"You're safe now."
The world of white darkened in color. With another blink, Lucina found herself sitting on a stool inside the potion shop. A whiff of the sweet cough syrup swirled inside her lungs. From behind, Robin's hand gently enclosed across her forehead, bringing the rest of her senses back. But instead of his hand comforting her, she was overwhelmed as if someone covered her face with a thin plastic bag. Water inside her boiled up to her lungs.
She didn't notice she was clenching on Robin's arm with both hands, wringing on his limb as she did with her sword, until he made a small suppressed sound. He had a brush in his other hand, now stopped in the middle of Lucina's hip-length locks. But he didn't withdraw his hand or tell Lucina to snap out of it. He simply waited.
"You're safe." Robin said again.
Lucina spread her hands and let them freeze. She nodded briskly. The skin didn't break but Robin did take a quick breath as if to hold in the pain. Another glass piece fell into the disposal bin behind her. Gentle, cold noises soaked into her being and filled the closed potion shop in a somber embrace.
The area around her was tangible now. The Falchion was on the table, clearing half of the piled up books onto the floor. A part of its blade shone into her eyes. The green rug that Luigi repositions each time someone steps on it was curled and wrinkled against the wall. Two bottles on the counter were shattered.
Robin shook his head. "Don't worry about those, I'll clean it later."
Lucina sunk into her seat. The person inside the mirror was a ghost of what she was this morning. What she thought were glass pieces at first glance were streaks of grey hair painted from the root to the tip. There were fine and toothed lines all across her body, some more dark and deep than the others but all of them hurt. Her eyes were a stale red that seemed to permeate across her eyelids and nose like a child's drawing.
Robin kept his eyes down into Lucina's hair, brushing out the last of the glass pieces with the bristle brush. Every once in a while, he would bring his hand up to the base of the nose and wipe across. As soon as Lucina heard him sniffle, tears clouded her vision.
"I don't understand why this keeps happening. How dare they do this to you. I—" He stopped and took in a sharp breath.
At almost the same time, both looked up and met eyes in the mirror. It only lasted for a second as Robin covered his mouth and nose and looked away again. Lucina hadn't seen Robin so miserable since they talked to the poisoned boy at the bakery. In a way, she felt the boy's pain not only from her fleshly injuries but from how caring Robin was. And to think how cold she was when she assumed there was nothing they can do to help and pulled him back.
Lucina couldn't look away from the reflection. It was awful, being able to see her mangled self and her friend killing his cries and tears all in one sight, but she wouldn't have been able to see this had she died a couple hours prior. Although she knew this was not the best outcome. A "best" outcome was skewed based on perspective and there was a good chance that there was no best outcome from that time at the arena.
"I'm so sorry I dragged you into this." Robin said between gasps.
The words were clear in Lucina's head but her voice would not respond. Robin still had his mouth covered, squeezing his eyes shut but tears were coursing down his fingers as the rain does when it travels down the muddy walls to the floors below.
These injuries were not Robin's fault; Lucina knew that. He introduced her to the Family and the elusive prince, but her interest wasn't forced. However, she also didn't want to believe it was her fault that she almost died.
A warm weight pressed against Lucina's back. It hurt to turn and check, but she assumed Robin sat down on another stool behind her and rested his head onto her curled back. His bottled-up sobs stung the insides of her ears.
With him out of her line of sight in the mirror, she lowered her head, and saw her left foot was stitched together and submerged in a plate of thick liquid. There could have been some numbing formula in the medicinal liquid but any pain that was there a couple hours ago was completely gone. All five toes were intact but the skin was rippled and white. The limb appeared alien; she almost forgot how to move her toes.
"You can't," She croaked, "blame yourself."
"And I'm not going to let you blame yourself." Robin muttered. His hair and voice against her back sent chills down her spine.
It was a strange feeling. At that moment when she fended off Roy or when she screamed at Captain Falcon, she felt a definite hate toward them. Perhaps it was an animalistic instinct of dealing with threat but now that she was here, that feeling was gone. There was no sorrow or acceptance, just a longing feeling that something could have been better.
"Roy, asked," Lucina started, but every word needed to be forced out.
Saying his name brought so much distress to her throat. The events at the arena were so unreal now but she couldn't deny the weight of the fatigue pressing her down into the stool, and the cuts, bruises, and burns all over her body.
"He asked, you and I to join…"
When Roy picked his sword off the glass covered ground, Lucina remembered the baker during the riot. Albeit she didn't mean for him to die also, but she could distinctly remember how disgusted she was that he was still alive after that tremendous amount of trauma. Surely she would have died a lot sooner. But now she sits in front of this mirror, somewhat alive.
"…the Family to find the prince…"
Was it the prince's fault that riot happened? He definitely started the sparks but a simple sign worked because there was some evil that needed to be addressed. And as Lucina remembered telling Bowser Jr., the baker didn't start making rat poison rolls without a reason, the thieves were ruining his business. So, would that make the thieves like the homeless boy be the source of evil?
"…and I said no."
There was no source of evil. Not an obvious one that Lucina could think of. Perhaps the idea of pointing fingers to someone and forcing the responsibility onto them was wrong. If everything was wrong, would it turn right if everything was torn down?
"Because I thought that would protect us."
It was a strange feeling. Only a couple weeks ago, Lucina looked down on the idea of tearing everything down and starting from scratch would make things better. It still didn't make sense to her now, but she could almost understand the motivation behind it.
"I think your choice was right." Robin replied.
"But I keep thinking," Lucina breathed, "There could have been a better choice."
The weight lifted off of her back. Lucina glanced up to the mirror again but found her friend still looking down. The dim lighting of the closed shop made Robin's interesting hair color appear dull like the grey streaks in her hair.
"You shouldn't think backwards if you don't know what you did wrong. It may have not been the best choice but sometimes you have to face the consequences. And besides, what if that choice ended up with you dead?"
"I didn't want to kill him." Lucina cut him short.
Robin lifted his head. Tears still filled his eyes but there was a tinge of confusion in his expression now. His lips quivered as he asked, "You weren't, alone, when you faced him, were you?"
Seeing the terrified look on her friend face, Lucina's first thought for some reason was to lie. But lying would only hurt him more in the long run.
"I was, alone." She whispered.
"What?" He cried. "What about your commander, or the other people at the station? Somebody must have heard the commotion! It was still early when you came out... They didn't make you face Roy alone, right?"
When Lucina couldn't muster the energy to respond, Robin fell back onto his stool again and wrapped his arms around Lucina. She stared at the ghostly white arms that crossed in front of her; grateful of the warmth against her back, but too exhausted to provide Robin any form of comfort. Her friend shuddered in small recesses, and while his arms were taut, his fingertips trembled.
Lucina's thoughts about the Citadel, the Family, the prince, and everything else dissolved inside Robin's arms for the moment. Her thoughts of the source of evil didn't matter now, and seeing how that disappeared so quickly, she realized that all she wanted from the beginning was to be safe. And safety was a luxury in the walled city.
"Maybe we can find a position for you here." Robin suggested.
"Where?"
"Here at the shop. I'll talk to Dr. Mario tomorrow."
"No." Lucina responded. "I can't, do that to my commander."
