Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed
The ARC.a.d.i.a, Daedalus and Icarus systems are the ideas of dragonngo, credit to this supporter of this fic.
This chapter, we explore the mindset of Canard Pars
Gundam Seed Purpose Renew
Chapter 13: Awakening Sword
'A failure' that's what I was called. Cast aside, because I wasn't good enough to fulfil my purpose. But that man, he said, he said I could become my own self. There's just one thing I have to do.
Canard opened his eyes, seeing the people of the Archangel. The crew, the pilots they picked up from the advanced fleet and the refugees of Heliopolis. He huffed, they were all so calm, despite everything that had happened. Through the regular crew, landing a blow to the Black Storm had helped them with morale. Very few were capable of damaging Thanos's forces, he was held up as a god of the battlefield, not just by ZAFT but the Alliance too. Their intention was to paint it so that foiling the plans of the commander was miraculous.
Don't believe in miracles for a second. Our 'victory' was something we owed to Gekido. That mercenary, he has eyes like mine, the eyes of someone abandoned. A failure!
"I'm sorry?" Yamato looked at Canard in confusion.
"Your adopted son, Gekido, I want to know about him," Canard said.
He had taken a tray of food and sat in front of the man and his children. Yamato put a hand to his chin, thinking, though Kisagi and Tachi were quick to answer.
"He protected me when I was eleven, a 'nobleman' in Orb was going to hit me," Kisagi said.
"Sis, you missed out on the most important part, Gekido was living on the streets at the time," Tachi said.
"Oh yeah, and he had some disfigurements, but it's all right, dad used cybernetics and physiotherapy to make him better," Kisagi added.
I knew it, I knew from the moment I met him he was like me. Where could that cold expression and rage come from? Well, I suppose this war could do it to people. Turn people into the versions of themselves they never thought they could be. Or the versions of themselves their friends never thought they could be.
A smirk crossed Canard's face when he saw Kira withdraw from his friends. The smirk however faded, replaced by shock when Mir, Kuzzey, Sai and Tolle got up and follow him. The Eurasian pilot squeezed his hand into a fist, his shoulders shaking as he contained his anger.
Behind the Archangel-Vesalius and Argus site
Athrun and Miguel stood in Rau's office, standing by Rau's chair was Thanos. Dagger had his arms crossed, his face betraying no emotion. Athrun was the same, his own anger over Thanos's earlier actions was contained. But Thanos was a man experienced with reading people, he especially knew when teenagers were concealing their emotions.
"We have just finished contacting the Plants, the Vesalius will send a few engineering teams to the Argus to repair it, we will continue the support. I have requested that Aiman join us," Dagger explained.
"The Black Storm?" Miguel asked.
"Have I not treated you well Miguel?" Rau asked, a mocking smile across his face.
"Oh no sir, I mean you have sir I just..." Miguel gulped and looked away from Rau.
"This isn't a transfer, you're still part of the Creuscet team, you'll simply be joining me in continuing the pursuit of the legged ship. By the time we finish repairs, the Vesalius will have finished transferring Miss Clyne to a new team and they will be able to join us. The last report from the rest of your team stated they had finished at Artemis, they're on a projected course to intercept the legged ship. If they fail, they'll reach the Alliance fleet, Halberton's fleet," Thanos narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
"Lewis Halberton is the mastermind behind their mobile suit development project, his hope is of course mass production of the G-Weapons," Rau said.
"The Gundams," Thanos mused.
"Could they really do it?" Miguel asked.
"Of course not, economically it is impossible to mass produce suits like that, limited production perhaps. But the best they'll be able to manage is less powerful versions, ones that do not have phase shift armour. We managed to confirm that the Eleventh fleet has been testing new weapons, mobile suits, if you could call them that," Thanos explained.
"So the Strike and the legged ship are their last hope of turning the tide, unless they recruit more dogs," Miguel said, then caught himself, lowering his head as Thanos turned to glare at him.
"That dog has been a worthy opponent so far, I understand you've been unable to defeat him, that boy...he was able to stir something inside of me I'd nearly forgotten," Thanos nearly smiled.
"I too was impressed, perhaps we should consider hiring him," Rau said.
"But he's killed our comrades," Miguel said.
"We are soldiers, we do not fight for revenge," Thanos turned and looked at Athrun. "You have something you wish to say Zala, you have permission to speak freely!"
