EPISODE 6: ADOPTED ROYAL [AU; PART 1]
Summary: In another life of the same world, the Human Killer is a secret adopted Misurugi royal but their story changes drastically. [Part 1]
Note: I was inspired by reading the beginning of a Cross Ange X Naruto crossover called 'Age of Angels Cross Dragons'. Another inspiration was the two Cross Ange DeviantArt posts by TechouNoPenki. These same posts also helped inspire a major point in the main Living Hell story. The different parts will be uploaded sometime after some other chapters during the whole story/ thing.
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.
[Thirteen years ago…]
It is a peaceful night in the Misurugi Empire even without the Light of Mana shining on their surroundings as would in the city with its people to their hearts' content. And like the other nations, they adored and respected their Emperor and Empress for their everlasting support to help their lives go greater, giving the people the hope that they can live peacefully with the foul Norma dragged into where those creatures go, for all they care, and their future will be in not in their hands but also the royal prince and princess. Speaking of their rulers, as it is their fortnightly routine even before they were gifted with their children, Jurai and Sophia spend tonight for their nightly walks somewhere outside the Misurugi cities to spend their peaceful strolls in the countryside and forests until it is time to return to the Misurugi Palace. As they walk, they converse with each other with their stories and secrets so that both sides will always know and do anything to help them out of trust and love. And most of these secrets regard one they wished they could keep to themselves and their family longer from their people out of their safety…
"Jurai. I hope that we can continue to protect Angelise from being taken away. But I don't want to keep hiding the secret any longer." Sophia admitted with sadness on her beautiful face, feeling Jurai gently holding her hand during the walk as always, venturing deep into a forest a thousand miles away from the city.
"She will know soon enough. But due to the seriousness of the Norma's growing population, it will be difficult to both explain her true self and the people's reaction. We just need to wait until the time is right. Until then, we can give Angelise extra protection to make sure her secret stays with ourselves and Julio." Jurai decided with a nod, determined to protect their daughter's secret with persistence for their family, satisfying Sophia to smile her happiness at her husband's proposition.
When they found out that Angelise was a Norma, they were shocked that Sophia did not want their daughter taken away even if it was the absolute law to exile ALL Norma to Arzenal. But instead of following the rules, Jurai's love for both his wife and children including their daughter convinced them to hide the truth from her until the appropriate time would be when she will be sixteen, the year where she will be baptised as Empress on her birthday. As of now, Julio knew and promised to keep the secret if he could protect his sister. If any of Jurai and Sophia's siblings knew of this, they could imagine taking that advantage to do something terrible for everyone in the Misurugi household.
But unlike the previous nights when it's supposed to be peaceful...tonight took a drastic turn out of nowhere.
BANG!
The sudden sounds of a gunshot and a woman's voice shrieking a shrill scream in agony from deeper in the forest alarmed Jurai and Sophia pulling themselves into a hug for their lives, not expecting to hear violence fitting for people fighting each other outside their city since the Light of Mana protects them from harm. "What is that?" Sophia asked in concern. Could someone be hurt or, worse, killed with their rulers being the only witnesses?
"I don't know. Sophia, stay close to me." Jurai exclaimed, seeing Sophia hurriedly nod her response and the two rulers hurriedly dashed through the forest for the source. Despite coming to their nightly walks with only a driver and without escorts, Jurai and Sophia prefer to have minimal people accompanying them if it gets to keep Angelise's secrets from unwanted ears. As they run, they hear more gunshots growing louder to inform them that they are getting closer. It was when the final and deafening gunshot from the bushes in front of them that they knew they would see the cause but when they did...Sophia almost released a gasp that almost became a scream while Jurai was nearly aghasted.
In a small clearing, possibly a bit farther from a secret house deeper or closer to the edge of the road taking them to Misurugi, a young boy older than Julio and possibly the same age as their youngest and trustworthy servant is found crying and being comforted by an unusual saviour who must've saved him and mutilated the now dead couple spread on the blood-stained ground. At the tree behind the person lay another blood-covered corpse barely recognised to be a boy placed on the base with such ghastly beatings.
'Who are they? Is it that adult...or the boy that killed them?' Jurai wondered, noticing that both the boy and saviour were stained with blood and the former's right hand held the gun that must've fired earlier. Making sure they were silent, Jurai and Sophia watched in dread as the saviour tied some long fabric around the surviving boy's face while telling him something just until they were done...only to quickly leapt away at such height that he, Jurai, and Sophia thought they flew away and disappear. That's when one will move...
"Little boy!" Sophia hastily ran out of their hiding spot, her motherly instincts kicked in with worry about the possible gunner child's condition despite the gruesome evidence, fast for Jurai to not catch her out of concern even when Sophia stopped running closer by the boy wildly turning around and aim his gun at her, ready to pull the trigger if not for recognizing his almost new kill and both Sophia and Jurai looked at the terrified and angry boy once the latter recklessly ran towards his wife. With short bronze hair and a single right, icy blue eye, the traumatized boy's left eye and side of his head were bandaged with the white strips now stained in blood earlier.
