Chapter 28

The celebration lasted the entire day but once it was over everyone was back to work. It was if the day before had never happened and it was straight back to the status quo.

"Hey, where were you last night?" Sleepy asked as we continued where we left off on the repairs.

"Hm?"

"During the party. I mean we were looking for you to congratulate you on your win. But you were gone."

"Needed some air." I said trying to just leave it at that.

I got a moment of silence before Sleepy broke it. "Those were some pretty cool moves you did yesterday. I don't think I've ever seen a Gargoyle move the way yours does."

"What are you trying to do?" I asked starting to get annoyed.

"Nothing, I'm just trying to strike up a conversation. You look pretty bummed out so I thought that maybe I could help."

"I'm fine." I said getting back to work.

Sleepy looked like he had dropped the topic and had gone back to work. And it was like that for a solid ten minutes or so where we didn't talk and just worked in silence.

"Listen." He started as he swapped tools. "I get it man. We are different, not because you're human and I'm a Meqashine. But because you're a soldier and you think I wouldn't understand you because I'm not. And you're probably right, I've never put my life on the for anything and just the thought of doing that scares me. So if you want to talk to someone who will probably understand what you're going through you can always talk to Wessex." Sleepy suggested as he worked.

I just stared at him with a blank expression on my face. But on the inside I was conflicted on how I wanted to feel in that moment. I wanted to thank him for caring but I also wanted to be mad at him for pushing the topic. There were also other emotions bundled up in between that just ended up confusing me even further. So I just decided not to respond to him and went back to work.

"War changes us all." Sleepy said with the biggest smile that he has ever shown me.

Somewhere inside of me those words struck a chord. I didn't understand fully what he meant but what I did know is that I would never forget those words.

As I was going to say something back to him he just walked away. Leaving me stood on top of the scaffolding fumbling with my thoughts. When all I wanted to do was not think about anything and just do some work.

So I did the only thing that I knew how to do in this situation. That was to ignore what I was feeling and focused on the task at hand.

After that point work went on without a hitch. I was even able to start tasks that we didn't think we would get to until tomorrow. That was what I could get done with a few hours of uninterrupted work.

That was until I noticed Mike climbing all the way up to me. I was hoping he was just here to assist with work. But knowing Sleepy there was a good chance that he sent Mike over to try and cheer me up too. Which would be the worst possible outcome. Because I couldn't imagine Mike cheering anyone up or I at least wouldn't want to imagine how he would do it.

"Pilot. You mind coming with me?" Mike asked in a tone that sounded like I didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

"You calling me that too now?" I responded to only just get a stare in response.

I decided to just give in and nod. In which he lead me down to the city and into the garage like area where are Gargoyles were parked.

As I stood in the center and looked up at Sun Slayer and Gorilla. Mike walked over to the side of the room and pulled over two chairs for us to sit in. He placed mine beside me first before placing his directly across from me. To where his back would be facing the Gargoyles.

"You mind explaining that to me." Mike said pointing back at my Gargoyle.

I looked up at it with my eyes instinctively drawn to the hand that was covered in blood. So I looked back at Mike and just shrugged.

"Sit down kid." Mike said not willing to continue until I did so.

I looked at Sun Slayer and back at Mike before I let out a sigh and sat down in the chair.

"Good. So now you could imagine my surprise when I walked in this morning. Trying to do both you boys the favor and wash up both your Gargoyles after that small battle yesterday. And Wessex walking up to me and telling me that you didn't want that hand washed. Mind explaining that stupid decision to me?"

"It's to remind me."

"Remind you of what?" Mike asked laughing. "That you're a pilot who got lucky enough to beat Wessex in a battle?"

"Now you believe I beat him?"

"Why? Do you want? To keep the blood?"

"To remind myself that if I'm not careful that I can easily become a killing machine. There. Is that what you wanted to hear?" I said causing Mike to burst out laughing.

"You're giving yourself too much credit kid… I want you to take that gun that you have on your hip and shoot me." Mike said pointing at his chest.

"W-what?"

"Shoot me." Mike said leaning forward and poking his chest. "Put a bullet in my chest, right here, right now, and prove your point."

"No." I responded looking away from him.

