First of all I must apologise to you all my good readers, for the time it took me to produce this chapter. I know several weeks. I'm going to probably upload the next one tomorrow.

Anyway, straight to the usual stuff:

I don't own Gundam SEED, much to my tragic regrets.

I want you people to read, review, add to alert if you want. Do something to let me known you're reading. I want opinions, I want criticism, give me some. Due to my standards for chapter length, this Chapter will be broken in two separate sections.

Athrun's Trial - Chapter 5: Where It All Began

A flashback from where it all began...

On the PLANT of Januarius 1, in a warehouse facility, many, illegal and horrendous acts were committed. None was more horrendous than the deprivation of rights to the coordinator's Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala before they were even close to birth.

Kira was first, he was the son of Dr. Hibiki, head of research in the underground society known as ZAFT Military Special Advancement Society. Dr. Ulen Hibiki and Patrick Zala invested much of their privately owned fortunes in the project of bringing Kira to life. 9 Month's after they'd begun, the project finally came to its pinnacle with Kira being born from an artificial womb in order to remove any imperfections that could develop due to the uncontrollable variable of a normal womb. After Kira's birth, both Zala and Hibiki rejoiced, it meant that the money and many long hours they had dedicated to bringing him to life had paid off. It would now just remain a matter of time before they could test the boys finely crafted abilities.

Although Patrick Zala and Ulen Hibiki had dedicated a vast amount of their resources to Kira's development, it was not their only project. At the same time, Patrick's first child was also developing in an artificial womb the same as Kira, although his abilities hadn't been as fine tuned due to the limited availability of resources to the complex. They needed to skate under the radar after all, their power consumption was already abnormal for a storage warehouse, anymore and things would start to get more suspicious. When Patrick had requested making his son appear exactly as he were, Ulen Hibiki refused, claiming it'd be too much like cloning, all the other scientists followed suit. Patrick attempted so himself and almost killed his developing son, asking Ulen to step in and save him in the end.

Five Years later...

Ulen Hibiki and Patrick Zala spent several years watching their sons grow, performing many tests along the way to affirm their sons abilities as best they could. These tests proved that physically, Athrun was stronger, Kira was smarter and more emotional and that the attempt to implant knowledge into an embryo had been successful in Athrun's case. And while Athrun's personality had been further developed by the knowledge Hibiki and his father had implanted him with, he still did not like one thing, the thing that destroyed their hopes the most. Joining the war or being a part of it. Neither did Kira. Both boys were disappointments to their fathers simply because they wouldn't do what they were designed to do. They were the ultimate soldiers, and they didn't want to fight.

"We have to do it," Patrick exclaimed, "We can't leave them as they are. They both know enough to destroy us."
"Yes, but..." Dr. Hibiki replied.
"If we don't erase their memories," Patrick stated, "How do you propose we stop them?"
"Locking them up won't solve anything." Hibiki sighed, "How do we explain their lost memories?"
"Stage a car crash?" Patrick suggested.
"I see. Make it look like they both hit their heads, I guess." Hibiki moaned, "It's a shame to waste such good work though."
"What else can we do?" Patrick queried, "For all that technology will allow us to erase memories, it will not allow us to create them."
"You're right. Its ingrained into their personalities now that they won't join the military." Hibiki sighed, "Fine, I'll erase them. Bring them both to the lab tonight."

Several hours later...

Patrick Zala arrived at the lab dead on time. He quickly exited his car and bought both boys in behind him. Dr. Hibiki noticed the entrance of Patrick and the boys. Both boys were quickly lead to the centre of the laboratory complex where Dr. Hibiki led Kira to what appeared to be an examination table. Patrick did the same with Athrun. As soon as they were sure they boys would make no attempt to run, they both grabbed them and forced them into the restraints fitted to the examination table. Both boys cried out in protest. It did no good. Their father's had them securely locked down within seconds.

"Let us out!" Athrun yelled angrily.
"No can do my boy." Patrick sighed, "This has to be done. It doesn't matter, you won't remember any of this soon enough."

With that, Patrick and Ulen both picked up a syringe each and filled them with a strong sedative. They then walked over to their sons, found a vein and injected the liquid. It took effect within seconds. Patrick and Ulen then spent the next few minutes hooking the boys up to numerous machines which would slowly inject chemicals into their bodies which would erase their memories over a matter of hours.

