Made Man

## Meta

**Timing:** 1 Sep 2038, a follow-on to "Golden Boy"

**Setting:** central business district, Sydney

## Text

They make it across the plaza, sipping coke, munching crisps{ quietly}, and turn into a quiet street, angling away from the water.

Well, quiet{ly} until Yun stuffs his trash into Sean's hands, takes off down the block at a dead run, and vanishes from sight.

Logan and Sean exchange shrugs.

Sean sorts the rubbish into a bin.

[They] resume strolling, travel a block in silence.

Sean breaks it: "You, uh, ever like that?"

"Not really."

[Smiles, mostly.] "Takes after his mum[, then]?"

Winces.

"Sorry," mumbles Sean. "'m just a little freaked out right now."

"'s'okay." Smiles, a little forced. "Welcome to the rabbit hole."

"What's that mean?"

"He means—" Yun's face materializes upside down at eye-level—

Sean jumps at least a half-meter, nearly bonks their heads—

"—it's only gonna get weirder from here."

—crashes into Logan, sends them both sprawling to the pavement.

"Th' fuck are ye doing?!"

Logan pushes Sean off, regains his feet, dusts off his hands and coat.

"Hanging from a tree."

Sean rolls his eyes, accepts Logan's hand up. "I noticed /**that**."

Yun unhooks his knees from a branch, does a neat flip, lands silently, turns, straightens himself and his coat. "This's the building." Gestures to a very boring storefront.

"[What building]?"

"It's where we're meeting [GP]. C'mon." Bounds toward the door.

Sean [shuffles over].

Logan hesitates.

"You're not coming?" Yun sounds disappointed.

Logan rubs his neck. "I'll wait [over there." Jerks his thumb at a cafe.]

Yun brightens. "Cool! [Get me something sweet?"

"Haven't you had enough sugar?"

Yun pouts. "You sound like Mum."

Logan gives him a Look.

"Coffee? Please?" Bats eyelashes.

"Fiiine."

Yun grins, grabs] Sean's arm and tows him through the door.

Right, left, right, and they're in a living room of sorts.

A well-dressed Chinese person, maybe Logan's age, waits and watches them.

Yun bows, offers a greeting in Cantonese.

The older person smiles, replies, bows.

"Sean, this's my [GP]. That's 'grandparent'. Sorta." Beams. "[GP] pretty much runs Hong Kong."

Sean raises an eyebrow.

"My family's kinda complicated?"

"Ye /**think**?" Shakes his head. "Also, 'runs Hong Kong'?"

"Well, at least the underworld."

[Sean chokes.]

[GP] coughs over a [laugh, clears] their throat. "Yun overstates my influence." [GP] bows deeply. "A pleasure to meet you, Mister Rise."

Sean offers an awkward bow. "Uh, likewise."

"Please, take a seat." [GP] indicates a very comfy-looking couch.

Sean sinks in.

[GP] flows into an armchair facing him, sits with all the grace of a monarch.

The little hairs on Sean's neck twitch.

Yun hovers beside the sofa.

"Can he—" Sean swallows, jerks a thumb toward Yun. "—stay?"

"Of course," replies [GP].

Yun grins, scampers over the cushions, perches on the back of the sofa, leg /**almost** brushing Sean's shoulder.

"'s been a hell of a day." Sean breathes out some tension, smiles weakly. "Having this fruit loop handy makes me feel a little better."

["]Hey!" Yun folds over Sean's head, frowning. "I am /**not** a fruit loop!"

Sean looks up. "In the last half-hour, you've scared a bunch of geniuses shitless by /**looking** at them, told me you're a science experiment, picked a pocket, had /**your** pocket picked, nearly strangled yourself with your own scarf, almost gave me a heart attack, and introduced me to your grandparent-sorta who's apparently a mobster. You have to admit that's pretty loopy."

"Seems normal enough—"

"And that right there's why you're a fruit loop."

Yun huffs, crosses his arms.

[GP] chuckles, presses fingertips together. "What do you wish to know, Mister Rise?"

Deep breath. "What do I want to know ... [uh]." Rubs his neck. "If you're some big bad, why didn't you come 'rescue' me yourself? Or send some real muscle? Why—" Tilts his head toward Yun. "—him?" Glances over his shoulder. "No offence."

Yun glances from [GP] for a brief moment, offers a quick grin.

Sean sits forward.

"You wouldn't like me so well if I had—" [GP] smiles.

