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 IV: Cognate
[ December 5, AC 199 ]
Commander Une took the chair at the head of the table as most of the group took their seats, save for Trowa who returned to his prior post at the wall. Heero noticed Relena steal glances towards Zechs, surprised and anxious to be in the same room as her brother. If Heero remembered correctly, the last time the Peacecraft siblings were together was in Libra four years ago. He gave Relena's shoulder a gentle squeeze before joining Trowa's side, crossing his arms.
"These are the autopsy results for Mr. Arthur Brown and Madam Grace Pruitt," Une said as she motioned to the two folders in front of her. She took out a page from each folder.
"We have the results for Ms. Rosemary Glass as well," Noin said, handing a folder she was holding to Une. Une opened the third folder, sifted through the papers then took out a page and quickly read it. She then proceeded to group all three separate documents together and handed it to Sally who was sitting to her right.
While Wufei and Sally silently read each page, Une cleared her throat, "As you all know, all three ESUN officials suffered heart attacks. And I'm sure that most of you have your own assumptions and theories about these incidents. Some of you have already voiced out your opinions to me.
These heart attacks were indeed intentional. The coroner's office that performed the autopsy for Mr. Brown and Madam Pruitt found traces of a toxin in their systems. The same goes to Ms. Glass. As to what this poison is, it's still unidentified."
"We can contact the head of ESUN's Department of Security and Defense to help us identify this toxin," suggested Sally as she gave the papers to Duo.
"Yes, I was hoping you can accompany me to Luxembourg at 1500 hours today. We're going to visit the main DSD laboratory; the toxin samples were already brought there," explained Une. "I'm hoping they can help us identify the toxin."
"Of course," said Sally.
Une looked at Trowa then Quatre. "I was made aware about the incident this morning. As soon as the results come up, we will check if the poison matches the toxin in our case."
"Noin and Zechs, I apologize in advance… but I want you both to return to Mars to create an emergency plan for the Mars Terraformation Ceremony that will be held there in seven days. We don't know how long this investigation will last, so I don't want to take any chances," said Une.
"We understand, Commander Une," said Noin. Beside her, Zechs gave a silent nod but not before taking a quick glance towards Relena's direction, who didn't notice his action.
"We'll be taking the earliest shuttle back to Mars tomorrow," Zechs said, sparing another glance to his sister. This time, she met his gaze in surprise. Zechs saw a hint of disappointment in her eyes, but he couldn't trust himself.
Une looked at the former Gundam Pilots. "You all could not have come at a better time. Wufei and Duo, I want you both to continue with the investigation while Sally and I are away. Find any lead on who is behind these attacks." She focused on Trowa and Quatre. "If it isn't too much to ask, it would be a great help if you can be in this assignment with Wufei and Duo."
Quatre smiled. "I would love to help, Miss Une."
"I'm in, too," said Trowa. "I suppose I should contact Catherine to let her know I'll be absent in the circus for a short time."
"We'll also try to track down Greene and his other accomplice," offered Duo.
"I appreciate it," said Une. "Heero, I want you to be in this investigation as well. It would be great to have you on board."
"Affirmative," replied Heero. "If we discover the identity of Relena's kidnapper – the same man that wanted to poison Quatre – I want to be there to find out."
"Thank you," Une said, making eye contact with every individual in the room. Despite the amount of work ahead of them, it made Une feel reassured that she had a team she can trust and rely on.
"I do not see any serious concerns from your head injury," a Preventers doctor determined, examining the gash on Relena's forehead. "The cut is not deep, and you don't have any serious signs of a concussion."
Relena sighed in relief. "Thank you, Doctor York."
Nearby, Heero stood behind Relena, who was still in the same sitting position she was in when their meeting started. The rest of the group have filtered out of the room to tend to the duties assigned to them: Wufei, Duo, Trowa, and Quatre made their way to the headquarters' control center that has access to the world's largest data center and computer system. Sally was with Une in her office to make arrangements for their trip to Luxembourg, while Noin and Zechs quietly slipped out of the room.
When the doctor left, Relena heaved another sigh and looked at Heero. "I already sent a message to Pagan. He'll be here in 30 minutes to bring me home. Our bodyguard, Jacqueline, will be here as well; along with another Preventer agent that Commander Une has assigned to me for an indefinite time."
"I'll accompany you."
She shook her head. "My house is only half an hour away. Besides, Commander Une wants you to help here, Heero."
"I don't want a repeat of what happened yesterday."
"Heero, I trust Pagan with my life. Jacqueline is trustworthy as well, and she's capable of protecting me. I will be fine. Trust me."
