Mistaken Words chapter 67
Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 4:25 pm
Mistaken Words
AN: Merry Early Christmas everyone! I know it?s been a while, and who am I kidding it could be another while before the next post. I apologise for that, but I hope you can all understand that it?s really out of my hands?I?d really rather not go into details.
I decided that I?d give you four chapters to make up for the previous delay and any that might come in the next couple of weeks!
This chapter has only been edited once by morgansgirl and I thank her for that! I?d like to thank my other two editors Pious Knight and Featherbird I?ll get back into the swing of this I promise!
Since there?s four chapters coming I won?t be putting previews on the ends, at least on the last chapter I will, it take a little less time.
pilot03: (laughs) I made the mistake of mentioning your comment to my friend neekabe, and she immediately came up with something to add into the story ^_~ I don?t think there?s much worry about this story ending any time soon. I just hope you can be patient with how long it takes me. Thanks for the review!
lildragonfly: Thanks for the reviews! There?s still a lot more to come I promise!! And more 1xR scenes too!
epyon: Even if it takes forever for updates? I hope so ^_~ and I hope you enjoy this 4 chapter instalment! Thanks for the reviews!
takisha16: Thanks for the reviews! I hope you enjoy these chapters as much! Aww where?s you sense of adventure ^_~ Taking out the Inner Circle is what we?ve been heading for! I hope you enjoy! More 1xR up in this chapter! Enjoy!
amulak: I really enjoyed writing the warehouse scene ^_^ Heero?s good fun in those situations. Thanks for the reviews! He wasn?t really given much of a chance to disappear otherwise he might well have ^_~ he?s such a bad man! Thanks again1
Morrighan: Thanks so much! There a little more 1xR coming your way! I hope you enjoy!
Adaon: Thanks for the review! I?ve loved just about every moment of working on this story! And I hope you continue to enjoy, and can be patient with me ^_~
Incarntatrice: Thanks for the review! I hope you enjoy these 4 chapteres!
perfectpeach: (laughs) I wonder if the scene in this chapter will have the same reaction you might want to warn them ahead of time ^_~ Thanks for the review I hope you enjoy these 4 chapters!
KPGUNDAM: There?s a little more in this chapter! ^_^ I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the review!
Disclaimer: I don?t own Gundam Wing
Taking Leave
Two days until they left for Freedom?s point, and Duo found himself lounging in the common room along with Trowa, Wufei and Une. Relena was in a series of small meetings at her house, her temporary guards testing the waters to make sure they could handle things while the pilots were gone. He wasn?t exactly thrilled at the setup, but all things considered it was the best that they could do. Relena didn?t have any major conferences for at least a week, regular agents could handle the smaller stuff without incident. He hoped they wouldn?t be tied up with the Inner Circle for much longer than that, but it was hard to say right now.
His eyes scanned around the room from where he lay on one of the couches, the picture of comfort. Une accepted a cup of tea from Trowa with a smile of thanks while Wufei sat against the far wall cleaning and polishing his weapons as he often did before a mission. They were waiting for Sally, who was bringing two agents up to meet Heero, Duo smiled internally, this would definitely be interesting. There had been a lot of discussion about how and when this should be done, there was only two days left so it had to be done now. As for how, Duo had convinced them all to leave that in his hands.
?Where?s Heero?? Une asked eyes looking to Duo.
?He?ll be here,? Duo answered finally pushing himself back to a sitting position, lavender eyes glancing at his watch, he had told Heero specifically to come at two thirty for a meeting, it was now ten minutes too. Knowing Heero he?d be right on time.
The door to the room opened and all eyes turned to watch Sally lead in two men, they were both tall, and in their early to mid thirties. Duo knew them both through previous missions, Tony a darker skinned man, was a troop commander, a very competent leader, the other Kahlan was a medic Sally had spent a great deal of time training. None of them to Duo?s knowledge had actually worked with the tall redhead, but they had all heard of him through Sally.
Sally swept a hand across the room, ?I?m sure you know the pilots,? a few select people within the agency actually knew they were the pilots. For the most part they had decided to keep that information to themselves but it helped to have a least a couple of people aware.
Tony smiled easily extending his hand first to Trowa then to Duo, ?Been a while,? he said nodding to Wufei who hadn?t bothered to get to his feet, but nodded in return continuing to work.
?So you?re the lucky commander Une chose to go with us,? Duo chuckled actually coming into his feet easily concealing the small item he carried in his left hand.
?He?s just lucky he doesn?t have to try and control any of you,? Une countered placing her cup of tea aside.
Kahlan glanced about the room calmly, ?You were a little vague on the details Sally, is this some sort of strategy meeting??
?Not exactly, I just wanted you to actually meet the men that you?re going to be responsible for on this mission,? she looked Duo?s way, ?There?s actually one left, he is coming right??
?Of course,? Duo affirmed subtly shifting his position as he glanced down at his watch, ?He should be here any second.?
As though on perfect cue, the door to the room opened and Heero walked in, ?What?s this all about Duo?? he asked immediately as both Tony and Kahlan turned, their expressions a wild mix of shock, confusion and something else that just made it so hilarious.
Duo snapped the picture laughing the entire time, ?Thanks man! Don?t think that could have gone any better!? he continued to chuckle as he made his way back to his seat, all the while feeling Heero?s glare on his back.
WMWMWMW
Suppressing the need to sigh Heero focused his attention on the two new faces in the room, the ones he had obviously been brought to meet, he just really wished they wouldn?t leave Duo to plan these things, he was still grinning like a damn fool. The two unfamiliar faces stood near to each other, neither was fool enough to draw a weapon against him, obviously if he had walked in here with Une present along with the other pilots they must have trusted him. But they did look extremely confused, an expression Heero knew he?d be seeing a lot of for the next little while, though he was going to do his best to remain invisible, no doubt word of him would spread.
