Judau was no stranger to doing stupid things.

Considering all the stuff his canon-self had done- heck, considering all the stupid things he had done and the many, many more stupid things he planned to do, doing stupid things was probably an old friend by this point.

That being said, climbing his way up to the Argama was probably the stupidest thing he'd ever done in his life, so far.

How the hell had canon-him done it so nonchalantly? Even one slip of the hand would mean falling to his death, and the wind buffeting him as the Argama cut through the sky did not help in the slightest. Judau had muttered (and at one point, screamed) prayers all the way to the top, where he somehow managed to get himself onboard. The boy would have kissed the ground, if it had been actual ground.

He was a spacenoid, damnit, not a sky-noid. If the universe had wanted him to have wings, he would have reincarnated as Rita, or some shit.

But, Judau had made it up. He wasn't a splatter of meat painting the ground, which was good.

…I'm on the Argama.

The thought came to him unbidden, and he suddenly felt giddy. The Argama. Arguably the second-most famous ship in the annals of Federation military history asides from the White Base herself!

"And what a sorry state she's in…" Judau murmured, before shrugging. Less bemoaning the state of a military vessel, more making his way inside to steal a mobile suit.

…Though, now that I think about it, Bright knows I'm on the ship. Wonder why he never did anything to stop it-

His thoughts came to an abrupt end when, out of the corner of his eye in the distance, he caught a glimmer of light, and came to the wise decision that he had no wish to be out and about when Mashymre came a-calling.

Not yet, anyways.

Stopping for a moment to contemplate why one of the exterior entrances was unlocked, before deciding it was probably Bright who had ordered it (he knew the man knew he was onboard), Judau shrugged and pulled himself inside.

The halls were… empty. Emptier than they should be, he thought. The Gryps War really took its toll… Damned Titans.

The Argama was supposed to be fuller than this, brimming with bright-eyed hopeful people willing to change the Earth Federation for the better. But, of those people, most of them were dead, dying, or injured, and what was left would be brought back into the fold, given time. That dream of reforming the Federation would slowly fade away, simply because there would be nobody powerful enough to hold it up.

It's a husk of it's former self, he grimaced. The physical embodiment of the AEUG's dreams. Running on fumes, and doomed to irrelevance.

Ah well. Axis Zeon it is.

He… probably shouldn't feel so giddy at the prospect of joining space nazis. Or the hot dictator lady currently ruling it.

The bickering banter of two children forced him to set that moral quandary aside, and the Shangri-la boy had just enough time to remark; "Hey, I recognize that door," before said door opened, ejecting a whole tone of bread and a Haro.

Judau stared at the Haro, and the Haro, for a split second, stared back.

And then the Haro started bouncing from side to side in… oh, in alarm. Was that a feature or a bug?

The door opened again, and this time, instead of bread and Haros, it was a child.

The child stared. Judau stared back.

Then, casually, he raised a hand. "Heya. Name's Judau. Don't mind me." With that having been said, Judau pushed himself off the wall down the hallway. Script should start kicking in riiiight about-

"-gonna grab a snack real quick," came a voice from the adjoining hallway, and Judau took that as his que to backtrack into the Argama's kitchen and flip upside against the roof. The kids- Qum and Shinta, if he recalled correctly, looked up at him in that weird way kids did when they were about to do something they probably shouldn't, but was fun.

…Thank goodness Leina is a responsible child. God help Shangri-la if Leina had inherited his propensity to do dumb stuff.

Though, for all he was thankful that his sister did not take after him in the amount of stupidity he held, Judau couldn't deny that it was pretty funny, watching two children bully a grown man out of a kitchen by throwing bread at him.

Letting out a small sigh of relief as the man left, Judau flipped down from the ceiling, nearly landed on his head, then righted himself and decided to pretend that his fluke had not just happed.

The children snickered. Judau coughed, mortified.

