"This is bull shit and you know it!" Tyler growled. His snarl echoed about the chamber of the submarine. A few crew members passing by looked at him. He returned their gaze with a soul devouring glare and quickly turned back towards Melissa whose expression showed exasperation. Tyler was now facing an on-ship hearing to decide his punishment in two hours. "I just got back on the ship like five minutes ago!" Tyler raised his voice. He had barely gotten back aboard when a secretary for the captain handed him his summons and charges. "At least give me time to lick my wounds a bit before putting salt in them."
"Calm down, you jackass!" Melissa hissed. Tyler was gaining an audience with each decibel his voice achieved. Melissa pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. Tyler' actions on his first mission were heroic and defiant. She was proud he took action but she was furious he had acted disrespectfully during the whole endeavor. Melissa gouged her finger into Tyler's chest to emphasize the point she was about to make. "You are the one that decided to play hero and defy orders." Tyler didn't seem to be even phased.
"If I hadn't, you would have been red chunky bits mixed with hydraulic fluid…" Tyler continued snarling. "and the ground team would have been a Goddamn blood smear on an urban street." Tyler was befuddled by this whole thing. He had saved the mission and he lived. As far as he was concerned there was no problem. Melissa wanted to take that attitude and shove it far enough up his behind that he got the chance to taste it. She respected his loyalty to allies but what he did was dangerous and a blatant disregard for command. "I don't see a problem here."
"The problem is, you told the captain too" She air quoted her next set of words "screw her orders" Tyler felt a bit guilty but that was his honest thoughts at the time. He just shrugged at her words. Melissa was getting annoyed at how little Tyler cared for the situation at hand. "You openly defied my orders and got your AS blown up." Even as she uttered those words, it still seemed he could care less. She admired him for his adherence to his beliefs but stubbornness like that got people killed.
"I did what I thought was right." Tyler only seemed to be strengthened in his resolve in what he did. "I still think what I did was right and if they feel need to punish me over it then you know what?" Tyler threw out bait for Melissa take.
"What?" She bit not expecting the fury that would follow.
"Then fuck it!" Tyler threw his hands up. Melissa was taken back as the words flew out of Tyler's mouth and some crew members stopped and looked at Tyler once more. Another death glare, made them move on. "Let them punish me." Something welled up in Tyler but he wasn't certain at what was now driving his words. "I have so little to lose; even death at this point doesn't scare me." Melissa's eyes grew wide. "That's right." Tyler lunged at Melissa's confusion. "It already feels like I am locked up on death row. " Tyler took advantage of the shock in Melissa to walk pass her. She could only stand, quietly as she saw the rage Tyler had the first day come back. It wasn't as strong and was under better control but the harsh taste of bitterness still wafted about. Melissa hoped becoming an AS pilot would give Tyler a new perspective but it seemed to only raise the old emotions.

Tyler kept walking as the chains of guilt tugged at him to turn around and apologize but he decided it was in his best interest to get his story straight before going to the hearing. He looked down at his watch. He had an hour and a half to prepare himself for his hearing. He looked back towards the long submarine corridor. It reminded him the road he was on. Everyone around him encouraged those first steps forward but it would take more get out of the abyss he found himself. He still missed his family and that was all he could think of on the way back. He wondered what they would think if they found out about what was happening now. He wondered what they were doing right now. He quickly reminded himself to just think of them as dead. He might as well be to them. He continued down the hallway until a tall, lanky, shaggy brown haired, man started to walk down the corridor. The last thing Tyler wanted was a chastising from G.I. douchebag.

"Hello, Tyler." Sousuke walked by and that was it. Tyler was expecting an early court martial from Sergeant Jar head but he just walked on by. He just couldn't figure him out. He continued walking until he reached his room. He plopped on his cramped bed in the cramped metal space. He started to fade out into his own little world. He was physically in the space but mentally he wondered if he had made his existence worth something. All he managed to do in his mind was blowing up some robots and kill people he had never met. He sat up slowly and walked over to a small night stand. He pulled out the drawer and pulled out his cell phone. He was promised that once he got shore leave they would fix it to where it would work again but part of him didn't want them too. He wanted to preserve what little evidence he had of being someone. He wanted that fleeting memory to be sustained as long as possible but every day it grew harder. Even faking a smile wasn't worth at this point.

"Sergeant Roberts." Tyler looked up as the captain's secretary stood in the door saluting. Tyler let out a small laugh. The secretary was taken back a bit but fell at ease. Tyler knew his words before he spoke them. He knew before even the breath was drawn that he was going to get a decent lecture. "You are being summoned to the command room to review your actions."

