"Wang Hu."
"Creuset."
Two mobile suits faced each other across the cosmic space between the vanguard fleet and ZAFT.
The blue, white, and gold Zeta Gundam aimed its gun at the Gouf Ignited before it, while the opposing Gouf Ignited did the same.
Under the tense gazes of Kira and Athrun, the sudden exchange of calls between the two gave the observers an eerily familiar sense of déjà vu.
Could they also be childhood friends?
Reflecting on the way their respective aces had called out to each other, Kira and Athrun couldn't help but entertain this inexplicable thought.
Well... it wasn't just Kira and Athrun who had this idea. Even Lacus, sitting in Wang Hu's lap, secretly turned her pretty face to quickly glance at the smiling Wang Hu before lowering her head again, pondering this possibility in her little mind.
"Why not give yourself a chance to be a good person?"
Wang Hu was the first to open his cockpit hatch, speaking to Creuset who followed suit shortly after.
"..." Creuset had excellent eyesight, so he could clearly see the situation inside the Zeta Gundam.
The first thing he saw was Lacus nestled obediently in Wang Hu's embrace like a little bird.
Poor child, Creuset thought upon hearing Wang Hu's words, feeling pity for Athrun and hoping that boy wouldn't be too narrow-minded about this.
Only then did he lift his eyes to look at Wang Hu, that friend-and-foe who was speaking to him.
"You know I have no choice."
Speaking words that only Wang Hu, himself, and Durandal back in PLANT would understand, Creuset's calm and magnetic voice rang out.
"What if you did have a choice? Could you be a good person?"
Fully understanding what Creuset meant, Wang Hu smiled and extended the invitation again.
If Creuset could abandon that unrealistic ambition, his personal capabilities were truly commendable.
Simply letting him die would be such a waste.
"Heh heh heh." Creuset's gaze drifted toward Lacus, who was clearly eavesdropping with perked ears.
How could the famous Captain Creuset not be mindful of the principle that "loose lips sink ships" when facing such an intelligent person?
"I am a good person now - from PLANT's perspective."
"Alright, let's not waste any more time. Please return our diva, Miss Lacus, to us?"
Still needing to figure out how to explain things to Patrick and assemble another fleet to challenge Wang Hu, Creuset wanted to quickly conclude this tedious hostage return ceremony. Besides, he was anticipating something else.
"Fine." Nodding, Wang Hu piloted the Zeta Gundam to drift toward the Gouf Ignited, showing no concern that Creuset might attempt any tricks at the last moment.
Seeing this, Creuset gracefully retracted the gun he had been holding, though he made no move to approach closer.
When the two mobile suits reached an extremely close distance - so close that neither could effectively use their arms at that range - Wang Hu rose from the Zeta Gundam's cockpit holding Lacus and floated out. Reaching the hatch, he gave her a slight push forward.
Pushing Lacus towards Creuset, towards the cockpit of the Gouf Ignited.
"Wang Hu." As she was pushed outward, Lacus suddenly turned back and cast a deep glance at the man who had, for the first time in her life, struck her.
"Bye bye, think carefully about what you should do in the future?" Waving at Lacus with a smile, Wang Hu watched the girl depart.
"Lacus, Kira, Wang Hu."
On this side, Athrun muttered the names of the people present, his vision equally sharp.
As early as when the Zeta Gundam opened its hatch, Athrun had seen Lacus sitting on Wang Hu's lap.
People are different.
In the original timeline, when Lacus sat in Kira's embrace, Athrun was only slightly surprised but said nothing and didn't think much of it.
After all, Kira was his close friend, so Lacus sitting with him and Kira holding her was no big deal.
Later, when Athrun and Lacus were alone together, the blue-haired boy would often bring up Kira, reminiscing about his friend's virtues.
Seeing that Lacus didn't mind him constantly mentioning Kira, Athrun would talk even more about Kira.
But!
Now Lacus was sitting in Wang Hu's lap, pressed so close together!
For Athrun, for any normal man, this felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Especially when Lacus was sent away, she instinctively glanced back at him.
This further solidified the resolve Athrun had already been nurturing in his heart.
Nicol!
His eyes and mind filled with the image of his sworn brother from PLANT.
Athrun tightened his grip on the Aegis Gundam's control stick, a mechanical button keyboard having already popped up from the armrest beside the pilot seat.
Once Lacus reached Captain Creuset, that would be his moment to strike. Silently reaffirming his determination, Athrun patiently waited for the right opportunity.
"Big brother Wang Hu, let's go."
Kira in the Strike Gundam hadn't spoken to Athrun from beginning to end. Aside from glancing at his friend's Aegis Gundam, he treated the other as if he weren't there.
Seeing that Lacus had been sent back, and vaguely sensing from the Haro the girl carried that Lacus and Athrun were connected, Kira felt he could now give his friend a reasonable explanation.
Therefore, not wanting to linger and risk complications as things were concluding, Kira urged Wang Hu with a slightly pressing tone.
"Kira?"
Little did he know that Kira's attitude struck Athrun as another blow to the sensitive youth.
He won't even talk to me now? And he calls Wang Hu "big brother"?
