Zone Of The Enders Fan Fiction ❯ Zone of the Enders: Resurrection ❯ Unhealing Scars ( Chapter 9 )

"Men only think about the past right before their death, as if they were searching frantically for proof that they were alive. Turn back. You told me when we first met that you were a man who had already died once. Just forget the past, okay?"
-Jet Black

Chapter 9: Unhealing Scars

The Goddess of War, Neith.

He screamed in rage. The memory of his friends all dying and the image of the red frame were embedded in his thoughts as he fought his opponent. He made a combination of slashes, hacking away at the enemy frame's armor. It lost its arms, some of its breast plate and further mocking his opponent, he slashed a blow across the left side of its faceplate. It finally fell, and he followed it, intent on finishing her off. In a matter of seconds, he produced his blade and thrust it down to pierce his opponent's heart, but he stopped. "Why did you stop?" his opponent questioned. Despite what happened to his friends, all the pain she had caused in the past, the boy felt she didn't deserve to die. Anger. Sorrow. Weakness.

I'm scared too, but I know you'll be there to protect me...

Bang The girl fell into the boy's hands. His mind forever remembering the woman standing there, watching his torment. He just stood there frozen, his tears falling upon the girl's cheek. Even after all he had been through, all he had done, he was still too weak to destroy her. Too weak to protect the one he loved...

The Undead Goddess, Zombie Neith.

"You should know, Neith is immortal."

Fear was replaced with rage. Reluctance was replaced with the will to destroy. For the first time in his life, Leo Stenbuck was intent on killing. He went after her, blade drawn, dodging her fire and slashing at her whips with sheer intent. Despite Viola's efforts, Leo overpowered her and fought her back against the wall of the colony. An armed bomb floated by the damged Neith. "NO!" Viola cried in defiance, for losing her fight. The bomb exploded, and she was cast out of the colony. Leo could only watch as her frame would vanish into Jupiter, questions entering his mind. Why couldn't he save her? Why couldn't he save his friends before they died? Why couldn't he protect Celvice? Was... he really that weak?

The Phantom.

The fear returned. None of his attacks could pierce the orange frame's shield. Despite his inabity, the orange frame continued to teleport around the room, its runner enjoying the sight of helpless pray. Leo screamed as Jehuty was struck, his survival now lost. Inside, he could feel his friends calling to him beyond the dead. It was his time to join them, and avenge their losses due to his selfishness. Then the Atlantis' guns blew open a hole in the colony, allowing his escape...

The Second Jehuty.

"Anubis!"

"Leo, wait!"

He ignored Dingo, for a far more familiar feeling entered his mind. The same feeling he felt at Antilia, the voices of his friends, all calling to him, cursing him, demanding his death. This time, he wouldn't give in. He wouldn't give into the fear. He put the Vic Viper into a dive while gunning at Anubis, firing lasers, then transforming and firing his gauntlets. Anubis' shield broke, and it fell. But it wasn't enough for Leo. He roared, firing more and more gauntlets into the enemy frame, then flying forward and piercing it, ripping open its armor and revealing the anti-proton reactor hidden underneath...

But once again, he was helpless. The real Anubis teleported behind him. "What?" He was no longer in Jehuty, and his Vic Viper was no match for Anubis in its full power. It grabbed him, and threw him into the air, pursuing, and then hacking away at his weakened frame with its staff. Leo was paralyzed, again, unable to change his own fate. The voices grew stronger with each passing slash, his fate inevitable now. But, Anubis spared his life, throwing him higher into the air and turning its attention to Dingo and Jehuty. The voices silenced momentarily. His teeth clenched, his thoughts turning to pure rage at his weakness. His hatred at himself grew, overcoming him, engulfing him. And the voices continued to mock him. Why...can't they...? he thought, Why can't they... This feeling... They... Leave me alone! he pounded his fist into the Vic Viper's console You chose your fate the moment you put your faults on me... Don't blame me for your choice... Just... his body shook with a buried fury. He started to see a blue haze form. LEAVE ME ALONE! His mind screamed into space, as he ascended into Phobos...

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Leo bolted up in his bed, awake, but sweating heavily. It took a moment for him to calm down, listening to the sound of the Atlantis' engines echo around the ship. He sighed, remembering he was still onboard the Atlantis, in his private quarters, and they were heading back to Mars. He looked down and saw that he was sweating, even though the ship was kept cool and he was wearing only a white tank top and boxers.

Celvice silently stirred next to him, not feeling the warmth of her husband caused her to awaken herself. She sighed, raising up to join him, straightening her white silk nightgown which was twisted from her stirring. She gave him a loving, yet concerned look, "What's wrong?" she asked softly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's just a dream." Leo answered, turning to her.

"A dream shouldn't throw you this much, Leo." Celvice said, moving closer to him.

Leo sighed, "It was a memory. Seven years ago back at Antilia. During the raid."

"Go on..." Celvice said.

Leo looked away a little, staring at the white blanket and bedcover, "I saw my friends dying. I saw Neith's image through the smoke, just gazing at me. It was the same look Viola had when..." his fist tightened around the sheet as he grimaced. He didn't want to think about that, not now. Then he felt Celvice's soft hand cover his own, relaxing his hand, making him let go of the blanket.

"That still bothers you?" Celvice asked, laughing a little, "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"So many have died because of me." Leo said, still hardened from the dream, "My friends... Rock... Who knows how many others I've killed with my own hands..."

"But think how many have survived because of you." Celvice replied, "If it weren't for you, none of the LEV pilots on Mars would've survived BAHRAM. If it weren't for you, the Atlantis would've been destroyed along time ago with Elena and everyone else caught in this mess. If it weren't for you..." she covered his hand with both of hers now, "I wouldn't have survived."

"I failed to protect you."

"You didn't fail." Celvice said, "I'm still alive today, aren't I?"

"Still, you've been through a lot of pain because of me." Leo said, solemnly, "If you weren't my friend, Viola wouldn't have shot you. And the Space Force wouldn't have hunted you."

"You offered Viola her life, and she chose her fate. There was no way you could've known what she would do." Celvice reassured, "As for the Space Force, that was my choosing. If I wanted to survive, I could've just forgotten about you when I returned to Antilia, but if I did that... I wouldn't be able to live with myself." she rested her head on Leo's broad left shoulder, feeling the hardened flesh that had come from years of fighting. The years of sadness. "I love you too damn much." she said, kissing the area between his neck and his shoulder.

Leo growled. That was one of his tender spots, and he knew she was enjoying it. "Stop it..." he said in a low groan.

