Wow! I have to say thank you's to so many people! Thanks so much for writing and telling me how much you liked the story! It really keeps me going! Ok, next chapter. ::drum roll:: This chapter is I guess what you could call the climax. Our little cliffhangers from the last two chapters will be resolved. Although, don't expect the story to end too soon. I still have plenty in store for our heroes! Anyways, hope you enjoy it! Oh, and please take a peak at this site:
http://www.geocities.com/save_releena If you can't tell by the address, this site is dedicated to Relena and was constructed by the members of the "Save Relena Peacecraft" Campaign. Please show your support and visit it!

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing belongs to the Sotsu Agency, Sunrise and
Fuji TV. I claim no rights upon the characters or their respective
personalities.

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Human Nature - A Gundam Wing Fanfic by Goddess Moon
(jmcchick@hotmail.com)
Chapter 5
Year: After Colony 198

Releena's head was spinning. She had fully expected him to firmly reprimand her and demand an answer, but this? Kissing her like there was no tomorrow with more feeling and passion than he had ever dared to display - it was mind numbing. And at the moment, she didn't care what the reason was. Being here with him like this - safe in his arms, she didn't have to think or worry about.
Suddenly, she pulled away, gasping for breath as reality crashed down on her. "Oh.God." She whispered, burying her face in the folds of his jacket. She had to tell him. There was no stopping now. She knew he cared for her - maybe he wasn't as madly in love with her as she was with him, but this kiss had aroused a hope that she had almost given up on in the last few months. "Heero."
"Damn it. Damn it, Releena." He said those words quietly, but they had the effect of a piercing scream and she felt as though she had been stabbed and quickly pushed him away.
He let out a frustrated sigh, his right arm still held onto one of the steel rails beside her, but his head was bent down and he refused to meet her eyes. He cursed himself silently for letting go of his control. If he was going to pull this mission off, he needed every ounce of it. Loosing it now, was not an option. It seemed that it never would be.
A few tears began to slip down Releena's cheeks and blurred her vision as she desperately tugged at the restraints holding her to the wall of the shuttle, wanting to get as far away as she could from that cold voice and those hard eyes. Any more emotional stress and she would soon
be taking a trip to the funny farm. Finally free from her restraints, she dared one last look at him. He was staring at the floor and the muscles in his arms seemed even more strained than they were on take-off.
Anger began to replace her fear and heartache. Impulsively, she put her hands on his cheeks, careful of the painful wound, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "You are forever hiding behind a mask - not allowed to show any emotions! But you aren't on the battlefield when you're with
me. You don't have to hide! You are allowed to live here and now with real people and real feelings! You said you didn't want to kill anymore. You told me about that little girl and her dog. I know it still plagues you. Let it go! You don't have to bottle up your pain! How long will you shut yourself away?!" She cried and then her voice trailed off as she whispered, "How long will you push me away."
He turned away from her and was silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke. "Two different people."
"What?" Releena asked, confused.
He sighed, still refusing to turn around and face her. "I can't be two different people, Releena. The person I am on the battlefield is different from the one I want to be. The thing is, I can never be that person. The past will forever haunt me. Those two people are incompatible and in order for the second to survive, the first must die. And it can't yet."
"But your past is a part of you, Heero, no matter what you do or where you go. Things happen that you can't change. The past is over, but necessary for the future. It will take a long time for the people in both the colonies and on Earth to adjust - both you and Millardo told me that a long time ago. The majority of people do want peace. They proved that by standing up to Dekim's twisted plot. But I hope that the people never forget what happened during all those battles before 196 -all the innocent lives lost - because as long as they remember how horrible it was, they won't want to do it again."
She continued. "You know it's true. You knew back at the base. All those soldiers forgot. It wasn't that they wanted another war - they were just disillusioned by Bartkusonete. All they needed was to have a little faith - faith in the system and faith in themselves. We need the past, Heero, in order to learn from our mistakes and grow into new persons."
"And the time in between? In case you've forgotten, there are still madmen roaming about executing new threats and wars." There was a distinctive bitter edge to his words. His voice was low and deadly, but his eyes told the truth as always - the sorrow, the regret, the pain.
He shook his head and continued. "There are those who can't afford to change, who aren't allowed to change until it's too late - those who will be forced to fight until true peace becomes a reality. You said so yourself. People want peace but they also like feeling secure against threats. The Preventors will either last forever or be destroyed with the onslaught of a new war. I didn't want to come back to Earth only to fight again, but I was asked because there was no one else - no one else who could or would. That makes me and the other Gundam pilots different. Because of what we are, there can be no change. I will live on the battlefield as long as it takes."

