Chapter 12

"Icarus." I looked up from my rifle cleaning to Aries, who stood in the center of our quarters' doorway holding something I hadn't seen in a long time. With a new wooden finish and polished metal, it almost didn't look the same. I set down my S7, scrambling to my feet to get a closer look. The word 'Snowpiercer' was emblazoned with a golden finish on the wood. "You didn't have to-"

"I wanted to," he cut me off and held out the rifle to me. I slipped under his arms carefully to avoid his knife belts as I wrapped him up in a tight hug. He was tense before slowly relaxing his body. "It's time. I found him."

"What about Dallas?"

"Dallas is no longer an issue."

"Where-" I felt a scowl creep its way across my face.

"Waterfront base built on the side of a cliff face."

"The House loves their fucking mountains."

"Mm. It's on the edge of your own home turf."

"You don't mean-"

"Get your gear. We're going to Sampi."

---

"Last minute check," I called to Aries across the vehicle bay starting up the Gauss Hog, I figured he must have driven it back from getting my refurbished rifle. "Hog is good an lo-"

I turned around and York loomed over me.

"-aded. Howdy, York-"

I couldn't determine his expression; it was somewhere between concern and annoyance, arms crossed over his defined chest.

"Where are you two going?" he asked sternly, "Don't lie to me, Icarus."

"Sampi."

"To finish our fight," Aries responded from behind York, walking past him with my S7 in his hands and a headset on his head. He gently tapped my helmet with the tip of his tail. "Don't get in the way of this, York. I don't want any problems."

"If you're going to do what I think you are, it's suicide."

"Do you not believe in us?"

"It's more the fact that you have enough explosives packed in there to shift a mountain range."

"The plan is solid. Even if it goes to shit, we still win. Uli bixu korosu ta. Surely you understand."

"It wouldn't be the first time Aries and I 'sieged a fortified base. We can handle it."

"I don't think this is the best idea. I know you- I know you feel the need to do this, but I don't think you and Aries alone are enough. You two are not doing this like this."

Heavy footsteps stomped their way over. "Yeah, you're not."

We all turned to see Agent Jersey in full armor making her way over. Good thing my helmet was on, so she couldn't see my jaw drop.

"You boys saved me a seat, right?"

"J," York was almost doubtful, "You want to help them? You?"

"Don't get all sentimental," Jersey seemed to default to her regular behavior. "I'm gonna make sure these knuckleheads don't get themselves fucking killed. Figured the least I can do is offer a gun."

York grinned, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to say you care, J."

She promptly slapped his hand away.

"Stop it. I don't give a fuck. It's just- Wash will guilt trip me if he knows I let these two go and die. And... CT might miss her new sparring partner."

"Whatever makes you feel comfortable, J."

Aries turned his head to York, never breaking his serious gaze. "I need you to keep this between us. If we come back and anyone asks, you never knew we left."

"I'll at least let Miranda know, and that pilot you brought back- Foe Hammer."

I stood as tall as I could, turning my head to York. The gravity of what we were planning had hit a long time ago, and I was ready as I'd ever been. "I don't know if you should bother. This might be a one-way trip for us."

"I'll let them know, just in case. Good luck, you three."

York hesitantly walked away. He stopped suddenly, as if he had something else on his mind, but then walked out of sight.

Aries tapped my helmet. "We'll be fine, Icarus. Astrid?"

"Let's get going, before Wash comes to check out why we aren't here."

---

"Hey, kid," Jersey called back to me from the driver's seat of the hog. I took my helmet off and looked to the front. She met my eyes without her helmet, the snow was heavy. If the wind picked up we'd virtually be in a blizzard. I crouched down under the Gauss cannon so she didn't have to crane her neck so far. "Fuck it's cold. You really used to live here?"

"Yep." If this was Jersey's idea of small talk, she needed to work on it. "What are you really trying to ask?"

She went silent, more than likely not expecting me to be so direct.

"What's the game plan? This is a remote base on a waterfront. From what I heard from you two, they won't be able to call for reinforcements in this weather, but they might have some heavy armor on site. These aren't just random red or blue army soldiers."

I sighed. "Whatever they have, Aries has planned extensively for it. But initially, we are going to hit fast and hard."