"No." Celvice said with a smile, "Not until you forget the dream and go back to sleep."

"Celvice..." he hissed as the feeling increased in power.

"What are you going to do about it?" she taunted playfully, "Does the mighty Leo Stenbuck have a soft spot? I believe he does!" she chuckled, taking her head back and tickling him with her fingers. Leo's tried to rub off her hand by shifting his shoulder, but when that failed, he reached and tried to push her away.

Celvice took it as a challenge and she put her hand back faster than Leo pushed it off. She wasn't nearly as strong as he was, but she could still get under his skin, one of her favorite pasttimes. "Stop it." Leo said, his mouth curling into a smile as she forced laughter of his body.

"No!" Celvice chuckled.

"Alright, I'll make you stop." Leo said, pushing hand away. He moved onto her, and she pushed back, but again, she was no match for his strength and she was immediately pinned on the bed. Both of his hands were on her wrists, holding her back, and they were face to face. Leo smirked, claiming to be the victor. However, Celvice wouldn't let him have his way. She brought her left knee up and bumped his groin softly. Leo's eyes widened a bit, and she took the opportunity to overpower him and force him onto his back, pinning him the same way he did her. Leo tried to resist, but thanks to the combat training Dingo and Ken gave her before they went to Earth, she singled out his wrist nerve points and pressed her nails against them. "I win." Celvice said, smiling and laughing softly.

Leo laughed back. He knew what she was referring to. It was just like when they were kids, how they used to wrestle on a green hill on Earth. Celvice wasn't a tomboyish girl, but she did challenge Leo on a lot of things, such as racing, swimming or at one point arm wrestling, to which Leo easily bested her. It was funny how 'soft' and 'fragile' people considered her to be when below the surface was a strong woman who wasn't afraid to do anything. The laughing slowly turned into panting as both exhausted their energy. Celvice was the first to realize what position they were in, blushing intensely. "So... um..." she mumbled, looking over a still panting Leo, "You're feeling better I see. I guess we can go back to sleep."

"Celvice..." he murmered, no softer than a whisper, speechless at the image that was before him. The light from the stars shining through the viewport cast a light aura around her pale skin, like an angel's. Her hair, which was usually tied down, flowed down her back like a river of sapphire, while her eyes twinkled, even in the darkness like two lone stars in the depths of space. She was so beautiful, and yet she remained so strong, probably stronger than he'd ever be. Without breaking, Leo's right hand reached around her cheek and he slowly drew himself in for a kiss. Celvice closed her eyes, returning the kiss and opening her mouth so he could taste her. Leo, for the first time in years, was able to forget his past and focus on the future, with Celvice...

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North Point Mall. God's gift to the people of the small town of North Point, just on the other end of Artemis' sphere. At least, that's how Raven felt about it. After weeks being stuck in a military base, it felt so refreshing to finally go out in public again. Public being outside Space Taskforce Aegis' headquarters. As Raven saw, there wasn't a lot of people around, probably due to the battle alert made by the UNSF. But fortunately, the shops were still open, and Raven had a lot of shopping to do. Let's see... he thought, reviewing his mental list, I still need the Gundam SEED Destiny boxset, as well as the last volume of Big O, plus Grand Theft Auto: Vascilia County, Mortal Kombat: Underworld and whatever else I can find. he couldn't help but smirk happily at those thoughts. After all, it was the end of the month, and he had gotten his first paycheck from the UNSF. And he couldn't wait to spend it.

Adjusting his angled sunglasses, he walked into the Mall, immediately catching the eyes of a Security Guard. Fortunately, the hamburger in his hand drew his attention, letting Raven walk right past him and into the nearest Suncoast. He stopped and grumbled inaudibly at the sight. There were five people inside the shop besides the shop keeper that were distinguishable. One had a white t-shirt with 'Remember your heritage! Sieg Zeon!' sketched at the top and Char Aznable's Zaku II aiming a 120mm machine gun, the second was a fat kid wearing a Yami Yugi wig, two were dressed in goth outfits and the last one, the weirdest of all of them, was dressed in a white dress-shirt, suspenders, top hat and carried a cane, like the main character in the movie `A Clockwork Orange'. The Zeon freak was currently yelling at the shop keeper for some reason, the Yu-Gi-Oh wierdo was playing a card duel with some random kid, yelling at the kid about something called a 'Lava Golem' and the two goths and the top-hat guy were just hanging at the corner, looking through the Adult DVD section.

None of them were going to stop Raven from getting what he wanted, not when he was armed with two Anacondas, and his staff. Raven silently walked through the door, past the Zeon nut and toward the shelf that had the anime. When a fifth person, a black haired oriental woman, stopped in his tracks. "What are you doing here?" he said deeply.

Yuriko turned to him and smirked, seeing Raven disoriented at the sight of her. It made her feel flattered in some sadistic way. "The same reason you're here I guess. Latest paycheck. Fifty percent off on all merchandise. So I'm getting the last two volumes of Noir and anything else that's worth scavenging."

Raven moved next to her and started browsing the shelf, remembering what Esteraund had said to him before the last battle. Again, he didn't know what to think of Lieutenant Yuriko Ishikawa. She was a bitch, and many of the other Aegis orbital frame runners had horror stories about her, but there were a lot of things he was curious about. Recalling what Mirielle said about his social skills, he decided to try small talk, something he wasn't good at. On the other hand, he'd rather have Yuriko as a friend rather than a rival, considering how vicious she was. "So, are you an otaku?" Not very graceful, but he had to start somewhere.

"That's rather insulting." Yuriko countered, as if Raven had said something vulgar and grotesque to her. "I'm not 'obsessive' over anything, I just enjoy great anime."

"Is that what 'otaku' means?" Raven wondered, keeping his cool. "Interesting." he started to pick up and look at some volumes of the latest re-mastered Slayers movie. He already had all three Slayers, in fact, Slayers, Slayers Next and Slayers Try were among the most treasured parts of his collection. He wasn't too fond of the movies, however, since they lacked the TV cast or any essential parts to the storyline. He put the volume back on the shelf and dug out a boxset of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, one of the objects of his search. "Are you trying to ask me out Lieutenant Vostrikov?" Yuriko said, making Raven almost drop the box, "No, as a matter of fact. I have a thing against tomboyish woman."

"Me? Tomboyish?" Yuriko raised a disgusted eyebrow, making Raven mentally jump yet again, "That's how I come across to you? And here I was going to offer these..." she pulled out a handful of coupons to Suncoast's anime department.

