This takes place a few weeks after the last chapter...

CRASH! The window shattered around me as I jumped out of the 100-story building, followed by several other people who activated their IS and rushed towards my falling form. I clutched the bag I held closer to my chest and silently counted down as the ground raced to meet me.

10...

9...

8...

7...

6... "Altec, release the bag and this will all be over." I heard a man's voice blare from below me.

5...

4...

3...

2... "Not a chance, Dunois! I'm just holding up my end of the bargain. Remember our deal?" I retorted.

"And where is my daughter anyway? Got tired of her and ditch her? I feel for ya." Dunois said, trying to rile me up.

1... My answer came as a flash of orange and two metal arms catching me a few feet off the ground.

"Nope. In fact... I might just keep her around. She's good company." I replied, laughing with Char at Mr. Dunois' reaction.

"See ya, Dunois! Oh, and just so you know... You're a grandfather!" I yelled as Char took off and I jumped out of her arms and Gospel formed around me and we faded into the rising sun.

Later... Somewhere in the Pacific

"Did you really have to tell him?" Char asked as we landed on our little island. Gospel and Char's Revive disappeared and we walked to our hidden shelter.

"Not really. Actually, I'm not sure why I did it. To be honest." I answered her as I set the stolen bag on the table and sat on a stump. Char sat down a few feet from me in a similar stump and sighed.

"I better stay out of the public for awhile. He'll be looking for me even more now." She said, resting her head on a fist and I nodded.

"Yeah, or at least out of Europe for awhile. How about the Carribean? I've heard it's quite nice." I said. Char gave me an 'are-you-kidding-me?' look and I laughed. I stood and walked over to the bag and opened it. I pulled out several stacks of documents and a handful of flash drives. I set the flash drives back in the bag. Gospel scanned the files and began her search. I tossed the paper onto the firepit and piled twigs and small pieces of wood and started a fire. I sat back down and Char moved over and sat in my lap. I wrapped my arms around her and she rested her head on my chest as we watched the fire grow in its pit.

"I wish I hadn't done a few things in these past months. I wish I hadn't killed those people in the US. I'm still glad I killed that man. Maybe I shouldn't have run when the authorities showed up. But then I wouldn't be here, with you and our child. And for that, it was worth it." I said, gazing into the fire. Char raised her head and looked at me. She opened her mouth to say something, but Gospel interrupted from the table.

"Incoming bogie! Closing in from the NorthEast! IS signature... Massive!" She said. I looked at Char.

"Stay here!" I said, setting her in my chair and running out of the hidden shelter.

"Talk to me, G. What are we up against?" I asked, feeling Gospel form around me as the sky clouded over and threatened to rain. I flew up a ways and watched as a humungous black IS made its way towards the island. I looked back at the shelters entrance and saw Char peeking out. I motioned her to get back and she disappeared from my sight.

"Unknown IS. The power readings are massive. I can't find anything else out except its name." Gospel said. I waited for her to continue, but was instead answered by Char as she connected to the channel.

"Angel of Death. That's what the IS is named." Char said, and Gospel and I both shook as a chill ran down our backs.

"How do you know this?" I asked, checking the remaining distance to the IS.

"Because my father created it." She replied.

"So, does that mean... It was created to kill us?" Gospel thought. I caught her trail of thought and figured it to be true.

"Char, pack the stuff. Essential items only. We need to get out of here. Now." I said, turning back towards the island and making my way there. Then I was interrupted.

"Where are you going, Zeke? Not going to stand and fight like usual?" Dunois said as his {Railgun} impacted my side and I gasped as we were thrown into the forested area of the island. We hit the ground and bounced off, hitting a few trees. We continued to fall before smacking into a rock outcropping back first. I tried to catch my breath, but it was knocked out of me by the impact. I spit, blood coating my lips. I wiped my mouth, staining Gospel red before the first drop of rain hit her wings.

"G, status?" I asked, looking around. She groaned in my head and I looked to see her shaking her head as she shakily stood.

"I'm operable, armor is cracked all over and targeting is shaky. Comms still work. Radar is inoperable though." She replied.

"So, any ideas?" I asked, using the outcropping to get my legs under me. I stood shakily, putting my arms out for balance. Gospel shrugged. I shrugged as well, playfully mocking her. She was about to say something, but was interrupted as Angel of Death landed in front of us.

"Well, you think. I'll keep us alive." I mentally said. She nodded and I made as if to take off, but was thrown over Angel's shoulder by shoulder-mounted wires.

"You've got to be kidding me." I thought, cutting the wires and gaining a little altitude before hovering.

"Zeke. What's going on out there? Who is it?" Char sounded in my ears before I had to dodge another {Railgun} shot from Angel.

