If you're getting yourself into trouble on purpose, might as well swan dive into the deep end. The Guardians become mildly inconvenienced, to say the least.
A/N: Just a reminder to all FK fans that there is a tumblr for art and fanart of this fic! You can find it at .com I occasionally upload bonus pencil sketches, mini comics, and other doodles. I also reblog the fanart of others and links to new chapters so that it's all in one place! Thanks again so much for all your love and interaction! I have the incredibly rare honour of this fic having more comments than Kudos (on AO3 at least), and it's all thanks to you guys.
Anyways, this is my favourite chapter so far. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!
Considering her antagonistic history with the Guardians, Aile probably should have been a bit more wary when re-entering the interior of the Guardian's airship base. Barely moments after she dusted herself off and opened the door to the top floor, she was met with the sight of a truly massive man towering over her. He glowered at her with suspicion in his eyes, his intimidating muscles tensing up as Aile's train of thoughts ground to a halt at his presence. He frowned, speaking firmly, "You? The Imp of Cinq Ville, here!? Funny time for you to show up!"
Aile probably should have seen this hostility coming. Especially since she sort of recognized the man from one of her pranking streaks. She giggled nervously, "Yeah, uh, funny story that-"
"-I don't suppose you had anything to do with that maverick attack we just weathered?" He interrupted as he approached her. She bravely (foolishly) held her ground as he continued to accuse her, "Real convenient timing for you, now isn't it?" The large man's hand fell heavily onto her shoulder, gripping her almost painfully, "Very convenient indeed… Almost like it was planned."
Aile tried to lightly push the offending limb off of her, "T-total coinky-dink, that one. I had nothing to do with those other mavericks! I just helped beat 'em up a little. Not like you guys had any problems dealing with that bunch of losers, heh heh…" Despite her efforts, the big guy's grasp wouldn't budge. If she wanted to get free she'd have to struggle pretty hard. As Aile looked around the area for an escape route, she noticed a couple other Guardians appearing. Some of their uniforms were a bit more ripped and dirty than others, but all of them honed in on her with animosity. Aile gulped, her throat dry with dread. Despite this she held up her courageous front. Rather than start an unsightly commotion by trying to wrench herself out of the man's grip, she bluffed and brushed herself off like she was in complete control of the rapidly deteriorating situation, "Actually, I'm just here to meet up with a guy, you'd probably know where he is better than I do. His name is Vent."
"Vent? So you really are looking for him..." The man's eyes darkened suspiciously. The next thing Aile knew, he was shoving her none-too-gently towards the elevator, the other Guardians falling in around them. "I might know a certain someone who could find Vent for you. Why don't we go say our hellos? Commander Prairie has been wanting to meet you for a while, anyways!"
Aile tried not to shudder at the threat in his tone. Instead she nervously laughed even as she was hemmed in and the elevator doors closed behind her. Being surrounded like she was, Aile couldn't help but let a little of her own hostility into her tone, "H-hey, yeah, s-s-sure, sounds great. It'll be fun to meet the guy behind all you dumb bozos." She glared up at the ringleader when he growled at her response and bit back, "Oh come on, don't be such a party pooper! Are you still mad about the wedgie, gorilla guts? Get over it!"
"My name is Thon, not gorilla guts," he ground out.
Aile chuckled a little at his anger, but her laughter fell flat in face of her solemn audience. The elevator doors opened as she began to pout, "Friendly as a flaming mettaur, aren't you? Sheesh!" Despite this hostility, Aile played along and let herself be forcibly led to the command center of the base, though she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the occasional mark of battle damage along the walls. A not-exactly-casual push brought her out of her reverie as she faced down a moderately ominous door at the end of yet another hallway. How many halls were there on this stupid ship, anyways? A sign overhead marked it as the bridge.
Aile groaned. After all her years of pranks and troublemaking, she was finally going to face the music. Gods, the things she did for her brother.
Thon opened the door, finally letting Aile go as she stumbled into the room with her hackles raised. The teen troublemaker adjusted the mask on her face as she surveyed the room critically. Immediately in front of her were a pair of people at a large console talking to each other, one of whom she recognized as her brother Vent. However, her father had instilled in her the critical need for situational awareness, and so Aile's look-around didn't stop there. She also noticed the massive windows in the front of the ship, each one showing a glorious landscape outside. Near these windows, recessed into a lower floor in front of the main console, were several computers and navigators working away at consoles. A sturdy but utilitarian stairway led down to the area. Close to that was some sort of large machinery that hummed and glowed busily, its lights reflecting off various metal surfaces nearby. In her observations, Aile noticed several weaknesses, things that were either well defended and should be ignored, or more vulnerable to lob an object at should she need to throw hands and book it. It never hurt to have a plan of escape along with a plan of attack. Not that there were many places to run to on an airship…
A small commotion started. Aile snapped her attention back to her brother and the other person in front of her as they noticed her intrusion. The person, a lady in an admittedly cool-looking pink coat, turned around to look at her. She blinked, stiffening at the sight before her. Then she muttered incredulously, "The Imp of Cinq Ville? We caught her? Now, of all times…?"