"How long?" Patrick queried.
"The process will be complete in 6 hours, that sedative was strong enough to knock them out for 9 hours." Dr. Hibiki replied.
"Good, good. In the meantime. You can help me prepare the crash." Patrick stated, "They'll be fine here."
"Ok." Patrick and Ulen locked up the laboratory and went to find a car they could use.

Stealing a car, sometime later...

"That'll do," Patrick stated eyeing off a sports sedan.
"Oh sure," Ulen rolled his eyes, "You're not the one driving it."
"I know I'm not, just steal it and I'll meet you at your place." Patrick laughed as Ulen got out of the car.

As Ulen pulled into his driveway, Patrick smirked.
"It wasn't that bad of a drive now was it?" He joked.
"Are you kidding?" Ulen asked, "That thing has the worst handling and it over accelerates."
"Then its the perfect thing for staging a car crash." Patrick laughed, "Comeon, lets go inside, we need to plan this."

Once they were inside, Patrick wasted no time, his fingers closed around the syringe in his pocket. He quickly pushed Ulen Hibiki to the floor and injected half of its contents into the man's blood stream. Patrick quickly proceeded through the house to find Ulen's daughter, the girl was going with them all, on a trip to hell. When he found her, Patrick quickly injected the girl with about 1/3 of his remaining sedative before hunting for her mother. Upon finding her, Patrick injected the remaining liquid to complete his first job for the afternoon. He then loaded the unconscious Hibiki family into their own Mercedes Benz Sedan and drove it back to the factory district. There he outfitted the car with some discrete remote control equipment before sitting Ulen behind the wheel and his wife in the passenger seat. He put Cagali in the middle seat before carrying the two unconscious and now memoryless boys out to the car. He placed Kira to Cagali's left, he then deliberated on what to do with his own son. The boy was troublesome, he decided that to be safe and protect himself and his wife, he would make sure he went as well.

Later on the highway...

Patrick Zala controlled the Hibiki's car from a remote radio antenna in the area and drove it erratically around the highway before deciding his time was running out in case Ulen woke up. He saw a parked car in the emergency lane and immediately swerved the Hibiki's car into its rear. The fuel tank ignited immediately and set the front of the car on fire. He would now just have to wait as the car slowly blew up killing the people who were most likely to usurp his position.

On the highway...

Cars were quickly pulling over to try and help the Hibiki family and Athrun Zala out of the burning car. Patrick didn't need that, but then something even more surprising happened. Ulen Hibiki woke up, as people were looking into the car and trying to pull at his door, he spoke "Get the kids out first," he croaked. The Children were immediately removed from the car, it was noted that both Athrun, Kira and Cagali all had blood on their foreheads, a good enough sign they may be experiencing head trauma and therefore they were carefully moved off to the side away from the burning car.

A short distance away Patrick Zala watched in fury as the children were moved farther away from the burning car, too far to be killed now if the car blew up. He decided to drive past and finish the job. Ulen Hibiki saw Patrick Zala drive past in the stolen Sports car he'd taken earlier, holding a detonator. He then understood what was going to happen. He yelled "TAKE COVER!" just as the car blew up. Dr. Hibiki died happy knowing one thing, he'd beaten Patrick Zala. Kira and Athrun were still alive, and even if their memories were gone, there was always a possibility they would return. Patrick couldn't risk trying to kill them again, even though he was now going to die, he was happy.

"Has anyone called an Ambulance yet?" a bystander asked.
"Yes, one is on the way!" Another replied.

Later at the hospital...

Nurses and Doctor's came and went seeing the three children. No one could work out who they were, the car was now destroyed, it hadn't even had its identification numbers intact. The explosion had thoroughly cleaned it out. The children had woken up about an hour ago and were reasonably lucid, although none could explain what had happened. Kira and Athrun's amnesia wasn't feigned, but Cagali's was. She knew everything, but she refused to tell anyone. She was too smart for that. If anyone knew about the projects her father and Athrun's father had worked on, neither Athrun nor Kira would have a normal life, and she didn't wish that upon them.

Zala Mansion, an hour later...

Patrick was filing documents in his study, making sure most of his and Ulen Hibiki's Lab reports were well hidden, then he stumbled upon one about his own son.

Subject Name: Athrun Zala
Subject Birth Date: October 29th
Subject Hair Colour: Azure
Subject Eye Colour: Emerald
Notes: The boy has progressed, he has developed strength disproportionate to other coordinators of his age. His quick friendship to fellow subject Kira Hibiki has proven he is friendly and approachable, as desired. He is also far more intelligent than originally anticipated, a result of his implanted knowledge? Closer observation shall be required.

