Author Note: Hope you guys like and enjoy! I really liked this battle scene and we reached the conclusion of the Elan ARC. We're going to have a little epilogue for it next chapter where more crazy stuff is going to happen. I hope you guys enjoy. Thanks for all the people that have read, followed, favorited, reviewed, and commented. Have a great day!

Chapter 26

"He's here for you," Martin whispered to her, his words sending a shiver down her spine. And how did she know it was Deacon lurking beyond the gates?

Nika caught sight of him, trembling in the chill, hail pelting his jacket, his wild blond hair framing his face like a storm. How could she not feel a pang of pity, enough to invite him in? But Chu Chu's icy glare had already staked his place outside. Still, she motioned him to the side of the house.

"What brings you here, Deacon?" Nika inquired.

Deacon couldn't decide which was worse: Nika's lack of anger, or the weariness in her voice, which dashed any hope he had harbored. So many moments, so many chances, and this was how their story unfolded?

No, he wouldn't accept it.

"Nika, I want to apologize for what's come between us," Deacon began tentatively.

Nika paused, inviting him to continue. "Go on," she prompted.

"Listen, I care about you. You've been a true friend, and I don't want our differences to tear us apart. We don't have to go back to how things were, but can't we at least try to be civil?" Deacon implored.

Nika fixed him with a steely gaze. "Deacon, you and your Harmony Boys have crossed far beyond mere civility," she retorted, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "You brought a rifle onto the academy grounds," she reminded him, her voice tinged with reproach.

Deacon met her gaze evenly. "Certain houses have their privileges," he countered.

Nika scoffed. "That doesn't excuse threatening my friends in Earth House," she shot back. "And what was Aiden going on about? Earth's supposed involvement in the Harmony Militia war?"

Deacon sighed wearily. "You know the truth of it," he replied. "Earth sought to align with us, and—"

"That's ancient history," Nika interrupted, her tone sharp. "My family didn't stand idly by while others fought and died. It was wrong, especially when we lost loved ones to that war."

Deacon lowered himself onto the balcony, the rain now a steady drizzle. He cast a glance across the empty, storm-wracked academy grounds. "You have to understand, Nika. Aiden and the others, they returned from deep space changed," he explained. "They've seen things out there, things that—"

But Nika's mind had already drifted to their returning comrades, their eyes haunted, their armor still bearing the scars of battle.

"Deacon, where were you?"

And Deacon's gaze fell to his feet, a weighty secret burdening his every step. "Deacon," she called, drawing his attention upward. He met her gaze, finding solace in her smile. But beneath it lay the weight of impending words, heavy with finality.

"Maybe it's best we part ways," she began gently. "It's clear this isn't working."

Deacon's eyes widened, his heart sinking as he struggled to find the right words amidst the turmoil of his emotions. "I... I..." he stuttered, his thoughts in disarray.

"Deacon, come on," Nika urged, her voice tinged with resignation. "We both know this isn't sustainable. I respect your secrets, but I can't keep pretending everything's okay."

She paused, her gaze locking onto his with a sudden intensity. "I do care for you," she confessed, her vulnerability echoing in the space between them.

For a moment, silence enveloped them, heavy with unspoken truths. Deacon regarded Nika, his cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and longing.

Finally, he spoke, his voice measured and resolute. "You're right. It's time we faced reality," he admitted, his tone belying a hint of bitterness that caught Nika off guard.

"Oh," she murmured softly, her surprise palpable. She shifted uncomfortably, her fingers tracing patterns on the ground. "I suppose you've already made up your mind."

"Yeah, you're right," Deacon agreed, a wistful smile playing at his lips as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's clear this isn't meant to be, but there are things left unsaid between us. From the moment I met you, I knew..."

Her eyes widened at his confession, her cheeks flushing with a mix of emotions as she took a hesitant step back.

Drawing closer, Deacon pressed on. "If this is truly our last conversation, I need you to know how I feel. Because you've already shown me..."

"I didn't... I didn't confess," Nika protested weakly, her voice faltering as she struggled to process his admission.

"Confused?" Deacon interjected, his gaze penetrating as he waited for her response.

Nika paused, grappling with the turmoil of her thoughts.

"Nika, I need to understand what went wrong between us," Deacon implored, his voice heavy with regret as he averted his gaze. "That night... the party... what happened?"

Nika hesitated, her fingers fidgeting nervously as she wrestled with her memories. "Miorine told me about your request to Aiden," she confessed quietly.