?What the hell is this?? the brown eyed man asked, his black hair hung loosely about his face in loose curls.
?Could we all just take a seat for the moment?? Une asked her tone commanding them all to do just that.
Heero waited for the two men to take a seat along side Une before he lowered himself down between Duo and Trowa, Wufei remained seated against the wall, and Sally took the armchair at the head of the table. The female doctor moved to the edge of the seat, ?Heero, this is Tony Irving, he?ll be commanding the troops that go to Freedom?s Point along with you.?
He nodded his head watching the continual confused expression as Tony glanced about to all the people present in the room, after a moment?s hesitation the older man extended his hand to Heero, which the pilot accepted. The other extended his hand immediately after, he was clearly as confused as Tony but appeared to find this fascinating. ?And this is Kahlan Ells he?s a medic I?ve personally trained to deal with you pilots, since I?ve agreed not to go, he?ll be watching over you.?
Duo leaned over the, the digital camera held tightly in his hand as he flashed the screen in front of Heero?s eyes to show him the picture he had taken upon his entry. He shook his head still chuckling to himself.
?Alright,? Une spoke sharply drawing all eyes to her, ?First off the obvious, agent Yuy, isn?t the traitor the world believes him to be.?
?Or dead for that matter,? Kahlan said looking at Heero as though seeing a ghost.
Heero couldn?t fight back the sigh any longer, he pushed himself up and walked several paces away taking a seat on one of the bar stools, cobalt eyes watching from a distance. ?He?s been in deep cover with the Inner Circle,? Une continued to explain eyes following him only so far, ?That is until early last year. To maintain his cover we had to announce to the world that he had died.?
?What, you?re saying the attempt on Relena?s life was all planned?? Tony asked in disbelief, ?He?s been working for you the entire time??
Kahlan nodded his head in agreement, ?No one?s that good of an actor.?
?It?s what happened!? Heero barked, drawing all the eyes to him, ?Obviously since I?m sitting here now,? he looked away dropping the side of his head onto his upturned hand. This was all more of a headache than it was worth, he was beginning to wonder if there had been a way he could slip into the mission without announcing his presence to anyone. He knew immediately that wasn?t possible, he just hoped he could keep the information from spreading too far, otherwise he?d be dealing with this every time he turned around.
Tony looked a little unsure as he slowly tore his eyes away from Heero, ?Why the delay?? he asked Une, ?Between when he came back and the mission??
?There was three years worth of information to analyse, along side that agent Yuy had sustained some pretty significant injuries which he had to recover from.? That caused Heero?s eyes to narrow but he told himself it really was the only answer they could give to such a question, though even that reason might seem unreasonable to some people.
?So then it was you who built Zero for Dante?? Tony looked back directing his question Heero?s way.
The former pilot mutely nodded his head, it wasn?t that simple, nevertheless he wasn?t interested in getting into the details with these men.
?Does that mean he?s a member of the Inner Circle?? it was Kahlan who asked that.
?No,? Une shook her head, ?Dante?s been cleared, and is working along side us to bring them down, though we have strong reasons to believe the Inner Circle has another version of Zero.?
?It?s not exactly functional,? Heero told them before the questions could come, his memories were more than just hazy but he could remember some small parts, such as changing the controls around.
?But haven?t they had it for over half a year?? Kahlan asked eyes pulling away from Heero to regard Une, ?Could they not have made it functional in that time??
?No doubt they?ve been working on it, but Heero doesn?t believe it?s likely,? Une confirmed.
Heero nodded in agreement, for anyone who was looking, ?The threat of it self-destructing at any moment hampers their progress.?
Kahlan?s eyes flew wide at that, but Une brought the attention of the room back to her, ?It is imperative to this mission that the two of you know about agent Yuy, and are able to trust him.?
?How on earth are you going to explain this to the news media?? Kahlan asked suddenly watching Une intently.
?When the time comes that they need to be informed I?ll deal with it then, right now it hardly seems important,? she folded her arms calmly across her chest regarding each man with a professional air. ?What is important is whether or not can you put aside four years of propaganda and complete this mission,? Une stated waiting for a reply.
Tony and Kahlan each looked towards Heero, brown and green eyes studying him intently. Heero watched them calmly interested to see what they?d say, it didn?t really matter to him one way or the other if they could ever trust him, he had the trust of the people that mattered most and that was all that mattered. Raising his head from the hand it had been resting on Heero leveled them each with a steady look.
It was Tony who spoke first, his words thoughtful as he continued to study Heero though his eyes didn?t exactly meet with the former pilot?s eyes. ?I?ll admit not all of this is making sense to me, and it?s a lot to take in, but I trust your judgment commander, and if you tell me agent Yuy is trust worthy that?s all I need.?
Kahlan nodded his head in agreement to what Tony had said, ?I only have one concern, when are you going to tell the rest of the troops??
?I wasn?t exactly planning on making this public knowledge,? Une admitted, and Heero knew exactly why, ?You could see how it would cause more confusion than good.?
?Is this to say we aren?t to tell anyone?? Kahlan asked for clarification.
Heero wanted to tell him yes, but Une answered before him, ?I leave that up to you Tony, I know more than just the two of you are going to need to know. But for the time being I know it would make the mission smoother if less people knew,? she explained.
?What if he?s seen?? Kahlan asked then.
?I won?t be,? Heero returned confidently, his plan was to go after Zero the minute they landed on Freedom?s Point, it wasn?t likely he?d be seen by anyone on their side. It didn?t exactly matter with members of the Inner Circle.
