4

CHAPTER 4 – UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES

Squall and his teammates shot out of the tower in a furious dash, and bolted up the winding trail as fast as their legs would allow. Seifer already had a significant lead on them; it would take every shred of physical fitness they had to catch up. Squall fought to maintain steady breath support as he pumped his legs. He only hoped the trail back down the mountain would prove quicker than the route they'd taken up. All the better were it clear of enemy troops. He reached the precipice lined by dismembered corpses where they'd met Selphie, when a muffled boom sounded from the tower.

"What was that?!" the girl blurted out.

Squall craned his neck back to the entrance, spotting no visible damage to its exterior. Whatever the cause, the racket had emanated from deeper inside the complex. Perhaps Seifer had sabotaged the generator system on his way out. The looming satellite dish above showed no signs of having lost power, however. Precious seconds continued to tick by as he stood there pondering. Ultimately, the tower was no longer their concern, nor should it ever have been.

"Not our problem," he answered her. "Come on, we need to keep-"

With a deafening screech, the tower's metal doors were ripped from their hinges. Squall reeled back as they flew forward in a blast of debris. He shielded his eyes, squinting through the gaps in his fingers. Whirring machinery and pounding footsteps reached his ears as the dust settled. He lowered his arm, and gaped in shock at what emerged.

From the tower entrance strode a gargantuan war machine unlike any he'd ever seen. It resembled a giant robotic spider, albeit standing on four legs rather than eight. Its face consisted of a glowing red scanning apparatus; a pair of razor sharp mandibles as long as its legs protruded on either side. Its wedge-shaped feet dug deep into the ground as it stepped out from the wreckage. Squall averted his eyes back to the carnage strewn around him; the divots dotted in the surrounding earth were a perfect match.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Zell howled.

The mech stalled in its tracks, and tilted its scanner up. A loud hum swelled in volume as it took sight of them.

"Forget it!" Squall commanded. "Just run!"

He turned tail, and dashed ahead over the remains of the soldiers. Zell and Selphie were hot on his heels the next moment, and as a series of rhythmic tremors kicked up behind, so too was the robot.

The path's downward incline was steep, and riddled with yet more divots from the killing machine's climb up the mountain; a single misplaced step could have easily sent them tumbling over. They kept their frenzied pace up regardless; the pounding footsteps behind necessitated it. Contorted, mangled bodies of yet more soldiers, ally and enemy alike, had been left to fester all along the trail. Whatever kind of men they'd been in life, they now served only as needless impediment as the three weaved around and over.

They charged for minutes on end. The acid in Squall's legs continued to build up, beckoning him to slow for even a moment. He refused, pushing himself to the limits of his physical constitution and beyond. Zell and Selphie matched his pace to either side. The mechanical squeaking and hissing of the robot's hydraulics system remained in clear earshot, as did the clamoring footsteps.

At long last, the stone bridge came into view, a sight every bit as beautiful as the Balamb shores Squall hoped he would live to see again. He poured on the speed like never before. As he reached the lip, a shrill cry from behind broke his tunnel vision. He ground to a halt as Zell flew past him, and peered back over his shoulder. Selphie had fallen to the ground, clutching at her ankle with both hands.

Unbelievable.

The spider mech was rapidly closing in to her rear; it would surely trample her in a matter of seconds. He instinctively channeled the wind energy into his legs. It washed over his lower body as a cool breeze, providing him a sensation of being nearly weightless. He bolted back to her side with speed to rival a world-class sprinter, hoisted her up in both arms, and raced back to the bridge. She stared up at him from within his grasp, the look in her wide green eyes equal parts terror and gratitude. He ignored her in light of the rampaging war machine nipping at his heels.

"Get over here!" Zell shouted from the other side. "I'm gonna end this!"

Squall put everything he had into his sprint; his leg muscles were positively on fire. Zell closed his eyes. He extended his outstretched palm forward as a shimmering aura surrounded his body. The form was no mystery to Squall; he'd invoked a summoning enough times to recognize one. The energy leapt from Zell's figure. It converged and melded rapidly into two bi-pedal shapes of light. Their celestial forms solidified into existence on the bridge as Squall flew past.

