A violent slam echoed throughout the chamber. Archius pushed Kazuki against the wall. His facade was gone, replaced with a nasty glare. Yet the exact moment that Archius even laid a finger on him, Cyrus pulled him off. Kazuki, meanwhile, stayed motionless as he waved Cyrus off. He glanced towards Kazuki for a moment as Archius tried to shrug him off.
Kazuki nodded, and Cyrus complied. Archius still looked pissed, taking a step forward towards Kaz. “Kazuki, the fuck’s gotten into you?”
“What are you talking about?” snapped Kazuki, not feeling any different. Surprisingly, he was confused.
“Jariking hell!” said Archius, “Ever since you placed a bullet through Jessica’s skull, you’ve grown dull. Weaker. I’m going to presume that your mission is to eliminate the gunrunners, and for that: you do not need softness.”
“Yeah… dull bullets aren’t as deadly,” said Kazuki, moving past Archius as he leaned against the desk, sitting on it.
“You don’t even realise it, do you?” asked Archius. “Does your ‘phoenix healing’ not apply to your fucking head?”
Kazuki thinned his eyes at Archius. For once, he genuinely doesn’t know what Archius is talking about. “Realise what?” asked Kazuki.
“Kaz, it’s as I said. You’re going soft. At first I thought it was just some coincidences, mismatches here and there,” said Archius, twisting a chair and sitting down. “Look, Kaz, I’m not telling you to be a miserable shit, but we’re playing with the bigger fishes now - and it’s a very big fucking galaxy.”
“Of course I know, I’ve delegated as much as necessary. Martinez can hold the fort down just fine for us,” said Kazuki. “We’re squeezing as much revenue from contracts as we can, but I will not gouge my own men for profit.”
He crossed his arms, slowly coming to understand what Archius was talking about… He was slowly creeping onto the topic. With progress, it seemed obvious to Kazuki. A bland observation, but Archius was going to shift the conversation to another matter.
“I’m not talking about that,” said Archius, to Kazuki’s slight interest. “Which is why I’m asking you: why are you dealing with the gunrunners personally?” asked Archius. “Money’s your speciality, right? Then you should know that you could make two hundred times what the government pays for your direct involvement if you ran training contracts for some Yakimoi System-States in fuck-off-who-cares.”
Kazuki froze for a moment, dumbfounded at the question. A vector of attack he didn’t predict, leaving him silent. Kazuki expected Archius to talk directly about Liz or Quinn; but instead he brought down a whole battering ram for his mind… Sly fuck, he thought.
“Efficiency,” said Kazuki. It wasn’t wrong, he was the AGENCY’s deadliest commander, but he kept his mouth shut. One word was enough, but he had to set the record straight. “Training contracts are not my speciality. They’re Martinez and Hosea’s. Not mine. The AGENCY’s judicial contracts are… profitable.”
“Profitable, yes, the Republic wants you to fix their shit; but the Yakimoi need services like you to train their forces… Of course, let’s ignore the last op in Yakimoi space…” started Archius, crossing his arms. Kazuki remained silent, glaring at him as Archius sighed. He placed a hand to his temple as he rubbed it. “I know you’re hiding something, let’s not go two ways about that. Kaz… Why won’t you tell me?”
Kazuki looked at Archius’ eyes. A sense of mystery came over them, perhaps he was… sad? No, it didn't suit him. Perplexed? High chances of it, but he can’t tell Archius. Even if he trusts him with his life, he can’t trust him with Eliza’s.
He decided to play dumb. Impossible to ascertain information from being dumb as fuck. “Tell you what?”
“Why is she special?” asked Archius, shaking his head. “I’ve been aligning the stars and I have some semblance of understanding, this has something to do with the Dassant, doesn’t it?”
“No. She helps run logistics,” lied Kazuki. “Now… back on the topic of contracts…”
Archius crossed his arms, slowly nodding before interrupting, “Let’s both pretend we didn’t hear that. You know I’m not blind, or stupid, or deaf.” He smirked.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” said Kazuki.
