For Richer or Poorer - Chapter Four [PG-13]

[wonderllama]

Disclaimer ? I don?t own Gundam Wing

A/N: I should have probably warned y?all that there will be 3x4 in this story. I don?t really want to make it the biggest couple, so if yaoi isn?t your thing, then don?t worry about it. 3x4 is supported in this story, but it won?t be rammed down your throat. Not to piss anyone off, but I don?t think there will be much 3x4. I?m sorry to those whom I?ve alienated with this pairing, but it?s what I?ve chosen to go with this story.
Thanks for sticking by it!

Side Note: Many thanks to the best roommate and beta a gal can ask for in mafuyu hotaru.



For Richer or Poorer



They carry news that must get through,
To build a dream for me and you
They choose the path where no-one goes.
They hold no quarter. They ask no quarter.



Chapter Four: No Quarter


On a perfect, clear night, an armored truck rolled through the quiet streets of the desolate financial district. The driver didn?t stop when he thought he saw a shadow. The district had been deserted for years. He must have been tired. He drove quietly, but a little more on edge. He glanced around, paranoid now. He looked to his left and saw nothing. He looked to his right and saw nothing. He silently berated himself for being silly. He turned his gaze to the road again and slammed on the breaks.

In the middle of the road stood a tall man dressed in jeans and a green tank top, gun in hand, pointed at the windshield. So amazed at this sudden reveal, the driver stopped the truck. He rolled down his window and stuck his head out of it to get a better look.

?Hey, buddy!? he called out. ?What?s the big idea??

?We?re going to have to take this truck,? The voice came from behind him. He looked over and saw a smirking, braided man had jumped onto the driver?s side platform and was now pointing a gun at his head. He looked frantically and saw he was surrounded. There was another man standing outside the passenger window. His bangs covered half of his face, but he was clearly not to be trifled with. He too was carrying a weapon.

The driver threw his hands up. ?Hey, man, I?m not looking for trouble.?

The man who had stood in the middle of the road came up to the driver?s window. ?You?re carrying stolen property,? His voice was strong and masculine. It made the driver shiver in his seat.

?Stolen property? No, these are the taxes.?

?Exactly.?

?I didn?t steal them, honest. I?m just doing my job. My job is to drive these to the capitol building.?

?And deliver them to Prince??

?Yeah.?

The man shook his head and raised his gun. ?Not anymore. This cargo belongs to the people who live here. This is now our property.?

The driver?s eyes widened. ?Hey man, if I come to the capitol building with an empty truck, Gisborne?s gonna kill me.?

The braided man spoke. ?And if you don?t give us the taxes, Heero?s gonna kill you.?

The driver?s eyes expanded to the size of small moons. ?You?re Heero Yuy?? He crossed himself. ?Oh shit. Oh God, please let me get out of this.?

Heero lazily rolled his eyes. ?I won?t kill you as long as you give us this truck.?

?I appreciate the situation, man. Sir. Mister Yuy.? The driver was rambling now, fumbling over his words, glancing nervously at Heero. ?But either way I?m in some deep shit. If I don?t deliver this truck to Gisborne, he?ll murder me.?

The braided man grinned. ?I?ve got a compromise.?


v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Gisborne stood on the stairs of the capitol building and checked his watch for the ninth time. He cursed under his breath. The truck was late. He started to pace and got his radio out of his belt. ?Where the hell is that truck??

He received no answer. He waited for a moment then began pacing again. The radio crackled and a voice filtered through. ?Captain Gisborne? Um? you?re going to want to come and take a look at this??

v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Gisborne arrived at the designated spot minutes later. He found several squad cars parked around his armored truck. He pushed through the idle police officers and made it to the truck. He found his lieutenant. ?What?s going on??

The lieutenant sighed and bit his lip. ?We?ve been had.?

?What?? Gisborne didn?t let him elaborate. He pushed the lieutenant out of the way and made it to the truck. He looked inside and found the driver bound and gagged in the front seat. Gisborne cursed and ran to the back of the truck. He swung the doors open. Nothing greeted him but the empty cargo, and a piece of paper on the bottom of it.

Gisborne picked it up. It was a wanted poster for Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell. He turned it over and read what was scrawled on the back. This is just the beginning.

He crumpled the paper up and threw it into the back of the truck. It bounced off a wall before landing. He slammed the door shut and stood there, seething.

His lieutenant came up to him. ?Sir, what should we do??