"The command room!?" Tyler sarcastically acted surprise. "Aren't we pulling out all the stops." Tyler stood up and followed the secretary. As he passed each crew member, they just glared at him. He felt like the kid taking the walk of shame as he went to the principal's office. He was expecting them to make noises at him and throw pencils but none came.

After a short walk, they finally came to the entrance to the command room. The secretary opened the door. Tyler thanked him but his words were cold and detached. He thought he would be nervous but he felt indifferent. He didn't care. He felt like a man who had nothing to lose at this point.

As he walked in, he saw Melissa, Tessa and Mardukas standing side by side as they talked amongst themselves. Tyler stood at a relatively good distance and waited for them to get done talking. He started to play each question they would ask in his mind but his lack of care for the situation made that session short and he just looked on and wondered what brilliant punishment they would give him. He always wondered what it would be like to be a torpedo.

"Sergeant Roberts," Mardukas started. "During yesterday's operation you actively endangered your comrades and defied orders." Tyler felt a dagger rip into his stomach. The fact the commander said he endangered his comrades as he was actively saving them added more fire the insult. "What do you say?"

"Do you want my honest answer?" Tessa only looked on, she twirled her hair, masking any expression or emotion she was currently feeling. Melissa cringed knowing full well Mardukas would take the bait Tyler put out there.

"Please, be honest." Melissa sighed under her breath, knowing full well that was not the smartest move.

"How dare you say I endangered my comrades!" Tyler yelled. Everyone ,except Melissa, jumped at the sudden roar. "Everything was going to hell, and you know that!" Tyler pointed right at Mardukas. He didn't flinch as the sudden insubordination continued. "My actions saved…" Mardukas raised his hand. Tyler was just waiting for a reason to rip into him.

"You feel that your actions…" Mardukas stopped as another voice roared over his.

"I know my actions saved that mission and those involved." Tyler unloaded. Tessa tried to hide her face as she expected an ensuing argument between the two. Melissa just put her face in her hand. She really couldn't believe how far Tyler was willing to go. "Melissa would have gotten a rocket to the face and the ground forces would have been nothing but a mix bag of body parts on the street."

"You assume that Sergeant but you had no clear indication that it would happen that way." Mardukas continued. Tyler had to restrain himself from swiftly teaching him the meaning of the word "know". "Melissa, would like to say something to Roberts." Tyler looked over to Melissa. His eyes daring her in a rage to say something.

"You defied my orders Tyler." Melissa started.
"Your orders would have gotten you killed." Tyler fired back.
"Don't interrupt a superior." Mardukas yelled. Tyler just scoffed and let Melissa continue.
"You don't know that." Melissa continued back to chastising him. "Sure, in the end you distracted the enemy but what if that caused reinforcements to come?" Tyler just sat there quietly as Melissa got the silent answer she expected. "You need to have faith in command. You can't just pull shit out of your ass and pray it works. It isn't how things are done here." Melissa sounded more like an older sister scolding her younger brother. Tyler felt a bit guilty and admitted this was the first he felt such but he was adamant what he did was right. "Tessa, you speak to him. I don't think he will listen to anyone else." Tessa sighed as she stood up. Tyler wanted to tell Melissa she was dead wrong if she thought having Tessa talk him down would work.

"Tyler, we are a team. We are a family." Tessa started. Tyler hated that last word. Any family he had might as well be dead. Those in front of him and around him were just strangers nice enough to give him a job. "When one member doesn't have trust in us, then we all suffer." Tyler rolled his eyes at the attempt for him to feel bad for what he did. Tessa saw she had no impact. "Have faith in us." Tyler just scratched his head and figured to save time he would just save everyone time and just act like he was sorry until Mardukas spoke and the pilot light of Hell flared back up.

"Yes, I do not know how they do things in your crazy world, but…" Mardukas had hit the final nerve. Mardukas could have insulted him, he could have insulted his way of thinking but to call his world crazy was too much. A line had been crossed and a nerve had just frayed and Tyler wanted the whole world to know.

"Do not speak a world of where I come from!" Tyler ordered back. Even Mardukas reeled back in shock. "It is your crazy ass backwards world that dragged me here." Melissa sighed as Mardukas had found another button to set Tyler off. Tessa could only look on in sadness as Tyler said more truth than he even really knew. "It was up to you guys to stop that device from causing any harm but look!" Tyler gestured towards himself. "You failed when it came to me. I have no family. I have no one I can really trust." Melissa wanted to walk up and slap him back to his world. She couldn't believe what he was saying. She hoped it was just the rage. "With all that, you still have the gall to throw me under the bus for not being a team player."

