Author's Notes: This chapter is posting a lot later than I intended it to, and I'm sorry about that. There's been a lot going on recently - family drama, huge life-altering decisions and my one of my best friends losing her baby. H and I will be just fine, but it's been an emotionally grueling week. Thanks to my reviewers, who brightened my week when I really needed it.

sseattle: I really wanted to focus on the Zero System's effect because it has a lot to do with some of the changes Heero goes through in the next few chapters. I'm pleased that you thought 12 was one of my best.

Kaeru Shisho: I admit that I really look forward to hearing your thoughts each and every time. I'm happy that you feel the emotional resonance of the characters because I am always writing with that in mind.

Sadie Woods: I am glad you enjoyed Lady Une's appearance! I am always building towards my ideas of a post-canon and try to show not just what the boys think of each other, but also what key players in their future think of them too.

If this chapter makes your heart feel somewhat uncomfortable, then I think I've really done my job. For the most part, this is not a happy chapter - but I think the emotions behind the events transpiring will make the payoff in chapters fifteen and sixteen all the more sweet. If you read carefully, you might start to see the deeper effect that Duo has begun to have on Heero. Until next time, friends.

Chapter 13 - Clockworks(Episodes 26 & 29 - 30)

o/ You're probably sick of being tired
You can't find the strength to close your eyes
You can't let go
But you can't change everything
Stop laying in this burning bed /o

Sitting in the rubble surrounding Wing Zero and Mercurius, the limp body of Heero Yuy cradled in his arms, Quatre was aware for the first time in ages of exactly how exhausted he was. He knew that he probably could have escaped into space by now, but he really had no intention of ever getting back inside Wing Zero again. Not to mention how difficult it would have been to take Heero with me… and there's simply no way I could leave him behind.

Quatre reached with one gloved hand to brush a lock of hair out of Heero's face with a tenderness that surprised even himself. I owe him twice now… It was the first time they'd really met in person, and even though neither Trowa nor Duo had told him much about Wing's pilot, he somehow felt intuitively as if the other boy was already someone he could call a friend. If he forgives me… "I'm so sorry…" he whispered into Heero's hair, drawing back in surprise as he finally felt the other pilot beginning to stir. "Heero?"

"…Duo…" The name was hardly more than an exhalation as Heero's mind blinked back into activity, trying to assess where he was and why before actually trying to move. There was a door, a light… where am I? Not a Gundam. Not a bed. Heero opened his eyes, blinking in surprise at the close proximity of the face in front of him.

"Heero! Oh, I'm so glad you're awake!" Quatre's entire face brightened into a tearful smile and he impulsively hugged the other boy to him as tightly as he could, continuing to babble in fragments. "Didn't want to move you thought you might - concussion- I - I don't really remember what happened, just bits and pieces. I… I'm sorry? Thank you? Forgive me?"

Startled by the strength of the hug was currently receiving and not actually participating in, Heero quickly slid his hands between them, pushing Quatre firmly away. "Let go of me."

"Sorry!" Quatre gasped, releasing Heero and scooting back a few inches. They stared at each other in silence for a long moment before Quatre smiled weakly and held out a canteen.

Heero eyed the other boy warily, but he seemed completely different than the person who had been piloting that Gundam not long ago. "Thank you," he finally muttered as he reached for the canteen. "How much time has passed?"

"Maybe an hour?" Quatre replied as he gestured to the Mercurius. "I'm pretty sure judging from the transmissions I overheard from your mobile suit that OZ is on the way to pick us up. No one's tried to reach us from inside the colony, but I think our impact probably damaged the area too much."

Taking a long drink of water and debating plans of action, Heero finally scowled in annoyance at their situation as he handed the canteen back. "We're better off letting them cart us back to the Lunar Base. Duo and Wu Fei are there, even if Trowa is…" He trailed off as a stricken look appeared on Quatre's face. It was obvious that the blond felt horribly about what had happened, but it didn't mean Heero was going to apologize for anything he'd said. Still, there's no need to make him feel worse. Whether it was him or the mobile suit itself, something was obviously not right earlier.