?Find them. And then kill them.?


v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Relena tapped her foot in the elevator. The ride was going much too slowly. She smoothed her blue blazer and picked lint off of it. She fumbled with her hair, tying it up, then letting it hand loose. Around floor twenty, she let it fall limply down her back. When the elevator landed on her floor, she got out and walked towards her office. Her secretary was absent from her desk. Relena looked at the empty space oddly, but ignored any questions floating around in her mind. She walked into her office, shutting the door behind her.

Heero Yuy stood in her office, studying the books on her shelf. He was dressed in jeans and a collared shirt, looking comfortable, and not at all like he was being hunted down like a criminal. He barely recognized her presence when she walked in.

She suddenly couldn?t move. Damn him for looking like he belonged, and not to mention handsome, in her office. Who did he think he was? Her breath caught in her throat, but she forced herself to regain composure. ?What are you doing here??

Heero didn?t look at her. ?You?re missing some.?

?What??

He turned to her. ?Books. You?re missing some very good books in your collection.?

Relena stood, bewildered. ?You? you came to criticize my book collection??

?No.?

She shook her head and walked to her desk. She looked around, searching for something. She found the newspaper easily and walked around her desk. She handed it to him.

?You see this? You?re front page news. Apparently you?re the new celebrity.? She shrugged and gave him a hint of a smile. ?I suppose I should be thanking you. Now that you?re back, the press has given up trying to stalk me.?

?How wonderful. I?m glad I?ve rendered that service to you.? His voice was monotonous, but Relena knew immediately by the playful glint in his eye, he was doing his best to be sarcastic.

She fought the smile that threatened to spread across her face at his attempt at humor. She shook her head slightly and broke the eye contact. She was quickly learning that eye contact with Heero Yuy was a very bad thing to do.

?The point is you gave quite the blow to Prince. What did you steal, around five thousand??

?Five thousand, four hundred and twelve.? Heero corrected her, his body stationary, but his eyes following her movements.

She narrowed her eyes at his correction. ?I?m sure you didn?t sneak into my office at great risk-?

?Great risk to who?? he cut her off and the playful glint left his eye. He was all business now.

?To me, Heero. If they find you here,?

?They?ll do what??

?Well, arrest me for treason for one thing. Being seen with you or Duo has now become the most punishable offense in the entire Earth sphere.?

?I?m honored.?

?You should be careful.?

?What, and take the fun out of it??

She didn?t recognize the humor for a moment and she stared at him as if he?d just spoken another language. His face didn?t show emotion, but his sarcasm was biting. She took a step back as if she?d been hit.

?This is a joke to you?? she asked, offended.

His eyes narrowed. ?Absolutely not.?

?You could?ve fooled me! You?ve snuck in here, and you?re cracking jokes!?

There was a knock on the door. Heero looked at the door and then to Relena. She looked worried. Hide, she mouthed. She left him to the task and went to answer her door.

Guy Gisborne stood at the door in full uniform. His brown hair flopped boyishly across his eyes. He brushed it out of the way. He bowed slightly before entering her office.

?Miss Darlian,? he greeted as Relena shut the door behind him. ?Your secretary was gone, so I knocked.? His green eyes pierced her and followed her every move. She was walking away from him, her back turned to him as she tried to catch her breath. Relena finally turned and gave him a small smile.

?How nice of you to visit me, Captain Gisborne.?

He looked around the room. ?I thought I heard voices.? His eyes swept the room looking for the source. Relena?s gaze raced around the room trying to find Heero before Gisborne did.

?I was on the phone.? She lied, nervously looking around the room.

?You seemed angry.? The only thing he was looking at now was Relena.

She looked up at him. ?I was on a business call.? She backed up a step. ?Was there a reason for your visit??

?I?m not allowed to visit you?? He asked. The question was teasing, but by the way he asked, she could tell that he wanted a real answer.

Relena feigned a blush, which wasn?t hard. Her pulse was racing, and with the knowledge that Heero was hidden somewhere in the room, the temperature of the office had seemed to be raised several degrees. ?Of course you?re allowed to visit me, Captain Gisborne.?

?I?d prefer it if you would call me Guy.? He tilted his head down with a small smile, trying to gauge her reaction.

?Of course.? Every moment he wasn?t looking at her, Relena?s worried blue eyes swept the room looking for a sign of Heero?s hiding location. She had to give the former Gundam pilot credit; she couldn?t seem to find him.

?I came by to speak with you about the event tomorrow.? He brought her back to reality and the conversation at hand.

