No Author Note due to being in a rush. Best regards and hope you enoy!
Chapter 23
Goday Haimano and Prospera Mercury sat within the confines of a lone transport vessel within the academy's artificial atmosphere. Clad in suits, they faced a dimly lit screen, its glow the sole source of illumination in the room. Goday's expression remained stern, unyielding, while Prospera's smile stretched from ear to ear.
"You really did outdo yourself, Goday," she said.
Goday simply nodded, eyes fixed on the screen's contents. "Can you zoom in a bit more?" Prospera asked.
He complied, taking the mouse and adjusting the view. The spy drone, nestling inconspicuously in the room's corner, offered a close-up of Belmaria's aged features. Small as a flea but capturing a vivid 4K resolution, revealing both sight and sound.
They observed Belmaria speaking, her worn appearance highlighted in detail. "Ah, she's grown fat," Prospera commented. "Fat and old."
They listened to the conversation with the fourth. "After you win the Aerial, you'll be free…they'll give you a new face and a good hunk of cash. Maybe, you can actually live a normal life."
"Ah, so they're making a bid for the Aerial," Godray remarked.
Prospera snickered. "So, instead of going through Suletta, they're aiming for Aiden."
"Suletta is very skilled; it doesn't take a fool to realize it. Maybe, they even picked up on Aerial's true nature," Godray mused.
Prospera nodded. "You'd have to be a fool to honestly believe that Aerial was just a simple mech. I guarantee you, Goday, that all the corporations probably have their own secret projects. However, I do find it very interesting that they are going down this route?"
Godray shrugged. Listening further to the conversation as it unfolded. "So, this isn't the real Elan Ceres?" he stated. "They've been kidnapping kids most likely, and they've been altering them and placing them into…"
"Gundams," Prospera finished, her grin widening as Belmaria's voice echoed the statement. "Godra, everything is being recorded?"
"From the moment the drone came to life, Ma'am," he affirmed. "We've got actual confessions of Peil technology making Gundams, kidnapping kids, altering features, and I'd be damned to know what would happen if this…person loses the duel."
"I believe we both know what would happen to him, Goday," she remarked. Turning back to the screen, addressing Belmaria. "She keeps calling him fourth. Belmaria, you've been a real rotten witch, haven't you? Peil has really just allowed you to do whatever you want."
Goday stared at the screen, capturing every detail of the briefing, the impending duel, the Gundam specifications, and how they would coerce Aiden into confronting Elan.
Goday's questioning eyes met Prospera's contemplative gaze. She sighed, and as she moved closer to the screen displaying Aiden's confidential files, she couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of concern and determination.
"You think the boy would fall for it?" Goday inquired.
Prospera pondered for a moment, her mind delving into the intricate complexities of human nature. She eventually sighed, "Maybe. Deacon has always stated that the boy thinks more with his temper than his sense." Her attention shifted to Aiden's files, her eyes narrowing at the blacked-out portions, remnants of her own work making them unreadable even to Belmaria. "It's sweet in its own way, how much he cares for my darling daughter. But he's a weapon practically, and a weapon just needs someone to point at."
Goday's gaze remained fixed on the screen. "What are we going to do with this?" he inquired.
Prospera contemplated for a moment, then nodded slowly. "We can utilize this, and if we're smart, this can be a very effective piece of blackmail."
"You intend to blackmail Peil Technologies?" Godray questioned. "I get the clear implications. Money, power, and favors. But you don't care for such things."
"You're right," she admitted, her eyes narrowing beneath her mask. She knew the path she had to tread. "Aiden is a wildcard, and maybe we can utilize the variables arranged within the academy. However, we cannot make Aiden look unreasonable. This cannot be a tantrum because Elan or the fourth broke into Suletta's mech for a moment. Aiden is a fool, but his friends will most definitely talk him down. They're banking too hard on his protectiveness of Suletta. This can't just be it."
"So, what do you propose?" Godray asked.
Prospera kept her gaze on the screen. "Moving things forward."
