Chapter Quote:
"Vengeance in my heart, death in my hand, Blood and revenge are hammering in my head."
~William Shakespeare
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Chapter 19: The Demon of the Round Table

Cipher

December 31, 1995...

Ever since our last mission, Espada's claim that I only fought for money repeatedly rang through my head. I guess having been less than merciful on my enemies since Pixy's desertion had turned me more into a ruthless mercenary than I realized. I still didn't want to risk giving the enemy any capability to continue this war, meaning I couldn't truly trust leaving optional targets. However, I could at least decide which ones were most likely to be weaponized.

We had a briefing in a few minutes, and instinct told me this would be a decisive one. Whatever happened today would decide the fate of the world. I fully intended to make sure it went in my favor. If it didn't, who knows when, and if, I'd ever see my family again.

At the thought of them, I picked up the letter Janie brought back with her from her mission, chuckling at Genette's picture of his mom shoveling snow. It would forever be my favorite thing he'd drawn.

When I found out Janie had gone to check on my family for me, I'd decided then and there she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. No other woman would ever be able to compare to her, and on a secret mission of my own the next day, I went out and bought her a ring.

I planned on proposing to her after the mission.

My alarm went off, alerting me it was time. Folding the letters and putting them in my pocket, I walked to the briefing room. PJ, Janie, and Iris were all waiting for me. Having survived all the chaos, plus witnessing and hearing numerous confidential information, Iris had been allowed to stay on base. She and Janie became close friends and were rarely apart from each other. However, I noticed my girlfriend was suited up to fly.

"Are you coming with us?" I asked.

"You really think I would let you go without me?" Janie countered, raising an eyebrow as I sat next to her.

"That was a stupid question, wasn't it?"

"I'll let it slide given the circumstances we're under." Leaning in, she whispered, "Are you ready to face Pixy?"

I sighed. "So, you sense it too?"

"It's not so much that I sense it... it's more like this is the final battle. Or near it. He's their ace, and you're ours. Sooner or later, we were going to end up here."

"I was hoping we'd never have to, but I know I can't avoid it." Taking her hand in mine, I faced forward as the lights dimmed, and Hammerhead began the briefing.

"We have confirmed that the aircraft that attacked our base belonged to the major rebel organization- A World With No Boundaries. This highly organized renegade army is comprised of soldiers from numerous countries, including Osea, Sapin, and of course, Belka. They are believed to possess a massive arsenal of weapons. The coup forces are gathered at Mund, in northern Belka, where they have confiscated the Avalon Dam facility from the Belkan army. What's worse, we've discovered that this facility houses an experimental V2 weapon. Unfortunately, it took us a long amount of time to uncover this information, due to the facility's location beneath the dam's waters. Proceed immediately to Avalon and destroy the V2 weapon. Note that B7R blocks your route from Valais Air Base to Mund. You will most likely encounter fierce resistance from the coup forces at both B7R and Mund. Remember to be prepared for attacks from land, air, or elsewhere when choosing which aircraft to pilot. This mission will succeed upon the destruction of the V2 at the target area, and your safe return to base." Hammerhead turns his eyes towards me as if his final words were specifically for me. "Now go destroy that weapon, and come back in one piece. Anything else is unacceptable."

Operation: Thunderbolt

Location: B7R

Date: 1995/12/31

Time: 1100 hours

The lights turned back on, and we all left to go to the hangar. Janie and PJ flanked me with Iris on the other side of my wingman. None of us said anything, all too focused on the upcoming mission. Poor Iris would be left here by herself while Janie, PJ, and I went up.

Speaking of going up...

"Hey, Janie, I need you to ride with PJ," I said.

As expected, she did not like the idea. "No way. I'm going up with you."

"No, you're not. When we see Pixy, and we will, he's going to come after me. In the event I get shot down, I don't want you in the plane with me. I'm at higher risk of getting shot down than PJ, and I need to make sure you live because I need to ask you something when we get back."

Janie's eyes searched mine, attempting to figure out my question and trying to come up with an argument that would allow her to fly with me. But I would stand resolute on my decision, no matter what, and she seemed to pick up on that.

"If you die, I'll drag your ass out of hell and kill you again, do you understand me?"

"I'd ask why you're assuming I'm going to hell, but I also know you're completely right. Listen-"

Janie cut me off with a kiss, and all thoughts fled my mind. I don't think I'd ever get tired of feeling this way around her. I didn't want to. The ring in my pocket weighed heavily, and I almost proposed to her then and there.

