The Sound and the Fury
CE 61 Orb
"Get out!" Lexi shouted, her fingers wrapping around the corner of the door as she slammed it shut, the white paint crackling as it rattled against the frame. It should have been used to the abuse, but somehow not even the robust wood could stand up to the six-year-old fury that was Lexi Rymyr.
"Mom says we have to match!" another, young female voice shouted on the other side of the door, the distinct sound of sock-covered toes kicking the lower part of the wood. "Stop being such a baby!"
"I'm not being a baby!" the redhead responded, her hands furiously pulling at the ribbons surrounding the hair ties of her pigtails. "We don't have to match everything!" She threw one pink ribbon on the white comforter of her bed, her feet continuing their course to the bedside table and the full-length mirror next to it. She leaned forward, scrunching her nose to look up at her reflection and the knot that had formed in the ribbon around her left pig tail. "Oh, Helmaya," she began, her lips curling up over her teeth in a growl.
The girl on the other side of the door kicked again and Lexi gave up, her hands falling to her sides in fists as her white-chipped fingernails curled into the thin fabric of her sleeveless, yellow summer dress.
"I'm getting Mom!" the girl shouted and Lexi rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, go cry to your mom, Cags! What else is new?" There was a loud humpf and stomping feet, the other six-year-old most likely following the lined carpet in the hallway down to the spiral staircase and the adults having an afternoon cup of tea in the main sitting room. She wouldn't be back for a while and Lexi grumbled an unpleasant string of words she had heard her brother Lathan utter during a game of tag. She wasn't entirely sure what all the words meant but she knew the tutor had Lathan washing out his mouth moments later, so her parents would probably not like it.
She purposely scratched her stockinged feet across the carpet and gave a silent prayer that they might get snagged on the boarded floor as soon as she crossed the end of the square, ornate red carpet in the middle of her room. She really didn't want to wear them and she definitely didn't want to have the bracelet at her wrist or the flower choker at her neck either. She didn't want any of it.
Her shuffling took her to the dresser near the door to her bathroom, the oaken drawer whining as she pulled it opened quickly, looking down and trying to find the small sewing kit she knew was there. Pushing aside her many hair pieces, necklaces, and other knickknacks she was sure other girls her age found far more appealing than her, she saw the small black box in the corner and reached in to grab it.
She heard footsteps outside in the hall again and she hurried over to her desk, setting down the box next to her velvet-covered jewelry box and rifling through the instruments until she found the small pair of scissors. Smiling, she hurried back over to the full-length mirror and had the blades under the ribbon in her hair just as her door opened.
"Lexi!" Cagalli's mom, Himari Yua Athha, shouted and was over to her side before the redhead could cut down on the ribbon and take some of her hair with it. The older woman grabbed Lexi's wrist, her grip gentle despite the thin line on her lips. She was wearing a simple, long white dress with sheer sleeves to keep off the sun, but still remain cool. Her light, almost white-blonde hair fell out from behind her ears, the short locks brushing against her mouth as the thin line slowly softened into a smile.
"Here," she began, her voice as gentle as her fingers as they took the scissors from Lexi's hand. "Let's sit on the bed. I'll unknot this for you without resorting to something so drastic."
"But Mom, you said we were supposed to match!" Cagalli whined. The young blonde wore similar pigtails, her hair the same length as Lexi's and falling to just past her shoulders when not held up by ribbons. The redhead felt her own locks brush against her shoulders as Cagalli's mom removed one hair tie, her head tilting to the right as the older woman tugged. Cagalli pulled on her matching summer dress as Himari stepped away from the mirror, accenting her point before crossing her arms. "If we didn't have to why do I have to wear yellow?"
Himari gave a small chuckle and climbed onto Lexi's bed, crawling to the middle and sitting on her knees before patting the blanket in front of her for Lexi to sit. The redhead did, plopping down on the edge of her bed as the older woman's nails started unknotting the remaining ribbon.
"I said you had to match clothes, but your hair doesn't have to be the same. Might be for the best anyway."
"See?" Lexi spat, sticking out her tongue. "I told you."
"Oh, shut up, Lexi."
"Enough, both of you," Cagalli's mom chided with a sigh, her fingernails still pulling at the ribbon. "You girls have known each other for a long time now, so when are you going to give the rest of us a break and start getting along?"
"When Lexi learns how to start following directions," the blonde muttered and the other girl rolled her eyes.
"When Cagalli stops crying to you for everything."
Himari sighed and Lexi heard her give a little curse before, finally, she felt the pressure loosen on the left side of her head, the ribbon falling to the bed next to her. The hair tie came next and the older woman pointed to the top of the dresser on the other side of the room.
"Cags, can you get me the brush please?"
The blonde grumbled, but did as she was told, slamming the oaken drawer closed Lexi had left open before grabbing the brush on top. She handed it to her mother who offered a thanks and started brushing Lexi's hair.
"Now girls, I'm serious. You have to both start acting more grown up. Your father, Cags, and your parents, Lexi, are going to be taking on some really important tasks starting next week and we all have to start putting in a little more effort to help them out."
"Dad's been doing 'important' things for a long time already," Cagalli grumbled, her arms crossed at her chest. "How's next week gonna be any different?'
"Let's just say it's the beginning of something even more important and we all need to support them, you hear me?" Her voice went stern and Lexi bit her bottom lip, her eyes curving up from the hair tie she was pulling at in her hands to meet Cagalli's golden stare. "I know you two don't hate each other," she continued, Lexi's head jerking backwards as she began braiding her hair. "I actually think you two just enjoy picking on each other, so let's try this instead." Her hand appeared on Lexi's left, soft palm facing up and she wiggled her fingers. Lexi gave her the hair tie. "If you two can get along—no fights, no crying, no teasing, and, for Helmaya's sake, no screaming for a month, the three of us and your mom, Lexi, will have a girls' day out. We'll do whatever you girls want."
"Wait," Cagalli began, locking eyes with the redhead again. "Whatever we want?"
"Yup. That means you two have to agree on that too." The two groaned loudly and Himari gave a small tug on Lexi's hair. "Nu-uh. This bargain starts now and, if I worked out the timing correctly, the summer festivals will start in a month. Maybe as a further award for good behavior, we can finally buy you girls those new yukatas and watch some fireworks. What d'ya say?"
