Yo everybody! I'm back. Sorry it took me so long. The holidays kept me busier than I had planned. But I'm back. Oh, and Happy Holidays and New Year everybody!
ZGMF-X14A Confusion Gundam: Actually, only once was the Strike's systems ever locked down. And that was at Artemis. During their time in the desert, Sai attempted to pilot the Strike. Implying that Kira never felt the need to lock down the Strike after Artemis. And Victor didn't hack the Strike. What he exactly did will be revealed later.
Phase Eleven: Fangs of the Enemy
Outside Tassil
"Is it over with? Were there any casualties?" Waltfeld asked his returning subordinate.
"Why would there be? It's not like we were actually fighting anyone." Martian DeCosta asked.
"I meant on both sides."
"There may have been the odd person who took a tumble or were singed by the heat." Martian explained.
"Then let's get out of here. The men will be returning soon."
"Wasn't the whole point of this to ambush them as they return?"
"Come on. That's not exactly fair, now is it?" a genuinely surprised Andrew said. "We didn't burn down their homes just to ambush them."
"But still-"
"Our objective has achieved. We'll be returning now."
When the Desert Dawn, the Raven, the Talos and a group from the Archangel's crew arrived, they found Tassil a blaze. But miraculously, not a single life was lost. However, the ruins of Tassil weren't the only fire raging. Chris was relieved. It would have been too easy for the ZAFT forces to simply burn this whole town to the ground, people and all. But it seems that their commander was a decent person.
"That dirty, mongrel dog! What's going through the maniac's mind?"
"He's trying to stop you attacking his men without killing your people." Victor said. "True, Tassil is gone. But it's people are alive and that's ultimately all that matters."
Chris immediately decided not to get involved. This Cagalli girl was just too stubborn and difficult.
Victor turned to the blazing ruins of Tassil. "This was probably payback for helping out the Archangel last night. All things considering, the Tiger was being generous. Doing something as minor as this."
"Minor?! How can you call a town being burned to the ground minor?!!" Cagalli shouted at the mercenary.
"What you fail to understand, is that these guys are professional soldiers. If they wanted to, they could have killed everyone in the town as well. And most of the land based commanders on both sides of this war, would not have give any warning at all."
"The Tiger's nothing but a lousy, stinking coward. He attacks our homes when we're not around and calls it a victory!" Cagalli ranted. "Every time we go out there, we fight with courage and honor! We even managed to take out their BuCUEs in the last battle! That's why that jerk commander can only strike back at us like a coward!"
"No. You're mistaken. He doesn't call this a victory. He calls this a merciful punishment." Victor said. "And what do you truly know of war and honor? Did you really expect him to sit back while his men are killed? No. Honor demands that he avenge them. And he did honorably and mercifully. Tell me Cagalli, what would you do if you were him?"
"I..."
"A group of rebels just ambushed and killed several soldiers under your command. You now have to write to their families that their loved ones are dead. And you don't know where the central base of these rebels is located. Meaning you can't attack them directly. So what would you do?"
"What Waltfeld did was the most honorable thing he could have done. He attacked a town supporting the rebels but warned the population beforehand, so they could escape. He could have easily wiped out this town and any other town that he believed was aiding us with ease."
"The Tiger's still a coward!" Cagalli shouted, glaring at him.
Desert Dawn fighters and many of the people of Tassil shouted their own agreements and glaring at the mercenary. Victor shook his head. "Whatever. I'm being paid to fight, not prove how wrong you people are."
"Sahib." an approaching Desert Dawn member said.
"What is it?" the rebel leader asked.
"Come here for a sec."
The two men approached the gathering group of Desert Dawn fighters and jeeps.
"Well?" Sahib asked.
"It's only been a short time. Tiger couldn't have gotten far from the village. If we follow them now, we can catch up." one man said.
"Since they burned down the whole town, they should be out of ammo." another added.
"We can't just sit back after this attack! We're gonna take the Tiger down."
"Don't be foolish! Tend to the wounded. Take care of your families. That is more important." Sahib said to his men.
"What good does that do us?! Our homes have been burned to the ground! And you want us to go cry with our wives and children!" shouted one rebel.
