In the Zone : An Ace Combat Story
By SWCipherZero
A/N welcome to this "Mega story" I'm going to do in place of RoTCIS, I've abandoned that. The first 15 or so chapters will have no action at all.
Chapter 1 : Prologue
December 5th, 2020
Skully Islands, Usean Continent, Phoenix AFB, 4th Air Wing, Donet City, 00:00
I hate this place, It's full of memories I'd rather forget. Normally after a sentence like that, a certain track from a certain Anean Animation comes to mind. That's how depressing this place is. It's an IUN-PKF Foreign legion, full of aces from all over the world. The people on this base are mostly rookies, that's one reason I hate it, I don't want to speak about everything else.
That's when I was rudely interrupted in my thoughts by a knock on the door.
"Lights out, Kenneth," said the woman, "The new recruits can't sleep."
Oh yeah, I probably should've told you my name. Kenneth "Arrowhead" Herbert. That's right, I'm the brother of John "Slash" Herbert, Scarface Two.
"Kenneth, I swear I will one day fire that Railgun at you." The woman continued.
"All right, all right," I replied, "but sometimes you need to really calm down, CO McOnie."
"You're awake? Can't sleep?" She replied, with an audible shock.
"You know me too well," I replied, that was followed by the creaking of the door and it opening, "Hey! I didn't tell you t-"
"Neither can I," said my CO, Deanna McOnie. That's right, you heard me. The one responsible for the destruction of the Arsenal Bird Liberty. "Is it alright if I sleep here tonight?"
"You kNOw my answer." I replied, emphasizing the "no" in "know" of course, I was being sarcastic.
"Come on, damn it." That was her signature line. Immediately I rolled over and killed the lights, and that was that.
December 5th, 2020
Phoenix AFB, 11:00
No one here wakes up until about mid day, even the officers, because many people in here. Can't sleep. Not even our CO, McOnie can sleep half the time. Must be Lehmann. But no one talks about that. Mess Hall, Breakfast to 99% of us, Lunch to those 1% who don't give a crap. Behind me was my Older Brother's old man. "Kenneth, you remind me of myself when I was young." Said the Old man, that old geezer still flies his Su-35 that he used 21 years ago, yes that's Phoenix, Scarface One. He's not the only hero on the base. Kei Nagase, what happened to you, you return from a 7 year mission and end up joining the worst shithole airbase in the whole IUN. Blaze who'd probably attempt to tie up loose ends, just ran to his room and locked his door the day she showed up instead. Then, there's my sister, well actually she isn't my sister, she's the closest damn thing I've had to a sister though, so I just call her that. I didn't fly in the Lighthouse War because, well one, I knew that my Belkan witchcraft wouldn't help me. I'll explain that later. Two, She got shot down, no one knows how she survived. Well, I guess those who are uninformed need her name. Kelsey "Brownie" Fletcher. One hell of a lone wolf she is. However, the people I listed off, are the few who use non-VTOL/STOL aircraft. This base is called "My ass itches" Air Force Base for a reason. Harriers and F-35B's, that's 40% of the base, with the other 40% being carrier based. I get my food and sit down with the "Crew" as everyone calls us. I hear conversations, but it goes right through one ear and out the other. I don't say a thing.
Phoenix AFB, Hangar A, 12:00
"The sun, calming." I say to myself as I approach the largest hangar on the base, in which only 6 aircraft are inside the hangar with a capacity of 50 aircraft. "The Arrow, eh?" I hear a voice behind me. "Kei, why are you here?" I reply.
"Answer my question first, do you have any courtesy?"
"Yes, the CF-105's mine, and 2, yes, I do, now, why are you here?"
"I don't know, I just, want to fly."
"The Civilian sector is better for people like you, you know that."
Nagase smirks at my remark, something must be wrong with her head, that's what happens when you get drunk and end up getting wet, wild, and doing, dirty, dirty, things. It's a long story, but that day, the peace ceremonies. More like the Lighthouse celebration starring AWACS Long Caster's smoker. Worst of all, it wasn't even Blaze. It was some mechanic who had a limp and the Princess of Erusea. Now, that's just disgusting to think about I think to myself.
"That day was weird to all of us, Avril…"
"Don't speak of it, we all know what I saw, something must be wrong with you."
"Kenneth, we all know what you did that day."
"I said that we'd never speak about it, Jesus H. Christ Nagase."
I then put on the earplugs and began tweaking the CF-105 "Arrow" to my specifications just in case Combat breaks out.
"You do like that thing, actually more like you love that thing."
I blushed, Nagase was really messed up in the head. I didn't even understand it.
I just tuned out my ears and went to work.
A/N :
So, yeah, welcome to this story, if you couldn't tell this takes place and many things fans will probably lynch me for, so yeah.