?But if you were,? he medic pressed shifting on the couch so he could see both Une in front of him and Heero off to the side. ?Wouldn?t it be easier to deal with it now, than face the possibility of an accidental shooting??
?None of my men would be fool enough to shoot him on sight,? Tony countered.
?I suppose not?? Kahlan agreed finally though he didn?t seem completely convinced.
?I should be able to keep word of your being alive down to as few people as possible,? Tony assured looking directly at Heero, ?I doubt many people will believe without actually seeing, and no one beyond tech support really needs to know. I take it you?ll be securing Zero during the mission??
?That?s the plan,? Heero confirmed with a nod of his head.
Duo grinned wildly at that his digital camera still held tightly in his hand, ?You sure even you can pilot it now??
?I?ll have a better chance than any one else,? he replied dryly, trying to remember what of the controls he could, he knew it wasn?t going to be a walk in the park, but not impossible either.
?Alright,? Une said coming to her feet, ?If there?s nothing else, there are final mission briefs to go over and last minute preparations to get done.? Both men came to their feet almost immediately and Heero watched as they made their way to the door, their eyes continued to flicker to him as they went but nothing else was said.
?Well that went as well as could be expected,? Duo chuckled eyes studying the screen of his camera.
Heero just grunted and pulled a hand through his hair, feeling surprised at how he actually felt over having this first meeting out of the way. He knew immediately he would have greatly preferred to avoid it altogether, it didn?t matter to him what the public thought, so long as his friends accepted him and he could be with Relena. But he had felt frustrated and annoyed by the questions, by having to bring up such a touchy subject for all of them, even if they had moved almost completely beyond it. Was this something he was going to have to deal with each and every time? If so, he didn?t want to be a part of it.
Wufei got slowly to his feet stretching out his back as he did, ?It?d go better if Duo wasn?t so focused on having fun.?
?Don?t tell me you don?t want a copy,? he smiled crookedly completely undeterred.
?Entirely beside the point,? Trowa filled in expressionless mask firmly in place.
The Japanese man merely shook his head, and got up from his seat, ?Where?re you going?? Wufei asked.
?Training?? he answered not really sure what he felt like doing, he just wanted to find something to fill the time, he hated waiting.
?You going to be done before Relena gets here?? Duo asked finally sounding a little more serious.
Heero nodded his head, ?I should be,? Relena had shown him that spending time with her was never boring, and considering the ache behind his right eye he certainly wouldn?t have minded letting her massage the back of his neck.
WMWMWMW
Heero stood alone in his room late in the afternoon on the 28th of January, in only a matter of hours they?d be leaving Earth bound for Freedom?s Point. It was the moment Heero had been waiting and struggling towards, it almost didn?t seem like it could actually happen, but he refused to give into such thoughts. He only wanted to focus on his goal, one he could easily attain?the Inner Circle was going to fall.
In the rush of last minute preparations, proving his existence to the few men and women who actually needed to know he was alive and on their side, Heero had managed not to forget a very important moment. Glancing over to the table resting across his simply made bed Heero made sure the gift he had purchased was still where he had left it carefully wrapped. Resting next to it was his duffle bag, at the moment he only wore jeans and a sweatshirt but Sally had had each of them fitted with new body armour, which was carefully packed away along with weaponry and various other necessities. It had been a while since he had such complete access to so many supplies, his goal was to travel light since in the end he was going to be in Zero for a lot of the mission, he didn?t really need to be weighted down with a lot of guns.
The door behind him opened, the by now engrained knock alerting him seconds before Relena walked into the room. The expression on her face at first glance looked as bright and cheerful as always, but Heero saw immediately beyond that to the concern she was trying her hardest to conceal. He couldn?t say he exactly understand where it had come from, he knew he could assure her until the end of time and it would never be enough but he no longer felt offended to have her concern either.
?Sorry I couldn?t come earlier,? she apologised throwing her arms around his neck, even as his own arms encircled her waist.
?It?s alright,? his arms loosened as he moved aside so she could see the gift on the table.
Relena blinked in surprise, looking up at him, ?What?s this??
The former pilot hesitated then, not sure what Relena would think of his idea, ?I read it?s customary to give cut flowers?? he pulled a hand through his hair watching the smile blossom on her face as she tore away the paper. What was hidden underneath was a potted plant all green and beautiful with small white flowers sprouting all over.
?A Shamrock?? she asked her smile only brightening.
?I didn?t want the flowers to die before I got back?? he explained though the words sounded stupid to him now that he was saying them. He had been researching online what sort of things he could do for Relena, that might not ease her mind about this mission but at least know he was thinking about her.
Relena threw her arms around his neck her shoulders shaking in silent delighted laughter, ?What a thoughtful gift!? she whispered into his ear before tucking her head into the crook of his neck.
Heero hugged her tightly to him, trying not to think about the ache in his chest that was already forming at the thought of leaving her behind. He wasn?t going to let it stop him, he needed to remain focused, nothing mattered beyond finishing this mission. Relena pulled back a little to look up at him, and he could see tears standing out on the edge of her eyes, and she nervously nibbled at the edge of her lip. It was a clear sign she was worried but trying her best to hide it. He claimed those trembling lips as his own and held her to him. He didn?t know what he could do to assure her except to hold her close, she wasn?t going to say anything to stop him, that much he was certain of.
?I can?t wait for this to all be over,? she said softly her fingers gently massaging at the back of his neck.
Heero?s hands tightened gently on her arms, ?I?ll be fine,? he assured.
She smiled up at him the expression looking slightly forced, ?I believe in you,? he had heard those words from her before, in a very similar situations. He believed them as much as he had back then, and was still surprised at the surge of emotions he felt at that rush through him. He didn?t have names for them, though it felt very close to the sudden rush of adrenaline when he entered a battle. Leaning down Heero kissed her again, filling himself with her, taking as much as he could before he had to leave.