"Please. Listen to reason." Victor said, approaching the group. "No one has been lost today. But if you go after the Tiger with just these weapons and no planning, then your wives and children will be burying you."
"Coward!" one man shouted.
"It is not cowardice to avoid blindly chasing after an enemy." Victor said.
"What do you know?! You're just a Zaftie!" another Desert Dawn fighter shouted.
"I'm not saying we let him get a way with this. I'm saying that we should pause for a moment to plan things out rather than rush into something that will get us all killed."
"What are you talking about?! You got your GINN! You could take out all of those BuCUEs!" another rebel shouted.
"My GINN is primarily designed for space combat, not ground warfare. With proper planning, yes, I could take out five BuCUEs." Victor said. "But as it stands, we'd be lucky to escape with our lives."
"The two of you may have resigned yourselves to being the Tiger's lapdogs, but we won't be!"
The men got on their jeeps and took off as Cagalli approached. "Well, what are we gonna do boss?"
Sahib sighed. "Pedoru!" he shouted to one of men sitting in one of the few remaining jeeps.
"Are you going too Sahib?" Cagalli asked.
"I just can't let them get themselves killed." he said, climbing into the jeep.
"I'm coming too." Cagalli said as she tried climbing into the jeep as well.
Sahib pushed her out. "No! You stay here Cagalli."
"Then let me get my GINN and join you." Victor said.
"No. You stay as well. If I don't come back, take command of the Desert Dawn."
"What?! I'm a mercenary, not a rebel leader."
"You're the only other person with the skill and cool head to lead the Desert Dawn if something happens to me."
Victor sighed. "Fine. Just do us both a favor and don't get killed. You still have to pay me."
Sahib's jeep took off for the others. Kisaka and Ahmed pulled up next to Cagalli and Victor. "Come on Cagalli." Ahmed said.
Cagalli quickly climbed aboard jeep and the three took off for the others. "Well, this is a land where the wind and the people get very heated." Mu said as he and Badgiruel approached the mercenary.
"They'll be wiped out with those outdated weapons." Badgiruel said.
"It's always the most passionate that are the most heroic. And the most foolish." Victor said. "The question is, what are you going to do?"
"Don't you mean we?" Mu asked.
"No. I know what I'm doing. I'm going to ensure that I get paid." Victor said, heading for his GINN. "I suggest that you guys do that same. The Archangel is safe where it is, but if Sahib dies, you may not be escaping the desert at all."
"They're what?!" Murrue said.
"They want payback for Tassil. It doesn't matter to them that they're outgunned." Mu said. "Vic's heading out to make sure that they survive. But frankly, I doubt it'll make much difference."
"Then what do you recommend?"
"Send out the Strike to help them and we'll send out the Raven." Mu replied. "Who knows, we may get lucky and take out the Tiger as well."
"Very well. Send the Raven to help them. We'll send out the Strike."
"Tell Kira, I'll meet up with him." Chris said. "We can travel faster if I'm in mobile armor mode and Kira's riding atop the Raven."
"Shouldn't we hurry it up a bit more sir?" Martin asked.
"What's the rush?" Waltfeld lazily said.
"At this speed, the rebels will catch up with us."
"Then we're meant to meet. It's fate. Besides the GINN, none of their weapons are no match for our BuCUEs." Andrew said to his subordinate. "When people are put to the test, I often hear them boast that they'd rather die. Do you really think they mean it?"
"Commander!" the BuCUE squad leader said. "There's six-no...eight jeeps approaching. It's the rebels."
"Well...It seems that they'd rather die after all."
A barrage of rockets struck the lead BuCUE, doing little damage to the machine as the Desert Dawn attacked. Their jeeps headed for the Tiger's jeep, intending to take him out regardless of the cost. But the BuCUEs moved into protect their commander.
The Desert Dawn fought valiantly but were outgunned and outclassed by the BuCUEs. The BuCUE pilots didn't even feel the need to fire their weapons. Instead, they simply crushed the jeeps under their feet or ran over them.
Cagalli's jeep slid underneath one BuCUE and she and Kisaka fired their rockets at it. The BuCUE slowed and the instant the jeep pull in front of it, one of it's legs swung at the jeep.
