Today, now marks the one-year anniversary since Gundam SEED Freedom was released in theaters in Japan!
Enjoy this update!
PHASE 04: Resurrected Wings
"So, let me clarify everything you told us… just now."
For a moment, Kira felt like he back in his navy-blue Earth Alliance uniform, standing in the captain's office aboard the Archangel, now in the midst of his interrogation. Even the one questioning at the moment was none other than Murrue Ramius. However, the brunette-haired woman across from him was not in her white-gray Earth Alliance outfit, but instead in a light brown cardigan and green jeans. They were neither aboard a ship nor a captain's office, but in one of the guest rooms of Andrew Waltfeld's mansion.
Andrew Waltfeld. The former ZAFT Commander, infamously known as the Desert Tiger, stood in the room as well, sporting his favorite yellow-red summer shirt with white trousers. A cane in hand, while a grisly scar trailed over his closed left eye.
A scar that Kira had given him in battle.
The other occupant in the room, who was not talking due to be unconscious, and patched with bandages and a sling for his right arm, was lying in the bed both Andrew and Murrue were sitting beside. And that was Sonic.
"This… is supposed to be… a hedgehog?" Murrue questioned, giving a side-glance to the still-unconscious and injured hedgehog lying in bed.
"Uh… well, of course," Kira said, feeling awkward. "That's what he said he was."
"He said?" Murrue looked almost deadpanned. "He can talk? Really?"
"Yes." Kira nodded. "Believe me, I was shocked as well when he spoke to me."
"And that was when you shot him, right?" Waltfeld grinned.
"Uh… well, I just tranqued him." Kira said.
"And what about what you said about him… running?" Murrue asked. "You said he can run… as fast as… a mobile suit?"
"I know it's hard to believe."
"It is hard to believe." The woman glanced back at the hedgehog. "Not that I doubt your word for it, Kira. But still…"
"But I saw him do it," Kira said. "All of us. One moment, he was standing still, and in the next moment… a blue blur happened…" He tried to describe it. "And he took down all those… drones… in less than a minute."
"Uh… I see…" Murrue still looked unsure.
"Those drones, Kira," Waltfeld said. "About them… what kind were they? Did they look… familiar?"
"They were… well, they were robots," Kira stated. "And… they were far different… than ones I am familiar with."
"And they belonged to this… man?" Waltfeld questioned. "This… doctor. What did you say his name was again exactly?"
"Robotnik." Kira stated grimly. "Dr. Ivo Robotnik."
"Ro-bot-nik?" Murrue state with another skeptical look.
"Yeah, I'm aware it sounds… strange," Kira shrugged. "But… there was another one. Once when Sonic called on him… and… when we were… fighting…" He grimaced about thinking of their struggle in the cockpit of his monstrous machine. "He called himself… the Eggman."
"Egg-man?" Waltfeld said, almost now looking amused, besides the growing cringe on Murrue's face.
"Okay, I get it," Kira shook his head. "Funny names… I know. But…" He looked to both of them. "Do they… sound any familiar to you?"
"You mean if we ever heard of this doctor from anywhere?" Murrue questioned. Waltfeld continued to sit down, with a pondering look.
"I don't know, kid," The scarred man said. "Robotnik and Eggman… they don't instantly ring a bell."
"You said that the children came to you saying he was a man from ZAFT?" Murrue's eyes narrowed.
"Well, yeah, but…" Kira looked down. "He had a red coat… but it was different from a ZAFT uniform."
"You think perhaps he is… or he's from another?" Murrue suggested. "Could it be that he could be from the Earth Alliance?"
"And the reason he threatened you and everyone back the orphanage was because of your new friend here?" Waltfeld glanced at Sonic.
"Yeah," Kira said. "I don't know exactly… but I could tell…" The boy's hands gripped his trousers. "The fear in Sonic's eyes when he saw… Dr. Robotnik outside. And… how much the doctor wanted to know where he was…" His eyes glowered. "And how much… he was overjoyed… in torturing him." He looked up. "They are enemies, I could see that much."
"And why was that?" Murrue asked. "Why would some… doctor with machines at his disposal… be so fixated on this… person?" She glanced uneasily again at the sleeping hedgehog.
"Robotnik… claimed Sonic stole something from him…" Kira said, about to voice about his wondering on what Sonic could have that…
For a moment, Kira's eyes widened… and it drifted back to the backpack. The same backpack Sonic look desperate to keep at his side. The same one Robotnik lifted up, and looked with glee and victory, as if he knew what was inside it.
Sonic made a stir, catching all of their attention. It looked like he was about to wake up at last, only for him to just shift and rest his head back on the pillow.
"I think it's best we let our… new friend rest without our voices disturbing him," Waltfeld said, as he rose from his chair.
"Mother?" Kira approached his mother who was in the kitchen.
"Kira," Caridad smiled as her son approached her.
"How are the kids and Reverend Malchio doing?" He asked.
"They're doing alright," The woman said. "They're getting adjusted with the guest rooms."
Kira looked down, afraid to ask. "And… how is… Suzy doing? Is she…?"
"Suzy's okay. She wasn't hurt too badly. Nothing serious. Although…" Caridad looked down a bit. "She seems to have some soreness around her ribs. Malchio and Lacus recommended that she rest in bed for the rest of the day."
"I see…" Kira looked away.
The purple-haired woman saw the frown on her son's face, and it caused her to frown.
"How are you doing?" She asked.
"Me?" Kira asked, before looking at his arm. "I'm alright, mother." He made a smile. "It's just a scratch."
"Are you sure?" She asked, concerned, still remembering the image of Kira narrowly jumping out of that… vile man's machine before it toppled over and crashed into the house.
"You don't need to be worried much, mom" He shrugged. "You know that... I'm strong to handle something small as this."
Right. Yes. Kira was strong. He was made to be strong. Stronger than her. Stronger than her husband. Stronger than many other kids he grew up with.
…
"How is he?" She asked. "How is Sonic doing?"
"He's still hasn't woken up." Kira stated. "He took… a beating back there. Nothing permanent, as Mr. Waltfeld says. But I don't think he'll be moving by himself for a while."
"That's very good to hear," The woman made a smile. "The children had been asking about him, and were worried. They all wish to thank him for what he had done back at the house, especially Suzy."
Kira seemed to make a small smile at that. "That sounds nice. But for now, we should let him rest."
"Agreed," She nodded. "Though, apparently he seems he has been taking more sleep than usual since we first met him."
"Well, yeah…" Kira sheepishly rubbed his head. "The first time was thanks to me."
That caused Caridad to giggle. "Well… maybe with how our new friend is able to… run that fast… I wonder if it takes a toll on him."
"Maybe, you're right," That caused her son to smile more, before he made a small yawn. "I think I can use some shuteye as well."
