Mined from the depths of the English langue, a forgotten son that has more in common with an alien tongue then a Phoenician based form of communication, this chapter has been displayed as a crucial stepping stone in one fanfictions authors writing, quote on quote, career.
….officially running out of ideas for the poetic ideas of the story, but that's a problem for next week. Next couple of chapters have been written out in advance since finales weeks are coming up…and I am graduating college two Saturdays from now, but I'll do my best to make sure the upcoming installments come out in presentable ways…that being voiced, still looking for a Beta reader!
That all being said, it is time to march forward to the reviews!
Joecola double 'O' wielder of the Sun: Lol yeah, Summer's gonna have to shake of the rust. Bur there will be, in my mind a numerous scene, that regards how she realizes lawn care isn't the same as huntress training (Doubt that makes any sense but stay tune for the bad joke that topic will be presented through XD). As far as Arthur and Gareth's interaction…well that one's coming right up!
Adda: Thank you for the review dude, and I'm sorry to read you've lost some investment due to the Lance's situation. I take reasonability for not conveying the scene clearly enough, but in a sense the Ascalons' are bending over to make sure Laura didn't take the incident to court. After all, the lawyer went to speak with Laura on the subject when she was in an emotionally vulnerable state, and thus, while not presenting himself as caving into demands, he essentially took advantage of an environment and time were the mother would be most easily manipulated. To make matters more complicated, Laura and Gareth have now essentially accepted a bribe, which puts them in hot water if the manner is pursued later with clearer heads.
While I can say the Ascalon are still apart of the story, I cannot spoil anything revolving how their situation will wrap up, or if Karam will come around full circle…that beings said, do keep in mind the Ascalons are still in New England, the same region as one currently grieving pet owner named Tyrian Callow ;).
Alright, with all that out of the way, I joyously present the next chapter in The Electric Lens!
Text Key
"Speech"
'Quote'
Thought
"Flashback", scene
"Electronic Speech"
Electronic Text's
"Langue that isn't understood by POV Character"
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Chapter 15
Laura remembered the suddenness of it all. Remembered the suddenness of being accepted into college. Remembered the suddenness of anxiety when trying to fit into a new environment when left to her own devices. Remembered the suddenness of stress that came with classes.
She remembered the suddenness of fear when thinking this was all too much. Remembered not having any one to voice her paranoia too. Remembered thinking she would fail all her finales and leave college with nothing but depression and debt. Remembered leaving the library at midnight, only to collapse in the middle of campus as she broke down.
She remembered the suddenness of being alone as the tears wouldn't stop. Remembered berating herself and wanting to crawl home. Remembered the panic she felt when a hand gently touched her shoulder.
She remembered the suddenness of her worries melting away as a blonde hair boy shyly asked if she was okay. Remembered his kind eyes, and nervous face. Remembered confessing everything to a young man who stayed to listen despite having no obligation to do so.
She remembered the suddenness of finding a friend. Remembered her a wave of calm overtaking her when she finally found somebody to talk to. Remembered laughing after class. Remembered joking around when studying...remembered his reddening face when she told him he could spend the night in her dorm.
She remembered the suddenness of falling in love. Remembered the next three years going by in a joy filled blur. Remembered his drive to discover the unknown. Remembered their long nights talking about career and how their lives would look from their twenties to eighties.
She remembered the suddenness of graduation. Remembered the two blue lines on her pregnancy test the week after they'd gained their diploma's. Remembered her panic return when realizing she was only twenty-two. Remembered his shock as he tried to hide it behind reassurance.
She remembered the suddenness of their marriage. Remembered him being there through all the struggle of the first trimester. Remembered the day a government official offered him an interview. Remembered his first day of job didn't end for over a month.
She remembered the suddenness of being alone again. Remembered how she had to call her own ambulance when her water broke. Remembered how the first man the infant saw was her brother who had arrived the next day at the hospital.
She remembered the suddenness of the child's own father rushing through the house door a week later. Remembered her refusal to talk to him. Remembered the argument that followed after she failed to do so.
She remembered the suddenness of her anger turning to happiness when he first looked at their baby boy. Remembered the apology he gave when promising he'd never leave either alone again. Remembered smiling for the first time in months when his face tried to hide behind its downward slope to the floor, as he quietly suggested the name Gareth.
But now, as all the suddenness she ever faced in life could only be remembered as slow builds up to problems her mind had fully seen coming, Laura could only remember the night all the tensions finally reached its breaking point, and in retribution destroyed everybody else's as well.
"He's here, he's here, he's here!", the young mother looked down with a forced smile, as her wild haired son pressed his face against the window.
Containing enough pure joy for the both of them, Gareth's jersey and pants were still covered with the dirt and stains of the baseball game he had played five hours prior. Growing like a weed, she could see the glove that she had bought for his eighth birthday was already getting too small.
"Yes, he is", she too could now see the pair of headlights reflect their way through the glass, and as they pulled into her driveway, she found it harder and harder to keep her smile.
'Just have to give Gareth this moment, I can berate Arthur for all the one's he missed after we put him to bed', her son didn't see through her disguise.
Instead he simply bounded up and down with joy as he now pressed his face up against the door. Waiting for it to open, she heard footsteps begin to make their way up the porch.
The door swinging open, Laura stood well behind Gareth. Her son's energy growing even more unstable, as she saw his smile grow toothy, despite him missing four, as he craned his next upward.
"Dad, dad, dad!", he shot off the title as fast as his lungs could take in air, "guess what, guess what, guess what!"
The older man's face, not having expected to see Gareth, and the seriousness his brow conveyed briefly surrounded as he used the repeating nature of the question to soften his demeanor.
"I'm guessing you should be in bed Sir Gareth", Arthur kneeled down, and as his own lips tried going north, Laura's own went south ,and realized she wasn't the only one forcing a smile, "but I figure you have something far more epic to tell me. Hmmm did you slay a dragon by any chance"
"No silly", Gareth giggled as if the joke he heard every time his father came home was the most original and funniest thing on the planet, "I caught the game winning ball today"
Pulling out a mud stained, and foul-smelling ball that had never left his sweaty hand since he received it, back when the sun was just hiding itself below the hills.
"...well I didn't catch it...it actually hit me on the head…and we actually lost because of it", the emerald eyes boy eyes falter as the truth came out, but his energetic nature didn't allow his joy to follow suit, "but I didn't cry when it hit me, and coach said I could keep it as a souvenir!"
Living up to some portion of his myth, Gareth held out the laced ball as if it was the holy grail. Awkwardly taking it in his hand, Arthur's forced smile seemed real enough to convince Gareth as the boy's teeth threatened to grow in and make his grin even more full.
"That's really something little knight", inspecting the ball, Arthur rubbed the top of his son's cap, "why don't you take it upstairs and put-"
"You can keep it dad!", his eyes shined with innocent that Arthur could only meet with guilt, "...something to place in your office at work...or keep on you, if you don't have an office"
Laura felt a wave of sorrow flow through her, both at the fact that her son didn't even know what his own dad really did...and that she was just in the dark as he was.
"I'll make sure to do that", he pocketed the ball, as his words came out more and more forced, "Now why don't you get ready for sleep...I probably kept you up well past your bedtime"
A bit of the boy's jubilance left, as the dad he obsessively waited hours to see, only gave him a few minutes of his time,
"Oh...okay. Could you come up later though", his instinct tried to give his mind false hope, as he was Gareth was the one now trying to force his own happiness, "We still have to finish Arthur's story"
Laura's eyes fell, her sadness rising knowing that the real Arthur had been promising to finish telling Gareth the tale for over three years,
"I can't wait for when Sir Gareth's shows up to once again put a stop to Mordred's plans", his smile growing real, all his imagination went into conjuring a pretend sword instead, as he quickly adopted a hilariously bad English accent, "No brother of mine shall hurt father, you'll have to face the greatest knight in all of Camelot first Mordre-'"
"M-maybe later Gareth", the stutter stung Laura, but the exclusion of the word 'sir', hurt Gareth far more, "you should head up to bed...we'll...I need to talk to your mom alone for a second"
Her own eyes narrowing in confusion, the mother wondered why he was rushing to a fight. She sure as hell wanted one, but he knew she wanted Gareth to have a father for more than two minutes.
"O-okay dad...maybe next week", looking towards his mom, who gave him a reassuring, but all too familiar, smile and nod, Gareth began making his way up the stairs.
His excitement took a sharp turn towards sadness, and slight fear, for just as he knew the patterns of his father's work schedule, he knew the yelling that would come after he went to 'bed''.
Both parents waited until they heard his footsteps stop, and his door opened and closed shut.
"I'm sorry I missed the gam-", the man whispered, and if Laura had cared to pick up the subtext, she knew he was hiding something greater beneath his words.
"You've never made a game, why apologize now'" she folded her arms, and tried to hold back her anger. She didn't want to start screaming yet...not until she could at least act as if enough time had passed, that Gareth actually went to sleep, "but if you want a play by play, he did actually end up crying. He can barely see the ball out there, so he didn't even know where to put his glove"
"I-I...it must have hurt", she sneered at that, especially with his refusal to make eye contact.
"It pales in comparison to the pain of not having a dad show him how to catch", she took a step forward, but he remained outside the house...in fact he never had come in.
"Y-you know I'm terrible at baseball…", he trailed off, trying to avoid what he actually wanted to say.
"The problem is a I don't know, it's not like I've ever seen you throw the ball...you can't keep doing this Arthur", she looked back towards the stair, only hearing the blue eyed man's gulp rather than see it, "I don't care what government shit you're doing, Gareth can't keep going through childhood with a dad that only see him for five minutes a week"
"...he won't", he nearly whispered that part, but Laura turned around ready for the same argument.
"I don't want to hear that again Arthur, I'm done with your words you need to actuall-"
"Laura he's not going to have a father like that", for the past two years Laura had never heard him interrupt her. He had always just...taken it in a sense...it was unhealthy for both of them, but he had stopped caring about their arguments, simply sat through them.
