Author Note: Man I am on a fucking roll with these chapters! This one came out pretty fucking good in my opinion let's go. Oh my god I can't wait to write the next chapter, that one is proably going to be long, but it's going to be heavily focused on Suletta x Aiden and I've been waiting to write this one for a minute. It also will probably get sexual, do with that, what you will. Still, I liked the action, we saw a new mech, and I can't wait to delve more into the character of Aiden. There may be a portion dedicated to Ensign Marty next chapter because we haven't seen him and Sophie/Norea in a while but that may or may not happen. Remember to follow, favorite, review, comment and I hope you guys enjoy!

PS: Do you guys think it would be a good idea to put the story on Archive of Your Own as well?

PS: Listen to Zeta Gundam Conclusion OST when you read this. I was listening to the Zeta Gundam soundtrack, thing fucking hits, let me tell you.

Reviews

Eternicus: Bro there is nothing to be sorry about. This fic will be waiting for you, whether or not you get updates or not, I am commited to hopefully completeing it by the end of the summer, or hopefully by mid August. I still have the alternate endings planned, however, I hope we can still acomplish it. This chap is a bit on the shorter side being 4,800 words but this is still a long one compared to the 6k ones I usually churn out. I realized that Marko needed to come into the story sooner rather than later and we were already at chap 30 when that happened, and while they are similar to Zeon I feel like they are worse. Zeon had there soldiers at least have a degree of discpline, but the other warbands aren't as chill as The Sons of Harmony or The Nexus 65th more will be highlighted during the end of Season 1. Connor's story and ending is going to be very interesting to write about and honestly he is one of the main antagonist. Season 2 is going to be pretty crazy with the type of shit that he's doing. Yeah, about time I give Aiden his proper development I've been building up to it, but now I can't wait to write chapter 42 and further. I get what you mean about "those Parts" Suletta and Aiden, Suletta is eighteen and Aiden is nineteen or twenty so I get what you mean but I do feel like having those sections in the story is going to pay off in the long run. The tags as well are romance and drama, and I feel to highlight the romance such scenes are going to need to be included. Likewise, yeah, be forewarned chapter 42...it's not going to be crazy, but...it's going to get intense. Jack's body, Prospera's plans, the truth of the Aerial are one of the parts that I want to write the most lowkey there is going to be a lot of drama and politcal machinations and I honestly can't wait for you and the others to read and experience them. Also let me answer your questions. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

-Could there be any survivors of the frontier population or militia still alive out there beyond house harmony or MArco's group, hiding from the IMC in some unknown sector of the galaxy? Perhaps a secret backup colony created by harmony in case they were wiped out?: This is the dark timeline that I am writing. All the survivors have either fled, the trueborn like Aiden have joined up with Marko, and the Milita is as good as dead. Likewise, the IMC have had there hammer put into them by Aiden hint hint...more will come from that later in further chapters. Likewise, New Harmony and Earth, that is going to be interesting to write about due to the fact that there basically forcing there will on the Earthian's. Neo Harmony, New Harmony. There wiped out but there trying to rebuild the errors of there past.

-And though Cooper & co sadly died, could there be a chance that BT is still around somewhere, having been teleported when the fold weapon exploded?: I don't want to answer this question yet lol. I feel like if I do there is going to be a spoiler. However, I have thought a lot about BT and you may be pleasently surprised in one of these chapters.

