Chapter Quote:

"I thought I knew the world. I thought I knew myself. I thought I knew my dearest friend. But I knew nothing at all."~Estrella DeMadrigal__________________________________

Chapter 16: Lying in Deceit

Elizabeth

I tossed and turned for about two hours before finally giving up on sleep. I wasn't tired, and my mind kept replaying my uncle's story over and over in my head. How could someone do that? How could a brother do that? I thought about Genette doing something like that to me, and the idea was unfathomable. I thought of Nagase or Chopper doing that to me, and the idea remained just the same. What had overcome Pixy that he turned on his brother? What, or who, had convinced him to do that? Because after listening to the stories, I had a hard time believing Pixy just abandoned Cipher. Maybe one day I'd find him and ask.

My stomach growled, interrupting my thoughts. I rolled out of bed, padding to the kitchen. To my surprise, my brother was already there. He was making a sandwich, peanut butter and jelly by the looks of it.

"What are you doing up?" I asked.

"Ahh!" Genette yelled, lifting his knife in defense. Realizing it was me, he lowered it, and said, "How do you enter rooms so quietly? Seriously?"

"Must be my military training. So what are you doing up?"

"I got hungry. You?"

"Couldn't sleep, and I was hungry. Make me a sandwich?"

"Do I look like a chef to you?"

"No, but you look like a wonderful older brother," I replied, giving him a hopeful smile. He rolled his eyes but still ended up fulfilling my wishes. The two of us ate in relative silence. I let my thoughts fall back to Pixy, still trying to understand why he did what he did. I prayed I never experienced that kind of betrayal when I worked for the military.

"Okay, you're unusually silent. What gives?" Genette finally asked in between mouthfuls.

"Just thinking about Cipher and Pixy, what happened between them, and how Pixy could do that to him."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Not going to lie, thinking about it is what really kept me up. Although being hungry was another."

"I know we have our differences, but you would never do that to me, would you?"

"No. For all our differences, we're still too similar on that front. Now, if it comes to football or movies, I might be willing to backstab you there with sufficient reasoning."

"Do it and die," I warned.

"Why is Genette dying this time?" Uncle Jason asked as he shuffled into the kitchen.

"He's threatening to support a different football team than me."

"That is a case for war, but I don't think it's enough to kill him. Besides, it's a lot more satisfactory to see your team beat his, is it not?"

"I'm not sure if I should be thanking you for saving my life, or feel insulted that you're giving her a reason not to kill me," my brother mused.

"So what are you doing up?" I inquired.

"I woke up to a bang, but then heard your voice and Genette's, so tried to go back to sleep. Didn't work as you can tell. What are you two doing up?"

"We've been talking about the last mission you told us."

"I did leave you two on a cliff-hanger, didn't I?"

Genette snorted. "That's the understatement of the century." 

Jason stared at us for a moment before saying, "Since it appears none of us are going to be going to bed anytime soon, what do you say I give you another mission?"

Genette and I shared an excited look before turning to our uncle and nodding enthusiastically.
__________________________________

June 13, 1995...

Cipher

It'd been a week since Pixy's unexpected and shocking leave. I rarely left my room except to go eat and do patrols. I was always put by myself on those, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed the peace. Peace from those asking me if I was okay, and peace from those who stared at me to see if I was going to break. I wasn't. I'd shed enough tears already. Now, I was pissed. Pissed at Pixy, pissed at the Belkans, pissed at A World With No Boundaries. I wanted to take them all down, but no one could know I felt that way. If they did, I risked being deemed as 'emotionally compromised', and I wouldn't let myself be put on the sidelines now. Not after what just happened.

At the moment, I was lying on my couch, watching TV to see what the news was for the day. They kept showing footage from the nuclear disaster. I kept thinking how, somewhere in the background, I flew with my comrades, unable to help those in distress below. The hole in my heart from that day remained as prominent as ever, and deep down, I knew it'd always remain. Between seeing a nuclear disaster and losing my wingman to the enemy, it was easy to understand why.