WMWMWMW
Shouldering his pack Heero stepped from the vehicle that had driven them to the spaceport. It was late in the day, only an hour until their shuttle left Earth bound for Freedom?s Point. Heero had been surprised at how hard it had been for him to leave his room with Relena standing there. He had insisted that she not come with him to the spaceport, not wanting to have to say goodbye in such an open and potentially public area. She had been reluctant to agree at first, but after promising he?d contact her when and if her could she had let him go.
The hanger in which their shuttle waited was alive with last minute activity, theirs was the last to leave Earth. It was a far smaller shuttle than the mass troop carriers sent out long before, and because of that it could travel the distance to Dante?s colony much faster. Tony and Kahlan would be riding along with the pilots, and Heero watched them board the shuttle as the other pilots climbed from the car. His cobalt eyes flickered about the hanger noting the men and women completing the last minute tasks before the shuttle would be ready to leave. Odd that he felt more exposed and unprotected here than he had wandering the streets of Sank, after having been introduced to Tony and Kahlan it had become clear to Heero that he really didn?t want to be recognised.
Without a word the pilots formed up around him easily shielding him from view, with their taller stature and the baggage that they carried. Heero was half surprised not to see Sally on the shuttle when he finally walked aboard, though she had promised to remain behind he really did half expect her to show up anyways. He knew however that she?d make up for the lack of coming when they got back, but if he was lucky he?d be able to slip away before then. Within a matter of minutes they all had their stuff safely stowed away, in the over head compartments.
The shuttle though small was well equipped, and could easily accommodate the people on board for a long term trip. ?You want to ride up front with me?? Duo asked slamming the compartments closed.
Heero mutely nodded his head, and followed behind the braided pilot as they walked into the cockpit. He lowered himself down into the co-pilot?s seat feeling immediately relaxed in the familiar setting. He glanced over to Duo who was checking over systems, a pleased grin on his face, ?I don?t get to do this near enough anymore,? he said leaning back in his seat. His hands stopped moving along the controls as he looked more critically at Heero, ?I don?t think you?ve said a word since we left the agency, what?s on your mind??
?Just focusing on the mission,? he replied cobalt eyes looking back to the controls.
?Oh sure,? Duo joked, ?I?ll bet you miss Relena already.?
Heero silently raised an eyebrow at that not looking away from checking the gages, so what if he did miss her? What difference would that make to the mission? Duo laughed outright causing Heero to look over, ?I know something that will cheer you up,? he crowed, but before he could say more his attention was drawn away by the control tower.
Reaching for his own headset Heero kept the mike off and simply listened in on the conversation. He wasn?t about to reveal himself to these random workers. He wasn?t sure how many agents knew of his existence. Tony had tried to keep it down to as few as possible but you could never fully control gossip. It was a little surprising to Heero just how much he wanted to remain anonymous in all this, and it wasn?t just that he didn?t want to deal with the same questions every time someone found out he wasn?t dead. Heero just didn?t care to clear his name to the world, he had regained the trust of the people he had wanted to be with most, anything after that was just a headache.
As he waited checking off his own systems without being asked, their shuttle was slowly making its way out of the hanger to the launch pad. Heero took a moment to strap himself in, his hands knowing without having to look just were the latches would be. He wondered for a moment at what Duo had been going to say before they were interrupted, though it didn?t take much to guess what he had been about to say next. No doubt Ash would be waiting at the port as soon as they arrived, would that cheer him up? Did he even need to be ?cheered? up? Heero hadn?t thought so, nevertheless the news that Ash would be there wasn?t unwelcome. He hadn?t seen his friend since August though they had spoken online several times.
Heero couldn?t deny at least to himself?that he wasn?t looking forward to standing in front of Ash completely sound and ready to end this mission. He wouldn?t be the least way surprised if Ash opened the conversation with the same question he had been pestering Heero with for half a year. He didn?t expect to answer it even now when he was completely fine, but that was simply more to just irritate the man than anything else.
The shuttle?s engines hummed to life with a deep familiar sound that easily faded into the background for Heero, he remained aware of it enough to notice if anything sounded off. Duo slipped the headset down to his neck and glanced over to Heero as their shuttle slowly coasted down the runway nearing the launch pad. ?What was I saying?? he asked with a laugh.
?That Ash would be meeting us at the space port,? Heero responded in a monotone.
Duo laughed again, ?Yeah not much of a surprise I guess, he and I are planning on going with you into the bunker.?
Heero?s brow drew together at that, ?That won?t be necessary.?
?Figured you?d say something like that, but think of it this way, the less Inner Circle members you have to deal with the faster you can get to Zero.? He leaned back in his seat finally strapping himself in, ?We all know having Zero loose in the colony offers us a major advantage.?
There was no denying that, and so long as they weren?t coming out of some fear that he couldn?t handle this on his own, Heero would remain silent on the matter.
?Zechs showed me the schematics you sent him, before I left?? Duo continued flipping some switches in front of him before his hands found their way to the stick, his fingers running lightly over it, ?How on earth did you do that??
Heero gave Duo a blank stare, having no clear idea what he friend was talking about.
?You don?t remember?? Duo surmised a moment later, ?Guess I shouldn?t be surprised,? he shrugged as much as he could restrained as he was, ?You somehow managed to send him a message while you were still in VR.?
That sparked a very faded memory, more like a dream to tell the truth, too warped to actually take firm hold of. Heero shook his head, not liking the feel of remembering something like that, ?I?ll take your word for it.?
Thanks for Reading!