EmeraldMage: Thanks for the wonderful comments. Yeah, Cecilia needed far more agency and I am as well focusing on giving more characters a voice. Some are already dead like Felsi and Kamil, but they were meant to give Guel some development. Likewise, you will be seeing Guel in two chapters again. These cute moments I like because I feel that Witch from Mercury in it's slice of life moments did very well in these regards and was one of the reasons that kept me invested. I feel like if they balanced out both cute/Gundam the show wouldn't be having the same issues. (Sorry if I am rambling I am lowkey exhausted.). Deacon and Nika are going to be interesting and I have an idea of how I am going to conclude there story, there are going to be three endings. One good, one medium, and one bad and each will be different having certain outcomes and such. This story has been going on for a while and I want people to be satisfied. I won't have a canon ending and I'll let people decide as well...that's one of the reasons why I am fully commiting to Suletta x Aiden. One of the endings, I won't say witch, will be Suletta x Aiden x Miorine but two out of three will be focused on the main pairing. Shadiq as well, I am going to really like writing his character in the coming chapters. I hope that we'll be wrapped up before chapter 50 of season 1...that's one of the reasons why I believe that season 2 will proably be capped at another twenty to twenty five chapters if where lucky...then that's a wrap! Aiden from this point onwards is going to have a very interesting development and this duel humbled him, but within this chapter it did a little more as well and I can't wait for you and everyone else to see. Thank you for the wonderful comments and review, especially the last portion completely warms my heart. Let's finish this together friend!

But ignore my ramblings! I am exhausted and I need sleep. I hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 41 - You Dummy, Aiden Winters

Parker raised the beam rifle, his fingers curling around the trigger, a smirk of triumph on his lips. But then his eyes widened in shock as a shot from Oscar's plasma railgun rained hell from above, severing the mech's arm at the elbow.

"What the hell… scramble, scramble!" he shouted.

Their thrusters roared to life, bright blue flames igniting along their joints as they careened in different directions. Out of the corner of his eye, Parker saw one of his comrades trying to flee, only for another shot to tear through them from above.

"They've got Jamie! They've got Jamie!" a panicked voice screamed over the comms.

"Scramble, scramble, scramble!" Parker kept screaming the order, desperately urging his peers to take shelter across the dunes. Their thrusters beelined and propelled them like springboards, each hoping to find cover.

Yet, Oscar's railgun continued to rain hell from above.

"Deke, the barrel needs a moment to cool down!" Oscar shouted within the confines of his Northstar's cockpit.

His titan, hooked up to wires and cables by the chest, stood poised in the open door of their transport, aiming the mighty railgun from the Sons of Harmony transport vessel.

Deacon gritted his teeth, veering the machine to its side. "Those bastards definitely know we're up here!" he shouted from the transport shuttle's cockpit, glancing down the hall at the mighty titan and the strange blue mobile suit catching the sun as the wind ruffled his hair.

The transport vessel was angled and slightly dipped, giving Oscar a clear line of sight for his shots.

Aiden was still frozen in place, shell-shocked, but it was Nuno's voice that pierced the haze.

"Get the hell out of there!" Nuno shouted through the radio. But Aiden's hands were shaking, his fingertips trying to find any semblance of control.

"I-I… can't…," Aiden muttered, and for a moment, all those years of piloting experience gave way to something Aiden could barely remember feeling: fear.

Parker glared at the transport shuttle above them, sneering and biting his lip as he grabbed his microphone. "Forget the transport shuttle, focus on it, but remember what Shaddiq said… we kill this bastard, the whole duel ends!"

One of the Kuu's loomed closer to Aiden, its beam rifle lifting menacingly. The sight jolted Aiden into action.

"Oh fu-," he muttered, his fingers finding their place as he frantically geared his titan to move. Through the viewport, he saw green beams of light crisscrossing around him, illuminating the dust and sand of the arena. In a heartbeat, a shot tore through his titan's left shoulder, rending the limb from the machine.

Aiden propelled himself forward, his titan staggering as more projectiles tore through its armor. "Stupid machine!" he shouted in fury, collapsing in a heap as he struggled against the creaking limbs, now filling with artificial sand.

"Deacon, we need to get Aiden the hell out of there!" Oscar shouted. He saw from his peripheral vision that two Kuu's were advancing on Aiden, weapons leveled. "Like hell you are!" Oscar roared, his plasma railgun firing, severing limbs but failing to hit critical components. The Kuu's redirected their attention toward him and Deacon.

