war stories (jay)

The appearance of the Commander's old enemy did cause quite a stir among the others, especially him. They said that it was proof and that it wouldn't be long now, though proof of, and long, until what no one said, but we didn't need to guess. I think people didn't actually want to say the words because it made it sound more...ominous. for me—I couldn't wait to get back up there. I know my first flight with Buddy wasn't a complete success, (and a bit painful) but it was certainly fun. And, if truth be told, I really wanted to be involved in this war, if just to get my hand on those bots for what they did to Serious.

I know, it sounds like just an old grudge, but they didn't just take my planet...they also killed my mother.

As the days went by people started getting ready for it all. Though she was trying to spend as much time as she could with him, Thia was spending less and less time with her dad, and more and more time shut up in her room. She wouldn't even come out to play video games with us anymore, unless I asked her. When I'd go into her room, she'd just sit there, hugging her favourite cushion. When I spoke to her, she'd look at me and make the best attempt of a smile and say she'd be out soon.

Things were getting worse with the Commander and the rest of the team too.

I couldn't really blame them, with this big threat of war, and they weren't much older than we were, only teenagers.

On top of all that, a higher team they called the A squad—who mostly kept to themselves and no one knew much about—were sent off to investigate the same threat but in a different part of the galaxy, like it was everywhere. That also left those who were left behind, meaning these teenagers, to defend the Earth on their own! It was ganna be quite a lot to take on.

The only thing we all seem to enjoy any more is school, yes even me. Though I'm not very good at the classes, I do enjoy being away from all the stress sometimes

and Thia's always going on about how brilliant her class and this Mora person is. But I knew someday it would all have to end, which was what scared me most. When the war came, would we still be able to go? Would we be able to stay here in America, or be evacuated like the children in the World Wars? If so, where would we be evacuated too? Would we still be able to carry on with school and everything else? I didn't want to go, and I know the others didn't either. I wanted to be around to see the war. More than that, I wanted to help with it. The Commander said I could, me and Buddy. Maybe that would be enough to let us all stay, because it wouldn't be enough just for me to stay. The others had to stay too.

Finally the alarm rang out through the Base, and everyone knew that the war was close. Since there was no A squad, it was up to James and the others to answer the call. I went to follow them.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked James, stopping me.

"I wanna help." I told him.

He stooped lower as if to look more sternly at me.

"Jay, you are an eight-year-old boy, and you think us teenagers are ganna find it tough, well, you'll be a lot worse off."

Then they left without me, so I just stood and folded my arms and growled. Thia nudged me in the side. She was trying not to smirk.

After a minute I was told to go, leaving Thia alone in the Command Room with her dad and Cat. I stayed outside though, like I always did, and sometimes I heard shouting in there. It sounded as though Cat and the Commander were having some sort of fight. Then, a few moments later, Cat stormed out, with Thia close behind.

"What was that all about?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. She just showed him something in a box, and they started having a go at each other." Then she went back to the Apartment but stayed there, thinking things over.

When the others got back, I waited outside again. I didn't dare go in, because: one, Thia wasn't with me;

and two, I had a feeling they wouldn't want me to be involved in this war stuff, seen as they wouldn't let me fight. I stayed outside the door though, and listened.

At first it was just normal de-briefing stuff, but then it changed. I'm not quite sure what the others had said to prompt him, but the Commander suddenly started talking about the war before with the Tru-beeins—the war on Serious. More than that...he was talking about his wife, Thia's mother.

This shocked me most of all. I'd never heard him even mention Thia's mum, nor, to my knowledge, had Thia! But he was talking about her now. Saying how in the last war he'd tried to save her but couldn't. She was dead.

I tried to inch the door a little more open, but it creaked and they all turned to see me standing there. Without thinking, I turned and ran to the apartment. Thia had to know.

"Thia." I said knocking on her bedroom door. "I've got to tell you something. It's about your dad, and the last war and. . .and your mother."

She opened the door. "Jay, what is it."

I went in the room, and closed the door behind me; then, as slowly as I dared, I told Thia everything I'd heard about her mother.

