Hector wished he'd gone to sleep at 5pm so he wouldn't feel so tired when the timer for the lights turned them on at 12am on the dot-the barrack was awakened quickly as well as a few of the cell phone alarms that people had set for their wake up call to be ready to board the plane for 1am in just a mere hour. As like with BCT and AIT, they took turns showering and were ready and dressed by 12:30am at best-filing onto the plane by platoon in reverse alphabetical order. Meaning it started with H barrack first and went to A last. Bags were being loaded by other staff of Fort Striker and last on was Raymond Vasquez, Cody Greysen, and Sean Svendson to do a final roll call of soldiers. By 1:15am on Hector's watch the plane shot down the runway and took to the sky. Everyone was tired still, they'd only gotten about five hours of sleep at best having gone to bed at 7pm and waking up at 12am. Once the plane was flying at proper altitude-the soldiers were given something for breakfast, it was something small to hold them over until the first layover in Germany for refuel. This is where they'd get off the plane for an hour or more to stretch their legs, check in at home, and get something real to eat for breakfast. Most of the soldiers were trying to sleep on the plane but Hector and his unit as well a few others couldn't.

How could anyone sleep-tired or not-knowing full well they were flying into a heavy war zone? Hector couldn't. Also he couldn't shake the feeling that he should of at least called home and left a message that he was okay like Gobber suggested-his family might actually of been worried about him since he'd been gone since the beginning of March-now it was July, a simple four months later and they had no idea he joined the army or that he was currently on his way to Iraq for the next fourteen months and had no clue when he'd get leave but he knew for sure that as soon as he got it-he was going to tell them about it all. They did deserve to know-even if they didn't accept it, they wouldn't have a choice. Hector was under contract for six years and he wanted to be where he was, not Iraq per say but he did want to be in the military. The five days of Reception Week alone and he'd made five amazing friends-and in one or two days of BCT he'd made tons of other friends in just his platoon alone. It was a really good feeling that he was so accepted among them.

In the army thus far: there was no skin color difference, there was no 'too skinny' or 'too fat', there was now weaker or stronger, there were no groups of popularity. Everyone was equal and accepted the same as anyone else. Hector finally felt like he belonged-like he wasn't an outcast and he wasn't hated for being him. Hector learned and owed so much to his friends, they helped him on more than one occasion and even though he was one of the youngest in his platoon-he was higher ranked than the rest and they all respected him instead of got jealous over it. Ranks were given by who earned it and Hector must of really earned the position of Staff Sergeant-his friends supported him, stood with him, gave him confidence that he didn't have in himself when he started. The teamwork among them was nothing short of incredible and he knew he'd made these friends for life and he'd always be grateful to each and every one of them for standing with him.

"Ready for this?" Thaxter asked Hector and the others now.

"Hell yeah," Tallon nodded in agreement to Viktor and Ryan who fist bumped one another then he noticed that Hector was just sitting there quietly with his eyes closed, "You okay?"

"I'm good, just relaxing, Tal." Hector responded with a light smile.

"You're awfully quiet and calm when we're on our way to Iraq," Evan pointed out now.

"Seriously, I'm fine. Tired but can't sleep is all," Hector responded to him.

"Same for the rest of us," Ryan nodded. There was a group sigh as they closed their eyes-they were just sitting there with their guns unloaded and safety on in their laps along with their backpacks between their feet and sitting just about shoulder to shoulder in their ACU's-they were flying into a war zone, was required that they be ready to jump right in if they had to. Hector put his head on headrest as he tried to calm down-he wasn't worried about Iraq but he was stressed out that he didn't tell his family about everything before now, he couldn't tell them now. Even if he arrived in Iraq and told them-it'd be no good. He wanted to be there in person to tell them what he chose to do and that there was nothing they could do about it.

(Nightwave Company; Germany Layover)

The flight from Fort Striker in Berk to Germany was three hours; as well the time difference was that Germany was two hours ahead of Berk meaning they left at 1am Berk time and landing in Germany three hours later put them at 4:00am but with the time change it was actually 6:00am. The soldiers were permitted off the plane to go to the bathroom, get something to eat, and stretch while the plane refueled and was checked over before its final arrival to Iraq. There was still twenty minutes until boarding again after the one hour they'd already been there and Hector debated calling home-he just kept staring at his phone with a looking of wondering plastered there. "Thinkin about callin home?" Tallon asked him.

