===============
Chapter 4
===============
The sound of the Archangel's engines filled the hangar as the Alliance battleship prepared to launch one more time. The base's personnel immediately cleared out as the battleship slowly lifted from the ground and began it's slow journey forward. The bridge was as active as always when Miriallia emerged to take her place at the COM. It was almost like old times, the console itself almost unchanged. She glanced over to see Murrue in the captain's chair, her attitude calm as the great ship finally left the safe confines of the hangar, lifting steadily higher to escape the Earth's atmosphere.
"Once we're clear of the atmosphere, send a transmission to California." Murrue ordered, crossing her legs as she relaxed into the chair, something she hadn't done in several weeks. "Let them know that were on course for the PLANTs."
"Yes ma'am." Miriallia replied as she prepared the message to be sent. Soon, the viewscreen was filled with stars as Archangel moved out of the Earth's atmosphere and into the vacuum of space. She silently prayed that, if Kira was indeed out there and was now their enemy, that there would be no needless bloodshed.
----------------
"Sir, we have detected an Alliance ship leaving Earth space." came a voice on the dark bridge of the GHOST battlecruiser Avenger. The little light on the bridge came from the soft glows of the many consoles and the display of the large viewscreen. Murdock sat in the command chair, at ease with the situation as his obscured face looked out at the viewscreen. Everything was going according to plan.
"Understood." Murdock said smoothly. "Tell the hangar to prepare the mobile suits and the Reverse Strike. The game has begun."
"Yes sir." came the reply as Murdock returned his attention to the viewscreen, now showing a projection of their position relative to the Archangel's, only a few kilometers out from Earth. He smirked to himself, relishing how predictable fate had become over the centuries.
----------------
As the alarms signaled the change to battle alert, Heero walked into the hangar already dressed in his flight suit. He had heard about the Archangel's presence and cursed himself. He should never had revealed himself to Dearka and Yzak that day on the battlefield. Now they would try to stop him and complicate the mission even further. Yet the last thing he wanted was to put his friends in danger, despite the fact that it had already occurred twice already. Suddenly, he gripped the side of his head in pain, feeling his consciousness scream in pain as it tried to overcome the Psycho system's effects. The part of himself that was still Kira Yamato was fighting, struggling to reclaim himself before it was too late.
But it was too late.
"Hey, are you okay?" he heard a voice, a GINN pilot named Akito, ask him. He slowly opened his eyes as the pain subsided. He was Heero Shinigami once again.
"Yes. There's no need for concern." Heero replied as he moved towards the open cockpit of the Reverse Strike, his eyes still cold and lifeless as the young man returned to his GINN's cockpit. Yet as he looked at his reflection on the gleaming metal of the door, he could see that tears had begun to develop. He wiped them away mindlessly and strapped himself in, preparing to complete his mission.
----------------
Dearka watched as the various technicians refitted both the Buster and Duel Gundams, arming them with additional weapons. Yzak was nearby, making sure that there were no mistakes while Duel Gundam was fitted with it's Assault Shroud.
"Hey Yzak." Dearka said as he floated over to his friend and wingman. "I've been thinking lately."
"Hope you didn't hurt yourself." Yzak said cynically.
"Could you cut the sarcasm a second? I'm serious. What do you think is going to happen once Athrun meets up with us? He's going to want to go after Kira himself."
"That's exactly what I'm hoping WON'T happen. Letting your personal feelings onto the battlefield makes you a liability. He knows that and, hopefully, won't make that mistake like when we were fighting with ZAFT."
"Don't remind me." Dearka folded his arms over his chest as he watched the technicians finish the fittings on Buster Gundam. "You know, I think we've all changed a lot over the last couple of years. I'm almost glad of the person I am now."
"You know, you do have a point." Yzak commented. "I look back on who I was then and I've improved much since, in combat and on a personal level. In a way, I'm almost proud of whom I've become now." Suddenly, the alarms blared to signal Battle Alert, making both of them snap out of their musings.
