Ace Combat: Shadow War

Chapter 7: Confessions and A New Face

Zilla's POV

As we pulled our planes inside the hangar and excited our aircraft, no one said a single word and when I tried to talk to Warfare, he didn't even dare to stop or even look at me, he kept his head low. All he did was make his way to the barracks. "What do you think D00M was talking about?" Peralta asked me from behind me, I turned and saw everyone else looking concerned "I don't even know, Peralta" I said and sighed "How about we go in there and ask him?" Star suggested, that was the obvious choice, but I felt that doing that would, I don't know upset him even more, but he's our leader and we are a family so that's means we help each other "Were going to talk to him, follow me" I said.

We stood outside the barrack door "Soo do we knock or just open it" Remo asked, I grabbed the handle and turned it pushing the door open. We peeked inside and saw Warfare sitting on his bed, hands together and head hung low, I approached Warfare and stood in front of him "Well I guess it's time I tell you" he whispered loud enough for us to hear.

Warfare's POV

It was time, I tell them. I took a deep breath and began to tell them what I've keep inside me for so long. "Last year, when our squadron was still young and I recruited you guys, D00M didn't like the fact that someone who was as young as me was leading the squadron, so he wanted it for himself. As you guys know Krigs and D00M were good friends and when you guys weren't around, they would attack me and beat me into a bloody pulp" I felt so ashamed to say that to them even though I wasn't looking at them, I felt like they were glaring at me and were disappointed in me "It got so bad that I couldn't hold anymore and I broke, I started drinking and... self-harming" I heard some of them sigh, tears that clouded my vision that threatened to fall started falling.

"There was a night where I had enough, and I was going to do what D00M told me to do so many times "kill yourself". On that night, I went outside into the pouring rain because there was storm that night, you guys were at the cafeteria, eating dinner and I went behind the barracks and that's where I sat down on the cold wet ground and I cried and cried and begged myself not to do but that voice was no longer strong, it was weak the other voice screamed at me to do it. I pulled out a box cutter from my pocket and placed it above my Radial artery" I wiped my eyes

"At that point I couldn't see anything, my waterfall tears, the heavy rain fall, and the dark of night made the world seem dark. In one a slow but deep motion, I started cutting my arm and I stopped halfway when I couldn't do it anymore, I became angry and threw the box cutter away and screamed but my scream could not be heard because the rain covered it. I laid there on the ground, now soaked and then sat up and leaned up against the wall then I heard laughing, I didn't need to look because I knew it was D00M. I heard him walk away from the scene and I couldn't cry anymore probably because I cried every tear that life gave me" I felt two hands rest on both my shoulders, I looked and saw Zilla on my left and Somewhat on my right to comfort me.

"I didn't want to stay out there anymore, so I tried to stand and couldn't that's when I noticed that I was bleeding heavily from the deep short cut, I then realized I felt weak, so I crawled and crawled to the barrack door and I used my last strength to turn the doorknob and open it. I then crawled to the Med kit and that's when I tended to my cut after that I went to bathroom and sat in the shower while the water poured down on me, I didn't even get undressed I just sat there and hugged my legs while the water poured down on me and then after I was done, I put on some new fresh and dry clothes and went to bed that night." I finished my story, and I kept my head low and that's when someone spoke up "God, warfare I'm sorry we didn't notice or help you" Somewhat said "Well I wanted to do it myself, I wanted to show that I can do something myself" I said and I noticed that someone kneeled in front of me, I slightly looked up and saw Peralta "Warfare, were a family together and we would've been there for you, I mean come on there was two of them and seven of us" Peralta tried to be humorous towards me but I didn't laugh or even grin, he sighed "Warfare bottom line is your our leader and we wouldn't be together if it wasn't for you, you brought us together and now were here, fighting against D00M and his shadow organization" he said and I started to tear again from his words.

Then I released a shaky breath and my vision fogged up and tears poured out again, I then felt everyone crowd around me and hug me, for the first time we had our first group hug and having that feeling only made me want to cry more and more, "Thank you guys for everything" I said through the tears, "Your welcome buddy" Zilla said, they all let go and stood back, "Here how about this, you stay here and sleep, we'll go and do whatever that needs to be done" Remo said and I was hesitant at first but accepted, I watched as they left the barracks to do whatever they had to do. I laid down in my bed and stared at the ceiling and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Zilla's POV

We left the barracks and went to the hangar to clean up, "Hope he's okay" Digital said, "Like I said were here for him because were together in this" Peralta said, and everyone hummed in agreement. Looking around, I could finally see the aftermath of the attack and it wasn't good, some hangars were destroyed, the runway had some burned-out planes with fire crews still cleaning up the wreckages, and buildings were destroyed, and smoke was still rising from some of them. "Damn, from this damage we might have to relocate to another base" I assumed "Yeah, that's possible" Wolf said. Then I remembered something, that pilot I escorted to land here, wonder where they are right now? "Hey guys, remember that enemy pilot I was escorting to land here?" I asked, "Uh yeah, what about them?" Somewhat asked "Wanna help me find them?" I asked to see if they wanted to have a little fun, "You know what, yeah let's do that" Somewhat said and everyone nodded in agreement, "Alright then, to the stockade" I said jokingly pointing towards the buildings.

We entered the stockade an MP officer glanced at us and seems like he had to double take on us and when he did, he greeted us, "Welcome Outcasts, what can I help you with?" he asked politely, I stepped up to the desk "Hello, were here to see a captured enemy pilot that landed here" I said trying to be specific and he caught up to what I was saying "Oh yeah, follow me" he said and stood up from his desk and guided us to a jail cell, unlike other jails ours didn't have bars instead it was replaced with a very hard plastic cover so it was easier to see the person inside. When we saw the inside of the cell, it took my breath away.

A woman about my age, with brown hair, blue eyes, and Caucasian and if I'm being honest, she was pretty, she looked at us and rolled her eyes, "Who are you guys?" she asked, and I was too shy to speak to say anything, so Somewhat spoke up "Were the Outcast squadron and you are?" he asked, and she sighed "I'm not saying but may I ask who you are guys" she asked and Somewhat, started introducing us. "I'm Somewhat, that's Remo he's the oldest, Star he's our engineer, those two are Wolf and Digital, Peralta he's our youngest, and that guy right there he's Zilla" Somewhat pointed to everyone and then pointed to me but I was still shy, so I shyly waved at her. She looked at me with a weird look and she looked back at Somewhat.

"So, your names, what's the deal with that, I mean like Re-mo, Per-alta, and Zil-la" she said jokingly "Well we don't know each other's real names" Remo said, she bit the inside of her cheek and asked, "uh-huh so which one of you guys is the squad leader?" she asked, and I gained some courage to say something "He's in the barracks sleeping, there was an incident earlier" I said shyly, she nodded "I see, well its nice seeing you guys, buh-bye see you another time" she said while waving her hand. "Alright, the lady wants us to leave her alone so let's go boys" I said and, on our way, out, I looked back at her and see saw me and I quickly looked away and moved on. "What was wrong with you?" Peralta whispered to me "What do you mean?" I asked "You all the sudden got shy when you saw her" Peralta told me "I just get nervous around, new people that's all" I lied "Alright" was all he said and he sped up his speed leaving me in the back, oh boy I hope I don't catch what I hope not to catch.