Chapter 3 - Spirit of the Ninja
Reid and Rapid wait outside the base for Tackle to return. In the meantime, Reid figures that it would be smart to tell him about the other Reds before he got wrapped up in their bullshit.
"The girl, Brenda, has pink armor," Reid says. "Despite that, she likes to pretend she's a ninja."
"Really?" Rapid asks. "That's weird."
"Tell me about it. I really am the only sane member of this team, yourself included."
"Hey!"
"Don't act like you're in the clear, buddy. You were deployed to a new base and immediately tried to take it over."
Rapid gives a frustrated sigh. "You know what?… I get really nervous around people, so I make stuff up sometimes, okay? Fake it until you make it, and all that."
"Like I said," Reid responds. "I'm the only sane person here."
"You're just jealous because you can't act."
The two of them see Tackle approaching and turn to meet him.
Reid walks right up to the sergeant. "Tackle, why the hell didn't you say anything about a rookie?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. It must've slipped my mind."
"It should've been the first thing you did after getting the news from Command, sir."
"Reid, we have more important problems!" Tackle shouts. "Brenda has been captured!"
Reid stares at him expectantly for a few seconds. "…And? I told you that she wasn't sneaking anywhere in that armor."
"We have to get her back! Rookie!" Tackle turns to Rapid. "You'll be joining us."
"Yes, sir!"
"Are you sure you want to bring him?" Reid asks. "He's kind of pathetic."
Rapid coughs. "Excuse me? I can hold my own, thank you very much."
"Yeah? How's that leg?"
"Hey, hey, hey, he doesn't need to know about that!"
"Both of you, shut up," Tackle orders. "We'll need all the help we can get if we're going to storm the enemy base."
"Wait, what?" Reid asks. "Tackle, sir, that's not a good idea. We need to be careful about this. We should be stealthy."
"Uh-huh. Any thoughts, Brenda?"
Rapid looks around. "Uh, do you mean me? My name is Rapid, sir."
"Ah, shit," Tackle mutters. "No, Rookie, never mind. Could you say that again, Reid?"
"Were you even listening to me?" he asks.
"To be honest, no."
Reid sighs. "I said we shouldn't just charge in. We should be stealthier." Sensing that Tackle is doubting him, he dramatically pauses before adding: "…It's what Brenda would have wanted."
Tackle stares at him. "You're right. Reid, Rabid - grab your shurikens, because it's time to be ninjas."
Outside the Blue base, a soldier in regulation blue comes up to Carbon. "Hello, sir. Are you Evans?"
Carbon quickly scans the area; Wilson is standing guard by the door, no sign of Evans. He breathes a sigh of relief. "No, I'm Carbon. Who are you?"
"My name is Shane. I was stationed here and told to report to Officer Evans. Do you know where he is?"
Before responding, Carbon quickly ushers Shane away from the base. "Okay, Shane, before anything else, there's something you need to know about Evans."
"What's that?" he asks.
Carbon explains hesitantly. "He's very, uh, paranoid. Like, really paranoid. If you just went over and said you were looking for him, he would assume you're here to kill him."
"No shit?" Shane says. "Why is he the sergeant, then?"
"I don't know," Carbon replies. "He was already the sergeant when Command sent me here."
"He doesn't sound fit to be the leader, if you ask me."
"Well, what can you do?" Carbon says. "Anyway, how about you let me go ask Evans about you before you introduce yourself?"
"Sure," Shane agrees. "I don't want to go near him if he's as crazy as you say."
"I'll be right back." Carbon enters the base and heads to Evans's room. Inside, the Blue leader sits on his bed with his head in his hands.
Evans looks up. "Hey, Carbon," he greets him morosely. "What do you want?"
Carbon is initially confused by Evans's dark mood, but figures that his freak-out earlier had been over the top, even for him.
"Uh, sir, did you know that a rookie was assigned to our base?"
"Of course I know about that," Evans sighs. "Command is my most trustworthy source of information, and I'd be damned if I didn't pay them any mind."
"Right…" Carbon says. "Well, he's here now."
"Is he? Go ahead and bring him in."
Carbon pauses. "…Is that it?"
"What do you mean by that?" Evans asks.
"Normally, wouldn't you, I don't know, be a little more suspicious?"
"Carbon," Evans begins. "After my suspicions were confirmed earlier today, I don't have anything to be suspicious of. I already know that everyone is out to kill me, and I already know they'll stop at nothing to do it. These are facts of life that I've had to come to terms with. So, I've decided that nothing really matters. I'll die sooner rather than later, so I may as well deal with whatever shit comes my way in the meantime. Bring in the rookie." Evans delivers the final sentence as though he were asking for his executioner.
Carbon stares, dumbfounded. "…Yes, sir." He goes back outside.
"So, is today the day I die?" Shane asks when Carbon returns.
"Scratch what I said earlier. Evans had an epiphany or something. It should be safe to go in."
"If you say so," Shane mutters as he goes inside.
