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CE 68 Scandinavia
Namarra brought her arm around to her left side to block her partner's roundhouse kick and braced her right leg. Her body rippled with the energy from the attack and she quickly shifted her weight onto her left foot and crouched low, pushing his leg up over her head and kicking out to knock his stable leg out from underneath him. He fell as expected, but didn't fall like the sack of potatoes she had hoped. Instead, the older trainee rolled away when she attempted to put her right fist into his gut, and was back to his feet before the surprise had left her face. He lunged forward, shortening the distance between them in one step and grabbed her left wrist, twisting it behind her back. She crumpled at the waist, one knee on the mat as the other was braced off to her side in an attempt to get back to her feet, but that hope was dashed when his right arm wrapped around her neck, the crook of his elbow against her throat. Pulling her backwards, she bit her lip, fearing her arm might actually break from the hold and a gasp escaped a moment later when his elbow squeezed further against her throat.
"Enough," the instructor ordered and he dropped her, saluting and leaving Namarra on her hands and knees on the mat to cough and recover. "Get to your feet, Legund," the instructor said after another moment.
Namarra had been participating in the class for the past two weeks and still she had yet to win a bout. There was a pretty good chance she was putting too much pressure on herself because the kids were at least two years her senior and most were more than one head taller than her. Still, she was finding it all a frustrating experience.
"Ma'am," she said once she rose, saluting the older instructor. "I'll do better next time, ma'am."
The instructor nodded slowly. "Given your peculiar predicament, Miss Legund, you are improving, but you just don't have the results yet to prove it. Don't get too discouraged."
"Ma'am." She saluted again and followed her suggestion to rejoin the onlookers around the edge of the room. She stole the spot near Shani and released a frustrated puff of air from her cheeks. It shouldn't have been that difficult. The other guys were rising quickly to the top of the class and there she was not even able to get the upper hand on the smallest male among them. She was starting to get embarrassed and no matter how many late nights she might have spent practicing, she remained in their shadow.
And falling behind.
"Stop letting it bother you so much," Shani muttered, his hand dropping onto her head with a heavy thud. "I think you care more about this than half of the people here, me included."
Flailing, she knocked his hand away and looked up at him. He had grown again and his shoulders were starting to fill out in an intimidating reminder that she was always a step behind. She needed to find a technique that worked for her otherwise they were going to be transferred to the next unit without her and that thought was not something she wanted to entertain for long periods of time.
"Just because you're a natural at these things doesn't mean you can make fun of me." She crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall. The training room was mostly a giant blue mat in the middle with limited standing room around the edges. The class was once a day at and often at the end of the day, but given the size of the room, the trainees were rotated daily. Namarra, being the special case that she was, was allowed to join each class every day and yet despite that edge, she was still failing to get any advantage over her opponents.
"Not making fun of you, just thinking you need to stop roaming in your head so much and just follow your instincts a bit more." She sighed and leaned her head against the wall, twisting it slightly to make eye contact with him. It had gotten harder and harder to read his expressions and his hair had definitely grown longer over the left side of his face, blocking his golden eye completely from sight. Even with that, he was doing well in the class. How could he purposely create his own handicap and yet still excel? It just wasn't fair.
"I'm beginning to think I don't have any instincts."
He shrugged. "I can't force you to think highly of yourself, Nam, and fishing for compliments from me isn't going to make you a better fighter. You either believe it or you don't."
Her lips shifted into a pout, but she didn't break eye contact, Shani ending up rolling his eyes and laughing lightly after a moment of her "little sister" abuse. He brought his hand up to land on her head once more and turned it forcibly to look at the next match. "Fine, if you don't think you have instincts, prove to me how well you think. Watch Vane's movements and tell me what you think he should be doing."
She did as ordered and Shani approved of her analysis up until the end of the match. "Vane won. He just needs to—"
"Nope," Shani said and they witnessed Vane's defeat a second later, his opponent with a knee on his upper spine and bending his right arm backwards painfully. "To be fair," Shani continued, the two of them watching Vane leave the mat in defeat and hearing his not-so-subtle curse once he reached the sidelines. "Vane should have won, but the problem is, he knew that and got cocky. So, technically, Nam, you did read the match correctly, which is good." She looked up at him then and he winked. "The problem is always your finish. Never think you've won until your opponent stops moving. It's the only sure proof of victory."
"What, you think I give up too early?" He poked her forehead and she frowned.
"No, this is what I mean when I say you think too much. You're supposed to think two or three moves ahead, yes, but none of those moves should be 'and then I win.' That's when you lose. Nothing is ever set in stone, Nam."
Namarra rolled her eyes at that and sighed. "The great Shani the Sage," she muttered, "bestowing his wisdom on the unsuspecting little Legund in the form of riddles."
"You really need to stop hanging out with Clotho."
It was Shani's turn in the ring next and he ruffled Namarra's hair before he left, walking up to the mat and stretching. He's gonna win, she thought, but paused and shook her head, deciding to take his advice to heart instead. Well, nothing is ever guaranteed.
CE 72 May 21, Orb (Afternoon)
Lexi nodded as the doctors talked to her, handed her the outpatient information, and gave her the date she was supposed to return to get the cast off her arm. The prognosis on her right hand definitely wasn't good and she was actually thankful Yzak hadn't been around to hear what the doctor had to say. She really didn't want him more worried than he already was and, she supposed, that extended to everyone else who had been checking in on her. She knew she would have to explain her injury and recovery options to everyone, but she wanted to mull it over and try to sugarcoat it as much as possible.
The surgeries that night had been a success for both her forearm and her hand, but not even modern medical techniques could mend everything. Both areas had major tendon and muscle damage, and thanks to some skilled work by the surgeon, they had managed to repair the muscles in her forearm, or—perhaps more specifically—they had managed to replace the damaged tissue with synthetic muscle graft fiber. The doctor didn't go into much detail and she was thankful, not sure her brain could register the technicalities that, no doubt, went into that particular surgery. She should be back to full strength in time, however, and that was what she latched onto.
