A/N: Can't believe this adventure is almost over. It's been a wild ride, and though it's taken basically 3 years now, WYRAS is one chapter away from being finished!

Enjoy, read and review!
-picimadar

When You Run Among Shadows
Chapter 22: Soon

"Relena, stop pacing. It's gonna be fine. Just sit and eat something, please?" Relena barely registered that she had heard Trowa at all, lifting her head in his direction slowly before continuing to walk over her small piece of floor.

"Something isn't right…" she whispered, and she furrowed her brow hard as she continued to walk. "There's no way they could not have noticed by now. Do you two just regularly disappear?" Looking up at Neil and Heero, she rolled her eyes. "I guess that was a stupid question."

"Why are you so stressed out? Nothing bad's even happened. Wufei and the others should be here in less than three hours. Please, just eat. This is going to be hard enough without it." Relena shook her head, clasping her hands behind her back.

Heero stood up, grabbed the now cooling plate of food and approached Relena. Taking her shoulder, he pushed her toward a chair, sat her down and put the food in her lap. "Eat. You wearing a hole in the floor is making me insane." Staring at him, mouth open, Relena didn't protest. Beginning to eat, she still looked deep in thought.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Pattie asked, watching Relena carefully from where they sat at the kitchen table.

"I have no idea. She's beyond the breaking point, now. We need to get her out of here." Trowa ate slowly, watching her as well.

"Do you think she'll go back to work, after all this?"

Trowa shook his head. "I don't know. Honestly, by now… I hope not. She needs a break. She needs stability, and for years now she just hasn't had it." They all nodded, understanding the woman's predicament. Many members of L'Ombre had fought in one of the wars or were involved with politics; they could understand the sacrifice and thanklessness of taking a job such as hers.

"Shit!" Middie shouted, taking her phone out of her pocket, it ringing lightly. "Yeah? Sweet. Okay. Well, how are you gonna get in? Yeeaaaaah, that's my boy. Alright. I've got people at the main port, see if we can't get you in that way." Hanging up, Middie looked at Relena. "Was Wufei. Said if he can't get in they'll just blow the door open. You think she's stable enough to give an address?" Neil and Trowa looked at her and back to Relena. "Yeah, that's probably a 'no'… oh well, no choice, I'm afraid. Hey, Lena!" Pushing her chair out, Middie knelt down in front of her friend.

"You ready to talk to these people?"

"No," Relena replied forcefully after swallowing what she could choke down of her meal.

"Well, how about you just talk at them? We're going to make it a one-way address. Simon has it set up in the other room for you. We'll just highjack vidcoms for a few minutes, you say what you need to say and that'll be it." Relena nodded, putting her plate down on the floor and following Middie out of the room. The others followed as well, curious as to how Relena would deal with the situation.

"Okay, Miss Relena," the man named Simon said, adjusting a headset off one ear. "I've got it set up, we're just waiting on you. You've got a little while until Wufei can get in, so there's time if you need to… get it together, so to speak."

Relena shook her head slowly. "No, it's fine. I know what I have to do. Thank you." Simon nodded and gestured for her to take a seat.

"Alright. You've done this all before, Lena. Win us some hearts. Five…" counting down, Simon finally waved to her, and Relena began, once again, to speak.


"Hey, our communications went down!" A younger agent yelled, and several let out sounds of agreement.

"No, wait. It's not down… something's coming in." Looking at his commanding officer, the young man waited until Wufei nodded.

"Let the signal in. I think I know who it is." The screens turned on, and Relena Darlian appeared in the flesh, drawing gasps and surprise from the other agents.

"Hello. I am ESUN Foreign Minister Relena Darlian, and this is a broadcast to the citizens of the colony X-18997. At Christmas, 199, I was kidnapped and kept forcefully and against my will in prison by colony representative Lawrence Lavie and a group of his followers, citizens of your colony. During this time I was beaten, interrogated and assaulted as they attempted to extract information from me regarding the system for 'acquiring' other colonies. Lawrence Lavie wishes to, essentially, conquer other colonies in his name; other colonies who, too, have chosen to remain separate from the ESUN and are thus unprotected by any official group. In doing so, he hoped to solidify his power in space.

"Because I did not tell him, nor sign the paperwork that would ensure him as your permanent President, I was kept in terrible conditions for nearly two months. Pushed to that point, I escaped, causing the death of one of the men who guarded me. I was kept in the care of a man I believed to be dead, a former agent of the Preventers and a trusted agent of your own Representative. He protected me and brought me back to health, and for that I'm very grateful. Since then, I have come in contact with sympathizers among you, people who object to the plans Lavie has for your colony and, as such, for you."

