Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny.
A/N: So, I realized the end chapter is kind of a mess and fast with a lot going on, therefore thank you in advance for reading anyway.
The last chapter for Generals is up so what am I to do now? What now? What to do now... (life is so busy busy busy...) why does life's happenings go on all at the same time! (bangs head on keyboard...)
Generals : part 7 (Assault)
Day 4. Time 09:33. Somewhere in the forest.
Team Archangels 29 kills (170pts / 4spies, 3Sergeants, 1Captain, 21Privates,).
Team Le Creuset 47 kills. (371pts / 3spies, 1General, 2Major, 2Captain, 3Sergeants 36Privates).
Five gave chase to one.
"Where'd she go?" Vino said, searching left and right after losing sight of the girl.
"Come out, come out, where ever you are," Shinn called as the five of them began searching the near by bushes and trees in a from of a circle.
BANG!
"Ouch! Shit! She shot me!" Yolan flinched through the electricity that fired through his abdomen, alarming his group.
"Get her!" Another announced sternly.
Miriallia was broadcasted dead precisely at 9:55: after being surrounded.
"Can you stand? Getting shot on the stomach hurts enough so dying must be really painful," Yolan said, lending a hand to the brunette who had fallen on her knees from the electroshock.
"Yeah... I think I'm okay," Miriallia rasped, accepting the help with her whole body twitching. "You guys are good."
But the third party was better and quicker. With blurring speed, an agile figure rushed passed the trees around them, hurled a grenade which landed with a dull thud in the middle of the scene. The drop took them all by surprise and everyone stared in horror at what they assumed to be an bomb that rested in front of their feet.
"Shit! Everybody run!" Shinn shouted then stopped a second after, realizing something. He turned to the guys. "Wait. Do even we have grenades in the game?"
Everyone including Miriallia returned to look back at the thing in question, studying it's odd rectangular shape, seemingly the grip of the players' handgun. The object flickered red and without wasting another second, exploded, encasing everything in a blinding flash of white light within a twenty-five yards radius.
Courtesy of Nicol and Athrun.
00000
'!Error! E39202! Yolan, Arnold, Vino, Kevin, and Shinn died(disintegrated) on 9:58. ? ? ?'
'!Error! E39202! Rey, Sting and Auel died(disintegrated) on 10:00. ? ? ?'
'!Error! E39202! Clotho, Orga and Shani died(disintegrated) on 10:01. ? ? ?'
Disintegrated? Appalled, Miguel's wide gaze skimmed through the list of announcements. What the heck does that even mean!?
"Help! Guys, we've been betray-dKUARWKZZZ!"
"We're being under atta-KUARWKZZZ!"
"Hello, hello? Ross, everyone, what's going on out there!" Miguel yelled through his communicator, but there was no reply.
Buzz. Buzz.
'Ross died(headshot) on 10:02. Killed by Athrun.'
'Shiho died(shot) on 10:02. Killed by Ahmed.'
'Ahmed died(chest shot) on 10:03. Killed by Rusty.'
And before Miguel even could comprehend what was happening, a cool male voice— Dearka was suddenly standing behind him with a gun pressing onto the center of his back.
"Surprise. Surprise. Did you miss me?"
Noticing the other person's presence for the first time, Miguel was forced to hesitate for a split second, an odd expression crossing his face. His hands flexed in warning, wanting to reach of his own weapon, but then in spite of himself, gave up with a frown when Dearka had prepared for the attack. Miguel doubt would have gotten a cheap shot in anyway.
"You traitors are sneaker than I would have thought. I see—" Straightening, Miguel reluctantly held both his hands up in the air. "Once a traitor, always a traitor."
"Aww... don't be so mean." Dearka pouted with gun still pointed. "Unlike the rest with incentives, I'm just in it for the fun." He said to Miguel with a laid back smile and pulled the trigger.
00000
The administrators lead Ross away and Athrun moved his shoulders to stroke them in a soothing motion. Retrieving his gun, he checked whether it still worked before slipping it back into its sheath.
