[Hathaway's Flash] Vol.02 Ch.18

　Hathaway slowed the Gundam to a near-hover, then opened the hatch in front of the cockpit. Even as he did so, a gust of wind rushed in, causing Gigi to sway perilously.

　"Hang on, Gigi!" Hathaway shouted, leaning out of the cockpit as the console panel folded away.

　"Ha-Hathaway...!"

　She was straining herself, clinging to the Gundam's finger for dear life.

　Hathaway extended his hand, unable to resist glimpsing the desolate landscape speeding below through the gap beneath his feet.

　It was no more a welcome sight for Hathaway than the infinite void of space. A shiver ran down his spine.

　"Ready!"

　Gripping Gigi's waist, Hathaway widened his stance to draw her nearer. Wide-eyed with terror, she cautiously eyed Hathaway's arm, bearing her weight.

　"Throw your body towards me."

　"Towards you, Hathaway?!"

　"Yes. Don't think about anything else. Just let the wind carry you!"

　Hathaway confirmed the position of the seat behind him while feeling Gigi's warmth against his chest.

　"One, two... three!"

　In harmony with Hathaway's cue, Gigi extended the arm that had clung to the Gundam's finger and surrendered her body to him entirely.

　Hathaway pushed his own body backward as if kicking off with both legs.

　Thud!

　The seat creaked faintly, and the comforting weight and thickness of Gigi's body pressed against Hathaway's chest.

　"Hathaway!"

　"How did we end up meeting like this?!"

　Hathaway lifted the console panel while cradling Gigi on his lap.

　"That's because--!"

　Gigi's voice was muffled by Hathaway's helmet.

　With the mushroom cloud looming to their left rear, Hathaway increased the Gundam's speed.

　Perched on Hathaway's lap, Gigi leaned forward to avoid hitting her head on the helmet, shifting slightly to catch a glimpse of his face.

　"At a time like this, you've got a pilot suit to protect you, Hathaway..."

　"Eh...?"

　Hathaway couldn't quite grasp what Gigi was trying to express with her words.

　But that moment of confusion on Hathaway's part made Gigi's heart seize up.

　"It's okay..."

　Hathaway interpreted Gigi's reaction as a lighthearted jest.

　Come to think of it, this was the first time they had been in such an intimate position.

　"Gigi..."

　Hathaway subconsciously tightened his embrace around her waist.

　"I longed to see you. I never thought I'd find you here, but I'm so happy."

　"Hath--"

　"I know. My eyes and senses are focused outside. It's rare that we get to meet like this. I don't want to waste our time together in a place like this."

　As he spoke, Hathaway's gaze darted across the visual display.

　"..."

　Gigi remained in Hathaway's arms, but her body held a stiffness, a tension he did not perceive. Absorbed in the urgency of the moment, he addressed the reality Gigi had pointed out.

　"I can't keep flying like this. Gigi, you'll have to sit in the auxiliary seat beside me."

　"There's no chair."

　Gigi's voice carried a hint of wanting to be possessive of Hathaway, but it also conveyed consideration for not causing him pain.

　"I'll set it up now. If I don't make sure we're ready to face our enemies, even if I want to be with you forever, we'll both be dead in an instant."

　"That's logical, isn't it?"

　Gigi twisted her waist atop his lap, trying to see Hathaway's face from the opposite side.

　Her movements seemed to Hathaway like an expression of her affection, perhaps even a coy attempt to appease him, akin to a courtesan's maneuver with an older patron.

　Yet Hathaway's heart could not fully yield to Gigi, still shackled by the guilt of his thoughts about Keria.

　However, Gigi said something he couldn't have anticipated.

　"What you just said, it's a lie."

　"...? What's a lie?"

　Gigi's words were a sudden discord, jarring in the intimate silence.

　"Being with me forever? You?"

　Gigi's blue eyes pierced him as if peering into the depths of Hathaway's soul.

　"How much do you know about me?"

　Hathaway misunderstood Gigi's demeanor, his mind rushing to Kenneth.

　"I don't like that. Depending on my answer, you'll change what you're willing to say, right?"

　Gigi's words carved a chasm between them.

　"I suppose I asked the question in a way that leaves me no choice..."

　Hathaway raised the Gundam's cockpit, waiting for the vibrations to settle, and then pulled out the auxiliary seat from the supporting arm.

