"If I may, allow me to introduce you, Brigade Premier Zachary, to Mikazuki Augus of the 104th Trainee Brigade."
And at that, there was nothing more than silence.
Several of those present were at a loss for words, unsure of how to react to this… revelation. A majority of them were bewildered at how two 'Titan Shifters' had come from the 104th Trainee Brigade while others were simply shocked at how someone as scrawny looking as Mika could even control something as powerful as Barbatos as well as he could. Eren may not look like much, but at least he appeared capable enough to control a Titan's body to some degree.
Granted, they couldn't see Mika's muscles thanks to his jacket, so it was excusable to some degree…
A few others, however, simply stared at Mika with a combination of wonder and fear.
Nile Dawk narrowed his eyes at the young man, frowning deeply as he watched Augus glanced around the court, seeming more bored than actually fearful as he kept both hands in his pockets. The MPB Commander didn't know what to make of him. On one hand, the kid did appear a little generic. Nile has dealt with many soldiers in the past, and Mika looked like one that he's dealt with… and yet, there was something that was off with this one. Dawk didn't know how to explain it, but something about Mika told him that he didn't belong here…
Dot Pixis couldn't help but stroke his beard in curiosity as he eyed Mikazuki. His posture, despite his current position and how he was quite literally at their mercy, reflected some form of confidence or a lack of care for his own safety. Though not a smart move, Pixis could at least respect Mikazuki's bravery or lack of self preservation.
Ian Dietrich and Mitabi Jarnach had mixed opinions on all this. On one hand, it was a… pleasure(?) to actually see the one who was responsible for preventing the deaths of so many during the Trost incident, but even so… they were expecting someone… older. The way Barbatos had moved back there told them that someone experienced was controlling it, and to see someone as young as Augus be its host was rather odd.
"So… what do you think of that one?" muttered a Survey Corp behind Erwin, who turned around and spared the person a quick glance. The Commander raised a brow when he made eye contact with the soldier nicknamed 'Goggles', or Abel to those who were nicer. The spectacle wearing soldier appeared uncertain as he spoke, unsure of what to make of the pilot standing before them, and Erwin frowned as he eyed Mika curiously, unsure of how to answer his subordinate…
… and Smith would've been lying if he said that he didn't shudder when he and Mikazuki made eye contact for the briefest of moments. The pilot narrowed his eyes a little when he noticed Erwin staring at him, and despite the small amount of uncertainty the commander had towards this boy, he couldn't help but see something… unique in him.
'Those eyes…' thought Erwin, frowning as he broke eye contact with Mika and glanced at nothing in particular. 'Cold, stoic… steadfast. His gaze alone holds the qualities of the best soldiers in the Military Brigade. That, combined with his power to control such a powerful Titan so effectively…'
And at that, the Survey Corp found himself set on getting this Mika kid on his side, no matter the cost.
What he didn't know, however, was that his ticket to getting Augus on his side would come from a rather unexpected source.
They… couldn't believe it.
They had thought him dead for the past two days… for the entirety of the Trost incident… and yet… here he was… standing at the center of the courtroom looking perfectly fine. That knowledge was enough to put Mina, Nac and Annie at ease… and yet, the relief quickly became a strange sense of… betrayal?
Call it whatever you wish, but there was a growing pit of doubt that settled in the stomachs of Mina and Nac as they glanced at Mika from where they stood.
Mina wasn't sure how to feel about this at all. This was some extremely heavy information to have been kept from them, and upon learning it, the girl could help but wonder… who was Mika, exactly? She had always thought of him as their friend, but with this new bit of information in mind… she couldn't help but wonder… has he ever thought the same?
'What if… he was just using us this whole time?'
To her side, Annie was having, for the lack of a better term, a small mental breakdown. On one hand, she was beyond relieved to learn that Mika was alive. That body she had seen back there was just someone who just so happened to look like him… and that in itself was enough to make her release a sigh of relief she had stuck in her throat.
And yet… the knowledge of him being the host to the Mechanical Titan… well… it was enough to make her lose her cool, with her nervously flexing her fingers in an effort to keep herself calm as she eyed Mika.
'What… are you?'
As for Nac, however, due to his height, the boy could see Mika better than his two friends, and he would be lying if he said that he didn't feel some form of contempt towards him.
Family never kept things away from one another. As dark as their secrets may have been, they would always share them! Mika could've just told them about… this! And yet, he didn't. He chose to keep it a secret from them… and it brought up the question… was it worth it to trust him anymore?
As that thought crossed his mind, however, Nac noticed that Mika had turned towards his general direction, prompting him to blink as he made eye contact with the young man who would be judged. And, right at that very second, Mika's formerly unreadable expression turned into one of… relief?
It was barely noticeable, especially from where he stood, but Nac could just barely make out how Mikazuki's brows had raised a little higher on his face when he made eye contact with Nac. and not long after, he… smiled?
Barely noticeable though it may have been… it was there. Mikazuki Augus was smiling at the sight of Nac, and said smile grew just a little when he noticed that Mina and Annie were by his side. His shoulders, once rigid and squared, slacked a little as well, and his overall demeanor seemed to have changed as he turned away from the three.
And it was safe to say that all form of contempt Nac had towards Mika had faded at that one moment. His doubts about trusting the boy were still present in some way, though that smile, however small it was… combined with that look of relief… it told Nac that Mika still cared for them in his own way.
'He… he's got his own reasons to keep all this a secret from us. I can't just assume so quickly…'
And as soon as that thought flashed through his mind, Mikazuki's judgement began.
"Hey, step forward!"
Blinking as he felt something poke against his back, Mika turned and made eye contact with a soldier behind him, holding onto a musket rifle with its barrel aimed at his back. When they made eye contact, the soldier noticeably flinched, with the rifle shaking in his hands, prompting Mika to raise a brow before stepping forward.
