The dust of the recent engagement settled, washing the base in a brief, deceptive calm. Days after the Witch-hunt dealt a blow to the Zeon remnants—especially the insidious 'Noisy-fairy'—they returned, none of their personnel lost. Lilith Aiden, the unit's ace, looked different. There was a satisfied glint in her eyes, not the cold spark of a predator, but the proud look of a true soldier. Her usual vacant expression had been replaced by something human. It looked as if Lilith had found her humanity back. I watched her, a strange mirror reflecting my own slow, painful transition. Barry Abbot approached me, his gaze solemn. "Now It's your turn, Lydia," he said.
His words were a clear reference to me and the rest of the Black Dog squad—soon to be dispatched to hunt the 'Noisy-fairy'. But my mind wasn't on the mission; it was on the promise of change. I had lost too much: XiangLei, Sam, and even Barry's attempts to help me. Now, with Aaron in my life, seeing me as a lover and not a damaged commodity, I had to stop being the monster my parents made me. I need to change myself.
A sudden summons broke my reverie. Michael Colmatta called me to his office. The relief was a physical weight lifting: my criminal record was finally clear, a reward for agreeing to become an official Federation soldier. I was free.
But freedom in war is often a prelude to a new cage.
"You will get a special mission soon, Lieutenant, not from me but someone will," Colmatta said, his voice low. "I want you to record everything in this mission and send it to the warship."
Stepping out, the air felt charged. Speaking of the devil, Renato Germi had finally returned. Beside him stood two mobile suits I recognized from the skirmish in Omaha, Nebraska—one white, one black. The hangar buzzed as all Black Dog personnel gathered. Renato introduced the test pilots.
The pilot of the White Rider (RX-80WR) was Noah Carpenter, a tall, slim man in his late 20s. He had ash blonde hair, often squinted, thin eyes, and bright grey pupils. The pilot of the Black Rider (RX-80BR) was Akin Vanderbergh, only eighteen. Despite his age, he radiated an immature mentality and a strong destructive impulse. Renato declared the two Augusta Base pilots were being used to eliminate the 'Witch'—the 'Noisy-fairy'.
These mobile suits, the White Rider and the Black Rider, were the core of the Federation's mysterious 'Rider Project'. They possessed specialized systems—'Zeus' and 'Themis'—installed specifically to surpass 'newtype' ability. I couldn't tear my eyes from them. A system to bypass the gift of newtypes? It made me wonder: is this also category as Gundam?
"So this two mobile suit will help us to get those Witches, eh," Mark spoke beside me. "They already show the result at Omaha, Nebraska, how strong they are".
"I never expected to, actually Mark, the mobile suit who interfere in Omaha, Nebraska, are working with us," I replied. I paused, a familiar ache returning. "I know Sam will be excited to see this, but he's no longer here anymore".
"Yeah. Sam sure will be excited for this," Mark agreed. He turned to me. "Anyway, I heard you become an official soldier. Congratulation Lydia".
"Thanks, Mark. It's all thanks to Yumna's suggestion," I said. "What about you, Mark?"
"I just want my criminal record clear, and heading to my hometown after the war is over," he admitted.
"I see. I cannot force you, Mark, you have your way". We both knew Sam's absence was a void.
Renato dismissed us, saying the mission to halt the Zeon destination at Cape Canaveral would start tomorrow morning. Only the Black Dog squad with their new RGM-79G GM Command mobile suits would deploy.
In the hallway, I overheard the usual chatter: female personnel were madly interested in Noah Carpenter's good looks. Akin, the younger one, remained immature, his behavior often policed by Noah. But then, heading to the lounge, I heard the real poison. Renato was talking with the rest of the Black Dog squad. His voice was laced with hatred for me, the more skilled subordinate who surpassed him. Then the conversation turned foul, their words dripping with predatory lust as they spoke of my body, openly discussing their desire to rape and gangbang me after the mission. I walked away. I didn't really care. Tomorrow, facing the 'Noisy-fairy' was like facing death.
