"Betray a friend, and you'll often find you have ruined yourself."
~Aesop
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Chapter 26: Brothers

Interview #12

The Little Brother

Magnolia Springs, Osea

16 November 2005

I pulled up in front of a quaint cottage residing on the coastline of Oured Bay. Few other houses could be seen. Knowing what I did about this man, he definitely deserved to live a quiet, peaceful life.

Grabbing my recorder, I began speaking into it. "Patrick James Beckett, affectionately known as 'PJ' to his comrades. Galm Team's number two in their later missions, and member of the Ustio Air Force, 6th Air Division, 66th Air Force Unit. This man was the Demon Lord's wingman and best friend, and quickly turned into a feared fighter pilot."

I grabbed my camera and stepped out of my car. I walked up to the front porch and raised my hand to knock when voices floated from the backyard. Curious, I followed a set of stone steps in the directions of the sounds, and I found the man I was looking for, sitting with his wife.

They both waved at me and motioned for me to sit down with them. The man smiled and said, "Hey, I'm PJ. Are you Brett?"

"Yes, sir. It's an honor to meet you!" I exclaimed, shaking his hand, and trying to contain my excitement. Other than Pixy, this was the closest I had come yet to meeting a brother of the Demon Lord. The stories and information this man could give me excited me almost as much as the ones Pixy could.

Almost.

"It's an honor to meet you too! You're the only person I've ever known that's tried finding out about the Demon Lord. He's shrouded in mystery for a reason you, know," PJ said. "Full disclosure, I am bound to secrecy about a few things.'

"I understand. You and Pixy are the only ones who know his true identity, correct?"

"Yes. It's a closely guarded secret. He went through a lot to get to safety, and he went through a lot to keep his family safe. If it weren't for him, Pixy and I would both be dead."

"Is he still alive? The Demon Lord?" I asked, hopeful my wishful answer would be correct.

PJ hesitated. "No. The man who was the Demon Lord died that day, I think. He lost Pixy, he lost Janie, and he had to give up so much of his life the day of that last battle despite winning it. The world was safe because of his actions, but he wasn't. I haven't talked to him in years. We've kept it that way for safety reasons because we don't trust people not to try and track him through me."

"How have you kept him hidden so long? I'm not trying to figure out a way to find him, especially knowing he's gone to such great lengths to keep hidden. It's just..." I trailed off, trying to find the right words without sounding treasonous or giving the wrong person the wrong idea. "I know every military around the world has digitized files of all their personnel. Hasn't someone tried hacking into the system to find out?"

"Oh, definitely. I'm still kept in the loop about certain things, at least pertaining to the Demon Lord. They tell me when someone's tried searching for him. I actually found out about you before you found out about me," PJ said. "But no one is going to find anything about him in any military system. His files have been obliterated. Nothing about him exists anymore except through the people who fought alongside him and against him."

"His callsign was Cipher, was it not?"

"It was. Ironic, if you think about it. Cipher means hidden code. That's all Cipher was to everyone around him: a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Whenever you thought you finally knew him, he changed or did something that you least expected." PJ glanced out over the bay, clenching his jaw. "It's why he was so difficult to defeat in battle. It's why he'll never be found until he wants to be."

"Do you think he'll ever make an appearance again?"

"It'd have to be quite the push. I don't think even another war would bring him out."

"What would?" I asked.

"I have my thoughts, but I worry if I said them, it might give the wrong people the right idea," PJ said.

"I understand. What can you tell me about him? What was Cipher like?"

"In the beginning, before everything went to shit, he was strangely outgoing yet introverted. You felt like you knew everything about him and nothing about him all at once. Janie, Pixy, and I knew more about him than most, but even then, we didn't know everything. Hammerhead was close to him too, but not like the three of us."

