Gundam-fall: Changing Fate
Episode 37: Goals and Grit
A/N: I hope ya'll like this, I did my best to make this good but please don't flame me!Otherwise I'd like some constructive criticism because I've had a slow month for writing and I feel a bit rusty.
-AUDHUMLA: LOUNGE AREA-
"So, my Militia compadre, if we ever get back, I have just got to say that you'll be one hell of a drill Sargent for upcoming pilots. After a few press tours, photo ops, and being branded as the most wanted man in the frontier by our evil corporate overlords!"
"*sigh*You really think that?" Cooper Sighed and then looked Simon directly in his optical camera.
"Dude, how many times do I have to say you saved an entire planet from being Atomized, and helped keep the militia dream alive as we are now on the offensive, command won't risk losing you. Then again, the IMC, General Marder in particular, are going make it their personal mission to put you in the dirt." The slick simulacrum said with an air of confidence surrounding him and then briefly paused. "That also leads to one question I have to ask, and it's coming from the serious militia me that rarely comes around. *sigh*Just how much information have you divulged to these people? The absolute last thing I want on my conscience is some repeat of the Titan Wars happening here." Simon inquired with a dead serious tone, crossing his metal arms over his torso.
"Not enough to worry about. They have been asking to study BT but I kept him close, and if anyone dumb enough to try forcing their way will realize what it feels like to be thrown at over 100 miles per hour into the other side of the hangar by him." Cooper replied honestly with an equally serious tone when it came to protecting the secrets of his partner and the world, they call home.
"That's great, just great. So, amigo, you think you have the chops to handle not one, but two moody teens with raging hormones? Bear in mind though I don't like the idea of child soldiers any more than you do."
"Simon my friend, I did consider that. I know I can handle Kamille since he is enlistment age, but Katz...well. I said I'd train him, that doesn't necessarily mean he gets to fight, yet. Besides, you did say I should prepare him." Cooper said as he put a hand to his head in exasperation.
"Yeah, I did, didn't I... I also said you'd owe me 20 if he wanted you to train him." Simon looks at him. At that moment, Cooper internally swore he could see the imaginary shit eating grin on the blue screen that passes for Simon's face.
"To the victor, goes the spoils... *chuckle* when we get home of course." Cooper replied pretending to fish out his wallet only to reveal an empty palm.
"Aaaaw man why you got to do me like that?" Simon groaned in annoyance. "Fine, but if we make it through this, I'll start keeping a tally of all the bets and wagers I win." The simulacrum pointed a finger at Cooper.
"Fair enough." Cooper shrugged, a sly grin on his face.
"Oh, trust me amigo, I always remember my bets." Simon said in an ominous tone.
"Alright then, but riddle me this, did you remember to pay Lin back on the poker game we had on the ship a while back?"
"Uh… maybe? Err, …Hey it's the ladies!" Simon said nervously and tried to redirect the conversation.
"What's going on fellas?" Lin said as she and her lady friend sat down next to her comrades.
"Oh, just calling a team meeting, the usual. Anyway, seeing as how we're safe and sound for the moment, I was about to say-" Simon started to say but was interrupted
"What, that you can actually remember things that aren't porn related?" Lin remarked smarmily.
"Oh, ha, ha, ha, I can give you two a sample or so of my collection when we're done for your-" He retorted.
"Finish that sentence and your metal ass will need a new body." Lin snarled furiously at the militia operative.
"Girls." He says in a parental tone. "And Simon, continue, but no more of that business during team meetings."
"Right, as I was saying, this brings me back to the early days of the militia. When we were basically running from place to place, hounded by IMC forces and the threat of being wiped out constantly. Feels just like reliving the past... back when I had 'certain' parts of my body still attached." Sighs sadly, Serah and Lin made gagging faces.
"Oh, please like you two are all sweet and Innocent. You two have been so 'tame' since we landed on earth, or you found a nice little closet somewhere." Serah and Lin turned red, Cooper sighed and smirked "W-well he's...not wrong." Lin poked her index fingers together in embarrassment.
