Fan Fiction ❯ Espoir ❯ Moving For The Sake of Motion ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: Ilze

Title: Espoir

Summary: As Earth enters it's final stage of existance, humanity attempts one last stance to save themselves. An experiement that had been studied since the beginning of Earth's destruction is put into action. Project Espoir 1 has begun...

Rating: PG-13+

Genre: Drama, Action, Post-Apocalyptic.

Warning: This chapter contains harsh language, racial stereotyping, and some drug use.

Chapter Fourteen

Moving For The Sake of Motion

An explosion rocked the ground, causing the majority of people standing to fall over.

Debris fell over the area, blanketing everything that wasn't already destroyed in a film of dirt and soot. Kane coughed as dust filled his lungs and he tried to push himself to his feet.

The building that had just been blown to bits was now beginning to be engulfed in flames. He cursed as he looked around and noted the presence of his fellow soldiers. They were okay for now but the enemy was currently looking like the victor.

Grabbing his rifle, Kane aimed it at the approachinf fiends and opened fire. The bullets tore into the glowing white bodies of The Judges, causing various colored splotches to appear before they finally collapsed and died.

Kane pulled away from the fray and activated his com link .He cleared his voice and spoke through the transmitter.

"Bray, come in."

It took a moment but the large man's voice finally came in. Gunfire could be heard behind the man's words, showing that they were in similar conditions.

"What's your status, Bray?"

The man spoke clearer this time, "Currently engaged with the enemy in the west. They're large in number but we have a good vantage point. It could take awhile but we should come out victorious if the conditions stay the same."

Kane nodded, "Keep advancing. If any problems arise, contact me ASAP."

The link closed and he was again shouldered his rifle and entered the battle. The enemy was coming in large numbers. Unless something changed, they were done for.

Kane hid behind a corner once again and looked around the surroundings. The city had been invaded only about fifteen minutes ago, Espoir had engaged the enemy at thirteen, and had realized they were outnumbered at ten.

His eyes skimmed over the area slowly, looking for something that could help. Finally, he found what he was looking for.

Turning around the corner, Kane shouted for two other soldiers in the battle. Audrey and Kei made their way over to him quickly and Kane told them the plan before they took off at a sprint down the alley.

It took only a few moments for Kane to get the message from Audrey that they were in position. He then ordered all the other soldiers to fall back further into the alley and take cover. They did so and just as he expected, the enemy began ther advance.

That was when Kane's plan began. Gunfire rained down from a nearby buildings, mowing down The Judges as they tried to follow the retreating soldiers. A few of them tried to turn and take cover but bullets flew from another building just as they turned.

It took only a few moments for the area to be cleared. Kane's group then continued through the city and aided the soldiers on the west side. At apporximatly twenty-seven minutes into the battle, Espoir was victorious.

espoir

Rufus Nottap sighed in releif as he leaned back in his seat and rubbed his aching head.

The battle was successful and there were no deaths. Kane had done a excellent job in command. Things had gone well.

It had been an easy decision for Nottap to put Kane in command following the passing of Craig Stone however that did not stop him from worrying. Anytime there is a change in command, worry is the only thing that can be done.

The captain sighed once more and stood. He walked over to his cabinet and took out the bottle of whiskey that he'd had in there for awhile. He pured himself a small glassful and took a sip of the liqour.

Taking his seat again, Nottap began to shuffle through his mail. There were a few letters from insurance companies. It was amazing how they still found him even awhile over seas. There was a letter from his father that Rufus promptly thorugh in the trash can. Then, there was a letter from the ECB.

Rufus tore the envelope open and read over the letter quickly. He sighed as he put the note down and leaned back.

There was going to be a mandatory meeting for all Regional Leaders within the next few days. Nottap was being called to Paris for the meeting which would also include the ECB as well as represenatives from all participating countries and the United Nations.

There they would discuss the progress, soldier stability, and commentary. Also, there would be a few new announcments given.

The note ended saying that the press would be allowed to be at the meeting so all officers are supposed to look and act their best.

Nottap sighed once again as he stood and walked over to the balconey. He stepped out and looked over Centra. The Chariot could be seen landing in the distance and the soldiers slowly began making their way home. They would be tired.

The captain smiled weakly and reached over to the telephone. He dialed the number and waited patiently. Finally, a young voice answered and Nottap cleared his throat.

"The soldiers are back." He said with a grin, "They've done an astounding job. I would like a special meal made for them tonight."

The head chef on the other reciever chuckled a bit, "Yes, sir. It'll be the best these kids have had."

"Thank you."

Nottap clicked off the phone and once again looked out as the soldiers made their way down the street. They were exhausted. The announcment of a special meal would surely raise their spirits.

He smiled as he left the balconey and sat himself down at his desk again.

espoir

Centra-Tokyo was in good spirits.

The battle of the morning had been successful. No one had died and there was relatively few injuries. To top everything off, Captain Nottap was calling for a special meal for everyone.

He said to dress nice and come hungry.

Kuris looked himself over in the mirror and smiled a bit. He wore nothing more than his white boxers and grinned at how well toned his body looked.

Before, Kuris had had a very nice body. It was tan but not too muscular. All the work he'd been doing as a soldiers had given Kuris and very toned upper body with a six-pack and all. He chuckled as he flexed a bit in the mirror.