"Moving things forward," he repeated, his eyes widening. "Are we…"
She turned to him with a smirk. "Yes, I believe so, in the coming year or years if we must. We must start moving Project Quiet Zero into fruition. Eri has suffered too long, and this shall surely cure her."
Prospera paused, sighing. "You remember what the druid stated?" she asked Godray. "The prophecy a couple of years back."
"The one that inspired you to take the Sons of Harmony on?" Godray asked.
She hesitated, then slowly shook her head. "No, not that one," she said. "The one about Aiden. The boy must taste blood…true blood, to be fully awakened. We need the old Aiden Winters, Godray." She threw a final look at the smirking boy on the screen.
Godray stared. "What do you propose we do?" he questioned.
"This can't just be a little thing, and if we play our cards right, we can back Peil into a corner here and now. With the amount of blackmail we've got on them, this will be the cherry on top that seals their fate…and most definitely assures their allegiance, if they do not wish for Delling and his armies to come and crush them into bits."
Goday nodded along with the conversation, but his eyes followed Prospera as she dug into her pocket and exposed something in front of him.
Goday held the blank silver card in his hands, his questioning gaze locked onto Prospera. "What is this?" he inquired.
"The keycard for Miorine's hangar that is holding the Aerial unit," she replied. "Be careful for Eri; she'll be shy and scared. However, I'll radio and explain to her the situation beforehand. She'll understand; she's always had."
"Ma'am?" he stated, confusion etched across his face. "Why do you want me to go into the Aerial?"
She drew her gaze back to the screen, and as she explained the plan, Goday's eyes widened in terror. The gravity of the situation hit him, and he stammered out a response, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Ma'am, she's your daughter…both of them are, and if something goes wrong..."
"Relax, Goday," she interrupted. "To win, we have to do things that we do not like. We can potentially catch Peil House in a web, and maybe even Jetturk as well if we're really lucky; they've always been impulsive."
He continued to stutter, but she only smirked behind her steel mask. "Relax, Goday; not a single soul will know that it was you. Peil are fools; they're intentionally getting caught on camera to instigate a fight. However, we are going to wipe the footage of both inside and outside of Aerial. Meaning, that yes, Elan did break into Delling Rembran's daughter's private quarters and garage, and even stealthily made his way into my daughter's mech. Maybe, he merely just got caught on cameras and left…or maybe, the cameras will only catch Elan doing all these things, but they will cut out. And maybe he did leave, or maybe he didn't…and who knows, maybe Elan did a number of things that will be caught when the camera is finally on."
Goday could only stare, his anxiety palpable, as Prospera turned away from him and watched the ongoing battle on the screen. "You will be provided with the materials for this mission, but you must be quick. Don't fumble around with the bag, Goday, or you may find an explosive surprise."
With those words, Goday, still sweating and anxious, sighed and rose from his chair. "Yes, Ma'am," he spoke, making his way towards the door, giving one final glance to Prospera as she stared at the screen before the door shut tightly behind him.
"Ah, the things I do for my daughters."
Two Hours Before Stabbing
Jack's room was more conventional, something that you would expect an average teenage boy to have. Unlike the others of House Harmony, he was here for a degree in business and computer science, and he was pretty damn good at it. He had internships lined up for the summer at the academy, and he actually had a pretty decent job for someone his age.
His room was the second biggest with a black rug laid neatly, a massive couch that was across from an 8k television system with high spec speakers that would've made Aiden, the music major, cry at the sight of it. On his desk had his books neatly organized and study sheets sprawled across the table. Even a glass bong with traces of marijuana smoke leaking from the hole. The room was devoid of all sources of light; the room had blackout curtains, and even the light outside of his room couldn't penetrate inside the darkness. The only light was a lone lava lamp that bubbled a brilliant orange-reddish glare.
Jack lay on the bed, glasses absent and tucked beneath the sheets. He propped up his pillow against the wall, taking out his lighter to spark a cigarette. The killing smoke filled his lungs, escaping from his mouth into the dim-lit room.