"Also...we're on frigging earth ya'll!" He says in a stereotypical southern accent "Normally this would be ground Zero for all IMC operations, but we're on an earth that's not run by them. Though the current counterpart is equally bad, they're so much dumber compared to the "Professionals" of the IMC. I say when we get to a safe location, we should grab some stuff." The simulacrum said bombastically.
"What'd you have in mind?" Cooper said as he put a hand to his chin.
"Lin and I'll bite, what do you got tin-head?" Serah crossed her arms over her sizeable chest.
"Full on party, balls to the walls fun. Bring the others! show 'em how the Militia...and to an extent 6-4 party! Beach party, bar party, club party, show the two kids the time of their lives you know what I'm saying." Simon said with eagerness in his voice.
"Not to be a killjoy bolt brain but, that'd be an interesting idea if there wasn't a civil war in the way." Serah scoffed dryly.
"Hate to say it, but she's right. That'll have to wait until this whole thing is all over and the feds stop chasing us." Cooper said pragmatically.
"Finding a place isn't the problem, it's time that's a factor. Sure, thing we could probably find something somewhere but we have a job to do." Lin added her two cents.
Simon emotionally deflated for a brief moment but regained his composure. "All right fine. Next time." The blue visor dimming a bit in defeat, Serah and Lin smile smugly "But when there IS a chance. You bet your three sweet asses we're going to paaaaaartay!" He said bombastically as he posed with his fist in the air.
"Oh definitely, when this is over, we'll have earned it big time." Cooper gave a thumbs up.
"But rule out that strip club iron nuts. BBQ definitely yes." Lin said with a finger in the air. "Before you ask, it's because Katz is certainly too young for that, and it wouldn't be something all of us enjoy." The Polaris pilot said in a motherly tone.
"Fiiiiiiiiine. I will say that sooner or later, the boy will find out the glory that is the female body, as I'm sure you and your walking angel there can agree." Simon retorted making Lin and Serah blush fiercely.
"Anyway, onto the real business. We'll be heading to Hong Kong from what I heard-" Cooper tried to move the discussion forward.
"SO...Hong Kong...What can we expect? And can I have some Fun?" Simon asked, clearly interrupting Cooper who sighed in slight annoyance.
"Won't know for sure until we touch down. But it's safe to say it'll be a lot less advanced than home." The Typhon veteran replied.
"Oh, way less advanced. Heck they still haven't colonized mars yet. But somehow, they have giant space stations that make the IMC or any of the other companies blush with envy, colonized the moon to an extent, and yet not the solar system." Lin said with a huff.
"Beats me. How their space stations and all that other works is something way above our pay grade." Cooper shrugged.
"Maybe we can get a break? I know we're a mercenary team and all... but I'd like a teeny bit of a break." Serah put a motion forward to rest.
"Going to steal your little friend away, eh?" Simon teased the Polaris pilot.
Serah was about to say something but Lin cut in. "Actually. I've got something to do. Going to check a place out that Cooper recommended." Serah looked a bit sad.
"Yeah, we have some minor work to do here first but it's definitely on the personal to do list. We can check it out while Amuro that new girl we picked up at hickory visit some place on business" Cooper explained. "Ok so, now that we've discussed this, I'm going to check on Kamille. He should be working on his Gundam right about now if my guess is right." The team leader stood up and made his way out of the room.
"Alright Coop, we'll be here if and when you need us." Simon said as Cooper walked out the door.
The veteran pilot walked through the halls of the airship with his mind still having thoughts of how to get home on the back burner. The longer he stayed here and the more he wanted to be with Emma, made him unsure about even going back. He was dedicated to the cause of the militia, no two ways about it, but he was also in love and that made his situation all the more complicated. Then there was also the fact that while Kamille still had his mother, the rookie needed a mentor to guide him. Cooper had begun to shelter some mixed feelings about the man but now he was in orbit. He shoved that aside and focused back on his objectives for the day although he had an inkling something was going to happen. The veteran pilot couldn't help but think of the Federation and their relentless pursuit of the Audhumla with new and deadlier tools of war. He shook his head and continued his walk to the hangar where he would chat with his student.
