Chasing Time
by heaven'sgirl

Standard disclaimer applies. Any names used in this story (that are not in the canon GW timeline) are fictional; they were randomly chosen for the purpose of this fanfiction.

Chapter II: Onslaught

[ December 4, AC 199]

The moment she knew something was wrong was the sudden shortness of her breath, her sweaty forehead and palm, and the sudden urge to vomit just before her meeting with the ESUN President and the rest of his cabinet.

Vice President Grace Pruitt grasped the side of her armchair and blinked rapidly as she tried to refocus her vision. The President was shaking hands with his advisors who each took their respective seats on the table. The VP took out a handkerchief and dabbed on her glistening forehead, forcing a smile at her co-workers despite her achiness and discomfort.

"Madam Pruitt, are you feeling alright?" Ms. Lee asked as she took the seat on Grace's right. "You look pale."

"I'm alright," Grace replied, seemingly out of breath. Suddenly, Grace stood up from her seat and clutched her chest, her breath coming in short gasps. Her eyes widened as she tried to hold onto the table while those around her were either shouting in surprise or gasping in shock.

One of the secretaries was the first one to compose himself and exclaimed, "Somebody call an ambulance now!"

Ms. Lee and another official rushed to Grace Pruitt's side and gently placed her on the floor, looking helplessly at the woman as she continued to clutch her chest, her body trembling.

In a few minutes, a small group of paramedics and the on-site Preventer medic surrounded Grace, who lied still on her left side, her hand on her chest. One of the paramedics tried to resuscitate her, but after a while shook her head and looked at the representatives that crowded around the scene.

"She didn't make it."

Preventer Greene found his charge sitting by herself at one of the airport tables, eyes closed, and her forehead perched on her clasped hands as if in prayer.

"Miss Darlian?"

Relena slowly opened her eyes and lifted her head to address the Preventer. "Hello, Agent Greene. Is the car ready?"

"Yes, ma'am. We're good to go."

Relena nodded as she stood up, buttoned her coat, and grabbed her purse before following the Preventer to the car. It was only a day ago when she had visited the newest affordable housing in L2, yet for Relena, it felt like many weeks had already passed since her latest trip to the colony. Despite the exhausting schedule that drained her physically and mentally, seeing the smiling faces of each person she met was enough to give her energy, helping her to momentarily forget how tired she really was.

However, her fatigue came back on full force when Duo relayed her the news that her ESUN colleague and good friend Arthur Brown passed away at the age of 30, leaving behind his beautiful wife and 3-year old daughter. The shock at her friend's passing and the sadness she felt for his family only increased her exhaustion. The day after her visit to the L2 Housing, Relena requested to be on the first flight back to Earth to visit the grieving family.

Relena rubbed her eyes and reached for a bottled water in her bag. Taking two big gulps of water, Relena rolled down her window, adjusting her knitted scarf as she felt the cold wind enter the car. Realizing that the road they were taking was isolated and unfamiliar to her, she called out her bodyguard's name.

"Where are we going?"

Greene took a right turn and entered a gas station. The agent looked at Relena through the rearview mirror and smiled apologetically. "I seem to have forgotten to fill up the car with gas. This should only take a moment, Miss Darlian."

"Take your time, agent," replied Relena as Greene turned off the engine and stepped out of the vehicle. She proceeded to remove her belt, stretched, and looked out the window again, noticing that they were the only car in the lot. How odd.

A grunt of pain from a male voice made Relena jump on her seat. She turned around only to see Preventer Greene get tackled by a man. Relena screamed.

Agent Greene grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it, emitting a curse from his opponent. "Lock the doors, now!" yelled Greene who was elbowed in the stomach by his assailant, knocking the agent backward.

Relena did as she was told. She reached from the back seat and pressed the button to lock the car. She didn't notice the man coming from behind the vehicle until she felt herself being forcefully dragged from her opened window. She grabbed onto the seat, digging her nails on the fabric as the second attacker pulled her out of the car. In the struggle, Relena knocked her head on the window and almost went unconscious if it weren't for her will to survive and escape.

Relena felt the crushing hold of her captor who had an arm around her stomach. Suddenly, Relena felt his arm slacken and found herself dropping on the pavement next to the unconscious man. A pair of hands grabbed Relena's arms and quickly put her on a standing position.

The ground beneath her seemed to spin. Clutching her aching abdomen, Relena backed away from the figure next to her until her back met the cool surface of the car door.