Heero handed her a small memory card. "If you need me, just plug that to your cellular phone or your computer, and it should automatically connect you to my Preventers account. It'll be your main way of contacting me while I'm here."
"Just let me know how I could be of help."
"Relena…"
"Heero, I'm serious. Arthur, Grace, and Rosemary were my friends. I want to help bring justice to whoever did this to them. I can't just sit here–"
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Standing at the entrance was the tall figure of Zechs Marquise, his face impassive except for his eyes, which conveyed the uneasy and awkward feeling he was having at that moment.
"Milliardo…" breathed Relena. She slowly stood up but remained at Heero's side.
"Zechs," acknowledged Heero.
"Can I have a word with Relena?" asked Zechs. A curt nod and Heero was instantly gone from the room.
Despite all her eloquent speeches and oratory skills, Relena found herself unable to find the right words to say to the man standing before her. The last time she saw her brother was during her abduction by Mariemaia when Zechs and Noin – in their mobile suits – were fending off other mobile suits ordered by Dekim Barton.
"It's beginning to look like a sibling reunion will be next to impossible this time."
Relena closed her eyes. Mariemaia's words rang clear in her head; at that time, she honestly thought that she would never get the chance to see her brother again. After the Barton conflict, Commander Une had informed her of Zechs and Noin's destination: Mars. While she was grateful for their contribution to the Mars Terraformation, she was disappointed for all the missed opportunities to meet up with her brother every time she visited the red planet.
"You've grown, Relena."
"I could say the same to you," Relena said, opening her eyes. "You got taller."
"You look well."
"Yes. So do you, Milliardo."
The sound of his birth name coming from her lips stirred a feeling of longing and shame in Zechs. After the death of their parents and the fall of Sanc, Zechs abandoned the Peacecraft surname and his family's ideals when he joined Oz and took up weapons. He remembered her words to him during their confrontation in Libra.
"I don't know whether I'm being held in the arms of Milliardo, the kind brother I once knew… or in the bloodstained hands of Zechs Marquise."
Zechs took a step closer to her. "You called me 'Milliardo.'"
"Do you prefer a different name?"
"The last time we talked, you weren't sure whether to call me 'Milliardo' or 'Zechs,'" Zechs said with a slight hint of bitterness. Her words struck him then and had continued to plague his mind.
"You are my brother," she countered.
Zechs took a few more steps until he was an arm's length from Relena. "Listen, Relena. I… I want us to start over. The last time we talked… it wasn't the best time."
He voiced out what she was feeling the entire time. "I'd love that."
"I have to leave for Mars with Noin tomorrow morning," said Zechs. "But you'll be there at the ceremony, right?"
Relena's eyes shined with hope and optimism. "Yes."
"Then we can possibly–"
His sister read his mind. "I will ask my secretary to revise my schedule so I can take a week's worth of vacation in Mars."
Zechs smiled. "I'll see you then."
Relena's eyes twinkled as she suddenly enveloped her brother in a hug. Zechs quickly composed himself from the initial shock and returned her embrace, closing his eyes and putting his chin on top of her head.
"Thank you."
When Zechs accompanied Relena outside Preventers HQ, they found Pagan already waiting in a white sedan with three other Preventers nearby. A series of barks made the siblings look to their immediate left and saw Heero affectionately pet Relena's dog, a three-year-old German Shepherd.
Relena left her brother's side and went to the pair. Her dog immediately bounded forward to greet her, craving its owner's attention. Relena laughed and happily obliged.
"You know, Max isn't usually friendly with strangers," Relena said to Heero.
"Hn."
The dog bounced back and forth between Heero and Relena, wanting both of their attention. The action made Relena laugh again. "He likes you."
Heero remained silent, but Relena noticed his small smile. Nearby, after exchanging greetings with Pagan and giving instructions to the Preventers assigned to Relena, Zechs called out to her. "Relena, it's time for you to go home and get some rest."
Relena nodded and made her way to the car, followed by Max and Heero. She waved to her butler and the Preventers next to him. "Hi, Pagan."
"Miss Relena," greeted Pagan.
Relena turned to her brother and gave him another hug. "Call me when you and Noin are back in Mars."
"I will," Zechs said. Noticing that they've been hugging each other a while in front of the others, Relena nervously smiled and released her brother from her embrace. She marveled at how happy she felt the moment she started to patch things up with her once-estranged brother. Zechs must have been feeling the same way for he mirrored her smile.
Relena then turned to Heero. "Thank you, Heero."
"Call me when you need me."
