Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed, the characters, plot, setting, yadda yadda, etc. etc. (I don't even own the manga for crying out loud)
OH! And possible yaoi warning. Also, implied shounen-ai and yaoi! (Nothing overt, but the innuendos are there and they might progress, depends on my mood)
And so we make our dramatic return to Nicol and Kira!
Dundunduuunnnnn….
…yeah.
Not so great, but I promised a chapter, so here it is.
Hope you enjoy.
Sorry the update was so late, but it is technically still Christmas day and, as you can probably imagine, I had more pressing matters to deal with.
Oh! And registered reviewers get a special preview summary for the next chapter! Those that reviewed last time know what I mean.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Italics means thoughts
Bold means….other stuff.
Last time:
"New ship?"
"The Eternal. It was created to carry the new gundams."
"Commander La Creuset told you to tell me this? Why?"
"Apparently, you and your…charming…companions (5) will be accompanying my crew and I on the virgin flight to Earth in two days time. We're going after the Strike."
Nicol's New Fate
Chapter 7: Conversations
-----------------------
-tlak...tlak…tlak…-
On dang (1), someone's coming.
Nicol ducked through a doorway, just as the foot falls entered his corridor.
"Damn, he's not here. Where could the brat have gone? I mean, he was wounded!"
It was one of the guards the young coordinator had ditched to find a monitor. Going very still, he became nothing more then a patch of deeper darkness within the shadows of a deserted room. The guard couldn't be allowed to find him.
"Guess I'll have to call it in."
Call it in? Nicol quirked an eyebrow at the inefficiency. They're even worse then I thought; I escaped hours ago! Why didn't they report it then? I mean, it's fortunate for me but still…
The sound of tapping computer keys drew his attention. With extreme care, he peaked around the door, staying in the shadows to observe the older man. It was the smarter one, go figure.
VOICE CODE PLEASE.
"Alpha zeta Z X M Y delta. Identificación: Hatfield (2)"
CODE ACCEPTED PLEASE STATE MESSAGE CLEARLY FOR INTERCOMMUNICATION SYSTEM.
An intercom? He's not even going to report to his commanding officer first? The boy shook his head in disbelief. Any ZAFT soldier would be court marshaled for such a breach in protocol!
LIEUTENANT MWU LAFLAGA, PLEASE REPORT TO HALLWAY C IMMEDIATELY. THE PRISONER HAS ESCAPED.
Oh yeah, that's discreet and not panic inspiring at all. Nicol rolled his eyes. I'd better get out of here; more people will be coming to look for me soon. But I'm too weak still to take on the soldier…Let me see, what did the map say…
Like most coordinators, Nicol had a photographic memory, making it a simple task to close his eyes and visualize the blue prints of the Archangel he'd been studying a few minutes before.
Now, I was there, now I'm…here. Oh, heh, whoops. Having been too preoccupied with fear to take stock of his surroundings, Nicol missed the fact that his 'room' of refuge was actually a 'hallway'. Leads to personal and living quarters; shower block, bunks, storage, mess hall; then to the hangar. This could work in my advantage. The crew not looking for me will most likely be sequestered in their quarters, but I should be able to sneak past without a problem and nobody will think to look for me around so many people! And once I make it through, I'll be at the Strike! I might really make it; I could escape!
Trying not to raise his hopes too far, the young man shifted warily down his new path, forgetting the Earthen coordinator he'd been researching not minutes ago in favor of the boy's Gundam; hopefully, his ticket out.
"Mr. Murdoch, is there anything I can do to help?"
The broad shouldered mechanic looked down at the young ensign sympathetically. Poor kid, that prisoner had really screwed up his life. When Murdoch had recaptured the boy, he hadn't expected Kira to take the blame.
"Sorry Kid, Ensign Badgerule ordered me t'keep you away from all machines excluding the Strike. Ya must've really made her angry."
Kira stuffed his hands in his pockets dejectedly, hanging his head, Tori perching silently on his shoulder. Great, as if my life isn't already bad enough. Now she has to take away my busywork so I actually have to think about what will happen.
"Guess so. Well," the sadness in his voice was almost palpable. "Thanks anyway."
"Kid, wait."
"Huh?"
Murdoch wanted to talk, comfort the boy, but really had no idea how. Kira really did leave the prisoner untied, so the sentence was not unfounded. But he didn't deserve such a harsh reprimand. He'd been given a possibly capital sentence for an offense a natural solder would have only gotten a stern reprimand for. All because he was a coordinator. That would decide his fate; no earthen official would be swayed by the fact that he was only a child or the sad violet eyes presently regarding the chief mechanic questioningly.
"Look, why don't-"
Breep! Breep!
"Uh, hang on."
There was a single phone in the hangar, to be used only in emergencies. When it rung, nothing took precedence, especially considering there was no intercom within hearing distance.
