//italics//

Part 15

Heero walked into the dark room of their quarters. He stared at the figure sitting by the window. Ever since the Gundam pilots came aboard the Peacemoth, 02 had been even more withdrawn from the others. Heero hadn't really wanted to be roomed with this person that was his lover but was not, but Quatre insisted.

//"He needs you, Heero. Only you can bring Duo back."//

Taking a deep breath, he approached 02. The braided boy did not speak nor did he rise from his chair. He just sat there, staring through the window to outer space. //Does he still see the beauty of space? //

"These eyes see no beauty, only statistics and graphs and molecular compounds."

Heero paused shock. "How did you-"

"Know what you were thinking?" 02 snorted. "The ZSA, what else?"

"Oh." A hand reached out and hesitantly rested on the American's shoulder."Trowa is-"

"I know." 02 stood, brushing off the hand. "Torowa..." He seemed to shake himself. Violet eyes glared in Heero's direction. "Leave me."

"It's my room, too." Heero stepped over to him. "Besides, you need to talk to someone."

"I have someone to talk to! Or have you forgotten?" 02 sneered. "Your lover is alone in the dark because of me. You must despise me."

Heero wrapped his arms around 02. He stiffened, but did not pull away. "I don't despise you. I know who you are."

"Who am I?" Violet eyes gazed blankly at a point over Heero's shoulder.

"You're Duo Maxwell." Heero lowered his lips and softly brushed a kiss across the boy's forehead. The braided boy shoved him away violently, sending Heero flying across the room.

"I am not Duo! I am Pilot 02. The Perfect Weapon."

Heero struggled to his feet. "And I am the Perfect Soldier. But I am also Heero Yuy. That was something you taught me."

02 opened his mouth to disagree when a voice came on over the loudspeaker.

"Heero and D-02, please report to the bridge."

"Katora..." The integrated pilot turned to Heero. "We should go, Hi-ro." The Japanese boy nodded reluctantly.

"We'll talk about this later." But his lover had already left.

02 walked down the corridor, deep in thought. He ignored the worker that waved and called out to him, leaving them staring confusedly after him.

//You're quiet.// He projected. Silence answered him.

//How did you take over like that?// 02 asked.

//Trowa was...// the voice in his head sounded small and sad.

//Ah.// 02 sent. He paused. //I didn't like it. It...hurt.//

//I didn't hurt you!// Duo protested.

//Not you...Torowa...laying like that...saying those things...//

The voice was silent for a moment. //You were feeling an emotion.//

"I do not like these emotions. They are painful." 02 spoke aloud.

//Not all emotions are painful. What about when Heero was holding us? What did you feel?//

02 concentrated hard, trying to recall those last few moments back in their quarters. "Warm...I felt, warm."

"Maxwell."

02 paused in his steps. He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed the Chinese boy approach him. Or the fact that he was already at the bridge.

"Chang." For some reason, the dark-haired boy seemed disappointed by hearing his surname. Odd.

"Where is Yuy?"

"I'm right here." The cobalt-eyed boy announced from the doorway. Quatre sent him an inquiring glance and Heero shook his head slightly. The blonde sighed and turned towards Howard.

"Alright, boys. Welcome to the Peacemoth, sister ship of the Peacemillion. While my baby's smaller than her big sister, she's faster and packs quiet a wallop."

"Why did you call us here." 02 demanded. Howard frowned and continued.

"Right now Zechs and the ship he stole the plans from me for, Gemini, are at the moon base. That's why we headed out of there as soon as possible."

02 nodded. "It is as I thought." He looked at the group. "Zechs will find the lab destroyed, then he will come after us." Howard nodded sadly.

"The Peacemoth is fast, but it will never escape the Gemini. That ship has a swiftness unsurpassed by any other. We have a good lead on him, but it's my guess that Millardo will overtake us in about six hours."

"Maybe I can talk to my brother and make him see reason." Quatre turned to his fiancé.

"Relena, you know that will not work. We are too deep into this now. Peace talks will not make Zechs see reason." Relena sighed in agreement and laid her head on the blonde's shoulder. Quatre patted her back comfortingly.

"So what is the plan?" He asked.

"We fight." Heero's tone brooked no argument. "We end this war."

02 nodded. That was his purpose, he was sure of it. "We wait until Gemini overtakes us then infiltrate it, taking Zechs by surprise."

WuFei nodded. "A good, strong tactic. Make the enemy think you are weak and then use his overconfidence against him. But," Sloe-eyes looked at the group. "How are we going to infiltrated it?"

"My dear Dragon, the haven't told you everything." WuFei whirled around to see Treize and Rashid walk through the doorway.

"Treize! How did you get here! What about the peace talks?" The Chinese boy restrained himself from rushing into his lover's arms. The handsome leader chuckled.

"I left Une in charge and besides, as Quatre Winner said so eloquently, the time for talking is past. Now is the time to fight!"

"How?" Quatre asked. Beside him, Relena blushed and looked toward Rashid.

"When Miss Relena came to me," The retainer's voice rumbled. "I knew that we might need some extra help."

"Help?" Quatre brow furrowed. Rashid looked away.

"We brought the Gundams."

Chapter 16

Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing © Sunrise, Bandai, and Sotsu Agency.