"So." Jaida tapped her fingers twice on her desk, scrutinising the two soldiers seated before her. "Both of you."
"Yes, ma'am," Ana said in chorus with Khalid.
"The Republican Guard."
"Yes, ma'am."
Jaida tilted her head appraisingly, then leaned back in her chair. "Why?"
"More pay," Ana said.
"Bragging rights," Khalid added.
"And the pretty cap. Don't forget the pretty cap."
They snickered together when a pen flew into each of their chests. Though the flying stationery was a warning for them to get serious, neither tried too hard to regain their composure. As a soldier, Jaida was an amalgamation of demons from all religions, condensed into a single human body. But it was a well-known secret that she was rather mellow in private.
"That pretty blue cap might as well be a target on your pretty little heads," Jaida said flatly.
"Thank you, ma'am."
"Truth is, I don't give a shit why you want to join." Jaida rested her elbows on the table as they returned her pens. "A lot of soldiers want to. Many don't succeed. Some transfer out of the Guard after a few months. It's not something to be taken lightly."
"We understand," Khalid said.
"The only thing I care about is whether you will be one of those who stay. I'm not recommending soft idiots to the Guard only to have them drop out after a few months, and embarrass me in doing so."
"We wouldn't dare to, ma'am."
"So, what do you think our chances are?" Ana asked.
Jaida waved a hand ambiguously, before tapping on her keyboard. "I can say for sure that you'd be one of the youngest. That could work against you, but your performance during the insurgency was commendable…and it proves your familiarity with urban warfare." She rested her chin on one hand as she scrolled through whatever was on her screen. "For the two of you, you'd most probably be assigned to signal and recon. Sorry, kids. No limelight."
"That's okay. No need to put on makeup."
"Of course. All funeral parlours provide that service," Jaida said, voice still flat and thoughtful. "You'll need more training depending on which brigade you're assigned to, but that's a concern for later." She clicked a few more times, then leaned back in her seat again. "To be honest, Amari… I had something else planned for you."
"Doesn't involve a grave, I hope."
"No. I was going to put you up for promotion." She continued when Ana raised her brows, "You've served long enough to earn it, and your performance with the squad has been well above my expectations. There's no point in keeping you here any longer."
"Oh. Thank you, ma'am," Ana said slowly.
"And I was planning to put Issa in charge. That is, until you two came in and fucked up my plans."
They looked at each other uncertainly. "We're sorry?"
"So now, I'm giving you a choice." Jaida sat forward in her chair. "Either you stay and get promoted, or you transfer. If it's pay you want, you're getting a raise either way, and more responsibilities with it." She waited, as if expecting them to shout an answer immediately.
"What do you think we should do?" Ana asked.
Jaida shrugged. "It's up to you. But if it were me, I'd take the promotion first. Gives me more credibility for when I go to the Guard. And who knows? If you two do well enough, maybe the Guard will come knocking."
"I'd go for the Guard first," Kamilah said, cocking a brow when Ana threw both hands into the air, Khalid sighing beside her on the sofa. "What?"
"Jaida said I should take the promotion first. Either stay and get promoted, or transfer."
"Well, that makes sense. The promotion's already waiting for you." She reached for her tea cup on the coffee table, and took a sip. "But the way I see it, both the Guard and the promotion are going to happen anyway. It's just a matter of which comes first. And the two of you have been wanting to join the Guard since…when? Forever?"
"Feels like it."
"Then do it. Honestly, Ana. If you're being eyed for promotion already, then a transfer like this won't stop it. Besides, if you do well in the Guard, it'll only make them push you up even faster. Same goes for you, Khalid."
Khalid blew a raspberry as he slid farther down the sofa, and leaned his head on Ana's shoulder. "I'll do what you do, sis."
"Oh nice, thanks. Leave the decision to me," she groaned.
"No," Kamilah said when Ana's gaze turned towards her. "Decide for yourself."
"I don't suppose I can just toss a coin," Ana drawled.
"Isn't that how you decide on everything?"
"Yeah. In fact, that's how I decided to marry you too."
Kamilah just shrugged nonchalantly, and took another sip of tea.