Lexi grinned and she saw Cagalli had done the same. Perhaps, for the very first time, the two girls were looking forward to spending some time together.
There was a knock on the door, everyone turning to see Lexi's mom, Emilia Rymyr, standing in the open doorway wearing a fitted, light-green dress with a high neckline. She had her sandals on and her white purse was already swinging in her right hand down near the golden belt tied loosely across her waist.
"You girls ready to go?" she asked, her strawberry blonde hair braided down over her right shoulder.
"Yup," Himari said first and Lexi hopped off the bed, running over to her mom in the doorway.
"Mom, Auntie Athha said we could get yukatas and see the fireworks next month!"
"She did?" her mother asked, the warm smile that had been on her face faltering for a split, memorable second and Lexi followed her eyes back to Himari still sitting on her knees and sunken in the white comforter on her bed. "Well, that sounds like a wonderful idea," she continued, but the brightness in her voice was gone and Lexi watched Cagalli's mom offer a small shake of her head and a shrug.
"We'll make is as memorable as we can," the older blonde said softly. "Now, girls, let's get going." She crawled off the bed and held out her hand to Cagalli who took it, following her to the door. The young girls looked at each other again, the two of them sensing something was off about their mothers, but their young minds couldn't piece it together. Lexi's chest felt heavy, though, and she reached out her hand to her mother who took it in her own, the summer chill outmatching the comfort of her familiar touch.
CE 72 May 24, Japan (Evening)
Namarra was drying her hair with a towel and already in her pajamas when a few soft knocks sounded on the door in between her room and what used to be Athrun's. Him and Lathan had left for the airport about an hour ago, so that could only mean her two new guardians from Orb had arrived. Sighing, she reached into her suitcase and pulled out a sweatshirt, tossing it over her head before she set the towel back in the bathroom. The person knocked again and she sighed, hurrying to the door that time and running a hand through her wet hair as she twisted the door handle.
"Ah," was all she said, following the edge of his blue jacket up past his empty left sleeve to land on the straight-lined expression of Andrew Waltfeld. He didn't look happy to see her and based on the fact he hadn't even bothered to take off his jacket yet before attempting to speak to her meant that this particular lecture was taking priority.
"You're angry at me too, huh?" she said with a sigh and stepped back into her room, leaving the door open as she went back over to her suitcase and grabbed some socks. Turning, she sat on the end of the bed as she slipped them over her toes.
"Yes, but I'm a bit more sympathetic, I suppose."
"Lucky me."
"Not this time, kiddo; save it," the older man continued, leaning his left shoulder against the doorframe and putting his right hand on his hip. "While I know you have your reasons, and they are probably valid, Dino is in the right here. Both you and Piper need to start bringing more of us in on things and he deserves one hell of an apology when you get back to Orb."
Her initial reaction was to be angry; angry that the first thing he would say to her would be a reprimand. "I'm not a child," she spat, but regretted it the moment the words left her lips. "Sorry," she said quickly and sighed, the other sock finally on her foot and she brought her left leg up to curl under her right, watching him in the doorway and giving her a parental look she was fairly certain she hadn't been on the butt end of before in years.
"You're in pretty hot water right now, so perhaps you and I should come up with a plan and actually stick to it. Or, if anything, we definitely need a signal if things get too dicey and I need pull the big bad Orbite card."
"And what does the big bad Orbite card entail?" she asked and he shrugged.
"I'm sure it's something terrifying."
She laughed lightly and felt a small pang in her chest, the feeling skewing the chuckle in a moment of raw emotion. She snorted through it, however, not liking the sadness it forced on her face. "Sounds like something Mu would say."
"Yes, well, I'm sure we all rubbed off on each other at one point or another. All us adults probably sound just as similar as you kids all sound to us."
"And how's that?"
"Exhausting," was the response and she gave a wry laugh at that. It sounded like something they would all think. "Just so you are aware," he continued. "I'm not happy with the situation, but Lathan seemed to imply there was a good payout."
"There was." Namarra nodded slowly, wary of the statement and a suspicion that proved valid when he replied.
"It doesn't excuse you, but it does help."
"What are you, my dad?" she spat, wishing he would just drop the reprimand instead of twisting the knife further. "I get it."
"Well, someone has to make sure it's drilled into your skull and while there is definitely not a dull day around here, even I have my limits. Let's just get through the next few days without causing an international incident and maybe I can hang up my cane for a while."
"You mean the one you don't use?" Namarra muttered and she turned away when she saw his eye narrow in her direction. She still felt the weight of it, however, and shivered, trying to mask the movement with an innocent comb through her hair with her fingers.
It took a further moment of tense silence between the two, but eventually the older man sighed, pushing off the doorframe and straightening. "I know you understand this, but I don't think you've really embraced the concept just yet. I don't know much about your time with the EA or what happened before it. I also can't imagine how much loss someone as young as you has already suffered through, but the beauty of your situation, Coda, is that while you might not think you have any family because no one shares your surname or past, I'm here to tell you that you do, in fact, have a family who cares—who wants to help you."
Her combing stopped and she turned towards him slowly, the look on his face far gentler than it had been the moment before. In fact, it was a similar look to the one Orga had given her when she had come out into the hallway that fateful day, clinging to Clotho's neck. It was so similar the emotion hit her all at once and she felt herself tear up, not sure if she turned away before Waltfeld had seen.
"I know this line is probably cliché, but we're not going anywhere, and it's okay for you to start believing in that phrase again." Reaching forward, she heard him snag the handle and close the door, muttering a faint reminder that they would have a further chat as soon as he had the chance to settle in.
The tear fell down her cheek as the door clicked shut.
CE 72 May 25, Japan (Morning)
Namarra bit on her right fingernail as she stared through the glass. The observation room was quiet and yet she felt and heard everything. She heard the machine beep near the bed, the click and then rush of oxygen as she watched his chest rise with the intake. She breathed at the same time, feeling the weight of the moment and unable to wipe the sweat from her palms.
Mu was alive.