"Cipher?" Janie asked softly, poking her head into my room. I sat up, greeting her with a smile. She sat down next to me and asked, "What's up?"

"Just watching the news. What are you up to?"

"Coming to give you something that will distract you from all that. I come bearing a mission."

"What's the mission?"

"Come with me and find out."

I grinned. "You could've called me instead of coming all the way to my room."

"True, but then I wouldn't be able to do this." My girlfriend leaned over, planting her lips on mine. My arms wrapped around her, pulling her onto my lap. "See? Aren't you glad I came?"

"Mhmm. My only regret is that you didn't come earlier. Otherwise, we could've continued our activities from last night."

She laughed. "Come on, you. We have a mission to go complete. Come back alive, and I'll just consider continuing said activities."

Getting up, we left my room to go to the briefing. Crow Team was there along with a couple other small teams. I sat up front with Janie, sensing all eyes on me. I put on a neutral expression. I didn't want them identifying what was going on inside my head. Janie was the only person who could make me laugh at the moment. Everyone else, I wanted nothing to do with.

"Hey, Cipher," PJ said.

"Hey, man," I replied. I couldn't be rude to him. The youngest of any pilot here, and a pilot I'd come to like and respect, I wasn't going to treat him any differently than I did before all this happened simply because I happened to be going through some personal shit.

"Let's begin the briefing," Hammerhead declared, cutting through the quiet chatter in the room. The lights dimmed. "We have discovered remaining enemy troops gathered in the Yering Mine Area, in northwest Belka. Numerous divisions of the Belkan army refuse to accept the change in government and are disobeying the command to disband. Your mission is to clear out the remaining Belkan troops, and if the reports are accurate, there are still plenty of them. The Heierlark Base, located in Osean territory, has been arranged for your refueling. If your tank is low, go there and they'll help you out. To compensate for losses in Galm Team, Crow Team will be joining you. We're counting on your best performance yet."

Operation: Stone Age

Location: Mt. Schirm

Date: 13 June 1995

Time: 1600 hours

The lights turned back on, and I felt my face reddening. They were already replacing my wingman? As if sensing my anger, Janie practically dragged me out of that room before I could pick a fight with someone.

Most likely her father.

"You knew they were going to do that, didn't you?" I questioned stoically once we were out of earshot from the rest of the pilots.

"I suspected it, and it got confirmed right before I went and got you. My dad made me swear not to tell you ahead of time because he knew you'd fight it. I did manage to get him to make it just one member of Crow Team instead of the entirety of it. It's PJ."

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "I can handle him. Thank you for that."

"Of course. I tried to be RIO for this mission, but my dad nixed that idea."

"That's probably for the best."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that with Pixy on the other side of all this, if he's in any of the missions ahead of me, then we're going to go at it, and there's a high chance he'll win. If you're my RIO, you're going down with me, and I don't want to risk that."

"That's my choice to make," she fired back.

"Not when I'm in the pilot's seat. I wouldn't let anyone qualified to be a RIO to fly with me right now. I'm a risk, and have the deadliest pilot in the war after me."

"What are you fighting for?"

"What?" I responded, confused by the sudden change in topic.

"You heard me: what are you fighting for?" she repeated, crossing her arms.

"To end this war. To get this war over with."

"You're a phenomenal pilot, Cipher. Everyone knows it: me, Pixy, the Belkans, the Oseans, everyone. But after what happened, it seems you've fallen into the same boat as everyone else. You're just fighting the war because you want it to end. You don't have something else motivating you to end it. Even though Pixy is on the other side, he knows what he's fighting for, and if you think he can beat you right now, then that's why. Because he's found something worth fighting for. Find that reason for yourself again. Whether it's your family, or for your country, or for revenge, find it. Because until you do, Pixy will be able to beat you. I'll see you when you get back." Janie strode off, leaving me in silent shock. Despite not wanting to admit it, Janie made a good point. I'd lost my reason to fight. What Pixy did had thrown me off completely, and I no longer felt the motivation I'd had before a mission like I did in the past. Maybe he knew that would happen. Maybe he knew the only way he could beat me was to throw me off my game.