Cecilia, nude, with short silvery hair sprawled along the pillow, had turned onto her stomach to face him. Her chin rested on the pillow, and Jack eyed the marks he had left on her form.
"Something on your mind?" she questioned.
He chuckled. "I am slowly realizing that this was a mistake," he responded.
Her laughter mingled with his. "Really, you weren't saying that a good hour ago," she paused and flashed him a seductive smirk. "Who was the one buzzing my phone to get me to come over?" she teased.
Jack glanced at her, observing the tan of her skin and the brilliant allure of her light blue eyes. Yet, he couldn't help but match her smirk. "You have a way of marking me; I guess I just can't get enough of you," he said.
She pouted. "You've always made me sound like one of those cigarettes you smoke," she replied.
"Well, isn't it true?" he retorted. "You have a way of making me forget, a way of making me feel good for a short amount of time."
"...and when that short amount of time is done?" she questioned.
"I realize the real you," he replied. "The Cecilia that would manipulate and have me betray my brothers."
She pouted once again. "You know that you're better than them, Jackie," she stated. Her eyes searched for something within his. "You still are of nobility, dead world or not. My father would have issues, but I am his darling daughter, and he would make a compromise."
He laughed. "Compromise?" He chuckled the words back at her. "In other words, betray my brothers and give you all the trade secrets of Harmony and whatever else you need," he sighed. "Cecilia, we've talked about this a dozen times. We can be together in this way and maybe even more, but I will never betray my brothers."
"It isn't betrayal if they're all mad," she responded.
He glared at her, eyes narrowed. "Watch yourself," he warned. "No one in this world is perfect. And me and my brothers have been through the wringer."
Her snort punctuated the air as she turned onto her back. Jack focused on his smoke for a moment. "I don't expect you to understand. Honestly, I don't blame you."
She sighed. "You've never told me anything, no matter how many times I've asked or begged," she said.
Jack winced, turning away. "It's... not the type of story that you want to hear," he plainly said.
"Well, Jackie," she cooed. "Maybe you could tell me more about yourself. Who knows, maybe that will get me to understand more about you. Who knows, maybe it will get me to stop complaining about you and the rest of you boys from Harmony."
He chuckled. "It doesn't have a happy ending," he stated, lacking the usual humor in his laugh.
"All good stories don't have happy endings," she plainly stated, wrapping her arms around herself as she stared at him. "At most they are bitter, but they make sense for the way they are written."
"Then you didn't read Lord of The Rings, then?" he joked, but she merely stared blankly at him.
"This one doesn't have a good beginning, a good middle, and probably not a good ending," Jack said.
Cecilia only shrugged her shoulders. "Tell me or not," she said, turning around for a moment, averting from him. Jack smirked; she was getting annoyed. "I don't give a care anymore."
"Oh really," he snorted with a smile. "Then why do you look so vexed."
"I am not vexed, I am annoyed, Jackie," she scoffed. "Why can't you be normal."
"That's what I ask myself every time I go to bed at night, every time I look into the mirror." He took a long drag of his cigarette, blowing the killing smoke into the room as she had now turned back to face him.
Cecilia stared at him and pouted, only for Jack to laugh again. "You're a horrible tease," she stated.
"Well, you're not really with me to know me, aren't you," he said. "We both know why, even after all the insults, curses, and arguments, you keep coming back around."
"Oh, brother," she spoke and rolled her eyes. "You should stick to your machines; you pay more attention to them than me."
"Oh really," he dared with a smirk. "Because you enjoyed me sticking something else somewhere more, didn't you?"
She laughed loudly at that. She leered at him, eyes half-narrowed like an animal sizing up her prey, only for Jack to seize her by the wrist and pull her close. "You're horrible, Cecilia," he stated, passion and annoyance within his eyes as he spoke to her. She winced at the pain, but she liked it deep down as her cheeks started to redden. "All you need to know about me is that I come from nobility and that I like fucking, drinking, and smoking. All you pretty Spacian girls always got something to say, but when I've got you like this, you get really quiet, don't you... all that talk about wanting me to join your house has really flown out of the window."