The issue at the moment was her hand. Her right was her dominant hand and even though she could function quite well with her left, that typically extended to melee and firearms, not everyday matters. It was going to be a frustrating couple of months, that was for sure. The tendons to her fingers had been completely severed the moment Phoebe put the knife through her palm as well as most of the smaller bones in her hand. Surgery repaired most of the damage, but the tips of her middle, ring, and pinky fingers were currently (and probably forever) numb, leaving only her pointer and thumb with any sort of sensory ability. To add to the sad report, her fine motor skills were in question and she could only hope that the odd healing ability granted by her Berserker half would help her regain most of her lost motion throughout her eight weeks of rehab. If not, she might have to become left-handed after all.
She sighed, her body swaying slightly as she was pushed down the hall by a nurse towards the back entrance to the hospital. As expected, the media were still waiting out front and in a desperate attempt to keep her out of the spotlight, they were going to try and sneak her out.
Apparently, the Rymyr family lawyer had been receiving non-stop calls since the announcement of Lathan's disappearance had gone public and he was calling Lexi a couple times of day. That moment in particular, her phone started buzzing, but she ignored it, eager to get out of the hospital, showered, and into some familiar clothes. Her arm was still in a sling, the white fabric a stark contrast with her black shirt, but despite doctor's advice, she would probably end up leaving her sling somewhere in her apartment. The cast would keep her arm protected enough and couldn't help the bitter irony that she was acting just like Waltfeld had been with his previous injuries. She had scolded him for that at the time, but despite the realization, she shrugged.
They were both stubborn. No real surprises there.
The rest of her injuries were covered by the remainder of her clothing, other than, perhaps, the bandage on the left side of her neck. The wound was healing nicely, but it looked awful and she didn't like people staring at it, so she was keeping it covered until she could get out of the public eye again. The cut across her stomach and side had turned out to be far more painful than dangerous which was a minor blessing that evening. It had gotten infected at one point though and while it was currently healing nicely, it'll just be another scar to add to her growing list of white creases across her skin. She was going to have to start coming up with some cover stories for all her scars, however, especially if she wanted to wear anything breezy in the summertime.
The nurse helped her to the bottom floor without incident and the instant Lexi saw Cagalli, her face brightened. Cagalli matched her smile when she saw the redhead and laughed slightly. "Oh, good, I was hoping you'd be okay with me picking you up." She helped Lexi stand and they hugged tightly, Cagalli muttering further into her ear. "Believe it or not, I'm the least controversial." Lexi laughed and thanked the nurse behind her before following the blonde out to the car.
Lacus was sitting in the front passenger seat, only coming out once she saw the two of them walking up. Her right arm was in a cast and sling, the blue of the fabric complimenting the simple yellow and pink dress she had on that day. Athrun had been holding out on the redhead when he had explained her injury, Lexi only hearing a couple days later the full extent of what Lacus had gone through. She had been in surgery around the same time as Lexi, getting absorbable plastic plates and screws inserted into her right shoulder since Phoebe's bullet had cracked and gone through the rotator cuff. The good news was the surgery had been routine and she was able to leave late that initial night with some strong painkillers. She would have close to full function after only one more day in a cast and about a month of rehab, but it was the psychological effect of getting shot that worried Lexi the most. The redhead was no stranger to injuries and rehab, but getting shot in the shoulder and so close to getting killed would, no doubt, leave a lasting impression on the fair Pink Princess and not least because her pink, mechanical Haro had also been a victim in the affair. Athrun had promised to repair the companion, of course, but he had to come back from Japan first.
Perhaps that psychological journey was the reason Lexi's smile faltered when she saw Lacus, but the other girl was already close, wrapping her left arm around the redhead's shoulders as the two wounded arms pressed lightly in front of them when they hugged. "Glad to see you back on your feet."
Lexi looked at both girls, her head passing back and forth between them. Because of a variety of things, neither of them could visit her for long in the hospital and she felt that familiar stone in her gut at seeing them then. "I owe you both such big apologies."
They shook their head at the same time, small smiles on their lips. "A lot of things went wrong that night, yes, but we're still standing and that counts for something, Miss Lexi," Lacus said. It was such a simple statement and to see similar understanding reflecting in Cagalli's eyes made Lexi smile softly and shake her head. She had actually expected them to avoid her for a time, knowing she deserved such treatment anyway.
"You two amaze me."
"C'mon," Cagalli began with a smirk, "let's get you into something more comfortable." Cagalli helped Lexi into the back seat and then hurried around to help Lacus into the passenger seat before coming back to claim her spot behind the wheel.
"What, no driver?"
"Hey, even I enjoy a bit of independence now and again," Cagalli said in response to Lexi's remark, turning on the car and putting it in drive. She noticed Cagalli didn't lean all the way back in her seat and frowned, her wound possibly still a bother.
"Fair enough," Lexi responded, turning to look out the window instead of letting the guilt grow again. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of both of you picking me up?"
"Well," Lacus began, pausing with a wince as she bent out of the way so Cagalli could check for cars at the end of the hospital lot. The blonde scolded her and Lacus gave a sad smile, returning her attention to Lexi once they were safely on the road. "We bargained with your boyfriend to have a girls' day in today."
"Oh?"
"To be honest," Lacus continued. "It's partly for Miss Cagalli's birthday too, so he kinda got guilted into letting you go."
Lexi laughed lightly. "Is that so? I thought you couldn't get any days off this week, Cags?"
"I played the sympathy card. Not proud of it, but I need you guys more than the government needs me," Cagalli added and stopped at the first red light in their path.
The redhead's smile faltered slightly, but if they were determined to not let it ruin the day, she wouldn't let it either. "Okay, I'll play along. What does your birthday slash girls' day in entail?"
"Not much, seeing as you just got released from the hospital. Just a relaxing day," Lacus explained. "Now, we know there's a lot going on right now with Lathan, Athrun and Miss Namarra in Japan, your boyfriend, etcetera."
