EPISODE 5: REST & REACTION
Summary: As Arzenal takes care of their 'special piece', The Haven goes on their day and prepares for the human world, even when receiving their surprising 'guest'.
Disclaimer: I don't own Cross Ange or any of its characters and original plot, excluding the original characters I created for this story. This is a spin-off series of the main 'Cross Ange: Living Hell' story. So please read that before here.
Cross Ange and all its rights belong to King Records (Japan), Sentai Filmworks (USA), and Sunrise/ Bandai Namco Entertainment (Japan). This fanfiction is meant for entertainment only and not for profit. This story contains heavy language, blood and violence, and mild sexual themes not for audiences under 16-18 years old.
Seeing the clear blue sky with the right clouds that will not go dark for the rain to come, and getting the get-go from their Commander and ruler whom they know and want to have R&R because of the humans, even from the Rosenblum King's commission regarding Arzenal since last week's successful investigation, the entire Haven has the day off to themselves from all duties and enjoy with their human, Norma, and Ancient Human families and friends, acting like the ignorant humans back at their former nations but only unlike them, the Haven citizens are thankful of living and working in the Haven for one of the few things that the Light of Mana will NOT give them; real lives and relationships. Due to living or being rescued there, the former mainland humans were given the truth of everything they initially thought about their world and the Norma turned out to be a lie. The two people who helped them open their eyes and break their former people's chains are both the Human Killer and Haven's founder years even before the former was born. And it's not just Norma and Ancient Humans that lived with the Mana Haven Humans in their peace...
"Kiyoshi!" Inside one of the Haven garages and workshops for their vehicles from Gliders to Para-mails, a young man with both green hair and also resembles their leader's technician and his adopted twin brother heard one of his friends calling him from outside, catching his joy of seeing his four best friends walking in for their time. Since their parents have been friends and comrades in the first Libertus, although only Raven and Trigger's parents were the ones who died that unfortunate night, Kiyoshi has also known Raven, Trigger, Robin, and Siren since they were younger alongside their other friend who is, sadly, not living with them at the Haven but close for them to visit him when they have the time. If only they could convince Tusk to stay with them than at his Islands.
"Hey, guys." Kiyoshi greeted.
"We got Trigger, and our costumes ready for our first, special mission for the Haven. Raven and Robin's will take another few more days." The lone girl of the group Siren, with short and beautiful greyish blue hair, informed with a cheeky smile and holding her right hand with Robin's left. To this day, Kiyoshi, Raven, and Trigger are amazed that Robin and Siren are together, even if the latter boy would get jealous of still not having a date.
"The same goes for the smoke bombs. Had them successfully tested on one of the prisoners, the one who tried to kill a Norma little girl at Enderant." Raven nonchalantly added with a nod and a soft scornful sneer, thinking about that foolish human trying to hurt an innocent girl and her family if not for Commander Rush being at the right timing and place.
"Great. With G. H. O. S. T set, we can help Commander Rush and the Haven go further for the new Libertus. For our family and friends!" Kiyoshi reassured with his friends raising their fisted hands over their heads in agreement. "Yay!/ Yeah!" Suddenly, the five heard a noise that alarmed their surprise when they heard the same noise again...closer to their location.
"Trigger, was that your stomach?" Robin asked Trigger with everyone's attention turned to their friend looking a bit clueless from the stomach-rumbling noise they assumed was from him.
"No..." Trigger answered although another but foreign noise, that everyone knew what THAT is, was released from him and disgusted the others, especially by his calmly shameless demeanour when he noted. "But that's my butt."
"You're so disgusting!" Siren shrieked when she and Raven whacked one of their hands behind Trigger's head for the worst timing, releasing a painful gasp from the group's clown friend despite that is NOT his chosen G. H. O. S. T costume. Still, the group could hear another rumbling noise closer to their location until Kiyoshi realized the source came from the boot of Commander Rush and Charlie's car.
