Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ A Place In Time ❯ Chapter 13 ( Chapter 14 )

AN Far too long since the last update but hopefully the length makes up for it and on the bright hand side I've beaten four separate coursework deadlines since I last updated. Thanks to Dreamweaver and everyone else who has reviewed, without you I would, honestly never have gotten this finished.

 

Disclaimer/Summary/Rating - Please see first chapter

 

A Place in Time

 

Chapter 13

 

Having deposited the unconscious Ron and Hermione in the infirmary with strict instructions to Madame Pomfrey Heero and Remus had returned to the, far more private, infirmary suite they were staying in, where they found Quatre explaining laptops to a fascinated Sirius.

 

He was half way through a crude explanation of how the Internet worked when they heard the laughter coming down the corridor that led to the rooms.

 

Duo, Wufei and Trowa entered, Duo laughing, Trowa looking almost angry and Wufei with a tolerant expression on his face.

 

“Did you see…? And when he…” Duo managed to choke the words out before he started laughing again and, if the expressions on the other's face were anything to go by, it was at least the tenth time he said something similar.

 

“Have fun?” Quatre asked, looking up with a clearly amused expression on his face, “you're back quickly.”

 

“Yeah well, you've a mansion right outside HQ gates Q, it didn't take long to get there and back, even with a little stop off in the training hall to contend with.”

 

Duo slung an arm around Quatre's shoulders but let go quickly as Trowa growled.

 

“Ok, sorry! Not wanting to sleep with Q! Sorry to disappoint ya Quatre but I'm already with someone.” Trowa growled again and Duo darted across the room to hide behind his lover as Trowa pulled the blonde up and protectively wrapped his arm round Quatre's waist.

 

Quatre looked startled. “Okay, not that I'm complaining but… what?”

 

“You're mine.” Trowa muttered in the blonde's ear, “and don't you ever forget it.”

 

Quatre patted him on the arm reassuringly. “Of course I am, erm Duo… what?”

 

Duo grinned, having finally been able to stop sniggering, “it's fine Q, it's all good, Tro's just feeling a bit… erm… possessive and protective right now.”

 

“Yes Duo. I think he can see that.” Wufei muttered softly, “I believe the question he was asking was `*what* happened' not, `*what's* happening'.”

 

“Wufei?” Quatre asked as he was pulled down onto his lover's lap. Trowa gently nuzzled his neck and Quatre tilted his head automatically, his eyes falling shut in pleasure before abruptly realising where he was and who he was with.

 

Flushing red he made the introductions. “Remus, Sirius, I can call you that can't I?” Upon nods of assurance he continued, “this is Trowa, he's my lover, that's Wufei and that's Duo, behind him. They're gundam pilots too. Guys this is Remus and Sirius,” he nodded to each in turn. “They're Heero's Godparents.”

 

Suddenly piercing eyes turned on the American and Chinese pilots, “now, are you going to tell me what happened?”

 

“Well I gave my report in, we called the girls too, let then know that their various relations were beginning to wake up, they should be back in a couple of days by the way…”

“Yes Duo this is a very nice story but it also has nothing to do with telling me why Trowa's acting like I'm about to run away.” Quatre muttered impatiently.

 

Duo shot him a dirty look and Wufei rolled his eyes, taking over the explanation. “We were listening outside the hall, the latest batch of those accepted for higher training were there and there was no one watching them, they were just waiting. They were talking about us, the gundam pilots that is, apparently they'd heard that we were supposed to be teaching them, though where they got the idea that we would waste any of our time teaching that dishonourable pack of…”

“Fei.” Duo cut him off.

 

“Right, so one of them was muttering that they weren't so tough really, that we were all gagging for it and that if he got the chance he'd have `that blonde slut, 04' moaning under him like a bitch in heat'.”

 

“Tro kinda lost it then, just ahead of us actually, good job too cos I don't think I'd've stopped smashing the little fucker's head into the ground” Duo grinned, “*and* if… er… *when* the guy regains consciousness he'll be informed that he no longer has a place at the Preventers. His mates have been kicked out too, their faces when we told them were priceless. They kept stammering how we couldn't do that, then Sanders, you remember him? He was one of those who ran the Treize faction. He's the one in charge of training them, poor guy. Anyway he tells them that actually yes we could. It was great, all this time Tro's still pounding on the guy on the floor and nobody's moving to help him and I'm including Sanders in this, then Tro picks him up and dumps him over the water cooler before walking out.”