"Fire on that fucking annoying transport!" Parker practically frothed, spitting out the command. All the surviving Kuu's opened fire, laser flashes streaking across the bright desert sun of the false atmosphere, under the dark blanket of stars and snow.

Nika watched in horrified surprise. "Deacon is on that ship," she said ghastly, as Nuno and Ojelo sneered.

Ojelo grabbed the mic. "Winters, you're the holder. This is most definitely not a duel that's being sponsored. Focus on getting the heck out of the arena!" he shouted into the microphone.

Aiden's eyes widened at that, but a Kuu was charging at him, its heat bayonet simmering. "Easier said than done!" Aiden shouted back, igniting the chainsword and throwing the chain blade with all his titan's might. The blade missed any fatal marks but tore through the right kneecap of the approaching Kuu.

Deacon, drenched in sweat, was making frantic evasive maneuvers. "Holy shit!" he screamed. Oscar fired off prong after prong.

"Deke, keep it steady!" Oscar shouted.

"How the hell am I supposed to snipe with—"

"I'm trying my best! You try piloting when you've got lasers aiming at you and—" Deacon's words were cut short as a stray laser shot pierced the engine from front to back. The blue fiery beams immediately began to dissipate, and then explosions started to rock the vessel.

Deacon screamed as he felt the ship begin to dip, fighting desperately for the controls.

"Deacon, we've been...," Oscar started.

"I know, Oscar, I know!" Deacon interrupted, grappling for any semblance of control as the vessel plummeted like a heavy rock. They streaked and careened through the air, Oscar's titan's left arm gripping the open side of the transport, struggling to maintain his position.

Nika could only watch, her hands trembling. Images of Deacon's blond hair, his blue eyes, his lips—how she had just tasted them—flashed through her mind. She watched in horror as Deacon's craft filled with smoke and fire, rapidly crashing to the earth. Their peers pointed, faces pale with disbelief. This was something none of them had ever seen before.

"This is horrible, out of damned control," someone muttered.

Another sneered, "Where the hell is Shaddiq, the police, Delling... Winter's gone too far this time."

But Nika was aghast, unable to utter a word.

Deacon was fighting for his life, the glass shattering in front of him as he raised his elbows to block the shards. He heard a pipe burst next to him, dipping as searing heat rushed past. When he dared to open his eyes, he realized he had narrowly avoided death and the wild flames.

"Oscar, eject!" Deacon shouted.

Oscar gasped, his protest already reaching Deacon's ears, but Deacon shook his head vehemently.

"We don't have time for this!" Deacon yelled, slamming his hand hard on a button. Oscar found himself released from his constraints, his Northstar unit slipping from the transport.

"Deacon, you dumb fuck!" Oscar shouted, igniting his thrusters and the Northstar's rockets to stabilize himself. He looked down at the rapidly descending transport vessel they had relied on for years, then turned his gaze away, leveling his rifle downward.

"Be alright, Deacon," Oscar murmured, a prayer lost in the chaos.

Deacon sneered, a defiant grin twisting his lips. "I... I always survive," he muttered, rising from his seat as he fought against the crushing gravity. The ship—he could remember when Jack, Aiden, and Oscar had left with it to recover the very same mech that Aiden was now piloting. Battling the ship's violent tilts, he threw himself down the staircase, nearly tumbling in the process.

The ship listed heavily to the left. Deacon's eyes darted desperately, searching for the parachutes. His heart sank when he saw the storage area was completely blasted through, a gaping wound from bottom to top.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" Deacon shouted, clenching his fists and glaring around. His eyes locked onto the distinct new blue mobile suit. He scrambled up to it, flicking buttons and taking the controls into his hands.

"This isn't so different from the controls of a titan," Deacon mused, a grim smile playing on his lips.

