Rusty Story
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed, but I suppose I own Rusty's personality since it never is mentioned in the books or show.
Ok, I had fun writing my one-shot, Ultimate Sacrifice, and I got some good reviews. I decided to do another Rusty story, but this one going more into his background (that I invented since, again, it wasn't mentioned in Gundam Seed. Please read and review!
Character: Mostly Athrun and Rusty, though it has a few others. I'm going from Athrun's POV, the last one to actually sit down and think about it, all the way down to Miguel's before Kira kills him. (Damn Kira…got Rusty killed; killed Miguel, Nicol, and Raw Le Klueze (or however you spell it); gave Yzak the scar…etc, etc…)
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The day is hot; everyone in PLANTs preferring to stay inside with the A/C cranked to get away from the blast of hot air. Not even Athrun dares to stay outside. No, the 'Red Knight', as Miriallia has called him, decided that the heat is too much. Or perhaps it is because he hasn't been able to enter his old home in ages due to living in ORB under a fake name. Who knows?
Forced to stay inside, Athrun has decided to go through the old war objects; the items that he can relate to his friends…and those of them that have died. Sighing softly, Athrun gently takes out two medium-sized boxes from the bottom of his closet, yelping when a spider suddenly crawls up the wall. Grabbing the first thing he could, Athrun sprays the spider with glass-cleaner spray, giving a triumphant smirk when the spider falls to the floor; unfortunately, it pops right back up, causing the ace soldier to give another yelp and grab a shoe that is conveniently in the closet before slamming it soundly on the spider, spinning the shoe a few times to make sure the creature is effectively silent and unmoving. 'Damn spiders…' he thinks, mentally glowering. He tosses the shoe back in the closet, a slight blush on his face as he thinks back to his reaction. 'I'm a soldier…I can face a gun, but not a spider?'
Giving a soft chuckle at his foolishness, Athrun finishes pulling the boxes out, checking them for spiders, before carrying them to the living room and setting them down on the floor; shoe and bug-spray close to hand. He has no idea if bug-spray works on spiders, but he'll see if one comes around.
Opening the larger box gently, with a tenderness that he had managed to keep even through the first war, and the second, not wanting to harm any of the objects inside. Gently, he removes Nicol's sheet music that he had kept, although he should have given them to the boy's grieving parents. Smiling, he thinks back to when he had heard Nicol play a few of these very sheets; chuckling when the boy had told him that he saw the blunette sleeping even though he hadn't been.
Plunging further, he pulls out a thin chain with an eagle design on it. The chain is expensive and beautifully crafted, although the boy who had owned it wasn't someone you could call rich. Actually, he was the farthest you could find that actually lived in a building; he was an orphan. That also explains why Athrun has the chain instead of family.
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Glancing up from his book, Athrun regarded the cheery red-head with a steady gaze, wondering just why this boy had interrupted his studying…and why he wasn't studying himself. Placing a bookmark into the page he had stopped at, Athrun closed the book gently before looking back up at the red-head once more. He seemed to be a year younger than himself. "May I help you?" the blunette questioned softly, but steadily.
The boy smiled, holding his hand out towards Athrun. "I'm Rusty Mackenzie. I wanted to introduce myself to you, Zala-kun, since we are going to be roommates," he said, his voice soft and gentle. Before Athrun can get a word in edge-wise, Rusty held up one hand to halt the blunette's words. "Everyone knows who you are, Zala-kun. You're the assistant-chairman's son…" he reminded, correctly predicting Athrun's next sentence.
"O-oh, I see…" Athrun said, eyes wide at the cheerful boy's natural talent for observation. That was one of the only times he had been predicted like that in a long time. "Nice to meet you, Mackenzie-kun…" he smiled, adding the Japanese honorific since this boy seemed keen on using them.
Rusty laughed, closing his eyes in amusement. "You don't have to use the honorific…I don't mind. I just grew up in an orphanage where the Mistress was a descendant of the Japanese culture. Most people don't think to use it; thank-you, Zala-kun…" he said, his smile faltering ever-so-slightly at the mention of his home-life.
Athrun nodded, surprised at how easy going this talented observer was. Frowning, Athrun paused suddenly. "Mackenzie…I've heard that name somewhere…" he whispered, not comprehending just where he had heard this boy's last name with such a meaning behind it, albeit unknown at the moment.
Rusty smiled sadly, but proudly. "Caleb Mackenzie…" he offered.
Athrun blinked, recognizing the name immediately. "…the hero of the last war…" he continued, eyes wide.
The boy smiled, the emotion not quite meeting his eyes. Sitting down in the chair beside the blunette, he nodded. "Yeah…my father. He died before I was born. My mother committed suicide soon after the knowledge of his death, or so the Mistress told me. I'm proud to be his son…I hope I can make him proud up there…" he whispered, his fingers reaching towards his neck to brush against the eagle pendant of a thin, expensive chain. Noticing Athrun's gazing towards the chain, he removed it from his neck and held it out for the prodigy to look at. "It's the pendant he had gotten a year before his death, when he had earned the title of 'War Hero'…" he explained, although he knew that Athrun knew. "Go ahead and take a look at it, Zala-kun; I don't mind!"
"Th-thank-you…" he whispered softly, gently plucking the pendant from the boy's palm. The silver shined, obviously well taken care of.
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Athrun smiles softly at the memory of their first meeting. After his death, they looked at the list of things he wanted to personally give out. Some of it was rather amusing, and so him.
