FORGOTTEN SOUL

Chapter Eight

"Whew, I finally got these stupid monitors working like they're suppossed to."

Hilde sat back and observed her work with satisfaction.  All the monitors and security cameras were back to working within normal perameters, instead of showing empty hallways like they had been doing before.

"Nice work," Noin said praised quietly, but by the tone of her voice, Hilde knew that something was bothering her.

"Hey, we'll catch the sneaky bastard, Noin.  He can't hide from us or the gundam pilots for long."

Noin attempted a smile, but her eyes were troubled and sad.   In truth, Noin wasn't really thinking about the intruder anymore.  

"Hilde, I'm taking Releena home," she said quietly.  "If Milliardo shows up, tell him to call me at the Peacecraft mansion.  Tell him it's urgent.  And if you see Heero around, call me right away.  Don't talk to him; don't let him know I want to see him; just steer clear of him, understand?"

Hilde's eyes were wide as she answered.  "Yes, ma'am!  What's this about anyway?  Is something wrong with Heero that we should know about?"

Noin shook her head.  "We can't be sure of anything yet, but his behavior has been....questionable....these past few days.  I'm not jumping to any conclusions, though.  Just be cautious around him."

"Hoo boy."  More than a little shaken, Hilde ran her fingers through her hair and stared into the monitors again.  "I sure don't want Heero for an enemy," she mused, then sat up and glanced at Noin in sudden alarm.

"Noin!  You don't think....Heero's done anything to Duo and Wufei, do you?"

Noin paused a long time before answering.   "I don't know, Hilde.  I hope

Neither said anything else after that.

Heero unlocked the door of his apartment and stepped back to let Quatre through. The blond entered his lair without hesitation, his sapphire eyes roaming about the sparsly furnished indwelling with polite curiousity.  Obviously used to more elegant surroundings, Quatre still found something to compliment Heero on, even if it was only the stark neatness of the perfectly organized apartment.  Heero was never one for extravagance.

"So, Heero," Quatre said, still taking in the surroundings of Heero's bedroom and desperately empty hallway.  "I know this must be awkward for you.  Just, try to tell me everything that happened between you and Releena.  I don't know if I'll be of any help, but--"   Suddenly Quatre gasped outloud, his hands flying to his chest as he stumbled back against the doorway, clenching his teeth at the sudden pain.  Heero, momentarily startled, could only stare at him as the other pilot fell to his knees and bent nearly in half, gasping for air and still clawing at his chest.  Heero remembered seeing this before, though he couldn't remember where, and the now familiar pain took the memory away before he could focus on it.

Finally, Quatre's breathing slowed, and he staggered to his feet, the look on his face one of utter torment.

"Heero....you....your....soul...."  was all Heero could make out before Quatre doubled over again.  With a rising sense of alarm, he pushed Quatre's shoulder back against the wall, forcing him upright.  Quatre's frightened blue eyes snapped up to his.

"What are you talking about?" Heero demanded harshly.  Was it his imagination, or was Quatre actually emitting a faint white light?  He shook the notion off and grasped the coller of Quatre's Ralph Lauren shirt, holding him in place.  "What do you mean, my soul?"

"It's dying," came the soft reply.  "It's dying, but it's fighting so hard to live, and it's in so much pain, Heero..."  He shuddered and sagged in Heero's grip, making no effort to free himself.  "I felt what it was going through," he continued in a haunted voice, still not looking at the other pilot.   "And....I felt your indecision, Heero.  You're fighting a war inside, aren't you?   Your own mind against your heart, and your soul."  His gaze finally drifted up to Heero, and Heero saw genuine sympathy in his eyes, and forgiveness.

"Heero, even if you don't fight back for me, do it for Releena, and yourself.  You're too strong of heart to let them beat you."

"Quatre...."  Heero released his coller and stepped back, wincing as the pain exploded through his head.  He tried to get beyond the barrier of torture this time, to reach the taunting memories just beyond his grasp.  In a fianl, horrendous explosion of sheer agony that drove him to his knees, he was finally able to snatch one small, precious fragment of his forgotten past....