Raven just narrowed his eyes, "I'm not going to bend down and kiss your feet to get those, Yuriko, no matter how much I like authentic Japanese animation. And while we're on the subject, how did you get those?"

"Women have their secrets, Lieutenant." Yuriko said, hypothetically sticking her tongue out to her comrade in arms.

"Must be so hard keeping so many." Raven shot back, then moved to a different area of the shelf, searching for anything on Big O. He hated it when people gave him bullshit rather than a real explanation to his question, and he especially hated it when Yuriko did it, because she enjoyed it.

"If you want to know that badly..." Yuriko said behind his back, "A former acquaintance of mine worked in this shop before she packed up and fled for West Hellas. She gave me these before she left. I'm not obsessed over anime..." she seethed on 'obsessed', "But I'm not going to drop the opportunity to increase my collection." she took out a coupon for 20 off any video game and anime items, "You want one?"

"I guess..." Raven said, not fully trusting Yuriko, but he took the coupon anyway. He still had to get Grand Theft Auto after all, and even at half price, that game was damn expensive. 20 off would help him a lot. "Thanks."

"Think nothing of it." Yuriko replied, browsing through another shelf, browsing through a section of mecha anime. Raven noticed her scowl when she came across the box set of Neon Genesis Evangelion, apparently speaking volumes of her disliking towards mecha. Of course, he couldn't blame her, since she piloted something possibly ten times more powerful than any Eva. That made another question pop up in his head. "I've been meaning to ask you this for a while..." Raven began, a little unsure, as if he really were asking her out on a date, "But how did you become a crack ace frame runner?"

"You really want to know?" Yuriko asked. Raven nodded, a little hesitant. Yuriko grinned, "It's not that big of a secret, my parents made me join the military after my brother died, and when they found out about my special skills...” Raven knew she was referring to her Air Elemental powers. “The higher ups saw my skill as a frame runner, stuck me in `Graffi' and combat grew on me after that."

"But, you have skill." Raven said, "Even that asshole Stenbuck couldn't jump into Jehuty right off the start."

"That's because I've been fighting for the last four years." Yuriko explained, "Even in the Terran Crusade, Aegis was responsible for wiping Mars clean of any resistance. Since Grafficane is one of the few manned Type C frames that the UNSF possesses, I was put on the frontlines. Nothing really to brag about, most of my targets were just farmers with construction LEVs or pick ups with mounted guns, but there was still plenty of resistance fighters with orbital frames and combat LEVs." she sighed at the memory, "That's the difference between you and me I guess. You were given a feared orbital frame; I had to develop my own reputation. Unfair really."

"I didn't ask to become a cold hearted killer." Raven said bitterly, signifying Yuriko had made it past his defenses and struck a soft spot. Not in the way she had intended though, as his explanation continued. "I don't give a damn about your cause or the Earth enforcing Mars, I'm fighting to survive."

"We all fight to survive, Raven." Yuriko explained, "I don't care about Terrans either, I follow their orders because right now, they're the strongest force on this planet. I didn't like killing those people, but that's the life I chose to take, the warrior."

"So why do you take so much damn pride in being an ace? You act like one of those stereotype psychos, the ones that eat, sleep and kill people in grotesque ways." Raven said coldly.

"They chose their paths, just as I chose mine. I'm not responsible for that." Yuriko said justly, keeping her voice low so not to attract attention, but keeping it hard, "If they get in my way, either they die or I die. They claim they want to liberate this dustball, they claim they want to be independent from the Earth, but all they're doing is hurting more people. The same people they claim to be saving."

"Most of those people deserve to die anyway." Raven growled.

"What?" now it was Yuriko's turn to jump.

"There's no hope for peace on a planet that's stained blood red, Yuriko." Raven said, "The humans of this dimension are conflicted, they hurt the people they don't agree with or that aren't part of their set system, even if those humans are harmless and good in nature. Most humans don't deserve to live."

"And other humans don't deserve to die."

Raven's tilted his glasses. Yuriko could've sworn she saw his eyes flash with a violet aura and then back to their dark colors. All the depression and hatred he gained over the years were starting to overcome his mental track. "Even the butterflies of this planet can be as vicious as the spiders. The only reason you don't see it is because they lack fangs and venom. Give them that, and you have something worse than spiders." he said, remembering a butterfly metaphor from one of the various animes he saw.

"It's one thing to gain fangs, it's another to become a predator." Yuriko justified, "If they choose that fate, let them. Grafficane and I would be more than happy to send them to the underworld. But, to kill them when the thought never cross their minds... That's the main reason I took this roll to begin with, to prevent that from happening."

"Like you said, you chose your path, I chose mine." Raven said, "Know this, only God reserves the right to choose peoples' fates. He's the only 'perfect' and 'just' being in this universe after all." From the corner of his eye, Raven saw that the shop owner was getting tired of arguing with the Gundam fanatic. As if conveniently, his mind popped up his mental databank and UC Gundam, which he kept in store for overzealous fans like this guy. His attention changed, and he moved away from Yuriko toward the man. Curious still, Yuriko followed.

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In between the series of black AlterNeith and Wraith orbital frames, the sight of a magenta AlterNeith seemed to break the dark pattern set in Taskforce Aegis' hangar bay. Swarming around it, NUT Ltd. technicians were working hard at modifying the frame to Kapricon's specifications. The young President of NUT seemed greatly delighted at the sight of the AlterNeith's armor being stripped off and replaced with the custom manufactured pieces he himself oversaw back at Nereidum. Oh, how he loved his job, sitting back and watching as his beautiful work of art was constructed right before his very eyes. Beside him was Nadia Velasgo. Esteraund Legato had retreated out of the base for his own leave, probably getting drunk or laid, or both. Taine Nikolai was also missing, having gone back to his Sandra to rally support for Aegis. Add to that most of Aegis' runners were out in the city, and you had an empty hangar open to Lenard Kapricon and the engineers and technicians of NUT Ltd.

He had felt enthusiastic about design orbital frames before, but Athena made him feel... exhilarated just by thinking about it. The perfected form of his beloved Neith. That thought alone made Kapricon warm with excitement. Sure, it wouldn't be as powerful as Anubis or that bird-like frame he had heard Norris Contraus experiment with two years ago, neither would it be as fast as Grafficane or Scarmiglione, but it wasn't made to excel in one category. It was made to excel at everything.It was a balanced warrior, concentrating its immense power on every single statistic. Speed, power, durability... Athena would have it all once it was completed. He was especially glad Colonel Velasgo was going to be its runner. With her specialty at exploiting an opponents weakness, his work of art would truly be invincible! No force from either Earth or Mars would be able to touch it, his true pride and joy Neith.

