Previously, Roy's secret is out, he has a new ID, and he has some plans on changing the future, and he now faces a possible exposure of his truth. Will he find out what event to change? Will he somehow keep his secret from anyone other than the base commanders and the girls?
Flight 7: Advanced preparation!
In his Zeus, Roy flew above Shimoji Island in pursuit of a squadron of Shivan fighters.
"SHIMOJI ISLAND DEFENSE! THIS IS ALPHA 1! ENGAGING ENEMY FIGHTERS!" Roy barked into the radio. He tailed close behind a manticore class interceptor fighter, acquiring a missile lock. The target reticle for the missile lock and flashed with three more icons around it indicating he had a lock.
"MISSILE AWAY!" Roy yelled as he fired a harpoon anti-fighter missile. The missile impacted into the engines and made the fighter erupt into a fireball above the runway.
"CLEAN KILL!" Roy yelled.
"ALPHA 1! THIS IS SASHIBA 11, BEGINNING TAKEOFF REQUESTING COVER!" Mikaze yelled over the radio.
"ROGET THAT SASHIBA 11! I'M ON IT!" Roy yelled back. He switched to hornet missiles and locked onto three seraphim bombers.
"TARGETS LOCKED! FOX 3!" Roy yelled as he launched a volley of hornet swarm missiles and turned the three bombers into three more fireballs above the runway.
"SPLASHED THREE MORE TARGETS!" Roy yelled.
"SHIMOJI ISLAND BASE TO ALPHA 1! MORE CONTACTS INCOMING! MOVE TO INTERCEPT!" Shimoji island command ordered.
"ROGER THAT!" Roy replied. He changed course to intercept the other inbound fighters. About half way to the fighters, Roy's warning alarms began screaming at him.
"What the-" Roy looked up to see thousands of subspace portals open and the entire Shivan armada pour out of them. Roy sat in his seat jaw dropped for a few moments before finally snapping back to the radio.
"ORDER AN EVACUATION! PLANETWIDE EVACUATION! NOW!" Roy yelled.
"ALPHA 1! SHIMOJI ISLAND IS UNDER HEAVY FIRE!" Shimoji island command yelled. Roy looked back at the base and saw the massive red beams bursting into the base from one of the Shivan capital ships. Roy turned his bomber towards the Cain class cruiser and armed all of his cyclone warheads.
"SHIMOJI ISLAND! GET YOURSELVES OUT OF HERE! NOW! I'M GOING TO MAKE AN OPENING!" Roy yelled.
"ROGER THAT! AWATING YOUR SIGNAL!" Shimoji island command replied.
"ALPHA 1! I'M TAKING FIRE! HELP-" Mikaze's voice disappeared in static, Roy looked down to see her MS craft erupt into flames followed shortly by other craft and the rest of the base.
"NO! MIKAZE!" Roy yelled. He looked forward again and saw the Pegasus fighter in front of him.
"Make the change…Roy…you can change the future…" the voice said.
"Who are you!" Roy asked.
"I…am…the transcendent. It is up to you to make the necessary change…for humanity to survive." The transcendent said. The Pegasus engaged it's afterburners straight towards Roy's Zeus, crashed into the ship as fire erupted inside of Roy's cockpit. Everything seemed to move extremely slowly for Roy, he could see the pilot of the Pegasus, the transcendent.
After Roy realized what he saw, the Zeus erupted completely into flames.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO! MIKAZE!" Roy screamed as he shot forward from his bed, looking around frantically as Mikaze and Shizuha grabbed hold of him.
"ROY! ROY! IT'S OK!" Shizuha said. Roy tried to break free of their hold.
"MIKAZE! NO! MIKAZE!" Roy yelled, still trying to break out of Mikaze and Sizuha's grip. He sounded out of breath and in a haze still. He broke free of Mikaze's grip and stood up trying to move, Shizuha tightened her grip on his arm and tried to bring him back down.
Ayamo burst into the door and tackled Roy to the ground. She sat up and held him down by his shoulders, Mikaze grabbed Roy by the arm again and the three girls managed to pin his back down.
