Hi again!

It's been raining the last few days where I live – being trapped in the house is horrible…. But the good thing is I got a lot of writing done. I will be updating both my stories this weekend! Yay! Oh! The first "bang" is Athrun getting shot the first time – just so everyone can follow along…

I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny or any references made to it.

Abhorrence

Chapter #17: Out of the Fire

BANG!

Everybody froze as the sound of a bullet echoed through the street to the heavens. Lacus jumped, her bright eyes wide as her head shot up towards the third story of the hotel where she knew Cagalli's room was. Yzak, Dearka and Kira all jumped to attention, the hair at the back of each one's neck standing at end.

"What… what was that!" Yzak hollered. He pushed himself away from the vehicle and moved back.

"It came from inside!" Kira declared and grabbed Lacus' hand. Without really thinking, he dragged her back towards the front door. He raced up the steps, his heart pounding. He reached for the doorknob and just started opening it when the sound of bullets ricocheting off the brick of the building sent the two of them dropping back to the ground.

Lacus let out a surprised cry and ducked as another bullet whizzed past her head. Urging her legs to move faster, she slipped on a piece of ice at the same time as she and Kira dove for cover behind the car. She landed in a snowdrift by Yzak's feet as all four of them sought refuge behind the parked vehicle.

The bullets were coming from all directions and Kira instantly realized that they were caught in a crossfire. Pushing Lacus down so that she was out of harms way, he pressed her up against the car and silently ordered her not to move.

He winced when Yzak and Dearka whipped out their own weapons and returned fire.

"Who is firing at us!" Dearka demanded as he fired in the general direction of the incoming fire.

"The Blue Cosmos must have figured out we'd come back here!" Yzak called back over the noise as bullets sailed across the skies. "It must be them!"

"Kira!" Lacus grabbed his sleeve and pulled him down so that their faces were only inches apart. "Kira, Athrun and Cagalli are in danger! The gunshot…we have to get to them! Please!"

He didn't need any further convincing.

Kira nodded and sprang into action. Snatching Dearka's pistol from his hand, he scurried up the steps back towards the front door. He did his best to stay low but jerked when a bullet landed just inches from his heel. Without hesitation, he burst through the door and rolled into the main lounge. He whirled around just in time to see Lacus stumble in after him.

"Lacus!" He barked, his fear for Athrun and his sister making him sharp. "What do you think you are doing!"

"I'm going with you!" She snapped as she ran past him and up towards the stairs. She could hear his footsteps and knew that he was right on her heels as the two of them tore up the stairs. Never had she moved so fast in her life and never had she been so desperate. Afraid of what she might find when she reached the top of the flight of stairs, she grabbed the railing and hulled herself up the last few steps.

BANG!

A second gunshot.

Lacus stopped dead in her tracks and Kira literally had to throw himself to the left to avoid running right over her. She felt as if someone had just shot her through the heart. The color drained from her face as a million emotions, a million memories and a million moments that she had shared with her two friends flashed before her eyes. It couldn't be…

"Cagalli! Athrun!" She screamed and tore up the last couple steps and into the hall. Suddenly, she forgot that she was unarmed as she charged towards down the narrow aisle way.

Kira managed to catch up with her and caught her arm. "Lacus! No!" He shouted and almost violently pulled her back to prevent her from entering the room first. He flung her behind him and tightened the grip on his gun. His eyes darted from left to right as he approached Room 27. He kicked down the door, his pistol up and ready to kill.

Sweat poured down his forehead and into his eyes but he didn't dare make a move to wipe it away. His expression hardened as he searched the room for any signs of life. In the far corner, the light from the window illuminated the silhouettes of three figures – one curled on the floor and the second towering over him with a gun pointed directly at the downed individual. In the split seconds he had before the second spotted him, Kira realized that the one on the floor had rolled half-heartedly to the left in order to avoid the second shot that they had heard. The shot, that had been meant to be fatal, had caught his left shoulder instead of his heart. The third figure across the room was undoubtedly his sister.

The man looked up and Kira identified him instantly. Jibril also seemed to recognize Kira as he immediately made a move for the window.

"You!" Kira raised his gun and fired several shots at the fleeing man but only one seemed to hit its target. The stranger staggered forward before he made his escape through the window. His right leg seemed to buckle beneath his weight and Kira immediately realized where his bullet had found its mark. For a second, the adrenaline coursing through his veins urged Kira to pursue the man but he stopped himself. He was outraged. He wanted nothing more but to catch that man and he knew he could. He was faster, smarter and stronger and he would have loved to empty the round in his pistol on the Blue Cosmos leader.

