Heero's Vehicle . . .
"I sent the proof of your innocence to Zechs," Heero told Relena from the front seat. "The proof will go to your authorities, and it'll free your name again, but I don't trust you away from me."
"I couldn't even take a shower without them trying to nab me," Hilde said to Relena. "It's a better idea to just stay together until RTL is taken care of for good."
"Right. I'm not leaving your side," Relena agreed. "There's no telling what's waiting for me. The device won't even say."
"Yeah, that's disturbing," Duo said from the back. "We got the details on everyone, but I'm betting that's going to change. I'm willing to risk that safety location. I'm guessing Heero is going to be your all personal body guard now? At least Zechs won't ask why he's staying so close."
"Duo," Heero warned him. Too close. He hated that Duo knew that. He ignored him and talked to Relena again. "Don't go to any conferences. You can clear your name, but not on air, and we aren't staying at your home. I don't trust it."
"I wouldn't even tell anyone that your around either," Duo said to Heero. "I'm sure you've heard, but you're actions are all on social media."
"I know."
"Let's not discuss that," Relena cutted Duo off.
Yeah. It was a real sore spot. Everywhere he turned, he saw it. It was the past, but the press loved it. Hidden conspiracies. Hidden missions.
"So you heard about them wanting-"
"Movie rights to my life, yes," Heero seethed. His life was so entertaining to the masses, a lot of people wanted movies and shows about him. Once this was cleared up? Yeah, the press would be wanting to talk rights with him. "I'd rather die."
"I wonder if anyone would want my story for a real big fancy fee? Buy a big house, lots of security and keep RTL out of it?" Duo asked. "Gundam Pilot of Deathscythe."
"Please don't even joke," Relena warned him.
Hilde shouldered him. "Do you really want them knowing about all of your past like that, Duo? They know everything about Heero. His secret missions. Who raised him. Why he got the spot of pilot."
"Yeah, I know. I'm just pointing out, even with millions of dollars, I don't really think we can just live normal lives with RTL still existing. We have to stay under until this whole mess is sorted. I do gotta ask, is it true you dressed as a woman one time to catch someone off guard?"
"It worked," Heero said. "For the moment, and no, it wasn't fun, and no, I didn't speak in a falsetto voice."
"Yeah, because they used that for a perfume add, didn't they?" Duo asked.
"It was deodorant, and not officially, it was a parody," Hilde told him. "Never said his name either."
Heero tightened his hands on the wheel. "Can we drop this conversation?" He turned on a music channel and hoped it drowned out Duo. The more anxious Duo was in a situation, the worse he tended to get in teasing. Since he didn't know where he was even going with Hilde, he was definitely in his teasing mood.
As soon as Heero turned it on though, he turned it back off.
"Can't even turn on some tunes without hearing something about yourself," Duo just had to add. "It was easier when they just said gundam pilot back then. At most, 01 or whatever."
Much easier. He didn't know how Relena could stand that publicity. If he stayed with her, she promised no one would know except their child, her mother, Pagan, and Zechs. He debated with her on Zechs, although as much as he watched everything, he probably wouldn't be able to fool him for long.
A back area, just for him. He didn't have to interact with anyone, unless he wanted to. He could have keys to the front and back doors. He could see their child whenever he wanted, without feeling obligated. Considering the world eliminated many of his hiding spots, and were actively searching for him like a celebrity, it might be a good idea.
No marriage needed. No responsibility. She didn't even care if he left for months or years on end and came back. She just wanted one thing, a sign when he was present. A sign just for her because it made her 'feel better' to know when he was around. It seemed doable, and Relena wanted her child to know it's father, even if it was someone like him.
"Hey, Heero, you got any good boy names?" Duo asked him. "Quatre texted and said Dorothy said he had to have three great boy names in an hour. Looks like she's keeping him on his toes."
"No. If I did, I would save it for mine." Of course, he didn't realize that he just triggered Relena until she smiled. Great.
"I think that's a great idea," she said. "Explore some names, Heero."
Great. Oh, great, now he had to name it if it was a boy.
"Hey, cool, you get to name it," Duo said to Heero. "Pretty snazzy. What about Snazzy? That's a real shiny name."
"Duo, are you okay?" Hilde asked him. "You get on people's nerves sometimes, but you are really going hard today."
Even Hilde knew Duo was anxious. They would be heading for a spot that was supposed to be safe, but might not be safe. Yeah, he was real anxious. "I'll check out the area with you, Duo." Maybe that would make Duo feel better. He might even pick around the area for Relena and him. Even when she was cleared, RTL would easily be able to get to her. Zechs clearing her name would work better, and they already had proof he had willingly abducted her. His name wasn't cleared, but his name wasn't ever cleared. He didn't care if his name was cleared, he didn't plan on ever being in the public eye again.
"Did we come up with anything yet?" Duo asked. "We are letting Quatre down."
"Quatre can come up with his own names," Heero stated. "It's his kid."
"Real super friend," Duo said back.
"Then you help. Did you ever have plans for any names beforehand?" Heero asked.
"Not even," Hilde answered for him.
"Maybe some names of those close to him," Relena suggested.
