It had been about an hour since we received the report that the town of Tassil was burning and Mu sortied in the Skygrasper. Aside from me, who knew the details of Tassil's fate and Andrew Waltfeld's personality thanks to my knowledge of the original story, many on board were anxious. Kira was also on edge, waiting in the Strike just in case. My Blitz was designated as the reserve force, so I was currently on the bridge.
That was when a transmission came in from Mu, who had arrived on the scene.
"This is La Flaga. There are survivors in the town."
There were survivors in a town burned by ZAFT. The Archangel's bridge crew, who knew the terror of mobile suits all too well, sighed in relief at those words. However, Mu's next transmission filled their minds with questions.
"Actually, a considerable number of people seem unharmed. What in the world is going on here?"
"And the enemy?!"
"Gone. Not a trace."
Mu answered Murrue's question simply: the enemy was already gone.
Hearing this, Murrue and the rest of the bridge crew tilted their heads in confusion.
"Axel, what do you think?"
"Maybe the Desert Tiger doesn't approve of slaughtering civilians?"
"That possibility... judging by the situation, it seems high."
If I recall correctly, the development in the original story after this is...
"However, there's a possibility this won't end here."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Not much time has passed since the town was burned. That means the Desert Tiger is still on his way back to base. Plus, they've expended ammunition attacking the town. What do you think the Desert Dawn members—especially those from Tassil—will do when they realize this?"
"You don't mean...?!"
Murrue must have realized what I was implying. She looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
I simply shook my head silently.
"Think about it. The Desert Dawn calls themselves a resistance, which sounds nice, but essentially they're just a militia without formal military training. Can you say for sure that a group like that won't let their emotions run wild and do something reckless?"
Strictly speaking, ZAFT could also be classified as a kind of militia... but they were Coordinators, and highly trained ones at that. Comparing them to a resistance group like the Desert Dawn was a mistake.
"But their chances of winning are..."
"Zero, basically. But charging in despite that is exactly what makes it ' reckless.'"
"..."
Murrue fell silent. Then, a transmission from Mu arrived, proving my prediction correct.
"Captain, the Desert Dawn guys have gone chasing after the Desert Tiger."
"What?! No... to think they would really lose control just as Axel said... Why didn't you stop them, Major La Flaga?!"
"If I tried to stop them, it looked like they'd start a war with us. More importantly, we have a lot of injured people here, and there are issues with food and, above all, water. What should we do?"
"...Axel, what about the Blitz?"
"I had Kira adjust the settings. The OS is ready."
"So you're good to go in an emergency?"
"Yeah. But asking that implies you're sending Kira?"
"Yes. Kira-kun... no, Ensign Yamato will go. Reckless or not, we can't just leave them to die."
"Well, that's probably best. With the Aile Striker Pack, he has better mobility than the Blitz and can fly to an extent."
"Yes. Major La Flaga, we will send water and medical supplies in the remaining vehicles."
"Roger."
Mu replied briefly and cut the connection. He was likely preparing to efficiently distribute the supplies once our vehicles arrived.
"Private Howe, launch the Strike."
"Yes, ma'am."
Miriallia responded and opened a line to Kira.
"Kira, Strike launch requested."
"Roger."
Kira replied shortly, equipping the Aile Striker Pack and sortieing into the desert.
The events that followed didn't differ much from the original story. Nearly half of the Desert Dawn members who chased the enemy were killed, and the boy riding in the same car as Cagalli died as well. Seeing this, Kira said something about how dying was meaningless, and when Cagalli lashed out at him, he slapped her.
Several days had passed since then. Currently, Kira was out shopping for supplies in Banadiya with Cagalli. Natarle and several other bridge crew members were with them, meaning the Archangel was currently operating at half strength.
However, Murrue likely wanted to give Kira a change of pace, fully aware of the risks. The fact that Flay and Kira had become a couple was influencing her decision. Unlike Murrue and me, Kira was a civilian until very recently. Perhaps she thought the stress of continuous combat had broken him, leading him to Flay...
Aside from that, they were planning to procure ammunition and other supplies for the Archangel from arms dealers—items the Desert Dawn couldn't provide.
And during this shopping trip, Kira was destined to meet the Desert Tiger, Andrew Waltfeld.
"Ah, ah, ah. Dragging all this junk in here. Why on earth do I have to sleep in the cockpit, anyway!"
Murdoch complained loudly as he tossed trash out of the Strike's cockpit, which Flay was collecting into a garbage bag.
Murrue, Mu, and I were watching this scene from the catwalk above the mobile suit hangar.
"But since when..."
"Who knows... probably since we landed on Earth? They didn't have the time before that."
Listening to Mu's words, Murrue watched Flay and spoke again.
"She's Sai-kun's girlfriend... isn't she? Is she really with Kira-kun now?"
