EPISODE 20: ADOPTED ROYAL [AU; PART 2]
Summary: The start of the Norma ex-princess and her exiled family's new lives as Harvenal's soldiers and allies of their eldest adopted son/ brother and Human Killer.
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.
As usual for Harvenal, the early birds of its human and Norma residents woke up at top speed to get their day going. Before the merger between two initially separated and classified islands thirteen years ago, the once-named Arzenal was a Norma facility placed in some corner of the world and sea where identified Norma girls are arrested and sent to combat the DRAGONs until death while the also former-named Haven both manufactured Para-mail parts for Arzenal and serve as a fatal detention camp for humans who protects and hides their Norma daughters or friends from the humans in their former worlds. But after the merger, the single massive Norma-Haven Human military compound expanded due to the increasing number of Norma and traitors which, to the non-Haven humans and world leaders' presumption, means more soldiers to combat the DRAGONs and 'save their world'. Also unlike a normal military force, Harvenal has two commanding leaders with the first being Commander Jill representing the Norma residents while Haven's Commander is the Human Killer Rush who is either feared, hated, or also 'loved' by everyone both human or Norma.
Out of the two leaders, the one Harvenal would talk about the most would be Rush whose surprisingly dangerous behaviour but successful mission count made him the eye candy of the women continuously but unsuccessfully receive his attention ever since he was picked up by the previous Haven leader at twelve years old.
Speaking of which, some of the residents noticed something new for the first time but reluctantly said nothing to salute Commander Rush walking into the city district and heading to the training fields, closer but also away from the path leading to the mountains serving as one of the open Para-mail hangars among different parts of Harvenal. At the same time, most women eyed their suspicion and scepticism at the other young woman accompanying him. Long blonde hair with fiery ruby red eyes and dressed in the blue tunic belonging to Arzenal's base personal, with her right middle finger adorning a beautiful turquoise-gemmed ring.
"That's the new Norma princess of Misurugi."
"Oh yeah, from the broadcast a few days ago."
"I heard that she's needed for a special Para-mail."
"Norma or Human, the fact that both Rush is her adopted brother and his adopted family are here means bad news for us!"
"Why isn't Rush part of the royal family, even if he's adopted?"
"Duh! If he was part of the royal family before yesterday's shitshow, it would've meant OUR Human Killer wouldn't be here to get us working and living in the Haven with him!"
"Maybe if one of us tries to cozy up to his so-called adopted family, Rush will surely pick one of us as his future wife!"
'Such awful words, even towards Brother and our family…' Angelise mentally grimaced in surprise and anger from some of the women she and her eldest brother walked past openly speaking their minds about her appearance and their family, nothing angers her more than their open attraction towards Brother Rush who surprisingly ignores them by his stoic sneer to continue walking. One of his stories about this place was right; these women only see her eldest brother as just a trophy husband.
BANG!
Everyone including Angelise froze and shuddered their fright at the sudden gunshot that rang in the air after Brother Rush swiftly pulled and fired a bullet from his dangerous gun over his head. "…You bitches are so fucking loud." Just his dangerous irritation immediately sent the other women but Angelise scrambled their feet and almost fell on the ground for their lives from accidentally angering their leader.
"Angelise…" Angelise hurriedly glanced at Brother Rush leisurely clipping his gun back on his hip and belt, his face subtly softened when facing her but still annoyed for earlier "Sorry if I scared you. At least now you know why I prefer visiting you guys at the Palace more than staying here all the time." Brother Rush apologized.
"…I-I-It's alright, Brother. Thank you for your kind words." Angelise timidly reassured as the two continued their walk with Rush leading her elsewhere. "But I can't believe how the women of your land, Human and Norma, think of you as some future trophy husband. I thought you told us you're not interested in romance?"
"I don't…more like I don't even know how to love another person – thankfully you guys love me as your son and brother more than my birth parents, even if you and Sylvia just found out that I'm adopted. But still, I'm not keen on looking for any love." Rush confessed with a harsh sigh not directed at his sister.
"I see…but Brother. I think that someone, regardless of gender, will see how you truly act and feel that they know you're more than just a Human Killer. I'm sure it'll come to you at the right time…I'll even vouch for you and your people's enemy as a decent future brother-in-law than these crude people here." Ange prayed with her confident smile even when mentioning the Harvenal's enemy the family were told from Rush. To her relief, she spots her brother's unbandaged icy blue eye looking at her before closing it with a chortle from his smirk.
"Tell that to them. But thanks, Ange…" Angelise beamed her happiness for cheering Brother Rush yet also softened to bear a tint of sadness but determination for her new name as a Norma soldier. 'Even if I must discard my previous life, due to what happened that nearly killed our family, I must survive and protect them from their future deaths…and Brother Rush's unwanted suitors.' Ange decided.
"Rush!" Rush and Ange heard a woman's voice calling for the former and both looked up to arrive in one of the training fields that comes with a shooting range, with a group of women and girls noticing their arrival. Judging by their revealing pilot suits of different colours except for the stern black-haired woman with the prosthetic right arm, Ange guessed that they were some of the Norma soldiers Rush wanted her to work with for everyone's safety. "Glad to see you brought the new member of First Squad with you." The black-haired woman in full uniform, believed to be Commander Jill greeted Rush although Ange noticed the woman's gaze lingered a second longer at her before facing her brother.
"Better me to bring her to full notice than Zola. Just need to get her some pointers of Harvenal." Rush noted with a fingerless gloved hand gently resting on his sister's right shoulder, comforting Ange who looked a bit hesitant but trying not to show it. "I'll also be putting my younger brother under my wing."
"Good. That'll save me the trouble of checking up on her instead." Commander Jill nodded with a small frown unmatching the satisfaction in her voice as the three including Rush and Ange stood in front of the Norma pilot group.
"Salute the Commanders!" The older, voluptuous woman possibly Rush's age with long and wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and wears a purple rider suit firmly instructed and she and her soldiers saluted with two fingers of their right hands in front of their heads, all bore determined frown on their faces.
"She's in your hands, Zola." Commander Jill exclaimed, receiving a nod from this Zola who could be the captain. "Yes, Ma'am!"
"Ange. If Zola tries anything that makes you uncomfortable…try your best to beat her in mock combats. Imagine her as those guys who tried to kidnap you in your school years." Ange heard Brother Rush whisper close to her right ear, dumbfounded about mentioning one of the awful things in her youth if not for Rush's hidden concern. Silently nodding her agreement and feeling her brother removing his hand from her shoulder, Ange calmly walked a few steps forward and stood in front of the 1st Squad, collecting their confusion including Jill's.