-HANGAR-
After a few minutes of walking and thinking to himself, Cooper reached his destination and spotted Kamille hard at work. But as he was about to approach the young rookie, he noticed Beltochika on her way to speak with the rookie pilot as well. The veteran pilot decided to hang back out of sight and listen in on the conversation as his gut instinct told him to. He saw the woman lean in on the cockpit and begin talking with Cooper's student cordially or so it seemed. As the talking went on a certain few words caught the militia pilot's attention.
"...you should hand the mark 2 over to Amuro." The woman said bluntly.
"What?" Kamille reacted in shock.
"I second that what." Cooper crossed his arms as he entered the area.
"Oh, Major Cooper, I was just talking with Kamille-" Beltochika started to say but she was cut off.
"Save it, Amuro may have a thing for you but get this straight, Kamille signed up and earned the right to pilot this suit. Nuff said." Cooper told her off.
"All I want is to see Amuro at his best. What's so wrong with that?" She defended her actions.
"Nothing at all. But trying to bully my student into giving his mobile suit away, that's another story." Cooper narrowed his eyes.
"He's not experienced enough to-" Beltochika said with a huff.
"The rookie is GETTING experience, and it's my job to make sure that continues. Got it? Now back off and go bother someone else!" Cooper retorted angrily.
"Hmph, fine." The woman huffed in defeat and walked away.
"Thanks teacher, but I can fight my own battles." Kamille thanked his teacher.
"I know that, but I also know it doesn't hurt to support my team when they need me, you included. She's becoming a bit annoying to me anyway, takes a lot of arrogance or nerve for what she just said to you." Cooper replied.
"When you put it like that, then thanks." Kamille considered his teacher's explanation.
"Good. I'll be heading out for a bit with Lin to settle some personal business." Cooper nodded and told the young pilot of his outing with the 6-4 pilot.
"Aren't you wanted?" Kamille raised an eyebrow.
"There's nothing saying I can't stay out of sight, and besides who's going to notice little old me? Anyway, stay alert and if trouble comes up while I'm out there you know what to do." Cooper shrugged with a laid-back grin and then instructed his student.
"Follow orders and check in with you if I can." Kamille replied.
"Exactly, see you later Kamille." Cooper gave the rookie a two-finger salute and casually walked away.
"Later, sir." Kamille said as his remaining mentor walked out of the hangar, to an open hatch. The veteran pilot sat down and reached into his pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. After plucking one out of the pack and storing the pack itself back in his pocket, he pulled out a match and flicked it against his helmet that he'd buckled to his hip. He lit the cigarette and tossed the used-up match stick into the seawater below. He checked his watch and smoked as he waited for Lin so the two of them could head out into the city. Soon enough the Polaris pilot appeared, dressed in casual clothes she'd found lying around consisting of a leather jacket, T-shirt, jeans and boots. Eventually, they left the plane with Amuro and Beltochika on a small boat and arrived at their destination at the city's edge. From there the group split with Lin and Cooper breaking off to explore and search for a place to get Lin's special jewel cut. Cooper ascended up the side of the buildings to stay out of sight of civilians and avoid attracting unwanted attention.
Lin held the precious stone the in her pocket as she tried her best to blend in to the crowd with her civilian attire. "You sure this guy will keep quite on were the rock came from Cooper?"
"Can't really say for sure, but we don't exactly have the luxury of time." Cooper said over the radio from a concealed position on the rooftops.
"Yeah I know. Still...dammit I should have just done this before we left for Barrow, but was I too afraid to do it."
"Hindsight's usually 20/20, either way it doesn't matter now. Let's focus on getting the ring made and then hoof it back to the plane like we planned. We're wanted fugitives here after all so we'd better move." Cooper zipped past the buildings through the alleys with his jump pack. "Or at least I am, since the Feds haven't seen your face, you're less likely to get spotted." The veteran vanguard pilot hid in the shadow of a billboard.
"Huh feels just like home, I got a bounty on me that's 4 million. I had to hide everywhere I go when we are on our downtime from contracts with the militia. I think there's also a poster of you as well." Lin explained her situation as she strolled along at a brisk pace through the city.