Releena was at a loss for words and closed her eyes, knowing his pain and sharing it. Of course, she knew how he felt. She'd known for quite some time, but it was always difficult to accept. For him, everything was in black and white - so clear. The world of politics was totally
different - there were no distinct lines and you were constantly treading on ice. But now, looking into his eyes, it was so different. Perhaps it was because he had said it. But there was still one
question. He knew what would happen. He knew he couldn't afford to change, to let that stoic exterior crumble. "Then why? You knew you were going to the base. Why did you come see me?"
His eyes were blank and his face unreadable as he answered, "I needed several access codes that I could only obtain with your identification. And since the transmissions came directly to your mansion, they wouldn't be questioned."
"But you stayed. I know it didn't take you 4 days to find the data and download it. Why did you stay?"
Heero stared at her intently for a few long moments and frowned. She was asking it again - the same thing her eyes asked every time he saw them. She wanted an answer -an answer about feelings, emotions, and the future - an answer he couldn't give because he simply didn't know. He'd spent the past year trying to forget, not remember. Finally, he stated flatly, "You asked me to stay."
Releena furrowed her eyebrows and chewed on her lip. "Did you want to stay?"
He was silent again realizing that she wouldn't stop until he gave her a more direct answer. "Yes and no." Seeing her confused look he held up a hand, silencing her before she could ask another question. "It's complicated." He said and paused, searching for the right words. "You are peace. Wherever you go, it's there. You have what I cannot. Even still, I was only delaying the inevitable."
Her heart swelled with his words, with love yes, but also with a great sadness. He felt his peace through her, because on his own, he would never feel that way - always the demons would haunt him. And without those demons, where would the world be now? Where would it be without Heero Yuy - the perfect soldier? In battle, in chaos - he was right.
"But Heero, you don't fight because you want to. A long time ago there was a little boy who survived when others died. His survival would save countless lives in the future. It wasn't in vain." Remembering his words to her 3 years ago, she told him, "Life isn't cheap - yours isn't
cheap. It meant a great deal then and it still does now."
So now she knew about his past. He frowned and shook his head. It didn't matter. It didn't change what he was. The person he would have been died the moment Dr. J. opened the suspended animation tube. He glanced down at his hands, studying the blood covering them from his wound. Always blood. "So I save lives do I? Then why do I destroy everything I come in contact with?" He snarled.
"No!" She impulsively took her hands in his, wiping the blood off of them with her shirt. He stared at her, took shocked to move.
"No." Releena repeated gently. "You don't. I know so. Heero, I've been so afraid to tell you. I've been such a coward. But I have to tell you. With each new generation, peace will become more of a reality. And you created a part of that." She paused, took a deep breath, and gave a
tiny half smile. "You can't wish it back. I don't want you to wish it back. Heero, what I'm trying to say is."
Janez's voice echoed off the walls as the door leading to the cockpit slid open. "We're just a few minutes away from docking." Her voice trailed off as she noticed the two and she raised a brow. 'Interesting. So it is true.'
Heero gritted his teeth and quickly dislodged Releena's hands from his own. He fought to keep his voice steady. Janez was in the middle of this - he knew. All the private one on one meetings with Bartkusonete.
The orders to Sally - she was dangerous, almost as dangerous as Bartkusonete himself. Releena's insistence on bringing her for backup was a mistake - one he feared would cost them dearly. "Why do you have the ship on auto pilot? The landing gear had to have been damaged as well as a few of the computer's secondary functions."
She smiled with a coy grin. "Right on target. The shuttle is on a routine circle around the colony's main sector. It's standard procedure and I thought we should have a game plan before contacting the security tower."
"Don't worry about it. We have clearance. Just make sure you remove your jacket, and any rank or insignia you may be wearing." He turned to Releena. "Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes." Heero pointed toward a red crate. "In the mean time, you should hunt through that
crate. See if you fit any of the clothing." With his blank, cold, expressionless face, he turned around and followed Janez into the cockpit.
Just after the door slid shut, Releena buried her face in her hands. "Why does this have to be so difficult?! Heero."