"…I am Ange and will try to do everything I can to fight for my Brother and his people." Ange calmly introduced herself, immediately surprising the 1st Squad who lowered their hands and Jill who slowly calmed down with a raised eyebrow in amusement while Rush bore a proud glower.
"Rush. I'm pleased to see how you educate his sister." Jill whispered with a bemused smirk even when he spotted Rush's cold frown towards her, even guessing what he would've told her in secret. 'It's better than YOU traumatizing her, bitch.'
"Woah, cool!" Ange was bewildered at one of the girls chiming with an excited smile unfitting for a soldier. She has short pinkish or reddish hair, wears a pink rider suit and has a lollipop in her mouth. "I didn't know that Rush has a sister! I thought Rush was just some scary guy who can kill everyone whenever he wants!"
"Vivi, hush." The buxom girl possibly older than Ange with long pink hair, green eyes, and wears an orange rider suit hushed with a warm smile towards her friend. "That's rude for Rush."
"It's okay, Ersha. Vivian's right anyway." Brother Rush reassured this girl Ersha, surprisingly no hard feelings for Vivian's innocent remark that Ange noticed when she turned around. "Ange, I know how diligent you and Julio are with your studies about the military, the soldiers in Harvenal are more open to themselves than those strict dead meats in the mainland, so just be cool and do whatever I know that you can. You'll have more friends and allies here to help you than you had back home, who tried tarnishing your name and reputation even before the baptism they now dubbed 'The Worst Day in History'. Misurugi immediately declared that day right after I brought you guys to Harvenal."
Ange softly gasped her shock while a few of the other girls behind her were also surprised or bearing possibly pity including the girl in red. The first night they stayed in Brother's land, Brother Rush and Julio helped Angelise with the truth of being a Norma, with Julio confessing his true feelings and would-be plans to rule the Misurugi Emperor if not for Uncle Akihide and Aunt Sayuri's betrayal. Although horrified by everything in her life, the fact that Brother Rush helped them get off whatever negative feelings in their chests just like always helped Angelise and Julio apologize and forgive themselves, promising to never give in to hatred that will kill them just like the other people who do.
"Yes, Brother…. I mean Commander Rush." Ange quickly but collectedly accepted, tempted to giggle from her eldest brother twitching his eye with an annoyed smirk. "You don't have to call me by my title all the time…but good job, soldier." Seeing the Human Killer not pull out his gun and kill even his sister made everyone blink their eyes in mixed astonishment although Ersha closed her eyes with a kind smile and Zola smirked in lust towards the adopted siblings.
'She does have 'class'. I'll like her AND her brother.' Zola secretly licked her lips but reclaimed her professionalism to introduce herself to Ange who suspiciously moved from one side to closer to the other girls away from her new Captain. "I am Captain Zola of the First Squad of Death. Salia, make sure she'll get acquainted."
"Yes, ma'am." Ange looked at the girl in the bright blue rider suit, her long straight black or dark blue hair tied in pigtails and golden-brown eyes discreetly said before facing her with a composed frown. "I am Vice-Captain Salia. Please ask me if you're still confused."
"Here are our assault soldiers, Vivian and Hilda." Vice-Captain Salia raised a hand to introduce Vivian and the girl in red, also having a pair of pigtails but wavier than Salia and purple eyes who calmly smirked with crossed arms. "Nice to meet 'cha!" Vivian happily greeted, surprising Ange for the younger girl's heartedness.
"Rosalie is our light artillery." The girl with short orange hair, blue eyes, and wearing a yellow rider suit nodded with a chortling noise from her smirk.
"Our heavy artillery, Ersha and Chris." Ersha waved a hand while the blue-haired girl hiding her right pink eye and wearing a green rider suit timidly hid behind Rosalie, confusing Ange. "Nice to meet you, Ange." Ersha greeted the same way as Mother would speak to anyone.
"And our newcomers alongside you, Coco and Miranda." The two girls, who surprised Ange by guessing they could be Sylvia's age, with the girl named Miranda having short green hair, grey eyes and wearing a faded purple pilot suit silently nodded with an uncertain scowl while the other one called Coco with purple hair, brown eyes, and white pilot suit blushing with a timid smile when she waved at Ange.
"…I see. Thank you, Vice-Captain. I'll do my best." Ange nodded, unsure of how to react but still promising herself and her family to not speak ill of Norma as she almost did before her revelation.
"Still, who didn't think that someone as murderous as Rush would also be a loving adopted brother, even to some former royal highness." Hilda immediately spoke with a confident smirk that alarmed Salia, Vivian, Ersha, Coco, Miranda, and Ange.
"Hilda!" Salia scolded but felt a cold steel hand gently holding her head from Commander Jill, preventing her from trying to make a scene.
"I mean, no offence Rush, but I still don't see how women would be going crazy for someone who loves killing humans and Norma and covered in bandages." Hilda continued, almost making Ange furious for her awful words but noticed her brother unfazed.
"None taken. Still, find it annoying to have stalkers up for my ass. And you know that everyone here DOESN'T want me to act like I care."
"I know, I know, I heard Apache proudly yapping his mouth off; everyone in Harvenal wants you to be a serious, murderous gunner who must ONLY care about his allies. But from how I see it; They'll never make you listen to them since they never listen to what you want." Hilda acknowledged with her snarky smile even when she turned towards Ange. "Hey, Princess? Just curious; does your brother have a future date? Seeing his obsessed fans and Harvenal pissed off for something they DON'T WANT Rush to have instead of picking them might be entertaining for me."
"…I don't know yet. But…" Ange's voice caught everyone including Zola, Jill, and Rush's curiosity until she visibly expressed her anger and determination. "…Brother Rush might have already found someone in his mind since a few days ago." That brought all eyes blinking in shock although no one noticed that Ange even shocked Rush.
"Ooh!" Ersha muttered her admiration from her smile. 'So, Rush does have a partner…thank goodness.' Unlike the other women since she has her boyfriend Red, Ersha and some others are hoping that someone will accept Rush as more than a Human Killer…if only their late friend would meet them.
"Wait, what?!" Rosalie gasped her dismay, pointing a finger at both Ange and Rush's collected faces a few times.
"Our family was told how much the women here are obsessed with forcing Rush as their husband for years even when he was a child, despite his disgust for their actions. However, we found out yesterday…that my brother finally found someone interesting for him back in our former home. For our family, I hoped that should get rid of unwanted attention that Rush despised and know they would hurt him instead of loving him." Ange confessed without shedding the anger she wished to express for her brother's concern and being treated by the awful women including earlier.
'Ange, what!?' Rush couldn't call out to his sister, inside feeling grateful but still surprised for her trying to SAVE him with a lie. Jill faintly looks up with a tint of surprise. 'I thought Rush prefers men more than women?'