"And there goes Heine." Athrun heard Nicol voiced-in again. Unlike the rest of them who were tasked to run around and do the dirty work, Nicol was the eyes and communication control of the team, not because he was the most gentle or incapable out of them, but just because he wouldn't allow anyone else touch his precious computer.
"... Aw. Shit!" Nicol's line broke.
Suddenly Athrun lost his calm pose and stood straighter. An alert expression popped into his eyes, fearing he had just lost his GPS.
"Nicol? Nicol, you still there? What happened, you okay? Guys, what happened?" Athrun demanded while trying to keep his voice equally cool.
"I don't know man," replied Dearka.
Buzz. Buzz.
'!Error! E39204! Vince died(stabbed to death) on 10:06. ? ? ?'
Nicol's line automatically came back on a few seconds later.
"Yeah, sorry, I'm still here, had a close one there," Nicol explained.
"Oh, cool so the knives do work." Rusty injected with a laugh. "I should try mine too."
"Right. As I was saying, I need an update on our flag's location," Athrun repeated before anything pesky could get in his way again.
Checking the map and typing away, "Hmm... Looks like the flag has been moved and it's now sitting at the middle of our camp," Nicol replied.
And the flag keeper was—...
Athrun eye's narrowed at that, feeling even more disconcerted then before, but unlike earlier he had even less time to dally. "Is that so... Well I'm going... I'll be leaving the rest for you guys to clean up."
"Wait Athrun, don't be hasty. I'll back you up," Nicol said.
"Do what you want." Athrun disconnected from the line and turned on his heel. And instead of feeling relief, he felt all the more troubled, an all-too-common feeling lately. He could only hope the situation doesn't get too difficult.
00000
Day 4. Time 10:36. Boys' base.
Arriving at the guys' home base, and as Nicol had correctly informed, Athrun looked up to find Kira sitting cross-legged in the middle of camp with his back to him, his fingers toying with the thing that was their team flag. No doubt, the brunet had been waiting for him.
Just a few feet away, "Kira, I came here for the flag. Please hand it over," Athrun said, raising his chin and squaring his shoulders. Easier said than done, however. There was no indication that Kira was going to offer him help. In fact, the flag bearer didn't even bother to glance up. That didn't mean, however, he wasn't fiercely aware of the exact distance that separated them.
Athrun bravely took a few more steps forward, but still out of reach.
"Don't do this, Athrun," Kira warned in sharp tones, gripping the stake so tightly it threatened to snap in half. "It doesn't have to be this way." Kira said, finally standing up and whirling to meet Athrun with a disdain gaze.
Of course, Kira was angry at him. Athrun saw that at once: the planes of his friend's face were now lean and hard. But it was his eyes that had reflected the most. They were cool and impenetrable with no trace of the friendliness people associate him with.
"Kira..."
"Stand down now, Athrun. Throw your gun down and walk away. Are you going to keep betraying us? Betray me?" Kira demanded.
Although Athrun was not quite himself either...
"Damn it, Kira, you know you're my best friend and I would never betray you... But Cagalli's crying right now. She's crying because it's tearing her apart to see everything end up like this! How can you expect me to just stand watch and do nothing!"
"Best friend?"
Athrun watched as Kira's dispassionate gaze swept over his face. For a brief moment, there was no sign he acknowledged him. Then shocked anger leapt into purple eyes.
"Fool! Friends don't go sneaking around and dating his friend's sister!"
Kira whipped out his gun and pulled the trigger at him all in less then a second, spraying a bursts of glowing red laser bullets across the field. Keen and on the alert, Athrun managed to dodge out of its way causing the bullets to hit Nicol who've been merely bystanding instead.
Nicol dropped from the electric shock that took more than half of his life points. "Dang it, if you two want to pretend to be all badass and dramatic, fine, just leave me out of it!" Nicol demanded, but neither Kira nor Athrun heard him. He ceased to exist for them. Their only reality was each other.
"The hell was that!" Athrun shouted. He meant the shooting at him part. "At least let me explain first!"
"Shut up! You're in no position to bargain!" Kira replied.
And by the time Athrun had barely regained his footing, he was placed in a hastily delivered, wildfire burst of inaccurate shots again that succeeded in forcing him on a flat-out run around their stage.
