Three Strikes [✓]

Raising Suspicion

Chapter Fourteen: Raising Suspicion

|...|...|...|

Fort Grays Island, Usea.
July 20th, 2019.
0820hrs.

|...|...|...|

"Here." Pixy looked up as Kathryn dropped something onto the table in front of him. It was a slip of paper with numbers scribbled onto it. He raised an eyebrow as he picked it up and looked at it and she tiredly explained, "Genette told me to give it to you. It's McKinsey's phone number, just like you asked for."

He perked up and immediately reached for his phone, pulling it out and tapping on the phone icon to open it up, completely ignoring Kathryn still hovering over him. Ever since Genette had found out what he had, Pixy had been anxiously awaiting an opportunity to speak with Commander McKinsey. Genette was still working with Knocker to find out more about the Fort Grays base commander, so it had taken him a while to get the number. He told Pixy that he'd found it out and that he'd get it to him as soon as he could. He didn't expect it would take as long as it did, though. Still, he was grateful. As he started to put in the number, that's when he noticed Kathryn's nervous hovering. He looked up at her. "Was there something else."

Kathryn hesitated for a moment. Neither one of them seemed to agree with the other one getting as involved as they were in the war. Pixy had a reason — he had a personal stake in this — whereas Kathryn did not. Granted, Clown had called Kathryn and Hans first to get them involved with it. But there was nothing more for them to do. Sorties had been few and far between for Golem and Mage Squadron, even then, they were all just poor attempts to get closer to the elevator. Each time the IUN forces were fought back by the UAV interceptors that Erusea continued to use. It wasn't as if Kathryn and Hans had been doing any good, although Kathryn continued to insist that this was for their friend instead of just her own attempt to get back in the action.

At last, she sighed. "I'm not sure if you getting involved is a very good idea, Pixy," Kathryn said to him. Pixy couldn't help but frown, scanning her eyes for any sign that she didn't fully agree with what she was saying. But it seemed that this was just some brutal honesty.

"What makes you say that?" he asked her, trying to keep the defensiveness out of his voice. Pixy took a deep breath and went on, "If the Grey Men are actually making a comeback, or at least attempting to, then I have to do what I can to protect Naomi from them." He looked down at his phone and the half complete number he'd been dialing, then straightened up confidently and looked back at Kathryn. "You should know as well as anyone what it's like having enemies in Belka," Pixy told her firmly, ready to justify his involvement as much as was necessary. "Furthermore, you should know what it's like having enemies in Belka because of your father. I'm not the only one who pissed them off during the war. Cipher did a good amount of Belkan-crossing himself."

"Well, that's...fair." Kathryn crossed her arms, and looked everywhere but back at Pixy, avoiding eye contact with him. Instead, she looked out the window as she spoke. "But I also know that if this is the work of the Grey Men — revealing Naomi's heritage, I mean — then you're only giving them what they want by getting involved." Kathryn looked back at him, noting the confusion on his face quickly. "Just think about it. They're Belkans that wish to restore Belka to its former glory and they want to watch the world burn while they do it. Meanwhile, you're a Belkan ace that left Belka and assisted in driving Belka back during the war. So, they recognize your skill, quite obviously. You're a threat to them, just like you were all those years ago. And now Naomi is coming close to surpassing you in skill. You'd probably figure that they'd want to avoid having both of you together in the same sky, because then they have something to worry about, but in reality that's what they want."