"So, how long will this take?" Nadia asked impatiently. Not that she wanted Athena to be done, the sooner that Lenard Kapricon would take his leave, the sooner her life would return to normal.

"A few days at most, but you'll be able to use it soon enough." Kapricon said dominantly, "It will require me to leave some technicians and engineers on the base, so you may want to prepare room and board for them."

Not to mention some of your industrial spies... "General Taggart won't be pleased about that." Nadia said out of the corner of her mouth, trying to hold back the iciness in her voice, "And I don't appreciate you barging in, either."

"But all this is for you, my dear." Kapricon justified, trying sound like some character in a twentieth century sitcom, cheesy acting and all. He waved his hands around the hangar, "You gave me a clean record, and for that I am grateful. And the only way I can show my gratitude is to return the favor."

"Right..." Nadia said, unbelieving, but leading the President on anyway. "However, I doubt you've come here just to give me this orbital frame."

Kapricon's smirk increased a few inches, "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

"Only when I let it." Nadia said.

"Well, to tell the truth, I wanted to look at Anubis also." Kapricon thumbed at the black and grey orbital frame standing in between Grafficane and Idolo on the other side of the room, "Specifically at that black box you discovered a while ago."

"How did you know about that?" Nadia said, arching an eyebrow. Didn't this man design this Anubis...?

"I designed it, remember? Well, this version anyway." Kapricon said, "Trouble is, that black box program was supplied by an outside source, and I have no idea what's in it. My engineers think it's the phantom SLAVE code, and I promised them all turkey dinners if they could open that black box."

"Again, what's in it for you?" Nadia said, "It'd really benefit us if we had access to the SLAVE code, but unless you're trying to impress me more, I don't see what you get out of it."

Kapricon smirk turned into a full grin at her question, "Call it a personal hunch, but I really have no idea what's in it. If it is the SLAVE code, then why is it locked in that frame's AI?" he started to pace in front of Nadia, "That was the whole point of that frame, wasn't it? Give the UNSF the SLAVE code and that'd be it. But, since you haven't opened it up yet..."

"What?" Nadia asked curiously.

Kapricon's grin turned into a frown, "As scary as it sounds, I think there's more to that machine than you and I know, and I built it."

He expected Nadia to be dumbstruck or even fearful at that comment. To his surprise, she just turned her head and chuckled lightly, "I figured that was the reason you'd come here. It's quite amusing actually, that you don't know what you put into that monstrosity."

"Don't call my beautiful art that, please." Kapricon warned, "Mock my work all you want, but I put a lot of effort into that frame."

"Pardon me." Nadia replied in sarcasm, but she doubted he'd catch it, "I'll let your engineers look at that frame, and I'll grant them room and board at the base for the time being. But once Athena is completed, I want everything that isn't owned or comphiscated by Aegis off this base. Forced if necessary."

Kapricon threw his arms up in defense, "Hey, hey, I of all people know the importance of being an honorable house guest." he said. He let out a sigh, "I guess I better get back to work. Ask me out when you drop that GI attitude." he finished, stepping away from Nadia and back to supervise Athena's construction.

Nadia herself walked away, smiling. When she first met Kapricon, she thought he was going to be trouble to bring down, but this was too easy. It would only be a matter of time before Aegis took the guy in for supporting terrorism and defying UNSF authority, and the bastard knew nothing of the sort. She knew, because he wouldn't be here right now trying kiss up to her. Before she entered the exit way from the hangar, she took one last look at the swarm of technicians around Athena. "Tell me Bolozof..." she whispered to herself, "How am I doing so far?"

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Leo couldn't feel any less comfortable than the situation he was in now, even though there was no one present in the parking garage. Slowly, he exited out of the car they were given, walked to the other side and opened the door for Celvice. So far, there was no sign of UNSF snipers or agents, not that he expected them. He straightened his 'Agent Smith' hexigonal sunglasses, then reached down and pulled Celvice's arm, so she could stand up. This was both their break and their assignment, provided to them by Elena Weinburg herself.

Elena wanted him and Celvice to go on a recon mission in Margaritifer while they were on break, finding out as much as they could on the UNSF military structure in Artemis and then relay the information back to Olympus Mons. In Leo's experience, reconnaissance was as risky as piloting a Vic Viper against an orbital frame, especially with how strict the UNSF was to 'diplomacy'. But, Elena suspected that he'd blend in more if he had his wife accompany him, and for the fact the UNSF's profile on Leo was outdated by about five years. That and the fact the UNSF had no real profile on Celvice Klein Stenbuck made him feel safer.

"You know, you haven't said much since last night." Celvice said out loud, "Are you still being bothered by the dream?"

Leo smiled warmly toward her and blushed slightly, recalling the night on the Atlantis. "No." he replied, "I'm just a little disappointed that we have to spend our break doing another one of Shale's jobs. I'd rather be at a resort in Hellas next to a beach than here, on Hell's doorstep."

"Come on, this isn't so bad." Celvice said, "We're together and I get to go shopping while you..." she stopped, catching the glance Leo gave toward her. She grinned, "...get to help me shop. Of course, we could always split and meet back at Zero's store."

"I'd prefer it if we stayed close to each other." Leo sighed at that. He loved Celvice, but he hated shopping more than anything in the world. At least North Point had plenty of electronics stores to keep him busy.

"You're being overprotective." Celvice said bluntly, "It's not like we're walking into a major Space Force base or anything."

"And you're being too lax." Leo argued back, challenging her on that, "Margaritifer's already on High Alert and we're walking into one of the most heavily crowded areas in the county."

Celvice waved her hand around the empty lot, "Leo, unless they opened a new parking garage underground, there isn't anyone here. And the Space Force has a lot more to do than worry about some Martian shops, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, I know..." Leo said, giving up. There was no point in arguing with her, and again, his desire to be with her meant more to him than his desire to keep her safe. Safe from the same fate his friends and everyone close to him had suffered. "I just want to keep you safe."

Celvice giggled at that, "That's quite ironic. The noble knight wanting to keep the princess locked away in the tower, even if the dragon is else where." she held onto his arm, "Don't worry about it. If anything happens, I know you'll protect me. You always have."

I know you'll protect me... for some reason, the fear continued to grip Leo like a snake holding its prey in its mouth.