Deacon sighed, a pang of remorse evident in his expression. "I know, it wasn't my finest moment," he admitted, his frustration audible. "I was a fool, I realize that now."

"Indeed," Nika agreed, her tone sharp with reproach.

Deacon leaned against the banister, his demeanor somber. "I won't sugarcoat it, Nika. My loyalty lies with my brothers—Aiden, Suletta, Miorine. That situation, it was messy from the start. Especially when I learned that very same day about Aiden and Guel's altercation. It was a tumultuous time for all of us."

"Ignoring that," Nika interjected, her tone clipped. "Suletta and I may be friends, but we're from different houses. She's a Spacian aligned with the Holder," she continued, her words laced with frustration.

Deacon rolled his eyes, a gesture of exasperation. "We're still clinging to those feudal titles," he remarked dryly.

"Say what you will about Aiden Winters, but what we witnessed today was unacceptable," Nika asserted vehemently. "What Aiden and Connor were spouting in there was wrong!"

Deacon glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "Well... wasn't it..."

"Oh my god," Nika cut in, her glare piercing. "Do you actually believe in that nonsense?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

Deacon paused, the anger draining from his features. "No, I don't. But it's not entirely false either," he replied, his tone subdued.

Nika nodded slowly. "Go on," she urged, her curiosity piqued.

Deacon struggled to articulate his thoughts. "The fall of the Demeter Gateway affected both our factions. There was injustice on both sides, Nika," he explained earnestly. "What Aiden said was wrong, but you can't entirely blame him. Look at the toll the war has taken on him and the Militia."

Nika's gaze fell to her shoes, realization dawning upon her. They were mercenaries, mercenaries with scars etched into their very souls. Before Suletta's arrival, rumors swirled about their pasts—Aiden the cyberpunk DJ, Deacon the economic strategist, Oscar the prideful intellect, Jack the honorable brute. But beneath their eccentricities lay the marks of battle, the remnants of a childhood lost to warfare.

They bore the signs of augmentation, of surgeries that had made them more than human. Nika recalled Deacon scratching at the base of his skull in class, a reminder of the modifications they had endured. Suletta had spoken of feeling the strange texture of Aiden's skull, a testament to the surgeries they had all undergone.

Deacon pressed on. "He's ignorant, but I've been trying to change that. Do you remember the old Aiden?" he prompted, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

Nika nodded, memories flooding back. "He was loud, proud, and witty," she recalled fondly. "I remember hearing him play the piano near the music building. He was incredibly talented. But now..."

Deacon's expression darkened. "He's been consumed by training, by his role as the Holder," he explained. "He's become... different."

"So what?" Nika challenged, her bitterness evident. "Should he sacrifice his passions to become a mere mech pilot? Mech pilots die, Deacon," she spat, her words laced with venom.

Deacon averted his gaze, but Nika persisted, her words tumbling forth like a relentless tide. "There was something remarkable about Aiden Winters. I had a music class with him, and I've heard from my friends that he boasts about attracting clients from across the solar system. Spacian royalty and wealthy elites, all flocking to him here at the academy."

"That's true," Deacon acknowledged with a hint of nostalgia. "We were all proud of him. He's improved immensely with his arm and his piano skills. Back at the IMC camp, he feared he'd lost that ability, but he's grown stronger with practice," he reminisced, a smirk playing at his lips.

Nika pressed on, her concern palpable. "But being the Holder doesn't seem to be having a positive impact on any of you. You seem more stressed, angrier, and..."

"And?" Deacon prompted, his interest piqued.

Nika sighed, her frustration evident. "You guys feel off. There are more fights, more tension. Before, it was Guel, but now..." Her voice trailed off, heavy with implication.

"Nika, are you talking to President Deacon?" Martin interrupted, appearing at the door.

Annoyance flickered across Nika's features. "No, Nino," she retorted, her tone curt. "But we're having a private conversation..."

"No," Martin interjected firmly, shaking his head. His gaze fixed on the young president. "You have to come see this. Something's happening with Aiden... You need to see it for yourself."

Deacon exchanged a glance with Nika, her resignation evident. "This is important. Fine, I hear you. I do like you, but I need time to think," she conceded.

"Thank you, Nika," Deacon replied, his gratitude genuine.

"How about this, you call me when you're ready for an answer..." Nika suggested with a wry smile.