Almost.

But I wanted to do it after the mission when we returned, victorious. I wanted everyone to see me ask the girl I love to marry me.

"Go get them," Janie whispered.

"I'll see you on the other side," I told her. We pulled apart, and she went to PJ's plane. I turned to my wingman and said, "Watch out for her."

"I promise. I won't let anything happen to her."

I nodded in appreciation. "Ready to go kick some ass?"

"Always, brother." We shook each other's hands, realizing this may be the last time we ever flew together.

To say it felt bizarre was an understatement.

When I got in my plane, I checked and double-checked to make sure everything was functioning. The last thing I needed was for something to malfunction. Once assured it all worked properly, I instructed that my plane and PJ's be equipped with XMAAs. With us entering the Round Table, I had no doubt in my mind we'd face heavy resistance.

The hangar doors opened, and we pulled out. I let PJ go in front of me and watched him smoothly lift up into the air. Checking my controls, I announced to the Control Tower that I was ready to take off. The guy seemed a little bittersweet as he said, "Your final sortie... all right, launch preparations complete."

"I'll see you all soon," I said.

I lurched forward on the runway, flattening myself against my seat from the sheer power of my plane. My jet almost seemed more ready than me to start this battle.

I lifted up into the cloudy, gray sky, swiftly catching up to PJ. As Valais Air Base disappeared behind us, Iris came on the mic and said, "Be careful, you three."

"I'll be back," PJ declared.

I had no doubt that he would.
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PJ, Janie, and I made idle chat on the way to B7R, trying to keep our minds off the severity of the situation. It wasn't that we were nervous, but we didn't want to get too wrapped up in our own heads and freak ourselves out before the battle even began.

However, when we crossed into B7R, my nerves started settling in, just enough to make me hyperaware of everything around me.

"Pass through B7R. It's an awful place, but the fastest shortcut," Hammerhead said. "Maintain current course."

"Don't remind me," PJ groaned. "I mean, on a sunny day, it's not half bad. But in weather like this, it just makes me think of death."

"And you accuse me of not being optimistic," I joked. What I didn't say was that I agreed with him. The clouds at base had seemed gray, but these were nearly black. An ominous omen, in my opinion.

"B7R is always the exception."

"Let's floor it so we can try and get out of the area ASAP."

"Think we can escape it without any enemies noticing us?"

"If we do, then someone isn't doing their job and are sure to get one hell of an ass beating. However, I sure hope that's the case."

"Enemy aircraft detected close to Area B7R," Hammerhead announced. "There's no time to change course. Eliminate enemy forces in the Round Table and break through it."

I sighed. "I spoke too soon."

"They have different ID signals than Belka," PJ informed.

"Then either they're friendlies or A World With No Boundaries," I said. "Stay sharp. It looks like a big squadron."

"This is Wizard One. The Demon Lord has entered the net."

I scowled, fury tearing through me at the sound of Joshua Bristow's voice. If I blamed anyone for turning Pixy to the dark side, it was him. He was known for preying on people's weaknesses, and Pixy never hid his contempt for the war. Knowing Joshua, he'd pounced on my wingman's lack of belief and turned Pixy to his side. I had a bone to pick with this man, and I was going to shoot him down, even if it was the last thing I did.

"This is Wizard Five. Roger."

"Let's begin," Bristow snarled.

"The squadron is Wizard, from the Osea Air Defense Force, 8th Air Division, 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron," Hammerhead informed.

"Target acquired! There's four of them!" PJ said. "They're approaching from the front."

"I see them. Let's do this, brother!" I exclaimed. "Switch to special weapons!"

PJ trailed behind me, letting me go head-on with Wizard and allowing me to shoot first. He'd fire a second wave after I did, and hopefully, if any planes evaded my missiles, they wouldn't his. But I made sure PJ knew Wizard One was mine. My wingman could support me and fire on him, but I got the kill shot.

Bristow was mine.

"The Demon Lord has built himself up quite a name. Let's see if he can live up to it," Bristow said.

Firing my XMAAs at them, I snarled, "Espada said the same thing, and look what happened to them. You're just another squadron sent to fail."

"Cipher, let me try a tactic with them. It's desperate, but I'd like to try," PJ requested.

