Patrols were to start immediately, even if some of the patrols were half way done. The captains then dismissed them again, telling those that had a patrol to be by the trucks in ten minutes. The rest of them were free to do as they please until their shifts will begin.

As everyone scattered, Issy realised for her very first shift, she'd be captain and honestly, she didn't know if she was ready.

It was only a few hours later when Issy stood outside the barracks with fourteen other people waiting. There was a mishmash of people she did and didn't know but, unfortunately, the people with her on patrol she didn't know. She didn't know which of the guys standing around her was Mark or Levi… And she didn't really want to make a fool of herself by asking the wrong person. But as the people around her chatted, she assumed those of squadron 167 and 232 knew each other somewhat and the older members of her squad knew the others in passing. Issy kind of felt left out…

Kenna, Clark and Duncan had told them that they'd all take one truck to the border, picking up and dropping off the groups at wherever the group before them had finished in each sector. Whichever squad that would be patrolling Sector J would be driving so that as soon as they get to the end the two groups can swap over.

It was a tight squeeze but they fitted into the back of one of the trucks, rifles bumped against each other with the sway off the truck when it set off. Though, three very crazy lads decided to cling onto the sides of the truck rather than get inside. Lunatics, Issy thought with a smile as she heard them laughing from outside as Bulldozer drove to Sector A of the border. When they got to the end of Sector A, one group of three climbed out of the truck to start their patrol as three weary soldiers took their seats. This pattern continued as they stopped at two more sectors. When they finally got to the end of Sector I, Issy and another man stepped out of the truck as Rainbow, Hector and another soldier Issy didn't know climbed into the truck, closing the doors behind them. Just as the truck began to pull away, one of the lunatics jumped off the side of the truck and jogged over to them, taking the goggles off from over his eyes.

The squaddies had also been told before they left the barracks that they couldn't start their patrol until when their shift begins. So Issy decided to take advantage of the thirty minutes that they had until their shift began. She pushed down the anxiousness and opened her mouth before the silence between the three of them could get awkward.

"I'm –"

The older man that got off the truck with Issy cut her off, his head cocked to the side in a curious and analysing manner. "Second jumper. Golden Eyes. Issy. First ranker. Beta." The lunatic nodded along with the older man, smiling slightly. "We know who you are."

"You've heard of me. That's different." Issy's eyes narrow at him. He had reasonably tanned skin with freckles and shortly cropped brown hair. All the features on his face seemed to be slender. His lips were thin but pulled into a smirk. His dark eyes slanted only slightly and narrowed challengingly at her. The lunatic carried on smiling.

His smirk widened into a cocky grin. "I think we know exactly who you are, you just don't know who we are."

What a great way to start this mission… And the still had over twenty minutes before they had to start their shift.

Gold bled through blue as she arched away from him, a snarl escaping her lips. "How dare you. You'd like to think you know who I am but I can assure you, you really don't. You may have seen me in passing or heard my name on other people's lips but that does not define who I am. You don't know what makes me tick. You don't know what makes me happy. You'd like to think you know all there is to me and yet you stand here arrogant and solidified in your ways that you'd rather take the perspectives from others that have been in contact with me rather than make one yourself."

Instead of the arrogant, in your face response that Issy was expecting, she got a soft smile. His whole face transformed and in that one action, he appeared kinder. The lunatic's smile shifted into a toothy grin. Issy took a cautious step back.

Lunatic laughed, glancing from her to the other guy and spoke up for the first time. "You've passed."

"What?" Issy didn't have a clue what was going on.

"You've passed." The other guy repeated. "We – squadrons 167 and 232 – wanted to see what kind of person you are… See, sometimes you can come off as rather arrogant and full of yourself so we wanted to test your character." Issy blinked at him and he held out a hand for her to shake. "I'm Mark and this is Levi." Mark motioned to Levi with a tilt of his head, his hand still extended between them. "No hard feelings?" He offered and Issy shook his hand slowly.

"So," Levi spoke up as Issy let go of Mark's hand. "Captain. What's the plan for this patrol?"

xXx

They walked for hours in a small v formation, constantly changing their positions so that they could have a new perspective on their surroundings. Then, at least, they won't get bored of the same surroundings.

Though Mark and Levi was able to keep up and endless stream of quiet chatter while they multitasked. After the initial conversation, it took a while for her to be comfortable with them but soon enough she was laughing along with them.

Currently Mark was leading the formation with Levi and Issy flanking him. They were nearing the end of Sector I and the end of their shift. Levi was currently giving Issy an insider view of his squad and from what Issy can gather, Levi is the goof.

"– So what happened is that my sister, Ana, had been soaked in water and Eva was laughing and –"

"You were so dead!" Issy supplied, thinking of Alec and the misdirected prank. Mark simply smirked in front.

"No, I wasn't, I was –"

"Oh yes you were."

Levi pouted at her. "No, I –"

"Believe me, I know that feeling." Issy cut across him again. She took so much pleasure from the fact that Levi was so easily wound up.

"STOP BEING A BRICK!" He shouted.

"NO –" Issy shouted back, then she paused and arched an eyebrow in his direction. Levi was trying and failing to an annoyed expression. "What?"

Levi shrugged. "… I was gonna say brat but then I thought of prick and then it kinda all merged together into brick…"

Issy stops in her tracks and stares at him. It took a moment for Mark to realise they had stopped and turned back so see what was going on. She begins to laugh hysterically then, tears brimming in her eyes. "That's fucking great! I love it! Goddammit Levi, don't be a brick!" She's laughing so much that she also falls backward but Mark catches her. "I'm so using that!"

They started walking again once Issy had calmed down enough. Their formation was slightly loose and every now and then there'd be sniggers coming from Issy and huffs from Levi. Their formation broke slightly when they reached the end of their patrol Issy sat down while they waited for the truck to pick them up.

"Ya finished?" Mark questioned when Issy didn't started laughing again.

"Yup." Issy grinned and Levi rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Beta?" Levi said from where he stood with a mischievous look that Issy could totally connect with. He handed his rifle to Mark, who rolled his eyes. "I've heard that you can be quite reckless." Issy arched an eyebrow in response but she liked where this was going. Levi chucked her a pair of goggles and her eyes lit up, a grin pulling at her lips.

"Yaassssssss." She hissed happily, lightly throwing her rifle to Mark as she stood up. Issy bounced on her heels as they waited from the truck.

Finally, after what felt like years the dust cloud of the truck came into view. Levi and Issy exchanged a look and laughed, adrenaline pumping through them. The truck pulled up in front of them and Mark got inside with their rifles. She heard Bulldozer mutter her name in exasperation as she and Levi tightly gripped the hand-bars running along the sides of the truck.

They laughed and whooped as Bulldozer sped over small hills in the road. Issy could see Bulldozer grinning in the wingmirror and his reflection winked at her before looking back to the road.

That beautiful conversation about being a brick was inspired by a conversation with my best friend and sister earlier today during her hilarious commentary of re-reading Golden Flames. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!