"Shock and awe."

"Precisely, Astrid," Aries' voice startled the both of us, he stepped out of the treeline with his scarf covering his mouth. His fur was frosted white by the snow, he was actually pretty well camouflaged. Unlike Jersey and I, his breath didn't billow in front of his muzzle it looked as if he wasn't breathing.

The wind whipped across the tundra, and Jersey flinched and jammed her helmet back on while I enjoyed the frosty breeze. I missed the cold, the snow. The silence. Aries stood unaffected by the freezing gust, his scarf flapping wildly while he looked to the sky. My S7 was still strapped to his body awkwardly next to his sword.

"The charges are set. They won't even be able to get a signal out in the incoming storm."

"How do ya know?"

"Astrid, I am very thorough." He crouched down and began digging until he scooped a rocket launcher from the snow, military-grade and loaded. "I have thought of every outcome; no matter what, he will die, and those who fight for him will follow. Let's see how good a driver you are, Astrid. Icarus, get on that gun. No need to compensate for the projectile drop. The base is a quarter mile in front of us, we go in, and hit hard. Kill everyone; then we'll all go home."

"Andee really went all-out for us," I marveled at the condition of the launcher, despite it being buried in the snow.

"Don't go thinking this was free, Icarus. We owe him now."

"If this works, I'll take back everything I ever said about you," Jersey muttered.

"It will work."

"And on the off chance it don't?"

"They will remember our names."

Jersey revved the engine. I put my helmet on, standing up and manning the turret. Aries hopped in the passenger seat, rocket launcher resting on his shoulder. Aries tapped his foot on the dashboard twice and Jersey peeled out sending snow flying out behind us, our hog bounding and cutting through the snow. An uncomfortable silence hung over us, only slightly filled by the muffled humming and roaring of the warthog's engine. The three of us bounced and rolled with the hog's movement as it seemed to go faster and faster.

"If there's anything you want to say, do it now, we're closing on target. Zhe jeontu hajimaru god."

"Well, if this is it," she muttered through her helmet microphone, letting out a soft sigh, "At least we'll take a majority with us... And I guess I don't mind going on a suicide mission with you two."

"Aries... I-" I started, but the words refused to come out.

Tell him, tell him- Tell him!

"There's nobody else I would rather have to lead me into battle."

I mentally face-palmed, but Aries' tail wagged. It was so corny, but I was still glad it brought him some joy.

"Hey- Does this make up for Lamtha?"

"No, Astrid. It does not... But it's a good start. Target visible, six-hundred meters and closing."

Goddamn it! Shoulda told Ringtail when I had a chance.

"Icarus, tag those towers on my mark. I'm gonna knock on the door. Astrid, don't stop, whatever you do."

"Rog'!"
"Was hoping you might say that- I'm the best damn driver on this ring."

I leaned back and pointed the turret barrel up toward the raised towers at the front gate, I squeezed the trigger and felt my teeth rattle from the round. The whining snap of the shot made my fur stand on end. It hit the left tower and turned it to rubble and powder, now excited by my new toy I turned and obliterated the opposite tower. I couldn't hold back a giddy giggle as I realized the sheer destructive power in my hands, and I was free to use it as I pleased. Aries raised up from his seat and angled the tail of the launcher away from Jersey and me before unleashing the first rocket. It hissed along with a smoke trail tailing it and lit up the whole way, it collided with the base's vehicle entry door completely destroying the archway above it and bursting a massive smoking hole in the door.

"Hang on, kids- this is gonna get bumpy," Agent Jersey shouted as we zoomed toward the hole, the hog made contact with some of the debris and bounded up into the air roaring as its wheels found no purchase for a few seconds cutting through the black cloud. "Don't die assholes!"

The instant the hog touched its wheels back on the ground, the alarms blared.

"Shoot everything that moves!"

