Chapter 3
Punishment
"Is this true?" The Headmistress asked, turning to me. My armor clanked as I nodded,
"Yes ma'am it's as you said. Chiffon retrieved me and brought both Tris and I to the main training building where we dueled and I defeated her. There were plenty of witnesses for you to question." She folded her hands together, thoughtfully humming to herself. I stood at attention in the Headmistress' office where I somehow found myself yet again, joined by seven other Pandoras all with their weapons drawn and pointed at me. The Headmistress looked down at the holo-screen over her desk,
"You heard him gentlemen, he admits to it."
"He admits to defeating a Pandora," Cut in a male voice, "Obviously your student was not prepared to fight him." The Headmistress frowned. She opened her mouth,
"Might I add your student lasted a mere ten seconds, at best, against the Astartes?" Interrupted another nameless male voice, "I'd say that is of significant note wouldn't you all? Despite sustaining 90% casualties during the 8th clash, is it not believed the Astartes destroyed two of the three Type-S Novas, as well as nine Type-Rs? These facts were disputed from the lack of tangible evidence and the legend of The Hero of the Eighth Clash, but now I'd say this puts an entirely new set of data on the table wouldn't you say?" The events of the 8th Clash were not disputable. I was a living witness to the bravery and honor of my nine brothers and the Commander that day. We destroyed all but the lead Nova, but still, a close defeat is still a defeat. Kazuha had finished what we could not, I did not deny that, but to completely disregard the deaths of my brothers and lift up a lone martyr instead? That irked me. The Headmistress also looked to be getting more and more annoyed. I debated muting the speakers in my helmet again since these political debates between Chevalier officials never interested me. I didn't understand the problem, I'd won the duel and I'd enjoyed doing it. It was nice to draw some blood for once,
"All I'm saying," The Headmistress shook her head, straining to withhold her anger, "Is that I have a Pandora that was just sent to medical in critical condition due to your 'Astartes.'" I watched as her nails dug into the desk, "I'm not asking anything," She continued, "I'm just reporting a casualty."
"There seems to be no shortage of those lately," Another male voice spoke up, "Haven't you had three students sent to medical recently, two of them from that Satellizer student?" I hadn't heard that. I needed to find Satellizer, she seemed the only damn decent soldier in the whole damn Academy.
"While that is true," The Headmistress answered in a low tone, "we are dealing with the matter here at eh Academy and I'm only reporting that, I say again, your 'Astartes' has caused a casualty. This has half the Academy up in arms over him." Let them come, all would share the same fate as that half-naked bimbo who was now missing the majority of her vital organs,
"I have a proposition." My arm jerked suddenly, the Pandora's jumping in surprise at the sudden movement and they pressed their weapons against my armor. I ignored them, letting my hand drop,
"Dr. Aoi?" The Headmistress raised her eyebrows, "Whatever could this have to do with you and your precious time?"
"He is my project," Dr. Aoi snapped, "And he is worth half of my life's work. Let me speak to him." The Headmistress looked up at me calmly,
"Well, come here." She chirped, beckoning me with a finger. I took a step, one of the Pandoras stopping me,
"IF you try anything…" She nodded to her cohorts and they hoisted their weapons. I looked down at her to growl dangerously through my helmet,
"Unlike you, I don't do anything stupid." I almost spat in my helmet. I walked around the desk nodding to the Headmistress. She cocked an eyebrow as she moved her chair to give me space, "Sir." I saluted to the holo-screen. An elderly man looked back at me wearing a confident smile on his face, "Dr. Aoi, it's good to see you sir."
"And you Wren," He said with a nod, "Though the blood on your armor worries me." He sighed, the Pandoras scowling, "I'm sure you know why I'm here." I frowned in my helmet,
"Sir, permission to speak," The doctor nodded, "Am I to assume that the methods I employed in my recent encounter with the Pandora Tris were not justified and considered overzealous? And am I to assume that I should be expecting punishment?"
"You'd be wrong to assume such." The Pandoras exploded with protests,
"But sir!" A Pandora tried to push me aside, instead she bumped against me with a startled grunt, "He almost killed a sophomore! He-"
"That's enough Audrey," The Mistress barked, "Let him speak." The Pandora tried to continue but the Headmistress silenced her with a finger,
"Anyway," Dr. Aoi continued, smiling at the Headmistress as the Pandora stepped back with a scowl, "The reason I just so happened to contact you, Wren, during all this is because I have a favor to ask you." I blinked in confusion,
"Sir I am yours to use, you helped make me the weapon I am today but I thought I'd already received my orders." Aoi nodded quickly,
"Yes, yes, I know but things have changed and it's because of my experiences with you I trust you with this,"
"Anything sir,"
"I'm assuming you've met my grandson Kazuya by now?" A dark ball found its way into my stomach,
"Yes sir."