Morganeth Taren?drel
AN: Merry Early Christmas everyone! I know it?s been a while, and who am I kidding it could be another while before the next post. I apologise for that, but I hope you can all understand that it?s really out of my hands?I?d really rather not go into details.
I decided that I?d give you four chapters to make up for the previous delay and any that might come in the next couple of weeks!
This chapter has only been edited once by morgansgirl and I thank her for that! I?d like to thank my other two editors Pious Knight and Featherbird I?ll get back into the swing of this I promise!
Since there?s four chapters coming I won?t be putting previews on the ends, at least on the last chapter I will, it take a little less time.
pilot03: (laughs) I made the mistake of mentioning your comment to my friend neekabe, and she immediately came up with something to add into the story ^_~ I don?t think there?s much worry about this story ending any time soon. I just hope you can be patient with how long it takes me. Thanks for the review!
lildragonfly: Thanks for the reviews! There?s still a lot more to come I promise!! And more 1xR scenes too!
epyon: Even if it takes forever for updates? I hope so ^_~ and I hope you enjoy this 4 chapter instalment! Thanks for the reviews!
takisha16: Thanks for the reviews! I hope you enjoy these chapters as much! Aww where?s you sense of adventure ^_~ Taking out the Inner Circle is what we?ve been heading for! I hope you enjoy! More 1xR up in this chapter! Enjoy!
amulak: I really enjoyed writing the warehouse scene ^_^ Heero?s good fun in those situations. Thanks for the reviews! He wasn?t really given much of a chance to disappear otherwise he might well have ^_~ he?s such a bad man! Thanks again1
Morrighan: Thanks so much! There a little more 1xR coming your way! I hope you enjoy!
Adaon: Thanks for the review! I?ve loved just about every moment of working on this story! And I hope you continue to enjoy, and can be patient with me ^_~
Incarntatrice: Thanks for the review! I hope you enjoy these 4 chapteres!
perfectpeach: (laughs) I wonder if the scene in this chapter will have the same reaction you might want to warn them ahead of time ^_~ Thanks for the review I hope you enjoy these 4 chapters!
KPGUNDAM: There?s a little more in this chapter! ^_^ I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the review!
Disclaimer: I don?t own Gundam Wing
Taking Leave
Two days until they left for Freedom?s point, and Duo found himself lounging in the common room along with Trowa, Wufei and Une. Relena was in a series of small meetings at her house, her temporary guards testing the waters to make sure they could handle things while the pilots were gone. He wasn?t exactly thrilled at the setup, but all things considered it was the best that they could do. Relena didn?t have any major conferences for at least a week, regular agents could handle the smaller stuff without incident. He hoped they wouldn?t be tied up with the Inner Circle for much longer than that, but it was hard to say right now.
His eyes scanned around the room from where he lay on one of the couches, the picture of comfort. Une accepted a cup of tea from Trowa with a smile of thanks while Wufei sat against the far wall cleaning and polishing his weapons as he often did before a mission. They were waiting for Sally, who was bringing two agents up to meet Heero, Duo smiled internally, this would definitely be interesting. There had been a lot of discussion about how and when this should be done, there was only two days left so it had to be done now. As for how, Duo had convinced them all to leave that in his hands.
?Where?s Heero?? Une asked eyes looking to Duo.
?He?ll be here,? Duo answered finally pushing himself back to a sitting position, lavender eyes glancing at his watch, he had told Heero specifically to come at two thirty for a meeting, it was now ten minutes too. Knowing Heero he?d be right on time.
The door to the room opened and all eyes turned to watch Sally lead in two men, they were both tall, and in their early to mid thirties. Duo knew them both through previous missions, Tony a darker skinned man, was a troop commander, a very competent leader, the other Kahlan was a medic Sally had spent a great deal of time training. None of them to Duo?s knowledge had actually worked with the tall redhead, but they had all heard of him through Sally.
Sally swept a hand across the room, ?I?m sure you know the pilots,? a few select people within the agency actually knew they were the pilots. For the most part they had decided to keep that information to themselves but it helped to have a least a couple of people aware.
Tony smiled easily extending his hand first to Trowa then to Duo, ?Been a while,? he said nodding to Wufei who hadn?t bothered to get to his feet, but nodded in return continuing to work.
?So you?re the lucky commander Une chose to go with us,? Duo chuckled actually coming into his feet easily concealing the small item he carried in his left hand.
?He?s just lucky he doesn?t have to try and control any of you,? Une countered placing her cup of tea aside.
Kahlan glanced about the room calmly, ?You were a little vague on the details Sally, is this some sort of strategy meeting??
?Not exactly, I just wanted you to actually meet the men that you?re going to be responsible for on this mission,? she looked Duo?s way, ?There?s actually one left, he is coming right??
?Of course,? Duo affirmed subtly shifting his position as he glanced down at his watch, ?He should be here any second.?
As though on perfect cue, the door to the room opened and Heero walked in, ?What?s this all about Duo?? he asked immediately as both Tony and Kahlan turned, their expressions a wild mix of shock, confusion and something else that just made it so hilarious.
Duo snapped the picture laughing the entire time, ?Thanks man! Don?t think that could have gone any better!? he continued to chuckle as he made his way back to his seat, all the while feeling Heero?s glare on his back.
WMWMWMW
Suppressing the need to sigh Heero focused his attention on the two new faces in the room, the ones he had obviously been brought to meet, he just really wished they wouldn?t leave Duo to plan these things, he was still grinning like a damn fool. The two unfamiliar faces stood near to each other, neither was fool enough to draw a weapon against him, obviously if he had walked in here with Une present along with the other pilots they must have trusted him. But they did look extremely confused, an expression Heero knew he?d be seeing a lot of for the next little while, though he was going to do his best to remain invisible, no doubt word of him would spread.
