Alright, I'm back with the next chapter in "Strike Heroes".

As usual, let's deal with the reviews:

fuji92: Thanks for the review. I hope to keep it interesting as I go, but whether I do it effectively lies in your responses to it. Other than that, I hope you continue to enjoy the story all the way to the end.

Dragonman75: Yeah, things are getting more intense. However, I wouldn't think that it's a Roland-versus-Perrine moment right now, especially given what will be occurring soon.

GAT-X105VividPanzer: Yes, some answers are due, though they make sense to you guys when I actually reveal them. And it's nice to know that there are still people who haven't literally died from the suspense. :)

Alright, with that out of the way, it's time to start getting some of the burning questions answered...

XXXXXXXXX

Chapter 17: We Want You to Believe (Part 1)

As soon as we followed Minna outside the infirmary, the commander got straight to business.

"You two realize what you've done?" she asked sternly.

Yoshika and I looked at each other, a little confused.

"What's wrong?" Yoshika asked innocently.

"You both violated some basic outlines of the Strike Witches, namely the attempted faternization with the enemy. You both let the major get injured and Roland failed to destroy the enemy. You do realize that your actions can result in the action of court-martial for you two for insubordination and treason, right?"

"But…"

I was a little relieved: she didn't list the fact that I went back into the air despite her orders...though that's not something I should be proud of...

"Instead, I'll hand you this: the two of you will be under room arrest. Except for meals or training, you two will spend your time alone in your rooms until further notice. Do I make myself clear?"

"But—"

"Do I make myself clear?" Minna looked dead serious.

Yoshika looked at Minna's serious face before turning to mine, which was more of concern. "Understood, ma'am…"

"Yoshika may not have a problem," I stated, "but I do. First off, how were we able to know when the Neuroi was coming? The only two people I can think of that have the power to see the unseen are Sanya and Mio, and no one gave us the heads-up until it was too late."

"If that's the case, lieutenant…" Minna replied after hearing that statement. "Then explain why you failed to destroy that Neuroi."

I was about to say something but stopped myself. Somehow, that…thing had known something that I didn't. Why, though? Should I tell Minna about it?

Probably not. The commander was already "royally pissed" that Yoshika and I let Mio get shot down. I'd be like that if someone got shot down and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

"It…" I started as I fished for something to say. "It looked…that being looked like it meant no harm. That the Neuroi that shot down Mio was only making sure that the being was able to carry out its mission. I don't expect you to understand or believe me…but I feel that something more is going on around here than I'd like to believe."

Minna nodded only slightly. "Very well. At least you admit that you couldn't bring yourself to do it. I guess you still have doubts about fighting sometimes. Dismissed." She turned around and was about to leave.

"Hang on, commander?" I was still curious about the letter and its contents. "About me...did you give Captain Barkhorn permission to try looking into the prototype?"

Minna glanced at me once she turned just enough to see me. "Yes, I did, lieutenant."

"Why? If you don't mind me asking..."

Minna somehow looked saddened. "You're a part of the team. If there was something we don't know, I wanted to make sure that we were not going to lose you because of it."

I frowned. Should I try to tell her my secret...again...? Somehow, I imagined that Minna would be the one that would understand if I did tell her, but she looked mad right now. If I told her in that state...I'd rather not think about it.

As Minna walked off, my head lowered so that I could look at the floor.

"Roland-kun…?" the girl tried asking.

Dammit...this is my fault somehow...

XXXXXXXXXX

I angrily threw my sword against the wall and, while it was able to take the hit, made a small dent in the wall with it.

I had been sitting on the bed inside my room since Minna had given us the punishment, even deciding to have my meals delivered to me by one of the girls in case Minna wanted to do something like interrogation. I'm not sure if she was thinking that, but I had the feeling that she might want more answers. Like she wanted to know exactly who I am. It was getting close to dinner, judging by the fact that it was about five in the evening, and I was still trying to figure out the answers to the questions I had no answers to.

Why was it I was trying to figure all this out? Why did that thing want me to realize something? Why was it trying to get me to realize something?

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Who is it?" I asked.

The door opened, and I could see that it was Sanya, which was a bit of a shocker: why was she up?

"Roland?" Sanya asked me as she had a plate of spaghetti in her hands. "Lucchini made this for dinner...with some help from Shirley..." She sounded timid.

