Chapter Twelve
The trip from Japan to Germany, on the military transport plane they hitched a ride on, had been long and uneventful. Neither Angela nor Alexander had been able to talk on the trip, as the noise of the engines roaring in their ears the entire time made it hard to even think clearly. So they had mostly just sat there, strapped into their seats and preparing themselves mentally for their return. It had only been two weeks since Angela had last been in a combat zone, but for Alex it had almost been an entire year. She was sure that he was probably both anxious and a little nervous to be getting back to the kind of environment he had grown up in.
Still, he seemed to handle those feelings well. On the outside at least. Over the course of the last week, Angela had become fairly adept at reading Alexander; even when he was at his most quiet or stoic. As he sat next to her, his chin firm and his eyes fixed onto the opposite side of the plane, most people would think that he was as cool as ice and peacefully waiting until the trip was over. That wasn't the case though. She could tell that he was struggling, and the way his eyes dropped after every time he blinked gave it away. He was actually scared.
Angela had really wanted to reach out and just grab his hand, to squeeze it gently and let him know that she was there for him. She couldn't do it though. They were both back in their uniforms, on a military plane, and headed to a war zone as pilots in the NATO Armed Forces. Alexander also happened to be her superior officer once more, and as long as they were in uniform she would have to remember that. It would be hard though. Over the last week everything had change so drastically between them that she was having a hard time remembering that he wasn't just a handsome young man, but was also one of the most skilled and decorated military pilots in the history of the world.
Their flight landed in Geilenkirchen a little before twelve in the afternoon, local time. The base was still as busy as ever, and as Angela led Alexander down the ramp of the plane with their luggage in hand, she looked out over all the activity and felt a piece of her soul shiver slightly inside of her. Her time at home and in Japan had been wonderful, and she wouldn't trade those feelings for anything, but it was only a small reprieve from reality. She was now stepping back into the real world, and the harsh reality of everything once more fell upon her shoulders and weighed her down.
She shouldered that burden willingly though, reminding herself that it was what she had chosen to do.
“So, this is where you've been living for the last eight months,” Alexander said softly, his voice barely able to be heard over the screaming of the massive jet engines on the massive cargo plane that had brought them to the base.
Angela now turned to the young captain and found his eyes moving over every inch of the base, taking in everything. There was a slight crease on his forehead and his lips were a hard and tight line across his face as he looked towards the massive hangars on the opposite end of where they stood and noticed some of the Mechs that were stored there. It was probably the first time he had seen one in person since he had been injured, and Angela wondered what was going through his mind. She really hoped he was okay, but she just didn't know for sure.
“We should go and report in,” she said a moment later and he turned his eyes back to her. Angela looked deep into them for a long moment and noticed that the light that had been shining in them during their trip to Japan had been put out slightly; and that really saddened her. “Come on, I'll show you to the building where you'll spend most of your time.”
Angela turned towards the row of buildings near the edge of the base and headed towards them, Alex following quickly behind her. The section of the base she took him into housed all the offices and barracks, and she found the one building that was completely dedicated to the Mech branch that was stationed on the base. It was the largest of the buildings and stood three stories tall, with each floor further split up into smaller sections that housed the individual squadrons and countries that lived there on base.
The area for NATO forces was on the bottom floor, with the X-04 squadron section towards the back of the building; and that's where Angela moved towards. Men and women in military uniforms walked through the halls as they went about their jobs, and none of them paid any attention to her or Alex as they brushed past carrying two duffel bags and a small dog kennel with a tiny sleeping puppy in it. It really wasn't the kind of welcome back that Alex deserved, but only a handful of people really knew who he was really; so it was to be expected. Over the next few days Angela was sure that the news of Leviathan's return would spread, and then everyone would know him.
As they neared Major Ingle's office, the place they were supposed to report to once they had returned to base, Angela found Sarah standing just outside his door with her back against the wall and her arms crossed over her chest. She looked up as they approached and a small and slightly sad smile appeared over her thin and pale lips, causing Angela's stomach to churn in anticipation. Something seemed to be up, and it was now that Angela realized that for the last week she hadn't once kept up to date on news regarding the war. The whole front could have collapsed and she never would have known about it.
“Welcome back,” her friend smiled at her, and then turned and face Alex for a brief second, “and you, Captain. Major Ingles and Kimberly are waiting for you two inside.”
“What's wrong?” Angela now asked her friend and let her bag slip from her shoulder. “Did something happen?”
“You haven't seen the news lately?” Sarah now asked and both Angela and Alex shook their heads, causing Sarah to sigh softly to herself and push away from the wall. “Well, you're about to find out what's happened. Good luck.”