Damn it, this had to stop! Athrun thought. He cared about Kira and understood his protectiveness over his sister, but he wasn't about to give-up on Cagalli either, not when he had been in love with her for the longest time. Thus, for the first time in his twelve years he was with his best friend, he felt angry, selfish and somehow wicked.
Determined to finish the fight, Athrun quickened his pace, got close, and wheeled around, grabbing a hold and striking a blow on Kira's gun hand. The machine pistol dropped from Kira's fingers and clattered to the ground. Athrun followed through by kicking it out of reach.
Kira darted a sideway glance to check where his weapon slid before, with quick-thinking, diverted to grab the gun on Athrun's belt instead, but before he could grasp it in his hand, Athrun who had seen and knew what Kira intended, managed to leap backward, avoiding the theft, and used this momentum to drive a powerful side-kick to his adversary's stomach.
"Mother Fu—!" Kira shouted, gasping in pain and sinking down into a half crouch.
Athrun froze to a dead stop after realizing what he had done. It had all been unintentional reflex from his ZAFT training; he really hadn't meant to kick Kira. Honest! It was the boot camp's fault!
"Um, Kira... you—"
"Fine!" Brilliant purple eyes flashed with a barely suppressed emotion as Kira gasped again, hands still on the searing pain. "If that's how you want to do this then fine... To hell with the game... I'll do more than kill you!"
With the shouted oath, Kira launched himself forward— at Athrun, bellowing in anger like a wounded, raging bull. And the impact of collision with Kira's tackle and Athrun's guard down sent them both skidding backward with the bluenet flattened against earth.
That's when Athrun cursed to himself. Obviously Kira had no real combat training but he hadn't counted on Kira's stubborn determination. Something he had learned over the years never to underestimate.
"This is for kicking me on the stomach!" Kira pressed home his attack, pummeling Athrun's face with his fist. "And this is for touching my sister! And this is for betraying my trust! And this is for—" The list went on.
Gathering his scattered wits together in a surge of adrenaline, Athrun blocked the fourth and fifth blow with his forearms and responded with a leg lock down on Kira's left heel and then forcibly throwing him to one-side.
Kira quickly scrambled to his feet, ready to launch another attack. Panting but ready for the challenge, Athrun wiped the blood off his cheek. His best friend would be a damn fool if he'd assume he couldn't be as bullheaded.
00000
Day 4. Time 13:35. Girls' base.
Cagalli waited a long beat before pulling herself up from her hiding place, trying best to ignore the obvious pain wracking her shoulder for now.
Quiet. Why was it suddenly so quiet?
She was hardly an expert. Heck, she wasn't even an amateur. More like a useless buffoon. Still, she could feel something strange in the air, a sense of foreboding, and she felt even more disconcerted when she suddenly heard a male voice, coming from above her.
"Hey, you okay?"
Belatedly sensing her danger, Cagalli stiffened at the sight of Rusty, leaning his weight on the ledge.
Shit, thought Cagalli.
Having lost her weapon earlier in the game, she clutched at her aching shoulder. "If you're going to shoot me then just hurry up and do it." Cagalli glared at the male.
Rusty stared at her blankly before bursting out with a hearty laugh. He didn't reach for his gun.
"Calm down, your majesty. It's over." His expression was not unsympathetic but still, Cagalli didn't understand what he meant so she frowned.
"What's over?"
Answering her question, Rusty glanced out towards the girls' main entrance. Cagalli twitched her lips but followed his lead, eventually discovering the remaining survivors, who lifted their chin to stare at the valorous approaching figure as if the man was a wondrous object.
Rusty smiled, watching that person.
Cagalli squinted her eyes through the glare. The green forest rose around him, the light breeze stirring the few leaves that clung to the trees beneath the afternoon sun-plated sky.
"Athrun..." Cagalli said. Or perhaps the injury to her shoulder had affected her vision...
Cagalli jogged to stand directly in front of the gate. She had hoped that getting a closer look would clear her vague hope. Instead the truth was more overwhelming than ever.