"What's up, Sanya?" I asked her, adding, "I'm not gonna bite. I don't have enough energy to do that, anyways: I'm thinking right now."

"Thinking about what?"

I stood up and walked over to the window in my room. "It's...nothing. Just some wishful thinking."

"Wishful thinking? Are you worried about what happened to the major?"

I closed my eyes and tried to avoid thinking about it. Dammit, I'm a soldier...but I got attached to these girls...and I can't get over the fact that Mio got hurt. "I guess I am...just a little..."

"It's alright, Roland. It's not your fault that Major Sakamoto was injured."

"But it's my fault that Neuroi is still around...Sanya, I want to know: will you still trust me? No matter what, will you still believe in me?"

"Roland?"

I sighed. "You're young...and innocent...Look at me, I'm just a soldier who got mixed up in all this..."

"That's not true!"

I turned and looked at Sanya, who looked upset. "What?" I don't think I've really seen her like this before...

"You're not just a soldier who got mixed up in our problems...you're one of the only ones out of the other Witches who shares the same history as me. You're separated from your family, just like I am! Though yours died in the attacks, you haven't let their deaths get to you. You're Roland Sage, you're the sturdy rock that we all trust...not the one who breaks down when the going gets tough! So snap out of it and bring us back the old Roland! Please!"

I closed my eyes and laughed. It was a strange laugh that I had been holding inside for too long: the laugh of someone who's found something amusing in what she said. "You and I have the same history...but you don't know the secret I hold in my heart. If I ever told you what it was, would you trust me still?" I opened my eyes and saw that Sanya looked a little hesitant to answer me.

"Roland...I'd still trust you...no matter what...we're a team, right?"

I blinked. I didn't really expect Sanya to say something like that. "I guess that's it, then. I hope you still have the same opinion of me when that time comes." I walked over and grabbed the plate from Sanya. "Thanks for bringing me dinner. You girls don't have to keep feeding me, you know..."

"It's alright...I rather got used to it...to your company, I mean." Sanya nodded her head before leaving, closing the door behind her.

I noticed that the plate had a fork with it, and I picked it up and ate as I stared out the window.

Looking out the window, I realized that the answer lied in finding that Neuroi's home and heading there.

Which led me to a problem: how was I supposed to get there? It wasn't like I could just walk out of the room and go.

That gave me an idea…

XXXXXXXXXX

Equipped with only my crowbar and sword, I stood on the ledge outside Yoshika's window. I'm surprised that the base was fit for someone to just up and scale the outside. It really saved me the trouble of trying to get to the little Fuso Witch's room using the halls. Though it would have been easier: it was about four in the morning, and it was rather difficult to actually see good finger-holds.

I tapped the glass softly to get the young girl's attention.

Yoshika, who was somehow up at this time, noticed me and opened the window, allowing me to enter her room before I slipped and fell to my death, a fact that would have been hard to prove given my Striker Unit's ability.

"What is it, Roland?" she asked quickly.

"Listen, Yoshika…" I started. "I'm going out there to figure all this out. I'm not sure if I'll make it back because I might be killed, but I just wanted to let you know…it was an honor serving alongside you."

She looked confused. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find that…thing and get some answers."

"The Neuroi?" She blinked in surprise.

"Exactly. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

I was about to leave through the window when Yoshika stopped me, saying "Wait. I'm coming too."

I turned my head to face her. "Why?"

"That Neuroi looked…nice. It looked innocent, and I want to come along with you. If you get hurt then I need to be there to heal you."

"Thanks, Yoshika. You do realize that if they find out we went against orders we might be in deeper trouble, right?"

"I'm not worried. You're my friend, and friends stick together, right?"

I smiled weakly. "Even after all that happened in the past few days, you're not even slightly mad at me still?"

Yoshika frowned. "I'm still upset that you're acting a bit like a jerk, but if this will get you back to your usual self then I'll gladly help you to my best ability."

I nodded and pointed to my back with my thumb as I set my left foot on the windowsill. "Well, you better get on my back. Don't need you falling before we get to the hangar, right? But you better get everything you need before we go, understood?"

Yoshika nodded her head as she now gave off a slight smile. "Hai."

