Disclaimer: I do not own anything Gundam, Armored Core, or Zone of the Enders content related. However I do own my own fictional characters which I created as a part of the story.

Chapter 3: Uncertainty

"Has he woke up yet?" the captain asked entering the waiting room where Mizuki was.

"Not yet sir."

The captain couldn't help notice his subordinate's depressing expression. Chris wasn't killed and perhaps his actions saved the rest of them, even if he managed to overheat his Aile Pack mid-fight. What mattered was that he was alive and well; maybe not completely well but alive enough to be sleeping in a bed in the next room. He thought Mizuki to be a true friend if he were to be sitting here for the last several hours ever since they were recovered.

"Sir, if I may," Mizuki started.

"What is it?"

"What happened out there? Why did that Next leave?"

"That's something you four will be briefed on later. If Chris wakes up have the medics inform me."

"Yes sir." Mizuki stood from his seat to salute the captain, receiving one in return. After the captain left Mizuki reclaimed his seat and stared up at the ceiling waiting for his friend to awaken.


The blue AC gracefully hovered over the deep blue ocean. The sky was painted orange behind it. Kojima Particles flowed from the AC's thrusters carrying it to his hideout just off of Onogoro Island. The pilot's sheltered existence from the world was one he had always yearned for. He relished in his isolation enjoying having complete control of his life even at his young age. His job paid well despite its dangers and he at least had a caretaker at home, somewhat.

"Was the mission a success?" Nicki radioed in.

"Veda will have plenty of data for the next few years on these Federation toys. I don't know why they continued with that series if it was only to perform slightly better than the last."

"You know Jean, about that one Dagger that went berserk-"

"What about it? He overheated his Aile Pack and I missed his cockpit that time."

"So you were trying destroy it."

"I understand how you feel Nicki, but what are the odds of-"

"You may never know!"

Jean knew it didn't matter what he had to say. She lost her brother in the same terrorist incident that took his parents at Orb. Their latest intelligence rumored held her lost brother alive and well, but in the Federation Army. Ever since he took her in and they found that common ground she told him she was looking for him. Figuring she may be using him and his profession to find her lost brother he didn't mind for the fact he needed a new operator anyway. She lived in his hideout but they rarely saw each other. He supplied her with food and a place to live and in return she helped him with maintenance and being his field operator. Other than their first confrontation when he found her their interaction was minimal at best.

"Jean…we have a visitor," he heard Nicki say quietly. It wasn't as if that certain visitor could get to her anyway. His hideout was entirely secure thanks to his odd jobs.

Jean's blue AC circled his hideout before locating the intruder. They were standing in the middle of his runway to his hanger. It was a lone person in a dark red flight suit with the same color helmet to match. The helmet however was tinted dark. Behind them was an outdated black transformable Flag Fighter Mobile Suit that was used back in the Solar Energy Wars, a relic now at best. The Flag took form of its flight mode positioned just ahead of his garage blast door. It was clear this person didn't come here for a fight, or did they?

Jean eased the AC down onto the runway careful trying to not blow the intruder away, although it would have saved him a headache if he had done so. The moment he landed his AC assumed a kneeling position. He opened his cockpit hatch, popping out like a jack in the box; he brandished his sidearm fixing it on the intruder. Almost immediately the intruder raised both hands to the air revealing no weapon.

"How did you find me?" Jean demanded sternly. His left arm was out stiff and straight with his gun sight fixed center mass at the intruder.

"You get straight to the point don't you kid?" It was a male's voice. However their voice was sharp yet deceitful.

"You have to three." Jean demanded once again; this time he held up his free hand revealing a detonator. The flesh of his thumb touched the push-down button. He was ready to press down anytime with no hesitation.

"I see, so that's why he decided to keep you alive."

"One."

"Now only if you weren't so hot tempered."

"Two."

"Alright kid! I came here with a proposal. He even said you might not be able to resist."

"Go on," said Jean slowly lowering his right hand.

"You should already have the data uploaded onto that pretty toy of yours."

Jean could tell his intruder was smiling with evil intent behind that tinted helmet. He thought to himself for a second and raised his right hand once again.

"Take off your mask and state your name."

"I could ask the same to you kid."

"One."

"Treating me like a child now, huh? These pointless demands."

"I could care less who I kill. Two."

Upon hearing "two" the intruder took off his helmet revealing a man with rough facial features most likely in his twenties. His hair was long and dark brown as the same was his facial hair. He had piercing eyes revealing a harsh existence behind it, but the smirk on his face said otherwise. This person enjoyed what he was doing and came here with no intentions of dying. Even if he did there would be no regrets to the life he chose. Jean knew he had to be extra cautious dealing with a person of this caliber.

"Ali Al Saachez, kid. Now it's your turn."

Unknowing what this Ali Al Saachez had up his sleeve Jean did the same. He removed his blue helmet which didn't match his white flight suit. The moment his helmet came up over his head his dark red hair lowered itself in natural spikes. Strands of hair hung over his golden eyes. From his appearance Jean seemed slightly older than he really was, but in reality he was no older than the age of eighteen.

"You really are a kid," Ali said with no change in his tone. "Well my job here is done. The message has been sent, so I'll be on my way." With that he turned his back to Jean and started towards his Flag.

