Chapter 7

"Wow, being able to move around freely like this is such a cool experience," 

Haru reflected after the immediate threat of Junius Seven had passed. He took a moment to relax and enjoy the beauty of the stars. Looking at his hand and body, he couldn't help but be amazed by the incredible power of Ultraman. 

"This power is absolutely incredible! With this, I can make a real impact and help so many more people."

He suddenly remembered Athrun and Shinn were missing, and he needed to find them. "Oh, crap! Where is Shinn and Athrun!?"

He scanned the area with his enhanced eyesight and located them: Athrun's damaged Zaku entering Earth's atmosphere, and Shinn's relatively unscathed Impulse heading towards Athrun's Zaku to help him.

"Hang on, guys. I'm coming!"

Haru flies toward them at Mach speed.

In the Minerva, they are also preparing to enter Earth's atmosphere. Cagali is worried since Athrun hasn't returned yet.

"Have you found Athrun yet?" she asked anxiously.

"Not yet. Have you found the Impulse and Zaku yet!?"

"Not yet, Captain."

Talia can't help but worry about Shinn and Athrun. The thought of losing these two talented young men and the Impulse weighs heavily on her mind. Suddenly, there's news that Meyrin has found something.

"Captain! Look at this! The giant…"

"Put it on the visuals."

On the screen, they could see Ultraman grabbing and carrying the Impulse and Zaku and keeping them close protecting them from entering Earth's atmosphere.

"The giant… is saving them?" Talia said, astonished.

"Yes, it is also entering Earth, but it doesn't seem to be affected by reentry." said Meyrin.

"I see. Keep an eye on the giant's position! He has our two pilots. We will recover them after we land!"

"Roger!"

…

Haru managed to save Shinn and Zaku and is currently shielding them from reentry into Earth. But Haru was surprised with his Ultra body. He is flying into Earth and should feel the resistance of reentry, but he feels little to no resistance. He doesn't know if it's because of his body or power, maybe even both, but he is thankful for it. This meant he could freely exit and enter Earth's atmosphere whenever he wanted.

"This body really is amazing… The Minerva seems okay, so I don't have to help them."

He's watching the Minerva making its way back to Earth, and it's a pretty amazing sight. When it finally lands on the ocean, he's got a big smile on his face. Flying over with the Zaku and Impulse in hand, he carefully places them on the flat top area of the Minerva. 

"It's a good thing they did not start shooting at me."

He saw Athrun and Shinn getting out of their cockpits and looking right at him. It was an awkward staring contest.

"This is awkward. I should probably leave now. They can't even hear what I say."

He was about to leave when the doors opened, and Cagali, Lunamaria, and some other crew members came running, looking worried.

"Athrun! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to him." he said while looking at Ultraman.

Cagali also looked up, and she realized how big he was. Despite his size, she did not feel any fear and walked up to him. "Uhm, do you understand me?"

Ultraman nods in affirmation. Cagali is glad they can communicate. "I would like to thank you for saving us in Armory One and now Earth! I don't know what you are, but that still doesn't mean I'm not grateful. So once again! Thank you!" Cagali bows her head, and Haru is happy to see her this glad.

Haru stands up, and the crew looks at him. He gives Cagali a thumbs-up, which makes her happy because she knows he understands her. Haru nods one last time and flies into the air, disappearing into the sky. The crew looks at his disappearing view with different emotions. Some are in awe, respect, and admiration, while others think he is mysterious and want to find out what kind of species he is.

"I wonder what he is?" said Athrun.

"It doesn't matter. He saved Earth, and that is all that matters." said Cagali, filled with awe at Ultraman.

…

In the aftermath of Junius Seven's destruction, both the Earth Alliance and ZAFT are faced with the perplexing emergence of Ultraman and its widespread presence. Ultraman's sudden appearance and non-humanoid nature have prompted both factions to evaluate its abilities and motivations cautiously.

The PLANT Supreme Council is in a meeting to discuss Ultraman.

"Do we know the giant's origins?"

"It was first spotted fighting a similar-sized creature in Armory One, but other than that, we don't know."

"How could something like that just pop out of nowhere."

"Chairman Durandal, you have seen more since you were in Armory One, where it first emerged. Do you have any insights?"

"Sadly, I'm the same as you." replied Durandal.

"Since we know nothing else of it. How should we deal with it?"

"Deal with it? What are you implying?"

"I mean, what is our stance against it? It is neither a human nor a machine. From the analysis, this is a living, breathing organism, and they have concluded it is extra-terrestrial."

"Are you saying this giant is an alien?"

"Yes, that is correct."

The council got even more to the discussion upon the reveal that Ultraman is an alien, but Chairman Durandal put them at ease.

"Everyone, I know you are all troubled, but don't worry. Even if the giant has appeared on a few occasions, I can certainly guarantee it is not an enemy."

"What makes you so sure, Chairman?"

"Whenever it appears, it has always saved and protected people from harm. In Armory One. I have seen it throw its body to protect our soldiers, and even now, it has stopped Junius Seven from crashing on Earth. The giant's priority is to protect. I'm sure it won't suddenly appear to attack us for no reason."

