Disclaimer: All A-Team characters and concepts belong to their respective owners, not us. We do not claim any ownership, nor do we earn any profit, from these works.
Note: Part of the Not Over Yet universe, but not a fixed event.
Murdock was juggling several footballs now, occasionally catching one thrown at him and throwing another back at the kid. They were making a game out of it: how long could he keep them up in the air. At the same time, it was teaching the kids how to throw and catch properly. The pilot had come to understand that the best way to teach little kids skills was to use techniques that didn't seem like drills or chores. Later on when they had more patience and attention spans, you could focus on technique.
B.A. settled the coolers on the side of the field and eyed the time, a few more minutes and they could take a break. He watched Murdock and nodded in approval of what was going on, it looked like utter chaos, but he knew that the Crazy Man was teaching them basics but it a fun way. He watched the older kids as they scrimmaged and then checked the time again, "Break time!" He called out, blowing the whistle and watched as the kids rushed towards the coolers.
Murdock wiped his brow; it was hot under the midday sun, and he headed over as well, leaving the footballs in a small heap on the ground.
"Important to rehydrate." he put on a scholarly voice, to some giggles. "Replacement of electrolytes. To quench one's thirst is to replenish one's fighting spirit." he took a drink. "Ahhh."
B.A. nodded, "Murdock's right so drink up." He took a bottle of water himself and took a long drink of it. It was then he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and arched a brow. He glanced at Murdock and then back down and almost did his usual customary yell of annoyance but then got a better idea. Instead he just ignored what he was sure was a water balloon floating just below the ice in one of the coolers and waited for the opportune moment.
It hadn't been his best idea to hide the water balloons in the cooler, knowing that B.A. would have full access to them, but he hadn't really had time to pack them anywhere else. If the big man found them, so be it - they were just water.
The pilot sat down on the grass and relaxed for a moment, wiping his brow again and tipping a little water into his hands to cool them down.
His first thought was to pick one up and take aim himself… but his second thought seemed like a better idea. He snagged a couple of the kids and explained the idea to him, pointing over at Murdock innocently sitting there and showed them the water balloons. The kids nodded and laughed, grabbing some of the balloons and headed towards Murdock with them, problem was the kids decided not only to get Murdock but B.A. as well who suddenly found himself trying to duck and dive to avoid the balloons being sent his way, "Hey! I told you to get Murdock!"
"We thought you needed to cool off too!" One of the kids exclaimed before the rest joined them and began to attack both B.A. and Murdock unmercifully.
"Ack!" Murdock laughed and danced away, some of the balloons missing but mostly getting soaked. He grabbed onto one of the flagpoles and shimmied up a few feet, laughing as the kids kept throwing them. "Not at me, at him!"
B.A. was trying to get to the coolers to get some balloons and get even, but the kids had created their own barrier to keep them from getting anywhere near it, "Not fair! We're out numbered!" He said with a laugh, trying to sound grumpy and like his usual angry self but falling a little short of it.
"He told us to get you!" One of the older boys stated as he pelted Murdock with balloon and chuckled at how good his aim was.
"Nice shot!" B.A. called out impressed until the same kid turned and pelted him as well.
"Thanks Mr. Baracus!"
"I'm gonna get you for that!" B.A. took after the kid, managing to snag a water balloon that someone had dropped and tossing it at him, "It's payback time kids!" He grinned as they all scattered, the girls letting out high pitched shrieks between giggles as he carefully began to toss water balloons back at them after finally getting through the blockade around the coolers.
Murdock, in the mean-time, had come down from the pole and was dragging one of the coolers away from the main group towards a bit of a low hurdles fence. Some of the kids followed him, and he began lobbing the water balloons at B.A. and the other group.
"Hey!" B.A. Sputtered as one of the balloons Murdock lobbed at him hit him right in the fact, "Who's side you on Crazy Man!" He threw a balloon back at the Captain, as they all seemed to break up into two teams and yet still managed to also fight amongst themselves as well.
It was a good way to exercise and an even better way to cool off in the balmy last days of summer heat of southern California. B.A. made sure to keep the older kids from throwing too hard at their younger team mates as the water war went on, "We need a game plan." He decided suddenly and motioned his team over and huddled with them, every so often some of them would look up eye towards the area Murdock had gathered some kids and look back down with a chuckle.
"Okay. Break. Let's do this!" B.A. helped the kids charge towards the other team, throwing water balloons as fast as they could while some of the other kids hung back and grabbed the cooler and began to sneak around to the back of where Murdock was.
Murdock sighed. "Oh, the responsibilities of the general." he put two kids on lookout duty and sent two into the field to dodge and get better shots while the others made bucket-brigade-style chains, passing from one kid to another. The guards spotted the sneakers, and pelted them until they dropped their quarry and ran back.
Where Murdock was more of a strategist, B.A. was all out full attack. He directed his team like a machine, pushing them forward and he right along with them in the front like a large shield taking most of the hits as they gave counter attacks, "Look for a hole and charge in there!" He instructed the kids with the cooler who kept having to fall back from the assault they were getting, "Chad, Jeffery, Alex! Go give them cover!" He motioned three of the larger boys on his side towards them and then tried to help the rest draw the opposing teams attention away from the surprise attack they were mounting.