"I know," Relena said, entering the backseat. Max gave Heero's hand a friendly lick then took the space next to Relena, putting his head on her lap. Relena gazed at Zechs and Heero, standing side-by-side as they watched her leave. A hopeful smile graced her lips as she waved goodbye to both men.
Heero and Zechs continued watching Relena's car until they lost sight of it when the vehicle rounded a corner. There was a tense silence as each man inwardly pondered what to say or do in each other's presence. The last time they were face-to-face, they were in their respective mobile suits and fighting each other in space.
"Zechs, nobody is strong. All of humanity is weak, and that includes us as well."
"You made it," said Zechs. "The last news I heard of you was that you were in the hospital after you destroyed the presidential mansion."
Heero observed the people passing them, but he concentrated on Zechs's words. The older man continued, "Thank you… for protecting my sister."
Just like with Relena, Zechs wanted to settle some unfinished business with the man his sister was fond of. He also knew Heero could never be far away from Relena. Zechs knew Heero's reason to protect his sister was beyond Heero's self-appointed mission of keeping the peace, whether the former 01 pilot was fully aware of it or not.
"Why don't you kill me?"
"Relena would be sad."
Zechs looked at Heero. "You care about her."
There was a pause. Then, "Yes."
Zechs stuck out his hand. Heero looked at it, made eye contact with Relena's brother, then shook the offered hand. With a stiff nod, Zechs walked off towards another car in the distance. From the driver's seat, Noin looked at Heero through her side-view mirror and waved at him. Heero nodded in acknowledgment.
As he was walking back to the Preventers building, Heero heard Zechs call out to him, "Heero! Relena is planning to take a vacation on Mars. Make sure it happens."
Heero quietly smiled to himself. "Mission accepted."
Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei stood in front of a room called High Priority Control Center, located in the basement of the Preventers Headquarters.
"Holy crap, I've never been in this room before!" commented Duo, pressing his face on the bullet-proof glass that enclosed the room.
The dimly lit room was rectangular in shape. A dozen desk stations formed three rows that spanned the room, with each station containing three to five touch-screen monitors, keyboards, multiple telephones, and other high-tech machines. Three bigger monitors lined the front wall.
"Not many people have access to this room," informed Wufei.
"It's only used for priority situations and high-level investigations," added Heero, who quickly caught up with the group.
"What the hell?" said Duo. "Don't go sneaking up like that. Jeez."
"Hn."
Heero swiped a keycard, typed in a password, then the whole room came alive – the glass doors unlocked, the room lights brightened, the monitors turned on, and the low hum of electricity resonated in the room.
Duo, Trowa, and Quatre - all three who have never been in the room before – walked around and surveyed the entire control center. Wufei already chose a station in the middle row and started to reread the files they received that morning while Heero remained standing near the entryway.
Duo inspected some of the gadgets that he found on one of the desks. "This room's pretty high tech. Wouldn't be surprised if this baby's got some state-of-the-art weapons, too."
At Duo's words, Heero walked to a dial pad on the left side of the wall. After typing another passcode, the wall vibrated momentarily then, seemingly in slow-motion, the white wall flipped and revealed the other side: a wall of weapons of different sizes and shapes.
"No way!" shouted Duo, running towards the wall. Quatre joined him to examine the stash. Heero stood nearby with his arms crossed.
"These aren't the usual Preventer-issued weapons," observed Quatre.
"No, they're too dangerous to use," said Heero. "That's why they're hidden here. Only a few select and trusted people know they exist. They will only be used under extreme situations. And I'm hoping it won't come to that."
Duo gave him a mock look of hurt. "Oh, I see what you're saying. I'm not trustworthy enough to know of this place. Ouch."
"Now you know."
Duo looked at him, eyebrow raised. "How do you know so much about this place anyway?"
"That's because he helped design and oversee its construction," said Wufei, his eyes never leaving the pages he was reading.
"It's quite impressive," complimented Trowa, choosing the station next to Wufei's and taking one of the folders offered by Wufei.
Quatre sat on a station in the front row. "Shall we get down to business then?"
"What's the plan?" inquired Trowa.
"We need to retrace the activities of all three victims before their deaths," Wufei responded. "I'll take on Arthur Brown's schedule. Duo, you take Grace Pruitt's. Quatre, yours will be Rosemary Glass. According to their reports, the toxin was already in their system twelve hours before the symptoms took effect. Examine their schedules carefully; check what their eating habits are. It must have been consumed via food or water."
"Aye aye, el Capitan," said Duo, grabbing the file on Grace Pruitt and making himself comfortable in the station next to Quatre's.
"Got it," said Quatre.