"But, I managed to book out one of the conference halls near the main estate for the whole day, moved my meetings to tomorrow, and rounded up some movies for an all-day sit in. We're using the projector and screen and we are having the most comfortable bits of furniture brought in for our particular use," Cagalli continued, turning another corner as they made their way out to the girls' apartment.
"And if the timing works out, we might be able to get Miss Namarra in for a video chat in the afternoon."
Lexi whistled, impressed, opening her mouth to say as much but Cagalli cut in again.
"But before you get all sentimental and start explaining how guilty you feel about the other day, know that we need this too, Lexi. It's just a shame Namarra isn't here to enjoy it with us."
"Just means we'll have to do it again," Lacus said with a shrug and winced, forgetting her injury for that brief moment. She forced a smile immediately, however, and Lexi heard Cagalli match her own sigh.
"Don't, you two. I'm fine." The response had some bite to it and the redhead paused, not quite sure what to make of her raw frustration. It wasn't often a tone Lacus engaged in and Lexi bit her bottom lip, the concern about her mental state returning. She would have to keep an eye on her.
They arrived and parked in the lot in front of Namarra and Lexi's apartment complex and Cagalli turned off the engine, the three of them unbuckling their seatbelts. It was a modest block on the outskirts of the capital, Olofat, that was nothing more than four apartments to the two-story building, but it was quiet and typically off anyone's radar. Their particular building was set in the back corner of the complex, so there were just enough spaces for a couple cars, and a fence angled close to the side of their building. It did nothing for the view of those living on the ground floor, but it provided a perimeter that had made the girls feel rather safe. Beyond the fence was another gated community and, actually, if Namarra or Lexi gauged the distance right, they could jump from their balcony into the backyard of their unsuspecting neighbors. Again, another perk in their eyes.
"Let me go in first," Lexi said, pushing open the car door and trying to cover the wince as she twisted and stepped out. She still wasn't at full strength just yet, but thanks to her rather cursed Berserker genetics she was a fast healer. Still, genetics couldn't do anything with plain old muscle fatigue, so Lexi was still at a disadvantage.
She stepped onto the pavement, shut the door, and held out her hand to Cagalli. "Let me take the gun." Cagalli's face twisted into a confused expression, but Lexi had already caught onto the truth before the blonde's eyebrow even moved. "I saw it in the middle console." She jutted her head back to the car and wiggled the fingers in her left hand.
Cagalli frowned. "I'm not giving you the weapon, Lexi. I will bring it in, but I'm not handing it over." Lexi found Cagalli's look interesting then. She was serious. The Phoebe attack had definitely rattled her if she felt comfortable carrying a firearm around again.
"Fine, back in a second then." Turning away from them, the redhead walked to the narrow space between the fence and ground floor, crouching down in the weeds nearby. She moved a cleverly hidden netting and produced the box from underneath. Quickly inputting the combination, she opened it and took out the firearm there, slipping in the loaded magazine and putting the contraption back together before standing. It was a bit slow going since she only had one arm available to do it, but there was no way she was going anywhere unarmed again. She put the gun into the waistband at the small of her back, being sure to angle it in a way that was comfortable for her left hand.
She returned to the duo who had walked up to the front path to the building and while Cagalli had argued against her antics before, Lexi saw that they now seemed to agree with the decision in the end. "I'm not being caught off guard again," the redhead said sternly, and they nodded knowingly.
They entered the building and ascended the stairs to the second floor, Lexi briefly stopping in front of their apartment door to notice the scattered remnants of cards and letters wishing her well. There was an agreement with the mail delivery service that any letter addressed to one, Lexi Rymyr, would get to her, but her address was never allowed out to the public. They had even paid off their neighbors, but no matter how much she didn't like the attention generally, she found herself touched at the sight. There was still no room for being careless, however, and Lexi held up her hand for them to stop, listening for any unfamiliar noises and checking the door for any sort of break in.
"All clear. Took you long enough. It isn't nice to make others wait," Addict announced in her ear after it had scanned the inside of the apartment and the redhead nodded though the words made her pause. Addict should have had access to the apartment through her computer, and the comment made her feel anxious. She paused with the keys in her hand, but it wasn't until Cagalli asked about the delay that she shook her head and decided to trust her mechanical companion, putting the key in the lock before turning the door handle and taking the lead in. Lacus and Cagalli had bent down and were gathering up the cards that were outside, flicking through the names and reading some aloud as they walked in behind her. More cards were piled up on the floor beneath the letter slot and Lexi frowned after she closed the door.
"Did Namarra not come back here before she left?" The girls didn't know and Cagalli held up a card, asking Lexi if she could open it. The redhead nodded; she didn't mind. If she had been smart, she might hire a media person to help her navigate the environment, but her Orb reputation wasn't particularly high on her worry list.
Namarra and Lexi's apartment had two rooms with a combined living and dining room and a separate kitchen. Just enough for them though they might have liked to have a third room for additional storage. The living room was to the right as they walked in and Lexi dropped her bag and keys onto the dining room table to her left. She paused as the girls walked in further and Cagalli sat down on the couch in their living room. Nothing seemed out of order, which made Lexi relax, but it definitely felt as if she hadn't been there in a while.
"Aw, this one says she's been gutted for the whole week since the rumor started that you weren't dating Alex anymore," Cagalli started, her eyes twinkling with delight as she curled her legs up under her. "She then proceeds to tell you why you should be dating Alex and not that—in her words—'stupid ZAFT officer.'" She gave a small chuckle and flipped it over to read more.
"People can be a bit dramatic," Lacus muttered, still in the middle of taking off her shoes near the door, which was a chore with only one good arm. Cagalli noticed her sluggish entrance and stood to help, but Lacus gave her a stern look and the blonde sat back down. She removed her final shoe and picked up the letter again to continue perusing. "And they voice their opinions on everything too. See this one?" She held up the green stationery. "It says to dump the 'Dino trash' and go for the man in uniform." She shook her head. "Wait, doesn't Athrun wear a uniform too?"
"Surely you got letters like these all the time," Cagalli said, putting down the old envelope and opening another.
