Brothers in Arms
Summary: Kira and Shinn are brothers and are living in Helioplis when ZAFT attack the colony after EA's new Mobile Suit weapons, they each end up behind the controls of a Gundam and end up fighting for the EA, but can they fight Athrun? A childhood friend now one of ZAFT's elite pilots in control of a captured Gundam.
Chapter 1) the Downfall of Helioplis, the Gundams revealed
It was just another peaceful day on Helioplis Kira and his brother Shinn were hanging out in the park. Kira was a brunette with friendly violet eyes and a strange taste in fashion (wearing a pair of green pants and a black top with red shoulder straps and a large goofy collar) while his Twin brother Shinn had black hair and wild blood red eyes, and an only slightly better taste in fashion (wearing a pair of beige pants and a long brown pullover.) Kira was watching the news on his laptop with a sad expression on his face while Shinn goofed of playing with Birdie a yellow and green mechanical bird, a gift to the brothers from a very dear friend. "The war…" Kira begins and then sighs his head drooped despondently. Shinn glances up at him twisting his head around to catch sight of the broadcast and snorts "ZAFT are trouncing the alliance forces" he sneers "so much for superior numbers overcoming the coordinators superior abilities" he claims cockily.
Although it wasn't exactly a secret Kira and Shinn didn't advertise the fact they were coordinators, (genetically altered human beings) Helioplis was a neutral space colony and so accepted both naturals and coordinators as long as they obeyed the laws and accepted the ideals of the nation. Despite this with Kira's humanly impossible work load which he kept up with easily despite his good natured complaining and with Shinn's obvious disdain for most naturals rumours had been sparked that the pair we're actually coordinators. "Looks like" mutters Kira, he hated the very thought of war and couldn't help but feel powerless as he watched the battle unfold before his very eyes.
"So this is where you've been hanging out" Tolle a brunette like Kira with blue eyes wearing a back pack, a joker by nature declares triumphantly as he and Miriallia a girl with light brown hair and blue eyes also carrying a back pack and wearing a rather fetching orange tank top approach the brothers. "Professor Kato's been trying to get a hold of you two" Miriallia informs them. Kira looking up the distraction breaking him out of his sombre mood sighs slightly exasperated "what again?" he asks. "he asked us to bring you to him right away" Miriallia claims before smirking "oh and Shinn he said to tell you this time you'd better do your share of the work instead of leaving it all to Kira" she smiles teasingly at the fiery Yamato, while Kira was cool, calm and collected, the kind of guy who wouldn't harm a fly. Shinn was hot headed, impatient, impulsive and liable to launch into a tirade of insults if not violence if things didn't go his way. Bizarrely despite their conflicting personalities or perhaps because of them the brothers got on very well with each other.
"Awe Hell" Shinn swears, it wasn't that he couldn't do the work, he could and in his sleep more over, he hated having to waste his time on such menial and to his mind demeaning tasks, hell he and Kira could probably teach the class. Kira lightly smacks his 'little' brother's over the head (actually their twins and are living with adopted parents whom they love dearly, and they don't know which is older but since Kira is the more mature one he's usually referred to as the eldest) "I've only just finished the work load he gave us yesterday" he complains annoyed by this but already resigned to his fate. Shinn glowers at his 'big' brother and continues to curse the professor's name in his head.
Tolle glances over Kiras shoulder at the broadcast and frowns "some development in the news?" he asks Kira but it is Shinn who replies "Taiwan apparently" he snorts "sucks to be them" Tolle gasps "if this is footage from last week they may have already taken over Kaohsiung by now!" Shinn rolls his eyes as if to say well done you only just figured that out? But a warning glance from Kira makes him bite back his retort.
