I had a fun time writing this. I want to continue this, but I'm really shitty with anything long term or multichapter. We'll see... I'm pretty damn sure it's been done before, but I wanted to have a poke at the plot point. I hope you enjoy!

It wasn't a huge deal to him. If it was, Piers didn't show it, or it could just be that he had simply forgotten.

Chris held the crumpled brown paper bag in one of his hands, his assault rifle in the other. If they were going to stake out at the craphole of a warehouse all night to see if bio-organic weapons were being illegally held or produced, he might as well take advantage of the passing time.

Chris practically dragged Piers out of the underwater facility and into the escape pod with him. He suspected Piers would pull some 'save the captain!' stunt, not that he would have succeeded. While it was a deep and meaningful gesture that told great things of Piers' character, Chris would have none of it.

They had fortunately made it to the surface without incident. As Chris pulled the lever to open the circular door frame, Piers let out a stifled groan by Chris' ear.

"Just hold on Piers. We're gettin' out of here. You'll be fine, we made it." Chris spared no time radioing for pickup. He looked over at the creased brows on Piers' strained face. The wounded man began breathing heavily and he gripped his captain's shoulder tightly.

"Here, sit down." Chris helped him to the floor despite the meager space available in the pod. He looked at the monstrosity that was Piers' still zapping and sparking arm. "Piers…"

"Captain…I'm sorry," he rasped. Piers' eyes could barely focus on his captain's. His breath became unsteady and he quietened.

"Hey. No, hey, Piers. Stay with me, Piers! That's an order, dammit!" Chris took Piers' shoulder in his hand and tried to gently shake the unconscious man awake. "Piers…!" There was nothing more he could do without the medical team that HQ would dispatch with the pickup.

He wrapped his hand around the younger man's neck like he had in the facility and positioned his forehead on Piers', listening to his soldier's breathing and the melodic lapping of water against the metal walls of the pod. He took a ragged breath and looked down at Piers' lap, noticing the BSAA's patch in the sniper's good hand.

As he went to reach for it, Piers' fingers clasped around the patch and Chris' own in a painful grip. He gasped as Piers sprang to life and pinned him to the cold metal of the pod, a few stray drops of the ocean water spraying their faces as the pod rocked with movement.

Piers growled and his one inhuman iris of an eye gleamed with murderous intent. Chris struggled against Piers' good hand that had restrained one of his own and tried his best to shove the younger man off, but Piers proved immovable.

"Piers, snap out of it!" he shouted, but by the unfazed look in his former subordinate's eyes, he knew the last of Piers' humanity was gone. It was the very reason Piers had tried to shove him in alone in the first place. They both knew.

Teeth bared, Piers held up his mutated arm to Chris' neck, positioning the sharp appendages above his captain's throat. Adrenaline running high, Chris used his free hand to unholster his spare pistol.

Piers didn't hesitate after that moment, and neither did Chris. Raising his glowing deformed arm, he plunged down with the sharpened extremities.

"Goddammit, PIERS!"

"Piers."

Piers looked away from scrupulously cleaning and checking his guns, ever the diligent and dedicated soldier. For some reason, it was overwhelmingly endearing for Chris to see.

"Yes captain?"

"I know these night missions can get kinda tough. To be honest, missions in general can get pretty crazy. I know I've lost track of time on so many. It's understandable in most cases."

Piers gave him a confused frown. "…Sir? Should I check the time? Keep better watch?"

Chris' face reddened at the mere sight of the younger man's expression. He didn't know what it was about Piers, but when it was just the two of them, something about the other made him jittery. When it came to Piers, Chris felt more comfortable in numbers with the other man, though he'd never admit it to anyone.

"No, no." Chris waved his hands a little too frantically. Maybe they'd distract Piers from his face. "You're doing fine. I just wanted to remind you what day it is as of a few minutes ago." The battle hardened and experienced captain should have known nothing could distract the sharp hazel eyes of the BSAA's best sniper.

He felt even sillier when he pictured what he had for Piers in the paper bag of his. He cleared his throat, flashing Piers an apologetic smile as he offered it. Piers set his equipment aside and took it with a curious grin.