She couldn't believe it when Tsugu had told her an hour ago, but looking at him now, seeing the amount of bandages covering his face, the number of casts and wrappings, the scarred skin poking through—all of it, she knew she wasn't dreaming. Why hadn't she gone back for him? If he had been alive, why hadn't she tried? The guilt forced the emotion up through her throat and she could have retched, she knew, but she swallowed it down, turning instead to the older man standing next to her.
"Why did you save him?"
Tsugu shrugged. "My colleagues have their reasons."
Reasons, she thought, her eyes slowly returning to look through the glass. "I'm taking him with me," she announced and Tsugu scoffed.
"I'm sure you can try, Miss Legund, but you and I both know your rescue attempts don't always end in success."
Her look was much more dangerous that time and she turned on him, her hand coming up in a strike that stopped short, his eyes narrowing at the fist as it fell from just before his eyes back down to her side. "Careful, Miss Legund. You have few allies here."
"You be careful," she hissed.
"I'm always careful," he replied with a shrug and his eyes shifted back to the room as her fingers curled into the fabric of her pantsuit. His cockiness was on full display that day and even though he looked to be dressed down with his suit jacket missing, he was still very much in danger. Namarra's eyes lingered on the faded brown tie around his throat and she grinned when he caught her look.
"You won't harm me, Miss Legund, but your reactions are intriguing. I admit I had expected you to be far more… uncooperative when you relearned of this man's fate."
"Relearned?" she asked, not sure if she had heard a particle at the beginning of that word or if she had imagined it. His shoulders moved upward in a shrug as he crossed his arms across his chest, not answering her question and she almost lashed out again. She held back, however, her fingers biting into the skin at her thighs. His off-handed remarks were pissing her off and the prodding was making her feel far more vulnerable than she would have liked. The text to Waltfeld saying nothing more than "rolling my eyes" was still set up on her phone, ready to be sent if she ever felt out of her depth. She was beginning to feel it then, but still held off, Tsugu's face shifting from vague interest to something a little more invasive and her anger fled, replaced by self-preservation as she took a step away from him.
"You remembered it then?" he began and she didn't respond, not sure what he was alluding to. His eyes narrowed in on her face and she leaned back further away from him. "You remembered how Kai died?"
Her body reacted and while most of it was involuntary, she was still able to remain under control. She bit the side of her tongue hard, the metallic taste staining her back teeth as the blood slid down the back of her throat and up into a growl. "Don't say his name," she hissed. "No one says that name."
Tsugu observed her and not even she could feel vulnerable anymore. She took a step forward, knowing she would attack him if he said that name again. She would take that tie and strangle him, wrap the gaudy thing around his windpipe before anyone could stop her. She would do it even with all the security cameras in that hall aimed at her. She would do it even with Mu clinging to life in the other room. He didn't scare her; she didn't need Kai's protection in that moment. No, she needed his strength to kill that doctor.
"Interesting," Tsugu muttered, his right hand pulling a pen from his front breast pocket and tapping it against his chin. "Mr. Rymyr was right. You do have it under control now."
"What the fuck—"
"Are you calmer because you remembered? Or because you've gotten over it? Does his death not hurt as much anymore?"
"Shut up!" she screeched.
"Or do the deaths of three others just hurt more right now?"
He was playing a very dangerous game and her Berserker wanted to capitalize on it—did capitalize on it. It took over with a growl and leapt towards Tsugu, aiming for that very tie she knew would be his death the moment she had laid eyes on it.
Tsugu proved to be far more agile than his old body had hinted at, sidestepping the lunge and managing to grab the end of her ponytail as she passed by. It wasn't a final move, however, and the Berserker grinned despite the tug on the back of her head, planting her left foot in preparation of her next pivot.
But she didn't get that far.
The pen in Tsugu's hand pressed into the base of the right side of her neck, in between the tendons and her breath hitched. The jolt coursed from the point of contact up through her ears to behind her eyes, the Berserker forcing a growl through her lips before she fell to her knees. Chicabo's earpiece turned hot and then popped, that jolt finally forcing the Berserker dormant and the pain was quick, her breakfast exiting her mouth in a rush. Tsugu cursed and stepped away, releasing her hair and walking around behind her.
The room grew quiet as she heaved, the awful noise alone typically a sound that should bring others running, but no one else broke the silence. They were still alone. She gasped as her left ear dulled, those strangling breaths mimicking the life support machine in the room next door.
"I suggest you be more careful in the future," Tsugu began, his voice muffled. Namarra assumed either his hand was up near his nose, cowering away from the smell, or Chicabo was as broken as that last hitch had suggested. Her body trembled through her deeper breaths as Tsugu continued, "I will only claim this as a misunderstanding once."
"This act alone has ended our contract," Namarra said slowly, her hand tracing a shaky path across her mouth. She was still on her hands and knees, her ponytail now looser and draped over her left shoulder. Her breakfast lay beneath her and she closed her eyes, forming steadying breaths through her mouth instead of her nose. "This is the very definition of 'harm.'"
"That was self-defense, Miss Legund," he said simply. "And I believe you're missing the importance of your new-found control." His steps were surprisingly loud on the carpet as they walked over towards her left side and she shivered. Her head angled towards the noise as she opened her eyes, seeing the toes of his black shoes at the edge of her vision. "You see, if there is the possibility of the reaction lessening with time, I think you can save them."
"Save who?"
"There are many others who have taken a similar path to yours, this gentleman as an example." The life support machine breathed in the other room as if to accent his point and Namarra cursed quietly. "Will you let me do some tests? Save others from their madness?"
Nothing will be done against your will, Tsugu's words repeated in her head and she closed her eyes, her head falling defeated as her fingers curled up against the carpet.
The machine breathed again.
CE 72 May 24, Orb (Afternoon)
Lexi looked across the table and over her right shoulder once more, catching the lens of a journalist just as he snapped a shot. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, hoping no one managed to get a still of her with the scowl on her face. Security had allowed her to pass through the initial checkpoint for arrivals, but the press was still within view and given their high-tech equipment and the little button labelled "Zoom" she was never as far out of visual as she would like to be.
The redhead was alone, waiting at the terminal for Athrun and Lathan to land and, as luck would have it, they were delayed. That meant Lexi had arrived too early and with the press still unapologetically interested in her and her most recent brush in with death, she regretted not bringing anyone else along.