Least Leina didn't see that. She'd hold it over me for the week…

"So, um…" he finally started, "don't get me wrong, thanks that you covered for me, but, like, why?"

"'Cause you don't look like a bad guy," the boy shrugged, his sister nodding in agreement. Not for the first time, Judau wondered how exactly those two were related, but he supposed that stranger things had and would happen. "I'm good at judging people."

…Eeeeeeeh, Judau didn't think so. Not on the account of not being a good judge of person, though even that was suspect. No, he was more sceptical of the claim that he didn't look like a bad person to them.

Judau very much disagreed.

(He hadn't done anything bad, but that was the point, wasn't it? It wasn't what he had done, but what he had let happen.)

The child promptly chucked a chicken leg at him, and Judau's morose thoughts were abruptly forgotten. "Thanks," he said, taking a bite. "You guys know I'm here to steal the Zeta, right?"

Wow.

This chicken's bland as hell.

Who's idea was it to let the children cook, anyways? Damn, he missed Popeyes. Or KFC.

"Maybe," the girl shrugged, "but you saved the Argama from that Titan guy, didn't you?"

"I mean, yeah," Judau acquiesced, "but he was Titan. It's the duty of any good spacenoid to tell them to shove it. I was doing myself a favor as much as I was helping you, simple as. Oh, I'm Judau Ashta, by the way."

"I'm Shinta!" Shinta waved.

"And I'm Qum!" Qum followed. Both of them were smiling.

D'awww.

Walking over to them, Judau gave them both a high-five, grinning. "Hey. It's a pleasure t-"

A jolt of surprise ran through him when the door behind suddenly opened, and the dude he was pretty sure was Astonaige pointing at him. "Hey, you're the kid from earlier!"

That's my cue to dip, he noted, before pointing at the man in turn. "Qum! Shinta! Defense formation plan Zeta GO!"

Then, having said those words that had literally no meaning whatsoever, for no such plan existed, Judau bolted for the other door. To his amusement, the kids, though, seemingly decided to play along, and had latched onto Astonaige in a way that only kids in zero-g were able to do. In that annoying, clingy, irremovable way.

Once again, Judau found himself thankful that it was not a tactic available to Leina,

And then the alarm began to wail, and Judau grinned.

Looks like he's finally here. The man, the myth, the marshmallow himself…!

Mashymre Cello. The only other person in the Earth's Sphere crazy enough to potentially vie for Haman's hand besides himself… though, Judau still wasn't sure if Mashymre was just a really big simp, or if he legitimately was romantically in love with her.

But, still…

…He hoped Mashymre would get a better fate, this time around. Save his zealousness to Axis Zeon, and his antics because of said zealousness, Mashymre had been a pretty decent person. Dude's only nineteen…

If Judau ever had the time, or the opportunity, he was going to study the hell out of Axis Zeon culture and history. He knew Axis was shorthanded in almost every regard except available mobile suits, but one had to wonder how far-reaching the Student Soldier Mobilization had one Axis….

The ship rumbled, and Judau bumped into the corridor wall. "Ack," he hissed. "Later, Judau. Save ship first."

And, conveniently so, two kids he'd recently made aquaintances with came barreling down the hall, babbling for his help. And, though he'd always meant to help the Argama, even if he hadn't… How could anyone say no to those puppy-dog eyes?

"So, you want me to defeat the Zeon mobile suit outside, right?" he pretended to muse, and the two siblings nodded their heads rapidly. "Aight then," he nodded. "Say, you guys have any explosives on board…?"

…Who's idea was it to give the children access codes to the munitions room?

The same person who decided to let children aboard a military vessel, duh. Wait, wasn't it Char?

Every minute he spent on the Argama only led to more questions. Then again, when it came to these two, the answer was probably the same reason as to why Bright had put up with canon-him's shit for so long- he was shorthanded, and didn't have much else of a choice. Poor Bright. You're stuck with me now, Noa, at least for a while.

