Disclaimer: If I own Gundam Wing then I wouldn't spend time writing fanfics --- I'll make them all animated!

And the kids' training begins. Can they handle it? And more importantly, will they be able to master their Suits on time? For comments, suggestions, flames or reviews, you can email me at raizenheero@aol.com

They woke up early the next morning. After eating breakfast, Heero started briefing the kids. "Even with the threat of blowing up the colonies and killing Relena, Raidon knows that there's still a 50/50 chance of me retaliating against him. But I'm certain that he thinks it's impossible for me to attack anytime soon, not having the necessary firepower that could stand against his army and the Gundams. This we will use to our advantage," he stated. "The attack will commence 3 days from now. That way, the element of surprise is with us, plus the fact that he still has a lose grip on the ESUN. That gives you 3 days to train and master your respective Suits. We'll tell you the details of the plan a day before the attack."

"Heero and I will alternately train you. I'll be in charge of the combat simulation while he'll monitor your performance inside the Suits. But Jiiro and Reina's training will be different, having to pilot different Suits from yours," Athena told them. "Questions?"

The seven kids shook their heads. "Ok then. Reina, Rhys, Kai, Deity, Trion and Lee, come with me. Jiiro, go with your father. Let's get started."

Athena watched the 6 kids doing the combat simulation with calculating eyes. She was aware of the fact that those kids already knew how to fight, but she still needed to see how they would handle themselves in different combat scenarios. Combat skills were a crucial factor in piloting the HAVOC and the BCS-integrated Suits, and for them to accomplish their goal (not to mention survive) they had to be the best. She took note of every strength and weakness of each new pilot, giving them tips and strengthening them even more. She made them fight with computer-generated enemies, then with each other. When everyone finished battling everyone else in the group, Athena said, "That's enough for now. Time for lunch."

It was easy for Jiiro to master Wing Zero's internals. Though he played the BCS simulation game with his friends often, he also had been playing the Zero Assault simulation game his father made for him since he was 8. His early and prolonged exposure to it, even in a much lower strength, readied his mind a bit, but it still didn't stop the Zero System to always overpower him at the end.

He was breathing in rapid succession, his chest pounding, when the simulation ended. The eerie glow in his eyes receded when Heero deactivated the system. "I failed again. I'm sorry."

Heero silently regarded him. "On the contrary, you did well. With the time you spent inside, you should have been unconscious by now. And with each simulation, it's taking the system a longer time to get to you. A few more practices and you'll be able to master it." He looked at the other side of the room and saw Athena and the others preparing lunch. "Come. Let's eat lunch."

They resumed training after lunch. Rhys, Kai, Deity, Trion and Lee went with Heero and Jiiro to try out their Suits while Athena had Reina synchronize with the HAVOC. It was their first time to be inside a real Mobile Suit, having been accustomed to just using simulations. It was a fascinating yet challenging experience for all of them, not to mention scary as well.

Reina tried to clear her mind as she moved one arm, then the other. Athena was shouting different commands at her all at the same time, she had troubles executing them correctly. Athena saw her predicament so she ordered, "Reina, desynchronize now."

When Reina emerged from HAVOC, Athena asked, "What's the matter?"

Reina looked down. "I can't seem to clear my head. And I can't do all those things all at once." She then looked up. "How did you do it?"

Athena smiled at her. "I was trained since I was six to do it, Reina. It was as normal to me as breathing."

"But I've been training for this too, though I didn't know it by that time. It should be easier for me by now."

"Simulations and the real thing are different, you know that. We just let you do the simulations to get you ready, to condition your mind and body. Your real training started today."

"Rhys and the others aren't having any problems though," Reina pointed out.

"Because the BCS and the simulation were identical," Athena replied. "And I'm sure that your brother is also having some difficulties. If you and Jiiro were piloting those BCS-integrated Suits, you won't have any problems too. But you were assigned to pilot the HAVOC and Wing Zero, both of which are very demanding Suits. You know for a fact that not just any person can pilot them. Both Heero and I were consciously trained for the sole purpose of mastering them. You and Jiiro, on the other hand, weren't. So don't be too hard on yourself. You'll get the hang of it soon." Athena stopped for a moment, letting Reina absorb her words. "Ready to try again?"

Reina nodded then started climbing up HAVOC. She was about to enter HAVOC from behind when Athena said, "The secret is to think that you're not inside a Gundam, that you're actually the one fighting, like when you're doing combat practice. Then think that you're carrying HAVOC's weapons in your body, and reach for them when you need to." She stopped, not wanting to say her next words but she knew she had to. "Focus your mind on the mission, on accomplishing your mission. Forget everything else. Remember that there's no room for mistake. That will help clear your head. The mastery of the commands will come later once you learned how to clear your mind at will."

Reina gave her a small smile. "Thanks," she told Athena before slipping inside HAVOC. When Athena saw the HAVOC's eyes glowed green, they resumed training.

