Twisted- Chapter 2

It was as if the world had opened up and swallowed him up, throwing back his body with just fear and sorrow. He walked along paths covered in hot coal as the sun beat down on his soft skin and no wind same to cool him. The world began to shake fiercely beneath his bare feet and he fell as the world split again. He fell, and kept on falling until he could feel the flames of hell rising with greedy eagerness to capture his tortured soul.

But before the dark flames of hell could wrap around his body and burn his flesh off his bones, Auel awoke, panting and sweaty. He unwrapped himself from Stings' arms and cleaned off in the water. He dressed in his blue jeans and white shirt with black sleeves. He took out the cereal, plastic bowls and spoons and plastic milk jug. As Sting woke, washed off and dressed Auel prepared breakfast. After the quick meal Sting pulled out the medication (or drugs-whichever) and prepared it for use.

The rest of the day was spent updating their Gundams systems and waiting for something to happen. They knew it was only a matter of time before they were found. They were anxious for the fight, but the more they waited, the more the desire to fight diminished, and they felt more human.

"Auel?"

"Hmm?"

"What's bothering you?"

"I hate this. I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel anxious, but I don't want to be! I feel as if I should enjoy this calm time but my body is ready for battle. What the hell is wrong with me!"

"Nothing. I'm the same way. But I also saw some things that I shouldn't have."

"…" Auel stared at Sting, who sat against the tree with his arms crossed across his chest. "Well?"

"At our pods I saw the program data on the computer screen."

"It's a video surveillance system, Sting. Nothing more."

"You're wrong." His face was stern and very serious, catching Auel off guard. Sting usually was stubborn but not like this. "It was a controlling-like system. Every time we need to go there, we do and we sleep as long as they want us to. We only sleep longer depending on 2 things. How exhausted we are from the battles. The 2nd is what other events that happened in the day that might affect our performances."

Auel looked confused, so Sting expanded. "If something happens that might give us opposing opinions to our side, it would be erased from our memories. They erase anything that isn't relevant to our skills in battle and our will to fight."

"In other words we're just being used like dolls." Auel said a growl in his voice. "Those bastards! And the others, at the lab, Stellar, her too?"

"Yes, all three of us."

"And the people there knew too?"

"Yes. Auel?" Sting leaned forward. Auel looked on the verge of ripping someone's throat out.

"Those jerks! How dare they use us and not even tell us! All those people at the lab who were used, my mother was one of them!"

Auels eyes grew wide, his mouth slightly open. "M…mother…" He began to shake, his hands rising to his face as he fell to his knees. "She was… mother…was there…she knew…MOTHER!"

Sting pushed any urge to rip out Auels vocal cords. "You idiot! Get a grip on yourself." He shook Auels shoulders in an attempt to knock some sense into him. Auel continued to cry and scream until Sting pulled him to the bag that held their medications and then jabbed the needle into his arm. He hugged Auel close as Auel slowly began to calm and clutch to Sting as he relaxed into his embrace.

As Auel relaxed, almost asleep, Sting was suddenly aware of a noise that steadily grew as it got closer.

"Auel, get up." He shoved Auel away, pushing the contents back into the bag. Auel fought back the excitement that was building in his stomach and spreading through his veins.

They clambered into their cockpits, pulling on their suits. They hit a few keys as the Chaos and Abyss activated. In the monitor, the distant image magnified. It was a fleet of thirteen new mobile suits. They were all dark blue with vibrant green streaks across the middle. Between two mobile suits, they carried a large bazooka. The other suits seemed to encircle it as a shield, fire arms poised for battle.

A message appeared on the Extended's screens. It read:

Surrender or die. Extended's do not deserve to exist. If coordinators are so bad for having their genes manipulated, then how are, you Extended's any better? If you do not comply with handing yourselves over, you will be executed!

END MESSAGE

Auel burst out laughing, tears brimming his eyes. "If we 'don't surrender'…we die. But if we do-considering we 'don't deserve to exist'- we'd still be killed anyways!" he laughed again, hearing Stings' muffling his own laughter. Auel, finally calm, raised his gun and fire the warning shot.

"We refuse both of your options. Now fight and die!" The sky burst into a thousand balls of lights as gunfire was intercepted and explosions rained the sky. Stings' Gundam rose and fought in the air above as Auel backed him up from bellow. To their surprise these new suits had incredible speed. They dodged and returned fire, hitting nothing but empty air or dirt.