"You continued the battle even though we had Lacus, even when she told you to stop you fought," Athrun said.
"The memorial committee has the responsibility of creating and maintaining appropriate memorials for those whom have died in service or as part of an event that resulted in mass casualties, as well as the regulation of benefits to those in the service and their families. When I want to build a memorial for my comrades, then I'll ask for Miss Clyne's no doubt considerable knowledge in that matter. Not when it comes to a battle, and despite people referring to her as a princess, she is not. She has no authority over us, none!" Thanos explained.
"But, it was an operation to recover a hostage, it shouldn't have turned into a battle," Athrun said.
"At that moment, the boy in the white Gundam was our enemy, an enemy that needed to be destroyed," Thanos said, turning away from Athrun.
"So you would have used Lacus as bait, drawn the battle out, even if it got her killed?" Athrun asked.
"Of course," Thanos's answer made both Athrun and Miguel widen their eyes. "It is a simple calculus, her life against the many soldiers who would be killed by that Gundam, it's a price I'm willing to pay."
"You are both dismissed," Rau said crossing his fingers together and resting his elbows on his desk.
Athrun grit his teeth together as he saluted. Miguel did the same and they both walked out.
"They're both so idealistic," Dagger said.
"I knew you would like them," Rau said.
Thanos looked over his shoulder at Rau, a glare in his eye. Rau however simply smirked, not intimidated by the legendary soldier's rage and suspicions.
"You don't deserve to have them," Dagger said, before walking out of the room.
Rau chuckled, shaking his head.
"Perhaps I don't deserve them," he said. "But neither do you!"
Failure, it leaves a bitter mark. Imaging being told your entire life is a failure, that you're good only as...a practice run. Someone to test if something could be done, if a better human being can be created. And when you don't meet the standards, you're cast aside, seen only so that it can be learnt how much of a failure you are. To see whether your vision is imperfect, whether your bones are imperfect, whether you skin is imperfect. Imagining having wires put into your brain to see if there's anything wrong with it. Failure, it can be what defines us.
Miguel walked back to his machine, looking up at the Ginn as engineers, hard at work began to go through methods of upgrading it. Methods that Miguel had already tested. He smiled at his machine, imagining the day he would finally fight the Gundam again. Athrun meanwhile, floated down the corridor towards his quarters.
"Haro!"
He groaned, the pink robot bounced between the walls, landing in his hand.
"Lacus," he said.
"Athrun," Lacus called out to him.
"Please stay in your room, this is a military ship," Athrun said, guiding Lacus back into his quarters.
"I apologise, Haro and I were bored, and really hungry," Lacus said.
"I could imagine, after your time on that ship," Athrun muttered sadly.
"Oh I was not mistreated, everyone treated me well, especially Kira and Gekido," Lacus said.
"The mercenary? The one who took you hostage?" Athrun asked.
"Yes, oh he was most kind."
"We can't be talking about the same guy," Athrun stepped back in shock.
"He comforted Kira when he was upset, they're both very kind," Lacus said.
"Kira's just a fool, letting himself be manipulated into fighting like that. And that mercenary, so his name is Gekido huh? The name of the man who killed our comrades!" Athrun's fist shook as he spoke.
"Kira wasn't manipulated, he has friends on that ship, and Gekido, there's more to him than you think."
"It doesn't matter, they're both my enemy now," Athrun said. "Now please, stay here," he turned to the door.
"When I look at your eyes, there's such a coldness in them, speaking with you is like talking to a completely different person," Lacus explained.
"I can't exactly fight a war with a big smile on my face," Athrun retorted.
When you're convinced that you were a failure at what you were created for, you find that one thing, or perhaps many things that you can be good at. You become as self sufficient as possible, to make up for the fact that you've been abandoned, that you're alone. Mercenaries I suppose understand this better anyone.
Gekido tapped his energy gauge, the Purpose was running low on reserve power. Luckily, he was coming up to his destination. He already had the access code, and the deed.
"This place, it is not on my network," Biggs said.
"Because you don't have the access to the dark web that I do, Biggs, welcome to Purgatory," Gekido said, looking at the space station.
He flew the nearly trashed Purpose into the station, where a group of Junk guild engineers were gathered. A few Sensou personnel were also there, mostly young men and women in beige fatigues and black and grey jackets. There were also personnel from the Sensou splinter groups Krieg, in their green coats and Bellum, wearing their white uniforms with green diamonds on their chests. Gekido stepped out of his machine and smirked as the Sensou personnel threw their fists up and cheered in celebration.