As he did so, Augus made eye contact with Eren Jaeger, still kneeling by the side and bruised to absolute Hell and back, Levi Ackerman, who appeared mildly amused by his appearance, Hanji Zoe, who smiled a little as she eyed him, and Rico Brzenska, who remained at the center of the courtroom for some reason. More than a dozen soldiers surrounded him, with a handful keeping their rifles on standby as he walked up to the center of the area, though they weren't the ones whom he was interested in.
No, the ones whom he was interested in were his three friends. Glancing off in their general direction, Mika felt the corners of his lips twitch a little as he glanced back up at the guy who would probably be judging him, not wanting to be distracted at a time like this as, contrary to what his expression would suggest, he was, admittedly, feeling a little on edge right now.
Though he was no pushover when it came to close quarters combat or a good ol' firefight, Mika knew for a fact that even he wouldn't be able to get out of here alive with these many guns trained on him. He would just need to hope that the bearded guy sitting on that tall desk would let him live.
How interesting…
Dhalis Zachary has done this song and dance many times in the past, what with him being the longest serving Premier. In the past, whenever faced with him, those who were to be judged would, for the lack of a better term, be shitting themselves.
No secrets were safe within this court, especially when Zachary was the one who was running it. The man had his way of getting the truth, and those who were to be judged knew that. Friends, family, mere acquaintances, it never mattered. If someone made a scene big enough to be judged by him, of all people, Zachary would bring them all in to testify for or against the one to be judged, to make sure that they either faced justice or be let free based on the evidence given to him.
And yet, the elderly Premier would've been lying if he had said that Mikazuki Augus was perhaps the most interesting person he's had to judge in years simply by virtue of how calm he was.
The kid was unreadable, seeming almost indifferent to his current dilemma, and if anything, Zachary reckoned that he could respect that.
Of course, those thoughts could come after this had all ended. For now, Zachary simply shelved the small amount of respect he had for Mika and shuffled a few notes in his hands.
"Well then, let us begin," spoke Zachary as he flexed his fingers, narrowing his eyes at Mika through his glasses as he spoke. His response was for Mika to return the gesture as he narrowed his, prompting the Premier to flinch a little before continuing. "You are Mikazuki Augus of the 104th Trainee Brigade, and a soldier sworn to protect the public with your life. And, most recently, the host to the Mechanical Titan. Is this-"
"Mechanical Titan?"
Mika speaking up so abruptly was enough to cut Zachary off as he looked up from his documents and made eye contact with the pilot, who had tilted his head a little in confusion. All around him, the soldiers appeared surprised that he had spoken up so nonchalantly, though he didn't acknowledge them as he continued.
"Barbatos is Barbatos. You don't need to call him that," continued Mika, confusing everyone further as Hanji tilted her head to the side.
"Barbatos…?" echoed Hanji as she turned to glance at Levi, who raised a brow, showing that he was just as lost as she was, before glancing back at Mika, who was in turn glancing up at Zachary, who had recomposed himself by then.
"... Is this true, Mikazuki Augus?" inquired Zachary, speaking as though Mika had not cut him off and pausing briefly to allow him to answer. What he got was a rather mild nod.
"Ah," replied Mika, slotting his hands into his pockets as he nodded. Seeing as how that was all he really needed to know, Zachary nodded.
"Know that this Tribunal shall be held under the laws of the military, not those of the public," clarified Zachary, repeating what he had said to Eren some time ago as he read from a slip of paper in his hand. "Your fate shall be decided here, by me.
"Have you any objections, soldier?"
No response outside of a mild shake of Mika's head, and Zachary took that as his cue to continue.
"I appreciate your silence," said Zachary. "Now, allow me to be direct. As with Eren Jaeger, the ability to conceal your presence has proven to be impossible. Far too many civilians and soldiers have seen your Titan body, and many more will undoubtedly learn about it in the future through word of mouth. As such, we must make your presence known to the public in some manner.
"Or a threat to mankind, one that is separate from Titans themselves, may arise. That which shall be decided today is which force shall be given custody of you.
"The Military Police Brigade?"
Glancing to the left, Mika raised a brow as he made eye contact with Nile Dawk, who narrowed his eyes at him. The guy seemed wary of him, which was to be expected at this point, though the guy who was standing beside him seemed to be more horrified than wary as he glared between Mika and Eren with widened eyes that looked ready to pop out at any given second.
'Must be one of those Wallists,' thought Mika absentmindedly as Zachary continued.
"Or the Survey Corps?"
Turning to the right this time, Mika once again made eye contact with Erwin Smith, who seemed serious about all this as he held his hands behind his back. Behind him stood his soldiers, all of whom looked rather wary of him, though a handful of their gazes were less hostile and slightly… warmer? That was probably a word to describe it.
"Now, if I may, I wish for the Military Police Brigade to offer their proposal."
With those words uttered by Zachary, Nile Dawk stepped forward, having discarded the paper he had been holding onto during Eren Jaeger's trial. Said paper had his proposal for Eren's fate, and seeing as his trial had ended, the Commander didn't need it anymore. He didn't have anything prepared for Mika, though he already knew what he wished to say at this point.
"Yes sir. I, Nile Dawk, Commander of the Military Police Brigade, shall offer my proposal," began Nile, holding his hands behind his back as he spoke. "Though we members of the Military Police have not had many chances to view the Titan body of Mikazuki Augus personally, I have been given more than enough reports on him that I can confidently say that our greatest course of action now would be to eliminate him immediately.
"I will acknowledge, however, that Mikazuki Augus' Titan form has proven to be an extraordinarily valuable asset during the Trost incident. Even so, with the incident resolved, I strongly believe that he is too powerful to be kept alive. Many reports have stated that his Mechanical Titan form holds the power of the three Military Brigades combined. To allow one with this much power to roam freely would be unwise, and, as with Eren Jaeger, his mere existence alone could bring about a civil war.
