A/N: Here is the next chapter straight off my laptop and edited by the amazing Caldyphen! I really hope you guys like it. This will be the very first encounter of Xero and Trowa since he disappeared. Now I know only a few of you have actually read this far, but please review if you have come far enought to read this chapter. It's really only fair that if you get to experience my work that I get to hear what you thought about it. Any criticism or complement is welcome. Enjoy!
A Girl Named Xero
Chapter 7
Sirens blared as Xero ran through the streets making her way to the circus tent. She had to make it to Trowa before OZ got to the people in that area of the colony. They were presently gathering up all the colonists in the main square where they would demonstrate their newly gained military control over the community. Little did they know, there were two Gundam pilots suiting up for battle to liberate the colony once again. Xero was now on her way to convince Trowa to fight with them. She only hoped she would get to him before OZ did.
Becoming more careful with each step that brought her closer to Trowa, she did her best to blend in with the large gray industrial buildings around her. She had worn a gunmetal gray tank and form fitting black jeans that covered black leather ankle length boots. Xero snuck around to the back of the tent when she finally reached her destination, her .38 gripped between both hands and pointed towards the ground. She only carried the small revolver in strained situations like this. Trowa had given it to her for protection before they came to the earth and had trained her well in its use. She was not afraid to use it; she couldn't be if she wanted to keep her freedom. Any OZ soldier who had come between her and escape could attest to her being a very good shot.
Xero could hear raised voices coming from just inside the large open tent flap and she inched closer to listen. Catherine's strained voice drifted out, "Trowa where are you going? You can't be thinking of fighting again! You probably don't even remember how!" She could hear the tears that must have been in Catherine's eyes. Xero sympathized with the woman, but had not forgotten the betrayal.
A familiar deep voice sounded inside the dark tent, "I know what that guy said yesterday is true Catherine. I don't remember him or anything else for that matter, but I have to go back and help them." Xero's heart stopped, she would know that voice anywhere. Emotion ripped through her body and she had to hold back a sob. It was him! It was her Trowa.
"No!" Catherine yelled, "No Trowa! You don't have to do anything! Please stay here with me." She sobbed and angrily shouted, "Who could be so selfish that they would try to take you away from where you belong!"
Taking her cue Xero silently stepped out of her hiding place and into their line of sight. "Who indeed," she threw the accusation at Catherine. She put the weapon back in its holster at her hip and strode towards the two, no mercy in her expression
"Xero…" Catherine's eyes widened as she took in the petite figure that stood before her. She was amazed at how much strength and confidence exuded from such a small frame. The girl had definitely changed since the last time they had seen each other. "Xero, I…"
"How could you Catherine?" Xero cut her off, "How could you be so selfish?" The small red-head came nose to nose with the traitorous woman, "I have thought for months that Trowa was dead, my dearest friend gone forever and now I come to find out that you've had him for who knows how long and didn't even bother to let me know!" Her low voice picked up until she was nearly screaming at the woman whom she had thought she could trust. Catherine's eyes widened in shock at how angry Xero was. She had never seen the girl like this in all the time she and Trowa had stayed at the circus. Xero's eyes burned like the hottest blue flame, but became sad as she turned to Trowa and calmed herself. "I know you don't remember me Trowa, but I need you to trust me like I trusted you for the past few years." It pained her to see confusion in his eyes, but she went on. "The other Gundam pilots need your help to stabilize this colony, and then we would like you to come with us and help end this war."
Before he could respond, Catherine stepped between Xero and Trowa, the urgency clear in her eyes. "No! He deserves a peaceful life! Just leave him alone Xero, you and those pilots have hurt Trowa enough." Then in an act of complete desperation she threw the nastiest thing she could at the small girl. "The only reason he kept you for so long before is because he felt sorry for you Xero," Catherine sneered, "he was sick of how you followed him around like a lost love sick puppy. Why don't you just run along you selfish whore, he never loved you anyway." Almost immediately after she had spoken the words a loud crack rang through the air and Catherine fell to her knees. Xero stood before them hand still raised from slapping the brunette woman with brutal force.
"Trowa deserves to make his own decision on how he wants to live his life. You need to back off and let him be the man that he is," Xero stated calmly taking a step back and lowering her hand. She turned her attention to Trowa and was upset by what she saw. She looked into his wide, frightened green eyes and saw only a ghost of the man she had loved. The Trowa she had known was no longer there. This was not the man who had taken her under his wing and protected her. This was not the man who had taught her self-defense, gun handling, and emergency first aid (more for his sake than hers). Xero didn't know this man at all and he in turn didn't know her.
She softened her voice attempting to reach this fragile looking version of Trowa and reached out to him, "If you decide to think for yourself, we will be waiting for you in the main square. I need to get back to the others and help evacuate the civilians. If that's even possible…." A tear rolled down her cheek as she said goodbye. Without hesitation, she turned on her heel and ran to the square hoping she could be of some help there.
:
Explosions went off all around them as Quatre and Duo maneuvered their Gundams in battle. Whistling sounded around them and bullets rained down attempting to find a weak point in their mobile suits' armor. Quatre hoped that Xero was able to send Trowa their way and then find a safe spot to hide until the mayhem was over. He was worried that she would do something that would get her killed. The thought had been in his mind all day since he noticed the change in her this morning.
When Quatre woke that morning he found Xero lying in his arms studying him. There was an inner turmoil clearly present in her crystal blue eyes, but he could also see that she had become stronger. She had grown and changed since Trowa's disappearance. No longer was she the lost, closed up girl he had known. He saw now that Xero was confident, independent, and even allowed herself to be vulnerable with him. While preparing for the battle, Xero had asked him about what Trowa had been like when Quatre saw him the previous day. He filled her in on the details letting her know he definitely had amnesia. Sadness had come over her face as she realized what this meant. Trowa, in body, was alive, however, according to Quatre's account, he was confused and frightened by the world around him and couldn't remember anything of their life together.
The memory of her defeated expression worried Quatre as he fought off the enemy mobile suits. Then, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a white Taurus suit fighting its way onto the battlefield. A communication signal came through to Quatre's suit and he was taken aback as Trowa's face appeared before him. "The girl sent me," he stated, "I think I can do this. I just hope that piloting one of these is like riding a bike. You never forget, right?"
Quatre smiled genuinely at his long lost friend, "If not then just take this as a crash course. Don't worry we'll keep an eye on you." As the battle raged, Trowa proved that his skills were still intact.
Things seemed to be going well when he noticed a small group of people evacuating a hospital that had already been damaged in the fight. Xero was leading them to an underground safe room they had discovered. She carefully lifted the entrance panel off the ground and hurriedly ushered them in. Before she could enter herself, an Aries suit caught sight of her and veered off in Xero's direction. Quickly thinking only of the innocents inside, she shut the panel ensuring their safety and stood defiantly before the mobile suit.
In the instant it took for Quatre to react, the Aries fired its laser canon and Xero was engulfed in the bright white light of the blast.
A/N: Dun, Dun, Dun! Next chapter soon and once again please review if you want to know what happens!