Location-New-Arrows-Air Base
Date-August-6-2019
Time-0800
After landing at the airfield which I would later find out to be New Arrows Brownie, Count and I were escorted to a temporary room by Wiseman who said he would be back in the morning for a proper talk. The room was a standard barracks with two bunk beds and a bathroom but to us three it felt like a five star hotel after Zapland. We all called it a day after Wiseman left too tired to even worry about eating.
The next morning I found myself staring in the mirror looking at myself after I had shaved with a decent razor for the first time in forever, my hair was starting to get shaggy and I was about to start looking like Count only with brown hair. "Man, I need a haircut." I said to myself as I grabbed the new uniform that was left outside our room, it was a standard issue and didnt have my ranks on it but at least it didn't itch and actually fit.
"Damn Trigger, look at you all spiffy looking." Count said with a whistle as I walked out of the bathroom.
"Careful Count you'll make Brownie jealous."
"Alright you too, if I didn't know any better I'd be worried for my relationship."
"Yeah yeah come on let's go we have to find Wisemans office."
"We wouldn't be in such a rush if Someone had not taken forty minutes to get ready." Count said as he opened the door.
"Oh hush i'm not the girliest person but I do appreciate the chance to freshen up properly."
I rolled my eyes as we made our way into the hall and looked around at the halls that had actual markings instead of spray painted signs. "If you two are done it looks like the offices and the mess hall are in the same direction, so if we hurry we might get lunch on time."
"Trigger, are you sure you're feeling fine? It's only eight and here you are talking about lunch." Count asked, pointing at a clock on the wall as we passed.
"Right now i'm fine but I highly doubt this meetings going to be only a couple of minutes, and that's not counting the fact the debrief for yesterday still has to be done" that seemed to kill what little of Counts soul was left and we continued on till we found Wisemans office and with an air of trepidation we entered.
"Ah good you three made it sorry about not being able to escort you myself but I see you got my note and your new uniforms."
As we sat in the chairs in front of his desk he gestured to a pile of papers on his desk."Now normally I'd start off with your debrief of yesterday's flight but you AWACS Bandog took care of everything before he left last night."
"Not to interrupt but he did, and where did he go? I thought they were transferring us together?" Brownie cut in asking what was on everyone's minds.
"It's fine he said something about making amends and, after some digging we found his skill to be more suited to training new AWACS so he's been sent back home."
"Well that's unexpected but if the debriefs done already then I guess it's time for the elephant in the room?" Count asked after a moment.
"Yes as of 0600 hours the 444 has been disbanded and all assets have been reassigned to new squadrons."
"So do you have any idea what squadron we've been assigned to?"
"Ah yes Trigger im proud to say the three of you have been put under my care in the LRSSG, with Count going it my squadron Cyclops and Trigger you and Brownie will be in Strider." Wiseman said as he slid some patches over the desk to us, one with a winged cyclops to Count and two with a knight on a horse for me and Brownie. "Now i'll have your official spot in the squadrons for y'all by tomorrow but till then explore the base and get familiar with it, so any questions?"
"Um a few but number one is aircraft cus I dont know if my Tomcat can keep up with the Eagles you guys use."
"Good start Count your craft has already been shipped off to be used as live target practice back home, and Trigger to be honest yours is just gonna be scraped i'm amazed it even flew,"
"Yeah that's fair."
"But don't worry along with your placements tomorrow your new birds will be in and I've got something special planned for you guys."
``Alright sounds good but what about rooms, I might be able to room with Trigger but Brownies snoring is unbearable."
"No worries there once everything is set and finalized I send someone to show you to your rooms and have all your stuff from the cargo plane moved there, and also here this is all your things I found in some of Mckinsey's things." He said as he passed us each a several inch thick stack of papers and letters.
"That bastard has been keeping our letters and shit, wait what is going to be happening with his royal highness now that his base is no more?" Count asked.
With a grin Wiseman answered. "Well since he brought all his achievements up and insisted the successes of the 444th was because of him he's been sent to the front, after all we need all the help we can get."
"I guess karma really does work but that's all I was needing to know. What about you Trigger, Brownie?"
Shaking our heads no I said "Nah i'm good unless you got anything else for us Wiseman."
"Actually yes I just remember along with those pardons you lot got your ranks back i'll have them ready for y'all tomorrow as well, and you got your names back as well now go on get some breakfast."
Still slightly shocked as we walked in the hall toward the mess I barely heard Count. "Well look at that Trigger its eight thirty not lunch."
With a chuckle I said.``Yeah yeah i can be wrong on occasion but actually it's Nick, Nick wood." I said reaching out for a hand shake with Count.
"And I'm Iona Jones." Iona piped in.
Giving his signature eye roll and shruge Count said. "Well the names Sir Vance Bennett." Vance said as he gave me a hand shake.
"Pleasure to meet you Vance but you're not a Sir are you?"
"One can only try."
"Come on you too, let's go get food and then I think I'm going to dig through my letters till they send for us."
"Yeah Iona I think i'll do the same, what about you Vance?"
"Nah im gonna wonder a bit see if I can't pick up some info take after Fullband a little,"
"Try not to get arrested."
"No promises Nick."