Crossing the River
Airstrike
"Hello everyone! As you know, you have been chosen to join are team at NEST. Now, I have to warn you, from this point on things are going to get weird and scary. If anyone wants to leave now they can, speak now or forever hold your peace. Now any questions?" Lennox asked. One of the recruits in the back raised there hand.
"Yes?" he asked the recruit.
"Sir, when do we get to meet these 'allies' we were told about?" the recruit asked.
"Soon, anything else?" Lennox asked. When no one raised their hands he motioned me to come up onto the raised platform that had been set on the blacktop earlier today.
"Okay, then without further ado, I introduce you to Whisper, our on base civilian combatant and co-op trainer for you all," he stepped aside and let me take front and center.
"Okay, as the Major said, I go by Whisper-"I said. Another recruit raised there hand, and my heart skipped a beat when I realized it was Majory.
"Yes?" I asked her.
"Is that your real name?" she asked.
"No, it's not, but it's what you shall address me as. Now, back-"I said.
"What is your real name?" she asked.
"my name is of no consequence," I said, I made the hand signals for 'back off, I'll get talk to you later' that I had been taught as a kid in the unit, and continued with the hope she would understand and do as I asked, "now, as I was saying, I go by Whisper, I am the resident civilian combatant and your co-op trainer for the next month and a half. I will be your best friend and your worst enemy until your training is complete, and even then I am still going to be a major factor in your lives. I am not your kid sister, you will not treat me as such regardless of my age, you will treat me as you would any of your superior officers, got it? Yes, I know I am a kid by the standards of the US government, but I can still kick your asses any day of the week, even if I'm a 15 year old girl. Any questions?" I asked.
Again, no hands.
"Okay, well then, as you have been made aware of where you can and cannot go, you are dismissed. I recommend going to bed early, training starts at 0400," I said. The recruits started to leave, most of them going towards the barracks.
"So how did I do?" I asked Lennox.
"Pretty damn good, you acted like this was your hundredth time instead of your first- yes?" Lennox asked someone over my shoulder. I turned around to face Majory.
"Yes recruit?" I asked. Majory crossed her arms.
"Don't you dare keep up that 'recruit' nonsense Iren Firestone!" she yelled.
"Majory…"
"Don't you 'Majory' me! I have been worried sick!"
"Majory,"
"You couldn't have called me? Or texted? Or e-mailed? Hell! Even a three word letter would have been good enough!"
"Airstrike!" I shouted, finally resorting to her codename for the unit to get her attention.
"What! What could possibly suffice for an excuse in your mind you-"
"I couldn't okay! Contacting you would have risked exposing the Unit! I am not going to be responsible for getting everyone killed okay!" I yelled. Majory paled a little.
"I'm so sorry, it's just that you had me so worried, I just snapped," she whispered.
"It's all right, its… look, even if I could have contacted you, there is no way Mix would have wanted me back," I said.
"Of course he-"
"Majory, I've killed people, innocent people, for no reason other than the fact that I couldn't cope with my situation. If anything he should spit in my face,"
"Come on Firestone! This is Mix we're talking about!"
"Exactly. And my last name is Flames now; I took my Dads' maiden name,"
"Oh,"
"Yeah, come on, let's go grab some food. Major Lennox? You coming?" I asked.
"Yeah, is this the girl you've been bragging about for the past two weeks?" Lennox asked.
"Yep, Major, meet Majory Reaves, also known as Airstrike. Majory, meet Major William Lennox, leader of NEST," I said.
"Pleasure to meet you Major," Majory said, shaking Lennox's hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you to Marjory," he said.
"Her name's Majory, not Marjory," I said giggling.
"Oh, sorry Majory," Lennox said.
"It's okay, common mistake," Majory said.
"Okay, good, now you know each other, let's go get some foooooood," I whined.
"Cry baby," Majory said.
"Go to hell Airstrike," I said.
"Right back atcha Shadowshot," she shot back.
"Déjà vu man, nobody's called me that in years," I said.
"You guys done?" Lennox asked, amused.
"Not a chance," we both said.
"You want food or what?" he asked.
"Yeah fine, let's go intro duce her to the hellions," I said.
"Hellions?" Majory asked as we all started to make are way to the cafeteria.
"You'll see," I said.
"Okay…"she said.
"Don't worry, you'll love them. Oh, how's your Spanish?" I added.
"Um… good I guess? Why?" she asked.
"One of 'em speaks Spanish," I said, ignoring Lennox's mone of 'oh no, not another one' from behind us.
"Oh, okay, what's his name? "She asked.
"Fig," I said.
"Hmm, nice, I'm guessing that's a nickname?"
"Yep. Now come on, I'm hungry," I said.
"Alright, let's go, "she said
"Food, here we come!" I said.
"You're such a kid," she said.
"What? I'm hungry," I said.
"Whatever," she said.
"Jerk," I said
"Asshole," she said.
"Rubber. Glue. Look it up" I said.
"What do I look like? A computer?" she said.
"Yes," I said.
"No comment," she said.
"Guys, stop," Lennox said.
"Fine," we said together.
"I swear you two are twins," he said.
"It's a possibility," we said.
"Okay… weird," he said.
"We know," we said together again.
"Okay, now it's getting creepy," he said.
"We know," we said.
"Stop it, seriously," he said.
"Fine," we said.
"I said stop!" he said as we started to giggle.
"We can't help it," we said.
"Fine, whatever, you win,"
"We always do,"
"I said stop!"
"We can't!"
"Gah!"