Deacon's smile mirrored hers, a glimmer of warmth in his eyes. "Thank you, Nika."

As Deacon departed with Martin, they entered the main communal area of Earth House. All eyes were glued to the screen, the flickering light of an old TV casting eerie shadows across the room.

"What's going on?" Deacon inquired, his gaze sweeping the room.

All eyes turned to him, their expressions grave.

They directed his attention to the screen, and with a sinking feeling, Deacon realized the gravity of the situation. Stars filled the display, and for a moment, he felt himself faltering, his hand reaching out to steady himself on a nearby table.

"I'm fine... I'm fine," he muttered, his voice strained. "What is this?"

"Aiden Winters versus Elan Ceres," Nino answered, gesturing toward the screen. "It's the betting board. They're fighting to the death, and there's thousands of dollars at stake."

"It's an actual fight to the death," Martin remarked dryly, his tone laden with disbelief. "What the hell is this... I know Spacians have their customs on different planets, but they're going out there to beat each other."

"I guess it's like a higher stakes duel," Nino offered tentatively.

Martin snapped, his frustration boiling over. "A higher stakes duel means more money... not someone dying in their mech!" he exclaimed, clutching his head as he sank onto the couch. "Being president is so stressful. Now we've got Spacians issuing duels to the death among themselves. Are they going to start doing that to us?" He glared accusingly at Deacon.

Pointing an accusatory finger, he continued, "You! Aiden is setting a precedent!"

But Deacon paid little heed to the tirade or the stares from the members of Earth House. His focus was drawn to the words on the screen: Trial by combat, Aiden Winters vs. Elan Ceres. The entire academy was abuzz with anticipation.

Even Jetturk, typically aloof, tuned in to witness the unfolding spectacle. Deacon stepped outside, Nika's voice echoing after him as others streamed out of their houses to catch a glimpse of the event. Some were placing bets, while others were simply drawn in by morbid curiosity.

The dueling center transformed before their eyes, morphing into a ruined cityscape illuminated by the eerie glow of distant stars. Crumbling skyscrapers, desolate streets, and abandoned playgrounds formed their coliseum.

As the dueling music began to play, the mechs ascended, their imposing forms casting shadows over the onlookers. Deacon hurried back into the Earth House compound, the door flapping in his wake, his thoughts consumed by one question: "What the hell is going on?"

Thirty minutes earlier...

"Is it ready?" Aiden inquired hastily, striding alongside Connor down the corridor leading to the Harmony House Hangar.

"Yes," Connor replied, a smirk playing at his lips. "A real beauty, if I say so myself."

They pushed open the door to the hangar, greeted by the sight of Harmony House mechanics hard at work. Aiden leaned over the railing, observing their efforts with keen interest.

He watched as metal was pounded and welded, his modified weaponry slowly being prepared for battle. "A Gundam, Conor," Aiden remarked, his tone tinged with disdain.

"A Gundam was the reason you were maimed?" Connor asked, a hint of incredulity in his voice.

Aiden's laughter was hollow. "It certainly didn't help," he replied bitterly.

Turning to face Connor, Aiden's expression darkened. "What the hell do you think he even is?" he demanded. "Do you know anything about this guy? Are there any files?"

Connor shook his head. "Same goes for you," he said, locking eyes with Aiden. "Whatever he was before, I don't know, and I doubt he does either."

Aiden's gaze remained fixed ahead, his attention drawn to the imposing figure before him: the Winters Psycho Full Titan Plate. A marvel of engineering, heavily modified from spare Atlas class materials, reinforced with sturdy metals, adorned with intricate mech parts, and incorporating cutting-edge design elements. It exuded power and menace, a formidable sight to behold.

Then, they arrived. Suletta, Miorine, Jack, and Oscar wisely kept their distance, but Aiden's attention was solely on the two before him.

"Connor, leave us," Aiden ordered, his voice firm.

Connor shot Miorine a sly smile before departing, moving with a delicate grace that belied his imposing presence. Miorine and Aiden locked eyes, a silent tension hanging between them as she took in his pilot uniform, his arsenal of war.

"What's wrong with you?" Miorine demanded, her voice echoing through the hall.

Undeterred, Aiden pushed himself off the railing, his movements purposeful as he approached them. Suletta remained silent, her eyes downcast, hands tightly clasped together.

"Are you deaf? Can't you hear me?" Miorine continued, her frustration mounting.