He dashed towards the window and peered out cautiously. The wind and snow smacked his face, momentarily taking his breath away and Kira reared back into the shelter of the lone room. Panting, he looked over at Cagalli, who was just starting to rise, and in that moment, he felt the icy grip of death take hold of the dark room. There was a terrible chill in the heavy air and the shattered lamp gave testimony to the desperate struggle that had transpired.

"A…Athrun…" Cagalli felt her limbs go numb as she dropped down beside the crumpled figure in the corner. Suddenly, everything around her seemed non existent. All except Athrun and he was disappearing… leaving her in complete darkness. That was when she realized that without him, there was no light in her world. Without him, her world was dim and lonely, void of warmth and feeling. He had meant so much to her.

Reaching out with a trembling hand, she brushed away some loose strands of soft, blue hair from his sealed eyes. She felt frighteningly cold as if consumed by a sudden void. She felt nothing. She couldn't even cry. Pain, sorrow, grief, anger, sadness… all were nothing but meaningless words. A jumble of phonemes that couldn't begin to describe how she felt. She had done this to him. All of his pain had been her fault. She had been aware that the area had once been swarming with the Blue Cosmos and hostility for Coordinators. She had hoped things had somehow improved.

Her expression fell. People didn't change. Not really. They still hated Coordinators and the deep loathing they felt had destroyed the one she held most dear to her heart. No enemy was as fierce as abhorrence and no enemy was so difficult to fight. Once manifested in one's soul, it could never truly be dissolved.

"Athrun, I'm sorry," She whispered, her voice quivering with emotion. "I… I'm sorry…"

A lone tear leaked out from the corner of her right eye and slid down the side of her face. As she kneeled over his prone form, the droplet of water splashed onto his face. Her eyes wavered as she saw that beautiful pair of emerald eyes that she had loved so much crack open. They were blurry and unfocused as they fixed themselves on her. Athrun didn't move, nor did he try to. His breathing was husky and shallow and blood continued to soak the floor beneath him.

"Not your fault…" He muttered almost inaudibly. He attempted to cough, leaving a trail of blood on his lips. "Don't… hate seeing you… cry…"

His eyes rolled back into his head and she saw his body stiffen slightly before going completely slack. His body had finally succumbed to the insurmountable abuse that he had endured and he lost himself in the darkness that oblivion offered him.

"Athrun!" Cagalli gasped and made a motion to shake him but Lacus stopped her. She hadn't even heard her friend come up beside her but she grabbed her arms and gently pulled her back. Kira hurried over from the window and, bending forward, he placed two fingers on Athrun's throat just below the chin. There was a pulse – thready and uneven but it was there nonetheless.

"We're not safe here," Kira told the two girls firmly. His swallowed in an attempt to clear his dry throat and to appear strong even though inside he was breaking. To see his friend like this, in pieces at his feet, made him want to break down and cry in earnest but he couldn't. He had to be strong for Cagalli. The Blue Cosmos were not going to let them go and now, as much as he hated himself for admitting it, was not the time to morn.

He scooped up Athrun's body in his arms and shuddered when he felt his friend's blood seeping into his coat. Ensuring that Athrun's neck was firmly supported and careful not to jar his more severe injuries, Kira motioned towards the door and followed Lacus, as she guided Cagalli back through the hallway and down the stairs to the main lobby.

He heard the soft hiss of Athrun's breathing against his neck as he pushed through the main doors and quickly took shelter behind the car parked in front of them. Dearka and Yzak were still exchanging gunfire with their attackers and as Lacus ducked, she did her best to make sure she was out of the way. She backed herself up against the passenger side, front tire of the car and Kira could see Lacus visibly cringe each time a bullet was fired.

Cagalli wasn't far behind as she dropped down beside Kira into the snow, her eyes wide in fear and internal anguish. She did her best to ignore the horrified stares of her friends as they took in Athrun's haggard appearance, but failed miserably. "We… we have to get Athrun to a hospital!"

"I think we need to get ourselves out of here!" Yzak shot back and just barely managed to dodge a bullet as it whizzed past his head, singeing his hair. He fired his pistol in the general direction of the opposing fire and swung open the door to the back seat of the car. "It's about time you guys got back! Get in!"

Lacus was the first to react and crawled through the foot-well to the far side of the back seat. Her pink hair was soaked from the snow and matted to her thin frame as she turned back and extended her arms.

