Chapter 9: The Pain in Truth

"You let her escape!" Milliard's raging voice filled the conference room. He'd just arrived at the Preventer's Headquarters expecting to see his sister with her memory back, yet ended up getting a report that she had broken out. His morning had not been good since he'd just found out that some of the Sank Kingdom's bordering neighbors were beginning to choose sides of either the E.S.U.N. or OZ. Although they were still thought of as just rumors, this was not what he wanted to hear right now.

"Wind, can you please refrain from shouting. I still have a headache from that blow your sister gave me," Sally calmly replied as she felt the back of her head to see if there were any bumps or not. "Besides, we didn't know that she was acting. I mean she was really convincing, and she probably would've fooled you as well." She sighed deeply and leaned back into the seat of her chair.

Milliard was about to say something, but Noin jumped in before he had the chance. "She's gone and there's nothing we can do at the moment so we have to put her on hold," Noin's voice of reason reached the ears of everyone in the room. "Right now the bigger problem is OZ and the possibility that they might launch a full scale attack at any moment."

"How can you say that, Noin?" Milliard asked in disbelief. How could she be so heartless? The woman had been there for her for nearly three years. Did she even care about her at all? Didn't she want his sister back like he did?

Seeing the look on Milliard's face she knew what he was thinking. She'd been around him long enough to tell what his thoughts were before he, himself, knew. "Zechs, I care about Relena too, but think," she tried to reason with him, "OZ isn't going to harm her. If she were some special soldier of theirs now they would want her alive and safe. We'll find her eventually, probably a whole lot faster if we get rid of OZ first."

"I agree with Noin," all eyes turned to Sally. "From what Heero and I have found it's obvious that they put a lot of time and money into her so I don't think that they'd want anything to happen to her just yet. In fact, I think that they need her before they can even start to attack."

"Why would you say that?" Lady Une asked from her position at the head of the table.

"Well," she closed her eyes to focus on what she wanted to say, "when Relena was here they could have started their assault since we were distracted with her but instead they did nothing. Also, during that time there were no other OZ attacks on any military bases."

"Hmmm..." Quatre started with a sad look on his sweet face, "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about what's still to come... a really bad feeling."

"What do you mean, Quatre?" the American pilot sitting across from him asked.

"Do you remember the time when we discussed if she could pilot a Gundam?" he paused to see Duo's reaction and continued when the other boy nodded his head in agreement. "Well, something tells me that we're going to find the answer to that real soon."

"You don't think that they'd really have the capability to build one... do you?" Duo's voice was filled with worry as his brows furrowed.

"They've done it before," came Milliard's cold and indifferent reply, "what's to stop them from making another one now?" His mind pictured the Epyon, and he recalled the feeling he had while piloting that evil machine. He remembered the ZERO system, both the one on WingZERO and the Epyon, and how they had manipulated his mind before he could finally control the thing. It made him shudder inside and the thought of his sister piloting something like that made his stomach turn.

"Did anyone notice that Heero's not here?" Wufei spoke up suddenly when he didn't hear any grunts or feel any death glares in the last twenty minutes that they had been in the room.

"Yeah... and Trowa's not here either," Duo chimed in as his eyes wandered around the room. "Wonder where they went?"

"Heero," Trowa's voice rang over carrier's communication link, "are you sure you can handle it on your own?" His voice was calm, but Heero could detect the worried tones in it. Doctor J had contacted Heero a short time ago telling him that an OZ mobile suit was attacking a naval base and that it was the perfect time for him to intercept it, capture its pilot, and get the information they needed. Heero, however, was on a mission of his own so he couldn't go to the base but what was surprising was that he actually admitted needing someone to cover for him.

