Title: Boys of Earth

Rating: PG

Warnings: Non-canon compliance, alternate ending

Genre: General

Word Count: 2632

Main Character(s): Inaho, Slaine, mentions of others

Pairing(s): None

Summary: The aftermath of the battle at UFE HQ, Inaho and Slaine came to terms with each other. One shot.

Disclaimer: is copyright to Urobuchi Gen, Olympus Knights and A-1 Pictures.

AN: Way to rip my heart out with that ending. Slaine being able to power up Tharsis left so many speculations and this was one of them. He was either gifted with it or he's of Versian royal blood.

The last that Inaho saw had been the gun barrel at his face and the sound of thunder roaring in his ears before blackness claimed him. After that, he knew no more.

Waking up to a dull throb over his entire body, he grimaced at the lights. He had raised a hand to block out the brightness when his right arm protested vehemently at being moved. He bit back a hiss of pain, squinting to see. Slowly, his eyes adjusted and he was able see the room more clearly.

It was a living room. His brow furrowed at the sight. He should be in the infirmary, recovering, not at this place, wherever it is. The living room wasn't that big, it was decent sized with an open kitchen on the other end. Sunlight was streaming in through the glass doors leading out to a balcony. There were two doors within sight. He assumed one must lead to a bedroom while another was the front door. His scrutiny of the place done, he went to catalogued his injuries.

Gunshot wound on his right shoulder, just below the collarbone, missing his vital organs. Not life threatening. Gash on his temple which someone had taped it up. He inhaled deeply and let his breath out. No cracked or broken ribs. Probably a multitude of bruises and cuts all over. His right arm was in a sling to prevent him from moving it. He'd been stripped of his suit and bundled in a pajama top and pants that were a little big on his frame but they were comfortable and clean.

There was neatly folded up mattress next to him, blanket and pillow on top. On his other side was a glass of water. With some difficulties, he managed to sit upright, though his head swam a little with the effort. The dizziness left after a few minutes and he was able to drink the water, relishing the coolness down his throat.

He wasn't surprise when the front door lock clicked and it swung open to reveal the Martian. The towhead was out of uniform, dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans. He didn't seem to notice that Inaho was awake as he busied himself with bolting the door shut, toeing off his boots and heading towards the kitchen to set the plastic bags down.

"Bat," Inaho said.

Bat jumped, clearly startled and dropping the can he was holding. It landed on the floor with a thump, rolling away. He stared at Inaho with wide eyes, looking like some deer caught in headlights. After a heart beat, Bat relaxed, leaning down to pick up the can and placing it on the counter top. Leaving it and the plastic bags, he walked over towards Inaho and crouched down before him but not within grabbing distance. Not like Inaho can muster up the energy to do so.

"You're awake," said Bat. "Your fever broke yesterday."

That explained the lingering weariness in his bones and body. He touched the gunshot wound gingerly. It ached dully.

Bat looked away but not before Inaho saw the guilt in the expression. "I cleaned it as best as I could. The bullet didn't went in deeper."

"Why?" Inaho dropped his hand. "You could have left me there. I know my teammates would have come and found me. Or you could have just killed me outright."

Bat didn't reply for a long time before he finally got up. As he headed back to the kitchen, Inaho thought he heard the soft, "I don't know." He decided to ignore it in lieu of lying back down to sleep.

Dinner was canned food. They ate quietly, save for the clinking of utensils against the plates. Inaho had discovered that he was starving. He put it down to being in unconscious for a while and not being able to eat anything during that time. He finished off two cans of sardines and a can of tomato soup. Bat ate slower, taking his time, as if to savour each bite.

Later that night, Inaho remembered the princess saying there a was Terran boy who'd taught everything about earth. He remembered that day well. It had been her first time out on the deck, under the endless blue skies and wide oceans. She'd laughed, twirling around with such joy. He then remembered the blood that splattered on his face and the shocked expression she wore as she held out her hand, stained a bright red. Another thunder bolt followed and he'd lost sight of her as she fell. He remembered seeing her laying so still and lifeless on the cold floor, a lock of blond hair dyed crimson and blood spreading out under her head. He clenched his hands around his blanket.

Next to him, Bat was asleep but Inaho knew better. The shaking was not from cold.