For the night, Kuris chose to wear a faded pair of blue jeans and a light blue, button-up shirt. He brushed his black locks to the side and slipped on a pair of brown dress shoes.

Finally, Kuris looked at himself in the mirror once more and smiled. If only the girls back home could see him now. He would be getting even more than he already did.

He took one last look in the mirror before opening the door to his apartment and stepping out onto the hard pavement of Tokyo. He glanced up and down the streets before making his way towards the mess hall.

The sky was mostly blue with a bit of pink appearing in the distance. It was littered with various clouds, big balls of puff floating through the endless sea. It was a beautiful, and very rare, sight.

However, it wasn't the most rare thing.

If one was to wait and listen closely, one could hear laughter and shouting in the distance. It was coming from down the street, the mess hall where things were shaping up to be a lively, happy night.

Kuris smiled as he came closer and closer to the source of the laughter. He was about to quicken his pace when something hit him from behind, nearly knocking him to the ground.

Whatever it was, it was attached to his back. Panic filled Kuris' mind as he strengthened his legs in order to catch himself from falling. He breathed in sharply as he prepared to throw the thing from his back and scream for help.

"Give me a lift?"

The voice in Kuris' ear caused him to stop in his tracks and raise a brow. It certaintly didn't sound like a blood-thirty Judge trying to tear him to shreds.

The weight dropped from his back and Kuris turned around to find himself only inches away from Kei Hayamoto's face. He blinked a smiled akwardly at the girl.

She laughed and cocked her head to the side, "I scare ya?"

Kuris blinked once more and shook his head quickly. He laughed and placed his hands on his hips in a masculine fashion, "Of course not!"

Kei laughed once more and put her hands behind her back, "I just wanted a piggy back ride."

"Well, if you want it then I'd better not keep it from ya, huh?" He leaned down and smiled right into her eyes.

She chuckled and bit and nodded her head energetically.

That was when someone else stepped. "

"Hey, lovebirds!" Shouted someone from behind, "Wanna hurry it up? Everyone's waiting!"

Kuris gritted his teeth but hid it behind a smile. He turned around and glared at the fellow behind them. "Be right there, Kane."

"Come on!" He shouted and laughed, "We're starving here!"

Kei laughed and stepped past Kuris, "We're coming!" She smiled and glanced back at Kuris, "Let's go."

She jogged ahead of him and Kuris cursed quietly. Kane would be paying for that later.

Inside the mess hall, soldiers were crowding around tables. Most were laughing and talking amonst themselves about various things, very few relating to Espoir or The Judges. Kuris smiled as he took a table with his friends.

The room grew quiet as Captain Nottap made his way to the front of the room and stood before the soldiers. He smiled proudly as he looked over everyone and watied for the room to quiet.

"First of all, I would like to congradulate you all on a magnificent mission this morning." He clapped his hands and the hall burst into a ring of praise. He smiled as it quieted down again, "I would like to just say how proud I am of each and every one of you. You've all adapted and done a amazing job as Espoir soldiers."

"Now, onto my second announcment. I have been called to Paris for a mandatory meeting. I will be gone for about three days." He cleared his throat, "In my leave, Kane Kisho will be taking full administrative functions. News of any attacks will be sent to Pilot Loko Nogami, he will sound the alarm but from there, Kane is in charge."

"I would like every one of you to enjoy the night. Eat and drink to your heart's content." The captain laughed and reached behind him. He picked up a bottle of some kind of liquid and held it high, "Tonight's meal with be out speciality of the chef." He smiled and motioned to the small, italian man standing by the door. "Spaghetti, garlic bread, cheese, and, of course," He held the bottle higher, "Wine, imported directly from the West!"

The crowd burst into cheering as the Captain popped the cork off the bottle. Waiters began to flow from the kitchen doors with trays full of hot spaghetti, bread, and cheese. Bottles of wine and glasses were supplied to each table and the soldiers immediatly dug in.

Kuris smiled as he looked down at his pasta. It was overflowing with spaghetti and heaping with deliciously sweet sauce. He took a huge mouthful and savored the taste as long as he could. His friends did the same.

Bray was shoveling spaghetti into his large mouth, taking a bit of garlic bread every now and then. Kane was going in a much more messy way, getting sauce all over his mouth as he did so. Nogami was starting with the bread and cheese, saving the spaghetti for last. Even Audrey and Kei were excusing all manners and digging in just like everyone else.

The entire hall was filled with the sounds of chewing and utensils. Soldiers toasted eachother with glasses of wine, spilling bits all over the tables. The room smelt heavenly, like Italian food and wine.

Finally, Kuris made it to the point where he could eat no more. He cleaned his last plate and scooted it aside, joining several others who had done the same. He sighed heavenly as he patted his chest. There were only two people who were still eating, Bray and Kane and they would not be disturbed.

Kuris looked over as Sean rose from his seat. He quietly excused himself and made his way to the bathroom. He'd been silent the entire time and he eaten the least out of everyone.

Finally, Kane finished eating and slumped back into his chair. He cleared his throat and leaned back, "That..... was.... amazing...."

Audrey smiled and nodded slowly, "It was."