The council gave it a thought for a moment before accepting the Chairman's logic. They are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Then what should we tell the media?"

"The truth, of course. The existence of the giant has been seen by many, even those from the Earth Alliance. It is no use to hide it. Besides, he did save Earth. It is the least we can do to thank him."

They're still talking about the giant, and it's amazing to think how much he has changed without even the person realizing it. Who knows what other changes are in store for him?

…

Haru made it back to the Minerva without anyone noticing his disappearance, which was a huge relief for him. When he got to the recreation room, he saw his ZAFT buddies, as well as Cagali and Athrun.

"Haru, where have you been? You missed seeing that giant. He was really big~, you know!" said Cagali, still not getting over her meeting.

"Haha… sorry. The reentry really upset my stomach. So, how was he?"

"He was amazing! I watched him shoot out a beam, and it destroyed Junius Seven! He basically saved Earth!"

"Wow, he must have been strong."

"But, he really came out of nowhere. He just appeared and solved all our problems." said Yolan.

"He saved you and Athrun, right, Shinn?" said Vino.

"Yes, he grabbed us when we were reentering. He did not seem to have any problems reentering."

"His power is amazing! A beam that can erase a colony. I wonder where he came from." said Meyrin.

"In any case, he saved us and Earth. It doesn't matter where that giant came from." said Athrun.

"You're right, Athrun." Cagali agrees with him.

"Mmm… but calling giant seems redundant. Do we have a name for him?" said Lunamaria.

The crew began contemplating. They have been calling him the giant for a while now, but it did not seem right, so everyone was discussing a fitting name. There was a lot of back-and-forth with names like Gulliver being thrown around or joke names, which Cagali did not like since it would be too disrespectful. Haru raised his hand to suggest a name.

"Um, I have an idea. How about Ultraman."

"Ultraman… that sounds nice, right everyone?" Luna agreeing.

"It is not a bad name. It seems fitting." said Rey.

"Then it is decided! The giant's name is Ultraman!"

In Minerva's bridge, Captain Talia carefully reviews the recordings of Ultraman, paying close attention to his journey from Armory One to his intervention at Junius Seven. The more she studies the footage, the more she realizes the importance of assessing his potential threat and devising suitable countermeasures. Fortunately, she ultimately determines that Ultraman is not an adversary, bringing a sense of relief to her and the crew.

Her deputy captain is beside her, reviewing the footage. "What do you think, Captain? Do you think we can fight with him?"

"No, I don't think we can, Arthur. His power and speed can deal with any mobile suit, even the Gundams. We also lack information. He might be hiding more than he has shown. Fortunately, He doesn't seem to be a threat, so we can relax."

"I see, but he really has unbelievable power. He destroyed a colony by himself, you know. This is even greater than nukes. Can nukes even harm him?"

"I don't know, maybe. That is why we need to gather more data on him."

"Right."

Cagali and Athrun entered the bridge to talk to the Captain.

"Captain, how is the Minerva?"

"She needs a lot of repairs and is not in the best condition for a battle, but she can move."

"I see." Cagali sees them reviewing Ultraman's footage.

"Are you watching Ultraman's videos?"

"Ultraman?" Talia was not familiar with that name.

"Ah, it was the name we came up with for the giant. It sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"Ultraman… yes, it is a nice name. We are going over his recordings to assess him."

"Why? He is not an enemy! He saved Earth!"

"I know, but he possesses unfathomable power. He may not be an enemy now, but we don't know if he will turn his blade to humanity."

"He would never do that!"

"It is nice to see you believe in him, but caution is still needed."

Cagali couldn't refute it, so she just remained silent. 

"We are planning to proceed to Orb as soon as we're done checking the ship and clearing emergency matters."

"I see. I understand that there's no point in talking to them from where we are. I do understand but…"

"Orb is an island nation, after all. It's only natural you'd be worried." 

"As a token of my appreciation for your distinguished service, let me know if there's anything I can do for the Minerva. But at this point, I can't make any promises. Please forgive me, Captain."

"No. There's no need to apologize."

Cagali and Athrun leave the bridge and head back to their living quarters. She can see him troubled and asks him what is wrong.

"Athrun, what has gotten you so down?"

"It is nothing."

"It is definitely nothing! Come on, you can talk to me."

"...It's just, in Junius Seven. You have seen the mobile suits that were responsible, right?"

"Yes, what about them?"

"They were Coordinators."

"What!?"

"They were men whose families were killed in the incident and still held a grudge, dropped Junius Seven. They said Naturals should perish."

"No way…"

"Not only that. They were followers of my father."

"Athrun…"

Cagali hugged him to ease his distress. "I'm sorry you had to experience that, but it's okay. Junius Seven has been stopped, and Earth has not been harmed. Those men's plans failed."

"I guess you're right, but people will know Coordinators has done it. Do you think the people on Earth will forgive us?"

"...I don't know, but the situation is not that bad. The hate can still be avoided. So, Athrun, don't lose hope."

He smiles at Cagali for being thoughtful to him. "Thank you, Cagali."

***

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