To Each Their Own Pt. 2

I glanced at the holographic clock on the wall near the front, just like I'd been doing for a while now. Each time, it felt like the handle was ticking slower and slower. It has been about four hours since I sat down here, waiting—hoping—for Judan to wake up.

Astrid came by every so often to check on us, handing me a snack and a water bottle, but I decided to save them for when Judan woke up... however long that might take.

My mind kept drifting back to the conversation with Astrid. I knew the overdrive sequence was dangerous, but not like this. Augmentations were supposed to advance humanity, so how is it that the very technology meant to prolong life is speeding up their deaths? Sure, it was never meant to be used, but the option is still there... especially for them.

"Ugh..."

I immediately sprung up. "Judan?"

Her eyes subtly twitched, but they remained closed. I admit, I had my hopes raised, but I guess that's asking for too much. However, right as I was about to sit back down, her eyes opened.

"Judan...!" I exclaimed. "H-hey... Are you alright?"

"...Agh... W-water..." she mumbled almost incoherently.

Thank goodness I saved the water bottle Astrid gave me. I grabbed it off the counter and uncapped it, then carefully slid my hand under Judan’s head, lifting it gently as I tilted the bottle toward her lips. To my surprise, she drank the whole thing in one go. I lowered her head back down, and she let out a deep, heavy breath.

"Thanks, Solas..." she sighed.

"Yeah, of course," I replied. "Give me a second. I'm gonna go fetch Astrid."

When I stood up, Judan reached out to grab me by the wrist.

"I'm fine," she said.

"What? You were definitely not fine. Even if you think you are, there could be something happening underneath that you don't know about."

"If I'm not fine now, then I will be. Just... stay here for a bit."

A part of me hesitated. Why wouldn’t she just let Astrid check on her, even for a minute? There’s so much I still don’t understand. I know she’s augmented—maybe she has some natural healing abilities I’m not aware of—but that doesn’t mean she should ignore her condition. I saw what I saw, and it still worries me.

Even so, I sat back down. Judan released my wrist, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Thank you," she said.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm entertaining you now, but the moment I see something even slightly off, I'm gonna grab Astrid with or without your approval."

"Heh... Still rebellious, I see. Did puberty not hit you yet?"

"W-what? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Haha. I'm just kidding, Sol."

I froze at the sound of that nickname. 'Sol.' Only Mother and Nelia ever called me that. Eventually, Judan started using it too, but only after we had grown closer—close enough for me to think of her as my second older sister. Hearing it now... it warmed me, but there was a hint of sadness to it as well.

"Well, what do you think?" Judan asked. "Do I look cool right now?"

"Um... I wouldn't necessarily say that being bedridden looks cool."

"Aw, come on. I just got back from a battle of life and death. Can't glaze me up just a little bit?"

"What's there to glaze? You can't move, you're clearly in pain, and... you almost... Tch. I'd prefer it if you came back without any injuries."

"Ah... Are you perhaps mad at me right now, Sol?"

She slowly twisted her head to look at me. I couldn’t tell what kind of expression I was wearing, but it wasn’t a good one. My brows were furrowed, and my lips trembled ever so slightly. Maybe she was right. I wasn’t angry. I'm just… displeased, I guess.

"Judan..." I said. "Astrid told me... that you went overdrive. And she also told me what it does to you."

Judan let out a subtle chuckle, but I knew how painful it was for her to manage even that.

"Why are you laughing?" I muttered. "Do you not—"

"Sol," she said with just intensity that it shut me up immediately.

For a moment, we locked eyes, and in that instant, my frustration began to fade. There was something else. A subtle hint of reminiscence mixed with conviction, as if we were both recalling a time before all this. A time when things were simpler, and yet, here we stood, aware of the impossible weight of everything unspoken between us.

It wasn't just about the past—it was a quiet understanding of everything that had changed and everything that never would.

"Who am I?" she asked.

"W-what? What do you mean?" I gulped.

"I'm asking you who you see right in front of you."

"Well... You're Judan."

"That's partially right, but the answer I was looking for is 'Holiday, the captain of Calypso.' As Calypso, we are eternally in the line of fire. This is just another part of the job."

"Does it always have to end with you coming back covered in blood?"

"Not always, but certainly often. Calypso may be all-powerful and a menace to society, but at the end of the day, we still have some humanity in us. We breathe, we bleed, and we can die. Sometimes, we're not left with many options... just like Captain Nemesis."

Judan slowly reached her hand out, her eyes aiming at my hand. At first, I was confused, thinking that she needed to check my hand or something. But then, she grabbed it, locking my fingers within hers and holding it tight.

"Sol... Since you don't remember much about Nelia's role as Nemesis, I want to tell you as much as I can. Are you willing to hear it?"

Truth be told, I was reluctant. Half of me didn't want to know because I wouldn't be able to handle it, but the other half was curious and wanted to know.

I took a deep breath and squeezed Judan's hand. "I'll listen. I want to remember Nelia for all that she was."

Judan smiled softly. "Alright. Now, let's take a dive, shall we? To understand Nelia's intentions, you must first understand what it was she uncovered—the truth."

"The truth...? About what?"

"The High Order and their ways. You see, Project: Augmentation wasn't the beginning of the High Order's desperate attempt to augment all humans. For a very long time, they kidnapped and purchased unwanted children from the undercity and experimented on them. You've no idea... how many kids died because of it."

I felt my heart sinking as a chilling sensation rushed through my body. Even before Project: Augmentation, the High Order was forcing people to augment—children, no less. What kind of monster would do that? What gives them the right?

My silence made it clear that I had nothing to say, so Judan continued.

"When Project: Augmentation was passed, Captain Nemesis was the first to speak up. She, as an augmented human, knew the pain of the augmentation process. That's why she pleaded to the council to nullify the law. The High Order... didn't listen. So Captain Nemesis did a little bit of digging. That was when she discovered what they had long since buried: the truth of progression and advancement of this great city of New Olympos, and the reason why code name: Nyx rebelled against the Queen thirty years ago."

"And that's when..." I muttered without finishing the sentence.

"Correct. That was when Captain Nemesis incited the insurrection. As a result, she paid the ultimate price."

So in the end, she fought and died as a defect. No... She died fighting for what she believed in. That definitely sounds like something she'd do.

"Let me remind you, Sol. Nemesis's death was not your fault, no matter how much you want to blame yourself. I'm not sure what the details were because that was between her and you, Regulus. One thing's for sure... You wouldn't have set the Tower of Babel on fire while shouting Nelia's name if you truly hadn't cared."

"I get that. Really, I do. It's just..."

Judan squeezed my hand in hers.

"Don't worry. I'm sure there's an answer, and we'll find it. But just in case you forgot... She loved you, Sol. More than you could ever imagine."

Suddenly, the door clicked open, and Astrid walked in.

"Oh, you're awake, Boss," Astrid said. "Good. I was about to perform a checkup. You ready?"

"Go for it."

I stood up to leave space for Astrid to work, but she stopped me when she saw my face.

"You good, buddy?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh... Yeah. It's just... There's a lot I need to think about."

"Hm. Alright. Let me know if you need anything, 'kay?"

"Yeah."