"Yea, [GP] can be kinda scary." Yun snickers. "Ask Logan about it."

Sean cranks his neck around.

"[GP] stabbed him once." Mimes jamming something against the back of his hand. "Stuck him to a table like a butterfly."

Sean snaps his attention back to [GP]. "Seriously?"

[GP] concedes.

"I'm supposed to trust a person who /**stabbed** the scariest guy I know."

"Well, then it's better [GP]'s on your side than trying to get you, right?" says Yun reasonably.

Blinks. "Point."

"'sides, Logan /**was** trying to rob [GP] at the time."

"Ah. That explains—" Shakes his head. "Never mind."

"To answer your question," [continues] [GP], "you were more likely to remain calm in Yun's presence than in mine. [I also] believe you had 'muscle' in the form of Mister Jones."

"Oh. Right." [Grins]. "Forgot he isn't just a package deal with the fruit loop."

"I'm gonna tell him you said that."

"Don't you da—"

[GP] interrupts with something gentle in Cantonese.

Yun quiets, sits on his hands.

"Your next question, Mister Rise?"

"Uh, why are you telling me all of this /**now**?"

"I tell you because an improperly informed choice now could cost your life." [GP] leans forward. "I offered everything I knew about you to your parents when I obtained it. They accepted your family medical history and your medical records with thanks, but preferred not to investigate your life before you became their son. Now, you need this information to protect yourself."

Sean scrubs a hand over his face. "What's a word for 'crazier than insane'?"

"'Bonkers'?" offers Yun.

"'Ludicrous'," suggests [GP].

"This—" Sean encompasses his day with a gesture. "—is ludicrous."

"It's also your reality, Mister Rise."

"Sorry, mate," says Yun.

Sean flops back, looks up at Yun. "When'd you get told your version of this?"

Swings his feet. "Little by little over /**years**. I never got bashed upside the head like you are today."

"Lucky bastard," grumbles Sean.

"Yup."

Deep breath. "So, what's the rest of my story?"

[GP] settles back. "You, Yun, the Vos children, Yun's Australian cousins, and a handful of others were to be the vanguard of Australia's second generation of Jaeger pilots. Soldiers moulded at every step from conception to Conn-pod to be perfect human weapons."

"Don't forget 'completely [obedient',"] adds Yun.

[GP] almost sighs. "Yes, that was {also} a goal of the educational program. Unfortunately, they forgot that contempt for authority is often associated with the qualities they most desire." [GP] grins.

Sean's insides try to slink away.

/**This's** where Yun learned to do that.

Yea, it's /**definitely** better [GP]'s on their side.

Swallows. "But now they wanna kill me."

"They'd much prefer you survive. It would validate their theories on the importance of genetics to neural architecture." The corner of [GP]'s mouth turns down. "The current state of their technology, however, makes it highly unlikely."

Sighs shakily, swallows. "But they somehow think I can do it? Because my bio-dad did?"

[GP] nods.

"So my dad's Stacker Pentecost?"

"There's not much of a resemblance," says Yun.

"But he's the only one who fought solo and you said—"

[GP] coughs politely. "Mister Pentecost's is the only story to become common knowledge. Two others survived the ordeal, though it was kept secret."

"Really?" chirps Yun.

"Seriously," doubts Sean. "How do you keep that—?"

"It's no great feat to cover up the experiences of two individuals for an organization which has kept its policy of kidnapping and conscription out of the mainstream press for over twenty years."

"[GP] has a good point, Sean."

Sean concedes with a grunt.

"Now then, you are acquainted with one of them: Raleigh Becket."

Sean blinks.

"Uncle Puppy?" squeaks Yun.

"The other is Mister Rise's [biological father]: Scott Hansen."

Sean's voice jumps an octave or two and cracks. "/**Hansen?**"

Yun leans forward, eyes huge. "Scott? Chuck's uncle?"

"The same."

"But h-he ran away. Disap—" Sean's stomach rolls.

"Ranger Hansen disappeared, but he didn't desert. He was taken to a secure facility after he successfully piloted /*Lucky* /*Seven* on his own. He survived their 'research' for six months."

Yun slides down beside Sean, presses against his side.

Sean curls around his stomach.

"Once they finished tearing him apart, they ['made' you to continue] their 'work'."

Stomach moves into his throat.

Yun leaps up, reappears an instant later with a trash bin. "Just in case," he whispers, settling back into place.

