Chapter 3: Friendship and The Price of Revolution

Part A: Friendship

Legend

Italics shows character thoughts

Word shows Date, time, and location

June 23, C.E. 70

Doc's Research Lab, 12:00 P.M.

It had been a while since Scion's first mission. With the results sent in to who ever supports Doc, Scion got a few more covert missions which he came back with the same amount of success. Scion also noticed that more people from the EA seemed to come to Doc, people that left the army through that one man that had helped him. Doc got them all jobs either with him or somewhere else.

It was one very normal day that one very close friend of Scion's came into the Doc's care.

Scion had been told to go see Doc about a new young man from space. He walked through the hall wondering why it was such a big deal to see this man but he didn't see why he shouldn't go, maybe he wanted Scion to pal around with this guy for a while. He came to door and pressed on the pad to give Doc the notice that someone was at his door. A moment later the door opened.

Scion stepped inside the normally light room to find it very dark. Scion slowed down his pace as he looked around for some sign of trap.

"Doc? Are you here?" He called out into the dark room. How a room could become so dark in midday he would never know. Takashi's quarters were always dark and creepy looking to Scion. Dim lights lit the room and only the blue light of a computer showed that any work was being done.

"Yes, Scion. A seat is right in front of you."

Scion found the seat by bumping into it. He sat down and waited for Takashi to tell him what's going on. After a while Scion figured out that he was to talk first.

"So…where is this guy?"

"Sitting to a little to the right of you in another chair."

"Okay…well I can't see in the dark."

The lights came on and Scion turned to the man and instantly froze. The man had long brown hair and looked as if he pulled all his hair up and then let it fall as it may. He was taller then Scion with blue eyes that seemed very sad as Scion looked into them. He had civilian clothes on and stood up to have more muscle then Scion remembered.

"Axle…" Scion stood up as he spoke, facing his old friend.

"How are you Scion?" Axle spoke with a strangely deep voice.

"I'm getting along. What are you doing here?"

"I left. Like you did. You were right about the EA, it just took me longer to find out. I just can't believe you are alive, they said you were dead. Me and Violet tried to say something to the recruiter but he said if we wanted to stay alive we should keep our lips shut. Period."

Scion nodded, he would have the thank the old man one day for saving him and Axle from getting a bullet in their head.

"So, you came here to get away?"

"Correct."

Doc stood up to stop any more conversation between them. He told Scion that he was given the rest of the day off to spend catching up with Axle. Scion thanked the Doctor and the two reunited friends left to get something to eat.

Restaurant, 2:25 P.M.

The two men could be seen laughing as they talked about old times, so far they had avoided the current events like the war and Violets condition. It was just like before they joined the military and before Scion had a hand in the Junius Seven incident.

"Yeah, that Coordinator put you down Scion."

"It wasn't that bad!"

"You're kidding! He punched you and knocked the wind out of you!"

Scion grunted but had a smile on his face nonetheless. It was good to talk to Axle again. Finally Axle's face became grim and he pushed some of his food around on his plate.

"Violets dead."

Scion almost chocked on some food and spit the rest unto his plate. He wiped his mouth then stared at Axle in utter confusion. He puit down his fork and knife and looked at his friend sadly.

"How?"

"She…complained about your sudden death. A few days after that she disappeared and that was the last I saw of her and the reason I never said anything."

"I see…."

"It's Blue Cosmos. You wouldn't believe how high up they've gotten in the EA chain of command. I think it was them that sent through the attack on Junius Seven." Axle spoke as if this was common news but then again Orb was far from space and Scion wasn't connected to anyone for information. Even so, something struck Scion odd about that...why would Axle be saying that it was attacked by the EA? Did he have proof?

"So you know that the EA did that?"

"Everyone does. The Coordinators proved it."

"Ah." Scion muttered, but even with that information...something didn't quite fit. He spoke about the incident a little too openly.

Axle pushed his plate aside. A waitress came around and picked up Axle's plate and Scion's, even though he wasn't done yet.

"I've been given a tech job with Takashi and I hear you are the pilot of a new machine. I wasn't told about it though."

"I probably can't tell you then."

Axle nodded. It was understandable after all.

"It's not a problem. I'm just going to work hard and make a living."

Scion smiled and nodded. He paid for the bill and then stood up.

"I have to get to work. I'll see you around."

"You too Scion. Good to see you again."