"ROY!" Ayamo yelled. Roy still tried to break free but couldn't as long as Ayamo was sitting on him. Ayamo slapped him and grabbed the collar of his shirt.
"ROY! WAKE UP DAMMIT!" Ayamo yelled. Roy looked seemed to stop instantly, come out of his haze and looked around. His vision seemed blurry for a few moments when he finally saw Ayamo two inches from his face.
"Are you here, Roy?" Ayamo asked. Roy nodded and then looked to Mikaze and Shizuha, who still had a hold of him. Ayamo got off of him and stood up.
"What's with you? You're waking up from some pretty bad nightmares." Ayamo asked. Mikaze and Shizuha let go and helped Roy up.
"You were screaming my name. Are you ok?" Mikaze asked. Roy looked to Mikaze, placed his hand on her face and looked concerned and he brushed his hand across her cheeks.
"…Roy?" Shizuha asked. Roy finally removed his hand from her face and let out a sigh of relief.
"Sorry. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming now or a few minutes ago. It all seemed too real." Roy said quietly.
"What happened?" Shizuha asked.
"I was in my craft, a very deadly race was invading, and killed Mikaze as she was taking off." Roy said in a scared tone.
"You mean…the race from your time?" Shizuha asked. Roy's eyes shot wide open and he stared at Shizuha in pure and utter shock.
"WAIT! You actually believe that?" Ayamo asked.
"Ms. Kisaragi does. And if she does, that means there's some kind of proof." Shizuha said.
"Oh right, I guess I didn't think about that.
"How did you find that out?" Roy asked, almost a whisper.
"When you and Ms. Kisaragi were talking yesterday, we kind of…overheard what you were saying.
"WAIT! WHAT? ROY IS FROM A DIFFERENT TIME? WHEN WERE ANY OF YOU GOING TO TELL ME THAT?" Mikaze screamed.
"Well we were going to wait until Roy would feel ready but I guess that's not going to happen, sorry." Shizuha said.
"Well I guess that's not the sort of thing you bring up out of the blue." Mikaze said. As the girls discussed this, Roy sat, jaw dropped at the fact that they didn't think he was crazy.
"HOW ARE YOU ALL TAKING THIS SO CASUALLY?" Roy yelled. The girls stopped and looked to him.
"I am from 300 years into the future, you found out and you don't seem the slightest bit freaked out as to how it happened! I went through it and I'm still unable to believe it! How are you able to be so calm about it?" Roy asked. Shizuha, Mikaze, and Ayamo all looked curiously at Roy for a moment.
"The evidence is there. We just trust Ms. Kisaragi, she believes you, whatever you told her and you proved it somehow." Shizuha said with a smile. Roy looked away, almost sad.
"And I assume that if you overheard the conversation between me and Ms. Kisaragi, you heard about what happened to my family." Roy said. Mikaze looked confused back and forth between Roy and the others. Shizuha and Ayamo's faces fell into an expression of sadness.
"Yeah, we heard." Shizuha said. Roy stood up and walked out onto the deck, leaning on the rail outside. Mikaze, Ayamo, and Shizuha followed Roy outside.
"Then you know I have no family…" Roy said coldly. Mikaze gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth.
"Ayamo, Mikaze, why don't you two head outside for a moment, Ayamo, fill Mikaze in on the Details?" Shizuha asked. Ayamo nodded and they headed out. When they left the room, Ayamo shut the door and faced Mikaze.
"Listen, we overheard him talking yesterday, while you were serving everyone. Roy used to live really far out in space, apparently on a massive space station. His whole family lived there." Ayamo began. Mikaze listened intently.
"But…there's a race he mentioned, called the Shivans. They came in and whipped the station off the grid, and he's the only survivor. He was five years old when it happened." Ayamo said.
"Oh god! How has he survived without a family?" Mikaze asked.
"He said he was taken in by his military, the GTVA. That explains why he is the way he is. All he knows is military protocol, tactics, and very little ethics. All he really knows is how to fight…the perfect soldier." Ayamo said. Mikaze tensed for a moment.
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT! HE'S NOT A WEAPON!" Mikaze yelled. Ayamo looked back to her with concern.
