Three days in.

Three days away from her.

Three days of sorrow, mainly.

I woke up to the brisk French air, shivering as I forcibly threw the covers off of my cold body. The army barracks we were sleeping in were in no way cold-proof, and had just one small fireplace to heat the entire room. Housed in the area were myself, Dr. Groph, Schuster, Maxis, and a few other doctors. The rest of the ones who came along were housed at the Excavation Site, where they worked through the night to explore the properties of Element 115. So far, they'd not uncovered much.

I rose from my bed and dressed in many layers of warm clothing. It seemed that Maxis and Groph were not on-site, however, Schuster was emitting loud snoring from his bed above mine. I grabbed a can of beans to eat for breakfast, since that was what was available, and headed out of the site to try and find Maxis.

The muddy trenches caused me to cringe as my boots sank into the grime. It was bad enough that the snow was already falling, but the relentless mud only added to the horror. This was not anything I was used to; I was accustomed to the warmth and dryness of the other side of France.

I made my way to the next barracks, where the rest of the team was. I noticed that it became slightly warmer as I stalked up the steps to the exit. Finally, the meteor, as well as dozens of workers, came into view.

It was massive and unlike anything I'd ever seen. It was unearthly, with glowing blue liquid all throughout its surface. Each time I set eyes upon it, my heart chilled... almost as if something bigger was in play here.

"Richtofen's awake," I heard one of the lesser doctors mumble as he looked over at me. It would appear that my name had spread quickly.

"Richtofen! Over here!" Shouted Maxis, who stood upon the newly-built excavation ramp. I made my way to him quickly.

"Yes Maxis?" I asked, joining him.

"Glad you're here... things are going well. We've managed to extract a good amount of the element, and we're shipping some to our global facilities for testing. There's... only one problem."

My ears began to sting. "Problem?" I asked with regret.

"Minor... some of the men have become ill."

"Ill?" I took two steps back in fear the meteor may harm me. "What do you mean, what caused this?"

"Well... the cold, I assume, and hope. But... There's always the chance that... Element 115 is toxic to the human immune system. In which case we need to design a safe suit of sorts, for mining. I was hoping you might do the honors?"

I scratched my neck, feeling very anxious about being here. "I... Sure..." I said, knowing that Maxis wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Great, get to work! There's much to do other than this. I'll see you later to discuss the blueprints."

With that, he turned away. I headed back to my quarters and began to jot in my journal...

February 4th

Maxis has just informed me that men have been getting sick. As a doctor, I am likely to be the one evaluating these occurences, and I am not excited for what I will find. Element 115 is a very powerful substance, capable of solving lots of our problems, yes, but at what price? Is this so important that we are risking human lives over it? I can't help but have a bad feeling about the things to come... this could very well be the origins of Group 935's demise.

I closed the book. Then suddenly I felt a presence.

"Such is war, Edward."

"Groph-" I wheeled around to the man that had been looking over my shoulder. He had a solemn expression on his features.

"I share your worry, doctor. No simply for the lives of others, but also for our own... Maxis is risking too much." I listened to him as he looked out the small barricaded window. "I've noticed his thoughts drifting lately... tell me... know ye anything of Sophia's whereabouts?"

"Sophia? She's back at the town, yes?" I asked, quite confused.

"Hmm." He nodded. "I fear she's a very manipulative woman."

I was even more scrambled. "Forgive me, Doctor Groph, I... don't seem to follow."

"I think she's interfering with Maxis's thoughts, lately. This excavation plan was a half-assed decision with no gain, he knows that. He acts on a whim, shooting blindly in the dark. He's normally a very critical thinker, Edward, do you not see the changes?"

I scratched my neck. "I don't think it's my place to intrude, sir..." I said quietly.

Groph's expression changed, as he looked peculiarly at me.

I looked back at him, my hand dropping to my side.

He stared at me for many seconds, and I tried to decipher his thoughts, but to no avail. Groph was a smart man and very capable of hiding his emotions. This worried me.

"Well... at any rate, keep an eye out, Edward." He said, abruptly turning away. "You never know around places like this."

"Ja, doctor...." I muttered, watching him walk away.

Odd... did he know something I didn't? I was already terrified, but this took it to new heights.

His words rang in my head for the remainder of the hour, as I sketched up a blueprint for an excavation suit.

Panzer Soldat, I titled it.