"Aww, Rush. Why didn't you tell us that you already got a girlfriend?" Unknowingly helping Rush compose himself back to his stoicism, Zola mockingly sighed in sadness even wanting to step closer but couldn't because of the Commanders' presence.
"…At least I find them cool and supportive than everyone here. No offence, you guys are cool too." Rush responded with a sigh but shrugged his assurance to the 1st Squad before he turned and was ready to leave with Commander Jill. "Jill, I received some documents requiring us to sign. Let's go."
"Of course." Jill nodded, giving a glimpse of her face towards Zola and Salia. "Take care of her, Zola, Salia."
"Yes, ma'am!" Zola and Salia saluted as Ange stayed close with 1st Squad when they watched both their leaders walk away although Ange noticed Brother Rush raise his bandaged right hand close to his ear and hold his hand in a thumbs up, receiving a startled but pleased smile for Ange to silently nod to herself and her brother. 'I promise Brother…I will fight and protect, even destroy what is needed.' Ange prayed.
"My money…" Ange heard Rosalie groan in sadness and turn around with everyone noticing Rosalie fallen on her hands and knees in defeat with Chris worriedly patting a hand on her friend's back. "I can't believe I bet a ridiculous amount on Rush." Rosalie sobbed.
"Are you alright?" Ange asked Rosalie who hurriedly looked up in surprise at the new girl asking her concern.
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm good, thanks by the way!" Rosalie cheekily smiled her embarrassment as she quickly got on her feet with Chris's help. "I didn't know that your brother already has a girlfriend!"
'I'm sorry for lying about you, Brother.' Ange sadly smiled, knowing she must give Rush a suitable explanation. Ange also wished she could boldly say it's NOT a girlfriend but from seeing how the people here will react the worst mostly Rush's special team, not counting Moon for his kindness, she's glad that she didn't.
"May I add something, for everyone's safety?" Ange whispered which brought everyone including Zola, Salia, and Hilda to step closer in curiosity with Rosalie and Chris nodding their apprehensive eagerness. "My brother would tell me and our siblings stories how, ever since he came here at twelve years old, he would viciously kill a slow number of his stalkers. Knowing my brother, I don't want to mention what hellish torture he gave the deceased to make sure none of you will repeat what they've done." After finishing revealing a secret, knowing that they WILL keep it to themselves, Ange noted the dismay of Salia, Ersha, Rosalie, Chris, Coco and Miranda's faces while Hilda deadpanned in surprise and Zola pouted her displeasure.
"Woah!" Vivian gasped in surprise.
"Sadly, that is something Rush would do," Ersha confessed in sadness, looking at Ange. "We had another squad member named Naomi who might be the only girl that was friends with Rush before her death. What happened to Naomi hits your brother harder than us."
"Oh…I'm sorry." Ange apologized in surprise reduced into sorrow. She remembers that name as, when she was a princess, Rush mentioned having a friend who understood him the most out of the entire Harvenal despite being a Norma soldier but died from an attack last year. Ange once believed that it was ludicrous for a human to be friends with Norma but kept it to herself when seeing how Naomi's death surprisingly affected Rush the most. Perhaps, she can ask anyone on First Squad if she can pay respect to Naomi as her way to thank her for Rush.
"Thanks for telling us about your brother! We'll make sure we won't get near him!" Ange wasn't expecting Rosalie to immediately grab her in a hug but said nothing when Rosalie started bawling her relief. Surprisingly, Ange felt she was held gentle and sincere.
"I thought you were going to spew bullshit on us being Norma, but I guess you're cool too, Ange!" Chris admitted with a meek frown.
'I supposed I would be discriminating the Norma…if not for Brother Rush.' Ange looked away from her new teammates but couldn't help but smile for the gesture and keeping her promise. Brother Rush and their parents are right; Norma and Humans aren't different apart from the Light of Mana and other things that may be of little importance. But if Brother Rush can see different sides of people which helps in his favour, then surely Ange would do the same. "T…Thank you. I hope I can do whatever I can to learn and fight with everyone here." Ange acknowledged.
"Oh, sure! Just leave all the money to me and you'll be fine!" Rosalie hurriedly broke off her hug with a confident smirk and pointed a thumb at herself.
"Calm down, Rosalie. You're gonna make the new girl soft." Hilda exclaimed, shifting her attention from her two best friends to Ange. "Thanks for letting us know a bit about your brother. But if you want to survive and fight with us, don't bring us down! Got it?" Ange noticed that despite her crude sarcasm, she could sense something more about Hilda than she was presenting herself. Another way she's thankful for Brother Rush is by teaching her and their siblings how to surprisingly but accurately see through people for traces of potential manipulation.
"Yes, ma'am." Ange nodded with a firm frown that even made Hilda darkly smirk her annoyance at being called Ma'am. "Hey, you don't have to call me ma'am. Just Hilda's fine."
'So cute.' Zola mentally purred her growing pleasure, but duties must come first once she called everyone back to reality, with all the girls standing straight for their first training for the day. "Alright, ladies! We're starting training. Ersha, Rosalie, and Chris; follow me to do long-range attack patterns. Salia, Hilda, and Vivian; you three will train the newcomers. Make me proud."
"Yes, ma'am!" Ange looked at the others saluting back to their Captain, surprised that Zola changed from attempting to seduce Brother Rush to being a true military captain but, making sure not to waste time, Ange silently followed suit and saluted back to Zola, attracting her pleasure.
'Good girl.' So, Rush DID teach his initially spoiled sister the ropes of being a Norma. "Get ready!" All but Ange and Salia departed from their posts with the former spotting the latter waiting for her.
"Follow me, Ange. We'll get you to your new uniform and I'll teach you the basics." Ange listens to Salia nonchalantly calling for her and both girls walk to one of the large sheds leading to the changing rooms. "Yes, Vice-Captain Salia."
In Rush's office with only them and not even their inner circles going in, Rush and Jill started reading each of the documents that needed their signatures. Some are the medical crew needing extra items that are hopefully NOT Maggie's new stash of booze, while some might be necessary for Jasmine's Malls, and extra doses of firepower-related parts for the Armourers to experiment on the Para-mails. However, what happened earlier is still fresh in Jill's mind. "So, what kind of person was your little sister referring to make up that lie? I thought you don't mind both, but more to men." Jill asked after finishing her batch of documents with her signature.
"Even when she was a princess, Ange knows how to defuse whatever situation I'm in to protect me, and our family does the same. Unlike my team and the dead assholes, I'm glad they accept me as their son and brother and my love preference." Rush answered with a shrug once he also finished signing the last document and swiftly leaned against his seat. "…However, the person she was talking about earlier may have been her way to hide the truth about me meeting Embryo."