"No one caught me, I'm here of my own accord!" Aile proudly stated. She heard a snort of disbelief behind her, but wasn't interrupted further. Rather than acknowledge her slightly-less-than-willing entrance to the area, Aile instead brought herself to her full height in an effort to wow and intimidate, "I heard that Vent was teamed up with you Guardian guys so I had to investigate. I've been looking for him, y'know?" She dusted her knuckles off against her shirt imperiously, "Not long after I found him, I heard you guys were in trouble! I know this goes against everything I stand for, I DO have a reputation to keep after all," she bragged, "but it seemed like you needed my help, and I supposed, just this once, that I could offer it! You goody-two-shoes need someone with some actual brains around here! So I'll throw ya a bone. But only 'cause Vent apparently likes you guys! And I'm here to protect him now. So lucky you, uh, whoever you are, toots." Aile then turned to Vent with a glare, "Speaking of which, Vent, what gives?! Middle of a maverick attack and you just run out on me? Rude!"
Everyone around her seemed more than a little flummoxed at her confident tone. Even Vent blinked a little at her spiel. He sighed, shook his head at her antics, and groaned, "Oh, yeah, uh… whoops. Sorry."
"Vent? You're the one that brought her in?"
Vent looked between Aile and the woman beside him. Her eyes showed concern and curiosity. Vent answered her question, "Er, yes. I suppose I should introduce you? Uh, Prairie, this is Aile!" He said, unable to stop himself from smiling at her. Aile smiled right back as he continued, "Aile, this is Prairie, commander of the Guardians!"
Aile's face twitched. She'd just smack-talked the Guardian leader? Oops. Now there was a great first impression… Ah well, in for a penny, in for a pound. "You're the Guardian leader? Huh, guess that weirdo hat of yours isn't just for show, is it?" Prairie gave an affronted grunt as Vent groaned again and Aile continued to complain, "Geeze lady, if you're supposedly the boss around here, maybe you should give your men a bit of a talking to? They have no idea how to treat a lady! I got dragged here like some sort of prisoner, even after I went through all the effort of helpin' you guys out. That's bad manners, don't'cha know! Next time maybe I won't help clear the mavericks off your deck, huh?" The menagerie of Guardian members in the background gave some complaints of their own at her chiding. Aile couldn't help but giggle at their offended demeanour. But really, she had definitely bailed them out back there, so she was more than entitled to a little trash talk in her opinion.
"Ah, yes, the attack…" Prairie mumbled. Everyone's attention turned back to her as she started to speak, "I have to admit, you caught us at an interesting time. And this wasn't the first time you've been spotted helping with a maverick incident…" Prairie's face scrunched up with thought. She looked over at Vent, "I have no idea why you're… helping us, or why you've been trying to get into contact with Vent. And I'd like to know. Vent? I want to thank you for your efforts in bringing the Imp of Cinq Ville into custody. I'll see that your efforts are rewarded. But you don't need to be here for the interrogation if you don't want to be."
Vent seemed a little confused by Prairie's words, but Aile understood the situation immediately. She snarled, "Interrogation? What, you think I'm your prisoner or something? Vent, what the hell, you'd better not be setting me up!"
"Wait, prisoner?" He baulked, "You don't mean that, do you Prairie!?"
Prairie frowned, "You needn't worry Vent, we'll take good care of her. But she has a long list of charges and misdemeanors that we need to talk to her about-"
"N-no, no, that can't be right? You can't do that to her, Prairie! I didn't capture Aile, I invited her! She's my sister!"
At that the whole room went quiet. Dozens of Guardians stared at the exchange with eyes wide as saucers, and more than a few of them let their jaws hang open too. This news was, to say the least, incredibly unexpected. Prairie's expression was carefully blank as she turned to look at Vent. Her eyes roamed between Vent and Aile, and the teen miscreant could see the gears in her head going a mile a minute. "Your… sister…?"
"Yup!" Aile grinned cheekily, partially dislodging her mask to let it hang on the side of her head. Now that her face was visible, more than a few double-takes overtook their audience. Ignoring this, Aile clarified, "I'm his twin sister! That's why I was looking for him. Hah! The looks on your guy's faces… are twins really that rare around here?"
Prairie looked more than a little concerned as she glanced at Vent, "Vent, is this true? You said on your entry forms that you were a single child, and Giro-?"
"Y-yeah, it's true," Vent confirmed sheepishly. He tried to smile but it was a stilted, awkward thing that overtook his features, "I, uh, if it helps, I didn't know she was still alive? Just found out myself today! Ah, heh, funny story, isn't it…?"
One of the navigators suddenly spoke up with disbelief rife in her tone, "You're kidding me. My life is a sitcom, isn't it?"
"Marguerite!" Her fellow navigator admonished her. But that little event broke the ice, a few of the other Guardians chortling along or shaking their heads as though stupefied. Prairie merely watched all this happen with a wary gaze, then motioned towards both Vent and Aile, "I… think we may need more information. This might take a while. Shall we retreat to my quarters? I'll have someone fetch Giro for us."