"Kaohsiung isn't that far from us is it?" Miriallia states a worried look on her face "will the homeland be all right?" at this point Birdy flies up into the air calling out it's name Shinn and Kira glance up at it and follow it's flight with their eyes. "Sure" Tolle replies confidently "there's nothing to worry about, oh there close by but our nations neutral I can't see Orb turning into a warzone" his prediction would later turn out to be completely and utterly wrong in every way but at the time no one could argue with his statement and nor did anyone want to. Kira's eyes glaze over as he enters a flashback:
He and Shinn a few years younger were standing on a pathway along a row of trees back on Earth the cherry blossoms were floating past in the breeze beside them stood a boy about their age. "The PLANTS and Earth will see eye to eye there will be no war" he predicts with the same amount of accuracy as Tolle. The boy hands a green and yellow mechanical bird over to Kira who accepts the gift with awe. "The evacuation doesn't mean a thing" the blue haired boy claims his hair swaying along with the breeze "I'll be seeing you, both of you in the PLANT's, right Kira? Shinn?" 'Athrun' thought Kira as a feeling of loss, regret, sadness and desire assaulted him all at once.
The flashback ends as Kira's snapped back to reality by Tolle who peers in close to Kira's face "Kira?" he asks shocking the brunette who cries out in alarm and leaps a mile. "What's up with you anyway?" Tolle asks both confused and bemused by Kira's reaction while Miriallia looks on in concern. Shinn mouths the name Athrun behind their backs smirking as Kira blushes madly, having correctly guessed his brothers day dream. "No-nothing" Kira stammers cursing his body for betraying him. "Well then lets go" Tolle and Miriallia start to leave "the professor said the programs he needed you to work on were filed under G" Miriallia informs the brothers, Shinn sits up straight at once upon hearing this, Kira gasps before rushing to pack away his lap top. This was different coursework was one thing but a chance to work on the G-weapons was another thing altogether perhaps the professor would let them update the OS this time.
0o0o0
Outside the colony an old transport ship under the command of the Earth Forces docks with Helioplis's harbour unknown to the inhabitants of the colony this would be the act that started what was to come. And also unknown to the several highly trained G-weapon pilots they would soon be dead as would everyone onboard the vessel, all except for one highly skilled and legendary Mobile Armor pilot. Lieutenant La Flaga a veteran Mobile Armor pilot couldn't help but wonder if the chosen pilots would be able to acquit themselves well enough on the ground.
0o0o0
Meanwhile hidden behind an asteroid not far from the colony a green and a blue pair of ZAFT Warships lay in wait as they prepare to make their move.
0o0o0
On their way to the lab at Morgenroete Kira, Shinn, Tolle and Miriallia come across Flay and two of her friends who were bugging her about her possible involvement with another of their friends Sai when a trio of finely dressed adults come to a stop behind them. The woman and one of her escorts wore black shades giving the group a men in black/secret agent look, even though only one of the escorts wore a suit (which was green rather than black) The woman coughs to attract the teen's attention "if your not getting in mind if I do?" she asks it seemed they were blocking the adults access to the car pool, moving aside they let the adults passed. Kira and Shinn exchange knowing glances, over their time in Helioplis they'd come to notice certain people whose mannerisms to them simply screamed 'under cover military personnel' More Earth Forces soldiers presumably on their way to Morgenroete. Before Kira and Shinn can think on the matter more closely and as Flay leaves for the shopping district with her two friends and Tolle begins to tease Kira claiming it looked like he had competition with Sai for Flay's heart. Shinn can't help but wonder why he hangs out with such an idiotic natural? Oh yeah he was Kira's friend that's why. Kira didn't have any feelings for the scarlet haired self obsessed prom queen in fact having shared a dorm room with Kira Shinn knew full well that Flay wasn't his brothers 'type' if you got his drift, then again he'd have to have been deaf, dumb and blind not to have noticed Kira developing on his crush for a certain Bluenette back when they were kids.
0o0o0
Outside the colony Space suited ZAFT commandos infiltrate Helioplis.
0o0o0
As they entered the Lab Kira smiled at one of his best friends (and rivals for Flay's affection if Tolle was to be believed) Sai already at work on a simulation smiled back he was a rustic blonde and wore amber tinted glasses and had a bright taste in fashion. Kuzzy another of their friends with black hair and Asian features (another no hoper when it came to fashion) was sat at a workstation. Of the professor there was no sign. Glancing to the side Kira caught sight of an unknown blond haired guy wearing a cap pulled down low over his eyes. Shinn ignored him and the others and strode past the Robotic testing model and over to a free work station in the corner where he could work in secret. Little did their friends know that as well as running simulations for propulsion systems and coming up with robotic designs the lab also served as a simulation suite for tweaking computer code for highly advanced Mobile Suits, heck the labs current robot test model was even shaped like a clunky miniature mobile suit and no one even put 2 and 2 together. The Scientists that ran morgenroete may have designed and constructed the G-weapons but they needed Kira and Shinns genius to finish them.