"Mikaze! That's not what I meant and you know it!" Ayamo replied.
"DO I? YOU JUST THINK HE'S A DANGER TO EVERYONE HERE! HE'S NOT A BAD GUY! HE HAS A HEART AND I KNOW IT!" Mikaze said as she ran back into the room. Ayamo looked back in her direction with concern.
"I don't think he's a danger to everyone, Mikaze…" Ayamo thought. She looked away, thinking about what Mikaze just said.
"I was sympathizing for him…" Ayamo thought. She walked back into the room to see Roy crouched on the floor in tears.
"Even though it was a while away for him…it still bothers him so much…" Ayamo thought. Ayamo walked up to Roy and placed her hand on his shoulder. Shizuha and Mikaze were already knelt next to him. After about an hour, Roy finally started to get control of his breaths again and calm down.
Roy stood up after collecting himself and went for the door.
"Roy?" Shizuha asked. Roy stopped at the door for a moment.
"I'm just…going for a walk." He said quietly, almost a whisper. He walked out the door and closed it behind him.
"I hope he'll be ok." Shizuha said. Ayamo and Mikaze looked to her for a moment before Ayamo looked back in Roy's direction.
It was very early in the morning, sometime before sunrise that Roy headed outside the Kouchin. He looked out at the base from there and then to the sky.
"I need to get to my bomber…if I can get a bird's eye view of the area, maybe I can find out just what it is I need to do. I need to find out just what to change, what event to stop…it's up to me…maybe I can save my family and prevent even having to go back in time 300 years." Roy thought.
He began heading for Shimoji Island base on one of the Kouchin Delivery bikes. Ayamo ran out the door as the bike started. Her eyes shot open when she saw Roy starting one of the bikes.
"HEY! WAIT!" She yelled, but Roy was already on his way to Shimoji Island base. Ayamo jumped on one of the other bikes, started it, and drove after him.
Roy had difficulty with the bike's controls for about a minute before acquiring balance and gaining control. He gunned the bike at full throttle towards the base. Ayamo gunned her bike close behind Roy but couldn't seem to get close enough to get his attention.
Roy rode, completely focused on his goal. As soon as he pulled into the base he practically launched himself off the bike, causing it to turn over. He ran past some of the early morning trainees straight for the hangar housing his GTB Zeus. Ayamo pulled near where Roy turned over his bike, parked it, and began running after him.
"ROY! ROY, ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" Ayamo yelled. Roy didn't seem to hear and continued to run for the hangar. Many of the trainees stopped to see Roy and Ayamo, wondering what was going on. Roy finally got inside the hangar and opened up the cockpit of his GTB Zeus.
Ayamo almost made it to the cockpit but Roy closed it before she could do anything.
"ROY! OPEN THIS THING UP NOW!" Ayamo yelled. Roy didn't pay attention and instead, opened a com channel to Shimoji Island tower.
"Shimoji Island Tower, this is Alpha 1! Requesting takeoff clearance!" Roy said into the radio.
In the Shimoji Island tower, the traffic controller was operating the early morning operations when she intercepted Roy's request.
"I'm sorry but I cannot allow you takeoff clearance." She said.
"Hey, what's your name?" Roy asked.
"My name?" the traffic controller asked.
"Yeah, tell me your name? I don't exactly know what to call you.
"Well…my name is Touko Mukai. Is there some signifigance to knowing my name?" She asked.
"Yeah, I like knowing the names of who I work with. Now please, Touko, it's really important that I get airborn! I'm begging you!" Roy said.
"I can't grant you takeoff clearance Alpha 1. I have orders to keep you grounded until Ms. Kisaragi or Commander Reynolds give the Ok for that." Controller Mukai said.
"Touko…it's for the sake of my mission…I need to get airborn now!" Roy said.
"ROY! OPEN THIS COCKPIT UP NOW!" Ayamo yelled.
"ROY! THIS IS SUB-COMMANDER KISARAGI! GET OUT OF THAT CRAFT AND REPORT TO THE CONTROL TOWER IMMEDIATELY!" Kisaragi yelled into the radio.