"It came from inside here," Kiyoshi whispered to his friends, with almost all pulling out their stun guns ready for whoever could be inside the trunk, with the worst-case scenario being an intruder using a dumb trick to learn of their home's secrets. Once closing in a suitable position, Kiyoshi hurriedly swung his leg up and forcefully kicked the car boot up with all five guns aimed at the inside...only to gawk their shock when the surprising figure nearly screamed her fear of being caught. Expecting some obnoxious-looking Mana human, they were startled to see a docile maid initially sleeping inside the car boot, her frightened brown eyes darted at each of Kiyoshi's group.
'What the...a maid?' That was what everyone could be thinking right now.
"What the heck, a maid?" Out of the five, Trigger openly said his mind but the maid instantly, startling the group's defences, strumbled and fell off the car boot with a gasp before G. H. O. S. T were too late to stop the intruding maid from hastily climbing and sluggishly run away from them and the garage. "Hey, wait!" Siren tried to call, surprised that for an intruder, she looked afraid to think of storming into the Haven.
"Guys, call the others! I'll get Ammo to call Commander Rush!" Kiyoshi instructed, hurriedly getting the others to nod their response before they quickly ran after the maid, leaving Kiyoshi to grab his Haven communicator from his pocket and call for his adopted brother. "Ammo, get Commander Rush! We have an intruder in the Haven!"
As soon as she was found, Momoka quickly found her strength, from the little food she found and kept from this strange land that she was told was the Human Killer's home, to run away from the people and dashed out of that place, seeing that she is now in the most beautiful surroundings fitting for a resort with not just human beings but, alarming Momoka in fright but continuously run from the four of five people now chasing her from behind, wild animals roaming free with them like wolves, lions, tigers, bears, hawks, and others that are impossible to keep them as pets. When she ran over the bridge, a glimpse at the side made her scream and alarmed some of the residents and animals to notice her, seeing the resort's massively wide and deep lake under the bridge also contains some crocodiles, making her more afraid of this unfamiliar land. 'What kind of place is this!? Is this the Human Killer's home?! Where could he keep Lady Angelise hostage!?" Momoka yelped in fear.
"Guys, stop her! That maid's an intruder!" Momoka stiffened her gasp in dread from hearing the girl's voice shouting from behind but was forced to stop in her tracks by the other people and a few of the wild animals circling her, blocking her escape and fell on her knees with her hands shining to conjure a forcefield of Mana in each hand.
"Don't hurt me! I was wondering if I could find Lady Angelise!" Momoka pleaded, noticing how everyone shuddered their surprise on their faces, confirming to her that they knew about her mistress just as a woman's voice gasped her surprise. "Wait, you're Angelise's maid!" Looking up, Momoka saw three more people have joined the circle to now stand in front of her, recognizing the brunette woman holding her baby to be the same Mother of the Norma infant Lady Angelise almost sent her to who knows where the Norma girls be. But the familiar bandaged man is the one that Momoka needs to see.
"T-The Human Killer! Oh, thank goodness! I need your help…" But right after she stood on her feet, cutting her Mana to disappear, and begged for the Human Killer, Momoka could feel her body and energy depleting with her mind automatically blanking out until darkness was the last thing she saw, unaware that her body fell onto the ground...
...Even when she knew she had fallen unconscious, Momoka felt her body gently placed onto a soft chair with a table in front of her once she managed to find a silver of her strength to blink her eyes, clearing her blurred vision to find herself in the middle of an open restaurant and surrounded by a small group of the people and animals surrounding her earlier, including the Human Killer and the five people who found her earlier.
Almost squeaking her dread for the possible interrogation or punishment, Momoka watched and almost climbed out of her seat in trepidation from the large, dark green phyton carefully placing a glass of water closer to her with its tail, coiling itself around his innocent and weak owner with pale skin, white hair and blanked eyes, before backing away just when Momoka look at the other side and scream her fear from one of the lions looming over the table...yet it gently places a large plate filled with real food onto her vision before retreating to their side, instead of mauling her viciously as Momoka presumed of the other animals joining the humans' side.