Angela stared at her friend, but the pale woman never explained what she meant by that. It seemed there was only one way they were going to get any information, and that was to head into the Major's office and hear it from him. Though, if it was bad enough for Sarah to not want to talk about it, then Angela didn't think she really even wanted to know. It was strange though; if something huge had happened then why wasn't the entire base being mobilized or moved back further from the lines? None of it really made any sense.
“Can you watch over the dog, Lieutenant?” Alexander suddenly spoke just as Angela turned to enter the office. Turning back slightly she found Alex holding out the puppy's kennel towards a slightly shocked Sarah, her dark eyes glued to the little tuft of fur sticking out through one of the little holes.
“A... dog?”
“Please. I don't really want to bring him in there right now, so this would really help me out.”
Sarah now looked towards Alex, and then her eyes move to Angela as her brow knit in confusion. She sighed once more and then shook her head, reaching out and grabbing a hold of the handle to the kennel a moment later. Alex flashed the woman a small and slightly forced smile and then he turned towards Angela. With a quick nod he opened the door and then entered the small office on the other side, Angela quickly following him and closing the door a moment later.
A small wooden desk sat at the other end of the room, covered with loose papers and maps. A large and dour man sat at the desk with his his elbows on the surface and his hands covering the lower portion of his face as he eyed them. Standing to his left was Kimberly, her hair pulled back in her usual pony tail and her eyes hard and unwavering as both Alex and Angela snapped to attention and saluted, announcing that they had returned from leave and were reporting for duty.
For one long and tense moment no one said anything or moved, and the two young pilots were forced to hold their salute. But, finally after another few seconds, the Major nodded his head and both she and Alexander finished their salute and then relaxed their muscles a little, standing at ease as they both tried to read the atmosphere.
Angela had never seen things so tense before, and now she really began to worry. Just what in the world could have happened to cause a reaction like this? Had another Hive crash landed? No, that couldn't be it. Even without watching the news or reading a paper they would have heard about it. This was something else entirely it seemed, and it didn't take very long for them to find out just what was up.
“Welcome back,” the Major spoke, but his voice was hard and had a slightly icy tone to it. “I'd ask you if you enjoyed your vacation, but I already know that you two did.”
“E... excuse me, sir?” Angela now stammered, her heart beginning to beat hard in her chest as a small amount of fear crept into her brain and caused her to shiver.
“We'll get to that in a moment,” the large man sighed now and stood up from his chair, looking out over Alexander for a brief moment. “It's good to see you, Captain Woods. I trust you are feeling well?”
“Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!”
“Good, then we can stop with the flowery crap. Richards, I believe you wanted to take point on this one,” the Major said and then sat down roughly in his chair, with it creaking under his weight.
“Are you two out of your God damned minds?!” Kimberly suddenly yelled loudly, causing both Angela and Alex to jump in surprise. “Honestly, what the hell is wrong with both of you?! Especially you, Alexander! After your time at your Embassy you were supposed to come to the base for orientation! Not take a holiday in Japan! Especially not Togane!”
Now Angela felt Alexander stir next to her, and looking over she found that he stared at the accusing woman with both shock and embarrassment written all over his face. “How did you know I was in Japan? I didn't even tell the Embassy that I was going there.”
“Everyone knows you were in Japan! And I mean everyone! Take a look for yourself!” Kim quickly spat back, and then grabbed a newspaper off of the Major's desk and threw it at them.
Angela caught it out of the air before Alex could, and she flipped it over and a gasp escaped her closed lips as she saw the front page story. She hadn't even read the title of the story yet, as her eyes were instantly drawn to the smattering of pictures plastered all throughout the print. It would be impossible for her not to focus on the pictures though, as they were of her and Alexander together.
There were four pictures all together, with three of them being of her and Alex on the beach. The first picture was high quality and she instantly recognized the scene from when they had first arrived in Togane only a few days ago. In it they were kissing, both of their faces hidden. In the picture directly next to it they had stopped kissing, as it had been right before Natsumi and Mark had caught them in the act; and both of their faces were clearly visible.
The third picture wasn't that great in quality, but Angela really didn't expect it to be given where and when it had been taken. Once more she and Alexander were kissing on the beach, but this time it was raining and they stood just below the Aegis and near the Ruka Boga during the battle that had taken place there. It was fuzzy and you couldn't see their faces, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was them. Especially considering she had been there.
The final photo was what she and her friends often called a Death Photo, for the reason that when they died it was the photo the military handed out to everyone in the media. They all had one, but Angela had never thought that she would actually see hers in the newspaper like that; especially not when she was still alive.
“What is all of this?” Alexander asked in a cautious tone as he peered around her shoulder and looked down at the paper she held tightly in her hands.