?Oh??

She finally found him behind her massive curtains in the far corner of her office. The sunlight streamed through the window, casting a shadow in the corner. She wouldn?t have seen him at all except for the flash of his eyes when he shifted. She gasped a little. Gisborne looked at her and followed her gaze.

?Something alarming, Miss Darlian??

Relena swallowed thickly. ?No, of course not. I just thought I saw something outside.? She turned away from the corner and faced Gisborne fully. ?You wished to speak to me?? She placed her hand on his arm as she spoke.

In the shadows, Heero?s heart started to race, and his jaw clenched. He gripped the fabric of the curtains. He shouldn?t have come.

Gisborne nodded, her touch throwing any other disturbance out of his mind. He looked at her manicured hand on his bicep before speaking again. ?The event that the Vice President is holding tomorrow. I was hoping that you might accompany me.? He looked up at her.

?As your colleague??

Gisborne?s cheeks were tinged pink. ?I was thinking as my date.?

Relena was suddenly very aware that Heero was staring at her. She didn?t need to see him to know he was standing not five feet away from her, waiting for her reply. She looked up at the man across from her, who was watching her with hopeful green eyes. She licked her lips, which were suddenly very dry, and smiled at Gisborne. ?I would be honored.?

Gisborne smiled. ?Wonderful. I can pick you up at your office, if you wish.?

?That would be fine.? Relena?s eyes flitted over to the curtain.

Her glance didn?t escape Gisborne this time. He looked at her, then to the window. ?Is there something interesting outside?? He looked behind him at the window, then back at Relena. He looked back again at the window, this time, eyes narrowed.

?Guy??

His face became severe. ?I thought I saw your curtain move.?

?It must be the wind.?

?Is your window open??

Relena rushed ahead of Gisborne to the window. She sneakily undid one of the screws on the window plate. Gisborne was right behind her.

?You see? It was open.? She said, as he tightened the screw she had loosened only moments before. He nodded, but looked at the curtain. He reached out and touched the fabric. Relena held her breath.

?It must have been wind.? He murmured as his hand left the fabric, and Relena let her breath out. She smiled when he looked at her.

?Of course.? She led him away from the window. With a glance behind her she caught Heero?s eye. ?What else would it be??

Gisborne smiled. ?You?re right.? He let her lead him to the door. ?I will see you tomorrow, Miss Darlian.?

?You may call me Relena. And, I look forward to it, Guy.?

He gave her a genuine smile and another small bow. ?Tomorrow, Relena.?

She smiled as she shut the door behind her. She leaned against it and held her breath until she heard the chime of the elevator. She closed her eyes. When she opened them, Heero was standing in front of her, his expression harsh.

?Don?t look at me like that.? She said wearily as she closed her eyes and laid her head back against the door.

?How would you prefer?? His voice was laced with malice.

She opened her eyes and glared at him. ?What would you have had me do? I couldn?t just tell him to leave and never come back.?

?And why not??

?Because that?s not what a lady in my position does. Maybe you can afford to act on your emotions, Heero, but I can?t.?

They stared at each other for a prolonged moment before Relena closed her eyes.

He spoke first. ?I can?t leave you around him. He?s dangerous.?

?You can?t always protect me, Heero.? Her eyes were open now. Crystalline blue was crashing into Prussian, and she couldn?t look away. He drew closer to her. He raised one calloused hand and brought it to gently touch her cheek. She didn?t pull away.

?I would if you?d let me.?

She blinked back the emotion in her eyes that threatened to spill. She let herself gently respond to his touch. She closed her eyes and reveled in their contact. It had been too long since she?d seen him, touched him.

?You should go.? She whispered, but Heero heard it as if she?d yelled it. She removed herself from his touch and opened the door. ?Be careful.? She said softly, their eyes meeting one final time. He nodded and left her office.

Relena shut the door. Her knees wobbled and finally gave out. She slid down the mahogany door and collapsed onto the carpet. Nothing restrained her tears now. They fell without pretense, and she let her head fall back against the door.

v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Duo and Trowa stood in the alley behind the capitol building. Duo checked the clock on the building across the street.

?He?s been up there too long.? Trowa murmured, as he watched Duo.

Duo nodded, looking up at the fire escape stairs Heero had climbed. ?Way too long.? He echoed, trying to get a good look.

The two men watched the alley. ?How long are we supposed to wait?? Duo asked as the clock across the street chimed three times.