“Kazuki Geminorum-Ryzaku, Elizabeth Celeste-Delmara,” Archius started, “What do these two people have in common? Other than being in possession of Solar Brooches?”
“Bad relationships with family?” Kazuki sarcastically asked.
“You were both there,” continued Archius, his eyes were filled with intrigue as he dissected every part of Kazuki’s hidden life he refused to deliberate vocally to him. “But, sure, I’ll give both of you daddy issues.”
“Hey…” Kazuki glared at him, but it quickly faded. Archius knows something, but whether he knows the full picture or not is not apparent; and he will not hand over the truth on a silver platter for him.
“Look, Kaz, this is definitely linked to the Dassant. Eliza. Matt. P-1. They’re all connected,” Archius said, sighing. Cyrus glanced towards Kazuki. He chuckled.” You should know better than to lie to me!”
Kazuki deliberated for a moment. His best friend; his ally: Archius. He repeated the name in his head. They all have their own darknesses. And he will not tell Archius his, even if he believed he could trust him - no… he knows he can. Yet, Kazuki reminds himself: he must be the one to carry this burden.
No one else.
“Cyrus, leave us,” said Kazuki. Cyrus nodded, phasing the door open as he disappeared into the hallway.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Ah, finally, you’re opening up!” Archius remarked, as the door phased shut.
Kazuki lamented for a moment, what to do… What to do? Archius will find out eventually, won’t he? Better to prompt him than for him to find out by himself, would it not? Kazuki ached over the matter in his mind. If Archius wasn’t here, he would have used the analyspec for an answer. Though the fragments of it that Sato brought onto the destroyer may overload.
But it didn’t matter if it fragmented his mind. He needs answers now.
“Opening up is a generous term,” said Kazuki. He moved around the desk, sitting down. The Citadel on the destroyer wasn’t as refined as that of the Phoenix’s Fury.
“You can trust me, can’t you?”
“Of course I do. I trust you with my life. But I do not trust you with this matter.” said Kazuki, slowly cleaning his railgun pistol. He needed distractions. He needed something to ensure he doesn’t blunder. Nor he must seem too focused on the conversation.
“With Eliza’s life?” Archius asked.
Kazuki mumbled to himself. He placed the varying components of the railgun in its various pieces as the electron projector held the gun upwards, in a stasis floating position. He trusts him with that, doesn’t he? Kazuki didn’t know for sure.
“The last time I’ve trusted you with a life, you threw it into the meat grinder,” Kazuki said.
“Gabriel? He knew how to fight, and you knew that! But you still didn’t want to use him… And what about you? Jasmine, what about her? She is as important to me as Liz is to you; and you failed.” Archius’ voice crept lower and lower, till all but his most barebone ‘emotions’ were present. It was real.
Kazuki fell silent. He couldn’t respond to that. Eliza’s safety was paramount to his contract, and therefore he will take any precautions necessary. Jasmine was the wake-up call for him. “Sorry,” he said, “I misspoked. But why are you so adamant for an answer?”
“We’ve known each other for years now, we can engage in a lil’ bit of gossip, can’t we?” Archius smirked and shrugged, giving off a small chuckle. Kazuki did not reciprocate it. He couldn’t tell if Archius was being deathly serious with his questioning of Jasmine.
“No. We can gossip later, we have more pressing matters, regarding the operation.”
Archius interjected, “Oh, the operation? The informant thing was just a lie to get you to actually talk to me in private,” admitted Archius, “I was just kinda into the whole secret thing.”
“Oh.”
“Buut, if you’re talking about Quinn, then that part is interesting,” said Archius.
“He knows them,” said Kazuki.
Archius nodded. “I am aware of that, Osmond and Leon… The former is my eyes, as you already know—”
Kazuki didn’t respond.
“—Quinn’s steadfast, he doesn’t do things without a reason.” commented Archius.
