[center][h1]An Innocent Heart[/h1][/center]

[center]Attention all active units! Attention all active units! As of this broadcast, privates Mica Morez and Koslov Keetriv have been officially designated as deserters. All units receiving this message are hereby ordered to abandon current objectives, eliminate the rogue soldiers, and procure their cargo at all costs. I repeat...

-Broadcast sent by General Gaulle of the United European army on 11/11/2318[/center]


[b]DAY 1[/b]

[b]1100 - 08/11/2318[/b]

The sounds of Mica's fidgeting echoed through a dull room. She thumped her heavy boots together under the chair, tapped her gloved hands on the surface of the table, and hummed through the filters on her gas mask. 

The repetition was eventually broken by a growl from the equally laden Koslov. "Will you cut that out?"

"Easy for the grizzled old man to say," said Mica with a toss of her hands. "I've been stuck on this stupid base my entire life. Twenty two years and all I've seen is pictures of the outside. Of course I'm anxious.”

Before Koslov could respond, the wall ahead lit up with the words: [i]Operation Revival[/i]. He shot up to his feet and turned to salute the square window through which the projector's light shined. "Sergeant Blanks, Sir!"

A man's voice sounded through speakers. "K, we've been over this. Call me Barry or I'll have to demote you for disobeying orders. " He snickered. "Not that you can get much lower. Right, [i]Private[/i]?"

Koslov's only response was to slump back in his chair with folded arms and wait for Barry's forced laughter to diminish. 

"All right. Operation Revival," Barry finally continued. "It's been confidential up till now. But as I'm sure you've realized from all the commotion this morning, something big went down." The slide switched to a picture of a missile with schematics labelling all the separate parts: warhead, propulsion system, guidance system, detonator, and so on. "A Separatist squadron has commandeered an AGM 88 missile from one of our research outposts. It is absolutely vital that we retrieve it. And I'm trusting you two with this important task." 

Mica's hand rose, casting a shadow on the screen.

"Yes, Private Morez?" said Barry through his teeth.

"This says the missile's almost eight hundred kilos. You really expect just the two of us to carry that?"

"I was getting to that, if you'd just let me finish." A pointer appeared on the display, directing to various parts of the image. "Unless you find a way to transport the entire thing, you'll have to disassemble it here and here so you can detach the warhead. As long as we get that, we can call this mission a success."

"What do you mean 'unless we find a way'? We don't get any sort of vehicle or nothing?"

"All armoured personnel carriers were sent out with the advance battalion. It was a priority to intercept enemy reinforcements so we can leave those thieving bastards stranded. You'll be taking a more covert approach." The screen changed to a map of a city, marked with routes and points of interest, which the pointer traced along. "According to the most recent update from one of our spies, the squad is pinned in Exclusion Zone C, right at the edge of no man's land. Problem is, we lost contact. There's no telling if they were stupid enough to try and cross the border. That's where you come in, Morez. I heard you passed the medical exam with flying colours. Immunity to all known contaminants, is that right?"

Mica sat up straight and nodded at the window, keeping her chin held high. 

"Shame I can't say the same about the written test."

She turned away and sunk her head in her shoulders.

"But you're the only one who can follow if they actually try to hide in no man's land. In that case, it'll just be a matter of waiting it out till they all keel over so you can run in and pick up the scraps. Except nobody would throw their life away like that, so expect a fight. It'll be two on five, but with stealth and Koslov on your side, that should be a breeze. Ain't that right, K?"

"I suppose, Sir," Koslov mumbled.

"Love the enthusiasm! Now, any questions?"

Koslov remained motionless and silent while Mica shook her head, already halfway through lifting herself from her chair.

"Good. Then let's get this over with so we can have you back in time for movie night. Dismissed."

"Thank you, Sir!" Koslov stood stiff once more.

"Won't disappoint you, Sir!" shouted Mica, doing her best to mimic Koslov's salute. It was only when she heard the door handle click that she noticed Koslov exiting and rushed to follow closely behind. There in the corridor, she watched Koslov pivot left and froze. "Erm... isn't the hangar this way?"

"Yes, but the requisition officer's [i]this[/i] way."

"Ah, right. Guns n' stuff. Kinda important."

They walked a short distance down the hall to a wide window covered by a solid metal security gate, which Koslov tapped. "Private Keetriv and company, heading out."

A slat opened at the bottom of the gate, and a voice sounded from within. "Koslov, right on time. Barry fought tooth and nail to make sure no one took your baby." A black rifle slid through the slat. Koslov grabbed and examined it while listening to the armourer describe the items that followed. "Let's see. We've also got all the basics: your rations, medical kits, field guides, an SCR-300 radio. Oh, and these." Three white cylinders and three green spheres rolled onto the counter. Koslov promptly began gathering them into his pack.

"Don't I get one?" asked Mica.

Ksolov raised a cylinder and answered her question with one of his own: "What is this?"

"I mean... it's obviously some sort of grenade."

"It's a CS smoke bomb. Tear gas."

"Whatever. I at least know what a frag looks like. Can do more damage with one anyway." She picked up a green sphere.

It wasn't in her hand for a second before Koslov snatched it. "If that's what you think, you're more unqualified than I thought." With that, he swung his rifle over his shoulder and turned his back to head down the hallway.

"Wait for me!" shouted Mica before slamming her hands on the counter. "Hey, weapon guy, don't I get a gun too?" 

"Of course. I have you down for the standard Springfield."

The wood stock rifle had not fully left the armourer's hands when Mica yanked it and started down the corridor. "That'll do. Thanks."

"Don't forget your radio!"

"Oh shoot!" The same yank was not as effective on such a heavy object. Mica nearly threw her rear end over her head from the unexpected momentum of swinging it onto her back, but soon compensated and started on her jog. When she caught up to Koslov, she stared at the rifle hanging from his back. "Isn't that an M16? How come you get the cool gun?"

"Variants of these were pretty common before the war. Want one? Drop a few Separatists, and maybe you'll get lucky."

"Ah, so that's how. You're a dirty thief!"

"No. This one was..." Koslov slowed for a moment as he looked over his shoulder at the barrel, then he carried on at double the pace. "We're wasting time. Cut the chatter."

The rush to keep up had Mica panting. "Are you gonna be a hardass the whole time?

"Depends on if you're gonna keep being an obnoxious child. I've dealt with enough overambitious cadets. They all end up the same." As he spoke, they entered a large yet empty room. A motorized door comprised the majority of the farthest wall. Koslov nodded to a window high above.

The hangar door rumbled, and from its base poured a flood of light. Mica held a hand in front of her face, yet it only took a moment for her to part her fingers, and another for her to lower her arm entirely. Her eyes adjusted to see the door fully raised, revealing a sea of sparkling yellow sand. There were no grey walls to hide it, no film screens restricting it to two dimensions, no hazy dreams to be awakened from. It was truly there, as vast as the eye could see, with only the infinite horizon as its limit.

As if her gear had suddenly become weightless, Mica leapt through the door and bounded under the light of the sun. "Woo! Koslov, let's go!" she cheered. Then she stepped on her untied shoelace and tumbled backwards. If not for the soft earth beneath, her plummet would have resulted in much worse than a bruised bum.

Koslov's stature towered over her as he passed. "Careful," he said without even a glance back. "That equipment's delicate."


[b]1500 - 08/11/2318[/b]

Each stomp was heavier than the last, made so by the thickening piles of sand within their boots. At times, it seemed their journey would be ended early by a gust of wind carrying them away in a flurry of sand or an unstable foothold giving way and dragging them under.

Between frantic breaths, Mica finally protested, "God! Why'd they have to build a base in the middle of nowhere?"

"Sightlines," Koslov replied. 

"Yeah, for the enemy."

"Have you read none of the guidebooks?" He groaned, as if the act of speaking alone was an inconvenience. "Smaller, more mobile units can be set up in between hills or buildings, where they're unlikely to be seen. But it's hard to hide an entire base. For that, you'll want to claim a village or build a facility out in the open, where we'll have plenty of time to see those smaller units coming. If the enemy had a missile, however..."