Speaking of stuck…

"He's up on the bridge, Judau!" Qum pointed, and Judau nodded. Less to the girl and more for hyping himself up. Walking topside of a moving warship was one thing, but when there was an active enemy mobile suit up top as well, one that could easily crush him and not even notice?

The boy had done stupid stuff a-plenty (and would continue to do so until he died, Leina had wagered, the brat), but that didn't make him feel any better about this. Not at all.

Finishing preparing the explosives he lad liberated from the munitions room, Judau looked at the open door, and sighed. "Damned Zeon," he grumbled, before throwing caution to the wind and jumping upwards. "Damned AEUG, damned Titans, damned Feddies, damned Vists…"

Taking careful time to curse any and every major power in the Universal Century, while at the same time very aware that if he drifted too far away from the Argama's position near the center of the colony he'd soon be a puddle on the ground, Judau moon-jumped his way towards Mashymre's mobile suit- A Galluss-J, the first proper Zeon MS he'd seen in his life.

God he loved monoeyes. Can't wait till I get one myself.

(Desperately) latching on to the Galluss' leg, Judau spat on the adhesive on the explosive's underside, made sure it would stick, before slapping it on to mobile suit. And, with that done, and ignoring whatever it was marshmallow man was shouting at the Argama, Judau grabbed the detonation wire and turned to-

HOLY SHIT

The only way he could describe the feeling he got, in that moment, was like lightning up the back of his spine. It wasn't a feeling he was used to at all, yet, which was why he jolted backwards so suddenly.

That jolt, as it'd turn out two seconds later as the Gallus-J's beam saber passed him by, had narrowly saved him from being reduced to atoms. Judau crushed that thought and threw it into the abyss of his mind before he could begin to dwell on it. Then, taking a moment to calm his nerves, he lunged back down for the safety of the Argama's interior.

Nope nope nope not doing that again nope.

"Judau!"

Before he even had time to realize that he'd nearly overshot the door back inside the warship, the kids reached out and pulled him inside. Judau let out a sigh of relief, finally touching solid ground again. "If we're meant to fly, we should've been given wings," he groaned, before reaching out and ruffling the siblings' heads. "Thanks, you two. Remind me to buy you some treats next time we meet. Now, let's-"

A will-timed explosion cut him off, and the ship shook. Oh right, he remembered, the beam saber set it off.

Stupid marshmallow man.

The kids, having recovered faster than he had from the tremor, whooped as they, he presumed, watched Mashymre's ms spiral down towards the ground. Maaan he hoped Mashymre landed in his canon crash-site. It'd suck to be responsible for someone dying 'cause a giant robot crushed their house. And speaking on said giant robot…

"It ain't over yet," he interrupted, mildly sad to put a damper on the siblings' celebratory mood. "Those Axis designs are sturdy. He'll be back in a few minutes, and I don't think I'm gonna be able to repeat what we just did." I've had enough of climbing on top of moving ships.

At that, Shinta frowned, and Qum huffed. "Then what do we do?"

"Simple," Judau grinned. "You guys are down a pilot, and have an empty Gundam. Just need to borrow it."

The siblings looked at each other, a mischievous look in their eyes. "The adults won't like that…" Shinta mused, and Judau grin grew wider.

"Even better."

…Judau feared the day Shinta and Qum met Leina. Truly, their shit-eating grins would have any caretakers quaking in their boots.

Speeding down to the hanger bay, a journey made much quicker by the two kids who had self-enlisted themselves as his guides, didn't take too long. And, oh boy, what a sight it was. The three arrived just in time to see the Methuss, piloted by someone who was probably named Fa, speed down the runway and take off. Judau whistled. I can't wait to try the Zeta's waverider form out.

And, looking up at the waiting mobile suit that was the Zeta Gundam, Judau's grin grew wider.

He had always been a lowkey fan of the Decepticons…

"He's what?"

