Archangel - Chapter 7: Home at Last
Acre looked out the helicopter window at the Sangvis Ferri base coming into view around her as the aircraft descended from the air. It was finally over, her first mission had not gone as she expected, but at least she was alive. After Scimitar 3 intercepted the Griffin defenders' escape via paradrop, the outcome of the battle was all but decided. Although some Griffin dolls did manage to escape, Operation Unbroken Resolve was a resounding success which completed its main objective—securing Point Cobalt and paving the way for future raids into the Griffin logistics lines.
Acre sighed. Despite the victory, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment from it all. Where was the glory? Where was the overwhelming sense of accomplishment? Acre used to imagine herself bravely spearheading an assault or saving her allies in a heroic rescue, but at the end of the day all they really did was retake a hill that Griffin temporarily captured. It seemed like both sides have simply ended back at square one, except now with a bunch of casualties.
Acre looked over at Castle, who was sitting with her eyes closed, seemingly in meditation. Acre was there when Castle sifted through the rubble of the destroyed command post, and she bore witness when Castle pulled Kia's body, or rather a piece of it, from the debris. Beside Castle and Acre sat several mass-produced fodder units, all wearing the same unchanging expression even as their bodies were riddled by wounds. How lucky those vespids must be, unaware of the dismal circumstances of their existence, Acre scornfully thought to herself.
Looking around the cabin interior, Acre was reminded of her helicopter trip to Point Cobalt that marked the beginning of her first mission. The battle utterly changed Acre, and not just by giving her a broken arm and smearing dirt all across her clothes and body. She found it hard to believe that barely 24 hours ago, she was still that naïve girl who thought she could take on the world, ignorant to the horrors and hardship of the battlefield. Now, that naïve girl was all but a memory, never to return to reality. Acre suddenly felt so small, so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Where a fire once burned within her spirit, Acre now found the darkness of confusion and uncertainty.
"You okay?" Castle asked Acre, noticing her turmoil.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Acre dismissed, her eyes vacantly staring at the cabin floor.
"You're not a very good liar, you know," Castle remarked, "If you've got a problem, don't be afraid to speak about it."
Acre looked up at Castle, whose expression was relatively neutral as usual. After a while, Acre finally spoke up, "Castle… What's the point of all this fighting?"
"Are you feeling lost?" Castle asked in reply, "Don't know what you're fighting for?"
"I suppose so," Acre admitted, "I… I used to think I would fight for 'victory,' for 'glory'… But now, it all seems so intangible… so distant… so-…"
"…so hollow?" Castle suggested.
"Yeah, hollow," Acre agreed, "Of course- I'm not suggesting I'm going to desert or anything. I just… I feel so disillusioned right now…"
"I understand how you feel," Castle consoled, "I used to be in the same situation as you back when I was first created, charging into battle thinking I'd save the world or something… only to be slapped across the face by reality and realise I didn't know what the hell I was even doing."
Acre looked at Castle. She would've never imagined Castle as someone who was even capable of being afraid or lost, but after fighting with her during the battle, Acre realized just how fallible Castle—just like everyone else—was.
"To be honest, I dunno," Castle admitted, "Everyone asks themselves what their purpose in life is at some point in their lives, but each person is gonna have a different answer to that question."
Acre frowned, looking at the ground.
"For instance, I was just aimlessly existing until I met Kia," Castle continued, a faint smile on her face. "She used to be in Dagger division, did you know? She then transferred here, and we became great friends. I would die for her, really. I would sacrifice my neural cloud to save hers, you know? So if you asked me what I fight for, I guess I'd say I fight for Kia. I'm content just being with her, protecting her, and I trust that she'll lead me down the right path."
"That sounds…" Acre began, "You must be very lucky having someone like that, I'm envious."
"Tell me, Acre," Castle asked, looking Acre straight in the eyes. "Do you hate the Griffin dolls?"
"Well, of course," Acre replied, "Griffin is the enemy, and-"
"No, that's not what I asked you," Castle interrupted, "Do you hate Griffin?"
Acre paused. What was Castle getting at here? she asked herself. "Well… I don't like the Griffin dolls, especially not when they shoot at me…" Acre began, "But, I guess I don't really hate them, per se."
"Hate is a source of direction, you know?" Castle stated, "But it's not a good one. Don't ever let yourself be blinded by hate."
"Of course," Acre responded.
"Do you have any friends? Any interests?" Castle probed, "I heard your partner—Katana 2-Delta—is an avid violinist."
"Oh, I didn't know that," Acre admitted.
"Have you ever talked to her before? Do you know her name?" Castle continued, raising her eyebrows.
"Not really…" Acre responded, embarrassed. "I've only talked to her a few times before, and it was all brief interactions…"
"So what have you been doing during your first few days then?" Castle queried.
Acre paused for a moment. Somehow, her mind blanked when she tried to list the things she did. "Uhm…" Acre mumbled, "I've… I did combat sims…?"
"Please tell me that's not the only thing you've been doing this whole time," Castle sighed, shaking her head. "There's more to life than just fighting, you know," Castle pointed out after seeing Acre's blank reaction, "By the way, Katana 2-Delta's nickname is 'Bluebell.' I can't tell you what you're fighting for, but I can tell you where to start looking."
As the helicopter landed on the ground, Castle and the fodder units stood up, waiting for the rear ramp to lower. Castle extended her hand to Acre, still pondering her situation on her seat.
"Come on, Acre. We're home."