2022-10-13: Renewed Regrets
- Cast: Banagher Links, Leina Ashta, Mineva Lao Zabi, Full Frontal
- Where: Side 4: Sweetwater
- Date: U.C. 0096 10 13
- Summary: Banagher and Mineva decide to do a little urban exploring. Little do they know they're playing right into the hands of a ghost -- but what regrets haunt the Second Coming of Char? In the ruins of the Red Comet's old home, four scions of powerful families struggle against the curses of their parents.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Hup--!"
Banagher lands on the other side of a wrought-iron fence. The gates were chained shut and locked -- but really, that lock could be easily bypassed by someone determined. But, for two athletic teenagers, why not just jump the fence?
Char's old mansion. It's not what one might imagine when they think of a mansion, merely two stories, but the faux-stone fence and presence of several trees is enough to impress Banagher. Such things were a luxury in the colonies. It's clear this place has been abandoned for quite a while, with no effort to maintain it. Leaving a building to rot is unheard of in a place where land is so valuable, but... here it sits. Mispelled grafitti lines the walls, thrown stones have destroyed the windows.
"I've got you. Jump down and I'll catch you." Banagher says, turning back to the fence and opening his arms. It's an invitation to his partner-in-crime, Audrey.
The two haven't been in Sweetwater long, only a few days. Banagher's curiosity brought them here. As a One Year War aficionado, how could he resist seeing the home of the Red Comet? Such as it is, anyway. Maybe they could find there way inside, with a little effort.
But who knows what ghosts might wait for them in this forsaken place?
<Pose Tracker> Mineva Lao Zabi has posed.
Mineva climbs up the fence a little clumsily, swinging her legs over. She sits on top, briefly, and just... stares at the mansion's remains. It's surreal. Just three short years...
As Banagher calls for her to hop down, she looks away, down at him. "R-right." She pushes herself off with her hands and into his arms, landing with an "Ouf!," caught around the middle. Pressed up against him... her cheeks go pink. "Nice catch," she murmurs, smiling at him. She leaves her hand on his arm as she touches ground, looking at the mansion again.
Silently, she takes a few steps forward across the overgrown field... then breaks into a run, pulling Banagher along behind her by his sleeve.
She's overflowing with emotions. This place means something to her. It's important... and to see it like this... she's sad. There's a great pain of loss... but she feels happy, too...?
The door hangs loose in its frame, with a crude Gundam's visage carved into it. She simply has to push, and it opens, to a small entry area.
The room is warm and welcoming. Safe...
The room is a ruined, dilapidated mess, ravaged by time and weather; cold wind blows through from God knows where.
This place is home.
This place is a ruin.
Mineva's eyes are drawn to the stairs. "... do you think they're safe?" she asks, quiet, like she's afraid to disturb the ghost of the past.
<Pose Tracker> Full Frontal has posed.
Full Frontal rubs his temples. Here he was, drawn to Sweetwater. He knew the princess and the boy were here, but they were not the only reason. There was a calling. Inexplicable, unknowable...and yet, still all too familiar. It beckoned him, even as he drove aimlessly through the dilapitated expanse of the colony, until the dusty road met the beginnings of sparse greenery. Soon, the dusty shrubs met a lawn and occasional trees.
Why am I here?
The thought echoed in Full Frontal's mind, as his jeep hummed beneath him, an uncharacteristic uncertainty grasping his thoughts as something that both was and was not him stirred beneath the fabrications, the reservoir that his vessel both drew from and sealed away.
Nanai.
The leader of the Sleeves grimaced as the thought flickered away as quickly as it had invaded his mind.
Who?
As he pulled up towards the mansion of the Red Comet, Full Frontal paused and allowed himself a moment of introspection. If he was indeed a vessel of the people, created to enact their collective will...perhaps that included the shade that dwelled within him?
The Ghost of Char unfastened his mask, letting his face breathe and witness the ruins upon which his inherited despair had been founded. Sieg Zeon indeed.
Grabbing the top of the worn fence with one arm, Full Frontal vaulted over in a singular, smooth motion, and landed without a sound. It would not do to let the two youths detect him just yet...and he had questions that needed answering. What were these feelings? Was he drawn here by more than just his own desire to speak to the princess and her would-be knight? Full Frontal bit back a grimace as another foreign thought invaded his mind, although this one he knew well.
Humanity will never change.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher smiles up at Audrey, holding her in his arms just a moment longer than is really necessary. "Thanks." He says, gently letting her down.