"E...Empress...Sophia?" Sophia noticed the boy trying to hide his fear through his angry tears when he wheezed his first words to her, noticeably shaking his hand wielding the gun, tempting to shoot her despite his slightly bloodied state. But Sophia remained unfazed and kept her composure; for he was still a boy even if he possibly killed his victims.
"Young man? Please put down your weapon. You mustn't kill a soul unless they have done such atrocious sins such as hurting others." Sophia informs, keeping her attention to the boy who slowly breaks down while feeling her husband's hands gently hold her shoulders. But none expected his choked sobs.
"...My...my parents...they killed my best friend...they always do this to me..."
"What?" Jurai and Sophia gasped with the former looking at the adult corpses beside them, feeling his blood starting to boil in horror and disgust. These are his parents...and yet they dare to abuse their child? Instead of loving him as true parents?
"Young man? What is your name?" Jurai enquired, making sure not to direct his anger of the abusive parents to their possibly innocent son. With a sniffle, the boy angrily reveals his name but his surname increases the Emperor and Empress's horror. It can't be!? The entire Misurugi nation has known that family for generations but to think that his last parents are secretly abusive to their kin. And from looking at his weak appearance, they tell that they have been doing this to him for almost his life. As parents themselves, that is one of the things that no human should NOT do to their children.
"Don't worry, young man. You will come with us to the Misurugi Palace. You'll be safe." Sophia assured, tenderly pulling the young gunner into an embrace with Jurai warmly resting his hand on the child's hair. Yet the two felt the boy weakly try to pull himself back and even sputtered something that further dismayed the parents for another clue of his painful history.
"...Why are you hugging me? Let me go…"
'Why did he say that? What did his foul parents do to raise him without love?' Sophia grits her teeth at the boy's dejected plea, feeling like crying sorrowful tears for this broken boy.
"Julio, Angelise...Meet your new older brother, Rush. He will be joining our family starting now. And he has an important role for not just our land but the entire world." Sophia warmly introduced their seven-year-old son and three-year-old daughter staring in awe at the older boy, cleaned up with white bandages around his face, right hand, and inside his clothes, joining them although Angelise was understandably afraid of his empty, almost cold expression that only Jurai and Sophia know the cause. It has been two weeks since Jurai and Sophia met the boy and they can tell that he will have so much burden. On that same night, a close acquaintance of the royal couple finds them with a brief reunion for the adults only to find out that Rush is needed by the same person who saved him.
From what they were told, and concerning Sophia, the Haven founder suggested taking Rush to his nation as the humans would find out what happened to the crime scene. Jurai and the Haven founder had to persuade Sophia to let Rush go with the latter, promising that they could think further about the child's situation. So over the week, Jurai and his friend have been conversing in their meetings regarding not just Rush but also the recent merger between Arzenal and Haven, proposed by Rosenblum and accepted by the other rulers including Jurai, to improve Arzenal's condition and increase security measures to apprehend Norma and human traitors in the mainland ever since the Dawn Pillar was attacked strangely the same night they found Rush. According to the now-named Harvenal leader, the person who saved Rush was the Haven's Human Killer who insisted on making Rush the successor that HE willingly accepted when he killed his parents.
Although Jurai and Sophia are anxious, the former reluctantly accepts their decision if Rush can secure his future and protect his new siblings. But to ease not just their worries but Harzenal's, Jurai and Sophia decided to have Rush's adoption be secret and misinform the world and Akihide, Shinji, and Sayuri by naming Rush his family's on-and-off bodyguard.
To Jurai and Sophia's relief and happiness, not only do Julio and Angelise warmly welcome Rush as their new brother, but their youngest butler Daigorou is also Rush's other best friend from elementary school, with the white-haired boy gladly making himself Rush's butler and confidant in the Misurugi Palace alongside Jurai and Sophia's messager whenever Rush is tasked to do his duties for the world and Harvenal which is why Rush can't stay long in the Palace. Even if the world scorns him for willingly killing their traitorous kind, instead of only Norma, Jurai and Sophia see Rush as an additional family member whom they shall give him the love that his foolish parents refuse to give him.
For years, even when the family was blessed with another daughter Sylvia a year later, Rush remains the cold, murderous human gunner that the world knows him as, but Jurai, Sophia, Julio, Angelise, Sylvia, Momoka, and Daigorou can see that Rush has slowly softened to be caring only to his family and friends in the mainland and Harvenal. Especially since Angelise and Sylvia believe that Rush was their birth brother instead of a secret, adopted brother due to the former being too young to remember. And the parents are pleased with Julio and Rush's decent relationship as brothers. As for Jurai and Sophia's concern about Angelise being a Norma, they only told Julio, Rush, Daigorou, and Momoka the truth with the latter three initially surprised but willingly keeping the secret...
Thirteen years after Rush was adopted as a secret royal...