"Already?" Caridad said. "Would you like something to eat?"
"It's okay, mother," Kira made a smile. "I'm not hungry, thank you. I'll be in my room if you and the others need me." He patted his mother's shoulder, before leaving the kitchen.
Caridad Yamato was left alone, looking sadly to where her adoptive son had gone. The woman still feeling a slice of worry for him. She knew well, that he had been trying to recover much from what happened two years ago, but what saddened her was with how much he put in not showing it. Yes, even though Kira was smiling more and able to share a laugh with others… she could still see that he wasn't… quite the same she and her husband had last seen when they left Heliopolis.
And how things had gone for him from that point on… and all he had been through since.
And now… with what had happened in the past day with…
She could only be concerned with how Kira was dealing with it.
"Hmmm… Robotnik."
Andrew Waltfeld pondered the name aloud as he pulled up his chair to sit in front of his desk in his room. He opened up the computer sitting on the desk, before turning it on to look for the search bar to the internet.
He was focused on typing the words and keeping an eye (his only eye) on the screen to see any results, even as he heard the door to his room open, along with the aroma of coffee.
"Anything?" He heard Murrue's voice ask, knowing that she had brought a cup of coffee for him.
"Just getting started." Waltfeld's eye narrowed as he looked at the results the web was giving him. "In all my years with ZAFT, I wasn't familiar with anyone named… 'Robotnik' or any alias like… Eggman."
"If you ask me… those sound pretty corny compared to the 'Desert Tiger.'"
"Very much appreciate that, Captain," Waltfeld smiled, before taking the cup that she brought for him. "Still though…" His smile faltered. "I can't help but wonder about this mystery doctor. Perhaps, if somewhere down the line, it sounds familiar."
"Well, I'm afraid I never came across or even heard of someone with that name while I was still a Lieutenant in the Earth Alliance." Murrue said. "Then again… the Earth Alliance were very shady about what kind of people they are affiliated with."
"Sad, but true," Waltfeld grimaced.
"What if both 'Robotnik' and 'Eggman' are both aliases to hide who he truly is?"
"Maybe," The scarred man shrugged. "Though, the question I'm thinking is of is where he came from and who he works for."
"I'm more interested in how he was able find Kira and Lacus' location." Murrue stated.
"I thought the kid said it's because he found the blue fella in their shed."
"Then why was he doing there?" Murrue asked, with narrowed eyes. "How did he somehow pop up on their island in the first place?"
Kira sat on the bed of the guest room Waltfeld had lent him.
"Birdy!" He looked to see his every-faithful companion flying overhead, flapping its yellow wings before landing on his shoulder.
There was a knock on his door, and Kira looked up to see coming in was Lacus, with a plate in hand.
"I brought you something," She smiled as she walked towards him with a plate of sliced apples and peaches. "I thought you may be wanting a bite to eat."
"Thanks, Lacus," Kira smiled. "But… I was just feeling tired."
"Are you feeling any better?" Lacus went to put the plate on the cupboard next to the bed, before taking a seat right next to Kira. "How is your arm doing?"
"Nothing to worry about," He flexed his arm to show. "I've had worse before."
…
"I'm a bit concerned with what Suzy went through," He looked down. "And… Sonic. Well… he's in worse shape than I am." The girl could see that it was weighing down on him. On how their new… friend… had been hurt worse back at the orphanage. But gladly, it could have been worse.
"He may be… but he'll live," Lacus smiled. "And it's nothing too serious. From the look of things, he'll just have to take it easy before he can get up again."
"You're right, but…" Kira barely convinced, however. "Maybe… if I had… done something sooner…"
"Kira…"
"I just stood there," He stated, while still looking to the floor, not willing to look at her eyes. "I… when… Robotnik came with that… mobile suit." Practically, it was smaller than average mass-produced mobile suit, but the girl couldn't deny that it was more than capable in harming those unarmed like they all were back at the place.
"Lacus… I just… stood there and watched. I watched as he grabbed Suzy and started to crush her. I stood there when he trapped Sonic with that… thing." He was referring to that snake-centipede machine that came out of the sand. "And how it was… torturing him." The girl could understand, as to the horror and helplessness they felt as the animal-machine was toying with Sonic like a ragdoll. "And even Robotnik was crushing him… again… and again…"
His hands shook. "I didn't do anything. I just stood there for so long, and… Sonic… even after… he helped us… I just…"
"You did help." Lacus put her hand on his. "Before that man could do what we were afraid he was about to do… you acted. You did what none of us could do… and you stopped him. You fought that horrible man to save someone."
"But if I had acted sooner…" Kira tried to say.
…
"I was afraid for you." That caused Kira to look at Lacus. "Even when you acted, and when you jumped from that window and onto that… thing. I was scared for you, Kira." She looked down to her dress. "I was scared that you were going to get hurt. If that man… would have hurt you or…"
"But I wasn't…" Kira put his hand on top of hers, causing her to look up and meet his eyes. "I had to. It was a risk, but I couldn't let him. Not when he was about… kill Sonic. Not when he threatened us. Threatened mother, Malchio, the children… and even you."
…
Lacus' blue eyes shook, her mouth being a thin line, but her shoulders relaxed. "Oh, Kira…" She took him by his shoulders, before pulling his head to rest against her shoulder. She rested her cheek atop of his smooth brown hair.
She was content for them to be like this. Sitting next to one another on the soft surface of a bed, and letting him rest against her while holding him.
"You're always brave, Kira. You always have been." She rubbed her palm over his arm.
Always brave to fight. To fight not for the sake of fighting, but fighting to defend others.
But at what cost?
The girl winced internally. She knew that every time Kira would fight… he would be in pain.
She never wanted him to fight or risk his life in battle again. She knew the toll it took on him. How much he had gone through because of it. And how much he had lost. And who he had lost.
"You don't have to worry now," She rubbed her cheek against his head. "We're here now. We're safe."
"Are we?" Lacus heard him say, before he lifted his head to her level. "How can we be sure? What if… there are more of them?" She felt his skin shake. "What if that… doctor… what if he…?"
Lacus mouth fell when she looked to see the look in Kira's eyes. She cried out when the mobile suit toppled over and wrecked the front of their house. The place that had been home to them for years. She had cried with relief when Kira had managed to jump off before the worst happened, and suffered only a scratch on his arm. Besides the bleeding cut on his forearm, what mattered more to him was seeing to the blue hedgehog… who was badly bruised, beaten, and had fallen unconscious on the sand. They didn't have the time to bother checking for the horrid man responsible in the rubble. Either he had been knocked out and buried under the rubble, or perhaps he was…
Lacus closed her thought on that possibility. Even what that Dr. Robotnik did, and what he had threatened to do was cruel. She didn't want Kira to live with that. Not after he had so much of the guilt he had to deal with over the years.
