Update: Tweaked/rewritten December 2020.
Two Opposite but Stubborn Females
Eclipse was impressed; she didn't know who wouldn't be. It was just the matter of Lacus relaying their location to her chauffeur and having him bring the limo to meet them past the door outside the hanger. What was even more impressive was how no one batted an eye when they went to get into the vehicle, as if—no matter what—Lacus was innocent. Then again, the redhead didn't know what the singer was even doing sneaking around in the dark hanger—it seemed a bit unprofessional for Waltfeld to send the songstress—so she couldn't say she was or she wasn't.
"Crescent—Lexi—or any form of your damn name—get the fuck—"
"Heine, sorry, I forgot you were still there." Eclipse had been in such a daze she had tuned out the other fair singer on the end of her radio. She assumed he was a lot angrier than he was letting on, but he also sounded really busy, trying to relay commands to the others around him. Based on those commands, whoever they were looking for had either been found or more backup had arrived and their search was expanding.
"We need to get out of here," Eclipse mouthed to Lacus as they each took their seats in the back of the limo. Eclipse didn't sit for long, however, sliding down onto the floor and curling up in the corner near Lacus's feet, the songstress throwing a black blanket over her to keep her hidden. The redhead heard her relay the information to the driver as Eclipse returned to the radio. "I think I'll be okay for now."
"Think?"
The limo started moving and Eclipse heaved a sigh. Relief. "Say hi to Lathan for me."
"Lexi, wait—"
Cringing—she knew she would be getting yelled at later—she turned off the radio and laid still as they stopped at the base gate. A few words were exchanged with the driver before Eclipse heard Lacus lower the window.
"Is there a problem, gentlemen?" she asked. "I was asked to observe some new equipment by my father and then quickly shuffled out when all of these alarms started going off."
"That makes sense we are trying to shuffle civilians out as safely and quickly as possible," the guard responded, his voice deeper than Eclipse had been anticipating and she cursed silently. She had hoped some newbie recruits were keeping an eye on the gates. "We are still required to search your car though, miss."
"Oh? Are you assuming that the daughter of Siegel Clyne is doing something shady?"
"Miss Clyne—"
"The very same daughter who was just allowed access to top secret information of the ZAFT military?"
"I'm sorry, miss, but it's protocol."
Eclipse tried to still her body as much as she could, keeping her breath slow as she clenched the radio to her chest and willed her hands to stop shaking. If she was found, she knew, she would never leave that medical facility again. She could feel it in her bones. Her only ticket to freedom was this pink-haired girl, her quick wit, and the soldiers' carelessness.
"Then you are aware I must also follow protocol," Lacus continued, her voice dipping into stern authority that Eclipse had remembered hearing that day when she stopped Le Creuset's counterattack. "I daresay you keeping me at this gate is dangerous to my wellbeing and since I do not know what threat is affecting this base, I can only assume the worse. Can I get your name please, soldier?"
Eclipse started hearing him stammer then and she felt the grin grow on her lips that time.
"I would like my father to be aware that despite him allowing me Council-level access to this facility, I was not ushered out as quickly as possible when danger did arise."
The soldier sighed. "S-sorry, Miss Clyne, you are right. You may go. Please be safe."
"Thank you, sir."
The redhead felt the car jerk as it started moving again and the window rolled up just as Lacus released a long sigh. Even she had been on edge, it seemed. Still, Eclipse hadn't moved, waiting for the Pink Princess to let her know when she could retake her seat, which happened approximately five minutes later.
"I think you can come out now, Miss Eclipse."
The redhead didn't wait a moment longer, crawling out from under the blanket and sitting down in the seat to the left of Lacus. She was smiling softly and Eclipse breathed a "Thank you," before opening the window and tossing the radio out just as they turned onto the highway. The pieces would probably be found eventually, but, hopefully, she would be gone by that time.
A beep near Lacus sounded as Eclipse was watching the window roll up, turning her attention to the other side of the car and the Pink Princess as she pressed the button on the monitor. She wasn't in a good position to see the screen, but the voice was familiar and Eclipse felt her pulse speed up.
DaCosta?
"Are you on your way back?"
"Yes, we are safe."
"We—what? No—wait, actually I don't want to know. I can't really yell at you but—" He paused, probably scratching the back of his head. "Just think—no, understand that—no—ugh, just get to the meeting spot."
"Roger that." Lacus smiled, the redhead could hear it in her voice. "How's he doing?" she asked after a pause and it wasn't until that moment Eclipse started feeling it: exhausted. Her entire body began to ache and her hitched breathing was now painful, a firm reminder that while adrenaline was wonderful for the short term, it definitely didn't linger on into the long term.
"You'll see when you get here."
They chatted about a few more things, Eclipse slowly turning and sinking down into the seat on her side of the limo. Her forehead leaned against the side of the vehicle near the window, her head bobbing with the movement on the highway. Rest. That's what she needed. Her body craved for it so much she missed DaCosta's exclamation about finally seeing her on the other side of the car. Missed his quick interrogation of Lacus who probably told him little other than she was alive. And missed Lacus tossing the blanket over her as she finally drifted off to sleep.
Eclipse hadn't ended up in a comfortable position, but at least her mind was at ease, never having annoying glimpses of nightmares or getting woken up for drug doses. For the first time in weeks, she was able to fall into a deep sleep. Given, it was for a mere fifteen minutes, but even after Lacus shook her awake, she felt more refreshed. Not refreshed enough for her body to feel completely healed, however.
The driver opened the door, offering a smile and a small bow to the two females as they climbed out onto the curb. Lacus went first, pulling her hood up over her head and saying a soft thank you to the man before turning to extend a hand to the redhead scrambling behind her. Eclipse took the hand and let the singer pull her out. The first step onto the concrete was not a pleasant one. Sharp pain shot up through the joint at her ankle to her hip, buckling her knee and—if it wasn't for the quick reflexes of the fair limo driver—she would have fallen face first onto the sidewalk.
"Oh my! Miss Eclipse, are you alright?"
The redhead could only think of retorts—some bitchy, sarcastic remarks that would do nothing more than hurt Lacus's feelings. But, remembering all of the shit she had recently been through, Eclipse almost said them, thinking she deserved some kind of chance for verbal retaliation. Sighing, she bit her tongue instead, knowing that yelling at Lacus was going to do nothing for the pain. In fact, it might make things worse because the singer hadn't done anything to deserve such treatment. Perhaps she was grouchier than she had thought.
"I'll be fine eventually. But for now, can you help me walk?" It was a humbling question, and even scary when the redhead realized she was knowingly putting Lacus in danger. If they were somehow followed and her enemy saw her so pitiful, they could easily be attacked and Eclipse couldn't do anything about it. "Shit," she whispered.
"Miss Eclipse, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself; of course I'll help you. Now, can you stand up on your own or do you need me to pull you?"
Eclipse couldn't tell if she was poking her pride or not. At first, she just stared, trying to read the singer's facial expression, but soon stopped, realizing she was just being paranoid. Besides, wasn't DaCosta nearby? They were going to be just fine. Hoisting herself up, she stood on shaky legs and wrapped her arm over Lacus's shoulders. How pitiful she must have looked. She was still in a medical gown, still barefoot, and the ragged doctor's jacket was still around her shoulders. To top it all off, she was being helped by Lacus Clyne of all people through a side path toward the back end of a building in the middle of an area she didn't recognize.
"M'lady, I'll go park the car."
"That would be fine, thank you," the singer said, smiling at the driver and pulling Eclipse along beside her as they made their way down the path and nearing a back set of steps to an old apartment building.
The redhead wasn't sure where they had ended up, but by the looks of the place, they were in a part of the city mostly ignored by the governmental board. It didn't seem dangerous in any way, but rundown enough for a limo to look conspicuous. There was nothing obvious enough to make it look so dirty, but there was a tense atmosphere that made Eclipse's sensors go off in a trained panic. No one seemed to be around, or, if they were, there didn't seem to be anyone willing to jump in and call them out for their suspicious demeanor.
