Okay, as promised, here's the next chapter! And as promised, you will understand who Fred is if you haven't guessed it yet. xD

CHAPTER 4

Piers remembered when his grandfather would sit him on his knee, his grandfather was an old war torn veteran with a false leg, and Piers regarded the man highly. Was distraught when he never came home; He'd tell Piers a story of little soldiers who were picked off one by one by another traitor.. Sure it was a fluffed up nursery rhyme used to tell kids the cruelty of the world with fun little words and pleasant images.. All of which never really did fool Piers. As a child, he was rather realistic. He never believed in Santa Clause, or the Easter Bunny.. Maybe it was how he was brought up. He learned to shoot a gun around eight years old. Ten little soldier boys went to dine; one choked his little self, and then there were nine.

The sky seemed to stretch on forever, like the sea itself, Piers never really pondered, never really bothered. Through the leafy roof of the forest, he found himself hooked. At a distance, he heard something that wasn't apart of of the forest.. Man made.. Tearing through the sky it was a Chopper, Piers realized, a BSAA chopper. Without thinking, Piers belted and waved his arms in a desperation to be seen.

"HEEYYYYYYYY.." But much to his realization, his hopes sank along with every thought of being saved.. The chopper hovered past him and was swallowed into the sky. He wasn't loud enough..

For the first time since this entire mishap, Piers felt.. vulnerable. He felt.. pessimistic.. He was going to die.. He wasn't going to return Chris his tags.. Chris' tags... Piers fished inside his shirt and pulled out the tags with shaken hands as he sank to his knees. He had to return them.. They won't find them unless they fish them from Piers' rotting corpse.. No, Piers will return them. It was a soft weight on his knee that made piers overlook his occupied hand..That same creature before.. The one that made him fell..

Greeaaaat...

The mongoose thing seemed to be fascinated with Piers.. Following him where ever Piers limped to. At first Piers contemplated on shooting it, but what would that have solved? He then resorted to shooing it away with his boot and a nudge to the side. Only to get a hiss in response and a return later. The thing was annoying more so than it was dangerous.. Cute or not, Piers didn't want it around!

He finally gave up when the creature launched itself onto his shoulder and chattered in his ear. Causing all of the hairs on the back of his neck to shoot up and the teeth grinding to remain rooted in his mind.. Like nails on a chalk board..

"For the love of all that's good! What do you want?!" He shouted in defeat. "Can't you see?! I am bigger than you! I can KILL you!"

But the creature didn't seem to care less as it nibbled lightly on the lobe of his ear. Piers twitched in reaction and swatted the thing off of his shoulder.

"Cut it out!" He watched the creature land on it's back in a not so graceful manner and fought a smile on his lips. It turned itself over and hissed again, scampering up onto his boot. The sniper couldn't lie.. He was amused.

So that's how Piers met Fred.. He couldn't think of any other names to call it. It was very dorky looking.. Like a dopey ferret or.. Something..Long snout sandy fur and a long monkey like tail that curved. It's rounded ears were a sight to see as was it's big beady eyes. It was the size of a small cat, maybe it was a baby? It was hard to tell.. But Fred was the first name that popped into his mind. So Fred it became.

Piers never had any animals before growing up, so he didn't know what to expect. He certainly didn't expect finding a furry friend in his misfourtains.. But some part of him was.. Happy.. It wasn't exactly a person.. But he'd take what he could get.

"So... Here I am.. Stuck here with a large ear'd cat thing and no hope what so ever.." Piers finished his story looking down at Fred who was curled on his chest. The furry creature poked it's head up and Piers had to laugh. "I'm talking to an over grown rat..."

The realization should have scared him, but he smiled and stroked it's long snout.

"You're not so bad.. I guess.. Aside from your looks you're very sweet..." He spoke softer.. Frank kept him.. Sane? Or made him insane.. One or the other.. "Can you keep a secret?"

Fred answered him with a large yawn and propped it's chin on it's small paws. Piers took that as a go ahead and lulled his head back against the tree to look up at the sky.