"They could launch it right at us."

"Exactly. Acquiring that missile is an important step to protecting our homeland. So I expect you to take this mission seriously." At the top of a dune, he stopped and scanned the horizon, giving Mica time to catch up.

When she arrived, she laid her hands on her knees for a moment before looking ahead as well. "No way! Are those... buildings?" she said with renewed vigour. One quick leap later, she was sledding on her back to the bottom of the dune, where she started on a clumsy sprint. "Last one there has to carry the warhead!"

Despite his relatively moderate pace, Koslov hardly lagged behind as they passed countless streetlamps and signposts protruding from the sand, the first signs of civilization they'd seen in hours. Mica, however, soon found it necessary to slump onto her rear under a bus stop canopy. "Permission to–huff–sit for spell, sir?" she said.

"Why are you asking me? I don't outrank you." Koslov moved in to join her when a distant crack rang out, loud enough to shake a handful of dust off the canopy onto Mica's head. Many smaller pops followed.

"The other units, I take it?" asked Mica, wiping off her goggles.

"Yes. Don't worry, they're farther than they sound." He looked behind him at the dim glow of the sun in the west, though he didn't have to raise his head high. "Still, we shouldn't be exposed like this so late in the evening. There's an underground pub a few klicks away. Should be a safe place to rest and report our status."

"Fine..." Mica made a great show out of the effort it took to stand up, then carried on toward the pitiful heaps of rubble that were once a great city. 

Sand turned to asphalt beneath their feet, yet the stacks of yellow upon every car and bench reminded them the wasteland was not far behind. Every building still standing–a chemist here, a shop there–resembled a corpse, once full of life, now empty and bereft of purpose. Mica gazed upward at their ornate gables. Koslov stared ahead at the sprawling street.

The pub, when they finally descended its stairs, was so silent one could be convinced the cheers and laughter of its former patrons could still be heard. Their buttocks were still imprinted on the stools, and stains still coated the counter. The only evidence of time's passage were some sparse shards of glass scattered on the floor.

Mica flung herself onto a stool, sending it twirling. When it stopped, she planted her elbow on the counter and mimed a drink in her hand. "So, come here often?"

Koslov sat by her side. "Actually, I do. This is my... Well, I lost count of how many excursions I've been on."

"And you're still only a private? Geez, I hope they didn't stick me with someone even more useless than me."

"I've been doing this since I was your age. That's twelve years now. I know what I'm doing."

There was a brief pause while Mica counted on her fingers. "Damn! you really are old. What was this place like when it opened all those centuries ago?"

Koslov slammed his fist on the counter. "If you're so dead set on yapping, why don't you call up Sergeant Blanks?"

"Oh, right!" Mica unstrapped her pack and removed a bulky radio. She slipped a pair of headphones under her helmet and handed a handset to Koslov. After a moment of fidgeting with buttons and knobs, she spoke into the handheld microphone. "Hey, Sarge? Did I get the right frequency?"

There were a few seconds of static before Barry's voice came through the speakers. "I read you, Private. Status?"

"We made it to the EZ with no trouble."

"Got it. What's your current position?"

"That would be... gimme a sec." She ruffled through her bag until she found a map. She gave up on reading it after only a second and passed it to Koslov.

Without looking at the map, Koslov held the handset to his mouth and recited, "We're at eight-six-seven-one–"

"Seven-nine-two-one," Barry interrupted. "I hear ya, K. The usual spot. Be advised, one of our front line companies was recently eliminated by an assault class titan. It’s likely somewhere within the city now. Stay safe out there."

"Understood, Sir."

"Got it, Sarge."

"I'll be on standby if you have anything else to report. BB, out."

Mica struggled to fight her own quivering body to return the radio to her pack. She hadn't fully zipped it when the excitement boiled over in a sharp squeal. "You hear that? We might get to see a real life freaking titan!"

Forcing a hand against Mica's mask and a finger to his own, Koslov whispered, "Keep your voice down! These aren't those cute little pets from the pre-war movies." He started undoing his gear. "It's getting dark anyway. We should settle in for the night. I'll take first watch."

"But aren't we supposed to be all stealthy?" said Mica, now more attentive to her volume. "Let's move while the enemy can't see us."

"A titan can. As well as hear you, smell you, and you'd better pray it won't have a chance to taste you." He settled into a booth and kicked up his feet, leaving Mica to worriedly sniff her armpits. "We'll move when the gunfire starts up again. Better to know where the enemy is than to run into them unexpectedly."


[b]1900 - 08/11/2318[/b]

A long sigh droned from Mica's fetal body.

"Too cold to sleep?" Koslov responded as he watched the stairs.

"Too quiet. There's always some sort of noise back home. People swapping shifts, an argument breaking out in the hall, cadets trading rations when they should be sleeping. All this silence is just... eerie."

Koslov glanced around the room for a moment before speaking up. "So, you're immune, huh?"

"Yep. From the day I was born, I was part of a program to develop immunity through controlled exposure. Lot's of kids were, but I was the first success, 'cause I’m just cool that way. Before they sent me out, I took every type of test. Scrape tests, radiation tests, blood tests. They said I had no observable reaction to anything out here. Still wanted me to wear this stupid mask, though. Said they can't be sure if I'll react worse to higher volumes."

"You lucky little bastard."

"I know, right?" Mica swung onto her back, freeing her arms to flail around in excitement. "First choice for all the most dangerous missions!"

"Not that. You're lucky because there's still a world out there for you. Out in no man's land. Some say there are entire communities of people like you, living like the war never happened."

"Or it could be filled with titans the size of houses who could swallow a person in a single gulp."

Koslov puffed some air through his nose, the closest thing Mica had heard to a laugh since they first met. "That's a possibility too."

Mica chuckled back as she rolled to her side . "I think that's just what I needed. Something to dream about."


[b]DAY 2[/b]

[b]0700 - 09.11.2318[/b]

The first traces of sunlight sparkled against what few unbroken bottles still remained behind the counter. Shockwaves floated through the liquids inside. The many faint pops producing them were joined by a boom which rumbled the ground and jolted Mica awake.

"Crap! Koslov, time to go," she said. While he awakened and gathered his gear, she pulled the radio from her pack and turned it on. "We're on the move, Sarge. Any updates?"

"All clear, Private Morez. But I can't say how long our line will hold if they bring in any more titans."

Koslov stepped in while adjusting his straps. "Understood, sir. We'll take route bravo. Should keep us far enough from the front lines while still getting us there quickly."

"Knew I could count on you to have a plan. BB, out."

Mica was first to step onto the dimly lit street. "Route B. That's..."

"This way," said Koslov, stepping in front. "It'll take us northwest through the center of the city, where we'll have more cover."

Every mile they walked offered something new. A small commerce center gave way to an industrial district, which turned into quaint suburbs. Each held many shapes and sizes of buildings, all in various stages of disrepair. From the drab to the colourful, the plain to the ornate, all had stories to tell. And Mica was eager to hear every single one.


[b]0800 - 09.11.2318[/b]

They passed a wide building with a design that appeared rather plain and uninteresting until they reached the yard. There, an odd collection of seemingly purposeless structures sat unattended: a tangle of rusted pipes, a row of planks swinging from chains, and a watch tower too small for any grown man.

"What's the point of all this junk?" asked Mica.

"It's a school, where children used to do their daily training. This jungle of metal must have been their gym, where they'd work on their physical fitness."

"Bet I'd be real good at it."

"We don't have time to be playing with toys."

"But–"

"Come!"


[b]0900 - 09.11.2318[/b]

They passed a humble building full of shelves. Whatever books hadn't been buried under its collapsed upper floor were strewn about the ground with rotting pages and covers dappled in mildew.

Peering through a broken window, Mica asked, "Hey, is this a library? We should check if it has any useful info on the old world."

"Our people cleared it of anything with valuable tactics years ago. Anything on history and tech. It's just a bunch of children's stories now."

