Act X

Treize Khushrenada gazed out of the picture window in his office, a dreamy expression on his face as he gently stroked his chin. The clear blue eyes were serious, though; pensive, calculating. Colonel Une stood on the opposite side of the desk he sat at, waiting for her mentor to speak.

"So our little drama has commenced," Treize finally said softly, his eyes still fixed on a point outside of the window.

"Yes, Your Excellency," Colonel Une replied. "I am quite certain that the Gundam pilot and our lovely little ensign have..." She trailed off, nodding her head sharply once to substitute for the words she couldn't bring herself to speak in his prescence. *It is not unlike what you and Mr. Trieze do...* Colonel Une quickly pushed the thought back into the far reaches of her mind. *It's not true. Treize and I... It's not true.*

Treize smiled. "That's good," he said. "Perhaps we can augment this further." He finally turned to gaze at Colonel Une. "He knows of the other Gundam pilot, the one near L-2, yes?"

Colonel Une nodded.

"You will send him and Ensign Schbeiker on the mission to destroy this new Gundam," Treize explained. "Tell Officer Barton to follow, but to keep at a distance. He will be our back-up should any problems arise."

Colonel Une cleared her throat. "Your Excellency, excuse me," she said. "But I'm afraid I don't understand. How will this help to eliminate the Gundam pilot we now have in our possession, Mr. Yuy?"

Treize chuckled softly. "My dear Lady Une." His voice was smooth, silky. Colonel Une felt an internal barrier begin to crumble; she was lost under his spell. "It is possible Mr. Yuy knows this other Gundam pilot. Of course, with Ensign Schbeiker at his side, he will doubtless be forced to destroy the other pilot, not wanting to risk her injury or death. But if he fails to do so and decides to turn against us, with Miss Schbeiker inside nonetheless, I will order Officer Barton to extinguish both suits."

Colonel Une's eyes widened. "But, Sir..." She stopped for a moment, regained her composure before she said anything she might later regret. "Sir," she began again, her voice clearer, stronger. "What about Ensign Schbeiker? She is a valuable part of OZ-"

Treize held up one immaculate white gloved hand, interrupting the colonel. "You forget in your fancy with this girl that she, too, is held accountable for the actions between herself and the Gundam pilot, Mr. Yuy," he explained calmly. "Although I am quite taken with her myself, no good OZ soldier would allow him or herself to become associated, in any way, with the enemy." He paused a moment before continuing. "Miss Schbeiker is young, innocent, and extremely naive, but she is not, in any way, lacking in intelligence. It is possible that Mr. Yuy somehow coerced her into relations with him, but I would rather think it is a more consensual realtionship... She is young and beautiful and he is also young and quite striking. Purely physical, my Lady." He smiled, a slow, almost secretive smile, and Colonel Une felt her defenses slipping once again.

"However," Treize continued, "I cannot allow such relations to interfere with our project or our success in the war. These are pressing times, Lady Une. I do hate to use cliche, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And right now, Ensign Schbeiker is most definitely expendable." He stared deeply into the colonel's eyes, azure orbs meeting hazel. "It is for the cause, my Lady. For /our/ cause."

Colonel Une nodded, her mind clouded in a thick daze from which she couldn't bring herself out of. "Yes," she replied in a whisper. "Yes, for our cause."

Treize nodded briskly then and the spell was broken; Colonel Une straightened her shoulders and cleared her throat, saluting sharply.

"Understood, Your Excellency. I will go assemble the pilots and commence with the mission." She saluted once more before turning abruptly and exiting the room.

Treize stared after her, the secret smile still playing across his lips. *My dear Lady Une... There is so much you have yet to learn.*

*Soon.*

Hilde stood in line with the other two pilots, facing the scaffolding in front of the Mercurius. The Vayeate was on the verge of completion but still wasn't fully operational. Hilde wondered why, then, was Trowa also present at the mission debriefing but she knew it didn't matter anyway. They were all still a part of the project.

*Although I could change all that by saying just five little words... Trowa is a Gundam pilot.*

Hilde stopped herself from cringing at the thought and kept her attention focused on the suit before her. *They'll find out soon enough* she told herself, watching as Colonel Une entered the mobile suit hangar with her lieutenant, the man named Nickol. *And I'm still going to destroy them. Both of them. Somehow...*

Bits and pieces of the dream she had had the night before came to her mind: The cave; the sweat and the heat; Heero, cruel and sensual, punishing and forgiving all at once, and then... Hilde shook her head, clearing all thoughts of the disturbing dream from her mind, although the last part seemed to linger, insistent and demanding that she remember.

