"Jealousy is the fear of comparison."
~Max Frisch
___________________________________

Chapter 6: Rendezvous

Grimm

September 30, 2010, Briefing Room

Arriving in the briefing room, I found Chopper, Cassie, and Nagase listening intently to Genette discussing all the people against the President's peace treaty, and how many of them were leaving the city. Nagase nodded once in a while, agreeing to something he said. However, Blaze was nowhere to be seen. Odd, I thought. She was usually the first one there.

Cassie beamed at me when I approached, patting the seat next to her and saying, "You're just in time."

"For what?" I asked, sitting down.

She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "The imminent drama."

Cassie subtly nodded at the doorway where a stony-faced brunette walked in. I had no idea who she was, but Chopper seemed to recognize her. "Shit. This won't be good," he said, grimacing. He looked over at me, and his brow furrowed. "You look as confused as a fart in a fan factory. What gives?"

"I'm a what?" I shook my head. "Actually, on second thought, I don't want to know. Why do you guys hate this girl?"

"Her name is Bailey Cohen," Cassie said quietly, glancing over at the person of discussion to make sure she wasn't listening in. "Long story short, Bailey blames Blaze for her sister's death even though it was her sister's fault. Nearly got Blaze kicked out of the Academy over it."

"That bitch just spells trouble wherever she goes," Nagase added quietly, eyeing Bailey with evident dislike. I hadn't known Nagase long, but I learned well enough that Nagase never talked negatively about someone, let alone badmouthed them and called them a name, so for her to say that about Bailey, then this girl had to be bad news. 

I nodded in acceptance. "Got it. I hate her too."

"Speaking of Blaze-" Chopper scanned the room- "where is she? She's never late."

"Found her," Cassie said, nodding once more at the doorway. My captain strolled into the room with Tornado next to her. Both of them were smiling and chatting breezily like it was the most natural thing in the world for them. 

"I'll see you later?" Tornado asked.

Blaze nodded and joked, "As long as you don't get shot down."

"Don't worry, I'll eject in time. Think I'll set off the tornado sirens when I touch down?"  He beamed cheekily at her. Blaze rolled her eyes, but her smile took out the sass. Sobering up, Tornado clapped her gently on the shoulder. "I know you don't need it, but good luck today."

"You, too. I'll see you up there." Blaze shuffled over to us and took a seat next to me. I watched Tornado walk to his seat, and on the way, he locked eyes with Chopper. He winked, almost smugly, at my wingman, who then proceeded to discreetly flip him off. Tornado simply laughed it off. I don't know what was going on between those two, but searching my friend's faces, I realized no one else witnessed what I did. I also had a sneaking suspicion their tiff was over Blaze, but I sure as hell wasn't going to ask. I barely knew Tornado, and I felt like Chopper might tell me to go to hell if I asked him. I'd simply have to wait and see how everything played out. 

"Chopper, what's wrong with you?" Cassie raised her eyebrows, flicking her eyes at his clenched fists and white knuckles. 

"Just thinking," he said, his fists unfurling.

"About?"

"Uh, war."

Without missing a beat, Genette started softly singing, "What is it good for?"

"Absolutely nothing!" I finished. Chopper broke into a grin. I doubted that's the kind of war he'd been thinking about, but I'm also pretty sure he appreciated the route we'd taken it. He needed to loosen up a little anyway. We couldn't have him distracted before or during the mission.

"Where were you?" Genette inquired, peering down the line of seats at his sister. "You're never late."

"I was talking to mom and didn't realize how much time had passed. We had a lot of catching up to do, and I had a lot to tell her," Blaze replied with a shrug. "That's all."

Cassie said, "You'll have more to tell her next time because guess who came to Sand Island this morning?" 

Blaze grimaced, evidently understanding by Cassie's tone that whoever the newcomer was, it was no one good. "Who?"

"Bailey Cohen."

"You've got to be joking." She groaned, sliding down into her chair and squeezing her eyes. "Oh, this week is just getting better and better."

"What else has happened?" Cassie poked, leaning forward with interest. We all did save for Chopper.

"It's... nothing. Don't worry about it."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chopper lower his head, but not before I noticed the shame flash across his face. What did he know about Blaze's week? Did he have something to do with it? Did it have to do with his reaction to her and Tornado chatting it up?

"Attention! Listen up," The Base Commander shouted, stopping all conversations in their tracks. "The biggest mistake Yuktobania has made in their blitz attack is that it has failed to sink any of our aircraft carriers. We'll evacuate all intact carriers to our inland sea, then use them as a base to rebuild our counterstrike force. You've been called to service on a very important operation, people. Keep that in mind out there."

The briefer cleared his throat and began speaking. "Today at fifteen hundred hours, three carriers from the Third Osean Naval Fleet will rendezvous at Eaglin Straits. These carriers are the Vulture, the Buzzard, and the Kestrel, which has successfully escaped Port St. Hewlett, thanks to your help. Your mission is to coordinate with the Kestrel and provide top cover for all carriers during the rendezvous. Should you encounter enemy attack, defend the three carriers at all costs. The situation is fluid, so be sure to choose an aircraft with good defensive capability against both air and ground-based threats."

Operation: Whirlwind

Location: Eaglin Straits

Date: 2010/09/30

Time: 0930 Hrs.

"All right, Wardog. Let's get to our planes," Blaze said. "Genette, you're with me today. I convinced Hamilton to let you come along."

"You're the best!" he exclaimed, hopping up out of his chair.

"I try. Come on." We all exited the briefing room and strode to the hangar. Cassie, Blaze, and Nagase dominated the conversation to our destination, talking about some new movie release. Based on what I heard, it was a chick flick. Genette listened in but said nothing. I had a feeling neither of us would've been able to get a word in even if we tried. Chopper lagged behind, unnaturally quiet. I wanted to ask him what was wrong, but we weren't exactly close. He'd be more likely to tell Genette than me.

When we reached the hangar, Cassie said cheerfully, "Good luck, guys!"

"You're not going with us?" I asked, trying to hide my disappointment. We'd been hitting it off lately, and Blaze had been putting Cassie with me on all of our patrol missions. I'd started to wonder if Cassie was interested in me, but I quickly shot that idea down. I highly doubted a girl like her would be interested in a more introverted guy like myself. Still, I enjoyed being with Cassie, and I found myself always looking forward to spending time with her.

"No, I have to go through some training on base since I just got here. Next time, hopefully!"

Giving us one last wave, she sauntered off. Meanwhile, Blaze led us to the back of the hangar, where four beautiful F-14Ds resided. "So, I talked to Perrault about getting better planes for us after Port St. Hewlett. Incredibly, he agreed to the idea, so-" Blaze threw her hands out and motioned proudly at the jets- "we have Super Tomcats!"

I could barely contain my excitement at the sight of them. "That's awesome!"