"The others should be inside," Lacus said, her lips twisting into a smile as she helped Eclipse up the steps to the building. "We can start explaining things to you then." The redhead nodded, having nothing in particular to say. She was just happy to be able to sit down and not worry about being prodded with a needle or have sensors put on her head.
Lacus reached forward to grasp the handle as they neared, but the door swung open before the singer could get a good grip. Eclipse's soldier instincts flared to life, when she saw what had happened. Tightening her grip around Lacus's shoulder and neck, she pulled the singer down and behind her, swinging the Pink Princess to the porch steps and gathering herself into a defensive position in front of her. Using her left hand, Eclipse reached down for the gun at her belt, realizing there was nothing there only after the door was completely open.
"Thank goodness you two—" DaCosta didn't finish his statement, having to take a step back when the redhead's instincts forced her into a hand-to-hand frenzy. She didn't do much harm, however, the adrenaline rush not numbing enough to block out the pain. Gasping, she stopped mid-lunge, remembering too late her injured ankle.
"Miss Eclipse!" Lacus yelled when the redhead fell onto her knees, quickly moving to help her back up.
DaCosta sighed. "I didn't mean to scare you. C'mon, let's get you upstairs."
The apartment was set up much like the last one Eclipse had seen, with the kitchen near the door, a nice living room with the shades closed, and every table littered with assorted pieces of paper. There was more of a musty smell to the place instead of the coffee fragrance the redhead was expecting, but the familiar aroma was still there just not as strong as Eclipse remembered. The man, however, was exactly where she expected him to be.
Near the door.
Waltfeld embraced Eclipse into a hug as soon as they walked into the kitchen, holding her so tight all of her wounds throbbed. "Thank God." Her arms crunched against her sides as the commander tightened his grip, causing a painful whimper to escape her lips. Either Waltfeld didn't care or he didn't hear the sound because it took him a moment to respond, slowly letting her go only after DaCosta tapped him on the shoulder. The older man was just so relieved. "Oh, I'm so sorry. We were so worried—Eclipse?"
It must have been one of those moments where relief overloaded the system, sending the redhead's body into an ultimate calm. Her muscles gave out, breath slowed and eyes closed, sending her tumbling to the ground. Waltfeld was talking and then he wasn't; it was as simple as that. Someone grabbed her wrist, another her waist and she was out.
She didn't dream. Normally when she blacked out, there were at least images. Usually nothing made any sense, but her mind was always working. That time, however, it was just black and when she woke up, it felt like seconds. Coffee was the first thing she recognized. It wasn't something terribly unusual—concerning who her friends were—but it was strange enough for her sleep-drugged mind to fully awake.
She was on the couch in the living room, still in the medical gown, but a blanket had been thrown over her. She looked ahead and up, trying to comprehend the faint light seeping through the shades. There was no way to tell what time of day it was, or even if it was nighttime. All she could do was stare.
And panic.
Am I back on Earth? Where am I? Why am I here?
Her breath quickened as her mind switched to another scenario.
The labcoat.
It was draped over the far armrest near her feet, still dirty, still torn, and still bloody. Quickly, she looked to her right at the open expanse, then to her left at the back of the couch as she clawed at her arms.
IVs. Where are they? Is this another simulation? Where are the nurses?
Pain. Her head pounded, her throat hurt, her wrists—everything just throbbed. Her mouth clicked dry, but her hands were clammy as they continued their inspection.
IVs—drugs—I know they're here.
"Eclipse—hey, calm down."
A voice? Who is it? Is this still in the simulation?
"Commander, she's shivering and sweating pretty bad. But her fever—"
"Her eyes scaring me the most. Eclipse—Lexi!"
Voices. Only voices. Where're the guns? There're always guns. The enemy has to be nearby. …They're going to kill me.
"Withdrawal?"
"Maybe."
"Then what do we do?"
Where are they? They're coming, I can feel it, but from where? The right? Turning, she saw fingers reaching for her wrists. The hand flickered as it neared, and Eclipse nearly laughed despite her paranoia. A knife, really? The redhead reacted, grabbing the hand and taking a moment to feel for the knuckle. Using her last three fingers and palm to steady her attacker's hand, she braced her thumb and index finger, pushing down on one of her enemy's fingers until she felt it pop. A scream.
Good.
Shifting her fingers, she grasped the wrist and pulled the arm towards her. She felt the weight of the body and used the momentum to pull herself upwards, readying her left fist for a punch, and was going to swing when a second assailant grabbed her hand. Another one? She tried to struggle free, but there wasn't enough time. The body to her right fell into hers, sandwiching her head and upper torso back against the cushion. Now both arms were caught.
I'm dead.
She screamed.
"Give her here."
"Y-you got her?"
"I have an idea. Go take care of your finger."
"B-but, sir—"
"I said, go!"
Eclipse kept screaming and thrashed on the couch as soon as the dead weight moved away, but she was still stuck. Whoever had her, was in a good position. Her right arm was pinned under—what felt like—a knee on her lower abdomen, or a whole body given the amount of weight crunching her lower torso. Her elbow—bent backwards over the frame of the couch—screeched in protest, and her back buckled to lessen the pain, but her assailant just pushed it harder against the frame.
"Eclipse, stop struggling and I won't break it." Something shattered nearby, bringing a frustrated curse from the man's lips. "You're fine," the voice continued. "You're not there anymore. It's Commander Waltfeld and you're safe with me."
Bringing her knee up, she attempted to knock the man off, but he shifted his weight, pushing his knee further into her abdomen. She screamed again as tears started to form in her eyes. Why was she still being treated like an animal? Why was she still trapped? Waltfeld was just a name they were throwing out to trick her. It had to be. She wasn't safe. She was still a genetic reject, poked, sliced, and monitored.
"Eclipse, relax!"
It wasn't the voice or the pain that brought her back, but the fragrance of spilled coffee. It invaded her cloudy mind and inserted some sense of clarity. She felt the couch cushion beneath her, the springs tense with Waltfeld's added weight. The faint light through the blinds had grown brighter, displaying the messy table down to her right and the coffee-stained carpet from when the cup had fallen. Cursing from the kitchen curved her neck awkwardly over the armrest. DaCosta stood over the sink, his hand down into the basin and freezing in some ice, the redhead figured.
"Eclipse?"
Waltfeld's voice brought her back to her own predicament, forcing her mind back into her body just in time to feel the tense pain in her left elbow. "S-simulation?" she whispered through clenched teeth. The commander had her good.
"Eclipse?"
"I-is this a simulation?"
"No, you really are safe now."
Hesitating, she forced out a laugh, the tears dribbling down her cheeks. Sure, it could have been a lie conducted by the simulation, but the smell was just too real. She had to believe him. "Can I have my arm back then?"
"Depends. Are you going to break another of DaCosta's fingers?"
"Not unless he does something stupid again."
Waltfeld laughed at that, loosening his grip on her until he finally let go and moved away from the couch. Hugging her elbow, the redhead blinked a couple of times at the ceiling before turning and offering an apologetic smile. Sighing, the commander fell back into the opposite recliner. "You're a piece of work."
She almost laughed as well, looking over at DaCosta cradling his injured hand and then looking down at the broken coffee mug on the floor. This kind of "work" seemed so minor compared to what those doctors had been doing, but either way she found the phrase ironic. "So I've been told."
It was decided Eclipse would stay with Waltfeld and DaCosta. No surprise. Technically, the redhead was used to living with all males, but, for once, she wished there could be some kind of female presence other than her own. At least she saw Lacus often, but it was mostly when strategy meetings had to be done between her, Waltfeld, and her father, Siegel Clyne. Eclipse had met the man a few times and she remembered thinking that he was too kind of a person to be talking about things such as trying to undermine the Council and convince the people to a peaceful means instead of Zala's ever progressing trajectory towards a bloodier war. Even listening to Lacus say similar things made her nervous so much so that she had asked her one evening to stop and just lay low.
"Please, you're going to get hurt."
"Me?" Lacus asked, looking over at Eclipse from just above the rim of her teacup, her pink Haro stopping its bouncing just as Eclipse had spoken.
"Yes, what you're doing is dangerous."