_________________________________________________

All four of the Gundam pilots backed away from the chamber as the hissing and steam died down. A blue fluid began to steadily ooze out of it.
"I've never seen anything like it." Quatre whispered. "Could it really be a weapon?"
Duo grimaced. "Twice! This is so not cool! Threatened twice by two things you can't even see - a lack of air and now some crazy disease!"
Wufei rolled his eyes. Why did he always end up in a life or death situation with a walking mouth? Couldn't the gods let him face his last moments with honor and in peace? "Maxwell! If you have nothing of importance to contribute, keep your mouth s." Suddenly he stopped and
stared intently at the oozing, florescent blue liquid. Hmm. Where had he seen that before? 'Genes,' the word popped into his mind, followed by 'Sally.' What in the world? In an instant, his eyes grew wide. "The lab." He whispered.
"What lab?!" Duo asked. However, he received no answer. Wufei continued to mumble, shifting between Sally, the crazy woman, immoral, the blue liquid, and then back to Sally. Duo grinned wickedly and then put an arm around Wufei. "You go Wu-man! It's about time. You and
the.ahem.'crazy chick' finally hooked up, didn't yah?! Damn! This is lousy. Finally some good blackmail material about Wufei and I'm about to bite the dust!"
"KISAMA!" Wufei shouted, pushing Duo away. He whipped out his sword and flashed it in front of Duo's nose. "Have you no respect?! Talk again, and you'll be joining the world of your name's sake!"
Quatre quickly intervened. "Would you both stop it?!" This was not the time for this nonsense!
But before Quatre could continue his lecture, Trowa interjected. "Wufei, what is it? Do you know what this is?"
Wufei waved his sword in front of Duo's face once more before reluctantly putting it away. "That crazy woman is fascinated by genetics. She'd been researching gene alteration before she began her current assignment. Immoral business!" He grumbled. "She kept the altered cells in small atmospheric control devices. They were surrounded with a yellow liquid - not that dissimilar to this blue one."
Trowa nodded and quietly added, "The yellow tint could have been caused by the presence of a chemical preservative. When traveling from colony to colony, we'd inject the animals with a gene-altering chemical that forces them into a prolonged hibernation period while traveling from
one location to another. It also increases cell division, ensuring that they will live longer."
"Then I think it's safe to say, that whatever is in that tube is alive." Wufei stated.
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Duo recklessly approached the table, paying no heed to the swishing sounds of the blue fluid beneath his feat. Just before reaching out, he noticed a flashing red light on one of the gages. "Hey, this thing is out of oxygen!" Whatever it was wouldn't be alive much longer. Wasting no time, he pulled right side of the chamber, opening it fully. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Wha."
Inside the chamber was a glass tube, holding a small infant no more than two or three months old. A clear fluid surrounded the sleeping child.
"Is that what I think it is?" Duo asked, unable to move. This was certainly the last thing he'd ever expected.
After overcoming his initial shock, Quatre ran up to the table and seized hold of the tube - desperately trying to find a way to open it.
"Quick! Help me find the release."
The desperation in Quatre's voice awoke them from their stupor and all four crowded around him. Quatre searched the surface. "There's nothing here! He'll die soon if we don't get him out!"
Trowa stepped back for a moment, his eyes falling on the equipment resting next to the chamber. "Wufei, can you do a quick analysis of the surface. The release seems to be invisible so it must either be magnetically or electronically sealed."
Wordlessly, Wufei grabbed the control unit and began punching in figures and access codes. After several moments, a small bolt of electricity emitted from the top of the tube, giving Quatre a small shock and a panel on the side slid open.
Quatre reached inside, seized the infant, and pulled him out. Acting quickly, he reached inside the baby's mouth and cleared the breathing passages. "Come on!"
Trowa stood just behind Quatre. "The first few minutes out of suspended animation are critical. If he doesn't start to breathe soon, he'll never wake. He's awfully small to have been put in the chamber in the first place."
"Come on kid, breath!" Duo cried, before giving it a slap on its backside.
Finally a loud, ear-piercing cry emitted from the infant's mouth.  Quatre awkwardly held it at arm's length, relieved it was alive.