The boy with the long braid and a scythe.

The Gundam on the outer perimeter of L-2, her home colony. Also with a scythe. This part was real.

*That's what scares me.*

Colonel Une came to a stop before the three pilots, her boot heels clicking loudly on the concrete floor, echoing off the high, immense ceiling.

"The situation as of now is urgent, so I won't waste any time going over the information you already now," the colonel said, looking to each pilot individually. Trowa and Hilde were attentive; Heero remained indifferent, as usual. Colonel Une cleared her throat.

"The intent of the Gundam outside of the L-2 sector has not been determined as of yet. However, it is imperative that it be destroyed before any harm is done to our forces or the colonies. Therefore, Mr. Yuy and Ensign Schbeiker will be taking the Mercurius and will eliminate this threat to our well-being." She turned to Trowa. "Officer Barton, you will stay behind for now, until I give you further instruction. You may leave now."

Trowa nodded once and saluted. "Ma'am," he said simply, neither his voice nor his face registering any emotion. Hilde watched him exit the hangar, wishing he had been allowed to come with her and Heero. It would have been the perfect time to strike against him. *Later* she told herself.

Colonel Une stared at Hilde, watching as the girl's eyes followed Trowa out of the room, her face emotionless but the blue depths burning with hatred. The girl looked impeccable today; her uniform was immaculate, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail, not a strand out of place under her cap, her posture that of the confident soldier and not the nervous young thing she had appeared to be at first. She was serious about her position here.

*Too bad it's too late* Colonel Une thought, almost sadly.

"I am sorry that you could not have extensive practice before going on your first mission," the colonel finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Of course, it could not have been predicted that a Gundam would suddenly show up. However, I have great confidence in the both of you." She turned her gaze to Hilde. "I leave it in your hands now. Good luck." With a slight inclination of her head towards each pilot, regarding them individually, Colonel Une turned and was escorted out by her lieutenant. The heavy steel door slammed shut, locking the two young pilots in silence.

Heero turned to Hilde. "Let's get going," he said, starting towards the boarding ramp to the Mercurius. "You might want to change into a flight suit. Outer space is a lot different from the practice room." He nodded once before disappearing up the ramp, into the cockpit.

Hilde stared after him, trying her best not to run after him and force him to the ground, fight him. The dream last night hadn't changed her feelings towards him; she still hated him.

*But you want him, too.*

Hilde shook her head furiously, more to convince herself that the thought wasn't true than to clear her mind. She headed for one of the doors lining the wall of the hangar, into a changing room. A light blue space suit was draped carefully over a bench. Hilde stripped out of her uniform and slipped the suit on. Zipping the suit to the middle of her chest, leaving the top slightly open, she pulled on her boots and walked back out into the hangar, towards the boarding ramp.

Heero was already seated at the front of the cockpit, wearing his own space suit, his black. He didn't acknowledge her as she took the seat behind him, strapping herself in.

*Everything is going to be different now.* She smiled at the thought.

"I'm plotting the course for L-2," Heero said, securing his own safety straps over his shoulders. "It's possible he's still hanging around there."

"Do you know him, too?" Hilde asked, her tone harsh, bitter. "Aren't all of you Gundam pilots good friends?"

Heero didn't reply. Hilde bit her bottom lip to keep from saying anything else.

"Getting ready to launch." He ignored her question completely. "Zip up your suit, it's going to get cold. Unlike your OZ shuttles, mobile suits aren't equipped to keep the passengers warm." Hilde glimpsed his profile in the bright yellow light that suddenly lit up the cockpit as the suit began to ascend; his smirk was condescending, almost teasing. Hilde zipped her suit up completely and cursed him mentally.

*When this is over...*

She didn't have time to finish her thought. She could see the roof of the mobile suit hangar far below them through the viewscreen, rapidly shrinking until it finally faded and all there was was blue sky and filmy white clouds. Hilde closed her eyes and lost herself in the sensation of rising above the world, flying. *It /is/ different from the practice room* she thought, her breath catching as the suit suddenly caught speed and catapulted out into the dark reaches of space.