Vent looked ashamed for some reason. Aile thought about the name 'Giro' for a moment before realizing that it was the injured man who she'd run across earlier. The same man who had been very badly hurt in Vent's botched attack on Serpent. Ah, no wonder Vent felt bad then. The guy probably needed bed rest, yet here he was getting dragged into some sort of ridiculous meeting. One that might as well have come from some cheesy, cliche teen's novel. Honestly, it was absurd and hilarious. Aile couldn't help but snicker a little. Now that the others were completely confused as to how she should be treated, Aile had no problem pushing past them as Prairie guided them to her private quarters. The place which, when Aile was allowed in, drove her breathless.
Plushies. Everywhere.
It had to have been one of the most awesome rooms ever, Aile grudgingly admitted, even if it was a little bit too girly (and very unfitting) for a person of Prairie's social stature. But then again, when you were the boss of a world-renowned mercenary group, you could have whatever you wanted. Prairie apparently just-so-happened to like girly shit, and gave zero fucks about what others might think. Aile could respect her for that. Then again these were private quarters, even if they were very close to the bridge, so maybe this wasn't as bold a gesture as she thought it was.
Oh well. Too much thinking.
Aile happily leaped into the air with a whoop and flopped into a pile of stuffed animals. The Guardian commander gave her a mild glare as everyone else took positions around the room. Prairie stood near a bed while Vent stumbled into a chair next to a weird-looking desk in the corner. It didn't take long for Giro to finally arrive either, even though he was clearly wincing as a purple-haired nurse helped him into the room. Prairie stepped up to assist them, and with a few grunts and groans Giro was settled onto the bed. The glasses-wearing man gave them all a slight smirk, "Ah, much more comfortable in here, isn't it? Hope you don't mind if I stay a while, Prairie. With all the people needing help after the attack, I'm sure the nurses are happy to kick me out."
"Of course. As long as you need," Prairie smiled. Vent guffawed to the side. The nurse left. After that the room got incredibly quiet once more, no one quite sure how to proceed. Aile was wary, wondering how the conversation was going to start. Prairie was clearly trying to think of which questions to ask first, and Vent was completely lost.
It was Giro who finally broke the silence, "So… ah. Hello, Imp of Cinq Ville. I thought I spotted you in the halls. What brings you to this humble base of ours?" He gave a humoured smile, "I'd have thought this would be the last place you'd want to visit, all things considered."
Aile decided that she wasn't the type of person who swapped mindless pleasantries, and cut to the chase with the sort of vicious practicality that made her father puff up with pride, "Yeah, it sucks. This is definitely the last hole I wanna get stuck in. But Vent's here, and he's my goody-two-shoes brother, so what can ya do?"
Giro was clearly not expecting that fact. His face went pale with shock, eyes rapidly darting between Vent and Aile and no doubt picking up on the eerie similarities between their hair colour, facial structure, and so on. "B-brother? Vent? H-how can that be? I've raised Vent since he was little, no one ever said anything about… oh," he said, clearly having come to a realization of some sort. He looked upset, doing his best to sit up in the bed despite his poorly-recovering injuries, "I… did recall that Vent mentioned having a sister. But I thought…"
"Yeah, Aile and I got… separated… a long time ago," Vent admitted. He looked away, disposition dark. "After I lost track of her in a maverick attack, I guess I was convinced that she was… well…"
Aile tried and failed to ignore the looming atmosphere, determined to not let her painful history consume her. She turned to Giro casually. "Yeah, we didn't know each other was alive until recently. Thanks for trying to raise Vent here, by the way. He clearly needs all the help he can get," Aile teased as she threw a stuffed toy at Vent. He squawked in theatrical offense when a cyber-elf shaped ball of fluff collided with his face. Prairie gave her another glare. She ignored it. "Like he said, we got separated during a maverick attack that claimed our mom. It's… quite a story there." Aile blinked as she thought of something, "Speaking of… Vent? How are you alive? I know how I survived that day, but every time I tried to investigate that incident at the theme park, all the news stories I could find said that everyone was killed? No survivors? Yet here you are. Anyone know how that happened?"
"I do," Giro interjected, "I was there, along with some other Guardians. I'm very familiar with the maverick assault that happened there ten years ago. We kept a lot of the details of the attack confidential to protect Vent, as well as anyone else who might try to enter the park afterwards. Especially since we detected several maverick energy signatures there afterwards… Including a seriously powerful one. They frequented that place long after the carnage was over, as if searching for something. No one ever managed to find out who the signatures belonged to, what they'd been looking for, or if they ever found it or not. Still, all of that was long ago. I suppose I can let some details come to life now that so much time has passed. However…" Giro's tired drone halted. The blonde leaned back with a heavy sigh, wincing at some sort of ache he'd accidentally aggravated. His eyes darkened as they looked elsewhere, "What happened there… It's not a pleasant story. That day in the park… are you sure you're okay with me telling them all, Vent? It might be a bit personal."
Prairie looked on as Vent nodded solemnly, "Yeah. It's… go ahead," he muttered. He spoke with an audible grimace, "It's not like I really remember much of what happened. It was all a blur. I just remember being really scared, and a lot of smoke and fire. And the park. I remember the park. But nothing much else."