"Yeesh, don't worry, kid. My lion Zeke might not look like it, but he's also sensitive and cowardly unless necessary." One of the waiters assured Momoka with a cheeky grin, kneeling on the lion he surprisingly named it and straightened its surprisingly cute black bow tie on its head and mane between its ears. Still frightened despite seeing that she would not be hurt as one of the men read her profile from his Mana screen, Momoka hesitated to eat the food she was given only to nervously indulge when the Human Killer and the baby Norma's mother assured her to. From taking the first bite, Momoka felt her tongue and stomach tingling in delight from the delicious food she quickly took more without gobbling them for proper manners.
"Thank you so much! I don't even know I long I hid in your Mana Car boot, but I can finally eat proper food now." Momoka happily thanked with a kind smile, closing her eyes so that she didn't see everyone looking at her in sympathy.
As she slowly filled her stomach and replenished her throat, Momoka started explaining her desire to return to Lady Angelise's services which immediately surprised everyone including the Human Killer, especially admitting that she knew that her mistress was born a Norma in the beginning but was shocked to find out that she is not in this Haven but in a Norma facility called Arzenal. But when she described how she snuck inside the Human Killer's car with Riza's help under Julio's order, she was terrified of seeing almost everyone's baffled anger when the latter was mentioned. Even the animals expressed their ferocity when Lady Angelise's brother and foolish Emperor forced her to stay in a car for a week. Finally, Momoka quickly begs them to take her to Arzenal which again shocks everyone even when she sticks to her decision to be with Angelise's side no matter what, until the Human Killer firmly accepts to help Momoka on one condition…
"Ah…Lady Misty has a fiancé?! How wonderful!" Was Momoka's response to receiving the Human Killer's approval to help her and the delight that both she and Lady Angelise's close friend from Rosenblum have a fiance, surprising to be Prince Seri Ranka Velda, but her happiness shifted into shock from watching every person besides the Human Killer and animal immediately fall onto the floor in distraught for her reaction just as the Human Killer left them, possibly to answer a call. "W-w-waaaah! Are you all alright!?" Momoka gasped, hurriedly helping the green-haired boy Kiyoshi onto his feet while the animals helped push and lift everyone.
"...Why...is that the first thing you say?" Kiyoshi coughed his befuddlement at the intruder's response, growing into disbelief when looking into her eyes to see that she was indeed clueless or naive, answering his private assumption that she was not fooling anyone. Initially wary, since she is a Mana human, Kiyoshi looked a bit closer at Momoka's eyes until she gave him a concerned smile...surprisingly Kiyoshi blinked his eyes and gulped that he felt his cheeks blushing. Why, for a Mana human and servant to the Norma princess, did he find her cute and innocent? Shouldn't she be afraid of them like any prissy human girl back on the mainland?
"Kiyoshi?" Kiyoshi and Momoka heard Robin's voice calling the former, attracting them to look at their sides yet the former froze with a gasp at seeing almost everyone already standing on their feet and smugly grinning, except Moon who was confused about their reaction that even the animals gave, further embarrassing Kiyoshi.
"N-N-No! It's not what it looks like!" Kiyoshi objected, carefully pulling both him and Momoka to stand.
"Sure, sure." Ammo teased with Siren walking closer to Momoka and grasping her hands with hers, allowing Kiyoshi to step back and join his friends.
"Momoka, right? Since you wished to stay here until we get you to Arzenal, how about you try working with us in the Haven?" Siren proposed with a warm smile. "We're not as great as how would you take care of your princess, but maybe we can help get you some experience in case you need them once you get to Arzenal. That way, you can protect yourself and Angelise from any danger. And we can tell you the truth of everything you humans believed that we know is a lie." That immediately brightened Momoka to happily smile, showing both girls now becoming friends.
