Ryan Apollos
Posts : 274
Join date : 2011-03-01
Age : 34
Location : Florida
Wrestler Stats
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Alignment: Face
![Crimson Skull [vs.] Ryan Apollos Empty](https://2img.net/i/empty.gif) |  Subject: Re: Crimson Skull [vs.] Ryan Apollos ![Crimson Skull [vs.] Ryan Apollos I_icon_minitime](https://2img.net/s/t/15/19/06/i_icon_minitime.gif) Wed Aug 15, 2012 12:04 am | |
| Dream State 00
Part 4
Following Divine and Ryan's mission, Sumeragi decided that their best course of action was to head back into space immediately. Celestial Being needed time to sift through their information and work out what their next course of action should be. While Ryan and Divine were partway through their mission, the crew back aboard the Ptolemaios had learned that the Earth Sphere Federation had placed its entire army under the direct control of the A-LAWS, in response to the second Memento Mori's destruction. Realising that the stakes had been raised significantly against them, everyone agreed they needed to move fast and make a move before the A-LAWS found the ship again.
"So Tieria, did you find anything helpful?" Sumeragi asked.
"Yes. It took longer than I expected, but I did manage to find some information that should shed some light on the situation." Tieria replied. "According to the records, the 0 Gundam was active in the year 2295 A.D. and did perform an armed intervention. After some checking, I was able to discover that Ryan's parents were in the area at the time of the intervention. Based on Ryan's age, he would've been conceived only a few days before. My guess is that the 0 Gundam's Particle Wings engulfed whichever building Ryan's parents were inside of. Because Ryan was still a foetus at the time, his DNA code was dramatically altered by the GN particles, causing him to develop as a purebred Innovator."
"Well that answers that question. But still, it doesn't explain how he's managed to defeat two pilots with so much more experience and training. Granted, the Duke has demonstrated performance levels on par with the Gundams, but that alone isn't enough of an explanation." Sumeragi wondered. Graham Aker and Ali Al-Saachez were both aces in their own right, with a lot of experience fighting the Gundams and many other battles besides. Based on all of the evidence, Ryan should've been defeated not long into each battle.
"Well, it's just a theory, but I think I might have an idea. I believe that, as a born Innovator, Ryan's brain may be able to unconsciously learn an opponent's fighting style and techniques in battle and then Ryan adjusts his own fighting style to counter, whether he knows it or not. It's basically the same process as the way humans learn how to do anything sort of task; figuring out how to accomplish the task, then adjusting and perfecting the method as they go. The only difference here is that Ryan is doing this subconsciously and in a split second. I seriously doubt that even Veda could process information that fast." Tieria explained. Sumeragi nodded. The Innovade's reasoning made complete sense. It perfectly explained why Ryan was able to defeat Ali Al-Saachez, having only fought him once before. He'd analysed the mercenary's brute force technique, then found a way to slip through his defence and defeat him quickly, giving Ali Al-Saachez no time to react.
"In that case, Ryan may prove to be our trump card against the Innovators. To their knowledge, Setsuna is the only one who poses a threat to them, given that they are aware of his becoming an Innovator. They won't be expecting another, much less a pilot that learns their moves in mid-battle. That combined with the fact that the Duke's beam sabers can not only penetrate GN Fields, but can also cut through other beam sabers as well. The best part is that, since the Duke was developed in secret, Veda has no information on it." Sumeragi replied. "But for now, onto more pressing matters. Tieria, you know far more about our opponents than anyone else aboard this ship. So what do you think we should do next?" Tieria's response was not long in coming. He'd been deliberating withy himself on the issue for the past few weeks. Given the fact that, with the A-LAWS and regular Federation forces at their disposal, the Innovators held a powerful card in their hand, Celestial Being needed a plan that would end the struggle quickly, before the enemy decided to overwhelm them with sheer force of numbers.
"Given the current situation, I believe our best move would be to try and retake Veda from the Innovators. If we can seize control of Veda, not only will the Innovators lose their greatest asset, but the Federation would also be unable to control information. We could finally let the world know about what the A-LAWS have really been doing under the guise of protecting the interests of peace. It won't be too difficult, I can easily access Veda. The problem is that I have no idea where Veda is located. Only the Innovators know where it is, and I doubt any of them would tell us, even if we did capture one." Tieria replied.
