Monarch is Cipher headcanon
After the Belkan War, Cipher dissapears from the face of the earth. The man behind 'Cipher' - is forever gone. That name has been cemented in history itself. Historians ponder whether Cipher really existed, or just became a battlefield legend.
Generations pass. The Calamity nearly wiped Humanity out, and yet humanity persisted.
A new Mercenary joined Sicario Mercenary Corps. Known only as "Monarch", this pilot exudes an aura of mystery. Taking the helm of Hitman 1, this lone mercenary, alongside his new wingman and WSO, really put Sicario on the map.
Monarch's flying skills are....unparrarelled. Deadly. It's as if the pilot with the Crown symbol wasn't human. He was like a- [REDACTED]
Pre Calamity records persisted, and as the war progressed, the Federation scrambled to find the reason why the rebels had a pilot like that.
The Cascadian Independence Force also launched an investigation as well.
During the decisive battle of the Bering Strait, codenamed Operation Gulliotine, something happened.
"We were stuck in a stalemate. We can't risk losing air superiority to the Feds, we put all of our Air Force here. But then the Crowned Mercenary came to aid us."
"We were elated at the reinforcements. the Crown showed off his skills, showing us just how much he's worth. But..."
A pause.
"Something unexpected happened. After the arrival of the Peacekeeper Squadron Crimson....I noticed his fighting style suddenly changed. It was...scary. Terrifying. He became more aggressive, avoiding the missiles sent at him with terrifying precision. The way he flew...it's as if a demon took control of his body."
"He was on the Peacekeepers like a hawk, constantly tailing them. And then....fuck, i remembered the shock i felt when i saw one Peacekeeper trailing smoke. He'd done the impossible, he'd downed a Peacekeeper!!"
"I could only watch as he fought the Peacekeepers one by one, downing more and more as time passed. The lead, Crimson 1, managed to land a hit on him. It chipped off his paint on his tail. And as i passed him..
I could see the head of a red hound with chains in it's mouth." One CIF pilot recounted.