"...And what kind of asset would he be?"
Shinn sat in the cold, green van obediently, as the strange masked man was calling another person through what seemed to be a phone. It reminded him of Mayu's one, which was clutched tightly in his pale hands. He managed to hide them from the soldiers, though he knew that protecting it should not have had been his priority. It should have been protecting himself. It was too late now.
"We've got to fight fire with fire. The Boosted Men, despite their enhancements, are no match for the Coordinators. No matter what they do or how hard they try, they can't kill the enemy. We have to prepare for next time. It's useless to count on them."
"Well, so is introducing a Coordinator. You would expect him to attack his own people? It's not the end of the war yet. Why say something when you don't know what-"
"-He volunteered. And if he's not going to participate, we'll make him."
"Where are we going?" Shinn dared to ask, even though he was shaking from where he was sitting. The memory of his family being blown apart was nowhere close to gone; it was an indelible mark on a damaged psyche.
The masked man waved him off, before returning to his conversation. "No worries; the kid's got guts. However, there's only so much one can take before... giving in."
"And you should have seen how pissed she was! It was freaking hilarious!"
"Whoa, seriously?" Vino Dupre exclaimed, attracting the attention of several of the crew members. His eyes went as bright as the orange in his hair. "Is she pretty?"
"She's cute, I would say. She looks kinda young, though. No matter. He got lucky, and for such a weirdo like him!"
As Yolan bragged about Shinn's 'lucky' encounter, Shinn tried to focus on the familiar images that were placed in his head. He wondered if the girl he met could have been the key to unlocking his troubled mind. Though, her clear view toward him as a stranger made his situation seem unfathomable. He held his head high, though he wished he could have had said the same for his own composure.
"Yo, Shinn!" Yolan slapped the boy's back and grinned widely. "Did you know the girl's name? How did her boobs feel like? Is she-"
"Be quiet, Yolan," he growled. "I'm busy."
"Busy with what? Oh, you're thinking about her, huh?"
"And you call me the pervert?"
"Hey, Yolan!" Vino hollered. "We're needed down at the repairs!"
"Oh, great. More grease and bolts!" Yolan was whisked away as he flipped Shinn off cheekily. "Bye, bye, Raven Freak!"
That was what he was called back in the ZAFT academy; raven freak, after his 'incident'. Whenever he thought about it, it made him sick. No one liked how his cool, calm composure was linked with his coldness and lack of empathy. If any fellow crew members was sad, he wasn't able to sympathize with them. This was why no one felt bad for Shinn; they egged it on instead.
Only Lunamaria and Rey seemed to care, or they didn't participate in such activities. He decided not to consider them bystanders; it was nice to have someone on his mental friend list.
"... I'm not sure what Gilbert's trying to accomplish anymore."
Talia Gladys. Captain of the Minerva. She was a serious, hard woman who never took in small talk. Shinn wasn't known to be attentive, but his awareness was amplified compared to his peers. This made him an excellent eavesdropper, with his low reputation also making it easier to be ignored. This allowed him to obtain information, or even listen to anything. Silence, after being given minutes or hours, became too much to bear for a young boy like Shinn. Soldier or not a soldier, he was still a teenager, pumped with curiosity, and some secrets he didn't understand or didn't have the keys to opening.
"A charismatic man attempting to convince a pacifistic woman to accept military measures? What is he thinking?" He heard her footsteps echo, and he stepped away from the corridor quietly, knowing when to cover his tracks and to not cross too far onto boundaries. "She isn't a dog. She isn't stupid. She's hopeful on peace and thinks it's a stable platform. It's her morals, and they have a foundation. Some people are as stubborn as mules."
He wondered who she was talking about, besides Gilbert Durandal, the chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council. Everyone knew about him; he was a politician. Like all politicians, he had mixed a reception. Some believed that he was the key figure to maintaining peace and harmony. Some believed that he had a hidden agenda that, if uncovered, would birth more chaos, more insecurity. One thing was for certain: all had high hopes and beliefs about how the ideal politician should be of.