In a flash, there stood two minotaurs, one large and one small, the muscular bodies of both coated with striking violet fur. The two bovine beasts lifted their mighty hooved feet together, and brought them thundering down just as Squall reached Zell on the other side. A small earthquake erupted, shattering the surface of the bridge. It crumbled to pieces. Massive chunks of stone fell to the crashing waves below. The spider abruptly halted as the danger seemingly registered to its AI. It shifted gears into reverse, backing up to the opposite side of the waterway. It just barely managed to clear itself before the segment it had been standing on fell away. On Squall's side, the two minotaurs faded back into the ethereal energy they'd sprung from, dissipating into the ether with a flash of light as Zell retracted his hand.

"Holy crap," he wheezed. He was clearly too exhausted to manage much more.

Squall couldn't blame him. Sustaining a summon took great endurance no matter the circumstance. To do so immediately after running a short marathon was more impressive than the damage done to the bridge itself. He turned his attention back to Selphie, still cradled in his arms.

"Can you walk?" he asked as he lowered her gently.

She touched down with her good leg first. After stretching and working her ankle for a few moments, she brought down the other.

"I think so," she said. "Thank you. Both of you."

"Whatever. Let's just hurry on."

"Uh, guys?" Zell worryingly spoke up. "Bad news!"

Squall peered back across the river. Following Zell's pointing finger, his eyes settled on the stone pillars which had supported the bridge. The spider-bot clung to the third from the opposite side, scaling the broken structure to its peak. It reached the top, and leapt for the next. Debris fell as it sunk its talons into the support beam, and started climbing again.

"That thing just won't give up!" Selphie shrilled.

"And neither can we," Squall said. "We're almost there. Let's move!"

The chase swiftly recommenced. Squall retraced his steps back to the Aurora Square, tearing down the streets with wild abandon. The thudding footsteps eventually resumed, audible even from several blocks away. Corpses and refuse still littered the roads, partially obscured by the coming darkness. What fellow squads they passed along the way assured Squall they were not hopelessly behind.

A crash from behind prompted another peek back over his shoulder. The robot had smashed clear through a cafe, bricks and shattered glass raining down as it continued to close the gap. Squall turned his attention back to the road ahead. They had reached the final stretch; one more turn would bring them onto the main street leading down to the beach. Zell and Selphie rushed ahead and around the corner. He prepared to follow suit when another cadet ran across his path. The two collided. Squall knocked the young man to the pavement, throwing himself off balance.

"Hey, watch it, asshole!" the cadet glared up at him. "Look where you're going next-"

He cut himself short, his irritable expression turning to shock as the footsteps to Squall's rear grew louder. The boy shrieked as he righted himself, and went running down the street. Squall followed right behind him. He didn't dare look back again, lest the sheer terror cause him to stumble. The brick archway at the end came into sight; Zell and Selphie had already passed through, the two bolting down the stairs to the shore. He pumped his legs fiercely, clearing the arch just before it was blown apart behind him.

The explosion sent him hurtling over the stone outcropping, missing the stairs completely. The sand below was fortunately enough to cushion him; he'd had no time to conjure a flotation buffer. Brick fell from the heavens as he struggled to his feet. He spit out a mouthful of grains and darted across the beach to his waiting vessel. Zell, Selphie, Seifer, and the members of Squad 20 stood in the open deployment bay. The former two waved frantically as the boat began pulling away from the shore.

Mighty footsteps continued to pound behind him, shaking the already unsteady ground beneath his feet. He toppled over as he reached the water line; the boat was mere yards away from him now. He fought to raise himself, but it was no use; he couldn't stabilize his footing on the shifting sand fast enough. The spider charged right for him, mandibles chomping wildly.

So this is how it ends…

He shut his eyes. With any luck, the gnashing twin scythes would sever his nervous system before the pain could register. It was then, as the anticipation came to a head, that the roar of machine gun fire broke him from his despair. He opened his eyes. Up above, Quistis manned the assault boat's turret. She unloaded round after round into the war machine's chassis. It stalled in its tracks, fighting to steady itself. The bullets continued to shred through its mask, revealing the sparking circuitry underneath.