"…missing," Quatre filled in when Heero paused. He took a deep breath to compose himself and then repeated the words. "Trowa is missing."

It was the last thing Quatre had a chance to say before OZ soldiers blasted their way into the area, but Heero was glad that the ride back to the moon gave him some time to process. With Trowa out of the picture, there was no cover to blow anymore, but also no inside source of information. It did not make the idea of remaining in captivity very appealing to Heero. Trowa called us redundant soldiers… but I don't believe this fight, this war, is really over.

The more Heero turned over recent events in his mind, the more he felt that the complete picture did not add up. Perhaps Trowa had been somewhat infatuated with the idea of Quatre coming to their assistance and had misjudged him? Heero might have believed that if he didn't also have Duo's impressions of the other pilot to measure against as well. Heero trusted Duo's assessment, and the braided pilot had called Quatre "a great guy", someone who was empathetic and intelligent. But how does someone go from rebuilding an African village to blowing up a colony? From trying to kill you to trying to save you? It doesn't make sense.

Heero glanced over at the blond, but Quatre's eyes were closed and his head was leaning at an awkward angle against the window of the shuttle. He looks… frail, and my assessment is that he hasn't eaten or slept properly in over a week. By the time they arrived at the Lunar Base, Heero had decided that he definitely needed to talk to Quatre alone and get to the bottom of the mystery. He nudged the other boy with his elbow as the shuttle docked and Quatre jumped, blinking and rubbing at his eyes.

"On your feet," one of the soldiers sitting opposite them sneered, grabbing Quatre by the arm and hauling him out of his seat. Quatre winced and glared at the man before shrugging him off, marching past him and down the gangplank defiantly.

Heero followed a step behind him, realizing as they entered the hangar that all three mobile suits had already been recovered. He felt Quatre momentarily freeze beside him with a sharp intake of air and then the blond was knocking the soldiers aside and running across the room towards the charred remains of Vayeate.

"Stop!" The soldiers still on their feet immediately starting shooting at Quatre's back, but a swift kick from Heero sent them all flying to the floor. Trigger happy assholes. Heero hadn't figured out what was going on with Quatre yet, but he felt no allegiance to anyone at this point other than a vague camaraderie with the other pilots, so it was more instinct than anything else that led him to watch Quatre's back. He also had the feeling that the other boy would have done the same.

Quatre didn't even hear the bullets ringing out behind him as he ran towards Vayeate. "Trowa!" His eyes filled with tears as he stared at the destroyed suit, even though he knew that Trowa was not inside it. "I'm the one that did this to you." Falling to his knees, he buried his face in his shaking hands with a choked sob, but it did nothing to alleviate the horrible burning knot in his chest. "Forgive me, Trowa…"

One of the soldiers was quick to get back on his feet and he whacked Heero in the side of the head with his gun, knocking him to the floor. "We have permission from Commander Tubarov to execute you Gundma pilots! Try that again and you can kiss your butt goodbye!"

Hearing the commotion behind him dragged Quatre out of his grief, and wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his shirt, he jogged back to the soldiers and knelt beside his friend. "Heero!"

Heero got to his knees, curling one hand into a fist as he and Quatre both turned to glare at the soldiers, but his retaliatory punch was aborted when more OZ soldiers suddenly flooded the bay, turning their guns on the group holding the pilots hostage. Is this… the growing division in OZ? Jumping to his feet, Heero strode forward, looking up at the line of soldiers. "What's going on?"

"If OZ wishes to hold the Gundam pilots hostage, then the Treize faction considers it our duty to free them!"

Quatre stood and walked forward to stand at Heero's side, not really sure what was transpiring. "I don't sense ill intent from them," he whispered to the other boy.

"Ah, Heero, you've returned." The sound of Dr. J's voice cut through the room and Heero turned his gaze to see the entire group of scientists standing on one of the platforms above them. "Why don't you both come along to the laboratory so I can brief you on the current situation."