"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let's focus on getting the Ptolemaios and the Gundams back to full strength. We've still got a tough battle to fight." Sumeragi said.
'So, now that bastard Ali Al-Saachez is finally dead and gone. It feels great knowing I can finally set that burden aside for good. Still, I wonder what's going to happen now. As far as I know, we still have no idea on how to stop the A-LAWS from continuing with their attacks on anyone they label as anti-government forces. Well, I guess it doesn't matter. From what I've learnt about him, Tieria's probably got something in the works. I just need to be ready when we make our next move.' Ryan thought as he lay on his bunk, staring up at the ceiling. Since he'd come back from his mission, Ryan had noticed a subtle change in the atmosphere on board the Ptolemaios. Everyone now seemed to treat him as a friend, rather than a stranger who could potentially be an enemy. In particular, Ryan found himself getting along with Setsuna quite well. He'd been a bit shocked to learn about Setsuna's past as a child soldier for the KPSA during the Kingdom of Azadistan's invasion of the Republic of Krugis. Perhaps the fact that both of them had been scarred by war so long ago explained why, for some inexplicable reason, they felt driven to resist them oppression of the Earth Sphere Federation and the A-LAWS. Suddenly, the sound of a faint knocking on the door roused Ryan from his reverie.
"Ryan, it's me, Mileina. Can I come in?" Mileina asked, her voice slightly muffled by the armoured door.
"Sure, it's unlocked." Ryan replied. He thought he heard a faint squeal, then the door slid open, just as Mileina flew into the room, careening into Artemis and sending them both into the wall. Ryan grunted slightly from the two sudden impacts, while Mileina nuzzled her head under his chin. Ryan blushed profusely at the sudden display of affection, despite his best efforts.
'What's wrong with me? I can kiss her just fine, but all she has to do is this and I can't even form a coherent sentence? Come on mind, work with me here!' Ryan thought, wrapping his arms around the slightly hyper girl as she continued using him as a human-sized pillow. After a few more minutes, and to Ryan's relief, Mileina released him, allowing Ryan to collect himself.
"So Ryan, are you busy at all right now?" Mileina asked, clasping her hands behind her back, a mischievous smile gracing her features. Ryan blushed again at her actions.
"Uh n-no, n-not really. It's kind of boring right now, actually." Ryan replied, his voice shaky. 'Damn, she's so cute! I need to focus!'
"Great! I wanted to show you something! Come on!" Mileina exclaimed, grabbing Ryan's wrist firmly before pulling him out of the room. Ryan protested at first, but Mileina gave him a stern glare that instantly caused him to shut up. Ryan sighed. Mileina really knew how to keep him in line. Hopefully it would get easier for him later on. After a short while, the two teens arrived at another of the many identical doors on the Ptolemaios. Ryan had no idea how the crew could find their way around the ship, even though by military standards it wasn't enormous. Ryan was glad that he'd always had a photographic memory, or he'd have gotten lost many, many times already.
"Here we are!" Mileina said, as she opened the door before proceeding to haul Ryan through it after her. After Mileina finally released her iron grip on his wrist, Ryan could finally have a look at where she'd dragged him. They were floating in one of the ship's three hangers, with the Duke and the 00 Gundam looming in front of them. The 0 Raiser was also there, in front of which was another mobile suit that was unfamiliar to Ryan. The suit was mostly white, with a white and red-trimmed shield mounted on its left arm. The torso was mostly blue and yellow, the hatch for the cockpit in the lower torso rather than in the chest. In the suit's right hand was a simple beam rifle, while a single beam saber could be seen just above the cone of the GN Drive. Compared to the other Gundams, and even the Duke, the suit looked rather old-fashioned alongside its clearly more modern counterparts.
"Hey Mileina, is this what you wanted to show me?" Ryan asked, indicating the mobile suit he was looking at.
"Sure is." Mileina responded, gently puling Ryan over to the suit. "This is GN-000, the 0 Gundam. It was the first GN-powered mobile suit ever created. All of the other Gundams were developed from this suit." Ryan was blown away. All of the Gundams, machines decades ahead of their time with power and abilities like nothing else on the battlefield, all had their roots in this one mobile suit.