"Though I harbor my doubts on the matter, Eren Jaeger can very well prove to be an invaluable asset to humanity. Mikazuki Augus, however, could potentially do more harm than good, for his abilities dwarf even those of his fellow Abnormal. Should they be allowed to conspire against us together, humanity could very well be lost.
"As such, I shall propose this once more. I ask for Mikazuki Augus to die for mankind's sake, though not before leaving behind as much information regarding his existence as possible."
And with that, Nile stepped back and bowed his head, a sign that he had completed his proposal, and not long after, several murmurs of agreement could be heard. Fellow MPB soldiers spoke between themselves, seeing the logic behind Nile's proposal, while the civilians simply agreed to it due to how dangerous Barbatos had sounded based on what Nile said.
On the other end of the spectrum, however, a handful of soldiers, mostly Survey Corps, Garrison and Cadets, couldn't help but disagree with Nile. Having fought side by side Barbatos, and by extension Mika himself, they knew from experience that both the Gundam and its pilot were invaluable assets. Even so, they kept their thoughts to themselves, for it wasn't their right to speak up now, of all times.
Of course, that didn't stop a certain someone from doing so anyways.
"Out of the question!" roared Pastor Nick, his voice sounding angered as he pointed towards Mikazuki. The pilot had unintentionally blanked out near the end of Nile's proposal, though he got the basic gist of it before doing so, only to be brought back to reality by Nick, of all people, as he glanced over at the man in question. "To offer such a lenient fate to a pest that stands before us is an act too kind!"
'Oh boy, this again,' thought Nile as he fought the urge to facepalm.
"This deceiver… he had infiltrated our sacred grounds like the Rat he is!" continued Nick, grimacing as he spoke. "He is an infection, one that must not be allowed to remain for any longer! We must treat the wounds that he has inflicted upon our holy grounds by eliminating the source! By eliminating the vermin who have carried their disease into our sacred land and allowed it to spread!"
As he spoke, a handful of the Wallist supporters couldn't help but nod in agreement while the soldiers held in their groans. As for a specific three, however, they couldn't help but shake a little with rage, especially after Nick had called their friend(?) a Rat, though thankfully enough, the Pastor was silenced by Zachary, who waved a hand.
"Pastor Nick, please," began Zachary, silencing the Pastor with a wave of his hand before turning to Erwin. "If we may, let us hear the Survey Corp's proposal next."
And at that, Erwin Smith stepped forward. As with Nile, his hands were behind his back, and his expression was serious as he spoke.
"Yes sir," began Erwin. "I, Erwin Smith, 13th Commander of the Survey Corps, shall give my proposal.
"As with Eren Jaeger, I would like to welcome Mikazuki Augus into the ranks of the Survey Corps and make use of their combined powers to retake Wall Maria.
"... that is all."
And upon saying that… the room went completely silent for the second time in the day as everyone processed what Smith had said. Even Mika appeared a little surprised as he glanced at Erwin with a raised brow, though the Survey Corp Commander didn't acknowledge it as Zachary spoke up.
"Is that all?" inquired Zachary.
"Yes, sir," assured Erwin calmly. "Eren Jaeger's powers are incredible, but it is rather clear that Mikazuki Augus has more skill and experience with his. With their combined strength, retaking Maria could very well become a possibility. We believe that it is clear what our priorities should be."
And at that, Erwin couldn't help but offer the slightest hints of a smirk, one directed towards Nile, who felt a vein appear on his forehead as his fellow Commander threw a small jab in his direction. Of course, he quickly dismissed it as Zachary nodded.
"I see," said Zachary, nodding as he spoke. "I can assume that, as with Eren, you wish to begin this mission in Karanses, on your next expedition?"
A nod from Erwin was Zachary's answer, and with that, the Premier sighed a little as he took a sip from that ridiculous looking glass bottle he had on his table before turning back to Mika.
"Hm, Mikazuki Augus, if I may. I wish to confirm something with you," continued Zachary, with his attention now fixed completely on Mikazuki as he spoke. The pilot raised his head up so that he was looking him in the eye, a sign for Dhalis to continue. "Can you continue to serve the military, even with your powers, for the benefit of mankind?"
A mild shrug from Mika, followed by an: "Ah," was Zachary's answer, with the Premier being once again surprised by how calm Augus was through all this, though as per usual, he backlogged that thought before nodding.
Before he could speak up, however, Rico Brzenska allowed her presence to be known as she stepped forward and spoke up.
"Military Premier Zachary, if I may, I wish to add something that could be considered noteworthy," said Rico, moving a little behind Mika as she spoke. Glancing her way, Zachary nodded, giving her the 'ok sign' to speak, which she did. "Whilst retrieving Mikazuki Augus from his Titan body, I noticed something peculiar about it, and that was that his Titan body did not dissolve into steam after he had left it."
Upon hearing that, those in the courtroom began whispering among themselves, shocked that such a thing could even exist. A Titan that didn't become nothing but steam after being slain was unheard of! Hell, even Eren's Titan body had become steam after he left it, so to learn that the Barbatos didn't do the same… it was quite a shocker, to say the least.
As the seconds drew by, however, the mild whispers turned into voices of denial, with several of the present soldiers, with a majority of them being from the Military Police Brigade, and a majority of the Civilians voicing out their doubts. Many said that Rico was lying, with a majority of those from the Wall Cult claiming that she was trying to sully the integrity of their 'Gods' while several others reasoned that perhaps Rico was just seeing things.
"I WISH TO HAVE MY VOICE BE HEARD, ZACHARY!" proclaimed Pastor Nick, raising his arm to point at Mika and Mika alone as everyone turned towards him, with even the Pilot himself seeming intrigued by what he was about to say as he watched with 'rapt attention'.
