Mobile Suit Gundam - The Witch from Mercury and The Druid of Harmony

Chapter 21 - Never Forget, Never Forgive

Belmaria, now engrossed, began recounting Aiden's file. "Eighteen years old, blood type AB RH positive, towering at six-foot three. Born during the IMC's frontier colonization. No information on his father, more indicative of a lack of knowledge than blacklisting. His mother, Caitlin Winters, deceased at thirty-five."

A pause lingered, and she took a deep breath before continuing, "Serving in the IMC Milita War, he was a part of the youth they enlisted into their war machine."

"War Machine?" Elan questioned with nonchalance, his eyes scrutinizing Belmaria. "I didn't realize that the IMC reducing their home to the ground would merit calling them a war machine?"

She swallowed hard, meeting his uninterested gaze as she continued, "He was trained by the militia for years, his main titan being an ION unit, and he served throughout the entirety of the war."

"So, he has actual battle experience," Elan spoke. "That's probably why he bested Guel. Duels and battles are two completely different things."

Belmaria nodded along with his assessment. "Psychologically, his files state that he is disturbed. Insomnia, PTSD - the aftermath of surviving the war. However, therapy from the pardons and rehabilitation programs appears to have stitched some semblance of sanity into his mind. Still, he's labeled to be in and out of IMC juvenile detention centers. Led a mass riot, escaped with over a hundred others from Harmony into the unknown. They were pardoned, bounties paid off."

The fourth stared at the screen with widened eyes, the most emotion BelMaria had ever witnessed from him.

"The rest of the information is strangely blacklisted," she continued. "Someone doesn't want anyone to see the rest of the files. The fact that their bounties were cleared speaks volumes about who they have in their corner. Be careful, fourth, with this one."

The fourth nodded along.

"He is an enhanced person, like you," she stated, gauging his reaction, but he only stared at Aiden's picture on the screen, sizing him up.

"He isn't like me," he bluntly spoke. "His enhancements are more... arcane."

The word 'arcane' caused her to pause and tense. The fourth continued staring at her. "I may be enhanced, but you know what they did to me. I've heard of the druids from you. No one knows what the Milita did to them?"

She sighed. "No, we don't," she answered honestly. "Aiden Winters is enhanced. His medical records indicate he lost his right eye, right arm, and left leg during one of the final battles for the frontier. Pardoned, he received bionic replacements, fully funded by the IMC. Most likely, he still utilizes those same bionics. He also underwent something labeled as the 'Butchers Nails' at the age of twelve. It's a bridge between human and titan - a machine drilled into their brains, creating a unanimous connection between man and machine."

The fourth stared at her. "Like the gund-format?" he questioned.

She paused for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Yes, they are similar, but the Butcher's Nails could only be placed within young boys' heads. The electronics and the skull structure must grow together. Even then, success rates were glaring. The militia, desperate in their losing war, viewed this as their only option. They improved abilities within their titans and, some theorize, physically transformed them into stronger soldiers. However, all records burned with Harmony."

The fourth sighed, absorbing the information. "Can you show me the recordings of his battle with Guel?" he questioned.

Belmaria nodded and tapped on her keyboard. Flipping through photos and videos, they delved into the three duels between Guel and Aiden. In the first, Aiden showcased psychic potential, raising his blade, the ensuing lightning forcing them to momentarily shield their eyes. The second displayed Aiden's marksmanship, sniping a Jeturk House member from a distance. The final duel demonstrated Aiden's mastery, employing the sands and his titan's shock trooper might against Guel.