"Many things we do in a war are risky, Miss Eclipse, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do them."
"I know that, but, Lacus, you're just a girl, her father, and a few others. You're gaining enemies by the hour."
Lacus brought the teacup down, cupping the porcelain between her fingers in the lap of her purple skirt. She wore a white blouse to compliment the skirt and her hair was braided, currently draping down over her left shoulder and nearly falling into her tea. "We're more than that, Miss Eclipse, and I know you know that otherwise you wouldn't be here with us now."
The redhead frowned and turned away, bringing her own teacup to her lips as she hiked up her legs underneath her on the couch, her jeans scraping against the fabric and sounding just as scratchy as the oversized sweater draped over her small frame. She had, apparently, lost quite a bit of weight since being kept at the facility and the unlikely combo of Lacus and DaCosta had put her on a diet which included nutritious drinks, often physically forcing Waltfeld's coffee concoctions away from her. She was sipping on a particular blend of tea that day she didn't really like, but their concern was touching and the redhead found herself giving in more often than not, even if that meant Waltfeld was basically making her cups of coffee as if on the black market, exchanging signals whenever she wanted to partake in their addictive habit.
It was all a rather strange version of life Eclipse didn't know what to make of and getting back to her old self was priority, especially if she wanted to be useful. Rebuilding her muscle mass was the biggest issue at that time, and though the redhead had been making good progress recently, her sore ankle was making the entire ordeal rather unpleasant. All of that compounding with sleepless nights, instances of withdrawal, and the constant worry she couldn't stop feeling for the Pink Princess across from her, added an inkling of fear she couldn't quite shake. Eclipse wasn't sure whether the paranoia was an extension of her withdrawal or her trauma, but no matter how many times she brought up her concerns with DaCosta or Waltfeld they would only be able to calm her fears for a couple of hours, the pit in her stomach too deep to soothe her for long. Eclipse was practically a ghost of herself and that meant she was powerless to do anything—a feeling of helplessness that she struggled with every day.
"We're an idea," Lacus continued. "And ideas are not so easily dissolved." She smiled weakly, but Eclipse didn't return the look, her worry still obvious on her face despite most of it hiding behind her drink. "We have to find a peaceful solution to this war."
The redhead sighed and she could hear Lacus do the same a moment later. It wasn't the same, exasperated sigh DaCosta often gave her, but a quiet one filled with an understanding Eclipse could never really place when it came to Lacus. It was a level of patience the redhead didn't think she deserved, and her eyes turned away to linger on the curtains drawn over the window instead of facing her current housemate head on.
An end to the war…
She had yet to officially decide if she wanted to join the Clyne Faction, the tug in her chest towards Stray and FS still strong enough of an itch to keep her at arm's length. They were her problem, she knew, not ZAFT's, but the pull towards the Clyne Faction was getting stronger by the day, not only because of her fear for the Pink Princess and her other comrades, but because of what had happened at Alaska. The devastation had tipped them all over the edge. The PLANTs were in an uproar—paranoid even—and wondering, if the Earth Alliance always had such horrific technology as the CYCLOPS system, how long would it take them to turn their wrath at the PLANTs and not merely the military? The Council was doing its best to keep the panic down, but their terms were more along the line of totalitarianism.
The Clyne Faction really didn't like the idea so they had moved to shifting public opinion, turning to radio broadcasts in an effort to keep the war from veering off towards what every compass was pointing to: complete destruction on both sides. Lacus had been the main voice of these broadcasts and while her celebrity status was gaining them supporters, they were gaining some pretty powerful enemies as well, including some members of the Council. Even though most of the public didn't know Lacus and her father had been involved with the Freedom theft, the Council did and that was clear if only based on the rare nervousness Lacus's father displayed when Eclipse saw him at meetings. Yes, they had Waltfeld and most of the Eternal crew behind them, but the broadcast idea was going to involve a lot of planning and a lot of moving mostly away from the safety of said warship.
"Did you get us out of the lease?" Waltfeld asked, pointing a pen in DaCosta's direction at one of their strategy meetings a few days later. Seigel Clyne was not present at that particular gathering, which said more than his presence and they needed to find a new location. Things were getting dangerous if Lacus's dad couldn't risk coming out to them for a meeting.
DaCosta nodded. "I also managed to find us a new place, but if we keep doing this, we'll start looking suspicious."
"I'd offer to stay on the Eternal, but then you guys would be left to do things on your own," Waltfeld offered.
"That might not be a bad idea," Eclipse said, leaning on her left palm. This was their second meeting of the day and they had already been going for an hour. It wouldn't have been so bad if the redhead had been allowed to leave the apartment, but Waltfeld still had her on house arrest and watching everyone leave but her was getting old. She was finally starting to feel and look like herself again, but not even that was enough to convince the others to let her roam around on her own. "You're a high-ranking officer in the military," Eclipse explained, "and if you keep sneaking around like you have, people will look into it. DaCosta might be low enough on the ladder to be okay, but we really have to start watching what we're doing."
"You mean slow down our plans?" Lacus asked, her face showing she didn't really like the idea.
"We might not have a choice," the redhead continued. "Even if it's only for a couple of days, we might want to revert back to coded messages for a while to let some of the heat cool."
"Eclipse has a point. It wouldn't do us any good to get caught cheating this early in the game," Waltfeld said, leaning back in his chair. "I'll go back to the Eternal tonight and send some people over to help you guys move out in the morning."
"I think I'll go to the Eternal as well," DaCosta said. "Having an officer like me share an apartment with two younger ladies might look suspicious."
"Or lucky," Waltfeld commented and Eclipse had to cover up a laugh.
DaCosta ignored him, used to the harmless ridicule. "I'm sure you girls can lay low for a while, right?" The greencoat eyed the redhead specifically, knowing her tally of reckless acts. Eclipse almost took offense, but backed off in the end and merely nodded. DaCosta had every right to look at her in such a manner. The still bruised and taped finger in his lap being one of the main ones.
"Well then, I think that's all for today," Waltfeld said, stretching in his seat before hoisting himself up. "I'm heading back to the Eternal. DaCosta, wait an hour or two then you can join me. You two, on the other hand," he turned to Lacus and Eclipse, "are to stay indoors until the morning. Is that clear?"
Sighing, they had no choice but to nod. While staying hidden was essential, it was as boring as watching water boil on the stove. And that, unfortunately, had become a fun pastime for the two females.
Waltfeld left soon after, leaving the others to crowd around the television and sink into the furniture, exhausted. "How're you feeling, Eclipse? Any better?" DaCosta asked, moving some papers around to unbury the remote.
"I still get really bad headaches and the chills, but not as often as I used to," the redhead said. "Mostly, though, I think it's more because my mind's so bored than because it's sick. Those migraines give it something to do." DaCosta just nodded, finding the progress impressive and he was relieved, if he was being honest. Both him and Waltfeld had expected her to have mental scars beyond just the paranoia she had been displaying lately, but there might have been something more to that, DaCosta knew. Eclipse remembered very little of those two weeks and depending on how much memory the trauma buried, that could be a blessing in disguise.
"So, have you decided on what to do, Miss Eclipse?" Lacus asked, sitting down on the couch between the two. "You'll be fully recovered soon and, while we wouldn't mind another resourceful ally, you're under no obligation to stay with us."
Eclipse thought about it for a moment, but still ended up sighing, turning away from the two of them to lean on her left palm. Despite everything, her sentiments still hadn't really wavered. "I still have to look for SIN-ED."
"You don't have to," DaCosta remarked, practically spitting out the words. "They were just using you, and—I'm not sure how—but apparently, you no longer exist in the military. What's the point in doing a mission if the person assigned is nonexistent?" DaCosta pointed out, scratching the back of his head. When she looked confused, he tried to explain. "We were only able to confirm this a couple of days ago, but at some point in that two weeks, they cut out your military record altogether. The commander and I couldn't find anything on you. We figured the facility on Januarias 4 was erased, but we didn't think they'd delete you as well. Lunar Eclipse is officially gone. No matter how much hype there was about you, no matter how important or impressive you are as a ZAFT pilot, you're basically a rumor now. A ghost even among the fabled Le Creuset pilots." DaCosta sighed and scratched his head once more. "I think there're enough people who admire your reputation that you could still walk around as Lunar Eclipse, but you actually might have to consider getting an alias."