Audrey holds to his sleeve and runs, and Banagher keeps up with her. His eyes take in the ruins of this place. Audrey's feelings echo into his own, and he looks at her with curiosity. Just what was this place, to her? Running across a mansion's lawn, lined with trees... For a moment, his surroundings change. Light beams down on an enormous, sprawling mansion. Manicured grass is crushed beneath his feet, though Audrey is still at his side.
Home. Or something like it.
The two come to a stop before the vandalized door. It opens, creaking on its hinges. Audrey's feelings are a sharp contrast to reality. Nothing's left. Only the ruins of once-fine walls and mossy puddles formed where the roof had given out. It's colder inside, somehow, and he isn't sure if it's from the weather or the energy of this place.
Taking off his hoodie, Banagher drapes it around Audrey's shoulders. It leaves him in just a pair of jeans and a white shirt -- certainly insufficient for urban exploration, but Audrey's comfort is more important. Peeking out from under one sleeve is a jagged scar, marking where something had torn through the young man's skin.
"The stairs?" Banagher reponds, in an equally soft voice. "I'll find out."
Careful steps take him to the base of the stairs. He puts one foot on the first step, then transfers his weight to it. So far, it holds. This is repeated for the next step, and the next -- he hops over a hole consuming a few steps, but reaches the top safely. "I think it's okay. Just try and be careful, please."
Watching Audrey make her way up to him gives Banagher time to take in more of the room. It must've been a grand entryway, once. Large windows would've let in the light, and tile floors would've been shined to perfection. He'd thought this would be a fun adventure, but it just feels... sad. No matter the cause they believed in, people were happy here, once. Audrey was happy here.
"Where to next?" He asks, when she reaches the top of the stairs. Banagher pulls out his new phone, turning on the flashlight app to illuminate their path forward.
<Pose Tracker> Mineva Lao Zabi has posed.
Audrey gives Banagher a little glare as he gives her his sweatjacket. "You need one too, you know..." she murmurs, though she doesn't *argue*. She follows and steps carefully as she makes her way up the stairs, placing her feet where Banagher's just were, holding onto the dusty railing. She manages to make it to the top without incident, looking over the darkened hallway at the top of the stairs.
"This way," she concludes after a moment, leading Banagher down the hall. She stops at the second door on the right. Closed, with an intact doorframe.
Hesitantly, she reaches out and turns the handle. With a bit of resistance, it opens to what used to be a bedroom. The window is nearly broken out of its frame, shards of glass littering the floor; the bed itself is mildewy and moth-eaten. Most things of any value have long since been taken. But under the dirt and mold on the walls, one can see the peeling remains of pastel-yellow wallpaper, and a vanity sits off to one side, mirrorless. It's not quite full-sized.
She remembers the room is as it once was. A pubescent girl's bedroom, littered with clothes and toys. A television, long-since gone, sat in the far corner, with a game system on top.
Atop the dresser was a photo.
The frame is on the floor, now, face-down, amid a few more shards of broken glass. She carefully steps over to it, and picks it up. It's a photo of her, a few years younger, standing next to a handsome, blonde man in sunglasses. They're both smiling like they're having fun.
Banagher would recognize the man immediately: Char Aznable.
<Pose Tracker> Full Frontal has posed.
Full Frontal enters the ruins of the mansion, noting the disturbed dust of the foyer leading to the staircase. So the princess and her knight went upstairs...most likely to one of the bedrooms. Careful, lithe steps propel the ghost across the entranceway, with nary a sound to be heard. Like a hunter, tracking their prey, he glides towards the stairs, only to be distracted by a table to the side. Coated in thick dust and hosting a shard of broken ceiling, a small glint catches his eye. Gingerly removing the shattered roofing, Full Frontal's eyes widen involuntarily at the sight.
A go table.
A sharp intake of breath followed by a piercing pain causes Full Frontal's brow to wrinkle as he clutches the side of his face with his left hand. Feelings and thoughts not wholy his own assail him.
Nanai...I still need to finish our game.
Nostalgia, sorrow, familiarity, warmth, comfort...and yet such fleeting things disappear back into the void as soon as they sparked into existence, a microcosm of the universe's inevitable march towards entropic emptiness. Truly, the Ghost of Char was stirring today, in this shattered place.
Regaining composure, Full Frontal head towards the stairs, silently ascending and following the pair's trail. The remnants of paintings and artwork not looted lined the walls and their floors, pieces of once priceless history now claimed by time's cold grasp and the ugly greed of looters. His senses began to feel their presence, and it wouldn't be long now before they noticed him as well. Finally reaching an ajar door, Full Frontal adjusted his burgundy trenchcoat and stepped in.
"A small coincidence to encounter you here, Princess Mineva. And Banagher...I see Torrington has treated you well. How are you, dear boy?"
