Chapter Text
The Forger family arrived at the OSR (Ostanian Space Research) Planetarium and Rocket Museum early on the Sunday morning. Anya had been demanding an “ooting” ever since Yor and Loid had visited the Live TV Show Broadcast the week before. Loid felt that their outing would help with the Family Image in front of their neighbours. Loid also hoped it would help raise Yor’s spirits.
After they entered the main building, Loid watched as Anya excitedly hopped around from display to display, and Yor ran behind her, making sure she didn’t fall or get hurt.
“Look, Mama, that is Saturn! Did you know it has rings? Connie told me. Do you think it can hoola hoopa?”
“That's a different type of ring, Anya.”
“Oooh, look, that’s the ice planet. Did you know they have ice creams any time there?”
Loid smiled. The Planetarium bookshop probably had some good books for kids that Anya could actually learn from and enjoy.
“Papa, Mama, let’s go to the rocket booth!” She grabbed Loid’s hand as well. “I want a photo to show Ewen. He’ll be so jealous! And Connie told me to get her some star powder from the gift shop. She can throw it at ghosts. And the moon hair clip for Becky.”
Loid knew that some of Anya’s friends were rich enough to buy the whole planetarium if they wanted, but maybe he could get WISE to reimburse the gifts as assets to building a stronger network.
While Anya tried to decide which star powder had better magical qualities (Loid sighed at that) and the gift shopkeeper looked at her bemusedly, Loid glanced at Yor. She had a radiant smile on her face since this morning, but because of Loid’s strong observation power (yeah, right), he noticed that she kept scanning their surroundings.
This concerned him. Yor was understandably shaken after the TV Show incident. She was a civilian after all, who went through something traumatic – she wasn’t just a spectator; she was pushed around by terrorists with guns. If anything, he was surprised by how put-together she seemed.
Most people who went through trauma showed many signs of PTSD – getting easily startled, having panic attacks, or having trouble sleeping. Yor’s only sign was that she would glance at Loid furtively (though Loid always caught that) with fear and sadness in her eyes. She had mentioned after the incident that she thought he was going to die.
Loid narrowed his eyes slightly at the memory. He had since analysed the incident and concluded that his actions were appropriate. While he had put his life in danger, his instinct to prioritise Yor’s safety was right. Losing either Anya or Yor would have impacted Operation Strix – he couldn’t just get a replacement. Through Anya and Yor’s friendships, he had access to a treasure trove of information. If anything, his ability to make the right decision without having to study his options was a testament to his experience as a spy.
Additionally, he was playing a role – any good husband would have protected his wife. Everyone (especially Yuri) would have expected that. He hadn’t put Yor’s safety over his mission. Yor and Anya’s safety WAS the mission.
He felt his heart retaliating at the idea of them dying. No one had ever gotten as close to Donovan before. That’s what he was concerned about – losing them would mean losing his mission. Though it made Twilight uneasy that he had to analyse the incident to such an extent in order to understand how his instincts made sense for Operation Strix. Maybe he was slipping. He needed to be more active in his decisions. For the mission, the safety of his family comes first. He will make sure that–
Loid looked down at Anya as she swayed a little. He caught her before she fell.
“Are you okay, Anya?” he asked.
Anya closed her eyes and focused on Papa patting her head and Mama caressing her back. Papa was thinking so many things at rocket speed that her head had started spinning. Now, Papa’s head was only thinking about what to do for Anya.
Anya smiled and pulled back. “I am okay now, Papa. It was just too much information.”
Papa looked puzzled. What information? About Space?
“Papa, you should listen to me. I will teach you about sat lights.”
Anya turned around and ran.
“Anya, wait–” both Mama and Papa called for her as she barrelled into someone. She looked up to apologise, but she knew him.
“Scruffy!” she said instead. “You’re here! Do you want to go on the model rocket with me?”
“Franky, what are you doing here?” Papa asked.
“Why is it,” Franky said while patting Anya’s head, “that when you want to go for romantic dates, you call me to babysit this tiny tornado. But you never remember me when going out to have family fun?”
Anya could read his mind: I am Twilight’s secretary now? Why do I have to bring his stupid mission details?
“It’s not like that, Franky!” Mama yelped, turning red. “Anya wanted to go for an outing.”
Anya tuned out Mama because Scruffy took out a bag of peanuts. She jumped up in joy.
“Agent Starlight’s peanuts are here! Thank you, Agent Scruffy. Your mission is completed! Agent Starlight can now climb into Rocket and go to the moon!”
Anya grabbed the bag and zoomed around Scruffy.
“Only Twilight could have found a kid who lives her life as missions.” Scruffy thought with a smile on his face.
“Anya, please stop running. Didn’t you just faint? And don’t eat too many peanuts,” Loid said as he felt Franky push a tiny scroll into his hand.