"What?" Jill snapped in surprise, anger, and suspicion. "When did you meet Embryo?"
"Right after pulling my family out of Ange's baptism, I met his two toddler kids who I saved his son the day before… I may have flirted with him for a date without realising it." Rush admitted without shame, immediately displeasing Jill to smile her amusement at her fake younger brother figure. "But it helped me get close to him as his new bodyguard to secretly give you information."
"Good job, Rush. You're now our only crazy, lucky spy on Embryo, unlike the previous leaders who tried to fight him but died." Jill joked but was still pleased with this new outcome. "So, what do you see about the enemy?"
"Surprisingly, he's cool with me being an acquaintance rather than a superior. And like me, he has obnoxious stalkers of both sexes obsessed with him; told me that he's been dealing with that shit since he was a kid too." Rush recalled with his eye looking up to remember that accidentally successful meeting with Harvenal's enemy from his appearance to his serene smile, enchantingly glowing green eyes, and his love for his children. Realizing something after thinking about the guy, Rush hurriedly looked back but pouted in annoyance at Jill's grimly bemused smirk at him. "You're not going to tell everyone that, are you?" Rush demanded.
"No. This is between the both of us. Your team and Jasmine won't shut up about not wanting you dealing with Embryo and one of them will keep invading your privacy just for secrets to blackmail you until you have no choice but to listen to everyone and have a wife." Jill decided with a shake of her head.
"That's why I don't want everyone but you, Tusk, and my REAL family to know EVERYTHING about me," Rush confessed with a nod towards Jill. "Thanks, Jill."
"Thank you for trusting me about your real self and being our mole." Jill acknowledged with a smile, appreciating Rush to be each other's ears but also finding pleasure in jabbing innocent jests for Rush's preference now with Embryo's involvement. "A shame for you that he's our enemy. Otherwise, he would've been a good boyfriend for you."
"At least he doesn't say bullshit and openly supportive than the Haven." Rush's response received a scoff from Jill's smirk, secretly hiding her suspicion for Embryo, but she noticed Rush must've sensed a Mana message to flick a finger and Ammo's face popped out of the Mana screen.
"Rush. I got some footage of your siblings' first performances. Thought you might need them." Rush and Jill ignored Ammo's face and voice openly showing irritation when mentioning Rush's siblings like a plague but disappeared to replace it with multiple screens showing two pre-recorded footage; one footage is Ange wearing Naomi's old dark blue pilot suit she died in, expertly controlling the Para-mail simulation like Rush remembered her flying Iaria, while the second footage is Julio wearing his new attire matching the Dark Knight in his favourite book surprisingly but swiftly fighting Red Death with his temporary Struggle Bat until he'll pick his new weapon.
'I'm so proud of my babies.' Rush mentally smiled his pride.
"They got potential," Jill noted yet her attention mostly focused on Ange's flight simulation. "I'm sure that with your sister and her ring, she'll fly and combat the DRAGONs with THAT machine." Although pleased with her remark, Rush's eye narrowed for what he also saw through Jill's intention to use Ange for Libertus.
[Two days ago…]
The first afternoon of staying in Harvenal, after convincing and apologizing to Angelise for hiding her Norma self from her, she with Momoka, Julio with Riza, and Jurai followed Rush leading them to the Haven Resort's hospital wing with the family ignoring the occasional stares from the other people they walked past. As soon as they entered, they spotted both Sophia and Sylvia hugging each other with the latter in tears even when they spotted their other family members and trusted servants with them. Although initially afraid when noticing Angelise, remembering how Julio exposed her as a Norma, Jurai and Sophia listened to their children explaining the truth to their youngest sister. "I can't believe it…" Sylvia muttered her dismay, visibly shaking in fear. "Angelise was born a Norma, Brother Rush was adopted, and Uncle Akihide and Shinji and Aunt Sayuri want us dead even before all this?"
"Sadly yes, Sylvia." Jurai solemnly nodded. "Your mother and I know how dangerous our siblings when we were children are and our parents - your grandparents - allowed their anger and hatred to do their crimes, even killing our people if even the smallest things angered them. As soon as they died after your mother and I married, Akihide and Sayuri abused their power to repeat their sins."
"We don't want to raise you four to be like Akihide and Sayuri, even when we hid the truth about Angelise's birth and Rush's adoption from the public because we love our children so much," Sophia confessed in sorrow, guilt and anger for his brothers and sister-in-law. "Whether they knew or not, they would've abused you more than what they have done to the innocent victims they murdered without care."
"So even if you would've sent me elsewhere when I was born, all of you would've died by our uncles and aunt?" Angelise gasped in horror shared by Sylvia when Jurai and Sophia nodded their answer.
"And they tried using Brother Rush against us? The nerve!" Julio hissed in anger but noticed in surprise Rush's curious scowl towards him. "I'm sorry, Brother! What I mean is, that even though they didn't know about your adoption, I am outraged at the thought of you serving them."
"Thanks, Julio." Rush nodded, shrugging no hard feelings.
"B-But Angelise and Rush are still our siblings are they!?" Sylvia pleaded. "I only know that all my life, I see and love Julio, Angelise, and Rush as my older siblings who love and protect me from harm! Is their love for us real or a lie!?" Everyone stared in silence but all except Rush bore hesitance and worry to answer Sylvia's question without breaking her heart or not. Then, everyone watched Rush calmly walk and stand on his knees in front of Sylvia's Mana wheelchair to be at her eye level.
"Sylvia? Permission to tell you something important for your safety?" Rush asked, seeing Sylvia surprised but wordlessly nodded her acceptance, reaching her hands for her brother's bandaged and gloved hands. "I'm grateful to be you three's brother. I've never had real family love before Mom and Dad rescued and adopted me after my birth parents abused me to near death for the first twelve years of my life…" Sylvia gasped in horror at Rush's story, looking at his bandaged form as his proof but silently listened more. "As for me being adopted and Angelise being a Norma, those things don't matter but what does matter is that I am still your brother, Angelise is still your sister, and the four of us will always love and protect ourselves and everyone. I told Angelise and Julio already knows about this; but if you keep your hatred of Norma like your former people including your relatives and my birth parents, even hating Angelise who loves you so much as a real sister, you'll be killed viciously with regrets only you bear in death. I know because it happens all the time."