"Ooh! This one's about a puppy!"

"Morez, get out of there!"


[b]1000 - 09.11.2318[/b]

They passed a tall building whose white stone stood proud amongst the surrounding devastation. The effigies of saints and angels upon its roof were as inviting as the red carpet rolled along its stairs.

"Who’d a’ thunk a bunch of carved up rocks could look so judgemental,” said Mica, staring up with hands on her hips.

"This is a church. People used to have a lot more time to worship God, so they'd all gather to do it together in a place like this."

"So instead of uniting the world in His name, they just sat around and talked about Him?"

"Different interpretations of His works, I guess."

"Lame. Let's keep going."


[b]1100 - 09.11.2318[/b]

All of those relatively meek buildings stepped aside to make room for monstrous towers with sharp teeth of glass bared in their broken windows. Though they didn't have eyes, they instilled a feeling of being watched by countless predators. So Koslov and Mica turned their attention from the sun above, shining its blinding spotlight on them, to below, where an inky blackness would consume all who passed through.

Mica stood at its precipice, and Koslov came to stand by her side. "What's the plan, Morez? Up here, we'll be right in the open to get sniped from the rooftops. But down in the metro, we'll hardly have time to react to anything lurking in the shadows."

"You're letting me decide?" she replied, backing away from the staircase. "'Cause neither of those sound like enticing options."

He put a hand on her back, though whether it was to reassure her or pressure her forward was unclear. "Just making sure you can make your own decisions in case something happens. It wouldn't be the first time I've been separated from my squadron."

"Well... there isn't exactly room to model a whole city for the training area at base. But tight corridors I can do."

"Tight corridors will carry sound and scents better. It's the perfect stomping ground for titans."

"I already decided we're going down. You don't have to keep convincing me."

"If you insist. Just keep your gun ready."

They began their descent with torches in hand. No sound but their own footsteps bounced off the decrepit walls, which seemed to encroach closer and closer the deeper they pushed into the darkness. Quite often, Mica would flick her barrel at an odd shadow or a stone kicked by her own foot. A creak of metal froze her in place entirely. 

"You know," said Koslov without a care, "I think this is right about the spot I killed my first titan, back when you could still find wild ones running all over the city."

"Huh?" Mica snapped back to attention and followed him down a maintenance tunnel. "I thought I just heard you say you killed a titan. Is that even possible?"

"I forgot they don't bother covering that in the training anymore. It [i]is[/i] possible, just not easy without a titan of your own or a whole army's worth of bullets. Their skin's tough, but if you rattle the brain hard enough, they can be knocked out or concussed. Luckily, this one wasn't much bigger than my boot. That did the trick just fine."

"So not really much of a 'titan' then. Have you even seen one of the big ones?"

"I got to help with Gaulle's thousandth hare-brained scheme to capture a so-called recon class titan. You know how he is, always wanting to experiment with new weaponry. But just like every other time, it flew away the second we laid eyes on it.” His speech strained as he pushed aside a blockade of rubble. "Besides that, I only saw a handful of defence and assault class titans waiting in the hangar during my training days. They were kept around in hopes someone would find a mate for them, but we had to send them off to the front lines when we ran low on food. There was a party that day. No more cleaning duty."

Mica snickered.

"What?" said Koslov.

"Nothing. Just sounds like it's a lot of work to keep titans around."

"Yep. Long before my time, there were all kinds of models, some even shipped from overseas. But between dwindling food supplies and leadership's eagerness to turn the tide of battle, we were losing them faster than we could breed them. Now, you just have to hope one wanders out of no man's land once in a blue moon. So I don't expect we'll be hearing about any more unless they're real desperate for that missile."

They stepped back into the main tunnel, where a pained wail reverberated off the walls, like a grown man's scream with all the frailty of a baby's cry.

"Then what do you suppose made that sound?" asked Mica.

"I don't know. Stay close. We'll move through the train cars. Anything that can fit through the doors should be easy enough to kill."

With each turn they made through the crumbling cavern, the noises grew louder, until they could have been mistaken for a train returning to life and blowing its horn. It negated any need to hide the clang of their boots against metal by the time they reached the cabin. 

Finally, just as the noise threatened to burst their eardrums, the train car they currently occupied began to shake. 

"What's that trapped between the cars?" asked Mica?

"It's nothing." Koslov lowered his gun and stepped through the door. "Some Separatist dumbasses left their equipment behind. We can go around it."

Mica followed, but instead of continuing down the tunnel with Koslov, she stopped to examine the source of the bleats. "It's a titan. Must have gotten stuck when he tried to follow his friends between the cars. Looks like... transportation class?"

"There is no transportation class. This is a defence class titan. One of the weaker models."

"So what?" She braved a few steps closer for a better look. "Strong legs, a saddle, storage packs, built in handlebars on his head. Reminds me of those deers people used to hunt. Why should we leave a perfectly functional, perfectly badass titan behind?"

"Because a walking shield is of no use to us. Our mission is to bring back the warhead and only the warhead. We don't need a titan for that."

"Still, think of how happy they'll be when we bring back the entire missile and a titan to boot. Might finally get that promotion you've been wanting."

"I won't get promoted if I'm dead because its scent drew another titan to us. Even with the mask, I can smell it."

"Another titan will smell us anyway. At least this way we'll have our own to protect us. You said yourself that's the best way to beat one."

Koslov gritted his teeth so hard it could be heard under his mask.

By now, Mica was so close she could have reached out to touch the titan. "Look at how quiet and behaved he's gotten since we got here. How can you say no to these eyes? Just think of how long he’s been waiting here, all alone in the dark, while battle after battle raged above him, with no food or–"

"God damn it! Fine. We can bring it along [i]if[/i] you can find a way to free it."

There was no more 'could have' when it came to Mica touching the titan. She pushed, pulled, and climbed all around him in an attempt to reach the coupler on which he had fallen. 

"Watch the antlers!" A cringe could be heard in Koslov's voice.

"Looks like his foot got stuck in this connector thingy. I don't think I can pry it out."

"Forget about that. Just come back here. There's a safer way to handle this."

When Mica raised her head, she saw Koslov tucked behind a corner with a green sphere gripped in his hand. "A grenade? How's that supposed to be safer?"

"Anything that could have been killed by something this small would have been dead already. Just trust me."

Mica gave the titan some words of reassurance–"Don't worry, big guy. We'll get you out of here"–then jogged over to Koslov and covered her ears. 

A careful toss sent the grenade rolling under the titan. A few seconds later and [i]POP[/i], a rain of shrapnel fell all around. Where they once saw the titan, they now only saw a cloud of dust. From within, the titan emerged, rising to its true size. He towered above them at twice their height. Each roaring breath swirled in the floating debris. 

Mica slipped back around the corner, ignoring Koslov's attempt to grab her. She showed no sign of fear as the titan stepped closer and lowered its head to her level. When they stood eye to eye, close enough for his breath to fog up her goggles, he lunged forward and drove his head into her chest so violently that she was forced to take a single, tiny step backward.

"Aw, you're welcome, Raz," she said as she reached up to scratch the titan's ears.

"You named it already?" said Koslov, creeping back into the room.

"The number on his collar is four-six-one-one or chetyre-shest-raz-raz. I don’t remember much from our classes on the Separatist language, but I can at least count."

"Whatever. Let's just get out of here so we can report this to Sergeant Blanks. Need to make sure he approves of this new cargo."

"About that..." Mica pointed ahead at a wall of debris piled from ceiling to floor. "It looks like whoever brought Raz down here was heading back the way we came, which means the only way forward is between the trains. It would be a waste of a grenade and a titan if he got stuck again."

"And? We already broke the coupler. All we have to do now is move the train."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It is. Just watch." He leaned his shoulder against the train and began to push. It didn't budge. Mica followed suit. Nothing changed. Then Raz pressed his head on the space above them and let out a mighty grunt. The train's rusted wheels grinded along the tracks. Koslov and Mica needed only to step back and watch until a titan-sized gap formed between the two cars, at which point Raz stepped away with a relieved shake of his back.

