[Hathaway's Flash] Vol.03 Ch.03

CHAPTER.03
DIFFERENT PLACE　

　"Why are you in my way! Quess!" Hathaway's eyes beheld the scene of Quess Paraya, her innocent girl-like expression disintegrating before him.
　Even knowing this was but a dream, it was terrifying.
　"Weren't you supposed to come with me?"
　Her lips remained still, voice unheard, yet her message was clear. The words, unspoken, surged towards him like silent storm waves.
　"Quess, you demanded too much... and then, you ran away from me, didn't you? You don't have such a right, Quess!"
　"Hahahaha, you're jealous, Hathaway!" Quess taunted, face shifting and distorting like an image reflected in turbulent waters. "Your error caused my death! How cruel of you! Had you meant to end my life, I could've accepted that. But to die by accident... it's insufferable! Come on, Hathaway!"
　Her voice echoed deep and loud, compelling Hathaway to cover his ears, but his hands were as absent as if they'd never existed.
　"You're the vilest murderer, Hathaway!" Every single word gouged out his heart, flaying him down to the bone. The desolation of perceiving the "nothingness" resulting from this disintegration.
　"The sad remnant of the woman who loved Char Aznable dares to judge me!"
　That scream of Hathaway originated from where he might have existed until a moment ago——a place now devoid of any physical form——and Hathaway heard it.
　"Where are my ears that are hearing my voice? Is this nothingness or void... There's no sadness... no loneliness... just nothingness..."
　Even this realization began to fade.
　An emptiness hung before his eyes, and before long, it cascaded towards a single point of warmth.
　"So... warmth is the origin of existence..."
　This realization was a joy. Comfort, too.
　His eyes opened of their own accord, revealing hands that emerged from an unseen source. The warmth radiated from his wrists, filling him from the inside.
　"It's okay... you're okay..."
　Hathaway shrank away from the warmth as he couldn't imagine what was producing it. Feeling more heat on his wrists, he looked at his hands.
　A woman's hand was entwined there.
　"Hathaway... are you okay?" Beyond his hand, Gigi Andalusia's face appeared.
　"Gigi..."
　"You were having a nightmare..."
　"Oh..."
　Feeling Gigi's hand opening the zipper of the sleeping bag at the collar, Hathaway stretched his neck. Sweat was cooling the collar of his shirt.
　"Well? Want to take some medicine?"
　"What do you suggest?"
　"A sedative, maybe... or, there are some cold meds..."
　As Gigi sat up, Hathaway noticed the tent behind her fluttering violently.
　"Because of the sound of this wind..."
　They were two people using a four-person tent. It was meant for mountaineering and didn't have ample space.
　With the light of the flashlight in Gigi's hand, she took out medicine and water from the first aid kit and handed them to Hathaway.
　"Thanks."
　"Hmph."
　Gigi's disheveled blonde hair shimmered and sparkled in the light placed by her hip, amplifying the brightness.
　The medicine and mineral water tasted incredibly bad in his mouth.
　"You're pressing yourself too hard for one so young..." Gigi observed, an undercurrent of concern lacing her words.
　"..."
　Suddenly being told that Hathaway understand what Gigi was trying to say. But he didn't argue.
　"There are various ways to live your life, don't you think?" Gigi handed him a towel, her gaze locked onto his wearied eyes. "A car, once set in motion, deserves to reach its destination."
　He mopped the sheen of sweat from his neck and chest with the towel. That alone seemed to make him feel a lot more relaxed.
　"I don't intend to... But am I getting in your way?" Gigi asked, seemingly unable to fully grasp the weight of the towel now soaked with Hathaway's sweat and warmth.
　"It's fine. If I'm suspected of being a spy, someone has to keep an eye on me. I'm grateful to your comrades who have allowed this arrangement."
　"That's true..."
　Hathaway agreed, settling back down into his sleeping bag.
　"It's strange... Everyone in Mafty is so kind, even though they're terrorists."
　Gigi observed Hathaway from a distance, her figure only faintly illuminated by the flashlight's glow.
　"Is that what society says?"
　"Society is on Mafty's side. But they don't appreciate terrorism."
　"There's a pistol there, you know," Hathaway pointed to an aluminum case where the flashlight was placed.
　"Hard pass!" Gigi flipped off the flashlight, her rustling movements signaling her retreat into her sleeping bag.
