Part Seven

Back inside the Chang household, Wu Fei, Catherine, Heero, Trowa, and Quatre were staring at the now closed door, each one showed a varied level of astonishment (or in Wu Fei's case, fury).

"Otou-san!" Quatre exclaimed as he realized something. "Everyone of the Maguanacs shook you're hand. You're going to be the luckiest person in the world!"

"That's enough of that," Heero interjected, seeing the look on the Chinese youths face. "Let's get you two cleaned up." He started walking up the stairs.

"Yuy!" Wu Fei shouted, his entire frame shaking in anger. The nanny stopped. "Would you be good enough to EXPLAIN all this???" He gesticulated wildly to the now filthy house that Catherine was trying futily to clean. She was just a cook, after all, she couldn't handle cleaning. But she dared not complain for fear of getting Relena back. "What did you DO???"

Heero's eyes narrowed and his already hard face hardened even more. He ominously handled his umbrella gun The black soot in his face gave a crisp look to his eyes, and a low growl came from his throat. He was mad. Scratch that. He was pissed.

Trowa, Quatre, and Catherine, sensing imminent bloodshed, discretely left the foyer. The boys headed up to the nursery to clean up, and the cook suddenly remembered her soup. Wu Fei and Heero were left in their staring contest, neither boy backing down. They glared at each other for several minutes, not a sound was made during that time. Neither boy moved, neither boy blinked. It wasn't until the tumbleweed started blowing by them did someone make a move.

"First of all I would like to make one thing quite clear."

"Yes?" Wu Fei asked hesitantly.

"I didn't do anything," he stated, closing the subject. Before Wu Fei could react, Heero crisply walked up the stairs, trailing soot behind him.

The comment sent Wu Fei even further into his rage. His face was white, his body was shaking to control himself, and his eyes were that of a wild man. (Wild thing! Da da da da You make my heart sing! Da da da da You make e-verything .. Groovy! Wild thing!) The boy finally took off his hat, ready to throw it, break it, anything to release his anger. He was tempted to scream, but he wanted to keep his lungs, thank you. The phone rang, making Wu Fei jump and suddenly giving him a means of venting his anger. He picked up the receiver.

"What!" he snapped in the hardest voice he could muster. He listened to the reply and his face went white not with anger, but with surprise. "Oh! Oh, gomen nasai! Hai …Hai … hai, I take full respon-…. Hai … hai … I most humbly apolog-… hai … Headquarters? Nine o'clock. Hai … hai …Dewa konban .. Hai. Sayonara." He hung up the phone, looking totally dejected.

Wu Fei shuffled defeatedly into the drawing room, mildly registering that Duo was still in the room, picking up his brushes and tying them together. How did he manage to stay quiet for that long? Ignoring the question, the Chinese youth sat down on a sooty cloth covering his favorite chair.

"A man has dreams," he sighed.

"Of walking with giants?"

"No," Wu Fei corrected. "Of being a warrior. A man of strength, of justice. A man who when given a mission, can complete it knowing that it does something good for the colonies. A warrior who fights bravely and proudly, whose only opponents are other strong warriors. To upon my death have people say, 'That was true man'. And now it's not even my prime and all my ambitions are dashed. I've been brought to rack and ruin, and it's all Yuy's fault."

Since the nanny wasn't there to defend himself, Duo took it upon himself to defend the Japanese youth. He promptly took offense to the remark.

"How in the hell could it be Heero's fault?!" he demanded.

Wu Fei looked at the braided sweep with a weary look of suffering. "It's easy enough to explain. He tricked me into taking those two slackers with me to the Preventers. That's when all the trouble started."

"Trick YOU into taking the children on an outing with their father?? Outrageous! With all the important things you have to do?" Duo's face suddenly became placid as he looked at Wu Fei. "You a man of high position," he sang. "Esteemed by your peers.

"And when your little tikes are cryin', you haven't time to dry their tears.

"Or see them grateful little faces smiling up at you.

"Because their dad, 'e always knows just what to do."

