The Breakfast

Two days later

A soothing melody of what I learned to be a `bird song' entered my ears. Their colorful notes entrapped my attention upon first hearing them many years ago. At first, I believed it to be the musical ramblings of an AI. Imagine my surprise upon learning a flying creature made the sounds. I've begun each morning listening to their cheery disposition since.

There was no sound in the universe I hated more right now.

"Ugh..." The groan passed through my throat as I pulled the covers higher. Instinct made me tuck in my chin. It was a desperate attempt to shield my ears, yet it seemed as if the birdsong only grew louder. "Go... away..."

"Rise and shine, Vega!" a voice yelled through the door. "Your breakfast is almost ready!"

"Not... hungry..."

"You sure? Old Man Cor fired up his coffee pot. Less for you means more for me!"

"I'm not an old man," said a second voice.

Today... he had to do it today... I groaned, squeezing the blankets a last time before starting our separation. "Fine." Cold seeped into my feet as they touched the floor with two soft plops. It took significantly more effort to shift my weight onto them.

"Oh man, this coffee is delicious!"

"I'm... coming... I'm..." A yawn swallowed the last of my words. Several joints popped when I stretched myself. A quick tug on my pants prevented them from crawling into an uncomfortable place. Sadly, it did nothing for the rest of my protesting muscles. It was always the second day after a battle that was the hardest.

I should stop skipping my stretches.

"Vega... where art thou, Vega..."

"I'm coming!" I killed the birdsong with a final touch on my display before stumbling into the kitchen.

"There you are." Nova grinned as he put a plate on the table "I was beginning to get worried."

"Har... har..." I practically fell into the chair. The plate became focused after a few slow blinks and a rub of my eyes. Eggs, buttered toast, and two of something that was either grilled sausages or burnt carrots awaited my consumption. "Thanks."

"Eat up! Put some meat on your bones lest you become even skinnier than the old man." Nova nodded at the table's last occupant.

"I'm not old!"

"It's the best we could come up with." Nova chuckled. " `Ancient Man Cor' sounds a bit insulting, don't you think?"

"You youngsters never had respect for me in the first place." Father Alcor huffed. "Not once since the day you appeared on my doorstep."

"Well..." A raised hand blocked my yawn at the last moment. "You're the one that taught us not to spread false testimony."

"I've also taught you to respect your elders."

"By that, are you admitting you are one?"

"Bah."

I smiled. The exchange was as routine as having breakfast together. Nova and I loved to tease our guardian, but it was out of affection, and he knew it. I doubted we would be alive if Father Alcor hadn't taken us in as kids.

Nova's vigor did puzzle me. The brain wasn't made for a strenuous activity like piloting a mech. Recuperation was always needed, so the days after battle was typically spent in a blurry haze or bed. While movement would become possible on the second, the body would also use that opportunity to voice its grievances.

"But I have to wonder why you are treating us like this, old man." A cup clinked as Nova put a steaming mug next to my plate before seating himself between me and the old man. "Toast? Sausage? And even coffee? We haven't been treated this much since you wanted to impress a longhair."

"To be fair, Nova, almost anybody has longer hair than our beloved Father."

The old man scowled. "I would have said it is my way of thanking you for preventing that infernal hellspawn from demolishing my house. I'll be sure to rethink my sentiment the next time."

"Aww." Nova clasped his hands together in mock sincerity. "Well, we'd have to accept most graciously if that's the case! Drink up, sister! We never know when something like this will happen again."

"Truly a day for miracles." I grinned, raising my cup in a mock toast.

"Bah!"

"Well then, old man, would you do the honors?"

"Hmm..." Father Alcor and I took hold of Nova's outstretched hands before closing the circle ourselves. "Dear Lord in heaven. We thank you for the meal You have blessed us with. May our bodies use it to the Glory of Your Name. Amen."

"Amen." Nova and I echoed before diving in. The toast and eggs were most delicious while still hot, so I started with them. Nobody likes cold toast and eggs, myself included.

"How're you feeling?" Nova asked before biting off a piece of his toast.

"Sore," I answered after swallowing. "My arms are killing me, and my entire body is tingling."

"Taking a blast like that's bound to do a number on you."

"Yup."

"Headache?" His sausage gave a crunch as he bit through it.

I answered with a shake of my head. "You?"

"Hmm..." He pressed his hand to his mouth as he chewed. "No. Not feeling too bad. Slept like a log, though."

"Lucky."

"I did my stretches after the battle." He winked.

"Uh-huh."

"But I did expect it to be worse. It's only my shoulders and hips that are a bit stiff. I also have these strange bumps over my back. I wonder where they came from..."

"I apologized for that."

Nova grinned in return.

"Be thankful that you survived," said Father Alcor. "You remember what happened during the previous encounter with an officer of the demonic ranks."

"Yes, Father," My chewing slowed as the previous battle flashed through my mind. Nova and I weren't always the only Angels on Asbestos. Seventeen Angels wandered the complex a year ago. The last battle lessened our numbers from five to two. Nova and I were the only survivors.

"But I'm glad to enjoy breakfast with my family," he muttered, looking pointedly at his plate.

"And we're glad to share it with you." Nova gave the old man a squeeze on his shoulder.

Father Alcor nodded. "Tell me about the demon you've faced."

"Wait," Nova hastily swallowed whatever he was chewing on. "If you're asking, does that mean they haven't released the report yet?"

"I've been too busy tending to you youngsters to bother reading my messages."

Seems like Nova was more out of it than he's letting on.

"But now that I'm sitting across from the two who experienced it first-hand, I might as well ask."

"Right." I popped the last bit of sausage in my mouth before pushing back the plate. "Command said it was a marquis. She didn't say anything else."

"The heathens never do. Describe it to me."

