Words wafting gaining weight as each call of his name descend on him with enough weight of a slap across the face.
"Augustine!"
"You!" Augustine reaches for the older man, grabbing his throat. "Aug Au-" the man's words are stifled by his firm grip. "I don't know how you've got me out my Titan but you better - " a movement of the old man's free hand stops Augustine dead in his tracks.
Three rotating spikes hover close by him threatening his boldness. As he loosens his grip on the man, the spikes draw back. Letting go, the man stands before Augustine. Regaining his composure he fixes his collar. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Wilheim Babeineaux. And - " the entrance doors flutter open as a young man with black hair tinged with green near the tips enters. His sunset brown eyes flicker with a villainous sheen. Seeing the older man, his demeanor changes drastically. Why didn't you tell me he was awake pops?" it was so sudden Yuri". After checking on his father, he turns to Augustine. "I'm sure you have questions, but we'll get to that later. First we need to -"
No. I'm not going anywhere with you. He spats. "Why did you capture me instead of kill me, you're IMC aren't you?" "I got it Dad" says Yuri stopping his dad from explaining. "it's complicated. Yes and no and if we wanted to kill you it would've happened when we first engaged , we didn't kidnap you, we saved you." he says earnestly.
"saved me? My team-"
"was gone. We found you out there, alone." Yuri confides.
A cold sliver climbs up Augustine's spine as he tries to grasp what's occurred. His team abandoned him?
He tries reasoning possibilities.
"besides we needed you more".
Needed me? For what and to what extent?
"Why do you think we'd risk our lives to break you away from them? I know it's hard to believe but your role is more important than you know."
" What do you want from me? Intel? You IMC dogs will corrupt the nation's if you get your way."
"Corrupt or establish order? There's so much they've hidden for you. Even that. " Wilheim asks.
That?
"I can imagine how you must feel with this war that's taken everything from you, but we need you for this"
Taken everything away from me? Do they know?
Before Augustine can ponder, Wilheim moves closer to him , displaying in his hand a foreign insignia.
"No. No. I-I" Augustine mind races as he's trying to process what's he's been told, resting his palms against his temples.
"Aug, wake up. Get a hold of yourself. Everyday people are dying under the pretenses that they're fighting towards the right thing. They make us out to be the terror of the frontier. Sure some of our results come from extreme action but at least we don't hide behind a veil of propaganda." Yuri says standing in front of him. "Propaganda? Is it Propaganda when you all are siphoned the life blood of planets?" Augustine questions him. Babineaux steps in "We sacrifice a few to save the many. Wouldn't you have given your life to save those you couldn't?"
His lowers his eyes as he remembers the day everything for him changed.
"why do you have allegiance to the militia? " Yuri asks.
"A bullet is a bullet, no matter who fires it". Augustine responds with an icy tone, his eyes rising to meet Yuri's and Wilheims' perplexed expressions at his answer.
Augustine head throbs as he remembers Angel city burning, the twisted faces of hopelessness and despair of his fallen comrades forever etched in his mind's eye.
"why are you loyal to the IMC?" he asks Yuri, his head clearing as he rests his arms across his knees, melancholicly.
" Doesn't really matter what uniform we wear actually. The IMC will fall and the militia will too. This is just a mask Augustine. " Wilheim nods in agreement.
A silence in the air grows and expands thickening the atmosphere with uncertainty as they await Augustine's answer.
Augustine looks down at his uniform, memories clouding his mind of swearing in, his arduous training, and the friends he made...slowly enveloping, becoming reflective through the lens of a titans eye, surveying its hellish harvest.
" Yeah... a mask" He repeats, smiling up at them.