Rey Za Burrel. He was a boy burdened by a lineage more convoluted than most could fathom—the clone of Al Da Flaga's clone, Rau Le Creuset. Clad in a crisp suit as he stood before us, he showed none of the physical degradation that had ravaged Creuset's body. Of course, that was largely thanks to the suppressants provided by Gilbert Durandal.
Watching Rey offer us a polite, practiced bow, I turned to the man beside me.
"Mu, you didn't sense him?" I asked.
In the original history, there was a profound sympathetic resonance—a spatial awareness—between Mu and Rey. I had assumed that connection would have alerted him.
Mu gave a dry, self-deprecating chuckle. "Even with that 'gift,' it's not like a radar that stays on twenty-four-seven."
He stepped forward to greet the approaching pair. Durandal looked toward me, his expression unreadable but professional. "As we discussed, Axel," he prompted.
I nodded and shifted my focus to the boy. "So, you've made your decision regarding the telomere treatment?"
"Yes," Rey replied, his voice steady.
"…Should we move somewhere more private?" I glanced around.
The sight of the representative of Shadow Mirror conversing with the leader of the PLANTs was enough to draw eyes, but the presence of Mu La Flaga—the legendary 'Hawk of Endymion'—was the tipping point. We were becoming the unintentional center of gravity for the party's attention.
Rey shook his head slightly. "No, it's fine. I would like to accept the treatment. Thank you."
"You understand what that entails? I told you before."
"I do," Rey said, his gaze unwavering. "I will leave the PLANTs to join Shadow Mirror. I understand that for a time, I will be under constant surveillance to prevent information leaks. But I have weighed Rau's final wish, my own feelings, and Gil's heart. This is the conclusion I've reached."
The way he spoke—as if the words were being wrung from the depths of a soul far older than his years—made it easy to forget he was barely in his teens. Just as in Gundam SEED Destiny, the weight of being a clone and the looming shadow of genetic decay had forced him to grow up far too fast.
Durandal reached out a hand. "I'm leaving Rey in your care, Axel."
"Understood," I said, shaking his hand firmly. "Since I've accepted the task, I'll do everything in my power to ensure his treatment is a success."
"Then I suppose it's time for me to make good on my promise, too," Mu chimed in.
I looked at him, puzzled. "Promise?"
"Remember? Back when we first met Durandal at the PLANTs. I said if the kid ever moved to Shadow Mirror, I'd act as his guardian."
"You were serious about that?"
"Dead serious," Mu replied with a nonchalant shrug.
I sighed. "If you're going to be his guardian, that complicates things. For security reasons, I'd need you to officially join Shadow Mirror as well."
I cast a sidelong glance at Natarle Badgiruel, who was watching the conversation unfold with her usual stoic discipline. Back then, I'd joked about her joining us too, but the more I thought about it, the more I doubted it would work. Natarle was a soldier through and through—principled, rigid, and loyal to the chain of command. Shadow Mirror was an irregular unit that didn't hesitate to get its hands dirty in the shadows. I couldn't see her thriving in our world.
Furthermore, being part of Shadow Mirror meant fighting across dimensions. If the Code Geass timeline hit the R2 phase, we'd likely find ourselves at war with the Britannian Empire, the Black Knights, or the Chinese Federation. Murrue and Cornelia had already adapted to our ways, and Lemon was a founding member, but Natarle…
"Natarle, what's your take on this?" I asked.
"If you want my personal opinion: I'm against it," she said flatly. "But if that is what Mu desires, I have no right to stop him."
"Then why don't you join us, too?"
She didn't hesitate. "No. Your methods do not suit me. I intend to enlist in the Orb Union's military. They've been scouting me for some time."
It was a clean, firm rejection. I turned back to Mu. "Well? She's not coming. What are you going to do?"
"Hey, just because we're in different branches doesn't mean we have to break up, right?" Mu grinned, his eyes gleaming with that familiar bravado. "Orb and Shadow Mirror are allies, anyway. And besides, have you forgotten who I am? I'm the man who makes the impossible possible."
I blinked. Come to think of it, was this the first time I'd heard him say that line in person? In this timeline, I was the one who suggested the supply run in the debris belt after Heliopolis, and the Archangel never had to face the Dominion's Lohengrin. The moments that usually defined his catchphrase hadn't happened.
"Well, as long as you two are satisfied, I won't argue," I said, then turned to Rey. "Are you alright with this guy being your guardian?"
