Everyone looked at him in shock.
"K-Kira?" asked Athrun, disbelief clear in his voice.
"Yes, it is me. But look, intros can be done later. I have to be somewhere. Art! Get Orga, Shani, and Clotho out here now!"
"Roger that!" came the answering cry. Kira turned back to them.
"If you'll all excuse me." With that, Kira turned his back and trotted over to a Strike, shouting out orders as he went.
"Where's his Freedom?" asked Athrun.
"He never uses it, it's too noticeable. But you know, dad is right. I would love to see if the stories he told me about all of you are true," said Akira calling their attention to himself. It took a second for the full implications of his words to sink in.
"You-your father! Kira is your FATHER!" shouted Cagalli. Akira was distracted from answering because the Strike was beginning to launch.
"Strike moving into position. Prepare for Aile Armor," came the call over the intercom as the machine moved into the passage that had appeared above its head.
"Kinda sorta but not really. You see, he found me a few years ago cause I had been abandoned by my real parents. He took me in and has been a better role model and a father to me ever since." While Cagalli showed her relief visibly, Lacus didn't. Before any more could be said, the hangar door opened up once more, revealing people that a few of the former Gundam pilots did not want to see.
"You two!" shouted Yzak as he saw Clotho Buer and Shani Andras, the two pilots he thought that he had killed. The two men grinned.
"Yeah, we're back!" said Shani, his dirty yellow hair still covered one of his light purple eyes.
"You can't kill us that easily," said Clotho. His bright orange hair attracted people away from his eyes. Orga Sabnak, the yellow green haired blue-gray one, was behind them, silent.
"Anyway, we have our orders from Commander Yamato. I suggest we obey them," said Orga. He turned to Akira. "Are we taking the battalions with us?" Akira shrugged.
"Dad didn't say. He just said get the three of you out there now." Orga nodded and was about to pull his comrades along with him when a comment of Akira's reached his ears. "And he said for this time only, melee tactics are accepted. Blow the suits up, if you can." Orga turned back at the boy.
"Are you sure?" Akira nodded seriously.
"I would not joke about such an order." Orga nodded again and ran over to his Gundam.
"What do you mean 'melee tactics?'" asked Cagalli. Akira swallowed nervously, a trait, they saw, he had adopted from Kira.
"Well, ordinarily, we aren't allowed to kill anyone, unless it is specifically specified by my dad himself. Usually, the targets are the arms, legs, head, anything but the main torso basically." Athrun whistled.
"Wow, it's a small world."
"And getting smaller," said Akira.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" asked Dearka. Akira merely grinned up at him before turning his attention to the headset around his head.
"Got it. Dad says that if you're not going to fly, you need to go to a conference room and stay out of the way. I'm to escort you." Athrun looked at Yzak, then Dearka, and finally at his Justice.
"Tell Kira to save some for me," said Athrun as he ran over to his Gundam. Dearka and Yzak shared a look, shrugged and followed Athrun. Cagalli was looking around anxiously.
"Your suit is still getting fixed. Art has been so preoccupied on getting the Liberty fixed up that she hasn't had any time to get your Rouge up and running," said Akira. Cagalli huffed.
"I'll bet. Kira just doesn't want me to fight." Akira chose wisely not to say anything.
"Now if the three of you will follow me." Akira started walking away, Murrue, Lacus, and Cagalli falling into step with him. He led them to a door and down a hallway to an elevator. Cagalli was getting uncomfortable with the silence so she asked, "Well, what has my baby brother been getting himself into these past few years?"
"For starters, he proved that he was older than you by about 10 seconds. He built up his resistance fighters, been protecting you, all of you, and raising me."
"Wow, busy boy," commented Murrue.
"Yeah, here we are." The elevator stopped and they walked out, turning a left, walking down another hallway before stopping in front of a large door. It opened with a hiss and Akira calmly walked inside, the women not far behind them.
It was a fairly simple room, one long solid oak table with comfortable looking chairs going all the way around. There was a screen opposite them and a window. Lacus and Cagalli took seats near the head of the table while Murrue went over to the window. Everyone was silent for a moment until the door burst open and Art walked through. Lacus gasped but she ignored her, rounding on Akira.
"Did they already launch!" she shouted. He gave her an odd look.
"Yeah, just a few moments ago."
"Shit! Give me that damn headset!" Akira did as he was told and handed the headset over. Art put it on. "Hey! Justice, Buster, and Duel! Can you guys hear me?"
"Reading you loud and clear!" came the three simultaneous replies.
"Alright! Listen up and listen good! On the left side of the main computer console, there is a big ass shiny red button. Can you all see that button?"
"Roger. Are we supposed to press it or something?" asked Dearka.