"Yes, I used to, but no one seemed to disapprove of my relationship with Athrun at the time." She squatted to finish gathering the remaining bits of mail on the floor before joining Cagalli in the living room. "Been off the radar since moving here, so that's been really nice. I do miss the concerts though," she added as an afterthought and opened another card, showing the contents to Cagalli before either of them could respond to her concert comment. Lexi didn't know what the card said, but the two started laughing and she rolled her eyes, leaving them to their enjoyment.
"Make yourselves at home. I'm going to shower and then change." The loud burst of laughter was her only response. Sighing, she shook her head once more and walked further down the hall, pulling the sling off around her next as she passed the kitchen to open the door to her room.
And froze.
If Namarra had been back to the apartment, she clearly hadn't had enough time to do a full sweep because someone had indeed been in Lexi's room. And she was sure she knew who that someone had been.
Her room had been completely tossed, any items she had been storing in Orb scattered and broken on the carpeted floor. Her laptop was in pieces near the closet door and her clothes had been slit with a knife or scissors and in tatters either dangling in her closet or on the floor. Her bed and mattress had received similar treatment as well as any form of light source or memorabilia she had in the room, but despite all of that, the only thing that made her chest grow heavy was the words carved into the wall over her bed.
"Melanie Tait—never forget. Never forgive."
She took a steady breath.
"Lexi, you okay?" Cagalli asked, the two walking over to join her.
"Yeah," she said quickly and reached in to shut the door, but Lacus already had her foot there to stop the movement, pushing it inward and displaying the scene instead. The two went eerily silent as they surveyed the room and Lexi gave a quiet curse.
She really didn't want them to have to remember.
Lexi sighed again and shrugged, eager to not open old wounds for them and jutted her thumb behind her towards Namarra's room. "I'll just borrow something of Nam's. Not a big deal, it's just stuff." Their faces told her they weren't convinced and she gave a wry laugh. "Honestly, it's fine. I'm more worried about our deposit on the apartment." She forced a smile and stepped around them, using her good hand to push their backs down the hall towards Namarra's room. "C'mon, help me pick out something of Nam's."
"Miss Namarra says she didn't know about the room," Lacus began, putting her phone to the side as she continued pulling out and organizing what was left of the clothing in Lexi's closet. Luckily, they were able to salvage a few items, but most of them were ruined, including the shoes that had been stored at the base of the closet. She winced once and paused, taking a breath before leaning forward to grab what looked like the sleeve of a blue sweater. "She agrees that they should probably move though, even if the perpetrator is no longer in the picture."
Cagalli nodded near the bed, her hands on her hips as she stared at the wall, listening for Lexi to be done in the bathroom. They had both suggested she take a nice, hot shower to try and forget the day and her time in the hospital, but staring at the wall made her frown. She didn't realize it would be that tough to forget.
That tough for any of them to forget.
"I'll see if I can get a team in here to replace this before the landlord sees. Not quite sure how to explain how it got there." Her own phone buzzed and she pulled it out of her back pocket, seeing Athrun had sent her a text. She winced slightly with the movement, her shoulder blades scrunching across her healing wound, but she ended the cringe with a sigh as she opened the message.
You OK? Can I call? – A
Sure, she had to admit, she found it nice that he thought to check up on her after, most likely, Namarra had filled him in on what had happened. And, yes, they had patched things up for the most part after their long talk a few nights ago, but she was still a bit upset with him. Sighing, she was positive they would get back on the right foot as soon as he came back, but the bit of distance in that moment was actually doing her a lot of good. She was still trying to process the whole Phoebe event herself and somehow always having Athrun there to comfort her was making her realize she had been relying on him a bit too much as of late. She often wondered what had happened to the reckless girl who had run away from home and in hindsight of what had happened at the orphanage, she realized she needed to make some changes.
Yes, I'm fine. Thx for asking. Can't talk now. Later? My evening? – C
She did some quick mental math before she sent the message and nodded before pressing send. They were behind them so she would be calling him sometime in the middle of his day. A message came back quickly.
OK. Keep me posted. Love you. – A
Not being able to resist a small smile, she returned the sentiment and pocketed the phone once more.
"Hey, Lacus, I have a proposition," the blonde began, turning towards the Pink Princess and bending down to pick up some lingering pieces of the laptop on the floor near her feet.
"What's that?"
"I'm thinking of restarting some of my self-defense classes. When you feel well enough, did you want to join me?" Cagalli had to admit she had thought Lacus might outright refuse, but watching her have a serious think about it surprised her on some level. She knew the Phoebe event had scared her if her night at the main estate had been any indication. Her and Cagalli had stayed up late that evening, curled up on the sofa in the main sitting room. Despite Lacus's pain medication, she couldn't sleep and while Cagalli had enjoyed Athrun's company for a while, she needed space to think and Lacus's solidarity was a welcomed sight. A mutual understanding had passed between them that night. Neither had said anything, but their silence said everything, the two of them sipping tea and just… staring. They probably should have been dead. If it wasn't for Namarra being armed, Phoebe probably would have fired at everyone in the room and would have had free reign to do so. The gun Cagalli currently had on hand had been in her car at the time, too. She just hadn't thought to bring it inside.
After Athrun's initial rush of anger and worry, he had calmed down enough to be understanding. Cagalli had been the one closest to Lexi and Phoebe and yet she couldn't even do anything. The most she could do was try to keep Lacus safe, which was admirable, Athrun had admitted, but the blonde knew she should have done more. "Melee's an entirely different ball game than MS fights," he had explained, but she had known that already. Based on her brief jaunt with him earlier in the war, she knew her affinity for hand-to-hand was low, but even their fight had been quick and relatively tame compared to what had happened between Lexi and Phoebe. While Cagalli had gotten used to mobile suit battles, her complete lack of instinct and training for that evening proved that she was far from prepared for anything else.
