

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing and Co. They belong to Bandai and Sunrise. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I am not making a profit from it.
"Afraid to Love"
Written by: WingZero2118
Chapter Sixteen
"What? You can't be serious Zechs."
"I wish I wasn't being serious. The threat level at which this new group who calls themselves New Oz is at really leaves us no choice.? Zechs turned back to the windows clearly deeply troubled by these turn of events.
?Do the others know about this?? Heero asked cautiously.
?Yes the other pilots already know about my decision. They all work for Preventers already so naturally they would have been informed. WuFei is working with Sally on the terra-forming project, Duo is actually Relena?s head of security, and Trowa works with Quatre who heads our Middle Eastern Head Quarters. Actually it was Quatre?s idea to bring you in on this. I was going to let you follow your new path but Quatre informed me of how much the other pilots relied on you during the war.?
?Well I would have ended up working along side you one way or another.?
?You really think so?? asked Zechs.
?Had I not come in to try and get a position here I most likely would have gotten some job to allow me to be available for Relena more often. As such her job would have allowed me to learn of the situation at hand which would have led me here or to start counter-acting on my own.?
?Well I for one am glad that you chose to come here first. We can use all the help we can get on this. The New Oz group is targeting our terra-forming project on Mars for reasons that we don?t yet understand or for some reason they?re not telling us. A few of our out-posts have already been attacked and from the data we have collected it is almost certain beyond a doubt that they are using mobile suits.?
?How can this be?? Heero asked sounding shocked. ?I thought there was an outlaw on the technology and manufacturing of mobile suits??
?There is,? Zechs stated flatly. ?We don?t know how they were able to produce the suits unnoticed, but we do know that the only way to counter the force which they now poses is with the gundams.?
?But we destroyed them all. It would take years to try and research the specifications they had and would need.?
?Look at these,? Zechs said as he handed Heero a stack of papers.
?What...I don?t believe it. Where did you get all of this??
?It?s data I collected on you pilots during the war. Every suit down to its smallest detail. I found the information to valuable to just throw away even after the ban on mobile suits so I hid it away. Until now.?
Heero just looked at Zechs in astonishment.
?You still never cease to amaze me Zechs. This is great but we?ll still need to contact the others to get their personal specs and then there?s still the task of construction without the knowledge leaking out that the Preventers are creating unauthorized mobile suits.?
A small smile seemed to flicker across Zechs? lips but only for an instant.
?Come with me I have something to show you.?
Zechs walked out through one of the side doors in his office into a small room where the only other door was to an elevator. Zechs took out a security card, swiped it, punched in his access code and stated, ?Zechs Marquise?. The security lock clicked and said ?Welcome Colonel Zechs? in the same electronic voice that had welcomed Noin in the parking garage. The doors opened and Heero and Zechs got in.
They rode the elevator in silence for what seemed to Heero a lifetime. When it finally got to the bottom, and the doors opened, Heero could only stare in wonder. They were inside a huge underground manufacturing facility that looked like it was set up for the purpose of making mobile suits.
?How...when...how long has this been down here?? Heero finally managed to ask.
?Long enough to give us a fighting chance,? replied Zechs.
?What do you mean by that??
?I?ll show you.?
Zechs walked over to a very large set of security doors that seemed to reach all the way up to the ceiling. He took out a different security card scanned it, punched in a longer code, did a retinal scan and stated, ?Zechs Marquise?. The lock took longer to process this than the elevators did but it finally clicked and the two doors began to slide away from each other.
Slowly huge objects came into view through the widening gap between the doors. Once Heero was finally able to make out what he was seeing he could only gasp in amazement. As the doors opened more they revealed all of the gundams including Epyon and Tallgeese III. Heero was at a loss for words.
?I built this facility at first for my own means. You know as I do I have always been fond of the mobile suit, so to just have the data was not enough for me. I began reconstructing the suits which were used in the Marimea incident. Incidentally since the other pilots already worked here once the thought occurred that a time might come when we would actually need them I at once informed them and had the pilots input their own personal data. They?re all completely finished...except yours.?
Heero just looked at him.
?I?ll have a security card with access to this sector made up for you. When you?re done working or just get tired I?ll be in my office.?
And with that Zechs turned and headed towards the elevator. He was almost there when Heero called out to him.
?Hey Zechs!?
?Yes, what is it??
?Did you incorporate the Zero system??
?I should have known you would ask about that,? Zechs responded, chuckling slightly. "I had it installed in Wing Zero but it?s not uploaded into the operating system yet. I didn?t know if you would want to use it or how well you would be able to handle it so I left that matter up to you.?
?That?s fine I?ll need to fine tune it anyways. Oh and Zechs...thanks.?
And with that Zechs entered the elevator and left Heero to himself. Heero turned and walked into the large hanger and stopped in front of his gundam.
?Well my friend it looks like I will be needed your help once again after all.?
Heero found a work station with all the tools he would need to set up his gundam to his liking and got right to work. Surprisingly enough he still felt one with the machine and was able to remember almost exactly how he had it configured. He worked tirelessly throughout the day and well into the late afternoon before he finally decided to call it quits.
?I think that should be enough for one day. If need be I can make the final adjustments during transport. I suppose I should head back up and see if Zechs needs any help in figuring out how to best oppose this so called New Oz.?
Heero waited patiently as the elevator made its long trek back up to the room outside Zechs? office. While he waited his thoughts turned to Relena.
?It took me such a long time to realize what I had right in front of me yet she never gave up on me. It?s going to be hard keeping this from her now that I finally opened up to her. I wonder what she?s doing right now.?
But the thoughts were pushed from his mind momentarily as the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened. Heero knocked on the doors leading to Zechs? main office then entered to find Zechs and Noin going over some papers at his desk.
?Heero I didn?t here you come in,? stated Zechs. ?So how much progress did you make??
?Nearly finished. Going over plans for the opposition??
?Hardly. This is the monthly financial report. It?s amazing how much it costs to simply prevent situations from becoming military actions. Imagine how much more it would take to be a full military force designed to protect the entire ESUN.?
?I imagine I wouldn?t want to know how much that costs,? Heero replied.
?So are you as hungry as we are or were you planning on going back to finish up your work?? Noin asked rather nonchalantly.
?I?m starving as a matter of fact.?
?Well you?re more than welcome to come and have dinner with us tonight,? Zechs offered. ?We all have a lot to talk about with your and Relena?s engagement. Of course we?ll stop home to freshen up a bit and pick up Relena of course before we head out to eat.?
?I?d love to join you.?
?Wonderful. Zechs and I have a few more figures to go over before we?re ready to leave but it shouldn?t be to much longer.?
When Zechs and Noin had finished the three of them headed to the officers parking garage.
?If you don?t mind Noin I?ll ride with Zechs on the way back. I have a few things I need to discuss with him.?
?That?s perfectly alright Heero.? On the way back to the Peacecraft estate Zechs and Heero went over a few ideas Heero had on enhancing the output of the gundams main drive system as well as discussing different ways to effectively engage the New Oz opposition. Once they were almost at the front gates Zechs turned to Heero and stated something very alarming.
?It seems awfully dark tonight doesn?t it??
?Too dark,? Heero observed.
There were more clouds out last night and I could still see the mansion from this far out. I have a bad feeling about this.?
As they approached the front gate a scene of absolute horror began to unfold. The guard shack was in shambles and the front gate looked like someone had taken a can opener to it.
?What in the hell happened?? cursed Zechs.
And then as if something clicked in both Zechs? and Heero?s brains simultaneously, making them realize the true horror as to who had been at home all day, they both cried out at the same time, ?Oh no! Relena!?