"I figured as much when it came to what I did back home. This place is certainly something alright, not that I would want to hang around planet side. I have heard stories about a legendary city for gambling and luxury in North America. Some people call it 'sin city' or Vegas from what I heard." He replied as he kept up with Lin while soaring across the city skyline.
"Wait what about a city of sin? Never mind maybe later, anyways the bounty is mostly information on your whereabouts. Though everyone knows... or well at least thinks you died. The IMC is a bit more skeptical on that front." The Polaris pilot tilted her head slightly in confusion but then shook it right after. She explained to Cooper some opinions on the results of his supposed demise.
"Do they now? Well they were right for a change, since I'm still alive." The veteran snorted.
"Yeah, you got transported to a whole other dimension, along with yours truly and the others. But still... what are the odds the IMC find a way here? They've been trying to find a way back to our version of earth to get reinforcements that they desperately need." Lin smiled but her expression changed to one of concern as she pondered the situation of an IMC invasion of the dimension, they were in.
"With all the crazy stuff that's happened I wouldn't say it's impossible, we got here after all. But the odds should be in our favor, as long as they can't get here the same way you did." Cooper attempted to reassure his fellow pilot.
"I doubt it, by now the Militia should have control of the planet. Last time I checked, the IMC were desperately trying to evacuate." Lin said with her fears somewhat relieved. "So where is this shop again?" She said as she found herself at a cross street.
"Sounds good then. You're almost there, it should be on your right about... now." Cooper said as he designated the shop with a laser on his rifle.
"I see it." Lin looks to her right and see's the cozy looking jewelry shop, the sign above reading 'Long's gems and jewelry'. She took deep breath in preparation for her next course of action. "Is it ok if I say I'm more nervous than I am when hot dropping into IMC held territory." She asked her team leader nervously.
"It's all a matter of perspective. So, loosen up... unless the clerk is jerk." Cooper said coolly with a small bit of humor in his tone.
"Then I throw him out the window and parkour away like a comic book villain...greaaat..." Lin rolled her eyes and stood at the door. Finally shaking off her hesitation she walked inside, a small bell chimed in response as the door opened and shut behind her.
"Welcome to 'Long's jewelry and exotic gems' miss, what can I the humble shopkeeper Jun Hao Long do for a beautiful woman such as you?" The man at the counter said calmly as he eyed Lin up and down.
"I'd like for a stone to be cut to fit a Ring please." Lin requested.
"Ah yes of course young lady, please show me the gem in question and I'll give you an estimate of both time it will take and monetary cost. But I warn you, this is very expensive, though I could give you a discount for having a beautiful flower like yourself in my shop." Old man Long said with a calm wave of his hand.
Lin chuckled softly. "It's actually a special gift for a partner of mine, though I do hope you can keep it a secret." She pulled out the wrapped in cloth stone from her pocket.
"Oh, a little of token of love is it? How romantic, lucky for you I happen to get plenty of business with engagement rings here in Hong Kong. If stone is in good enough size and condition then I might be able to fit it to a ring today." The old man said happily as he stroked his short white beard.
Lin "Well... yes that, and..." She unwrapped the cloth revealing the stone from Sarah's home world that can levitate mountains. The marvelous gem seemed to glow softly in the light, causing the old shopkeeper's eyes to widen in amazement.
"This stone is... it's priceless. I have no words to describe it besides otherworldly perfection. Never have I seen a stone like this in my entire life and career. It would be an honor for me to make this into a ring for you. I already have a template to fit it on, my life's work. Give me some time and I'll see it completed in a few hours. The stone already seems pre-cut so there is some time saved here and there. For this work of art... I shall not charge you. It would be life's work to make such a ring with this stone!" He said humbly as he marveled at the stone's sheer brilliance.
Lin was taken aback in surprise by the man's "T-thank you, it means the world for me for this. What time should I expect this to be done?"
"Within the next 2-4 hours, for a true work of art such as this I cannot be more eager to complete it, young lady. You have my word as a master jeweler, it shall be done today. I even have the perfect ring already made for this all it will take is a small matter of fitting the gem to the ring itself." He said proudly.
