"I can’t believe you found me after all these years." Storm, now revealed as former OZ Lieutenant Lucrezia Noin said as she and Zechs Merquise walked up the stairs to Noin’s apartment. "Or that you were still looking for me. I thought that you would have given up by now."

"You never gave up on me, why should I give up on you?" Zechs asked. Noin shrugged and opened the door, leading the way inside.

"I abandoned you and Relena, turned my back on all my Preventor duties and for what?" Storm said savagely. "To become an assassin, the very person I used to hate. You should hate me as well."

Zechs grabbed her and spun her around. "Stop talking like that! You used to know me as no other person had or will. Do you honestly think that I would abandon you? That I would hate you merely because you chose your own path?"

"That was a long time ago Zechs."

"Damn right," Zechs’s hold on her arms tightened. "Why did you leave me Noin?"

"I thought that you needed to do some growing up. Without me."

"That’s the biggest load of bs I’ve ever heard in my life." Zechs growled. He knew Noin wouldn’t do anything to deliberately hurt him. "What’s the real reason you ran Noin?"

"Because I was tired of being second to you that’s why!" Noin exploded. "You and Relena! Always, leave it to Noin but give the credit to the Peacecrafts."

"So you hide behind the mask of a person whom you are not."

"You’re a great person to tell me about masks." Noin snipped, trying to free herself from Zechs’s grasp. He merely held her tighter.

"Why you…" He hissed, lifting her off the ground. "Hold a mirror up to your own soul Lucrezia. You’ll find that you’re wearing more of a mask than I ever did!"

"You think I don’t know that?" Noin growled in return. "I take great pride in my skill Zechs."

"I can’t believe you just said that," Zechs said. "Who are you and what the hell have you done with my Lieutenant Noin?"

"She’s right here Zechs," Lucrezia shot back. "Three inches off the ground maybe but she is here." Zechs looked at her and then at the floor. He slowly set her down but kept his hold on her arms.

"Take a good look, alright!!!! Take a good look at the face of former OZ Lieutenant Lucrezia Noin, killer for hire!" Noin threw her arms out and looked down at herself.

Her eyes took on a very predatory quality. Before Zechs had time to blink, Noin’s hand shot out and wrapped around his neck. She began to squeeze.

"The best thing you could do now Zechs is to run. Run far, far away from me and never come back." The world began to swim before his eyes. Darkness swept over him as her inexorable grip grew tighter. But just as he thought his theory was wrong, that he’d never draw another breath again, the clutch of her hand was gone.

Zechs went to his knees drawing in great draughts of oxygen. He blinked his eyes to clear them.

"My god Zechs," Noin said in horror, looking at her hand. "I almost killed you!"

"Knew… you wouldn’t…" Zechs gasped. "Could see it…in your eyes… my Noin’s eyes…the Noin… I used to… know… "

"You’re right," Noin admitted. "I couldn’t hurt you. But I meant every word that I said. Get out of here, forget about me. Run."

"I’ve never run from anything in my entire life," Zechs said coldly. "And I am not going to run from my friend."

"Some friend." Storm said sarcastically. "I just tried to kill you and you call me a friend?"

"You’re a little lost perhaps but yes, I do call you a friend."

"Then you’re more deluded than I ever gave you credit for."

"Deluded? Or right?" He bowed slightly to her and disappeared as quickly as he had come. Noin stared after him with stoic eyes, willing herself not to cry.

As she was walking to her room, her eyes caught sight of a flower on her table. As Noin neared she saw that it was not just a flower, it had a note attached to it…

"You claimed long ago that you would never leave my side. Now it’s my turn. Don’t push me away, just let me stand with you as you once did for me.