"Give yourself some credit. You're a pilot kid. You kill when you're in danger and that's just the natural law of things. When you don't sense any danger you won't kill. I mean you didn't even entertain the thought of putting a bullet in me. Now you want me to believe that you could become a killing machine?"

"I get it, I get it. Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Listen to me kid." Mike said jumping from hit seat and grabbing me by my shirt. "You best take this serious boy. There is no shame in talking about how you're feeling. Especially not those of us that have seen the true face of war and what it can do to a man." He said putting me down and sitting back in his chair. "I've lost too many good men because they wouldn't talk. Thinking they were strong enough to handle everything going through their heads alone."

"I know… I lost anyone that I had left that way." I said practically trying to hold those words back.

The two of us sat in those chairs silent for a moment. As if we were sharing a new found understanding between the two of us. To where neither one of us wanted to break the silence too early and lose that new connection.

"Let me wash it. And let me do some repairs on it too. I may not be able to make it perfect but I can at least make it usable." Mike said whilst rubbing his leg.

"Thank you. I'd appreciate that."

"Good… Then I'll get straight to work." He said slapping his leg then getting up.

He immediately left me there and went straight to work on fixing up Sun Slayer. Grabbing all he needed to wash it up and fix everything that was needed.

I got up and walked myself out. There was still some sun left so I decided to pick up where I left off. Though I didn't get far before I was distracted by some kids who were trying to hide as they watched me walk through the streets. Two of them were boys where one had a hat on while the third was a girl with pigtails.

"You know I can see you three." I said causing the three of them to duck behind cover.

Though one of them decided to peek out again. Looking at me then down at the floor before they decided to walk up to me. With the height difference I could barely see his eyes from the bill of his hat. I kneeled down so I could see him better and hear him out.

"Are you the guy who saved us yesterday?" He asked swaying back and forth.

"Yeah. I was fighting up there with Wessex." I responded making his eyes light up.

"I told you he was the cool guy who helped us." The kid with the hat shouted towards the other two.

They quickly ran out from where they were hiding and before I knew it I was surrounded by the three of them. With all of them jumping up and down in excitement.

"Is it true that you gave all three of them a hard time while fighting in that sandstorm?" The kid with the hat asked.

"Hey hey, is it true that you fought all of them with no weapons?" The other boy asked.

"Tell me tell me, was it true that you even beat Wessex in a fight?" The little girl asked.

All of them were super excited to ask me these questions. But I was supposed to get back to work and help out.

"Yeah, it's all true. Though Wessex was definitely going easy on me during that fight." I said with a faint smile.

"Of course he went easy on you. There's no way that Wessex would ever lose to anyone." Said the boy without the hat.

"I think he could beat Wessex in a real fight." The girl chirped back.

"No way."

"Yes way."

"Do you think that we could be pilots one day?" Asked the boy in the hat.

"Why do you three want to be pilots?" I asked them.

"They're so cool!"

"Piloting looks like fun!"

"I also want to protect people!"

All three of them gave me different answers that I didn't really know how to respond to them.

"I can't say you three could never be pilots. But there is something I want all of you to remember. That you are the future so no matter what you end up choosing will have a major impact on everything around you." I said giving them the best response I could think of giving them.

"Cool!" All three of them said together.

All of them were jumping in circles together with stars in their eyes. Seeing how happy they were ended up putting a smile on my face before I even realized it.

Before I could even get another word out they ended up running off down the street. Cheering about what they just heard from me.

I got up and brushed off my knee before heading back to the site. Once I got there I saw everyone already packing up to go home or the bar. Knowing my crew they were probably already on the way to the bar.

Just as I was about to take another step I noticed that the sun was being blocked out. When I looked up through the massive hole I saw that it wasn't just the sun. The whole sky was being blocked by a massive space carrier that was silver and far too familiar looking. And I didn't like the fact that it was familiar looking because I've only ever seen two space carriers before.

As slight panic was bubbling up inside me I noticed the bay doors opening up and something jump from it. Whatever it was it was going to land directly on top of me.

It knocked me on my back and when I opened my eyes again I almost couldn't believe them. Shaku was sat on top of me with both of her hands gripping my shirt with no intention to ever let go. Making me very fearful on the inside as to what could possibly happen to me.