"What first boss?" one of the engineers asked.
"We upgrade," Gekido said, looking up at the Purpose.
Gekido looked into his pocket and removed his music player. He smirked, before putting on a song, 'Depeche Mode-It's no good'.
The tune filled the hanger as Gekido worked alongside his hired help. Using manipulator arms, the Purpose was held up bare, no rocket boosters and no replacement arm. A 3D scan was carried out, appearing on a pad that a Bellum engineer held. The red haired woman tilted her glasses up before highlighting the damaged areas. Chest, arm, legs, face and back, with the scan complete and the plans from Gekido's own computer sent, everyone got to work. The Krieg scientists looked at the beam sabres, dismantling them and looking at every component. They began assembling the parts from the list that Gekido sent them. New, round beam sabres were put into a backpack unit. That unit was built around the Purpose's back thrusters, and fused directly to the Gundam. In addition the Krieg armourers rolled out weapons ordered by Gekido.
"You need to shape the wires into this pattern, so that the beam sabre attached has additional power, place batteries inside it," Gekido explained to his men.
He put on a pair of goggles and began using a fusing torch to fix parts to the shield. A test ignited a short yellow beam sabre, then when the additional battery was activated the sabre lengthened and became more intense. Sensou engineers began fixing armour onto the Purpose, covering the damaged and white areas. The new armour was light, and formed of a hybrid of the conductive alloy of the original Purpose's form and Gundanium alloy. The armour was fixed onto the Purpose's shoulder, arms, waist and legs. Then the Purpose was ripped in half, the circuitry exposed.
"If that AI gets deleted, don't think of it as a complete loss," Gekido said to two Bellum programmers.
"I heard that," said Biggs, now connected to a laptop Gekido had on his lap.
"And?" Gekido asked with a deadpan expression.
The programmers looked at the assortment of files that Gekido had given them. Programmes and weapon systems had been stores within the Gundam's mainframe. They projected 3D simulations of the Purpose's arc armour, which split like the branches of a tree into other offensive and defensive systems.
"Arc deflection, some beam attacks could be deflected," one of the scientists explained.
"And since a majority of the Earth Alliance's weaponry will be beam based, gives me an advantage," Gekido grinned.
"A beam sabre might penetrate it, and don't be stupid and try to think you could survive an impulse or Lohengrin blast," another scientist said.
Gekido grinned, the money was rolling in from the information he sold about the Archangel. He looked at his music player and changed the track, 'Winding Road by Man with a Mission'.
With the power source of the Purpose exposed, the people in the base marvelled at the bright light the Arc generator gave off. Even Gekido himself was left speechless by the glow. He quickly however got back to work. Krieg armourers brought out the new weapons for the Purpose. An experimental rifle with an ability to change its firing mode.
"A sniper rifle, a basic beam rifle, a beam magnum for powerful, penetrating shots and a gatling function, straight from the battery or ammunition," a Krieg merc explained like a man selling cars.
"I'll take it," Gekido said.
"Which one? Sniper? magnum?"
"All of them," jaws dropped at Gekido's declaration.
He began tinkering with the rifle and the system used to change the barrels. Though the finished Purpose would be able to manually change barrels with its hands, the primary means to change the rifle's function was on the rifle itself. Building the rifle into a shield, Gekido also stored in the shield arms that would grab and attach the barrels and replace ammo canisters. He looked up at the 'shield rifle' and saw the system in action. With a few adjustments to the machinery, he guaranteed faster replacement time. He jumped onto a new melee weapon, an anti-ship sword, it didn't have a beam function like the Strike's, bust was thicker and capable of being folded out into a longer but heavier blade. Adjusting the Purpose's hands, he stored magnets that would help the Purpose lift the blade in heavy gravity. Then he looked at the plug system, replacing the Ginn arm with a universal plug like the Purpose's original arm.
'Arc shield,' Gekido identified another system.
A red shield was attached to the shoulder of the GINN arm. Carrying out a test, Gekido stepped back and nodded in approval as the red area projected a wall shaped energy shield. The ideal ramming weapon.
"ArCa.d.i.a," Gekido whispered as he ate his lunch.