She snickered and stared at him, lust in her eyes. "You know damn well why I am here, for that," and she pointed down.
"See," he dared, and he kissed her upon her forehead, drawing his face very close to hers. "All that talk has flown out the window. This is a better use for our relationship, don't you think? Or will that conscience of yours..."
Before he knew it, she pounced on top of him. "Cecilia... wait... Cecilia!" And before he knew it, something slipped within, she moaned, and...
There was banging on his door, the type of banging that sent her spilling off of him. For a moment, they both stared at the door.
"Jack!"
"Is that..." Cecilia asked.
However, it was Jack who spoke first. "It's Aiden," he stated plainly, and he waited for a moment. Only for Aiden's fist to come crashing along his door. "Aiden," Jack called out.
"Jack, I need you!" Aiden called out.
Jack looked at Cecilia and then back to the door. "Aiden, is this serious?" he questioned. "We've been on that space mission for over a week, and I've got a girl in my room and..."
"Jack, this is very serious right now," stated Aiden. "I am going to need you to get the door. I don't care who's in there, but we need to talk right now. Please!"
And Jack could hear it, the held-back anger, but also the pleading within his voice. He looked towards Cecilia, who stared back up at him, but she motioned for him to answer, and for that... he thanked her with a kiss on the top of her head.
He rose and drew upon sweatpants. Cecilia rose and drew his own clothes. "Do they still not like me?" she questioned.
Jack was about to speak but halted himself. "Doesn't matter," he plainly said. "This seems very important right now. Aiden isn't going to care. If this is truly serious, then if not, he'll take it up with me."
"Peachy," she said and threw his hoodie over her form.
Jack went to the door and parted it open slightly. Aiden was there, his features were stern, but his eyes were clouded, and Jack could see the turmoil within them. His hands were tucked deep within his jacket pockets; however, Jack could see how they were rolled into fists, and they trembled.
"Aiden, what happened?"
Connor was next to him, his expression smug as curly orange hair fell in front of his features. He had stripped out of his pilot uniform and instead donned what appeared to be a black hoodie and standard work pants.
Aiden looked over and saw Cecilia in the distance. "Really, Jack?" he scoffed. However, before Jack could reply, Aiden shook his head. "No, there isn't no time for that," he stated, and he gazed over at Cecilia. "Heck, maybe it would be good to have a member of the dueling committee witness this shit. I don't want to get in trouble for beating the utter fuck out of Elan until he loses the ability to walk."
Jack stepped back from that, and the threat wasn't even aimed at him. "What the... what... what the hell happened?" he exclaimed, throwing a thumb into the room. "Jesus Christ, Aiden. We've been at the Academy for a couple of hours, how the..."
Connor lost the smugness and shook his head. "Jack, you are probably going to want to sit down for this," he stated. He saw the girl in his room. "Sorry for interrupting you guys."
"No need to apologize," spoke Cecilia curtly, and she glared at Aiden. "What is going on with Elan?" she stated. "He's always been quiet and non-hostile," she threw a glance towards Jack. "Before with Guel, I could understand with his nature, but what did Elan do to you guys?"
"Yeah, that's what I want to know too," spoke Jack. "Does Deacon know about any of this?" he questioned.
Aiden shook his head. "He went over to Earth House to apologize to Nika and the rest..."
Connor snorted. "Deacon went to apologize to those turncloaks and deserters," spat Connor.
Aiden only sighed. "No, he's right to apologize," Aiden let out another deep breath. "I was stressed and still messed up over Oscar. It was wrong of me to talk to Miorine like that, and we all need to have a big conversation about what had occurred. However, this takes presence," he stated.
"Presence," repeated Cecilia with a slight chuckle. "Big words don't sound right out of your mouth."
"I bet something was in your mouth earlier," Connor whispered underneath his breath, but earned a quick snort and chuckle from Aiden.
"Can we come in?" Connor asked again, and Jack looked towards Cecilia.