"Well, there's nothing wrong with his lungs, that's for sure!" Duo cried, covering his ears.
"What an amazing observation, Maxwell." Wufei drawled before turning toward Quatre. "Well, what's wrong with it now?" He asked as the infant continued to wail in hysteria with a beet red face and his tiny body shaking from head to toe.
Quatre shrugged, still holding the baby about a foot away from him. "I don't know."
"Can't you do something to quiet him? If you don't remember, this hanger is supposed to abandoned. The sound waves from any loud noises will be detected."
"I don't know, Wu-man. It doesn't seem to come with an off switch." Duo remarked snidely.
Wufei narrowed his eyes, counting to ten. His hand was itching to whip out his sword.
A glint of light caught Trowa's eye as Quatre ran about the room, trying his best to calm the baby - only making it cry all the harder.
Immediately, he took the child from Quatre and removed the gold chain from round its neck. Opening the small oval locket, he stared at the picture inside.
"What is it, Trowa?" Quatre asked.
He held out the locket. "Look inside. Notice anything familiar?"
All three crowded around him and stared at the picture of the woman with her cerulean eyes. Duo smiled. "Hey, I've seen this locket before! It's Heero's. I stole a peek at it once and nearly got my teeth knocked out!"
Wufei's jaw dropped as it sunk in. "The dishonor." He breathed.
Duo scratched his head for a minute, before a wide devilish grin spread across his face. "I never would have thought. Why that son of a."
Before he could finish, Trowa interrupted, "Duo, give me your jacket."
"What?" He asked.
"Give me your jacket." He repeated flatly, but his eyes flashed a silent warning.
Duo hesitated at first, but gave in without a fight. Trowa seized the garment and wrapped it around the boy, instinctively holding the baby close to him. "The temperature in here is 65 degrees. The atmospheric stabilizers in the chamber were set at 80. He's freezing." Sure enough,
within a few moments the baby's cries began to subside.
"Humph. Well what do you know." Duo commented.
Quatre frowned. "Aside from who this baby is, why does Bartkusonete want him so much. Releena was enough of a ransom."
"He's a crazy, insane psycho maniac." Duo mumbled as he began wiping the blue liquid off his boots. "What more do." He trailed off as his eyes fell on Wufei, who was holding the locket and it clicked. Genetics + Heero. "Woah.I don't believe it. he was telling the truth. Damn! And I
thought it was all just a big joke!" The others were staring at him intensely now and he ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Uh.well."
Wufei smacked him upside the head. "Hurry up and tell us!" He started at the irony of those words. 'I pray for him to shut up and now I'm begging him to speak!' He glanced upward and raised a brow, wondering if someone was trying to make a mockery of him.
After giving Wufei his own version of the death glare, Duo cleared his throat and sighed. "A while back, I was having one of those conversations with Heero - you know the ones where I talk and he suddenly pulls out a gun and tells me to shut up."
Wufei's eyebrow twitched.
"Right. Well, we.I uh.had brought up the subject of him and 'leena finally getting together, you know. As always, he denied that he had any feelings for her, but of course I knew better. The err.conversation continued and I told him that he'd have to give in some time or another. After all, he's human. It's only natural to go after her. He really surprised me then. Heero had never let anyone see his anger before then. Believe me, I am now the voice of experience. Let's just say, I was sporting a couple of broken ribs after that. Before he left the room, he very quietly said that he wasn't a normal human. I really didn't know how to take it and I sure as hell wasn't bringing it up again! That's twice he's busted my gut and I don't intend for it to happen again if I can help it. So, I just blew it off."
"Genetically altered, perhaps." Trowa stated as he glanced down at the now sleeping child in his arms. "The effects can't be reversed and would be passed on."
Quatre shook his head. "That would explain why Miss Releena refrained from being in public - aside from the stir it would create in the media, he would be in great danger. Bartkusonete must have found about him somehow."
"The next Perfect Soldier, eh?" Duo scratched the bridge of his nose. "The kid would probably be able to withstand a lot more pain, g-forces, all that kind of stuff - just like his old man."
Wufei narrowed his eyes. "True ability comes with time, training, and experience. If he were to undergo the same training as Yuy, then it's likely that he would be just as deadly if not more so. That is the true objective. Nothing could be more desirable to one who seeks dominance of power."