Bright wanted to be surprised by this development. He really, really wanted to. Yet, in the end, he couldn't even drum up the will to feign shock in his voice, only an expectant resignation- albeit, one tinged with surprise at the speed with which the boy had maneuvered through the Argama.

It's happening again…

Yet another child dragged into war. How many more times would this happen? Would this boy's fate be that of Kamille's, too? He was the youngest of the three, Bright instinctively knew.

The captain repressed a sigh, vowing to write several letters to his family when he had the chance. It was a great stress-reliever, he had found. Then, he nodded to himself. "Patch him through," he ordered, and in the span of a moment, the line switched over to the Zeta's comms.

"Moshi moshi," came the voice from the other side, and Bright instantly recognized it as the boy's, from before.

"You're the kid who tried to steal the Zeta earlier today, aren't you?" Bright spoke. He received nothing but silence, for a moment, before the boy on the other side responded sheepishly.

"Yes sir, sorry sir," the kid replied. "Judau Ashta, sir."

"Now's not the time!" Bright remarked, thought noting the apology. Polite kid. "The Zeta Gundam- can you pilot it?"

"Kamille taught me. I know what to do."

Kamille taught- How? Is this kid… actually like him? Like Amuro?

A Newtype?

Bright hesitated, before gritting his teeth and asking his final question. "Are you sure about this? Going into combat… You won't just be facing a salvage machine this time." He… he'd prefer it, if another child did not have to die. Though he hadn't even known of the kid's existence for a day… Bright knew any injury that'd befall him would weigh heavily.

"Don't worry, old man. I have my reasons for what I do, and why I fight. So, I'll fight! For the rebirth of the ideals of-!"

On the other end of the line, the boy burst into coughs. "Um. Ignore that last bit please. But, yeah, I'm sure. Send me out!"

Closing his eyes, Bright resigned himself, before turning to his bridge crew. "Prepare the portside catapult!" he ordered. "Judau Ashta is to sortie out in the Zeta Gundam!"

Well, that's that. Bright knows my name, now. My infiltration of the AEUG has begun. If, he supposed, he could even call it that. There wasn't much information he could steal from them, even if he wanted to. There was hardly any reason for him to do so, after all- the Anti-Earth Union Group was dead, its cause buried in the grave that was Gryps II.

From its ashes, Londo Bell would emerge.

Judau bit back a sneer. Nothing but shallow appeasement. What'd Londo Bell ever do, besides succeeding in maintaining the status quo of the Federation elite? The events of Unicorn still stung bitterly, he noted. Hell, everything relating to the AEUG stung. He'd seen it said, somewhere, that the Gryps War had succeeded in killing off most of the hardliners from both sides of the Federation, leaving weak-minded, short-sighted, greedy elites in charge. Those same leaders who'd do nothing to stop the drop that annihilated Dublin- and probably the rest of the British Isles, if he was being honest.

Oh well. The Federation didn't have gold, anyways. To Axis it was. But, that was a ways away. For now, he'd stick the Argama. And, as mich as they were federation aligned… they were good people. Judau didn't mind helping them out.

Making sure to send another mental thanks to Kamille through their connection, Judau sealed the cockpit shut, flicked on the comms, and did his best to repress the grin threatening to split his face in two.

"Judau Ashta, Zeta Gundam! Launching!"

And then he was off, catapult propelling him into the skies of Shangri-la. And, with the pull of a lever, the Zeta shifted into its waverider form.

Unlike his canon-self, there was no time lost attempting to figure out the controls again. The ever-present sun, just out of sight, kept the control-scheme fresh in his mind. …I should come and visit you soon, Kamille. Before the Argama left.

Of course, for the Argama to leave Shangri-la, there had to be an Argama left to do so. Which meant he had to keep Fa alive and kick Mashymre's ass. Luckily for him, both of them were currently entangled in combat, making his job a two birds, one stone kind of situation.

Meaning, Mahymre's Galluss was preparing to strike the Methuss just as the Zeta Gundam tackled him.