"Since when has your father been able to pilot an IS?" I asked. I summoned my pistols and charged Gospel's winged arsenal. Dunois laughed.

"That won't do much, kid. Where is she? Where's Charlotte?" He asked, raising a hand as Gospel's winged arsenal shut down. I tried to restart the charging sequence, but it was shut off from my reach.

"Damn!" I whispered as I darted right to avoid a wall of fire as Dunois spun up the twin {Minigun's} on Angel's arms. He tracked my movement and I accelerated, barely keeping ahead of the wall of lead. I raised my left arm, pistol held in my hand and I returned fire. Dunois just raised his left arm and deflected the shots off its armor. I cursed again and returned the pistol to its space and poured all I could into the thrusters and climbed above the lead wall behind me. I hovered just above the bullets and waited. Dunois seemed to get my message and his {Minigun's} disappeared. I coughed and spit again, blood still pouring from my mouth. I gritted my teeth as a spasm of pain ripped through my body, originating from my chest.

"G, check me over. Something isn't right." I muttered, wiping my mouth again. I felt a scan run over my body as I slowly dropped my altitude till I was only a few feet off the ground.

"Heavy internal bleeding. If you could get to a doctor within a few minutes, you might survive." Gospel reported. I grunted and touched down back in the new forest clearing. I laughed and spread my hands, seemingly taunting Dunois. He took it that way.

"You goddamn brat!" He yelled, leveling the {Railgun} at me so fast I barely caught the motion before it fired. He smirked as my world seemed to slow down. I saw the round as it sped my direction and smirked before stepping past the high-velocity round and reached out and grabbed it. The world seemed to resume at its normal speed and I whipped my arm holding the round back at Dunois. He lost his smirk just as his own {Railgun} round slammed into his chest. He impacted the ground a few feet from our hidden shelter and I stalked towards him. He moved to stand up and I planted my right foot on his dented chest before slamming him back to the ground, further denting his chest armor.

"Zeke! What the hell is going on out there!" Char yelled in my ear and I groaned before removing the helmet and tossing it next to Dunois and I.

"..." I went to say something, but was slammed into a very familiar rock outcropping by Dunois' armored foot and he stood. I gasped, feeling something snap inside before pain filled my body and I yelled out. I heard a feminine yell and a high-pitched scream before laughter. Then darkness filled my mind.

I was floating on a small raft on the Pacific. I heard something fly over before my raft rocked heavily and I grabbed the mast for support till the raft stopped shaking so hard. I looked at the stern (rear) of my raft and noticed a IS holding a large broadsword. I tried to call Gospel, but nothing happened. I searched my mind and found it to be empty of any other presences.

"Great." I thought. "What do you want, White Knight? And how do I get back?" I asked, approaching the IS that sat perfectly still. I stayed out of arms reach of the IS and looked up at it, no, her! I tried to discern the pilot's identity, but it was concealed by its helmet.

"It's not about what I want, young Altec. But what you'll give up... to return to your world." The pilot answered.

"Like what, exactly? Are we talking about a body part, or a contract of service. What?" I asked, infuriated and impatient. The Knight's pilot didn't react like I expected. Instead of lashing out, it knelt next to me and looked me eye-to-visor.

"What are you willing to give up, to return to your beloved and your unborn child?" She explained. I didn't miss a beat.

"Anything. Just let me save them, please." I said, losing all bravado and sinking to my knees, tears falling down my face.

"The deal is set. You shall be returned to your beloved and child." The pilot said and I figured out who she was.

" Thank you, Chifuyu-sensei." I said as I was snapped into reality.

"Now Charlotte. That wasn't the best idea, was it?" Mr. Dunois said as he grabbed his daughter who was in her IS and started prepping for a long flight back. She struggled against his grip, but he ran a electric current through her IS and she screamed out before falling limp.

"I rather liked her plan, even though it was poorly conceived." I said, grinning behind my mask as Dunois visibly jumped and spun around to face me. "Your plan on the other hand, I can't like since you just hurt my girlfriend." I added, my smile replaced by a snarl. It was evident in my voice as I stalked through the destroyed forest towards the two Dunois'. He was apparently still in a daze and I dashed and grabbed Char out of his grip. I was out of his grabbing range by the time he realized what was happening. I set Char down behind me and her IS deactivated. I frowned and Gospel's form enveloped her as I stood and faced Angel for the second time.

"How? You were dead! I killed you! And what the hell are you wearing?" He yelled, confused beyond belief. Honestly, so was I. I woke up to see Gospel's IS form next to me and I was enclosed in some kind of armored suit. I was greeted by a HUD (Heads Up Display) flashing in front of my eyes, displaying the numerous armaments and capabilities of my new armor along with a name and description.

