Kanon POV
"Enough Saori, I think we've had too much patience. Kanon, I have a deal."
Kanon's confused head could not process the information very much. First, because the man who held his brother's hair with inhuman strength and violence managed, with unimaginable speed, to reach his brother, knock him down and overpower him (and, by the way, it is very difficult to take down Saga. God knows how the brother was a beast in the rare times he fought at school). Second, because this same man managed to fire a bolt of fire, and if Kanon hadn't already gone mad (but he thinks he's already gone mad), this man used his bare hands to unleash that power. And third, this same man was threatening Saga's life.
Saga, your twin.
Saga was on the ground, as Ikki approached his left hand, which was on fire, dangerously beside Saga, while pinning Saga's body with his knees, hurting his ribs.
"It's the following Kanon: either you call whoever is with this program and tell him to stop this shit now, or I kill your brother."
"Kanon, no!" Saga was shaking and trying to get out from under Ikki's knees "Kanon, that's what he wants, that's what they want! Don't say where the program is!"
"Ikki, I said we wouldn't use violence!" Saori said. Hyoga and Shiryu were positioned in front of her, trying to defend her, while concentrating a... light in their hands?
What the fuck was that?
"Saori, no one here has enough time" said Ikki "right now our plans can go down the drain because the idiot here thinks he can get involved in matters like this and come out unscathed. And to throw things down, Kanon understands very well."
"The scheme is this Kanon, we got tired of being nice. Either you open your mouth, or your brother goes downstairs. And don't worry, he's pretty experienced with that."
That situation offended Kanon's pride. It offended Kanon's political views. But above all, it offended what Kanon considered to be one of his most precious possessions: his brother's life. During all these years of political struggle, activism, risk, and threat, Kanon has done what he could to protect his family. Not because he cared about himself. In fact, he cared very little about himself. But he cared a lot about Saga and wanted to keep him safe from all the harm they could cause him. Not only because Saga was his brother and the only family he had left, but because Saga had fought so hard to be with him, to stay alive, not to leave Kanon alone. He could not let Saga die because of something he himself caused.
So much struggle for this.
"I will not retreat" said Kanon, softly. He did not give in easily, and that was one of his biggest flaws.
"You asked for it" said Ikki, while heating the cosmo even more.
"Ikki, I'm telling you to stop!" Saori said.
"But I won't, Saori! This here has gone too far!"
"Enough Ikki!" Saori said, pulling away from the boys "So, Kanon: you won't back down, right?"
Saori positioned herself in front of Kanon, her chest puffed out, determined.
"I don't recoil" Kanon's words came out low, but firm.
"Great" said Saori "if you don't back off, I won't back off either. If you want to post the documents, please do so. I want to see if you're brave enough to do it."
What?
"Saori!" Shun exclaimed.
"Are you crazy?" asked Shaina "this shit will destroy your reputation, Saori! The Graad Foundation's reputation goes down the drain!"
"I don't care, Shaina! Doesn't he want to destroy everything? So do it! Come on Kanon, destroy everything again!"
Again?
"Kanon" said Saori, her eyes flashing with anger "do you really think you're capable of defeating me that easily? You and your files, your information, your tricks? Do you really think you have any power over me, the Foundation, and the Kido Corporations? Do you really think?"
Saori Kido had one hand on her hip while the other was gesturing as she spoke.
"I just revealed to you that I am a goddess, Kanon. What Greek gods exist. What Saints with divine powers exist. That a huge Sanctuary like this exists. Have you and your big smart brain stopped to think that it's impossible to hide a huge Sanctuary like this as such a powerful influence, from everyone's eyes?"
"Oh, Kanon, how naive you were. Do you think the Pentagon doesn't know of the Sanctuary's existence? That the UN Security Council is not aware of the Sanctuary's existence? That Interpol, CIA, FBI and intelligence agencies are not aware of the existence of the Sanctuary of Athena?"
A bitter taste invaded Kanon's throat, like a bad, sickening medicine. He knew where she was going. Even her Saints looked at her in astonishment.
"Did I bribe people? Yes! Did I do dishonest things to get to you? Yes! Did I kidnap you? Yes, I kidnapped! Come on Kanon, record what I'm saying! Turn public opinion against me!" Saori gave a light laugh "Now Kanon, I would like to see you try!"
