I stood at the center of thousands of corpses, their blood splattered it's crimson hue across my clothes. My once pine colored uniform, now a rust colored mess, warm against the bitter wind. I return my swords to there scabbards once again and return to my platoon. When I arrived the platoon was surrounding someone, though I couldn't make out any features except a red camouflage gun resting in her hands.

"What's all this about, who are you?" I asked in a commanding tone. "I'm joining your platoon, the name's Ashe." the woman said in a spunky tone. "Yes that's great in all, but I don't require your help, I can get by just fine on my own thank you very much." I said, trying to get rid of her. "Hey aren't you going to introduce yourself, we're gonna be partners, so I need to know your name." Damnit this girl doesn't give up does she. "She should need no introduction, especially not to the likes of you." One of the men spoke up on my behalf. "Now, now, I can handle this, who sent you here, who's your commanding officer?" I said getting irritated. "Cornwall, why?" Ashe asked with genuine confusion. "Cornwall knows nothing, now go back." "Sorry, but I'm not leaving." She said her nostrils beginning to flare, her face burning red with rage. Annoyed, I draw my sword, only then does her angry expression change, but to fear. "I-i'm s-sorry ple-please don't hurt me." She starts backing up, and her gun falls from her hands.

I put the sword back in the scabbard and Ashe breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so sorry Xayah, The Obsidian Sword, please don't send me back to the base." Ashe began to plead on her knees and a few tears trickle down her cheeks.

I walk towards her and picked up her red camo gun, and as I got closer she began to draw back, she feared me. I decided to test my limits, to see what makes her tick, what drives her.

I study the gun and pull out the clip, the bullets were missing, where'd they go? I look up to see Ashe smirking while loading the clip into another gun, then she vanished. I immediately drew my sword and swung and the figure of Ashe's body fell. I put away my sword and look at the dirt, Ashe's body lies still, her gun in pieces, I can't believe she'd sacrifice her weapon to save herself, to take the blow for her, but it wasn't enough, she's still out cold, she won't come to for a while.

I wait for Ashe to come to in the infirmary, her gun was taken to be repaired. I clean and polish my swords to pass the time, to think someone this weak would be put on the platoon, her agility is lacking as well as her timing, maybe they want me to mentor her, which is not happening. I start to drift off when Ashe wakes up.

"What happened?" Ashe muttered in a groggy voice. "Your too slow, that's what happened." I replied, being too tired to care about my tone. "Hey, why do you only use those to swords?" Ashe asked while pointing to my belt that held two of my swords. "I don't see why you'd need to know that." "Um, well, I uh." Ashe searched for a reason, which made me roll my eyes. "Wait where's my gun?" Ashe asked in a panic. "Calm down, it's being repaired." "What happened to it?" She asked still in a panic. "Well when you so foolishly choose to attack me, I fought back and guarded yourself with your gun, so honestly you deserve it." I said calmly. Ashe was about to ask another question when Commander Harris walked in. "Commander Harris." I stood and saluted, though we were both technically commanders. "Xayah, you don't have to salute me, no as for you, Ashe, you do." Commander Harris said as he glared daggers at Ashe. "So, what brings you here Commander Harris, business or are just looking to chill?" I asked as I rest my elbow on his shoulder. "Well, Xayah, I'm here on business terms only, so if you'll excuse me," he said as he removed my elbow from his arm, "Ashe you have your first mission with Platoon Seven, so listen whatever Xayah tells you, and Xayah you can't tell her to stay behind." He turned and looked at Ashe then at me, honestly he's so uptight all the time.

I walk out the infirmary with Commander Harris and he fills me in on the mission, apparently we have to get insight on a group of terrorists, for some reason, I guess they want to make Ashe's first job an easy one, which I can't blame them. I looked at Harris his eyes beaming, I could tell he didn't want to work, see Harris and I go way back, and well, he's always sort of like me for some reason, even though I reject all his advances. He is however one our best men in Platoon Seven, once he gets out there, he gets a high that takes weeks to shake. I looked over when Ashe came over with her gun fully repaired and ready to go. So I bid farewell to Harris and left with Ashe, enduring all of her questions until she ran out of them.

I was bliss when we got on the battle field, though it wasn't apart of the operation, it wasn't exactly a fight we could run from. I was happy not being questioned every five minutes, Ashe was to distracted trying not to get killed. In the end we took them out with ease, or rather I did, Ashe almost died several times. I can't wait to be rid of her.

"So is this the place?" Ashe asked in a soft whisper. "Yeah, now stay quiet." I said as two men wearing trench coats walked by, one had a wire, or rather a fuse sticking out from his coat, there's no doubt, he's a bomber, the other one's steps seemed to carry a lot more weight than they should, probably weighed down by ammo, he's a gunner. Ashe didn't seem to connect the dots like I did, because she charge right in without warning. The bomber noticed and lit his fuse. "ASHE, NOOO!" I screamed as the blast went off. No, no, not on her first mission, it's too soon. I look up to see the men's bodies charred with pieces of them missing, but Ashe still stood, an amber glow surrounding her, was this Ashe's ability?

"Ability:phoenix, it allow me to withstand any attack without a single scratch." Ashe said as she emerged from the flames. "If you do could that, than why didn't you use it earlier?" "Because I have a cool down unlike you, who can use their ability whenever they pleased." Ashe said, a little bit salty.

I was about to ask something when one of the men stands up, how is this possible he was barely in one piece.