Breakfast was less peaceful. Bat's hand was tight around the handle of the pan and he looked this close to actually using the spatula in his hand to clobber Inaho over his head, injury or no injury. Inaho couldn't say that he would blame the other boy. He was just extremely picky over his eggs, that was all.

"You're just wasting food," Bat griped, scraping the latest egg off the pan onto a plate that had at least five eggs on it. "Just because you don't like how it's done doesn't mean you can just simply waste it all like that. On Vers-. " At this, Bat closed his mouth, teeth clicking audibly.

Inaho saw the tensed lines around his eyes and the shadows under his eyes. There was frustration there and other emotions that went by too fast for him to identify. He pulled the plate of eggs towards him and began to eat. If Bat was gratified, he said nothing.

They were in some small town that Bat couldn't tell him the name of. Not because he didn't want to but he didn't know. Bat had gotten them out of the landing castle and as far away from the war zone as possible. They were most probably still in Russia. Inaho could see the streets and houses below covered in snow.

The town was empty. It had probably been evacuated once news got out that the UFE HQ had been attacked.

"Food is precious on Vers," said Bat. His voice was soft.

Inaho turned and padded back to the sofa. Bat was in the armchair, book dangling from his fingers, his eyes a thousand miles away.

"Whatever natural resources Mars had, it had been used up. Life was harsh. Only the nobles and royalty could afford the better life while the lower class and the poor were left to fend for themselves. We don't get fresh meat or produce. It's hard to plant anything or even rear any animals due to the harsh weather conditions and lack of water. That's why they attacked earth fifteen years ago. The empire wanted the resources that you all have, resources that Mars can't ever have."

The afternoon sun made everything glow red and orange. Inaho would have shuddered at the imagery but he didn't. He sat in the armchair, watching the world outside. His injuries are healing and there was no stopping him from leaving this place, getting back to Yuki and the others but he didn't. He wondered how Yuki was doing. If Inko was mad at him or how Calm was.

"I'm sorry," Bat said, one day.

Inaho turned to the other boy. "I forgive you," he said.

Bat gave him an incredulous look. "You don't even know what I'm apologizing for," he said, tone aggrieved.

"I can guess a number of things but what does it matter?" Inaho stared at him. "It's all been done and it's all in the past. You shot me but I pulled the gun on you first. I could have trusted you more back then but I didn't."

Bat sighed just sighed resignedly before returning to his book. The thing is, Inaho wasn't the type to hold grudges. He'd learned long ago that it was pointless and a waste of energy. He was pragmatic enough to see and understand the reasons for why people did what they did. He

The bullet wound was still healing. It would scar, of course but Inaho wasn't that vain. He carefully sealed the bandage back in place. He counted at least sixteen days that they both had holed up in here. There was a sort of truce between them both. It wasn't friendship. Not yet anyway. But they weren't trying to kill each other so.

Of course, it all fell apart three days later.

The brawl hadn't been spectacular. If anything, it had been a mess. Inaho would admit to have little to no fitness in hand to hand. He was better at piloting a mobile suit. Still, it didn't mean he didn't know how. They sat across from each other, the coffee table between them. It had been righted soon as the fight was over. A first aid kit sat on top of it, cover open.

It had been about Asseylum, and Inaho knew it had been a long time coming. All that pent up frustration, grief, sorrow and anger. It was bound to explode.

Bat sported an impressive left black eye. It was a shocking blue-black shade against his fair skin. Like Inaho, his lower lip was split, dried blood caked to it. His knuckles had been split open during the brawl. Inaho's own right eye was the exact same shade and his cheek felt a bit tender. His right shoulder where the still tender bullet wound had been was throbbing from when Bat had jabbed him viciously earlier. He wiped at his bleeding lower lip. His own knuckles were bloodied as well from the punches. He discovered that he had a mean left hook.

"I hated you," Bat murmured. His hands were trembling but held steady as he wiped the alcohol swab over Inaho's knuckles, causing him to hiss. "Maybe I still do hate you. We could have-." He exhaled, taking a plaster out from the box. "She's dead because of me," he said, dully. "I saved the Count because of some stupid debt I felt that I owed him. I should have known better. And now she's gone to where I can never follow. I never even got to speak to her."