"Tomorrow's Angelise's baptism, right? Want me to have my team and some soldiers ready in case some things will go down bad, Dad?" Rush asked Jurai as the two were in the latter's office that night, discussing the big day tomorrow in Rush's words. Jurai mused Rush's suggestion for his soldiers' protection if there were any complications but couldn't help but smile his happiness for being called Dad by this one, instead of the proper Father. As Rush would visit or stay in the Misurugi Palace on his free will or at his adopted parents' invitation, Jurai and Sophia noticed and were told by Daigorou that his abusive family raised him vicious that they forbade Rush to refer to his birth parents as Mother or Father, further aggravating the Emperor and Empress for this family that they wished Rush to call them as such, not caring of irritating Akihide and Sayuri that even Julio and Angelise wants Rush to call them as his siblings.
It was when he was publicly known as the Human Killer and leader of Harvenal, at sixteen-years-old, that Rush surprised them. "Thank you...for loving me... Mom, Dad, Julio, Angelise, Sylvia."
'I'm so proud of you, my son.' Jurai mentally sighed at remembering that dinner night when he said those words, as his happiest moment especially when the entire family hugged him with tears of joy for speaking from his heart, also relieving that the uncles and aunt were absent at the time. He was so distracted from that lovely memory, that he almost forgot his adult son and his question until he heard the latter call him back to reality. "Dad?"
"O-Oh. Of course, Rush." Jurai hastily affirmed in apprehension, nervously chortling at his puzzled son. "Forgive me, son. It's just that I am always as happy as your mother when you see us as your family than your real one. I was remembering the time you called us your parents on the day you became the Human Killer." Jurai chuckled at seeing Rush look away with a faintly embarrassed sneer. Always tries to hide his genuine feelings even from his family and friends.
"Stop..." Rush soughed. "I know it's been years since you and Mom adopted me, but I can't help it."
"I know. You may not show it, but we all know how happy you are when we found and raised you better." Jurai assured, rising from his seat to stand in front of Rush and placing his hands on the other's shoulders. "And we will support you and your siblings with everything because we love you all. And whether in here or Harvenal...you'll find the lucky man to be me and Sophia's future son-in-law." Hearing the surprisingly confident proposal from his proud smile showing no disgust, instead of rebuking his teasing adopted father, Rush closed his single eye and loudly sighed his relief.
"Thanks, Dad. At least this family is more supportive of my preferences than Harvenal." Rush admitted, surprising Jurai to shakily remove his hands from Rush's shoulders.
"Oh? Your people don't?"
"More like trying to get me a girlfriend or a wife and claiming it's the best for ME. I never told them about my past since I only want you guys to know. But Moon, Ular, and Hebi are the only ones who support me." Rush confessed with a harsh sigh, visibly irritably that Jurai could sense his mixed feelings but nodded his relief for Rush's animal whisperer and snake-taming foster son, that Jurai and Sophia call the innocent boy their god-grandson due to resembling Rush's past but worse.
"That's not right. No one is supposed to force someone else to love who they don't want, just because it's normal. When you told your mother and me, we promised to make sure we want the best for our children." Jurai shook his head, seeing Rush faintly wave his arms and hands at him with a dramatically angry pout as if agreeing with him. "But let's not talk about this, my boy. For now, you should rest and we will see your team tomorrow. Hopefully, it all goes well..."
Unfortunately, what the royal Misurugi family doesn't know is that…there were backstabbers ready to act tomorrow.
At first, the morning started splendidly with the entire nation cheering for Angelise soon to be their Empress with Rush's team alongside a small group of his soldiers, all well dressed for the occasion, accompanying them to the Dawn Pillar where Angelise will be baptised. But what was supposed to be a shining future turned out to be a day of betrayal. After Jurai gives a speech to the public and Angelise is escorted to the Mana chamber, instead of passing through the system; it abruptly stops with a deafening siren noise released which confuses everyone with only Jurai, Sophia, and Rush knowing the reason. "It can't be...I was sure it wouldn't..." Jurai gasped in shock with Sophia hurriedly dashing to the chamber's control panel.
"Expose her? I took care of that, Father." Julio smugly admitted with a chuckle turning into a laugh when he stood in front of Jurai in displeasure, stopping his father from speaking when the Captain of the Guards, Riza Randog, almost shot a red fireball of Mana at him. Julio is confident that his eldest brother wouldn't even think of shooting him despite being aware Rush grabs his customized gun from his hip and his team is ready to combat once Julio explains the truth to their people. "What could've possessed you to allow a monster to be Empress? Are you insane?"
However...not even Julio would expect this twist...
"Indeed. And we have you to thank, Julio." Julio, Riza, and Jurai heard Akihide's voice chiming in from behind, confusing the three only to find not just Jurai, but Julio, Riza, and Momoka roughly apprehended by some of the royal guards under their captain's side, shocking everyone and the commoners below for seeing almost the entire royal family held by their servants, with only Akihide, Sayuri, and Shinji unfazed yet the former two smugly smile their pleasure of seeing their family members arrested.
