File 36 – Shattering Storm

Rena lies back on her bed staring at a computer monitor. She had a blank look on her face as she tried to review the same bit of information over and over again. She couldn't concentrate. Every thought turned into a memory, a glimpse of Nicol. Her heart ached.

Why did it have to end this way?

She places a hand to her forehead and takes a deep breath.

Nicol?

She turns off the monitor and tosses it aside. She rises from her bed and pulls on her uniform jacket and exits.

Flay comes around the corner and nearly collides with her. Flay gasps.

Rena avoids eye contact, "Flay, I'm sorry. Excuse me."

It was an awkward moment, both girls stand facing one another. Rena recovers first, "How have you been?"

Flay tilts her head, "Fine. And you?"

Rena glances aside, "Fine..." She furrows her brow, "Have you seen…?"

Flay shakes her head, "No... Excuse me; I have some work to do." She heads off.

Rena watches her go. She sighs and heads down the hall. The ship was surprising quiet. She passes by the cafeteria; inside everyone was talking and laughing. She turns her attention to the empty hallway and stares down it.

Kira, back in his uniform, stands inside the empty hanger. Torii circles and lands on his shoulder. Kira stares up at the Strike.

Flash Blitz' last strike and Nicol's death. Back.

Kira looks downward. Athrun?

Torii hops over and touches its head to Kira's face. Kira smiles and holds his hand up. Torii hops onto his hand.

Flash. Memories of Athrun, their childhood on Copernicus. Back.

Kira glances back up at the Strike. Waltfeld's words fill his mind.

"We have no choice to fight as long as we're enemies. We'll fight until one of us is gone!"

He furrows his brow. Enemy?

Torii flies away from Kira. He watches it fly away from him and gasps.

Am I... truly your enemy Athrun?

Kira clenches his fists and looks downward.

Rena enters the hanger and glances from side to side. She spots Kira and suddenly freezes. She was a little unsure of what to say or do next. She furrows her brow.

Kira mumbles, "Am I Athrun?"

Torii notices her and soars overhead, "Torii... Torii..."

Kira turns, "Huh, what is... it..." He sees her.

Rena stands staring over at him, her hands clenched together nervously in front of her. He gasps and glances aside, a pained expression on his face. He was in such turmoil. She furrows her brow and glances downward, "Kira."

He clenches his fists. "You don't have to say anything. I know. You… you hate me for what I've done... I killed him… I killed your friend."

She gasps, "Kira...."

He looks over at her a slightly angry look on his face.

She furrows her brow, "I can't say that I'm not saddened by what happened. Because I am sad...." She becomes choked up, "What happened was a tragedy." She gulps back her tears.

Kira fights back his own tears. He starts to speak but Rena cuts him off.

"But I could never ever hate you."

He gasps a surprised look on his face.

She stares at him, tears roll down her cheeks. She wipes them away, "Never. It hurts me that I gave you that impression."

He furrows his brow and shakes his head, "Ren... I'm so sorry... I... your friend…" He fights against crying.

She rushes over to him and throws her arms around him.

He gasps.

She closes her eyes, "it's ok, please forgive me… Kira."

He wraps his arms around her and holds her tightly against him.

She could feel him crying and strokes the back of his hair, "Come with me."

The sun rises slowly over the horizon. Rena dressed only in her t-shirt and skirt lay asleep on top of her bed. She tosses and turns in the midst of a nightmare. She furrows her brow, "Athrun?"

She gasps and sits up, "Kira!"

She glances aside at the pillow next to her; there was nothing but an indentation. She breathes heavily, placing a hand to her forehead.

Was I dreaming? What was it?

She furrows her brow unable to remember her dream but everything was hazy. She shudders, rubbing her arms. Whatever it was frightened her.

Kira? Where are you?

She stares forward a bit and then climbs from bed. She unzips her skirt and goes into to take a shower.

The ZAFT submarine travels silently underwater.

"Sensors have picked something up. It's the legged ship!"

Athrun, Dearka, and Yzak glance over.

The Captain turns, "Are you sure?"

The Tech nods, "There's no mistake."