They drifted through the hazy darkness in almost complete peace and isolation, only passing OZ surveillance shuttles and the rare space station occasionally. Hilde knew the course by heart; L-2 was her home and she had travelled back and forth from there to the OZ headquarters on Earth many times. She opened her eyes to look out. It wouldn't be long before they finally reached the colony.

The Gundam reached them first.

Hilde stared in awe as the Gundam loomed up on the viewscreen, amazed at the sheer power it exuded, the beauty of the deadly architecture.

*This is what Thomas must have seen before he...*

Hilde bit her lip. Heero finally spoke.

"It's here."

A beep sounded and the viewscreen suddenly lit up, the landscape of space replaced by the interior of a cockpit. The young pilot inside was handsome, dressed in a red shirt under a black leather flight jacket. Large violet eyes gazed out from the smooth, pale face, a lopsided grin curving the sensual lips; chestnut hair fell in a long braid over his shoulder, the long, wild bangs falling into his face; the long, slender, muscular arms defined under the tight black leather of his jacket, sleeves rolled up to reveal slightly tanned, equally muscular forearms, large hands gripping the controls. The pilot raised one to his forehead in a mock-salute.

Hilde could only stare, enthralled. *The boy from my dream... It's him. He's real.*

*Heero... What does this mean?*

The boy on the viewscreen finally spoke. "Hey, Heero! Long time no see!" His voice was deep, rich, friendly. The same voice from her dream, only not as serious, not as sensual. Hilde felt a chill run down her spine at the sound of it nonetheless.

Heero suddenly tensed under Hilde's arms, which were wrapped around his torso. "Duo Maxwell," he said, his voice the same expressionless monotone, registering neither hatred nor particular like.

*Duo Maxwell... His name is Duo.* Hilde sighed his name softly, barely audible so that Heero wouldn't notice.

"It's nice of ya to show up!" Duo continued. "Although when I first saw this suit, I didn't expect to find /you/ in it. What's the deal, Heero? Joined up with OZ?" He laughed and then peered closer into the viewscreen. "Hey, who's that with you, Heero?"

Hilde unconciously gripped Heero tighter, pulling him against her defensively. *Oh, God... I can't look at him...*

Duo's smile widened as his violet gaze penetrated through the viewscreen, fixing on Hilde. "Wow, Heero!" he said, laughing. "I didn't know you had it in ya! That is one sexy babe!" He turned his full attention to Hilde then, his smile turning mischievious. "Hey there, beautiful." His voice was deeper now, his gaze seductive beneath the long bangs.

Hilde gazed back at him. She felt the insides of her thighs go wet. The dream came back to her, all at once: Heero about to make love to her, then gone suddenly, replaced by the beautiful boy with the scythe. The boy she was staring at right now. The boy who wanted her for his own. Her breath came faster; she was paralyzed. Heero broke the spell.

"Leave her alone, she's part of OZ," he said.

Duo turned back to Heero, raising his eyebrows. "Really? Man, that's too bad... OZ babes don't usually dig Gundam pilots," he replied, winking at Hilde. She tried not to smile.

*God, that's not true.*

Duo sighed heavily. "Well, I think I've talked enough," he said, faking a yawn and stretching. "It was nice to see ya, Heero, but if you'll excuse me, I've got some OZ ass to go kick."

"I can't let you do that." Heero glared into the viewscreen.

A look of confusion and almost hurt crossed Duo's face. "What are you talking about?"

"I've got orders here to destroy you. You had better just leave."

Duo lowered his eyes for a moment, silent. Hilde watched him. Suddenly he looked up, the hurt and confusion gone, replaced with a devious smile and destruction burning in the amethyst eyes. "Sorry, Heero, but I can't do that," he said. "OZ has got a date with Death, starting with those bastards over at L-2, and I promised I wouldn't be late."

"Don't do this, Duo. You're going to force me to kill you."

"Do what you gotta do, man. See ya." Duo's grin widened and the viewscreen clicked off, outer space coming back into view, displaying Duo's Gundam's retreating form.

Hilde watched, silent. He was going to destroy the OZ forces surrounding L-2. Her comrades. *Like Thomas...* she thought, anger and hatred suddenly rising in her. *Innocent people, just doing their jobs...* She finally found her voice.

