A promise is a promise, so here's another update!
Abel would look around in silent curiosity as he found himself waiting in a rather spacious looking area, complete with a swimming pool with some amazingly clear blue water. "This is incredible, not even Marrakesh has anything this fancy!" He wanted to say more but then realized he was still by himself, the third years had demanded he stay put while they changed into something more appropriate. "What could be appropriate for an ass-kicking, every third year I've ever met has used the lower classmen for punching bags. Although they were kind enough to let that bitch Ganessa go." The rose-haired young man would go to the edge of the pool and look down at his reflection, noting the Genetics uniform he was wearing and wondering why he continued sporting the symbols belonging to the Devil's Nest.
"Think fast little Froggy!" Abel would look over to see a beach ball flying towards his face, leaning back to catch the ball with a cheeky grin, before chucking it back at her with ease. "Not gonna flatten this frog you-" His words would be cut off as he found himself falling into the pool with a splash, the redheaded Pandora would cackle as she watched the newbie splash around helplessly before making it to the edge of the pool.
"Not so cocky now are you, now change out of that damn foreign suit before you catch cold!" The Slashing Trickster would give him a cheeky grin before helping him up to his feet, seemingly done with teasing him as her smile softened into something more genuine before shoving him right back into the water, laughing uproariously as she watched him flop around once again. "My god, you're making this way too easy!"
"It amazes me how easily entertained you are, it's a wonder how more people around here aren't calling you a Mad Dog lately." Attia would look down at the male Pandora who had finally managed to fish himself out of the pool, her gaze full of disdain as she watched him trying to shake the water from himself a shaggy dog. "You know, you really should undress before it gets any worse. Unless you're afraid of being naked in front of such a beautiful specimen like myself, or perhaps you're trying to keep from revealing how unimpressive you are."
Abel would snort as he looked over "The Manipulative Schemer" as she smiled smugly, even going so far as to do a little pirouette for his benefit. "Honestly speaking Senpai, I feel like I'd be just a bit too much for you to handle." The rose-haired reaper would pat her on the head, thinking no better of the situation as he peeled off the jacket and white dress shirt of the uniform before trying to warm himself up. "I'm still pretty confused as to why I'm here to be honest, if it's because of the Miyabi thing then I have to specify that the damage was already done by the time I got there." His hand would go up to his neck subconsciously, he knew better than to expect any kind of scar tissue from what Satella had done to him, but it didn't stop him from feeling phantom pains from the cut.
"Really, because from what I heard Miyabi wasn't the only one who got thrashed that day!" Attia would sneer as she noticed the slightest hint of an agitated twitch in his eye as she sat on the edge of the pool, lazily letting her legs swing in the water as she calculated her next statement carefully. "Tell me, what did you hope to gain from clashing with the Untouchable Queen? This isn't a prison yard where you gain a reputation by stepping up to the biggest, baddest, bitch in the yard." She could see his muscles beginning to clench and tighten in pent up anger at that statement, she had heard stories of what had gone down on the roof but seeing just how wound up that he was becoming was fitting payback for the audacity of him patting her head the way he did.
"That's what she is after all: an uncivilized bitch who's only here because of her family connections, we've all heard the rumors of what went down when she was over at East Genetics. That poor Limiter just wanted to make her his big sister, and now because of her brutish actions that fine young man will never realize his potential."
Abel could stand no more as he stood up and made a mad dash for the smaller women, surprised to feel himself be suddenly stopped before he could touch a single silver strand of hair on her head. "Let go of me! I'm gonna break her freaking neck, stuck up bitches like you should all be thrown in the Nest!" He would continue to struggle against his captor, growling as he was thrown back up against the wall and face to face with a stone-faced Creo Brand. "What are you, her bodyguard or something!?"
The dark-skinned woman would sigh and force his arms against his chest, not even wincing as his feet continued to flail and struggle against her grip. "You've got quite a lot of energy there kid, but that hair trigger of yours is going to get you killed someday." She would glance back to find Attia staring at the ceiling and Arnett watching the scene intently, no doubt wondering if she would end this with one punch or work him over like a human heavy bag. "Like it or not you and Attia there are on the same side here, the Nova are our enemy and frankly we need every able body we can get to take up the fight!" She would sigh in relief as the anger in his eyes seemed to fade away, loosening her grip on his arms before taking a step back and watching him closely to make sure he wasn't going to try anything funny.