"Yeah," was his only reply as he switched the other pilot off. Trowa would be headed towards the naval base in the southern United Kingdom, while Heero would be off seeking out his prey. The Japanese pilot usually didn't disclose any kind of information voluntarily; however, he trusted the quiet Heavyarms pilot, most likely because he was able to keep a secret. Heero was always amazed at how similar the two of them were, understanding each other without having to use many words. He respected him greatly for his skills at being able to blend well into his surroundings, something he never really got the hang of. Of course, he respected the others as well, but he'd never admit it to their faces. They'd just get cocky and think that he was breaking down and try to force him to be social. Of course the word is try, like he'd actually let any of them break him.//Not even her.//

During his flight he pictured those red eyes staring at him with as much emotion as an unpainted mask. Every time he had looked into those ruby pools he'd always seem to get angry, frustrated, depressed, sad, and confused. That was too many emotions that didn't need to be there, especially all at the same time. If he didn't understand the other feelings he, at least, knew why he was angry or more appropriately whom he was angry at: himself.//KUSO!! Everything that's happened so far is my fault. I failed, and now everyone is suffering... especially me.... I guess being haunted by those red eyes is my punishment. Those eyes... the ones that remind me of my failure... the deaths I've caused... my death... the possibility of her death... they mock me... they're indifferent to me.... They don't even realize who I am.... She doesn't know who I am.... What I mean to her.... Did I even mean anything to her? OF COURSE, I DID!! I always saw it in her eyes. But dammit, I can't see anything in them anymore...//

He shook his head trying to dispel the distracting thoughts and feelings in his head. Why should he bother with such things anyways, it wasn't like he cared. He had the opportunity to end everything now and then all will be as it should. Then he could go back to the shadows where he belonged, out of the hearts and minds of others.//Her heart, her mind// Shaking his head once more he concentrated on the image that was on the computer screen and a dark grin spread across his cold face. Increasing the carrier's jet engines he soared through the sky.

"Sir! Good news! It seems like Rei got our transmission. She's heading back to base and will be here in about half an hour." The console operator exclaimed excitedly at finally being able to deliver something good instead of depressing to the general who just walked in.

"How is she? Patch me directly into her communications," the General asked as he walked closer to the monitors.

"Yes, sir!" another soldier promptly obeyed as he pushed a few keys.

"Rei?" His tone was softer than the one he had used with the soldiers in the room but it's commanding quality was still present.

"Hai," the pilot responded as the image of her face appeared on the monitor screens. Her long, sandy blonde hair was still slightly wet, sticking to some areas of her face, which was slightly flushed due to the cold rain and the early morning exercise.

"Are you injured?" He leaned closer to the monitor to examine her face. There wasn't much concern in his voice or eyes but that was how the man usually was. If someone had just been run over by a car he would've shown the exact same amount of worry and concern, basically almost none.

"Iie," she replied again, the emotionless voice wasn't as audible as usual because of the engines.

"Did they discover anything that I should be worried about?" Another question came out. He needed to know if they had tampered with the Tamashii units in any way. Time was short and he couldn't afford to plant another one of those things on her head or retrain her for that matter.

"Iie."

"Do you have the data on the homing missiles?" his eyes narrowed as he waited for the answer.

"Hai."

"Good job, Rei." With that he turned off the monitor and headed towards the door. The huge metal barrier slid open, and he waited a few seconds before exiting.//There's something different about her. Her face is the same but her eyes betray her... What happened to her back there?... Did they do something to her?... I'd better let the doctors check her over when she gets back. I can't afford any mistakes; not at this point of the plan.//

In a laboratory in an undisclosed location, lights from panels and monitors illuminated the room while the sound of keyboard keys clicked away in a corner. Along with that was the slight humming of generators in the background and the muffled sounds of the latest news report on the T.V. The place would almost seemed abandoned if it weren't for the noise or the soft sound of footsteps. One of the monitors suddenly blinked and the image of Trowa appeared.