This difference should have been something joyful, something that signaled the routine was over...but with how downcast his statement was...it wasn't the over she wanted.
"Arthur...what do you mean?", her own rage was quenched, as fear took over. Taking a step forward she seemed concerned, only to see him reflectively take a step back.
"I...we both know this isn't working Laura, and you don't deserve a husband who's never around...and Gareth deserves a father who can be there for him", his voice got more and more quiet with each word.
"What...A-Arthur...all that needs to happen for you to be around...I-I", she hadn't expected this. She should have but the gradualness of this approach wasn't supposed to take this form.
"We can't Laura...I'm sorry...this is my fault but…", he took a deep breath and found himself at the corner of the entrance way, "My works taking me out west...and I'll be leaving"
"S-so we're moving...I mean I wish you would have told me...but you don't have to sound like-", she knew her own words were lies as he shuffled his feet around awkwardly.
"I'm the only one leaving Laura...with all that's...this isn't healthy for Gareth...and it's not healthy for us either", he took in a deep breath, but more than that the emerald eyed brunette wished he'd look her in the eye, "We should use this opportunity to get a divorce"
It was like an arrow in a heart that had already been cracked.
"N-no...come on Arthur if we just talked...y-you can't be serious, we haven't even discussed getting a separation", she stuttered and now made her way to the door, but couldn't find herself walking out it, "Y-you have to be joking...this...you've barely said two sentence and you just spring that out of the blue"
"I...Laura it's over...I'm sorry for what I did but...t-there's a lot you don't understand", he may as well just have been mouthing words at this point.
"Then just tell me...that's all it will take", Laura was shooting off words desperately. Fighting against a determined outcome, "We...we both didn't expect this but...for Gareth we can at least try to work it-"
"Laura… I met somebody else", the rooms echoed across the night, and the firmness Arthur spiked them was accompanied by the face of him pulling off a band aid.
"...W-what…", Laura's eyes widen beyond sadness and anger...she knew they argued, she knew they weren't perfect...but for him to cheat, it wasn't something she ever expected of Arthur…nor something he tell her in such a direct and unemphatic way, "H-how...but what about me….what a-about Gareth"
Like a cut given too fast, the tears were coming but the speed they were brought on was too fast for the water to physically leave the ducts.
"H-he's only eight...and he deserves a better father then this...I'm sorry Laura but", he truly seemed sorry, but that did little to make up for what he did...if anything it only made the situation and his actions more atrocious, "He'll move on...hopefully he won't even remember me all that well...and hopefully you won't either"
"A-Arthur how...h-how can you even say these things", now the tears leaked out, but the sobs were still held back by shock.
"...I'm...this is for the best...", he began moving away, and it was only when his feet left the porch that the whole situation became real.
"No...no Arthur...you...you look me in the eye and tell me this", her hand grasped the door frame if, for nothing else to keep her upright, "I won't believe you until you look me in the eye and repeat what you just said"
Having finished his piece, Laura's command only caused the eldest Aelle to quicken his pace and make for the safety of his car.
'"ARTHUR'", she screamed his name as he got in, but as he entered the car, he made sure to hide his face. And as the vehicle pulled out of the driveway and onto the night road, she could only watch it in disbelief.
Repeating his name until it was just a whisper, she stared, unsure of this was a dream. After all, how could one's life be utterly destroyed in the span of three minutes...unfortunately, as she turned back inside and slid against the wall, she knew the answer.
Unsure whether to scream or cry, Laura's tear remained unaccompanied by noise...that was until one caused her head to lift up.
"Mom", Gareth hadn't even changed out of his uniform, but the tears welling in his eyes hardly made her care about what he wore, "I-is this because I couldn't see the ball'
"Gareth", she stated his name with fear, more so at what he was beginning to think.
"I-is it b-because I can't see as well as him", his vision most likely became worse, as his own tears did lose with sob, "I-is it because I m-made my team lose...I-I didn't mean too, I promise"
Remarkable he somehow still found himself talking even as a river came out of his eyes.
"Gareth...don't", she tried to get up, but her legs didn't even have the energy to set herself up for a collapse.
His own still working, out of desperation and fear, the boy began slowly building up speed as he ran down the stairs.
"I'm s-sorry I couldn't catch the ball dad", he ran past her and through the door, and all the mother could do was throw out an arm all too late, "I-I'll be better next time, I swear I'll do better"
He was shouting now as if Arthur was still on the porch, and even as the boy's legs took him further away, Laura heard his tear-filled pleas increase in volume.
"W-wait", even if it contained volume, her words would have fallen on deaf ears.
"P-please don't go dad...I'll be a better son, I'll be like Sir Gareth", his voice was reaching with desperation but slowly was being consumed by the night. But whether out of distance or a cracking throat she couldn't tell.
Still unable to move her legs, the mother could only droop her head to see the outside. Watching in terror, as her own hopelessness kept her from running after Gareth. Disappearing like the car that held Arthur, the woman watched with silent tears, demanding an immobilized body to go after him.
But with her terror only growing minutes past, and she had only gained the ability to stand. Still having to lean on the frame she remained helplessly fixated.
"GARETH", at the very least he still trembling vocal cords adhered to her mind, "GARETH COME BACK"
Her words had sobs, but now it was out of fear more so then shock...although the latter still exist only now in two different forms. Scanning the yard, and the wooded neighborhood the blades of glass bled into, the night only returned to her silence.
The darkness consuming everything for minutes that contained days. Laura stood frozen, unsure of what to do next, and terrified that even if there was, she wouldn't see anything. However, from the black came a single spec of white.
Seeming almost like a ghost at first, Laura watched the figure move closer praying it would prove everything was just a nightmare. But as the spirit turned out to be a cloak, and as that cloak gave out wet sobs, she realized no such luxury would be present.
A woman with medium length cut raven hair hidden beneath a pure snow touched hood, held a crying Gareth in her arms. Her snow like an undisturbed tundra, as his tears drench the fabric at her shoulder...and his arm caused crimson patches at her side.
Seeing a small cut on his arm, Laura almost felt the need to collapse again. But as the woman walked up the porch, seemingly more real, even as her skin shined pale like a phantom, Laura had the strength to stand.
"I-I saw him trip on the road…", the woman's brown eyes never met Laura, even as she handed a tear-filled Gareth to him.
Clutching her son like a lifeline, Laura honestly felt like never letting go, but could only give silence filled stared at his apparent savior,
"I...I'm sorry about …what ever just happened', the woman seem to wrap her cloak back around herself to hide, and it was only then that Laura could pick up an unplaceable accent, "I know things can be tough...but family's should always stick together"
Like Arthur the mysterious figure never made eye contact with Laura, but at the very least her words were genuine.
"...a-and things tend to work out in the end", she was backing away, and despite having the urge to ask her to stay, Laura remained wordless, "but...I'm sorry"
She repeated the apology, although this one was far more direct and personal. And as her white cloak disappeared back into the night, Laura was still unsure of that evening had truly happened, or if she just dreamed of ghost and lost kings.
But now, sitting next to a boy who had traded tears for fist, watching a man that promised never to return awkwardly step into the hanger he forced her in, Laura could only remember one thing.
She could remember those final words from the mysterious stranger, and as a familiar looking cloak emerged after Arthur, she could suddenly realize why that apology was spoken.
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Unbeknownst to Laura, Summer's mind was playing out the scenes of that night as well. She had intended to view the entire exchange, if, for nothing else, only to make sure Arthur had actually gone through with his promise of telling them at least half-truth instead of up and leaving...but as she darted across the suburban roof tops, she had only seen his car leaving the area.
She had of course gone to follow it but was stopped when she heard the desperate cries of a child wanting his dad. Moving closer to investigate, she was presented with her fist in person view of Gareth.
Guilty, and upset, over what possibly could have happened, she had the urge to go after her new husband...and maybe make his vehicle a convertible with Hwyelbane. But as those images graced her mind, the actual sight of the boy tripping, and his crying getting worse brought her back to reality.
The right thing to do would be to help him, make sure the panicked boy got home safety...but she felt a stronger urge to run back to base. This...she would be the last person he wanted help from, even if he had no idea who she was.
Although, if she turned tailed and ran, she might as well grow wings and fly away instead. Such an action was unacceptable on a multitude of different fronts, and as such she went down and returned him to his mother.
...the same mother who now glared at her and Arthur as they emerged from the cockpit. The only one able to avoid the awkward silence now being Nimue, who was 'flying' the plane.
By the time everybody had been moved, or in Gareth's case forced, onto the plane, Laura was still unconscious. However, as Arthur and Summer spent much of the lift off and the first hour of the flight in the cockpit, the mother had woken up the moment the vehicle hit cruising altitude.
...From there...well a lot of disbelief and some rising words were discussed between both mother and son. However, as Velvet began trying to help them through the confusion...and began attempting, and horrendously failing, to bring up Remnant in the most disorganized and unbelievable way possible, Summer knew she and Arthur had to bite the bullet and actually address the situation like professionals.
"S-so you're probably very confused", there was a reason the silver eyed woman had always handled, or was gathered forced into, the direct questioning portion of this job when she was still out in the field… and as her husband stumbled over his words she remembered why.
"Remarkably, I'm more livid at the moment than confused Arthur", Laura sat next to Gareth, and calmly stated her answer which only proved to show she was more upset, "...and it is probably in you lower halves best interest this all be a dream"
Arthur's darting blue orbs latching onto Gareth briefly, the father bought a nervous hand to the back of his neck. However, knowing the connection he was awkwardly going to shoot out, Summer managed to catch his gaze with her own stern one to prevent the mistake,
"I-I know all this must seem unrealistic, but...this is all real", he mumbled out the reply, and Summer sighed knowing the situation was making his true speaking skills all the worse.
"The only thing unrealistic about this whole thing is that you're here Arthur", she stared daggers at him, but it didn't take an empath to know she was also expressing hurt for a conversation she never got to finish.
"I-I-", before he could stutter, Summer sighed and intervened, resuming her old job role.