Sylvia twitched her hands still holding onto Brother Rush's hands, distraught to learn the truth but also his heartwarming words like always. Like everyone, Sylvia was strictly taught to never associate with Norma but she knew how kind-hearted and strong her big sister was. And, knowing him all her life, Brother Rush can see through people even teaching his younger siblings how to know whenever even humans will manipulate them. "…Thank you for telling me the truth, Brother. I don't want to be like your awful birth parents and our uncles and aunt." Sylvia accepted with a sniffle and carefully released their hands.
"Sylvia?" Angelise asked in worry, Sylvia noticed her expression to be genuine as she always presented with everyone silently watching Sylvia move her wheelchair to hover closer towards Angelise, both girls showing hesitance and desperation for their reactions…
"Sister Angelise? Even if you're a Norma… do you still love us as our sister as always? The same as Rush being our brother?" Sylvia did not stop herself from crying right after asking when everyone watched Angelise's surprise also shedding tears with a few chokes at the question, alerting Sylvia to quickly raise her arms and wrap them around Angelise who leaned forward for an embrace, both girls cry on each other's shoulders. "Yes! Yes, I'll always love you, my little sister! I'll do anything to protect our family from those who want to kill us!" Angelise affirmed with choked sobs.
"Oh, Sister Angelise!" Sylvia's acceptance lifted everyone's hearts with a sad smile on almost everyone's faces while Rush's flat smile hid his relief…. unaware of Julio looking at him with a mischievous smirk.
"Have you two forgotten something?" Everyone looks at Julio in confusion especially Rush noticing he moved from Riza's side to behind Rush only to start playfully push and knock his hands against Rush's back to almost send him falling onto Angelise and Sylvia, surprising the other three. "You forgot to hug your brothers! Git, Rush, Git!"
"Julio! You're gonna push me to fall on our sisters!" Initially surprised, Jurai and Sophia softly beamed their happiness at seeing Julio, Angelise, and Sylvia heartfully accepting and loving Rush as their sibling even now knowing the truth of their history, with Momoka sharing her masters' sentiments and Riza watching them in astonishment…
[Two weeks later…]
"Ange!" Ange and Momoka heard a familiar voice calling for the former right after they entered one of the massive Jasmine's Malls closer to the hangars busily doing their work of checking the 1st Squad's Para-mails, confirming that Ange was still recognizable even with her new short hair she cut herself as her new self-identity instead of former Princess Angelise. Turning around, Ange and Momoka see who but the other 1st Squad members except Captain Zola who could be busy elsewhere and MIGHT NOT be trying to seduce the other people including Rush or his teammates. At least it was her friends, who were kind enough to help Ange adjust to living in Harvenal as a resident and soldier, seeing her than those other annoying women who tried to manipulate her and her family members just to have Rush for themselves. Just like the group of girls that tried to grab them this morning after having breakfast with her family.
"Whoo, we saw how you and your siblings evade those crazy fangirls. I thought they already knew NEVER to get close to your brother." Rosalie sighed with a hesitant smirk.
"They're begging for death wishes," Chris muttered in fear or anger for the usual annoyance of those girls forcing to have Ange's brother for themselves.
"Or they're too stupid to die by their crazy crush." Hilda rolled her eyes in displeasure but mused her amusement at Ange. "Anyway, you've been surprisingly adapting yourself so well in Para-mail and fight simulations."
"Thanks. I'm not forgetting our promise to fight each other for our next combat training." Ange nodded with a confident smile, different from when everyone first met her two weeks ago as a proper but still understanding lady initially unaware of her birth. Her new personality also continued impressing the squad with some of them smiling their satisfaction or awe at her. 'Cocky…but still, not bad either.' Hilda mentally scoffed from her smirk but everyone including the other residents and animals heard the Harvenal's alarms blaring in the air with one of the male voices of the Command Center calling in the intercom.
"Attention, 1st Squad! This is the first encounter alert, singular expected by southeast 4800. Ready to deploy. No further details on location and size of singularity."
"Even at this hour?" Ange wondered aloud in annoyance, hearing Hilda humphed from her smile facing her.
"They come out at random times of the day, Princess. Not like those giant lizards would listen before we'll kill them." Hilda proudly mocked although everyone noticed how nervous Coco and Miranda were, for being their first DRAGON mission even on this night. Ange, although taught about combating the DRAGONs by Rush, the Haven teachers, and doing Para-mail combat simulations, may feel the same but tries not to show it when she sees the apprehension on Momoka's face.
"Don't worry, girls! New pilots will start by supporting the rear." Ersha reassured Ange, Coco, and Miranda with her tender smile as the 'mother' of the group.
"First squad, ready up!" Salia commanded with Momoka left behind and watched her mistress and her squad dashing towards the changing room, preparing to combat these DRAGONs. Without due haste and all girls including Captain Zola had changed into their pilot suits, they sprinted to the hangars now bustling with the Armourers rushing all over the hangar trying to make last-minute adjustments on pulling each of the 1stSquad's Para-mails positioned to the outside sky in their Flight Modes parked of each spot. As she watched the other members get on their respective Para-mails of different types, Ange noticed she had yet to have her personal Para-mail although she noticed that the vacant one at the end looked off compared to the others. A bit bigger and coloured white and blue but looks rusty or burned, looking like it could break out any second but may be durable.
"Ange, the Commander wants you to take that machine. Said she trusts that you can make it fly for the first time!" Zola instructed as the others may have glanced at Ange initially having second doubts but ran and leapt on her new Para-mail's seat, with only Salia recognizing that unit. 'That's Vilkiss…Jill, why?' Salia wondered in shock but could not complain to Commander Jill at the Command Center when she looked outside to start their mission.
"First Squad, ready to launch!" The intercom proceeded with all the girls plugging their suits' plenum chamber cords in the socket behind their seats, their machine's visors lit up their data and statistics. Strangely, when Ange started her new Para-mail, she felt a strange sense of power right from holding onto the handles.
"Unit Zola, launch!" Zola announced as from the back of the hangar, Ange watched Zola's machine rise from the hangar deck and rocket into the sky with the others following suit until Ange shall be the last.
"Be careful, Milady/ Sister Angelise!" Coco was just the last to fly when Ange heard both Momoka and Sylvia's voices at the side to see her maid and her siblings alongside Rush's tamed cheetah Sheeta, who Sylvia is surprisingly riding on its back instead of her wheelchair, standing at the safest distance from the deck. "Make sure you'll be safe and come home victorious, Angelise!" Julio hoped with confidence.