"Sure," she stated. "Not my room, but I guess because I am a girl, sure. But what is going on with Elan?"
Aiden and Connor made their way into the room, and Jack closed the door behind them. "How about Oscar?" he asked. "Is he..."
Aiden shrugged his shoulders. "He wanted to get some air and spend some of his money at the dining hall," he stated.
Jack's features quickly turned into annoyance. "And you let him go off?"
"Christ, Jack," spat Aiden. "I am not his mom or dad, I can't control where he goes off to. Connor gave the green light, and I'd rather Oscar be active than cooped up in his room all day."
Jack sneered and shook his head. "It's too soon, and his bionic hasn't come yet," he stated.
"I know, trust me, I know better than everyone in this academy. What Oscar lost can never be replaced, and right now he needs his time to deal with it on his own. Let him breathe," Aiden finished.
With a sigh, he drew his notebook. "Likewise, Oscar is the least of our problems as of now."
He flipped his phone notebook to the side to play a video. Everyone turned to watch. Cecilia was the first to speak. "That's... the Aerial unit, and is that your garage?" she asked.
As Aiden shook his head, he clarified, "No, Suletta isn't part of any house, and Miorine and her father are doing her a favor by storing it in their family-owned garage."
"That's pretty kind for the ice queen," commented Cecilia. "But I don't understand how this involves Elan. Like I said before, he's the last type of person that I would expect to mess with you all. He's in line to be CEO, and honestly, he's got a pretty spotless record. Guel's a meatheaded brute, but..."
"Watch then," cut off Connor, earning a look from Jack. Connor only rolled his eyes.
Cecilia and Jack both observed as Aiden fast-forwarded the video, hour by hour. Everything remained unchanged. "Nothing is happening," stated Jack.
"Keep watching, this is going to blow your mind," declared Aiden, the tension evident in his voice. Jack even noticed the absence of scratches and marks. "I got an alert because my titan was stored there for a bit, so I got a security notification. The storm is bad, so I don't know about Miorine and Suletta, but they picked up an unregistered face."
"An unregistered face?" questioned Jack.
Cecilia turned to answer. "A lot of higher-ups have facial recognition scanners, so…" And then her eyes widened as they all saw it.
"Holy shit." The only words that slipped from Jack's lips. Even Cecilia, usually composed, was so shocked that she took a step backwards. Elan Ceres in full student uniform, even with his trademarked earrings, was completely caught in 4k breaking into Rembran's garage.
She glanced back at Aiden, stuttering and at a loss for words. A jumble of thoughts lodged in her throat, leaving her equally stunned.
"You guys gotta get better security on your stuff," lectured Connor.
Aiden shook his head. "Connor, I've told you twice... this is some real state-of-the-art security work."
That made Connor laugh. "Really, you've got this skinny twink that wears girl earrings who just strolled into your garage, and you're going to tell me that it wasn't undefended," he sarcastically remarked, feigning shock. The other boys seethed. "Get real," he sneered. "Back during the Warband, I remember when Marko nearly had Oscar flogged for falling asleep on guard duty."
"That was back during Marko's reign," snapped back Jack, narrowing his eyes at Connor. "We follow the rules of both the academy and Deacon; this wasn't anyone's fault."
Connor's lips twisted into a disturbed smirk. "Even if it involves life and death?" He stated the question clearly.
Jack and Cecilia both stared at Connor for a moment. "What does he mean by that?" questioned Cecilia.
Connor chuckled. "Keep watching then, right Aiden?" he said.
Aiden turned to Jack, nodding slowly. "It gets worse, Jack. This is only the beginning."
"Christ," Jack responded. "How can it…"
They watched as Elan entered the Aerial unit, and then the camera faltered. The feed blinked in sporadic black and white, resembling an old, disrupted TV frequency. "What is that?" Jack questioned.
"Looks like the feed was lost," Cecilia replied.
Aiden turned to her. "Can we recover it?" he asked.
Cecilia shrugged. Connor sighed, "I'm good at this, but someone shut it down."