After a shower, Aaron called. I told him about the mission—the hunt for the 'Noisy-fairy' after the Witch-hunt dealt with them, specifically Lilith Aiden. He told me his plan for a date after the war, a beautiful place outside of America. He made me promise to stay alive.
"I promise, Aaron. You stay alive, too," I said.
That night, my sleep was a brief, powerful reprieve. I found myself standing in a wide, peaceful grass field under a warm blue sky. A long walk led me to a cliff edge, where I saw the two people I hated most: my Father and my Mother, the people who turned me into a monster. Yet, they stood holding hands, their faces written with total regret. They did not speak, but they bowed down to me—a sign of apologize.
I awoke, a piece of the internal damage finally stitched. It was morning. The day of the hunt.
After preparing, the Black Dog squad gathered. Due to the mountain location, we deployed in the warship 'Gunperry', a vessel more durable and better suited for mountain landings than the usual Medea. I entered my GM Spartan deck, followed by Mark's GM Sniper Custom. In the Gunperey cockpit were Yumna, the pilot, and Alleyne, the operator.
"All set everyone?" Yumna asked.
"All set, Yumna. Say, Is this including your farewell too?" I asked.
"Well... you can say that, Lydia. Just a couple of days and my retirement day right on New Year," Yumna replied.
"Eh? You're not telling me that, Yumna," Alleyne cried, shocked.
"I'm sorry I'm not telling you, Alleyne. I just don't want to hurt your feeling when I'm about to retire," Yumna said gently, patting Alleyne's bowed head. "Lydia and Mark will replace me, Alleyne. I'm too old for this and the younger generation should be on this war".
"She's right, Alleyne, it is Yumna's decision," I comforted her.
Mark added, "Alleyne, you will understand when you are older. Yumna cannot be always with us forever even the war is over".
"I understand..." Alleyne said, still feeling down.
"Cheer up, Alleyne. This is also my final journey with all of you, even if Sam is no longer here," Yumna said.
With a signal, the Gunperry launched. The flight was long. Hours later, we landed safely, still ahead of the Zeon arrival. Our mobile suits were unloaded. I made sure to tell Alleyne to receive my recording for the warship. We walked until we neared the location, a place shrouded in a thick, treacherous fog. Renato opened the channel.
"All right, we're almost at location. Lydia Mercer, yer stay here".
A red mist of old rage flared. "Suit yourself, Renato. I want to see your failure again".
His hand snapped up, his gun pointed at me. My word just triggered his anger. "Yer looking a death wish, eh?! Lydia Mercer?!" Renato roared.
Without hesitation, I aimed my Beam Spray Gun at his cockpit. "Are you try to blame your failure on me, Renato Germi?!"
The rest of the Black Dog squad—predators scenting blood—didn't try to stop us; they only egged us on. Even that young maniac, Akin, was shouting, "KILL!! KILL!!" A tense standoff was broken by Noah Carpenter's White Rider and Mark GM Sniper Custom. "Knock it off. Graves will be furious to see this, Renato. We have a mission to finish," Noah said, his voice unnervingly calm.
"Tch!!" Renato lowered his gun, turning away. "Stay fucking here, Lydia Mercer. We'll settle this after those Witches wipe out".
Renato and the squad headed into the fog, leaving Mark and me behind.
"That was an outrage action of you, Lydia," Mark chastised.
"He failed on the Tir Na Nog mission and blamed me because I sensed their unusual tactic, while he just chased them without thinking, even killing his own men," I reminded him.
Mark went silent for a moment, then spoke a truth colder than the mountain air. He recounted a mission in San Francisco. A horrible mission. It was not a battle against Zeon and Traitor Federation. It was a war crime covered by the Federation. The Black Dog squad didn't just fight Zeon and Traitor; they committed genocide, killing all civilian from young to old, from babies to old people without guilt or hesitation. The grime of their unit wasn't just blood on metal; it was pure, psychological decay.
