DISCLAIMER: Gundam Wing belonged to Sunrise and co. I’m not making any profits out of this, so don’t sue. Oh, those you think you’ve never heard before belong to me. And feedback is very welcome, people! ☺

TIMELINE: The story takes place after Survival of the Fittest, I’d say almost two years. This is the second installment of the “Shattered” duology.

SHATTERED WALLS III: FACTOR INFINITY.

By Arayelle Lynn.

              The silence in the room was almost deafening. They waited, mustering as much shred of patience as they could find, watching the girl in the wheelchair ran her fingers on the keyboard. Her face was impassive and eyes betrayed nothing.

              Lying on the bed, Heero had his eyes close, trusting her to do about her business with him. There were about five electrodes sticking onto his head, arms and heart, which connected to the database that she was hunching on. Beside her, stood Dr. Farrell-Burnett, assisting the girl. A look of utter disbelief decorated her pretty face.

              “Unbelievable!” they heard her commented a couple of times. They turned their heads to her, expecting her to provide the answers but the doctor was too preoccupied with the reading to notice their growing impatient.

              “Kylie?” Quatre spoke up, after nearly half an hour.

              The girl stiffened but did not as much spare him a glance. Instead, the doctor turned to them. Her face was a mixture of excitement, confusion and disbelief. “This is amazing! It’s almost impossible,” she declared to them.

              Sally had to bit her tongue from telling her that Heero had a knack for impossible feats. Instead, she let the others do the talking. “What is? What did you see?” Duo rushed his words.

              “The readings! His brain activity. It’s beyond the capability of mankind of greatest genius,” she admonished, offering them very little. She was too excited to be coherent. “We’re seeing a miracle here! This is an impossible readout.”

              The others turned their heads back to Kylie, who still had her back on them. Silently, they pleaded for clarification but the girl had seemed to shut off everything around her except the readings on monitor. Then, after a few more minutes, her fingers stopped moving as she sighed and turned to Heero. Gingerly, she removed the electrodes.

              “Are you feeling strong enough?” she enquired, helping Heero up. She had noticed him waking up while she was taking the reading of his brain activity.

              “Yes,” Heero answered, curtly. He watched as she put the equipment away. “What was that, Kylie?” he finally asked the important question.

              Kylie hesitated. Then, she turned around to meet the others’ questioning look. “What you have all seen just recently is the result of a new and improved system,” she began.

              “A new and improved system of what?” Noin prompted.

              “The Zero system.”

>>>@@<<<

              “This could be a problem, you know,” his longtime friend commented, breaking his thoughts. Blinking his eyes as if just being awakened from sleep, Winteridge turned to meet a pair of brown eyes. He had been so deep in thought that he didn’t notice that Instructor D hadn’t left the room.

              “Hmm? Oh yes, it could be a problem,” he agreed. Then there was a gleam in his eyes. “And it could also prove to be a solution.”

              His friend looked at him, unable to follow his trail of thought. “How’s that?”

              “Whatever secret weapon the Gundam pilots have, it seemed to have boost up their skills in combat. And they, being less perfect than our Gundam pilots. Think what the system can do for our clones.”

              Instructor D nodded, thoughtfully. “I follow that but what do you mean by a solution?”

              Instead of answering, Winteridge gave him a question of his own. “How are our clones? Are they showing any signs of deterioration yet?”

              Finally, everything dawned on him as he shook his head. “No, nothing that could prove our good Dr. Randells’ fears,” the trainer answered.

              “And yet we’ve seen the reports and know that it’s inevitable.”

              Instructor D studied him. “So, you’re thinking that this secret weapon of them could help us keep our clones?”

              Winteridge neither deny nor acknowledge the answer. He knew that his friend had gotten his message.

              Instructor D nodded to himself. “There is one more thing that bothers me.” Winteridge looked at him. “If the Gundam pilots had been keeping this secret weapon, why have they used it only now? Why not use it during the attack on MO V?”

              “That, my friend, is one of the mysteries we’re mulling over now,” he answered. “Hopefully, our spy in the Preventers agency would be able to solve it.” He smiled at the prospect. “And uncover enough of its secret for our own use.”

              D nodded again. Then a thought struck him. “And there’s one more thing.”

              Winteridge’s left eyebrow rose. He had thought they were finished. “What is it?”

              His assistant looked at him. His face unreadable but there’s a gleam in his eyes. “Our mutual acquaintance has yet to show herself. This is puzzling. She should’ve made an appearance at first sign of battle.” He frowned. “I know her. I raised her after all.”