They mulled over it for another week and, without the help of a single coin, chose to gun for the Republican Guard as originally planned. Jaida took the news without surprise, and promised to put a recommendation in Ana's file anyway, to help push her through the ranks quicker.
But where Jaida accepted their transfer request calmly, the same couldn't be said for the rest of their squad.
"This is all your fault, you know," Layla groused, slapping Mesi's arm loudly. "You left and now everyone wants to go too."
"I'm such a shining source of inspiration, aren't I?" Mesi said with a smile. Her eyes roved over the group sitting in a corner of their barracks' rooftop, before stopping at Ana and Khalid. "So, how long will it take?"
"Dunno. A month, maybe?" Khalid said, fidgeting with the bottle in his hands. "We're on the same base, after all."
"Why do you even want to go there?" Ebo broke in. "Most of the time it's just being glorified bodyguards."
"But they're good bodyguards."
"Besides, we get duties outside base," Ana said. "I don't know about you, but I get sick of looking at all this sometimes." She gestured at the rest of the base.
"Well, if that's what you really want…" Mesi held up her bottle. "Then you have my blessing. And I guess now, we know who to blame if our president ever gets assassinated."
"Thanks a lot."
They passed a short moment in silence, during which they noticed Adofo's eyes had gone dark, and nudged him awake. Hakim passed him an empty bottle so he had something to entertain himself with, being unable to drink with the rest.
"I wonder if they'll assign more people to our squad," Adofo said, balancing the bottle on the tip of his finger. "Or if they'll break us up."
"It's 50/50, isn't it?" Layla said. "There's still half of us left, so…"
"Anything you can do, Mesi?" Ana asked.
Tilting her head, she said, "I'll ask around, and try to pull some people in before they disperse you."
"We're already dispersed," Layla muttered, downing the rest of her drink before glancing at her partner, who had circled an arm around her waist.
"You're just a bright ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Mesi cooed.
"If you say so."
"Come on. This is getting depressing." Hakim broke their second pack open and distributed the bottles, then raised his own. "Let's celebrate for those who are moving up in the world, and for the rest of us who'll catch up with you bastards soon enough."
They took a huge gulp together – including Adofo, who held his empty bottle to his face.
Khalid sighed in satisfaction. "Let's see which of us will hit General and above, eh?"
"I will, of course," Ana crowed. "But don't worry, guys. I'll keep the spaces warm for you." She grinned at the prompt outburst of jeers, and drank another mouthful of beer.
Khalid's estimation was quite accurate – their transfer was approved only three weeks later. Guard training hit them hard and fast; they were thrown into a string of endurance courses, field exercises, and marksman training from the get-go, and were forced to hit the ground running. Not that it was too difficult for career soldiers like them, but it did push Ana's limit much further than routine infantry training – especially when they focused on urban warfare. Messy, exhausting, stressful urban warfare.
Ana and Khalid were assigned to the signal and recon company, but had been split apart into their own sniper teams. Ana was assigned a new spotter, Amira, and together they tackled new challenges in the urban training grounds – an empty 'city' specially built for military practice. After a month of stumbling into traps, struggling to coordinate between scattered sniper teams and armoured battalions on the ground, picking targets from 'civilian' crowds, and regular sleep deprivation, Ana nearly wept when she finally collapsed into her wife's arms upon her return home.
At least, that was the story Ana told to her listeners. Kamilah would insist there were no tears involved – just a lot of whining and literal clinging. Still, Ana didn't take long to recover and do justice to the bright blue beret she had earned. Her first duties within the Guard were relatively simple. Just patrol routes around the presidential palace and select facilities on base, in addition to regular training. Nothing too tiring, and though it kept her busier than before, she still had time to spend with the old squad and her wife.
Her wife who – without a doubt – dearly wished to whack Ana on the head at this very moment.
"Fuck…off!"
Her curses were quite the giveaway.
"Come on," Ana said. "At least try for one."
"Fuck," Kamilah panted. Her knuckles were white from how tightly she gripped onto the side of the monkey bars. "Get off–, my–, back."
"Just one. For me?"
"No!"