"Wow. So, what's it doing here?" Ryan asked. If what Mileina said was true, then the 0 Gundam, despite being a Gundam-type, was very outdated even compared to the A-LAWS mobile suits, even though the latter were powered only by pseudo GN Drives. So why send it into battle against much newer machines, whose pilots already had experience dealing with the Gundams?
"Well, mostly because we're probably going to need all the firepower we can get in the coming battles. The only problem was that the 0 Gundam's GN Drive was removed so it could be used in the 00 Gundam. Luckily, my dad found one of the prototype GN Drives back at Lagrange 3. All it needed were some minor adjustments, but now it's as powerful as the other solar reactors." Mileina explained.
"I see. But who's going to pilot it?" Ryan asked. Mileina giggled, before pointing to herself.
"Yours truly! Who else?" she exclaimed.
"A-Are you sure?" Ryan asked, his voice uneasy.
"Yeah, so? Is that a problem?" Mileina asked, her smile turning into a frown.
"Well, it's just that...I don't want you fighting. It's too dangerous! You could get killed!" Ryan protested. He was horrified at the prospect of losing Mileina. He'd already lost two people he cared about. He wasn't about to let another die as well.
"I don't care if it is! I want to fight too, what's wrong with that?" Mileina shouted, her voice rising with anger.
"It's that I'm the one who's supposed to protect you!" Ryan shouted. As soon as he saw the look in Mileina's eyes, Ryan instantly regretted his words. Mileina drew her hand back, before slapping Ryan across the face as hard as she could, sending him into the nearby railing. Ryan grabbed onto the railing to steady himself, his cheek red from the impact.
"You...you JERK! If you can't even trust me to take care of myself or you in battle then how could you possibly trust me any further?" Mileina screamed. Her face was now wet, her tears floating around her as more and more joined them. She pushed past Ryan and ran from the hanger, leaving a trail of tears and sobbing in her wake. All Ryan could was watch and listen to her distant crying, mentally berating himself for being such an idiot.
'Damn it, I really screwed that one up.' Ryan thought. He was back in his room, unable to get his mind off his fight with Mileina in the hangar. He understood where she was coming from, she just wanted to fight with him and help protect her friends rather than be stuck on the ship, unable to do anything but watch the battle. But despite that, Ryan didn't want to risk losing her in battle. It was easier when she was on the Ptolemaios, where she was easier to keep an eye on. If she was fighting as well, Ryan wouldn't be able to protect and fight at the same time. "Why couldn't I just tell her why I don't want her to fight. Maybe then she'd at least understand what I meant." Suddenly there was a knock on the door, which opened as Lockon floated into the room.
"Hey, heard you and Mileina had a little argument earlier." He said sympathetically.
"Hey Lockon. Yeah, and now she's mad at me." Ryan replied, still feeling slightly depressed. Lockon smiled slightly, before taking a seat.
"And know you're trying to figure out how to apologise to her, right?" he asked knowingly. Ryan nodded in response. "Okay, well tell me what happened, then maybe I can help a little." Lockon offered. Figuring he had nothing better to do, Ryan proceeded to explain what had happened. Lockon listened intently, nodding to indicate his understanding, as the explanation ran its course.
"…and now I just don't know what to say. I mean I get what she's saying, but…" Ryan continued, trailing off.
"…but you're afraid of losing her, correct?" Lockon asked. Ryan nodded, murmuring a faint response. "I know what you're dealing with, buddy. I lost both of my parents back when I was still a kid in a terrorist bombing. And now that I have Anew, I'm afraid that I'll lose her as well. Thankfully for me, Anew's fine with staying in the ship when we go into battle. The problem you've got is that Mileina wants to fight and she now has the means to do it as well. You just have to accept that she's going to fight no matter what you say or do. The best thing you can do right now is to let her do what she wants. If you want to protect her, then fight with her, not against her." Lockon explained. Ryan was, to say the least, a little surprised. How could he have been so blind? He should've realised that Mileina would fight despite knowing the huge risks involved. She was afraid of losing him, just as Ryan was afraid of losing her. If they fought together, then they would have nothing to worry about and could help protect each other.