"KISARAGI! GIVE ME CLEARANCE FOR TAKEOFF NOW!" Roy yelled.
"ROY! YOU'D BETTER GET OUT OF THERE OF YOU'LL FACE SIMILAR CONSIQUENCES AS MS. HONJOU! REPORT TO THE CONTROL TOWER NOW!" Ms. Kisaragi responded.
"DAMMIT KISARAGI! GIVE ME CLEARANCE AND OPEN THIS HANGAR OR I'LL BLOW IT OPEN AND TAKEOFF MYSELF!" Roy yelled. Ayamo backed away from the cockpit with an expression of pure shock at what Roy just said.
Ms. Kisaragi and Controller Mukai sat quiet in shock for a moment.
"Roy…get up here…now!" Ms. Kisaragi said.
"I NEED TO GET AIRBORN NOW! I NEED TO BE READY FOR ANYTHING AND I CAN MAKE THE CHANGES OF THE FUTURE I NEED WITH THIS CRAFT! GIVE ME THE DAMN CLEARANCE NOW!" Roy yelled.
"ROY I AM GIVING YOU A DIRECT ORDER TO EXIT YOUR CRAFT AND REPORT TO THE CONTROL TOWER IMMEDIATELY!" Ms. Kisaragi yelled. Ayamo looked back into Roy's cockpit and noticed a tear roll down Roy's cheek again.
"GIVE ME THE CLEARANCE! I REFUSE TO HAVE ANYONE ELSE DIE FOR ME!" Roy yelled. Ayamo knocked again on the cockpit of the bomber.
"Roy..." Ayamo whispered.
"Roy…please…just come up to the control tower…we need to talk." Ms. Kisaragi said in a soft tone. Roy sat quiet in his cockpit for a moment and finally Ayamo opened the cockpit canopy. Roy continued to sit quietly as another tear rolled down his cheek.
Ayamo reached for his hand.
"I couldn't do it…" Roy whispered. Ayamo pulled her hand back and looked to him, concerned.
"I couldn't fire…why wouldn't I fire?" Roy asked. Ayamo took a hold of his hand and helped him out of the GTB Zeus.
"It's because you're a good person. You have a good heart." Ayamo said with a smile. Roy looked up to Ayamo and she blushed and looked away.
"Although I do think you're kind of an idiot. You really need to rethink how you handle things." Ayamo said as she started walking for the control tower, Roy's hand still in hers. Roy continued to think about what Ayamo said. Until they made it to the control room, hand in hand.
Ms. Kisaragi, Controller Mukai, and Commander Reynolds all waited for Roy in the main room.
"Roy, have a seat." Commander Reynolds said. Roy and Ayamo sat down on the couch across from Commander Reynolds, Ms. Kisaragi standing next to him.
"Roy, Ms. Kisaragi told me the story of what happened to your family. I can understand that you feel a need to atone for that, even if it means disobeying orders. I'll excuse this, but only this once." Commander Reynolds said. Roy looked up to him.
"Has that been bothering you that much?" Ms. Kisaragi asked. Roy looked to her, then Commander Reynolds, Controller Mukai, and then Ayamo.
"I've seen how people lose a single member of their family. Even someone very close…they grieve for a few years and then move on." Roy began. Everyone listened closely, waiting for what he had to say.
"But when you lose your entire family in the blink of an eye…that stays with you…it never leaves you alone…and it always causes pain." Roy said coldly. Mikaze and Shizuha ran up the stairs into the control room and saw everyone there.
"I heard Roy was called here for insubordination." Shizuha said.
"ROY!" Mikaze yelled as she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"You're not in trouble are you? You're not being transferred to another base? Discharged?" Mikaze asked frantically.
"There's no need to worry about that Ms. Honjou. He's not in trouble…this time." Ms. Kisaragi said. Mikaze looked to her.
"Roy is being let off with a warning and will be penalized with serving at the base…alongside you Ms. Honjou, until you are off penalty." Ms. Kisaragi said.
"It's only been a few days since you got back from Okinawa, so he'll serve the same penalties here. When your penalties are done, you will be cleared for flight again." Ms. Kisaragi said. Everyone waited silently for Roy's response.