"Attention! Attention! Enemy ships approaching!" came Miriallia's voice over the intercom. "All pilots, report to mobile suits and armors immediately!"
"Looks like it's time to head out one more time." Dearka said, heading towards the open cockpit of Buster Gundam. "You ready?"
"I'm always ready." Yzak replied as he entered Duel Gundam's cockpit and began to strap in. At last, after nearly two years, he'd truly put his skills to the test. The cockpits closed as both mobile suits started their power-up sequences.
----------------
The Reverse Strike leapt forward from the launch bay, it's Aile engines burning brightly as they pushed the black mobile suit into the vacuum of space. Behind it were four GINN fighters guarding the rear, preventing any sneak attacks from catching them by surprise, and in front were twelve GuAIZ mobile suits from the other ships. Heero was silent as he looked through the display screens of the cockpit, part of him still struggling against the effects of the Psycho system. He tried to control his breathing, trying to regain control over himself.
"The mission..." Heero muttered to himself. "...must... complete... the mission..." The sensor alarm beeped as he slowly composed himself, letting him see both the Duel and Buster Gundams heading towards him. "Dammit!" he cursed as he turned on his COM.
"Sir, we're picking up two Alliance mobile suits heading this way." He heard Akito's voice over the COM.
"Spread out." Heero ordered to the other mobile suits. "Don't let them get in close."
"Yes sir." The GINNs spread to the left and right flanks as the Reverse Strike pushed forward, preparing to engage the Alliance mobile suits. He charged his beam saber as he waited for the right moment, the moment to strike. He saw his chance as the GINNs headed for the Archangel, leaving Duel and Buster Gundam open to attack.
----------------
"Yzak, watch your back!" Dearka's voice said over the COM as the silver-haired pilot saw the charging Reverse Strike, it's beam saber flaring a bright azure in the darkness of space. Yzak grit his teeth as he armed his own beam saber, more than ready to defend himself. Since Dearka had gone to help defend the Archangel, he was on his own for the moment. Soon, the two mobile suits clashed, their beam sabers throwing off sparks of blue and yellow energy. Neither pilot was willing to surrender in this test of power.
"Stay out of my way, Yzak!" a voice that sounded like Kira's strained over the COM. "You do not understand what's going on!"
"So it is you, Yamato!" Yzak said, pushing more power into his beam saber. "Tell me, why did you decide to betray us?"
"My name is Heero now, and I had my reasons!" The two Gundams were forced apart by the power of their weapons. Yzak fired several of his missiles yet Heero swatted them aside, letting them explode away from the Reverse Strike.
"You dishonor yourself, Yamato," Yzak said as he armed his beam rifle, "and everyone else who gave up their lives to end this fighting! I thought you had realized that by now!" He fired, managing to hit the Reverse Strike's left shoulder and Aile wing. Heero armed the mounted beam cannons and prepared to fire, to end this battle and complete his mission.
'NO!' He stopped after hearing a voice cry out, a voice that sounded like his own. 'You can't do this! I won't let you!'
"Be quiet!" Heero shouted as he fired the beam cannons, damaging the Duel Gudam's Assault Armor and destroying the missile launcher.
"Dammit!" Yzak cursed as he jettisoned the scarred armor, leaving his beam saber and head-mounted vulcans as his only defense. "This ends now, Yamato, one way or another!"
"I concur." Heero fired his cannons again, missing Duel Gundam as Yzak charged forward. He then charged both beam sabers and sliced into the mobile suit's right arm and engines, damaging both heavily. The Aile engines ignited as the brown-haired pilot headed toward the Archangel, leaving Yzak in his damaged mobile suit.
----------------
"Damage report!" Murrue shouted as the bridge of the Archangel shook from the incoming weapons fire. The ship had taken heavy damage since the fighting began but weathered the battle due to the refits.
