No Second Chances

This page, No Second Chances, is property of KidVegeta.

This article, No Second Chances, contains the following: Graphic Language. Reader discretion is advised.

A crescent moon had risen over the mist to illuminate that stretch of highway. When at last they heard the hum of an engine rounding the bend, they exchanged a look; drawing a pistol, she rushed out to meet it. He remained in the bushes, nursing a cigarette. Not long after the truck skidded to a stop, a man’s panicked voice carried across the road. Sapphire did her best to shut him up, but the driver wasn’t going down quietly. He exhaled, flicking the cigarette away, and joined them.

“What do we have here? Couldn’t be a Capsule Corp. driver, now could it? Well, son of a bitch. Sapphire, I think it’s our lucky day.”

She pressed the gun against his chest.

“Please sir, I didn’t do anything… I just drive the truck. I’ll do whatever you want. Anything you want! I don’t want to die! Is it money? Do you want money? Please, take my wallet…”

Drawing his weapon, Lieutenant Colonel Teal motioned for his underling to get started. Sabotaging eight dozen oil canisters would take time. Not wanting to spend that time talking to the driver, he ordered the man to take off his jacket and shirt, which Sapphire would be putting on shortly, before pissing on his boots. That was one of his favorite perks of working for the Red Ribbon Army. His pistol twirled between his fingers. Even a man as dumb as this guy knew better than to mess with them.

He was wondering if he should put a bullet through the driver’s skull when his phone rang. He taped up the guy’s mouth and bound his ankles and wrists before answering.

“Lieutenant Colonel Teal, are you there?”

“What do you need, Staff Officer?”

“Get in your plane. You are to intercept a ship that is headed your way. I’m sending you the information.”

“Who am I after, sir?”

“Colonel Silver. Commander Red sentenced him to death, but he escaped from the compound in a jet. Track him down and kill him. Two pilots have been chasing him, but they are half a klick behind. They’ll never catch up unless someone slows him down.”

“I’m on it, sir.”

The truck’s lights were shining down the dark road. If their previous three hours of waiting had been any indication, they weren’t likely to run into another car before sunrise.

“Sapphire?!”

“Sir?” Her head poked out from around the back of the truck.

“You’re going in by yourself. Command is pulling me away on another mission.”

“What? Right now?”

“That’s right. Deal with the driver and get this cargo to Capsule Corp. I’ll meet up with you later.”

“Yes, sir… but… but…”

“What is it?”

“I’ve never…” She raised her gun, then glanced at the man. “Never, I swear…”

“Do your duty for the Red Ribbon Army, or don’t, lieutenant.” He drew his weapon and ushered her over. “Do it.” She was not moving fast enough. He squeezed her shoulder. “I have to go, Sapphire… do it now!” Her arms shaking, she aimed, and the man realized what was to be his fate. He fell to his knees, his pleading growing audibly hysterical from under the tape. She hesitated again. “Are you loyal to Commander Red?!” he roared. “Sapphire…!”

The shot echoed through the pass; three crows took flight from a power line.

Impatiently, he tossed her a capsule containing a Red Ribbon jet. “This is your only ticket out. Don’t waste it.”

“I won’t,” she replied. Her breathing was coming hard.

“Back to it, lieutenant.”

“Good luck, sir.”

He tossed the capsule containing his jet and climbed in. The sun would soon be rising, which could strain the eyes during a dogfight. Powering up his ship, he grew eager to meet Silver again, not as his commanding officer, but as a foe. A loyal soldier never questioned Commander Red’s orders. Silver had stained himself with disloyalty. Teal would make things right.

---

Just before the crack of dawn, he met the traitor over the sea. Help was nowhere in sight. His blood boiled. Coming in from the south, he didn’t bother hailing the colonel. Teal had longed for the day of his superior’s death. He had been a cruel overlord, unjust and uncharismatic. Few would grieve his passing.

Teal opened fire. Silver was a wily one. He dodged, predictably, spinning higher into the sky. The lieutenant colonel pursued. The man was a hell of a pilot. It was taking everything he had to keep up. Strangely, Silver went on the defensive, allowing his pressure. He didn’t mind the arrogance. All it would take was one bullet. He just needed a little luck for once.

His foe seemed almost bored with his attack, and it wasn’t long at all before he had spun out of view, then come up behind him, and started his own offensive. Teal flew for his life, weathering the fury of one of the army’s prodigal talents. It was no wonder Silver had become a colonel after facing off against him in the air for less than a minute.

