Chapter 4

Chapter Four

I heard him before he spoke. "Kin?"

I didn't turn around. "What do you want? Did you come to apologise?"

"No, I just wanted a word." He sat down next to me. "What did you mean 'you had to learn a little about yourself'?" He put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I chewed on my lip. Then reached up and pulled down the corner of my sweater to reveal my shoulder. A pulsing, angry bruise practically shouted "ABUSE!!!"

I looked up at Duo imploringly. "This is what I meant."

"What…?" He was lost for words.

"I've got others like them." I pulled my sweater up again, acutely conscious of Duo's shocked face. "All over the place."

"How?"

"You're lucky," I muttered, avoiding the question. "They didn't get you."

"Who didn't get me?"

"The Alliance, after they found out about the suits coming from the colonies all dressed up as meteorites they started rounding us all up. People from the colonies." I paused.

"Go on," he murmured, prompting me onwards.

"They made us do forced labour at sixteen. Our life was a nightmare if we were any younger than that. I escaped three nights ago. My friend died rather than live one more day in there. So…" I continued, "that's what's up with me Duo. Satisfied?"

"But, why'd they do that?"

I shrugged. "They were afraid of me – of us – I expect. They knew we were from the colonies, so they thought that if they killed us all things would be simpler for them."

"Those… those… man! I hate those slime balls!"

"Yeah, me too. That's what I've been doing for the past few years. And I enjoy the chance to blow things up now and again, it's interesting, fun and different."

I slumped where I sat and looked straight down through the water. It was murky, dirty water, but you could still see the bottom. An old bicycle rusted away beneath the ebbing tide.

"Kin? Do you hear that?"

I listened. A low rumbling was slowly getting louder and louder. I looked at Duo, wide eyed. "What is it?"

He stood up. "I don't like where this is headed. C'mon."

I climbed to my feet and glanced about. There was nothing to signify where the sound was coming from, but I knew it well enough. Mobile suits came and went all the time at Frina 14, one of many colony-holding bases. You grew used to the only noise from the outside after a while.

I followed Duo as he made his way inland. "Please, Duo," I muttered, almost to myself, "tell me I'm not hearing a fleet of Aries suits. Please."

"I don't know, but I say we take some precautions. Huh?"

I hoisted myself into the seat and fastened myself in. I was in my realm, piloting a mobile suit. This is what I had spent my life in the colonies training to do. Gently fingering the throttle, I broadcast to Duo. "I'm in."

"Okay." His voice came back steadier than I'd ever heard. He sounded like he was certain of what he was doing. "Don't move your machine. Those Aries may not be coming for us. If they are, then we blow them to hell. Understood?"

"I copy that. Standing by."

"One other thing?"

"Shoot."

"Our main objective is to protect the other suits from those pilots. If and when the rest of the guys get back, they'll be our back up. You got that?"

I flicked a few switches on my control panel. "Standing by for orders. I'm reading about a hundred Aries suits, closing in fast."

"A hundred? Damn. Okay, stick to the plan."

I nodded to myself, mentally preparing for the oncoming onslaught. "Got it."