　"While my life isn't exactly peaceful, as you imagine, and I can't be with you right away, my feelings were sincere."

　"Still, I don't want you to say those words carelessly. That's what weak men do."

　As she settled into the auxiliary seat, Gigi's voice was resolute.

　"I'm sorry. I'm ashamed."

　Hathaway, upon her admonishment, could faintly imagine what lay at the depths of her heart.

　It was the gulf between someone like Hathaway, who had a family, and someone who did not.

　The Gundam soared low over the undulating red earth.

　"I'm impulsive. I'll reflect on that."

　"..."

　Gigi tensed on the seat, her body rigid, and offered no response.

　The silence between them thickened, heavy and somber, pressing upon Hathaway. He lowered the Gundam even more, steering toward their next destination, Gawler.

　"I was just curious about how much the Circe Unit knows about us. I wanted to find out."

　"Ah...That..."

　After a considerable pause, Gigi finally answered Hathaway.

　He couldn't help but steal a glance at her profile as she spoke, relief washing over him as he noticed her expression soften.

　"It's alright. I'm not bothered by what you said. But I want to believe that you're stronger than this, Hathaway. It's sad if you're not...."

　"Thank you... Until you said that, I regretted how thoughtless I was in assuming your feelings were the same as mine. It's probably because I'm too ordinary. It's the insensitivity of someone living this kind of life."

　Hathaway deliberately focused on the display in front of him, pondering his excessive talkativeness.

　Once again, silence ensued.

　"The Captain is suspicious of you, but he doesn't know you're Mafty."

　"I see... That's kind of lonely..."

　That was Hathaway's true sentiment.

　"It's not a lie. I'm just caught between you and the Captain, wanting to see what happens between you two. But looking at this mobile suit, are you really Mafty itself?"

　"Yes, I may not be the strong man you expected, but I am."

　It wasn't out of annoyance.

　By now, Hathaway believed that lies would hold no sway over Gigi. If they did, she wouldn't be drawing closer to him like this.

　At the very least, Gigi didn't seem like a prisoner of the Circe Unit, which suggested she harbored a secret.

　Hathaway grew conscious of his suspicion towards Gigi, but she spoke again, confounding his thoughts.

　"You shouldn't do that. You're going too far."

　"Why? You expected that, didn't you?"

　"Mafty itself... Mafty may be a person's name, but it's also the name of an organization, isn't it?"

　"Yes, but in reality, I'm currently filling the role of Mafty."

　"I see... You've taken on quite a burden, huh..."

　Gigi's words shattered Hathaway's suspicion.

　Her voice conveyed authentic empathy, not the artifice of a girl playing the role of a spy for Kenneth. Hathaway could hear the sincerity.

　"...!"

　Hathaway found himself at a loss, unable to fathom what Gigi expected from him.

　If Gigi was, as she claimed, truly neutral and nothing more, then her words might be more understandable.

　But at this moment, deciphering her intentions was an insurmountable challenge for Hathaway.

　"Do you know about the news of the forceful arrests in Davao or the Oenbelli massacre?"

　"Yes..."

　"Wouldn't you think that such events would cause public opinion to condemn the actions of the Federation government?"

　"Public opinion, you say, but that's the opinion of the space colonies. Those who identify as Spacenoids have little interest in Earth, and the opinions of space colonies won't put any pressure on Earth. That's why the ministers and central bureaucrats are still descending to Earth."

　For the first time since meeting Gigi, Hathaway felt he expressed thoughts befitting Mafty.

　"I see... So you really are Mafty, then..."

　Hathaway turned to Gigi as she spoke, but she was intently gazing at the unchanging scenery on the right visual display.

　"..."

　Her eyes were cool and, at the same time, reflecting a transparent sadness.

　Seeing Gigi in such an unguarded state, Hathaway was convinced that Kenneth couldn't have sent her as a spy.

　If he wanted to send a spy, there would be no need to use a Kessaria or approach with a formation that could allow their mobile suits to be shot down.

　Hathaway squinted at the unchanging scenery of the reddish-brown continent, where bushes of red, yellow, and green stretched out, and felt sadness similar to Gigi's.

　The two of them, enveloped in their machine's confined space, shared a sadness of the same nature, yet their positions were slightly misaligned.