“Go ahead, read it!” Kimberly barked in reply and at first Angela really didn't want to. None of this was making any sense to her, and she was really starting to get a bad feeling about the whole thing. Why would there be pictures of her and Alexander kissing in the damn newspaper like that?
However, she did read it.
Originally I had gone to Japan to write a piece on how the clean up from the attempted U.N.E. invasion was going, and how the coastal towns and cities that had been affected were recovering. However, upon arriving on the small stretch of beach that had seen so many deaths merely eight months prior, the story I wanted to write began to change without me even realizing it. I sat there on the beach and snapped some photos I planned to use for the article, and then headed into the town and questioned some of the locals about how their lives had changed and how everything was going for them. It wasn't actually until I returned to Tokyo and began to get ready to write the story that I realized that there was something else there that I had initially overlooked. Something that the world had been buzzing about for nearly a year.
Going through some of the photo's I snapped I came across a touching one of a young couple kissing in the sand. I was told by a few locals in the town of Togane that this was a normal occurrence on the beach these days, as couples from all over the world would make the trek out to that spot and recreate one of the most iconic moments from the war in the last twenty years. So I didn't think too much of it; or I didn't until I came across the next picture and realized that I recognized the young woman from somewhere. At first I couldn't place her face, and wondered where it was I had seen her before. It was then that it hit me: this woman looked exactly like a young pilot I had once seen on the News shortly before the attack on Japan! And after a little digging I found the proof I needed.
A young American pilot, by the name of First Lieutenant Angela Baker, had been in the News only weeks before the battle. She and the rest of her unit had run the final tests on the newest NATO Mobile Weapons Platforms, the exact same machines that appeared in Japan and fought off the alien forces at the cost of one of their pilots. With a little more digging I found that these machines, called X-04 Rogues, are so new that at the time of the battle in Japan there were only four in service in the entire world; and Lieutenant Baker just happened to be one of the four young pilots inside them.
You may be asking yourself what the significance of this is, and I would be happy to explain. I believe I have irrefutable proof that Lieutenant Baker was the young female pilot who shared a kiss with another young pilot right in the middle of the battle. We now already know that Lieutenant Baker was in Japan as a pilot for one of the X-04 Rogues during the battle, and we also know beyond a doubt that she was once more in Japan mere days ago; where she and a mysterious young man visited the site of the battle and shared another kiss when they thought no one was looking! I also believe that the young man she was with recently was also there in Japan, and was the mysterious pilot we only know as Leviathan!
For eight months the public has been kept in the dark about the heartfelt moment that was witnessed on live television by the entire world. The military refused to give us the names of the pilots involved, or even shed any light on who Leviathan was; a pilot who everyone believed had died during the Fall of London only a year before that. And sadly, we still know nothing about the man who piloted an equally unknown machine into combat and nearly died trying to save Japan from being overrun. Yet, I believe we are finally get the information we deserve and want. I wholeheartedly believe that Lieutenant Baker and the mysterious man she was spotted with on the beach only days ago are the two pilots who shared that iconic and touching kiss during battle.
Angela stopped reading at that point and felt a lump begin to form in the pit of her stomach at the words and pictures. There was still more to read, but she had read all she needed and she couldn't stomach it anymore. Alexander himself also seemed to come to the same conclusion, and he quickly groaned softly in his throat and moved away from peering over her shoulder a moment before she tossed it back onto the Major's desk in disgust.
“That was printed yesterday,” Kimberly now said and then pulled out another stack of news papers, showing them the top headlines of each one. “And these are from today! Nearly every News outlet in the world is covering this story!”
“W... we're sorry,” Angela forced out, her mouth now dry. “We didn't think someone was out there taking pictures.”
“You're right, you didn't think! Neither of you did! Pictures of you two are plastered over every newspaper and television screen in the world! And while that not mean all that much for you, Baker, it's not so simple with Alexander! Did you even realize that his identity is classified?! Did you even stop to think that maybe bringing him back to Togane might not be such a great idea?! How stupid can you be?!”
Angela hung her head and swallowed hard, forcing herself to take a deep breath and steady her emotions. It was hard though, and she didn't know whether she should get very mad at Kimberly for tearing into her like that, or very sad because of it. She had never seen the Captain like this before and it was honestly startling. She sounded like a completely different person and Angela now found herself taking the full brunt of her rage. However, Alexander quickly stepped in and came to her side.
“Stop it, Kimberly!” he barked now, and his voice was also loud and heated. “What has gotten into you? Just listen to yourself right now!”
“I'm afraid that she is right, Woods,” Major Ingles now spoke, folding his large hands in front of him on his wooden desk, “however, I'm not sure I agree with how aggressive she is at the moment. But, the fact that your identity is classified still remains; and your actions in Japan have put that in jeopardy.”
