Chapter Three – Gundam's Rebirth
"Did we get it?" The Enact pilot grimaced, as he watched the smoke within the warehouse, waiting for signs of the Gundam to show itself. His eyes widened at the sight of the Strike emerge from the remains of the flames, the grey shell, now changed into a white, blue and red encrusted armour. The phase shift system was activated. Carrus roared, as he drew a knife from the hip pocket of the Strike. Powering the backpack thrusters to full, the Strike collided with the Enact, tackling it through the wall of the Warehouse, and sticking the dagger into the chin of the EA mobile suit. Carrus powered the thrusters, leaping over the falling mobile suit, grabbing the linear rifle from its hands, and flying past the second Enact outside.
"DAMN IT!" The second pilot screamed, as Carrus pulled the trigger, the Linear rifle and the Vulcan's in the head roared, shredding the metallic frame of the Enact with their armour piercing rounds. Carrus took a deep breath, as the second suit fell, and the cockpit ejected the pilot.
"This is what my father felt years ago…" Carrus whispered.
Mayu looked up, having closed her eyes from the g-forces exerted on her body, her heart raced with adrenaline. "Is… is it over Carrus?"
"I don't think so…" Carrus whispered, when suddenly, a siren screeched, and before he knew what he was doing, Carrus spun, shooting two rockets that were aimed at the Strike. Then a beam shot out of the debris. Instinctively, Carrus stepped back, as the beam pierced the concrete, when a Jegan emerged, beam sabre drawn, and aiming at the Strike's throat. "Damn! Don't think this is over!" Carrus flicked back on the joystick, as the mobile suit ducked, and grabbed the arm of the Jegan, stepping on the chest of the Jegan, Carrus stamped down on the foot panels, and the Strike too, shoved its foot down the Jegan, ripping the smaller and reminiscent mobile suit's arm off its body. Grabbing the Enacts linear rifle, Carrus aimed it at the Jegan, and pulled, with no response. "What the hell?"
"It must be out of power!" Mayu screamed, when the Jegan aimed its good arm at Carrus and Mayu, launching two rockets, they connected at point blank, sending the Strike into another building. Carrus groaned, as he raised the head, firing the Vulcan again, this time doing less damage against the Jegan's thicker armour.
"Damn it, this guy's tough!" Carrus grimaced, when he looked down, seeing Mayu unconscious on the floor. "Oh crap! Mayu!" Carrus grimaced, as a series of Vulcan rounds and rockets smashed the hull of the Strike, doing little against the phase shift on the Strike, however, a siren wailed at Carrus. Looking at the dashboard, his eyes grew at the sight of the failing power gauge. "Damn you…" Carrus growled. "Why won't you just GIVE UP!" Carrus roared, when he looked behind him, the room he had fallen into was loaded with weapon packs, similar to the original packs designed for the first Strike, piloted by his father. Carrus pulled the trigger on the Vulcan again, forcing the Jegan into hiding behind the hangar the Strike emerged from. Taking the opportunity, Carrus got the Strike on its feet, backing it into the CIS chamber, and with a quick OS change, he hacked the system to allow for an equipment change, calling the system entitled "Aile". Watching as a black and red pack was lowered to the back of the Strike, Carrus heard something to his sides, seeing the system lower a beam rifle and a beam shield.
"Oh yeah… my father used this configuration a lot too… it IS the best for most situations…" While the changes happened, a moment of carelessness caused Carrus to kneel by Mayu's side, pick her up, and strap her into Carrus' seat. He felt uncomfortable having their bodies in such an awkward position, but he was worried for her safety more than anything. Suddenly, the Jegan appeared again, with two more Jegan's appearing beside it. Seeing the three mobile suits emerge, Carrus' eyes widened, then narrowed with the same expression, that little to his knowledge, Kira also wore when an enemy suit appeared.
"Not a chance, Strike Gundam is HEADING OUT!" Carrus roared, pushing the thrust on the Aile into overdrive, his body thrust into the back of his seat, as the infinitely superior propulsion pushed him into a Jegan, and again in the air. "No way, this is capable of atmospheric flight?" Spinning around, he drew the beam rifle, finishing the targeting OS in a matter of seconds, and pulling the trigger, twice, three, four times, two striking the damaged Jegan in the torso and shoulder, making it crackle and detonate, and one in another Jegan, blowing the head off. Another Siren buzzed, as two Enacts flew past in their transformed modes. "Think you're tougher 'cause you're faster?" Carrus fired again, missing the Enacts entirely, his skills not sharp enough for taking out other flying units. The Enacts responded with a pair of shots, striking the shoulder of the Strike. Looking at the power gauge, Carrus breathed a sigh of relief, the Aile pack had replenished the battery on the Strike. Spinning back, Carrus smiled, as one Enact drew too close, Carrus shoved his beam shield into its side, crushing one wing, sending it spiralling into the ground. Drawing a beam sabre from the pack, Carrus cut the second down the middle, watching it catch one of the Jegans from earlier in the explosion.
Panting from exhaustion, Carrus landed. In the matter of the last seven minutes, he shot down three Jegans and four Enacts. His prowess scared him. His head collapsed into the palm of his hand, his eyes bloodshot, as he realised something. "Father… this power… how is your ability shared with mine?"
"Lieutenant Seiei!" Setsuna turned his head, just before he entered the seat of his custom Flag, to see the captain approach him. "We've got a complication, the enemy has launched an X105. Looks like the chairman's reports were spot on!"
"And now we have a reason to invade…" Setsuna answered coldly. "Get all Flags ready, the lunar fleet will send the Geara Zulus down soon."
"Just don't die Lieutenant!" The captain answered, as Setsuna closed the hatch.