She didn't wish for him to focus on that. Not now.
"C'mon," Lacus smiled. "Come down and we'll get something to eat."
"It's alright, Lacus," Kira shook his head. "I'm not feeling…"
Then came a sound that interrupted him. Lacus raised an eyebrow, while Kira froze, and looked away with obvious embarrassment. The girl smiled with some mischief with how he couldn't deny it.
"Come now, Kira," she said. "Your mom and I are about to get started on dinner. Andy's letting us use his kitchen. We'll make enough for everyone. By the time we're done, Sonic would want to try the special Yamato soup."
"Sonic?" Kira said, surprised. "You think... Sonic will be awake by then?"
Lacus flashed a smile. "Of course. He was nice to compliment my cooking, I'm sure he wouldn't want to be asleep by the time it gets cold."
"This is the place?"
He observed through his state-of-the-art binoculars that gave him enhanced vision and close-ups of the modest-looking mansion built on the slope of the hill overlooking the beach.
"This where they thought they could run off to?" He sneered. "Those brats thought they had seen the last me, have they? They didn't bother to check if I was alive! Leaving me underneath that rubble!"
He brought his binoculars down from his bruised face, while having few patched bandages on his cheek and forehead.
"They think they have won. They think all is well. But they are about to think wrong!" Eggman grinned, excitingly. "Their pretty asylum will be their tomb! It will be their doom!" The doctor laughed as he typed the console and scrolled to turn on multiple units.
"Uh… what… in the…?"
Sonic finally opened his eyes, and he once again awakened to waking up in a strange new bed and room, not unlike the last time. Only this time, he realized it hurt so much when he tried to move quickly. He adjusted himself, and looked over to realize the bandages around him. One over his forehead, another around his ribs and shoulder. A sling was even over his right arm.
He let Eggman catch him, and beat him bad this time. Dang it.
Soon, his mind jumbled with questions. What the heck happened? What happened with Eggman and his mecha suit? What happened to the girl he held hostage? What happened to everyone back at the orphanage? Were they okay? Were they safe?
Wait. If Sonic was still alive, and being properly bandaged and put into bed… did that mean… they… Kira, Lacus, the Reverend, and everyone… they got him… to safety?
The hedgehog looked around, and could see that this wasn't the same room he woke up before in. It looked bigger, and even refined. Even the bed looked fit for a king compared to the other bed.
Definitely not his room. That everything that had happened, and all that happened before… still wasn't a dream.
"Ergh…" Even the pain was there to remind him that it wasn't.
Sonic sat up, leaning against the pillow to regard his surroundings. He could see clearly that it was night. He wondered how long he had been asleep for. Hours? Or days?
He even wondered about calling out for anyone, but decided against it.
It was nighttime, so everyone would obviously be asleep… so, then… why couldn't he?
It was quiet. Too quiet. However…
"Why do I have this cold feeling all of a sudden?" Sonic learned never to doubt his instincts.
Multiple figures were moving in the shadows of the forest. Some of them crawling like beetles, others were floating in midair. Their crimson eyes glowing like dim fireflies in the dark. All of them drawing nearer as they approached the base of the manor before them.
Sonic's mind felt alarm when he heard a faint chatter coming from the other side of the door. Why did it sound… familiar?
"Too bad! Too bad! This isn't good!"
The repeated sounds of Mr. Pink bouncing across the hallway caused both Murrue Ramius and Andrew Waltfeld to wake up from their beds in alarm. It was because of the Haro… that they later learn something was going on outside the manor.
They quickly dressed up, and both came out of their respective bedrooms, with firearms at hand.
"Looks like we have unexpected guests," Waltfeld said with narrowed smile. "Look after Lacus and the kids!"
"Right!" Murrue nodded, before running across the hall, while Waltfeld made it in front of Kira's room. The boy had already opened the door, and looked upon the scarred man with his gun in hand with a befuddled expression.
"What's going on?"
"Get your clothes on!" Waltfeld stated. "We have unexpected guests!"
Kira gasped, now realizing. "We're being attacked?!"
"Look after Lacus and the kids with Captain Ramius! Quickly!"
"Wait, but what about…" Kira realized. "Sonic!"
"Huh?!" Sonic looked to see the door open. "Kira?!"
"Sonic!" The boy looked in relief to see him. "You're awake!"
"Well, yeah… but…" Sonic grunted as tried to get up. "Mind explaining me where are we? This isn't the orphanage…"
"There's no time to explain!" Kira interjected, as he quickly dashed to the bed to help Sonic up. "We need to hurry."
"What?"
"We're being attacked!" Kira grabbed and pulled the shocked hedgehog from the bed, and made way towards the door.
"Kira! Wait!" Sonic exclaimed. "What about my backpack?!" The teen stopped, and then turned to look at the chair in the corner of the room, which laid Sonic's backpack.
"Lacus. Lacus!"
The girl opened her eyes, and rolled over her pillow to see Miss Ramius right in front of her.
"Everybody, wake up!" The woman whispered to all the other children sleeping in the two beds in the large room they were in. Lacus sleeping in one with the two little girls, while the three little boys shared the one right next to theirs.
"What's going on?"
"Is it morning already?"
"Shh! Be quiet as possible!" The woman put a finger to her lips.
"Miss Murrue?" Lacus look confused, by she couldn't like the vibe and look her older friend had, and then she noticed the pistol she was carrying in her hand. Before she could conclude, the door to their room opened.
"Lacus!" The girl turned, and looked to see Kira, carrying Sonic, who was now finally awake. And behind them were Malchio and Caridad. But if they were all here, where was Andy?
Then came the sound of a window breaking.
"Oh, dear…"
"What is it?" Eggman asked as he sat in his chair.
"It seems they noticed our presence," Orbot said, as he looked at the screen monitoring their infiltration units.
"What?! Already?!" The doctor exclaimed. "How could they have known we were coming?!"
"Stay away from the windows!" The brunette-haired woman whispered as she held her pistol. "Hurry, and get to the shelter!"
"Right!" Kira, while carrying Sonic in his arms nodded as he and Lacus walked carefully up the stairs with three of the small children at their side. Already the Malchio, Caridad and the two other children were at the top of the stairs.
They only took a few steps, before woman saw something move from behind the window, and Sonic did too.
The woman quickly aimed and unloaded her pistol towards the window before hitting the floating target.
Unfortunately…
"What's going on?!"
"Is it a war?!"
"Don't worry…" the pink-haired girl whispered, her face presenting a comforting smile. "Everything's going to be fine. Let's hurry."
"That was a drone…" Murrue said.
"No."
"What?" The woman glanced to see it was not Kira speaking to her… but the blue hedgehog. "That was a beetle badnik."
