Your Kind
Chapter 24: Time's Up
By: Jen "The Stampede" Motou
I almost crashed to the floor as I turned the corner into the room right before the launch bay. I could never really come up with a good name for that room, it just stored our pilot suits, so 'preparation room' let's call it that. Well Nicol was inside, waiting for us, however it was no longer us it was just me. You could tell that it wasn't planned, or at least Yzak hadn't told anyone if he had planned it. I prayed to whatever gods may be that Yzak wasn't in on all this. If he was, and Kira was hurt…Kira was lost I would never forgive myself. I had no idea what I would do if I lost him, and at the moment it was the last thing I needed to dwell on. The legged ship…no the Arch-Angel…no where Kira belonged...it was so close, and I had no idea when we would get this chance again. Despite the fact that Kira was still badly injured, I knew he…well prayed he…more of trusted my instincts that he…would be in safe hands.
Nicol's golden-brown orbs scanned down me, and then quickly sprang back up to my own eyes. "Where's Kira?" I looked to the side, when I spoke, I was ashamed that I had gotten myself...No us…it such a fix. "I slipped out a little early and was seen by a couple of guards, I tried to out run them, and then Yzak showed up. He told me to play along, so I did. He's with Yzak." "I see." Came a soft reply and as he pushed off the floor and floated over to me. "Here." He said shoving the remnants of Kira's Pilot suit, his dog tags, and a torn white t-shirt in my arms. "You take these and I'll go get Yzak." I stared at him for a moment as he floated over to the door, not knowing what to say. I just absence mindedly floated there, clenched onto my best friend, and strongest foe's belongings. Nicol punched the code into the door, and it slid open. I was still standing without making the slightest motion. He spun around. "Athrun what are you doing! This is no time to be zoning out! Get a move on! You have to take him back; you think he'll stay calm enough for one of us to pilot the Strike?"
I quickly snapped out of my daze, how could I be spacing out at a time like this? None the less, I proceeded to my locker and opened the door. "Good Luck." I heard Nicol mumble as the door close. 'Good luck' eh? I knew that was exactly what I was going to need…and I hoped I'd get lots of it. Well I pulled out my pilot's suit and went to unsnap my uniform forgetting for a quick moment that I had already shed that layer and placed on my injured comrade. So I sat down, pulled off my white boots, and placed them within my locker's walls. I slid into my pilot suit, and pulled up the zipper. It felt awkward to put the thing on without the intent to kill looming in the air above. I suppose the fact that since Kira had been 'captured', the ship hadn't come across a battle didn't help either. Either way it felt rather awkward.
I had waited for at least 15 minutes and there had been no sign of them –Kira or Yzak—that is. I was beginning to wonder if something had happened. Maybe the Commander had found Yzak out, and taken him captive as well, or maybe the animosity Yzak held so maliciously towards Kira never faded, and he had been part of the Commander's farce the entire time. 'Please dear god let me be wrong. Please.' Still awaiting the arrival of the two, I scanned the room. Kira was going to have to be slipped into a suit as well, but with his injuries his own would be difficult. I picked his suit up by the shoulders and let it hang from my hands. It was covered in tiny cuts and blood. I had forgotten about the whole in the upper left arm as well. There was no way that this would be any good to my best friend. I let out a sigh, with my worry growing as they still had yet to arrive. I looked back at out lockers, - the team's I mean- and wondered if one of us would stay behind.
Of all of us, Yzak would be the best bet. He was the only one of us, who could still begrudgingly play Commander Le Creze's faithful puppy dog. So with that in mind I approached the locker belonging to the sliver haired-boy and opened the door. I removed his suit, and helmet, then placed them on the bench behind me next to Kira's things. Another sigh escaped my lungs. 'Where were they?' I had no idea where they could be, and nothing be terribly wrong as I had yet to hear any alarms sound. I paused a moment, and then wondered why. Why were they helping me? Why were they helping us? Why were they helping their greatest enemy return to his ship? Not one of these questions had an answer at the moment, but at the same time, I figured it best to dwell on them at a later date.
A blaring sound soon echoed off of the walls, as I heard "Attention all personal, the Earth Forces soldier has escaped. He apprehend him at all costs! Find him! All Personal, FIND HIM!" It was spoken calmly by one of the female officers aboard, and that's when I knew they were coming. I knew they were on their way. –At least prayed they were--. After a few more minutes of waiting, the door slid open quickly revealing a flustered Yzak carrying a barely conscious Kira. Kira's wounds were still bleeding profusely and I knew I had to hurry. "Athrun! Hurry Up!" Yzak ordered passing Kira into my arms. "Kira…" I said softly as the boy only moaned while being passed over to me. "Get him in suit NOW! Use mine for all I care! Just get him out of here now! We don't have time anymore, so I'm going to go make some." With that Yzak quickly left the room, and Kira to me. I quickly and as gently as possible slid Kira into Yzak's suit. He moaned weakly a few times, as if I were trying to wake him up. "Shh Kira, you're alright." I said pulling close to me as I gathered up his things and left the room.
I arrived in the launch deck only to find a rushed Dearka and a half panicked Nicol. "What took so long?" Dearka demanded. I smiled at him as I floated towards the Strike. "Complications, I'll explain later we don't have time." He nodded in agreement. "So everyone knows what they're going to do right?" Come out of Nicol as he headed to the Blitz. "Right." We both reassured him, and we all parted to our Machines. I taped in the code on the side of the Strike's cockpit and the doors slowly opened. I poked my head inside, Kira clutched onto me. Seeing the inner working of the machine I had a flash of the horrid slight of Kira, when I first had found him. However the interior looked nothing of that which I had pulled my best friend from. Nothing of that Hellish slight.