"Understood," Heero muttered darkly. Quatre followed him up a flight of stairs and they accompanied the scientists down a hallway and through several sets of doors before reaching a room full of computer equipment and spare materials Heero knew were used for Gundam construction. But where are Duo and Wu Fei's Gundams? Something happened while we were gone. "I thought you were locked up."

"Circumstances have changed," Dr. J responded simply, gesturing to a chair in front of one of the computers. "Quatre, take a seat. We need to run a few tests."

Heero moved to lean against the nearby wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Dr. J and Professor G hook a series of wires up to Quatre's head. Dr. J never told Heero anything more than he felt he needed to know, and while it pissed Heero off, it was usually less trouble to just wait and see what he had to say before asking questions.

"Good," Dr. J muttered. "His brain waves haven't been affected."

"What does this test determine?" Quatre asked them warily. It almost seemed as if they were all avoiding his gaze and he was growing quickly uncomfortable. His memory of the past few days was spotty at best, but there was no way for them to know that when he hadn't told them so.

"We're checking how the cockpit system of Wing Zero influences the pilot's brain waves," Dr. J said.

"No problem," Instructor H cut in abruptly, finally offering Quatre a small smile. "That system is flawless."

Watching the test screen out of the corner of his eye, Dr. J turned to address Heero. "A decision was made by the Romefeller Foundation to confine Treize Khushrenada. As a result, OZ's forces have split into two factions."

"Lady Une has been shot.," Professor G added. "We don't know whether she's dead or alive. But Romefeller regards her as an offender."

"The other two pilots, Duo Maxwell and Wu Fei Chang, escaped during OZ's internal unrest," Dr. J continued. "But both of their Gundams are still only 80 complete."

"They only need minor adjustments, though," Professor G amended. "With a little time those two pilots can probably finish the Gundams themselves."

So Duo and Wu Fei are gone, which gives even less reason to stick around here. Heero opened his eyes and asked, "How about Trowa Barton?" He watched as Quatre, wires now removed, swiveled his chair and looked anxiously from Heero to Dr. J, who now had his back them.

"He's been MIA since the Vayeate was destroyed. Probably dead."

"The possibility of his surviving is very low," Professor G agreed and turned away with a sigh, still clicking away at the computer in front of him. "Our force will be diminished. But that can't be helped."

"And that's our current situation," Dr. J concluded. "Did you get all that, Heero?"

"Got it," he muttered, glancing away. He'd seen Quatre flinch at Dr. J's response and found that the swift dismissal of Trowa's fate bothered him just as much.

"Now I'll explain the Treize faction on this base…" Dr. J started, but was interrupted by Quatre jumping up in alarm.

"Wait a minute!" he demanded, his turquoise eyes trained on Dr. J's face in determination. "Please look into Trowa Barton's whereabouts!" He curled his hand into a fist over his heart, his voice tight. How can they disregard Trowa so easily? "I know he's alive! There are lots of colonies in that area! I know he'd be able to survive!"

"That's some personality…" Professor G responded in surprise, stopping his work for a moment to turn and gaze at Quatre's outburst.

Dr. J's expression had darkened as he stared hard at the emotional boy and his response was clipped. "A little questionable for a soldier."

"That's why the Gundam Zero ended up in enemy hands even with that system installed," Doktor S finally spoke up.

"What?" Quatre asked, turning to look back at the other three scientists.

This time, it was Instructor H who spoke up, knowing it was in his laboratory that Quatre had found the plans to finish the Zero system. "The system amplifies and controls brain waves for fighting. It also brings battle results greater than the pilot could normally ever achieve."

"It would have been okay if the pilot saw OZ as the enemy," Doktor S agreed with a frown. "But the mind-warping side effects caused a target error."

Although Instructor H and Doktor S had placed the blame on the system's mind-warping effects, Dr. J turned to Quatre and quite coldly pushed the blame back at him. "The pilot was incomplete as a soldier so he attacked his very own allies. Extremely regrettable."

"Especially since the Vayeate, Mercurius and new Gundam could've demolished the Lunar Base at once," Professor G added, looking away to avoid having to watch the guilt cascading across Quatre's face.

