Chapter 173: Journey to the South Pole
After Heero and Duo finished visiting the last of the victims' families, their movements gradually came under the scrutiny of OZ's intelligence division. As the days went by, their actions became increasingly difficult.
While they were being hunted by OZ's intelligence operatives and discussing in a warehouse how to transport the Gundam out of the city, Noin—who had been searching for them—suddenly appeared.
"You can use my transport plane," Noin said, looking at Heero, who was unscathed. "I didn't expect you to still be alive. And I certainly didn't think our first meeting would happen under these circumstances."
When Duo saw Noin, dressed in an OZ military uniform, suddenly appear behind them, he instantly drew his pistol and aimed it at her.
However, Noin walked up to them calmly and introduced herself. "My name is Lucrezia Noin. I'm a subordinate of Colonel Zechs."
Heero looked puzzled, showing no hint of recognition at the name. "Zechs?"
Seeing Heero's confusion, Noin explained, "He's the pilot of the white mobile suit you fought at the Siberian base."
Duo, still wary, said coldly, "We're not going to let ourselves be captured without a fight."
"Colonel Zechs wants to see you," Noin replied.
Duo's guard remained up as he retorted, "See us? What, to interrogate us for information?"
Noticing their distrust, Noin sighed and clarified, "Please don't misunderstand. Colonel Zechs isn't asking to meet you as an OZ officer—but as an MS pilot. He wishes to have another battle with you both."
Heero's expression didn't change as he asked, "So he wants a duel? This Zechs… seems to be quite an exceptional man."
Noin shrugged casually. "Believe it or don't. That's up to you."
"Where is he?" Heero asked.
Duo turned to him. "You actually believe her?"
Heero lowered his head and closed his eyes, thinking back carefully to his fight with Zechs. Then he replied, "I don't think he's the kind of man who would set a trap."
"Is that so? Then it looks like my Gundam's finally going to see some real use," Duo said.
Heero gazed at the Heavyarms Gundam, wondering whether to use it in a duel against Zechs.
"Since I've delivered the message, I'll return and report in," Noin said. "Think about it carefully. I'll come back for you in a while."
Before she could turn to leave, Heero cut in. "I'll go with you. Take us to him now."
Noin smiled in satisfaction, nodded, and led them to a shuttle waiting at the base. They immediately took off, heading toward Zechs's military base in Antarctica.
Aboard the shuttle, under Duo's guidance, Heero began familiarizing himself with the Heavyarms' systems, preparing to use it in the upcoming duel with Zechs.
Meanwhile, Relena—who had been tirelessly searching for Heero—heard from her butler that Zechs's recent actions had been rather unusual.
After his battle with Heero in Siberia, Zechs had transported a large shipment of Gundanium alloy from space down to Earth. The report that the Wing Gundam had been destroyed might have been fabricated, since the amount of material brought in was enough to build two Gundams.
The butler speculated that Zechs had done all this to settle things once and for all with Heero.
After contacting Lady Une, Relena learned that Heero had indeed survived—and that he had even saved the granddaughter of Marshal Noventa.
Relena also received a letter from Lady Noventa addressed to Heero, urging him not to drown in past hatred but to create a future of his own.
Overjoyed, Relena immediately arranged a flight to Sicily to meet Lady Noventa in person, hoping to learn more about Heero's whereabouts.
Elsewhere, Treize also received reports suggesting that the Gundam Zechs supposedly destroyed had been a decoy. The rumor was already spreading.
He wasn't sure whether he should continue allowing Zechs to act on his own initiative like this. But after some thought, Treize concluded that Zechs wasn't the sort to cause unnecessary trouble—and that everyone might just be worrying too much.
Trowa scoffed at the Romfeller Foundation, muttering that they must have lost their minds. "Honestly, the Wing Gundam is an incredible weapon. Why blow it up instead of using it themselves?"
Destroying such a powerful machine when they didn't even have a superior one to replace it was pure waste in his eyes.
In the end, Zechs couldn't bring himself to destroy it. He secretly sent the Gundam back to Heero instead.
If Zechs had actually kept it, he wouldn't have been able to use a fake as cover. After all, the specs would have to match exactly. Even if he gave one to Heero, he'd still have another for himself—and with a capable pilot, it might perform just as well.
At the Antarctic base, Zechs was secretly repairing the Wing Gundam, sparing no effort to prepare for Heero's arrival and the duel ahead.
As Noin's shuttle approached the Antarctic base with Heero and Duo aboard, they were detected by a Romfeller Foundation reconnaissance team.
A communications officer rushed into the shuttle's hangar and reported anxiously to Noin, "Lieutenant Noin, we have a problem! Our flight path has been tracked by several of their transport units. They showed up on radar as soon as we entered the continent!"
Noin remained calm. "Did they manage to read our fuel range? They've probably guessed we're heading for Colonel Zechs's base."
The communications officer panicked. "Then let's change course!"
"No." Noin rejected the idea decisively. "Deploy two Aries units to shake them off. Even if they pinpoint the base's location, we'll meet them head-on when they arrive."
After the communications officer left, Duo said quietly, "Stop lying—you're not the type to do anything that would add to Zechs's burden."
Heero asked, "You're really going to sortie in an Aries?"
Duo's voice was icy. "That'll just get you overwhelmed by their numbers."
Noin looked at them both seriously. "My mission is to deliver you safely. Please do as I say."
To shake off their pursuers, Noin and one of her soldiers launched in their Aries units.
As soon as they were airborne, they targeted one of the pursuing transports' engines and destroyed it with a series of rifle shots.
The enemy immediately counterattacked, deploying their own Aries suits. Unlike Noin, they showed no restraint—firing volleys of missiles followed by a continuous barrage of rifle fire.