"Miorine mentioned before that the cameras were spotty at times, Connor," Aiden reasoned.
Connor shook his head. "Right when Elan enters Suletta's mech to mess with it, the camera cuts. Aiden, don't be naive."
"I am not being naive," Aiden shot back, his anger palpable. He seized Connor's shirt, locking eyes. "What Elan did is unforgivable. He's going to pay for this transgression. That bastard." His words landed like executioner's blows, sending shivers down Cecilia's spine.
"He just went into the mech," Cecilia reminded them, and their attention turned to her. "I get it, he was wrong to break in. But there are authorities meant to handle this. Aiden, Jack, and…"
"Connor," he interjected.
"Connor," Cecilia echoed. "You can take this up with Miorine, and her father will ensure swift punishment for Peil."
A sneer crept across Aiden's face. Then the screen reappeared, and Cecilia's previous words disintegrated, slipping through her fingers like sand. And the facade of who Elan Ceres truly was crumbled away.
The screen displayed ghastly red spray-painted words across the chassis: 'Return to Mercury, Witch!'
"Elan, he…" Cecilia started, shock evident. That quiet boy, who'd only observed from afar and lost himself in novels during their meetings—why would he say such a thing?
Even Jack was astonished. He wrapped his arms around himself, shook his head, and left the group, grabbing a jacket. "What are you doing?" Cecilia asked.
Jack sneered, turning to Aiden and Connor. "So, we're going to teach Mr. Ceres a lesson?"
Connor grinned broadly. "Now you're getting it... we didn't even need to show them the last part."
"The last part?" Cecilia repeated. Even now, she was amazed. This didn't sound like the Elan she knew, yet the timeline aligned. She sighed, taking a seat on the bed. Jack was dressing, and she knew their intentions. "How could there be more?" She scoffed.
"Yeah, Aiden," Jack replied. "I really don't understand how this couldn't get worse." He raised his hand and began counting on his fingers. "He breaks into the garage, he breaks into Aerial, he graffiti's her damn mech…how the hell could this get even worse?"
Connor merely sneered and fished within his pocket, revealing what seemed to be a clump of objects that the romantic pair didn't recognize at first. Then, they did…
"Jesus Christ!" Cecilia cried out, nearly climbing on top of the bed and crawling backward until she hit the window. "Is that a fucking bomb!" She screamed.
Connor only shrugged, and Jack himself yelped, taking two steps back. "Connor…Aiden…what the hell!"
"Relax, it's defused!" Connor spoke, and to emphasize, he playfully threw the tightly tied explosive between his hands like a juggler. "See…" He droned out the word. "If I wasn't so damn clever, we'd all be mush right about now." He spoke the words with a diabolical laugh etched into it.
"Christ, Connor, enough," snapped Aiden, and the boy ceased.
Aiden shut off his phone with a sigh. His hand momentarily went to his head, and Jack realized they had just returned from a mission, a mission in which they had been gone for days and had struggled to survive. They were supposed to be relaxing, and now Elan or Peil House, for all they knew, had...
"They tried to assassinate Suletta Mercury," Aiden spoke. He paused, feeling his legs go wobbly.
"Aiden, sit down," Jack said, taking his desk chair. Aiden covered his face with his hands as they all stared at him. Jack sighed, unsure of what to make of this. "Why, though?" He questioned, and everyone looked at him. "I get them dueling to get their hands on the Aerial, but this is…doesn't anyone else feel how strange this is?"
Connor snorted. "Isn't it obvious, Jackie?" He played with the nickname, and Cecilia snorted at him. He chuckled it off. "They wanted a war; you know how these corporations are. Maybe rigging the Aerial to explode mid-fight when no one was looking, play it off as an accident, and take the wreckage. The explosive was small enough to kill the pilot, but the craft would be relatively undamaged for someone to take it as spoils of war and learn all they could. Maybe they're fighting amongst themselves, and maybe they didn't like the fact that a member of Harmony is meant to marry this Miorine Rembran…from what I know, she and Aiden are engaged?"