 

“What he's missing out is that half the time those watching were torn between watching the guy get beaten up and watching this Baka debate between going in to help Trowa turn the guy into a pulp and falling to the floor in hysterical laughter.” Wufei broke in, tugging his lover's braid, in response Duo started to laugh again.

 

“You didn't kill him?” Quatre turned to look at his lover.

 

“No.”

 

“Good.” Heero broke in and all the others turned to look at him in surprise, “now Quatre gets to ruin him before he dies.” That was more like it.

 

“Well,” the blonde smiled angelically, stroking his lover's hair, “it's towards the war effort after all, hearing things like that about those who saved the world can only bring morale down. I'd really be doing the world a favour. I'll ask Une for his name next time I see her.”

 

Sirius was watching awkwardly as his Godson *smiled* at the though of this human's demise but then again, he mused, if it had been one of his friends that the, now, human pulp was talking about he would probably have reacted the same way. What was really scary was the fact that they had the ability to make the threats happen. Then again, when he was fifteen, before he'd left his family, he'd had that ability too.

 

“I think you'd better be getting back now Sirius.” Remus' quiet voice broke into his thoughts and he could have hugged his oldest friend for giving him a way out. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his Godson but he honestly couldn't cope without having some time to get to grips with the new facts.

 

“Probably…” Sirius watched Harry for any reaction to the words, he turned as he felt eyes on him.

 

“I'll be here later you know, Voldemort or not I've been defying Shinigami for years, I'm not going to stop now. Not now I've got something to live for.”

 

With a sinking heart Sirius realised that the `something to live for' wasn't himself, Remus, Ron, Hermione, the wizarding world, Albus or anything even similar. It was his lover's and possibly his new family, Duo, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei. In a bizarre twist, he realised, a Malfoy had taken the spot above him in his Godson's affections.

 

It was with a heavy heart that he transformed and left the hospital wing with Remus.

 

Heero watched them exit and heard the door swing shut, he wasn't stupid, he knew what they were thinking.

 

“I don't know what I was expecting.” He muttered harshly. “There's no way they'd treat me the same after they found out and even if they did I don't think that would feel right either, I'm not Harry, I'm Heero now, I don't know if they'll be able to see that. I don't know if I even want them to. It would be so much easier to oblivate them permanently and just disappear; I could easily fake my death after all.”

 

“Do you honestly think they'd turn on you?” Duo asked quietly.

 

“I don't know, I think that they think they wouldn't but the only people who actually have any idea what the world we came from was like are Professors McGonagall, Snape and Dumbledore, and even they don't really believe it. Would Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione even want to know if I told them, would they believe me? Would they be able to cope if they did believe it? I'm not me anymore, I don't want to be what they class as me anymore, I can't go back to being a naïve, wannabe normal who can't accept that he has a job to do.”

 

“You don't have to go back, it's a matter of whether they'd accept you as you are now.” Wufei remarked.

 

“Yeah?” Heero looked at them, “well you can probably guess Ron and Hermione's response considering their absence but fact of the matter is I don't know if I need or even want their acceptance. Harry spent his entire life trying to please everyone else. I can't do that and I don't know whether I want to even try. It doesn't really matter to me, if I cared about them… it would… right?”

 

As if on cue Treize mumbled something under his breath and turned over, it seemed he was coming out of his enforced coma a lot easier than Zechs was.

 

“There's why it doesn't matter.” Quatre said in a whisper, “you have people who care about you for who you are now, you have a home and a life to go back to. If they can't accept you then you don't lose anything. You can leave this world, like you said you could fake your death or something and return to our world with only the knowledge remaining. You said it yourself Heero, you're more him than Harry, Harry just helped you to have a wider perspective of the world, like Draco did me. You don't really need him or anything else associated with *this* world.”

