Blue Yonder

D1C1 : 'Friendly' Combat

Start of Division One, Chapter One

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"Aeris, on your right!"

There was a bright flash in the corner of his eye, followed by the deafening blast of an explosion. Elijah gritted his teeth in frustration, his team was falling apart. With Aeris out of action, there was no way they were going to win against that infuriating trio. Suddenly, radio static hissed in his ear and the reassuring voice of Aeris crackled to life, overflowing with spiteful laughter as her smoke streaked birdie appeared at his side.

"Nice try, Clyde." She snarled. He could tell she was smiling, thrill echoing in her voice.

The mocking, nasally tone of Clyde sounded in his earpiece. Elijah could just imagine his blocky face tugged into a satirical sneer. "Oh how now Fowler? Am I too hard on you?" He replied with a conceited snicker.

Aeris cackled in delight. "Hard on me? Barely!" There wasn't a moment spared between her second sentence as Aeris' tone transformed from playful to deathly cold. "But now it's your turn." She growled.

Priscilla's pitchy voice articulated with a shrill protest. "No more explosions please!" There was a short pause before she released an ear-splitting scream. "Don't shoot down Clyde Aeris!"

A strained grunt emitted from Clyde's end, Elijah scarcely having any time to register what had happened until Clyde's birdie detonated in front of him, chunks of metal debris ricocheting off his windshield. The simulator's familiar tinkle rang throughout the arena and several computerised letters materialised on the glass. Clyde has fallen.

"Clyde, no!" Priscilla shrieked pitifully, only to be answered with Aeris' hysterical laughter.

"Have fun rottin' in the lobby Clydie cloo~!" She taunted manically, knowing all too well that Clyde wouldn't be able to respond from the lobby.

Elijah couldn't help but grin at his teammates' insouciant banter, sighing in amusement. "Alright guys, the Ramirez twins are still airborne remember?" He reminded, receiving an acute acknowledgement from Priscilla while Aeris continued to cackle. "Let's get rid of them." He declared.

There was a silver glint gleaming in his line of vision, spotting a missile hurtling towards him. Priscilla squealed a warning just moments before he realised it. "Elijah-!"

The blonde-haired boy rolled out of its path at the last moment, the missile whizzing past his windshield just by a centimetre. He took a few deep breaths, regaining enough composure to calmly shoot down the missile that had turned back towards him. Even though this was a simulator, Elijah just couldn't shake off the fear of dying.

Aeris' orotund voice sounded from within his communicator. "You dead, Eli?" She asked playfully.

"Hardly. That was a close call, way too close." He replied gruffly, stabilising his birdie and settling in next to Aeris.

A honeyed, female voice thick with a Spanish accent rang through his speakers. "What a shame, isn't Rafael?"

"Indeed a shame Monique, that querido Elijah didn't get blasted to smithereens." It belonged to a male this time. Elijah for one was certainly not too fond of these arrogant Spanish twins.

"Guys, it's not nice to talk like that..." Priscilla squeaked cautiously.

Monique cut her off with a click of her tongue. "Hush chica, we are too familiar with your violent tactics. Rafael! Lanzamiento de un misil a la chica!"