Everyone watched in horror as the transport shuttle did not make it to the ground. Instead, it erupted into a massive explosion, raining chunks of metal and slag. The last transport shuttle from Harmony, vital for holding their titans and equipment, was now reduced to nothing.

"Deacon!" Nika screamed, her voice ghastly and horrified. She fell to her knees as Ojelo ran to her side. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared in horror.

A lone object descended, heavy and careening towards them. Almost like the buzz of an insect, they could hear it. As the flames parted, the blue mobile suit emerged, its purple monocular eye blazing to life. Its dual spikes and tubing set it apart from its Zaku brethren.

"This ain't no Zaku!" Deacon shouted, gripping his machine gun in one hand and the bazooka in the other. The flight unit on his back had two dual fans, granting him superior aerial maneuverability.

The machine gun hammered down on the Kuu closest to Aiden, its bullets tearing through limbs. The pilot managed to back away on its thrusters. The second Kuu was about to deliver a killing blow to Aiden. Deacon wielded his bazooka and pulled the trigger. The second Kuu leaped away moments later, and as Deacon slammed to the ground, the force of his mech absorbed the impact.

For a moment, Deacon lay prone within the great blue suit. "Aiden, you should've told us you got into some trouble," he said, a smirk trickling through his words. How long had it been since he last tasted blood? Deacon only stared as he rose, feeling the adrenaline coursing through him like fire.

His words echoed, filling the cold void. "Whether they be the IMC, the Benrett Group, or even gods themselves…it will always be your brothers who have your back."

"Ah, Deacon," Nika choked out through her tears. "I-I should've known…you are far stronger. You always surprise me." Her heart stuttered, pounding against her ribcage. In that moment, her mind flashed through memories, a montage of everything they had shared.

"What's gotten him so confident?" Nuno bluntly stated, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

Nika hid her crimson-streaked face, emotions swirling within her.

Deacon rose, his fans igniting, leaping into the air, already above the two Kuu's. Deacon's custom MS-07B Gouf was a silhouette of power and defiance, ready for battle.

Aiden could only watch in silent frustration, flexing the tired fingertips of his lone Titan arm. He was fighting in some piece-of-junk mech, and now he was their ace, the holder. This machine couldn't keep up with him. His breath grew heavy, eyes widening as both his real arm and his prosthetic shook, the nerves mimicking true human feeling. What was wrong with him?

"When the arena glitches up again!" Parker shouted, firing at the flying Oscar. Oscar dipped and dodged with aerial maneuvers, a dance of survival.

"You're going to have to be quicker than that!" Oscar's voice crackled over the radio. "Speed is key, and who has it, owns the skies!" He dodged a blast that streaked and nicked a piece of his railgun.

Deacon grappled with the two Kuu's, the new mech proving difficult to wield. He cut the engines of his fans, stabilizing himself as he landed along a sand dune. His machine gun crackled to life, erupting as the other Kuu and the damaged one sought shelter.

"So useless!" Aiden shouted angrily, slamming his palm hard against the console. His mind raged. Should he continue fighting, even lacking his own weapon, or should he just run away? The thought of fighting in this trash terrified him now, even more so because he had willingly crawled into this to fight Elan in a Gundam. Had he gotten lucky? Was it luck all those times that had possibly saved him?

Yet, the thought of running away and leaving his brothers to fight and risk their lives to clean up his mess disgusted him to his core. But this shaking... this couldn't be fear. Could it?

Now, uncertainty gripped him tighter than any enemy, threatening to suffocate the warrior spirit within.

His eyes went wide. "Aiden, get the hell out of there!" Deacon's voice cut through the chaos like a razor. Aiden acted on pilot instinct honed in battle, leaping to the side as the badly damaged Kuu's green laser pierced through his titan's right leg joint.

"Ah, sh-…," Aiden murmured as he landed face-first in the desert sand.

"Aiden is down!" Oscar shouted, dodging another laser blast from Parker.

