De Profundis

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Calm down Sotsu and Sunrise I only borrowed the characters, don't worry I'll be giving them back.... one day. ;)

[2 Days Later: Space Colony JX00019]

Zechs could only think of Relena.   She was suffering because of this.   This man.   He was the cause, and it only gave him more determination.   Stealthily he made his way towards the house.   Dourchov was there, he was certain.   They had received news of a secret meeting between him and a politician from Earth.   It was the perfect opportunity; very few people would know about the meeting due to its secrecy. The fewer the casualties the better.   Zechs knew what he and his young accomplice had to do, but Relena’s words and teachings echoed through his mind.   If she knew they were doing this she would never forgive them. Never forgive him.   But some things can only be dealt with through violence.   Some people can only be dealt with through violence.   It’s the only language they understand.

“Ready?” the voice was cold and hard.   Poised for attack.

“Ready.”

They made their way over to the window, with quick searching eyes; Zechs scanned the situation.

“Clear.” 

The young man pulled out a small cutting device. The point of it gleamed beautifully.   Diamond.   With a quick fluid motion he cut away the glass.   It was important that no one knew what was going on.   If anyone saw them it was over.

Quickly entering they closed the curtains to deter attention from a gaping hole in the window.   Zechs pointed to the upstairs and then the outer rooms.   His young companion knew what to do.   Zechs headed for the outer rooms.

Striding ever so quietly he made his way to the top of the stairs.   There was no light; it seemed deserted up there.   He was sure Zechs had sent him up here because it was more likely Dourchov was downstairs.   Still, he was used to taking orders, not giving them.   Silently, he searched every room.   As he approached the end of the hall, he could see one room.   The light was on, and he could hear the murmur of voices.   He regained his demeanor and poised himself to raid the room.   The slight twinge of guilt he had been feeling since that day back in the apartment, since that day back when he realized he could never see her again was resurfacing.   But this time it had changed, he wanted to kill this man, this man who had decided his future for him. His anger had increased ten fold when suddenly something stopped him.   A voice.   That voice.   Her voice.

“Re…Relena?” He whispered her name so slightly, just an escaping breath.

“Minister Dorlian, I understand your position, but I don’t think my colony can continue in the shadow of the Earth.   We here at JX00019 believe that we would do better to lead our own destiny, away from the Earth’s control.”   Relena frowned.

“You think that the Earth is trying to control the colonies? You think that’s our intention?   Your inadvertent comparison to The Romefellar Foundation is insulting Mr. Dourchov.”

“Minister, that wasn’t my intention.   I just want you to know that we expect full autonomy from the Earth Sphere, we’re not to be taken lightly.”   Relena knew what he meant by that.   She stood up.

“That sounds very much like a threat Mr. Dourchov.   Is this a statement built on the ability you now have to create Gundams?”  

Outside the room, the young assassin could hear every word.   He slid to the floor closing his eyes; just being able to hear her voice was a comfort.   The mission was going to fail; they couldn’t kill Dourchov now.   He and Zechs agreed that anyone that saw them would die.   If Relena saw them, the mission was pointless.

“Minister, we have said, and I will say it again.   We had nothing to do with the disappearance of the carriers.   We are a peaceful colony that wishes to be freed from the confides of the Earth.   We do not wish to take a military stance, but we will if you try to stand in our way.”   Relena was getting more frustrated with this man by the second.

“If that’s how you feel Mr. Dourchov then I see no other way of dealing with this.”

He hadn’t left yet, but what he heard was enough to make him stop dead from a million miles away.   What are you doing Relena??

“Very well.”   Mr. Dourchov smiled as Relena turned and walked over to the door.

Running as fast as he could, silently, the young assailant hurried to find Zechs.   

Mission Unsuccessful.

[24 Hours Later: Sanc Kingdom Capital City]

Relena stepped out of the open door to her limo.   Reporters had been trying to talk to her, but she just ignored them.   No one could understand the burden she carried, no matter how much they read about it.   She just wanted to be alone, its what she was used to.   As Relena walked up to her room, Noin walked towards her.   She gestured she was about to speak, but Relena beat her to it.

“Not now Noin.   Tomorrow.”   Noin stopped dead in her tracks; she looked around to Pagan who just shook his head.   No one knew what was going on.

***

Newscaster: We have interrupted this programme for a special news bulletin.