"I know, and I know I should feel proud that I'm the first male to be given the same abilities you all have. But that's just it, I have these powers and am just supposed to be able to stand on the same level despite only being pitted against dummy Nova and washouts from other Academies all over the world." Abel would slump down to a sitting position, staring at his hands and seeing nothing but the cuts, burns, and calluses that were the results of his training and torture inside the Devil's Nest.
"Newsflash for you froggy, that's about as much training as anybody in this room has! Do you honestly believe they'd send US out against the Nova, we may be third years but even we're not crazy enough to take on Nova by ourselves!" Arnett would say this while floating in the pool and staring up at the ceiling, she didn't usually tease newbies this much as that was usually Attia's schtick. "Truth be told, all the training in the world really can't prepare you for a real combat situation. Every time we go up against those things less and less of us come back, that's probably why somebody decided to give a tadpole like you a chance with whatever weird experiment made you."
The male Pandora would take a moment to digest what he had been told: They really were all in this same boat together, even if his sole motivation had been to stay by Satellizer's side he had been drafted into humanity's war for survival against the Nova. "But that dream's dead now, so am I just supposed to shut up and be a good soldier now?" Abel would look around at the women who had brought him here, even in swimwear they were beautiful yet fierce and could probably give him a rather strenuous workout if they felt like it. He could feel the heat rush to his cheeks as his mind went to more "lewd" interpretations of this mindset before shaking his head and trying to keep a level head. "There's still one thing I don't get though, why did you bring me here? Usually when Pandora break the rules we get sent to the Brig, instead I'm here with some of the best in our school." He would look to each of them for some kind of response to his query: Creo would keep the same silent stoicism she had given him when she'd first arrived (aside from her earlier actions.), Arnett had begin swimming laps in the pool and was completely oblivious to the question, Attia simply rewarded him with another withering stare of disdain, and there had been no sign of Ingrid since he had been told to wait in the room while everyone else changed.
"You were brought here because I asked for you to be brought somewhere you would be kept out of trouble, although I see now that you'll need more then just general oversight at this rate." Abel would frown at the sudden dimming of the lights as a door on the other side of the pool opened, a brown-haired teen entered the room with a white towel draped over his shoulder while wearing the regular West Genetics uniform. "Someone in the higher ranks of this academy believes you have potential Mr. Reinhardt, although it is being squandered by your current arrangement with Parcé Ciel." The rose-haired young man would continue to frown in bewilderment, his focus was on the male who had just entered the room even as the clearly feminine voice continued to be heard.
"It's because of this viewpoint that myself and the other women here have decided to intervene, from this day forth you will be given proper lodging with my Limiter Andre, as well as proper combat training with Arnett beginning tomorrow following your regular classes." A woman with long, curly blond hair would enter the room, unlike the other women she had forgone the usual swimwear and instead entered the pool completely nude. She proceeded to swim to the other side of the pool where Abel sat, watching on with an amused smile as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he took in her full splendor. "I understand that this is quite the scene to take in, but I feel no shame in showing off the female form. So, you shouldn't feel ashamed to look upon me as I am now." The woman's voice was gentle enough in tone, but there was a subtle hint of command that forced the young man to meet her gaze, his blush even more apparent as she got out of the pool and approached him directly.
Abel had endured the sight of many a Pandora in the buff thanks Ciel's little mind games in Marrakesh, but this woman was on a different plane of existence in terms of beauty. It was as if God himself personally had a hand in shaping her features: From every shape and curve of her breasts and hips, to even the alluring blue of her eyes that seemed to pull him further into her spell. "I..I don't..who..are you?" It was the first question that he could manage to muster while his brain continued to seemingly implode as he looked upon her, even though a burst of laughter was heard from the pool as Arnett was no doubt enjoying his reactions.