Jersey gunned it once more and began driving us through the base, she turned hard and drifted around a corner using the tail end to bowl over a group of three soldiers. Unlike the other bases Aries and I assaulted, this one was the size of a small town. Jersey turned hard and I opened fire. A group of soldiers ran out in front of us I watched as the freelancer floored it and painted the hood of the car frosted crimson, I could feel the focus radiating off her. The freelancer spun the hog out like she was doing donuts, all the while she blasted off rounds dropping the soldiers who tried to surround us with a bellowing war cry. Aries assisted with his sidearm and I laid down cover fire with the gauss cannon like a hyper-lethal cyclone of gunfire. When the snow settled there was nothing but bullet-riddled corpses strewed in a messy circle around us with some intact and some in pieces, the snow ran deep red. Jersey holstered her SMG and peeled out, jolting Aries back into his seat.

"Deja vu!"

Jersey righted the hog and I opened fire on the nearby buildings, toasting soldiers before they could even run out. She snarled, ducking under some gunfire. "Why? You and shortstop been in this place before?"

I threw a quick glance over my shoulder and did a double take, a fleet of three midnight-black hogs rapidly approached. "We got guests, three pursuers."

"How much heat?"

I squinted and made out the barrels of miniguns on two of them and a lone soldier stood on the back of the one directly behind us. "Two miniguns and a specialist on a flatbed. They're gonna try and box us."

"You and Aries handle those fucking guns!"

Just like I had said they rolled up quickly and glanced back at Aries for instruction.

"You take the left, Icarus, I can handle the other." The ninja pointed me towards the one coming up near me.

"And the third?"

"Try to beat me to it, eh?"

The two flanking approached first and slammed into our sides at the same time. I tightened my equipment to my body and pulled out my sidearm nailing the guy in the passenger seat with a quick headshot. He slumped over instantly. I holstered my suppressed pistol, the gunner tried to swing his gun toward me. I found my balance and threw a roundhouse kick knocking the barrel away before jumping over and tackling the gunner, pinning him in the bed of the hog. I smashed a flurry of hard punches into his helmet until he stopped struggling, I whipped my head around to deal with the driver. I spotted a barrel pointed at me and rolled over picking up the unresponsive soldier, his body ate four handgun shots then the gunfire abruptly stopped. I peeked out and a knife stuck out the driver's head, I glanced over at Aries who stood in his seat in our hog.

"I had that," I shouted in annoyance.

Aries looked amused. "Obviously. The last one is all you. Don't disappoint me."

You know I won't, Ringtail.

I freed myself and grabbed his knife from the driver's corpse and jumped back to our hog just as the one I attacked veered off and crashed. Aries reached out a hand and I dropped his knife in it. The third revved and sped up, I took a hard step and launched myself at it. The distance was much greater than I thought I landed hard on the hood, digging my claws into the metal grooves for some grip. I peered through the windshield, a gunshot sounded behind me and the passenger fell out and tumbled under the vehicle. I saw the barrel of the specialist pointed at me and dropped myself under the vehicle just in time to avoid being shot, I shook the snow from my visor and began to spider climb my way across the undercarriage of the enemy warthog.

"Icarus," Aries shouted with a faint rising panic in his voice. "Icarus- status!"

"Still here. Leave the driver and his gun to me," I responded, ignoring my snow-coated tail. I basically pinned it to my body to prevent it from dragging on the road.

I reached over my head and found the rear bumper bar. I latched both hands on and took a breath.

"Whatever you're doing, Grease, you better do it fast- I'm under fire," Jersey shouted.

I tensed my whole body and curled up, using my momentum to swing myself up. I landed hard and dug my claws into the back of the flatbed truck of a warthog, the soldier with the Battle Rifle turned his head toward me. "Peek-a-boo!"

He tried to turn the rifle on me, but I grabbed it. We wrestled for the gun, keeping the barrel pointed away as he blasted off rounds into the sky. I shoved the soldier back, wrenching the rifle out of his hands. I pointed and pulled the trigger but it clicked empty, I threw the gun at him but he swiftly ducked under leaving the rifle to vanish past the front of the hog into the thin fog with a barely audible clank sound.

"Will you quit throwing shit?" Jersey yelled.