"Casualties reported from the engine room and adjacent sections!" Miriallia answered, switching from COM channel to COM channel to keep up with in incoming traffic. "Engine #1 is down, #2 is 28% damaged. The hull is 42% damaged overall."
"Swing us around!" Murrue ordered, gripping her chair as the ship shook once again. "Target the lead fighters!" Sparks flew from several consoles as the bridge lighting began to flicker, making the area look like the bridge of an old-style submarine. Murrue grit her teeth in frustration, angry that the battle had take such an ugly turn already. Everyone looked at the semi-functional viewscreen, seeing a familiar mobile suit emerge from the Earth's shadow, three Strike Daggers following on it's flanks. It was light red, the beam sabers drawn as it pushed forward into the battle.
"Ma'am, I'm picking up seven mobile suits emerging from the Earth's shadow." Ssigh reported from his console. A look of relief flooded over his face when he recognized their configuration. "Six Strike Daggers... and the Strike Rouge."
"I'll be damned." Murrue muttered to herself as the ship shook again, relieved that reinforcements had arrived when they needed it most. To see tha familiar sight of a Strike Gundam mobile suit slice into some of the GuAIZ mobile suits brought back so many memories, memories that she couldn't be forced to relive now. "Hail the Strike Rouge. Relay our gratitude."
"Actually, Captain, they're hailing us." Miriallia said. Immediately, the viewscreen switched to the inside of the Strike Rouge's cockpit, where Cagalli sat in the pilot's seat. Her golden eyes held the look of cold determination, as if this was something she had to do for herself.
"It's good to see you again, Princess." Murrue said over the COM.
"Likewise, Captain, although I wish the circumstances were better." Cagalli replied. "Me and some of the fighters from my kingdom thought we could lend a hand."
"We appreciate that, and thank you." The COM line went off as Murrue returned to her chair. There was something in the blond-haired girl's eyes, a look of determination that wasn't there before. A cold feeling welled in her stomach, telling her that something terrible was going to happen. It was the same feeling she felt when the sting of Mwu's deaath finally settle in. "Bring us about. Give the Orb mobile suits cover fire."
"Yes ma'am."
----------------
Cagalli manuvered through the space debris, waiting for the right moment to attack the two GINNs behind her. After leaving the kingdom, she heard the address given by GHOST over the COM channels, proclaiming their independence. She swore never to let another war take away everything she cared about, hence her calling together some of the former guerilla fighters to take up arms once more as mobile suit pilots.
"Almost..." she muttered to herself, watching the GINNs attept to close on her. Suddenly, both mobile suits were hit with weapons fire, destroyed beyond recognition by the familiar flash of beam particles. She turned and gasped, seeing the Reverse Strike with it's beam cannons poised.
"...I... I... couldn't let them hurt you..." The voice of Heero Shinigami, formerly known as Kira Yamato, said in ragged breaths. Fighting the Psycho system was beginning to take it's toll on him.
"...Kira? You're the Reverse Strike's pilot?" Now it was beginning to make sense. The brown-haired Coordinator was the one who piloted it against the Resolution as well as Yzak and Dearka in California. But why he destroyed the two GINNs to protect her didn't make sense. Something was wrong. She could hear him strain over the COM channel, fighting desperately for control over his own mind. Her heart ached terribly for him, to help him end whatever torment he was putting himself through.
"I... I can't..." Heero muttered to himself, trying to force himself to arm the weapons that would end this interference, this distraction to the mission. Yet he couldn't do it... he wouldn't do it.
"Kira, you have to stop this." he heard Cagalli almost plead over the COM. "This isn't like you to fight us like this. Let me help you."
"..." The sensor monitor beeped, letting Heero see two GuAIZ mobile suits headed in their direction. They were heavily armed, ready to destroy. His heart pounded as he fought for decision, to have an answer to the question he asked himself since seeing her again three night ago.
Why did he care so much?
Why was she so important?
Why was he so willing to give up the mission for her?