"I'm not surprised that you haven't heard of me, it seems the good Doctor has done her best to keep you as isolated as possible." She would hold her hand to help him to his feet, smiling softly as he took it and stood up with the poise and stoicism of a soldier. "My name is Elizabeth Mably, my friends and I wish to help you break free of Parcé Ciel's cage and help you grow into the Pandora you were meant to be."
While the cat's away...
"What do you mean he's been released, as a member of the Marrakesh Pandora Research Branch that boy is MY responsibility!" The purple-haired woman had to fight her instinct to reach over the counter and strangle the woman on the other side of the desk, her precious research project had gone missing following the fight against Ganessa Roland and he wasn't responding to phone calls at all. "You people have zero right to move him without my say-so, I don't care if he's crying blood and spewing bile, not a damn hair on his head gets touched without MY say so!"
"WE didn't do anything." Elize Schmitz would approach the irate scientist with an electronic tablet in hand and a sour look on her face before pressing a few buttons to display security camera footage of him racing out of the infirmary like the devil was on his heels. "It seems your boy had a bad case of cabin fever, which shouldn't be an issue since I told you he was cleared to return to classes days ago!" The two doctors would continue to glare at one another, neither woman particularly fond of the other since the doctor from Marrakesh had arrived with her new "Pandora" in tow.
"Dammit, that little shit thinks he can just bail and not face repercussions!" Parcé would storm off to hunt down her missing ward, knowing full well where he would go upon gaining his freedom. "If I know him, that little buffoon has gone to meet with his cutthroat cunt of an older sibling. And I'll be damned if he allows his emotions are going to get in the way of my ambitions, I refuse to let that fool Gengo Aoi hog the limelight when it comes to Pandora research- not after I've managed to do what he said was nigh impossible!" The dark-skinned researcher would finally arrive at The Brig and present her identification badge to the Pandora standing guard at the gate, waiting impatiently as the gate slowly opened before continuing her furious march to find her runaway. "I want to see Satellizer L. Bridget immediately, my associate has gone missing and she may very well know where he's been!"
Keep moving forward, even if you fail...
The walk back to the boy's dormitory had been strangely silent as Abel still struggled to digest the information that had been relayed to him by someone who was not only a prominent Pandora in the Academy's hierarchy, but the daughter of one of the most prestigious families that were known to man.
"Elizabeth Mably, I just met THE Elizabeth Mably! Not only that but she actually wants to teach me to be a proper Pandora, and not just teach me the "theory" behind everything." He would think back to the moment where she held his hand and blushed slightly, he had seen more of the woman then most men dared to dream of and yet a simple helping hand had left more of an imprint on him then the entirety of her beauty. "She's truly something wonderful, I envy the man who gets to call himself her Limiter."
A loud sigh would interrupt his thoughts as the young man he had met inside the pool had stopped suddenly in front of a door, the nameplate on the side read "A. Francoise" which meant that his journey had finally reached its end. "I understand that you're new here and all, but I won't stand for you thinking about Elly in such a tawdry manner. As long as we share the same dorm, I expect you to show her the same respect you'd show any other Pandora you encounter during your stay here." The young man in question would continue to give him a heated stare for a few more seconds before opening the door and stepping inside, leaving the rose-haired young man perplexed and embarrassed at his behavior. "Well, are you coming in? Or will you further disrespect my lady by refusing her generosity as well."
Abel would stifle a groan as he looked over at the nameplate and put two and two together before cautiously stepping inside, remembering that Elizabeth had made it clear what his living arrangements were to be. "Andre-senpai, can I ask you something?" He would wince when he received nothing but silence in return for his question, so instead he would focus on how best to deal with his new environment. Especially when it came to sleep. "I don't have the right to deprive a man of his own bed, and we're not on nice enough terms to sleep back to back!
"If it's about your belongings, they should be here within an hour. Rest assured Elly would never go back on her word: you will be given reprieve from that witch's cage, a proper education, and anything else you deem necessary..within reason." Andre's eyes would narrow as he finished speaking, clearly still chafing from his perceived lewd imagination. "And you don't have to refer to me as "Senpai", as a Pandora you technically outrank me."