Kazuki continued to repair his railgun. The nature of the weapon meant he had to constantly repair it. The electromagnetic energy expelled could easily break bones. His own.
“I am aware of that. But Riharia and Petra were killed. Brutally,” said Kazuki, feeling a measure of guilt for those two’s deaths. If only he was a bit faster… if only.
He ached over it for a moment as Archius noted the differing monotones of gold in his eyes. He assured Kazuki, “Quinn’s loyalties are with the AGENCY. We pay him, remember?”
“Payment is not all there is,” Kazuki said. He stopped the repairs. Payment was far from everything important, the rebellion was built on a revolt against a Contract. Everyone had their breaking points. “If payment was everything, I’d still be under Jessica’s heel.”
“Hell, Kaz, you’re the type of boss to throw pizza parties hoping that a two degree slice of pizza will save you from getting your head blown off by a hired assassin,” jested Archius.
He was wrong. Pizza parties aren’t his type. He’s the type to throw money at his men until they become loyal. Money is why they’re in this business to begin with. Though, all have their own points where money is not enough.
And only those with screws loose in their heads survive. It is not a coincidence that he must pay them a premium for their service - as much as his clients pay him a premium for his.
A moment passed, with Archius seemingly frustrated at Kazuki’s lack of response. Leaning forward, he snatched a cup of hot tea left on the desk, before downing it.
“My tea…” Kazuki trailed off, “That was fine Lautrasian leaves, I expect full compensation by the end of the week.”
“Haha, fuck you.” Archius pointed a finger at Kazuki in a joking manner. “Just take it out of my paycheque.”
“But… you’re not technically employed.”
Archius rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Oh, now you’re sounding like the boss that’d scapegoat the person that didn’t read the contract!”
“Fuck you,” said Kazuki.
Smirking, Archius leaned over the table and laughed. He placed his head against the table. “You know, we don’t get many chances to do this.”
“Do nothing and talk and do nothing?” Kazuki remarked.
“Yeah!” Archius laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ll go talk with Frederick… Make him understand some things.”
Kazuki leaned backwards, into the backrest of his chair. His black polo shirt still smelled somewhat of blood. “But what about the rest of us…”
“I told you already, waiting game. My informant has told me that Leon’s hiding, hiding well. He’ll definitely wait at least a week… But it’s about balance, Kaz, if he goes too fast: he’ll get his cover blown,” said Archius. “Anyways, you finally gonna tell me what your little secret with Liz is?”
The question itself was harmless, depending on the perspective. Both knew this.
“If you’re asking whether we’re collaborating on something… yes. You already know what it is. You dance around the topic like a fucking ballet star,” Kazuki answered. “I’ll tell you eventually.”
“Hmm? That? Oh, come on, that one’s obvious. I heard it up the grapevine after all. What I’m after is the crown jewel of it all!”
Kazuki’s eyes thinned once more. “And what may that be?”
“Eliza.”
“What of her?”
“You protect her to the letter, no matter what. You’re stone-cold and I don’t expect you to be the type to break Contracts on a whim.” said Archius. He was getting warmer, and Kazuki maintained his deadface, emotionless expression. “I’m just saying…”
“Over my dead body,” said Kazuki.
“For such a useless asset to the AGENCY as well…” Archius scoffed at his response. He formed his friendly-happy-go face, lightly grabbing Kazuki on the shoulder. He then said, in a light, joking voice, “I’ll get the answer from you one day.”
The air lingered still for a moment as Archius wheeled backwards. Kazuki thought to himself, looking away for a moment.
He closed his eyes as he twisted back around to Archius. And opening his eyes, he showed Archius the only thing he felt comfortable showing: guilt. Guilt for the death of Victoria, the billions of victims in P-1, and the countless comrades that fell beside him.
“One day,” Kazuki repeated. Archius’ eyes clicked upon the sight. Though Kazuki’s face hadn’t moved, he felt different, the slightest of slants causing the greatest of implications.