Mere Accessories

"Uh, what is it?" Eclipse asked.

"I think it died."

"It's been dead, Namarra," Cagalli grumbled.

"Can I poke it?" Lacus bent down to reach out but Kira put a hand on her shoulder.

"Better not."

"Oh, let the girl touch it," Dearka responded.

"You stop butting in." Miriallia elbowed him.

"Do you think it's a coffee maker?"

"Only you would think of that, Commander." DaCosta sighed.

"What does it do?" Murrue asked.

"I dunno, but I know what I'd rather be doing right now." Mwu nodded slowly with a goofy grin and everyone turned to him, disgusted. Murrue rolled her eyes. "What? Eating. I'm hungry!"

"I think it's pretty impressive." Everyone turned to Lathan then, giving him much the same look as they had to Mwu. "What? It's a magnetic, miniature—"

"Hey, what ye all looking at?" Murdoch flew towards them, a little too fast given his distance. Grabbing onto Mwu's shoulder, his feet swung forward. "Yer blocking the hall—"

Crunch.

"Uh, oops."

The communal "Aw" rose through the group as the mechanic picked up his feet. The device wasn't totally destroyed, but some smaller pieces broke off and floated up in the circle. One gear almost flicked Kira's nose and he made a startled noise before backing away. Lacus covered up a laugh.

"Well, that was short-lived," Dearka muttered.

"The guessing game or the mini—"

"Hey!" Athrun shouted, interrupting Cagalli as he came down the hall. "Has anyone seen my—"

"Toe jam?" Eclipse suggested.

"Uh, no. My—" He grabbed onto Kira's shoulder and pulled himself to a halt, frowning when he saw the gear near his friend's nose. "Seriously guys?" He snatched the piece then bent to pick up the rest, a couple more parts disconnecting before he gathered it into his sling. "It only ran out of the hangar ten minutes ago."

"He did it." Namarra jerked a thumb at Murdoch who put up his arms.

"Hey now, just because I have more momentum to stop than the rest of ya—"

"He was speeding," Miriallia joked and a few laughed.

"How'd you make it, Athrun?" Lathan turned to the disgruntled inventor who—despite his disappointment—seemed flattered by the interest.

"Well, I took bit of the worn down Stealth and Decay parts—"

"You scavenged our suits to make that—uh—that?" Eclipse asked, listening in. Tapping a foot, she crossed her arms across her chest and turned to Namarra. "Should we feel violated?"

"Depends. What were you going to use it for?" She pointed to the scrap metal in his sling, tapping the opposite foot from Eclipse, but standing much the same way.

Surprisingly, neither the symmetry nor the ominous gazes bothered him. "It's just a toy."

"In the shape of what, exactly?" Waltfeld asked. "It looks like a—"

"Lizard? Precisely—well, when it's done."

"Then you have a lot of work to do because it looked like a—"

"C'mon, be nice." Murrue grabbed Mwu's arm and started pulling him away.

"Snake. I was gonna say snake!" Flailing, he broke from her grip and turned around to properly follow. "God, why is everyone's mind in the—"

"Shit in the toilet. Yeah, that's where I was going. Let's go, Miriallia." Dearka started reaching for her hand, but she twisted just in time.

"That you can do alone. You're a big boy now." She pushed him away, but still followed, both sharing some playful grins. Although, the next look alone proved Dearka still needed to watch his mouth.

"Seriously, what por—"

"No, let's go do that now, Commander," DaCosta broke in, finishing Namarra's statement. "I need to make sure the gauges are right in—"

"—my pants. Yeah, right there." Kira poked his finger through the hole near his pocket. "Think you can fix it, Lacus?"

"Sure. I'll get some needles and you take—"

"—it all off! Can you believe he didn't consult me first?" Murdoch complained, Cagalli nodding knowingly.

"I understand; totally feeling—"

"—that deep, really?" Lathan asked, Athrun and him talking as they headed back towards the hangar. "And all that with one hand?"

Most of the conversations were still loud enough for Namarra and Eclipse to hear, but they had drowned them out by that time. Turning to each other, they held in their laughter, their surprise taking precedence over the humor.

The redhead's mouth moved as if words were supposed to come out, but it took her a couple tries before finally a half sentence was produced. "Did that just—"

"Yeah." The Natural nodded, seeming just as stunned. "That was weird."

"Now I definitely feel violated."

"Amen, sister."

"I feel like we should do something to offset that, but I'm not sure what we could do. I have to officially announce I'm doing the resource mission, but that sounds so emotionally exhausting right now. Any other ideas?"

"Let's go shoot something. But first." She held up a finger and pointed down the hall. "I need more cooling gel. I think a blister on my ass burst."

"And I feel a little itchy around my left nipple. The scab might be peeling."

"Alright, after we'll go shoot something."

"Let me shit first, though. Lunch isn't sittin' well."

The duo sped off down the hall, their conversation covering up the familiar "woosh" of a door sliding open. Sai blinked, looking both ways down the hall, but saw no one.

"What the hell?"


"Lexi, I think I need a new hobby," Namarra complained, floating up near the Decay with her arms behind her head and her legs crossed. "I feel like I've been working on this suit for months."

"More like weeks, but that's mainly because Lathan's been using them like guinea pigs." She sighed and stepped out of the cockpit, wiping her hands on a rag. "Did you try Lathan's beta system yet?"

"Not yet. I figure I'll wait for the final version."

"He needs to get data—our data—before he can start working on it."

"Why can't he get other people to do it?"

"Because, so far, he can only develop it for us." Eclipse threw the rag at her counterpart. "The system can only work if there's a direct connection to the nervous system. AKA, the CAs."

"Yeah, yeah, I was awake, y'know."

"Then your complaining's just an added bonus to my notes," the redhead grumbled. "You can always help the others on recon. For being a guest here you don't exactly repay your hosts."

"Ouch." She flipped up into a sitting position, the momentum spinning her in a circle until she stopped herself, staring at Eclipse upside down. "I've kinda figured out how to get to the guys, so that should make up for something."

Eclipse wasn't about to mention that was just as selfish. Really, it wasn't worth it. For being a girl Namarra had quite the one-track mind, but no matter how much Eclipse wanted to complain about it, there was really no point. Her drama was quiet for now so someone had to take on the freeloader status. "What'd you have in mind?"

"I have a couple ideas, but I don't think he'd bring his whole warship. If anything he'd come on his own."

"No offense, but I doubt he trusts you that much. And one Natural versus two Berserkers? That's suicide."

"But I don't think he'd have enough authority to drag a whole battleship across space."

"Wait, think about that a second." Eclipse tapped a finger against her cheek. "Do they know you're here with the Archangel?"

"Are you implying we rat out the Three Ship Alliance?"

"Not at all, and I doubt Azrael would fall for such an invitation anyway, but if he is honestly interested in us, he might be able to make it sound plausible to his superiors. If you can offer me, Erika's research, and the Archangel's coordinates, he might get permission to do whatever the hell he wants."

"So, we meet him in an obscure region, talk some sense into the blockheads, damage the propulsion system on the ship then hightail it back here?"

"Might work."

"Just the two of us?"

Eclipse shrugged. "I doubt we'd get volunteers."

Namarra sighed and stretched out again. "If Azrael did come alone, killing him would be a nice consolation prize."

"Hell, maybe he'd be vain enough to bring the guys thinking they'd never betray him."

Namarra laughed at that, trying to sound confident, but not even she could truthfully say they'd go with her or with Azrael. It was a scary notion and depressing as well. If they attacked Eclipse and killed her, would she come back to Mendel? Hell, would she fight them to protect her fellow Berserker? Or would she end up fighting her to protect them?

"Damn it," she breathed.

"It's gonna be sketchy either way. We need to be prepared."

"I know."

"And you need to make a decision on where your loyalties lie. As much as I enjoy an unfair fight, I'd like you to give me some kind of warning."

Namarra frowned and turned away to do some more work on her suit. Eclipse probably saw through her ruse, but she didn't have an answer yet.

Either that or she was afraid the Berserker would kill her because of her real answer.


"Lathan, what's this?" Eclipse asked, pointing to her Stealth and seeing large scraps of metal along with wires floating beside the machine. She should have expected the clutter, but there was more than usual and with so many people out to find their rag-tagged alliance, she would have thought Lathan would be less adventurous. "Seriously, spring cleaning isn't until next week."

"I've made some massive progress with the new cockpit system! Well, for the Stealth at least. Nam hasn't clocked in enough time yet," he added, his ass shaking outside the machine much like it had been the first time she had seen him in a mobile suit. "I'm rigging it up right now. The CA should be asking for syncing permission at this point."

Frowning, she waited for the computer voice, but heard nothing. Lathan looked back at her after a minute or two.

"Anything?"

"Bro, this suit has had a mind of its own since you gave me the damn system. Most likely you have to ask for its permission."

"How convenient," he grumbled, turning his head back to the Stealth. "Coffee Addict—"

"No," the machine replied, the voice coming directly from the cockpit instead of her earpiece.

"C'mon!"

"No," it repeated and Lathan continued with the argument. Eclipse rolled her eyes and left the hangar. They could be at that for hours and she didn't feel like being the peanut gallery.

"Miss Lexi!"

"Lexi, yo!"

Eclipse looked up to see Lacus and Commander Waltfeld wandering down the hallway, the commander having to stop his momentum before he passed the intersection. With everything that had been going on recently, she hadn't had much time to sit down and talk with him properly. Seeing his smile, she decided she should change that, but—with her upcoming chat with Azrael—she thought against it. Knowing Waltfeld he would use his crafty intellect to talk her out of it simply because the idea was insane. Technically, the plan was a bit on the crazy side, but she couldn't afford to let Namarra down so late in the game.