"Because of your training, your athletic abilities and tactical imagination are brought to perfection," Master O cut in, but Dr. J wasn't about to let him interrupt the lecture.

"But as soldiers, you're far from perfect, mentally. This latest incident has made that flaw very clear." He shifted his gaze from Quatre over to Heero, who had refused to comment on anything they were saying. "You must become perfect soldiers! Otherwise, you won't survive the golden age of the mobile dolls." He adjusted his glasses as he and Heero stared at each other. "Or if you'd rather, go insane! That's what wars do to people!" Reaching to pick up a stack of files, he turned and swept out of the room.

Not about to let him have the final word, Heero eased himself off the wall, nodded to the rest of the group and followed him out the door. Dr. J was already halfway down the hallway, but it took Heero only a moment to catch up. "Dr. J."

"Heero, I'm disappointed," Dr. J responded before the pilot could say anything else. "Those three suits could have, should have taken out this base. Quatre is obviously too unstable to pilot Wing Zero, so I want you to take over."

"You need to give Quatre a break," Heero muttered sharply, reflexively.

Dr. J stopped walking immediately, turning to examine Heero dubiously. "Since when is anything other than the mission of concern to you?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Heero stared at Dr. J with his usual blank and unaffected expression. I don't know why it matters to me or even exactly when it started mattering… I just know that it does. "I just think that you need to give Quatre a break. The others clearly stated that the Zero system has mind-warping effects. Quatre blames himself enough for what happened."

"As well he should!" Dr. J responded, his eyes narrowing as he peered at Heero from over the tops of his glasses suspiciously. "He was a complete failure! And if he can't move on from this situation, then he will be of no further use to us!"

Heero ground his teeth as he listened to Dr. J, wanting more than anything to simply punch him in the nose. Why am I even listening to him? The missions, the directions… they stopped a long time ago. He has no more knowledge, no more power, no more understanding of what to do next, than I do. It's obvious and written all over his every word. "Right," he finally answered, not caring if the scientist heard the sarcasm in his tone. "Because we're things that can be discarded once you deem them too broken to continue using?"

Dr. J was silent for a long time as they stared at each other stubbornly. "He is a soldier," he finally stated, letting the rest hang in the air unsaid – all the things he thought a soldier should and shouldn't be. Heero had known for years what they were, but found he disagreed with the list more and more as time went on.

Heero waited until Dr. J had turned to walk away before answering. "Even so, he is a soldier who has a heart… which also makes him human." Dr. J didn't pause in his movements, continuing to hobble down the hallway as if he hadn't heard Heero's response. "Your jurisdiction over the path this is taking?" Heero called after him. "It's over now." This time, he didn't even bother to wait for the response he knew wouldn't come, but turned to head back into the laboratory.

The group of scientists had dispersed while Heero was gone, leaving Quatre to stand alone in the center of the room, staring blankly at the wall, dazed and unfocused. "Quatre?"

Quatre had remained rooted to the spot he'd been standing in when Dr. J had torn into him, barely noticing the departure of the others. The words flawed and regrettable kept circling in his mind. They are right, though… we could have destroyed the base and I ruined it by attacking my allies…how could I have messed up this badly? It was only the light touch of a hand on his shoulder that finally interrupted his internal tirade. "Heero?"

"Don't listen to them." Heero stared at Quatre, watching the layers of conflicting emotion in his expression. "Stop blaming yourself."

"But it was my fault that--"

"You heard the same explanation I did about the mind-altering effects of the Zero System."

"True, but I--"

"You said yourself that Trowa is alive." Heero wasn't sure he believed that himself, but he latched on to the idea as something that might help re-focus the other boy. "Decide your path for yourself and don't listen to the shit they spew."

Quatre nodded, more to himself than Heero as the other pilot brushed past him and sat down at one of the computers. I've always made my own choices, even when they conflicted with those of my father or Instructor H. I know Trowa is alive. I feel it. Buoyed a little by Heero's comments, he took a step towards the computer to peer over the other boy's shoulder.