Twilight read it stealthily and sighed. Loid will never get to just relax with his family.
Satellite parts stolen. Two OSR employees. Red Circus Terrorists. Find details and report to HQ. Do not act.
Considering his usual missions, this one should be somewhat less taxing. He only had to observe and report. Though he would need an excuse to leave. There was a show starting in 30 minutes. No, but that would take too long. Maybe he could–
“Papa, I am hungry,” Anya interrupted his thoughts, looking at him with wide eyes and speaking in a deadpan voice.
“You are eating peanuts,” Loid started. “How are you still –”
“Papa, I want to have Pizza. Mama will come with me to gift shop to buy a shirt for Bond. Scruffy will help you. Let’s go, Mama.”
Yor smiled. “I’ll take care of her. You both will also get some time to chat.”
Loid didn’t want to encourage Anya’s poor eating habits, but this got him the perfect opportunity to leave. He thanked Yor, and they left.
Twilight turned to Franky. “We have to gather intel. I think we should start with the main office. Maybe we can find employee records there. Then we can cross-check with the operation records.”
“I only came to pass on the mission details. I am not on this mission.”
Twilight sighed. “I’ll pay you. I want to finish this quickly. We can be faster if we work together.”
“You go to the main office,” Franky said in response. “I’ll get their operations file. Let’s meet at the gift shop in 15 minutes.”
Almost 25 minutes later, Twilight and Franky were skulking in an out-of-sight dark corner near the gift shop from where they could see Anya and Yor. Combined with the information Franky already had about the infamous terrorists, Twilight had the report ready.
Identities: Arina and Andrei, joined as maintenance engineers last month at the OSR-PRM.
Agency directive: WISE has been looking for them for 8 years.
Family background: Their father was a decorated Ostanian General who was injured in Westalis, and their mother nursed him back. They fell in love and had the twins. After the war ended, he decided to take them all back to Ostania. His family disowned him, and he died of liver failure. His family blamed her for the loss of their son. They arrested her and got her executed. She had hidden the 8-year-old twins in an orphanage, and they were adopted by an aeronautical and nuclear engineer and his wife.
Skills and expertise: Proficiency in multiple languages (Known: Ostanian, Westalian, English, Spanish, German, French, Polish, Urdu, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese); Communications technology; nuclear technology;
Fighting Style: Espionage, technological interference; physical abilities observed to be sparse
Terrorism activities: Joined the Red Circus after the death of their adoptive parents. Formerly participated in protests. Successfully intercepted and manipulated WISE messages 12 times. Participated in a failed assassination attempt 3 years ago. Suspected support in various terrorism operations via communications.
Current plan: Multiple satellite parts of AKX-33 found in their bunks. Suspected of selling parts to Platolia. Notes on Ostanian (nuclear and space) research projects found.
Target treatment strategy: Bugs planted in the bunk, office, and common spaces. Receiver to be submitted to HQ.
Twilight hated to admit it, but the HQ report would have been incomplete without Franky. At least now he could raise Franky as a mission reimbursement.
They were listening to the receiver to ensure their bugs were not detected, but it was a struggle. They were talking in a mix of languages, from which Twilight only caught a few words he could interpret.
Completed. State secret. Prime Minister. Next week. Assassination.
He understood enough to know the danger, but he was instructed not to act. He was evaluating the need for any immediate action when he heard words that decided his next action for him.
Bug. Receiver.
“We’re made,” Twilight told Franky. They had to leave. Now!
Loid looked up to see Anya frozen mid-twirl in an Astronaut’s suit as Yor clapped. As he walked towards them, Anya slowly turned as if she could sense them. Franky followed him, his hands trembling slightly.
“Control your emotions. You’ll give us away,” Loid muttered to him.
“Papa,” she ran to him, looking around. “Let’s go home.”
Loid looked at her in surprise. “I thought you were hungry.”
Anya looked around and pointed to a display. “Uh, yes, but I saw the photo of the first space dog, and I miss Bond. We should eat with him.”
Twilight couldn’t believe he got lucky twice in a day. “Okay, let’s do that. Franky, we will drop you off on the way.”
“What!? I want to eat too. And Bond probably misses me.”
“Papa, let Scruffy come. Let’s go quickly,” Anya said, looking up behind Loid. “Come on, Mama, let’s go.”
Anya held Yor’s hand and pulled her in a hurry.
Loid turned around and spotted the twins making a beeline for them. He turned to Franky and mouthed “Now.”
Loid held Anya’s other hand, and they started moving towards the exit, but Arina overtook them.
“Hello!” she said in a high-pitched voice. “How are you? We would like to offer you a special coupon for a zero-gravity ride. You get to fly without wings! Isn’t that exciting? Would you like that little girl?”
Anya was looking at her defiantly. “No! I want to go home!”