She met them halfway. "Man, for having a ship of your own you sure spend a lot of time off it."

"And until recently you've been cooped up on the Archangel so don't be pointing fingers," Waltfeld accused, looking behind her to see the door to the Regean. "Stealth finally done?"

"For the most part." Eclipse shrugged. "My brother likes to use it as a lab rat."

Lacus smiled. "Must be nice to have a sibling aboard."

Eclipse cocked an eyebrow. "Clearly you're an only child." For a moment she looked offended and Eclipse had the sudden fear she was either about to be slapped or verbally abused. Thankfully, Waltfeld stepped in before Lacus decided to go primal.

"At any rate, come over to the Eternal. We're having a party," he announced, jerking his head back to the Kusanagi hangar and outside hatch.

"What's the occasion?" Lacus asked and Eclipse started getting curious. Clearly it was spontaneous if the princess hadn't even known about it.

He shrugged. "I dunno, just decided we should have one. Let's just say we're celebrating boredom."

The two girls sighed, but smiled nonetheless. Leave it to the commander to do something on the fly. It seemed like his proposal was just as thrown together. Too bad he never got around to asking Aisha though.

"Can I invite Kira and Athrun?" Lacus asked and Waltfeld must have seen Eclipse's obvious cringe at Kira's name because he shook his head.

"Girls only."

"So then why are you throwing it?" the redhead asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I dunno, I'm just winging it at the moment." His shoulders went up in another shrug, as if his mannerisms shouldn't need any kind of explanation by that point in time. And perhaps he was right.

She was going to argue the subject further when an Orb officer called to them from the other end of the hall. "Commander Waltfeld, Colonel Kisaka asks that you meet him on the bridge. He just received news from the approaching transports and would like to speak to you concerning the Eternal's supplies."

"Alrighty then," he responded and waved the girls off. "Feel free to get started without me."

Eclipse sighed as he left, wondering where the hell he came up with these kinds of things. Was he really so bored that he needed to sit around in his office planning girly sleepovers? She turned to Lacus who seemed just as confused, if not a little more amused.

"Is he serious?"

"I'm afraid so," the girl replied and smiled. "Who should we invite then?"

Eclipse groaned. "Since it's just thrown together, any females we run into that we can tolerate, send them to the Eternal."

"Yes ma'am!" Lacus saluted, a playful twitch at the side of her mouth.

Eclipse couldn't help but laugh. "Who knew you'd join the military?"

"Yes, a bit odd, isn't it? But I think I'm more of a stand-in speaker than a soldier."

"What would give you that idea? You want me to give you mobile suit training or something?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I just feel out of sorts, I guess. Still feel a little left out. Kind of sad that the only other people I know—besides you and a scarce few—are Kira and Athrun, huh?"

"It takes a while to get used to the rest of the crew." Lacus gave a small smile, but it wasn't as bright and real as her typical grin. Finally, Waltfeld's hasty party planning made more sense and she hid a smile of her own. When did he suddenly become the foster father to so many orphans? "I know some girls we can invite. Cagalli, for one. I'm sure you've met her."

"Kira's sister?"

The blunt statement threw her off at first, the fact always seeming to slip her mind. She still wasn't even sure how all of that worked—not to mention they had no DNA proof—but if Kira was announcing it, they might have figured something out. She still cringed at the idea of her having some kind of blood ties to him. Bringing it up with Cagalli always seemed like a bad idea too. Despite appearances, she was still torn up about her father. Hell, Eclipse was still touchy on the parent front and she hadn't even been close to them.

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Huh," was her only response, an unusual phrase for the person Eclipse was sure had the right words for any occasion. Her face held that light smile, but after spending so much time with her before the redhead skipped out to Orb, she had begun to get used to those facial expressions. It was a ruse. She was really upset for some reason.

If Waltfeld had become the foster father, she had become the step-sister.

"Something wrong?"

"Yes—well—kind of." She looked away, embarrassed. "She and I didn't hit it off too well and Kira talks to her all the time so it's just awkward."

"Not too well?"

"We don't have a lot in common."

Do Kira and Athrun count? she thought, but decided she should keep it a bit more subtle than that. "You're both girls." She frowned and Eclipse blinked. Out of all the expressions she remembered, that one was rare. Somehow that wasn't a comforting thought. "Alright, alright, sarcasm aside, you're both female leaders of some kind. And still in your teens. You should be bonding over shoes, dresses, and warship supply details."

"Yes—maybe—but she knows the nitty-gritty of war a lot better than I do despite our similar backgrounds."

Eclipse paused. Wow, was all she could think and it wasn't until Lacus had said her name that she tuned back in. "Sorry, I was trying to remember if you had ever said 'nitty-gritty' before."

Her frown deepened. "Miss Lexi."

"Yes, yes, I know. Cagalli's—what's a good word—different. To be honest, she's a spoiled brat sometimes, but her heart's in the right place. She's just sheltered. Somehow I feel like you know more about being a leader than she does."

"Really?"

Now the Pink Princess seemed surprised and Eclipse couldn't help but laughing. It was nice to see her let her guard down every once and a while, but the redhead couldn't help think that was too much of an ego boost. "You two just don't know each other yet. Trust me, you can learn from one another. Cagalli can learn manners and you can learn to not be so uptight."

"You think I'm uptight?" And there goes the ego; crashing this time.

"C'mon." She sighed, pulling her towards the exit. "You can never stop learning."

"I agree," she grumbled, pulling her hand away so she could walk on her own. "Maybe it's about time we taught you tact, Miss Lexi."

It was Eclipse's turn to be surprised.


The party wasn't much, just a little get-together with some of the girls from the Alliance. Lacus was right when she said her and Cagalli didn't get along. They sat at different ends of the room the entire time. Eclipse really didn't get it. After a while, she literally shoved them together so they could talk and that worked surprisingly well. They had even been chatting as they left, laughing about something to do with Athrun and Kira.

Eclipse was amazed at how angry she was when she left, a petty emotion involving an overactive imagination and her complete involvement in setting those two up to be friends. If I didn't want them to like each other I shouldn't have forced it, she thought with a scowl. Stop being so idiotic.

She left the Regean and headed to the main hatch, ready to meet her team at the Mendel entrance. The bad mood, however, didn't seem to have as much to do with the friendship as it did about Cagalli's giggling concerning the attention of a certain pilot.

Growling, she slapped the side of her face. Honestly.

DaCosta had looked up just before her fit of masochistic embarrassment and cocked an eyebrow. The redhead saw his quizzical look and blushed. That was rewarded with another slap to the cheek.

"Should I ask?" he said as soon as she was near.

She shook her head and started stocking the equipment he had laid out for her. Supply mission or no, they all had to go in armed. After all, the last time someone went onto that satellite there were two fist fights, an exploding grenade, and some electrical malfunctions.

"I'm just being stupid."

"I'll say. Slapping yourself isn't exactly smart."

She thought of her—dare she call it—jealousy and frowned again. "Tell me, were you always so grouchy when you were my age? It's kind of exhausting."

DaCosta blinked. "Uh, I wanna say yes and that you take it to the extreme sometimes, but I think I'll just skip all that and ask, what made you decide to do this thing after all?" He gave a toothy grin and Eclipse couldn't help her amusement over his honesty.

"I guess I just didn't want to let anyone down," she admitted and grabbed two canisters of tear gas. "I mean, I do know my way around."

"No one would have blamed you otherwise."

"Meh, I'll be okay. If I lead, we won't be there as long, right?"

Smiling, the older man reached over and ruffled her hair, causing a not so unnoticeable scowl to cross her lips. "Don't worry, Lexi. You act older than you realize sometimes." She was about to retort when he held up a finger. "Sometimes."

"Well, thank you. I think. You got the inventory list? Eternal and Archangel's too?" she asked, shifting her pilot suit once she had readjusted the holster at her waist. She had to borrow one of the Orb suits and thanks to their new-found alliance, her old ZAFT uniform was getting revamped towards some kind of communal wear. She wasn't looking forward to the finished product, not because Lacus jumped up to be honorary domestic crew member, but because the redhead's sense of fashion was her ZAFT uniforms. She was a bit nervous.

"I said, yes I have all the lists," DaCosta repeated, waving a hand in front of her face then grabbing the clipboard to do the same. "Man, when did I become the secretary again?"

"Oh, stop whining." She punched him in the shoulder after fixing the material around her fingers.

He rubbed the area before handing off the clipboard to one of his teammates going along. "Honestly, though, I go from being bossed around by the commander to being bossed around by you, my inferior. No offense," he added quickly, but she was already affected. "What's up with this picture?"

"You enjoy being submissive, DaCosta," she spat. "Get over it."

The officer cocked an eyebrow, stopping his brief ammo check. "Seriously? Out of all that you come up with an innuendo?" Shaking his head, he loaded his pistol. "Teenagers."

"Miss Rymyr," another soldier started before she could respond. He was an officer, named Clyde, around the same age as DaCosta. He was frowning when he cut in, probably hearing most of their conversation. Why he was offended the redhead really didn't know, but her obligation was to lead the team around the satellite, not monitor their mood swings.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Everyone's dressed and ready to go on your command."

"Got it, thank you." Eclipse turned back to DaCosta to resume the argument, but the "secretary" cleared his throat and glanced over her shoulder. He did an eye flick and she followed his attention, turning to see Clyde still standing behind her. Cocking an eyebrow, she started to ask a question, but changed it to, "Dismissed," instead. The soldier saluted then left without another word. DaCosta laughed.