"Go for it," I told him, getting behind one of the wingmen. None of my missiles had hit the squadron, but it'd separated them, and that was just as good. Wizard was used to fighting side-by-side and tag-teaming. Take away their strategy, you take away their strength.

"Come on, Osean aircraft! Can't you read your IFF? We're allies, not enemies!" PJ stated, sounding convincingly naïve. Was this his strategy? What exactly was he trying to do?

"These aren't friendly craft..." Hammerhead replied. "They're coup d' état forces!"

"I know that; I was just- never mind," my wingman groaned.

I tracked the Wizard plane like a fox, getting a missile lock but knowing I wouldn't hit them if I fired. The angle, even for me, was too awkward, and they had too much space to escape and avoid it. I needed to get in closer.

"What are you doing?! The war's ended long ago!" PJ demanded.

"Whatever their reasons, some pilots from Osea have joined the coup," Hammerhead intervened. "You don't have time to play around with them. Hurry up and shoot 'em all down."

"Don't need to tell me twice. Take this asshole!" I shouted, finally taking my shot at the enemy I'd been trailing. They hit, sending a fireball to the ground.

"What are you fighting for?" PJ asked again.

"You talking to me?" I replied.

I heard him chuckle before saying, "Who are you? Robert de Niro?"

"Seriously?"

"Well, at least Janie thought I was funny."

"Janie, don't encourage him. This is serious business here," I chastised while I got behind the next Wizard plane. PJ was keeping them occupied chasing him. Whether he intended to or not, he was doing exactly what we did with Espada. The tactic seemed to work.

"I give you five minutes before you make some sarcastic comment or joke."

"All right, you got a deal," I declared.

"Janie gives you two."

"I should not have put you two in the same plane."

"She says this is what you get."

"All right, all right," I griped. "Just focus on the battlefield so we can out of this place before reinforcements arrive."

"This place is no longer a battlefield," Bristow said, shocking me into momentary silence. I guess I forgot that not only could we sometimes hear them, but they could sometimes hear us. Did he just listen in on my conversation with PJ?

"You know what, Bristow? You're right. It isn't a battlefield," I replied. "It's your grave."

He had the audacity to laugh, enraging me. "You're wrong, but I'll give you this, Galm One. You have a way with words."

Snarling, I sent a barrage of bullets at the enemy in front of me. I hit them, but not near enough to destroy their plane.

"The war is over," PJ interrupted. "Why are you doing this?"

"The world war is being fought on a small round table in a meeting room," answered Bristow.

"It's a discussion to decide the beginnings of a new era."

"Clashing greed is the cause of all conflict."

I looped my plane around, heading towards the ground after the enemy, but I jumped into the conversation by saying, "Then you're adding to the conflict. By joining a World With No Boundaries, you're only entering that clash and fueling the fire further."

"We're joining to stop it!" He snapped, finally letting go of his cool demeanor. "Unlike the other powers, we're going to put a stop to it once and for all! You can't have clashing greed when there are no powers to clash!"

"Sure, Jan. Hey, listen-" I began, swerving from side to side, trying to get a lock on my target- "you might want to focus more on helping your wingmen than trying to convince me to join your side because let me tell you something. I'm not Pixy. I know what I'm fighting for. I've always known. And I'm coming for you. You took my brother away from me, so I'm going to end you."

I launched a missile at the bandit and hit it dead on.

"There, now things are nice and even," I said. "How you holding up, PJ?"

"I'm good. Janie would like to point out you lasted right in between our bets for the sarcastic comment."

I thought back on my conversation with Bristow and realized I had, in fact, been unable to hold my sarcasm. Rather than giving my friends the satisfaction of a response, I simply said nothing. I swear I heard them laughing.

I hunted for the next plane, finding one below me, trying to blend in with the clouds. Whether or not he saw me, I wasn't sure, but I was willing to bet he didn't. Before I could even attempt to go after him, though, my alert went off in the plane, and I jerked upward, hightailing it away. A missile shot dangerously close to me, but when I turned around to see who was after me, all I saw was black smoke, and PJ flying through it. My wingman saved my ass in a major way. Smiling, I dove back towards the ground in search of another enemy.

"No rules in a dogfight," Bristow said. "You just have to take the enemy out."

"And you're doing a shit job," I replied. Switching gears, I said, "Hey, are you seeing more than just the two planes on radar? There were supposed to only be four, but we've shot down three, and there's still more."

"Only four? That's not right," PJ remarked. A few seconds later, he added, "Stealth fighters are mixed in with them."

