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

[wonderllama]

Disclaimer ? Don?t own it. Or Robin Hood.

A/N: I?m so pleased about how well received my first chapter was! I really appreciate all the feedback. I?m glad that people thought that the Robin Hood story was worth? updating.

Warning ? This chapter is long!


For Richer or Poorer


So if you wake up with the sunrise,
And all your dreams are still as new,
And happiness is what you need so bad,
Girl, the answer lies with you.


Chapter Two: What Is and What Never Should Be





The Preventer building was located a block away from the Capitol building. It didn?t take long to find it. Heero and Duo walked with purpose, and reached the building in a few minutes. It was less impressive than the Capitol building. It was a high-rise with glass plating, which shone like a beacon when the rays of the sun reflected off of it. Colonel Une had probably thought of the building as a symbol of hope. Hope for a better world, a stronger world, where there would be less conflicts and more discussion. In all reality, the leader of the Preventers wished her job didn?t exist, and had told the two pilots that before they?d left.

Before entering the doors, Duo stopped. ?I?m not kidding, Heero. People are staring at me.?

Heero didn?t stop to answer. He walked into the building and stopped immediately in the lobby. There was a great empty space, with one desk in the middle. Heero looked around for the Preventer symbol. ?This isn?t right.?

?Are we sure this is the building?? Duo asked, catching up to Heero and standing next to him.

?Affirmitive.? Heero walked up to the woman at the desk with such a snarl, the woman cowered in her seat.

?Can? can I help you?? her voice was shaking.

?Where is the Preventer building??

?Preventer is in this building.?

?What do you mean, in this building? This building is solely used for the Preventers.? Duo cut in, putting a hand on Heero?s shoulder, to reel in some of his anger.

?No, that changed four years ago. The Preventers are now on the top floor.?

Heero didn?t ask anymore questions. He grabbed Duo?s arm and headed for the elevator. The doors opened and enclosed the men in the elevator quickly. Duo hit the button for floor 30, and leaned back against the wall.

?First, we find out that there?s a whole decayed, dying section of the capital city. Then Relena won?t even talk to us for a whole five minutes, and she?s all secretive. Now, the Preventers don?t have a whole building? Heero,? Duo turned to his companion. ?there is something very wrong here.?

?I know.?

The elevators doors opened, revealing a spacious room with a high ceiling and cheaply carpeted floors. In the back of the room, the Preventers symbol caught the rays of the sun and twinkled slightly. Duo?s face was screwed up, as if he was about to sneeze. But Heero knew different. The once proud and bustling, the Preventer headquarters was a figurative wasteland. The emptiness of the floor was punctuated with several rows of desks. Most of them had photos and a laptop on, but the seats were vacated.

?I?m expecting at tumbleweed to blow through here at any second.? Duo muttered, eyes surveying the empty floor.

Heero walked out of the elevator and through the maze of desks with such purpose, Duo figured he must know where he was going. Heero didn?t give a second look to the desks with had newspaper clippings strewn across them. Duo walked quickly behind Heero, but out of the corner of his eye caught some of the names on the desks. Engraved on cheap-looking wood were names he didn?t recognize, but a few he did. He almost stopped and did a double-take when he saw ?Sally Po?, but kept walking.

Heero was only interested in what was in front of him. He walked past the desks and towards the back of the office. Far from being the mission obsessed teen Duo had met five years ago, he realized Heero?s mind was probably elsewhere. He figured that Heero was probably dwelling on the unusual and unsettling meeting with the Foreign Minister. He finally stopped in front of a door with Lady Une?s name engraved on a gold plate plastered to the front.

He didn?t bother knocking.

Forcing the door open, he walked into the office. The brown haired Colonel looked up at the invasion with a steely glare. It softened a bit when she recognized her intruders. ?Gentlemen. There was a rumor you were back in town.? She her desk situated in the back of the large room. There were no actual walls behind her, just panes of glass.

?More or less,? Duo smiled genially.