He threw a wide right hook and I deflected, countering with an uppercut that divorced his helmet from his head. My hands interlocked and struck his chin, then back down onto the top of his head. I grabbed the back of his head before throwing it into my knee, he began to cover up but the warthog rocked knocking him off balance. I took the opportunity to jump him, locking him in a standing rear naked choke. The soldier struggled to keep his balance while trying to pry me off, I pulled his head hard to the right and there was an audible pop before his body went limp. I turned the focus to the driver who was sitting upright, I leaned carefully to look over his shoulder to see a knife sunk deep into his chest with his helmet resting in the passenger seat I could see the frozen horror on his face. Both hands clasped on the handle of the blade, I could only guess he bled out before he could try to remove it.

Wait- if he's dead I should-

The hog swerved, and that told me I had overstayed my welcome. I scrambled to my feet and leaped off the hood of the hog, and tumbled into the gunner spot on our hog.

"Next time, warn me if you're going to kill the driver," I chuckled, getting set up on the turret and opening fire on a nearby building, scoring a mongoose before it could join the pursuit.

Why am I laughing? Probably the adrenaline.

"Bold of you to assume I'd ever agree to some shit like this again, Grease," Jersey muttered, hitting a sharp left.

My giggles turned to maniacal laughter when I laid waste to a low-flying pelican, watching as it burned and crashed into a building promptly exploding. The rage of revenge burned in my chest, and it felt amazing. Every trigger pull fed dopamine into my bloodlust and I was getting addicted. I couldn't even hear Aries and Jersey talk anymore, I saw red shooting every soldier that dared enter my line of sight. If she had volunteered for her driving skill I was glad she did, Agent Jersey is the perfect wingman. The way she cut corners, drifted, and kept the pedal to the metal made us virtually untouchable even when there were enemies all around. I took out four more towers, shifting my weight to help influence the turns. Jersey sped past a vehicle depot and a sound snapped me back - a very distinct engine.

"Scorpion," I shouted, spinning the gun to our rear. The tank's headlights flashed on and turned to face us. "On our six! Go go go!"

"Relax kiddo, it's a fucking tank. Those things are slow as fuck!"

"Eighty is slow as fuck?"

"How'd you figure that?"

"I pay the fuck attention!"

Aries rose up with the launcher raised, and spoke in his smooth low tone, "Get me a clear shot and I'll fry it."

I watched in horror as the engine roared and the tank began gaining ground on us, the blizzard had slightly petered out and now I could actually see the silhouette through the low-hanging fog past the headlights.

"Jersey, get us the fuck off this street!"

"Fuckin' rush me- Ask and ye shall fuckin' receive!"

The warthog whipped to the side and swung a hard right, there was a deafening boom, and thirty feet behind us the icy road exploded.

"Too close!"

Another shot cracked off and leveled a building past us on the right.

"Astrid, stay ahead of that tank and the hell out of their line of sight. Need to try to swing back past the vehicle depot and eliminate any other highly mobile threats. No more surprises."

I spun the gun to the front, huffing angrily. Wanted- no- Needed to kill more.

They all needed to die. Every. Single. One.

Once more Jersey skillfully turned the wheel, hand-over-hand, shifting pedals without looking down drifting the warthog like she was born to do it before straightening out the hog.

"Depot's on your left in ten, greaseball! Light it the fuck up!"

I obliged, peppering the building, soldiers inside who were racing to get to the vehicles and the vehicles themselves. The whole thing went up almost instantly, vaporizing anyone near the epicenter of the explosion.

"Yer' and amazin' wheelman, Jersey," I barked as she brought me around to light up more targets, I did so and she swerved taking us towards the part of the base we hadn't destroyed. The main barracks and command center.

"I do more than look pretty, Grease."

I opened my mouth to laugh. A hundred yards up the icy road, a building on our left collapsed, while a familiar figure careened through trailing rubble, dust, and snow. I felt time crawl as the main cannon began to turn, but Aries was ready. The ninja- My partner- stood tall and fearless as always, scarf flowing in the wind like a cape made of the snow itself. His rocket jumped out of the barrel and dove for the canopy of the driver, it hit direct and exploded on impact without a doubt instantly killing the driver and gunner. I raised a hand to celebrate, but instantly put it back down. We weren't slowing down.

Why aren't we slowing down?

"Jersey?" I felt my voice waver a little. "Stop the goddamn-"

"Hang on to your fuckin' tails - this is gonna get rough," she just barely got the sentence out before the nose of the hog smashed into the burning remains of the tank.