"Hm. Sandrock. Maguanacs. Hey, hey, that could even be Maggie for short if it's a girl," Duo reasoned. "Alright, two names texted out. I did my friend duty today."
Heero rescued Duo and Hilde from RTL. He did his for the day too.
"Thank you for trying to get some food," Relena said as she finally started eating. It was cold by then, but she wasn't the type to complain. Polite and simple.
"No problem." Obviously. Still, he always liked it when she complimented him. It wasn't needed. It was never needed. He still liked it.
An RTL Outreach Post . . .
Hilde had on the stupidest outfit of all time. An all white dress that one of the rich colony kind of people would wear. Poofy and stuff. There was an umbrella next to her too. She didn't want to touch it. There was also a version of some gundam in front of her as well. It looked like Sandrock. RTL had gundam technology somehow, that was crazy.
She watched as the crazy lady she learned was Superior came in. Everyone was scared of that woman. Hilde wouldn't bow to her though. She wouldn't cower.
"Hilde Schbeiker," Superior said as she came over. She twirled an umbrella. "Before we can get you pregnant, we are going to have to fuck you up."
Hm? Weird hearing a curse word like that from someone looking so refined.
Superior gestured to the gundam. "Get in."
Get in? "I'd rather not."
"Okay," Superior said. "You enacted this chain reaction."
Chain reaction? Hilde saw two women come over. One stood next to Hilde, handing out a gun to her that she didn't take.
The other was getting dragged in chains, kicking and screaming for freedom. She had no gag, but no one there cared to help her. She was right next to Superior.
"Now, here are your instructions," Superior told her. "Take the gun. Shoot at the woman. Then, climb into the gundam."
What? "You are crazy, woman."
"If you don't." Superior pointed a gun at the poor, simpering woman. "I will kill her. You have 30 seconds."
What? "You want me to kill one woman for another? I don't even know either one." What was she playing it? "What kind of-"
Shot. Straight up without mercy, that woman screamed one long piercing scream before she was killed. Silenced, right through the head.
Hilde looked at Superior. Her expression was wild. There was even blood on her face and clothes, and she didn't care. "You are psycho."
"Don't worry," Superior told her. "Take the gun. Shoot at the woman. Willingly climb into that gundam knowing that it will destroy you."
Hilde watched as three more women, all pleading and screaming were brought in on chains like a train. "Your crazy."
"Every 30 seconds you do not shoot that woman, and crawl into the gundam, I will shoot them," Superior insisted. "Do you need a countdown this time?"
"You can't just-!"
Superior shot one, making the other two start to nonstop scream.
"That wasn't even in 30 seconds!" This woman was mad!
"A total of 30 seconds I mean," Superior said as she shot another one. "I lost count, shoot. Was that 18?"
She was insane!
"Oh, it's been 30 seconds by now." Superior shot the third one. "Clearly, women aren't really doing anything for you? It doesn't for me either. They are all just loud and whiny. Let's try something else."
Hilde watched as a chain of ten children, no older than five, were getting brought in. There were also a bunch of different dogs brought in, also on chains.
The children didn't whine. They looked simply clueless.
"Ten children. You'll need more than 30 seconds. I don't know that math, hang on." Superior pulled on her hat lightly. "I'll shoot one every ten seconds."
Children. Little children.
"Or a dog." Superior shot at one. She didn't even kill it, it yelped, and she shot it again. Killing it.
Now the children were getting upset and started to cry. As Superior raised her gun again-
Hilde grabbed the gun, and tried to kill that bitch Superior before she could kill another thing! As she tried to shoot it though, it was empty.
And Superior shot a child in front of her.
Hilde just froze.
"Had you pointed and shot at the woman? The little girl would be alive. Bad girl, Hilde," Superior insisted. "Had you not risked everything in the name of bravery? These children would all be alive. This time, one is dead. Because of you. Because of your risk. Your bravery."
Sick. Sadistic. Smile. Superior's smile.
A five year old. So small. Killed so meaninglessly!
"It's okay, they were terminally ill anyway. Our money is better spent elsewhere. Now?"
Hilde couldn't even move. She felt scared to even breathe. She was risking everything to shoot her but it was all a game. The bullet wasn't even real.
"Now? Back to our game." Superior held a gun to another screaming child's head. "Oh not yet, I haven't even said anything. So noisy." She looked toward Hilde. "Another gun is being given to you. Once again, shoot the woman in front of you, and get into the gundam. You have . . . ten seconds between each child. Go."
A woman came over to give her a new gun. Hilde quickly took it, pointed it at the woman, there was nothing in it, then she ran toward the gundam.
Superior would never quit. She would kill as many women, animals, children as it took to make Hilde do this! They should have just dragged her in there!
She watched Superior approach her.
"Don't think of it as you killed four women, a child, and a dog," she said. "Think of it more like? I saved nine children today, and nine dogs." Superior actually patted her head. Like a dog. "Good girl, Heidi."
"Hilde," she managed to choke out.
"Mm?"
Hilde's whole face froze again as she heard the gun go off.