"Because... because I..." He watched the GuAIZ fire their beam weapons, preparing to destroy the Strike Rouge. It took a split second for him to decide, to finally answer the nagging question he was asking yet was afraid to answer. To finally see the scope of what the blond-haired princess meant to him, despite the Psycho system's hold.
Because I love her.
He heard the sound of glass breaking in his mind, seeing a seed fall before his eyes, and Heero Shinigami knew no more.
----------------
Cagalli braced herself as the GuAIZ fired their shoulder-mounted beam cannons, preparing for the explosion and the cold expanse of space that would end her life. She suddenly saw something blocking her sensor view, protecting her from the impact of the beam weapons. When it dropped, she could see that it was the Reverse Strike's shield. The blue eyes of the mobile suit flashed for a moment before it raced off, it's beam sabers drawn and ready to strike. It moved swiftly, slicing through both GuAIZ cockpits before manuvering away. Cagalli had to shut her eyes from the brightness of the explosion that followed.
He saved me. She thought to herself in shock. He fought whatever was doing this to him and saved me... She heard the sound of sobbing over the COM channel, opening her eyes to see the Reverse Strike power down.
"Kira?" she called over the COM, her heart breaking to hear her friend sobbing. "Kira, hang on. I'll be right there." Cagalli unclipped her restraints and put on her flight helmet, trying to manuver the Strike Rouge close enough to reach him. When she was sure, she vented the cockpit and opened the door, exposing it to space for the first time in two years. Jumping over to the Reverse Strike's door, she touched the emergency controls and was heartbroken to see inside. Heero was crouched inside, his helmet-covered face buried in his hands as he sobbed uncontrollably. Cagalli reached out and embraced him, letting him finally rid himself of the pain of two years' worth of self-torture. Kira had come back to her but was a broken shell now, his innocence stolen forever by events that should never have happened.
"Shhh..." Cagalli soothed as she rubbed Kira's back, letting him feel a sense of comfort amoung his internal chaos. "It's over, Kira. It's finally over..."
Chapter 4
===============
The sound of the Archangel's engines filled the hangar as the Alliance battleship prepared to launch one more time. The base's personnel immediately cleared out as the battleship slowly lifted from the ground and began it's slow journey forward. The bridge was as active as always when Miriallia emerged to take her place at the COM. It was almost like old times, the console itself almost unchanged. She glanced over to see Murrue in the captain's chair, her attitude calm as the great ship finally left the safe confines of the hangar, lifting steadily higher to escape the Earth's atmosphere.
"Once we're clear of the atmosphere, send a transmission to California." Murrue ordered, crossing her legs as she relaxed into the chair, something she hadn't done in several weeks. "Let them know that were on course for the PLANTs."
"Yes ma'am." Miriallia replied as she prepared the message to be sent. Soon, the viewscreen was filled with stars as Archangel moved out of the Earth's atmosphere and into the vacuum of space. She silently prayed that, if Kira was indeed out there and was now their enemy, that there would be no needless bloodshed.
----------------
"Sir, we have detected an Alliance ship leaving Earth space." came a voice on the dark bridge of the GHOST battlecruiser Avenger. The little light on the bridge came from the soft glows of the many consoles and the display of the large viewscreen. Murdock sat in the command chair, at ease with the situation as his obscured face looked out at the viewscreen. Everything was going according to plan.
"Understood." Murdock said smoothly. "Tell the hangar to prepare the mobile suits and the Reverse Strike. The game has begun."
"Yes sir." came the reply as Murdock returned his attention to the viewscreen, now showing a projection of their position relative to the Archangel's, only a few kilometers out from Earth. He smirked to himself, relishing how predictable fate had become over the centuries.