But Aiden brushed past her, his focus solely on Suletta. "Suletta," he said softly, tenderly.

She looked up at him, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"Oh, Suletta," Aiden murmured, his voice filled with compassion, before Miorine's voice cut through the air.

"Are you seriously ignoring me right now?" Miorine's words tumbled out, her agitation evident.

"Miorine, enough!" Aiden snapped, his voice commanding attention. Suletta and Miorine fell silent, taken aback by the force of his words. Aiden's hand found its way to the bridge of his nose, his breath heavy with emotion. "Miorine, please. I only have a few minutes before I have to enter that mech for the duel."

Miorine turned to Suletta, who looked back at her tearfully, wiping away the streams from her cheeks. Then her gaze returned to Aiden.

"I may die out there," he said squarely, his words hitting Suletta like a blow. But he directed them at Miorine. "Please, Miorine. Let me spend time with Suletta. You know how I feel about her."

Miorine's throat tightened, a lump forming as she struggled to speak. "How you feel about her," she repeated bitterly, feeling a pang of betrayal. She glanced down at her shoes, clenching her fists. Were all those moments, all those beautiful moments, just a manipulation? Just a cruel game?

And she sneered, her silver hair swaying like a spectral apparition as she strode past them. "Alright, Winters," she replied, her voice laced with disdain.

"Miorine, I..." Aiden began, but his words faded into the air. He'd have to mend things with Miorine later; right now, Suletta took precedence. That girl meant everything to him, in ways he struggled to articulate.

Turning back to her, he drew Suletta into his embrace, catching her off guard. She hiccuped, her hands resting tentatively on his chest. "A-Aiden...I-I..." she stammered, her voice trembling.

"Do not cry for me, Suletta Mercury," Aiden said, his eyes ablaze with determination. "I won't let him hurt you."

Suletta winced, tears streaming down her face. "This is all about me again...about me and Aerial," she muttered.

Aiden chuckled at her words, a sound that grated on Miorine's nerves. "This has nothing to do with you. Elan crossed a line," he said, wiping away her tears with a gentle touch. "How about this weather? Hailing one moment, raining the next. Snow's on the way."

Suletta managed a smirk through her tears. "After I win this duel," she declared, allowing Aiden to take her hands in his, bringing them to his lips with a delicate kiss. Her initial tremble subsided as she leaned into his touch, drawn to him like a moth to flame.

"Don't give up on me, Suletta," Aiden said firmly, his gaze locked with hers, his Winter's smirk filled with confidence.

Suletta blinked away her tears, captivated by his presence. "I trust you," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Aiden cupped her chin tenderly, sending shivers down her spine. "If I told you we met years ago, would you believe me?" he asked, his laughter echoing in the hallway.

Suletta's eyes widened in surprise. "What?" she exclaimed. "When did you come to Mercury?"

Aiden chuckled heartily. "I've never been off-world. You'd know if I had," he teased. "Is it because I'm so handsome?"

Suletta fell silent, surprising Aiden momentarily. He had expected her to deflect, to evade his probing words. Instead, she turned to him, her face flushed with heat, sweat glistening on her brow.

"What would happen if that were the case?" she stuttered, her words heavy with uncertainty.

"Suletta," Aiden said softly, closing the distance between them once more. Taking her hands in his, he felt her trembling beneath his touch, but this time, she did not pull away. Instead, she met his gaze, her eyes searching his.

With one of his million-dollar smiles, he knew he had her. "Let's talk after this. About us," he said, his voice low, a hint of vulnerability beneath his confident facade. "In private."

Suletta hesitated, her mouth forming a knot before finally breaking into a smile. "Y-yeah," she stuttered. "Maybe, yeah..."

After their tense exchange, Aiden and Suletta went their separate ways. Aiden prepared for the duel, while Suletta returned to the dueling center.

Miorine stared out the window in silence as Suletta took her seat beside her. For thirty minutes, neither of them spoke, the tension palpable. Oscar and Jack were the only ones remaining from Harmony, Deacon was still absent, and now Aiden was rushing into the impending duel.

Then, the horns signaling the start of the duel echoed throughout the campus. Deacon seized Nino's iPad, prompting a protest from Nino.

"That's a strange titan..." Nika remarked, her gaze fixed on the screen.

Deacon sneered, his grip tightening on the tablet. "It's heavily modified. It's time for Aiden to use it."

