Disclaimer: Will, Isabella, Brenner, Lin, Greyfield, Tabitha, Caulder and generic IDS Soldiers are property of Intelligent Systems.
People's thoughts are italicized
Flying in the Wind
An Advance Wars: Days of Ruin fanfiction by PrinnyMist
The ground felt cold, but Andrew didn't mind. He slowed his breathing as the rest of the 40 some men that formed the platoon got some well deserved and needed rest after another full day's march. Many soldiers instantly fell asleep, their dirty, dented helmets covering their face or lying on the ground, upside down. Andrew shook his head to fend off a sudden urge to fall asleep as well.
I'm so tired, though. He thought as he yawned. He searched for the captain who had led the company since they had been separated during the escape with the Lazurians. He noticed the man leaning on a tree at the edge of the forest, alone. Andrew stood up slowly and ambled over to the captain.
"Get some rest, private." The captain announced in his usual drawl. "Ye an' the others've been runnin' yer butts off since we got outta that frozen hell-hole." Andrew paused as the captain continued to stare westward, their eyes shielded from the setting sun by the rims of their helmets. "An' we gots lotsa ground to cover tomorra, too." The captain slowly continued, never once looking at Andrew. "Looks like the rest o' the battalion got attacked."
Andrew scanned the horizon. He could barely make out a single column of smoke that rose from somewhere beyond the edge of his sight. He bowed his head and sighed.
"I know how ye feel. I feel the same way." The captain added, removing his helmet and running hand through his thinning black hair. "But I promised ev'ryone here that I'd get them back to the battalion. And that's what I'll do."
Andrew nodded and saluted, before returning to his spot on the cold ground. The sun dropped below the horizon, sending a chill wind across the hill the company rested on. He shivered once before closing his eyes and drifting off into a deep sleep.
--
Andrew awoke to the gentle shaking of his shoulder. He looked up into the bright blue eyes of a young woman. He yawned as the woman stood over him and smiled.
"You're finally awake, sleepy head." The woman said in a cheerful tone. "Captain said we're gonna march the whole day to catch up with the battalion." Her cheerfulness never faded, contrasting the sleepy soldiers behind her, who grumbled and groaned to each other as they rose to their feet. The sun had barely begun to rise as the captain began leading the drowsy soldiers westward.
"You have the perfect timing, Eri. I was just dreaming you and I had found this nice hot spring. You only had this tiny towel…" Andrew dodged the flurry of punches that followed. He distanced himself from Eri and brushed the dust from his uniform.
"Is that all you think about?" Eri blushed, her cheerful tone reduced to a whisper.
"Not really. There's not much else to think about in this piece of hell." Andrew laughed, catching the helmet Eri casually flung at him. "Hey, thanks."
"Well, we'll have all the time in the world to search for one when we're outta Greyfield's reach." Eri commented, as the two gravitated towards the end of the loose line of troops. "I just hope that the rest of the battalion is okay."
"Lieutenant Lin's pretty sharp. With her in charge, the Wolves will never lose!" Andrew cheered. But Captain Brenner… Andrew couldn't shake the feeling that he would never see Captain Brenner again.
"Captain Brenner would never give up." Eri flatly uttered, causing Andrew to jump a little. "He could eat a tank shell and keep going. I have faith that he'll be with Lin and Will, sitting on a box and spouting those corny lines about life and hope."
Andrew slowed his pace a little as he thought about Eri's past. She had been one of the civilians the Wolves had met at New Wolfington along with Dr. Morris. When the Wolves needed volunteers, Eri was practically first. She had trouble learning how to shoot, but she kept practicing until she could hit a tin can off a stump from 10 meters away. Andrew had asked her once about why she had joined, but she didn't reply. He wondered if someone Eri knew had died protecting her.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Eri shouted, grabbing Andrew's arm and pulling him towards the ever forward marching platoon. "You're gonna get run over by Greyfield's fat butt if you stand in the middle of the road fantasizing about me!"
Andrew tried to respond, but Eri continued her tirade as the two hurried to catch up the platoon.
--
The platoon stood on a hill overlooking the razed camp. The smoke they had seen had come from the tents and crates smoldering in the center. As they made their way into the camp, they scanned the area for any signs of survivors.
"Jest as I thought." The captain announced. "We're too late. The battalion's probly fine, it's jest that they're runnin' from Greyfield's men. That whale's probly whippin' his men to catch 'em. They burnt this place down an' left in a jiffy."
"Sir, do you think Greyfield's gonna get us?" One nervous soldier asked. The captain stared into the youth's eyes and shook his head.