"Cipher never let anyone too close to him. He masked his true emotions with humor and wit and with an unnatural ability to change the subject," Iris added, a reminiscent smile gracing her face. "The only times I ever saw that mask come off was when Pixy betrayed him, and when Janie died. When he left us at the hospital that day, we expected him to come back later on, but he never did. To this day, we still have no idea where he went. But he showed up for her funeral a week later."

"What was Janie like?" I inquired. She was almost as much of a mystery as the Demon Lord. I'd tried reaching out to her father for an interview, but he denied my attempt rather firmly. I chose not to pursue him further.

"She was the nicest, take-no-shit kind of person you've ever met," Iris said. "And she was my best friend. Life hasn't been the same without her."

PJ reached over and laced his fingers with his wife's. He continued the topic by saying, "Janie was Cipher's rock. She could always reach through to him whenever Pixy and I couldn't. She's the one who got him out of his funk after Pixy left."

"Why did she fly with you that day instead of Cipher?" I prodded.

"Cipher thought Pixy would go after him above anyone else. What he didn't expect were the freaking lasers Pixy had equipped on his plane. None of us saw that coming." PJ clenched his jaw as the memories from that day seemed to assault him. "I'm not Pixy's biggest fan. He and I never really saw eye to eye on things. I was the optimist, he was the pessimist, and Cipher was somewhere in between, which made him our middle man. I was nice to Pixy because of Cipher, but if I saw him now, I wouldn't be. I can't forgive him for what he did, not until Cipher does."

"Do you think Pixy wanted to kill you and Janie that day?"

"He might've wanted to kill me. Lord knows I got on his nerves," PJ said, the slightest hint of amusement in his tone. "But, I don't think Pixy would've shot at my plane had he known Janie was with me. He cared about her almost as much as Cipher, and he never would've wanted to hurt her."

"What were Cipher and Pixy like together? The way I've heard it, it's like they were almost the same person."

"They were two peas in a pod. Pixy was more reserved than Cipher, but he was still just as sarcastic and daring. They were one of those teams where they were as deadly together as they were apart, and I think that's why people always said if anyone could destroy them, it'd be each other. I guess, in the end, they did in a way. Pixy could've killed Cipher, even though he didn't have any of his weapons. Neither could pull away in time, but they could fly past each other. Pixy could've just flown straight through Cipher's plane and destroyed him. It would've been mutual destruction, but it would've ended Cipher. I think, deep down, the Pixy that Cipher knew still existed. Deep down, he couldn't kill his brother any more than Cipher could kill him."

"What was the relationship like between Cipher, Pixy, and Janie?"

At this, PJ laughed. "Think of it this way. There's Person A, who runs headlong into crazy bullshit. Then there's Person B who says they're too sensible to run headlong into crazy bullshit, but they're really just as bad as Person A. Then there's Person C, who actually is sensible and tries to avoid crazy bullshit, but keeps getting dragged into it by Persons A and B. Now, imagine Cipher is Person A, Pixy is Person B, and Janie is Person C, and you have the perfect image of how that trio worked."

"That's pretty accurate, actually," Iris agreed, grinning. "Cipher at least admitted he was a bit nuts in his flying. Pixy, not so much. Janie dragged both of them when their egos got too big."

"Which person were you, PJ?" I asked.

"Before Pixy left, I was more Person C. I was part of the Crow Team, and we followed Galm Team a lot of the time, and ended up getting roped into their issues or shenanigans. When Pixy left, and I became Galm Two, I became Person B. There was something about Cipher that made you feel you could do the impossible. I mean, if he could fly in and out of underground tunnels, then I could take out some gun towers and enemy planes that had taken out the majority of our allied forces, you know? And he always made sure the victory was shared, even if it was completely his doing. He was modest. Sometimes too modest. Cipher deserves much more recognition than he ever received, and I know part of the reason he didn't is because our Base Commander at the time hated him."

"He was Janie's father, correct?"

