For an injured person, Amata moves fast. Every time I think I've caught up to him, he finds some way to turn the corner and evade me.

"Amata!" I call out. "Come back! You can't fight! You're too weak!"

When I reach the front door, he's already gone. The IV rack is laying on the floor. Luckily, a nearby taxi passes by and I wave my arms around desperately to get its attention. It stops and backs up, allowing me into the car.

"Take me to the dock, QUICKLY!" I tell the driver and hand him some money I just so happened to have on me.

He drives me to the dock and I board the boat in a hurry. Eventually, I reach the Academy and I make it to Headquarters to find Amata, still in his hospital gown, begging Chairman Crea to let him fight. His knees wobble.

"Amata, no!" I run to him and attempt to keep him from collapsing again. "Are you crazy? You can't do this! How did you even get here so fast?!"

"I flew," he manages to say.

"You flew?! Are you insane?!"

"Amata Sora! What is the meaning of this?" Crea demands. "You should be back at the hospital!"

"There's no way we're letting you out there to fight!" Commander Donar says.

"Please! I can do it." Amata's eyes glint with determination. What has gotten into him? He's not normally this eager to head into battle.

"Out of the question!" Donar booms.

"Let him go," a voice says. Commander Zen Fudo steps out from the shadows.

"Commander?!" Crea sounds appalled. "You're just going to let an injured Element get into Aquarion and fight? That's like a death sentence!"

Fudo smirks. "When fellow co-pilots are in trouble, it is normal for others to feel the need to help and assist, even if they themselves are in trouble. After all, he did complete the Training of the Grave." He points to Amata. "Prepare for Element change! Switch out Malloy Direzza with Amata Sora!"

I stand there dumbfounded. He's really going to let Amata fight. Commander Fudo normally has a reason for doing things, but I just don't understand the logic behind his choice. I don't say anything, hoping that I can put my trust into his decision.

I help Amata into the teleportation panel. "Just be careful out there," I tell him.

He looks up at me, smiling. "I'll try."

And then the switch occurs. Malloy falls into the seat Amata just sat in as I see orange hair and a pale face appear on the big screen. He made it into Vector Z.

"Amata?! Why are you here?! When did they release you from the hospital?!" Cayenne asks, utterly shocked.

"They didn't release me."

"What?!"

"No time to explain. Let's merge." The confidence has returned in his voice.

Sazanka and Cayenne look at each other, very confused. But they don't object.

"Merge one!"

"Merge two!"

"Go, AQUARION!!!"

The Vectors merge together and I watch on the screen as Aquarion EVOL forms. Aquarion starts moving toward the Mithra Gnis, but Kagura is too fast. He uses his reversal power and Aquarion flies backwards. Sazanka then uses her power to try and rust the Gnis. It works at first, but of course, he uses the reversal power, again.

"Cayenne, try and get a vision," Amata shouts.

My brother focuses and tries to get a picture in his mind. He can see into the future and will hopefully know where Kagura will strike next. I hold my breath, waiting to see what happens.

"Move to the left, now!" he yells.

Sure enough, Kagura swings the Gnis's arm at Aquarion, but misses as Amata drives it to the left. Before he can take another swing, Aquarion uses the Infinity Punch and it throws Kagura backwards.

But Kagura is strong. He flies back up into the air and flings Aquarion into a tall building in Neo-Kowloon. Amata hits his head against the back of the seat and I can hear a "crack" as he does.

"Aagh!" He winces in pain and cries out.

People run, screaming, trying to not get crushed by the giant machine that has now collided with the building.

"Amata's aura levels are dropping quickly! The merge is going to break!" someone cries.

The merge does indeed break and Vectors X and Y take off, but Z doesn't move.

"Amata!" I shout. "Send me in! They need help out there!"

Crea looks to Fudo for permission, and he dips his head in approval. "Element change! Switch Sazanka Bianca with Mikono Suzushiro!" he booms.

I feel myself being teleported into Vector Y, and an Element suit replaces my normal clothes. I can do this, I tell myself. I can do this.

Once I'm inside, I wrap my hands around the joystick controls and press my feet on the pedals. "We need to merge again!"

Cayenne's face appears on the screen. "Mikono? You're here now?"

I shake my head. "Just stop questioning and start merging. Amata, you alright?"

He breathes heavily, but he grabs the controls and prepares himself. "Yeah, I can still do this." Vector Z takes off and gets in place. "Who's the head?"

I hear Fudo's voice come through the speakers, "Mikono is the head! Prepare for unification!"

Me? The head? Now?

I shouldn't question it. "Alright."

"Merge one!"

"Merge two!"

I give it all I got, "Go, AQUARION!!!"

I feel myself going through a tunnel of light, Cayenne and Amata's souls brushing against mine. But this merge feels odd. I can feel the pain Amata is going through, but I can also feel his determination. He wants to win this fight. I want us to win this fight.

I'm so lost in thought that it takes me a few moments to realize that the merge is over. I'm overwhelmed with the fantastic feeling of being the head Element. But now isn't the time to indulge in that. I have to fight.

"Aquarion Spada!"

Kagura faces us. "I smell my wench. I know you're in there."