"And he'll stop at nothing to get it." Quatre spat. He furrowed his brow. "Miss Noin is in grave danger. I knew we shouldn't have let her go alone. We have to go after her."
"I'll go." Trowa volunteered. "Wufei, can you reassemble the chamber?"
"It won't be easy, but the equipment should be able to determine the exact mass needed to compensate."
Trowa nodded. "Good, as soon as it's ready, I'll head out. Bartkusonete is still looking for it. We need to get him as far away from the boy as possible." He then turned to Quatre. "Are they finished?"
The blond man's eyes grew wide. "You knew?!"
"Not until I hacked into the system, but yes. It will only be a matter of time. Bartkusonete will do everything to ensure instability. The Gundams were symbols of peace. If they were to be used against the people, as originally intended, chaos would ensue. If he follows his previous actions, he would then take advantage of the situation and expediently carry out his plans."
Wufei's nostrils flared. "Nataku?"
Quatre quickly sat in a chair and sighed, "I was wishing that it would never come to this." He curled his fists as he became angry. "But there always seems to be someone pushing us into a corner and leaving no other alternative but to fight. It's ironic isn't? A long time ago, I suggested that we send them all into the sun and here I am - working like crazy to build new ones."
Duo for his part was just a little miffed. What was with all the secrecy? Not even Trowa knew until a few minutes ago. What was going on? "Wait, just a sec. Whose idea was this? And exactly how long have you been overseeing the construction of new gundams?!"
"It was actually a joint decision. Two months after the end of the Marimeia incident, Lady Une paid me a rather unexpected visit. A week later Heero and Zechs Marquise also came. Bartkusonete was just starting to maneuver events and we knew that it would only be a matter
of time before he could take action. For the most part, general MS technology is open to the public. All you need is someone who knows what they're doing. Plus, the all disarmament policies had not taken effect and Lady Une expected that there would be some refusals
especially from the larger arms corporations."
He stared at the ground. Hi voice was low and thick with emotions. "We decided that it would be a wise decision to rebuild the gundams. However, they would only be a last resort. No one was to know anything besides us and my crew. Of course, I would have told you, but I was
wishing that there would never be a need to power them up again." Quatre looked up at them. "All of them are virtually complete with the exception of Deathscythe. We were having some problems with the upward propulsion systems. But, that's been taken care of now. Deathscythe
should be completed in about 12 hours."
Trowa stood quietly for a moment. "If the latest reports from Earth are true, there is no longer an army on Earth for Bartkusonete to use. Yet, MS production in space is not efficient enough to make up the lack of numbers."
Quatre nodded. "I really think that it was an excuse to get us to rebuild the gundams. Who needs an army when you've got a gundam, let alone, Wing Zero? We should never have done it."
"There is no room for past regret." Wufei voiced firmly. "If that is the case, we need to get to get to the gundams and destroy whatever MS production facilities are left. Then we think about what to do with them later."
Quatre relented. "That seems like the only thing we can do. You'd better get started, Trowa. I'll head back to CZ-6846. Before you begin landing procedures send all your identification data through the computer system. Rashied will be waiting for you. Wufei, I'll expect you're arrival at 1900."
Wufei nodded.
"Hey! Isn't somebody forgetting something?!" Duo shouted. "What the hell are we gonna do with this kid?! Gundams don't come with a baby seat!"
"Don't worry about it. Besides, Deathscythe won't be ready for another 12 hours. You may not even need it." Trowa said flatly as he held out the baby to Duo who immediately held his hands up. "No way, pal."
Trowa gave him a cold stare. "Take him." His voice left no room for argument. Duo reluctantly took the baby, holding it awkwardly. "But I don't even know anything about kids!" He wailed as Trowa silently gathered his gear and left with Quatre at his heels through the narrow hatch in the floor, a small grin playing across his lips. Not even a second later, the screaming started again. "Ah, come on, kid. You don't wanna do that anymore, huh?" As soon as those words were uttered, a steady stream of liquid seeped from a very diaperless baby boy through the jacket and onto Duo's shirt. "Trowa!!!!!!"