“And we haven't even gotten to the fact that a lower ranked officer went on vacation with their male superior!” Kimberly now added heatedly and Angela could feel her cheeks begin to burn at the statement. She couldn't very well deny it though.
“That does not concern you, Captain Richards,” Alexander now breathed savagely, and Angela was surprised to hear so much emotion in his words. Looking over she found him staring angrily at Kimberly, his fists in tight balls and his back rigid with his shoulders set.
This reaction was even more shocking than Kim yelling at them, and Angela almost reached out and grabbed a hold of his hand to calm Alex down. He and Kim had known each other for years, and they really were like siblings; so why were they at each others throats in that moment? If she didn't know any better, Angela would honestly think that the two of them hated each other. But that was supposed to be far from the truth.
“It does concern me, Captain Woods! What the hell are you two even thinking?! The both of you are from the same battle group! Do you know how unprofessional this is? You're God damned NATO pilots!”
“As far as I know there is no military law or rule that prohibits relations between officers of the same battle group anymore! So I repeat what I stated: It does not concern you. Not unless something changed and I wasn't aware of it!”
Kimberly breathed loudly through her nose and stared at him for a long moment. Then her eyes quickly darted over to Angela and a look of disgust flashed across her face before she managed to compose herself and looked away. That wasn't really the kind of look Angela had been expecting to find in her superiors eyes, and she really didn't know what to make of it. It was like she hated her or something.
“And what about your identity? Are you just planning to sweep that under the rug as well? Pretend like your picture isn't floating around out there? Because I don't think that's going to work!”
“No, I don't plan to just sweep it under the rug. In fact, we're going to do the opposite.”
“What do you mean?” Major Ingles asked now, cutting Kimberly off before the woman could even open her mouth to say anything.
“We're going to get ahead of it, and control what information is given out. There's no point trying to hide who I am anymore, as people are just going to keep digging. Besides, my identity was classified because I was a minor, but I'm eighteen now; so there shouldn't be a problem. It had always been Sir Rupert's intention for me to go public about who I am, and I don't think there's ever going to be a better time than there is now. We can get the jump on all the speculation and also dictate what information the public will be given, while still appearing to give them everything they are asking for.”
“Alex...” Kimberly breathed angrily, but Alexander ignored her in that moment and fixed his eyes on the officer that out ranked her.
“Very well, I'll talk to my superiors about your idea. And you're right about what you said earlier; whatever is going on between you and the Lieutenant is mostly between the two of you. However, like Richards said, I would also like to remind you that you two are NATO officers. So keep your relationship in private! No displays of affection! Is that understood?”
“Y... yes,” Angela forced the word over her slightly shivering lips while Alex only nodded.
“Good. Now, I hope you got enough rest on your flight, because there's lots for you to get done today, Captain. There's lots of paperwork for you to fill out before you can even return to full duty. Your new pilot also arrived earlier in the week and needs to be seen to; and Sir Rupert is expecting you in hangar thirty nine later in the day to go over the Aegis.”
“Understood, sir! Was there anything else?”
Major Ingles looked at something on his desk and then slowly shook his head in answer. A moment later he looked to Kimberly, but the angry woman simply groaned in frustration and then shook her own head, giving Angela one more dirty look as she did so.
“There doesn't appear to be. Baker, get him set up in the pilot ready room and help him get acquainted with how this base is run. Dismissed.”
*
“So... you left as a nervous wreck and come back as part of small family with a dog...” Sarah whispered to Angela. Her head was buried in her own paperwork as they sat in the pilot ready room, but looking over Angela found her friend smirking at her from the corners of her eyes. At the moment they were the only people in the quiet room, as Alexander had just left to have some of his own paperwork signed off on.
Angela now groaned and put her pen down, turning to face her smirking friend as a wave of embarrassment threatened to tear her down. The small puppy, that still hadn't been named, sat on Sarah's lap and lapped up all the attention she was giving him, small and happy little groans breaking up the silence of the room as the two friends just stared at one another for a long moment.
“Well, you got anything to say for yourself?” Sarah prompted and once more Angela groaned in frustration. She had been hoping that Sarah would just leave the whole thing alone, especially after the all the yelling she had just gone through; but it appeared that wasn't going to happen.
“There's... there's really nothing to say,” she breathed a second later and tried to tear her eyes away from the pale woman who sat on the couch next to her.
“Don't give me that. The picture of the two of you making out on the beach is all over the place, Angie! So let's hear all the details! The juicier the better!”
At this point Angela now leaned back on the couch and heaved a heavy and loud sigh that rattled her ribs. “Can we not? I'm still trying to figure out what the hell is going on, and I'm not in the best mood after having Kimberly yell at me like she did.”