"Who's that?" Tolle asks Kuzzy gesturing at the blond guy stood of to the side of the room "oh him?" Kuzzy glances at the blond guy "professors guest he was apparently told to wait here" Kira approaches the pair as Tolle replies "really?" "Where's the prof?" he asks Kuzzy the professors guest could wait and indeed was waiting but he and Shinn were impatient to begin some 'real' work on the G-weapons. In fact Shinn had already logged onto the system using professor Katos password and was typing a mile a minute working on refining the new and totally improved OS he and Kira had come up with to replace the old crappy one the Mobile Suits were currently using. Even so they'd need the Professor to authorize it before they could upload the new OS into the G-weapons lest they wanted to be arrested and tried for possible sabotage which as ridicules as it sounds would happen if they uploaded it without authorization.
0o0o0
While this was occurring ZAFT commandos started planting explosive charges around a Ship in a hidden hanger on Helioplis.
0o0o0
"He handed me this" Sai informs Kira "its extra stuff" he hands over a data disc to Kira who sighs "great" he mutters, the professor should really know better leaving a data disc with G-weapon designs on it with a civilian student even it was just Sai, even if he had entrusted Kira and Shinn with far more. "So what's on it?" a curious Sai asks Kira "I'm assuming it's connected to the work for Morgenroete" what was Kira supposed to tell him? Certainly not the truth unless he wanted himself and Shinn to be shot. "Not exactly" replies Kira "Its to improve the frame set up module" Shinn snorts as he hears Kira's excuse since it was partially true, it was to improve a module just a Mobile Suit one "actually its just a program analysis" Shinn adds knowing full well that lying wasn't his brothers strong suit, he hoped they'd accept the explanation and let them Kira get on with the work, he was already half way through the OS updates for his favourite G-weapon.
Unfortunately this would not be the case as Tolle grabs Kira in a head lock that he could easily break free from if he used his coordinator abilities breaking Tolle's arm in the process. However since it was just his friend playing around he merely struggled half-heartedly as was expected while Tolle proceeded to interrogate Kira and Sai trying to force Kira to ask Sai about Flay's letter. "Give me strength" mutters Shinn ignoring the commotion they were causing. The Blond guy apparently just as unimpressed moves across to a far door that lead into the inner lab, out of bounds to college students and tries the handle and scowls as he finds it locked tight.
0o0o0
The ZAFT forces on the two ships outside the colony make their move and launch their attack. The Earth forces on the transport ship docked in Helioplis's harbour detect the ZAFT ships movement and goes on alert. All attempts made by Helioplis's station staff to warn of the ZAFT vessels are ignored as radio jamming is put into effect. The ZAFT ships launch Mobile Suits straight for the colony. Mu la Flaga makes his way to the transport ships Mobile Armor hanger and preps his Moebius Zero Mobile Armor for launch alongside two other Mobile Armor pilots. Meanwhile Helioplis launch their own (extremely outdated) Mobile Armors as a defensive screen.
0o0o0
Kira has finally begun work on the OS updates while his friends run simulations and goof of with the frame set up module. Shinn smirked just another few seconds and he'd be finished victory was his even if he had had a head start on Kira he was still going to count it. Neither he nor none of them or indeed any of the thousands of people currently going about their business had any idea of what was to occur in the next hour, and what would be lost.
0o0o0
In the factory district at the warehouse beside Morgenroete the Earth forces (disguised as technicians or wearing Helioplis Security uniforms) start to move the G-weapons to the Archangel for safety upon hearing about the incoming attack. Just then the Timer bombs planted around the hidden ship, the Archangel reach zero and detonate sending rubble crashing around the ship which is engulfed in a blast cloud, killing many of the Earth forces service men in the resulting explosions.
0o0o0
Kira, Shinn and the others look around in alarm and fear as they feel the explosion shake the ground beneath them. What was happening? Was the colony failing? Was it a natural disaster? A Meteoroid? Or could…could they actually be under attack?