?What the hell is going on?? Heero didn?t bother with small talk. He never had, and as the head of the Preventers mused, he probably never would. She sat back in her chair and dropped her pen onto her desk. She met Heero?s eyes.

?In what capacity??

?The world. There?s something wrong with it.?

?In my opinion, there?s always something wrong with the world.?

Heero growled his response. He wasn?t pleased.

Une gave a small smirk. ?You boys have been gone for a long time. Things have changed.?

Duo scratched his head and cast a knowing look to Une. ?Yeah, we can tell. The Preventers only have one floor, and it?s empty.?

?What?s going on? You?re keeping us in the dark? Heero rudely interrupted Une and Duo?s conversation.

?I don?t know where to start. Here, sit down.? The two men obliged her request and sat in two uncomfortable brown chairs across from her desk. Both men looked ill at ease. ?What do you already know??

?When we left, you had the Preventers. The world was at peace.? Duo answered when he looked and saw that his companion had chosen to be mute.

?Well then, you?ve missed quite a lot. When we found out that Mars could sustain life, you know that President Richards jumped on the chance. Vice Foreign Minister Darlian drafted the bill and it was quickly approved. But then again, you have to remember, after the whole mess with Dekim Barton, the world was ready for a change. The President chose a group of people who were highly qualified to accompany him,? Une gave a respectful nod to the two men across from her, but the gesture was not returned. It didn?t matter to Une, who continued. ?You two, President Richards and many others set off for Mars. I suppose you could say that when you left, is when things fell apart.?

?Because we left?? Duo asked, his tone skeptical.

?More because President Richards left. With the President gone, the power fell to his Vice President, John Prince.?

?I?ve never heard of him.? Heero said bluntly.

?Of course you haven?t,? Une grimaced. ?He really only gained power and infamy after President Richards left.? She uncrossed her legs and leaned on the desk towards Heero and Duo. ?He got everyone to believe that he needed more power. I mean, the type of indisputable power that only a dictator has.?

?Like Treize had?? As soon has he?d said it, Duo wished he hadn?t. Une?s brown eyes narrowed and temporarily lost their kind stare.

?Mister Treize was nothing like Vice President Prince.? She replied coolly. She continued as if nothing had been said. ?He slowly weeded out the Senate. He took out people who were loyal to President Richards. I believe he forced Marquis Weyridge to retire. He leaked a rumor to the press that the Marquis was senile. It didn?t take much. The Marquis has been in politics quite a long time. All the Vice President needed to do was to wait for the Marquis to contradict himself. And that?s what he did.? Une added the last part ominously. ?The Senate now consists of people who are loyal to the Vice President? or rather, his money.?

?I don?t get it.? Duo shook his head. ?When we left for Mars, President Richards didn?t relinquish power to this, Prince guy.?

?Of course he didn?t. The Vice President took the power. He convinced the people of ESUN that he needed emergency powers, and that he should take over the duties of the President. All it took was a terrorism scare to frighten people into submission. You see, gentlemen, fear tends to make people trust authority. They assume that surely someone else has the situation handled.? Une made a soft sound of disgust, then added, ?The general public is inexcusably predictable.?

?So, he took President Richard?s duties? then scared the world into submission,? Duo tallied on his fingers then sighed. ?Makes me wish I never came home from Mars.?

Une smirked. She looked over at Heero. ?You?re quiet.? She remarked. ?Out of disgust??

Heero?s eyes shifted from a spot on the glass just behind Une. Just because he hadn?t been looking at her, Une got the distinct impression that it didn?t mean that Heero Yuy wasn?t listening. In fact, she was positive that he was already making a strategy in that magnificent head of his. ?Mostly.? He remarked. The comment came out meaner than Heero had meant it.

?Please don?t be too harsh on those who have resisted the Vice Preisdent?s general takeover. There have been a select group of people who refuse to submit to his will.? She hung her head. ?However, we have been extremely unsuccessful as of late.?

?Is that why there aren?t any Preventers here?? Heero asked, nodding to Une?s door and behind it, the vacated office space.