----------------
As the alarms signaled the change to battle alert, Heero walked into the hangar already dressed in his flight suit. He had heard about the Archangel's presence and cursed himself. He should never had revealed himself to Dearka and Yzak that day on the battlefield. Now they would try to stop him and complicate the mission even further. Yet the last thing he wanted was to put his friends in danger, despite the fact that it had already occurred twice already. Suddenly, he gripped the side of his head in pain, feeling his consciousness scream in pain as it tried to overcome the Psycho system's effects. The part of himself that was still Kira Yamato was fighting, struggling to reclaim himself before it was too late.
But it was too late.
"Hey, are you okay?" he heard a voice, a GINN pilot named Akito, ask him. He slowly opened his eyes as the pain subsided. He was Heero Shinigami once again.
"Yes. There's no need for concern." Heero replied as he moved towards the open cockpit of the Reverse Strike, his eyes still cold and lifeless as the young man returned to his GINN's cockpit. Yet as he looked at his reflection on the gleaming metal of the door, he could see that tears had begun to develop. He wiped them away mindlessly and strapped himself in, preparing to complete his mission.
----------------
Dearka watched as the various technicians refitted both the Buster and Duel Gundams, arming them with additional weapons. Yzak was nearby, making sure that there were no mistakes while Duel Gundam was fitted with it's Assault Shroud.
"Hey Yzak." Dearka said as he floated over to his friend and wingman. "I've been thinking lately."
"Hope you didn't hurt yourself." Yzak said cynically.
"Could you cut the sarcasm a second? I'm serious. What do you think is going to happen once Athrun meets up with us? He's going to want to go after Kira himself."
"That's exactly what I'm hoping WON'T happen. Letting your personal feelings onto the battlefield makes you a liability. He knows that and, hopefully, won't make that mistake like when we were fighting with ZAFT."
"Don't remind me." Dearka folded his arms over his chest as he watched the technicians finish the fittings on Buster Gundam. "You know, I think we've all changed a lot over the last couple of years. I'm almost glad of the person I am now."
"You know, you do have a point." Yzak commented. "I look back on who I was then and I've improved much since, in combat and on a personal level. In a way, I'm almost proud of whom I've become now." Suddenly, the alarms blared to signal Battle Alert, making both of them snap out of their musings.
"Attention! Attention! Enemy ships approaching!" came Miriallia's voice over the intercom. "All pilots, report to mobile suits and armors immediately!"
"Looks like it's time to head out one more time." Dearka said, heading towards the open cockpit of Buster Gundam. "You ready?"
"I'm always ready." Yzak replied as he entered Duel Gundam's cockpit and began to strap in. At last, after nearly two years, he'd truly put his skills to the test. The cockpits closed as both mobile suits started their power-up sequences.
----------------
The Reverse Strike leapt forward from the launch bay, it's Aile engines burning brightly as they pushed the black mobile suit into the vacuum of space. Behind it were four GINN fighters guarding the rear, preventing any sneak attacks from catching them by surprise, and in front were twelve GuAIZ mobile suits from the other ships. Heero was silent as he looked through the display screens of the cockpit, part of him still struggling against the effects of the Psycho system. He tried to control his breathing, trying to regain control over himself.
"The mission..." Heero muttered to himself. "...must... complete... the mission..." The sensor alarm beeped as he slowly composed himself, letting him see both the Duel and Buster Gundams heading towards him. "Dammit!" he cursed as he turned on his COM.
"Sir, we're picking up two Alliance mobile suits heading this way." He heard Akito's voice over the COM.
"Spread out." Heero ordered to the other mobile suits. "Don't let them get in close."
"Yes sir." The GINNs spread to the left and right flanks as the Reverse Strike pushed forward, preparing to engage the Alliance mobile suits. He charged his beam saber as he waited for the right moment, the moment to strike. He saw his chance as the GINNs headed for the Archangel, leaving Duel and Buster Gundam open to attack.
----------------
"Yzak, watch your back!" Dearka's voice said over the COM as the silver-haired pilot saw the charging Reverse Strike, it's beam saber flaring a bright azure in the darkness of space. Yzak grit his teeth as he armed his own beam saber, more than ready to defend himself. Since Dearka had gone to help defend the Archangel, he was on his own for the moment. Soon, the two mobile suits clashed, their beam sabers throwing off sparks of blue and yellow energy. Neither pilot was willing to surrender in this test of power.