"What he means to say, is that while this situation has unfortunate personal problems attached to it", she took a step forward, and, despite feeling she had known right to, conveyed an emotionless tone, "For everybody's best interest we have to focus on the practical ones first. As such we have to inform you of why-"
"You've kidnapped us", Laura stated the obvious, and being the first time Laura actually spoke to her, the foreign mother had to close her eyes and take in a deep breath.
"Why we are relocating you to a safer position", the old Beacon student found remaining in military mode far more challenging than usual, "As you may have noticed the exchange student you have been housing, hasn't been truthful with you about her identity"
"Of course,", the elder Cadarn said, giving out a defeated and angry breath, "out of all the people in our house, the one that makes Arthur show up is the one he doesn't know"
"L-Laur-", Arthur tried to take a step forward, but a look from two mother advised him against such an action.
"Stuff its Arthur I don't car-"
"I-I think we should let them speak…", having given a reassuring look to Gareth, whose only reason for not attempting to punt his father through the emergency exit was because of the hand she placed on his arm, Velvet spoke up in a quiet tone.
With understanding eyes, the rabbit faunus also showed her support to Laura, and considering she was willingly going against her timid nature, the older brunette bit her tongue and nodded. Willingly to hear things out, if only for the newly uncapped exchanged student's sake.
"Arthur and I work for an undercover agency of the United Nations titled the Anomaly Task Force", Summer couldn't shoot Velvet the thankful gaze the faunus deserved, so until she knew for certain her fellow Remnant natives intention, all she could offer was a nod, "It was a division created after my arrival proved to Earth's governments that other civilization could exist on alien planets...and that one such of these inter planet civilization did exist, and it also contained a human societies"
The explanation was making far more sense to Summer's fellow Vale citizen than the two Earthlings, whose anger was either causing them not to listen to begin to with, or only view the entire explanation as a far-off fabrication.
"I am from this other civilization, and through means of transportation still yet fully understood by myself or the institutions of Earth, my arrival over the skies of New England were faced with...complication", if only to distract herself from the fact the dagger filled stares outnumbered the curious one, Summer recalled the sudden shift in gravity as she found herself cascading through Earth's atmosphere, "I was found by the local authorities...but given the initial language barrier and my own shock, I proved to be… less then corporative"
Saying it out loud, the silver eyed woman was surprised she herself could believe her own story despite having lived through it.
"After running through an environment and society I had never known existed, I was eventually tracked down and surrender myself to a government agent who had been working in a department that was a precursor to the one we are employed by now", she looked towards Arthur whose eyes were begging her that this part of the story was relevant, but given he was also trying to convince himself she continued, "I was found by Arthur...and after he realized I wasn't an Earth based foreign intruder...we began working together"
"This resulted in months educating me on the local language, and a slow gradual acceptance that I had somehow ended up on another world", how she still kept things monotone was beyond her, but given the natural emotion she had when remembering this part was to shoot Arthur a small smile it was probably for the best she was keeping them in check, "Only Arthur believed me at first, for both my abilities and explanation were not only outrageous, but many defied all your understanding of physics and biology"
All three audience members remained silent, but at the very least Velvet seemed more at ease during this talk with Summer,
"Through Arthur and my own effort, my story was eventually believed, or at least understood and supported enough that it was in the best interest of all of Earth's nations to treat it as real", she breathed, going past information that was surely be concluded by both Laura and Gareth through basic math, "Since my own transportation here was still unknown, Arthur and I expanded his division to seeking and responding to any other beings arriving from my planet"
She then turned to Velvet, and was allowed a reason to shift her eyes from the two angered filled Cadarns, "
"For eleven years no such travelers had been detected...however, as of last night it is confirmed that four people from my world, from Remnant have made landfall on Earth", Summer included the name of her home, although it somehow made the situation sound he even more fictional, "one of which is Vivian Anderson, or, as she is actually known, Velvet"
Seeing the two unblinking eyes train on her and onto the rabbit eared girl, the now truly revealed foreigner gave an awkward smile, before the pair of pupils once again traveled back onto silver iris.
"We truly only want to ensure your own protection, and although this evening's events on the highway has certainly helped Velvet's case", she gave another nod to the faunus, although probably not the one she wanted, "It still needs to be determined if she's a threat or not"
"I-I'm not...I've already told you all I know abou-". The girl was growing more and more quiet, probably enough for the audio recording in the plane to think she stopped altogether.
"Velvet is correct Mrs. Rose, she and my own arrival on Earth was the result of the other three individuals you have already encountered. I cannot tell you how pleased I am to meet you, and that you have a connection to a high ranked government official...I believe I should have restructured my word choice", spoken as somebody who was just beginning to grasp others emotion as well as her own, the computer system that Nimue had insisted hadn't infected the planes units spoke up.
Already going for her Hwyelbane, but being stopped by Arthur's hand and then her own mind, she slowly released her grip on its hilt...honestly this Atlas program was probably a greater threat than Velvet, but after what happened on the highway she had more trust in the former...certainly not enough though for them to take control of her aircraft...although the low cursing from the pilot chamber signal somebody was already silently voicing that frustration.
"No, it's totally fine Penny", Gareth spoke up, and for the first time his voice had no anger...which was more terrifying honestly, especially when his eyes still portrayed that emotion, "Now that you've got control though, open up the emergency exit will you. I've got cut lose some excess weight"
"...Gareth", Velvet looked between him and Laura wondering how serious the boy was, but given he was already getting up she had to increase her grip and hold him back.
"...I do not believe that is a wise idea Gareth...nor one I am willingly to partake in", seeing that youngest Cadarn still tried to move forward, his eyes certainly shined with the determination of somebody who would still do anything to complete the task himself.
"Stop", the boy's eyes going wide, both at the words themselves and who said them.
"...mom", Gareth's voice was filled with concern, but almost disappointment as well, "I...Jesus, they can't expect-"
"Vivia- Velvet please take him to", the mother looked around, but even without any knowledge on anything happening spoke with more command then Summer...made all the more off putting that it was stated politely, "...take him to the back of the plane...I need to speak with the adults for a bit"
Impossibly, Gareth's face shined with more shock than when he first saw Arthur again...and perhaps being genetic, his own father's eyes shined with similar confusion.
However, capitalizing on this momentary statue like state, and not even bringing up that technically, even by Earth's standards, she was an adult as well, Velvet began guiding the Emerald eye boy to the back of the general area.
"If you wish, I may be of assistance in explaining the misunderstanding-"
"I think Velvet and Gareth could use your company as well", the kind and genius tone of Laura's voice, "Although I do want to talk to you sometimes afterwards. I heard such wonderful things about you Penny, and it is good to finally make your acquaintance"
Repeating the word that had ushered her into unconsciousness, Laura gave a smile towards...plane. A natural motion of the lips that was all the more unnatural given the setting.
"...I look forward to our first official conversation", even throwing the robot off guard, the electronic...something seems to leave the area...not that Summer, Arthur, or even Nimue could tell.
What Summer could tell though, was that all of Laura's word had shocked her into silence and only now was she coming out of it as she saw all the young adults leave the immediate area,
"We still have much to discuss-", her tone tried to regain the one she had, but she could feel her eyes now shine with held off nervousness coming to light.
"You, Arthur, and I need to discuss other matters first", the brunette crossed her arms, but the anger she was filled with was...well now Summer knew that she was actually not where it was ever intended… or rather she was...but just not as she thought.
"...there's a communication room to the left", she stated it off as instinct, and as Laura nodded and began going to the closest door in that direction, Arthur gave her a feared filled look.
However, as Laura effortlessly walked in, both Aelle's almost robotically followed after. Closing the door behind them, even if his eyes now screamed that he wanted Gareth to throw him out the plane, both husband and wife seem to accept a shared fate.
The lights turning on, the now lone Cadarn seemed to have natural cinematic timing as she turned around to face them...her face seemed...more tired than raged filled now,
"I want to know what happened", she spoke truthfully and expected an answer.
"L-Laura I know it sounds...well it frankly sounds made up-", she raised a hand, and he immediately stopped...and Summer immediately realized her husband's types.
"Not that...I can't even begin to comprehend all that Sci-fi bullshit, but the only thing I can understand about it is that it's true", she sighed, but rolled her eyes as if the answer was obvious.
"...You believe it", her blonde husband seemed taken about by her statement and wanted to be sure he just heard her correctly.
"Of course I do...I've seen you lie some many time Arthur", the head knights pupils trialed or the floor as he now understood her logic, "I'd know you'd come up with a better excuse like that if you actually didn't want me to know the truth...because it's so stupidly impossible, I believe you"
"I...that makes sense", he stated in defeat at the truth.
"I want to know about you two...about the past nine years and why you've chosen now to come back", Summer got the meaning behind that sentence before her husband.
"Laura...I already told you, that girl could be dangerous...I just wanted to keep you and Gareth out of harm's way-", he muttered out the lie to himself, but everybody could see it as such
"We'll tell you everything…", Summer spoke up, but she meant every word, not allowing a instinctual reaction to take this from Laura, "...but after it's all revealed...Laura...I"
"I think we all know spoken apologies are worthless, just say what you have to say...and I can come to my own conclusions", Arthur looked at her, but Summer's eyes still remained fixated with Laura and she gave a nod.
"After college I never told you about the job I was offered and accepted", sighing the blue eyed man finally decided to act his age, and even stowed enough bravery to look at his ex-wife, "But why I would leave for days at a time was because I was investigating cases for the ATF"
Laura raised an eye, and it took Arthur a moment to realize she didn't pick up on that acronym.
"For the agency", he said embarrassed but continued nonetheless, "But when I started disappearing for weeks...that's because one of my cases became real"
Emerald eyes left blue and traveled onto Silver,
"Because of...Summer?", there wasn't a lot of hostility in the question, but more so the other mother was curious if they computer had given the right title.
"...yes, Summer Rose fully...but to a lot of people on Earth I'm Ceinwyn Aelle", the final last name stumbled out of the silver eyed woman's mouth…awkwardly to say the least given the situation, and was suddenly glad she was reverting to her old one.