"Yes, sir. Commander Biggs hated mercenaries, but he couldn't deny Cipher's talents and abilities. If we had a different Commander, I do believe Cipher would've won more awards and medals. I hope one day, he does. He's the reason the Belkan War ended, and he's the reason A World With No Boundaries disappeared. He stopped them all in their tracks."

"I've come to notice something with all the aces I've interviewed that faced the Demon Lord, and none seem to hate him, not even Bristow. What are your thoughts on that?"

"Bristow may not hate the Demon Lord, but Cipher sure as hell hated him. Bristow was the only one he hated, and that's because he convinced Pixy to join their side. But in regards to the other aces, none of them knew Cipher personally. They were all ordered to do a job, and that's all they were doing. I didn't hate the aces we fought, either. I might not have liked them at the time or understood their beliefs, but I didn't hate them. None of it was personal, and when it's not personal, it's harder to hate them for it. At least, that's my opinion. I'll never know for sure."

"One last question before I go: if you could see the Demon Lord right now, what would you say to him?"

"I'd say it's great to see him, and I'd ask how he was doing, how his family was doing... and I'd tell him he's always welcome at our house, no matter what. He's my brother, and I hope I'm the same to him. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him, and after all the tragedy he's been through, I want him to be leading a happier life than when I last saw him." PJ fiddled with his dog tags before looking directly into the camera. "Cipher, if you're watching this, we miss you and hope you're doing well. We hope to see you again one day."

I shut off my camera and stowed it away in my bag, standing up. Iris and PJ did the same. I smiled at them and said, "Thank you both so much for your time. It was an honor to meet you both, and if you ever need anything from me, don't hesitate to reach out."

"We will," PJ replied, shaking my hand. Iris gave me a hug. As I began walking to my car, the two of them followed me, and PJ asked, "I'll be sure to get the video of my mission recounts to you soon. I know you requested that in the letter you sent. So, do you have any more interviews?"

"One more. Pixy," I answered, hesitant to tell him, knowing how PJ felt about him.

"I'd say send him my regards, but I don't like him right now. Not until he apologizes to Cipher if he ever gets the chance. You have a safe trip, and be careful around Pixy. He's been known to stab people in the back."

"Noted. You two have a good rest of your day."

I got in my car and set off for the airport, preparing for the most significant part of my documentary yet. All my interviews had been leading up to this next point. And finally, after months of searching for him, my sources had found him.

The only problem would be keeping track of him when he was fighting yet another war...
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Final Interview

A Brother In Arms

Near A Disputed Border, Usea

25 November 2005

Fighter jets roared in the distance as I made my way through the rubble and debris of the obliterated town. A group called Free Erusea had decided they weren't happy with the outcome of the Continental War and were wreaking havoc. This is where I was supposedly going to find the last piece of my documentary. After over a week of searching for him, I'd traced him here.

Hopefully, I wouldn't get killed on the way by a rogue bomb or missile...

To keep my mind preoccupied from that cheery idea, I played my recorder over and over, desperate to make sure it sounded perfect. After all, this was the most important part of my project, and I didn't want to mess it up.

"Larry Foulke, also known as 'Solo Wing Pixy.' Galm Team's number two, and member of the Ustio Air Force, 6th Air Division, 66th Air Force Unit. That's right. This man was his buddy and his enemy."

Short and to the point. Ends on a shocking note.

I didn't want to add too much because I wanted people to ask questions. I wanted them to wonder how this man turned from friend to enemy. I wanted them to ask the same questions I wanted to, the questions I was going to.

"Halt!" A soldier ordered, striding over to me. "What's your business here?"

"I'm a reporter from Osea. I'm looking for Larry Foulke in regards to his time with the Demon Lord during the Belkan War," I said quickly, trying to calm my racing heart. If I had to punch this guy's lights out to get to Pixy, then so be it. I wasn't letting my documentary end here and now.

The soldier narrowed his eyes at me, looking me up and down. "Follow me."

