Chapter Seven: Where's Athrun?

"You're already in charged, I trust you all the way." Dearka Elthman

---

"The situation has changed in the blink of an eye as the destruction of Janurius caused a cascade of events across the earth; and the moon…"

"Tension is rising between the independent factors in…"

"The emirs in Orb Union announced that the treaty between PLANTs and Orb Union has currently been suspended and in all probability, rendered null and void."

Cagalli listened halfheartedly to the telecast as she made no effort to pull her finger away from the sleeping Maximillion, who was suckling and nibbling on her thumb instead of his own.

She didn't know how she should feel, part of her was genuinely sorrowful about the demise of Janurius. At the same time, she had been utterly confused and at the same time oddly angry at herself for not being able to save Athrun, and to watch as the thing that the two of them had worked so hard for fall to pieces. The treaty is beyond impossibilities now, their seven years of living apart and nation building, all their efforts, all their sweat and blood, all seven years of their lives; wasted.

She stroked the length of Maximillion's golden fringe; it was the only thing she could do to calm herself, to tell herself that all is not lost.

Marlene is alive.

She couldn't deny her selfishness, but at that moment when the world was against them, she was just a mother. If the world wanted to destroy her daughter, she alone would stay by her till death.

Some things are beyond value, they are precious. And at that moment, she only knew Marlene and Athrun are precious to her, perhaps even more precious than even Orb. And just how precious she couldn't say; but her own stubbornness scared even herself.

"Athrun…" she whispered to no one absentmindedly, the familiar name tugging at her heart; as if connected by an invisible, unbreakable string. Max stirred and Cagalli held her breath. He shifted slightly, and then continued sleeping soundly. She let go of the breath. And combed her fingers through the child's fringe as she uttered a silent prayer, wishing with all of her heart that Athrun is safe…

"Cagalli."

Kira's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to look at him testily.

"Yea?"

"The Emirs are on the line…" Kira answered from the door, not daring to go near Cagalli in her angered state. "They want to speak to you, something about treachery…"

"Oh."

---

Yulie Amarfi stormed through the gates, pushing past the guards at the door and slamming the door behind him.

He was an unusually patient man, only the biggest losers get under his skin. But today, it didn't take an Intelligence Quotient of hundred and eighty to tell that he was angry. He face was flushed and his fist clenched tightly as he stalked towards Tad Elthman, the latter turned, and quickly greeted the angry man with phony smile that showed all his pearly white teeth.

"Senator Amarfi, pleasure." He said airily, "How can I help you?"

Yulie Amarfi was having none of that, he wasted no time in grabbing the other man's neck; clamping down around his windpipe as he questioned, "WHY DID YOU BLOW JANURIUS?!"

"RE…Relax, OLD friend!" ,he managed to choke while trying to breathe. "What have I got to do with Janurius?"

"Both you and I know that the disagreement within the Supreme Council, there are only two sides…"

"I don't…"

"DON'T give me that RUBBISH!" he snapped, "You're the only one who knows that Athrun was kidnapped, the identities of the ones who will stand on his side and somehow found out they were having a meeting at Janurius yesterday in secrecy…"

Tad Elthman could no longer hide his smirk, and Yulie Amarfi wringed harder. "WHY?! INGRATE! Athrun did you no wrong, but he did so much for the PLANTs!! Why are you out to frame him?!"

"Frame? But he destroyed Janurius with his own two hands…" Mr Elthman replied quietly, Yulie Amarfi stiffened visibly, and his grip loosened. "The kid didn't do it, you did something…" He accused, with less conviction than he would have preferred.

"Is that so…?" Tad Elthman whispered, "What if I told you you're right…"

"What do you mean…?"

Mr Elthman smiled sinisterly, and in a small voice he whispered into Yulie Amarfi's ear, "Zala's boy is with me. And he won't last much longer, not if I can help it…" And swiftly, he sent a punch into Yulie Amarfi's stomach.

"Ahh….!" He choked as he sank onto the floor, his eyes squeezed shut in obvious pain. "Why…? I thought you could forget…" Yulie Amarfi gasped.