Scion nodded and the too shook each others hands. They smiled again and Scion left the Restaurant. He was happy to see his friend but was a little unnerved by how cold his friends hand felt. And then he didn't like how the strange ties of fate lead them together again. He looked over his shoulder at his friend but instead of seeing his friend he found a stranger in his place...it was then that he realized how far apart they were.

Doc's Research Lab, 4:00 P.M.

Scion wiped his brow, Doc has been putting Scion into new space simulations so that he could develop an OS for combat in space. He found that it was a lot harder then fighting in a plane and this was more so since he kept expecting to hit the ground any minute.

His friend Axle had been put in the area of helping with new idea's and how to make them work. He was soon hailed as the one who found out how to increase the maximum power output for the new engine, the Proton Multiplier Engine which used the energy that the proton create when they pull to a nucleus, Axle thought that they should also harness the power that the protons created when they react to the electrons. It was a bit of a hassle at first due to the process of keeping the power going for a given period of time without one of the parties, the protons, electrons or the nucleus giving way. He was well liked and given a lot of respect after giving the thought, which he did accidentally by telling a joke to lighten the mood after the group had all but given up.

Ever since then Axle was accepted into the group of techs around him, they asked him to go places with them after work and do things and so on. Scion was glad he was making good friends and that people were liking him in the group though he found it hard to get a hold of him and talk to him in length.

Later that day he walked by Yumi who he had taken a liking too, though he would never ask her out or anything since he was still sixteen, turning seventeen, and she was a year and half older then her. He didn't know why but the fact that she being a legal adult and him still being a minor unnerved him. Scion decided to stop her to at least say hi...

"Hi Yumi. Where are you heading?"

The women stopped and turned her head, her hair was always in a bun and Scion never could guess how long her hair actually was She wore a long skirt the went past her knee's with a clean white button up shirt. She was the most professional of anyone on site since everyone else wore something more casual.

"Hello Scion. I'm going to talk to Doctor Takashi, I have a idea I would like to run by him for the Gundam."

Scion nodded with an absent mind, the term Gundam had taken by everyone since it sounded catchy, and it was easier then G-Weapon or Prototype mobile suit. Besides that he was off wondering why he didn't ask her out, wondering if it would really be that weird considering their age?

Come on, Scion. What's the worst she can do besides reject you? This isn't grade school..

"Scion? Are you okay?" Yumi said after she noticed that he was spaced out. She noticed that he did this almost every time they talked. If she wasn't so busy she'd ask him why but she didn't have time to get into a younger man's head. That was the Doctors Takashi's job to keep everyone mentally correct and alert.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah I'm fine. Was just thinking about what kind of new upgrade you could give to the Gundam."

"Well, it's an anti-armor shotgun attachment. Like the bayonet attachment. It's for large ships and for other heavy armor enemies."

"Hey, that would have been handy in that last mission with that damn carrier."

"I'm sure it would have been. In truth there isn't much we can do for weaponry. Since the Gundam has the Funnels with it anything we could give it would just be extra since it's battle strength is already extremely high."

"Yeah, I've been able to take on a total of four enemies at once so far with not so much trouble."

Yumi nodded again, she had pulled a pencil from a pouch around her waist and was chewing on the end as she thought, a strange habit of hers.

"With the Psycho-Frame a person with some spatial awareness could use the funnels at a degree to where an experienced pilot would be in trouble."

Scion's self-esteem dropped to a negative number. Did she think him a novice pilot and a weakling without the funnels? His head hung slightly and he said nothing. He felt his ego get smashed by a large hammer that came out of her mouth and wacked him over and over again.

"Though with you as the pilot we see that the Gundam is able to go far beyond it's normal parameters." Yumi said while still staring off, she obviously didn't even recognize that Scion had thought she was insulting him. Which she hadn't meant to. She chewed harder on her pencil.

"Really? I was able to use it beyond it's predicted battle strength?" Scion's hopes were raising with her praise.

"Well…the battle strength we predicted with a Natural anyway. It's not at it's full potential yet but it's getting their…"

Scion anime sweat dropped as Yumi started ranting on how the suit could be better if they had better funding and it's flaws and so on. Scion just listened the whole time until the intercom called Yumi Akechi to Doctor Takashi's office. She jumped and then realized she was was very very late. Without even so much as a good bye she was gone down the hall leaving Scion still wanting to ask her out

"Damn it...what's wrong with you Scion!." Scion said as he sulked out of the research lab heading for his apartment.