For Shinn, it was complicated. He did live under the influence of politics, just like everyone else. He remembered that he used to live in the Orb Union, that he had to leave, but nothing else. He knew that it was a neutral nation, which refused to partake in the First Alliance-PLANT War, and that the war was fought on its territory. The leadership subsequently lost their lives: such as Representative Attha.
Attha. The thought of the name bore an innate dislike, as though he blamed him for something. For letting his own nation down, and turning his own civilians into refugees? For getting himself killed, and making a black hole in the position of leadership? For being a politician, who in everyone's eyes, would always have bloody hands, no matter what they deal or achieve?
Shinn was new to the news. He was new to everything. The Bloody Valentine War ending? No clue. The Treaty of Junius Seven? It wasn't stored in any of his mind's contents. The Orb Union? It was as though he never lived there. He may as well have been a refugee from the middle of nowhere.
Politics were always dirty. Necessary, but dirty. People like himself were helping with such garbage cleaning. For the country. For pride. For another life lost.
The sirens began to ring, and he ran to his room to get changed.
"Impulse, standby for launch."
Shinn hoisted himself into the Core Splendor, and waited for Meyrin to direct any further orders.
Meyrin Hawke, Lunamaria's-
Lunamaria's-
The missing word couldn't compute in his head. It was blocked off; severed from the link. He decided to not think about it; he couldn't screw up using his new mobile suit, entrusted to him after graduation, much to the envy to some of his peers, who were given service roles instead. His record, besides his mental health statement, was close to perfect.
"Pilot, to the Core Splendor. Selecting the sword as the module. Opening Silhouette Hanger 2. Silhouette Glider, standby for launch."
Any unrelated thoughts besides fighting was extinguished. He was now focused, intent on defeating whoever broke the harmony that was initially present. The rest of Meyrin's instructions weren't registered, except the final one. He counted down mentally. His excitement nearly made him enter the battlefield early. It was as though he was made for it; to fight.
He dismissed it as fighting spirit; a boost of morale.
I could use some, he thought, before shaking his head and driving himself back into action.
"Core Splendor, you are ready for launch!"
There were three of them. This wasn't one psycho going on a rampage to disrupt the environment, but rather a mission to intentionally destroy the bases, and weaken ZAFT's defenses. Shinn grew angry, over the sight of destroyed hangars and smashed debris around his surroundings. He thought of the countless number of people who may have, or have lost their lives to the senseless act of violence. It was terrorism. But no one expected this. There was supposed to be peace. There were supposed to be tightened security.
"Bastards!" He advanced toward them. "I'll kill you for this!"
He didn't expect those words to come out of his mouth, though it felt fitting for the situation. It felt justified. A chill washed over him, before he assembled into the standard form of his mobile suit. His.
Suddenly, things were in a blur. Scenes were hastily arranged in front of him, and he got lost in his determination.
Wielding his weapon. A green ZAKU warrior coming to the rescue. Lunamaria and Rey coming to his aid in their mobile suits. Switching of equipment packs. A tear in the shield. Chasing, chasing.
"You're not getting away!" Shinn declared, as he chased the escapees. All he could think about was tearing them apart, removing them as threats. Nothing else.
"Shinn!" Rey exclaimed. "Don't do this!"
The Blaze ZAKU Phantom, in its distinctive white coating, chased after Shinn himself. Shinn angrily tried to speed up his own actions, by preparing his boosters.
"Get away from me! Can't you see that they're leaving?"
"Shinn, you can't go alone! Lunamaria went missing, my mobile suit needs further maintenance, and your engine may run out of power soon! Get back here!"
"Shut up!"
He was too lost in the moment. The opportunity to get rid of them was too close, too near to grasp. It was the forbidden fruit, and he didn't care about the consequences. He wanted it done now. Not later, not when the time was ripe and more suited. He didn't care. The battlefield felt too empowering. He was doing his task, wasn't he? So why wouldn't Rey keep his tail down?
"You leave me no choice, Shinn. I'm sorry."
"What-"
"Sister."
Fear.
A/N
Hello, everyone!
I'm sorry about the massive delay. I recently had examinations, and I'm still busy now, as I have a four week long workshop to prepare for my next academic year. I will try my best to post as soon as I can.
Thank you for waiting, following and favouriting!