"How on earth did you persuade him?" Nagase asked in awe, running her hand over the smooth metal of her plane.

Blaze shrugged. "I told him we needed better planes because we were the first line of defense against Yuktobania. They have to get past us to get to Osea in most cases. I also explained that if we had better planes, we'd not only be able to support the war effort more efficiently and effectively, but it'd make Sand Island look good to have such good planes. If there's anything that man cares about more than food, it's his reputation as Base Commander amongst the higher-ups."

"These are awesome," Chopper said, staring up at the imposing aircraft. "Are we all taking them?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, it's just this plane configuration is better suited for air targets. We were told to have a balance between air and ground."

"I know, but I think we'll be able to handle whatever comes our way in these. Besides, I have this feeling we're going to need speed on our side."

"All right. You're the captain." Without further argument, Chopper got in his plane. Blaze momentarily watched him, an unreadable expression flashing in her eyes before she turned on her heel and climbed into her aircraft. Genette, Nagase, and I shared a confused look.

"What was that?" I asked.

Genette shook his head. "Beats me."

"I'll talk to her about it later," Nagase said. "For now, let's just get on with the mission. Nothing's going to be fixed right now."

Unfortunately, she was right, so we parted ways, and I got into my plane. The four of us started up our F-14s, and I damn near vibrated from excitement at the sound and hum of the powerful engine. I never dreamed I'd be flying such an amazing piece of machinery this early into my piloting career, but here I was. I'd have to thank Blaze again for this.

The four of us pulled out of the hangar and onto the runway, taking off one by one. Once in the air, we fell into standard formation with my squadron. I noticed no other planes were in front of us, but we weren't the only ones going to support the Kestrel today. So where were they? I peered behind me. The remaining squadrons traveled behind us. The sight made me swell with pride because we were leading the charge on a critical mission. Us, the youngest unit in Osean history. We were the ones people were following now. Who wouldn't be proud of that?

However, the pride dissipated when, upon arrival to the mission area, horrendous boredom set in. Don't get me wrong, I remained vigilant in keeping an eye on my surroundings. No enemies would slip past me if I could help it. Still, I wondered how close Yuktobanian aircraft could get to Osea before our radar caught them. Now that we were at war with them, the entire country was on high alert. After all, they'd already slipped through our cracks and attacked Port St. Hewlett. Who's to say they wouldn't be able to do it again? And how bad would our radar system have to be to miss them a second time?

About two hours into the mission, with nothing suspicious happening, Genette came on and said, "All right, I need your help."

"What's up?" Blaze inquired.

"I've been taking pictures and video of the mission, but I need a caption for it. Any ideas? Chopper?"

"Hmm... give me a minute. I'll think of something," he said.

"I'm surprised you didn't think up of something on the spot. You're usually good at that stuff."

"I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I'm off my game today."

"We've noticed," Nagase remarked.

Ignoring her remark, Chopper took a few moments to mull it over. "How about this: It was nothing. Easiest mission in the world. That's what it was supposed to be. It wasn't just us, but everyone they could get their hands on. General mobilization. Our planes filled the sky like a huge aluminum cloud. There was no way the enemy could attack. The queens of the ocean made it to the inland sea. We've got it made in the shade now."

"So if I ever publish these and have a documentary made, can I get you to do a voice-over of that?" Genette requested. "And every other video in the future?"

Chopper chuckled. "If my career as a pilot fails, I'd be happy to."

"The dynamic duo would be back at it again."

"The awesome twosome."

"The flare pair."

"The supple couple." Nagase, Blaze, and I burst out laughing. Chopper, disturbed, said, "I regret the words that just came out of my mouth."

"As do I," Genette agreed. "I never want to hear you refer to us as the 'supple couple' ever again."

"This is Thunderhead," our AWACS interrupted, saving Chopper from more embarrassment. "We've arrived outside the range of enemy air attack. Permission granted to return to your assigned bases in sequence."

"Finally," I groaned.

"Now that's what I call good news," Nagase said.

"Aircraft may refuel for the return trip if required. Hold above the carrier for the tanker aircraft," Thunderhead ordered. One by one, we watched the squadrons be dismissed and disengage from the area until it was just us and the aircraft from the carriers.

"Everyone's starting to leave. Can we go yet?" Chopper asked impatiently.

"Wardog Squadron, I told you to wait for the tanker plane above the carrier," Thunderhead said, tone tinged with anger.

"We haven't left yet," Blaze responded, sounding irked. "We're still waiting. My wingman is just anxious to get back.

"I swear, man..." Chopper mumbled.

More time passed, and still, we received no word to refuel and head back. To entertain ourselves in the meantime, Blaze barrel-rolled her plane, Chopper performed some loop-de-loops, and Nagase wove back and forth, and I flew up and down like the rolling waves of the ocean. I think we were all enjoying the strength and power of our new planes. I know I was.

Suddenly, Blaze stopped. We all noticed and halted our stunts as well. Trepidation settled in my bones when I looked at my radar. Little dots moved swiftly towards us, and they weren't friendly. How did the Yukes get all the way out here? We were supposed to be outside the range of enemy air attacks! What the hell was going on here? Was I the only one seeing this? Surely not. Besides, I couldn't be losing my sanity. Not yet. I was only twenty-four for crying out loud.

"Hey... what is that? Is my radar on the fritz?" Chopper said, sounding as utterly confused as I felt.

"It's showing up on mine, too," I said.

"Where'd it come from? How come the morons at Thunder-Blockhead didn't notice it?" Chopper scoffed. When no one responded to his question, he said, "Yo, Kid!"

"You have to call her 'Captain' now," I pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, you think we oughta report this?"

"No. I think we should just keep our mouths shut and wait until they notice it," Blaze snapped, effectively silencing him. Few people possessed the ability to render Chopper unable to form a sarcastic response, let alone render him speechless. Chopper not talking or being sarcastic is like having pizza without cheese. It's just not right. That's a horrible example, but you get my point.

"Enemy approaching! All units, return to your Combat Air Patrol stations! Protect the carriers!" Thunderhead ordered.

In the blink of an eye, enemy planes swarmed around us. Blaze latched onto a fighter immediately, making me admire how lightning quick she was. By the time the rest of us had found targets, she'd already shot her opponent down. Chopper was helping Nagase by trailing the enemy behind her. I went to assist Chopper because he'd managed to get a fighter on his tail.

"Captain, uh, we have a problem here," I said, following my target.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"These enemy planes won't let up on Nagase or Chopper, and I can't get a missile lock on the one I'm following."

Blaze stayed silent for a few seconds, then said, "On the count of three, Nagase, break hard right. Chopper, you break hard left, and Grimm, you keep following the enemy aircraft. I'll come at them from head-on. You and I will take advantage of their confusion and shoot them down. Chopper, start the countdown. I'd do it for y'all, but I have a bogey after me."

"Are you okay?" Chopper replied worriedly.