"Come on. Just one pull up. One." She saw the muscles in Kamilah's arms tense, but they didn't move. Ana wrapped her legs tighter around Kamilah's waist when she tried to start a swinging motion. Her anticipation spiked when Kamilah's arms bent a little, before she gave a guttural cry and let go of the bar, sending them crashing onto the rubbery floor of the playground.
Ana lay on the floor, catching her breath as her partner rolled onto her side and panted for dear life. Pushing herself up, Ana clasped onto Kamilah's heaving shoulder. "You alright, babe?" she asked, and a limp arm swatting backwards was her answer. She smiled, and was about to offer a quip when Kamilah's leg kicked back into hers with the force of a bull. "Ow!"
"I told you–," Kamilah said between breaths, rolling over to face Ana so she could see her target as she kicked out again. "I couldn't–, fucking do it–! Stop running!" Kamilah yelled when Ana kept scooting out of her range, and threw a weak arm over her soon-to-be victim.
Ana snickered when Kamilah tried to pull at her ears, but gave up when she couldn't find the strength to do it with much force. She slumped back onto the ground next to Ana, the two breathing deeply as they stared up at the darkening sky, waiting for the burn from their run to fade away.
"I hate you," Kamilah grumbled finally.
"Do you really." Ana held her partner's hand up, massaging the palm with her thumb.
"Yes."
She chuckled at the lack of hesitation, pressing a kiss to Kamilah's hand. "It's okay. You'll go back to missing me soon enough."
Kamilah sighed. "Don't remind me."
In a few weeks' time, Ana would be out of the country on Guard duty. First to accompany a minister on his diplomatic mission to Somalia, then to safeguard the president himself on his visits to Sudan and Russia – assignments that would keep her away for up to two months. Maybe more, if her superiors saw fit to keep her on for further duties.
"I should've told you to go for the promotion instead," Kamilah said.
"So you do want me around."
"Yes, but when you are around, I can't remember why." She smiled when Ana knocked their heads together.
"You're horrible," Ana declared, kissing her forehead. "But I love you anyway. Come on, my turn." She got onto her feet first, then pulled a reluctant Kamilah up as well. After securing her wife on her back, Ana hopped up and caught onto the monkey bars.
Damn. Their combined weight was heavy. No wonder Kamilah wanted to kill her.
"Don't dislocate your shoulders," Kamilah said.
"At least you're here to pop them back in," Ana breathed, grunting as she pulled herself up painstakingly.
"I can't always be 'here', you know," Kamilah sighed again.
"I know. That's why I always wait until you're around." She took a deep breath and pulled up again, the effort nearly winding her this time. "Fuck…"
"Give up?"
"No." Ana groaned as she willed herself up again, then spouted a curse when her arms were just halfway bent. Recognising her limit, Ana let go of the bar and landed neatly on her feet, albeit bent as she caught her breath. She wound her arms under Kamilah's legs, and hoisted her wife higher up on her back.
"Not tired?" Kamilah asked.
"Are you kidding? My arms are falling apart," Ana laughed breathlessly as she started walking towards home. "Why, you feel like walking?"
"No," Kamilah muttered, hugging around her neck.
"Then enjoy it. And you can carry me when I come back."
A huff of laughter. "Deal."
Ana found herself thinking of that deal just one week into her first assignment. The minister's visit to Somalia was uneventful, and prolonged due to the string of discussions packed into his schedule. The apparent lack of threat did little to lower their guard through the course of the minister's stay; keeping watch through the rifle's scope and perimeter cams helped to keep Ana grounded and alert, though she did miss the familiarity of home from time to time.
She welcomed the change of pace when they saw the minister off on a plane home, then flew straight to Sudan to ready for their president's state visit. The air was more charged and tense, given the higher profile of their charges and the amount of media attention on the visit. The amount of reporters milling about the visiting entourage was messy at best, making it difficult to single out suspicious elements, if there were any.
"This is nothing," the captain of their sniper teams had said. "Just a warm up for Russia."
Of course, only the senior soldiers truly understood his words. But their newer counterparts didn't have to spend much time pondering over it, for they soon experienced it for themselves.