"Really, do you like him?"
"Permission to speak sir?"
"Granted."
"No."
"I'm not surprised. He needs some tough love in his life anyway. I'm disbanding your previous orders, as of now you are to guard my grandson." My mind went blank, I struggled to speak,
"Sir I," Words could not come, "What? Tough love sir?"
"Guard my grandson."
"Sir I understand that but…" I could not garner the sense to argue,
"This is an order," He repeated in a low voice, leaning close to the camera, "and that is all you need to know Wren, am I clear?" I swallowed, nodding,
"Yes sir, I am at your command." Aoi sat back, putting his hands together,
"Good, just keep him safe. How you do that is up to you." His image dropped, replaced by several silhouettes,
"Marine 4," One of them spoke up, "We have additional orders." I could not muster a response, "We'd like you to participate in the upcoming Carnival." I twitched,
"Sir?"
"It's a yearly event for Pandoras in which they test their skills against each other. We want to see how far you can go. This conflict with the Pandora has brought up some interesting thoughts with us." My mouth worked within the privacy of my helmet as joy, confusion, and utter fury all meshed together as a storm of emotion within my skull,
"Of course," I muttered, "I'll get it done."
"We don't have an exact date decided for the Carnival but when it comes up expect to receive an invitation. However, avoid further outbursts in the future, good luck Marine 4." The holo-screen switched to a blank image.
Guard duty.
I could barely contain myself.
I took an unsteady step towards the door,
"Where do you think you're going?" The Pandora Audrey blocked my path. In response my hand moved instinctively to the chainsword at my hip, "You-"
"Let him go." The Headmistress sighed, "Just let him go." Audrey looked from the mistress to me and back with a look of desperation. Finally she let her weapon dematerialize with a curse and stormed out of the office followed slowly by her cohorts. Each of them shot me murderous glares, my hand falling from the chainsword as they left me standing alone with the Headmistress, stewing in my emotions within the confines of my armor.
Protect Kazuya. Protect Kazuya. PROTECT THAT RUNT! With a furious roar I let my fist fly, demolishing a bookshelf and tearing a four foot hole into the next room. He was not worthy of my protection, he did not merit an Astarte's watchful eye! He was less than half the man of his grandfather. How dare he have the fortune to have such a powerful Grandfather yet be such a weak and pitiful existence! It was an insult to my brothers, ideals, and training that I represented to be lowered to such a task.
"So even Astartes can throw tantrums?" Something seared in my veins and burned my hearts, anger and fury trembling fearfully at the appearance of this malevolent something that tore through my mind screaming hoarsely for blood. I turned slowly to the Headmistress, the something twisting and warping my face. Had I not been wearing my helmet, I wondered, what would the Headmistress have seen?
I skulked out of the office, headed for the room of Dr. Aoi's grandson Kazuya Aoi. What I would do when I reached his room I could not say. I was convinced by now that this was all just another nightmare.
Twenty minutes later I stood in a large cafeteria filled with Limiters and Pandoras, thankful for my helmet and its air-scrubbers that kept out the overwhelming number of aromas. Beneath me were Kazuya and Satellizer, sitting at a small table.
"Protection," Kazuya sputtered, "my grandfather wants you to protect ME?"
"Yes." It confused me that Kazuya sat with Satellizer, of all people, the two were polar opposites in my eyes. They seemed to be eating lunch together judging by the pile of… strange meat sandwiches between them,
"Well," Kazuya grumbled his expression that of a pouting small child, "You can tell my grandfather that I don't need your protection." I started to reach for my sword again, struggling to suppress the urge to beat this runt down,
"Do not think I want to protect you, I am only following my orders. I will not be guarding you 24/7, only when necessary, such as you leaving this facility or during emergencies. Other than those times you'll be on your own." Before he could respond I marched off, drawing a number of looks from other occupants in the cafeteria. I needed to clean the blood off my weapons and armor before it started to rust and try to forget about the day.
Imagine my joy at finding three Pandoras standing at my door, looking like storm clouds. I'd had enough problems today to logically deal with them but my chainsword would happily rip them open if I let it. When they saw me it looked like they had second thoughts, hurrying off after a few seconds of frightened whispering. Maybe it was a good idea to splatter some red paint on my armor and wear it all the time. I opened my bedroom door, trudging inside and replacing the weapons and armor in the makeshift armory I'd developed in my closet. I then set about the painstaking and careful process of cleaning them of the blood and flesh that tainted them, the process lasting well-past nightfall.
I climbed into my bed, which creaked dangerously, and looked up at the ceiling. I'd been punished with babysitting for skewering a Pandora in a duel, something to be proud of. I was beginning to hate this transfer.