"I'd never let any of ya be caught by that walrus." The captain said loudly, as the men gave a small cheer. "We got two hours before sunset. Get what ye can find an report to that hill in the west." The platoon instantly spread out, digging through the ashes and collapsed tents for supplies.
"Hey!" Eri shouted, tugging at something under the pile of ashes in the center of the camp. "I found something big!" Andrew hurried over and began scooping away the ashes along with Eri. They dug in expectant silence for a minute before Andrew paused and looked at the thing they were uncovering.
Beneath the thin layer of ash that turned the once bright red cloth into a dull, gloomy crimson, lay the same howling wolf that adorned his and Eri's uniforms. It was the battalion's flag.
"Leave it." Andrew sighed, sitting on the ground and leaning back. "It's just the flag."
"Are you kidding me?" Eri yelled, as she yanked the burned flag from the ashes. "This flag is the reason I'm with you guys!" She held up the half of the flag she had rescued and examined it.
"Geez. Greyfield's guys can't even burn a flag right." Andrew snorted, wiping his hands on his uniform and wandering off towards a fallen tent. "But they took all the food and ammo…just what we needed."
"It's not so bad. It's mostly the edges that're gone." Eri announced, folding the damaged flag reverently. "I can fix it up with that sewing kit I found a few months back."
Andrew didn't hear her; he was too busy searching the fallen tent. He wiggled out from under the canvas and proudly held up a smashed but whole tin of gravy. "Hey, check it out!" He pulled out a tin of crackers from his backpack and smiled. "We finally get something to eat with these suckers!"
Eri didn't hear him; she was too busy cutting up a corner of the tent with her survival knife. She folded the sections she cut neatly and placed them carefully into her nearly empty sack. "That should do it." She said, sticking the knife back into its sheath on her leg. "So, what'd you find?"
Andrew sighed and revealed the gravy and crackers again, this time limply. Eri cheered and reached for the food, but Andrew pulled them back and began trudging towards the hill where the others slowly gathered. Eri puffed her cheeks and chased after Andrew as the sun slowly set.
--
"Ow!" Eri squeaked, sticking her thumb in her mouth. She tasted the drop of blood that slowly leaked out. A few tears welled up in her eyes; it was the tenth time tonight that she had poked her finger with the tiny yet sharp sewing needle. "Grrr…I wish I had a brighter lamp." She placed some twigs on the embers of the fire she had started and squinted to make out the stitches she had made.
"Hey." Eri jumped as Andrew emerged from the shadows holding a thin, slightly burnt blanket. "You'll catch a cold if you stay out here by yourself." He wrapped it around Eri and sat down beside her.
"I'm perfectly fine." Eri pouted, whipping off the blanket and wrapping it around Andrew. She shivered a little before resuming her sewing.
"Why do you care so much about that flag?" Andrew quietly asked, as Eri poked her thumb again. She stuffed it into her mouth as a single tear welled up in each eye. Andrew sighed and wrapped the blanket around Eri again.
"This flag…is one of the reasons I'm still alive." Eri softly replied, her usual cheer something in the distant past. "My brother…he was a soldier in the battalion before the meteors hit. He always brought me little things from the battalion, like a pocket knife or a hat. One day, he brought back a spare flag. He said that the battalion was retiring the flag in place of a new one. I was so excited; this was something that truly made the Wolves different from all the other battalions in the army. We had a flag post in our front lawn, so we raised the flag on it every day. In the mornings I would look out my window and watch as my brother raised that flag, and sometimes, he even let me do it." Eri paused as the last of the embers burned out. Andrew shuffled closer as Eri continued in a whisper.
"And then the meteors came…we were lucky that we made it to the basement in time. But our parents were at work…and they never came back. We didn't have much left, but after we dug our way out of the wreckage we found the flag post lying on the ground, with the flag still attached to it. We took it as a sign from the heavens, and we used it as a sack and blanket as we wandered around, looking for others." Eri began to sob. "We had just made it to New Wolfington when my brother suddenly collapsed. Doctor Morris said that he had a disease from eating something bad, and that there wasn't any medicine to heal him. We…we raised that flag in the center of town in his honor…just before you arrived with the battalion." She leaned on Andrew's shoulder and cried.
Andrew said nothing, but gently stroked Eri's soft black hair and held her tightly. "I never knew…I never understood why Captain Brenner kept that flag around. But…I see why. It's a testament to our will to survive." He reverently picked up the flag and felt the thin, worn red cloth. "It survived the meteors…It helped you get to New Wolfington. It even survived Greyfield. When this whole thing is over, we'll put it on the highest flagpole in the world. It'll be our symbol. Proof that we never gave up."