?What the hell is this?? the brown eyed man asked, his black hair hung loosely about his face in loose curls.
?Could we all just take a seat for the moment?? Une asked her tone commanding them all to do just that.
Heero waited for the two men to take a seat along side Une before he lowered himself down between Duo and Trowa, Wufei remained seated against the wall, and Sally took the armchair at the head of the table. The female doctor moved to the edge of the seat, ?Heero, this is Tony Irving, he?ll be commanding the troops that go to Freedom?s Point along with you.?
He nodded his head watching the continual confused expression as Tony glanced about to all the people present in the room, after a moment?s hesitation the older man extended his hand to Heero, which the pilot accepted. The other extended his hand immediately after, he was clearly as confused as Tony but appeared to find this fascinating. ?And this is Kahlan Ells he?s a medic I?ve personally trained to deal with you pilots, since I?ve agreed not to go, he?ll be watching over you.?
Duo leaned over the, the digital camera held tightly in his hand as he flashed the screen in front of Heero?s eyes to show him the picture he had taken upon his entry. He shook his head still chuckling to himself.
?Alright,? Une spoke sharply drawing all eyes to her, ?First off the obvious, agent Yuy, isn?t the traitor the world believes him to be.?
?Or dead for that matter,? Kahlan said looking at Heero as though seeing a ghost.
Heero couldn?t fight back the sigh any longer, he pushed himself up and walked several paces away taking a seat on one of the bar stools, cobalt eyes watching from a distance. ?He?s been in deep cover with the Inner Circle,? Une continued to explain eyes following him only so far, ?That is until early last year. To maintain his cover we had to announce to the world that he had died.?
?What, you?re saying the attempt on Relena?s life was all planned?? Tony asked in disbelief, ?He?s been working for you the entire time??
Kahlan nodded his head in agreement, ?No one?s that good of an actor.?
?It?s what happened!? Heero barked, drawing all the eyes to him, ?Obviously since I?m sitting here now,? he looked away dropping the side of his head onto his upturned hand. This was all more of a headache than it was worth, he was beginning to wonder if there had been a way he could slip into the mission without announcing his presence to anyone. He knew immediately that wasn?t possible, he just hoped he could keep the information from spreading too far, otherwise he?d be dealing with this every time he turned around.
Tony looked a little unsure as he slowly tore his eyes away from Heero, ?Why the delay?? he asked Une, ?Between when he came back and the mission??
?There was three years worth of information to analyse, along side that agent Yuy had sustained some pretty significant injuries which he had to recover from.? That caused Heero?s eyes to narrow but he told himself it really was the only answer they could give to such a question, though even that reason might seem unreasonable to some people.
?So then it was you who built Zero for Dante?? Tony looked back directing his question Heero?s way.
The former pilot mutely nodded his head, it wasn?t that simple, nevertheless he wasn?t interested in getting into the details with these men.
?Does that mean he?s a member of the Inner Circle?? it was Kahlan who asked that.
?No,? Une shook her head, ?Dante?s been cleared, and is working along side us to bring them down, though we have strong reasons to believe the Inner Circle has another version of Zero.?
?It?s not exactly functional,? Heero told them before the questions could come, his memories were more than just hazy but he could remember some small parts, such as changing the controls around.
?But haven?t they had it for over half a year?? Kahlan asked eyes pulling away from Heero to regard Une, ?Could they not have made it functional in that time??
?No doubt they?ve been working on it, but Heero doesn?t believe it?s likely,? Une confirmed.
Heero nodded in agreement, for anyone who was looking, ?The threat of it self-destructing at any moment hampers their progress.?
Kahlan?s eyes flew wide at that, but Une brought the attention of the room back to her, ?It is imperative to this mission that the two of you know about agent Yuy, and are able to trust him.?
?How on earth are you going to explain this to the news media?? Kahlan asked suddenly watching Une intently.
?When the time comes that they need to be informed I?ll deal with it then, right now it hardly seems important,? she folded her arms calmly across her chest regarding each man with a professional air. ?What is important is whether or not can you put aside four years of propaganda and complete this mission,? Une stated waiting for a reply.
Tony and Kahlan each looked towards Heero, brown and green eyes studying him intently. Heero watched them calmly interested to see what they?d say, it didn?t really matter to him one way or the other if they could ever trust him, he had the trust of the people that mattered most and that was all that mattered. Raising his head from the hand it had been resting on Heero leveled them each with a steady look.
It was Tony who spoke first, his words thoughtful as he continued to study Heero though his eyes didn?t exactly meet with the former pilot?s eyes. ?I?ll admit not all of this is making sense to me, and it?s a lot to take in, but I trust your judgment commander, and if you tell me agent Yuy is trust worthy that?s all I need.?
Kahlan nodded his head in agreement to what Tony had said, ?I only have one concern, when are you going to tell the rest of the troops??
?I wasn?t exactly planning on making this public knowledge,? Une admitted, and Heero knew exactly why, ?You could see how it would cause more confusion than good.?
?Is this to say we aren?t to tell anyone?? Kahlan asked for clarification.
Heero wanted to tell him yes, but Une answered before him, ?I leave that up to you Tony, I know more than just the two of you are going to need to know. But for the time being I know it would make the mission smoother if less people knew,? she explained.
?What if he?s seen?? Kahlan asked then.
?I won?t be,? Heero returned confidently, his plan was to go after Zero the minute they landed on Freedom?s Point, it wasn?t likely he?d be seen by anyone on their side. It didn?t exactly matter with members of the Inner Circle.