Robin pulled away, stood up so he faced her, but still kept a firm grip on her shoulders. "The same commander that didn't hear you fighting a Family member and didn't help you?"
"There must have been some mistake. Just like when you weren't there when I got kidnapped by the Guerrillas." Lucina grabbed Robin's shirt, suddenly feeling blood pumping through her body again as she tried to get out of her stool.
Her injured foot didn't respond to her fervor though, as a sharp, shooting sensation darted up her left leg. Lucina yelped and clutched onto Robin like a scared cat. The plate with the medicinal liquid clattered, spilling some on the floor.
The tense look in Robin's eyes softened and he eased Lucina back on the stool again slowly. Without the liquid on her foot now, the pain came in each time with her heartbeat. It felt like two giant hands were wringing her lungs dry. Black clouds obscured her vision.
"I'm sorry." Robin apologized candidly.
As the left foot was submerged into the liquid again, the pain was almost instantly gone, and Lucina hoped the clouds would go away but her vision kept getting darker and darker. The last thing she remembered was the vertigo of falling from her seat, and as a pair of arms caught her fall, thick, saliva-mixed blood pooled on her chest.
Lucina felt her entire body fall asleep as she saw it wasn't Robin that caught her. In her clenched hands was the Falchion lodged hilt-deep into the person's stomach, shuddering and digging around the fatal wound. The wet, muddling noise was so nauseating it skewed her vision. But the shakes in her hands wouldn't stop.
Roy clawed into Lucina's arms. The arms should have hurt, but her entire body was pulsating in stinging pain as if he ripped two layers of her skin off.
"Marth, promised."
"I'm sorry." Lucina muttered.
Roy tilted his head. His dilated eyes fixed onto Lucina as if he was faking the pain.
"You're sorry?"
"I didn't want to kill you."
"Neither did I, and look at how we ended up."
"I just wanted my father and Robin to be safe."
"So you chose to kill me."
"I didn't…"
Roy continued, with articulate words, "You could have swiped my feet like how I did to you or threatened me or disabled me until Ganondorf came or called for help or ran away or—"
Lucina caught herself before she said her immediate thought aloud. Though she was never fond of herself and knew most of her flaws, this response out of her gave her a revelation she did not want to know about herself.
Why aren't you dead yet?
She was biting her mouth shut but from the amused, bloody smile her adversary had, he seemed to understand what she was going to say.
Her body dipped forward. Now she had both feet on the ground, one spread open and destroyed and another barely supporting herself. In her right hand was the heavy Falchion stained and dragging against the tile. Blood, glass, and smoke decorated the arena but the body that was supposed to be there was gone.
A faint sweet smell filled her lungs as Lucina woke up at the potion shop again. Immediately, a pillow-like object pressed against her forehead and another supported her neck, as she shot up from her sleep. After a couple deep breaths and blinks, she noticed the two pillows were Lucario's paws taking care of her. He didn't speak a word but his care was nimble and precise.
Lucina had a moment to be surprised by Lucario's grip on the glass full of clean water as he didn't appear to have opposable thumbs. He nodded, pressing the rim of the glass gently against her lips. She took a careful sip and lifted her chin to force it down her throat. The water was lukewarm but it stung her insides like swallowing a needle as it traveled down.
As Lucario did his small check-ups, Lucina glanced at the small clock sitting on one of the desks. The red digital interface read 1400. She only then noticed the bustling in the street and Dr. Mario's bored voice as he talked to customers in the front of the shop. It was already an hour past her reporting time.
The fabric that hung from the ceiling separating the backroom from the shop wavered as Luigi poked his head through. His moustache curled into a smile upon finding Lucina.
"Thank goodness, you're awake!" Luigi sighed.
"I'm late for duty." Lucina cried out throatily. Her voice was barely a whisper.
When she tried to get out of the small bed, both Lucario and Luigi stepped forward and gently convinced her to sit again. As much as Lucina wanted to burst out of the shop and run to the station, she didn't have power to even stand up.
"Ah ah! Stay here, please. You're alright." Luigi reassured. "We're under strict orders from Robin to look after you until he returns."
In the corner of the room with the sink and the mirror, she saw a glimpse of herself with flesh-colored sticker bandages covering every cut the glass shards made. Her left foot was wrapped in layers of gauzes and rolls. The Falchion was sheathed and leaning against the wall, a little ways away from her. The damage she's done to the shop was neat and forgotten. Lucina imagined Robin's co-workers quietly cleaning up, taking turns caring for her as she slept in the bed. She looked down into her hands.
Her lips quivered, trying to find a reason to leave. "I need to go. My duty. My father."
"Robin went to your apartment room. I'm sure he'll be back soon."
An unfitting feeling washed over her. She was grateful of Lucario and Luigi looking after her, and Robin for everything else, but something felt out of place. Perhaps doing nothing instead of the usual routine was uncomfortable since her fingers were pinching the blanket that was over her.
"Soon as in now, actually." Robin stepped into the room, a smile on his face but the very apparent red in his eyes indicated his smile was forced.
In his hands were the three different keys to Lucina's apartment room. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Even though Robin was the one person outside the room that she could truly trust, Lucina felt the same animalistic fear when Roy told her he was a member of the Family. The same fear where she felt like her whole identity was in danger.
"I'm sorry I took your keys." Robin apologized. "I know they mean a lot that you hold onto them."
Lucina blinked. "No, I… I don't…"
On the sidelines, Lucario nervously clutched onto the bandage rolls and stared at Luigi and Robin. But Luigi understood the situation, and pulled the anxious Lucario by his palms to leave the room. Dr. Mario out in front told something to his brother and they instantly started a banter.
Robin placed the keys back in Lucina's hands with a light clink. The warmth of the metal keys from being in his hands felt strange. Since her father gave her the keys after he couldn't really move from his bed anymore, they've been in her possession and never left her side.
"I couldn't let Chrom wait for his medication. …And I couldn't let him in the dark." Robin explained.
"Was he surprised?"
"No. He smiled and greeted me like how he always would. I gave him his dailies, made us lunch, and told him you got injured and I took care of you at the shop."
"Did you tell him I…"
He shook his head. "It's not my position to explain to him. I don't know if you explained things to Chrom yet but I think he's getting suspicious of what we're doing. I can do the talking or you can."
Lucina couldn't take her eyes off from the three keys.
It was a quarter past three when Robin and his co-workers finally said okay on her going to work, with Robin's assistance. The burn on her left foot needed to be sterile so Luigi offered his green rain boots. They were several sizes too big but it beats dirty water and infections. The first step still felt like someone hammered a nail in the base of her foot so Robin stood on her left side for support.
When Lucina asked Dr. Mario what the payment would be for using the medicine and bandages as well as compensation for the broken bottles, his usual relaxed sitting self stood up from his stool.
"Did you pay last time?"
"No, um," Lucina stammered, remembering when she came to the shop instead of going home when she was kidnapped by the Guerrillas. At that time she wanted to see if Robin was okay after his disappearance but she did need some medical attention, and she got that for free. "Robin told me to not worry about it but..."
"Right, so don't worry about it." Mario concluded.
The way he said it so matter-of-factly took her aback. Robin was tugging on her sleeves before she paid for anything, but after Mario's response, he stopped to listen.
"I… don't want to freeload your products and use your shop because Robin works here." she countered.