"An alias for an alias?" DaCosta shrugged and Eclipse sighed. Technically, Lunar Eclipse was the name she escaped behind. Coming up with another one seemed redundant, but did she really want to go back to her birth name? Could she stand being Lexi Rymyr again? After everything she went through as a child, and the freedom—sort of—she felt from no one knowing who she was, could she so easily become Lexi once more? She really wasn't sure. Starting over again was so tempting, and besides, her parents would get hounded relentlessly if she showed back up as a ZAFT elite. The daughter of the people most promoting total pacifism lollygagging as a mobile suit pilot? She couldn't even imagine the look on their faces if they found out her kill count. Perhaps an alias really was her only option. She sighed when she felt Lacus shift to turn to her, already knowing she was going to say the exact opposite to what the redhead had been thinking.
"What about Lexi Rymyr?" Lacus suggested. "I think it's about time you became yourself again. No matter how much you want to avoid it, you can't change who you are or who you've become."
"There's a lot more heat with the name 'Lexi Rymyr' than I think you really understand." Eclipse turned and looked at Lacus sadly, the other girl offering a warm smile of comfort in return. "Who I am now and that name don't mesh as easily as you are implying."
"As far as I have been concerned, you have always been Miss Lexi to me." Eclipse cringed at the name and even DaCosta smirked. "Lunar Eclipse was name given to you by ZAFT, but that has never been who you are."
Lacus's logic was amusing, but—in the end—correct. Did she really have any other choice? Even if she took on another alias, her past would still be there. Drugs may have been able to erase some bad memories, but they couldn't change the fact that they still happened. Lexi Rymyr still existed, as did Lunar Eclipse. It would take years to come to terms with what Lunar Eclipse had done—and, no doubt what had happened in the past couple of weeks would haunt her—but did she want to make another alias and then have three lives to clean up after? Wouldn't it just be easier to fix one at a time and not add on to the misery?
If that was true, why did she suddenly feel terrified?
"I-I'll think about it."
"Well, don't take too long," DaCosta began, leaning in the opposite direction on the sofa, his cheek pressed against his upraised fist as he turned to look at the two women. "Time isn't exactly a luxury right now and—I know I'm sounding pushy, but we need to know if we can count on you."
"But you can count on me."
"I mean in the Faction. If you need time to get reacquainted with yourself or take on SIN-ED, then go, but if you're positive you want to stay here, then we can start factoring you into our future plans. As it stands, I don't think any of us are comfortable with a half-hearted member."
His words stung the redhead at first, but once she push down her ego, his statement began making sense. The Clyne Faction was about to be taking some huge risks and if there were some people not completely dedicated, they could ruin everything. Yes, she wanted to stay with the commander and the others, but with her resolve being so shaky, she would only be making things worse. There were too many questions she had, about who—no, what she was and why she was so interesting. And SIN-ED, she couldn't just leave them alone and let them do as they pleased. She was the only one who knew anything about them really.
She sighed. "Just a little time, please."
"I'll give you one more day. Now." Sitting up, DaCosta cracked his knuckles and reached backwards for the deck of cards. "Who wants to play Rummy?"
Apparently, one of the reasons Lacus's father couldn't come to the meeting the previous day was because the theft of the Freedom had made it to the media and the Clyne family name was being associated with it—or, at least, Lacus's name. Her face was posted everywhere—television screens, magazines, billboards—and no longer for her pop career. The words "Is she really a traitor?" were listed in red below each smiling portrait.
"This is just stupid," a teen grumbled, throwing one such magazine onto the ground as Eclipse walked by. "It's just a bunch of military bullshit to keep us from—"
"Hush!" his girlfriend exclaimed, slapping a hand over his mouth. It was a shame, actually, because the teen seemed rather intuitive and able to see through the blatant propaganda that was mixed with the truth of the newspaper articles. Sometimes people should start paying attention to their youth, or at least their emotions. While Lacus did give the Freedom to Kira, it was nice to see such teenagers becoming so involved. After all, the government really didn't know what it was going to do about Lacus and now that Zala was in charge, things were going to get a bit interesting.
"Hey, Lexi, you coming or what?" DaCosta asked, holding open the door to the downtown grocery. He was dressed as commonly as her, Eclipse wearing jeans and a blue, long-sleeved shirt and DaCosta wearing black slacks and a light green, buttoned-up shirt, the two of them trying to kick enough of the military out of them to look normal.
The redhead hesitated at his question, finally nodded after a few breaths. It had taken all of one evening for Lacus to convince her to take up the name again and the news had spread fast among the group, so fast, in fact, Waltfeld had called her that morning—using her name, of course—and officially took her off house arrest. So, there she was, meeting DaCosta to buy some final bits of nourishment before their move to their new location. She was still getting used to being called 'Lexi,' but it was just a name, she had told herself, knowing she would probably never stop referring to herself as Eclipse until she could come to terms with what returning back to Lexi Rymyr really meant. Sighing at the complexity of it all, she walked towards DaCosta, said a quiet thanks to him for holding open the door and left the arguing teens behind.
Stepping inside the building, Eclipse immediately started grumbling. Leave it to Waltfeld to make her do all the shopping again. Back in Banadiya, he would routinely send her out on these little errands, hoping to—well—she had no idea. Probably hoping she'd become a little less domestically challenged. At least there was Lacus to even out the guy-girl ratio and even though she wasn't as outgoing as Aisha was, the pink-haired princess definitely kept things interesting. However, the tides had turned and now Lacus couldn't leave either Waltfeld's or DaCosta's sight—or at least someone in the Faction—and would frequently switch hideouts, sending out peace talks over radio waves. It was still a good plan and was having an effect on the public, but now that her face was everywhere, it was getting even more dangerous. Waltfeld had tried talking her out of it and lying low, but not even the great Desert Tiger had any sway over her and just swore to keep her as protected as he was able. The Clyne Faction, no matter how cliché or how expected, was serving its purpose: pissing off a lot of high-ranking people and making friends with the less important ones.
"You think too much," DaCosta remarked, shoving a red, plastic shopping basket into her hands.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"All you do nowadays is stare off into the distance and don't let the rest of us in on the joke. Commander's actually getting annoyed with it."
"No, he's not," she argued, throwing some canned vegetables into the basket. "He has as many personal conversations as I do."
"Yes, but he's in charge. It's alright if he does it."
Eclipse glared at the officer, but couldn't hold the look for long. He was right, even if she was too stubborn to admit it. Waltfeld could think whatever the hell he wanted to because he was in charge and probably had more to think about than she did. For an instant, she wished she had such freedom, but shot it down immediately. She couldn't imagine what her Berserker half would do with that kind of authority.
"And stop looking so gloomy. You're supposed to blend in, remember?"
"What, isn't being an over-emotional teen considered blending in? I could say, 'But, Dad, I want this cereal!' However, I think you'd slap me over the head and make me eat spinach for the rest of my life."
DaCosta just glared, deciding that keeping his mouth shut was his only option. After all, he had been around her and Lacus long enough to know when keeping quiet was better than shoving his foot into his mouth. Shaking his head, he looked away and held out his hand for the list.
"How endearing," Eclipse grumbled, noting his cold response. "Just for that treatment, Dad, I'm making you get the tampons." He made no comment again and just rolled his eyes. She couldn't tell if it was from the "Dad" remark or the feminine hygiene one, but she didn't care. Smiling innocently, she turned down a different aisle.
She would just have to come back later for the tampons.