Well, it'd worked. Janie was right; if I intended to beat Pixy in the future, I needed to find that motivation, that fight.

But I had no idea where to find it.

Sighing, I headed to the hangar where my plane sat, waiting to be flown. I stared at the red wing, the one that had mimicked Pixy. It felt weird to be flying it without him. I was going to have to talk to the Base Commander about getting it changed.

I got in my plane and saw PJ do the same. I chose the XMAAs for both me and him as our special weapons. We pulled out of the hangars once we were ready, and were quickly cleared for takeoff. My nerves were tense because this was the first mission I'd ever done without Pixy by my side. Sure, I had PJ, but it wasn't the same. Pixy and I... we were like two sides of the same coin. Always in sync, always knowing what the other was about to do. I didn't have that with PJ, and I didn't know if I ever would. However, for now, I had to make the most of what I did have.

My wingman took off first with me being quick to follow. The flight over there was relatively quiet on my end, but the others chatted away like nothing was wrong. Maybe it helped them cope because none of us were really okay after what we'd witnessed barely a week ago.

"Think he's listening?" Crow Two questioned, bringing me out of my thoughts. "Maybe you should introduce yourself?"

"Uh, just because he hasn't been talking doesn't mean he hasn't been listening. I'd rather not make my captain hate me on my first day as his wingman," PJ responded.

"Do it. I dare you."

"I'm not going to do it just because you dare me to-"

"Do it. I dare you, too," Crow One interrupted.

PJ sighed. "Galm One, this is PJ. I will now join you as Galm Two. I'll be flying under your command now. Give me orders at any time."

"That sounded very convincing. You definitely sound like you're happy to be flying with him," Crow Two chuckled.

"It's an honor to fly as Galm's number two," PJ protested, sounding genuinely offended. "Sorry about them Cipher... and by the way, PJ stands for Patrick James. And I like to play polo. You know, the game with the horses? Maybe we should get going now..."

I hesitated a moment before responding, "I'm glad to have you by my side PJ. Let's start this."

I hit the thrusters, and my plane shot forward, making me outdistance everyone in a matter of seconds. PJ followed in suit to try and catch up with me. Meanwhile, Hammerhead came over to announce, "A Return Line is located on the west side of the operation airspace. Pass over this line whenever you need repairs or supplies."

"Aye, aye, captain!" PJ answered. For some reason, I imagined him saluting our AWACS. Pushing that thought out of my head, I focused on the targets ahead of me. Four enemy planes lined up right in front of me. Guess they were excited to see me. I switched to special weapons and locked onto them and fired, not expecting to hit each one, but if one or two went down in the process, I'd take it. I just needed them to scatter so we could take them one-on-one.

Right as my first target went down, PJ came onto the radio, "It's too bad about Pixy. I guess we won't be flying the skies together anymore."

I vaguely noticed that three of my missiles hit their targets, only leaving the fourth to escape. My head was too focused on what PJ was saying. I absent-mindedly followed the remaining enemy as Crow Two said, "Dude, he wasn't even your wingman. Why are you reminiscing about it?"

"Because he was a good pilot, and I learned a lot from watching him fly. We had our disagreements, but he taught me a lot."

"What do you think about this, Cipher? He was your wingman. You knew him better than anyone."

"We'll fly the same skies again," I said flatly.

"You think so?"

"I know so. But it won't be as allies. Now get your head in the game. We have a mission to accomplish." I got so close to the enemy plane that I switched to guns, firing relentlessly. It didn't take long for me to neutralize the target. But rather than let up, I continued firing. I wanted them all taken out.