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"I'll be fine." Banagher reassures Audrey with a smile. He takes her hand once she arrives at the top of the stairs, the light from his phone feeling paltry against the oppresive darkness. Audrey knew right where she was going... Again, Banagher wonders what this place was to her.
Shining his flashlight on the wallpaper, Banagher frowns softly. Was this hers? "Audrey," He begins, "Was this yours?" The small vanity in the corner gleams dully in the light, metal corroded by time and exposure to the elements. "Did you live here, with --"
As Audrey walks through the broken glass, Banagher shines his flashlight toward them, illuminating her path. After she picks up the broken frame, he joins her, and stares in shock at the photograph within. That's one answer. They look so happy -- it's rare to see such a carefree smile on Audrey's face. Reaching out with his free hand, Banagher carefully brushes his fingers over the image of young Mineva's face.
"What was it like? Being here, with--"
A half-second before Full Frontal enters the room, Banagher's senses flash in alarm. He spins on his heel, putting himself between Audrey and the tall, blond man. His eyes daring around the room, Banagher searches for a weapon. Everything in here is either rotten or destroyed -- there's just no options. The young man tenses up, all-but snarling at his enemy.
"How did you find us?" Banagher's voice is louder, now, trying to give himself confidence he doesn't truly feel. "What do you want?"
The mention of Torrington makes him bristle. "You don't know anything about Torrington! You were willing to let your faithful soldiers be slaughtered, without even being there to watch them die!"
Surreptitiously, Banagher flicks his flashlight app off. The phone is held behind his back, extended toward Audrey. Turning his thoughts to her, the young man tries to project a single image. A young woman with short brown hair and lovely green eyes -- Leina.
<Pose Tracker> Mineva Lao Zabi has posed.
Mineva's still caught up in those memories when she first sense Full Frontal. She can't quite tell him apart from her memories of Char until--
She whips around as Banagher does, and immediately, she starts cursing silently.
She shouldn't have come back to Sweetwater. She shouldn't have come back here, to this mansion. They were too predictable, she thinks. They played right into the Sleeves' hands...
She steels herself, sneakily taking the phone from Banagher. "That Mobile Armor you deployed at Torrington was terrorizing the city. Civilians died, Frontal..."
"But he didn't care either, in the end." She looks down, disappointed. Scrolling through to find Leina's contact... and place a call.
She looks off to the side. "Is that really what you want to be, Full Frontal? The man who was willing to sacrifice an entire planet?" She's bitter. Betrayed. Not by Frontal...
<Pose Tracker> Full Frontal has posed.
Full Frontal tilts his head to the side in mock curiosity, a slight smile resting on his face. "How? My dear boy and princess, you are both painfully predictable."
As am I.
"Worry not, I am merely here to speak with you two, and especially to you, Banagher. I have heard you have decided to make your leave of Neo Zeon. Is it so distressing to receive a personal farewell from your former leader?" Full Frontal's voice was dispassionate, and yet if one concentrated enough, a slightly sardonic edge could be heard in his voice.
"To answer your follow-up question...As I made clear to Second Lieutenant Garvey and to Major Kirks, as the leader of Zeon's forces in space, I have no jurisdiction over those who have remained on Earth. If Torrington is what they desired, then I have no right to stop them or the war they have been fighting all these years. It would be disrespectful to their service to our cause."
Turning his attention to Mineva, his smile stays, frozen and unmoving, much like the mansion around them, mired in the grip of a past set in stone. "Come now, Princess. As the inheritor of the Zabi legacy, you should know better than any of us that war and history does not march forward without its sacrifices. Or shall I recount to you the deeds of your Uncle Gihren?" Pausing at the mention of Torrington from Mineva as well, Full Frontal ever so slightly bows his head to the floor. "While I do regret my inability to prevent civilian casualties, I have no right to command my predecessors on Earth to cease their campaigns. Theirs is a long war, and until they find closure, they shall never find peace."
Full Frontal returns his expression to his usual stoicness, following Mineva's gaze to the photo of her and Char. "As sentimental as ever, I see. If you have come here looking for answers, I fear you'll find more questions than not. While I know of your continued resistance to returning to Side 3, would you not at least consider returning to your people once more? Surely your talents can be better utilized to restore hope and faith to our people, rather than chasing after specters of the past and comforting illusions."
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Is that how you sleep at night?" Banagher asks, his hands balling into fists. "Telling yourself it had nothing to do with you? Those men were crying 'Sieg Zeon' as they died! They believed in you!" Audrey takes the phone, and Banagher can hear the soft beeps of the call being placed. Good. Leina would alert Sayla, and maybe they could end this once and for all right now. If they could capture Full Frontal, maybe Audrey could convince the rest of her people to let go of their endless wars.