Breathing heavily, Nick had his eyes widened to their absolute limits as he pointed at Mika, with his teeth gritted together so hard that they seemed ready to shatter at any given second. Even so, the Pastor didn't seem to notice or care as he continued his rant, not even bothering to wait for Dhalis to answer before he did so.
"THE BEAST WE KNOW TO BE THE MECHANICAL TITAN IS MORE OF AN ICON OF SIN THAN THE ONE WHO CALLS HIMSELF EREN JAEGER, AND THE ROOT OF HIS EVIL TAKES THE FORM OF THE ONE WHO STANDS BEFORE US, THE VESSEL OF THE BEAST ITSELF!" roared Nick, glaring holes into Mika's skull as he did so. Vice versa, Mika simply watched and listened in amusement as the guy continued. "HE WHO COMES TO US AS A SHEEP, ONLY TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO BE A WOLF! HEED MY WORDS, ZACHARY AND CHOOSE THE PATH THAT OUR SAVIORS NO DOUBT WANT YOU TO FOLLOW, FOR IF YOU ALLOW THIS MONSTER, ONE SPAWNED FROM THE VERY DEPTHS OF THE UNDERWORLD, TO LIVE, YOU SHALL BRING NOTHING BUT THE END OF MANKIND ITSELF!"
"... Pastor Nick, please-" began Zachary, only to be cut off by Nick as he continued his tirade.
"THE DEATH OF THE MECHANICAL TITAN'S VESSEL WILL NOT ONLY BE ENOUGH TO PLEASE OUR GODS, ENOUGH TO ALLOW THEM TO FORGIVE OUR SMALL OVERSIGHT, BUT IT SHALL ALSO RID US OF AN ABOMINATION, ONE THAT DOES NOT DESERVE TO BREATH THE SAME AIR AS US!"
A handful of soldiers were getting irritated with Nick's constant babbling, with Nile regretting standing beside him at this point as the occasional spit hit him. The guy shifted a little to the side to stop that form happening too often.
On the other end, the Survey Corps, Cadetsand a few Garrison couldn't help but feel greatly irritated with the Pastor. They had become very used to the religious babbling of the Wall Cult by now, but even so, Nick was really going in on it today. He really wanted Mikazuki gone, and he was not pulling any punches, something that irritated all of them present, with a handful of Cadets who knew Mikazuki during their Trainee days feeling especially irritated, and at least three were readily fuming at the guy.
As for Zachary, he once again tried his best to get the Pastor to just shut up.
"Please, Pastor Nick-" tried Zachary, only to be cut off once more by Nick.
"WE ARE AT A HISTORICAL TURNING POINT, ZACHARY DHALIS, AND SHOULD YOU MAKE THE INCORRECT DECISION, ONE THAT HAS NOT BEEN ENDORSED BY OUR GODS, THEN YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE CALLED THE PREMIER! HEED MY WORDS, AND EXECUTE-"
And it was apparent that Zachary had enough of Nick's nonstop claims by now, as he was quick to raise his voice for perhaps the first time in his entire career as the Military Brigade Premier.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" roared Zachary, the fury behind those three words being enough to silence everyone in the courtroom as soon as they left his mouth. What followed were a few seconds of silence as Nick calmed himself down, and before long, Dhalis nodded in approval before sighing. "Pastor Nick, know that a Military Tribunal has gathered here today to judge both Mikazuki Augus and Eren Jaeger. Religion has no place in the Military, am I understood? If you wish to barter about it, do so after the trial has ended."
There was no response from Nick, who grimaced as he went silent, though it was enough to make Zachary nod before he continued.
"Allow me to recap, you claim that the body of the Mechanical Titan did not turn into smoke following Mikazuki Augus' emergence from it. Is this correct, soldier?" inquired Zachary, wishing to clarify this before he continued.
"Yes, sir," confirmed Rico, prompting Zachary to nod.
"I see. Thank you, soldier, for informing me," thanked Zachary as he turned back to Mika. the Premier's face was still red with anger, though outside of that, he seemed mostly fine. "Mikazuki Augus, I have it on good authority that during the Trost incident, you did no harm to any soldier or civilian. Whenever threatened, you never fought back, and no matter what Titan you faced, you would be able to defeat it within seconds.
"However, in spite of the positive reports regarding your Mechanical Titan, I must ask… what are you?"
At that, the room fell silent as Mika raised a brow at that, prompting Zachary to continue.
"You are not like Eren Jaeger, are you? For as different as he is, Eren Jaeger's Titan form still follows the fundamental rules of the average Titan. Yours, however, does not. It does not dissolve when you leave it, a strike to the nape has proven ineffective in striking it down, and it possesses the ability to make use of artillery fire.
"And so, I ask once more, Mikazuki Augus, what are you?"
Following all that, Mika simply stayed silent as the courtroom stood in anticipation. The soldiers were also curious as to what Mika was, with Rico crossing her arms, Hanji bouncing a little on the balls of her feet while Levi watched with some form of curiosity. Erwin Smith and his subordinates had also perked their ears up, not wanting to miss the answer.
And off to the side, Mina, Nac and Annie were also listening with rapt attention, as were their fellow Cadets who knew Mika in their Trainee days.
As for Mika, well… he answered truthfully.
"I'm a human," answered Mika, frowning as he lowered his brows in irritation. The tension in the room almost immediately died down. That was rather… underwhelming, to say the least, though Zachary reckoned that such an answer was to be expected as he propped his glasses back up onto his face.
"If so, how do you explain the existence of the Mechanical Titan? It breaks all known rules and goes against all knowledge that we have about the Titans," inquired Zachary, to which Mika tilted his head.
"Barbatos isn't a Titan," answered Mika, repeating himself once more as Zachary raised a brow, recalling that name being brought up earlier in the day. "Barbatos is Barbatos."