"That's probably for the best," Giro began, and Aile couldn't help but agree. She felt a mixed pang of jealousy and relief. She wouldn't wish such memories on anyone, but… she didn't like that she was suffering alone, either. Giro spared a moment to give them both a look of concern. That concern deepened at Aile's haunted gaze. "Aile, are you-?"
"Your story first," Aile demanded quickly, "go ahead. Mine isn't going anywhere." All in attendance gave her an upset glance. The elders seemed thoughtful as well, but Aile ignored them.
Giro sensed her discomfort and forged ahead, "Very well. I was an active Guardian member at the time. I was… I have to admit I lied a little earlier, Vent. My experience with Model Z in Innerpeace was not my first. He'd been my partner for a while."
"Why would you lie about that?" Vent asked, upset.
"Because like you said, you don't really remember that day in the park," Giro explained, "And the last thing I wanted to do was accidentally remind you of it." The blonde huffed as his vision seemed to cloud with memories, "I was there, with Model Z. We were called in to find survivors alongside the Slither Inc forces, and repel as much of the attack as we could. There wasn't much that could be done that day. The smoke in the air and the flames… It was a bad sign. We tried anyways, but all we found were bodies. Lots of bodies," Giro explained. The blonde man took a small break to recollect himself. For a moment he looked downcast as dark memories overtook him, "There was so much death. Dozens of corpses, many of which were torn apart or burnt until they were unrecognizable. It was one of the worst attacks I've ever seen. But there was one small hope."
Giro looked up with a smile, and watched Vent as he spoke, "There was one survivor. One. We'd searched all day and into the evening, and only found Vent at the last minute. Night was approaching, and with mavericks in the area and all signs pointing towards everyone being dead anyways… we didn't want to risk losing our own members. So one last sweep, I told myself. Just one last check to make sure. So I went. I remember, just, yelling out, trying to find people, and hearing nothing. Absolutely nothing. My only reward was getting shot at by whatever mavericks heard me. Then suddenly, a cough! One tiny little wheeze!" he shook his head, "I can't help but wonder if I would have missed it if I hadn't been paying enough attention. But I heard a voice and I went to it. It took me to an overturned food truck, and that was where I found you, Vent. Hidden right in the pitch-black cabin."
"A food truck… I think I might remember that a little. Vaguely," Vent offered. "Maybe… Blue? Was it blue? Of all things though, a food truck," he grumbled.
"Yep, a food truck. A ice-cream truck at that, and yes, it was blue! You'd gone for the coolest, darkest place you could find, and ended up wedging yourself by a freezer. I was megamerged when I spotted you, but I don't think you were able to see me in return all that well, not even when I turned on the lights." Giro looked at his hands, "You were such a tiny thing back then, Vent! You were squinting at me, probably from all the heat earlier hurting your eyes, and you'd clearly suffered some smoke inhalation. Yet when you saw me in my armour up close-" and here Giro chortled a little "-oh, when you saw me. You screeched Vent. You could barely breathe and yet, wow, could you ever make some noise! You thought I was another maverick because of my armour! You were yelling at the scary maverick and telling me to go away and even threw a bucket at me. It was pretty funny, in retrospect."
Vent looked sheepish at the revelation. Giro laughed fully at seeing Vent's expression, but it was a strained thing due to his injuries. "After that little incident I hid around a corner, de-merged, and came back to rescue you. Fell asleep halfway back to the medical station, you did." The former swordsman shuffled and adjusted his glasses, "I went back and checked in with you afterwards. When you woke up they said you barely remembered a thing. That you told them that all you did was run and hide, and bravely scared off a maverick in red armour when it came after you. The head nurse was cooing over you, let me tell you. The thought of scaring the maverick off seemingly made you feel better, and the last thing I wanted to do was spook you again."
Vent giggled a bit, "So that's why you didn't want me to know… because you didn't want me to remember the 'maverick' that was at the park." He paused as he considered his statement, "And you were worried that if I saw you, I might remember everything else as well, I take it?"
"Yeah. It seems to have worked, too," Giro reminisced fondly. "Vent… honestly. Hearing you alive back then, when everyone else had died… I never thought the most beautiful sound in the world would be the sound of an empty ice cream container bouncing off my head as a four-year-old wheezed and screamed at me, but, well, it was. I guess it really affected me too. When you started crying because you didn't know where your family was… Well. I picked you up in a hug and never let you go. And the rest is history."
"Yeah," Vent agreed. He seemed a little emotional as he looked around the room to distract himself. Then he went and sat by his father figure's side, "Uh… thanks again, uh, Dad. For that."
"Not a problem at all," Giro smiled serenely, "I think it was the best decision I ever made. Retiring to raise you was a gift I never could have foreseen. Even if you did run me a little ragged when helping me with my delivery business," he teased. Vent sniffed again, his eyes teary, but Giro deflected the conversation away, "So there. That is how I met Vent, and why I raised him. Aile, if you are open to it, could you tell me what happened to yourself? Looking back, knowing that you must have been alive, alone, in that park somewhere, I… I feel bad that I never found you."
Aile stiffened, and drew in on herself. What could she say? Hearing that he felt awful about it, why did it hurt so much? "Don't apologize you idiot. Sounds like you did your best. It's not your fault." Aile tried to laugh it off, "I mean, come on! Everyone was dead! I'd have given up ages ago if I were you."