She had taken up camp by one of the smaller shops near the exit, which catered primarily to anyone eager to spend a final bit of change on gifts. There was no one in the shop at the moment and if the staff nearby had their say, no one would, but that might have had more to do with security than their own personal desires. They had pulled a small table and chair over to set up for her and she blushed at the memory of the moment, knowing the entire thing to be too ridiculous. She could have sat in the side seats just fine, but they had tried to accommodate her, even bringing her a bottle of water and fussing about her arm. It was downright awkward.
"I'm sorry, Miss Rymyr. We expect them to land really soon," the airport attendant said softly, wringing her hands nervously against the blue skirt of her uniform. "My colleagues already know the situation and will let me know—"
"Please don't worry about it," Lexi began, putting on the most honest smile she could. "You're already going through a lot of trouble to let me meet them, and there's really no reason you should be fretting."
That seemed to calm the woman's nerves and her eyes crinkled up as she smiled, her blonde hair brushing against the side of her lips. Lexi attempted to mimic the smile, but fell short, her newly trimmed locks curving under her chin and against the collar of her Orb uniform. She had dressed formally that day as per Cagalli's request. It wasn't just Lexi, Lathan's sister, welcoming him home, it was the whole Athha family and Orb itself. In short, Cagalli had turned the whole reunion into a public event and not even Lexi could blame her. The press was going to be there anyway, might as well make it worth it.
Lexi's right leg jostled, her foot bouncing as it dangled over her left leg. She was nervous, she realized, and not out of any annoyance for the late arrival, but because she didn't know what to expect when Athrun and Lathan rounded that corner in front of her. She hadn't managed to speak to Athrun after she had left Yzak to board his shuttle back to the PLANTs and that had meant she hadn't spoken to Lathan either. Cagalli had told her as much as Athrun had explained, but even that hadn't included how long Namarra was stuck at Sora BIO.
"I'm sure Lathan's fine, Lexi," Heine had said when she had called him soon after her talk with Cagalli, the joy in his voice unmasked until that line. "Seriously, you have to relax. You can't control everything, so have a little faith for once."
Yeah, yeah, I know, she thought, her eyes returning to the watch at her wrist as she clicked her tongue again. While she might have been given the seat and chair, she had chosen the location just off the side of the main course, nothing between her and the corner that she kept staring at. As much as she wanted to dismiss Heine's words, she really couldn't. She was feeling paranoid. Lathan had been snatched on a mission, Phoebe had found and attacked her at the orphanage, Blue Cosmos had their eyes on Namarra and now had her in their hands, and all of that was compounded upon the fact that there was still a good chance she might not regain much function of her right hand.
Oh, Lexi, you're so powerless. At this rate, you'll lose all of them.
Shut up, she hissed at the Berserker as she bit the nail on her left thumb, swishing the fingertips on her right hand side-to-side across the tablecloth in further desperation to feel something—anything there. Leave me alone.
But why? came the response and it laughed, the snickering echoing behind the closed door in her mind. I'm just saying things you already know.
Her teeth bit harder and she winced, the pain from her thumb pulling her back to the main concourse and the attendant trying to get her attention.
"They've landed, Miss Rymyr," the young woman said, her smile brighter and Lexi felt the relief instantly.
"Thank you," she responded with a nod. They had landed. So far so good.
"They will be leaving the plane last," she continued to explain, Lexi nodding slowly. "But they will be ushered through customs quickly, so you can probably expect to see them within the next thirty to forty minutes."
"Wonderful, thank you. I am to wait here then?"
"If you could, yes."
She tried to hide her disappointment, resisting the urge to scan her eyes back over to the cameras and journalists on the other end of the hall. "Of course," she said instead, her attention returning to that corner as she scraped her fingers against the tablecloth again.
She saw Athrun first, Lathan just a step behind with his right hand on his shoulder as Athrun lead them both around the corner. Lathan was wearing a navy suit with a white shirt, the jacket open and a duffle bag in his left hand. Athrun was, surprisingly, dressed similarly in a black suit with a suitcase in his right hand and dragging behind him. They were both surrounded by a pair of security guards, Athrun and Lathan engaged in a conversation with them as they entered the main course.
"Lathan," she breathed the moment she saw them, pushing off the chair and already gaining speed before anyone could ask her to wait. The other arrivals were slowly trickling in by that time, but the window was there and Lexi took it.
Athrun saw the movement first and tensed until he had noticed who it was and smiled softly as he turned to relay the news to Lathan.
"What do you mean 'brace yourself'?" Lexi heard Lathan say just before she threw her arms around his neck and Athrun chuckled as he stepped out of the way.
"That's what I meant," he said quickly as Lathan steadied himself, even managing to grab the back end of Athrun's jacket, the unfortunate Coordinator stumbling off balance slightly in an effort to keep everyone upright.
"Oh, thank Helmaya," Lexi breathed, her cheek scratching against the stubble across his own. Lathan was thin, scruffy, and looked a bit pale, but she didn't care. He was home.
Once Lathan had his footing again, he dropped his bag and completed the hug, squeezing her tight around the waist for a moment before they released. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he said and winked, Lexi too happy to see him to be annoyed by his cliches.
"You have no idea."
The cameras were going off furiously to their right and she saw Lathan twitch, probably hearing and already guessing what was happening. She put on an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, a lot of this is my fault, but you have been missing for a couple of months too."
"I'm aware," Lathan muttered, reaching forward to touch her shoulders and then follow the path down to the brace on her right arm. "Mom and Dad definitely wouldn't be happy knowing how much drama we've been causing."
She gave another soft smile and a shrug before finally turning to Athrun, Lathan dropping her injured arm. "Nam?"
"She'll be home soon," he said simply.
"Soon?" she echoed, her voice a tad higher when she couldn't mask her surprise. She had expected the worst, if she was being honest. "How soon is 'soon'?"
"A couple days, Lexi, that's all."
"D-days?" she echoed again and he laughed that time, either finding her surprise amusing, or he had seen the genuine gratitude in her eyes and found it too embarrassing to do anything else.
"Yes, Lexi, a couple of days. I told you I'd bring them back, didn't I?"
