No Time For Sergeants

"Your team is being sent on a Sector 7 mission." The suit-clad government official said in lieu of a greeting.

Vics was sitting in a beach chair in her makeshift quarters, which consisted of a small army green tent with a collapsible cot, stationed right next to Wilson and Logan's tent. She was wearing her combat gear, but had an obnoxiously blue Hawaiian shirt, complete with little surfers riding little waves, unbuttoned over her black tank top. She crossed her arms over her chest and laughed. With a smile, she said, "You're jokin', right?" before taking a sip from the pineapple cup in her hands.

"What part of my demeanor says I have a sense of humor?" The man asked with a deadpan face.

Vics rolled her eyes. "So why us? I'm sure y'all got more qualified people."

"You've got the highest amount of Mutants and altered persons in a Unit. We feel this will require people who won't…" The man's voice trailed off and he seemed to be trying to figure out how to say it. "Who can't…"

"Die?" Vics asked, amused. She took another sip of her drink.

The man cleared his throat and handed Kitty a manilla file. "Here is all the information we have. Brief only those who you need. Be ready to deploy in two hours."

Vics followed the man out of her quarters and stood next to Wilson. "We got orders." Her eyes were trained on the man leaving. "And I don't like 'em at all, Sarge."

Wilson nodded to the file in her hand and asked, "Those them?"

"Yeah…" She tapped the file against her leg. "I want Logan in on this."

"I'll get him."

Five minutes later, Logan was sitting in the beach chair in Kitty's quarters while Wilson sat on her bed. Vics stood in the middle of the space and announced, "You two are here because, as of right now, you are the only ones I trust-"

"Horrible decision." Wilson interrupted.

"Shut the fuck up, Wilson, or I'll make sure Logan and I win the dead pool." Vics hissed.

Wilson's face dropped. "You bet against me?"

"Oh, yeah," Vics scoffed. "Like I didn't see your name and a couple hundred dollars under mine."

Wilson changed the topic. "So, what's the mission?"

Vic's eyes flicked down because even she knew how this will sound. "It's a Sector 7."

"A what?" Logan asked.

"Unknown lifeform of extra terrestrial origin."

Logan and Wilson burst out laughing, their faces twisting with entertainment.

"Are you fuckin' done?" Vics snapped impatiently.

"They want us to track down aliens?" Logan asked incredulously.

"No," Vics disagreed. "They want us to kill aliens."

Laughter ensues.

"Fine, you two don't really need to know what we're up against," Kitty turned around and made like she was leaving. "I don't care-"

"Come on," Logan reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Sorry."

"Yeah," Wilson was trying to stifle his laughter. "We'll stop."

"The only reason why I'm not laughing is because the last Unit that went on a Sector 7 was slaughtered. Only Red was left and he was fucked up, physically and mentally. I snuck into the VA and talked to him before the psych eval," Vics shrugged. "He said that it was aliens."

Wilson started cackling again.

Vics continued like she hadn't heard him. "Like Xenomorph, Sigourney Weaver 'Aliens'."

Logan raised his eyebrow but didn't laugh. "Like the movies?"

"He said that the movies were to warn us about them."

"So," Wilson was still chuckling. "We're going to fight Xenos?"

"I don't think so," Vics shook her head and held up the file. "This is different." She handed it to Logan, who immediately opened it.

"This is…" He picked up the single sheet of paper. "Practically empty."

"Apparently, there's no real information on them. Last team they sent was sloppy, had families," She took in a deep breath. "Now them families want answers the US government ain't got."

It was silent in the tent as this sunk in. Quietly, Wilson asked, "Where are we going?"

"Daintree. They won't say where exactly. We leave in an hour and a half."

"They don't expect us to come back." Logan threw the file on the ground.

"No," Vics shook her head. "No, they don't."