"In other news, there have been no leads in the investigation concerning the pop singer, Lacus Clyne. As noted yesterday, we received an anonymous tip about her involvement with the stolen mobile suit, the Freedom," the television said, turning the redhead back towards the register. The volume was so loud the cashier must have turned it up and—considering the topic—Eclipse could understand her interest. "The military has been keeping the matter hush hush—and Chairman Zala has yet to make an official statement—but our reporters are working around the clock to verify the information. There is some good news, however, because Lacus's fiancé—and the Chairman's son—Athrun Zala arrived on Junias 5 this morning from his previous station on Aprilias 1. He failed to show up for the press conference yesterday and has yet to offer any comments on his fiancé's possible wrongdoings, but there is a reporter tracking him now and we hope to give you some information soon."
DaCosta must have been listening to the broadcast as well because his quiet curses sounded close behind her. As soon as the report finished, his hand was at her elbow, pulling her to the register and out the door once they paid for their items. "Damn it," he hissed, still holding onto her arm as they sped down the sidewalk. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
"What's bothering you?" she asked, trying to stay in step.
"I really didn't want you to hear that."
"Hear what? About Lacus? Or about Athrun?"
"The commander's going to be pissed."
"Why?" DaCosta didn't answer, turning a corner and pulling her down an alleyway. Obviously, they were trying to stay away from the main road. What, did he think they were going to magically run into Athrun or something? "Why will the commander be pissed?"
"Nevermind."
"Nevermind? Damn it, DaCosta, you're pulling me down some shady alleyway to avoid who knows what and you're telling me to just forget about it? No," she hissed, pulling her arm from his grasp and nearly dumping the groceries in the bag around her arm onto the street. "Why will Waltfeld be pissed?"
"Later."
"No, now." DaCosta looked as if he was going to say something, but cursed instead. What had him so worried? "I have the right to know."
"Oh yeah? And what right is that?"
"The right that says you can't just pull my arm out of its socket and down a dark alley because you're keeping something from me, now spill." DaCosta sighed and looked around. Eclipse could tell he didn't want to say anything, and the way he chronically glanced at his watch made her nervous. "It was just a stupid broadcast that let you know everything's okay on our end because the investigation isn't going anywhere," she began, trying to break the ice. "There's nothing to—"
"We didn't want you to know Athrun was here."
That surprised her. Not only was she stationed on his team not so long ago, but they were good friends. What would keeping his whereabouts secret hope to accomplish? "Why? Did you think I would just go running to him or something?"
"Honestly? Yes."
Eclipse blinked, taken aback by the answer. Sure, she had a tendency to be a bit rash, but why did they care if she at least talked to him? "Why?" The officer looked away, scratching the back of his head. He was nervous about something. "Why, DaCosta?"
"Because we think he might've had something to do with you being in that medical facility."
"What?" Now that surprised her. "Commander Le Creuset gave me my orders, not Athrun."
"That's what you say, but on the original report, Athrun's signature is there, not Le Creuset's. You had a bit of memory loss so—"
"I would never forget that. Yes, I forgot a few things, but—"
"He was your commanding officer at the time—"
"And Le Creuset was his commanding officer, DaCosta. Not to mention Athrun was still in the hospital. Most likely, the facility needed both signatures and since Athrun was—"
DaCosta sighed. "He was well when you left Earth, correct?"
"Define well."
"Able to sign military documents?"
"Damn it, DaCosta, Athrun would not have just signed that paper if he knew what they were—"
"But the Chairman knew, Lexi, so why wouldn't his son? And Commander Le Creuset knew as well. Didn't you just say he was the commanding officer?"
Eclipse couldn't believe what she was hearing. There was no way Athrun would willingly send her off to be a pin cushion. After everything, the redhead knew he wasn't like that. There had to have been some kind of information cover-up because wasn't he surprised when he found out how important she had been in Orb? The Chairman had to have known because he had her original file and just a short surf on the web would pull up any additional information. Sure, they blocked out most of the important information to get her into the military, but there was no way the Chairman didn't have access to it. So, if DaCosta's reasoning was right, Athrun should have known who she really was from the beginning. There was no way a soldier that smart would barge into Eclipse's room and nearly get killed just because he was trying to keep his cover. Not even a trained soldier could tell Athrun had been surprised. "Athrun's never really been close to his father," she admitted, thinking that information alone would clear things up.
"And how would you know that for sure? If he told you, it could have been a lie."
"No, he rarely talked about him, but I could tell by the way he acted and spoke," she remarked, remembering a few more instances. "During the election, he never watched the news like the others did. He was always reading or doing some kind of paperwork. And when his father won, he didn't care."
"Those things are easy enough to pull off."
"And whenever his father was mentioned, his calm demeanor would falter. It was only for a second, but it would break his concentration. Oh, and he never voluntarily brought up his father either!" Eclipse exclaimed, becoming more and more convinced her training hadn't failed her. She could read the people on her team easily enough and know if they were lying to her.
DaCosta, however, didn't seem as confident in her detective work. "And what about Commander Le Creuset?"
"What about him?"
"How did Athrun treat him?"
The redhead hesitated then, knowing how the young commander—as well as the other members of her team—felt about that man. Eclipse was wary, almost terrified of him, but the others held nothing but admiration for him. They would follow him blindly, no questions asked.
DaCosta sighed, figuring she had come to the same conclusion he and Waltfeld had. "I'm sorry, Lexi, but I'm forbidding you to see him until we know the facts."
The redhead bit her tongue. They were only trying to protect her, she knew, and since she had failed to appreciate their instincts before, she had no choice but to trust them now. "Yes, sir."
When DaCosta and Eclipse got back to the new meeting location—an out-of-town motel with the security cameras turned at an awkward angle away from the doors so the two could get inside relatively unnoticed—Lacus and Commander Waltfeld were already deep in conversation. Waltfeld was trying to talk her out of something—that was evident by his flailing arm and frustrated expression—but, as they all knew, it was nearly impossible to talk that Pink Princess out of anything.
"Lacus, just because he's your fiancé it doesn't mean you have to talk to him. You're supposed to stay out of the limelight and hooking up with the son of the man looking for you is just plain stupid."
"I need to talk to him, Mr. Waltfeld. The friend Athrun believed he had killed is alive and piloting the Freedom."
Waltfeld sighed. Eclipse had a feeling the argument had been going on for a while. "Yes, Lacus, the Freedom. The newest and most powerful mobile suit of the ZAFT military! It was one of the only reasons my ship was built in the first place!"
"Maybe so, but, as I told you already, I believe Kira can help us end this war."
Eclipse cringed at the name, never getting used to the fact that the Strike pilot was still alive. In fact, she had been sadistically happy when she saw that suit blow up and was more than relieved to find out Athrun had survived the encounter. So, hearing his name then brought back some of her anger and forced her hands to do something instead of balling into fists. Separating the groceries worked just as well as anything.
"And I'm thinking, you're thinking Athrun can make a difference as well?" She nodded and Waltfeld hung his head in defeat. Eclipse had to hide a smile then, guessing what was running through his mind. He had gathered quite the stubborn team and, no doubt, he was wishing one of them would start taking his advice. "Alright, fine," the commander grumbled. "DaCosta, what's the plan?"
"Sir, I just got here."
"But you probably know all about this, right? After all, that's why you and Lexi conveniently left to go shopping." Now he was just sounding like a whiny child, but—given the circumstances—Eclipse couldn't blame him. He was left in charge of keeping the Pink Princess alive and she kept wanting to run with a primed grenade instead of throwing it.
"Sir, you sent us out to do that," the redhead explained, trying to get him to think rationally again.
"I don't care!" Waltfeld yelled. "You know I can't resist—"
"Mr. Waltfeld, I have an idea."
They all turned to Lacus and groaned. Of course she had a plan. She was a brilliant tactician in the making and always thought scenarios through. After all, giving away a high-tech mobile suit to a pilot of the Earth Alliance was just good, military intuition.
The three soldiers exchanged glances. Without even hearing what she had to say, they already knew two things about the plan.
It could potentially get her killed.
And they would end up doing it anyway.
Eclipse understood the reasoning, but she wished she could agree with it. After all the warnings against seeing Athrun, Lacus insisted the redhead be one of her bodyguards. Athrun was the guest of honor, so he was going to be there. And Eclipse was going to be there.
Hm, there were going to be some problems following DaCosta's orders.
