Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Perfect Soldiers ❯ A Forgotten Past comes back to Haunt ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing but I do own my characters and this story line

-Thanks for reading the other part even though it was incredibly long. So if you want to see how this hooks to Gundam Wing I thought I'd give you chapter two as well.

Perfect Soldiers

Chapter 1 'A Forgotten Past comes back to Haunt'

~~~~~~~ Nine years later after the two wars / United States Miami, Florida ~~~~~~~'

Sarah tromped up her stairs to the second floor where her brother Mace was sleeping. He was home from College for the summer and was staying with them for a while. He had never gone to war much to Sarah's relief. He was always too young when the fighting broke out, though even if she wasn't sure Sarah knew Troy was got there, fighting. They had only gotten one letter from him and mostly it hadn't been encouraging.

Dear Mace and Sarah,

I'm writing to tell you I gave up on my search. I've found that my parents are dead and a man named Dr. J has taken me in. He says he needs my help and I've nothing to do but help him.

Love,

Troy

That was the last letter they had received and it worried them to no end. Mace had looked for Troy for a while searching the earth, searching the colonies for him, but he never came across any vestige of Troy Mathers. It was as if he never existed. Mace had given up when the war started and plunged into political affairs. He didn't want to be in the fight too afraid, she guessed of becoming what he promised not to, but too concerned to leave it alone.

"Mace, breakfast." Sarah called her soft voice wafting down the hallway. "Mace? Mace are you up yet?" Sarah called again. That was odd. He was always up at the crack of dawn a remnant of Dragon. He was never able to sleep fast seven in the morning. As she approached his door a feeling raced through her body. It was a not so familiar dread. It told her that danger was on the other side of the door. Swallowing hard Sarah knocked on the door and called again, "Mace, answer me." There was nothing but silence in return. Almost shaking Sarah turned the knob and pushed the door open.

A cool breeze swept her hair out of her face as she stepped into the room. She looked for the source of the breeze and found the window open. As her eyes looked closer she noticed the room was completely ransacked. His clothes were all over the place. How could there have been such a struggle and she not heard. After all she still had her enhanced hearing. Why hadn't she heard? She felt the tears welling in her eyes as she thought of her brother. Who would do this? Though slight, her training kept her from screaming out instead she looked. Hoping to find something, some sort of evidence to who had taken him. Her eyes scanned every inch of the room taking in every detail and storing it to memory incase she would ever need it again. As she her search reached the window her eyes fell on some thing black caught on a nail. Carefully she plucked the material from the nail and held it up to look at it.

Etched quite visibly were the end of a dragon tail and the very tip of a broad sword. Sarah froze. Was it possible that they were still out there? What if they hadn't destroyed all of them, and if they hadn't why were they after Mace. Sarah wrapped her hand around the piece of cloth and pulled it her chest as the tears she had been trying to hold back fell.

"Dear God, not again." Sarah turned to see her mother falling to her knees outside her brother's room. Her face was ashen as she looked over the scene and tears fell down her cheeks. "I thought this was over." She whispered.

Sarah watched and wondered why they hadn't taken her as well. Besides time spent there what was the difference. Sarah froze as her mind focused on what would make the most difference, the tattoo. That had to be it. Even if Sarah hadn't been there long they still knew she was at the Dragon facility. She had been part of the project on she hadn't been a level up. As far as she knew Mace was the only one alive who had. Then she stopped her face taking on a new shade of pale. "Troy." She whispered. He was the only other one. What if they were after him too?

~~~~~~~~~~ Relena's office at the Preventer's base 7:15 am ~~~~~

Relena yawned and put her hand over her mouth as she stepped into the building and glanced toward the desk were the security guard sat reading a book. She smiled warmly and raised her hand and waved, "Hey Mick." She said waving her hand as she started up toward the elevator.

Mick looked up and nodded at her. "Early today." It wasn't a question but more of a statement.

"If I could Mick I think I would sleep here, but my brother and Lady Une have me ushered out of here by ten." She laughed heartily and pushed the button for the eight floor and waited. It was only a few minutes before the elevator stopped on the fourth floor and the doors slid open. Before her stood a very disheveled Heero Yuy. Relena felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw him. After everything she still could hardly breath around him.

"Hello Heero." She told him happily and grinned when he nodded back. "It seems you've been sleeping in the office."

She looked up as Heero frowned at her and pushed the button for the eighth floor as well. "I had a lot of paper work to do." He explained and combed his hair down with his hands, which did nothing but make it stand up straighter.

Relena giggled and put her hand on his arm and turned him to face her. Giving him a serious look she reached up and started to fix his hair. She pushed part of it down and tried to smooth out the other, but the man had so many cowlicks. It was impossible to fix with her fingers. Relena hardly noticed the way his eyes slid shut as she stroked his scalp with her fingers. She was too involved in her task. "Well it looks like you're coming to my office." Relena said finally. "I have a sink in there and a comb in my bag."