0o0o0
On the Earth forces transport ship Mu finishes his preparations and calls the ships captain up on his Mobile Armor's radio. "Launch the ship" he instructs "the harbours about to be taken over" he pulls his space helmets visor down "I'm launching too"
0o0o0
Outside the colony Helioplis's Mobile Armors proved to be no match for the faster, more agile ZAFT Mobile Suits, the GINN's and were been slaughtered when the Earth Forces transport ship launches from the harbour to enter the battle sending out two Moebius Mobile Armors and the Moebius Zero piloted by Mu himself it had four gun pods attached to the main cockpit module which itself had a linear gun bolted to the underside. It was a custom Mobile Armor that could only be controlled by the Ace of Aces, pilots such as the Hawk of Enmion.
0o0o0
Despite the best efforts of Helioplis's Mobile Armors three GINN's had broken through and entered the colony while the ZAFT commando squad had located the 'treasure chest' the Earth Forces new Mobile Suits and radioed the location to the GINN's.
0o0o0
Outside the colony the Earth forces more advanced (if only just) Mobile Armors fought the remaining GINN's with no more success than the Helioplis forces. However Mu in his Moebius Zero manages to payback a GINN separating two of his gunpods he manages to inflict some damage onto the Mobile Suit which still manages to down one of his fellow Mobile Armor pilots.
0o0o0
The GINN's inside Helioplis launch their attack on the Earth Forces transporting the G-weapons and proceed to level the highway near Morgenroete.
0o0o0
Kira, Shinn and the others leave the lab for the corridor to find the other people in the building are in the middle of evacuating. "What's going on?" Sai asks a man who was hurrying down a set of stairs. "What's this all about?" The man barely pauses "I don't know" he snaps before continuing on his way 'Jerk' thinks Shinn sarkly. Another man coming down the stairs also hearing the question stops by them "were under attack from ZAFT" he explains. Kira and Shinn exchange glances they had always known this day may come and had been afraid of this, the only reason ZAFT would attack the colony was for the G-weapons! "Some Mobile Suits have entered the colony" the man continues as the blond guy gasps in shock "we're heading for the shelters, now you'd better hurry too" he continues on his way. The Blond guy however runs the other way instead of heading for the shelters. Kira and Shinn know what they have to do, they can't run and hide from this the G-weapons OS was incomplete, if they were needed in combat it wouldn't be pretty, they had to get to the warehouse and update the OS manually if necessary. They run of in the same direction as the blond guy. "Kira! Shinn!" Tolle cries as the building shakes as another explosion occurs nearby. "go ahead without us" Kira yells back "we'll head for the shelters on the other side, after we've found the professor" Shinn yells back wondering briefly where the hell he was anyway as he and Kira run down the smoke and dust filled corridor.
0o0o0
On the highway the Earth Alliance Forces put up a good fight alongside Helioplis Security force busting out some attack vehicles equipped with missile launchers but the ZAFT forces put up an even better one. And with the arrival of the commando team flying in on jet packs to assist the GINNs the battle turns against the Earth forces. "Destroy any parts we can't carry and the factories" Yzak instructs his fellow commandos over the radio "our Intel indicated five of them" he states however only three grey Mobile Suits can be seen in trucks on the highway "are the other two inside?" he queries. "Rusty and I will continue" Athrun informs Yzak "you guys take these three" Yzak glances back at Athrun "okay go for it" he turns back to his team "if your piloting one, disarm the self-destruct first" he reminds them. The Commandos landed and opened fire taking out two of the Earth forces defenders before throwing a grenade into a truck cab to take out a few more.
0o0o0
Kira and Shinn were running down a rubble strewn corridor, the blond guy just a few paces ahead of them "hey what you doing?" Kira grabs the guy by the shoulder "it's a dead end down there" he lies after all he couldn't let this stranger come with them and see the G-weapons he and Shinn were going to get it in the neck from the Prof as it was and he'd rather not involve any innocent people if he could help it. "Stop tailing me!" the blond guy snaps "you two had better get out of here and hook up with the others" Shinn didn't like his condensing tone one bit "don't think your so special" he snaps back "we have business to take care of just like we said your inconcidental" suddenly an explosion at the far end of the corridor they'd just came down blocks of the way back, the blast wave sending the strangers hat flying. "Huh?" Shinn gasps he, and Kira stare in amazement as the guy or rather girl looks up after flinching away from the blast.