Giro drew himself up, his gaze sad. "I know. Logically, I know. I know that I did everything that I could, that I made the best decision with what was available to me at the time. But it doesn't mean that I'm not sorry. So, Aile, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't rescue you."
The room got very awkward after that. Prairie looked between Giro and the Imp as they gazed at each other, Vent doing much the same. Aile felt… She didn't know what she felt, but she wasn't strong enough to keep up the eye contact, so instead she looked at the others in the room. Everyone's eyes held pity. Understanding. Sorrow and empathy. Aile rarely ever saw these emotions in the eyes of a stranger; not directed towards her anyways.
Not until now.
A whole slew of feelings got messed up in her head. She was angry that someone was looking at her with pity. There was vindication there, that someone was upset that she'd suffered. More anger, that the apology meant nothing in the end because what happened had happened, and there was no changing things. Upset, scared, nervous, because she didn't know what to do when people weren't furious at her, or were apparently trying to help her and meant it. Confused that they weren't lying about their concern? And then more anger, because she was being way too soft right now. Too weak.
Aile growled, shook herself to gather her thoughts, and glared at Giro. "I told you, asshole. Don't say sorry. There's no point apologizing when there's nothing you can do to change things!" She flailed her arms a little, "That's, like, that's like saying you're sorry that the sun set! O-or, like, apologizing when the tide sinks someone else's boat! It's pointless! And it's stupid to even try. Just gotta shut up, live with it, and move on! Acting like you could've done anything else and it would've mattered is useless and insulting."
Giro seemed taken aback at her harsh response. Yet instead of smartening up, his look of pity got worse, "Aile… it's not useless. It's not pointless. Whether or not I could've done anything else, it matters, that what happened to you was-"
"It is pointless," Aile snapped back. "It's not like I didn't survive anyways. I got rescued, too," she muttered loudly. "See? Stop whining about the past. I'm here, I'm alive, and I'm perfectly fine." Aile fidgeted, feeling nervous, like she wanted to run away. People being nice was wrong. It meant something bad was going to happen, that someone was scheming against her. At least, that's what she'd always known. Being in a situation where people were trying to be (falsely? Honestly?) pleasant towards her, and she wasn't immediately able to run away when the inevitable shitstorm happened? It reminded her of the time Prometheus had stalked towards her, sweet-talking her as he tried to steal her away from under her father's nose. It wasn't a comfortable feeling. Not at all. "What happened, happened. There's nothing anyone can do to change it."
"So what actually happened?" Vent blurted. All in the room looked at him as he tried to move the conversation along, "I mean. I'm so glad you're alive! Don't get me wrong. But… Where did you go? How did you survive?"
Aile exhaled a lot of air, shuffling around as she tried to figure out how to explain herself. "Well, uh, w-what happened, uh…" Prairie watched her, the woman's face carefully blank. Waiting. Somehow, that look of unsurety, nay, apathy? Whatever emotion that was there in the commander's gaze, it bolstered Aile far more than any amount of pity or false sympathy. "Well… I didn't hide like Vent did, I guess. I ran. I, uh, I don't remember too many details either," she admitted, "but I remember running away into the forest."
"The forest? All the way there?" Prairie asked, a little astonished.
Aile nodded, "Yeah, all the way there. I got lost, as you can probably guess. But, uh, I think it worked out for the best." She nervously sweated a little, "It's only because I got so lost, that's erm, that's why I got found. Daddy, uh, I mean my father, he was only able to find me 'cause I got so turned around. Although, heh. Vent wasn't the only one who thought their rescuer was a maverick," she laughed. That earned a few tentative chuckles in return. Though unlike Vent, she hadn't actually been wrong. "I freaked out apparently, even bit him because I thought he was gonna kill me. He likes to remind me about it from time to time. "Even when you thought you were going to die, you tried to go out fighting," is what he says. I'm pretty sure he thought it was cute- don't tell him I told you that!" Aile yelped when she realized that she was yammering a little too much.
Prairie gave her a wry smile, "As worried about his reputation as you are about yours, I guess?"
"Shut up crap-hat," Aile growled, but her grin betrayed her. Animosity and insults, now, this was familiar ground. Safe territory.
"My word young lady. Language!" Giro admonished half-jokingly. He exchanged a glance with Prairie, and whatever passed between them, Aile didn't catch it. But it marked a change in his demeanour that Vent seemed a little nonplussed by, "And you call yourself Vent's brother. He would never use words like that! Not when he knows I'm listening, anyways. Might be quite the cusser behind my back for all I know."
"Giro!" Vent gaped, shocked and a little embarrassed. "You know I would never-!"
"Never swear? I've realized that ya wuss," Aile interrupted with a giggle. "Anyways. Yeah! So uh, right, where were we? Oh yeah! I ran away, Daddy found me. Not much else to say. Well, er, not quite," she admitted, "Giro, uh, right? That's your name? Yeah, so uh, don't feel bad about missing me. I was, uh… I don't know where I was when I got found," she lied, "but it definitely wasn't at the park. I know that because I demanded that we go back. To, erm. To look for Vent."