With those enemy planes gone, I headed for the next cluster on the radar. This time it was nothing but ground targets. A few APCs, a few SAMs, a handful of AA guns, and a storage unit or two. I shot my guns at the storage unit whilst sending a missile at each of the enemies behind it. Within seconds, I'd destroyed the three ground targets in one, fell swoop.

"Enemy aircraft spotted! Hide in the forest!" A Belkan soldier barked.

"We've got company. Apparently, Ustio's Demon Lord has arrived," another one added. Huh, so that name still stuck to me. I started to blow it off as something the enemy had called me once or twice when we were fighting at B7R during Operation Battle Axe. It never even occurred to me that I'd be called it again. I was just a pilot, I was just Cipher, I was just... me. How could I deserve the famous (infamous?) moniker of Demon Lord?

Choosing to ignore those thoughts, I focused on the mission at hand, looping up and then down, locking onto a tank below me. I easily destroyed it. At that moment, PJ came zipping into the area, informing me he'd taken out some planes that had shown up. I thanked him for getting them out of the way before continuing my own endeavor. I'd taken care of around a third of the forces by the time he arrived, so between the two of us, we knocked the rest of them out easily. I leveled my plane in the direction of our next targets. PJ, although lagging a little bit behind, kept me in his sights.

"We got four MIGs and an APC," I informed my wingman. "I'll scatter the planes and take out the ground force. You take care of whatever my missiles don't."

"Roger that," PJ responded. I switched to special weapons and locked onto the four planes. Like I'd done earlier, I fired, not expecting them to hit. Then, going back to regular missiles, I dove down, lining up with the APC and shooting at it. Incredibly, as I pulled up to go after one of the MIGs, I observed that three of my four missiles had hit their targets once more. Maybe it was sheer dumb luck, or maybe a higher power was taking it easy on me today after what happened last mission. Either way, I wouldn't question it if it meant we would win this mission fast and easy. I took aim on the remaining MIG and released a missile from an impossible aim. It shouldn't have hit the enemy, but it did. I impressed even myself with that.

Crow Two whistled. "Damn, did you see that?"

"Galm One' actions are inhuman..." PJ remarked in awe. "I should be able to do that, too."

"Good luck on that one. If Pixy could barely keep up with him, don't expect for you to."

"Thank you for that extreme vote of confidence. Don't know what I'd do without you guys," my wingman retorted. It made me crack a smile.

"You're doing better than they could," I noted, not wanting to get involved in banter with a team I wasn't necessarily a part of, but also not wanting them to bully my wingman.

"Thanks, Cipher!" PJ exclaimed. "You want this upcoming target?"

It was another APC. I decided to let him have it. Although we had a return line to restock and refuel, I wanted to avoid doing that. Going to the return line meant having to fly all the way back from where we started, and then fly all the way back to the battle zone. It was wasted time in my opinion, and I would only do it if it were absolutely necessary.

The next group of targets was all tightly knit together. In that particular moment, I regretted not assigning one of us air-to-ground weaponry. It would've made this a hell of a lot easier, but that's okay. The planes were more threatening than most of the on-ground enemies.

"Pi- PJ, take out the enemies on the outskirts of the segment. I'll take the ones grouped together," I ordered. My wingman listened without any hesitation. It had to admit, having a wingman who didn't question my orders or sass back felt weird. It was fine, but it was just... different. Then there was the fact I almost called him Pixy instead of PJ. Having two wingmen whose names started with the same letter caused havoc in my brain at the moment.

I set my sights on the crawler and fired a missile, meanwhile using my guns to take out anything around it. My tactic turned heads, and caused Crow One to mention, "Since when do you take out neutral targets?"

I didn't respond. I figured it was the better route to go down. Nothing could quite explain why I wanted to take down every Belkan across my path without giving the Base Commandeer reason to take me out of the field, something I'm sure he'd love to do.

"Since when does Cipher stay silent when someone jabs at him?" Crow Two piped up. I really wanted the two of them to be quiet because all I wanted to do was remain under the radar for the time-being, at least until I could get my mojo back.