"Shoot him." The dead, emotionless tone was foreign to Hilde, almost frightening her. She repeated the words.

"Shoot him. Now!"

Heero's body stiffened once again and he was a silent for a moment, motionless, before he finally replied, "Hai." The Mercurius shot off into space after the Gundam.

"Use the chain rifle," Hilde said, positioning her hands over Heero's on the controls.

The other pilot shook his head. "No, it's useless against the Gundam's armor. A beam cannon would work best, but this suit only carries a beam gun. We'll use that." Heero typed in the commands, readied the gun, aiming for the back of the immense, skeletal Gundam, heading on a crash course to L-2.

Hilde watched as the colony came into view, just ahead of the Gundam. And then the OZ defense carriers. A long, glowing green blade suddenly extracted itself from the slender steel rod the Gundam had been carrying. The scythe. It raised the blade up, increasing its speed towards the carriers, readying to slash down onto the nearest one.

*Thomas...*

"Firing, /now/!" Hilde shouted, gripping Heero's hands in hers and pushing the trigger to the beam gun. A streak of deadly yellow light burst from the Mercurius, hitting the Gundam's arm in a shattering blow that almost tore the scythe from its hand. The communication line in the Mercurius opened, crackling with static before a low, angry growl became audible over the noise.

"Heero, you bastard! What the hell was that for?" Duo's voice screamed. On the viewscreen before them, the Gundam turned around, interrupting its course towards the carrier and facing the Mercurius. Hilde felt her heart jump into her throat; her body went numb, cold, the confidence and anger slowly draining out of her as she faced Death. Her hands went slack over Heero's but he quickly replaced them over the controls, covering hers this time, squeezing them gently.

*We can win.*

"I already told you I was given orders to destroy you," Heero replied calmly. "I gave you the chance to leave."

Duo growled again, a menacing, erotic sound. Hilde closed her eyes. Her control slipped further. Heero's hands tightened over hers again.

"So now you've really joined with OZ? I never knew you could be such a two-faced asshole, Heero. An asshole, yeah, but two-faced?" Duo cursed loudly. The Gundam before them began to move, readying the scythe once again. Heero re-equipped the beam gun.

Hilde opened her eyes, just in time to see the deadly mobile suit crossing the distance between it and the Mercurius at almost light-speed. The OZ carriers in the background had started to move after it, hitting it with laser rifles and cannons that did nothing so much as scrape the powerful Gundam. Duo ignored them altogether, his intent set on the Mercurius.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you're gonna get!" Duo shouted over the communicator. The scythe was lifted, the Gundam less than three feet away, ready to come crashing down on them.

Heero was silent. He guided Hilde's hand over to the trigger.

Suddenly, one of Hilde's hands shot out from under Heero's, slamming into the defensor shield button. The Gundam struck; the scythe was easily repelled by the curtain of hot red light that surrounded the Mercurius, brought on by the planet defensor.

"/Shit/!" Duo screamed, the Gundam rearing back.

Heero turned slightly to stare at Hilde. She stared back, her blue eyes wide in her pale face, strands of damp hair clinging to her cheeks.

"Good job," he said softly, his eyes flicking briefly over her before turning back to face the viewscreen, where the temporarily injured Gundam pulled back its attack.

"I remembered," Hilde replied shakily, returning her hands to the controls. Heero covered her again and they moved together towards the beam gun trigger. Hilde took a deep breath. Pushed the lever in.

The Mercurius suddenly shook violently, throwing Hilde up against Heero and slamming Heero into the control panel. Hilde screamed, her right leg jammed between the seat and the floor, crushed with the force of the Gundam's relentless machinecannon blows, distending the knee joint and forcing it from its socket. Her head slammed back against the wall of the cockpit and suddenly everything was still, dark. Her labored breathing ceased. Heero grunted, managing to brace himself on his powerful forearms and escaping injury. The Gundam continued to fire.

"Hilde!" Heero's voice was strained, emotional. Afraid. He forced himself to an upright position, twisting his body almost painfully to check on his co-pilot.

She was thrown forwards onto his shoulder, her long black hair coming out of the band that held it, spilling across her shoulders and into her face. She was pale, her eyes closed, the soft, delicate pink lips beginning to turn a light violet shade. A trickle of blood ran down the smooth forehead, matting the hair there. Her right leg was twisted unnaturally beneath the seat, seeming to hang barely from the joint. There was no sweet, warm breath on his shoulder.