With Nicol and Lacus before, and now Kira, Athrun's hesitation completely vanished.
The moment Creuset caught Lacus!
The Aegis Gundam transformed into MA Mode, and Athrun manipulated the Gundam to swiftly extend its four mechanical arms!
Positioning them to firmly clamp onto Wang Hu's Zeta Gundam, his hand already rested on the mechanical keyboard, ready to press the 2887 button at any moment.
"Athrun?" Startled by his friend's sudden move, Kira hurriedly raised the Strike Gundam's rifle.
Aiming at the Aegis Gundam in his sights, Kira's finger on the trigger felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
"Brother Wang Hu!" The psychological balance began to tip. Just as Athrun was about to seize Wang Hu, Kira pulled the trigger of his Beam Rifle!
A green beam shot from the barrel, flying straight toward the Aegis Gundam.
"Kira?" The cockpit alarm blared, and Athrun's eyes filled with heart-wrenching sorrow.
For the person before you, Kira, you'd fire at me?
Well done!
Creuset somewhat rudely tossed Lacus, whom he had just received, toward the back of the cockpit, immediately taking his seat in the Gouf Ignited.
While Athrun's Aegis Gundam captured everyone's attention, the Dragoons on the back of the Gouf Ignited swiftly launched like a gust of wind.
From the very beginning, he hadn't placed all his hopes on Athrun—relying on others was never as good as relying on oneself.
Creuset believed that in this world, only he himself could kill Wang Hu!
And what followed unfolded just as he had anticipated. Athrun was blocked by Kira's beam attack, and the already battered Aegis Gundam flashed with sparks.
Due to Kira's attack, the Aegis Gundam's flight path veered off course, its flaming frame narrowly brushing past Wang Hu's Zeta Gundam.
"Wang Hu!" Grateful for his own foresight, Creuset roared as the Dragoons danced, unleashing countless beams toward Wang Hu.
"Creuset!" As if mirroring Kira and Athrun, Wang Hu shouted and raised his arm, firing two concealed missiles from within the Gundam's forearm.
"What?!" Watching the cluster missiles explode toward the Dragoons, Creuset's eyes narrowed, his pupils filled with rage.
This guy always had something up his sleeve—he had never seen Wang Hu use missiles in their previous battles!
"Boom, boom."
The scattering cluster missiles destroyed three of Creuset's unprepared Dragoons.
Ignoring the loss of his Dragoons, Creuset focused intently on the beams raining down toward Wang Hu. He saw the Zeta Gundam raising its crimson shield, blocking and dodging as it charged forward.
"Wang Hu!" Gritting his teeth and gripping the control stick tightly, Creuset felt both disappointment and a sense of inevitability.
Without dwelling on the failed ambush, he redirected the remaining Dragoons' cannons, preparing to continue the assault.
Of course, Creuset didn't place all his hopes on the Dragoons either. The Gouf Ignited's hand had already grasped its Beam Saber.
I'm not afraid of close combat, Wang Hu!
"Whoosh, whoosh." Wang Hu's fingers danced across the control stick. He fired another missile at the three remaining charging Dragoons and one more toward Creuset's Gouf.
To prevent the last three Dragoons from being destroyed, Creuset reacted swiftly, maneuvering them to evade.
While managing the Dragoons, he also piloted his own mobile suit to avoid the cluster missiles exploding in space.
"Boom, boom." Two flames erupted. Though Wang Hu's attacks missed their targets, the missiles bought him enough time to close in on the Gouf Ignited. Raising his arm, he swung down with a powerful slash.
"Zzzzt!"
Sparks flew as sword and shield collided, mirroring the intense clash of convictions between Wang Hu and Creuset.
"Wang Hu!" "Creuset!"
The pilots in their respective mobile suits fervently shouted each other's names, both faces brimming with exhilarated smiles!
Three Dragoon cannons swiveled their muzzles as Creuset laughed maniacally, controlling the weapons to attack Wang Hu from behind.
Kicking off violently, Wang Hu slammed his foot heavily against the Gouf Ignited's shield blocking his path, using the momentum to flip and evade the beam attack coming from behind.
Then both pilots pulled sharp arcs, each pressing their accelerators to the floor as if flooring the throttle.
While dodging the Dragoons' attacks, Wang Hu kept his gaze firmly locked on Creuset, his sword steadily aimed at his opponent.
As for Creuset? He didn't need such complicated maneuvers - flying in a straight trajectory, his acceleration was far easier than Wang Hu's, giving him greater kinetic energy!
"Boom!" Like two meteors colliding, shield against shield, sword against sword.
"Wang Hu!" "Creuset!"
The Gouf Ignited had acceleration advantage, the Zeta Gundam had frame superiority - neither would yield, temporarily locked in stalemate.
Thus they drew long, glittering trails across space, while Athrun and Kira watched dumbfounded, unable to intervene.
It seemed as if traces of their fierce battle were scattered everywhere around them!
"So incredible!" Kira exclaimed, holding his gun but unsure how to aim.
"Captain Creuset!" Athrun tried to get the Aegis Gundam moving again
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