"Ha!" proclaimed Mica, skipping through the gap. "You thought a titan would be useless."

Koslov simply mumbled under his breath as he followed along with their valuable new companion in tow. 

With Mica's enthusiastically speedy gait and Raz's help clearing obstacles, their pace had doubled. If ever there was a slow down, it was from Koslov taking Mica aside to scold her on titan safety. "Titans can be unpredictable," he said. "You don't want to see the damage he can do with those hooves if you keep walking between them."

Nevertheless, a colourful building adorned in faded murals welcomed them to the surface. They took shelter inside, where Mica nearly dropped her radio attempting to fish it from her pack. 

"Sarge! Pick up!"

"I read you, Private Morez," came a voice through the static.

"We just found a transport class titan!"

"Defence class," Koslov leaned in to correct. "But yes, it appears the enemy was using it for transportation."

"Damn good work, guys," said Barry. "Make sure you attach a tracking device so we can find it if it runs off. There should be one included with your radio. But remember, the missile is your priority."

"Thank you, Sarge." She hung up and turned to Koslov, snickering. "That sounds like approval to me."


[b]1400 - 09.11.2318[/b]

The next stretch of their trek was uneventful. Mica would beg to ride Raz, and Koslov would explain that they'd be safer from rooftop snipers beneath him. When she pressed, he resorted to ignoring her. He would only speak up to remind her to keep her head low and her voice quiet every time she loudly praised Raz's good behaviour.

The deer proved quite the dedicated sentry with his raised head, wide eyes, and swiveling ears. In a few instances, this much appreciated vigilance bordered on paranoia, and he would stop until someone ran back to urge him along. This, of course, led to more arguments on whether freeing him was a good idea.

When the sun disappeared behind the rooftops, however, no amount of coaxing or shooing could make Raz move. His nostrils flared, and his head jolted in all directions as if looking for some hidden danger. Suddenly, he dropped to his belly and curled his head inward like a sleeping fawn. 

Mica ran over and placed a hand on his head. "What's wrong, big guy?"

"Shit," said Koslov, running over to duck with her. "This is the barricade position. He'd only be doing this if he sensed something we couldn't. Be ready." He unstrapped his gun and mounted it on Raz's back.

"Oh... oh god. What is that?" Mica covered her face. "Koslov, you smell that too, right?"

Koslov took a quick sniff of the air. "Yeah. Wait right here. If anything happens, you run." He vaulted over and rushed to hug the walls, checking every window and alley with his finger always on the trigger. The first alley, he zipped right by. The second, clear as well. At the third, he lowered his gun and waved a hand in front of his face. "Woof! Let's, er... let's find another route."

"What is it?" Mica called. "Someone discharge a bioweapon?"

"That's one way to put it. Let's just say our new friend isn't the only titan around here. And the other one's been feeding." He strapped his gun to his shoulder and adjusted his pack. "We should pitch up tent until we can be sure it’s moved on. We'll find somewhere 4611 won't be bothered by the smell."


[b]1600 - 09.11.2318[/b]

It was at a distinguished building whose halls remained relatively untouched that they chose to settle. Deep inside, no scents, sounds, or light could reach. Only a dim lamplight illuminated the cushioned pews and stimulating architecture filling the central chamber where Koslov sat with the sleeping titan. 

Mica burst through the door at the front of the room. "They have jail cells in here. Why would they keep deserters and POWs in such a fancy place?"

"It's a courthouse," said Koslov from his perch in front of a podium. "They'd keep criminals here while they awaited trial. Nowadays they're more likely to shoot you on sight. Find anything useful?"

"Nah, just a bunch of broken computers. Couldn’t turn them on. You?" 

"I've just been here reading up on titans." He lifted a handbook to his face. "Says here 4611 is a whitetail deer. More specifically, a buck, stag, or hart. Like all defence class titans, they eat plants. And I don't know about you, but I haven't seen a lick of green out here. Hand me one of your MREs."

"What? No! He can have one of yours."

"You're the one who wanted a pet. So unless you can find grass growing somewhere in the EZ, he gets your rations."

"Fine. I didn't want the veggie ones anyway." 

The sound from Koslov could have been either a scoff or a laugh. "You're such a child."

"Better than an old man." She rifled through her pack in search of a compressed plastic bag, which she tossed to Koslov. Raz's ears perked up when he heard the sound of it opening, and his eyes widened when Koslov jumped off the podium and presented the contents. It only took one bite for the pile of greens to turn into a lump rolling down his neck, but he was still grateful enough to give Koslov a long lick across the face. As it turned out, this was a ruse to sneak his nose into Koslov's pack.

Mica nearly spilled the remainder of her own pack in laughter, but Koslov corrected her: "This isn't something to laugh at. Our med kits have pheromones that'll put a titan into rut. Once their instincts kick in, they won't calm down until everyone invading their territory is crushed or impaled."

"Aw, come on. You gotta admit it's funny." Once her laughter died down, she took a more serious tone. "Raz, leave him alone!"

Raz's snout ceased its wandering and pointed attentively at Mica.

With a grunt, Koslov reoriented himself and stood. "All right, Miss Titan Whisperer, since you've got such a handle on things, why don't you take care of the equipment check? Start with the hooves."

"You mean like make sure there are no rocks or cracks in them?"

"Yup."

"Easy." She cracked her knuckles, flung her pack aside, and stepped forward. When she reached for Raz's hoof, her hand only hit the ground, his leg having slid far across the floor. She lunged to catch it, but he effortlessly lifted it over her head. They spent minutes performing a sort of coordinated dance, her attempting to fake him out and him always slipping away. Then, in her most determined leap yet, Raz's shin flew straight at her chest and knocked her over.

From flat on her back, she looked up to see both Raz and Koslov watching her. Raz's amusement was clear in his proudly raised chin and extended tongue. Even Koslov failed to suppress his chuckling.

"Please tell me this isn't an official requirement," Mica groaned.

"Oh, it is," said Koslov with laughter still in his throat. "According to the guidebook, we need to trim his hooves, float his teeth, and collect a breeding sample in case we lose him before someone captures a female. Luckily for you, we don't have the equipment for any of that."

"You're such a jerk." Mica threw herself upright and climbed to her feet. "Well, if that's all, I'll take first watch since you did last night. Gives me an excuse to keep looking around."

"Sounds good to me."

On her way to the door, Mica scooped her pack and gun off the ground, but she took a quick glance back just before exiting. There in the cozy flicker of the lamplight, Koslov laid his back against Raz's chest, who in turn curled his head onto Koslov's lap. It took all of Mica's strength not to let out a squeak of joy as she left the two nestled in each other's warmth.


[b]DAY 3[/b]

[b]0900 - 10.11.2318[/b]

The steady rising and falling of Raz’s chest rocked Mica awake. She motioned to wipe the sleep from her eyes only to bump her thumbs against her goggles. "Koslov? What time is it?"

He answered while folding up his map. "Don't worry. I let you sleep in while I plotted our course. It looks like they're holding the missile in an old world military compound two hours north. That little detour to go around the titan only set us back an hour or so. Wake up 4611, and let's move out."


[b]1100 - 10.11.2318[/b]

Safely hidden behind rotted trees, Mica tested which places Raz liked to be stroked. Suddenly, she heard footsteps over clods of dry dirt. She pointed her gun in their direction, only to be greeted by the sight of Koslov.

"So this fence is intact all around," he said, gripping its chain link frame to test its sturdiness. "4611 will need to make some noise if we want to get through. The good news is I didn't run into any patrols. Either we beat the reinforcements here or they're covering a wider perimeter and we were lucky enough to slip through."

"What about the target?"

"No sight of the missile or the squadron defending it. But there are only five single story buildings for them to hide in. Everything else has turned to scraps. I think the safest bet would be to take position and draw them out. Maybe they'll surrender when they see a titan. If not, we'll have to leave one alive to ask where they hid the missile. Any objections to that plan?"