He turned to Eri, who had hiccupped a little in her sleep. He pulled out a small flashlight and gently laid Eri down. He folded the flag carefully in half and covered her with it, before lying beside her and covering himself with the thin blanket.
"I'll be there for you, Eri. I'll protect you in your brother's place."
--
The platoon slowly walked across the plains under the dreary, ash filled sky. The men were tired and hungry, and there had been no signs of life anywhere for the past month. A few had either gone crazy or just dropped dead of exhaustion, while the rest had begun to eat grass and bark from burned trees out of desperation. They also had to deal with a strange and violent virus that caused plants to erupt from the victim's skin. Three men had contracted the disease and died, with the rest showing signs of infection. Even the captain himself seemed grimmer than before. His recent decisions to abandon the weak and sick immediately shocked the men, who uneasily but quickly followed their orders.
Andrew scratched at the strange triangular mark that had appeared on his shoulder a few days ago. He firmly held Eri's hand as the two marched along at the end of the line. Eri had a mark too; it had appeared last night, when she had complained about her shoulder having an itch. Andrew wondered if the mark meant they too would become covered with creepy flowers and vines as well.
The captain suddenly paused and held up his arm. The platoon instantly stopped marching and listened intently, their hunger and fatigue replaced by adrenaline and fear. Without word, the captain immediately motioned for the platoon to take cover. The men scrambled to find a tall patch of grass or knoll to hide behind. The last man leaped behind a fallen tree just as the mighty war-tank rounded the bend. The hidden men tightened the grip on their guns; the first war-tank they encountered had been commanded by someone bent on destroying them. Suddenly, the hatch of the tank opened and a young boy poked his head out.
"Hello? It's me, Will!" He shouted, just before a hand reached up and yanked him back into the tank. A few muffled yells escaped the tank before a strict female voice emanated from the tank.
"Attention unknown troops; this is Lieutenant Lin of Brenner's Wolves. Identify yourself." Instantly the men leaped from their hiding spots and cheered. Andrew and Eri pulled out the flag and waved it as tanks and loaded jeeps swarmed around them. Two transport copters landed near the war-tank, as Lin emerged from the tank and approached the captain.
"Lieutenant Lin." The captain saluted. Andrew and Eri drew closer to the war-tank, the flag neatly stored in Eri's pack.
"I'm glad that you're alive, captain." Lin gently responded, as Will and a teal-haired girl poked their heads out of the war-tank. "We thought you and your platoon had been killed along with Captain Brenner."
Eri tightened her grip on Andrew's hand. No…It can't be! Andrew felt his heart drop.
"Im…Impossible!" The captain sputtered, before collapsing on the ground. "We…we barely made it this far…"
"Everything will be fine now, captain." Lin kneeled beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "But we've got to hurry; the rest of the battalion is in danger." She pulled the man to his feet and pointed to the transport copters. "You and your men are in serious condition. You might also have encountered a virus that makes plants grow from you. We've got some medicine for that back at main HQ." Before anyone could respond, Lin leaped back onto the war-tank, stuffing Will and the teal-haired girl inside. As the war-tank began to inch forward again, Andrew and Eri stood to the side, their hands tightly interlocked. Without a word, they headed for the nearest transport, their tears falling freely onto the dying grass.
--
"So Greyfield's dead, but now this Intelligent Defense Systems group is attacking?" Eri shouted, as she and Andrew raced up the hill with the rest of the infantry. "Why didn't all the crazy dudes die when the meteors fell?"
"Beats me!" Andrew yelled back before leaping on the ground and crawling towards the edge of the hill. Eri landed beside him, and the two looked over to the captain, who intently studied the chaos below.
Tanks from both sides clashed as artillery and battle copters mopped up the stragglers and wounded. IDS infantry charged the flanks only be torn to shreds by the shells of the anti-tank protecting the ranged units. Fighters and dusters clashed in the skies, sending periodic showers of burning metal into the ground.
"This really is hell!" Eri exclaimed, as the platoon began to move towards its objective. "We arrive just in the nick of time to save the main HQ, get patched up, and sent back into the thick of things!" She raced to keep up with the rest of the infantry. "I don't think I even had time to get some spare ammo!"
"I agree!" Andrew shouted back, before taking cover behind a large rock. IDS infantry at the base of the hill peppered the charging infantry with gunfire, taking down about one fourth of the group. Eri leaped for cover beside Andrew, who returned with some shots of his own. He took down three of the female soldiers before ducking back behind the rock to avoid their second attack. He glanced around, taking note of the positions of the others. They were spread out, while their foes were concentrated on the road leading to the enemy HQ.
