Alright chapter 7 now up. Just to clear up from last chapter the A?? is a little surprise for later in the story, my character knows what it is but doesn't know how to use it, of course you may guess what it stands for.
Ryan awoke to find he was no longer in his Gundams cockpit, instead he was in the infirmary, he sat up and looked around, no one was in.
"I see you are awake." The doctor said as he walked into the room
"How long have I been out for?" Ryan asked quickly, the doctor sat down on a chair near a desk.
"Two days Lieutenant." He replied back bluntly
"What?! Has anything happened?" Ryan spoke out loudly
"No the ship hasn't been attacked for the time you have been out so there is nothing to worry about."
"And everyone else?"
"Have been fine, you have been visited quite a few times, even by Commander La Flaga, and mostly by Ensign Elthsman."
"Really?" Ryan asked raising his eyebrow.
"Yes she has visited you the most often and would wait for quite a while before leaving, of course Ensign Yamato and your other friends have visited."
"Never realised I was so popular." Ryan joked, before yawning "Think I still need some sleep." He finished flatly.
"Well I hear that Kira and Arli are heading into town tomorrow, maybe if your well enough you could also go." The doctor said kindly as he rose from the chair and left, Ryan rested his head on the pillow and quickly fell asleep. Ryan dreamt a dream he had many times before, it was about his previous life, reliving all the times before he lost everything he cared about, then for the first time the first the dream suddenly changed, Ryan found himself in Hydra's cockpit and on his screen facing him was a mobile suit, a mobile suit with wings of a devil, black and dark red and the rest of it …
"(huff)…What was that?" Ryan eyes had shot opened and sat bolt right up, panting
"Ryan, are you ok?" Ryan turned his head to see Arli was sitting on a chair beside his bed, concern in her voice.
"Arli…I'm ok just a nightmare." Ryan replied looking away from her
"Well it was just that I was worried, you had been out for two days." Arli said back, making Ryan turn back towards her.
"I know but I am feeling better, how have things been holding up?" Ryan asked changing the subject quickly.
"Well you'd be surprised how many of the crew are worried aout you, guess its because your our second best pilot." Arli replied happily
"Second best…who's better then me?"
"Me of course." Arli replied smiling
"Everyone knows I'm the best pilot." Ryan said smiling
"Only because of your Gundam."
"Actually the pilot is only as good as the suit, and the suit is only as good as the pilot, so I am the best." Ryan explained, smirking as he saw the confused look on Arli's face which she quickly hid.
"Anyway were going into town today, think you're ok to come?" Arli asked
"Well I am not going to stay in bed for another day, might as well." Ryan replied, getting out of bed and realising he was still in his pilots suit "Once I get out of his." Ryan said sighing, he took off his pilots suit to show his t-shirt and jeans, he then followed Arli out leaving his pilot suit on the bed. They walked out of the ship, Arli led Ryan to a jeep with Kira, Cagalli, Sahib and Kisaka along with Natarle already in.
"Why is Natarle going?" Ryan asked Arli, a little annoyed
"Because she is going with the Desert Dawn to get ammunition." Arli replied they both entered the jeep.
"Feeling any better?" Natarle asked Ryan kindly, for once.
"Just fine Lieutenant." Ryan replied as the jeep moved and they made their way to the town, no one said a word. When they arrived Cagalli, Kira, Ryan and Arli got off the jeep then it left.
"So what are we here for?" Ryan asked looking around
"Shopping!" Arli cried out happily
"Funny how you left that out." Ryan complained, Kira chuckled quietly
"Stop complaining so we can get a move on." Cagalli said as she started walking off
"Why did I have to get up today." Ryan said as he followed the others. They spent hours buying stuff, Kira and Ryan having to carry the bags as the girls walked from one stall to the next
"I should be checking on my gundam not shopping." Ryan complained when the girls were out of earshot.
"Ah come on its not that bad, a good break doesn't hurt." Kira said reassuringly
"Says the guy who carrying less weight then I am." Ryan said back, both laughed briefly. Soon after they stopped at a café and Kira and Ryan quickly sat down on a table dropping the bags underneath the table, Arli and Ryan were sat between Kira and Cagalli.