              The aristocrat nodded. “Yes, that is a puzzling thought.”

>>>@@<<<

              “The Zero system? What the hell are you talking about?” Duo prompted, after a long stunned silence. “It can’t be. The scientists said that the system is flawless. It needs no improvement at all.”

              Kylie shook her head, steeling herself for an argument. “The system itself is flawless but its failure to be of complete use to the Gundam pilots is.”

              “Alright, alright,” said Quatre, coming between Duo and Kylie. “Perhaps you should start at the beginning,” he said, gently to her. “Maybe how you have the idea to improve the system where the scientist failed?”

              Unfazed by the proximity and tone of his voice, she shook her head. “This new improvement is not my work,” she corrected him, further surprised the others. “I don’t know how to explain it but it seemed that the system is already stored in the Gundam’s memory bank.”

              The five Gundam pilots exchanged glances. Then as one, they looked at Lady Une, who provided them with the Gundams in the first place. She shrugged. “I didn’t know it was there. Howard’s the one who sent them to me.”

              “So, how did you know the system is there?” Quatre prompted. Howard wasn’t there so they couldn’t ask him where he had gotten the Gundams from. Before this, the issue was never raised because they were too busy concentrating on the alien but now he was sorry that he didn’t ask. But at the back of his mind, a nagging thought surfaced.

              “I discovered it accidentally,” Kylie answered, turning to Heero. “I was doing a standard diagnostic run when I thought of running a complete system check on Wing Zero’s memory banks.” Heero nodded, now recalling the times when he thought that Kylie was keeping something from him. “But I couldn’t tell you what it was until I’ve done learning about the system. I want to determine whether it’s dangerous or not.”

              “So, it’s safe then?” Duo cut in. “You wouldn’t let Heero use an untested system, would you?”

              At that, Kylie’s face grew grim. “This new system is as safe and dangerous as the old Zero system. Perhaps even more dangerous.”

              There were a collective gasps around the room. Even Heero and Trowa, the impassive ones among them, began to look concern. Letting the word sink in, Kylie reached out to the database and punched a few keys. A display appeared on the screen. “Gentlemen, I present you the Zero-Infinity system.”

              Again silence shrouded the room as they stared at the screen. It was Kylie’s soft spoken voice that broke the silence as she explained to them. “The Zero-Infinity system is created to allow the Gundam pilots to delve deeper into the heart of the Zero system, without resulting the repercussions that we’ve seen four years ago.” At this, the others looked at her. “It allows the pilot to interact with the system freely so both the pilot and the system could agree on one objective. It made them act as one.”

              “I don’t understand,” Dr. Farrell-Burnett interrupted.

              Kylie turned to her, gauging how far she could trust her. When her eyes caught Trowa’s nod, she continued. “As it stands, the original Zero system and the pilot are working separately.” She turned her eyes on Mylin. “The objectives of both the system and the pilot are so contradicting that each would strive to overcome the other.” She turned to the pilots. “That’s why you went crazy after your first use of the system.”

              She raised her arm, stopping Quatre’s words. “Yes, what the system did was to detect the enemy for you, allowing you to see the battlefield in a broader perspective. However, the system’s objective will always be to destroy the enemy while the pilot’s objective is to minimize casualty. That’s where you both contradict. And that’s how the mind of the pilot could be affected by the system.” She looked at Mylin again. The alien nodded her head, accepting the unspoken gratitude in the girl’s eyes.

              “It would take a pilot his whole will and energy to overcome the system and totally master it.” At this, she turned to Heero and Quatre.

              “So, what does this improved system do?” Lady Une enquired.

              “This new system eliminates the contradiction,” she answered. “It allows the pilot and the Zero system to reach the same objective. It adjusts the Zero system to match the pilot’s basic personality and state of mind.”

              Duo blinked. “Gee… it can do that?” Then narrowed his eyes. “How is that possible?”

              “Because the system contained a full imprint of each of the pilots’ brainwaves,” she answered. “In other words, the system is designed only for each five of you.”

              Trowa glanced at the screen. “Which means, no one could access the system except the five of us?” It was more a statement than a question.

              Kylie nodded. Then her face darkened. “However, as flawless as a system could be claimed, it could never escape mankind’s weakness in creation.”

              “Meaning?” asked Duo, groaning inwardly. He knew that it was too good to be true.

              “The system is dangerous in a sense that it…” she paused, looking for the right words. “Affects the life force of the pilot,” she continued, for the lack of better words.