I obeyed, letting him lead me through a series of roads and alleyways. By the end, we arrived at an abandoned, dilapidated building on the outskirts of the town. The soldier said he was in there. Thanking him, I cautiously took a step in, clearing my throat to announce myself because I really didn't want to get shot. I didn't have clearance to have a gun in this country, so if anyone started shooting at me, I was screwed.

"Who are you?" a man asked, stepping out from the shadows. He had the beginnings of a beard, and dust covered his clothes and face, but despite all that, I recognized him. I'd recognize him anywhere.

"Solo Wing Pixy?" I asked.

He cocked his head. "It's been a long time since someone's called me that. What are you here for?"

"I'm doing a documentary on the Demon Lord. My sources told me you were here, and I wanted to ask some questions if you don't mind."

"You flew all the way from Osea to ask me some questions?" Pixy raised his eyebrows. "Seems like a hell of a trip for just some."

"Believe me, if you let me ask all the questions I wanted to, we'd be here for at least a week," I admitted.

"Take a seat," he said, pointing towards a pile of bricks that I'm pretty sure used to be a wall. I chose not to question it. Pixy acted like he wanted to talk, and I wasn't going to ruin that, so I did. I grabbed my camera and hit the record button as Pixy sat down in the only chair in the room, his AK-47 propped in front of him. Noticing I was filming, he asked, "Where would you like me to start?"

"From the beginning. How'd you get into the Air Force?"

"I was born in South Belka. My hometown got invaded by Osea when they were searching for more natural resources. My parents were killed while we were fleeing, and I lived the rest of my life out in an orphanage. When I left, I attended the Belkan Air Force Academy, proved myself as a pilot, and at the last minute, wasn't allowed to graduate because some assholes made me a scapegoat for something they did. I couldn't prove it, and Bernitz and Heimeroth being BAF legacies, they got away with a slap on the wrist. Instead, I became a mercenary and ended up getting paid better anyway. I found myself at Valais Air Base in Ustio, which is where I met Cipher, or as you know him, the Demon Lord."

"How'd you lose your wing? It was painted red after it got shot off, and you landed the plane like that?"

"That's right. Dominic Zubov, the Belkan assassin-"

"I've met him. Don't recommend it."

Pixy chuckled. "It's a wonder you're alive. But yeah, Zubov hit my wing. I high-tailed it out of there and landed with one wing. To commemorate the feat, I had my wing painted red on my next plane, and all the planes after that."

"I guess my next big question is: what happened? From your first mission to your last with him."

"It's going to take a while... it happened years ago. Did you know there are three kinds of aces? Those who seek strength, those who live for pride, and those who can read the tide of battle. Those are the three. And him? He was a true ace. I've never met anyone like him ever since..." Pixy trailed off, his lips quirking upward as he thought back to the past. For a few agonizing moments, he stayed silent as I waited impatiently for him to begin. Finally, Pixy looked up and said, "It was a cold and snowy day..."

I sat enraptured as Pixy recounted each mission he shared with the Demon Lord and all the things that came with it- every memory in between, every joke, every argument, every emotion. For a man as stoic and reserved as Pixy was, something about discussing the Demon Lord brought out a completely different side in him. Rather than it being a nonchalant recollection, it almost appeared as if he remembered the times with a great fondness.

Pixy confirmed what all the other aces suspected: Cipher had been young and brash, but extremely talented and unpredictable. Pixy explained how it was hell trying to keep up with him; how they constantly bickered like any brothers would; how they could communicate during battle without even speaking. They were that in tune with one another.

But most of all, no matter how much Pixy griped about Cipher's sarcasm and snark, I could tell he still felt a deep affection for his former comrade and the memories of them together. I could see how much the relationship with the Demon Lord meant to him, and unless I was mistaken, the regret over how it ended.