Heero was glad when Quatre seemed to snap out of his daze, as he really wasn't sure what else to tell him regarding Dr. J and the others. He needed to focus on what to do next and Quatre had information he needed to make his decision. "What's your opinion of the Wing Zero system?"

"I have no idea," Quatre murmured softly, studying the specs with Heero. Part of the Gundam had already been built and abandoned, so he'd simply followed the schematics to complete it. "I never knew that unit had been completed. I was focusing on the large beam cannon and didn't pay attention to the cockpit system."

If he had no knowledge of the cockpit system and it really has the abilities they stated earlier, then it's no surprise that it overwhelmed him. "The beam cannon hasn't been retrieved yet. The main weapons are the beam saber and the wing vulcans on its shoulders." Heero's words were more a statement than a question, so Quatre didn't bother to answer it.

It was quickly sounding as if Heero intended to pilot Wing Zero, but Quatre wondered what he was planning to do with it. Head back to Earth? Go after OZ? Romefeller? "Heero, are you planning to fight?"

Perceptive. Heero turned in his chair, deciding to give Quatre his honest answer. "In either case, we can't leave Gundam Zero in enemy hands."

Recognizing Heero's indecision on the matter as the truth, Quatre thought it was best to be just as up front. "Heero. I've been wondering who our allies are and who our enemies are in this war." He'd never been one to hide his feelings, and he was damn sure by now that the only allies he could really trust were the other pilots. I think maybe I've known that since the night Duo helped defend the Maguanacs with me before we went to Africa. Quatre looked down sadly and his next words were hardly more than a whisper and surprisingly vulnerable. "I get confused thinking about it."

"Quatre…" Heero looked up from the computer to meet the other boy's eyes, surprised at how similar their thoughts were. With the colonies' acceptance of OZ and now the division within OZ alongside the scientists' cold treatment of them, Heero knew exactly how Quatre felt. "The ones after your life and the targets you try to defeat are the enemy."

Does he mean that we must figure the answer out for ourselves? "But what if we're mistaken?" Quatre pressed in agitation.

"Quatre," Heero said softly. "We're not mistaken. But it's possible that this period of war has gone nuts."

"People just keep fighting!" Quatre's hands balled up into fists at his side and he angrily blinked back the tears that threatened to fall again. "I don't even think anyone knows who or what or why they are fighting anymore! Trowa called us redundant, and maybe he's right!"

An hour later, Quatre's words were still echoing in Heero's mind as he climbed into Wing Zero to run another round of Dr. J's tests. At first, it was the same as piloting Wing, but after a few minutes, Heero's thoughts seemed to blur like watercolor run together with the endless streams of data the Gundam fed him until he had no control. "My enemies are the ones after my life…and the ones that toy with it…" Images, memories and desires, words and sounds and touches, everything was spinning around, playing on Zero's monitors in an endless variation of possible futures. Nothing is certain…

Quatre's words sliced through the cacophony of noise.

"This war won't end if people keep fighting on their own!

I don't want to lose anything else that's important to me!

You lose sight of the target when you fight alone!"

Heero blinked as his eyes registered Quatre's face in the monitor and as he was hitting the switch to open Wing Zero's cockpit, he thought that he could smell apples.

o/ Time's gonna warn you with a whisper
What it wants to let you know
You can't live in fear of the things that aren't for sure
So stay alive by playing dead /o

Sally Po was extremely pissed off.

"Just be thankful you got a fireplace. The new OZ is a warm-hearted organization." The soldier in the doorway gestured to the lush furniture and the roaring fire behind her, but she wasn't fooled.

"You're only treating me like a special guest until you confirm what's in the carrier, I suppose?"

"We were told to watch for rebels who would help the Gundam pilots once they took action," the soldier sneered. "But we didn't expect to get our hands on a Gundam!"

The man closed the door behind him and Sally sighed, already working at the ropes binding her hands behind her back. I've gotten out of worse scrapes. "So it's true that the Gundam pilots have returned to Earth," she mumbled to herself. "I've gotta make sure I deliver it to them. Damn. More and more nations are taking sides with Romefeller. It's gonna be a rocky road."