Kira nodded and as much care as haste would allow, he slid Athrun into the back seat to Lacus. Lacus wrapped and arm around Athrun's waist as he leaned into her, pushing her up against the opposing door to the back seat. He was unconscious and the blood that caked his left shoulder and chest paralyzed her. Although she knew he was oblivious to the world around him, she gently stroked his damp and greasy, blue hair.

Bang!

A bullet ricocheted off the door Yzak was holding open and redirected itself towards the silver-haired pilot. Yzak yelped and stumbled back, slipped, and fell back into the snow. The bullet had just barely grazed his arm, leaving a thin trail of blood in its wake. It stung but he didn't give it a second thought as he shot Kira and Cagalli a fierce glare and motioned towards the car. "GET IN!"

Kira snatched Cagalli's arm and pulled her into the back seat with him. The four of them squeezed together in the small space as Kira reached across Cagalli and slammed the door shut. He watched through the broken window on his side of the car as Dearka scrambled across the passenger seat and into the driver's seat. His fingers fumbled over the controls as he frantically tried to get the key into the ignition.

Yzak leapt into the passenger seat just as the Dearka started the engine. Yzak was barely seated as Dearka slammed down on the accelerator, not waiting for Yzak to even close his door. Yzak squawked as the sudden motion almost tossed him out the door. Gripping the headrest of his chair, he lunged forward, grabbed the door and slammed it shut.

"Which… which way!" Dearka shouted as he tore down the street. Bullets continued to assault the car as it made its escape. As they distanced themselves from the hotel the bullets eventually ceased – replaced by the howling of the wind through the broken windows that had taken several bullets during the exchange of gunfire.

"Straight down this road…" Cagalli whispered hoarsely. She and Lacus both supported Athrun's limp form and Cagalli felt her insides twist. When she withdrew her hand from around Athrun, it came back soaked with red. She had blood on her hands and if he died she would never be able to wash it away.

Dearka nodded, content on following the road out of town and hopefully into Orb territory. If only it was that easy.

Something violently slammed into the driver's side of the car, causing it to swerve violently. Lacus and Cagalli both screamed as they were flung over on top of Kira, crushing Athrun in the process.

"What the hell!" Yzak grabbed at the dashboard, his eyes wide as he saw a speeding car come up along side of them. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized the man in the passenger seat of the opposing car… it was the same man that had caught them trying to free Athrun… the same one that had most likely tortured him. The man with the purple lipstick. "Dearka! Speed up!"

Dearka yanked the car around a corner and Jibril did the same – both vehicles roaring down the lonely street and further and further out of town. The two men traveling with Jibril stuck their bodies out of the open windows of either side of their car and begun spraying their escapees with bullets. Dearka forced the car to swerve from side to side and Lacus had to bite her lip, feeling suddenly very nauseous.

Struggling to maintain control of the speeding vehicle that wasn't meant to be driven so hard, Dearka desperately struggled to maintain control of the wheel as they raced down the road.

"AH!" Cagalli screamed as the car beside them crashed into them a second time. Like a rag-doll, Athrun flopped lifelessly against her, the trickle of blood flowing from his lips rolling down the side of his face as his heart continued to pump the life out of him. She hugged him close as she was violently thrown into Kira on impact. She winced, the screeching of the tires as they gripped at the road, piercing her eardrums. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to die. Not like this…

"Get down!" Kira screamed and lunged over the girls, pushing them into the foot-well as a stream of bullets shattered the remnants of the windows above them. He winced as he felt shards of glass rain down on him like sharp little daggers that bit into his back. He heard Lacus cry out and his heart skipped painfully as he realized there was nothing he could do.

"Dearka!" Yzak gasped as the enemy continued to push them closer and closer to the edge of the road. He quickly fastened his seatbelt before smiling cynically. - as if it would do any good. Jibril was trying to muscle them off of the road or cause them to spin out. Whatever happened first – to Jibril, it mattered not.

It was dark. As the two cars screamed down the country road, darkness seemed to envelop them. Dearka gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles going white as sweat poured down his face. This car wasn't designed for such stress… nor was it designed to carry 6 passengers. Suddenly, he spotted in the far distance a bright light in the corner of his eye. He frowned, squinting as he tried to see. There was a car coming towards him but there was nothing out of the ordinary about it. Or so it seemed.

