Chapter Text
Theoretically, Damian has everything. He was born to a prestigious family, his father is the chairman of the National Unity Party while his brother has collected numerous Stella stars under his belt, making him part of the Imperial Scholars, truly an MVP, and a child deserving of his father’s attention and respect.
He’s a Desmond, and he’s proud of it. After all, his father takes huge pride in building the Desmond name. His father is an influential and respectable man so it’s natural he follows in his footsteps like his older brother. He must become an Imperial Scholar, and become the son he’s expected to be because maybe then, like his brother, he’ll finally be acknowledged by his father.
He’s rarely seen his father, hardly the public ever does these days for reasons he’s not sure of but even then, it’s still rare to catch him face-to-face. Damian hardly knows what his father is up to now but one thing for sure is that he often takes the time out of his busy schedule to meet up with his brother at Eden Academy. As envious as he feels of his brother, he supposes it’s only natural for his father to come to celebrate his brother’s notable achievements as an Eden Academy alumni, and Imperial Scholar himself.
The Imperial Scholars’ Mixer. A traditional get-together held only twice a year, open only to imperial scholars, their parents, and selected alumni. A meeting of the nation’s political and financial leaders, as well as its top scholars, scientists, athletes, and other prominent figures.
It’s obvious to Damian that he’s destined to become an Imperial Scholar himself, and attend these meetings along with his brother, and father but for now, he still has a lot of work to reach that goal and prove his worth.
However…
Damian thinks with a clench of his fist, reminded of his brother’s words from their call earlier. He knows he shouldn’t get his hopes up again as his brother said but he can’t help but cling to hope. He would even just be satisfied with catching a glimpse of his father in the flesh or hopefully, though unlikely, a second of his father’s time and attention.
I don’t have anything to lose, all I’m asking is a simple glance, a second of his time.
He sighs as he frustratingly heads toward the 2nd Library’s courtyard where he informed his brother that he’ll be meeting with father. He’s trailed by Ewen, Emille, and weirdly enough, by that creepy stalker freak, Anya.
“Damian-sama? It’s possible she’s chasing you in an attempt to curry favor with your father”
“Yeah! She’s the same as all the others!”
Damian couldn’t help but freeze in surprise at the nerve of that runt if that were the case. As much as it’s expected for him to gain the favor of his peers and paint himself in a favorable light, he’s aware bitterly how most of it stems from his father’s reputable position. Regardless, it only pushes him to make a name for himself and prove to everyone his worth with his own achievements.
As they head towards the courtyard, after managing to outrun that tick that manages to consistently attach itself to him and disrupt his ideal school life, Anya Forger. He thinks with a sneer, already feeling a wave of pain in his head as well as, his face flush faintly.
In anger! Loathing! God, he’s letting this girl enrage him once again, and his pulse rush more than the medically healthy amount it should be!
He insistently reasons with himself because like he said he refuses to accept it anything more than that and will continue to deny any other reason to the grave. He diverts his eyes to the upcoming crowd of students, and parents, as well as, the stand-by security surrounding the area.
“It’s incredible how all these people are practically VIPs, like your father Damian-sama!”
He can’t help but agree, the way these Imperial Scholars simply walk with their heads high with pride to their own aura practically screams a different league from the average student. He can’t help but think that while this is what he’s going to be like soon, he feels as if there’s a gap that he needs to reach in order to be worthy of it.
“And eventually you as well too Damian-sama! After all, you are his son, naturally,” Ewen voices out to his side with a hint of awe in his tone.
“…I’m gonna tell my dad not to bother.”
“What?!” He hears voices of protest and surprise from the boys next to him, he can feel their heavy gazes behind his back that join the sunken feeling he feels at the moment.
“My father is a busy man, he doesn’t have time to waste with people like me. I should let my brother know that-“ He continues to say until he turns around and sees once again the duo, Anya, along with Becky, who frankly is confused about whatever runs in her best friend’s mind which seems to be the case right now as well.
He’s ready to voice out his complaints about her creepy stalking because it’s not really her business, especially if her motivation is really to get his father’s favor. His irritation makes a comeback when he sees that signature smirk she wears that always seems to mock and look down on him.
“You scared second son? I know you are,”
How? Is she reading my mind or something? Am I that transparent?
Meanwhile, Anya can’t help but fret at revealing once again something that seems suspicious for her to know in the eyes of others.
“-I mean that I know you only got fifty points on the reading exam the other day!”
Again, how and what does this have to do with anything? He can’t help but think as he voices out his protests and confusion.
“Heh heh, I was peeking over your shoulder,”
“You’re afraid your father is gonna find out now bad you did on the test!” Anya insists and continues off with a remorseful and empathetic tone, “I know exactly how you feel. I got a 17,”
On the other side hidden from prying eyes, Agent Twilight can’t help but sigh at the sight of his daughter confronting his target’s son, Damian. Frankly, he doesn’t know either where his daughter is going with this conversation as well.
“I don’t really know if my papa likes me or not,” Reading papa’s mind is hard sometimes she thinks to herself before continuing “And he gets mad at me a lot but…”
“I am going to summon all my courage to tell him I failed!”