Her relief turned on him next and she hugged him tightly, her arms slipping around his neck as she whispered a "Thanks, Athrun," near his ear in an effort to not be overhead. She felt him shrug as he returned the hug.
"I wouldn't argue, though, if you guys made it a little bit easier."
"Meh," Lathan began, speaking from behind the two of them as their moment finished. "You'd miss us if we were gone." He winked again and Lexi laughed, shaking her head slightly at the gesture. "We keep your life interesting."
"Well, you definitely do that," Athrun admitted and she turned to Lathan when she heard him take a deep breath, Lexi noting the relief on his face.
"It's good to be home."
"Sure is," Athrun confirmed, taking a deep breath of his own.
The redhead smiled. "Welcome home, you two."
CE 72 May 26, Japan (Morning)
Namarra cupped the water in both hands and brought it to her lips, swishing the liquid around her mouth a few times before spitting it back out into the sink. She repeated the ritual two more times before she finally turned off the tap, putting both hands down on the counter and staring at herself in the mirror.
Mu was alive.
She couldn't believe it when Tsugu had told her that morning and yet her shock hadn't been as powerful as she would have assumed it would be. It was as if she had expected the words, but perhaps Lacus's positive thinking had just rubbed off on her that much.
Alive…
At least, that news had not been the reason she had vomited into the toilet 10 minutes before. The only person she could be mad at was herself, she knew. She had agreed to the tests—agreed to being hooked up to sensors and machines as they recorded her listening to people say her brother's name over and over.
And over.
Her fists curled up on the counter as she focused on her breathing. "It's just a name," she said aloud, but it was a lie—a complete and utter lie that not even her body agreed with because she turned and bolted back to the toilet when another gag threatened to overcome her. No, it was never going to be just a name.
Nothing came up that time and she stared at the bowl, intensely watching the water waver as her quick breaths hit the surface, attempting to use that focus to calm back down. She had one more day. That was it. Just this one day of the mental prodding and she would go home.
"I could leave now," she muttered, knowing the text to Waltfeld was written on her phone. They had played nice with Sora the evening before and had gone out to eat at the company's expense, Kisaka and Waltfeld joining in what, to any onlooker, must have seemed like a joyous dinner. The edge to that meeting was always evident, however, and even though she had expected a high level of intimidation from Waltfeld, she hadn't expected Kisaka to join in the power struggle. He seemed to be the one far more interested in friendly relations, but apparently even he could only handle being civil for so long. They had all parted from the uncomfortable dinner with an icy handshake or two and even though Waltfeld had felt confident they hadn't done anything to Namarra—after drilling her for information post dinner—he had already made sure she was packed and ready to take the first flight to Orb after her workday was done.
She checked her watch, seeing the minute hand click towards 1045. Her day had barely begun. She spit into the water and flushed the empty contents, returning to the sink and washing out her mouth once more before grabbing a paper towel. She could survive seven more hours; it was the least she could do. If seven hours meant Mu and the others in the program might likely survive any madness that threatened them, that amount of time was nothing.
She tossed the paper towel as she passed the bin on the way to the door, the solid weight of her phone brushing against her thigh as her heels tapped against the floor.
CE 72 May 25, Orb (Morning)
"Stop fussing," Lathan grumbled, falling backwards onto his bed, his feet still on the floor as his arms spread out wide. "I'm fine."
They were at the Rymyr guest house, Lexi having stayed the previous night to ease both her paranoia and Lathan's despite his swift retreat to his room once they had arrived after dropping off Athrun the day before. The house was about a mile away from the Rymyr estate and a 20-minute ride from the airport. The drive was time well spent, however, Lexi having been caught up on what happened in Japan, including Namarra's risky rewrite.
From what Lathan could tell, they had snatched him for help on a vision device, his name coming onto Sora's radar when they had learned of the work he was doing on his own. No one in the car seemed convinced by that excuse and Athrun's proclamation that he had assumed it was Namarra all along had resonated with the siblings as well. It wasn't a comforting realization and they had all grown silent after that, stopping briefly at the main Athha estate to let out Athrun before the remaining Rymyrs finished the journey to the other side of the complex and their old family home.
Lexi hadn't stepped foot in the Rymyr estate since returning to Orb and she wasn't about to then. Lathan and the family lawyer had been left in charge of the building since their parents' death and Lathan had moved into the guest house, taking some of the staff with him to help out during his various visitations in Orb. With reconstruction still trudging along, unemployment was high and both Rymyr children had decided to keep the staff on who couldn't find other work. It meant that there were far too many people to manage the guest house and keep the main estate tidy, but it was a small expense and they were happy to pay.
Lathan had taken up residence in one of the four bedrooms near the rear of the guest house, the remainder of the residence resembling more of a deserted, haunted house than the welcoming home away from home that the building had served when their parents had been alive. While one other staff member did stay in the house with him, Lathan was often the only one around and having spent the night there herself, Lexi understood why he might prefer the far more livelier days up in space with Heine as a housemate.
That very same charismatic flatmate was with the pajamaed siblings in Lathan's end of the residence, calling in via video. The desktop computer sat across from Lathan's bed on a tall metal-framed desk, the remnants of various projects scattered and gathering dust since his disappearance. The staff knew better than to touch his tinkerings, so they had remained uncleaned, the layer of dust a firm reminder that even though Namarra might have been the end game, they did get Lathan in that play as well.
That thought and Lathan's mood made Lexi sigh as she turned to look at Heine on the screen. The two of them shared a worried and knowing look, the gaze of two people who knew each other well enough to speak without saying much, but even so, their concern was predictable, apparently, because Lathan pounded his fist against the bed when neither had responded.
"I said, stop. You two staring at each other is pissing me off and I can't even see it."
"Fine, I won't say anything else," Heine admitted with a sigh, running a nervous hand across the back of his neck. He was still dressed in his ZAFT red coat, only having just returned from the office after managing another overnight shipment, and he started unbuttoning the collar when his hand finished its circular trek. "When you coming back to the PLANTs?"
"I haven't decided yet, to be honest. Kinda want to stay in one place for a while."
