By: Shadow Chaser
Previously on Gundam SEED: Entropy Rising…
"Yes…" Athrun couldn't really catch what his best friend was getting at, "I said that the reason we were alive was to make up for things…"
"But is rebuilding Justice and taking it out to war the right way to make up for us to be alive while so many others are dead?" Kira asked.
Athrun turned away from his friend's open and vulnerable look, finding a sudden spot on the ground next to his feet very interesting. "It's not war…it's defending those we care about and those we love."
"But…" Kira's voice broke, "it's killing others by taking something so deadly as that machine!"
Athrun let go of Kira's shoulder and held up his right hand to his own shoulder and Tori hopped onto it. He held out his hand, Tori fluttering its wings. There were no words exchanged between them, but Athrun smiled as Kira reached his hand out to receive Tori.
"Why Athrun? I thought you were happy with you life here…"
"I am," he replied in a gentle voice, his left hand tracing the outlines of her face, "I am happy. But…I can do more if I'm out there. I can protect you from further harm…"
"You can protect me by staying here…"
"Please," he tilted her chin up so that she was looking into his eyes, "don't stop me…all right?" He leaned down and kissed her gently, until he felt her deepening the kiss and he obliged. Drawing her up into his arms, he closed his eyes.
"A-Athrun," Cagalli stammered.
"I will come back safely…don't worry," he pushed her gently back and she didn't resist his efforts.
He raised a hand and pushed the door close button on the hatch and watched as it immediately snapped shut between them, startling Cagalli out of her frazzled state. The door automatically locked as the rumble of the engines coming online for the Archangel buzzed through the walls.
Cagalli pounded against the door, her eyes filled with tears, but Athrun just waved a good-bye to her as the ship began to move out of port. He saw her hastily step back still calling his name silently as he watched her grow farther and farther away…
Phase Nine – Indecisive Thoughts
Kira walked numbly from the taxi that had brought him back to the front gates of Cagalli's estate back to the mansion, feeling none of the sweltering summer heat that defined mid-afternoon. All he thought about was that Athrun had left…to return to the battlefield and the Justice Gundam had been rebuilt. A part of his numbed mind knew that Athrun must have started the project ever since he inherited the plans from his father's passing, but another part couldn't accept the fact that one of the deadliest weapons ever to fly in space and on Earth had been rebuilt – all for the sake of keeping the peace.
What peace was there when weapons existed? How could the creation of weapons be able to keep the peace without killing others? Wasn't the purpose of a weapon to kill? He didn't know the answer, but he still reeling from the sudden shock that Athrun had joined the LF.
As he walked in, Cagalli's butler holding the door open for him, he climbed the stairs to his room. His feet wandered around his room before he sat down on the bed he was given. He shared an apartment with Athrun, deciding not to live with his parents because of too many questions he wanted to ask them, even though many of them had been answered – he still had a lot more. That apartment was now empty…as it had been for the last few days.
Perhaps he should return to his normal life. See Haruka and Taylor in the hospital as he found out that his friends survived – especially in light of Haruka's grave condition. Go back to finish his last year of school…get his degree…
And then what?
He had his options, but was he happy with them? Was he happy with his own life?
The half-length mirror in front of the desk across from his bed reflected his pensive and sullen gaze and he stared at himself. It was the endless mirror concept, the other side of his bed possessing another exact copy of the mirror – lined up the same way. It showed the endless reflection of himself, hunched over on his bed, staring at himself in the mirror.
This is what you look like, a part of him seemed to say, you are haunted, tired, and alone. All alone.
As he turned away from his own reflection, he finally noticed an envelope that was resting on the corner of the desk. He got up and went over to his desk and picked up the envelope. A jagged scrawl of his name was all that told Kira that whatever was in the envelope was from Athrun.
He opened it up and pulled out a two-page letter and began to read:
Kira,
I apologize for not being able to tell you this in person. If you've already saw the Justice Gundam, then you know that I plan to join the Liberation Forces. The question that you might be thinking is why?
