The main monitor of the Blitz displayed the Strike crouching down, its cockpit hatch hissing open. Kira emerged, cradling Murrue in his arms. Sai Argyle, Tolle Koenig, Miriallia Haw, and Kuzzey Buskirk were already there, rushing forward to assist him.
...Alright.
If events played out according to the original story, Rau Le Creuset would be arriving shortly in his CiGue. Even if I managed to repel him, the assault wouldn't end there. Next would come the GINNs equipped with fortress-busting D-Equipment, followed by Athrun in the Aegis.
I had to do something about this OS before then.
I flipped the Phase Shift Armor switch to OFF. The Blitz, returning to its dull, de-powered gray, staggered out from the shadow of the building where I'd been hiding and lumbered toward the Strike.
Noticing the movement, Kira and the others flinched, looking ready to bolt. Before they could run, I raised the Blitz's open hands to show I had no hostile intent and toggled the external speaker.
"There's no need to run. I'm not with ZAFT. Just a civilian caught up in the crossfire, same as you."
...Civilian.
It was a bold-faced lie, but right now, lowering their guard was the priority.
Fortunately, they seemed to buy it—or perhaps they realized they couldn't outrun a Mobile Suit anyway. All five remained in place. Or maybe, being civilians, they simply couldn't bring themselves to abandon the unconscious woman Kira had just laid down.
"I'm coming down," I announced. "Stay put. I have a favor to ask."
I opened the cockpit, descended via the lift wire, and raised a hand in a casual greeting as I walked toward the still-tense group.
"Name's Axel. Axel Almer. I'm a mercenary. I was here in Heliopolis for a vacation when the fighting broke out, and one thing led to another."
The word 'mercenary' made them stiffen slightly, but the young man with glasses stepped forward.
"I'm Sai Argyle. This is Kira Yamato, Tolle Koenig, Miriallia Haw, and Kuzzey Buskirk. You said you needed help with something?"
Right. Just like the original story, Sai acts as the leader of the group.
"I was watching the battle earlier," I said, looking at Kira. "Your movement changed halfway through. You rewrote the OS during combat, didn't you?"
"Eh? Ah, yes."
Kira nodded, while the other four looked at him in sheer astonishment.
"Sorry to ask, but could you rewrite the OS on that machine, too?" I jerked a thumb back at the Blitz. "I don't mind if you use the same configuration values as your own unit."
"Excuse me!"
Miriallia interrupted me. When I turned to look at her, she flinched but pressed on.
"Mobile Suits can only be piloted by Coordinators, right? Like Kira. Does that mean you're a Coordinator too, Mr. Axel?"
"No. I haven't been genetically modified."
Though I have been reincarnated. And thanks to my slime abilities, I've absorbed quite a few people, though whether that's impacted my genetics is a mystery. At the very least, taxonomically speaking, I should still be classified as a Natural... probably.
"But... if that's the case, even if he copies Kira's OS, you won't be able to use it," Kuzzey muttered under his breath.
"That won't be a problem," I assured them. "My physical reflexes are sharp enough to keep up with the average Coordinator. Besides, a mercenary can't exactly tell a client, 'Sorry, I can't fight him, he's a Coordinator.' Listen, my gut tells me this battle isn't over. The enemy left two target machines behind; they'll be back. I need that machine operational if I want to survive. I got lucky with that unfinished OS earlier, but luck doesn't last forever."
"You took down a ZAFT unit with that OS!?"
Kira stared at me with a mix of awe and disbelief. Having piloted the Strike, only he truly understood how disastrous the factory-default software was.
"Like I said, I got lucky. ...So, can I count on you for the copy? You kids don't want to die here either, right? Also, there are some intact trailers further down the road. I need a few of you to go retrieve them. They likely hold the equipment and spare parts for the suit I was in. There were three trailers in total—if you can move them, bring them all."
"Understood."
Sai nodded, signaling Tolle and Kuzzey to follow him toward the trailers. Kira, spurred by my semi-threatening point about not wanting to die, climbed back into the Strike's cockpit.
"Um, Mr. Axel. What about me?"
Miriallia, the only one left behind, looked around uncertainly. I nodded toward Murrue, who was still unconscious on the bench.
"Stay with her. When she wakes up, she'll be on guard if the first thing she sees is a strange man."
"Okay. I'll go find some water or something."
"Yeah, thanks."
As I watched Miriallia run off to fetch water, I let out a long sigh. It was so quiet; hard to believe this was a battlefield just moments ago. Piloting an unfamiliar machine with a garbage OS, without weapons, against a live enemy... it must have taken a heavier toll than I thought. A wave of exhaustion washed over me. It would feel amazing to just sleep right here... but with Creuset on his way, that wasn't an option.
As I wrestled with my fatigue, I saw three trailers approaching. Sai and the others had found them.