________________________________________

Noin held her gun tightly. Her breath was heavy and labored from running. With lightning speed she rounded the corner and began firing.
After a few rounds, she dove back behind the safety of the reinforced steel building. She was a good shot, but knew that it was only a matter of time. She was tired and wounded. Hissing slightly, she tightened the bandage on her left arm. Suddenly, she heard a click and her head shot up.
Her eyes narrowed as she gazed down into the eyes of a 12 year-old boy. He was roguish with spiked blond hair, a sadistic smile, and 6 earrings lining his left ear. "You caused me quite a bit of trouble lady. I've been hunting you for the past 3 hours. But don't worry. Your pain won't
last too long. I promise."
"Do you honestly think that killing me is going to make a difference? You are all going to fail. And when this is over, where will it leave you?"
He laughed mockingly. "I really don't care. You see, I'm #0367 - the latest genetic by product - technically I'm superior to you and to everyone else on this colony, but my lifespan is short. I'll live another year at most. If I fulfill my missions - if I kill you and everyone else who's in they way - I get another injection. That means I live. Sadly, you're not gonna be around to see it. He brought the gun up to her face. "Make a wish."
She was angry to say the least. This was the one who had shot Zechs. She knew it. And ironically, she would die by the same hands and the same gun. She jumped as a shot fired and braced herself. But nothing happened and he eyes flew open. Crumpled on the ground by her feet lay the boy. She released the breath she had been holding. Her shirt was covered in the boy's blood. Lucretcia jumped as a hand grabbed onto her shoulder. "Sally!"
Immediately she embraced the other woman. "Oh, thank God."
"Are you alright?" Sally asked worriedly.
Noin nodded, pulling away and sank down to sit on the ground. She glanced over at the boy and hesitantly reached over to check his pulse. Dead. "Something strange is going on here."
"I know, but we can't talk now. Come on."
Noin shook her head. "No. I have to get Zechs."
Sally smiled. "Don't you worry about him."
Her eyes widened. "Wha." She followed Sally's gaze to a shadow standing a few meters behind her. "Millardo!" She cried jumping up and running into his arms. It was a rare moment. He was usually calm and ever so strict about public displays of affection. It was always soldier to soldier. But this time he welcomed her into his arms. "Lu, I'm alright." He whispered in her ear.
"I was so afraid." She whispered back.
Suddenly Sally's wrist -com began to beep and she immediately glanced at the message displayed. A bright smile formed across her lips.
"Releena's just landed and Lady Une will be meeting with her shortly."
"Thank God." Millardo let out a breath. "She's not safe here. She's not safe anywhere! Come on, Noin, we have to get over there. It'll take a good 4 hours to get to that side of the colony."
Sally embraced her one last time. "You two take care." She turned to Zechs. "Watch out for more units. The latest models - the 368's are out. They won't chase you. They'll simply blow up the entire block, knowing they'll get you in the process."
Zechs nodded as Sally quickly turned and took off toward the Southern District. He knew Noin would have questions. "I'll explain on the way. Let's go."

_____________________________________

Releena glanced around her. She'd been to this port thousands of times for conferences. Although, she had never quite looked like this. She was dressed in a shuttle maintenance crew suit. A long braid, much like Duo's, fell down her back underneath the hat. Her face was smudged with black grease and her suit stained with oil. She glanced to her right.
Heero looked much the same. Behind them Janez walked with confidence. She wore a Captain's uniform. She glanced up, surprised to see a familiar face. Lady Une's smile was
tight and forced. She stiffly shook Janez's hand. "Thank you, Captain. I will be pleased to have you as the new commander of my private aircraft. I invite both you and your crew to join me in my quarters for brunch."
Janez politely accepted the offer and they all began to walk toward the waiting cars.
________________________________________

Sally quickly found her way through the tunnels. "Finally. I'm almost there." It took her well over two hours just to reach the entrance.
There were 366's and 367's at every turn and they were not easily defeated! She reached up and opened the heavy latch. After crawling through, she sealed the door behind her. Strange. The hanger was empty. Where could they be? She turned suddenly as she heard a frustrated cry, followed by a shrilling scream. Wait a second. That sounded like.
 _______________________________________

"Deathscythe hell, kid! You reek!" Duo cried, pulling back the white towel he had used for a make-shift diaper. "Uhhhh! God, what is that stuff?!"
Wufei chose that moment to come stomping through the door and slammed it behind him. "You're worse than a women, screaming and carrying on about this and that! Can't you both keep quiet! Setting this chamber requires the utmost accuracy!" He cried. But after coming within about two feet of Duo his eyes went wide and he quickly dove back toward the
door. "KISAMA! What is that FOUL, disgusting smell?!"
"Hey! Pipe down, will yah?! Don't scare the kid. As for the smell, well it's pretty obvious what it is." Holding his breath, Duo bent down and pulled the towel back. "Oh, hell! This is so."
"Stop your wining and just get it done, Maxwell! Or we'll both be dying from toxic fumes!" Wufei ranted, waving a fist a fist at Duo with one hand, and holding his nose with the other.
"Damn it! I won't take anymore of this!" Duo cried. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing! Wufei, get your @** over here and help me out!"
Wufei sucked in a breath, as his eyes grew large.

_________________________________________

Sally dropped her gear, save the gun cradled in her right hand, and ran down the left hall, following the voices. "All the hustle seems to be coming from here." She thought and opened the door on the right. Her jaw dropped and she couldn't help but laugh at the site in front of her.