(Thia)

"You alright?" Jay asked, both voice and face full of concern. I nodded, and did my best attempt of a smile, though inside of me was slowly dying.

"It's not really a big deal." I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "The same thing happened to your mum. And at least I now know, which is more than I've ever done before."

He smiled, as if he knew what I was trying to hide.

"What now?" I asked, after a while.

"I don't know." Said Jay, looking round out of the room. "I suppose we just have to wait."

"Wait for what?"

He looked back at me. "For the war to begin."

I stared at him and blinked. "if it's really that bad, then I don't want to be sat in here waiting." And I walked from the room.

I heard Jay mutter "right behind ya." Before he followed me.

We walked to the Command Room together, though we still didn't go in. Instead, we stayed outside the door and listened. Apparently Cat still wasn't back and the scientific briefing stuff was being covered by her assistant. Something about spikes in the ground. After not too long, we could hear Rick, the robot dog, coming down the corridor. It sounded as though he was wounded; like a computer that short circuits or something like that. When he came round the corner, he looked as though he was limping.

With some effort, he forced the door to the Command Room before collapsing inside it, and we tumbled in too. Something round and silver fell from his mouth.

It reminded me of these Pokémon balls form a kid's programme I used to watch, except that some sort of noise was issuing from it, like very faint drums.

"What's that?" Asked Zee.

"Music?" suggested Cindy.

As the so-called music got louder, I could tell that it wasn't just drums; that it had some sort of tune to it.

"Oh!" I exclaimed suddenly realising what the tune was. "I know that tune. Er, there was this music writer that wrote tunes about the different planets. That one was 'Mars, Bringer of War.'"

No one spoke for a while, understanding what the message meant. Finally, James plucked up the courage to say what everyone was thinking.

"They're declaring war."

"It has begun..."

I ran to my dad and hugged him.

"Strange way to declare a war, with an old tune inside a Pokémon ball delivered by a robot dog." Said Brain.

In a different situation, I would've laughed at that, and I at least tried to force a smile.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Zee, looking at James.

"We keep fighting." He answered. "That's all we can do. They were ganna keep coming if there was a war or not. They keep attacking, and we keep fighting back."

The others in the room were muttering approval at these words and some were nodding.

"Why don't we go too then? Finish it quickly." Sky suggested.

Cindy shook her head. "We should only fight for defence. That way we don't waste as much."

"I agree." I said, still holding on to my dad.

"And even if we wanted to, we couldn't get up there." Zee said.

"I could." Jay said, all of a sudden. "I've done it before..."

"And you almost got killed before." James told him. "How many times, Jay, you can't fight."

He looked at the floor. "Maybe not, but I can find out what their plans are. That'll make it easier."

James, deciding this decision shouldn't be made by him, looked at my dad. Jay looked at him to, and so did I.

"It would give us an advantage if we knew what they were up to." Said Zee, looking from Jay to my dad.

"But...oh, I suppose it does have to be him that goes."

"Because only Buddy can get out that far."

"And only he can fly Buddy."

"They won't see me again, I swear, I'll be real careful."

No one spoke for a while.

"We'll leave this to you, Commander." James said to my dad.

"I'll have to think about it. We may need to ask your dad." He said, addressing Jay.

Jay shrugged "Good enough."

I smiled.

"So, what's the immediate action? Wait for them to strike again?"

"Somehow I doubt it." Cat's still not back yet, is she?" James asked Cat's assistant—a rather large, round faced, clumsy man.

"No," he answered. "I had wondered if something was wrong."

"They might have her." I said to my dad, speaking to him for the first time since the argument with him and Cat."

"And Rick, he could've been damaged trying to protect her."

"We should go look for her." Said James.

"I wanna go too." I said finally letting go of my dad. But he stopped me by grabbing hold of my shoulder.

"No." He said. "I'll go after Cat alone."

Everyone stared at him. I looked at Jay. He looked just as shocked as I was.

"You keep guard on the city." He addressed the older ones in the room. "If they should attack again, don't wait for me."

"Daddy." I said, holding the hand that was on my shoulder.

He stroked my check. "Be swift, my child—be strong."