"Get off!!" Kisaka shouted, grabbing Cagalli and jumping from the jeep.
But Ahmed was too slow. And both he and the jeep were sent flying into the air. "AHMED!!" Cagalli screamed at the sight of her friend.
The BuCUE turned it's head to the two. A pair of rockets struck the BuCUE's head. Sahib's jeep appeared, Sahib shouldering two rocket launchers. The BuCUE's attention turned to the jeep and chased after it. Sahib quickly started reloading one of the launchers. But the BuCUE was catching up on them. They weren't gonna make it.
A shot rang out. A round tore through the BuCUE's head.
"Come on, you punks! Why don't you try someone who can actually fight back!" Victor said as he fired more rounds from his sniper rifle on the ZAFT forces.
Two rounds tore through the BuCUE's missile launcher, destroying it.
"Come on! If we get close enough, that rifle is useless!" a BuCUE pilot said.
The BuCUEs all regrouped and took off for the GINN.
"Never underestimate this GINN or me!" Victor shouted.
The GINN discarded his sniper rifle and it's hands reached for it's waist. Hidden compartments on it's skirt opened, revealing beam sabers. Victor drew the sabers and activated the GINN's thrusters, sending it towards the BuCUEs. The Talos sidestepped the undamaged BuCUEs, heading for the damaged one in the rear. The sabers tore through the damaged BuCUE, slicing it into three pieces before it exploded. He spun around and kicked another BuCUE onto it's back when a third tackled him from behind. "Time to end this!" the BuCUE squad leader said as he and his two undamaged teammates prepared to fire on him.
A beam struck the sand near the BuCUEs. Everyone looked up. It was the Strike riding atop the Raven, in it's mobile armor mode. The Strike fired more beams at BuCUEs, all of which fell short. "I missed." Kira said to himself. "Right. I forgot to factor in the heat convection."
The Raven, which did not possess ranged beam weapons, fired it's railgun and machineguns at the BuCUEs, while Kira adjusted his rifle. The BuCUEs scattered, avoiding the rounds. The Strike jumped off the Raven, firing at BuCUEs while the Raven transformed back. The two mobile suits landed next to the Talos, which had gotten back onto it's feet. The GINN had switch from it's sabers to it's assault rifle. "Are you okay Mr. Cain?" Kira asked.
"I'm fine. Glad to see you boys join the party." Victor said. "And call me Victor. Mr. Cain makes me sound like an old man."
Suddenly, a barrage of a missiles flew at the trio. They scattered, avoiding the missiles, and fired at the the three attacking BuCUEs. Two managed to avoid the attacks. But one of the Raven's railgun rounds tore the hind right leg of the third BuCUE. The mobile suit collapsed. "What?! No way!" the pilot said as he tired to get his machine back up. "Dammit! I'm not done yet!"
The limbing BuCUE turned and fired remaining missiles at them. "You idiot!" Chris cursed as he fired at the BuCUE.
Two rounds tore through the BuCUE and it exploded. "If you had just stayed down, you would have lived." Chris said.
"Ahmed!" Cagalli shouted, holding her friend. "Ahmed! Look at me!"
Caga...lli..." Ahmed weakly said. "To me...you are the the Goddess...of..."
Ahmed's eyes closed and his head fell to it's side. He was dead. Cagalli desperately shook his body. "Come on Ahmed! Open your eyes! Ahmed!!!"
Elsewhere, the fallen BuCUE managed to get back to it's feet. "Kirkwood, let me get in and pilot that BuCUE." Waltfeld said.
"Commander?"
"There's somethings you just can't be sure of until you're exchanging fire."
The Strike dodged more missiles from the BuCUEs. Both the Talos and the Raven fired back, but the BuCUEs were too fast and avoided their shots. "Damn. These BuCUEs are just too fast." Victor said.
Suddenly, a barrage of missiles hit the Raven's back, sending it forward. "What? What was that?!" Chris said.
"That fourth machine. It's back up." Victor said, turning the BuCUE.
He fired at the BuCUE, but Andrew effortless dodged the shots and tackled the GINN. "This one's much better than before." Victor commented as the BuCUE headed for the Strike and the Raven. "Could it be? Is the Tiger at the controls?"