Eliza's POV

I woke up hanging upside down from the rafters. I didn't know what time of day it was, nor how long I had been out, just that I was strung up in nothing but my underwear, the cold winter air batting against my exposed skin. An intense amount of pain was coursing through my body, and I looked at the floor to notice drops of dried blood upon the brick. What was it this time, knife, poker, or sword? I never remembered anything but the pain.

"Morning, sunshine!" A voice echoed into the chamber, and my heart sped to the rate of explosion.

Him.

I writhed in my restraints as he came into view.

"Did you miss me? Damn, I sure missed your cute little screaming face. Ready for your next dosage? This one might kill you!" Alaxandar cut the rope, sending me crashing to the floor. I couldn't speak, not even to cry as he injected a needle into the back of my leg. A whimper was all I could muster.

I watched as he plopped onto the ground In front of me. My thoughts slowed and my breaths nearly ceased as whatever was in the vial began to take it hold.

"You know, dolly... I don't really know why Maxy-Max wants you done this way... I mean, I know you're basically his 'evil illegitimate child who just wants to ruin everything he's ever done in life' and all that, but damn, this is harsh. I mean, why not just kill you?" He lay down beside me, forcing me to listen as the substance began to paralyze me from the waist down.

"And honestly, I can't believe you aren't dead yet... we've given you so much of this shit now that you ought to be halfway to undead about now!"

A sickening giggle escaped his lips as I felt his hands grip my hair.

"There must be something you're fighting for, huh? Is it your dog back at home? A man you never told how you feel? OOH! I know... your dead mommy! Is that it?"

I clenched my eyes shut, and tried to raise my hands to cover my ears, but I couldn't move them.

"You know if you just give up, you might be able to see her again; I'm pretty sure Maxis sent her to hell. Yeah, she really went through the wringer, if you know what I mean. I wish I'd been here to see it, I'll bet her screams were beautiful way long ago... especially when Maxis did her in."

I clenched my jaw and began to fight against the serum.

"Don't fight it anymore, Eliza..." Alaxandar pet my hair. "Just go."

His offer, at this point, was tempting, but I couldn't let go. Not now. The only thing keeping me going was the thought of Tank and Edward... but even now their images were far away. Where was Edward now... now as the pain of betrayal became so evident, as the burning sensation of the liquid beckoned so irritatingly to be noticed.

A scream finally escaped my lips, in pent up rage.

"Ahh, there it is... at least your vocal chords still work... I'll put that in the database, okay? Anything else you wanna say, love?"

I mustered up the last bit of sheer energy, sheer pain, and firey hatred for the torturer that I could possibly achieve.

"F-Fuck... you..." I cried, my eyesight going black. My eyes were open, I could feel the cold air on them, but I couldn't see a thing.

"Oh, really? one day, when you're just a corpse, I might take you up on that offer... but I have more respect for live women than that. Anyway, have fun down here, I'll see you later!"

I heard him leave the room as consciousness left me.

...There.

Do you see it?

Look, in the distance, Eliza.

I open my eyes, a blinding light singing my pupils. I stand up, and the place around me is foreign. It's a bland looking place, very cold and barren.

"Eliza!"

Who? Who was that?

"Eliza!"

I look in the distance. It's a deep male voice... I know who it is.

"Tank..."

My legs carry me quickly to him, and an invigorating feeling envelops my being.

"Eliza!"

"Tank!"

Tears fill my eyes. I am overjoyed.

Finally, his arms wrap around me and I squeeze his body in a warm embrace.

"Tank.. I-It's you..." I whimper, slowly losing my composure.

"It's okay... I'm here... I'm finally here to save you." He pulls me ever closer and he too feels very emotional. "Come, Eliza... let's leave, let's get out of this place. I'm taking you home... back to America." I look into his eyes and nod.

But suddenly, a pang of regret enters me. I spin around, as a presence makes itself known.

"Eliza..." His gentlemanly German voice beckons sweetly.

My eyes widen. I glance at Tank, and then at Richtofen, and the realization hits me. If I leave... I leave him. Forever. Everything we made here would be gone, in the blink of an eye, taken.

"Don't... leave me, Eliza..."

"Who the hell is that?" Tank growls lowly, even though I am sure he already knows the answer. I see hatred deep within his blue orbs as he stares down the German. Edward looks back at him with uncertainty, but returns the hostility.

"I'm her-"

"Master," I finish for him, though by the look of surprise on his face, I know that wouldn't have been his choice of words.

Tank growls.

