TM 253: Awesome.
Author's Note: Set back during the Vietnam War, during the events that occurred in chapters 24-29 of the graphic novels, 'War Buddies' parts 1-6.
It was one of the few times Dallas had ever actually considered shooting one of his own men. Such a thing wasn't unheard of, as much as the U.S. government would've liked to believe otherwise. Men lost themselves out here. Out in the jungle, in the heat and the insanity, some simply snapped under the pressure.
Really, it was understandable. When you're under heavy Charlie fire and the V.C. snipers are blowing out the backs of skulls on men to your left and right, when your life is hanging by a thread and you're never more aware of it than you are right then, you're liable to lose control. You become a danger to the rest of your squad.
It was unspoken, but it was still there. Many men simply had to be taken down to save the lives of others. And Dallas firmly believed under that reasoning that it was necessary. It wasn't okay, it was horrible. He acknowledged that.
But this was war. Until those politicians chatting away in France managed to get it together and bring about some kind of peace, these things were liable to happen. Maybe even now.
There was, however, one problem. Dallas had no luxury of an excuse here. The boy sneaking along behind him through this jungle was not hysterical or insane. He was scared, but that was natural, and when you got down to it, they both were. Austin had done nothing to indicate that he was a threat to the new mission, the destruction of this paradise village they'd come across.
He didn't agree, he questioned, but he was willing to do the job. And that meant there was no reason for him to be harmed.
But Dallas couldn't escape the sense of fear every time the boy got too close, the one that compelled him to keep looking over his shoulder. Austin had saved his life with that incredible power of his, brought him back from becoming just another name lost in this hell. He'd see home again after they were finished here, all thanks to Austin.
But this wasn't natural. It wasn't normal, someone being able to play God like that. This boy could decide who lived and who died like it was nothing. All that was required was a simple touch.
It was terrifying. To think about it too long brought about possibilities his mind could barely handle, he'd had to shove it out for now. Later, he'd question, interrogate if he had to, although he wasn't sure Austin had a clue how this had happened to him anyway. But he'd have to try.
After they were through with Au Co.
Dallas went with the best plan he had. They were a squad of two, after all, and that wasn't much firepower at all. Still, with the explosives on the Skyhawk, he was sure they could pull this off. "We head in on my mark. Start with the hut on the far left, I'll start at the right. Meet in the middle."
He glanced down at Austin, who watched the villagers preparing for something down below. Planting, it looked like. For their next harvest. "Looks like a lot of civilians." He muttered quietly.
Dallas rolled his eyes and nodded to the two armed guards standing in front of the center hut. "Yeah? And what kind of civilian carries an M-16?"
The look he got in response went ignored.
They both turned their gazes back to the people assembled. The planters had finished sewing their seeds, and looked to the doorway of the hut they'd been working from. Moments passed before a girl emerged dressed entirely in white. A woman dressed in red, smiling with her hand folded behind her, followed the girl out.
The silence was immediate. Dallas frowned. "It doesn't add up." He muttered, more to himself than to Austin. "They'd need all kinds of equipment to farm this much land." But there was nothing. Just some planters.
And one little girl.
They received their answer shortly after. The girl smiled to everyone watching her, and took a deep breath, lowering her hands at her sides. Seeming to gather her strength, her hands suddenly shot up to the sky...
... And so did rows of freshly grown peppers.
There were more of them.
Dallas stared in disbelief at what lay before him. It should've taken months to build up that kind of crop, and she'd done it in seconds.
He saw Austin's expression change. There was pity, regret, he was becoming unsure. This girl was likely feeding the entire Viet Cong army, and Austin was thinking about sparing them.
Dallas knew better. He had a wife at home. A son who'd just taken his first steps. At home, he was Arthur Petrelli; lawyer, husband, and father. If that was going to continue, if no more lives were going to be lost in this fight, if this war was going to end, this village had to be destroyed. And the little girl with it.
As he set Austin straight and they moved into battle, Dallas knew that life would never be the same after this. Who knew how many more people like Austin and this little girl were out there in the world. People with God only knew what kind of power, people who could control everything.
He was at the door of something bigger than he could have ever imagined. Something that could decide the future of the entire world.
There would be no turning back from this.
And deep down, he knew he didn't want to.