Relena nodded to someone off screen before continuing, her voice narrating, as several photos, short videos and shots of the blueprints appeared onscreen. "For the past year, at the least, Lavie and a crew of specially trained mechanics and engineers have been constructing a device, hidden within the inner maintenance workings of this colony. This device, as you see, is highly complex. It is manufactured with the express purpose of holding a chemical which, when humans contact it, quickly sterilizes whoever comes into contact with it, rendering them incapable of reproduction. Lawrence Lavie intends to send these capsules to Earth, ensuring that those who live there peacefully, accepting the ESUN and living with pacifistic leaders, would be unable to pass these beliefs onto their children."

Agents began to murmur amongst themselves, worrying now. "We are aware that this colony by nature is a home of many who sacrificed their well-beings during the Eve war and the Barton rebellion, and as such you feel the need to protect your identities and feel safe with your beliefs. No one on the Earth Sphere or the ESUN wishes to take from you. Before I left to visit this colony, I submitted this." A new document splashed on the screen.

"This is an act that, when passed, will change the definitions of the War Criminals Act. It will ensure that soldiers, especially child soldiers and those protecting the colonies, will be freed and ensured safety under the law. You can live as free men and women, but only if your colony allies with the ESUN. If your colony maintains independent status, you will not be eligible within the statutes of this law.

"This is the proposition I am making to you. Help us depose Lavie, take hold of his law and the protection of the ESUN, and live peacefully as you have. Those of you who wish to aid the effort by the Preventers may do so easily. The spaceports will be open; those of you who wish to leave may do so. For those who wish to stay and aid Lavie, there will be no escape. If it comes to violence, you will be defeated, and those who survive will be tried to the full extent of the law. It is your choice, as it has always been. Thank you."

The screens quickly turned back to black, leaving many young and older agents staring at Wufei questioningly. "Well, you heard her! Let's get in there!"

"Damn, this is exciting!" Middie said, sitting in the passenger seat of a different vehicle, Trowa, Relena, Neil and Heero traveling along with her. "That was a damn good speech, lady! You sure know how to pump up a crowd."

"That wasn't the point, Middie," Relena said exhaustedly. "Either way, it obviously worked."

"How can you tell?" Neil asked, looking out the window curiously.

"The streets are empty. If they knew we were coming and wanted to stop us, they'd be storming us by now. We can only help that people have either left or met at Lavie's tower of insanity by now."

Trowa looked in the rear-view mirror. "Tower of insanity? Really?"

"There's no better name for it," Heero said, surprising them all, neatly ending the conversation until they, too, arrived near the spaceport, ready to meet with the incoming troops.

Bella's insurgents were the first to arrive, herself and her sister both outfitted with bulletproof armor and their own weapons. "Miss Relena! I'm so happy you're safe!" Dorothy shouted, flitting over and wrapping her arms around the younger woman, her one hand still occupied with a large handgun. "Look at all this!" she said again, motioning behind her to the group of men and women, line after line of uniformed family.

"Sicilian Mafia?" Heero asked, and Bella nodded, smiling behind her sunglasses.

"Don't worry, we're fighting with you guys, for now. Personally, I'd like to see the offspring of our little Doratia. Can you imagine!" Relena rolled her eyes as Heero watched her, clearly only now recalling the similarities in the two sister's personalities.

"We appreciate the help, Bella," she said, kissing the older woman's hand. Bella in return kissed hers, marking her as an equal. "Now, have the Preventers arrived yet?" Gunshots were heard in the distance, and Relena ducked compulsively, the others crowding around her, drawing their own weapons for protection. "They're here, docking and unloading their agents to they can take the surviving civilians out of here… Speak of the devil." Turning as though she had a sixth sense, Bella looked over her shoulder at Anne Une, smiling coyly as she approached. Opening her mouth to speak, she was interrupted by the Preventer Commander.

"Not now," was all she said to the woman, dismissing her and instead turning back to her groups of agents who were lining up nervously along with those loyal to the Catalonia family. "As you can see, there are already hundreds of families ready to get the hell out of this place. Some of you will stay and help them, the rest of you are going to go along with your officers and patrol the colony, rounding up insurgents before rendezvousing at the colony tower." Pointing to the massive landmark, the Commander stood at attention. Hundreds of hands raised in salutes before the men and women marched off, working in tandem to clear the massive space.

Wufei joined the group, walking up and sweeping Relena into a completely unexpected hug. Relena, recovering quickly, laughed into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him and smiling. "I can safely say I've never been this happy to see you!" she said through happy tears, and the rest of the group nearest her laughed along with them.

Wufei smiled slightly, stepping to the side. "There's more where this came from." Behind him, Duo Maxwell and Quatre Winner joined them, passing by where they had waited, speaking to the Commander. Relena practically shrieked as she ran to Duo, jumping into his arms. He kissed her on both cheeks before passing her off to Quatre, who hugged her shyly and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Miss Relena," he said, pulling her in for another hug.