The woman, instead of taking the information, kept staring at the hedgehog. "You… you can talk."
"Wha… oh, well, duh!" Sonic exclaimed, annoyed now at the woman's befuddled expression of his sentient speech, and in the middle of a situation like this to boot. "What has been going on since I was knocked out?!" He glanced up at Kira.
…
"Uh… I'll explain later. But first."
Eggman smashed his fist to the console. "Order the Badniks to move in! Have the rest surround the whole perimeter of the place! Corner them before they can find a way to escape!"
Murrue Ramius held her pistol close before looking out the last window again.
Nothing… for now at least. Now was their chance.
The former-Lieutenant-turned-Captain came in front of Reverend Malchio and the child he accompanied and aimed at the open hallway to their left. She turned her head and nodded for the group keep going while the coast was clear.
It was going clear for a few seconds… till the door on the left broke open…
And out came floating in the air… a white, round drone of a model she had never seen before. Its single red eye glaring daggers the instant it spotted her. The woman jumped back to the protected of the other hallway before it started to unfold its turrets. She fell on her rear just as bullets sprayed the ground she had been standing on.
"Miss Murrue!" Kira called out.
"Hurry!" She waved at him to go on, before sliding against the wall to deal with her new target. It sprayed bullets at the corner of the wall. She could then hear its strange buzzing getting closer, about ready to make a turn and…
She didn't give it the chance, as the woman had crouched shot out foot to kicked the white drone in the center of its eye. It floated back disoriented, and that was when Murrue raised her pistol again and sprayed her bullets towards it, till it fell to the ground. Dead.
The children looked in fright at the display. Lacus, Kira, and his mother, Caridad Yamato, all grimaced. Then she heard one of them giving a whistle.
"Whoa, lady…" Murrue's eyes drifted towards the injured… hedgehog… who was still in Kira's arms. Wrapped in several bandages, the… blue hedgehog… that was what Kira and the others said he was…
She was still trying to get her head over that… much less the fact…
"You just kicked Badnik ass!"
Murrue sighed, resisting the urge to smile in amusement. Now wasn't the time.
"Come on!" Kira said, before they continued with their escape down the next hall.
The woman stayed at their tail, and watched as Lacus and the others turned to the next hall, except for Kira who stopped…
"Miss Murrue, behind you!"
The moment she heard the sprays coming from the 'Badnik' drones behind her, Murrue made a diving jump through the air, before rolling across the ground till she was on the other side of the next wall.
Andrew Waltfeld had good days and bad days.
The bad days would often make him appreciate the good days more than he would admit. It didn't help how being in one of those bad days make it any less a pain his ass.
He was used to battle already. How they think he got to being called the 'Bengel Tiger?' By driving across the desert in a cheap costume while flipping the bird to all the guys who wanted skin him and turned him into a rug? Though, battle was a hassle when he had to fight against something new. And that included the egg-shaped drones that burst through the windows of the private bar and started shooting, forcing him flipped over one table to provide some cover.
More and more drones were coming in from the windows and were firing non-stop, leaving the Tiger no opening to shoot back without getting shot. He quickly rolled over to the door leading out of the kitchen. He rose, and started walking down the hall when…
"HOLD!"
Andrew's eye went open as he was slugged by a metal hand that pushed him against the wall. He glanced up and beheld a far different enemy than the ones before. Instead of a floating, egg-shaped drone, it appeared humanoid, with both arms and legs. The head beheld only a crimson eye that made it look no different than a GINN.
"Surrender now." The droid spoke in a distorted voice while lifting its right limb to aim a gun at Waltfeld's face. "You have ten seconds to comply."
The Bengel Tiger instead threw his left hand out, only for the droid to grab hold of it and…
"Huh…?"
The robot glanced in confusion as the man's limb coming clean off so easily, before glancing back at Waltfeld who lifted in place of his left arm was…
BANG! BANG!
Three shots to the eye caused the humanoid bot staggard back to the wall and slide down. Shutting down.
"Well, well," Andrew glanced at his gun that was attached to the stump below his left shoulder. "The wonders of what you get after losing your good, old leftie." He bent down to take back his prosthetic arm. "Can be something to extend your life a little longer."
"Almost done," Reverend Malchio said typed the buttons to open the safe room door, which almost everyone was standing in front, and were more than ready to enter in.
It didn't help with how several more Badniks were still spraying bullets from down the hall, and Murrue Ramius struggled to get an opening to shoot back from her corner of the wall.
From the door of the other safe side came out the scarred man.
"Mr. Waldfelt!" Kira cried out with relief.
And about time, the door to the safe room finally opened.
"Hurry, everyone in!" Kira's mother said as she and the reverend escorted the children inside.
"Get in now!" Waldfelt exclaimed. "Those are pouring in the place nonstop!"
"I will not accept that! I will not accept that!" All of a sudden, the pink Haro jumped in front of Lacus like crazy, before she caught him in her hands. The haro's commotion caught Kira's attention, causing him to turn around, and something caught his eye… that caused him to…
"LACUS!" Without warning, the boy jumped and grabbed Lacus, both of them falling to the ground… before something pounced out of the nearby air-vent. Kira and Lacus looked back in shock to see a different time of robot now glaring at them. A white-colored spider-like drone that had been ready to pounce on Lacus had not the boy tackled her down before it could happen.
It was about to make a move on the two before…
"HIYA!"
The spider-bot's cyclops head became disoriented by the smack of a wooden cane. It turned its head like an owl… to see Sonic. Bandaged and hurt, but wielding the cane the blind reverend had given him for support.
"Pick someone your own size, pal! Let's go!" The hedgehog swung the cane till it hit at the spider machine's red eye, almost cracking it. The hedgehog swung again, only for the machine to unfold claws and grabbed hold of the cane. "Uh-oh…"
Thanks to his injured state, the spider-bot barely had issue to take hold of the cane and swung the hedgehog to the wall. Sonic slid down to the floor miserably, and he winced in pain. He glanced up to see the spider bot breaking the wooden cane apart.
"Grr…" He gritted his teeth. "Genius to fight a Badnik with a just a stick! Times when I need a weapon when I can't speed… I miss having a sword!"
BANG!
The spider machine's cyclops head blew apart, and it didn't end there. More bullets rained and plowed through, and Sonic looked to see both Ramius and Waldfeldt shooting it down. Before long, the spider robot collapsed.
"Are you okay?" Sonic looked to see both Kira and Lacus approaching him.
"Yeah… what about you guys?" He asked as both teens helped him up.
"Get in! Now!" There was no more complaint as the rest of the group hurried inside the shelter, and the metal doors closed behind them.
"Is everyone all right?" Waltfeld addressed to everyone now in the bunker.