Awe and worry dawned on her brother's face, "So you were able to find help after all? You even risked yourself afterwards and went to try to find me?"
"Of course I did, you idiot. You're my brother," Aile chuffed, "so yeah, we went back! It was night though. So if you left before nightfall Giro, it makes sense you missed us. That was… probably for the better anyways. Daddy's pretty protective, I bet he would have whalloped you a good one to get to Vent." An understatement, Aile thought grimly. If Giro had stood between Omega and a descendant of Weil in dire need of help, then he wouldn't have made it out of the park alive.
Giro paused at this information as his fingers tangled themselves in the bedsheets. His shoulders sagged slightly in relief, "So you weren't in the park after all, when I was looking. I didn't… I didn't miss you."
"Nope. Wasn't there."
"Ah. That's, erm, good, I suppose. Still," Giro continued, "it would have been nice to at least meet your father and know you were alive. Even if he would have, uh, gotten violent with me, like you said?"
"Probably."
"Now why would he have done that?"
Aile laughed, "He can be a bit territorial. Plus if Vent mistook you for an enemy, he probably would have too. Daddy was pretty determined to keep me safe back then. Still is! He's the best dad ever, he's really tough!"
"And protective like you said," Prairie replied knowingly. She tilted her head in curiosity, "speaking of… Might I ask who your father is? I'd love to know who raised the infamous Imp of Cinq Ville, if only to give him a piece of my mind," she grimaced politely, though the jest was a little malicious despite her best efforts. Aile had to credit her for that one though; she was pretty sure Prairie would have loved to strangle Omega for raising such a massive pain-in-the-ass for her peacekeeping group. (And honestly? That was one hilarious mental image right there, one that made Aile grin stupidly.) The commander was trying to be very polite about her grudge all the same. This gesture was rather admirable all things considered; Aile would have been outright demanding the man be keel-hauled if she'd been in the commander's shoes.
Her brother was completely ignorant of this tension,"Yeah! I'd love to meet your dad. He could have been mine too, by the sounds of it," Vent piped up cheerily. "Wouldn't it be cool to meet him Giro?"
"I suppose." Giro still seemed a little put-out from Aile's earlier bluntness, but made an effort to socialize anyway. "If we raised two siblings from the same family, would that technically make him my brother-in-law?"
"We should definitely meet him," Prairie reiterated. "Perhaps we could arrange something?"
Aile coughed, and immediately realized that the Guardian commander was trying to trick her into giving up her dad's identity or lure him into a trap. Prairie was, of course, entirely unaware how bad that situation would be for her, seeing as Aile's father was the God of Destruction and all that. "It's, uh, probably not a good idea. He's not, er, I mean… He's shy! Yeah. Pretty shy. And grumpy." She winced at her own statement, the excuse sounding pathetic even to her own ears. "He doesn't like people knowing he's around."
Aile looked over to her brother once she was finished talking so that she could gauge his reactions. Vent, her beloved sibling who was still alive, breathing, and looking at her with a bit of confusion even though the other two people in the room were clearly suspicious and had caught onto her dodginess. Damn him, he was just so innocent. She didn't realize that she'd almost started crying again until she had to wipe a tear from her eye. "Vent, I'm… Vent. I'm just. I'm glad you're alive. The past doesn't matter. You're here now, you're alive. Gods, Vent, I thought you were… I thought-!" she tried to gather herself and failed, "I thought you were dead! There were so many bodies… when we went back I saw everything! The mavericks, the blood, mom…!"
Aile clutched Vent's old, stupid kiddie backpack tighter. Somehow she'd kept it nearby throughout the whole Guardian base attack and the explanation of her past. The dumb, half-rotted thing she'd once buried instead of her brother's body, because she thought he'd long ago died and decayed, squelched a little in her grip. The many incriminating stains on the small object stared them all in the face. Everyone's expressions went slack as the implications registered in their minds. Prairie was the first to speak, her voice small, "Oh. Oh. So when you said you went back-"
"-You saw everything in the park," Giro finished, horror and sadness in his tone.
The epiphany hit her brother hard. "You saw… oh. Oh no."
Aile started to sniffle. She felt humiliated as her composure broke once more, which wasn't helped when she had to take her mask off to wipe away the tears. She shoved it back on immediately afterwards. Aile felt naked without it, and that was stupid and infuriating in and of itself. Wasn't it already bad enough that she was letting herself cry? Now she was also having to hide how vulnerable she was, but being blatantly obvious about it. She struggled to straighten her posture, "D-don't look at me like that you guys, i-i-it's okay. Sorry. I'm just… just give me a moment. I'm fine! I'm fine."
"You're not fine," Prairie stated. The young woman looked like she was having a few very profound realizations right now.
"I'm FINE!" Aile snapped, "I'm… I'm alright. It all happened a long time ago, I'm over it, and it's fine. I just… I get like this sometimes, and it's annoying. It's, uh… Hormones, y'know? Just hormones. Super annoying fucking things."
Vent looked like he wanted to say something to reassure her, but couldn't come up with anything. Giro was the one that brought up an answer, "Language, Aile. But yes, uh, hormones. Those are, erm, a thing that happens, yes. When I find myself being, er, a bit moody," Giro offered awkwardly, "I find a good walk often helps?"