Unconcious. Possibly dead.

*Hilde...*

Heero turned back around to face the viewscreen, careful not to move Hilde and further injure her. One of her hands still rested on the control. The beam gun trigger. Heero closed his eyes and covered it gently with his own. Duo finally ceased firing, his voice coming back over the communicator.

"I'm sorry it had to be like this, Heero."

There was no reply.

Trowa Barton watched from a distance, in the Vayeate, as the Mercurius hit light-speed and disappeared into the blackness of space.

Heero carried the unconcious girl into one of the changing rooms back in the mobile suit hangar. *She's so light, so fragile* he thought, laying her carefully down on one of the long benches. She was even paler in the light blue flight suit, the same color as her eyes, he remembered. He stroked the long hair out of her face, tucking it tenderly behind her ears, then wiped the blood from her forehead with the hem of his tank top. He bent down to pull off her boots. Her leg had to be fixed.

Heero stood up and closed his eyes, trying his best to slow his breathing as he reached down and captured the zipper to her flight suit in his fingers, pulling gently down, all the way. He parted the suit without looking, keeping his eyes firmly shut, wanting to look at her but afraid of what he might do.

"Hentai," he muttered to himself, shaking his head firmly. *This isn't the time.* Heero forced his eyes open then and gazed down at the beautiful girl below him, naked but for a pair of white cotton panties under her flight suit. His breath caught at the sight of her; she was real, and more perfect than in his fantasies.

Heero ran his hand slowly up her body, daring to touch bare skin, over her flat stomach, to her small, firm breasts. He caressed each perfect, round orb individually, gently flicking the hard, pale pink nipples, wanting to keep the memory of her naked flesh forever ingrained in his memory. His hand finally found its way to her face and he passed his hand lightly over the delicate, pretty features.

*She's beautiful.*

*Hilde...*

Her leg had to be fixed.

Heero knelt down on the hard concrete floor beside her, lifting her upper body carefully into an upright position. Deftly, his hands worked on peeling the tight flight suit from her limbs while holding her firmly. He succeeded in getting the top part off and then moved down to her legs, sliding the blue vinyl down her slender hips and finally down her legs. He tossed the suit to the floor and stood up again, moving her body gently to sit on the bench beside her. He bent his head down to examine her right leg, the knee red and swollen, the surrounding skin beginning to turn a dark blue where the bone jutted out. It hadn't broken the skin, though.

Heero took a deep breath, moving his hands to hold her knee between them, his palms positioned against the jutting bone. He was going to have to force it back into place, and it would hurt like Hell, even if she was unconcious. He had done it many times to himself, jamming his bones back into place whenever they happened to come out, but this was different.

*I don't want to hurt her.*

Heero paused for a moment, the realization of this thought sinking into him. There had never been a time when he gave a second thought to hurting someone; it was part of his life, to kill or be killed, and to have no remorse. *Like a machine...* he thought almost bitterly. But since meeting Hilde, he realized that there were consequences to hurting people. He didn't want to do it anymore.

*I've found it...*

*I've found humanity...*

Suddenly, Hilde groaned, shifting slightly under Heero's hands. He turned to look at her, glad that she was regaining conciousness, but hopeful that she might stay in a state of limbo so that he could fix her leg. Hilde's brows were furrowed, her eyes still shut, almost as if she were in pain. Another soft moan escaped her lips; they were also regaining their color. Heero decided it was then or never.

In one swift motion, Heero brought his hands together, jamming her knee between them, and clenched his teeth as he heard the loud, satisfying crunch of the bone shifting back into place. Hilde whimpered slightly and lifted her hips in protest of the pain, but soon she calmed, slipping back into a deep sleep. Heero gently rubbed the swollen knee between his palms, kneading the flesh there carefully so as not to hurt her but enough to bring the swelling down.

A trickle of sweat trekked down the smooth skin of Heero's face and he was suddenly aware of how hot he was. His hair was damp in his face, clinging to his forehead. He had brought his face down to Hilde's knee, his nose inches from her flesh. He saw the long bangs brush against her. Heero closed his eyes.