June 23, C.E. 70

Doctor Takashi's Private Chamber, 12:00 P.M

Doc called Scion for a meeting to talk. He did this every now and then to talk to Scion about how things were going, in ways Doc was the father Scion never had.

Scion walked into the Doctors office to see him, as usual, sitting in his oh-so expensive recliner. He was facing the wall looking at some documents and didn't seem to notice Scion's entrance, or it looked to be so.

"Doctor? You called for me?" Scion said as he sat down in the only chair around.

"Yes, one moment."'

So he did know I was here…figures. He has to have eyes in the back of his head. Wierd old guy.

Scion sat in silence wondering what the Doc would want from him. He normally set up an appointment when he wanted to talk but it seemed that this was urgent or something since he pulled him out of the simulator for it.

Please let this be about anything other then Yumi. I bet she told Doc how she was late because of me. Oh please…not that, anything but that.

"Are you okay Scion? You look uneasy." The Doc had turned around and was noticing that Scion was squirming in his seat.

"It's nothing. Just a sudden bad feeling." Scion lied to get himself out of explaining anything.

"I see. Well I have something to talk to you about."

"Yeah? What is it."

"I would like to talk to you about what will happen after the Gundam is done with all it's testing and is ready for…'use'."

"Ah. Don't you have a plan for it?"

Doctor Takashi stood up and walked around the room leaving Scion a bit worried. Doc had never been one to have a loss for words.

"You see Scion I have two children, one a Natural and one a Coordinator. I did this so that maybe the two could get along." Doctor Takashi seemed very sad and disturbed talking about this.

Scion made no response. The Doc's voice was just so sad and in truth what the Doc was saying made no sense so he would wait to see if it made sense in a bit.

"The Girl is the Coordinator and the boy is the Natural. For the first few years it was fine…"

"Until they got older and the sister started growing faster then the boy." Scion said aburptly.

"Exactly. My daughter is a couple years older then you while the boy is your exact age. My daughter even changed her last name because she didn't want to be affiliated with a Natural."

"Do you know where she is now?"

"Yes….she's in Orb and I see her but it's…different...She refuses to see me as he father."

"I'm sorry that something like that happened to you Doc, but, what does that have to do with this?"

Doctor Takashi sighed and began pacing again, this time stopping at his desk in front of a picture of his family, though Scion couldn't see it.

"I started working for Orb because they were neutral and I hoped that with them being as such that Coordinators and Natural could get along….but as you know Orb is working with the EA now and can't be trusted. Thus…my plans have been destroyed."

"If that's the case then why did you continue to build the Gundam?"

Takashi quickly turned to look at Scion, the expression one of hope but with everything Scion had heard he wondered if it was only false hope.

"Because! I want to bring this war to an end. I want peace between ZAFT and the EA without a genocide, like Blue Cosmos is trying to achieve."

"How is a war machine going to do that? Fight both sides?"

Doctor Takashi said nothing. He simply stared at Scion showing that this was to be the case. He wanted his machine to be a renegade machine striking at both the EA and ZAFT?

"If the war drags on long enough or if enough lives are taken then the war will end. The people will get tired of going to war when they know they will die but I can't wait for the war to end that way. I need ZAFT and the EA to lost so much that the war will just not be worth if anymore. I'm telling you this because---"

"You want me to pilot the Gundam?" Scion cut the Doctor off. He knew where this was going.

"Yes…I want you because you are half of both worlds. With your abilities you could go to the PLANTS around the Coordinators or go to Earth and fit in. You could be the key to a revolution. I know that it sounds far fetched and impossible but.."

"You want me to make friends on both sides and make enemies on both sides. It still leaves a lot of holes in your plan."

Doctor Takashi sat back down in his seat and nodded to Scion. How would Scion keep up with his Gundam's repairs and he would need a ship to get him into space or he would be stuck fighting the ZAFT ground forces.

"Yes. It leaves a lot to be done. I have a number of contacts in both the EA and Orb who would be willing to help you. You will have to make your own ZAFT contacts, I would try meeting the someone high up from ZAFT who wants peace with the EA when this all gets moving…. I have only one contact and he has distanced himself some time ago."

Scion leaned back in his seat, it was definitely far fetched and thinking in real terms it was just a fools dream.

"It's very vague Doc…very weak for a plan."

"I know. This is why I ask you, you Scion Kazuma. I ask that you will do this for me. I ask that you will make it okay for Coordinators and Naturals to co-exist."