Wu Fei looked at Duo and wondered briefly if he was on something. "First off, they're not even my kids, let alone 'tikes'. Quatre's adopted and Trowa isn't even legally mine. Hell, they're the same age as me. They should be off in the working world, using their talents like I have. Instead they're off with a nanny, playing children's games, having the time of their lives while I go out and risk mine every day. They're the ones who don't have time for me. They're always off doing this and that. And they're hardly grateful. I'm surprised they even notice me once in a while. Besides that, they don't cry. Trowa doesn't even laugh, let alone cry and if Quatre does, then Trowa's the one who handles it. Drying tears indeed. About the only thing you got right is that I always know what to do."

Duo nodded, trying to hide his sweatdrops and stray hairs. He tried a different route.

"I understand. You've got to grind, grind, grind at that grindstone.

An' your chil'hood slips, like sand through a sieve.

And all to soon you've up and grown, an' you're friends have flown.

And it's to late for you to live."

Wu Fei didn't say anything to that. His eyes were distant, and his brow was creased in thought. Duo quietly picked up his brushes and left. He glanced up the stairs and saw Heero looking down at him. The braided youth flashed a quick v sign and mouthed the words "Mission complete" before exiting the door. Once it was closed, Heero motion to someone out of camera range. Trowa and Quatre, now much cleaner and in their nighties, quietly climbed down the stairs and entered the now clean drawing room.

"Otou-san," Quatre said softly. Wu Fei looked up. "Otou-san we're sorry about today."

"Being sorry doesn't do much, now does it?" the "adult" asked wearily.

Quatre looked to Trowa and nodded. The green-eyed youth walked up to Wu Fei and handed him two manila envelopes. "Here," he said simply.

Wu Fei eyed the envelopes suspiciously. "What are they?" he asked before taking them.

"Our rιsumιs and our profiles," Trowa answered softly. "I assumed that Preventers would want to do a background check on us."

"I don't understand."

"We're volunteering to join the Preventers," Trowa clarified. "Will that correct our mistakes?"

"Will that make everything alright?" added Quatre.

Wu Fei scoffed. "Hardly, but it might help a little." He sank deeper into the covered chair. "Now go away."

"Hai, Otou-san." Both boys bowed respectively, surprising Wu Fei, and quietly made their way back up the stairs.

The ebony-eyed youth sighed heavily. He stood up and turned toward the fireplace. The floating camera followed, noticing for the first time an ancient, antique Chinese sword displayed upon the mantle. Wu Fei took it down and looked at the magnificent piece. The hilt was intricately carved, the pattern flowing down the handle and even up into the well polished blade. He looked at his reflection in the beautiful sword before sheathing it. He grabbed his derby hat and left the Chang household, the door quietly clicking behind him.

Wu Fei glanced wearily up to Libra's cannon. Quinze was nowhere in sight, and he assumed that the old man had already gone to bed. Still, playing it safe, Wu Fei kept himself in the shadows as he made his way to the park. Once inside, the boy took a deep breath and began his walk to Preventer headquarters, his mind deep in thought.

He had been surprised when those two slackers, Trowa and Quatre, had fessed up and shown some responsibility by apologizing. He was surprised even further when they took responsibility for it and volunteered for the Preventers. Perhaps he had finally gotten through to them about using their talents and skills for useful ventures instead of all those worthless frivolities. Now if only he could take his own advice. He had taken a step in the right direction by joining the Preventers, but he felt that he wasn't doing what he should. Wu Fei hardly thought that being a messenger, running back and forth with bits of paper, was an applicable way of using his talents. Every "mission" he completed hardly did much good for the colonies, and he felt as though he could do so much more. Hell, he had been a GUNDAM pilot for cryin' out loud! How was it that he had been placed in such a degrading and humiliating job!

Wu Fei walked down the streets and turned a corner. Pausing, he noticed that he was at the cathedral. Iria was long gone, and the steps suddenly looked gloomy and foreboding. Not really thinking of the change, he walked on in the damp, dreary gray of the London lamplights.

After an hours walk, Wu Fei reached the Preventer headquarters. He had been here only hours ago, but it seemed more like an eternity. Steadying himself, he knocked on the door.