I turned my plane back around to go in for a second run, but as I turned around, miniature explosions went off in the sky.

Flak guns.

"Son of a bitch," I muttered, hurriedly dipping my plane down.

"Ooh, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" PJ laughed. "Dude, I think that's the first time I've ever actually heard you swear."

"Don't get used to it," I responded gruffly. However, despite my tone, I smiled. PJ seemed to be treading carefully with what he said when it came to being Galm Two, but he was getting more comfortable poking fun at me. It was welcome, refreshing.

Thankfully, the flak gun remained in front of me, so I took it down with my guns. Above me, PJ zoomed around, taking out any enemy he could. He sure liked to fly fast, I noticed. That would come in handy later on in his career, and if he kept up his accuracy, he'd be deadly in the future. Of all the wingmen that could've been assigned to me, I certainly could've had a lot worse than him.

He tried to take out the flak guns, but they were so spread out, it turned to be a difficult task for a relative newbie, especially when you had other anti-aircraft machinery trying to take you down simultaneously. Therefore I chipped in. Within moments, the two of us had taken out most of the enemy's ground positions in that section.

"The Eighth Platoon has been put on garrison duty. That's what they're here for," a Belkan said.

"It's nothing to worry about! Drop the partitions!" another Belkan ordered.

"Unless the Eighth Platoon has cute girls in cute outfits, I don't think they're going to be doing much morale boosting," Crow Two mused, finally catching up to me and PJ. Crow One flew off in the distance, battling an enemy plane.

"Aren't partitions usually being raised?" I queried casually. I heard Hammerhead spew something out of his mouth before saying, "Bloody hell, Cipher."

"And here I thought he was gone for good," Crow Two laughed. "Glad you still have your sense of humor, man."

"Did I just make you waste some of your coffee?" I inquired, swinging my plane behind a helicopter that had appeared over the battle zone.

"You're really lucky it didn't go over my computer, or else you guys would be toast," Hammerhead snapped.

"You should have a partition between you and your computer," I suggested.

"I'm gonna kill you."

I chuckled. "All right boys, let's take care of these helicopters. PJ, get rid of that last ground target. Looks like we missed one."

"How did we do that?" PJ asked in exasperation.

"I think it's a gunboat. Probably drove over here from another area nearby." My wingman groaned but did as told. I helped Crow Team take down the helicopters. And by help, I mean I shot them all down. Crow Team couldn't even get within range before I had a lock on the target. They were easy though. Slow and steady, the helicopters were practically sitting ducks to me.

"It shouldn't be that tough if there's only two of them," A Belkan remarked, seemingly talking to himself.

"What are we, chopped liver? It's like we're not even up here!" Crow Two exclaimed.

"With Cipher around, no one else really does exist," Crow One said, sounding amused. "He's quite the impressive fighter."

"Transfer is complete up to Number Six. The rest will be done soon," a Belkan proclaimed.

"That sounds ominous," I remarked, directing my plane towards the first major target area. I was running low on missiles and special weapons, so I had to make sure every shot counted.

"The enemy threat level is down," Hammerhead declared, happier than he was just a few minutes ago when I made him spew out his coffee. "Continue to engage."

"I'm coming up on the target area," I said as I fired a missile at a tank in my path. Its blip disappeared off my radar. Ahead lay the massive operation of Mt Schirm. Dozens upon dozens of storage facilities, hangars, anti-aircraft, and more sprawled out before me; half the entities on the ground wanted to take me out, and they certainly had the capability to do so. With the flak guns in place, I would have to fly low to the ground, making me an easy target. It meant being swift and fast would be the way to survive this. Without Pixy by my side, it made this mission that much harder.

"That is one huge facility," PJ murmured.

"I'd like to say I have a method to get rid of all these targets, but just take them all down. We can't be predictable here," I commanded.

PJ hesitated. "What about neutral targets?"

"Take care of them too. Nothing from this base survives." Right when I said that, I locked onto two stationary transport planes and fired a missile each at them. Not waiting to see the result because I knew what it'd be, I fired my guns at the storage units next to them, managing to destroy two of the three. I circled back.