"Wassup?!" He was having way to much fun with this, wasn't he? "You like picking on girls in barely-working mobile suits, huh?"

Inside the open cockpit, Judau observed Mashymre rearing back, as if struck. "Picking on?! To live, a lion must use all of his strength to bring down the rabbit! Bye this rose I so swear! I have a duty to answer to it's scent, to-"

He didn't stop.

Is… is he…?

Mashymre droned on. Judau stared. Fa was staring as well, he noted. Huh.

"What is he…?" she murmured, and he shrugged, befuddled. Judau didn't blame he. He'd forgotten about this.

"I think he's monologing. You, uh, wanna dip?"

"I… yes, that'd be best."

Leaving the marshmallow man to his monologing, the two promptly took off, the Zeta supporting the Methuss' rather shaky flight. "This thing really took a beating, huh?" he murmured, forgetting that his comms were open. Fa dutifully reminded him of it when she answered.

"We all did," came her quiet reply, and how else could Judau respond to that except nod? If there was one thing he was grateful for, it was that he had been able to skip the suffering that was Gryps.

The shouts of children snapped him out of his reverie, as the mobile suits landed, and it took a moment for the Shangri-la boy to realize that he recognized some of those shouts. Looking away from the Methuss, he turned and found-

"Holy shit, you did it, Judau!"

Down below, the gang, plus one little sister, were watching. And all of them, save said little sister, looked as if payday had come early. Which, if he had meant to sell the Zeta Gundam, it probably would've.

"You're that kid from earlier!" Fa's voice, now. "Judau? Is that your name?"

Wait, had he not introduced himself to Fa? Woops. "Yeah, that's me. Anyways, Bright wants you to cover the Argama! I'll deal with marshmallow man!"

"Right! Thank you!" And with that, the Methuss took off back towards the Argama, leaving only the Zeta, him, his friends-

"Judau!" Oh, and a disappointed Leina who didn't sound very happy at all.

Opening the cockpit, Judau stuck his head out to glare at Elle. "Oi, didn't I tell you to keep her out of trouble?"

Said girl stuck out her tongue at him. "You're the one who's in trouble now, my guy! She's not the one stealing a Gundam!"

"Which you shouldn't even be doing!" Leina glared. "You gotta get out of the Zeta!"

"No dice, little sis!" Judau grinned. "This here's your ticket to that uptown fancy prep school! I ain't gonna give it up so easily!"

"Not yet, anyways, he told himself. One day, but not today.

Until the day came where his sister would be able to live the life Judau knew she deserved, happy and healthy and safe… He'd do whatever needed to be done. And piloting the Zeta was far from the worst thing on that list.

But, at the moment, the top of the list read "kick Mashymre's butt."

So, launching himself off the cliff, the Zeta's verniers roared to life, and back into the air they soared.

By the time he noticed the enemy mobile suits had dishonorably left him without notice, the Gundam-type mobile suit had already returned, rocketing up to meet. Mashymre's eyes narrowed. Is this the legendary Zeta Gundam?

"Sorry for the holdup," the pilot called. "Still getting used to this thing."

And that was cause to leave his words with no audience? How shameful… are all the youths of Shangri-la like this? "My name is Mashymre Cello!" he announced instead. "Commander of the Endra, a knight of Axis, and our fair Lady Haman!"

"I'm Judau Ashta," the Zeta Gundam waved. "And I'm cutting class."

Cutting class? Truly, this child was presumptuous. Yet, he pilots a mobile suit skillfully…

Mashmyre shook his head. Every moment he dallied, the Argama drew further and further away. It was time to end this! "Draw your saber, Judau Ashta!" The Galluss' blade ignited in it's hold, and Mashmyre leveled it towards the enemy. Now, he would-

"Better idea!" came the child's voice, oddly cheerful. "No weapons? I only just got in this thing today, so I don't really know how to use it right…"

"I see…" he murmured. It would be quite unchivalrous to not at least give the child a sporting chance… What would Lady Haman think, if he did so? No, he could not allow it! To besmirch the trust she placed in him…! It was unacceptable! No, he would conduct himself chivalrously.