"I know!" Deacon roared back. "But I am pinned!"

"Use your flyers to evade around them!" Oscar yelled.

"You think I can control these fucking things?" Deacon screamed, reloading his Zaku machine gun with a fresh magazine and returning fire. The damaged Kuu was utilizing a shield, while the other approached menacingly. "It's a fucking miracle that I can even pilot this thing!"

The arena around them slowly began to glitch, reality warping at the seams.

"You've got to be kidding me," Nuno muttered to himself, eyes wide as he grabbed the radio. "Yo, is this Deke?"

Deacon's eyes widened, his gaze darting to the radio in front of his cockpit. "Y-yeah, who is this?"

"It's Nuno… I can see that the next environment is going to be space and…,"

Deacon's eyes grew even wider as the desert and the artificial glaring sun, the wind carrying sand—all of it—started to dissolve and shift. The scene contorted, blending into the night sky.

Deacon found himself floating slightly as gravity began to distort. The sand dunes morphed into cityscapes and apartment complexes, the new map revealing a destroyed city adrift in space.

"Form up!" Parker barked. "We'll hunt them down together!"

Yet, something like a blazing green comet came soaring towards them all as Aiden's titan started to hover, like a dead rock within the void of the ruined city. He could see the blazing comet heading towards them from across the battlefield.

"That is…," Aiden began, his voice trailing off.

Oscar and Deacon, whirling, began to smile and chuckle loudly, the sound echoing through the desolate, shifting landscape.

"Ah, you done fucked up!" Oscar shouted triumphantly, his voice echoing through the comms. But his victory was short-lived. Parker's shot found its mark, tearing through Oscar's right mech arm and sending the limb spiraling into the low gravity.

Oscar, however, was still smiling. She had come.

Nika smiled as well, pointing with the others. "Suletta, you've come!"

Suletta, in her school uniform, stood stern-faced, her wild hair free from its usual ponytail, and not even wearing her telltale hair braid. Her teal eyes blazed with resolve as she pushed Aerial's rockets to their limits.

She descended onto a crumbling skyscraper, her feet kicking out to stabilize her landing. The thrusters expelled smoke as she rose to her full height. "I am here, Aiden," she said, her voice calm and steady.

Aiden stared at her figure, his titan limb twitching. Testing out the minor thrusters in the zero-g environment, he found he could move around decently, but her voice stilled him. Apathy, calmness, resolve—these were what he heard in Suletta's voice. But also…disappointment. And he didn't know why that knife cut harder.

"I can fight by your side," Suletta declared, her thrusters whirring as she maneuvered through the cityscape.

Deacon's voice crackled through Suletta's radio. "Suletta, this is an informal fight to the death. This Parker guy is trying to bypass Shaddiq and go straight for the kill!"

Oscar's voice chimed in. "Don't give them any quarter!" he shouted.

But Suletta's expression betrayed their commands. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, her hands went slack over the controls. Her gaze drifted to Aiden's limp titan.

"Me and Aerial," she declared, letting out a heavy sigh as her teal eyes scanned the battlefield. "This has gone on long enough. They are our peers, and there has been enough violence and death for one night."

She holstered her beam rifle and descended upon the two Kuu that Deacon had been fighting, now slipping away down an avenue due to the arena's shifting landscape.

The girl in the badly damaged mech screamed, her voice a raw howl in Suletta's ears. Suletta knew she wouldn't go in for the kill, but the girl didn't know that.

Suletta descended, her control over the Aerial precise and deadly. She severed the legs first, then delivered a decisive chop to the gun arm, and finally decapitated the mech. Yet, the pilot remained unharmed within the cockpit.

"Jasmine!" the boy's voice crackled over the comms. "Parker, read our comms, she's over here!" he yelled desperately.

"Deacon! You've got to support Suletta!" Oscar's voice was urgent, a command laced with desperation.

Deacon gritted his teeth. "You're the one with wings!" he shot back.