"I'll...if your real names Summer, I'll just call you that", for the first time, Laura's eyes faltered, but return back to their stoic form no more than a second later, "If only to not fuel Arthur's need to name everything after his own myth"
The emerald souled woman had to hold back a, albeit sorrowfully, laugh at that. Which was god since it covered up both Summer's and Arthur's gulp,
"...I think they're clever", the ocean-eyed man eventually mumbled to himself. But despite both Summer and Laura looking like they could spend an hour telling him why it's not, he decided to continue the conversation.
"The amount of time my work required always led to us arguing whenever I returned home...but when I became dedicated to helping Summer adapt to Earth, and find out why she was here", Laura's eyes forced themselves to remained on his, "Well...I was missing a lot of Gareth and your life already...so it was bound to pick up"
"I hate to quote Gareth, but I was there for that part Arthur… or rather was there for the moments you weren't", he sighed, as even he could pick up on what she meant.
"...yeah, but what you missed was me...I was...I just didn't thin-"
"You were falling in love with her", Laura completed the sentence, with surprising convection for something she deep down didn't want to admit was true.
Still unable to say it Arthur could only nod with a frown,
"It was my fault...Summer didn't even know about you and Gareth until two years in...and when she found out, she forced me to tell you the truth", emerald eyes narrowed, hurt by the words as they looked to silver eyed ones and realized Arthur would have just vanished if not for her.
"...it wasn't that simple...I knew for a while, longer than I should have", feeling guilt by this false assumption of Laura's end, Summer admitted her own truth, "...I...I was convinced there was no way home by that point...and thought if Arthur went to tell you and Gareth….I don't know, maybe I just selfishly thought I'd end up being the one he left"
"So, what changed", Laura was still calm, even if everyone, including herself was executing anger.
"I got...pregnant", there was a identically named pause in the room, and while Laura's eyes widen, Arthur's own shock caused his to close...although he seem to breath out a sigh of relief now that the truth was known, "At that point...I knew it was beyond my selfish wants and I forced Arthur to make a decision, but one that the other would know"
"...and he chose you…", Laura seemed to hold back her own tears, but the action was made easier by them having fallen years ago.
"I'm sorry", the white cloaked woman whispered out.
"B-but...what about Gareth?", the brunette shot her eyes back towards her ex-husband, whose therapeutic sigh now have way to the truth the action caused, "I...I hate it...but I can at least fathom why you'd be too scared to see me...but he's your son, and you not only denied him the chance at a father but a sibling too"
Now her anger was coming out, and where it was directed became clear. The situation was what Laura had always despised the lies, and the fact she was cheated on...but that was a frustration she had wrestled with for years...the new situation was met unimpeded.
"...a child that you replaced him with", she stood up and marched towards Arthur, and Summer found herself taking a step back...despite being the only one with Aura she felt Laura could bring down the whole plane right now if she wanted to.
"I just...I wish I could say it was for his safety Laura", his ex-wife's gaze narrowed, as if promising she would bring the craft out of the sky if he did, "but I was just afraid…"
"So was I", Summer filled in Arthur's trailed of statement, "I...I have two daughters were I'm from back on Remnant"
Arthur looked towards her with understanding concern, but Laura's emotions were directed elsewhere, and truthfully didn't seem to care,
"My eldest Yang...she's just a bit older than Gareth but...she's not actually mine...I mean she is, it's just... Her mother left when she was born...literally had birth and then handed her child off with my then...coworker and left"
Laura's hand relaxing from their balled-up form, beginning to understand, from her admittedly none filled in viewpoint, that birds of a feather...well in this case they actually don't flock together.
"Eventually I married him, and we had a daughter but, I never got around to telling Yang she wasn't biologically mine", Summer was saying these words for the first time out loud since...well since the two people in front of her had black and a tattoo, "She was only six when I ...came to Earth"
The Remnant native took in a deep breath ready to admit the secret she knew Arthur had, but didn't know he shared with his wife,
"Because I never got to tell her the truth...I was always so afraid of what would happen when she found out", she broke eye contact, now realizing that her little sun dragon most certainly did know about Raven by now, "and afraid that she'd view her little sister differently...that she'd think Ruby was more favored or more loved...and would hate her for that"
"Summer", Arthur tried to sound reassuring but his wife kept going,
"...I was afraid Gareth would view Amr that way...I should have pushed you more so that you'd see him and that they could've met", considering she felt the weight of two mountains at the moment, one granting her slight relief by leaving was vey much relative... but it was nice to get a phobia that she didn't even fully comprehend off her chest.
"We...we didn't want anybody to make Amr feel like a mistake Laura", this time Arthur picked up her slack, and looked towards his old wife, "We were afraid that Gareth wouldn't understan-"
Arthur face suddenly found it looking at Summer once again, and rather than a slap echo across the room, Laura's clench fist proved it to be a punch,
"I...I deserve your anger", Arthur rubbed his cheeks, but stopped when he saw Laura clench her teeth.
"You don't even know what I'm angry at!", she spat, and then looked towards Summer, "I'm angry because you were afraid of the wrong thing"
"What do you-", she brought up her fist again, but then lowered it seemingly knowing the action was pointless if it didn't work the first time.
"He's going to know the answer now", Laura rubbed a hand through her hair, already thinking through the scene, "If you weren't so afraid of how Gareth would react to...Amr"
To her credit the emerald eye mother tried to damper her rage when stating Arthur's other child's name, clearly wanting to make it known he didn't have a part in this...at least he shouldn't have had one,
"Then you know Gareth always thought you left because of him", in disbelief the blonde burrows his brows.
"That's not true"
"Of course it's not, but you tell that to an eight year old who went running after his dad apologizing for not being a better son", so that Summer had to look down, as the reason for Gareth's and her initial meeting became clear.
"I...once he knows now", Arthur finally was beginning to understand what Laura was getting at, and the ex-wife poked his chest to fully force it further in.
"You mean once he sees", she stated that as a promise, dictating were this plane and all them were going, regardless if Summer and Arthur had a different agenda, "he's going to think all his thoughts are true, even if he pretends to not care anymore, deep down he still believes your actions we're all his fault...and because he never got to see Amr while he grew up, he's not going to see them as his sibling, but his replacement"
"We'll make sure that's not the case", although at the moment Summer was stating that with images of Ruby and Yang meeting her son rather than Gareth.
"No, you're going to have to make sure that doesn't continue to be the case", Laura crossed her arms, more disgust that the woman that for all intensive purpose replaced her was behaving like Arthur rather than jealous, "Because he's not gonna be convinced otherwise at first...I'll try, but when he sees Amr all hells going to break loose"
"Then he won't", Arthur spoke up out of desperation, and while Summer couldn't look appalled because she had essentially been, albeit forcefully, engaging with that plan for her own children, Laura did express that emotion.
"Like hell he won't, you're not walking away from him this time Arthur", the man opened his mouth, but emerald eyes shut it faster than the fist they commanded ever could, "For one, if you take Velvet or his computer...friend...Penny. If you take them, he's following, and more then that I am as well"
"Then you two will go to a safe house", Arthur looked desperate, but seeing Summer's face he could only see that, although afraid, his current wife already agreed with his formers plan, "after all that girl could still-"
"If you remove the two people Gareth actually communicates with like a human being, so help me God, I will be the one to throw you out of this plane Arthur", the presence of a deity in human skin once again made Summer believe Laura was perfectly capable of doing that.
"I...why do you even care Laura... I'm just a scumbag, even I know what I'm saying proves that. Why do you-", Laura cut him off, but it was because her eyes fell on Summer...and both moms' remembered the night they met under different, yet the exact same, circumstances.
"Family's should always stick together", Summer stated the memory, and her husband looked at her confused, before he leaned back against the wall with unfortunate understanding.
Although he wanted to take the easy way out, he finally understood that's why he was here in the first place...as such he could only face all the repercussions of his actions as a way to remotely mend them.
"And whether I, you, or even Gareth likes it or not. He's going to see his…", Laura, finally giving her own sigh, began to settle down as her reaction to the news came to a close. Now simply trailing off as the only information she now had on Amr, was that they were a child.
"brother...", Summer's own voice awkwardly dispersed after filling in the blank, but trying to regain some composure, at least the one she held of Arthur, she turned to her husband,
"Go and inform the director that three threats have arrived on Earth and we're going back to Seattle to secure the base", Summer didn't feel bad about this lie, especially since it was being used to finally reveal the more important ones, "When we land...I'll go on ahead and tell Amr...tell him that his brother's families coming to stay for a while...and that he has one"
Laura seemed to give Summer a nod, and while in no way did, she probably find herself at ease with the woman, she could at least be grateful the cloaked woman supported her viewpoint,
"You'll travel back with Gareth"
"...shouldn't you", he almost begged, but then brought up his hands in surrender as emerald and silver eyes tried to shoot through his skull, "I-I just mean...just in case Velvet isn't who she says she is"
"That's girls an angel", Laura stated that as if any word against it would be treated as heresy.
"...Besides, if she and the electronic one wanted us out of the picture, this craft wouldn't be in the air now would it", Summer offered her own logic, and Arthur had to bow to it.
"...That...your right...God your always right", Arthur rubbed a hand through his hair in defeat, before seeing Laura raise an eyebrow, "...you both are...I'll head out and...lie to Uther again"
He went to the door, but as it opened, he paused,
"Laura...I know you'll hate it but...I am sorry-", she sighed, but didn't have the strength to be angry, she had exhausted all her rage that had been boiling over for nine years.
"Be sorry about when you told me this, I already know you never cared enough to not let it happen", he opened his mouth, but she already said his words, and thus he left.