Puffing his chest out, Mashymre nodded. "Very well, Judau Ashta!" he agreed. "Prepare yourself-"

"TOTSUGEKIIIIIII"

The next thing he knew, they were tumbling through the skies, the Zeta's tackle having entangled them in combat. Mashymre let out a surprise yelp at the suddenly spiral they had entered, suddenly thankful he'd strapped himself into his seat and wishing he had waited for the mechanics to finish with the cockpit.

Contrary to his reaction, the child was laughing maniacally. Even as the Gundam disengaged from his mobile suit, seeming to flee, the laughter did not stop. It was… a bit unnerving, actually.

"That boy…" he growled, pushing his Galluss into pursuit, "he mocks me? Even after entertaining his request? How uncouth!"

The chase began.

"I do you honor, and you repay me by running?!" he shouted, only to be met with more unnerving laughter. Was this how they raised children, in Shangri-la?! With such arrogance?!

The only reply Mashymre received was… more laughter. Laughter which, thankfully, ceased when his Galluss managed to knock the Zeta into a mountain of scrap. Grinning as he watched the Zeta tumble down said mountain's face (whilst ignoring the sheer amount of curses being uttered from its panicked pilot) before landing prone at the bottom, Mashymre ignited his suit's beam saber again.

Yes, he agreed to unarmed combat, but the duel was won! And now, like the hawk descending on the mouse, I shall swoop down and claim my prize! For Zeon, for Lady Haman!

And, with that thought in mind, the Galluss plunged into a dive, saber leveled at his opponent once more.

"Haaaah! I have you!"

"Not so fast!"

It happened so quickly, he almost hadn't been able to make heads or tails of it. At the last possible moment, the prone Zeta shifted it's head, and Mashmyre's beam saber sheathed itself uselessly in the dirt. And then, just as quickly, the Zeta's own saber came up to the Galluss' face, and ignited.

"Huh?!'

And, before Mashmyre knew it, his view of the outside was gone, and his mobile suit's head with it.

"Impossible…" he stared, mouth agape. "Is this… the power of the Zeta?!"

Briefly, he considered pressing on, but the destruction of his sensors and and the damage done made him reconsider. So, with a shamed heart, he leapt away from the Zeta, shooting off back towards the docks. "I am disgraced…!" he bemoaned, before clenching a fist. "But mark my words, Zeta Gundam…! I shall defeat you!"

…After his mobile suit was repaired, though.

He did it!

She'd been skeptical. Of course she had. Her brother, piloting a military mobile suit, a Gundam? Stealing one? Fighting in one, no less?

(She'd been scared, too, for him. Leina would never, ever tell him that, because if he hadn't been so stupid Judau wouldn't have been in danger anyways, but that was her brother for you.)

And even now he was still thinking of stealing it! Leina hoped her big brother could feel her glare, inside that petite ms, watching the AEUG ship hide itself in the scrap mountains. The others had already left, having made for their homes whilst her brother had helped that other pilot back to the ship. Now it was just them, staking out the Argama. Or, at least, Judau was.

"Aight, Leina," he called, "I'm done. We can go, now."

Instead of complying, Leina opted to pout instead. "You're going to do it again, big brother?" she asked, disappointed.

"Yup," Judau replied, popping the 'o' at the end. "That Gundam's your ticket to a better life. It's my job to get it." He paused, for a moment. "Plus, the gilla we could make from selling that! We'd be rolling in it!"

"The only thing rolling are my eyes, onii-chan."

"Awww, don't be like that, sis." And before she could even put up a faux protest, Judau (gently) used the petite's arm to lift her into its cockpit. "C'mon, let's go home. I actually want eight hours of sleep tonight."