?Until he gets back.? Trowa responded, his careful green eyes darting across the street, watching for police.

There was a soft thud behind them. They turned and watched as Heero landed on his feet and dusted off his pants.

?Well?? Duo asked.

Heero didn?t say anything. He walked out of the alley and onto the street. Duo looked at Trowa for answers. He shrugged and followed Heero.

?Heero,? Duo jogged to keep up with him. ?What happened??

?Nothing.?

?Well did you ask her about the opening??

?No.?

They kept a brisk pace. The sooner they left the city, the better. The financial district was nearly deserted, and the closer they got to it, the less people were around.

?Well then what was the point?? Duo asked him, clearly frustrated. ?What did you talk to her about??

?I didn?t talk to her about anything.?

?Why not?? It was Trowa?s turn to question. His were less pointed, and more interested.

?We were interrupted.?

Trowa?s eyebrows rose. He walked alongside Heero. ?In what way??

?Gisborne.?

Duo stopped. He watched Heero and Trowa walk further ahead of him. He jogged again and ran in front of Heero. He stopped.

?Wait, you?re saying you ran into Gisborne up there??

?Not physically. He came to her office while I was there.?

?He saw you??

?No.?

Duo shook his head. ?I knew this was a bad idea.? He looked at Heero. ?I told you this was a bad idea!?

Trowa looked at Heero. ?Did you find out anything??

?Gisborne?s going to be at the opening tomorrow.?

Trowa smirked. ?That?s it? That?s all you found out??

?I was interrupted. I didn?t get to complete the mission.? Heero repeated, throwing a glare in Trowa?s direction. Trowa didn?t seem to mind it.

He shrugged. ?We have very little information to go on, Heero.?

?We?re going anyway.? Heero replied and started to walk again.

They made it back to the Sherwood building in ten minutes, and in complete silence. Duo pushed the door open angrily and watched Heero walk through it. He glared. Trowa walked past. He gave Duo a calming stare.

Duo pushed the door closed with such force that it shook on its hinges, which wasn?t hard to do. The building was old. The hinges had traces of rust. The wallpaper was peeling. The building was a prime example of the decay that had swept over the city.

They walked upstairs. At the top of the stairs, Heero stopped. He held up his hand and motioned for them to stop as well.

Duo closed his eyes. ?I?m not in the mood for this, Heero.? Anger seeped through his voice. His violet eyes flashed when he opened them and looked at Heero.

Heero didn?t respond. He crept through the common room. The two cots lie untouched. Trowa?s book sat on top of his, the page still folded down.

Heero turned the corner into the bedroom. Trowa and Duo followed him, Trowa on alert, Duo glaring like a child in time out. The three men stood in the doorway of the master bedroom. Heero raised his gun.

A blond man stood in the center of the bedroom, completely aware of their presence. He stood in khakis and a crisp white shirt.

?Hands in the air.? Heero commanded.

The blond man did as he was told.

?Show yourself.?

Quatre Winner turned around. ?Nice place.? He grinned.

Heero put down his gun and nodded towards the blond pilot. Duo smiled happily and pushed Heero out of the way.

?Quatre!? he exclaimed, pulling the smaller man into a hug. Quatre pat his back as they embraced. Duo quickly let him go.

?This is cool, right?? He asked, looking at Trowa.

?They know?? Quatre asked, amused.

Trowa nodded. Quatre shrugged and smiled at Duo. ?Well, at least I didn?t have to tell you.?

Duo grinned. ?It?s good that you?re back, Quatre!?

Quatre nodded and sat down on the bed, ?It?s good to be back. I?ve been hiding out in space for the last two years.?

The three men took a cue from Quatre and sat down. Heero sat on the edge of the desk that held his computer. Duo took the desk chair and flipped it. Trowa leaned on the wall across from Quatre, a small smile on his face as he stared at the golden-haired pilot.

?How did you find us?? Duo asked.

?It wasn?t very hard. I was a Gundam pilot too, remember.?

Duo smirked. ?Yeah, well I thought stealth was my specialty.?

Quatre laughed, ?I actually talked to Relena.? He looked at Heero when he spoke. ?She told me where to find you. At least, she told me the area. I surmised it was this place.?

?What gave it away?? Heero asked.

Quatre fought a smile and looked at Trowa. ?His book.? He pointed to Trowa. ?I gave it to him. I recognized it.?

Heero nodded. ?So, other than that??

?Your security needs work. I still found the place easily enough.? Quatre was staring pointedly at Heero. ?I assume you?re in charge.?

