That night, Athrun volunteered to see him off.
So the two of them walked together along the nighttime path in this villa district. The surrounding lights were bright, and simulated breezes occasionally swept through the trees, carrying the scent of fresh soil.
Of course, it still felt quite different from the Earth he was familiar with.
"Brother, are you coming with us...?"
Having just emerged from that warm yet concerned atmosphere, Athrun's voice carried a hint of gloom.
"Well... it's a bit complicated, but we should be able to meet in PLANT."
Fred said.
As for all the intricacies involving faked deaths, he didn't explain them to Athrun.
"Great!"
Hearing this, a faint smile finally appeared on Athrun's typically cold face.
"I wonder if Kira will come with us. But since he likes you so much, big brother, he'll definitely follow you here!"
The thought of his friends being able to live together in PLANT in the future made young Athrun quite happy.
"Kira..."
Fred fell into contemplation.
Would Kira follow them?
Though still uncertain, Fred considered it highly unlikely.
Kira's parents definitely had connections with ORB, particularly with that lion.
They might have even privately informed the other party about matters here.
Even if Kira expressed desire to go to PLANT, under his parents' influence, he would ultimately end up going to ORB.
Not to mention his sister was there, adopted by Athha.
It wasn't that he was being conspiratorial, but Fred absolutely refused to believe Athha had acted out of pure kindness.
Did Athha even know Kira's parents? At most they might have exchanged glances, but they were certainly not friends.
Why would someone adopt the daughter of non-friends and keep her close? It couldn't simply be because she took a liking to her, or because of Kira's identity and wanting to protect her.
Anyone could see that lion definitely intended for Cagalli to succeed her, while having the Ultimate Coordinator fully embrace ORB's ideology and serve ORB.
Of course, a more pleasant way to phrase it would be having Kira protect ORB.
Still, the other party had indeed protected Kira at the time, so Fred didn't plan to comment on that. But would Athha allow Kira to follow his 'friends' to PLANT?
He didn't think so.
Whether genuinely selfless in protecting Kira, or wanting to keep Kira in ORB.
He would never let him go.
The most practical scenario might be that Kira's parents believed PLANT would discriminate against Naturals.
But this was indeed reality.
Even among first-generation Coordinators' parents, discrimination wouldn't be scarce.
When those radicals went crazy, they wouldn't care whether your son was a Coordinator or not.
While they might not necessarily be exposed, having to disguise one's identity to blend into a community not their own was inherently tragic.
Like a mouse attending a cat convention, talking about how despicable and delicious mice were.
Come to think of it, he was somewhat similar.
But he had his own principles and intended to uphold them.
Even after going to PLANT, he would remain the same.
"Brother...?"
Seeing Fred remain silent, Athrun grew somewhat anxious.
"Do you think Kira won't come with us?"
The perceptive boy had picked up on something.
"Perhaps. His parents wouldn't fit in there."
Fred smiled.
It's better not to explain one's calculations to children.
As for Kira's situation, it wasn't a major concern either.
If Kira remained in Heliopolis by then, Fred could simply take him away.
Coincidentally, he also needed the data from the G Project.
But it was still too early to discuss these matters.
With that thought, Fred also glanced in the direction of Kira's home.
Following Fred's gaze, Athrun chimed in.
"I'll go talk to him tomorrow! Aunt Yan Tian might understand too!"
"Perhaps."
Fred patted Athrun's head but didn't elaborate further.
...
Meanwhile, at Lenore's home, Patrick stared wide-eyed at his wife.
"Did you know he was that skilled in combat?"
Even though some time had passed, Patrick remained incredulous.
Not only was his research ability exceptional, but his close-quarters combat skills were also formidable.
Was it even possible? Did he have any weaknesses?
In front of his wife, he no longer hid behind a stoic expression, instead revealing a somewhat earnest demeanor.
"How would I know...? You're the one who provided all the intelligence."
Lenore replied helplessly.
"But isn't it better for us if his abilities are stronger?"
"No... He made it clear that our relationship is purely cooperative."
Patrick collected his thoughts and shook his head.
Though their conversation had been brief, he understood the other party's stance perfectly.
"Then what does he want?"
Lenore asked.
"I don't know... It couldn't possibly be that, could it...?"
Patrick lowered his voice.
"The research has just begun—how could it be?"
"Hard to say... That Fred..."
Patrick shook his head, having lost count of how many times he'd been astonished.
"Anyway, I'll need you to keep an eye on him in PLANT."
"Try to uncover more about his background."
"Alright, alright! He's not a bad person—it's just daily interaction."
Lenore nudged Patrick's abdomen with her elbow in mild exasperation.
...
While Fred and the others were still making arrangements and preparations for the fake death plan...
Blue Cosmos had also begun to move.
In the office of the Deputy Minister of the Atlantic Federation's Foreign Affairs Department...
George sat upright, facing his superior.
The superior was rather thin, with a friendly expression and an unassuming demeanor.
But George, familiar with the man, didn't dare let his guard down. In fact, he felt a twinge of resentment.
After all, this man was undeniably part of Blue Cosmos.
Although Blue Cosmos had repeatedly stated that the Copernicus attack was the work of terrorists falsely using their name...
Such explanations and evidence weren't enough to erase George's bitterness over Blue Cosmos nearly killing his entire family.
Of course, he couldn't show this openly—his face even maintained a smile.
Working in the Foreign Affairs Department, such superficial pleasantries were second nature.
Observing George—Fred's father—the Deputy Minister acted familiarly while scrutinizing him carefully.
Admittedly, George had been quite handsome in his youth, but the Deputy Minister couldn't see how he'd fathered a son like Fred.
Seeing the smile on George's face, the Deputy Minister couldn't quite decipher his intentions.
"Of course, Blue Cosmos holds absolute dominance in the Atlantic, and he didn't need to understand the other party's intentions anyway."
Thinking this, the vice minister continued speaking unhurriedly.
"George, your work performance h
as been quite impressive lately."
"Thanks to my colleagues' support."
Hearing this, George felt reassured internally while maintaining his smile unchanged.
"But your contributions here are the most significant. We can't let those who work more end up disadvantaged, don't you agree?"