"I'm fine. I can handle them. Just start the countdown!"

"I- okay," he said dejectedly. "One... two... three!"

Nagae and Chopper veered their planes in the directions Blaze instructed. While the enemy became confused for a few moments, they, unfortunately, regained their momentum swiftly. At least I was able to shoot one of them down.

Blaze gasped. "Shit!"

"What happened? Are you okay?" Chopper responded frantically. "Are you hit?

"I'm okay. We're okay." Blaze sounded much too calm for the situation, making me wonder if she actually was fine with what just happened, or if it was just an act to not upset us. "A missile flew over my canopy. I don't know how it missed me."

"Be careful. We can't lose you," Chopper told her, surprisingly gentle. His mood swings with her were giving me worse whiplash than the enemies zipping all around us. 

I turned my plane around to go help Blaze to find Chopper already high-tailing it over to her, his plane nearly a blur. I still headed in her direction, watching in awe at the ferocity Chopper took out the Yuke fighter with. Seeing that made me grateful to be on his side.

"We have three carriers. Don't let them sink even one!" Thunderhead instructed.

"This is Banner from the Vulture. This is a narrow channel. We can only move straight ahead."

"This is the captain of the Buzzard. Hurry and launch the carrier jets."

"To the squadron above us, this is Blizzard. I can't take off. Shoot down those enemy planes for me!"

"Okay. I'm coming. Hold on," Chopper replied, sounding less than enthused and more than a little annoyed. I couldn't tell if it was from the tone of Blizzard's request, or if these two had a history, however. Still, Chopper flew down as quickly as he could to help out the Osean squadron, who were waiting to take off from the Kestrel. Blaze and I were going after a new enemy formation that had formed on the horizon. Once again, enemy fighters were rapidly replacing the ones we shot down, and our missile reserves were depleting at a frightening pace.

"Switch to gunfire. Save our remaining missiles," Blaze directed.

"Those bastards think they can just come in and start circling us, huh?" Chopper demanded furiously. 

"By the looks of it, I would say yes," I said.

"Visibility is poor. It's the perfect time and place for a surprise attack," Nagase noted. I glanced at the clouds hovering above the ships, which had abruptly decided to release the rain they'd been holding and making visibility even worse than before. I'd already been having enough trouble finding the enemy planes. I didn't need this new obstacle. Thanks a lot, Mother Nature.

"Mmhmm..." Blaze agreed softly.

"Yeah, I can't help but feel like everything's working against us."

"This is the aircraft carrier Buzzard. Missile strike off our bow. Severe shockwaves."

"Is anyone injured?" Blaze asked, her voice tinged with concern. I could sense she was trying to stay calm for the sake of everyone else, despite being nearly overwhelmed herself. I couldn't imagine what she was going through having to lead a squadron in a surprise attack while having only been captain for one full mission. One and a half if you counted the air raid. The weight on her shoulders had to be immense.

"Luckily, no, but we can't take too many more of those if we want to get out of this unscathed."

"Understood. We're doing everything in our power to take them all down. Just hold on a little bit longer!"

"We appreciate it."

My missile alert suddenly went off, scaring the shit out of me. I jerked my plane into a sharp loop and lost the missile, but the experience left me shaking. It'd been the closest I'd come to being shot down. Not even during the air raid had that happened. Of course, Blaze, Nagase, and Chopper covered me so incredibly well that no enemy was able to get a lock on me then. This time was different. I had to hold my own. I had to prove I belonged to be in the air with them, in their squadron. Clenching my jaw, I said to myself, "C'mon, I can do this. I've been through a real battle before." 

Saying the words aloud rather than inside my head helped me push down my fear. It was as if speaking the words, rather than thinking them, made the concept concrete. I'm obviously not a psychologist, so I can't tell you why the tactic worked, but it just did with me. I felt my fear dissipate, and my hands stopped shaking.

"Grimm, you good?" Blaze queried.

Please tell me I didn't... "Did- did I say that aloud?"

"Yes, you did." I could hear her biting back her laughter, trying to save me from anymore embarrassment.

"Shit."

"You're fine. If it keeps your head in the game, then you do what you gotta do." She paused for moment before adding, "Damn it, now I have that stupid High School Musical song stuck in my head."

"Shoot them down before they launch any missiles," a Vulture guy said.

Blaze and I lined up together and took a group of enemies head-on, simultaneously firing on them and pulling up as quickly as we could before they could return fire. Our missiles scattered them, and one of Blaze's hit. Meanwhile, Nagase finally shot down the plane she had been trailing and joined Blaze and me in hunting the three other enemy planes. Chopper stayed a little behind us, protecting our sixes.

"How did the enemy know when to attack?" Nagase asked.

"I was wondering about that too," Blaze admitted.

My face scrunched up. Their words bothered me. "Something's strange here, but I'm not sure what. Is that what an enemy attack is usually like?"

"No, it's not," Nagase said grimly.

"Let the Air Force defend that area," a deep voice came on. 

I didn't recognize it, but Blaze did. "Welcome to the danger zone, Captain Snow. You up?"

"Not yet," he confirmed. "Heard about the air raid at Sand Island. Glad you survived it."

"As am I."

Another unfamiliar voice came on. "Captain Banks, is that you? Your feat at Sand Island has spread far and wide."

"I couldn't have done it without my wingman, but I'll still take the compliment. Is this Blizzard?" Blaze asked, her tone suddenly switching from formal to friendly. 

"You remember me!"

"Hard not to, but I feel bad that you know my name, but I don't know yours."

"Captain Oxlong. Mike Oxlong."

Chopper coughed abruptly, but I heard the smothered laugh. It took me a moment to understand why, but when I did, I quickly had to hide my own amusement by temporarily shutting off my mic.

"It's good to have you up here, Blizzard. What do you say we shut up and shoot?"

"Say no more."

"So that's the fleet that made it through our blockade..." A Yuke observed, scoffing. "We're making one pass at a time. Fly hard, shoot straight."

"There are a lot of them. Captain, I suggest we disperse," Nagase advised.

"Agreed, but don't stray too far. I want you nearby in case one of us needs help." To be honest, Blaze didn't sound like she was entirely here with us, like her mind was elsewhere, deep in thought. What could be so important to her that it took her focus away from the mission? Or maybe it was about the mission?

"Roger. Breaking formation for now. Edge, splitting off!"

"It's impossible for them to evade us out here," A Yuke declared, sounding annoyingly smug. It made me want to punch him in the face.

"No, it's not," Blaze responded, although I doubted they could hear her. "We've been kicking your ass so far."

"Full speed ahead. Rendezvous with the remaining two carriers ASAP," a Kestrel sailor shouted.

"The carrier aircraft are airborne," Chopper informed.

"All right, I'm airborne. Come up and get me," Snow growled.