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"Why the hell don't you have the Z Gundam boxset here?" the Gundam otaku almost roared at the cashier, "What kind of anime store goes without Mobile Suit Gundam merchandise?"

"I'm sorry, my very temperamental compadre, but I'm afraid Sunrise IV stopped making Mobile Suit Z Gundam boxsets back in `75." The shop clerk said evenly, resisting the urge to reach over and bash the guy's head over his counter. Course, he was as skinny as a rail, about five foot nothing, and as far as people considered him, he was a techno/anime geek, so he doubted he could get away with it. Last time he put up a fight, his attacker hung him up on a coat rack by his underwear.

It had been a very long day, dragging himself out of his nice, cozy apartment down to his store, even though he knew nobody would be there, and now he was being bitched at by this guy. God, he hated obsessed anime otakus almost as much as he hated those damn 'higher-than-thou' Terrans, but that was another story altogether. And this guy appeared to be both, since his skin was tan and his hair was black. Probably Native American in heritage. "However, friend, we do have several volumes of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and SEED Destiny, and..."

"I don't want that fucking trash." the otaku growled, his fist tightening next to his side. "Let me put it in simpler terms nerd-boy: I came to this store, wanting the Mobile Suit Z Gundam boxset, which is one of the series made by Yoshiyuki Tomino, not some box o' shit Gundam that was made by another director. In business, the customer is always right, isn't he?" Zero was about to open his mouth, but the smartassed man beat him, "Yes, he is! Otherwise, you wouldn't be making any money for this store, for your wife and kids or whatever. Now, I ask again, why the hell don't you have any 'true' Gundam series?"

"We do have the Turn A Gundam boxset. It was created by Yoshiyuki Tomino..." the clerk offered.

"Hell no! I don't want that AU shit! Tomino's glory days were in the 1970s and 80s, when even the physics of Gundam were realistic." the otaku explained, "Then what happens? He moves onto shit like Aura Battler Dunbine, King Gainer and Brain Powered. What the fuck is wrong with that guy? Did he all of a sudden get tired of the real world?"

"Excuse me, but can you please keep it down, gentlemen? Some of us are trying to look around…" the mocking voice of a familiar black haired, leather clad Lieutenant mocked. Raven stepped up to the counter, placing the boxset of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny on the counter, immediately earning the glare of the Zeon freak. The Lieutenant then looked the geek up and down like he just noticed him. "Wow, I thought the UC Gundam franchise died out when the UNSF started rolling out LEVs."

"Hardly!" the otaku proclaimed proudly, "We Gundam otakus are true to our heritage, I mean look at my T-shirt!" he pointed to the Zaku, "This has been handed down to me from my ancestors in the hope that the dream of space supremacy would be realized. Just as Zeon Daikun proclaimed!"

Raven rose an eyebrow. This guy was close to scaring him, "I hate to break your fantasy Daikun, but Mobile Suit Gundam was made in the 1970s, before anyone dreamed about colonizing Mars. And besides, the Earth has better stuff to do than build colonies over its own planet, especially when the Orbital Elevator is there."

"An elevator has no being in the ideals of Zeon!" the otaku announced, "As long as it remains connected to Earth, it will continue to be oppressed and humans will never evolve beyond the oldtype level. What we need to do is disconnect the elevator and place it in orbit..."

Raven arched an eyebrow, "Even though the Newtype theorem is a product of an imaginary universe?"

"How can it be fantasy when it is so close to the real world, that if the UNSF chose, they could build a space colony? Of course, I don't expect you to get it. Number one, a mere Terran like you would never understand. Number two, why are you even bothering me? There's no rule with demanding the `holy grail' of all anime…"

Ok, this guy's wacked... Raven thought, his insides starting to burn at the mention of 'Terran'. He was a diehard Gundam fan himself, and he had heard of a large cult gathered around the Zeon ideal the same way BAHRAM was gathered around Rikoah Hardimaan's ideal for Metatron, but come on.

Still, Raven kept his calm and just smiled. "Well number one, I'm not Terran. And number two, there's no rule that keeps me from walking up to you and pissing on your t-shirt. Neither is there a rule that keeps me from telling you UC Gundam is one of the most overrated pieces of anime in history, which only got as far as Mars because there's a market for classic anime, not on its own merit. But I don't do that, because it's not proper manners. So I ask again, can you please keep it low?”

”And if I don't what are you going to about it?” the Gundam fan started to shove at Raven, “What are you going to do, Feddie? Call on the White Devil to slay me…?”

That, of course, was the last warning. Combat instinct coming into play, Raven grabbed the arm, smacked the man in the gut with his other hand, thus making him hunch over, then moved behind him while drawing a combat knife. He made sure to keep both arms held, with his left arm angled so the combat knife was against the man's throat. The Zeon fan tried to scream, but when he felt the knife's edge against his exposed neck, he could only gasp. “I hope you realize you just committed assault…”

”I know.” Raven whispered into the man's ear. Technically, it wasn't assault by Martian standards, since he was a military officer, and all he did was execute a CQC technique. “To think, there was once a time where you had to hit somebody for that…” he let the man go, and then slammed his knife handle into his back, a move that Nagi had taught him sometime ago. The Zeon man was out like a light.

”My appreciation, my fellow Gundam compatriot.” The store clerk said to Raven.

”Don't mention it…” Raven was about to answer, when he saw something familiar. He hurriedly walked out of the store and into the open, making sure it was who he thought it was.

Aside from that brief second, he didn't see her face, so he wasn't sure if it was the woman in his mind or not. Then, she turned for a moment to look across the mall at a shop. Raven's eyes lit up and his heart beat quickened. It was her! The girl that looked after and took care of him back at Antilia, one of the few people that managed to break into his heart... Then feeling of hard metal nudging his ended the moment. "My, my, the rent-a-cops at this mall sure are shady characters." Raven retorted smugly. Even though he didn't see his face, he figured who was behind him...

"I told you, my dear, you are being overprotective." Celvice said, turning slowly.

"Yeah, 'dear', I was just minding my own business..." Raven said.

"Don't bullshit me." Leo spat, his blood boiling at the young man in front of him, "We don't want any trouble from you, kid. We're just here to enjoy ourselves."

"Right, and Radium Lavans was just out to clean up the neighborhood." Raven snidely replied, unbelieving.

"Leo, put it away." Celvice ordered, walking over to Raven and pushing her husband back. Leo sighed and took his hand off his UN Enforcer, which was tucked in his jacket.