"Say, Vent," Prairie began knowingly, "have you taken your sister to see the other Guardians yet? If she's your relative, it might be best to let everyone get to know her. Especially if she's going to be hanging around to 'protect' you," she offered. The commander turned towards the brunette trickster, "On that note, Aile, if you're going to be allied with us, it would be wise to learn about everyone you'll be working with. If we're going to be on the same team, we might as well be amiable."
"A great idea, commander. But don't feel like you have to rush, Aile. Do it when you feel up to it. Perhaps you should rest for the remainder of today and work on it tomorrow," Giro agreed. "After the attack on base, it'll take a while for things to calm down anyways. And really, a quick stop at medical for the both of you couldn't hurt either. Especially for you Vent! It's been rough." He sagely nodded at his own words, "Yes, a good rest sounds brilliant right now. For me as well! I barely moved at all but heavens! Even I am tired out by all this excitement!"
"U-uhm, yeah… sounds smart. It's really been a long day, hasn't it Vent?" Aile tried to reply, but her forcibly chipper tone was a little stilted. Vent nodded along anyways. "A good rest. Yeah. Maybe tomorrow. I should probably skip medical and go home for now, then."
Vent looked stricken, "You have to go? Right now?"
Aile gave him a sad frown, "If I'm gonna rest then yes, I've gotta go now. It's a long way home-"
"No! Stay! Please stay," Vent pleaded earnestly. He leaned over to grab at her wrist with one hand, "I, uh, I'd like it if you could stick around. The Guardians gave me a guest room, I'm sure it would be okay if you stayed over, right? Is that okay Prairie?" His other hand unconsciously slipped around her wrist as well. Aile should have felt restricted by this, but for some reason it felt more reassuring and endearing than anything.
Prairie looked contemplative as she watched this, but it didn't last long, "Of course. As long as you behave while on my ship, Aile, I think it would be best for you to stay. You said it was a long way home, so it would take you a while to get there correct? Perhaps if you remain here you could catch up with your brother a little more instead of traveling so much," she offered plainly. "Though you should definitely take the time to go to medical. The pair of you. Honestly Imp, er, Aile, you'll be doing us a favour by dragging your stubborn brother there."
Aile was torn. She should tell her dad, brief him on what was going on, but at the same time… she looked at her brother. His eyes were wide, worried, and his hands gripped at hers like a vice. Her dumb brother, who was definitely too naive to be left on his own, and who was giving her the most watery-eyed look of hope and worry, like a puppy that loved you and would panic if you went out of its sight for ten seconds. Saying no to him would be like kicking said puppy. Even Aile wasn't that sadistic. And, well, if she stuck around like Prairie had suggested, then she would definitely be able to make up for lost time with her sibling. She yearned for that. Badly. "I… yeah, I suppose I could do that. You seem to want it, so I'll play nice like you asked," She directed at Prairie. Prairie nodded and Vent's eyes lit up. Hell yeah. She was such an awesome sister! "No use standing around! I'm wiped! We've had a hell of a day. We're gonna get you a checkup, Vent, and then you're gonna show me your bunk!"
Vent grinned with elation, like a kid at their own birthday party, "Heh, you got it! It'll be just like a sleepover. I haven't had one of those in ages!"
"I've never had one at all! What do you even do on a sleepover? I've heard that tell everyone your deepest secrets and get drunk and stuff? Sounds stupid! And weird. Is that really what people do?" Aile chortled as her brother led her from the room.
"Get drunk?! Just what kind of sleepovers have you been hearing about? I'm gonna show you how great a real sleepover is, aw man, this is gonna be sweet! Maybe I could find a movie, or we could share some campfire stories, or…" The two walked themselves out of the room, Aile's tears already clearing up as the excitement over her impending hang-out with her brother brewed. She couldn't even begin to fathom how happy it was making her, or why, nor could she see how obvious it was in her posture. She and Vent left for the day, gleeful, excited, and more than ready for a long-overdue session of catching up with one another.
Back in Prairie's room, Giro slouched with an exhausted groan, "What's the bet they actually make it to medical?"
"Fifty-fifty. If they're not there in ten minutes I'll send Rose to check up on them just in case," Prairie sighed resignedly.
"Good thinking," Giro commended. He shook his head tiredly, "There's no doubt about it though. Those two, they're definitely siblings all right. Even down to their bad habit of trying to be strong in front of everyone."
"The Imp of Cinq Ville… a troubling youth indeed, but not only because of her misdemeanors." Prairie held her hands together in worry, "I know full well what sorts of issues she's gotten herself into. Believe me, there's some nasty accusations on her list of infractions… And yet, she's still young. Clearly she has a good heart buried somewhere under all those rough edges, if her concern for her brother is any indication. Perhaps she's a sweet soul buried under far too much trauma for her age, who has been acting tough to protect herself? But how do we bring her better side out?" Prairie bemoaned, "We can't just abandon her and let her fend for herself. Not anymore. Vent would be heartbroken, much less how immoral it would feel to the rest of us."