Meanwhile, Aiden sat within his cockpit, his breath heavy with anticipation.

"Aiden, you there?" Jack's voice crackled through the intercom.

"In a haze," Aiden responded. "You'll be my handler for this one?"

"Deacon's not here, so I guess I'm the next best thing. Be warned, BelMaria's doing the same thing," Jack warned.

"Okay," Aiden replied, exhaling heavily.

As they reached the topside, everything around them was flat terrain. "Be wary of this storm," Jack cautioned. "Nothing's going to be working at full capacity."

Aiden nodded, his fingers skimming over the knobs and dials of his titan as he did a final check.

Suletta rose, her eyes fixed on the screen. "That's completely different from Aiden's previous titan," she observed.

"What is that?" Shaddiq asked the other Sons of Harmony members.

Jack began to respond, but Oscar interjected. "It's our titan full armor plate. A modified suit of old pre-Demeter Gateway titan suits," Oscar explained, rising to point at the screen. They studied the bulky build of the Atlas, now outfitted with a backpack module and false arms.

"What are its weapons?" Belmaria inquired, her tone edged with curiosity.

"Look, witch," Jack snapped curtly, his words dripping with venom. "You won't get any knowledge from us."

Belmaria winced at the hostility, but Suletta's gaze lingered on the two mechs. One was a Gundam, agile and compact, while the other was a heavily modified titan suit, towering and imposing.

Elan Ceres's Gundam suit resembled a purple dancer armed with a sniper rifle, its movements graceful and deadly. As for Aiden's new titan, Suletta counted the weapons adorning its formidable frame. Four main weapons, no, six. Wait, eight—she had almost missed the missiles.

In one hand, Aiden wielded a heavily customized Predator Cannon, originally designed for Legion Class Titans but upgraded with powerful servos and recoil compensators, allowing him to handle it with ease. In the other hand, he brandished a modified titan flamer, capable of emitting concentrated beams of fire that could reduce even the strongest metals to slag.

Both weapons had been tailored for single-handed use, with modifications around the titan's arms for maximum efficiency. Mounted on its right shoulder was a supercharged plasma rifle, a deadly addition to its arsenal. Suletta recognized it—a Northstar Weapon customized by Harmony Mechanics to enhance its destructive power.

On the opposite shoulder loomed a massive rectangular structure housing a compact silo of missiles, ready to rain destruction upon its targets.

"Hey, Elan," Aiden's voice echoed through Elan's comms.

"What do you want?" Elan replied scornfully.

Aiden remained silent for a moment. "We've got to do our vows," he finally said.

Elan sneered. "Even now, we've got to do that…," he scoffed. "We're about to kill each other. And we've got to do this stupid thing, like it matters?"

"Elan, you know this is being broadcasted, right?" Shaddiq's voice interjected over the comms.

Shaddiq's voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Everyone is watching. On their iPads, on their phones, on their TVs... hell, some people have even skipped out on staying inside and have come to enjoy an up close and personal view of what is going to happen."

Aiden's sneer was palpable. "Then let's fight then," he shouted. "Damn the oath, let's get this over with... let me at him, I'm ready!"

Elan, his nerves frayed, seized his controls and leveled the sniper rifle. His scream pierced the air. "You think you can kill me!" he shouted.

Ben, a formidable presence in his own right, leveled the weapons in front of himself as Suletta gasped in shock next to Shaddiq, who braced himself as the announcer. He clicked a series of buttons, and the map around them sprouted and reorganized. Everyone—within the mechs, within the houses, and within the dueling committee—witnessed the duel between Elan Ceres and Aiden Winters. A fight to the death.

The arena crackled and churned with electrical current, its false atmosphere displayed in a surreal spectacle that caused them and the false rubble around them to rise. The arena was a destroyed cityscape suspended in space. Aiden realized, with horrifying clarity, that they were suspended lightly among the roads, with cars, rubble, and debris raining around them. The members of the dueling committee were in shock and surprise.

"Titans aren't that good in space combat," Suletta remarked, her space knowledge shining through as she realized the horrifying truth that the arena was vastly different than it was with Guel.

Yet, they all observed. "Maybe," Oscar said with a smile. "But this one isn't."

Thrusters shot around the titan, balancing it out as Aiden whirled around and tested his backpack's rockets and thrusters. Then, he shot forth straight into the air, scanning the area with his sonar, an orange blip highlighted within his visor.