"All those institutions I just mentioned to you would destroy all the files. Threatening journalists. Shut up the politicians. Repress whoever was needed. They know of Sanctuary, and they know of Athena's power. They used our power several times. How many tragedies have already been avoided thanks to our Saints? How many interests were served thanks to our influences? Yes Kanon, I'm not stupid enough to think that an institution as grand as the Sanctuary of Athena would not be the target of the political games of great leaders. There are no neutral institutions. Since all of these institutions owe us some favors, they would surely be willing to ruin the reputation of an activist who came out of nowhere and already wants to cause trouble."
"So, go Kanon, good luck in your attempt to demoralize me! Don't worry, I won't kill you! It won't be necessary! You will be demoralized and forgotten by everyone, and no one will give you a job, no one will give you research, and you will only have me anyway. And then you can do what I want you to do: stay here with us, in the Sanctuary, as a knight of Athena, as you always were."
Saori was panting, and Kanon could see a light drop of sweat running down the side of his face. She was right. Quite right, as a matter of fact. A woman with billions of dollars' worth of assets, standing next to people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos has enormous political influence. Imagine how many negotiations and agreements she would have to enter with politicians and officials so that the Kido Corporation could continue to profit exponentially. And if she really is the goddess Athena, with a Sanctuary that has an army, surely, she would have international influence. Power.
Kanon hated the rich, precisely because they could do what they wanted, because they had everything they needed: money. And with money, you can buy everything. Cars. Houses. Yachts. Weapons. Power. Glory. While the rest of us, the unlucky ones, had to stay down, in need, watching these few squanders all they had.
Seeing that he had some of the power he had over Saori drained by the fact that yes, she was rich and powerful, made Kanon angry. But very angry. A hatred he had never felt so strongly.
If he had a gun now, he would surely kill her.
"Kido," Aiolos began, interrupting his thoughts. Saori looked at him and narrowed her eyes "Kido, look, it's serious. I understand you. I know you're shaken by... what's been said here. And I can see that the reputation of the Graad Foundation and this Sanctuary is very important to you."
"Honestly, Kido? I understand you threaten Kanon. I understand you threaten me. I even understand you threatening our brothers for being our family. But Saori, look at the rest. Look at each of these guys that are here. What did they do to you? Here" and pointed to Aphrodite "sorry… what's your name?"
"Aphrodite."
"So, Aphrodite. Aphrodite was one of the poster boys for one of his most famous makeup brands. Shura is a chef and father! And the boy over there" he pointed to Aldebaran "is a young man who is getting to know the world now! Saori, what did these people do to you, for God's sake? They are not your political enemies; they lived their lives and you kidnapped them for what? For God's sake, make us understand!"
Saori looked at him.
"I didn't kidnap you," Saori said, her voice weak, and Kanon rolled his eyes. Saga followed below Ikki's knees, petrified "I saved you. All of you. The gods are after me, you, everyone. They want to destroy us. I didn't do any of this out of malice. I wanted to save the world."
"Save us from what?" asked Aiolos.
"Save you guys from that!" Saori said, desperate, pointing her trembling fingers at the dying boy in the wheelchair "do you see? He's been in a vegetative state for decades! Decades! He doesn't talk, he doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep, he totally depends on me for everything! All this because I couldn't protect him when he needed me the most! Do you understand this? Do you understand my pain?"
Saori looked at them, at all of them, and for a second, Kanon believed that all that was true, because he could not conceive of someone lying so well like that. His blue eyes conveyed pain and agony and his whole body shook.
"What's the use" she said, and ran her hands through her hair, pulling her beautiful purple strands "what's the use of being a fucking goddess if I couldn't save you? I was weak, a thousand times I was weak!"
Saori's allies stared at her terrified. Even this Ikki slightly lowered the hand that threatened Saga. Saori did not seem to be a person who swore very often.
"Saori…" said a girl, with brown hair, very similar to the boy in the wheelchair "it wasn't your fault…"
"Yes, it was" said Saori, who seemed to be swallowing her tears "it was my fault yes. I am the goddess who guides the army that protects the Earth from all evil that may arise. And tell me, tell me what I did to save them."
"The only thing I did was pray. It was the only thing I knew how to do. To pray. Pray for them to stay alive. Send my cosmos for your protection. And to no avail. It's thanks to my mistakes in battle that Seiya is like this. It is thanks to my mistakes in battle that my Gold Saints died. And now they are resurrected, thanks to the power of who knows who, without their memories, vulnerable and ready to attack me at any moment."