At that point, Zachary opted to go with all this and nod, acknowledging how adamant Mika seemed to be with calling the Mechanical Titan by its true name, and continue speaking, all while ignoring the whispers amongst the crowd who were discussing what this Barbatos was.
"This… Barbatos, as you call it, is not a Titan?" clarified Zachary, only continuing when Mika shook his head. "If so, what is it?"
"It's my Gundam," answered Mika, short and simply as several soldiers in the courtroom muttered amongst themselves, wondering what exactly a Gundam was, though before long, several of the people present began worrying that the Titans beyond the exterior had evolved into entities that were similar to Barbatos.
"This… Gundam… it's stronger than a Titan, right?" observed a civilian as he began fearing the worst.
"Yeah! W-What if there's more than one?!" added another.
"W-We can't let him live! What if he returns to his allies and tells them about where we are?!" accused a Military Police member as he pointed an accusing finger at Mika. "Such a thing could spell the end of mankind!"
It didn't take long for the room to devolve into a chorus of fearful yells, and Pastor Nick appeared ready to add his voice into the mix, though before he could Zachary silenced all their chatter with a raise of his hand and with a single word.
"Silence," ordered Zachary, with his voice, though calm, still being more than enough to echo through the entire court. And at that, the courtroom did as they were told as the Premier continued speaking. "Thank you. Mikazuki Augus, allow me to ask the question that we all undoubtedly wish to have an answer to. This Gundam, as you call it, how many more of them are out there?"
"... I'm the only one with a Gundam," replied Mika, much to a lot of people's relief as. His tone, however, sounded rather… off as he broke eye contact with the Premier and glanced at the ground, telling a handful of soldiers that there was more to what he said than one would expect, though Zachary didn't think much of it as he nodded.
"I see, and as specified by the soldier behind you, this Gundam does not dissolve when you leave it, yes?" inquired Zachary, with Mika nodding being his answer, prompting him to nod as well as he stroked his beard thoughtfully, silently weighing his options.
On one hand, the Mecha… Barbatos was a massive threat to mankind should Mika turn on them out of the blue. He could very well tear down the Walls, if some of the reports were to be believed. If they killed him now, they would be avoiding a potential extinction event for mankind, and if the report of the Gundam not dissolving after Mika had left it was to be believed, they could perhaps study it following his death.
And yet, many more reports stated that whilst Mikazuki was piloting it, Barbatos was practically unmatched by anything, be they Titan or soldier, in combat. To kill him off and pawn the Gundam off to be examined could potentially deprive them of one of their greatest potential allies in this Human/Titan war.
Noticing his apparent uncertainty, Erwin Smith pursed his lips together as he stepped forward, wishing to take this chance to speak up.
"Military Premier Zachary, if you'll allow me, I wish to ask Mikazuki Augus a few questions," began Erwin. Seeing no reason to decline, Zachary nodded, prompting Smith to step forward a little and make eye contact with Mika, who raised a brow. "Mikazuki Augus, five years ago, we encountered your Gundam during one of our expeditions. Is that correct?"
"Ah," confirmed Mika, nodding as Erwin finished, prompting several murmurs to emerge from the crowd, with the soldiers all questioning the legitimacy of Smith's question. Several of the younger Survey Corps present didn't know which expedition Erwin was referring to, though those who had seen Barbatos up close and personal so long ago couldn't help but smile between themselves upon being reminded of that one day.
"Hm. Military Premier Zachary, if what he says is to be believed, then this would not be the first time where Mikazuki Augus has helped mankind," added Erwin, prompting Zachary to nod.
"I am aware of that. The Gundam has been sighted during the Fall of Maria as well," assured Zachary. "And I recall that report filed by Keith Shadis whilst he was still the Commander of the Survey Corps claiming that it was present during one of your expeditions."
"Indeed. However, I must point to a report regarding its involvement during the Trost incident, one that was given to me by a reliable source," continued Erwin. "It said that the Gundam was first spotted near an abandoned barn at the Eastern wing of Trost."
Several murmurs in the crowd regarding how Mikazuki even managed to get Barbatos into Trost without anyone noticing could be heard, all of which went ignored by the pilot and Erwin as the latter continued.
"If the report is to be believed, that is most likely where Mikazuki has hidden his Gundam for the past five years after infiltrating Trost," continued Erwin, glossing over Mika getting into the District with little interest in the topic as he spoke. "And if I am not mistaken, Mikazuki could have very easily used it to escape the District."
"What are you implying, Erwin Smith?" inquired, rather surprisingly, Nile from the other side of the courtroom, sounding curious as Zachary nodded a little, wishing to know what Erwin was getting at as well. At that, Erwin closed his eyes, exhaled, before opening them and continuing.
"I am implying that Mikazuki chose to stay behind rather than abandon us to our fate," answered Erwin, and at that, the Pilot's brows raised a little as he processed that… ludicrous suggestion.
"And what makes you believe such a notion, Erwin Smith?" inquired Zachary, to which Erwin replied.
"It is but a guess, but I presume that, perhaps, Mikazuki Augus felt it to be his duty to remain behind and protect the District of Trost and its people," answered Erwin, nodding as he concluded. The Commander stepped back and bowed his head, showing that he was indeed done, and at that, Zachary nodded, taking all that into account as he held a hand up to his chin thoughtfully.
"That is a point worth considering, Erwin Smith. However, I wish for-"
And at that, Zachary, alongside a small handful of soldiers, heard it.
Soft and barely audible, as soon as that soft chuckle hit his ears, the Premier couldn't help but raise his brows in surprise as he glanced over at Mika. And, to his shock, the pilot didn't seem calm anymore.
No… there was a smile, however small it was, present on his face, and his head was lowered a little as his shoulders shivered just a bit. If Zachary had to make a guess… Mika had just laughed at that proposal, and that thought alone was enough to shock him into silence.