"I'll try to find any useful information on the server that tried to poison Quatre. I'm sure we can access the restaurant's surveillance, so I can find a good quality image of the guy and find a match in the system," offered Trowa.
"I'm going to continue tracing the anonymous tip I received that alerted me to Relena's kidnapping," answered Heero. "It could be connected to the investigation."
Quatre raised a question, "But if it is somehow connected and Miss Relena was also a target, shouldn't they have attacked her the same way they attacked the three ESUN delegates?"
"That's why I want to focus on tracing this tipper before anything else," said Heero, taking out a flash drive and settling on the desk station adjacent to Trowa's. "He or she must have information about the would-be kidnappers."
Duo put his arms behind his head and leaned back on his chair. He watched as Quatre meticulously read the file for Rosemary glass, saw Heero typing rapidly, noticed Trowa narrow his eyes at the computer screen, and almost laughed out loud when he saw Wufei wear his reading glasses.
Duo smiled, feeling thoughtful. The five of them started out differently and came from diverse backgrounds and life stories, but their destinies were meant to cross eventually, becoming the five renowned Gundam Pilots that helped bring peace and unity on Earth and the Colonies. Individually, they were strong and capable; but together, they were unstoppable.
Working together again after a long time, Duo felt high-spirited and cheerful. Despite their daunting task, he felt reassured knowing they had each other for support. They were a team – they always will be. Next to him, Quatre sensed his enthusiasm and gave Duo a knowing smile.
Duo grinned back. "Just like old times, eh?"
"What would you like for lunch, Miss Relena?" asked Pagan as he, Relena, and the two Preventer agents walked the steps to Relena's modest, two-story townhouse, located just thirty minutes away from the ESUN building and Preventers HQ.
Relena had bought the place shortly after she left her position as Vice Foreign Minister. Besides the usual kitchen, living room, and small dining room that most homes have, the townhouse had three bedrooms: the downstairs bedroom belonged to the aging Pagan; the master bedroom upstairs belonged to Relena, and the adjacent room to hers was the guest room, usually occupied by whichever Preventer was assigned to her. The place also had one carport and a small backyard, Max's favorite part of the house besides Relena's bed.
Relena yawned. "No, thank you, Pagan. I think I'm going to take a nap instead."
Her bodyguard, Jacqueline, introduced the other Preventer assigned to her for the day. "We will be here downstairs if you need anything, Miss Relena."
"Thank you, Jacqueline," said Relena, ascending the stairs with Max not far behind. As soon as she opened the door, Relena leaped on her bed and laid on her back, arms spread out over her head. Max gave out a bark and sat patiently at the foot of her bed, tilting his head curiously as Relena grabbed a brown teddy bear near her pillows.
"Come here, Max," Relena patted the space next to her.
In one leap, her dog joined her side and almost grabbed the stuffed animal with his mouth if not for Relena's quick reflexes. "Do you remember that boy that petted you earlier? His name is Heero. He's the one who gave me this teddy bear."
While Relena adjusted the blue ribbon on the toy and playfully struggled with Max who wanted the bear to himself, faithful Pagan took a moment's pause at the door to watch Relena, a smile on his face. For a 19-yeard old girl, Relena was wise and experienced beyond her years. Yet, seeing her like this, doting on a teddy bear that meant a lot to her than anybody will ever understand, he also saw the little girl that he helped raise like his own child. Relena was strong and intelligent, but she was also young and delicate.
"Miss Relena, your mother called this morning," he said. "She left a message to let you know that she is home safe from her visit at the L1 orphanage."
"I'm going to contact her tonight." Relena sat on her bed, smiling. "Pagan, it finally happened. I talked to Milliardo today."
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yes, but he's returning to Mars tomorrow morning."
"So soon?"
"I'm going to call Chris later this afternoon to have her change my schedule this month. I'm hoping to stay in Mars for another week after the ceremony."
Pagan nodded in understanding. "I can call Miss Chris for you, Miss Relena. Take a break. Mister Yuy made me promise to make sure you get enough rest."
Relena blinked. "Heero?"
"That boy cares for you."
Relena looked at the teddy bear in her hands. "He's the type who keeps his promises."
"Miss Relena, I will be leaving in a few minutes to go to the market for tonight's dinner. Do you have anything you would like for me to get while I'm out?" Pagan asked.
"No, thank you, Pagan," said Relana. She grinned. "I still have to take that nap."
The old butler chuckled. "If you need anything, Miss Jacqueline is downstairs."
"Yes, thank you."
"Come, Max," Pagan addressed the dog, "Miss Relena needs her rest." The dog barked in understanding and obediently left the room with Pagan.