I start moving towards him. I have an idea. If we could fake him out with one move and then get him from behind with something else, he won't see that coming.

"Fake-out Stab!"

I use one arm of the Aquarion to distract Kagura, and he follows. He tries to use his reversal power and deflect it as I make the Aquarion flip over him and direct the sword right through the Gnis.

I pull it out and let Kagura stumble a bit for a few seconds.

"Mikono! Duck!" Cayenne shouts.

I force Aquarion to duck down as the Gnis flings its arm at us. It misses.

"That was a close one," I say as I wipe the sweat from my forehead.

"Cayenne! Get another vision!" Amata calls.

My brother focuses for a second before shouting, "Fly up! Amata, use your power!"

Amata nods and the Aquarion starts to fly. Kagura swings at us again, but misses. He may have gotten stronger, but so have we.

"Let's finish him! I want to be the head this time," Amata says.

I look at him on the screen. "Are you sure?"

"I can do it." He looks at me with confident eyes. "After completing the Training of the Grave, I realized I can deflect his reversal power now. Let's re-merge."

"Alright." I prepare myself to merge. Be careful, Amata.

"Merge one!"

"Merge two!"

"Go, AQUARION!!"

I can feel the sensation of warm light on my skin. No matter how many times we merge, it always feels different every time. With this one, instead of feeling Amata's pain, I feel his courage and certainty. I also feel something else, but I don't know what it is. I can't put my finger on it.

We complete the merge. "Alright. Let's do this! Infinity Punch!"

Aquarion EVOL's arm extends out. Kagura uses his reversal power to form a sort of shield. The Aquarion's fist hits it and is flung back at us. We stumble and crash to the ground. Then the Gnis leaps on top of us, pinning Aquarion down with no where to go. Kagura starts pounding on us.

It hurts. Every nerve in my body is being electrified. I cry out in pain.

"Shit!" Cayenne says through gritted teeth. "Mikono! You alright?"

"Y-yeah. I'm okay. Amata? You good?"

I look at the screen. Amata's eyes are closed and his body seems limp.

"No! Amata! Wake up!"

No response.

"Amata! Come on! Say something!"

Cayenne starts shouting. "Hey! Amata! Get up! We gotta win this thing!"

His eyes flutter open and he winces in pain. He's being hit pretty badly. He takes his hand and wipes away the blood that trickles out of his mouth.

"Amata!" I shout.

"I'm okay," he says, but he doesn't look it. The blood has drained from his face and he looks like he's ready to pass out. "I-I can still fight."

He manages to somehow shove Kagura off and get Aquarion back in a standing position, but it doesn't last long. Our mech's knees give out and we collapse again. I feel more electrified pain coursing through me as the Gnis kicks us around like we're nothing more than a ball.

"Amata!" I call through a clenched jaw. "Amata! You need to get up!"

I can see on the screen that he hit his head again, this time in front, and blood drips from the wound, as it also now trickles from his nose too. This can't be good.

"Amata! Come on! You can do this!" I try to get through to him. "I believe in you!"

I have no idea what is going through his mind, because as soon as I say those words, determination sparks in his eyes. His hands ball up into fists and he grabs the controls, making Aquarion bolt up into the air. We're ready to keep fighting.

Concentrate, Amata, I pray. You can do this. You said you can deflect his reversal power. You can win this.

"Here we go," he says. "INFINITY PUNCH!!!"

The fist of Aquarion shoots out and hits the shield that surrounds Kagura's Gnis. But instead of the punch hitting it and flying back at us, it just stays there, pressing against the shield. I can see Amata straining and pushing with all his might, trying to break through.

"Let's give him some help!" I yell to my brother.

Together, all three of us take a joystick control and push it forward, trying to drive the punch through Kagura's barrier.

"AAAAAAAAAGGHHHH!!!!"

We do it, and then the hand grabs the Mithra Gnis, flinging it into the sea below us.

"How?!" I can hear Kagura, his voice filled with confusion and shock. "How did you do that?!" He tries to move the Mithra Gnis towards us again, but bolts of electricity crackle around it. The water has started to break the circuits and mechanisms inside. Finally, a portal leading back to Altair appears.

"No! I haven't finished yet! Don't make me leave my wench!" Kagura says, seeming as if he's talking to no one in particular. "I will have my wench if it is the last thing I do!"

His words make my spine tingle.

Finally, his Gnis is pulled through the portal.

"We did it!" I say. "We actually did it!" I look at the screen. "Amata, we won!"

But Amata doesn't share the victory with me. He mutters something I can't hear and starts coughing up blood. Even more blood trickles from his nose.

"Amata! Can you hear me?"

"I-I-" His hands shake uncontrollably as he reaches for the joystick controls, but he doesn't grab them. More blood rolls out of his mouth and I hear a gurgling sound. Then he clutches his chest and collapses inside the Vector.

"Amata?" He doesn't answer. "Amata?!"

The merge breaks apart and Vector Z starts plummeting towards the water. My stomach twists.

"Call the Vectors back immediately!" someone back at headquarters yells over the speakers.

All three Vectors switch to Auto Pilot and start heading back towards headquarters.

"Amata!" I call again. "Amata!!"