At the worst possible moment, the traitor of Delta Ridge revealed himself. It was none other than Aiden Viscard, who had everyone aside from Stella trapped in an Ether Trap. No Ether Gear was permitted to work in that field, and the only person who had a chance of fighting was a woman with no powers, surrounded by androids and the Golden Knight Gear. "It's you…!" Stella pointed at Aiden. "You're the traitor, Aiden!"
"Correct!" Aiden clapped his hands together. "It took you a little too long to realize this, though. But you still get marks for noticing."
"Aiden, what's the meaning of this?!" Tristan asked, attempting to use his Steel Creation, but his Ether was completely cut off.
"I can't use my Ether Gear…" Shiki clenched his hand into a fist, attempting to break the Ether Trap, but it wasn't working. This was completely different than being bound by the wrists; his Ether Gear was completely unresponsive.
"Of course you can't." Aiden said while giving a nod. "It would be troublesome if you powerful Ether Gear users could escape that trap. You get to sit there nicely as everything you've fought for begins to crumble around you."
"Aiden, this is madness!" Medi exclaimed. "Let us out! You're being controlled, aren't you!?"
"This is stupid! Aiden, you better let this thing down before I punch you in the face!" Asuka screamed.
"…I should've realized it sooner." Laguna grit his teeth. "I knew his speech from before…I knew it was nothing but an act. However, I had barely known the man, and I was exhausted from my captivity." Laguna wanted to punch himself for not speaking on it sooner.
"How is that Knight Gear working, we shut it down!" Ano said.
"Allow me to explain from the very beginning." Aiden said while pacing about, watching Stella carefully. She was the only one who could retaliate against him, but she knew she was outnumbered and wouldn't dare move. "Shiki. Do you recall my question to you before? What does human life mean to you?"
"…Yeah, what about it?" Shiki asked, glaring towards Aiden.
"Allow me to my take on the matter." Aiden said, folding his arms behind his back. "What does human life mean to me? Absolutely nothing. Human life is nothing more than a waste to the superior android race."
"He's speaking like an android under Ziggy's rule…" Sister grit her teeth.
"But he's fully human…" Hermit was briefly shocked…but then it hit her. What Geno told her last night. That 'not all humans wanted the same thing'.
"..." Stella looked down at the ground for a moment. "…Human life means nothing to you…? But you have a wife!? A daughter! What happened to you, Aiden!?" There were tears stinging her eyes, but it wasn't from disbelief. "I'm not an idiot. I always knew that you thought androids were superior to humans, but you were never like THIS!"
"My eyes were opened a few years ago." Aiden closed his eyes as he said this, thinking back on the events. "Cynthia and I went our separate ways to search for Vanessa, however, my ship was soon surrounded by androids belonging to Ziggy's faction. They took me to a certain planet…and that's where I met Prometheus and Pandora. I struck a deal with them…which they ran by Ziggy."
"You know where Ziggy is!?" Rebecca gasped.
"And you'd be hard pressed if you think I'd tell you." Aiden mocked them. "They let me escape after they extracted my pilot data. You recall how I told you after I returned to Delta Ridge, the android attack soon began? Did you really think this was a poor coincidence?"
"You didn't…" Medi's jaw dropped.
"But I did. I was the one that called them here!" As Aiden said this, he took several steps back until the Golden Knight Gear stepped on him, which was just a means to get him into the cockpit of it. "I'm the one who brought the Goldstones here. I'm the one who's been leaking information on both sides, leading to this very moment! I was the one who killed those two scouts, because they almost caught me in the act and I had to get rid of them. Humans are arrogant creatures that abuse their power and pollute the cosmos with their indecisiveness. Humans abuse androids, humans with lust for power cause war. Look at Drakken Joe, or the events of Nero 66. An entire planet was lost because a young, foolish human just wanted more power. And who suffered for that? Androids. Androids that that man threw away because he didn't value their lives. Androids are the perfect creations. I will be the human that enacts this change!"