There was comfortable silence, for a moment, the gentle rumble of the ms hovering away towards home. Then, her big brother broke it, sounding uncharacteristically… careful.

"Leina?" he asked, and she turned to look at him.

"Yes?"

Her brother looked back, seemingly contemplating something, before sighing. "...What do they teach you about Newtypes, in school?"

…What's a newtype?

Leina had to scrounge her mind a bit before remembering what Newtype was- it wasn't something talked about in class much. She recalled it being mentioned maybe once or twice by the teachers, and a few more in various conversations with her friends. Something about how the pilot of a Gundam was rumored to be one?

"Not much?" she finally responded, lips pursed in thought. "But, they're not real, right?" That's what she remembered the teachers saying.

"What if I told you they were?"

The girl blinked, at that. "Onii-chan..?" she asked cautiously, only for him to hold up a finger, eyes closed in what seemed like concentration.

"Tell me if you feel this," he told her, and Leina was just about to ask him exactly what her brother meant by that when-

She startled.

That was-!

It was like… she was in a house, her house. It was comfy and warm inside, despite her being alone. And then, someone had knocked on the door, a door she hadn't known was there. It was like the one knocking was telling her she could come out and play at the park, if she wanted to. She didn't have to, but… she knew the option was there, now.

Leina opened the door, and the rest of the world lay before her.

"Judau… what is this?" she asked, startled but not frightened. It… was strange, but not odd, like she just needed to get used to it.

It… wasn't scary, no.

It's just… Judau?

"The power of a Newtypes," he answered quietly. "That's why I asked what they taught you about them in school."

She… was a Newtype? Wait, then-! "How did you-"

As if sensing her question, her big brother nodded. "'Cuz I'm one, too. I've known about it for a while but couldn't manifest it 'till someone open my door for me today, so I thought I'd do the same for you."

Filing that tidbit away for further questioning (she knew for a fact that when her brother said "for a while" it could mean a timeframe spanning from yesterday to at least three years. He was weird was like), Leina pursed her lips. "Does this… change anything?" she asked curiously. What did being a Newtype mean? Would she mutate, like one of those old comics? Would she be able to fly? Would she-

"For you? No, not really," Judau hummed, and she had to resist the urge to pout at his nonchalance. I actually wanted to be able to fly… phooey. "But, it'll be easier to communicate with each other, at least. Now I'll always know if you're in danger, and I'll be able to come and save you."

"You were already able to do that," Leina replied simply. To her, it was a simple fact in life. No matter what, her brother would be there to protect her. "Ashta against the world, right?"

She was rewarded by a grin, and a warm hand ruffling her hair. "Ashta against the world."

Leina let herself bask in that warm reassurance for all of five seconds before she 'harumphed' and turned away from Judau. "I think you did a good thing today," she admitted, before huffing. "but I'm still angry at you! And I still want my pasta."

Her brother snickered, ruffling her hair again and pulling her close. She didn't protest. "Yeah, yeah. Love you Leina."

"...Love you too"

And, as the petite mobile suite took flight, and she beheld Shangri-la in all it's nighttime beauty, Leina supposed there were worse ways to end a day.

A/N: Writing Mashmyre was legitimatly more fun than I expected. I'm very much looking forward to writing more of him!

In other news, Leina now knows she's a Newtype! Because I'm lowkey not sure if she ever realized it herself, and also because I'm pretty sure she's a stronger Newtype that Judau was. She was sending him warnings to dodge attacks all the way from Earth while he was all the way up in Side 3. That's a looong distance to cover. But, things like that are also why I like their dynamic so much, they personify sibling goals.

Judau thought now would be a good time to tell her, since he didn't have to worry about the Titans abducting her. Damned dogs, whose souls are weighed down by gravity... etc, etc.

And, for those of wondering, yes, Judau considered defecting to Mashymre now, but decided aginast it a long time ago. There's a specific way he want's to go about it.

Until next time!