              “So now you’re talking about spirituality,” Mylin spoke up, frowning. “How is that so? We know that technology and spirituality don’t mix.”

              Kylie shook her head. “I don’t know how but whoever created this system managed to overcome that.” She looked at Wu Fei, the spiritual one among them. He met her gaze evenly and shook his head, not knowing the answer.

              “Alright, alright. That’s fine but I would like to know how it could affect us,” Duo interrupted, impatiently.

              “In the process of allowing the pilot and the system to interact freely, it could also drain the pilot to the point of complete exhaustion,” she continued. “And the longer the pilot is connected to the system, the more dangerous it becomes. In short, it could shorten the life span of the pilot.”

              The others looked at each other. Heero kept his eyes on Kylie finally understood why she was so hesitant to tell him about the system. “That is why, I have minimized the use of the system on Heero,” Kylie continued. She looked hard at the five pilots. “You can only use this system as a last resort. And once the system is activated, you’ll only have 180 seconds before the affects kick in.”

              With that, she concluded the briefing, reaching over to switch off the database.

              “Wait a minute, you haven’t told us everything,” Duo stopped her. She turned back to him. “What about showing us the complete schematics of the system? All you’re showing us are the basics not the entire files. I want to know how the system works.”

               Kylie sighed, expecting the question. She looked up the pilots’ expectant faces. “For security reasons, it’s best that the full knowledge of the system is confined to one person. The less people who know about the system, the better.”

              “Meaning you?” Duo challenged. “How do you suppose we should trust you?”

              Instead of answering, she switched off the database. Then without sparing Duo a glance, she said. “You’re welcome to try and bypass the security measures I’ve installed, Maxwell,” her voice turned cold again. “But that won’t do you good. Trust me.”

              Duo harrumphed.

              “I trust you,” said Heero suddenly, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’ll use the system as you advised.”

              Kylie nodded; no further words need to be exchanged between them. Their trust for each other went beyond flesh and blood.

              “Me too,” Quatre added. At this, Heero saw something akin to concern flashed in her eyes. But it was gone in a second as she turned to the remaining three Gundam pilots.

Trowa and Wu Fei nodded their agreement.

              All eyes turned to Duo, who shook his head. “Sorry.”

              “Very well. I will start reconfiguring the system in your Gundams as soon as possible.” With that, she left the room.

>>>@@<<<

              He watched as the girl wheeled herself out of the room. A moment later one of the pilots, the serious one, emerged from the room, followed by two of his companions. He could hear an argument inside the room, just as the door slid close. Obviously, something the girl had said stirred the argument.

              The three lingered outside the door for a while, until another person exited. It was the girl alien, who sighed. “Your friend Maxwell is trying to convince Winner against using the system. But I guess, we know it’s all about him not trusting your wife, Heero Yuy.”

              The serious one of the pilot kept silence. Then without other word, he left the trio, his retreating form masking his fatigue very well.

              “We can’t afford to distrust one another in this,” said Trowa, rubbing his left arm. With that, he also left but instead of heading towards the quarters, he headed straight for the communication deck.

              “Tell that to him,” the alien, Mylin, muttered. She also started to walk away.

              He waited until the Chinese pilot left too. His eyes took in the way the pilot watched the alien went and then turned his head to where the girl in the wheelchair and Heero disappeared to. His face was one who was torn in two. Then, his look turned to cold resolute as he started after the alien.

              ‘That’s interesting,’ he thought, as he came out from his hiding place. It’s a rarity for someone to catch the Gundam pilots in their real state. But then again, he couldn’t afford to wonder about that for long. First, he had to check in with his employer. He had an earful of information that his employer would be most happy to hear about. Besides, he had been too long overdue. Ever since the Preventers suspected that there was a spy among their rank, he hadn’t been free to execute his duty. Until now.

              So, turning around, he headed for his quarters.

              Once there, he keyed in a series of numbers, locking the door. He couldn’t afford to be discovered now when he had done such a painful job to not appear suspicious. Then, he walked over to his bed, pulling the mattress and he grope under it. When his fingers touched a cool object, he pulled it out, revealing a mini communicator.

              He touched a button and waited.

>>>@@<<<

              “Report,” said Instructor D as soon as his spy was online. The clones leaned forward to catch a clearer view of the screen while Winteridge leaned back, though his eyes betrayed his excitement.

              “I’ve got news,” said the spy. Since he couldn’t risk exchanging pleasantries, he continued. “The new system that the Wing Zero used in the last system isn’t that different from the Zero System. In fact, it’s an improvement from the system. It’s called the Zero-Infinity system.”