Since Ana last set foot in Russia a year ago, unrest had slowly spread across the country in the wake of growing omnic 'malfunctions'. Numerous protest marches, sit-ins, and rallies had been organised at the doorsteps of both the government and Omnica Corporation, calling for the shutdown of the omniums and cessation of God Program development. None of their demands were met, and some protests met violent ends, adding to the casualty rates caused by previous omnic attacks.
Signs of their troubles were evident everywhere Ana turned: small groups listening to furious speakers on street corners, anti-Omnica graffiti and posters pasted on walls, ongoing repairs to infrastructure that had been destroyed in more organised omnic attacks. Needless to say, security had to be airtight. The Egyptian Guard was given thorough briefings by Russian Federal Security, and they studied their assigned posts and locations with due diligence.
The first few days were uneventful – no unusual activity for as far as Ana's augmented vision could see. Only on the fourth day did some ruckus occur, when a group of protestors gathered outside a war memorial, chanting their anti-God Program slogans for the Egyptian president to hear before he met with his Russian counterpart. They were dispersed peacefully, even though they remained for the entirety of the memorial visit.
But that didn't set Ana on edge as much as the award ceremony held in a university's gardens. Wide and open grounds, easily accessed by anyone. Just thinking about it made her head hurt.
The gardens faced the short, neoclassical building that was the university's library, and was surrounded on three sides by towers befitting a modern metropolis. It was in those towers where the snipers made themselves at home. Or at least, secure. There was no way Ana could relax while she scanned the buildings over and over, searching for anything out of the ordinary. If the way Amira's fingers flexed around her spotter's scope was any indication, she felt antsy as well. They had agreed to put this niggling sensation in the back of their minds, but…
"There, 2 o'clock. 10th floor, 4th window from the right," Ana said, and Amira's scope swiveled in the direction where she had spotted the same blocky shadow flitting around.
"Yeah, I see it."
"Damn it." Ana pressed on her earpiece and reported their sighting to Captain Fahim over a secure channel.
"Confirm human or omnic, Whiskey-3."
"Omnic," she replied, switching out her regular magazine for armour-piercing rounds.
"Numbers."
"Only one in sight."
"Hang tight and keep your eye on them. Whiskey-1, out."
Ana shook her head when Amira glanced at her questioningly, and they resumed their watch, albeit paying more attention to one particular window. Was it just her heightened awareness or…were there more omnics among the pedestrians outside the gardens now?
"Listen up, Whiskey," Fahim's voice crackled over their team channel. "Omnic activity spotted around the gardens. Your orders are–"
They listened as he pointed out areas of note – more than Ana expected – and laid overlapping watches so no corner would go unsupervised at any point in time. Ana and Amira were tasked with the southeastern corner they were in, watching the intersecting streets and the southern entrance of the university–
"Ana!" Amira whispered urgently. "Target is armed."
Shit, shit.
Even as Ana turned her rifle towards said target, her cybernetic eye was already on it. The omnic had lifted the window of what looked like an unlit office room. It ran a glowing red eye over the sniper rifle in its hand, before blending into its background. Ana recognised the camouflage system – Adofo possessed something similar – and saw the tell-tale distortions of a rifle being rested on the window ledge.
"Whiskey-1, target has sniper rifle, appears ready to fire. Advise."
"You are cleared to fire."
Her scope already aimed at the power source in its chest, Ana squeezed the trigger. The silenced round met its target in a brief shower of sparks, the omnic flickering back into sight as it stumbled backwards and fell. "Target is down."
"Acknowledged. Note its location, we'll perform a search after–"
"Whiskey-1?" Ana asked when the channel was cut abruptly. She shared a glance with Amira, and turned their attentions back to the scene. But as they waited, Ana spotted one, two, three more silenced shots from the surrounding buildings. The blood in her veins quickened – this was not a good sign.
As if on cue, a shower of sparks erupted to the side of the stage, interrupting the president's address to the gathered professors and students. Everyone on scene flinched at the sight, and Ana spotted the ruined power source of the sound systems, still spitting sparks behind a speaker–
A gunshot rang out – faint from where Ana was – and a Russian guard standing at the stage's edge collapsed, bleeding red onto the floor.