?But if you were,? he medic pressed shifting on the couch so he could see both Une in front of him and Heero off to the side. ?Wouldn?t it be easier to deal with it now, than face the possibility of an accidental shooting??
?None of my men would be fool enough to shoot him on sight,? Tony countered.
?I suppose not?? Kahlan agreed finally though he didn?t seem completely convinced.
?I should be able to keep word of your being alive down to as few people as possible,? Tony assured looking directly at Heero, ?I doubt many people will believe without actually seeing, and no one beyond tech support really needs to know. I take it you?ll be securing Zero during the mission??
?That?s the plan,? Heero confirmed with a nod of his head.
Duo grinned wildly at that his digital camera still held tightly in his hand, ?You sure even you can pilot it now??
?I?ll have a better chance than any one else,? he replied dryly, trying to remember what of the controls he could, he knew it wasn?t going to be a walk in the park, but not impossible either.
?Alright,? Une said coming to her feet, ?If there?s nothing else, there are final mission briefs to go over and last minute preparations to get done.? Both men came to their feet almost immediately and Heero watched as they made their way to the door, their eyes continued to flicker to him as they went but nothing else was said.
?Well that went as well as could be expected,? Duo chuckled eyes studying the screen of his camera.
Heero just grunted and pulled a hand through his hair, feeling surprised at how he actually felt over having this first meeting out of the way. He knew immediately he would have greatly preferred to avoid it altogether, it didn?t matter to him what the public thought, so long as his friends accepted him and he could be with Relena. But he had felt frustrated and annoyed by the questions, by having to bring up such a touchy subject for all of them, even if they had moved almost completely beyond it. Was this something he was going to have to deal with each and every time? If so, he didn?t want to be a part of it.
Wufei got slowly to his feet stretching out his back as he did, ?It?d go better if Duo wasn?t so focused on having fun.?
?Don?t tell me you don?t want a copy,? he smiled crookedly completely undeterred.
?Entirely beside the point,? Trowa filled in expressionless mask firmly in place.
The Japanese man merely shook his head, and got up from his seat, ?Where?re you going?? Wufei asked.
?Training?? he answered not really sure what he felt like doing, he just wanted to find something to fill the time, he hated waiting.
?You going to be done before Relena gets here?? Duo asked finally sounding a little more serious.
Heero nodded his head, ?I should be,? Relena had shown him that spending time with her was never boring, and considering the ache behind his right eye he certainly wouldn?t have minded letting her massage the back of his neck.
WMWMWMW
Heero stood alone in his room late in the afternoon on the 28th of January, in only a matter of hours they?d be leaving Earth bound for Freedom?s Point. It was the moment Heero had been waiting and struggling towards, it almost didn?t seem like it could actually happen, but he refused to give into such thoughts. He only wanted to focus on his goal, one he could easily attain?the Inner Circle was going to fall.
In the rush of last minute preparations, proving his existence to the few men and women who actually needed to know he was alive and on their side, Heero had managed not to forget a very important moment. Glancing over to the table resting across his simply made bed Heero made sure the gift he had purchased was still where he had left it carefully wrapped. Resting next to it was his duffle bag, at the moment he only wore jeans and a sweatshirt but Sally had had each of them fitted with new body armour, which was carefully packed away along with weaponry and various other necessities. It had been a while since he had such complete access to so many supplies, his goal was to travel light since in the end he was going to be in Zero for a lot of the mission, he didn?t really need to be weighted down with a lot of guns.
The door behind him opened, the by now engrained knock alerting him seconds before Relena walked into the room. The expression on her face at first glance looked as bright and cheerful as always, but Heero saw immediately beyond that to the concern she was trying her hardest to conceal. He couldn?t say he exactly understand where it had come from, he knew he could assure her until the end of time and it would never be enough but he no longer felt offended to have her concern either.
?Sorry I couldn?t come earlier,? she apologised throwing her arms around his neck, even as his own arms encircled her waist.
?It?s alright,? his arms loosened as he moved aside so she could see the gift on the table.
Relena blinked in surprise, looking up at him, ?What?s this??
The former pilot hesitated then, not sure what Relena would think of his idea, ?I read it?s customary to give cut flowers?? he pulled a hand through his hair watching the smile blossom on her face as she tore away the paper. What was hidden underneath was a potted plant all green and beautiful with small white flowers sprouting all over.
?A Shamrock?? she asked her smile only brightening.
?I didn?t want the flowers to die before I got back?? he explained though the words sounded stupid to him now that he was saying them. He had been researching online what sort of things he could do for Relena, that might not ease her mind about this mission but at least know he was thinking about her.
Relena threw her arms around his neck her shoulders shaking in silent delighted laughter, ?What a thoughtful gift!? she whispered into his ear before tucking her head into the crook of his neck.
Heero hugged her tightly to him, trying not to think about the ache in his chest that was already forming at the thought of leaving her behind. He wasn?t going to let it stop him, he needed to remain focused, nothing mattered beyond finishing this mission. Relena pulled back a little to look up at him, and he could see tears standing out on the edge of her eyes, and she nervously nibbled at the edge of her lip. It was a clear sign she was worried but trying her best to hide it. He claimed those trembling lips as his own and held her to him. He didn?t know what he could do to assure her except to hold her close, she wasn?t going to say anything to stop him, that much he was certain of.
?I can?t wait for this to all be over,? she said softly her fingers gently massaging at the back of his neck.
Heero?s hands tightened gently on her arms, ?I?ll be fine,? he assured.
She smiled up at him the expression looking slightly forced, ?I believe in you,? he had heard those words from her before, in a very similar situations. He believed them as much as he had back then, and was still surprised at the surge of emotions he felt at that rush through him. He didn?t have names for them, though it felt very close to the sudden rush of adrenaline when he entered a battle. Leaning down Heero kissed her again, filling himself with her, taking as much as he could before he had to leave.
