Chapter 3: New Recruit
A/N: Just saying, there's going to be a lot of swearing in this chapter (specifically at the end)
As always, enjoy and review!
—
As the train halted to a stop and the horn blared out, its noise startled the sleeping pile within.
Kat rubbed her eyes while the lynx and wolf sat up attentively, ears pricked. She smiled sleepily and rubbed the pair's ears, cooing soothingly to them.
The train door slid open with a squeal, and Kat instinctively held on tighter to her furry bundles. When nothing happened, she released the breath she had been holding and stood up.
"So, I don't know if you're supposed to stay in you cages or not, but I suppose that since I'm probably going to be your new 'trainer,' you can come with. But," She said sharply, holding up a finger to their faces, "you aren't allowed to bite anybody and you must stay quiet. Sound like a deal?" Kat frowned. "Actually, come to think of it, I haven't even given you two names yet. What should we call you little guys?"
The wolf pup bounced over to the lynx kitten and charged into it. The kitten hissed and bit into the pup as it ran into it.
"Ah. I know," Kat muttered, "we'll call you, you little pain-in-the-ass, Jock, and you can be Snap because you like to bite Jock a lot." Jock and Snap gave their brawl a momentary pause to show their appreciation for the woman before returning to their playful swipes and nips.
Kat placed the pair on the top of her box and firmly pressed it to her chest. She approached the door, and, swallowing nervously, exited the train.
It was a desert. Everything. She didn't know where the train had taken her, but now she was in a dry, hot desert.
A short man wearing a hard hat came sprinting up to her.
"Ah'm sorry! Ah was kept up by those dirt-eatin' scoundrels!" He huffed and slowed down when he reached her, and he bent over for a moment. "Oh boy, ah gotta stop tryna' run 'round everywhere." He straightened and tipped his hat respectfully.
"Well, welcome to — wait a gosh darn minute!" He gawked at her. "You're a lady!" Kat shrugged.
"Yeeeeaaahhhhh?"
"What in tarnation are you doin' down here?! You sure you have the right address?"
"Yes I'm sure!" Kat snapped. "Why wouldn't I be?" The short man seemed genuinely confused, so she decided to prod for an answer.
"Why?"
"Why what, darlin'?"
"Why is me being a girl such a bad thing?"
"Oh, now — ah didn' mean it like that, darlin'. 'S just, we don' have many ladies come out an' visit us."
"Oh?" Now it was Kay's turn to be confused. "Why would that be?"
"Well, ya see, our profession isn't really that —"
"YO, HARDHAT! TELL THAT NUMBNUT MANIAC 'TA GET DA HELL AWAY FROM ME BEFORE I BAT ITS PRETTY 'LIL FACE OFF!"
"—likable." The man finished, casting the newcomer a withering glare. "Agh dag-nabbit. Ah'm sorry again, miss, but ah gotta take care 'o my coworkers. Ehm, excuse me."
The squat man marched off to a lanky young man with a baseball bat and cap. A shorter...man? Woman? Kat couldn't tell. The person was in a red hazmat suit and was striding over to the young man, holding up a gigantic — flamethrower?!
"Pyro! What did ah I tell ya about tryna' set Scout on fire? That ain't polite!" Pyro glanced over at the squat Texan.
"Huddah hudd mmpf mrr!" It cried, pointing over at the slim youngster.
"Scout! Doggonit, ah told ya not 'ta throw your baseball every which way 'n that!"
"Yea, but 'e's tryna' set me on fire, Engie! I didn' do nothin' to him!" Scout whined. Then he turned over and finally noticed you. "Oh hey, Sweetcheeks! Want some 'a this?" He asked, flexing his small biceps.
"Nah, I think I'm good. Besides, I don't like my meat that stringy, Stringbean." Scout scoffed, offended.
"Scout," The Texan man started.
"Stringbean?! Oh, I'll show you —!"
"SCOUT!" The young man stopped instantly. "Dagnabbit, Scout, ah will demand Pyro to go 'n kick your ass if ya' don' cut it out now!" The Texan snarled, pointing threateningly at Pyro.
"Nah Engie, I'm good. But, guess I'll see ya around, huh Sweetcheeks?" Scout winked, and sprinted away when Engie swatted at him and shouted 'git!' after him. With everything settled down now again, Engie huffed.