"Mr. Axel, is this right?"
"Yeah, big help. Now, once the OS copy is done..."
"Axel-san, I'm finished."
...Great timing. Or rather, he works fast.
Almost as if he had been waiting for the trailers to arrive, Kira descended—not from the Strike, but from the Blitz.
"My unit has a security lock, so I couldn't copy the OS directly. Instead, I manually tweaked the code on your machine to match mine. But, I'm warning you, the values are set exactly for my reaction times. Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah, that's fine. With this..."
"Ugh..."
A groan from the bench cut us off. Murrue's eyes fluttered open, her face twisted in pain.
"Are you awake?"
Miriallia, who had returned unnoticed, offered a water container to Murrue.
"Would you like some water?"
"Guh...!"
Murrue tried to shift her body, but the movement clearly aggravated her wound. She groaned again.
"Don't move yet," I warned. "It's only first aid."
"..."
Miriallia helped prop Murrue up and handed her the container.
"Thank you. ...And you are?"
"Axel Almer, mercenary. I came to Heliopolis for a holiday and got wrapped up in the ZAFT attack. As a result, I ended up piloting that machine."
I gestured toward the Blitz, currently kneeling on the pavement. Next to it, the Strike held the same posture.
"Wha—!?"
Murrue's eyes widened as she registered the Strike and the Blitz. In a flash, she pulled a hidden gun from her jacket and leveled the muzzle at me.
"Wait, please! Why are you pulling a gun!?" Kira shouted, stepping between us. "...They're the ones who helped us! They carried you out of the cockpit when you were passed out. And because Mr. Axel gave us instructions, we're all here safe instead of panicking. So why!?"
The muzzle shifted from me to Kira, who was pleading desperately.
"I am grateful for your help," Murrue said, her voice trembling but firm. "But that machine is a top-secret military weapon. It is not something civilians can be allowed to touch indiscriminately."
"...I get what you're saying, mostly," I interjected. "But I told you, I'm a merc. Not exactly a civilian."
"Then let me rephrase," she snapped. "It is not something anyone other than Earth Alliance military personnel is authorized to touch."
Her high-handed tone rubbed Tolle the wrong way.
"What is that? Kira and Axel were the ones piloting those things just a minute ago!"
"...Everyone, gather over there."
Murrue gestured with the gun barrel. Unable to disobey the weapon, Sai and the other three moved to join us.
"Give me your names, one by one."
"Sai Argyle."
"Kuzzey Buskirk."
"Tolle Koenig."
"Miriallia Haw."
"Kira Yamato."
"...And you. Once more, just to be sure?"
She trained the gun back on me. I sighed.
"Axel Almer. Like I said, a mercenary."
"I am Murrue Ramius. An officer of the Earth Alliance Forces. I am sorry, but I cannot allow you simply to disperse."
"Eh!?"
Everyone but me cried out in shock.
"Regardless of the circumstances, you have seen top-secret military classifieds. You will have to remain with me until I can contact the proper authorities and a decision is made regarding your disposition."
"No way."
"You've gotta be kidding me. What the hell is this?"
Kuzzey and Tolle voiced their complaints, but Murrue ignored them, her resolve hardening.
"You will comply."
"We—except for Axel—are civilians of Heliopolis!" Sai argued. "We're a neutral nation! The military and all that has nothing to do with us!"
"Yeah! Besides, why is the Earth Forces military even here in Heliopolis? That's what's weird!"
"Exactly! That's why all this happened in the first place!"
I understood their point. The fact that the neutral nation of Orb was violating international treaties by building these weapons was the core issue. ...But, ironically, that was precisely why Murrue couldn't let us go.
BANG! BANG!
Two gunshots rang out abruptly. Murrue had fired into the air.
"Silence! You know nothing, you children! Do you really think that claiming neutrality, or saying it has nothing to do with you, will keep you safe? That you can stay uninvolved? Is that what you truly believe?"
Her voice rose, sharp and desperate.
"There are Earth Forces military secrets here, and you have seen them. That is your reality now."
"That's so violent..."
"Violent or not... there is a war going on. The Plants and the Earth. Coordinators and Naturals. Out there... in the world outside of yours."
STATUS SCREEN
Name: Axel Almer
Level: 35
PP: 490
STATS:
Melee: 246
Shooting: 264
Skill: 256
Defense: 253
Evade: 281
Hit: 303
SP: 422
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance Slime performance)
Growth Type: Versatile / Special
TERRAIN ADAPTATION:
Air: S
Land: S
Sea: B
Space: S
SPIRIT COMMANDS:
Accel (SP 4)
Gain (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Zeal (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
SKILLS:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Recover & Focus)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
In-fight Lv.9
Will Limit Break
Geass (Gray)
???
???
???
???
???
Kill Count: 255
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