"Oh, great. Just what we needed. You get those stealth fighters. I'll handle Wizard." Grumbling about us not being able to catch a break, I chose my next target, and despite what I told PJ, I didn't care whether or not my next victim was from the Wizard team or a stealth fighter. In the end, they were all going down.

"I can see him well from a here," a Wizard member stated creepily.

Frowning, I said, "Hey, listen, I was called an eyesore by the Hres... the Hers... by the crew of the giant ass plane you tried to destroy our base with. Since you can see me so well, what do you think? Am I an eyesore?"

"We're trying to kill you, and you're worried about how you look. Are you insane?"

I snorted in amusement. "Jury's out."

"Are you having fun, Cipher?" PJ asked.

"Loads." Right at the moment, an enemy foolishly pulled right in front of me, and I launched two missiles at it. Both, surprisingly hit, and that left one more Wizard to shoot down.

Joshua Bristow.

"It's time for you all to get out of here," PJ declared.

"And the Demon Lord of the Round Table must exit the stage," Bristow said. "We will carry out the new creation of destruction through the power of righteousness."

"What do you mean?"

"Territories, peoples, authorities... all will be liberated. This is the new state, 'A World With No Boundaries' we'll create. Neither nations nor nationalities have meaning. We will erase unnecessary borders. The world will change."

"Cipher might be crazy, but you're a downright lunatic. Take this!" I couldn't see my wingman, but I could see one of the stealth fighters blow up in midair, so I knew precisely what PJ did. Man, was I proud of him.

"Captain, we can win this," PJ said.

"Damn right, we can. Do you have eyes on Bristow?"

"Don't let him leave here alive. Fire at the cockpit!" Bristow ordered. "If I can just take him down, victory is ours."

Speak of the devil...

"Someone's worried," I mused. "Hey, how are you doing with those stealth fighters?"

"Two left. Almost done," PJ confirmed. "You've got one on your tail!"

"I can hear that!" I said, veering violently to the left to avoid the gunfire and missiles directed at me. PJ zipped overhead, launching an attack right back at the enemy, forcing them to abandon me.

"Enemy forces have suffered considerable damage, Galm Team, you're almost there," Hammerhead encouraged.

"We're the stars of the Round Table. And you'll be buried here, Demon Lord," Bristow growled.

"Oh yeah? Come and get me then!" I taunted. "Because it looks like there's only three of you left now."

Bristow took a mercurial path, so I had trouble finding him. Whenever I did, he'd disappear into the clouds, and the hunt would be on again. My radar only helped so much, but my main concern was PJ. If Bristow thought he could take my wingman out, he would. I refused to let Bristow's attention be on anyone but me. I also refused to lose another wingman to this asshat.

One of the two remaining planes entered my sights. I switched my focus onto them, aware of PJ covering my six, hiding in the clouds below, waiting for someone to try and go after me.

"You wanted to see how good the Demon Lord is," PJ said. "So? What's your verdict?"

At first, the silence lasted so long, I didn't think Bristow would respond. But finally, I guess after careful deliberation, he replied, "He's not destroying anything unnecessarily. The Demon Lord's just as good as they say."

"And then there were one," I claimed, firing at the enemy in front of me. For a moment, it appeared my missiles wouldn't hit. But by some miracle, they did, and now the only plane remaining was Bristow and a stealth fighter.

"Is he trying to tear through our defense line?" the Wizard member demanded.

"This sky belongs to Galm," PJ said firmly. "We're the stars now."

"Confidence suits you," I told him.

"Well, it got a boost after shooting down that last enemy. It's just Bristow now. He's all yours."

I grinned in malicious triumph.

This ended now.

I saw him in the distance behind me, rapidly closing in. I flipped my plane around and chose to fight him head-on. Switching to special weapons, I waited impatiently to get a lock. The moment I did, I fired four all at one time, determined to make one of them hit. I outpaced my missiles, passing his plane before seeing if my tactic worked. But then his plane disappeared off the radar, and I knew.

We'd won.

"The World With No Boundaries will pen a new story," Bristow said.

"How is this asshole still talking?" I groaned. "Did I not kill him?"

"Looks like he bailed out," PJ replied.

"It's a war crime to shoot him down, isn't it?"

"Yeah. But, I mean, if you were to theoretically run into his parachute with your plane or something accidentally, there's no way they could prove you did it on purpose."