              “Zero-Infinity system?” Duo-clone echoed.

              “It caters for the pilot’s differences and complication when using the Zero System. It makes the pilots able to use the system without the regular side affects,” the spy continued.

              “Interesting,” said Winteridge. “So now the Gundam pilots are able to use the Zero system as well as the clones.”

              “And they purposely hid the existence of the system until we have showed our abilities,” Quatre-clone put in.

              The spy shook his head. “That’s not entirely true,” he said. “The Gundam pilots weren’t even aware that such system was installed in their Gundams.” He paused. “Actually, the system was brought forward by a former pilot.”

              Realization hit Instructor D as an idea struck him. “Kylie Rayden.”

              “Precisely,” the spy acknowledged. “She had been the one who discovered and studied it for some time. And now, I think she had passed on the knowledge to the rest of the Gundam pilots.”

              “So, the secret of the system and everything about it was brought by my original?” said Kylie-clone.

              “Yes.” Then he paused. “And there is another thing that you might want to know about her.”

              At that, both Instructor D and Kylie-clone leaned forward. Even Winteridge looked even more interested. “Do tell.”

              “Kylie Rayden suffered a severe spinal damage in the Telrhani war two years ago. She’s paralyzed.”

              “So that’s why she was never in the battlefield!” Kylie-clone exclaimed. Instructor D and Winteridge exchanged glances at the unexpected revelation. Neither had thought that the reason for the girl’s absence had been that.

              “Yes, that explains a lot,” said Instructor D, almost to himself.

              The spy cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to him. “Of the Preventer’s next move, I know not,” he continued. “It seems that they were too fazed by the new development to plan anything big. But I heard that they’ve already sending their agents to L4 colony cluster to protect it. Probably, they’re setting up a secret network that centered on that particular colony.”

              Winteridge nodded in understanding. Having a network in L4 would enable the Preventers to monitor their movements in space. That would make things a little difficult but he knew exactly what to do now.

              “Further orders, sir?” It was then he realized that the spy had stopped talking and was waiting for orders.

              Instructor D turned to the spy. “For now your utmost concern is to find out more about the Zero-Infinity system,” he instructed. “Hack through the database. Use any means necessary even if it means breaking into the Gundam’s computer system. We want the system and fast.”

              “Roger that.”

              Once the spy disappeared from the screen, he turned to Winteridge and found him nodding at him. “Good call,” the aristocrat congratulated him. He would’ve said exactly the same thing. It seemed obviously now that his dear friend was starting to think like him. That fact alone made him smile.

              “The Zero-Infinity system. Things are getting even more interesting finally.”

>>>@@<<<

              Trowa left the communication room with a frown. Things had not bode well with him. He had spent nearly one hour trying to get through his sister, Catherine, but it seemed that she wasn’t in their apartment. He tried the other remaining member of his circus family and none of them had seen her.

              Now, he was getting worried. It had been way too long since he was last able to contact Catherine.

              ‘Where are you, sis?’ he wondered as he walked back to his quarters. A sudden chill made him shiver.

              “Trowa?” a female voice calling him made him look up. His green eyes met blue ones. It was Dr. Farrell-Burnet. She stopped before a door, carrying a stack full of files in her hands. Her eyes were on him, seriously. “I’d like to see you when you have the time,” she said, nodding at his arms.

              Realizing that he had been favoring his left arm, Trowa dropped his right hand to his side. “I’ll drop by in a minute,” he said, noticing someone in the infirmary. The condition of his arm was still a secret they both kept.

              The beautiful doctor shook her head, displeased. “No way,” she reprimanded him. “Stay in your room. I’ll drop by in a minute,” she countered, knowing how sensitive he was about making his injury a public knowledge.

              Without wasting any breath to argue, he nodded. Besides, it sounded like a good idea anyway.

              So he continued on, his troubled thoughts never left. Once he reached the quarters that he was sharing with Wu Fei, he discovered that there was an envelope on his desk. His name was written on it. Frowning out of curiosity, he tore the envelope open.

              What he saw in the envelope horrified him beyond belief. Grabbing his coat, he ran to the door.

>>>@@<<<

              Quatre stared at Lady Une grimly. The head Preventer shook her head in dismay, after hearing his words. But it was not unexpected. They both knew that it would not be long until this happened. “So, Relena’s finally got tired of waiting.”