"Stay out of my way, Yzak!" a voice that sounded like Kira's strained over the COM. "You do not understand what's going on!"
"So it is you, Yamato!" Yzak said, pushing more power into his beam saber. "Tell me, why did you decide to betray us?"
"My name is Heero now, and I had my reasons!" The two Gundams were forced apart by the power of their weapons. Yzak fired several of his missiles yet Heero swatted them aside, letting them explode away from the Reverse Strike.
"You dishonor yourself, Yamato," Yzak said as he armed his beam rifle, "and everyone else who gave up their lives to end this fighting! I thought you had realized that by now!" He fired, managing to hit the Reverse Strike's left shoulder and Aile wing. Heero armed the mounted beam cannons and prepared to fire, to end this battle and complete his mission.
'NO!' He stopped after hearing a voice cry out, a voice that sounded like his own. 'You can't do this! I won't let you!'
"Be quiet!" Heero shouted as he fired the beam cannons, damaging the Duel Gudam's Assault Armor and destroying the missile launcher.
"Dammit!" Yzak cursed as he jettisoned the scarred armor, leaving his beam saber and head-mounted vulcans as his only defense. "This ends now, Yamato, one way or another!"
"I concur." Heero fired his cannons again, missing Duel Gundam as Yzak charged forward. He then charged both beam sabers and sliced into the mobile suit's right arm and engines, damaging both heavily. The Aile engines ignited as the brown-haired pilot headed toward the Archangel, leaving Yzak in his damaged mobile suit.
----------------
"Damage report!" Murrue shouted as the bridge of the Archangel shook from the incoming weapons fire. The ship had taken heavy damage since the fighting began but weathered the battle due to the refits.
"Casualties reported from the engine room and adjacent sections!" Miriallia answered, switching from COM channel to COM channel to keep up with in incoming traffic. "Engine #1 is down, #2 is 28% damaged. The hull is 42% damaged overall."
"Swing us around!" Murrue ordered, gripping her chair as the ship shook once again. "Target the lead fighters!" Sparks flew from several consoles as the bridge lighting began to flicker, making the area look like the bridge of an old-style submarine. Murrue grit her teeth in frustration, angry that the battle had take such an ugly turn already. Everyone looked at the semi-functional viewscreen, seeing a familiar mobile suit emerge from the Earth's shadow, three Strike Daggers following on it's flanks. It was light red, the beam sabers drawn as it pushed forward into the battle.
"Ma'am, I'm picking up seven mobile suits emerging from the Earth's shadow." Ssigh reported from his console. A look of relief flooded over his face when he recognized their configuration. "Six Strike Daggers... and the Strike Rouge."
"I'll be damned." Murrue muttered to herself as the ship shook again, relieved that reinforcements had arrived when they needed it most. To see tha familiar sight of a Strike Gundam mobile suit slice into some of the GuAIZ mobile suits brought back so many memories, memories that she couldn't be forced to relive now. "Hail the Strike Rouge. Relay our gratitude."
"Actually, Captain, they're hailing us." Miriallia said. Immediately, the viewscreen switched to the inside of the Strike Rouge's cockpit, where Cagalli sat in the pilot's seat. Her golden eyes held the look of cold determination, as if this was something she had to do for herself.
"It's good to see you again, Princess." Murrue said over the COM.
"Likewise, Captain, although I wish the circumstances were better." Cagalli replied. "Me and some of the fighters from my kingdom thought we could lend a hand."
"We appreciate that, and thank you." The COM line went off as Murrue returned to her chair. There was something in the blond-haired girl's eyes, a look of determination that wasn't there before. A cold feeling welled in her stomach, telling her that something terrible was going to happen. It was the same feeling she felt when the sting of Mwu's deaath finally settle in. "Bring us about. Give the Orb mobile suits cover fire."