"You were never my leader." Banagher snarls. "Captain Zinnerman was. Him and his crew showed me there's good to be found in Zeon -- even if you want to prove the opposite. You only want the Box to keep fighting. It's meant to be used to save people, to make the world better!"
Banagher's mind races. He had to keep Frontal talking for as long as possible, to give Sayla time to work something out. As much as he wants to throw himself at the Cyber-Newtype and beat his face in... Talking is the answer here. It must be.
Full Frontal addresses Audrey, and Banagher puts both his arms out. "You have no right to talk to her. You were willing to let her die to get your hands on the Unicorn. Not that the Unicorn would've done you any good. You must know I'm the only one who can pilot her."
What does Full Frontal know of this house? How many of Char Aznable's memories does he carry? Banagher glances back at Audrey, his eyes on the photo of her and Char together. "I'm guessing you have a dozen men waiting outside to try and take us in, don't you? Just try it. You're not laying a finger on Audrey."
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
AEU Spain
Leina is currently rubbing a Blue Maine Coon who's affectionately headbutting her, "Did you miss me? I know you did. Yes I know it's so terrible that you had to endure someone else preparing your food for a /whole week/. Yes I know-" The phone rings, it's Banagher. "Oh!" Leina has to fight with Foras who doesn't want her hand to stop for a moment before she manages to answer the phone. "-Foras I really need that hand. Hell-"
'... want to be, Full Frontal? The man who was willing to sacrifice an entire planet?'
Leina almost fumbles her phone at Audrey's voice, and puts her phone up to her ear. Listening to them. She bids her Psycommu wheelchair to move across the Villa, as she covers the receiver, and calls out at the top of her lungs: "/SAYLA/!"
After that single word, she's just listening, not saying anything until she's close enough to Sayla, as she holds the receiver again and mouths something to her.
There's some back and forth and-
"Audrey - can he hear me?" She whispers, trying not to say what she's about to say within his hearing.
<Pose Tracker> Mineva Lao Zabi has posed.
"DON'T presume to lecture me on my uncle's crimes, or the crimes of his siblings," Audrey snaps at Full Frontal, eyes burning bright. "I know better than you do what they did. I *understand* that they committed mass murder in the name of independence." Her voice grows breathy. "I will *never* forget the blood that's on their hands."
It's on mine, too.
She taps the phone twice with her fingernail, near the microphone, to signal 'yes'.
"Full Frontal, you say you're the second coming of Char Aznable... your word carries weight. If you could have said something to ease those losses, to focus them *away* from civilians..."
The fire in her eyes dulls to a slow burn. "Do you really care more about disrespecting the Zeon remnants than about the innocents they'd kill?"
She shakes her head, eyes downcast as she looks over the photo. "I'm not here for answers. I know I won't find them here. I wanted to see my home... but there's not much left of it, is there?"
The last question earns a wary glare from her. "I'm nothing more than a figurehead to you. You know I don't approve of this war... I refuse to be a symbol of propaganda for your movement." She grasps Banagher's hand. "I'm not going *anywhere*."
<Pose Tracker> Full Frontal has posed.
The Ghost of Char observes the outbursts of both Banagher and Mineva with mock curiosity, his slight smile returning once more as he reaches his hands outwards towards the pair. "I am indeed the return of the Red Comet, for that is what our people wish of me. Yet I think the two of have deluded yourselves with your youthful idealism and the illusion of hope. Generations have been born under the yoke of the Federation's corruption, and generations have died, died in fire, blood, and cold steel coffins, fighting for the justice and humanity so denied to them by those ruling from our mother planet."
Holding his hands to his chest, palms over his heart, Full Frontal continued, "None are innocent under this system. You speak to me, of all the Torrington civilians who perished due to the earthbound Zeon remnants, and I reply to you thus: how can there be any who are innocent under a system that so exploits the Spacenoids? Federation children are born and raised, fat and indulgent over the labor and goods provided by the Spacenoids, luxuries our people so rarely see themselves, let alone enjoy as the rightful fruits of their hard work. Civilians turn their eyes away from inconvenient truths. How many have wondered where their food comes from? How many have considered the plight of those living in the Sides? How many have bothered to speak out against the corruption of the Federation, a sad excuse of a government that might as well be a country club for those born in wealth and bloodline status?"
Reaching into his coat's inner pocket, Full Frontal retrieves his mask, looking away from the pair to instead focus on his guise's sightless gaze. The smile fades as the thought returns.
Humanity will never change. Neither will I. No rest. No mercy. No matter what.