Lexi bit her bottom lip and tried to hide her disappointment. She had wanted to return to the PLANTs as soon as she could, but didn't want to just abandon Lathan despite his insistence at proving he was okay. Athrun had said they were all going to lay low for a while and Lexi was looking forward to spending some uninterrupted time with Yzak, some catch-up time with Namarra, and, when needed, help Lathan get back on his feet. She knew she shouldn't say anything; it would be selfish.
Either Heine had seen the distress on her face, or he had already made up his mind prior because his declaration seemed to be suspiciously on point. "Well, I have some time off and I was thinking of coming to Orb."
The proposition of her PLANT family coming to Orb was sounding awfully familiar and Lexi turned her head towards the screen, seeing Heine looking at her instead of at Lathan on the bed. It was quite possible he had seen the look on her face if that was where his focus had been, but his look was far more serious than she had anticipated and she felt her pulse speed up. He had been back from is trip to L4 for a few weeks by that time and they had been speaking to each other regularly so either something had happened around the time Lathan had been found or that look meant something she didn't quite understand.
"Why are you coming here?" Lathan asked, not aware of their wordless conversation that time.
"Well, my superior seems to have eagerly taken to the life of a politician and I'm to follow him on his endeavors. We're moving office and he's giving me a week off instead of asking me to help." He was watching her again as he said it, but she shook her head slowly, not understanding the intensity of his stare.
"Wait, politician?" Lathan asked and Heine confirmed.
"Yes, Council member, but it's all under control."
"Heine—"
"Relax, Lathan. It's nothing that you need to be worrying about. I just need to get used to yet another new desk is all." Lathan went silent and Lexi looked from one to the other, for the first time realizing that while she could have a wordless conversation with Heine, apparently her brother could as well. Heine had mentioned earlier that his superior was dabbling in politics and making some pretty powerful connections, so why this was suddenly a surprise confused her.
And the thick tension between the two males made her nervous.
"Heine—" she began, but he talked over her.
"Besides, I have ulterior motives for coming to Orb. I may or may not have met an Orbite on the reconstruction mission."
"Oh?" Lathan asked, sitting up to look over at the screen. "Well, you tell me about the Orbite and I'll tell you about the Japanese girl I met."
"Wait, what?" Lexi began, but the guys were already ignoring her, her presence all but escorted out of the room. Shaking her head, she smiled and pivoted to leave, but Lathan stopped her, the redhead turning to see a flashdrive held out to her in his right hand.
"What's this?" she asked, taking the device and flipping it over a couple of times.
"It's from Nam," Lathan said simply and he gave a weak smile. "Be sure to bring me up to speed later, okay?"
Her breath quickened and she looked at the device again, nodding quickly before she said some abrupt goodbyes and left the room, Lathan and Heine's chatter fading as she ran down the hall.
CE 72 May 26, Orb (Afternoon)
Lexi and Athrun were meeting Waltfeld, Kisaka, and Namarra at the airport that time. It was both because he had wanted to see if he could pull the older gentlemen away for a chat before they disappeared for other duties and because this was an opportunity to possibly stitch up some of the ALexi drama.
"So… we're holding hands?" Lexi asked, leaning on an upraised fist against the window in the seat to his right. She was wearing a similar getup to what she had worn when meeting him and Lathan and knowing how much she hated playing the face of the family for even a short amount of time, he could imagine her guilt level was still fairly high. From what he had garnered, Lexi's waltz with the media was actually bleaching her previously marred image and Lathan's was starting to look rather shiny as well. All of that was positive for the Athhas overall, so he had a feeling she was aware of the positive trend and was playing nice for just that reason alone. Lexi didn't care about her own standing, but she did care about Cagalli's and he shook his head slightly at that, a small smile on his lips.
"Not much, but it's something, I suppose," he said, hearing her shift as she turned to look over at him. He fixed the cuffs of his own Orb uniform and shrugged his shoulders to get the jacket to sit comfortably across his upper back. It felt like he hadn't worn it in a while and that gave him pause. If Cagalli couldn't convince her fellow cabinet members to provide more funding to Morgenroete, maybe his idea of a break wasn't a bad one after all. Hermes could lay low for a little bit until something big came around; something that might change the families' minds and get Hermes some clout at the same time.
"I thought you were supposed to be pissed at me because of Yzak," she continued. "Surely holding hands gives a different impression."
He shrugged. "Either it means I'm blissfully unaware of the situation or I'm far more forgiving than I'm fairly certain I actually would be." His eyes shifted to the front of the car, making sure the divider was closed between them and the chauffeur. While he had specifically chosen someone who was in on the big secret, he still didn't like the idea of prying ears.
"Well, our hug in the terminal the other day did prompt some questions, so it's just another thing to add to my list of 'this is on you, Lexi.'" She sighed and he didn't miss it, turning his eyes upwards to match her own. "You can play a little closer to your actual self if you wanted. This is more of an official thing anyway, and I do know I don't like to show much PDA when doing Orb business."
"We'll nix the hand holding then and find a different time to mend ALexi. Kisaka had hinted at an idea when I spoke to him a couple of days ago, so maybe we'll hear more now that everyone is home."
"Yeah…" she said simply, trailing off as she turned away from him to look out the window. They were close to the airport and since Lathan's reappearance, the media seemed to be, finally, starting to move on. The Athha family was safe and complete once more; time to move onto the next big drama, he figured, and he could only hope that next big thing wasn't going to be ALexi.
They both took deep breaths as soon as the car stopped, Lexi plastering a small smile to her lips when the chauffeur opened the door. Stepping out first, Athrun had assumed she was going to be swarmed by the press, but nothing happened. He barely heard a few clicks of a camera.
Are they gone? he asked himself and shuffled across the seats to swing his feet out of the same open door. Yup, there was no one save for one, small-time photographer with a press badge he didn't recognize. He shared a relieved look with Lexi before the two of them thanked their driver and headed into the airport.
They were immediately ushered through the gates much like Lexi had before, but their wait was far shorter. In roughly 10 minutes, Kisaka, wearing his purple and black Orb uniform, rounded the corner and was followed quickly by Waltfeld and Namarra in orange jackets and light khaki trousers—Morgenroete attire. Athrun didn't have much time to examine the trio, Lexi brushing his shoulder when she did much like she had with Lathan, running to Namarra and enveloping her in a hug that seemed to surprise the younger Natural. While the two of them were close, Athrun had never gotten the impression they were terribly touchy, so Lexi had been displaying a whole lot more of her mental state in that moment alone and he pushed a smile through his frown. They had all been forced to sit on the sidelines, it seemed, and none of them had particularly enjoyed the experience.