A gunshot echoed from the mountain peak. The battle had begun. I saw Renato, Noah, and Akin standing by, waiting for the GM Commands to engage the 'Noisy-fairy'.
"So Lydia, what are we going to do now?" Mark asked.
"Let's watch them, Mark. The 'Noisy-fairy' are a strong opponent," I said, already initiating the recording function.
The Zeon's tactic was almost identical to the Tir Na Nog failure: using the thick fog and Zaku II balloons to draw the Black Dog GM Commands into a trap. The 'Titania' cut them down, while the 'Dom Gnomides' and 'Efreet Jaeger' picked off the rest. The GM Commands were quickly overwhelmed.
Renato, seeing his subordinates failing, didn't offer aid. He opened fire on one of his own units, missing the Zeon pilot it was about to engage. "Tch... missed. That Zeek Witch has good luck," he said. Then the true monster spoke: "Thanks to my useless subordinates, I guess I have to deal with you myself. Well, as entertainment, it wasn't bad! Hahaha!"
A woman's voice from the Efreet Jaeger responded, fueled by outrage: "An entertainment, you say...!? Shooting your comrades from behind... Don't mess with me!!"
The Efreet charged Renato's GM Spartan, but a massive beam shot struck its right arm, crippling it. It was Noah Carpenter's massive gun. The White Rider and Black Rider moved to confront the 'Noisy-fairy'.
"That white mobile suit... firing a fearsome beam shot..." Mark murmured in shock.
"If we faced that shot, I'm not sure we could dodge it, Mark," I replied.
The tide turned. Akin's Black Rider fired its rail gun, and Noah unleashed the massive beam. Then, the White Rider took a hit—a Gattling gun shot to the head from the Dom Gnomides. And suddenly, Noah went rampage. Noah Carpenter suffered from 'pathological germaphobe'. The White Rider's body turned a terrifying bright yellow, its blue eyes flashed to red, and Noah began firing his beam shot in blind, uncontrollable rage. In the midst of the chaos, Alleyne's voice cut through. "Um, Lieutenant Lydia. There's a call from you".
"A call? From who?"
"...It's from Higher-up who want to talk to you".
I patched it through. The contact was Alleyne's grandfather, and the special mission he had for me was simple, brutal, and just: -"Eliminate all the Black Dog squad"-. The reason was the War crimes, Genocide, disobey direct order also killing innocent civilian. The Federation's name would be ruined otherwise. The mission was righteous. But it meant Mark, too.
I turned the communication to Mark. "Say Mark, I have a request for you".
"What is it, Lydia?"
"I want you to go back to Gunperry and then dump your mobile suit".
"Huh?!, why?!" he asked, disbelief in his tone.
"Higher-up order. I have a mission to eliminate Black Dog squad, that is to eliminate Renato and others including you," I explained. I paused.
"But, since you are a trustworthy teammate, I am giving you a direct order from me. Now go and dump your GM Sniper".
"But Lydia, there is impossible for you to take them alone! They're about to lose because of Noah and Akin! Also you cannot side with Noisy-fairy either! It's dangerous!"
"Don't worry, the Noisy-fairy are strong. Look at them," I commanded.
The Efreet Jaeger, having feigned severe damage, was back online. It slammed the rampaging White Rider onto a boulder, then plunged its heat knife deep into the suit's body and head. The White Rider was critically damaged and utterly immobilized.
Akin, watching Noah, was panicked. But Renato saw only an exposed weakness. He raised his Bullpup machine gun and Beam Handgun. Not at the Efreet, but at Noah Carpenter. He executed his own disabled pilot.
The White Rider exploded.
Mark finally understood the depth of the unit's depravity. He returned to the Gunperry. Noah's death sent Akin into a violent, mental breakdown rage, exacerbated by a harsh word from Renato. The Black Rider's eyes turned red. He fought dirty, invisible, until the 'Noisy-fairy' teamwork finally took him down.
The battle was now between Renato's GM Spartan and the Titania. The Titania managed to sever Renato's left arm, but Akin's Black Rider rushed in, pinning the Titania.