"I guess you're right. If she really wants to help, then I shouldn't try to stop her. Thanks, Lockon." Ryan replied.
"No problem. Just try not to screw up again, okay?" Lockon remarked, before making his exit. Ryan quickly left the room as well, his mind focused on finding Mileina and sorting things out between them.
A short while later, Ryan had ended up standing outside the door to Mileina's room. The reason he hadn't tried it in the first was that he thought it too obvious that Mileina would simply lock herself in her room.
'Well, better get this over with and try to make up with her. If I don't, her father's going to kill me.' Ryan thought, sighing in defeat. When Ian had learned what happened, he'd chewed Ryan out for a good ten minutes, lecturing him about how much of an idiot he was and mostly yelling at him for hurting his daughter like that. With slight trepidation, Ryan gingerly knocked on the door, but for some reason there was no response. Ryan knocked again, slightly harder this time.
"Go away." Mileina replied, her voice muffled by the closed door. Ryan felt his heart ache slightly with guilt. Although she was clearly trying to hide it, Mileina's voice betrayed the fact that she'd been crying for a while. Ryan couldn't bear the fact that he'd caused such a sweet and innocent girl to cry so much, all because he'd been so stubborn and thick-headed.
"Mileina please, just listen. I'm really sorry about before. I should've listened to you...and explained myself better. So please, just hear me out at least." Ryan asked. There was a moment of silence, then the door slid open, revealing Mileina, her eyes red from crying, dried tears staining her face.
"I'm listening." She replied softly.
"Mileina, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It's just that...ever since my father died, I've been completely alone, with no one else to comfort me. But when I met you, I was so happy. I knew I wouldn't be alone anymore. The only reason I don't want you to fight...is that I can't bear the thought of losing you. I've already lost all of my family, I don't want to risk anyone else close to me dying ever again, not when there's something I can do to prevent it. But I understand that you want to help as much as you can and I'm okay with that. I just want you to stay safe, okay?" Ryan told her. Mileina slowly started to smile, before she wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck, hugging herself to him, crying softly.
"Ryan…I'm sorry too. I should've listened to you, not shut you out because I was too stubborn to try and understand what you were saying.. But...promise me one thing." She replied., gazing up into Ryan's eyes.
"Anything." Ryan replied, his arms encircling Mileina's slim waist.
"Promise that you'll trust me...no matter what." She continued.
"I promise. I never want to see you cry ever again." Ryan agreed.
"Ryan..."
"Mileina..." The two slowly drifted closer, before their lips met. It wasn't an especially passionate kiss, but one that held much more warmth and love, proving the strength of the bond between the two young lovers. After a few brief, passion-filled moments, the two broke apart, both of their faces slightly flushed. It was the first time either of them had ever put such emotion into a single act of caring for anyone, so naturally they were slightly surprised.
"That was…" Mileina gasped, staring into Ryan's eyes, which appeared to shine like quicksilver in the light.
"I guess we're getting better at doing this." Ryan remarked, one of his hands lightly caressing Mileina's back. She shivered ever so slightly at the gentle touches, pressing herself against Ryan in an effort to eliminate any more space between them. Ryan continued to gently massage Mileina's back, enjoying the sensations as she moaned softly against his chest. Eventually the two decided to stop, lest someone should hear Mileina's moan and think that something more intimate was taking place.
"So, what now?" Mileina asked, her face still flushed. Inside she was replaying the past few minutes in her head, remembering the feel of Ryan's hands gently rubbing her back.
"We should probably go and find Lockon. I should thank him." Ryan replied.
"For what?" Mileina asked, a confused look on her face. Ryan let out a nervous laugh., rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"Well, let's just say he gave me a well-deserved kick in the ass. If it weren't for him, I'd probably still be in my room trying to figure out how to apologise to you." Ryan admitted.
"Well it sounds like I owe him a thank you too." Mileina giggled, as she followed Ryan through the corridor. They decided that Lockon was most likely in either; his room, one of the hangers, or the break room. Since they were already nearby, Mileina suggested they try the break room first. Ryan followed her as she led the way through the ship . After a little while, the two teens arrived outside the room. As the entered the room, Ryan and Mileina were stunned, their jaws dropping at what they saw. Divine was seated in one of the chairs, with Sumeragi straddling his legs, the two of them kissing like there was going to be no tomorrow. They were so caught up in what they were doing that they clearly hadn't heard the door open, or Ryan and Mileina entering the room. The two teens were speechless, until Mileina squealed in excitement, causing Divine and Sumeragi to break apart and immediately separate, before turning to face the other two.