The trio crosses and looks at the radar screen. "It's a sea area with lots of rock islands but... there isn't much space between the islands. It's a good place to attack."

Yzak glares at the map, "It's your funeral today Strike!"

Dearka nods, "I'll pay him back for your wound and for Nicol's death."

Athrun says nothing at all and turns to the captain, "We're going."

Flay wanders the hallways. She passes an access to the hanger and enters. She looks over the edge and sees Kira sitting with his knees pulled to his chest. His face resting on his knees. She furrows her brow. Kira.

The Gundam await launch, "Maintain timing. Twenty seconds till surface. Prepare exterior defense."

Athrun, Dearka and Yzak, each sit silently waiting.

"Arms control online. Notifying alarm! We're rising."

The submarine comes up.

Jackie holds his hand to his earphones, "A ship on the sensor!"

Natarle glances over.

Jackie continues, "It's a Vosgulov class submarine!"

Natarle purses her lips.

The Submarine prepares to launch the Gundam out. Each suit blasts out followed by their Guul. The trio head toward the Archangel.

Alarms sound on the Archangel.

Kira looks up. Flay glances backward.

"All hands to first level battle stations!"

Kira rises and rushes off.

Rena glances over her shoulder and pulls her shirt on.

Mu tosses his blankets off and sits up.

One by one Sai, Miriallia, Sabine, Tolle and the others wake up.

Kira races down a hallway. Flay emerges from a joining hallway. Kira passes. She reaches out to him, "Kira?"

Kira turns and stares at her, "Flay?"

Flay furrows her brow, "Kira... Kira... I..."

Kira sighs, "Sorry, not right now."

Flay gasps.

Kira glances aside. "When I return, we can talk then." She nods her head. He glances over her shoulder.

Rena was rushes toward them. She furrows her brow and slows down a bit but then shakes it off as she passes Flay, "Excuse me."

Kira turns and both enter the locker room.

The trio heads west the sun rising behind them. Dearka combines his gun launcher and beam rifle and fires.

Natarle sits back in the CIC.

Sai watches his monitors, "Three enemy units! 9 o'clock. Distance 3000. Heat source approaching from the east."

Murrue stares forward, "Evade! Port side!"

The Archangel turns just as the blast hits the water sending up steam.

"Stern missile torpedo tube, load wombats! Deploy Variants, Igelstellung! Where are Major Flaga, Lt. Yamato and Ens. Marlis?"

Mu prepares to launch with the launcher parts attached. He glances aside, "Damn... I knew it wasn't going to end with that, but... Unit 1, Major Flaga launching!"

"Strike is at Hub deck. Tempest at stand by."

Mu closes his face shield, "Kira are you ok?"

Kira nods, "Yes."

The Strike lands on the deck. The Grasper takes off.

Dearka fires another blast. Athrun glares at the Archangel as he approaches.

Kira locks onto the Aegis. He takes a deep breath.

"Kira?"

He glances aside.

Rena stares at him a concerned look on her face.

He smiles, "Everything will be fine. We'll talk more afterwards. I had a lot I wanted to say but you fell asleep."

She furrows her brow and then smiles, "Be careful." He nods.

Dark clouds begin to move in as the Gundam move in closer and begin their attack. The Archangel fires its Variants. The Gundam scatter evading. Kira focuses on the Aegis and fires. Athrun avoids the blast and fires back. The battle becomes fiercer.

Mu charges at the Buster, "I'll shoot you down for sure today!" He makes a pass but the Buster moves aside and fires, missing.

Athrun focuses his attack solely on Kira. The Strike takes to the air.

Yzak comes charging from the side and fires both its shoulder cannon and missiles.

Kira glances aside and then decelerates. The missiles explode in front of him. He turns to the side and fires. Yzak evades. Athrun fires from behind. Kira avoids all the blasts.

Rena watches the battle a look of desperation on her face.

"Tempest to hub deck."

She nods, "Roger."

The Tempest lands atop the deck. Rena pulls the beam cannon and fires at the Duel. It backs off.

Yzak glares over at her. "You're next!"