"Trowa?" Doktor S questioned as he turned on the lights to the laboratory. The whole room filled with the artificial brightness and the figures of the other scientists came into view. Doctor J was typing some sort of program in the corner with Inspector H looking over his shoulder. On the other side of the lab was Master O bent over a steel table with a piece of scrap metal in one hand and a welding gun in the other. The door to the lab slid open and Professor G stepped in.

"Who is it?" he asked as he moved towards his comrades who were now facing the monitor.

"The naval base is completely destroyed." Trowa got straight to point, not wasting time with words of greetings or acknowledgements.

"How did you know? I thought I sent Heero to intercept the target there," Doctor J exclaimed with a bit of surprise in his voice.

"Heero had his own mission," the Heavyarms pilot replied with little emotion in his voice or face.

"I see," the old man said as his clawed hand clicked open and shut.

"Was the enemy there?" Professor G asked, leaning towards the screen, his one visible eye was staring at the young pilot through the slit in his hair.

"Negative. The base was destroyed when I arrived, and I detected no one," he reported.

"Alright. That'll be all for now. You can go," the mushroom haired man said. After giving a slight nod Trowa's image disappeared. He turned back to the others and moved his gaze to each one of them to get their take on things.

"Could it be that girl?" Master O inquired, his work still in his hand.

"It's very likely since she did escape, however, I'm more worried about what type of mobile suit she's piloting. Speaking of which... where did that weapon of yours head off to?" he asked looking in Doctor J's direction.

"Knowing Heero, he's probably found an OZ base or something else just as interesting to destroy," he mused lightly giving a soft chuckle.

"Well, anyways," the short man known as Inspector H began, "it seems as if the situation has changed once again."

"Yes, but how are we going to handle it?" Doktor S piped up as he leaned against the computer. "If she has a suit then it will be inevitable that she will engage the others in battle."

"If that happens we won't be able to guarantee Miss Darlian's safety or the safety of our pilots for that matter. I guess that the only thing we can do is to try and make sure that it doesn't come to the point where we have to kill her," Doctor J concluded turning to a serious tone.

"OZ knew what they were doing when they chose Darlian as their new soldier," Professor G sneered while drawing up a chair to sit on. "If she dies in battle you can bet that the entire world will blame the Gundam pilots and probably the colonies as well. Then..."

"We'll have another war on our hands... or worse," Master O finished. "But if we don't stop her, she'll help OZ to succeed in their plans."

The room became quiet as the five men began to brood on their thoughts. They had to find a way to get Darlian out of OZ's hands for good so that the Gundam pilots could even begin their assault. However, that task was easier said than done considering they didn't even know where OZ's main base was situated. On the bright side, things weren't that bad since the public still didn't know of the organization's return. Oh sure, there were lots of rumors surrounding the attacks on the bases but nothing was ever confirmed because it was only a lone mobile suit that had done the job. They knew that when OZ did decide to reveal itself the whole world would feel the shock. From everything they had gathered so far, OZ had an unmatched army of mobile suits that would give the Gundams the fight of their lives. Everything they had done was done in secret and had it not been for WingZERO's pilot they wouldn't have known just how much they would have to face.

"What if we can get a hold of a sample of those devices on her head?" Doktor S broke the contemplative silence. "Then we would have something and we'd be able to figure it out how they work and hopefully deactivate them on her."

"How are we going to get our hands on them anyways?" Professor G interrupted. "Hmmm... Why don't we have your boy go and see if he can get his hands on one of them. He's more than capable of infiltrating their base once he finds their location."

"I'm afraid that Heero has turned off his communication link and won't turn it back on until he's finished with whatever mission he assigned himself. I've already tried all his frequencies," the robotic like man answered.

"I guess we wait then," the tall bald man said as he walked back to his table to finish whatever he was working on.