The sun was peeking over an orange horizon when the radar picked up a pair of scouts on approach. Silver swerved left to take them on, so Teal pressed his advantage immediately, raining lead down upon the traitor. The first scout craft burst into a plume of black smoke. In the light, he saw the devastation he had landed on Silver’s craft–numerous holes in the tail and wings. He hoped he had nicked something important, although the plane wasn’t yet smoking.

Silver dodged to the left, though his reaction time was a fraction too slow. The scout managed to land four or five good shots along the belly of his fighter. Now it was on fire. He regrouped with the scout behind their wounded target and ordered him to lead their final approach.

Seikishi Harbor came into view. Though his ship was losing power, Silver dodged them, even as the flames on his tail spread to his cockpit. He refused to die. The colonel’s fighter dipped down over the water, flying towards a wood-plank dock, and Teal realized what had to be done. He ordered the scout to ditch his plane, as he was about to, on the count of three. Two seconds later, a trio of fighter jets slammed into the dock, and an inferno erupted down the pier.

They had landed in the water some ways back. Cutting his parachute off, he swam after Silver, barking at the scout to follow. A fishing boat turned from the pier, its mast a smoky inferno. The screams were unlike anything he had ever heard before. He had been trained for moments like these. Teal would not break, and he’d be damned if the scout did, either.

They got to the dock maybe five seconds after him–enough time to lose him down the alleyway. Fishermen were running this way and that, some on fire, some with their rods in their hands. The roads were made of pale pink and red stones, stacked high and thin, and the passageways were too narrow for them to walk side-by-side. He would’ve killed for a shot of whiskey. It seemed every few feet, another alleyway sprung out of the wall, and with it, rancid smoke. They came to a fork in the road and didn’t know which way to go. Onwards lay the city.

“He went that way, had to’ve,” said the scout, panting as he wiped saltwater from his eyes. He unshouldered the panzerschreck, aimed it down the left path, and fired.

The block went up in flames. Teal was pleased. This town would now understand the true might of the Red Ribbon Army. Ahead, a smoking warehouse awaited them. A sign reading ‘Isune’s stock’ had fallen from the ceiling and was burning from the corner.

They made their way into it, the scout reloading his weapon, when Silver came up from their left like a wight out of the mist, grabbed the soldier by the neck, and twisted. His bones popped loudly. Teal swallowed, steadying himself, and drew his pistol. This was his chance to show his quality.

The first two shots went wide right. Silver slithered over in a second. It had happened too fast for him to see. The colonel twisted his wrist until he dropped the weapon, then kicked him away. Retreating into the warehouse, Teal drew his rifle and found cover. Silver seemed to glide through the air, moving with urgency but not hastiness as he picked up the pistol.

They aimed and took their shots.

Teal felt an impact on his shoulder, and then another right below. The pain came next in a roaring tide. He was blinking hard to remain conscious. Grunting, he fell back, spraying bullets wildly, and took cover behind a burning table of tuna. Silver came running in from the left and punched him hard in the ear; he fell onto the fish, dropped his rifle, and felt the throbbing of his wounds grow worse and worse.

Wincing, holding his side, the traitor approached. Teal had got him. He regretted nothing. If he was to die now, it had been in service to Commander Red. He’d done all he could.

Crisp sunlight reflected in his red hair. He aimed the pistol at Teal. Gulls were calling in the distance. The sounds of waves breaking on the beach mingling with slowly-burning wood was enough to put him to sleep. His face began to tingle. All that aesthetic bullshit was more easily said than done. He truly was scared.

The gun landed at the lieutenant colonel’s feet. “Tell me, Teal, would you remain in the Red Ribbon Army if Commander Red were out of the picture?”

“The commander will not be dying any time soon, traitor.”

“Say that he does. Would you still be with us? Would you remain loyal to the army? To its ideals?”

“Commander Red is the only man I serve, and I’ll die before I take orders from you again.”

He raised his hands, as if apologetically, baiting Teal to shoot him. He reached for the weapon, but his energy was spent. “Think it over. Take your time. You should have a little while. Unlike Red, I believe in giving my more valuable officers second chances.”

With a smile, the disgraced colonel disappeared into the fog. The pain in Teal’s shoulder was becoming unbearable. He watched a fishing ship set sail for its long day and felt a sense of longing. How he wished to be out on the water.

He was stalling. Cursing himself silently, as fishermen drew near, he called Staff Officer Black to relay the bad news. He could only hope Commander Red was in a more forgiving mood this time.