A BuCUE tackled the Strike but Kira blocked with the Strike's shield. Kira pushed the BuCUE back and aimed at the BuCUE. He was about to fire when missiles hit the Strike, throwing it's aim off. "Formation Delta, now!" Waltfeld ordered.
The two remaining BuCUEs formed alongside their commander while the Raven and the Talos reached the Strike's side. "Three against one? I don't think so." Chris said.
The trio raced towards the three mobile suits. The left one slammed into the Raven, the right one hit the Talos, and Waltfeld's BuCUE tackled into the Strike. The BuCUE's spun around and fired a barrage of missiles at the Strike and the Raven before they could turn to face them. The missiles hit their targets.
"Dammit." Chris cursed as he struggled to keep the Raven upright. "Kira, we have to get up into the air or we're toast."
"Right." Kira said as both mobile suits jumped into the air.
But the Tiger expected this. And as soon as they were in the air, his BuCUE jumped up at the Strike and fired several missiles at it at point blank range. While the two other BuCUEs jumped up and unloaded their remaining missiles at the Raven. Both Gundams fell back to Earth. The Strike landed on it's feet and quickly moved, dodging more of Waltfeld's missiles while the Raven fell on it's back, it's phase-shift armor deactivating. "Damn! I'm out of power!" Chris said.
"Don't worry. I got your back." Victor said, heading for the powerless machine.
"I knew it. That phase-shift armor is strong. But it's not unstoppable. Enough hits and it runs out of power." Waltfeld said. "Keep the other machines busy while I finish it off!"
One of the two BuCUEs headed for the GINN while the other headed for the Strike and tackled it, keeping Victor from helping. Waltfeld's BuCUE turned to the Raven, it fired off more missiles at it. Kira's eyes widened in horror as the missiles streaked towards the Raven. He had to stop them. He had failed to protect others too many times already. This time was going to be different. A purple seed shattered in the back of his mind. He fired his beam rifle and Igelstellungs at the missiles. They all exploded before they could reach the Raven.
"Whoa..." Chris said, in utter amazement at his friend's abilities.
"Impressive." Waltfeld said. "He's no Natural."
A BuCUE lunged at the Strike. The Strike ducked under the BuCUE and fired at it's underbelly, destroying it. As he got back up, Kira drew a beam saber and slashed at the Tiger's lunging BuCUE. It's left forearm went flying off.
"Dammit." Waltfeld cursed. "We're withdrawing."
The remaining ZAFT forces quickly fled the area. Leaving the Strike, the Raven, the Talos and the handful of surviving Desert Dawn fighters. Victor looked out at the survivors and shook his head. This is why he hated groups like the Desert Dawn. Few members of rebel groups truly ever understood the art of war. Most fought ruthlessly to kill their enemy regardless of the cost and most were passionate to the degree of blind fanaticism. And worse, they prescribed to the eye for an eye philosophy. Such people were simply fuel for the fires of war.
He watched Kira leave his machine and approach the survivors. He said something. Something that pissed Cagalli off. She grabbed his collar and shouted something back, gesturing towards the body of Ahmed. Kira slapped her. "Wow. He didn't strike me as the type to hit a girl." Victor said. "Well, someone needed to slap some sense into her anyway."
ZAFT Gibraltar Base
The Next Day
"I trust that there won't any further problems, Zane." Rau said.
"No sir. I apologize for my outbursts in space. It was a temporary madness. My emotions are back under control. It won't happen again sir." Zane said to the screen.
"Good. Ensure that it does not happen again." Rau said darkly. "How is Operation Spitfire proceeding on your end?"
"I have spoken with Azrael." Zane said, saying the Blue Cosmos Leader's name in disgust. "They have begun installing the Cyclops System under JOSH-A. But Azrael's supporters in the Atlantic Federation want the complete planning and tactical data on the Operation before they'll fully commit to Azrael's proposal."
"As expected. With the loss of Victoria, they're worried about losing Panama. I'll ensure that they get the data. What of the legged ship?"