"What?" she asked, throwing her arms out to the side.

"How do you like giving orders for a change? It seems some of the men are enjoying giving you a hard time."

"I noticed," she grumbled. "Care to take it off my hands?"

He winked and chuckled again. "I like being submissive, remember? C'mon, let's go."


It seemed like a typical resource mission. Since she had actually never been on a mission quite like this one, there was no guarantee everything was going to go as planned. Eclipse had a team of fifteen, meaning five groups of three to scavenge about a mile radius of supermarkets and shopping malls. Staring up at one of those monstrosities, she was overjoyed there were no other females on her team, and only her Berserker half really enjoyed the prospect of walking around giggling girls with bags two times their weight. Why she was attracted to such prospects Eclipse really didn't want to know.

"Team Four checking in," one of those males called over the radio. She recognized the voice as Sai, but knew better than to be informal. Funny how suddenly the thought of being a stiff soldier felt so distasteful.

"Acknowledged. Any luck?"

"Almost done here. We might be heading back to the rendezvous point earlier than expected."

"Head back then wait for further instruction. I might be sending you out again for more depending on how many other teams are slacking."

"Roger that."

"Another done early?" DaCosta asked, walking towards her and wiping off his hands. Eclipse nodded and he pointed up to her head. "You know better than any of us the life system is fully functional. There's no need for the helmet."

"I'm fine," she responded, frowning at his insistent arguing. She just didn't want to admit her fear of opening herself to the air. With her luck Melanie's spirit would seep in, or her other half would get overly frisky.

"How's your team doing?" she asked.

"We're almost done too." He pointed behind him. "Did I hear something about Team Two straggling?" Eclipse shrugged and nodded. "Go whip them into shape. That's the only thing I'd really enjoy about being in command."

The redhead sighed, but really had nothing to argue about. Taking one last look at Team One, she started walking off, calling in to Team Three and Five on the way. She was about halfway to the site when another group caught her eye. They might have gone unnoticed if it wasn't for the red and green ZAFT uniforms glaring against the cement buildings. Typically, they were good at stealth missions so she had no idea how they had made themselves so vulnerable. She quickly hid herself in a roadside alcove and looked back in time to see some of the soldiers bounding over the rubble. Five in all.

A small team.

She heard one more soldier long before he managed to round the building behind her and was in the prime position to being invisible if she just stayed in his blind spot. Taking a small step each time he did, she memorized his movements. This soldier was a redcoat and walked with such confidence Eclipse knew he had some kind of respect—or at least felt like he did. He was probably the leader of the small posse, so if she grabbed him and—. She stopped, frustrated her other half was giving her demented ideas. If she managed to get away without being seen and get the other teams away, ZAFT would never even know they were here.

Or we could kill them. Cursing, she shook her head and kept watching.

The officer was taking his sweet time and if he didn't hurry up, he was going to lose his team and she still needed to beat them to her own party. Reaching to her belt, she felt the tear gas canisters and debated. If he was going to be sluggish, she could make a distraction. Looking down at herself she frowned. Wearing the Orb uniform wasn't going to help matters. Stripping down to her undergarments might have been a good distraction, but the redcoat turning and pointing his weapon her way kind of made that idea obsolete.

Shit.

"State your purpose here." That voice was unmistakable.

Eclipse was really getting sick of surprises. If her other half had been tied to her ability to make her heart skip thanks to too much coffee and friends too eager to watch her jump, she would be having tea with her Berserker buddy far more often than she was now. And that was saying something given the amount of times she had seen her other half within the past day or two.

Yzak looked just as startled, his firearm hesitating before finally dropping to his side. Perhaps he didn't believe she could be standing there, borrowing an Orb pilot suit and with her helmet still on despite the life support system.

"Orb? What's Orb doing here?"

She couldn't tell if he was talking to himself or to her, but either way his interest was a bit unsettling. If he went back to tell ZAFT, the Three Ship Alliance could be ambushed at any moment and her home country might be in for another massacre. And if his team was in charge of finding the renegade Eternal then her party should be looking for ammunition, not resources.

Her hands went to her helmet and he brought up the gun again.

"Stop. You're not exactly neutral anymore so don't give me a reason to shoot."

She started unclipping the binding near her neck and he fired a warning shot near her feet.

"Don't make me shoot a defenseless female."

"Oh stop sounding so damned important," she muttered, glad to have the helmet off and to be talking to him clearly. "I'm glad you can tell the different between a girl's and a guy's ass, but you're not going to shoot me."

"Holy shit!" he shouted and used his free hand to take off his helmet. He was fumbling around with the clips near his neck—which would have been easier if he had just holstered his gun—his cursing reminding her of some bad children's toy with no off switch. "What the hell—"

"I think that's my question and how about you—"

"How are you still alive?" he hissed, knowing enough to hush his voice so none of his other teammates could hear him through the radio. Hopefully, no one got suspicious after his initial shock. "I mean, after your most recent assignment—wait, you weren't the one who stole the Freedom, right?"

"You serious?"

"What? I assumed you were close with Lacus after the time we rescued her from the Legged Ship and she was the one seen on the tape."

Eclipse laughed, more amused about him thinking she had gained any kind of close connection with Lacus back then. If anything, it wasn't until the redhead was rescued from her PLANT assignment that they had any kind of meaningful relationship. "No, I didn't take the Freedom."

"You were in Orb then?" He used his gun to indicate her outfit and only after he had waved it the full length of her body did he put it away. At least he was capable enough to be surprised and still be trusted not to be a cause of friendly fire. She nodded. "So that was the Stealth! And you made it out before it blew, huh? Well, obviously you're standing here but how? Wait, you didn't take the Legged—"

"How about you let me explain something before jumping to all these conclusions?" She shifted her helmet to under her armpit and leaned back against the wall. "Yes, I was in Orb."

"And the Legged Ship?"

"Not on it." Technically, it wasn't a lie, so she had no reason to feel terrible, but Yzak was still sprouting his elite reds and she felt an obligation to keep the Alliance a secret. Funny how she was willing to fib to Yzak yet bargain with the Archangel's coordinates in their exchange with Azrael.

"Oh good, I'd hate to see you side with that ship—no offense. There's a girl the commander took under his wing—I have no idea why she's even around—and I think she's from that ship. She's definitely not a Coordinator, at least. A redhead, like you. Has an attitude problem, like you. But, unlike you, she's completely useless." Clearing his throat—and probably not missing the annoyed look on Eclipse's face—he got back on topic. "That ship is the cause of a lot of shit, y'know."

She sighed. "I'm aware."

"I mean, after Nicol, then—Oh! Did you hear about Dearka's dad?"

She nodded, wondering whether Yzak had been bottling up all this frustration. He was a ranter, yes, but there probably wasn't anyone he could speak so freely to. Being the last redcoat on a team originally with five, the only choices for him were either greencoats, new redcoats—if they had all been replaced—or Commander Le Creuset. And the thought of anyone in Yzak's rank speaking to a commanding officer like that made her cringe.

"Terrible, right?" He hung his head and Eclipse saw him clench his fists at his side, the one making his helmet shake with the pressure. She had never asked about the relationship between her two old teammates, but no doubt Yzak at least felt some kind of remorse for the death of Dearka's father. "I couldn't believe it when I heard and on a PLANT nonetheless! Who in their right mind would—" He stopped, taking a breath. Eclipse was glad he had decided to put the gun away despite her past feelings on his restraint. "Did you know the other two people there with him we probably the targets? The Orb Representatives?"

She gulped, her knees growing weak at the mention of her parents. "Yzak—"

"It's tentative, but people have been complaining about how they've handled the situation in Orb after the mass driver was destroyed."

Taking a breath, she steadied herself. No, she hadn't heard any of those complaints, but no doubt there was someone out there unhappy. People were rarely pleased when their country was destroyed and they think they have a better idea about what needs to be done. "And you? What do you think?"

He shrugged. "When it comes to politics people are always split and like to let others know they disagree on the matter."

"Really? Playing the ambiguous card? Nice." Pushing off the wall, she took some steps towards him, feeling herself getting frustrated. Before he seemed willing to spew his feelings, but suddenly he was being tight-lipped? Clearly, he hadn't made the connection yet—and he had already decided it was her parents' fault—so why not keep going? Her hands started to shake the more she thought about it. "At least you're honest."

"The point is, it's their fault—"

"Their fault, his fault, her fault—it's always someone's damn fault, Yzak!" She threw her arms down to her sides and paced around in a circle, her helmet now clenched in her right hand. "When can we stop trying to twist the knife and just make some fuckin' progress?"

"Geez, who put fleas in your underwear?"

"What?"

"Why you so PMS?"

"Wow, seriously? You just named my parents guilty victims and then proceed to complain about my menstrual cycle?"

"Well I—wait. Your what were—I said—Huh?" His scar either started glowing or his face had begun its rapid descent to bleach detergent. Seeing as he had the tendency to yap then regret it, she figured he was starting to feel bad. His face went through the typical digression: startled, utter surprise, questioning narrow of the eyes, the loud "click" in the brain when the gears started working again, wide-eyed astonishment, then the cursing. "Are you shittin' me? Seriously, they—Oh, God, am I really that daft?"

Eclipse sighed and shook her head, feeling her frustration quickly evaporating into hysteria. Yzak started another swearing fit, but she didn't notice, hugging her hand to her mouth as not to make more of a ruckus than they already had. All out laughter seemed like overkill, but she couldn't help it. Not even Yzak heard what was going on until even a deaf person could understand she was making some kind of noise.