WingZERO raced through the sky in a blur of colors as morning turned to afternoon. Heero had abandoned his carrier a little while ago; it didn't have as much fuel as he had thought earlier. He didn't care though, since he would've had to abandon it eventually and doing so now would save him the trouble when he did catch up to her.//Rei.// His grip on the control handles tightened as an image of her face came into his mind, her red eyes blazing in her pale face, a smirk that seemed to challenge him... taunt him.//Just keep on going. You can't hide from me. I will find you then make you give her back... or die trying.// Without realizing it he had caused his Gundam to speed up more than he wanted, his rage was starting to blind him. Fighting to keep control of his actions he slowly released his grip. He couldn't risk getting too close without being picked up by her radar or anything else either.

His gaze shifted back to the radar on his left and his brows raised slightly in surprise. He recognized the area that the girl was headed to, having flown over the place in one of his past missions. The boy's brain raced quickly over the possible course of action he could now take. After going over every single one of them he finally decided on the one that seemed to have the best percentage of success. Instead of intercepting the target like he originally planned, he'd try to beat it to its destination and hide. It was possible that the area could be the base's location. Confirming his plans to himself he let out a small sigh before steering WingZERO into another direction and blasting off at full speed.

//I can make it. If I can just push WingZERO a bit more I can make it. This is an opportunity I can't waste, something I can't afford to lose... But what if something goes wrong?... What if I'm not fast enough, and I end up getting there just when she does?... What if we end up fighting? Can I fight her?.... Yes, I can.... It's not really her.... It's not really Relena.//He didn't want to think about killing her but it kept popping back inside his mind. Although he knew he could do it, he just was never able to and probably still couldn't bring himself to do so now. However, deep down he knew that if OZ was winning because of her and that if they couldn't bring her back, then she'd have to die. Heero had already planned everything out, ignoring the pain that arose in his chest when he did so. He'd be the one to kill her if the situation turned for the worse. No one else would be allowed that responsibility. No one else would have to have that kind of guilt on his or her soul. It would be easier for them to blame him instead of having them blame his or her self. He owed those people something for everything they had done for him.

//How many times does that make now?// He thought bitterly, trying to remember how many times he had threatened or tried to kill her. The Japanese pilot tried to shake off those thoughts but it kept on slipping to the subject of her death. Death. The one thing that always seemed to cling to him no matter where he went or what he did. But it wasn't that bad most of the time since the majority of the people he killed deserved it. Every single one of them.//::But what about that little girl?::// Heero's heart sank at the very thought of that girl.//::So sweet, so innocent, so caring, more worried about you than herself... just like her::... NO!!// The boy shook himself free of those thoughts once more, knowing that he had to harden himself up for the killing if that was what he had to do. This wouldn't be like the other times. He would be successful instead of just walking away.//As long as I don't have to look at those eyes.// Instead of shooting her, he would kill her during a mobile suit battle, that way he wouldn't falter if their gaze came across one another.

"Ryoukai," he said to himself in a hard tone.

He hadn't noticed it before but he was already nearing his destination. It was an area near the exact point where he had self-detonated Wing Gundam. The thoughts that had been haunting him came to a halt as he slowed WingZERO down, landing in a lush evergreen forest. Setting the Gundam down in a comfortable position he unstrapped himself and opened the cockpit's entrance. Before climbing out he reached behind the back of the seat and pulled out a large bundle. Having secured the thing in his arms he stepped outside and proceeded to climb onto WingZERO. After a few minutes he was standing on top of its head and with one quick thrust of his arms, he flung the material over his Gundam. The camouflage netting gently folded the machine into itself and soon the mobile suit looked like a pile of green shrubbery. Nodding in satisfaction he descended the Gundam, jumping from one of its body parts to another.

