Chapter 16

"ATTENTION!" Gul screamed at us.

We all lined up out in front of the Manor in two rows.

Gul paced up and down the front row, eying each of us.

"You," He demanded, stopping in front of HAH-231. "What's your name?"

"Sir," HAH-231 replied. "My name is Bomber, Sir!"

I may have imagined it, but I swore I saw Gul smirk at the name.

"And why aren't you wearing the proper uniform, Bomber?" Gul asked in a dangerously low tone.

Bomber looked confused at that and looked down at his clothes.

It was the standard issue Black jacket and cargo pants we all had. It even had the RMM Squad eight patch on the arm.

"Sir?" Bomber asked Gul. "I don't understand, Sir."

Gul smirked at him.

"Where are your chevrons, Corporal?" Gul asked him.

Bomber didn't reply. He simply stared at the Sargent in shock. Hell, we all did. Gul had just promoted Bomber.

It also meant that our training was over. If we were receiving ranks then we had passed training and were now members of the RMM.

Gul moved on down the line and stopped by CS-32.

"What's your name?" He asked him.

"Sir, Talen, Sir!" CS-32 replied.

"Well, PFC Talen," Gul stated. "I expect to see Chevrons on your jacket tomorrow."

"Sir, yes, Sir!" Talen replied, barley containing his smile.

From there Gul moved on and Stopped in front of HAH-224, A beast of a kid. Almost a head taller then the rest of us and built like an ox.

"What about you, Tiny?" Gul asked him.

"Sir, they call me Gunny, Sir!" He replied.

I had to hide my smirk. It was the first time I had heard his new name and it was another one that was on the nose. During training he had taken a liking to using large weapons. Particularly the belt fed machine guns.

"You will collect your Chevrons after you are dismissed today, PFC Gunny." Gul told him.

He then looked around and called out "S-86, M-32, Step forward!"

They stepped out from the back row and stood at attention in front of the group.

Gul walked over to S-86 and stood in front of her.

"Name?" He asked her.

"Sir, my name is Stealth, Sir!" She replied.

That name through me off. She could be quiet when she wanted to be, sure, but she was more of a kick ass and take names type of person. So where did that name come from?

"Very well, Corporal Stealth." He told her. "You may rejoin the formation."

Stealth nodded and stepped back into her place in the back line.

This also confused me though.

Each fire team had one PFC and one Corporal. The fact that we were to be a new squad meant two PFCs and two Corporals. With Gul as our Sargent, Why was M-32 stepping forward? Had he failed to make it? Was it because of how crazy he seamed to be? The only member of the squad who could calm him, as much as I know, was Stealth. That could be a problem in combat. I could already see him gleefully ripping out the throats of every Bark-breath we came across or executing wounded enemies to make a point.

Gul stepped in front of him and addressed him.

"And what do they call you?" He asked.

"Sir, Maniac, Sir!" M-32 responded.

"Maniac," Gul repeated. "Well, Maniac, it looks like all the positions in the fire teams have been filled."

"Yes Sir." Maniac replied, no emotion on his face.

"Any guesses why I asked you to step forward then?" Gul asked.

"I'm too dangerous to be allowed into the RMM." Maniac answered.

Gul nodded, thoughtfully.

"You are dangerous." He agreed. "But the RMM does dangerous work. So, I regret to inform you that you have been placed in command of Squad 8. Congratulations Sargent."

With that said, he took a step back and snapped a salute to the squad.

We all saluted back before he shouted "Squad 8! Welcome to the RMM! Dismissed!"

The squad cheered around me as I felt a pair of arms wrap around me from behind.

I glanced back to see Techno smiling at me.

"We made it!" She said in excitement. "We actually made it!"

I nodded in agreement. Now I could go on raids and finally kill the bastard that killed Jag.

"Way to go, Sir!" I heard Bomber call excitedly to Maniac.

"Don't call me that." Maniac told him, looking worried and tired as he passed by us, heading for the manor.

"Ok, boss!" Bomber called after him as Stealth followed excusing herself from a conversation with Talen to follow the new Sargent.

"Come on." Techno told me, pulling me towards the manor. "You still owe me a date."

She shot me a teasing wink as she led me by the hand into the manor.

I rolled my eyes at her antics as I heard Talen whistle a cat call after us.

I stuck up my middle finger up at him, over my shoulder, and heard the squad burst into laughter in response.