Oscar cursed under his breath, scanning his surroundings and realizing they were further off than he'd thought. "Damn it, Suletta, keep yourself in check…don't risk your life trying to avoid killing!" he shouted before beelining towards them.

Aiden struggled, making slow progress. The exhaust whirled, but suddenly the titan's error system blared an ominous warning.

"Danger, danger, danger…evacuate, evacuate!"

Aiden's heart raced as he comprehended the threat—the internals were spent, and the mech could explode at any moment. Panic surged, but then a plan formed in his mind. The arena was false, yet breathable air remained. If he ejected, he would survive in the zero-g environment—provided the arena didn't switch up on him. Zero-g would allow him to move faster than usual.

"Okay, okay," he murmured, a triumphant smirk forming as his thrusters roared. The danger alarms echoed incessantly in his ears. He feared dying in this hunk of metal, but with Suletta here, he'd do whatever it took.

Suletta faced off against the remaining Kuu, Parker, and another opponent. They moved in a deadly dance around her.

"Aerial, I will not use the Gund-Bits on them!" Suletta shouted. "I don't know where Aiden, Deke, and Oscar really are. If we pierce through one of the buildings, there are no shields to protect them!"

She wielded the Aerial like a green comet, the propulsion system roaring. The three opponents pursued her relentlessly. Suletta halted mid-air, utilizing the propulsion to slash downward in a deadly cleave. She separated the Kuu Deacon had been fighting from its left arm to its leg, sending it crashing down.

The other Kuu fired its beam rifle, blast after blast searing through the air. As the downed Kuu's weapon continued firing, Suletta dodged the blasts, her eyes wide with concentration. She drew her own beam rifle, firing a precise shot that struck the Kuu's head. Both the pilot and mech fell back to the ground, defeated.

The arena around them flickered, a shifting digital landscape. The intense battle raged on, but amidst the chaos, a resolute calm settled over Suletta. She had come to fight, not to kill, and her presence was a beacon of hope amidst the madness.

Nuno's eyes blazed with urgency. "Guys, you've got less than three minutes before the map switches up again!" he shouted.

The last enemy and Parker charged. Parker's bayonet heated to a glowing red as the other mech barreled in from the front. Suletta wielded her beam saber, the blades clashing in a fiery dance. Parker's saber crashed down with deadly precision, but Suletta maneuvered the Aerial with deft skill, parrying each strike and retreating in fluid motion. She waited, watching for an opening.

She found it. Dodging a blow, Suletta executed four precise strikes, severing all four limbs of the attacking mech. She panted heavily, her breath fogging the cockpit glass. For a moment, she watched the dismembered mech fall, and in that brief pause, Parker made his move.

"You're mine, Witch!" Parker screamed, his rocket engines flaring as he aimed for the Aerial's back. Suletta's warning systems blared, but she was a heartbeat too slow. The Aerial's alarms screamed as Parker closed in.

"DIE!" Aiden Winters' voice roared over the comms.

From the smoke and fire of the battlefield, the remnants of the Atlas titan of Harmony, a relic of a bygone era, emerged. Aiden's titan, battered and burning, descended with its remaining hand. He punched through the cockpit of Parker's mech, sending the viewport flying. Through his own viewport, Aiden locked eyes with Parker, then smashed the enemy mech into a wall. Both titans crashed down, the impact shaking the ground.

Suletta watched, aghast, as the scene unfolded. Her shock turned to rage. "Aiden Winters, you big dummy!" she shouted, slamming her fist on the console. Tears brimmed in her eyes.

"Fifteen seconds!" Nuno yelled, his fingers flying over his keyboard.

Aiden slammed Parker's mech against the wall, both of them sliding down as electrical prongs sparked and fizzled. The barriers crackled with blue electricity, causing everyone present to wince at the discharge. Parker screamed, exposed in his damaged cockpit, the electricity arcing dangerously toward Aiden's titan.