There was nothing around. Suletta watched in awe as she realized that the duel had just begun, truly. Aiden moved high and up, spotting the blip, but then, there was static... new static.

"Ai-Ai… Aiden!" The frequency lined up, and the vox echoed.

It was Deacon.

"Deacon!" Aiden shouted. "Where are you…"

"No time for that," Deacon interrupted. "You and Elan…"

"I know, I know," Aiden replied. "But Elan crossed a line that…"

"I don't care about that," Deacon's voice cut through. "You've got to kill him, huh, Aiden. You're back in that place during the war... give him nothing but fury and some."

Aiden's smile widened at the sight. Nika, standing beside Deacon, exuded confidence, her grip firm on the headset as they and the dozens of students gazed upon the arena up close.

Elan came into his sights, dashing on the ground level. "Ai, the body dies… but the soul lives on within the sands of Harmony," he smirked, throttling the ignition. His body, a blend of mechanical and biological, allowed him to experience things beyond a regular human.

G-Force... he was moving so fast. Before, his titan was slow, but now, it was night and day. He flew through the air confidently, utilizing basic thrusters. But it wasn't just that. Miorine's resources had paved the way for them to get these. He soared high on her top-notch fuel, his mind drawn to the way he had treated her.

"Thank you, Miorine, for dealing with me," he muttered, fixating on the duel ahead. His features hardened as he zoomed towards Elan, who fired his laser rifle, igniting the battle.

They darted and soared through the cityscape, weaving through the destroyed buildings. The roar of Aiden's guns filled the air, anxiety evident in Elan's features as Aiden pressed on, the minigun tracing an arc through the ruins.

"He's keeping him at bay," Jack remarked with a smirk.

"It's a gundam," Miorine retorted, drawing everyone's attention. "Who knows what surprises that thing has."

They battled in the air around a skyscraper, Elan circling and firing his green prongs. "Stay still and die!" Aiden screamed, but Elan retaliated, screaming in pain as he activated a new weapon.

Aiden laughed, infuriating Elan. "Shut up, mutant freak, Permit level 2!" Elan shouted, his mech's elbow joint disconnecting and transforming into a laser blade. He released a volley of shots, charging towards Aiden.

"Men like us don't get good things!" Elan snapped, aiming prongs at Aiden. "We are disposable pawns. And here you are acting like you deserve it… like you're human."

Aiden aimed the flamer at him, the concentrated microwave beam shooting bright lasers. Elan dodged at the last second, whirring forward, charging again through the ruined city skies, the tension between them thick as the battle raged on.

"Yeah, I find it quite hilarious!" Aiden screamed back into the box. "You were some disposable piece of gundam trash, and I was just some kid on a surgical table. Who are you to say that I don't deserve, after all the bad things that have happened to me, that I don't deserve to be happy!"

He thrusted his titan in a downward arc, landing squarely on the ground and splaying the flamer, crippling and burning the slag off the buildings. Brief flashes traveled and burnt through everything in long ranges. Elan dashed and darted, everyone outside wincing and surprised by the firepower.

"Good, Aiden," spoke Deacon into Aiden's vox. "Keep him running, get that bastard and eliminate him." He was stressed and tense, and Nika approached him, her fingers wrapping along his own as he turned towards her with widened eyes. "Aiden will be alright," she affirmed, and Deacon continued staring. They streamed and shot all throughout the dueling arena, contrasting in their hues and firing all they've got.

Bullets and different shades of lasers graced their eyesights. However, the gund bits shot out. Aiden's eyes went wide, his mind flashing towards all those years ago. "You read that, Aiden?" asked Jack.

"That's a permit switch," Aiden geared his titan out of his place and shot down the road. Then the drones came, firing red lasers at him and narrowly missing. He dashed away from them and ducked into ruined apartments. Elan was waiting for him around a bend, and Aiden cursed, charging forward as he readied his minigun and let the bullets fly. However, a green laser blast hit against the ammunition side of his minigun, causing it to smoke.

"Shit!" Aiden spoke.

"Aiden, purge it!" he heard shouted from multiple people over the radio.

"I know!" he shouted back, slamming a button and freeing his right hand. The drones were behind him, and he narrowly dodged a laser. He pivoted, and his false arms went to work, gripping the assault rifles along his back and firing them.

"No!" Belmaria and Elan practically screamed in shocked surprise as the Gund bits were destroyed. Elan moved for the kill, dashing with his beam saber. He swung, and Aiden, in an adrenaline-fueled haze, purged his flamer and threw it at Elan.