"I'm not gonna lie, a lot of luck went into that evening, but Lexi and Nam aren't amateurs," Athrun had said, his expression betraying the confidence in his voice. He hadn't liked being the first one on the scene and seeing both her and Lacus injured on the floor. He probably didn't enjoy being at the end of her barrel either when she had turned the gun on him as he came in. "Based on what I know, the situation would never have ended differently. Phoebe wanted Lexi, probably would have gotten Lexi whether she had played sacrifice or not, and Namarra was always going to be there to back her up and make sure you were all safe before she did so. They knew their roles the moment Phoebe stepped into the room."
Knew their roles, huh? Cagalli thought, turning her attention back to the wall as Lacus continued with her own inner battle. So, what had been her role then? Lexi had been struggling to keep a knife from slitting her throat and still she had been able to force an opening. Even when that didn't work, she was onto her next move: leading Phoebe away to stall for Namarra. She could still concoct a favorable scenario. Cagalli could only put herself between the gunman and Lacus, and for all intents and purposes, she had been a meat shield. Despite knowing that Athrun's words had held some truth, Cagalli just couldn't shake the feeling that if she had just been less of a liability, a little more like her old self perhaps, the fight would have gone a bit differently.
Phoebe wouldn't have gotten that close to killing them.
"Even in peaceful times, you think it's necessary?" Lacus asked quietly, pulling the blonde's attention back to her.
"I'm not gonna lie, it sounds strange when you say it out loud," Cagalli admitted. "But—well—I guess I don't like being unprepared. No, more than that." She turned completely and took a step towards Lacus, squatting down so that they were at eye level. "I know there will be times that I will be helpless to alter a situation, but if I can, I want to make sure it's not because I didn't do absolutely everything in my power to keep it from happening."
"And that includes relearning self-defense as a government official in a time of peace?"
Cagalli shrugged and winced, the pain in her back only accenting her resolve. "The only one holding me back, is me."
Lacus nodded slowly and turned away, the blonde not missing the look in her eyes as she moved back to gaze into the closet. It was a dark look—a haunted one; one Cagalli hadn't seen since the Eternal had joined the Archangel and the Kusanagi in space. The look of someone who tried to hide and yet felt everything.
"Yes," the Pink Princess said a moment later, still staring off into the closet. "I think I would like to join you, Miss Cagalli, if I may."
Cagalli felt her mood lift slightly and her lips did the same, rising into a shy grin at knowing she wouldn't be traversing her journey alone. "Great! I'll let Kisaka know." They heard Lexi turn off the shower and they hurried up with their organizing, eager to bring some sense of normality back to their lives.
CE 72 May 22, Japan (Morning)
Athrun put his phone upside down on the table with a sigh, grabbing his tea in the same motion. Him and Namarra were getting an early breakfast at a Western-styled bakery and café near their hotel, still waiting for the news to wash over Japan. The wait was painful, but there wasn't much more they could do. Now that they knew Lathan was at the facility, Sean and Noah had eyes on him and were in constant contact with Namarra. They had been hoping for good news and that there would be a little panic at the building, but the workday had barely started.
They were dressed for the weather that day, Namarra having finally broken down and purchased a light jacket to keep her clothing from getting wet and both had purchased footwear more appropriately made for the season. They had lost a total of two umbrellas each already—a combination of poor memory and someone even nicking Namarra's on the train at one point—and Athrun's eyes subconsciously moved to see the white curve of the handle leaning against the table next to him. He really didn't want to have to buy another one and he definitely didn't want to have to try and navigate Namarra's anger when she had realized why her umbrella was missing.
Seriously, it was like having to deal with Lexi back in the war, just even more unpredictable.
"You still thinking about what Lathan said?" Athrun asked, setting down his cup to try and bring Namarra out of whatever thought her mind had traversed to. She had been staring out the window off into the traffic and rain for near on five minutes at that point.
The younger Natural shrugged. "A little. I don't think there's anything we can do about it though."
Athrun gave a noncommittal noise and looked at the back of his phone again, hoping it would vibrate or at least let him know if he got an email. Waltfeld had found their whole excursion the other day very interesting and definitely suspicious because they had seen Lathan right away. He claimed it was on purpose and the fact that Lathan had been ushered out every day like clockwork for lunch was proving his theory correct. They had wanted Lathan to be found and that realization only made his oddly worded statement more curious.
Namarra sighed and took another bite of her sandwich, picking up her phone when it buzzed again. The frown on her lips made Athrun frown and he almost asked, but she spoke up before he could. "Lexi's borrowing one of my favorite outfits." She put down her phone and looked back out at the traffic. "She better not get it dirty." He chuckled lightly and she gave him an unamused look out of the corner of her eye. "What?"
"Sometimes I forget how normal you two have become."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He shrugged and took another drink of his tea. "Just remembering how times used to be, I suppose. Hard to believe it really hasn't been that long since the war ended."
She snorted. "If we're normal, someone fucked up."
They sat at the bakery for another 30 minutes before finally moving. They didn't want to blow their cover too much so they had decided to do some touristy things that day, seeing some of the sights, but avoiding crowds as much as they could. If anything, they didn't want anyone to overhear their conversations and there was a higher chance that tourists would understand them than the locals. That fact alone made them nervous, but they needed to keep in character as much as they could afford. They had booked a maximum stay in Japan for three weeks and they had already whittled away about four days of that.
It was a day of umbrellas, long stares at transportation maps, and bad communication. They had almost given up, in fact, because the act of walking around in a country where it was tough to communicate was, in a word, crushing. Given, most people spoke Japanese in Orb as well, but both Namarra and Athrun had been able to navigate quite easily in English. Any time they couldn't, the friendly Orbite in their party took the reins and that often included, Lexi, Lathan, Cagalli, or Kira. Here, however, they were forced to navigate on their own and Japanese was far more prevalent than even in Orb. And, somehow, it felt even more alien.
"Anything yet?" Namarra asked, munching on a meat bun as they shared a bench on the platform waiting for their next train. They were positioned near the middle of the platform, a train line running in front of them and another behind going in the opposite direction. The foot traffic was rather heavy as well, having timed their travel precisely during the mid-day rush.