"Have you ever forgotten how your son died?"

"……"

"Same with me."

"But you promised Patrick…!"

"…to treat his son like mine should anything happen to him…" Tad Elthman finished the sentence as he turned his back on the older man, "I remember. I'm not old and senile like you." His voice was so cold that it sent a shiver up Yulie Amarfi's spine. "His actions irk me, his attitude disgusts me. He looks so much like Lenore but…" he trailed off, "…he just isn't the same gentle soul. He destroyed what Patrick died for…" And Tad Elthman leered down at Yulie Amarfi as he hissed, "And I'll destroy him…"

"What have you done with him?!"

"You'll see…" He replied with the same menacing grin, "I'm not through yet, and you, old friend. Will watch him die…"

"I'll tell them who kidnapped Athrun in the first place!"

"Really, who'd listen to a gibbering old man? You're old, Yulie. You should retire, go spend your last days with your wife…"

"Maybe I will retire, but NOT BEFORE TELLING EVERYONE YOUR SECRET…"

"I beseech you…tell little Yzak and the rest as well while you're at it. Come, use my computer, tell them who you are." Yulie Amarfi stared up in shock, "What else are you planning?!"

"Well, nothing much…" He smiled, "Just the death of a certain thorn in the flesh…"

Lacus Clyne cupped her hands over her mouth, stifling an audible gasp.

"And before that…I believe you would want to see them yourself…"

---

"Reports from the satellites revolving around Janurius showed that due to the sudden happening of the tragedy, it is highly likely that all 200,000 citizens perished in the mass genocide. And this raises the question as to whether the PLANTs Chairman, Charmain Athrun Zala instituted this mass murder…"

"Murderer!" one deranged looking citizen screamed.

"The Supreme council of PLANTs denied this assumption and alleged that the Chairman had not informed the council of his sudden departure and subsequently…"

"Other sources say that the PLANTs Chairman has been missing since six days ago and has not been seen since, inside information tells us that the Supreme council had tried to cover up the absence of Chairman Zala in order for the treaty signing to go on. And in fact, Athrun Zala has been kidnapped by an unknown terrorist organization, along with the peace envoy, Marlene Yula Athha. It is unconfirmed whether they are in any mortal danger, but…"

"The EAF has declared war on the basis of an unreported attack from the Zaft forces some sixteen hours ago…"

"It's all Zala's fault! If he hadn't…"

"Orb Union denied knowing that Chairman Zala has been missing in action, and while representative Cagalli Yula Athha have not yet made a public explanation regarding this issue, observers reckons that the conspiracy went as deep as to hoodwink the whole of twenty six countries that make up Orb Union…"

"Damn you, Athrun Zala!"

"Damn you!" Dearka retorted defensively, "Yzak can you believe this?! Athrun this, Athrun that, his fault, his fault, his fault! Can't they just believe that he was kidnapped and is now a damsel in distress?"

"But it IS his fault." Yzak replied coldly, "He is the only one who can be responsible for Janurius!"

"Not you too!" Dearka shouted.

"Who else can it be?" Yzak muttered in frustration as he shook his head, causing his long silver hair to fray in all directions. "HE IS THE ONLY ONE…!"

"I don't think Zala did this unless he told me himself!"

"I don't WANT to believe it either…BUT…"

"BUT WHAT?!"

"…It doesn't matter now, there are more important things." Yzak steepled his fingers together and leaned his forehead on his hands, knocking his own head. "I can't believe we just caused PLANTs to go to war with EAF…Stupid, STUPID!"

"What can we do?"

Yzak sighed most uncharacteristically as he leaned back on the swivel chair, "Find a hole and jump in…"

"The whole ship is depending on you, DON'T YOU DARE FALL APART NOW!"

"I KNOW!!" he snapped, "But what can I DO? Why not you tell me?!"

"IF I KNOW WE WOULDN'T BE IN THIS MESS!"