“Yeah, that was a little brutal,” Sarah admitted and stopped petting the puppy for a moment, causing him to whine and paw at her hand to get her attention once more. “You could hear it all from the hall, so I understand that you don't want to talk about it. Right now at least. You will tell me everything eventually though; mark my words. Did you at least have fun?”
“I did,” Angela answered with no hesitation, the sound of longing in her voice. She really did have fun, but that was long gone now. “I just don't understand why this is such a big deal! I mean, I can understand why Leviathan's identity is big news and all of that, but why are people so fixated on a stupid little kiss? It doesn't make any sense!”
“Well, from what I saw it wasn't just a little kiss, but that's besides the point. And come on, Angie, you can't tell me that you don't understand how this whole thing has blown up! It's like something right out of a movie, and I think people are just looking for something good to hold on to out of all the bad crap that is happening. I guess you just have to try and not let it bother you too much, because I don't see it going away any time soon.”
“That's what I'm afraid of,” Angela now groaned and Sarah flashed her a slightly sarcastic smile just to rub it in. “Where are Thomas and Lisa by the way?”
“I haven't got a clue. I only got back on base about forty minutes before you did.”
“They're apparently taking a look at the new pilot,” Alexander's voice suddenly cut through the room, and Angela jumped in surprise, turning back to find him coming in through the open door with two bottles of water in his hands. “Here, I got you something to drink, Baker.”
Angela reached out and took the offered bottle, cracking it open a second later and taking a long sip to get some moisture back in her mouth again. “How do you know that they're with the new pilot?”
“I asked the person who was on duty at the desk where I could find Valdez, and he said that both Lisa and Thomas were already in the testing hall while she runs a simulation,” he explained and then took a quick drink from his own bottle of water, petting the puppy as he did so. “When you're finished with your files we'll head over there and meet them.”
“Alright, alright, I'm hurrying!” Angela sighed and picked her pen up once more, leaning back over the stack of papers in front of her. It was ridiculous how much paperwork they had to fill out before they could even fully return to duty. She had only been gone two weeks!
With both Alexander and Sarah turning their attention to the puppy, Angela was able to focus on filling out the paperwork in front of her and completed it. It was tedious and annoying, but the military ran on this kind of crap; and without filling it out she wouldn't be able to get back into the cockpit of her Rogue. It was pretty stupid though.
Thirty minutes later, she, Alexander, and Sarah were walking through the bright and dazzling sun as they left the offices and headed towards the small training centre located a few buildings down from them. They were headed to meet this new pilot for the very first time, and Angela found that she wasn't very happy about that. And it wasn't just because this new recruit was a female either—a fact that bothered her more than she would admit out loud. No, it was mainly because this pilot was barely out of basic training with no combat experience; and she was taking over Michelle's slot on the team. It almost didn't feel right.
But Angela couldn't deny that the spot needed to be filled. She knew it had to. She just wished it was by someone who had a little more experience than this new pilot. Alex had seen something in her though, and above all else Angela would trust him on the decision. She also had to keep reminding herself that barely a year ago she was in the same boat as this Valdez woman, with no combat experience and fresh out of the academy. She knew she was being a bit of an elitist, but she couldn't help it. A rookie pilot was a liability in combat; it was plain and simple.
As they reached their destination, and the small door that led into the interior of the building appeared, it suddenly opened and a man and young woman walked out. Both sets of eyes darted to the three young pilots heading towards them, and almost in the exact same moment they bulged in their sockets and a wide smile broke across the man's face as he locked his eyes on Alexander.
“THE PRODIGY HAS RETURNED!” Thomas shouted at the top of his lungs and then broke into a run, dashing across the distance between them until he was upon Alexander. He wrapped his arms around the slightly shorter man's chest and then lifted him into the air, laughing loudly in his ear as Alex looked back with shock and annoyance written all over his face.
“Would you put me down please, Thomas,” Alexander then breathed and the laughing and bubbly man suddenly stopped bouncing him up and down. Now he simply held the young Captain in the air as his laughter died on his lips and a serious expression suddenly painted his rugged features.
“Right... I forgot that you're some how a higher rank than me now,” Thomas then laughed nervously and placed Alexander gently on his feet once more, taking a step back a second later. He then fixed Alex with his serious gaze and snapped to attention a moment before he proceeded to flash him with the sloppiest and most patronizing salute Angela had ever seen before. “Forgive me, oh great Captain Woods, I know not what I was thinking!”
Both men now suddenly burst out in laughter, and Angela could only shake her head at them. While Thomas's was jovial and full of emotion, Alexander's felt a little more subdued and forced, and Angela worried for him even more than she had previously. How he was able to stand there on a military base when they could be sent into combat at any moment was something she didn't think was possible; especially for someone who had gone through so much and had been nearly destroyed both mentally and physically.