"General Zala!" Ensign Sparr, otherwise known as "Sparks" called out. Athrun turned his head, diverting his attention away from Orb's chief representative, Cagalli Yula Autha, to get to the Ensign's post. "Sir, a mobile suit has launched from the Morgenroete research complex!"
"It will only be a Murasame Ensign." Athrun replied, kneeling by the post to see the view screen.
"Sir, hate to correct you, but that machine is NOT a Murasame, it… appears to be a Gundam!"
Cagalli's eyes widened, recognising the Strike that flew through the air, taking down two Enacts in a matter of seconds. Nodding at Athrun, she decided to call it. "I want that mobile suit under custody immediately! Get four Murasame's to escort it here!"
"Ma'am…" Athrun interrupted. "Right now we don't have the resources to send, all our suits are fighting the Atlantic Federation, and we've got a very sizeable technology difference." Athrun almost yelped when Cagalli grabbed his arm.
"Athrun…" Cagalli whispered. "That's the reason the earth forces are here, and you know it!"
"I know, but we can't afford to lose that on the battlefield now. It's holding its own up there, that pilot is either very lucky… or perhaps…"
"You don't think…"
"Ma'am! General!" the Ensign yelled, his voice high and hysterical. "Six drop pods descending, and eleven strange presences detected… they're mobile suits… designation… UNKNOWN! They're new models!"
"Damn it!" Athrun growled, running out of the control tower, supposedly to the port, but he ran, deep into the mobile suit Hangar, where only he, and a select few technicians could cross, where he ran, to his mobile suit, the Infinite Justice Gundam.
Landing the Strike Gundam amongst some rubble, Carrus took a few deep breaths. The arrival of those lights in the distance troubled him. He didn't know how to explain the feeling he suffered from. Mayu groaned, as Carrus spun his eyes to her. Opening her eyes, she woke from her slumber.
"Hey, you okay?"
Mayu groaned again, as she stroked her head. "Why does my head feel so heavy?"
"Sorry… I was too aggressive with the controls…"
"So… we're not dead yet?" Mayu smiled, her smile fading when she realised she was strapped to Carrus.
"Err… don't… get the wrong idea…" Carrus blushed. "I just… didn't want you to get hurt again."
Mayu blushed heavily, her face nearly as red as her hair. "Uhm… thanks… Carrus…"
Carrus began unstrapping the belts on his chair, so Mayu could slide out. "Look… if you want to get out…"
"Where would I go?" Mayu smiled. "You got us this far, right?"
"Well yeah but…" Carrus suddenly jolted his head up, his face becoming aware. "Mayu… make sure you hold onto something…"
"Huh?"
Carrus' eyes fixed on one of the red lights that soared at the harbour, break off and head straight towards him. "It looks like we're about to have company… and he isn't bringing a pleasant gift…" Mayu nodded, wrapping her arms around Carrus, she watched, as a blue mobile suit, with a gold faceplate, and a large physical blade tipped with a green coating, drew from the arm, aiming the menacing weapon at the Strike. "A shame really, I was hoping for a BREAK!" Carrus deflected the blade with his beam sabre, barely deflecting the massive sword. "What the hell? A beam sabre should be able to cut through that!"
It was at that moment, that a voice boomed over the intercom, the pilot from the mobile suit was trying to contact him. "Pilot of the Strike." His voice was very deep and distinctive, chilling Carrus' soul. "Consider this a warning, step out of this Gundam, or you will bear witness to what happens to those who try to face off more than they can handle."
"That pilot!" Mayu screamed. "He's so aggressive!"
"Maybe… but he's not stopping me!" Carrus pushed forwards, as the mysterious pilot dug his suit's feet into the ground, the red particles on his back began to increase, as the red mist darkened and got thicker, the suit pushed the Strike back. "CRAP! He's too strong!"
"CARRUS!" Mayu grabbed Carrus tightly, as the Strike was slammed into a pile of debris.
"Damn… what's with that guy…" Carrus glared, as the unit lowered its sword at him.
"I'll say again… exit from the Strike, and you won't be hurt."
Carrus growled, but he opened a communication with his attacker. "You promise?" His eyes widened, as a man in a blue ZAFT uniform appeared on screen. "Wait, you're from ZAFT?"
"I am. My name is Lieutenant Setsuna F Seiei, and there I find no reason to harm civilians." Carrus' eyes widened, he was shocked to hear he knew who he and Mayu were. "Don't be too surprised. A real soldier would still be fighting right now."
"I'm just… I'm just surprised that ZAFT is involved here…" Carrus answered.
"Why are you all here?" Mayu asked.
"I cannot reveal that," Setsuna replied. "But I promise, I will keep the pair of you safe from the battle going on here." All of a sudden, a siren went off in Setsuna's mobile suit, making him turn his head, to a blade boomerang that was flung at the head of his Flag. Parrying the attack, Setsuna barely evaded a pair of beam cannons, that tore off his blade arm. Grimacing at the sight of a red mobile suit in the sky, Setsuna knew he was out matched. The Flag transformed into a jet, and took to the skies, as the other ZAFT mobile suits began to follow.
Carrus looked at the newcomer in awe, as the mobile suit landed by him, pulling the Strike to its feet. It was then, a familiar voice cut through the silence. "I'm surprised, that mobile suit sure did a number on your unit, soldier."
"What the… is that Athrun?" Carrus replied, shocked at the sound of his godfather's voice.
"Athrun?" Mayu questioned, blinking in confusion. "As in Athrun Zala?"
Opening a comm.-line with the Strike, Athrun gasped at the sight of Carrus in the cockpit. "Carrus? How on earth did you get in there?"
"Athrun! I can explain!"
"Save the explanations…" Athrun smiled, understanding without Carrus saying a word. "I'd say you need to return to base, don't you? Undoubtedly the two of you must be exhausted…"