Cecilia nodded along with that point. "Yeah, maybe Peil House could be making a foolish gamble, and maybe Elan wanted to…"
Yet, Cecilia shook her head at the thought. This didn't make sense! Every time she thought of Elan, how could this monster have been hiding this? That Elan who hardly cared for things around him. How could he have tried to assassinate Suletta?
"It's my fault," Aiden spoke, shaking his head. "Thank god," he muttered to himself. "If I didn't come with Connor…if I didn't trust my gut and double-checked, that explosion would've triggered the next duel she had!"
Connor's words shot through the tense air, igniting a volatile spark in the room. "Then that explains it!" he spoke triumphantly, thrusting his fist into the air to drive home his point. "Think about it, they want your girl's hardware, right?"
"Well, she isn't my girl," Aiden corrected.
"Yeah, Miorine, but Miorine's your fiancé, and she's her friend?" Connor posed, affirming himself even as he lacked the necessary information. "Maybe they are gunning for you and her together. You're skilled, and she's skilled. Maybe they want you both dead!"
Aiden stood, his gaze wrenching around, and Cecilia and Jack both saw it. Connor was goading Aiden, and foolishly, he was taking the bait.
"You know how these Spaicans operate in their little schemes," Connor continued. "They would've rigged a duel against her and murdered her in her mech. Maybe they're planning the same stunt with the rest of Harmony."
Jack, now dressed, turned his attention to Aiden. "Cecilia... she's kind of right about this," he stated.
"What? You're going to listen to the Spacian princess over your brothers?" retorted Connor.
"Enough, Connor," spat Jack. "Aiden, I get that you're fuming, and I am too. I know I didn't like Suletta at first, but I've seen how much she cares about you, and I'm just as angry. But we need to think about our next steps here. We need to find Deacon, Oscar, and the rest... get Miorine and Suletta. If we find Miorine, maybe we can—"
"Miorine is useless," snapped Aiden. "I am sick and tired of waiting, and I am sick of being a pawn in these Spacian games. You know them, Jack, and what they are capable of. What is one dead woman to them compared to millions they've already murdered in their sick game of power? I won't have it. I'd rather it be me than let it be Suletta, Jack. Elan crossed a line, and Peil and him are going to pay for it. With lead, blood, and fire," he spoke, his eyes ablaze with bloodthirsty fervor.
"Aiden..." Jack tried to reach for him, but Aiden slapped his hands away, glaring.
"No!" he yelled. "I am not going to play their game. Suletta would've died, Jack. Elan planted this explosive, rigged it to be activated during her next duel. She would've died. Her mother, her sister, would've mourned her. And you're expecting me to act calm? No, I'd be damned if I—"
And then, a ringing sound cut through the tension. Aiden fished his notebook out of his pocket and held it to his ear, the conversation on the other end barely audible. His sneer turned to Jack.
"Aiden, is that—" Jack began.
"The storm is jamming everything practically. I've been trying to reach Deacon, but I sent out a couple of our guys to find Elan," Aiden stated.
Jack's features hardened. "We're hunting him?" he questioned, and Connor smirked, nodding in agreement.
Jack grappled with inner turmoil, wrestling the demons of indecision as Connor confronted him. "Jack, I don't understand why you are so conflicted about this," Connor spoke, his tone shifting. His once-smirking features transformed into sternness, a gaze as hard as rock, and Cecilia felt the hate and anger directed at her like a knife. "I can imagine why," he whispered underneath his breath.
Aiden, sensing the tension, interjected, "So, are you coming along with us, Jack? Suletta's mech was vandalized, and there is more than enough proof that Peil, or Elan in particular, is trying to murder Suletta. Will you fight with me?"
Jack, without hesitation, replied, "Of course, I will. You're my brother, Aiden." He sighed. "Your enemies are my enemies."
"Likewise," said Aiden, a smirk stretching from ear to ear. "Then let's get this son of a bitch. Our guys state that Elan Ceres is hiding out in Jetturk's house."
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