"Oh, they're finally here. What took you guys so long?" My friend's sarcasm seemed forced as if he was desperately trying to lighten the mood but unsure how to do so. Then again, it was directed at Snow and Blizzard, so maybe it wasn't forced sarcasm, just him being hesitant.

"You really expect me to answer that?" Snow asked bluntly.

"Nope, just wanted to piss you off."

"Well, you're doing a fantastic job asshole." Was there anyone above Chopper's rank that he didn't insult or piss off at least once?

"Captain Snow, you don't speak to my wingmen like that, and Chopper, you and Snow don't get along as it is. Don't antagonize the situation further," Blaze said firmly. The two men listened, sheepishly apologizing to her.

Blaze and Nagase teamed up again and went to help out the carriers while Chopper and I tried to shoot down enemies approaching on the horizon. I counted ten planes, not including the four in the distance that Chopper and I were going after. How could the Yukes have so many fighters? Let alone have enough pilots to pilot them? It was insane! I'll give credit where credit is due and say the Yukes have some very persistent pilots.

"Captain! Look out! There's a bandit on your tail!" I yelled.

Blaze acted unfazed. "Could someone get over here and get him off me?"

"I'm coming," Chopper said immediately, flipping his plane around and high-tailing it over to her. I chose to stick nearby my squadron rather than going after the enemies in the distance. I wasn't Blaze or Chopper. I wasn't confident in my flying abilities to take all four on by myself.

"All personnel to battle stations!" An Osean said, making me wonder: shouldn't they have already been there in the first place?

"Captain Snow, you're responsible for the air defense effort," Captain Andersen said. I'd never met the man, but I'd heard stories about him from the Belkan War. It brought some peace to my stressed mind to hear him sounding so calm about the situation.

"Roger, Captain. I won't let you down. All right, gentlemen, it's time to clean house."

"Shot one down!" Nagase announced victoriously.

"Me too!" Blaze added.

"Me three!" Chopper jumped in.

Last but not least, there was me, and I was proud to proclaim, "Me four!"

A few moments of silence passed when Blaze said, "I just realized 'me too' has a double meaning when you're the second to say it."

I snorted. "Of all things you could've said, I was not expecting that, but also, good point."

"Don't encourage her," Nagase joked. "That was actually semi-smart what she said."

"I'm always smart," Blaze replied indignantly.

"Uh, no. You're not. Remember when you suggested we sneak off base to go get ice cream?"

"I don't see why that's a problem?" I said, confused. "I mean, it was just a walk to the mess ha-"

"Oh, no-" Nagase interrupted matter-of-factly- "that wasn't the kind of ice cream she wanted. Blaze wanted to go to McDonald's and get a McFlurry. At midnight. In the middle of a snowstorm."

Ah. Yeah. I saw the problem. "I can understand where you're coming from, but I have to know: did you end up going?"

"We did," Blaze said happily. 

"Only because you texted Chopper asking him to go with you because I wouldn't, and of course, he jumped at the idea," Nagase retorted.

Another question popped into my head. "Did you go with them?"

"Well, I couldn't let dumb and dumber go by themselves, so yeah. We slid more than we drove to McDonald's."

"We ended up pigging out on chicken nuggets, fries, and ice cream," Blaze added. She sighed happily. "I'd kill for McDonald's right now."

I pursed my lips, wondering if I dared to ask the question trying to burst forth. I dared. "Who's dumb, and who's dumber?"

"I guess that would be a matter of opinion. I could make arguments for both of them. Regardless it was the blonde leading the blond."

"Oooh, you shut up," Blaze retorted, causing Nagase to snicker. It was nice to hear stories about Blaze misbehaving and doing things she shouldn't. Other than some bold words shared with High Command, my captain held this aura of put-togetherness. When I first met her, I knew she could joke around, but I never saw her as being the kind of person to sneak out or do something she shouldn't. It made her more approachable in my eyes, which was great for someone as timid as I was around strong-willed people. 

"Watch your altitude while executing your mission," a Yuke admonished.

"Viper 9, engage," an Osean ordered their squadron. "Hold your fire until the enemy's within range."

"Those guys don't know when to quit. It's really starting to tick me off," Chopper said, his voice irked.

"Me too, Chopper, me too," Nagase agreed.

"They're moving in a straight line. Just shoot, and you'll hit them," Another Yuke said in frustration. I guess his comrades weren't getting rid of us as quickly as expected. "Carry out your mission to the end."

Right as the Yuke said this, Blaze and Chopper both shot down their own bandits. Nagase was firing at an enemy, and I was trying to find one.

I just wanted this mission to be over. I wanted to go back to base, get together with my squadron, Genette, and Cassie (especially her), relax, and have a good time. None of us had truly been prepared for all-out war. 

Battles? Sure. 

Recon missions? Easy. 

A full-blown war where we're being sent out every day, sometimes multiple times in a day? No. 

That's the thing about school. They can teach you and train you for everything, but they can never prepare you for the actual, real-life situation. Not to the degree you need them to at least...

"That's a textbook follow-on attack. I should be takin' notes," Chopper observed. I couldn't see what he was referring to, but it must've been impressive if he was making a comment about it.

"Small number of enemy escort planes. They should not disrupt our attack," An enemy pilot stated. He had no idea how wrong he was.

"That's my goal," Blaze said. "I'm coming for y'all."

Nagase chuckled. "I don't think they can hear you."

"I wouldn't care if they could."

"I know you wouldn't." She sighed. "Here they come again. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge! Mine is half full."

"Mine is too. Chopper, Grimm, what are yours at?" Chopper and I both replied that ours were half full. "I have a feeling we'll need to land and refuel or have a mid-air refueling. We won't make it back to base at the rate we're burning it up."

"Target confirmed. I'm going in," A Yuke pilot announced. "All aircraft, disperse and proceed to your targets. Balm one and Balm two, take out the captain of that enemy formation over there."

"Roger," a different Yuke said. I guess he was Balm One.

It took me a couple of seconds before I comprehended they were going after Blaze. I had to do something! I couldn't let them gang up on her without her having any backup! I hit the afterburners and raced to support her, but Chopper was already there, chasing down both enemies. Despite the tension going on between them today, they evidently weren't letting it get in the way of their flying abilities. They still had each other's backs.

I joined my wingman in eliminating the bogeys. Chopper took both kills, but I assisted in both, mostly by being a distraction to them.

"This is Halo 2. Have the three carriers met up yet?" An Osean inquired.

"This is the Kestrel. It'll be a little longer before we meet."

"Roger. Don't take too long."

"Engage the enemy out of range. Keep our defensive line intact," Snow instructed.

"Can we jettison our anti-ship missiles to turn and burn with the enemy escort fighters?" A Yuke groaned.

"Negative. The attack on the fleet takes top priority."

"Multiple bandits on radar. Heads up, they're firing long-range anti-ship missiles," Thunderhead announced. "Do not allow them to get in range. Fly out to intercept."