Athrun checked his phone with a sigh and shook his head. "No, nothing."
Namarra mimicked the gesture and looked at her watch, the bun still in her mouth. "Well, I'm gonna head back to the hotel in an hour or so. The girls said they wanna call me into their girls' day."
Athrun cocked an eyebrow as he turned to look at the Natural. "Really? You're on the job."
Namarra matched his look and bit down on her meat bun, shrugging. "Take it up with your girlfriend."
"I should dock your pay for this."
He heard her snort. "Sorry, Dino. She scares me more than your threats do."
He couldn't resist laughing at that. "Fine, we'll head back in a bit. Not like we can do anything anyway." They sat for a moment longer, waiting for both Namarra to finish her snack and for a train that they wouldn't have to be pushed onto because it was so packed. There was another reason, Athrun knew, his peripheral vision having picked up a suited man sitting on the bench further down the platform. Despite not having much to do other than look on his phone, the man had yet to get on another train and given his attire, there was a good idea he should be working at that time of day. He doubted he was the only one who noticed the stranger and Namarra said as much a second later.
"There's two," she said, stretching to hide her head nod to the person backwards to their left. "I saw him when I went to look for a trash bin."
"This one's missed three trains and there's only locals running right now," Athrun continued, watching another set of doors close in front of him. "Four."
"That one's missed at least three."
Athrun sighed and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.
"It's good odds," Namarra said quietly, her tone indicating she was having a serious think about it, but he was already shaking his head.
"Too risky; it could be nothing."
"Two platforms. Two moving trains. No barriers."
"No."
"I can make it look accidental. Or suicidal, if that makes your paperwork easier."
"No, Coda."
Namarra sighed and crossed her legs and arms. "You're no fun. I'm sure someone's told you that at least once."
He sighed and hid another smile despite the situation. "You should come with a warning label."
"What do you propose then, splitting up?" Namarra asked, pulling out her phone to look at the screen and seem far more normal than her scheming mind could pass for.
"No, if you're on their radar, I'm not letting you out of my sight."
"How knightly."
He rolled his eyes, seeing another train pull up. Standing, he grabbed her hand and pulled them both on board, breaking social etiquette and squeezing back-to-back between four salary men before everyone had gotten off the train who had wanted to. He had hoped to hide their entrance onto the train and only time would tell if that was the case. Until then, they were stuck with a dozen or so more people now up in their personal space. "When in doubt, lose them in the crowd," Athrun said with a wink, arching his head back and smirking when he saw her roll her eyes.
"Yes, definitely no fun." She cursed when a curve in the track caused her to fall onto an older man to her right. She apologized to him, but scowled soon after, Athrun hearing her grumbling behind him. "Next time we go with my plan."
The train stopped at the next station, the bodies shifting to make room for both the people getting off and for those coming on. Athrun felt his phone buzz and stole the brief moment between the rush to reach down into his pocket and pull it out. Namarra took the moment to see if she could see either of the two who had been watching them at the station, but she couldn't see them at the moment and said as much. The plan might have actually worked.
The train started moving again as Athrun opened the email, holding it over his shoulder so Namarra could see it from behind his back. They got their meeting.
"If there is a next time, I'll consider your plan."
"How kind," she muttered, but even he didn't miss her sigh of relief. "I guess I'll be able to enjoy girls' night after all."
"And I won't even write you up for it."
CE 72 May 21, Orb (Afternoon)
"Coffee?"
Yzak slipped off his shoes after he passed through the doorway, setting down his bag off to the side and slowly gazed up to look at Waltfeld offering a steaming mug of liquid, presumably his favorite beverage. Lexi had already given him a general warning about refusing Waltfeld's "coffee-tality" and nodded. "Sure, thanks."
Waltfeld nodded and set the mug down on the table near his kitchen before turning and grabbing his tiger mug and plopping himself down on the other side of the table. It was a modest apartment with one bedroom off the living room, a kitchen and a small area for a table near the doorway. It barely looked lived in other than the memorabilia scattered around on bookshelves and pictures hanging from the bleached walls. There was a theme to them all, Yzak could see, knowing the Desert Tiger wouldn't be able to forget his old home that quickly.
Leaning back in his chair, Waltfeld took an obnoxious sip of his coffee and nodded to the other seat across from him. Frowning, Yzak walked over and sat.
"So, you've ended up here too, huh?" Yzak said simply, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table. He couldn't recall a time him and the ex-commander had sat down and chatted alone. Back in the war he might have been nervous and tense, but a lot of that had revolved around rank. Despite what Waltfeld had been in ZAFT, he was currently a civilian and even if he still held a large amount of respect for him, Yzak found himself at ease. It was a strange feeling when he thought about it, so he decided not to. "I feel like this trip has been nothing but nostalgia and drudging up old memories."
"That's what happens when you stop working for a while. You're forced to think for yourself."
It was a pointed remark, Yzak could tell that much, but he just brushed it off, turning his mug instead of quipping and grabbed onto the handle. "I was surprised to get your call," he started after taking an initial, hot sip of the coffee. Not quite sure I like everyone having my number either, he thought at the same time, but did his best to hide his disappointment.
"Lexi's ugly past resurfacing got me thinking, so I started doing some digging and thought you might be interested to know what I found."
"You're not talking to her about it?" he asked simply. "I'm not really in a position to be chasing down anyone."
"You're not interested at all? Despite everything that's happened?"
"I've read her file and we do talk."
Waltfeld glanced at him over his mug, his one eye not giving much away and Yzak felt himself, finally, tense. Waltfeld might have been out of the military, but he clearly held onto some old habits and skills. Yzak found it all unnerving, not enjoying the gaze of the unreadable older gentleman and sighed to cover up his discomfort. "Please, I'm supposed to be on vacation, remember? I'd like to not have to work to figure out what you're getting at."