 

“What about you then?” Trowa was staring intently at his lover, “this is your world as much as it is Heero's, are you planning to stay here after the war's over?”

 

“No,” the answer was perfect and concise and Heero waited for the explanation he knew was coming. “I'm not staying because I don't need to, I have a life in the future, I have a family, both one I was born in to and one I chose,” he looked round at the other pilots, his gaze finally settling on Trowa, “I have a lover who loves me and whom I love more than anyone else in the world. I have a job there, I have a life there, I don't need anything from here and, other than the money I inherited, I have nothing here. No reason to stay. Now you have to decide, Heero, if *you* do.”

 

Heero didn't say a word, he just turned to look at the bed's that contained his, still sleeping lovers.

 

“Don't worry,” Wufei said softly, “they're both strong, they'll wake up soon.”

 

Heero nodded. “Can one of you watch them? I need a shower.” Upon seeing the nods he gave a small smile to his family and walked into the on suite bathroom, summoning Dobby to ask him to bring him new clothes and remove his old ones as he did so.

 

The other's watched him go.

 

“You think he'll be ok?” Duo asked softly

 

“Yeah,” Quatre answered, “yeah I do, I just think he's having problems adjusting to the fact that some things that were so important to him as Harry now seem…”

 

“Insignificant.” Wufei finished.

 

“Exactly.”

 

Duo nodded. “Right then, not to change the subject but I think we have a problem, you said that Zechs and Treize arrived in the suits they were fighting the last battle with yes?” He gaze darkened suddenly as Quatre nodded, “Well that means we've got an Epyon gundam on the grounds doesn't it? Now the question is, what are we going to do about it?”

 

“Well we can't leave them here.” Quatre started as he sat on a chair round the table they were using as a conference table.

 

“Thank you for that piece of ground-breaking news Quatre Winner,” Wufei muttered as he lowered himself into the chair opposite the blonde. Instantly he was fixed with twin glares from Quatre and Trowa, “sorry, sorry.”

“Well we can't,” Quatre finished glaring at the Chinese pilot and turned to regard the whole table. “We don't know how they got here either so we can't send them back, not that I wanted to send Epyon back anyway.”

 

“Obviously the system needs to be dismantled, if we could just remove that we might have a perfectly good gundam,” Trowa spoke quietly as he leafed through the numerous pages or notes and diagrams Une had delivered until he found the page relating to the Epyon's circuit board. “But from what I can tell there's no way of removing the ZERO system from the machine without removing the entire system. Treize knew what he was doing when he made that thing, everything is fused together.”

 

“So Epyon needs to go completely,” Duo said, “unless anyone wanted to keep it for tests or something,” he looked around the table, every one of the pilots shaking his head at the question, Heero was shuddering at the thought, but then again he was the only one of them who'd actually piloted the machine wasn't he. He himself still had nightmares from his experience with ZERO; he could only imagine what an upgrade from that must be like.

 

“How can we destroy it though? It's not like we can take it back with us for regulation destruction, besides it's made of gundanium, who knows if that would work anyway. I don't fancy leaving pieces of it round here, in this world, do you? Gundanium doesn't even exist yet, what if someone finds some of it.”

 

The green-eyed pilot's question caused many frowns from the others who were also considering the prospect of scientists coming across the Epyon circuit board and somehow figuring how to put it back together or tests that would show that the metal was something new. They all knew that gundanium wasn't supposed to have been discovered yet.

 

Duo threw up his hands in exasperation, “it's such a pity we can't just shrink it.”

 

“No can do.” Quatre shook his head, “during a shrinking spell the object doesn't actually change, what changes is the space between the two particles. The object is just a lot denser, it weighs just as much.”

 

“Well shrink it and cast a lightening charm too then.”

 

“Can't do that either, once we got to the future all the magic would be erased and that would leave us trying to get out of a fireplace with a forty-foot gundam on top of us, not the easiest task I would imagine.”

“And we can't just shrink it and leave it here?”

“No again, I'm afraid, gundanium doesn't erode and that means that in about five hundred years, when magic runs out the spell would wear off and the gundam would still be here, the Epyon in all it's glory would suddenly appear. No we can't just hide it, we need to destroy it.”