Kira watched blandly for a moment as the friendly man picked it up, then dropped his head again in depression. At least he's not mad at me. The only reason he won't give me work to occupy my mind is because of Badgerule. He hunched his shoulders at the mental image of the officer. Even in his mind, her name left a nasty aftertaste. She was a typical earthen soldier; clean, uniform, obedient, competent, always adhering to the string of command, and possessing a deep mistrust, even hatred, towards all coordinators. She hates me because she's been trained to, not because of who I am or what I've done. That doesn't make me feel any better, though.
"Birdie?"
"Tori?"
"Birdie!" his metallic companion took off gracefully, circling the massive vehicles (3) in a repeating figure eight.
Well, that can't be good. Over the years, Kira had come to trust the bird's programmed instincts. Tori always acted up when something was about to happen, especially when it had to do with coordinators.
"Oh no…" The prisoner? Again?
"Hey Kid?"
"Huh?"
With a sinking heart, Kira took in Murdoch's shifting eyes and slumped, unhappy posture.
"What's…wrong?"
"Well, the prisoner has escaped."
"Again?"
"Ah…yeah."
Uncomfortable silence fell for a second, leaving Kira no question as to what would come next. They'd never trust him running around free with the other coordinator on the loose.
"Look, I'm real sorry, but you need to stay here. The captain told me to lock you in while me an' the rest of the mechanics go help find the ZAFT soldier."
"L-locked in? The captain said this?"
"Sorry Kid."
Kira watched mutely as Murdoch nodded sadly and moved away, leaving from a side door behind the rest of his crew. The hollow clunk of a manual lock, one Kira had no chance of using his coordinator instincts for programming to escape from, seemed to echo through the now empty hangar.
Do I really mean so little? Do they distrust me that much? I mean, Badgerule yeah, but the captain? No…it's not me; they don't trust coordinators. They think I'll be persuaded to defect if I see the boy again; and with how much I know about the Archangel and Strike, I'm not expendable. So, yes, they really do think that little of me.
With a hoarse sob, Kira leapt, moving from the floor up the catwalks, higher and higher until he was at the very top, 100 yards (4) from the floor. It had taken 10 easy jumps.
Maybe they're right. Maybe I am a monster. After what I've done, how many I've been forced to kill. But not all coordinators are fighters, so they can't hate us all…can they? I mean Lacus…and Athrun…but he's a soldier…
Upset, alone, and locked in, the youth curled up in the dankest, darkest, highest corner of his temporary prison.
There were no answers.
So, if I follow this hallway, I'll pass the mess hall first; take a right, then a left to get to the living quarters. GO all the way through, take another left and I'll be at the hangar. I'll need to crack the door code and hack the Strike, but hopefully it won't be guarded. Once I'm inside, I'll use the MS's weapons to take out the door to the outside and leave, making for…oh, wait. The Strike has flight capability, right? (5) It'd better, I need-."
"So, what do you think?"
"About the coordinator or the prisoner?"
"Both."
Whoa! Nicol jerked back abruptly, mentally berating himself. That had been too close. He'd almost passed the door way of an occupied room. A glance inside showed tables, a food counter, and several soldiers slouched all over the place, most likely off duty. His gaze was quickly captured by the only two females in the room; also the only faces he recognized. What did they say their names were? Oh yeah, Badgerule and Ramius. The last official, La Flaga, was absent. The question had been directed at them, so now all attention was on their back corner of the room. Quickly, seizing the opportunity, Nicol crossed the open space, flattening himself against the other side of the door to hear the reply. Maybe he could find out more about his situation or the other coordinator.
"I am…disappointed in Kira." The first to answer was the captain "there is nothing to be said about the other boy, he is a prisoner of war, a ZAFT solder. That's it."
Kira? She calls him by name rather then rank? That's odd...with ZAFT, even family members address by rank. Athrun's own father won't use his name. And there's no way the boy is related to that woman.
This was met with grumbles. The crew obviously wanted information about the recent events. Hopefully, they turned to the other woman.
"What about you Ens. Badgerule?"
"The Ensign was a civilian; he should not have been brought on board in the first place." Her eyes were cold, unyielding. "He is run by morals and beliefs, not military commands so his loyalty is faulty and depends on whim. The fact that he is a coordinator fighting coordinators is not in his favor and we have reason to suspect he knows a sold-."
"That's enough." The captain intervened, to Nicol's dismay. The dark haired woman was very militaristic, but open about her point of view and looser with information. "We don't have proof and Yamato has served well for several weeks. He's saved all our lives too many times to count! I personally believe he did not set the coordinator free, but that will be for the officials to decide. I'd suggest you all drop this topic of discussion and not mention it to Kira." Her tone left no room for argument.
Nicol slipped away as normalcy returned, deep in thought. Proof of what? Why was Yamato with them? So many questions and no answers or insight. But one thing struck home. The boy, Kira, had worked with and protected the naturals, but they were more then willing to betray him at the slightest mention of questionable information. Not only that, but even his defender, the captain, had referred to him as 'the coordinator'. Prejudice in allies…why would he put up with it?
Well, maybe…he grinned, sliding into the shadows by another door. I could listen in on a few more conversations. Cautiously, he leaned against a door in the living quarters, pressing an ear close. No matter who was inside, either he or Yamato was likely to be the center of discussion; they were the most recent interesting occurrence.