"Yes," Kira nodded.
"Hey, Mister…?" Sonic said to Reverend Malcio, who was sitting next to him with two other children. "I kinda… lost your cane…"
"Nothing to it, son," The reverend smiled. "It was already bent, and I needed a new one."
"Those… Those things…" Murrue said, still slumped on the ground in exhaustion. "Those drones are nothing like the ones I've seen before."
"Because... it's him."
Murrue and Waltfeld turned to look at the bandaged hedgehog, now sitting on one of the green seats next to the wall. The talking animal-like person opening his eye with a strange glare.
"What you know those things?" Waltfeld asked.
"Mr. Waltfeld. Miss Murrue." Kira approached them. "He's telling the truth. Those are the same drones belonging to the same man who attacked us earlier."
"Really?" Waltfeld said. "That Robotnik man?"
"But if that's true, then why is he here?" Murrue asked. "Why go through all this trouble?"
"Well, he wants me, and… he's wants what's in my pack." Sonic said, as he turned to Kira, who was still holding the backpack over his shoulder.
"What's in the backpack?" Murrue narrowed her eyes.
"Hey!"
"What?!"
"Look at the TV!" One of the children pointed at the monitor on the wall broadcasting the surveillance outside the bunker turn static. It caught everyone's attention. But before the screen started to get clear…
"Heheheheh…"
Everyone tensed immediately at the sound of a sinister chuckle coming from the monitor.
"You little thieves! Did you think you could hide from me?!"
Murrue could see the children huddling together towards Malchio and Caridad, totally afraid. Lacus grimaced, while by her side, Kira's face turned into a hard glare. One that matched with the one the blue hedgehog was pointing towards the clearing screen.
"Little pigs. Little pigs!" The voice sinisterly said. "Let me come in!"
The screen finally showed what appeared to be a man. A middle-aged man, Murrue surmised. She could see the face of a bald man, with an… outlandish mustache below his red nose. He wore a pair of black glasses over his eyes, while a pair of goggles sat at the top of his head. The man wore a wide, sinister grin on his face, as if he was looking right at them. His look, his putrid smile not helping, made Murrue think the man had the appearance of a molerat that hoarded itself greedily in the dark.
"It's the mean man!" One of the orphan kids cried out in fright. "He's come back!" Murrue could tell that children were clearly afraid of the man on the screen, and she started to tell why.
She even noticed the sight of bruises and bandages on his face… which made her remember what Kira told her earlier…
"Sonic… if you can hear me… I know you're in there." Dr. Eggman said. "I can see that you had to depend on your new friends to protect you from my Badniks this time. Otherwise, you would have had no problem making scrap of them in less than ten seconds. Perhaps even five."
The blue hedgehog glared at his mortal nemesis on the screen.
"It seems I was able to rough you up pretty badly earlier. That just warms my heart!" The doctor grinned even more. "Now you're cornered like a rat in a cage!
"You have nowhere else to run to now, Sonic! And if you think your friends can call for help, they can drop it! I made sure any communications from off this island will be halted, thanks to yours truly!"
"Could this get any worse?" Murrue muttered.
"You should know better that this dilapidated system cannot stop me. I can easily blow your bunker all sky high… but I'm not that heartless."
…
"I tried being friendly the first time, and you and your new friends resisted. A horrid mistake," The doctor growled, while rubbing a finger next to his bruised cheek. "But I'm willing… to give you all another chance."
"I want two things." The man held up two fingers on the screen. "First the remaining Chaos Emeralds you stole from me.
"And second, for you, Sonic, to come quietly without resistance."
…
"Do all of that… and I will give you my word… I will leave your new friends unharmed."
"Wow, real generous…" Waldfelt muttered. "Would have been nice if you he had made that… right before set his attack dogs on us." Murrue grumbled in agreement at that.
"If not…" Eggman frowned. "Then I won't hesitate to plow through anyone who stands in my way of taking what's mine! You have ten… no! Seven minutes! And when that is up, and you're not out of that hole with the emeralds in hand…" The mad doctor slowly made a creeping grin that started to look unnerving. "Then I'll huff. I'll huff. And I'll puff. AND I'LL BLOW YOUR HOUSE IN!"
With that the screen went black and silent.
"Alright!" Eggman proclaimed as he sat in the cockpit of his Egg Walker. The machine rising up, before walking on the sandy shore, before turning to address the army behind him. A sight that pleased them.
A great assemble of his finest-made foot soldiers. Blue-armored Egg Fighters, wielding guns, swords, shields, and bazookas at the ready. Egg-Walker tanks that walked on all fours, and carried a beam cannon on its back. White-armored Egg Crabs that stood taller than the average house, emerging from the waters of the shore; red energy pulsing between their sharp claws. Mega Bots, their lower half rolling tanks, while their upper humanoid half had machine guns and cannons mounted on their shoulders. And last but not least, three 20-meter Egg Death Robots, that were the visage of their creator himself. All three with a cyclops laser from their head, spiked-bulk arms, and missiles locked and ready from their chests.
Yes. The visage he beheld could easily display the prowess of his glorious empire.
And to think… this was only a small percent from Eggman's grand army.
"Uh, Doctor…?" Orbot said. "Don't you think this is overkill?"
"Are you questioning me?!" Eggman glared, causing the red bot to shrink. "There is no word as 'overkill' when it involves Sonic!"
"B-B-But… we thought you were going to give them more time…"
"Oh, don't worry," Eggman waved, while grinning. "But in order to be sure they are willing to comply with my demands, I need to offer them a little…" The Egg Walker's arm pulled up a machine-gun attached to its wrist, now aiming at the mansion. "Persuasion."
At that, all Badniks pointed their guns at the building.
"I'm going to smoke them out if I have to!" And then the multitude of guns started firing at the place. Rapid fire tore through the walls and roof, the front now crumbling to rumble, before explosions covered the face of it.
Fire started to burn, and it reflected upon the glasses on the doctor's grinning face.
The whole group moved out of the first area, and into a wider space beyond the next door, which seal shut right behind them.
"I can't believe it. He's doing all this… just for a pile of jewels?!" Murrue growled. "Is that pig… the disgusting greedy type who would…?"
"No…" Sonic said, as he barely stood up. "You don't understand. These emeralds…" He glanced to the brown bag next to him. "They're special. They're not like any other jewels."
"Sonic?"
"Huh… Lacus?" The pink-haired girl approached the hedgehog.
"What is it that makes the emeralds in your bag so coveted by someone as horrible as Dr. Eggman?" She asked.
Sonic sighed. "You may not believe it… and they may not look like much… but…" The hedgehog made a serious look. "They're powerful. REAL powerful. Period."
"Powerful for what?" Kira knelt down towards the hedgehog. "What happens when Eggman gets his hands on them?"