 

“Surely there's a spell for ultimate destruction and if there isn't can't you and Heero just make one, like you did with the spell you cast on us before, the silencing one.”

 

Quatre opened his mouth and then closed it as he thought the suggestion through, maybe… there had to be something right?

 

“We can't come up with a new spell,” he said slowly, “that would take far too long, it took us them three months to put the one that we're using now together and we had had double the time really thanks to the timeturners. We could always move the suit to the forbidden forest or something until the spell was ready but… there would be the risk, even just by moving it, that the suit would take over the pilot.”

 

“Current muggle means then,” Trowa asked, “surely they have a system for dealing with dangerous items of warfare, such as nuclear weapons, would one of their systems work or is the Epyon too advanced?”

 

“Probably too advanced.”

“Right,” Duo muttered dryly, “so we can't take it to the future, we can't leave it here, we can't just blow it up cos the pieces will still be here, we can't hide it, we can't use magic to get rid of it and muggle methods of destruction are out too. Well I'm outta ideas, how about you guys?”

 

“I didn't say we couldn't use magic,” Quatre defended his words, “I said we couldn't make a new spell, we'll just have to hope that the one we need already exists.”

 

“Roughly what are the chances of it existing?” Wufei was obviously expecting the worst.

 

“Quite high actually, what we have to worry about is if we can get a hold of the spell, it's not going to be in the charms section of the library or something, this is powerful dark magic we're talking about, it wouldn't have thought it would even be in the restricted section.”

 

Duo stared at him, “Q do you enjoy pouring cold water over all our plans or is it just…?”

 

Quatre glared and cut him off. “No! I just think if we're going to plan to do something we should have all the facts first.”

“Right, right.”

 

Heero ran a towel over his hair shaking off the excess water as he joined the group started to speak slowly and thoughtfully. “Could we not bring equipment from the future to dismantle it? Some of the smaller modern tools they're using to dismantle the mobile suits, I know those are being done by hand.”

All the pilots were thinking this time, three of them may not know immense amounts about the warfare of this time or magical methods of destruction but future mechanics were well within their scope of knowledge.

 

“That might work,” Duo murmured consideringly, “It would have to be something small that we brought back, something we could transport easily and not too heavy. Once we got it here though, we could use magic to direct it so most of the large machinery they're using in AC196 wouldn't be necessary…”

 

“We'll talk to Une when we're done moving them,” Heero said decisively, “we don't have to pilot them after all, a really powerful `wingardium leviosa' might work just as well.”

 

“Not a transporting spell?”

“Not on the grounds, there's something strange about the wards that has a problem with apparition and transportation spells.”

 

“Right then.” Duo nodded decisively, “we'll move them now, it's getting dark anyway.”

 

Pleased with the seemingly inevitable success and the fact that the prickle at the back of his mind, the one that had been there since the gundams had landed, the one he recognised from his experience with the Epyon system, Heero sat back with a smile, a smile that fell off his face as he heard the unmistakable set of footsteps coming down the corridor.

 

Albus Dumbledore stepped into the room, somewhat gratified to realise that each of the pilots was looking at him with varying expressions on their faces.

 

“Gentlemen,” he beamed, there was no noticeable change in their features, I was wondering if you would please come with me? There are some people I would appreciate it if you would meet for me.”

 

Glances were exchanged and Heero and Quatre took off for the forest by wordless agreement, they knew it better after all.

 

Dumbledore watched them confusedly but the blank expressions on the faces of the others must have convinced him not to probe.

 

“Don't worry Headmaster,” Duo chirruped after a few seconds, “they'll catch us up, there's just something they have to do first.”

 

 

Standing in the doorway, three of the five most teenagers in existence listened to the conversations in the room and watching the scene in front of them with disdain.

 

Eventually someone deigned to notice them, a young woman, fairly pretty, with neon pink hair, she wore Order robes and a harried expression, an expression that changed to amusement when she spotted the pilots.

 

“Please don't tell me that's it Albus?”

 

Following her line of sight the dozen or so other occupants in the room also turned to stare at them. Incredulousness and bemusement settled on most of the faces with a sense of extreme annoyance underlaying.