"W-What is this!?" Julio demanded, angry and shocked while Rush's team were forced to back away from the other guards aiming their guns at them including Cynical, Hyacinth, and Moon.
"W-We heard you talking with Captain Riza about the truth...we will speak of it ourselves." Shinji coughed himself to speak bravely, for once, with Akihide smirking maliciously at Jurai's flabbergasted reaction before he waved everyone on the platform to stand back, allowing him and Sayuri to present themselves to the confused people.
"To our beloved subjects. We, Akihide and Shinji Asuka Misurugi with Sayuri Ikaruga Misurugi shall reveal what was hidden from our minds for sixteen years until now. Angelise...is a Norma. Not only that, but the entire royal family from Jurai to Julio kept this secret and fooled all of you, which is the highest treason in the entire history of our world! This is why, the crime of keeping a Norma amongst us and attempting to make her OUR ruler, the entire Misurugi family alongside the Captain of the Guards shall be executed by none other than their Human Killer! And we will assume control of our land!"
That horrified not just Jurai and Sophia who the latter managed to open the chamber and grab Angelise's hand, but also Rush and his team, Julio, Angelise, Sylvia, Riza, Momoka, and Daigorou to glare at the speakers in disbelief or fear even when Sylvia immediately fainted out of mental exhaustion.
'Execute us...including me?!' Julio wished he could scream in dread. How could they do this?! He knew he was supposed to reveal the truth himself but to think that he accidentally and indirectly disclosed it to his uncles and aunt. And now they want to kill THEM! Impossible! 'Brother Rush! Please save us!' Julio mentally begged, trying to look at Rush still aiming his gun at his false relatives although the two spot their mother taking their sister through the Dawn Pillar's corridors. "A-aaah! Angelise escaped!" Shinji called out, attracting everyone's attention to notice their disappearance.
"Red Death! You, Ammo, and Moon take the Emperor, Julio, and the Captain to the Court Van. Cynical, Hyacinth, to me!" Using their distraction to get the upper hand and briefly nod at Daigorou who immediately understood his silent assignment, Rush commanded his team who hurriedly affirmed their roles before everyone watched Rush and the two women running after Sophia and Angelise while the giant young, muscled man and green-haired boy forcefully grab both Jurai and Julio after the timid, snake-tamer scared the guards initially holding their captain hostage to also take her away and ran after the Human Killer.
"Momoka, follow me!" Daigorou whispered to his cousin who was initially horrified but quickly helped him carry Sylvia's wheelchair out of the platform, leaving Akihide, Sayuri, and Shinji watching the traitorous family and their inner circle running away from the Dawn Pillar. Unlike their frightened brother and brother-in-law, Akihide and Sayuri cruelly smile their pleasure at their plans to take over the Misurugi Empire.
Angelise was confused about the sudden fright of her baptism going awry, with her mother dragging her through the Dawn Pillar's base and both are being chased by Brother Rush and the two women of his team of Norma and human traitors' hunters from behind. It's not true...there's no way that she is a Norma. She's not the same as those beasts who break the Light of Mana, and the foul monsters that her eldest brother must fight their traitorous kind willingly protect them. But as soon as they reach the exit with Mother urging her to run forward, the flash green light stops Angelise from running to find herself underneath a human-sized pyramid of Mana and surrounded by some of the guards, with Mother apprehended by Brother Rush's blonde and blue-haired ally.
"Princess Angelise." Angelise turned towards Brother Rush facing her, aware of hiding his relationship with their family from the people and she, Julio, and Sylvia must do the same. But unlike the guards watching in apprehension, Brother Rush looks calm or scary as always. "You're under suspicion of being a Norma. Don't hesitate and calm down." Even if this is her eldest brother, who she both looks up to for being brave but also worries about his deadly job in dealing the Norma, the suspicion is too much for her. "How could you say that?" Angelise demanded in unease, almost breaking Rush's promise to not reveal his real name.
"No, Angelise!" Ignoring their mother begging her, Angelise stepped forward and Brother Rush's Mana shattered just by touching her, shocking her and the witnesses with all the guards behind Brother Rush now aiming their guns at her. "Angelise!" Mother wildly releases herself from her captor's arms and dashes between her son and daughter, already summoning a Mana shield from anyone that could fire at them.
BANG!
It took a second for everyone to watch not Angelise but Empress Sophia receiving a bullet in the stomach and chest now stained red by the Human Killer's gun that also shattered her Light of Mana when both fell onto the ground, releasing their screams as both the Human Killer and his blonde comrade kneel to the Empress's body while the brunette woman hurriedly and roughly held Angelise now blood-stained body with her arms, muffling her cries with one hand stamped on her mouth but unable to escape from the strong restraint.
