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"Do you ever regret being with me?"
"Eh?"
Zett is confused by the sudden, very serious-sounding question from his partner.
"I mean- My kind isn't exactly known to be good people, it even took you a lot of convincing for you to trust that I'm not as much of a kleptomaniac as my brothers. I've seen a lot of your people gossip about your, er, "type", I think."
"Ah, haha! That's true..."
Zett rubs the back of his head nervously, unable to deny the fact.
"But I don't think you should be ultra-worried about what people think!"
Zett lays back with his arms, looking back at the Plasma Spark Tower that he and his partner were gazing in.
"A lot of us ultras, when we were on Earth, we were met with a lot of opinions from the humans. My friend Geed had it the hardest, he was criticized just because he looked a little scary to some people!"
"Really?"
"Mhm, I'm guessing you're also worried about that?"
Zett looks to the Barossa next to him, his partner has done a lot of things to make themself fit in with the ultras, like wearing the blue pendant Zett gave to him, letting it act as the Barossa's "color timer". They made their own mantle out of cloth and materials they foraged from before they met Zett. He'll never forget when Barossa first showed it to him, he was so excited and proud of it.
"Here, look!" Barossa puts on the mantle they made, spinning around to let the cloth flow with the wind.
"It's a lot longer than my own cape???" Zett replied.
Barossa looks away at Zett's gaze.
"Y-yeah... but there's also..."
They sigh.
"I feel guilty, you know?"
"Guilty about what?"
"I.. I don't know if I deserve such kindness. What you and your people have went through because of my kind. The amount of times you've had to fight my brothers. I feel guilty... for being able to live here, and I also feel guilty for leaving my brothers behind, for betraying them."
...
Zett is, well, at a loss for words. Even after all those years of maturing and meeting a whole lot of people, heavy topics such as these can be hard to make conversations in.
But, instead of thinking about it so hard, Zett decides to just, speak him mind. He scoots closer to Barossa, who leans onto his shoulder without a word.
"Are you happy with me, Barossa?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Then I don't think you should worry about it too much!"
Barossa looks up to Zett.
"I'm not very innocent either, I've... had to kill some of your brothers, but you still accepted me."
"I think we should just focus on what we have now, like what are we gonna eat for breakfast for tomorrow, or if I should go to work tomorrow or something..."
"I- What are you talking about?"
"S-sorry! I'm bad at doing analogies..."
Barossa laughs. "It's fine, I found it amusing."
The two couple stare at the shine of the Plasma Spark Tower against the night sky.
Barossa turns to look back to Zett, watching his eyes shine with bright, pure light. They know it's just his eyes reflecting the light of the tower, but to them, that light in his eyes has always been there, looking at them affectionately and wholeheartedly.
Barossa looks over to Zett, leaning in for a kiss.
"I think we'll be alright, Zett."
"Yeah, we will."
Back then, Barossa was the same as any other Barossa. A thief, a lowlife who does nothing but steal. Even when they were no longer accepted by their own kind for their belief that they should no longer be space pirates, but instead, a diverse species much like the humans, the only thing they really knew in life was to steal, so steal they did.
But when I first met Ultraman Z, that Ultraman infamous for having killed my brothers, he...
"H-hey! Are you okay?! Did you get poisoned?!"
He showed me kindness.
I tried to poison myself, I had nowhere else to go, all I could hope for was to die in my own terms.
Ultraman Z. Gamma Future.
"Gamma Illusion!"
"Mr. Gaia, please use Gaia Healing!"
A bright flash of light enveloped my body and my sight. I had no idea what was happening, I thought I was finally nearing my final moments.
But then, the light gently disappeared, my senses healed and...
"S-stay away from me!!"
As if by instinct, I feared for my life for the Ultraman that was in front of me.
"I-I'm not going to hurt you! Are you okay now? You were on the floor choking on something!"
He's right. I'm okay now. Moments ago I was waiting for my final breath. But now, I'm here, feeling better and clinging on to my life.
"I... I'm okay... W-who are you supposed to be?"
"Oh!"
Zett squats down and extends an arm to shake hands with the Barossa.
"I'm Ultraman Z! Nice to meet you!"