6. Entreaty

Eagle's eyes fluttered as his room slowly came into focus. He had fainted a second time. Sitting up and holding his head, he attempted to recall what had happened earlier: They were being targeted. His mental energy was drained from trying to summon a barrier. There was a shot and he was knocked to the ground. That was when he lost consciousness. When he awoke, she was standing, arm-outstretched in front of him with a shield in place.

"He's awake," said Geo, rushing to his bedside. Lantis and Hikaru appeared seconds later. Hikaru was sniffing; she had tears in her eyes. "Eagle!" she cried, throwing herself on him. He patted her back gently and assured them all that he was fine.

What a turn of events… He was reckless. They should have left town earlier, but he wanted to indulge himself and this happened… He put his friends in danger and, in the end, he could not protect them. The weight of guilt and the frustration for his weakness levied itself upon him. "I'm sorry," he said.

"We'll probably have to restrict our plans to sites closer to home," suggested Geo. "You know when your mother gets a wind of this, she'll be hesitant to let you go." Eagle nodded at the likelihood of that prediction.

Hikaru silently withdrew from him and returned to Lantis's side. She murmured something inaudible and her voice cracked into discontinuous sobs. "It's not your fault," Lantis responded, brushing her cheek. Eagle's heart felt a pang at the sight of them.

"It's no one's fault." The door slid shut and his bodyguard traipsed towards them. She had a long, red mark across her left cheek.

Before Eagle could leave his bed, Geo had already left his side and met her. "He threw a knife at me," she answered calmly. "I'm all right," she said, meeting Hikaru's eyes and then nodding in his direction. "But I wonder if I may have a moment alone with Eagle, please."

Geo asked what the matter was regarding, but she kept her voice low as to avoid having their guests hear. He consented and motioned to Lantis and Hikaru to follow him from the room. "If you please. It's nothing to worry about it. She'll handle it," he said, comfortingly. Lantis looked back at Eagle before walking out. His face said, "I'll ask you later."

Mika stood motionless in the center of the room until the door shut behind her. She pulled up a chair beside him and sat down. Eagle wondered what she could be pondering as she eyed him. She looked very concerned. "I know the person who attacked us," she said carefully. He nodded, wanting her to go on. "He was one of my professors from secondary school." She drew a slow and steady breath before continuing, "after the domes came down, he lost everything—his wife and children, his home, his colleagues—we all lost everything." Eagle knew what she was speaking of. It was the reason why she moved to the Capitol and came under his service. She averted her eyes from his face and spoke to his hands. "Half the city was unlivable afterwards. He led protests and rallies to persuade the government to come to our aid. I participated in some of them. And we received assurances—your mother and father paid a visit and made some promises. But I have to admit that help came slowly. Only a fraction of those who survived the catastrophe have relocated successfully while the majority are still wandering from city to city, waiting for aid that never came." She looked up; her eyes had a hard look in them, as if holding something back. "He called me a traitor and you, as well—you and your parents. When you moved away ten years ago, the people from Sud and the rest of the South had hopes that they finally had someone who would represent them equally among the other three regions…and while developments didn't exactly take root in our region, they still trusted your family. Now, they are in desperate need of tangible assurances that they are not forgotten. That's why…"

She took hold of one of his hands and looked at him with pleadingly. "Your parents haven't heard of this yet but they will soon. The state of the union address just ended ten minutes ago. People were wondering why you were not present. Please, I know he is a good person. I've spoken to him before he came quietly. He's just not in the right mind right now. He's at his wit's end."

Eagle closed his right hand over hers. "Mika," he said slowly, "Am I to understand that you want me to appeal on his behalf?" She nodded. "He tried to kill us," he reminded her. "What example would I be setting for others when they break the law?"

"I admit that his choice was ill-advised. He can serve time and receive the help he needs," she suggested, defending her request. "We'll affirm that violence is not condoned and that they will be punished accordingly. At the same time, they will receive remediation." He was unconvinced. "Talk to him. Eagle," she said urgently, "desperation can push people to do terrible things they wouldn't otherwise do. If you turn your back on their suffering now and add to it without showing that you are attempting to redress their grievances…they'll have nothing to lose, nothing to hold them back. They will come to resent you. Can you think of how many others will rise up and take his same stance? This matter must be dealt with mercy and understanding in order to regain their trust. Your father has to address this issue before the press distorts it." Eagle pondered her words. He was still slightly skeptical.

In the past, would he have been so reluctant to take this chance? He thought of Cephiro, Fahren, and Chizeta. They were once enemies, each side willing to go to all lengths to capture the Pillar system…

Mika stood up and walked toward the window. She gazed out the window at the gray sky, her brow furrowed.

