Things have changed a lot and that's not including that my return to the military was a bit odd. I also don't remember much that happened before my post at the polar ice cap base. I accepted the offer that IF gave me. I spent mornings doing patrols alone, and I spent my afternoons helping out the nurse, Compa, in whatever way I could. Call me a renegade if you want, I know what I must do. However, I still am haunted by my past. It's the very reason I chose to take patrols with me, myself and a few drones. The reason my squad had died before was because of a stupid error I had made in the past. A mistake...that I do not intend to make again! It's strange, I still feel as if there's something wrong, something incomplete, forgotten. No time for that now, I have to get these new syringes to Compa. Once I arrived, Compa seemed very worried about something.
-"Compa? What's wrong?" I asked, putting down the box.
-"Oh! Logan! It's...it's just that there's this man who went into critical condition today and I can't do anything to help. It reminds me of when you were in surgery. I just wanted so badly to-" I finished her sentence for her, seeing as I saw little droplets of water leaking from her eyes.
-"Help out. I know." I said, stepping closer to her.
-"Yes, *sob* and...and seeing him in so much pain..." she didn't finish her sentence, I did for her.
-"You wanted to do something. It's okay, it's normal to want to help someone. But you've already done all you can right? Now it's time for the doctors to do their best as well. I'm sure that man will be okay in the end. He might go through trials and pain now, but he will survive in the end...and that's what matters." I said in a reassuring tone, putting my hands on her shoulders.
She sobbed a few times before throwing her arms around me.
-"Thank you Logan." she said, her face against my chest.
-"Anytime Compa." I said, rustling my hand through her hair.
We stayed in that same position for a while until she parted, leaving my shirt a bit damp.
-"Thanks Logan, I...I feel a bit better thanks to you." she said.
-"Anytime you need me, for any reason, come find me." I said.
-"I will."
I got a call on my radio.
-"Logan! You haven't forgotten about the shipments have you?" I heard the truck driver say.
-"Of course not, I'm coming back for the next load." I said into the comms.
I looked back to Compa.
-"Looks like I gotta go." I said.
-"You go, you got work to do. I do too." Compa said softly.
-"Will you be alright?" I asked.
-"I'll be fine, now go." she said in a somewhat orderly but playful tone.
With a wave, I left the room to help with the rest of the cargo.
THE NEXT DAY
Instead of going on my usual patrol, IF called me over to her place. Yeah, not her office, her place, which was a room in the Basilicom. I had to oblige since I really didn't have a choice. I arrived early in the morning and knocked on her door. No response. I knocked again and called this time.
-"IF? You asked for me?" I asked.
Still no response. I slowly opened the door and looked inside. No one was in here. The lights were on and the room looked nice.
Hmmm...where's IF? This is the address she gave me, so where is she? I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. I took a moment to look around the room. It looked like the room belonging to a young girl. One thing that stood out to me was the little plush dolls of girls I didn't recognize at first. I disregarded that and continued my search. Without thinking, I opened a random door and turned on the lights. I saw something that shocked me for a second.
IF and Compa were sleeping in bed. Compa hadn't been woken up by the lights. IF was just staring at me while I stood there, startled. She spoke up after a bit.
-"What are you doing here?" IF asked in a tired voice.
-"I...I came here because of your note you left me." I said.
-"*sigh* Check what time I wrote that you should've shown up at."
I was a bit confused at first but I pulled out the note anyway. I read it again, glossing over the details until I reached the bottom. It said "Come at around 8:30 PM". I hesitantly looked at my digital watch. It read 8:36 PM. Wait, what? How is that possible, the sun is just rising! Wait...I checked the settings bar and saw that I still had my watch set on polar ice cap base time. I apologized quickly, turned off the lights again, closed the door and got the hell out of there as fast as I could. No way I'm sticking around to see the aftermath of this.
10 MINUTES LATER
I was trying to get over my mistake at my home. I was laying in my bed when I heard a high-pitched sound. I sat up immediately upon hearing it. I was alert now. I heard the same sharp sound again. This was a sound I've heard before in my past. As if talking to it, I called out in response.
-"Who's there?" I called.
The only response I got was a similar sound. I don't know exactly what the sound was, but it sounded like a cry, a call. I felt as if I should answer it. I must've been losing my mind because I saw a thin yellow line made of floating dust-like material leading out of my home. Having practically no choice, I followed. It led to the military hangar of Planeptune. Once I arrived, I kept following the line. It led me inside the hangar and it ended at the plug door of the same plane I had returned to Planeptune in. What was happening to me? I made a quick stop to grab my flight helmet and walked towards the old rust bucket.
-"Hey Logan! Off to your normal patrol?" I heard a random soldier say.
I ignored him and embarked in the plane. The plane had been upgraded since my return. They put one of those retina scanner things in here.
Once I took off, the line reappeared in front of the plane, leading me off somewhere out in the ocean. I'm supposed to be on patrol in a jet right now but instead I'm here, responding to a random illusion caused by my mind? I really am insane, aren't I? After 3 hours of flying I saw something in the distance. Why does this flight path seem oddly familiar? I got closer and squinted my eyes and saw the research facility I had left from! Why was the line leading me here? There had to be a reason for my insanity, I must find out what that is! I used what little sight lines I had to line up with the runway and touched down gently. Did this line want me to revert history? I parked the plane on the runway facing outwards so I could take off easier. I got out of the plane and remembered exactly why I hated the cold. Nonetheless, I followed the line until it ended abruptly. The sound repeated again, this time with a lot more clarity. I could hear exactly what it was. It was a bird call. Whatever it was, it wanted me to travel halfway around the globe just to meet it. I listened closer.