"Kick your first DRAGON dead, little sis!" Rush urged with Sheeta releasing a happy meow or roar for their surprised sister and mistress's reaction from seeing them. But their encouragement lifted Ange's mood to smile her happiness and turned back to the outside with a confident smirk. "Unit Ange, launch!" Twisting her handles, Ange felt her new machine shaking wildly when it rose from the runway but still holding on the same as it would in the simulations before Rush, Sylvia, Julio, Momoka, and Sheeta watch Ange and the machine the former knows its name joined after her teammates in the sky. As his younger siblings and Momoka stared at where their sister was last spotted in awe, Rush glanced at the night sky with a blank frown as always but thought of one thing unlike what everyone believed he would think.
'…Be safe, sis.' Rush prayed after he slowly turned around towards the passage he led his group with him to encourage their sister although he listened to Julio informing him with a hopeful smile, one that no longer showed his initial overzealous hatred to Angelise but a sincere, peaceful smile. "Brother? I've been checking our sister while we both trained and she improved her piloting, combat, and reflex stamina more than when we were in Misurugi."
"Great. I'm keeping an eye on you three so that you all will keep up and fight to protect ourselves, our family and friends. Sylvia, I'll make sure you can do something not worth killing but more helpful for you and others. Okay?" Rush exclaimed with one of the rare gentle smiles he ONLY gave his family and those he wanted to give them to see, delighting Julio and Sylvia who nodded and hummed their agreement although the two men noticed the latter was also nervous. But Rush and Julio also have something they wish to do with Sylvia, who didn't see her brothers looking at each other with a nod from Julio, and they hope that Ange can come home safely before they can do it.
The flight out of Harvenal and over the dark blue sea of the night, checking her data display screens that she and the 1st Squad were over 1500 altitude, proved to be less enjoyable for Ange shivering against her revealing flight suit from the cold turbulence from the weather and clouds. "All units, be steady. Unit Coco, Miranda and Ange, you're providing support on the rear. Stay calm, respond when necessary, and don't break formation. Do as you're trained and taught, and you won't die!" Ange listened to Zola's orders through her radio as she carefully steadied her Para-mail from swerving side to side, using her Iaria practices to hold on and steer.
"Yes, ma'am!" As soon as everyone responded, they spotted something higher in the sky above their heads that shocked Ange with a faint gasp of seeing the dark clouds moving unusually before a large vortex portal made of red lightning pulsed massively with multiple but familiar pink monsters emerging from the portal and howl through the air, flying straight towards the 1st Squad just as the portal grew bigger for a colossal, purple-scaled DRAGON to slip through the portal that just disappeared once the DRAGON group appeared.
'So those are DRAGONs…' Ange realized in dismay but kept her balance and did not fall off or even release her bladder on her seat in fear of seeing such monsters she knows what they are from her father, eldest brother, and her studies. Unknown, dangerous beasts intrude this world and kill Norma who must fight them to death even with the cost of their lives.
"Confirmed DRAGON size with 1 Brig-class, and 30 Schooner-classes." Pamela's voice identified the DRAGON types from their radios.
"Thirty?" Rosalie gasped and Hilda clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Damn, they're creeping out."
"All units, attack formation and kill these damn flies. Rookies, stay alive until we take care of it!" Zola yelled. With the veteran members receiving their orders, Ange flies around without straying off formation and watches as they, except her, Coco, and Miranda, adjust and pull their machines' handles vertically. Their Para-mails transform from glider-like forms into humanoid forms with their right hands now equipped with their riffles initially at the front of their Flight Modes. "Open fire!" Immediately, it was pandemonium in the sky as the 1stSquad fired their rifles all over the sky with Ersha and Chris's Hausers shooting RPGs from their shoulder cannons, drastically gunning down and decreasing the Schooner's numbers now descending to the ocean in bloodied holes.
"Coco, Ange, get close to me!" Miranda called Coco and Ange who quickly flew closer with the former two also shifting their units into Flight Mode and started fighting off any of the Schooners that broke off formation to get to the recruits. Quickly, Ange transformed her unit into its Flight mode but a screech heading in her direction distracted her to look up but grunted her pain from being pushed backwards by the RPG explosion that killed the Schooner that was about to pounce on her from the front. The impact recklessly knocked her to hit her right temple strong enough for a cut gashing tiny droplets of her blood onto her body and hands including her ring.
"Ange! Are you alright?!" Ersha's voice shouted in shock through Ange's radio once she luckily regained her vision, noticing how all the Schooners were dead and the lone Brig was now pursuing her squad, conjuring magical sigils around itself as forcefields from the barrages of bullets from the other Para-mails.
"You're the last one, big bastard. Deploy ice bullets!" Zola ordered after seeing the Brig's forcefield sigils slowly dismissing, all but the newbies' Para-mails had their Ice Bullet Launcher ready on each left arm. The Brig roared in the air with countless blue dots of light materializing from head to toe and flapped its wings again to send hundreds of blue projectiles of light wildly flying all over the battlefield like deadly fireflies but some of the Para-mails quickly fired their rifles to destroy them.
"Taste this!" Being the first to reach closer by evading the projectiles with her Razor's Flight form before shifting back into Destroyer Mode, Vivian shot her Ice Bullet which hit the Brig's right wing, stunning it with a painful screech in time for both Hilda and Salia to shoot their ice bullets at both the Brig's wings, visibly swaying and showing signs of falling but still able to regain its balance, allowing Zola to speed her Arquebus for the final blow. "It's over now!"
"Captain, below!" Zola heard Vivian shouting at her radio, confused but quickly looked down to froze in bafflement. Above the ocean but directly under them, the Brig's sigil materialized and grew large just for increasing geysers of water to reveal the hidden projectiles that readily flew towards them from above. Quickly, every Para-mail flew and avoided the projectiles but some of them moved their trajectories for surprise attacks, as one of them even blasted the left leg of Rosalie's Glaive out of its knees when she and Chris flew backwards.
"Rosalie! Chris!" Hilda shouted.
'That bastard made a trap! No way this happened before!' Zola gritted her teeth in anger, unable to shoot her Ice Bullet when she continuously shot any of them to get closer while flying backwards until she realized and stopped herself from almost bumping against Coco and Miranda who flew closer to protect her when the Brig moved closer with a furious roar towards them. "Captain!" Coco and Miranda cried.
"Coco! Miranda!" Ange flew back to the battle yet she could see, in horror, that she was still far from reaching Zola, Coco, and Miranda and the Brig ferociously flew towards them, soon readily killing them while everyone was too far to reach them 'No…' Ange dreaded, feeling like she is hyperventilating. She now knows that Norma girls are forced to fight DRAGONs until their deaths. She now knows that she's a Norma. She doesn't want her nor anyone to die by these DRAGONs who will kill anyone like savage animals. She must save them! She can't let anyone die! "GET AWAY!" Suddenly, right from unconsciously screaming as her life depended on her wish after flying past her squad and straight to the DRAGON readily swung its right wing to capture her machine, Ange's ring emitted a blinding white light alongside her Para-mail glowing a bright blue, bright enough from both disoriented the Brig DRAGON flying backwards and caught everyone's shock.