It opened to reveal Nichol, personal assistant of Lady Une. He said nothing, but motioned the Chinese boy to follow him. We Fei did so, looking at the thick walls and plush carpeting for the first time. What a pompous organization this was. Just like it's leader, whom he was about to face.

Nichol stopped at a set of huge doors. Wu Fei had never been inside this room before. He had often wondered what was inside. Now he dreaded it. He knew exactly what was inside: Treize. Wu Fei took a deep breath and opened the door, foregoing knocking since everyone inside knew who was here.

Inside was a HUGE room, extending far beyond what Wu Fei could see in the dim light. In fact, it was totally dark except for on beam on light shining down on a table, presumably placed in the room's middle. Wu Fei walked toward it. As he walked closer, he saw the major players of the Preventers. Septem, Durmail, and Tuberough were there, though visibly bandaged and apprehensive of the young boy. Lady Une was there, her glasses off and her hair down. And the big cheese-

Treize looked up. "I am not a cheese," he said.

"Yeah? So?" our disembodied voices asked. "We've gone almost an entire page without a funny line, we had to thing of something."

"I see," he muttered. "Though I hardly find it amusing." He leaned over the table and whispered something in Lady Une's ear. She stood up, turning to Wu Fei.

"Do you know why the Preventers was formed?" she asked.

The boy nodded. "It was made so that we could 'enforce' the total pacifism developed by the united earth and colonies."

Une nodded. "From the time that ideal was born to this, we have preformed our duties to the letter, never once failing in our mission." She sat down and Treize stood up.

"Until today," he continued. "A failure caused by the disgraceful conduct of your two sons. Do you deny it?"

"No," Wu Fei said sternly. "I do not deny that my bringing them here caused problems. But all they did was bring to light problems that until now have been buried and ignored. Problems brought on by YOUR leadership, Treize Kushrenada! I challenge you!" Wu Fei drew his sword and took a battle stance.

Treize smiled. "That was the right choice." He held out his hand and Lady Une came up, placing a fencing sword in it.

"Be careful," she whispered to him. Treize smiled at her concern. He gently traced her face with a gloved hand, causing her to blush slightly.

"My lady," he said softly. The leader of the Preventers then stepped forward. "Chang Wu Fei, I accept your challenge."

The two combatants charged each other, their swords clashing as they met. The duel rivaled that of their first duel in episode eight. But, of course, we didn't change their fighting ability at all, so Treize won. It was no contest. Actually, as the camera watched, Treize used the exactly same move that he had in that first duel to defeat Wu Fei in this fic.

When the fight was over and Treize had a sword to the boy's throat, there was a long moment of silence as the combatants stared at each other. Wu Fei slowly rised, Treize keeping his sword at the boy's neck.

"The duel is mine," Treize said finally, taking his blade away. "As is your job. You've just been fired, Wu Fei."

Lady Une took her cue and stepped forward. After giving a winning smile to the leader of the Preventers, she walked up to the now unemployed Wu Fei. She took the rose that had been the symbol of the Preventers off his silken jacket and ripped off the petals. She took Wu Fei's sword, intending to break it, but could not bring herself to destroy such a magnificent blade. She instead gave it to Treize. Une finally took Wu Fei's derby had and punched a hole right through it. Placing it back on the boy's head, she stepped back to Treize's side.

"Do you have anything to say? Wu Fei," he asked.

Wu Fei smiled. "There were two people who happened to meet on the street one day. One said, 'I know a Gundam with a system named Zero.' The second said, 'Oh, really? What's the name of the Gundam?' Treize, even if I lost the duel today, someday someone will come along and defeat you. I will have the last laugh."

Wu Fei promptly turned on his heel and left the Preventers for good.

The floating camera wasn't sure who to follow, and bobbed between the two before deciding that it would take less energy to stay in the great room. Lazy.

Une turned to Treize. "What on earth was that about?" she asked softly.

"A system named Zero," Treize muttered, trying to wrap his brain around the joke. "A system named Zero. A system named-" Treize looked up, knowledge dawning on his handsome eyes.