　A glance at his glowing watch dial told Hathaway he had but two more hours of sleep.
　He began, "I've met people called Newtype in the past. Regardless of their age, they were immersed in adult society, but success eluded them. And I don't have the talent of a Newtype...  This is my only way to combat the Earth-centric system's poison and force humanity to acknowledge the crux of the problem," His voice trailed off, tinged with a hint of melancholy.
　"All your actions have resulted in is bloodshed," Gigi's whispered response brushed against Hathaway's cheek, a sudden annoyance flaring within him.
　"You're painfully narrow-minded for someone so insightful."
　"Is it wrong to...to find myself drawn to you, Hathaway?"
　"Thank you... But not everyone excels at love. That's our world. That's why we must resort to such measures..."
　Her soft sigh skimmed his cheek again, the meaning clear to him. Fortunately, the swaying of the tent spared him from reacting to Gigi's subtle cues.
　"You're the one being narrow-minded... I hoped for your luck to shift when I was assigned to accompany Captain Kenneth to Ayers Rock."
　While not the entire truth, it held a certain truth for Gigi in that moment.
　"That just demonstrates your personal sentimentality, Gigi. Aboard the Haunzen, you maintained neutrality. Neither for Kenneth nor me. That's the perspective you need to adopt to comprehend Mafty's actions."
　"Personally, that's both challenging and tedious," Gigi huffed and turned away.
　"During the so-called age of modern individualism, human consumerism soared, leading Earth towards her demise... As long as we continue endorsing individual freedoms, we risk exhausting Earth, even with the existence of space colonies."
　"So you dispute even the modicum of tranquillity afforded by familial bonds?"
　"We've entered an epoch where our survival is contingent upon collective action. You need to remember that..."
　"Liberalization of all humans culminating in a harmonious collective... It sounds reminiscent of a Newtype utopia."
　"Exactly."
　"Then sex would become irrelevant."
　"Would it? I've always thought of the act as a pathway to attaining clarity..."
　"Are you kidding?"
　"No, I'm not. I believe that even orgasms allow us to recognize something beyond the act... Otherwise, it's embarrassing for intelligent humans to have sex."
　"That's an ideal. The dichotomy between intellect and primal instincts makes us human, and the diversity in sexual--"
　"Sex fuels desire. To view sex as a part of desire is human."
　"I try to understand, but..." Gigi's movements betrayed her change of position towards Hathaway. "You're embarking on this path to escape from the memory of Quess Paraya, aren't you? That's just human, isn't it? Isn't it endearing?"
　Hathaway's muttered sleep-talk of Quess seemed to testify to his weakness.
　"The era of being that kind of human has ended," Hathaway said after a pause, his voice tinged with anger.
　"That's too radical."
　"Yes. But it's the harsh truth, Gigi. I'm using you to flee from the past."
　"And isn't that quintessentially human? That's the Hathaway I admire."
　"...That's what makes it so damn unbearable...!" The cave wind assaulted their tent, almost overbearingly so. Hathaway decided it was time to halt the linguistic dance.
　"Also, about Quess... it's not like that... When I get close to you, Hathaway, I feel danger. You're using your past lover as a shield. But that's because you have a sense of duty to Mafty."
　Hathaway was in no mood to hear more explanations.
　"Gigi... At dawn, vanish from my sight."
　His words struck Gigi like a bolt through the darkness.
　Gigi was taken aback; she never pegged Hathaway as someone who would react so harshly. She held her breath, waited, and finally spoke, "Have faith. You hold the potential to be a Newtype..."
　Hathaway remained silent.
　Gigi's hand gently traced Hathaway's sleeping bag, met with no reaction.
　"If I could see through people like a god, I could predict their path... I sold my body because I couldn't do that!"
　he wanted to shout those words, but her current predicament offered no convincing arguments to Hathaway.
　"So I should vanish, huh..." Hathaway seemed to have forgotten his role in her induction into Mafty.
　But that was indeed what he desired.
　How long had she been listening to the wind and the rustle of the tent? Gigi sat up and unzipped her sleeping bag. The biting chill in the air left her no choice but to keep her Mafty-issued windbreaker on. She clutched the single bag she had brought from her Hong Kong apartment and truly exited the tent.