"HELL NO! That button is for the Armor Burst! DO NOT PRESS THAT BUTTON UNTIL IT GLOWS GREEN! PRESS IT BEFORE THEN AND YOU WILL ENGAGE THE MOBILE ARMOR'S AUTOMATIC SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE! I REPEAT! DO NOT PRESS THE SHINY RED BUTTON! YOU GOT THAT!"
"Yes ma'am!" Art sighed and handed the headset back to Akira.
"I'm gonna kill him! Slowly but surely I'm going to kill him! I TOLD him they would need to know that but NOOOO. They just had to go out NOOOWWW. Boy I tell ya, just because he saved the world he thinks himself god!" Art was mumbling to herself, cursing every now and then.
"Uh, excuse me?" Art's head snapped up.
"What!" But as her eyes rested on Lacus, she paled. Oh shit…
Not another word was spoken before Art disappeared from the room.
Kira flew around in his Strike, using his gatling guns to pour his enemy into the ground. He whirled around and after drawing one of his beam sabers, sliced another suit in half. He sensed another suit coming from above him and was about to blow that one up too when the suit exploded. Kira looked around and was pleased to see the Justice with its beam cannon in hand. Kira grinned.
"Leave some for the rest of us will ya Kira?" came Athrun's voice.
"No problem. But give me a hand." Kira blasted ten more suits away with his handheld beam cannon.
"With what?" asked Athrun, blowing up eight with hisbeam boomerangs.
"I was thinking of getting rid of the rest of these clowns." Athrun grinned in his cockpit.
"Why not?" The Justice flew close to the Strike and both of them out their plasma cannons, firing them at the same time. Different beams of light tore across the landscape, blowing up a large number of suits. But their victory was short lived since a few hundred more took their place. Kira and Athrun shared a groan.
"This is going to take forever. Hey Sai? Is the ball secured yet?"
"Yes, it's been finalized."
"Good. Since I heard all that damn mumbling, I can assume that Art is there too. Art? Initiate the Armor Burst."
"What the-! Are you crazy!" There was a pause. "Wait, don't answer that. Alright whatever you say Commander. All armors in battle listen up! Prepare to go into Armor Burst mode!" Kira could see the confused faces of Athrun, Dearka, and Yzak.
"Uh…just what is the 'Armor Burst mode'?" asked Yzak. Kira grinned.
"You'll see." After a moment Kira felt his more powerful plasma cannon powering up and sliding into position. A remote guided his suit next to the others, whom he could see powering up as well.
"What the hell?" came from Dearka.
"Hey! I can't control my suit anymore!" shouted Athrun.
"Don't worry about it, just let the suit do the work. Art are we ready to roll?" asked Kira.
"Almost…there! All weapons charged and ready to fire! You're good to go, you insane little man!" Kira rolled his eyes and watched the red button go green.
"All forces! Armor Burst!" Kira pressed his button simultaneously with the others, with in turn fired off all the weapons they had. There was a bright flash of white light followed by a series of explosions similar to falling dominoes. After the light died down, all the pilots gazed over the landscape. The city was actually quite untouched although now littered with parts of the now decimated mobile suit forces.
"All forces return to base," said Kira. The Strike wheeled around and flew back to the Endyminon, followed by the others.
The pilots that had been left behind were cheering as the armors docked once more in the hangar. Art was one of the ones in front with Akira. Kira cringed.
"What the hell did you do!" shouted Art, running forward to look at each of the mobile armors, starting with the Raider. Kira, Orga, Shani, and Clotho sweat-dropped while Athrun, Dearka and Yzak just looked confused.
"It's only a few scratches," mumbled Clotho, something that turned out to be a mistake. A wrench came flying at him and hit him right in his arm. "OW!"
"That's what you get! Especially with what you idiots did to my babies!" She moved on to the Strike now and yelled, "KIRA YAMATO!" Kira turned to look at her.
"I didn't do anything!" he shouted, backing up. Art stomped in his direction.
"You got hit! There's a burn mark all up and down the right leg! How could you do that to this unit! It's one of my more finer pieces of work!" Kira looked confused before remembering.
"Oh yeah. Huh. I didn't even notice."
"Didn't notice! DIDN'T NOTICE! WHY I OUGHTA-!" But no one ever found out what she was going to do because at that moment, Akira had stepped forward, gagged her and tied up her hands and legs. Kira smiled at his son gratefully.
"Thank you Akira! Now do me a favor and handle everything else here with Art, okay?" The boy nodded.
"Alright, they're waiting in conference room seven. Should I give the order to launch?"
"Is everyone back on board?" Akira turned to the clipboard in his hand.
"Yes, we finished redocking a few moments ago."
"Alright, go ahead. Send Falcon with the package to the conference room at his earliest."
"Yes sir." Akira turned away and began organizing everyone, after freeing Art. Kira turned to the others.
"If you'll follow me." He led the way to the elevator, his back to the others. Athrun opened his mouth to say something but Kira cut him off.