"A cupcake?" Piers chuckled slightly as he pulled out the plump thing. "Oh. Now I get it. It's 'cause you think I'm soft. Is this some sort of code way of telling me that I should do better, captain?"

"No for godsakes! That's ridiculous. Piers, you're one of the best agents the BSAA's got. Don't ever doubt that."

Piers nodded understandingly. "So then what's it for?"

"Well," Chris began rubbing the back of his head, "I thought I'd commemorate you becoming a year older. It's kind of something you do when it's your birthday."

Realization flickered in the sniper's eyes.

"Ah…I honestly forgot. Hey! It's even my favorite flavor. Strawberry icing on chocolate. How'd you…?"

"I went around headquarters and did a little 'reconnaissance' and interrogated a few hostiles," Chris joked. Piers gave a small smile.

"Captain, you didn't have to do this…" Piers insisted, though the gratitude was clear in his voice.

"It was nothing." Chris watched as Piers eyed the decadent pastry.

"Uh, would you mind if I...?" Piers tipped the cupcake in his hand.

"Go ahead. That's what it's for." Piers grinned slightly and sunk his teeth into the spongy treat. Chris watched as the younger man licked a bit of stray strawberry frosting from the top of his lip. Piers gave an almost inaudible hum of appreciation. At that point, Chris had to turn away for fear of his flushed face emasculating him in front of his subordinate. "I'm glad you like it," he mumbled.

"You want a bite captain?"

Chris coughed awkwardly as he stared at the warehouse and banished any thoughts of those plump lips doing anything other than what they were doing. "No, I'm fine. I just wanted you to know I didn't forget..."

A loud shot resounded through the small pod.

Chris laid on the floor, smoking pistol in hand. Piers' body crumpled over his own. His bloodied face slumped on metal right next to Chris'.

"Piers…" he whispered desperately, futilely.

Chris slid out from under the man's body after a few minutes and looked down mournfully at what he'd done. What he'd had to do.

This was worse than what he could have possibly imagined happening. It couldn't be... this couldn't be how it ended. He might as well have let Piers stay down in the facility to die trying to protect him. But this?

Chris put his hand to his mouth to suppress the croak trying to wrench its way from his throat. He lowered his hand, but nothing came out. He wanted to scream but couldn't speak, couldn't think. All he could hear was the sound of his heart pounding away in his ears, and each undulation of a wave against the pod.

Chris slumped to his knees and slammed the floor of the pod with his fist. He could barely see the body in front of him through the silent tears streaming down his face.

He didn't know how much time had passed when the sun changed hues. He didn't move, his knees now painfully etched with the pattern of the corrugated steel floor. He didn't respond when HQ radioed in to confirm his location.

When his knees began to ache and throb from the stagnant position they'd been in, Chris finally looked up. He raised a tentative hand to the scarf around Piers' neck. He couldn't leave his soldier looking like that. He gently and loosely wrapped Piers' wounded head with the scarf.

Chris once again reached for the now bloodied patch still clasped tightly in Piers' hand. He stopped as he saw a tiny flare of light from the corner of his eye, and peered over to see Piers' neck practically on fire as if his skin were molten lava. With an incredulous expression on his face, Chris jumped back from the now blazing Piers whose body was contorting and secreting the same olive green ooze as their team in Edonia had.

"Oh god, no. Piers…" Chris murmured to himself, disturbed. He knew what was to come. And he would rather die than have to kill his soldier, his friend, again. He knew he wouldn't be able to fight whatever hatched from what Piers was becoming.

The hardening cocoon surrounding Piers emitted light gases before it became dormant for but a few more moments. Chris looked morbidly at what he suspected would be his death as the cocoon began to hatch and crack. But what emerged was a form with a face that he could never imagine doing him harm.

"P-…" was all Chris managed to sputter as the scarf he had wrapped around the sniper's face just moments ago lazily slid down with a thick glaze of light green seepage.

The form fully emerged from the chrysalid naked and coughed up the same deposit that coated its skin as it fell to the floor. When it finally opened its eyes, it looked up at the stunned BSAA captain. It quirked a strained smile.

"Happy birthday Piers Nivans."