"Oh shit, now I made you cry."

She gave one last squeak of laughter before waving her hand in front of her. "Don't flatter yourself. When have I ever openly cried?"

"I dunno. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh Yzak, your predictability is so refreshing."

He didn't look as amused and even "Hmpfed" after crossing his arms over his chest, seeming a bit uncomfortable with the helmet dangling off to the side. "So glad I could be helpful."

"Seriously? You're offended? Wow."

"You think I enjoy being oblivious?"

"So you admit it?"

"Ugh!" Now he started making frustrated circles of his own. It was a miracle no one had heard them. Based on their stomping alone Eclipse could swear a hippo was learning to tap dance.

"Damn it, just say it," she laughed.

"Say what?"

"Apologize."

Jerking to a halt, he started spinning the helmet between his fingers. A nervous gesture and Eclipse found herself enjoying his uneasiness. "But you know I didn't mean to—"

"It means so much more if you actually say it. Call it," she snapped her fingers, the gloved material muffling the gears turning in her mind, "personal growth."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Let's just say I could use something like this."

"Well, that's a bit sadistic."

"You're stalling."

"Ugh! I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry."

"Like you mean it."

"You sound like my mother," he grumbled but took a breath nonetheless and avoided her eyes. Relaxing, he slipped his helmet into one hand then fumbled the other at his side as if he was putting it into a pocket. But there was nothing there. It moved to his hips, crossed behind his back and then joined his other arm in a fold at his chest. Finally, they both ended up at his sides. "I'm sorry, okay? I mean it. I'm sorry your parents were killed—gruesomely. I'm sorry your country's in the pits and—I'm sorry all this shit happens to you just because—well—because. You don't deserve it and no one gives you any kind of credit for just being—well—you."

Wow.

She felt it before she saw his reaction, the blurring at the bottom of her eyes, bubbling up then falling down her cheeks. Her breath stopped and her face grew warm, the unfamiliarity of it all making her somewhat embarrassed. It was such a silly response to his simple apology, but just the way he said the words and how they were so honestly falling from his mouth—instead of some forced mantra a scientist had written up for him to make her feel better—relaxed her; made her drop her guard. Never in the past year or so she had known Yzak did she ever think he would say such a thing. She didn't even have time to wipe the streaks away before he looked up at her.

"Most of the time you don't deserve—" He stopped and swore, taking a step forward then back, probably unsure of what to do. He cursed again. "Did I say something stupid again?"

"Team Three all set." Eclipse jumped when she heard Clyde's voice through the radio. "Any further orders, Miss Rymyr?" Looking down at the device in her hand, she remembered what she was doing on that colony in the first place. Using on forearm to wipe her cheeks, she brought the radio up to her mouth.

"Roger that. Head to the rendezvous point. I'll contact the—uh—" She paused, looking up at Yzak and his glaring ZAFT uniform. Even if it was Yzak, spewing the Three Ship Alliance's names—although, he probably already knew—seemed unprofessional. "I'll let the Mothership know we're just about done."

"Mothership? What, were you abducted?" She waved a frustrated—or embarrassed—hand to silence him.

"Uh, Team Three acknowledges. We'll be on standby until the green people get here." There was laughter—a loud crackling kind of noise—until the line went silent again.

"Geez, should I be getting scared? Light from heaven coming down to probe me?"

"C'mon, I was taken off guard."

"Yeah, you go from crying to calling your Mothership. I would ask if you're bipolar, but I already know that answer."

"Sir!" Both Yzak and Eclipse turned toward the voice, the redcoat stepping in front of Eclipse—to block her retreat back to the alcove—just as another ZAFT officer came into view. "Sir, thank goodness, I thought we had lost you."

"Lost me? We have radios." He tapped his helmet and the other soldier frowned. Eclipse had to cover up a laugh.

"One that works if you have it on your head, sir. We've been trying to contact you for some time."

"I was investigating a lead." He gave a side glance at Eclipse. "Anything to report?"

"Just signs of scavengers, sir. Nothing more."

Eclipse sighed, happy to hear her team was resourceful enough to avoid the scouting party.

"But, sir, there's supposed to be another port—"

"That was my lead," he cut in. "I found the port, but the whole thing's caved in. Practically unusable."

Eclipse's jaw dropped. Had he just lied to a fellow military officer? He could get in so much shit if someone found out. What the hell had gotten into him? She almost started openly arguing with him, but had to save the lecture for later when the two started walking away. Yzak offered a little flick of his wrist as a farewell, but nothing more was said.

And there he goes, she thought, stepping out. I'll have to make a little mess with the Stealth around the port to save his pompous— She stopped then swore. "Shit! I forgot to tell him about Dearka."


Eclipse helped store all the resources once they had returned, feeling more accomplished after the mission than she had thought she was going to. Melanie didn't haunt her after all and other than the ZAFT party it was a rather uneventful excursion. She knew she'd get teased relentlessly for the Mothership comment, but she could handle a little hazing.

Her decision to cause a little ruckus around the port entrance had been agreed upon by the others. Lathan hadn't wanted to give up the Stealth, but she had authority since it was her suit—not to mention Addict shut him out of the cockpit and would only let her inside. She had left a small path in the rubble so people could still come in and get resources—not to mention the mess was fabricated in a way it was easy to move if bigger items needed to be carried in—but it looked impassable like Yzak had reported.

The redhead met Namarra on the Archangel once she was done. They had decided to talk to Erika about what they should do or what they should expect when they meet with Azrael and those three pilots. Namarra said she had asked Erika to do some more research about her brothers, but given the short amount of time—even with the Natural's Earth Forces identification information—they weren't as confident as they probably should have been. They really didn't want to go in blind again, but sometimes there was just no choice. Timing was against them at this point.

Erika was busy when they walked in. She had told them to come in, but since she was still talking to her son it felt more like invading. Eclipse had almost given in and left to wait outside when the transmission ended.

"Sorry about that," she said, setting the headset inside a drawer. "Just wishing him goodnight."

"How's he doing?" the redhead asked, remembering a little bit about his health condition.

Erika smiled then slid over to her computer. "Still in the hospital, unfortunately. He went in there last night for the flu."

"Is he doing better?"

"Yes, much. I think his genes are officially connecting properly. They don't think he'll ever live a completely healthy life though."

Eclipse nodded and left it at that. Erika's son had had his genes altered to be a Coordinator at birth. The only problem was his body rejected the procedure and he has had a very poor immune system because of it. He almost didn't make it after he was born, but thanks to Eclipse's parents' funds, he managed to survive and had been slowly getting better for the past four years. She used to wonder if her parents would ever be that generous to her. Well, now she'd never know.

"Anything on those EA pilots we asked you to look up?" Namarra inquired, stepping in front.

Erika nodded. "Only a little, but it might be of some use. I managed to pinpoint and analyze the drug they're being issued." She waved for them to sit as she brought up a graph on the screen. "It's called Gamma Glipheptin, aka G-squared for the sake of not having to say that name anymore."

The girls smiled and she pointed at the monitor. "This graph is a breakdown of what's in it, but since none of us are doctors, I'll give you the quick version. It turns your brain to squash while putting your physical body on par with Special Forces Coordinators."

"So, it heightens the nervous system without relying on the brain?" Erika shrugged and nodded, a version of "close enough." Eclipse frowned. "How?"

"It relies on the muscles' memories and reflexes rather than the brain's. That's why their memories are practically non-existent. That is unless their bodies remember you and that involves physical touch."

"Well, that explains why they haven't remembered me yet. Will they ever recognize me again?" Namarra asked. Eclipse noticed how feeble she sounded and inwardly cringed, knowing her pride probably didn't appreciate the desperation in her voice.

"If you see them face-to-face, not just on a monitor, you might have a chance. You'd have to time it perfectly before their next dosage as well. Unfortunately, there's no way in telling how far into the drug stages they are."

"But as soon as they're administered the dosage again, would they know who she was? Or would she have to wait for it to go through their system again?" Eclipse asked, trying to rethink the plan in her head. If Namarra got there perfectly at the end of the dosage and the plan went south, would she still be able to stick around and make some kind of imprint? If that was the case, Eclipse could stall Azrael for a day or two. Whether or not she'd regret it afterwards—and what other scars she'd gain—was still under debate, but if there was a chance Namarra could finally get some closure, it could keep.

Erika thought about it before answering, her finger scratching up and down on the desktop. "Possibly," she admitted slowly. "Everything depends on how deep the connection is between you and them." She pointed at Namarra who—based on the way she perked in her seat—was starting to feel confident about her plan.

"And can the drug be duplicated? I mean, in some way that we can slowly weed them away from it?"

She shook her head. "Unfortunately, the withdrawal symptoms would be too great for them to withstand and since their brains have already been affected, I can't guarantee they can ever be off the drug. But," Erika continued, tapping a finger against the desktop, "based on this data I might be able to come up with some kind of substitute."

"Really?"

Eclipse frowned, not liking how excited Namarra was getting. There were too many variables and for Erika to get her hopes up like this was just cruel.

"I'm sure that I could—"

"But we don't even know if the Alliance would shelter them," the redhead broke in. "We agreed on secrecy so they have no idea."

"We can hide them in Mendel until they come to some kind of agreement," Namarra said. "I'll try and snag some doses while I'm aboard and Erika can start working on the substitute."

"Nam, you don't even know how to administer it. And how do you expect to keep an eye on three soldiers on a satellite as big as Mendel? Ones who don't remember you, to boot?"