Captain Nottap was making his way to the front once again and everyone gave him their attention. He smiled and took one last sip of wine, "Did everyone enjoy their meal?" This time the shout was a little more tiresome. Everyone was so full. "I want to congradulate you all again and say farewell. I leave for Paris tonight but am sure you will all be just fine without me for three days." He raised his glass to the soldiers and smiled broadly, "I am proud of you all."

With that, the captain made his leave for his quarters.

The rest of the soldiers lingered behind, speaking amongst eachother and giving their praise to the chefs. Kuris finally made his way out of the hall and slowly started down the dark street towards home. The others joined him shortly.

"Best night of my life." Kane said as he walked next to Kuris, "No doubt."

Kuris laughed, "Close at least."

Audrey rubbed her stomach and pouted a bit, "My tummy hurts." She wined as he hugged Kei closely, causing the girl to blush. At first it was akward but everyone eventually grew used to Audrey's open affection towards Kei. Well, everyone but Kei.

Sean stopped and turned down an alley, "I'll see you all tomorrow." He said with a light grin under his beard, "I'm gonna get some sleep."

Everyone said farewell to their friend and no one spoke of how quiet the man had been lately. There was definately something bothering him.

Eventually, everyone parted ways. Kuris made his way up to his apartment and collapsed onto his bed. Laying down, he finally noticed just how tired he really was.

Barely able to keep his eyes open, Kuris was just able to remove his shirt before passing out into a deep, dreamless slumber.

espoir

Two days passed by without much action.

Captain Nottap left the night of the meal. As he said, Kane was put in charge of the base with Nogami calling the shots should a attack come while the Captain is away.

Thankfully, that had yet to happen.

Come the third day, a change finally came.

Word came from the top early in the morning. They said that a transfer was being made to Third Region and that a new soldier would be arriving that afternoon. Apparently, Nottap had learned of the transfer while in Paris as that was one of the reasons for the meeting.

New soldiers were being sent to every Region. These new guys had been trained to use a new type of battle rifle that would then be taught to the others.

The transfer's name was Reggie McTague.

At around noon, he arrived.

At the airport in Centra, a small helicopter landed. A skinny, white male emerged from the helicopter and greeted Kane as the 'copter slowed it's wings.

"Kane Kisho?" The male asked as he walked up to the temporary leader.

Kane nodded quickly, shielding his eyes from the dirt that was flying thanks to the 'copter. "Reggie McTague?"

The man shook his head, "No, no. My name is Lance Davis, I'm from the ECB Specialties Team."

The helicopter finally came to a stop and the area grew quiet. A crowd was now gathering outside the air base and all eyes were on the helicopter as the door slowly began to open.

The hatch opened with a crash and out stepped a large, muscular being. His skin was darker than Bray's and he wore camoflagued pants and a white sleeveless shirt that showed off his beefy arms. His eyes looked like large pools of white on his dark face that also contained a gruff goatee. A green bandana was tied around his head as well. The man also carried a large box.

The black man made his way up to the two others and nodded solemnly to Kane.

Kane glanced at Lance before turning back to the new man, "Reggie McTague?"

"That's me." The man said in a dark, confident voice.

"My name is Kane Kisho. I'm in charge of the base due to the temporary leave of Captain Nottap."

The man nodded slowly, "Where do I stay?"

Blinking a bit, Kane quickly called for a member of the base personnel to come and escort the new guy to his lodging. Reggie McTague followed the small man through the crowd and disappeared into Centra-Tokyo.

Lance Davis stood behind and smiled akwardly at Kane, "He's a bit... anti-social."

"I can see that." Kane crossed his arms and stared after the new man.

Davis chuckled, "He's an excellent soldier. Been in the American military for a few years and has won a few awards." The skinny man sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "Keep an eye on him. From what I've heard, he can be some trouble. Especially with commanding officers."

"Captain Nottap should be back before long." Kane smiled and looked at Davis, "We'll be fine."

The smaller man nodded quickly and gives a quick salute before returning to the helicopter. The engine started and Kane turned back to look at the crowd with a sigh of stress.

espoir

Bray Jackson sat in his room, his armor lay across his bed. His chest-plate sat in his lap and he ran a rag over his softly, trying to clean all the blood and dirt from the armor.

Talking from the hall caught his attention. It was an unfamiliar voice. Bray stood and laid the plate back down with the rest of his suit and made his way over to the door. He opened it and watched as a member of the base personnel left. The door across the hall was open and he could hear someone inside.

Stepping into the doorway, Bray watched as an unfamiliar man unloaded a few things from a box. He crossed his arms as the dark-skinned man looked up and stared at Bray.

"Yeah?" The man asked.

Bray frowned and stared back, "Who are you?"

"Reggie McTague." The man said confidently, "Just got in today. You?"

"Bray Jackson."

"Well, it's nice to see another brother on base."

Bray raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, man. I'm just saying that this is a pretty pale base, ya know?" Reggie shrugged and took a few steps forward, "Who cares, though. We're all fighting the same enemy, right?" He extended his hand and clasped it reluctantly.

"Where you from?"

"Chicago, born and raised." Reggie unloaded some clothes from his box and put them in a drawer. "Been in the marines for a few years now and when this Espoir stuff started, I was put with the Sixth Region. They took me out about a month ago and started training me with this new gun now I'm supposed to teach you guys how to use it."