"Quatre, if you call me that again, especially on a day like today,… I'll have to strangle you." Quatre paled as Duo let out a booming laugh, putting his arm around the young woman.

"Well, good to see you're back in fighting shape, but I think we gotta get this show on the road. You driving?" Duo asked, nodding to Trowa. They piled into a few SUV's, heading quickly for the epicenter of their attack: the Tower.

It wasn't until they had arrived that Relena realized Heero was gone.


Breathing hard, Heero practically dove in the door at Lavie's command center. No one stopped him on the way, assuming that he was there to help them beat back the massive number of enemy forces that were parked on their doorstep.

"Li, I need you for a moment," a familiar voice called, and Heero stopped running, looking down the hall for the owner. Lavie stood waiting for him at the end of the hall, his arms crossed in front of him. Heero approached warily, hyperaware of the feeling of cold metal against his back where his hastily 'borrowed' handgun pressed against his skin. He followed Lavie into the room and looked at the older man. "So, I assume you knew this was coming, Yuy," he said, facing away from him, slouching as though there was a weight on his shoulders.

"Yes," Heero said, unsure if the man was expecting his answer.

"Well, you can kill me, if that's what you're after." Turning to face him, Lavie looked exhausted, but also angry. "What are you waiting for? I'm sure it would gain you all the favor in the world with your precious princess."

"I made a promise to her. I don't plan on breaking it over someone like you," he said, turning away from the older man. "Your time here is over, Lavie. Turn yourself in and tell your people to do the same. It's the only chance you have." Leaving the office, Heero closed the door behind him, taking in the din and panic centering at the Tower. He headed further into the central portions of the complex, finding a pair of stairs and running up them, taking two at a time. It has to be in here, somewhere. If I were Lavie, where would I hide it? He reached the Eighth floor quickly, sweat trickling down his brow, matting his dark hair against his face. Pushing it aside, Heero walked down the abandoned hallway, searching through room after room of boxes, abandoned offices, and storage closets, before reaching the one he needed.

"Here you are," he whispered, stepping inside. The room was entirely unlit save for one large, LED-light bomb sitting squarely on what had once been Lavie's desk.


"Relena, get down!" Duo barked, pushing her over with him in what had once been the parking lot of Lavie's complex and was now, apparently, a war zone. Blasts, gunshots and yells were constant, dust hanging in the air as more and more of the tarmac was torn apart, the remaining colonists becoming more and more heavily armed with each passing moment.

"Duo, she with you?" a voice asked, and Duo grabbed the intercom strapped to his shoulder.

"Yep, can't get the girls off me," he replied smartly, winking at the girl before looking up through the window of the abandoned car they hid behind. "Okay, looks like a clear shot. You've gotta stay he- hey!"

Relena was off like a shot, barreling through the parking lot and hiding beneath a large shipping truck just before a shell landed nearby, deafening Duo as he landed next to her. "What in the hell was that?" he shouted, moving closer to her.

"Duo, there's something you have to know. I think Wufei may know already… or Trowa's telling him, but you need to know.. Heero is on this colony. He's the one who took care of me when I escaped. He's been helping the others before you got here!"

Duo looked at her, mouth agape, before the sound of voices pushed them both into action. Relena scurried out from under the truck quickly, raising her gun and returning shots from behind the truck, before running across the last of the lot, standing just to the side of the main steps. "What are you talking about, 'he's here'! Why didn't you fucking tell me before? He was right there, wasn't he? Jesus Christ, did he hurt you?"

"No, Duo!" Relena shouted back, putting her hands against his face, the gun still resting in her palm. "He took care of me. He's going to save us. He didn't want to hurt you, but he needed to be free. He needed us to keep from following him so that he could learn everything we now know about this situation. Please. Don't hurt him."

Duo glared at her, taking her hands off him roughly. "He almost killed me, Relena. He should have told us. He could have trusted us."

"We could have trusted him," Relena retorted, trying desperately to be patient. "Please. Just believe me, he needs our faith in him, now. There's still a risk someone could release those capsules. I'm sure that's where he is."

Duo looked at Relena before stealing a glance around the corner. "You sure you're telling me that, or just saying it because you wish it was true?" Seeing the hurt in Relena's face, Duo took her hand tenderly. "I don't know what he told you, Lena, but the guy's insane, and that's coming from someone who was his best friend. I'll believe we can trust him when I see it." Turning suddenly, Duo fired several shots and two men fell just as they rounded the corner closest to them.

"Oh my god, thanks," Middie Une shouted, throwing herself against the wall, Wufei following after. "You wouldn't believe it out there! What a shit-show…" Wufei nodded in agreement, looking around. "She's comin', will you stop looking around like that? I'm gonna have to find wood to knock on." Finally, Mingmei practically flew around the corner, heaving her back against the wall next to her husband. Wufei leaned down and kissed her, and Duo stared at them, mouth gaping.

