Chapter 29: Discarded

"Are you sure, general? This changes everything."

"The results of the peace talks will be in the news shortly and whatever happened there is enough for the Secretary of Defense to order us to stand down."

"We don't have to stop work on the Spectre. Just because it no longer looks like war is inevitable with the Russians doesn't mean that there is no use for the Endlave."

"Colonel, it's a difficult beast and we only have one usable pilot, one who a half dozen senators already consider a failure, and completely unsuitable for deployment. It would be bad for appearances to post him anywhere Congress could get another look at him. He's arrogant, disrespectful, and it would appear there is no line he's unwilling to cross."

"He became what we needed."

"And we don't need him anymore. Sephira Genomics of the GHQ has expressed an interest in the Spectre and its pilot though. Because of Daryl Yan's age they would like to attempt something with that Void nonsense going on out there. They've offered to name their program Gespenst, out of deference to the original."

"Translating the name into German doesn't make it better."

"The GHQ will put him in their Anti-Bodies unit. Though he'll still be part of the US Army, it's an integrated group with other soldiers from the UN. His erratic behavior will be more tolerated there, considering their no-holds-barred approach to the terrorists trying to escape containment. If for some reason we need to transfer him back at a later date, that option is still there."

"So this is his assignment then?"

"It is."

-GC-

Japan! He was going back to Japan!

Daryl was thrilled, more than he had been at his graduation ceremony. It had been a pain, what with the silence that came when his name was called, and that one whoop that he knew was from Conner. Most of the names that crossed the podium he didn't know, but he knew Aaron Maas and Victoria Walters, and made it a point to congratulate them.

All the firsties were now second lieutenants, and their assignments came in shortly thereafter. Aaron was headed to his new post in Texas, and Victoria to Kuwait.

Aaron called it tough luck getting Japan, given all the lockdowns due to the Apocalypse Virus. He'd rather take a post in the Mideast like Victoria, and be surrounded by desert, but Daryl didn't care. It was what he had hoped for, what he had positioned himself for, and he was coming back after having beaten that incredibly difficult final. Surely that had to be worth something to his father.

The hardest part about graduating was leaving Panther. Even though he was not always close to his squadmates, he trusted them as pilots.

"It's going to be dumb without you," said Conner.

"But you'll get a room all to yourself," said Oscar.

Conner chuckled. "If I'm lucky, yeah!"

The mess had already closed so for Daryl's last night at the academy, Panther Squad had crowded into Daryl and Conner's room. If they were firsties or cows they could have left campus, but since they were still yearlings for a few days more, they had to make due with the dorm.

Conner and Tomas had claimed the top bunk, Daryl sat at his desk, Ellen at Conner's, Heather on the floor beside her, James and Paul across from the two girls, and Oscar near Daryl. Together, the eight of them formed a loose circle with the two desks, bunk beds, and the open floor.

"Sadly there is no alcohol for a proper send off," said Tomas. "Apple cider just doesn't seem right."

Paul had brought four bottles and left them with some paper cups in the center of the ring.

"Daryl's not old enough anyway," said James.

Heather giggled. "We're all not old enough."

"One more year!" said Oscar.

"The cider is fine," said Daryl. It was fizzy, and he appreciated the thought. It was strange being here, with other people, for no reason other than to be social. After having nearly every hour of the day scheduled for two years, he wasn't sure what to do with himself.

Daryl sipped from his cup. "It's weird, but I think I'm going to miss you guys."

"Damning with the faint praise," said Paul, but his tone was light.

"Are you happy with your post?" asked Heather. "Are you going to be under your dad?"

He shrugged as though it didn't matter. "Technically I will be, because he runs the entire GHQ, but I'll be reporting into someone else."

"I hope that works out for you," said Ellen.

Daryl did too.

"So does anyone really want all this apple cider?" said Tomas. Only two of the bottles had been opened, and only one of those was empty. "Sheesh, Paul, you'd think you were planning a keg party with how much you brought."

Paul grinned. "People might've been thirsty. And besides, you know what'll happen if I got caught smuggling alcohol into the academy. Ain't worth it. Best I can do is get some firsties to buy a bunch of cider when they go into town."

"I suppose we can still make Daryl chug it."

"What?" Daryl blinked. "That's not going to make me drunk. I'll just get sick."

Oscar lifted his cup. "Here's to getting sick!"

"Hey, you're leaving and we're going to be down to seven people for our third and fourth years," said Heather, with mock severity. "Least you can do is get sick for us."

Daryl sputtered. "I've got a flight tomorrow morning!"

"It's settled then!" Tomas jumped down from the bunk and opened one of the untouched bottles. He held it out to Daryl. "Start chugging."

Daryl looked around the room, hoping for some support, but he wasn't finding the kind he wanted. Paul gave him a thumbs up.

"It's your last night with Panther," said Conner. "You didn't get to do dumb things in high school so the least you can do is something dumb with us."

Daryl groaned. "All right." He took the bottle.

-GC-

He ended up drinking two and half bottles of that apple cider, which he didn't like so much anymore by the end of it. His stomach didn't settle well that night. He woke up twice to use the bathroom and he was dehydrated by morning, which was exactly what he didn't want before an international flight.

"Tell the other guys I hate them," he said to Conner as he picked up his suitcase. Brandt was going to meet him downstairs to drive him to the airport.

"Message will be delivered, but I don't think they'll take it that way." Conner tipped his hand to his head in a light salute. "Take care, kid."

Kid. Daryl chuckled, remembering that he was fifteen. He wouldn't even be allowed to drive a car for another two and a half months, but they trusted him with an Endlave.

"That's 'lieutenant' now," said Daryl, though he still felt a bit odd with the second lieutenant bars on his new uniform, like a trickster who hadn't truly earned them. He reached out for the door handle.