"Relena!"

Relena shook her head and mentally berated herself when the face of a young man with brown hair and piercing blue eyes flashed in her memory the instant the stranger called her name. It couldn't be him, she thought. He left without a word the moment he regained his strength after the conflict against the Barton Foundation three years ago.

"Run!" a voice yelled from behind. Was that Agent Greene? She couldn't tell from the sudden grogginess she was feeling. Relena clutched her head with both hands.

"Relena!" the familiar voice cried out to her again. Relena froze, her head still pounding. That voice… there was no mistaking it. Relena slowly lifted her head and found herself staring directly at Heero Yuy.

Unconsciously, Relena balled her right hand into a fist and placed it over her chest. "Heero," she whispered, incredulous and relieved at the same time.

"Get in the car, Relena," ordered Heero. He took the gun from Relena's captor and proceeded to strap the person's hands with a zip tie. Relena wondered how Heero came prepared for such a crisis. Although the kidnapper was twice his size, Heero easily dragged the unconscious body in the empty restroom stall. A horrified Relena noticed the gas station employee was out cold by the cashier's desk. She was about to reach out to check on his condition when Heero took hold of her elbow and tugged her back towards the car.

Heero gave her a stern look. "I need to get you to a safe location."

Relena nodded mutely as she opened the passenger side door. "Wait, Heero! Where is Agent Greene?" asked Relena. She mentally kicked herself for almost forgetting her bodyguard.

"Where is he?" she exclaimed, looking around for her bodyguard. Heero grabbed Relena's wrist and silently urged her get in the vehicle.

"He'll live," said Heero. Relena looked at him in disbelief.

"We have to look for him!" Relena cried out. Heero started the engine despite her protests. Relena was about to get out of the car when Heero grabbed her arm and locked the doors.

"Stay in the car," Heero said firmly. "We can't stay here." Heero used the car's mobile system and dialed the Preventers.

While Heero was on the phone, Relena whipped her head around and glimpsed the body of her would-be captor. "Is he dead?" she asked. Heero's reply was a quick no.

"What happened to the other guy? The one that attacked Greene?"

"He ran away before I could stop him," Heero answered with a hint of bitterness and anger in his tone. He gripped the stirring wheel tighter and look straight ahead, never leaving his eyes on the road. "We need to get you to a secure location as soon as possible."

There were too many questions plaguing Relena's mind. "Heero, how is it possible that you happen to be in the right place at the right time? You showing up… that cannot be just coincidence."

"I received an anonymous tip," was his terse response.

"What?"

"Anonymous tip," repeated Heero. "I don't take those very lightly."

Besides Sally, the shock from the news of Arthur Brown's sudden death also permeated in the ESUN and even among Preventer agents. His death already headlined the news. The results of Brown's autopsy wouldn't be acquired for another day, so the media's constant bombardment set the whole Preventers Headquarters on edge.

Sally cradled a hot mug of cocoa and let herself relax on her chair. Even though it was only yesterday that they started investigating Arthur Brown's death, Sally already felt worn out, and it was just a half an hour past noon. She and Wufei were scheduled to rendezvous with AHP Chief Relena Darlian and Preventer Agent Greene at Arthur Brown's home to visit his grieving family.

Her office door slammed opened, and a frustrated Wufei marched in. Wufei wasted no time on his report. "Madam Vice President Grace Pruitt passed away this morning while in a conference with the President and the cabinet."

"What?" exclaimed Sally.

Wufei sighed in frustration. "It was a heart attack."

Sally immediately tensed. "Heart attack?"

Before Wufei could explain further, a young man quickly walked in their office, phone in hand. The Preventer looked back and forth from Wufei and Sally before offering the phone to Wufei.

"A call from a vehicle's mobile system," explained the agent. "The car belongs to Agent Greene, but… the voice isn't his."

Wufei brought the phone to his ear. "What's the situation?"

The voice almost made Wufei drop the phone. "Agent Greene is MIA. One assailant is down, send backup. Trace this call to find the coordinates. Relena is safe and will be taken to a secure location."

"Understood," said Wufei. The line went dead.

Sally looked at Wufei and saw his mixed emotions through his eyes – disbelief, relief, and to her surprise, slight amusement. "We have good and bad news."

"Bad news first."

"According to the caller, Agent Greene is down. No details how and why," said Wufei. "Good news is that Relena Darlian is out of harm's way and will be taken to a safe location."

