The FAF | Grimmverse | Volume I

Chapter III | Six Hours

I sat in the garage, staring at the dent within the turret of my M-51(W), the turret had been placed back into place, but the paint had yet to be replaced. It was cleaned during the last mission, but it still was evident it had been through a sand storm. I climbed onto the hull and hung onto the side of the tank as I leaned back and pulled out a pink spray paint can and painted a fifth stripe on the gun before carefully repainting the other stripes. Gold for Laura, Black for Leonis, navy blue for me, and pink for Neopolitan. I jumped down, forgetting about my dislocated ankle, I let out a pained yelp as I hit the ground, my ankle remained in place due to the cast but I still fell onto my back. A pair of MPs rushed to my side and helped me into a chair. I groaned in pain, my ankle pulsing as I took a deep breath. I eventually stood back up and wobbled around back to a sewing machine in the barracks.

"Trying to clean up the criminal's clothes?" A voice spoke. I looked over my shoulder as General Kris, of the 12th Artillery Brigade, I softly smiled at the familiar face.

"I was beginning to think you just disappeared, old friend." I replied, Kris returned the soft smile, although he seemed cautious.

"I understand you have sympathy for those who have been lost in this world, for those who have lost their family, but are you sure this is a good idea, she's a security risk." Kris pointed out. I sighed,

"I get that she's an assassin, and yes, she did work for Roman for a time, but still... She hasn't harmed our kingdom." I replied.

"She could." Kris replied, sitting down.

"Kris, please don't start this with me." I asked, Kris sighed,

"I'm just worried." He answered.

"I know, but at this point, we don't have much of another choice but to accept her help. She's already gone on a mission and has yet to cause harm to me or anyone on base." I replied.

"Are you sure you aren't simping over her? I mean, she is sleeping in your quarters." Kris asked, half jokingly. I frowned,

"It's a guest bed, and she is sleeping in there so I can watch her." I explained, "Plus, she has yet to give me a reason not to trust her. I'm not going to hold the following family against anyone, even if it was wrong."

"She's killed huntsmen, Alex. The kingdoms had her wanted for so many crimes-" I cut him off,

"That didn't affect the Falk-lands." I restated. Kris sighed,

"I'm just saying be careful." Kris explained.

"I know, but she's lost and needs a guiding hand." I replied. Kris nodded understandingly. He left the tent to return to his artillery tanks. I paused in my work, my breathing becoming heavy as I looked in the mirror. My dark brown eyes filled with pain but care, the reflection of my sister standing behind me over my shoulder in her uniform and a helmet, she had a hand on my shoulder with a soft smile.

"You're doing the right thing." Her voice echoed in my mind as my eyes grew teary. I looked over my shoulder to see the empty air there, yet her aura still surrounded me. I slammed my fist on the table as I bit my tongue to hold back tears, looking back up at the mirror to see her missing. I let out a heavy sigh as I stood up folding Neo's half-fixed clothes before I put them away in my barracks, being sure not to wake her up as the moon reached the highest point in the sky.

I stood on the airfield, watching as Bf-109 fighters patrolled the skies and a pair of P-51H fighters launched from the airfield with a B-17G. The roar of its engines hid my quiet weeping as I looked to the sky, tears rolling down my cheeks. I looked to the river that ran behind the airfield before walking up to it, the skylight softly illuminating the water as I looked at my reflection before I sat down, looking into the water as my sister reappeared in the reflection.

"Before you go... I have a question to ask before I'm alone again." I quickly spoke. The reflection nodded, "Are you real, or are you just my imagination?" I asked. Her reflection laughed, although no noise came from it.

"I'm here baby brother... So is mom, dad, pops, and Victoria." She replied. I bit my tongue, trying to hold back my tears as she smiled softly. "It's okay baby brother." She spoke softly before I exploded in tears. The sound of planes hid my cries as I wept over the river, my sister's reflection missing. After a few minutes of crying I pulled myself back together as I walked away, once more moving to a body of water. It was a relatively long walk, but the base was still in view behind me as I walked onto a delta. I stared at the open water, crying to myself, as I stood in the sand. It was ironic, I always hated the ocean, yet something about it was comforting, standing in a place that was seen as a safe haven for my family long ago. I stood there for a long time, just crying, collapsing to my knees at some point and just kept crying. I had spent hours on that beach before returning to my quarters, and finally laying down to sleep...