?Yeah, I guess he?s our leader.? Duo rolled his eyes, but smiled. He loosened his white tie. ?Except today he royally screwed up.?

?Duo,? Heero hissed his name to quiet him, but Quatre?s interest had been piqued.

?Oh??

Duo ignored Heero?s glare. After all, five years on Mars had lessened Duo?s fear of it. ?He went to see Relena today. And he got jack out of her. He nearly risked the entire mission.? He looked at Heero. ?You could?ve gotten caught!?

?But I wasn?t. Case closed.?

?You should be careful, Heero.? Quatre put in, brushing some of his blond hair out of his face. ?This administration, John Prince and Guy Gisborne, they mean business.?

?So what are you doing here?? Heero asked, doing his best not to sound accusatory.

Quatre didn?t flinch. ?I?ve come to reunite with old friends. It seems the world is in need of our services.?

Duo chuckled and nodded at Quatre. ?You just couldn?t stay away from this life, eh??

Quatre smiled. ?Running a corporation isn?t really my thing.? He consented.

?Welcome back to the gang, Quatre!? Duo exclaimed getting up from his chair and clapping Quatre on the back.

?We?ll have to bring you up to speed.? Trowa spoke, commanding the attention of the other three men in the room.

?For starters, tomorrow, Prince is opening a new jail.? Duo piped up, turning the chair forwards and sitting in it again.

?Yes, I know. It?s all over the news. You three are also all over the news. You nicked about five thousand dollars from Gisborne?? Quatre was impressed. He nodded at the men as he stood up from the bed. The medium sized bed creaked as his weight was removed from it.

Through the dimly lit room, Heero watched Quatre run a hand through his hair. It had grown longer. Grudgingly, Heero realized that Quatre had grown up as well. He had seen Quatre in khakis throughout the war, but never before had they seemed to fit him. Quatre fit in his clothes nicely. He obviously hadn?t stopped training. His motions no longer seemed like a grown man was fit into a child?s body. He was in control.

?That?s not all we?re going to do.?

Quatre?s eyebrows rose in curiosity.

?We?re going to go crash their little party tomorrow. Due to some lovely information from our damsel in politics, they?re going to be presenting the bursary fund to Prince at the festivities.?

Quatre looked at Heero and Trowa to confirm. Neither of them shook their head. A smile broke onto his face.

?Is that so??

?Yeah. And we?re gonna steal it.? Duo said, grinning wickedly.

Quatre smiled and looked to the other three men. ?Oh man. I?ve missed this.?

v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

The jail was set up downtown. Due to the overpopulation of the jails, Vice President John Prince decreed that it was necessary to open another one in the city. This jail was close to the capitol building where Prince?s office was.

Two streets down, sat a five story threatening metal building. It gleamed in the sunlight, the barbed wire on the fence daring any onlookers to try and breach its gates. Today, there were no prisoners. Today, there would be a celebration. A time for congratulatory speeches. Today, John Prince would stand on a podium, make a speech, receive a copious amount of money and open up a jail that he hoped would one day contain the populous of the city.

There were colorful banners and ticker tape on the ground. Prince was making a spectacle of this. He invited the entire city into the jail. He was mocking them. Come and see, he mocked. Come and see what happens when you don?t pay your taxes.

The inhabitants of the city came into the city, because they couldn?t resist. There were different booths selling food. To the inexperienced eye, this would have looked like a friendly gathering.

Prince sat on a stage, above the roaming crowd. He fixed the cuffs of his gray suit. The stage was made up to have five chairs on it. He was the only one sitting at the moment. His hazel eyes scanned the crowd for his chief of security.

He found Gisborne, making his way through the crowd, Relena Darlian right behind him. Prince grimaced. Gisborne showed his badge to a police officer at the bottom of the stairs. He didn?t have to; his mere glare intimidated the officer and made him move to the side. Relena threw an apologetic look the officer?s way before following Gisborne up the stairs.

Gisborne shook Prince?s hand in greeting. Gisborne had opted out of the uniform. He was wearing black pants and a white collared shirt. His badge, pinned to his breast, shone eerily in the sunlight. Gisborne?s sunglasses hid his eyes.

?Vice President.?

?Ah, Gisborne. You made it.? Prince looked at Relena and forced a smile. ?Miss Darlian. How lovely of you to come.?

Relena returned the fake smile. ?I was honored to be invited.?