 

Towards the back of the room Sirius and Remus slouched, with almost identical poses, against the wall Duo met their eyes curiously, he'd thought they were leaving.

 

In an answer to the unspoken question Sirius rolled his eyes while Remus' flickered to the Headmaster who was standing in front of them, proudly displaying his find to the room.

 

Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall sat towards the back of the room, seemingly content to watch the show.

 

Molly and Arthur Weasley who had been talking together quietly now watched with an open curiosity as Albus splayed his hands, inviting the room to admire and awe at his prize. Molly's eyes were starting to darken though as she took in the age of the newcomers. Wufei watched with disinterest as she seemingly prepared to launch an attack upon Albus for daring to bring children into this war.

 

A tall black man stood to the side, weighing and summarily dismissing them and their capabilities as he took in their age and their slight builds.

 

Duo's grin, when it came, was one of pure evil and it was only Trowa stepping forward and preparing to speak that saved the room from a suitable demonstration of their capabilities by the braided young man.

 

Instead the soft, far more rarely heard tones of the banged pilot's voice attracted the attention of the room and held it, uncompromisingly, though he had yet to raise his voice.

 

“Do you trust your leader?”

 

The seemingly innocent question had several of the people in the room bristling, tripping over their answers to reaffirm their faith in the Headmaster and reproach the teenager for his presumptuousness.

 

Trowa smiled gently and the other pilots unconsciously stepped back before settling in to watch the show. “I'll take that as a yes, surely then, you will take him at his word that we are, as he has presumably told you, very dangerous people, despite our appearance.”

 

Seeing the Weasley matriarch open her mouth he fixed her with a sharp stare until she closed it again and he continued.

 

“If, on the other hand, you do not trust him, then surely you must also recognise that we could have been tricking him, we may be extremely dangerous disguised Deatheaters.”

 

Trowa's eyes flashed as he scanned the room.

 

Slowly the sound of clapping came from a corner, it carried on even as the sound of a wooden leg clunking against the floor appeared and Alastor `Mad Eye' Moody appeared.

 

“Well put young man.” The voice was gnarled and harsh but there was a faint sense of approval in it. “I take it you are the secret weapons Albus has promised us.”

 

Three pairs of eyes watched him silently.

 

An equally terse laugh greeted their silence, “I take it you're some of the few who don't believe that leaving this war to Harry Potter is the best thing to do.”

 

Even Albus frowned at that but it was the pink haired woman who spoke, “Harry Potter is destined-”

 

“Harry Potter,” Wufei broke in, “is a child, like it or not, prophecy or not and no matter how righteous,” he shot a glance at the Headmaster who stared back with cold eyes, “you consider yourself you are expecting a child to fight your lost war for you. So what if he defeated Voldemort when he was a baby? Surely he hasn't shown any particular abilities since, no particularly incredible intelligence, no unimaginable displays of power, nor has he immersed himself in the politics of this world. He has done nothing but show incredible luck, an aptitude for defense and created far too much work for the most overworked guardian angel in the universe.”

 

“Nevertheless this is his war.” Surprisingly the words came from Moody who appeared to be probing their understanding and opinions.

 

“Harry Potter has no idea what war is.” The words came from the doorway where two more teenagers stood.

 

Quatre and Heero slipped into the room easily in the silence that followed Quatre's vehement announcement.

 

“More children Albus?!” Molly exploded. “How can you-“

 

“Success?” The one word question from Duo was met with a smile and a nod from Quatre and a withering glance from Heero for the fact that Duo would even consider it necessary to ask.

 

“Une?”

 

“I contacted her and she fully agrees with our assessment of the situation, she's going to send the necessary materials needed to effectively dispose of the gundams as soon as she can procure them.”

 

“What's a gundam?” The voice stumbled over the unfamiliar word and language and the young woman fought a shudder as five sets of heartless eyes flashed to her.

 

“Miss…”

“Er… Tonks, but just Tonks is fine.”

 

The blonde teenager nodded regally, “Tonks, I believe that you are not the only one who has been wanting to know the answer to that.” His eyes flickered to a point to the right of him where Heero was setting up a small machine on a table, opening it up his fingers started to fly over the keys.