              “She’s… restless,” Quatre paraphrased. “Or at least that’s what Dorothy told me. Relena thinks that she needs to come back to Earth and speak to the Earth representatives about the colonists’ new arrangement,

              “As if you couldn’t handle that yourself,” Lady Une sighed.

              He shook his head. “I could but it would be a little hard.” Lady Une looked up, surprised by his words. “Relena’s words would have more effects on them. After all, they’re used to hear her wisdom during the times of crisis.”

              She nodded in agreement. As much as Quatre had become a good representative, the others would only hear Relena’s word for they thought Quatre as a colonies representative while Relena represent the whole unified nation. Lady Une shook her head again. ‘So much for unity. Mankind still has a long way to learn about segregating one another,’ she thought.

              “Alright, when will she be leaving?” she inquired.

              “Tomorrow morning,” he answered. “She’ll be leaving with Dorothy.”

              Une nodded. “Very well, I’ll have Zechs and Noin prepare for the journey. But knowing them, I’m not surprised if they’ve already started planning the safest route.” Although they had shown the enemy that they could dispel them, outer space was still being controlled by Winteridge. And she didn’t want any harm to come to the nation’s only hope.

>>>@@<<<

              Relena spared a glance through the window, noting the familiar colony that she had been residing in for two weeks now. Her lips were pressed in a tight line, her jaw set. Strong resolution filled her eyes as she thought about what had transpired recently.

              Heero was married!

              Kylie’s alive!

              Heero and Kylie married!

              The news had come from Dorothy, who had come back to L4 with Quatre and Trowa earlier, looking very troubled and disturbed. Although the girl had explained the situation gently, the news itself hit Relena like a sledgehammer.

              Heero and Kylie?

              But she knew that it was a strong possibility. The two had been working perfectly well together that sometimes even Relena felt that they were meant for each other. For she had never seen Heero showed a strong sense of trust as he had for Kylie. He even risked himself being blown to bits in a futile attempt to save her from herself.

              Still, the news hurt. She hurt.

              So, there she was hiding in the Winners home for two weeks, trying to quench the overwhelming emotions that were trying to win her over. But no more. She would not cry anymore. The past is the past and there was nothing she could do to undone it. And the world need their voice of peace so she was inclined to bury her hurting heart so she could serve those she held dear better.

              As always.

              “Relena?” a voice from her right called to her. She turned and smiled at Dorothy.

              “I’m alright, Dorothy,” she answered, finding it hard to believe that the girl, who had once tried to provoke her and her peace ideals, was sitting next to her acting as her personal assistance. But Relena knew stranger things happened during conflict. Take the alien spy, who was working with the Gundam pilots for an instance.

              However, Relena also knew the main reason Dorothy was here was because she wanted to see Quatre again.

              “We’ll be arriving in five hours,” said Dorothy. “Maybe you should get some rest.”

              Before Relena could respond, the shuttle was plunged into red lights. A warning siren wailed, drowning everything. She and Dorothy exchanged glances as she thought of the same thing. They were under attack!

>>>@@<<<

              He eyed the abandoned house warily. He could see no one in the house but the evidence in his hand told him that there was someone there. That and the fact that he could feel their presence inside the house.

              He waited, deciding on his approach but no plan came to his mind at the moment. All he could picture was the image of a girl bound and tied to a chair. She was gagged but there was an unmistakable look of fear in her eyes.

              Pushing the image away from his mind, he decided on the straight approach, knowing her captor would be able to sense his presence well.

              So, he continued to walk. He ignored the growing throb in his left arm.

              “Welcome, my brother,” a voice greeted him even before he entered the house. He hesitated, deciding upon hiding behind a wall. Who knows, maybe his enemy was waiting for him with a gun ready to kill him.

              A muffled squeal decided his option. Fastening his pace, he entered the house.

              It was dark. Heavy curtains draped upon the window, making it harder for anyone to see inside or outside. The house itself was empty, except for the two beings, standing in the middle of the living room. One of them, the girl, was tied to a chair. The other, an image of himself, was standing next to her, a gun pointed at her temple.

              “Are you so much a coward that you have to hide behind a woman to get to me?” he asked, gritting his teeth.

              His captor returned his gaze calmly. “I got your attention, right? I have to say, you’re one tough guy to attract.”

              “What do you want with me?”

              “Actually, I wanted to finish what I had started,” the clone replied, nonchalantly. Then his face darkened. “I’ve never miss my target before so now I want to set the record right.” He turned the gun to Trowa. “Today, you will die.”