Their new potential enemies would not be foreigners, but their own people—the people he fought to save and for whom he would have given his life… If what she said was true, then would he try to save that man? "All right," he said, throwing the covers off of himself. "I'll talk to him." She turned to him, apparently in doubt a moment ago that he would grant her request. Now, she beamed at him.

He donned his usual disguise as the officer, Terrence. Mika hastily and profusely uttered apologies to Hikaru and Lantis for borrowing their host as they ran past the couple in the hallway. Ten minutes later, they were in the garage and pulling the cover off of his bike. She stopped him as he reached for the headpiece and offered to drive instead.

Eagle handed it over with some exasperation. They were in a hurry and now was not the best time to argue about it. Feeling very humbled and somewhat embarrassed, he placed his hands on her waist as she sped them towards the facility where the prisoner was detained.

Everything they passed was a blur as they breezed away from the manor and circled its perimeter towards their destination. He couldn't help wondering how much mental energy she was using.

It wasn't long before they arrived and entered through the heavily guarded gates. He learned that Geo had gone on ahead to check out the man's background and to initiate an interrogation.

"No criminal history," Geo informed them, as he led them to a room in the back, "but there are records of communication between him and the senator from Sud and another to the ambassador. He's also been searched for any other arms and the results came out negative." He unlocked the door by raising a hand to a scanner and the three of them entered a room with a large, glass wall with another built-in door at its left edge. On the other side of the glass was the man who attacked him. "He's been like that for the last half hour. He can't see us, so just go in when you're ready."

Eagle studied him. He was a short, balding man, likely in his late fifties, whose clothes seemed to hang off his figure as though they were meant for someone wider. His fingers clasped tightly over each other and he bowed his head, shutting his eyes tightly and moving his lips quickly as if uttering some nervous prayer. In his heart, Eagle felt a pang as he recalled what his guard had disclosed and imagined the experience of such a loss. He glanced over at Mika, who met him with imploring eyes before breaking off their contact and glancing down.

He decided that he would at least hear the other side of the story personally before making any decisions to appeal to his father. Pulling off the azure hair and taking out the contacts, he left the room and met his assailant as himself.

-o-

"The meeting is scheduled for four-thirty," said Geo, as they mounted themselves back on the bike. "Take the eastern passage by the memorial. It'll be faster than going back the way you came." The bike kicked off and they headed back toward the manor.

They ran for the boardroom at the west wing where the President and his advisors were congregating. The footmen opened the doors as they approached and the clamor died down as they drew near. President Vision rose from his seat and met his son as he entered. "So it's true," he whispered, looking from Eagle to the cut on his bodyguard's cheek.

At once, the clamor started again. Many seemed in favor of severely censuring the radical and identifying other potential accomplices. Eagle spoke against their recommendation and relayed some of the ideas that his bodyguard had presented beforehand. The angrier the advisors sounded, the more determined he was to see the notion through. The fear of losing control was driving them to propose harsh measures, which certainly would not improve the situation. President Vision sat back and listened to his son's proposition.

"We do not negotiate with terrorists!" exclaimed a senior member, pounding his fist on the table. To this, Mika sprung forward. "They are not terrorists," she said firmly. "They—" Eagle placed a hand on her should and she stopped speaking. "I'll talk to them," he whispered to her.

Stepping forward, he explained to them, "Sud is on the margins and feels abandoned by those whom it has put in power. It has been five months since the disaster. Many of our people are living in substandard conditions and they are reaching their limits." He stole a glance at President Vision. "They've tried to make the best of their situations while peacefully entreating us to do something about it."

President Vision stepped in, just as the opposing side was ready to rebut. "And you've confirmed that this man was working alone?" he asked his guard. She affirmed and cited Geo's confirmation. "Thank you," he said, nodding to Eagle. "You may leave us."

Eagle turned toward the door and caught his guard's eye. Together, they exited the room in silence. Once outside, she asked him what his father means. They rounded a corner. He explained that there may still be some time to negotiate with the South. "But," he added, stopping in place and looking at her intently, "you must understand that it is ultimately up to them to make the decision. And that it's not your fault if they decide otherwise." She grimaced and nodded reluctantly. "Understood," she whispered.

They continued walking and the corridor leading to the east wing came into view. From some doors ahead, Hikaru and Geo's voices could be heard. "Thank you," Mika said. "You're welcome," he responded, smiling gently.

A/N: I hope you liked learning about my version of Autozam. Thanks for reading!