"As further notice, you are suspended for insubordination. Get out of my command room, Roberts! You are lucky we do not court martial you." Mardukas yelled. It didn't have the desired effect. If anything it in sighted more rage.

"Go ahead!" Tyler roared back.

"Tyler, stop." Tessa shrieked.

"Sorry Tessa," For a moment there was a sudden glimpse of remorse but his rage returned and aimed right at Mardukas. "You have taken everything else away from me. Let's toss in my remaining freedom and hang me too." Tyler threw his hands up as he walked out. "It is not like I got much left." Tyler shouted at full volume. He spun on his heel charged out of the room.

"Tyler…" Tessa began but Melissa stopped her by gently putting a hand in her path. She could only look up as a tear fell down her cheek.

"We need to let him calm down." Melissa whispered. "He is still adjusting to this and he just needed to vent." Melissa saw it wasn't helping. "If you noticed he didn't aim a single thing at you or me." Melissa turned on Mardukas. "It is thanks to Commander 'Stick Up Ass' it got this far." People that tried hiding their faces during the confrontation giggled under their breath. Even Tessa lightened up at the name.

"How is it my fault? He was being disrespectful." Mardukas barked.

Melissa gave him a death glare that caused a cold shiver to run down his spine. "You called where he came from crazy, you accused him of endangering everyone when he actually saved people and you seems you forget he was a civilian a little over a week ago."

"Madam Captain, are you going to allow…" Mardukas started but a finger jumped in his face. A very angry silver haired girl with a viscous glare was on the other end of it.

"Silence Commander. Thanks to you, a valuable member of this crew thinks we do not care for the sacrifices he is making. Unlike us, him being here has taken away his whole existence. I will honor your suspension of him but only to let him calm down." Tessa turned to Melissa and whispered in her ear. "Please check on him and tell him we are giving him time to calm down…" she paused "and please watch over him for me."

Tyler grumbled at his mirror in his cramped space. He just wanted to punch. He had done more for these people than should sanely be allowed. Yet their gratitude was lacking and it infuriated him. It was another sign these people weren't his friends or family. They just saw him as a tool that could be disposed of with no regard. They took away his existence and they wanted to show they could take everything else without a second thought. He was just one knock on death's door away from being a memory no one would remember. He would soon be an afterthought.

Yet as he swirled these thoughts about in his head, he started to question them. Was he truly alone? His family was gone and his old friends might as well be dead. Not once did he ask if he had a chance of returning because he already knew the answer. The machine that brought him here was destroyed and his old life with it. He in a sense was alone. In a sense he was a lowly boat in a storm with no map. Yet amidst this storm of chaos and lost self-identity, Tyler felt something pushing him away from the ledge. It was warm and hidden in the back of his mind.

He looked under his bed looking for salvation. He saw his savior in the form of beer. He grabbed one, returned upright on his bed and drank down the liquid sermon and Tyler' could feel his soul being soothed slowly but surely. He knew this was temporary at best but the little tin preacher would at least make the next five minutes bearable. He chugged the last few swigs and decided to go for a walk. He threw away the can and with a stretch, he walked.

His walk down the hallway was like being the kid coming from the principal's office. Everyone that caught his eyes whispered to the person next to him if they didn't scowl at him. He just rolled his eyes apathetically. He normally would have been put on edge for getting those looks but he was seeing little point. He turned the corner and walked into the subs mess hall. He grabbed a bottle of water and a small bag of chips. He sat down at a seat with a few crew at it. The moment he sat down, they got up and took a table a few feet away.

"It's not like I gave my life to save you assholes." He mumbled to himself. He continued to drink and eat his chips until he heard footsteps. He grumbled and swore. He had done incredibly well to not punch a crewmate on the way into the mess hall. The only reason the crew had to even talk to him was either scold or nag him. He felt the need to worn the person. "If you want to give me your two cents, I can kindly show you where to put it." He heard a familiar voice clear their throats.

"Someone is in a foul mood." Melissa retorted. Tyler grunted. He thought he should apologize but he left that back in his room.

"Do you need me?" Tyler asked rhetorically. "Unless you want to scold me further about being a team player. " Melissa groaned as Tyler's sense of humor seemed to have died a tragic death.
"I just came to tell you that you will be suspended for two weeks from operations for insubordination." Tyler just continued to look down at his food and push it around for amusement that just didn't seem to come. She was expecting him to throw a rampaging fit but it seemed Tyler was defeated. "This isn't to punish you."

"Coming from the person who just suspended me for two weeks..." Tyler grumbled. Melissa still couldn't figure Tyler out. He should have been defiant to the very end but before sat a defeated dog. She began to wonder how much longer Tyler's mental state could hold up.