"Other than the fact we just voiced it over the mic to everyone listening in. But I thank you for the idea. Hammerhead, send someone out to B7R to collect Bristow."

"On it," he said. "In the meantime, I see a new squadron approaching. It appears it's Sorcerer, from the Osea Air Defense Force, 8th Air Division, 32nd Tactical Squadron. They must be the second flight. Wizard was first."

"Osea again? What are they doing to their pilots that are making them join this terrorist group? Get your shit together, Osea."

I was about to say more but was cut off by the enemy saying, "Target confirmed. Sorcerer One to all planes. Apply full thrust. Don't even think about heading back."

I sighed in exasperation. "Here we go again. Switch to special weapons. Hope you have more than I do, PJ."

"I still have twelve left."

"I have eight. I used quite a few on Bristow. I don't regret it, but I probably will later."

I grimaced at the sight of eight planes coming at us in the distance. I didn't like the odds of this. Eight fresh pilots versus two worn down by Wizard. I'd done this before, where it was just me and my wingman against eight planes. But that had been Pixy, a wingman who had a hell of a lot more experience than PJ did. I'm not saying PJ couldn't handle himself because he could. He'd proven he could. But still, I worried. I'd lost one wingman. I didn't want to lose another plus my fiancée.

"So you're the Demon Lord. I've been waiting for this," Sorcerer One said as we closed in on each other. They fired long-range missiles at us, which we narrowly dodged, and it prompted my wingman to say, "Stop attacking! We're allies of Ustio!"

"They're coup d' état forces again!" Hammerhead shouted. "Take them out, Galm!"

"Already on it," I said, looping upside down and firing at the first Sorcerer plane I could get a lock on. My missiles easily hit, and the aircraft exploded instantly. One down, seven more to go. If they were all this easy to shoot down, this would be a breeze.

I turned sharply to the right, finding the next bandit not far from me. Below me, PJ chased after another one.

"There's no meaning in the Round Table anymore," PJ said. "What are you fighting for?"

I wondered why he was asking this. Since they were coup forces again, it meant they were a part of A World With No Boundaries. We'd already heard the spiel from Bristow. I didn't really want to listen to it again from this squadron.

But I was going to.

I clenched my jaw as I listened to the reasoning, effectively taking my frustration out on my target, hitting it with gunfire and destroying it.

"The battle to re-line the borders has moved to the meeting boardroom," Sorcerer One answered.

"Those lines will build a new future," PJ countered.

"Those lines will give birth to new conflict."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a resident of the World With No Boundaries, and I will eliminate the false hero."

"So you're going to eliminate yourself? That seems counterproductive," I said.

"I bagged a bandit!" PJ announced. I congratulated my wingman on the kill, his first with the squadron.

Meanwhile, I searched for my next target, and found one behind me, but gratefully, not coming for me. I slowed down my plane as I changed direction, giving me a tighter turn circle, but the plane seemed to know what I was doing, spiraling down towards the earth. If I didn't let up on the brakes soon, I'd stall and pancake myself into the ground in a fiery ball of death.

Not the way I wanted to go out.

Finally, I pulled up, not wanting to find out the hard way how slow my plane could go before stalling. Luck was on my side, though, because my target had to pull up as well. Otherwise, he'd crash into the ground. I quickly got behind and relentlessly tracked them. Getting in as close as I could, I fired missiles at them.

"Another one down!" I announced.

"You'll make a worthy opponent," Sorcerer One said.

I heard my wingman start making noises of distress, prompting me to ask about his well-being. He responded with, "It seems like two bandits pop up for every one I shoot down!"

"Just remember we're almost through. We've already shot down four of them, and we have four more to go," I encouraged. "We've got this."

"Make that three! I got one! Whoo!" he cheered.

"Get these dogs!" Sorceror One barked.

"Seriously? A dog pun?" I asked.

"What are you doing?!" PJ asked, echoing his earlier statement when asking Wizard. "The war's ended long ago.

"A World With No Boundaries aligns itself with no country. We are humanity's ideal army," Sorcerer One answered. "It's time for a perfect world without restrictions or wars."

"Yeah? Well, perfect this!" I saw my wingman zip over one of the Wizard planes, shooting it down in the process. I could hear the triumph in his voice when he said, "While you were blabbering on about that, your wingman got distracted and didn't realize I was behind him. So thank you, evil sir."

Two left...

