Rediscovered my stupid sign in for this website. Currently I'm just reviewing my old stories and picking which ones to work on if at all. This was done a while back but I stumbled upon it and after so long I'm just rewriting to give it a better flow. NO major story points are going to be changed other than I think I am changing that junior is on the ship with Tex. Well I hope its better than the original 1st chapter. XP expect new chapters for this fic by no later than this month.
The bright alien sky above Blood Gulch was marred with the particle remnants of a decimated ship. The void of sound left the residents with mixed feeling about the victorious tragedy that had just taken place hundreds of feet about them. For the Red army it was a glorious win against the Blue army. For the Blues the emotional uncertainty circled throughout, for all except one private Leonard Church.
"Uh Church what do we do?" Tucker asked. She's gone. Church couldn't believe it. After everything that they had gone thru, she was gone. In front of him Sarge was pressing his alleged victory over the Blues by taunting them for their recent loss The Red leader's words infuriated Church further. Shut up! This is your fault, you killed her! In blind rage he reached for his pistol, but you failed her. His hand stopped short of unclipping the gun form its holster. I failed her. Sure Andy blew up on the Sarges orders but ultimately the person responsible for Allison was him. His anger towards the red Sargent turned inwards then dissipated into depression.
"Do whatever you want, I'm going home." Church instructed. With a heavy heart Church began the slow march towards Blue base and away from the group of soldiers. I failed her. She was gone. He was supposed to protect her. /Failure/ Worthless piece of shit, couldn't even save the woman you loved. All the time spent trying to save her. Going back in time, fighting the stupid AI from Freelancer, all the training to enlist with her all those years ago only for her to be drafted by Freelancer. /Failure/ I should have done more. /Failure/ /Error/ He failed to die like expected coming back as a ghost cursed to live on without her. Not even hell wanted him. A failure, that's what you are Church.
His mind barely registered that his heavy robotic foot hit cold concrete rather than loosely packed dirt from outside. With the same numb mentality he took a left turn down the main corridor towards his private quarters. A few steps away from his destination through the base from muscle memory, if robots could call it that, a phantom pain shot thru his head. He robotic hands immediately shot up to cradle his helmet in a useless attempt to stop the sharp pain. Oh god damn it, what the fuck?! I shouldn't be able to have headaches. /Error/ /Error/ /Failure/
The helmets vents took a sharp intake of air reminiscent or breathing despite not needing to do so as Church was dead. A habit the he had from being a live only made the pain worse. Church new he was dead and possessing a robotic body but some habits die hard. The action had once been an instinctual reassurance for him now felt forced, almost fake. I need to get out of here! The corridor was getting smaller, constricting. The suit was suddenly too small for him.
"Church! Church, where are you best buddy!" Cabooses childish voice snapped Church into place. "Huh?" the pain was gone like it never happened but the uneasy feeling never really went away.
"Leave me alone Caboose." Church murmured quietly as he shuffled the last few feet into room. With no crazy AI on the loose and the Red's celebrating their victory Church was free to lock himself away his room. Free from distractions he began to lose himself in his memories of Texas and of his life before Blood Gulch. "What the fuck am I doing? She's gone, and I could do nothing to stop it. God damn it, I am useless." Failure. /Error/ /Failure/ /Error/
"Ok I need to get out." Church could still feel a dull ache behind the robotic body's optics that had started three days ago.
"Church! Church! Are you alive?! Besttest buddy, are you ok?!" hollered the childish voice of private Caboose through the door agitating Churches headache.
"Fuck, what do you want Caboose?!" He called back. This kind of exchange between them had become a routine of sorts since Church's self-seclusion three days ago. Church would never admit it, but he found the younger man's worry for his wellbeing to be endearing.
"Want to go outside?! Cuz I saw a bird outside but Tucker wouldn't believe me and it scares me, it told me mean things." Not in a million years would he admit it, but it was nice to be wanted. Closing his eyes against the headache he took in air trying to dismiss the pain. Two seconds of silence elapsed within the small dark room before Church's eyes snapped open having come to a decision.
"Alright I'll be right out." He responded through the door. Of all the poor suckers stuck in the box canyon Church never really felt close to anyone. Sure Tucker and he could joke around and throw back a few beers back when he was actually alive, but the teal soldier wasn't someone would he would call a friend. They were both to bitter and selfish to really help one another and they bickered almost as much as the Grif and Simmons from the Reds.
Caboose always went around announcing his supposed friendship despite his protests. But over the past few days he had been a constant for Church; actually if he was honest the kid had always been a constant. Sure he killed him but really that was his own fault. What had finally open Churchs eyes had been the happy selfless attitude of the kid, sure he was annoying and dumb as a door knob but if there was one thing Church could count on it was Caboose the have his back, sort of.
If there was one thing Caboose was good at besides team kills, it was providing a good distraction. Something that after the past week Church really needed, and for once he wasn't going to deny himself that relief.
Church opened the door out into the corridor where he was greeted by the sight of Caboose sitting down Indian style on the floor blocking his doorway.
"CHURCH! You're ok!" Greeted the Blue sims trooper.
"Yeah buddy, thanks for caring. Now how about we go look at those birds you mentioned." Church replied with a hit of annoyance that he always took care to add when addressing the other blue soldier.
"What bird? Let's go outside! What a brilliant idea Church!"
"Sigh, never mind."
After a two hour hike around the canyon which turned out to be an exercise in restraint for Church in not killing his team mate. Life seemed to start heading back to normal for him. Tex was gone /Failure/ but he had other people to look after.
Towards the end of the day the two Sims troopers ended up on the roof standing side by side in silence while looking out into the canyon that they called home.
"Church," there went the silence.
"Yeah?" he responded.
"You ever wonder; why we're here?" The question took him by surprise. Where did that come from?
"You know Caboose, I used to not care. I just went along with orders and hoped that everything would work out for me. But after all that's happened, you know what I learned. It's not about hatting the other guy because someone told you to. I mean you should hate someone because they're an asshole; or a pervert, or a snob, or their lazy, or arrogant, or an idiot, or a know it all. Those are reasons to dislike somebody. You don't hate a person because someone told you to. You have to learn to despise people on a personal level. Not because their red, or because their blue, but because you know them, and you see them every single day and you can't stand them because they're a complete and total fucking douche bag."
"I meant, why are we up here in the sun? When; we could be standing down there in the shade." Maybe that's what friend where for. To have them stand by you, with just the right things to say even if they didn't know it.
"Oh, yeah ok. Let's go stand in the shade."
I really hope this was better than the first. And like I said new chapters will be posted by no later than the last day of April 2015. Ja ne!