. At that very moment, the weight of his burdens was finally lifted.

"Heero!" She ran to him. The act of pulling the trigger seemed distant to her now. She caught him in her arms, and carefully laid him on her knees.

"It's all over now." His voice was barely above a whisper. His Prussian eyes showed peacefulness that she didn't see before. "One four three."

The words were barely audible, "What did you say?"

"One four three." His last final words lingered on the tips of his pale lips.

What did that mean? She brushed aside his bangs that covered his forehead. His body still felt warm to her touch, but it grew heavier as time went on. Again, she knew she was alone again. There was no way he was coming back. Her aim had deadly precision this time. Tears ran down her alabaster skin, as she pondered what do next. The gun beckoned her in the sunset's tangerine rays. It called to her. The obsidian metal was heartless…it didn't matter how much people it killed.

She lifted the man she loved out of her arms and laid him on the soft ground. The gun hypnotized her, and she was falling for its trap. Just minutes before, Zero was threatening her with that weapon and she herself killing the monster that controlled Heero. She picked it up, savoring the ending she wanted. This wouldn't be right…her eyes brimmed with tears again…he wouldn't want it this way. A soft breeze ran through her long honey strands. Her gaze settled on the lifeless body one more time before she stood on her heels. A sparkling array of rippled sunlight caught her attention. Right then, she threw the gun into the water and sent it down to its watery grave. Her thoughts lingered on Heero's last message…one four three. At that moment, it finally dawned on her what he said. His answer was the same as hers only in code.

The sound of a helicopter swooping low over the area caught her attention, and she made her way back to where the looming Gundam sat. The others had converged at the spot, wondering if the threat was gone, while a team of medics ran to Quatre's aid. Relena lifted his left arm over her shoulders and managed to bring him to the open clearing. "It's all over now," she looked at her friends with a dazed look.

"Yes it is," Une walked up to her side and coaxed her to release her grasp from Heero, "It's time to let go." Her slender fingers slowly trailed off the cotton fabric of his shirt.

The last of the fabric slipped through her fingers, and at that moment, she knew she couldn't linger in the past any longer. Too much bloodshed had left its mark, and it took away the very lives she cared for the most. And so, she made a vow to herself on that day to protect the ones she loved. "I'm heading back to the ESUN, whether they like it or not."

TBC