Scion sighed and began thinking. Could he really make a difference? Could he really help end this war. Did he deserve the chance with what he had helped do? Wasn't be obligated to for what he had done?

"I'll have to think about it Doc. Think about if I want too or can do what you ask."

"Is it difficult? Is it so far out of sight that you can't see you gaining it?"

"…Doc, you are asking me to bring about a revolution. That is no easy matter."

"I understand. I will give you time to think about it. Oh and take this."

"What is it?"

"A gun. 45mm Magnum to be exact. It's one of my favorite pieces."

"Uhh…why are you giving this to me?"

"I've been getting reports of a spy in our ranks. I want you to be safe is all. You are the only capable pilot."

"Right…thanks, I think." Scion took the gun and put it into his side cargo pocket, Doc never minded that Scion would wear civilian clothes as long as he used a proper pilot suit when using the Gundam.

"That's all. Thanks for listening to me and do think about what I have said, despite how bizarre it is."

Scion nodded and stood up. He would think about it, he had very good reason to think about it.

"Oh, Scion!" Doctor Takashi called after Scion as he reached door.

"Yes?"

"I told Yumi that you would meet her outside the coffee shop tomorrow morning to talk about the Gundam and stuff." Suddenly the Doctor began laughing like an insane man. His trap was sprung. Scion went stiff. So she DID tell him about it. He said nothing and slowly stepped out of the room with the echoing laugh of the Doctor. He did have an evil side.

Axle's Apartment, 2:10 P.M

Axle had been laughing for ten minutes nonstop. The kind of laugh that leaves you gasping for air since you couldn't get any while you were laughing, the kind of laugh that makes you red in the face and has you unable to move voluntarily.

Scion was sitting on the recliner, glaring at the ground as if he was trying to see through it. It was humiliating enough that Doc set him up on this 'work appointment' after getting all serious with what he wanted to do with the Gundam but this thing with Axle was just out of hand.

"Come on Axle! It's not that damn funny!" Scion said as he shifted his weight from one side of the chair to the other.

"Yes…it…is!" Axle burst into a new fit of laughing that would go on for another set of five minutes after which he got unto the couch and tried to remain civil.

"Are you done?" Scion asked with an annoyed expression.

"Yeah, I'm cool." Was Axle's response who had to stiffle another bout of laughs.

For the next few hours Scion talked to Axle about stuff going on with the war, the N-Jammer drop and how well ZAFT was doing despite how small it's army was compared to the EA. Axle brought up the object of the spy and wondered who it could be, Scion showed Axle the gun that Doc had given him.

"He gave you one too?" Axle said with a slightly cracked voice.

"What? He gave you one?"

"Yeah. A 45mm Magnum right?"

"I guess. I'm not a gun expert."

"He wanted me to be safe since he thought it would affect your performance if something happened to me."

"I see…well I guess it can't hurt."

"Nope." Axle said with a smile, as if happy about something.

They talked for a bit before deciding that Axle would stop by to see Scion and Yumi so that it wasn't a total bust. At least they could find out if Yumi thought it was a date or not….though Scion wasn't optimistic.

June 24, C.E. 70

Meeting Point, 9:55 A.M

Scion was early, just five minutes early and he thought that Yumi would be early too since she normally was. He sat on a bench just outside of the town near the research base. While he waited he wondered what Yumi would wear, he had never seen her outside of uniform before.

"Scion! Sorry I'm late!" Yumi hollered as she came down the street. Dressed in fitting blue jeans and a unique looking blouse with a dark looking blue color with some odd designs on it. Her hair was also let down, it's full length going below her an inch or two below her shoulders. Scion kind of thought she looked better in her normal formal attire but assumed he thought that way because she looked so different.

"No, not late. A few minutes early actually. There was no reason to be sorry for being late anyway. It's not a big deal."

"You're right, it's not like were on a date or anything." She said with a little bounce as she sat down next to Scion.

"…Yeah, just a get together." Scion's hopes were crushed and he would have hung his head if Yumi wasn't watching him.

They talked for a long while about the war and the Gundam. Scion tuned her out when she started blabbering about it again. She seemed to want the EA to win though and talked about the Earth Alliance's 8th fleet.

She must know someone in the 8th fleet. Perhaps a family member or something. None of my business though.

Scion came back to the real world and made a few interjections about his views on the world. How he believes the Naturals could get along if they just stopped being so jealous of Coordinators…as he once was. Yumi though that it was an impossibility for the world to be that way.

