A/N: Yay I love you! So much it hurts! Really it does.
Bull's Eye
"Our fort was built in 1850," Lieutenant Marshall said in a droll voice "for the purpose to protect this rough area from Araego." Riza was more interested in the fort than why it was built. After the lieutenants and Hayate walked out of the main building Marshall preceded showing her the main buildings and now they were walking on one of the outer streets in the fort. "If I may note the fort was originally thought up by General Fuzenkreg. He was a," her voice was getting drowned out by rowdy yelling. She continued on annoyed "a General originally from the north," Now Riza and Hayate could barely hear Marshall. "Sorry Sir, the troops get a bit rowdy during this time of the day," Marshall said yelling over the crowd. "If you would follow me to the Gym, I'll take care of it."
Marshall led the way to a large brown building. When the three walked through the opened door heat and sound hit them with a bang. "God I hate how it's always so hot in here," Marshall said wiping sweat off of her brow, Hayate started panting. "Lieutenant its okay to take your jacket off if you would like to," Marshall said taking her own coat off and putting it on a large row of hooks. Riza followed suite and Hayate could only keep panting.
"Will they get lost though?" She said trying to talk over the noise.
"They never do," Marshall said. Riza quickly looked to see why everyone was so riled up. Most of the soldiers were crowded around a boxing ring egging on a fight. "If you would follow me"
Marshall yelled before walking toward the ring. The Second Lieutenant pushed through the crowd Riza could hear some of the comments by the "spectators."
Most of them were like "Take her head off!" or "Show her what men can do!" and even "Teach her some manners!" Riza frowned at these comments; obviously the fight was between a woman and a man.
Lieutenant Marshall pushed her way through the crowd yelling "Back up you men, if you want something better to do I'll assign you boarder duty for a month!" When they reached the ring Riza could see the opponents clearly. It looked as if the fight was over. There was a short petite girl was sitting on top of a huge man keeping him at bay in a wrist lock.
"Tell me who rules and who drools!" She said yelling in a chipper voice in his ear.
"Never!" he yelled trying to squirm. The girl promptly boxed him in the ear with her free hand. The movement of her punishment gave the man an opening. He freed his fist and swung it around where it would hit the girl square in the jaw. The small girl was quicker than her opponent she blocked it with her hands and was momentarily caught off balance. In that time the man using his superior strength threw the girl off of him. She did a quick summersault and then popped back up ready. The man threw himself at her swinging out wildly with his left arm, she grinned before she caught it easily. She tackled his midsection and used his momentum to fling him over her shoulder. In a matter of seconds she had him in another wristlock.
"That's ENOUGH!" Marshall said in a booming voice and the whole room quieted down. Riza even stepped back surprised by the change in the Lieutenant. "Let him go Degore."
"Okay," the girl said and reluctantly let the man go and got off of him. "I hope you learned a lesson," she said sweetly to the man as he hurriedly left the ring. Then she saluted to Marshall, "Sorry sir would you like me to explain myself?"
"No," Marshall said sighing "I know what happened and would you file a report the next time the officers are being sexist before you take things into your own hands?"
"But they don't learn anything that way." She said in a whining tone.
"That's an order private." Marshall then turned her attention back to Riza. "Let's continue with the tour, as you can see this is the gym and connected to it is our firing ranges." She said returning to her droll tone.
"Actually" Riza started but was surprised by the girl running over and leaning out of the ring using the taunt ropes, her green eyes bright.
"Another girl!" she exclaimed. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Are you assigned here?" She bombarded the questions at Riza who stared at her quietly waiting for her to finish. "Oh how rude of me," the girl said apologizing and hopped out of the ring. "I am Colette Degore" she said extending her hand.
"Degore! Be more respectful!" Marshall said shocked.
"It's okay," Riza said extending her hand "I'm Riza Hawkeye and I'm here temporarily."
They quickly shook hands and Colette said out of nowhere "Let's spar."
"Excuse me?" the first lieutenant said caught off guard.
"Come on let's fight!" Now she really sounded like a little girl.
"Degore," Marshall said in a warning tone. "We really don't have time to let our new person get hurt on her first day."
"I doubt I would get that hurt," Riza said knowing that she was no flower shop girl.
"Lieutenant my orders were to show you around this fort and those orders were made by an officer who ranked higher than you." Marshal said sternly "Now I will take you anywhere you would like to go but a fight is not on the agenda. Fiddle around on your own time."
Colette whistled low "Strong words for a Second Lieutenant."
"Privates should know their places," she said glaring at them.
Riza not caring much said "Second lieutenant I recall that the shooting range is connected to this building would you mind showing it to me?"
"Ooh the shooting range; think you can stand it Marshall?" Colette said taunting.
Beads of sweat rolled down Marshall's worried face, "Of course we can, but only a quick trip." She turned quickly and walked through the crowd that was still there from the fight.
"I'm sad to say Degore," Riza said turning to the girl, "that we will have to postpone our fight."
