Strike Witches
The Winged Chronicles
Punishment
Lynette looks in horror seeing Griffin's smile and knowing that he is expecting to die, Lynette fearful of his life yells "Wait!" as Barkhorn grabs her, Lynette tries to get away and with desperation stares at her as Barkhorn with a face of acknowledgement shakes her head and lets Lynette go. Lynette stands there with a single tear falling from her right eye walks out of the hangar with the rest of the girls not saying a single word.
Mina leads Griffin into her office with Sakamoto standing at the door with her sword in front of her with her arms resting on top waiting for them with five armed guards of both sides of the door, Mina, Mio and Griffin enter the room leaving the guards outside, Mina sits down at the desk with Mio closing the door and standing in front of it with an trained eye on Griffin. Griffin expected nothing less than this for his welcoming back party, with a slight smile says "I'm back", Mina disgusted with Griffin's statement slams both her hands on the desk and stands up and yells "is that all you have to say". Griffin expecting the remark calmly replies "no, I understand your position and i accept the punishment for my actions", Mina calming down sits back down and with a piercing stare says "do you know what the consequences are for, desertion, leaving from a battle scene, and now you just come back expecting to get punished, it would of been better for you not to of come back." Griffin standing firm replies "i know, but you needed me" Mio's hand clenches a little as Mina stands up and says "very well for the time being your here by sentenced to one month solitary confinement in the basement detention cells, the rest of us will discuss what to do with you during the mean time" Griffin slightly bows his head in acceptance. Mio takes her sword in her left hand and opens the door, the guards walk in, Mina says "take him to the detention cells" the guards surrounded Griffin and he is ex-courted out of the room. Mio follows them and as they leave the room she notices a few figures moving at the corner of her eye, she ignores them knowing who they are.
Griffin is taken down the halls and taken to a door hidden in the back of the base, with four guards sounding Griffin Mio open's the door and Griffin walks in, the guards following him Mio holds her hand out in front of the door and says "I'll take him myself." The guards nod their head and wait outside as the door closes. Griffin walks down the stairs not once looking behind him when they reach the bottom its a concrete room with four doors with bar's covering the front with a single light in the room, Griffin says "you know, i could of probably taken you by surprise and made my escape." Mio unphased walks past him and opens a cell door, as Griffin walks in Mio slams the door closed and in a faint voice says as she walks away "you wouldn't." All left in the room in creeking of the of the door closing at the top and the buzzing of the incandescent light in the room, all in there is Griffin and the darkness.
The first few days Griffin wasn't visited by anyone only a guard came by and gave him is meal, a simple bread and water plate with a vitamin. Every time that door opened Griffin knew who was coming down and why, he just sat on the floor waiting for the guard to leave his meal and leave, not a word spoken. Two weeks past and Griffin is getting used to his surrounding, thinking that in a strange way it was comforting and made is back hurt when he thought about the past. On the third week the door opened and not expecting anything more than a meal the sounds of flatter patter of shoes not the clunk of military boots came down the stairs, thinking it was the echoing he ignored it and kept his back to the wall and faced the bars. When the figure came before the bar's the shadow created was way too petite to be a male military officer when Griffin stood up and approached the bars to investigate in front of him was Yoshika and Lynette beside her, Griffin confused by their appearance says "why are you here, you could get in a lot of trouble for this" Yoshika a little distressed says "we wanted to, we tried every day but Mina wouldn't let us so we waited till no one was around and sneaked in. Griffin shakes his head and says "thank you for the visit but you must leave before some one catches you down here. Lynette shakes her head and says " i can't till i thank you for letting me use your gun and saving us again" Griffin sigh's and says "now, its your gun now and i did what i had to", Yoshika says "yes but you are in jail because of us". Griffin confused says "what you mean i helped you all, i chose my own actions, i'll stick by them" Lynette and Yoshika a little displeased at his speech bow and start to head back the door as they reach half way Griffin yells "hey, i expect some of that great fuso food when i get out" Yoshika smiles and she opens the door. Slowly Lynette cracks the door open and looks around "no one's around" says Lynette, Yoshika nods as the two exit the door as they quietly walk down the hall side by side a hand grabs their shoulders at the same side, Lynette yelps out of fear and being surprised as the two slowly turn around the two discover that it was Erica with a large smirk on her face " heheheh, i didn't see anything" says Erica as she walks past them and down the hall. The two sigh out of relief and run down the hall trying to get as far as they can from the door.
After one month the door opens and Mina with five guards come down Mina in a stern voice says "Griffin to the courtyard and we will announce the decision of the higher ups, as the door to the cell opens and and two guards come in as Griffin stands up and puts Griffin in handcuff's and is taken outside. When Griffin is taken out the door the light from the sun scald his eyes from being a dark room for a whole month, when Griffin regains his sight in the courtyard he sees all the girls standing in attention with worried looks in their face with Mio standing in front of them facing them with her usual stern face. Griffin is walked in front of the girls with Mina standing beside him, she pulls out a letter and says "Griffin it is decided that your crimes of desertion, leaving a battle scene and disappearance for a month are inexcusable, do you have anything to say?" Griffin looks at the girls and faces Mina and shakes his head "then by the decision of Mio and myself with long debating decided that time served we will let it go this once" All the girls cheer as Mina gives a little smile and says "remove his handcuff's" as Griffin stretches his arms and rips the handcuff's off. Shocked the guard picks up the pieces and takes them inside. Griffin with a sigh of relief says "now, who's hungry I've haven't eaten in a month" as the rest of the girls laugh and walk inside to the kitchen.