"THEN SHUT UP AND LET ME THINK!!!" Yzak stood up so suddenly his chair fell backwards. Dearka had enough as he gripped Yzak by the collar and sent a quick punch into his face, Yzak couldn't duck in time. But as soon as he recovered, he sent a knee flying into Dearka's stomach. He let go and Yzak lunged forward with a snarl, pinning Dearka to the wall., sending a vicious punch at his jaw.

Their struggle continued for the next fifteen minutes, neither of them gaining leverage over the other, they fought till they were both too tired to fight. Exchanging blow after blow successively really took it out of two people who haven't been pumping iron.

And in the end, both of them just slumped down at different corners of the room and shot happy daggers at each other with angry glares. Two tired men, acting more like boys half their age…

---

"I don't believe it's his decision…" Luna said quietly at the bridge. Shinn turned to glare at her as he pointed to the screen, where a reenactment of the moment Janurius blew up was playing, "THIS is his decision. And whose fault is it that we're stuck in this mess? Some idiot Supreme Council member who wants to be a father when he can't even take care of himself!"

"Don't you dare speak of Mr Jule in that manner!!" Shiho screamed, glaring at Shinn.

"Shuddup, lapdog!" He yelled in frustration.

"Miss Hahnefuss!" Luna shouted before she could blow, "I apologize on his behalf…"

"Luna you don't have to say sorry to this parrot…!"

Luna gave him a hard look and a tight squeeze on his shoulder, he simmered down immediately. Shiho turned and left wordlessly.

Lunamaria turned back to Shinn, and sighed, "I think Athrun's in real danger. If he can be forced to kill 200,000 people he can very well be forced to take his own life."

Shinn's eyes widened at the prospect he never thought of, Luna continued, "I want to go on looking… I think we should find him before it's too late…"

Shinn glared at her for a few more moments, opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked to one side, then the other and considered Luna's statement for a few more seconds. At long last, he hissed, "Fine, but we need to know where the heck he is…"

---

"Option…" he hesitated one final time as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Option three. " His voice echoed eerily round the small dark room for a few more seconds, like the moments before a death sentence. The lights in the blue and red buttons lost their brilliance suddenly, and faded into nothingness, leaving the room completely dark and un-illuminated.

Athrun sank feebly to the floor, suddenly feeling weak. And in that instant he was awfully conscious of his own stricken and quick breathing. His heart was still racing, pounding in his ears. Other than that, all he heard was silence. The deafening, endless kind which seemed to scream out from all the metallic walls around him, enveloping him, smothering him. He thought he would go mad if he stayed like this any longer. He couldn't see his own fingers now, even if he held them in front of his face. It was dark and impossibly quiet, and it made him feel like just breaking down and cry.

He felt as if he was on the verge of tipping over a cliff, wondering what he had done. Wondering if Marlene was safe, and praying that Janurius is still in one piece. He knows very well that his actions impact the people of plants and earth, but it was never magnified to this extent.

Never.

He had killed, but it was under orders, but now…

He clenched his fist, so hard that nail bit into skin. He felt as if he had failed one too many times already. The people who trust him, and those who relied on him; he has failed them all. For he might have committed what the Zala faction had done seven years ago, he might have condemned tens of thousands to death…

Cagalli, I'm so sorry…

---
Both of them were panting hard and Dearka wiped the corner of his mouth and was the first to speak, "Feelin' better…?"

Yzak blinked and looked up in surprise, he opened his mouth but no words came out. Dearka laughed at his friends' response, "I guessed you needed it, I know how you're feeling, Sedna and all…You're stressed out?" When Yzak continued to stare like a guppy, Dearka added, "Shiho told me…"

"CRAP!" Yzak spat as he rummaged through his long hair, as if hoping more strands will hide his reddened face from view. "One day I'll fire that woman!"

"No, you won't" Dearka grinned, "You said that about a million times…… All that aside, we're still in a mess. What can we do?"

It was quiet for the next five minutes as neither spoke, Yzak stared insistently at the ground; as if hoping for something to jump out from the ground at him. Dearka watched him for a while, and quizzed, "You want a light bulb to go along with the set?" Yzak thought for a while, not catching the joke. And when he did he didn't find it so funny. If anything, it was rather lame.