"What is this?" Ryan asked as four plates of food were placed on the table
"Haven't you had a donor kebab before try it, tastes better with chilli sauce." Cagalli said
"I think I'll pass on this." Ryan said pushing the plate away.
"Look just some chilli sauce on that and-" Cagalli started
"Hold on there don't force your bad habits on these guys." A man interrupted wearing a red and yellow shirt with jeans and a hat and sunglasses.
"And you are?" Ryan asked looking at the man with a suspicous look
"Just a guy who knows his food everyone knows you should put yogurt sauce on donor kebabs." The man replied handing Ryan the yogurt sauce, who just passed it to Kira.
"I don't eat kebabs." Ryan sternly said
"It's a sin to put chilli sauce on a kebab, but to not even eat one is a worse sin." The man complained
"Listen, you can't just come over and tell people how to eat!" Cagalli shouted at him, Ryan sighed and looked up and saw someone with a sniper rifle pointing at their table, Ryan silently pulled out his gun and readied it to fire.
"Arli look on the roof." Ryan whispered while Cagalli and the man argued, Arli did and saw the same thing.
"Got it." She whispered back and was about to get her gun strapped on her ankle when-
"Hit the dirt!" The glassed man shouted and kicked the table over their heads, Kira lunged forward to help Cagalli while Ryan and Arli started shooting, when other people with guns came out.
"For the preservation of our blue and pure world!" One of them shouted, Ryan immediately shot him in the chest. Bastard. Quickly others came out who looked like ZAFT soldiers and started shooting at the Blue Cosmos members, Ryan saw one from behind and was about to shoot when a gun had hit him in the head followed by Kira kicking him in the chin, knocking him unconscious.
"Kira a gun is used to shoot people not to be thrown." Ryan said to Kira as he walked over and shot the unconscious man in the heart, Kira winced.
"Did you have to do that?" Kira asked
"Kira sometimes if you don't get rid of your enemy they'll come back to haunt you, remember that." Ryan said calmly, he turned to see that Arli and Cagalli were covered in sauce, and the man had taken off his glasses and hat. The Desert Tiger, damn him.
"Well I guess I should thank you youngsters for helping me out." The desert tiger said to them, then motioned for them to follow, Ryan followed first his gun still in his hand, the others soon followed as well, when they sat in one of the Tiger's jeeps and were driven to the Tiger's mansion.
"What is the point in us being here?" Ryan asked as soon as they got out.
"You want them to girls to have sauce over them for the rest of the day, besides you did save my life so it's the least I could do." The Tiger replied leading them onto the mansion.
"Aisha can you clean these two up they got chilli and yogurt sauce all over them." The Tiger said to a woman in a blue dress and black hair with orange streaks. Ryan ignored her and followed the Tiger.
"It would help if you told me your name." Ryan stated seeing him near a coffee machine.
"Well if you must know I'm Andrew Waltfeld, some call me Andy." Waltfeld said to Ryan helping himself to a seat on a single chair as Andrew poured out three mugs of coffee, Kira walked in and was given one of the mugs as well as Ryan.
"Let me show you something." Andrew said as he walked over to a mantle piece, Ryan just turned his head to see a picture of the fossil George Glenn had found on Jupiter.
"They called this thing a whale stone but does it look like a whale to you two?" Waltfeld asked as he looked at it.
"I think it could be a sort of angel since those things coming out of its back look like wings, that or the fossil is incomplete." Ryan said over drinking the coffee.
"I'm not too sure." Kira added in.
"Ah well we should move on to more pressing matters for instance what do you think of this coffee or have neither acquired such an adult taste?" Andrew asked
"Well it isn't the first coffee that I've spat back on the floor." Ryan said flatly wondering how it is a pressing matter.
"Its nice, thank you." Kira said sitting down on the couch as the tiger sat on a chair opposite.
"(sigh) Why did you bring us here…Waltfeld?" Ryan asked quickly
"How about we leave that until the ladies come in." He coolly said back, unfazed by the question. Ryan sighed and turned to see Arli walking in the doorway in a blue dress with gold sparkles.