"Their transport planes are preparing to leave the area!" PJ announced. It was a no-brainer that we needed to stop them. I didn't trust what the Belkans had in these planes. Instead of circling back around to finish off that third hangar, I went for another transport plane that luckily lay right in my path.

"Take care of the transport planes first. Then take care of everything else," I ordered.

"What's going on here?" PJ inquired. On my radar, I saw him take out two targets in one go, both transport planes.

"I don't know, but we'll find out later," I said, shooting at another transport until it was no longer operational.

"I've taken care of the information. Starting to taxi," a Belkan pilot informed.

"Oh no, you don't!" PJ growled, going after another transport that had started pulling onto a runway. I couldn't help the small surge of pride for my new wingman. While I missed Pixy terribly, I still had a competent pilot by my side. Maybe in time, we'd become just as close as I'd been with my former wingman.

I lined up my plane so two storage units were in front of me. It took only a little gunfire to destroy each.

"What's that huge hangar for?" PJ asked, suddenly flying by my side. I swiveled my head to see what he meant. He hadn't been joking exaggerating. I'd never seen a hangar so massive.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna destroy it," I said.

Crow Two snorted. "I thoroughly enjoy the fact that your solution is to blow it up."

"We can find out what it's for later. Right now, I just want to end this mission." I swerved my jet around and focused my sights on the massive hangar. You could probably fit a few transport planes in that thing.

"All planes have left the hangar," a Belkan confirmed. "Our deaths will guarantee that the operation is carried out successfully."

"Uh, no, it won't," I said, destroying the humongous hangar to prove my point.

"We've destroyed the hangar," PJ declared. "And by we, I mean Cipher."

"Status report, facility damage confirmed," the same Belkan snarled.

"Let them handle it. That'll make things easier," another one snapped. "All we do is carry stuff for the withdrawal."

"I really don't want to know what they're referring to," PJ remarked. While I went after some more storage units, PJ flew above me going after some smaller hangars. For such a massive operation, this part was turning out to be relatively easy. Maybe that was because there were little to no fighter jets in our way. Did they think we wouldn't find this place? Did they think we wouldn't get past their weak defenses? Did they plan on their anti-aircraft being able to take care of us? Seriously, I wanted to know because this mission seemed way too easy. Then again, saying that might jinx it, which is the last thing I wanted to do.

I circled the area, looking for my next target. Crow One and Two were taking care of the eastern side of the battle. PJ zipped to and fro between enemies. I set my sights on the western side since no one really took that for their own.

"At times like this, we need to keep busy, Johan," a Belkan stated.

"Number Two is already out. We've left the rest up to them," another added. It must've been Johan.

"The passage into the Central Area is dangerous. Bring them in through the underground floor."

"That's already been moved. No problems."

"Let's hurry it up, boys. They're moving things, and I don't like the sound of it," I encouraged.

"Damn! Counter-attacks are difficult," PJ griped.

"You okay?"

"This anti-aircraft fire won't let up on me. I can't even get close enough to fire back!"

"I'm on it." I went over to PJ's location, making sure to stay low to the ground so the AA gun and SAM wouldn't notice my approach. I locked onto the former and fired my guns at it, instantly turning its attention on me. Miraculously, even though it managed to fire my way for more seconds than I would've liked, it all missed me, and I destroyed it with no damage to my plane. The SAM decided to target me next, but having forgotten about PJ, turned a blind eye to him, allowing him to lock and fire at them, hitting with deadly precision.

"Nice shot," I complimented.

"Thanks!"

"We've almost cleared this area boys! Let's finish this!" Crow One insisted.

"Crow Team, you boys take the rest of these enemies, and PJ and I will take care of the incoming planes. I'm itching for a better fight," I said.

"You've got a death wish, Cipher, but have at it."

