Zechs nodded his head, looking thoughtful. “The same year as it’s been, for myself. Yet, I wonder. If the terrible and vile Milliardo Peacecraft had vanished from Mars months ago - no matter what Noin might say of my character, the job performance of Zechs Merquise within the terraforming project ...”

“... you, as a Preventer, would’ve heard if I’ve been missing for all this time,” Zechs surmised. Perhaps fishing a little, part of him wondering if his absence had been noted. Wondered what people would’ve assumed.

He would speak of the others who’d been abducted in a moment. Time travel was enough of a thing to swallow - one revelation at a time.