"I should have died that day," Pixy said, coming to a close on his story. "But I didn't. I dragged my wounded body and reached ground zero of the nuclear detonations—a barren, empty land. I felt an unbearable sadness when I witnessed that landscape. There were still people living there. They were the ones that saved me."

"After everything you did and went through, do you still believe in the ideals of A World With No Boundaries?" I asked.

"It may be true that the world has no need of borders. But would getting rid of them really change anything? The world won't change for the better unless we trust people. Trust is vital in a peaceful world. But that will never happen."

"What have you been doing since you left the battlefield?"

He looked around the building and through the broken windows to the outside. "I'm still on the battlefield. Right now, I'm near a border. I want to see for myself what borders really mean, and what their volition really is... I may not find what I'm looking for, but I still wanna try." Pixy shrugged. "Anyway, that's what I've come to believe, and I think that's enough."

"Why didn't you kill him that day? You had the opportunity, even if it meant your own destruction, but-"

"Cipher could've killed me too. He didn't. I'd seen him change during the war. When I fought beside him, he was the definition of a knight, without a doubt. He wouldn't shoot down any neutralized targets, even if they risked being fixed later on and reappearing. After I left, he turned into a true mercenary. It didn't matter if the target was optional or not. Cipher took them out. That period didn't last long, but it was still there. In the end, he was a soldier more than anything. He decided which neutral targets were allowed to stay and which ones weren't. I was one of those neutral targets. He could've killed me, and he didn't. The Cipher I knew was still in that plane, and the Pixy he knew was still in me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill my Buddy. Not if I ever wanted to have a second chance at talking to him. I know I hurt him, and it was the last thing I wanted to do."

"Did you know about Janie?" I asked hesitantly. "I know she meant a lot to you."

Pixy frowned. "What about Janie?"

"Janie was in PJ's plane on that last mission," I replied, cocking my head. "Did you not-"

"She was what?" he demanded, the color rapidly draining from his face. "Is she okay?"

"Pixy, she... she died a few days after the battle. It had something to do with her ejecting and landing. I was never able to find out-"

"Janie's dead?" Pixy's voice was barely above a whisper, and unshed tears glistened in his eyes.

"Yes..."

I watched as he clenched his jaw and continually swallowed until he finally got up from his chair and walked off. I paused the recording and allowed Pixy to have his moment of mourning for however long he needed. Learning that a close friend had died-most likely by your hand- couldn't be easy to hear. I felt guilty for breaking the news to him because I thought he would've known after all this time. I thought he would've looked her up or something.

But no.

For close to an hour, Pixy didn't come back. I began fearing he wouldn't return to finish the interview, as selfish as that sounded. At the same time, I understood why he wouldn't. I don't know what I'd do or how I'd react if I found out someone I deeply loved and care for was dead after ten years, having thought they were living a good life. The thought was unfathomable.

However, just past the one hour mark, Pixy returned. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was slightly puffy, but otherwise, he appeared normal. If he wanted, I could edit the footage later to hide any evidence of a breakdown.

"I'm sorry," he said, sitting back down. My camera was back to recording, but I wasn't sure if I'd use this particular bit of footage in the final edit. "A lot of things can be said about me that would be true, but not caring about Janie wouldn't be one of them. She was like a sister to me, and I always thought she and Cipher ended up together after the war, living a nice, picket fence life. Not that life would ever be normal with him after the war and all he did, but still..."

"I know they were engaged. I'm not sure when he asked Janie, but it was in her obituary that she'd been engaged to the 'love of her life.' They didn't put his name."

"Do you know what it was she died of?"

"Brain damage. They think the damage was already done before they put her in an induced coma, and that it was something they couldn't see. Unfortunately, medical imaging wasn't what it is back then..." Pixy didn't say anything, which made my next question pop up quickly in my head. Gently, I asked, "Do you think the Demon Lord blames you for her death?"

"Without a doubt. And he as every right. Had I known... I never would've shot PJ down. I would've dealt with him a different way."