Full Frontal looks at the two youths, their faces twisted in defiance and anger. Slowly putting on his mask, he never breaks his eye contact with the two of them, even as his own blue eyes are replaced by the unfeeling crimson of the visor.
"So to answer your question, Princess: I saw the light that birthed a modern miracle, and even still, humanity refused to change themselves. Those of us in space are exploited and forgotten, tossed away once we have been broken past the point of return. For the sake of the Spacenoids and for Zeon, I will honor their wishes and continue forward on our path, for that is the only respect I am able to offer them. One way or another, you will return to us, be it now or in the future, for your fate is forever bound to Zeon's legacy, as mine is bound to the Red Comet. There is no home left for you here."
Slowly turning his head to Banagher, Full Frontal continues, "I regret you cannot yet see the justice I seek for the Spacenoids, but I have faith that you and Laplace's key will return to me. There is no one here for the two of you but I, and I merely came to give you my well wishes as you depart on the next stage of your journey for the Box. Fret not Banagher...you will be seeing more of me quite soon." Full Frontal turns to leave the room, but pauses upon seeing another picture. A smiling Quattro Bajeena posing with a blue-haired, grumpy looking youth. A slight pain comes and passes, but he was thankfully turned away from the pair before they could see his expression.
You deserved better, Kamille.
"If you've nothing more pressing to say, I will prepare to make my leave back to my men." Full Frontal said, looking over his shoulder slightly.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Hoping that Leina has this handled, Banagher squeezes Audrey's hand. Her voice is so quiet when she says there was not much left of her home -- worry distracting Banagher from his righteous anger. "It's not your fault." He murmurs to her, keeping his eyes locked on Full Frontal. "Just like it isn't the fault of the children of the Federation. I -- know spacenoids are exploited."
A memory comes to Banagher's mind, a woman coming home from work, exhausted and weary, just to pay for a run-down apartment in a bad part of town. A child runs into her arms, and she manages a smile for him.
"I know they are! I know that as much as anyone -- but that doesn't mean Federation civilians should die for it!" It's difficult to refute Full Frontal's logic. Everything he's saying is true, and it makes Banagher's heart ache. The injustice everyone faces, the oppression and persecution that drives them to unforgiveable actions. "This war will never end until someone decides it's enough. Until someone's willing to put down their grudge, even though it isn't fair. Until we can all recognize each other as human beings and -- care about each other!"
It sounds paltry, here, in the mansion of a political leader. How much excess did Char Aznable enjoy while the rest of Sweetwater was in shambles? How will these words reach a ghost possessed by hatred and emptiness? Banagher's eyes turn to Audrey's childhood wallpaper again, faded and destroyed in just a few years. Is there anything they can do to enact lasting change?
A breath, and then. "I lived with the people of Neo-Zeon to learn about them. I owe the Federation the same. I don't think they're right, and I don't think they deserve the Box, but I want to learn about who they are."
Banagher tenses up as Full Frontal reaches into his inner pocket, certain he's going to draw a gun. When it's only his mask, he relaxes just a hair, watching the older man's smile fade. As he brings up the Miracle, Banagher looks thoughtful. Does Full Frontal know Amuro was there, at Torrington? Surely Captain Zinnerman would've mentioned it in his report...
"Audrey goes where she wants. We go together." Banagher settles on saying. Did Full Frontal truly come here alone? Not even with that white haired boy? Glancing back at Audrey, Banagher silently wonders what to do. Following his gaze, the young man blinks in surprise at the picture of Dr. Bidan -- his newly found mentor. Quattro Bajeena's picture here, in Char's home..?
A few things rapidly click into place. Oh. That's why Dr. Bidan was so angry when he asked.
"Wait--!" Banagher cries out, as Full Frontal begins to leave the room. "You can't just come here and say all that and then -- leave! Did you just want to mess with us?"
Glass crunches under Banagher's new shoes as he chases the ghost of Char, grabbing the back of his long coat. He's got to buy Sayla more time!
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
The phone is tapped twice. Leina quickly shifts her phone over to text mode, and there's a ping on Banagher's phone soon after for Audrey-
>reply with location in sweetwater S is makin calls
And then Leina listens to the Ghost of Char in action. She listens to his arguments. And she listens to Banagher's reply. And... she decides to buy Sayla more time.
"Audrey. Please put me on speaker phone."
And once she's sure that she is.
"I expected better than sophistry from someone who lays any claim to being Char Aznable. Whose fault is their ignorance?"