"Arc absolute defence integral armour, after analysis of the Heliopolis Gundams Phase Shift armour, this, superior system of armour was designed, it primarily reinforces armour, utilising only forty percent of the power output of the Purpose's arc armour," Biggs explained.
"I see, could this be used in mass production suits?" Gekido asked.
"Only if a sufficient source of Arcanium was used, unfortunately, the Purpose is the only pure source," Biggs said.
"Sell the data to Sensou, the Junk guild, Krieg and the Earth Alliance," Gekido commanded.
The AI didn't question Gekido's objectives this time. He was beginning to get used to the Purpose's pilot's attitude. Gekido scrolled through more designs generated by the Arc's computer. A new cockpit design, which he didn't have the time or resources for.
"Daedalus and Icarus, what's the Icarus system about?" he asked.
"A new propulsion system, superior to any that have come before it," Biggs said.
"Superior to that?" Gekido pointed up at the blue flight pack being attached to the back of the Purpose.
"Yes, but we do not the materials or funds to build the wings," Biggs said.
"We can get them, besides, the Icarus system will be better if we can gain more data on the Arc rings, the flight pack will help in that regard," Gekido said.
"I do not doubt that, what of the Daedalus system?" Biggs asked.
"It seems dangerous, sell the data to ZAFT," Gekido shrugged.
"You have no intention of using it?"
"A system that forces out the Seed factor, that's asking for disaster, ZAFT is an organisation that can handle the blowback from it. Besides coordinators are more likely to have this 'Seed factor' that that Reverend in Orb hypothesised," Gekido explained.
He looked up at the nearly completed Purpose, no smile on his face.
'Besides, I'm just a imperfect being, even my seed is imperfect,' he thought.
Everyone on the Archangel seems happy, like they've got everything figured out. We're apparently getting closer to the fleet now. 'Smooth sailing from here' I heard someone say. Idiot, everything isn't all right, there is a boiling pot in the ship and his name is Kira Yamato.
The alarm blared, the Archangel was under attack. Canard looked at Kira, interacting with the little girl. She was one of the refugees from Heliopolis, and had made paper flowers with Miriallia. It had been a magnificent sight at Junius Seven, the mass of paper flowers the crew released. But Canard scoffed, he shook his head and prepared to walk, when he saw Flay join Kira and the girl.
Kira is not a soldier, he isn't even a fighter. Oh true, he has some skill, but I know why, you'd know why too if you looked into it. Though he can fight, he can't process the emotions of the fight. he still hasn't found a way to balance his kindness with just the right amount of cruelty to make an effective soldier. He cares too much about others. He's the boiling pot, because he's not talking to those he supposedly calls friends, so all those emotions are boiling inside of him. And one day, they're going to explode, and his friends will feel the burn.
He looked at Flay and Kira as they spoke, a smirk crossing his face.
But Flay, oh that sneaky bitch, it seems I won't have to do any work at all.
"Come on Kira, let's go," Canard said, grabbing Kira's arm and running with him to the elevator.
As they ran, Flay stood there, holding the little girl's hand. She smiled cruelly.
"Yes he'll fight, he'll kill all of the enemies," she whispered.
Once dressed in their flight suits, Kira and Canard ran to their mobile suits. The Moebius Zero was launched first and the mobile suits stepped onto the catapult.
"You're against the Blitz, Buster, Duel and Massacre," Miriallia reported.
"The four that took down Artemis, the Mobile armour pilots will be useless in this battle," Canard said.
"We have a few taking gunnery positions," Murrue said.
"Kira, Strike launching," the brown haired boy slid his helmet's shield down and launched.
The Strike had its Aile striker attached, the Hyperion following soon afterwards. As Kira flew to support the Zero, Canard landed on top of the Archangel. The Hyperion folded out its cannons, Canard bringing up his targeting computer. He cycled through targets, the Duel, Buster and Massacre. Archangel could deal with the Blitz, which didn't have enough weapons on its own to destroy a war ship like the Archangel.
"Kira, we need to protect the ship, and survive for as long as we can, there will come a point when they won't pursue us, otherwise they'll risk a fight with the main fleet," Mu explained.
"Okay," Kira said.