XXXXXXXXXX

An hour later, Yoshika and I hid behind a box that had the little Fuso Witch's Striker Unit leaning against it, but we had run into a little problem. The hangar was full of mechanics, and it seemed like they were starting work on maintenance. It was rather difficult to move anywhere without being caught, and the only thing that was helping us out was my aura-reading abilities. That, and whatever I received from Minna hugging me.

Besides, I generally don't like sneaking around. I never was very good at keeping quiet when playing games like Splinter Cell: Double Agent. Was it my fault that real life was harsher than a game? At least a game allowed you to continue from a checkpoint. In this case, if we got caught we would have to move quickly in order to avoid getting in more trouble than we already were.

Is it safe? Yoshika mouthed to me.

Working on it... I mouthed back as I checked on the men's position. I then got a crazy idea: I looked at the Browning HP pistol I managed to pick up while in the hangar, which was hanging inside the holster I had grabbed. I quietly ejected the clip and looked at the amount of bullets it had.

Three bullets...man, I hope this wasn't mine. Then again, who the hell else used a Browning HP on this base?

Setting the clip back in, I decided to switch the safety off and aimed it at a wall without moving out of cover. My finger entered the trigger well before I fired off a shot that slammed into the wall.

Let's hope that sends them scurrying...

As I guessed, the men decided to evacuate the hangar, leaving us to move freely once they were gone. However, we had to move quickly: no telling how fast the others would respond. Besides, I think I disturbed their sleep.

"Come on, Yosh," I told her. "We've gotta get moving."

"Right," Yoshika said as she climbed into her Striker Unit. While she was doing that, I looked around for a while and grabbed a BAR for myself. Oh, and another clip for the pistol at my side.

"Okay, let's get the hell out of here and figure this all out."

XXXXXXXXXX

Minna's POV

"What?!" I yelled in shock.

The reason why I was shocked was because I had sent Lynne and Sanya to see if Roland and Miyafuji were still in their rooms. What I found out wasn't good. Neither the male Witch or the sergeant were in their rooms. Put in the fact that we were woken up by the commotion of the men who were doing maintenance on the Striker Units about fifteen minutes ago, and I think the pieces were falling together rather quickly.

"What do we do, commander?" Barkhorn asked as she looked concerned. Out of all the Witches, I think she was the only one aside from me trying to figure out their motives.

"I'm not sure," I told her. "I didn't think that either one would go against orders. Well, Roland maybe...but definitely not Miyafuji."

"This doesn't make any sense," Lynne decided to include. "Roland and Yoshika don't look like the types to be disobeying orders."

"Ma'am?" one of the men on base said as he came up to our group. "The general's on the line in the command room. I think it's urgent."

The general? Why is he calling? "I'll be there."

"Yes, ma'am."

As the man walked off, the others looked at me as if looking for any ideas.

"Hmm..." I started as I thought about it. "Lynne, I need you to stay here. Someone has to stay on base to assume Miyafuji's position, at least for a while. We also need a Witch to keep an eye on Major Sakamoto while Lynne assumes Miyafuji's position and we're off-base."

"I'll do it, commander," Perrine said rather quickly. It looked like she was preparing for that sort of thing to happen.

I nodded. "Okay, Perrine. Keep an eye on the major, understood? Everyone else...get to the hangar and gear up. Once I get back from my talk with the general, we'll go and grab our two jailbirds."

XXXXXXXXXX

As soon as I reached the command room, I asked for a line to the general and got it almost instantly.

"You called for me, General Maloney?" I asked.

"Yes, commander," Maloney told me. "I assume that something happened on the base?"

"Uh, yeah. How do you know that?"

"That's not important. So what happened?"

"Well, Lieutenant Sage and Sergeant Miyafuji went against orders and flew off to look for something."

"I see...judging from your report yesterday, I can only guess that they're going to attempt to make contact with the enemy again."

"Again?" Roland wouldn't do something like that, would he? I mean, Commander Ellios died because of the Neuroi. His family even died because of them. Why is he going to try making contact with them?

"That's right. I imagine that you're going to send out a party to retrieve them."

"Yes, sir."

"Well...I have a new set of orders for you, commander. Proceed with finding them, but once they're found...execute them."

I nearly dropped the phone. "Execute them?"