As he landed on the ground he heard the familiar sound of jet engines and his head tilted towards the heavens. His brows perked up a bit when he saw the flash of red and an eerie image appeared in front of him. While watching the metal monster change from its flight mode to its familiar mobile suit mode Heero pressed himself to a tree to try to escape detection.//Epyon?// Heero couldn't believe what he was seeing but he didn't make any attempt to move forward or run away. The Japanese pilot stood still as Epyon slowly descended to the ground, its thrusters easing its downward flight. It landed on the ground with a loud thud and stood completely still as if waiting for something to happen.//Relena's in that thing?... NO!//

*CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*

The sound of metal locks being disengaged reached Heero's ears, and he turned his head from behind the tree to see what was happening. When his head popped into view, he took in the image of grass moving apart, while the square patch of grass that Epyon was standing on remained still. There was another muffled sound of metal moving as the grass-covered platform that Epyon was on began to move down.//An underground base!!// Seeing that the suit was slowly being lowered into the darkness below, Heero made his move and ran to where the platform was. Silently slipping near the mobile suit's large metal feet, he hid himself as the suit was lowered deeper still.//This is very deep underground. No wonder it was so hard to find. This place is probably more than fifty meters underground. At this depth not even the satellites could pick it up.// he thought when the platform still had not reached the bottom.

Minutes passed and soon Heero could see light from below the platform, as it slowly got brighter. Swiftly, he moved behind Neo Epyon's left foot and pressed his body as close to it as possible to prevent giving himself away. Once the platform had come to a complete stop, making a loud bang as it made contact with the base's steel foundation, he heard the sound of the suit's cockpit door being opened followed by the thump of a figure landing on the floor. The boy held his breath when he heard the sound of different footsteps approaching. They were walking in the direction of the girl's and soon they all came to an abrupt halt.

"Did you encounter any problems on the way here?" The general's icy blue eyes searched her face questioningly.

"Iie," her equally cold voice replied in return.

"That's good. We had better take a look at the Tamashii units, no telling what those Preventers could've done to them." He motioned for the two doctors that were with him to come forward, and they quickly obeyed. One of them went behind her and began to usher her towards the exit while the other opened the door. Once they were out the general turned back to look at the Neo Epyon for a moment before exiting the hangar as well. As he left, Heero's form could be seen from behind the Gundam's foot, glaring at the man's retreating form.

In another room of the underground base, men in white lab coats were examining the head of a girl seated on top of an examination table. Wires and sensors were hooked up to her head as well as the implanted devices. One of the men was sitting in front of a computer typing away at information that appeared on its screen. Another was looking at the readings and symbols that displayed on the machines that told of her condition. Two more were inspecting her head, fingering the Tamashii units for any signs of damage. The beeping and clicking sounds of the machines and computer filled the room, and the doctors didn't notice the slight metallic bang from above, however, Rei noticed. Ripping the wires and sensors from her head she reached behind her and pulled out her gun. Ignoring the men, who had a look of confusion and surprise etched on their faces, she opened the door and ran out of the room.

"What do you think that was all about?" an older looking man with white hair and green eyes asked his other colleagues.

"Do you think that it's the Tamashii units?" a younger man with graying brown hair spoke up.

"They shouldn't have given her that kind of reaction," another doctor with black hair and a beard answered.

//KUSO!! She heard me.// Heero found himself running down the dark corridors of the OZ base after being so careless with his movements. The girl had heard him and was now after him, yet he did not know where she was or if she was close to him or not.//Dammit, I have to find a way out of here. I have no idea what the floor plans to this base are, and I don't have access to any of its facilities. Along with that I only brought a gun, two extra magazines, and a few explosives.// Looking at his surroundings while he ran his mind assessed his situation.//I don't have enough fire power to blow up this place, and I have no idea where to go... Wait a minute. The hangar! Epyon! I could use that thing to blast my way out of here and use it to destroy the base.// Making sure that no one was around he quickly made his way back to the hangar, taking out the guards who did take notice of him.

