radio signals

Baird sees Marcus's name come up on the call display and frowns.

It's late; later than Marcus has ever called Baird before, and, oh yeah, Marcus hasn't called Baird in years. The last time they spoke on the phone, Cole was over to celebrate the latest successful prototype of DB Industries. They'd had a few beers, got to sharing stories of "the good old days", started feeling a bit nostalgic, and before Baird could stop him, Cole had the phone and was already dialing.

To describe the call as awkward would be an understatement. Marcus obviously wasn't in the mood to be disturbed; when he contacted them, it was always on his terms. The whole situation convinced Baird never to be the one to initiate contact again. Even if it meant watching from the sidelines as Marcus slowly retreated further and further from public life.

Briefly, Baird wonders if the man on the other end of the line might be drunk. As if that would somehow offer an explanation instead of opening up dozens of different questions. Baird has known Marcus for over twenty years now, and never once has he seen his former sergeant drunk. Not on any of the anniversaries of Dom's death, not when Anya passed away – never.

There's already a feeling of dread twisting in Baird's stomach when he picks up the receiver. "What's up, boss man?"

He's expecting a low, rumbling sigh in response, as is custom at this point. He knows the moniker annoys Marcus; they haven't been part of the army since the end of the Locust War, but Baird likes it still. It reminds him of old times – not the blood and the guts and the general day-to-day terror, but the comradery. The simplicity of fighting a literal monster.

Things aren't so simple now. Haven't been for a while.

"Is James there?"

The question brings Baird up short. Out of all the things he was anticipating from Marcus, this definitely wasn't one of them.

"No?" he replies, aware of the question in his voice. "Should he be?"

There's a very loud silence for a moment, and Baird's stomach twists tighter in on itself.

"I called Cole already. He's not there either."

The resignation in Marcus's voice indicates he isn't surprised, although perhaps he was hoping to be. Like he knows the answer but thought he'd check all other options, just in case.

"Okay…" Baird says. "So, where is he?"

"Probably with Del at New Ephyra's Officer Academy by now."

It hits like a punch to the gut, which it shouldn't. JD's been talking about joining the army since he was a kid. How could he not want to? Raised on stories of his war hero parents, war hero uncles… almost everyone the kid knows is a war hero. It makes sense. Of course it makes sense. But that doesn't make it sting any less.

They left the army for a reason, all of them. Seventeen years of fighting to the bone just to scrape out one more day – how could they not want to leave once humanity wasn't on the brink of extinction anymore? Hoffman had stayed, but he's the only one – and more of a figurehead until he retired. The last of the great leaders that brought the human race to the edge and then dragged them all back.

"He ran away?" Baird splutters once the initial shock has worn off. "And you just let him?"

The second the words are out of his mouth, he wishes he could grab them and cram them back inside. What a stupid question, of course Marcus wouldn't just let JD fuck off to join the army without putting up a fight, ever since Anya –

"Do you really think anything I said was going to stop him?"

If Marcus had shouted, it would have been easier to swallow. Instead, he just sounds defeated. Like he knew this was coming all along and is finally starting to accept it. For not the first time, Baird rails at the universe, wondering why it won't just give Marcus a goddamn break for once. After Dom and his father in quick succession, then it was Anya and now his son…

"Hey man, if you want me to— I dunno, I sort of know Jinn, she might—"

"Jinn's had her eye on James since she became First Minister. She's not just going to let him go if he's run willingly into her academy."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

They sit on the line in silence for a while. Baird waits for the moment when Marcus realizes who he's talking to and ends the call, but it doesn't come. He seems content to have Baird share in this silent misery with him, in the knowledge that the kid they both love – because Baird does love JD, the little punk – has run away from one family in search of another.

"I did the same thing to my dad," Marcus says quietly. "He wanted me to go through officer school, get a college education… but I enlisted as a regular soldier. I was always going to, and then Carlos—" He cuts himself abruptly, as if he forgot he was talking out loud.

Carlos? Baird doesn't know that name, though that's not entirely surprising. Marcus isn't exactly a chatty Cathy when it comes to his personal life.

"I joined because my parents said I wouldn't get my inheritance otherwise," Baird offers, a sort of quid pro quo. Marcus probably knows this already; Baird's bitched about it plenty over the years, even if the anger and resentment have long since worn away. "Look at us stupid bastards, huh?"

What he doesn't say, because it won't help Marcus to hear it now, is that was probably the best decision of my life. If he hadn't met Cole, if he hadn't been assigned to Kilo Squad, if he hadn't been in Alpha Squad and rescued by Delta… well, things would certainly look a lot different now.

But the world has changed. Gears aren't fighting the Locust or Lambent anymore. It's back to the shit it was before—fighting each other. The Outsiders, who don't like the way the COG does things, have replaced the Stranded. And Baird can't really blame them for leaving the gated settlements to take their chances with the Windflares.

"Must run in the family," Marcus quips humourlessly.

"What are you gonna do?"

"Nothing." He sounds angry, determined, stubborn. Baird wants to hit him. "If he wants to join the COG, that's his choice. He's made his decision, and I've made mine."

"Seems that way."

There's a harsh breath on the line. "Yeah. I'll talk to you later."

No, you won't. But Baird says, "Sure thing. You never know, he might come back."

If Marcus heard that, he doesn't acknowledge it. The briefest pause makes Baird think he might get some kind of response, but then the line clicks and goes dead.

After this phone call, Baird doesn't hear from Marcus for three years.

Until he gets an emergency request for backup – to help father and son.

"What? You don't call, you don't write…"

And I don't hesitate to hop in a giant mech to come save your ass.

He should be mad—furious—that it's taken the start of another apocalypse to get the gang back together again, but as he goes for a hug and catches a glimpse of JD standing behind Marcus, he finds there's no anger in him.

Well. Maybe a little bit. JD doesn't take the news that Baird's been watching his back for six months so well. The kid was always a bit of a little shit.

Author's Note

So it's been... almost exactly two years? Whoops.

What can I say, the writer's block was strong with this one. I've been trying to do Rachel Hollis's Last 90 Days challenge, and for me that meant committing to actually writing again every day, even if it's just a sentence.

With Gears 5 coming out next year, I was feeling the stirrings of inspiration again.