His instincts, however, were screaming warnings at him. Warnings which he didn't understand. Didn't he have enough to worry about already? The lights from the car in front of him were blinding – he couldn't see. His heart rate sped up when he light dimmed for a minute and he got a clear view of what was happening in front of him.

He gasped and for almost half a second, Dearka felt as though time had suddenly frozen. The car in front of him… it wasn't on the right side of the road… it was coming straight towards them! Vaguely, he could make out the driver – he was dressed in a blue uniform, similar to that in which a member of the Blue Cosmos would wear.

Dearka panicked. His mind seemed paralyzed. It was a trap. Somehow, the Blue Cosmos had anticipated an escape attempt and had staked out men throughout the town! They were going to hit it head on!

"Dearka!" Kira frantically reached over and grabbed the steering wheel. Desperately, he veered off the road, forgetting the ditch that lay hidden at the side of the road. Tires squealed as Kira was roughly thrown to the right, loosing his grip on the wheel. The momentum sent Yzak wrenching forward but his seatbelt caught him and pulled him back into his seat. A pained cry escaped his throat and he snapped his eyes shut as his body was violently jerked and wrenched in his seat.

Kira raised his head and his eyes widened – he didn't realize his mistake until it was too late…

Desperately Dearka hit the breaks, realizing what lied beyond the side of the road and tensed as the car spun roughly off the road and into the ditch. He cringed when he heard the sound of metal against metal and his stomach felt like it was going to burst as he tensed, helplessly. Something happened behind him, he could hear it as the car behind him rammed into the car that had driven them off the road. However, he had little time to think about it – too caught up was he in his own treachery. With a loud thump, the car flew off the road and roughly tumbled over into the trench.

It happened so fast that his mind couldn't even perceive what was going on and when the car made contact with something solid, the momentum brutally drove him forward, forcing him to smash his head against the steering wheel – hard. Flung backwards again, Dearka didn't even register pain as the world instantly went black. Vaguely, he felt his body being forced to the right by another rough movement but couldn't record anything more before consciousness was forced out of him when his head struck the drivers' window.

Engulfed by darkness, he welcomed it graciously.

Lacus and Cagalli both collided with one another as they were thrown to the side with Athrun sandwiched between them. Cagalli stole a quick look at her dying friend. In a strange treachery they now found themselves in. Yzak shouted out to Dearka and grabbed him while Kira just struggled to keep himself from flying out the front window.

Kira snapped his eyes shut, as the car came to a screeching halt, their wild chase ending with them in the ditch. After a few seconds that seemed like hours, Kira opened one eye. Lights were flashing but a deadly silence had encompassed the surroundings. Vaguely, he was aware that he was lying on his side against the window that had been smashed when they had veered off of the road.

The lights continued to flash, blinding him and he bit back a pained moan as he dragged himself upright. His arm was screaming in pain and he could only guess he had jarred it somehow during the crash. He glanced down at Cagalli and quickly crawled backward to allow her to also rise.

It took three attempts, before he managed to pull himself up and slide out of his sister's way. Each time his body succumbed to the pain that was wrenching violently at his arm. Cagalli, still clinging to Athrun like a second skin, looked up at him. The look in her eyes reminded him of a lost puppy. She looked like a little girl, afraid to let go as everything was gradually slipping away from her.

"K… Kira?" Lacus asked weakly as she too slowly sat up. During the collision, she had been forced up against the door. Her hair was frayed and frazzled as she strained to pull herself into a sitting position. "What happened?"

Kira opened his mouth but before he could answer, a cry from the front seat stopped him.

"Dearka!"

Kira looked up in sympathy as Yzak removed Dearka from around the steering wheel and leaned him back to inspect his injuries. The blond pilot was out cold and blood was dripping from a large cut over his right eye. Kira and Yzak exchanged nervous glances as Yzak pulled Dearka over into the passenger's seat and gently shook him. "Come on damn it! Wake up!"

Cagalli bit back a sob as her attention returned to Athrun. He was white, unresponsive and lifeless in her arms. He had always been so strong yet here he was in her arms… completely broken. It was then that she remembered Jibril and the car that had been driving on the wrong side of the road. The one that had tried to hit them head on. Slowly, she raised her head and peered out of the rear window, feeling the icy winds run its fingers through her tangled hair.

There were two cars on the road, both intertwined with one another. It had been a head on collision. Sparks flew up, as the emergency lights on both vehicles flashed brightly. The horrible smell of burning metal and gasoline was almost suffocating and smoke was gradually rising up to the heavens.

