Gundam SEED Fan Fiction ❯ Operation Strikeback ❯ Brothers Lost- Part 3 ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8- Brothers Lost(Part 3)

At this time... The space assault team of the Aegis, Buster, Blitz and Duel was breaking up as they fought.

Grysvok launched more volleys of rockets relentlessly at the Buster, but as Dearka time after time placed beam shots on the trailing rockets, his mobile suit energy was draining out too fast. Moreover, the occasional hits were reducing more of it. Grysvok stopped launching anything and just stood there, seeming to be preparing something. In suspicion, Dearka attempted to place a perfect hit on Grysvok with one last round. However, something from his rear gleamed brightly. Dearka in a moment of desperation, evaded the twin beams fired by the laser VR Raiden. But his railgun was disintegrated at the barrel and could no longer function due to the damage.

"Shoot!!... Damn this thing.."

Seeing to the situation, he dismantled the railgun and kept the beam cannon. Then, went charging at Grysvok for another attempt to hit him. He seemed defenseless as he just stood there, Dearka nonetheless suspected nothing now and aimed the cannon barrel at it.

But yet again something interrupted him as he was thrown off by an impact. This time, Dearka registered a claw-like object clutching to the back of the Buster and could feel a timer was ticking in that thing... Not knowing what will happen next, Dearka prepared himself for the worst to happen... Yet again he was surprised to be thrown off by an impact again but followed by a distant explosion...

"Owww!!?..." he said as he looked at the Blitz with the ejected Torikelos bit. Nicol had seen Dearka in trouble and knocked of the claw-like object off the Buster with it before it exploded.

"Heh, I owe you one Nic.."

"Oh shoot, my Phase-Shift is depleted...", complained Nicol to himself as the Blitz reverted to its grey colored armour.

By this time, Grysvok had started moving again and launched some sort of warhead. Dearka had caught sight of the missile stream and Nicol was it's target as it seemed.

"No!! Nicol...!" Dearka screamed.

The Blitz was unable to move somehow, and in a desperate attempt, Dearka blasted his jets to maximum thrust and sped for the Blitz. He shoved the Blitz Gundam hard away but the recoil made his Buster stop there momentarily; the missile was only one second away... Having no way to defend himself any how, Dearka uttered a silent prayer, a tear forming in his eye. The next thing Nicol saw and heard after the impact was a stream of light followed by a gigantic explosion. Athrun and Yzak caught sight of the event and stared at the fiery ball of flames. The Aegis caught a piece of flying debris and Athrun stared at the thing... The Buster Gundam's head.

Tears gathered in his eyes as he let loose his fury...

"Dearka!!!!!!!"

"You damned machine! You murdered him!!!" Yzak howled in deep, seething anger.

"No....no..... D...Dearka...?!...." Nicol cried to himself silently. "Why....?...."

"The three co-ordinators raised their heads in sorrow... Their eyes turned stone cold and lifeless with tears.

"FOR DEARKA!!!!" they shouted in unison.

The three Mobile Suits regrouped themselves and charged for the two VR's. Grysvok launched a huge volley of missiles at the Duel. But it was too quick and swiftly avoided the wave after wave of missiles. Drawing his saber, he made a mad dash for Grysvok. It just stood there waiting...

"You're deadmeat buster!!", yelled Yzak with a tormented voice.

Suddenly upfront came Raiden and opening his shoulder pods. Yzak froze in hesitation as he became momentarily stunned... However Raiden got blasted off by the Aegis's Scylla cannon. Further more, the Blitz caught hold of Grysvok from behind and put its arms into a deadlock.

"Yzak!! Now!!" said Nicol.

"Nicol! What do you think you are doing!" asked Athrun.

Yzak felt sweat forming as he watched wide-eyed at Nicol attempting to sacrifice himself. For the first time in his life Yzak hesitated to even try to pull the rifle trigger. The lock on Grysvok became weaker as the Blitz began to lose its energy. With Yzak still in shock, Grysvok let off another volley of rockets at him... Yzak recovered a little late and found himself in a barrage of projectiles. The impact flung the Duel away and blew up his shoulder cannon, leaving behind exposed circuitry. With much effort, Grysvok flung the Blitz over himself and opened its shoulder pods again, letting off four highly explosive rockets one after another.

Nicol in a hurry raised his right arm to defend himself but the shield without its Phase-Shift support was useless. One missile took his shield out and the remaining three went for the hapless Blitz. Athrun watched in total despair as the missiles blew off his left leg, right shoulder and finally the body... along with Nicol...

Athrun now alone in the battlefield decided he had enough... In a moments fury, he charged straight at Raiden and swiftly by surprise sliced his bazooka and one shoulder laser in half with his wrist blades. Going for Grysvok, he transformed into his Mobile Armor form and clutched tightly on it. Diverting much energy into the Scylla cannon, it let loose a huge and lasting laser beam that tore away even at Grysvok's thick and resilient Virtual Armor shell. In the process, disintegrating away his frame and the shoulder pods... Rockets inside them began to explode under the huge energy flux and shattered every bit of the VR. With a hellish look, he drove the Aegis forward and emitted all four sabers, and with style, sliced what remained of Grysvok into four, unsparingly piercing through the bits of Virtual Armor.

The Aegis stood steadfast without looking back, and next came explosions from the sliced bits of Grysvok. Revenge has been taken for both Dearka and Nicol... he thought to himself... He then remembered Raiden, but was nowhere to be seen. Slamming his fists on his console, Athrun panted hardly and was sweating a lot... Realising the Duel was still around, he headed for it. The Duel lost its Phase-Shift and almost had its limbs crushed. But thanks to the sufficient Phase-Shift armor, Yzak survived in his Mobile Suit, unconscious.

"A....Athrun?", he said in a weak tone.

"Yzak... we're alive...", replied Athrun...

"Nicol... did he...", he looked around and didn't see the Blitz around... The Aegis was unmoved too...

"I see... WHY DAMN IT!!!" He too slammed his fists and tried to clutch his head under his helmet. He panted hardly out of shock and almost cried in grievance for his lost allies.

"Come Yzak... let's go..." The Aegis dragged the Duel along until it was ready to move by itself.

And meanwhile.... the final battle in PLANT... between Sword Strike and Temjin was heating up fast.