Lips finally touched the skin he had dreamed of feeling, brushing the lightest of kisses against her, as his hands continued to massage her. Heero continued to kiss his way up her leg, moving his hands along with his lips, flicking his tongue out to lave the soft skin of her inner thigh as his fingers kneaded deeper. He was close to her center now, the burning flesh of her passion. She smelled sweet, spicy. Heero breathed deeply of her, a moan escaping his lips as he kissed further up her thigh, his nose nudging her entrance through the damp white panties. His fingers brushed the delicate petals through the wet material, caressing them with exploratory eagerness. Heero buried his face in the soft impression of her sex completely then, tonguing her gently against her panties.

Hilde responded then, a girlish, sensual cry of pleasure, arching her back and pushing her hips into Heero's face. The moment was suddenly interrupted.

*What the hell are you doing?*

Heero disengaged himself from in between her legs, standing up abruptly. He gazed down at Hilde, watching her face for any sign that he had wakened her. She shifted slightly again, her brows furrowing almost as if she were about to cry, but then she fell completely silent, motionless, the slow, even breaths and the rising and falling her chest the only sounds and movements. Heero allowed himself to breathe and pulled one of the other benches over to the one Hilde lay on, setting it at a distance so as not to scare her when she finally did wake up. He sat down.

Now to wait.

Act XI

Hilde Schbeiker woke in darkness, surrounded by what seemed to be long, singular metal boxes in her pain and sleep obscured vision. *Where am I?* she thought, blinking her dark blue eyes slowly, trying to clear her sight. Arcs of pain suddenly shot up from the movements of her eyes, pounding through her head, and she cried out softly, closing them completely again. She tried to push herself up to a sitting position on the hard surface she had been laying on but the pain shot back through her and her right leg felt like lead. She couldn't move.

*The Gundam... Am I dead? Paralyzed?*

Hilde's breath came faster, panicked. She forced her eyes open once again, ignoring the pain. The boxes came into view again, only this time she realized they were lockers. The changing room.

*I can't be dead... I'm not dead.*

"Try not to move so much. Your leg is still in bad shape." The voice, deep, monotonous, and male, came to her from the hazy distance to her left and Hilde backed away from it, succeeding in finally sitting up, pressing her back against the cold wall. Her entire body was frozen. She was naked.

*Oh, God...*

Hilde crossed her arms over her chest tightly, protectively, trying her best to cover her naked breasts from the invisible stranger. She narrowed her eyes, focusing on the person sitting a little ways away from her on a separate bench. It was working; she was starting to regain her vision. The features of the face soon became clear.

Heero Yuy.

Hilde's eyes widened and she backed further up into the wall, holding herself tighter. An unconcious blush crept into her cheeks.

*He can see all of me...* She quickly pushed the thought out of her mind, ignoring her body's response to the handsome, bare-chested boy in front of her.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Heero said then, breaking the silence. "The mission failed. You were injured and unconcious when I brought you back here. You'll be ok now." He stood up after that, tossing her the green tank top he held in his hands. /His/ green tank top.

"Here, you can wear this." His eyes didn't stray from hers, obviously trying to avoid her nakedness. "I'll be leaving now."

Hilde caught the garment and quickly pulled it over her head. It was loose on her and smelled of his sweat and the ever-present cherry blossoms that seemed weaved into his soul; sweet, calming. She looked up at him, his Prussian blue eyes soft. She bit her lower lip. The spell was broken.

"I'll see you again when we're able to complete the mission," Heero spoke, his eyes hardening once again. "Ja ne." He turned to leave, reaching for the doorknob of the changing room.

"Wait!" Hilde's voice, high and anxious, surprised even herself. Heero looked back over his shoulder, not bothering to turn all the way around. Hilde took a deep breath.

"Why did you save me?"

Heero lowered his eyes, clearly taken off guard. He was silent for a long moment before finally answering, "You are my co-pilot. It would have been an unnecessary waste of a life. You have nothing to do with Duo and I or the conflict between us." He looked up then, staring into her eyes coldly, expressionless.

Hilde felt the hot anger begin to rise in her again, remembering the reckless Gundam pilot Duo and his intent on the senseless murder of OZ forces. He was the reason she was injured now. He was part of the reason why her brother, Thomas, was dead now.