Heero's eyes shot open and he backed away from her. "It's fine." He stated calmly and turned his back toward her and watched the buttons as they slowly rose from floor to floor. When did it get so long?

"Oh don't be a baby Heero. You have a meeting with me this morning and I'm not letting you go in there looking like you just woke up." She put her hands on her petite hips and shook her head.

"I did just wake up." Heero defended himself readily and tried to ignore the look she was giving him. He tugged at the top of his Preventer's tie. Why was it that whenever she was involved things went haywire? He was unable to control himself and everything seemed so complicated. The elevator dinged announcing that it had reached the floor and Heero let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. Before he could bolt down the hallway Relena had her delicate fingers wrapped around his arm and was tugging him in the direction of her office. Heero could do nothing but let his feet follow her, reluctantly.

"Come on. You act like Duo when Hilde made him get a hair cut." Relena grunted and pulled harder. "I'm just going to comb your hair." She teased easily and found that he followed a little more willingly. She smiled inwardly and was about to open her door when she noticed that it was a little ajar. She hesitated and it was enough to make Heero notice.

"What?" He asked.

"It's just…" Relena began, "I keep my office locked and the door is open." She paused and waved her hand. "It's probably just Lady Une."

Heero frowned and pushed her gently out of the way his gun drawn and opened the door. At first he didn't see anything then out of the shadows stepped someone dressed completely in black. Before Heero could even utter the word 'Freeze' the man was moving. Heero leaped into the room after him. It took only a second for him to catch up to the man and he leaped for him, but to his surprise the black clad man was ahead and kicked him in the gut. The blow was tremendous and sent him flying into the wall. The air left his lungs and he heard a distinct crack as the wall behind him dented and possible something in his chest as well. Ignoring the pain Heero pulled himself to his feet and charged forward again. This time he was ready and dodged the kick and set a punch in the man's face. The guy's head didn't even fly backward. The moment of astonishment was enough to give the other man the advantage. He kicked Heero across the face and punched him hard in the chin. Before Heero could clear his head the man was out the window a few files tucked under his arm. Heero could hardly believe the beating he'd received. It wasn't possible.

"Heero? Heero are you okay." Relena was beside him before he knew it. Her fingers were running over the red swelling bruises on his face and across his sweaty brow. "I was yelling at you to stop, but you wouldn't listen. He only stole a few files in fact he dropped one when you hit him."

Heero smirked a little. At least his assault wasn't completely wasted. He could already feel a burning in his chest each time he exhaled and knew he'd bruised a rib or more. He groaned and rolled to his feet. "Give me the file he dropped." Relena nodded and reluctantly left his side to pick it up.

Relena watched him sink himself slowly onto the end of her desk and let out a labored breath. It bothered her to see him like that. She'd hardly ever seen Heero hurt especially after a hand to hand fight. That stuff never hurt him, but she remembered the way he had flown across the room and swallowed. What ever that was it wasn't human.

Turning back to the floor she picked up the file and read the side of it. Printed quite clearly was Chang, Wufie. Swallowing she opened the file and flipped through it. It was Wufie's medical records, blood type, injuries; pictures…stuff like that. Why would someone need those? She thought. Her mind was running by itself and she gripped the file and went to her cabinet where she knew they had been swiped from. She checked under Barton first and there was nothing.

"What is it Relena?" Heero asked from across the room and she heard him slide to the floor and make his way over to her.

"Those Files…" she told him and stopped as she came upon Maxwell, nothing, "he took medical files. More specifically files on five Preventer's and or part time employees." She swallowed as she came to Winner, nothing, then finally her nimble fingers flipped to Yuy, nothing.

Heero who had long since caught on answered. "Former Gundam Pilots possible."

Relena turned around and nodded. "Some one is after you guys." She swallowed and closed the drawer and gripped Wufie's file. "What's in these that they could be looking for?"

Heero shook his head. "I don't know, but we'd better get on this." He reached for the file and winced when a fiery like pain shot across his chest and all the way to his arm. 'Damned ribs.' He cursed silently.

Relena looked up and set the file on the farthest corner of her desk. "First I'm going to take care of those cuts on your face and then you're going to turn this case over to someone else and all five of you are going into protective custody."

Heero snorted. "I think you're over reacting. We can take care of ourselves."

Relena shook her head. "I saw how ineffective your attack was on that guy. If there are more of them out there and they're looking for you guys I don't think you have a chance." With that she stood and went to her sink where she wet a paper towel and reached under her cabinet for a little bag marked, 'first aid kit.' She unzipped it and pulled out a couple of bandages. "Come here." She ordered.