"Take this you bitches!" Eri shouted, firing her rifle at the enemy. The rest of the allied infantry followed suit, annihilating the tightly packed IDS soldiers. She turned to Andrew, who smirked and leaped to his feet. The infantry charged towards the enemy HQ, intent on shutting down the control systems for the troops inside.
As they approached the towering building that transmitted the signal, more IDS infantry opened fire from behind their HQ's broken walls, cutting the group down to half size. Andrew and Eri took cover behind a large stump and checked their weapons. As the enemy gunfire died down, the two emptied their clips into the enemy positions, taking down only the few soldiers who had been slow to take cover. They quickly ducked behind the stump again and tossed away the empty clips as the IDS infantry began shooting again. Andrew pulled out two fresh clips and tossed one to Eri. They quickly reloaded and looked for the captain.
Andrew barely made out the captain's helmet behind a patch of tall dried grass across the damaged road. He waited until the enemy gunfire had stopped before making a mad dash to the captain's hiding spot. The IDS gunfire missed him by inches as he rolled beside the captain, who yelled wildly into the radio.
"We are pinned down by enemy fire! Send reinforcements!" The captain shouted, as Andrew fired several rounds at exposed IDS soldiers.
"Pssht Negative." Replied Lin's cold tone. "Enemy pssht locked us—transports shot pssht." Lin's voice vanished into static. The captain tossed the radio aside in anger and pulled out his revolver. He unloaded the 6 shots at the IDS infantry before taking a bullet in his left arm. The captain dropped his gun and sat on the ground, putting pressure on his wound.
"Dang it all…we came this far…" The captain's voice trailed off as Andrew pulled out a single strip of bandage. "Get outta here, private. There's nothin' here for ya but death." Andrew tightened the bandage around the captain's wound and tied it hastily. The captain winced as Andrew picked up his gun and peered over the edge of their hiding spot. The IDS infantry had begun to march outwards, clearing out the rest of the Andrew's comrades with grenades and focused fire. Andrew turned back to the captain, who shook his head. "Go on; git. Ye and the girl still got hope. That's all ya need."
"I'm sorry sir. I'm not going to back down." Andrew saluted and leaped out from the grass, his rifle blazing. Eri and several other soldiers followed suit, charging at the exposed IDS infantry. Andrew leaped to his feet and began running; the IDS infantry had begun to panic as their numbers dwindled from the counter-attack. In moments Andrew was in their midst. He dropped his rifle and pulled out his knife from its sheath on his belt. With a quick slash, he cut one across her back. She didn't vocalize her pain, but visibly cringed as she dropped to her knees. Andrew immediately slashed the back of her exposed neck, as her comrades raced back towards the HQ walls. Andrew motioned for the others to follow, picking up two dropped IDS rifles.
He charged through the gates, firing blindly around the corners. He caught several IDS infantry with their backs turned to him, but quickly ducked behind a damaged jeep to avoid the counter fire. As if on cue, the remaining soldiers and Eri stormed in as well, annihilating the surprised IDS infantry. Andrew stood up and joined his fellow troops; there were only eight of them left.
"We haven't got much time. We need to find the control center and stop that signal!" He shouted. The others grimly nodded and gathered the fallen IDS soldiers' weapons. They each jammed a fresh clip into the guns and charged into the HQ.
Their footsteps echoed throughout the empty halls. Their adrenaline pumped; at any moment the enemy could leap out and gun them down. But as they turned each corner, they heard only an eerie silence. They didn't stop as they climbed the stairs and burst into the room at the top of the HQ. Only blinking lights on several large computers greeted them. Without hesitation, they opened fire on the computers, destroying them in a shower of sparks.
--
Will gritted his teeth as the enemy war-tank bored down on his crippled one. He didn't want to die now. He had just saved Isabella from being cut open. He couldn't let Caulder continue to wreck havoc on the world with his experiments. He wanted to live; to save others like Captain Brenner had. He closed his eyes, afraid of his fate. The roar of the enemy tank grew louder until it stopped; it was ready to fire.
Suddenly, he heard cheering. He opened his eyes and popped his head out of the war tank. Around him, Rubinelle and Lazurian troops swarmed the lifeless IDS war machines. He squinted towards the IDS field HQ in the distance. He ducked back inside the tank and quickly re-emerged with a pair of binoculars. He quickly gazed through them and gasped.
"EVERYONE! TO THE ENEMY HQ!" He bellowed, leaping from the damaged war tank and into a passing light tank. "We've got to hurry; they might need medical attention!"