"Kira-"
"Please wait until we are in the conference room. I do not like to repeat myself if I can." The door opened and Kira strode out, opening the door to the room. The three females already in there turned to the door.
"Kira!" shouted Cagalli. He stood to the side to let the others in.
"If you'll all please have a seat." He motioned to the chairs before he sat down in the one at the head, unzipping his flight suit with a sigh. After everyone was seated, he spoke. "Well, you can begin asking me questions now. Just one at a time."
"Where the hell were you all these years!" shouted Cagalli. Kira smiled slightly.
"Here, there, everywhere." It was a vague answer and all of them knew it.
"Okay then. Why did you leave?"
"Because it's easier to protect all of you if you can't see me. After recuperating, I stole this ship and the suits."
"But I thought that they were…" Athrun let his sentence hang.
"No, those are merely regular suits is special armor outside of your capitals. Just in case. Next?"
"How did you get all…this?" asked Yzak, motioning to the ship.
"We are mercenaries. Besides, most of the men and women here are just happy to fight. It gives them purpose. I frequently sell my services to whomsoever can pay."
"How did you know what was going to happen at the ball?" asked Murrue.
"I have a mole in the enemy ranks. Art drew up the plans."
"How is Akira your son?" asked Lacus. Kira smiled slightly in memory.
"He's not my biological son, of course. He's too old for one thing. No, I found him on one of the missions and decided to adopt him. Next to Art, he's my second in command." The door opened at this point, with Art and Akira entering.
"Yes, I must thank you for taking care of my sister so well Kira." Lacus stood up and walked to Art while Akira took his place at his father's side. The smaller girl put her head down and looked like a child about to be scolded. Lacus smiled slightly as she stopped in front of her. Art had always been abnormally short, a very sensitive spot for her, and that fact was amplified a few times as her head barely reached Lacus' shoulders.
"Hello Lacus," said Art quietly, her eyes burning a hole in the floor.
"I'm up here Artemis." She raised her head but was unable to look her in the eye. Lacus opened her mouth to say something when she became aware of Art's violently shuddering shoulders. She shook her head slightly before she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, who then broke down in a rush of tears, throwing her arms tightly around Lacus' waist. She placed her head on top of Art's and whispered softly and constantly to her. After the tears and shudders were gone, Lacus pulled away, looking deeply into Art's blue eyes.
"It really is good to see you Lacus. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried when I heard that they were going to try and kidnap you."
"It's okay Art. It also seems that I have you to thank for the rescue." Art blushed and looked away again, scuffing the ground with her feet.
"Speaking of which, why do they want us?" asked Dearka. All eyes snapped to him.
"Think about it. The former heads of the countries all kidnapped and held hostage. People will point fingers, place blame where it doesn't need to be. War will surely start up once more," replied Murrue.
"So what's going to happen now?" asked Athrun.
"Well, you can't stay here, for one. That would draw unnecessary attention. Plus, the man who ordered for you to be kidnapped would know that you have a powerful trump card waiting."
"Yes, who is this person who wanted us?" asked Cagalli.
"We still don't know. No one has ever seen him," said a voice from the door. Everyone turned.
"Ah, glad you could make it," said Kira. Murrue's jaw dropped gently.
"Mu! Johan! What's going on here?" she demanded. The two men shared a look and Johan placed Mu on the ground, who immediately ran to his mother. Murrue hugged him tightly.
"Mommy! Mommy! I found Daddy!" he shouted happily, tugging on her dress and pointing towards Johan. She looked up in confusion, looking from Kira, to Johan, to Mu, and back.
"What's is going on here?" she asked again.
"You haven't told them?" asked Johan. Kira shrugged.
"Didn't get that far but no."
"You would leave the harder job for me wouldn't you? Oh well."
"Wait a minute. You work for Kira Johan?" asked Cagalli.
"No, not exactly. First off my name isn't Johan." With that, he reached up under his chin and began pulling off what had to be a mask. Underneath were the same gray eyes but there was a firmer face and blond hair.
"Contacts," said Kira and 'Johan' removed them. Murrue gasped.
"Like I said, my name isn't Johan. It's Mu la Flaga."
Sorry it took so long but I REALLY got stuck. I still am but I thought I should hurry up and get this chapter out to explain a lot of things. Sorry for the cliffy but oh well. Hope I didn't scare too many people with Akira being Kira's son. I would never have him cheat on Lacus. She is the sweetest person on this damn show and I could never write something like that without feeling bad. Next chapter, we'll see why so many people are coming back from the dead and no Nicol, Fllay, and Rau Le Crueset or however you spell his name, aren't coming back. I was originally planning for Nicol to return but that would be a little to much like a gary-sue. I hate Fllay with a PASSION so she is NOT coming back. It might take me a while longer to update but it'll only be because I'm still working some kinks out like what's going to happen between everyone. Yes, Kira and Lacus are going to get together, and a nice fluffy moment will be included in the next chappie as well. Have fun!