It has become official.   Colony JX00019 has declared war on the Earth Sphere and any opposing colony.   We have limited details, but it is thought that Col. Dourchov has been mining Gundanium in hopes of creating an army of Gundam mobile suits.   Since the disappearance of the Colonial Gundams during the war in A.C. 196 it is feared that the Earth Sphere and its figurehead Relena Dorlian will not be able to avoid an inevitable tragedy.   We’ll deliver more news as events develop….”

The television flickered off.   He couldn’t believe what Relena was doing.   Was it because of him?   Did his decision drive her to this?   Waging war with a colony armed with Gundams was certain suicide.   Maybe she wants to die.   Zechs hadn’t told him about what she tried to do when she found out about his “death”, but Duo had felt he should know.   So if there was a point where she could be told, a point where maybe telling her would be necessary, then he should.

Duo looked attentively at Heero, he could tell he was deep in thought.

“You can’t blame yourself for this.   You couldn’t have known this would happen.”

“I did it to prevent a war…” he paused. “…Just to end up causing one.”

Duo stood up and walked over to the window.   The stars were clearer on L2 but Earth’s arresting sky gave them a whole new beauty.   Without looking away from them Duo continued.

“What do you expect to gain by blaming yourself?   You said it yourself; if Earth had found out about the situation any sooner this could have broken out into full-scale war months ago.   You had your reasons for doing what you did.   You can’t change the past.”   Heero didn’t respond.

“You can’t change it.   But you can fix it.”   Heero looked up at Duo who was still looking off into space.

Abruptly changing the subject Heero interjected. “You miss her? Don’t you?”   Heero’s voice had a twinge of emotion, but he corrected himself quickly when Duo looked around at him surprised.

“Hilde.   When she goes away.”   Realizing he had been staring straight in the direction of L2 Duo smiled.

“Yup.   She’s only been gone a few days and still I find myself staring out this window every night.”   Heero continued to stare at Duo, genuinely surprised by his admission.

“Heh, yeup. Betcha never thought of me as the romantic type eh Heero?”   Duo flung his arm around the back of his head, trying to be flippant, but after knowing Duo 4 years; seeing him with Hilde, Heero knew he wasn’t joking.

“Hn… “

“Jealous?” Duo said smirking slightly.

“Hardly.”

“Is that so?”    Heero didn’t reply.   He wasn’t jealous, but maybe he was envious of Duo’s ability to just say what he wanted to say.   Talk about his emotions openly.   Heero knew it was something he would never be able to do.

“Now that this is all out, your plan has been folded right? Why not tell her?   She deserves that much.”

“She thinks I’m dead.   Maybe it’s better that way.”   Duo suddenly became angry.

“Better? For who? You or her!?”

Heero just looked away silently.

“Heero?” Seeing as it wasn’t getting him anywhere, Duo calmed himself.   “Just answer me one question then.   After I promise to shut up.”   Heero looked back raising an eyebrow.

“Well, heh, not permanently of course.”

“What do you want to know?”   Duo rested his back against the window-ledge folding his arms across his chest.

“Do you…” he wanted to say love, but he knew Heero would never answer that.   “…miss her?   She sure as hell misses you.   Trying to kill herself to be with you ranks right up there with Romeo and Juliet yeno.”

“Hn. What do you know of Romeo and Juliet?” Heero stated sarcastically.

“Hey! I have heard of Shakespeare yeno.   They can’t be together, victims of circumstance.   One pretends to die while the other mistakenly believes it to be true and kills themselves.”   Duo began stroking his chin looking up…

“Sounds pretty much like you and Relena to me.”   Heero glared over at Duo.

“What? It’s true isn’t it?   You pretended to be dead to protect her and look what it got you.”

Heero didn’t answer again.   He knew the answer to the question.   He knew that if it were possible, he would be with her right now.   Lying by her side.   He closed his eyes at the thought.

Duo sighed recognizing Heero’s look of apathy.   But after a long pause, Heero spoke up…

“I do miss her.   I’d die for her.”   His voice was trembling slightly.   He wasn’t expecting that.   Feeling humiliated Heero got up to leave.

“Heero! Wait…”   Duo grabbed his arm.   Holding up a finger, signaling for him to wait, Duo grabbed his jacket and threw Heero’s at him.

“What do you think you’re doing?

“You shouldn’t be telling me this…”   Duo smiled at Heero’s bewildered expression.

“Come on.”