Sting successfully destroyed 5 suits before the bazooka was used. Sting failed to completely avoid the blow since it came suddenly and quick. The Chaos Gundams shield was destroyed, its head and shoulders blown off, the top smoking. The Gundam fell to the ground, its signal on Auels' screen beeping lost. He zoomed up on the broken suit seeing the stomach of the Gundam crushed in, small streams of smoke slipping in and out of the cracks.

"Sting…no…you can't be dead. STING!" Auel screamed as he launched into the air, firing straight into three cockpits before he pulled out his long sword which he rarely used. With an extra thrust from the boosters he cut down the mobile suits and the bazooka, his Gundam thrown back with the force of the explosion.

The three remaining suits closed in on the Abyss, one successfully removing a leg before Auel went trigger happy (K #2), destroying the 3 suits and half the forest.

He landed beside the chaos, the still fallen suit, smoking.

"Sting…" Auel breathlessly whispered. If Sting survived he'd be in critical condition if he wasn't crushed. It wasn't badly collapsed in but that was the view from the outside. "Sting!" Auel exited his cockpit, sliding down the rope until his feet hit the ground and his ran and climbed up the side of the hot Chaos.

It's not was Auel saw but what Auel heard. Through the cracked metal and smoke he heard a scream. A sad, painful scream calling for help.

Ignoring the heat that turned his hands a reddish colour he pulled at the rubble, throwing away pieces that he could lift. "Sting? Hold on!" He froze as one of the larger pieces slipped in slightly. He heard a groan then a rough, strangled cough.

"Sting?" Auel felt tears stinging his silver-blue eyes.

"Help…air tank isn't lasting…long…" He barely heard Stings' pained voice. "Legs…are being crushed and something is in my side…it's gone numb…Auel…" He coughed again and Auel wiped away tears. Sting was his best and only friend that he could ever remember. At the lab there had been some others but no longer did he keep in contact. He had no idea as to why or where they were now. Either dead or fighting. Stellar didn't really count. She was too attached to that damn Neo and both had annoyed him. Now they were dead.

Sting always comforted him, spoke his mind whether Auel wanted to hear or not. They always competed against each other in playful sport. Auel was not going to let Sting die when he was so close from saving him.

"Sting..." Auel remained pulling at rubble until he could see through a small hole, Stings' side where a thin bar was piercing his suit and skin, drenched in blood.

"Auel?" Auel heard Sting call for him but Auel was weak, his body rejecting his commands to move and slowly he collapsed onto the suit, lost to the bliss of unconsciousness.

Sting felt a pinch in his side each time he moved and that pinch spread through him, becoming more painful. When he remained still he felt as if his lower half was missing because he felt almost nothing. Auel had been above him, moving the rocks, but Sting had heard him collapse, probably because of the smoke. Stings suit had air running through it, giving him fresh air to breathe instead of the thick smoke. One arm was pinned to his side with the bar that he found in his side. With his other hand he tried to find any kind of working communication device but his cell phone was out of his reach and all the Gundams' system was down.

He knew as soon his air tank would run empty and he was fighting to stay conscious now. He allowed himself to fall into a sleep, waking to the slightest noise, hoping that death would only claim him and not Auel.

Silver-blue eyes slowly, tiredly, opened, staring at the blank ceiling above. As it quickly sunk into him that he was inside, in an unknown building he sat up, startled, glancing about nervously.

In a light green outfit, a nurse came over to him placing he hands on his shoulders. "Please calm down. Everything is fine."

"Sting! Where is he?"

"Oh, the boy that was trapped in the cockpit? He's in the bed over there." She indicated with the flick of her head, to the bed behind her. "Don't over exert yourself. When they found you, we had no idea how to treat an Extended. Luckily that boy remained conscious enough to tell us what each drug did to help you before he lost consciousness. We found the bag he was referring too."

"Drugs?"

"Yes. It was hidden under his seat, surprisingly undamaged. Now, please"- with a forceful push, "lie down and rest." Auel allowed himself to be pushed back down, his head landing in a soft pillow. He heard her put down her clipboard and exit the room. He was alone with Sting.

He heard the creek of the bed move as Sting shifted.

"Auel?" His voice startled the boy. He sat up too fast receiving s blood rush to his head as punishment.

"Hey." The word soothed Auel. Sting was alive. He was with him.

"Where are we?"