He fired his rifle at the Buster, which swerved to the side, giving the Duel space to attack Kira. Yzak mercilessly pursued the Strike, shooting at it again and again with his rifle. He blocked the blasts from Mu's gunbarrels, employing Dearka to keep the mobile armour occupied. Drawing his beam sabre, Yzak slammed it into Kira's shield. Mu fired the Zero's linear cannon, making Yzak fly back. The Buster however fired both its cannons at the Zero and Strike, making the former dodge and the latter blow. A bombardment of missiles hit the Strike's back and Kira looked up, seeing the dark silhouette of the Massacre. It spread its wings, opened its shoulder pads and released another flurry of missiles. Emerald beams suddenly slammed into the missiles, blowing them apart. The Massacre's eyes flashed red and it looked towards the Hyperion.
"Why did I...protect..." Canard shook his head and yelled.
The Hyperion jumped off of the Archangel. Canard fired at the Blitz, and then the Massacre. The heavy, winged suit aimed the gatling gun it was holding, firing at the Hyperion. Canard quickly focused the Umbrella into the emitter on the Hyperion's wrist, creating an effective shield. He then fired his machine gun, making the Blitz and Massacre fly around him. The Blitz activated its Mirage Colloid and fired at the Hyperion from random points, hitting its shoulder and leg.
"Canard, be careful," Kira said, flying in front of the Hyperion and shooting at the Massacre.
"What are you doing Kira?" Canard demanded.
"We both need to survive, I can't let any of my friends die," Kira said.
Friends? Damn you, that's the last thing I want to be called by you. But, why?
He activated the Hyperion's umbrella shield, taking a blast fired by the Buster. Canard looked over his shoulder, seeing the Strike.
Why am I protecting him?
Kira fired his rifle and Canard his cannons. Mu dived through them, releasing his gunbarrels, and hitting the Duel and Buster. The Archangel fired its missiles, releasing a flurry of shrapnel that forced the Blitz t reveal itself. He then dodged a beam from one of the Archangel's cannons. Inside the Archangel, Wes narrowed his eyes at the Blitz, attempting to shoot it again.
"They're speedy bastards," he said.
"Of course you'd know how to counter the Blitz, you guys built it after all," Nichol said.
Nichol dodged a second cannon blast from the Hyperion, which shot its machine gun at the Buster, making it fly straight into a bombardment from the Zero's barrels. The Strike was hit from behind by a missile flurry and the Hyperion flew in front of it, intercepting a second volley with its Vulcans.
Why am I protecting this bastard?
Kira fired his beam rifle into the Duel's shield. Yzak fired his grenade, hitting the Strike in the chest and throwing it back.
"KIRA!" Canard yelled.
Why am I trying so hard to keep him alive? Why am I concerned about him?
Canard drew his beam dagger, locking blades with the Duel.
"You want to get in my way, fine," Yzak snarled.
"Get LOST!" Canard yelled.
The Hyperion slammed its head into the Duel, throwing it back. It joined with the Strike, firing its cannons to keep the other G-Weapons back.
My body feels like it's on autopilot, what is making me protect this guy? I shouldn't want to, I should want to kill him.
Canard let out a few deep breaths, trying to track the positions of the G-Weapons. He and Kira looked up at the Massacre, which threw aside its gatling gun and drew a double bladed weapon from its waist.
"What the hell is that?" Tolle asked.
"I've seen that blade before, at Endymion," Mu said. "Thanos's sword!"
"Why would he use that blade though?" Murrue asked.
Suddenly, the Massacre rushed at the Hyperion and Strike. Red particles were left behind it, its tail curling as it flipped. The Massacre slammed its blade into the Strike's shield, splitting it apart. Kira screamed as he was thrown back by the blow. Canard grit his teeth together, swinging his dagger at the Massacre.
"It can block beams," Kira said in amazement.
The Massacre deflected Canard's slash and fired a beam from its wrist, destroying Kira's rifle.
"The Strike," Yzak said.
"Assist Dearka and Nichol in attacking the Archangel, these two suits are mine," the Massacre pilot said.
The Massacre held out the Thanos blade and span it between its fingers. Swinging the weapon twice, the Massacre raised its hand in a melee pose. Kira drew his beam sabre and nodded to Canard. Both the Strike and the Hyperion flew alongside one another.
Why? Why does it feel...good to fight with him.
Kira and Canard yelled, swinging their weapons into the Massacre's blade. It span the blade, pulling both machines forward. Then it swung the weapon, and Canard quickly activated the Umbrella, flying between Kira and the blade. The blade was pushing firmly against the Umbrella, putting a dent in the barrier.