-"What are you...mystery animal?" I asked.
The sharper, more high-pitched sound played this time. A flicker of my past returned to me, images flashed in front of my eyes. I saw a frozen image of me charging into battle, along with something flying next to me.
I couldn't quite recognize the figure. It was definitely a flying animal, that much I knew. Slowly, more images and flickers of memory were revealed. Suddenly, all at once, I remembered this call. It was a call I had come to love back then, a call I had come to need in my life. It was my pet, Scratch. I looked up, as if knowing already that I'd see him perched on the top of the building. I made a whistle and he flew down to me. Just as I remember him. He seemed happy to see me...in his own way.
I scratched him behind his head just where he liked it.
-"Intruder! Intruder!" I heard someone yell.
I looked back in shock to see three men pointing at me in panic. I immediately recognized them, Leanbox. Spotlights flashed to life pointed at me.
One of the three men charged at me with his ice ax. I dodged and stabbed him in the back of the head with my own instead.
-"Contact is hostile! Contact is hostile! Bring in support!" The other two said.
I didn't like the sound of that. I looked at Scratch.
-"Scratch! Self-destruct base! Go!" I yelled while tossing him off.
His massive wings extended as he went off inside the building. Here's hoping he knows where the self-destruct terminal is.
-"Pods coming down!" I heard someone say through the radio of the two men in front of me.
I looked up and saw precisely that.
Time to bounce! I ran towards the plane and got inside. I started up the engines and hopped out again. I ran towards the building, dodging enemy fire. I had to get Scratch. By this point, the pods had already landed and troops came out of them. I was almost at the entrance when I got hit in the leg. I fell to my knees and saw the enemies surrounding me. I thought I was done for until I heard that iconic war screech.
-"What was that?!" A soldier yelled.
I smirked silently. One of them shoved his pistol in my face.
-"What is that? What did you do?" he said in what I assumed was his "intimidating" tone.
-"All I'm gonna say is...watch your head." I said.
They all pointed their guns to the air and I looked up as well. Thanks to the color of his feathers, he blended well with the winter sky. Suddenly, with great elegance, he swooped in. He used his razor sharp talons and sliced up all the soldiers. Scratch must've snagged his armor when he went inside because he was wearing it. Bullets were just being deflected off of him. I grabbed a nearby gun and started firing, holding off more incoming soldiers.
-"Scratch! Plane! Now!" I yelled.
He flew to the plane and I heard the engines roaring to life behind me. I turned and ran toward the cargo bay doors that were opening. Damn that bird is smart. I got inside and saw the facility explode and sink into the cold sea. I pulled the lever down and the cargo bay door closed. I limped to the pilot seat. I should keep the bullet in the wound for now to prevent bleeding out, we still got a long way to go until home. I turned to look at my owl and sure enough, he was holding a bandage roll in his talons.
-"Cheeky bastard, how did you get this?" I said as I scratched his head again.
He made a small cooing sound of approval before I took the bandages. I wrapped them around my leg and focused on heading home. After an hour or so, Scratch had fallen asleep. I'll admit, he was so cute when he was sleeping. Even though he's my most dangerous partner, he's still lovable. I eventually made it home and landed. I stepped out of the plane with Scratch on my wrist. Everyone was giving us looks of shock and disbelief. I overheard a few soldiers talking as I passed by.
-"Dude! Those two are back!" One of them whispered.
I kept walking to the exit. Once I left the hangar, I let Scratch go.
-"Alright Scratch, home." I said before his wings flapped away.
I arrived home and I saw a motorbike in my driveway. That wasn't mine...who's here? I walked inside to see IF and Compa sitting next to Scratch. IF seemed more interested in his claws and Compa more into his heartbeat, seeing as her ear was pressed up against his chest. Well they made friends fast. They noticed me when I closed the door. Compa ran up and hugged me immediately.
-"Logan! I'm so glad you're safe!" She screamed in delight.
-"Well, I'm sure I'll be fine with you here now." I said.
-"Logan, I gotta ask but, where were you? And, where did the owl come from?" IF said, gesturing a hand towards Scratch who was already eating some mouse. He must've picked it up on the way home.
-"Yeah about that...I kinda flew back to the polar ice cap facility." I said.
-"The what?" IF asked.
-"The "research facility" that went off the radar a few years ago. That's where I first woke up. I went back...I...I had to go back. I felt as if something was calling me back. I'm pretty sure it was Scratch but I can't be sure." I said.
-"Scratch?" Compa asked.
-"Yeah, Scratch, my owl. I didn't remember him at first either. After a bit though, it all came back to me, our alliance, friendship. He was, and still is, my most trusted ally." I said.
-"But why the facility? And what was calling you?" IF asked.
-"Listen, I'd love to stay here and talk about this all day but..." I revealed my bullet wound.
-"Oh no! How'd that happen?!" Compa asked, panicked.
-"Listen, like I said, can we leave explanations for later and can you help me now?" I asked.
-"You need to stop hurting yourself." IF said.
-"You make me worried whenever you're hurt!" Compa said, slightly annoyed at me.
Both of them agreed to help and before I knew it, I was back at the hospital being prepped for surgery. IF and Compa were right though, I really need to stop getting injuries. Whatever, as long as I get out of here alive.