"On the Minerva. They found us. Don't get mad Auel. We were manipulated. Used. Just experimental toys in a war, and disposable." The words felt like venom to Auels' ears. He remembered the past few days and all the torture they were put through and all they learned. Simply put, he'd help ZAFT. He'd fight against the EA who had used them, he'd seek revenge. These Naturals who had hated the Coordinators and Extended were out of the way for now. They'd fight on a new side with new allies.

"Auel?" He looked over to see Sting perched on his elbows, his arms and torso bandaged.

Auel climbed out of his bed slowly making his way over to sting. "And how is it that you managed to remain conscious?"

"Air mask and will power."

"How long have you been awake now?"

"Since the nurse left."

"Did you care that ZAFT found us?" Auel loomed over him.

"No. I wanted them to find us. I just prayed that the fumes hadn't killed you."

"Oohh nooo…"Auel stroked the sides of Stings' face with his fingertips, his hands also bandaged from touching the hot metal. "Oohh nooo. You're going to be the reason I'll die, ever." He whispered, leaning in so his lips brushed Stings' ear. Sting turned his head, their noses brushing each others lightly before Auel pressed his lips to Stings. His arms snaked around Stings' shoulders as their eyes closed and tongues caressed each others mouths, eliciting moans. Sting fell back into the pillows as Auel positioned himself above the green haired pilot. Carefully, without putting too much pressure on the injured boy he pressed against him and kissed him deeply again, his tongue searching every crevasse of the hot mouth. Stings' hands ran carefully up Auels' sides and back, pulling him closer.

"I'm glad you're safe. How's your arm?" He reminded him of the arm that was broken just a few days back.

"I don't know what they did but it just feels pinched. I can move it fine and it looks pretty much healed." He ran that hand between their bodies to Stings' navel. "Amazing, these coordinators. Really are amazing." He purred as he kissed Stings neck, one of the few places that wasn't concealed under bandages. He sucked until a red mark rose onto the skin to meet his lips, Sting moaning softly beneath him.

"Soft spot, ne?"

"Mmm." Sting ran his fingers through Auels hair pulling him up for another kiss. Auel was starting to get irritated with the bandages that separated them. If only they were healed faster!

As Auel parted his lips for Sting the door slid open and they heard a sharp intake of breath, making the 2 boys separate.

Hearing from Captain Gladys about the unexpected battle and retrieving 2 young pilots, Athrun gave into Shinns' insistent pleads to check out the pilots. Apparently they were Earth Alliance Pilots that were pursued by Naturals with a deep hate and were near defeat. By the time they were found, one was lying unconscious on top of the cockpit of the others fallen Gundam, the other trapped inside. They were brought and attended to on the Minerva.

Here, they told Captain Gladys that they were no longer with the Earth Alliance and would like to apply to the Minerva to take anything offered or be kept prisoner for their aid to the EA.

Gladys informed the crew over the speaker system that the 2 pilots were not to be further harmed and treated as guests until further notice from Gil.

Athrun followed behind the hot-headed pilot of the Impulse Gundam, sensing his anxiety. They entered the Medical wing and came to a stop outside the door, unguarded, Shinn giving a look to Athrun as if saying 'I need to see if they are worthy of being here. Are they my enemy?' Athrun sighing, Shinn hitting the button, the door slid open giving them entrance. They stepped forward, Shinn halting almost immediately, Athrun hitting into his back as Shinn gasped.

"You're…" Athrun looked to where Shinns' gaze was fixed upon. The 2 boys were staring back at them with the same amount of shock, which Athrun knew not why. The green haired boy still laying in his bead, the silver-blue haired boy moving back to his own, cheeks slightly flushed.

Athrun recognized them as the 2 who came to get the girl that Shinn had helped just a few days past.

"Where's Stellar? What happened to her? Why isn't she with you?" Shinn blurted, ignoring Athruns' hiss to quiet down. "Well!"

"She…was killed along with our Ex-Commander. Right before we found out we were being…used." The last word seethed off the lips of the silver-blue haired boy with such distaste. Shinn stiffened, slightly angry but shocked silent. It didn't occur to the 2 ZAFT boys why the 2 injured boys were together in the same bed when they came in nor why they were so close, or how that these boys had gone through so much and were still alive… and sane, at least appeared sane. The injuries on their bodies were healing faster then that of a Naturals body but slower to that of a Coordinator.

"Sorry for disturbing you and making you recall such things. You must be exhausted and upset." Athrun bowed, grabbing Shinns' wrist, pulling him back. "We only came to check up on you and introduce ourselves since you'll be here a while, we hear. My name is Athrun Zala."

"Shinn Asuka."