What she was even more worried about, however, was the singer's choice of a meeting spot. While the building had been abandoned some time ago, the eroding ceiling and the moss growing on the interior made the inside look more like a greenhouse than a symphony theater. In fact, the redhead started getting really worried when part of the ceiling panels fell down once they had walked in, the rain outside doing more to the structure of the building than watering the unwanted plant life.
"Team A, watch the perimeter," DaCosta explained, turning to the group of three on his left. They stood on the stage, Eclipse coming to the spot late after taking a short walk around the stage and interior. The big chunks of rock on the stage caught her off guard and made her nervousness rise to near paranoia. Why the hell did they go along with this? "Let us know if anyone comes, especially Athrun. For the sake of secrecy, call him Red Knight."
"Roger that," the group replied. It was a large area to cover, but with limited soldiers to spare, DaCosta had to trust them no matter what. He was a bit worried, so he saved a few more for the inside squads. Plus, he had Eclipse.
"Alright, Team B, spread out in the seated areas. Check under every damn popcorn kernel for enemies, pick a spot, then report in. I'd hate to hit you by accident when the shooting starts."
"Roger."
"Team C, you'll spread out on the stage. Cover the back entrances, the fire escapes, trap doors—everything. Hide behind a damn prop if you have to."
"Roger."
"Sir, the stage?" Eclipse asked. She was assigned to Team B, but stuck around to hear the other orders.
"Lacus is going to be sitting there."
The redhead blinked. "On stage?"
"Unfortunately."
"Would it be pointless for me to ask why?"
"Yes."
Both sighed. "Then maybe we should—"
"—monitor the box seats," DaCosta finished.
"Agreed," they said in unison.
The box seats were located on either side of the theater and—thanks to some interesting designers—the boxes were all connected to each other along the wall, a curtain being the only thing keeping the different sections apart. Climbing up the stairs to the East side, the redhead pulled aside those curtains, holding her breath and looking away so none of the dust blew into her eyes or she had the pleasure of inhaling it. Finding a good vantage point, she crouched down in the corner nearest to the stage, keeping one of the chairs between her and the doorway, but still able to see the main entrance on the floor. Resting her head against the moss on the railing, she waited.
"Mizu no naka ni yoru ga yureteru.
Kanashii hodo shizuka ni tatazumu.
Midorinasu kishibe.
Utsukushii yoake wo.
Tada matte iraretara.
Kirei na kokoro de."
Eclipse closed her eyes as soon as Lacus started singing. She had seen the princess getting ready backstage and—at the time—had shaken her head about the outfit she had chosen to wear. Lacus had decided to dress up, wearing a fancy blue dress that would do nothing more than trip her if she decided she had to start running for her life. Strapless, it flowed down to the floor and was accented by long sleeves attached at the singer's upper arms. Visualizing her sitting down on the stage and singing, however, Eclipse understood why she had decided to wear something so formal. The last time Lacus was in the theater, she had worn that outfit and sang to her fans. Now, she did the same thing, singing to her friends and then to Athrun as soon as he walked through the door.
Eclipse swallowed, feeling the tension slipping down her throat. Suddenly, she felt so emotional, the song bringing up memories she really didn't want to think about; the most prominent being FS and Stray's betrayal along with Nicol's death. A lot had happened since she decided to join the war effort.
And so far, she was cursing every day of it.
"Kurai umi to sora no mukou ni.
Arasoi no nai basho ga aruno to.
Osiete kureta no wa dare.
Dare mo ga tadori tsukenai.
Soretomo dareka no kokoro no naka ni."
"Red Knight spotted."
There he was, Athrun standing in the doorway with his weapon drawn, listening to Lacus's song. Eclipse saw him hesitate and couldn't help but sigh. She could only imagine what must have been running through his head then. Lacus betrayed him and his military, giving a high-tech mobile suit to the enemy; the enemy being Kira Yamato, Athrun's longtime friend and most recent kill in battle. Well, he didn't know that part yet.
"Mizu no nagare wo shizumete.
Kureru daichi wo uruosu shirabe.
Ima wa doko nimo nakutemo.
Kitto jibun de te ni ireruno.
Itsumo, itsuka, kitto." ***
Lacus continued her singing, the melody echoing through the hall as loudly as it had been the first time she had sung in the theater. Her audience was just as silent, transfixed on her words and wishing the horrid memories would stay away. Eclipse felt much like that, biting her bottom lip as she scanned for enemies. There was no way some emotional crescendos were going to cause her to miss one of Lacus's potential killers. Funny how ever since Heine came into her life, she had become more connected with her musical side.
Athrun walked down the aisle with the gun at his side. His attention was solely on the singer—which wasn't surprising—but showed a bit about his mental state as well. He was hurt, confused, and damn near angry with what had been going on. His walk was slow, seeming almost hesitant in his approach. His right hand clutched his handgun, holding it down at his side so as not to scare the young singer. In his injured hand, he held onto the pink Haro, the sling across his shoulder making her realize that he had been far more hurt than she had thought when she saw him last. Swallowing, she pushed that guilt and fear down for the moment, her eyes shifting instead to the pink ball in his hand. Lacus was going to be pleased to see it again. Eclipse had been surprised they had left it at her house at the time, but even Lacus had a very good sense of foresight, the redhead wagered.
Eclipse sighed, shaking off the sentimentality from Lacus's song as she finished the last line and getting ready for what was most likely going to happen next.
The pink Haro was the one to make the first move, jumping down from Athrun's hand up onto the stage, muttering its series of phrases including Lacus's name.
"Well, hello there, Mr. Pink." Catching the mechanical ball, she smiled and looked over at Athrun still standing in the center aisle. "I was certain you'd be the one to find him and bring him here. Thank you very much."
"Why Lacus?" the pilot asked. His features screamed uncomfortable and his facial muscles were so tense Eclipse was afraid that if one of the enemy did come through the door right then, his finger would jump across the trigger and he would shoot himself in the foot. She had never seen him so on edge, not even after Nicol died.
"Why what?" Lacus replied, adding a smile to her innocent look.
Athrun jumped up onto the stage to see the young singer face-to-face. "Explain yourself," he began, swinging around some debris to stand in front of her. "What've you done?"
"I'm sure you've heard all about it. That's why you came to see me, isn't it?"
"Is it true what they're saying about you? That you're guilty of providing assistance to an enemy spy? How could you do that?"
Lacus paused, as if trying to find the words and she found her expression interesting. It was almost as if she had rehearsed this in her mind, her face displaying far more comfort than she thought the Pink Princess could give at the end of a barrel. "I did not provide assistance to an enemy spy. All I did was provide Kira with a newer, better sword."
Eclipse looked down at Athrun then. She couldn't really see his face, but she didn't need to. His shoulders tensed as his right finger twitched against the trigger. A part of her wanted to see his face and wonder what was going through his head. She had had her own uncertainties when Lacus explained to her what had happened, but—no doubt—it was nothing compared to what was going through the young commander's mind. After all, he had been the one to supposedly kill him.
"Enemy spotted," a member of Team A said through the radio. Nodding to herself, Eclipse turned away from the talk and positioned herself next to the railing in a position where she could keep an eye on the box seat door and the front entrance of the theater.
"Reverend Malchio found him unconscious and brought him to me," Lacus continued. "Then I learned about what happened between you two; Kira told me. Don't you believe what I'm telling you?"
Did you expect him to? Eclipse thought dryly, eyes darting around to each shadow. Her job might have been better easier if the building wasn't filled with debris. Those large blocks of cement allowed for more coverage and more frustration for those trying to keep the reckless singer alive.
"Do you even believe what you see with your own eyes? On the battlefield, and now that you've returned to the PLANTs after being away for quite some time, haven't you noticed things are different?"
"Lacus—"
"What is it you believe in? What is it you're fighting for now? Is it for that medal you received? Or your father's orders?"
"Lacus!"
