Seoul Survivors"
The pungent odor of of Kimchi, cigarette smoke and stale beer filled the air as Napoleon Solo finally opened his eyes. He crinkled his nose when it all assaulted his senses, wishing it away along with the little man with the hammer that was pounding the inside of his skull.
"You okay Billy?" he mumbled.
"Huh...yeah, I'm alive. How you doing Naps?
Lieutenant Napoleon Solo lifted his head from the bar, peeling away a cardboard coaster advertising Japanese Asahi beer that was stuck to his cheek.
"Uuugh," he moaned, "does that answer your question?"
"Guess so," Billy said as he pushed himself upright. "Where's Bob?"
"Dunno," Napoleon spoke in a barely audible whisper.
Of the thousands of bars in the city they had to pick this one, the old Ho Bar, not called that because it was near the top of hooker's hill where the pimps and prostitutes hung their open for business signs, but because ho is the Korean word pronounced hanja meaning good, like in Chinese as in Ni Hao.
Suddenly a man came hurtling across the room, landing on top of a rickety wooden table smashing it to bits, followed by another man spinning out of control as he crumpled to the floor.
"Ummm, that would be Scotty Bob now I think," Napoleon said, turning to face the beginnings of the carnage.
They heard a mans voice roar as they watched him fall into the room, several bodies in Marine uniforms hanging on, trying to pound the crap out of him.
"Should we help him?"Billy asked.
Napoleon ran his hands across his face, reached back to the bar, a ndgrabbing the bottle of warm beer that stood there; he took a swig from it.
"Yeah, why not?"
"Yee-ha! The big red-headed man let out a whoop. "Ándale caballeros!" (let's go gentlemen!) Napoleon Solo and Billy Brasch immediately came out swinging, joining in the fray, coming to their buddy's assistance.
It became three against nine by the time the fight turned into a full-out bar brawl and was over just as the M.P.s arrived. The Marines laying scattered, sprawled out all over the nearly demolished bar as the Military Police just stood, shaking their heads when they saw who was left standing...again.
.
Lieutenant Napoleon Solo, Sergeant William Brasch and Lieutenant Robert Mac Kenna stood at attention with blackened eyes and bruised jaws in front of their commanding officer, Colonel Allan Morgan.
The man spoke to them firmly with his Southern drawl evident in his voice.
"What the hell were you three thinking? I give you a couple of days R & R in Seoul and the first thing you do is head to the nearest bar, get drunk out of your minds and destroy the place! Six of those Marines are in the hospital! If I didn't need you on an assignment, I'd have the three of you hauled off to the stockade for this!"
The vein was now beginning to protrude on the Colonel's neck as his face reddened with each passing moment.
"This shit has got to stop, do you read me? This cavalier, cocky attitude just sets you up for trouble. Right now I could have you up on charges for damaging government property, and that property being your sorry asses!"
He focused his attention, with his face coming within a hair's breath of Napoleon's.
"And you Solo, you should know better with your background and education...why what would your father think sort of this nonsense?"
Their commanding officer paused for a moment, shoving the mouthpiece of his pipe into his mouth and puffing on it as he relit the tobacco for the third time.
"Colonel, permission to speak freely sir?" Napoleon asked.
"Granted."
"Sir we didn't start this, and we weren't looking for trouble. The Marines started it by jumping Corporal Mac Kenna."
"That's not the first time I've heard that sort of line Solo."
Morgan squinted at Scotty Bob, eyeing him for a moment."Is this true soldier?"
"Sir, yes sir." Mac Kenna replied sharply.
"And what exactly was the reason that said Marines jumped you?"
"I told them to eat shit and die sir."
Billy Brasch stifled a laugh.
"And why did you say that to them Corporal?"
"They impuned your honor sir."
"Impuned my honor? I didn't think a grunt like you would even know a phrase like that!"
"Lieutenant Solo taught it to me sir. He taught me in Latin, Nemo me impugn lacissite, means no one provokes me with impunity. But I figured those Gyrenes did provoke me with impunity sir.
Morgan was impressed with that answer. "All right then boy, you tell me how exactly that inference was applied to me?" He strutted around, circling the three men with his hands clasped behind him back.
"They said you were a pussy sir, and knew more about drinking tea with your pinky up than you did about fighting this man's war...they called you a real momma's boy."
The Colonel stopped dead in his tracks, paused for a moment then spoke.
"They did, did they... Lieutenant Solo?"
"Sir?"
"Son you keep teaching these men the meaning of words like impugn and honor. Well done...now dismissed!"
He waved them off with flick his hand, sending them away as they saluted.
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*author's note: this can be read as a stand alone, but "Brothers Old and New" introduces Billy and Scotty Bob