　The towering silhouette of the Xi Gundam loomed beside her. Further off near the cave's entrance, a lone Base Jabber Galcezon perched.
　The two mechanics' tents, hidden underneath, trembled in the strong wind. The dark ocean beyond was rippling with white crests.
　Due to the Gundam's large size, it alone could be sheltered in this narrow cave. There were twelve scattered Messer Me-2R units and nine Galcezon units, each concealed in similar-sized caves, lying dormant in anticipation of a full-scale attack.
　When Kenneth and his team learned about the machine incident, they detonated the Galcezons and Messers one by one. But by this morning, Mafty had managed to prepare this many machines. Gigi carefully picked her way over the wind-swept rocky terrain, slowly moving eastward.
　"Who goes there!" The voice of a sentry echoed, and a shadowy figure appeared before Gigi.
　"I'm Gigi Andalucia. Hathaway has cast me out."
　As she answered, Gigi felt a pang of envy at the Asian shadow's confident attitude.
　"Really? You're not fleeing to betray us to the enemy?"
　The sentry's question didn't unnerve Gigi. Despite being introduced by Hathaway as a collaborator, her credibility was only half-accepted by the group. Some even saw her as a potential traitor, just like the sentry did.
　"I'll confirm with Hathaway. Betchie! Watch Gigi." The shadow called towards the cave next to the Gundam.
　"Gigi, really!? Seriously? Chang!" Another shadow bounded over the rocks towards Gigi.
　Looking up, Gigi noticed the sky above the coastline cliff starting to lighten. A lone hawk cut across the sky, swiftly carried away by the wind, disappearing beyond the cliff.
　"I don't want to wake Hathaway!"
　"There's no helping it, is there?" Instead of Betchie, Chang Hei, who had rushed under the Gundam, snapped back.
　"..."
　A few meters ahead, the waves of the Indian Ocean crashed violently, occasionally sending a spray of water in their direction.
　Gigi was overwhelmed by everything and felt an irrational urge to jump into the sea. But she realized that in her current state, she would be thrown back by the waves, gaining nothing but scratches.
　"Why were you kicked out?" Betchie inquired.
　"I'm troublesome and selfish. I admit it. With the way I behave, it's strange not to be suspected," Gigi said.
　"But...since Hathaway brought you here, our operations have been going suspiciously well. Fabio and his crew, who transported the trailer for the radio hijacking, successfully escaped and headed for the next resupply point. Even the explosion at the Stonewall went smoothly, with the dummy mobile suits shot down."
　"That's because you guys in the Oenbelli Army are strong," Gigi said, appreciating the young man who hadn't forgotten her presence.
　"Well, we didn't have Athena during the Oenbelli operation."
　"I'm no war goddess. It's Mafty who holds power." Gigi was taken aback that the young man had referenced Greek mythology and was about to speak of Hathaway's achievements.
　"Hey! Betchie! Leave Gigi with Raymond," Chang Hei instructed, lithely darting over the rocks to stand before Gigi.
　"You two had a petty squabble, didn't you? The operation will be over by the end of today. Until then, just stay put." Chang's words were laced with a light-hearted smile.
　Gigi felt a wave of gratitude towards those who had joined Mafty later and didn't harbor resentment towards her.
　"Maybe it's because they're not aware of Hathaway and Keria..." Gigi mused as she trailed Chang and Betchie toward the cave housing the Galcezon.

　"Hathaway, huh? Hmm..." Emeralda Zubin, who was with Raymond, looked down at Gigi with a mix of disdain and disinterest, "Well, let Hathaway enjoy a peaceful morning at least."
　"I apologize. It was a misunderstanding..." Gigi was at a loss for words.
　"Damn it...! Why didn't you just leave him be? What will you do if our luck runs dry?"
　"Again, I apologize..." Gigi found herself drawn to this forthright woman.
　"Gigi! You wouldn't like to be with Kimberley and the others, would you?" Raymond Cain, who had slowly emerged from the tent, asked Gigi, trying to provoke her.
　"So, what, I'm a prisoner?"
　"C'mon, the bridge of the Galcezon is warmer."
　"Uh...?!" Gigi was too caught off guard to register why Raymond and Emeralda were sharing an outdoor tent.
　The clouds moved swiftly, revealing a gap.
　The sunlight broke through in several lines, piercing the surface of the sea.