"...Don't worry, Mom. The blood bullet will wear off. I'll get everyone to Harvenal." Making sure no one but Hyacinth and Sophia could hear, Rush leaned closer to whisper his assurance to the latter, seeing her weakly blink her slowly watery eyes at him but luckily not dying, never his plan to kill his mother while his team already took his father, kid brother and sister, and their friends to the secret exit where the second transportation is. With a subtly shaky nod from the other, Rush saw Sophia mouth what he guessed before seeing her going to sleep, pretending to die while Hyacinth carefully lifted herself and his mother's body in her arms before Rush stood up, now facing his sister.
'...Thank you...my son...'
"Under the Norma Control Act - whatever the fuck you people call it; this Norma will be #1203-77. Get her the fuck out of my sight." Rush coldly declared, even swearing such harshly vulgar words that offended the other guards and the people behind him in dismay for his indecent demeanour, before waving Cynical and Hyacinth to leave him be with the former effortlessly dragging his squirming sister screaming her muffled cries at their mother's corpse in Hyacinth's arms just as Rush received a call in his Harzenal phone.
"Rush. We got the Emperor, Julio, Sylvia, Momoka, and Riza with us. You coming?" Rush heard Ammo calling from his hand, blocking his other ear with a finger to block the sudden angry shouts of the obnoxious people behind him until they heard led away by the guards for Angelise's true self. "Let me stay here a bit. I'll call Charlie to take me back to Harvenal later. Make sure they will stay put until I get home." Just as he ended the call...a small finger strongly poked Rush's butt out of nowhere.
"Ah, my butt!" Rush gasped, almost saying ass when he felt that it is a tiny finger for an adult when he turned around and look down to see two younger children below ten years old, with Rush recognised the albino, mute boy that he saved yesterday although his younger sister hid behind her brother despite revealing her long and glowing blue hair and dark skin. Initially startled but pleased to see the kid - believe his name is Aya - also happy to see him, Rush lower and squat to their level even grinning his amusement at his shy sister trying to hide her face from behind her brother. "Oh, hey kid. Good to see you again."
Aya waved his right hand with a smile as the two looked at the former's sister briefly peeking over his shoulder, unsure if Rush saw her left eye when she hid back before Rush raised his right bandaged hand and left gloved hand for her. "Hey, don't worry. I know I'm scary but I won't hurt you. I saved your brother yesterday." Rush assured, toning his voice to be soft whenever he interacts with children.
Slowly, Rush and Aya watched the latter's sister nervously walk back and join his brother's side, looking down a bit before lifting her head to show her face...amazing Rush of her glowing green eyes and black sclera. Is that why she looks afraid? Of someone see her as different in her appearance?
"Hey, Aya's little sister." Rush kindly greeted Aya's sister, noticing how she and even Aya expressed surprise but also gladdened at his sincere smile, making Rush believe that they were assuming he would shun the girl for her eyes or skin, not being his thing until he and Aya watched the girl nervously open her mouth and tried to speak, pointing at both her and her brother... "...G...Grazie...Khalifa...Aya..." Unsure of the first word, Rush presumed that her name was Khalifa.
"Nice to meet you, Khalifa," Rush exclaimed with his secretly rare smile, seeing Khalifa nod in fascination while Aya wiped his nose with his finger and a smug smile on his face, amusing Rush to grin at this cheeky kid just when the three heard a male voice calling their names from the side. "Aya, Khalifa!"
"Padre." Khalifa turned to the side, confusing Rush with what she again said just when he followed the children's direction and saw a man running towards them... surprised Rush with the handsome blonde guy with dimly glowing and beautiful green eyes and the green suit now joining their side when the children ran towards him, automatically answering Rush's question that he is their father Aya mentioned yesterday.
'Holy shit...how the fuck is their dad hot!?' Rush mentally screams as he hurriedly stands and watches Aya and Khalifa holding their father's hands in an embrace until the man notices Rush with a subtly surprised frown.
"Ah. You're the Human Killer." The children's father recalled, allowing the children to stand beside them with Rush trying to think and not blush at the man's pleasant smile not showing fear towards the infamous human murderer, raising his right hand for a shake. "Aya told me you saved him from such mindless barbarians yesterday. I can't thank you enough for saving my son."
"Oh, you...you're welcome." Rush nodded with a calm smile and accepted the hand before both broke apart, trying to fight the urge to flirt with this pleasantly nice father when he looked at Aya with a curious scowl. "Aya told you? I thought he couldn't speak since he never said a word."
"Ah. Due to...some idiotic fool's attempt when my son was born, Aya was forced to be mute so I taught my family sign language to talk with him. That was before my wife and youngest daughter died two years ago." The father explained with his smile twitching into sadness and anger, startling Rush who jolted in pain at his history and even looked at Aya shrugging his shoulders with a faintly sad smile while moving his hands to start signing. "Aya is saying 'Don't worry, Mister Human Killer. I'm used to it.'" The father translated.