Elan swung, splintering the flamer in half. They wrestled, Aiden's titan's hands seizing Elan. Elan kicked him hard, and Aiden's head reeled, seeing darkness and stars for a moment. He clicked his eyes back open, hopelessly blocking another attack, this time a point-blank blast from Elan's rifle aimed at his cockpit. However, the extra plating did its job.

Aiden and his titan were flung in the zero-g and slammed through an array of buildings and complexes, Elan breathing heavily and hard.

inters. No comeback, no retort?" His voice echoed through the fog, and Aiden tasted blood in his mouth. "I am not Guel."

Aiden emerged from the wreckage, one of the backpack arms giving him an assault rifle. He charged ahead, firing. "You still don't learn," Elan replied. "Dirty dog of Harmony… a dirty dog should just lie dead!"

They soared into the air again. Aiden shot an arc of electrifying blue plasma through a building, consuming everything. Elan winced. "Permit level… 2," he muttered.

Aiden sneered. "Your gundam powers aren't aiding you now?" he taunted.

Elan charged with a roar. Aiden activated his own beam saber, the purple energy clashing with Elan's in a haze of sparks.

"Aiden!" cried out Suletta.

"Don't fear, Suletta," Prospera soothed. "Aiden has fought Gundams before," she assured Belmaria. "He had killed Gundams before."

"You have everything!" shouted Elan. "Friends, family, a girl. What does a freak like me have… you own your past, I don't even remember who I truly am or was. And your future, if you didn't join this race you would've had one. Hope, promises, and even love…"

Suletta stared into the screen, realizing what she felt deep down. She didn't love Aiden, but she really liked him.

"What are you going on about!" shouted Aiden, breaking away from their saberlock. They were airborne again, spinning. Aiden fired his missile payload, fifty-two missiles streaking through the air.

Elan sneered. "Why can't you spare me this victory!" he shouted. "Just give in, and let me win!"

"What!" snapped Aiden. "Who are you to challenge me! You think you're special? You think you were special because you were altered to bear the weight of the Gundam curse? I awoke in a room with twenty other boys…the other eighty died on a table! I fought, trained, and clawed my way through two wars for survival. You… who can't even stand on my footing with your Gundam!" he screamed, firing another array of missiles.

Everyone winced at the harsh words, and Miorine remembered what Oscar was talking about. Did she truly have the right to judge them? She didn't even know the full story.

"Do you even know why you are doing this?" snapped Aiden. "You have no home, no family, and like you say no past. What is the point of your struggle!"

And they crashed again in a volley of laser slashes, speeding away.

Elan watched as they splayed like a storm, and for a moment everyone was on the edge of their seats, thinking that maybe Aiden had him.

"P-e-rmit level…" Elan winced, blood seeping from his nose. Yet, he evaded the missiles, spinning like a wasp as he dodged and directed some of the missiles into ruins while allowing others to collide and dispatching some with his rifle.

He careened towards Aiden with the superhuman abilities of an enhanced human, and this other enhanced human rushed to meet his charge. Aiden shot his rifle, but the weapon jammed. "Damn it," he muttered, dropping the weapon and eyeing the charging Elan.

Everyone was in stunned silence at what Elan had accomplished.

"His permit scores are shooting through the roof," Oscar noted on his tablet.

Belmaria remained silent.

Oscar sneered at her. "He's getting faster and stronger, but it's slowly killing him."

Jack smirked. "Good, the quicker that happens, the quicker Aiden can put an end to this."

Elan breathed heavily within his cockpit as they flew in dashes along the skyline of the city. Aiden's missile exhaust was lost as he maneuvered between the buildings, running and jumping.

He tried to signal for his other false arm to wheel his rifle into his other hand, but it appeared lost within the crossfire. He whirled around, aiming three lasers at the rampaging Elan, but...

The ION-installed laser core pierced through the air in a blazing beam of scarlet. Elan dodged, but his right arm was lost. His Gundam fell to the ground and splintered, the beam fading away as Elan crashed somewhere below.

Aiden breathed heavily. All eyes were upon him. "You think you're special!" he shouted, his mech rising higher and higher. "Boo hoo. You see kinship with me… go to hell!"

Both men roared, and Suletta watched the battle within her eyes. Elan charged forth, and Aiden fired his plasma railgun. Elan's beam saber sliced it off, and Aiden dodged at the last moment, gripping his own beam saber.