"Yes ma'am."
----------------
Cagalli manuvered through the space debris, waiting for the right moment to attack the two GINNs behind her. After leaving the kingdom, she heard the address given by GHOST over the COM channels, proclaiming their independence. She swore never to let another war take away everything she cared about, hence her calling together some of the former guerilla fighters to take up arms once more as mobile suit pilots.
"Almost..." she muttered to herself, watching the GINNs attept to close on her. Suddenly, both mobile suits were hit with weapons fire, destroyed beyond recognition by the familiar flash of beam particles. She turned and gasped, seeing the Reverse Strike with it's beam cannons poised.
"...I... I... couldn't let them hurt you..." The voice of Heero Shinigami, formerly known as Kira Yamato, said in ragged breaths. Fighting the Psycho system was beginning to take it's toll on him.
"...Kira? You're the Reverse Strike's pilot?" Now it was beginning to make sense. The brown-haired Coordinator was the one who piloted it against the Resolution as well as Yzak and Dearka in California. But why he destroyed the two GINNs to protect her didn't make sense. Something was wrong. She could hear him strain over the COM channel, fighting desperately for control over his own mind. Her heart ached terribly for him, to help him end whatever torment he was putting himself through.
"I... I can't..." Heero muttered to himself, trying to force himself to arm the weapons that would end this interference, this distraction to the mission. Yet he couldn't do it... he wouldn't do it.
"Kira, you have to stop this." he heard Cagalli almost plead over the COM. "This isn't like you to fight us like this. Let me help you."
"..." The sensor monitor beeped, letting Heero see two GuAIZ mobile suits headed in their direction. They were heavily armed, ready to destroy. His heart pounded as he fought for decision, to have an answer to the question he asked himself since seeing her again three night ago.
Why did he care so much?
Why was she so important?
Why was he so willing to give up the mission for her?
"Because... because I..." He watched the GuAIZ fire their beam weapons, preparing to destroy the Strike Rouge. It took a split second for him to decide, to finally answer the nagging question he was asking yet was afraid to answer. To finally see the scope of what the blond-haired princess meant to him, despite the Psycho system's hold.
Because I love her.
He heard the sound of glass breaking in his mind, seeing a seed fall before his eyes, and Heero Shinigami knew no more.
----------------
Cagalli braced herself as the GuAIZ fired their shoulder-mounted beam cannons, preparing for the explosion and the cold expanse of space that would end her life. She suddenly saw something blocking her sensor view, protecting her from the impact of the beam weapons. When it dropped, she could see that it was the Reverse Strike's shield. The blue eyes of the mobile suit flashed for a moment before it raced off, it's beam sabers drawn and ready to strike. It moved swiftly, slicing through both GuAIZ cockpits before manuvering away. Cagalli had to shut her eyes from the brightness of the explosion that followed.
He saved me. She thought to herself in shock. He fought whatever was doing this to him and saved me... She heard the sound of sobbing over the COM channel, opening her eyes to see the Reverse Strike power down.
"Kira?" she called over the COM, her heart breaking to hear her friend sobbing. "Kira, hang on. I'll be right there." Cagalli unclipped her restraints and put on her flight helmet, trying to manuver the Strike Rouge close enough to reach him. When she was sure, she vented the cockpit and opened the door, exposing it to space for the first time in two years. Jumping over to the Reverse Strike's door, she touched the emergency controls and was heartbroken to see inside. Heero was crouched inside, his helmet-covered face buried in his hands as he sobbed uncontrollably. Cagalli reached out and embraced him, letting him finally rid himself of the pain of two years' worth of self-torture. Kira had come back to her but was a broken shell now, his innocence stolen forever by events that should never have happened.
"Shhh..." Cagalli soothed as she rubbed Kira's back, letting him feel a sense of comfort amoung his internal chaos. "It's over, Kira. It's finally over..."