Murdock was in full-on director mode. "Joey! Sam! Right and cover, you follow Max and Dustin!" he gestured with his arm, helping the kids load up. He had some smaller ones on his side, and it helped because they were watching specifically for sneak attacks. Nothing would get past them, not at all.
B.A. watched his friend's strategy closely, at the moment he couldn't see a way around but when you couldn't go around you went through… or at least that was how he saw it, "Direct all attacks to the front line guys! Slow'em down!" He instructed and as he grabbed some water balloons and took aim pacifically at Murdock, "I'll handle their leader!" He said with a smirk and began to fire balloon after balloon at the Pilot to keep him distracted from anything else.
Murdock scowled and ducked down behind the small hurdle wall. "Take down their leader, squadron!" he commanded.
"Uh oh." Suddenly every water balloon that was being thrown from Murdock's side was sent in B.A. direction. The Sergeant did his best to dodge as many as he could, but it was quite the onslaught, "Ack!" He slipped on some of the wet grass and landed hard on the ground with a cry of surprise, "Gah!" Around him the kids laughed, amused that such a big man could be brought down like that.
"!" Murdock yelled, as every child descended upon the big man, even the pilot himself, dancing and laughing and clapping his hands in the air.
"I…" He was instantly covered in kids of all sizes and ages laughing and breaking what remaining water balloons there were over his head, "told you…" B.A. glared at Murdock, but was laughing, especially because one of the kids kept trying to climb across his ribs, "no…" roar of laughter, "dog piles… ack! Not the ribs!" When they realized the big guy was ticklish there, some of the kids pounced on the opportunity, "Uncle! Uncle! I surrender!" He cried out while finally standing up, a kid or two hanging from his arms around his neck, legs and waist as he moved towards Murdock, "Your turn Crazy Man. Get'em!" B.A. ordered and watched as the group took off after the pilot, giving him a moment to catch his breath.
Murdock whooped and grabbed the cooler, dumping the contents - water and a few remaining balloons - onto the oncoming kids, laughing as he dropped it, then let himself be pulled down, rolling to avoid being hurt and just letting the kids pin him down. It was just too much fun.
B.A. smirked as he walked over and looked down at Murdock, "I win. Ha ha." He said proud of himself, figuring it was all said and done until he felt the ice cold water of the second cooler splash over him, "That is cold!" He said with a shake of his large frame and turned, shaking his head as he gave the kids a mock evil eye making them laugh.
"No. We won. You and Mr. Murdock lost." One of the older boys stated matter-of-factly, folding his arms in the fashion B.A. tended to do.
"I consider it a victory." Murdock said, smiling as he sat up, kids still hanging on him like barnacles. "One great victory. Over the heat of the day!"
"I can agree with that. Be so glad when this danged weather changes." B.A. nodded and eyed the time, "Well it's lunch time. Come on let's see what kinda grub they got for us today. Let's go troops." He ushered them towards the inside as he bent down to pick up the coolers and right them putting their lids back on them.
Murdock headed inside with the kids, making sure they all stayed together and kept fairly in line, waiting for B.A. once they'd all headed to the cafeteria.
They'd clean the broken balloons up after lunch he decided as he headed in, stomach growling. They had cold sandwiches, some grapes and carrots sticks. B.A. waited until everyone else got what they wanted before he loaded up, he always did that considering he ate as much as five of the bigger kids tended to eat.
"Why you got no grapes?" One of the kids asked him curiously.
"Cuz I don't like'em."
"Why not?"
B.A. eyed the kid's tray, "Why don't you got any carrots?"
"Cuz they're yucky." The kid answered defiantly.
"Well I think grapes are yucky. So there ya go squirt." He stated with a chuckle before taking a large bite of sandwich number one.
Murdock had some of everything, and had piled most of it in his sandwich. Other kids were egging him on, trying to see how much he could stuff in before the top fell off. He was making circus music noises, and grinning at the attention.
B.A. just shook his head slowly, "Crazy Fool." He muttered, but watched despite how silly he thought it was just to see as well how much the Pilot could pile on it, "You gotta try to take a bite when you're all done. I dare ya." He challenged Murdock with an amused grin.
"Yeah! You gotta try to eat it!" Some of the kids chimed in agreeing with B.A.
"I don't know, guys, are you sure I can open my mouth that big?" Murdock teased. Then he grinned, opened wide like a snake unhinging its jaw, and seemingly effortlessly took a bite. Kids shrieked in amusement and applauded as the pilot tried not to choke.
B.A. watched as well just in case he had to do the Heimlich or something, "Crazy man." He said shaking his head, he didn't really believe he would try it but then again it didn't surprise him either. Some of the other volunteers and workers were even watching with bated breath as the man actually pulled the feat off, "You part snake there Murdock?" B.A. had to ask with amusement in his tone.
"I am many things." Murdock said slyly, once he'd cleared his mouth. From then on he only took normal bites - his jaw hurt a little.
B.A. shook his head slowly, "Does science know bout you? You should be studied by more than just Shrinks." He suggested in an amused tone, but he was kind of serious… Murdock was an enigma that he was all too sure some smart dudes would love to get their hands on and figure out what made him tick. Personally however, B.A. didn't want to know. Some things in his opinion were meant to stay mysteries and Murdock was definitely one of them.
"Man was not meant to be examined." Murdock said sternly, finishing his sandwich and helping himself to more grapes and carrots.