"Roger that," Blaze replied, banking to the west. 

Chopper, following her, asked, "Kid, it seems some of these guys are packing anti-ship missiles. Can you see any?"

"No, but that doesn't mean a thing."

"Me neither, but it'll be trouble if they are out there. We'll take 'em before they can approach the ships."

"Enemy fighters closing in on carrier," Thunderhead said.

Blaze and Chopper were flying towards the horizon to intercept the bandits suspected of holding anti-ship missiles. Nagase and I stayed back to stay with the carriers in case anything slipped by them. In the process of my circling, I saw an enemy and did a 180-degree turn to intercept it. It was heading straight for the Kestrel.

Oh no, you don't! I thought, getting right behind it. The enemy went up, and so did I. He went left then right, then up, up, up, then all the way down towards the ocean. I never let him out of my sight once, though. Realizing his tactics weren't working, he decided to try weaving from left to right, but still, I didn't lose him. In the distance, I could see Nagase coming head-on. She fired two missiles at the plane and hit it. The enemy fell in a fiery ball towards the dark blue water below.

"Watch out for the reefs," an Osean cautioned.

"Warning! Enemy fighters within range to fire anti-ship missile! Defend the carrier!" Thunderhead ordered. Blaze swore quietly in what sounded like Belkan, but considering I had the learning ability of a brainless person when it came to learning languages, I couldn't be sure.

"This is the aircraft carrier Vulture. Missile strike off our bow. Severe shockwaves."

"Make sure you get the timing right. The enemy won't wait around to get hit," A Yuke said.

"They're approaching from the south too," An Osean soldier informed.

"I see them. Moving to intercept," One of our allied pilots said.

"Full speed ahead! Leave the area at once," Vulture's captain barked. I recognized his voice from earlier. He didn't sound near as calm as Andersen or as pleasant to work with.

"We have to protect the carrier, no matter what," a crew member added. "If we're attacked here, we're toast."

Blaze made an irritated noise. "You are being attacked here!"

"Evade! Move it!" A guy barked.

I took a deep breath to calm my frayed nerves and silently prayed to make sure I came out of this battle alive. I'd already had some close calls. If it hadn't been for Nagase, Blaze, Chopper, and some sheer, dumb luck, I probably wouldn't be here. I was way in over my head here, and I began to question what possessed me to pull out Bartlett's spare plane and throw myself into an air-raid because that's why I was here now. Part of me wished I had a RIO right now. She'd be able to help me, even if just updating where everyone was, what they were doing, and where other enemies were. My brain wasn't trained enough to handle or comprehend all the madness around me. I'd develop the talent in time, I knew this, but I had to make sure I lived long enough for that to happen...

When my brain thought of having a RIO, my thoughts shifted over to Cassie. I was actually becoming more comfortable around her. I'd graduated from turning a bright red and stuttering gibberish to holding full conversations with only mildly embarrassing statements. It was progress, and she hadn't run from me yet, so I had to be doing something right. Despite being disappointed she hadn't joined us on the mission, I was also glad she didn't. I wouldn't want her to see how doubtful I was in myself and my abilities. She deserved a guy as confident in himself as she was in herself, and that man was not me. Not right now, at least.

I took another deep breath as I thought: I'm going to make it out of this battle alive. I've got to!

"All enemy attack planes confirmed destroyed. Area sanitized," a relieved Thunderhead informed.

"Nice work, Wardog," Snow praised. There was a tone in his voice I couldn't quite place... surprise? It'd make the most sense for a multitude of reasons. First, there were only four female captains in the Osean Air Force, and we had one of them leading us. On top of that, Blaze was the youngest female captain in Osean history. Then you had me, Nagase, Chopper, all of whom were about the same age as our captain. It wouldn't surprise me if we were the youngest official squadron in Osea, both now and in the past. Combined, we maybe had two and a half, possibly three years of professional experience, and Chopper made up two of those years. We shouldn't be as successful as we had been, but here we were.

"Thank you," Blaze said politely. "Same goes to you."

Thunderhead came over the mic. "Wardog, your air defense mission is complete. Hold for the tanker aircraft above the Kestrel."

"Roger. Wardog, get back in formation."

Chopper, Nagase, and I returned to Blaze's side. Chopper, who had barely left our captain's side after the Yukes tried to single her out. Falling into place at her six, I glanced down at the fleet as we flew over the ships. The Kestrel, Buzzard, and Vulture sailed smoothly through the dark ocean. All seemed to be in good shape and unharmed. I allowed myself to relax.

Blaze started circling the carriers. We followed, keeping a tight formation. For a few minutes, none of us said anything, reveling in the victory of another battle when Blaze said, "Stay circling. I'm going to fly by the ships, make sure none of them are damaged. And keep your eyes open. I have a bad feeling."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Don't you think she'd tell us if she knew?" Chopper said.

"I mean if she has guesses-"

"I don't," Blaze confessed, diving down dangerously low to the water. "It's just a feeling."

I watched her make multiple passes by the ships. She said nothing, so I assumed my captain saw nothing wrong with the fleet and that her 'bad feeling' was merely an aftereffect of the battle. That was, of course, until a sailor shouted frantically, "Ballistic missile incoming!"

"A ballistic missile?" I repeated, unable to believe I'd heard him correctly. "Where'd they launch that from?"

"What the f-" Chopper was cut off by a bunch of allies panicking over the radio. I couldn't blame them in the least. Where in the world did the Yuktobanians launch a ballistic missile from? All enemy aircraft in the area were destroyed, so how could they? Unless they had a ship somewhere, but we didn't see any on our radar!

"Climb!" Blaze barked, going vertical herself. "Get above five-thousand feet!"

I listened, unsure of how high we were meant to go to avoid being decimated by the incoming missile. I leveled out at ten-thousand feet with Nagase, but Chopper remained close to the five-thousand-foot line, circling Blaze's ever-climbing jet and shouting, "Climb, Blaze, climb! Come on!"

"I am! I can't get my plane to go any faster!" She snapped back. "I'm almost-"

"Hey... what's that?" A guy interrupted, his voice too quiet for my liking.

As Blaze surpassed the five-thousand-foot threshold, the ballistic missile exploded. I could hear the explosion. It was so loud, it could've happened right next to me. 

"Allied squadron wiped out! What happened?!" Blizzard demanded anxiously.

"The carrier, the carrier's hit! It's tipping!" a sailor shouted. I didn't think I could be more shocked than I already was, but the news proved me wrong. My body went into autopilot, steering the plane for me as I processed everything happening.

"What carrier?! Which one?!" Snow asked worriedly. It was the first time I'd ever heard his tone as something other than stern or angry, but this situation was unlike anything we'd ever faced. It certainly made sense that even the calmest of people were acting out of character.

"The Buzzard!"

"Someone! Anyone! What's happening?" Nagase pleaded.