“Dear, don’t be rude,” Yor said, confused by Anya’s behaviour. “Wouldn’t you like to fly? You love rockets.”
“Let’s take her home. She’s probably just tired,” Loid said as he noticed Andrei hidden away behind a statue of the first Ostanian rocket.
Loid tried to move past Arina, but she stood in their way again.
“I insist.”
Loid’s eyes narrowed, and he took off his hat. “I must decline.”
“But it is a very important experience for kids. So, I will insist again. If you don’t want to go, I can take the girl alone.”
Arina extended her hand to grab Anya. Before Loid could stop her, Yor had flicked Arina’s hand and lifted Anya out of her reach.
“I am sorry, but she said no,” Yor said, her eyes darkened and face devoid of any emotion.
Arina flinched back, nursing her fingers. “How dare you! You think you can escape? I know who you are!”
Arina leapt towards Anya. But once again, Loid wasn’t needed. Yor kicked Arina in the stomach and sent her flying opposite to where Andrei was.
The crowd turned towards the commotion, but Loid couldn’t worry about them. Andrei ran towards them with a gun in his hand and rage in his eyes.
Civilians started screaming.
Loid picked up a nearby table and threw it at Andrei. He hopped out of the way.
“Come on!” Loid said as he grabbed Franky’s shoulder and Yor’s hand.
Arina had recovered and started throwing chairs (and tables) at them. Yor expertly kicked them out of their way.
“Yor can manage her,” Loid said to Franky. “If she manages to break through Yor’s defences, tase her. I’ll tackle the boy.”
Loid started his way towards Andrei, who was using his own arsenal of … marbles? He was throwing them at everyone’s feet. How was the person with the gun the smaller danger right now?
“No!” Yor screamed. Loid turned around to watch Yor round-kick Arina as she tried to strike a chair down on a huddled Anya. Arina flew up a few meters and fell listlessly.
Loid turned to Andrei in time to see him give a blood-curdling scream as he turned his gun on Anya.
Everything around him froze, and all Loid could hear was the roar of the blood flowing in his head and the click as the gun’s safety was turned off.
Bang!
The gun went off, and Yor screamed. Loid’s heart stopped as he turned around to look at Anya. He wanted time to stop so he didn’t have to see her hurt. He fell to his knees.
Anya was crying. But she hadn’t fallen on the ground. She was running towards him.
Behind Anya, Franky tied up Arina with a tablecloth.
Yor kicked Andrei in the head and knelt beside Loid as Anya barrelled into him.
“Loid! Are you in pain?”
“Papa! Papa! No! Nooooo!”
Loid looked down at himself but couldn’t feel anything.
“Mama, will Papa die? Save Papa!” Anya cried, hugging Loid hard.
Loid held her in his arms.
“No, Anya,” Yor said, tears streaming down her face. “He got shot in the upper arm. He will be fine. He will hurt, but he will recover soon.”
But Loid felt numb. He hugged Anya tighter as she trembled.
He saw Yor’s hands were shaking as badly and extended a hand towards her. Pain shot through his shoulder to the whole arm, and it went limp. A light hiss escaped his lips.
Yor slid closer and slowly lifted his hand. She asked Franky to hold it as she tied a handkerchief around his shoulder tightly. Loid managed to hold in a groan.
Anya had silent tears sliding down her cheeks as she watched Loid and Yor. Loid’s heart tightened.
“Let’s go to the hospital,” Yor said. “They’ll stitch this up in no time. Franky, please take Anya home.”
“No!” Loid and Anya said at the same time.
“Anya wants to be with Papa,” she said. Loid caressed her head.
“Yor, I understand that you’re worried. But I’ll be fine. Franky can take me to the hospital. Anya is really scared. She’ll feel better if you’re with her.”
“No! Anya won’t go home. No! No! Noooo.” Anya screamed as fresh tears started.
“Loid, let’s just go to your workplace. Anya and Yor can stay in your office while your colleagues take care of you,” Franky suggested.
That’s a good idea, Loid thought. They’d be close enough, but I’d be at a WISE location.
“Yes, that should work,” Loid said. “Franky, can you leave our contact information with the Planetarium’s Head of Security? They would want to get in touch later.”
He added in WISE code: Tell them that Yor Briar’s family was attacked. They will involve Yuri.
Twilight had ensured there was no evidence left behind by him or Franky. Involving Yuri would ensure they wouldn’t look too deeply into their identities. He was relying on Yuri suspecting that the terrorists targeted Yor for being the sister of an SSS officer.
“Yor, we can head towards the car,” Loid said to Yor. “Franky will catch up with us.”
Yor picked up Anya in one hand, and supported Loid with the other. Loid tried to keep most of his weight off her, but the adrenaline of the fight was slowly wearing off, and he could feel the pain and exhaustion eating away at his strength. He hoped they’d make it to the car before he passed out.