"Man," Carbon says to Wilson, "hasn't today been eventful? We took a prisoner, got a new rookie, and now Evans is calm for once…or at least, as calm as he'll ever be."
Wilson looks at him, but doesn't say anything.
"Oh, yeah, and you spoke earlier. Why don't you talk, again?" Carbon asks.
Wilson stares.
"I probably should've known better than to ask that."
Evans sits in his room, waiting. Shane appears in the doorway and looks at him warily.
"Um, hello, sir," he says. "I'm Shane, I-"
"I know who you are, Private," Evans interrupts him. "The question is, why are you here?"
"Why?…Because I was assigned to this base?"
"Uh-huh." Evans sounds unimpressed.
"Because we need to beat the Reds," Shane guesses.
Evans sighs. "Better them than me, I suppose." Evans stands up and stares at Shane who shifts uncomfortably. After a moment's pause, the leader adds, "If you are here to kill me, make it quick."
"What? No, sir, I'm not going to kill you!" Shane protests.
"Whatever you say, Private. Come with me," Evans says, but he doesn't move.
"…Come with you where, sir?"
"Go outside, Shane. There's no way in hell I'm letting someone walk behind me."
Shane leaves the room and heads back outside by Carbon. Evans follows while aiming his rifle at him. "It seems you already know Carbon," he says. "He'll show you around, introduce you to the others. Got it, Carbon?"
"Yes, sir!" he salutes.
"Good. I'll be in my bunk." Evans returns to the base.
"So, did he freak out?" Carbon asks Shane. "I saw that he had you at gunpoint."
"He what?" Shane turns around, but Evans is already inside. "…Never mind. No, he didn't freak out or anything. He did assume I was there to kill him like you said, but he seemed kind of…resigned, I guess. Like someone coming in at the start of a ten-hour shift."
"Huh. That's not how he usually is," Carbon says. "You'd probably still be getting interrogated. Anyway, I'm not surprised that he just sent you to me. He tries to spend as little time as possible with other people."
"Again," Shane says, "he sounds like an excellent leader."
"I suppose I'll give you the grand tour, now." Carbon points by the door. "That's Wilson. He-wait, where's Wilson?"
The purple soldier isn't in his usual spot anymore. Looking around, Carbon can't see him anywhere.
"Hmm… He must have gone into the base. Let's go find him." Carbon goes inside.
"Does he usually disappear on you?" Shane follows him.
"No, he almost always stands guard right by the door." Carbon whistles. "Here, Wilson! Here, boy!"
"Carbon!" Evans yells from his room. "What have I told you about whistling? I was just about to jump into the panic bunker when I realized that it was you!"
"Oh, sorry, sir!" Carbon calls out.
"What was that about?" Shane asks.
Carbon sighs. "There was an incident a while back where Evans thought my whistling was the sound of an incoming missile. Whistling has been banned ever since."
Shane snorts. "That's ridiculous."
"I was just competing with Wilson to see who could hold the longest, loudest descending whistle." Carbon says innocently.
"Are you serious?"
"No. Wilson doesn't make any noises whatsoever."
Carbon and Shane look around the base and eventually find Wilson by Brenda's cell.
"Hey, there you are!" Carbon says. "Didn't you hear me calling for you?"
Wilson looks at him, but doesn't respond.
"This guy was talking mad shit about your team," Brenda speaks up. "He went on and on about how you all suck and he's the only one with any real skill."
"Nice try, Red. He doesn't talk," Carbon retorts.
"It's probably true, anyway. He caught me, after all."
Wilson nods, but the Blues don't notice.
"Who's this bitch?" Shane asks.
"She's a Red prisoner," Carbon explains. "Wilson captured her earlier today."
"If you call me a bitch again, I'll snap your neck," Brenda threatens Shane.
"I'd like to see you try, bitch," he says. "Good luck getting me through those bars."
Brenda snarls and reaches for Shane, but he backs away from her cell.
Carbon pulls him aside and quietly talks to him. "Hey, you don't need to go around making enemies… though she is technically your enemy."
Shane shrugs. "I'm just having fun."
"Damn, I almost forgot why I was here!" Carbon suddenly says before gesturing at the purple soldier. "Shane, this is Wilson. Say hi, Wilson!"
He nods at Shane.
"Good boy."
"Shane, is it?" Brenda asks. "Do you want to live the rest of your life seeing everything at a 90-degree angle? Because that's what'll happen when I get out of this cell. I'm gonna make you my bitch."
"Sounds hot," Shane quips. "I can't wait."
She shakes her head in disgust and turns her back on the Blues. Carbon and Shane go back outside.
"I guess that concludes the tour. You showed up at a good time, Shane," Carbon says. "We're probably going to attack the Reds soon since they're down a guy, so another soldier on our side will help us even more."
"You mean they're down a bitch," Shane corrects him.
"I think you should let that go, dude. You don't need a mortal enemy on your first day."
"What's she gonna do, Carbon?" Shane scoffs. "Snap my neck from a hundred feet away?"
"I don't know, maybe? Don't fuck with ninjas."