Lisa, who had been quietly and slowly come towards them, now stood next to Thomas and looked Alexander up and down as her normally hard eyes suddenly lit up a bit. Angela paid close attention to her now as she took the Captain in and felt both a pang of annoyance and regret fill her mind. She didn't let that affect her though, and forced a smile onto her face at seeing one of her closest friends again after two weeks of not talking to her.
“Hi, Alexander,” the once shy redheaded woman said without stuttering or whispering.
“Lisa,” Alexander replied and now his smile fell from his lips as he took his eyes off of Thomas and regarded her for a long moment. “How are you doing? It's good to see you again.”
Lisa smiled sadly up at him but didn't reply. Now Alexander simply nodded with a soft sigh, and then turned his attention back to the only other male among them.
“Listen, Thomas, I wanted to thank you for coming out here and making sure everyone stayed safe. It meant a lot to have you do that.”
“Don't mention it, pal. Although, now that you're here I suppose I should get word about my next transfer. I'm just glad I got to see you again before I had to leave.”
“About that... I wanted to offer you a permanent spot in the squadron. There aren't many people I trust explicitly, but you're one of them. I've already talked to the big wigs about it, and they're willing to let you remain a part of this team.”
Thomas smiled softly at Alex for a moment and then sighed, shaking his head softly from side to side as he regarded him. “Normally I'd leap at the chance to be back fighting next to you, but I can't accept a permanent transfer into this squadron.”
“Why not?” Angela found herself asking, Alexander nodding to her words beside her.
“Once Mary comes back from her rotation home, I'll be requesting a transfer back into her company. She's a capable and talented woman, but I'd feel better if I were in the thick of it right next to her. I'm sure that's something you can now understand, Alex.”
“Yeah,” Alex chuckled softly and couldn't meet Thomas's eyes as he spoke, “I can understand that. Very well then. I'd still like you to stay until she returns. If that's not too much trouble.”
“It would be a pleasure. I was actually hoping you would say that; you and I used to have a lot of fun together back in the day! I'm sure it will be just like old times.”
Now Alexander groaned and Thomas laughed loudly once more. “I really hope it's not like old times. I'm already on probation as it is, so I can't afford you getting me in trouble like you used to. Like that time you snuck into the Tower of London and dragged me along for the ride! I thought we were both going to get sent to prison!”
“Oh come on, it wasn't that bad! Besides, if I am remembering correctly, you were the one who who grabbed an ornamental sword out of one of the displays and wanted to play fight!”
Now it was Alexander's turn to chuckle softly, and he shook his head hard from side to side to deny the accusation. However, neither Angela nor Thomas were buying it. With the side of Alex she had seen on vacation, she could actually now see him being like that before his world had gone to hell. He did have quite the mischievous side, and Angela had found that out the hard way in Japan. Still, despite him pulling a prank on her, Angela couldn't get mad at him for it. He had looked so happy and carefree as he laughed at her.
“Alright, I hate to break up this little story telling moment, especially considering the story sounds so interesting; but we're here for a reason,” Sarah now interjected and both men stopped laughing and nodded, knowing that she was right.
“Right, we'll continue this later,” Thomas agreed and Alexander nodded as his normal haunted eyes returned.
“I take it you and Lisa were checking out the new pilot,” Alex now said and both of them nodded quickly. “Well, what did you think?”
Both of the pilot's eyes went hard for a moment and Thomas simply shook his head at the question, forcing the no longer shy Lisa to answer for him instead. “I hope we were watching the wrong person in there,” she admitted with a hard and cold tone in her voice, “because what I saw was pathetic. Her targeting scores were below seventy percent, her combat and manoeuvring efficiency was barely above sixty five percent, and her control of the Mech was absolutely horrible.”
“She isn't wrong,” Thomas now added and fixed Alex with curious eyes. “But I'm guessing you already knew this if you were the one who brought her in. So tell me, why do we have this novice joining the squadron?”
“I'll admit that Valdez isn't that skilled... yet. In time I believe she will become a competent pilot, but that's not why I had her transferred into this squadron. It was her ability to adapt and change complicated coding to tune a simulator in the middle of a hard test that really grabbed my interest. What we're lacking in this squadron is a dedicated threat assessment and communications expert, and that's why I brought her in.”
“When you say she tuned a simulator, do you mean that she managed to recode it?” Thomas now asked and Alexander nodded. “How long did it take?”
“I'm not sure exactly, but I'm sure it was only under two minutes.”
“That is impressive. I can see why you were interested in them. But still, I'm not sure this is such a great idea. I read her service file, and she only graduated from an academy four months ago, and has never seen combat or had advanced training in an actual Mech. She could end up hurting us more than she would help us.”