The room now only having two occupants, Summer found herself as nervous as her initiation day...and she wasn't even being flung of a cliff,
"I'm-"
"Don't you start as well… I already told you I don't like apologies through words", the emerald eyed woman found a chair that none had even dared use prior and slumped in it, "Besides...you kind of already done it by making sure Arthur's gonna finally do the right thing"
"That's only because you brought it up", the atmosphere in the room was now awkward beyond belief, but then again how could it not be, however, Summer's own plead now convinced her to stay, "...you're the one who forced him to do the proper-"
"He's never listened to me like that...I've never seen him listen to anybody like that", the silver eye woman wanted to bring up her cloak and hide in it, as Laura almost seem to be confessing something she couldn't to Arthur,
"I know this is...well I mean you're the person he cheated on me with...I can't not feel uncomfortable around you", having used up all their glares at Arthur or themselves, neither normal or unique color eyes could stare at anything but steel, "but I don't hate you… I can't even bring myself to hate Arthur even if he is behaving like the same old scared child I've always known"
Summer remained silent, both out of respect but now curiosity as well.
"Don't get me wrong I loathe the situation, and you both should feel ashamed of yourselves for what you did...but I can tell you already have...and so now I'm just left being a single mother finally able to let it all out", Laura gave off a sadden chuckle to herself, "one that's now getting absorbed with self-pity"
"I wouldn't say pity…", although every emotional instinct wanted Summer to find an excuse to leave, she located another chair and sat down, "After all...I am a terrible person, who did a terrible thing"
"Thing, yes, but horrible people don't bring back scared and confused kids to their mother", Laura lifted her head, and while her eyes remained anywhere but Summer's she was trying to engage with the conversation.
"Maybe...but it doesn't change what happened to cause that...I can only hope that my ex-husband is as misplaced with his understanding as you are, he doesn't even know I cheated on him...or that he's my ex-husband now", unironically the whole conversation had given Summer another person beside Arthur, however ironic that person may be, to get her own problems off her chest.
"...I've never met an alien so I wouldn't know", Summer gave her own sadden laugh at that.
"Technically I'm a human", she smiled, and although it was awkward it wasn't forced.
"Do all humans on your planet have rabbit ears", Laura's own lips moved up as well, if only because she exhausted all the unpleasant emotions.
"No...I mean Velvet's a...how much time do you have?"
"I should be asking you that...but if you want to spend the rest of it talking...I wouldn't mind", the brunette's eyes darted around like Summer's but for a moment they met and with that a nod followed.
"Well since Earth and Remnant are colliding once again, I guess I should try to figure out the best way to explain some more...interesting difference to the regular populace", having the conversation take a turn away from husbands, Summer was getting...relax wasn't the right word, but it could be given a few months.
"You will need somebody to practice on...especially since Amr's not only going to learn he has a brother on Earth...but he'll need to learn about his far off sisters as well", Laura gave a smile that dispenses her sadness. That isn't to say it wasn't tired, but it was no longer hiding any judgment.
"Yes...yes he will"
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Penny didn't follow as Velvet herded Gareth to the rear end of the aerial transport vehicle, rather she switched over to a camera system that had a better view of that area, while also commandeering an auditory system that was close enough that she could speak if necessary.
Although she could simply jump back into Gareth's cellular device to communicate, it lacked the capacity for her to use her own...voice in a sense, even if it was just a fabricated copy. Then again, as she almost involuntarily rerouted the code of the nearest speaker unit to her fellow housemates, the machinery behind voice generation in the Earth based electronic was probably similar enough to how she actually produced her natural soundwaves that there was truly no difference...but in her own going debate with logic that didn't stop her from thinking there was.
However, since her logic dedicated that she, possessing the necessary ability and function to inhabit any system on the ship, eavesdrop on the rediscovered Summer Rose's private conversation she was finding it easier and easier to ignore some aspects of her programming...which raised the question if she even was her binary script if she had existed outside her core processor unit, and even inhabited a human brain for some time by her own account.
"...are you going to be okay? '', the timid, but concerned voice of Velvet broke Penny out of her digital thoughts, as she picked up on the high definition camera her seat Gareth down on a bench.
"I'd be a lot better if I could've thrown that man out the plane", an unfortunate coincidence of their position, was that Gareth could now simply tilt his head and view the emergency exit he so desperately wanted his computerized friend to open.
"God...this is all way to much", still with her hand on his shoulder, Velvet, to her credit was most likely putting aside her own confusion, to deal with Gareth's personal ones...and to make sure he didn't harm his personal one's either, "...for him just to show up, with his new wife too, I mean who do they think they are"
...My best friend's missing in action mother, although Penny question if she was using the word 'best' correctly, since she in truth hadn't actually spent a large amount of time with Ruby, she always felt the need to include it based on the magnitude of things she not only learned about the world but also herself in the moments.
More importantly though… The robotic organism was concerned with how the rediscovered huntress was viewed by Gareth, and more importantly how she was affiliated to his 'cheating father'. Too emotionally overloaded to make the obvious connection, the artificial being's mind was already coming to a false conclusion. One that, while could be interpreted as a logical solution, also was one built out of empathetic disbelief...luckily, enough of her subconscious knew the truth, that she withheld from voicing a theory on the subject she viewed as fast...waiting for a better moment to present it to multiple people.
"...you're...I-I mean...maybe we should focus on something else", the brunette voice was perplexed by how Gareth was organizing his priorities, "after all...you did just learn I'm...well, that I'm not from this planet"
"...I…", he seemed taken back when she pointed out the obvious subject of Summer's whole entire explanation...and something that the pastel green huntress had already tried to explain, "...i-if I didn't already tell Penny that I thought she was real, I'd say this is definitely a joke...an expensive one"
He spread out his arms, and gestured with his hands at all the highly advanced equipment, in the equally advanced transport vehicle,
"But a prank nonetheless…", his movement already have proved his own statement wrong, the grip he held on the street throughout the winter themed grim reapers explanation, proved to have shattered the portion of his cast, and brace, that trailed over his palm, "...then again there's a lot of things...well, I'm selfish in my belief of the world being out to get me"
He leaned back, his eyes trailing on Velvet's ears, and then even the camera as if he could see Penny had moved to that specific one,
"But even I'm not full of myself enough to think people would be breaking the laws of physics just to mess with me…", his emerald irises then maneuvered their way back over to the door his mom had just entered, "...and if my mom's willingly...if she is having a conversation with the Aelle and the... ghost, then every universal laws already been broken"
"I...their right, I don't know your-", he tensed up under Velvet's grip, and although his eyes stared at the hidden conversation with hostility, his sudden muscle twitches was at unnaturalness the rabbit faunus next word would bring, "I don't know Arthur...but that...woman and I are from a different planet"
"Remnant?", the second-year student nodded, and offered a small smile. Although given the situation it had sad eyes attached to it.
"...yes...I-I...given your focus was elsewhere", Velvet stuttered out already treating the moment that had transpired as one of the most awkward moments of her life, "I-I didn't think you caught that"
"...I...well I didn't really hear half of what the ghost said", blushing a bit at how blind the rage, he still admittedly seemed to have, had made him the high school senior's emerald orbs traveled upward...only to now very clearly gaze upon his truly foreign computer's location, "Penny...she tried to fill me in on this...honestly I still can't make sense of what you said but...thanks for at least trying to warn me"
Almost as if she had a body once more, the mechanical Atlesian felt as if her cheeks currently experiencing a higher level of temperature then the rest of her body...only she was never manufactured with a component that could complete such a specific task, and as such should not possess anyway to mimic such a sensation even within her own mind.
This...why does my nonexistent cranial unit seem to be-, bringing up a set of five digits, that shouldn't exist, to gently touchdown on a section of synthetic skin that also had no basis in reality, Penny's mind came to an abrupt halt...when the sight of an translucent electrified hand did pass her vision...one that, despite having no matter either by energy or her own mental projection, rested on a similarly designed seafoam green cheek bone.
"...You okay their Penny", speaking as if he could see her complete this action clear as day, Gareth...well if under different circumstances his geld back frustration probably would have come out as genuine curiosity.
"I-I'm sorry, is-", Velvet's own eyebrows did furrow, not in anger, although her inability to state Penny's own name clearly indicated their situation had not magically ben resolved by the recent events but rather put to the wayside...however, as chocolate orbs reflected neon arcs of electricity, she finally saw the person she had been trying to avoid, "...how...b-but"
"You can...see me?", despite usually having the best grasp of any situation revolving around technology out of the three, the Atlesian found herself too overloaded with shock by the sudden appearance of her own, albeit corporal, body, to provide even a basic theory of how such a thing was possible to herself.
"Yeah", Gareth stated it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Ever since...well ever since I woke up the second time, I've seen you...I don't know, move around and stuff"
Gazing down upon him, and Velvet, who was just as equally shocked as herself, Penny's confusion was only dampened slightly when she saw the Earth natives skin glowing a deep ocean blue...a color that also traversed over his shoulder to Velvet's hand.
"...I", only now did Penny realize her voice wasn't coming from the speaker, but her own mouth, "Gareth what does your visionary center pick up at this very moment"
The very organ she mentioned darting back and forth within the boy's socket he looked around unsure of what she was actually asking...only for his irises to grow as if he was seeing the world through an entirely different lens,
"Woah…", his anger momentarily annexed by surprise, he gazed at every electronic in the plane as if they were foreign novels that had only just now been translate to English, "I...can see that the center table things...well it's telling me it's a holographic map that's being fed constant satellite imagery"
The messy haired knight stood up and, given that his pupils didn't appear to have made a murderous attempt...at least for the moment, Velvet's hand detached from his shoulder. However, as it did the blue refraction that had traced its way up her hand retreated as well. Blinking, her eyes dilated, before she looked back up to Penny...only to then move her head around as if the mechanical girl had disappeared.
"And I can see the plane's primary controls...through the cockpit door, their also telling me how I can use them", he seemed, well it wasn't as if he appeared fearful of this information, but he wasn't overcome with joy either, "...and the door mom went through...it's showing me its code...like the literal code is above the lock…and showing me the actual four digit code to unlock the room"
The suddenness having traversed his system, the narrowing of his irises back on the steel barrier between him and a conversation he didn't need to partake in, but so desperately wanted to interrupt, captured his attention.
Taking a step forward towards the, for him at least, unguarded area, Velvet once again jumped up and placed a guiding, if not firm grip on his shoulder. However, keeping in line with the pattern, Gareth's aura traversed up the faunus arm. Her dark pupils shining over with gut again, the girl instantly was able to make out Penny, even if she broke eye contact as soon as that realization was made.