"…Dearka…"

He looked up and caught Yzak's usual cool blue gaze.

"I'll take charge of this. I must, I must make sure all of us survive this..."

"That's what I wanna hear, If not Captain Murrue will be after our blood." Dearka observed.

"……My blood, if it must be…" Yzak replied slowly, "The only way out…I'll go back to PLANTs."

"But…"

"It's either that or all of us gets implicated…"

"We can continue looking!" Dearka exclaimed, as if stating the obvious. "Find Athrun and make him explain. I know you're angry, we can kill him after we're done interrogating him!"

Yzak snorted and laughed weakly, "Kill him? You're too kind."

"Agreed." Dearka said as he got up and walked across the room, offering a hand to Yzak, who studied it for a moment before he took it and dragged himself upright. "…How many of them will go look with us?" Yzak wondered aloud in a small voice as he grit his teeth, "…we need manpower."

Dearka grinned, "Let's go ask. And Yzak."

"What?"

"You look like a mad man."

Yzak threw a reproachful look in Dearka's direction as he hastily combed back the long silvery strands, gathering everything over his shoulders.

"It's too long, you should get rid of it…" Dearka muttered absentmindedly, "Oh, I forgot, you love your wife too much…"

Yzak snapped, "SHUT UP!" and Dearka chuckled. "Fine, and Yzak you know something?"

"WHAT?!"

"You're already in charge, I trust you all the way."

Yzak didn't reply as he walked straight ahead, as if looking at some invisible spider spinning an invisible web. Dearka waited patiently as he followed suit, knowing Yzak's thinking, or probably hesitating about something. After a good two more minutes, Yzak turned around and with as must sincerity as he could muster while making sure he keeps Dearka from laughing out loud, he uttered, "Thank you."

Without looking at him, Dearka replied, "Welcome."

---

Kelvin Turner laid a hand on Shiho's shoulder, "Chill out girl."

"Don't call me that!" She snapped.

"Yes, m'lady."

"That too!"

"Supergirl?" he asked hopefully.

"NO!!"

"Shiho." Yzak called as he approached. Her eyes snapped wide open as she saluted hastily, "YESSIR!"

"Meeting, Operation find Athrun Zala." Dearka added saucily.

"Then kill him." Yzak muttered.

"Provided there's still enough of him to kill…" Dearka added on.

---

He was enclosed in that dark room for a seemingly endless amount of time, and when someone did come in, it was to torment him further…

He looked up from the floor as rays of light poured in from the exit, partially thwarted by the silhouette of four men. Even though he couldn't see their faces, he knew they meant him no mercy. The guns were proof enough of their intentions.

He was surprised they didn't just use the gun.

Instead, they chose to buy their time. And Athrun couldn't help but feel as if they were under orders to damage him but spare his life for the big shot to deal the finishing blow.

He was right of course.

Two held him down as the third struck his cheek so hard that he felt his neck crick perilously. The fourth man, a boyish-looking one with a low and inviting voice then met him at face level and said, "Chairman Zala, Mr Elthman bade you a warm welcome. And he says 'he's very pleased with your performance…'"

Athrun very much wanted to ask, but he ground his teeth and refused to be baited.

The man continued, "He is after just one thing now, and he claims only you know it." He hesitated, "The secret code. The Horology…"

Athrun's eyes widened and he gasped softly. His eyes still locked on the speck of dust on the floor.

"Chairman Zala, I am no lackey to Mr Elthman, I'm on your side as far as I can help it. Tell me, and I'll negotiate with them to make your death as swift and painless as possible. Refuse, and I have no choice but to let you die a long, horrible…and utterly painful death…"

Athrun felt cold suddenly, even though it was a tempting exchange, it was as if a chilly wind blew past in the ill-ventilated room. He spoke in a voice equally cold, and so foreign to his own ears, "Come closer, come closer… and I will tell you…"

The man raised his eyebrows; he hadn't expected it to go so smoothly. He always knew the Chairman for his high and mightiness, his pride being his all. He knew himself as a good interrogator, tormenting seemed to be his only forte; even his mother told him the same thing. He could talk the newborn out of their mother's arms; he could bait the most difficult people to tattle about infinitely valuable information. But is he that good?