Mario frowned. "Freeloading? If Robin was napping in the back during work, that is freeloading. You suffered third degree burns in your foot, lacerations from head to toe, and from what I see, mental trauma from your hair greying like that. I'd send you to a hospital but I don't trust those unlicensed schmucks and I wanted to help you. We need to help each other out in order to live. Okay, Lucius?"
A warm reassuring feeling spread across Lucina's being. She was so comfortable in this potion shop, she forgot to hide her hip-length hair to keep her disguise. Still, the workers treated her the same and cared for her wellbeing. The one thing she could say was to explain how she got these injuries but she resorted to revealing something else.
"My name is Lucina, by the way." She greeted softly.
"I can't believe you actually said your name to them." Robin sighed. Lucina heard the smile in his voice.
The late afternoon streets of the Outer Rim was filled with moisture. Lucina also borrowed a raincoat from Luigi to shelter her cuts from the rain and also as a form of disguise since her outer cloak was burned and stained from yesterday. There was a chance that they would encounter Captain Falcon again, but the rain also helped them keep a low profile. One step at a time, they walked to the station.
"I couldn't keep my alias around people who saved my life." She muttered.
"You trust them."
Lucina nodded. It wasn't just because they provided her shelter and took care of her. When Mario said helping each other was a natural response, Lucina genuinely felt happy being there. Having a person like Robin be her friend was a blessing but knowing she could trust more people was truly a gift. But she couldn't tell them she killed a Family member since that might put them in danger. All they did was treat her injuries. It might just be a placebo since Captain Falcon did show up in front of the potion shop but it was a medicine she needed.
When the stairs to the station drew near, Lucina's footing stopped. She relied heavily on Robin so he came to a surprised halt as well. Thoughts in a form of a thick fog enveloped her and prevented her from taking another step. What happened after she ran away last night? What if Roy wasn't actually dead? Did she really kill a person yesterday?
She could smell the blood and smoke.
"I'll go in with you." Robin offered. There was concern but also some determination in his eyes.
"You can't. Unless you're an authorized personnel…" Lucina trailed off.
An unfamiliar shadow was casting the two of them. Her commander was sitting at the top of the stairs, outside the actual station. Sitting was more of an understatement; the once proud authority figure appeared as if he was hard-pressed and welded into the metal netting. She almost couldn't recognize him from his miserable stance.
"Commander…?"
The large man lifted his head from his hands and stared blankly below him. It took a couple seconds of silence to register the situation before he shot up and started tearing down the metal stairs. Lucina felt Robin step forward slightly and stiffen as if he was protecting her.
"Lucius! Lucius, you're alive!" He thundered as his steps against the metals stairs also rang the insides of her ears.
"Are you the commander?" Robin interjected.
Ganondorf blinked. He seemed to notice Robin only now that he was at the bottom of the stairs. The rude question also seemed to freeze him over again as he kept a hand on the railing. Under his coat, Lucina saw that her friend had a grip on his Levin Sword.
"Don't." Lucina said whilst placing a hand on Robin's.
He loosened his grip on the sword, but didn't take his eyes off of Ganondorf. "Where were you last night when my friend was fighting against a Family member, alone?"
"Robin,"
The left foot seemed to hurt more from seeing her friend confronting her commander. As much as she wanted the answer to the same question, she wanted nothing more than to pretend this situation wasn't happening before her. The true purpose of a guard's job was to protect the Royals against the Family, as she somewhat did yesterday, but Lucina noticed she was fine and actually wanted to keep on training with no threats whatsoever.
Roy was right. She didn't care about protecting the Royals. She will never know them and neither will they. If an actual assault happened, when given the chance, she could see herself running away from the station.
"Come inside." The commander replied. "Both of you."
As Ganondorf turned to climb the stairs again, Lucina spotted large dark stains dulling the reflection in his plated boots. There were no obvious injuries or discrepancies on him except for the rounded back. Ganondorf being fine probably meant the other guards were fine as well, but his presence itself after what happened yesterday made her overly nervous. Each step up the stairs was tormenting and barely tolerable.
Stagnant air hung low in the station. Even the hallway to the cafeteria was dim and silent. There should be guards in the benches, walking down the halls, chatting in the balcony, but none were there. Just like yesterday night.
Robin kept a firm hand around Lucina's shoulders as the three of them advanced further into the station. He didn't really see the surroundings but Lucina could tell he was alert for something. Ganondorf walked ahead in a steady pace; his heavyset boots would usually echo in the halls but today they seemed to glide across the polished floors.
Glass shards still filled the floor of the arena. It was the one place that was lit up so the reflections were even more harsh. Remnants of the blood and smoky odor lingered but most was washed away from the water, which made big puddles in the tile and glass. Robin took a quick look at Lucina as if he was trying to verify something. She nodded.
A small part of Lucina hoped Roy's body was still there, but he was gone as well.
"The next group of cleaners are going to come tonight to pick up the glass pieces. I told them to hold off but I guess it wasn't my authority to give orders." Ganondorf trailed off.
"Sir, you didn't call for the cleaners?" Lucina asked, carefully wording her question.
Ganondorf turned his head to Lucina and Robin. His overall expression seemed blank and took a while to focus. He looked like he could fall dead right now. The dullness in his boots resembled caked blood, which should mean he was at the arena before the cleaners did their jobs. Judging it was only his boots that were dirtied, the commander fell to his knees at the sight of the disaster.
"Why don't we sit down and talk?" Robin offered.
The cafeteria was polished clean. Plates were stacked, countertops were cleared, even the garbage cans were emptied, leaving only the faint smell of cleaning agents behind. Only a couple weeks ago, Lucina sat across from Ganondorf and ate dinner while he talked about him gaining weight and needing more exercise. She had an intuition that somewhat embarrassing but heartwarming scene would never happen again.
Before they sat down, Ganondorf stuck out a hand to Robin and forced a smile.
"You must be Lucius' friend. Commander Ganondorf of the Outer Rim station."
"Robin." He said shortly as he shook the hand.
Ganondorf sat down first, and watched as Robin helped Lucina sit in the seat across from him. She tried to situate herself as quiet as possible but her injuries and rustling plastic raincoat made quite a scene.
"Last night's incident…" The commander started. "I want you to know everything caught me off guard and none of this was executed in the right way. Forgive me for not being there, Lucius."
"I think assaults don't come with a notice." Lucina muttered.
A bitter taste closed in her throat for talking back to her superior but she couldn't hold back. There was no more patience for avoiding around and not getting the answer. An attack happened, it was going to happen some day, but the fact that after all of that conflict and Ganondorf didn't hear it was out of character. The entirety of the arena's glass wall fell down and spread throughout the tiles. People outside the station should have heard it.
"You're right. I…" Ganondorf struggled.
"Sir, did the cleaners take care of a body, and was that a Family member I killed?" She added.
"It was. It was Roy." Her commander squeezed his eyes shut.
The confirmation struck into Lucina's soul. It was somewhat relieving but was more of a jarring shock that she actually killed someone by her doing. That moment where she drove the Falchion into Roy's stomach wasn't a fever dream. In his dying breath, he still believed in the prince's ambition.
In the glass of the door that lead to the hallway, a reflection looked back at her with dilated eyes. A vigorous hand rubbed her shoulders to snap out of it.