Superior looked back toward her again. "Don't think of it as I accidentally got another child killed just because of a name. Think of it as, I saved eight children. As long as you don't say that forbidden name again. Every time I hear that name? That awful, cursed name? I will kill one child. Don't worry. We have plenty to spare around here."
This woman. This crazy woman. She was fucking nuts.
"Now?" Superior patted her head again. "Good girl, Heidi. That's your name, right?"
"Yes." This woman would never stop. She would even kill a child, just because of a name. Hilde rarely showed her raw emotions. She had even gone through a war. But.
A yelp of a dog. Two children killed. Several women pleading for their lives. Wasted. All wasted, just to make her . . . shoot an empty gun and climb into a gundam. And the worst?
A whole life. Sacrificed. Because of one word. Her real name.
Talking back with her real name, cost a whole life of a child. Every time she dared to say it again, it would cost a little one's future.
"Good, Heidi. It looks like you are already starting to get the hint. Welcome to Revenge of the Lost. Sit down and relax. You'll feel like your part of it in no time."
Quatre and Wufei's Hiding Spot
"It's been an hour." Dorothy came out of her room, her stomach feeling better again. She had ins and out days, she was pregnant, and it was natural. Just because something was wrong with her didn't mean that was the cause for that day. "I hope you have come up with some stellar names. I want the stars themselves to be jealous."
She came out, hiding not a bit of her confident feeling, and was rewarded with a relieved, bright smile on Quatre. "I-I did. I came up with several, and the others helped out too. Though, there might not be as-"
She swiped the paper from him and looked. Now she knew his gundam was infamous, a legend in it's own right in the war, and it would indeed make the stars jealous but? Hmm. Then again, it was just that. Infamous. Whether it was boy or girl, Sand. Sand. Rock. "Sands Rock Catalonia. That isn't too bad," she reckoned.
"Um? Does it have to be Catalonia?" Quatre asked.
"Are you really naming your child after your gundam?" Mae-Lin asked as she looked toward Wufei. "Thanks for the small things."
"I would not have named my child Nataku," he said.
"Wasn't it named Shenlong?" she asked.
"Woman, this discussion is pointless," he said. "Shenlong would be a good name."
"Sand Rock Catalonia Winner then," she compromised. "I suppose it could share in the illustrious Winner name, but one cannot forget Catalonia either." He was trying to share more of the paper, but she already made up her mind. Sandrock was more than just a weapon, it became the very object to getting where they ended up in their system. It was even one of the last mighty mobile suits to ever be lost.
She noticed all of the subtle looks Quatre was giving, he was really trying to get her to relook at the paper, he even managed a 'um' and some pointing. "Sand Rock Catalonia Winner or Sands Rock Catalonia Winner?" People would call him by his first name more, but then again, Quatre had always introduced himself as Quatre Raberba Winner. Introductions were important to the expression of a name. "Sand Rock Catalonia Winner." He was going to definitely interject, probably with 'if it's a boy', which made sense, but "Sandra Rock Catalonia Winner would be a more feminine choice if need be, but it could go either way."
"That was Duo's suggested," he finally managed, like it would add any bearings. "I just wrote it down to be kind. Are you . . ." Yes, of course she was sure, and he could tell she was sure before he even asked in the first place. A wasteful bit of time.
Quatre liked the name as well, but humility was keeping him from saying that. After all, who names their child after a mobile suit? Legends did. She did not care about such trifles as humility or modesty, it was a fitting name for a child that belonged to a legend that had changed the course of history.
It mattered not how or why Sand Rock Catalonia Winner would be born, he was the child of a legend, and before she left this world, she would leave that honorable mark on him. Quatre seemed to understand as he gently gave a nod.
"Sand Rock Catalonia Winner," he even repeated.
Mae-Lin looked toward Wufei. "If anything ever happens? No."
"Nothing will happen," Wufei answered back.
"If it ever does? No, and it's Zhang."
"It would be Long," Wufei corrected her. "It would be a strong child, not a weak one."
"If it's mother was weak and unmarried, it would be weak, so it should have the weaker name." Mae-Lin was using the weak point and making herself look less good, to get her own way. It was something no other woman ever did, except her. Sometimes it worked.
"If it happened, it would be mine, and I would marry you so as not to be dishonored, and it would be a strong Long. I am avenging the Zhang colony, it would be Long."
"Zhang Long would probably solve that problem," Quatre came back with.
"Shut up," they both told him.
Dorothy just smiled, although she felt her body waver a moment. No, she mustn't waver, Quatre would- Quatre already saw it. If she rebelled, he would push harder. She would go lay down a few more minutes. She already knew he was going to get another washrag, but gave him a look. She wanted to be drowned in the washrag last time, but not this time. She headed toward her room, waiting for him to bring an ice pack politely.
As she got comfortable on her bed, she received the ice pack. Yes, she knew the eyes. Yes, she was taking it easy but serious. Would someone meet with the other pilots soon for the flowers? Yes, his look definitely indicated they were coming. An easy smile, he was feeling better. A good goal accomplished.
He left and she closed her eyes. Sand Rock Catalonia Winner. It would be a legendary name for a legendary person.