"I don't know! Everything below 5,000 feet was just annihilated!" Snow replied, causing me to involuntarily shiver. Had Blaze not told us to get above that threshold, there was a chance we could've leveled out below it. We could've been destroyed ourselves. I didn't remember 'avoiding being blown up by ballistic missiles' in our training at the academy, so how did Blaze know what to do? Had it been a guess? Or did she really know? Regardless, she saved our lives. If that wasn't a testament to her incredible skills, I don't know what is.

"Second missile incoming!" Thunderhead announced.

"Damn it!" Snow said. "Listen up, if you want to survive, then climb above five thousand feet before that thing hits!"

All the remaining planes gained altitude as fast as they could, most of them going to ten thousand feet to be safe. We, however, stayed around seven thousand. I guess Blaze wanted to make sure the Vulture and the Kestrel were all right, but I felt we were still way too close.

"All units, move it! Kestrel, evasive action!" Snow ordered.

"What're we gonna do, Kid? I'll follow you," Chopper said.

"Are they sure it's five thousand feet?" I asked dubiously.

"They're sure," Blaze replied confidently. "We're going to stay away from those until those ballistic missiles are done, and we're cleared to go down. Hopefully, that's sooner rather than later..."

I nodded. "Okay. I trust you."

"People are spilling off the decks!" Nagase cried out in horror.

"There goes another ship!" Chopper shouted.

Thunderhead started counting down. "Ten seconds to next impact. Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, impact!"

I thought the noise had been loud beforehand. At seven-thousand feet, it was nearly deafening. My plane shook violently, and I had trouble keeping it straight.

"Oh no, another one!" Someone yelled, followed by another frantic statement from another soldier of, "The Vulture took a direct hit! She's sinking!"

"How... How could this happen to our fleet?" Snow stammered.

"Heavy damage! All hands, abandon ship!"

"What the hell was that attack? It was like molten steel raining down on us!" another guy remarked. Our navy was panicked, and I couldn't blame them. They'd just survived two hellacious attacks. It was hell enduring it while up in the air. I couldn't imagine what it was like at sea level. J

I listened to the repeat questions of "What's going on? Somebody, tell me!" to "How did we come to this?", but no one had any responses, and if they did, they weren't wholly viable or true. I had my own questions, which rushed through my mind at a rapid pace: Why did the Yukes start this war? When would it end? What were we fighting over? Those were the questions we all wanted answers for... and none of us had any of them. I had a feeling we wouldn't get answers to them any time soon, either.

"This is the Kestrel. All surviving aircraft, respond." The guy sounded dazed, and after everything that happened, I could understand.

"This is Swordsman. I managed to stay alive... Looks like the Wardog squad made it, too."

We flew dangerously low to look at the damage.

"Two aircraft carriers lost... I can't believe this is all that's left of our force," I said solemnly, speaking more to myself. I could see the debris from the other two ships floating in the waves. I swear I saw people too...

"We don't have enough fuel to get back to base, either," Chopper observed glumly.

"Wardog Squadron, we can't get a tanker aircraft over to you. Proceed northeast to Heierlark Base, land and refuel," Thunderhead ordered.

"Hey! Kid!" Chopper shouted.

Not liking my wingman's tone, I said, "You really should start calling her 'Captain.'"

"Forget it. If she's a Captain, then I want her to start trash-talkin' like a Captain."

"Forget it, Chopper. I'm not doing that," Blaze snapped furiously. "I'm not Bartlett, and I never will be."

Chopper sighed. "Man, I'm missing that voice real bad now."

Me too," she agreed shakily. I couldn't tell if she was shaken from the mission, or if she was upset about Chopper's comment. No matter the reason, I wasn't going to let anyone talk to her or about her that way, even if they were a friend.

"She's got us back alive from battle for the second time. As far as I'm concerned, she's our Captain now," I declared.

"That's right," Nagase agreed. "And I'll never lose my lead plane again. No matter what."

Chopper didn't respond.

While Blaze directed us northeast, the briefer informed us about the current situation. "The enemy attack squadron has withdrawn from the area. The aircraft carriers Vulture and Buzzard were sunk by a powerful burst missile attack. According to hydrophone data analysis, we have determined that the attack was carried out by the Scinfaxi, a Yuktobanian underwater attack carrier. The specs of this ship are unknown, but its existence confirms that the advanced shipbuilding efforts of Yuktobania have been going unabated since the last war. The Scinfaxi is a serious threat to our objectives.

"- - Emergency transmission from Central. Our army has decided to deploy the military power of the Arkbird to neutralize the grave threat posed by this new enemy submarine."

___________________________________

Nagase

We set off for the northern region to refuel. This place is paradise compared to what's further ahead. Beyond our destination lies the closed gate to Nord Belka. Fifteen years ago, the Belkans set off seven nuclear bombs there to stave off the advancing allied forces, entombing themselves to the frozen valleys to the north. That bit of history should've been enough of a lesson for us all. The seven Belkan cities near the gate were vaporized, and the local area is still highly radioactive.

Our landing point was in the state of North Osea, formerly a haven for Belkans but now entrusted to Osean rule. If you refer to it by that name in front of a local, though, he'll put a scowl on his face and tell you that this is South Belka.

Heierlark meant a lot to us. Our flight training took place here on this airfield. Well, some of it at least. The memories from here were both good and bad. This was where Kristen Cohen met her demise and judging by Blaze's silence and long face when we arrived, it was evident she was thinking about it.

On the base, we were surrounded by junior cadets eager to hear war stories. The newspaper article about us, written by Genette, made it here faster than we did. Somewhere along the line, we had become the most experienced pilots in the entire war. Us, Captain Bartlett's nuggets.

Chopper took over telling the stories about our missions. Genette and Grimm flanked him, both of them jumping in occasionally. Blaze and I leaned against the stone fireplace, trying to blend into the background. I glanced over at my friend. I noticed that while she smiled, it didn't seem like she was quite listening. Blaze's mind seemed to be elsewhere, and the more I studied her expression, the more I started to believe she wasn't thinking about Kristen's death. If she had been, her gaze would've been on the floor, but her gaze rested mostly on Chopper. What was going on between the two of them?

___________________________________

Blaze

When the cadets cleared out, I took a seat on the sofa closest to the fireplace. It was strangely cold here. Maybe Belka was just perpetually cold. Or perhaps it was the sense that Belka didn't want me here. After all, my uncle was the one who ended their blitzkrieg, although no one knew that but a handful of people. I could probably count the number on one hand. 

Pulling out my phone, I hesitated to dial my uncle's number after glancing at the time. He'd be asleep most likely. It was ten at night, and he still stuck to a military schedule when he was by himself. I should've gone to bed with the rest of my squadron, but the events of today and the last couple of days replayed relentlessly in my head. With that in mind, I hit dial. Training hadn't prepared me to see dead bodies floating in the water or hearing the screams of people dying and not being able to do anything about it.