"Breathe." Robin advised.
She nodded, not even noticing she was holding her breath. It wasn't over yet. Roy threatened her but also promised to not kill her. He came for Lucina specifically and knew exactly when to get her alone. The timing was too perfect; Ganondorf left to answer a call and there weren't any guards around the arena. But she couldn't think of the right way to pose the question.
Lucina must have looked at Robin for help, because he knew the right question.
"I'm no expert, but I thought the Royal Battalion didn't know much about the members except for the leader. Or do you keep that information hidden from other guards?"
Ganondorf opened his eyes and kept them open, but didn't meet with either Lucina or Robin. Time seemed to stop.
From what Lucina learned as a trainee, the Family would annihilate the stations one by one, every member acting as one entity and never making public appearances except for the leader, the elusive prince. A couple residents sided with the prince and started to tear down the infrastructure themselves, while some who opposed fought back against their neighbors. It wasn't until a rumor spread that the prince had lost, that everyone had to cease fire. There wasn't a reason to fight anymore. Most people hid in their homes but some people killed each other for a new world and it ended abruptly, leaving deep scars and permanent grudges against each other. If the Royals had any authority or ruling power, it was gone fifteen years ago.
When Lucas slipped his mouth about the Guerrillas having a list of old Family members, Lucina somewhat excused the legitimacy of it since they were doing their own research out of curiosity. The Royal Battalion should have a more refined research division since it was their only threat and only focus. It could be because Lucina is a new guard but if Ganondorf relies on her on the slightest level, she should know more about the enemy. Because attacking blind almost cost her life yesterday night.
"Do… you know the members, sir?"
The question took all of Lucina's breath. Her commander still hadn't answered Robin's question and remained a frozen statue. If it wasn't obvious before, it was now. Ganondorf was hiding things.
Robin was balling his fists underneath the table. Likewise Lucina placed a hand on his back to ease him. As she rubbed his back, he bit his lips to hold himself from interrogating the commander. She appreciated Robin's presence here now but she hoped he understood that attacking Ganondorf with demands and questions would go nowhere.
When the commander spoke again, Lucina could almost hear the silence ripping away like a dry piece of paper.
"I knew Roy. He must have done terrible damage to you. I understand you don't deserve this but I'll give you paid leave until your injuries are healed. I'll formulate my response in the meantime."
As if it was a timed answer, there was a faint rattle on the metal door. Dozens of white machines with dustpan arms rolled into the arena and began to systematically clean up the glass pieces. Ganondorf didn't meet eyes or say any sendoffs as he held the door open for Lucina and Robin to leave. The last of the cleaners arrived with large clunky disposal bins and the door to the station was shut closed again.
The two of them stood in front of the locked door in stunned silence. Murky rainwater still covered their ankles and showered on them from the cracks in the ceiling. While the water crawled down the worn walls, the rain hitting against the smooth metal door slithered down in fine strings.
"When your foot gets better, I'm coming with you again." Robin confirmed.
Lucina couldn't think of a way to refuse his offer. She didn't want to admit, but she was irritated and confused at her commander for not clarifying what he appears to know. He knew Roy. He might have known that Roy was going after Lucina. But he didn't warn her. That put-on smile he gave her last night before he took a call from his transceiver could have been the last time she saw him.
The two made their way back to the potion shop again, after Robin convinced Lucina that Dr. Mario wanted to look over her injuries. Her first thought was her father, still sleeping alone after Robin visited him this morning, so she went her way to make Robin grip the three keys to the apartment room. She didn't say anything and Robin stayed quiet but he had a smile on his face as they walked back supporting her left foot.
The following morning, Robin dropped off Chrom's medication for the week and helped Lucina back into the apartment room. The warm, comforting smell almost brought tears to her eyes. Robin promised to continue treating her cuts and burns tomorrow and left the room to give her privacy. As Lucina was treated at the potion shop, she rehearsed the talk to her father, and noticed she was as nervous as she was when she talked back to her commander. After all, in order to not make her father worry, she hasn't said anything about their investigation for the Family.
Chrom was soundly asleep. He faced the door with legs stretching to the end of the bed in a relaxed position. When Lucina brushed his fingertips, they were warm.
It felt out of place, sitting by her father at this time of the day and not being at the station. But it was soothing to hear him sleep. The room behind her, her room, was too uncomfortable. The Falchion leaned against the wall, her uniform and circlet laid flat on the untouched bed, the transceiver Captain Falcon gave her was splayed on the dresser with its batteries ripped out, and next to it, the one month paid leave Ganondorf gave her was still in the paper envelope. She did check its insides after he told her it was a month's worth but didn't bother to actually count the payment.
Roy haunted her dreams. Now that Ganondorf confirmed his death the nightmares got worse. Last night, it was Lucina that had a sword through her stomach. The blade sprouting from her back didn't quiver like hers, but continued to dig into her insides. The overturning, painful but sickening sensation felt so real. She never had someone pierce a sword through her back, but in the dream it was just as she would have imagined.
Then as Roy drew the blade out, standing behind him, a cloaked individual came forward and caught her fall. The motion was fast so Lucina saw a glimpse of the person's face before the hood settled over his face again. One hazy blue eye and one milky eye. He still appeared young but age was starting to show in the corners of his face.
His voice was strong as if he was speaking into her ears: "You didn't kill him."
"Lucina."
A warm hand brushed through her hair. As Lucina sniffled and repositioned, she saw her father was awake with a smile that lifted up his cheeks. It took a while to notice she fell asleep in her seat. An hour had passed by.
"Your snores woke me up." He chuckled.
"I don't snore." Lucina frowned.
"Oh yes you do. Well, if you're napping here, are you off today?"
Her father was brushing through the grey streak. His tone was light but that made it even harder for Lucina to explain what had happened.
"I got injured at the station. I'm on paid leave for a couple weeks."
The words stopped there. Her father's hand retreated underneath the blanket but she still felt the attention on her. When the Guerrillas kidnapped her, she avoided talking because he didn't ask questions. He deserved an explanation then too but she took the advantage that he wasn't feeling as well than he was now. But she couldn't name why the words were stuck.
Before she joined the Royal Battalion and before Robin started working at the potion shop, her father used to look over her injuries. That was also before he became bedridden but if anyone deserved to know how she got these injuries, it was her father.
"When you were young, you ran away and didn't come home for three days." Her father murmured.
Lucina looked up. The lifting smile her father had was just hanging on his lips now.
He continued: "It happened from a dumb fight and I regretted immediately but you were too quick when you ran out. Luckily Robin passed by and he helped me find you. After the first night, I was wallowing in guilt. It was the most I've cried since your mother died.
"But Robin didn't stop to worry. He kept searching. And searching. And on the third day, as he was telling me all the places you and him know, he had one more spot on his mind and he found you there. The Outer Rim was a nicer place back then since you were drinking some fruit juice someone gave you and looking up at the cracks in the ceiling. My life felt whole again when I hugged you and Robin. I noticed I didn't trust him to find you so since then he's been like a son to me."
When Lucina blinked, not recounting this ever happening to her, Chrom chuckled.
"The moral of the story is to know who to trust."
"I trust Robin too."