Leina finally says calmly but with a certain passion, "You know very well that the entire system is rigged against the people of Earth just as much as it is those whose souls are unbound by gravity. That the thoughtlessness and ignorance of Earth's civilians is born from a status quo fostered by the Federation elite. /You/ are part of the reason why they're so successful from distracting them from the oppression they suffer."
There is something grim and dark in her tone, "Because the Ghosts of Zeon being the source of their problems is far easier for them to swallow than the poison that is the truth of their existence. And /you/ contribute to that awful status quo - because war and death and revolution is their status quo. The elites of the Federation? They applaud your existence whenever you massacre civilians - whenever you drop the sky upon them - because then they exult over having fewer mouths to feed. What justice are you really offering the Spacenoid when your efforts are met with resounding applause by those who hold the levers of power in the Federation?"
And that fire builds in her voice, "You claim solidarity with the Spacenoid harmed by the Federation's oppression? Yet you have more in common with the Federation Aristocrats in Dakar than you do with the lowliest of soldiers who fight for your cause. Despicable... I'd offer that you are at least a more charismatic Glemy Toto."
Pause.
"Except Glemy cared more about his pawns than you do, even if he had nothing in common with them."
<Pose Tracker> Mineva Lao Zabi has posed.
Mineva taps out a brief message, trying to look like she's simply looking away as Full Frontal talks.
>chars mansion
In her defense, Sayla, it was Banagher's idea.
She doesn't speak as Banagher makes his case, partly just to let him speak... but also to wrestle with that guilt. Isn't it, in some way? Doesn't she bear some responsibility? She may not have committed any of those atrocities, but she still bears their name. Names carry weight... and the Zabi name weighs on her shoulders like the sky upon Atlas'.
When requested, she puts Leina on speaker, and listens. It's no wonder that Banagher was drawn to her.
Finally, she speaks, more measured, less angry than before. "You said the people of Earth don't wonder where their food comes from, or consider the plight of the Spacenoids. That they don't speak out... and you're right, but it's not because they're thoughtless."
She steps out from behind Banagher. Like my friend here said," she lifts the phone indicatively, "They're kept in the dark. They don't ask because they don't know the question exists. They don't consider because they're barely told our plight exists. They don't speak out, then... because they don't know there's anything to speak out about."
"Propaganda keeps them blind. It paints the idea of Spacenoid independence as something intrinsically connected to the horrors of the Zeon wars--that independence for us means death for them."
Her eyebrows sink, eyes burning once more. "And the Sleeves' attacks on Earth have done nothing except reinforce that lie. What do you hope to do with them when you've shattered the Federation? What would you expect *me* to do? Rule by fear?"
<Pose Tracker> Full Frontal has posed.
Turning around, Full Frontal's calmness never wavers, despite the anger and impassioned reasoning from the young woman on the phone and Mineva's own counterargument. For what is there to feel but disappointment and continued despair? He remembered when the Red Comet had dared to hope, and yet despite the miracle, the status quo just continued to squeeze its grip tighter. Brushing Banagher aside, with a firm gentleness, the leader of the Sleeves spoke.
"I am well aware that the Federation is content to use me as their bogeyman, their fear in the dark to keep their sheep in line. That is why I must obtain the Box and ensure that the Spacenoids are forever unbound by the Federation's shackles." He pauses, gazing towards the phone held in Mineva's grasp.
"Judging from your tone and familiarity with Glemy Toto, I take it you were present during the civil war. Let me ask you this: what have you done then, to address the plight of the Spacenoids? Have you continued to fight for change? Or have you just simply lounged about somewhere safe from conflict, thinking to yourself 'I have done what I can' or 'I've done my fair share?'" Full Frontal grimaces in carefully acted disgust. "Do not speak to me of sophistry when you choose to decry my actions from the safety of a phone line, child."
The Ghost of Char turns to face Banagher once more, even as he replies to Mineva's retort, holding out a hand to the boy. "This is why I seek the power entrusted to you, as the keeper of the La+ Program. Laplace's Box will be the downfall of the Federation, and from the ashes we can build something better. That is the duty of ones entrusted with legacies and power such as us."
Nodding towards Mineva, "The Zabis fought for a nation liberated and independent of Earth, despite their methods and madness." Turning towards the phone, "Glemy Toto was willing to die in his desire to make Neo Zeon something better." Returning his gaze to Banagher, "And Cardeas Vist saw in you a worthy successor to his own goals and desires." Pausing, Full Frontal clenches his hand into a fist. "And lastly, I am the Second Coming of Char Aznable, a man who tried time and time again to bring his dreams of a free and united humanity to life, both fighting against and working within the systems of the Federation."
