Heero Yuy glared out at the world. The teacher was lecturing on some subject that he didn’t care about. It wasn’t part of his mission, ergo; he didn’t need to know it. Two rows down from him he could see the back of Duo Maxwell’s head. The other Gundam pilot was half asleep in his seat. At least he wasn’t snoring. Concentrating all his attention to once more running through the five separate escape plans he’d plotted out of the building in case of an emergency, he didn’t notice Duo smack his head on the desk.

Jerking up and looking wildly about him at the hundred or so eyes all focused on him; Duo smiled weakly and quickly picked up his pencil and began to take notes. Cursing silently to himself, he tried once more to jot down what the teacher was saying. The motion of the moving pencil didn’t help. He was too tired and the teacher’s monotone voice lulled him to sleep. He wished someone would pull a fire alarm or something. Anything to get out of this stupid class. Unfortunately, luck was not with him and the teacher droned on for another forty-five minutes before the bell rang.

Making like rabbits running in front of a forest fire, the students poured out of the building into the bright sunlight. Classes were over and everyone could do as they pleased for the rest of the day. Duo wanted to sneak to his repair base and check on Death Scythe. Since he and Heero were at the same repair base, Duo would have some company for the walk. Although trying to hold a conversation with Heero was like pulling teeth. Duo snarled mentally and headed for the gate. On his way he noticed several young girls in a group. They were all a twitter about something. Jeez, were all women such ditzs? He thought walking past them.

“Did you hear?” one girl said excitedly. “There will be a new transfer student tomorrow?”

“How did you find out?” the second asked inching closer to the first.

“I was in the office when they came by to finish the paperwork. Oh, I just can’t wait until tomorrow!”

“Me neither!” a third exclaimed. Duo rolled his eyes and didn’t care. Heero was already at the gate and if he didn’t want to be left behind, he better hurry. He might remove parts for Death Scythe again.

“Good morning class.” The teacher stated as he walked in the room. He was a short man in his late forties with thick glasses and graying hair. His handle bar mustache was neatly trimmed and he was twirling one end between his thumb and forefinger thoughtfully. As always his suit was pressed and lint free. How could anyone keep themselves that neat? Duo chewed on the end of his pen as he watched the man beckon towards the door.

In the shadows stood the form of a person. Straining his eyes like the rest of the class, Duo tried to make out if the new student was male or female. Heero paid no attention; he wasn’t the least bit interested in any new student. Unless, he thought glancing towards the door, it was her. Heero prayed that Relena Darlian hadn’t found him again. That was really the last thing he needed right now. She was determined to talk to him, but Heero didn’t understand why when he planned to kill her.

“Students, I’d like to introduce a new student today. Please make him feel welcome.” The new student walked in calmly. He carried himself as if he was on his way to the guillotine. He was tall with long dark brown hair that fell loosely down his back. His blue eyes scanned the room as if he were looking for a way to escape. This boy didn’t wish to be here anymore than the two Gundam pilots did.

“Introduce yourself please.” The teacher insisted.

“I am Jeden Windborne.” He said slowly, his voice was soft and low, but could still be heard by everyone. He stood with his hands at his sides looking out at the students. A few girls sighed happily and Duo heard a couple of guy’s groan.

“Mr. Windborne, will you please take the open seat next to Mr. Tanner. Mr. Tanner will you please raise your hand.” The boy did so and Jeden walked to his new seat. Once Jeden was seated, the instructor ordered everyone to open their desks, take out the math book, and open it to page 28.

Doing as he was told, Jeden began to read the math book. He nearly snorted when he realized that he already knew how to do these problems. Why was he even bothering? Why had Dr. Keller insisted that they go to school to begin with? All five pilots had just graduated from high school before their abductions. Staring down at the algebra problems, Jeden sighed and took up his pencil. Calmly he began to do the assigned problems as the teacher explained how. By the time the lecture was finished, Jeden had the entire set done. Mr. Tanner appeared impressed by Jeden’s grasp of algebra and leaned over to glance at his paper. Jeden didn’t care. What he did care about was where the other four pilots were.