Within minutes he found his way back to the hangar that held the Gundam, flinging open the door he ran inside. His sights were soon set on the Epyon, and he made his way to the machine when an object suddenly dropped in front of him, blocking his way. It was Rei once again, a gun held firmly in her hand as she glared at the intruder. Heero didn't flinch as he trained the gun on her.//Don't make me do this... I can't kill you... not like this...//

*clap* *clap* *clap*

Heero's gaze shifted to the noise, and he saw a man with dark hair and blue eyes walking in their direction, grinning in amusement. "So this is the famous Heero Yuy," he addressed, chuckling softly. His laughter stopped, and his blue eyes fixed themselves on the young man. "The things that they say about you weren't just rumors after all. I give you much credit for being able to find and infiltrate this base. No one has been able to until now... So tell me, how you were able to do it?" The general waited patiently for the pilot to answer but when none was given he motioned to Rei, and she undid the safety of her gun.

"Disk," the young man replied with a hate filled voice.

Upon hearing that Rei reached inside her chest pocket with her free hand and retrieved the disk. Examining the disk, gun still in her hand, she soon found a small object lodged in one of its crevices, something she had overlooked the first time around. She nodded to the general, telling him that the boy wasn't lying.

"I have to congratulate you again, Heero Yuy," Whitenburg commented as he proceeded to the girl's side. "Not only did you and your people capture her but you tricked her into revealing our location. That's quite an accomplishment.... So... what were you hoping to achieve next?" There was a gleam in his eyes that challenged the Prussian blue glare. "Oh," he exclaimed when he saw the boy's gaze shift slightly in Rei's direction. "You people still want her back? Even after everything she's done? After all the people she has killed? All the lives that she will continue to take?" Again he gave a soft laugh.

"That is not her," Heero seethed through his teeth.

"Oh, but it is," the general sneered. "Here, I'll show you." Smiling he turned to the girl and gave his command. "Rei, show him your pretty smile." With that command all the coldness disappeared on her face as it was quickly filled with emotion.

//No.//The smile she had on was Relena's, holding none of Rei's personality behind them. It was a genuine happy smile that screamed of Relena's warmth, gentleness, and love. She often gave him that warm smile even though he never really returned it. Seeing it now he almost believed that it was really the girl he used to know... the one he had come to care for... the one he'd protect at the cost of his life.//How? YOU'RE NOT HER... but... but I see her in your eyes.//

"Okay. Now show him your hatred," the older man commanded again. Just like before all of the previous emotions washed away leaving the one that was ordered to appear.

//Damn you.//He almost couldn't believe it when he saw her eyes blaze at him with unbearable loathing. This was a look that she rarely gave to anyone, only to those that committed such acts, which could never be forgiven. But he recognized it, and it truly belonged to her. She wasn't one to hate and if she did, she'd forgive easily.//What did they do to you to make you turn this way so easily?... or is this what you really feel for me?//

Seeing the Gundam pilot's almost unnoticeable reaction fueled the man to go further. "Now, show him how sad you can be," he ordered with a menacing gleam in his eye. Again, she obeyed her superior's command and a new face replaced the previous.

//...//This was too much for Heero to bear as he stared into those red orbs. Every single pain that she had ever experienced in her life showed itself in that gaze. The pain she felt for the people, her family, her friends, the world, the colonies, herself, and him. That pain cried to him, and it tore him to pieces inside. He wanted to reach out and embrace her to try and comfort her from the hurt. This wasn't the empty shell that once had a gun pointed at him, this was Relena.//Relena...// He knew it was hers since he was usually the one to bring it about. He tried to speak but found that his voice had failed him. Defeated, he dropped his gun and summoning everything that he still held within him, he breathed his question. "How?" It was barely above a whisper but the general still heard.

"Because we have the power," the man said triumphantly. With a flick of his hand, four soldiers appeared and took hold of the Gundam pilot and led him out of the room. The boy didn't struggle and allowed himself to be led away. "That'll be all for now, Rei."

Hearing those words she dropped her own gun and began to walk out as well, but her face had not reverted back to its cold mask. Her eyes still overflowed with sadness, and she couldn't explain the pain she felt in her chest. It was a pain that emanated from her heart, the one that was supposed to be cold.