Well amazing how fate likes to smack reality and Murphy’s Law in your face when you get cocky about “seeing it all” so to speak.
Her hands trembled on the joysticks of the Strike Rouge, wanting to move but she couldn’t find the will to do it. All she could do was stare into her monitor which held the visage of the still unmoving Gold Frame in its view-sights. Maybe it was because of the suit’s near-demonic looks with the black armor, or possibly the sheer brutality of Kou’s attacks against the Obsidian Abyss attack force. Perhaps it was a combination of the two factors that had her shaking in fear? Her mind couldn’t wrap around the concept of Kou, the cheery, smartass, mecha-nut being so brutal.
In the Red Frame, Lowe’s mind wasn’t so much as engulfed in fear as it was in a state of comparison to another event Lowe had seen that just seemed so damn familiar.
*************
The Strike and the Aegis rushed at each other with fierce intensity, their beam sabers clashing as they hacked and slashed at each other. The Strike landed the first fatal blow by chopping off the Aegis’s left arm, followed up by a swift kick to the head. Once it recovered the Aegis returned the favor by slicing off the Strike’s left arm, in kind the Strike stabbed the Aegis’s head off and the Aegis slashed across the chest, causing a hole to appear in the Strike’s cockpit exposing the pilot.
Not far off, Red Frame stood watching. Lowe had come to see Reverend Malchio to discuss the Junk Guild’s involvement with the Giga Float project and by sheer misfortune (or is it luck?) he came across the intense battle.
”Damn! This is a real fight between Mobile Suits.” He uttered softly as he watched the spectacle. He looked around to find a route to allow him to pass on by without getting caught up in the fight. “I can’t get too close to them; they’re out to kill each other!”
He then saw the Aegis transform into its mobile armor mode and clamp onto the Strike. “It transformed?!” He exclaimed in shock, he’d never heard of a transforming mobile suit. He blinked as he saw the Aegis change from its red colors to a dull gray, “What the hell?! It’s changing colors?”
He then spied the pilot of the Aegis climb out and fly off using a flight-pack; he soon found out why as the Aegis began to glow. “A bomb! SHIT!” He unsheathes the Gerbera Straight and stabs it into the ground; Red Frame kneels as it prepares itself for the blast shockwave. A moment later the Aegis explodes, the shockwave wracking Red Frame hard.
“CRAAAAAAAAAAAAP!” Lowe yells as he flies back from the blast.
**************
Lowe shook his head as he forced the memory to stop replaying itself in his mind. After he regained his bearing he found the pilot of the blue mobile suit half alive and dragged him to Reverend Malchio’s for medical treatment. He never did find out if the kid was alright, he’d have to make sure to ask Malchio that whenever he got a chance to see the blind monk of peace again. “It’s the same with this kid, the same fierce intensity.” He murmurs. “Is it caused by rage, or something else?” Shaking his head, Lowe moved Red Frame over to Gold Frame.
Cagalli snapped out of her tremble when she saw Red Frame heading over toward Gold Frame. “Lowe!”
”It’s alright, I don’t think the kid’s gone nuts, if he was he’d have attacked us too. Besides he might need some help.” The Junk Tech replied as he moved closer. “Hey Kou, you okay in there?”
No word came over the radio, nor did the mobile suit move. Worried, Lowe held Red Frame’s hand close to his cockpit and Gold Frame’s. He popped open the hatch and climbed out onto Red Frame’s hand. He leaned against Gold Frame’s hatch until he found the outward hatch switch and popped open Gold Frame’s cockpit. “Yo kid you al-right?”
Kou just sat in the pilot’s seat, his eyes vacant, skin pale, and his arms trembled badly. Lowe quickly moved into the cockpit and pulled off Kou’s helmet, “Kou? Kou?! Answer me kid, are you alright?”
He waved a hand before the young Coordinator’s eyes and didn’t see any response. “Shit,” he found the radio switched and turned it on. “Somebody call for a med-unit he’s gone into shock!”
*****************
A pair of eyes ever so slowly began to open. Their vision is blurry, barely able to register the images as anything recognizable. Voices are faintly heard, causing the eyes to turn toward the source, trying desperately to focus as the voices became more coherent and easier to understand. Soon the blurriness fades as the eyes focus clearly, a soft groan accompanying the restored vision. “Urgh, what happened to me?”
”Kou! Oh thank God you’re awake.” Kou turned his head to see Cagalli looking down at him, relief etched on her face and in her tone.
“Hey kid, you gave us a helluva scare back there.” Kou turned his head to see Lowe Gear on the opposite side of the bed. At the end of the bed he could see Erica and Kisaka standing there with equal expressions of relief on their faces.
“Where the hell am I?” The Coordinator grunted softly as his body started to wake up, telling him how stiff he felt.
“The Hospital,” Kisaka answered. “After the battle, Lowe found you in deep shock inside Gold Frame, so you were rushed here for observation and treatment if need be.”
”The battle..?” Kou slowly sat up, placing a hand on his head.
“Do you even remember what happened?” Erica asked gently, not wanting to shake him up if he had a memory gape.
“I think so I-“ His eyes then go wide as a vivid image of the school bus full of kids explodes before him, screams of agony echo in his mind as he sees all-too graphically the slow-to-fast deaths those innocent school kids were dealt. His eyes shut tightly as he holds his head in pain, crying out in agony as his mind and body are wracked with pain. He hunches over, eyes wide open, panting for breath desperately.
“Kou!” Cagalli carefully wrapped her arms around him as she held him; worried eyes watching his face contort in a series of painful and horrific expressions. “Kou, what’s wrong?”
Tears left his eyes as his body began to tremble. “I-I-I couldn’t save them…” He chocked out. “I couldn’t react…in time, and now they’re dead.” He let out a tortured sob as he clamped a hand over his eyes.
“Oh Kou…” Cagalli held the young man as he cried.
Lowe gently placed a hand on Kou’s shoulder, he wished he could say or do something to make the kid laugh or forget his pain…but for once in his life Lowe Gear was at a lose to be optimistic.
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(Posted Tue, 10 May 2005 21:25)
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