Mica shook her head. "You know this stuff better than me."

"All right, then. 4611, do your thing." He pretended to push against the fence.

After a moment of tilting his head, Raz got the hint and joined the push, although his contribution could be better described as a casual trample. His companions followed on their way toward the flat buildings Koslov described.

"Here's good," said Koslov eventually. He crouched to his knee and aimed his gun ahead. Mica joined, and Raz stepped in front of them, where he dropped into blockade positon.

"You said you know the Separatist language?" asked Koslov.

"Only a little bit."

"We'll do this in Common European then." He cleared his throat before shouting "Attention, Separatists. We have you surrounded. Surrender peacefully or we will not hesitate to lay down mortar fire."

There was silence. Only wind whispered through the carcasses of trees surrounding the small encampment. Then there was a slam–the sound of a masked woman erupting through the door with her hands raised over her head. "Stay back! You don't know what you're–" A gunshot rang out, and she fell to the ground.

"I... I panicked," said Mica.

"Don't worry about it. Just be ready for the others."

Shouts in the Separatist tongue emerged through the open door, followed by four uniformed men. Three opened fire, clearing the way for the fourth to run in the opposite direction. Their bullets only bounced off of Raz’s back, causing the living barrier to contort his face in pain.

Koslov put a hand on Mica's barrel to keep her from firing back. "Wait until they reload."

"But Raz is–"

"I said wait! Any second... NOW!" They rained hell across the yard, and all three enemy soldiers fell in an instant.

"We have a runner! Take him alive!" said Koslov, vaulting over Raz. Mica motioned to join him, but when she placed her hand on Raz's saddle, another idea occurred to her. 

A short distance away from the buildings, the soldier crouched by a scrap pile and started to dig. Koslov was halfway to him when Mica rushed by atop Raz's back. With a swift leap, she launched herself toward the soldier and landed her foot squarely on his masked face. Now prone, he stretched himself across the floor to reach for a crowbar. Then it was Mica who found herself knocked to the ground, courtesy of a hard bash to the legs.

Rather than finish the job, the soldier shoved a metal slat out of the way, under which a missile marked [i]AGM-88[/i] was securely buried. He slid the crowbar into a panel on its surface and pried it off just in time for Koslov to arrive with his finger on the trigger.

"Don't try anything, Union scum," said the soldier with his hands fidgeting within the missile. "One slip and these wires might cross. Then it's dosvidaniya for us all."

As if the warning fell on deaf ears, Mica grabbed the soldier from behind and flung him aside. She stepped between him and the missile, keeping her barrel solidly trained on his head.

"Go ahead. Shoot me," he said. "There will be no point living in this world once your people revive Manhattan.”

Koslov stepped closer. "What does some abandoned city across the sea have to do with us?"

"Why don't you ask your spy?" The soldier flicked his chin toward the pile of corpses in front of the door.

"We didn't," said Mica. The grip on her gun weakened. "Koslov, tell me we didn't kill one of our own."

"Wait here. Don't take your eyes off him." Koslov backed away slowly, then turned to jog to the fallen soldiers. There, he thoroughly flicked aside their clothes and dug through their pockets. From the body of the female soldier, he pulled a pair of dog tags. Sure enough, they were marked with the union insignia. But his attention turned to something else slipping from within her jacket. It was a book with a cover labelled [i]History of World War II[/i].

"Well? Were they Union?" Mica called.

"No." He threw the dog tags violently against the ground as he walked back. "Just a filthy traitor. You! Separatist! What did she tell you?"

A sly laugh seeped through the soldier's mask. "You found something else on her, didn't you?"

"Shut up!" Koslov bashed the soldier's face with the butt of his gun. "I'm asking the questions here. Play nice and we might let you live."

"To be your prisoner? Blyat!" The soldier reached for a sidearm. By the time Koslov had put pressure on his trigger, the soldier had already pointed the pistol to his own chin and fired. Droplets of red splashed on the white surface of the missile.

"I think I need to lay down," said Mica, already dropping to her knees. Raz lowered his head to press a cheek against her.

Koslov took a moment to steady his breath before responding. "Take your time. And while you're at it, hand me the radio."

She unstrapped her pack and let Koslov do the work of tuning in to Barry.

"Come in, Sergeant. Update for you."

"Right on Schedule, K," said the staticky voice. "Give me the good news."

"We're in possession of the target and attaching it to the titan as we speak. All enemy operatives have been eliminated... including our former spy."

"Damn shame. But now's a time to celebrate, not to mope. Our front line troops have beaten back the Separatist reinforcements, so now it's just a matter of folding in to surround the stragglers. You can just find a safe place to sit and wait while we pick them off, then we'll send the closest thing we can find to a limo to pick you up. Gotta make sure the guests of honour are back in time for tonight's big party."


[b]1400 - 10.11.2318[/b]

Not a trace of Mica's previous excitement remained. There was no more questioning about what that building was for or how to command Raz to sit. No more climbing onto piles of rubble for a better view only to be reminded to keep her head low. No more fighting to keep her pant leg from bunching up against her boot only to give up in frustration. The doldrums even seemed to rub off on Raz, who ceased his steadfast watch on the horizon to nudge Mica along when she slowed.

In an attempt to break the silence, Koslov gestured to the missile strapped to Raz's side. "You know, that really didn't feel like eight hundred kilos. Now that I think about it, Sergeant Blanks said it came from a research facility. Maybe it's a custom model based on recovered schematics."

To this and other comments, Mica only mustered single syllable responses. 

They reached an older part of town, where asphalt turned to cobblestone, and what few buildings still stood were painted as though every day were a festival. In accordance, the streets were wide to accommodate what must have been thousands travelling to bask in their beauty.

"This seems like a good place to take a break," said Koslov, leading the others to a building that had crumbled just enough for Raz to fit through. There, he helped Mica fix her uniform while engaging her in a much softer tone than usual. "Hey, you don't need to beat yourself up over the spy. I've made worse mistakes."

Mica's gaze was on the stony ground. "It wasn't just her. The plan was to make them surrender. Instead, we killed all of them. Every single one."

"I know how you feel. I think every soldier goes through it their first time. You'll get used to it."

"I'm not sure if it's something I should get used to."

"No. I guess... I guess it's not." Koslov finished tying Mica's shoe and stretched. "Anywho, this is as good a place as any to hold out for our rendezvous. Let's tell HQ where we are."

Raz bleated softly with his ears pointed across the road. Shortly after, the other two picked up chatter with their less acute hearing. It was in the Separatist tongue. 

Koslov and Mica rushed to descend deeper into the building, but it was too late; a voice called out, "Union operatives, you are currently surrounded by a platoon of fifty men. Surrender the missile and all other stolen property, and we can guarantee you protection as prisoners of war. To refuse will mean certain death."

Koslov, huddled behind Raz with Mica, reassuring that "They're trying our own bluff against us. There's no way they'd send fifty soldiers after one small squadron. Just keep your head down and let them make the first move."

Mica immediately ignored that advice and peeked over Raz's back. "Looks like they already are." Sure enough, dozens of soldiers were now filling the street, slowly creeping up to the shelter. "How the hell are we supposed to take out all of those?"

"We can't," said Koslov, removing a vial from his med kit. "But 4611 can."

A hard shove from Mica slowed him only somewhat. "What are you thinking? We can't send him out there to get shot! You saw how much it hurt him last time."

"That's what it's built for, just like any other weapon."

Mica pleaded and pleaded "We can find another way!" and so on, all the while trying to slap Koslov's hands away from the straps tying the missile to Raz's back. But once the missile was loosed, a quick swirl of the vial under Raz's nose was all it took.