"New gun?"

"Yeah, new battle rifle." He tightened the bandana around his head and turned around, "It's supposed to be more in synch with the armor. Apparently it works with your mind like the armor does, makes you twice as deadly are before."

Bray nodded slowly and put his hands in his pockets, "When you start teaching us?"

"Dunno. Probably when that Nottap guy gets back." Reggie snorted and shook his head, "I'm sure he'll be ordering me around like a regular jackass, eh?"

"The Captain?" Bray thought a moment, "Nah, he ain't bad."

"Whatever you say, bro." Reggie frowned, "I been around officers for quite awhile and I learned one thing. They're all jackasses and they're all gonna treat ya like second-class citizens. I found that the best way to handle them is just not to pay attention."

Bray thought a moment and shrugged, "Well, he should be back in a little while so you'll find out." Bray turned around, "I'll talk to ya later."

"Later, man."

espoir

The mess hall was once again filled with soldiers. They gathered around tables, eating the usual grub. If there was one bad thing that the special meal was make everyone see just how disgusting their usual food was.

Everyone sat around close tables, mingling and speaking with eachother and loud tones. Everyone but one person, at least.

The new guy, Reggie McTague, sat alone in the far corner of the hall. He ate slowly, reading a unconfirmed book as he did so. People had tried to interact with the man but each met the same cold, rebellous tone.

"What do you think is his problem?" Asked Kane as he watched the man from his table.

"He's new." Kuris said in-between chewing, "Doesn't know anyone. He's probably just nervous."

Audrey shook her head, "No way. He doesn't want to make friends. Look at him over there, he's been trying to avoid everyone all day. It's not that he can't make friends, he just doesn't want to."

"He's trouble."

Everyone looked over at Loko Nogami as he took a drink from his soda.

"He's trouble." The pilot continued, "He's been in trouble quite a bit before Espoir. Apparently he's got a problem with listening to the authorities."

"What do you mean?" Asked Kane with eyes narrowed.

"He was in the marines before this and has always had trouble listening to his superiors." Nogami smirked, "Nottap's gonna have some fun with this guy."

As Nogami finished speaking, Bray Jackson appeared from the kitchen with his tray of food. Kuris raised his arms to show him where they were and the large man started on his way when he was distracted. Bray looked to the side and stood in debate for a moment before turning in the other direction and seated himself across from Reggie McTague.

Kane raised his brows, "Do you guys see what I see?"

"Is Bray sitting with the new guy?" Asked Kei in shock.

Sean chuckled lightly, "They go good together."

Kuris looked over at the bearded male and frowned, "What?"

"Think about it." Sean said with a light grin, "They're both quiet. They're both reluctant to follow commands. They both got these covered-up pasts. They were made to be pals."

Kuris thought a moment and nodded slowly, "I guess your right."

Kei smiled, "Amazing. Bray is actually having a conversation."

"I think that's the most I've ever seen him speak." Audrey said in shock, "And we can't even hear what he's saying."

Kane shook his head and finished his meal, "Now I've seen everything."

espoir

Later in the day, a helicopter could once again be heard hovering over Centra-Tokyo. It landed slowly at the air base. Kane was the first person to meet Captain Nottap upon his arrival.

Nottap explained to Kane what had gone down at the meeting. All captains were ordered to give progres reports and turn in any paperwork that hadn't already been given. Head of Espoir, Roman Evans also gave his own progress report as well as telling everyone about the newly perfected battle rifles.

The rifles were called The Goashima. Research had begun shortly after the beginning of Espor to create a weapon that would work more similarly with the Espoir Armor. It began with Pierre LeFluer on the staff and after his death, Evans took full control of the project. It was finished about two weeks ago.

The rifles work very much like the Espoir Armor. They tap into the mind of the user, like the armor, and give him enhanced aim and dexterity. Tests showed that they worked more than 40% better than the normal rifle.

It was an understatement to say that Nottap was pleased with the weapons.

Nottap's hopes were that the soldiers would be able to equip the new rifles for their next attack. That would all be determined by how quickly they took to the training, which would be enforced by another soldier who had been trained with the weapon already.

According to Kane, that soldier had already arrived and had made his impression on the others already.

Reserved, stand-offish, and mysterious. Those were three charicteristics that the new soldier possessed. Not to mention a lust for rebelling against those in authority a.k.a Nottap.

As soon as he reached his office and got himself situated, Nottap called for this new soldier.

It took a little while but the man eventually entered the office. It was a bad first impression, the soldier didn't even bother to knock.

He certaintly met the appearnce of a rebellious soldier.

Dark skin paired with the camoflagued pants and white sleeveless shirt gave him a mean look. His rugged face and battle worned features combined with the green bandana he had tied around his shortly-cropped head made him look even more rebellious. He stood well over six-foot tall and his arms were nearly three times as large as Rufus'.

The man stood in front of Nottap's desk and crossed his croad limbs, "You called, boss?"

Nottap nodded and stood. He walked in front of his desk and extended his hand, "I just wanted to extend my greeting. I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you personally."

"No worries, boss." The man made no move towards Nottap's hand.