"…what do you think, Sai?"
"I don't know Mir. I mean, I thought I knew Kira, but then…"
"Yeah." A slightly nasal male voice cut in "he's a COORDINATOR. Not to mention he has a friend in ZAFT."
…What? Me, or…?
"That was a shocker." The original female voice was back. "But Kira's our friend! He's fighting to save us! He almost killed his best friend, not to mention nearly being killed by him, just for that!"
"Yeah, but…he's different now, haven't you noticed?" 'Sai' was back.
"Different?"
"Quieter, sadder, more secretive. I've found him crying or sleeping off exhaustion in the Strike so many times. He used to be so much more concerned with his image; now, he's a wreck. Not to mention the old Kira would never have tried to take Fllay from me."
"Well, how would you act? And don't pin Fllay's decision on him; she's the reason he sleeps in the Strike most of the time." Mir seemed to be a devout friend. "He never wanted to be in this war! WE are the reason he's involved! Tolle, back me up here."
A new male voice spoke out, "She's right guys. You can't expect war NOT to take a toll on a person. I mean, look at the last battle alone. He took down the Aegis, destroyed the Blitz, and took an enemy pilot captive only to be court marshaled for not securing the pilot tightly enough!
Nicol jumped away from the door as if burned.
Took down the Aegis? No…that can't be true. The computer said they all got away! It can't be true! It's NOT true!
With a fearful whine, the crimson eyed boy took off faster the new as smart with his injuries. Athrun has to be okay, that's why I sacrificed the Blitz! And the Strike's pilot, Kira, wouldn't have killed him. No, definitely not...would he?
"Ow!"
-THUD!-
With a low groan, Nicol pushed himself onto his forearms and slithered out of the center of the hallway. He'd been going too fast for his weakened body. The sprained ankle and pulled leg muscles had given out.
Alright, calm down. They're still looking for me around the cell block. I just need to calm down. Only a few turns left. Besides, he pushed himself into a kneeling position with a wince I can't do anything about Athrun now and I'll probably never see Kira again if I manage to escape. Other then in battle, that is. For some reason, the thought depressed him, but he shook the feeling off. Now I just-
"Damn him!"
Whoops!
A natural girl with bright red hair stomped past, not even noticing the escaped captive as he went perfectly still.
"I'm his girlfriend for God's sake! He's supposed to be here to do whatever I want! Plus, I need to have a little chat with him about that coordinator prisoner." She spat the word like a curse, drawing an offended growl from her eavesdropper. Thankfully, she was already well on her way and did not hear. "He's probably playing with his bird in that damn machine again. Stupid moron. Or maybe he's crying somewhere about when that kid was killed. Pfeh, he can remember one little girl but not my dad? I hate…" Her words dwindled into silence when she rounded a corner.
Well that was…odd. Wonder who she was talking about? An uncomfortable possibility came to mind, Kira? Especially considering what those other people said…
With care, the youth continued on his way, doggedly determined to reach his goal.
Two corridors and one close call later, he found himself faced with a blessing; a single manual lock, fastened from the outside, held the hangar door closed. Unlike most of his kind, Nicol's enhanced abilities leaned more in the direction of understanding the arts, not programming.
Finally! Now for the Strike. Faced with the final stretch of his plan, he stepped through the door, swinging it shut behind with a muted clang.
"Birdie!"
Huh?
With a yawn, Kira woke up. He'd been quietly questioning the ethics of the war from his high corner when emotional fatigue and boredom took over. Surprisingly, he'd slept fitfully without dreams.
-grumble- Why did Tori wake me up?
Where IS Tori?
"Well, hello there little bird. What are you?"
Confused, Kira stood up, stretching. That voice sounded familiar, but everyone on the Archangel, or at least all the people he knew, were familiar with the mechanical pet.
Well then, who is that? Green hair, limping, and covered in bandages. OH CRAP.
Suddenly, the events of the past several hours seemed vitally important.
The person below was the ZAFT soldier, the escaped prisoner responsible for the pending punishment and current lock down.
He was approaching the Strike, most likely with the intention to steal it and escape.
And Kira was the only person in a position to stop him.
But…would he?
TBC.
REVIEW!
(1) Somehow, I really can't imagine Nicol swearing with any kind of vehemence, so …yeah.
(2) Random name; he isn't in the series, I just made him up.
(3) Sky graspers, Strike, anything else in there.
(4) 1 yard3 feet; 1 foot12 inches; 1inch2.5 centimeters. IF you want conversions, you can do the math.
(5) Nope. None of the original gundams have flight capacity. Only Freedom and Justice do and they come in later.
All technical information and most spellings (Murdoch) courtesy of http/ I made Fllay seem like such a bad person, but…she is. I mean, so much manipulation and all make her seem like a rich little brat and stuck up bitch. Sorry if you like her, I don't.
Also, this was supposed to be the chatper where the preview fit in but it just didn't fit well. Same spirit though.
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