Black Coffee

Chapter 20

(A month later)

An epic struggle took place over the next month, but eventually, the job was done. The Black Obelisk had been shattered, and Black Hole was forced to retreat. They knew it wasn't completely over, for there was no sign of Von Bolt, and the other Black Hole CO's weren't overly flustered with their loss, and retreated willingly with their troops. They knew they would see them again, but they could rest for now.

There was a party going on in a tent they had set up in their temporary HQ near the Black Obelisk's foundations. All the CO's were having a good time, everyone talking about stuff and eating the great food. Everyone...except Hawke.

He stood in a corner for the first ten minutes, merely observing and avoiding conversation. His head was plagued with too many thoughts. Black Hole, the future, Lash...

He had to leave. So without an ounce of prevention, he turned around and left the tent. He begun to walk away from the party until a voice came from out of the tent.

"Hey, where ya goin'?" a voice asked. Hawke stopped walking and slowly turned around. It was Jake, who seemed to be smiling.

"Hello" Hawke answered dryly.

"Hey, aren't you coming to enjoy the party?" he asked. Hawke gave a sigh.

"I dislike social events" he answered. "Besides, I don't want my presence to be somewhat of a burden"

"Nah, it's cool!" Jake replied. Hawke closed his eyes.

"I appreciate your concern, but...I am from Black Hole...the enemy" Hawke explained. "I seem out of place...I do not wish to dampen anyone's spirits, especially in midst of a celebration"

"Nah, come on dude!" Jake pestered. "It's all cool, you got my respect anyway bro" he added. "You're part of the Allied family now; it's all chilled with us. Now come on, don't be weak, or at least eat something!" Jake asked. Hawke thought for a minute.

"...Well...he seems to be speaking some form of truth...as long as I don't make a scene, perhaps I could..." he thought he then looked at Jake.

"Okay...I'll join" he said.

"Awesome man!" Jake answered, beaming and extending a hand. "I'm Jake!"

"...I'm Hawke" Hawke answered, shaking Jake's hand. The two then walked back into the tent.

A few minutes later and Hawke had arranged a platter of food rather neatly on his plate. He decided to sit down near a row of empty stools to eat in peace. It wasn't much to ask for, he thought.

As he begun to eat though, a figure approached him. He turned his head to look, and saw a nervous Colin standing there.

"Oh...h-hello Commander Hawke..." he said. "You look lonely...am...i-is it okay if I sit with you?" he asked. Hawke was about to ignore him naturally, but then he thought for a minute.

"He's just a kid..." he thought. "He couldn't be of any harm. I may as well appease his mind"

"Of course you may" Hawke replied. Colin then sat down on the stool next to Hawke.

"S-so...Commander Hawke, how does it feel to be part of the Allied Nations, sir?" he asked. Hawke found the formality rather endearing.

"Your name is Colin, isn't it?" Hawke asked, biting into a piece of chicken and wiping his mouth afterwards. Colin seemed surprised.

"Oh...y-yes, it is sir!" he said. Hawke nodded slightly.

"I remember you from the last war...you were one of the leading officers when you attacked the Green Earth factory, correct?" he asked.

"Oh...of c-course!" Colin answered. "It was a fierce battle Commander Hawke!" Hawke looked down slightly.

"Excuse me for being rude, but please, do not call me a commander" he asked. "It...reminds me of darker times in the past. It is a title I wish to bury and leave behind" Hawke explained. "...Call me Hawke. Its okay, no need to address me as 'sir' or anything, just Hawke will do. I am one of you now, remember?" he said, bearing a somewhat cheesy grin. It was a very strange sight to see Hawke with a cheesy grin, but anything to appease the little boy, he was only young, he deserved a more innocent outlook on life's pleasures, he thought.

"Oh...o-okay, Hawke!" he said. His nerves dissipated somewhat, as if he wasn't talking to a high ranked officer anymore. "So, how does it feel to be with us now?"

"It's certainly...different" Hawke replied. "The cause is in nature very much the same, one team strives to defeat another"

"Excuse me for asking, but why did you and Lash leave Black Hole?" he asked. Of course, he wasn't at any of the interrogations that took place on that day a month ago. Best try to explain this in a quick way.

"...They tried to kill us" he answered.

"K-kill you?" Colin replied in shock. "Why?"

"...We pursued different goals" Hawke answered. "To see the army used as a personal weapon sickened me...so I raised the question, and in return, they told me I knew too much and tried to have me killed. I escaped with Lash and you found us in the desert" he explained.

"Did they want to kill Lash too? Did you bring her because she's your friend?" Colin asked. Hawke let the word sink in. Friend...

"...Yes" Hawke answered. "Until now...she was my only friend" he said, watching her at the other side of the tent, being taught by Jess about table manners. She seemed to make a joke out of it all, but Hawke had never seen her eat so civilised before. Jess was doing a good job with her, fair play. Then a call came from across the tent.

"Hey Colin, get back here so I can tell ya some more stories!" a voice shouted. Colin stood up in fright.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Grimm is after me again. Will you excuse me?" he asked. Hawke gave a nod while he watched Colin go towards Grimm, who picked him up, sat him on his lap and with a tankard of beer in one hand and Colin in the other, begun to waffle on. But he talked to someone at least. Perhaps the party wasn't so bad after all. And the food was amazing to say the least, so much, he thought that he would break a traditional rule in his life by helping himself to seconds...