Squall righted himself and rushed into the shallows. Putting to use what remaining strength his aching legs had left, he leapt into the transport, landing hard on the metal floor. It was more comforting than any mattress he'd ever slept on. A cheer erupted from all present, save for Seifer, who remained leaning against the wall with a slick grin plastered to his face. Squall turned for one last look at the spider-bot; it billowed thick black smoke as it stood paralyzed on the shore. The next moment, it burst into a billowing inferno with a boom that echoed far and wide. Zell slammed the door control panel as the ship pivoted away. The bay doors closed with a thunk. It was over. The SeeD field exam had concluded.

And now I don't want to get out of bed for a week.

"You okay?" Selphie asked.

She offered her hand to help him up. He stared into the girl's now too-familiar green eyes, reminded it had only been that morning when he'd made the same gesture to her. It felt like a month ago.

"Barely," he replied, taking her hand.

"What was that thing?!" the boy named Nida asked.

"If Galbadia has a weapon that destructive, we're in trouble," Randall chipped in.

"Had, you mean," Zell corrected him. "Thanks to Instructor Trepe, of course."

"You rang?"

Quistis stepped through the door from the cabin with Xu. Her focus immediately landed on Squall.

"That was a close one! Are you alright?"

"Tired enough I could pass out, but otherwise okay."

"So, all these years later, he still needs big bad Quisty to step in and save his ass."

Squall averted his eyes at Seifer's mocking, as did Quistis.

"Why don't you cut the attitude and give us your squad's report?" Xu snapped at him. Her tone was venomous, her eyes furrowed in anger. "I'll be very interested to hear why you were nowhere to be found at your assigned post."

It's going to be a long ride home…

"I hope you're real proud of yourself!" Zell raged as he slammed his fist on the desktop. His knuckles, now exposed without his studded fighting gloves, were white with fury. "It's all thanks to you we're going to fail!"

"Stop being such a crybaby for once in your life," Seifer scoffed; he leaned back in his chair with his legs kicked up on his own desk. "We did what was best for the mission. And if they can't understand that, then fuck 'em."

Squall held his tongue; no good could come from taking sides at this juncture. All three of them were bound to face the same punishment in the end.

Commandant Xu had spent nearly half the return trip berating them for their reckless actions. Quistis, beyond horrified by their desertion, had naturally joined in. Squall could do little but stay silent, and accept the chewing out as it came. None of the members of Squad 20 had spoken a word for the duration, nor Selphie save for a brief series of questions concerning her run-in with them; she'd delivered her answers in a shaky voice, with no trace of her usual ditzy demeanor.

Galbadia's forces had established contact with SeeD shortly after the landing. Details of a proposed ceasefire had been delivered to them by a representative from Galbadia Garden; the army would disengage on the condition the tower remained operational. The evacuated Dollet parliament had deliberated in record time, leaving SeeD to issue the withdrawal order.

Seifer remained bitter at having been denied his moment of glory; they could have easily foiled the enemy ploy right then and there. Xu had reminded him that their orders extended only so far as their client deemed necessary. The battle had already effectively been over by the time they'd started up the mountain. Their meddling had nearly laid the entire ceasefire to waste.

It was well past midnight by the time they'd arrived back at the Garden. They'd had their weapons confiscated, and been marched to the bleak, windowless detention room on the 14th floor. The rest of the exam participants had gathered in the ballroom for a post-mission debriefing. It was now past one in the morning by Squall's watch; they'd been waiting almost an hour for the administration to hand down their verdict. He knew there was no chance of any of them passing the exam; he'd expected as much from the moment they'd abandoned their post. Given what they knew now however, expulsion seemed a more likely outcome.

Squall's mind was a blur. Nothing in the last 24 hours seemed real to him anymore; not the fight with Seifer; not the fight to reclaim Dollet; not the fight atop the tower; and not the close brush with death he'd narrowly escaped courtesy of Quistis. And least of all, that he'd taken real human lives. He'd imagined it countless times before, run through every possible scenario in which he would ultimately be forced to make his first kill. He'd assumed he would feel at least the tiniest pang of guilt when the time came. Any normal person would. And yet, he felt nothing.

"First time's always the hardest. But after a while, you'll learn to like it."

He'd brushed away Seifer's words too casually. Perhaps it was not beyond him to become one so depraved, after all.

The hiss of the automatic doors jerked him free from his doubts. The commandant and their instructor stepped in, both still outfitted in their regal, black SeeD uniforms. A puzzling look flashed across Quistis' face as she glanced his way; it lay somewhere between disappointment and relief. He clenched his jaw, bracing himself for the administration's judgment.