 

Finding the folder his fingers worked faster as he disabled and worked through his own security protocols acceding to the requests from the computer for passwords, fingerprints, retina scans and voice confirmation with a hesitation only noticed by four others in the room, nevertheless, it was clear to all that this was a file Heero did not enter much

 

Scrolling through the files with codenames incomprehensible to all but him Heero eventually selected one and opened it, waiting for it to load he turned to the room as a whole, “this is a Gundam.”

 

There was silence across the room as the shooting stars that had initially been reported filled the screen and, after Heero had hit a button, appeared in the air above the laptop as a hologram.

 

The initial shot with the announcer vanished suddenly and was instantly replaced with a far more personal piece of footage. Taken from the security feeds of an OZ base Heero flinched as Sally Po's voice filled the room, calling for him.

 

The footage followed the pilot as he left the machine he had been residing in and worked his way through the base. Jaws dropped as steel bars were bent out of place and the pilot squeezed through. Another shot and Heero and Duo were taking a flying leap from the top of a building and down a cliff.

 

The shot transposed to one of Treize Khushrenada with Zechs next to him, mask firmly in place, speaking of the gundams, but even as he swore to destroy them the admiration in his voice was clear.

 

Images now of another OZ compound, fire gundams standing against an entire battalion of suits, ruthlessly and effortlessly destroying despite the odds.

 

Pictures stolen from a Cancer suit seconds before it exploded showed Duo swinging a thermal energy weapon underwater, sentencing the suit and pilot to a watery grave.

 

More pictures of the pilots as Trowa, wearing a uniform, held a gun to Heero's head irresponsive to the fury and hatred so clear in the other's eyes. Further on Two gundams facing off against a third, a third that had just destroyed a colony, one taking the shot for the other. Quatre closed his eyes as the damaged suit flew up and exploded.

 

On a colony as Duo was dragged through the streets, no energy to fight or even look away as the jeering crowds spat on his, one occasionally breaking free of the barriers to deliver a bone crunching kick to the broken and bruised young man's ribs.

 

The Deathscythe pilot didn't flinch, Heero's, fairly spectacular jail break that followed not even causing a flicker of emotion in the cool violet eyes but as the scream from the Duo on screen after watching his beloved Gundam destroyed reverberated round the room he tossed his hair slightly in an excuse to look away, if only for a split second.

 

Mobile dolls appeared next, hundreds and thousands torn down mercilessly, why have mercy for a machine?

 

Specials soldiers embarking under Zechs' careful supervision transposed into a shot of Heero wearing the uniform of the Treize faction. Another flash and they were watching as suits, people and entire towns crumbled under the sheer force of the Epyon gundam.

 

Relena appeared now, recognising her as the composed young woman they had met a few days previously the professors sat up straighter startled by the difference of her appearance then and of the event on the screen, dressed as the queen of Earth. This time though the camera's picked up on what all but one terrified teenaged girl had missed the first time, focussing on the teenage assassin hidden behind the curtain on the balcony.

 

The final shot was, appropriately, the final act of the war, Treize and Zechs' troops faces off, five insignificant teenagers caught in the middle. Treize stepping forwards into Wufei's strike and it was the Chinese pilot's turn to flinch, Heero's face growing blanker as Zechs' gundam destroyed the weapon threatening Earth. Numbness clearly setting in as every suit, without exception, hung motionless in space, staring at the explosion.

 

The end of the Eve Wars.

 

“When…” Albus' voice sounded almost like it had cracked but of course that was impossible, “when was this.”

 

Heero's gaze was fiercely fixed on the screen as he withdrew from the system, clacking keys with ruthless efficiency. Nonetheless the image remained above the laptop, the clear up, thousands of suits, hundreds of bodies being removed. Abruptly the image cut out as Heero backtracked furiously.

 

“Last month,” Quatre responded, voice cool and untroubled, “that last battle took place on December 24, Christmas Eve.”

 

“The feast…” A disbelieving voice broke the silence that followed this, “You weren't there, neither of you, we didn't notice.”