"Hell darts, fire!"

The Buster connects the launcher and rifle and turns, "That won't work!"

The blast incinerates the missiles.

Mu pursues, "It's over!"

He fires the cannon but the Buster evades.

Dearka glances over, "Don't make me laugh!"

He fires some missiles.

Mu glances backward at them, "Damn it!"

He turns and plummets downward. The missiles collide with the surface of the water.

The Aegis starts targeting the Archangels weapons. The entire ship sparks inside. Rena fires on him. The Aegis pulls back.

Sai stares seriously at his monitors, "Igelstellung #4 and #5 damaged."

Chandra adds, "Hell dart launching tubes' partition offline."

Murrue furrows her brow, "What about Alaska?"

Kuzzey glances over, "It's no use, there's no answer."

Natarle continues, "Gottfried, aim. Hit them! Fire!"

The two Gottfried fire. Athrun back off and evades. Rena targets the Duel with her scope. She fires twice but the Duel evades. Kira turns and fires.

Yzak charges toward him, "I can't forgive you!"

He pulls out his beam saber. Kira pulls his own saber and leaps up. The Strike and Duel engage. Yzak grits his teeth, "Why you!"

Athrun leaps off his Guul directly above the Archangel.

Jackie turns, "Aegis is directly above us."

Natarle turns, "What?"

The Aegis transforms and fires.

Murrue grips her arms rest, "Port side." Arnold grits his teeth and turns.

Rena gasps and activates the funnels. She concentrates intently and the fins swirl broadly. It manages to deflect most of the blast but the right side Gottfried is taken out. The Archangel rocks from the blast.

The Tempest loses footing. Rena gasps. The fins retract and return. The large chunk of her battery charge depletes.

The Aegis transforms back and lands atop the Guul. He glares at the Tempest. Damn... Ren.... He turns off.

Sabine scans the monitors, "Plasma tumbler down! Levitator down!"

Arnold grits his teeth, "I can't maintain our lift."

Murrue leans forward, "Give priority power to maintain our position!"

Natarle nods, "Connect the emergency power to our alternate levitator!"

Tolle comes on the screen, "I'll go out in the Sky Grasper."

Sai and Miriallia glances over, "Tolle?"

He clenches his fist, "It'll be dangerous if this continues." He turns to head off.

Murrue glances over, "Wait a minute Private Koenig!"

The Archangel jerks.

Kira lands on the Archangel, "Ren!?"

She glances over at him visibly drained and nods at him, "I'm ok."

He scans the area, "This isn't good. Remain here ok?"

She doesn't have chance to respond and leaps up again and fires his head Vulcans at the Duel.

The Duel leaps up off the Guul toward him. "Bastard!"

Kira gasps, surprised.

Yzak kicks the Strike back and lands on his Guul again.

Kira braces against the force of the kick but using his thruster maintains control. A blast fires past hitting the Duel in the leg. Kira glances back at the Tempest.

Yzak gasps, "What?"

The leg explodes along with the Guul. Yzak yells as he plummets. He turns and fires up at the Strike. One shot manages to hit its rifle. Kira gasps and shields himself from its explosion.

Athrun charges forward firing, "Kira!"

Kira avoids his blasts. Rena leaps ups and coming between them fires at Athrun. He grits his teeth and leaps off his Guul. It flies toward the Tempest. Rena gasps. As it nears Athrun fires at it. Rena pushes her controls downward. The thrusters shut down and the Tempest descends and lands on the deck avoiding the blast.

Kira comes on screen, "Ren?"

She glances over, "I'm sorry..."

He furrows his brow, "Thanks." He turns his attention back to the battle.

Tolle prepares to launch in the Grasper. Lightning flashes as it launches and blasts across the sky. Rena glances over. She could feel her heart rate quickening. Everything was too familiar. Thunder crashes and rain begins to fall. She glances over at the fighting Aegis and Strike. Her eyes widen. It's happening.

Flash. The Strike and Aegis clash. The Grasper. Tolle. Back.

The Strike plummets onto an island. The Aegis comes down right on top. Kira manages to block the attack.