"You're…" Kira couldn't believe his eyes "…a…." Shinn gulps "a Girl!" the brothers exclaim in union much to the girls chagrin, her eyes narrow as her features twist into a scowl "yeah what did you think I was?" she snaps at them. "A guy obviously" Shinn replies earning a heated glare from the girl. Kira chuckles apologetically. "Go back now" she snaps "I have to check up on something on my own" Shinn eyes the remains of the corridor behind them and raises an eyebrow "easy for you to say" replies Kira. "Yeah that's not really an option anymore now is it?" growls Shinn. The brothers glance at each other and take part in an unspoken exchange 'we can't leave her here' Kira states firmly. 'your right she may be a bit of a tom boy but in a certain light she could be considered hot' Shinn jokes 'be serious! there's no where else safe for her to hide' claims Kira 'I suppose…' Shinn sighs 'fine but you have to take responsibility for blondie here' he retorts. Snapping out of their silent conversation (with only a second passing in the real world) Kira grabs a hold of the girls hand "we can't stay here; this way" he declares before dragging her down the corridor with Shinn by his side "let go of me you fool!" she cries, Shinn was beginning to have doubts about her prospects as a possible girlfriend she was just to loud in his opinion. "Fool?" Kira replies feeling slightly hurt as he glances back at her "I just never thought we'd get involved" she replies a tremor in her voice.
In Kira and Shinn's opinion that made her the fool, having worked on the Earth forces top secret G-weapon project they both knew how impossible it was for anyone to remain uninvolved. "Don't worry I'll help you, you'll be okay" Kira promises and Shinn knew his brother would do everything in his power to fulfil that promise "there should still be shelters in the factory district" comments Shinn we can dump her in one when we get there he thinks.
0o0o0
Inside the warehouse housing the last two Earth forces Mobile Suits the Earth forces continued to fight of the ZAFT forces with heavy casualties, a grenade takes out three of the defenders in an instant, but Murrue and the remaining soldiers refuse to give up the G-weapons and open up with a rapid fire barrage.
0o0o0
Leaving Morgenroete Sai, Tolle, Miriallia and Kuzzy can only look on in horror as they witness a part of the battle, as a ZAFT GINN shoots up a group of Helioplis attack vehicles equipped with missile launchers causing wanton damage to the surrounding buildings.
0o0o0
Kira, Shinn and blondie run down a connecting corridor that Shinn had opened using a master password (which neither he nor Kira were supposed to know by the way) and emerged onto a catwalk to find a warzone below them. In containers on the warehouse floor were two grey Mobile Suits waiting to be activated while the surviving Earth Forces soldiers under the cover of some crates beside the machines fired upon the ZAFT forces who were pushing forward their advantage. Kira gasps his eyes sparkling "hey those are…" this was the first time he and Shinn had actually seen the Mobile Suits that they'd spent so much time and effort working on code for. Shinn whistles admiringly while blondie gasps and drops to her knees resting her head against the railings much to Kira and Shinn's surprise. "I knew it" she groans "the Earth forces prototype Mobile Suits" Kira and Shinn raise their eyebrows and look at the girl with newly found respect, she also knew about the G-weapons? Just who was this girl?
"Father I know you betrayed us all!" she screams. Before Kira and Shinn can wonder what she meant by that her yelling attracts some unwanted attention from the battlefield. Murrue turns round upon hearing a shout behind her and fires on instinct. Kira grabs blondie and pulls her away barely avoiding getting shot in the process while Shinn runs the other way "get her out of here" he snarls "I'll head for the you know what" he shouts back running along the catwalk for a door that leads down to another level while Kira and blondie sprint for the access tubes for the shelters below. Murrue lowered her weapon shock evident of her face "those were children" she realizes relieved that all her shots had missed. What were they doing here of all places?
"Crying won't help you" Kira snaps at blondie getting annoyed with her as she tears up, wasn't Never shout your head off while in the middle of a warzone a pretty easy rule of survival to remember? "Come on now run" he tells her but she wasn't exactly helping him or even herself "but your friend" she protests even as she struggled to keep up with him, his grip on her arm painfully tight. "My brother will be fine, Shinn can take care of himself" Kira replies not breaking his stride.