"Not so fast," Jean called out.

"You wouldn't do it, kid. I would know because you're just the same as me. If there's no profit in it why do it, right? That is unless, of course, you enjoy it that much." Ali said stopping in his tracks. After a moment of silence he let out a short burst of laughter and entered his Flag.

The Flag started up, its engine humming louder than usual. Obviously this Flag wasn't an original model. It may have been, no it indefinitely was, heavily modified. Why would a mercenary such as him modify an old model though? Thoughts such as these ran through Jean's mind as he simply let his intruder escape without repercussions. He could only look on as the Flag charged towards him and lifted into the air just before colliding with his AC. The intense heat he felt from its thrusters seemed as though it could have melted his skin. Good thing that his flight suit was heat resistant.

When Jean got back into his AC he powered up his system. Almost immediately Nicki's voice came over the radio as soon as his computer turned on. Hearing her familiar voice somehow calmed his nerves a bit.

"What happened? I was about to activate the defense system if you waited any longer," she said in a whining but panicked manner.

He listened to her ranting as he skimmed through the information displayed on his computer. He was accustomed to receiving messages like these so his eyes picked out specific words such as bounty, target, threat, location, and any kinds of numbers. By the time he finished reading the message Nicki had stopped her rant as well.

"Jean? Did you hear anything I said? Answer if you did!" Her usual nagging voice.

"I heard you Ma- I mean Nicki."

"What was that?"

"I won't be back until late. I need to resupply first so jot this down."

"Oh, okay…"

Jean waited a few seconds before listing off the equipment he was taking from his hanger. He always made sure she carefully took note of what he was taking so he knew what to replace it with later on. It was tedious and annoying to both of them but she understood that Jean needed to take accountability of his supplies lest he ran out at a crucial time. It would be an irreversible mistake and both of their lives always hung on the line. At times like these they had a mutual understanding of tedious tasks like these.

"Is that it?" Nicki asked quietly.

"That should do it."

"Good luck."

Her usual "good luck" sounded different this time. It had more of a lonesome and sorrowful tone to it. He had been doing this with her for quite some time now, but now of all times she sounded worried about him. This wouldn't be the first time he left and it certainly wouldn't be the last either. He would return, leave his AC in the hanger, go back to his darkened room, sleep, and wait to hear of the next job Nicki would have in line for him. No matter how unsettling it was for him to hear her voice he kept faith in his decisions.

"I won't be too far off. I'll be back before sunrise," he said before taking off.


A flash of light blinded him forcing his eyes to close. He lifted his hand realizing how weak his body was when it shook performing a simple task. Blocking the light with his hand he slowly opened his left eye. From the corner of that eye he could make out Mizuki's figure. It was dark and fuzzy at first but when it cleared up he could see the worried look on his face.

"Look at you. You look like your dog just died," Chris said wearily.

"It was our dog, remember? And it had a piece of chocolate one day."

"Yeah, that dog was pretty stupid."

They both started to laugh recounting their memories of their pet. It quickly died down when one of the medics rushed into the room as if some emergency occurred.

"Ah, good he's awake. I'll contact the captain right away." With that the medic left as soon as they arrived.

"Do you remember what happened out there?" Mizuki asked. He looked to his dumbfounded friend who looked as if he were thinking hard.

"I can't seem to remember a lot."

"Then what do you remember?"

"Well let's see. Luna and Shinn were the first to be shot down then you. After that, well it's foggy and I can't seem to remember what happened after."

"The only other person who seems to remember is the captain as he was never shot down like the rest of us."

"Then I'm sure he'll inform you all as well as me."

The medic abruptly reentered the room to receive an uncomfortable gaze from Chris and Mizuki. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Captain Merquise will see you tomorrow. He said for both of you to get some rest."

"Do you know where this ship is heading now?" Mizuki asked disregarding the medic's words.

"We're headed to Orb."

The medic left the room immediately after giving them their news. Mizuki looked over to Chris noticing his now uncomfortable state. He wanted to throw his question from earlier back at him but the atmosphere of the situation didn't call for it. Hearing the medic say the words of their destination clearly upset him, but it was strange. He figured hearing "Orb" would upset him more than it did Chris.

Without saying a word Mizuki sighed and moved to leave the room. He looked back at Chris who was still in the same position holding the same expression. Words escaped him as he tried to think of the right ones to say, and after a moment he eventually found them. It was a good minute of silence before he tried to say something.

"We should go see them," Mizuki said solemnly.

"Yeah, we should," Chris replied emotionless.

Mizuki left the room heading towards his cabin. He couldn't bare the thought of leaving his best friend sulk like that alone, but he had to get some rest. Knowing Captain Merquise he had to prepare for a long brief and review of their inactions during their first encounter. He figured the captain wouldn't be too hard on them, but he thought again. They weren't children anymore; they weren't teenagers learning from their mistakes. They were soldiers now, testing new weapons in a failed attempt to measure their new machine's capabilities. What they did now and how they dealt with the mistakes would fuel the success of future generations.

When Mizuki entered his and Chris' assigned cabin he looked to a lone mirror set up on the wall between their beds. His face was littered with minor scratches he received when his body was thrown around in his violent crash into the ocean. The same could be said about his body as well. Time healed wounds but it would never turn back to fix them.