"The council has reached a verdict," Xu announced. "After much deliberation, and taking into account Tilmitt's testimony, it has been determined that Dincht and Leonhart were only following the commands of their squad leader, however reckless they may have been. As such, the two of you are hereby acquitted of the charge of desertion. Your results for the exam will not be impacted."

"Alright!" Zell roared. He bolted up out of his seat with both fists raised.

Squall's jaw fell open; he couldn't believe his ears. He'd already been tossed one life-line in his hour of need that same day. Another was more than he could have hoped for, and more than he deserved at that.

"Figures," Seifer grumbled. "That right there tells me all I need to know about this organization. Blind obedience is rewarded, while free thinkers who step outside the lines are made an example of."

"Don't be so stuck on yourself," Xu scolded him. "You'll take full responsibility for leaving your assigned post. You endangered the lives of your comrades, and nearly brought the whole ceasefire crumbling down."

"There wouldn't have needed to be a ceasefire if we'd stayed to finish the job! We would've been heroes if it weren't for that damn withdrawal order!"

"Spare us the 'noble intentions' routine," Quistis said. "You were only looking for a fight."

"My dear instructor," he snorted sarcastically. "I'm hurt. Those are rather cruel words for an aspiring student. Isn't it the duty of a leader to determine the best course of action? But then, what could a fraud like you possibly know about leadership?"

Icy silence descended upon the room. Quistis and Zell's eyes bulged at the disrespectful remark. Squall continued to hold his tongue all the while.

In truth, he agreed with Seifer's outlook, though he dared not admit so now. Regardless of the contract's details, failing to act on the information they'd learned would have been more irresponsible than their desertion. It was a moral grey-area, where resolute determination was needed to make the right choice. Such decisions were part and parcel of the burden of command. Seifer had possessed that determination, and made the difficult call. Squall couldn't have done the same; taking responsibility for himself was onus enough.

"You really are unbelievable," Xu menaced. She stepped in front of Quistis, her eyes staring daggers at Seifer.

"And to think, I was ready to give you the benefit of the doubt this morning, that maybe, just maybe after last year you'd shape up. That you'd start acting more like a professional. But you just don't learn, do you? Either because you refuse to, or you're incapable of it. I don't know which, and frankly, I don't care anymore. What the headmaster sees in you, I'll never understand. If the decision were left up to me, you'd be packing your bags right now. That you have the gall to lecture anyone about leadership is a joke."

"I think that's quite enough, Xu."

The measured, calm interjection came from the doorway. Headmaster Cid stepped through with a pair of robed Thorns, his wrinkled face visibly weary.

"I wish to speak with Seifer alone. The rest of you are dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" Xu and Quistis saluted in unison.

Squall rose from his desk, and saluted in turn with Zell. The four made their way to the door as commanded, and stepped out into the hallway.

"Well, you heard the headmaster," Xu said as the door hissed shut. "The two of you can expect your results within the next couple of days. Now, return to your dorms and get some rest. Though, I'm sure you don't need an order to do that."

She turned around, and marched down the hall to the elevators. Quistis followed just behind with a fleeting look of melancholy.

"Man, dodged a bullet there, huh?" Zell moaned as he stretched. "Can you believe the luck?"

"We haven't passed yet," Squall reminded him.

"Always half-empty with you, isn't it? Well, see ya around."

Zell turned in the direction his superiors had taken, and proceeded after them. Squall stood in place until he saw him disappear around the corner up ahead. Once he was out of sight, he pressed himself up against the wall next to the door; his curiosity had gotten the better of him. He strained his ears to make out the headmaster's voice from within.

"… always known you to be special. And that's why I'm so very disappointed in you, Seifer. Make no mistake, you will be disciplined in the coming weeks for your irresponsible behavior."

A pregnant pause lingered. Squall fully expected Seifer to make a snarky retort at any moment, and yet it did not come.

So, even he knows who not to talk back to.

"Even so, I'm not entirely without sympathy for your reasoning. The last thing I want is for you all to become mindless machines, incapable of thinking and acting for yourselves. The mark of a great leader is the ability to make the best decision when the right decision isn't always clear. Your heart is in the right place. I do believe you have what it takes to become a SeeD. But you allow your emotions to cloud your judgment too easily. I urge you to exercise more control, and not act so callously towards your comrades and your instructor. Especially when they happen to be-"

"Headmaster," one of the Thorns interrupted him. "May I suggest we finish this up quickly? There is still the paperwork regarding the casualties to finalize."