"We've just received word. They're in Andrew Waltfeld's backyard." Zane replied. "Apparently, they managed to escape two attacks from the Desert Tiger. It seems that his skills aren't as great as they claim."
"I highly doubt that." Rau said. "The Tiger is one of our better commanders. It's more likely that he's testing the legged ship and it's mobile suits. When he's ready, the legged ship will find itself in a much more trying battle."
"Yzak's been demanding that we be allowed to go there and destroy the legged ship. Shall we go there and dispose of them?"
"No. Waltfeld should be able to destroy them on his own. But if he asks for reinforcements from Gibraltar, then by all means go."
"Very well then sir."
Banadiya
A pair of jeeps stopped amid the crowded marketplace. Kira, Cagalli and Victor stepped off. "Alright. Come back to pick us up in four hours." Victor said to Sahib.
"Dismissed Ensign...Er...Kira. Good luck. I'm...ah...counting on you." Badgiruel nervously said.
The two jeeps took off, leaving the three in the marketplace. Victor shook his head. "That woman needs to learn to loosen up." he said. "Okay. There's somethings I need to pick up. I'll find you when I'm done."
Aboard the Archangel
Elizabeth Dante smiled as she aced the Sky Grasper simulator again. Out of all of those that had tried it, she was best. Only Tolle and that girl Cagalli had come close to her scores. But then again, she was a Coordinator.
"Wow. You're good enough to pilot one of the two other Sky Graspers with Lieutenant La Flaga." Johanna said, resting an arm on the simulator chair.
"So you got all the Sky Graspers up and running?" Liz said.
"Yeah. All three are up and running. The morons that built these things, royally screwed up. It took so much longer than we expected." Johanna replied. "I see that you've been ruling the simulator."
"Considering that the only ones to try it have been Sai, Miri, Kuzzey, Tolle and that Cagalli girl, that's not saying a whole lot."
"True."
"Hey, what would I have to do to pilot one of these things in battle?" Liz asked.
"You'd have to talk with the Captain." Johanna replied. "Are you sure you want to do this? You'll be in danger every time you step in the cockpit."
"I know. But I want to do it. If Chris is fighting, then I want to help out too."
"Speaking of him, you'll know he'll freak out when he finds out."
"Of course. That's an added bonus." Liz said with a smirk.
"You know he's only trying to keep you safe."
"I know. But I hate it when he treats me like a child that can't protect herself."
"He just cares about you."
"I know."
"Good Flay. You're definitely improving."
It was true. Flay had improved considerably since he had started teaching her. He had suspected that she was practicing on her own. But he couldn't complain. It was working. She had become less and less withdrawn and more like her old self.
He had seen what happens to people that let their grief and anger consume them. Both in himself and in Zane. It was never a pretty sight.
"Raise your arm a little more." he said, grabbing her arm and moving it into the proper position. "And spread your legs apart a bit more."
Flay suddenly tripped and fell on him, knocking the two of them to the ground. Flay on top of him. Their faces practically touching. Both teens blushed. "Ah...I think that's enough for today." Chris said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah...I'm fine." Flay replied, getting off of him.
Chris felt relived that she was off of him. And yet, at the same time, he felt disappointed.
A stray thought struck him as sat up. 'Admit it. You're falling in love with her.'
No. Flay was Sai's girlfriend. Hell, they were arranged to be married. Look but don't touch. He wasn't the type to break up a relationship for his own selfish desires.
But still...
"Chris? Hello? Can you hear me?"
"Huh? Oh. Sorry. I kind of zoned out there for a moment." Chris said.
"Why did you you decide to help me?" Flay asked, handing him a bottle of water.
"Why? Well, I guess because you remind me of me after the Bloody Valentine." he said, taking the bottle as Flay sat down next to him. "All I could think of is how my home and just about everyone I cared about was gone. That pain and sorrow ate away at me. I wanted...needed to get rid of that pain. No matter what it took. And in my desperation, I took it out on people that nothing to do with the Bloody Valentine. And well, I believe that you already know what happen next. I figured that I should try to stop you from going down that path."
"Thank you." Flay said with a smile.
Neither were aware that they were holding hands.
An Hour and a Half Later
"What are these?" Kira asked as the waiter delivered their lunch.