Waltfeld sighed and twisted in his seat to reach behind him, grabbing a folder and a loose piece of paper from the small coffee table there. He set the folder down first and put the paper off to the side, upside down. "This," he put his hand down on the folder, "is her actual file—well, most of it. The one you read was the redacted version," he explained. "I asked a friend of mine to dig through my old files and send me the one I was given for her when I was in Banadiya. This," he tapped the folder again, "is probably the version you haven't read."
Yzak looked at it for a moment before making eye contact with Waltfeld again. "I'm aware the one I had wasn't the full story, if anything because she was listed as having died in the war. Basic biology will prove that statement false. Anything else she wants to share, I listen. Anything I want to know, she tells me. This file probably won't tell me anything I don't already know."
Reaching over, he grabbed the piece of paper next and flipped it over onto the folder. It was a page of a newspaper, but one of the back pages, Yzak figured, given the size of the articles. Waltfeld scanned the contents briefly upside down before pointing to one of those small paragraphs.
Other individuals who have put their name on the ballot for the vacant Council position are: Kumari Patel, Lucas Soto, and Gilbert Durandal. This is the first stage of a process set to take place over the next two to three months. We expect the vote to take place late July.
His finger was above the name "Gilbert Durandal" and Yzak cocked his eyebrow, reading the paragraph and then looking back up at him.
"Do you recognize this name?" he asked and Yzak shrugged.
"My mother has brought the vote up in conversation, if that's what you're wondering. She's only just regained her status on the Council and is still navigating that shitstorm." His face darkened for a moment as he thought back on the past months. For all the grumbling he made about Lexi not sharing things with him, he hadn't been particularly open about his mother's predicament either. "They're all qualified enough to hold the position, based on what she says," he continued despite the growing pit in his stomach, "I think he might even be the favorite." That didn't seem to be the answer Waltfeld had been looking for because he began frowning and Yzak found himself following suit. "Why?"
The older man returned his hand to his coffee mug and took a drink. "You at least know that ZAFT had done some experimentations on Lexi in the war, yes?" Yzak gave a confirming nod. "Well, there's something I've noticed that I just can't seem to figure out. The doctor who had been the head of the project and the one leading said experimentation was named Doctor Gilbert Durandal. I know because I did a workup on him myself and even spoke to him."
Yzak's eyes grew wide. "Doctor Gilbert Durandal?" Waltfeld nodded and Yzak had to look away. For some reason, the name didn't resonate until the title was added and his most recent escort mission came to mind.
That and Lexi's good friend Heine Westenfluss.
Waltfeld must have misunderstood Yzak's distress in that moment because he continued without pressing for more information. "Yes, I've told Lexi this at least four times, but from what I can tell, she just cannot remember the name. I don't know if it's whatever drug they had pumped into her system or trauma, but she can't remember."
"You haven't told Namarra? Or Lathan?"
"I thought Lathan already knew and Nam and I have never talked about it in length. It wasn't until Athrun and I talked about it the other day that I realized all of this." Yzak frowned when Athrun's name was mentioned, but Waltfeld plowed forward again. "Lexi filled in some gaps for him—which made me wonder what he had been told in the first place when you were all on the Le Creuset team—and, apparently, she had stated she didn't remember the name of the commanding officer she had been transferred to. Athrun asked me to look into it and it wasn't until I put two and two together that I realized it was Durandal she was still forgetting." He pointed at the article again. "I think that's the same man, and if that's the case, he's about to get very powerful, very quickly."
"You think he'll make a play for Lexi?"
Waltfeld shrugged and took another drink. "I don't know. I'm not even sure he knows where she is. As far as most of the universe and the tabloids are aware, Lexi spends most of her time in Orb and I don't think even he could just take a prominent Orb citizen off the streets."
"Someone managed to do that with Lathan," Yzak muttered, reaching over and began consuming his own beverage, noting it was starting to cool.
"True, but I still think that's a power move and they won't actually do anything to him. Lexi, on the other hand, is a different matter entirely. Unless they get her to sign onto the treatment willingly, I don't think they can actually do anything, especially since she's a civilian now, and a fairly popular one at that if this past week has proven anything."
Yzak nodded slowly and took another drink, turning in his chair to cross one leg over the other as he thought. If Lexi knew Heine, and Heine was working for Durandal without realizing the connection, there was the possibility Durandal did, in fact, know where she was. It was a lot of conjecture, he knew, so instead of sharing his thoughts he bit lightly on the coffee mug, staring at the front door instead of his conversation partner. Of course, the worst thought of them all would be if Heine, in fact, did know and was feeding information to Durandal behind her back.
He was going to have to set up a meeting with Heine.
"I don't think I have the power to do anything, if that's what you're implying. I don't even have that much sway over my mother." Yzak finally looked back over at Waltfeld who was looking off in the opposite direction, the older man's eyes on picture hanging on the other wall above the sofa. It looked to be a desert landscape, which Yzak could only assume was Banadiya.
"No, I don't think we can really do anything, to be honest. I just need someone to know and you're my best bet, kid, for better or worse."
Yzak frowned and scoffed. "Thanks, I think."
"Hey, Lexi likes you, and that should be good enough for me, but you're in pretty thick and that makes me nervous. Call me old fashioned, but I tend to like keeping the people I care for alive and out of trouble." He shrugged. "If I can."
"I am keeping her out of trouble." He took another drink and turned back to the table, his eyes noting the newspaper article again. "Not my fault if trouble keeps finding her."
Waltfeld laughed at that and turned back as well, his cup returning to the tabletop empty and his hand on the folder. He pushed it towards Yzak. "Then get ahead of the trouble. Trust me, it's much easier to read this knowing who she is now." He laughed again and Yzak finished his coffee, putting the mug down as loudly as his counterpart. He grabbed the folder, but didn't open it and licked his lips.
"Y'know, that was good coffee."
Waltfeld winked. "Don't push it, kid."
CE 68 Scandinavia
She had won that time.
Shani had been right; don't quit until your opponent stops moving.
"Nam, let go."
She was starting to shake as Shani was trying to unlatch her hands from her opponent's throat, his calloused fingers course against her skin. It was just another reminder of how different things had become; how much their life had changed.
How much worse it had gotten.