"This prototype body armor is called Angel of Light. It is competent enough to face IS in direct combat and is always learning. It adapts to its opponent and will adjust according to whatever opponent you face. Use with extreme caution! -WK"

I was unsure of what the warning was for until I looked over myself again and noticed that my left arm wasn't encased. It was the armor! I had a small flashback to something White Knight had said: "What are you willing to give up, to return?"

"Everything." I muttered. I snapped back to the present and raised an arm, blocking Angel's fist. I used my other arm and slammed my open palm against Angel's chest armor. It cracked and Dunois was forced off of me. I stood and a sniper formed on my back. I left it there for now, still walking towards Dunois. He had just gotten to his feet when I kicked him and he fell face first into the ground. I stood on Angel's shoulders and crouched down, placing my body right next to Dunois' head.

"Normally, I wouldn't spare you a second to even think. You'd be dead now, but... I'll let you live. She means everything to me, and I'll be damned before I let her out of my sight unwillingly. Remember that." I said, hopping off of his shoulders and he wasted no time in leaving. I sent the sniper back and let the armor retract. It retracted to where flesh and bone met metal and circuitry at my shoulder. I leaned against a tree and sighed, 'this is gonna be hard to explain.' I thought. I heard a groan and snapped my head to find Char sitting up, still shrouded by Gospel. I knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Char, he's gone. It's alright." I said. Her eyes snapped open and I smiled at her. I was almost hugged by Gospel before she noticed that her IS wasn't on her.

"Your IS deactivated, so I had Gospel protect you while I fought off your father, again." I explained. She looked at me, confused. Then she noticed my arm, or lack of a flesh and blood arm. "The price I paid to return and save you two from him." I explained. She looked up at my face and I was enveloped by her real arms as Gospel disappeared into her bracelet form, on my wrist.

"I thought you were dead. He seemed so sure." She said, muffled by my chest. I shook my head and sighed.

"He was right. I did die there." I said. I stood up, easing her up to her feet as well. The sun was setting as we looked at each other and I leaned down and we kissed. I looked at her as we parted.

"I should stop running. Face my demons and get this over with. I'm going back to the Academy, and you are going back as well." I said, getting a groan from her. "It's the only way I'm sure you'll be safe when I'm not there." I said. We packed what few belongings we wanted and made our way back to the Academy.

Back at the Academy...

"Ms. Orimura, Charlotte and Zeke just showed up on radar. They're headed this way. And quickly!" Yamada said, catching the attention of Orimura, and the rest of the gang. Soon the rest of the school was outside of the building and was watching as Char and I landed a little ways away. We both returned our IS to standby and Char took my hand in hers.

"Please! Don't do this. I need you. We need you!" She pleaded. I shook my head and looked at her.

"You know how this is gonna turn out. Either I turn myself in or the Academy, along with several militaries will be after me. This is the best way, even if it will be the hardest." I admitted. I dropped to my knees and looked at her stomach, which was just starting to show a little roundness.

"Hi little one. It's your daddy. I don't know if you are gonna hear this or not. But I want you to know that I love you and your mother. You may not see me for awhile, so listen to your mom, she knows best." I kissed her belly and stood back up and hugged Char. Tears were streaming down both of our faces.

"I love you, Zeke Altec." I heard Char say. I sniffed.

"I love you too, Charlotte Dunois." I replied. We separated and walked to the Academy entrance. I stopped at the entrance and Char walked in. Orimura walked to the entrance and looked at me.

"I'll put in a good word. Maybe it'll help." She said. I thanked her for her kindness.

"Watch out for her father. I've been fighting him off ever since we left here. When I'm taken in, he'll make a move for her and our child." I said. I removed Gospel's bracelet and handed it to her.

"Keep an eye on it for me, would ya? I think in a few years, someone else might need it." I said, glancing at Char. Orimura nodded and reverently placed Gospel in her pocket. I thanked her and used my armor to contact the authorities, stating to them I was giving myself up willingly. I gave them my location and stepped away from the Academy.

"Hey Altec." She called. I turned to look at her as the sounds increased.

"Yes, Orimura-sensei?" I asked. She smirked at me.

"Don't have to much fun in there, alright?" She joked. I shrugged.

"I make no promises, Sensei. But I'll do my best." I said. I kneeled and rested my arms at my sides as the cop cars swarmed the area and a few IS showed up even. I placed my hands on my head and was taken into custody.

And that ends this story segment. I'll be uploading a document showing what happens between the end here and the beginning of the next along with a teaser later for the next part of the story soon. I hope you enjoyed the story. Bye for now!