“I'm actually a little insulted that you think this person can replace Michelle,” Lisa now growled, venom dripping from her words as she glared angrily at Alexander; though Alex didn't seem to really mind. “Michelle was a great pilot because she was able to track communications and identify threats, while at the same time fighting and contributing to the effort! This rookie won't be able to do that!”
“I'm aware, Lisa,” Alex replied in a soft tone, and Lisa's face softened a bit. “Michelle was an amazing pilot, and I am not denying that. I don't think we will ever find a replacement that can do what she did, and that's not what I'm trying to do. I'm sorry if that's what it seemed like I was doing by bringing Valdez in. I know how much Michelle meant to you, and I would never want to trample that for you.”
“O... okay,” Lisa now responded and for a brief moment she looked to revert back to her old self. Her face was flushed, her voice was barely above a whisper, and she stuttered over a single word as her eyes became intent on studying her boots below her.
Angela really didn't like the sudden change in Lisa's demeanour, and without realizing it she shimmied closer to Alexander until their arms were touching gently. However, a moment later, a shrill and excited squeal broke through the air and everyone turned back towards the training centre, finding a young woman with dark brown hair tied into a tight bun exiting the building. Her large brown eyes were locked onto Angela and she dashed towards her, a large and happy smile on her face.
“Oh my God! You're Lieutenant Baker!” she exclaimed loudly and stopped just in front of her. “I can't believe it's really you! I've been waiting to meet you from the moment I was told that you were in this squadron! I'm Private Danica Valdez, you're new pilot! It's an honour to meet you finally!”
“H... hi. How do you know me?” Angela asked a second before her brain realized she already knew the answer to the question.
“Everyone knows you now! You're like a celebrity! But even if your picture wasn't in the news, I'd still know who you are! You were ahead of me at the academy. Did you know that your scores still haven't been beaten? No one has even come close to them!” the young woman explained and Angela smiled nervously, unsure what to make of her excitement.
Alex snickered at the awkward situation Angela found herself in, but he quickly composed himself and then cleared his throat in an attempt to help her out. “Private Valdez,” he called out and now the excited woman turned her head and looked at him, a look of shock filling her eyes.
“Pretty Boy! Holy crap! It's really you, Pretty Boy! What are you doing here?! I thought you left the military before graduation!”
“Pretty Boy?” Lisa snapped and turned to face the woman who had called him by that name. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? That's a captain you're talking to!”
“Captain? That can't be right. Pretty Boy didn't even graduate,” Valdez said, but her eyes ran over Alexander until she saw his rank insignia on his uniform and her eyes bulged even more than they had already. “Wait! What's going on here? How are you a captain?! The squadron commander is supposed to be Lieutenant Baker! I am so confused right now. You... you didn't even graduate!”
“I suppose I do owe you an explanation, after having you transferred all the way out here. Baker was only filling in as the commander while I was recovering and retraining,” Alexander explained, but the short and slightly plain looking woman looked only more confused now.
“This still doesn't make any sense...”
“Captain Woods is the commanding officer of Gaia squadron,” Angela stepped in and was about to say more, but Alex quickly held up his hand to stop her as a small smile played at the sides of his lips.
“Let me show you something,” he now said and Angela knew instantly what it was he wanted to do, and she couldn't help but smile as well now. She wasn't really smiling because she was excited to see Valdez’s surprise—which she was a little—but more because she had been waiting for this moment for more than eight months. It was time for Alexander to finally become Leviathan once more.
Valdez looked like she wanted to ask more questions, but Alexander had already begun to walk away, forcing everyone else to catch up. Angela made sure to take a spot right next to him and forced herself to drop the habit of always grabbing at his hand whenever they were walking somewhere. It was a hard habit to drop though, and one more than one occasion their hands touched and she had to grit her teeth and will herself to not make more of it.
Hangar thirty nine was at the very back of the base, and it took them all a few minutes to walk to it. They spent that time mostly in silence, and as they neared it Angela could see a slight shift in Alexander's body language. His shoulders slumped ever so slightly and it looked like it took more and more strength to move each one of his legs with ever step. He really didn't look comfortable, but he didn't say anything and his eyes were set on the large military instillation that rose up before them. He was absolutely determined to reach it, no matter how hard it might have been for him to even see it again.
He really was amazing like that, and Angela couldn't help but beam with pride at him. She didn't think there was a single person on the planet that was as strong willed as he was, and she figured that no one ever would be. He was a total enigma, completely unique and special. Which was saying a lot considering where he had grown up at.
When they reached the hangar, Angela flashed her base ID as Alex hadn't gotten his yet, and the guard at the door quickly checked a list to see if she was allowed to bring guests in. Sir Rupert had seen to that though, and they were allowed in a moment later; and the instant the sun light was shut out around her, Angela felt that familiar tingle run down her spine that she got every time she saw the Aegis in all its glory. However, this time it was more like a full on shock of electricity running through her body as she realized that, for the first time in almost a year, the Aegis would once more have its heart.