"I'll handle it."

"Nam—"

"I said I'll handle it." She glanced sideways at Eclipse, the cold look in her eyes betraying her confidence before. Clearly, the Natural had her doubts, but the hope Erika had been giving her was enough to make her go through with the infiltration. "You make it sound like I haven't thought this through."

"I just want you to know what might happen."

"Do you think I don't know? Do you think I enjoy the possibility of seeing them like that? Of seeing him again?"

Eclipse sighed and Erika frowned. The redhead doubted the older woman knew much about what they were talking about, but Namarra's passion was enough to make anyone fold.

"Fine," Eclipse responded. "I understand."

"Good. Now, Erika, we're gonna need a little more leverage. Do you mind if we get a copy of your SEED and Berserker comparative research?"

She seemed surprised. "What does my paper have to do with anything?"

"We won't be giving it away, don't worry," Eclipse cut in, uncomfortable with how Namarra's eagerness was starting to make Erika nervous. "We just need it as a tease."

"Then why not offer the PLANTs research instead?" she suggested and the girls looked at each other. That hadn't even crossed their minds.

"That would grab his attention," Namarra muttered and Eclipse nodded.

"We'll take one copy of that, please."


"Come in," Eclipse called, finishing up a sentence in her journal as she heard the door slid open behind her. The outside light from the hallway caused her some brief disorientation over a word, but she added the period just as her visitor spoke.

"I have a question. When did we stop talking to each other?" Athrun asked, the redhead hearing him shift his sling uncomfortably across his shoulder. It had been almost a week since the injury, but she knew it was healing well. She and Athrun had the tendency to be in the infirmary at the same time. His was only a graze, but being a pilot—and the ships being under no immediate danger—they really wanted to make sure he got back most of his movement. That meant the sling and lots of rehab.

"We just saw each other at breakfast," she said, swiveling in her chair so she could see him. It was a rare sight to see Athrun on the Regean.

"Yes, but you never told me you were going to talk to the leader of Blue Cosmos."

"Who told you that?"

"I kinda guessed you were up to something then I confronted Mrs. Simmons about it when I saw you and Namarra leave her room."

She frowned. "You're an amazing detective, Athrun Zala. Bravo."

"Amazing, probably, but I'm mostly worried."

"About what?"

"You're kidding, right?" Sighing, the door closed behind him after he walked over and sat down on her bed. "When did you and Namarra suddenly become this amazing duo?"

"Jealous?" she smirked, but when Athrun didn't seem as amused she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "We meant what we said on the Archangel bridge. We have many things we have to take care of."

"The last time you two did something on your own it went south."

"Your plan didn't turn out so hot either, if I recall."

"True, but I don't plan on doing anything like that again." His face went dark, a common reaction whenever he brought up his father escapade and Eclipse found herself matching his expression. He hadn't told her everything about the event, but there was enough painted there that she didn't have to pry. "You're starting another round."

"The last thing was my problem. This one's Nam's. I'm the only one who can help her."

"Because you're a Berserker?"

She sighed and scratched her knee, more as a nervous twitch than anything. "Yes." Given his past, she had expected him to keep arguing, but instead he let it go. Maybe he was finally accepting the fact that he couldn't keep her on a leash anymore; he wasn't a commanding officer.

Somehow, she could tell that was starting to affect him as well.

"I'm really here to talk to you about Kira and Cagalli."

"Okay. Shoot."

"If those two are really siblings, then who are their real parents? The Atthas? Or the Yamatos?"

"If it was the Atthas, then Kira would be a world leader. The Orb Council doesn't outright admit they don't allow women among them, but they are all males and have made some snide remarks about Cagalli's possible succession, even when her father was alive. If they did have a male to choose from and with Kira's military record—"

"Cagalli would be left with chopped liver," Athrun muttered.

"But he knows nothing of running a country."

"And anyone could argue Cagalli's too young to have that responsibility. Even to be a Council leader in the PLANTs you have to be at least thirty."

Eclipse nodded, remembering a bit of her schooling. "Orb's run by a council mostly too. So—if they didn't want to pick one over the other—Kira and Cagalli'd probably end up as figureheads with no real power other than what to say on the next television talk show. The council would take over everything, forgetting Lord Uzumi's influence completely."

"That's what I was thinking. And with the way the country's going now, even if they did go back as war heroes, they probably wouldn't get anything more than a medal and a handshake."

She nodded again and crossed her arms and legs. Wagging her foot thoughtfully, she continued. "And that's even if the Atthas are their parents. If the Yamatos are the real parents—"

"Then Cagalli loses everything." He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "She loses everything again."

Sighing, she brought a finger to her lips and started nibbling on the nail. If her parents had been alive they might have eased Cagalli's entrance back into Orb—and even muted her possible adoption—but now they had no one else on the inside; no one to help her regain her title if word was leaked out about her sibling.

"Our only option is to put a cork on it."

"If it's true."

"Athrun, remember who you're talking about. Lord Uzumi doesn't do things on a whim."

"Maybe he wanted her out of that position. Didn't want her ruling Orb, council or no."

"Then why not just tell her she was—or wasn't—adopted in the first place?"

"Builds character?"

Eclipse shook her head, no matter how amusing the remark. "Who all knows?"

"Only the four of us, I think."

"And Lacus."

"Kira told her?"

She shrugged. "I doubt it was Cags. Oh, and Kisaka knows too."

"He won't spill."

"Probably not."

The both slipped into silence. Eclipse had never known Athrun to be so involved in politics, but perhaps his sudden attraction to the Orb Princess had gotten him more interested in what was going on. The redhead should have caught onto the predicament a long time ago, but even she had an excuse. A part of her felt bad, but politics had always been up to the "other" people. She just got rid of the competition.

"If Cagalli wants to take her father's place on the council, she's gonna need some kind of pitch, so to speak," Athrun said.

"You mean like a deal they can't refuse?"

He nodded. "Something only she has access to that they'll need. Just to get her back on the council though," he added. "Keeping the seat will be up to her."

"You forget though, we have to survive this first."

"We already made that pact, remember? Unless you plan on skipping out."

"Nah, you'd miss me too much." He laughed and she found herself smiling. Even if he was keeping his affections on her cousin it was nice to know she could still talk to him. For a while there—when she hadn't seen him for a couple of days—she had been getting worried. It was comforting to see she was concerned for nothing.

But, now there were two projects they had to work on once the war was over, getting information about the Berserker and putting Cagalli back on the council. Seeing as she was a prime promoter of her father's ideals, they should make her top priority. If they didn't want the world to fall back into its same bloody routine, that is.

"Oh, I finished that lizard I was making. Wanna see it?"

"Sure," she replied with a shrug, standing when he did. She was actually a bit scared to see the final product, but since they were friends—"Oh! I saw Yzak on Mendel."

"What?"

"I know, right! I couldn't believe it either."

They left the room, Eclipse forgetting all about the rest of her journal entry.


"Alright, you ready for this?"

"Depends," Eclipse began, shifting uncomfortably in a corner despite the Decay's extended cockpit. Apparently, people weren't as easy to transport as supplies. "You're not going to do a video chat where I'm gagged, are you?"

Namarra shrugged. "He might need proof."

"I could always scream or something like you're pouring boiling water onto me. Technically, I have the healing scars to make the story plausible."

"Boiling water in my cockpit?"

"Turn on the oxygen and use a blow torch? I dunno, it's your torture."

"Maybe he'll take my word for it."

"Just be sure to mention the research."

"Yeah, yeah," Namarra grumbled, pulling out her repaired cell phone. It was actually nice being around so many handy Coordinators. She dialed Orga's number like she had before. Knowing Azrael, he had kept the phone.

"Ah, Chicabo," a sleezy voice slithered through the receiver. Eclipse shivered. At least her main psycho had a voice worth swooning over. This one screamed pedophile. "I honestly didn't think I would hear from you again. You were quite cold before."

"Sorry to hurt your pride," she muttered, keeping up her pissed façade. It really wasn't that hard. "I've decided to reconsider your offer."

"About the other one?"

"Yes."

"And why would you even think the offer was still on the table?"

"Oh, c'mon. Two Berserkers for three drugged rejects? It's still on the table."

He paused for a moment and Eclipse had the slimy vision of a tongue licking lips. She didn't know what the man really looked like, but she knew he was doing something creepy.

"I don't believe you'll give me the other one."

Namarra laughed. "I didn't think you would, so I'll add something more. I'll send you a file." Eclipse started setting up the PLANTs' research for transfer as she talked. "I swiped it from one of the researchers at Orb who's buddy-buddy with a PLANT scientist; someone who personally worked on the other Berserker."

"What's the catch?"

Namarra smirked. "There's a kamikaze program attached. Wrong password, it corrupts itself and the system it's in. Pretty powerful too. Might end up shutting down your entire warship."

"Tricky." That time the girls could hear him smile.

"But I won't give you the right password until I know the guys are free. They have to tell me themselves."

"Interesting, Chicabo, very interesting. I'll get back to you soon."

"You have one hour."

"I don't know about that soon."

"She won't stay sedated forever."

"Ah." And the line went dead.

"Everything's set for the transfer," Eclipse said, shifting back out of the way. "You think he'll bite? Or should we have offered the Archangel's coordinates as well?"

"I have the feeling he might already know where that ship is anyway. He didn't ask me where I was this time." She put the phone within arm's reach. "How's the Stealth?"

