Sigma/Star

Chapter 125: Purification

Sigma sat amidst the former of students of Saint Maurius Academy, trying his best to begin to forge connections with them, to gain a better sense of what it meant to be completely human. He certainly felt he was a more complete person now than ever before, and it had only grown since he had begun recovering memories, but there were still some holes in his being.

And there was more to it than just turning back into the man he had once been. He didn't particularly like that person as much anymore, a selfish pacifist who sought only to waste his days with the woman he loved. While it was certainly noble, it was also naive and ignorant, and didn't take into account the risks he was generating for those around him by ignoring reality. Certainly, hoping for peace and happiness was not a terrible thing, but was it really allowed in his modern world?

And so the android now gathered with the teens, who were lacking Porter. Raul had just come back, using one of the shuttle ships under Sigma's control. Of course, the cyborg knew exactly what had happened to Porter and where he was, but he made sure that just because he knew something, didn't mean it was time for everyone else to as well. If Shotuku and Raul hadn't explained where Porter was going or why, Sigma didn't need to spoil anything himself. He instead tried his best to enjoy the sand against his metal frame, and the sun on his face. He felt neither of them. He only knew through feel that there was sand and he was sitting on it, but it felt no different to any other surface, his body only indicating to him that he was touching something.

"If you didn't have to go to the Academy, what do you think you would have done?" Nami openly asked the entire group at once, even though the question went right over the heads of Sigma and Rex. Neither of them were being schooled, Sigma having refused and dropped out of society when he was Leif, and Rex never having gone to any sort of school ever.

"My father would have always kept me at the company." Riya's voice was as soft as usual, and she rushed through her answer, throwing it out first to avoid the subject of her deranged dad.

"Your pops owns a company?" Rex blurted out, and the rest of the group threw their heads back and groaned. "That sounds pretty fun, what are you doing here then?"

Riya's fingers twitched a little, closing into a bit of a fist before reopening. She managed to give Rex a smile as she processed an answer. "My father is a little...eccentric...so it's easier to not end up working there."

"Isn't he in custody right now anyways?" Nami immediately covered her own mouth after innocently throwing out the question faster than she could think about it. "Next person, next person!"

"Woah, your dad went to jail? Must've been some shady business deals, right?" Rex was up on his knees, leaning into the group, and towards Riya, as he grew increasingly fascinated by the whole story.

"Yes, Rex, that's why." Riya's demeanour began to calm and settle down, her unease brushes away by a lie. "I think it's someone else's turn though."

"Me, I would still be doing the same thing, you know?" Rex proudly pointed his thumb at his chest, revelling in his own glory as a pilot. "It's my calling."

"Rex you didn't even go to the Academy," Ardwen said, rolling his eyes as he leaned back on his palms. "You aren't even Enian."

Rex gasped, standing up in a hurry. Trickles of sand slid off his body as he did so. "Why, I never. Are you trying to say that I'm less than you guys just because I'm not from your country?"

"No," Ardwen replied, "I'm stating the simple fact that you didn't attend the academy and couldn't have even if you wanted to."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it." Rex folded his arms and sat back onto his posterior, evidently not amused by the entire situation. And Sigma just watched it all pass and smiled.