Gundam Wing, Blind Target: Part 3 Wufei stands alone in front of his Gundam. W: Nataku... Now, you cannot lend me your strength anymore... *** Back at the colony the circus currently stays at, Trowa walks along a peopled road. He notices men watching him out of the corner of his eye. One of them inconspicuously informs Ralph. Man: Trowa Barton just passed by. R: Just follow him for now, so he doesn't slip from our grasp. M: He's alone, we might as well capture him. R: Don't underestimate the Gundam pilot. That is the reason the team responsible for Chang Wufei failed. M: But... R: Don't worry. This time, I will take care of it myself. Ralph sets out after Trowa. R : Headed to the Gundam, eh? Trowa acts as if he doesn't notice his new friends, a raised eyebrow the only sign of his discomfort. T : Am I being followed? So, what should I do? Perhaps Ralph is nothing but the commander of this unit... but as long as I can't get a shot at the eminence grise... Trowa enters a narrow side street and suddenly hears a familiar voice. Duo: Headin' somewhere, brother? Why don't ya take advantage of my special express transport? T: Duo...! Duo leans smugly against a nearby wall. D: Whatever the merchandise - under these circumstance I'll even give pursuit obstruction service a try. Shortly afterwards, Trowa's pursuers find themselves in a dead end. Before they can react, Duo lunges at them from above, while Trowa suddenly appears behind the other man and quickly takes him out wiht a fist to the stomach. Duo gestures Trowa to follow him. D: That way! The two have already escaped when Ralph and his subordinate arrive at the scene. He regards the unconscious bodies with gritted teeth. R: Sh- .... Man: Th... that's... R: We failed. We'll switch to the tactics Commander Sogran recommended. *** Meanwhile, Duo and Trowa arrive at his shuttle. Duo is visibly looking forward to the look on Trowa's face, and gives a thumbs up. D: Mission accomplished! Quatre rises from the co-pilot seat, smiling. Q: Trowa! Thank God, you're safe. Trowa is stunned. (Methinks this is a declaration all by itself ;-) T: Quatre!? I heard you were unaccounted for after the explosion at the colony summit. Duo laughs. D: Gundam pilots don't get blown away that easily! Quatre's eyes are glassy with an undefinable emotion. Q: I simply cannot die yet. There are things I still have to do. Trowa has regained his normal composure but for his eyes. T: Ah. Duo flops down into his seat with his usual unceremonious grace. D: Hurry up with yer joyful reunion. What's Heero gonna say if we're late for our meeting? T: Heero is coming, too? D : Yup. In this matter, the whole Gundam bunch is with us. And that includes him. *** Heero's and Relena's shuttle flies silently through space. Relena sits beside the sleeping Chris' bed. Finally, she joins Heero at the flight controls. R: Chris is lucky that her injuries aren't serious. She's resting now. H: You should do the same. R: No, I... Relena smiles slightly at him. Heero finally asks, irritated. H: What? R: If you'll let me, I'd like to rest here, at your side. This isn't a dream, is it? H: Relena.... R: I always want to be at your side. I know it is selfish. Relena goes on talking, thinking of her work and the restrictions it poses on her life. She remembers sitting in her office, Heero's teddy bear the only thing keeping her company. R: But sometimes... I want to ... see you so badly. H: ...I think you're tired. The great hopes of the people always rest on your shoulders. But - you can do it. I am sure you can preserve word peace. R: But... Not everyone wishes for peace. People are weakminded. Some desire fear and hatred. At times, love can also become a trigger for violence. I wonder what the people who are targetting us are hoping for? Heero lifts up a hand, and gently touches her hair, stroking her cheek in a gesture very soft and unlike himself. H: No matter who your enemy might be... I will protect you. R: Heero... Heero still doesn't look at her, and keeps on pilotting the shuttle, while Relena's head slowly lolls down onto his right shoulder, resting there. Meanwhile, in the back compartment, Chris notices Relena gone and sits up in bed, taking a small communicator out of her pocket. C: This is Chris. I am travelling on a shuttle, together with Foreign Minister Darlian and the pilot of the 01. Destination unknown. Please confirm. In the front, Heero notices the the secret communication through a warning light on the controls. After a while, the light goes off, but he does neither say nor do anything. *** Back in the office of the man we now know as Sogran. Ralph Kurt's visage now occupies the large viewscreen. S: The pilot of 03 has escaped? R: I am very sorry, Commander Sogran. I took on pursuit! But he was already out of range. S: You understand what that means, don't you Ralph? The Gundam is elemental for what we are trying to achieve. R: Yes... But I haven't lost everything yet. The 01 pilot and Darlian are still under observation. S: I'll let you handle that operation. This time, bring me a Gundam! R: Yes, Sir. Ralph terminates the call. S: You will burn your hands on these Gundam pilots for the last time. *** Heero tries to wake Relena, who has fallen asleep on his shoulder. H: Relena. We've arrived. Relena wakes up and sees the ruins of a colony through the window. R: This... Where are we? H: We have cleared the L-3 colony cluster. R: This colony... There is a hole in its hull! H: About ten years ago, when federation forces gained supremacy over the resistance, they inflicted heavy damage on it. It has become uninhabitable. R: Why here of all places? H: I've used it before. It's just right for hiding. Chris enters. R: Chris? Can you walk? Are you feeling alright? C: Yes. There is no need to worry... This is...! Chris gets a flashback to a time when she still was a little girl. The war rages around her, and a Leo points its smoking gun at her form. Suddenly, someone yanks her away from the scene. It is a younger Ralph Kurt (who looks like Heero even more when he's younger BTW), taking her to safety. R: Chris? C: No, it's nothing. Heero watches her silently, suspecting something. The shuttle flies directly through the gaping hole in the hull and lands amidst the ruins of what used to be buildings. C: Such desolation - just like the colony where I once lived... A call signal flashes on the controls. C: The shuttle is getting nearer. Strange. This area is outside the shuttle traffic routes. H: Don't worry. It's them. The view opens to Trowa, Duo and Quatre, already waiting for them to arrive. --- to be continued --- Translation by Sasha and Julie.