Agent Twilight, Becky, and the boys look at her in confusion before Anya breaks off that determined stare and questions,
“Wait, what was I talking about?” “No idea.”
Damn it, this all feels stupid suddenly
He thinks to himself but gathers the courage to head to the courtyard and wait for this father. He abruptly turns around away from this and continues his walk towards the courtyard.
“Where are you going Damian-sama?”
“…to the courtyard to meet with father,”
“That’s the spirit Damian-sama!”
“Only because I’m not scared at all!” He protests with a stomp in each of his steps. He feels a small heat in his cheeks from that conversation but can’t be bothered to unpack what just happened earlier.
I don’t know what that was…but you did it, Anya!
Loid can’t help but cheer for his daughter, although he doesn’t know it, she knows herself how important it is to his mission, Operation Strix, for Damian to meet with his father whereby extension, Loid himself meets his target.
The mixer concludes without incident. Damian and the boys are sitting in the courtyard playing a game of cards on the ground.
“Now, where could it be?”
A man questions out loud a few feet away from them as he looks frantically around before setting his eyes toward them.
“Oh excuse me! Have you seen a keychain here? It’s shaped like a sheep, my daughter seems to have dropped it and it means a lot to her!”
Oh, they think before Damian sets his eyes on a small object on the ground nearby. He picks it up and hands the keychain to the man.
“Yes! Thank heavens-thank you so much!”
“Wait isn’t that?” “That belongs to…”
The boys question as their eyes glint with familiarity on the keychain.
“Hey pops, are you Anya Forger’s dad?”
Pops? The guy who hits his patients?!
The stray thought enters their minds respectively before leaving as quickly as it came.
“Yes, I am…are you her classmates? Wait-apologies but are you Damian Desmond?”
“Y-yeah, that’s me” He mutters with a quick glance to his side.
Anya’s father…, Damian acknowledges briefly with a small flush on his face at the bizarre unexpected meeting.
Meanwhile, Loid widens his eyes and abruptly goes down on one knee, head lowered.
“I beg of you! Please accept my most heartfelt apologies! The incident back at the orientation, my daughter’s behavior was completely inexcusable!” He apologizes with much enthusiasm that it takes Damian aback, it’s unexpected and slightly uncomfortable for him to know how to react to this situation.
“I went to your house to apologize the next day but I was unable to meet with you or your parents thus it’s been weighing on me ever since!”
“Oh uh, I live in the dorm…” and there’s hardly anyone at home anyway.
“This disgrace is mine to bear as her father, if possible, I would like to apologize to your parents as well…”
“Oh no, it’s fine-“
“Oh! Damian-sama! Your father is here!”
I’m sorry Damian for crashing your family reunion but for the sake of the mission…
Agent Twilight apologizes in his mind as his eyes focus on the men heading in their direction behind the boys.
“F-father…”
“Chairman Desmond? I wanted to apologize sir for my daughter’s behavior towards your son-“
“Back off sir, please clear the courtyard”
“It’s fine,”
“If I may introduce myself, my name is Loid Forger. I work at the Berlint General Hospital, and I’m terribly sorry about the violence my daughter showed towards your son, Damian,”
Agent Twilight, despite reviewing all limited televised, and written appearances to profile this man, he still stumped to say he’s unable to learn anything from this man.
How can I get close? What could I do to get you interested in ‘Loid Forger’? What makes you tick? What provokes your sympathy? These questions flood his mind, he needs to find the answers within this conversation.
And most importantly, what is his plan for the upcoming war he’s plotting?
“Please allow me to extend my most heartfelt apologies, perhaps may I visit your home to show a more formal show of-“
“Ah…yes, I remember you now,” The man cuts him off, “I was informed by my staff on what happened, I’m sorry to have been busy to respond personally,”
F-father-he knew? You’ve been paying attention to me… Damian thinks as he snaps his attention to his father. A pleased feeling wraps around him briefly, he feels warm to have known that his father had taken the time to think about him.
“…I shall bring a token of regret to your manor-“
“It’s fine,” Donovan Desmond cuts off with a beaming smile, the most expressive his face has been since this conversation that it catches both Loid and Damian off guard. “It’s just a little spat among kids right?”
What? They both thought. It’s not just his attitude that’s taken them aback but his words that bring a pang of hurt and unfairness toward the son.
“But father! She laid hands on me-a Desmond? And you say that’s fine?!” She hurt your son! I got hurt, don’t you care?!
“…That’s right sir, my child physically assaulted him, this is something I need to make amends fo-” Loid reasons insistently, taken aback but this gives him insight into what this man thinks of his second son.
“It’s fine, I appreciate the thought though,” He cuts off again firmly with the same unnerving beaming smile on his face.
Why don’t you care? You should be angry for me!