"He's one of them, Celvice." Leo objected, keeping his voice low as to not spread alarm, "If we let him go, he'll report us to Aegis."

"You probably, but not her." Raven snorted at Leo. Celvice gave a confused look, as to why the young man was being respectful towards her. That's when he turned to her, and smirked, " Been a while, hasn't it, Celvice? " he said in Russian. Leo raised an eyebrow at that, but when his wife smiled, he lightened up a little.

Celvice didn't speak Russian, but she did know how her name was pronounced in the language. Only one person called her that. "Raven? Is that you? Raven Vostrikov?"

"You recognize me, Celvice." Raven laughed lightly, "I'm glad."

"You've grown up since the last time I saw you." Celvice observed, putting her hand on Raven's shoulder and bringing him so she could see his face, "A young man now, I see. And from what my husband told me, you've done well for yourself in the past years."

"Wouldn't say I've done well for myself." Raven said, a little grim. He got a dismal feeling in his head when she said 'husband'. After all, he did have a crush on her when he was ten years old. Raven had long since gotten over it, but he guessed there were still parts of him that had feelings for Celvice Klein. "It's not what it looks like, ok? I'm only a working man because I need a place to stay."

"It's alright, Raven, there's no reason I shouldn't trust you." Celvice said softly, then looking over at her husband, "Because if you did anything to me, my knight in shining armor over there would not be too happy." Leo made a 'hmph' sound at her comment.

"Right..." Raven said, feeling a sweat drop roll down his scalp. "So what are you here for?"

"Oh, we finally got a break from work, so we decided to come by Margaritifer and do some shopping." Celvice explained, "We were about to go to lunch in the food court. How about you join us in the food court?"

"Celvice!" Leo nearly shouted, but kept his voice even.

"Will you relax, 'sir'?" Raven said, "I told you, I'm not going to turn you in. Even if I wanted to, there's probably more of your buddies running around." he explained, "The Space Force can go fuck themselves for all I care. The only reason I'm working for them is because I'm getting paid for it. That and I like being called 'Lieutenant' and 'sir'." he added on.

Leo sighed, stepping around him and next to Celvice. He didn't let his guard down, but he decided to give the kid a chance. "Alright, I'm sorry." he said, "We got off on the wrong foot the other day, but if my wife can trust you, then there's no reason I can't." Celvice giggled at that. Leo continued, "Care to join us for lunch, Lieutenant?"

"Sure thing, Commander." Raven shot back. Seeing that Yuriko was gone, he figured there wasn't anyone that could stop him...

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”And there they go through the rotating spike pillars, ladies and gentlemen!” the announcer shouted, “Team One is currently in the lead, but Team Two is slowly catching up… Ooh! That has got to hurt!” the announcer continued to play the crowd, just as one of Team two's members got caught on one of the spikes, and was drug in between two rotating columns. He didn't last long, as his body got ripped to shreds between the columns, before the columns jammed and the man lost consciousness. Course, the crowd didn't care if the man lived or died, it was all part of the show.

Of all the meeting places, why does it have to be here? Esteraund groaned as the crowd cheered loudly. He was sitting in the middle of an arena with thousands of cheering fans, setup over a mock landscape at one corner of Margaritifer. The game show was called the Martian Extreme Elimination Struggle, or MXS as people liked to refer to it as. It was basically a Martian remake of an ancient Japanese TV game show in the twenty-first century, that somehow managed to make it all the way up to the red planet just before the war broke out, and has continued to linger here ever since. The idea of the game was a number of contestants, divided into two teams, were to go through different challenges, ranging from the aforementioned obstacle course to wrestling bears with one eye-brow shaved to catching falling trees with just their hands. It was all for show really, but Esteraund didn't like the game because of the biased nature. “Took you long enough.” Esteraund said, using a CODEC he implanted into his ear before he left the base.

”Something came up at headquarters regarding random fugitives and such. I got here as soon as I could.” said the new comer, via CODEC, as he took his own seat next to Esteraund. The new comer was a large man in terms of mass, even bigger than Esteraund, dressed in a gray suit with a black tie. However, one could tell the said mass wasn't from fat of any kind, but rather muscle, if one looked at the man's large, but well-portioned face. He had brown eyes and dark brown hair, making him look somewhat unremarkable as far as Terrans go. “Now, why did you call me out here?

Esteraund laughed at his explanation, “Always straight to the point, eh Sameggi? No wonder you spent a good chunk of your career kissing Baan's ass before he took the plunge. And by the way, how's ol' John Carter doing?”

WIRED Chief Inspector Brian Sameggi did not look amused at that statement, since Esteraund was referring James Links, the man he had been on sent on a wild goose chase to arrest seven years ago. “I'm a busy man, Esteraund, and as much as I like the Elimination Struggle, I came here to talk business…”

The dark blue-haired mercenary rose an eyebrow, “You like this kind of thing?” he asked, waving his hand at one of the TV screens. Members of Team Two were currently running for their lives as a lion, that accidentally (or conveniently) escaped from one of the other obstacle course, ran after them for his next meal, while Team One advanced to the alligator pits. “This is so biased, it just depresses me.”

”It's just a game, Esteraund.” Sameggi retorted.

”No, this is a TV show. The Teams are divided between the Martians and Terrans, and the two are put onto separate courses. Before you got here, Team Two had run through a live mine field, rolling boulders, barbed wire barricades and even through a lava pit, all of which were real dangers, while Team One had backdoors all the way.”

”And the point is…?” Sameggi asked.

”That Team Two is tired and beaten long before they ever see the finish line, conveniently allowing Team One to gain the win.” Esteraund watched as the majority of Team One members had made it over a swaying wooden bridge over the alligator pit. The challenge there was to keep the bridge balanced, so no one slipped off into the pit, and that meant Team One had to cross the bridge slowly. A few of the alligators began to gather below the bridge, just waiting for someone to slip.

”Heh, look at that. See the engineering of that bridge? You could drive a car over that bridge and it wouldn't snap.” Esteraund pointed out.

”What are you going to do about it? Complain to the network for pro-Terran rights?” Sameggi asked, now getting curious.

”No, no, I don't care about Terrans or Martians. I'm merely a sportsman…” upon saying that, Esteraund pulled out a small remote detonator from his pocket, “Therefore, I believe in a fair game, as any sportsman would.” He sent an electrical charge into the detonator, activating it.