A surprisingly alert voice answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jason," I said. "How are you?"

"I'm good. What are you doing calling me at this hour? Are you okay?" he asked.

"I've... had better days."

"Talk to me, Goose." So I told him everything that had been going on, from the attack on Sand Island to the air raid to today's mission. I explained how Bartlett's disappearance had affected us all, especially Chopper, who seemed reluctant to accept me as captain in an official capacity. His behavior seemed contradictory to me because he'd been acting proud of me and complimenting me and saying I deserved the position originally, and now he wasn't. Then again, all the praise came before the kiss...

When I finished my rambling, Jason admitted, "There's no one way to get those thoughts out of your head. For me, talking to Janie or Pixy always helped, and near the end, PJ, when he and I got close. Why don't you talk to someone in your squadron?"

"Because I'm their captain. I'm supposed to be there for them. I need to be the strong one." I frowned at the tremble in my voice. I didn't want to hear my own weakness because if I could, surely so could everyone else.

Jason paused for a few moments, then said all-too-understandingly, "You're not telling me everything. You don't get emotional over things like this. You tend to get mad because you're mini-me. So, what else is going on?"

His gentleness made me crack, and after getting up and checking to make sure no one was around to eavesdrop, I blurted out the entire situation that happened between Chopper and me while I paced up and down the room. I told him Genette knew something was wrong but didn't know what, but that he'd surely figure it out sooner or later. Whether it'd be from Chopper or me, I wasn't sure, because no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, there was this constant tension between us. My wingmen were already noticing, and I didn't want them worrying about me or Chopper when they had a war to fight.

To my astonishment, my uncle sounded partially amused. "I'm honestly surprised it took him that long to make a move. Have you talked to him about that night since?"

"No. I don't even know what I would say to him. Also, two things-" I bit back a grin- "what do you mean about him making a move on me? And since when do you tell people to talk things out? Don't you like to hit first and ask questions later?"

"Okay, for the record, I've learned talking first can actually help things. Punching that guy in the face was a one-time thing," he said indignantly. "As for your other question, I've always believed Chopper. I just never said anything. Look, if you two didn't work together in such close capacity, I'd say to ride this thing out. However, since he's your wingman, I think you two need to at least get the tension reduced. Otherwise, Genette's going to come prodding, and I know you don't want that."

I groaned. "No, I don't."

"Talk to Chopper. I think he'll be receptive, and I think you two will get it worked out."

"All right... I'll let you get some sleep now."

"You sure you'll be okay?"

"I always am."

"Call me if you need anything. No matter what the time. Love you, Blaze."

"Love you, Jason." We hung up, and I sat on the edge of the coffee table and stared into the fireplace, letting my mind run amok. My bed was calling my name, and my eyes wanted to close, but my brain wouldn't shut up, let alone shut down. Staring into the flickering flames, I could see the tormented faces of the floating soldiers from Port St. Hewlett, the ballistic missile explosions, Colonel Ford's plane plunging towards the water in a fiery ball, Bartlett's jet being struck by-

"Can't sleep?" Chopper asked. I jumped at my friend's voice and turned around to find him cautiously approaching.

I returned my gaze to the fireplace, focusing on the flames. I couldn't continue looking at him because I was afraid if I did, he'd be able to see right through my stoic façade to the turmoil within, both about the war and my relationship with him. "No. You?"

"No. It was, uh, it was a bad day."

"That's putting it mildly."

Chopper sat next to me, his arm brushing up against mine. It sent surges of electricity throughout my body. I wanted to lean into him, if not just to be comforted, but I knew it was a bad idea. "It's been a bad week, overall. Between Bartlett disappearing-"

"-Yuktobania declaring war-"

"-The surprise attack on Port St. Hewlett-"

"-The air raid-"

"-The ballistic missile-"

"- The bodies in the water..." The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. He took a seat on the coffee table, facing the fire.

"Yeah," Chopper said, his voice low. "That's probably the worst."

"They don't prepare you for this."

"No, they don't." We fell into an awkward silence. I dared a side glance at him. Shadows danced across his face in the firelight, and he kept twiddling his thumbs. I hastily looked away when he started speaking. "I'm sorry for how I've been acting towards you lately, and especially for how I behaved this last mission. You have so much on your shoulders right now, and you don't need to deal with me being a dick too."

"Apology accepted if you forgive me for being a bitch in return."

"You weren't being a bitch. You were rightfully putting me in my place."

"Still, I was letting whatever this is going on between us affect how I responded to you today, and as captain, I can't do that. I have to remain professional."

"I don't make it easy," Chopper joked humorlessly. "You're doing great as captain, by the way. What I said about Bartlett earlier has nothing to do with how you're leading us. I just-"

"I know. I miss him too." I pursed my lips, debating which direction I wanted to take the conversation. "Can I ask you something?"

"Always."

"Why didn't you want to be captain? You have the most experience out of all of us."

"Other than the fact that I knew you would be better at leading than me? It's because I know that to be captain, you need to be able to compartmentalize feelings. You can't let your emotions get in the way of how you treat your wingmen."

"But that's exactly what I was doing today. I was treating you-"

"No, no, no, I'm not talking about when you and I are in-" Chopper motioned at us dismissively with his hand- "whatever this is between us right now. I'm talking about the times when you're being targeted, or when you're fleeing a ballistic missile with only a second to spare. I'm talking about how I would lose my Goddamn mind if something happened to you, and not just because you're my captain now. I was feeling this way before Bartlett got shot down. I can't compartmentalize. If I see you in any kind of danger, I have to go help you, everything else be damned. The only times I haven't is when you told me not to, and you sounded so confident that I listened, but it went against every fiber of my being to do so. It's not like you can't hold your own. You absolutely can, and most of the time, you've already gotten rid of the enemy chasing you. It's just... I don't know." Chopper pinched the bridge of his nose. "I shouldn't feel as protective of you as I am, and I knew if I allowed myself to take the mantle of captain, my favoritism towards you would show and cause worse problems than I've already created."

I briefly rested my hand on his tightly clasped hands. "I'm protective of you too up there, even if I don't always act or sound like it. I have been ever since you nearly died alongside Kristen. The idea of losing you terrifies me, and I just want to make sure that if- God forbid- something ever happens to either one of us, that we don't have this... tension still going."

"The tension wouldn't be here if it weren't for me. I shouldn't have kissed you that night, and I'm sorry for that."

"Why did you?" I blurted out the question before I could stop myself. I didn't know if I looked forward to or dreaded the answer more.

Chopper rubbed the back of his neck. "It was a drunken mistake. I misread the signs. That's all."

My mind started processing his words. "What?"

"I misread the signs. It was probably a mix of the alcohol and adrenaline from earlier, but I made a bad judgment call."