"Treize-sama?" Une asked, suddenly nervous about her lover's behavior.

"I understand now," he said simply. Treize then started laughing. It was quiet at first, similar to that of the elder Dawes in the original movie. That odd silent laugh quickly graduated into outright guffaws, and it wasn't long before the leader of the Preventers was rising up off the ground.

"Treize-sama? Treize-sama!!" Lady Une grabbed her beloved before he could rise any higher. "Treize-sama!" She turned to the three other heads of Preventers. "Don't just stand there! Help him down!"

"Ah, but Colonel Une," Duke Durmail said. "Surely you understand that none of us really liked the former head of the Preventers." The three wounded men grinned evilly as the only light source in the room faded away.

The next morning was beautiful as Quinze stepped out on the roof of his home. "The report please," he told his flunky. He breathed in the crisp air and started coughing. This air was too pure for him. Quinze much preferred the recycled air of the colonies. Why oh why was he stuck on earth for this fic? It was degrading.

"The wind has changed sir, blowing dead from the west," said a woman's voice. Quinze turned around surprised. Before him was not the nameless flunky from before, but a young woman with very long, golden hair.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"My name is Dorothy, and I'm your new personal assistant. You will no longer call me flunky, and you will show me the proper respect of one who is you're intellectual superior. Quinze, you will only give orders that I let you give out, since I am now in charge. Let's get better acquainted, shall we?"

Quinze felt a sudden feeling of dread. But at least it distracted him from what was going on in the Chang household.

Inside said household, three women were in the foyer. Constable Noin was on the phone, talking with Inspector Zechs, Sally Po was pacing this way and that, and Catherine was standing in the corner, trying in vain to calm the mistress down.

"Wu Fei is a strong man," she was saying. "I'm sure he can handle himself."

"You don't understand!" Sally fretted. "I hope nothing's happened to him. I've worked to hard to get him, I don't want to loose him." Tears started sliding down her face and Catherine offered a shoulder to cry on.

"Yessir.. Yes, Chang Wu Fei," Noin said into the phone's receiver. "You know him, he was the one who blew up Lake Victoria. I told you about him … yes, that's the one … I already went to the Preventers. All Une told me was that last night he'd been discharged. No telling what he'd do in a fit of despondency. I mean, after L5 blew up, he joined Mar … Meriama … that Endless Waltz girl. You know what I'm talking about. Hai … uh-huh …"

There suddenly was a clank in the basement, it caused both Catherine and Sally to look up. The noise was followed by a thud, and then an exclamation.

"Nani? Kore wa-? Oh, yes. Yes. Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!" There were footsteps bounding up the stairs of the basement and the door burst open to reveal-

"Wu Fei!!!" Sally ran to her husband as he ran to her. The two met each other within two steps and began to greet each other. Passionately.

"That's right Zechs. He's been found … No, alive!" Noin's voice lowered to a sultry whisper. "Well, so I presume. She doing to him what I want to do to you right now."

Back at the other end of the foyer, Sally and Wu Fei came up for air.

"Oh Wu Fei, you didn't do something stupid. How sensible of you."

Wu Fei, however, was so happy that he was actually expressing it. "You would not BELIEVE what I found in the basement! It's wonderful! She's back, by God. She's back. Where are those slackers?" He looked up the stairs. "Trowa! Quatre!"

Upstairs actually was quite a different sight. The two aforementioned boys were watching the third, Heero, putting his things back into his gundanium bag.

"But Heero," Quatre was saying, a lump in his throat. "We've been on so many great missions, and all of them successful. The four of us made such a good team. We have to work together if we're going to save the colonies. Ne?"

"My mission was to look after you until Wu Fei could. Mission completed. That's all there is to it." Heero started putting all his mirrors into the bag. Then his hat stand and plants.

Quatre looked as if he were about to cry. Trowa put a comforting arm around the boy. He looked to Heero. "You seem to be very detached from this. That's funny considering you are always telling me to follow my emotions."