"So, you guys ARE lovers! I knew it!" Mileina exclaimed, ecstatic that her female intuition had been correct yet again. Divine and Sumeragi blushed heavily at the young girl's words, embarrassed at being caught in the act.
"Fine, I guess the secret's out." Sumeragi admitted.
"So just how long have you two been making out behind our backs?" Mileina inquired.
"I could ask you two the same thing." Sumeragi countered. Mileina's face immediately showed the same look that Sumeragi's had been showing moments earlier while Ryan laughed nervously, both of them blushing.
"Pretty much since I got here." He replied. Mileina blushed even more, while Sumeragi smirked mischievously.
"Well, well, it looks like little Miss Female Intuition has finally fallen in, love herself. So, what's it been like so far?" the forecaster asked.
"Pretty good. Although…we had a fight earlier. Ryan wasn't too happy about me wanting to fight, but we've worked it out now." Mileina explained, looping her arm through Ryan's own.
"Well, it looks like you'll be just fine then. They say your first battle is always the toughest. I think it's safe to assume the same principle applies to love as well as war." Divine said, putting his arm around Sumeragi's waist. Sumeragi in turn rested her head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Sensing that the two adults wanted to be left alone, Ryan gently guided Mileina outside, into the corridor again.
"Well that was the last thing I expected to see in there." Ryan remarked. Mileina giggled slightly before pushing her body up against his, causing Ryan to blush at their close proximity.
"Anyway, we still need to find Lockon. Come on, let's get going already." Mileina insisted. Ryan nodded, as they headed off to resume their earlier search for the helpful sniper.
A few minutes later, Ryan and Mileina finally ran into Lockon while he was talking with Anew in one of the rooms. The two thanked the sniper for his advice, to which Lockon insisted that he was just trying to help out a friend. He and Anew were quite surprised when Ryan and Mileina told them about Divine and Sumeragi. Clearly the others had been completely unaware of the relationship which had been taking place behind their backs. Afterwards, Ryan and Mileina went their separate ways. Mileina said she was going to run a few simulated battles in the 0 Gundam to get some practice, while Ryan decided to head back to his room for a little rest. Turning a corner, Ryan suddenly found himself in front of Tieria.
"Ah, Ryan. There you are." Tieria said.
"Hey Tieria, is something wrong?" Ryan asked.
"No, it's nothing like that. I've been looking for you. There's something I've discovered that I think you should know." Tieria explained.
"What?" Ryan asked, immediately interested. In the short time he'd been aboard the Ptolemaios, Ryan had quickly learned that whenever Tieria had something to say, it was more often than not important in some way.
"I'll explain. But first, follow me please." The purple-haired meister replied. Ryan followed Tieria through a few corridors, before the two entered the briefing room.
"So, what did you want to tell me?" Ryan asked.
"I was just about to explain. I was taking a look at you recent battles with us, when something struck me as odd. From what I've seen, so far you've gone up against two highly skilled ace pilots, both with far more combat experience than yourself. And yet you've managed to defeat both of them with relative ease. Now, based on the fact that you've only been fight for a matter of weeks, there were only a few theories that could have explained this. After a little digging, I've determined the cause of your exceptional abilities. Ryan, you are in fact an Innovator." Tieria explained.
"Innovator?" Ryan asked.
"It's understandable that you don't know what that term means. Innovators are humans who have evolved to be able to use quantum brainwaves. In many ways they are similar to the Human Reform League's Super Soldiers, except the process is different. Whereas Super Soldiers are created through extensive surgery other such conditioning, humans evolve into Innovators after being exposed to highly concentrated GN particles, usually from one of the Gundams." Tieria replied.
"But then how did I become an Innovator? I've never been near a Gundam before." Ryan wondered.