"I'm sorry, man..." Rush sadly apologized, looking at Aya to not see his father glancing at him in surprise at both his words and tone yet he and Khalifa watch Rush kneeling and waving Aya closer, attracting their curiosity when Rush gently placed the albino boy to stand between his father and Rush who whisper in his ear. 'Can you translate what I'm gonna say to your hot dad?'. First, he sees Aya looking at Rush in bewilderment but raising his arms ready to sign, awaiting him to say something with a cheeky grin, Rush then starts speaking towards the other man with Aya signing every word and both looking at the father and daughter/ sister.
"Mister Human Killer says; I'm sorry for knowing of both Aya's condition and your late wife and baby daughter. If you're like: I was wondering if we could hang out sometime after this, whenever with the children or just the two of us...since Aya didn't tell me that his dad is hot." Immediately, Aya and his father blinked their eyes with a startled gasp from the latter while Khalifa looked clueless when Rush glanced at the surprised man for his reaction. "Oh, wait, let me rephrase that...Aya didn't tell me that his dad is handsome."
'That's still the same thing!' Aya and Khalifa's father mentally shouted his surprise, disbelieving of being courted by the Human Killer of all people who is not even ashamed when asking his son to sign his open confession, not even sure why suggesting Aya help if he can just say it. "H-Human...Killer? Are you sure...you can see with just one eye? I don't think I'm handsome to you..." The man nervously smiled, pointing at his glowing right eye since the gunner only has his icy blue eye yet the Human Killer remains confident with that stoically calm frown.
"I can see with one eye better than none at all. And you're handsome and cute to me. I'm very blunt and people hate that I speak nothing but the truth when I feel like it." Rush admitted with no hesitance, finding the children's father blushing his shock cute that made him smile with a chuckle. "Even your kids agree with me." Pointing to the side, both men see Aya and Khalifa looking at their father with the former smugly grinning and crossing his arms while the latter nodded her agreement, astounding the unnamed man who then closed his eyes with a harsh sigh.
"A-Ah...thank you, Human Killer. That's surprisingly sweet of you." The father chuckled with a finger shyly stroking his right cheek slowly losing his blush, unknowingly making Rush happier for telling him the truth. "Normally, I would be troubled by meeting with people who see me as such; that I don't know if they will take advantage of me to the worst. Even when I was a child, I experienced such disgusting actions towards me."
"Girls obsessed with you like rabid animals?" Rush wondered a curious scowl only to find something else when his new friend responded with another nervous laugh from his sad smile.
"...Not just girls..."
Rush's mouth gawked wide in horror at the revelation but he also understood why just by looking at his new companion. "Oh god...you need a bodyguard, man." Rush proposed with the father looking at him and raising an eyebrow with a confident smirk at his self-thought offer.
"And you think you can protect me and my children if you make yourself my bodyguard?"
"Hey, I can scare the heck out of any perverts who try to get their hands on you. And even if I admit, I would like a date with you if we're free, I want to be respectful of your space so I'll be careful. Aya, Khalifa, does that sound good?" Rush reassured, even asking the two children who looked pleased with him being their father's friend by Aya excitedly nodding at his father while Khalifa said one word. "Si." Hearing his daughter speak again, her father stared at her in astonishment.
'Wait. Even Khalifa is all right with the Human Killer? My goodness!' The father wondered, continuously being stunned by this strange meeting with the humans' worst nightmare. But looking at him smiling serenely at him, unlike the cruel glower he always presented himself in the Mana news, the father felt something that even startled him when he touched his heart... finding this meeting a pleasant surprise. Perhaps, if he keeps his word, having the Human Killer as an on-and-off bodyguard will be safe for his children since they unexpectedly took a liking to him.
"...Thank you, Human Killer. That sounds nice." The father admitted, smiling warmly back at the bandaged man. "Perhaps we can meet ourselves sometime from our busy schedules."
"Great." Rush grinned. "Oh, yeah. You don't mind if you keep my real name from the public and I know yours?"
"Of course. But don't worry that I already know your real name. Jurai trusts me as the only person to know how he and his wife adopted and loved you as their own, and you protect them as their son and bodyguard. But since Jurai is no longer the Emperor of Misurugi, and I don't trust those three, perhaps you are still needed if you be my guard..." Rush blinked his eye in puzzlement at his father being mentioned, wondering about their relationship only to find out now...
"My name is Embryo. It's a pleasure to have you in my service, Rush."
"...Eh?"
"Unhand me! You may be Brother Rush's comrade, but I am the First Princess of Misurugi, Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi!" Angelise continues to struggle but her escape from Brother Rush's brutish guard surprisingly holds her without flinching as she is forcefully dragged into an unfamiliar land they arrived that is strangely overcrowded than the other nations and Misurugi that evening. Angelise is unsure if the women here are human or Norma, since she overheard that this place is the land that Brother Rush ruled called Harvenal when the two went into one of the elevators, unlike the ones used with the Light of Mana until they exited to the top floor of the resort-looking building at the centre of the massive island.