"Welcome home," Athrun said when he finally made it to the group. He made a quick glance at the two security guards trailing them and nodded when Kisaka waved them off.
"Good to be back," Waltfeld said first. He shifted a newspaper in his hand and Athrun saw the name of a prominent PLANT media outlet on the top. He only knew of one newspaper that printed their articles anymore and his eyebrow twitched in curiosity. It was a paper with a reputation for doing exposes on prominent people in government or in high society. Athrun's own father had been the source of one such article in the past and it definitely wasn't flattering. While he couldn't tell the name of the article on the front page, he did see the right half of a man's face, his soft smile, light-colored eyes, and long, darker hair as alluring as one person could be printed in black and white.
"Everything go as planned?" Athrun asked, moving his attention away from the paper as smoothly as he could.
"More or less," Kisaka responded, tugging at his suitcase as he motioned for them to all continue towards the exit. "I'd rather not repeat the experience though, if I can help it."
"I'm with you there," Waltfeld muttered, walking in step with them, his duffel bag tossed unceremoniously on top of the suitcase Kisaka was pulling. He shifted the paper once more and Athrun caught the glimpse of the letters "Gilb" before he turned away again and over to Lexi and Namarra chatting in front of them, leading the way. He wasn't catching much of their conversation, but they both had serious expressions on their faces, a mirror of mutual depression that made Athrun frown.
"Did anything happen?" he asked, turning to his left to look at both Kisaka and Waltfeld. Kisaka shook his head "no," but Waltfeld didn't respond, watching the girls closely. The thin line on his lips matched the girls' and Athrun tensed, learning very quickly that he should never take that look for granted.
His mouth opened to ask Waltfeld directly, but the older man interrupted, veering off and throwing the newspaper into the bin as they closed in on the final doors to the waiting room. "No, nothing happened," his gruff voice replied, but Athrun wasn't convinced by the answer.
And the concerned stare he gave Lexi and Namarra only heightened his nerves.
CE 72 May 26, Orb (Evening)
"You read what I sent you then?" Namarra asked, bringing the hot chocolate to her lips. She had opted for something else that day, the weight of coffee too thick for her stomach on that particular evening. She had been back from Japan for only a couple of hours, but she wasn't about to miss the chance to talk to Lexi. They had a lot to discuss.
"The moment Lathan gave it to me, I read it," Lexi responded quickly, sitting at the other end of the sofa. Even she had tea at that moment, a black blend Yzak had gotten her into. They had changed and dressed down, Lexi sporting a new pair of leggings and a blue sweatshirt, Namarra knowing her entire wardrobe probably still had the fresh clothing-store smell on them. The Natural had opted for something similar, her older black leggings and stained, deep purple sweatshirt a comfortable reminder she was home.
"Do you find this person to be a reliable source of information?" Lexi asked.
"I think you already know the answer to that," Namarra muttered. "But, yes, I don't think he would lie to me. He wanted me to know that, but to what end, I'm not sure."
"Guilt?"
Namarra shrugged and tipped the hot chocolate back for a sip, her lip lingering in the warm liquid as she thought. "I feel like something… bigger is going on. I don't know how to explain it."
Lexi didn't respond and Namarra's eyes slowly moved over to her. The redhead was sitting on the edge of the cushion, her right leg bouncing on the floor as her left was curled up under her. Looking over her right shoulder, she stared out the window, her tea steaming between her hands in her lap. Some of the tea splashed out over the rim and she cursed quietly, coming out of her thoughts with a jolt.
Namarra frowned at the scene. "You're just as worried as me."
"I am," she admitted, sticking the burned thumb into her mouth briefly. "I wasn't as worried until they made a play for you in Japan, to be fair, but we're not hiding very well, apparently."
"How are we supposed to hide better?" the Natural asked, pulling the mug down to her chin and licking the chocolate stain off her upper lip. "And to what end? I'm not sure I want to learn yet another identity." Lexi nodded and her leg started bouncing again. Namarra's eyes drifted to Lexi's brace and back up to her face still looking out the window, noting the subtle movement of her bottom lip as she gnawed at it. "Lexi, what's going on in that head of yours? You're far more nervous than your words are telling me." The redhead shrugged and Namarra frowned, trying not to let her lips slip further into a scowl. "You're panicking. Why? Did I miss something?"
Lexi shook her head quickly, but still refused to look at her. She snarled then, opening her mouth to say something, but the redhead finally spoke first.
"I'm gonna break up with Yzak."
That was a surprise. "W-why?"
"He's getting in too thick—moving up command too quickly." She swallowed and Namarra watched the emotion overcome her for a second. "We should leave Earth for a while too," she continued through a minor squeak. "Get off the radar."
"Why, Lexi?"
"They went through a lot of trouble to find you, Nam—to get a hold of you. We now know you're their scientific miracle. I can't—"
"Don't," Namarra hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously over the rim of her mug. She had better not be doing what it was sounding like.
"I can't let them find you."
"Don't you fuckin' dare."
"Nam—"
"No, Lexi. You break up with Yzak because of me, you will be hearing my opinion and it will involve a whole lot more than a shouting match." The redhead swallowed again and Namarra snorted. "Or do you want to break up with him?" Lexi's face didn't droop, Namarra noted, it snarled and turned ugly even from the side. Clearly, that was an instinctual, almost primal, "no" and that made Namarra even angrier.
"Back the fuck off."
"Back off?" Lexi snapped and spun, the two girls matching fires. "They could have had you, Nam! And you're just sitting there drinking fuckin' sweets and telling me that—what—everything was going to be fine?" Lexi snarled again and that time Namarra swallowed. What had happened while she was away? What emotions had been brewing inside of her? "Athrun told me what happened," she continued. "You took a huge risk and it nearly cost you."