At 8 pm, the kids were so exhausted they immediately fell asleep right after dinner. That left the two adults to do a little research on their own.

Heero and Athena worked silently, Heero on the main computer terminal, Athena on the console nearby. After a few minutes, Athena remarked, "Those kids are good. They really are their father's children."

"Hn. The training we made them undergo bit by bit while they were growing up paid off."

"How's Jiiro doing?"

"He mastered the Suit but not the system. Zero still gets to him. I expected as much. This was the first time he experienced Zero's full power, the simulation I made for him only had 1/8 of its power. Besides, true mastery of the Zero system only comes from repeated use. No one can possibly master it by a single shot," Heero answered. "How about Reina?"

"She's strong. Her reflexes and stamina are almost as good as mine at that age. But we still have to work on controlling the HAVOC --- thinking and doing things simultaneously. Also, defeating an army singlehandedly."

"The rest of them are also doing well. They must have been playing the game I made for them often," Heero said with slight amusement. "But being 'good' is not enough. They must be more than good to defeat all of their enemies. Even if they are outnumbered 1 to 100."

Athena studied the data in her console. "I'll let them do an all-out war exercise tomorrow before I go. We have to stock up or else we'll have 7 hungry pilots running amok in the base. I'll take your 4x4 to town."

Heero continued working on his terminal. "You found them."

Athena snorted. It was really impossible to hide anything from him. She turned off the console then went beside him. "Yeah. They're in Beauport City 30 miles from here. I'll do my shopping then talk to them." She looked at Heero's monitor. "You got in? I thought they destroyed the main surveillance system in the Presidential Palace."

"They did. But I managed to retrieve the last shots in every security camera from the back-up system," Heero replied, typing some commands. Several screenshots were then displayed on the screen, all showing 6 different teenagers on the act of blasting the cameras to oblivion. "I'm certain that those kids are the ones who piloted the Gundams."

Athena narrowed her eyes as she carefully studied the images. She punched some keys, doing some cross-reference. I have a bad feeling about this. When the 6 kids' data appeared on the screen, her suspicions were confirmed. "So they are our enemies," she stated flatly.

Heero looked at her and saw a mixture of worry and sadness flashed on her face before it turned blank again. "It's good to know who one's enemies are," he told her.

"I know. But I'm not sure if this knowledge will do us any good in this case."

Relena watched the retreating back of the soldier who brought her dinner. She didn't know why she felt at ease with that boy. It's because he's nice, she told herself. Well, it was true. He had treated her with respect since her incarceration there, not like a prisoner or a hostage, but a guest. A guest who was not allowed to go out, but still a guest. And she knew that he was not just an ordinary soldier. He had a different kind of aura from those other soldiers, one that somehow was familiar to her. Aside from that, she heard the other guards referred to him as 'sir' so he must be one of the superiors there. If that was the case why did he bother to always deliver her meals? And why was it that whenever their gazes would meet, his eyes would lose their cold expression for a fraction of a second before reverting back? Maybe I remind him of someone, she thought. But she couldn't help feeling sorry for him. He was too young to be a soldier. If she was right, he was the same age as her kids. He was supposed to be in school, not here overthrowing a government and delivering food to a prisoner. And though he always remained silent, his face blank, she could feel that he was hurting. Having known Heero for more than 20 years would make her an expert in analyzing stoic people. How did Raidon make that kid into a soldier? she wondered. What could Raidon possibly have promise him to make him agree to fight? What could he possibly gain from all of this? Knowing that she didn't have the answers to all of her questions at the moment, she let it rest. She would try to talk to him, and until then all that she could do was wait. She went to the table and started eating her dinner.

The following night

Though tired, Kai couldn't fall asleep. They just finished their second day of training and everything seemed to be going well. Just one more day he thought. But just one more day of what, he wasn't sure. Just one more day and they would get the ESUN back from Raidon, be reunited with their families and live happily every after? Or just one more day and they would all be dead? As profound as dying might sound, that wasn't the thing that was bothering him though. Just one more day and I would make my first kill He knew that they had no choice, and that they were doing the right thing but the idea of killing another human being, even if he was the enemy gnawed at him. Now we'll know how our fathers felt. Or still feeling. Their fathers hadn't participated in another war since that one during Operation Domino, but they knew that up until now, their fathers were still suffering from their battle scars, something that they would continue to experience for as long as they lived. And whatever the result of the coming battle would be, Kai was certain that they too would carry their own battle scars all their lives. But he didn't regret making this decision. They need us. The whole ESUN is depending on us. We won't fail them, he said with conviction. He and the others vowed to bring back peace to the ESUN, no matter what the cost.