The vehicle flipped, throwing me into the air and from the turret. I hit the ground shoulder-first, bouncing along until I came to a sliding, rolling stop. I looked up just in time to catch Jersey sliding to a halt curled up, I whipped my head toward the still-rolling hog. Aries dove from it landing on hands and feet and sliding back at least ten feet before stopping, the hog rolled and smashed into a barrier before promptly exploding bursting into a bonfire of a flame. No matter what he always seemed to land gracefully. The fog had, for the most part, cleared and the snow was slightly letting up giving us all good visibility. Surrounding this end of the base towards the snowbound helipad were high base walls with walkways on top with three towers that were close enough to see.

"Astrid, Icarus," Aries looked in both our directions, "You two broken?"

"Never," I called, standing.

"I'm still in this," Jersey responded, dusting herself off.

"That was some fine driving, up until the end there."

"Thanks, Aries."

He opened his mouth again but was interrupted by a hail of gunfire from the barracks, "Take cover!"

"Fuckin' shit!"

Jersey ran and slid behind a metal outdoor water heater, I got low and ran until I spotted a potential cover. There was a nearby concrete divider, I threw myself over and drew Snowpiercer. Aries dove behind my cover with his pistol out popping shots as he fell to the ground next to me, he holstered it and awkwardly began maneuvering the S7 sniper rifle to the front of his body. Loading a magazine in before hesitantly pulling the charging handle and looking at me, I nodded and he smiled.

"Remember what I taught you, Aries," I said, loading my own rifle. "Lead on moving targets at fifty-one yards and further, use the rangefinder dots to measure where your shots are going, and count your shots!"

"When you two are quite finished jerkin' each other off, I could use some support," Jersey practically shouted through comms. "Move up and take some of them out!"

Move up? Is she fucking crazy?

"I can see fine from back here. I prefer not to be killed if at all possible, thank you."

Aries chimed in, "It would suffice to clear some with a well-placed grenade or rocket."

"Oh, you mean like the rocket I'm going to drop on you fucks if you don't move the hell up!"

I looked at Aries and nodded. I was going to take the first shot. I popped out of the side of the concrete barrier in the prone position and took the helmet clean off one soldier. I heard the sound of Aries' claws scratching the concrete, more than likely vaulting over the cover to take ground. I grabbed the bolt and rechambered another round before looking down the iron sights, I popped another who had been shooting at Jersey. I perked up at the sound of the S7 going off and watched a hole punch through two soldiers at the same time, Aries was hunkered down like an old woman with a hunch in his back but it wasn't the time or place to correct his shooting stance, I cranked off two more shots and he matched mine in tandem. The beat of our gunfire stopped momentarily as we both stopped and reloaded. I pushed in a stripper clip, Aries a new magazine. A chill ran up my spine as we nearly finished our reloads, handles charged, bolts sent, and guns loaded.

Aries tilted his head up toward the high edges of the walls. "Icarus, the walls!"

"I'm all over it." I rolled over onto my back and turned my sights toward the high wall. "Don't let them surround us!"

I sighted my first victim sprinting along the top, I led the shot directly into his chest. Aries popped two shots letting out a hushed chuckle, my body flashed with warmth. Gunfire sprayed my cover from above and that was my cue that I needed to reposition, tucking my head I rolled back onto my feet and dove into a pile of snow. Gunfire scored all around but the natural cover hid me well and their muzzle flashes revealed them to me. I landed four more shots on target before breaking from the snow to reload and joined Aries at his cover.

"Aries, where the fuck is Jersey?"

I peered over the cover and got my answer. Just past us was one of the exits of the barracks, which was one of the positions we were taking fire from. Agent Jersey emerged from a low portion of the rooftop, jumping down and landing on the shoulders of a soldier, crushing him into the snowy pavement with her dual SMGs drawn. It took a second for the squads near her to even take notice of her presence. A gun turned towards her, but she had already dropped low avoiding the gunfire and getting them to shoot their own guys. The freelancer swept out the guy's legs sending him to the ground and a thick cloud of snow up like a smokescreen.