"Addict's still on standby." Eclipse looked out the camera to her left. The machine was covered in a cloaking material. It wasn't as good as the Mirage Colloid, but she couldn't afford to waste all of that for the extended amount of time. She didn't know how long they would be talking to the guys so she couldn't risk the Colloid running out. The machine's beacon was disengaged, but if someone looked into space too closely, her suit would stand out. The material was good, just not as deceiving as her Colloid. And if someone did notice her suit, Coffee Addict would engage the Colloid and change coordinates.

Maybe it was nice having a smart suit after all.

"Good. Hopefully, we won't need it."

"Hah!" Eclipse laughed. "Now that's wishful thinking."


It didn't take long for Azrael to come back with a reply. The girls were starting to get a bit restless in the cramped cockpit—Eclipse couldn't feel her legs about ten minutes in—but his answer came swiftly a half hour after the initial interaction. He said one word, "Okay," then transferred the rendezvous point once they sent the research file. Eclipse and Namarra were a bit wary of going where he wanted them to, but they had gotten a lucky break simply by him agreeing to meet.

"What if he doesn't bring the guys?" Eclipse asked, shifting in her cramped little corner as Namarra helped zip-tie her hands and feet. "I'd hate to see this turn into some ambush and here I am hogtied."

She shrugged. "We really won't know until we get there."

"You have a lot of faith in this guy, don't you?"

"I have faith in him keeping his side of the deal. Other than that, he can go to Hell for all I care."

"A reliable devil. Somehow that doesn't have a very comforting ring to it."

Namarra shrugged again and spun back into the pilot seat, clipping her seatbelt and adjusting the controls. "Might wanna let Addict know the plan."

"Already on it," Eclipse said, reaching up to her earpiece and muttering the coordinates to her machine. She told the Stealth to follow, but not too closely, probably fearing the cloaking material wouldn't hold well at higher speeds. "Done," the redhead announced, the Decay jerking back to life and start moving.

Namarra couldn't help but feel nervous about the encounter. Eclipse was probably hiding her own feelings, and despite no immediate attachment to her brothers, the redhead was displaying a strange amount of loyalty. It was nothing to complain about, but she kept wondering how much more she could ask of her.

Azrael.

The leader of Blue Cosmos.

If Eclipse could take him out, no matter how much strain that might put on the initial plan, they would be a step closer to ending this monstrosity of a war. And Namarra might not even have to worry about trying to bust her brothers out of the military. If Azrael was dead, she could just waltz out the door and no one would probably say otherwise.

"If you get a shot, take it," the Natural said, liking how confident she sounded, but knowing she was far from it at that point. "Just have some kind of escape plan before you do. I'd hate to use your distraction and then find out you were either trapped or killed."

"So, don't be stupid. Got it. I think I can handle that much." Leaning forward, Eclipse put a bound hand on her shoulder and Namarra flinched, betraying that certainty she had just show. "You do the same. I know you're pretty close with them, but it's still three against one."

"Against one Berserker."

"Yes, but relying on that kind of power might make you regret a couple of things. I doubt anything short of all three of them coming out alive would make this mission a success."

"You think I'd kill them if I went berserk?" Namarra was offended, she couldn't help it. Eclipse may have attacked her when she snapped, but their relationship wasn't the same as hers was with her brothers; not even close. Despite all the rage, she knew she'd never attack them.

Well, sure enough to get upset.

"I think you can do anything in that frame of mind. Trust me," Eclipse added, sitting back and adjusting her shoulders to the small corner. "If I had been snapped that long on the Kusanagi or any other ship, we'd be going to Azrael for shelter, not for this bushwagged of a mission."

"Bushwagged?"

The redhead shrugged. "Lathan said it once. It was the only word I could think of."

Namarra laughed and rolled her eyes. The redhead was just trying to look out for her, she knew, but even Eclipse had to have noticed how different their Berserkers were.

Yes.

Different.

Slowly, her confidence faded, her other half laughing at the thought. She'd never attack them.

Right?

Taking another look at her cameras, she searched for the Stealth. Somehow she felt safer knowing Eclipse had her suit too, and one that had a mind of its own to boot. Joking aside, she loved the CA system.

"I hope you know what you guys are doing. If I end up scrap metal I'm gonna suck your brain out through that earpiece of yours."

Despite it being an ass.


Surprisingly enough, the Decay beat Azrael to the rendezvous spot, but as soon as a large, black and grey battle ship popped up on the radar their early bird arrival was beginning to look more and more like an ambush.

"Lexi—"

"I know, I know. Addict—"

Azrael's voice broke through onto the transmission, no image coming up on the screen, but his words were enough to stop Eclipse's orders. "Greetings, Chicabo. Sorry for the grand entrance, but this was really the only way we could meet on such a short notice. I do hope you don't mind me bringing the rest of my friends."

Both girls narrowed their eyes as the ship's guns pointed in their direction. It may not have been so intimidating if it didn't look exactly like the Archangel and—knowing the firepower of that warship—they figured their dust particles would be floating away in space after one direct hit. The Decay brought up the classification and specs while they had the stare down, its words not much of a comfort.

"Second Archangel-class battleship, the Dominion. Weaponry, two 225cm dual high-energy beam cannons, two 110cm linear cannons, two positron blaster cannons, sixteen 75mm automatic multi-barrel CIWS, 24 count large missile launcher, and sixteen surface-to-air missile launchers along with anti-beam depth charge launchers. AKA, we're fucked."

"I think I got that by the first cannon," Namarra muttered, her eyes glancing back towards Eclipse, but she saw nothing more than her knees. The redhead was sitting too far back and even if she couldn't see Azrael, that didn't mean he couldn't see her. Any sign of camaraderie might batch the mission.

"Both of you come out of that suit and propel your way over here. Namarra, if that other Berserker does anything reckless, we'll shoot."

And kill us both, Namarra thought, but knew Eclipse wasn't about to do anything that stupid. It was a good thing they were in this together because despite his obsession with their other halves, she had the suspicion the captain of that ship really would fire at them merely to piss off the leader of Blue Cosmos. Funny, too, how she knew that without even meeting the person, but she knew Azrael and that was enough.

"Better do as he says," Eclipse muttered once the communication cut out. "Unless you're getting scared."

"Hah!" Namarra scoffed, unbuckling herself and making some quick adjustments to the CA system. "We're too far into this now."

"You're fucked," Chicabo said and both girls groaned.

"We know!"


Eight people met them in the hangar as they were pulled inside, six with weapons, one female—in a captain's uniform—and Azrael. Eclipse didn't even have to verify it with Namarra to know who the guy in the blue suit was. "Welcome aboard—"

"State your names," the female captain interrupted, never glancing his way even though she could probably feel his glare. She was another young officer and seeing her hold her cap down near her waist with perfect posture, Eclipse couldn't help thinking she was very good at what she did. She reminded her of Murrue in some ways, but even Murrue was lax when it came to military procedure. Then again, that could have been because of their current situation, but regardless, this captain seemed to the books, primped, polished, and probably scary as Hell in most situations.

She took off both of their helmets and the guards flinched. Jumpy anything was not good when attached to a weapon. "Namarra Legund, member of the experimental team under Azrael. And this is Lunar Eclipse, formerly of the Le Creuset Team."

Eclipse really wasn't sure why Namarra had introduced her as such, but she held her tongue. After all, being bound didn't exactly give her rights to flap her jaws and if it kept them away from the flying bullets, she was all for a little white lying.

The captain looked surprised when Namarra mentioned the Le Creuset team, but she had played her startle well, Eclipse noting her restraint. Sure, Le Creuset was a well-known ZAFT soldier, but there was something more personal in how she took the news. Surprise, anger, then indifference. Hiding something, maybe?

"Captain Natarle Badgiruel. Welcome to the Dominion."

"Now, come this way," Azrael interjected, holding out his hand and stepping in front of the captain. From that gesture—not to mention the unprofessional interruption before—there seemed to be some kind of power struggle. "Captain, please return to the bridge. There's really nothing more you can do here." Eclipse couldn't precisely pinpoint the head butting, but she planned on making a note of it. With everything that was going on in the Earth Forces, she could imagine there being some kind of tension, but she never knew it had gotten so far as to mount a Blue Cosmos leader onto a warship. Was he babysitting the captain here? But the leader himself?

The captain nodded and took three of the soldiers with her, never hesitating in spite of the dismissal. Perhaps she just didn't want to have anything to do with the matter, but Eclipse didn't have time to observe since Namarra was pulling her after Azrael.

"I just wanna see—"

"I know, I know, they're down another hall. I'll send one of these three with you," he motioned to the guards following, "and you can talk to them while I have a little chat with this one." He didn't have to say her name to know Eclipse was the object of that interrogation.

He directed them to a side room near the hangar, Namarra taking off as soon as Eclipse was settled. They had ended up in some kind of medical storage room, the cabinets on the wall displaying different vials and prescription bottles with assorted crates in each corner, out of the way yet easily accessible if the cabinets needed to be filled.

"Oh, those restraints aren't needed. If you wouldn't mind." Azrael held his hand out to one soldier and he nodded, snipping off the zip-ties around her wrists and then her feet. Massaging the wounds, Eclipse stared at the man. Azrael was not what she had expected. Based on Namarra's descriptions, she was prepared to witness some kind of monster. Instead, this man looked to be a little older than the Archangel captain with blonde hair short and curled down near his eyes. If anything, he looked feminine, but definitely normal.

She stood in one of the corners, the weak magnets embedded in her shoes allowing her some steady footing. Leaning back, she crossed her ankles. "You should tell your little munchkin to go easy on the sedatives next time."