Sonic made a noticeable gulp.
"Game over."
…
"What?"
"Game over!" Sonic exclaimed loudly. "If he even gets his hands on the emeralds again, then there's no telling what he'll do!"
The children whimpered at the sound of his tone, while Caridad and Malchio tried to comfort them. The rest of them could only grimace as to what someone like Robotnik… or rather Eggman, as Sonic would call him… would do if he got his hands on what was in Sonic's backpack.
There was no telling if the madman would keep his word… if they thought going with his conditions.
…
"Lacus!" Waltfeld said. "You have the keys with you, right?"
Both Kira and Lacus gasped and stared back at Waltfeld.
"Wha…?" Sonic didn't follow. "What keys? Keys for what?"
Waltfeld ignored the hedgehog. "We need to open the door. It's our only option. Unless we decide to become fools and let that bastard do what he wants with your new friend and his jewelry set without a fight… or we wait for him to finish us all off."
"No," Lacus said. "I… we can't have that. Neither of those options…"
"Lacus…"
The girl looked up to the boy next to her. "Kira." The boy tried to smile, only for the girl to look down despondently. The boy looks towards the large door in front of him.
"That it? That door?" Sonic said. "So, what… just another route for escape?" The hedgehog didn't get an answer. Everyone else stayed silent, the blind reverend, Kira's mother, the children, and war-torn veterans… all gazed knowingly at the young couple.
The girl looking down, very adamant.
"Hand them to me." Lacus looked up at Kira, who held out his open hand. "I'll open the door."
…
"But this…" Lacus held Mr. Pink close to her. "If you do this…" She shook her head. "Then that will mean…"
"It's alright." Kira smiled, which caused Lacus to pause. "I'm alright with it, Lacus."
"Kira…" Tears were swelling up in her eyes.
The boy gently took hold of her shoulders and brought her closer to him. "It would bother me more if I couldn't protect you and everyone else if I could, but decided not to." He embraced her, his arms folding around her, while her chin rested atop his shoulder.
"Kira…"
…
Everyone stayed silent, almost all of them looking with clear sympathy towards the two. Sonic, however…
He couldn't tell how he could feel his cheeks turning warm and…
Sonic gulped, putting a hand to feel his cheek.
…
Kira and Lacus broke their hug a bit.
"Please give me the keys."
The girl's eyes were still ready to tear up. "Kira."
"Why is that?!" Mr. Pink exclaimed, before his… mouth opened?
"Huh?!" Sonic looked in surprise, as Kira took out what appeared to be two keys. One gold and the other silver.
There were keys hiding inside… Lacus' robot friend? As quirky as Mr. Pink was… what was so big about those keys?
Kira handed one of the keys to Waltfeld, before both of them went to two different sides of the large door. Both had pulled down a shelf from the wall, each with a lock to put the keys in. Both the teen and the scarred looked at one another and nodded.
"Three! Two! One!"
They gave each other signal… to turn the keys at the same time.
The big door finally opened.
Alright. Sonic felt his shoulders slag. Now to finally see what all the hype was behind the door.
But what the blue hedgehog saw, as the lights from inside the big room turned on, and everyone could see what was laying inside… it was something Sonic did not expect.
…
…
"WHAT THE WHAT IS THAT?!"
It was… a giant. An armored giant robot. It was grey-colored, except for the pair of sharp yellow eyes beneath its mask-like face. Around it we're torrents of long wires and cables strapped to it. And a catwalk was built at the level of its chest.
This was it? A remote-controlled… robot going to save all their hides from Eggman and Badnik fleet right outside?
Then he noticed Kira walking straight alone inside.
"Hey, hey, Kira!" Sonic called. "Where are you going?!"
"Sonic…" Kira stopped, and turned to look at the hedgehog. "Sit tight with Lacus and everyone else."
"What?!" Sonic didn't get it. "What are you gonna do?!"
"Don't worry," Kira made a thin smile. "I'll be back."
With that… the great white doors closed behind Kira.
…
"Did he just… pull a T-800?" Sonic widened his eyes, turning, and then noticed everyone around him were still staring at where Kira had left. All of them, the Murrue woman, the Waltfeld guy, along with Malchio, Caridad, and the kids… looked with somber expressions.
And most especially Lacus, who had stood the closest to the door when it closed, as if she could still see Kira walking. And she looked the most concerned and sad Sonic he had seen her yet.
The somber quiet was interrupted by the crunching rumble from the ceiling.
"Hurry up!" Waltfeld exclaimed he gestured towards another passageway. "This way, hurry!"
"Wait, what about Kira?!" Sonic exclaimed. "We can't just… hey!"
"Get a move on, already!" Murrue grabbed hold of the hedgehog and quickly carried him while running alongside everyone going into the next room.
"Damn it." Waltfeld grimaced as he was the last one going out. "That maniac tore through the wall." He turned the button to have the door close down. It barely closed when an explosion was about to burst through the wall
The smoke started to dissipate, with a large crack showing the inside of the next room… enough for a certain someone to peak through…
…
"Here's EGGSY!"
Eggman's grin fell when he looked to see that no one was in the room. "Dang it!"
"Hmm, not bad for a delivery, since the situation looks awfully convenient," Orbot commented as he noted the hole in the wall look very familiar.
Eggman paused, and pondered a bit. "I don't know... maybe that's too corny." He placed a finger to his chin. "How about... nah, not Ivo. Not as intimidating as Nicholson did."
(FREEDOM – Takanori Nishikawa OST)
(X)
ZODIAC ALLIANCE OF FREEDOM TREATY
MOBILE SUIT NEO OPERATION SYSTEM
GENERATION
UNSUBDUED
NUCLEAR
DRIVE
ASSUALT
MODE
Complex
CPG Systems complete.
Neural linkage, ion density normal.
Update meta motor cortex parameters.
Nuclear reactor critical.
Power flow stable.
All systems green.
"Alright…" Kira Yamato said, before turning the switch from NON-PROTECT to PHASE-SHIFT.
The wires and support cables connecting to the mobile suit detached, and the PHASE-SHIFT armor started to show. The gray, dull color was changing to that of the colors of white, blue, black, and red.
"Kira Yamato, Freedom, now launching!"
The doctor glanced through the hole, and noticed no one was inside the room.
"Grr…" He grumbled. "They can't keep hiding out forever! And when I find them, I'll… huh?"
The doctor felt a sudden rumble.
"What's that?!" Orbot exclaimed. "Earthquake?!"
"Volcano?!" Cubot said.
"Idiot!" Eggman growled. "Why would a volcano erupt out of nowhere?! And…" The doctor stopped when he looked in alarm to see on the hillside of the island… a green laser bursting out into the air, resulting in a cloud of smoke.