Lin smiling "Thank you, and, can you really keep this a secret please. I don't want anyone else to try and find me to look for these again."
"If that is what you wish, not a soul besides you or I shall ever know." The old man nodded.
"Thank you, a few hours will be close but I'll try to be here later to pick it up." She said as she walked out of the store with a big smile on her face. She looked up to the skyline to see Cooper hanging from the side of a building and signaled to him with military hand signs. The militia pilot took note of the happy expression on his teammate's pretty face and felt more than happy to cheer her on a bit.
"You seem excited." Cooper chuckled. "I like to think, we should have more than enough time to be back here soon enough to pick it up before takeoff."
"That's assuming nothing happens between now and then...so tell me more about this city of sin? I'm not familiar with old Earth cities." Lin trailed off and then asked about the city Cooper had mentioned.
"Las Vegas is the official name of the city, in some history I picked up I learned that place's biggest attractions are a large number of casinos and clubs. It's supposed to be an oasis of gambling in the middle of the American Southwestern desert." He explained.
"So, it's just like the red-light district in Angel city." Lin surmised.
"Pretty much." Cooper replied bluntly.
Lin sighed anxiously as a few bad scenarios played through her head. "I...I really hope nothing happens while we wait for the old man to finish his work. Otherwise I swear to god I will tear apart whoever would ruin my... Serah's happiness."
"Hey, chill out." Cooper ordered. "Hopefully that gem will be just fine as long as the feds don't find us here and start a fight in the city."
"Right, so back the plane?" Lin agreed and tilted her head skyward.
"Yeah-" Cooper started o say but a loud explosion suddenly boomed throughout the city.
*BOOOOM*
"-The hell was that?!" The Typhon veteran said surprise as he looked in the direction of the explosion's origin.
"Coop!" Simon shouted over the radio link.
"Simon what's going on?!" Cooper tried to get an update on the situation.
"There's a freaking JAEGER in the city!" Simon shouted frantically.
"A freaking WHAT?" Lin exclaimed hysterically.
"OLD MOVIE! First one was great, second and third were mediocre!" The simulacrum hastily replied.
"Slow down Simon! Where are you?" Cooper asked.
"Serah and I are with the rookie! Look for all the explosions!" Simon responded. "Damn this thing packs a punch- OH SHIT!"
"SIMON?!" Cooper shouted in fear.
"I'm good! That was just too close. Oh my god… the damn thing's transforming!" Simon gasped.
"Into what?" Cooper inquired.
-WITH SIMON, SERAH, AND KAMILLE-
"Into a giant gundam…" Simon trailed off as he Serah and Kamille stepped back in surprise. The new machine stood at almost twice the size of the three Gundam units, towering over them. AS the giant Gundam's feet impacted with the pavement massive ports on its torso began to glow. Simon reacted to this and quickly shouted to his compatriots. "Everyone, scatter!" The simulacrum blasted away from the giant.
"Copy that!" Kamille and Serah replied as they took off in different directions.
Simon's Zephyr Gundam dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding the giant hand of the enemy mech. The simulacrum was not having the best day since his team leader had left the ship but when the battle started things went from okay to insane. He spotted Kamille firing on the giant machine with his beam rifle, having little effect against the huge war machine. Serah was the next one to assault behemoth sized mobile suit with her minigun, raining a hail of armor-piercing ammunition. She attempted to stand her ground but she had to deal a feeling of wrathful pressure emanating from the hulking machine. The legionnaire braced herself as the giant grabbed a hold of her gundam and threw it into the side of a nearby skyscraper. The impact caved in a section of the building's side, the damage having been spread to several floors. If Simon still had a face, he would've scrunched it at how much that probably hurt his teammate.
"You okay Blondie?" Simon asked.
"I'M FINE RUST FACE! HELP THE ROOKIE!" Serah roared as she struggled to free her gundam from the
"You got it." Simon said as he rushed off to assist the young pilot in the battle. "MT we're about to do something crazy!"
"I do not recommend this course of action pilot!" MT disagreed.