?It seems you?ll have a great seat for all of the festivities.? Prince said, his smile stretching thin.

Relena nodded. She smoothed the dress she was wearing and sat down on the stage in the chair next to Gisborne. He waited until she was seated before he took his. She looked nervously across the crowd. It was impossible to pick anyone out. There must have been thousands of people milling around. The opening was the event of the year. It was a party. It was their last supper, one last hurrah before the steel gates closed concealing all their joy with it.

Two other men ascended the stage and received a warm greeting from Prince. Relena titled her head to look.

?That?s the warden.? Gisborne whispered in her ear. The uninvited contact sent a shiver down her spine. She looked at Gisborne and tried to hide that his touch was unsolicited.

?Is it??

?Yes.? Gisborne wasn?t moving. He seemingly liked the proximity. ?And the man to his left is my subordinate. They?ll be presenting the Vice President with the bursary fund today.?

She leaned forward a bit. ?Where is it?? she turned to Gisborne. ?I don?t see it with them.?

Gisborne pointed. ?It?s under his chair. See?? There was indeed a small metallic box under the warden?s chair. Relena swallowed, eyes looking over the box. With it under the warden?s chair, there would be no chance in Heero retrieving it.

?Are you worried, Miss Relena?? Gisborne looked amused.

Relena smiled a bit. ?It?s so unprotected.?

Gisborne took his eyes off of her, and Relena felt as if a weight had been lifted. It wasn?t crushing her chest, so much as mildly suffocating her now. ?No one would dare charge the stage.? He said confidently, looking out over the sea of people.

?Not even Heero Yuy??

Gisborne looked at her quizzically.

?I?ve been following the matter in the papers.? She covered. She found that the more ignorant she pretended to be, the more she got away with.

?What matter?? Gisborne?s voice had lost some of it geniality. He was taking her seriously. He wasn?t buying her naivet?.

?The robbery. I heard they robbed one of your trucks.? She wasn?t sure if it was the heat or the pressure that was bringing a blush to her cheeks.

?The papers reported that??

?I believe so.?

?I seem to remember the papers only printed that there were three unidentifiable men. There was no mention of Heero Yuy.?

She was caught. She licked her lips and smiled. ?Forgive me, Captain Gisborne-?

?Guy.? He corrected, green eyes blazing with an indescribable emotion.

?Guy,? she continued, averting her gaze. ?I must have assumed too much with the article.? She searched for the words. ?I knew Heero Yuy to be quite the troublemaker. I now know that my assumptions are out of place, and not welcome in your company.?

A smile broke onto Gisborne?s face. Relena missed it; she was too busy avoiding him.

?Miss Relena,? he took her hand and her eyes widened. ?I think curiosity is an admirable quality in a woman. Nothing you could do would be unwelcome with me.?

She smiled weakly and gave him an appreciative nod. Her eyes scanned the crowd again. This day was going to last forever.

Her prayers were answered when Prince stepped up to the podium. The crowd stopped milling around and looked up. An eerie silence swept through them and they stood, transfixed.

Prince smiled. People waiting to be told what to do. They were his favorite kind. ?Ladies and Gentlemen.? His voice boomed through the microphone. It seemed to reach every inch of the former Sanc Kingdom. He held everyone?s attention now.

?Welcome to the opening. Normally, this would be a small occasion, but I wanted to make it public, so that the world can see how proud we are of our judicial system. This jail represents power. It represents commerce. It represents the citizen?s willingness to accept change.?

The crowd stood still.

?Tomorrow, this jail will open. We?ve spared no expense, because we believe in protection. Once you go into this jail, there will be no coming out. The city will be safer for it. What matters to me is that every citizen is protected. With the increase of criminal acts these days, one can not be too safe or careful.?

Relena?s eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open. It was lucky that no one was looking at her.

?Criminals have been roaming our streets. And it is our duty to make sure that they are detained. I am speaking of one such criminal, and his group of bandits. This man threatens the entire Earth sphere with his misdeeds. I am speaking of course of Heero Yuy.?

There was a murmuring through the crowd.

?Because of this injustice he has caused, security must be raised. And to keep all citizens safe, taxes must be raised. We need to be on the lookout for Heero Yuy.?

?There?s no need for that,? Heero didn?t need a microphone for his voice to reach the masses. Every head turned and found Heero Yuy standing in the middle of the crowd. Duo, Trowa and Quatre stood at his side, staring at Prince. ?I?m right here.?

Prince grimaced. ?Yuy. How nice of you to join us.?

