Alex spent the next second trying to recompose himself, despite the rising anxiety in his chest.
'I'm getting nervous…'
'Why am I getting nervous?'
Even though he couldn't quite explain why his heartbeat was slowly starting to rise, Alex even started to feel his mind start to numb.
This was a situation he hadn't expected that he'd have to encounter.
It was eting his girlfriend's mom for the first ti after all!
Who wouldn't be nervous upon the first eting…?
Alex thought he would fall under this bracket, but now that he was in the situation, it was clear that he was no different.
He didn't even know why he was so nervous, considering all the things he had been through in his life before this. etings with S tiers had worn off on him after so many and he was unphased every ti he faced one now.
But this was different, it wasn't just Althea's S tier aura that was intimidating him.
It was her motherly aura…
Her presence alone was enough to put him on edge, but her sharp and calculating gaze only made it worse.
Althea's expression didn't change though, and she studied him for a long mont, as if deciding whether to elaborate or walk away.
Alex felt like she was silently testing him or sothing along those lines.
"That's ," Alex coughed and replied cautiously, having realised she was probably waiting on a reply from him. "You seem to know , but I'm afraid I don't know much about you, other than the na and rank."
Althea's expression didn't change. She continued studying him for a few more monts, before she spoke.
"I've read your files."
"Ah, of course you have," Alex said, scratching his head awkwardly. "I guess word spreads quickly, haha."
Alex looked at Althea to see what kind of expression she was making, but it was still as blank as ever.
"It's been a year."
That was it.
That was all she said, and it imdiately made things more awkward for Alex.
'I know that! But that doesn't an you have to point it out! Argh, so awkward!'
She was of course referring to Alex's comnt of 'word spreading quickly', and pointed out the obvious flaw in his words.
Since, a year, was not quick.
However, Althea quickly moved past that.
"It's not your past that interests though." She said bluntly, as if her tone was colder than the void outside.
"It's your connection to Mira."
Alex felt a pang of unease.
So she was aware of their relationship. But then again, who wasn't at this point. What was her angle though? Her voice and deanour didn't exactly give off motherly concern.
"Well…" Alex began, choosing his next words carefully. "Mira and I are teammates. Partners, you could say. We've been through alot together."
"Partners." Althea repeated in an almost mocking tone. "Is that all it is?"
Alex frowned.
"I'm not sure what you're implying, Commander, but I respect Mira, and respectfully the goings on of our relationship are none of your concern."
Althea narrowed her eyes slightly, as if trying to pierce through his words and uncover so hidden aning.
But Alex spoke truthfully, there was no hidden aning to be had.
"You're lucky she doesn't take after ." She suddenly said, almost to herself, before shifting her gaze back to Alex.
'At least she's self aware… I guess she's not a narcissist like those other elites.'
"Mira is… complicated. I trust you've noticed that by now."
Even though there was no explicit aning in between her words, it was clear that Althea knew that Alex knew the truth.
He knew that she was her mother.
And he knew that their relationship wasn't exactly on the good end of the spectrum.
So knowing this, Althea didn't sugarcoat her words either.
Alex felt a flicker of irritation from her comnt but decided to stay calm.
Who wasn't complicated in this day and age with all the fucked up shit going on??
"If you're trying to tell to take care of her, don't worry. I've got her back."
"Puha-"
Althea let out a small, humourless laugh.
"Take care of her? Do you even know who she is?"
Alex frowned for a second, as her words struck a nerve, but he didn't let it effect him.
"I know that she's a Mistborn, just like you. But let ask you this — Do you even know who I am?"
Alex flipped the question back on her.
She acted like Alex was a minor player in this whole thing involving her and her daughter.
Yet, if she actually read his files like she said she did, then she would know Alex wasn't as simple as that.
Althea almost let out a real laugh after hearing Alex's rebuttal.
Her lips curled into sothing that resembled a robot trying to smile for the first ti. "You've got so spine, I'll give you that." She spoke, with her voice clearly laced with robotic amusent.
"But confidence isn't a substitute for understanding."
Alex crossed his arms, standing his ground as he looked at Althea curiously.
They both knew her S tier status wouldn't intimidate him one bit.
But that didn't an others around them weren't shocked by his actions.
They would have liked to stay and watch the increasingly developing show in the middle of the hallway, if it weren't for the fear Althea's presence drove into each and every one of them.
"Then help understand. If you think I don't know Mira, enlighten . Because from where I'm standing, it sure as hell looks like you're the one who knows jack shit."
Althea tilted her head slightly, deliberating whether she should continue this conversation or not.
But unknowingly, even to her own mind, Alex's words had struck a nerve sowhere deep inside her.
Did she even know her own daughter?
"Fair enough." She said at last.
"But don't expect to explain everything. So things are Mira's to tell, not mine."
Alex nodded, gaining a slight, tiny, even minute hint of respect for her.
"At least you have the decency to do that, as any mother should."
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