Upon the remote's signal, explosive charges placed at the base points of the bridge set off with a loud, collective `bang'. The explosives weren't powerful enough to blow the bridge up entire, but they did destroy the ropes that held the bridge in place. In just a single moment, the majority of Team One dropped along with the wooden bridge into alligator pit, all screaming for their lives in fear and confusion. And one by one, the alligators began to prey on them.

”Holy…! Looks like the tables have turned!” the announcer let out, not even wondering if it was supposed to happen. The crowd `oohed' as one of the alligators latched onto a man, drug him down in the water and began to spin wildly to rip the man to shreds.

Sameggi arched an eyebrow, and nodded in approval. “Crude, yet effective…”

”And now the game's level…” Esteraund said, clapping as another Team One member, just barely making it onto land, was dragged back into the water by an alligator.

At the intermission, Esteraund and Sameggi walked into the main lobby of the arena, moving past random spectators who were out to find nourishment in the food court. It was the first time Sameggi noticed, but Esteraund was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, and a black t-shirt with the Aegis logo inscribed on the center like a Superman logo. On the back, it read `For late night fun, call the Space Force at 1-800-435-UNSF', which had a picture of one of Aegis' black AlterNeiths. “You haven't changed at all.” Sameggi said, shaking his head.

”I thought you wanted to talk business.” Esteraund asked.

”Just noting something…” Sameggi said, as the two made their way out of the crowd and to an isolated area of the arena. “Now, what is it you want?”

”The `budget' that VANGUARD ripped from the UN. That wouldn't happen to be the Gold of Balthasar, would it?” Esteraund asked.

Sameggi looked at Esteraund as if he had seen a ghost, “How did you know…?”

”I'm a Dominion, Sameggi, it's my job to know these things.” Esteraund said, “Over 300 Billion dollars in gold bars, collected from the re-organizing Terran industry by the Sage Balthasar. The `Gold' was supposed to ensure the UNSF's dominance over Mars, and allow it to adopt the Orbital Frame into their WMD collection…”

”I know what the Gold was meant for, Legato.” Sameggi said.

”What I want to know is, how did they get it?” Esteraund asked.

Sameggi sighed, “We don't know the details, but someone posing as a UNSF High Command official issued orders to have the Gold transported from the Earth to Deimos. They had an entire battle group for escort, but the gold never made it…”

”'Cause?” Esteraund said.

”Destroyed. Survivors claim Jehuty and a red orbital frame were responsible for the destruction, and that a ship that fits the profile of the Atlantis salvaged the gold from the freighter wreckage.” Sameggi said, “That's the UNSF's explanation for it. However, High Command didn't want to admit that they were robbed, because it could mean losing future support from Balthasar, so they kept a lid on it.”

”Yeah right, like that's going to keep Bal from figuring it out.” Esteraund exclaimed.

”I'm getting WIRED to look into it, but I doubt we'll find anything. Knowing how VANGUARD works, they stashed it in a BAHRAM storage bin somewhere that's out of reach from the Earth.” Sameggi said skeptically.

”That's another thing I need.” Esteraund said, “Aegis' data on VANGUARD is outdated by two years…”

”And you expect WIRED's to be current?” Sameggi exclaimed.

”No, but you know more about how it's being run then Aegis. And since Aegis is doing the fighting, I don't think it'd hurt you if you lent some data to us.” Esteraund said.

Sameggi gulped, “That could be a problem…”

”Why's that?” Esteraund asked.

”We have data on Wilhelm, sure, but there's a rumor going around on the streets…” Sameggi hesitantly continued, “The General isn't the one running the show.”

”Excuse me?” now it was Esteraund's turn to be surprised.

”The rumor is that someone, supposedly an ex-BAHRAM officer, organized the VANGUARD rebellion by relaying orders to Wilhelm who in turn relayed orders to Browning and Weinburg.” Sameggi explained.

”You're saying VANGUARD's a smokescreen?” Esteraund asked, mock contemplating. In truth, he knew about this before hand, but he didn't want to give Sameggi the impression he knew too much. “Makes sense. Perhaps you know how our mystery man was relaying orders?” That he didn't know.

”That's the thing. From what our mole in VANGUARD has reported, our mystery man never talks directly to Wilhelm. He doesn't talk over a phone, instant messenger, or even mores code to the General, he just sends a messenger boy…”

”Messenger boy?”

Sameggi nodded, “Some kid, probably in his late teens, usually dressed in a silver flight suit with a cape attached, like he were some form of royalty. He also has some form of hieroglyphics inscribed on the suit, but our man couldn't determine what they meant…”

Hieroglyphics? “Did your man actually see the guy's face?” Esteraund asked, knowing that he shouldn't be asking this much.

”He sent a picture before we lost contact. For some reason, I figured you were going to ask for it, so I brought it with me.” Sameggi said, reaching into his pocket and folding out a piece of paper. “This guy looks like he could be a supermodel…”

It wasn't a good picture, it had been taken from around a corridor as the target was walking by, but Esteraund could tell who it was. In fact, when he saw the picture, he felt his entire body run cold, and his fist tightening. Electricity began to run up and down his arms and legs, threatening to burn through the clothes he was wearing if he wasn't careful. If Isaac's here, that means… Shit! The old man's dropping the rest of the plan and going for the end result! His mind screamed in realization.

Despite the shocking revelation, Esteraund remained composed, not showing any sign of shock to Sameggi. “Thanks, that's all I needed to know…”

-------------------------------

Raven had just returned from Taco Bell, a bag of two chicken chalupas "minus-all-the-toppings except-the-cheese-in-one-hand" and the largest cup of Pepsi in the other. Leo and Celvice were both sitting at a table in the near empty food court. As Raven sat down, he caught glimpse of a glare emanating from Leo, to which he countered with his own. Celvice elbowed her husband in the gut, enough to make him lose his demeanor, and then gave a warm carrying smile to Raven. "I apologize on his behalf, we don't eat lunch with UNSF officials very often."

The boy just shook his head a little, blushing a little bit. Him, an official? "I'm just a Lieutenant in Special Taskforce Aegis, no big deal. I 'deal' with people, they pay me a wage, there's no more loyalty than that."

"I'm not surprised." Leo said, in a very blatant monotone.

Raven just sighed and stared at Leo, "Look, if this is about the battle over Gustav Base, then you can forget about it. I was scared out of my mind because Anubis started to resonate."

"So you felt it too?" Leo asked, switching over to curiosity.

"My cockpit began to flare up, and the whole frame seemed to shudder. I don't know why..." Raven said, beginning to trail off, "Look, can we talk about something else? Like why are you guys fighting for an organization that wants to destroy your home planet?"