"Tessa and I agree you need to cool off." Melissa sat down in front of him. She wasn't a commanding officer. Tyler looked up and saw his sister in arms smiling warmly with the promise of better days but better days aren't coming anytime soon if they do at all. He felt the little tin preacher was ready to give another sermon but Melissa wouldn't approve of the new habit was starting to pick up. "Just take it easy." Tyler responded by standing, scoffed and walked off. He had only entered the tunnel and Melissa decided it maybe a tunnel only Tyler could walk through.

Tyler reached his room and found another can of beer under his bed. He pulled it out and looked at it as the aluminum just shined in the light of his quarters. He barely saw his pathetic reflection in the metal. His eyes had grown bags that held the frustration and anger back and a few round of tears. His hair was a brown bush tussled by a storm. He was a fine mess. He thought he had a grip on this situation but his eyes alone told a different story. He thought his life was taking a better direction but the silence of the room reminded him he was alone. No matter how hard those around him tried, his troubled soul pushed them away and the walls only got thicker and soon the distance would grow. He just wanted someone to acknowledge he was someone. He just wanted someone to tell him he had meaning. He just wanted someone to tell him was cared for.

The frustration built inside him. The depression pressed at the weakened walls of his restraint. Insanity combated with his sanity. He looked back at the can as he returned to the miserable world around him. Before he really realized it, he reared the can back. All his anguish wiped it back. All his sadness propelled it forward. The can exploded against the wall as Tyler fell to the floor. Unlike before, he was the only one to witness it. He curled up on the floor as he embraced himself for that was all he had left.

In the command center, the awkward tension of previous events was finally fading. Sousuke, Kurz and Melissa stood before Mardukas and Tessa. They tried to ignore a missing presence. For Sousuke and Kurz, it was easy as Tyler had only served on one mission and Mardukas was happy to not see the insubordinate runt be put in his place for a bit. Melissa realized it was for the best and Tessa was still questioning the choice.

"Our intel office just sent us a message about the group responsible for the nuke incident." Mardukas turned towards the main screen in the sub's command center. "This group goes by the name 'World without Borders' ". No one really reacted to the name. Everyone in that room had heard scarier. "They are a group that wishes to put a stop to all wars."

"Not the usual terrorist MO…" Kurz commented.

"True but the way they go about this causes more harm than good. They arm and supply militia groups to fight against major war instigators. They are also comprised of former military personnel that went AWOL or thought missing. Through these means they hope to end all wars and create a world based upon a goal that gave inspiration to their name."

"A world without borders…It sounds rather naïve." Sousuke commented. Everyone had the same sentiment about the group. They sounded like idealistic terrorists but something seemed off.

"At first glance it does but they have already stopped several wars in the Middle East and certain parts of Asia." Mardukas continued. The crew seemed shocked. "This group, while having admirable goals, is only adding fuel to international tensions."

"Who leads this group?" Melissa asked. Surely an organization that can persuade military to defect had to have a strong head.

"All we know is the leader goes by the alias of 'Garm' and his second-in-command is only known as the 'Solo-wing Angel'. That is all we know about them." Mardukas answered.

"Through spy satelites we do know however that they have a major base of operations in Siberia." Tessa continued. " This is where you come in Urzu team. You will engage enemy AS and provide support to ground forces as they raid the base. We would use an infiltration team but this base is heavily fortified. You launch in two days." Tessa looked over as the crew nodded in acknowledgement. "Dismissed." As the crew walked out Mardukas turned towards Tessa with a dire look on his face.

"I know Commander." Tessa answered the question before it left his lips. "Command isn't telling us everything. It seems a bit much for us to be sent after such a group."

"Then why didn't you object?"

"If command is sending us after them, then it means this is a threat to the entire international community. We have no choice."

"If you say so, Captain. Do you think we should let Sousuke have the new AS just in case." Mardukas replied. Tessa sighed.

"Unfortunately Cerberus hasn't been full tested with its new lambda drive. In due time maybe but right now, it is too much of a risk. Even Kaname and I do not know the full extent of its potential. We don't even know the whispered that designed it." The mysterious new AS in the hanger was known under the codename of Cerberus and only Tessa and Mardukas had seen majestically fearsome machine under the black tarp. From what Research and Development had told her, she prayed something of that power would never have to be used.

So yeah, this has been FOREVER since I last updated. Well here ya go. Thanks for the reviews and follows and what not. So Tyler went through another breakdown and we may not get to see him for another 2 chapters. I want to give focus to the original characters and give them some limelight. Also you sort have been introduced to the inspiration of the title and I have reference in here if anyone can figure out.