Cagalli inwardly grimaced when he caught sight of the driver that had nearly run into them. The man had gone right through the windshield of his car, his body now nothing more than a mass of entangled ligaments. His eyes were glazed over and empty while blood gradually oozed out from a gash across his forehead. Cagalli tensed and quickly averted her eyes, almost fearing what might happen should she look the dead man in the eye. That could have been them. That very thought made the hair on the back of her neck stand at end.

Her gaze gradually drifted to the second car, the one that had been bent on making them spin off of the road. It was hard to see the passengers due to the blood that had splattered across the cracked windshield but she was certain she could make out three distinct figures. Her heart turned to ice as she recognized the driver as Jibril. Unconscious in the driver's seat, his face was smeared with blood. She wasn't sure whether or not he was dead but deep down, she hoped he wasn't. He didn't deserve such a swift and painless death. Not after everything he had done. Instinctively, she pulled Athrun close.

"Is everyone alright?" Kira asked, his eyes still glued on Dearka as Yzak continued to attempt to make him come to. He had no luck. "Is he…"

"Just a bump on the head," Yzak grumbled, though his voice was tight with worry. He then turned his head towards Cagalli. The Orb princess was now sitting upright, supporting Athrun in her arms while letting his head loll onto her shoulder. "Is he still alive?"

Cagalli said nothing. Glancing about, she struggled to find her bearings. They couldn't be far from Orb. It was dark and there were no street lights, making it impossible for her to really see but she did recognize the road.

"We need to get Athrun to the hospital." Lacus whispered quietly and shifted, carefully not to sit or put a hand on the shards of glass that now littered the back seat.

"It's not far," Cagalli mumbled softly. She felt exhausted. The emotional and physical strain had finally caught up with her and, upon seeing Jibril's unmoving form entangled in the wreckage, she felt an immense relief flood her senses. At last, it was finally over. "Just follow this road."

Kira made a move for the driver's seat but stopped when Yzak's intense eyes fell upon him. He hesitated for a second, unsure what the ZAFT pilot was thinking before Yzak's expression softened somewhat.

"You can drive, Kira," He told him gruffly. "I'll hang onto Dearka until we get to this so-called hospital."

Kira nodded and carefully slipped into the driver's seat. He was somewhat relieved when the car miraculously started up again. The engine huffed and the tires squealed in protest but eventually it started up and very slowly, he maneuvered them out of the ditch. The damage to the vehicle was substantial but all he needed was for it to get them to the hospital and Cagalli had said that it wasn't far.

The breeze picked up as the car increased speed. Kira guided it back onto the road, leaving the scene of the accident. As far as the police would be concerned, the two cars hit one another. Nobody spoke as they made their way into Orb territory. They had been successful, maybe even victorious. Yet, was this victory? Athrun was almost beyond saving and Dearka had been gravely hurt. Perhaps he had even suffered a concussion. There was a heavy sadness in each of their hearts as they bounced along the road.

Nobody spoke for nobody knew the words to say. How could one begin to describe the sorrows of that day? Somehow, no words could express the feelings of that moment as they drove towards Orb. They were out of the fire but the fight for Athrun's life was not yet over.

TBC

sighs. I know that chapter wasn't as good as the last one. I'm sorry – I did my best. Three more chapters to go and then… it's over. My first story will be finished! I'm sad and excited at the same time. Find grammar or spelling errors? Let me know ok? I updated both my stories tonight so I'm mentally fried lol

Anyway, please review and let me know what you think ok?

Until next time,

Krilyn

Kageharu Kaco There you go! Fast update! I hope you liked it! Last chapter was my favorite hehehe. I hope you're not too disappointed with this one. Cliff hangers are nasty things.

daisukiasu'n'caga Well, Athrun kinda got a break right? He's not any worse off at least…. runs and hides

Slightly Sinister Sinestra Jibril is a wimp. That's why I figured he'd bolt when Kira came… with a gun hehehhee. Glad you liked the chapter and I'm really glad you thought Athrun was in character! That's what I was shooting for ! YAY!

Cari-Akira Wow! You wrote me a mini essay! Thank you! Yes it was a happy-sad chapter and yes, Athrun is in pretty bad shape. It wouldn't have made much sense for him to be able to beat Jibril senseless right? So glad you liked it… I thought about Cagalli kicking Jibril where the sun don't shine too… hehee, we think very much alike! Thanks for the review!

Genny-chan Glad you liked the chapter! Yup, Athrun always ready to protect!