Wufei turned to the young Preventer who stayed throughout the phone call. "Agent Lewis, please contact Commander Une and relay this information to her. Agent Po and I would like to have an emergency debriefing with her in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, sir," said Agent Lewis. He saluted and left the room.

Wufei turned his attention to Sally. The blonde woman, clearly worried about the issues that were starting to accumulate, gave him a questioning look. "You left out something."

"Which is?"

"The caller. Who was it? How do we know we can trust that person to protect Relena?"

"You needn't worry about that."

"And why is that?"

"Because Heero Yuy is with her."

At the Preventers Center in Mars, Noin watched as Zechs looked out the window of his office, hands behind his back and his jaw clenched shut. The details of VFM Rosemary Glass's sudden death were being investigated, and the crew of her shuttle was already being cross-examined. Zechs and Noin were appointed by Commander Une to lead the investigation. While the rest of the Preventers on site were convinced that the VFM's heart attack was from natural causes, Zechs thought otherwise.

Noin crossed her arms and cleared her throat. "Zechs, what reason is there to believe this was foul play?"

Zechs didn't move from his position at the window. "None of the crew noticed anything wrong with her during their 12-hour flight. I'm sure they would have checked up on her now and then and would've seen signs."

"Heart attacks are often unpredictable," countered Noin.

"Arthur Brown died of an unexpected heart attack," began Zechs, "And now Rosemary Glass died of an unexpected heart attack. Two ESUN officials died within the same day. Doesn't that seem… strange to you?"

"Hm, it could be," said Noin. "But heart attacks are not only unpredictable, but they can also happen to anyone, too. It could be a coincidence."

Zechs sighed. "Relena… she'll be heartbroken. She was good friends with both Arthur and Rosemary." Noin stood up and walked next to Zechs. She studied Zechs and saw a faraway expression on his face. She knew that look: it was a look Zechs would unknowingly have whenever he thought of his younger sister.

Noin held one of his hands. Four years already passed since Zechs, the appointed leader of the White Fang, declared war on Earth. It has been four years since he last saw his little sister. The last time they faced each other was on Libra when a determined Relena attempted to persuade Zechs to stop his plan of attacking Earth. And even during the Mariemaia Barton conflict, the two Peacecraft siblings didn't get the chance to reunite.

Afterwards, Zechs and Noin decided to travel to Mars just as the planet's terraformation was well underway. For Zechs, his last meeting with Relena didn't end in good terms. He hoped that there would come a time in this peaceful era where their paths would cross again and maybe – hopefully – they can somehow rebuild their relationship, with no conflicts to tear them apart.

Zechs's laptop was beeping. He gave Noin's hand a gentle squeeze and turned on the communication. "Preventer Water," acknowledged Zechs.

"I'm afraid I have more bad news," said Sally. "Vice President Grace Pruitt died of a heart attack early this morning."

"What?!" exclaimed Zechs and Noin at the same time.

Sally heaved a sigh and rubbed her temples. "Three important figures dead in a matter of two days… what has the world gotten into?"

"This isn't just coincidence anymore," added Sally. "Three ESUN officials are dead in a matter of days." She shook her head in disbelief. "Zechs and Noin, Commander Une has ordered that two of you take a shuttle back to Earth as soon as you receive the report on Rosemary Glass. The meeting with Une will be at 0900 hours; I hope you'll receive it before then. I'll be contacting Agent Carter to keep an eye out there in Mars while the two of you are away."

Noin nodded. "We got it."

Despite the grim atmosphere, Sally managed to give them a smile. "It'll be nice to see you two again. It's been a while."

"Yes, it has," said Noin, returning Sally's smile.

Relena vaguely remembered the events after the incident in the gas station due to her aching head. She only recalled noticing a gash on her left temple, Heero parking the car at an abandoned garage, and then the two of them walking for almost half an hour before arriving at what looked like a regular apartment complex. Everything after that became a blur to her. She probably guessed that she passed out from her migraine and exhaustion.

The next time she was fully aware of her surroundings, Relena found herself lying on a sofa bed and saw Heero at his desk, typing rapidly on his laptop. She took a minute to examine Heero, wearing his infamous green tank and dark blue jeans. His black jacket hung on his seat, and a pair of sneakers was neatly placed near his desk. Same old Heero – his fashion sense was for simplicity and comfort. Relena smiled at that.