I flew towards the group of enemy planes in the distance, going slow enough so PJ could catch up. We flew side-by-side. PJ let me lock on first with my remaining special weapons. By now, he'd picked up on my tactic of dispersing the enemies. Of the four planes, two went down. I allowed PJ to take the third one while I destroyed the neutralized fourth before diving down towards the ground to take out an APC.

Afterward, I went towards a group of ground enemies nearby. Comprised of tanks, SAMs, AA guns, and more, I reckoned swift fly-bys were the way to go. I took out three tanks in a row as if it were the easiest thing in the world. It shouldn't have been this easy. Either the Belkans had given up fighting, or I fought better than I gave myself credit. Both options seemed unlikely.

"This war should be over already," PJ said. "Why would they do this after all that's happened?"

Mission Accomplished

"Because they're Belkans. They go down the hard way. Besides, we have A World With No Boundaries to worry about now too," I replied.

"All attack targets have been destroyed. Galm Team, not bad for a couple of rookies," Hammerhead said.

My wingman let out a small holler of victory. "All right."

My mouth fell open at the insult. "Who are you calling a rookie? I need a partition between the two of us."

Another sound of Hammerhead spewing his drink sounded over the radio. Hammerhead swore colorfully before saying, "Damn you, Cipher."

"Can we do that briefing now so we don't have to do it when we get to base?" PJ requested.

"No, for that sheer comment by Cipher, I'm making all of you come to the briefing room," Hammerhead decided. A collective groan rose from all of us, but in the end, my comment was still worth it.

Upon arriving at Base, we hurried over to the briefing room where this petty SOB I called my friend took his own sweet time in explaining TWO LINES. With a smug grin, Hammerhead began the brief. "The mission to clear out remaining Belkan resistance was a success. As for the intended purpose for using the giant hangar described in the report, rest assured that Intelligence is looking into the matter."

When the lights flickered back on, I said, "You really couldn't do that over the radio?"

"No. This is my payback to you for making me spew my coffee not once, but twice."

"It's not my fault you happened to be drinking it when I said those things."

"I swear you have this sixth sense that told you I was drinking it."

"No sixth sense, just good timing."

"Good job out there, Cipher," Janie praised as she strode into the room. My girlfriend planted a kiss on my lips.

"Someone get me a partition please!" Hammerhead yelled. A few of the pilots snickered. She punched him in the arm, causing him to grin. "All right you two lovebirds, I'll see you later."

"Let's get something to eat. I'm starved!" Janie declared. The two of us walked hand-in-hand to the dining hall. We sat at a table far away from everyone else.

"How are you doing?" she queried, staring at me inquisitively with her deep brown eyes. Anything I said would be put under scrutiny at the moment. I had to go about this carefully.

"I'm coping. It's weird not having him around. I almost called PJ 'Pixy' early in the mission. I caught myself, but still..."

"You're angry... is that why you were destroying everything today? Armed and neutralized targets alike?"

I sighed. "You caught that."

"I know you like the back of my hand. I definitely noticed. I'm not the only one either. My dad..."

"Is he wanting to ground me?" I asked sharply.

"No. Surprisingly. I think he's glad this is the way you're releasing your anger."

"What other ways could I do it?"

"You could've been so upset that you checked out completely from missions. You could've refused to have PJ as your wingman. You could've upped and joined Pixy. My dad knows your value to this war, Cipher. If your method of expressing your anger is by taking it out on the enemy, he's not going to stop you."

"Wow... I never thought I'd live to see the day that your dad supported something I was doing."

The corners of her lips tugged upwards. "Shocked me too."

When her face fell, I studied her expression carefully. I'd seen that look before. "What's on your mind?"

"We have another transmission from A World With No Boundaries, and my father and I have been debating on how to tell you."

"What does it say? And wouldn't they have changed their coding once they knew we'd cracked it?"

"Unless someone wanted us to."

"Are you saying they wanted us to intercept it?"

"I'm saying the message wasn't encrypted, and it wasn't intercepted because it was sent directly to us..."