"Impossible, that blade, I think it can penetrate the barrier," Murrue said.
"It seems less like a slashing weapon and more like a blunt one, it'll overwhelm the enemy with pure force," Mu explained.
He fired his barrels at both the Blitz and Buster. Dearka put his guns together, firing a blast that clipped the Mobile armour. Mu grit his teeth together, knowing he wouldn't be able to outlast the assault. The Massacre followed through with its slash, throwing the Hyperion aside. Then it flew at the Hyperion and delivered a flurry of ferocious blows.
Damn it, damn it, again, again I'm reminded of the fact that I am a failure. I'm weak, I'm flawed, I'm worthless. They didn't want me, I'm no good. I can't kill him, I can't protect him. I can't become...a complete person.
"CANARD!"
Canard's eyes snapped open and he drew both his beam daggers. He blocked the Massacre's slash and grinned.
"A weapon like that is pretty bad ass, but not very practical, I guess only Thanos can use a blade like that to its fullest potential," he explained.
Kira looked at the Hyperion in amazement, then at the Archangel. The Blitz had landed on it, and was beginning to shoot through the hull. He heard the chatter on the radio, the crew calling him back. Then he saw the Massacre beginning to overwhelm the Hyperion. Then he remembered, what Flay had said to that girl.
"It's true, we're heading into another battle, but everything's going to be okay. Kira's out there, he's going to fight for us."
'The Archangel, I won't let you destroy it,' Kira thought.
He couldn't describe exactly what he was feeling, but what he saw seemed clear. Everything went dark, then he saw a light before a purple seed span in front of his eyes. And when it shattered, he felt everything. The weight of the Strike, the vastness of space, and the Duel coming towards him. Swinging his sabre around, Kira, hit the Duel in the chest. Yzak widened his eyes, before his screen blew up, burning through his visor. He screamed in agony and the Strike kicked off of the Duel, flying straight for the Archangel. Dearka fired his cannons at the Strike, but to his shock, the Gundam easily dodged them.
"Has his speed increased?" Dearka wondered.
Kira flew towards the Blitz, kneeing it in the head. The force of the blow threw Nichol back in his chair. Both the ZAFT team and the Archangel crew looked at the Strike in shock. The Massacre attached its sword to its hip and grabbed the Duel.
"We're leaving, we're getting too close to the Fifth fleet and Yzak's wounded," the Massacre pilot said.
"IT BURNS! IT BURNS!" Yzak screamed.
Canard and Mu looked at the Strike, astonished by Kira's performance. The other G-weapons began the retreat and Kira awoke from his trance like state.
"You did it Kira," Mu's face appeared on his screen.
The mobile armour pilot raised his head, looking at Kira and seeing him in a different light.
"You really are something else," he said.
"No, not at all," Kira said.
Canard continued looking at the Strike in awe. But slowly, his eyes narrowed into fury.
"Damn it," he whispered.
He is the one, the one...that father chose. The Ultimate coordinator!
On the ZAFT ship, Yzak was immediately taken to the medical bay. Dearka followed him, as he always did. Which left Nichol and the Massacre pilot in the locker room.
"They should have listened to you, attacking the Archangel in our current state was stupid," the pilot said, lifting off his helmet.
He revealed his dark green hair, tanned complexion and red eyes.
"I didn't want to be right," Nichol said.
The boy lowered his head, his eyes though drifted to the window view of the hanger. He looked at the Massacre, frightened by its demonic appearance and then at the sword it had used.
"You fought well out there today, but, that sword," Nichol muttered.
The Massacre pilot smirked.
"I know, it's a very impractical weapon, yet there are only two pilots who have mastered it. And because they were able to master the use of such an impractical weapon, they can be called the best pilots in the world. That is my hope, to master that weapon, and surpass them," the pilot explained.
"Who were they?" Nichol asked.
"I don't know where the other is for sure, some say Orb, what I do know is that he typically pilots red machines. And the other, is my father, Dagger Thanos!"
Next Chapter 14: Renewed Purpose
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.
Next time, we finally go to Gekido's point of view.
Saw Avengers Endgame (twice so far :). Not really a spoiler to say I've brought his weapon into this fic, used primarily by another with the name Thanos :). A badass, but impractical weapon (but lets face it, the greatest badasses always use the most impractical weapons).