Wiping his suspicions and disappointments away with the fact that he broke the spirit of the PLANTS chairman without really trying, he lean forward till his ear was beside Athrun's mouth. Athrun regarded the gesture emotionlessly, then he whispered into his ear.

"Your breath stinks…"

Enraged, the man send a punch into the space right beneath the sternum, were the flesh was softer. And he was deceptively stronger than he looked. For a moment Athrun couldn't breathe, and no one would let him in any case. It was as if someone pressed the fast-forward button, for blows rained down from all sides. Immobilizing him, and at a certain point, he thought they were gonna kill him there and be done with it. He bit his lip to prevent himself from crying out; he didn't want them to know how much pain they were inflicting him. And maybe dying was a better fate than what awaited him back in Tad Elthman's company.

He knew he lost consciousness for a while; and those few moments were pure bliss. Before someone dragged him upright and roughly pinned him to what was apparently a table, letting his forearm half-hang off the sharp edge of the desk.

"Athrun Zala…" the man cooed, it was a sound that sent the hairs on Athrun's back stand on end. He blinked lethargically, and had difficulty cracking open his left eye as blood was caking over it; flowing down from the wound on his forehead and dripping onto the table surface. His breathing was shallow and painful, and straining his aching bruised sides.

The man's smooth and kiddy face came into focus gradually and he was smiling contently. In his hand he was holding something that looked pretty heavy. Light reflected dimly off its dark brass but highly polished surface, Athrun couldn't tell what it was, but they had obviously improvised.

"You leave me no choice but to do this, I'll show you a preview to what hell is like…" His face was a look of deep pensive, but anger was seeping out of his every syllabus. And with that he swung the metal piece down, and the weapon hit Athrun's arm on the mark. Excruciating pain began to tear through his arm instantaneously, and Athrun almost screamed. But he forced himself to bit it down and stomach it.

"Hurts, doesn't it." He reminded Athrun unnecessarily. "And if you know what's good for you…you'll tell me what I want to know." He grabbed Athrun's arm and squeezed the part where an ugly bruise is forming, hissing, "TELL ME THE CODE!!" Athrun gritted his teeth and glared back, and received a second blow to his arm as a punishment. Athrun couldn't help but cry out in pain. It was that or bite off his own tongue. He blinked away the film of hot tears in his eyes, refusing to give the interrogator any satisfaction of knowing he was cracking.

"TALK!"

"Never!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, more to himself than to anyone else.

And the third blow hit his arm, with a sickening crunch and the grinding of bones. He didn't even have time to scream as pure agony engulfed his senses and he almost blacked out; but there was no even room for such a small measure of mercy now. He was painfully conscious for the next minute where the excruciating sensation tore and coursed through his whole body in spasms. The man beside him said something, but Athrun couldn't hear. All his senses seem dulled in striking contrast to the consuming pain. He couldn't run for there was nowhere to run, he couldn't scream. He tried to shut it out; he tried to close all the pain and agony off to give himself time and space to breathe, to think. But there was no escape, even when Athrun bit down on his lip so hard he tasted blood instantly. The minute seemed like eternity and the kiddy man spoke again, "Roger sir." And he stepped to one side.

Through his slightly blurred vision, Athrun lifted his gaze just enough to distinguish wall from men, and now there were two more. One was shouting his name, and Athrun found the voice oddly familiar. The second man smiled, and greeted him, "Helloooo, Zala."

Athrun was lucid all of a sudden as pain was replaced by hatred, and he recognized that Nicol's father was beside Tad Elthman, angered and held down. In Yulie Amarfi's arms was a little girl, and her eyes were wide.

"Athrun! Athrun?!" Yulie Amarfi yelled, relief swept past his features as Athrun awoke. "What has he done to you?!"