Rufus cleared his throat, "In case you didn't already know, I'm Captain Rufus Nottap. I'm the commanding officer of this base. I just wanted to meet you myself. Your name is?"

"McTague. Reggie McTague."

"Well, McTague. I look forward to working with you on these new weapons." Nottap sat himself atop his desk and looked up at McTague, "When do you think we can begin training?"

"Your the boss." McTague cleared his throat and stared back at Nottap.

"Do you think we could begin in about an hour?" Rufus glanced away for only a second, "I would like to get these weapons in the soldiers hands as soon as possible."

"Your the boss."

That line was growing old. "Very well. I will call a meeting in the center of the base. We will be hoping for a demonstration, if you could."

McTague nodded his head slowly and uncrossed his arms, "Is that all, boss?"

Nottap stared at the large man for a moment before nodding and taking his seat behind his desk once more, "Yes, I will see you later this afternoon."

With that, the new soldier made his leave from Nottap's office. Sighing, Rufus leaned back in his chair and shook his head. He glanced at the clock once before making the call for the meeting.

It was nearly time to see what The Goashimas could do.

espoir

The crowd grew hushed as all eyes looked at the figure in the center of the group.

He stood straight with arms to the side. A cigarette hung absently from his lips as he reached down and pick up the large, black rifle sitting on the ground in front of him.

It looked similar to the regular guns although it had a more slicker look and a narrower nozzle. It also had a long, red line on the left side of the base.

The man cocked and loaded the rifle quickly and held it at his side in a lazy fashion. Then, with one quick motion, shouldered the gun and pulled the trigger.

The bullets flew from the rifle so fast they were nearly invisible. They shot out inaudibly and tore into the center of the bullseye like knives thorugh butter.

The man paused only for a second to switch sides. He fired with his left arm now with the same effect. Perfect accuracy.

He fired from behind, crouching, on his stomach, on his back, and his various other akward positions. His aim was barely effected. He only missed the center twice and that was only by less than half an inch.

When he was finished, he spun the rifle in his hand and unloaded the empty magazine. He lowered his weapon to his side once more and removed the cigarette from his mouth. He flicked the tip of it and just as the ashes hit the ground, the target fell apart and hit the ground in pieces of smoking debris.

The crowd stood silent, completely awe-struck at what they'd seen.

Finally, Captain Nottap walked from the crowd, clapping his hands loudly as he made his way to the man in the center. He clasped a hand on the black man's shoulder and nodded slowly.

He cleared his throat before speaking audibly, "That is the power of The Goashima Rifles." A small smile crept over his lips as he continued, "Soon, each of you will be able to do that as well."

Chatter broke out in the crowd until Nottap spoke once more, "Training will begin tomorrow night. You are all excused."

The man next to Nottap began to pack up his gear and the captain turned to him with a bright smile, "Nice work, McTague."

"Thank you, boss." The soldier nodded slowly as he picked up his things and took off down the street towards his quarters.

Reggie McTague entered his room shortly after, dropping his things in the corner as he did so. He collapsed onto his bed and took out a small box as he did so. He only glanced up when Bray Jackson entered.

"What up, Bray?"

Bray nodded and crossed his arms, "Good show."

Reggie smirked confidently, "You know it, man."

"What're you doing?" Bray asked, watching as Reggie opened the small box. The man chuckled as he gave Bray a peek at the things inside the box. Bray raised an eyebrow at the stuff, "Marijuana?"

"Hell yeah." Reggie laughed as he began rolling a small thing of the drug, "Shut the door and relax, man."

Bray frowned and took a step closer, "I don't know."

"It's harmless, man. Just relax." McTague leaned back and reached for his lighter, "You ever try it?"

"A few times." Bray crossed his arms, "Never found it too fun."

"Whatever. You must have tried to cheap crap. This is the good shit." He began to click his lighter, trying to light the doobie in his left hand, "Take a seat, my man."

Bray reluctantly lowered himself into the chair in the corner and Reggie pushed the box over to him. The large man reached down and looked over the stuff with a frown, "You do this a lot?"

"When I need to get my mind of stuff."

"What do you need to get your mind off now?"

"Ah, man. Lots of stuff." He finally lighted the roll and took a long puff. He leaned back and sighed in pleasure afterwards, "Your man, Nottap for example. A real dick."

"Captain?"

"Yeah, he's a dick." Reggie coughed a bit as he watched Bray begin to roll his own, "Just like all the other assholes in command in the world."

"What do you mean?"

"Man, I've been in the military since I was sixteen. I lied when I signed on." He took another long huff, "When I was first stationed after camp, my commanding officer put me on nighttime guard duty every night. While everyone else was out woring, I was stuck at home looking at the horizon as if it was gonna bite me." He spit on the ground, "The guy chewed me out any time I asked for another asignment. Said I was worthless and not ready to be in the core."

Bray shook his head as he looked at his finished roll. Reggie tossed him the lighter as he cleared his throat, "Why'd you join?"

"Didn't have anything better to do. I grew up in a shitty family, was poor since I was in diapers. The military was the only way I could get outta there." He frowned deeply, "After I got out of my first station, I thought I would find some better assignments. Boy, was I wrong. Three asshole commanders later, I found out that all officers are dicks."

Bray took his first puff of the drug and coughed a bit as he did so. He felt a bit light headed as he did so and leaned back in his seat, staring at the lit doobie in his hand.