"That was what I couldn't work out. There's no record of a Gundam ever being near New Zealand since they were created. It turns out that your parents were in an area overseas when the 0 Gundam was performing an intervention in the same location. Based on the time this took place, you were still inside your mother at the time, only a few days old as a matter of fact. As a result, the GN particles from the 0 Gundam had a much greater effect on you than they would have if you had been say, five years old. Because of this, you have some abilities that Setsuna lacks, even though he's also an Innovator.
"Such as…?" Ryan inquired.
"Well for example, I'm sure you've noticed your memory is perfect, allowing you to remember virtually everything you've ever experienced? Also, there's one other ability you possess which accounts for you rapid growth as a pilot. It seems that you brain is able to learn and take in information at an incredibly fast rate. As a result, every time you go into battle, you are subconsciously learning how your enemies fight and adjusting your own techniques to counter them." Tieria continued.
"Wow." Ryan gasped. To say he was shocked was an understatement. He'd always felt he was different from other people, but this? This wasn't what he'd expected at all.
"Ryan, Are you alright?" Tieria asked, his voice sounding concerned,
"Yeah, it's just a lot to take in." Ryan admitted.
"Well, there's one other thing I learned but…are you sure you want to hear it? It's not very pleasant." Tieria asked.
"Yes." Ryan replied with certainty.
"Very well then. When I said that you evolved into an Innovator as a result of the 0 Gundam's GN particles, I left out something. From I was able to ascertain, your mother was affected in the same way, but not as much as you. It turns out that when someone is born as an Innovator, there is a sudden and violent surge in their quantum brainwaves, which can affect anyone else in the vicinity that also uses quantum brainwaves. Sadly, when you were born, your mother's brain couldn't cope with the surge that came from you, effectively short circuiting it." Tieria explained.
"But, then that means…" Ryan gasped.
"Yes, your mother died because of it. I'm sorry, but I thought you at least deserved to know why she died." Tieria replied, his expression sad.
"Thanks, that's all I needed to hear." Ryan said.
"Ryan…" Tieria replied softly.
"I've been blaming myself for what happened ever since I can remember. But Mileina made me realise that it wasn't my fault my mother died. Even with what I know now, it doesn't change anything. There's nothing I could've done to prevent it happening either way. Besides, I know that neither of my parents would want me to blame myself for what happened to them. There's no sense in getting caught up in the past. I'm better off trying to change the future." Ryan said, his voice filled with determination.
"I'm glad to hear that, Ryan. That's the kind of attitude that allows a person to change the world." Tieria replied. Ryan was about to thank him when his comlink bleeped.
"Ryan here." He answered.
"Ryan, it's Ian. I need you to come to Hangar 3. I need your help with something." Ian said.
"Sure. I'll be their soon." Ryan replied, before closing the link. "Well, I should probably get going."
"Very well. I'll see you later then." Tieria replied. Ryan nodded, as he exited the briefing room and headed for Hangar 3.
"I wonder what Ian wants? I hope he's not still mad at me." Ryan thought, as he arrived at the hangar. Once inside, he immediately spotted Ian over by the Duke. Behind the suit was a crane of some kind, with a large cylindrical device in its grasp.
"I'm here." Ryan called out, as he floated over to Ian, who turned around at the greeting.
"Good, that was quick." Ian replied.
"So, what did you want me for?" Ryan asked.
"Well, according to Miss Sumeragi, our plan is to try and retake Veda from the Innovators. For that, we'll need as much power as we can get. So what I suggested was swapping out the Duke's GN Tau Drive for the Ptolemaios' GN Drive. With it, the Duke should be more than a match for whatever mobile suits the Innovators have." Ian explained.
"Are you sure. What about the Ptolemaios?" Ryan asked.
"Don't worry. The Ptolemaios mostly uses the Gundams to power it. When we go into battle, we'll rely solely on the GN Condensers. The only drawback is that we won't be able to fire our cannons as much. But we can compensate for that. The reason I called you is because I don't know the first thing about this suit, so I need your help to swap the drives."
"Okay, well let's get started." Ryan replied.
A short time later, elsewhere on the ship, Anew was relaxing in her room after a lengthy conversation with Lockon, when she felt a sudden pain lance through her head.
"AGH!" she cried, gripping her head between her hands.
'At last I've found you again…Anew Returner.' Said a voice in her head.