His nostrils flared, blowing steam through the cold air, and he swung to his feet so quickly, the shockwaves alone knocked the others back. As they scrambled for new cover, he charged through the opening, tearing through the hanging stone with his antlers. The enemy soldiers scattered, but the first wave to turn tail were the first to be crushed under the raging beast’s hooves. Those previously frozen by shock turned next, but a swift turn of Raz's head impaled them on his rack. Gunfire so rapid it seemed a steady drone tore through the street from both ground level and the rooftops, all directed straight at Raz. Bullets tore off fur, some drew blood, but it seemed nothing could end his tumultuous bout. 

Mica vaulted over her cover and shot wildly at the roofs.

"Are you insane?" cried Koslov, his voice barely reaching through the clamour.

"Fuck you! I'm not letting Raz get hurt any more than he needs to."

"God damn it!" Koslov mumbled to himself before jumping over and joining her.

As the bodies piled and trickles of blood turned to floods, the din steadily quieted. Amidst the roars of the raging buck and the regular spurts of gunfire, desperate screams could be heard–pleas in the Separatists tongue of "Backup! Backup!" and "Tell them to hurry up and catch 9391!" But the sources of these were all silenced in time. Soon, the squalls of Raz's breath were the only sounds remaining. 

He stomped in circles, darting his head side to side in search of more victims. His handlers scanned every floor of every building until Mica felt safe saying "Did... did we get them all?"

"I think so,” Koslov answered. “Just wait here for a moment until– Mica, stop!"

She shot out of the building like yet another bullet, shouting, "We did it, Raz! We're gonna make it out alive!"

Raz jolted his head toward the noise, and Mica froze stiff. His head was still held low, shaking violently with each stomp toward her. While backing away, she tripped, but her fall was dulled by something soft. Her breath grew heavy enough to fog her goggles when she realized she was trapped between a pile of bodies and their killer. Its breath formed storm clouds, its hooves pounded with thunder, and from its antlers rained blood. 

Suddenly, Mica's view was blocked by Koslov with a smoke bomb held ready in his hand. 

"Don't hurt him!" she cried. 

"This will only disrupt his senses long enough for us to get away. Now move!"

Koslov readied his arm, when a red wisp descended from seemingly thin air directly onto Raz's back. Although it was only a third his size, the momentum of its swing flung him onto his side. Growls shook the cobblestone floor, and bleats carried far into the sky.

Before anyone could truly take in the beast's appearance, Koslov loosed the grenade, and both Raz and the new titan were shrouded in smoke. Koslov grabbed Mica by the arm and ran back to their cover inside. 

"What about Raz," said Mica once their heads were securely behind a stone wall.

Without hesitation, Koslov stood tall and whistled. "Over here!" The dark figure inside the smoke cloud coughed and wheezed. When its head turned, its reddened eyes locked squarely on Koslov. "Run," he said.

"What?"

"I'll lead it away. You and 4611 get out of here."

"But–"

"No time to argue. It's coming. Go!"

He shoved her, and the two split in separate directions, Mica along the collapsed wall in search of a route outside, and Koslov deeper into the ruined building. Behind him, the hungry titan gave chase.


[b]1500 - 10.11.2318[/b]

With his slight head start and another smoke bomb already prepared, Koslov made it to the second floor, where he slipped through a narrow doorway and hid against its frame. The slow beats of the titan's footsteps were close behind. Its breath wheezed in through its nose, then rumbled out from its throat. Each time it would try to sniff, it would sneeze as loud as any weapon in Koslov's arsenal.

Closer it grew, and louder. Koslov gripped the smoke bomb tighter, lest his shaking hands drop his only defence. He knew he only had seconds to glance around the room for an escape. The door? No, it could be locked... The window? No, too far of a drop... There! The hole in the ceiling. It was his only chance. 

When he saw a mere glimpse of the titan's elongated nose through the door, he tossed the  bomb and ran to the hole. He never looked back to see the titan chase him through the smoke cloud while he climbed through.

[i]Ting![/i]

A frag dropped at the titan's feet. As he ran across the floor above, Koslov braced himself for the familiar [i]POP[/i] that followed. What he wasn't prepared for was the floor collapsing beneath him. He put all his strength into his legs, yet each step fell lower than the last, increasing his desperation to outpace the falling stone. When he finally found good footing, he nearly tore his muscle with the effortful extension he performed to launch himself to safety. 

Had he anywhere left to run, he would have done so without thought. But he could only sit pinned against the wall as the tremors softened, as did his adrenaline fueled breaths. Through the diminishing dust, he saw a pile of rubble on the floor below. From within protruded spikes of crimson fur, likely stained in the blood of the titan's many victims. No sound came from the rubble, but Koslov readied another smoke bomb nonetheless. "Come on, asshole. I'll bring down this whole building if I have to.”

His threat was met with an explosion of stone, accompanied by a scream so shrill, Koslov was convinced needles were being driven into his ears. He didn't wait a second to toss the next bomb and sprint in the same direction. The plume erupted just as he passed, obscuring the sight of himself from the titan, as well as the titan from himself. There was no worse time for him to trip on a rock and fall to his chest.

Above him, he saw the smoke swirled by the whiplike swing of a bushy tail. His only hope was to crawl forward and pray the sharp clawed paws stomping around him did not land on his head.

Against all odds, he made it back to the door, yet when he entered the hallway behind it, he found a much different layout than he remembered. Fallen stone blocked the path to the stairs. 

As he looked for other paths, he heard the titan’s stomping and screaming cease as quickly as they had erupted into being. The last sounds it created were the patters of its feet before absolute silence. The trip upstairs yielded no trace of its presence, no matter how hard Koslov’s ears listened for sounds or his eyes searched for footprints. He was not convinced it had left. Rather, it had become a spectre–unseeable, yet always watching. He readied another frag.

What few doors he could access were either locked or held shut by debris. Any holes in the wall were not large enough for his body. The only way forward was through the hallway, which was blocked off by a fallen piece of the wall. Maybe–just maybe–he could squeeze through, and so he tried. While his body worked, his eyes scanned ahead. He could proceed farther down the hallway in search of another way down, or he could go through the door immediately ahead, through which the twilight sun cast its light. A light that was soon broken by a shadow.

Before Koslov could react, he saw a set of sharp, yellow teeth lunging toward him. They grasped firmly onto his sleeve, forcing him to drop the unpinned grenade from his hand. So much blood rushed to his arm to power its pull that there was none left for his brain. His thoughts consisted of nothing but a will to survive, a will that gave him just enough strength to break free and leap away from the explosion. 

The lack of shrapnel in his back confirmed he was safe from the grenade, but when he turned, he saw a new danger. The titan was walking toward him slowly and confidently, knowing its prey had nowhere to run. Its long snout sniffed at him, its crimson fur shivered with excitement, its sharp claws dug deep into the floor, and its yellow teeth were bared with anger.

Koslov reached for his final grenade only to find nothing. "Damn it, Mica," he said when he remembered where it had gone. The only choice left was to reach into his pack and throw whatever his hands grabbed. His medkit missed its mark and scattered its contents across the floor. His handbook bounced off the titan's nose to no effect. One of his few remaining MREs fell short and slid right up to the titan's feet.

It was that little plastic bag that gave the titan pause. It lowered its face to sniff at the bag, then scooped it into its mouth and swallowed. When she looked back up at Koslov, her eyes were widened and her ears pulled back, giving her a meek appearance. All she did was sit and stare.

"Huh? You want more?" Koslov laughed away the fear as he dug another bag out of his pack and opened it. "Here, take as many as you want. As long as it keeps you from eating me instead"

The titan was more than happy to jump and catch the dried food in her mouth. Her bushy tail wagged all the while. 

"Try the meat one. Sorry it's not the real thing." This one, he held in his still trembling hand. The titan approached cautiously with numerous tilts of the head and wiggles of the nose. The smell drew her closer and closer until she could simply lick the meat from Koslov's palm. He used the freed hand to pat the titan between the ears as he stood up. 

"Poor thing. You just wanted some food, and they took advantage of your instinct to hunt." All inhibitions tossed aside, he wrapped his arms around her head and buried his fingers deep in her fur. "Let's get you back to base so you can have all the MREs you can eat. What do you say? Want to join us?"