//The monstrous explosion rocked outer space, sending up bits of debris that could be seen from miles around.  Inside the mobile doll known as the Veyate, Heero could hear the faint sound of two familiar voices over the com link...

"Quatre, what are you doing?"

"Trowa, outer space has gone crazy.  I'm going to use this gundam to destroy it all!"

That was all he needed to hear.  Heero gunned the mobile doll's blasters and shot off in the direction of the other two.  As he approached Trowa's suit, being attacked by a massive white gundam, he heard his own voice crackling over the com link, making a deadly promise.

"Quatre, omae o korosu...."//

Heero staggered to his feet, his eyes glazing over into that cold, dangerous glare the other pilot knew so well.  His voice was icy as he turned to face him.

"I almost believed you."

"Quatre closed his eyes.  "I saw it," he whispered, his voice utterly defeated.  He looked up at Heero again, his eyes shimmering with moisture.   "It seems I'll never live  that mistake down, will I?  Maybe I don't deserve to..."

There was a flash of metal in Heero's hands as he pulled out a gun.  Quatre didn't move.  He just shook his head and looked at the floor.  "Your mind is unchanged then, Heero?  I won't fight you.  Do what you have to do."

Heero took a step forward, and there was a familiar, metallic click behind him. Turning around, he saw Trowa at the other end of the hallway, pointing a shiny black gun at his chest.  His face was almost as expressionless as Heero's, but the other pilot could see the veiled  worry beneath his smooth exterior.

"Back away, Heero."  Trowa's eyes flickered to Quatre to see if he was all right, then returned to Heero just as quickly.  "We can help you, if you let us.  But I won't allow you to claim another victim.  I'll shoot you here,  if I can't prevent that."

Heero didn't move for a moment, staring at the tall pilot with empty eyes.   Suddenly, without taking his eyes off Trowa, he raised his gun and pointed it directly into Quatre's face.  Quatre drew in a breath and closed his eyes.   Heero and Trowa remained in a locked glare.  No words were exchanged between them, but Heero's intensions were crystal.  He would destroy himself, and everyone around him if he couldn't finish his mission.

Finally, Trowa's stare faltered.  Lowereing his gun, he dropped it behind him and silently raised in hands.   Heero grabbed Quatre and pushed him to stand with his friend, then locked a pair of steel manacles around their wrists.   As he snapped the restraints around Trowa's slender arms, he happened to glance up at the taller pilot. The look in Trowa's eyes shocked him.  It was one of understanding; as if Trowa knew what Heero was going through, and although they were on opposite sides, he wasn't comndemming him.  It seemed to Heero that they had been on opposite sides before, pitted against each other like pawns in a battle neither could control, not wanting to fight the other but having no choice.  Trowa had been through it too, and the look in his eyes said he understood, and accepted Heero's decision.

Heero wrenched himself away as the pain hammered at his skull again.  The mission was finally complete.  Keeping a close eye on his two captives, he walked over to his laptop and began typing a messege to the New Romefeller.

"To General Ranson from Heero Yuy.  Targets have been aquired.  Mission complete."

"From General Ranson.  Messege recieved.  Bring the last targets to the New Romefeller and prepare for your next mission."

"Aknowleged.  Please explain future mission so that I may prepare."

"Understood."

Heero waited a moment, then straightened sharply as his new mission flashed across the blackened monitor.

"Your mission: is to assassinate Releena Peacecraft."

Authors notes:  Whew!  Fianlly got this up.  I apologize for taking soooooooooooooooo long to do it, and everyone has been very patient with me.   Thank you, thank you!  I will try very hard to get the next part up before we all die of old age.  But in the meantime, tell me whacha think so far.  I know, I know;  Heero trying to kill Releena--been there, done that.    Hopefully, I can add a new angle on it or something.  Well, better start planning for the next dramatic scene.  

Ja ne,
Julie B.