Reggie laughed, "They found me pretty easily when the whole Espoir thing started. Picked me up from the southern side of The Republic of Iraq. I went through training, was taken from my original post to be trained with The Goashimas, and here I am."

"So, you don't trust Captain Nottap?"

"Hell no, man." Reggie sat forward and looked at Bray, "Man, you've been decieved. This guy is just like all the others. Some little white guy on a power trip. He's never gonna treat you or me like a person. The ECB is just the same. You think they care about us? Hell no. If they cared about us, we wouldn't be here. Man, we're gonna turn into monsters and die just like everyone else. They chose that fate for us, man. They chose our deaths."

Bray leaned back and thought over the situation. He took another long drag of the pot and shook his head.

Was there really no one he could trust?

Reggie cursed and leaned back, "Man, we're in the same boat. We gotta stick together, bro. We got the same fate, we got the same life, we got the same death." Reggie leaned forward and extended his hand, "Together, man?"

Bray looked at the man across from him. He really could relate to Reggie. They were very much alike. He hadn't known the guy for more than a day and had already spoken with him more than anyone else on the base.

He reached forward and clasped hands with Reggie. He nodded firmly and looked his new comrade in the eyes.

"Together."

espoir

His eyes were burning, his vision getting blurry, and he was tired as hell.

Ray George leaned back at his desk and sighed deeply. It was nearing midnight and he was about to pass out from sleepiness.

He looked down at the papers scattered about his desk. He'd only gotten a few chances to look at the files he'd stolen from Roman Evans but was bound to find out everything he could about the research.

However, now he was working on something else.

The Goashima Rifles. They'd been perfected only two weeks ago and were currently being shipped to all regions of Espoir. They had something similar with the armor and George was determined to know the weapons inside-and-out.

He shuffled through the papers and finally found the one with the heading "Goashima Rifle Research."

Rubbing his eyes once more, George read over the paper.

...it has been proven that the Espoir Armor enhanced the human being by at least 75% however, as seen in the first few attacks from The Judges, their weaponry is unable to keep up. Therefore, we have begun the 'Goashima Project' in order to find a more suitable weapon for the soldiers to wield...

...The Project has been moving forward nicely. Researchers have found a way to link the rifles to the human mind and the defect caused by the Maher Meteor Shower. This is similar to how the Armor operates. If all goes according to plan, the rifles will enhance the soldiers' ability by over twice as much as with a regular weapon...

...Seven soldiers have been gathered from each region in order to learn how to use the new weaponry. These soldiers have been specifically chosen due to their unstable nature in order to tell how the rifles will effect the human mind. We can assume that the rifles will effect the human psyche as they are similar to the Armor, which has a significant impact on the stability of the mind. These soldiers are all already mentally unwell so the effects of the rifles shold be magnified, making it much easier to see how much they effect the mind. Only time will tell, however...

The rest of the paper was written by Roman Evans, as he took control of the project after the death of LeFluer.

...Our assumptions were correct. The rifles do have similar effects as the Armor. In one case, the soldier Hasegawa, already possessed a 'avoidtant personality disorder.' At the end of his training, this soldier was barely able to interact with other humans due to the rifle's influence. Another soldier, McTague, suffurs from extreme anger problems as well as a rebellious nature. At the end of training, he can hardly listen to a superior's orders without exploding. Another candidate...

George leaned back in his seat and shook his head.

The ECB was taking soldiers with serious disorders and putting them through things that would hurt them mentally. Not only that but they were taking the thing that caused it and giving it to other soldiers to use.

He gritted his teeth and smashed his hand onto the desktop.

They were evil. Cold and evil and Roman Evans was at the head of it. Those little bastards only cared about their own survival.

With newfound energy, George leaned forward and dug into the research. There was no way he could go public with just the Goashima information. No, he would uncover all of Espoir's dirty secrets and then, he would take it down with one, mighty blow.

And Roman Evans would feel the full impact.

espoir

The next day went by slowly and normally for Centra-Tokyo. People on base went on their daily activities as usual, eating and intercating with others. Some soldiers took the time to train, thinking that the absence of a attack from The Judges meant that a large attack was looming in the distance. Most, however, simply took the chance to relax.

However, there was no relaxing for the commander of the base. The job for the Captain was never over.

"Are you sure of what you saw, Mr. Davenport."

The round, english man in front of Nottap's desk nodded quickly. He cleared his throat," Yes, sir." Wilford Davenport cleared his throat, "I'm sure of what I smelt too. Now I'm not one for telling on others but I just can't let something like this slip by."

Nottap sighed and leaned back. He shook his head slowly, "Thank you, Mr. Davenport. Don't worry, your identity will be secret. Thank you for sharing this information with me."

"Of course, sir." The englishman saluted briskly, "Anything to keep this base safe and sound, sir."

Nottap nodded, "Your are excused."

Davenport turned on his heel and marched out of the office. Rufus leaned back and placed a call. He sat in silent after the call, awaiting the arrival of the people he'd called for.

It wasn't long before both of them marched into his office.

Nottap cleared his voice, "Have a seat, both of you." The two large men sat in front of him. Both were staring at him blankly and Nottap had to force himself to look into their eyes. "I have recieved information that the two of you were in possession of drugs last night."