"Why did you? To get him out of the way or...?"

Pixy nodded. "I wanted it to be just Cipher and me. We started this together, and we were going to end this together. I didn't want to kill PJ either, so when I aimed for his plane, I aimed for the wings and the tail. But believe it or not, I never wanted to kill anyone. Not Cipher, not PJ, and not Janie."

"Why'd you join A World With No Boundaries? What made them so appealing that you risked your relationships with Cipher and Janie?"

"Bristow discovered my doubts about the war and used them against me. I let him without even realizing until it was too late. By then, I believed all the bullshit he was spewing. And his comrade, Anton Kupchenko, kept calling me 'King,' which didn't help my ego. I guess it felt nice to be recognized as the one on top instead of Cipher. As much as I loved him as a brother- and I still do- I was young and stupid, and I was jealous. He got so much recognition for everything he did, which he deserved because he was damn good. Cipher got the girl too. I wanted to hate him for it, and that's where my initial snark towards him stemmed from. But he made it impossible. Before I knew it, I realized I'd die for him without hesitation. I realized if anyone was going to kill him, the only person I'd allow it to be was me. I loved Cipher like a brother back then, and I still do. I can only imagine what he thinks of me now... He probably sees me as a monster, and I wouldn't blame him. Cipher has every right to believe that."

"Why did you keep his identity a secret? You could've used that against him in the fight, but you didn't."

"I couldn't bring myself to do that to him. I didn't want his family to be involuntarily involved, and he had the luck to be anonymous with the armies. His identity is his secret to tell, and I'll take it to my grave unless he announces it himself."

"Have you, or did you ever try searching for him?"

"No... I didn't look for any of them," Pixy admitted, grasping his gun a little tighter. "Not Cipher and not Janie. I didn't think they'd want me to know."

"Do you think he's alive?"

"Last time I talked to him, he was, and I bet anything the first thing he did was go to his family. That was his goal the entire war. To get back to them. To be free of Belka's hold over him and over them."

"Would you ever want to see him again?" I inquired.

"Absolutely. Of course, whether or not Cipher wants to meet me is another story." A flicker of an idea crossed his face. "Will he see this video?"

"If I ever meet him, or if he ever watches this documentary, maybe," I said.

"If you do meet him, give him a message for me." I nodded and zoomed the camera in on Pixy's face. He smiled softly and said, "Yo, Buddy. Still alive? And thanks, friend. See you again."

I hit stop on the record button and stood up. Pixy did the same. We walked wordlessly outside, and in the distance, I could see the troops preparing to move. A fighter jet roared above me, flying low above the town. It was gone in the blink of an eye, but I'd been able to make out a blue infinity ribbon on the plane's tail.

"Mobius One," Pixy said. "That was the fighter pilot that just flew over us."

"I feel like I know about them for some reason."

"They helped win the Continental War. She's a big deal here."

"She?"

"Yeah, she. Bryn Holloway is her name from what I've found out. Won't talk to anyone, really. She lost her two best friends in the war, and it's done a lot of damage to her psyche. It would to anyone. Right now, I think she's flying just to keep her mind off the past."

"Interesting," I said, staring at the rapidly disappearing jet. It disappeared behind the mountains a few seconds later. Stopping, I added, "Thank you for meeting me, Pixy. You have no idea how much I appreciate your testimony."

"I'm glad you found me. And listen, if you ever come across Cipher, give me a call." Pixy wrote down his number on a piece of paper and handed it to me. "Just make sure he's okay with me knowing. The least I can do is respect his wishes now."

"Of course. Be careful out there, Pixy."

"I will." Pixy started walking off but shouted over his shoulder, "You watch yourself out there!"

I waved goodbye and went to find my car again, smiling to myself the entire way back.

I'd accomplished the unthinkable, and soon, my documentary would be aired on television. This was my masterpiece, and I prayed it turned out as good in person as it did in my head.