"For what purpose!? What about you!?" Jinn was trying to understand this man's motivations.
"My life means nothing in the grand scheme of things." Aiden responded. "A cosmos of androids, perfect beings…that is all I can wish for. If I can usher in an era of peace. The indecisiveness of mankind will bring this universe to ruin, and I will stop it however I can."
"So my husband and sister DIED for you to follow this insane dream!?" Stella screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks. She had no idea her old friend was this far gone.
"They had to die." Aiden said firmly. He was completely detached from their relationship. "I will not allow a single shred of human defiance to stand in the path of Ziggy's conquest to erase humankind!"
"This guy's insane…" Kleene was at a loss for words.
"So he shows his true colors at last." Casey folded his arms.
"I get now…" Ano grunted. "He is the original pilot of the Golden Knight gear. So he used the Manual Override to force a system reboot."
"Correct. I've adjusted the code so you can't hack into it again so easily." Aiden grinned. "Although, considering you need a direction link with your snakes, I don't intend on giving you the chance a second time."
Homura had a realization. "Ah! When we first arrived at Delta Ridge, I recall fighting you!" She said. "I thought it was strange…I damaged the Knight gear, and suddenly, I meet a man with an injury matching that damage. How did I not realize…!?"
"I was dangerously close to being found out because of you. But luckily, you were too foolish to make the connection." Aiden said, relishing in the shocked and horrified expressions of the people of Delta Ridge. These people knew him, he promised to lead these people to victory after the crushing death of Sarisse…and now, here he was, putting them into a crushing defeat with his own hands. This was the moment he was waiting for.
"…You know…" Stella began, wiping her tears. "…I think…there was a part of me that always knew it was you. Sarisse…she couldn't afford to put doubt on anyone, because they were all relying on her and she couldn't break that trust. You moved so fast after my sister's death…you took over everything and I just let it happen, because I didn't think I was fit for the role. But…you were there when my sister died. You…you basically walked her to her death!"
"She was supposed to die sooner." Aiden admitted. "But it appears we all underestimated the strength of the two otherworlders that came to assist us. I don't know how it was done…but Sarisse managed to evade death on that fateful night."
"…?" Rebecca…was a little confused. It sounded like Aiden had no idea how she was able to save Sarisse. Athena figured it out…wait…did Athena…keep that information a secret?
"But I believe I've talked enough. All possible nuisances are out of my way. The Blue Bomber, Sarisse, and now…I just have to put an end to your life, Stella. While all your friends can do is watch." Aiden clenched a hand into a fist, the Golden Knight Gear mirroring his every action. He then aimed his fist down to crush Stella, but she was just barely able to avoid it. The shockwave produced from the impact did knock her off her feet and she tumbled to the ground. "Oh, you dodged it?"
Stella was already a little bruised from that, but she picked herself up and ran towards Aiden. "I knew it was you, but I didn't want to believe it. Because you were my friend! I've known you and your family for years! I TRUSTED YOU!" She threw her fist at the arm of the Golden Knight Gear as hard as she could. There was impact, but her rage filled punch only managed to injure her instead. She grimaced and pulled her arm back.
"Stella, what are you doing!? You can't fight that thing!" Hermit exclaimed. "Geno! Omega..! Where are you!?" She knew Geno was looking for Omega, but she was hoping they would hurry up and make up already! Hermit had to try and do something, but she wasn't going to be able to hack her way out of this trap. It was a manual setup…!
"Are you going to struggle until your last breath?" Aiden scoffed. From the Golden Knight Gear's shoulders, multiple missiles fired upon Stella. She was only deft enough to avoid getting hit directly, but the numerous explosions shaking Echo City did throw her off her feet. One missile was dangerous close to hitting her, but the explosion only knocked her down. "This sort of struggle is pointless!"
"STELLA!"