Athrun was suddenly ashamed for letting Marlene see him in this state. Blood was dribbling down his eye and off his chin, there were bandages round his neck and wrist, bruises all over in places where his long sleeved uniform offered concealment. Worst of all, his forearm was twisted midway, awkwardly at a 60 degree angle outward. The kink in the unbroken skin was marked by blue-black, where ruptured vessels were steadily leaking blood into the surrounding damaged tissue. The broken edges of the bone were grinding at the exposed nerves, causing a numbing pain to prevail. Marlene stared, fear and disgust evident in those clear green eyes. Athrun quickly withdrew his broken arm, and forced himself to rise. The effort made him feel light-headed and vulnerable.

Yulie Amarfi took the sight in, telling himself over and over that there was no way Athrun could have ordered the destruction of Janurius. He had obviously been tormented into it. And he had seen interrogations, lots of them. Men in pain are not a pretty sight, but seeing Athrun pained to the verge of swooning left him speechless.

Tad Elthman savoured the moment fully, resisting the urge to poke Athrun and have a good laugh.

"You like Mikagami over there? He's the best in the line."

"You flatter me…" the kiddy man said humbly.

"Do we have the code yet?"

"…Unfortunately, no sir."

"Certainly I did." He finished with a dramatic sigh. He turned back to Athrun, "I guess it doesn't matter, not when you're here, and will hang around."

"Shut up." Athrun said without enthusiasm, it was all he could manage through clenched teeth. Apparently Tad Elthman didn't hear him as he continued ranting, "And you know something? I didn't expect you to choose correctly…" he paused. Looked at Athrun and smirked as he patted his head, "Good job."

Athrun scowled irritably and Tad Elthman pulled away, playfully saying, "Ah, the dog barks." Marlene's round head snapped in Tad Elthman's direction, and with one short hand she reached out and whacked him reproachfully. In response, he raised an eyebrow. Pinched her nose and told her, "I'll deal with you later." She pulled away forcibly, and stuck out her tongue at him.

Athrun almost could forget the pain and smile, but he remembered more vividly than ever as Mr Elthman came at him again. "Where were we..? Oh yes, option three. You have any idea what that is?" And when Athrun remained silent, he asked again with a false smile, "No?" And he advanced toward him past the desk and made it dangerously close towards Athrun's broken arm. Athrun stiffened and backed off into the wall behind him instinctively, fearing that he would be cruel enough as to touch and agitate the wound. "Make a guess…what do you think option three means."

"Option three…" Athrun said hoarsely, "…Is to destroy myself."

"Bingo." He replied, seemingly contented, "And how… did you arrive at that conclusion?"

"You dropped hints that all you wanted is to unmake me, not some mega-cosmic destruction. And certainly not Marlene, I guessed that killing me was your only objective. And it's unlike you not to say it outright."

"Full marks."

"…But you will not stop there, your ambition extends beyond the four walls of the council room. Killing me would achieve nothing…"

"Not true, it makes me happier. Mikagami, gimme something sharp, anything."

The kiddy man instantly flicked open a standard Zaft dagger and offered it to Tad Elthman by the handle.

"Thank you." He added graciously as he took over the blade, he took a look at Athrun's broken right arm, then gripped his injured left one. Athrun tried to pull away feebly, but his efforts were to no avail.

Tad Elthman placed the ice cold blade against the warm surface of his wrist, and glided the waffle thin edge over the surface; teasing it, testing the dermal layer to see if it will hold.

"Elthman…!" Yulie's Amarfi's eyes widened in warning, but the guards restrained him.

Tad Elthman ignored him, and continued studying Athrun through madden eyes. "You're gonna die soon. You have the license to scream like a school girl now, you know."

Athrun didn't reply, partially because he was far too beat up and tired to utter a single word. He just looked away, choosing instead to annoy the man and disregard his threat.

It worked, a little too well. For the pissed off Tad Elthman pressed the blade, bleak as death over the pulsing artery and demanded hotly, "Well?!"