There seemed to be a small group gathered around her and her downed opponent, but despite her trembling hands, she was only just coming back to some semblance of normality. Her mind had clouded over and her only memory of the event had been anger and determination.
A red-hot desire to stop losing.
"Slowly," Shani said that time, a gentle inflection in his tone she had never recalled hearing from him before. He had always treated her like more of an adult than she was, but that type of intonation was reserved for a child.
A frightened child.
His hands were on her shoulders, lifting her up off the body because she knew her legs weren't working in that moment. Her knees brushed the boy's sides as she rose to her feet, his shirt getting caught on her left knee for a brief, startling moment and a small gasp escaped her lips at the sensation. The boy's face was blue and angled away from her awkwardly, red marks from her small thumbs and fingers still visible across the pale skin on his neck. Her eyes followed the line up from his chin towards his face and her breath quickened.
"W-what happened?" she asked, her mind too far gone to think in English. Shani didn't respond and she picked her leg up to step over the body and back away, his arms still bearing her weight as he pulled her away from the scene.
Two people filled the gap she had left, blocking her view of the body, but forcing her to look elsewhere. Her eyes fell on some others in the room, their expressions a mixture of surprise, disgust, and horror.
"What happened?" she repeated. Shani still said nothing, his hands loosening their grip on her shoulders, but that had been the only thing holding her up. Her weight shifted and she buckled down onto the mat, sitting with her eyes glued to the crowd. Every expression was the same, but why?
Had what she done been that horrible?
She turned then, a panicked pivot that took her straight into Shani's arms. Her aching fingers clasped against his shirt, her arms bloodied from nail markings she didn't completely remember receiving and a droplet of blood dripped down the cut on her cheek towards her chin. "What happened!" she screeched and while his look didn't match anyone else's in the room, she couldn't handle its intensity.
Pity.
"Nam," he began, but her trembling fingers were already at her cheeks, slowing shaking upwards until they finally covered her eyes and she hid—plastering her hands over her face to block the faces around the room.
Block their pity—their horror.
Block their fear.
A voice laughed somewhere deep in her mind.
A/N: Hello, everyone, thanks for stopping by! Another two weeks and another chapter. Gonna have to keep up this pace now because that's the expectation I'm giving... Bit of a scary thought. Anyway, more in store in the coming chapters, so hold onto your butts. ;)
As for this chapter, I'm jumping into other POVs again and quite enjoying the exercise. Waltz was primarily from Lexi, FS, Stray, and eventually Nam's POV, but I'm trying to branch out a bit in and definitely having a bit of fun with it. What I'm mostly worried about, actually, is all of the characters sounding exactly the same... I'm leaving it up to you guys to let me know if they all start blending together. I mean it. I don't want to just use one voice for everyone! Let's see... the POVs we've had are: Lexi, Namarra, Heine, Yzak, Athrun, and now Cagalli. Will definitely be adding more to that last as things move forward, so if you like this idea, let me know. If not, let me know too. :D
This chapter also sees a meeting I didn't anticipate happening, but I rather like how it turned out: Yzak and Waltfeld. Yzak is definitely making his way through the list of characters that we all know because of the series, but because he was always away from the TSA, he never got to interact with. Hmmm... I wonder if he would ever interact with Kira...?
Anyway, I won't babble like a mad writer and just express my thanks again for having a read. Love to hear from you all and I hope you and your families are all safe, wherever you might be.
Special thanks, as always, to my Beta Death-Scimitar who reminds me that indulging my characters once in a while is a good thing. Just don't skimp out other characters on material or they might make things difficult later on...
Also, special thanks to Tristraim who helped me with the medical side of things and makes sure things are realistic. I mean, as realistic as things can be in the Gundam Universe. ;)
Corrections to the Narrative:
I've been making little changes to the canon here and there. I'm fairly certain there will be someone out there telling me about Japan in SEED, time differences between Orb and Japan, etc. but I've taken a little creative liberty on this to make it work for my purposes. I'd love to hear people's ideas on what these places probably should be like, but—at the moment—I have been going with my gut and my experiences. More than happy to attend to something in the "Questions/Gripes" section if something should arise. ;)
As for the Council position, I'm kinda navigating that with help of canon and my own head canon so feel free to let me know if anyone has any issues. Happy to discuss them because I haven't fully figured out how I want to do that just yet.
Questions/Gripes:
Death-Scimitar: That was, unfortunately, Orga's book. T.T
Shameless Recommendations:
Still shamelessly recommending some other reads. If you have an extra moment or two, be sure to check them out:
1. Anything by Death-Scimitar – Yes, a Beta of mine, but if you're lucky enough to have a Beta who is also a kick-ass writer, I'd say you struck gold. Nothing in SEED, per se, but she does have a crossover in the works that involves 5 famous pilots from Gundam Wing and some lucky (or unfortunate?) individuals who run a host club. Check it out if you're interested and know that you will not be disappointed.
2. Anything by Maderfole – He's the writer of the epic Golden Age Trilogy which is, arguably, one of the best Gundam fics on this site (and, yes, I'm probably a bit bias). The series is currently on book 3 and the newest chapter is now up! The haitus is done! Be sure to check it out and enjoy the nearly 3.5 million words of epic Gundam-ness before you get to that point.
3. Anything by Asmus – Another one for the SEED stories who is definitely one of the better writers on this site (again, I might be bias) and I highly recommend anything he's done. He just started a new story, actually, that takes place in Maderfole's universe. You don't have to be terribly acquainted with the Golden Age Trilogy to read it, so I recommend you check it out. This are definitely starting to heat up.
4. Anything by Quiet0ne – New SEED author on FF with her story, Scattered Seeds. This is another story that plays around with the idea of the SEED Factor and genetics in the SEED universe and while only just starting, I can see we're all in for quite the roller-coaster ride. Tantalizing plot movement so far and some priceless interactions between our favorite characters. Loving every moment of it and I hope you do too.
Thanks for taking a moment out of your rather busy lives to read this. I'll see you again in the next chapter!
Strata