"What… in the fuck is going on with this DAY?" he shouted, startling Relena before she began to howl with laughter.

"Believe me, it gets easier to understand. Soon. Now's not the time." Finally, Trowa and Quatre crossed the open space, the area cleared of any combatants. Bella, Dorothy and Pattie followed after them, the two sisters smiling, gloating over their seemingly cinched victory.

"Told you it would be a waste of gas," Bella said, snapping a new clip into her gun, tossing the old one over her shoulder.

"It's not over yet," Wufei admonished. "We've got to head inside and figure out what the hell's going on." Turning, Middie held him back.

"Wait. Can't you hear that?" she asked, and they turned to see Lavie himself stumble graceslessly out of the building, the rumbling of explosions making his steps shaky. "Hey, you! Freeze!" Middie shouted, and Lavie turned toward them, leering at Relena.

"You think you've won, hmm? You think you even stood a chance? It's all the better you brought all these bastards along with you. Now I'm taking you all along with me."


Inside the tower, Heero struggled to figure out the workings of the explosive. From what he could tell, it was meant to bring down the building and anything surrounding it, made of lightweight metals and alloys bound around a sophisticated timer. Sweating still, Heero wiped his brow with his sleeve, typing furiously into the nearby computer. It was several minutes before he looked up, checking to see if the status of the bomb had changed, and saw a familiar face. The strange, nervous man he had met in his basement encounter with Lavie, Samuel Creed, stood in the doorway, watching him.

"You can't diffuse it," he said, remaining in the doorway. "Once it's rigged, there's no stopping it. Lavie made it that way." Heero ignored him, looking back at the computer, continuing to work through the programming attached to the mechanics of the destructive device. "You'll die here, along with all the rest of them," Samuel said again, his typically shaky voice firm now, resolute. "You and Neil and the rest of those stupid men. All of you will be gone, and I'll be all she'll have to turn to." Smiling, Sam watched as Heero typed in a final command before staring at him.

"What are you talking about?" He said, pulling several wires out of the bomb. Sam flinched as he did it, seemingly surprised it didn't immediately engage.

"She loves you. I'm going to save her, get her out of here, and you'll all be gone. Then I can have her all to myself." Turning, Sam began to walk away, and Heero realized with a sickening feeling that he was referring to Relena.

"Like hell you will," he said, marching down the hallway after him, breaking into a run as Lavie's lackey took off, shouting warnings about his allegiance to what were clearly other enemies in the stairs. Changing his plans quickly, Heero dove into the luckily open elevator, punching the key for the ground floor and mentally begging it to go faster. After several agonizing minutes, the door chimed and he barreled out the door, the front entrance in sight, bright sunlight almost blinding him as he reached the outdoors, throwing the door open with one hand, the other supporting the explosive. Reaching the outdoors, he looked briefly at what had once been his workplace car lot and was now a dessicated wasteland of ash, dust and half charred vehicles, some still violently on fire.

Lavie turned and looked at him, furious, as Heero spied the other pilots, his friends, and Relena, crowded into the shelter at the side of the entrance, staring at him, shocked.

"You," Lavie said, menacing, as he advanced on him.

"Give it up, Lavie. It's over. You've lost. All your men are dead, and the rest abandoned you. End this, now." Heero was unarmed now, realizing he had left his gun on the desk in his enemy's office.

"It's over when I say it's over!" Lavie shouted, jumping at Heero, who turned just in time to see Samuel exit through the door, gun brandished. Sam saw him, turned to Relena and, with one fateful move of a finger, pulled the trigger.

"Oh my god!" Relena practically screamed, fighting against the men who held her back as she tried desperately to reach Heero, watching helplessly as he dropped to one knee. Sam advanced on him, a horrified expression on his face, and despite his anger and desire for revenge even Duo found himself sighing in relief as Sam walked past where Heero crouched to Lavie, his fallen leader.

"Oh, god," he croaked out, kneeling down next to the blond man. The shot that Sam had fired entered and exited Heero's body, the close range allowing it to hit Lavie straight in the heart, killing him nearly instantly. Blood pooled around their feet, and Sam began to sob.

"Relena, we have to run," Trowa whispered, and she looked up at Heero, who was holding the bomb out from his openly bleeding chest meaningfully. "Come on, go, go!" Trowa said, and they lurched into motion, jogging across the empty parking lot.

"No, no! We can't leave him there! Oh, my god, Sam! Oh my god, this isn't happening," Relena sobbed, barely able to run. Finally, Duo grabbed her behind the legs and swept her up, carrying her the remaining distance. Looking over Duo's shoulder, Relenea watched in horror as the man she loved ran down the steps shakily before pitching the bomb behind him, back into the building.

The last thing she remembered was a monstrous shaking and her own scream echoing in her ears before she was swept up in darkness.