She closed her eyes as she felt the gauze on her forehead. "Heero, how long have I been out?" Relena asked, voice raspy. She heard Heero pause from his typing and then felt his presence beside her.

Relena opened her eyes as Heero crouched down next to her on the couch. "Two hours. You hit your head pretty hard," said Heero as Relena gratefully took the bottled water he offered. "Drink this, then rest. We'll be heading to Preventers HQ early tomorrow morning."

Heero was about to stand up, but Relena placed a hand on his forearm. "Heero?" Relena felt a lump in her throat. "Thank you."

"Hn."

A small smile graced her lips. It was a typical Heero answer – something she realized she missed all these years. Relena looked around the small studio apartment; a small kitchen was adjacent to what she assumed was the bathroom. The place had little furniture: the sofa bed she currently occupied, a desk, a chest of drawers next to it, a fridge in the kitchen, and nothing else.

"Heero, where are we exactly?"

"We're in a safe house, just six hours away from headquarters," replied Heero. "Nobody can enter unless they provide a code. The location also helps us blend in with other civilians."

Relena nodded in understanding then moved on a sitting position. "Have you been here before?"

There was a slight pause before Heero took the space next to her on the sofa bed. He gave her a sidelong glance. "Sometimes. I use this as one of my hideouts in between missions. Preventers gave me access."

"I see," said Relena, giving Heero a questioning look. The mention of missions and Preventers made Relena wonder what Heero did during the years he was gone. She was tempted to ask him but thought better of it. It wasn't the right time. Besides, there were other, more urgent matters they needed to do, and her personal questions weren't a priority at the moment. Instead, she looked away.

Relena became momentarily lost in her thoughts that she mildly jumped when she felt a gentle tug on her hair. Relena looked at Heero as he lightly brushed his knuckles on her cheek. Relena remained still and silent, remembering a similar moment in the past when Heero had shown some semblance of affection and tenderness to her.

"Whoever they are… I will protect you."

Heero wasn't entirely sure where the urge came from – all he knew was that his body suddenly ached to have physical contact with Relena, who looked drained and confused.

"Relena…" he started, unsure of what to say.

Relena took his hand and covered it with her own. "Heero, I really don't know what's going on right now… the attempted kidnapping and all. But I'm so glad you're here with me."

A comfortable silence followed. "You look good with shorter hair," blurted Heero, completely surprising Relena and himself. Heero first noticed it when they were making their way to the apartment. She had opted for a hair length that was a little past her shoulders.

Relena felt her cheeks get warm. "I like it, too."

Heero noticed that her eyes were becoming heavy and eased her down on the couch. He grabbed her coat and placed it on her shoulders. Relena looked at Heero in gratitude.

"Get some rest," said Heero, walking back to his desk. Relena yawned and whispered a quiet "you too" before falling into a deep slumber.

Heero gazed at her. There were things he wanted to say – things he knew she wanted for him to say. He knew it the moment she looked at him with questioning eyes when he mentioned his missions for the Preventers. He knew Relena wanted to ask him where he had been the past three years, where he went after she offered him a sanctuary in her own home, or why she never heard from him.

He knew he owed Relena so many answers. Relena found the time to visit him at the hospital even though she and the ESUN busily rebuilt the organization after the conflict with Mariemaia and her army. Despite her obvious feelings for the pilot, Relena knowingly gave him space while he recuperated in a small hospital. The woman gave so much time and devotion to him that he believed he didn't deserve.

His laptop beeped, distracting him from his thoughts and diverting his attention from the sleeping girl. Within seconds, the face of Wufei Chang popped up on his screen.

"Is the line secure?" asked Wufei. Heero gave a curt nod. After a moment's pause, Wufei gave Heero a small smile. "It's been a while, Heero Yuy."

"Hn."

"How is Miss Darlian?"

Heero took a quick glance at her then back to Wufei. "She's resting. A small head wound and complaints of a headache, but it should be gone in a few days."

"Good. We've identified her attacker: Ben Anderson. No criminal history. He's under Preventer custody right now."

"Did he say who he was working for?"

"The guy is still unconscious, actually. What the hell did you do to him?" asked Wufei, his tone laced with slight amusement.

"He should be interrogated once he's awake. We need to find out where his accomplice is."

"That's the plan," said Wufei.

"There's something else you need to know," added Heero quickly.

Wufei raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"The Preventer assigned to Relena… Agent Greene, correct?" At Wufei's nod, Heero continued, "He needs to be found and put into custody."