"I only wanted to make him proud.. Y'know? A better place for us all to live in..Sounds like a dream, doesn't it?" Piers' words trailed and he rested his palm on the length of Fred's furry back. "Chris is probably ashamed in me.. I embarrassed him when he relied on me the most.."

Fred was asleep when Piers last checked, what more did he expect? He sighed and ran his palm down it's back.


"Captain.. It's been three days, sir..." Finn had trailed as he returned from his sweep. No luck. No Piers. Things were getting out of hand and the search team was giving up hope. Chris desperately clung to that hope. Piers couldn't be dead.. Not Piers Nivans.. "I think we should head ho-"

"We're finding Piers.." Chris wouldn't even allow Finn to finish. He was fuming mad, and that was certain. Finn looked down, the gesture was similar to ducking his head in shame. He respected Mister Nivans.. He didn't like the idea of Piers being hurt or missing.. He had to keep Chris' hopes up, not tear them down at a time like this! The search rescue worker, Dana held a grim face through all of this.

"He is just one soldier.. We have other priorities, Mr. Redf-.."

"He was one of my best.." Chris gritted, and even Carl knew when to back off when the Captain began to speak through his teeth like that. However, the bitch only sighed and removed her glasses to look at Chris with cold, brown eyes.

"We have higher things at stake, here.. Captain Redfield..."

Finn stared at the assault rifle in his hands and squeezed the weapon, eyes shutting. He was debating.. Piers didn't deserve this.. He was trying to help these people and they wouldn't even return the favor.. He didn't think, he threw down the weapon at his feet, gaining the attention of his teammates and the lady.

"I-I won't go any further.." He swore softly. Looking up at the rescue worker with fiery youthful eyes. "I won't help any cause until my friend is here safely with us!"

Chris looked at Finn with a shocked expression, his eyes reading the young soldier.. A new found respect reached him then.. Then the sound of another weapon being thrown down caught Chris' attention, this time to the left of him. Carl..

"Shit, I won't either! We need our sniper.. And I want my best friend back!"

All around, his men were tossing their weapons, revolting.. There was a stinging in Chris' eyes, this is why he loved his soldiers.. It wasn't a team but a family.. No one left behind.. Chris taught them well.. And he never been more proud. With a smirk he shook his head.

"You heard my men.. We're looking for Piers.."


The mountain was steep, a long way down would usher his fall.. Piers didn't want to fall. He'd rather live over anything else.. But he had to get up to a higher point.. Get a signal for the radio device.. The mountain had been a steep climb and Piers had made it to the point where he could see the tops of the trees once more. But without anything substantial to eat or drink he was feeling weak to haul himself along the face of the rock wall. There was a very slender ledge that needed to be crossing to get to a wider path of the mountain.. Only problem was, Piers' bulky gear and not to mention the wound on his side hindered him. He had to hug the wall of the mountain and scoot along. Consintraiting on one foot after the other.

Fred had dug his nails into the slope of Piers' shoulder to hold on. Halfway across, leave it to Fred to sneeze in his ear and disrupt Piers' balance. Piers gasped as he swayed backwards, Frank sliding off, quick thinking made Piers grab for the scruff of Fred's neck and threw himself against the wall, allowing the creature to scurry onto his head, planting his paws in the scalp of Piers head. With a steadied breath Piers stiffly watched the pebbles under his boots to break away and tumble down the face of the mountain. A fate that would've been his.

The tips of his fingers were starting to burn as Piers slid across the narrow path, he could feel his heart hammering in his ear but he was getting close enough to reach the point.. His body gave way when he threw himself towards the thicker pathway, landing on his stomach he shakily cheered. Fred sniffed his nose.

"You'll be the death of me.." Piers breathed, glaring at the chattering creature as he sat up on his elbows.

But at least he had a destination.. A point B to reach.. He was almost there. It'll keep him preoccupied with staying alive.. He had to. When Piers pushed himself up, the dog tags had slipped from his shirt and jingled around his neck. Giving them a quick squeeze, he tucked them away once more.