?Partially. First of all, our budget was severely cut three years ago, when the Vice President started pruning the Senate. Preventer exists to warn the government of potential terrorist threats, and general covert illegal activities. However, he?s the only real threat to peace. Why did he need us to tell him that everyday??

?Why can?t you guys just take him out?? Duo asked out of frustration more than anything.

?Ignorant as ever, I see.? The foreign voice made both men turn around. They found the former pilot of the Nataku standing in the doorway, eyebrows raised. Wufei?s face was unreadable. He stood tall in his Preventer uniform, with an amorphous lump in his side pocket, which Heero immediately recognized as a gun. His black hair was still tied back in a neat ponytail, but it was a little longer. Wufei looked the same as Heero and Duo had left him five years ago, but his face was a little older. It gave the air that he had seen and done a lot of things in their absence.

Instead of frowning, Duo smiled. ?It?s good to see you, Wufei.?

He didn?t return the statement, but nodded curtly to the braided pilot. ?Colonel, you?ll need to do some damage control. These two have gone to see the Foreign Minister.?

Une?s eyes widened, but quickly tried to hide her surprise. ?Thank you Wufei.? She wrote something quickly on a piece of paper on her desk. ?Did anyone see them??

Wufei grimaced. ?Gisborne.?

Une?s gaze faltered for a moment, and then she heaved a great sigh, as if this were the worst possible news. ?I?ll take care of it.? She then looked to Heero and Duo. ?If Gisborne knows you?re here, then there will be trouble. You shouldn?t have gone to see the Foreign Minister.? Her last statement was made under her breath, which she didn?t mean for Heero and Duo to hear.

?Why shouldn?t we have seen Relena? It?s a free country.? Duo was indignant. Heero was silent.

?No, Mister Maxwell, it is not a free country. It is a heavily guarded, heavily watched country, where you can be punished for not following certain rules. I?m surprised the Foreign Minister chanced seeing you.?

?I?m not.? Wufei spat the statement as if he had tasted something particularly foul, and cast a knowing look at Heero as he said it.

?You two can?t go see the Foreign Minister anymore.? Une stated, writing another inscrutable note on a piece of paper, without looking at them.

?What are we, the plague?? Duo said acidly.

Une looked up from her paper. ?Yes.? She said unceremoniously. ?You two are Gundam pilots. You are bringers of revolution. And that is a nasty word in this administration.?

?He?s a Gundam pilot,? Duo pointed behind him at Wufei. ?And I don?t see you limiting who he can see!?

?Officially I?m not.? Wufei cut in. Duo turned uncomfortably in his chair to look at him. ?My files have been deleted. There?s no evidence that I am, or ever was a Gundam pilot.?

?Classy.? Duo snorted. ?I happen to be proud of it. The God of Death isn?t afraid of a little criticism.?

?Criticism has nothing to do with it.? Wufei retorted. ?Is has to do with keeping myself, and others safe. Think about it, Maxwell. We ushered in a new world and essentially brought down a dictatorship. Prince is afraid of us. He thinks we could try it again.?

Duo and Heero were silent, obviously drinking in Wufei?s unpleasant and undoubtedly truthful words.

Une stood up from behind her desk and walked around it. She handed a piece of paper to Heero. ?Here.? She forced the paper into his hand. He looked at her for explanation. ?You can live here for now. It?s not permanent, but until we can find you a safe place, it will be out of the Vice President?s reach. It?s in the financial district.? She continued to stand in front of Heero. ?I also need you two to leave the Foreign Minister alone. She?s under enough pressure without you two complicating it.? Heero made no gesture that he?d understood.

?I don?t want your charity.? He responded when he looked at the paper and the address written on it.

?But you need it.?

Heero didn?t retort. He simply stood up and nodded his goodbye. Duo followed him, a grim expression overtaking his normally jovial features. In that moment, he really did strike Une as the God of Death. He nodded at her as he followed Heero. ?We?ll be in touch, Colonel.?

?Hopefully so, Mister Maxwell.?