Panic erupted at the sight. Russian and Egyptian guards alike lunged for the president, forcing him down just as a hail of bullets sprayed over their heads. They pulled him off the stage and into the audience, trying to put distance between them and the large group of red-eyed omnics marching down the library's steps. Snipers and ground troops alike sprang into action, returning fire at their attackers, who managed to take an uncomfortably large number of bullets before falling, one by one.
But complications soon emerged. Ana watched with growing horror as regular omnics in the gardens and out by the streets stopped dead in their tracks. Their glowing bulbs grew dark before coming back to life in a crimson shade. They held still for a single second, then marched towards the gardens in unison, climbing over barricades and low walls.
"Whiskey, target the approaching omnics! Now!" Fahim barked.
Ana picked her targets, calculating trajectories and proximity to civilians, and squeezed the trigger mechanically. She blocked out the screams and the sight of humans crumpling to the floor, thinning down the hostiles towards the south before turning her attention back to the gardens. Chaos, was all Ana could think of to describe it. The president was being dragged through the panicking crowd, but they were being shoved in every direction and could barely find a way through. The rest of the delegates were separated and interspersed among the audience, trying to stumble their way out of the mess.
She finally spotted drones flying over the scene, and the hostile omnics dropped one by one, hacked and rendered inert. As one flew by the library, Ana saw a familiar distortion moving along the building's flat roof. She fired instinctively, but it moved again at that same moment – her bullet hit only the omnic's camouflage systems, not its vital processors. Its red bulb swiveled around wildly for a moment when it became visible. Then it flicked the device in its hand and, in a single fluid motion, dove to the side as it lobbed the grenade towards the humans.
Two heartbeats. That was all it took. One; Ana tracked the grenade's arc through the air with her scope. Two; she pulled the trigger, her heart stopping as her bullet cut through the air and punched into the grenade. It exploded just before it fell within range of the crowd, but Ana didn't bother watching the aftermath. She turned her aim towards the omnic on the roof, waiting for it to jump to the ground, before shooting it through the chest.
The gunfire didn't take long to subside after that. After the president and foreign minister – who was bleeding in the arm – were stuffed into their armoured car, it was just a matter of clean up. Soon, the soldiers were stepping over the bullet-ridden bodies of dead omnics and humans alike, shepherding the remaining civilians off the scene.
"We're fucked."
"Not on this channel, Issa," Fahim growled.
"Sorry, sir." Ana could hear the cringe in Khalid's voice at his slip-up.
"Whiskey, resume watch."
Ana put her eye to the scope, but pulled back again when she noticed Amira's stricken expression. "You alright?" she asked, putting a hand on Amira's shoulder.
"Yeah," she muttered. Amira shook her head slowly, fixing Ana with a grave stare. "There aren't going to be protests anymore, Ana. There's going to be a goddamned riot."
They wouldn't stay long enough to witness any riots for themselves, it seemed. After the close brush with death and his minister's injury, the president had cut his state visit short. On the very next day, the Egyptian delegation was escorted back to their plane under heavy guard, and flown back home without any more nasty surprises.
Every news outlet exploded over the 'organised terrorist attack', and the resulting furor in Russia. As Amira had predicted, a riot broke out at Omnica's headquarters in Moscow, inflicting property damage and employee injury. All eyes were on Russia, watching and waiting for another uproar that many expected would follow.
In Egypt, concern was slowly growing into fear, even though things were still peaceful. More than a few petitions had popped up, demanding Omnica to come clean with their practices and the Anubis project. Good efforts, in Ana's opinion, but they wouldn't get far.
Still, that didn't stop the Republican Guard from recognising its soldiers' efforts in the incident. They held a private ceremony with the president in attendance, and Ana was one of those who had a medal pinned to her chest by the president himself. Her shot with the grenade hadn't gone unnoticed, and none of her colleagues were content to let her forget it. None.
They started throwing random hand-sized objects at her – like ration packets and water bottles – and shouting 'Ana, shoot fast!' as the projectile smacked into her face. Only after she had tackled a few of them out of the 'grenade's' range did they relent with a laugh, and lay off their resident sharpshooter.
