---o---
"You bastard—!"
With that shriek, Tesla was already running, her high heels clattering against the floor in a frantic, messy rhythm, completely devoid of their usual sharp, confident grace.
Welt stood frozen in place.
The air around them suddenly seemed to grow heavy, constricting his throat. He wanted to smile, but it felt wrong. He wanted to say something, but his lips moved without forming a single word.
They had been apart for too long. So long that he no longer knew what kind of face to wear when meeting her again.
But Tesla was running towards him, so he opened his arms.
And then he saw her leap.
It wasn't the kind of leap that ended in a hug—it was a bona fide, one-footed jump into a sweeping flying kick with the other leg. The tip of her shoe whistled through the air, the stiletto heel, thin enough to pierce flesh, carving a sharp arc through space.
Welt twisted his entire body to the side. Tesla's foot scraped past his shoulder, a hair's breadth away. His mind hadn't even processed it, but his body had already reacted—if that heel had connected, he'd be sporting an abstract painting of bruises tomorrow.
Her flying kick missed, and her body shot past his side. Seeing that she was about to lose her balance and fall, Welt instinctively reached out, his arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her into his embrace.
Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, fists began to rain down on him.
Tesla hammered his chest, pounded his shoulders, her blows coming fast and furious. But the punches seemed to lose their force on impact, landing with dull thuds that didn't really hurt.
Her words, however, held no such mercy.
"You son of a bitch, do you have any fucking idea how long you've been gone?" She punctuated each sentence with a punch, her voice muffled against his chest. "Do you even fucking remember there are people waiting for you on Earth?"
Welt didn't try to block her fists. He simply rested his free hand on the back of her head and lowered his own.
"I'm sorry."
Another fist landed.
"...I'm sorry."
Tesla's punches slowed.
"I'm sorry."
He could only say those two words, over and over, his voice growing softer each time, as if he were trying to convince himself of something.
Himeko watched from the side for a moment before speaking softly to the others. "Let's give them some private space. We can go to the other room."
Kiana, who had already been looking around, was the first to jump at the suggestion. "There's another lounge next door, come with me!"
She pushed open the door to the adjacent room, and the others filed in after her.
The moment Bronya Zaychik stepped over the threshold, intending to find Rider, three figures blocked her path.
Fu Zhu stood in the center, with Stelle and March 7th on either side. The three of them stared intently at her face, their gazes sweeping from her forehead to her chin, and then back up again.
"She looks just like her," March 7th muttered under her breath.
"So much alike," Stelle added with a nod.
Fu Zhu didn't say anything, but he crossed his arms and walked around to Bronya's side for another look, his expression so complex it could almost be described as conflicted.
Bronya Zaychik took a half-step back.
She wasn't opposed to interacting with these three strangers—since they had entered the base with Kiana, they obviously weren't enemies. But being scrutinized like a rare specimen was far from a pleasant experience. Especially Fu Zhu; she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt there was something more to the way he was looking at her.
"...What are you looking at?" she finally asked.
The three of them exchanged glances.
Fu Zhu was the first to speak, his tone a bit awkward. "Pardon my asking, miss, but is your name Bronya Rand?"
"No." Bronya Zaychik shook her head. "My name is Bronya Zaychik."
The expressions on Fu Zhu, Stelle, and March 7th's faces changed simultaneously. It wasn't surprise, but rather the dawning realization of a confirmed suspicion. All three nodded in unison.
"Just as we thought!" x3
Bronya Zaychik's brow furrowed. "Then why exactly were you looking at me like that?"
Stelle opened her mouth, about to explain that on Jarilo-VI, there was another Bronya who was her sister-in-law, but before she could get the words out, Fu Zhu held up a hand to stop her.
Stelle paused, looking at her brother with confusion. Fu Zhu just shook his head.
He had guessed what Stelle was about to say. But telling this Bronya that her counterpart was his girlfriend, right to her face… even knowing they were from different worlds, it would still be a bit awkward. It was better to avoid the topic directly, or at least rephrase it.
Fu Zhu fell silent for two seconds, clearly choosing his words carefully.
"On another planet, I have a friend." He looked into Bronya Zaychik's eyes, speaking slowly. "She looks identical to you. Even her name is only different by one surname."
Bronya Zaychik was quiet for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
"I understand."
She was a smart woman. She didn't ask what kind of life this other Bronya lived, nor did she press Fu Zhu about the complex meaning behind his expression. The concept of otherworldly counterparts was not foreign to her. Since it was only a matter of a different surname, there was no need to delve into the rest right now.
She turned away.
The two 'Himekos' were standing side-by-side on the other side of the room.
One stood with her long hair tied back, exuding the heroic and dashing air of a Valkyrie, every movement crisp and graceful. The other, also red-haired and tall, possessed a completely different aura. If the first was a Valkyrie, then the second was the very personification of the word 'lady.'
Mei had, at some point, walked over to Bronya Zaychik's side. The two of them exchanged a look, and then both turned their gaze to the woman on the left.
After a pause of a few seconds.
"...Teacher Himeko," Bronya Zaychik said first, her voice softer than usual.
"Teacher Himeko," Mei echoed immediately after.
Rider blinked.
She clearly hadn't expected both students to identify her—or more accurately, to pick her out from between two nearly identical people without a moment's hesitation. The knowledge that her old students hadn't forgotten her even after so many years brought an unconscious smile to her lips, which she quickly tried to suppress.
"How did you two tell us apart?" Rider asked, a little curious.
Bronya Zaychik and Mei looked at each other again, and then both smiled.
"Because you're not that elegant."
They spoke in near-perfect unison. The words made Rider's smile freeze on her face.
She opened her mouth, her finger pointing vaguely at her two students, but for a long moment, she couldn't manage a complete rebuttal.
Beside her, Himeko raised a hand to cover her mouth, her shoulders shaking slightly. Sometimes, seeing another 'self' get their defenses breached could be quite an amusing experience.