"Take cover, you two," Jersey muttered through comms.

She continued her spinning motion, twirling, almost pirouetting as she began to unload on the crowd of soldiers around her. She fired continuously moving her arms to different angles and crouching at times to shoot around those she already hit but hadn't hit the ground yet. One of the troops in that group must have been holding a rocket launcher because when they dropped a rocket shot out and hit the base of the nearest wall tower at the base, collapsing the structure. By the time her SMGs clicked empty she had come to a complete stop and there was nobody left standing. For once during this whole thing, there was a beat of silence beside the alarm still blaring.

"That takes clearing the area to a whole new level," I looked over at Aries and he returned my look with a look of admiration.

He almost seemed amused. "Yeah, like a blossom of death and bullets."

"You know I can hear you two, right? Form up."

Aries hopped the cover and a sniper shot hit the ground between his legs, the ninja took off running dodging more shots. I turned my rifle toward the direction I thought it was coming from and waited for the flash, the widow of the command center lit up and I returned fire painting the interior wall bright red.

"Good shot, Grease."

Jersey turned tail to rejoin me, but Aries looked to the barracks.

"I'm gonna clear the barracks. We don't want any surprises. I'm going silent," Aries let out quietly.

The ninja drew a few throwing knives and darted inside, leaving us two outside. Frustration began to bubble inside of me.

Where is the guy? Aries said he would be here. Aries wouldn't lie to me.

The speaker system that had been blasting the alarm screeched and the alarm quieted down slightly, "It seems fate brought you right back to me, Icarus. Now, I can finish what I started. I tried to tell Kovich that you'd be trouble, but now I get to clean up this mess once and for all. Seems playtime is coming to an end."

He's- The fucking interrogator. Him.

"Why don't you say that to my fucking rifle, you murderer," I barked, looking around for any possible attack points.

"The hypocrisy in that statement. You have no place to speak on that."

"You killed my fucking parents."

A heavy metallic stomping made me swing my head around toward the dust still settling from the fallen tower, a heavily armored figure slowly stepped out with a blacked-out visor on his helmet painted with bloody teeth. In its hands a weapon I couldn't quite identify as the barrel began to light up.

"I'll give you the same treatment they got."

Jersey and I shared a look but she spoke first, "What the fuck is with this guy?"

He pointed his weapon and superheated tendrils reached out for us, Jersey ducked but I dove for the safety of the snow and crawled behind a barrier before reloading my rifle.

"Fuck, that's hot!"

"No shit, Grease. He's got a fucking flamethrower - who the fuck uses a flamethrower?!"

I popped up and took a quick shot at him only to nearly be caught by the flame.

"You shoulda just died when you were supposed to, runt!"

I peeked out from the side of my cover to spot Jersey running for the rocket launcher in the hands of one dead soldier, the armored chupa turned his weapon toward Jersey and unleashed the fire. The heat must have detonated the remaining rocket and sent Jersey through the air and tumbling across the pavement where she lay still gripping her SMGs, or at least I thought it did only to see the launcher skid across the ground virtually unscathed. I secured my rifle and dove out of cover, scooping up the rocket launcher and firing on my attacker. The shot was short, but instead of exploding on contact the rocket skipped off the ground and flew into another tower on the wall.

It bounced? That was my worst shot ever, of-

I was tackled from my flank and tumbled into cover, Aries pulled me up to a kneeling position and snarled. "Stay low."

He maintained a stoic look, but his arm wrappings has been badly singed. He took a quick moment, using a knife to cut them off revealing the fluffy black fur on his hands. I was transfixed for a reason I could not explain, I just had never seen them without the wrapping before. Aries darted from cover once more, throwing the knife and it sank deep into the guy's leg to the handle. He screamed in pain and Aries took that as his window of opportunity, a collum of flame was shot and it caught alight his hair tie causing his ponytail to come undone. His arms were suddenly engulfed in flame as well but he seemed to ignore it. There was a metal glint in the off-hand of the flame weapon wielder and one of Aries' hands shot to his own throat, I watched in horror as my partner was kicked backward and a shotgun was pointed at his chest. The ninja brought his hands up in front of his face but the blast knocked him off his feet, throwing him back a few yards. The snow he landed on put out the flames on his arms. Smoke from all the nearby fires began to create a haze and the snow began to look like ash.

