Percival had always been a man of patience. Even his grandmother had praised him for having a lot of it and yet, as he stood before the short woman in front of him, he couldn't help but feel as if that patience was nothing but a short wick.
Iavan stared right up at him, she was shorter than him, only reaching up to his chest, thinner than him and yet he could feel her full weight as she pressed her foot on his harder. He grimaced trying very hard to not give into her and hold out for another minute. But Iavan pressed her foot harder making him finally yelp in pain.
"Oww oww alright alright I yield, just get off"
He finally conceded as Iavan smiled, eyes gleaming with triumph as Percy took his card key and opened the server room in the Pentagon. His right foot flexed to get the blood rushing in it again.
"Remind me again why I'm risking my neck just so you could come in here?"
Percy said casually as Iavan strutted towards the computers.
"Because… I need to see if Maia is back"
Percy groaned as he leaned back to the door watching Iavan strode towards the monitors then back to the computers.
"Do you not trust me that I'll call you right away when she arrives?"
Iavan only glared at him. She was smaller and yet Percy almost cowered at her stare. It has always been the case with Iavan. She could always scare the wits out of him. He had known her for as long as she and Maia had been best friends. Hell, he grew up with her in that very sense. And yet, he still fears this woman more than his own parents and grandmother.
"I don't trust you, not even a little bit"
Percy only made a mocking face as he stared at her, eyes fixated on the monitor. Suddenly, every mischievous demeanor of her faded, replaced by anxiety. And in a small voice, she asked.
"Do you think they're alright? Or at least had they found your other cousins?"
That question made him peel off the door and walk towards her. His eyes skim through the monitors, seemingly wishing that he'd see his cousins again walking through that empty space. Alive, well and whole.
"I hope so"
Then the silence conveyed what they were too afraid to voice out.
We can't lose Maia again.
Percy had regretted it, and wished he could have done something to stop Maia from entering that arena. Wished he could have talked to her before everything went to hell. He had grieved her, without anyone knowing, he grieved and cried when they learned that she had died for a rebel cause. And when the city was reduced to ruins, he had thought that maybe it was God sent that Maia wasn't there to watch hell rain upon them.
But then she came back, different, broken and yet he couldn't bear to look away from her. Not from her white hair and ruby red eyes. Because she was alive. His cousin, his twin pea, alive amidst the changes both on the inside and out.
He had always treated both Maia and Maki as an extension of his family. His siblings, they weren't just cousins anymore, they were his siblings. Since he had always thought that he was the first born grandson it became his role to watch over all of them. So the fact that he wasn't in fact the eldest made him wary. But more than anything, it made him want to protect Maia and Maki more, even if they're so called super soldiers now.
He let out a deep sigh.
"They fed us lies you know"
His stare went to Iavan, her brown curly shoulder length hair hiding her features from him. But he knew her well enough to know that she just wanted to hide that devastation showing in her eyes. Something he sees in it ever since he had saved them from the SDC bunker.
"I know"
Percy said softly. He knew that whatever the SDC or Artemis had told them about Maia was a ruse—
"They said you died among the many others. Said there wasn't anything we could do about it. Said there wasn't even a body to recover, your body."
The soft sob that came out of Iavan's mouth froze Percy. She hadn't been talking about Maia, but him. She was talking about him. She inquired about him during that hellish period. Percy blinked once, twice just to confirm that he hadn't heard it wrong. But the loud beating of his heart was already a confirmation that he wasn't dreaming.
Then Iavan looked at him, eyes fiery once more, just like how it has always been. Just like how it has always seemed in his eyes. And yet, this time it made his heart skip once more.
"That's why I can never forgive any of them"
Percy blinked once more as he stood there frozen. Even as Iavan took a step and went out of the server room. It took him a whole minute before his knees buckled and he squatted right where he stood. His hands flying towards his face to cover the burning sensation in it.
"That girl will be the death of me"
His heart was beating frantically as if he had run a mile. He finally sighed after a moment as he stood up seemingly trying to recollect himself. But somehow, he knew whom she meant. The ones she could never forgive.
Artemis. The SDC Commanders. The scientist. And her own father. The one who gave consent for the sealing of some of her memories. Memories that she has had a hard time trying to distinguish up until now. That was the backlash of it. Iavan and Miisa don't know what was real and what was not anymore.
And that thought made Percy even more angry.
He stood up to watch the monitor when a resounding knock on the door caught his attention.
He found Lynette leaning on the door frame with Lancelot standing rigidly beside her, hands tucked behind his back. Lynette was grinning from ear to ear.
"We just saw Iavan strode away from here"
Percy only made a face, of course Lynette would notice how he felt for Iavan. After all, the only ones who didn't were Maia and Iavan herself.
"Nothing happened"
Percy grumbled as he took one last look at the monitors and turned his attention towards his brother and cousin.
"They're ready?"
At that, all the grinning vanished from Lyn's lips. Her lips thinned to form a line before she too stood rigidly.
"We are. Commander"
Lancelot nodded at his older brother and Percy stepped towards the door, down to the hallway and into the training grounds. The place was packed with people lined up, all dressed and armed heavily. Percy took one long glance at everyone, a total of two platoons before donning on his own set of weapons. His voice full of authority as he said.
"Let's go save our brethren"