Then the doctor noticed something glowing inside the smoke. A pair of yellow lights. And a large silhouette from behind the smoke. Less than a second later, the figure dashed out from the smokescreen and blasted into the air.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Eggman eye's from behind his glasses bulged out as he beheld the giant humanoid figure that was now flying in the air for him and his machines to see.
A white metal giant donned in armor and wide-spanning wings like no other.
The mobile suit was of an armor that look more humanoid than any of the doctor's machines had at his disposal. The majority of its armor was colored white, with its chest and several parts colored black. There were traces of red around it, including its temple. Its head resembled that of a Japanese kabuto-helmet and mouthguard, with a V-shaped fin at the top; underneath lied a red skin surrounding the pair of yellow visors.
From its back were a set of eight blue-black wings that sprouted to both sides like how a butterfly would expand its wings for the first time.
"WAAHHH!" Both Orbot and Cubot screamed.
From the depths of Kira's mind and genetic makeup. Another sense that had been lying in dormant for years came alive.
A purple seed floated before his vision… before it exploded.
And he was unleashed.
The Freedom launched through the night sky, towards the fleet of machines at the shore. Unsheathing from its back was a rod, that instantly emitted a long, glowing pink blade that illuminated in the dark of the night. The mobile suit swooped down and used its beam saber to slash off the machine-gun arms of large Mega Bot, and made a slash at the chest of a Death Bot, causing it to fall back with a thud.
"WAAHHH!" Cubot screamed. "HE'S GOT A LIGHTSABER!"
"IT'S A JEDI!" Orbot cried out. "WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY A JEDI VOLTRON!"
"SHUT UP!" Eggman's blooming shock was turned back to burning anger, even more when he saw his army were just standing there and taking the hits. "WHAT ARE YOU SCRAPHEADS DOING! ATTACK!" He had his Egg Walker's arm point at the still flying white machine. "ATTACK! ATTACK!"
Instantly, the Egg Army fired a multitude of bullets, beams, and rockets at the enemy machine.
The Freedom however was not deterred by the hundreds of projectiles launched at it. With a boost from its engines it flew across sky, making a barrel-roll in avoiding the enemy fire with such stunning grace and ease.
"SHOOT HIM DOWN!" Eggman yelled. "SHOOT HIM DOWN!"
The Freedom made a flip in the air, causing it to face the fleet below upside down, but extending its weapons at the ready. From its shoulders, a pair of Baleana Plasma Beam Cannons. Unfolding and aiming from both sides of its waist, two Xiphias Railguns. And in its hand was one Lupus Beam rifle, now aimed and ready.
In the second the Freedom was looking down at the shore in its upside-down position in midair, the globe radar selected dozens of targets, and the sixth sense that Kira had unleashed allowed him to carry out the task at hand.
In the next millisecond, pairs of radiating-burning rays, emerald-green beams, and blasts of solid-based high ammunition rained down from the sky till they fell upon the army below.
Red Baleana Plasma rays burned through the injured Death Egg Robot and two Mega-Bots. Green beams pierced through the Egg Crabs. And bursts of yellow blasts blew dozens of Egg Fighters into pieces. A row of explosions erupted from one side of the beach.
"Aw-WAWAHWAHWAH?!" Eggman instantly balked from his cockpit seat, as the explosions have right before him. "What was that?!"
"LOOK OUT, IT'S COMING BACK!" Cubot pointed.
"KEEP FIRING AT IT!" Eggman cried out. "KEEP FIRING AT IT!"
Two Death Egg Robots fired their laser-beams right at the incoming mobile suit. The Freedom flew right above the water with his beam saber in hand, dodging both left and right. It finally came in close enough, to swipe its beam saber and sever both of one Death Egg Robot's arms. The Freedom flew back to barrel roll in the air before turning back to the armless robot upside-down, and fired its pair of Baleana cannons on it. Red rays of radiations seared through the robot's legs and chest, before it exploded.
"SWARM HIM! SWARM HIM!" Eggman screeched. "SWARM HIM!"
A hundred beetle drones flew through the air like a wave of locusts towards the white mobile suit, intent on swarming and overwhelming him. The machine lifted its head towards the incoming swarm, observing them, before from the sides of its helm, the pair of Picus machine guns fired rapid bullets. The rapid fire swatted through the incoming drones like flies, before they culminated into a ball of fire.
"HOW MANY TOYS DOES THIS BASTARD HAVE?!" Eggman grabbed the sides of his mustache.
"IT'S NO USE!" Orbot exclaimed with despair.
"WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Cubot cried out, looking ready to flee, only for his maker to grab him by the neck.
"NO, WE DON'T!"
The scattered portions of Egg Crabs, Mega Bots, and Egg Fighters were moving across the beach, pulling up their claws, turrets, and bazookas up to fire volleys of missiles and rays at the mobiles suit. The Freedom jumped before it skidded across the sandy beach while raising its shield to deflect the incoming projectiles. The boosters on its back pushing it forward as its great white feet plowed down the machines in the sand as if it was a snowplow plowing over piles of soda cans.
There was only the one Death Egg Robot left.
"BLAST HIM!" Eggman screamed to the top of his lungs, causing his bots to cover their ears.
It's cyclops eye glowed before emitting an orange beam that shot towards the Freedom. The wing-mobile suit raised its shield, the metal taking in the burning heat of the beam. The Freedom discarded the now-burning black shield, now sheathing its beam saber, and flew in the air towards the enemy machine.
The Egg Death Robot lifted its arms, before they both shot and extended like slinky appendages towards the mobile suit. The Freedom, however, ducked below the first punch, before using his beam saber to cut through the robot's extended arm, as if it was a burning needle slicing through a bar of butter. He didn't stop, as he pulled out his second beam saber and cut the remaining robot's arm the same way, just before he came right in front of the now-armless machine itself.
The one-eyed machine glanced down at the white machine; its sole eye glowing again to fire its ray to obliterate it… but it was too slow. With a whip of both its arms, the Freedom pulled both pink beam sabers back, before stabbing them right through the eye of the last Death Egg Robot.
All was silent for a moment, before the Freedom pulled out both sabers from the robot's head, leaving a ruined and melting hole where the eye should have been. The robot fell back to the sandy ground with a thud… and its body exploded.
The Freedom wasn't harmed or even affected by the resulting explosion, even as showers of ash and sparks fell over its white-blue frame. It turned its gaze towards the now-ruined beach. Streams of fires were still burning, and the corpses of machines were littered all around near the pile of rubble that was once Waltfeld's mansion. It turned… to focus on the last enemy on the field.
The Egg Walker. And inside… was none other than the leader and instigator of this battle: Dr. Robotnik, otherwise known… as Eggman.