Why do this? Why start the process of killing others again? Well, I feel that it isn't killing others. It is for the sake of protecting others. Those 'others' are you, Lacus, and Cagalli. All of you are dear to me, but I worry the most for you as you are my best friend and like my own brother.
Remember the times we had in the Lunar Prep School? You used to be picked on so much by the bullies that I had to come rescue you each time you punched one of them and gave them a bloodied nose. It wasn't because you couldn't defend yourself, no you knew the basics of defense, it was because I worried about how your actions would affect you personally.
You have more than a gentle soul, Kira. You don't have to fight this battle anymore. Let the others carry the burden for you. It's not your nature to fight as you grew up with parents who loved you dearly. Trust in them, as they trust in you.
To you, right now, it may seem that they are not your parents at all, but they are. You are very lucky to have them stand by your side through everything. Even though your secret was shrouded and revealed by the worst possible person and moment, don't isolate yourself to us and to the world.
I don't care if you were 'created' or born in an artificial womb. You are still the Kira I met all those years ago – the guy with the fun personality and great character. You are my best friend and brother; the only family I have left.
And as your guardian brother and best friend, this was why I rebuilt Justice and joined the LF. A brother should always protect his family members and so now, I am protecting you like I am protecting Cagalli and Lacus.
Please, return to the gentle nature you've had before the war. Don't forget about what you've been fighting for, but don't dwell on it. You are you – nothing more, nothing less. You are a Coordinator, a Natural, and everything in between.
I know you've been giving thought to help rebuild Heliopolis in L3, so if you want to give Erica Simmons a hand in jump starting the program, enclosed is a little something I thought you should have to help you on your way.
I don't know when I'll be back, but in the meantime, watch over Cagalli, all right? She keeps saying that she's the older one of you two, but she also needs protection. Keep an eye on yourself too.
-Athrun
Kira placed the letter back on the desk and opened up the envelope. He dumped out the contents inside and an I.D. card clattered out. Picking it up, he turned it around and saw that it was exactly like Athrun's I.D. card that he used to get in and out of the technical research building he worked in, except his own picture was on it.
He stared at it for a few minutes; all the while he felt a deep anger simmering inside of him. That anger started to boil second by second as he kept staring at the I.D. badge. Finally, he let out a yell of frustration and threw the I.D. card hard against the wall to his left where it bounced and clattered to the ground. He held up the letter that Athrun wrote and crumpled it up, grunting as he threw the balled up letter against the same wall where it rebounded and rolled to a stop.
How dare Athrun do this to him! How dare he give a sympathetic letter and expect him to understand everything! How dare he, Cagalli, and even Lacus think the way they thought he would! No one understood him! No one! No one knew what he was going through!
"AHHHHHHHH!" he screamed out his frustration before he collapsed to his knees, out of breath, his hands curled into fists. He suddenly lashed out against the desk's drawers and punched it rapidly with his right fist. With each hit, he felt the wood creak from the constant pressure but he didn't care.
Kira finally stopped as an acute pain flashed from his knuckles and he heaved a heavy sigh, slumping over before he stared at his bloodied fist, noticing the trails of little cuts that bled, lacing his knuckles.
"Kira?" Cagalli poked her head in and Kira looked up, surprised that he hadn't even heard her come in. "Kira! What did you do?!" she noticed the bashed in desk drawers and him on the ground staring at his knuckles. Kneeling down next to him, she reached out to hold his injured hand, but Kira raised his arm up from her reach and glared at her.
"Don't touch me," he growled at her, the anger inside of him still boiling.
"Kira? What's wrong?" Cagalli looked at him confused but Kira just shook his head, a mirthless, bitter laugh forced out of his lips.
"Don't think you didn't know. You knew that Athrun was going to leave, didn't you?! You told him what happened when we talked after my parents told you about my secret, didn't you?!" he glared at her.
"Kira, I didn't know Athrun-"
"Save it, Cagalli. You and Athrun, even Lacus," he snarled, scooting back from the desk and leaning against the foot of his bed, "don't know what I'm going through." He stared at his bloodied knuckle, his left hand unconsciously rubbing the back of his hand.