“Father! I was totally humiliated, my whole face was swollen but you stilll-“
"Siiiiigggghhh"
Hearing that long exasperated sigh that his father does when he’s displeased with him, as if he was simply a misbehaving child throwing a meaningless tantrum, immediately shuts his mouth. Donovan Desmond finally snaps from his previous beaming expression to a narrow-eyed displeased glare directed to his son that makes the latter twitch from discomfort. Any word he has about the subject is dropped, not of his own volition because it was an order, don’t question.
“Nevermind, it’s nothing…” Damian says in a softer but defeated tone. It’s such a contrast to his previous tone that Ewen snaps a look of worry toward him.
Why did I overreact? Orientation was so long ago, it wasn’t that big of a deal-everything’s resolved now even Anya got punished with a Tonitrus bolt but-
He reasons in his spiraling mind but focuses back to the present when he hears his name from Anya’s father.
“You had every right to be angry Damian, I’m sorry we’ll make sure nothing like that ever happens again,” Loid can’t help but meet the gaze of his once again, beaming (and seemingly pleased) target, Damian’s father, his toxic negligent father.
“But to be honest…” He changes his expression to a sincere one, an expression that shows his true feelings-not as Agent Twilight but as Loid Forger because he needs to prove a point here clearly to this man and to Damian as well.
“Sometimes I don’t know how to handle Anya sometimes, her behavior’s so bizarre that I don’t even understand what she’s thinking,”
Man pops has it rough. The kids present can’t help thinking because they can’t imagine what Anya’s like at home if she’s like this at school.
“I understand that I’m responsible for her but I’m painfully aware of my limitations when it comes to managing children, raising a kid is such a challenge huh?” Loid can’t help but reflect on the numerous obstacles he’s faced in this mission, the constant uncertainty and distress he’s felt on being led dependent on this mission by people other than himself. A truly frightening experience that he can’t help but give once again respect towards existing parents in this world, and despite these thoughts, he can’t help the smile that breaks out on his face.
“You’re right indeed. They’re our children, they share our blood, but we’re essentially strangers, and it’s impossible to understand strangers…”
S-strangers? Father, is there really no hope for me? Damian thought, feeling the small hope he had built for a connection with his father slowly dim down.
“In the end, people will never be truly sympathetic with each other”
Sympathy? Is that why you demand control over nations through threats of military force?
Loid knew that Operation Strix was no easy task because even if he manages to meet with his target like right now, the idea that people can reach a mutual understanding just by talking to each other is idealistic at best.
“You’re not wrong, it maybe is arrogant to think we can understand others at all…” Loid breaks out into a smile, the conviction in his voice evident as he walks forward beside Damian with a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“But what’s important is meeting them in the middle, in spite of that. Sometimes whatever my daughter says and does make any sense to me but by acknowledging her despite that, I can at least keep trying to create the opportunity to understand no matter the outcome.”
And I will never stop seeking to understand others. I am a spy after all, and I will create this opportunity for you Damian Desmond.
“…I imagine Mr. Chairman, that’s why you took the time off your busy schedule to meet with your son”
“Hm, I suppose so”
What? He came to see me after all? Damian looks up from his downward gaze to his father in shock.
“I know from Anya how much respect you have for your father, she couldn’t help but talk about how moved she was by your presentation on that social studies project on job occupations as soon as she came home.” A little lie won’t hurt here but Loid had snuck a peek at the school so he knows how much the second son looks up to his father.
“…Anya said that?” No way! There was no way Anya Forger had gushed about his work at home. However, despite that thought, he can’t help his face flush in embarrassment.
“…Is that so?”
“Indeed. I must admit that I’ve had concerns about the National Unity Party’s platforms but hearing about the passion you have to look out for our nation’s interests made me certainly want to attend one of the party’s seminars, though perhaps I was easily influenced with your son’s impressive report.”
“Ah! S-seriously, mister that’s enough, stop.” Damian can’t help but protest, flustered enough on being complimented or perhaps bragged about? in front of his father.
“I see…aren’t you interesting, Mr. Forger is it? I quite enjoyed this,”
“Thank you for sharing your valuable time with me sir,” This is enough, I’ll chalk up the fact that he’s learned my name as a victory for now but first-
“Oh, one more thing before I leave,” Loid turns to face Damian, catching him by surprise. “Could you please leave out that we’ve talked to Anya perhaps? You must think she hates you though she’s quite at an awkward stage, I suspect that’s not the case. I’d be very much obliged if you both get along.”
“…It’s not like I hate her….”
Huh? The two boys behind him exclaim in their heads with bewildered looks on their faces.
Embarrassing! “A-anyway! Look it’s not like I’m gonna start hanging out with some peasant girl okay?!” Damian yells in a high-pitched tone as he feels the embarrassment sink in further and further as he speaks, and he will definitely do everything to not unpack whatever this odd feeling he’s experiencing is.
“Very well! We’ll work hard to raise our standing, have a lovely afternoon if you excuse me.” Loid said, feeling relief with amusement. It seems that problem is gone and out at least.
There was no intel worth getting there but the closer he and Damian become, the better the odds of success for Plan B! Loid notes with a narrowed glance back towards them as he walks away towards headquarters to report what he’s learned today.