The man on the right gritted his teeth and cursed, "Bull shit."

The Captain glared at the man, "Mind speaking up, Mr. McTague?"

"I said bull shit, boss." The man said louder, staring at his captain.

"Why do you say that, soldier?"

"We can't even trust our fellow soldiers." McTague said, shaking his head. "Man, that's pretty messed up."

Nottap shook his head, "Don't blame your fellow soldiers. You are the only ones to blame for this. Drugs will not be condoned on this base and that is something I will enforce." He sighed and leaned back, "I will come up with reasonable punishments for the two of you."

Reggie McTague cursed and leaned forward, "Man, don't blame Bray." He motioned to the man to his right, "I brought the pot, I practically made him do it."

Bray shook his head, "I will take the same as he."

Nottap nodded, "You will both recieve the same."

McTague cursed and leaned back, "Man, this is bull."

"You will not speak to me in that tone, soldier." Nottap said forcefully, glaring at McTague.

Reggie's hands clenched into fists and he gritted his teeth, "Don't speak down to me."

"I will speak to you how I wish, McTague." Rufus crossed his arms, "If you have a problem then I can give you one."

"Bull shit." McTague stood quickly, knocking his chair to the floor. He headed for the door but Nottap's voice caught him.

"Don't you walk away from me without a proper salute, soldier!" Nottap stood, pointing at the retreating soldier.

Reggie didn't even turn around. He waved his hand in a mock salute and stormed out of the office. Nottap gritted his teeth as he sat back down and cursed.

"I will not have this kind of rebellion." He was about to reach for the phone when he noticed Bray still sitting.

Bray cleared his throat, "Don't treat us like we're below you."

With that, Bray stood as well and gave a salute. He left the office, looking outside to see where Reggie stormed off to.

espoir

The sun slowly began to set on Centra-Tokyo. The base gathered at the mess hall for dinner, only a few were not present.

One of those were Reggie McTague.

He sat in his room, laying on his bed in a drug-induced daze. Music blared from his small stereo. It was loud and distorted, hardly even possible to make out the words due to the bad quality of the speakers.

Reggie couldn't even hear the music.

He cursed quietly, staring up at the rotating cieling. He cursed once more as he clenched his fists.

"I will not be treated like a second-class." He said to himself, glaring at the dizzy cieling. "I will not take this shit from some college-grad rich boy. Damn power trips."

He sat up and stood, nearly falling over in his high. He reached out but was unable to catch his balance. His head banged on his dresser, splitting open his forhead and only raising his anger.

Reggie shouted as he forced himself up and slammed his fist through one of the drawers. He was cursing the dresser when his fingers felt something inside the drawer.

He pulled the thing out and looked at the slick, black handle of the Goashima Rifle. He blinked a few times as his mind sorted through his scattered thoughts. Finally, he hung the rifle over his shoulder and tightened his bandana before setting out of his room.

The streets were dark and quiet, the main source of noise was coming from down the street where most of the base was sitting down for their evening meal. McTague's steps sounded deafening as he made his way down the pavement.

The weapon bounced with each step, the handle rubbing pleasantly against his side. It was comforting but hardly enough to lower his still growing anger.

The thoughts of all of the officers he'd been through crowded his mind. There was his first, the older man who didn't even trust him enough to let him go out on missions. The spaniard who'd called him worthless after he'd made a simple mistake while out on patrol. The young, college kid who had called him a racial comment and kicked him in the stomach when he'd been wounded.

Now there was Rufus Nottap. He was no different than the others. The entire project of Espoir. It was all just a big piece of goverment shit. They had etched his fate in stone, his grave was proably already crafted and waiting for the body. Hell, that is if he was even getting a grave.

McTague was about to shout out his anger when a light from a room in the distance came on. He stopped in his tracks and drifted into some nearby shadows and watched as a figure emerged from the room and started down the street.

His blood began to boil at the sight of the man's face.

Reggie followed after the man quickly and waited for him to come closer to the darker side of the street before calling his name.

The man turned around, staring at Reggie but he was still in the shadows. It was impossible to make out who he was.

"Whose there?" The man asked, peering into the darkness.

"Good evening, boss." Reggie said as he stepped out of the shadows, gun raised. He nearly smirked at the shocked look on Nottap's young, arrogant face. "What's that look for?"

"McTague." Nottap raised his arms and stood straight, "Put down the gun."

Reggie spat on the ground, "Screw that. I've had enough of putting the gun down. I'm down with being a wuss about this." He cocked the rifle, "I'm doing something about you assholes now."

Nottap opened his mouth to speak but never got a word out. His shoulder shot back and he nearly fell to the ground as two bullets from the Goashima rifle tore into his flesh. He was about to shout out but Reggie was too quick.

He sprinted to the fallen commander and placed a hand over his mouth. He smirked and tossed Nottap into an alley where the pathetic human slumped against the wall, peering up at his underling in shock.

"Now look whose looking down on who." McTague said as he pointed the rifle at his captain, "Pathetic."

Nottap grunted and cleared his throat, "McTague, don't do this."

