Disclaimer: Pssst! Come hereI gotta tell you something. Don't tell anyone, but Gundam Wing does not belong to me. No, really! I'm serious. It belongs to Bandai, Sunrise, and Sotsuand maybe some others, too, that I don't know about. Who knows these days, right? The idea for the story is mine, and so are the new mad scientists, though. Oh, yeah, that dirty scoundrel Colton Reid is mine. And, don't worry, the toxin is made up, too. What can I say, I love this stuff!

Author's Note: This fic may get a bit confusing at times, and I don't always know where I'm going with it, but I promise I'll let you know when we get there, 'k? Enjoy!

War's Restitution by Luvspook

Episode 3: Diminishing Hopes

Quatre's transmission had echoed through the corridors of Preventer Headquarters for days, resounding painfully in every ear, weighing on every heart, and touching every soul who heard it.

Word had spread through the Preventer Group like an unquenchable inferno, and soon, getting assistance from ESUN had become imperative. The Hazardous Materials Unit had set up perimeter around the colony within hours, effectively quarantining it in order to contain the threat. Nevertheless, the memory of that day still lingered, even though no one was permitted to see it.

Despite reports to the press and certain ESUN officials, denying the disappearance of one of their own agents, the Preventers had begun conducting a private investigation into Heero's whereabouts, led by Zechs and Noin.

It wasn't long before news had reached Relena

Lady Une skimmed briefly through the contents of the manila folder in front of her, the file standing as a constant reminder of her worst fears.

The picture of the young pilot, with his piercing cobalt blue eyes set in their typical icy glare, taunted her mind, plaguing it with remorse.

She could remember a time in the not-so-distant past when she had looked on him as an enemy. Back in the days of the OZ organization, before Romefeller had changed the reason for battle, demeaning the existence of the human factor on the battlefield, and turning war into something ugly and senseless.

Treize had always been fond of the young pilot. He had admired his unwavering determination and strength, outwardly longing for the same uncompromising will to fight. He had even begun to question his own existence because of the boy. Maybe she had, too.

Now, because of herbecause of the Preventer GroupHeero Yuy was missing. Possibly, if not probably, dead. And with him, perhaps the only chance they would have to save the whole of humanity.

She set the folder and its contents into a scattered pile on her desk, catching her head in the palms of her hands, as her thoughts became a dizzying whirlwind of regrets.

....How could I have allowed this to get so far out of my control?... Her mind questioned, harshly, as she found her eyes drawn to the face in the photograph once again. ...How could I have allowed this to happen?....

Suddenly, and thankfully, a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, and she quickly composed herself.

"Come in." She said, sullenly, pushing the folder and its contents to the far side of her desk.

Lucrezia Noin quickly worked her way into the room, accompanied by the young Vice Foreign Minister, who was no more than a few steps behind her. Both met Une's gaze with evident sadness and fatigue in their eyes, testament to the fact that the events of the past several days had taken their toll.

"Vice Foreign Minister Darlian" Lady Une addressed her, rising to her feet. "I was just recently informed of your plans to visit. Please forgive me for not being better prepared to welcome you."

"Do not trouble yourselves with me." Relena replied, softly, displaying her usual diplomatic smile, though she knew it was a weak attempt, at best. "Miss Noin has already explained to me about the investigation. I don't mean to cause any further delay in your efforts, and sincerely hope that my visit here will not be a hindrance to you."

"Of course not." Une answered.

"The delegation has asked that I speak on behalf of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, at a press conference that is to be held this afternoon. But, in order to do that, I will need to see the effects of this tragedy, first hand."

"I'm afraid that ESUN's HAZMAT teams are still preventing all non-members of the organization from traveling to and from the surface. The investigation has been officially taken out of our hands."

"I see." Relena whispered, her face, crestfallen.

"Noin..." Lady Une continued, observing the Vice Foreign Minister's expression. "Tell me, how many deaths have been confirmed in the investigation on Colony Z?"