"Finish it off!" Akin screamed at Renato.
Then came the final, chilling act of betrayal.
"...Oy, Akin. Self-destruct, just like that," Renato sneered.
"Eh...What... There's no point in doing something like this in this state!!" Akin cried in shock.
"Yer an idiot, aren't ya..." Renato leveled his machine gun at the pinned Black Rider. "THAT'S WHY IS MORE CERTAIN, AND ABOVE ALL! IT'S FUN ISN'T IT!"
Renato began to fire. Akin's mind snapped completely. The Black Rider's power surged as he turned the pinned Titania, charging at Renato, pushing both mobile suits towards the cliff edge.
"RENATOOOOO!!!" Akin shrieked, furious.
"You damn brat! Stop screwing around!" Renato screamed.
"...Why?... I'm making things fun for you, aren't I?" Akin's voice was chillingly calm. "You should enjoy to the fullest... Big Brother".
"S-shit" The Black Rider pushed Renato's GM Spartan to the cliff edge. Renato started screaming. "FUN MY ASS!! IT'S NOT FUUUUUN!!".
The Black Rider's horse power overpowered the GM Spartan. Renato's final, terrified scream echoed as both mobile suits flew off the cliff. The Black Rider exploded, killing both of them. Titania approached the cliff edge. The Titania pilot, stunned, looked over the massive drop. My alarm blared—she had found me. I opened the channel.
"I have no interest to fight you. Go now," I told the Titania pilot.
"A female pilot?" the Titania pilot asked, shocked.
"The Black GM, The Black Dog member?!" the Efreet pilot, Helena, exclaimed.
"I have order from higher-up to eliminate Black Dog squad. Move along, let me do the rest," I repeated.
"T-thank you. Let's return to base everyone," the Titania pilot said. The 'Noisy-fairy' retreated.
I landed in the battlefield. The ground was scorched black from Noah's destructive beam. The White Rider was still burning, its pilot dead inside. I recorded it all. Then, a busted GM Command mobile suit, slowly crawling, approached me. It was one of the squad members, one who had dreamed of raping me.
"...You.. Mercer..." he gasped. "You let them... go?!"
"The mission is over, Renato is dead," I stated.
"...Don't... mess around... The mission is not over.... are you... betray us?!" he slurred.
I raised my Beam Spray Gun and fired. The GM Command exploded. "I'm not betraying. I'm taking order from higher-up. Now, you cannot rape me in your death," I said.
I circled the wreckage, recording that the Black Dog squad had been eliminated by the 'Noisy-fairy'. The Gunperry arrived to pick me up. Mark had ditched his GM Sniper by making it fall to the edge, as it lacked a detonation system.
We returned to find Barry Abbot and Lilith Aiden waiting. They knew I wouldn't let my trustworthy teammate, Markus Armstrong, be executed.
"You and Lieutenant Armstrong are changing teams," Barry announced, citing Renato's fall from the cliff.
I was no longer in the "Black Dog squad." I was now in the new team led by Barry Abbot: "Witch-hunt".
"I hope we can work together, Lieutenant Markus Armstrong, Lieutenant Lydia Mercer," Barry said, giving a salute.
"Same here too, Captain Barry Abbot," Mark and I replied in unison.
Lilith looked at me, her expression still human, and extended her hand. "I hope we can work together, Lydia Mercer".
"Me too, Lilith Aiden," I said, accepting the handshake.
With Renato gone and the Black Dog squad eliminated, I felt free and light. Barry Abbot was more normal than Renato, capable of changing people like he did Lilith, and now me. The mission was far from over—Cape Canaveral and eliminating any remaining Black Dog remnants was next.
Aaron called. I told him everything: I was out of the psychopathic Black Dog squad and now working with Barry Abbot's Witch-hunt. He was simply glad I was free. He couldn't make the New Year's party due to work, but I was okay with it. I still held the promise of the date and the hope that the war would end sooner.
To be continued.