"There are only a few short years before the Federation removes the autonomy of the Republic, and if that comes to pass, there is naught more we can do for the Spacenoids." Gazing solemnly at Mineva, Full Frontal continued, "What I desire of you, Princess, is to lead your people. As the last Zabi, you have a responsibility to them. My goal is to free the Spacenoids from the Federation...but that doesn't mean they must be destroyed for that future to be realized. There are better methods than a second Axis Drop." A slight smile returns to Full Frontal's expression with that cryptic hint, as he activates a remote call for the Sinanju to arrive at his location.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher can't help but grin, widely and proudly, as Leina's voices comes through the line. A fierce rush of affection blooms from his heart, and it feel strong enough to reach all the way back to Spain. There's no need for him to add any of his own thoughts. The mention of Glemy, especially from Leina, is powerful enough.
Audrey backs Leina up perfectly. The women in Banagher's life constantly leave him in awe, and he squeezes Audrey's hand once more. "Even growing up in the colonies, I barely know our own history. It's been edited and sanitized so much. The people of the Federation deserve to know the truth, and -- I know they'll do the right thing, once they find out."
Full Frontal easily brushes Banagher aside, as though he were a child having a tantrum. Surprised by the Cyber-Newtype's strength, the young man is reminded of Marida. Were all Cyber-Newtypes this strong? Did he dare risk outright trying to attack Full Frontal, especially with Audrey here?
No. Audrey has to come first. Banagher seethes at the realization, but slowly makes his way back to her side. "There's more to the Box than just a tool for war and blackmail. We're going to use it to change things for the better for everyone! Spacenoids included."
"Don't talk to her like you know anything about her!" Banagher shouts, as Full Frontal addresses Leina. Having shared Leina's memories so deeply, the insult makes his blood burn. "She's done more for the children of Zeon than you could even dream of!"
Everything about this man is so infuriating. Every carefully pantomimed expression, every evenly spoken line. Even his philosophy, a twisted, surface-level understanding of the dreams of Zeon Zum Deikun. Banagher wishes fervently that he'd taken a debate class, or more history classes, or -- something. Anything to give him more of a leg to stand on against this empty man's words.
"Would you really rebuild them for the better?" Banagher asks, doubtful. "Would you just rule over the earth and exploit the people there, like they've done to us?" All the same, Full Frontal's comments about family legacies hit him hard. Had his father honestly seen him as a worthy succesor, or just a handy tool that appeared at the right moment?
There's no way to know.
Part of Bangaher wishes he could ask Full Frontal about his father. If Cardeas was truly going to give the box to the Sleeves, he must've met with Full Frontal many times. All of them, here in this room, even Leina... they're united by the gifts and curses their families left them with. Loni's words echo in his mind. Is there no way to escape the ghosts of the past? Banagher's energy wavers, some of Full Frontal's hopelessness finding its way to him.
Banagher freezes in horror as the man mentions a second Axis Drop. He can't help but glance to the phone in Audrey's hand. Leina... Just hearing that was going to be painful for her. "...none of us have any responsibility but what we choose. Even you. You can walk away from this right now, if you want to." He doesn't extend a hand, but Banagher's words are clear. You can come with us. We can figure this out together. "Our families don't have to be curses."
Full Frontal activates some sort of remote call, and Banagher looks to Audrey, worried. Would he destroy the house with his mobile suit, or would he keep his word about leaving them in peace? Had they bought Sayla enough time? All he can do in this moment is cling to Audrey's hand and have faith in the possibility Full Frontal blinds himself to. This world didn't belong to ghosts, or legacies. It belongs to those living in it.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
The text causes Leina to audibly gasp. However she covers the receiver and passes it along...
Leina finds herself similarly impressed by Audrey's insight. It definitely belies what most people might think of the Zabi Princess. However, Full Frontal's calmness never wavers.
What has she done to address the plight of Spacenoids?
And indeed, it makes her blood burn too, not just that, but the invocation of Axis Shock. It takes her a moment, to feel like she can even breathe again, before she murmurs - just after Banagher's impassioned defense, "Banagher. It's alright." She takes her time to collect her thoughts and- "Speaking as a girl who came from the slum of the poorest Colony on Side 1, who was made prisoner of war of Haman's Neo-Zeon as a /child/. I find myself thoroughly unimpressed by someone who lives like an pampered aristocrat trying to lecture me on the cause of Spacenoids - much less on Glemy Toto's ideals."
She says evenly, "I continue to fight for change. I protest the Federation's actions whenever I can, I work with the orphans and victims of war on both Earth and Space nearly every moment I'm not focused on school. And I relentlessly try to find and help the Cyber Newtypes that the causes you fight for /created/. However, I'm a /high school student/. And once I'm not - I will do everything in my power to overturn this wretched Federation in my own way - through non-violence. Because violence only upholds their system, it cannot do a thing to overturn it."