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


Dusk had fallen on the Peacecraft mansion long ago. The mistress of the house was currently sitting on the couch in her den, reading a book without registering any of the words. Her eyes darted back and forth from the pages to the clock on the wall. Time seemed to move slower tonight. It was usually ten before she registered time at all, so consumed by her work. But tonight was different. Tonight, she was expecting visitors.

She finally forced herself to concentrate on her book at 9 o?clock. She got very little reading done, but by the time the clock struck 10, she had tackled a few chapters. As she set down the book, she realized that she would probably have to reread the chapters, seeing as none of it had sunk in.

Relena Darlian got up from the sofa and absentmindedly went into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of tea. She glanced at the clock. Five after ten. He?d never been late before.

v-v-v-v-v-v

After avoiding light sensors, movement detectors, and razor wire, Duo Maxwell was sure that the Peacecraft mansion was better guarded than any mobile suit factory he?d ever invaded. He stared up at the rose trellis that was like a ladder up to a balcony. Heero had already taken to testing its stability.

?Should I even ask how you know all of this??

Heero looked at him. ?What do you mean??

?You knew how to get past the motion sensors. You knew the right place to go through the fence. You know that climbing this? white thing? is going to get us straight to Relena?s room. So I repeat? dare I ask how you know all of this??

Heero glared warningly at Duo through the twilight. ?Drop it.?

?I?m just saying??

?I know what you?re just saying. And I?m telling you to drop it.?

Duo rolled his eyes and watched Heero climb up the lattice on the side of the house. When he was sure it was safe, Duo climbed after him.

Opening the doors from the balcony to the room, Heero made a mental note to tell Relena that it was entirely too easy to penetrate her home. He walked into her room, suddenly very aware of his surroundings. Duo, who was right behind him, followed closely. So closely, in fact, when Heero stopped, Duo crashed into him.

?Ok, you have got to stop doing that. Or I?m going to put a bell on you.?

Heero put a hand up, signaling quiet. The room was dark, but it was definitely a girl?s room. There was a bed in the middle of the room, draped in a pink quilt. Two bedside tables were on either end of the bed. One held a clock and two picture frames. Heero tried to make out the people in the photos, but the darkness kept their identities a secret. Heero looked around, searching for Relena. One door in the room was ajar, and from the reflection he caught in the mirror, it was her bathroom. She had a vanity across from her bed, which was suspiciously neat. Heero suspected she rarely used it. He walked further into the room, when something caught his eye.

On top her perfectly made bed was a small teddy bear. Emotion caught in his throat, but his face didn?t show it. He didn?t have long to dwell on the teddy bear. Footsteps echoed through the quiet house. Heero signaled for Duo to move into the shadows. Duo complied, moving closer to the wall. He was obscured by the shadow of the vanity.

The door opened, and a hand flicked on the light switch. The room was flooded with light. The perfect hiding spots Heero and Duo had procured were lost as all of the shadows were removed from the room. They stood face to face with Relena Darlian, surprise etched on her features.

?Heero!? She looked around, obviously shaken. ?What are you doing here??

Heero?s brow furrowed. ?You said to be here at ten. Were you not expecting us??

?I - ? Relena looked around and then shook her head. ?I just figured you?d use the front door.?

Duo smiled and punched Heero in the shoulder. ?I can?t believe you made me jump through those hoops.?

Heero was not amused. His dark expression stayed fixed on Relena. ?You owe us an explanation.?

Relena nodded. ?Would you like to sit down??

Heero didn?t respond, and Duo took his cue from his partner to keep silent.

?You?ve been to see Colonel Une, I?ve been told.?

?Yes.?

?How much did she tell you??

?Enough.?

Relena sighed. ?You?re going to have to give me more than that, Heero. I don?t know where to begin.?

?Tell us about this Prince.? Duo cut in, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Relena took a deep breath. ?His name is John Prince. He took office when you left. President Richards thought that Prince could handle it. So, Prince took over, with every intention of keeping the President in the loop. But about six months after the Mars Terraformation project started, things went bad.? Relena gathered her hands in her lap. She glanced around the room. The two men suddenly became very aware they were in a girl?s bedroom. Duo tried not to look around the room, keeping his eyes focused on the door right behind Relena.