"...Since your aura was unlocked", voicing her scientific curiosity, Penny began speaking to herself, but the two organic individuals in the room instantly turned their attention to the voice, which, if nothing else, redirected Gareth's priority, "It would be logical to conclude that your newfound ability to transport me, and comprehend machinery you have no knowledge as if their code was being displayed in their electrical field, is the result of a semblance...although I can say no such thing for certainty, and further information would be needed to conclude such a specific hypothesis"
Not being able to comprehend Penny's theory in the slightest, Gareth's, in keeping up with a proven experiment, simply blinked. However, seemingly biting her tongues, then taking in a deep breath, Velvet clearly did understand enough of the terminology,
"...and how was his aura unlocked", being the first time they've directly spoken to each, outside of a combat environment, since the argument, the now corporal Atlesian felt the urge to redirect her eyes elsewhere….experiencing her own version of awkwardness and guilt.
"Data would suggest that, it was early Saturday morning after his surgery...when I confessed", focusing on one newfound emotion at a time, Penny couldn't tell why Velvet's eyes went wide for, what appeared, to be the wrong reason. She also didn't possess the emotional clarity yet to know why Gareth's own face shifted towards pink, his anger and confusion now being overtaken by bashfulness and an agape mouth, "The words I voiced to you Velvet...I had never felt such a strong urge to delete an entire an entire conversation from existence as I had then. I do not wish to break your request, but I am unsure how I will able to communicate with you again since I do not think any such verbal apologetic phrase exist that could convey how regretful I am for my actions and what they caused you"
Remarkably, neither two bipedal listeners reacted as she predicted they might, as Gareth's face was still flustered, and Velvet was debating which sentence and words she should be focused on,
"After everything that had happened, I did not know what course of action to take", the android continue, unsure why nobody had yet voiced a response, "...and therefore I remained with my primary sense in the hospital...and once Gareth was brought to the recovery area, I confessed my horrendous action...although I did not think he could hear, or that such an event would unlock his aura"
Keeping up with their impossible to foresee reactions, Gareth seemed to give out a sigh of relief when she explained the definition of her confession. As his face turned back to normal though, Velvet's began morphing into one that housed a small frown.
"... if you feel this bad about it...why did you say it to begin with", picking up the tone, Gareth's relief morphed into silence, as he realized he wasn't the only one in the presence of a strained relationships, "you're being forthright with me now...but for the most part you meant what you said during that moment too"
"...I…", feeling the roles reversed, it was Penny who was having a hard time voicing an answer she already concluded days ago, "...I've never felt anger before Velvet...nor did I ever feel as useless as I did when Gareth was being assaulted"
"...you're in good company on that one", he probably meant for it to go unheard, but the emerald eyed Cadarn muttered out of his own self disappointment recalling that night.
"All this...produced a new desire in me, to voice all my jealousy that you had a physical way to interact with the universe and I did not", although she mechanically, or rather physically now, didn't have to, Penny found herself reconstructing the motion of taking in a deep breath, "Instead of letting you know this directly, I...rerouted the frustration I placed on myself, and unfairly directed it towards you. Maybe in the moment I came to false conclusions about your capabilities and motivations, but the current me does not believe in any of the words I conveyed to you...as I stated, no verbal form of communication will ever be able to voice how truly apologetic I feel...but, I am sorry"
There was a moment of silence that made Penny question if the plane had reached orbit the longer it continued. And even though Gareth had the bare minimum knowledge on what they were talking about, or any of the terminology they had used to explain his own situation, he looked between both planetary travels with concern,
"...I-I...I can't accept that Penny", although she knew it was coming, the pastel hunter had to hide her facial...energy, from looking taken aback. However, as her eyes trailed downward in silence she doubted she was able to pull off such a stoic response, but at the very least she seemed to hide it better then Gareth's, whose mouth was doing its best to touch the floor.
However, before the out of place knight could real his jaw back in and voice a counter opinion, Velvet forced her chocolate irises to make contact with Penny's….electrified ones,
"...but we...w-we can talk, and try to get to the point that I will", the silence returning, and lasting long enough for the rabbit faunus to divert her gaze back to the floor, the astral projected girl eventually adopted a small understanding smile, for a situation she did not fully comprehend, and gave off a nod its recipient didn't see but could feel.
"I...probably do not deserve that chance, but I will gladly utilize it to the best of my ability to right my wrong", her voice was laced with truth, and no hiccups dared come interrupt that.
Slowly gaining her own miniscule lip movement, the rabbit ear girl also nodded, and this seem to allow Gareth's mouth to close without him feeling the need to get involve,
"S-so...well I'm glad you two came to some form of understanding...but...well", his voice trailed off, probably not wanting to quote anything from their discussion, but finding many parts of it confusing.
"Would you wish for me to explain aura and Semblances", he looked at the two foreign huntresses, then back at the room that housed another, before nodding.
Taking him back to the seat, Velvet, much to Penny's joy and slight jealousy, kept her hands-on Gareth's shoulder. Clearly haven comprehended enough of what was said to know such an action was needed for her to see the floating Atlesian as well,
"...We could also go into Remnant as well…", piping in the hard-light user, satisfied enough on two accounts, voiced her agreement to help.
"...and the...uh...well, I mean if they actually are real", tilting her head in confusion, Velvet was about to ask what he thought was real or not...only for her own ears to furrow up in understanding, as, completely the trifecta, her face too also found the atmosphere suitable to ripen,
"O-oh...t-they are...for that...h-how much time do we have?", all eyes were no on either the bench, floor, or ceiling as, not even realizing why, Gareth and brought up a personal issue to...well everybody now.
"Four hours and fifteen minutes based on the aircraft's current trajectory", with no one else able too, or at least Gareth not looking in the right direction to receive the answer, Penny evenly voiced it into the silence.
"...Given that it's taken me one month just to figure out my roommates aren't actually from Earth...that's probably nowhere near enough time", having gone through too many emotions, the emerald eyed teen couldn't offer the nervous chuckle that should have come with the statement.
"I would not come to such a conclusion Gareth", looking up not even the pastel themed girl who spoke the words knew how they would end, but the growing soft smile on her face...or electricity, meant she was jubilant about them, "After all, as evidence by this entire conversation, you have an excellent grasp of Remnant's universal tongue"
"I do", the boy question, his anger now fully being pushed out by confusion, "huh...I guess I do"
His own words bringing his points, and forcing his more negative emotion to be forgotten until it's catalyst would leave that door, Gareth's emotions gained some sort of jump start as he cracked the first smile he had since viewing Arthur...a lifting of the lips that Penny herself had instigated.
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Feeling himself transition from one awkward filled room to another, Arthur found himself surprised that the unavoidable roadway in between was not filled with the same type of gut wrenching uncomfortableness...or that an actual wrench was dividing and mincing the organs that resided in said abdomen.
...Guess Laura was right, hearing the soft-spoken words of a language he never understood, but had unintentionally picked up the ability to recognize, Arthur wasn't met to the sight of Gareth's battlefield focus gaze. Instead he saw the inter stellar trespasser, who he had shifted so much blame on it an attempt to disappear from his own mistake, speak to his nearly cloned son, she probably is an angel
Having no definitions to put the syllables with, Arthur found himself staring as the brunette foreigner poked his eldest son's shoulder, causing a ripple of blue aura to cascade across his body. With both chuckling at the shields disturbance, the treasured hair man had thought he exited the room unnoticed, but given the twitch of the 'faunus', as Summer had told him, added appendages, that proved to be a false plea at hope.
Grabbing his arm, both to potentially hold him back as well as offer some form of reassurance against a man she had probably only heard in the most well deserved negative light possible, the young knight face flushed at the contact first. However, as he saw her eyes were elsewhere, he eventually followed her gaze to Arthur,
And that would make me the demon, while no longer looking at him as a potential murder victim, the oldest Aelle was given a far more deserving, and worse, set of eyes. Filled with nothing but disgust, the blue-eyed man could only watch as his very presence ruined whatever momentary piece of enjoyment his son found.
As the harmony of two areas now finally met in the middle passageway, and with the osmosis balancing things out, Arthur found it all too easy to remove his own pupils from the scene and walk towards the one room where he now found he could, unironically, hide. At least for all of two seconds, and it wasn't as if the walls would hide who he was, or more accurately how Gareth would, as it appeared, always view him.
With any luck he'll only ever save that glare for me, having the barrier slide open on his behalf, it was impossible for the blonde hair father not to possess thoughts of truly apocalyptic Gareth's reaction could or, as his mother put it, would be.
With the three-inch frame of pure steel doing little to limit the amount of shame all of the other occupants of the aircraft could sense emitting from his very soul, the blonde-haired king focused his unwise glare out the cockpit window.
The still shaded pilot, barely even giving him the time of day with a glance, kept her emotions in check as, remarkably, she actually had her hands glued to the control column.
"... afraid of the autopilot now", Arthur was setting Nimue up, and despite the fact her cold monotone response annoyed and frustrated him to know end, he needed one of her steel witted retorts to allow any other emotion besides guilt to infect him.
"It's in the system", there was an added emphasis on the lifeless pronoun, as, through her words, Nimue proved to also not be her usual self after today's experience...although her mechanical like tone did strive to cover that blemish up, "Through manual control, I'll be able to instantly tell if the artificial intelligence commanders command of the craft"
Her eyes remained fixated on the wall of condensed water vapor, as, not willingly to admit it, a machine was still directing and controlling the plane...just a system made and manufactured on Earth. However, having not been directly insulted or demeaned by her response, Arthur sides before taking a seat in the unnecessary co-pilot seat.