"Because if that is so, you'll likely find yourself fighting Kira as his enemy again. And you'll be fighting me too." There it was—what the singer had been meaning to tell him the entire time. To Eclipse's ears, the words stung and she wasn't even being the one interrogated. Or perhaps she still felt like it. What was she even fighting for? There was this peace faction right in front of her, ready and willing to take her as a member, but she was hesitating. Why? Didn't she tell herself once that she couldn't live without war and fighting? Was that the reason she was so uncertain? If that was the case, shouldn't she just go back to ZAFT?
Damn it all! she cursed, hating all the questions being brought up because of the whole ordeal. It was so much easier when she just didn't care about any of it.
"So, if I'm to be your enemy, then you might as well kill me now, Athrun Zala soldier of ZAFT!"
"Enemy entering the building. Don't have a good visual on the numbers. I'm guessing about fifteen," announced the same member of Team A. Almost right after he made the announcement, some men in black suits and shades ran into the room, spreading out and filing down the aisles. So distraught, Athrun didn't even notice the three that climbed up onto the stage behind him.
"You have our thanks, Athrun Zala."
"What is this?" the young commander asked, aiming his gun at the man speaking to him.
"Naturally, her fiancé would know her best," he continued. "You saved us some time. Now, please step away from her. She's a fugitive accused of treason. We have orders to use lethal force if need be. Are you sure you want to protect her?"
"T-those orders can't be right!" Athrun exclaimed, backing away and pulling Lacus behind him.
Eclipse waited for DaCosta's signal. She didn't want to prematurely start a gunfight, but she didn't want them to just take Athrun and Lacus either. "Lieutenant, I have a clear shot," she said into the radio, avoiding DaCosta's name in case the frequencies were being tapped. The last thing she wanted to do was blow the greencoat's cover.
He didn't respond, making the redhead nervous. Someone had yet to sneak upstairs on her side, but that didn't mean someone hadn't over on the West side. DaCosta couldn't be taken out that easily, could he? "Lieutenant—"
"Commence interception," he announced and Eclipse saw one of the men aiming at Athrun topple to the ground with a bullet in his temple. Either DaCosta had really good aim or his shot to wound went a little array. The man next to him on stage went down half a second later.
"Roger that," she replied, popping up for a moment to clear the railing and shoot at an enemy hiding in the Eastern doorway. The bullet glanced off the woodwork, never coming close enough to harm the man, but killing him, was not Eclipse's objective. Probably seeing her break cover, the man crouched down and inched outward. He took too shots at the box seats and she ducked, hearing his groan a moment later when one of the Clyne Faction most likely got him before he could put a couple more bullets into the decorated wood. "I owe you one, Team B," she said as she risked another look over the railing.
"Thanks for getting him into the open," was the quick reply and Eclipse smirked. It was nice to be acknowledge in battle.
A bullet grazed the railing of the booth when she broke cover, the wood veering the bullet high enough to miss Eclipse's right shoulder and ear. Ideally, she wasn't supposed to get spotted, but since she and DaCosta had made the first shots, it was to be expected. She was just careless. Team B was supposed to be taking out the men on the main floor, but she hadn't seen where the shot had come from. Gunfire was continuing from down below, so concentrating on sound was out of the question. Even the radio frequency was filled with random battle noises and some vague commands. It was hard to separate them all. One voice, though, she would always recognize: DaCosta. His cursing was faint, but as soon as she risked another look over the railing to the other side of the theater, she understood his distress.
One of the enemy had gone up to his booth, probably figuring out his position as soon as DaCosta had killed the man by the stage. They were struggling over a gun, but whose it was, Eclipse didn't know. From what she could tell, every one of their suited enemies was armed, so either DaCosta had unarmed the man, or he was about to get a bullet in the stomach. The gun went off twice as Eclipse got into position, one bullet hitting someone on the theater floor if the cry was any indication.
Cursing, the redhead took aim, knowing she would have to make herself pretty open to make an accurate shot. She rested her wrists and the butt of her pistol on the railing, crouching down and following the movements of the struggling men across from her. "Lieutenant, turn him towards the railing!" she shouted into her radio. There was no vocal response, but DaCosta's struggling started to gain an objective. The enemy's body was in her line of fire for a moment, but it wasn't long enough for a good shot and DaCosta's movements had cost him, forcing him to lose the upper hand in order to give her the open shot. "Shit!"
Another—one of the last, she presumed—enemy on the floor noticed the struggling men from his spot behind a theater seat. Taking aim, he was waiting for much the same opportunity as Eclipse. With another curse, the redhead adjusted her target and fired. A bullet came from behind her and hit the railing near her right hand at the same time she shot, sending her bullet a little to the left. The man on the theater floor still crumpled, however, her shot wedged in his left shoulder. Aiming again, she risked one more go and hit his neck just as she heard the gun go off again in DaCosta's booth. Her heart skipped but she didn't have time to see the outcome of that duel.
Instinct and intuition took over next, as the redhead ducked low and turned her back to the railing just in time to see a black-suited man in the doorway to the box seat. The man had shot as she turned, but missed when Eclipse ducked, the enemy too greedy in going for a head shot. Bringing up her gun, she fired a shot, but it had been rushed and it went wide. The man ducked behind the doorframe and Eclipse—who had ended up in the corner with her left side at the wall and her back still against the railing—scrambled to her right and forward towards the door.
The enemy reached around the frame and fired a blind shot, but barely missed, his angle not sharp enough and the bullet going through the baggy shirt of her uniform. Eclipse grabbed his arm before it could retreat back behind the doorframe and pulled the man towards her through the door. Not expecting the move, he was off balance and falling forward, giving Eclipse just enough leeway to line his elbow up on her knee and break it at the joint. The man yelled when the arm loosened in her grip and was instantly dazed. He stumbled backwards down the step, flailing and coming to just in time to reach out with his left hand and catch Eclipse by the shirt. Cursing, the redhead put a bullet through his hand, dislodged the grip, and watched as he tumbled down the steps.
The fighting stopped soon after, Eclipse instantly getting to her feet and look across the way for DaCosta. They made brief eye contact before he began running down the stairs and she sighed, glad to see he was the victor in his squabble. The redhead ventured back down the stairs as soon as she made sure the room was clear, stopping briefly to check the state the unfortunate man who had attempted to get the best of her. The awkward angle of his neck gave her the quick answer, but she checked for a pulse anyway, sighing when she felt nothing.
Walking out into the main seating area, she did a quick check of the room, noticing only two injured from the Clyne Faction and at least two of suited men were in ropes at the back of the room. Good, mission accomplished.
She turned to the stage next, hoisting herself up when she saw Lacus was attempting to have a few last words with Athrun and the impatient DaCosta standing next to her. So far, only the greencoat was the one to notice her movement onto the stage and they locked sights, but she didn't back down under his warning gaze. Whether Athrun had sent her to those mad scientists or not, she was going to talk to him.
"Ready, Miss Lacus?" DaCosta asked after a sigh, returning his attention to his real charge.
The girl nodded, turning to Athrun one last time and smiling. "Thank you so much, Athrun."
"Are you finished here, Miss Lacus? I think it's time we got going as well."
She nodded. "Goodbye, Athrun. Thank you again for bringing my dear Pink back to me." Holding the ball up to her face, she smiled again before her face went uncharacteristically serious. "You'll find Kira on Earth. I suggest you have a talk with him. He is your friend." Turning to DaCosta, her grin appeared again, not even waiting for Athrun to respond before she squared up to leave. "Shall we get going then?" The greencoat nodded and turned to one of his team members beside him, pointing off to the back of the stage. The soldier nodded and ran off, two others following behind him. While the theater was most likely cleared, DaCosta wasn't about to take any chances with Lacus in tow.
"Lexi—" the greencoat began, but Eclipse held up a hand, silencing his final attempt at getting her to leave. Sighing, DaCosta just gave in and ushered Lacus out of the building. He could only take care of one stubborn female at a time.
Eclipse turned to Athrun and watched him carefully, waiting until the others were gone before she started speaking. She really didn't care about the privacy, more like making sure the group escaped without anymore incident. Athrun had seen her, but hadn't said anything yet, possibly listening for the same "All clear." The confusion was evident on his face and she started feeling bad for him again, knowing this entire experience was probably one surprise after another. As soon as no alarm sounded through the radio, she sighed and switched the safety on her gun. "So, what're you going to do?"