She had just managed to work the rope over the knuckles of her left hand, loosening the overall bind, when the entire building was rocked by explosions. Sensing the perfect opportunity for escape, she yanked hard, giving herself rope burns as she finally freed her hand. "Got it!"

Suddenly, the window shattered behind her and Sally turned in surprise to see a woman standing in the window frame with a large gun slung over her shoulder. "Who are you?"

Noin studied the woman tied to the chair in front of the fireplace. It was far too late to do anything but trust her if she had any hope of retrieving the Gundam she suspected OZ was after, but she wanted to gain trust in exchange for giving it. "I want the truth," she finally exhaled after a moment. "Is that the real thing at the bottom of the sea?"

She's not with OZ. "I might tell a lie so that you'll free me," Sally responded cheekily, sliding the now loose rope off of her other wrist behind her back.

Noin wasn't sure what to make of that response, so she simply continued with the truth. "I wanna retaliate against Romefeller, so I need the Gundam. You're fighting the same enemy. So decide if you wanna negotiate."

Sally laughed at the brusque response and stood up, holding out both hands to show that she'd already broken free. "An enemy of OZ is an ally of mine, but does that also make you a friend to the Gundams?"

Noin cracked a smile at this, reaching out a hand to grasp Sally's tightly, pulling her into the window frame. "That might be a piece of the truth," she replied coyly, now even more sure that they were on the same page.

The door burst open and Noin immediately began shooting at the entering soldiers. "My time's run out!" Sally exclaimed and Noin nodded.

"Let's go!"

The two women jumped out of the window together, landing in the back of a truck parked underneath it. Noin tossed her gun to Sally, rolled through the open window into the cab, slid into the seat and revved the engine. The pair worked seamlessly as Sally defended and Noin drove the truck straight out of the OZ compound, taking down a few fences along the way. It was only after they were outside the city that Sally climbed into the cab to sit beside Noin.

They drove in silence for awhile, each observing the other, until Sally finally broke the silence. "I'm a friend to the Gundams."

"I thought so," Noin said softly. "I'm heading to where your carrier went down."

"I pray that we make it in time."

Noin's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as a sudden rush of hope filled her. "So it IS real then. That's why the enemy built up so fast." Her constant observation of OZ's movements had finally paid off.

"It's the one OZ referred to as 01," Sally nodded, then asked. "You said you wanted the Gundam to save yourselves. What country are you from?"

Noin hesitated for a moment, but she didn't feel like bringing Sanc into the equation was the right move to make yet. Relena was in enough danger already. "I can't tell you yet. I will say that it's resisting Romefeller. So it could be attacked at any time. The ruler of the nation is indispensable for the future…and is capable of bringing true peace to this world."

Sally was no fool and had a pretty damn good idea of who Noin was referring to with that description, but she kept her assumptions to herself as she turned to give the other woman a curious look. "Do you expect to win against Romefeller with just the Gundams?" I knew there were still other dissenters out there.

Noin stopped the truck and turned to look at Sally, catching the subtlety in her tone. This woman has the utmost faith in those boys, doesn't she… Has she come to the same conclusions as me? Sally was waiting patiently for an answer as if she already knew what Noin was going to say. "I'm confident in its pilot. He'd defeat Romefeller's ambitions."

For her honesty, I can only give her the same in kind. "As acquaintances of the Gundam pilots, you and I tend to overdo things."

"It's risky to depend on them too much," Noin relaxed, finally opening up a little. "But at the moment I want their help."

Sally nodded as she turned to face forward again. "Nobody wants to get involved in wars." She closed her eyes and sighed, acknowledging to herself for once how long she'd been on the run. "But those who have the ability to fight should fight. At least that's what I think. I'm reluctant to use the word "righteous". But the word suits those kids." She opened her eyes again and looked up at the rusted metal ceiling of the truck. "Calling them righteous might really be a sad thing, since it forces them to act like modern heroes. I want to follow them. If I do, it's unlikely I'll take a wrong path."