"That's not what I… Ah, go to your room, I'm still sleepy." Her father grumbled, turning away from Lucina in his bed. A bit of red painted his cheeks so he could have been embarrassed unfolding an old story.
It wasn't that Lucina didn't understand his story. It's what she had been struggling with and starting to overcome. But she realized one reason why she couldn't talk to her father. Despite loving and caring for him, she knew explaining could only hurt him, and he could not help her like he used to. This apartment room was the only safe haven from the Family, the station, and everything else in the Citadel. And she couldn't bring that into her home. Now it was her turn to protect him.
"Do you feel any pain or discomfort?" Luigi asked.
Lucina was back at the potion shop, this time Luigi wanted to look over how her foot was healing. It's been a week since she last went to the station. The brief healing period has been lackluster but peaceful. She still had trouble sleeping but the nightmares didn't happen every night now.
"Um, it feels numb." She answered.
"I feel uncomfortable letting Luigi look at your foot, Lucina." Dr. Mario made an audible sigh. "Let me know if he does something wrong, okay?"
Luigi cupped his hands into a whisper to Lucina. "That's Mario's way of saying he cares about you a lot. But I'm more careful than him."
"Ah ah! I heard that!"
Luigi laughed so she smiled. Robin's co-workers treated her no different than before since she revealed her real name and gender. She hoped that would be the case but as soon as that happened, as soon as she realized it didn't make a big impact, it came as a bit of a surprise.
"I don't think you need a skin graft." Lucario remarked, peering over Luigi's shoulder.
"Yes, Robin stitched that up very nicely." Luigi nodded. "The numbness might be from the formula but the cut is pretty deep so some of your nerves might be affected. It shouldn't interfere with your walking other than feeling a little tingly in each step."
Walking. In these past couple of days, Lucina had help getting to the potion shop and back home. The throbbing pain was almost gone but each step in her left foot felt like walking in a shoe made of aluminum foil. Not impossible, but very uncomfortable. But sitting still made her think of the incident at the station so it was a distraction she needed. Even at home, she made herself busy with cleaning and taking care of her father.
Robin made Mario take them to the new supply shop to get some walking practice and to buy hair pins for Lucina. The doctor promised to take them to "The Gates of Hell" but it was obvious he's been trying to skirt around from the topic. Today, he made the excuse of the shop being too far away for Lucina. It certainly didn't sound like a normal establishment though it piqued her interest. But when Mario said the shop was in the Midst, Lucina did actually hesitate. The Guerrillas made their hideout in that region. So her new habit of leaving the Falchion at home was regrettably altered.
As much as she didn't want to hold the tainted blade, she was even more scared of entering the Midst unarmed. Though, Robin also took his Levin Sword with him and that took away some of the pressure.
Hot steam surrounded the three in thick blankets. Unlike the last time Lucina was in the Midst, the streets were lively with people passing by each other industriously. She noticed many of them had towels slung over their shoulders. With the perpetual steam from the water plant below them and the week-long rain from above, Lucina understood the need for the big towels. She also noticed there were more people lounging carelessly in the doorsteps and chairs placed outside.
The streets were anything but cold and still the doctor rubbed his arms as if he was freezing.
"This place gives me the heebie-jeebies." He muttered.
"That's the third time you said that since we got to the Midst." Robin reminded. "What are 'heebie-jeebies' anyway?"
"An idiom. I read it in a book."
"I've read all of the books at the shop twice over."
"I have different books at my room too. Why would I keep a book of idioms at the shop?"
"To pass time when we don't have customers."
Lucina smiled at their fast-paced chitchat. Despite Mario's uneasiness, she found herself becoming more comfortable walking around. It might be because she wasn't alone and it was in the middle of the day but the people in the Midst seemed to mind their business and kept themselves occupied more so than the Outer Rim.
Then, as soon as they approached the shop, the atmosphere changed.
"The Gates of Hell" wasn't a typical supply shop. The establishment was more of a bar or maybe even an expensive brothel. There were a couple in the Outer Rim as well with dark neon lights illuminating the entrance. The neon added a certain charm but Lucina never dared to go near one before.
"Uh, are you sure this is a supply shop?" Robin emphasized, nudging Mario with his elbow. But Mario was shorter than him so he was nudging his face.
"Read the sign." Mario swatted Robin's elbow and pointed to the A-frame near the entrance. The list of products included candies, drinks, light food, toiletries, repair service, and "unearthly treasures". The last item was emphasized with quotation marks, which made Lucina wonder if it was a code for prostitution or something else.
"Right." Mario cleared his throat. "So I'll stay here, you two go inside, okay?"
Robin's mouth hung open. "You're not coming? Mario, I thought you were the braver brother."
"Oh Luigi won't even step foot into the Midst. He says he wants to venture around but there's a reason why we opened the shop where it is. You're very lucky I guided you this far."
Lucina gulped. The shop wasn't particularly menacing. It was more mysterious and she couldn't wrap her mind on what awaits for her inside. She recalled the blind shop owner from a couple weeks ago. If things didn't change she would have always went to that shop. But an accident happened and for that woman things will never be the same again. Still, was it worth entering to buy a couple of hair pins or to search for another supply shop?
"First-timers?" A solid but calm voice resonated from behind.
When Lucina flinched and spun her head around, she was taken aback at the sight of a woman's arms crossed over her chest. Having to look up another foot to meet her face was somehow unsettling, but everything about her was stunning. The woman was an ageless type of beautiful. Lucina couldn't take a guess on how old she was or even what kind of clothes she was wearing.
"The name is quite alarming but Rodin is generous, for a price, anyway." The woman continued. "And you should know better than to just stop in the middle of the street around here. In you all go!"
With a shove as strong as her voice, Lucina, Robin, and Mario was forced into "The Gates of Hell". The inside of the shop was dark with seldom neon lights, giving the impression of its space feeling wider than it looks from the outside.
A dark-skinned man was behind the counter rubbing the inside of a glass cup with a cloth. He noticed the new customers and smiled when he saw the woman. Or he seemed to see, since he wore colored lenses that hid his eyes.
"You finally brought some friends, huh, Bayonetta?" The bartender said with a sigh.
The woman rolled her eyes as she continued to push the three closer to the bar counter. Lucina was compelled to accept the forced steps for some reason, one of them being she felt the name "Bayonetta" was perfect for the woman. It was similar to the way she felt when she learned her commander's name was Ganondorf; a strong name that left an impression of the person.
"Uh, Bayonetta, my friend here has his foot injured." Robin stammered.
Bayonetta raised her arms. "Oh, I apologize. I don't suppose you're here to drink away the pain, but that's none of my business." She then winked furtively and took a seat at the counter.
Upon closer inspection, Lucina noticed Bayonetta was wearing a skin-tight black suit and looked away as she did. She felt her cheeks blush and thanked the dark lighting of the bar. More than anything, she was surprised at how forward Bayonetta was.
"So, what can I do for you today?" The bartender, Rodin, leaned forward with a smirk.
Mario had his eyes wide and fiddling with his fingers like he was still shocked that Bayonetta shoved him into the bar. To be fair, "The Gates of Hell" was unusual and intimidating. Even the smooth music from the record player seemed to have a hidden ominous meaning behind it. But despite its unsettling atmosphere, Lucina couldn't deny the instinct that this place along with Bayonetta and Rodin wasn't dangerous.