Heero frowned knowing that even if he could convince Lady Une that he needed to take on this case Relena would fight him the whole way. Why did she do things like that? If it had been her who was attacked she would have refused protective custody and told them it was a waste of time. She was too selfless for her own good. Reluctantly he rose to his feet and sat in the chair she had pulled out for him.

"Just hold still." She ordered and began to wipe the trail of blood running from the cut on his head and picked up his hand to see the knuckles split in some places. She quickly dabbed the blood and grabbed some antiseptic and rubbed it on the wounds.

Heero watched her the whole time the way her eyes concentrated so steadily on his pain. Her lips held in a tight line and her eyebrows scrunched in concentration. A few pieces of her golden hair had fallen in her eyes and she tried unsuccessfully to blow it away from her petite little nose. They only blew upward and settled back down tickling her skin. As she placed a butterfly bandage on his forehead Heero reached up and brushed the few strands behind her ear. He felt her pause as she finished her bandaging job and he ran his fingers through her silken locks and pushed them over her shoulder. When he looked away from her she was staring at him her eyes sparkling with a sweet wonder. One of her hands was resting on the side of his face and the other on his shoulder. Unconsciously her thumb began to stroke his temple.

"All done." She whispered but didn't pull away. Her finger continued to rub his skin and his hand inched slowly upward to run through her hair again.

"Ms. Relena."

Relena jumped away from Heero severing the intense gaze they had just been sharing and looked to her intercom that was beeping and glowing red. "Yes Eve." Relena stated trying to calm her boiling blood and racing heart.

"Ms. Relena Lady Une and Sally Po are here to see you."

Relena nodded and answered. "Tell them to come in." Relena couldn't bring herself to look back at Heero. The feelings were too intense for the moment.

Heero watched her painfully aware of how close he had come to kissing her. When had the urge built its way inside him? He remembered the way his lips had longed to touch hers. It was strange but her being so close and her breath tickling his skin he hadn't been able to help it. He wondered if he should apologize later or just ignore the fact that it had ever happened. Before he could do either Lady Une and Sally Po stepped into the office.

"Heero, you said someone broke in to Relena's office." Sally said and looked around to see everything in complete order. "What did they take."

"Files." Heero said. "They stole medical files on the Gundam Pilots."

Lady Une stiffened. "Medical files?"

Heero nodded and rose to his feet slowly he was becoming more himself as the feelings he had just experienced disappeared, or faded just out of his reach. He winced involuntarily as he came to his feet and he pointed toward the window. "After I encountered him he jumped out the window, but he dropped one file."

"What's the matter with you?" Sally asked her medical training kicking in when she noticed the bruise on his chin and the way he winced when he stood.

"I fought with him." Heero confessed feeling just a little stupid because he had been beaten.

"What happened?" Une asked and glanced around the room until her eyes fell on a dent in the wall about the size of the former Zero pilot. "Never mind." She looked at Heero. "Tell me you at least got in one good hit before he left."

Heero frowned at her mocking tone. "His skills were far greater than I imagined."

"In laymen's terms that means 'the guy kicked his ass.'" Duo said slipping into the room followed by Wufie.

Heero scowled and grumbled. That was just what he needed Duo knowing that he had been beaten by somebody. "Shut up Maxwell and what are you doing here?"

"I sent for Wufie." Sally offered. "Duo probably just followed."

Duo nodded. "Yeah that's pretty much it. So what's going on."

"You, Heero, Wufie, Trowa, and Quatre are going into protective custody." Relena said speaking up for the first time in a while. Her face was dead set determined.

"What?" Duo asked. "I can take care of myself."

Relena frowned. "You say that now, but wait until those men have you beaten and caught."

"Hold on." Lady Une whispered. "I don't think we need to do that. Maybe we'll take them into tighter security, but we still need them on this case even if it does involve them. They're the best field team we have."

"So you risk their lives." Relena frowned and looked away. "That makes perfect sense."

Lady Une looked at her and frowned. "I know they're your friends, but they have a job to do and they do it well. We'll beef up security at their homes, but they can't just leave. You're not being rational."

Relena reluctantly turned back around. "You're right. I'm sorry." She smiled wanly. "I just hate it when there is nothing I can do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Research facility on colony X1543

Mace pried his eyes open and tried to determine why he felt so weak and why his vision was so blurry. He blinked but nothing would clear his head. So many jumbled and confused thoughts ran through his mind. He didn't know what was real and what wasn't. He groaned and turned his head to the side. Vaguely he could see his arm strapped to a board by an iron cuff and guessed that his other arm and ankles shared the same fate.

"So it seems Mace has awakened."

Mace turned his head toward the voice trying to make out the man's face but it blurred in and out of focus until just looking up made him dizzy. He let his eyes fall shut and opened his mouth to speak and was surprised with how weak he sounded. "Who are you?"