Suletta didn't know Aiden had a plan. She streaked toward the Aerial, the mech's systems blaring warnings. Suletta's teeth clenched as she barreled toward Aiden's position. "Aerial, I know, I know... but Aiden is in trouble and... I-I could've handled it!" she protested, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Oscar, grab me!" shouted Aiden, slamming his hand on the eject button. He was catapulted from his seat, the bitter air rushing past him as he curled into a ball, then unfurled, watching his titan and Parker's mech recede into the distance.

"Shaddiq, did you misread me the si...," Parker's fragmented last words were cut off as the explosion of Aiden's titan consumed him.

For a moment, everyone watched. Nika, Nuno, Ojelo, and their peers stared as the arena sparked and flickered, bearing witness to Parker's demise. Even Oscar, Suletta, and Deacon paused, more questions than answers swirling in their minds. Why?

Aiden, within his titan, had killed six people, including Parker. Oscar had one kill, Deacon none, but Suletta's interference had saved three by aiming to disable rather than destroy. As Deacon's eyes reflected the flames, he feared the consequences of these new rules. They had killed and dueled Elan because he was the first to start these deadly encounters. Martin's words echoed in Deacon's mind: had they set a precedent? Would this become the norm at the academy?

His thoughts were interrupted as the sun began to rise, the dueling arena shifting and contorting. The ruined cityscape transformed into a lush valley, teeming with wild forests and a streaking river that flowed past Deacon. He marveled at the beauty, yet saw the mech bodies caught within the dirt and lake, stark reminders of the battle.

"Aiden!" shouted Oscar.

Aiden floated within the zero gravity, trying to stabilize himself. Oscar flew towards him as seconds ticked by and gravity returned to normal. Just as Oscar scooped Aiden up in his lone remaining mech hand, gravity reasserted itself.

Aiden felt his wild hair sway in the breeze, his heavy winter coat flapping. He gazed at the sun rising over the false mountains, its light stretching across the procedurally generated landscape. Despite knowing it was an illusion, it felt like staring at a painting of a real sunrise.

"So beautiful..." Aiden whispered, tears spilling from his blue eyes. In that moment, he realized he was crying because, within that trash heap of a titan, he hadn't expected to see another sunrise.

He was certain. In that moment, nothing could surpass its beauty...

"Aiden, you alright!" shouted Oscar, his voice breaking through the haze. Aiden could hear the faint click of Oscar's cockpit opening.

Oscar's dark locks and warm brown eyes emerged, his smile radiant against the chaos. Straining against the restraints, he leaned out, steady yet eager.

Aiden brushed away the tears, finding his footing on Oscar's titan's outstretched hand. He spotted the Aerial closing in, with Deacon's new blue mech in swift pursuit.

"Are those Prospera's mass-produced mechs?" Aiden questioned, but his attention returned to Oscar. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, the tension ebbing from his limbs. "Thanks, I'm fine... that save you guys did…"

His words trailed off, and as the sun's brilliance washed over them, Aiden smiled. Oscar watched, surprised by the gratitude, his eyes widening at the gesture. Aiden's expression softened. "That save, I wouldn't be here without it. Thank you, Oscar."

Oscar chuckled. "Ah, so you're humble now," he teased. "The Ace of The Militia, The Holder of The Academy, Aiden Winters... I didn't think 'thank you' was in your vocabulary!" His laughter filled the space.

But then, Oscar pushed further. "Now, who's the best pilot!" he exclaimed, pointing. Aiden's unexpected response caught him off guard.

"Well... you and Deacon are, but Jack is second when it comes to me so you'll have to take that up with him," Aiden stated.

This admission surprised Oscar, known for his pride and ego, especially when he was at the controls of a mech. Had this near loss humbled him?