?Would either of you like a cup of tea? We could continue this conversation somewhere that isn?t my bedroom.? Her comment caught them off-guard. They followed her out of the room and down the stairs. She led them into a white tiled kitchen. The light shone of the linoleum, making the clean floor sparkle. It seemed impossible that she had the time to clean the kitchen. Duo idly wondered if she had a staff and why we was all alone in the house that night.

Without a word, she poured two cups of tea. Heero and Duo sat down at the table that was in the center of the kitchen. Duo watched how stiffly Heero took the tea cup that was offered to him. He couldn?t be more uncomfortable, Duo mused.

Once Relena sat down, she continued the story. ?Six months after you left for the Terraformation project, there was a scare. A bomb threat in the Senate. The Preventers caught it before it caused anyone any real danger, but to say the least, it scared people. The general public thought this was the start of another war. There were a few copycat crimes, bomb threats to government buildings. This was when Vice President Prince was voted emergency powers.? Relena played with the handle of her cup, but she kept eye contact with the two men.
?In times of great fear, there is a tendency to trust authority. However, humanity put its faith in the wrong person. The Vice President kept his emergency powers, along with accumulating others. He took control of the Senate. He forced out everyone who was loyal to President Richards. He blackmailed some; he made the Marquis Weyridge look old and decrepit.? She said the comment with a hint of malice in her voice, but it wasn?t displayed on her features.

?Yeah, Une told us about that.?

?It was very tragic. The Marquis is still very sharp. He isn?t senile.?

?What about you? Weren?t you in the Senate?? Duo asked.

Relena smiled ruefully. ?I was forced to ?respectively resign?.?

?What? How??

?He threatened to find and convict my brother for crimes against humanity.?

?They?d have to find Zechs first.?

Relena nodded, but smiled sadly. ?I?m sure they could. The Vice President has the entire ESUN at his command.? She took a sip of her tea. ?With people only loyal to the Vice President, or at least loyal to his money, nothing is accomplished. People lost hope in the Senate, and then in politics altogether. It?s hard to be disappointed in something that much. I doubt that people even believe in democracy anymore. They don?t elect the Senate, and they have no control in the government.?

?So if you?re not in the Senate, what do you do?? Heero asked, dark eyes searching hers.

She didn?t flinch. ?I?m the Foreign Minister. I?m the intermediary between countries and the colonies.?

?Prince doesn?t trust you with much, huh?? Duo smirked sardonically.

?I think he sees me as a threat. He thinks I know the location of all of the Gundam pilots.?

?Do you?? Heero asked.

?Yes.? She answered coolly. ?He also thinks I will try and reclaim my title of ?Queen of the World?.?

?That?s absurd.? Duo couldn?t help but smile.

?Well, so is he. He keeps a close eye on me. He thinks any day now I?m going to call the Gundam pilots to my aide and become Queen of the World.? She said with a small smile and a flippant hand gesture. She was trying her best to be sarcastic. Duo smiled. Heero did not.

?Who watches you?? Heero?s gaze narrowed, thinking of someone watching Relena from that shadows.

?You met him. Today, in my office.?

?That slimeball?? Duo was incredulous.

?His name is Guy Gisborne. He?s the Chief of Police for the city, and he?s the Vice President?s right hand man. As far as Lady Une can tell, they have tapped my phone lines and installed a camera to tell who gets off the elevator to go to my office. Gisborne is very smart. But he?s not paid to be smart, he?s paid to be loyal to the Vice President, which he is.?

?You seem to know an awful lot about him.? Heero brusquely remarked.

?He likes me.? She said matter-of-factly.

?Likes you??

?Yes, Heero. He likes me. He wishes to date me. He finds me agreeable.?

?I knew what you meant.? He growled.