"...even if the regular computer was in control you'd still obsessed over it enough-", before he could even lean back in the initially designed spine torturing device that was a pilot's lounging furniture, his hidden pupil agent proved her mind was still operating at peak efficiency, even if a section was no longer dedicated to counter attack his every word,
"You're here to update command", she never missed a beat, and had been analyzing him the moment she heard him unlock the door, "By now the department already has all the highway footage, and they'll finally have indisputable evidence that Ceinwyn's, or Summer as she's reverted too, entire explanation for being on this planet is at least credible enough that they have to treat every word she has ever uttered as real"
Blinking in, well not surprised disbelief, but rather one he could never prepare for despite being victim to it over a thousand times, the ocean eyed father could only complete his delayed attempt to angle his body sixty degrees.
A tribute to why she was one of the very few Earth humans his wife even trusted enough to handle with potential Remnant contact, Nimue described the logistical reasons of why Arthur was here with a better understanding of why such an action was needed then the person who sent him to complete it.
"They'll also identify my vehicle, and note that not only were you and Summer involved with this encounter, but we have with us another Remnant native in our midst", wondering how she could keep up such an emotionless voice without breathing, Arthur could only succumb to his own biological needs before sighing.
"Uther's not going to like this… but at least him being up to date means we can begin tracking those three trespassers", robotically moving a hand over the piano like a musicians skilled in the art of switches and dial, Nimue flicked her digits in a muscle memorized panel.
The action caused Arthur's half of the viewing port to digitize over, before a blank blue screen lit up his view of a darkened sky. With her criminally misused musician appendage now hovering still over one final input, Nimue remained fixated on the nothingness but waited for, although she'd never say it outright, superior command,
"At the moment, Uther certainly doesn't like the fact you haven't offered him an explanation of why you were there", at this point, the eldest Aelle found it weird how this situation, between a think lipped agent, and blue screen of held back belittlement was the most peaceful compartment of the plane, "and every second that goes by, the risk of him taking matters into his own hands increases. Which means he'll handle the situation as if there are six intruders"
"...and he wouldn't be happy to find out there's a seventh '', thinking back to the conversation he held with Summer two days earlier, the overprotective father now finds himself wishing he may have behaved with a more psychopathic mindset.
"If nothing else, you're a good discovery when you chose to be Arthur", ironically, it was only when Nimue directly offended her superior that she produced complements. Although, counting himself lucky, the blonde-haired myth didn't find himself being praised by the incarnation of professionalism very often.
"Well my last fabrication lasted nine years...so might as well try to beat my old record", a depressing achievement to hold, Nimue only nodded, her mind dedicated to things she deemed far more beneficial or worthy of her time to fuel Arthur's misery.
Pressing down on the communication button, the short haircut agent's hand immediately returned to the wheel, Despite how calm the motion, and grip on the instrument was, hidden beneath her metal lined shell, the undeserving king knew his agent only completed such an action because it made her feel at ease in the realization she now actually had very little control.
His face morphing into one that hadn't gone through nearly a decade of regret, the now disciplined blue eyed Earthling's body language proved that, while the women in his life could always see through his disguise, the men held nowhere near the intelligence to do so.
The blue monitor never losing its neon colored outline, the static in its center slowly began to take shape. An off-putting tundra of snow, the background was pure white, as if too much light was being unveiled for anybody to see the cover up right in front of them.
However, with an aged, but hardened expression, an individual did stand in front of this mystery, and despite him bowing to Laura and Summer, Arthur did not flinch as mouthed clenched closed Uther presented himself as the angered deity of order. A divine being made all the more terrifying by the fact it had the willpower to hold all their pent up rage at bay behind dulled grayed orbs, possessing the ability to compress any man towards the Earth's core...even the ones thousands of feet above him.
Initially planned, that did little of course to lessen the feeling that his wrinkled pale skin, hairless waxed dome, and disturbingly perfect suit, felt as if it would burst at the slightest change in pressure...whether physically or emotionally produced.
"We need to discuss what happened, and you need to begin running the camera footage through every face recognition software we have-", taking the initiative, Arthur possessed the voice of a man who had not just been disowned by his son for the second time. And Ironically enough, the treasured topped man even found himself producing a subconscious mental grin at the interruption he planned to happen.
"Don't lecture me on protocols, people with much smaller paychecks then either of us have already accomplished such task", if he wasn't so focused on the performance before him, Arthur would have wasted precious mental space and thought of how all of Uther's reaction was going exactly to the king of knights own protocol, "Instead be gracious that I allow you a chance to explain why you are on that footage, and why I shouldn't shoot down the transport craft you keep annoyingly treating as a private jet"
Arthur waited exactly two seconds to respond, enough time for the bald department head to feel as if he was causing his blue-eyed subordinate to stutter. After all, despite Arthur's horrendous tracked record when it came to genuine relationships, he certainly knew how to fake false ones.
Uther was a man who wanted control, but more so than that he wanted to feel as if he had the power and skill to manipulate other people with his unique mindset. That is why Arthur initiated the conversation and let himself get interrupted, it's why he made himself hesitate before he regained a steel like gaze.
If the eldest Aelle had fallen in line, Uther would suspect he was hiding something by playing the part of an appeasing soldier. However, if he tried to rebel too much, he'd simply be signing his own grave, or rather, not that it matters to the head of Earth's most hidden agency, search warrant. But allowing the grizzled old veteran to see that he also had a secretive agenda, Uther would remain curious enough not to take immediate action, and, more importantly, wouldn't investigate Arthur any further the necessary in order to use the information as black mail...a strategy that both speakers of the conversation were very aware of, as there was a reason one had become the others superior.
"It being a personal vehicle proved crucial, for if Summer and I had not been on the scene, the carnage would have gone unimpeded", standing his own ground, in a real and fake way, caused Uther to scuff. But both men knew such actions were part of their little game.
"How do I know Summer", he emphasized the silver eyed woman's name, only to prove he knew about both sets of irises, "wasn't the catalyst for the attack, after all, not only did she magically come out of retirement just in time for her story to be proven, she also seems to have employed more evidence"
The snow cloaked Grim reaper's evidence appeared next to her on screen, as another branch of the homo erectus family branch barred her way up a SUV door, and through a street camera's pixels.
"Her names Velvet, and she is in our custody", there was no use in even pretending to lie on the rabbit faunus wear about, and as such her true location needed to be used to the knights own benefit, "the delay in response was due to are interrogation of her, and insurance we had her in a secure position"
Under any, well actually under specific environmental and social conditions, Nimue would have no doubt emotionlessly stated how his secure prisoner was in a room alone with his son who the huntress could easily overpower and use as a hostage. But luckily, both occupants of the flight room knew how to hide their true selves...even if one didn't have that much to hide.
"I'm sure you're doing the best you can to ensure that security" the gray eyed god emphasizing the word on his behalf, albeit in a deep voice that actually held the mocking nature the agent only ever implied with contexts, Uther made his displeasure on faunus wear about clear, "But she'll find escaping the eastern seaboard facilities far more challenging than anything on the west coast"
Arthur's words never hesitated in their response, his previous moment of being on the backburner the only one needed to indicate Uther he was, as the blonde-haired man hoped, falsely in control of the conversation. However, his mind did have to begin analyzing why he didn't capitalize on using the rabbit ears girl name.
"That may be so, but the other three intruders may not have such difficulty breaking in", his voice was acclaimed by the easiest forced smirk he ever conjured, allow Arthur to pretend he was nearly ready to play his logic suited trump card, "With us having access to every electronic camera on Earth, splitting up these 'Huntsmen' will limit their strength, as well as their ability to communicate or liberate one another"
"What makes you so sure their working together, did this alien not save your own secretive skin Arthur", and there is was, the acceptance of the hand being played, as Uther broke the professionalism with vulgar titles...although his specific avoidance of the extra appendage girl was still off putting, "and your wife did talk to her throughout the battle, perhaps this means the person to break her out of your facility will be the guard"
It didn't take much for Arthur to flow into his next personality type. Brow narrowing with anger, he tried to use his own son's stare, as a reference image for the one he sent Uther,
"She'd certainly have a unique strategy for a double agent, after all most planetary invaders probably would find it easier to weaken a planet's defense, then gain trust by strengthening it", as if it was a discussion they held every weekday at a bar, Uther adopted a toothless grin, one that would cause most to lose their emotional balance, even when not taking his damning pupils into account.
"This agency was designed long before Summer Rose stumbled her way through Earth's atmosphere", he was wrapping up the conversation, something that Arthur, while signaling all his points would be allowed, or at the very least not physically impeded, felt was coming all too soon, "and as with her case, we do not rule out any strategy that potential, or now very real, hostile entities could use. After all, this would be are first contact, and who knows how these beings think"
Luckily the silence the eldest Aelle wrapped itself aligned with his conversational strategy. And as with any one of these delightful meetings between him and his mythical superior, Arthur found his real and fake emotions being indistinguishable by the time they ended,
"Regardless, you'll send me every word this huntress told you and your wife, as well as every question your spouse asked", the man leaned back into the shade of nothingness, his smile still remaining on the screen through his gesture even as his lips returned to their parallel state, "Seeing as she has reactivated her true name, and therefore field agent status, Summer will be on standby and respond to my every call-"
Good luck with that, not usually thinking with unnecessary long and pointless English syllables during his tactical mental wars with Uther, Arthur was unsure if this thought was his or Nimue….not that the originator of the statement made it any less true,
"As far as her mission goes, George will return from his sanctioned leave of the Caliburn base, and prepare to walk Tristian through the facilities defenses", rolling his eyes, that could luckily be utilized to his strategy, Arthur didn't even bother to see Nimue not react to the former names,
"I believe George is more than equipped to-", if he could, the blue-eyed man would have counted down the seconds to his statement's forced end.
"George is equipped to handle his co commander duties, and as such it is about time his agreed upon partner stepped up his responsibility", Arthur knew exactly what type of activities that foxes stepped in, or rather bathed himself into, and as such made it a point to ensure George gave his word not to kill his fellow co-worker within five minutes of their first official meeting.
"Fine, I'll start getting the information ready now, and preparing my own facilities for our extra-terrestrial prisoner", using the scientific name for Velvet, Arthur slouched back in his chair to indicate mock...and in the case of one of the crown's new overseers, actual, defeated, "We'll inform you of any new developments"
"As will I Arthur, as will I", both man lying with their fair wells, the elder one only ever adopted his demon like smile once throughout the entire conversation, but as his steel harden faced showed his words could produce the muscle movement just as well before they faded out to static, and his void dematerialized back into pixels that remarkably held more knowledge.