 

Quatre started the Transfiguration professor in the eye, “no,” he agreed without inflection, “you didn't but to be honest you weren't meant to, we hadn't been around for a while. Fewer people notice absences at Christmas.”

 

“Those machines,” the awe in the voice made them turn, “they're magnificent if we could-”

 

Quatre's eyes darkened and abruptly he lurched forward, opening the laptop he opened it and barked.

 

“Search all video accessible files! Quatre Winner, Wing ZERO.”

 

As soon as a file popped up he opened it, “That's me,” he snapped, punching a finger at the screen.

 

This time the footage took a darker meaning as they watched the battle between the three gundams, the destruction of the colony.

 

As soon as the track was finished he was moving again though his voice was softer this time as he called, “Search all video accessible files. Epyon.”

 

The rapt audience watched again as the suit razed everything recognisable as civilisation to the ground.

 

“That,” Heero spoke quietly, “ is the Epyon system, we have that gundam in the forest outside, the problem with that system is that it warps your perceptions, both suits brainwash the pilot, makes that believe that absolute peace is the only way.”

 

“Peace?” The surprised exclamation came from several people at once but it was Minerva who continued it, “Why would peace be so bad?”

 

Quatre met her eyes, Heero watched the Potions Master who wore an expression of sick comprehension.

 

“There is a big difference between peace and absolute peace.” Duo answered eventually, “one exists as the lack of war in general, the other is more… complete and definitely more final, absolute peace… Well, let's just say that the only way to achieve absolute peace is if there is no one left to compromise it, the pilot loses all comprehension of what is right or wrong, of who is enemy or ally, they are all fighting and so must be destroyed. In a war situation I'm very much afraid that would include you also.”

 

Silence followed Duo's speech as those listening digested it and Quatre stepped forwards again.

 

“There will be no use of the Gundams, not the least because they don't exist yet,” there was no humour in Quatre's smile, “believe us we've looked.”

 

“Nevertheless, surely you must realise that this is no normal battlefield. People are going to die in immeasurable, screaming agony, you are going to have to go and use every possibly tool existing for the continued survival of your society, of your people and your world. There may be honour in war but there is none in survival. The Deatheaters have already accepted this and now it is time for you to go out and use every weapon in your arsenal.”

“You cannot be suggesting we use Unforgiveables?” Horrified eyes rested on the green eyes pilot.

”Just because we cannot give you gundams it does not mean we cannot help you at all, how much would you be willing to bet that Voldie isn't going to be expecting anyone to shoot him. In fact,” a slow smile slid over Duo's crooked lips, “how much would you be willing to bet that very few Deatheaters have even seen a muggle gun, a P90 can fire nine hundred rounds a minute, that's fifteen a second, how many wizards can fire spells that quickly?”

 

“What exactly are you proposing?”

 

Five sets of cold and uncompromising eyes scanned the room, “a final strike, a win or lose battle, one last chance before this all gets too out of hand. After that this is your war, you handle it.”

Heero left abruptly and with no warning at this, Quatre's eyes widened with comprehension and he hurried quickly after him.

 

Closing the gaps Heero and Quatre's departures had left Duo, Wufei and Trowa didn't blink, didn't break eye contact and didn't flinch.

 

“Think about it.” Trowa murmured softly. “Before it's too late.”

 

 

When Zechs awoke the first thing he saw was a pair of blue eyes looking at him and the first thing he noticed was that they were lighter than Heero's but darker than Treize's. Blinking again the world came into a bit more focus and he realised that the eyes were attached to a woman dressed as a nurse, or what would have been a nurse a millennia ago.

 

She was murmuring gently and he forced his ears to listen.

 

“It's ok dearie, now you just lie still, we don't want you to do yourself any more damage do we?”

Testing out his limbs he realised that he actually felt fine, that wasn't right was it, there was no way he'd gotten into heaven and he somehow didn't think that Hell was populated by kindly women from another time who actually seemed to be worrying about him. Therefore he must be alive, that was impossible though, there was no way he could have survived, let alone have come out unscathed from the explosion that…

 

Abruptly a lifetime of memories rushed over him, the revolution, meeting Treize, OZ, fighting Heero, meeting Heero, Whitefang, his plan for the Earth, the white light and searing pain, landing hard, knowing this was the end and then… seeing Heero and Quatre, realising that his ex-lover was going to get to kill him after all, seeing Treize again… Hang on, his plan for the Earth… Oh God… the Earth!