WMWMWMW
Shouldering his pack Heero stepped from the vehicle that had driven them to the spaceport. It was late in the day, only an hour until their shuttle left Earth bound for Freedom?s Point. Heero had been surprised at how hard it had been for him to leave his room with Relena standing there. He had insisted that she not come with him to the spaceport, not wanting to have to say goodbye in such an open and potentially public area. She had been reluctant to agree at first, but after promising he?d contact her when and if her could she had let him go.
The hanger in which their shuttle waited was alive with last minute activity, theirs was the last to leave Earth. It was a far smaller shuttle than the mass troop carriers sent out long before, and because of that it could travel the distance to Dante?s colony much faster. Tony and Kahlan would be riding along with the pilots, and Heero watched them board the shuttle as the other pilots climbed from the car. His cobalt eyes flickered about the hanger noting the men and women completing the last minute tasks before the shuttle would be ready to leave. Odd that he felt more exposed and unprotected here than he had wandering the streets of Sank, after having been introduced to Tony and Kahlan it had become clear to Heero that he really didn?t want to be recognised.
Without a word the pilots formed up around him easily shielding him from view, with their taller stature and the baggage that they carried. Heero was half surprised not to see Sally on the shuttle when he finally walked aboard, though she had promised to remain behind he really did half expect her to show up anyways. He knew however that she?d make up for the lack of coming when they got back, but if he was lucky he?d be able to slip away before then. Within a matter of minutes they all had their stuff safely stowed away, in the over head compartments.
The shuttle though small was well equipped, and could easily accommodate the people on board for a long term trip. ?You want to ride up front with me?? Duo asked slamming the compartments closed.
Heero mutely nodded his head, and followed behind the braided pilot as they walked into the cockpit. He lowered himself down into the co-pilot?s seat feeling immediately relaxed in the familiar setting. He glanced over to Duo who was checking over systems, a pleased grin on his face, ?I don?t get to do this near enough anymore,? he said leaning back in his seat. His hands stopped moving along the controls as he looked more critically at Heero, ?I don?t think you?ve said a word since we left the agency, what?s on your mind??
?Just focusing on the mission,? he replied cobalt eyes looking back to the controls.
?Oh sure,? Duo joked, ?I?ll bet you miss Relena already.?
Heero silently raised an eyebrow at that not looking away from checking the gages, so what if he did miss her? What difference would that make to the mission? Duo laughed outright causing Heero to look over, ?I know something that will cheer you up,? he crowed, but before he could say more his attention was drawn away by the control tower.
Reaching for his own headset Heero kept the mike off and simply listened in on the conversation. He wasn?t about to reveal himself to these random workers. He wasn?t sure how many agents knew of his existence. Tony had tried to keep it down to as few as possible but you could never fully control gossip. It was a little surprising to Heero just how much he wanted to remain anonymous in all this, and it wasn?t just that he didn?t want to deal with the same questions every time someone found out he wasn?t dead. Heero just didn?t care to clear his name to the world, he had regained the trust of the people he had wanted to be with most, anything after that was just a headache.
As he waited checking off his own systems without being asked, their shuttle was slowly making its way out of the hanger to the launch pad. Heero took a moment to strap himself in, his hands knowing without having to look just were the latches would be. He wondered for a moment at what Duo had been going to say before they were interrupted, though it didn?t take much to guess what he had been about to say next. No doubt Ash would be waiting at the port as soon as they arrived, would that cheer him up? Did he even need to be ?cheered? up? Heero hadn?t thought so, nevertheless the news that Ash would be there wasn?t unwelcome. He hadn?t seen his friend since August though they had spoken online several times.
Heero couldn?t deny at least to himself?that he wasn?t looking forward to standing in front of Ash completely sound and ready to end this mission. He wouldn?t be the least way surprised if Ash opened the conversation with the same question he had been pestering Heero with for half a year. He didn?t expect to answer it even now when he was completely fine, but that was simply more to just irritate the man than anything else.
The shuttle?s engines hummed to life with a deep familiar sound that easily faded into the background for Heero, he remained aware of it enough to notice if anything sounded off. Duo slipped the headset down to his neck and glanced over to Heero as their shuttle slowly coasted down the runway nearing the launch pad. ?What was I saying?? he asked with a laugh.
?That Ash would be meeting us at the space port,? Heero responded in a monotone.
Duo laughed again, ?Yeah not much of a surprise I guess, he and I are planning on going with you into the bunker.?
Heero?s brow drew together at that, ?That won?t be necessary.?
?Figured you?d say something like that, but think of it this way, the less Inner Circle members you have to deal with the faster you can get to Zero.? He leaned back in his seat finally strapping himself in, ?We all know having Zero loose in the colony offers us a major advantage.?
There was no denying that, and so long as they weren?t coming out of some fear that he couldn?t handle this on his own, Heero would remain silent on the matter.
?Zechs showed me the schematics you sent him, before I left?? Duo continued flipping some switches in front of him before his hands found their way to the stick, his fingers running lightly over it, ?How on earth did you do that??
Heero gave Duo a blank stare, having no clear idea what he friend was talking about.
?You don?t remember?? Duo surmised a moment later, ?Guess I shouldn?t be surprised,? he shrugged as much as he could restrained as he was, ?You somehow managed to send him a message while you were still in VR.?
That sparked a very faded memory, more like a dream to tell the truth, too warped to actually take firm hold of. Heero shook his head, not liking the feel of remembering something like that, ?I?ll take your word for it.?
Thanks for Reading!
Morganeth Taren?drel