"Well that went better than I thought", leaning back, and with a sigh, Arthur was voicing his honest belief, but his body language sure indicated he lost that entire exchange, "Uther's a pain, but at least we have a network those three trespasser can't hide from"
Not falling back into her normal routine, even as Arthur painted another target on his back, Nimue remained staring silently at the ever-thickening cloud formation. One's that only hid an equally impairing night sky,
"...He's hiding something", eyes narrowing, Arthur wasn't used to his best field agent pausing between speech. Almost mechanically, Nimue was the type of woman to either voice her thoughts are fact instantly, or not say them at all.
"Every bodies always hiding something, and that man's got no shortage of clothed agendas", his voice rising to indicate a question not given with context, Arthur wanted his fellow blonde to shed light on what he couldn't make heads or tails of in the conversation.
"But now he's satisfied that his own won't come to light. He knows that you and Summer are going to put all your focused into her original task, that you'll ignore whatever strings he's manipulating in the background", his eyebrows furrowed, not in disagreement but rather confused on what made this situation difference to all the other time Uther and he played their game.
"And what's his plan", in a rare display of body language, the shaded eyed woman shrugged, signaling to her superior this was a situation, despite the casualness the motion represented, needed to be taken with absolute caution and seriousness.
"I don't know, he's always making sure my access to resources is limited when I get deployed in this region. However, he made it clear he knows about Vivian", the continued silence of Arthur, and stillness of his expression voiced to the agent all too clear that he was making sense of why the department chair avoided the 'prisoners' real name, "which means he knows about Laura and Gareth"
"...and the danger there is", to be true there was a lot of potential risk there, but the fact any thoughts as to what would return him to the room that now housed Laura and Summer, he indicated to Nimue to get to her point...not that she was waiting for his permission of signal.
"The danger is that he's willing to let you harbor a potential alien terrorist, your old family, and allow George to retain his position, and therefore Summer's inside man, at the Crown's location", Arthur open his mouth, to voice he could only partly see the puzzle she was trying to piece together before him. However, as she turned around towards him, and the blue iris of the father nearly made out the general shape of his agents, she did one better and lighted up the fully constricted picture instead, "If he's withholding his power to take all that away from you, then I can only assume whatever he's trying to hide is worth all that sacrifice in authority"
His furrowed stare now going slack, his eyebrows eventually dug their way out the valleys they themselves were. Only for the strips of hair to find themselves as arches reaching towards the heaven,
"...So he just used my own strategy against me…", her sunglasses staring back at the night sky, which even through the barrier of clouds Arthur could only now realize as being the ones blind to Nimue, the agent returned to her normal posture...and normal demeaner.
"Obviously, and thus your record of nine years remains in tack", her monotone nature hid the victory she deserved to flaunt.
"Luckily I have you then, huh", he slumped back now in his seat, and made it clear he was going to remain in the relaxing presence of his tormentor then reenter any of the new relationships forming in the back.
"Necessarily, you have me", she shot back, and now that her point was embedded into his skull he prepared himself for the rest of the plane ride, "which is why I'll be with Summer as she goes to inform Amr"
"...wait, how do you…" , his eyes training on her, pretending that they could actually put up a fight against her superior personality, could only accept their fated destruction when seeing an earpiece that fed her sounds of the entire plane, "You know, the AI's showing herself to have more manners then you"
"You didn't hire me for my edict, you hired me to inform you of crucial information", he swore that her mechanical voice, that the unneeded pilot effortlessly forced down, "Such as information informing you that you should prepare"
"I don't even want to ask...but prepare for what", he shut his eyes, hopelessly parenting that if he closed his lids none of what she would say would be real...unfortunately he was blocking the wrong sense.
"That your ex and current wife have continued their conversation, as Laura's need to outnumber you has momentarily pushed past the awkwardness of the situation", Arthur just images Nimue spoke with hidden contempt that she more than likely felt, "and as such, Summer has just agreed to take Velvet and I in the initial car, as you, Laura, and Gareth have a 'family discussion' in the following vehicle"
The father's eyes shot open, and even if the video screen to his side indicated Gareth's eyes were...well the reason Arthur still felt his son's angel of death gaze was because the boy's emerald iris was staring directly at the camera. Off putting though, he seemed to...well, have a perplexed look on his face as he tilted his head.
Regardless, such an act didn't change the knowledge that the youngest Cadarn would want to snap his own father's cranium completely off in the next couple of hours. Tearing his gaze away from a...at the very least no murder intent looking child, Arthur looked towards Nimue, his momentarily wordlessness expressing all too well how he was going to group her in with this treachery, despite her just capitalizing on a coincidence.
"I don't know why I ever thought talking with you would be the lesser of three evils", hiding her eyes, Arthur didn't even want to see if she hid all the pride she took from that statement in her irises.
"Because you still view the world as if those exist", getting up, the golden-haired man had to give the emotionless being some credit. After all, not many monotone machine could get him to leave a room he was so contempt in staying in so quickly, "However, the next you will face will be Laura and Summer again"
"...ever think of becoming a lawyer Nimue, you're really built for it", allowing him to complete the lackluster insult, the agent ignoring it all together, only worked in her favor as she continued to leisurely claim victory in their battle of words.
"After all, if Summer arrives to your home fortress, and George is the first one to inform her of Tristian, that man will die", getting up, and even having enough fuel to be bombarded by Gareth's hatred once more, Arthur moved back over to the door separating his pathway.
"...I see no problem in that outcome", even if he tried to state it in a rebellious way, Nimue's victory was...well it was assured the moment he came in, but now it was secured through his action of leaving to trigger a much needed explosion of emotion from Summer.
A release of frustration at a third party that, while probably beneficial for both silver, blue, and even emerald eyes in a sense, Nimue, as Arthur saw through the screens he was about to enter, could view the Armageddon about to be unleashed in complete leisure.
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The room being revealed to all, but only understood by Uther, the head shined man spun around to see the other occupant attempt to blink away his blindness. The screen and Arthur leaving him, and more importantly his agenda, alone, the instinctually claimed director waited expectedly.
His patience was to see when the man he just named would shoot off his first idiotic question. But as Tristian cursed under his breath as the newfound color stung his pupils, the director could only roll his eyes thinking that, without his curly fiery locks shaved, the man simply seemed like the embodiment of stupidity itself at the moment.
"You want to prepare me for something like that", the freckles faced foxes stated as his firsts series of none vulgar words, "My eyes aren't cataracts to hell like yours old man, I can still actually see the damn world"
Uther, to his position's credit, remained straight faced, although his mind was already smirking. Smiling at the very fact that Tristian curses and insults were very proof of why he was such an easy to work subordinate.
"My apologies, with you utilizing your youth to its maximum effect I forget the change in lightning causes discomfort in certain groups", a new monitor already be producing, the gray orbed Uther had to give his lesser credit for not voicing any question the normal sheep did...that are he simply didn't have the intelligence of the normal cattle to focus on anything besides insults.
"Annoyance, trust me if I was discomforted I would have blown a hole through the damn wall", the man, removing his hands from kneading his irises like dough, shot out the statement with enough acid that his words were already attempting to destroy the nearest sheet of steel regardless, "But on the topic of annoyances, why the hell am I going to Caliburn, as much fun as fucking with George could be, I'd rather get my teeth into those damn intruders"
"Oh you'll get your chance", Uther's words were emotionless, as he himself was still playing the field all too well to know if he was lying to the fox's agent or not, "But first we have to see how much of Rose's story is true"
"We could always just force it out of her", with his pain gone the, the fiery haired man now grinned as his annoyance was redirected into a, albeit, threatening, beg, "If I'm going out west anyway I could make the pit stop"
"That won't be necessary", the elder man shot down the idea as if it was worthy of a slight hesitation, but part of that pause in speech was due to him wondering how Tristian could be stupid enough to think he stood a chance against the initial parasite, "Your just there to make sure she doesn't grab the device, not seek out a conflict"
"Then why not just discharge George and shoot down Aelle right now", the vulgar mouthed agent was coaxed into the question Uther had been waiting for, as even if he would only give half answers to preserve his own effectiveness, he still needed Tristian to stumble his way across too any questions down the line, "that aura and shits tough, but it's not ballistic missile and ten thousand foot fall to the Earth tough"
"Perhaps", unfortunately Uther truly didn't know the answer to such a question...but then again that is part of why he just allowed Arthur to get away with all his personal wants, and the only part Tristian needed to be revealed, "But that is why you're going to Caliburn, and why I need Summer more concern with what you're doing. They can have their one fugitive, so long as it means I can capture and experiment on the other three in peace"
"...and those experiments will do what", how such a talented individual could be produced with non-brain cells was truly beyond Uther, but if it meant he could manipulate what little there was in the head then all the better.
"Make the future engagement we have with all", choosing to only hear and comprehend that word, the fire locked man possessed the smirk of a true trickster, "of these Remnant humans much more lopsided in are favor"
"I can already hear the body's tumbling", satisfied with an answer he wasn't even looking for, but Uther presented him nonetheless, the man already began making his way out of the room.
Playing his game, and making the agent feel like he had much more individuality and choice than he ever truly possessed, the gray eyed pseudo deity looked back up towards the monitor. It came down again, as his most easy to manipulate pawn left, the sight of three hidden faced men sparked onto the screen.
Dressed in airtight suits, they continued scanning a table that now showed itself to Uther, who in his solitude now smirked.
Almost in the form of a mechanical hospital table, a welded together humanoid appeared before its engineer surgeons. Lifeless camera eyes, that couldn't see its own orange stands stand perfectly still, nor feel its porcelain skin be scarred back together through carbon, steel, and a newfound fuel.
"And I can hear their home following suite", Uther spoke out to an empty room, now only lit by a machine and blood at work, and a diagram of an uninhabited young woman.