I felt something inside me snap. My insides burned, my head hurt, and I could feel my vision narrow. I shot out from my hiding place feeling lighter than air, he raised his shotgun at me but I was faster on the draw with my handgun and put three well-placed rounds in his shooting hand. He dropped the gun and blasted at me with the flamethrower, I ducked my shoulder under the stream but my tail pulsed in pain. I ignored it and ran into my attacker as hard as I could taking him to the ground, it was then I realized I had been screaming the whole time. Before he could try to fight me I yanked off his helmet and punched him as hard as I could, my hands found Aries' throwing knife and forced it into his shoulder. I returned to throwing punches over and over and over, fueling my rage until his face was a bloody broken mess that stained the nearby snow. Just like what he had done to me.

I pushed off him, getting Snowpiercer and shoving the barrel in his mouth. "Bruce and Justice Willar send their regards, motherfucker."

I decorated the snow with his blood and brains.

The rage I had felt waned quickly into concern as I stepped on his body to get to Aries. It grew more and more until I slid to his side, his breathing was shallow and almost feverish. He had been slashed clear across his throat and shot with what looked and smelled like incendiary ammo, the smell of his burning fur and flesh made me sick but I pushed it down. I undid Aries' scarf and quickly tied it down on his throat wound, but I couldn't do anything for the burns he sustained.

"A-Aries." His eyes didn't open. "We got him. Finally."

His mouth opened, and he whispered something I couldn't quite understand.

"Why did you do this- You broke your own rule. You told me to protect my own life, so why didn't you? You were supposed to protect yourself!"

"Sometimes," He rasped clenching one of his tightly and wincing, "You... got to. You were worth it."

"Stop."

"I... mean it."

"Aries, stop talking- you'll bleed out."

He stopped and finally opened his eyes. Even in his injured state, he didn't seem scared. He coughed from the thickening smoke haze, I removed my helmet, took off his headset, and put it on him instead. I took his headset and wore it. He needed it more. Much more.

"I shoulda told you the truth back before. I had something important to say before we went in. I just... I chickened out. I know it's a shitty time to find the confidence to say it."

"I made you nervous?"

Aries' low whisper was made clearer through my helmet's comms. I shook my head.

"It... I just... I love you."

Aries was silent for several moments. "No... No you don't."

That was not the reply I thought I would get, my eyes stung and I failed to blink away the liquid building in the corners that blurred my vision. "I do. I really do."

"After everything I've done... How can you say that?"

"Because I forgave you a long time ago."

I put my hands under Aries' top half and elevated him slightly so I could look him in the eye - or at least try to through my opaque visor. He seemed to physically relax.

"That... That is a weight off my shoulders." He coughed roughly, and I remembered he was still injured. He almost sounded like he was holding something back. "I... feel the same, but I... You could pick anyone else... Someone more... Safe."

Safe. I abandoned 'safe' when I left home. Safe hasn't been on my mind for a long time.

"I don't want 'safe,' Ringtail. I want you."

"Ringtail... Come up with that yourself?"

"Eh, it was a work in progress for a while."

A third groggy voice joined us on the comms, "If we were literally anywhere else- fuckin' ow... This might have been cute."

"Welcome back, Jersey," I responded with a tearful laugh. "First concussion? You'll feel like new after it passes."

"Just one... last step," Aries whispered. "Hold on tight."

I looked down at the hand he had balled up, there was a detonator in it. He clicked the button and the ground rocked violently and the base began to crumble, I hugged Aries tight before the ground gave way. My panic shot through the roof as we tumbled through the air, hurtling toward the water below. The ice patch that had frozen over our impromptu exfil point was shattered by the tons of concrete that fell before and with us. I pulled Aries closer and counted the seconds of freefall until we would hit the water.

One. Two. Three. Four. Fi-

We hit hard but it only hurt for the initial impact as I was plunged into the frigid depths, I wasted no time kicking hard to swim as far from the wreckage as quickly as possible. The water shifted and one of the towers joined us, falling silently a hundred meters ahead. By the time I felt we were out of the danger zone my lungs were on fire.