"Too bad buddy! It's rodeo time!" He engaged his thrusters and pounded into the side of the giant mobile suit at a high thrust level, briefly knocking it off balance. The simulacrum then began mashing his metal fists into the giant Gundam's head as it attempted to shake him off of its back.
"Get off me!" The enemy pilot, apparently a female from the tone of her voice angrily screamed over the radio. A giant metal hand closed around Simon's torso and he and MT were launched skyward. Simon engaged his thrusters to cushion his landing on the street leaving a small crater. The giant Gundam stomped its way over to Simon and slammed its fist against the chassis causing the advanced mobile suit to somersault and land flat on its front.
"Leave him alone!" Kamille roared as he rushed in to assist the militia operative. The rookie used his boosters to leap into the sky and fired a barrage of beam shots at the giant gundam's head. "Why did you have to attack us here with all these innocent civilians around us?! Do you even care about the lives you endanger?! Answer me!" The rookie shouted in fury as he dodged a blast from the giant's scattered beam cannons.
"I don't take orders from my enemies!" The girl roared.
"Then take this!" Another female voice cried out. It turned out to be serah who began firing her minigun at the giant gundam's face with the use of her smart core.
"I'll destroy you!" The enemy pilot shouted angrily.
"Bring it on!" Serah retorted. She then dashed to side and jumped upwards, kneeing the giant gundam in its face.
"Stop doing that!" The enemy pilot shouted as she slammed a fist into serah's side. "I'm here to destroy the Mark 2 quit getting in my way!" She fired a beam blast from her unit's beam cannons, damaging Serah's gundam while it was down.
"NO MISS SERAH!" Kamille shouted as he dashed over to the downed Jaeger gundam. Acting quickly, he scooped the damaged mobile suit into his arms. Through a wealth of luck, he continued to avoid the giant mobile suit with his gundam's higher mobility, eventually managing to set the damaged suit behind a building for cover. Another explosion rocked the area as the giant gundam leveled more buildings in its search for Kamille and Serah. The young pilot opened a radio channel to the Jaeger gundam to check on his fellow pilot.
"Are you alright?" The rookie asked Serah out of concern for her wellbeing.
"I'm fine, bring that thing down. I'll be up in minute to help you out." Serah responded seriously to his inquiry as she attempted to get her gundam moving again.
"Understood." The rookie replied and boosted back into battle. He then saw Simon's gundam zooming around the huge mobile suit, relying on hit and run tactics. The giant gundam was having a hard time pinning down the nimble gundam as the pilot had finally gotten its act together. Blast after blast, Simon dodged through a series of lucky last second bursts of extra power. More shots to the giant suit's face began to anger the pilot as the damage to its one visible weak point increased exponentially.
'I have to bring this thing down before it levels the city.' Simon thought to himself. He backed off and took cover behind a building as the giant gundam fired another blast from its main torso cannons. Simon continued to desperately evade the angry giant. He knew he had to bring it down but he had to find a way avoid allowing it to use its size and reach. Hitting it from behind would be a challenge considering it was focusing on him now. Until suddenly he spotted a bright flash in the sky, that turned out to be Kamille leaping into the sky and light glinting off of his MK.2's paint in the sunlight.
"Stop your mindless destruction!" The rookie pilot thrusted downwards, drawing his beam saber and landing a powerful slash to the giant suit's back. The saber left a decent sized gash as it dragged along the giant enemy's back, causing a decent amount of damage to the slightly thinner rear armor.
"I am not mindless!" The enemy pilot growled as she tried to swat the nimble gundam mark 2. Kamille reloaded his rifle and fired several shots at the giant gundam's face, forcing the enemy pilot to shield her suit's face.
"Then why are you destroying the city?! Why are you hurting all these people just to attack me?!" Kamille shot back at the enemy pilot as he rapidly fired his beam rifle at the giant enemy unit. Unknown to him, his words had some effect on the girl, but not swaying her overridden conscience as a whole.
The girl 's eyes glowed red with anger as she tried to shrug off her target's argument. Somewhere in her mind the logic behind her opponent's words stirred her thoughts, causing her a slight amount of pain in the form of a slight but growing headache. "I have to destroy you!" The girl in an almost robotic tone of voice as Kamille sidestepped a beam blast. The high powered beam blast created a small crater in the ground where the Gundam only a short moment ago.