"Donor kebabs." Cagalli said. "They're delicious. Especially with chili sauce."
"Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." a man in a red and yellow shirt with sunglasses and a hat said, grabbing the yogurt bottle. "But this yogurt sauce is the proper sauce to add. Or rather, it's considered a form of sacrilege to Donor kebabs, to not add yogurt sauce."
"Hey! Who do you think you are? Telling us how to eat our kebabs." Cagalli rudely said.
She poured chili sauce onto her kebab before taking a big bite out of it. "Mmm...Delicious!"
The man recoiled at sight of her actions. Cagalli then pushed the chili bottle in front of Kira's plate. "Here. Try it." she said.
"Oh no. Don't go forcing your bad habits on this guy." the man said, his bottle clashing with Cagalli's like a pair of duelists' swords.
The two both squeezed their bottles, pouring their two sauces onto Kira's kebab.
Unbeknownest to the trio, a group of Blue Cosmos terrorists were preparing to attack the Desert Tiger.
"Actually, they're pretty good together." Kira said, eating his kebab.
The man chuckled and took a seat at their table. "So, you two were shopping." the man said, taking note of their bags. "Throwing a party?"
"First off, who are you? What kinda guy just sits down at someone's table and starts asking them questions?" Cagalli said.
Suddenly, a rocket was fired from the roof of a building across the street.
"Hit the dirt!" the man shouted, kicking the table up and pushed the teens down.
The rocket flew past them and hit the restaurant window.
"For the preservation of our blue and pure world!!" a Blue Cosmos terrorist shouted, firing on the people in front of the restaurant.
"Die Space Invaders!!" another shouted.
Blue Cosmos terrorists emerged, firing on the people eating at the restaurant. ZAFT soldiers clad in civilian clothes, returned fire from behind knocked over tables. "Eliminate them all!" the man ordered.
One by one, the terrorists were gunned down. One terrorist that was running at the trio was shot and his gun slid across the ground, stopping near Kira and Cagalli.
Kira suddenly spotted a terrorist sneaking up on the man from an alley. In a single fluid motion, Kira drove, grabbed the gun and threw it at the man. The gun struck the man's face and Kira ran and kicked the man, knocking him down.
"Okay it's over." the man said as one of the soldiers shot the man on the ground.
Kira cringed as the man was shot. "Hey! Don't you even know what a gun is suppose to be used for?!" Cagalli said.
"Commander!" a red haired ZAFT officer said, approaching the man in the yellow shirt. "Commander, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Thanks to this young man." the man said, turning to Kira and Cagalli.
He pulled off his hat and sunglasses. Cagalli's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean, we were talking to Andrew Waltfeld. The Desert Tiger...It's him..."
"Dammit. Those filthy Coordinators. I'll kill them all." the remaining Blue Cosmos member said from his hiding place on the roof, as he loaded another rocket into his launcher. "Just one rocket and the Tiger's-"
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his neck, choking him. "You know, every time I see one of you thugs die, I feel that the world becomes just a little bit more blue and pure." Victor whispered into his ear. "It's people like you that destroy the honor and civility of war. So...how do you put it? For the preservation of our blue and pure world."
SNAP!
Victor dropped the body and glanced over at the scene on the streets below. Kira and Cagalli were being put on jeep with the Tiger.
"Well now, things are getting interesting." he commented. "I better make sure those kids don't get into any trouble."
Andrew Waltfeld's Headquarters
Twenty Minutes Later
"Sit, relax." Waltfeld said, pouring two cups of coffee.
Kira looked around the room, searching for an escape route, when he spotted it. A small replica of Evidence 01.
"Evidence 01." Waltfeld said, bring Kira a cup of coffee. "Have you ever seen the real McCoy?"
"No."
"I have no idea why they call this thing a Whale Stone. Does that look like a whale to you?" Waltfeld asked.
"I really can't say."
"If you ask me, those look like wings. And whales don't normally come with wings, now do they?"
"Yeah. But they brought this back from space as proof of extraterrestrial life." Kira replied.
"The point I'm trying to make is, why is this figure assumed to be that of a whale's?"
"Well then, what would you call it?" he asked.