"Just do it!" Athrun dared him.

"TAD, NO!!"

With one swift flick the blade had sunk into his flesh; deep enough to draw blood, not enough to cut bone. Tad smiled, and then yanked the blade free. Blood began to spurt from the wound immediately and the pain was excruciating. But Athrun didn't even have the strength to cry out in pain. He opened his mouth but no sound came out as he felt Tad Elthamn let go, and hot blood dribbled off his third and fourth finger in rivulets. He attempted to stem the bleeding by feebly pressing his arm against his side. But it was like trying to stop a tsunami with a kitchen plunger.

He was starting to feel light now, blood loss and bodily injury taking its toll on him. He sagged heavily against the wall behind him, and concentrated on continuing to breathe, even though every breath hurts. Dimly in the surroundings, Marlene whimpered and started crying.

"I seemed to have cut too deep..." Tad Elthman suggested sarcastically as he studied the bloody edge of the blade. "Hmm, so what's gonna happen to the little one here?" He stride back to Marlene and removed her bodily from Yulie Amarfi. She yelped and struggled.

"Don't hurt her…" Athrun rasped, strength leaving his body with each second.

"Beg me."

"Please, please don't hurt her. Let her go…"

"Do a proper job." Tad Elthman yawned. Athrun eyed with a poisonous glare. But slowly, he sank to his knees.

"Athrun…" Yulie Amarfi whispered, "Don't…" Surprise and grief were evident in those eyes filled with the depth of age, and Athrun tried not to look. He had lost, he had been utterly and totally defeated. He had been trapped and cornered like a rat in the sewers, where there was no pride to speak of; only death. He had failed his best friend, his wife, his best officer. He had betrayed their faith in him; but he will not fail his daughter. Painstakingly, he placed one bloody palm on the ground, then laid down the other. He swallowed thickly, then faced the floor as he said, "Please don't hurt her, let her go."

"Why should I? She'll tattle."

"She's autistic, she can't talk."

Marlene flinched at the last sentence, and stared at Athrun. Hurt, afraid but unable to express how much. Athrun chose to ignore her, and it took nearly everything he had just to do so. Instead, he turned back at Tad Elthman. "You're a father too..."

"But I wanna hear you beg me." He insisted. Athrun bit his lip and Yulie Amarfi shouted, "TAD, IT'S ENOUGH!!" Yulie Amarfi shouted, "YOU've gone too far!!"

"I know how far to go." He replied evenly. Then turned back to Athrun. "Well?"

"…Let her go…I beg of you."

"Again? I can't seem to hear."

"I said, I BEG YOU, LET HER GO!"

"Fine." He replied graciously as he handed Marlene back to Yulie Amarfi; who simply snatched it from him before he had a chance to offer, "You may rise."

Athrun blinked lethargically, then heaved a small sigh of relief. He eased himself off the ground bit by bit, feeling his own heart emptying his veins with each pump. He tried to get off the floor, he really did. But his legs were weak and he could hardly feel them. He attempted again, but this time he failed miserably as his blood-moistened hand slipped and he landed on his side on the harsh ground at Tad Elthman's feet. It caused his entire body to hurt.

"Persistent, aren't we?" he questioned mockingly as he squat down and observed Athrun, like dog looking at a piece of bone; gazing particularly at the pool of blood forming round the slit on his bloodied and torn wrist.

Athrun was almost oblivious to it by now, nearly all sounds had faded apart from his own strangled breathing. He felt cold and helpless, and he allowed his heavy eye-lids to slip shut. With the absolute last ounce of strength he could possibly muster, he whispered, "Uncle Amarfi…"

"Yes?" His replied was fearful and immediate, but thick. And it indicated that the older man was crying.

"Please… take her to her mother…"

"I will."

And Athrun's gone.

---

End. Sorry this chapter took so long, it's long anyway. Been out of the country for a while for those who are not aware…Hong Kong is fun! Really eat and shop and eat and shop!

Tell me what you think can…this chapter was actually twice as long, had to do some cropping…

Ming