"You know this is wrong, don't you?!" He shouted at her as he fired another beam shot at the giant mobile suit. He fired his mobile suit's head mounted Vulcan, the rounds pinging off the thick armor of the giant mobile suit. The rookie knew he was on his own but he accepted that his mentor and teammates wouldn't always be there beside him. It was up to him to stop this fight, and that meant taking the angry giant down.
"Shut up!" The enemy said as she fired a blast that leveled two buildings. The towers collapsed in spectacular fashion, causing a huge plume of 0dust and smoke to cover the area. This new development gave Kamille some cover as he used the smoke to his advantage or at least he seemed to think so. Instead, he felt a shock in his brain and barely dodged a beam blast from the giant gundam.
"I'll keep going as long it takes!" Kamille continuously used his thrusters to stay ahead of the now frenzying enemy pilot as the beams were thrown about with reckless abandon. He groaned as a blast managed to strike his gundam's arm, the shield taking most of the damage and knocking him backwards. He used his rear boosters to slow himself down and recover from the powerful blast he'd endured. The Gundam mark 2 left small trenches in the ground as it slid backwards until halted. "You need to stop!" Kamille tried to reason with her and blasted forward. "Listen to me!" He pleaded with the girl as he dashed to his right and out of the line of fire. His words seemed to fall on deaf ears as the almost random beam strikes relentlessly devastated the surrounding neighborhood. Kamille took deep breaths to steady himself for the battle and remembered the teachings of his mentors, not backing down from the fight. He boosted towards the giant gundam and slashed at its legs with his beam saber before dashing away again with his smaller gundam's superior mobility. He remembered what cooper had taught him in the simulation, while he hadn't been taught parkour, Cooper had shown him the method of how to rodeo a titan and use its size against it. That was Kamille's advantage, his smaller size, so long as he used the strategy properly, he could defeat the giant mobile suit with enough time. But the plan he had in mind came with the cost of leveling a section of the city as he duked it out with the enemy pilot. Despite Kamille's best efforts, the ensuing chaos erupted into even more destruction and damage to the battered city surrounding the battle site between them.
"I don't have to listen to you!" She snapped. In her mind the girl was feeling very strange, a sort of uneasiness. The feeling seemed to get more intense as she battled the standard gundam mk.2. It was bad enough for the pressure she'd felt from the woman but the boy she was fighting, something about him seemed to agitate her. A sharp pain seared through her as Kamille landed another slash to her suit's torso. Her efforts to ignore the intensity of her senses proved far more taxing than she wished to admit. Kamille continued to battle the enemy suit, getting a strange vibe from its pilot all the while. He had to try and end this pointless battle and the collateral damage it was causing. Unbeknownst to him, the two veterans that had fought alongside him were watching his performance with growing confidence in his skills.
Simon smirked as he watched Kamille go toe to toe with the enemy pilot and hold his own. Serah had to admit, the rookie had talent on his side as well as a strange aura she could feel in the air around himg. With a burst from his backpack thrusters, the rookie landed a powerful roundhouse kick to the giant gundam's head. The giant suit's pilot was disoriented as the shock from the impact reverberated through the cockpit as if she were inside a large bell. Rapid vibrations added to the mountain of emotions that were building inside her head and she could only wince in in discomfort as the sensation worsened. 'I can't take this, what is this feeling?' She thought to herself. She breathed rapidly in an attempt to steady herself and recover but it failed as the battle continued. To her it seemed like her opponent was actually trying to force her away rather than destroy her as she had said she would do to him. With her stubbornness finally giving way, she backed up towards the sea in an effort to retreat from the unpleasant feeling she was suffering. "Fine I'll leave, but this isn't over." She snarled to Kamille.
Kamille felt the strange sensation calm down as the giant mobile backed away. "Just get out of here." He replied sternly. The nature of the event vexed him slightly but he simply decided to be relieved that the battle was over.
-END CHAPTER-