There's a tautness, a tension in her voice, "If you really are Casval Rem Deikun, then you should be ashamed of yourself. Your lack of hope for the future betrays everything your father stood for, of the real ideals of the Spacenoid. Of the potential, the possibility that mankind can create something better as we march into the future. If you truly believe as you do?"
There's a pronounced pause and certain revulsion in her voice... "... even ruling out another Axis Shock, you still have more in common with warmongers like Gihren Zabi than you ever will with Zeon Zum Deikun. Audrey, this man is not even worth giving the time of day."
<Pose Tracker> Mineva Lao Zabi has posed.
Mineva takes a few steps forward. "You aren't Char Aznable," she glares, eyes narrowed. "If you were--if you really had any right to claim his legacy--you'd be disgusted by the crimes of Zeon. By the aristocracy. Do you know why I disappeared? Why Haman had a body double of me?"
She crosses her arms, standing in front of Full Frontal, and looking up. "He didn't want a Princess of Zeon," she says conclusively. "We lived in the closed section of the colony. A small house. He taught me about war. About what we did wrong, about how we could make things right, about... he taught me *so much*. He wanted me to be a person. A free person. Not a ruler. Not a Princess. When he went to fight his god-damned rebellion, do you know what he did?"
She looks out the window, over the colony. "He left me at home, because... while Char Aznable may have been willing to betray his beliefs in the end... even then, he didn't want to use me as a tool to prop himself and his movement up."
"You're a disgrace to everything he was," she spits. Even in their previous face-to-face meetings, she's never seethed quite like *this* at him...
<Pose Tracker> Full Frontal has posed.
Despite the growing reservoirs of verbal venom from all fronts, the ghost never ceased his practiced smile. "Perhaps I am a disgrace, Mineva Lao Zabi, for what else remains for one who staked everything on a mad dream, only to realize it was futile in the end? I was born of the psychoframe, torn apart and put back together piece by piece, hollowed out and emptied to become a vessel of the people. My ideals as Char were foolish and meaningless, and I have awoken from the pitiful fantasies the Red Comet once held so dear. There is nothing to be gained from burning out as a comet hurtling through the abyss, shining bright in the night sky."
Full Frontal pauses and grits his teeth slightly as the soul within him stirs once more.
Mineva...
Yet despite this interruption from the shade within, Full Frontal continues, now addressing the phone. "I am what the people desire me to be, child. I do not find this attire tasteful, but it is expected of me as a leader of Neo Zeon, much as your Princess would be expected to don her own regalia as part of her trappings of office."
Full Frontal's smile grew marginally larger as a faint whistle began to trill in the distance. "The guise of Char Aznable, of Casval Rem Deikun, of Quattro Bajeena, of the Red Comet..they are all masks, in the end. I lack hope because I have seen its futility. The greatest light that we as a species have ever witnessed and yet, it still was not enough. If a miracle cannot cause change, then I will become its antithesis in cold rationality. I may only be a bogeyman for now to the Federation, but once I attain Laplace's Box, I will have the power to free humanity's ascent into space. Just as I desired back then, when I made my decision above Axis."
As the faint whistle in the distance began to coalesce into the familiar roar of the Sinanju's engines, Full Frontal turned to Banagher.
"I think you misunderstand me, my dear Banagher. I have no desire to rule over anyone, nor do I wish for the fading aristocracy of the Principality to remain. I merely act as the people desire, and so long as they desire the return of Char Aznable to lead them, then so will I serve them and the cause of the Spacenoids. Your father saw me as his successor, and was thus willing to entrust me with the Box. Take that as you will."
The roar reached a peak crescendo as the Sinanju's autopilot ignited its shield-mounted beam axes, swinging and vaporizing the ceiling of the mansion. The sudden exposure whipped up a howling gust, and Full Frontal leapt from debris to debris, his trenchcoat flowing behind him, reminiscent of a noble's cape, before reaching the entrance of the Sinanju's deployed cockpit doors.
Calling below, his raised voice nonetheless kept his cool calmness intact. "I have no qualm with you today, Banagher, Princess. To the two of you I grant my wishes for your continued travels as the current keepers of the Key, but make no mistake, I shall return. And as for you, child on the phone...give your brother my regards as Char, if he hasn't already fled with his woman."
As the Sinanju raced into the sky, quickly leaving the mansion's corpse behind, a final ache dwelled not in Full Frontal's head, but in his heart, as the shade within stirred again.
This is the only way now. I'm sorry, Mineva...