0o0o0
Outside on the highway ZAFT had been triumphant and Yzak, Dearka and Nicol having taken control of the three Earth forces Mobile Suits and updated the OS they decide to leave with their captured units before they could get damaged and so left the rest to Athrun and Rusty. They take off escorted by a GINN heading back to the command ship.
0o0o0
Back inside the warehouse the fighting continued as fires raged along one section even as Kira and blondie reached the Shelters access tube and activate the internal com system. "Is anyone out there?" someone from inside the shelter asks nervously "yes my friend and I, there's still heavy fighting going on up here can you please open the doors?" Kira asks, wanting to get the girl to safety and get back to the G-weapons as quickly as possible. "Two of you!" the voice replies horrified "were full to capacity as is, there are still spaces left in shelters in the left block can you make it there instead?" he asks Kira who glances back at the warehouse smoke and rubble filled his vision it was far to dangerous to risk taking the girl back there "please at least take my friend she's just a girl" he tries "Okay I guess we can do that" the voice replies and the doors to the access tube open. "Get in" Kira tells blondie who merely gasps and remains standing beside him. Kira rolls his eyes mentally why did no one ever listen to him? He physically grabs her and forces her into the access tube. "What are you?" she struggles "I can't…" Kira groans, no one ever listened "get in will you, I'll be alright don't worry about me" he pushes her back and goes to close the doors.
"Wait! I…I don't even know your name" she mutters looking away embarrassed. Kira smiles "it's Kira, and you?" he asks "Cagalli" she whispers, staring at him with her eyes begging him not to do it this was her fault he should be the one to be saved not her. "We'll meet again" Kira smiles "and that's a promise" he activates the door controls shutting the doors and sending Cagalli down to the safety of the shelter. Kira sighs 'girls…' he heads back to the battlefield. Shinn had probably already reached the GAT-X606 by now as he ran back he saw a ZAFT sniper about to fire on the Earth Forces woman who had fired on them before "behind you look out" he shouts out as a warning. Murrue twists around and empties a clip into the sniper before risking a glance at her saviour "that kid again what does he think he's doing?" she asks out loud even as one of her remaining comrades is gunned down by a ZAFT commando who is then killed by Murrue who had discarded her empty submachine gun for a hand gun.
"Come here" Murrue yells at Kira who after ducking from a nearby explosion uses his Coordinator reflexes to jump down past the rubble to land atop of the GAT-X105, as the second to last surviving Earth forces soldier fires a quick burst taking down the second to last ZAFT commando "Rusty!" cries Athrun overcome with grief he charges forward firing fiercely taking out the second to last surviving Earth forces soldier. Athrun's submachine gun runs out of ammo as he nails Murrue with a hit to her shoulder, Kira distracted by her cry of pain runs to her aide instead of entering the Mobile Suits cockpit. Athrun discards his empty submachine gun and draws a combat knife jumping up onto the Mobile Suit he runs at the last Earth Forces soldier to finish what he started only to find his way blocked by a teenage civilian, the childhood friends stare into each others eyes and each have the same flashback from before. Kira couldn't have been more shocked, the revelation that the blond guy was in fact a blond girl paled in comparison to the shock he now experienced as he saw who was attacking him.
"Athrun?" he asks his voice wavering. Athrun had stopped dead in his tracks; combat knife raised threateningly "Kira?" he gasps equally as shocked as the brunette. The two childhood friends stood for a second that lasted an eternity as all around them the fires of war burned. Neither wanted to believe what they were seeing was true and yet neither did they want the moment to end. Murrue recovering from the initial shock of her injury raises her gun and fires at Athrun who activates his jet pack and scoots over to the Second Mobile Suit while Murrue pushes Kira inside their Mobile Suit and follows. Closing the hatch she activates the Mobile suit which breaks free of the holding clamps and stands tall amidst the devastation.
Edited to improve the quality of the story and to erase errors and glitches
Next Time on Brothers in Arms Kira and Shinn must pilot the Mobile Suits and face a ZAFT Suit in combat to protect their friends and home, Athrun comes to terms with meeting his friend Kira again.