?I wasn?t sure.? She replied frostily. She turned to Duo, as if he was the only one in the room. Heero bristled. ?Gisborne is cunning and ruthless. And now that he knows you?re back, he?s sure to make your life hell if you get in his way. He?s the law around here. He?s thrown entire families in jail.?

?For what?? Duo was shocked.

?Debt. The taxes are out of control. The Vice President keeps raising taxes. He says that they go to the President in Mars.?

?That?s a lie.? Heero cut in. She looked at him.

?Of course it is. But it?s hard to disprove and easy to believe. No one knows what you?re doing up there. When the Vice President tells the public he knows what?s happening on Mars, they believe him.?

Heero and Duo shared looks of deep loathing. They turned to Relena. ?What about people who have relatives on Mars? Surely they know the truth.? Duo said, shaking his head.

?Think about it. If they speak out, they?ll immediately be silenced. Maybe the next day, Gisborne will seize their house, maybe the Vice President makes it illegal to talk about the Terraformation project. These people have a lot to lose if they speak out.?

?How convenient for Prince.? Duo scoffed.

?The President wouldn?t stand for this if he knew about it.? Heero said, eyes blazing.

?Well, that?s the problem, isn?t it?? She asked, her eyes returning his intensity. ??If he knew?. It takes three weeks for a transmission to get to Mars. Once he finds out, it would take him more than two months to get back to the Earth. But he can?t leave. The Terraformation project is still in its infancy. If he left it, it would collapse. The funding would cease, and the workers would start returning home.?

Relena shook her head and broke eye contact. She stared at the glass in front of her. Her index finger traced the outline of a rose on the side of the glass. Nothing was said for a long moment.

?How could this have happened?? Heero asked sharply, commanding her with his voice to look at him. When she did, her face was stern.

?You left me to govern a world that needed constant attention. You left me to form a government that was still in its infancy. No one?s tried democracy in years. I?m only one person, Heero. While you left for Mars, the rest of us were trying to instill a lasting government.?

The two silently stared at each other. ?I expected-?

?More?? Relena cut in, brows furrowed, eyes starting to fill with tears. Duo looked away. Her words were meant to cut into Heero, but they dug into him as well. They had left, thinking the world would be a democratic paradise when they returned. It was far from it.

He didn?t answer. The three sat in silence, heavy with emotion.

?What do you expect me to do?? Heero finally asked.

?Help me. Fight. Do something.?

?I promised I wouldn?t fight anymore. I promised I wouldn?t kill anyone.?

?Yes. I remember. Those were the last words you spoke to me.? Her tone was harsh. She closed her eyes, and tears threatened to spill out from behind her thick lashes. Heero looked away, he seemed too ashamed at her truthful words.

?Fight how?? Duo asked, seeking a way to break the silence.

She looked up at him. ?Fight for the poor, for those who don?t have a chance.?

Duo sighed and smiled a bit at her. ?We should leave.?

She nodded. ?Yes. You should.? She looked at Heero. ?Good luck.?


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

Duo let Heero lead them out the front door of the Peacecraft mansion, down the street, through the vacated downtown, and into the destructed area that had greeted them as they entered the city.

?What was that address Une gave you??

Heero looked up as if Duo had interrupted his thoughts. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and wordlessly handed it to Duo. He walked ahead of Heero. They found the building easily. Standing tall, it was a building which had most of its windows. Those it had lost were clumsily boarded up with planks of wood. On the top of the three story building, there was a decaying sign that proclaimed : Sherwood Appliances, est. 189

?It?s a good of place as any, I guess.? Duo said, desperate to break the silence between him and his partner. Duo was used to Heero?s silent demeanor, but this was unnatural.

?It?s fine.? Heero mumbled.


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


?We should look for a suitable place to live, Heero.? Duo said the next day with a furtive glance at his companion, hoping his mood had improved overnight.

?Hn.? Heero growled his compliance.

Their travel took them through the city. They walked past several buildings. Duo hit Heero?s shoulder several times, but it seemed Heero didn?t care much about lodging. By the second hour of Duo suggesting places to live and Heero shrugging them off, Duo sat down on a bench near the city?s park. He watched two kids swing gaily. He cast a scowling look at his partner. It wouldn?t hurt him to be a little more amiable, Duo thought as he resisted the urge to hit Heero.