"I have to admit, nothing comes to mind." Waltfeld said, sipping his coffee. "On to more pressing matters, what do you think of this coffee? Or have you not developed an appreciation for it yet?"
Kira took a sip of his coffee. It had an unusual taste to it. Not unpleasant, but unusual. It reminded him of the cup Victor gave him the other day.
Elsewhere, Victor quietly crept down the hallways of the Tiger's HQ. He had little difficulty evading the guards outside, but now that he was inside, things were a lot more difficult. If he wasn't careful, he'd bump into someone, it'd be all over.
But that aside, things were about to become much more interresting.
"Andy." Aisha said, knocking on the door.
"Come on in." Waltfeld replied.
The door opened and Aisha, along with a very nervous Cagalli, clad in a beautiful dress, entered.
"You're...A girl..." was Kira's only response.
"What's that suppose to mean?!"
"No. I meant that this again reminds me that you're a girl."
"That's the same thing, jackass!"
The two adults started laughing at the teens, embarrassing them. A few minutes later, when everyone had regained their composure, Waltfeld, Kira and Cagalli sat down the couches in the room.
"That dress looks quite good on you. From the looks of things, I'd say that you're accustom to wearing such fine clothes." the Tiger said.
"Say whatever you want." Cagalli replied rudely.
"The perfect little lady until you speak." the man said.
"Well, it's just as hard for me to believe that you're the Desert Tiger. Why are you spending your time dressing people up? Is that how you get your kicks, Waltfeld?"
"Aisha was the one that picked out the dress. And what do you mean by getting my kicks?" he said, sipping his coffee.
"Running around the city in a disguise or having residences evacuate their town before you burn it down."
"What lovely eyes. There's something sincere about them."
"Don't toy with me!" Cagalli shouted, slamming her fists onto the table.
"Are you one of those people who'd rather be dead?" Waltfeld asked.
"You." he said, staring at Kira. "What do you think about all this? What do think needs to be done to end this war? I'm asking your opinion as a mobile suit pilot?"
"Hey! How do you know that?"
Waltfeld laughed as Cagalli realized what she just did. "Being too sincere can also be a liability."
Waltfeld stood up and walked towards a desk. "Unlike sports, the game of war has no time limit or points awarded. So how do you determine the winners and the losers?" he said, rummaging through a drawer. "At what point do we put an end to it? When every single one of your enemies have been destroyed?"
He pulled out a gun, pointing it at the two teens. Kira pulled Cagalli behind him, his eyes scanning the room for a way to escape or something to use to protect them.
"I wouldn't try anything. Even if you have berserker capabilities, you still wouldn't be able to escape from here."
"Berserker?"
"Everyone here is a Coordinator, just like you." Waltfeld said. "I've seen you fight twice. You're the pilot of the Strike, correct?"
"Yes."
"I thought so. You are quite skilled. Take your adjustments to surface pressure and heat perimeters in the heat of battle. I'd say amongst us Coordinators, you'd be a top specimen. But of course, you comrade in the Raven is quite skilled as well. I'm curious to see which one of you is stronger."
The door suddenly flew open. Victor was standing there, a handgun aimed at the Tiger. "Andrew Waltfeld. It's been awhile." he said stepping into the room.
"Indeed it has." Waltfeld replied.
The two men approached each other, their guns pointed at the other. They stood there for a moment. Their guns practically pressing against each other's chests. Suddenly, to the surprise of both teens, they both started laughing and lowered their weapons. "I should have known you'd be too stubborn to be killed by an assassin." Waltfeld said, embracing Victor in hug. "And I should have known that you were the only one that could be that good of a shot."
"Well it wouldn't be lying low unless virtually everyone thought I was dead." Victor replied.
"You two know each other?" Kira asked.
"Of course I know the Black Hawk." Andrew said. "We've known each other since we were kids."
"John Alaric..." Cagalli said in shock, staring at the man they had known as Victor Cain. "ZAFT's dreaded Black Hawk...You're John Alaric?"
And so Victor's secret is revealed. Of course, if you read Gundam Seed Purpose, you already knew this. As always, review!
Next Time: Battle of the Hawk and the Tiger