"What are you saying?" Adrian tilted his head to the side, surprised by the sudden request from Herrera.
"I am a soldier, and I swore an oath to protect this country—foreign and dostic. I just can’t be cooped up in this place while everything is happening out there," Herrera continued firmly.
Adrian looked at him for a mont.
Then back at the aircraft.
"I’m not questioning your abilities," Adrian said. "You’re a pilot. I know that."
Herrera didn’t speak.
"You fly the FA-50," Adrian added, nodding slightly toward the line of aircraft behind them.
Herrera followed his gaze.
"Yeah."
Adrian looked back at the F-35.
"But this?" he said. "This is different."
Herrera stayed silent.
"This isn’t just another jet," Adrian continued. "It’s a completely different system. Avionics, flight control, sensor integration—it’s not sothing you just hop into because you know how to fly."
Herrera let out a breath.
"I can learn."
"I know you can," Adrian replied. "But not like this. Not under pressure. Not without training. And not without risking the aircraft."
That part landed.
Herrera looked back at the F-35 again.
"...Then what do you want to do?" he asked. "Just sit around?"
Adrian didn’t answer right away.
He thought for a second.
Then—
"We have assets out there," he said.
Herrera looked at him.
"Scattered," Adrian continued. "Aircraft, vehicles... things we haven’t recovered yet."
That wasn’t entirely true.
But it was enough.
"If we secure sothing you’re qualified to operate," Adrian added, "then you fly."
Herrera’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Like another FA-50?"
"Or anything within your envelope," Adrian said.
Silence.
Herrera studied him for a second.
"...And if we don’t find one?"
Adrian shrugged slightly.
"Then we keep looking."
It wasn’t a promise.
But it wasn’t a rejection either.
Herrera exhaled slowly.
"...I just want to be useful," he said.
Adrian nodded.
"I know."
He glanced at the aircraft one last ti.
"If we recover sothing," Adrian added, "it’s yours to fly."
Herrera gave a small nod.
"...Understood."
But as Adrian turned slightly, his thoughts were elsewhere.
Because he already knew how this worked. If the system gave him an aircraft, It wouldn’t co alone. It would co complete. Pilot and crew included.
Which ant this wasn’t sothing he could guarantee.
Still, there were other ways. Abandoned bases. Grounded fleets.
Aircraft left behind when everything collapsed.
But without those first, Herrera is not flying.
However, there’s still other ways he could serve.
"You have completed the basic military program of the Philippine Air Force," Adrian continued, turning back to him. "That ans you’re still a soldier first before you’re a pilot."
Herrera looked at him.
Adrian held his gaze.
"Which ans you don’t have to stay grounded doing nothing," he said and added. "You can deploy as a ground troop."
Herrera blinked once.
"...Infantry?" he asked.
"Not just infantry," Adrian replied. "Field operations. Security teams. Recovery missions. You already have discipline, training, and situational awareness. You won’t start from zero."
Herrera let that sink in.
"I didn’t train to be a grunt," he said.
"No one trains for this," Adrian answered calmly. "But this is where we are."
Silence stretched between them.
Outside, the distant sound of engines echoed across the base.
Herrera looked down for a second.
Then back up.
"...You’re serious," he said.
Adrian nodded.
"You want to serve?" he asked. "Then serve where you’re needed."
Herrera exhaled slowly.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"...What kind of missions?" he asked.
"Scavenging," Adrian said. "Fuel runs. Urban sweeps. Retrieval operations. Our n are running around the clock, trying to sustain this base. We will need soone of your expertise to lead when things go wrong," Adrian finished. "You’ve flown missions. You’ve made decisions under pressure. That translates."
Herrera’s eyes stayed on him.
"You won’t just be another rifle," Adrian added. "You’ll be attached to a team as a second-in-command. You observe. You learn the ground flow. And when it matters—you take control if needed."
That shifted sothing.
"You’re putting in leadership?" Herrera asked.
"I’m giving you responsibility," Adrian replied. "Earn the rest."
A pause.
Herrera let out a slow breath, then nodded once.
"Alright," he said. "If that’s where I’m needed."
Adrian gave a small nod.
"It is."
He stepped closer to the side of the hangar, glancing at a rack where rifles were lined up for issue.
"Your first deploynt won’t be a deep run," Adrian continued. "Short-range. Controlled environnt. Fuel recovery from nearby stations. You get used to movent, contact, and team coordination."
Herrera followed his gaze.
"And if things go south?" he asked.
Adrian didn’t hesitate.
"Then you do what you’ve always done," he said. "Assess. Decide. Act."
"You know, it feels like I’m not talking to a man in his early twenties or barely in twenties. You sure do speak as if you have a lot of experience. Which makes wonder how you were in command of this place."
"I never said I was the commander of this base."
"But one of your soldiers already slipped. I asked them, turns out you didn’t give them a proper briefing. You don’t want us learning that you actually own the base."
"No, so of the civilians already knew, and they were with since the early days of the apocalypse. But yeah, since you learned the truth, there it is."
"I understand why you would do that. I won’t question it. It is just my curiosity. Very well, sir. I will make sure that I can contribute to your private military company and join you on a mission to retake our country from the infected."
"An to that brother," Adrian said as he extended his hands and made a fist, offering a fist bump.
Herrera bumped his fist onto Adrian.
Adrian held the fist bump for a brief second before pulling his hand back.
"Then it’s settled," he said.
Herrera nodded.
"Welco to the company," Adrian said.
Herrera let out a short breath.
"...Feels strange hearing that," he admitted.
"It’ll feel normal soon," Adrian replied.
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