Alive || 86: Eighty-Six [ vers. ENG ]

theo

The Legion was retreating. The long and difficult confrontation that had lasted an entire afternoon was finally over. The last rays of the sun shone indiscriminately on the land covered with the debris of Juggernauts bathed in the blood of their pilots, and the remains of Legion machines burning under a thick black cloud.

Sitting in the cockpit of the last remaining operational Juggernaut in the area, a young girl let out a sigh. Handler One was quieter than ever. She could just hear his breathing on the other side of the signal. Any minute now she would lose her patience and end her Para-RAID's communication. But before that moment arrived, she wanted to at least get confirmation on the status of the other members of her squadron: were they still alive?

As they retreated, with the help of their commander Laughing Fox, they found themselves trapped by other Legion machines outside an abandoned city. With no one competent to take command, and with such a useless Handler One, the conclusion was predictable.

Total annihilation. It was surprising that there was even one survivor, the youngest of the group.

Left on her own, this teenager of barely thirteen years old had known how to make the most of her environment coupled with her knowledge of her enemies. The dangerous maneuvers she had used with the help of this aluminum coffin that was her Juggernaut could have made more than one swoon. Jumping around or flying through buildings was not the function of these machines created by the Republic of San Magnolia. And now that it was all over, this Juggernaut was good to go. No matter how many times she ran the program, there was no way to make it move. It would not respond to any commands.

"Ashbell to Handler One, can you confirm the status of the other members of Fox One squadron?"

No response.

"Handler One?"

Still none.

She gave up.

"Ashbell to Handler One, I will now cut off our communication--""

"I... I'm sorry..."

"..."

"I--"

Ashbell tapped the device on her ear twice with her index finger to end the call. She didn't have the strength or the inclination to listen to his lame excuses. And then, what was he apologizing for?

Every day for months he had been sending them into enemy territory while he himself was miles away behind the Gran Mur.

His life was not in danger. Theirs was.

He forgot everything once each mission was over, dead or not. They, the survivors, had to continue living with the ghosts of their companions.

The pain that the Eighty-Six had to face was nothing close to what an Alba's pain could be.