"Making contact with the Neuroi with the intent of fraternization is a sign of treason. We can't have people start doubting our intent to defeat them and save humanity. You will kill the sergeant and the boy on sight. Relay your orders to the others who are going with you and make sure that they understand them. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir? Miyafuji's just a child, and Roland-"

"Commander, the sergeant is a Witch and should be treated as one. She has others around her age group, and you treat them like soldiers as well. As for Roland...don't tell me that you of all people are getting attached to him?"

I blinked. Why did I even keep him on the team? After the trouble he's been in lately, he should have been punished more severely than I had been doing. But why? Why was I treating him with more respect than he deserved?

It wasn't in my heart to hold grudges...

"I guess I am," I replied after a while. "As for your orders...you can go to hell. I won't kill my own teammates, and I'll be damned if I kill the man I've grown to trust."

"I see...you'll regret making that choice."

I hung up quickly.

"Are you really going to disregard General Maloney's orders, ma'am?" someone asked me.

"I guess I have no choice," I said as I sighed. "Whatever happens, I won't betray my team."

XXXXXXXXXX

Roland's POV

Yoshika and I flew across the sea, trying to find any signs of that being from before. The only one armed was me, but I wasn't exactly too thrilled about being armed.

"Where can that thing be?" I asked Yoshika. "It's not like it doesn't know us or anything…"

As we stopped and floated there, I was starting to get annoyed. This thing looked like it knew something I didn't...and the damn thing couldn't even appear when we wanted it to?

"Goddammit!" I yelled to no one in particular. "I'm getting sick and tired of waiting for your sorry ass!"

"Mister Neuroi?" Yoshika said as she looked around us.

I looked at her quickly. "You gave that thing a name?" I then sighed. "Joy…"

"What? He's nice. He deserves a name."

I decided to point something out. "Villains have names."

"Maybe they weren't always evil…"

I sighed again. "You know, I don't quite understand you sometimes. You know that, right?" I meant it: if you sat there trying to convince her that there were only two sides of a coin, I wouldn't be surprised if she tried looking for a middle ground by saying that a third side was possible. After all, somehow in that movie MouseHunt when they flipped a coin, it stood on its edge...you know, I'm really beginning to question why I even posed questions.

"I feel sorry for you, then."

You feel sorry for me? You feel sorry for me?! Look here, sergeant: I didn't ask you to risk being shot down on contact by your own teammates, and I definitely didn't ask for all this to be happening to me, of all people!

As soon as Yoshika said that, the being flew in from out of nowhere and looked at us. Well, as close to looking as something that doesn't look like it has any sort of optical devices could get.

"There you are, you little rascal!" I shouted out in irritation. "Can you please tell us what you need us to know?"

The Neuroi didn't answer. Instead, it turned around as if beckoning us to follow it.

"Should we follow it?" Yoshika asked.

I thought about it really quick: it might be a good idea to trail it and figure out where it takes us. If it doesn't take us to where we needed to be...would it do something like that knowing that I can shoot it down?

"I guess," I replied as we did just that.

XXXXXXXXXX

Soon, we were flying toward a huge Neuroi structure, something that surprised me a lot. It was above the water, which started giving me some second thoughts.

"What is this?" I asked in surprise.

"I think it's a Neuroi nest," Yoshika told me. "The land they take over has these things. But why is it over water?"

"I don't know…" I looked at the being as it flew inside the nest. "and frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Turning to Yoshika, I added, "Movie quote. Or, at least, a rough estimate of one. Come on, let's head in."

I think I gave something away inside that line, but I don't think Yoshika cared right now. We both knew that this being was trying to help us out, so we flew inside...

XXXXXXXXXX

There's the next chapter.

Just to see how much interest there would be, I want to put the possibility out there: I'm planning to make a series of little adventures based on the universe I created as an offset from the canonical one. It will have the Strike Witches along with Roland and anyone else attached to this universe (which I'll just refer to as the "Strike Heroes" version of the Strike Witches universe now). As for when I'll start, I haven't quite figured it out yet. I might wait until this is over so that I can work on it while trying to think of my next move. I don't know...what are your thoughts?

Anyways, that's all I have to say.

Please read and respond, and be sure to let me know what you think of this chapter. Thanks.