"Ah'm sorry again, miss. Scout 's just an overgrown toddler." Kat chuckled at that. "'Llow me 'ta introduce myself; ah'm Dell. Ah'm jus' the Engineer, but ya can call me Engie too. This here is Pyro. He's our little fire-guy." He said, patting the pyromaniac on the arm. Pyro chirped happily and waved at Kat. She grinned and waved back to it. "Back there," He started, voice going low again, "was Scout. He's 'gotta loud mouth and grieves 'bout everythin,' but we 'haffta keep 'im."
"Why's that?" Kat asked.
"'Cause we ain't got no other replacement for that damned nuisance," Engie grumbled. Pyro and Kat both giggled. Jock and Snap poked out from behind the box she was carrying.
"Oh, I'm sorry little guys!" She said, placing her box down. She set the pup and kitten on top, and they immediately took up protective stances against the engineer and Pyro. "Whoa, hey, it's okay, they're friendly, you two!" Jock's ear twitched and Snap bared her small teeth.
"These two yours? My, their lookin' mahty frightening for a couple 'o whippershnappers," Engie commented playfully. Pyro reached out to pet them and Snap sprang forward, clawing and screeching at the poor firebug. But Pyro seemed unaffected, and clapped happily.
Snap returned to Jock's side, still looking like a fluff ball, and Kat scooped both of them up.
"Okay, since I can't trust you two to go five minutes without fighting," Kat laughed, "I'm just going to have to carry you. Would either of you mind carrying that for me? It's got all the junk that I need."
"Why, certainly!" The Engineer grinned, "Anythin' for a fine lady like yaself." The squat man picked it up easily and began trudging forward. "This way...what's ya name, darlin'? Don' think ah caught it."
"It's Kat."
"Well, this way, Kat." He said.
The engineer led her over to a large, wooden building. It appeared sort of rundown, with boards that were only half-on and rotted, but as they entered, it seemed to be much better taken care of inside rather than out.
The walls and floors were cemented, and they walked into a large room, a heavy table sitting in tinge middle. The table was currently being occupied by about four or five other men, and one of them, a black man with a patch over one of his eyes, pointed at them.
"Aye!" He called out. "Whot're you doin' here?"
"This is the new 'ddition to the team, Demo. This is Kat. Kat, that is Demo."
"Hallo Madchën!" Another man exclaimed in German. "Wie geht es dir mein Freundin?"
"Agh, gut, danke." Kat replied. The German seemed startled.
"Sprechst du Deutsch?" He asked.
"Ja, aber ein bisschen," She said.
"Whot are ya bloody wankers tolkin' about?" A tall, slender Australian asked.
"Sie sprechten Deutsch!" The German cried out, clapping his hands together like a four-year old at a candy shop.
"Say, ya know some German, Kat?" Dell asked. She grinned.
"Yeah. Just a little bit, though."
"How, lass?" The cyclops questioned.
"My mother was born in Munich, so I learned bits and pieces from her. I also studied some at school," she added.
"Ich bin sehr glücklich jetzt!"
"Dokter, stop speaking in mother tongue. That ees rude." A massive man bellowed, prodding the delighted German.
"Ah, es tut mir leid —"
"STOP SPEAKIN' BLOODY GERMAN YA MONGREL!" Snarled the Australian.
"Dude, chill, he was just saying sorry,"
Kat explained disapprovingly.
"YEA? WELL 'E 'COULDA SAID IT IN BLOODY ENGLISH!" Sniper retorted.
"Snipah, stahp yellin' so loud or you'll turn inta' Soldier," Dell growled.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT ME, MAGGOTS?!" Screamed another man, an oversized helmet swinging around on his head. "IF ANY OF YOU MISERABLE LADIES JUST CAN'T HANDLE MY AMERICAN PATRIOTISM — oh hello."
"Seriously? Miserable ladies?" Kat said. "That's the worse insult you got?"
"Well, no, but —"
"I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR GODDAMN OPINION YOU FUCKIN OVERSIZED DICK-SUCKING, PUSSY-EATING WEASEL! GO BACK HOME AND SUCK ON YO MAMA'S TIT YOU GIGANTIC ASSHAT!"
Soldier, for once, was left speechless, and the rest of the team burst out laughing.
"OY, LASS! YA DUNNO WHOT YOU JUST DID!" Demo cried out, laughing so hard he was wheezing. The others were also enjoying the sight of this young woman telling Soldier off completely.
"Heavy approves of leetle baby-girl." Heavy declared.
"Ja! Ich auch!"
Kat looked around at all these smiling faces (Soldier included) and grinned to herself.
I think I'm going to like it here, she thought.