"Captain, get him off my tail!" Sorcerer Three begged as I got a missile lock on him. He swerved frantically left and right, up and down. It made aiming difficult, and I didn't want to shoot and waste missiles until I was positive they'd hit. However, it meant Sorcerer One was able to get behind me.

"PJ, get this guy off me," I requested, closing the gap between me and my target.

"Roger, on my way!"

"He's going to destroy everything. The Demon Lord's just as good as they say," Sorcerer One said. "All planes, if you're going down, drag him down with you!"

"Uh, sir, it's just us," his wingman replied. "Is it just me, or do you have a strange feeling about this as well?"

"This strange feeling. Is this his doing?"

"Is this feeling defeat? Because if so, then it's definitely our doing," I said. "Hey, PJ, where are you? This asshole is gaining on me."

"I'm coming. You're all going so fast, I'm having issues catching up!" he responded. "Hammerhead, where are we at? Are we almost through? No stealth fighters we don't know about?"

"You've got just two left. You're almost there, Galm Team!"

PJ cheered. "The Round Table is ours!"

Finally, I got so close to my target, I decided missiles weren't the best idea, and switched to guns, letting loose a barrage of bullets at the plane. Unable to evade without me right on top of him, the pilot bailed out before I finished off his jet.

Now only Sorcerer One remained, and he was rapidly gaining on me.

"PJ, any time now, brother," I said, glancing behind me at the enemy captain. My missile alerts started blaring angrily at me, and I began to panic. No way in hell was I going to die out here. I still had to face down Pixy. No one else could do that but me. I'm the only one who stood a chance.

"Almost there!" PJ said.

"So are his missiles!" I retorted, narrowly dodging the projectiles, which streaked past my plane.

"The King who sleeps in Avalon will become a hero," Sorcerer One. "I will not allow you to destroy him."

"No, but I will," my wingman growled. PJ shot up from below, firing multiple missiles at the enemy. All of them hit, but not before he bailed out, much to my chagrin.

"PJ, you magnificent bastard!" I shouted elatedly.

"What's the bastard part for?! I just saved your life!"

"It's for taking so damn long. Oh god, I've never been so close to being shot down in my life." I leaned my head back against my seat, letting my heart slow down. "All right, Hammerhead, Sorcerer Squadron is taken care of. PJ and I are-"

"-going to hate me," Hammerhead finished.

"That's not what I was going to say, but if you say we have another incoming squadron, then you're going to be right."

"It's Gault, Belkan Air Force, 18th Air Division, 5th Tactical Fight Squadron."

I banged my head against my seat. "I hate you."

"I know."

"They're sure as hell not going to be on our side," I said.

"I was half expecting it to be an Osean squadron again," PJ remarked.

"Gault One to all units. Begin the operation. Let the victor be justice."

"Let the enemy be justice," I repeated mockingly. "We're pilots here, not authors. We're not creating taglines for this bloody battle."

"I see eight planes," PJ said. "You want to use the same tactic as before?"

"Yeah. I have four XMAAs remaining. You?"

"Eight."

"Let 'er rip."

PJ and I locked onto the group, sending our XMAAs flying. They all dispersed in an attempt to avoid them while we flew straight through the center of them, avoiding the gunfire and missiles directed at us. Shockingly, one of my XMAAs hit.

One down, seven to go.

"Demon Lord of the Round Table. I was hoping to meet you under different circumstances," Gault One said. His politeness caught me off guard. Unlike the righteous-filled Bristow, and the cocky Sorcerer One, the personality change was slightly unnerving. Was this his method? Lure me into a false sense of civility?

"What circumstances were you hoping for?" I asked. "One where we're not trying to kill each other?"

"Preferably. Your reputation precedes you. Considering you have shot down both Sorcerer and Wizard squadrons, I'd say you're living up to it."

"Thank you for the compliment. I think."

"The enemy fighters seem to be highly skilled. Don't allow time to take control of the battle," Hammerhead warned.

"Yeah, I've noticed," I grunted, pulling my plane up sharply to avoid a missile. I had four planes chasing after me, and PJ had the other three. It gave me an idea. I ordered my wingman to fly straight towards me. Instead of continually just evading them, we could use their strategy against them.

PJ and I rapidly closed the distance between us, and I began counting down. "All right, get ready to fire in three... two... one... now!"

My wingman let loose the remainder of his special weapons while I released as many missiles as possible. I dove down towards the ground, and PJ, ironically, had the same idea. Meanwhile, some of Gault scattered while the others followed me and PJ towards the ever-looking ground.