"Yeah," Hector sighed-could he though? He knew what it would bring. Questions he didn't want or have time to answer before boarding again. As much as he wanted to tell them-he couldn't right now. He wanted to see them in person and have time to explain it all. Finally he put his phone away and sighed putting his head down on his arms with a sigh, "But as usual, I'm not gonna call them when we've got twenty minutes to boarding and I'm really not calling them from Iraq-that outta go real swell,"

"First leave you get you can tell them and if we're lucky we'll get it together-we'll be there for ya, right guys?" Thaxter said as the others nodded. The remaining twenty minutes they just sat near the gate where they'd be boarding again, none of them really said anything though. When the time was up at 7:00am-they got back on the plane and almost thirty minutes making it 7:30am after a roll call and head count-the plane took off down the runway and into the sky continuing its flight to Iraq. There was still about four hours and thirty minutes to go before they landed at Baghdad Airfield and judging their time for landing would be 12:00pm Iraq time. On Hector's clock for Berk that would mean it would be 9am.

(Berk; 7am)

Around the table was silent as it had been almost every morning since they found the note revealing Hector left without a word to anyone and for them not to worry because he was safe. That note remained taped to the refrigerator-a constant reminder that he wasn't at home anymore. It was funny how much a loss could bring people together-that wasn't to say they thought he was dead but at the same time he wasn't there and they hadn't a clue where he was. His phone was off as far as they knew, his car remained unmoved on the the side of the road in front of the house, his bedroom hadn't been touched since the day Darius found the letter on his younger brother's pillow. Val had been in there a few times to cry just hoping that she'd enter the room and see her son lying on the bed reading a book or listening to his music but no such desire was granted to the mother. A lot of things changed in the Haddock house since Hector's abrupt departure.

There was a distinct sadness to the house now: Val made breakfast silently with no smile on her face, Spencer drank his coffee quietly-no longer reading the paper like he used to. Darius and Heather ate in silence, picking at their food and taking longer to eat it. Spencer used his pull as mayor of Berk to do whatever he could to find out where Hector was but thus far-nothing turned up on his youngest son. Spencer even checked with other islands but none reported a seventeen year old with auburn hair and green eyes coming through by plane or ferry. Spencer tried the school system too and they said nothing-that Hector just stopped showing up one day but received word that Hector took his GED and passed so by law he was no longer a student to Berkian Academy. Spencer and Val looked into where he got the GED but it only said the board of education but nothing on where he took the test. This of course was due to the military's confidentiality agreement with Hector that they didn't know about.

Hector was careful with how he set things up-making sure nothing could trace him to the military or that he'd joined up. The Haddock family didn't feel right with a member missing from the table, the house even. Darius and Heather had finished Sophomore year and would be starting Junior in September. The two of them felt bad in a way-like they had a part in Hector's leaving because they were friends with the people who bullied him and Hector was pretty mad the day he walked out of the lunchroom after Skylar's comment about Hector's life not going anywhere because he was a nobody, a nothing. Darius and Heather knew they should've defended him-he was family and they were more worried about their image than protecting Hector who was bullied constantly, day after day but never fighting back. Did Hector just have enough one day? They knew nothing and they made sure they knew their friends knew that Hector was now gone. Some people thought Hector might of just gone off and killed himself or ran away.

Darius and Heather shut those rumors down pretty quick but in truth they didn't know what happened to their brother and they wanted to know desperately. Spencer and Val had to deal with the press, explaining that Hector was accepted into some program for really smart students and that is why at formal events they never saw the Hector with the family. None of them knew where Hector was and they wanted too-they wanted him home. "What do you kids plan to do today?" Spencer asked Darius and Heather.

"Probably just...hang here, Dad." Darius answered.

"Don't you see your friends anymore?" he asked.

"They are...busy," Heather stated slowly-they hadn't really hung out with them since Hector's disappearance. The two didn't want too-their friends bullied Hector, they thought they were being funny but the more Darius and Heather thought about it, the worse it felt to know they let it happen. What hurt them more was knowing how hurt Hector was after the Astrid situation-they knew he liked her a lot and they were the ones who let that information slip and in order to seem like they didn't care about him, they took part in the act of Astrid making Hector believe she liked him. They never should have let it happen-they should have stopped it. Hector was their brother and they hurt him by doing what they did back in freshman year.

"I see," Spencer sighed as he looked to the wall near the dining room table and saw the family portrait taken the previous Christmas. Hector stood between Heather and Darius who were standing in on front of Spencer and Val.

"Dad," Heather said lightly as he looked over to her now, "Do...you think Hector will come home soon?"