"I'm sorry if she was rough on you. She was never really taught restraint—or even tact for that matter—so her tactics might seem a bit extreme sometimes. Then again I had always thought the other Berserker was going to be male so if the dosages were strong, I can take that blame," Azrael began, one hand moving up to stroke his chin as the other tapped thoughtfully against his side. "At first I had thought Namarra had lied, but maybe she still has some allegiance after all."
Eclipse kept her commentary to herself, but couldn't help the smirk on her lips. No allegiance to you, I'm afraid. Just your other fighting machines.

"I can't help wondering, though, what we could have done if you were male." He came closer, stopping himself an arm's length away. Reaching out, he pushed some hair behind her ear, only hesitating long enough to gauge whether she was going to retaliate. At least that was the smart thing to do. Eclipse had no idea what kinds of thoughts surged through that mind, but somehow she doubted many involved suicide. He seemed too into himself to be the cause of his own death.

The redhead definitely didn't enjoy the attention, but jumping him then sounded stupid even to the Berserker. Namarra needed more time and she could suffer his blind confidence for a bit longer.

"Hm," he continued, "a bit more reserved than the other one. Perhaps she lied to me after all?"

"Reservation doesn't dictate whether or not I'm a Berserker."

"Maybe not." He shrugged, both hands stretching out to the sides as if he was some animated puppet. "But anger is a key ingredient to your, shall we say, genetic recipe."

"So, you think I'm a fake?"

"I have no reason to believe otherwise."

"You're too cocky if you think I'm willing to play your game in order to prove it to you."

Azrael laughed. "Honey, you've already been a part of this game. The only question is, are you going to play nice?" He touched her again, this time to brush some stray bangs from her forehead. It was only a short movement, but Eclipse tensed nonetheless. How could such a simple touch feel so intrusive?

"It's not nice to tease."

"I agree, so what d'ya say we stop this flirting?"

"Or what?"

"Remember, you're Namarra's bargaining chip. I'd hate to see her lose her precious brothers merely because her fellow warmonger was uncooperative."

"You forget," Eclipse continued, "she has the password for that PLANT research."

"Which is probably nothing." He laughed again. "I'm not stupid and Namarra isn't that smart."

"What if I let you in on a little secret? Part of it was compiled by Erika Simmons." She needed to turn the power back in her favor, or at least regain some ground. However, her white lie didn't seem to work.

He flinched, but—other than that—didn't look too interested. "A smart girl, maybe, but her research methods aren't as—what's a good word—successful as mine." He waved his arms out to the side. "Her focus is mainly on the SEEDs—a positive force, you could say. I'm only interested in you."

"So, you admit there's a difference?"

"Let me ask you something." Folding his arms across his stomach, he leaned forward, looking up at Eclipse instead of looming down at her. If it was anyone else, she would have said he was trying to put them on equal terms, but when his fingers twitched near his sides, she figured he was just restraining himself. "Have you ever met a SEED?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't know what to look for."

"Hm, I suppose you wouldn't," he mused, thankfully, straightening back up. "From what I gather, they're not as obvious to spot as Berserkers even though there are probably hundreds alive right now."

"Hundreds?"

He shrugged again, Eclipse starting to think it was more from indifference than any kind of ignorance. "At least that's what I'm led to believe. Erika's research might say otherwise, but from what I understand, SEEDs are more of a state of mind while Berserkers are more of a state of being. But," he began, leaning forward once more, "based on that expression I think you knew that already."

"I know genes don't make a difference so that was really the only other option."

"And for Berserkers, the genes are everything. It's quite fascinating really." He straightened again and paced to her right. "One, genetic mutation and—well, I'm sure you can guess the rest."

"How did the mutation come about though? Did I eat a radioactive mushroom when I was little or something?"

Azrael opened his mouth, but shut it a moment later, a small smirk now resting there. "Curious are we?"

Eclipse frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I take it something's come up recently. Flirt with the devil a little too much, did we?" She recalled his conversation with Namarra. Of course he knew what had happened.

"You're not going to tell me anything more until I offer to stay, are you? Not a fan of taking people by force? Or do you just take pleasure in thinking they came along willingly?" She saw the guards near the door twitch, making her a bit more nervous than she had hoped. Azrael had been baiting her and despite her accusation, she was considering his offer. If she stayed, Namarra and her brothers could leave and she might get to understand her other half well enough to keep people alive.

"Oh come now, you didn't think this was a mere social visit did you? You want information and I want—well—to help you out."

"People are going to notice I'm gone."

"Oh sure, your disappearance will be a little unsettling, but what do you think you can accomplish by returning to them? Do you think that somehow youcan be the one person to end this warpath?"

"I'm not here to end anything, merely help a friend."

"Friends now, huh?" He smirked and she kept her face neutral as she silently threaded some vulgarities together. She was playing his game after all. "Regardless, taking those three pilots won't change anything?"

Eclipse didn't respond. The thought may have crossed her mind, but she had agreed to this for Namarra's sake, not for some heroic medal.

"Currently, you are more of an accessory to this war than a necessity, so I know you won't succeed anyway." He did that shrugging thing again and the redhead had to take a deep breath to calm down. "For example, those three boys I have. Do you honestly think they are the only ones able to pilot those machines? If anything, their performances have been poor at best and I have a whole warehouse full of soldiers like them." He laughed. "They're gonna die. In fact, I'm sure they will."

Eclipse tensed, but didn't make a move at him. This kind of person was a leader? Perhaps she had just been spoiled lately with Waltfeld, Murrue, Lacus and Lord Uzumi. Commander Le Creuset had just made her nervous, but she had never really come to understand why she felt uneasy. Then there was this man. Vaguely, he reminded her of someone, but didn't have time to dwell on it.

"It's a pity they'll take those beautiful machines with them, but at least they'll go down with plenty of others."

"Watch it."

"What, that upsets you? Or are you just trying to be protective of your friend? After all, I've practically been blackmailing her with those pilots and it's finally paid off. I now have both Berserkers. The only thing left to do is make you a necessity where," he chuckled, "obviously ZAFT failed."

Her other half was close now, she could tell and after her escapade on Mendel she was surprised it hadn't boiled over yet. Perhaps her Berserker was curious; interested in this man's instability. She doubted it was following the plan to just stall Azrael so it must have been because the two of them were so much alike. Always above humility.

"Wow, your restraint is impressive. Tell me, you're what, fifteen? Sixteen?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Did you know the oldest recorded Berserker lived to be eighteen? Back in the day that age may have been impressive, but now you're barely an adult. And did you know how that Berserker died?"

Eclipse narrowed her eyes, but still kept composure. The only thing betraying her was the anxious tapping from her fingers against her side.

"It went insane and killed half its village," he continued, seemingly oblivious to her nervousness. "When it was finally caught, the villagers poured lava down its throat then cut off what was left of the head, threw it into the volcano and left the torso for the dogs. They were afraid no other way would work."

"You're crazy."

"Crazy? Darling, it's all been researched. The Berserker effects grow worse with age. Judging by your expression, I'd guess you haven't even read any of the work done on you?"

Frowning, she hesitated. Another person was bringing up her ignorance and the only person she could really blame was herself. Erika had had the research from her guinea pig days back in the PLANTs, but she hadn't even asked to look at it. Was that just laziness or was she actually afraid of reading what was in there? Erika had never pressed the matter—not to mention mostly everyone seemed wary to bring up anything Berserker-related after her Mendel escapade—so was all this just bad luck? Azrael seemed willing to share his information, but was it really worth being a lab rat again? After all, she doubted his methods were within the range of humane and even though she didn't remember much from the PLANTs, Erika had hinted at some unethical experiments. Did she really want to go through that again?

"Well, you're no older than sixteen, so with what time you have left, shouldn't you want to know more? Or do you savor the fact that you're going to kill everyone?" Pausing, his face relaxed then arched into another grin. "I know this half of you might."

For once, the Berserker didn't.


Clotho was the first one to see her. Not necessarily to recognize her, but to notice her in the doorway. Namarra almost started walking over to him first when Shani fell backwards on his bed to ignore her and Orga stood. She was so relieved to see them alive—and still trying to think of some greeting—she didn't even register Orga's growing impatience. It wasn't until the door slid shut behind her did she understand how much danger she could potentially be in. The guard had opted to wait outside and Orga looked stronger than she had remembered. He was walking closer, a saunter so cocky she couldn't believe this was the same person she used to refer to as a big brother. Had he really been the first one to calm her down after her episodes?

"What, they sending us whores now?"

Namarra gulped, more out of surprise than actual fear. He had never said such a thing to her, but—then again—he probably didn't even remember he was more of a gentleman than that.

"No," she replied simply.

"A challenger then?" Clotho asked, waving his handheld game up in the air. "These two suck."

"No, I'm—" She paused, choosing her words carefully. Saying the wrong thing could mean their instant disproval and that was hard to gain back. Say something right and she might get five minutes of calm conversation.

"You're nothing?" Shani asked, the remark sounding more like a statement. She was surprised he had even heard the conversation.

"I'm your new teammate," she finished.

Orga slammed a hand near her head, tracing his opposite fingers down her cheek. "I preferred the whore."

Instinct took place of survival and she pushed him back, actually making him stumble over to Shani who hadn't even bothered to try and steady his teammate. Namarra could hear the music stop on Clotho's game as he pressed "Pause" and Shani's finger lowered the volume from his music player. All three looked interested at that point.

"Give me some respect, bitches. There has to be something said about me being the only female."

"Just because you're the only one with a vagina doesn't mean you can boss us around," Shani spat, but she saw the slim hope of a smirk on his lips. He was impressed, a rare sight even when he wasn't so…different.