"There are so many issues at hand," he sighed. "Very well, let us leave it at this."

Squall removed his back from the wall, and bolted down the corridor. He found the first available elevator, stepped inside, and pushed the button for the main level. However earnestly the headmaster had tried to smooth over Seifer's frustration, it was all for naught; holding grudges was one of his oldest past-times. There would be no quelling the raging wildfire in his heart. It plagued Squall's thoughts as he navigated the dormitory halls back to his room, desperate for repose.

As he thrust open the door to the common area, an overwhelming fatigue washed over him. It only grew stronger with each step inside. His forehead pounding and eyesight bleary, it took all he had to crawl his way into bed. Without the will or inclination to fight it any longer, he gave into the tiredness. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

"I'm telling you, we're not lost!" Laguna grunted. "The city's just a bit further."

"That's what you said two days ago!" Kiros shouted back.

He bore a razor-sharp katar blade in each hand, a weapon resembling a dagger wielded by a handle-like grip. They sliced through the surrounding foliage with ease, kicking up a whirlwind of leaves amid his whipping beaded dreadlocks.

"I meant it then, and I mean it now! My sense of direction's never let me down!"

"Sounds like your memory sure has," Ward snorted from the rear.

Every step he took brought with it a massive thud. At his near giant-sized proportions, the lower-most branches were a regular nuisance. He casually swatted them away as if they were mere twigs.

The three had been dispatched to the Timber region with the reinforcement battalions a week earlier. Their mission: to assist in quelling the ongoing resistance uprising. Upon arrival, they'd been assigned with reconnaissance of the surrounding forests; the first wave of infantry had already driven most of the insurgents into the trees. Within hours of setting out from base camp, they'd inadvertently stumbled into an ambush by the guerrillas, and barely managed to escape with their lives.

The narrow getaway had sent them scrambling, displacing them from the rest of their platoon. They'd trekked for three days in the hope of running across civilization again. By the end of the first, they'd already abandoned their helmets for the sake of increased visibility, as well as to better cope with the humidity. They'd made camp the last two nights within the deep woods, routinely trading off lookout shifts. It had been an exhausting ordeal, with still no end in sight as the sun climbed towards its midday peak again.

"We've got to be going the wrong way," Kiros said as he came to a halt. "It's been too long since we've run into any tangos."

"I dunno," Laguna muttered. "Somehow… I'm getting the feeling we're being watched."

[… this again?]

"Huh?"

A strange sensation washed over his mind. He shifted his eyes in both directions.

"You guys hear something?"

"Something like what?" Kiros shot him a concerned look.

"Well, maybe not hear, but… more like feel, I guess. Like there's something else around."

"That's just the lack of sleep getting to you," Ward reassured him. "There's no one around for miles. If there were, they would've attacked us by-"

A rustling kicked up in the nearby underbrush. Laguna frantically spun around, and trained his assault rifle to the source. The bullets tore through the shrubbery, shattering the forest's calm. A sickening squeal escaped the bushes. Birds perched on the trees above cawed as they soared into the sky. Laguna kept still, his aim unflinching. Several tense moments passed before the rustling picked up again. A grey lizard creature with pincer-like claws slithered forth, and slumped over, its forked tongue sticking out from its gnarled teeth.

"Damn geezards," Laguna moaned.

"See, nothing around but a few monsters," Ward insisted. "Who knows how far we've drifted from the city by now."

"I'm telling you, it's under control!"

[Who's this idiot trying to convince?]

"Let's just keep moving. This place is giving me the willies."

They continued on through the seemingly never-ending wilderness, the pit in Laguna's stomach growing deeper the further they progressed. Despite his bluster, his comrades were right. They were lost. The Timber woodlands were legendarily vast, stretching for miles on end in every direction. They could have been anywhere along the continent's southeastern territory by now. Rations were running low, as was his ammunition supply, and now, perhaps even his sanity; there was a subtle yet undeniable buzzing in his head.