"Oh, yes! I loved that very much. Thank you all so much!" Momoka beamed, surprisingly lifting everyone's mood to smile their amusement and delight of having an intruder that is willing to help, being the first, until everyone watched Trigger walking towards Siren and Momoka and swiftly resting his arms on their shoulders.
"Don't worry, Miss Maid. With G. H. O. S. T at your side, we can teach you everything...even when being together.~" Trigger grinned, immediately souring Siren's mood to scowl her annoyance while hearing her boyfriend sighing his anger for the perverted friend's flirting. But none expected Momoka's reaction...
"Kyaaaaahhhhh!" Momoka squealed in fear and stepped away from Trigger with her hands fished and grabbed something inside her buttoned blouse before she started whacking, what no person and animal expect for a timid maid to keep in her shirt, her frying pan straight to the assailant's face multiple times, releasing muffled screams from each violent smacks. [For comical reason; imagine Trigger's now bruised face glowing different colours and tiny stars or starfishes from each smack].
"Wow, that looks painful. Very painful..." Cynical commented with the flabbergast Hyacinth hiding her mouth with her sleeves yet almost everyone is unamused for Trigger's failed attempts to get a girlfriend. Momoka continuously pounded her victim's face even when everyone noticed the Human Killer's arrival from his call, reacting in stoic confusion to the last few smacks until Siren, Kiyoshi, Raven, and Robin hurriedly pulled each other away with the former two holding Momoka back once she finally calms down while the latter two grab Trigger's now senseless and blood-faced body. Robin shakes his head in annoyance but is mostly relieved that his girlfriend wasn't fooled by a stupid attempt.
"...At least I see she's smart to fight." The Human Killer remarked with a subtle head tilt before addressing everyone, who noticed how strangely peeved he was. "Anyway, I got a call from...you know who..." Some of the Haven members scowl their anger for guessing you know who, but none was expecting the finishing sentence. "...And he wants me to go to Misurugi in three nights from now and meet with the big boy himself."
By the strange sentence, Momoka noticed the atmosphere had become heavier with her initial fear, which almost goes away when deciding to stay with the Haven, was reclaimed from how almost everyone but the snake-wearing boy immediately snarl in mixed horror and ferocity for this mysterious person the Human Killer must meet back in the Misurugi Empire.
"Here, Momoka. You can stay in my place while you're here. It's better than staying with my friends...since you dealt with Trigger this morning." Siren suggested with her arms showing Momoka the guest room she and her family thoughtfully provided and cleaned for her, under Commander Rush's orders. To Siren, her family and friends, and even Rush's relief, Momoka not only proved herself to be kind and considerate even to the Norma, Haven and Ancient Humans, but dutiful when not once that she used the Light of Mana to make a distress call or reveal the Haven to the obnoxious humans at their world the whole day. To a good judge of character like her, unless proven wrong, Siren is confident that Momoka will do anything if it gets her to be with her princess. From the bedroom door, Siren watched with satisfaction as Momoka slowly walked inside and looked around her temporary new room with an excited smile before she turned and faced Siren.
"Thank you so much, Miss Siren!" Momoka appreciated her new room with a nod.
"Momoka, we're the same age. You don't have to be formal. Just call me Siren and my friends by their names." Siren assured with a chuckle. It's almost been a day and yet Siren already took a liking with her...hopefully Kiyoshi will feel the same.
"O-Oh, right." As Momoka nervously responded with a shy frown, something Siren and everyone had thought about her returned to her mind to finally ask her.
"Oh, yeah, Momoka? I wanted to wait until you settled in, but I can't help but wonder: how and why you did want to serve your princess?" First seeing Momoka looking down with sadness, she slowly perched onto her new bed and offered Siren to sit beside her, collecting her curiosity when she did once Momoka raised her right arm showing a long, faded scar.