Stella emerged from the smoke, coughing and wheezing. There was blood trickling down her forehead and her vision was blurry. She didn't have any special powers like the others. She was just…a regular person. A regular person who wanted to fight hard and protect what she loved, but it was all slipping through her fingertips. "I…I don't want to lose anything else. I…I'm going to fight for it no matter how impossible it might be! That's what my sister did…!"
"Stella…" Medi was crying. She was banging against the ether trap with all her might. Everyone was, but they weren't making any progress.
"Damn it, she's going to die if we can't get out of this!" G said.
"I'm trying….." Percival even sounded like she was putting some effort into this.
Lowell was unable to change the form of his sword, but as one of the only people with an actual weapon, he was doing his best, slicing at the barrier that surrounded them. He was making a little progress, but not fast enough. "Come on, damn it!"
"This ether trap is EMP proof…" Pino frowned. She couldn't shut it off, even if she wanted to.
"Go back! Go back"! Rebecca exclaimed to herself.
"Damn it! This can't be it…" Weisz growled.
"GAAAAAAH!" Stella screamed as she was rocked by another explosion, tumbling along the ground until she came to a halt on her stomach. The poor woman was battered and bruised, coughing up blood as well. Her vision was weak and she stared up at Aiden, defiance, anger, sadness, and hurt written all over her expression. "I…I….I'm not…."
Aiden pointed his hand forward, the Golden Knight Gear opening its palm as ether began to charge. "You put up a poor fight. But that's to be expected. At the end of the day, you are nothing special. Say hello to your sister for me. After all…she died with the same expression you have when she learned the truth." A few seconds later and the beam was fully charged, a massive blast of ether soaring towards Stella to completely destroy her.
"STELLLLAAAAA!"
Stella watched everything move in slow motion. She could feel her life flashing before her eyes and she closed them. "I'm sorry, Geno…I don't want to leave you alone…."
BOOM!
A massive explosion took place the moment the beam collided. But there was a different sound than everyone expected. It sounded like the ether was being funneled into something. There was a thick cloud of smoke that slowly cleared, and when it did…
"…!" Rebecca's eyes widened at first…then a soft smile appeared on her lips.
Blair was standing in front of Stella with her Therion arm extended. She consumed the entire blast and used it to feed herself. "…Even after something like that, I'm still hungry."
"Blair!?" Homura gasped.
"What the-!?" Aiden's eyes went wide. That woman…! "I was specifically told you had no intention of joining the fight!"
"Yeah, I said that." Blair said while using the back of her hand to wipe her mouth. "But did you really think I was going to let some evil bastard like you get your way? I'm still mad about you trying to throw me under the bus. You're just like your wife. I can see why you two got married."
"…I got complacent in your attitude." Aiden snarled. "But if you think for a second that you think you can stand in our way!" Aiden clenched his hand into a fist and the Golden Knight Gear threw a punch. Before that punch could even connect, Blair was already in the air, her Therion arm punching the Golden Knight Gear in the chest with enough force to make it stagger backwards. "Gah…!?"
"Don't you dare pass yourself off as some android savior or anything of the sort." Blair spat. "You sat idly by as Prometheus and Pandora threw androids lives away. You let the androids of this planet get controlled! Your motivations make me sick, because you're nothing but a liar. You're no better than the power hungry humans you're trying to get rid of!" And then she slashed her Therion Arm against the Ether Trap, breaking it instantly by consuming it. Everyone was freed instantly.
"Gh!" Aiden growled at Blair. "I will not be ridiculed by some monster who lost her humanity! You have no right to speak down on me, you freak of nature!"
"Yeah, I'm not human. So it's fitting I'm the one who takes you down." Blair said. "I can take this one."
"TAKE ME!? YOU THINK YOU CAN-!?" Before Aiden could finish, Blair propelled herself forward to slam her leg into the Golden Knight Gear, managing to knock it down with her absurd strength.
"What the…" Weisz was in shocked awe. Was this Blair's true power!?
"I'm a lot more efficient when I've eaten." Blair said.
Sister and Medi rushed over to Stella, who was pretty badly hurt. "…So you finally decided to show up." Sister said.