"Surprising? Yeah. I think so too. ...Axel, haven't you heard anything? Aside from his friends, you're the closest to the kid on this ship, aren't you?"
Now, how should I answer this? Should I say that Flay seduced Kira using her body to avenge her father? No, if I say that and we interfere, it might just make things more complicated.
To begin with, I'm self-aware enough to know that I'm not exactly an expert on romance. I used to put on airs in front of Mu, but ever since realizing that Murrue actually had feelings for me after we landed on Earth, that pretension has completely vanished.
If Lemon or Cornelia were here, maybe I could consult them.
"Axel?"
Suddenly, I realized Murrue was looking at me with sharp eyes.
"Just now, were you perhaps thinking about something strange... or someone specific?"
"...No, never."
Sharp. Is this what they call a woman's intuition? I broke out in a cold, unpleasant sweat down my back but played dumb.
As for Mu, he was watching me and Murrue with an amused expression. Damn you.
"Well, getting back to the topic... Unlike us, Kira was originally a civilian. His natural physical ability might let him handle combat, but you can't train the heart so easily."
"That's... true..."
With a sigh, she muttered those words and left the hangar. Mu and I followed her with our eyes, then trailed after her.
"Whether he broke from combat stress and that led to this, or this happened and he broke... I don't know. Either way, the kid's state isn't good."
"Still, it was careless of me. Because he was so excellent—rivaling even a veteran mercenary pilot like Axel—I inadvertently... I forgot that he's just a child with no formal training..."
"Because he can do it, he feels he has to do it. He corners himself into thinking he has to protect his friends... and the stress just keeps building up."
Murrue stopped listening to Mu and me and turned to look at us.
"Do you have any ideas on how to relieve that stress? You're both his seniors, aren't you?"
"Eh? U-Umm..."
Mu groaned while shifting his gaze to Murrue's ample chest. I want to insist that I wasn't in the wrong for instinctively smacking him upside the head.
"What kind of look are you giving someone's lover, you?"
"Ouch... A-Axel, seriously, what is with your monstrous strength?"
Incidentally, as you can tell from this exchange, Mu already knows that Murrue and I are dating. I mean, after he saw me with her lipstick smeared all over my face, I didn't think I could hide it anyway. Fortunately, despite his frivolous personality, he's tight-lipped, so he hasn't told anyone about my relationship with Murrue, which helps.
"Sigh. ...Anyway, I hope today's outing gives him a little change of pace."
Murrue glanced at Mu and me with an exasperated look before walking away.
"Somehow, I feel like I'm getting blamed because of you."
"...Sorry. Make it up to her later. Still... it must be nice, being young. I wish I could have a youth like that."
"Really? A muddy youth filled with love triangles? I'll pass."
No, considering I know for a fact mine will turn into a quadrangle, maybe my words lack persuasive power. ...I wonder what kind of hell awaits me when we connect with the White Star. Although, if asked whether I regret having a relationship with Murrue, I would puff out my chest and say "No."
About two hours after upsetting Murrue. Having finally restored her mood, I was on the bridge with her. That was when an urgent transmission came in from Kisaka stating that Kira and Cagalli hadn't returned by the rendezvous time.
"What?! Kira-kun and Cagalli-san haven't returned?!"
"Yeah. They didn't show up at the appointed time. Have Saheeb and the others returned to you?"
"No, not yet."
"Radio conditions are poor, so we can't contact them directly. If you manage to reach them, tell some of them to return here. There seems to have been a Blue Cosmos terrorist attack in the city. I wanted to investigate, but we're short-handed."
"Summon Lieutenant Badgiruel immediately!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The operator hurriedly followed Murrue's instructions. I thought about the situation as I watched.
If there was a Blue Cosmos terrorist attack, then things are almost certainly proceeding according to the original story. That means right now, Kira and the others should be with Waltfeld.
"Murrue, should I head out too?"
"No. With Kira-kun absent, you are the Archangel's last line of defense. Please, stay put for now."
"Understood."
In the end, events unfolded just as they did in the original story. Sai caused a scene trying to move the Strike and collapsed in the mobile suit hangar. Kira and the others, who had been meeting with Waltfeld, were released and returned to the Archangel under Natarle's protection.
Naturally, upon his return, Kira received a lengthy lecture—lasting several hours—from both Murrue and Natarle.
Name: Axel Almar
LV: 35
PP: 525
Stats:
Melee: 246
Shooting: 264
Skill: 256
Defense: 253
Evasion: 281
Accuracy: 303
SP: 422
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consuming SP increases unit performance)
Growth Type: Versatile / Special
Terrain Ratings:
Air: S
Land: S
Sea: B
Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate (SP 4)
Gain (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Attack (SP 30)
Zeal (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up L9 + SP Recover + Focus)
Telekinesis L10
Attacker
Gunfight L9
In-fight L9
Limit Break (Morale)
Geass (Gray)
???
???
???
???
???
Shot Down Count: 262
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