"I wish I knew. I've used every pull I can as mayor to find him but it's like he vanished without a trace sweetheart." Spencer closed his eyes.

"No one at school saw him or heard him say anything?" Val asked softly now.

"Not a soul-whatever Hector did or went...he kept it to himself. A lot of kids thought maybe he ran off and killed himself," Darius mumbled.

"Oh heavens!" Val gasped quickly with a hand on her heart, "What a ridiculous theory. Hector wasn't depressed or suicidal,"

"Precisely. He said he had things to do and was safe-even if we don't know them, your brother never makes a promise he doesn't intend to keep. I'm sure he's fine and when he's...ready to come home-he will." Spencer said firmly with confidence.

"I really miss him," Heather sniffled a bit as Darius hugged her.

"We all do," Darius sighed, "And when he gets home-we'll let him know how much we missed him."

"Well said," Spencer agreed with a nod.

(10am; Baghdad, Iraq)

They had to made an emergency landing in Syria because of a bad storm that wouldn't allow them to fly into Iraq-it was close to zero visibility so safer to stay put until they could fly in. They finally arrived by 10am Iraq time that meant it was 7am in Berk-Hector's family was probably just sitting down to breakfast before Darius and Heather went to enjoy the summer and also Dad and Mom were headed to work by 7:30am. The plane finally set down at Baghdad Airfield as the soldiers had their bags and weapons stationed firmly in their hands and across their chests-lined up according to squadron so not to mix everyone and keep it organized for when they finally got off the plane. The back hatch opened as Cody, Sean, and Raymond were standing at the front. Three others were standing outside at parade rest and clearly awaiting. Hector took a deep breath-so it began: their first tour of duty, deployed in Iraq for the next fourteen months.

"Welcome to Baghdad, Iraq boys and girls!" greeted a bulkier man with black hair and green eyes who was in uniform.

"We're gonna have ya file off nice and easy now-not to worry about attacks. We took care of the last wave three hours ago when the bastards tried to ambush us with the storm as cover," said another man, brown hair and blue eyes.

"Sure-don't leave us any fun, Holgerson," Sean chuckled a bit.

"Good to have the old team back, eh boys?" came the voice of the man beside them who had blond hair and brown eyes.

"Could have said it better meself, Asher," came the voice of the one that Sean called Holgerson. Hector's guess was that Holgerson was Alexander Holgerson-new Nightwave Company leader. Asher Peyton was going to be leader of of the Bear Platoon. "Alright troops-these here flatbeds are gonna take us right to our spot on base. Each one can hold a platoon so let's hurry up and get movin-I'm sure after the long flight you'd all like to take a load off," the soldiers didn't say anything, they just started filing off by platoon and load up on the flatbed vehicles that would take them to their spot on base which Hector assumed was to be there barracks. Tiredly they all got on and the flatbeds started to move. The drive wasn't very far-maybe twenty-five minutes from the airfield.

"These barracks are labeled A through H-just like Fort Striker was so whatever barrack you were in there-take the same one here and goes without saying that the males and female stay separate. Get yerselves a bunk with your battle buddy and us six will be back to check on ya in about half an hour," came the voice of who Hector assumed was Drake Bludvist-the Battalion leader. Hopping off the flatbeds they moved to their assigned barracks just like how it'd been at Fort Striker-least it wasn't complicated and they weren't being separated, except from the girls who would be right next to them though being the Dragon Platoon used barrack A and C. The six members of the Phoenix unit walked off. Entering the A barrack-the guys grabbed the bunks they wanted and began stripping off their gear-right down to their ACU pants, boots, and gray undershirts.

"Gods it feels good to lay down again," Evan stretched out on his bunk with his eyes closed.

"I'd start unpacking, Larsden," Hector stated while getting clothes out of his bag to put away in the closet beside his and Tallon's bunk. They'd be getting their other bags later on after the plane was done unloading, Hector already had a feeling it was going to be an unnecessarily long day of briefing and unpacking before they could even catch a wink of sleep which right now he really wanted.

"Ugh," Evan grumbled as he forced himself up and started unpacking his bags too. Given their training from Reception Week and BCT-this was an easy and quick process for them and within fifteen minutes their backpacks were unpacked and they were relaxing on the beds trying to stay cool. The temperatures here in Iraq were apparently never below seventy-five degrees between the months of April, May, June, July, August, September, and October. For colder; that fell around January where it could get close to freezing-but the cold season was from November to March roughly-seemed like it'd be hotter more often than not. Fantastic. Right now the temperature was a sweaty 85 and would likely get hotter as the day continued through, they'd been warned of this by Cody, Sean, and Raymond on how the weather would be for them.