Voice is tiny now. "An' mum?"

"Your mums are waiting for you at home, Sean," says [GP] kindly.

Sean blinks rapidly, swallows.

["Your birth mother was a brilliant young person who had the misfortune of having excellent marks at the Jaeger Academy and a functional uterus. Drift Science impregnated her through embryo transfer and held her sedated until she gave birth to you. Shortly thereafter, she realized her predicament, fled, and] very nearly reached safety before security officers [killed her in their efforts to recapture her]."

Yun snaps something in Cantonese.

[Sean] blinks at him. "Wha?"

Rubs his neck. "Sorry. I said I hope they die in a fire." Looks hopefully to—

[GP] tilts a disapproving eyebrow.

Yun sighs.

["Drift Science tends to punish its own. Those overzealous officers became subjects for the Solo Pilot project."

Yun crosses his arms. "Serves 'em right."

Sean gags.

"Oh! Sorry!" Yun rubs Sean's back as he gags again.

Sean swallows, croaks, "Her name?"

"Amelia Allaway."

Sean takes a deep breath,] gathers himself. "So, my bio-parents were kidnapped."

"Yes."

"And murdered."

"For all intents and purposes, yes."

"And the doctors've been waiting to do the same to me."

"Yes."

"And they've been testing {me} and brainwashing me."

"They've /**tried** to brainwash you, along with your classmates at the Shatterdome schools, yes."

"But ... not him." Inclines his head toward Yun.

"No, Yun has been [shielded from PPDC influence]."

"'cause you—" Looks at [GP]. "—got his mum out."

"Yes."

"Did you help his dad, too?"

"Mister Jones was the architect of his own survival{, with help from allies all his own}."

"So you play god or something? 'I'll save this person, but not that one'? Is that it?"

"Sean, [GP]—"

Sean [throws himself to his feet— "You] let. Them. Die."

"But—"

[Two heavy steps— "You] let. Them. /**Die.**"

A hand on—

Shakes it off— "Don't /**you** touch me."

["Sean, please calm—"

Whirls, arm raised and cocked back.

Yun puts up his hands, cowers.

A vise grip on Sean's wrist.

"Mister Rise," says [GP] quietly.

"/**Don't** talk to me."

Cantonese from [GP].

"But—" stammers Yun.

[GP] clears their throat.

Yun turns, runs.

"Mister Rise."

The grip relaxes.

Sean drags himself around.

[GP]'s expression is neutral.] "When I was informed of your biological parents' situations, it was too late for me to intervene to help them."

"But you knew about /**me** and left /**me** with people who [want] me /**dead**!"

Far off, a door slams.

"You were well cared for by your mums. Uprooting you from that life would've been more dam—"

"Who the /**fuck** are /**you** to decide that?!" Sean punches—

[GP] arrests the motion, [pins Sean's arm still].

"Lemme—"

"Mister Rise, I've been watching over you since you were an infant. I have been ready and able to intervene on your behalf at a moment's notice the entire time. In fact, I have done so several times before today."

"Well, thanks for that," spits Sean. "That still doesn't give you the right—"

"Would you rather have been [raised as] another Hansen child soldier? Or perhaps by me?" [GP] grins.

Sean's insides run off screaming[.

[GP] waits.

Sean sags, drops his eyes.

[GP] releases his arm.

"Yun can have you, ye scary bastard."

[GP] almost smiles, settles back into the chair. "Any further questions for me, Mister Rise?"

Sean flops on the couch. "Why'd you do it?"

[GP] raises an eyebrow.

"Save Yun's mum?"

"Because Mister Jones asked—" The nasty grin returns. "—and it put him in debt to me."

Sean shudders.

""You called?"" drawls Logan.

Sean twists around. "Did they—" Tilts head toward [GP] "—really knife you?"

Logan shifts his coffee to his right hand, holds up his left, turns it to and fro.

Matching scars on back and palm.

"It's how we met."

Sean swallows. "Can I trust them?"

"Stabby's word is good. Keeps promises, too." Shrugs. "Don't trust 'em farther than I can throw 'em, though."

"You don't trust anyone," points out Yun over the lip of a travel cup.

Logan sighs.

"With that ringing endorsement, I'll take my leave," says [GP]. "Yun and Mister Jones can answer any further questions." Bows politely, glides upright and out.

Sean grinds his knuckles into his eyes, sighs, "Well, that /**sucked**."

"C'mon," says Logan. "Let's get you home."]