              Trowa raised his arms in surrender. “Do whatever you will with me,” he said, calmly. How many times had he been threatened like this, he couldn’t tell. Now it all seemed like a normal phase for him. “But release her. She had nothing to do with any of this.”

              His clone chuckled humorlessly. “She has everything to do with everything.” He snorted. “Though I was surprised to learn that she is in fact our blood sister!” He trailed the gun on her cheek. Trowa had to stop himself from leaping when she let out a muffled cry. “Who could’ve known about that, huh, Triton Bloom?” the clone smirked, using Trowa’s real name.

              “Let her go!” Trowa gritted his jaw, giving emphasis on each word. He was getting more impatience as Catherine stared at him pleadingly, helplessly. “This is between you and me.”

              “Very well,” said the clone, pushing himself away from her. Without another word, he pulled the trigger. Trowa dove behind a pillar as the bullets ricocheted through the wall, where he had been standing a second ago. Trowa waited for another shot to determine the current location of his now invisible enemy but there was none. Instead he could only hear Catherine muffled cries as she struggled against her bonds.

              Cautiously, Trowa craned his head forward, his eyes scanning the room. To his surprise, the clone had disappeared. Frowning over this strange encounter, Trowa scanned the room again, looking for signs of a trap as he walked cautiously towards Catherine.

              When he finally reached her, he realized the clone’s plan. There was never a trap in the house! Instead, Catherine was the trap all by herself. Strapped firmly around Catherine’s chest were a few wires that connected to a black box. And the black box seemed to be ticking. It was a time bomb!

              Figuring out the clone’s method to annihilate him, Trowa crouched down quickly. He didn’t even bother to remove Catherine’s gag as he trailed his fingers over the bomb. ‘20 seconds!’ he realized with a start.

              He set to work.

              “Mmpff…” Catherine tried to say, as she watched her brother work over the complex-looking bomb.

              “I’m not leaving you,” he said, his voice calm but his heart was starting to pound as he examined the mechanism. He discovered with great dismay that the clone had used a totally different kind of circuitry like the ones he and his companions used on the colony.

              15 seconds…

              Catherine was getting more agitated as the time flew by. That didn’t help Trowa in the matter for her panicking state drove him into more distraction and desperation.

              “I will not leave you!” he repeated, sweat began to trickle down his cheek. He started to rethink his approach.

              10 seconds…

              Tears poured down her cheeks. Trowa looked up to her when a drop fell onto his hand. He smiled at her, cupping her chin. “It’s either we get out of this alive together or we die together,” he said, gently. “You know I can’t live without you.”

              Catherine was startled to see the pain in his eyes. She momentarily forgotten about the bomb tied around her as she stared into his green eyes. It was then her love for her brother grew even more as the thought of him dying because of her struck her conscious.

              Then, she heard something being ripped. Catherine stifled a cry as she heard a loud, ear-splitting explosion and the sensation of being thrown onto the floor.

TO BE CONTINUED…

AUTHOR REPLIES: What? Three months of zero updates!!! I ought to spank myself. Yeesh. I am so very sorry, guys. I’m undergoing a rather trying time right now. First, I’m being harassed by a guy who doesn’t take no for an answer. And I’ve got the feeling that he’s stalking me as well, since he knew where I live. Then I have a little misunderstanding with my boyfriend, I don’t know what to do. And I’m having this huge case of writer’s block. Can’t believe I actually had those. Anyway, hope this chappie will cheer you guys up.

Okay, replies!

Starling: Glad to hear Corran’s doing well. How old is he now? Too bad about Hit List. It’s a good piece of work. Have you ever thought of collaboration? Maybe it’ll help with the writer’s block.

Elizabeth: What? You think I would abandon the thing between Heero and Relena? Not a chance. They’re not getting away that easily *chuckling evilly*. The whole thing about using the Greek gods’ names for the clones’ gundams was to symbolize the clones as more perfect than the Gboys (since our boys do have flaws but were known as perfect soldiers. So, who’s more perfect than human?) Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

Arina: I’m really glad you love the chapter. Yes, the story is taking a darker turn. Since you’ve been a great reader, let me give you a hint. We will find out all of Kylie’s darkest secrets. And it will change her forever (good or bad?). So, stay tuned.

Justin: I know. I am not good at description. In fact, it’s one of my main flaws!!! I tried describing the system through Kylie in this chapter and I hope it’ll satisfy you. I hope you’ll continue writing too. Your Gundam fic is still one of the few that I truly love.

Oh, how’s the girl-hunting getting on?