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'To my friend Zala-kun, I give my pendant and chain. You're an amazing pilot…be the new 'War Hero'. I also give you my drawings; I saw you eyeing them when you first noticed them!
To Amarfi-kun, I give my respect and hope that you will quit the war and do what you can to raise hopes instead of pulling the trigger. I will always say that. You are an amazing pianist. Don't risk that power by fighting on the front-lines, Amarfi-kun. I also give you my quill-pen…you borrowed it enough to appreciate owning it, anyway!
To Elthsman-san, I give my skin magazines. Kidding, don't own any! (Don't look under my bed! Just kidding, I honestly don't own any!) Since I can't do that, I'll give you that book I promised to lend you but never thought to do so.
Jule-san; you own more than I could even imagine! If there is something you want, you can get first dibs on it, how about that? Unless it's already been given to someone, of course. Sorry for giving Zala-kun the pendant.
Aimen-san; I'm giving you the journal I never wrote in. Please use it; I want you to write out your feelings. It'll sure beat hiding them inside.
To Mistress Sanders, I give nothing since she is a horrible person who will probably take half of my stuff anyway. Actually, I will put this in writing. She may not, CAN NOT, take anything that belongs to me. I thank her for teaching me to respect and all, but that respect I had towards her I have lost long ago.
If these people can not be given the specified items, I am deeply sorrowed. They will be given to the next best person, I suppose. The pendant, however, will go to Jule-san if Zala-kun can not accept it. Then to Amarfi-kun; then Aimen-san. If all else fails, it shall go to Elthsman-san. (It's not food! Don't eat it! Just kidding!) If that isn't possible, put it in my grave so I can take it with me and return it to my father.
Signed,
Rusty Mackenzie
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Tears sting Athrun's eyes at the very though of his death. He was an amazing person; so cheerful for having such a tough life. Setting the boxes aside, knowing he'll never manage to got through anything else today, he loses himself in the memories he holds of the past.
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Athrun walked into the room with his other roommate, Nicol Amarfi, only to find the orphan curled up atop of the covers in a slight fetal position. His hands clutched the blankets in front of his face, his normally smiling face replaced with such an adorable frown that the boy looked younger than he already did. Athrun had been surprised that the tiny boy (he was smaller than Nicol, who is also small) was actually a year older than him at 17 years old. Shaking his head at the young, but amazing, sniper, Athrun gently lifted the red-head up into his arms as Nicol pulled the blankets back. Setting Rusty on his side, in the same position he had been in, the two pulled the blanket back over his small frame before sharing amused glances.
"He's like a child…" Nicol sighed softly, a soft sound of amusement hidden in his tone. Chuckling softly at the sight of his older roommate, he gently brushed some of the ruby-red bangs aside and took a closer look to the purely innocent boy. A slight shine brought the green-haired boy's eyes to the orphan's closed eyes. "H-he's crying!" Nicol gasped, eyes widened at the sight of the lone tear running down the porcelain-colored cheek.
Athrun smiled sadly, knowing that the reason behind the boy's pain is the orphanage. He gently brushed his finger against Rusty's face, wiping the tear away with a gentleness that surprised even himself. "He'll be ok…" Athrun whispered, not understanding why it felt so strongly to be the truth, but knowing it was.
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Staring in shock, tears ran down Athrun's face behind the mask. Everything seeming to go in slow motion, he watched the lady spin around, raise her gun and fire it. Tracking the bullet's trek towards the red-haired sniper; wanting desperately to run and tackle Rusty to avoid either of them getting hit, but knowing that he wouldn't be able to beat a fired bullet, no matter how fast he is. Green eyes watched the silvery-colored eyes widen in shock, the older boy's lips parting in a silent scream. Watching, Athrun saw Rusty's expression become pained when the bullet made contact with his chest.
"Z-Zala…kun…" The murmured words fill the air, but only Athrun could hear them. Rusty's helmet fell off as he fell; freeing the ruby-red locks from their imprisonment. Blood flows slowy from the wound, barely noticed on the red uniform. A soft thud echoed through the blunette's mind as the lithe teenager's body hits the cold warehouse ground. Athrun dashed towards Rusty, pulling the red-head onto his lap. "S-sorry…Athrun…" he whispered, his breathe stopping short and the will to live vanishing from the bright silver eyes, dulling them so considerably that Athrun is reminded of looking through a window with a candle in the sill and watching it be blown out.
"R-Rusty…" Athrun choked. Closing the empty silver eyes, Athrun made a sign of a cross on his chest, whispering a soft prayer. Gently unclasping the eagle pendant, he bowed his head. "I'll defeat them…I'll become the new 'War Hero'," he vowed, punching the ground beside them before gently setting Rusty onto the ground and pushing himself up. "I will stay alive…" he whispered, knowing that Rusty would have wanted him to. "I will…"
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Tears sting at Athrun's eyes, the memories too vivid to look through them. Blinking, he buried his head into his knees, letting the sobs wrack his body. "W-why, Rusty? Y-you w-were the b-best m-marksman in our academy…w-why didn't you kill her?" he choked out, not caring that Murrue was now one of his friends. All he cared about was the fact that there was too much of a chance that Rusty allowed himself to be killed. "W-why?"
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Ok, there's some of Athrun's memories with Rusty. Next is going to be Dearka, then Yzak, then Nicol and then Miguel.