"And I won't let you" she said, turning to Kanon "you'll stay here, you'll stay here whether you want to or not. I don't care about your life out there, you're going to stay here, because I won't make the same mistake again. And I'm going to use all the power I need to keep you here, whether you like it or not!"
Money. Power. Manipulation.
Kanon was tired of it.
"Saori, fuck you, fuck you a thousand times!" Kanon shouted "You're just another ridiculous rich girl stuck up the philanthropist who thinks she'll be able to save the world with her sect of chosen against a threat that doesn't exist! Your little friends may even fall on your lip, but no one here wants to play at being your hero, no!"
"This ridiculous little sect saved the Earth countless times, for generations" replied Saori "Seiya sacrificed his soul so that people could live!"
"With all forgiveness to the boy there in the wheelchair, but I didn't ask anyone to save me! I don't have to be eternally grateful to a kid who wanted to risk his life to save me from something that probably doesn't exist. And I say more: you can't keep me here just because you couldn't protect him, because I have nothing to do with you two! If he risked his life for Earth, it was because he wanted to, and I don't have to be stuck in Sanctuary for that!"
The moment he finished uttering those words, Kanon felt that he had crossed a line he should not have.
"How dare you?" Saori said "how dare you talk about Seiya that way?"
Saori had her fists clenched and Kanon could see that her palms were red with the force of her fingers. Her entire body was tense and alert. She was tiny and he was huge, but she looked like a lioness about to pounce on her prey. Her lips were pressed together and colorless. But most of all, the sapphire eyes did not look their usual calm. For a second, Kanon saw a pent-up fury and madness, throwing its tentacles out and blasting whatever it found its way. Whatever it was, Saori did not look human anymore, but rather, taken by the intoxication of rage, which could only be felt by the gods. Her eyes, storm eyes. They just confirmed it.
He forgot the term the ancient Greeks used to speak of this divine arrogance and fury. Now was not the time for this.
"This "boy" saved the entire planet from extinction three times, when he was only thirteen years old. This "boy" threw himself in front of a pillar to save me. This "boy" faced the army of Hades to bring me my armor. This "boy" killed ONE GOD to save me. His courage was absurd, and you will never understand it! He's saved me countless times, and I'll do whatever it takes to save him, and to save his legacy of protecting humanity and it won't be you, Aiolos, documents posted on the internet or anyone else who will stop me!"
A silence settled in the room. The so-called "bronze saints" were in complete silence. The boys were appalled. Saga was still on the ground, desperate. Kanon tried to process all that information, all that desperation. He always imagined that people like Saori Kido acted only for personal interests, and that they would never care about anyone but themselves. Seeing her like that, trembling and desperate, shocked Kanon. And he would have remained appalled if he hadn't heard a small creak at the door.
The so-called Death Mask took advantage of all the confusion and discussion between Kanon and Saori and managed to open the door to escape and ran, unrestrained, through the immense room that was behind the chamber they were in.
The other boys did not even have time to try to run after that Death to escape with them. A young man, with green hair and a beautiful and delicate face, who wore a pink outfit (Clothing? Armor? Kanon could not define) full of chains stood in front of the door and shouted:
"Andromeda Current!"
These chains sprang to life and chased Death Mask, ensnaring him like a rabid ox. He flailed as the chains dragged him back into the chamber with an absurd force that didn't come from the boy's arms. The strength came from the current itself.
That was tin. It was scary.
"It had to be him" said the boy with the very long black hair, and who wore green armor "I'm not surprised that the Death Mask is the one who tried to escape in the midst of the confusion."
"Let me go! Let go of figlio di puttana!"
"Gentlemen" said a beautiful red-haired girl, with dark blue eyes and freckles on her face "gentlemen, I understand your concern. I understand it all sounds very strange, but over time, we can explain everything to you and the need for you to live here. Please, we didn't do this out of spite."
Nobody believed her words.
"Look" the red-haired girl said "With time, I promise you will get used to it. I'm Marin, Amazon from..."
'Eagle" said a voice, hoarse and weak, as he was the only one who hadn't spoken until now "you are the Amazon of Eagle."
Aiolia rose from her chair and faced Marin.
Hi guys, I know I said that the last chapter was the penultimate one but I decided at the last minute that it wasn't anymore lollet's have one more chapter of bullshit before finishing part 1 of the fic hahaha, that's life anyway
That's what I think I prefer a long story, but it's believable than a story that solves everything quickly and doesn't create as much truth in the reader. But everything will be alright lol