"So far." Noin replied, hesitantly. "...12,892 dead. Fortunately, the colony was relatively new, and much of it was still under construction. I can only imagine how many more lives would have been lost..."

"But still, nearly 13,000 lives. Men, women, and children who knew nothing of this war." Une argued, the debate turning to a futile and tired argument in her mind. "Some battles can be so meaningless....and that is what you can tell the delegation. Tell them what this tragedy has taken from the world."

Relena watched in silence, and felt her heart go out to the woman that she had once thought of as pure evil. The days of the Alliance had given birth to this once heartless soldier, who had taken her father's life without question, and who now stood before her as a protector to all that she had previously wished to destroy.

She struggled to remain focused, her thoughts turning to Une's words, and the realization that she had not come to Preventer Headquarters as a diplomat, or an advocate of peace. She hadn't come to find answers for the delegation, and despite her sadness over the tragic loss of life on Colony Z, she cared very little about what it had taken from others.

She felt selfish as she tendered the growing emptiness in her own heart. The real question in her mind tugged at her soul, endlessly, tearing down her resolve until the only thought that remained carried his name with it.

"I will tell them." Relena answered, obediently, pausing for a moment, as she sought the strength to ask the real question on her mind. "But, I must know....Is it true what they're saying? About Heero?...."

She felt hope fading as Lady Une turned to face her, not missing the way her eyes dropped to the floor, hiding the truth in their depth.

"We have not confirmed anything, yet."

"But he is missing, isn't he? Relena asked, sadly, exchanging glances with both Noin and Une.

"Heero's last transmission was placed from the colony's surface, about an hour before Quatre's was." Noin stated, doing her best to sound hopeful, without lying to the girl. "There was a large enough time frame that he may have escaped before the toxin was released, but there has been no transmission received from him since."

"..I see...." Relena whispered, the words catching in her throat as she held back her tears.

"It's not unlike Heero to go off on his own, either." Noin continued. "There are any number of reasons why we may not have heard from him, yet."

...No, there isn't ..Relena thought to herself, as Noin finished speaking.

"You can't give up hope, Relena. We'll find him. If he's out there, Zechs and I will find him."

* * * * *

Dr. Selleste stepped up to the observation window, taking in the flurry of white coats shuffling about on the ground floor of the new laboratory. On occasion, she would catch one of the other scientists glaring in her direction, and the faintest hint of a smile curled at the edge of her lips.

Her assistant and the others had been uncomfortable about her actions as of late, beginning to question her mental facilities in regards to their abrupt departure from Colony Z, and her unannounced plan to capture her pet Preventer.

Where science was concerned, her comrades were just as morally compromised as she was, but when faced with carrying out her "tests" on a living, breathing, human subject, one could say, she was on her own.

Her assistant, Wendt had taken care of much of the details, and she found herself teasing him on occasion, telling him that she was the devil, come to take him to hell. At times, though, examining his blind faith in her had led her to that very conclusion. He was above all, faithful to her vision...a vision which would eliminate the Preventers, the delegation, the need to create conflict, and finally the false pacifism that had been fed to the world. How that was achieved was of little consequence to him.

"Dr. Selleste?..."

Wendt's voice drew her from her thoughts, and she turned from the window to meet his gaze.

"How are the tests coming?" She asked, determinedly.

"We've begun Phase 2, but he is still resisting the treatments. The others are beginning to get nervous..."

"Let them." She seethed, viciously. "The boy is strong. He wouldn't be a Preventer is he wasn't. But, he can't hold out forever. Sooner or later, he'll breakrest assured of that, Telphan. I'll take great pleasure in breaking this one."

END

Well, that's it for Episode 3. Hope you liked it! Hope you review it! Cause I really want to know if anyone out there still wants to know what the hell it is I'm doing? If I don't get struck down with a lethal case of Writer's Block, the next one should be up soon! Until then!