"When I say now, hit the brakes and pull up as hard as you can. If we're lucky, some of Gault won't be able to. Okay..." I waited as long as I dared before yelling, "Now!"

I slammed on the breaks and yanked my plane up, narrowly avoiding colliding with the ground. In fact, I was practically skimming it. Looking at my radar, I saw PJ safe and sound, but one of the Gault members hadn't been so lucky. I didn't plan on using that particular tactic again for my own health and PJ's, but I was glad my diabolical plan worked. Now we had six to take down.

There's no meaning in the Round Table anymore," PJ said, sounding calmer than he had with the previous two. "What are you fighting for?"

"Again?" I inquired in disbelief.

"Honestly, Yeah. I wanted to know what made these people, who were wanting to fight for their country, turn against them," PJ admitted. "So, what's it going to be, Gault One?"

"The table is surrounded by politicians who have never placed a foot on the battlefield," he answered. I hated to admit that he mostly had a point. The majority of leaders had never experienced a war of any kind from the front lines. If they had, the decisions most likely would've been different all around.

"It's a necessary discussion to build a peaceful world," PJ argued.

"It's a squabble on who gets the largest share of the pie, and that's why it needs to end."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It is for that duty that we raised the King. That's why we're fighting."

"Whoever this King is, we're not letting him rise. We're ending this war today, no matter what."

"You must be new to this arena. If A World With No Boundaries does not succeed, there will be another major war in the next two decades as a result of the discussions from today. More unnecessary bloodshed."

"And you think anarchy is better?" I demanded.

Gault One didn't respond.

Angered by their flawed ideas, my resolve was renewed, and I went after the squadron with a newfound vengeance. And while I worried about this 'King' they kept referring to, I'd have to deal with him later. For now, I needed to focus on Gault,

Three of them were behind me, and I saw the other three trailing PJ. This must be their personal strategy.

As if reading my thoughts, Gault One said, "Whoever breaks formation will be shot down. Follow me."

"PJ, did you hear that?" I asked, leading my plane to his location.

"Loud and clear. I'm ready when you are." He faced his plane towards me.

If Gault didn't want to break formation, that was fine. I could work with that. Every strategy had a weakness, including mine, but I learned to adapt to a situation and use a new one if need be. Some of these seasoned squadrons liked to stick with the tried and true, and I'd make that their downfall.

As PJ and I crossed paths, we flipped our jets sideways, nearly grazing each other. In the process, we fired our weapons, forcing Gault to disperse. In the attempt to regroup, I zeroed in on the closest target, locking onto him.

"Get this demon off me!" the Gault member said angrily.

"You'll be fine," Gault One told hold dismissively. "He can't hit you."

I launched two missiles, both striking the enemy.

Smiling in satisfaction, I said, "You were saying?"

"Regroup! Focus all firepower on the Demon Lord!" Gault One commanded, his fury slipping through his calm demeanor. I then realized all he needed was some more prodding before he made an error I could exploit.

"Looks like their flight lead is running the whole show!" PJ observed.

"He has a level head, but I wonder if his wingmen do too..."

"I know that voice. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to talk to them."

"Uh huh..."

"Just be ready if this works."

"I've got your back."

"Gault, this is the Demon Lord. Can you read me?" I asked. Glancing behind me, I saw the remaining squadron of five trailing behind me. PJ hid in the clouds above, waiting to strike.

"Yes, I can hear you," Gault One answered.

"I want to say I'm impressed with you, Captain. I've never heard about you before, but you're outstanding. Your wingmen could use some serious work, though. They need to learn how to handle themselves on their own. They're not always going to be able to rely on you to save their ass when need be."

"Anyone on my team can hold their own against any mercenary dog, even one with the moniker of Demon Lord like yourself."

I refrained from making a comment about his potential pun. "Is that why you keep them on such a tight leash and refuse to let them break formation?"

"Breaking formation will result in them being shot down by you. The three members you've shot down learned that the hard way."

"But if they can hold their own against any 'mercenary dog' like me, why not let them prove that?" When he didn't respond, I continued, "You see the flaw in your logic? Does your team? You claim to trust them, but you don't let them do anything on their own. They're dogs on a leash held by your hand."

"Shut up," one of the members snarled.

Got one.

