originally posted in:The New Dojo
"Did I hear Bedlam? Oh, Cannon. Where's Traci?"
Iso sat up, a confused look on her face.
English
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"Are you alright?" He asked, ignoring her question at first to ensure she wasn't hiding an injury.
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"A few systems are down and a couple are at critical levels of damage. Now, where's my daughter?" She looked around frantically.
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"Bedlam said nothing's going to happen to her, now calm down for a second. You almost got yourself killed." He told her, trying to keep her from rampaging.
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Iso tried to get up, but she just fell back in frustration. "F*cking....Ugh! Bedlam totally made it so I couldn't follow him, didn't he?! He's an *ss....Disabling my legs for an hour...." She mumbled the last part.
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Cannon couldn't help a ghost of a small smile across his face, he was just that glad she was alright, but it died as fast as it appeared. "Why didn't you tell me when you found out Traci was kidnapped?"
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"I needed to save my kid! There was no time to waste and all you've ever done is f*cked our daughter up with your damn adventures!" Iso spat out, clearly upset.
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Anger flashed through his eyes as he prepared a response. And then he realised, and his shoulders slumped. "You're right. I'm sorry."
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"It's whatever, just...I'm not leaving her in your care ever again if I can help it." Iso sighed and looked around a bit more.
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Cannon grit his teeth and sat down, wincing. Only she could have possibly made him feel this much worse. "Why do I even give an osik." He mumbled to himself, quietly enough that even Iso's super hearing barely heard him say it.
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"I dunno, why do you endanger Traci? Do you get some sort of sick thrill from it?" She refused to feel bad.
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That made him snap. He moved so he was eye level with her, glaring daggers at her face. "Don't you kriffing dare say that. You know full well I love Traci more than anything. She's all I have left. If you think I'm going to just take your petty insults you can go shove it up your shebs, aruetiic dar kar'ta shabuir." He spat, an intense anger in his words and eyes. [spoiler]Translation: traitorous heartless motherf*cker.[/spoiler]
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"If you cared for her she wouldn't be gone! Would she?! It's your fault she was alone and got captured, not mine!" Iso spat right back at him, rage clear in her eyes.
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"Well sorry if I was a bit busy recover from nearly getting my face bashed in by you, mirshebs!" He glowered at her, a few droplets of blood exiting his mouth as he yelled and splattering onto the pavement.
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"What? No. I'm talking about your stupid attempt at winning me over causing us to not notice Traci running off! Don't you try and act like this is my fault!" Iso stood up, glaring at Cannon.
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He stood as well. He cocked his fist back like he wanted to punch her, then turned and drove it into the nearby tree at the last second hard enough to splinter the wood. "Gah! Why can't I just hate you?!" Blood trickled down his bare knuckles.
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"If you want to punch me then just do it! Don't hurt yourself punching a tree, dumb*ss!" Iso rolled her eyes.
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Cannon cocked his fist to hit her, literally shaking in anger. And he stood there, unmoving. He wanted to hate her. She had hurt him. The Mandalorian had hated the Jedi when they hurt him, he'd hated the Republic when they abandoned him, he hated the Mandalorians when they had failed him, and he'd hated himself ever since Geonosis. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't hate her. His struggle was clear in his eyes as he glared at her. He finally let his arm drop and looked down at the ground. "Go away. Just... Go away. Please." He spat more blood as he spoke.
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"No." Iso crossed her arms in defiance. "If anyone is leaving, it's you. I'm only going to say this politely once. Please leave."
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He stood stock still for nearly a minute, staring at her. All the anger had left his eyes, he was done. He just wanted this stupid thing to end. Giving a sigh he started to turn.
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"We'll try to get our daughter back tomorrow, okay? Get some rest. I don't want my daughter to be fatherless because you made a mistake trying to save her." Iso sighed, anger slipping away. "I'm sorry for yelling too."
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"Don't be. You were right. Traci would be better off without me there to drag her into trouble." He stopped walking.
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"Did you not just hear me say I didn't want her to have no father? You know, you might be an *sshole that constantly gets my lil girl in danger, but she always ended up okay and despite what others think you're not abusive...." Iso placed a hand on Cannon's shoulder.
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"She shoulder be dragged in regardless... You were right. This is my fault. I should have just stuck with what I was made for. I'm an idiot." He didn't seem phased by her attempt to affirm him. She'd opened some deep wounds with her words, wounds that he'd never really healed.
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"Yes, you're a f*cking moron when it comes to feelings and emotion and a lot of things, but your whole life shouldn't be war. You deserve better than that. All life does. No matter how small or corrupt it is. If we don't get back together at least find another girl. Someone that'll brighten up your day like I did. Please."
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"You know full well that won't happen. I gave that everything I had with you, Iso, I just..." He used the blood on his face as an excuse to wipe away tears without her being able to notice. He felt ashamed... And oddly hurt that she'd tell him to find someone else.