Rey looked at Mu, a hint of hesitation in his eyes before he nodded. "Yes. I have a certain… curiosity regarding him, given his connection to Rau."
It hit me then—the biological absurdity of it all. Genetically speaking, Mu was essentially Rey's father, or perhaps an older brother. Yet here was the "son" acting as the guardian for his genetic progenitor's successor. The family tree of the Flaga bloodline was less a tree and more a tangled briar patch.
"Fine. We'll need to arrange housing. Do you two want to live together?"
"That's a bit sudden," Mu said. "Let us talk it over and get back to you."
"That is acceptable," Rey added.
"Fair enough. Durandal, when can Rey transfer to our side?"
"Let's see… he'll need to return to the PLANTs to finalize the paperwork. I'd say we need about two weeks."
Two weeks. That actually worked out well.
"Understood. I actually have a few other people looking to migrate to the White Star. I'll organize a welcome party for everyone once Rey arrives. Is that alright?"
"Of course," Durandal replied smoothly.
I was actually thinking of finally holding that private gathering I'd promised after the Battle of Jachin Due. I'd called it a 'victory party' back then, but since we'd have Coordinators from the PLANTs joining us, I'd need to find a more tactful name for the occasion.
"So, what about you?" I asked Durandal. "What's your next move?"
He was here as a representative of the PLANTs, which meant his political career was already in full swing. However, I had no intention of letting him force the Destiny Plan on the world like he did in the original series. If he wanted to start a company to research genetic aptitude as a service, that was fine. But otherwise…
"Why don't you join Shadow Mirror as well? If you did your research with us, we might even find a way to solve the Coordinator infertility crisis."
It was a long shot. I'd consulted Lemon about it before; she had said Rey's telomeres were an easy fix, but the birth rate issue was another beast entirely. She'd explained it in complex terms, but it boiled down to the "limit of the species." Just as individuals age and stars eventually burn out, a race could have a natural lifespan. By forcing genetic evolution through the Coordinator process, they might have inadvertently reached the species' sunset.
Still, if anyone could break through that limit, it was a genetic genius like Durandal.
"No," Durandal said, a soft, wistful smile on his lips. "I wish to remain in the PLANTs. It is my home. There are many memories there… both happy and sad."
The 'sad' ones, no doubt, referred to Talia Gladys—the woman he loved but couldn't be with because their genetic compatibility was too low to produce children.
"I see. If that's your choice, I won't push. Regarding Rey, I'll do everything I can. Though, I'll likely have him attend school in Orb."
Training him within Shadow Mirror was an option, but our technical and combat teams were… eccentric, to say the least. I wanted the boy to have something resembling a normal education.
Actually, I thought, maybe I'll pull a bit of 'original plot' karma and put him in the same school as Shinn Asuka. If only Lunamaria Hawke were around, the set would be complete.
"I would appreciate that," Durandal said. "Rey has never known the life of a normal child. In that regard, Axel, I truly am in your debt."
Durandal smiled, but I found myself second-guessing the sincerity in his eyes. Was he truly happy that his surrogate son's life was being saved? Or was he simply pleased to have a permanent bridge to Shadow Mirror—a group with overwhelming military and technological power? He had almost certainly tasked Rey with observing our tech.
Then again, maybe I was just projecting because I knew the man he was supposed to become.
In any case, total secrecy was impossible. My only concern was ensuring our technology didn't end up in the hands of monsters like Blue Cosmos or a version of Durandal who would stop at nothing to impose his will on humanity.
"Is something wrong?" Rey asked, noticing my silence.
I shook off the dark thoughts. "No, nothing. As I said, once the paperwork is done and you're at the White Star, we'll have that party. I might even be able to introduce you to a friend your age."
I imagined Shinn Asuka and Rey meeting under much more peaceful circumstances—perhaps with the rest of the Asuka family there to keep them grounded. With that thought, I turned back to the party, ready to enjoy the moment while it lasted.
Status Update: Axel Almar
Level: 38 (PP: 615)
Stats: Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272 | Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance the performance of 'Slime')
Terrain Mastery: Air: S | Ground: S | Water: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills: EXP Up, SP Boost (SP Up Lvl 9, SP Regen, Concentration), Psychodriver Lvl 10, Attacker, Gunfight Lvl 9, Infight Lvl 9, Morale Limit Break, Geass (Greyed Out), ???, ???, ???...
Total Kills: 374
-------------------------------
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