?Please! Please don?t!? the cry rang through the park. Heero and Duo looked up. The two kids on the swings jumped off immediately and ran out of the park. The area, which had been filled with people, was suddenly empty. Duo saw the source of the cry was across the playground, in front of a large apartment bulding. There stood a young woman, with a little girl clinging to her leg.

?We warned you.? The calm voice held an air of contempt. Heero stood and walked across the park toward the young woman. Upon closer inspection, Duo realized that it was Guy Gisborne accompanied by several armed policemen. ?We told you that if you didn?t pay, this would be the consequence.?

?But I ? I ? I can?t p-p-pay!? the woman was sobbing now. The little girl looked on the verge of tears as well. ?My husband is on M-M-Mars! I work as much as I can-?

?I?ve heard it all before.? Gisborne said, his tone impatient. ?I don?t care for your reasons. I care that you haven?t paid your taxes. Don?t you think your husband needs the money to terraform Mars? Aren?t you letting him down??

?No!? the woman cried, her eyes wide. ?P-p-please, Mr.Gisborne. Please! Have pity.?

?I?m sorry.? His lip curled, and his bright green eyes shown with glee. ?I?m fresh out of pity.?

?Fresh out of kindness too, huh Gisborne??

Gisborne turned to find Duo and Heero standing there, looking severe. He merely smiled. ?The famous Gundam pilots. How lovely to see you. Do you admire how we do business now??

?It?s sickening.? Duo spat. ?And you?re the one who should be taken off to jail.?

Gisborne smirked. ?However unlikely that?ll be, I?ll take it into consideration. I am the Chief of Police, you know.? Gisborne looked at Heero, then at the family. ?I hear you?re looking for somewhere to live, Yuy.? He jerked his head towards the building behind him. ?Lucky for you, a spot?s just opened up.?

The woman behind Gisborne gave a choking sob.

Heero glared at him. Gisborne smiled. ?But then again, if you take this apartment, I?ll just be back here next week evicting you. How lucky of me.?

Duo moved towards Gisborne, but Heero placed a hand on his shoulder. The policemen formed a loose circle around Heero, Duo and Gisborne.

Gisborne took his attention off of Heero and Duo. ?Let?s get moving.? He stared at the woman. She sobbed and grabbed her suitcases. She hurriedly walked past Gisborne, gulping and sobbing as she went. Her daughter walked behind her. The little girl held a teddy bear close to her chest, eyes on her shoes.

Gisborne slid his foot over the pavement. The little girl stumbled over it and tumbled to the ground. Droplets of blood formed on her knee, and her face scrunched up with pain and unshed tears. The mother looked back and saw her daughter on the ground next to Gisborne. She gasped and let out a soft cry. ?Sophie!? she whimpered.

Heero watched the girl tumble to the ground. The teddy bear fell out of her hands and rolled to the ground and settled at Heero?s feet. With her cry of pain, he was forcibly reminded of that little girl he had inadvertently killed so long ago. The memory attacked him like a disease, and he suddenly felt crippled. The little girl?s cry tore into him like knife. He hardly realized he?d taken his gun out of his jacket pocket and aimed it at Gisborne until he heard five other soft clicks of the safety being put into place.

?Smart move, Yuy.? Gisborne was bating him. The shaft of the gun gave off an eerie shine in the daylight. Gisborne wasn?t looking at Heero?s gun, but rather in his eyes.

Heero clicked back the safety on his gun. ?Let them go back into their house.?

?No.?

?Let them go back into their house.? He repeated.

?No.? Gisborne smiled. ?You?re outnumbered.? A soft click near Gisborne?s ear made his green eyes widen with surprise.

?And I?ve got a gun to your head.? Duo said harshly.

Gisborne?s demeanor lost all of its humor. ?You?re in over your head. You?re outnumbered.?