"Do what?" Reggie coughed a bit, "Kill you? Why not? I think it's long past time that you had your life on the line." McTague gritted his teeth and grew angry once more, "We are our there every day, risking our lives for everyone else, you ungrateful pig. What do we get for it? Jack squat! You all sit back in your nice, comfortable chairs watching us and our friends die fighting something we don't even understand and you bastards don't even care."

"McTague." Nottap's hand covered the bleeding wound in his shoulder, "I do care."

"Bull!" McTague shouted the word loud, it echoed through the alleys. He cursed and aimed the rifle at the captain's head, "I won't just stand by and let you screw more of these guys. They don't deserve to die for your pathetic lives. They don't deserve to be transformed into those disgusting monsters and die an even more sad death than before."

"I won't stand for it and now, I'm doing sometihng about it. I'm through with being looked down upon by you, other officers, and all of society. I've had enough of it! I'm done!"

Reggie's finger felt the sleek trigger of the Goashima and he looked at the face of Captain Nottap. It was somehow calm, if now sorrowful. His eyes were a bit teary but his face held strong, his lips curved in a slightly sympathetic smile. Reggie cursed at the captain's human features before preparing to press on the trigger.

That was when he was pushed.

He was barely able to hold on to the gun as he tumbled to the ground and rolled away. He caught himself and jumped to his feet, spinning and aiming the rifle at his attacker.

Reggie's eyes went wide as he looked into the face of Bray Jackson.

Bray frowned and stared at McTague, "What the hell are you doing?" He asked in a hushed tone.

McTague gritted his teeth and held the rifle strong, "I'm done with this, man! I'm done with being treated like a worthless little bug! I'm done with fighting for these ungrateful dicks! I've done it far too long and I won't anymore."

"Reggie, don't do it." Bray said, taking a step towards his friend, "It won't help."

"It'll help you guys!" McTague shouted as he glared at Nottap, who still sat in the same place. His eyes looked sorrowfully at Reggie. "You wont' have to be treated like shit by this guy anymore. You won't be looked down upon again. You won't have to fight for something you never asked for!"

"You really think that'll help?" Bray shook his head, "They'll only send another. I'd rather have Captain Nottap than someone else. You may have been treated badly by officers but killing a good one will do nothing to change that."

Reggie shook his head angrily, tears forming in his eyes. "It'll prove that we won't take this shit anymore! We won't be treated like this anymore. They'll see!"

"Who will see? The public?" Bray spat, "They'll only beleive what they see on television, and that is what the higher ups want them to see. No, this will prove nothing. It will only show that Espoir is human and will give even more support for the ECB."

McTague shook his head, "Someone will see! I will do this and change everything!"

"Nothing will change." Bray sighed, "No, something will change. We'll lose a human life. You'll be just like The Judges. Killing human beings for reasons that we don't understand and never will if you get caught. They'll kill you if your caught, ya know."

Tears fell down McTague's cheeks and he gritted his teeth. A crowd had gathered behind Bray. Nearly the entire base was watching the event unfold. Reggie shook his head and sobbed once, "I can't take this anymore. I can't take being treated like nothing. I don't want someone I don't know choosing my fate. I don't want to die fighting for something I don't understand."

"You don't have to." Bray crossed his arms, "You'll die fighting for what you beleive. I know you beleive in a lot of things, Reggie but taking human life isn't one of them."

McTague shook his head and stepped back. He walked into the wall and looked back in shock. He coughed and looked around like a cornered animal. "Nothing will change." His voice lowered, "I grew up in this and I'll die in this. All my life."

Bray stepped forward, "Reggie."

McTague looked at Bray and frowned, "Fight for what you beleive?" He coughed, "What do you beleive in?" Bray was silent after the question and Reggie laughed, "Maybe you should look in a mirror, Bray and leave me to my own business."

Reggie leaned against the wall, his gun still pointing forward. He slid to a sitting position and shook his head, "I can't take this world anymore. It will never change. Not ever. I see that I can't change it." He paused a moment, "All I can do is say... Fuck it..."

With that, Reggie turned the gun around and stuck the nozzle in his mouth. Bray shouted and took off towards McTague but he was too late. Reggie's skull was splattered against the brick wall before Bray was even able to touch his friend.

Bray knelt down next to the still-warm corpse of the dead Reggie McTague and cursed. He cursed the world and life. He cursed God and The Judges. He cursed Espoir.

The crowd behind him stood and watched. Some wept, some shook their heads, and some agreed with Bray. They watched as Bray took the hand of his friend and looked him in his dead, white eyes.

"Together, man."

To Be Continued...

Author's Note:

That was a pretty tough chapter to write. I've had the rest of the story following Craig's death in my head, it's just hard to get it all down. That chapter was one that I've been thinking about and debating for quite awhile. It deals with a lot of stuff that I was unsure I wanted to put in a story. I hope you guys enjoyed it as it was definately a hard on to write.

There are also a few neat references I put in this story. Here's a few:

Goashima - This is the last name of the main character from the story The Drifter by Darket. Great story, why not give it a read?

Hasegawa - This is the last name of the main character from the story Racer 666 by Outlaw02. Another great read, look for it!

There are a crap load of references to various things in this story. If you can point a few out then nice work. They are to all sorts of things including a few things that I put in a lot of my stories just as sort of a trademark. Anyways, please review. I love getting criticism.

Thanks.