Since her feat had earned not just a medal, but another commendation to go with Jaida's in her file, Ana decided to mark the occasion with an extension of her tattoo. She pondered adding a snake coiled around her arrow, and was starting to like the artist's design when another caught her eye. Figuratively, of course. But Ana had fallen in love at first sight and, with the artist's forewarnings in mind, decided to go for it.
And so, it became literal. Perhaps a little too literal.
It was lucky that Khalid had accompanied her to the parlour, because all she could do after the hellish session was lay in the backseat and try not to cry. Khalid kept her company at home after she crashed into the sofa, the man sitting on the floor beside Ana as she gripped his hand like a lifeline. And that was how Kamilah found them in the evening – Khalid napping against the sofa, his hand still holding Ana's. Then he was rudely awoken by an agonised cry, when Ana had opened her eyes after being woken by Kamilah. They made a few jokes at Ana's expense, before Khalid was relieved of his duty and returned to the barracks.
Kamilah took over, caring for a wife who seemed determined to stay unconscious and blissfully unaware of the fire burning around her left eye. It made things easier for her on the first day – she even said this was the best behaviour Ana had ever displayed while under medical care. The second day, however, was when both their trials started.
"Hold still," Kamilah said for the third time, dabbing at the swollen area gently with lotion.
Ana hissed, but lay still on the sofa as ordered – only to start squirming again after a few short seconds.
"Don't move!" Kamilah's grip on her shoulder tightened. "Maybe you shouldn't have gotten an eye tattoo if you can't take the pain, oh great hero."
"Fuck y–ah!" Ana cried when she turned her head, and was rewarded with a fingertip digging into sensitive skin.
Kamilah sighed exasperatedly, rolling her eyes as she yanked her hand away. She let Ana squirm in place, sucking air through her teeth in stifled sobs.
"Ana. I've had a long day, and I'm tired. Will you please let me finish this so I can spend the night in peace?" Kamilah waited for Ana's fidgeting to subside, then held her by the jaw and resumed spreading ointment over the swollen eyelid. When she reached the corner of the eye though, she was forced to move her finger away again. "Ana, move one more time and I'll scratch your fucking tattoo off."
"Harpy," Ana moaned, but she clenched her jaw and kept still at Kamilah's tone. She winced reflexively when Kamilah dabbed gently at the sore corner, and breathed a sigh of relief as the fingertip moved to the udjat under her eye.
"Of all the places you had to get a tattoo," Kamilah muttered. "It had to be your eye. And not just under your eye, no, you had to go for the entire area."
"I'm badass."
"No, you're a baby."
"A badass baby." She grinned when the corners of Kamilah's mouth twitched. It didn't take long for Kamilah to finish, and Ana sat up gladly, pecking her wife on the cheek. "Thanks."
"Mm." Kamilah slapped Ana's hand down when it reached up unconsciously. "Don't."
Ana leaned back in her seat, fighting the insane urge to rub her eye. Turning her gaze towards the TV as Kamilah wiped her finger off on a tissue, Ana turned up the volume to better hear the newscaster's report. It was about Russia again – surprise, surprise – and they replayed the same footage from the incident, when the grenade had exploded just above everyone's heads.
"That's me," Ana drawled, wrapping an arm around Kamilah when she scooted closer.
"That's you," Kamilah sighed. She had sent Ana multiple texts upon learning about the attack, and her voice sounded tight when Ana finally called her back. "You know, it is a good shot."
"Oh, I know. Are you proud of me?"
"Yes."
Smiling softly, Ana pressed her lips to the top of Kamilah's head. She watched as Kamilah took the remote and flipped through the channels, stopping at some wildlife documentary. A much better program to unwind with, but Ana clicked her tongue.
"Always with the animals."
"We either watch this, or you can go upstairs."
"No." Ana pouted. "I like it here."
"Then animals it is," Kamilah said simply, catching Ana's hand when it strayed back up again. She linked their fingers together, as they watched some lions stalk a herd of gazelles.
Ana rested her head against Kamilah's, feeling the area around her eye throb faintly. It was still painful enough that she wanted to just lie down and tide the night over. But then again, she wouldn't miss a peaceful moment like this for anything else in the world.