?I bet I could get this bullet halfway through your brain before these idiots had a chance to act.? Duo breathed angrily, his hand steady.

?I wouldn?t take that bet.? Heero added calmly.

The five policemen that surrounded them kept throwing nervous looks to their superior. Gisborne didn?t move, nor did he draw a weapon. He merely kept eye contact with Heero.

?You?re making a big mistake, Yuy.?

?Let that woman back into her house. And clear her of all debts.? Gisborne didn?t respond. ?Now.?

For a moment, it looked as if Gisborne was contemplating if he could get out of this situation. He looked at the policemen surrounding them. ?Let them back in.? The men looked at their leader as if he?d sprouted three heads. ?Do it!?

The men were in a rush to unlock the door to the front of the building. The woman walked quickly past the men her daughter in tow, casting a look of thanks towards Heero.

?How do you think you?re going to get out of this, Yuy??

Heero didn?t answer. He raised his gun and tilted it to the left. Firing one round, it went cleanly into a policeman?s shoulder. The other policemen scurried, frightened they would be next. Duo took the disturbance as his chance to hit Gisborne in the back of the head with the butt of his gun. Gisborne fell forward and landed with a soft thump on the concrete. The two men aimed their guns at the policemen.

?My recommendation to you is to run and hide. Cause this isn?t over.? Duo said, a hint of a smile on his face.

The four remaining men ran toward their squad cars and left. Heero and Duo turned toward the passed out policeman, bleeding on the pavement, and Gisborne.

?I suppose we?re not going to hear the end of this one.? Duo said, glancing at Heero.

?No.?

?We?re probably going to be outlaws.?

?Yeah.?

?And here I thought I?d like returning to the Earth.?


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


Whew! Long chapter.

I tried to explain a lot. A lot, a lot. If you still don?t understand, I?m sorry. I?ll try and have a timeline:

- A.C. 197 = Heero, Duo, President Richards and others leave for the Mars Terraformation project.
- A.C. 197 = Vice President John Prince takes over the duties of President Richards.
- A.C. 197 = Bomb scare in the Senate
- A.C. 197 = Vice President John Prince is voted emergency powers.
- A.C. 198 ? 199 = Prince gains more power. Gisborne is appointed Chief of Police.
- A.C. 199 = Vice President Prince starts to enact more taxes.
- A.C. 199 = Vice President Prince starts to get people to leave the Senate. Marquis Weyridge is one of the many he forces out.
- A.C. 199 = Relena Darlian is promoted to Foreign Minister and asked to respectfully resign from the Senate
- A.C. 200 = Preventer budget is severely cut.
- A.C. 201 = Heero and Duo return from Mars.


Hopefully this is helpful. Thanks for sticking around!

[Midge-14]

Yay you updated!

This was a great chapter, I can't wait to see more! Are the other Gundam pilots going to make an appearance i.e. Trowa and Quatre?

[kandidy]

Should have shot that stupid Gitsbone!

[epyon]

i like how you're doing this i'll be looking forward to the next installment.

[WingZero2118]

all i can say is wow. i love this story. modern day robinhood and gundam wing roled into one. its just amazing how well it fits together. keep it up!

[Nihal]

oh, I'm so happy. Robin Hood has always been one of my favourite stories, seing it mixed with my fovourite anime just rocks! Hope you'll update soon, I'm very curious

[Penguin on the Shore]

Ah! I love it. What I like about your stories the best is that you keep everyone in character, no exceptions.

[hhryah]

Um, I LOVE you. I was totally expecting this to be lame, and barely glanced over the first chapter. *is dragged away by screaming fangirls* No offense meant! Robin Hood was my -->ultimate.favorite.<-- story as a child and I was afraid you'd make Heero a really corny Robin Hood. But this? GAAAAAAAAH<3333333333333333333333333333333333 You kept them brilliantly in character! The scene with Relena was PERFECT. That is *exactly* what she would have said in that situation. And Duo? Duo is Littlejohn? THAT'S SO PERFECT! XD *fangirls* I cannot wait for this to continue!