Multi fandom fic for Veteran's Day. Post BoO, WaW, etc. Yes, I made up everything except for Captain Zhang's profile. What happened was that the Midnighters and the wizards and the demigods all go to Goode High, so they all submitted profiles for the friends who had served in their wars and their battles.
-Beth M
~Line break of awesomeness~
"… one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." The drone of student voices died away, replaced with the thump of thousands of butts hitting the bleachers simultaneously. Danny Glover sighed, just another boring assembly. Okay, not as boring as the pep rallies from the last two weeks, since he stood with nearly everyone else when the principal asked who had friends or family members serving. But still so, so boring.
He groaned. He'd forgotten the Warrior's Profile for his great-grandfather.
Kit Rodriguez sat three rows away from Danny, right next to some kid from trig. Dess Hall, that was her name. She was staring off into space as if remembering shittier days. He had his own shitty days to remember.
Percy Jackson wanted to scream in frustration. Couldn't these chattering crowds see what they were devaluing by not paying attention?
Thankfully his groan died in his mouth as one of the teachers- Mr. Mack, the World History teacher, who he wouldn't have until next year- got up to talk about his Vietnam War days.
Roland Mack coughed to get the students' attention. Some of them shut up immediately- the demigods, for one, and the wizards (he'd become a bit of a clearinghouse for supernatural information after the whole Pullulus business, along with Mr. Milhouse)- but the mortals took a few minutes.
He cleared his throat before he started. "Some of you," he began, "understand war through photographs and the news."
Several students nodded.
"Some of you have lost family members- even parents and siblings- to war."
Others bent their heads in memory.
"And some of you"- he paused- "have seen the chaos war can inflict firsthand."
He thought about the eighth of November, 1965, and the song began to play in his head as he stumbled through his next words. Through the confusion in the audience and the confusion in his mind, he had no idea how he'd managed to finish, but finish he did, and he nodded at Danny, who started the Warriors' Profile PowerPoint. He was one of the only people who knew that some of the profiles were false, and that some of them were true.
Captain Emily Zhang. Canadian army. Died May 19th, 2011, in Afghanistan.
Lieutenant Commander Carl Romeo. U.S. Army. 1981- present day.
Lieutenant Commander Thomas Swale. U.S. Army. 1981- present day.
Sergeant Luke Castellan. Died in battle, August 18th, 2010.
Corporal Silena Beauregard. Died in battle, August 18th, 2010.
Private Anathea Collins. U.S. Air Force. Died in battle, October 13th, 2005.
The names went on and on as Toby Keith sang and the veterans of war bowed their heads in memory.
This would have worked better for Memorial Day, but I'm already planning a fic for that, so…
Song of the fic: 8th of November, Big and Rich.
Dedicated to: My father, Petty Officer Craig Mc******, served in the Cold War during the 1980s on the sub USS Haddock, stationed in the Pacific Ocean; retired December 2001.
-Beth M
Note: Thank goodness for spellcheck, because I spelled lieutenant differently both times I used it, and I spelled it wrong both times.
Posting schedule: Last chapter for The Story the Rings Told will be posted Tuesday; next fanfiction will be posted on Thanksgiving and centered around the Blofis-Jackson family. Hopefully I'll find the time to update Heavens Fall and What She Left Behind in there as well. Goodbye and see you tomorrow, my peeps.