"What?" shouted Wufei through the vidcom. Heero placed a hand on his lips to silence his friend as Relena stirred in her sleep.

"I'll explain when we get to headquarters," said Heero. He spared another glance at Relena's sleeping form. "Relena needs her rest."

"Right," said Wufei. His face became solemn. "We've got more bad news, Heero." His voice lowered, wanting to avoid being heard by Relena. "Two more ESUN officials are dead: VP Grace Pruitt and VFM Rosemary Glass. Both experienced a heart attack."

Heero stiffened. "When will Preventers receive their results?"

"Should be by tomorrow," replied Wufei. "Until then, we can't know for certain if…" Wufei left his statement unfinished, hoping Heero understood what he wanted to say.

Heero confirmed with a short nod. "I understand."

"We'll be expecting you and Miss Darlian here at headquarters at 0900 hours."

"Roger."

There was a pause on the other line. Wufei looked at Heero in gratitude and acknowledgment. "Good to see you back, Heero," Wufei said before cutting off communication.

Heero sighed. Things were already out of hand: a handful of ESUN representatives were dead from similar attacks, one of Relena's would-be kidnappers got away, and he still couldn't pinpoint who gave him the anonymous tip. Whatever these occurrences are, Heero's determined to figure out each of them before things really get out of control.

Une needed a painkiller or two to alleviate her migraine. Three folders with the current details of the death of the three ESUN officials were arranged neatly on her desk. After her emergency debriefing with Wufei and Sally, Une also learned that Relena Darlian was almost kidnapped and that her assigned bodyguard was possibly involved in her kidnapping.

She's in Heero's care right now. That was what Wufei said when he explained to her the girl's current situation. His words gave her relief; Relena was in good hands. Heero was trustworthy and was the best person capable of protecting Relena.

Now the biggest problem was making sense of the unfortunate and sudden deaths of Arthur Brown, Rosemary Glass, and Grace Pruitt. Sally had voiced her guess that the three deaths were connected and deliberate – three deaths of important officials within two days didn't look like a coincidence. Or is it? True, all three had heart attacks… what were the chances that three individuals who worked for the ESUN would suffer the same fate? Why would they be attacked? But until they receive the autopsy results in a day's time, they didn't have enough proof that all incidents were connected.

A loud bell started to alarm in her office that also reverberated in the hallways. Une immediately stood up, grabbed her pistol and walkie-talkie, and ran out her door. While a multitude of Preventer agents and other employees quickly walked past her towards the emergency exits, Une sought out Wufei and Sally whose shared office was in the same floor.

"Commander!" yelled Wufei, emerging from his office with Sally.

"What's the situation? Who triggered the alarm?" asked Une, her voice almost drowned out by the loud alarm.

"I set the alarm," said Sally. "A Preventer was found dead from a heart attack. It was Agent Lewis."

Une froze, unbelieving. One of her agents was dead from a heart attack. Could it be…? One look at Sally and Une knew they both were having the same thought: this isn't just coincidence anymore.

"Wufei, issue a lockdown of Preventers Headquarters," Une said in a commanding tone. "Nobody gets in or out of this building. All agents and employees are to assemble in the auditorium. No one is to leave the premises under any circumstances."

Une waved at another high-ranking Preventer. "Agent Rogers, I need you to take a small team and sweep the building for any suspicious characters or items."

"Ma'am?" asked Agent Rogers. The Preventer was baffled why his commander would go to such extreme measures.

Une closed her eyes momentarily. When she opened them, Wufei, Sally, and Agent Rogers saw the worry and fear in her eyes. "I believe, Agent Rogers, that the Preventers Headquarters is currently under attack."

A/N: I'm no scientist, so I wasn't sure how long it would take to travel from Earth to Mars. I searched on Google, and it said it can take 150-300 days, but for the purpose of this story, let's just assume the technology during the AC Era has made travel faster between the planets :)

Also, I'm aware that autopsy results can take weeks, not in a day or two as implied in my story. Let's just say technology in this timeline has made that happen!

In the last episode of the GW series, when Heero gave Relena the teddy bear, Relena's hair length was shorter (it was a bit past her shoulders) compared to her long hair throughout most of the series. IMO, I think she looked prettier with shorter hair!

Thank you for reading! As usual, reviews and constructive criticism are very much welcome!

Yours truly, HG

Edited: 2/11/18