Lightning flashes.

The two struggle against one another.

Rena shakes her head. She places her hands over her face. Images from her dream come into her mind. Athrun yells as he charges at Kira. Kira yells back. The Aegis transforms and clasps onto the Strike. A blinding explosion fills the sky.

She tosses her hand down over her control. No, I have to stop it. "Providing immediate back up for the Strike."

Natarle glances over.

The Tempest leaps off the Archangel and lands in the water just off the side of an island. She presses forward and leaps onto the beach and prepares to pull her cannon off her back.

Dearka spots her and connects his launcher and rifle. I'll take that suit out for sure now.

The Tempest heads up the beach. Rena focuses on finding Kira and Athrun so fails to notice the attack coming in. She gasps and turns the Tempest but the blast sears off the funnels and causes the bazooka to explode. Rena screams as the Tempest is hurled aside and skids against the ground.

Mu glances over, "Verena!"

The Tempest laid on its side the whole back sparking.

Mu furrows his brow. He breathes a sigh of relief, "Her phase shift is still up. Rena, can you read me?" He chases the Buster off.

Rena opens her eyes with a gasp. She furrows her brow and grits her teeth, "I'm ok."

The systems inside were slightly sparking. She squints. The glass on her helmet was shattered. She pulls the helmet off and tosses it aside. Besides a cut on her cheek and a few nicks she was fine. She grips the controls and pushes the Tempest up to crouching position. The side of the face and upper torso of the Tempest was sheared down revealing the mechanical skeleton underneath. Rena gasps when she feels a sharp pain in her chest, apparently from where her restraints had crushed against her. She glances aside.

Kira? Athrun?

Rena scans the area. She locates the battling duo on the next island over. Her alarms sound. The power cell was getting too low. Rena pulls the Tempest to its feet. The mobile suit creaked and moves slowly as it heads toward the Strike and Aegis.

Kira leaps over the Aegis and swings his beam saber down. The Aegis turns and fires on the Strike. The attacks go back and forth.

On another part of the island. Father Malchio stood with his orphans. They cling to his side frightened by the lightning and thunder.

The Archangel descends for a crash landing. Inside the crew battled internal fires. It approaches an island.

Rena turns, "The Archangel…" She furrows her brow as it goes down.

Arnolds grips the controls, "Unable to maintain lift."

Murrue nods, "We're landing. All hands prepare for impact!"

Sai glares forward, "Buster at 2 o'clock."

Natarle glances over, "Aim with the variants."

The Archangel comes in for a crash landing skimming across the ground and coming to a halt.

The Buster comes in for an attack. "Eat this!"
Mu comes up behind him, "Over my dead body!" He fires all weapons hitting the Guul.

Dearka glances over, "Crap!"

He leaps up into the air and connecting the launcher and rifle he fires toward the Grasper but is completely off.

Mu fires the cannon. A second blast from the Buster takes out the cannon and at the same time Mu's blast takes off the Buster's arm. Mu's grasper goes in for a water landing as the Buster plummets to the ground right in front of the Archangel.

Dearka moves the controls, "Right arm destroyed. Power pulse going down! Damn it!" Everything was useless. His alarms sound and he looks up to find that the Archangel had him targeted. He grits his teeth in frustration. The cockpit of the Buster opens and Dearka emerges his arms up.

The images come onto the bridge's main monitor. Murrue sees him and gasps.

Natarle leans forward, "Is he surrendering?"

The rain falls against him as Dearka glares over at the Archangel.

The Tempest falls to its knee. The phase shift goes down. Rena was starting to feel the pressure in her chest building. It was becoming increasingly uncomfortable but she kept her eyes on the two fighting off in the distance. She activates her communications.

"Kira?"

Static.

She slams her hands against the radio. "Work damn it! Kira! Athrun! Kira!"

Static.

She grabs her portable radio and opens the cockpit and descends to the ground. The rain was pouring down hard. Her legs trudged through thick mud. She was getting nowhere. She drags the radio up and fights back the urge to cry but soon she was shuddering. The radio wasn't picking anything up. The dull pain her chest seemed to intensify. Breathing seems to become difficult. She falls to her knees.