The titan's tail swung so wildly her entire rear end was swaying. She crouched and pounced all over the hallway with her tongue flapping slobber across the walls. It was a dance that could be taken for nothing less than an enthusiastic "YES!"

Under the pressure, the floor collapsed, dragging them both down below.


[b]1500 - 10.11.2318[/b]

Mica watched the enemy titan disappear up the stairs with Koslov. It left her with a decision as to which ally to assist. But she knew Koslov had a plan. Raz, on the other hand, was writhing in a pile of his own blood, tears, and mucous. His legs stumbled to and fro, barely managing to keep him upright. It was a pitiable display Mica just had to put at ease. So she stepped toward him, waving her hand in front of her face to clear the lingering smoke. 

"Don't worry, big guy. It'll wear off soon. I don't know if my medkit has enough for all these wounds, but I'll do what I can in the meantime." She walked around to his side and examined the many punctures along his chest. With her eyes looking up, she didn't notice the leg swinging at her until it was too late. This was not a playful tap like before; it took the breath out of her and left her momentarily convinced her ribs were broken.

After a coughing fit, she stood up. "What was that for, dummy? I don't care what your instinct tells you. You don't get to hurt everyone you see just because you randomly decided some place is your territory." 

Although Mica thought she was standing a fair distance away, Raz's long legs carried him close enough to swing his head and catch her in his antlers. She flew well into the air and landed with torn clothes where the prongs had pierced. 

Letting out a groan, she rose to her feet once more. "So that's how it is, then? Well go on. Take it all out on me. If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already." She didn't even bother backing away this time. Raz merely had to jut his head out to bash her onto her back.

Mica used her last remaining energy to wobble upright. "Just give up already. No matter what you're going through, I won't let you suffer alone." She fell forward into Raz's face and let her arms wrap around his chin. 

He stomped hard enough to crack the cobblestone tiles, yet she never let go. 

His breath burned her exposed skin through the holes in her pants, yet she never let go. 

The sounds of explosions blared from the building behind her, yet she never let go.

Raz's breath calmed, his eyes closed, and the tension in his muscles relaxed. After a moment of relishing in the comfort of Mica's embrace, he raised his head to lick her across the mask. 

She laughed. "There's the Raz I know. Now, will you let me get these holes patched up?"

There was never a chance for her to reach for her medkit before she heard the sound of Koslov's plan going horribly wrong. With a gasp, she turned to run to the crumbling building. "Koslov!" she yelled through the settling dust. "Koslov, where are you? Say something!" 

All her blunt bruises and aching muscles were out of mind while she searched through the damage one heavy stone at a time. Raz, meanwhile, took a nonchalant stroll over the mound. "What are you doing?" Mica yelled. "Get over here and help me!" But his ears were pointed in another direction.

Mica's limbs were about to give out by the time Raz was finally ready to match her urgency. He plunged his antlers into a single pile of rocks and tossed them away with ease. There laid Koslov, coughing through pain.

"Koslov!" Mica ran over to him. "Don't try to move. Let me help you up."

"No... No..." his voice rasped with what little breath he could muster. Just to crawl a short distance away took the strength of a thousand mile sprint, even more to push some stones aside. Effortful grunts had turned to screams by the time he finally stopped. "Damn it!" he shouted, staring down. Deep under the rubble, he saw a patch of red fur, motionless. 

"What is it?" asked Mica.

"Nothing." Against all odds, he managed to climb to his feet and limp away, but not without tripping when a stone gave way. 

"Hey, don't try to walk with that leg. It's about time to turn in. I can patch you up before I take my watch."

"Fine." Koslov took one glance back at the stones he had cleared. "But let's get as far from here as we can. I don't trust these brittle buildings."


[b]1900 - 10.11.2318[/b]

Through the entire hour-long trek in search of safe shelter, Koslov refused to lean on Mica's shoulder. He even more adamantly denied her suggestion to ride on Raz's saddle. When the sun was completely gone, they settled for a building that, despite its sturdiness, made no offer of comfort or warmth.

Mica stayed with her companions deep into the night, ensuring Raz's wounds were thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, and bandaged. Koslov's instructions helped her figure out what to use and how, but only after she’d demand his attention away from the book in which his nose was buried.

"Is that a medical guide?" she asked as she finished up with Raz and moved on to Koslov's leg. "I thought you would have known all that by heart by now."

"Huh? Oh. No. It's a book on World War Two. The spy had it."

"Two? This has happened at least twice?"

"Apparently so. It says this was published in 1998, so who knows how many wars have started and ended since then. Or maybe this one has been going on forever." He flicked through a few pages of the index. "Chemical weapons, nuclear weapons, human experimentation. Lots of familiar terms in here."

"'Nuke-you-lar'. Those are the radioactive ones, right? The reason we have to wear all this crap in the exclusion zones?"

"Yep. Now imagine that combined with every chemical weapon in this book and you get the no man’s land.” 

“But at least we got some cool titans, too.”

“Right. At least, the ones who were strong enough to survive it all.” Koslov counted the pages to the chapter on nuclear weapons. “Looks like they only dropped two back then, and that alone was enough to end the war. Fat Man and Little Boy, they called them. Developed by... the Manhattan Project." In a sudden outburst, he threw the book to the ground, nearly hitting Mica. "Bastards! So that's what they want to revive. The same thing that got us into this whole mess."

"Hey, hey, calm down," said Mica. "It was an enemy who gave us all those clues. There's no reason we should believe him." 

"You clearly haven't dealt with the top brass as much as I have. See, this is why I never sought a promotion. The higher you're ranked, the more time you spend sitting in your pristine office, never seeing what the rest of us have to deal with." He unstrapped his M16 and gripped it in his palms. "Never seeing the sacrifices we make for a cause they've long ago forgotten." After a second of fuming, he stood up and limped to pick the book back up.

"Hey," Mica scolded. "I'm not done with your leg yet!" 

"Just go do your patrols. I need some time to think."


[b]0000 - 11.11.2318[/b]

Mica returned to the room, although her shift had not yet finished. Raz followed behind, having stayed awake to lend her the attentive, nonjudgemental ear she'd come to assume all titans possessed. 

"You're still awake?" she said when she saw Koslov sitting in the same seat with the same wide open book.

"Just trying to make sense of it all. If they could end their war all those years ago, why couldn't we before it got to this point? And why didn't we learn about all this in training?"

"Well I'm glad you're up, because I have a lot of thoughts as well." Mica looked at Raz, as if asking for approval. "Don't laugh, but... I don't think we should deliver the missile."

"Then we're on the same page."

Mica kicked some rocks. "Well shoot. You weren't supposed to agree with me. It's not like we can just tell them no. We'll be branded deserters."

Rubbing his chin, Koslov said, "I might have an idea. Hand me your radio, and don't say a word." She obliged, and Koslov took the handset. "Come in, Barry. Quickly. It's urgent."

What he heard first through the speaker was a yawn. "About time, guys. Took you this long to find a hideout?"

"There was a bit of trouble. We were attacked by an assault class titan. I managed to lead it away from the rest of the squadron so they could defend the target, but when I was on my way to regroup, they... they..." He feigned an unsteady voice. "The missile, Barry. It exploded. And took both of my friends with it. I've lost squad mates before, but never like this. I mean, what could have caused an explosion that huge?"

"Uh huh..." Barry sounded entirely disinterested. "Well, it's a good thing you managed to save the tracking device at least, considering it's been active and following you all night." 

Koslov looked up at the antenna strapped to Raz's antler. "That's... I meant... er..."

"Hey, K, switch over to our private frequency." The signal went dark.

After a moment of toying with knobs, Koslov said in his usual stern tone, "All right, I'm here. What do you want?"

"So you found out about the payload, huh?"

"I pieced the clues together from the fact that you only wanted the warhead, the conflicting size of the missile itself, and a few other hints from the spy you didn't tell us was one of the five you wanted killed. How long have you known the missile was nuclear?"