"It started when I started my duties to serve the royal family..." Momoka started explaining with a sad smile, her attention only to her scar...
From age five to six, Momoka was among one of the few children as young as her starting their new lives as servants for the royal Misurugi family, since Momoka only had her fifteen-year-old cousin Daigorou as her family, unlike their real families who abandoned them. When she was initiated, Momoka remembered the faces of Emperor and Empress Jurai and Sophia with their young son Julio and daughter Angelise whom Momoka was to serve her as her trusted maid. From then on, Momoka followed Angelise and used her Light of Mana on every command without question. What was Momoka's earliest memory she knows of her adoration for her princess was when she accidentally broke one of Angelise's precious porcelain dolls and ended up scraping her right arm. But instead of punishing her, Angelise tore a piece of her dress and bandaged Momoka's arm before asking her to help her secretly bury the broken doll in the Misurugi's backyard. Seeing her princess smile that day, Momoka felt that she was blessed to serve Angelise...even after she was given the truth about her mistress.
"After that...Emperor Jurai and Empress Sophia told me the truth about Lady Angelise being a Norma, hoping that I'll keep the secret and continue to serve my princess. And I gladly did." Momoka concluded her story, seeing Siren initially looking at her and her scar before she faced elsewhere with her sad glower hardening in sorrow.
"So that's how...I'm sorry, Momoka." Siren confessed. As someone from not royalty, she and the others presumed that royal children were nothing but spoiled brats.
"No, it's alright. Thank you for asking me your question. I feel better and even motivated to return to Lady Angelise's side." Momoka reassured, reclaiming her kind smile. Siren wished she could add something but both girls heard the former's mother calling out to them from downstairs.
"Girls, can you help us for dinner? We'll have jambalaya!"
"Alright!" Siren cheered and rose from the bed, startling Momoka who watched her turn to face her. "Come on, Momoka. You're gonna love my mum's jambalaya! It's so good that your tastebuds will dance in joy!"
"O-Oh, alright, Mi- I mean, Siren." Momoka hastily nodded with a shaky smile and both girls headed downstairs. Although, other than Momoka's wish to be with Angelise, something else about today prompts Siren to scowl her concern with a tinge of anger that she must hide it from Momoka since she is the only one uninformed of the news that spread throughout the Haven. 'Commander Rush...please be safe.'
'Thank you for telling me Momoka is safe in the Haven. Please help her with whatever she can until you all find a way to sneak her into Arzenal. Despite her being an easy target, I know she can protect herself and Angelise. I'll make sure the royal brats and dumb relatives are occupied to not know of the Haven. Please be safe with you as well.
- Love, Daigorou.
'Is this true, Rush? Ange's brother really wants you to meet Embryo? This is perfect for you to get back that bastard that hurt us all. So far, Ange is still persistent in leaving Arzenal despite the rejection on the humans' end. But she will learn the reality of everything soon enough. Tell me everything once you survive meeting Embryo. Take care.'
Rush read Daigorou and Jill's messages regarding Momoka's safety for the former and Julio's order to meet Embryo for the latter in Rush's laptop, ignoring his team joining him in his office and glaring at him in apprehension for knowing the purpose of their conference from this morning. From what he can tell by the messages, Rush is pleased that his best friend is more caring about his welfare and secret than his fake big sister but understanding due to their plight. Like Jill said, this is perfect to meet their world's so-called God. And as he promised even before he became the Human Killer, Rush will see to it that he will end this stupid world into hell. But unlike some others, Rush will receive his team's feedback right now...
"Rush, it's too dangerous to meet Embryo now! He will kill you while we're still preparing for Libertus!" Hyacinth objected, holding her chainsaw handles and sitting on the couch with Red Death beside her right and Cynical sitting on the armchair behind her other side.
"Why now would be the worst time for the bad guy to meet you, even if it's for the pompous jerk?" Ammo crossly complained.