I placed myself and Kira inside. He sat in my lap, with no where else for him, as I placed my hands on the controls as the doors sealed us inside. The O.S. activated and the Strike was alive once more. I could feel the air thicken, the pressure rising, and time running out. Was this how Kira felt before entering Battle? "Hold On Kira." I said aloud, launching the Strike into space. "Wait…you. You're not authorized to leave. Who are you!" One of mechanics shouted over the com link. However I just clicked it off, silencing him, as the brilliant twinkles of light filled our eyes, with the Strike now completely submerged into the blackness of space.
"We'll go get him!" "Buster Launching!" "Blitz Launching!" Their voices came there the com link of the Strike. All was going well. The Strike's sensors picked up the machines and brought them up on screen. However it was easy to see and hear that ZAFT had reprogrammed the Strike's System, assuming that we would be keeping it and disposing of the Pilot I'd assume. Why do I say thing? I bet Kira had our suits programmed as enemies; however no alarms or sensors sounded. When Dearka spoke, the Strike picked up the frequency without having to tune into it. Heh, of course ZAFT would go to such lengths with this machine. I guess I'm spoiling the party for them.
Suddenly as I got closer to the Arch-Angel a beeping sound came. "Urgh…" Kira whined, and his hold become tighter. "What is it?" I said, and he reach over his arm shaking and pressed a button. It had established a com link with the Arch-Angel's captain. "This is Captain Murrue Ramius, Kira is that you? Kira Yamato!" She shouted, her voice shook, as she did. You could tell she was worried about him. I smiled. "This is ZAFT's Special Forces Agent Athrun Zala. Kira is with me." I responded back. "Oh thank y---" I had to move quickly as a shot was fired in my direction. I dodged it quickly and screamed "Dearka what do you think you're doing!" He had almost hit me, was this just some kind of cruel joke to take both Kira and I at once? "Sorry Athrun, Nicol didn't explain things huh? We gotta make it look like we're really trying so we don't get busted…to bad…" It made sense now. I wished Nicol had mentioned that part but he neglected to.
So in reprimand I spun the Strike around and fired back. – Warning shots of course I was purposely missing. Dearka and Nicol did the Same, however I couldn't do as much with Kira and all. Nicol had fired a shot off, and I went to dodge however I didn't move quite fast enough. I went to move my arm up but slowed when seeing I would have struck Kira. This caused the beam to hit the bottom leg of the Strike. The impact forced me forward, and Kira crashed forward. "URGH." He let out, as I quickly gathered him back into the seat. "Watch it Guys!" I screeched at them, but got no reply as we all saw JINNS leaving the Versailles. "Oh No." I said knowing now I would really have to fight. I would have to fight 5 JINNS on my own, seeing as Dearka and Nicol couldn't assist me. I mean after all, those pilot's assumed the Strike was being piloted by Kira, not me.
The JINNS fired in unison, and I dodged the best I could. I was afraid to admit that the Strike wouldn't probably returned in top condition as expected. I fired back, and missed. At this rate I wasn't getting any closer to the Arch-Angel. Then out of no where one exploded it front of me. Another beeping sounded and I pressed the same button Kira had. Another com link made I heard. "Hey Kid! You Ok? KIRA!" It was a deep voice, a man's voice. Kira moaned softly and spoke even weaker. "Commander La Flaga… I'm fine. Thanks" He smiled as an orange mobile amour flew past us. "You sure Kid, you don't sound alright. Well in any case. I'm glad you're alive. Let's take these guys!"
He and I both fought off the JINNS, as I pushed the Strike Closer to the Arch-Angel. Not paying attention to my right, we were hit on the side by a blast from one of the JINNS. Kira Crashed to the right, and I sound saw spots of blood floating about the place. "Kira, you Ok?" He weakly nodded at me, "yeah." There was blood running from his mouth, and it had splashed against the glass of the helmet. It had slipped my mind just how bad he was hurt, just how blood he'd lost. "Lair!" I spat at him, no longer paying attention. "ATHRUN! DROP IT!" He shouted using all of his remaining strength to refocus my attention. "Sorry Kira." I said, dodging a beam. "Kira! I can handle them! Get to the Arch-Angel NOW!" The man's voice came again. "Copy that…" I replied and headed for the white ship.
"Wait a minute… who ARE you?" I grinned, and just said "A friend." As I backed the Strike up to the Arch-Angel. "Strike preparing to dock." I said, hoping that woman could still hear me. "Acknowledged. Arch-Angel give him cover! Valiates FIRE!" The door opened to the Ship and I slowly placed the Strike inside. "Kira…" I said, bringing the Strike to a stop as the door closed us inside. I got no reply. "Kira.." I said again. I sat there for a few moments waiting for him to say something. Anything. ….Nothing. "KIRA!" I shouted, looking down at him, trying to see his face through the blood lining the glass. I pulled the helmet off of him, and he weakly opened his eyes. Violet slits smiled up at me. "A—Athr---thrun, Thank you." He choked out, as those violet slits fell closed, and his head to the side. "Kira? …." Nothing.. "Kira…!" Still nothing. I shook him. "KIRA!" Nothing. "Kira this isn't funny! KIRA!" No matter how much I yelled he didn't open his eyes and he just lie there limp. I felt tears come to my eyes as I pulled him into my arms, and sobbed….. "Kira…"
To be Continued…..