"Dark. It was almost pitch black, making it difficult to see in the sky. It looked humanoid. Two arms with five-fingered hands and two legs ending in feet. The size of its head was slightly larger than I anticipated. Eyes were blood red, and it had crooked ivory teeth. No tail from what I could see."

"Did it have a weapon?"

"It wielded a one-handed staff. The marquis used it to cast fire-based magics."

"A staff... a marquis..." Father Alcor closed his eyes for a second. "I'll confirm with the compendium later, but I suspect you faced off against Ronove."

"I haven't heard of him before," Nova said between bites.

"I'm not surprised. Ronove's not as well known as the others. Some speculate whether he's a marquis or merely a higher-powered count. The battle suggests the former."

My heart gave a thump. "What was the damage?"

"You didn't hear?"

"Nova and I were barely conscious when we stumbled into the hangers. I blacked out while waiting for the gantries to secure Cerviel."

"I was lying over the control ring when Valoel opened his exterior hatch. The technicians had to disconnect the cables manually. It's a blur after that."

Father Alcor stared at us for a second. "Lord knows the toll those machines place on your bodies. It pains me every time to hear of the side effects."

"Asbestos wouldn't exist were it not for us.".

"A fact I can't deny." Father Alcor leaned back in his chair. "We lost the Sopoid dome. As for the casualty count, I believe the official number is a hundred and sixty."

"Hundred and sixty? That many?! Why didn't they evacuate to the vaults?"

"They did." Father Alcor lowered his gaze. "The marquis' attack tore through the dome's layers. There were no survivors."

"Shit..." Nova fell back into his chair.

"I've told you better than to use such language," said Father Alcor.

"Sorry, but some opinions cannot be expressed otherwise."

"Hmm..."

"But... how?" I couldn't blame my brother for his slip of the tongue. "Most people would have been in the vault. Didn't it activate it's shielding?'

"Like I said, I haven't read the report. You'll have to investigate yourself."

"Damn." I shook my head. "A hundred and sixty people. How many does that leave behind?"

"Less than a thousand." Nova sighed. "There will hardly be anybody for the evacuation ships to pick up at this rate."

"How long until they arrive?" Father Alcor asked.

"Two weeks," I answered. "Barring any other delays."

"At the rate the attacks are intensifying, it's going to be very tight," said Nova.

"We'll just have to do better then."

"I don't think you can do more than what you currently are," Father Alcor replied with narrowed eyes. "Passing out after your battles would prove as such."

"Tell that to the hundred and sixty people who died."

"Any war has losses, Vega."

"But it doesn't make it acceptable to have them."

"Not this again." Nova shook his head. "We go over this every time. We're doing our best, and we don't have the supplies to do more."

"But what if our best isn't good enough?"

"Are you expecting to face off against the demonic legion and come out victorious?"

"No, but I would like to save at least everybody I can."

"Well then, what would you have done differently? Because it sure doesn't look like we were fighting recklessly."

"I... I could have attacked the marquis' quicker. Prevent him from launching any blows towards the city."

"How?"

"I could have fought him from behind, force his attacks to fly out over the planes."

"That would have enabled him to break off from you and run amok throughout the city."

"You could have stopped him."

"How? It took a bullet to the head without flinching. It took both of us to inflict a fatal wound, and even then, we had to work for it."

"I..."

"Quit with the `I', Vega. Stop thinking that everything falls on you. Both of us who fought the marquis, and as the second participant, I'll tell you: there's nothing we could have done better."

"Your brother is right, child." Father Alcor nodded. "Everyone will agree it's important to prevent deaths, but it is equally important to remember those that are still alive. Sacrificing yourself will only lead the way for greater bloodshed in the future."

"Listen to him." Nova took hold of my hand. "I hate it as much as you do, believe me, but we have to ensure as many people are alive as possible when the evacuation ships arrive. That means staying alive. Both of us. We do that by sharing the load. Just like with Cerviel and Valoel. Don't blame yourself for everything."

"Hmm..."

"Vega." His hand squeezed slightly harder. "I know that look. Don't think about doing anything reckless."

"I... I'll do my best."

"Vega..."

"I promise."

"I'll tell Command to throttle Cerviel's power core."

"What? Why?"

"You landed in the hospital after the last time you `promised'. What was it again, Father? Two dislocated shoulders and a cracked rib?"

"I remember a broken leg as well."

"Broken leg as well."

"I promise." I tried to smile as I spoke. "We should listen to the wisdom of our elders, after all." Nova winked in reply.

Father Alcor's brow burrowed slightly deeper into his face. "I'm not old."

"Weren't you the one telling us not to spread false testimony?" Nova said.

"Bah," the old man waved the thought away. "Your incessant mocking would suggest you're feeling better. We should finish our breakfast. The day won't wait for frivolousness."

"Right," Nova said. "There's bound to be an influx at the hospital. I wanted to check whether I could help there."

"You just want an excuse to chat up Nurse Mira."

"Oh, sister," he mockingly put his hand over his heart. "You wound me, assuming I would offer my services to the injured with such superficial reasons in mind."

"Yet you're not denying..."

"Well... it helps that there's such fetching company while you work. Boost motivation and all of that."

"Right." I chuckled. "Tell her I said hi."

"Might even invite her for dinner. If that's all right with you, Father?"

"I notice you only call me that when you want something."

"Didn't you say to respect the elderly?"

"Bah."

"So that's a yes. What about you, sister?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll probably check whether I can assist with the clean-up at the damaged vault."

"You should see if you can get Cerviel to help there."

"I think the battle might have inflicted too much damage. I'll check in with Command, but I'm not optimistic."

"Your help will be appreciated either way." Father Alcor nodded.

"Well then." Nova pressed his hands against the table as he stood up. "Shall we get going?"