Quiet X Thunder: Blossom
We’re safe. We completed the mission and we’re both back safe. Sitting inside the metal hull of our Helicopter I can hear the whirring of the rotors as we’re whisked back to Mother Base. My head is still ringing, the sounds of explosions and gunshots still pound on my ears, I take a second to myself close my eyes and inhale as deep as my lungs would allow and slowly release. As I opened my eyes again they caught by the green solidarity of my companions own, she looked at me as if waiting for me to speak, I knew she wouldn’t say anything, it’s been Three months now and not a word. Why would she start now?
It was after this that the adrenaline dropped in my system and I began to shake, softly at first, barely visible in my layers of refined carbon and Kevlar that made up my armour. I brought my hand up and began to unlock the gauntlet around it; the shaking grew as I noticed the amount of blood on the glove. As soon as I could I brought my flesh to my forehead, seeking some sort of self-comfort, as I sighed again I slid my hand down my cheek and brought it back into view. Now my own flesh was covered in blood. The shaking got worse and I felt tears begin to form and my own voice choked me as I held back any noise that might try and escape my mouth. It was horrifying, all we had done her and I, all the lives we had taken all the ones who tried to stop us before. None had been successful but us, countless dead all in the name of world peace. But I was no soldier; I wasn’t made for this like she was! She had been my reason for continuing all this time, I had no inner desire to keep going, keep killing. But if she would do it, I would do my best to help her until the Dogs had achieved their goals and the threats of nuclear war were ended. But at what cost? What parts of myself would I have to give up? What parts of my humanity would I have to exercise to continue fighting? How many more lives must I take? I had not realized it until now but I was shaking harder than before, bloody hand made bloody fist, and I screamed. In a single moment I screamed harder than I ever could hate and feared exploded from my throat, tears poured down from my eyes catching in the blood that covered my jawline and brought it with it down unto blood stained Kevlar. For a single moment the world I had created shattered, there was no Helicopter, no piolet or war; there was no armour on me, no blood on my hands. And then it stopped, my eyes shot open again and my lungs begged for air, all these things came rushing back to me and before I could move another muscle she was there, hand on my bloodstained cheek.
Her eyes were locked on mine, struggling to find the means in which she could stop my pain, I let in one sharp breathe as I tried to hold back more tears. I sharply said to her: “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me!” But I couldn’t fool her. She must have known what I was going through, she must have felt pain similar to all this in her time in the field. I could see she wanted to reassure me and in an act of complete silence she did. She took her hand from my cheek stained in no doubt the blood of our enemies, looked from it to me, and in a silent and morbid gesture wiped it down the side of her face. I was shocked at first, how could she be so okay being covered in someone elses blood like that, is this what I will become? I had no time to dwell on this as she reached down for my bare hand. With a smooth and fluid motion she brought my hand to her cheek, this side was clean for a moment; now it was not. She left it there, blood on my hand now on her cheek, and she embraced it. Nuzzling it like a pet would their owners, her hand on mine in a sign of ghastly affection. She paused and glanced at me, her eyes searching mine, I felt she wanted to know if I understood her. “We’re in this together, aren’t we?” She smiled, “Side by side, my blood is yours and yours is mine?” I asked her in a curious tone. She nodded her smile growing. I let out a soft chuckle and smiled myself. Warmth was returning to my body, the shaking had stopped entirely, I could feel my humanity returning. “I don’t know what I would do without your strength Quiet. Thank you!” as I finished my sentence she pulled herself towards me and for a moment that would last forever her lips embraced mine. It was powerful, overwhelming even; Passionate and terrifying. I could not feel her body through my armour, but I knew it was there. Once again there was no Helicopter, no piolet no war; no blood on my hands or hers. Just us. Together in a world on the brink of destruction. At that point I knew what we had to do, and how we had to do it! Together we would end Chiper and leave the warzones and death behind us. Only together would we see this through to the end. My blood is hers, and hers is mine.