"Yeah…that's what everyone told me. Axle, my mother, you, and anyone else. The only person who didn't shoot my idea down was Doc himself." Ever since that talk with Doc, Scion had wanted more and more to have a peaceful relationship between the two worlds.

"People are just to jealous and besides, Coordinators should never have happened. Humans will evolve on their own." It had been the third time she had said that to him since he had met her. She seemed to have something against Coordinators though he couldn't figure out what, she was really good at her job and was the most able tech under Doc, some even said she was better then Doc. Everyone was sure she would take on the job after Doc retired.

A weird silence fell over them after that, Scion didn't know what to say to what Yumi said and he guessed Yumi thought she might have been a little too forthcoming. Someone broke the silence for them.

"Don't move or I'll have to shoot the lady."

Scion and Yumi both stiffened, Yumi quicker then Scion since she had the gun to her back. Scion could see his shadow from where he sat, he was crouching behind the bench to make it look like he was talking to Scion and Yumi.Like close pals..

"What…do you want?" Yumi spoke as collected as she could, Scion would have spoke first if he hadn't been thinking about the mans standing/crouching position.

"Takashi, his research. I want everything you know about it and please don't say that you don't know what I'm talking about cause that's a load of bull shit." The man must have been wearing a mask or something over his mouth to hide his real voice.

Scion and Yumi said nothing, Scion was to frozen to think. His silence was broken when Yumi gasped from the gun being pressed harder into her back.

"It's a weapon!" Scion hoarsely spat out.

"What kind?"

"Mobile suit."

"Scion, no!" Yumi gave him a look telling him to stop but Scion stared forward and didn't catch it.

"Shut up girl. Now what can it do."

"What do you mean? It destroys things…"

"Don't play dumb with me boy. Weapons, systems, things like that."

"Beam Rifles and Sabers, Anti-Armor Shotgun…" Scion explained everything except the Psycho-Frame and said that the funnels were just extra boosters that could be dropped if needed for some reason.

"Orb is really pushing it's luck these days."

"Just let us go."

"Sorry. You'll tell Takashi that someone knows about his project and he'll move it somewhere else…sorry can't do it."

Scion eyes became very wide and he could hear Yumi's sobs as she tried to stay together. Scion closed his eyes feeling completely helpless and unable to at least get Yumi out of this.

-Bang-

Scion darted up ready to knock that man out before he was shoot again only to find the man laid out on the floor with a bullet in the side of his head. Scion looked in the direction of the bullet to see Axle holding the Magnum that Doc had given him. Axle seemed a bit shocked and dropped the gun after a moment of staring between him and Scion, but quickly recovered the weapon.

It was then that Yumi decided that holding herself together was not needed so she broke down into tears, happy that she was alive and scared that she almost died. Axle tilted his head to Yumi, signaling Scion to comfort her. Scion sat back down next to her and put an arm around her trying to calm her down while Axle called for Doc to tell him what happened.

Scion and Axle exchanged glances and Axle shook his head. Not that Scion expected Axle to give an explanation anyway.

June 25, C.E. 70

Scion's Apartment, 5:00 A.M

Scion lay on his bed staring at the ceiling with both hands under his head. Doc got very upset when he found out what had happened. Axle got a big bonus and was hailed as a hero for the remainder of the day. Scion rolled unto his side and looked at the gun on the small dresser next to his bed. Axle's had saved him and Yumi today. He reached for it and pulled the top of the gun back, popping the bullet in the chamber up into the air. Scion watched the bullet fall unto the floor before putting the gun back.

Scion had felt that the whole thing happened because of his damn crush on Yumi. He decided not to try and ask her out since it was dangerous and he knew he would be leaving if he accepted the Doc's offer.

All night Scion had thought about his new friends and his old ones and thought about their friendship…and what the it would cost him to have them by his side.

Author's Notes: This chapter was not to eventful in terms of action but was actually a very important chapter as far as plot goes. This chapter was a look into Scion's relationships with his closest freinds at the time, Doc, Axle, and Yumi. Sorry if some people didn't like this chapter cause it wasn't has action packed as some of the others.

Also, this is the longest chapter I've done and with that said I will have missed some typos and grammer errors. I'm sorry for that in advance but I have a thing about not being able to get my own errors until I read them later on.

So I hope you all enjoy this chapter which sets up for the next which will be the, in my opinion, the best chapter yet.