"What does it say?" I demanded quietly, even though my gut told me exactly who it was from. Janie handed me a folded up piece of paper. I took it from her and read the small, black font; my bones felt heavier, my blood pounded faster, my head throbbed.

"Is there any way we can check on them?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm leaving tonight to go see them."

"Let me know immediately what you find, regardless of the situation."

"Of course." Janie glanced at her watch. "Speaking of, I need to get going."

The two of us stood up, dropping our trays off, and then headed towards her car. I stopped next to her and said, "Call me or text me when you get there. I want to make sure you're safe as well."

"I will. Stay safe, and if you need me for anything, you know how to reach me. Take care of yourself. I love you." Janie gave me a kiss, then got in her car. I watched her drive away, her taillights disappearing in the dark. Taking a deep breath, I walked with lead feet back to my room. Just when I reached it, PJ called out my name. I turned around to see my wingman jogging to catch up with me.

"Hey," he said. "I just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity for letting me be your wingman. I'm no Pixy, and I could never be, but I want you to know I have your back no matter what."

I smiled. "Thanks, man. Listen, I'm sorry if I was distant today. It had nothing to do with you. Just the whole thing-"

"You don't have to explain."

"I know, but I want to make sure you know it's got nothing to do with you. And if I ever become an ass to you, I'm giving you full permission to tell me outright."

PJ chuckled. "Will do. I'll leave you be. See you later, Cipher."

My wingman started walking away, but stopped to face me when I shouted, "Hey! You did really well out there today. I'm proud of you."

"It means a lot to hear you say that."

Nodding at each other, we went our separate ways. I plopped down on my bed, unfolding the transmission we'd received, rereading the words over and over, unable to tell if it was a warning or a threat.

Keep an eye out on your family. They're going to find them, Buddy.

I didn't sleep for the rest of the night.
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Present Day...

"That note said what?" Elizabeth demanded, hands planted on the table as she stared me down for an answer.

"It said to keep an eye out for y'all, and that they, presumably either the Belkans or the Gray Men, were going to find you," I answered.

"Wait, wait, wait, so Janie came to check on us?" Genette questioned seriously.

"Oh my god... I remember her!" Elizabeth exclaimed, her mouth forming a perfect 'O'.

"Me too!" Genette added. "She came to our house at like... six in the morning. You and I had woken up early and were sneaking in the kitchen to go get cereal when the doorbell rang. We hid behind the couch until we were sure the coast was clear. When we peered out, a girl with light brown hair was talking to mom. I heard her mention the Air Force and the war, but never put two and two together until now! We didn't speak to her. We snuck back up to our rooms, but still, we saw your girlfriend!"

"We later found out someone tampered with my Belkan file and lied about my family. I never found out what it said, but it saved anything from happening to you guys," I said.

"Do you think it was Pixy?" Elizabeth prodded.

"He was the only one who called me 'Buddy', so I know the transmission was from him. I'd like to think he's the one who altered the records to protect me, but I can confirm that."

"Wow. I thought I couldn't sleep before, but now..."

I laughed at my niece and nephew who seemed to be in just as much shock as they'd been in earlier when I recounted the mission of Pixy's betrayal. "Try and get some sleep. We have more missions to cover."

Elizabeth and Genette reluctantly washed their plates before going to their rooms. I went back to mine as well, opening my nightstand drawer and pulling out the piece of paper I'd just told them about. To this day, the note still sent chills down my spine. I feared that one day, an enemy of mine would find out about my family and use them as leverage against me. God knows what I'd do for them to keep them safe.

I prayed it'd never come to that. I prayed my niece would never experience a war equivalent to the scale of mine, or betrayal from a comrade, or the death of a loved one. All three left a hole in your heart and an impression in your soul which would remain forever, no matter how hard you tried to push the memories down and forget. I knew that personally.
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Sorry it took so long to update! Hope you enjoyed it! 'Ribbon of Fate' will be posted next and hopefully soon!