Ange's Para-mail, initially covered in dirt, burnt and grimed, glowed bright golden from the flakes of rainbow-coloured light flashing off before disappearing into nothing, revealing its new, clean form with white, blue, and golden armour, glowing red visor, and a giant sword hanging between the unit's shoulder and left-wing sprouting blue rocket flames. "Woah!" Vivian gasped in awe.
"What the heck happened?" Rosalie demanded in astonishment as Salia glared at the familiar form of that old Para-mail. 'Vilkiss…how did she do that?' Salia wondered in disbelief.
Ange realized in shock that her machine somehow changed itself but hurriedly shifted it into Destroyer Mode when she saw the Brig regaining itself and now pursuing her. 'Alright, you damned beast…come and get me!' Ange's initial fear of her death by the DRAGONs hardened into a rage and swiftly flew around the Brig, shooting bullets from its rifle which was deflected by its forcefield before she led the lone DRAGON away from 1st Squad watching her go in flabbergasted emotions.
The Brig again cast more blue projectiles from its body and sent them flying and tracking Ange's unit quickly transformed into Flight Mode, evading in swift swerves that collected the projectiles now tailing behind the Para-mail soaring towards the Brig when Ange changed back to Destroyer Mode with its rifle now held in its left hand and its right hand pulled out its sword now aiming straight to the Brig. Without waste, Ange viciously jabbed its sword straight to the Brig's jugular, injuring it in time to fly back and avoid the projectiles now imploding the Brig's stomach and wings, releasing a violent screech in agony from the now bleeding Brig DRAGON.
"You…DIE!" Ange bellowed, controlling her Para-mail to speedily punch and lodge its freezing ice bullet straight into the Brig's heart, backing away and reclaiming its sword from the bleeding neck when everyone watched the howling DRAGON's now growingly freezing body descending into the ocean and the massive impact also froze the water and the DRAGON's corpse underneath it like a frozen fountain.
"Ange did it!" Miranda gasped, her Glaive's right arm holding the other arm of Coco's Glaive since her unit's right thruster was damaged but okay to fly. Despite her horrifying first mission which almost killed her and Miranda, Coco could only feel awe and relief at witnessing Ange dealing the final blow and saving them from their deaths. 'She's so cool!'
"Hey, Princess! You okay in there?" Hilda called once everyone calmed down, managing to hear Ange panting harshly from inside her surprisingly rejuvenated Para-mail's cockpit until she slowly shifted into its Flight form to reveal herself slightly unscathed.
"Y…Yeah!" Even with her face bleeding from almost getting blown off earlier, Ange only felt a throbbing headache when she responded, checking on Captain Zola, Coco, and Miranda in case they were unscathed. "Captain, Coco, Miranda! Are you alright?"
"U-Uh, yes we are! Thanks, Ange!" Miranda panted in surprise and relief.
"T-Thank you for saving us, Miss Ange!" Coco's answer released a relieved sigh from Ange's mouth with a sad smile of gratitude for saving everyone from their death, sparking her curiosity about her Para-mail. 'So, this is what this machine can do? I hope Rush or Tusk can tell me about it.' Ange wondered. Even if she had to meet that perverted yet strangely kind boy when they met sometime after her first day of living in Harvenal, she hoped to get some answers.
"Nice job, Princess." Zola acknowledged with a grin before addressing her squad. "Alright, ladies! Time to head back!" Reverting all units into their Flight Mode with their fuel checked to be almost half empty but enough to get back to base, the 1st Squad soared back to where they last flown with their display compasses getting them back on track without going over formation.
"I bet we'll get a ton of money this time for tonight!" Rosalie cheered in excitement, always money on her mind, with Chris chiming in with hope and delight from her radio. "I hope I get something good for once."
"Ange! What will you do with your first paycheck? You might get some awesome stuff at the mall or maybe Ammo might make something awesome for your Para-mail!" Vivian proposed as she flew closer to Ange's Para-mail. That offer may sound nice unless Salia's boyfriend tries to openly instigate her simply because she treats Rush as her brother instead of a stranger, but Ange has something more important in mind.
"I don't know, Vivian. But I have something urgent to do once we get back…I promised my brothers we must do something for this occasion." Unaware of everyone, Salia occasionally stole glances at Ange with confusion, tints of anger and sorrow, but more to dismay for what everyone saw earlier.
'Vilkiss…why her?'
"What just happened?" Hikaru and Olivier gasped their surprise as they with their third best friend Pamela and four other male Haven-human operators in the Command Center were flabbergasted by the earlier events, with Commander Jill trying so hard not to reveal her shock to the entire room for witnessing Ange's Para-mail transforming to its former glory and killed the last Galleon from almost trying to kill Zola, Coco, and Miranda. "Unit Ange's Para-mail…it glowed!" Pamela whispered in shock.
"M-Mission complete..." One of the male Operators quickly collects himself to speak through the 1st Squad, checking for the damages in their Para-mails including Ange before the 1st Squad flies back to base at the end of their surveillance, leaving the DRAGON corpses drifting in the now frozen pool of blood water on the ocean.
"Well done, for tonight. Get some rest in case anything won't happen for tomorrow's royal tour with Princess Misty Rosenblum and Prince Seri Ranka Velda. Good night." Commander Jill instructed the Command Center with all three girls and four men standing off their seats with their salutes before heading to her office. As soon as she was in her privacy, Jill mused off earlier with a confident smile creeping into her face, anticipating what would soon come.
'She did it! Rush's sister did it…she unlocked Vilkiss's first lock!' Jill mentally chimed her cruel delight. Vilkiss has been awakened with its new pilot, the pieces have been chosen, and everything is set in place for Libertus.
All she needs now is to mould Ange to be the perfect pilot…even if everyone, including her brother, is against it.
"Sons! We came as fast as we heard! What's…." Jurai gasped as soon as he and Sophia dashed to Rush's office right after receiving a brief but urgent message from Rush and Julio, the worried parents assumed that Angelise might be injured from her first Para-mail fight against the DRAGONs when their message didn't mention anything but simply get to the office. But when Jurai accidentally push and almost breaks the doors in desperation, he and Sophia are astonished to see their children, Momoka, Moon with Ular and Hebi, Riza, and Sheeta noticing their arrival with Rush faintly holding his arms and mismatched hands for Sylvia sitting on Sheeta's back.
"Mother, Father." Angelise greeted her startled parents with a warm smile, even if her forehead was wrapped in bandages like Rush, as Julio sheepishly waved a hand urging them to come inside the office room with Sophia hurriedly closing the doors shut. "You both are just in time," Julio noted.