They crashed hard, blades meeting three times. Elan sliced off a piece of Aiden's right fingers, and Aiden retaliated, cleaving an arc along the base of Elan's cockpit chassis.

Elan screamed as metal melted and sparks flew. Aiden's beam saber was lodged slightly, cleaving through Elan's cockpit, which was bathed in sparks and hot slags of metal. Elan screamed as the metal burned and melted into him, careening into the depths of the ruins.

Aiden hovered and stared down. "I am going to put an end to this," he declared.

They all watched as Aiden's Titan arose. His armor, his backpack, and even spare chunks of his laser and missile launcher clicked off and hovered into space. Gripping only his beam saber, he thrust forward.

In a beam of blazing blue light, Aiden came down like the axe of an executioner. Elan screamed as he saw from sputtered glyphs. Aiden was approaching.

"For creed!" Aiden's voice bellowed as he thrust his sword forward.

In a moment of snapped clarity, Elan made his way through the pain. He slammed his hand down on the console. His thrusters activated, and he thrust himself forward. Both Gundam and Titan careened into each other, their blades finding their marks.

Aiden's Titan thrust and pinched the torso-neck area of the Gundam. For a brief moment, Elan Ceres the Fourth stared into the cockpit through his burnt irises, wincing as the cold of space broke in. The molten slag had pierced his suit, and Elan closed his eyes for the final time as the bright purple blade pierced through his cockpit and emerged out the other side.

Yet, Elan thrust, his mech aiming his own energy blade like a lance. Both Titans struck the other in fatal areas, and as everyone witnessed it, they all came to a hauntingly horrible conclusion.

"There was no winner or loser. They killed the other," Shaddiq's shocked voice rang out.

Suletta saw stars and blackness for a moment as each blade caved into each other. They all did, she thought. All open-mouthed and silent for a moment as the mech suits each lingered within the gravity.

Their blades died down to a hum after piercing the other. Both boys stricken into silence… a deathly silence.

"Did they…" Oscar spoke the horrific words.

"No, they… they…"

"Aiden, he's fine, right?" Suletta questioned, but she found a pair of horrified eyes glancing at her. Jack and Oscar were silently horrified as they witnessed what had occurred on screen. The dueling arena phased back into its normalcy, and Suletta was already on the move.

"Suletta!" cried out Miorine as she ran after her. Oscar, Jack, and Cecila joined her as Prospera only turned a smile towards BelMaria.

"Does this amuse you?" The blue-eyed woman spat at the masked woman. "Both of them may be dead, and here you are smiling. What of your daughter? She seemed to care an awful lot about that boy."

"Aiden isn't dead," Prospera bluntly spoke.

Belmaria turned to the destruction of the arena, the ruins of the Pharact and the Titan. A Titan, of all things, was able to defeat them. Heck, it was a mech of an earlier series strapped with thrusters, rockets, and more guns… and it was able to best a Gundam!

Prospera approached the window, her gaze fixed on the scene unfolding outside. Suletta zipped through the ruins on her bike, tears still clouding her eyes from the storm.

"Suletta, wait up!" Jack's cry echoed after her, but she was gone, racing towards the wreckage where Aiden's Titan lay.

From the flames and wreckage, Elan emerged, crawling and screaming, blind, burnt, and limbless. Prospera watched him for a moment in the rain, the metal seared into his skin. Suletta popped open the emergency door of the cockpit, revealing Aiden inside.

There was a moment of silence as she stared at him. His form was bleeding, pieces of the mech embedded in him. Yet, he lifted his head towards her and smiled. "Did I win, S-Suletta?" he asked.

She reached down and took his arm, with Jack and Cecilia climbing up after. Suletta held him tightly, but his gaze was drawn to the ruined purple Gundam suit, now Elan's coffin.

His mind echoed with Elan's words. Did they not deserve what they had?

Then, his eyes met Suletta's tear-streaked face, and she smiled at him. "I-I am glad that you are okay," she said, a twinkle in her eyes.

Aiden glanced around at the death and destruction, a fleeting moment of contemplation passing through him.

"Aiden," Suletta called, taking him in her arms to stabilize him. "A-are you alright? You keep looking around, do you have a—"

But she was silenced. Aiden's hand pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss, her face flushed and her eyes wide, engulfed in the intensity of the moment.