Tyler's POV
This is not the Gaia I know. She's vulnerable but strong and distant. They all seem to expect this from her, they even follow her commands. But how can they all be OK with the way Gaia is acting, she deserves for them to understand her.
What is she up to?
The others had left my arms tied up, but I could move now, so I followed Gaia upstairs.
At the top, I followed the sound of movement to find her packing guns and knives into her duffel bag. Picking up a curved knife with serrated edges, she stares at it thoughtfully.
She knows I'm here, but I merely stand there offering her my silent comfort. After a few minutes, she speaks up, "They aren't totally wrong you know? You weren't either. Without me there would be so much less pain in all of your lives."
Shit! So that's still in the back of her mind, she hasn't forgotten. "Well, I don't know exactly what would have happened, but trust me they would have been so much worse off. You're right though, I don't know the full story I never have. But look around you. You have all these people whose lives you've changed just by existing. They've experienced happiness because of you and now they want to share that with you, but you have to let them. Let them fight with you. Let them fight for you. You deserve at least the chance to live like a normal person."
She stares at me bitterly, "You're right you don't know the whole story."
I chuckle at her attempt to shut me up, "Well, you keep packing and I'm going to tell you a story." Then I sit criss-crossed on the floor leaning against the wall.
"Sixty years ago a young man had an idea to continue his legacy of assassination forever. He would build a school for children and secretly train them in killing. The select few admitted would be the princesses from the mafia family's around the world and the offspring of his students…
"It took him almost a decade to find a truly excellent student, one who he declared would be the very best. Once she had graduated he took her as his wife. He was convinced that she would provide the strongest heirs. That was my grandmother. She was killed once she'd proven that she produced viable male and female heirs.
"The girl was sent to the school and forbidden from ever mentioning her relationship with the headmaster. Once she turned 16 he chose a husband for her and they were expected to have a child within the first 3 years. That was how my brother and I were born.
"The son was trained by his father personally. He was a little younger than my aunt but the way he was trained…" I shudder. "He was created to be an emotionless blackhole, practically a robot, but he fought every step of the way and maintained himself. Until one day they did the inevitable. They stole his pride and joy, his daughter Ashley after forcing her to kill his wife, her mother…
"Similarly, my brother and I have been trained in that fashion, although we have been given a choice in who we marry. To be honest, if your Father would have allowed it, you would have been married off to my brother. He worships the way you take lives.
"Right before we left, I was dating this girl. I had thought we were in love and that we would do anything for each other, but Grandfather found out. I was forced to kill her entire family in front of her before taking her life as well. If I hadn't, he would have killed my father and brother and mother in front of me.
"Eventually my father couldn't handle the pain of watching my brother and I, so he took my brother, my mom and I away. It wasn't like grandfather didn't know it was coming, so he prepared my mother. She was to find one of her father's allies and convince him to kidnap her so father would kill for her. My father did as he was told and when he had made a name for himself you were called in.
"Honestly I was pissed. I was angry at you for killing him, grandfather for allowing it, mother for orchestrating it, and father for allowing it to happen. I'm still not over it, but after actually getting to know you, I could never hope to kill you. Not just because you are better than me, but also because you have become someone I care for a lot.
"You have this strength about you that inspires others to respect you, but you've also shown me this vulnerability that awes me. No one else has managed to go through what you have and come out as selfless as you. You deserve to be a little selfish. Let yourself spend a little time with your family. Let yourself be the one loved for once."
As I finish talking, she drops the bag to the floor making me flinch. "Oh don't be so jumpy it all has the safety on." Then she turns to me accusingly, "So you expect me to just ignore the monster threatening them because of me and just let him murder them?"
This girl! I mentally sigh, "No. I expect you to let them do some of the protecting for once."
"But then they'll get hurt." She deadpans.
Shaking my head I remind her, "They're going to get hurt either way. Losing you will hurt them more than any torture ever could."
She grimaced at that, pacing around the room most likely arguing with herself about which outcome would actually hurt them more. I let her continue this for a while and listen to the random times she mutters to herself and butt in when she talks negatively about herself.
When she reaches a decision, she leaves the room calling to her family. I briefly notice that the weapons are still laying on the floor before following her downstairs.
Once everyone is gathered and quiet in the living room once again, she asks one question that shocks the whole room, "Which would hurt you more me leaving or you being tortured?"
There isn't even a pause before the two older girls yell out, "You leaving! We couldn't handle losing you!"
Ugh this creepy twin voice thing again.
The younger girl in the wheelchair stares at Gaia, "It's sad you even have to ask, you leaving of course." The three other girls behind her nod their heads in agreement and support.
Next up were the boys. The little boy runs forward hugging Gaia, "I love you G! I don't wanna lose you again!"
The older brother slowly follows behind him, "G… Losing you would turn me into Dad. You have always been my anchor even when you didn't know it. My goal has always been to be the brother you need and deserve." Tears drop from everyone's eyes praying their words had worked.
At this point I felt like I was intruding, so I stealthily backed away and went upstairs to find a knife to cut the rope from around my hands.
Once I was free, I walked into a random room, made sure no one else had claimed it and threw myself on the bed letting memories from my past consume me. Clenching my fists, I feel the way each weapon sat in my hand and their reactions when used to kill. I stayed locked in this sensory memory dump for what felt like years before someone came into the room, her older brother.
He doesn't say anything, so I stay still reveling in real life after the last memory of killing my mother fades from the forefront of my mind. Once the silence starts getting awkward, I sit up hoping he'll take the signal to start talking.
"Tyler, I hope you realize just how big of a miracle you've performed today." He finally broke the silence. "G has always had a stubborn streak especially when it comes to others getting hurt, so your ability to convince her to stay despite the risk was something no one else could have done. Thank you for helping us at least have a chance at saving her."
"Hmm, I've watched her fight every instinct to run back to you for months now. All I did was give her the reasoning she needed to stay. But you're welcome I guess." I sigh quietly.
He just shakes his head at me. "Well it seems like you might be sticking around?" He asks.
Chuckling, I realize: I want to stay with these people. People who have stuck by G's side no matter what's happened to her or what she's done. Slowly I nod my head, slightly afraid that they won't want me to stay with them.
But I shouldn't have been, a huge grin splits the guy's face in two and he starts squealing like a child. "Ooooh this is just perfect! Well my name is Mark, I'm Galaxy's older brother."
"Wait Galaxy? I thought her name was Gaia?" I panic.
Laughing like an idiot, Mark tries to talk, "Well *Wheeze* she prefers *Wheeze* to be called *wheeze* G so no matter where or who she is she asks people to call her G and makes her name start with it too. She even forced the teachers at the naming ceremony to make her assassin's name G."
"That's great." I chuckle while fighting to keep my grin from spreading too big. "Well I should go ask her if she still wants me to call my brother and set up a meeting."
Mark nods, frowning at the reminder of the threat against his sisters. "What's your honest opinion about this, does she have a chance?"
… How do I even answer him? Like… yes I've seen the aftermath of her work, but I've never truly seen her in a fight. I don't know that she even does have a chance. Ok brain this is taking too long he wants an answer…
"I think she has a better chance with backup than she does going in alone. He would turn her into a puppy if she went in alone. Trust me." I finally reply, but he doesn't look satisfied with my answer.
"So… how do we help her?"
Interesting question… I ponder it for a moment until it hits me. Shooting out of my chair I call G in. Spitting out my plan before I forget any of it.
When I finish explaining both G and Mark are staring at me in shock. She breaks out of it first, "That's genius Tyler! He would never think that it was a trap!"