For at least a half hour more, they slogged on. Laguna's usual optimism gradually returned as the forest ahead became thinner. Kiros seemed to share his renewed vigor, slicing down the last of the thicket in their way with exhilaration; he too had seen what lay beyond. The leaves and twigs fell away, revealing a winding dirt road along open plains.

"Told you we'd… make it out," Laguna gasped.

He returned the rifle to the sling on his back. His legs aching, he stumbled from the treeline to the side of the road.

"That's only the first step," Kiros reminded him. "We still don't know where we are."

"I'd say 80 miles northwest of Timber," Ward spoke up.

"And where are you getting that number from?"

Ward pointed his finger further down the road. Laguna followed it to a carved wooden sign reading 'Timber – 80 miles SE' planted in the gravel.

"You gotta be shittin' me!"

"Well, looks like we covered a lot of ground," Kiros sighed, sheathing his katars on his thighs. "Guess we better get moving, then."

"No way. We're staying right here. First transport that passes, army or civvy, we're hitching a ride back to the capital."

"You want to go AWOL?" Ward looked at him incredulously.

"Who said anything about AWOL? I'm goin' home with honorable discharge. Ah, my leg!"

Laguna keeled over in mock pain. He clutched at his knee, feigning a limp for his comrades. Kiros turned his head in embarrassment.

"What? Too hammy?"

"And what happens when they x-ray you, and find nothing's wrong?" he asked.

"It got better on the way back? C'mon, it'll all work out. Trust me."

He'd no sooner gotten the words out when the sound of helicopter rotors reached his ears. He turned to the south, straining his eyes against the sun. A chopper was approaching, clearly military issue; he caught sight of the gear-shaped Galbadian crest on its side door as it pivoted away to the west.

"Damn!" he swore. "There goes our ride outta here! Hey!"

He tore across the road, arms waving frantically. Perhaps by some miracle, the pilot would glance down and see him. He stopped as he heard something launch from behind, and spun around. A trail of smoke shot upward, guided by a bright red light. Kiros stood at its base with a flare gun pointed to the sky.

"So much for double-checking your equipment!" he called across the road. "You're welcome!"

"How long have you had that?!" Laguna spluttered in disbelief.

He raced back across to his comrades' side. From behind, he could hear the chopper drawing closer as it veered off course.

"Why the hell didn't you use that two days ago?!"

"Shoot off a flare in the middle of a dense forest?" Ward scoffed. "That's using your head."

The three retreated to the forest's edge as the helicopter made its approach. The gust produced by its rotors caused the foliage to whip wildly all around them. Laguna plugged his ears as it touched down on the road, and sprinted forward to the opening side door. He purposefully slowed to a stumble, putting on the limp once more. The infantryman standing at the door offered his hand. Laguna ignored it entirely, and leapt aboard, landing hard on the metal flooring.

"Ah, dammit!" he feigned. "My leg!"

"Are you okay, soldier?!"

The infantryman knelt down beside him as Kiros and Ward stepped on.

"It's been hell out there! We've been stranded… for days… and I think I… I've got a dislocated knee!"

Laguna consciously added a series of agonized inhales and winces between words. The soldier seemed to be buying his performance so far.

"We were ambushed, and separated from our platoon," Kiros explained as the chopper lifted off. "He's in no condition to fight. We need to get him medical care right away."

"We're en route to Deling City right now," another soldier assured him. "The battle's been more or less over for a day now."

"Say what?!"

In his surprise, Laguna nearly forgot about his act. He quickly tagged a wince on the end, catching an eye roll from Ward as he did so.

"The city's been secured, and most of the remaining enemy forces have been driven out. We got orders to start pulling out the reinforcement battalions. The artillery's been given the go-ahead to do a clean sweep of the woodlands."

"And by 'clean sweep', you mean breaking out the flamethrowers?" Kiros interjected. His eyes were fixed out the window.

Laguna pushed himself up, and mock limped to his side. Far in the distance, a massive cloud of billowing black smoke obstructed any visual of the city. It was as if a volcano had erupted in the middle of the forest. Laguna felt sick to his stomach. He'd long accepted the likelihood he would be forced to carry out orders he found disagreeable, distasteful even. This however, was beyond the pale.

"Deling wants to make an impression," one of the soldiers grunted.

"Guess we might as well have used that flare in the woods," Ward joked grimly.

My days in this army are numbered, one way or another…