?It?s the least I could do.?

?Giving yourself up?? Prince asked, a smirk spreading across his face.

?No. I?m issuing you a warning.?

?Me? You?re issuing me a warning??

The sea of people parted as Heero walked forward, the other pilots in tow. He stopped when he was five feet away from the podium. Guy stood and drew his gun. Heero looked over and snorted.

?Do you think that scares me?? he asked Gisborne.

Gisborne glowered.

Heero looked over and locked eyes with Relena. He smirked at her. She gave him a defiant stare for a moment, but lost it. She smiled at him, silently laughing. Gisborne followed Heero?s stare and looked at Relena. She immediately frowned and tried her best to glare at Heero.

?Well, you seem to have an answer for everything.? Prince drawled, cold hazel eyes locking onto him. ?But do you have one for this? Guards!? Upon his words, a squad of police officers rushed through the crowds and formed a circle around the four men. Duo, Trowa and Quatre reacted and crouched into a fighting stance. Heero didn?t move.

?I?m going for the money. You keep them busy.? Heero ordered quietly, eyes flickering to the three men at his side.

?It?s what we?re best at.? Duo replied, giving his grave friend a smile. ?We can do this, no problem.?

?I know.? Heero looked at him, giving his friend a nod. ?That?s why I?m leaving it to you.?

Duo smiled genuinely at his friend?s small show of respect.

Heero stepped forward. Duo, Quatre and Trowa arranged themselves, ready for a fight. The three men were back to back.

?Well, this looks familiar.? Duo said, directing his comment at Trowa and Quatre as the police closed in.

?Outnumbered in a situation with a small chance of escape and a high risk of injury??

?Yeah.?

Quatre grinned. ?You didn?t miss it??

Duo knew the blond pilot was smiling without looking at him. ?Are you kidding? I freaking live for this.?

?You know, we do have an edge.? Trowa spoke up, eyes glimmering with mirth that the other three couldn?t see.

?Is that so?? Quatre asked, indulging him.

?Yeah. We are Gundam pilots.?

Duo nodded and smiled. ?Too true.?

With that, Duo lunged forward and hit a police officer in the chest, taking him down. People screamed and the crowd scattered. People rushed around to get out of the way. A small circle was made through the crowd as the three men fought their way through police officers.

?Trowa!? Quatre called out, his eyes directing Trowa where to look. He moved to the side and avoided the butt of a gun crashing onto his head. The culprit faltered, and with a push from Trowa?s elbow, fell to the ground and didn?t get up.

Duo had his hands full with two officers. They held their guns level with his heart. The three danced in a dangerous circle.

?Stay where you are!? one demanded.

Duo smirked. ?What, and die? You wish!?

The officer narrowed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Duo ducked down and watched the bullet that was meant for him hit the other officer in the side. The other officer looked horrified. Duo stood and punched his across the face. The officer went down, and Duo looked down at him. ?You underestimated me.? He said with an evil smile spreading across his face.

A few feet away, an officer grabbed Quatre from behind, making sure he couldn?t move. Another officer shoved the butt of his rifle into Quatre?s stomach, making the blond pilot groan in pain.

?This is what you get!? the officer cried as he shoved the butt into Quatre?s stomach again.

?Quatre!? Trowa cried as he fought off two men.

?We?ve got the weak one here!? the officer cried, malicious smile on his face.

Quatre?s eyes narrowed. He brought his arms down, hard. The officer was forced to let go. Quatre turned around and hit him square across the jaw. ?I?ll show you who the weak one is.? He hissed, pushing some stray blond hair out of his face. He bent down and picked up the felled officer?s rifle. He turned and pointed it the officer who had hit him. ?Back away.?

The officer did as told, and more. He ran the opposite direction.

Through the chaos, Heero had made his way to the stage. He ran up the stairs, taking down officers as he went. He made it to the stage in record time. Heero looked up and saw Prince glaring at him from behind the podium. ?Gisborne!? he cried. Heero moved to grab the bursary fund from under the warden?s chair. The warden had already moved away from the stage and had fled into the safety of the jail itself. The silver case sat unprotected under the chair. Heero reached for it.

Gisborne didn?t need the order. He was already halfway across the stage. Before Heero could react, Gisborne?s fist collided into his face. Heero fell down. ?I owed you that much for stealing from me. Now we?re even? Gisborne snarled.