Dismissed for lunch after three hours of lectures, Jeden left as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, he was followed by a group of girls. This was the exact type of girl he hated when he had been in high school the first time. They were the types that loved to gossip and whisper over boys. They would shun those different from them and pledge their undying loyalty to the most popular girl until some scandal toppled her. Jeden remembered them well and decided he needn’t reenact old battles with them.

His escape was elegant. Gently he denied them the privilege of dining with him as he wished to eat in private today. Then he excused himself with a bow, smoothly dodged several protests, and slipped out the door.

“He’s so gorgeous.” The crowd sighed as one.

“Students, I would like to introduce you to a new student this is…” the female teacher with dark honey hair and gray eyes said.

“Segundo Segovitch. It is a pleasure to meet you all.” A smiling girl with long blonde hair and green eyes said. She stood at the front of the classroom wearing a white blouse with a green jacket, and black skirt. The logo of the school was embroidered on the jacket pocket in gold, black, and tan thread.

Trowa Barton watched her walk to her seat next to him with unconcerned eyes. Another transfer student like him. Interesting, but not new. Part of him expected one of the other Gundam pilots to appear, but as far as he knew they were undercover elsewhere and wouldn’t reappear until a new mission came through.

“Um, excuse me.” Segundo whispered. “What page did the instructor just say to turn too?”

Trowa stared at her blankly. He hadn’t heard the teacher say a thing.

“78.” Another boy replied.

“Thank you.” She opened the biology book and Trowa heard her groan. “Not cell mediated DNA replication.” Segundo whined softly. “I know about this stuff already. Why couldn’t we be reading something more interesting?” Trowa didn’t answer, he merely began reading as instructed and ignored his new classmate.

By lunch, Segundo was fed up with the school already. She didn’t want to be enrolled in high school; she would rather be doing something else. Like finding that blasted Dr. Em, she thought stuffing her science book in the desk. While she should have been reading about DNA replication, she had been flipping through the other chapters in an attempt to relieve her boredom. Her last science class on Earth Primary had gone more in-depth into DNA. This was just a review and reviews bored her easily. She was glad that the bell to switch classes had rung. Maybe now they could move onto something more challenging. Leaving the classroom, she looked back at her desk and the boy that sat next to her. He had brown hair, cut short, with a huge sweep of bangs that covered one of his green-hazel eyes. She noticed that he hadn’t moved from his seat. He was just sitting with his book closed. Odd, she thought and left.

San Valais bit his bottom lip thoughtfully.

“Anything?” Veir asked leaning over his shoulder.

“Nothing. It’s as if he has vanished off the planet.”

“I doubt that. Our informant said he was last seen on an OZ facility. That means he hasn’t escaped yet.”

“Let’s just hope we can locate him before OZ deciphers that map.” Veir nodded watching his comrade type something and hit Enter. The screen flashed and a list appeared of a list of OZ bases.

“I’ll be joining Jeden in about three days, so we still have plenty of time to locate Dr. L. Em.” San commented clicking the control panel off. He and Veir were now stationed at one of three hidden bases of the Martian Primus military intelligence, E2-one. The bases were set up as a legal shipping firms that not only transported goods, but information. Each base had an underground facility set up for the Martian Primus intelligence personal to carry out their duties. This meant it had state of the art equipment. Veir wondered how they did it without the Terran Secondus people noticing. Of course the facilities had been built about 200 years ago when everyone’s attention was focused on the construction of space colonies. They probably could have cared less about a small group of technologically advanced people sneaking in and setting up monitoring stations.

“So all this was built to keep an eye on Earth Secondary?” Veir asked sitting down in a chair. San nodded.

“The Mars Primary citizens that we know are combined from the two subgroups that agreed to stay on Mars. You know, the ancient Martians divided into three groups, one cross-bred with the Terran Primus, the second founded Earth Secondary, and the third broke into three groups. Two of which eventually rejoined together after the failure to rejuvenate Mars Primary’s surface so that it could grow plants again.”