"Fuck this heat-Gods, Berk weather would be well welcomed right now," Ryan mumbled out.

"Yep, missing that cold wind we all used to hate. Getting leave will be a Godsend when we go back-I might not even wear a coat or sweater," Tallon chuckled. Hector couldn't help but laugh at the fact they all used to bitch and complain about how cold Berk was and now they were wishing for that cool island breeze of being surrounded by water. Berk was known for it's cold factor with snow and hail at random but generally end of May to mid-August were warmer months for them. Boy, they were missing it now in the eighty to ninety-five degree weather of Iraq. The time passed before they were all summoned outside by Drake and the others of the Phoenix unit. Getting their coats on although they really didn't want too due to heat-they made it outside within two minutes and stood at attention.

"Well now-glad to have ya here. I guess we'll get introductions out of the way of who we are. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Drake Bludvist, leader of the Dreki Battalion of Camp Fury. Aside from you, Nightwave, there are three other Companies that make Dreki up. There are Berserker, Meathead, and Hysteria. This here base is a MOB-Main Operating Base-we do a lot of missions regarding infiltration, security, rescues, patrols, guards, and more. We work pretty closely with the Americans too-they got a base about twenty miles from us where they house a Battalion of their own. Over here on my left is Major Alexander Holgerson-leader of Nightwave Company. Beside him is 2nd Lieutenant Raymond Vasquez who will be commanding the Lion Platoon. Aside him is also 2nd Lieutenant Asher Peyton, commanding the Bear Platoon. On my right is Captain Cody Greysen commanding the Dragon Platoon and finally 1st Lieutenant Sean Svendsen taking charger of the Wolf Platoon." Drake informed calmly.

"We know you've had a long day-been up since 12am this morning eh? Well you'll be happy to know that given its almost 11am now-you're gonna be getting some food and then you get to sleep. We'll give a day to catch up to the new time zone and heat," Alex said with a smile.

"Who here has the highest rank in this Company?" Asher questioned. Hector raised his hand.

"That'd be me, Lieutenant Peyton," Hector stated stepping forward out of his group.

"Name, rank, and age?" Asher inquired arching a brow.

Hector mumbled something about wondering why that mattered but regardless-he answered respectfully with, "Hector Haddock the Third, Staff Sergeant, and seventeen,"

"Pretty young to make that rank," Asher retorted.

"I assure you, Peyton, that Haddock is telling the truth. I gave him that promotion after his AIT training. He's more than earned it too," Sean remarked.

"I wasn't saying he was lyin, Svendsen, he's just young. Haven't seen anyone make that rank that fast in about twenty years is all," Asher chuckled, "Either way, I'm sure Greysen and Svendsen already informed you of your duties here?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Peyton. I was well informed yesterday at 1600. I command Dragon Platoon and report directly to Captain Greysen during all missions and I remain in command of the Inferno unit." Hector stated.

"Very good then. That being said-Lieutenant Colonel, I think they'd earned themselves an early lunch. Fallin' into the chow tent?" Raymond Vasquez asked.

"Right you are. Come along boys and girls," Drake Bludvist said as he motioned for them to follow so as a group they moved together towards the large tent: metal frame with some extra wood for support, thick cover on the sides, thick metal covering the top and the whole thing was connected to what appeared to be the kitchen. Place looked big enough to hold two Companies at one time for sure. "The other Companies fall into the compass directions. Your barrack is on the North side of the base. Hysteria is on the West, Berserker to the South, and Meathead to the East. All come here to eat but you are split up to eating in shifts depending on who's runnin missions and who isn't. Make sense?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Colonel," the Company replied firmly.

"That about covers all you need to know for now-grab some grub and settle in to your barracks to get some sleep," he said afterwards. Sure enough, they all filed as they used to for BCT to get a tray of food and eat-it only took them about forty-five minutes to finish and then make their way back to their barracks to relax, wind down, and fall asleep. Hector was one of the last to let sleep take him-so for the next fourteen months, this is where they'd be: Baghdad, Iraq. It wasn't going to be easy but he was ready-he'd get through this, and he'd get leave where he'd finally tell his family where he's been and what he did. He didn't know if they'd care or not or if they'd be mad-but he was going to tell them anyway. He closed his eyes as sleep took him-he was exhausted from being up so early and all the flying. All he wanted to do was sleep and be ready for what tomorrow would bring them. And so the tour began at Camp Fury.