I shook my head. "You d-"

"What are you two doing up?" Genette's tired voice interrupted from the doorway. Chopper and I jumped like we'd been caught doing something clandestine, even though we weren't. Although we were talking about something that we didn't want him knowing...

"He has the worst fucking timing," I mumbled under my breath. A quick smile flashed across Chopper's face, so I guess he heard me. Playing nonchalant, I stood up and said, "Nothing. We're just chatting about the last week. How crazy it's been."

"Uh, yeah, that's it," Chopper said. "It's been rough."

"Has she told you what's bothering her?" Genette inquired, his brow furrowing in concern.

"Actually, yes," I said, garnering my brother's attention, "we were in the midst of talking about it when you popped up." 

"Sorry for being a concerned brother," Genette snapped.

"You don't need to be! If it was something you could fix, I'd tell you, but it's not, so I haven't."

"What's going on?" Chopper asked, his eyes flicking between us.

"Nothing," I replied as Genette said, "Something's been upsetting Blaze the last few days, and she won't tell me what or who is causing it."

"Because it doesn't matter!" I exclaimed in frustration. My cheeks burned, and I was grateful there wasn't anything more than firelight in the room.

"If you're getting this upset about me simply asking, then it obviously is," Genette said. "I don't get why you just won't tell me."

"Fine! Fine. You want to know?"

Chopper tensed "Blaze-"

I cut him off with a glare. Seeing the fear in his face, and not wanting to strain Chopper's friendship with Genette as he and I had done with ours, I said, "I kissed Chopper a few nights ago, and now things are awkward. That's what happened. Happy now?"

Genette's mouth fell ajar as he turned to his friend and then to me repeatedly. "Y-you two-"

"Yes. We kissed. Now I'm going to go to bed before this gets any more humiliating." I tried to keep my pace normal, but it was hard when all I wanted to do was sprint as fast as I could to my room and shut the door. I didn't, though. Just before I exited the room, I called out, "I better have my wingman alive tomorrow!"

___________________________________

October 1, 2010, 751 Hours...

Nagase

In the morning, we were directed to take these twelve inexperienced pilots back with us to Sand Island, which none of us were too happy about. They had only basic training, so God forbid we came across anything we were unprepared for, like an air attack. My squadron and I were all on edge, causing us to be on the grouchy side.

"Man, we'd better thank Pops for this," Chopper said, sounding unnaturally cheerful since I knew for a fact he wasn't a morning person.

"Why's that?" Grimm asked.

"'Cuz, he's the guy who pounded basic fighter maneuvers into us. Now we can lord it over all these guys."

"You said it," I agreed, although more with how Pop's trained us, not on lording it over these guys. I guess we could do that too if we wanted. These pilots had only a tenuous grasp of flying, much less mid-air refueling, so we had to land at every base along the way. I can't believe we have to send them off to guard the western coastline...

___________________________________

October 1, 2010, 1557 Hours...

We finally reached Miramar, the westernmost point of Osea before Sand Island. We dropped off the nuggets, and after refueling, flew back to our base. By the time we got to Sand Island, it was five o'clock and time for dinner. All of us were starving because we'd only had breakfast. The five of us rushed to the dining room, where people were already lining up to get their food. We got in line and waited impatiently.

"Oh my god, there you are!" Cassie exclaimed. I had only a brief glimpse of her before she tackled Grimm in a hug. The rest of us were soon given the same treatment. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine, just hungry," Blaze said. "And tired."

"I could imagine! God, that must've been so scary!"

"It was definitely nerve-wracking," I admitted.

"But we're all alive," Chopper said. He glanced sideways at Genette. "Somehow."

"Blaze saved us all yesterday," Genette added, returning his friend's stare.

Cassie raised an eyebrow at the boys. "What's going on with you two?"

Blaze rolled her eyes. "Ignore them. Nagase, Cass, what do you say we eat in my room? We never did have our proper catch-up." 

We both agreed, and once we had our food, bade the boys goodnight and went to her room. Once the door was shut, I pounced, "So. You and Chopper."

It was a good thing Blaze had sat down with her tray because she inevitably would've dropped it. She blanched. "What?"

"I heard about what happened."

She sighed in dismay. "I see you've been talking to Genette."

"What happened?" Cassie demanded. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing. It was a drunken mistake."

"Is that what you're calling it?" I looked at her skeptically.

"No, that's what he called it."

"Uh, can someone please tell me what happened between Blaze and Chopper?" Cassie repeated.

Blaze shrugged. "We kissed. End of story. It didn't mean anything. Besides, I don't date guys my friends have dated."

"Oh my god, it was two dates. I don't like Chopper like that. I love him, but only as a brother. Nothing more. Besides, I like Grimm, so please go for Chopper."

"He's not interested in me, but thanks, Cass," Blaze said, giving a falsely relaxed smile. It fooled neither of us.

Cassie placed her hand on Blaze's arm. "Did you want it to mean something?"

"What does it matter what I want? Nothing's going to come of it, so it's better not to dwell on it."

"You're deflecting."

"I'm good at that."

"But not as good as I am at weaseling things out of you. Now talk to us. This is what sisters are for."

Blaze stared at her empty food plate, choosing her words carefully as she always did. "I've liked Chopper since I first saw him. As cheesy as this will sound, it was my wildest dream come true when he kissed me. It's my fault it ended. I brought up Genette because the last thing I want to do is come between them. Chopper is a brother to Genette, and I'm not going to risk ruining their relationship. So yeah, I wish the kiss did mean something, but it didn't. It was just a drunken mistake that I wish hadn't happened because then we would still be close to each other, and I wouldn't be feeling like... this."

I watched her tears fill her eyes along with the multiple tics in her jaw, and it hit me in that moment just how much my friend like Chopper. Cassie must've realized it too because she said softly, "Oh, Blaze."

"It's ridiculous for me to be feeling like this because what was I expecting to come from it? All he sees me as is his best friend's little sister, and he never led me on or made me believe he saw me as anything else. I let myself fall for someone who I knew didn't return the feelings, and now I'm paying the price, and I feel so stupid."

"Can we do anything to help?" I asked, knowing what her answer would be.

She predictably shook her head. "No. I'm going to talk to him tomorrow at some point. We need to get this figured out. We would've had Genette not interrupted us last night. I'm going to turn in for the night. I'm worn out from everything."

"All right, let us know if we can do anything for you."

"I will," Blaze said with a smile. Cassie and I bid her good night, then left her room. We strolled down the hallway, making sure our voices wouldn't carry to her room before we started speaking again.

"You don't believe Chopper made a mistake, do you?" Cass put it more as a statement than a question.

I shook my head. "No. I think the only ones who don't realize he's in love with her are Genette and Blaze. Genette's probably figuring it out now."

"What should we do?"

"Get Chopper to tell us the truth. Then we can give good advice to Blaze."

She nodded. "Let's go!"