The massive machine stood against the far wall, towering over the mass of people in green coveralls who worked around it. The paint sparkled in the light and the cockpit sat open in the chest, showing them the interior of the most advanced technological feat in human history. Just looking at it made hope swell in Angela's heart and she could feel a silent and almost reverend shiver run through the collective group. Well, it ran through everyone except for Alexander, who simply stared up at the open cockpit with unreadable eyes.
“No way...” Valdez whispered in shock behind them, staring up at the Aegis as her head shook from side to side like she honestly couldn't believe what she was seeing. “Is that... is that what I think it is?”
“Yes,” Lisa answered for Alexander, who seemed to be too lost in his own thoughts to hear what was going on around him. “That's the Aegis.”
“Are you okay, Alex?” Angela asked softly as silence settled among the group of pilots who all stared up at the Aegis in awe. She placed her hand on his back and gently rubbed it, moving closer than she should have when they were in uniform. She didn't care in that moment though; she had to make sure Alex was okay.
“I'm okay,” he quickly replied, his voice very defensive. However, once he looked over and met her eyes, his body relaxed a little and he amended his statement in a more gentle tone. “I'll be fine. Thank you, Angie.”
“Just remember that I'm here for you, okay? No matter what, and day or night.”
“I know,” he forced a smile and turned back to the crowd of working people just as an elderly man with a greasy looking white ponytail spotted them and hurried towards where they stood.
“My boy!” Sir Rupert announced loudly and now the mechanics stopped what they were doing and turned to see what was going on. “It is so great to see you again, son!”
“It's uh... it's good to be back,” Alexander replied as the man beamed at him with a wide and toothy grin that was a little more excited than Angela would have figured. “How is she doing?”
“Oh, not to worry my dear boy! She is in tiptop form, and ready to go once you get her tuned just the way you like! We repaired the damaged sections and rebuilt the OS from the ground up. She'll be even better than she was, and we just need your final adjustments before we can clear her for combat.”
Alex nodded and then shifted on his feet slightly, his hand brushing up against Angela's as two fingers and a thumb latched onto it for a moment, squeezing gently as he tried to work himself up for what was required of him in that moment. Once he had let go, Angela once more rubbed his back in encouragement and nodded at him, a small smile on her lips.
“Let's get started then.”
With that he stepped away from the group and walked slowly towards the Aegis, his back and shoulders still slouched slightly. He didn't let that stop him though, and a few moments later he was ascending the cable that led into the cockpit, his slim form settling into the shadows that had gathered in the interior. For a long and tense moment his eyes stared down at everyone gathered in front of him, and Angela feared he might not be able to control himself any longer. That thought was quickly squashed a moment later though, and the hatch began to close and hide him from her sight, the metal plates melding into the well built body until you couldn't even tell there was a hatch hidden there.
“Thank you, Angela,” Sir Rupert said in a low voice as the hiss of the cockpit sealing rang through the now silent room. “I don't think he would have the courage to get back into the cockpit of the Aegis if it wasn't for you.”
Angela remained silent, unsure of what to say in reply to that. She knew he was probably right though. In their time alone in Japan he had relied so much on her, and she became aware that he was barely holding on to his sanity. He was trying so hard to be the man he once was, and she knew it was so he could be out in the field where he could protect her. That's all he wanted to do now, and he had openly admitted it to her on the beaches outside Togane only a few days prior. She wouldn't let him do it on his own though; because as much as he wanted to protect her, Angela also wanted to protect him. There wasn't a single thing she wouldn't do to make sure he stayed safe.
“There has been some backlash to that though,” the old man spoke once more, and now there was a little bit of a chuckle in his voice. “My granddaughter's been threatening to come and visit the base ever since she saw the pictures of you two in the newspapers.”
“Oh God,” Sarah now groaned, and even Angela could feel her tone of voice resonate within her. “She's not actually going to come here, is she?”
“Oh dear me, no. She wouldn't be allowed on the base, and I'd much prefer her safe in the United States and away from the front lines. So have no fear.”
“Wait...” Valdez now stepped in as she seemed to be finally be piecing everything together. “If Pretty Boy is the pilot for the Aegis, and he and Lieutenant Baker are in the newspapers together, then does that mean—”
“That's right,” Lisa cut her off with a harsh tone, never taking her eyes off the massive Mech before them as she spoke, “and stop calling him Pretty Boy! Alexander is Leviathan!”
“No... no way...” the young woman breathed and Angela now looked back at her to find that she was shaking slightly.
“Welcome to Gaia squadron, Private.”