As The World Ends

Chapter 15 - Not Even Australia

Anger. 

That was all Fantôme could feel. 

Just anger. Not at Dalia, or, surprisingly, Ashton, but at himself. 

I should've been there.

He stalked the long, narrow stone hallways with a clenched fist and murder in his eyes. The shock had long faded, leaving cold, empty rage. The soldier's mind was a jumbled mess, but one thought continuously broke through.

I should've been there. 

He vaguely remembered being led to their- no, his room, and how cold it suddenly felt. Dalia's absence was already seeping into the walls, leaving them devoid of emotion and light. And yet, Fantôme couldn't help but hope. Hope that she was still out there somewhere. Wounded, no doubt, but alive all the same.

Ashton has come in to visit him briefly. The commander had paced in a tight rectangle, swearing like a fighter pilot the entire time. He'd left after promising to find something to get Fantôme's mind off of things. But now, the soldier knew he didn't need a distraction. Just an opportunity.

*****

Fantôme awoke in a cold sweat a few short hours later. Exhausted and still angry, but now he had a plan. 

*****

The sudden (and very loud) bang on the door sliced through the harsh silence like a serrated knife. Ashton let out a startled sound when Fantôme shoved it open, not waiting for permission to enter. 

"Send me to America." 

Whatever the commander had been going to say was out the window. He regarded the soldier thoughtfully, tapping a finger against his chin. 

"Why?"

"You don't need me down here." He gritted his teeth. "There's some groups up there giving hell to that bitch of a president, right? Send me to those guys. I'll be of good use." When Ashton still hesitated, Fantôme strode closer and slammed a fist on his desk. "There's no place for me here," he reiterated. "America will give me a fresh start."

"You're still of use to us. Your significant other being dead doesn't change that." 

The solider winced, but held his ground. "It'll be easier for me to work in a place that doesn't hold any memories. Besides, you really don't need my services. There's a million new recruits cycled through here every week, you'll find a replacement."

The two stared each other down until, finally, Ashton sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Fine," he relented. "I'll see what I can do. No promises, though." The commander waved a hand. "Now get out of my office. It's too early for me to be dealing with this."

Fantôme nodded, exiting the elegant room with a smug grin hidden under his helmet.

*****

It was a week before he heard from Ashton again. 

"I can't assign you anywhere else. The last available spot at a base in Minnesota just got filled, and nowhere else is looking for recruits, but they agreed to put you on their list. If any there are any openings, they'll let me know."

"How is there no room for me anywhere in the United States?"

Ashton shrugged. "It's a hotspot for agents and soldiers because of the political environment. If you were a scientist, I could ship you off to Canada. But alas, you're stuck here until further notice." 

"What about Europe? Shit, I'll take Australia at this point-"

"Fantôme," Ashton interrupted, "sending you anywhere but North America would be spending resources that don't need to be spent. Besides, the only other place that you would currently be of use in is Asia, and even if I was willing to fly you there, the bases require special training that you don't meet the requirements of." The commander pat his shoulder sympathetically and strode off, leaving Fantôme alone in the hallway. He muttered angrily in Spanish as he stalked back to his room.

*****

"Hey-o."

Famtôme twisted around to see a soldier, who he vaguely remembered as the one who'd walked him back to his room. 

"Yeah?"

They rubbed their hands together and stared at the floor, chewing on their bottom lip. " I just- uh... I'm sorry about Dalia. I know what it's like to lose someone important."

Fantôme was silent for a moment. "She wasn't just important. She was everything. And I didn't 'lose' her," he held up air quotes. "She's just... not here right now."

The soldier narrowed their eyes slightly. "Uh-huh. Well, either way, 'm sorry she can't have a funeral. It sucks that Ashton didn't get her body."

When Fantôme visible tensed, they apologize again and handed him a small brown paper bag. "My name's Vix, Xe/Xer. I'm an on-site guard, so I hang 'round the compound." Vix chuckled to xerself. "Let you guys do the real work." Xe patted Fantôme's shoulder. "Come find me if ya need anything."

"But what's in the bag?" Fantôme's voice dripped with suspicion and he held it loosely with two fingers.

"Oh. That's just some self-care stuff that I figured ya could use. Not a bomb, not laced with poison." 

Fantôme winced, and Vix cringed. "Sorry. Too soon. Anywho, see ya 'round." Xe strode off, leaving him standing awkwardly.

That was weird.

The bomb comment dredged up a memory. 

A little after Dalia and Fantôme had met, while they were still involved in the American Intelligence Agency (AIA) but before they'd joined the WSS, she'd been sitting on his bed, fiddling with a square of cotton while he polished his breastplate. 

"Oh!" Dalia exclaimed suddenly. "You still need a nickname, right? I just thought of the perfect one!" She clapped her hands and grinned enthusiastically. 

Fantôme gave her a side-eye. "Yeah?"

"Mhm! So you know how I am French, and how we are really close friends? And how you are not getting rid of me anytime soon?" 

"Yeah...?"

"Well... you should go with a French word as your name! You know," she winked, "in honor of me." 

"A... French word?" Fantôme frowned slightly buy gestured for her to continue.

"You are really quiet, especially on missions, and even your armor does not really make noise. So, I offer 'Fantôme' because you are like a spirit."

Her smile was so big, so genuine, that he couldn't say no. There was no power in the universe that could've made Dalia happier, and that made Fantôme more than ecstatic to take her suggestion and wear it like a medal. He never forgot the way her eyes twinkled when he nodded and offered her a smile of his own. 

"Just do not set off any bombs," Dalia added as an afterthought. "Then you will not be so silent." Her grin faded. "We do not want to rename you again. That makes everything difficult." She scrunched her eyebrows together and placed a hand on Fantôme's arm. "My memory is not very good, it is hard to change things once they are set in."

Fantôme chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind, but you won't have to worry because I don't plan on setting off any explosives anytime soon."