The Moment Of Truth

Chapter 3 – Nuke

A/N: I'm just going to get on with this... Here goes something!

(Oh yeah, Aya POV, and... first time writing an action-ish sequence. Con-Crit please?)

Don't on T3B, or any characters mentioned from here on out... No sueing!

Right. This was the last batch of C4 to set, and that turret has to stay. After that, we're all done here. Oh, and I have to "run" (or dive, in my case) away before they all detonate. This Babel better do it's job and blow up.

Twisted were coming at me from left and right, so I dived to the soldier in the corner, nearest some C4. I planted the ones on the side wall, and moved onto the ones on the main pillar. A Rover Twisted decided it wanted to try and swipe me, so I got into the turret soldier and let hell loose on the rest of the Twisted in the area. The soldier I saved had got on to planting the last of the C4 by the time I got out of the turret.

We made our way towards the exit.

The Babel had blocked our exit.

"What?"

"No..."

"This is it, then..."

Damn. I- I had to get out.

"At least we'll die heroes."

I can't die! I need answers!

"I just want to tell my son I love him."

These soldiers were just giving up?

A shout came from outside.

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Cavalry 141. I've lost control of the aircraft! Damnit! Some reinforcement!"

A soldier looked up, then back to their boots.

Everything went blank for a minute. I heard crashes, cracks. Was this death? Maybe I'd see Eve again...

I opened my eyes. No way... The 141 had crashed. Another helicopter hovered behind. I'd hate to leave all these soldiers behind, but... Duty calls.

I dived into the helicopter known as the Bahamut 524. I only hoped it lived up to it's grand title. (A/N: 1. Where have I heard that before 2. Bahamut is known as the King of The Skies or something like that. Had to put an FF reference in there somewhere!) I flew around the monstrous Babel, firing at Spitters trying to knock me out of the sky with an oddly blood-like substance...

No... focus, Aya!

The sight of New York was also stupidly distracting. I saw a few Worms chasing some soldiers and a few missiles sorted them out.

Securing air supremacy didn't take too long. Maeda informed me that Madigan was on the observation deck. Up I went, all too quickly. I could hear the C4 detonating. When the smoke cleared, The Babel was still standing... Some brilliant plan.

I knew I had no more reinforcements, so I kept them alive, even though Worms ran rampant on the upper floor. The next room was clear, so we made it into a safe room. We got news that the military was going to launch a full out nuclear assault on New York. So it was all hopeless. I figured that I would go and confront Kyle. I needed answers if I was to rest easy, so I head upstairs.

Madigan was overlooking the wreckage of Manhattan. My crosshair found it's way to Kyle's back. His head lifted when I edged closer.

"So you're lost in time, huh?"

What the hell? Lost in time? How am I lost in time?

He did an about face, and his eyes had a glint that I'd only heard of in heartless killers... and seen in the movements of Twisted deathblows. The cocky, doom-inducing glint that severely unnerved me. He walked slowly towards me, smirk playing on his mouth. He started spouting rubbish at me, stuff you would only read in a romance novel. His voice came out smooth; unnaturally so. He lowered my gun and looked me in the eye.

Why was I noticing the chocolate hazelnut color in his eyes now of all times?

Well, if he wanted to play hard ball, Brea can play along too.

I tilted my head up to face him.

"Kyle..."

I shot him in the foot.

"I'm not falling for that again." I voiced. Heck, why did I want to marry this sicko? He was walking backwards, laughing, glint more prounounced than ever. I shot him until the round of ammo ran out. Can't he just die and stop haunting my fragmented memories? He had stopped laughing when he fell from view. Was he dead?

An unnatural swirling glow raised.

What? How? Is he like Emily, Cray and Gabrielle?

A form started to appear from the glow.

Yes. He is. And I have no choice but to end him.

In the 3rd Battalion AN helicopter, the gun was overheating and I was pretty much out of missiles. The floral tailed Twisted Kyle had transformed into was still kicking. Very hard, in fact. I'd lost 3 helicopters and 2 troops from just 3 different transformations into an invincible state. The spinning blades he threw hurt, and he'd thrown a lot. He started circling the tower, laughing. I overdived into the remaining soldier on the deck, and used his assault rifle. That really hit where it hurt. He staggered, and after imploding him from the inside I stopped to catch my breath. I was still too weak to attack. I thought I'd be done then and there. No more soldiers, no more helicopters. I was alone. I had 3 minutes before the nuclear missiles were launched.

Madigan didn't attack. He just floated there. The Twisted could have killed me but instead I heard Kyle's voice.

"W-Where am I? Aya? Is that you?"

The Twisted writhed it's midsection.

"I just don't want to hurt you."

I stood there, dumbfounded. Was this another trick? But Gabrielle and Emily had acted similarly when they were on the brink. Was he coming to his senses?

"Let's end this."

He... wanted me to shoot him? I switched to a sniper rifle. I shot it square. He staggered again. I have to know if I'm doing the right thing? Talk to me, Kyle!

"It hurts... my soul."

Being a Twisted... must have destroyed him.

I Overdived, and landed the final blow.

I arrived in that silver place, with drifting red orbs. Kyle reached out his hand in pain, angst evident on his face as he, too, seperated into red spheres. I shielded my eyes. I don't need to see more death. Eve's face filled my head. I feel her- her presence. She's here?

"There you are! Eve!"

More memories flowed back. Most are what I have seen before. The shooting, then-

Huh?

I picked up a handgun. I aimed at some SWATs, then to Eve. I blacked out. I heard a shot. I was standing over a limp, lifeless body. Eve's limp, lifeless...

"I didn't- or did I?" I looked around in shock. I was back on the Tower. I was worried. Big time.

I heard a grunt and a sigh from behind me. Kyle! I ran over to him.

"Aya, is that you?" More coughing. "I wanted to protect you. But... the Twisted... they took over my body."
That explained so much. I knew Kyle couldn't have killed Blank.

He sighed again. He was dying.

"What have I done? Kyle, how did this- Why did this-?" I was panicking... he sat there, looking paler. I looked down. He moved his head to the side and back.

I couldn't take it any longer. I shook his shoulder vigorously.

"Kyle, answer me!" I shouted.

I can't lose him! Not now!

He raised his hand to my cheek. I held his wrist. He was going. "I found it." The words were little more than a whisper. I looked down, feeling the fleeting warmth of his hand. "Eternity... is inside of you." His voice was slowing. Kyle? Please!

His head dropped to my shoulder. His hand left. His breathing stopped. No!

I cradled him, and buried my nose into his hoodie, crying. I heard Maeda on the radio, but I was too busy sobbing to notice that or the ground shaking. The nuclear strike?

I no longer cared. I loved him. I always did. It's just horrid to think I only knew when it was too late.

Sweet dreams...

A/N: So yeah! Big long finale chapter! (in comparison) Thank you to my reviewers! I might right another T3B one-shot in the future, so there's the heads up!

Hope this all makes sense... :S This chapter was all set during Episode 4, if it wasn't very obvious (Helicopters, tanks and sniper rifles? Favourite episode.) and all canon, methinks... Hints and tips for improvement? NEEDED! So hit that review button! Please? For me?

Written mostly from memory (ie. The Cavalry 141 bit *pride*) and the dialogue is from the game. PM me if you don't understand the story or the game for that matter, I don't mind explaining.

Hope you read some of my other stuff (as and when I post, of course)

-12thPie!