Likewise, those who heard it had fallen into silence as well. Throughout its history, no one, man, woman or child, has ever laughed in the courtroom, let alone smile, at least not whilst they were judged by Zachary. And here Mikazuki was, making history as his smile faded and as he glanced up at Zachary with a serious expression.
"I didn't stay behind for the District," clarified Mika, frowning as he spoke. Zachary, alongside several others, were beyond surprised at his blatant admittance of that, though they remained silent as he continued.
"I stayed behind for my family."
And at that, Mina felt her heart stop for the briefest of seconds as she took a step back, almost falling backwards if Annie hadn't caught her. To her side, Nac felt something get stuck in his throat as he made eye contact with his two shorter friends, whose eyes were almost as wide as his.
"Is that so?" inquired Zachary, the surprise somewhat apparent in his voice as he spoke, tenting his fingers together as he leaned forward. The pilot nodded rigidly, prompting him to continue. "If you may, I would like to know who your family is."
"That's none of your business," was his immediate answer from Mika, sounding a little more defensive as he spoke. That tone was enough to make Mina shudder as a mild blush made its way onto her face.
"So… he stayed behind… all for us…?" whispered Mina to herself, feeling a little flustered by that as Nac nodded a little.
"Y-Yeah… that explains why that thing was always by our side," replied Nac with a mild nod, with his face a little red as he spoke. Upon hearing that, Mina couldn't help but blush a bit deeper as she realized just how much the guy had cared for the three of them, though she quickly shook that thought out of her head as Zachary spoke up.
"I see," muttered Zachary, propping his glasses up higher onto his face as he nodded. "You remained behind just to protect your family, no doubt one that took you in after you infiltrated Trost. Such a reason to fight, no less a reason to stay behind to defend a fallen District, is admittedly commendable, but I must ask, what would you do if they were to perish in battle?"
Mika's response came almost immediately.
"I'd keep fighting. It's what they'd want," answered Mika, narrowing his eyes as he spoke, surprising everyone present as they eyed Mika with widened eyes. Hell, even Levi appeared taken aback by all this, though Mika didn't bother acknowledging that as he continued. "They want to win this battle against the Titans, and I'll help them. I'll make their dream come true, even if it kills me."
The sheer amount of determination behind Mika's usually emotionless voice was enough to convince everyone that he was dead serious.
And at that, Zachary reckoned that he had enough information to make a logical conclusion to Mikazuki Augus' trial.
"I see… I have made my decision" muttered Zachary, bowing his head as he spoke, with everyone leaning forward to hear what he had to say, sans Mikazuki, who just listened.
"Mikazuki Augus, from this day forth, you shall be under the care of the Survey Corps."
Not long after
"Can't believe I have to babysit two kids now."
Upon hearing that, Mika glanced back and may eye contact with Levi, who was standing behind him, seeming more bored than anything as he eyed Mika with lowered brows. Augus said nothing in response as he simply turned away from Ackerman, his frown still stuck firmly onto his face as he did so.
Mika reckoned that it has been about… half an hour after his trial had ended. Him being placed in the Survey Corps was fine, he reckoned, seeing as how he was aiming for that group in the first place, though now he had to contend with Hanji, which was terrible.
At the moment, however, Mika was spared from Hanji's irritating questions as his senior was helping Eren get out of his restrains. The boy winced as he stood, having been kneeling for the entirety of his and Mika's trials, and when he was finally able to stand, he rubbed his wrists and thanked Hanji.
"I do apologise for all that, Mikazuki Augus," came Erwin's voice from seemingly nowhere, prompting Mika to turn and glance his way just in time to see Smith approach him calmly. The blonde was no longer serious looking, with a smile on his face and his hands by his side. If anything, he now seemed like any other guy off the streets. "The Military Tribunal has a tendency to be a bit too thorough with such things."
"Ah," was all Mika bothered to say as Erwin chuckled.
"Hm, perhaps we should move this discussion elsewhere? I believe that you're getting tired of seeing this courtroom by now," suggested Erwin, and at that, Mika simply shrugged, prompting him to chuckle a little as he motioned for him and Eren, and by proxy, Levi and Hanji, to follow him.
"Things are really getting interesting," muttered Levi as they walked, and to his side, Hanji couldn't help but giggle as she nodded.
"Yeah, very interesting! I can't wait to have a closer look at that Gundam thing!"
And the lustful giggle that followed those words was enough to make Levi step away from Hanji.
Orga had not moved from his desk for quite some time.
He had simply opted to sit there in silent contemplation, pondering the words of McGillis Fareed had left him with as he thought of his next course of action.
Frowning deeply as he thought it over, the Tekkadan boss glanced off to the side of his desk, at a tablet that had been given to him after Tekkadan became a legitimate company. After sighing and deciding that there was no point in delaying the inevitable, Orga picked it up and quickly turned it on. As quickly as he could, he tapped the thing several times until he got himself on a call with someone whom he was very familiar with.
'Come on, bro. Don't tell me that you're too busy now, of all times,' pleaded Orga as the call attempted to connect, though much to his relief, it went though within a handful of seconds, and once it did, the tablet showed the face of a man who was oh so familiar to Itsuka, and just seeing him made the guy smile just a little.
"Orga! It's been awhile since you called me and not the other way round!" greeted the man on screen, as cheery as ever as he adjusted the collar of his dapper white suit. The guy looked just as Orga remembered, with his long black hair, mild stubble and light blue eyes, and if anything, seeing his bro did set him at ease just a little.
This was none other than Naze Turbine, leader of the business known as the Turbines and business company to Tekkadan for the past five years. Being one of the higher ups of Teiwaz, the company that Tekkadan worked under, and the man who had the absolute largest harem in recorded history, Naze Turbine has certainly earned quite the reputation as a man to be feared.