Abel would shake his head as he took a seat at the small writing desk in the room, staring down at the fine wooden desk while trying to avoid further cementing himself on the other man's shit list. "I just wanted to ask you how you would react if Elizabeth-senpai turned out to be totally different from the person you've come to know now." He tried his best to keep his thoughts away from Satellizer following the stunt he pulled on the roof, but flashes of their time together still managed to seep in from time to time. "The only reason I agreed to the experiments that made me a Pandora was to protect someone I cared about, I came here to West Genetics hoping to reunite with her but..when we finally met up again, I found that she had become such a different person and now I have no idea how to proceed with my life." Once again, he would be given silence for an answer, wondering how he would apologize for thinking about a woman who (by her own admission) shamelessly walked, swam, and talked to him while naked as the day she was born.
"I'm afraid I can't speak for your situation Abel, but I can confidently say that I know Elly well enough to know when she's lying. It's one of the perks of serving her as closely as I have over these years, it's how I could tell how determined she was to see you become something more than a weapon." Andre would smirk as he noticed the rose-haired Pandora's head twitch in response to his words, there was no doubt that her actions had left a mark on him on more then just the most primal level. "The only advice I can offer you is that instead of despairing over what happened with this girl, you should move forward and blaze a new path of your own. No more witchy scientists, no more ungrateful mystery women." Before he could further elaborate on the advice that he was trying to give, a knock on the door would get his attention. "Ah, it appears we'll need to put this conversation on hold. I believe your belongings have finally arrived."
The blind chasing the blind
Parcé would glower at the petulant blonde-haired Pandora that was seated in front of her, getting an equally hate-filled stare in return as she played back the security footage from the infirmary once again. "Just tell me where he is Satellizer, I know that idiot would come to see you even after everything you did to him." The researcher would watch the woman's face for some sign of recognition, the Abel she knew was foolishly loyal to the sister he remembered- there was nowhere else he could possibly go! "Dammit woman, stop being such a proud bitch and spit it out! I don't care who your family is, there's no hiding him from me! He's valuable research property!" She would slam her palms down on the table, roaring furiously in a vain attempt to intimidate her
The Untouchable Queen would stare at the frustrated female standing before her, barely batting an eyelash as she closed her eyes on reminisced on two different young men who had influenced her time at West Genetics in vastly different ways. "I have no idea where your stupid pet project is, even if he were crazy enough to visit me I would have him turned away unless I get an answer on why he has that ring!" Satellizer would keep quiet about her interactions with Kazuya, the only man whose touch had brought warmth to her heart where only fear had resided for the longest time. "Now leave me alone, and don't bother asking to see me again after this. I only want to serve out the remainder of my sentence in piece: No more bible stories, no more of your deranged interrogations. No more thinking about an imaginary savior with a sapphire ring."
Parcé would rake her fingers through her hair in frustration at the woman's continued stubbornness, breaking into a bitter laugh as she stared at the obstinate Pandora in disgust. "You pathetic little child, I did everything short of blurting out the answer and you still don't understand the bigger picture." She would pick up her tablet and key up Abel's personal profile, complete with his true last name and his connection to the foolish girl sitting across from her. "So be it, continue wallowing in your arrogance. You damned Bridget's are all narrowly focused on your singular goals: Your father and his infidelity, you and your need to remain isolated, your brother..with his disgusting need to feel accepted and loved." The research would dismiss Abel's file and proceed to leave the interrogation room, too infuriated to notice that the proximity alarm that she had set up in the dorm that Sister Margaret assigned to them had been tripped while she was away.
I honestly forgot how fun writing a fanfic could be, luckily for me this particular story always felt like less of an obligation and more of a treasure to write. I discovered Freezing thanks to an ex sending me a sweet little care package on my b-day, the cover of the blu-ray alone was enough to pique my interest. So I watched it, and I fell in love with the story.
Even when other shows let me down, I always turned back to Freezing and watched as much as I needed to until things got better.
To my mysterious Guest reviewer, thanks for poking and prodding me to get back on this. Hope I'm making you proud.