"Rush, will you be alright?" Moon asked in concern, feeling Ular and Hebi consoling him with soft hisses out of their forked tongues and stroking his head with their heads.
"Rush. Is it possible for us to follow you? In case we can protect you if he will think of striking you on that night." Cynical proposed, although the others were confused about seeing Rush looking up from his laptop, finishing reading his emails, and glaring at everyone with a displeased scowl. The kind they know means Rush does not like what he hears.
"Guys. I have two reasons why I wouldn't recommend bringing you guys with me to Misurugi." Rush spoke, grabbing the male magazine he bought from Arzenal last week and flipped some of its pages to read its contents. Seeing him reading any of those articles confused his team as to why would he think of enjoying them rather than finding a girlfriend as what the entire Haven wants him to do despite being the few people who know his secret. As for Rush, he has THREE reasons why he doesn't want to bring his team but rather not mention the third one. "One, the world leaders will presume the worst of our relationship and even look down on you guys more than they hate me. Two...I just don't want you guys to get killed before me." Red Death, Cynical, Hyacinth, Ammo, Moon and his snakes slumped in defeat.
"Goddammit." Red Death cursed. "But still..."
"I'll be fine, you big babies," Rush reassured, brushing off any worry but doing little to ease their concern. It sounds as if Rush doesn't care about going to his death. "It's just the usual 'keeping appearance until I'll make shit go down'. Once I know the best time, I'll give the signal and then it's raining hell for the entire world. Remember; I led the Haven to protect the Norma, but killing the fucker who tortures everyone for years is MY job. No one else."
"You did say that." Cynical admitted with a stern frown for Rush's lack of self-care. "But you're also our leader who we promised to help protect the Norma and punish those who threw their children away for their petty peace. And as your people, we swore to never let anyone die on our watch, including you. You can trust us, Rush."
Not once looking up from his magazine, Rush mentally sneers at his dissatisfaction with Cynical's words. It does sound nice for those who worked themselves to do their job...but Rush also has another feeling that he rather keep it from his team.
"Rush? How about we not talk about Embryo tonight? I can see that it's stressing you since earlier." Hyacinth nervously proposed the safest way to steer Rush's mind for his new mission, attracting Cynical and the boys to notice Rush's calmly vexed scowl and assumed of being pissed for Julio and Embryo. However, the team is unsure of how to calm their leader and friend since he is the most difficult and secretive person they know, due to never telling them anything crucial about his past that broke him to no longer have faith in humanity.
"Y-Yeah...how about talking about what kind of girlfriend you like?" Ammo thought aloud with a curious grin, seeing Rush look up from his magazine but still not smiling when everyone looked at Ammo proclaiming with his confidence in convincing Rush was slowly rising. "I mean, you told us a bit of your past when Moon and I met you guys two years ago. But don't you think that, during or after we kill Embryo and save every Norma, you can finally put the past behind you and find a girl?"
"Ammo, you don't have a girlfriend yourself. What makes you think that Rush will listen to you?" Red Death snarked.
"Hey, I'm trying my best to persuade Rush to get a girl, okay Red Death! And you have your Fluttershy, so shut up!" Ammo complained as the mention of Fluttershy, from Red's footage of Arzenal also revealing his date with Ersha, prompted Red Death to blush his anger and embarrassment inside his helmet. "You don't have to call Ersha what I call her! That was an accident!"
"As much as I don't think as offensive and crude as Ammo..." Hyacinth wondered, intentionally ignoring another of Ammo's dramatically sad pouts whirling at her to give Rush a nervously warm smile. "...But he does have a point; it would be nice if you would like a girlfriend by now. As you've been here since you were twelve and fought your way to be a powerful fighter, we're not surprised by how many admirers want to be by your side as both a comrade and a wife."
"Even the obsessive types that get on my fucking nerves?" Rush irritably recalled with all but Moon cringed their uneasiness for knowing some, with Ammo guessing due to him and Moon knowing Rush the least out of the group. "Sorry guys, but not interested..."
