The Ark's sirens wailed as the ship entered combat phase. Outside, the Strike floated, waiting for the attack.

How did I get into this? Kira thought. Athrun…

"Kira."

Kira's attention was drawn to Alex's face on the screen.

"Relax. I don't think he's gonna come. At least, I hope not," Alex said, a trace of sadness in his voice. "Anyway, I just sent you some more help."

"Help? What help?" Kira asked, puzzled.

In front of him, a black mobile suit materialized.

On the Archangel, Badgiruel gasped.

"The Blitz?!"

"Sorry to disappoint," a voice said over the comm. An image flashed on the screen. A young man, Asian, with short brown hair and violet eyes. "Steven Zhupas, pilot of the Hellshadow. Although, I can see why you would think it was your mobile suit."

The Hellshadow was black and blue, with red optics. It held a beam rifle in one hand, and in the other was a silver rod. Badgiruel finally shook herself of surprise.

"Glad you're around to help," Murrue said, relief on her face.

"Steve's been with me for years. Never let me down once," Alex said form his ship. "Steve, remember, this is a colony. Don't take the shot unless you can make it."

"I remember," Steve said, his accent making it clear English wasn't his primary language.

"Two signals on radar, ma'am!" Tonomura's voice cried out.

The Hellshadow turned around just in time to see a section of wall explode. Two GINNs flew in.

"D-Equipment?!" Alex screeched, his computer screen loading information up.

"In the colony?" Kira asked. "Alex!"

"I know, Kira!" Alex yelled, activating the weapons. "Heavy bazookas, physical and beam type.

A red mobile suit entered from behind them.

"Oh, please, no…"

"Confirmed! X-303, Aegis!"

That drew some collective gasps.

"Already on the field…" Murrue muttered.

"It's theirs now!" Mu's voice sternly said. "Let's make sure it doesn't sink us!"

"This is Alexander Kolodziej, contacting Ark."

The screen came alive once again, this time showing a man in an Earth Forces admiral uniform.

"What?" Murrue asked, bewildered. Natarle stared in surprise.

"I take it you're surprised," the man said. "I suppose you would be. Nicholas Mazer, formerly of the Atlantic Federation. I'm a Natural, by the way."

The screen shook suddenly as Archangel took a hit from a GINN.

"Well, time to get to work," Nick said. He seemed to be in his fifties, with grey hair, and light blue eyes.

Miguel Aiman, who Kira had already fought before, aimed his bazooka, and fired. The Strike dodged to the right, the beam hitting a shaft.

"Great, itchy trigger finger," Alex muttered as he watched.

Steve wrenched his controls to the right as a swarm of rockets headed his way. His beam rifle fired emerald beams at them, destroying them.

"These guys have no shame," he muttered.

"Damn it, come on," Miguel muttered, firing again. The blast hit the Strike in its shoulder. "Yes!"

Miguel's joy turned to surprise as an unharmed Strike, shoulder shield smoking, flew right at him. The GINN boosted away just in time to miss a deadly swing that would have cleaved it in half.

Meanwhile, Zero's mobile armor flew circles around the remaining GINNS. Zero checked his monitors, noticing that the Aegis was following the Strike, but not attacking.

Biding its time? Or maybe…

"Get behind it, Athrun!"

Athrun Zala flew behind the Strike. The blue haired youth watched the Earth Forces mobile Suit dodge Miguel's attacks. Athrun hit his thrusters, increasing his speed. The Aegis darted past the Strike, allowing Miguel to fire.

"Got you!"

Kira gasped and flew up, the beam missing. The Strike grabbed a beam boomerang and threw it at the gray mobile suit. The Ginn got out of the way, and realigned itself.

"Didn't even come close!" Miguel said, sure of his victory. The boomerang curved back, and neatly severed the GINN's leg.

"What?!"

With a wordless scream, Kira flew at the GINN, sword raised. It cut straight through the ZAFT model. The wreck exploded, Miguel screaming.

"MIGUEL!" Athrun cried.

The Hellshadow weaved through the air, effortlessly blocking all attacks. Its left arm popped open revealing an anti-beam shield. The energy blasts harmlessly impacted on it. The rod it held activated, revealing a beam of violet energy. It swung at the closest GINN, bisecting it cleanly. The Suit exploded, and black smoke engulfed the Hellshadow.

"Alex, you friend-!" Murrue started.

"Relax," Alex's voice said. "He's not done yet."

The other GINN flew around the area, trying to determine if the enemy had been destroyed as well. The pilot's comm suddenly crackled

"When darkness falls," a voice whispered his comm, "the shadow strikes."

Before the pilot could realize what happened, a blast of energy consumed the GINN. Behind it, the Hellshadow materialized out of thin air.

"Mirage colloid," Natarle remarked.

"Yup. We duplicated the technology, though it wasn't easy," Alex said, keeping a steady stream of fire on the remaining GINNS using the Igelstellungs.

Kira and Athrun finally managed to confront each other.

"What are you doing in that thing, Kira?!" Athrun yelled, beam rifle pointed at it.

"Yamato, back!" Steve's voice interfered.

Athrun hit his thrusters, surprised. A black mobile suit surged in front of him, shield up.

"Athrun Zala, no doubt?"

"Who are you?!" Athrun asked.

"Just a friend of someone you know very well," Steve replied.

"Why are you here, Athrun?! Why did you attack Heliopolis?!" Kira demanded, anger in his voice.

Kira, are you that naïve?

"Because the Naturals built those things here, that's why!" Athrun answered.

Steve laughed at that.

"And that's reason to attack a neutral colony?"

While they hovered in the air, Zero fired his energy cannons at the remaining GINN. The four lasers tore through it, destroying it entirely, but not before the missiles it carried activated.

"Oh, no," Zero whispered. The rockets flew past him, hitting the shaft.

"The colony's coming apart!" Alex yelled. "Zero, Kira, get out of there!"

Heliopolis began falling apart. The ground tore open, homes and wildlife falling into the recessed of space. Kira struggled to keep Strike within the area, but his boosters weren't strong enough.

"KIRA!" Athrun yelled, watching the Strike pull away from him, arms stretched out in front.

"Ark, Archangel, prepare for heavy turbulence!" Alex screamed, clutching his seat.

Author's note: Whew! I apologize in advance, for the lateness, and shortness, of this chapter. It wasn't written too well, in my opinion, either. My transformer story has been consuming most of my time. I hope the next chapter comes faster, with a slightly better pace. -Hellshadow