Celvice laughed softly, as if Raven were a child who asked a question so obvious, and yet he didn't understand. Leo saw no reason to ignore the boy's question, since it wasn't made out of hostility. "About two years ago, a man named De Franz was given an assignment to kill me." he said. Raven arched an eyebrow, a little confused, so Leo continued, "Back at that time, I was working for East Wind, a joint Earth-Mars organization that worked outside the Space Force. They saw us as a threat for some reason and wanted all of us dead, but they saw me as a larger threat."

"Really?" Raven said, "Are you saying the Space Force is willing to execute their own officers, Commander?"

"I was a legend to both Earth and Mars, thanks to Antilia. A status symbol, not that I wanted to be." Leo said, "They wanted me dead so I wouldn't take part in any 'rebellions' against the 'Mother world', and everyone connected to me, including Celvice."

Raven looked over at Celvice and saw she was just drinking some of her tea, casually, but he could see she was recalling a painful memory from the way she looked away. Leo wrapped his right arm around her in order to comfort her a little. He sighed, "A lot of our friends and acquaintances, people we've known since preschool, were killed in the purge. I'm not a believer in fighting for the right cause, but that day, I saw just how terrible the Earth was. We took up arms with Ele... Er, I mean Vice Admiral Elena Weinburg and wandered the solar system when General Browning of VANGUARD offered us their support in exchange for our service."

"I can't say I blame you." Raven said, after he swallowed a bite from his chalupa. It was a similar reason to his joining Special Taskforce Aegis, ironically. "The only reason I joined the UNSF was so I could operate in Aegis. Aside from my staff and clothes, Anubis is all I have left now, but I can't keep it legally with the Anti-Metatron Body Act in effect."

"So you took the life as a mercenary?" Leo wondered.

"A lot has changed since our days at Antilia, Leo." Raven said solemnly, recalling all the memories in Nereidum County. "The racist tension is a lot higher now, and I'm half-Terran and half-Martian. Those two sides have physical benefits." Raven explained by cracking his knuckles, the sound of bones snapping into position being loud enough to echo a little around the room, "But that doesn't change the fact I'm a product of two opposing sides."

Leo just smirked, "That's your excuse for being an asshole? Geez, Raven, I thought you hated people who used excuses."

Raven smirked back, "And I still do, Stenbuck." he said, laughing a little.

Celvice saw that now they were smiling at each other, more like competitive rivals than the bitter enemies they were before, but she didn't say anything. She was enjoying the moment, and for the fact Leo might take his arm away if she spoke up. Conversation soon followed, as both Raven and Leo began speaking about their past experiences, their orbital frames and lives as soldiers, comparing to see which one was worse. Both of them told how they 'accidentally' encountered their frames and the battles they fought with them, even comparing kills like ace pilots did back in the days of the World Wars.

Finally, the conversation ended, as both remembered what they were doing their to begin with. Raven was the first to get up. "Look, I didn't join Aegis to kill you, Stenbuck, I joined because my life as a street fighter ended the moment I stepped into Anubis." Raven said, "We may end up killing each other, but don't think of me as a true villain."

"Then I ask the same from you, Lieutenant." Leo said, now sounding like a flight instructor, "But I must warn you now, when VANGUARD attacks, stay out of my way." his eyes narrowed in seriousness, "Because I won't stand back because of this conversation."

"Leo!" Celvice bolted.

"No, he's right." Raven replied to Celvice, "I was about to tell him the same thing."

Celvice sighed. Boys would be boys, although she doubted either would do harm to the other. "Alright, Leo, lets do what we came here to do and go."

"Alright." Leo said, nodding to his wife and then reaching out to Raven's hand, "Good day to you, Lieutenant."

Raven took the hand and shook it, then watched as the two walked out of the food court. Despite their pleasant conversation, he remembered Commander Leo Stenbuck was still on the opposite side, and when the time came, they would fight again. However, he felt a little more lenient to Leo this time. Before, he wanted nothing more than to kill him, but now, he was considering sparing his life and letting him return home in a badly damaged Jehuty. You are faltering so soon? The role of the Raven is not to decide to spare or take, but to carry souls to the underworld. That is also the role of the Lord of the Dead…

Raven turned around to see where the voice was coming from, but he saw nothing. His blood ran cold, almost like a shadow had come over him. His head was filled with whispering, laughing and taunting voices, all saying different things and yet all the voices sounded the same. It was the same feeling he got back at his apartment, the warning that came into his mind just as the police arrived. In fact, it was the same voice.

Hearing a sound behind him, he whipped around, drawing one of his Anacondas, and pointing at the sound's origin. There in front of him, three familiar faces: the guy with the Yu-Gi-Oh wig and the two gangsters hanging out at the Suncoast. He sighed, putting his gun down, "Guys, come on, I've got nothing against..." that's when he noticed something strange. They were hunched over like something was dragging them by their heads, almost zombie-like. Not only that, but even more startling, their eyes were rolled back into their heads. What the hell? Raven thought, putting his gun back up again. One of the gangsters drew a knife and walked toward him with the knife raised over him, ready to strike down. Raven fired the gun, hitting the gangster in the forehead.

The echo of a loud 'bang' could be heard throughout the mall, but there was no commotion. In fact, it was as if the Mall, and perhaps the entirety of North Point, had become deserted...

-------------------------------

In Aegis' hangar, red lines began to run up and down the form of a black, jackal like orbital frame. No one seemed to notice this until one of the techs saw an anti-proton reactor start up emanating from the hanger bay from his station. And even after that, no one saw the activation until the frame began to move, ripping itself free of the clamps and landing on the ground. There it stood, head bowed, wings spread and tail whipping with anticipation. Anubis looked up, its eyes flaring crimson...

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TO BE CONTINUED...

-For the Gundam-illiterate, the Principality of Zeon is the antagonist government that invades the Earth in Mobile Suit Gundam. Colonel Char Aznable, aka the Red Comet, is one of their leading aces. The government was founded as the Republic of Zeon by Zeon Zum Daikun, Char's father, but it fell into the hands of Degwin Zabi and became the Principality when Daikun died.

-The Orbital Elevator is a long space colony-like structure that extends from the surface of the Earth up into space, close to the Moon. The Elevator acts as a waypoint for merchants, since it is directly linked from space to the planet's surface, as well as the main base for the UNSF in Earth orbit and a dwelling for humans, just like the space colonies. This structure gets a great deal of attention at the end of Zone of the Enders: Dolores, i.