Even so, when in private, be it with his wives or even with Tekkadan, namely Orga himself, he was nothing short of a respectable gentleman with a heart of gold, even if the words that sometimes come out of his mouth say otherwise.
"Ah, I'm sorry for that, Bro. It's been pretty busy, recently," apologised Orga, smiling sheepishly as he adjusted the black suit he was wearing. It was terribly uncomfortable, though it was something… and besides, a handful of Tekkadan members said it suited him, especially with the Tekkadan jacket draped over his shoulders like a cape.
"Jeez, you really needa take some time off soon, Orga. You've made it pretty big, y'know? Ease up a little!" urged Naze, winking a little as he held a cup of alcohol up in the air to show his point. Orga shuddered a little at that, not liking the thought of alcohol after what had happened that one time, though he did nod a little to show that he would take that into consideration. "You've sent that Gusion here four times in the past month! You sure you're not overworking yourself?"
"Yeah, I… I'll keep that in mind," assured Orga, and with that, he became a little silent as he wondered how he should explain his current dilemma to his bro. Fortunately for him, however, Naze was a perceptive man, and it didn't take long for him to notice his little bro's silence and speak up about it.
"Hm, I take it this isn't a simple social call to check up on my well being, huh?" quipt Naze, raising a brow as Orga chuckled a little.
"Ah. you always knew me very well, bro," confirmed Orga, smiling sheepishly as Naze chuckled.
"Of course! Now, spill. What trouble did you find yourself in this time?"
And if he were honest, though Naze was rather used to dealing with some outrageous things in his life, including but not limited to an entire Warship of wives, Jansley Dominikos being a general pain in the ass or even that one time Lafter tried to bake a cupcake for Akihiro, only to fail miserably and put their Warship, the Hammerhead, out of commission for the better part of the week, he would openly admit that this new bit of information was certainly near the top of that list.
"... so let me get this straight. This Montag guy you've been working with is a Gjallarhorn member and he just came in and told you that Mikazuki is probably alive and wants to hire you to test out an experimental thing in the future," recapped Naze thoughtfully. "And… you believe him?"
"No, I… don't. Not fully, at least," assured Orga, frowning as he spoke. "It's just… he showed some evidence of Mika possibly being alive, and-"
"And you want to take him up on his offer and agree to test his new 'revolutionary gear', huh?" concluded Naze, and to that, Orga nodded a little, prompting his bro to sigh. "Y'know, Orga, sometimes I think you're pretty gullible, even by my standards."
"A-Ah… sorry, bro… I just got a little carried away," apologised Orga, his tone sounding both apologetic and sheepish as he spoke. "I… just thought that maybe… just maybe, Mika's out there, waiting for us… and just thinking that…"
"It makes you wanna go out there and get him back?" finished Naze, and when Orga bit his lower lip, he knew he was right, prompting him to chuckle, surprising his little bro a little as he continued speaking. "Look, Orga. This is all extremely sketchy, what with Barbatos and Mikazuki being in some random part of space and all that, but based on what you've told me, and based on everything this Gjallarhorn guy told you… it doesn't seem too far fetched."
"Really?" inquired Orga, sounding rather surprised as Naze nodded. "But… how-"
And Orga was quick to pause when Naze smiled and held a hand up.
"You see, Amida's Hyakuren is part of a maintenance line known as the Single Number line, with only 9 of its kind in existence. Because of this, Teiwaz keeps a very close eye on them, considering how these machines are more powerful than the regular Hyakuren units we mass produce," explained Naze, smiling as he spoke. "One of the nine, however, went missing and was never found. We scoured various places to find it, even searching the Debris Zone for at least a year, before we accepted that it was gone.
"However, roughly a decade after the unit was gone, we received a transmission that was tens of lightyears away from our little Solar System… one that matched the Ahab Frequency of our lost Single Number unit perfectly. We thought it was a fluke in the system for a long time… at least till you brought this to my attention."
"So what you're saying is that…" muttered Orga, and at that, Naze nodded.
"Yep. that Gjallarhorn guy might be telling the truth, though of course, don't take my word on it entirely," replied Naze with a nod. "That being said, from a business standpoint, this is quite a bargain! Mcmurdo would undoubtedly tell you to do it just from the profit alone!"
"Heh, well, if we do go through with this and make it out alive, I'll make sure to treat you to something nice for once," assured Orga, smiling as Naze chuckled.
"I'll hold you to that, Orga!" quipt Naze, smiling as he winked at his little bro. "Of course, while you've got my approval, albeit just barely, you still need to break this news to your pals. How're you gonna go about that?"
"Well, considering how big this news is, I'll have to recall a handful of our Earth Branch members," muttered Orga thoughtfully as Naze raised an eyebrow. "Takaki and Chad will probably want to hear this, Takaki especially. If it's not too big of an issue, bro…"
"I'll have Eco and Azee fill in their roles until they return," assured Naze with a thumbs up, his smile growing when he saw his little bro lighten up. "They've been itching to visit Earth for some time, after all. Eco in particular is getting kinda bored of waiting for those parts we ordered for that Shiden you made us build."
"Ah… sorry for that, bro," apologised Orga, smiling sheepishly as he remembered that IO Frame Shiden he had requested to be built for him for times of extreme emergency. Naze was quick to wave his apology off, however, as he chuckled.
"For a boss, you sure do like to apologize a lot!" chastised Naze, much to Orga's chagrin as he chuckled, though before much else could be said, Orga faintly heard someone open the door to his bro's meeting room and call him out, and at that, he snapped his fingers. "Ah shucks, well, I'm gonna have to cut this call real quick. We've got some orders relating to parts for the mass produced Shiden Frames."
"Ah, I get it. See you next time, bro," assured Orga, smiling as Naze offered a two fingered salute before ending the call.