The boys stayed quiet before finally speaking up.

"Auel Neider, pleasure to meet you."

"Sting Oakley."

Shinn forced a smile, following Athrun out. Once at a fair distance from the Medical wing Athrun hit Shinn over the head.

"Oww. What the hell was that for you bastard?"

"We were already informed that most of their comrades were dead and that they have suffered many injuries, emotionally as much as physical. Don't be so stupid."

"Why are you so mad? I meant no real offense."

"Maybe if you actually think before you act you wouldn't bring up such things that would need an apology. That's what you have a brain for, right?"

Shinn bit his bottom lip, his knuckles turning white in his fists. "Shut up, Zala! You don't control me!"

"I never said that I did but please try to control yourself better next time, okay?" Athruns voice softened, almost soothing.

"Shinn? Athrun?" They turned to see Ray Za Burrell standing behind them. "You shouldn't be arguing in such an open place. Here, follow me." He turned and went down the next hall. The two slightly flushed boys followed silently behind.

They entered Rey and Shinns' room, but neither of the previously arguing boys felt like fighting anymore. Continuing would be pointless. Rey sat and waited for them to do the same.

Shinn and Athrun sat across from him on Shinns' bed.

"Those two guys are the pilots of the Chaos and Abyss. We've already made a number of repairs to the Abyss but we're still in need of extra parts for the Chaos. Those two have agreed to fight for ZAFT. I better tell you this as well. They are Extended's. One of them explained to us what it means and how to treat them." Rey informed his face calm, void of what he was feeling.

He sighed heavily and continued. "Those who attacked them were Naturals who weren't with the EA. They despise both Coordinators and the Extended, what the EA did to Naturals. Those two boys were just puppets in this war, their memories erased each night of what might distract them as pilots of a war only purpose. So don't be too judgmental. You can still hate them, I don't ask you to change that emotion, that's your choice, but consider what you know now of them." Rey concluded before standing.

"If you don't mind, Athrun, but could you leave? I'm tired and plan on sleeping. It's late and I'm sure you're in need of a good nights rest as well."

With a short nod, salute, and Athrun was gone. He went straight to his room, and dressing to his blue shorts and off duty t-shirt and slipped under the covers. He had a bad feeling Shinn wasn't welcoming the fact that the two extended's failed to save a silly girl he met once. Athrun sighed as he pulled the blanket up to his chin.

He frowned as he woke to a vanilla scent at his nose. He pulled back the covers to find a mesh of pink hair on the pillow beside him.

"AHHH!" He tumbled backwards onto the floor, his legs caught in the blanket. The pink mesh moved and sat up. A soft yawn came as the figure rubbed her eyes, her lace nightgown strap slipping over her round shoulder.

"Meer?" Athrun gasped. "Wh…Why are you in my bed!"

"Hmm? Oh." She smiled crawling over and swinging her feet over the edge, sliding down so she straddled Athruns' hips. "I wanted to see you but when I got here you were asleep so I decided instead of returning in the morning that I'd rather join you." She feigned innocence. Athrun gapped like a fish and she laughed, kissing his nose softly before standing over him as he blushed. Hands on hips she said, "I heard there was a huge commotion over those two boys. All in all, I feel bad for them."

She sat back on the bed as Athrun backed away from the tangle of blankets, rising to his feet. She rose too, coming close until their lips connected, startling Athrun. A few seconds in, after immediate shock sunk in, he threw her backwards so she hit and fell onto the bed. He pressed the back of his palm to his lips, brow furrowed.

"What…?"

She sat back up looking puzzled. "Doesn't Lacus give you a morning kiss every time you wake up together? Doesn't a fiancé do that?"

"No!" Athrun squawked childishly.

"Oh." Simply stated, she looked disappointed. She rose. "Shall we shower then go for breakfast together?"

Before Athrun could voice his answer she pulled off her nightgown to reveal her bare cleavage and also pink lacey underwear.

Athrun, being the shy, shocked puppy that he was, blushed redder than a tomato throwing himself face first onto the bed, burying his face in his pillows.

"Go have your shower!"

"What about you?"

"I won't shower with you. I'll have one after."

"Why?"

"Just have it already. I said I won't shower with you so go have your shower!" He felt his face grow hotter as she patted his hip then heard her enter the bathroom, the door sliding shut behind her with a soft 'click'. What he didn't expect was the scream he heard echo from the bathroom afterwards.

TBC

Well that took a while to type. The next chapter is still being written so it'll be a little while.