"Dear," Lenore asked from the study entrance, "What are you doing?"
"Oh just some filing," Patrick stated, stashing the Lab report about Athrun, "Why?"
"I was just wondering if you'd be coming down for dinner soon?" Lenore asked.
"Sure. Give me five minutes." Patrick smiled.

Lenore Zala was downstairs having the chef prepare dinner when she saw a newsflash. There had apparently been a car accident on the highway near their house. Not only was it an accident, but three children were involved. When the news reporter flashed over a photo of the car Lenore's heart skipped a beat. That was the Hibiki's car, she was sure of it. "Patrick, where did you say Athrun was today?"
"He was with the Hibiki's, why?" Patrick put on a frown.
"They've had an accident on the highway, its on the news. Theres no mistaking that car." Lenore cried.
"Oh my gosh. I hope they're all ok." Patrick cried.

When the news reporter stated that three children had been taken to hospital, Lenore felt relieved. It was then revealed the remaining two occupants of the car had burnt to death when it exploded. Lenore's heart sank. Kira and Cagali were now parentless. Lenore jumped when she heard the reporter state that due to privacy reasons they couldn't release photograph's of the children, but that the hospital had been as yet unable to identify them. If anyone knew them, they were urged to contact the hospital.

Lenore literally jumped on the nearest phone and dialled the number on the screen while Patrick Zala ran to get his car out of the garage. Lenore's call was answered and when she explained that she knew all three children and their identities, she was asked to come in, she informed the hospital she and her husband would be there in 5 minutes.

As soon as Lenore joined him in the car, Patrick roared out the drive way in his Bentley, not letting anything get in his way, he expertly weaved in and out of traffic before turning off at the exit to the hospital. He needed to keep up this charade for as long as possible to fool people into believing he didn't know what had happened until Lenore told him.

Patrick and Lenore's Arrival at the Hospital...

Lenore had rushed inside, leaving Patrick to park the Bentley. Patrick dawdled in the car park for a while. Lenore was in the mean time talking to the head of the hospital about the children's situation.
"They're all in very good shape physically, although mentally, I hate to say it, it looks like they may all be experiencing severe memory loss and I doubt its from shock." The doctor commented.
"Thats fine, I suppose it would help to have someone speak to them about it." Lenore sighed, it was going to be a evening.
"So, how bad do you think the memory loss is?" Lenore asked.
"Honestly, I'd say the girl is hiding something from us, she seems to know more than she is willing to tell us." The doctor groaned, "The boys on the other hand, I'm very convinced are suffering memory loss to its fullest extent."
Thats Cagali, Lenore thought, the young girl was acting selfless as always.
"I guess I should inform you then, that one of the boys if my son," Lenore sighed, "The other two's parents died in the crash."
"Perhaps it will help them not to remember then." The doctor mumbled.
"Can I see my son please?" Lenore asked.
"Mrs. Zala, I'd need you to first give me a description of each child so I can confirm your story." The doctor exclaimed.
"Let me see, my son, Athrun has azure hair, emerald eyes and he's rather withdrawn in facial appearance." The doctor nodded for her to continue, "Kira, the other boy has brown hair and violet coloured eyes. He's generally pretty kind and caring. The girl, Cagali has blonde hair and amber coloured eyes. She seems a lot tougher than your average girl."
"A Fairly good description," The doctor sighed, "I'll take you to them now."

In the hospital room Lenore saw Athrun sitting up in a bed looking straight through the walls as if in a trance. She then noticed the needle mark in his arm, she was immediately startled and knew to point the finger at her husband. "I want you to conduct a toxicology screen on each child," Lenore stated, "I'm assuming the right to look after Kira and Cagali's well being for now."
"If I may ask you Mrs. Zala," The nurse in the room asked, "Why do you want a toxicology screen?"
"Because the children have needle marks in their arms. I want to know whats going on." Lenore stated, "Also, this report is not to be given to my husband, nor is it to be known about by him. Got it?"
"Y-yes ma'am!" The nurse choked out before rushing from the room to gather some necessary equipment. Patrick Zala walked in after the nurse rushed out to see the three children apparently in a trance like state just staring straight ahead.

Now, no characters talking afterwards. Its a flash back at the past really, and while some would argue its for a side story, I would say otherwise.

So you've read, now REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!

I welcome your opinions, don't be scared. If you're too scared to review, at least alert me so I know you're here.

Again, my sincerest apologies about the time it took to post this chapter.