Chapter 4: Farewells
I feel frozen. Me? Why would he pick me?
"Seriously? Him?" I hear to my right. "After one lucky shot? He wasn't even lookin' down the bloody sights! Why the Hell is he going?" I can hear quite a few other people saying similar things. I'm not upset. I agree.
"Guys! Calm down! My decision is final. Even Link hasn't made a shot like that, taking out 20, probably 30 of their guys. Nonetheless the two trucks. So you all can quit your whining over not being picked." The crowd actually did go quiet at this. I'm not sure if out was of agreement, unlikely, or just not feeling like it was worth arguing over. "You're all dismissed."
The recruits slowly start to disperse. I still feel immobile, unable to get my tired legs and my stunned brain to cooperate.
"Hey Hedgehog, over here," I hear someone say, shaking me from my daze. It was Fluke, standing with OJ and Link in a small huddle. I walk over, unsure of myself.
"So, the General will be here tomorrow, 'round noon probably. Before then, you three need to get your stuff ready and packed, and say your goodbyes if you've got any. Sound good?"
"Sure does."
"Guess so."
A pause.
"Hedgehog?"
"Yeah, sorry. Will do, sir." I say, still in a slight daze.
"Good. It was real nice workin' with you three, some longer than others. You guys'll do perfectly fine for Aaron, I'm sure of it. You ain't got nothin' to worry about. So go get ready, I'll see you off tomorrow."
"See ya tomorrow, Will," Link says. So that's his name. I've been under his command for a couple weeks and I just now found out his name. It feels odd.
As our group starts to diverge, Link pulls me aside. "Hey, kid. You had a nice shot today, but don't think you've proven yourself to me, yet. And I've heard that I can be hard to please. I honestly believe that with a bit more training, you could become a real nice soldier. Especially with ol' Hollow. See ya tomorrow."
I honestly couldn't care less about pleasing him right now. It's not my job. I'm worried about Cade, worried about leaving Joseph, worried about how I'm being thrown into a mission that I am in no way qualified for, just cause I accidentally put a bullet into a gas tank.
I just walk around the ship for a bit. Just in circles. Alone. For about half an hour. Finally I decide to quit my moping and try to find Joseph. I find him sitting in our barracks, just staring at his hands folded in his lap.
"Hey man," I say.
He looks up, seemingly startled. "Oh, hey. So… What's up?"
"Well, not much that you don't know, probably. Cap' told me to start packin' up."
"Yeah, I guess so." Nothing is said for a couple minutes. "Well, good luck, I guess. It'll be hard to take down Rage."
"Yeah, I'm sure it will." At that I stand and start walking to the door. When is reach the frame, about to leave, I hear Joseph from behind me."
"Hedgehog?"
"Yeah?"
"Please, be sure to end all this."
"Yeah, Joseph. I'll try."
Then I walk out, and walk across the ship to the medical clinic. I walk down the steps.
"Hey man! Heard that you were one of the big 3! Gratz!" Cade says one I reach the bottom. Him and OJ seem to be the only two in the room.
"Cade, I'm gonna go pack up and let you two talk. I'll be sure to come back down before I leave," OJ says, and he gets up and starts walking up the stairs.
"So, how ya feelin'?" I ask Cade.
"Oh, I'm doin' fine. OJ keeps trying to worry about me, but I'm feelin' fine now. Be back fighting the Empire any day now." He does look a lot better, but 'any day now' is probably an exaggeration.
"Great to hear man, great to he-"
"Hedgehog! You down there!?" Someone shouts from the top of the stairs.
"Uh, yeah. What's up?" I ask.
"Hollow's almost here!"
"Be right up!" I say as I turn back to Cade. "So, um, see ya, Cade."
"Yeah, see ya."
I start walking to and up the steps. After I walk up a couple, I hear Cade from behind me.
"Hey, Hedgehog. Put a bullet through Rage's head for me."
"I'll be sure to, Cade."