"Don't worry, Sylvia. Just trust us and you can do it. We're here for you." Rush supported Sylvia once he felt her hands gently holding them tight, looking nervous but glancing at her eldest brother in the eye. Even if he has one eye that always gives terrifying glares to scare everyone, Sylvia and their family can see a tint of his hidden softness and that should be enough to lift her spirits for what they are helping her with.
"I'm ready, Sister, Brothers, Moon, Sheeta…." With a nod, Sylvia quickly pushed herself off Sheeta's back, letting the cheetah move closer to the couch Riza and Momoka were sitting on as everyone watched in surprise and anticipation of Rush carefully walking a few steps backwards with Sylvia shakingly walking forward like a few month old baby. Slowly, Sylvia removed her hands from Rush's bandaged and gloved hands still holding up in case she fell but when he turned to the side, everyone's worry faded into relief and awe of Sylvia sluggishly but slowly strongly walking a few tiny steps for a second until she noticed in shock that she fully stood without falling. "Sylvia!" Sophia gasped her bewilderment.
"I…I did it…" Sylvia whispered in surprise facing down to her legs now standing on her two feet, her mouth quivered into a happy smile already shedding tears before she looked up and beamed at her now overjoyed and proud family. "Oh, Sister Angelise! Brother Rush, Brother Julio! I did it! I can walk again! Thank you three so much!"
"C-Congratulations, Miss Sylvia!" Moon meekly smiled and clapped his hands in happiness with everyone noticing with faintly confused smiles seeing Ular wildly wiggling or shaking its head behind Moon's back and Hebi faintly hopping on Moon's head like a spring. But Sylvia giggled her happiness, appreciating Moon's kindness compared to the few rude members of Brother Rush's team, but pouted her embarrassment that prompted everyone to watch with amused chuckles. "…Thank you, Moon. But you're older than me, so you must call me by my name!"
"Brother Rush, Angelise, and I planned to surprise you two and help Sylvia walk for the first time," Julio informed Jurai and Sophia. "Angelise told me that she checked the royal physician about Sylvia's condition a long time ago and said that it was a minor injury that healed itself with time."
"I still feel like it's my fault that the accident happened," Angelise confessed in sadness, still remembering the old memory of how she couldn't stop and save Sylvia from accidentally falling off her horse when they lived in the Imperial Palace. Her gloom startled everyone as Sylvia faced her older sister in both sadness and sympathy, slowly but steadily walking closer until she faintly leaned forward and reached her hands for Angelise's surprise.
"Don't worry, sister. It's never your fault and it's in the past." Sylvia reassured with a sad smile as Angelise gently grasped her small hands and rose on her feet with Julio following suit. "Now, you and our brothers helped me get to walk again! Thank you and our brothers, Sister Angelise!" Sylvia's comforting words made Ange's eyes blink to stop the tiny drop of tears from escaping but smiled her happiness and willingly embraced her youngest sister grabbing not just her but also Brother Julio and Rush who also joined the playful hug that now turned into a tickle tackle from Rush impatiently tickling his fingers on whatever he grabbed to make Angelise, Julio and Sylvia laugh and sputter their embarrassment from their smiles by their smirking eldest brother. Jurai, Sophia, Momoka, and even Riza and Moon chuckle their surprise but are still entertained by the three ex-royal Misurugi children and their adopted eldest brother cheering themselves up like true siblings.
However, everyone heard Rush's doorknobs twisted from outside and pushed open to show Rush and Moon's other teammates walking in. "Rush…" Cynical stopped herself when the others were puzzled seeing Rush seemingly holding, hugging, or tickling Ange, Julio, and Sylvia in his arms with all four blondes giving everyone a faintly exact blank frown in surprise for being caught. "What are you doing?" Cynical enquired.
"Helping my sister walk again. What's up?" Rush immediately responded without embarrassment as Ange and Julio backed away from Rush still holding Sylvia off the floor with his hands on her hips until he gently placed her youngest sister to stand. As much as the others are as surprised as he is every time they see Rush getting along with his family, the sight of Sylvia giggling her smile shared by Ange and Julio towards Rush also but unusually smiling serenely, made Ammo silently grit his teeth in resentment. 'Why are YOU letting them hug you?'
"We want to have a meeting with you," Red exclaimed after everyone settled down although their timing was immediately off by Rush's Mana-less, Haven flip phone ringing its Human Combat theme song and vibrating in his suit pocket. Confused as everyone else now looking at him, Rush fished his bandaged hand and opened his phone screen, his single eye possibly blinked in puzzlement everyone saw before Rush took the call.
"Hello? ...Hey, man…Yeah, I'm good. You?" Rush spoke, silently hushing his fingerless gloved finger for everyone to not utter a word as he listened although his face immediately shifted from collected stoicism to a brief surprise and finally hardened into anger. "What?"
Rush's rare furious glower almost scared the entire room into uneasiness, with Ange hurriedly cupping Momoka's mouth with a hand and Sylvia hugging Julio despite both being afraid of their brother's temper. "I'm with my family and team now, and I know your kids are with you, so I can't swear. I can tell what they said is stupid, even from Emperor Akihide…don't worry, I don't call them Uncle and Aunt because Mom and Dad told me not to. But still, are you okay?" Rush demanded, his attention solely on his call.
"M-Miss Angelise, I DON'T think that's Daigorou calling Sir Rush right now…" Momoka whispered in dread after Ange slowly removed her hand from her mouth, with Ange nodding her uncertain agreement as they saw Rush slowly calm down but still angry about something.
"…Alright. I'll have the Haven driver from Misurugi pick you three up and take you to the harbour, where you'll also meet Misty Rosenblum and Seri Ranka Velda. You five will arrive in Harvenal by hopefully 10 am and I'll be your tour guide until you all leave the next morning. See you tomorrow." Once for sure the conversation stops, Rush shuts his phone with his hand and cranes his neck to look at the ceiling, feeling his mind now gearing and boiling in anger for what he just received. "…What the fuck are they thinking?" Rush whispered to not let even his family and teammates hear him.
"C-Commander Rush? What's wrong?" Rush heard Apache, trying not to, nervously asked the former slowly looking at everyone apprehensively staring at him and his agitated eye narrowed in such anger.
'…Everyone's NOT gonna like this.' Was what Rush guessed and knew that what he shall say will also anger his team more than he did.
A/N: I had to rewatch Episode 3 and reread the Glitch of the System's chapter reenacting the episode for better reference while sparing the three canon characters in this AU. Again, I'm not good with mecha fights.