"Don't say that, Rush." Cynical shook her head. "You can wait until after Libertus succeeds and then you can find the lucky girl to spend your life with. Knowing you, we can tell you would want a strong wife who can knock down some perverted fools from getting their hands on the two of you."
"Yeah, or maybe for once; your future girl can be innocent and nice that will soothe your hard heart that you wish you could stop liking warfare." Ammo thought aloud with a grin. "Settling down sounds like a normal thing to do." Unaware of almost everyone in the group now wondering aloud about Rush's dream or future girl, Rush went back to his male magazine although their growing wishes they thought off and claimed for HIM prompted to grip his hands on the sides so much, his fingers scrunch the pages tempting to rip it in half while he felt his ears are going to burst.
'...Can you all shut the fuck up...' Rush knows they mean well and wants what is best for him...but still...he hated those words...
"Rush?" Rush felt his brain being shot back to reality and his hearing become normal, surprised by the meek voice whispering his name in concern when he looked and saw Moon, Ular, and Hebi now standing at his visible side, nearly shocking Rush how long they stood there without everyone not realising. But it did stop Red Death, Ammo, Cynical, and Hyacinth talking more about their less important conversation when they look at Moon trying to get his confidence to speak, to everyone's confusion. "P...Please don't be angry. Why don't we go to sleep and rest tomorrow? There's still time to think of the future." Moon sadly proposed with a soft blush, aware that Rush was having a bad day from both Julio's call and their unserious meeting. Rush was initially startled by Moon suggesting he rest since he won't have any missions unless the Haven soldiers stationed at the mainland notify him, but he did guess something that made him smile his relief.
"...Yeah, that would be best. Thanks, Moon." Rush decided while stroking his bandaged hand on Moon's white hair, his innocent smile and giggle from the gesture raised Rush's mood to be better than earlier once he rose from his seat and led himself and Moon to their bedroom. "Meeting's done for tonight. I'll let you all know if there's something else in three days. Good night."
"R-Rush..." Rush's other teammates almost called him back, unsure of his strange feeling although he and Moon stopped, confusing everyone until he noted one sentence to one of them.
"Ammo...you suck at persuading."
"Huh!?" Ammo gawked his surprise but all said nothing when they watched Rush and Moon walk to the door leading to their bedroom, with two boys and two women dumbfounded at what is Rush feeling.
"Moon?" Rush called after Moon walked a bit farther from him with him, Ular, and Hebi turned to face him and saw his faintly pleased smile towards the boy and snakes. "Thanks for suggesting we clock in. You're right; I've had a bad day today."
"I-I just want you to feel better because people always see you as angry, when you ignore everyone to read your magazine earlier," Moon admitted with Ular tilting its head to the side and Hebi nodding its agreement on his neck. "I don't know much about girls, romance, or anything that people think is normal...but I hope...that you'll find someone that you like, Rush. Just as I hope we all find someone that we like for who we are."
"...I hope so too." Rush nodded his agreement. "Why don't you clean up? I'll be after you." First watching Moon happily run back to their bathroom with his snakes following him, since they don't have legs and are coiled around him all the time, Rush leisurely walks towards the king-sized bed to sit on one side and slowly opens his boots, placing his gun under his pillow. Out of his team, Rush is glad that Moon is innocently naive but more understanding of Rush's desires than every one of the Haven. And due to the boy's past, Rush made himself Moon's caretaker especially when the kid is afraid of sleeping by himself out of fear of being taken away to do something damaging to him. The first time Moon nervously asks Rush if he could stay with him, on the day they rescued him and Ammo two years ago, the latter jokingly teases that Rush will play with Moon's innocence only to almost die by a paintball in the head from Rush's paintball gun out of frustration.
'I know it's stupid...' Rush thought to himself, sounding both annoyed and sad than what people normally see and know him as the Human Killer. '...But I wish there is some guy who'll like me.'