"Hell if I'm going to call you that if you're not my superior. We started the same time."

"See you, cadet!" said Daryl with a grin, and he stepped outside.

"Mail me some photos of Japan!"

Daryl shut the door behind him and hurried down to the first floor to be outside before the colonel arrived. Early was on time, on time was late, and late was unacceptable. The weather was mild for early June so he was not baking as he set down his suitcase and stood in the morning sun. It was almost 7 and he hadn't eaten yet, but that was all right. He wasn't sure he wanted anything for breakfast right now, and he could get something later at the airport while waiting for his flight.

He recognized Brandt's black car approaching the dorm and had his suitcase back in hand by the time she pulled up. Daryl opened the door and greeted her with a salute before she opened the trunk so he could put his luggage inside. His suitcase was fuller than when he had arrived, now that he was taking his uniforms home with him.

"Everything in order, lieutenant?" she asked.

"Yes, sir," he said, as he took his place in the front passenger seat. He pulled the door shut.

Lieutenant. Daryl liked the sound of that.

It was strange leaving the academy behind, to watch the desert fall away into mountains, and then into suburbia on the other side. For almost two years that dry landscape with its drab buildings had been the only thing he'd seen.

Now, looking at the trees, the many freeways, and the traffic of the Los Angeles Basin, it was all surreal. Like going to another world. It would probably be worse once he landed in Tokyo, where there was no urban sprawl at all as everyone pressed together into an even smaller amount of space.

They didn't talk much on the way to the airport. Brandt trusted him to have his passport, his itinerary, everything he needed on hand, and he did. He wasn't a child who needed a parent to look out for him. He was a soldier now.

It was a long drive, taking them almost three hours to get out of the high desert and out to the coast. He was surprised that Brandt had given him a ride instead of simply dropping him off in town and letting him catch a bus. Someone of her rank didn't need to do this, even if he was still underage, and he doubted it was as a favor to his father. He decided that perhaps this was her way of showing that she would miss him.

He had tried, and far as he could tell he had, lived up to her expectations, and that was something he could not exchange for anything. He was sorry when the signs for the airport came up.

Brandt did not drop him off at the curb though, as he had expected, and instead pulled into a parking garage and said, "I'll see you off, at least up until security."

"You don't have to, sir," said Daryl. "I don't want to take any more of your time."

"I've spent the past two years looking after you, lieutenant. Humor me."

"Yes, sir."

Daryl felt a little like a kid being sent off by his mother, or at least the closest thing to it, as they entered the terminal, but it was oddly nice. He pulled his suitcase behind him, and as he looked around for where to check in, he suddenly noticed how much smaller the colonel looked than when he had seen her the last time they were at the airport. It wasn't that she was short by any means, because she wasn't, but he had grown while at the academy, and he was almost as tall as her now. In a couple more years he would probably be taller.

"Over there," she said. It was the terminal bank for checking in.

Daryl tapped the screen and entered his passport information. The terminal confirmed his ticket and informed him of his departure gate. At least he wouldn't have to check bags. His suitcase was small enough to carry on.

"Do you know much about the Anti-Bodies?" she asked, as they walked towards the security line.

"They're the urban warfare branch of the GHQ. They're called in to contain potentially violent outbreaks of the Apocalypse Virus."

"Are you ready for that?"

"I will be," he said. He might not know the specifics, but he intended to catch up on the flight over. If he was given a job, he would perform it, without hesitation. It's what he was made to do. And maybe, if he was efficient enough, he could wipe that bloody virus off the entire planet.

"Good. I don't want to hear that my student is inadequate."

"You won't."

There was not much of a line to go through security. The airport had enough stations open that it would be a short wait.

Daryl turned to Lyrica and said, "I want to thank you for everything you've done. I hope my father will appreciate everything I've learned, now that I'll be working for him."

He saluted her in farewell, and the most peculiar look crossed her face. Daryl was not used to seeing hesitation in the colonel, and then in a moment, it was gone. She saluted him crisply in return.

"I guess even you find it hard to say good-bye," he said.

"I wish it were that," she said, "but let's pretend. Good luck, lieutenant."

"Colonel."

She turned around and walked away without a backward glance. Daryl wheeled his suitcase behind him as he took a spot in line. He would still have a couple hours before his flight after he cleared security. Maybe it was time to get something to eat.


A/N: And with that, Daryl is off to Japan. Thank you for reading Imperfectly Forged all the way to the end. For those curious about the timeline, this ends about 7-8 months before Guilty Crown begins, enough time for Daryl to settle into his new digs.

There has already been an inquiry as to what I will be writing after this and to be honest, I'm not sure what is next, though there is still one, maybe two, more Guilty Crown fics on the table, set in the same timeline as Imperfectly Forged and Little Heart.

But the problem is I have some serious deadlines coming up at end of this year (2015) and additional deadlines throughout next year for my professional writing. Though I like writing fanfic, there honestly might not be room for another fanfic novel in 2016 if I want to keep my one chapter a week schedule.

It may take a few months or more before I figure out what my bandwidth is going to be like.

I'm happy to stay in contact with any readers who wish to chat. Just send me a PM on FFnet or go to my profile and follow the link to my tumblr. It's mostly a mix of gaming/anime/random stuff along with me occasionally talking about writing, and I generally respond to Asks pretty quickly.

Finally, I would like to thank Ford1114, AonoKenshi, Kurota Haruka, DV330, obsidianminer67, Anime fan, and TH3 51L3NT A55A551N for commenting and reviewing. Imperfectly Forged might not have had a lot of favs and follows for a story this long, but you've been a dedicated bunch and I appreciate it!