"I feel much the same," Noin gave her a small and wistful smile. "There's a purity to their hearts, I feel… they know intuitively the right way forward. Maybe it's chance, maybe it's destiny - the universe's gears clicking away like clockworks… but I feel that they, like the ruler of my country, will have a strong hand in carving a peaceful future."

Sally thought quietly of Heero and Wu Fei, two young men that were so different, and yet so alike, and felt that she and Noin might just be walking the path alongside them. "Then you and I, no matter we go, we'll know that we are not alone. And soon, I believe, they will come to see that as well."

o/ Still there are lines for us to write before we close our eyes
And only time will tell the ending when the ink runs dry
Time will tell everything
It's ever so quiet counting down /o

Heero didn't recall his last moments inside Wing Zero until several days after the events at the Lunar Base, when Quatre handed him an apple.

"I bought a few from Johann, the man I told you spoke to me about Sanc? You should eat something. I'm sure you haven't eaten since the last time we ate together." Accepting the apple and taking a bite, Heero was quiet as Quatre studied him with furrowed brow. "You've survived another battle."

It was no surprise to Heero that Quatre was frustrated with him, but he didn't intend to acknowledge it. Quatre had made the decision to take the unconscious Heero with him to Earth after destroying Wing Zero and Mercurius, but that didn't mean Heero had any intention of letting someone else make his decisions for him. It had been acceptable to work with Quatre to sabotage the fleet of OZ ships not long after their arrival, but they'd parted ways when Heero had stubbornly insisted on supporting the Treize faction in an OZ raid yesterday.

Perhaps a mistake, but a lesson well-learned. Heero had realized that the Treize faction's methods were no better than the rest of OZ the moment he'd figured out that there had been no civilian order to evacuate. Not that he was going to admit that to Quatre either. The blond would only think he'd been right about staying out of OZ's disputes and Heero didn't think it was that simple. Even though he was now aware that one side was no better than the other, it was still Romefeller's OZ that had issues the execution orders for the Gundam pilots. He wasn't sorry that he'd gotten involved.

In the end, he'd only gone with Noin and Quatre because he now knew that Noin had Wing. He hadn't had the chance to go looking for what he'd left hidden in the ocean weeks ago, and now he didn't have to because she'd had already retrieved it. He wondered if Zechs had anything to do with it, as he hadn't heard the name pop up in any recent OZ reports.

"Heero? Are you even listening to me?" Quatre tilted his head in concern at the overly distant behavior of his friend, who hadn't been the same since the incident with the Zero System. He himself had not quite recovered from his own experience with it, and he wished that Heero would talk to him about what the Gundam had shown him. "I'm glad you changed your mind and decided to accompany me to Sanc Kingdom."

Heero wasn't actually listening to Quatre, but he nodded and took another bite of the apple, chewing thoughtfully. This division in OZ is sure to affect what's going on in the colonies. By the time I retrieve Wing, maybe the truth about OZ will finally start to surface. Quatre could preach all he wanted about Sanc Kingdom's supposed pacifism, but Heero knew that there would be no end to this war until the people creating more weapons were defeated. "I'm not staying, Quatre."

"Well…" Quatre crossed his arms over his chest in a disappointed huff. "Maybe I can't change your mind, but I've heard that there's someone else willing to try."

Heero shrugged, getting up to toss out the apple core as Noin informed them that they were about to start landing. Catching Heero's faint limp, Quatre jumped up to support him and they walked together to the door of the shuttle. "Heero…"

Wing's pilot didn't seem to hear Quatre at all, and froze mid-step. Perched with one elbow on the end of the railing at the bottom of the stairs leading to the pavement, Relena stood supporting her chin with one hand, an amused smile on her face.

o/ Write it on the walls and read it
Blood red so you can see it
Life leaking out
Write it on the walls and read it
Until there are no secrets
So safe and sound
At least for now /o

Up Next: Chapter 14 - Two Points for Honesty