Disclaimer: Ace Combat series is property of Namco and its associates.

A/N: Several chapters have been revised.

Crossroads

...The place our paths differ...

Sand Island Base

December 07, 2010

"There's no use talking to that blockhead Base Commander. He treated the president like a fool because of his peace policies" said Nagase.

"What about his Adjutant, Captain Hamilton?" asked Grimm.

"Right. Captain and I will talk to Hamilton, Grimm, you go let Pops and Genette know"

As the three planes taxied into their respective, adjoining hangars, they immediately noticed something odd. The hangars are devoid of life. At least a few mechanics should be on duty each time the squadron returned from sortie.

"Captain, something's wrong" Grimm noted, his left hand on the engine cut-off button to his craft and his right hand on the gun holster next to his seat.

" . . . You two go ahead. I'm heading for the armory. We might need the firepower" Blaze said.

"Captain Hamilton," Edge entered his office. "I need your help. I know the truth, the truth behind this war"

"Catch your breath, Captain. Sit down" he calmly replied from his chair with its back towards Edge and facing the window.

She did as advised and told him about the Belkan ambush.

She barely started, however, when Hamilton interjected by saying, "you don't have to know that much"

The Adjutant turned around, his uniform Osean but his shoulder bearing an alien rank of Major. Hamilton's eerie calmness and his strange rank made her back away from the desk, knocking the chair she was sitting on down behind her. Hamilton immediately trained his gun at her, immobilizing her.

"Your 'heroism' stops today right here, Wardog" he said emphasizing the "dog" as if the squadron was nothing more than animals.

Hamilton got to his feet and said, "It's fortunate that you came alone. You were the most volatile and dangerous individual of this whole base. After Bartlett, that is. May he rest in peace."

"Captain Bartlett is not dead. And you are forgetting someone"

"Blaze?" he asked. "He's the most effective -and loyal- soldier I knew. Faithful to the mission even it means shooting at fellow Belkans in that ambush. It looked authentic, right? He wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice others for the greater good, Belka's greater good."

Though that whole speech increasingly confused and shocked her, she let out no sign of them. Thinking that his words may just be a ruse to confound her, she said nothing. The door behind her opened, and Blaze walked in armed an M4A1 rifle. She breathed a sigh of relief. Her relief was short-lived however when she noticed he didn't point his weapon at Hamilton. He simply closed the door, stepped to the side and waited.

"He never mentioned that integral part of his name, did he? In fact, why don't I just tell you? Wilhelm Grunder Schulz"

She turned her head just enough to get him at the corner of her eyes. His continued silence seemed to confirm Hamilton's words.

"His uncle heads that corporation: South Belkan Munitions Factory. It switched over to Osea under his management. Convenient. A Belkan loyalist supplying the two strongest countries in the world with weapons . . . So you see, the people who you could count on are either dead or your enemy. You are alone"

She shifted back slowly as Hamilton approached her with an almost lecherous look on his face. She realized that he had a dirty motive for keeping her alive and telling her those facts which may or may not be true. Suddenly two gunshots rang out in succession from behind her. The room went dark. During that brief window of time, Nagase adeptly disarmed the distracted Adjutant and landed a bone-cracking blow to his jaws, sending him down against the table side which knocked him unconscious. While shaking her stinging right fist, she grabbed her sidearm inside the left pocket of her flight suit. However, just as she was about to kill the fallen Adjutant, she felt a gun nozzle on the back of her neck.

"Don't" Blaze said, his voice almost whispering.

"Is it true?" she asked, still holding her aim.

"Turn around slowly and walk away" he ignored her question.

She did as ordered and moved toward the door of the room; the rifle – though no longer on her skin – was still trained on her. At the door, she stopped and felt the barrel of the weapon again. Because Blaze didn't tell her to drop her gun, Nagase - betting her life that he won't shoot - wheeled around, sandwiched the rifle barrel between her right arm pits and pointed her own gun at him. Blaze caught her hand and stuck one of his fingers behind the trigger. Both were locked in a stalemate as neither can effectively use their firearms. Blaze dropped the rifle, and due to it being heavier, Nagase slightly lost her balance. In that instant, Blaze's surged forward, his right forearm on her neck, and pinned her to the door. She let out a slight choking noise.

He released his pin and his hold on her hand in response to the noise she made and said, "Leave while you still have the chance"

She trained her gun on him and asked again: "is it true?"

No reply.

". . . All those flights together, were they nothing to you? Even Chopper's death?"

He simply stood there in silence, showing no sign of fear that her finger might just twitch and end his life.

"Ke-" he started.

His words were immediately met with a hard, solid slap to the left cheek, much to Nagase's own surprise. She didn't know what made her do that. As she dashed out the door, she let out a drop of tear. She immediately wiped her eyes off, surprised again at her show of weakness. Though she long realized that her feelings towards this most recent captain had gone beyond simple admiration, it was much more than she expected. The darkness, however, prevented Blaze from noticing that liquid droplet as he himself was stunned by the burning sensation on his face.

A/N: Might be fun to make Blaze the enemy. I kidding. No, he won't be one.

The first 3 lines of conversation at the beginning of the chapter are credited to the game.