Chapter 4: first strike.

Doll had gathered all of her belongings, everything she would need to show the men who she was and what skills she could bring to them. Putting all her medical supplies into the black bag attached to her belt.

She left her room and walked down towards the kitchen, getting ready for her official introduction.

"Oh, are you new here?" asked an unfamiliar voice.

Doll turned around, looking into the gold like visor of a purple clad soldier.

"Yes, I am, who are you?" she asked.

"I'm this area's medic, and it's my duty to do a medical check on all new personnel," he smiled brightly.

"Yes well, there will be no need for that," she smiled back.

"Well I must tell you that it's my job to do so."

"Yes, and I must inform you I would know of your job, sir, I am a medic," she continued to smiled, not showing her irritation with the purple medic.

The man in front of her blinked, making an 'Oh' sound. Wash walked into the kitchen.

"Looks like you met Doc, the others will be here shortly Kingston," he said casually, either oblivious to what had just occurred in the kitchen, or just didn't care.

"Thank you Wash, I'll set up then," she started unloading her basic equipment from the pouches and laid them neatly on the table.

"Wow, that's more then I get," Doc whispered.

"I was given the best in order to keep my men alive until Evac comes and takes them to a cruiser or a nearby working hospital," she replied, ignoring Doc's expression. Not everyone…no normal person could have heard a whisper so soft, and answer properly.

Tucker and Caboose walked down to the kitchen. They smiled at her, Caboose a bright playful grin that spread from one ear to the next. Tucker was more of a sincere smiled, like 'it's nice to see you.' Doll smiled at them both then waved them in, motioning that they take a seat or stand on the opposite side of the table.

Caboose was about to say something, but Tucker stopped him, pushing him towards the other side of the table.

"You wanted to see us?" Tucker asked.

"Yes, and I'm glad you told the others, this will make things far easier," she smiled.

Doll cleared her throat and stood straight, with her hands behind her back.

"Gentlemen, my name is Doll Kingston, S…uh, medic of the UNSC, I have been deployed out here, being told that your squad had, well, needed another medic to try and keep your death rate to a minimum," she started. "As you may have noticed I have been equipped with the best the military can offer to help you guys, I have also surpassed my colleges in battle.

"Alright that sounds promising," Wash said, wondering even more as to why she was here.

"Wait, let me get this straight, you're a medic, and you can shoot a gun and not miss?" Tucker asked. "I'm beginning to like her even more."

"I liked her first!" Caboose cried out.

Doll giggled. "Thank you, yes I'm a very capable soldier, mastering in multiple kinds of martial arts, I can also do much more depending on the situation."

Wash eyed her, he may not have been in the UNSC for long, but he knew that equipment was top grade, not handed out to just any medic.

Doc seemed impress, he bombarded her with many questions one of them being where she studied. Doll had paused a bit, unsure how to answer that, ultimately she said she studied in an UNSC cruiser when she had joined. She learned quickly and was promoted swiftly.


Zero was waiting in the mongoose, he was early, but unwilling to be in the same room as Simmons, feeling that he was only going to make things worse if he stayed. He got that feeling from the man that being praised by their sergeant had more meaning to Simmons then it did Zero.

"So it's true then?" Someone asked, he sounded bored, or was it lazy?

Zero didn't need to turn to meet the unknown man, his HUD allowed him to see everything around him.

"Hmm?" He asked not moving from his relaxed position on the mongoose.

"You're the new guy, got Sarge's approval, Simmons's envy, and making me work," the man continued.

All the while Zero was pulling up his profile on his HUD with the blink of an eye.

"I'm guessing you're that Grif guy huh?" he asked.

"Heard about me already, yeah that's me," he said unimpressed.

"Yeah, not so great of a report Grif," Zero chuckled.

"Yeah, and all I hear is great things about you," Grif scoffed.

"Fun shit," Zero smirked.

"Smoke?"

Zero looked up at him, thought about it for a moment then held his hand out.

"Yeah, I could go for one right now," he said as he used his free hand to take off his helmet.

Grif tossed him the pack watching Zero catch it easily, taking one out of the pack, and then flicking it back. Grif caught it with less grace as Zero, but still caught it. He picked one himself, and then lit it. He tossed the lighter to Zero and the process continued.

They took about two puffs before Grif continued their conversation.

"If you're so good, why didn't the military keep you?" he asked.

Zero smiled. "Your squad has more fun than them, plus, it was this or dishonorable discharge," he snickered.

"You don't say, what did you do?" Grif asked.

"Disobeyed direct orders, and…" He paused, and there was a painful silence. "And unauthorized on field surgery."

"Did you save their lives?"

"No, she died, I was too late, plus, I was, I'm still, not a medic," he puffed.

Grif nodded her head. "Sorry about that," he mumbled.

"It was a long time ago, they just keep moving me," Zero shrugged.

"Grif! Don't talk to the new requite, I don't want your laziness to rub off on him!" Sarge yelled.

"Yeah, like that's possible," Grif said sarcastically.

"We're ready to go?" Zero asked putting out his cigarette on the dirt floor, blowing his last puff of smoke, and picking up his helmet.

"Yes soldier!" Sarge beamed. "Get in the warthog Grif, we're leaving."

"Shotgun."

"Shotgun…damn it!" Came Simmons voice.

Zero stood up, put his helmet on and waited for Donut. The pink armored soldier skipped to his side.

"Do you know how to fire a rocket launcher?" Zero asked.

"Yeah, I also have an amazing arm," Donut beamed.

"Uh…yeah, get on the back of the mongoose, we'll be taking point," Zero said sitting down in the driver's seat.

Donut picked up the rocket launcher and got on the back of the mongoose.

"Hold on tight," he smirked then pressed on the gas, sending the vehicle towards blue base.

"When you get close fire, you only have two shots, so make it count."

"Yes," Donut replied.


Two shots, that was all it took to piss doll off, the first one shook the building lightly. She had packed up her gear in a few seconds and was rushing to her room. The second broke her room window. She cursed loudly, using her arms to cover her face from the flying glass. Pissed off at the mess in her room, she grabbed her Magnum, and ran out side, where a firefight was already on it way.

"You have got to be kidding," she huffed.

"Surrender now or we'll be forced to use deadly force!" Simmons yelled.

"Kiss my black ass!" Doll yelled back taking aim and shooting Simmons in the arm.

Simmons cried out in pain, and Sarge ordered Zero to take Doll out.

He revved up the mongoose and drove off towards her, a pistol in his hand.

Doll ran at him, jumping into the air in a front flip, their eyes meeting for a brief moment.

"Zero?"

"Doll?"