Duo and Wufei stood around a small infant, tying the corners of makeshift white diaper. Both were wearing oxygen masks and looked as though they had been through war. The front of Wufei's shirt was stained yellow and his hair had come undone. Duo was desperately trying
to get a dark brown stain out of his sleeve. 'Damn it! Twice in one day! And my lucky shirt, no less!' As for the baby, he was lying contentedly on his back, sucking his fingers and cooing away.
"Well, if I didn't see it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it." Sally chuckled, startling them both. Wufei immediately ripped the mask from his face. "It's about time you got here, woman! If you'd been here sooner, things would not be in such chaos!"
She laughed heartily. "Thanks for the compliment, but I'm afraid don't know anything about children. I tended to soldiers not children."
"But.but.you're a woman! You ought to know about such things! It's only natural!" He ranted.
"I'm sorry, but I don't." She continued to chuckle as she walked over to the baby and picked him up. "He seems very healthy." She remarked and turned to Duo. "Congratulations! But don't you think you ought to have left him at home?"
Duo's jaw hit the floor. "What?! This isn't my kid!"
Wufei rolled his eyes and then shivered at the thought of a smaller version of Duo running around the room. "It's obvious! Look at him, woman!"
Sally took a deep breath, desperately trying to control her temper, before she did take a better look. 'Hmm.dark brown hair.those eyes.they seem so familiar.' She shrugged handing the baby back to Duo - the baby promptly grabbing a strong hold onto his braid.
She smiled as she pried his little fists from Duo's hair. "My goodness! He certainly has a strong grip! With that and his unruly crop of brown hair I'd be tempted to say he looked more like Heero than any one." Her smile soon faded when she noticed that they weren't laughing. "No. No. You can't be serious!" She looked at the baby again, who gave her a wide toothless grin before promptly beginning to chew on his fingers again.
"But.but.who." She gasped. "Releena?!" Her eyes went impossibly wide and she covered her mouth with her hand. "My God! It all makes sense now! I just can't believe."
Wufei narrowed his eyes. As her.partner.he knew better than anyone that something was wrong. He could see the wheels in her head turning and whatever it was, it did not appear to be good. He immediately guided her to a chair and ordered her to sit, which amazingly, she did with no argument. "What is it?" He asked gently and Duo raised an eyebrow mockingly.
"Before I left for the base, I read up and studied all I could on advanced genetics theories. The reason was because Lady Une and I had found evidence leading us to believe that Bartkusonete was performing experiments. It was an idea originally thought of by Dekim himself - he wanted a perfect group of elite soldiers. They would exercise control and carry out their will. Though we could never find enough substantial evidence to bring him into custody, we do know that Bartkusonete and Dekim had frequent rendezvous just before the Marimeia incident. I went
in undercover along with Heero, although he was there for a different reason. However, it worked out wonderfully. He could access the computers and I could understand the medical jargon. What I discovered was horrible- a true atrocity that only a madman would ever conceive of carrying out."
"For the past several years, Bartkusonete's militants have been steeling children from the colonies - those with no names, no homes, no families."
Duo's eyes narrowed and his face contorted in disgust, plagued and haunted by memories of the past.
Sally continued. "They experimented on those children - trying everything you can imagine. From the few records that I saw, I estimated that over 200,000 children have died, but that figure should probably be doubled or tripled. Recently, however, they've had better success. Most come in around the age of 10 - they become stronger, more agile, and more intelligent than a child is twice their age. By the time they're 12 or 13, they're trained killers."
Wufei was surprised - shocked even. "How many of these children are there?"
"Right now, I think a few hundred. It's a small number because most of them don't live beyond 5 or 6 years after the initial alteration."
Duo looked her straight in the eye. "But Heero's lived longer than that - a lot longer."
Sally nodded. "But that was what I couldn't understand. Bartkusonete wasn't looking for Heero. He spent all his time elsewhere, hunting for something or someone. And now, I know what."
Unconsciously, Duo pulled the baby closer. "Well, there's no way in hell, he's getting' his hands on this kid! I swear it!"
Wufei nodded. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"
She sighed. "Unfortunately no. He left for space several days ago. I was unable to track him after that and decided to come here. I have to get to Quatre. Bartkusonete will be looking for the gundams. Just how he knew about their reconstruction, I don't know."
"Well then, you and I had better get going. On our way, we have a special delivery to make." Wufei instructed.

________________________________________

Heero glared at Janez as they approached Lady Une's Suite. Before Janez could follow Releena inside, Heero stopped her. "We'll be eating elsewhere."
She smiled slightly and nodded, following him down the hall.

