A/N: windwraith brought up a very good point, so I'm hoping this helps.

02 Let the Hunt Begin - Choice

"Hunters!" Eyes, black as coal looked over the dozen or so of us armored Hunters from the platform above. A cruel twist came to his lips. "Her Majesty," the man announced and turned his back on us to face a large screen. "Queen Relena," He addressed the woman looking over us. "We are ready to disembark."

My scowl deepened and I was grateful for the helmet hiding my face at the moment. I truly detested the woman on the screen.

"Thank you, Wufei." The woman brushed a lock of dark blonde hair back over her shoulder. "My dear Hunters," she smiled at us. The pleasure she found in the torture of others, something she caused many of us on a daily basis, showed in the way every word dripped from her tongue. "Let the Hunt begin."

The platform we were standing on lowered, dropping into the metal shell of a space colony.

Trowa looked at me. "Welcome home, Duo." It was a whisper meant only for my ears.

I followed after him as he jumped down to move into the housing vessel, trying to stay close. "Tro-"

He stopped me with a quick glance. Not here. The unspoken words were loud and clear in his emerald eyes.

He still had something hidden, but I couldn't know until we were no longer surrounded by our 'peers.' I gave a quick nod of understanding, quickly moving forward to the unappealing task that was placed in my none-too-willing hands.

We were on the Hunt, the vilest thing we'd been forced to do. If the blood wasn't enough, we had to cause more suffering that would only lead to even more in the end. It was a never ending cycle.

Our time in the colony was going too fast. We were already an hour in to the Hunt and Trowa had yet to let me know what was going on.

I moved down a dark alley between buildings, shifting objects that lay scattered and strewn along the walls as I went.

"Oh!" I was a little surprised to come across two youngsters after shifting a box. They were much too young for my liking, despite being what were considered strays.

Strays—it was another of their names, given to the orphans and homeless children that we preyed on, the ones that would become the Taken. This was this same misfortune that led Tro' an' me to where we were now.

They cowered away from me as I squat down, bringing myself to their level. "Please, mister," the older of the two begged. "Don't hurt us?" The fear in his eyes was so obvious, I felt myself begin the chew on my bottom lip.

I pushed up the tinted lens connected to the helmet to cover our faces. "Listen very closely," I said, looking them both in eye. "Run. Find somewhere close by that you can hide, where no one can find you. Make sure you're there before dark every night."

They nodded and I smiled. "I don't want you to end up being forced into this life. Go, now. Quickly."

They picked themselves up and ran. At the end of the alley they looked back. A quiet 'thank you' drifted back to me and they were gone. I smiled to myself, knowing I'd save two more kids from being subjected to what I'd had to live through.

Trowa came up beside me after he was sure no one else was coming that would take the kids we hoped we'd just ensured freedom to.

"Let's go. We still have two hours before we have to report in." He led the way as we moved into first the next alley and then another, hoping we could find more kids before one of the other Hunters did.

"Damn. This isn't the right one." After another hour of searching, I could see the frustration finally cracking my tall partner's stony exterior.

"The right what?" I was so confused. "Tro-" I suddenly found myself on the ground, wind knocked from my chest.

"Come here."

"Wha-!" I was suddenly pulled into the shadow of another alley, one I'd just checked and could swear was clear.

I scrambled to get away from the man that pinned me to the ground, but before I could even push against my captor the cold metal of a gun barrel was pressed against my temple and I was pulled back against his body to where I couldn't retaliate.

"Codeword?" It wasn't really a question, more like a demend. I felt the deep rumblings of the voice through the chest pressed against my back.

"Heero! Wait!" A new voice was coming from farther behind me.

"Seriously! What the hell is going on!" My fear was made clear by the pitch and cracking of my voice as air returned to my lungs.

"Quatre, how do we know it's him? You have to be cautious." The deep, velvet voice rumbled against my back again.

Trowa blinked, a surprised look on his face. Surprised, but not a surprise that said he wasn't expecting the two that were currently holding me captive.

He relaxed and a smile spread on his face.

Wait… I thought, realization dawning.

"Gundam."

It was an odd word to my ears, but it was obviously what the two behind me were waiting for. I was immediately released and quickly scuttled over next to Trowa's feet, finally getting a look at the two guys that had somehow snuck up on me.

"Trowa!" The lighter of the two voices came from a flaxen haired guy with bright aquamarine colored eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness.

"Quatre." Trowa quickly joined the others, obviously recognizing them. "And Heero… I didn't know you were going to be meeting us as well."

"Hn." Was the short, but rumbling reply that drew my eyes to other person in the alley. He was kneeling near the ground, checking the safety on the gun in his hand before placing it in a holster wrapped around his thigh.

My eyes were locked on this second man. His dark brown hair was the messiest I'd ever seen, but not in an unattractive way. Thick, dark lashes framed eyes that had and unnaturally dark blue color to them that almost glowed in the darkness.

The blonde spoke up again. "We need to get to shelter and dispose of your trackers." They each started to move towards the end of the alley.

"Duo, you coming?" Trowa turned back when he realized I wasn't moving with them.

"Coming where?" I asked, still shaken up.

He came back to where I was still sprawled on the asphalt. "I'm getting out, Duo. I'm not going back to Sanc. I'm not hunting anymore."

"R-really? We can do that?" The hope was building in me, fast, but there was doubt as well. What if it didn't work?

"We're going to try." He said, seeing my slight reluctance. I could tell he was putting everything on this one chance and he wasn't going to leave me behind. "You in?" He offered me a hand.

It didn't take me even a moment to decide. "Yeah." I took the proffered hand.

I'd been fighting to find a light, something to lead me to the freedom and happiness I'd never known and this was it.

This was where my life was going to start anew.

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