"…thank you…" Roy whispered. Everyone looked surprised at his response.
"Thank you! I'll work hard until then! I'll help wherever you need me! If you need help with operations I'm here! If you need me to scrub the bathrooms I'm ready!" Roy said as he stood up.
"Whatever you need me to do until the day I can fly again…I'll do it!" Roy said.
"That's a good attitude. And remember, no more insubordination UNLESS you have good reason. Ok?" Ms. Kisaragi said with a wink. Roy saluted, a tear rolling down his cheek. He smiled.
The later days, Roy spent most of his time washing dishes at the Shimoji Island base with Mikaze, Helping to organize plans of interceptions, helping Mr. Sako with his craft and the other MS craft, and worked extra hard at Kouchin.
Finally the day before Roy and Mikaze get relieved of their penalties came. After they finished their work, Mikaze headed back to Kouchin and Roy headed for the eagle Statue by the ocean.
Roy looked up at the sky and smiled.
"Tomorrow…tomorrow I'm free to fly!" Roy said.
"You're really excited for this aren't you?" Ayamo asked. Roy looked to the side to see Ayamo standing about ten feet from him, holding a small box.
"I'm going to make a difference…probably the biggest one anyone has made. Of course I'm excited!" Roy said.
"You sound awfully full of yourself, you know." Ayamo said in an annoyed tone. Roy looked back to the sky with his smile still showing. Ayamo seemed to focus on his smile and then the rest of him.
"Wow…I never realized he was…NO! NO! what am I thinking! I don't like him! But…maybe I…" Ayamo thought. She started walking closer to him. Roy noticed her out of the corner of his eye and looked back to Ayamo. She was holding the box to him, blushing.
"I thought you might like some lunch…" Ayamo said. Roy looked at the box for a moment and then accepted it.
"Thanks Ayamo." Roy said.
"It's not cause I like you or anything! J-just eat the damn lunch!" Ayamo said as she opened the box and practically force fed Roy.
"AYAMO!" Mikaze screamed. Ayamo turned around, still blushing, to see Mikaze, Shizuha, and Karin standing in shock of what she was doing.
"Is there…enough for all of us?" Karin asked.
"Uhhh…about that…" Ayamo started.
"It's ok, I brought some so we all can eat." Shizuha said.
"Wow Shizuha, you come prepared as Mihato Uesugi!" Mikaze commented.
"Just don't expect me to have things in forty-nine places on my body. I'm not THAT prepared." Shizuha giggled. Roy looked confused at the comment, but shook his head and joined the others.
"I have to say, I really appreciate everything you've all done for me. You've taken me in, treated me like a fellow officer, you've done more for me than treat me like a fellow officer. You make me feel welcome." Roy said. Mikaze, Ayamo, Shizuha and Karin all looked to him curiously.
"Well of course we do, you're a part of the family now." Shizuha said. Roy looked to her in shock.
"You…see me as…family?" Roy asked.
"Of course we do, we all care about you, I'm sure you care about us, we're family." Shizuha said. Roy looked down at his food.
"thank you!" Roy said, he sounded like he was about to cry out of joy.
"AH! DAMMIT ROY DON'T GET ALL SAPPY ON US NOW! JUST EAT!" Ayamo yelled, practically force feeding him.
"AYAMO! STOP IT! YOU'RE GOING TO CHOKE HIM!" Mikaze yelled.
"HE NEEDS TO EAT BEFORE HE COLLAPSES AGAIN! I'M NOT GOING TO CARRY HIM BACK IF HE DOES!" Ayamo yelled.
"Maybe I do…I think I really do…" Ayamo thought.
End of chapter 7
Through the ordeal of yet another nightmare, Roy almost took a drastic measure. Because of this near measure, Roy was subject to the same penalties that Mikaze has from the base until her release. Ayamo also seems to have a better take on Roy, but how will this affect him later on? Roy will soon be cleared to fly his craft soon. Will he be able to make the necessary changes to the future with this new option available to him? Find out what happens next in Stratos 4 the Shivan veteran Flight 8:Refit and Repairs!