 

Forcing his body to sit up he was instantly pushed back down again by the same young woman, realising abruptly that he must be weaker than he'd though.

 

“Zechs…” Turning his head minutely he was just in time to see Heero rush into the room and completely disregarding the nurse as he did so.

 

Deciding to examine the impossibilities of both his and Heero's survival later Zechs shot a desperate and pleading look at him. Heero frowned once and then his eyes widened in comprehension. “The Earth is fine Zechs, I promise you it's fine.”

 

Zechs eyes were pleading with him to be telling the truth and he reassured the man once again. “Calm down!” It was whispered softly but clearly an order. “The Earth is *fine*, I promise, you're on it right now, in a school in Scotland.”

 

Seeing the truth in his eyes Zechs relaxed and instantly another thought hit him, Treize?

 

Heero gave a small smile, “Treize is fine too. He's still asleep but he should wake up soon and when he does I'll explain what is going on.”

 

Zechs' eyes were now asking one last question, one Heero was having trouble interpreting, “What?”

 

The blonde coughed weakly and attempted to clear his throat finally managing to croak one world, “you?”

 

Heero's face crumbled slightly, God's he didn't deserved him. “I'm fine, honestly fine. I'm sorry Zechs… so sorry.”

 

“Sorry too.”

“Stop talking, it's bad for you.” Heero ordered, his voice was perfectly steady; if you weren't listening carefully. If you were you could hear it hitching slightly.

 

“Love you.”

 

Heero's face creased again and his heart melted at hearing the words he thought he'd finally sacrificed ever hearing again, “love you too but stop talking, ok? Sleep, you'll be alright, I won't let anything happen to you, I swear.”

 

As Zechs drifted back off to sleep Heero threw his head back, staring at the ceiling, biting his lip.

 

“I told you he'd be okay, Quatre's voice came from the shadows as he emerged from the corner of the room

 

“Yes, I know.”

 

Quatre stepped forwards and led him into a chair.

 

“How did you know?”

 

Heero nodded towards the nurse who was checking and double-checking vital signs inconspicuously in a corner.

 

Quatre smiled at her and at this cue Heero nodded awkwardly, “thank you.” His tongue tripped over the words.

 

“That's alright.” She smiled at him reassuringly, “we all do strange things when we're worried about the ones we love.”

 

Heero bowed his head. “Sorry about that.”

 

“Not a problem.” She gave him a motherly look that he had seen many times before, though never in this body and for a second he felt his heart ache fiercely for the innocence he had lost far too long ago. Though Harry had never truly had a happy life melding with Heero had certainly driven away any illusions about the world.

 

Sometimes he missed the ignorance, it was infinitely easier.

 

He was dragged out of these thoughts by Duo's teasing voice.

 

“Heero Yuy apologising, am I going to have to skate to work tomorrow?”

 

Wufei wapped him on the head and Heero looked up with a faint smile.

 

“Not quite Shinigami, though you might need to invest in some ice skates if they actually deign to listen to us.”

“You never know. After all, they're desperate,” Quatre mused, “Who knows how far desperation can take people.”

 

“Indeed,” Wufei agreed, “I just hope it's not too far and far enough at the same time, they've already come dangerously close to crossing the line several times.”

 

“All we can do is hope.” Duo agreed.

 

Heero's eyes grew cold, “no it's not. It was the truth, this isn't our war and it was never my war. They abandoned me, first to the Muggle world and then to the horrors of a magical battlefield with little-to-no training. If Treize and Zechs could travel I would leave right now, but as it is I can't. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let them mess it up if I have to fight in it. I have too much to live for now.”

 

Duo's eyes were glowing with the adrenaline of anticipated battle for the first time in a long time as Heero's eyes, equally alight, met his.

 

“What did you have in mind?”

End Chapter 13

 

AN Well, this seems to be, fairly unbelievably drawing to a close, though that's a good few chapters away yet believe me, the end, though, is in sight.