"Why are you here then?" Orga straightened and crossed his arms across his chest. "I don't remember getting orders about a new recruit."

"Brand new orders. Something came up."

"Well, that's vague," Clotho muttered, pressing the "Pause" button on his game to get it going again. "Whatever."

Shani turned his music back up, but Orga still didn't seem convinced. Striding back in her direction he stopped inches away and glared down at her smaller form. "Tell me the real reason you're here."

"Orga, it's me, Namarra."

"Your name means shit to me."

"My nickname then, Chicabo." Her CA asked for orders, but she ignored it. "Clotho gave it to me thanks to his RPG obsession."

"Now you're just wasting my time." He leaned in closer, but she held her ground. "Our only purpose is to kill so why the fuck would they send us a female?"

"What, females can't be sadistic? When did you become so sexist, Orga? I kicked your ass back at the—"

"And now you're rambling."

Damn it, she thought, still not leaning away from his advances, but he definitely didn't look like any form of friendly. "You're just not listening—"

"So, now everything's my fault?"

"Orga, if you'd just—Damn it, get back!" She reached out to push him again, but he grabbed both hands and plastered them to the wall beside her. She could have gotten out of the hold—large amount of struggling involved—but her intentions weren't to start a brawl.

And, Berserker or no, she'd get slaughtered.

"I really don't know why you're getting so defensive. You're here to kill, I'm here to kill—what's the problem?"

The side of his mouth twitched, not like he was going to smile, but like he recognized something. His fingers shifted like reeds in the wind, something in his body rippling from his head to his feet. She remembered what Erika had said about muscle memory and smirked. "You recognize me."

"What?"

"You know me—remember me."

"Uh-oh, here comes the love confession," Clotho joked, pausing his game again. Shani turned down the volume with a sigh, probably feeling he had to see what was going on more out of necessity than curiosity.

She pressed further. "We were teammates—no siblings, remember? My brother was killed—you saw it."

"Wait," Clotho began, his hands setting his game down into his lap and then finally on the bed near his pillow. His eyes narrowed in thought, but Namarra couldn't really see, Orga's body blocking her view. "Kai?" he continued and Namarra felt the familiar static across her skin. Her breath shortened and her stomach knotted, but she was determined to stay in control.

"Y-yes. That w-was his—" She stopped, Shani jumping up from his bed to push Orga aside. Putting two hands on her shoulders, he pulled her into a hug. She started to shake, but she had more control than usual. The joy of them recognizing her was enough to steady any hysteria. Slowly, she returned the hug and felt her face relax into relief, still debating whether or not to hold back her tears or just give in and sob. She had gotten there at the perfect time—when the medication was wearing off. She couldn't believe her luck. And with just one guard outside the door, all they had to do was kill him, grab Eclipse—probably kill Azrael too—then head back to Mendel.

For once, her plan was going well.

"Wait, you said Namarra was your name?" Clotho asked, scratching his head while the name sunk in. "Holy shit, Chicabo—what the hell—"

"You shouldn't be here," Orga hissed, pushing Shani aside and grabbing her arm. "If Azrael finds out—"

"Orga, I came here on my own. He was the one to let me back—"

"No!" he spat again, his grip tightening, but she didn't care at the moment. There was nothing that could go wrong now. They had recognized her; they were a team again. But if that was the case, why did he look so panicked? "Not you too—you have to go."

"Wait," Shani said, holding his arm out. "Maybe it's for the best."

"Yeah," Clotho agreed. "She was never given the same meds as us. She'd be so much safer here. Who knows who might be prodding—"

"She has to get away from us," Orga finished. "And away from him."

"No," Namarra squeaked, her voice still affected by the hysteria running around in her head. "I want you to come with me. I know people who can help you."

"We'd never get there in time," Shani replied, his face showing he was finally understanding what his teammate was getting at. His body started to tremble, reminding her of shivering, but it was quickly getting worse. Her mouth went dry as she watched, Shani lifting his hands to his head to take the earbuds from his ears. "There isn't enough time b-between—"

"Recognition and s-stability," Clotho finished, sitting back down on the bed and frantically shuffling his game up further onto his bed. "Shit we're a-addicted—"

"Go!" Orga ordered, throwing her towards the door. "B-before they get here."

"I don't understand—"

"Get out!" Orga screamed.

Namarra fell backwards after that screech alone, never hearing such a sound come from him. He was scared—no, terrified. But of what? Her back hit the door, but it didn't open, the Natural refusing to press the release button. She was so close.

"What's—" Clotho's yell made her stop. She glanced over at him on his bed, feeling herself panic again, but not because of her brother's name. Clotho was lying on his side, his arms strapped across his stomach and his fingernails digging trenches into the elbows. They grinded against his skin, as if he was digging for something. His feet twitched, his ankles moving back and forth along to a sporadic rhythm.

"Clotho?" she whispered, watching the moisture on his forehead drench his bangs. She had remembered Erika mentioning withdrawal symptoms, but could they really be that bad? No, this had to be something else. But what?

She just didn't know.

"God, can't y-you take a hi-hint?" Orga asked, but he had stumbled to the side against the wall, fists shaking.

"Move it!" Namarra didn't have time to follow Shani's voice but the sheer desperation there convinced her he was in much the same state.

"No, I—" Reaching out, she felt herself fall backwards instead, the door behind her opening from the outside. The gravity lessened as soon as she broke the threshold, her body slipping between the two doctors standing there. She was sure at least one had reached out to grab her, but they soon disappeared, Namarra seeing the last bit of Orga's and Shani's uniforms before the door shut.

Then locked.

"No!"

Turning, she pushed off the wall and started pounding on the door, her brothers' painful screams louder than her own. She was so close—they were right there. How could she lose them so suddenly? And just after getting them back.

"No, no, no, no, no!" she screamed, feeling her hands bruise from the abuse, but even after she let her other half take over—pray it could save her brothers—nothing changed.

Not even a Berserker could break down a steel door.


A/N: So, this is about three weeks overdue, but thanks to that lovely thing in life called the Flu Bug I've been out for the past week and was just being lazy on the other two. Yeah, weeks overdue, but life happens, I guess. I was excited to put this chapter out at least until I kept coming up with little details to add in here and there. For example, the Athrun insert was the last thing I put in and that was literally after I had sent the draft out to the Betas. Hm, it's quickly become one of my favorite sections in this chapter, but it didn't officially exist until I thought, "Oh yeah," on the Athrun front.

And this is a comment for all you fellow Gundam writers out there. Did anyone else realize how positively annoying the simple "space helmet" is to write about? There's no other word for "helmet" and just putting in that it's taken on, then off, flipped around in the hands, etc. gets downright repetitive. Ugh...

Yzak coming back into the mix was rather exciting. I'm sure she told Dearka about meeting his old friend, but I couldn't help but find it hilarious to see she had forgotten to mention Dearka to him. Out of all the things, Lexi… (sigh)

Let's see, what else? Other than the typical family drama going on in my life, things are looking rather up for my writing. I've had some good sprees lately that have produced an interesting array of pieces. I've even gotten back into short story writing and I haven't done that since I graduated a year ago!

As always, special thanks to my Betas, CSSStravag, Death-Scimitar, and Maderfole for being awesome and awe inspiring. Glad I can jump to them when I'm in a pinch.

Huge thank you to all my readers and reviewers and a HUGE apology for this past chapter. I wasn't as diligent in doing review replies as I have been in the past. On that note, I hope to catch a bunch of them in my Comments/Gripes section, but I know it's not the same. Sorry!

Also, I was happy to see some suggestions on a fight scene. I'll be getting to that in the next chapter, so if there are any more out there, please let me know! I haven't made a decision yet.


Corrections to the Narrative:

Not many changes to the canon in this chapter. I may have added a few twists of my own to flush out some characters (Erika's son, for instance) but it didn't do anything to the main timeline. Even Yzak's Mendel scouting was in between some downtime.


Questions/Gripes:

Darkangelsonic: Always nice to hear from you! And, yes, Stray is still alive. :P

OrangeP47: Political anything is a weak area for me. I try, really I do, but my brain just can't grasp those kinds of facts, I think. I'll work on it—and I added in a little something here too—so maybe I'll have a better feel for it in the near future. One can never stop learning! And I feel for you on the bad sunburn. I really am a redhead and we burn a lot. So, definitely get it. :P

Atlantislux: You always give such deep and insightful reviews! Then when you mention how much I torture my characters and how you get to read this chapter and hear about even more torture… Yeah, I feel like a bad author-mother.

Asmus: You make an excellent point about someone wanting her to embrace her side. That started the gears turning when I read it and like the prospect. I have a few characters who do think like that, but they all seem to be bad guys. I have to do some more brain storming, but thanks for getting the rusty wheels to turn! And Stray's psyche might be getting some more airtime coming up, don't worry!

FlawlessCowboy2552: I have a feeling Lexi's blocked out the fact that Kira might be her cousin merely because her fragile brain can't handle that kind of abuse. :P We'll—hopefully—be seeing a little more of that as the story progresses. Although, the whole epiphany thing with Kira being the "Ultimate Coordinator" is coming up soon as well. Maybe her suffering won't last much longer.

Maderfole: Y'know, you honestly got my mind spinning for some kind of harem side story. Like some rivalry frat houses with Waltfeld being the "heartthrob" of one and Mwu being the "heartthrob" of the other. Cat fights anyone? Hm, might have to explore that…


Thanks again for all the support and I'll see you next chapter!

Strata