"Lexi? You're Lexi now?" he asked, avoiding her initial question. Perhaps he didn't have a really good answer just yet. "And what are you doing here?"
"More like I'm Lexi again," she corrected, ignoring the other half of his questioning. Apparently, she didn't really have any good answers for him just yet either. "Well, sort of. I'm still getting used to the idea."
"You and me both," he replied, putting a hand to his forehead and plopping down onto the stage. Eclipse jumped forward as he fell—thinking he was injured—but he held up a hand to stop her and took a deep breath. Collecting himself, he flipped the safety on his handgun and set it on the floor next to him. "Kira's alive."
"I know."
"And back on Earth."
"Uh-huh."
"But I killed him."
"I thought so too."
Athrun sighed, bending his legs and running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I don't believe it."
"What, that you killed him or that he's alive?"
"Both, I guess."
"Why?"
"Why?" he repeated. "Eclipse, you saw what happened! How the hell did he survive?"
"You don't sound too happy about it," she commented, walking over and sitting down in front of him. Stretching out her legs, she crossed her ankles and leaned back on her palms, the gun resting off to her right. When he didn't answer, she continued. "You don't believe her? Or is it you're afraid to see him then? Is that why you aren't rushing to Earth?"
"It's not that simple. I mean, why would I just rush off after everything that's happened? That is happening? I can't just leave the mili—" He stopped, biting his tongue as he recalled Lacus's words. What was keeping him around? His father? Someone whom he barely knew anymore?
"Why not?" she asked and, much like it had with Lacus, it sounded so simple when the words came out of her mouth. Was he the only one hesitating? What had he missed when he was in hospital? What was this new resolve everyone seemed to have? Cursing, he looked away, not having an answer for her loaded question and he shook his head.
They sat in silence for a while, the familiarity of the moment almost alarming given the amount of time that had passed since they had been in the same room. The last time he had talked to her, she had been given new orders to return to space, but, somehow, he doubted she had been stationed with Lacus of all people. It made no sense.
"What are you doing with Lacus?" he finally asked.
Sighing, Eclipse leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. She didn't want to give out a lot of information because no matter how much she trusted him, Waltfeld and DaCosta were skeptical. She would never betray their trust and, after the greencoat's explanation, she was wary, even if only a little. So, what could she actually tell him?
"Eclipse, you look exhausted. What's been happening?"
She sighed again before bringing her head back down to eye level. "A lot's happened, Athrun. You heard the gist of it already."
"Aren't you going to fill me in on the rest then?"
"That depends, what do you plan on doing?"
Athrun figured she was going to come back around to his problems, but still didn't have an honest answer for her. "I don't know," he said, hanging his head. "I've been a ZAFT soldier for the past three years and—well—my mother was killed because of the Earth Forces so I have to stay—"
"You have to?" Eclipse responded. "Tell me, what good does more fighting do? Do you seen an end to this war? I don't."
"So—what then? Are you just going to run away from it all? Pretend that you were never part of it?"
"Don't put words in my mouth."
"Am I?" Athrun pressed, holding his right hand out to the side as he continued. "Out of our whole team, Eclipse, you were the one I could never understand. You took orders without question, but you acted like the only loyalty you had was to yourself, not ZAFT, and I was so sure I would just wake up one morning and you would be gone. But that never happened. You even ran off to deal with SIN-ED and then always came back. It wasn't until Orb that I honestly started believing you thought of us as your teammates and then watching the how we all started treating each other? I believed we were all on the same page—finally. Things fell apart swiftly after that, but you still stayed. You were still with ZAFT." He pointed at her to accent his point and she frowned, feeling herself starting to get angry at his assessments. "But now you're here and with Lacus! An apparent traitor to ZAFT itself!"
"You don't know anything about it!" Eclipse spat, her fury coming out in a burst. "You don't know what ZAFT did—I was—" She stopped, closing her eyes and looking away as she took some steadying breaths. No, it wasn't the right time to bring up DaCosta's accusation. Cursing, she opened her mouth to form a better answer for him, but it was as if her mind had already shaped one for her and the words tumbled from her lips before she could even digest them. "I'm going back to Orb."
They both paused, Athrun seemingly just as surprised as Eclipse who was staring wide-eyed at her feet.
"Orb?" he asked.
Taking a second, she actually thought about it. Orb. Where else could she go? Wasn't she supposed to be Lexi Rymyr again? What better place to start over being herself than at home? Home. Could that place really be considered home anymore? Did she have a choice? Well, she could stay with the Clyne Faction, but would that solve anything? For the most part, she would just sit around all day trying to keep Lacus safe. That wasn't a bad thing necessarily, but it didn't seem like something she should be doing at that time. What should she be doing then? Going after SIN-ED? But where were they?
"Yes," she responded after a moment. Maybe it was time she faced her past after all. "I'm going back to Orb."
Athrun hesitated. "Why?"
"I have some things to figure out, and starting over might be my only option."
The elite sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair again. "Back to Orb?"
The redhead nodded, more confident in her decision. "Back to Orb."
(***)
Song: "Mizu no Akashi"
Singer: Tanaka Rie
Composer: Kajiura Yuki
Writer: Kajiura Yuki
Personal Notes: I take no credit for this song whatsoever. I do not own it, nor do I own any part of it. It is an insert song for Gundam SEED and as such I felt it okay to put in the story. Since music is a main theme for this story, having the songs from the series worked well for both the plot and characterization. There will be more songs in the future for those same reasons.
Sincerely,
Strata-Assassin
A/N: Hey guys, this chapter took a while, didn't it? I guess I should've guessed it would, but I'm still really sorry. I'll blame school, work, and coaching, much like I always do. Also, NaNoWriMo starts soon (in one day) and I hope to get 50k again this year! Is anyone else going to try? I've managed to recruit about five more people from my classes and am very proud of my persuasive powers (insert evil laugh). :P Maybe I'll get some of you guys to do it too. Visit the site ( .org) for more details!
Anyway, aside from my recruiting, my time is going to be even more limited than usual. I'll work on the next chapter, but I haven't really started it yet and have a lot to figure out. After all, I finally made it to Orb! …And have a lot more "new" characters for Eclipse to meet. Gah! I don't want to type name or talk about him, but I can't avoid it any longer! Damn you Kira Yamato! Ah well, I'm actually interested to see how Eclipse is going to take to him. I especially can't wait for you guys to officially meet the notorious Lathan Rymyr! Heh, perhaps that was a spoiler. Sorry. :P
Alright, enough of the future endeavors, let's focus a little more on the chapter. I have a feeling people are gonna want to read interactions between Lacus and Eclipse, but those'll have to wait until a little later. There's about a two month break after Orb is destroyed and they're in out space and that'll probably be a very interesting time. I need to do a little more on Eclipse and her inner self before describing her outer encounters in more detail. Be patient, okay?
This might sound a little mushy coming from me, but I'm rather proud of my little redhead. She's grown a lot, but has yet to lose her sarcastic personality. Such a trooper. :P What's even funnier is that everyone around her has gotten used to her ridiculous twist on feminine personality. Good thing there's people like Lacus Clyne to compliment her so well. And people like Namarra to just make things worse.
Thanks again for everyone who's been reading/reviewing this story even though the updates are becoming slower and slower. I'll be graduating soon and will have more time for this story eventually. Just wait a couple more months and I'll have so much time I'll be bored.
As usual my Betas are awesome. I usually have problems with authenticity and I'm beginning to think they know this story/Anime better than I do.
Questions/Gripes:
First off, I'd like to thank all the new people who are reviewing. I love hearing from new faces—as well as the old ones, don't worry—and enjoy seeing the different views on my story. Thanks!
Asmus: I know you and some other reviewers wanted Eclipse to really just lay to waste everything as she tried to escape, but that would've caused so much problems for her later on. Yes, the dramatics would've been so much fun, but—alas—I had to think about my fair redhead. Don't worry, she'll have her chance to cause a bit of damage later on.
Again, thanks for everything, guys, and I'll see you next chapter!