"My former wingman told me that multiple times, and it never worked. What makes you think I'll listen to you? A guy who can't think for himself?"

"I said shut up!" One of the planes broke away from the Gault formation, and PJ locked onto them immediately. Before any of them could stop him, my wingman took the enemy out in one swift swoop, disappearing into the clouds before they could see where he went.

I heard Gault One sigh in disappointment. "Don't be overwhelmed by the enemy's moves."

"No, please do. Makes my job that much easier. Hey, PJ, how many special weapons do you have left?"

"Three. Why? What did you have in mind?"

"I need you to fire and isolate. You get my drift?"

"I got it. On my way. And thanks for playing mouse this time."

I laughed. "I didn't really get a choice with them. But hey, we're using it to our advantage. They're not learning that, so we'll keep doing what we are."

"The enemy planes fly well together," He noted. "Too bad we're going to break that up. Incoming!"

PJ fired the last of his special weapons at three of the Gault planes. The fourth one, not having been alerted to incoming missiles, remained on course with me. Now, all alone, it took my wingman no time and no trouble in catching up and locking onto him. Within a few seconds, the enemy plane was falling towards the ground.

"Gault's golden nest has been broken through?" one of the enemies demanded, shocked by the turn of events.

"So this is the Demon Lord. There's something about him..." Gault One trailed off as he pondered what this 'something' was. I decided to offer some solutions while I tried to get a lock on one of them. One flew directly above me, focused on PJ, and trying to use the clouds as camouflage. Being underneath, I was hidden from radar, so I used that to my advantage, keeping pace with the plane while trying to lock on.

"Is it a loving feeling?" I suggested.

"If he had any, I think he's lost it," PJ said.

"He's lost that loving feeling."

"It's gone, gone, gone."

"Just like this enemy," I declared, firing my guns at the bandit. They tried to evade, but it was no use. They were done the moment I started shooting at them.

"He's flying in unpredictable patterns," Gault One said.

"Gault One, awaiting your orders. Please respond..." his comrade requested.

"See?" I said. "Can't think for themselves. I'm glad you're smart, PJ. Don't know what I'd do without you."

The remaining two planes both began targeting me, and I flew dizzying patterns to get them off my tail and attempting to lock onto them myself. I don't know how long I flew up, then down, then left, then right, then looping up and plummeting down. But finally, I had to level out for my own sanity. Incredibly, as I did so, one of the Gault planes passed me at a high rate of speed, but not fast enough. I fired two missiles and hit them in the blink of an eye.

"Demon Lord, what is it you hope to achieve on the battlefield?" Gault One questioned, seeming genuinely curious.

"I hope to take down your terrorist organization and stop you from nuking anyone. You claim you want no more violence, yet here you are, inciting more violence. War is inevitable. That's the sad truth of it all. But it's better than having one group rule over everything. No one should have that kind of absolute power."

"In a way, we both want the same thing. An end to this war." He paused. "It's ironic to meet this way. I guess that's just how fate works."

"Fate it may be, but I refuse to let your terrorist group win this war. Your team is gone, and now it's just you. Surrender, or be shot down."

"Take me down, Demon Lord. Do your worst."

Strangely upset at the idea of shooting this man down, I grimaced and grit my teeth. It had to be done. I watched PJ purposefully fly in front of Gault One to garner his attention. It worked, but only briefly. Realizing it wasn't me, and that I was, in fact, behind him, Gault One turned his plane around to take me head-on. We both locked onto each other at the same time and fired. Both of us dodged it. But PJ took advantage of the situation while Gault's weapons reloaded, my wingman took a shot with his gunfire. He hit the enemy, but not enough to destroy the plane or neutralize it.

Gault aimed for my wingman, but I got in the way, nailing the missiles with gunfire. I hadn't expected it to work, but it did. A shot like that was one in a million!

Unable to focus on my victorious shot for long, I launched my own missiles at Gault, and they hit, ripping his wing off.

As he bailed out, he said, "The World With No Boundaries will eliminate all borders."

Then he went silent.

"Galm, we have more incoming," Hammerhead announced.

"Seriously?!" I demanded.

"No, I'm just kidding," he replied. "All enemy planes are down. There has been no change in plans. Stay on course to target destination."

"That was a sick joke," PJ said.

"This is payback for making me listen to and watch your shenanigans. Now, the checkpoint is ready for your arrival. Land, refuel, restock, and get back up in the air as soon as possible. And Galm? Good luck."