"No one is your master." He takes a step forward and Edward solidifies his stance. Tank clenches his fists, and raises one as Edward raises his hands to block the blow...

"STOP!" I awoke abruptly in my own attic bed, panting. I didn't remember anything from the previous day, but I could feel pain ricochet throughout my nerves as if something were ripping them apart.

"How did I get... here.." I spoke aloud, sure I had been in Edward's bed earlier. I looked around me. All seemed to be in order...

A cold feeling washed over me as I recalled the dream I just awoke from.

All I had wanted since I got here in France was to escape and return to my homeland. But now that I had Edward... would I take the chance? If I was given the opportunity to leave forever, escape the torment and see Tank again, at the cost of my love for Edward, could I do it? The reality of the situation frightened me. In the end it was a game of choice...

Stay in the place I hated with the man I'd grown to love... or go back to my beautiful homeland, able to see my best friend again.

How does one choose which is more important?

Edward's POV

"Remarkable, Edward. I love it, this should work accordingly." Maxis smiled as he looked at the blueprint for the Panzer.

"Danke..." I muttered, Groph's words still ringing in my ears.

"Best get some rest. We'll be commencing field testing in the morning for the new Ray Gun." Maxis pat me on the back and headed to bed. I followed him shortly after, delighted to catch some shut-eye.

The next morning, I got dressed and headed to Excavation Site 64 for the testing process. Maxis was there already, as well as the other doctors. I took my place beside Schuster and Groph, and awaited Maxis's orders.

"Bring out the prototype," said Ludvig, with an odd prideful smile spread across his lips.

Two men holding a box, containing the RG-001 prototype made their way to Maxis and sat the box next to him. Ludvig released the box's latch and took out its contents, flipping a few switches on the side of the firearm.

"The cartridge," He spoke and the man handed him a glass vial full of blue liquid.

My heart began to beat wildly as he loaded the weapon.

Maxis turned to look around, and his eyes locked on me. "Edward, would you like to be the first to test it out in the field?" He gave a confident smile. I stepped up nervously.

He handed the gun to me.

I had never really used a gun before... should I be doing this?

My palms became sweaty and the cold metal warmed swiftly in my hands.

"The targets!" Yelled Maxis. Two men set up targets about 15 feet away.

Maxis nodded, and I shakily aimed down the sights. Three... Two... One.

I squeezed the trigger, and a glowing green energy bullet blew out of the gun's end, causing me to stumble backward. The shot hit the target and disintegrated it nearly completely, leaving the crowd to gasp.

"Huh... green..." I noticed, looking at the gun in my hands as the others began to clap.

"Perfect, Edward! Look what your work has achieved! Bravo!" He pat me on the back, and I gave a small smile.

"Thank you, Maxis." I nodded, ready to hand the gun back to him. But he had other plans.

"However, we can only truly test it... with what the most likely targets will be in war." Maxis' expression turned immediately ominous.

"Bring forth... the test subject."

My eyes widened suddenly in horror, as I wheeled to face the men again, who this time did not hold a metal target. It was alive, a man in chains. His face was scarred and beaten badly, his eyes seemingly gouged and his legs failing him completely. I took a step back.

"Wait, what the-" I looked at Ludvig in horror.

"Another volunteer, Edward... nothing more." He said, nonchalantly. "Would you do the honors?"

I gasped, noticing the way the other doctors had gone silent.

"What? Hey, this is madness! That's a human being, it'll kill him!" I protested.

"Is that not the point of weaponry? One day, Edward, you must see this, you know. People who do nothing for this world, do not have a reason to live. That man knows this. He failed in life. He gave himself to us and he knows what's coming."

I shook my head. "Are you... Maxis, you can't be serious! How can you... be so unaffected?"

"Fine, Edward, I understand if you don't want to do this. Give me the gun."

Before I could deny him, the gun was wrenched from my grip and pointed single-handedly at the man, who was writhing around.

"Wait, don't!" I reached my hand out but it was too late. The searing bullet flew straight toward the man, burning through his skin as he screamed out in agony. I turned away, feeling sickened, my mind scrambled.

My eyes widened and I shook my head in disbelief.

Again, again this had happened. Only this time... there was no one to comfort me, no one to calm down my anxiety attacks, no Eliza to lend a helping hand.

I was alone, with the depths of my new reality closing in on me quickly, as the man's screams got only that much louder.

"Just another casualty of war..." Maxis' distant voice echoed in the courtyard. "There will be many more to come."