As soon as they arrived inside a large office room, Angelise immediately looked up, her fear of everything turned into relief at seeing Momoka, Father, and Riza Randog inside the office alongside the other members of Brother Rush's team. But seeing Mother, Brother Rush, Julio, and Sylvia absent increases Angelise's worry. "Wait, what happened to my mother and siblings?" Angelise demanded.
"Aahhhhhhhh! A-Angelise, please save me!" Everyone heard Julio's voice shouting in fear. Behind the couch that the giant muscled boy is holding their father and Riza to sit and not move, Julio is restrained by the giant phyton that the weak-looking boy owns with his wide blue eyes shedding tears in fright by the snake looking straight into his eyes.
"Julio! Release my brother immediately!" Angelise demanded, managing to shake harder and throw the woman off her, almost reaching closer to save her brother if not for the phyton coiling Julio to immediately loom over her, scaring Angelise to back away with Momoka running with their arms around each other for their protection. "Be careful, Lady Angelise!"
"Ha! So this is Rush's adopted family? What a joke, now that they're no longer ruling a soon-to-be-dead kingdom." The green-haired boy laughed at what caught Angelise and her family's stupefaction for his slightly heartless jest, mostly Jurai and Julio while Angelise is furious that the boy dares calling Brother Rush adopted and Misurugi a dead kingdom. "How dare you speak to my brother like that! Brother Rush may be the Human Killer but he is also part of the royal family!"
"Oh yeah? Then how come the Emperor wants the world to know him as just the Human Killer instead of a prince?" The green-haired boy mockingly asks in disdain with Angelise gritting her teeth for a comeback, although a part of her agrees with this foul boy. Why is Brother Rush refusing to call himself a prince of the Misurugi Empire?
"Shut up, Ammo. I asked Mom and Dad to let me be anything but a prince when they adopted me." A familiar, irate voice of Angelise's brother called from the door as everyone turned to see Brother Rush's arrival but looked more tired than usual, allowing Momoka to release Angelise who ran and hugged Rush, with the older brother hugging her back. "Brother Rush, you're safe!"
"Sorry for earlier. I just got back and checked with Mom and Sylvia in the medical rooms. They'll pull through from Mom's fake bullet..." Rush announced, relieving his adopted family including Angelise that their mother was safe while Rush's team watched with bemusement or concern when Rush joined them and broke their hug. "Ular, get off Julio." Upon command, the giant phyton leisurely unwraps itself from Julio's shaking body until it is loose enough to get Julio wildly climbing and almost falling onto the floor, getting away from the snake to stand closer to his siblings.
"T-t-thank you, Brother..." Julio's embarrassed smile shifted into a bewildered frown from seeing Rush scowling a softly dark frown at him with Angelise shifting her attention between her brothers in dread for their eldest's calm sneer.
"Julio. I can tell from your reaction before your uncles and aunt betrayed you guys, that you wanted to reveal Angelise being a Norma in the baptism. Did you forget that it's supposed to be a secret?" Rush enquired, seeing Julio flinch with a muffled gasp and attracted Jurai who stood off his seat when Red Death released him. "I too want to know that, Julio. How could you betray your sister? Why use her baptism to reveal the secret we kept from her and the world?" That question from their innocent father made Julio grit his teeth with a choked noise, slowly growing angry...
"...Because Mother and Father love Angelise more than me, Rush, and Sylvia," Julio admitted what surprised the room mostly Angelise and Rush who saw bitter tears from Julio's eyes when he avoided everyone's attention on him. "Even when you told us, Momoka, and Daigorou the truth after adopting Brother Rush, I too love Angelise as a sister. But from the years you favoured her more than your other children, I was envious that I hated Angelise and I wanted her to suffer because of it. I was hoping that other than Riza when I told her, Brother Rush would help me expose Angelise as a Norma. But I didn't think that I accidentally revealed it to our uncles and aunt."
"Julio/ Brother..." Rush looks at Jurai and Angelise's stunned reaction towards Julio with the former shaking his head in distraught while Angelise clasps her hands holding their mother's ring on her finger, on her chest, unsure of feeling guilt or still believing herself as a human despite breaking his Mana earlier. Making sure not to dwell on it longer, Rush immediately pulled Angelise and Julio into a hug, startling everyone including Riza who was glancing at Moon, Ular, and Hebi earlier until everyone listened to him assuring his siblings.
"Angelise, Julio. The four of us including Sylvia will have a family meeting with Mom and Dad tomorrow and we'll discuss our real feelings about all this so that we can have a safe agreement. Right now, Julio, please stop hating on Angelise because we will work each other out and not make regrets just from stupid hate. If you still keep that hatred, you'll wound up in the same spot as the same losers who tortured me for almost half my life before I became your brother. Alright?" After a brief silence but relaxing in their dear brother's hug they always loved whenever he gave his siblings yet Julio is afraid of ending up as Rush's foul birth parents from being told by their parents; Julio and Angelise nervously responded.
"Y-Yes, Brother..." Rush slowly removes themselves from their hug although Angelise remains confused and afraid. "Brother Rush...what does everyone mean, our parents adopted you? Are you not our brother by blood?"