"You look…really beautiful." Ryan managed to say
"Thanks." Arli said back blushing a little as did Ryan, who turned away so no one saw.
"So how have you been Arliania Elthsman?" Waltfeld asked
"You know my name." Arli stated, surprised
"Well it is hard to forget those eyes and that voice of the Dragon of Space and there is that scar you received from Muruta Azrael." Ryan turned at this to see a scar on the base of Arli's neck.
"What is he talking about, Arli?" Kira asked suddenly surprising Ryan She didn't tell him.
"She didn't tell you two, that person there is ZAFT's grand assassin, the Dragon of Space." Andrew answered "I was one of the people who suggested the idea, but we made a mistake somewhere."
"A mistake?" Ryan asked turning to Andrew.
"Although she was the greatest assassin, her heart was too caring"
"Waltfeld a persons personality is something that can't be experimented upon." Ryan said once Waltfeld had answered, everyone looking at him "You can make that person be the best shot, able to learn things easily but you can't make who they are, Arli is kind because that is who she is." Ryan explained, a cough was heard and everyone's attention was turned to Aisha and Cagalli who was wearing a green dress.
"Your…a girl." Kira said stupidly, Arli slapped her foreward, Ryan kept a laugh in, biting his lip.
"Yeah what did you think? Say it!" Cagalli shouted
"No, it just reminds me that you're a girl." Kira said in defence
"That amounts to the same thing jack-arse!" Cagalli shouted back, Ryan burst into laughter as did Waltfeld and Aisha, once they stopped Aisha left and Andrew made to a drawer, pulled out a gun and pointed it at Kira and Cagalli, Arli quickly got her gun out.
"Let me ask you something, how do you think a war ends, how do you determine the winners and the losers, when you've destroyed all your enemies, if that is so then each of us has to kill the other to win." Andrew spoke seriously
"Don't do anything stupid Waltfeld otherwise I'll kill you in an instant." Ryan said seriously as well, sitting on the chair with his gun pointed at Andrew's neck.
"Even if you were to kill me how would you get out alive everyone here can go berserker." Andrew stated.
"Berserker?" Kira asked
"That's a bluff not everyone can go berserker." Ryan stated back. "So how about you let us leave and decide who wins on the battlefield." Ryan continued. Andrew lowered his gun Kira and Cagalli were the first to leave the room closely followed by Arli. "To answer your question and for you to think about Waltfeld, a war will never end until those who influence it are killed and until that is done more and more lives will be lost…for nothing." Ryan stared Andrew in the eye for a brief moment.
"So then angel of vengeance why do you fight?"
"For exactly that, to kill all those who my family to their deaths." Ryan replied coldly
"Well good luck with that Ryan, considering that one of those people you're looking for is Patrick Zala." Ryan nodded and left catching up to the others
"What took you so long?" Kira asked
"Just to answer a question, Kira if you are going to beat him you need to give it your all, don't hold back just because you got to know him." Ryan answered sternly. The group were escorted back to the Archangel where Natarle was waiting
"Where have you been?" Natarle snapped at them Ryan walked over as he gestured for the others to get inside the ship.
"I'll tell you once we get on the bridge, since we are of the same rank I believe I don't have to explain myself to you." Ryan answered Natarle grunted as they made their way to the bridge. Once there Natarle stood on one side of Murrue sitting on her usual seat.
"We had encountered Blue Cosmos members in the town trying to assassinate the Desert Tiger who was in disguise so none of us knew it was him, once the Blue Cosmos members were…disposed off we were escorted to his mansion, we left soon afterwards." Ryan explained in front of them the rest of the crew hearing this.
"So that is you did not return on time?" Murrue asked
"Yes."
"Well nothing too major happened and you are all safe, thank you for explaining Lieutenant." Murrue said kindly
"I would like to make a request." Ryan quickly said surprising Murrue
"What is it?"
"I would like to have a battle with Kira and the Strike, he has gotten to know the Desert Tiger and so I believe he may not fight his hardest against him, once we personally engage the tiger in combat. Hopefully my battle with him will help to make sure he goes all out against the desert tiger." Ryan explained shocking everyone in the bridge.