--
As Eri and the others cheered, Andrew peered out the window of the HQ, looking for a sign that the enemy machines had stopped running. His eyes fell on the abandoned jeep he had taken cover behind. His eyes widened as he saw a teal-haired girl with pigtails wearing a short dress and high-heel boots climb in beside a lone IDS infantry. He leaped out the door, causing his fellow soldiers to stare at him in shock. Eri glanced outside the window and noticed the jeep and its occupants. She immediately leaped through the door as well, as the remaining bewildered soldiers shared a confused and tired expression.
"STOP!" Andrew yelled, raising his IDS rifle at the girl and the driver. "You've lost! Get out of the jeep and put your hands up!" The girl turned and faced him, her face red with anger.
"Stupid…Weak…Just die already!" She spat, her fists clenched with rage. The driver had turned as well, revealing a sub-machine gun. Andrew pulled the trigger, and with a loud bang, everything seemed to stand still.
Andrew felt a rush of pain across his arms and legs. He dropped his jammed rifle and fell to his knees. More loud bangs drowned out a shrill cry as the pain spread to his chest. He barely saw the girl arrogantly pulling the lower lip of her eyelid down and sticking out her tongue before blacking out.
--
"—drew…Andrew…ANDREW!"
Andrew slowly opened his eyes. He just felt so tired; more tired than he had been in his whole life. He tried to focus on the dark blob hovering in the middle of his vision, but his eyelids began to droop again. He felt wet drops on his face; he tried to move his hand to his face to wipe them, but could barely wiggle his arm.
"Oh god…no…Andrew…" That voice is familiar. He forced his eyes open again. The blob started to come into focus; it was a face; Eri's face. It's so different. Instead of her usual cheerful smile he saw a pained frown and terrified, watery eyes. He felt his heart plummet; he knew his time was up.
"Don't cry." He gurgled, as Eri cried even louder. "We won." He forced his aching mouth muscles to form a smile.
Eri wiped her tears aside and held Andrew's bloody hand. "Yes." She sobbed, placing the limp hand on her cheek. "We did it."
"I'm sorry." Andrew gurgled again, as blood began to trickle down the side of his cheek. "I'm sorry…I couldn't…be with you…" He closed his eyes; his entire body just felt drained.
Eri nodded and solemnly removed the mended flag from her sack. The other soldiers swiftly lowered the IDS flag and draped it over a pair of broken pipes. Eri quietly attached the dull red flag to the line and paused. She glanced over to Andrew's bloody body. His chest barely moved up and down.
"He should do it." Eri announced, letting her hands drop from the flag. "He should be the one to lift this flag and let the world know that we'll never give up." The other soldiers quietly lifted Andrew onto their makeshift gurney and carried him over to Eri.
Andrew groaned and coughed up more blood. Tears began to stream down Eri's cheeks as she took his hand in hers. She wrapped his fingers around the handle of the winch and wrapped her hands around his. She smiled through her tears; she remembered when her brother was the one who wrapped his hands around hers. She remembered how he would turn the crank slowly so that she could keep up, how when they were finished they'd both salute and watch the flag fly in the wind.
Slowly, she guided Andrew's hand. Their hands went around and around, slowly, quietly. She watched the flag rise higher and higher, until at last the faded, patchwork cloth waved slowly in the gentle breeze. Eri released Andrew's hand and looked back at the man she had grown to love. His hand fell to the side of the gurney and swung limply. His eyes remained closed, and his chest no longer moved. Tears continued to stream down her face as her eyes fell upon Andrew's last smile. She took a step away from the gurney as the other soldiers reverently placed Andrew's body down. They removed their helmets and took a step backwards as well. They all gazed at the image of the howling wolf flying in the wind and saluted.
--
Eri stood in front of Andrew's grave on the outskirts of New Hope. It had been one year since Caulder's defeat, and the world had begun to rebuild. New fields of crops sprung up daily, as each man and woman, soldier and civilian, put all their hearts and hope into farming the land. She shifted the weight of the tiny bundle in her arms and smiled; the sleeping face that peeked out of the blanket looked just like Andrew's.
Her eyes wandered to the simple stone on which his name had been engraved, then to the base of the white pole that marked the head of his grave. She followed it skyward and gasped. Beyond the pair of flags, one a dull red with patches of grey fabric, the other a bright new red, a ray of sunlight shone through the clouds of ash. Eri closed her eyes and let the sun warm her face. A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek as she remembered his last words.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be with you, Eri." She opened her eyes; did she just hear him say her name? She looked back at her slumbering baby before shaking her head and gently kissing him on his forehead.
"I'll be okay, Andrew. I'll survive; as long as that flag is flying in the wind, I'll survive."