When the door closed with a click, Relena walked to her closet, removed her clothes from yesterday, and put on a pair of lavender-colored pajamas. She gave a soft laugh at how absurd she looked wearing sleepwear in the middle of the day. With an exhausted sigh, she plopped down on her bed, covered herself with the quilt that her mother gave her, and was soon fast asleep, the teddy bear in her arms.
In what seemed like a few minutes, a beeping noise echoed in her room. Relena blearily opened her eyes and checked the clock on her nightstand, realizing she already slept for two hours. Stretching, Relena turned on her laptop and gasped loudly as she saw the person on the video feed.
A playful smile greeted her. "It's been a long time, Miss Relena."
"Sally, you're the best!" Duo uttered loudly as he made a mad dash on the pile of food she brought.
"Well, everybody needs to take a break now and then," said Sally. "Besides, it's lunchtime."
Unlike Duo, the other four didn't rush for the food. Heero and Trowa each took a water bottle; Wufei and Quatre took sandwiches. Sally regarded each young man and smiled. It's been a while since she's seen all of them in one room.
While the rest of the group went back to their respective stations with food in hand (with Sally joining Wufei's side to examine his researched information), Quatre brought his seat next to Heero who was typing various codes on his computer.
"Heero?"
"Quatre," Heero acknowledged, never leaving his eyes on the screen.
"How have you been, Heero?"
"Good."
"Where have you been all this time? We were wondering where you went off to after… well… after the conflict with Mariemaia Barton."
The typing stopped. "I've been on Earth."
"You've been on Earth all this time?"
"Mostly," Heero corrected.
Quatre leaned back on his chair. "It would be nice to see you here once in a while." A hesitant pause. "I'm sure Miss Relena would love that."
"There were things I needed to do first," Heero admitted. He looked straight ahead of him, gathering his thoughts. "There are things I still need to do."
Before Quatre returned to his station, he placed a comforting hand on Heero's shoulder. "Heero, you once told me that we have to stop worrying so much about the past and concentrate on the future instead (1)," said Quatre. "We've all had troubled pasts. But look at us now… Duo is a Preventer and is happily living with Hilde. Trowa found his home with the circus. Wufei found his calling in the Preventers. And I am happily involved in the Affordable Housing Project."
Heero remained silent.
"I think… it's time for you to follow your own advice, don't you think?" continued Quatre thoughtfully. "Miss Relena cares for you… a lot. And I know you care for her, too. I think it's time for you to figure out how you want her to be in your life, and you in hers."
Without another word, a smiling Quatre made his way back to his desk.
"Quatre."
"Yes, Heero?"
A ghost of a smile. "Thanks."
"Of course."
An alert popped up on Heero's monitor. With one click, Relena appeared on the screen, looking upset.
"What is it?" asked Heero. From the distressed look on her face, it wasn't good news. Heero grabbed his keys and jacket.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you… but, do you think you can come over? I received a message, but it's not meant for me. Well, not me alone."
"I'm on my way."
Heero's comrades stopped their activities and looked at him in question. "Is Relena alright?" Quatre asked, concerned.
"She received a message, but that's all she told me." Heero walked quickly to the exit. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Relena sat quietly on her bed, eyes focused ahead, but her mind focused elsewhere. If what the messenger said was true, then the gravity of the situation that was being investigated by Heero and co. was worse than they thought.
She heard the doorbell ring downstairs, and Max started barking. Grabbing a sweater from her closet, she walked to her door and pressed her ears against it. Relena heard Jacqueline greet Heero before leading him upstairs to her room.
"I'll take it from here," Heero said outside Relena's door.
"Yes, Mister Yuy."
Relena opened the door and ushered Heero quickly. While Relena made sure that nobody was outside her bedroom door, Heero examined her room, and his eyes flicked at a familiar object on her bed. The corners of his lips twitched.
"Thanks for coming on such short notice, Heero."
"Who sent you the message?" inquired Heero.
Relena sighed heavily and pointed to her laptop. "Heero, you remember Dorothy?"
(1) A scene from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Ground Zero
* DSD = Department of Security and Defense
* "(quote)" = flashback quotes
A/N: As much as I enjoy reading those humorous stories about Heero and Zechs pissing off each other, I wanted to take a different approach on what their relationship would be like after the series. Both men share something in common - Relena – and both men do seem to respect each other. I think Zechs sees Heero as someone who is the most competent and capable of taking care of Relena.
Thank you for reading and for your patience!
Thank you so much for all the reviews, alerts, and faves!
Yours truly, HG
Edited: 2/11/18