"I have everything to do with you Gundam pilots," Hilde replied bitterly, narrowing her eyes. "You became a part of my life when Trowa murdered my brother. And why? Because my brother was a member of OZ, just trying to do his part in the war effort. He wasn't even a part of the squadron sent to eliminate the Gundams. He was on a separate mission, an evacuation mission..." Hilde broke off, feeling the warm tears begin to spill down her cheeks, a sob catching in her throat.

*Stop crying, Hilde. I won't cry, I won't be defeated...* She wiped the tears away roughly with the back of her hand, taking a deep breath and trying her best to regain her composure. She couldn't let him make her weak.

Heero watched her silently, watched her tears fall down her smooth, pale cheeks and stain the front of his tank top. Staining his soul. *I'm as much responsible for her pain as Trowa is* he thought, gripping the doorknob tightly in anguish. *I'm as much the reason she hurts...*

*I don't want to hurt her anymore.*

In one swift motion, Heero crossed the space between him and Hilde, pulling out the gun he always kept carefully tucked into the waistband of his shorts. Hilde gasped in surprise and fear, catching her bottom lip between her teeth to keep from crying out and gripping the wall behind her protectively.

Heero knelt down on the ground slowly in front of her, lowering his eyes and the gun. Hilde could scarcely breathe. He set the cold metal object in her lap, taking one of her hands and placing it on the gun. Hilde flinched at his touch and he immediately backed away.

Raising empty sapphire eyes to hers, Heero said, "Kill me."

Hilde sat silent, paralyzed, staring into his defeated eyes. Her fingers closed around the handle of the gun, gripping it tightly. Suddenly, her confusion was gone, replaced by anger. This was her chance.

Hilde raised the gun, aiming it at Heero's forehead. One quick, clean shot and he would be gone forever. She held the power in her hands. Her blue eyes, dark and smoldering with hatred, narrowed, the pink lips soft, parted, her breath loud and labored. Heero stared back at her.

*She's so beautiful.* He closed his eyes.

"Do it now, Hilde," he said slowly, between clenched teeth. "Kill me."

Hilde moved her hand forward, pressing the gun against Heero's skin, pushing the barrel into his forehead. Her finger poised against the trigger.

*Just one easy shot...* she thought, moving her thumb to cock the gun. It clicked into place. Heero's eyes didn't open. Her finger poised against the trigger.

Hilde's arm began to tremble; she was losing her control. Heero knelt before her, defeated, at her mercy. His handsome face was peaceful, patiently awaiting the blow that would end his life. A soft sheen of sweat covered his face, his bare chest, trickling over the ridges of the muscles there, trekking down the powerful torso to the waistband of his tight black shorts, the erection straining against the material lower. Hilde cried softly, closing her own eyes.

Her arm fell limp...

Suddenly, Heero's eyes opened and his hand shot out, catching her arm before it fell completely to her side, his other hand swiftly tearing the gun from her grasp and throwing it across the room, clattering loudly against the concrete floor. Hilde barely had time to react, straining against his firm grip to drive her fist into the side of his beautiful face, before he was on her, his mouth assaulting hers in a hungry kiss.

Hilde struggled against the hand that held her wrists together tightly above her head, moving her uninjured leg to jam her knee into his ribs. Heero didn't respond, his tongue continuing its fierce battle with hers. His free hand traversed her body, delving down into the waistband of her panties, his fingers lightly brushing against her wet, sensitive clit before moving back out, continuing up her body. The hem of the tank top was pushed up roughly, exposing her left breast to his eager hand. Heero cupped the soft fullness lovingly, squeezing it, running his thumb over the distended nipple. Hilde moaned unconciously through the kiss, kicking him once more, but now unable to fight the desire coursing through her body any longer. She allowed herself to relax under his probing touch, responding to his kiss with a ferocity of her own, her own hands running down his body to grasp his rigid shaft, the swollen scrotum.

The tank top was finally pulled completely off and Heero's mouth left hers to explore her breasts, moving eagerly to consume her entire left breast. Hilde cried out as he bit down gently on the flesh, his hand working the material of her panties against her aching sex, rubbing back and forth, and she tossed her head back, rolling it against the wall. Heero pushed into her, his need straining into her thigh. His mouth was suddenly on hers once more, the hand tearing the panties from her body and then divesting himself of his confining shorts.