"I took guardianship of Vent," Giro stated with determination, "I can't let his sister go uncared for either. I'll take on the duty of being her parent if I have to, because I certainly don't trust whoever is doing it currently." Then he groaned dramatically and carefully flopped backwards, "But, augh! Of all the kids, the Imp! He had to be related to the Imp. This is going to be a catastrophe."
Prairie smirked, "It sounds like you're determined to adopt her already! So rash of you. It hasn't even been a day."
Giro huffed resignedly, "Guess Vent came by it honestly. Still. How do we approach this? She's so furtive…"
"And slippery," Prairie complained earnestly, "I still remember trying to track her down a year or two ago. What a failure that turned out to be!"
"Maybe Muguet might be able to help. This isn't the first time she's dealt with troubled patients," Giro offered. Then he looked downcast, "Nor would it be the first time she's dealt with… well…"
"Someone with worrisome parental care?"
"To put it bluntly, yes."
"I can agree with you there. I'll let Muguet know immediately." The Guardian Commander tilted her head with concern, "I can't help but be fearful for her. Seriously, Aile is tough as nails and mean." She wailed quietly, "That girl is so unlike her brother! And her father probably has no idea what he's doing, or worse…"
"Or worse," Giro agreed. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was doing something shady on purpose. Or is this just her attempt at raising herself? Honestly, we have no idea if her father is competent or not, how good or bad his intentions are, or if he's straight up nefarious or absent. Aile's showing some worrisome tendencies," Giro shook his head as he bemoaned, "Never had a sleepover? Proud of being a known criminal? Seriously, what is he thinking!?"
Prairie continued the conversation, "Exactly. Aile seems especially concerned about how he would react to others. She herself said that he could be quite aggressive. Yet the Imp… sorry. Yet Aile is clearly endeared to him. If only she weren't so secretive about who her father is, we could help her."
Girouette ranted, not quite finished with his last train of thought, "Is he an idiot? Does she have a good judge of character? I know she's lived on the streets a lot, but is she smart enough to care for herself when needed? She's so thin! Would she know the difference between a bad caretaker or not? Would she know that her father is sabotaging her?" Giro slumped sadly, "Or worse… would she even want our help? Are we trying to assist someone who won't accept our care? Am I getting too far ahead of myself? I feel like I'm in over my head. Should we be asking the proper authorities about this, get a social worker or counselor on this?"
"It can't hurt to get some advice from one. But I think if we tried to bring someone in right now, she'd bolt," the blonde woman observed. "That girl is as wily as they come. She barely trusts us now, and only because her brother is involved. If we brought in some complete stranger to help, she'd sense a plot and escape before any of us could do anything about it."
"Even if she was trapped on the ship? She couldn't… no," Giro stopped himself, "if we did that we'd butcher Aile's trust in us. She'd never believe in us again. We'd lose her permanently, one way or another."
"Not to mention that I'm not brave enough to find out what sort of diabolical plans she might come up with if she were desperate enough to escape. We can't confine her against her will," Prairie finished. She looked despondent as she fell into the chair opposite Giro, "We have no choice. For now, at least, we can't stop her. We can't hold her hostage. If we want Aile to accept our help, to allow herself into Guardian custody and maybe even give us information about her father, then we need her to trust us. And that," Prairie concluded with despair, "means that we have to let her have free reign. Bugger me," she cussed, "the Imp of Cinq Ville running rampant on my ship. Heaven help us all, especially if anyone finds out! Legion would burn us at the stake over the legalities. We're harbouring a known criminal now!"
"Gods above. We're doomed," Giro huffed. He groaned as a new thought came into his head, "All this mess, all this fuss… I don't like it. And why is it all happening now? Why did she suddenly appear when this conspiracy with Serpent started up?"
"Something seems off here," Prairie noticed as well, "I don't like it either. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I can't shake an impending sense of disaster."
"This is why you're the Commander," Giro grinned, "you've got a good gut feeling, just like I do."
"Plus a helpful heaping of common sense," Prairie replied, disgruntled. Her eyebrows furrowed as she considered their next course of action, "We need to investigate this matter thoroughly. I think when those two go to medical, they should get a slightly more in-depth check up than usual. We'll have them get genetics tests and everything, if for no other reason than to confirm that she's Vent's sister. If she is… she could be another biomatch."
"Scrap me! I didn't even think of that!" Giro yelped and his eyes widened as the poor man shot upright in bed. "Raising one Mega Man was enough, but two? Two!? Why do I keep doing this to myself!" He winced in pain from where his reaction had pulled at an injury.
"You're the one demanding to be her caretaker," Prairie chided fondly, "you really should have thought of that before taking her on as well as Vent. You're far too charitable sometimes, no matter how much you try to play the sneaky, shady businessman."
"And don't I know it. I deliver more headaches to myself than I deliver packages to customers," he snorted. Then Giro growled, "Well, one thing I know for sure, even if she is Vent's sibling, even though she might be a biomatch or could have the capacity to use biometals… like HELL I am letting that happen! Vent alone is too much! I won't let her be subject to that. It's way too much of a risk!"
"For her and for everyone else," Prairie agreed emphatically. The Imp of Cinq Ville, megamerged? The pair shuddered at the thought. No, that was definitely not a scenario anyone wanted to entertain.
