Days before vertins capture
a abandoned building where the ghost of activity lingers in the dust.
"This is Delta, we are now entering the building," a mercenary said, his voice a low crackle of static over the comms.
"Copy, Delta. Continue on," the dispatcher replied, his voice tinny and distant.
The report came a few minutes later. Short, simple, and far too calm.
"This is Delta. There's no one here."
The dispatcher furrowed his brow.
"Hold, please." He muted the mic and swiveled his chair to face his superior, a tall, imposing man with build that can lift a car
"Sir, you need to hear this," the dispatcher said, handing a headset to Kryuger.
Kryuger listened, his face grim.
After receiving the full report and cross-checking the building's data, he knew something was wrong. He slammed the headset down on the console.
"Bring me the files on Zeon Team and the company they're from."
"Yes, sir!" the officer said, snapping a salute and practically running out of the office.
The officer returned a few minutes later, placing a thick folder on Kryuger's desk. As he read through the files, Kryuger's expression darkened further, his eyes narrowing to slits. He saw the truth laid out in the documents, and it was a truth he didn't like.
"Get those T-Dolls back. Have them arrested, and keep this information hidden. Only the commanders on this list are to be contacted," he commanded, pushing a sheet of paper toward the officer.
"Yes, sir!" the officer replied, taking the papers and running out of the room to begin contacting the selected commanders.
Alone in his office, Kryuger lit a cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating the heavy lines etched into his face. He took a long drag and exhaled a plume of smoke, his thoughts a whirlwind of suspicion and doubt. Then, a notification popped up on his tablet.
[Sir, Zeon Team is in the frontline defending a base from Sangvis forces, but their signal has been cut. What should we do?]
Kryuger's mind raced, a cold, calculating machine processing data. He typed a response, an order that was uncharacteristic of his usual demeanor.
[Evacuate the personnel in the base and I will send reinforcements to their location.]
He sent the message, but he knew he wouldn't be sending anyone to help them. He looked out the window, his reflection staring back at him in the darkened glass.
"I knew something was wrong with them," he muttered to himself. "Now, Sangvis has managed to get our sensitive information and had began an invasion, and the arrival of Zeon Team? That couldn't be a coincidence. They're a hazard, and they need to be disposed of."
Back at the Sangvis base, the air was cold and sterile. Vertin was strapped to an operating table, a mess of wires and machines attached to her body. She lay unconscious, her face pale, a stark contrast to the bright lights of the lab.
"How's the diagnostics check, Dreamer?" Agent asked, her voice a low murmur as she observed Vertin's still form.
Dreamer, a tablet clutched in her hand, responded without looking up. "Her systems are extremely advanced. Far too advanced for this age."
"Any new developments?" Agent pressed
"The virus I infected her with is gone," Dreamer explained.
"But it destroyed several modules in her system. They're repairable, but her modules are difficult to replace. This will make her hard to fix if she gets damaged again."
"Hmm," Agent mused. "But does she have a Neural Cloud?"
"Not that I can see," Dreamer replied, a hint of surprise in her voice. "She doesn't have one, much like the T-Dolls in AR Team."
"Interesting. Is her mind still functioning?"
"It looks fine, but I'm not sure if it's able to work as it should. I guess we'll have to see when she wakes up," Dreamer said, her eyes fixed on Vertin.
"What else did we get from her?" Agent asked, a hint of impatience in her tone.
"It's limited. The only thing I could access is her memories, and only for the past week at most. The rest is inaccessible," she said.
"Very well. I suppose that will do. Elisa will be happy with this news," Agent said, a faint smile gracing her lips.
(A creepy smile,) Dreamer thought to herself, her own lips pressed into a thin line.
"Oh, before I forget," Agent continued, her smile widening. "When she wakes up and is under our control or working with us give her an upgrade."
Dreamer looked at Agent, her expression unreadable. But seeing the look on her superior's face, she immediately agreed.
The machines hummed, a low and steady rhythm that filled the sterile air. But unknown to Agent and Dreamer, another sound, one only Vertin could perceive, echoed through her mind. It was a voice, metallic and commanding, breaking through the fog of her unconsciousness.
[System ready. Parameters updated. Add-ons ready. Upgrades ready. May the glory of Zeon shine upon you.]
A torrent of information flooded her senses, a wave of data that rearranged her very core. She was no longer just human. A new identity, a new purpose, was forged in the fire of this unseen system.
[V2 Ready]
[Coin Updated]
[Zeon Ace's Are Now Accessible]
[Zeon Pride Mobile Suit (Locked)]
The voice returned, its tone a mix of warning and a challenge.
[You're no longer a weak human. You're a Mobile Suit, a war machine that has changed warfare. I have given you this chance to be stronger; don't waste it. I've already helped you so much, now you must do the rest. After all, with the power of Zeon in the palm of your hand, you need to have the conviction to use it. If you don't use it to its full potential, it's useless. Now go. Your empire is waiting.]
The message left an indelible mark on Vertin's subconscious. Her will, once fragile, hardened into steel. Her motivation, once a flickering flame, became a roaring inferno.
As the system notification chimed one last time, Vertin's eyes opened. The soft, vulnerable look she once had was gone, replaced by a fierce and burning intensity. Her eyes, filled with the pride of Zeon, scanned the room.
"Sieg Zeon," she muttered, the words a vow whispered in the silence of the Sangvis base as her eyes glow crimson.