________________________________________

They had spent a few minutes engaged in small talk. She was dreading telling Releena about the message she'd been unceremoniously asked to deliver. Still, it must be done. Lady Une bit her lip and placed a hand on the cool glass of the window. "He's here. And he's looking for you,
Miss Releena." She turned around only to see Releena turn a ghostly white, limbs shaking. Her heart went out to her, but she could not hold back. "He wants to meet with you. Alone."
Releena closed her eyes and sat back down in the chair, afraid her legs would give out at any moment.
She cringed. 'Oh, Relena. I wish there was something I could do, but my hands are tied. Is it right - is it fair for you to carry such a burden? You already have the weight of the world on your shoulders.'
Releena's heart was beating a mile a minute. This man frightened her more than anyone or anything ever had. The simple truth was her child was more important than anything else, and anyone who tried to take him away, would not survive. She was deliberately being backed into a corner. He wanted her to be angry. He wanted her to retaliate and seek vengeance. What a triumph it would be! She balled her fists, her nails digging into the soft skin of her palm. "Tell me. Have you heard from them? Did they.do they."
Lady Une shook her head. "I'm afraid I haven't heard from any of them. It's far too dangerous at this point. But I can tell you that I seriously doubt he has gotten his hands on it. My reports tell me that Noin met up with Trowa and that the two haven't been seen since."
She let out the breath she had been holding and uttered a silent prayer of thanks. She could do this. As long as there was hope, she would be strong. Gripping the edge of the table she stood. She held her head high and her eyes glittered with courage and strength. "Where?"
Lady Une almost smiled. She truly was amazing - the strongest person to ever be among her acquaintance. Releena was like the strong solid ground of Mother Earth herself. "St. Angeles Cathedral at 1700 hours." She frowned. So early - there will still be daylight. This man
perpetually confused her, but there was one thing she knew. "He wants to see me weak and trembling, but I refuse to give in to anything he wants. I'm going to need some help."

_________________________________________

Heero stood a meter away from the Commander. "Game's over. You tell me what's going on. Now."
She raised a brow and blinked. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."
His face bore no expression, but his voice held an angry inflection.
"The units and Releena. What does this have to do with her?"
Janez laughed. "I find it terribly ironic that you don't know. I suppose I interrupted your little moment far too early." Her laughter faded and she smiled evilly. "But then, you don't need to know. As of now you are decommissioned."
5 young boys - no older than 12 or 13 approached him, bearing no weapons or arms. He didn't hesitate, taking down two of them with one swift kick. Suddenly, two of them began their attack at once - their punches and kicks precise and accurate. Heero refused to give in and
struggled beneath their grip. Janez smiled sadistically. "Meet your replacements." She then reached down and stuck a needle into his arm - injecting him with a bright orange fluid.

___________________________________

Releena stared at the reflection in the mirror. Her hair was swept up gracefully in a braided French knot on top of her head. She wore the traditional clothing of the nobility - everything was complete from the silk covered buttons on the waistcoat down to the brass buckles on her shoes. The only thing Bartkusonete seemed to understand was power- well she would fight fire with fire.
Lady Une shook her head. "You can't go alone. At least let me escort you part of the way."
She shook her head. "No. This is the only way. You have to remain as far from suspicion as you can. Genot is surely keeping an eye on every move you make." She sighed. "I'd be lying if I said I weren't scared to death. He knows my weaknesses, but he hasn't won yet. It's strange. For
the first time, I know what it's like to hate someone so much that you wish they were dead. The hurt.the pain - they make us bitter, they make us fight.
Lady Une smiled. "Yes, they do. And it's so easy to give in, isn't it? Almost as if it were instinct or a part of basic human nature. But mankind followed that path for centuries. Finally, the majority have chosen to fight a different battle - they fight to heal, they fight to forgive, they fight to have peace."
Releena looked up at her with wide eyes. "Those were the words from my speech - the one I made directly after the whole battle with Marimeia."
"That's right." Lady Une took her hands. "Don't forget them. They're good words and they're as true now as they were then."
Releena nodded and turned back toward the mirror. 'Round two begins.'
____________________________________

To be continued.
Just a few comments. I got the idea for the genetic altering and experiments from Hitler's Nazi regime. There were tremendous references made to it in Endless Waltz - from the uniforms to the flags. I don't know when the next chapter will be out. I'm sorry this one took so long, but this is a very busy time for me. I have a lot of projects to get done and finals coming up. But I hope you're enjoying the story so far! And just to remind you, I like getting lots of e-mail!