Relena jumped from her chair as soon as Heero was hit. She moved towards the action, but stopped once she reached Prince?s hiding place behind the podium. There was no sense in going further. ?Oh no.? she whispered, as she watched Heero go down.

At her words, Heero looked up. He looked at her for a moment, and she stared back, worried. Gisborne turned his head to see what Heero was looking at. With movements so quick, Gisborne didn?t seem them right away, Heero grabbed the silver case. He held onto the handle and launched it upwards. It collided with the side of Gisborne?s face, and he fell to the ground.

?No.? Heero said, breathing heavily. ?Now we?re even.? Heero brought his hand up to wipe the small trickle of blood that had escaped from his mouth. He looked up at Prince. ?I?ll be taking this.?

A bullet lodged itself into the podium. Prince gave a scared jump and then glowered at Heero.

?This isn?t over, Yuy!?

?I?ll be looking forward to our next meeting.? Heero said, his hand gripping the silver box tighter. Another bullet whizzed into the podium. Prince jumped and crouched lower.

Gisborne moved and groaned.

Heero stared at him as if he were trash. He descended the stairs and made his way through the crowd. He found his comrades easily. Trowa and Duo were fighting off two men, and Quatre was nearby. ?Let?s go!? He called to them. With a few last shots, the officers they were fighting went down, and the pilots ran after Heero though the crowd.

Gisborne stood up shakily. He hobbled down the stairs and after Heero.

?Stop them!? Prince cried, now emerging from his spot behind the podium. ?Stop them! They have the bursary fund! Shut the gate!?

But they were too quick. The four men saw the mechanical barbed wire gate closing and sped up. Heero got through first, followed by Quatre and Trowa.

?Duo!? Heero called, as he saw the braided pilot messing with a metal switch. ?Come on! The gate!? he called. Duo nodded and slipped past as the door started to shut. They stopped to catch their breath outside the gate as the officers and Gisborne caught up. The door slammed shut.

They smirked at Gisborne through the barbed wire.

Gisborne was breathing heavily, but found the strength to glare. ?This isn?t over. Open the gate!? he called to his men.

?It isn?t opening!? an officer called back. ?The opening mechanism! It?s been short-circuited!?

Duo gave a mock bow. ?That would be me.?

Quatre and Trowa gave Duo a congratulatory clap on the back and he made a show of accepting their thanks. Heero smirked and looked at Gisborne.

Gisborne?s eyes burned. ?Don?t worry, Yuy. We?ll catch you.?

?Don?t bet on it.? Heero said, eyes narrowing. He looked at the confused people still inside of the jail area. ?Those people are not your toys, Gisborne. And we will rid the earth of your type of scum.?

Gisborne hit the fence in anger.

The four pilots smiled at his frustration. Heero signaled them, and they started to run away from the jail.

Trowa lagged behind and looked at Gisborne. ?Have we got your attention yet?? Trowa gave an uncharacteristic smirk and ran to join his comrades.

v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v

Ha ha! Finished! This is kind of a record for me. This is really the first epic I?ve tried, and I must say, even if I don?t get my point across, the chapters are epic in length. Geez.

Thank you for carrying on with this. I appreciate all of the support you all are so gracious to give.

[Death 12]

?Have we got your attention yet?? - Had to smile when I read that.

So - nice chapter, good fic, can't wait to read the next chapter when its released.

[Nihal]

I didin't know Heero had such a cheerful humor
anyway, wonderful chapter, hope you'll post next one in record time.

[Midge-14]

Oooo I'm loving this more and more. Heero and Relena's interaction to me really echoes that of Robin and Marian and I love this more for that! Heh heh, the Gundam boys are all getting together and becoming bolder in their movements and it leaves me wondering what will happen next?

Oh and more secret meetings between Relena and Heero please! Yay!

[epyon]

i like how well you've adapted robin hood to the AC universe keep em comin please!

[WingZero2118]

yay! i am so loving this story. can't wait for more!

[Penguin on the Shore]

Ah! I love that Heero and Trowa have books! And I just can't get over how well Heero fits the Robin Hood role. And I really like the way you've adapted his interactions with Relena to mirror Robin Hood and Marian's. Ah! I love it!

[BadPenny]

**"Women are always under the impression that men love them more that they really do."

-The Painted Veil**

Sorry this isn't about the story since I just reviewed an earlier chapter, but I felt like responding to this quote.

Actually men love women more than women think they do, but less in the kind of ways that women think they want them to. In other words, the reason women are wrong about how much men love them is because they are looking at the wrong things.