Suletta watched, her viewports adjusting, focusing on Aiden. She could discern every detail of his appearance, from his face to his shoes. "Aerial, minimize more," she instructed, ignoring the disapproving blips. "Please, not now," she sighed heavily. "I know, I know, you don't like him but... but he..."

She could have lost herself in his blue eyes. It was difficult; she had to remind herself of her anger. Yet, every touch, every embrace threatened to unravel her resolve.

"Aiden," she muttered his name slowly, her grip on her controls tightening.

Deacon soared in, his presence a reassuring anchor as he connected with Oscar, his mech arm resting on Oscar's Northstar unit. With a protective gesture, he ensured Aiden remained secure on the palm of Oscar's hand, peering down at him from below.

"Aiden!" Deacon's voice echoed as he opened his cockpit.

"He's fine, Deke," Oscar reassured, his tone a mix of affection and exasperation. "He's a big ole dummy, but he's our big dummy." He leaned back, exhaling deeply.

Deacon's fingers traced his own face, a gesture of contemplation. "You know, Aiden, me and Nika were actually going to get busy before this whole litte..." He waved his hand dismissively, his attempt at humor faltering as he noticed the sadness in Aiden's eyes. It was a jest, but...

"This won't happen again," Aiden asserted firmly. "Never again. I am so sorry, Deacon. This whole time... I was wrong. I am sorry."

"Woah, woah, woah," Deacon interjected, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Come on, Aiden. Where's that pilot honor... Listen, me and Nika we..."

"No," Aiden interrupted, shaking his head. "It's not about that. But you were right. This whole time... I was just too much of a fool to see it. Leaving the legion, it was the best thing that could've happened to us…"

As the sun ascended over the mountain's crescent, casting its gentle light upon the valley and the winding stream below, Aiden found himself enveloped in the pure beauty of the moment. "There is a whole universe out there, Deke. We're all connected, and that's a beautiful thing. And you got that... You knew that we could've been more than soldiers. And we were less than that, weren't we? The last sons fighting for a dead world, with meager oaths and archaic machines. And for what... the tears of time. Harmony is gone, the titans have fallen, and Jack Cooper is dead. We've lost, but we have more to live for than that. Cooper, he would've wanted me and Jack to live a life worth something outside of war. I forgot that lesson, Deacon, but you didn't."

Deacon and Oscar fell silent, their eyes wide and attentive, stunned into silence. Deacon stuttered, at a loss for words. "W-well, I guess," he began, his face flushing. "I guess it's nice that you finally listen to good ole Deke once in a blue moon. Maybe, you lot would actually profit from it." He tilted his head mockingly, a playful cackle escaping him.

Suletta ascended to them, positioning herself in the center as she rested her hands on both Oscar and Deacon's mechs. With a graceful motion, she opened her own hatch, and to Aiden, it seemed as though the sun itself radiated from within her cockpit. The sunlight bathed her, enveloping her in its glow, and Aiden couldn't help but feel drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. In that moment, destiny and the universe converged, and Aiden Winter's mind wandered back to his previous claim of never witnessing anything more beautiful...

...but as Suletta's face came into view, her hair billowing wildly like a fierce spirit, and her long sleeves fluttering in the wind like the train of an ethereal dress, Aiden knew that she surpassed any notion of beauty he had ever held. He realized he had been mistaken; she was the most beautiful thing in the world to him. In her, he found a reason, a reason to shatter oaths, a woman worth fighting for, living for, and even dying for.

Tears glistened in Suletta's eyes, her expression shifting between happiness, sadness, and anger, all mingling into one. She wiped away her tears, her gaze fixing upon Aiden's, a mixture of affection and reproach in her eyes.

Yet, her lips curved into a small, bittersweet smile. "Aiden Winters," she spoke, her voice a gentle melody that tugged at his heartstrings. "You big dummy."

...and Aiden gazed up at her, briefly averting his eyes before meeting her gaze once more, lost in the depths of her beautiful teal eyes. "I know, Suletta Mercury," he whispered. "I know."