The doctor, who had been shrieking and raving about desperately had paused, and could barely shake as his gaze looked up at the metal giant now towering over him. He realized now, that his Egg Walker, for all its strength and firepower… it was only a toy compared to the behemoth that was this refined armored suit that was over the remains of his Egg Army.
Behind him, both Orbot and Cubot could only clutch each one another, as they felt the giant's yellow eyes gaze down on them.
"It's… It's just staring at us…" They fidgeted.
"N… No… No…" Eggman barely registered that he had actually admitted it. "My… My forces… all of them… wiped out… already?" Foot soldiers that he deemed enough to take down armies, even enough to terrorize and conquer villages or a city. What should have been enough to corner that stubborn pin-cushion and his wretched new friends in a corner… and in the span of a minute…
Eggman registered it. In the span of a minute.
It was not only looking without a scratch or dent, but wiped all of his forces clean off the face of the beach with such grace. As if the whole thing was… child's play.
Not even Sonic without the aid of his friends… even if he was able to come out and fight… would have been able to wipe out the assembly he had brought in that matter of time. Against his giant Death Egg Robots, Egg Crabs, and hundreds of beetle drones… unless he used the power of the Emeralds…
But this… this… this thing. Eggman continued to stare at it. It… was not only big… but so fast and agile as well. It was staring back the doctor, and with the red glow of the fires burning around them… the metallic giant samurai or whatever was… looked so much like a monster.
There was only one option to do now.
…
…
"TATICAL RETREAT!" The Egg Walker turned and jogged across the beach, before igniting the rockets at its feet to start flying through the air and…
It stopped.
"HUH?!" Eggman cried out.
"What the?!" Orbot said.
"OH NO!" Cubot looked in horror from the cockpit… to see what had stopped them. Grabbing ahold of the waist of the Egg Walker was none other than the yellow-eyed behemoth itself. It lifted the Egg Walker like that of a kid lifting its new toy action figure close to its face. The pair of yellow eyes glowing even more.
Glowing with anger. With fury.
…
…
All were frozen in the cockpit, with one of them barely holding his breath, but before he could turn purple… or lest even ruin his pants due to the extreme anxiety that was coursing through him…
"Uh… TIME TO GO!"
Eggman slammed his fist on a red button to the side, and with a blast, the Egg Mobile ejected from the body of the Egg Walker, and started flying aimlessly into the night sky. But not before the sounds of a certain yellow bot could be heard.
"DOCTOR! WE'RE NOT TEAM ROCKET, BUT SADLY… WERE BLASTING OFF AGAAAIIIINNNNN!"
From the other side, coming out from a door that had led them straight from the underground back outside on a grassy hill… those who had been endangered emerged… to take in the sight of the sunrise… and the mobile suit standing in the midst of the burning carnage across the beach and their temporary home.
Caridad Yamato comforted the two little girls, while the boys looked in admiration and cheer at the scene. The rest of the adults, including Reverend Malchio, Andrew Waltfeld, and Murrue Ramius, looked on with somber looks. Even Lacus Clyne, while holding her pink Haro, had a look of great concern as she beheld the once-peaceful shore that had become a now desolate battlefield in the matter of one night.
Sonic, however…
The still-injured blue hedgehog, now using Waltfeld's cane to stand on, could only stare wide-eyed at the tall giant metal figure standing alone on the ruined beach. Standing alone, and victorious… over the remains of what had been the forces of his mortal nemesis. Never mind that the mad doctor had once again escaped… for today… Sonic could only stare in awe at the sight of mecha suit he had never seen before in his life.
And its pilot… was none other than the boy he had met the day before. Kira Yamato.
The blue hedgehog now had a multitude of questions that wanted answers to, but the first one was…
"What… What is that thing?"
…
"It's a mobile suit." Sonic looked to Ramius who answered. "A mobile suit of the G-Weapon type."
"G-Weapon?" Sonic said. That's what it was called? That's it?
"It goes by another name. Something that Kira calls it by." The hedgehog turned to the pink-haired girl, who kept staring at the mobile suit in the distance.
…
"Gundam."
THERE!
I admit I wrote half of this chapter a while back. I'm glad I could get this one faster than the last one, but this turned out to be longest chapter I wrote for this story so far. Things are now about to get moving!
But before we conclude… we have two more things to show next:
Omake:
"THAT WAS TOTALLY BADASS!"
Everyone turned and looked to see the injured hedgehog stretching his arms out, accompanied by an excited look on his face.
"WAHOOO!" He whooped. "HOLY CHILI AND MACAROL! What the heck was it that I just right now! I AM SPEECHLESS! I am RARELY SPEECHLESS like this! No amount of COOL can every describe that!"
…
"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah! Oh, boy, Kira! You are now on my list of AWESOME! And YOU KICK BADNIK BUTT! Kira Yamato! Boy who shot tranquilized on our first meeting! He's a mystery to me, but not for long! And in the span of 24 hours, I think… HE SCORES AGAINST THE FORCES OF EGGMAN!
"SCOREBOARD: Kira Yamato: TWO! Eggman: NOTHING!"
"Sonic, hold on!" Lacus said, looking worried. The hedgehog however, continued his 'celebration dance.'
"Don't move like that!" Murrue exclaimed. "You're gonna hurt yourself more!"
"Aw, don't worry!" Sonic said, as he turned to face them. "A little jazz here is not enough to—AHHH!"
"SONIC!" Everyone cried out as the hedgehog slipped off the grassy slope and was falling from the cliffside.
His screaming stopped, and everyone feared the worst… till they saw the Freedom now in kneeling front of them. It lifted its extended… to show that it had caught the falling hedgehog by the palm of his metal hand.
Everyone sighed with relief… at least till they heard Sonic's yell of pain.
"ARGH! MY BACK!"
END OMAKE.
Far away… in the coldness of space…
"Solar wind velocity remains the same. Flare level at S3. Estimated arrival time, 30 seconds."
"Hurry, what about Unit Nine?"
"It's almost ready!"
"Emitted particle arrival confirmed."
"Beginning countdown to flare motor activation: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, particle flux detected! Flare motors activated!"
"Junius Seven is now moving."
…
Sato looked from his GINN mobile suit unit, alongside his most trusted comrades as what was once their home… now a decorated graveyard… started to finally move from its place in orbit.
"Now fall, our great tombstone!" The scarred face ZAFT veteran proclaimed upon the falling colony with both anger and determination. "On a world that has forgotten the voices of sorrow, that closes its eyes to reality, and continues living in overwhelming deception!"
He angered festered as he looked again upon the blue planet that was Earth. The nest of murderers of all that he had loved.
"We shall give the Naturals a lesson! When their greatest sin falls and destroys their blue and impure world!"
Next…
Break the World…