Inaho would have jerked back but he held still, his own emotions swirling like a storm inside of him. He watched as Bat stuck the plaster in place. Felt the warm hands on his. Felt the wetness on their hands. Felt rather than saw when the dam finally burst and the flood came. Without saying anything, he placed his own hand on top of the other's.

"Slaine," Bat said, later that night as they both laid, huddled under their blankets. The reading lamp lit the place with a soft, warm glow. Inaho turned his head but Bat was staring at the ceiling. "My name is Slaine Troyard."

"Slaine Troyard of Mars," Inaho murmured. Bat let out a surprised but muffled snort. "Inaho Kaizuka."

"Inaho Kaizuka of Earth," said Bat- no, Slaine.

The next day, they raided the bedrooms' closets, found several articles of clothing that fitted then left the apartment. They couldn't stay holed up in there forever.

The Martian Kataphract was impressive up close. It was hidden in one of the warehouses at the edge of the town. It was a tight fit for two people. Inaho was wedged between the seat and the console. He was careful not to accidentally touch anything. The Kat hummed to life as soon as Slaine touched the controls, the dark screen gave way to a 360◦ view of the warehouse. As Inaho watched Slaine pilot the Kat, something prickled at the back of his mind. Something that Seylum had told him a long while ago.

"Only knights and royalty can power the drive," she had said.

Inaho stared at the back of Slaine's head, wondering. He never voiced the thought out loud.

For all its speed, the Tharsis still only reached the UFE's headquarters a day later. The sight of the landing castle wreck left a pang in his chest. The Deucalion was no longer there. Inaho wondered how had they managed to move it off the landing castle. It would have taken a huge logistics team and resources to do it.

Slaine had maneuvered Tharsis as close to wreck as possible. Debris and wreckage of the Martian and earth mobile suits littered the snow-covered land. It was calm now, unlike that day where there was a snowstorm and never ceasing gun fire and explosions. Inaho shaded his eyes as he peered up. Looking at it now, he was quietly in awe of the sheer size of it. Back then, there hadn't been any thought of it except for the battle. They both made their way into the landing castle. Inside, it was silent. The only sounds were their breathing and their booted feet on the metal floor.

"Stairs, I think," said Slaine, voice loud in the stillness. He lead the way down the hallway. Like Inaho, he was resolutely not looking at the dried stains on the walls and floor. The dead had been removed from the place.

"You were here before," Inaho observed.

"Not this one," came Slaine's reply. "All landing castles have the same identical layout. All are equipped with lifts and stairs, as a precaution. In case the drive ever failed. Once you've memorized one, you know how to navigate the rest of the knights' castles. Here." He pushed open a door leading to a set of stairs.

They walked up, their footsteps loud. They stopped before the door leading to the Aldnoah drive chamber. Inaho repressed a shudder. When they set foot inside, he thought for a moment that Asseylum's body was still there, body motionless while blood spread out under her. He could almost smell the metallic tang in the air mixed with hydraulic oil and gunpowder. He could almost hear the cry of rage and grief. Another blink and the chamber was empty. Slaine had walked further in, carefully avoiding the dark stain on the floor. Inaho clenched his fists, then exhaled slowly. It must be ten times worse for Slaine. The other boy's shoulders were stiff and tensed.

Slaine stared at the Aldnoah drive for a long moment before lifting his hand up and removing his glove. Inaho came to stand beside him. Slaine hesitated then placed his hand on the Aldnoah drive. The moment his bare fingers touched it, it light up, suffusing the chamber in bright yellow light. The landing castle came to life beneath their feet, engines and gears turning, control panels lighting up.

Inaho caught him as he staggered back, dismay clear in his blue-green eyes before his expression crumpled. "I did wonder how I was able to pilot the Tharsis," he said, blankly. "Even I was never given the activation factor."

Inaho allowed him a moment before saying,"We can't stay here long."

"No, we can't." Slaine breathed out then touched the Aldnoah drive, shutting it down. He surreptitiously wiped at his eyes. They went back down again, back to the Tharsis.

Out in the cold, the wind stung at Inaho's cheeks. There were a million possibilities and only one glaring obvious answer. It wasn't one that he wanted to dwell in and he had a feeling that Slaine didn't want to probe any deeper into it as well. It was secret they would both keep.

"Let's go," said Inaho, voice quiet but firm. Slaine looked at him for a beat, then nodded.

They left the site.

There was still a war ongoing.

End.