"I was hoping you'd have hair pins." Lucina said.
For a second, Bayonetta and Rodin shared a similar surprised look. From an outside point of view it was indeed a strange request, but the bartender nodded. He opened one of the many cabinets from behind the counter and pulled out a tray. Lucina and Robin then shared a look of surprise that a cabinet for hairpins existed so conveniently close to the bar counter.
On top of the smooth, fine cloth were hairpins neatly placed with careful precision. Some had strange jewels, some were strewn with arcane symbols, some looked like more of a weapon than a hairpin, and none seemed suitable to the amount she had in her pocket.
"See anything that you like?" The bartender probed.
As Lucina scanned the rows of pins for something simpler, a gentle hand brushed through a strand of her loose hair. Bayonetta had a frown on her lips as she ran her fingers through Lucina's hair again.
"Um—" Lucina muttered, but she was cut off.
Still looking at her hair, Bayonetta asked, "Have you been through trouble?"
From the corner of her eye, Lucina saw that Bayonetta was touching her grey strands. She flinched, bumping into Robin who was standing next to her. Bayonetta withdrew her hand with a knowing smile.
"We all go through rough times, don't we." Bayonetta said, then turned to the bartender, "Rodin, why don't you put the hairpins on my tab, hmm?"
No words could form in her head as Lucina was so stunned from that moment; even when Robin asked her if she was okay she could only nod. She managed to say a small 'thank you' as Bayonetta picked out some silver hair pins with small stars welded into the metal. The bartender eyed the transaction with some interest.
As they were getting ready to leave, the bartender reminded them that Mario had stepped outside as Lucina was looking through the hairpins. Robin rolled his eyes, mumbling something about him losing a bet. Lucina noticed he seemed relaxed in this bar as well, which made her somewhat believe in her instincts about this place.
"You're always welcome here, boys." Bayonetta winked. "If you ever need to run away from your problems or need a place to stay."
"You know, Bayonetta, this is my shop." Rodin added.
She gave him a look. "And you need more customers other than me."
Lucina said her halfhearted greetings and pulled on Robin's sleeves to leave the establishment. They walked for her safety but if she didn't have the injured foot she wanted to leave a little quicker.
But once outside, the unease was instantly gone.
Mario was pressed against the wall by children, but he appeared downright terrified. Out of the five that were there, Lucina recognized one, the leader of the bunch. Before she could draw out her Falchion, he raised his hands and cried: "I'm not here to fight!"
The people bustling through the streets made wide turns away from the commotion, as none seemed particularly concerned. Lucina would act the same too; there was no reason to stick your head in a fight that wasn't yours. But this was too personal.
"Step away from my friend." Lucina warned, a hand still placed on the grip.
Bowser Jr. nodded promptly. He gestured with his hand to let his allies know to fall back. Mario scuttled to Robin and Lucina's side with a breathless thanks.
The four children stepped back behind Bowser Jr., not appearing scared but curiously looking back and forth from their leader and Lucina, their former hostage. None of them were armed with weapons and could pass as regular kids, except for their remarkable coordination as a group.
"I'm not here to fight." Bowser Jr. said again. "Thank Lucas."
"And where is Lucas?" Lucina pressed.
"We've been laying low after the incident with you. You know, talking."
"What did you do to him?"
Bowser Jr. blinked. "What do you mean, what did I do to him?"
One teammate tapped Bowser Jr. on the shoulder with a transceiver. He was about to brush him aside as a voice cracked through the machine. After a quick, quiet exchange, Bowser Jr. lifted the transceiver towards Lucina.
"Lucas wants to talk to you."
A tense atmosphere surrounded them as if the floors were made of glass. The transceiver Bowser Jr. held was a certain distance that Lucina could see it, but it was virtually impossible to hear the other person on the line due to the busy commotion in the streets.
The way Bowser Jr. acted when Lucina asked about Lucas' safety seemed like it took him aback, almost offended. But according to Robin and Mario, Lucas was a regular customer that comes in once a week and it's been several weeks since his last visit. There was every right to be concerned for his safety, especially since he said he would talk about them working together, despite the rough first impression.
As Lucina delved deeper into her thoughts, one of Bowser Jr.'s teammates fell out of line and snatched the transceiver. He (or she) skipped joyously toward Lucina, handing the device to her with both pink stubby arms and a smile. Something about the mysterious round form and big red feet seemed innocuous. Robin couldn't hide the smile on his face but when he met eyes with Lucina he forced it back into a frown again.
Lucina bent over to take the device from the child's hands. "Thank you."
The transceiver was considerably smaller than the one she had but it was a similar build. Lucina pressed the "Talk" button and waited for Lucas' reply.
"Hello? Robin? Dr. Mario?"
"This is Lucius. We're all here." Lucina replied. She wished she didn't sound so cold but she knew she was nervous.
Robin leaned over, recognizing Lucas' voice. "Are you okay, buddy?"
"Hi Lucius, hi Robin! I'm fine. Are you guys okay?" Lucas piped up. He sounded more enthusiastic now that he heard Robin's voice.
"No problems. Mario is a bit spooked but he'll be alright, right?" Robin looked back at Mario, who nodded briskly.
"Dr. Mario? Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, my allies don't mean any harm." Lucas cried, then continuing to apologize to everyone including Lucina for some polite, good-natured reason.
"Cut to the chase!" Bowser Jr. growled.
"Okay okay! We want to apologize and talk about working together, at our hideout."
Lucina looked back at Robin, who stayed quiet. She recalled their conversation that she should be the one who decides if they should collaborate their efforts or not.
"...As long as Dr. Mario goes home safely first. Robin can escort him." She replied.
"I can't let you be alone here." Robin interjected.
"I-I can walk back fine, no need to worry about me." Mario stuttered. "And yes, I don't want to leave you here either, especially since you're... um..."
Lucina let go of the button, leaving Lucas out of the transmission for a brief moment. "I'm not the strongest nor the most healthy but I'm a trained swordsman before I'm anything else. And you trust Lucas, right?"
Robin nodded, but Mario still stuttered, struggling to find words other than "because you're a girl", or at least that was what Lucina presumed.
The transceiver rang in her hands.
"How about you guys come to the hideout and then I'll go to the potion shop with Dr. Mario? I wanted to buy more supplies anyway." Lucas suggested.
The three of them sat in silence, pleasantly surprised with his suggestion. And by hearing how Lucas was willing to help out compared to how he acted at the potion shop several weeks ago made Lucina wonder that Bowser Jr. actually listened to his idea.
"Uh, sure." Lucina said back, feeling her cheeks color.
During the walk to the Guerrillas hideout, Bowser Jr., who lead the way, kept looking behind him and made frequent awkward eye contact with Lucina. She understood, making such a sudden and dramatic exit after being held hostage, there was a good chance neither of them even dreamt of working together. How Lucas convinced him was a mystery but he didn't seem to have malicious intent, especially with his teammates surrounding them, smiling and giggling amongst each other.
Chills went down Lucina's spine to see the small and sturdy metal door she escaped from several weeks ago. She couldn't help gripping the Falchion's hilt underneath her cloak, but she took advantage of the thick, obscuring steam rising from the water plant below.