When there was no answer from Cagalli, Kira looked up to see that she was staring at him with a simple gaze…except it made him feel uncomfortable. Finally, she sighed and stood up her hands on her hips. "You're right, we don't know what you're going through, but you can accept the fact that we're trying to help you-"
"I don't need your help," he muttered. "I've always been alone and never needed anyone's help…"
"Fine," Cagalli narrowed her eyes and Kira looked at her, "if you don't need our help then that's fine by me. You can go on blaming the whole world for your problems. I don't give a shit anymore. I try to help you, try to make you feel better, but no, you just throw everything back into my face.
"You know," Cagalli laughed mirthlessly, "Athrun might have a point in leaving. He had told me in a letter," she held out a folded letter, "that I should keep an eye on you. To help you through what you're going through right now, even if I don't understand it. But maybe I shouldn't listen to him because right now, all you've been doing is pouting, being an ass, and not even showing backbone."
"I should just tell him that I was sorry I couldn't take care of his best friend, my own brother, because he was too consumed into the fact that the world revolved around him," Cagalli pierced him with a tear filled glare, "because you know what Kira Yamato? You are alone."
She spun on her heel and walked out, slamming the door behind her, leaving Kira alone in the room.
Kira stared at the shut door before he pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his head between them, squeezing both of his hands together, not caring if the pain in his right hand screamed at him.
He was alone…
Lacus entered the fairly darkened room, waving to her bodyguards to stand down. There was no harm in the room, only a terrified person who had been waiting to see her. "Do you mind if I turn up the lights?" she asked the person, only seeing his silhouette.
"Go ahead," the voice was hushed, ragged, but that was understandable as he had been through so much in the last few days.
Lacus turned up the lights and smiled gently at the weary face of Senator Aaron Amalfi who sat hunched over slightly, his hands and arms resting on a table. "Hello, Senator. How have you been?"
"Not too good," Amalfi looked up at her, exhaustion lining his face, but his eyes still sparkled with the passion that made him such a persuasive speaker in the Supreme Council and now in the Earth Senate.
She took a seat across from him, folding her hands on her lap. "Eileen Canaver sends her best wishes."
"Hmm," Amalfi smiled briefly before a frown appeared on his face, "she's probably got her hands full trying to calm the media down and sway attention from me. Lacus, it wasn't me! I didn't set those charges off!"
"I know, I know," Lacus held up a hand to stop him mid word, "No one is saying it is your fault. It is all speculation right now. The evidence Orb's been going through has no conclusion yet."
Amalfi nodded before slumping back in his chair, "It's kind of Orb to do this…I…didn't know what happened until it was too late." He stared up at her before his gaze slid sideways and his eyes took on a distant kind of look. "Robert had called me out, saying that I had a phone call. When he picked up the phone…there was this voice that only said 'You've betrayed us.' Then I felt the rumble of the explosion…"
Lacus nodded, "What happened?"
"I don't really know. I mean, one minute this voice talks and then I feel the explosion. I turned back to go to the Senate room and then I think someone knocked me out. When I awoke, no one was there in the room where I had taken the call, but rescue crews were pouring in," Amalfi shook his head before laughing bitterly, "I guess I do have to be blamed. I mean, my alibi isn't even that great. How can I present to the Earth Senate and even Orb and PLANT that I'm innocent? I tried contacting Roger, but the hospital worker I talked with told me he died in the explosion…"
"What was the name of the hospital worker?" Lacus asked, concerned.
"It was a young intern. I think his name was Nikolai Mercus," he rubbed his hands together in a nervous gesture, "Lacus…how did we come to this? Two years ago, war had ended and I found a new career path – and now this." He shook his head sadly, bowing it down, "I should have just stayed on PLANT, perhaps even retire…"
"Don't say that, Mr. Amalfi," she frowned, "you are an integral part to bridge and solidify the peace between PLANT and the Earth. I chose you to be my voice when I am not here. I chose you because you understood the horrors of war and how peace had to be achieved and fighting should be stopped. Even with the deaths of so many of our colleagues and the blame fallen on you, stand strong. We will get through this, all right?"