“Yeah, I know that. That’s why everyone lives underground and grows food in hydroponic gardens.” Veir interrupted leaning back with his hands behind his head. San waited for him to get comfortable before continuing.

“Well, some half wit explorer decided to follow the last know projected coordinates of the group of ancient Martians that founded Earth Secondary in about 1790 Earth Primary AD.”

“A bit like Columbus, huh?”

“Something like that. Anyway, he, by some extreme good luck, came upon Earth Secondary. He landed his ship, got out and decided to live here. After about four years he decided to return to Mars Primary and tell of his discovery. That’s when the Martian Primus military decided to put up an out post here.”

“I’m surprised no one noticed him.” Veir said just as he began to yawn. Stretching, he sat up straight and waited for San to finish the tale.

“Have they noticed us? No, they’re too involved with themselves to worry about aliens. I mean the people of Earth Primary wouldn’t notice if we landed a small interplanetary hopper in the middle of a wheat field. They haven’t before.” San got up from the counsel and started towards the door. “Listen, I’m going to bed. Shouldn’t you be packed to go?”

“I’m done. I’ll be joining Segundo in two days. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to see me. She’s probably already bored out of her mind. You know how much she liked high school.” San laughed lightly.

“Well, we haven’t heard of any terrorist school bombings yet. So that’s good news. Good night Veir and good luck.” San walked down the corridor and took the elevator up to the ground level of the complex. Calmly leaving the building he slipped across the street to the hotel. The receptionist didn’t even look up as he passed her. It had been smart of the Mars Primary government to place a hotel next to their base. This way new agents could spend some time above ground instead of living in the barracks below. The barracks were actually only for emergency purposes, most of those that worked there lived off base.

Opening the door to his room, San found everything as he had left it. With a sigh he sank to the bed and sat staring out the window at the city. It was a city like the ones on Earth Primary, his home. He wondered if his family ever thought about him. He was sure they did, but his life with them was in the past. It had to be left there for the sake of keeping himself sane. To live in the present was the only way to accomplish his mission.

“A new transfer student? Really?” Quatre Raberba Winner glanced up from his book as he listened to the two girls sitting in front of him chat before class.

“I heard that class A-1 had someone transfer in about two weeks ago.”

“Oh, I heard about her.” The second girl said. “She’s the one who beat the boys at basketball. She seems very athletic.”

“I’ve heard she got a 98 on the last science exam.” Quatre tuned the girls out so he could finish studying for the French quiz later that day. He put his book away when the teacher walked in with a new student behind him. The boy wore a pair of rose tinted spectacles on his nose. His large gray eyes were peaceful as he looked about him.

“Class, I’d like to introduce Veir Berné. He will be joining our class from today on.”

Another transfer student? Quatre thought staring at the boy who was looked as though he was taller than Trowa. Counting Trowa and myself that makes four within the past three weeks. Was it some sort of coincidence, or was there something more to the two new arrivals? Quatre decided that he was leaping to conclusions that had no factual basis. Maybe it was instinct or maybe he was being paranoid. Either way, he was going to talk to Trowa.

Trowa nodded sagely as Quatre explained to him his concerns. After several minutes Trowa responded.

“I don’t think we have to concern ourselves about them. At least not right now. If they are part of an OZ plot to hunt us down, then they will be dealt with when the time comes.”

“I suppose you are right.” Quatre trailed off. He glanced up just in time to notice Segundo grab a hold of Veir’s arm and drag him off. She was wearing a huge smile on her face. As she passed them they could hear her say.

“You really must come have lunch with me. We’re both new here after all.” Veir didn’t protest. He went with her quietly towards the library. Trowa watched them go. When they were safely away from the two Gundam pilots, Quatre heard what he thought was Trowa sigh in relief.

“I take it that is the other transfer student?” Trowa nodded.

“Her manners are…forward.” Trowa replied and said nothing further on the topic. Deciding that it was best to leave Trowa to his own thoughts, Quatre finally began to eat his lunch.