In the dead of night within the United South American Nation, Aegis, folded inside a large transport case, blinked its eye sensors awake. With the signal received, the retaining metal panels automatically detached, allowing its limbs to extend outward.
Moments later, a fully-formed Aegis was standing in the cargo bay, fresh as if newly manufactured.
Of course, he couldn't simply "borrow" one of his own GINNs. No insurance would cover the loss of a weapon headed to a battlefield.
But there was good news as well. Looking down at his hands, Aegis's systems showed that with the upgraded radar and optimizations, lag had been reduced. Although it wasn't entirely gone, his current performance was now easily on par with an elite red-clad pilot, and his primary self could now exceed that, just a bit.
Pleased, Aegis opened the hatch door and let the tiny black bird-shaped surveillance drone flit out, swiftly hacking into the local camera feeds. He then surveyed the expansive hangar, which was even larger than his secret base's storage.
In addition to his four GINNs, there were numerous Dagger units arrayed along the walls, likely those seized in recent operations led by the Odin Cannon.
Altogether, there were ten, although none were attached to a catapult system—ground-bound models like the GINNs didn't need one, anyway.
Turning his attention to his target, he began to make his way outside, but hadn't gone far when he overheard two female voices.
"I told you! I'm not stopping my training!" one insisted.
"But do you even know what time it is, Elena?" the other replied with exasperation.
It couldn't be…
Elena's fists clenched. "It's because I'm not strong enough," she said loudly. "I wasn't strong enough to stop them from rampaging through our land."
"Because of my weakness, I could only watch!" she added, her voice filled with frustration.
Listening to her frustration, Aegis found himself empathizing—he could understand her sense of powerlessness.
Stepping closer, he let his voice cut softly but firmly into the conversation, "Hello."
The two young women spun around, startled, with Elena looking at him in shock.
"Is… is it really you?"
The young girl who had proposed on the battlefield to a fellow warrior could hardly believe her eyes.
"Yes, it's me," Aegis replied, steadying her as she impulsively hugged him. With the simulated skin covering Aegis's mechanical body, he felt warm and real to the touch. He'd added it to avoid raising suspicion.
"A—are you alive?!" she asked breathlessly.
"Kind of," he said, returning the hug briefly before releasing her.
"This… this is A!" She turned excitedly to her friend, who immediately snapped a salute.
"Well… not exactly," Aegis replied with a small smile, "but it's good to be back."
Elena quickly explained that the President himself had held a memorial for him, honoring him posthumously with a Second-Class Order of Merit.
He blinked, processing the news. "Well, I'm grateful, but the victory belongs to all of you."
Seeing the opportunity, Aegis inclined his head. "Elena, do you think you could take me to meet with President Rodriguez?"
"Yes, of course," she answered, a faint blush still coloring her tanned cheeks.
Walking side by side, they soon arrived at an elevator. Watching as the floors ascended, Aegis took in the view, noting the towering mass of the mass driver framed against a starry sky. Every time he saw it, it looked as impressive as before.
"How is the United South American Nation holding up?" he asked.
"Panama and Colombia are stable for now, but the unrest grows as you move outwards. We're stretched thin, having to defend against the Atlantic Federation from Mexico, while also dealing with uprisings in our own territory."
She explained as they made their way to the central building of the base. This nondescript structure housed the operations hub, heavily guarded and shielded by the base's defense network. It was the safest place in the base.
"You're back sooner than I thought," President Rodriguez greeted them upon entering his office.
"Mr. President," Aegis responded, bowing his head in respect.
Rodriguez gestured to the nearby sofa, indicating for him to sit. "Care for a drink?"
"Thank you, but no need," Aegis replied, declining politely as the President poured himself coffee before sitting down across from him.
"Well then, Miss A, what brings you here this time?" Rodriguez asked, studying him closely.
"To join your forces as a mercenary," Aegis answered straightforwardly.
"Why?" Rodriguez asked, his curiosity piqued.
"We share a common goal," he replied, holding the President's gaze.
Silence fell over the room before Rodriguez chuckled, finally breaking the tension.
"Currently, all we have are captured Daggers," he said.
"That's fine," Aegis replied calmly.
The President stood, extending his hand, which Aegis shook firmly.
"Glad to have you on board, then," Rodriguez said, studying his expression. "I'll have my aide escort you to quarters. The contract will be standard for mercenaries; I assume there's no issue?"
"None at all."
The usual level of intelligence he'd receive was more than enough for his purposes, especially with his surveillance drones active.
Watching him leave, President Rodriguez's expression shifted, his fingers steepling as he began a silent video call with a high-ranking official.
"Mr. Rodriguez, there are still questions about this 'A,'" the Defense Minister noted, his brow furrowed. "And in that blast, there's no way anyone could have survived."
Rodriguez considered this, then spoke slowly, "Have you heard of a certain type of engineered fighter, made for combat? These so-called enhanced soldiers, designed to follow commands without human emotions."
"Are you suggesting this legendary 'Palas' organization could possess that kind of tech?" the Minister asked, perplexed.
"It's a possibility we can't ignore," Rodriguez replied, his sharp gaze unwavering. "
We keep him here, under observation."
The Minister nodded in agreement. "Understood, Mr. President."
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