"Kira...."

She falls forward and turns over. She stares up at the sky. She sees the Sky Grasper, Tolle's moving overhead. Her tears mixed with the rain and rolled down the sides of her face.

I'm useless. I can't do anything. I'm not strong enough to change anything.

She furrows her brow.

I'm so sorry.

She closes her eyes.

Kira.

Miriallia stares at her screen, "No response from Verena yet. Her portable radio is active."

Murrue glances over, "Pinpoint her location from that signal. We'll send a crew out right away."

The Strike and Aegis make passes and hits against one another. Athrun charges, "Kira!"

Kira charges with equal anger. The two collide and hold each other off. Athrun grits his teeth, "You killed Nicol!"

They blast apart. Athrun transforms the Aegis and fires at Kira.

Tolle passes over, "Kira?"

Kira gasps.

The Grasper fires blasts at the Aegis.

Kira shakes his head, "Tolle, no! Don't come!"

Tolle fires some missiles.

Athrun glares over and evades the blast. He tosses his shield across at the Grasper. Tolle gasps as he sees it coming toward him. It is too late to move and the Shield cuts into the cockpit killing Tolle instantly.

Kira gasps in wide eyed shock. The Grasper explodes. "Tolle!"

Signal lost comes onto Miriallia's screen for the Grasper. She furrows her brow, "Huh?"

The Strike and Aegis face off. Lighting flashes. Kira stares forward still in shock. He grips his controls. He goes into seed mode and looks up his eyes brimming with tears. The two suits charge at one another.

Kira yells, "Athrun!!!!"

His first slash is blocked by the second slides off the left arm of the Aegis. Athrun grits his teeth. The Strike kicks the Aegis in the face. The Aegis falls back but Athrun manages to land and goes back toward Kira.

"I'll..." His low power cell alarm goes off, "Kill you!"

Athrun goes into seed mode. He kicks at the Strike slicing the shield away. The Strike takes off Aegis' head. The Aegis slashes across the chest leaving the cockpit of the Strike exposed.

Kira yells, "Athrun!"

Athrun yells, "Kira!" He transforms into claw mode and wraps himself around the Strike.

Kira gasps.

Athrun attempts to fire but his battery cells run out. He gasps as the phase shift goes down. He watches as the Strike looks up at him and grits his teeth. He opens his self detonation and punches in his code. The countdown starts and he opens his cockpit and using his jet pack he blasts free.

Kira gasps when he realizes what Athrun had done.

Rena's eyes flutter open. She could hear someone's voice coming through on her radio it was Kira's.

"Athrun!"

She gasps. She turns over on her side and gritting through the pain she pushes herself up. She reaches for the receiver, "Kira? What's happening? Kira?"

She pushers herself up to her knees and stares across and sees the Aegis attached to the Strike. She furrows her brow and tilts her head.

Kira glances aside, "Rena? Ren... I..."

She glances back toward the radio, "Kira?"

The Aegis explodes along with the Strike in a huge fireball.

Static cracks from the radio. Rena's eyes widen. She shakes her head and glances aside in time to see the bright light. She gasps her eyes widen in complete shock. Her lips tremble.

"Kira..."

The receiver drops from her hand and collapses, unconscious.

The Blast sends Athrun flying and is visible even around the side of the island by the crew aboard Archangel.

Signal lost appears for the Strike. Miriallia furrows her brow.

Natarle glances over.

Miriallia attempts to contact both, "Kira? Tolle? Can you read? Kira? Tolle? Please answer."

Chandra and Jackie both stare downward.

"Kira? Tolle?"

Mu, back in the hanger, comes onto monitor, "What was that explosion?"

Murrue shakes her head, "I'm not sure. But currently our connection with the Strike and Grasper has been lost."

Techs were frantically moving about the hanger.

"Rescue team is returning. Ens. Marlis has been recovered. Prepare the infirmary to receive her."

Mu glances over, "What's going on?"

Some techs pass, "Verena is being brought in. She's injured. The teams are unable to retrieve the Tempest."