Amalfi stared at her, a sad smile on his face, "You sound just like your father, Lacus. Siegel Clyne would have been proud of who you've become today…giving up a majority of your idol career to be a peacemaker."
"I wish for peace so I sing the song of peace and speak its words too," she replied, "do not worry, Senator. I will be returning to PLANT in a few days and would like you to come with me."
"I-I don't know," the fear was back in Amalfi's voice. "I…mean, what if…"
"Stand strong," she reached out and clasped one of his hands with her own, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "if the media hounds, then let them. You do not have to answer to them. If assassins come, let them. You are well protected, Senator. Orb's Princess Cagalli does not believe you are culprit to the bombings and the Liberation Forces are investigating similar bombings all over the PLANT cities and possible ones on Earth."
"All…right… I will go with you," Amalfi finally agreed after a few minutes of silent contemplation.
Everything was going according to his plans. He was happy with the results Griever and his other agents brought to him. Even though there were slight discretions in their missions, everything overall, was still good.
"Commander Anderson, a report from Lynx says that the Archangel has been sent out to Panama. Also, Justice Gundam has been rebuilt," a fresh-faced officer stopped in front of him and bowed slightly.
Sven Anderson waved the officer away before returning to stare out at the endless blanket of stars that surrounded the remnants of Colony Mendel. Though the viewport reflected some of his mangled face, he ignored it as had for the last eighteen years of his life. But he hadn't ignored the deep hatred that had been boiling inside of him for those eighteen years. He was finally getting his revenge, on everyone that wronged him – and if innocents were part of that casualty, then so be it.
He believed that the sins of a parent should be passed onto their children, retribution lasting and sweet and so those children, now perhaps teenagers or older, would pay for their mother's and father's sins. The Earth wronged him, Orb wronged him, and PLANT wronged him…and why should he not have his revenge?
Let them retaliate with Justice or whatever mobile suit they had, it would not stop the inevitability. Let them come with the weapons blazing…he had his own vendetta. "Griever!" he suddenly snapped, turning around briefly to stare at his personal assassin.
"Sir," Griever was the epitome of perfection, and the only successful creation of the batch that he had tried to develop using Dr. Hibiki's notes. Using nano-technology and growth acceleration at the right speed, he had created his own tool to use. The only problem…was that he had known about the other successful test and he had been afraid when the two met, but that had been resolved easily.
"Did you activate our new little puppet during your stay on earth?" he asked.
"Yes sir. She is ready and operational. I also contacted Hyperion and he says he is ready to rendezvous with us if we so decide to attack Panama," Griever said in matter-of-fact voice and Sven glared at him.
"Since when did you give the orders around here Nikolai?" he asked in a quiet voice. Inwardly he was proud of his little creation, having enough guts to stand up to him…but he would have to put him in his place. After all, he created him, and would be able to destroy him if necessary. A little pain now and then didn't hurt…A little psychological words wouldn't hurt…
"I will give the order to attack," he pressed a button embedded in his wrist and watched as the teen sudden fell to the ground and started to writhe in pain, unable to scream because of the nano-probes that controlled him. He increased the pain signals given to the probes inside of the boy a little more…
"If you think this is pain, what do you think will happen to you when you actually meet your predecessor, Kira Yamato? You met him only for a brief moment, but that moment caused you some pain, didn't it?" he pressed the button again and Nikolai stopped twitching, lying down on the floor, heaving gasps of air.
He watched as the teen moved slightly before a rueful smile appeared on his face. A burst of an unseen wind blew up in his face, but Sven just smiled against it. He pressed the button again and immediately the wind stopped as Griever thrashed around again, pain consuming his body. After a few minutes, he shut off the pain and turned around, walking back to the window to stare out into the blackness of space.
"Have you learned your lesson yet, Nikolai?" he asked in a friendly voice.
"Yes, sir," the hoarse reply came from the teen behind him and he barely heard him get up, but knew that he was standing again, fighting against the pain that was probably threatening to overwhelm him.
"If you do not want to pain to consume you again, kill Kira Yamato when you get the chance. Or else he will kill you," he said, before he turned around and clapped his hands together.
"Now, prepare a task force and send it to Earth. I want Panama to burn."