"Aries," Jersey called through the comms coughing, "Grease? Icarus?"

I surfaced and took a massive breath of snowy air, Jersey stood nearby on a patch of solid ice. I held up Aries and she took him in her arms, laying him down gently before reaching down to haul me up and out of the water.

"Next time, warn me if you're gonna try to drown me. Okay? You Sampi fucks are crazy for living in this shitty weather."

"Next time," Aries whispered faintly with a shiver.

I slicked my waterlogged mane back out of my eyes. "So, what now? We could pray some nearby hunters heard the commotion and come to check it out from a nearby settlement."

"Or you catch a ride with your friendly neighborhood Foe Hammer airlines." A pelican waved over our heads and came around to hover low. "Miranda's here, in case you guys got wounded."

"I thought York told you it was a one-way trip?"

"Still is, Icarus. Load in, quick, before you all get pneumonia."

"That flamethrower guy," Jersey added, shivering, "That guy was a dick."

---

I sat in Aries and I's bunk. I swore that Wash was going to explode on the spot when Miranda had wheeled us through a few days ago. Yet, he was just glad we were still alive. I popped the collar of my blue jumpsuit, flipping it up and down in boredom. I hadn't seen or heard a peep about Aries since we had gotten back. At this point I was assuming that they were keeping things from me.

Maybe... You know he's not dead. He can't be. What if, though? York and Sammy won't let me leave the bunk to go check on him. They can't stop me. I need to know. I need to.

I forced myself shakily to my feet and stumbled over to the door, yanking it open only to be met by York himself. He looked nervous. He never looked nervous.

"Hey, Icarus," he started, but I was looking past him. I wanted to see my partner. "How ya holdin' up?"

"Better, once I see Aries." There was clear discomfort on his face.

"Maybe... Maybe you should hold off on that just... for a while."

"York."

"I know you're dy-" I shot him a dirty look, and he leaned against the doorframe. "Anxious to see him. But I just-"

I bolted past him and down the hall.

"Hey! Icarus! Wait!"

York trailed me, but I easily outpaced him. I blew past a ton of other chupas, but I was looking for one in particular.

Miranda, Miranda, Miranda...

I spotted her, and damn near ran into her as I struggled to stop. I doubled over to catch my breath. "Ar-... Aries. Where is he?"

Miranda looked carefully at my face, then over my shoulder. I followed her gaze, and just like he had teleported, York stood there, not even winded.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Miranda asked, offering a look of serious concern. "He sustained heavy injuries-"

"I know, doc, I was there!" I stopped, and took a deep breath to collect myself. "I want to see my partner."

"Follow me."

I perked up, excited and anxious.

He's alive. They wouldn't take me to him if he was dead. Right?

I trailed the medic silently, trying to breathe evenly. I just needed to see him. That would be enough for me. She stopped in front of a door and stepped aside. I swallowed hard and reached for the handle, my body felt like it was made of lead as I slowly opened the door.

Just do it, Icarus. You can handle it.

By the time it was open enough to see inside, I spotted him standing next to a bed, and I assumed Miranda had to probably strap him to keep him in it. He had been given a large green long-sleeve with a resistance patch on the shoulder and a pair of tan pants. Both were blood-stained, even the bandaging around his upper left arm. In his hand was his short sword, he practiced swings and swipes against an imaginary opponent facing away from me. From what I could see, the fur on both his hands was completely burned off leaving his scarred skin exposed.

I can't handle this-

The door squeaked, and he turned his head. His gaze went from intense to soft. Then to a smile. My heart rate skyrocketed.

His head was wrapped up, a little bandage on his nose with blood on both with blood stains still present on his fur and the wraps. My body was hijacked from me as I felt myself rush toward him, Aries threw the sword onto the bed and I pinned his arms to his sides in a bone-crushing hug.

He managed to free an arm and gently pat my head, "I take it you missed me then, Icarus."

I felt the tears flow again.

"I told you I'll be fine."

"Just... Shut up for a minute."

Red vs Blue © Rooster Teeth. Halo © 343 Industries. Concept by Myshu, assisted by The Department of Chupapology.