Colette sighed "I guess so." Riza nodded a farewell and ran to catch up to the speedy walking Second Lieutenant. After passing through most of the gym they encountered a door leading to another building, the shooting range.
They went through a door and there it was in all its glory, a shooting range. It wasn't as busy or big as the one in central but it felt like a home away from home. Riza mentally laughed she thought she was never very obsessed with guns but this just may prove the opposite.
"Wow Marshall," said a man Riza suspected was the range master. "I would have never thought you would come down here."
"I didn't want to." Marshall said uncomfortably, "I'm doing a tour and now we are going to leave." Marshall turned around ready to leave but Riza was occupied with something else.
There was a large gun in one of the booths. It looked like one of the machine guns that the military was developing. Riza had never liked using these in combat but she was still interested. She had never seen this model before. It looked like the ZB vz.26 that they had been developing before she left central. It had the same basic shape but the barrel was thicker and the magazine was curved.
"Ah we have an eye for guns don't we?" said the man who popped up next to Riza.
"Is this one of the newer machine guns?" Riza asked still examining the gun.
"Yes this is the Bren a little related to the ZB vz. 26. We've been testing it out here but I don't think they'll buy it since it attracts sand like that!" He said happily before turning to Riza, "Do I know you?"
"Sorry probably not, I'm new here, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye from Central" She said.
"Master Sergeant Collin Webb," He said saluting and then they shook hands. Riza could almost feel the gunpowder on his hand. "Are you a fan of machine guns?" he said getting back into the gun train of talk.
"Actually I tend to stay with semi-automatic types." She said. Riza was easily getting along with this man. When it came to Range master's she either got along with them, like the eastern headquarters one. Or she had to prove herself to them like the masters at Central's range and the academy's.
"Really, would you grace me with a demonstration of your skills, Central?" he asked.
Riza felt something tight grip her heart, she had missed the last time she had shot. Out of all of her years of precise shooting under extreme circumstances she had missed. What if she missed again? Riza didn't know if she could take imperfection when it came to her shooting. Before she could except or decline he handed her ear plugs and pointed to a booth.
"Does your dog need earplugs?" He asked looking at Hayate as he tossed the cowering Marshall earplugs.
"No," she said shaking as she put her earplugs in and then loaded the magazine. For the first time in over six months she was shut off from the world. There was no sound, smells, sights, thoughts or feelings that went past her booth, the target slip and the back brick wall. All of her focus was on hitting the black two-dimensional person on the slip. She raised the gun eye level in one fluid movement and shot her round.
Once again for her it was time to lower the gun and check her hits. Nervously she set the gun down and pulled her headphones off. She turned to Collin and he was just staring at her with a thoughtful face on.
Riza stammered "W-Well are you going to bring it back or do you prefer I do it?"
"Oh yes," he said snapping back into business. After cranking the target back the three and a Hayate took a good look at it. The thing was there were only two large holes in the target, one in the head and one in the chest.
"I stayed pretty primitive when it came to the hit spots," Riza said modestly. Inside she was overjoyed, she hadn't totally blown it. In truth she actually wasn't that much worse from where she was in the last November. Being Riza though she still thought she could still improve.
"Now I remember!" Collin exclaimed, "You are the expert gunman in Central. I actually got to see you shoot a few times but I never got to meet you personally because when you transferred to Central I was transferred away."
"I wouldn't say I'm an expert just devoted." she said.
"Come on that shooting was perfect!" he said motioning to the slip.
"No it wasn't"
"Yes it was."
"I really don't care if Hawkeye could shoot a fish in the ocean!" Marshall said from her hiding spot. "I just say we get out of here!"
"If you don't like it in here than leave Lieutenant Marshall," Riza said. "Anyways I think I am going to stay in here for the rest of the day. I have a lot of catching up to do."
"But the orders." She said with a pained expression on her face.
"Just go."
"Thank you Sir!" Marshall said before running out of the range.
"What is up with her?" Riza asked the Master.
"Bad gun experiences," he said shrugging, "We all have some type of fear or dislike."
"Yes we do." Riza said before going back to the booth she was at and put her gun back in its holster. "Do you have any rifles?"
A/N: I lied! I lied! I am sorry that I have a life that I can't ignore long enough to really sit down and write a good chapter. But in class I am always writing so the problem is getting to type.
To let you know what is happening in my life right now:
My High School soccer season has ended TT. but since it has ended that means that I have more free time which is good.
But unfortunately that free time must be spent on Padroni and our prep shows and riding and of course cleaning so that is kinda good, kinda bad.
Also Marching band season is winding down so alls we have left is our championships and that's it(I'm in the color guard).
After championships our winter guard season starts. I get a whole Monday off! WOOOOO!!!! Not really happy about that.
I do have good news. Remember how I have a bunch of metal in my ankle? Well all of it gets taken out on the 13th of December! WOOOOOOO!!! Once again that isn't very good. At the moment I'm not nervous about it, yet. So I need some support my fellow fanfictites!
Any who I just realized I have a Warren and a Marshall in my story!
Bye!