It really was Athrun.
And Cagalli appeared momentarily startled by her boyfriend's appearance. As if he really was the last person she expected. Then, as if embarrassed by her own display of vulnerability, her chin tilted to a proud angle.
"Idiot, what took you so long! And what happened to you?" Cagalli demanded.
Athrun moved to stand in front of her, a light smile touching his bruised but still too-beautiful features. He dropped the blue trophy flag on the ground, his knees quickly following suit due to exhaustion.
It was over. The game was over.
Team Archangel had won.
00000
A day later, the girls were excitedly boarding the bus that would eventually take them to Onogoro Hot Springs until the end of the week.
Waiting for her turn in the clump-line, Shiho watched Stellar step into the bus first then Meyrin then Lacus, and then... She heard an unnecessary snicker.
"What?" Shiho brought her eyes to Flay who's turn came-up beside her.
"You died and I didn't," Flay flaunted, leaving Shiho to roll her eyes away with a pout as the smug female boarded the vehicle.
"Whatever. It was just a game..." Shiho murmured.
00000
Inside the cafeteria kitchen and trying to concentrate, Yzak sat on his bar stool, pressed his thumb against the knife, feeling the ridge skin of the potato as he peeled them off. Thirty minutes later and he was still there.
"You're lousy at peeling... These looks lumpy," Dearka said ungraciously, showing up with a ladle while in a green head warp and matching apron over his clothes. Unlike Yzak, the blond was assigned at the stoves.
Furious and at the end of his patience, Yzak finally bolted up from his post. "Well shit, if you're so good at this then why don't you peel these goddamn potatoes!" Yzak challenged and just when he was about to threaten— no— force his job onto his ungrateful friend... with uhh paring knife, someone had thrown a dirty washcloth at the side of his face.
Turned out, it was Miguel.
"Shut up and just get back to work, will you." The guy ordered with a frustrated growl. It would appear the blond was not quite fond of kitchen duty either.
Switching targets, Yzak yanked the cloth off himself and threw it back to its owner with the same amount of force. "Shut up, Miguel. If it weren't for you and Heine's poor judgment, none of us would be here!"
In hearing this and remembering other things... Heine, who was assigned to chopping vegetables, stabbed a chef's knife into wooden counter and very suddenly, the huge kitchen room seemed like it was cloaked in shadows and darkness as though hoping that Yzak sensed just how fiercely he desired to kill him on the spot.
"No, you shut up! You— of all the people here have no right to complain," Miguel retorted.
"Yeah, that's right. You have no right to complain!" Vino stepped forward as the rest of the people began dropping their work, glaring at the charged, and taking sides... mostly Miguel's side.
"Miguel's right! You and Athrun are probably the only ones who got the most out of this game!" Yolan backup-ed, literally coming forward as well.
Where was all this accusation coming from? Why was everyone suddenly ganging-up on him? Yzak was both honesty shock and confused and so was Dearka while Athrun didn't care. Athrun hadn't paid attention to anything else since Cagalli had dramatically thrown herself at him at the end of the game and embraced him like in one of those magical-sparkling-sunset scenes.
"What the hell are you all going on about? What did I do?" Yzak shouted at the crowd that had gathered causing a deeper frown to touch Miguel's brow.
"Oh, quit acting like a damn virgin. Everyone saw you and Flay getting it on at the lake! Heck, I was there! Rey was there! Shinn was there! Heine was there! The entire team was there!"
"Lucky bastard. Flay's fucking hot!" Vino groaned with a mix of disdain and jealousy; Yzak, for once in his life, was pure speechless while the rest of the guys continued amongst themselves.
"Those boobs, man, the shape and feel of those perfect double D's!"
"And the ass, man... Don't forget that ass!"
"Damn it! Why is it always the woman-hater!"
"Her legs are long and slender too!" Another one ranted.
"And the way her hips moved... damn it. It was so sexy! While as for your technique," Accordingly, the guys involved turned to Yzak with wearisome looks and halfhearted smiles on all of their faces as Miguel did. "...pfft."
**End 12/18/2012
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Happy Holidays!