A Warrior’s Paradise

When Cody finished his interview, the door clicked shut behind him. He stood up, noticing the chair was smeared with blood from his clothes. Bowing apologetically, he left quietly and was led to a private shower, where he washed off the grime and changed into clean attire.

“Got any pizza? During the battle, I kept thinking about pizza,” Cody asked the soldier beside him.

“We’ll ask the chef to make you something special,” the decorated soldier replied. Cody had the impression this man held some importance, judging by his demeanor and uniform.

“Something’s been on my mind about your situation,” the soldier continued. “Why the cord connecting to all those M.U.s?”

Cody shrugged. “The paperwork I signed said every kill gets a bonus. I figured capturing them might earn extra.”

“Well… I’ll look into it,” the soldier replied curtly.

Before Cody received his meal, he was brought to a room where several individuals in pristine suits awaited him. Their appearance was meticulous, their glasses giving them an agent-like aura straight out of a spy novel.

“We had to give you a chance to prove yourself,” one of them said. “We started you off with high-priority missions, and you’ve exceeded expectations with your ‘retrieval’ decision during combat. We’d like to run some tests, Mr. Fin. If you’ll please.” It wasn’t really a request, though they framed it as one.

The suits waited silently, their expressions unyielding, until Cody nodded. They exchanged approving glances.

Afterward, Cody picked up his pizza and sighed with relief as he began eating. The battle had left him famished, especially after the adrenaline crash and the earlier bout of nausea. He managed four slices before heading to the chow hall he’d been directed to. Inside, long tables lined the room, and every pilot present turned to stare as he entered. His roommates were seated in the far corner, glancing up at him with the same curiosity as the others.

The silence felt familiar—like his childhood school days, where all eyes were on him for the wrong reasons. Cody scratched his head and spoke awkwardly as he approached them. “Guess I banged up my ride. I messed up, huh? I only took out a few… but I lived.” He ended with a wink at Ashley, reminding her of how she thought he wouldn’t make it.

He tried to come across as humble, but to his surprise, the entire chow hall erupted in cheers and congratulations. Tod and Stephanie rushed to greet him, leading him to their table while Tod fended off the barrage of questions:

“Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“How did you think to use your arm as a weapon? Who tears off their own arm to kill someone? Am I right?”

Though the questions came rapidly, Cody didn’t respond, making it clear he wasn’t giving interviews. The excitement didn’t wane, however, and the crowd continued to cheer.

“Where’d you get pizza?” Tod asked as they reached the table.

“The chefs made it for me,” Cody replied.

Ashley chimed in, her tone sharp. “That was dangerous and reckless—opening your pod and charging into the other M.U.! Anyone could have killed you like greaser trash! You were defenseless!”

“You had my back,” Cody countered. “You shot my grinder wheel, right? I’d say your marksmanship was top-notch.”

Tiffany spoke up, her tone more detached. “That was your grinder in the shield?” It sounded more like a statement than a question.

Realizing the difference, Cody nodded. “Yeah. Was that your shot?”

“Affirmative,” Tiffany replied, then added, “But I was just looking for openings. I moved on as soon as I confirmed the kill was made by your hand.”

“How many did you kill today?” Cody asked.

“Two hundred and seventeen,” Tiffany answered matter-of-factly, eating her red bean paste bun and signaling the conversation was over.

“Long-range units kill a lot more than short-range ones,” Tod added. “And Tiffany’s a prodigy.”

“Stephanie,” Cody began, turning to her, “was that you jumping on the M.U.s earlier?”

Stephanie smiled faintly, blinking twice as she ate her oatmeal. “Whatever do you mean?” she asked, not looking up.

Cody thought for a moment, recalling the scene. “That’s right—the M.U. held up two middle fingers and said something like, ‘Come to my world, and… sup, bitch.’ Then it apologized or something.”

Stephanie smiled again, her head dipping lower. “There were a lot of people out there who probably sound like me. Each pilot legion has about a thousand M.U.s. You know that, right? Multiple legions fought in this battle.”

“You did dive into the water at the start of the battle,” Tod interjected.

Stephanie quickly stood up. “I’m not the only one with that tactic. I’m nothing special,” she said before walking away.

As Cody watched her leave, he noticed a soldier with a folder passing her in the doorway. The soldier made his way toward Cody, stopping before the group.

“Mr. Fin?” he asked, his tone commanding.

Tod clapped Cody on the back. “They must really like what they saw. I think you’re getting another M.U. already.”

Cody nodded and stood. “That’s me,” he said to the officer.