At least we have a pretty decent chance of winning, he consolingly told himself. They were just training for two days but they already gained mastery of their Suits. It must be in the genes, he grinned. Well, nobody could deny that fact. They were their fathers' children. Aside from that, having played the BCS simulation game often was another factor. And having the two best soldiers in the whole ESUN training them helped as well. Even Jiiro and Reina mastered the Wing Zero and the HAVOC in no time. But at what cost? They all knew that to be able to master those 2 Gundams, their pilots should have a one-track mind, focusing on their missions and their missions only. There was no room for any other thing that could prove to be a distraction nor was there any room for failure. And as the twins gained mastery of their Suits, Kai and the rest noticed some changes in them. They no longer smile, and their eyes, those Prussian blue orbs they inherited from their father became even more intense, glinting with grim determination to fight and to win back peace. It was like looking at the mirror images of Heero and Athena. Though they expected something like that would happen, it still scared them. But as he said earlier, they didn't have any choice. All of them must get stronger and more focused to successfully pull this off. If victory and survival meant that they got to discard their gentleness and harden themselves even more, then so be it.

Kai yawned as sleep finally crept up to him. "Just one more day, " he muttered before closing his eyes and falling to sleep.

It was already 11 pm when Athena returned to the base. Heero went to the glass tube and helped her carry the groceries from the 4x4 to the kitchen. "Did you talk to them?' Heero asked.

"Hn. They had troubles trusting me at first. But things quickly changed when I showed them your message. They were more than willing to help us with the attack. Apparently, they had been looking for you, Lt. Col Stephens having ordered them to escape and help you when you retaliate against Raidon," Athena replied.

"Good. They still have their MS?"

"All 15 of them."

"That'll do."

Silence. After they finished putting everything in their proper place, the two poured themselves some coffee and headed toward the main computer terminal. "Have you told them about the pilots?" Athena asked.

"No. I'll tell them everything about the attack tomorrow. I don't want them to get distracted." Heero punched some keys and an image of a resource satellite was then displayed. "I found Raidon's base."

"So we are right. His base is in outer space after all," Athena remarked. "We could go ahead with the plan then," she added, smiling with satisfaction.

"Yes. His threat of attacking the colonies gave him away, narrowing our search parameters to outer space. What the kids told us this morning just confirmed it."

"I'll be leaving after lunch so we better start," Athena told them. Rhys, Kai, Reina, Deity, Trion and Lee were about to follow Athena to the opposite end of the room when Heero asked, "Did any of you get the chance to talk to your parents before they disappeared?"

The 5 kids looked at each other. "I think we all did," Rhys answered. "They called us before going on their vacations."

"Yeah. They got these free passes to Buena Park," Deity added. Buena Park was a famous resort and theme park located in a former resource satellite in Lagrange Point 3. "The passes were for an unlimited number of family members but you have to use them one week upon receiving them. You can stay there for as long as you want though. All of us wanted to go with them too but we were busy with school then. Projects, midterms and stuff."

Heero's forehead creased for a second then his face became expressionless again. "Hn," he acknowledged before motioning for Jiiro to follow him towards Wing Zero.

"Relena and I also received those free passes. It was nothing unusual, considering that Relena always receives offers, free stuff and invitations. So I didn't put too much thought to it until now. I then remembered that Lady Une was the first one to receive those passes and also the first one to disappear."

"A clever move. Raidon sent those passes to each family one after the other knowing that no one in his right mind could resist a free vacation. Once he gets hold of them, no one would suspect since they told everyone that they're going on a vacation. Then he could use the families to blackmail everyone in getting what he wants," Athena remarked. Smirking, she said, "This is just the kind of thing Damon would come up with. Raidon had really taken after him. I'm sure that he also copied Damon's main array. Aside from Damon, Capt. Brooks and myself, Raidon or Capt. Medina as he was known by then also knew the blueprints of the main array." She then shook her head. "I must say he's not being original."

"Original or not, he managed to execute his plan perfectly. He got the Gundams, their pilots and families, Lady Une, Relena and the whole ESUN in his grasp. He also eliminated the whole Preventers organization in just one attack. To top that, he managed to elude detection, having Buena Park as a cover for his operations. That's the main reason why we hadn't detected any unusual activity in the last 20 years, which we should have since Raidon built his army and base during that time. He used the construction of Buena Park as an excuse in ordering large quantities of neo-titanium alloy and some gundamium alloy," Heero said. "He really had one well thought out plan."

Athena studied the blueprint of Raidon's base that Heero hacked into. "A well thought out plan indeed. He also made sure that when we find his base, we couldn't just blow it up. Aside from there are many people vacationing there, the main array is attached to the main power core of the resource satellite. One wrong move and we'll kill a lot of innocent people." Athena's face hardened. "If Grandpa only knew that Raidon would cause this much trouble, he wouldn't have let him escape."

"Hn. But we don't need to blow up the base nor the main array. All we got to do is stop it from firing at the colonies," Heero told her.

Athena nodded, understanding what Heero meant. She continued looking at the monitor, memorizing the blueprint. More specifically, the path towards where the main array was located. "Ninmu Ryoukai."