"Stop coddling me!" Namarra shrieked despite the danger sitting in front of her. Her chocolate struggled to stay inside the mug as the contents sloshed around, the Natural's movements barely contained. When were the others going to finally realize she had the whole thing under control? Was she still just a child to them? "Yes, you and I are in this together, Lexi, but you are not my fucking guardian! You're supposed to be my partner in this!"
"We are partners!"
"No, you're acting like my fucking mom! Everything we do has a risk, Lexi! We just need to be more careful, not panic!"
"Panic—you're telling me not to panic?" Lexi rose then, the black tea spilling out onto her sweatshirt and she cursed, setting the mug down on the side table. Stepping over to the bookshelf, the redhead grabbed a tissue from the box there and dabbed at her stomach before finally continuing. "If what you wrote is true, Nam—"
"It is."
"—then we have far more things to worry about than just research about our other halves." She scowled and tossed the tissue on her vacant spot on the sofa before grabbing another. "Clones, Nam. We're talking about Berserker clones and, for all we know, your generous offering of blood and plasma could mean they're trying the method again despite this Doctor Tsugu's claims."
"Since they're still not sure they can make a clone of a clone I doubt they would continue that research until they found further proof. Especially since my genetics are in short supply for them." Namarra reached over and set her own drink down on the top of a nearby bookshelf, confident in her deductions and not wanting her image soiled by any further stains on her own sweatshirt. "They'll be putting it all towards the BCPU Program."
"For how long though? When are they just going to make another play for you, huh?"
"And when is ZAFT going to make another play for you?" Namarra countered, her lips furling up into another snarl. "You can't stand there and reprimand me when you know full well how close you're sleeping to ZAFT. Or should I say, sleeping with ZAFT."
"So, we come back around to Yzak—the one you just told me not to break up with."
"You don't want to break up with him!" she yelled, more frustrated by the fact that she had to say something so obvious out loud. "My point is, Lexi, that we're both sitting in some pretty hot shit right now, but we just have to start paying more attention, not go nuclear."
"And what is 'going nuclear,' Nam? What does that phrase mean to you?"
"It means what you just proposed," Namarra began, leaning forward as Lexi tossed another soiled tissue onto the sofa. "Nuclear is running away; going into hiding. I want a life, Lexi. I don't think you really grasp how big of a change the past six months have been for me and I plan on taking advantage of every moment. Japan was just a blip, nothing more."
"A blip? A blip?" The redhead's lips curled back over her clenched teeth and Namarra leaned back, feeling the shiver up her spine that time. "You ungrateful little—"
"What is wrong with you?" Namarra countered, trying to remember the last time Lexi had seemed so unhinged. She watched her eyes carefully, but it didn't look as if the redhead was going to switch, which meant this was all Lexi. Namarra's Berserker licked her lips and the Natural forced herself to take a calming breath. This was getting them nowhere.
"Do you know how much effort everyone put into—"
"Don't ever imply I'm not grateful," Namarra said calmly, getting to her feet and staring down the mass of anger in front of her. "You're panicking right now and this is not the conversation I want to have with you. Walk away."
"Namarra, so help me—"
"Walk away, Lexi."
Lexi leaned in close and Namarra saw the hint of her Berserker before she brushed past her, knocking the Natural's left shoulder on her way around the sofa and out the door, quickly slipping on some sandals before she slammed the door.
Namarra took a steadying breath, for the first time realizing her fists were shaking at her sides. Was that the result of leaving Lexi to stew on the sidelines—leaving her to process her guilt alone?
Or is she hearing sweet nothings from her better half? Namarra's Berserker asked, laughing behind the sheet in her mind. The Natural cursed and closed her eyes as she shook her head, not fully understanding the hysteria that had suddenly overcome the Berserker.
"Go the fuck away," she growled, rounding the sofa towards the kitchen, but pausing when she saw the dining room table and the various Orb governmental documents lying there. The table had been empty when she had come home, so Lexi must have put them there just before their outburst. She frowned. They seemed to be two sets of official papers from the Rymyr family lawyer, outlining the potential addition of the minor, Namarra Legund, into the Rymyr family. Lathan and Lexi were trying to bring her under the protection of their family name and, in extension, the Athha family name. Waltfeld's declaration echoed in her mind and in what should have felt like a heartwarming gesture made the Natural scream in frustration.
They were trying to protect her.
And, in that moment, it only pissed her off.
A/N: Everyone just needs to calm the fuck down... ==; Seriously, despite the crew finally being reunited and safe in Orb, the only noise level of dialogue running through my head this chapter was "shouting." Stress levels are definitely high, so, if anything, I'm looking forward to a little bit of quiet next chapter. Not sure how quiet things will actually be from here on out, however, getting a brief introduction to the young spitfires, Cagalli and Lexi. This first round of Lexi's past almost didn't happen, actually, primarily because I couldn't stand the little brats. XD My first draft of the section had my nails scraping against the wallpaper. Thankfully, the second time around proved to have more of a story than just, well, 6-year-olds screaming at each other and we have my rendition of Cagalli's mother. Despite not being related by blood, I can definitely see where Cags might get some of her attitude seeing as Himari was quick to curse even in front of the two girls. It's funny because Lexi has quite the foul mouth, but I had always assumed it was Yzak's fault, not Himari's. XD Well, we'll have to see.
We are also now, officially, post-Japan so we'll be tying up some more loose ends before getting into some new drama in the coming chapters, or at least we'll be seeing the hints of it. I've been sprinkling some things here and there, so we'll see what you all have or haven't been picking up on. XD
Special thanks to my support on the writing Discord I frequent and uber special thanks to Death-Scimitar who always seems to find time to edit these chapters for both me and you. They would definitely be far less readable if she hadn't brushed her magic, red pen across the words first.
Corrections to the Narrative:
Not so much a correction as an addition. From what I could gather, there is no information out there about Cagalli's adoptive mother and Uzumi's wife. That being said, I've taken creative liberty to sculpt one based on my headcanon, Himari Yua Athha. If anyone ever has any thoughts, gripes, or suggestions, just let me know. Otherwise, her fate has already been set in my mind, so I do hope you like my version of her.
Questions/Gripes:
Nothing of note this time.
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 hiatus 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. Things 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 popping in and I look forward to hearing from you all again in the next chapter. Please, take care and see you soon.
Strata