"You were three when we met, so you don't remember. But that doesn't matter because I've loved you all as a family than my abusive parents who broke me like hell. Even if you three were a bit naughty, you're still my baby siblings and that's why I made sure I can protect you all." Rush confessed with a calm smile, not seeing his teammates look at each other with Ammo feeling a tint of dislike but Moon smiled his happiness for Rush when Angelise slowly cheered up to smile at his assurance even when Julio chimed in, also feeling better and starting to reduce his contempt for today and before.
"And even if we're not blood-related, we loved Brother Rush as our dear brother who will save us from trouble, even by ourselves...Perhaps, we can help find him the man lucky to take Rush as a happy husband." Julio teased with a grin towards Rush rolling his eye with an annoyed smirk while Angelise closed her eyes with a chuckle at their favorite amusement the siblings hope to make it a reality for their eldest brother, making Jurai and Momoka smile their appreciation for the siblings' bond while Riza was mildly surprised and curious until everyone noticed that Rush's teammates were appaled at what Julio said.
"Wait, Rush! Why does your adopted family think it's okay for you to be with a guy!?" Red Death, even not in uniform, asked in surprise.
"Because unlike everyone but Moon here, my family doesn't mind me choosing a partner that I want, not being forced to be with a wife I'm not into just because everyone thinks it's normal. I told Dad about it last night." Rush confessed in annoyance that caught his team off guard when they looked at the almost complete Misurugi family and Moon with Jurai nodding with a firm frown, Moon was a bit concerned but also agreeing with Rush, and Julio and Angelise snarled their anger and disgust at THEM instead of Rush.
"Not only speaking ill of our brother for being adopted. But forcing him to love what he doesn't like just because it's not to your people's liking? And you call yourselves Rush's trusted team?" Julio taunted almost all of Rush's teammates with only Cynical and Ammo shaken into surprise and anger while Riza, Moon, Red Death, Hyacinth, and Momoka hurriedly pulled the two of them away from the family. However, that also alerted Rush to look at Jurai.
"What's that!? Wanna say that to my face!?" Rush ignores Ammo complaining. Although he'll remind himself later to have Angelise and Julio under his guidance while the family is exiled here since he knows SOMEONE will take advantage of Ange even for a good reason.
"Oh, yeah. Dad? I met someone earlier who not only that I saved his son yesterday but also told me that you trusted him to tell him about me...Is it Embryo?" Rush's question which mentions the one name the entire Harvenal knows and hates stopped Cynical and Ammo's attempt to fight with Julio and Angelise when those from Misurugi noticed how Rush's team glared at him in horror while Jurai was shocked and Riza angry, as if this person has some importance over the Emperor.
"Y-Yes! I did mention you to Master Embryo when we found you thirteen years ago. And I also confided with him about your sister two years ago. You met him, son?" Jurai enquired but Rush couldn't respond when he sensed a Mana message sent to him which he opened, alarming Julio and Angelise to back away and watch Rush mutter the message, audible enough to hear even when he reads faster.
Dear Rush,
Thank you for our first meeting and accept my proposal to be my on-and-off bodyguard, although I see you more as an acquaintance for your charming kindness to me and my children. I mentioned your new secondary role with the world leaders, with Akihide taking Jurai's place as Misurugi's representative, and I care less about their objections claiming to be dangerous because of you, especially the so-called Emperor of your former land.
As discussed, we'll find suitable times for us to meet in Misurugi including the so-called 'date' you boldly invited from courting me earlier...
Rush stopped reading too much to look up with an embarrassedly guilty smile, not seeing his team and Riza looking at him in bafflement while his adopted family, Momoka, and Moon expressed confusion although Jurai was more impressed than shocked. Looking at Angelise to catch her surprise, Rush gently grabbed her hands and lifted them, close enough for everyone to watch him breaking his Mana screen with his sister's touch as another proof of her being a Norma, shocking her to gasp but no longer in denial but in sadness for the sheltered royal Norma, until Rush also grab Julio to again hug his siblings just to rest his head on their shoulders, hiding his shame.
"Goddammit, Em..." Angelise and Julio looked at each other in concern for Rush whispering his embarrassment and even calling this Embryo a nickname, with the former rubbing her hands on her brother's back and the latter patting a hand on Rush's head as their reassurance...only for Rush to calm down a few seconds later and remove himself from his siblings, dumbfounding everyone for the sudden change in reaction until Rush summon another Mana screen showing Embryo's message.
"...Well, I'm free tomorrow. Might as well go on that date with Em..." Rush immediately decided with pleasure, ready to write even when he saw his team and even Riza, and Moon's snakes Ular and Hebi now trying to jump and stop him, shocking Jurai, Julio, Angelise, Momoka, and Moon with another strange surprise from today.
"RUSH NOOOOOOO!"
A/N: So many things had to be written off due to the length, but I really think of wanting to make this AU into a full Living Hell spin-off, as a what-if. Depends on what you guys think.