"I was only added to the need-to-know club after it was stolen. Figured you'd be more excited to join me. Just think. Once our scientists get back to work on that tiny piece of uranium 235, we can figure out how to reproduce it infinitely. It's the key to finally wiping the Separatists off the face of the Earth."

"By turning it all into one big exclusion zone? All my life, I've been fighting to unite the world, not to make the whole damn thing uninhabitable." Koslov paced the room as he ranted, nearly yanking the radio over by the cord.

"That won't be a problem with soldiers like Morez. Now that we've got the methods down, we can breed an entire generation of warriors immune to anything and everything. Then all that land is as good as ours. Assuming her death was another part of your fib, it would be a huge help if you could bring her back alive to be studied."

"Listen to me, Barry. She still has a chance to live a long life none of us could ever dream of, free of all this suffering and killing. So please, just tell them we lost the target."

"Are you going to deliver the missile or not, Private Keetriv? It's a simple yes or no."

Koslov looked at Mica, who didn't so much as twitch a muscle in her anticipation for his answer. Then he took a deep breath and said "No."

Sergeant Blanks let out a long sigh. "I understand. BB, out."

"Sounds like that went well," said Mica, taking the handset from Koslov.

As he answered, he ripped the tracking device from Raz and crushed it under his boot. "No. The entire army will be on us once he tells them where we are. We have to leave, right now."

"We're surrounded, though. After all that drama, we'd be handing the bomb right to them."

"Maybe if we go south where the front line is closing in. But they should be more scattered if we head north." He started to limp to the exit.

Mica ran to step in front of him. "You're not walking all that way in that state.  Come on, in the saddle you go."

"There's no need. I just have to walk it off." He tried to push forward only to be blocked by Raz as well.

"We're our own army now," said Mica. "Disobey my orders, and General Raz will personally issue fifty lashes with his tongue."

Koslov looked up to see Raz glaring down. The tip of the deer's antlers seemed twice as high as the last time he'd looked. Then he looked down to see Mica looking even more fearsome. "Damn it. All right," he said eventually. "Just tell him to go slow."




[b]0500 - 11.11.2318[/b]

A blanket of clouds rolled in to hide the stray party from the watchful eyes of the moon. Any listening ears or sniffing noses, however, would surely detect the musky, clip-clopping Raz. The question was: would his own notice them first? An answer came when he stopped stiff and scanned the dark, narrow street ahead.

"Get going, Raz," said Mica in a firm whisper.

Koslov leaned over from atop the titan's back. "I think he proved he knows best back when he sensed that assault class’s... residue. You'll have to scout ahead. Think you can handle it?”

"On it!" Mica gave a confident nod and crept forward. Recalling what she saw Koslov do previously, she rushed to hug the walls, checking every window and alley with her finger always on the trigger. The first alley, she zipped right by. The second, clear as well. At the third, she pointed her gun at a soldier in Union garb urinating on the wall.

"'Sup, bro," he said as he zipped up his pants. "It's all clear here. You can go back to sleep.” He took a few steps forward, then backed away. "Dude, what's with the gun? I'm on your... Oh god, you're them, aren't you?"

He reached for the rifle leaning against the wall, and Mica looked down her sights. But she couldn't bring herself to shoot. Not again. 

In the moment she hesitated, her adversary took aim and pulled the trigger. The alley flickered with yellow light, each an explosion loud enough to deafen. Mica managed to jump behind the corner just in time to see Raz running in her direction. Survival instinct commanded her to reach for the edge of his saddle and let herself be whisked away from the countless soldiers emerging behind them.

But they weren't safe yet; more doors opened ahead, each producing that same yellow flicker at such a rate it became a glow. "Watch the missile, you idiots!" an authoritative voice shouted only to be drowned out by the hellish chorus. 

Finally, they came to the last building in the row, beyond which the desert awaited under a sky of bright silver clouds. Behind, the sound of bullets whizzing past quieted–just enough for Mica to hear a shrill scream above. She looked up to see Koslov slipping off the opposite side of the saddle.

Raz's momentum tore his hooves through many metres of sand as he skidded to a stop. When Mica dropped down and ran back toward Koslov, she was met by a pressure onher backa dn two antlers emerging from her sides. Next thing she knew, she was tossed into the air, where she landed on Raz's saddle. Through the hailstorm of bullets, he leapt side to side in a serpentine sprint and scooped Koslov in his mouth. With a panicking Mica in the saddle and a silent Koslov suspended by the straps of his pack, Raz pivoted the other way and ran with unfettered swiftness.

The sounds of gunfire grew quiet. In their place, only the sturdy clops of Raz's hooves could be heard upon sandy stone. They were diminished to dull beats as the soil darkened. Then, at last, they were muffled to quiet pats by sprouts of grass.

"Put me down here," Koslov groaned. "They won't follow us into no man's land."

"Koslov! Thank God you’re not dead." Mica slid onto the ground, her landing softened by the grass. Running to Koslov’s side, she continued: “But you will be if we don't get you out of here. Come on."

He answered weakly as she scooped his arm over her shoulders. "I'll be fine. Take me inside that petrol station by the road over there. This snow’s getting cold."

Mica looked up and gasped. Indeed, snowflakes were swirling from above and decorating blades of grass in icy dew. She scanned all around as she carried Koslov to the rest stop, once again in awe of an endless sea of colour. "This is the no man's land?" she said. "I didn't think it would be so green."

"Beautiful isn't it?" said Koslov, his frail voice bearing traces of joy. "To think after all we put it through, nature endured. And all it had to do was kick us out."

When they reached the building, Mica laid Koslov against some shelves. There was ample room for Raz to join them inside and lay down to surround them with his warmth. His soft bellows sounded like a mournful song.

Koslov reached for the straps tying the missile to Raz. "Come here, bud. Let's get all this weight off your back.

"Huh?" said Mica with a tilt of her head followed by panic. "Wait. You're not gonna detonate it, are you?"

"That's the plan." 

Mica dropped to Koslov's level. Her voice had already begun to falter. "No! I won't let you throw your life away for no reason. We can leave it here and go back. You should have enough merits by now to get off with a slap on the wrist."

"Not an option. You heard what Barry said. Soon, they'll have more men like you who'll be able to waltz right out here and recover it. This thing needs to be erased from existence. And someone has to be here to do it." By now, Koslov had managed to drop the missile to the floor. 

Mica's voice turned frantic. "Ok, well... well... we don't know how big the explosion will be. What if it takes out the whole city and all the people still there. Don't they get a say?"

"Did you ask that question when Raz was under attack? No. For all your doubts about killing, it only took one person worth protecting for you to do what you felt was right." He pried the damaged panel off bolt by bolt as he continued. "You know, when I first met you, I hated how childish and unprofessional you were. Everything you see is a toy. Everything you do is some kind of game. But now I see that wasn't just a lack of decorum. It was innocence."

The panel popped off, and Koslov reached inside to feel for wires. "Someone like you doesn't deserve to live your life fighting for others who only see you as a weapon. So go. Find those hidden civilizations. See all the species of titan. Ones like Raz who’ll join you in your fight to survive. Ones who’ll give their lives to sustain yours. Ones who’ll try to take the people you love for their own sake. But no matter what sacrifices nature demands of you, never let go of that innocent heart."

"But... I..." were the only words that could break through Mica's sobs. 

"Get the hell out of here, Private! I'll detonate this here and now if I have to!"

Raz nudged Mica with his nose, and she reluctantly climbed onto his saddle. As he lifted her to his full height, they stopped to look at Koslov one last time. He gave them a slow nod before they set off into the new land.

The former soldier and her sole friend ran and ran for miles through the swaying grass. Soon, they felt the death knell of a thousand cities rattle through the earth itself. Yet Mica did not look back at the sounds of war. Instead, she tore off her mask and turned to face the sky, letting the falling snowflakes kiss her cheeks. As the rumbling settled, she heard the wind blowing through trees ahead and saw flocks of birds flying from among them. Their song washed away all sadness.

It was the sound of hope.