Lucas opened the door as the group approached. He appeared healthy; there were no signs of malnutrition or any injuries, and the curl in his blonde hair was still there. He didn't speak much to his leader before he waved at Robin and Lucina casually and took a very puzzled Mario back to the potion shop.
"So," Robin started, "You guys are Lucas' friends, huh?"
"…And I hope we can become allies." Bowser Jr. emphasized.
Robin raised his eyebrows but reserved any additional comments. One by one, the Guerrillas walked into the hideout. The pink child who gave Lucina the transceiver held the door open for them with the same friendly smile.
"How's your foot?" Robin whispered to Lucina.
"It's okay." She replied curtly.
Rather than her foot bothering her, she was tense, because the room Bowser Jr. lead to was the same room where she was disarmed and interrogated. Albeit nicer chairs replaced the plastic ones, they couldn't hide the metal pole she was tied against.
As they filed into the white-lit room, another boy already occupied a chair with arms crossed over his chest. Bowser Jr. made an audible sigh but Lucina felt her throat dry up from the sight of him.
"I thought you said they're going to be our allies now, junior." Ness deadpanned.
"I'm not gonna argue with you right now."
"Didn't you think the swordsman would be uncomfortable in here? Our guests deserve a better conference room than this." Ness gestured to the details of the room. He gracefully stepped off from his chair and started to push everyone out into the tight hallway again.
Bowser Jr. growled but without further ado, he shoved through the hallway full of kids and started to walk back to another room. As everyone tried to turn around without stumbling over each other, Lucina felt a hand brush against her leg.
"Oops, how rude of me. Sorry, swordsman." Ness smiled.
Appalled by the boy's casualness, Lucina knitted her mouth shut.
"I do have a more formal apology for you later. After the conference." He added. The smirk was replaced by a stern look in his beady irises.
Something about his disposition felt similar to Lucas. Lucina dismissed it as them both wearing striped shirts and denim shorts. After all, they were almost polar opposites in personality.
It wasn't until they were all seated that Lucina noticed they were sitting in the kitchen of the hideout. It was well tended for a hideout full of kids without adult care. A sweet sugary scent wafted around the room and while Lucina couldn't identify the source, it set her mind at ease compared to the previous room.
Robin sat to her left, and to her right, the pink child hopped into the seat as if they couldn't wait to sit next to her. More kids filed in, talking amongst themselves, grabbing chairs and squeezing in between to fit the round table.
"Well, we're not all here but that's okay, I guess." Bowser Jr. muttered.
Before he took the last seat, he reached over the kitchen counter to a small metal tray full of knick knacks. Fortunately, the item he was looking for was on top wrapped in a small plastic bag. He handed it to Lucina timidly as if he was afraid she'll bite. Before she took it, Lucina assessed the see-through bag: her hair pins and a shiny copper-colored key to what she assumed was a spare key to the hideout.
"I didn't agree to help you." She answered.
Bowser Jr. groaned. "At least take your pins. No one here has hair long enough to need them and I hate throwing stuff away."
Without a moment to talk back, an arm stretched over Lucina and took the bag. Robin set it on the table in front of him. "We'll take the hair pins and we can discuss about the key now. Is that okay?" He said with a courteous smile.
Lucina gave him a look but Bowser Jr. seemed content. He climbed into his seat and laced his scaled fingers together. As he cleared his throat, most of the kids leaned in closer to the table.
"Robin, right? And Lucius." He started. "First of all, I'm sorry for harming both of you. I assumed some things about you two and I wasn't right.
Lucina nodded, albeit a bit surprised at how formal Bowser Jr. was now.
"Lucas told me that you guys wanted to know more about the Family as well. My question is, is that for the sake of the Royal Battalion, or is it personal?" Bowser Jr. stared into Lucina's eyes so intently, she could see his eyelids twitch from across the table.
The room fell silent. Lucina felt exposed under a white light. She almost forgot what she said to Bowser Jr. when she escaped from the hideout, but his desperate state reminded her that he still thinks the note from the prince is at the Royal Battalion station.
It was strange, her first instinct was to trust Bowser Jr. and tell him the truth. Rather than protecting her reputation and position that she had worked years for, and instead trust her kidnapper. She couldn't fully dismiss her reasoning just because the Guerrillas were a gang of kids, since Robin trusts one of them. And after how shifty her commander acted after she was almost killed, added more to her reasoning. But she had to mentally stop herself from disclosing all of her information.
"It's personal. As I told you, from the riot at the bakery." Lucina answered. "Robin and I saw a boy eating those poisoned rolls and then the riot happened that very night. It felt too timely for bad karma to get that baker."
Bowser Jr.'s tense shoulders dropped considerably. Several kids leaned over the round table and began whispering excitedly to him. The leader nodded, almost smiling to his teammates.
"Uh, what's wrong?" Robin asked.
As if to answer him, another boy walked into the kitchen with a tight posture and fingers clutching his shirt. Patches of yellow spotted his face and extremities. He had a new red shirt on but he was definitely a familiar face.
"I... um, hello." The poisoned boy stuttered.
Bowser Jr. explained. "We call him Villager since he can't remember his name, and he chose the name 'Villager'. He could have been called anything... Like Dragon or Fire-breather."
Lucina was glued to her seat but Robin went to kneel in front of the boy. The poisoned boy, Villager, stepped back a half step and rubbed his arms.
"I'm glad you're okay." Robin couldn't finish his sentence without his voice cracking.
"Thank you for helping me." Villager muttered. His expression was sincere but his words sounded like he was reading aloud from a book.
"Oh, that's so sweet. I... I really didn't do anything."
Small arms wrapped around Robin's back. As Villager's fingers curled into the fabric of the coat, Lucina watched her friend's shoulders relax and return the hug. Thinking back on when she pulled Robin's collar to distance them from Villager when they first met felt so distant now. It's been weeks since she has last thought about the boy who started everything. After the incident at the station, the part of her that was curious about the elusive prince and the Family was gone. And she was afraid to be curious again.
Villager ushered Robin back to his seat in a gentle manner. He stood in front of Lucina now; everyone hushed around him. She had a good idea of what the child was going to ask her, and while she wanted nothing more than to plug her ears, it was an inevitable topic.
"Did Roy hurt you?" He asked.
Just hearing the name had black spots dance in her eyesight. Lucina tried responding and nothing came out. But the expression on her face was apparently enough for Villager to understand.
"I heard him talk to Captain and he sounded so angry. He said he was going to hurt you." He explained.
"He did." Lucina muttered, breathless. "He… almost killed me."
Villager continued, taking in a breath with each sentence. "I was scared. I wanted to help you so I ran away. Bowser Jr. found me. He said I might be able to help you."
An uneasy silence weighed the room down. Bowser Jr. was listening patiently but the rest had their heads heavy and staring at the table. Lucina wanted to too, but her eyes were locked with Villager's, now waiting for her response.
She understood exactly why. She didn't help the boy. Plus Villager says he escaped from the orphanage but who's to say he wasn't followed or was even told to be found by the Guerillas? If he was a skilled enough boy to join them, could he also be working for the Family as well?
"Boy or girl?" Another voice cut through the room.
"Mega Man, you can't ask a person if they're a boy or girl." Ness intervened. "It's more complicated than that. Are you a boy or girl?"