"I didn't come for her, or any of you." Blair scoffed. "I just knew that guy was up to something…and I wasn't going to let him get away with it."
"…Thank you…" Stella said with a soft smile.
"Yeah. That was a pretty heroic entrance you had there, Blair." Rebecca teased.
Blair had a slight, annoyed fluster on her face. "Hurry up and get moving! He's getting up!" Blair said, leaping onto a rooftop to get Aiden's attention and lead him away from the Tower entrance. "Hey, asshole. I'm over here! Don't tell me you can't fight one person with that big hunk of metal."
"I'm going to have to apologize to Vanessa if I ever see her again. Because I'm going to erase her successful test subject from the Cosmos!" Aiden yelled. Blair had his full attention and he was going to chase her now.
"We'll handle the androids out here!" A Resistance soldier exclaimed.
"The plan's back on! Let's go!" Shiki declared. Blair saved them once again, and they weren't going to put these efforts to waste! "Don't fall behind, Casey!"
"I don't intend on it." Casey said. He and Shiki were aiming right for the big bosses: Prometheus and Pandora. Everyone else had their plans and immediately split up once they entered the tower.
.
.
"We really lucked out…" Weisz said while running along with Rebecca, Happy, and Pino. They had to deactivate the last core to liberate the planet's androids from Ziggy's control. "I didn't think Blair was going to show up."
"I can't get a read on her half the time…" Happy admitted.
"I think Blair is a good person." Pino said.
"I do too." Rebecca nodded in agreement. "We can't let her efforts to go waste." They were running down the corridor and soon entered the basement; a large room with plenty of space. The core they sought was in front of them, but there was something in there that they weren't expecting.
"Hello." Athena Goldstone said with a gentle smile. "I told you that I'd be waiting for you, didn't I? I always keep my word. If you want to shut this thing down, you'll have to get through me." She locked eyes with Rebecca.
"I look forward to seeing how many tries it'll take you."
.
.
Hermit and Ano were on the first floor of the tower, preparing to hack into the system so it would be under their control. Hermit did hack into the system and was simply waiting to bypass the security. "It's going a little slow, but I expected the security to be somewhat tight. That's nothing for me, though."
"We almost fumbled with Aiden, but luckily things are back on track." Ano said while watching the progress bar. With the both of them, cracking security wasn't going to be an issue. That was until a gunshot rang out and they had to dive for cover. "Huh!?"
Max Goldstone walked onto the scene, grinning while twirling two pistols in his hands. "Don't act so surprised. Did you forget that we were clued in on your little plan as well? It was a little too late to change it though, wasn't it?"
"Oh no…the Goldstones aren't where they're supposed to be!" Hermit grunted. This was bad. They had a plan for taking on the Goldstones, but it was immediately going off of the rails.
.
.
Kamara was the only person in the spot where they expected her. She sat on the ground, cross legged with her sword in her lap. When Homura, Lowell, Asuka, and Kleene approached, she didn't open her eyes. "…So I take it this is all of you. These numbers are almost insulting."
"You're going to pay for what you did to Sarisse!" Asuka yelled, her body immediately flaring up to her incomplete Overdrive state. She was saving all of her strength for this moment: the moment she could get revenge on Kamara Goldstone. "I've been waiting for you all this time. So stand up and fight me!"
"Get in line!" Lowell exclaimed. "I still owe her as well."
"I believe we all hold some sort of grudge. One that we will repay today." Homura said while readying her sword. "Kleene, I am depending on you for this fight."
"I won't let you down, Homuran." Kleene said, giving Homura a firm nod. This was a group effort and they were going to treat it as such.
"I won't bother with the warm up." Kamara said while standing up, her body slowly starting to turn into black mist as it permeated the room. She entered her Overdrive. She had no intentions of playing around or taking her foes lightly. It was time for her to do what the Goldstones did best: complete their mission. "I've been given full permission to use my might and kill everyone who stands in my way. This will be your worst nightmare."