A few notes:

I do not own Command & Conquer, Tiberian Sun, or Firestorm, nor do I claim to. Based on my opinion, some aspects of the games have been changed to suit the story I want.

Additional information on this story can be found on my profile. I suggest you read it.

Warning! May contain excessive cursing.

You have my sincere thanks for viewing my story! I would greatly appreciate any reviews – after you've read what I have, of course. R&R, basically. Enjoy!

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Hyaka settled the long metal tube on his shoulder, and glanced around the battlefield from his crouched position behind the black wall that surrounded the perimeter of the base. A herd of strange jelly-legged creatures were approaching, their mushroom-like heads spewing poisonous fogs. He dropped one of his armoured knees to the ground, raising a slight cloud of dust, and heard the other rocket infantry beside him doing the same. He tapped the tube with his gauntlet, emptying it of ashes, then hefted it up, sighting unblinkingly along its shaft. It was cool against his bare cheek.

His hand rested comfortingly on the trigger, and a faint smile lit his young face fleetingly. He pulled his finger back, felt the tube heat unthinkably fast, and, with a tiny burst of light, a rocket the size of a fist shot out at the monsters, exploding on contact. Hyaka's entire arm shook form the recoil, despite the firm hand clamped on the launcher.

"Good job," the other man murmured, indicating the remains of the target. If they had been attacking infantry from the GDI, he wouldn't have had the luxury of speaking those words. Hyaka did not respond.

Instead, he placed the launcher on the ground, reloaded it, sliding multiple rockets into the weapon, and lifted it back to his hard, silver shoulder.

A voice behind him said gruffly, "Hyaka?"

"Sir?" he answered automatically. He took aim at the land jellies again.

The stranger addressed the other rocket infantry.

"Rico?"

"Yes, sir?"

The reply was half-lost when Hyaka fired the rocket with a crack. He could almost feel an amused gaze boring into his back, until an explosion killed off the rest of the creatures.

"You're to put some new land on the radar to the west. There's a tiberian field to check out before we get a harvester there."

Rico dropped his launcher on the ground, turning to face the light infantry giving the order. He raised an eyebrow and said, "You name." He obviously did not know it already.

"Mair," was the reply. "And watch your trap." Mair slapped Hyaka, who was taking a sip of water, on the back, causing him to silently double over, and then stalked off, though not before shooting Rico a threatening glance and adding, "Or I'll blast it off."

"The nerve of that guy," Rico grumbled, when Mair had gone. "Ass."

"I already knew that," Hyaka grunted, getting heavily to his feet and gathering his supplies. He gave one last cough, then brought the launcher to his shoulder. "Better get going."

An hour later Hyaka and Rico stood in a deserted field with their rocket launchers perched on unhappy shoulders. There was nothing but sand in sight, and the occasional stream. It was getting dark, but the stars had not yet shown their faces. A cool breeze swept the sand into miniature dunes, and ruffled the NOD soldiers' short black hair. There seemed to be no life here at all.

Hyaka started when an explosion sounded to his left, then scowled and tightened his grip in frustration. He spun towards Rico. "Quit shootin' everything!"

Rico made a face. "What else is there to do? Maybe you're older and more experienced, but I don't know how you can stand this nothingness!"

"Look," Hyaka growled, leaning forward to be at eye level with the other soldier; "We're here on a mission, and you know the consequences for failure."

"Right, send us out to a desert to find a tiberian field that may or may not exist," Rico retorted. "What fun."

The older man looked at his comrade with a straight face, then shook his head and continued walking.

Not far ahead the faint green glow of life alerted the two soldiers to the presence of a tiberian field. At first, Rico was alarmed, but he was instantly reassured when he saw Hyaka calmly settling a lightly-shaded pair of spectacles on the bridge of his nose. He was confused, and a bit startled – he was quite tempted to do the same in case his companion knew something he didn't and should have known. Except he didn't have a pair of shades to wear.

Hyaka peered over his glasses, making a last minute check for dangers, before pushing them into position. His right arm was wearing out, but with the little training he'd done with his left side, it would be next to impossible to switch shoulders. He grimaced at the thought of damaging his right side, which would render him utterly useless as a rocket infantry – the one ranking he simply could not pass up. Then he happened to glance at Rico's face.

Rico looked up inquiringly at him, silently pestering him for an answering explanation. Hyaka almost laughed at the childish expression, thinking about how little the GDI would pay to see it. Unfortunately, a vague shadow of that thought did not evade Rico, and he growled, "What?"

Then time Hyaka laughed out right. It held no cheer. "Nothing."

Rico sneered. "Yeah, whatever. Now, if you're done, what's with the shades?"

Hyaka didn't answer. He turned his gaze forward, parallel with his weapon, and mutter something inaudible.

"Sorry-" Rico began, hoping for dear life that he hadn't struck the wrong chord.

"My friend," Hyaka said finally, not facing any direction other than straight ahead. He didn't sound distant; nor did he appear to be. His grip did strengthen on his launcher, however, and his step grew firmer, as if he were recalling a distant decision that would influence him now. "My friend… was a good person. A lot of people I knew cared like he did. But then they began to stand out more as the amount of people who had hardened their hearts and thought along the lines of 'it's every man for himself' increased. No one knew who they wanted to idolize anymore."

Rico looked towards the approaching field, trying to imagine everything being said. He couldn't help but think that even if Hyaka befriended kind people, Hyaka himself was cold, unreadable, and indifferent. What struck Rico as strange was he could understand and relate to what was heard. Maybe Hyaka was all too human, and was a result of how 'no one know who they wanted to idolize anymore.' But Hyaka didn't care. He didn't look up to anyone. He was out for himself. He had a heart of ice. Could a man with such truly have friends? Did they call him 'Ice Heart'?

"He was killed by GDI… In a tiberian field just like this one," Hyaka continued. Rico shivered. Were they next? "It was the tiberian glare that snatched his soul and held it captive while they tortured it." He stared at the ground. Could light kill? "It was dark. Like now." He was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Did Hyaka have to find and present similarities between that night and this one? "The GDI played it smart. They attacked once he had adjusted his sight to the glow and would have difficulties seeing in the darkness right away. He and many of his comrades were killed." From the finality in Hyaka's tone, Rico knew that was all he was going to get.

He asked, "How did you find out about it? Were you there?"

"A few escaped."

"And you heard from them?"

"…Yes."

"And that's why you're wearing shades?"

"…"

"Should I be – ow!" Rico felt a searing pain sweep up his leg, and he looked down to see a fluorescent-green plant stabbed at his ankle, just barely breaking through his black boot. It was hard and spiked, glowing, and pointed out erratically from its spot on the ground like a fern. Or an evergreen with its needles facing the wrong way – up instead of down. It was tiberian. They'd reached the field much more than was expected. He jerked away, coming free, then was suddenly thrown onto his side, his rocket launcher thudding on the ground beside him.