"I think I'm boy?" The child with a blue helmet tilted his head.
"Will you two shut your trap!" Bowser Jr. snapped, slamming his fist down on the table. But once he saw Villager flinch, he sat in his seat again. "Sorry, Villager."
"You apologize to Villager for yelling and don't apologize to Mega Man and me for actually yelling at us?" Ness scoffed.
Bowser Jr. ignored him. He turned to Lucina. "So, what do you think?"
"What...?" She winced.
"You said yourself, that you wish you could help me. Can we work together?" He enunciated.
Her instincts pointed to 'yes'. Unlike the orphanage and the caretakers, who actually did end up turning against her, she could see herself trusting the gang of kids.
On the other hand, she was still clutching onto her sword. Though it made her more anxious, it gave her a sense of balance, like she was grabbing on the handrails from atop of an unfamiliar flight of stairs.
"I'm not saying you need to trust me with your life." Bowser Jr. continued. "You're not going to and I'm not either. You can be friends with Lucas and Villager all you want but you can think of me as a resource."
Lucina found the room to smile a bit. "That's very humble of you."
The scaled boy's cheeks flushed. He bit his lips as if he was afraid Lucina would tease him more, but she had no desire to.
"I'll let you know by the time my foot gets better."
Villager looked at Lucina's feet. There wasn't much talk about the incident at the station other than the glass wall shattering down. Most common-people blamed the noise for the poor integrity of the Citadel but the Guerrillas proved their expertise over regular people. Lucina wouldn't be surprised if they knew what happened at the station already.
"...Fine." Bowser Jr. grumbled. "But at least take a transceiver. I don't want to waste time tracking you down again. If you have one, I can give you our frequency."
Lucina stared at the numbers and letters scribbled across the piece of paper. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the paper was part of a flyer for an auction in the Core, the area underneath the Midst.
Robin was with Bowser Jr. asking a shower of questions and concerns. The scaled boy was promptly answering his questions while swatting away the pink child, Kirby, as they introduced after the meeting, who was tapping on the leader with a fork in hand.
"So," Ness took the seat in front of Lucina. "Are you ready to accept my sincere apology?"
The sudden presence of the boy and his odd question took her aback.
He continued. "I promised Lucas I'd apologize with him but I couldn't wait. If that's okay with you."
"I don't mind." Lucina said, looking away.
Ness cleared his throat. The way he adjusted his cap also felt too cheesy and already Lucina was questioning the sincerity of his apology, but she stayed silent.
"I told you that your friend didn't make it back to the shop to shake you loose. And you kicked me right out of my seat. Boy, I was lucky you didn't have your sword on hand then." He laughed, but then cleared his throat again when Lucina didn't join him.
"But it reminded me I had a family who loved me, well, I've only talked to my father over the phone but I could tell he cared for me. And while Lucas is like a brother to me, I don't know if I'd react the same way you did if something were to happen to him."
Lucina turned to the boy. He was staring at his fingers, catching his words or waiting for her reply, she didn't know.
"I don't know where I'm going with this. I'm sorry, I guess."
It was hard to tell if Ness was being serious or not. He wasn't hostile now, but he's also not hotheaded like Bowser Jr. so it was difficult to see his true intentions. In any case, the clock on the wall told it was late afternoon. She told her father she'd be home for lunch.
"Robin." She called.
Her friend also took a look at the clock and nodded. She didn't need it but he helped her stand up and walk to the door.
"Oh," Robin stopped, "Can I ask one more question?"
Lucina blinked, then looked back at Bowser Jr., who shook his head no, and Ness, who nodded with a smirk. She nodded.
Bowser Jr. scowled at her for a second before listening to Robin's 'one more' question.
"I'll be waiting outside."
Steam and bustling noise welcomed Lucina back outside. She leaned on the fenced wall that looks over the water plant below. Clouds of steam billowed, then disappearing as it climbed to the top of the establishment. Leaving only the humidity to smother over the streets.
She had hoped Lucas would come back to join in but the meeting wasn't as intimidating as she expected. Still, her mindset was nowhere near clear enough to make any commitments yet. Though they did 'apologize', the Guerrillas meant malicious intent when they saw her and Robin at that riot at the bakery.
"I can't trust anyone yet." She shut her eyes and muttered to herself. "Just Robin and his co-workers."
Warm dew built up on her skin. It was nearly impossible to think of anything else other than the humidity so Lucina shoved her thoughts to the side and wiped her nose. It must be worse down in the Core and the Drain, if there were any sane people living there.
And yet, she felt it. From behind. Something cold. At first what felt like a sheet of metal brushing against her were human fingertips.
Lucina jumped away from the touch, but ended up knocking into something. Layers of dark cloth cushioned the impact. A slender but strong arm enveloped her and it was too late to realize that the person had caught her off guard by touching her from the opposite side and redirecting her attention.
Something about the cotton in the cloth was comforting. It was a familiar smell or warmth, but Lucina didn't stay still to find out why. She got the Falchion out halfway out of its sheath before the man's other hand grasped her wrist from behind.
The other hand, his right hand, was made of off-white bones. Despite the lack of muscles and skin the hand was articulate and somehow a lot stronger than his left. Every bone and cartilage buried into the fabric of the sleeve. While Lucina was stunned by the odd prosthetic, the Falchion snapped back into its sheath. But the hand still clenched around her wrist firmly.
"Oh, sweet thing, look at what you did to yourself." A voice that could only be described as velvet-like tickled the insides of her ears.
Robin's muffled voice leaked behind the door. As she was about to call out to him, the man gently tapped his toe on her injured foot. The smothering pain shriveled her throat dry. There was an intentional feel on how he touched only her injured foot; especially when the man snickered as she flinched.
Lucina looked up to at least catch a glimpse of her assailant's face, but his facial features were masked from a heavy hood and the perpetual steam.
"A kind boy, isn't he?" The man continued. "I'm glad he's looking out for you. There are many bad people in the Citadel."
She gulped. "Who are you?"
"I'm anyone you want me to be."
After hearing that, as strange as it sounded, Lucina felt obedient to the situation she was held in. It was not relaxing to say the least but the man's disposition lead on that no measure of resisting him wasn't going to work. He appeared young, but knowledgeable. The hood over his face added to his nebulous image but there was also an ancient nature to him. He didn't even seem quite human as well.
"Just know that I'm one of your many admirers and hope that you stay alive. I'll do everything in my power to not let anyone hurt you, and to not let you become a murderer."
Lucina stared. She noted, the man's wide smile was uneven on one side.
As if Lucina was a baby, the man emphasized the four words slowly: "You didn't kill him."
He then let go of her wrist, reached inside his cloak and revealed a new, unopened tube of some medicine in cream form.
"For your foot. It doesn't work on me anymore."
A puff of steam gently wafted the man's hood. For a second, it revealed the maroon burn that spread across his face. One milky white eye and one hazy blue eye.
It was him.
Author's Note: Poor excuse but I've been busy, and I've noticed writing a bummer story puts me in a bummer mood. But I'm terrible at happy funny stories. Not as bad as my procrastination on my other long story though... I love that story too. Anyway, Rodin and Robin have too much in common regarding their names and I regret it already. Also thank you so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows so far. Things will take a different direction in the next chapter!