"How easily you forget." The voice taunted and grabbed hold of his arm and squeezed it. Mace flinched with the touch but didn't scream. Pain was only momentary. "This tattoo, you still have it and you are still part of our army. If it wasn't for that fool Michael and your stupid friends out plan would have been well under way."

Mace tried to connect the words in his mind, but it was hard. It sounded so familiar, but he couldn't place them. He couldn't find the connection even though he was sure it was right there. "I don't…" he tried but his voice as already failing him.

"Doesn't really matter boy. Hammond told you we had something knew planned and even though we're a little late you're getting exactly what we promised. You my dear dragon are going to be why we have always dreamed a 'Perfect Soldier' and you are going to help us take over this planet and possible the colonies as well. That is you and your little friend, Troy."

Mace's eyes snapped open at the mention of Troy. Troy, who had disappeared, Troy, who had been his best friend? Then it all came together. He remembered the speech Hammond had given so many years ago he remembered the talk of the experiment, but how could any of them have survived. They watched the entire building burn to the ground. How had any one them survived? "Bastard." Mace whispered through his parched lips.

"So." The man continued. "It seems you remember a little. Well we'd better get started before he remember too much." Before Mace could make a move there was a mask over his face and everything swam into darkness.

"Is this going to work even though he was never loyal to us?" Hammond asked as he moved his voice box to his throat so he could speak. Even if it was mechanical it was words.

"It doesn't matter." Smith sneered. "The code, when activated, merely boast loyalty to us. Enhances training. The code tells the mind what to do and we tell the code what to do." Smith reached down with his laser cutter and sliced the delicate first few layers of skin around the tattoo of the dragon on Mace's arm. Under the layer revealed piece by piece as a rather long microchip. A small keypad was forged to its surface and Smith put on his goggles and grabbed a pen. The pad was magnified and Smith punched in the code. Immediately the skin around it began to glow as it was activated. "It's only a matter of time before the serum reaches his brain and takes over."

Hammond smiled as Smith stitched up the incision. "The best part is the chips react to each other so when one is activated the other glows when an activated chip is near. Besides we're pretty sure we know where Troy is."

Smith looked up after he'd stitched and molded the skin back into place so that it looked the same as I had before. It was like it had never been cut at all. "It's either the pilot of 01 or 02." He paused as he glanced at the kid you had been there when he had almost died. He smiled as he thought of the revenge he had waited so long for. "Both were orphans and both might be Troy. We only have to kidnap both and see which glows." Hammond chuckled lightly.

Smith smiled as well and looked down at Mace. "Let's send the newest member of our team after them. What a shock to be caught by your own alley. Mitchell has had enough. He almost got it last time. If it wasn't for his suit some guy at the Preventer's base would have gotten him"

"Well Mitchell doesn't have the training. Mace on the other hand he's perfect."

No sooner as the words left his mouth that Mace's eyes opened. He blinked slowly for a moment and turned to look at Hammond and Smith completely calm.

"How are you feeling?" Smith asked.

Mace looked at him blankly. "How do you want me to feel." He asked in monotone.

Hammond laughed and looked down at the boy that was now completely to his mercy. "Break out of those irons Mace."

Mace blinked and turned to look at each of his encased limps. Without hesitation he pulled up and snapped the irons from the table and pulled himself free. Blood ran down his wrists and ankles were the steel had cut into his flesh, but Mace didn't seem to mind. He came to his feet on the hospital floor and looked the two doctors expectantly. Blood ran freely from his wounds, but he did nothing to wipe it away or even complain about the hurt.

"Go wash yourself off." Smith commanded lightly. "The bathroom is down the hall to the right. When you're done come back here."

Mace nodded and saluted Smith before he disappeared down the hallway.

"That wasn't necessary." Smith said shaking his head. "We need him at full health."

Hammond smiled. "He deserved it. The kid has only yet to experience pain and suffering."

"Yeah well try to keep it to a minimum. Mace and that Troy kid were the only surviving implant students and before we can get more we have to keep these guys in perfect condition."

"It those bastards hadn't ruined everything we would have the world in our hands. We would be ruling instead of hiding in the slums." Hammond sneered. "I'm just sorry that Michael kid died before I could get my hands on him. He's the Son of a Bitch that cut out my throat and left me to bleed to death."

"Mitchell," Smith called into his the air touching the earpiece inserted in his lobe, "I need you to get here and take our new member of the team to his quarters." The reply back was prompt.

"Yes, sir do I need to fit him for a suit."

Smith shook his head even though the other couldn't see him. "No, just show him to a private room at the end of the sector."

"Yes, sir."

"You know we'll have to get rid of the rest of these guys." Hammond whispered. "They won't be able to keep up and eventually they might defect."

Smith flipped the earpiece off. "I know. I just want to make sure we have everything we need from them first."

So what do you think so far? As always review or e-mail me at Peanutbutter199@hotmail.com