"I see where you are coming form but-"
"Captain, please."
"…Alright we will have him launch in the Strike quickly, wait for him in a location where no one will be hurt, and Lieutenant don't do too much damage to the Strike or your mobile suit." Murrue said reluctantly
"Thank you Captain and it's called Hydra." Ryan saluted and left, he returned to the infirmary to put back on his pilot suit and other equipment and then went to the hangar.
"Hey Ryan what's going on?" Arli asked as Ryan was about to enter Hydra.
"Go to the bridge and ask the Captain, you'll see." Ryan answered swiftly and entered the cockpit as Hydra was being readied for launch. Hydra launched and travelled several miles from the campsite, it landed and waited for the Strike. Several minutes later the Strike landed a few yards from Hydra.
"Murrue told me about this, but I don't get it." Kira said
"Kira I've watched you fight and I know once you know someone you don't fight at your best, you need to show no mercy for any of your enemies, now get ready." Ryan replied as Hydra readied itself to charge, Strike raised it's beam rifle. Hydra charged and fired it's beam rifle, the Strike just dodged and moved away, Hydra quickly changed direction and rammed into Strike, which landed on its feet. Hydra drew it's beam sword and charged again strike fired it's beam rifle which Hydra dodged and continued its charge, Strike drew it s beam sabre and clashed with Hydra briefly before being knocked off balance as Hydra kicked it in the head.
"Kira if your purposefully holding back then I will kill you!" Ryan shouted out, as he said that a seed exploded as Kira's eyes changed the pupil shrunk as the iris grew. The Strike quickly charged at Hydra an slashed it's beam sabre, Hydra just dodged and countered with Gatling gun shots, which strike dodged then turned and fired several shots from the beam rifle, Hydra blocked with the EMF shield. I think Kira went berserker but I think he still is in control, so what is it. Hydra drew both beam swords and charged again slashing with both which Strike dodged and fired more shots from the beam rifle, Hydra barely blocked, Strike then kicked Hydra in the chest once the shield was down and sent it into the sand. Hydra got back up and fired shoulder cannon, Gatling and beam rifle shots somehow the Strike was able to block and dodge, the barrage stopped as the two Gundams stand off.
"Ok Kira lets see how good you really are." Ryan activated Hyper from as Hydra's colours change to it's Hyper form colours, both charged with beam sabre and sword and clashed again, they broke off, Hydra's whip came out and latched onto Strikes leg, it swung round and then slammed Strike on to the sand, Strike fired beam shots which made Hydra quickly dodge and move away. Hydra brought out one of the buster rifles on its right side and fired, Strike dodged and charged with it's beam sabre, Hydra fired again, Strike in a swift movement dodged and stabbed with the sabre almost striking Hydra's head.
"Looks like I win Ryan." Kira stated his eyes back to normal.
"I wouldn't be too sure, Kira." Ryan said back, Kira looked to see Hydra's left rifle pointing at the Strike's torso. "I win, but at least now you'll fight with most of your skill, if you get that eager to beat me."
"Guess I got carried away."
"Kira just don't hold back on the Desert Tiger if you do, you're the one to get killed." Ryan said before Hydra took back off to the Archangel, Strike close behind. Once Ryan left the cockpit Arli was waiting for him.
"What were you thinking?" Arli said obviously annoyed
"Look I just wanted to make sure Kira wouldn't go easy on Waltfeld just because he got to know him."
"How did you come up with that?"
"He is that sort of person besides he goes easy on the pilot of Aegis doesn't he?" Ryan asked giving her a suspicious look.
"He knows the pilot of the Aegis they were good friends like you and Nicol." Arli explained.
"I guess that is fair, do you know when we're going to attack?"
"We'll be fighting the tiger tomorrow so you better rest up." Arli said and walked off. Ryan went to his quarters took off his pilot suit and went straight to sleep. Ryan dreamt of the mobile suit again, the one with wings of a devil, and although it was in his dream Ryan thought he had seen it somewhere before.
Sorry that chapter is shorter but hope you enjoyed R&R please.