Chapter 53 Shell of a Hero

Aria turned around, her face twisted in rage and sorrow, her eyes were burning bright from under the shadow that fell over her face.

“Scared? No. You want the truth? Fine. I’ll give you the truth.”

Before Jacob could respond, Aria gripped the seam where synthetic skin met her real flesh. She tore it away, revealing the fusion of mutation and cybernetic engineering. The sight was mesmerizing, an intricate web of metal and flesh, pulsating faintly as if alive.

“This,” she said, holding her arms out, “is who I am now! A mutant! The Aria Lock everyone knew died that day, Jacob. Along with my squad and your parents! They’re gone! And so is the person I used to be!"

She jabbed a finger at her exposed arm.

 “This is all that’s left of me. A shell! An abomination! Do you even know what it’s like to wake up and not recognize yourself in the mirror? To have your own body betray you? HQ doesn’t see me as a hero - they see me as a freak! An abomination that the HQ wants to eliminate, because I’m not ‘human’ anymore. They want me dead! Do you think they care about me? They don’t. I’ve been discarded, left to rot. I can’t even go back to those impossible missions they used to send me on. The ones where I made a difference."

“But you... you don’t need to worry, Jacob.” She stepped closer, “Because I will kill every last one of those damned mutants even if I have to do it with my bare hands. And when I’ve wiped them all out. When there isn’t a single one of those monsters left in this world...” She raised her cybernetic hand and clenched it into a fist, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper.

“I’ll finish the job myself. I’ll end the abomination that stands before you, Jacob. With my own hands.”

With that said, Aria walked past Jacob. She was about to leave, and her hand was already on the doorknob.

“Stop! Wait!” he shouted, “How can I help?!”

Aria froze but didn’t turn back.

“I don’t care what you’ve become, Aria. I don’t care if you’re half-machine or part-mutant or whatever you say you are. All I care about is a chance! A real chance to get revenge for my parents. That’s all I want.”

Aria turned her head slightly, just enough for Jacob to catch the edge of her face.

Jacob didn’t back down.

 “Let me and Sierra help you. Let us fight with you. I might not be the prodigy you were, but I’ll do whatever it takes. You said you’d kill every last mutant. So let us come with you. Let us help you finish this.”

“You’re serious,” she finally said, “You’d throw everything away for this?”

 “I already have. There’s nothing left for me but this. If it means making those monsters pay, I don’t care.”

"And Sierra? Does she want this? Does she know about me?"

"No one knows in the academy your true identity and Sierra will be more than happy to help if it meant to kill mutants."

 Aria sighed heavily, her gaze dropping to the floor.

“Fine... But don’t say I didn’t warn you."

 "If you want to help me, there is one thing I need help with. I got a mission from HQ. I need a few pilots. If you are so eager, you can join me on this mission."

"I'm in!"

That night, Aria stayed at Jacob’s apartment. They spent the evening going over the mission details. Aria shared what little intelligence she had been given by Dyar.

The next morning, Jacob talked to Sierra, Lisana, and Enzo, carefully presenting the opportunity as a chance for extra field experience. To his relief, they all agreed without much convincing.

Later that day, Instructor West addressed the class, casually announcing an “optional practice drill” for a select few cadets. Meanwhile, Aria contacted Major Dyar, informing him of the volunteers. Dyar responded with approval, supplying the date and details for the mission.

When the day arrived, the group gathered at the military level before dawn. They stood before the towering Combelt IV. For them, it was their first time seeing the advanced model up close.

Major Dyar outlined the mission objectives clearly: recover as many downed tank mechs as possible and place the new scanners. 

The convoy set out at dawn. Aria piloted the Combelt IV at the lead, its advanced systems responding to her movements as if it were an extension of her own body. The sensation was effortless. 

Behind her, the rest of the team rode in a maintenance truck packed with tools, spare parts, and a team of mechanics Dyar had gathered. Jacob, Sierra, Lisana, and Enzo sat on the edge, their excitement tempered by the knowledge of the mission’s dangers.

By evening, they reached the outskirts of the city ruins. Aria brought the Combelt IV to a halt and surveyed the area. The ruins were eerily quiet, bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun. She noticed changes in the landscape: collapsed buildings, new rubble. It was subtle, but to her trained eye, it was a clear sign.

“Mutants,” she said into the comms. 

“They’re hiding. Everyone, stay back and wait for my signal. Do not move until I say so.”

Without waiting for a reply, she advanced. The silence shattered with a bone-chilling screech as Velkys burst from the rubble, their grotesque forms lunging toward her.

Aria reacted instantly. The Combelt IV moved as if it anticipated her commands, slicing through the mutants with its tank knife. The Velkys were fast and brutal, but they were no match for the precision and strength of her new mech. In minutes, the skirmish was over. Mutant remains littered the ground.

“Area secure. Proceed with the recovery,” she said into the comms. 

The maintenance team moved in cautiously, guided by Jacob, Sierra, Lisana, and Enzo. Aria stayed on high alert, her mech towering over the group as they worked to locate and retrieve the disabled tank mechs. She placed the first of the new mutant scanners on the ground and powered it up. The device hummed to life, and her map display lit up with dots marking potential threats. Fortunately, none were in the immediate vicinity.

“Looks clear for now. Keep moving,” she informed the team. 

Over the next day, they recovered ten tank mechs. The process was harsh, requiring meticulous dismantling of damaged units and broken parts. Now and then, a mutant would stray too close, but Aria dispatched them quickly. 

The mission stretched into several days as they made multiple trips to and from the ruins. Exhaustion weighed on everyone, except Aria, she never left Combelt IV since the mission began. By the time they returned to the Beehive with the last of the recovered mechs, the team was barely holding on.

Aria, however, felt no satisfaction. The Combelt IV had proven itself, and the mission was a success, but the ruins - and the memories they stirred - had left a deeper scar. As the convoy rolled back into the Beehive, she remained silent, her mind replaying the sights and sounds of the battlefield.

Jacob approached and asked, “You okay?”