Heero looked at the quiet boy and raised an eyebrow. "Part of following you're emotions is to know when to go so that the people you care about won't get hurt. Besides, this fic is almost over. And I'm the first one in line who gets to list complaints to the twins. I'm not about to be late."

"Trowa! Quatre!" a voice filtered up from the open nursery door.

"Wu Fei wants you," Heero said. "Get going."

Quatre let out a sob, but managed to keep his eyes dry. Trowa helped him out of the nursery. Once the two were gone, Heero let out a lone sigh. He put the last of his things in the gundanium bag and looked out the window.

"Masaka??" Forget using doors, Heero grabbed his bag and jumped out the window, wanting to make sure he saw what he did.

Inside the house, Wu Fei grabbed the arms of Trowa, Quatre, Noin, and Sally as he ran to the basement. Someone turned the lights on and revealed that the basement was actually a huge hangar. And in the docking area were-

"The Gundams!" Quatre shouted.

We were just gonna say that! Anyway, there were indeed the Gundams. From left to right stood Epyon, a white Taurus, Heavyarms, Sandrock, a Leo (? That's what Sally pilots, right?) and the Shen Long.

"Nataku!" Wu Fei corrected as he ran to his Gundam patting and hugging it lovingly. "You don't know how much I've suffered just to get threw this fic, Nataku. You make it all worth it!" He continued cooing at the giant mecha as the others were examining their suits, making sure nothing was damaged or different.

"How-?" asked Noin. She had only just come down, since she first had to tell Zechs to get down here.

In answer to her question, the twins appeared.

"Let me! Let me!" said Mirror. "Last night we appropriated Heero's gundanium bag. You do remember that in part one we said it held gundams, right?"

Image interjected. "After putting up with not only us but this fic, we thought it appropriate to give you a reward. BUT!" Image disappeared and reappeared in front of Wu Fei. "In order for YOU, Chang Wu Fei to get a chance to pilot this thing, you first have to do the one thing you've been avoiding since this fic started."

Wu Fei pushed past Image and climbed up into Nataku. "For this, I'll do anything." He closed the cockpit and turned on his Gundam. Everything was operational. The ecstatic boy took a deep breath. "Let's go fly a Gundam!

"Up to the highest mountain!

"Let's go fly a Gundam and send it soaring!

"Up through the altitudes!

"While singing platitudes!

"Oh, ikou, fly a Gundam!" Wu Fei hit ignition and he and the others, now safely strapped into their cockpits, flew out of the house and off into the sky.

Outside, Heero was having a similar experience as he monitored the systems of Wing Zero. Grinning like a madman, he also hit his ignition. "I'm finally free," he whispered.

"Yes we are, aren't we?" a voice asked. A screen turned on to reveal Duo also in a cockpit, presumably of Deathscythe. "Lookie what I found!" he said ecstatically. "If this is what I get for completing a fic, I should do this more often! Heero, ikou! I know this great place where we can drink ourselves silly and no one will say anything." Duo looked around to make sure the floating camera wasn't near him. He forgot it was with Heero. "And they have mirrors in the most interesting places," he added in a whisper.

Heero just grinned. "I'll meet you there." Oh well, it wouldn't hurt to be a few minutes late for those complaints about these new authresses, now would it?

"Wu Fei." A monitor flicked on to reveal Lady Une.

"What do you want?" he asked indignantly. He wanted to fly Nataku without interruption.

"You have a Gundam I see. I see you also have an excellent sense of humor. Treize died laughing."

Wu Fei looked at Une. He gave a wicked smile. "I told him I'd get the last laugh. So what do you want?"

Une returned the wicked smile. "I am the new head of the Preventers. Tuberough, Durmail, and Septem are dead. There's room for several openings. You and your two children show excellent potential as does your wife, Sally. I see a brilliant future for earth and the colonies ahead of us."

Wu Fei smiled.

Let's go fly a Gundam.

Up to the highest mountain.

Let's go fly a Gundam and send it soaring.

Up through the altitudes,

While singing platitudes.

Oh, ikou, fly a Gundam!

The End