And at that, Orga leaned back on his chair as he sighed, still unsure on how to make of this as he rested a hand on his forehead.
The opinions of Tekkadan would most likely do quite a bit to help him decide on if he should take Fareed up on his offer, though if he were honest, even if they disagreed, he'd probably just go out on this alone.
Of course, amidst his uncertainty, Orga did have one cohesive thought…
'You'd best be alive, Mika… cuz we're going to come get you!"
And right at that moment, the door to his office burst open, shocking Orga so badly that he nearly fell out of his chair.
As soon as he recomposed himself, the Tekkadan leader turned and saw that pretty much every one of the founding members of his organisation had gathered near his door, with Ride being the one who had apparently slammed it wide open. The ginger was on the ground at the moment, moaning in pain as he slowly got up, though thankfully, Akihiro was able to help him do that.
"...erm, guys?" muttered Orga, only to be silenced when Atra, of all people, squeezed past the bodies of her fellow Tekkadan members and raced up to Orga's desk.
"ORGA!" proclaimed Atra as soon as she was right up in front of Itsuka's desk, her eyes wide and watery as she spoke, and at that, the boss in question winced as she continued. "M-MIKAZUKI… HE-"
"We got a call, boss!" proclaimed Shino as everyone squeezed into the office, all seeming ecstatic as they entered, with even old man Yuki, Merribit and Dexter Culastor joining in the conversation, with the three of them looking somewhere between bewildered and overjoyed as everyone entered the office.
"A call… from who?" inquired Orga curiously.
"Miss Kudelia!" answered Derma Atland, stepping forward to make his presence known as Dante Mogro and Akihiro Atland nodded. Orga himself blinked in surprise at that. Following the Edmonton incident, Kudelia had formed the Admoss Company, with it being associated with Tekkadan for the past half decade. Typically most calls from her would be funneled through to him, so why…
"S-She was on the way here, last I heard!" added Ride Mass as he rushed up to Orga's desk, appearing overjoyed as well as he spoke. "Some guy in a mask that she met a long time ago in the Dorts Colony came in and told her something!"
"A guy… in a mask…" muttered Orga, his eyes widening as the pieces began falling into place.
And the person who confirmed his suspicion was none other than Atra herself, who had her eyes widened to their fullest as she spoke.
"M-MIKAZUKI! HE… HE'S STILL ALIVE?!"
I'll admit, I'm scared.
I'm beyond terrified that this chapter wasn't worth the buildup, and at the same time, I have to admit, I'm relieved that I finally got this off my chest. The reveal is complete, and I can at least cross that off my to do list.
Regardless, I do hope that you enjoyed the chapter… and uh… that's basically all I can say at this point. I'm feeling a little down at the moment, some personal issues that are bugging me, so please do excuse me for now.
Well, excuse me after I reply to the reviews, anyways.
blacksoul123: sorry for that, here's the actual reveal
Daggercloak000: well hopefully I can deliver on your excitement
Spyro fanboy: sometimes you gotta be mean, but even so I'm sorry for that rather rude cliffhanger. I'm glad you liked how it came together, and please don't punch anyone for my sake.
Adriaus Nighthunter: I wouldn't exactly say that being good at cliffhangers is a trait I wanna have but it's always nice to be good at something.
starscreamer11: well here you go my dude. And thanks, though it is an in house internship so it won't be too bad…
Dragfall Luard: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and yeah I'm 18. Thanks for the happy birthday too! And frankly speaking, I believe this story is pretty mediocre, though as long as people enjoy it, it will continue
Touhoufanatic: well I hope that you enjoyed (almost) everyone else's reaction to Mikazuki and Barbatos. I can't reveal much more due to spoilers, though most of your questions will be answered… eventually.
pt1oef: well have another then, my dude
Dead344156: bless the mighty Quokka for his generosity
Chromemetic: thanks. Here's the next chap
Guestleo: I can assure you that Mikazuki will not be fighting other Mobile Suits piloted by other factions, nor will any of the cast in AOT be piloting Mobile Suits of their own.
NNN11ght: hopefully it's still coming together as planned…
Agent G: firstly I fixed that issue with McGillis. And regarding his plan, I don't really have an excuse for that. An oversight on my part. Regarding Gaelio… I have no intention of him returning. For all intent and purposes, he is truly dead. Regarding FTL tech, I can only really say that I'm meddling with the laws of physics as my defence, and in regards to all the disappeared Gundams landing in the AOT world… I didn't say that they did.
Starlight's Poet: well, they find out now, apparently
Guest: well, I wouldn't call this comeback 'nice', but I'm glad you think it is
CrossZBuild: I can confirm that yes Tekkadan will be coming in eventually. As for rage mode… *wink*. And regarding Unicorn… that's a probably.
RabbitPawnch: Heh, evil… I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter
SamBridger: well I'm glad you enjoyed the mess that I call Tekketsu No Kyojin. Call me a nihilist if you wish, but I do believe that 7.5 or 8.5/10 is still too high, though I do appreciate the passing score. I will do my best to expand on the fights and pick up the pace, though don't hold your breath on that. And regarding world traveling, it's no secret that it'll be happening at this point, though Tekkadan's involvement in the overall plot won't be too drastic…
Yeah that's basically it… hey, this story is the second most favorited/followed story for Iron Blooded Orphan crossovers (as of now)! I… don't really deserve it, but regardless, I just wanted to thank all of you for helping me get this far, y'know? I know my words are mostly meaningless, be they in the form of a story or an outro, but I want you all to know that, when I say thank you, I mean it.
Thank you, each and every one of you, who has gotten me here. Many thanks to FortressHunter, a good pal who you have to check out, for essentially inspiring me to Remaster Tekketsu No Kyojin and my proofreader/best friend/the guy who calms me down whenever I feel close to a breakdown.
Thank you for reading.