Muse: Arthur Petrelli
Fandom: Heroes
Word Count: 931
It was one of the few times Dallas had ever actually considered shooting one of his own men. Such a thing wasn't unheard of, as much as the U.S. government would've liked to believe otherwise. Men lost themselves out here. Out in the jungle, in the heat and the insanity, some simply snapped under the pressure.
Really, it was understandable. When you're under heavy Charlie fire and the V.C. snipers are blowing out the backs of skulls on men to your left and right, when your life is hanging by a thread and you're never more aware of it than you are right then, you're liable to lose control. You become a danger to the rest of your squad.
It was unspoken, but it was still there. Many men simply had to be taken down to save the lives of others. And Dallas firmly believed under that reasoning that it was necessary. It wasn't okay, it was horrible. He acknowledged that.
But this was war. Until those politicians chatting away in France managed to get it together and bring about some kind of peace, these things were liable to happen. Maybe even now.
There was, however, one problem. Dallas had no luxury of an excuse here. The boy sneaking along behind him through this jungle was not hysterical or insane. He was scared, but that was natural, and when you got down to it, they both were. Austin had done nothing to indicate that he was a threat to the new mission, the destruction of this paradise village they'd come across.
He didn't agree, he questioned, but he was willing to do the job. And that meant there was no reason for him to be harmed.
But Dallas couldn't escape the sense of fear every time the boy got too close, the one that compelled him to keep looking over his shoulder. Austin had saved his life with that incredible power of his, brought him back from becoming just another name lost in this hell. He'd see home again after they were finished here, all thanks to Austin.
But this wasn't natural. It wasn't normal, someone being able to play God like that. This boy could decide who lived and who died like it was nothing. All that was required was a simple touch.
It was terrifying. To think about it too long brought about possibilities his mind could barely handle, he'd had to shove it out for now. Later, he'd question, interrogate if he had to, although he wasn't sure Austin had a clue how this had happened to him anyway. But he'd have to try.
After they were through with Au Co.
Dallas went with the best plan he had. They were a squad of two, after all, and that wasn't much firepower at all. Still, with the explosives on the Skyhawk, he was sure they could pull this off. "We head in on my mark. Start with the hut on the far left, I'll start at the right. Meet in the middle."
He glanced down at Austin, who watched the villagers preparing for something down below. Planting, it looked like. For their next harvest. "Looks like a lot of civilians." He muttered quietly.
Dallas rolled his eyes and nodded to the two armed guards standing in front of the center hut. "Yeah? And what kind of civilian carries an M-16?"
The look he got in response went ignored.
They both turned their gazes back to the people assembled. The planters had finished sewing their seeds, and looked to the doorway of the hut they'd been working from. Moments passed before a girl emerged dressed entirely in white. A woman dressed in red, smiling with her hand folded behind her, followed the girl out.
The silence was immediate. Dallas frowned. "It doesn't add up." He muttered, more to himself than to Austin. "They'd need all kinds of equipment to farm this much land." But there was nothing. Just some planters.
And one little girl.
They received their answer shortly after. The girl smiled to everyone watching her, and took a deep breath, lowering her hands at her sides. Seeming to gather her strength, her hands suddenly shot up to the sky...
... And so did rows of freshly grown peppers.
There were more of them.
Dallas stared in disbelief at what lay before him. It should've taken months to build up that kind of crop, and she'd done it in seconds.
He saw Austin's expression change. There was pity, regret, he was becoming unsure. This girl was likely feeding the entire Viet Cong army, and Austin was thinking about sparing them.
Dallas knew better. He had a wife at home. A son who'd just taken his first steps. At home, he was Arthur Petrelli; lawyer, husband, and father. If that was going to continue, if no more lives were going to be lost in this fight, if this war was going to end, this village had to be destroyed. And the little girl with it.
As he set Austin straight and they moved into battle, Dallas knew that life would never be the same after this. Who knew how many more people like Austin and this little girl were out there in the world. People with God only knew what kind of power, people who could control everything.
He was at the door of something bigger than he could have ever imagined. Something that could decide the future of the entire world.
There would be no turning back from this.
And deep down, he knew he didn't want to.
Muse: Arthur Petrelli
Fandom: Heroes
Word Count: 931