"R-Ribbons Almark…?" Anew gasped in confusion.
'I'm so glad you remember me after all this time, Anew. It's time that you did something useful for. However, I'm afraid I'll be borrowing your body for a short while.' Ribbons replied. Anew found herself powerless, as Ribbons forced his way into her mind and took control of her body.
"Lockon…please…help me." Anew thought, as her world went dark. Meanwhile her body, now under Ribbons' control, left the room, headed to another part of the ship.
'I need to capture the Twin Drive Gundam, but to do that I'm going to need…a bargaining chip.' Ribbons thought, as he guided Anew's body through the ship. After a quick search, he spotted Feldt a short distance away.
'Perfect.' Ribbons thought, floating over to the unsuspecting operator. Feldt was caught completely off guard when she found her arms forced behind her back. She turned her head to find Anew holding her, a gun in her free hand.
"Anew, what are you-?" she started, before Anew put the gun against her head.
"Anew's not home right now. My name is Ribbons Almark, and you're going to help me with retrieving something important." Anew replied, her voice strangely different. Feldt's eyes widened in horror, as Ribbons pushed her through the corridor. Eventually they arrived outside the hangar where the 00 Gundam and 0 Raiser were stored. As they entered, Feldt was relieved to see Artemis and Ian working on the Duke.
"Ian! Ryan!" she cried out, before Ribbons pressed the gun harder against her head.
"Feldt? Anew, what are you doing?" Ryan demanded, seeing the gun easily. Anew laughed in response, her voice clearly not the same.
"I'm afraid you're terribly mistaken. Anew is…not in control right now. I am Ribbons Almark, and I'll be taking the Twin Drive Gundam now, if you don't mind." Ribbons replied, floating over to the 00 Gundam.
"Ian, do what he says. We can't risk Feldt's life like this." Ryan said.
"You're right." Ian admitted grudgingly, as he opened the 00 Gundam's hatch. But just as Ribbons was about to enter the cockpit with Feldt, Ryan tackled him from behind, allowing Feldt to slip free, as Ryan and Ribbons struggled for control of the gun. Suddenly a shot rang out, the bullet grazing Ryan's right shoulder. Ryan grunted from the pain, bending Anew's hand back, forcing Ribbons to release his hold on the gun.
"Sorry, but you've overstayed your welcome. Now let Anew go!" Ryan shouted, his eyes glowing yellow. Suddenly Ribbons felt another presence enter Anew's mind, forcing him out. Anew's body went limp in Ryan's arms, as his eyes returned to normal. Just then, the rest of the crew, alerted by the gunshot, stormed into the hangar.
"What happened? We heard a shot." Lasse asked.
"Oh no, Ryan! You're hurt!" Mileina exclaimed, rushing over to her boyfriend's side.
"It's just a scratch. Don't worry, I'll be fine." Ryan insisted, as Mileina held him tightly.
Later, the entire crew was gathered in the briefing room, as Ryan and Feldt explained what had happened before the others arrived.
"So, he can even take control of other Innovades remotely. It makes sense that Ribbons would want to steal the 00 Gundam. After all, he knows nothing about it, other than it's incredibly powerful." Tieria said.
"Wait, so Anew is with them?" Lockon exclaimed.
"Yes and no. While Anew may be an Innovade, from what I've seen she is on our side. If she wasn't, this would've happened a long time ago." Tieria explained.
"Well, what I don't understand is how Ryan was able to force Ribbons out like that." Mileina said.
"It's because he was born as an Innovator. He was able to use his quantum brainwaves to force Ribbons out of Anew's mind. The fact that he was right next to her, while Ribbons is a great distance away, meant that he had a much greater influence." Tieria explained.
"Well, I'm just glad everything turned out okay. Ian, what's the status of the Duke?" Sumeragi asked.
"We've finished the installation of the Ptolemaios' GN Drive and everything seems to be working fine. It's good to go." Ian replied.
"Good, because we've just received information from Wang Liu Mei on Veda's location. Everyone, you'd better get ready. We're moving out soon." Sumeragi announced. Everyone nodded, before they dispersed, with the meisters heading for the hangars, while the rest headed for the bridge.To Be Continued... | |
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