Burning sapphire orbs met clear cerulean ones. A soft sigh escaped Hilde's lips as Heero's gaze penetrated her, devouring her nakedness as she devoured his. His hand lifted her injured leg carefully, draping it over his shoulder. Her thighs were parted; open, vulnerable. Heero's tongue crept slowly from his lovely mouth, running over his lips. He groaned, asking her permission. Hilde nodded her assent.

Finally Heero drove into her with his long, thick sex, forcing Hilde's small, slender body further back against the wall. She cried out in pleasure as he took her, his thrusts strong, brutal, evidence that he had been holding back as much as she had. Heero grunted as he fucked into her, his eyes closed, teeth clenched, sweat coursing down the contours of his face. He tangled his hands in Hilde's long hair, his mouth finding hers once more.

Hilde matched him thrust for thrust, her hips snapping up to meet his, her nipples tight, her sex stretched wide over his incredible organ. She cried his name, over and over, fucking back into him with wild abandon. Then, with one last driving motion, Heero came, voicing his pleasure in a short, strangled cry of ecstasy. Hot fluids filled her. She lay back, gasping, tears streaming down her face from the pleasure of his release and the pain of her own unfulfilled passion. Heero didn't leave her in pain for long.

Releasing her wrists to lift her entire body up, Heero rose to his knees and lowered Hilde onto his stiff organ. She surrendered in his large, strong hands, allowing him to move her up and down on him, jabbing her, working her. Hilde's eyes met Heero's above their undulating bodies, gazing into the intense blue depths under the wild peaks of his dark hair. She watched him watching her, fucking her, and suddenly her sex began its frenzied throbbing and she was all but screaming her release.

"Oh, God, Heero!" Her head was thrown back, teeth clenched, spilling her sweetness as he cried out, releasing himself once again.

It wasn't until a third time that both of their passions were spent and they collapsed upon each other, sweaty and exhausted.

Heero held the beautiful girl on his chest closer and bent his head to kiss the damp black hair. Hilde raised her face to his and his lips descended upon hers, his kiss slow, tender this time. She stayed in his arms all night.

He accepted humanity and humanity accepted him.

Trowa Barton sat with his back pressed against the cold, locked steel door, listening to the panting and groaning on the other side, intensifying as the couple neared climax. He could imagine Hilde, her face flushed, her body slick and shiny with sweat, and he immediately became hard, remembering their encounter.

"Heero, oh, God, Heero!"

She was crying out his name as they came a third time. Heero grunted loudly, his grunt ending in a sigh of immense satisfaction. Hilde still moaned, softly now, her moans broken in between kisses and heavy breathing.

Trowa closed his eyes and waited for the sounds of their sex to die down, a slight twinge of jealousy beginning to gnaw at the back of his mind.

*I never wanted to get involved with her.*

*I made it up to her for killing her brother. That should be enough.*

Hilde sighed Heero's name once more. Trowa gritted his teeth.

*It's not enough.*

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a delicate clearing of a throat. Trowa raised his eyes slowly from his position on the ground, following the black boots up the long, slim legs encased in white uniform pants, up to the red dress jacket, the lapels adorned with medals and ribbons, and finally resting on the face, hazel eyes burning behind the silver-rimmed glasses.

Colonel Une.

Trowa rose to his feet, his hand snapping up in an automatic salute. "Ma'am," he said softly, hoping the couple in the room wouldn't hear.

Colonel Une regarded him coolly, tilting her head to the side and arching an eyebrow as another long groan emanated from the room. This time it was male. She smiled then, amused. So she had been right. Treize's plan would work perfectly.

"I'm glad to see that you're keeping an eye on our... co-pilots," Colonel Une finally spoke, trying her best to keep the amusement and sheer joy at the Gundam pilot's destruction out of her voice. "I have new orders for you."

Trowa stood silently, his face expressionless.

Colonel Une continued. "Since the Gundam failed to be destroyed today, I am sending both Mr. Yuy and Ensign Schbeiker back out tomorrow. You will follow them again, only this time..." She paused, studying the young officer's face for any signs of protest or disappointment. He showed none. She went on.

"Only this time, Officer Barton," Colonel Une repeated, "I want you to eliminate them as well. Whether they fail to destroy the other Gundam or not." She smiled then, turning to leave. "Think of it as a test run for the Vayeate's beam cannon." She smiled once more, suppressing a laugh, and continued out of the mobile suit hangar.

Trowa watched her leave.

*I'm sorry, Heero...*

*... and Hilde.*

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